ForestParkReview_120424

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It’s about managing growth and bene ting neighborhoods, o cials

In Forest Park, there’s a longtime business owner with a store located in a residential neighborhood. The business owner wants to expand the building’s footprint on the lot, according to Steve Glinke, director of the Department of Public Health and Safety. But according to the village’s zoning code, such an addition is “an absolute, hard no,” Glinke said.

In this example and numerous others, the way the village’s zoning code is written can limit property owners’ investments in Forest Park. That’s why, at the start of the year, officials began drafting updates to large portions of Forest Park’s zoning code

Small Business

Forest Park Commissioner Jessica Voogd

JILL WAGNER

Most food pantries in the U.S. pre-bag or pre-box the food they distribute. This model has been widely accepted for its operational efficiency. But in recent years, some food pantries have transitioned to a “client choice” distribution model.

We believe in “choice”.

We’re converting a 7,000 square foot former factory building into a “choice” food pantry. We’re doing this based on our own local research. And what we found is that the question of choice goes beyond matters of operational efficiency. Choice takes the point of view of our

neighbors in need. Which is the point of view upon which our food pantry was founded.

What our neighbors in need are saying...

“We get what we like, instead of them giving it to us in a bag. It’s like if you’re shopping at a grocery store. You pick what you need. What you want. If I don’t like a certain kind of bread, I just don’t take it.”

“I literally felt like I’m in a grocery store and I’m picking the food. Food I couldn’t even afford to get in a grocery store. And then when we get to the end of the checkout, I don’t hve to pay. I’ve never had this happen to me before.”

”It gives people self-pride. I didn’t think I’d ever have to go to a food pantry. And they always try to get different things, different vegetables, different fruit. So, it doesn’t make you feel ashamed.”

L’Arche welcomes residents to its new Oak Park home

Southeast Oak Park house will be home to adults with intellectual disabilities and assistants

In just a few weeks, the L’Arche community will be welcoming residents to its firs newly built house in the Chicago area.

The south Oak Park house benefits from sustainable measures, and when the resi dents move in this December, in keepin with L’Arche principles, the house will embody what it means to be a home.

L’Arche is a worldwide organization, founded in France in 1964, that is dedicated to creating intentional communities with homes where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together as peers.

In 1999, after L’Arche founder Jean Vanier spoke at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, a benefactor donated a house to the group – their first home in the Chicago area. With the addition of this home at 1111 S. East Avenue, the organization operates four homes in the Chicago area: one in Oak Park, two in Forest Park and one in Austin.

page document of ideas that they shared with architect Bill Scholtens of Elements Architectural Group in Oak Park

Core members with disabilities are welcome in their L’Arche homes for life, and many join L’Arche homes when they are in their ‘20s. Core members and assistants have a shared-living situation, with assistants offering support in day-to-day tasks

Executive Director Mic Altena said that the Oak Park house will be home to four core members, ages 33 to 63. Of these core members, one member is new to L’Arche.

“The new member has a job in south Oak Park, and his parents live in southeast Oak Park,” Altena said. “He’ll be able to step out into independence in a way that feels safe and controlled.”

The three other core members are moving from other L’Arche homes that did not meet all of their mobility needs. Their moves will open up spots for new members in the homes they are leaving.

L’Arche’s other area homes have been preexisting homes, and while the organization relishes the opportunity to be integrated into established communities, Altena said that a newly constructed home offered more opportunities for core members.

“The most fun part of the project was having a blank slate,” Altena said.

Before breaking ground in June 2023, Altena said he held meetings with staff and residents and asked what they needed and wanted in a home. They came up with a 20-

Altena said that Scholtens did a great job of meeting their needs.

“It starts at the front door, which is at ground level. There are no stairs, lifts or ramps. Our residents can go in and out independently. Inside, there’s an elevator that goes to the second floor, so everyone has access to the entire house,” Altena said.

When core members went to visit the home prior to moving in, Altena said the benefits of the new construction were immediately visible “Noah rolled right up to the island, and the counters were at the perfect height. He could make a full turn in his chair and access the bathroom on his own.”

e new L’Arche Chicago Community Home’s kitchen and dining area, courtyard, living room and roo op solar panels.

good neighbors.”

“It was really great to see how it works,” he added. “There was no need to worry about those things that we so often take for granted.”

The new house is also very efficient. A solar collector system with geothermal heat pumps will provide 100% of the home’s electricity and power the home’s heating, cooling, and lighting needs. The home also has triple-glazed windows and high-performance insulation, which will contribute to its efficiency. “We’re really excited about the energy efficiency,” Altena said. “It allows us to demonstrate that we want to be

Being active, contributing members of the community is part of the ethos of L’Arche core members and their assistants. The members have jobs in Oak Park and are members of the YMCA.

