Landmark 012424

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Vol. 39, No. 4

@riversidebrookfield_landmark

January 24, 2024

Riverside changes winter display rules PAGE 5

Also serving North Riverside

@RBLandmark

RBHS sweeps Fenwick PAGE 14

Ink Your Wear comes to Brookfield

Hot land

The printing shop plans to open in February

By AMINA SERGAZINA Staff Reporter

When Cynthia Aranda first printed two canvas bags with her son’s handprints, she didn’t know it would lead to a successful business. Now, 17 years later, she is the owner of Ink Your Wear, a family-operated printing shop that has just relocated to Brookfield.

Aranda had been running her business in Riverside for 14 years, but she was not happy with the location.

She had a long-term lease that prevented her from moving until last year, when she got the opportunity to cancel it. She imme-

Unsolicited bids hit LTHS

BOB SKOLNIK REPORTS, PAGE 3

COURTESY OF PULTEGROUP

See INK YOUR WEAR on page 5

Would you like to promote your business in the 2024 Landmark Answer Book?

Contact Lourdes (lourdes@oakpark.com) or Ben (ben@oakpark.com) for more information!

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

Use code GREEN for $10 off*

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

LTHS receives another offer for Willow Spring land

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

School board will move slowly and wants to gather community input

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

After two offers fell apart last year amid vociferous community opposition, Lyons Township High School District 204 has received another offer to buy the large tract of undeveloped land it owns in Willow Springs.

But, unlike one year ago, the LTHS school board plans to move slowly and solicit community input before it decides whether to sell the 72.81 acre of undeveloped land that it bought more than 60 years ago when it thought it might need the land to build another high school.

On Jan. 12, the large publicly traded home building company Pulte Homes sent LTHS an unsolicited offer to buy the tract for either $20.85 million or $18.8 million, depending on how it develops the property. Last year, LTHS received offers of $55 million and $60.5 million from an industrial developer and a distribution center developer, but those deals fell apart after the Village of Willow Springs and those who live near the property opposed them. The land is zoned only for single family housing, senior living, and retail uses. Willow Springs village officials made clear that they want to change the zoning and will not allow industrial development on the land.

Pulte sent two offers, technically letters of intent to purchase, to LTHS on Jan. 12. Pulte offered $18.8 million for a plan to build 97 agerestricted ranch homes and 96 age restrictedtownhomes on the land that is located just west of Willow Springs Road between 79th Street and German Church Road. Pulte offered $20.85 million for a plan to build 163 single family homes on the wooded site.

At Monday’s board meeting, some who had opposed last year’s attempt to sell the land praised this offer and LTHS’s transparent and more collaborative approach.

“I am in favor of the sale as it was presented,” said Stephanie Farmer of Burr Ridge who had opposed last year’s attempt to sell the land to an industrial developer.

The school board cannot just accept the

COURTESY OF PULTEGROUP

A decision about the land sale could go before the public.

Pulte offer. State law requires that a school district can only sell land through either a closed bid process or an open outcry auction.

But LTHS school members said they are in no hurry to sell the land. They first want to get more community input and perhaps have the land appraised. Board member Jill Beda Daniels even suggested putting a referendum on the November ballot to let voters decide whether LTHS should sell the land.

“Instead of the seven of us deciding, here we put it to the public,” Daniels said.

James Levi, an attorney for the school board and the managing partner of the Hodges Loizzi law firm, told the school board that a referendum can only be advisory and would have to be carefully worded to guide the school board.

Some other board members, including school board president Dawn Aubert, wondered how much voters, especially those who live in parts of the district, would know about the issue.

Board member Eliva Nava, who was appointed to the board last summer and not part of the attempt to sell the land last winter, suggested hiring a land-use consultant to get an idea of what the land would be worth under various development scenarios.

The board reached a consensus to hire a consultant who will work to generate more community input about what to do with the land.

But Willow Springs resident Mario Imbar-

rato, a former member of the Willow Springs Village Board who strongly opposed selling the land to an industrial developer, told the school board that they didn’t need a referendum to know how those would be most affected by selling the land feel.

“Just counting votes never gives you the context you need,” Imbarrato said during the public comment section of the meeting.

“A desperate, passionate no or yes is worth a hundred noes or yeses.”

Imbarrato said that the board has received lots of feedback in the last year from those who would be most affected by a sale. During an earlier public comment at Monday’s meeting, Imbarrato said that he believed that most people in the area would accept residential development on the land.

Imbarrato said he feared that by looking for more community input, the board was looking to offset the clearly expressed views of those who live near the land.

“Every time I hear that you want to hear from all of your different communities and constituents, I guess what I’m hearing is that you’re looking for an offset to the passion that you’ve heard over the past year,” Imbarrato said.

After the meeting board member Kari Dillon said that the board needs to be methodical in its approach.

“We want to accurately reflect what our community is asking for,” Dillon said after the meeting.

Editor Erika Hobbs Staff Reporters Amina Sergazina, Amaris Rodriguez Digital Manager Stacy Coleman Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner EMAIL jill@oakpark.com Publisher Dan Haley Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL erika@growingcommunitymedia.org ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00.

A one-year subscription costs $41 within Cook County and $51 outside the county. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2024 Growing Community Media NFP.

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

BIG WEEK

Movies with Marty: Cooley High

January 24-31 Comedy Night II Thursday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m.

Imperial Oak Brewing Comedy Night is back at IOB for a second round! Get ready to enjoy a night full of laughs brought to you by Imperial Oak Brewing. This comedy show will include multiple top standup comedians of Chicago who have had shows at Zanies, Laugh Factory, and other comedy clubs. The show will be 90 minutes and each participant will get two beers, all for the price of $35. Check in at the brewery will start at 6 p.m., so make sure to arrive with your group so that you all get seated together. Purchase tickets at Comedy Night: Eventbrite. 9526 Ogden Ave.

Saturday, Jan. 27, 1 p.m.

Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library Join film-enthusiast Marty Blank for Movies with Marty while enjoying a screening of Cooley High (1975) at the Brookfield Library this Saturday. In 1964, on Chicago’s Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors take a tragic turn. Drop in and see what happens, if you dare! To register, visit www. lsfbrookfieldlibrary.org, call 708-485-6917, or simply walk into the library. 3541 Park Ave.

Gamers’ Paradise

Sokol Spirit Pancake Breakfast Sunday, Jan. 28, 7:30 a.m. - 11 a.m., Sokol Spirit

Save the date in your calendar and get your appetite ready: Sokol Spirit’s Annual Pancake Breakfast is back! Registration for adults is $10 and children 12 years and under are $5. This breakfast will include pancakes, sausages, eggs, coffee, juice and more. The event will take place in the lower hall. 3909 Prairie Ave.

ILCA Women’s Networking Group Coffee Talk Friday, Jan. 26, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m., Beary Office Annex Women of Brookfield: are you looking to connect with other women in the area? Well, here is your chance — I am delivering it to you on a silver platter. You can join the Women’s Networking Group for a group coffee discussion. The discussion will include relevant, timely topics that will help everyone get to know each other. However, wherever the conversation goes from the predetermined topic is all up to your group. Doesn’t that sound so exciting? Go get some coffee and have a fun chat! Register early — there are only 15 spots. This event is free. 4611 Elm Ave.

KRISTEN LOVETT

How to Make Hot Sauce Monday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m.

Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library The Brookfield Library is getting Hot, Hot, Hot! Pepper grower and homemade hot sauce maker, Kristen Lovett, will teach participants how to make their own hot sauce at home in this unique DIY class at the library. A select number of lucky participants will get to take home a bottle of homemade hot sauce. Make your own hot sauce and put that stuff on everything. To register, visit www.lsfbrookfieldlibrary.org, call 708-485-6917, or walk into the library. 3541 Park Ave.

Friday, Jan. 26, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library Gamers: Get ready! This new, monthly library event is for teens and young adults, grades 6 to 12. Unwind from the stressful school week on Friday afternoons by playing video games and board games at the library. Games are provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own handheld or other games. Bring friends or your siblings for this fun afternoon of gaming online and on boards! To register, visit www.lsfbrookfieldlibrary.org, call 708-4856917, or simply walk into the library! 3541 Park Ave.

Compiled by Grace Harty Contributing Reporter

CALENDAR EVENTS ■ If you would like your event to be featured here,

please send a photo and details by noon of the Wednesday before it needs to be published.

We can’t publish everything, but we’ll do our best to feature the week’s highlights.

Email calendar@wjinc.com.

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

5

Riverside permits public winter displays near train station Residents will be able to apply to install some from Dec. 1 through Jan. 14

By AMINA SERGAZINA

■ Winter displays should be constructed of sturdy materials, should not pose a danger to the public or other winter displays, and should be properly affixed to the ground.

■ The village is under no obligation to provide electricity or other power source to the winter display. Applicants shall ei-

ther supply their own power source or, if a connection to village power is available and the applicant desires to use it, the applicant will pay the village for the use of its power in an amount to be determined by the public works department.

■ Each winter display will be subject to inspection by village staff for any safety

concerns. If the village determines that the winter display is unsafe for any reason, then the applicant must immediately remove it. If the applicant fails to do so, the village may remove and dispose of the winter display.

■ As a condition of approval, each winter display must include a sign located in front of the display identifying the applicant or organization sponsoring it. The sign must be legible from the sidewalk. The applicant is responsible for producing and maintaining the sign.

■ The resident or a local business has to provide insurance for the winter display.

The policy also states that due to limited space near the east end of the Riverside’s train station, only one application per year will be accepted for each type of winter display. The number of displays is not limited, however if the applicant is using the maximum size of 6-foot-wide by 2-feet-deep only two displays can be accepted. But if the displays are a smaller size there can be more than two displays.

The displays applications are operating on a first-come, first-serve basis and must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the display date.

The clerk of the village of Riverside will notify applicants of their decision within 14 business days after receiving their application and can be appealed 10 days after the rejection notice.

sity. However, she always felt the need to express her creative side and started printmaking as a hobby.

She remembers her first print was a gift to her family. It was two canvas bags on which her son, Julio, put his handprints to create a butterfly.

Over time, the hobby grew into a full business. In 2005, she started doing this business as a side gig while working a corporate job.

She and her husband at the time did not have children and decided to move back to Illinois from Mexico City. The growing business allowed Aranda to quit her daytime job and make a living by printing.

In 2007, she started doing it professionally and did everything at home. In 2009, she needed a store and opened one on Harlem Avenue. In 2014, Ink Your Wear became an independent corporation.

Aranda said what sets them apart is that they focus on both individual, small orders and contracts for big orders, while a lot of printers have a large order minimum.

She said her favorite part of this work is to see people wear her print designs around the community. However, the more challenging part is speed and sometimes impatience of customers.

“I could be working extra hours doing the stuff, but it’s not only in my hands,” Aranda said. “I need to get supplies in order to fulfill your order, that is the challenging part.”

The store offers printing of custom designs, customers’ photos and design ideas from scratch.

Aranda’s son helps her around the store with designs, as well as her husband. But Ink Your Wear also creates opportunities

for the Riverside-Brookfield students by hiring them as paid interns. Aranda said the internship is indefinite, allows flexibility around school, but the student must have graphic design knowledge.

With the new bigger location, Aranda is planning to bring on board two more employees, one for bigger orders and the other for smaller ones.

The store is also planning to introduce new services like printing on mugs, water bottles and Christmas ornaments in the middle of February.

Although the store is working in the back end and fulfilling orders, the storefront is set to open around Feb. 1 after the last inspection, Aranda said. After the official opening, Aranda is planning to throw a welcoming party with the help of the Brookfield village.

Staff Reporter

Although the holidays are over, Riverside trustees are thinking ahead about the future winter season and winter displays.

The trustees approved a special-event policy that permits residents to apply for winter displays in the village’s area near the train station.

The policy was created after last year when a resident requested the board display a menorah next to the usual Christmas tree display. Typically displays on village’s property are not allowed, but this request made the board realize that just a Christmas tree is not inclusive. Although the village approved the application for the winter display, they noted that they do not allow any displays outside of this one. Future winter display can be placed near the train station during the time from Dec. 1 through Jan. 14.

“We define it [as] winter celebrations and if you expand that scope to winter and spring, seasonal anything that falls within that definition is fair game and we cannot discriminate upon that viewpoint,” said village attorney Bob Pickrell. “The more you expand the scope, the less you’re able to control this.”

The policy states that winter displays shall be subject to the following requirements: ■ No winter display may occupy a space greater than 6 feet wide by 2 feet deep.

INK WEAR from page 1 diately started looking for a new place, and Brookfield was at the top of her list.

“In Brookfield, I was able to find a location that fits the needs of the business in size, location, availability, parking, et. cetera,” Aranda said.

She said she felt welcomed by the Brookfield community, where she was already involved by printing shirts for local races and other events.

“It’s perfect, definitely our best decision ever,” Aranda said.

Aranda is originally from the suburbs of Mexico City. After finishing college, she worked in event planning for the univer-

FILE

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

8 Brookfield parks are now properly rezoned new zoning ordinances, “and parks The update allows the opted and recreation uses were no longer listed permitted uses in any single-family resivillage to use the parks to asdential districts.”

Last September, the parks and recreation the fullest commission reviewed the classification of

By STEPHEN SONNEVELD Contributing Reporter

More than 70 parcels of land across eight Village of Brookfield parks are in the process of being rezoned in an effort to bring the lands up to current codes.

The need for the rezoning was the result of an outdated system of classification.

According to the planning and zoning commission staff report from Dec. 28, the 1940 Code Book allowed for “Parks, Recreation Buildings and Clubs not conducted as a business or for profit” to be set on residential parcels. Decades later, the village ad-

park properties and encouraged the rezoning. Of Brookfield’s 11 parks, only Kiwanis Park North and Kiwanis Park South had the appropriate S-1 designation. The village code lists S-1 as “General Open Space District.”

Also acceptable is the S-2 marker, “Restricted Planned Open Space District,” in which only parts of Ehlert Park were zoned.

The remainder of Ehlert Park, as well as the whole of Candy Cane Park, Madison Tot Lot. Creekside Park, Maple Park North, Maple Park South, Harrison Park, and Veterans Memorial were still under the outdated zoning of single-family, multi-family or multi-

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Candy Cane Park unit residence districts.

Madlin Park will not be included in the rezoning effort as, according to a Jan. 8 memo “further research indicated it unlikely that the Village has exclusive ownership of the park.”

In all, this is simply a rezoning issue, as the parcels are already in use as village parks, despite the “residence district” label. There are no residential properties on these parcels.

The S-1 and S-2 zoning enshrines the parcels as public park lands. Chapter 62 of the Code of Ordinances clearly states the “following uses and no others are permitted” in the S-1 and S-2 districts, listing 14 to 16 uses, including picnic areas, playfields, walking trails, and arboreta.

