Landmark 031523

Elevating teen mental

Cutting the ribbon on e Lo at 8 Corners on March 8 were (from le ) Tina Ramirez Moon, program o cer, Healthy Communities Foundation; Jesse Rosas, executive director of Prov iso Township Mental Health Commission; Heather Alderman, CEO, Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation; Greg DiDomenico, CEO, Community Memorial Foundation; Kim Knake, execut ive director, NAMI Metro Suburban; Angela Curran, CEO, Pillars Community Health; Carmen Soldato, NAMI board chair ; and April Schweitzer, PCH board chair

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The Willow Springs land owned by Lyons Township High School is no longer for sale. On March 10, after a failed attempt to sell the approximately 70-acre tract the district has owned for more than half a century and weeks of intense and sustained criticism at school board meetings, the school board announced it’s no longer fielding bids.

““For now, the board is not moving forward with the process of selling the property. If the board decides to sell the property

See LTHS LAND on pa ge 34

Brook eld seeks National Park Service help for South Kiwanis plan

With much buckthor n cleared, commission wants to activate nature area

By BOB UPHUES

Editor

The Brookfield Conservation Commission has sought the help of the National Park Service in furthering its goal of transfor ming South Kiwanis Park into a sustainable nature area accessible to all residents.

In February, the commission submitted an application to the National Park Service to receive technical help from its Riverside, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program to help with community outreach, long-ter m planning and trail design in the wooded park.

South Kiwanis Park is a roughly 15-acre parcel of wooded park land owned by the village of Brookfield immediately south of the Burlington Norther n-Santa Fe Railroad tracks, bounded on the east by Arden Avenue, on the west by Salt Creek and on the south by Southview Avenue.

In recent years, Conservation Commission members and other volunteers have devoted many hours to clearing the park of invasive buckthor n, which has revealed an oak savanna habitat similar to the one at the north end of Kiwanis Park on the other side of the BNSF tracks.

That buckthor n removal work has opened up the woodland to people who want to enjoy the secluded nature area, with its mature

shade trees, native woodland flora and wildlife, ephemeral pools filled with flood waters in hollows near the riverbank and natural overlooks

“We think we’ve cleared about one-third of the site of buckthor n,” said Conservation Commission Chairwoman Bridget Jakubiak, who called out the effor ts of volunteer Lar ry Pulice, who has spearheaded that effort. “We’ve gotten to a point where we need to be gin the restoration piece.”

In January, commissioners heard from Mike Mencarini, a community planner from the National Park Service, about the technical assistance program. He outlined the for mal application for technical assistance, but also told commissioners that the commission may also be able to leverage National Park Service assistance more infor mally as well.

“He really encouraged us to, if not fill out the full application, at least ask for some other technical assistance that’s rolling and a little less committed over a longer period of time, where they can come out and give some initial guidance,” said Brookfield Trustee Katie Kaluzny, who is the village board’s liaison to the Conservation Commission.

“We felt like because there was so much interest and previous mention of this area and plans for Brookfield, and all of the resto-

ration work that’s been going on, that it was at a place where we really just need that additional assistance to figure out how to make it a real activated space,” Kaluzny added.

The Conservation Commission would like to tap into the National Park Service’s expertise to convene at least two public listening sessions, with both the South Hollywood community, where the woodland is located, and the wider community to get feedback and input.

They’d also like the National Park Service’s expertise in developing a trail plan, locations for nature play areas, interpretive signage and benches That plan can then be shared with the community and phased in over time within budgetary limits The village likely would use such a plan to seek grant funding to implement it

“We’d like to really have a really robust public engagement process People have seen what we’ve done with the site and what we’re doing there,” Jakubiak said. “Now there are questions. What’s next? We want a plan we can share with them. We’re asking the Park Service to do that and get their input on that.”

Commissioners won’t have to wait long to find out if the National Park Service is interested. According to Jakubiak and Kaluzny, the agency is expected to announce its technical assistance awards in early April

Editor Bob Uphues

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BIG WEEK

March 15-22

Connec ting families and dolphins

Join the Chicago Zoological Society’s Dr. Katherine McHugh, deputy program director and senior scientist with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, for the virtual lecture “Connecting Children and Families with Dolphin Conser vation at Sarasota Bay” on March 21 at 7 p.m.

McHugh will share some of the programs, strategies and partnerships the world’s longestrunning dolphin study uses to connect kids and families to these charismatic marine mammals and discuss dolphins’ under water habits and how to get involved in dolphin conservation. A Q&A will follow the presentation.

The lecture is free, although a $10 donation is appreciated. Online reser vations are required and can be made at CZS.org/LectureSeries.

And more

■ Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quinc y St., presents the 13th Annual Riverside -Brook eld High School Advanced Placement Art Exhibition through March 18 in the Freeark Galler y. Open Thursday-Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

There’s also “Mujer Quetzalcoatl” featuring the work of Alex Velazquez Brightbill, through March 30 in the lobby of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road in Riverside. Viewing hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and

Chamber jazz concer t

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 203 S. Kensington Ave. in LaGrange, continues its Sounds in the Sanctuary concert series on March 18 at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by Matt Ulery’s Mannerist 11.

Known for his sweeping lyricism, unconventional phrase structures and expressionistic emotionalism, Ulery’s latest chamber-jazz orchestra project brings together eight brass and wind players from the Chicago jazz and classical/new music scenes along with piano, bass and drums

Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door ($15 for children 5-18, under 5 free). Purchase advance tickets at emmanuel-lagrange.org/music_events.

Mall hosts Play Dates for kids 4-under

Nor th Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, in conjunction with the Children’s Center of Cicero/ rw yn hosts weekly Developmental Play Dates for children ages 4-under as par t of a new NRPM Kids Club.

he play dates are held ever y Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Kids Play Area in the mall’s lower-level conourse. Play dates include an hour of age-appropriate ytime, music, sensory play and movement.

Naz hosts final Parent Speaker talk

Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park hosts its nal Parent Speaker Series esentation on March 16 at 7 p.m. via Zoom with clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour, who will speak on “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising onnected, Capable, Compassionate Adolescents.”

he session is free to attend open to the public. Pre-registration is equired and can be done on the school’s website at nazarethacademy.com, under the Parent/Student tab.

Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

■ Nor th Riverside Public Librar y, 2400

D esplaines Ave., presents After S chool Ar t Esc ape (child with adult) on March 16 at 4 p.m., Lego C lub (8-under) on March 17 at 4 p.m., Intro to D&D (grades 6-12) on March 18 at1:30 p.m., Morning Munchkin Stories with Ms. Karen on March 20 at 10:30 a.m. and S afari ABCs (child with adult, ever y other week in Spanish) on March 22 at 10:30 a.m.

Register for programs online at nor thriversidelibrar y.org/events-new.

■ Linda Sokol Francis Brook eld Library, 3541 Park Ave., presents Fairytale Storytime on March 16 at 10:30 a.m., Zumba for Kids (grades K-5) on March 16 at 4 p.m., Medicare and Military Healthcare on March 17 at 11 a.m., Chair Zumba on March 17 at 1:30 p.m., Chair Yoga (virtual) on March 20 at 11 a.m., Storytime Stars (ages 2-3 with caregiver) on March 21 at 10:30 a.m. and Teen Craft: Succulent Snowglobe on March 22 at 4 p.m. Call 708-485-6917 or visit online at brook eld. evanced.info/signup to register for programs

■ Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road,

presents a Chess Meet Up (grades K-8) on March 16 at 4 p.m., Friday Storytimes (all ages) on March 17 at 9:30 and 10:15 a.m., Mini-Movers Stor ytime (3-under with caregiver) on March 20 at 9:30 and 10:15 a.m. and Little Hands Ac tivity Time (best for kids 1-4) on March 21 at 9:30 a.m. To register for programs, visit online at riversidelibrar y.org/events.

■ The Brook eld Elks Lodge, 9022 31st St., hosts bingo the second Sunday of ever y month. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games star t at 2 p.m. with cash payouts.

DR. LISA DAMOUR

Chicago Bears award Komarek preschool teacher

$1,000 Parent nominated Michelle Cole for ‘Classroom Legends’ recognition

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Komarek School preschool teacher Michelle Cole and her after noon class students got a sur prise visit from a Chicago Bear last week, more than one if you count Staley, the football team’s mascot.

Bears linebacker Jack Sanbor n and Staley the Bear, along with a few other re presentatives of the Chicago Bears org anization, dropped by Cole’s preschool classroom in Nor th Riverside on Feb. 28 to present her with a Bears Classroom Le gends Award, along with her own Chicago Bears jersey, an invitation to visit the Bears training camp next summer and a $1,000 check.

Cole was nominated for the award by Komarek School parent Kelly Will. Cole has taught two of Will’s children, 6-year-old Enzo and 4-year-old Giulia, who is in Cole’s mor ning class this year

“Each mor ning Miss Michelle greets students with a song and a smile,” said a Bears re presentative reading the letter Will wrote in nominating Cole for the award. “Her impact on lear ning star ts with all her enthusiasm. In the mor ning when she talks about projects and activities, she

is

lear ning come to life is addictive and kids want more.”