Altena said that community is key to the success of L’Arche.

“It’s very important for us to create places of belonging where people are known and respected and create meaningful relationships,” he said. “That’s really the L’Arche secret sauce.”

L’Arche is making a difference one house at a time, but Altena emphasizes that the need in Illinois is great. They received more than 100 applications for the four spots that

opened up locally with the construction of this house.

“We’re overwhelmed by the level of need,” he said. “There’s an immense need in Illinois. There are over 10,000 people on a waiting list to receive funding.”

While the state provides pivotal funding, private philanthropy is the key to creating the small, personalized communities that L’Arche builds one house at a time.

The challenges are great, but Altena said that focusing on the good makes it all worthwhile.

“Walking the house, picturing people sitting there, eating to g ether, making their homes,” he said. “That is what is really exciting.”

TODD BANNOR

Our nal Big Week will run on December 18. Don’t worry! We have more events coverage coming soon. For a sneak peak, and to submit events to be included in our new calendar, visit forestparkreview.com/events

BIG WEEK

December 4-11

Sundaes With Santa

Sunday, Dec. 8, multiple times, Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor

Come on out and make your own ice cream Sunday with Santa. You will also be given hot chocolate and a goodie bag. Space is limited. Seatings at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. & 4 p.m. www.browncowicecream.com 7347 Madison St., Forest Park

Portillo’s Fundraiser for Forest Park Cares Fund

Monday, Dec. 9, 5-8 p.m., Forest Park Public Library

Support the Forest Park Cares Fund by eating out at Portillo’s in Forest Park on Monday, Dec. 9 from 5-8 p.m.

The Library will get 20% of sales. Order online for pick up using the code PORTILLOS12 before checkout in the “Coupon Code” eld, or show this yer or a digital version to cashier when ordering at the restaurant. Valid on drive thru, pickup, kiosk, and in restaurant orders. Forest Park Cares is the librar y’s fund that provides food and toiletry items, laundry kits, access to the pay phone, and transpor tation funds to shelters for people in need.

tacular featuring Hoover & Harley and the Boys he Revenirs

Friday, Dec. 6, Doors open at 6:30, music at 7:30 p.m., Rober t’s Westside .toysfortots.org). General admission tickets do not include reserved seating. There will be limited general admission seating available for the concert and it will be rst come, rst ser ved. If you need a seat, please purchase reserved rest Park

Sonic X Shadow Generations Video Game Program

Thursday, Dec. 5, 4 -5 p.m., Forest Park Public Library

Join us in playing the exciting Sonic X Shadow Generations game to celebrate the new Sonic movie coming out soon. Designed for grades 5, 6, and 7. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park

Tarot 101: A Beginner ’s Guide

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 - 3 p.m., Forest Park Public Library

With 78 cards and a whole bunch of seemingly hard-to-understand symbols, learning to read Tarot might feel over whelming. But here’s the secret: if you can tell a stor y, you can read the cards. In this workshop we’ll learn the basics to help you form your own relationship with Tarot and you’ll be reading for yourself and others in no time. Bring your questions. 7555 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park

ZONING CODE

from page 1

“This sort of sets the table for something that’s a little bit more manageable and provides opportunity for residents, business owners to make improvements to their property,” Glinke said.

While the first suggested changes to the zoning code’s residential districts have yet to be approved by the village council, Forest Park officials say the goal is much larger than bringing hundreds of nonconforming properties in line with the code.

“It’s not just zoning,” Glinke said. “It’s managing growth and doing things in a way that provides safeguards, but also directly provides benefits to the neighborhoods and the community at large.”

The new zoning code

Village officials and the village’s planning services consultant Muse have been considering how to update the village’s code since 2018.

This year, village staff and Muse started rewriting batches of the code, which are then reviewed by the planning and zoning commission. If the commission approves the zoning code updates, they’re sent to a village council vote

These groups will remain involved in future updates, as well as in assessing caseby-case properties that don’t align with the zoning code

While staff originally hoped to have the zoning code updates completed by the end of this year, they say it’s taken so long because of the project’s scale. But there have also been delays in the village council’s vote to update the zoning code

The planning commission approved the first batch of the zoning code’s updates, which suggested amendments to the village’s residential districts, in April after two public meetings in February and March.

But when the vote came to the village council, commissioners tabled the vote. While Commissioner of Accounts and Finance Maria Maxham reluctantly agreed to come back to the agenda item at a later meeting, Commissioner of Public Property Jessica Voogd and Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvements Michelle Melin-Rogovin wondered how the residential code updates would impact stormwater management and building density.