In addition to the rezoning, four of the eight parks contain multiple parcels that will be consolidated as part of the measure. Maple Park North and Maple Park South currently have three Parcel Identification Numbers (PINs), Candy Cane Park has two, and Ehlert Park has 62.

Last October, officials detailed the process for consolidating the parcels. In real estate terms, “plat” is a map of an area, and a Plat of Consolidation had to be ordered from a professional survey company to objectively review boundary lines. There was no cost to taxpayers, as the Parks and Recreation Department had funding available for the survey. The plat, and related documents such as proof of the land’s ownership, were submitted to the Cook County Recorder’s Office last December.

Rezoning the parcels was a village matter, with the planning and zoning commission approving a map amendment, which it did last month and submitted it for final approval by the Village Board.

At that meeting, resident Barbara Dahm inquired during the public comment portion of the meeting whether the rezoning would allow for a community center to be built in the parks. Although no plans are currently in place for one, the rezoning now makes it possible.

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

Giving back: How a new CF drug helped give a local mom new life

YOUR

BEST

LIFE

Anna Gillian Cramer was considering a lung transplant when a new drug was approved

with Lisa Capone

New Year. New Home.

By JESSICA MORDACQ Contributing Reporter

Anna Gillian Cramer had always hoped that raising funds for cystic fibrosis research for decades would help combat her disease, but she never dreamed that a drug from that research would change her life.

Until it did.

Cramer, 36, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was four months old.

“When I was born, they told my parents my life expectancy was 15,” she said.

Her parents are Dorothy and Tim Gillian, both deeply involved Forest Parkers with roles in local government and local business. Dorothy Gillian started fundraising for the Chicago chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 1989 when her daughter was two-and-a-half. The family has raised roughly $750,000 over the years.

The degenerative genetic disease that affects the body’s lungs didn’t affect Cramer much when she was a kid in Forest Park, but Gillian knew it would someday.

“I had a pretty average, healthy childhood. I wasn’t really that sick,” Cramer, of

PROVIDED

Today, Ana Gillian Cramer of Brookfield celebrates the birth of her daughter.

PROVIDED

Brookfield, said. But every two years, Gillian organized fundraisers in Forest Park, attended by extended family and locals, and donated the money to cystic fibrosis research. That fundraiser is coming up this spring.

Though Cramer regularly attended doctor’s appointments and had breathing treatments, her health began to decline when she started at the University of Kansas.

“I would get a cold or a run-ofthe-mill illness that I wouldn’t really be able to fight. I would get really run down,” Cramer

said. And the medicine to cure such illnesses had to be administered to Cramer intravenously, she said, because people with cystic fibrosis are often resistant to many antibiotics. “My sophomore year of college, I would be in the hospital for a twoweek stay every six months.”

Cramer graduated in 2011 with a master’s degree in architecture and moved to Chicago to work as an architect. But four years later, she quit her job because she needed more flexibility for the day-to-day care of her cystic fibrosis.

Then in October 2019, the Food and Drug Administration approved the prescripSee GILLIAN on page 12

Moving to a senior living community is a major decision…one that should not be taken lightly but also one that should not be delayed. Procrastinating could mean missing out on a more comfortable, supported and socially engaging lifestyle.

• Comfort. Packing up and moving is a physically and mentally demanding process. Making the transition to a senior living community while you’re healthy gives you the chance to settle in at your own pace and enjoy all the perks of your new residence.

• Support. Senior living communities offer a range of services and amenities to support your physical, emotional and social needs. Delaying a move could result in you missing out on benefits and assistance that can enhance your overall quality of life.

• Engagement. Social connections are crucial at any stage of life but they often diminish as we age and become more isolated. Senior living communities provide a built-in social network, allowing you to form friendships and deep connections that can contribute to your long-term happiness and well-being.

When deciding if a senior living community is the right choice, remember you control your destiny…seize the opportunity to take the next step toward a fulfilling and enriching life.

Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-8182.

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

P O L I C E

Police catch ATM machine thief

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Brookfield police responded to a burglary in progress at Smokey World Smoke on Ogden Avenue early Tuesday morning.

The owner of the business was remotely viewing the incident and reported that multiple people broke in through the front window and stole the ATM machine from inside. At the scene, police found a van running with its lights on. It had been driven up onto a snow pile on Elm Avenue just North of Ogden Avenue.

New Price!

Police found the ATM machine in the unoccupied van.

139 SOUTHCOTE, RIVERSIDE The business owner reported that two WELCOME to this brick English Tudor style home. 4 bedrooms with suspects, wearing black jackets and black 2 full and 2 half bathrooms ................................................... $599,000 pants, fled on foot eastbound.

Police from the surrounding area were searching the area for the offenders and Tacos (chicken, beef and the police on scene cleared the business, Karen Arndt - Broker - 708 305vegetarian) 2912 - info@karenarndt.realtor rice, beans, chips, which had the front door/window smashed salsa, dessert and in. Two people were observed running near Tacos (chicken, beef and the area of the Burger King at 1st Avenue non-alcoholic beverages.

Tacos (chicken, beefchips, and vegetarian) rice, beans, and Ogden Avenue in Lyons Township, and beans, chips, dessert andrice, Tacos (chicken, beefsalsa, andvegetarian) Tacos (chicken, beef and a perimeter was set up in that area. salsa, dessert and beverages available non-alcoholic beverages. vegetarian) rice,Adult beans, chips, vegetarian) rice, beans, chips, Within a few minutes, a resident on the non-alcoholic beverages. salsa, dessert andseparately.

Tacos (chicken, andand salsa,beef dessert 4000 block of Vernon Avenue reported a Adult beverages non-alcoholic beverages. vegetarian) rice,available beans, chips, non-alcoholic beverages. person, wearing dark pants, gray hoodie Adult beverages available separately. salsa, dessert and and black vest, was in the alley and trying separately.

Adult beverages available Adult beverages available non-alcoholic beverages. to enter his backyard. The resident stepped Tacos (chicken, beef and Tacos (chicken, beef and separately. separately. out and said the person walked along his vegetarian) rice, beans,rice, chips,beans, chips, vegetarian) south property line and continued eastAdult beverages available salsa, dessert and salsa, dessert and bound.

Police later found him at a gas staseparately.beverages. non-alcoholic non-alcoholic beverages. tion and arrested him.

All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat! All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat!

All-you-can eat!

Saturday, February 3 4:00 - 7:00 pm 3 Saturday, February Saturday, February 3 Riverside Presbyterian 4:00Saturday, pm Saturday, February 3- 7:00 3 4:00 7:00February pm Adult beverages available Riverside Presbyterian 116 Barrypoint Scam thwarted at 4:00 - 7:00Riverside pm separately.

Adult beverages 4:00 - 7:00 pm available Presbyterian Saturday, February 3 City Suburban Service 116Riverside Barrypoint separately.

Riverside Presbyterian Presbyterian Adults = $15 116 Barrypoint Brookfield police received a report from 4:00under - 7:00 pm a business owner Tuesday morning who 116 Barrypoint ChildrenAdults 10 = $5 = $15 116 Barrypoint suspected potential fraud at her place of Adults = $153 Saturday, February Riverside Presbyterian Children under 10 = $5 business, City Suburban Service Inc. under 10==$15 $5 Adults =4:00 $15 Children Adults The woman reported that on Jan. 16, she 7:00 pm 116 Barrypoint Tickets! to purchase with Saturday, February 3 Children under 10 = $5OrChildren received an email from liveworld1345@ under 10 = $5 cash/checkTickets! contact rpcoffice@rpcusa.org.