Will, an ESL teacher at Irving School in Berwyn, said she decided to nominate Cole for the award when a teacher at her school received it. She went on the Chicago Bears website and wrote her nominating letter.

“She’s just such a caring person and my kids are super shy kids and, as a parent sending them to school for the first time, you always have some butterflies, and Miss Michelle just takes all that away,” Will told the Landmark in a tele phone interview. “And she just truly cares about the kids and she’s always spending her own money on materials They’re always doing these awesome projects and I thought the $1000, I just knew she would put it to good use.”

Cole says she will probably use the money to purchase raised flowerbeds for the cour tyard outside her classroom.

“This is incredible,” said a shocked Cole of the visit. “I am floored, but I’m glad that it’s with the kids, that makes

ministration. It’s for the kids. They’re the ones that make it all wor thwhile.”

The 3, 4 and 5 year olds in Cole’s after noon class were thrilled by Staley the Bear, a few of them going in for hugs with the fur ry mascot.

Cole has taught preschool at Komarek School for the past 10 years. She teaches 20 kids in the mor ning and another 20 in the after noon. Until this year Cole was Komarek’s only preschool teacher. Another preschool teacher was added, along with a second after noon class.

Komarek School District 94 Superintendent Todd Fitzgerald said that Cole deserved to be recognized.

“This is outstanding for Ms Cole,” Fitzgerald said. “She’s just been a phenomenal teacher for us at Komarek for the last 10 years, and it’s really nice for her to get this reco gnition. She deserves it and she is truly a huge asset to Komarek School District 94 and all the preschool students she’s worked with for the past 10 years.”

BOB SKOLNIK

Chicago Bears linebacker Jack Sanborn hands Komarek School teacher Michelle Cole with her ow n personalized jersey dur ing a surprise visit on Feb. 28 when he and the team’s mascot, Staley the Bear, presented Cole with a Bears Classroom Legends Award.

Appointed board members vie for 2-year terms in D208

Welch, Lach both running low-key campaigns

By BOB SKOLNIK

Contributing Reporter

Mike Welch and Carolyn Lach sit next to each other at Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208 Board of Education meetings But in two months one of them won’t be there.

That’s because the two appointed board members are running against each other in the April 4 election for a twoyear ter m to complete the ter m Ramona Towner won in 2021.

Towner resigned last October when she moved out of the district. Lach, a member of the Komarek District 94 school board from 2015 until 2021, was appointed to the RBHS school board to replace Towner

Welch, who had served on the RBHS school board from 2009 until 2017, the last two years as board president, was appointed the board in September 2021 to replace Tom Jacobs, who also had moved out of the district.

After the school deadlocked 3-3 trying to pick a replacement, Welch was chosen by

West 40 Inter mediate Service Center Executive Director Mark Klaisner Welch had not initially applied to replace Jacobs but did so once the board deadlocked.

Lach and Welch both said they did not want commit to four more years. Lach believes a school board member should have a child in the district or a child who will be attending the school shortly. Being the parent of a current RBHS student gives her a better understanding of what is going on at the school, she said.

“I just think you have a better handle on what the students or the youth are facing, going through,” Lach said. “My son will come home and tell me about things that happened at school, just in general, and I think if you don’t have that you might miss out on that.” Welch, whose two daughters graduated

from RBHS more than a decade ago, has a different viewpoint, though he once thought the same thing

“Years ago, I did think that and I said that one time to a for mer board member, and then they reminded me that it was a community high school,” Welch said. “It belongs to the entire community, not just the parents whose children are in the school.”

Other than Lach having a child at RBHS, there is not a lot to differentiate the two except for Welch’s much longer time on the RBHS school board.

“We both really care about the school,” Lach said. “We both bring different assets to it.”

Both Lach and Welch are soft-spoken, and neither is campaigning very hard. Neither has campaign signs, Facebook campaign pages or campaign websites

“I’m just hoping people will recognize my name from my experience at Komarek, or with the Boy Scouts, or with Little League or soccer and recognize that I care about kids, I care about the school,” said Lach, who works as the director of financial aid at North Park University and once was a high school math teacher

When he ran for the school board in 2009 and 2013, Welch was an indefatigable campaigner, knocking on doors throughout the district. This time around, with his knees bothering him, he is not going door to door and is relying on a low-key campaign

“I’ve done basically nothing but word of mouth,” Welch said.

Welch, who was elected to four-year ter ms on the school board in 2009 and 2013, said this campaign will be his last.

“It’s another opportunity to serve my community,” Welch said. “I would not run again.”

Welch, 62, is an IRS agent assigned to the United States Attor ney’s office who typically works on criminal prosecutions. He has focused on finances during his time on the school board. Welch says maintaining balanced budgets and a strong financial position are priorities for him.

“I would also like to see progress on the communication goal and have the high school better communicate with the community,” Welch said.

Lach, 55, said she also thinks it’s important that North Riverside has representation on the school board. Another North Riverside resident from the Komarek district, Lorena Gasca, is already on the school board having been elected two years ago.

Lach and Welch do not have any strong disagreements. Running against each other was just a product of neither one of them wanting to commit to serving four more years on the school board.

“I think there’s a mutual respect there, there’s not any animosity at all,” Welch said. “I think either one of us would do a fine job if elected.”

Lach agreed.

“There’s no hard feelings,” Lach said. “We both knew early on that we were going to be going against each other, so we’ll just leave it up to the voters.”

Name contest for LSF Brook eld Library’s new book bike

Entries accepted through March 31, winner named when bike’s delivered

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The folks over at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library are planning to take the library to the people this summer via a new “book bike,” and before they take delivery they’re asking the public to give the bike a catchy name.

Through March 31, people can submit

entries by visiting brookfieldlibrary.info/ bookbike on the library’s website. The winner will be announced when the bike arrives in town, probably in May.

“It’s something that’s fun,” said Christy Eyre, assistant director and marketing manager for the library. “As we saw with the snowplow contest, there are lots of creative people out there.”

Eyre is refer ring to the contest last De-

cember to name the Brookfield De partment of Public Works’ six snowplows The contest generated more than 1,000 entries, which residents voted on in January. The top vote getter: Clearopathra.

Book bikes are a recent trend for public libraries, said Eyre, and emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic. As libraries closed their doors to the public for long stretches, book bikes brought library ser-

vices to people in outdoor settings

Library of ficials are putting the finishing touches on their order, which will be submitted to Por tland, Oregon-based Icicle Tricycles, which star ted out about a century ago making carts for frozen treat vendors

Now the company make trikes for a

C AROLYN LACH

MIKE WELCH

“

We both knew early on that we were going to be going against each other, so we’ll just leave it up to the voters.”

C AROLYN LACH

D208 school board candidate

RBHS board incumbent advocates for those not college bound

William Durkin wants school to build relationships with apprentice programs

By BOB UPHUES Editor

William Durkin, an incumbent RiversideBrookfield High School District 208 Board of Education candidate, is a longtime insurance broker who co-manages a century-old fir m. He’s not in a union and doesn’t work in the trades, but when it comes to high school education, that’s where he focuses his attention.

While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily derailed some of the initiatives Durkin was interested in pursuing, he saw one particular breakthrough in March 2022, a trades and career fair for RBHS students that introduced them to a wide range of opportunities, including union apprenticeship programs in trades like plumbing, pipe fitting, carpentry and others.

It was Durkin’s advocacy for the high school building closer relationships with apprenticeship programs that served as the impetus for the trade fair

board president, and Laura Hruska, the longest-serving member of the school board, as well as first-time candidates Nicholas Novak and Kenyon Duner

He recently sat down with the Landmark for an interview at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library to discuss his bid for another ter m. And while he touched on a variety of subjects, from equity to a board member’s role in school gover nance, Durkin often retur ned to the subject of engaging with students who may not be interested in pursuing a college degree.

“We do a great job getting kids to college,” Durkin said of the education provided at RBHS “Something that I just wanted to help with is to try to help that 10 or 20 percent that won’t go to college.”

WILLIAM DURKIN

Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which had a profound effect on many people’s lives and careers, Durkin said there’s an opportunity for those seeking careers.

Durkin said.

Durkin’s passion for apprenticeship opportunities in the trades comes from his family background. His grandfather immigrated to the United States from the west of Ireland. A farmer with little education and no training , Durkin’s grandfather worked as a laborer and later as a streetcar conductor.

With the high school’s demographics changing over the past two decades – RBHS is now roughly 40 percent Hispanic, some of whom are the children of immigrants or are immigrants themselves

“Our job, I feel, is to present them with opportunities to allow them to make their own choices,” Durkin said. “We have families where maybe there’s language barriers. You have single-parent families. I think this helps out an area that may not have been realized in the past. It’s more of a sleepy area I’d like to awaken.”

some of the aggressive opposition to their COVID policies seen elsewhere, Durkin said, because it chose to follow state and federal health guidelines

“I think the people here appreciate and know that the school is being run pretty well,” Durkin said.