Village Administrator Rachell Entler said

she’s still researching how to answer those questions. She’s comparing hypothetical stormwater management updates in the code to MWRD’s water management ordinance and needs more feedback about building density questions from commissioners.

Once those questions are addressed, this portion of the code may go back to the commission, or the village council might make a simple amendment at a future meeting Entler said that while everyone on the village council is on board with the code updates, some want more detail.

“I don’t want anything that we add in there to be an additional burden on somebody who has property in town, or is looking to buy property in town, that they have to abide by stricter rules than what the county and MWRD [Metropolitan Water Reclamation District] is telling us,” Entler said. “If we’re going to do that, I want it to be for a valid reason.”

At the same village council meeting where commissioners voted to update the residential portion of the code, they passed an amendment that addresses parking, changing the required number of parking spaces per every multi-family dwelling from two to 1.25.

“The 1.25 is more reflective of what the reality is,” Glinke said.

Glinke said those who are constructing

apartment buildings in Forest Park often ask for relief from the section of the code that dictates how many parking spaces they must include.

See ZONING CODE on pa ge 18

A Sofa for Christmas

Recently while having cocktails with friends the conversation turned to what we wanted for Christmas. One of my Girlfriends blurted out, ‘I really want a new sofa for Christmas … and a new comfy chair in the bedroom. I know it’s not sexy but it’s what I want.”

As the owner of a furniture store I think sofas and chairs are sexy no matter what time of year. But it got me thinking, how many others out there are happy with their handbag collection and instead of a piece of jewelry really want a nice new piece of furniture?

Being a business owner I grabbed my phone, went to our website and showed her over 200 pieces of brand new, never used sofas, chairs, tables and more. She found a couple pieces she loved so I made a note and promised to follow up with Santa aka her husband.

Whether a sofa is on your Christmas Wishlist or part of your 2025 Remodel plans, give our website a look under BRAND NEW INVENTORY or better yet come and see us in our 25,000 SF store located at 1800 S. Harlem Ave. North Riverside, IL.

Many Forest Park residences aren’t up to code – why not?

Village sta explain why these homes don’t align w ith the cur rent zoning code – and why they should

If you’ve walked the blocks of Forest Park, you’ve probably come across several singlefamily homes next to a two-flat, neighboring an eight-story apartment building.

Eclectic, but not exactly legitimate –though it’s not the current village staf f’s f ault. While the variety of buildings adds to Forest Park’s small-town charm, they don’ t all conform to residential zoning codes. And that can be a hassle when homeowners want to expand or renovate a property. Forest Park is now working to update chunks of the code, and bringing hundreds of such properties into conformity is one of the first agenda items.

Steve Glinke, director of the Department of Public Health and Safety, acknowledged how difficult it is for owners of nonconforming homes to follow the village’s code, citing an example of compli-

cations around adhering to newer energy codes in older houses.

“When you’ re doing a gut rehab, it makes it very difficult to comply with that because you just don’t have the skeleton to support it,” Glinke said. “It’s very hard to take a contemporary building code and apply it to a turn-of-the-century community.”

T he large number of nonconforming residences in town can be chalked up to a couple of events

During World War II, workers flocked to Forest Park to build tor pedoes at a factory where Living World Christian Center now stands. T hose employees were often put up in local residences, Glinke said, which is why the village once had several nonpurpose-built two-flat s, which look like a single-family home with an apar tment in the basement.

“We’ve tried to undo that,” Glinke said, to bring the buildings up to code, “but you can really only do that one house at

a time.” And even then, only when a bank re poses a foreclosed home can it be de-conver ted to align with the code

While Glinke’s earliest copies of the village’s zoning code go back to the 1960s, he said that, if there was a code before then, it’s likely it was suspended during the war, allowing many properties to be grandfathered into today’s code

“We can’ t tell someone who has a nonpurpose built two-flat, and has had it for the last 15 years, that they can’ t sell it,” Glinke added.

When the Eisenhower Expressway was built in the 1950s, many houses in Forest Park were relocated to make room.

“We know for a fact that they were moving houses from the Eisenhower, and just popping them on lots,” Glinke said. He gives the example of a lot on Forest Park’s north side that has three single-family houses on it.

But not all of Forest Park’s noncon-

forming properties are classified as such because of the buildings on them. Some don’ t align with the current code simply because of the size of the lot or how the house is situated on it.

“The north side of my house is the backyard of my neighbors,” Village Administrator Rachell Entler said of her home, which sits right on the property line

This year and next, the village is updating large portions of its zoning code to make properties like this confor ming. This will allow such homes to be more easily managed, both on the village’s side and the property owner’s.