Riverside Presbyterian Or to purchase with gmail.com requesting a direct deposit upAdults =rpcoffice@rpcusa.org. $15 Tickets!

Or to purchase with cash/check contact date for her employee.

4:00 7:00 pm 116 Barrypoint cash/check contact 10 rpcoffice@rpcusa.org.

Children = to $5purchase with She immediately became suspicious Tickets! Or to purchase withunder Tickets! Or

Riverside Presbyterian AllAdults profits to a family = support $15 All profits to support a familyArea sponsored by the the Riverside Tickets!

Or to10 purchase witha family Children under $5 Riverside 116 Barrypoint All profits to=support sponsored by the the Area Refugeecontact Resettlement Team. cash/check rpcoffice@rpcusa.org.

cash/check contact rpcoffice@rpcusa.org. cash/check contact rpcoffice@rpcusa.org.

because the employee only receives paper checks.

She contacted the employee, who advised her that he never made a request for change. In the email request, the subject provided their new bank information,

sponsored by the the Riverside Area Refugee Resettlement sponsored by the the Riverside Area www.facebook.com/groups/riversiderefugeeresettlement sponsored by theTeam. the Riverside Area Adults = $15 Tickets!

Or to purchase with www.facebook.com/groups/riversiderefugeeresettlement Refugee Resettlement Team.Refugee Resettlement Team. cash/check contact rpcoffice@rpcusa.org. www.facebook.com/groups/riversiderefugeeresettlement Children 10 = $5 All profits tounder support a family www.facebook.com/groups/riversiderefugeeresettlement All profits to support a family Refugee Resettlement All profits toTeam. support a family www.facebook.com/groups/riversiderefugeeresettlement

R E P O R T S

including a card number for a “Walmart Money Card.” The business owner requested a call to complete the transaction. She was then contacted by a male who hung up after she said the call would be recorded.

The woman advised that no changes were made and the business or employee are not out of any money. The officer checked the number which appears to be a pre-paid phone out of LaPlata, Maryland.

Brookfield man found dead in an apartment An unidentified man was found dead in his Maple Avenue apartment last Tuesday.

He had been last seen the day before and was reported missing by someone who had received multiple complaints from other building tenants about a bad smell in the building. They also received a call for a wellbeing check.

Police found the body face down next to a bed.

There were no signs of forced entry, no signs of foul play, and no suspicious circumstances observed.

These items were obtained from the Brookfield Police Department reports dated Jan. 15-22 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Amina Sergazina

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

New fee structure for D96 the cost,” Gunn said. “I feel really comfortSchool board also able with a 50% subsidy.”

While the vote to approve the new fees approves bid for was unanimous, board member Dan Hunt initially favored the revenue-neutral apCentral-Hauser site work proach, noting that the registration fees for

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

District 96 students are far lower than the fees for students at Riverside Brookfield High School.

After a wide-ranging discussion that spanned months and a few school board $3.5 million bid accepted for meetings, the Riverside Elementary DisCentral-Hauser campus trict 96 Board of Education approved a new In other action at the Jan. 17 meeting, school fee structure at its Jan. 17 meeting. the school board unanimously accepted Instead of differing registration fees for an unexpectedly low bid of roughly $3.5 every grade level, the school board decidmillion from Aurora-based Abbey Paving ed to simplify its annual registration fee to redo the rear outdoor portion of the structure to charge just two fees: $110 for Central-Hauser campus. The work, which elementary school students and will begin this summer, will in$130 for students attending R. J. clude a new playground, a new Hauser Junior High School. grass field and a revamped new Parents of most elementary parking lot. Abbey’s bid was school students, except curthe lowest of the five. It came rent fourth graders, will see a in $118,000 lower than the nextslight increase in the annual lowest bid and about $2 million registration fee while parents lower than another competitor. of Hauser students will see savThat prompted some quesings ranging from $50 to $70 detions from other board mempending on the grade. bers, but finance committee The school board decided on JOEL MARHOUL chairman Joel Marhoul and an approach in which families Finance committee chairman consultant Ramesh Nair said will pay about half the cost of that they were confident that such items as workbooks, new Abbey would do good work. library books, periodicals, “This is a very good bid,” said school supplies and textbook replacement. Marhoul, who is a civil engineer. “Don’t This approach will cost the district about go too hard in trying to understand why. $40,000 to $50,000 more than a revenue-neu- There is a lot of churn in the industry tral approach to the fee structure, which right now. Abbey believes they know what would not have changed the proportion of they’re doing, and Ramesh and the archithe cost of the so called “consumerables” tect have vetted that they are capable of that the district is bearing. That approach doing the work and are responsive, so they would have resulted in a $200 registration should give us good quality and there’s no fee for Hauser students and $110 for el- reason to doubt these numbers.” ementary school students.

Nair said that he was worked with Abbey School board finance committee chair- on other projects and that they have done man David Barsotti said that district could good work. He said bids vary all the time. easily afford to absorb the additional cost, “It depends on how hungry they are, noting that the district is running a sur- that’s why it’s an open market public bid,” plus and adding substantially to its reserve Nair said in a telephone interview. “We felt funds again this year. comfortable after we talked to them.”

“I don’t think we should be concerned Nair had previously projected the Cenabout being revenue neutral,” Barsotti tral-Hauser project would cost between $4.5 said during the discussion that preceded million to $6 million. the Jan. 17 vote.

The school board also approved a $349,007 Board member Stephanie Basanez Gunn bid from Chicago based MBB Enterprises agreed. to perform tuckpointing at Ames School this summer.

“We are a district that can bear 50% of

“This is a very good bid.

Don’t go too hard in trying to understand why.”

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

Brookfield seeks $20 million loan for water line replacement The loans are for two projects this year and two in 2025

By AMINA SERGAZINA Staff Reporter

The Village of Brookfield is applying for four low-interest loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to replace lead water pipes and improve its watermain system.

The village is seeking a total of $20 million in loan proceeds for two projects in 2024 and two projects in 2025, according to Doug Cooper, the village’s finance director.

The projects are part of the village’s ongoing efforts to upgrade its aging water infrastructure and comply with federal regulations to reduce lead exposure in drinking water.

“It’s an older system and you need to maintain the system,” Cooper said. “If you don’t maintain the system you can run into some problems in the future, so we’re try-

ing to be proactive by maintaining our water systems by doing a water main replacement program.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, lead is a toxic metal that can cause irreversible and lifelong health effects, especially in children.

Lead can leach from service lines, solder and fixtures into tap water and become a significant source of lead exposure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a new law in 2020 that requires water systems to test for lead in drinking water in elementary schools and child care facilities, and to replace all lead service lines within 10 years, with limited exceptions.

The new law also lowers the lead action level from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion, and requires water systems to follow improved tap sampling procedures to better locate elevated levels of lead in drinking water.

There is no known lead problem in the village.

The village board approved an ordinance on Jan. 22 authorizing the village to enter

into a loan agreement with the IEPA for these four loans.

There is a required 30-day window from the adoption of the ordinance to allow for the filing of any petitions against the issuance.

The current rate for the loans is about 1.81%. The rate will be adjusted annually with each new program year, but is not expected to vary much.

According to Cooper, residents will not get a tax increase. The village raised the rate back in 2021 for the water main replacement funding and increased in 2022 for the lead line service replacement.