He said the school was making strides in meeting goals regarding diversity, equity and inclusion, saying the board is lear ning from its own students and their families

“We need to know where the problems are, so we can address it,” said Durkin, who acknowledged it was surprising no one had thought to make the school’s automated phone answering system bilingual until it was suggested by a student representative to the school board.

“What really caught me was the amount of energy and excitement and engagement from the students,” said Durkin, who is running for a second four-year ter m on the RBHS school board on April 4. “It was so rewarding to experience.

“I think it opened up a lot of eyes.”

Durkin, 56, is one of five candidates running for four four-year ter ms available in this spring’s election. His opponents include fellow incumbents Deanna Zalas, who is school

range of uses, from selling ice cream and cof fee to car ting library materials around town. Each library bike is mounted with a reinforced frame cargo box, which opens to reveal shelves to hold books and devices, a chalkboard with a brochure holder and display rack and a flip-open shelf suitable for laptop use

The company also custom paints the boxes as requested by its customers. Eyre said library of ficials are still working on the final graphic design of the box. When it’s all said and done, the bike will end up costing in the neighborhood of $5,000, Eyre said.

The library plans to use the book bike as an outreach tool at community events, like

“The trades are really hungry,” Durkin said. “They need new blood, a new generation, because there’s a lot of retirees.”

If he’s re-elected, Durkin said he wants to continue to advocate for expanding student access to opportunities in the trades and other non-college track employment. He pointed to the school district’s hire in February of a veteran family and consumer sciences teacher, who will also head up that division, as a positive move.

“I hope she can hit the ground running,”

the Brookfield Far mers Market. It can also be driven to various par ts of the village, especially ones farther away from the library itself

“One of the challenges for people in Brookfield is that south of Ogden, the library’s not as easily available to them,” Eyre said.

The book bike could set up shop in a place like Ehler t Park for example, and in addition to of fering books to check out, patrons could check out inter net hotspots or laptops and even sign up for library cards.

“We can do all the same things we can do in the library,” Eyre said.

Apart from that area of interest, Durkin believes Riverside-Brookfield High School’s faculty and administration do an admirable job. The husband of a Catholic elementary school teacher, Durkin said he empathized with what teachers, who were sometimes vilified for resisting reopening classrooms sooner than some wanted, endured during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were getting hit from all different places,” Durkin said. “At the end of the day, there were so many unknowns – health-wise, transmission-wise.”

The high school board did not experience

“After all these years, we’re like, ‘Why didn’t anybody think of that?’” Durkin said. “It opens up our minds to different area that maybe we need to look at and either address or improve.”

Durkin said he didn’t seek a seat on the school board four years ago because he believed things were headed in the wrong direction.

“I never went in with the intentions that I’m going to be able to change this or that,” Durkin said. “My intentions were to be an advocate for that population that would not be going to college

“That was one of my goals when I originally ran. Then things got sidelined – life, business, everything -- for a couple years.”

Linda Sokol Francis Brook eld Library w ill have a Book Bike, similar to the one show n at le , courtesy of Icicle Tricycles, later this spring.

A Mild Winter, an Early Spring— What Next?

Spring is right around the corner, but this year it feels like winter never really arrived in Chicagoland; most notably, the mild temperatures and continued lack of snowfall contributed to that feeling. What would normally be a transition from snow-covered ground to the first signs of spring warming is instead frost-free soils and the emergence of perennials and bulbs shockingly earlier than expected. I have no recollection of having seen emergence this early in the season.

What does that mean for you?

With the mild winter temperatures, it is probable that we will see a higher insect and disease population that results in more damage to your lawn and landscape. Another consideration is earlier onset of weed growth. To protect against that scenario, I recommend, no later than the end of April, that you add a pre-emergent herbicide to your beds and lawn.

A mild and early start to spring also means that our schedules here at McAdam fill faster. The early bird gets the worm, so if you are thinking about getting work scheduled, act sooner than too much later.

Cock Robin sign flies the coop in Brookfield

Decades-old structure deemed unsafe, but iconic local sign lives on

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The Cock Robin Ice Cream sign at 8861 Burlington Ave., so beloved that the Brookfield Village Board approved a measure in 2019 that might have preserved it in perpetuity, was taken down March 9 by its owner, who promised its fans it would live on.

Mar tin Lynch, who purchased the proper ty in 2011, said the metal pole topped by metal boxes holding the signage posed a safety hazard.

Not only was the structure corroded, the sidewalk around its base had be gun to crack and heave noticeably, a condition that has worsened over the years.

“Our main concer n is the safety,” said Lynch, who purchased Irish Times Pub and Restaurant at 8869 Burlington Ave. in 2008 and subsequently acquired the rest of the commercial property to the east.

“If that came down on somebody’s car or family or somebody walking by …”

Andrew Har rington, the village’s code enforcement of ficer who stood alongside Lynch on the mor ning of March 9 as workers cut the sign down, ag reed that the sign had become dangerous.

www.mcadamlandscape.com

9.

“Just basically over time, the wind [rocking the sign back and for th] causes an upheaval, plus the water and ice expansion and contraction, it just all adds to it,” Harrington said.

But fret not, Brookfield nostalgists, you can visit the local icon anytime you wish.

Shortly after a crew removed the sign, local construction contractor Mike Healy passed by and asked his fellow Irishman what he intended to do with the sign

“He asked me what I was going to do with it, and I said I’d like to frame it somehow and hang it in the beer garden,” Lynch told the Landmark. “He said, ‘When?’ I said, ‘Now,’ and he said, Let’s do it!’ Unbelievable. He took the measurements and went straight to work at his shop.”

Later that evening one of the bird signs was securely displayed on a wall in the beer garden at Irish Times

“Everyone can come and see the sign now,” Lynch said.

Lynch said when he bought the Cock Robin property in 2011, he at first thought he might be able to reopen the restaurant and resume

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Workers dismantle the Cock Robin si gn in the 8800 block of Burlington Avenue on March 9.

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Irish Times ow ner Martin Ly nch, who purchased the former Cock Robin proper ty in 2011, inspects the two iconic bird signs a er they were removed from their rusting metal frame on March

Scott McAdam Jr.

One of the Cock Robin bir d panels has already found a home on a wall in the Irish Times beer garden. Local contractor Mike Healy built a frame the day the sign was taken dow n, allowing it to be displ ayed almost immediately.

serving ice cream, steakburgers and milkshakes to Brookfielders.

However, it was not to be

“[The for mer owners] had just walked out one day. They left everything in the coolers and freezers,” Lynch said. “It was like walking into a horror movie with all the flies. I would have fired it up at the time, but it had the old electrical and everything, and the whole basement was flooded with water, and the roof, it was just dangerous, so we had to take that down, too, at the time.”

But, Lynch didn’t have the heart to take down the sign, which had become something of a local landmark.

In 2017, the village passed a law requiring the removal of “zombie signs” – signs still

Workers remove the “Since 1931” sign from the horizontal box that originally displ ayed Cock Robin’s weekly specials and other messages for customers. at particular si gn was installed in 2004, just two years before the Brook eld Cock Rob location closed for good .

advertising businesses that had long moved away or folded – and it looked as if the Cock Robin sign’s days were numbered.

With removal a very real prospect, Brookfield village trustees in 2019 decided to approve a carve-out in the sign code for what they ter med “historic” signs and allowed for their preservation.

“It’s been a jour ney with it, trying to do the right thing, trying to see if we could preserve it, save it and then realizing we couldn’t,” Lynch said.

If it wasn’t possible to preserve it as-is, Lynch pivoted to preserving the signs by incorporating at least one of the bird signs into his existing setup at Irish Times Lynch added that other sign elements could make their

way into future development of the property “Whatever we do we’ ll try to incorporate them back into the building so they’ ll still be here,” he said.

A more ambitious plan Lynch has considered includes constructing a mixed-use building east of Irish Times, with groundfloor commercial spaces and apartments above. He’s even kicked around the idea of tur ning the one-story storefront immediately east of Irish Times into a business reminiscent of the old Cock Robin ice cream parlor/grill.

“We even came up with a concept called Robin’s Nest that would tie in with it and be like burgers, ice cream, stuff like that,” Lynch said. “We’re trying to figure it out.

Pre-pandemic it would have been a lot easier to make a decision, but it’s just so uncertain now.”

More likely is a project to expand Irish Times’ outdoor beer garden to the east, adding a full-service bar, more bathrooms and protecting more of the outdoor space from the elements to extend its use through more of the year

“We could expand it probably up to where the tent is, so we can eliminate the tent in the future,” Lynch said. “With the costs of building at the moment, it’s not viable to go with the full development, so we’re going to see if we can do something with the singlestory building and incorporate it all in together.”