“There have been re peated issues that have come to light: changes in the housing trends and how people utilize their houses,” Entler said. “This is a good opportunity for us to take a look and say, ‘OK, we’re g etting a lot of these requests. Maybe we should consider this to be something that’s permitted.’”

Small Business Saturday

Kicking off the holiday shopping season, small businesses along Madison Street were bustling despite the chilly temperatures. As an incentive for “shopping small” in Forest Park, Laurie Kokenes and Christine Bernard from Forest Park Chamber, were stationed at Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor from 11 a.m. to 4 p. free $25 or $50 gift cards.

To encourage local shopping, the Chamber is hosting a few more events throughout the holiday season, including the live windows of the Holiday Walk on Friday, Dec. 6; The Arts Alliance Makers’ Market on Dec. 15;and a generous Grinch on Madison who will be handing out surprise gift cards and posing for photos on Dec. 21.

Jessica Voogd at Team Blonde
Joanna from Tw isted Cookie
Pic tures by JILL WAGNER

We’re

2024 Walk

by

Presented

A magical holiday begins on Madison Street

Chamber’s Holiday Walk and Festival of Lights is Friday night

At a time when “reality” can feel a bit too much, Madison Street will be transfor med into a fantasy land complete with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus during the Forest Park Holiday Walk and Festival of Lights on Friday, Dec. 6, 6 to 9 p.m.

All of this magic is courtesy of the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce.

Start of f at Forest Park Bank, 7348 Madison St, to have your picture taken with Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the bank lobby between 6 and 8 p.m.

While inside the bank, children can enjoy the train as it runs around the Christ-

See HOLIDAY WALK on pa ge 13

mas tree. Bank volunteers will be serving cookies and hot chocolate and a team from the Forest Park Art Alliance will provide props for fun family photos

Walkers who head east will discover that Connie Brown has transformed the Brown Cow, 7347 Madison St., into a gingerbread house where kids can play in the parlor’s gingerbread house window.

“We will feature our homemade gingerbread house kits, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread lattes and our hand-crafted super-premium holiday flavors: Pe ppermint, Egg Nog, Gingerbread and Figg y Pudding, homemade hot cocoa (made with steamed ice cream) & famous COWzones (savory hand pies).

A block east of the ice cream parlor walkers can listen to live music at Robert’s Westside (located at the corner of Circle and Madison) where Donnie Biggins will be staging what he is calling a Holiday Honky Tonk Spectacular with live music

provided by Hoover & Harley and the Boys plus Daniel Rey & The Revenirs.

The Hoover and Harley website re ports:

“We’ re a Chicago-based hillbilly band playing originals, the classics and soon-to-be classics with a big hat tip to Hank, Waylon, Willie, Merle, Buck, Carl, and Cash.”

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the music will begin at 7:30 p.m. A $5 discount on the cover charge will be given to everyone who brings an unwrapped toy being collected for Toys for Tots.

The Old Foal Horse Trailer will be serving hot cocoa and mulled wine, and children from the Montessori Language Academy will be caroling outside of Bobbies.

A block further east walkers can visit Mala Gandhi and Amanda Aggarwal at Elements Message, 7239 Madison St. and will be able to much on holiday cookies while crafting their own aromatic therapy bath salt tree ornament.

Charlie Grundas, the owner of We, the

Programmed fueling services

Direct fleet/equipment fueling

Temporary above ground, job-site tanks

Direct fueling of construction equipment on job

Emergency generator fueling

C ollective Fitness, 7247 Madison St., said, “We will be A-plus, we ’ve g ot activitie s for k ids, including ornament-making , face-painting, and showing short holiday films to bring extra doses of cheer.”

Across the street at Fantastic S ams, owner Kevin McCrory will be offerin g free hot hocolate and adult be

Walking west from the b ank, students from the Gasse School of Music will be playing live in the wind ow

Again Spo rt s, 7443 Madison St. Daniel Gasse, the director of the school, said, “We’ll pl ay d uos, t rio s, and music from the baroqu e, classical, and omantic periods, and holiday musi

Michael Lee’s Way

A street is named a er the owner of Lee’s Auto Servi

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins dedicated a street sign honoring the late Geung Goo (Michael) Lee last Saturday. The ce emony took place at the corner of Madison Street and Des Plaines Avenue, wher Lee operated Lee’s Auto Service for over 30 years.

Lee, who died in July from a heart at tack, lived in Forest Park. Until 2006, he owned and operated the Mobil franchise and mechanic shop in town. He and hi family also owned several apartment buildings in Forest Park and operated other businesses in the Chicago area.

“The street naming ceremony will commemorate his contributions to Forest Park, his dedication to the community, and his legacy as a respected businessman and community leader,” officials said in a statement.

ZONING CODES

from page 5

“They’re always granted,” Glinke said.