The village’s four loan applications are for the following projects: ■ A loan for the 2024 Watermain Replacement Program that involves replacing about 9,500 feet of watermain and associated valves, hydrants and fittings.

■ A loan for the 2024 Lead Service Line Replacement Program that involves replacing about 1,000 lead service lines and galvanized service lines that require replacement.

■ A loan for the 2025 Watermain Replacement Program that involves replacing about 9,500 feet of watermain and associated materials.

■ A loan for the 2025 Lead Service Line Replacement Project which involves replacing approximately 1,000 lead service lines and materials.

“We’ve got old mains and we’re trying to figure out how to finance the replacement of the water mains,” Cooper said. “The lead line service line replacement program is a program that we need to do because the state is mandating that we replace all led water service lines.”

The funding status for these projects is expected to be announced in the fall of 2024.

If the funding for any of these projects is not approved, the applications will be kept on file with the IEPA and placed in line for future funding, officials said..

The village estimates that the annual debt service payments for the four loans will be approximately $1.1 million, which will be funded by the water fund.

The village has been working with the IEPA and its engineering consultant, Baxter & Woodman, to complete the pre-application process for the loans. The final loan application is expected to be submitted by the end of January 2024.

Opinion THE LANDMARK VIEW

New offer for LTHS site

W

ho says you can’t fight the school board?

In a yearlong fight over the sale of 73 acres long owned by Lyons Township High School District 204, residents of Willow Springs and the village government there have brought the school district to heel.

They effectively stopped all lucrative plans by the school district to sell the parcel for some form of industrial development.

Residents had no interest in living immediately adjacent to either an industrial park or a large distribution facility. And village government quickly made plain that it would not change the residential-only zoning that has dictated any development of the largely wooded site.

Now comes word that a national home building company, Pulte Homes, has made an offer for the property. Actually two offers with two different price points. One would focus on age-limited ranch and town homes, the other calls for construction of 193 single family homes on the site.

Either development seems to conform to the local zoning restrictions.

And mid- to higher-end residential housing would seem acceptable to neighbors who have always said they anticipated, and were open to, development of the large parcel.

For the school district, which got its ears boxed amid accusations of its tone deafness and unwillingness to engage early with neighbors, this may be a path forward. The rub for the district is that the offer is fully two-thirds less than what was offered by the industrial developers.

Good for the school district administration and board for being transparent and timely in reporting on the Pulte offer, which arrived since the first of the year. The board president, in a response to Pulte, noted there are, under state school code, peculiar processes involved in any transaction and that a public bidding process will be necessary.

Maximizing the sale price on this property cannot be the goal at this point. Being respectful of constituents is critical and finding a use that will produce property tax dollars should be the markers.

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

OBITUARIES

Aristos Leludis, 74

James Jeske Jr., 87

Brookfield resident

Active Riverside volunteer

We are sad to announce the passing of Aristos Leludis, 74, of Brookfield. Born in Patras, Greece, he died on Jan. 17, 2024.

The family will hold a private memorial funeral and he will be memorialized in Greece.

He leaves behind ARISTOS LELUDIS his daughter Victoria (Mark) and son Christopher (Linda) and his four grandchildren, Demetris, Andreas, Darian, and Alexander. He was preceded in death by his parents, Vlahoula and Manthos, and his daughter, Akrivi Martha. May he rest in peace.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation and prayer on his behalf to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2727 W. Winona St., Chicago, IL 60625, https://www. stdemetrioschicago.org.

Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared with the family at www.

JohnsonNosek.com.

James John Jeske Jr., 87, a 52-year resident of Riverside, died on Dec. 28, 2023. Born and raised in San Diego, California, his father, James Sr. was a lieutenant commander in the Navy, so the family enjoyed international travel and living until they settled in Cicero in 1955.

He graduated from St. Augustine High School in San Diego and Northern Illinois University.

He served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve; was a 25-year active member, past president and district leader of the Kiwanis Club of Riverside; past co-chair of the Riverside 4th of July Parade; president of Friends of the Fourth; active member and supporter of the Riverside Township Theater Guild; past officer, coach and manager of the Riverside Little League; and longtime member of the Ludovit Stur Slovak Sokol USA Lodge 306. Jim enjoyed life, his family and his many friends, his greatest pleasure being his houseboat on the Illinois River in Ottawa.

Jim was the husband of Joan and the father of Janine, James J. Jeske III, and the late Jennifer Ann Jeske.

Arrangements were handled by Ivins/ Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., in Riverside.

Cleanup for park zoning

In the minutia of local governance category, Brookfield gets a prize for its current moves to put its many parks in the correct zoning category. It is an oddity lost in the ether of zoning amendments and overhauls that somehow village parks were not an allowed use in areas zoned for single family homes.

Of the 11 parks listed in the village, only Kiwanis Park North and Kiwanis Park South had the logical zoning designation up until now.

The fix will be a small victory for good governance and having professionals paying attention to details.

11

To run an obituary Please contact Erika Hobbs by e-mail: erika@growingcommunitymedia.org, before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

12

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

UNPACKING SAFE-T Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell and moderator Jan Goldberg of Riverside at last night’s League of Women Voters discussion of the SAFET Act. Mitchell talked about the new law and how it works.

The act stands for Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity Today Act and its most controversial piece was the elimination of monetary bail in September 2023. No other state has this provision. Other aspects include changes in the electronic monitoring program, more detention for domestic violence abusers and more diversion programs for mental illness and substance abuse.

BOB SKOLNIK

GILLIAN

Unending fight from page 7 tion drug Trikafta. The pill targets the cause of cystic fibrosis, a defective protein created by a genetic mutation. Cramer said it’s unlike most medications on the market, which affect symptoms of cystic fibrosis, like the build-up of mucus in the lungs. Since Cramer started taking Trikafta in late 2019, her health has improved significantly.

She’s not alone. A 2022 study of more than 30,000 patients in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s registry found that the number of pregnancies reported by those with cystic fibrosis was 310 in 2019 – which increased over 100% to 634 in 2022.

The study said that increased pregnancies – along with a decrease in lung transplants, from 259 in 2017 to 53 in 2022 – is likely a result of Trikafta improving the

lung health of those with cystic fibrosis.

But she never expected miracles. In late 2018, Cramer went to a doctor’s appointment where she was told to plan for a lung transplant the following year. Cramer had around 40% lung function and said that because of it, everything from working to having a social life was challenging.

“You kind of go along until your lungs can’t take it anymore, and then you do a double lung transplant. That is the path for many cystic fibrosis patients,” Cramer said. “I never thought that it would get to that point, and it sort of creeped up on us.”

The day of that doctor’s appointment, Cramer’s boyfriend, the man who would become her husband, proposed.

“He said that there was nothing any doctor could say that would make him not want to marry me,” Cramer said as Gillian, seated next to her, teared up.

Two weeks before Cramer’s wedding in 2019, the FDA approved Trikafta. When she returned from her honeymoon, she was hospitalized over Christmas, then started taking the drug.

“Before Trikafta, my quality of life was very low,” Cramer said. “I coughed nonstop. I was sick nonstop. I had no energy. I was only working part-time,” as a real estate broker alongside Gillian.

Cramer said Trikafta’s effects were immediate: She stopped coughing and hasn’t needed an IV since late 2019. With Gillian, Cramer now co-owns a real estate company called the Gillian Group, which primarily sells properties in Forest Park. And in June 2023, she gave birth to Dottie, named after her mother.