It’s unclear just how long the sign of a tuxedoed bird sporting a top hat and with the words “Cock Robin” emblazoned on his red breast has stood sentinel over the property that once housed the long-demolished restaurant.

However, it probably dates to around 1960, after a for mer partner in the original Prince Castle chain of ice cream shops was forced to rename the locations he owned, including the one in Brookfield

The bird image on the sign was conceived between 1958 and 1962, based on newspaper advertisements of that era. Whether the thick plastic panels fitted into the metal box atop the pole are that old isn’t known, but they could be.

Based on photographs of for mer Cock Robin locations – the one in Brookfield was the last to close its doors, in 2006 – the restaurants’ signage was standard, using a pole to support a horizontal box where weekly specials could be advertised and a box on top holding the iconic bird logo signs.

According to Brookfield historian Chris Stach, in a 2007 article reporting that the property had been placed on the market for sale, the “Since 1931” sign went up in late 2004.

MARTIN LYNCH

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Teen mental health center opens in Brookfield

NAMI and Pillars Community Health unveil e Lo at 8 Corners

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Metro Suburban and Pillars Community Health on March 13 opened the doors to The Loft at 8 Cor ners, a first-of-its-kind center dedicated to the holistic mental health of teenagers

Over the past six months, NAMI and Pillars renovated the for mer yo ga studio at 9045 Monroe Ave. in Brookfield into a welcoming space for high school students to access a host of mental health services, and where families can lear n more about the range of strategies, tools and services available to them.

The Loft is open seven days a week, 365 days a year from 1 to 8 p.m. and is staf fed with a team of mental health professionals Teens and families can simply walk in or schedule times to visit. All services are free

“This space is really an expansion, it’s a broadening of our continuum of services, everything from education to suppor t to activities,” said Angela Curran, president and CEO of Pillars Community Health during a March 8 ribbon-cutting event to show of f the center and thank a half do zen foundations, Proviso Township and Cook County Health for their financial support.

NAMI and Pillars Community Health also sought out teenagers to help them identify key elements, both visual and programmatic for The Loft – even getting input on its name.

Kimberly Knake, executive director of NAMI Metro Suburban, said they recruited students at Riverside-Brookfield High School and Proviso Township high schools to form a Teen Advisory Committee

“They met over a few months led by [a consultant] to discuss their take on mental illness, the additional program of ferings, renaming it from a working title of Teen Living Room to The Loft at 8 Cor ners, and working … on what they wanted the look and feel to look like,” Knake said.

Cook County awarded the initiative a $1 million grant, while additional funding came from the Community Memorial Foundation, Healthy Communities Foundation, Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation, Naffah Family Foundation, the VNA Foundation, Westlake Foundation

PHOTO S BY BOB UPHUES/Editor

Adrian Cardenas (above le ) oversees day-to-day operations at e Lo , which o ers a host of mental health services and seeks to provide a welcoming space that includes a room for yoga (above center), rooms for one-on-one and family counseling, a kitchen and classroom. Above right, Pillars Community Health CEO addresses a crowd of around 100 at e Lo ’s ribbon cutting on March 8.

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Angela Curran and Kimberly Knake

and the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission.

“Our work here speaks to not only who we are as a local community but what we believe in as leaders, collaborators, friends and neighbors: To respond to a local need, to create a sense of belonging and to empower our youth so that they can be healthy and well,” said Greg DiDomenico, president and CEO ofthe Community Memorial Foundation.

Teens visiting The Loft will, after staf f obtains necessary consent, will receive a mental health screening to determine the appropriate level ofsupport, from access to education resources, support groups and classes to family support services to one-onone support to crisis intervention.

The Loft includes rooms where private one-on-one counseling can take place, a larger room where families can meet privately with staf f, a classroom, a living room-type area where teens can relax and a yoga studio

Adrian Cardenas, who is Loft’s coordinator, oversees the day-to-day operation ofthe center, facilitates groups and assesses teens who may be experiencing a crisis to determine their level of care.

His team also includes three young adult

recovery support specialists who work directly with teens, a family support specialist, an education manager and program manager.

He said The Loft’s team “will be there the whole step ofthe way, walking [teens] through [recovery].”

“We want to walk along in that journey with our teens and not do everything for them,” Cardenas said. “We want them to have that autonomy in their own recovery. If we do everything for them, they won’t know how to do that once they walk out ofthese doors. If we’re able to give them that power of choice … that is our ultimate goal and that’s how the inter-professional team will do that together.”

An important part of The Loft’s offerings are skill-building groups to help teens work through issues affecting mental health, from being mindful and fostering healthier interpersonal relationships to controlling emotions, solving problems and reducing stress

“There is no one right way to work with your mental health,” Curran said. “No journey is the same, so our goal is really to expand this continuum as much as we possibly could.”

For more information, visit the center’s website at loft8cor ners.org.

ere are three small meeting rooms at e Lo where teens can speak privately, oneon-one with young adult sta trained in assessing mental health and recomme nding appropriate ser vices

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Zalewski to step down as Illinois Commerce Commission chair Husband,

former state rtedly mulling job as lobbyist

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Riverside resident Carrie Zalewski is stepping down from her position as chair of the Illinois Commerce Commission. She announced last week that she will leave the ICC on June 16, seven months before her five-year ter m expires on January 15, 2024. She said she is leaving early because the ICC has a lot of cases coming up later in the year and she wanted her re placement to have enough time to prepare for them.

“To just pick up and leave in the middle of that would be very disruptive and unfair for a new commission to come in, that’s the idea,” Zalewski told the Landmark. “The timing just makes sense. I’ve been at the state for 17 years and I’m ready to move on.”

In a press release announcing her decision to step down, Gov. J.B. Pritzker praised Zalewski’s work at the Illinois Commerce

Commission.

“Zalewski served the State of Illinois diligently during a period of challenging unprecedented circumstances and clean energy transition, and her stalwart leadership was essential to the successes of that period,” Pritzker said.

Pritzker will nominate former Rockford Mayor Doug Scott to re place Zalewski.

Zalewski’s is married to former state Re p. Mike Zalewski and her departure from the ICC could be connected to her husband’s plan, according to published re ports, to become a lobbyist.

State law bars paid state board and commission members from serving if their spouse is a lobbyist, unless the lobbyist is also an elected official.

Mike Zalewski, who served seven terms

in the Illinois House before losing to Abdelnasser Rashid in the Democratic primary last summer, told the Landmark that he will announce his future plans shortly. He told the Landmark that he is considering lobbying.

“As a family we’ve gone through what I would consider, what I think an objective person would consider, a tumultuous nine months,” said ke Zalewski. “And I think as we make long term decisions about our future, we’ve both come to the decision that it’s time for an exciting new chapter.”

Carrie Zalewski’s announcement came just days before start of a ComEd bribery trial in which the name of her father-inlaw could be mentioned, although he is not charged with any crime.

ComEd’s for mer CEO, its for mer chief

lobbyist, a lobbyist subcontractor and an outside lobbyist for ComEd who was a confidante of for mer Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan are accused of bribing Madigan by giving Madigan’s allies and associates jobs and contracts.

One of the Madigan associates who alle gedly benefited was for mer Chicago 23rd Ward Ald. Michael Zalewski. The federal indictment alleges that the defendants ag reed to give the for mer alderman a nowork $5,000 a month consulting contract to curry favor with Madigan. The elder Zalewski was a close political ally of Madigan.

Carrie Zalewski told the Landmark that her decision to step down from the ICC had nothing to do with the ComEd trial.

Pritzker appointed Zalewski to the ICC in 2019 and quickly elevated her to lead it. Before serving on the ICC, Zalewski was a member of the Illinois Pollution Control Board for nine years.

C ARRIE ZALEWSKI

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It ’s time to vote. Here’s what you need to know

All democracy is local

And as we move toward the spring elec tions for village, school, library leaders, the Riverside-Brookeld Landmark is o ering you this Election Guide. That coverage comes in print today and, more expansively at RBLandmark.com.

This year we have pro led many candidates in contested elections, and we’ve also sent detailed questionnaires to every candidate in a contested race. The answers to our questions are presented here in this Election Guide, which was designed by Javier Govea, our editorial design manager.

Let’s start with the candidates.

There is something brave and generous, only occasionally ego-driven, that leads a local person to run for local o ce. Growing Community Media has been watching for 43 years and our observation is that with a dud once in a while, with people we have disagreed with on policy, that in our non-partisan elections almost all candidates run because they care about

the schools, have a vision for the librar y, are committed to better village services or holding taxes or growing equity.

Or all of the above

As you read these pages of questions and answers from each of these candidates know that there is a lot on the line this year.

Your vote truly matters

Do you plan to early vote? The details on how to do it are just below.

And don’t miss the digital version of this Election Guide on our RBLandmark.com website. The Q&As are there in longer versions. Thanks to Stacy Coleman, our digital manager, for building out these sites.