Entler said she is working on answering questions about the tabled portion of the residential zoning updates alongside redoing other batches of the code.

While the first batch has taken nearly all year to bring to the village council for a tabled vote, Glinke said later portions of the code should take much less time

“We took the purposeful tact of being slow rolling [during] this first batch because it affects the most residents,” he said.

What comes next

Residents at previous village council meetings have complained during public comment about the lack of transparency behind the process of updating the code.

Michelle Fitz-Henry said at a village council meeting last month that there are no video recordings or minutes of the three commission meetings earlier this year where board members discussed and approved the residential zoning code updates “Something’s broken here,” Fitz-Henry said.

“This process doesn’t only not scream public and transparent, it doesn’t even whisper it.”

But staff are unsure how the process could be any more transparent. This year’s three planning commission meetings regarding the residential zoning updates were advertised publicly – on the village’s website and email newsletter.

Entler said she is updating the village’s recording system so that staff can record all public meetings, not just village council ones – another complaint from locals who can’t make it to in-person meetings.

“I do think that there is some responsibility of residents to pay attention to what is going on in town,” Entler said.

“Civic participation shouldn’t be a heavy lift,” Glinke added. “It’s our job to help that process and to educate our residents here, but it requires a modicum of effort.”

Glinke said the next code amendment will address the rest of the nonconforming properties in Forest Park Another will create a zoning designation for cemeteries, which take up half of the village’s land mass and are currently zoned as either residential or industrial districts

While Glinke expects most of the code’s updates to be voted on by the village council next year, he added that such changes will be an ongoing process “I still think people will be coming forward with things that none of us thought about,” he said.

GEUNG GOO LEE

NOTICE of Proposed Property Tax Increase for the Village of Forest Park

I. A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase for the Village of Forest Park for 2024 will be held on Monday, December 16, 2024, at 6:45 p.m., in the Council Chambers of Village Hall located in the lower level of 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130.

Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Village Clerk Vanessa Belmonte, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois or at 708-6156202.

II. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2023 were $9,365,603.

The proposed corporate and special property taxes to be levied for 2024 are $9,871,002. This represents a 5% increase over the previous year.

III. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2023 were $-0-.

The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2024 are $-0-. This represents a 0% increase over the previous year.

IV. The total property taxes extended or abated for 2023 were $9,365,603.

The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2024 are $9,871,002. This represents a 5% increase over the previous year.

/s/ Vanessa Belmonte

Village Clerk

Village of Forest Park 517 Desplaines Avenue

Forest Park, IL 60130

In-person events, on the 2nd Thursdays, are from 7:00 to 8:30 pm typically in the 2nd Floor Veterans Room at the Oak Park Main Library, 834 Lake St, Oak Park. Our alternate gathering place is the Dole Branch of the Oak Park Library, 255 Augusta St, Oak Park. Please visit OakParkToastmasters.org for current location.

Virtual events, on the 4th Thursdays, are from 7:30 to 8:45 pm via Zoom.

Guests are always welcome to join a meeting. Please reach out to Club President, president@oakparktoastmasters.org.

Oak Park Toastmasters where Leaders are made.

The Foundation was created by the community, for the community. Join us to build a racially just society in which all members of our community thrive and prosper. Together we can invest in real change.

Please give to our annual fund today.

OPINION

OUR VIEW

Slow and steady on zoning

Two interesting pieces in today’s Review about the ongoing and long overdue efforts to untangle Forest Park’s conflicted, irrational, in some ways almost non-existent zoning policies

Sure, we know zoning issues sound woefully dull until you need to pull a permit or a neighbor wants to update their house, or a developer has semi-big plans. Conflict ensues. And if zoning is confounding, then resolutions are hard to come by.

One piece by the Review’s Jessica Mordacq reports the history of how so much of Forest Park’s residential housing came to be “nonconforming.” Steve Glinke, who heads the village’s public health and safety ef forts and has the most institutional memory of anyone at village hall, offered two moments in history when housing circumstances changed radically and the lack of local zoning to address those circumstances created a longter m muddle.

During World War II, Forest Park was home to a large factory that built torpedoes for the war effort. That factory building still exists on Roosevelt Road (but you know it today as the Forest Park Plaza mall). Glinke says workers flocked to the village to take these jobs, but there was a severe housing shortage and so many single-family homes were converted into on-the-fly two-flats. And many stayed that way.

A decade-plus later, the interstate highway system cut the Eisenhower Expressway through Forest Park We think of the many graves that needed to be relocated. But Glinke says many homes were also impacted and were then picked up and moved to any available spot in town. That led to the many circumstances where two, and even three, homes were left sitting on one lot.