“Kids were not in the cards because I wasn’t healthy enough.” But, she added, “She’s here and healthy, and so am I. I’m enjoying mom life.”

Though Trikafta has transformed her life, Cramer and her family continue fundraising for cystic fibrosis research. According to the National Library of Medicine, Trikafta helps around 70% of people with cystic fibrosis, those who have the most common genetic mutation that causes the disease.

“Not every person with cystic fibrosis is

eligible to take this medication,” Cramer said. “We can’t just stop the effort because people like me have a treatment.” She added: “We’re very fortunate.”

“When you can say, ‘Wow, look at what your fundraising dollars have done for Anna and everyone else,’ it’s very cool,” Gillian said. “The research, and money that we raised over the years, has come full circle. It really worked.”

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

Sports

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

13

Phelan sisters step up for RBHS girls gymnastics Bulldogs fourth at home invite with secondhighest score of season

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Riverside Brookfield High School junior Reese Phelan and freshman Paige Phelan are more alike at girls gymnastics meets than just being sisters. As they competed Saturday at the sixth annual Bulldog Invitational, both had black braces around their left ankles.

“We just roll our ankles. Honestly, I don’t know [why],” Reese said. “I’ve rolled this ankle like five different times so it’s been an ongoing issue.”

Both also are quite talented. The allarounders were among the reasons the Bulldogs achieved their second-highest score of the season (124.50 points) in finishing fourth at their nine-team home invite.

Paige Phelan earned three individual medals as the Bulldogs followed up their season-high 126.20, Jan. 13, at the Neuqua Valley Invitational.

“As the season goes on, I feel like everyone gets more solid with their events and more confident with the meets,” Paige said. “I think when I’m relaxed, I do better. When I feel prepared and relaxed, I do better. It’s our home gym so I feel better.”

Paige Phelan was third on floor exercise (8.6), fifth on balance beam (8.25) and allaround (33.525) and sixth on uneven parallel bars (8.425), .025 from fifth.

Reese Phelan tied for ninth on floor (8.05), was 14th in all-around (31.025) and 15th on vault (8.35).

Junior Tanya Hertogs was ninth on beam (7.9). Junior Claudia Tello and sophomore Natalia Maruska also competed in three events and senior Queniya Booker on floor.

The Bulldogs had four instead of five competitors on uneven bars and floor with sophomore all-arounder Kayla Janusz not competing.

Still, the Bulldogs had their third straight meet above 123 since returning from winter break after starting the season at 116. Reese Phelan and Hertogs were the lone returnees from last year’s invite lineup that won with a then-season-high 131.35.

“It was good to see them all work together and make it happen. Sure, we didn’t take top three, but we’ve come a long way from where we started this season,” RBHS coach Karyn Domzalski said.

“It was a really good meet for [Paige]. She’s got some new skills this season.”

The Phelans certainly have made their improvements heard. During practice, they’ve become known for their grunting noises — but never at meets.

“When we fall on something or we just get tired [at practice], we just grunt,” Reese said.

“It’s just my reflex when I fall. I grunt and apparently Paige does the same thing and [Domzalski] just thinks it’s funny.”

“It’s like their signature. Some of their teammates have picked up on it, too,” Domzalski added. “Every now and then, we see a little sister battle, but it’s cute and fun.”

The Phelans both had their highest allaround totals Saturday during the recent scoring surge. They have done gymnastics together basically since the start. This fall, they were high-school teammates as divers and may compete together for the track team.

“Yeah, I think it’s kind of nice, comforting, having each other on the team,” Reese said.

“It really helps,” added Paige. [Reese] helps guide me through all of the stuff like the meets and helps me know what to do overall during the season. She’s been through this a couple of times so she knows what to expect.”

The two could also share qualifying for sectionals individually.

STEVE JOHNSTON

Riverside-Brookfield’s Reese Phelan competes on the uneven bars during the 6th Annual Bulldog Varsity Invitational Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024 in Brookfield.

Hertogs is the lone returning qualifier from 2023, advancing on beam. After being sidelined earlier this season from a lingering back injury, she is back competing on everything but floor and improving her beam skills.

“Sitting out for a little bit made me realize I can be doing so much more with my time at practice. I got a couple of extra skills [round off and 1½ turn] because I was ready to come back,” Hertogs said.

“We’ve been having a lot of ups and downs with injuries, so our scores have been all over the place, but I think we did really well [Sat-

urday]. If we relax, the meet goes better. The more fun we have, the better the meet is.”

Booker just returned to action after dislocating her right shoulder. Domzalski said she received clearance to return as long as she doesn’t put full pressure on that shoulder. She hoped to debut the one-arm floor routine at Senior Night, Jan. 16, but bad weather forced that to be rescheduled for Thursday. She had a trial run at the Bulldogs’ junior varsity invite Friday and scored 6.5 on Saturday.

“We were excited she got to practice it this weekend and now she’ll do it Senior Night, too,” Domzalski said.

14

The Landmark, January 24, 2024

S P O R T S

RB basketball teams savor Saturday sweep of Fenwick Boys prevail in OT; girls sustain momentum

By BILL STONE and LAUREN RECCHIA Contributing Reporters

As Riverside Brookfield High School 7-foot senior center Stefan Cicic put together yet another double-double (points and rebounds) Saturday, he provided even more on the court on defense, including four more blocked shots and working to contain Fenwick’s 6-4 junior and Division I football recruit Nate Marshall.

“Obviously he’s a tough kid, very strong kid. I just went into the game how I always do, locked in, prepared, focused to win the game,” Cicic said.

“I liked how I guarded the guards, how I guarded Marshall. And also blocking. I did a really good job. I think we’re in a good place [as a team].”

The Bulldogs received many contributions in their key 63-59 overtime victory over the visiting Friars.

Cicic scored 23 points for the Bulldogs (18-3) on 7-for-11 field goal shooting and by going 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. He grabbed 10 rebounds.

Steven Brown (13 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists), Mehki Austin (11 points), Cameron Mercer (10 points with 2 threes) and Danny Loftus (6 points) also were key contributors.

Dom Ducree (21 points, 3 threes) was the only player in double figures for the Friars (12-7).

“It was just a great back-and-forth high school basketball game and fortunately we made enough plays down the stretch to win,” RBHS coach Mike Reingruber said.

“I thought we did a lot of nice things. Defensively, we were pretty good. I thought Stef played his best defensive game of the year. He did a good job defending Marshall, but other guys obviously stepped up as well.”

Entering overtime tied at 53, RBHS never trailed, scoring on each of its first five possessions.

Cicic first scored inside and Brown nailed a clutch tiebreaking three for a 58-55 lead. After two more Cicic free throws, the Friars closed to 60-58 with a Ducree three before Cicic scored inside and Mercer hit one of two free throws with 19.5 seconds for a 63-58 advantage.

Austin sent the game into overtime on his three with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Friars had the ball and called a timeout with 8.1 seconds left, but Loftus stole the ball and nearly made an off-balance three at the buzzer.

The victory was especially sweet, coming off the 63-57 loss to Hillcrest, Jan. 15, at Homewood-Flossmoor after being outscored 21-13 in the fourth quarter. Cicic had 16 points and eight rebounds.

“That was a big win for us. Fenwick’s a really good team, an underrated team, but we were all locked in, prepared,” Cicic said. “We just played our heart out and it showed in the win.”