Finally, this expanded coverage is possible because of a donation to our Growing Community Media nonpro t from the Good Heart Work Smar t Foundation. It has allowed us not only to fund our election reporting and create this guide but also to widely increase our circulation for this issue of Wednesday Journal.

Almost time for early voting

Here’s how and when you can vote

For the April 4 Consolidated Election – school board, village boards, park and library boards -- early voting starts March 20 and continues through April 3. Courtesy of the Cook County Clerk’s o ce we have all the early voting locations in our area and the hours when you can vote

What do you need to vote early?

Voters do not need to provide an excuse or reason why they cannot vote on Election Day.

Government-issued photo ID is not required but is helpful if there is a question about the voter’s registration, address or signature. Providing an ID can also speed up the process because we have ID card readers at every check-in station.

You can also register to vote at all the early voting sites. However,

any voter who needs to register for the rst time or le an address change must present two forms of ID, one of which shows the voter’s current address.

Voting equipment

Early voting is conducted on touch screens that store every ballot style in the county, permitting any voter in suburban Cook to vote at any location. Your ballot will remain secret and securely stored.

Early voting records

The names of all early voters are available to the public and are updated each day during Early Voting. Please call (312) 603-0900 for early voting information.

In-person voting only

Voters who participate in early voting must vote in person.

We are mailing a paper this week to additional homes and apartments in Nor th Riverside, where there is a contested municipal election this year. These are people who do not regularly receive the paper. We hope they will be motivated to vote, and, yes, we hope they will consider subscribing to our weekly print edition or become a donor on our digital side.

This election is in your hands. Educate yourselves on the issues and the candidates. And then seize the power of your vote.

Dan Haley EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Growing Community Media

EARLY VOTING LO CATIONS (APRIL 4, 2023 C ONSOLIDATED GENERAL ELECTION)

IL 60525 Monday-Friday

Why we no longer endorse candidates

Since 2020 Growing Community Media has been a nonpro t news organization. Because of that change we operate under regulations set by the Internal Revenue Service. Among those IRS require-

ments is the rule that as a nonpartisan 501(c)3 nonpro t that we are no longer permitted to endorse speci c candidates for o ce

That ended our long-standing process of interviewing all local

candidates and o ering endorsements. In lieu of that we have stepped up our information gathering and reporting on the candidates and are presenting that to voters in this Election Guide.

SEE COMPLETE ELECTION GUIDE ONLINE

The early voting locations listed here are for Suburban Cook County voters only. If you live in the City of Chicago please visit chicagoelections.gov for their Early Voting locations

Jessica Mackinnon ELEC TION COORDINATOR Riverside-Brook eld Landmark

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/paramedics over the ne three years be absorbed in future budgets?

The decision to remove private paramedics was the popular decision, but it may not have been the nancially correc one made in the last 40 years Six more remen aren’t going to be hired, it will require 9-10 to make up for 6 contract paramedics. The pension costs will be unsustainable and layo s for recreation and public works are going to happen. Ways to generate more revenues must be found.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

The village should do everything possible to keep red light cameras; the revenue comes mostly from non residents and pays pensions. The loss is devastating, and the elected o cials should have, and could have gone to Springeld to try and stop its removal.

NORTH RIVERSIDE VILL AG E BOARD (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

We need all the revenue we can get, especially with the hiring of so many more employees. The revenue from non-residents is essential. I believe the capping of xisting licenses to 10 hinders the Village. Revenue streams like this are important. Important to taxes and fees that go to the Village. mportant for the business owners that operate these establishments. Placed in the proper location, it would be a win/win.

Would you support a referendum asking for the Village to become a home rule community? Would you support seeking home rule status for the Village?

We need home rule to create more necessary revenue. However, that is a question that should be proposed to the resident. Also, responsible o cials need to be elected to oversee it properly. Transparency is key for this board to succeed.

Would you support a referendum seeking to impose a tax levy to fund police and/or re pension obligations? Would you support a pension levy referendum?

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/paramedics over the next three years be absorbed in future budgets?

Let’s not forget that it was always the position of the VIP/ United Party to continue with PSI [Paramedic Services of Illinois]. They waged a ve-year war against the re ghters from 2014 through 2019. They lost at every turn and cost the taxpayers an estimated million in attorney fees. During this same period, we were promoting bringing paramedic services in-house, using the Silver Spanner program and saving the citizens of North Riverside an estimated $100,000 per year

Making up for loss of revenue is ALWAYS a multipronged approach. The current Administration has never properly approached the budgeting process All they have ever done is spend and mis-manage. All budgetary line items must be researched and scrutinized. We should look for budget SAVINGS FIRST, before we automatically look for increased revenues.

How do you believe the Village should determine the best use for the former Presbyterian church property at 24th Street and 8th Avenue? Should the Village keep it? If so, for what purpose? If not, why not?

SEE

Would you support the addition of a cannabis dispensary in the Village? If yes, where should it be located? Are there any speci c expenses that the Village should prioritize using cannabis tax revenue?

The Village should do everything in its power to have dispensaries. The revenue is necessary, and non-residents will be ones mostly using them if they are placed in the right location. More revenue that comes from non-residents, the better--that fact keeps our taxes lower.

In the absence of a cannabis dispensary, would you support an expansion of video gambling parlors? How would you respond to those who believe these parlors should be limited to the existing 10?

The tax levy referendum needs to be voted on up or down. The de cit is unsustainable. I believe we are near crisis mode and need to make decisions as such. The elected o cials need to kick it into gear and nd ways to plug the leak

How do you believe the Village should determine the best use for the former Presbyterian church property at 24th Street and 8th Avenue? Should the Village keep it? If so, for what purpose? If not, why not?

The property should be eventually be made a recreation center for the residents when it can get the grants to construct it. In the mean time, it should be a temporary site for recreation activities as it is now.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

There appears to be no reason why these annual savings will not hold up; even after the expense of employing an additional three (not six) re ghters with their salary, bene ts and pension costs. It is also my understanding that the administration botched grant applications that were available to help pay for new re ghters over a three-year period. We must look into these grants once again. If the program is properly implemented, there will be a cost savings to the Village. These savings must be documented and earmarked for very speci c uses, and not just absorbed into the general fund where, as history tells us, they will be mismanaged by the current administration.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

If you follow the news; red-light cameras remain controversial for a number of reasons; and continue to be both a blessing and a curse on all communities that use them. Relying on this elusive revenue source is a mistake to begin with.

Once Again - THEY LIED (your VIP / UNITED PARTY administration). In 2020, while the Village was languishing in debt, with a deplorable bond rating, and heading headlong toward bankruptcy, your Administration spent $600,000 of your money to purchase the abandoned church and demolish it. There was NO feasibility study, NO plan and NO PUBLIC INPUT. Then they LIED and stated that they got a state grant to fund the project. Three years later and they still can’t substantiate that claim. Why? Because they lied. If they had any competence and they had $600,000 laying around; why didn’t they pay down some of the pension debt? It’s three years later and we still have NO PLAN. I am open to citizen input and professional analysis to determine if a realistic approach for public uses of the property can be achieved. Otherwise, perhaps it is time to try to recover the funds that we lost from this lunacy. Have the property appraised and seek bids from developers for a residential development that would put the property back on the tax rolls.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

JOSE DEL ANGEL

MARYBELLE MANDEL

NORTH RIVERSIDE VILLAGE BOARD (7 CANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS)

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/paramedics over the next three years be absorbed in future budgets?

We must know where we stand to begin to move forward. Successful businesses conduct audits to ensure operations are running e ciently and to appropriate funds for essential projects. This is the rst step for all nancial undertakings. In the shor t term, it is important to develop innovative strategies to prevent any additional tax burden on the residents from a reduction in revenue from pension obligations or the loss of the red-light cameras. With such a plan in place, any funds collected from red-light cameras, once approved, would be reserved to decrease the current debt. Fur ther, in-house paramedic services will provide timely cost-savings in the interim.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersec tion is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

As stated, developing a variety of methods to compensate for the loss of proceeds from red-light cameras, as well as pension obligations, is key. Creating innovative strategies to form new streams of revenue, investigating current programs for best use and viabilit y, and researching grants, government programs, and fundraisers would not only lessen our dependence on the red-light cameras, but an approval for reinstalling the red-light cameras would provide revenue to decrease the debt

Would you support the addition of a cannabis dispensary in the Village? If yes, where should it be located? Are there any speci c expenses that the Village should prioritize using cannabis tax revenue?

S ome potential sources of revenue, a cannabis dispensar y or more video gaming parlors, require additional forethought due to the sensitive nature of such matters. Resident input would allow greater autonomy to build the Village into a cohesive whole. The establishment of regular neighborhood meetings would provide a forum for residents to address concerns and ideas prior to issues arising. As such, establishments would be located in a commercial distric t, suggestions to improve these areas would be constructive as well

Would you support a referendum asking for the Village to become a home rule community? Would you suppor t seeking home rule status for the Village?