And, Glinke says, if Forest Park had a zoning code before that, and it may not have, it could have been suspended during the war. The first for-certain zoning code dates back only to the 1960s after all the kinks had already been built in

The second story by Mordacq is an update on the current status of the efforts to fully update the zoning code. While discussed for many years, the effort really took hold early this year with the help of a consultant. The first focus was on the residential neighborhoods. The proposed changes went through a thorough vetting last spring by the Planning and Zoning Commission on their way to a village council vote.

Now, action on this part of the rewrite is stalled as at least two commissioners have raised questions Village Administrator Rachell Entler told the Review she is still researching matters around storm water management and building density, which have been brought forward.

It seems clear that the full council wants to reform the zoning code. That there are questions raised about this complex overhaul is not a surprise, though it is a frustration to some who have already immersed themselves in this process.

So the first batch of revisions will now be pushed back into 2025. As we have an issue that is approximately 85 years in the making, a few more months is not that long

Leaning into the future with hope

On the day after the election, I bumped into a neighbor who I knew was a Trump voter, and I said, “Congratulations,” to which he responded, “This is the happiest day of my life.”

For the roughly 80% of us who voted for Harris, however, the emotions felt on hearing the news the morning after the election were depression, anger, fear, or some combination of all three.

I had a lunch date scheduled for the next day, Thursday, and my friend sent me an email saying he was depressed enough to not feel sociable. I felt the same way, to tell the truth, but the irony is that withdrawing socially robbed me of some companionship with a like-minded friend, which could have salved my emotional wound a bit.

HOLMES

Last Sunday was the first Sunday in Advent in liturgical churches like mine. In the month of December the colors we see all around us will be red and green, the central characters in the holiday narrative will be Santa and a reindeer with a luminescent nose, and the time will be spent shopping, baking and writing holiday greeting cards.

In my church, the color will be blue. One of the four candles on a big Advent wreath was lit last Sunday, two will be lit next Sunday, and so forth in a kind of countdown to Christmas, yes, but more importantly to an unknown future that we believe will somehow be a fulfillment of what we are longing for.

It’s an open-ended hope, and the Advent narrative is filled with characters to whom good things happen that they weren’t expecting

One of the characters is an old woman named Elizabeth for whom menopause was way back in her rear-view mirror. From what I know of the culture she lived in, being “barren” was a source of shame. And since she was not menstruating, I assume that for a month or so she didn’t even know she was pregnant. But surprise! The impossible was happening.

Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, was an old codger like his wife, and I assume he had let go of hoping for children and grandchildren to gladden his last lap around the track of life. He had accepted that reality, so according to the story, it was disorienting for Zechariah when an angel infor med him

he and his wife would be parents in nine months

Zechariah, like many of us in these “enlightened” modern times, apparently was not open to miracles happening in his life, so he therefore questioned the angel asking, “How can this be?”

The angel’s reply was more or less, “Dude, how often does an angel come to you with good news? Because you find it hard to believe in a future with goodness in it, you won’t be able to talk until what I promised happens.”

The third main character is a young single woman named Mary who, according to the story Luke tells, was a virgin. The same angel who appeared to Zechariah appears to Mary and tells her that she is going to get pregnant, but — and here’s the part that always seems unfair — when Mary asks, “how can this be” the angel patiently explains how the miracle will happen.

The fourth main character is a strange guy Luke refers to as “John the Baptist,” the grown child who had been promised to Elizabeth and Zechariah. The Baptist spends his time telling everyone who will listen to get their souls ready for the big thing that is coming down the road

When I hear about John the Baptist telling people to get ready, I sometimes recall a song by the O’Jays titled, “Love Train.” The lyrics of the song use the metaphor of a train of love, holding up the assurance that the “train” is going to pass where you are living your life, and pleads, “Please don’t miss this train at the station ‘cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you.”

The season of Advent is asking us to hope, to believe that in spite of the train wrecks we’ve cynically come to expect will be on the tracks of our lives, there is a train coming that will bear an unforeseen, unexpected miracle — a miracle that is not in your control to make happen and will confound the picture of reality you presently have in your head.

The trick is that it will come in ways you don’t expect and at a time of day that is not on any online schedule. So be ready. Expect miracles. And don’t miss the train because it doesn’t come on your schedule or in the way you expect.

And a voice from outside of me is saying, “Dare to lean into the future with an open-ended hope.”