The Bulldogs improved to 4-0 in the Metro Suburban Conference by beating Westmont 67-41 Monday behind Cicic (20 points, 14 rebounds), Mercer (18 points with 2 threes, 7 rebounds, 5 steals) and Austin (7 points, 8 assists) and over Elmwood Park, 72-45 Friday, behind Mercer (14 points with 2 threes), Loftus (14 points, 5 assists), Cicic (10 points, 9 rebounds) and Brown (9 points).

tions) led a balanced attack and one of the team’s best defensive efforts this season.

“Defense is really all heart, so we all wanted to win really bad so we all played hard,” Covarrubias said.

“We were flying to the ball. We talked really well. This was definitely our best communication of the year. We just had good energy and talked with each other through the entire game.”

The Bulldogs have already surpassed last season’s 11-19 record.

They’re 4-0 in the MSC after beating Westmont 59-37 Monday and Elmwood Park 5122 Friday behind Larson (10 points), Organ (9 points), Covarrubias (7 points) and Julia Madera, Kelley Tyler, Hudson and Morris (6 points each). Hudson has just returned to the lineup for the first time since early December.

RB girls basketball

RB boys wrestling

The Bulldogs (12-12) are on a five-game winning streak and enjoyed an emotional 41-32 victory over visiting Fenwick, Saturday afternoon.

Niamh Larson (11 points, 6 rebounds), Alyssa Morris (9 points, 4 steals), Emily Organ (6 points, 5 steals), Mayan Covarrubias (6 points, 4 assists), Arianna Hudson (6 points) and Amanda Buckley (3 deflec-

The Bulldogs (189 points) finished fourth at the Oak Park and River Forest Invitational Saturday.

Edgar Mosquera was second at 113 pounds, losing 4-1 in the final to Morris’ top-seeded Brock Claypool.

Josh Gonzalez (144) was third, Max Strong (175) fourth, and Cade Tomkins (165) and Matt Elzy (190) sixth.

LTHS bowlers earn state return with new faces Brookfield’s Izguerra, Bonilla fuel Lions’ thirdstraight berth

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Senior Cesar Izguerra spent the 2023 boys bowling state meet as Lyons Township High School’s first alternate, entering for the sixth and final game.

“I was the seventh man, really did not see the lane at all, but I was just happy to make it there and get the experience,” Izguerra said. Now he’s one of the main reasons the Lions are returning to state for the third year in a row.

“I put in a lot of work during the summer and I just wanted to be able to take the team myself instead of being back there like last year.”

Izguerra finished eighth (1,389 pins for six games) as the Lions finished fifth (6,207) at the Sandburg Sectional at Palos Lanes, Saturday, to advance with a top-six finish.

Senior Kalin Burns (42nd, 1,238) also was a top-50 finisher, followed by freshman Anthony Bonilla (1,204), and junior Danny Healy and senior Jacob Healy (1,188 each).

Had the Lions not advanced, Izguerra would have gone to state individually.

“I did not want that. It’s a lot more fun when you go with a team and it’s just a much better experience when everyone’s there,” Izguerra said, “basically a brand new lineup. We had a lot of new people come in, like Anthony,

Kalin. We figured it out, locked in for playoffs and now we’re going to state.”

The only other returnee from last year’s senior-heavy state lineup, which finished 18th (5,690), is Danny Healy, who bowled five games.

The Lions equaled their program-best streak of three-straight state berths from 201517. On Jan. 13, the same five bowlers helped the Lions win their first regional since 2019.

“The boys did really well. I’m really proud of these guys,” LTHS coach Gary Morrill said. “[In preseason] I talked about this was going to be a slow process. I thought we could [qualify] but I knew there were going to be an awful lot of growing pains. Around the middle of December, it all started clicking.”

The Lions were third entering the sixth

game but then had their lowest total (936).

They still finished 79 pins ahead of seventh place.

“In the beginning of the year (936) would have been one of our higher games,” Morrill said. “At one point, we should have been competing for first place. The whole goal is to qualify. My goal is to make sure we’re one of the six teams going.”

A longtime bowler, Bonilla was persuaded to join by his cousin. Initially, state as a freshman was the furthest thing from his mind.

“We were all excited [Saturday]. We felt we had a good chance because we knew what we were capable of,” Bonilla said.

“I figured we’d bowl a few good games [this season], I’d be happy and I’d come back next year stronger. Once I was with the team, I felt we had a really good chance at state.”

The Landmark, January 24, 2024 15

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LEGAL NOTICE ORDINANCE 2024 –09 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (IEPA) TO BORROW FUNDS FROM THE PUBLIC WATER UTILITY SYSTEM (PWS) LOAN PROGRAM IN ORDER TO FUND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS FOR THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

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WHEREAS, the Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois (the “Village”) is a non-home-rule municipality, having all the powers and authority granted to municipalities pursuant to Article VII, Section 7, of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; WHEREAS, the Village operates its public water supply system (the “System”) in accordance with the provisions of 65 ILCS 5/11-139-2; WHEREAS, the President and Board of Trustees of the Village (the “Corporate Authorities”) have determined that it is advisable, necessary and in the best interests of public health, safety and welfare to improve the System, including the following: 1. Water Main Replacement program for 2024—Project A 2. Lead Water Service Line Replacement Program for 2024— Project A 3. Water Main Replacement Program for 2025—Project B 4. Lead Water Service Line Replacement Program for 2025— Project B together with any land or rights in land and all electrical, mechanical or other services necessary, useful or advisable to the construction and installation (the “Projects”), all in accordance with the plans and specifications prepared by consulting engineers of the Village; which Projects have a useful life in excess of 20 years; WHEREAS, the estimated cost of construction and installation of the Projects, including engineering, legal, financial and other related expenses is $20,000,000, and there are insufficient funds on hand and lawfully available to pay these costs; WHEREAS, the costs of the Projects are expected to be paid for with a loan to the Village from the Public Water Supply Loan Program through the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Debt Reform Act, as amended, 30 ILCS 305/0.01, et seq. (the “Act”), with the loan to be repaid from revenues of the system, and the loan is authorized to be accepted at this time pursuant to the Act; WHEREAS, the loan shall bear an

interest rate as defined by 35 Ill. Adm. Code 662, which does not exceed the maximum rate authorized by the Act at the time of the issuance of the loan; WHEREAS, the principal and interest payment shall be payable semi-annually, and the loan shall mature within 30 years, which is within the period of useful life of the Project; WHEREAS, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Village is authorized to borrow funds from the Public Water Supply Loan Program in the aggregate principal amount of $20,000,000 to provide funds to pay the costs of the Projects; and WHEREAS, the loan to the Village shall be made pursuant to loan agreements, including certain terms and conditions, between the Village and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (the “Loan Agreements”); NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield as follows: Section 1: I N C O R P O R AT I O N OF PREAMBLES. The Corporate Authorities hereby find that the recitals contained in the preambles are true and correct, and incorporate them into this ordinance by this reference.

Section 2: DETERMINATION TO BORROW FUNDS. It is necessary and in the best interests of the Village that the Village construct the Projects for the public health, safety and welfare, in accordance with the plans and specifications, as described; that the System continues to be operated in accordance with the provision of the Act; and that for the purpose of constructing the Projects, it is hereby authorized that funds be borrowed by the Village in an aggregate principal amount (which can include construction period interest financed over the term of the loan) not to exceed $20,000,000.