Home rule, I feel, suppresses the voice of the residents and provides the local government with more laxity in making decisions resulting in increased taxes and approving referendums without voter input. I would not support a home rule referendum.

How do you believe the Village should determine the best use for the former Presbyterian church proper ty at 24th Street and 8th Avenue? Should the Village keep it? If so, for what purpose? If not, why not?

The best use for the former Presbyterian church proper ty, now the vacant lot at 24th Street and 8th Avenue, is residential proper ty development. The sale of the proper ty would o set the expenses incurred, not add to the current debt, and increase tax revenue. Through addressing this issue, as well as other concerns, with an innovative, business-oriented mindset, may we develop a strong Village for all.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

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SANDRA GREICIUS

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/paramedics over the next three years be ab sorbed in future budgets?

Since my tenure on the village board began, I have committed myself to making sure that the village pays it re quired contribution toward pension payments. With these new hires in place, I will work to ensure that the village avoids taking pension holidays and continues to fund the ongoing pension costs year over year. With the onboarding of these new hires, the cost will be minimal due to these employees just starting their careers with North Riverside. As we continue to keep funding the pensions every single year at the required level, we should be able to keep up with our pension payments, so there will not be as much a strain on our annual budget.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

Yes, I am personally in favor of the red light cameras being reinstalled at that intersection once the improvements have been made. They seem to be generating revenue because there is an in ux of drivers who are frankly disobeying the law and continually avoiding stopping at these lights. We don’t have the resources to position an o cer at this intersection at all hours of the day. As much as people don’t like the concept of red light cameras, it’s been determined that the intersection of Harlem and Cermak is one of the most heavily tra cked intersections in the state of Illinois. This is why IDOT is committed to changing out the signals and reworking lane con gurations in an attempt to make the intersection safer as a whole.

NORTH RIVERSIDE

VILL

AG E BOARD (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

ooking at the amount of violations handed out by the cameras at that intersection alone, you can clearly see that tra c control methods like this are essential for the safety of residents. Placement of a red light camera at this inersection will hopefully continue to assist with deterring drivers from not stopping / speeding through these lights and hopefully avoid serious accidents in the future.

Do you believe that it is impor tant to continue the major project of improving the Cermak Road water main west of First Avenue? If so, how can the Village fund this work, which has cost almost $500,000 for each of its rst three phases?

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/paramedics over the next three years be absorbed in future budgets?

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

It is important for the village to continue this project. A project of this undertaking is essential for creating the right amount of pressure needed on the farthest section of town away from the stand pipe. We discussed as a board this project and we knew it would be a multiyear commitment. That is the reason why our current water rates are high. The board discussed the increase in water rates in order to cover those capital expenditures. Our water rate has been set to take care of the operating de cit in that fund. We have been operating this fund for 20 years and this is the rst time we are operating in the black, as opposed to the red. Not only have we replenished our de cit, we have actually built up a surplus of funds to cover unexpected projects. So, with that being said and with this project in mind, I feel we are able to handle the remaining phases of this project.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

After sitting through the last two years of budget meetings, I’ve seen how di cult it can be to make some of those hard decision. Figuring out ways to limit our pension liability will be one our biggest challenges for North Riverside. As a current trustee on the Fire pension board for nearly 2 years, I can understand the funding, contribution, and liability of both sides. One way to fund the pensions could be through contract negotiations. Making decisions during contract negotiations that bene t the village and its re ghters is. Also, continuing to explore what works best for other neighboring communities is a good idea. We are not the only town dealing with this. As hard as it will be, I believe the appropriate decisions can be made if all of the trustees bring ideas to the conversation.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

Yes, I am a proponent of the redlight cameras. There are a few reasons why I believe they are important. Many residents may not know this but in an emergency, those 24-hour cameras serve as eyes for the police department. They assist in tra c accidents and can be used for investigative purposes Another important reason is that red-light cameras serve as revenue generators. I understand that red light cameras can be unpopular when we address them as revenue generators, but they are. I’m sure many residents have been in a situation where they wish a police o cer was around to catch reckless driving. The surveillance is available to watch online if a ticket is generated, which seems straight forward. If you run the light, do not yield to tra c signs or almost run over a pedestrian, you should expect a ticket. I think most people tend to slow down or are more observant if a police o cer is next to you or if they notice the red-light camera.

Would you support the addition of a cannabis dispensary in the Village? If yes, where should it be located? Are there any speci c expenses that the Village should prioritize using cannabis tax revenue?

Yes, absolutely. Allowing a business that is regulated by the state, while generating some astronomical tax revenue dollars for many communities, could be a great idea. Having the proper procedures and protocols in place is key. Creating an ordinance that makes the most sense is the rst step. A dispensary would best be suited in our business district to keep tra c at a minimum and more visual to tra c. One of our neighboring towns is estimating a sales tax revenue of $250,000 per year from a cannabis dispensary. If we are able to acquire a cannabis dispensar y, I would like to see the revenue earmarked towards current and future pension obligations. Having a plan is always going to be the key to our success Knowing what we will do with the revenue is very important to keep chipping away at current liabilities.

In the absence of a cannabis dispensary, would you support an expansion of video gambling parlors? How would you respond to those who believe these parlors should be limited to the existing 10?

I support an expansion of video gaming parlors that are limited to our business district; rezoning our business district to keep additional parlors out of residential areas. Video gaming generated $476,605.48 for the Village of North Riverside for year 2022. The police chief of has mentioned numerous times that the Police Department does not get many, if any, calls from these establishments. The crime is lower than some may think, and the Village is bene ting from the liquor license fees on top of the monthly revenue they generate.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

NICHOLAS TRICOCI

DEBORAH A. CZ AJKA

How will the pension burden of adding six re ghters/ paramedics over the next three years be absorbed in future budgets?

With the addition of Fireghter/Paramedics this is more people contributing to the pension fund. Newer employees are not paid top pay as are the employee’s salary is less than retiring employees along with new employees contributing to the pension fund will either o set or be a plus to the fund. Another big that the Village will save on overtime

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

I am in favor of the red light camera, not only for revenues but for the safety that comes with it. People who may think of going through a red light or turn on the red light will think twice. The red light camera will reduce accidents and injury.

Do you believe that it is important to continue the major project of improving the Cermak Road water main west of First Avenue? If so, how can the Village fund this work, which has cost almost $500,000 for each of its rst three phases?

I would want to see a project that was started get completed. Seeing that this was a planned project that started over 6 years ago I have to look further into the project plans. With large projects like this there is sometimes state funding available. There are also other funding options that may be available

Would you support the addition of a cannabis dispensary in the Village? If yes, where should it be located? Are there any speci c expenses that the Village should

NORTH RIVERSIDE VILL AG E BOARD (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

prioritize using cannabis tax revenue?

I would support an adult cannabis dispensary. I think it should be located in an area with high tra c such as Cermak Road. The Village can bene t the most by people purchasing the cannabis. The additional income can be used for many things within the Village. It can be used to guarantee the great services that the Village currently has and provide additional services to keep the Village safe.

In the absence of a cannabis dispensary, would you support an expansion of video gambling parlors? How would you respond to those who believe these parlors should be limited to the existing 10?

I believe the amount we have in Village now is good. But I have an open mind to discuss this further. If it would greatly bene t the village then I would agree.

Would you support a referendum seeking to impose a tax levy to fund police and/or re pension obligations? Would you support a pension levy referendum?

I would like to do more research on this matter. If the bene t would be that the Village can add more police and re personal that is always a plus

How do you believe the Village should determine the best use for the former Presbyterian church property at 24th Street and 8th Avenue? Should the Village keep it? If so, for what purpose? If not, why not?

I believe that the Village should sell to developers so that houses can be built. If the parcels can be subdivided there is a good chance that the sale would bring a pro t to the Village Also, once the houses are built, it will be additional tax revenue to the Village

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

How will the pension burden of adding six re ght ers/paramedics over the next three years be absorbed in future budgets?

Now that North Riverside has brought the paramedics in-house, like so many other municipalities, it will be able save a lot of money on not paying the overtime to a third party private company for the services that we all rely on. After a ve-year battle against the re ghters at a cost to taxpayers of around $1 million in legal fees, and lost, North Riverside will have its re ghters and in-house paramedics.

Would you support reinstalling red light cameras, which produce more than $1 million in revenue, at Harlem and Cermak once the intersection is improved this year? If not, how do you believe North Riverside can make up for that loss of revenue?

As a driver, I hate red-light cameras--who doesn’t? Unfortunately, due to North Riverside’s nancial shortcomings, the red-light camera at the Harlem/Cermak intersection served a purpose. The revenue it generated helped pay the police/ re pensions. There is this misconception that red-light cameras help make an intersection safe --they do not. All they are good for is to be a cash register for the city or municipality that installs them. As time goes by, that city or municipality heavily relies on that revenue because that camera did not x anything-all it does is allow that city or municipality spend more frivolously. In the end, the reason for why it was implemented gets drowned out by more debt

Would you support the addition of a cannabis dispensary in the Village? If yes, where should it be located? Are there any speci c expenses that the Village should prioritize using cannabis tax revenue?