A shining example REVIEW

Editor Erika Hobbs

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Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon Audra Wilson

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ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066

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Rob Sall and John Cunningham are on a mission to make Forest Park shine. They started Light Up Forest Park, a group dedicated to wrapping trees in holiday lights. It’s been a phenomenal success. This year, there are 170 lit trees in town. The effect is stunning and many take walks or drive slowly past the lit trees

This all started in 2022, when the couple wrapped their parkway tree in red lights on the 1100 block of Beloit. The response was so positive, they started “Light up Beloit” in 2023. Lit-up trees lined both sides of that street. Traffic crawled as cars cruised through a wonderland of twinkling lights. The trees function as a draw for visitors to dine and shop in town.

from growing up in small towns Rob is from Wausa, Nebraska, population 634, and John is from Holdridge, Nebraska, population 5,495. The couple met in Nebraska and moved to Chicago in 2003. They work full-time for an overseas corporation. They are also dedicated to helping neighbors connect.

Lighting up trees is one way neighbors can connect. It also helps residents fight the seasonal depression that settles in during the long, dark days of a Chicago winter. It encourages residents to engage with their neighbors, instead of going into hibernation.

on the map.

Rob and John don’t mind coordinating the tree lighting on their own block but don’t have time for a village-wide effort. Next year, they hope to recruit volunteer block captains to be responsible for their own block. This will allow the lighted-tree movement to expand to more parts of town.

This idea of block captains reminded me that a woman from Forest Park is also using holiday lights to create community. Blanche Lukes left Forest Park in 1970, to move with her husband, Jerry, to Phoenix. She started a movement in Moon Valley for each house to display luminaria during the holidays. This year, 24,000 luminarias will be lit on Christmas Eve.

Rob and John have been promoting community in their neighborhood ever since they moved here in 2016. Their first project was to beautify the corner of Beloit and Harvard. They found volunteers to help fill the planters on Harvard with milkweed and tulips. They also hand-built the Super Mario and Candyland displays to brighten up the space in front of Ed’s Way.

This desire to create community came

The cost of lighting a tree is minimal. By using efficient LED bulbs, the cost of keeping the lights on from dusk to dawn is about 10 cents per day. Residents pick the color and how many trees they want to light. Some power 3-4 trees. Power cords are suspended above the sidewalk so they don’t interfere with pedestrians or snow-plowing Bobcats

Volunteers started working in November to light the trees. It takes about 90 minutes to wrap a tree, depending on how many strands are used. Some trees have 100,000 lights. The lighted trees are attracting attention from other communities and putting Forest Park

Blanche is 97 now and she and Jerry have been married for 66 years. She still recruits block captains, who are each responsible for 20 homes. The spectacle of luminarias in a Phoenix subdivision with no streetlights draws bumper-to-bumper traffic from all over the area. When I told her about Rob and John’s efforts to light trees, she said, “What a great gift to Forest Park.”

Coming of age in our small town inspired Blanche to create community in a sprawling Phoenix subdivision. Just as growing up in small Nebraska towns motivated Rob and John to make Forest Park shine.

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received by West 40 Intermediate Service Center #2 for the following project:

SITE RENOVATION & DOOR REPLACEMENT

415 W. LEXINGTON ST. MAYWOOD, IL 60153

BID GROUP: 1

Bid Packages: 1A-Excavation, 1B-Concrete, 1C-Asphalt, 1D-General Trades

Bids for SITE RENOVATION & DOOR

REPLACEMENT will be received until 1:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, December 11th, 2024 at the West 40 Intermediate Service Center #2, 415 W Lexington Street Maywood, IL 60153, and will be publicly opened and read at 1:05 p.m. local time on that date. Space is limited, so it is strongly encouraged that the bid opening be attended virtually via google meet at the following link: meet.google.com/abs-jikr-nqj

Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked:

West 40 Intermediate Service Center #2

415 W Lexington Street Maywood, IL 60153

Attention: Bulley & Andrews

Project: Site Renovation & Door Replacement

Bid Package –1A, 1B, 1C, or 1D (with corresponding trade indicated)

Facsimile and electronic bids will not be accepted. All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. The bond shall be payable to the West 40 Intermediate Service Center #2 415 W Lexington Street Maywood, IL 60153. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids will not be accepted.

No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of sixty (60) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

The Bidding Documents for the project are available for viewing and download online without cost or purchase at the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/ folders/1qnytdp0ADkyfU4l4uxh8AYVPQr1l9sLx?usp=sharing

Bulley & Andrews will manage this bid via Building Connected - a free, web-based bidding software. All bidding documents including instructions, pre-bid RFI’s, Addenda, and Exhibits will be updated and disbursed through this program. All bidding contractors are encouraged to contact B&A for access to Building Connected – please email Michael Damato at mdamato@bulley.com.

The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities. Bids shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, considering conformity with specifications, terms of delivery, and quality

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

and serviceability, as determined by the Board. Any such decision shall be considered final.

A mandatory site visit will be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions and site logistics. Site visits will be held at 9:00am local time on Tuesday, November 26th 2024 at 415 W. Lexington Street, Maywood, IL 60153.