Section 3: PUBLICATION. This ordinance, together with a Notice in the statutory form (attached hereto as Exhibit A), shall be published once within ten days after passage in the Riverside/Brookfield Landmark (a publication of Growing Media

Market), a newspaper published and of general circulation in the Village, and if no petition, signed by electors numbering 10% or more of the registered voters in the Village (i.e., 1,323) asking that the question of improving the System as provided in this ordinance and entering into the Loan Agreement therefor be submitted to the electors of the Village, is filed with the Village Clerk within 30 days after the date of publication of this ordinance and notice, then this ordinance shall be in full force and effect. A petition form shall be provided by the Village Clerk to any individual requesting one.

Section 4: A D D I T I O N A L ORDINANCES. If no petition meeting the requirements of the Act and other applicable laws is filed during the 30-day petition period, then the Corporate Authorities may adopt additional ordinances or proceedings supplementing or amending this ordinance providing for entering into the Loan Agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, prescribing all the details of the Loan Agreement, and providing for the collection, segregation and distribution of the revenues of the system, so long as the maximum amount of the Loan Agreement as set forth in this ordinance is not exceeded and there is no material change in the Projects or purposes described herein. Any additional ordinances or proceedings shall in all instances become effective in accordance with the Act or other applicable law. This ordinance, together with such additional ordinances or proceedings, shall constitute complete authority for entering into the Loan Agreement under applicable law.

However, notwithstanding the above, the Village may not adopt additional ordinances or amendments which provide for any substantive or material change in the scope and intent of this ordinance, including, but not limited to, interest rate, preference or priority of any other ordinance with this ordinance, parity of any other ordinance with this ordinance, or otherwise alter or impair the obligation of the Village of Brookfield to pay the principal and interest due to the Public

Water Supply Loan Program without The Corporate Authorities may execution of the Loan Agreements, the written consent of the Illinois authorize by resolution a person for the purpose of paying the cost other than the Village President for Environmental Protection Agency. of certain improvement to the public the sole purpose of authorizing or Section 5: N OT LOA N water supply system of the Village of INDEBTEDNESS OF VILLAGE. executing any documents assoBrookfield. A complete copy of the ciated with payment requests or Repayment of the loan to the Illinois ordinance accompanies this notice. reimbursements from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency by NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN Environmental Protection Agency in the Village of Brookfield pursuant to that if a petition signed by 1,323, connection with this loan. this ordinance is to be solely from or more electors of the Village of Section 10: SEVERABILITY. If any the revenue derived from revenues Brookfield (being equal to 10% of section, paragraph, clause or proviof the system, and the loan does the registered voters in the Village), sion of this ordinance is held invalid, not constitute an indebtedness of requesting that the question of the invalidity of such section, parathe Village of Brookfield within the improving the public water supply system and entering into the graph, clause or provision shall not meaning of any constitutional or Loan Agreements is submitted to affect any of the other provisions of statutory limitation. this ordinance. the Village Clerk within 30 days Section 6: APPLICATION FOR Section 11: REPEALER. All ordiafter the publication of this Notice, LOAN. The Village President is hereby authorized to make application to nances, resolutions or orders, or the question of improving the public the Illinois Environmental Protection parts thereof, which conflict with water supply system of the Village Agency for a loan through the Public the provisions of this ordinance are, of Brookfield as provided in the ordinance and Loan Agreements shall Water Supply Loan Program, in to the extent hereby repealed.of such conflict, hereby be submitted to the electors of the accordance with the loan requirerepealed.

ADOPTED this 22nd day of January 2024 pursuant to roll call vote as follows: ments set out in 35 Ill. Adm. Code Village at the next election to be ADOPTED this 22nd day of January hereby repealed. hereby repealed.AYES: Narimatsu, Ketchmark, Cote, Gilhooley, Cote law on 662. held under general election 2024 pursuant to roll Trustees call vote as Hendricks, hereby repealed.

ADOPTED this 22nd day 2024 pursuant to day roll call vote as follows: ACCEPTANCE OFof January Section 7: November 5, 2024. petition form follows: ADOPTED this 22nd ofNone January 2024 pursuant to roll call vote as A follows: NAYS: hereby repealed. nd day of January 2024 pursuant to rollKetchmark, call voteCote, as follows: ADOPTED this 22 LOAN AGREEMENT. The Corporate AYES: Trustees Narimatsu, Hendricks, Gilhooley, Cote is available from the office of the Trustees Narimatsu, Cote, Gilhooley, Cote Nonepursuant ADOPTEDAYES: this ABSENT: 22nd day of January 2024 to rollHendricks, call vote asKetchmark, follows: Brookfield Village Clerk.

Authorities hereby authorize accepAYES: NAYS: Trustees None Narimatsu, Hendricks, Ketchmark, Cote, Gilhooley, Cote Hendricks, Ketchmark, Cote, Gilhooley, Cote AYES: ABSTENTION: None tance of the offer of a loan through NAYS: Trustees Narimatsu, None NAYS: None None the Public NAYS: Water ABSENT: SupplyNone Loan APPROVED this 22nd day of January 2024.

ABSENT: by me this None ABSENT: None Program, including all terms and ABSENT:ABSTENTION: None None ABSTENTION: None conditions of the Loan Agreement ____________________________________ ABSTENTION: None APPROVED by me this this 22nd day of January 2024.

ABSTENTION: None as well as all special conditions Village Clerk ________________________________ APPROVED by me this this 22nd day of January of January 2024.President of the APPROVED by me this this 22nd day2024.

Michael J. Garvey, contained therein and made a part Village of Brookfield APPROVED by me this this 22nd day of January 2024.

Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois thereof by reference. The Corporate Cook County, Illinois ________________________________ ________________________________ MichaelofJ.the Garvey, President of the Michael J. Garvey, President Authorities further agree that the ________________________________ Village of Brookfield, Village of Brookfield, Cook County, IllinoisCook County, Illinois loan funds awarded shall be used ________________________________ ATTEST: Michael J. Garvey, President of the solely for the purposes of the Michael J. Garvey, President of the Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois project as ATTEST: approved by the IllinoisATTEST: _______________________________________ Brigid Weber, Village Clerk of the Environmental Protection Agency in_______________________________________ Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois ATTEST: Brigid Weber, Village Clerk of the accordance with the terms and con_______________________________________ Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois ATTEST: Brigid Weber, Village Clerk of the ditions of the Loan Agreement. of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois Section 8: Village OU T S T A N D I N _______________________________________ G Exhibit A Brigid Weber, Village Clerk of the _______________________________________ BONDS. The Village of Brookfield Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois Brigid Weber, Village Clerk of the has outstanding bonds, payable NOTICE OF INTENT TO BORROW Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois from revenues of the system, that FUNDS are senior to the loan authorized by AND RIGHT TO FILE PETITION this ordinance; and the Village of Brookfield establishes an account, coverage and reserves equivalent NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, to the account(s), coverage(s) and pursuant to Ordinance Number reserve(s) as the senior lien holders 2024-09, adopted on January 22, in accordance with 35 Ill. Adm. Code 2024, the Village of Brookfield, Cook pg. 6 662.350(a)(9)(C)(PWS).

County, Illinois (the “Village”), intends pg.

Section 9: A U T H O R I Z AT I O N to6enter into Loan Agreements with OF VILLAGE PRSIDENT TO the Illinois Environmental Protection EXECUTE LOAN AGREEMENT. The Agency in an aggregate principal pg. 6 Village President is hereby authoamount not to exceed $20,000,000 rized and directed to execute the and bearing annual interest at an Loan Agreement with the Illinois amount not to exceed the maximum pg. 6 Environmental Protection Agency. rate authorized by law at the time of pg. 6

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The Landmark, January 24, 2024

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