Personally, I am not in favor of a dispen-

sary. In a small town such as North Riverside, this is not warranted. We need to work on growing the community with destinations that families want to go to I think a dispensary cheapens our little town. I don’t want NR to be ‘that town.’ it does prevail, the location will have to be chosen very carefully, somewhere away from schools and children!

Now from a government aspect, I understand the argument NR needs money. If and when it comes down to a vote, and if it were to pass, the money would have to be earmarked for pension payments or paying down the debt

Would you support a referendum asking for the Village to become a home rule community? Would you suppor t seeking home rule status for the Village?

Absolutely not! By allowing Home Rule we give our governing body a blank check to mismanage. This governing body does not understand what it means to spend within your means. Home Rule would be enabling their spending problems.

How do you believe the Village should determine the best use for the former Presbyterian church property at 24th Street and 8th Avenue? Should the Village keep it? If so, for what purpose? If not, why not?

This should not have been purchased by North Riverside. We did not have the money then, and we sure need that money now. From a business point of view, sell the property to a developer and make sure the land is zoned for residential single-family housing North Riverside needs to recoup as much out-ofpocket expense as it can from this huge mistake.

JOSEPH MARUSK A

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD HIGH SCHOOL D208 (2 C ANDIDATES FOR ONE 2 -YEAR TERM )

Why are you running for the board of Riverside Brook eld High School? What motivates you and what experience and perspectives would you bring to the job? How would these valuable as an elected o cial?

I have been a member of the Riverside Brook eld High School Board for approximately 9 years

When there was a vacant position on the board in 2021, I volunteered and was appointed. I am running for a two-year position to continue my community volunteer work and to help look after our high school, which is one of the jewels of our community.

As a school board member, how will your values inform your approach to budgeting and scal planning?

Each year that I have been on the RBHS board, I have been a member of the advisory

nance committee. When I was rst elected, the school was in a structural de cit; meaning we were spending more than the esources our community were providing to us. Over the years, have helped steer the school’s nances in the correct direction. During my time on the board, I believe we have had a balanced budget each year. I am running for the board to continue my oversight of behalf of our community and hope to continue having balanced budgets.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 208 and how should the school board address them?

Each challenge that comes to the RBHS board must be addressed. This is what the board does Providing the best education for our students should always been our goal

Why are you running for the board of Riverside Brook eld High School? What motivates you and what experience and perspectives would you bring to the job? How would these be valuable as an elected o cial?

I am running for a seat on the Board of Ed for RBHS be cause I feel as the parent of a current student, I have an understanding of the day-to-day activities within the school. I also understand how di cult it can be to motivate students at this point in their life to take advantage of all the oppor tunities available to them and want to help RBHS bridge that gap. In addition, in my career, I interpret federal regulations and guidelines on a daily basis and that experience is applicable at the school board level. As board members, we need to stay abreast of changes in state and federal policies that a ect schools and pivot to implement changes with minimal guidance and often a lack of funding Finally, as a resident of North Riverside, I feel it is impor tant our village have a voice on the board; I want to be sure that the students and families of Komarek, the smallest feeder school into RB, have someone who can advocate on their behalf.

Do you believe it is necessary for RBHS to do more to better serve all students?

If so, what areas need improvement?

Do you believe that RBHS focuses too much attention on one area? How can RBHS better prepare students for college and/or career?

I believe RBHS provides many services to its students, but there is always room for improvement. One area that needs improvement is with the community at large. If you have a student in the school, it is easier to stay informed of the happenings at the school. However, before my own children attended RBHS, it was not easy to nd out about events the high

school was sponsoring or the services they o er. In addition, ensuring that the information eadily available to Spanishspeaking families in the area is important too. The school has made some recent improvements in this area but it should continue to take steps to maintain that progress.

I also feel my experience as a college administrator provides me with some perspective on what high school graduates need to be successful once they leave the halls of RBHS. Whether they decide to attend post-secondary education, enter the trades, or join the workforce, I have practical experience in working with 18 to 22-year-olds and helping them navigate those rst post-high school steps. I look forward to nding ways to work with RBHS faculty, administrators and sta to prepare students for lives of signi cance once they graduate.

As a school board member, how will your values inform your approach to budgeting and scal planning?

Fiscal responsibility is a strong value of mine. From my experience as a Komarek School Board Member, I learned rst-hand how important it is to utilize every dollar in the most coste ective way possible. Many people might not realize how dependent our local schools are on property tax dollars and that the timing of those bills directly a ects schools. In addition, making cost e ective choices might not be the popular choice, but are necessary to maintain the scal health of the school. As a board member I will continue to make choices that are cost-e ective without giving up the quality education the community has come to expect from RBHS.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

MICHAEL WELCH

C AROLY N L AC H

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD HIGH SCHOOL D208 (5 C ANDIDATES FOR FOUR 4 -YEAR TERMS )

Why are you running for the board of Riverside Brook eld High School? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected ofcial?

I am running for re -election to continue the progress made in promoting opportunities for our students in the trades and I would like to explore potential internships for our students. I also want to work on the continuation of the school being scally responsible.

WILLIAM T. DURKIN

better prepare students for college and/or career?

My motivation to run for re -election is mainly based on witnessing rsthand the energy and engagement of the students at the Trades and Career Fair last year Students need to be aware of meaningful and respected opportunities besides college These programs allow you to earn while you learn and are great opportunities. I want to continue being a voice and advocate for our students interested in the trades.

My background is in the private sec tor as an insurance broker. For the past ve years, I’ve served as a co-managing partner of a 100+ year-old, mid-size insurance brokerage. Every day is lled with negotiations, compromise, and problem-solving for internal duties and for my clients I believe these, and having a business mindset and background, bring value to the board.

Being an entrepreneur and managing a business requires me to know a little about everything. With my contacts and relationships, I’ve introduced a dozen or so apprentice programs to our admin and counselors. The goal was to establish direct connections between RBHS and these programs. Linking them together has been very rewarding, and I’d like to continue building something that can positively impact our student’s futures.

Do you believe it is necessary for RBHS to do more to better serve all students? If so, what areas need improvement? Do you believe that RBHS focuses too much attention on one area? How can RBHS

We’ve made progress over the last year as there appears to be a substantial interest in career and tech education (C TE) courses. We need to remain exible and open-minded to new trends and needs. This week, we approved a new hire with a great background to expand CTE. Exposure to and educating our students on opportunities within the trades has made great strides. We need to continue listening to the needs of the students.

We are making positive strides in exposing our students to career opportunities There’s always more work that can be done, and we must remain exible and openminded. We need to work on dual credit opportunities.

An area that I would like to work on besides apprenticeships is looking for internships for our students. Many RBHS alum, families, and community members own businesses and work in various industries. It would be great to connect our students with this group and others. It would be much work to establish, but that shouldn’t be an obstacle in making an effort to build it.

As a school board member, how will your values inform your approach to budgeting and scal planning?

What ’s best for the students is the top priority while being scally responsible for the community members.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 208 and how should the school board address them?

The increase in unfunded state mandates now and in the future. We need to continue to be scally responsible and exible.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

Why are you running for the board of Riverside Brook eld High School? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

I am running for the School Board because I believe this is an area where I can contribute the most. I have worked in the area of professional education, and I have worked with Industr y. I currently substitute teach for the Elmhurst Consolidated School District 205. I have greatly enjoyed my time in Elmhurst, they are a diverse and creative district. They have 27 languages spoken in their schools, they have an entire gradeschool devoted to bilingual education. I have opportunity to be in classrooms from Kindergar ten through high school, and the opportunity to see di erent programs implemented such as block scheduling. On the other side I have spent many years on the governance committees of our professional school board organization. The most driving factor for me is out youth, which are the future of our countr y. Education has looked very similar for many decades, however, currently there are so many advances and new opportunities, students around the world are excelling in science, technology, and other core subjects. Every conference we attend as a Board, we are reminded that we are preparing our students for jobs that do not even exist yet.

Between 2006 and 2021, RBHS’ student demographics changed signicantly. Do you believe that RBHS has made progress in recruiting teachers who re ect these changes and, if not, how can it do more in that respect?

I believe that RBHS should recruit the best teachers we can for any open position. My own children are bi-racial, their father and his family are from Mexico, and they never felt isolated or left out of the RBHS community. Many of our teachers

come and they stay, which says a lot about our community, our students, and our school.