The successful bidders shall comply with the provisions of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, specifically including the payment of the applicable prevailing wages to all laborers, workers, and mechanics performing work under the contract. If during the time period of the work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Michael Damato of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at mdamato@bulley.com or 847-602-9512.

Published in Forest Park Review November 27, December 4, 11, 2024

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION BMO BANK N.A.

Plaintiff, -v.EUGENE A. PELLEGRINI A/K/A EUGENE A. PELLIGRINI, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendants. 24 CH 2514 1811 BRISTOL ST., WESTCHESTER, IL 60154

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 9/25/2024, an agent of Auction.com LLC will at 12:00 PM on January 8, 2025 located at 100 N LaSalle St, Suite 1400, Chicago IL, 60602, sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate. Commonly known as 1811 BRISTOL ST., WESTCHESTER, IL 60154 Property Index No. 15-21-411-0030000 The real estate is improved with a Single Family Residence. The judgment amount was $102,124.28 Sale Terms: 20% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to Auction.com LLC, No third party checks will be accepted. All registered bidders need to provide a photo ID in order to bid. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. (relief fee not required) The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a certificate of sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property, prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a

condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9 (g)(l) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701 (C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel LLC. (312) 357-1125 please refer to file number 24-00676.

Auction.com LLC 100 N LaSalle Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60606 - 872-2254985 You can also visit www.auction. com.

Attorney File No. 24-00676 Case Number: 24 CH 2514

NOTE: PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT, YOU ARE ADVISED THAT PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

I3253810

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST

Plaintiff, -v.-

BENJAMIN MCGEE, MARVA MCGEE

A/K/A MARVA D MCGEE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendants

2023 CH 00549 2918 WILCOX AVENUE BELLWOOD, IL 60104

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on May 1, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 6, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 2918 WILCOX AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104

Property Index No. 15-16-206-0550000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one

year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 3469088.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC

One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602

312-346-9088

E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 22-13437il_864723

Attorney Code. 61256

Case Number: 2023 CH 00549

TJSC#: 44-3002

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2023 CH 00549 I3255882

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS

TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDER OF THE CWABS, INC. ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-10

Plaintiff vs.

BILLY E. BABER; CASSANDRA C. BABER; GOTTLIEB MEMORIAL HOSPITAL; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendant 19 CH 505 CALENDAR 58 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on January 6, 2025, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-16-116-047-0000. Commonly known as 1043 Marshall Ave., Bellwood, IL 60104. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Marinosci Law Group, PC, 2215 Enterprise Drive, Suite 1512, Westchester, Illinois 60154. (312) 940-8580. 18-15242

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3256298

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING F/K/A SPECIALIZED LOAN SERVICING LLC Plaintiff, -v.JAIME ROJAS, DAMON RITENHOUSE, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF VILMA TOLEDO, DECEASED, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, VILLAGE OF BELLWOOD, RODRIGO ROJAS, DIEGO ROJAS A/K/A DIEGO FELIPE ROJAS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF VILMA TOLEDO Defendants 16 CH 15479 120 HYDE PARK AVENUE BELLWOOD, IL 60104

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 6, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 A.M. on January 7, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

PARCEL ONE: LOT 159, (EXCEPT THE SOUTH 8-1/3 FEET THEREOF), IN ST. CHARLES ROAD FIRST ADDITION TO PROVISO, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE NORTH HALF OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. PARCEL TWO; THE SOUTH 16.67 FEET OF LOT 160, IN ST. CHARLES ROAD FIRST ADDITION TO PROVISO, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE WEST HALF OF THE EAST HALF OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER, (LYING NORTH OF ST. CHARLES ROAD) OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS (EXCEPT THAT PART CONVEYED TO THE CHICAGO AND NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY), IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 120 HYDE PARK AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104

Property Index No. 15-08-216-059-0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088

E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 20-05507IL_615449 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 16 CH 15479 TJSC#: 44-3013

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 16 CH 15479 I3256364

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION MATRIX FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION Plaintiff vs. GINA M. BRADEN Defendant 20 CH 3059 CALENDAR 60 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on January 7, 2025, at the hour 11:00 A.M., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: LOT 2 IN BLOCK 2 IN OLIVER SALINGER AND COMPANY’S WESTDALE GARDENS, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE NORTHWEST FRACTIONAL 1/4 OF SECTION 19, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED DECEMBER 10, 1943 AS DOCUMENT 13191348, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. P.I.N. 15-19-101-065-0000. Commonly known as 1207 DEGENER AVE., ELMHURST, IL 60126. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 3571125. 20-00801 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3256377

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