Dr. Smetana and Ms. Lindquist cast a broad net for new positions to attract a quali ed and diverse sta We recently hired a bilingual Spanish-speaking mathematics teacher. We also strive to diversify our administration, where students may feel safe and inspired by the leadership of the school. Our principle, Dr. Freytas, has been a tremendous addition and his charisma inspires our Latino youth. We have diversi ed our deans, our student guidance counselors, and school psychologist. We hired these individuals because we believed they were the most quali ed for their positions and would be the best t for our students.

How do you think the school has done regarding implementing initiatives that promote equity, as emphasized in RBHS’ new mission statement?

Our mission statement is designed to be a lens we see everything through as we move forward. As we review each policy, we look to make sure there are not any hidden biases. As we approve student trips, the board is conscientious that there is equal access for all our students and not only those from wealthier homes. As we consider new programs or policies, the district utilizes diverse committees. When we send out information, we are ensuring that our Latino families also have access to information in Spanish. We rely on our students, sta and community members to point out new areas Our club, “Girls who Code,” was a solution to a bias in the eld of programming which is typically dominated by men. The women in this club have done well. Student can propose any club.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

LAURA HRUSK A

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD HIGH SCHOOL D208 (5 C ANDIDATES FOR FOUR 4 -YEAR TERMS )

Do you believe it is necessary for RBHS to do more to better serve all students?

If so, what areas need improvement? Do you believe that RBHS focuses too much attention on one area? How can RBHS better prepare students for college and/or career?

As a Board and as a community, we need to acknowledge that students begin with di erent resources and we must nd ways to equitably support them in and out of the classroom. District 208 is not immune to the challenges inherent to public education, and balancing demands that range from government mandates to Advanced Placement opportunities to extra-curricular support to Special Education requirements to Arts programming to Social Emotional Learning needs - all within a constrained budget - often results in some displeasure. A goaloriented district can support continuous improvement across all areas, and leveraging RBHS’ small size, dedicated teachers, and parental engagement can ensure that, in the words of our mission statement, “graduates are well-equipped to be responsible members of a diverse and ever-changing world.”

How do you think the school has done regarding implementing initiatives that promote equity, as emphasized in RBHS’ new mission statement?

Addressing systemic racism requires the long-term focus and investment of government bodies, and District 208 has begun to make these important e orts. A top priority for the Board of Education must be a continued partnership with the school community to support not just the 2021 mission statement but also to advance an annual, detailed goal setting process. Through the Board of Education’s leadership, District 208 has begun to meet the action steps in support of the 2022-23 goals in an e ort to “continue on-

going training and engagement in diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

As a school board member, how will your values inform your approach to budgeting and scal planning?

With 20+ years of experience in the public sector, I understand the need to balance competing priorities using limited resources. In my current term, I have led the board’s e orts to negotiate a fair and reasonable contract with our bargained members and a fair and reasonable contract with our superintendent. Good government budgeting requires a transparent process that respects both historic trends and anticipated changes while understanding the full array of funding source. The current district budget remains balanced and responsible while investing in sta and programs that directly support student outcomes.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 208 and how should the school board address them?

When I ran for my rst term on this board, no one was predicting a world-wide pandemic. As we navigated the pandemic period, there were certainly disagreements along the way but ultimately the strong core that is District 208 (parents, teachers, administrators and community) allowed us to move forward and serve the students. The Board of Education must lead by example - listen to multiple perspectives, understand complex situations, and maintain a focus on the educational outcome of District 208. I believe I have the temperament and engagement required to continue this valuable work regardless of the future challenges we may face.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

Do you believe it is necessary for RBHS to do more to better serve all students? If so, what areas need improvement? Do you believe that RBHS focuses too much attention on one area? How can RBHS better prepare students for college and/ or career?

There’s always an opportunity for schools such as Riverside-Brook eld to do more for students. The question is how best to achieve that with the time limitations in school and after school clubs, sta work load, and budget. With the increased attention paid to student loan debt there has been helpful discussions about schools expanding the vocational pathways available to students as well as a focus on community college options I think RB has been proactive in acknowledging these tracks for students through classes

The dual enrollment programs available through Triton College to RB students is a great opportunity to get a head start. The variety of programs available are strong, but hopefully can be expanded. A strong Applied Arts Program can help with opening up vocational opportunities for students as well. RB’s Television Arts Program and Automotive sequence are assets to the school.

RB has a robust dual credit program through Advanced Placement classes that o er the basics like English and Math as well as less traditional options such as studio art and music theory. The opportunity for independent study o ered by RB is also a valuable chance for a student to receive credit for curriculum such as foreign languages not o ered by the district. Summer internship opportunities through RB also give students a chance to receive high school credit in non-traditional ways. The additional requirement of an interview to be accepted into the program is a valuable experience.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 208 and how should the school board address them?

One of the biggest challenges facing schools going forward is the impact of students growing up with increased access to technology While there are cer tainly bene ts to having

more technology at a student’s ngertips from a young age, there are some drawbacks that are becoming increasingly prevalent that we need to be aware of. Some of these things are being addressed already in the schools but there are also emerging trends such as the impact of the Covid years that need to be accounted for.

A key resource already in place is a curriculum with social emotional learning Increased time spent online sometimes leads to feelings of isolation for kids, a lack of communication skills for directly developing relationships, decreased emotional development, and a lack of empathy that manifests itself in bullying behaviors. Brook Park’s hiring of a full time SEL teacher was a good step in addressing these challenges to students

A recent issue of concern in students and adults is media and information literacy. While it’s very easy to nd news and opinions about topics, it’s becoming harder to verify the credibility of many of these sources. Having a student attending a school district that currently doesn’t have a full-time degreed librarian in either the elementary school or the middle school, it does a disservice for students for many reasons, including a lack of quality instruction in information literacy, e ective research skills, and understanding formats and sources. They then start high school with these de ciencies and need to catch up. While RBHS used to have two full-time librarians, they currently have one, leaving less opportunities for students to master those abilities before graduation.

There are remedies for all these issues facing education and thankfully many of them are already in place. The question for the board is are they enough to overcome the challenges, and if not, is it best to tweak what is in place (more SEL instruction, tutoring, resources for implementing Move to Learn and other strategies, etc.) or starting from scratch.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

DEANNA ZALAS

KENYON DUNER

RB HIGH SCHOOL D208 (5 CANDIDATES FOR FOUR 4-YEAR TERMS )

Why are you running for the board of Riverside Brook eld High School? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected ofcial?

A strong belief in community involvement and my family are two reasons I am running for District 208 School Board. Public service and community involvement are values of mine that are enriched in my everyday life. I have worked for the Wheaton Park District for over 20 years. During this time, I have been involved in the planning, building, and maintaining of several parks and facilities Budgeting and hiring full-time sta are other essential functions of my job that correlate with the duties of a school board member. My wife, Jennifer Novak, has been an educator for 19 years with Forest Park School District 91. We have three children--Nicholas Novak Jr. (20), Matthew Novak (18) and Katie Novak (12). Our family moved to North Riverside in 2015. RBHS was a big reason we moved to North Riverside. Nic graduated RBHS in 2021 and is a sophomore at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign. Matt graduated RBHS in 2022 and is a freshman at the University of Dayton. My daughter Katie is in 7th grade at Hauser Middle School. Katie will be attending RBHS in the Fall of 2024. I am vested in this community and want to make a positive impact for all students

If elected, I believe my 20 years of public service and dedication to community involvement would be an asset to RBHS’ Board of Education.

Do you believe it is necessary for RBHS to do more to better serve all students?

If so, what areas need improvement? Do you believe that RBHS focuses too much attention on one area? How can RBHS better prepare students for college and/ or career?

RBHS does a great job of providing services to all students If elected, I would like to hear from teachers, administrators, and

students to get their feedback on services RBHS can provide to better prepare our students or college and/or career opportunities. With busy school schedules and after-school activities, it can be challenging for students to think about what their future looks like post RBHS graduation. Implementing programs that give all students more exposure to career paths vs. college experiences should be explored.

How do you think the school has done regarding implementing initiatives that promote equity, as emphasized in RBHS’ new mission statement?

I believe Riverside Brook eld High School has shown that equity and diversity are important core values. As an elected school board member, I would be dedicated to creating a learning environment where all students are valued and treated with respect. Creating and implementing programs to help diverse students succeed in the classroom is a way to improve equity. Treat every student respectfully and value their contribution to the school

As a school board member, how will your values inform your approach to budgeting and scal planning?

Any member of an elected school board must play a role in the school’s budget. When using public tax dollars, we must make responsible decisions and apply the best business practices to ensure we are accountable to all students and taxpayers. The best way to be scally responsible is through transparency. Open and honest communication between all levels of leadership is how responsible school budgets are formed.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at:

rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

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NICHOLAS NOVAK

Why are you running for the board of Lyons Township High School? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

I am the current president of the LTHS District 204 School Board and over the last four years, we’ve accomplished so much. I’m excited about what’s ahead with the recent adoption of our Strategic Plan, an LTHS rst. There are so many reasons why I’m running again, but at the core:

■ I rmly believe in public education. Not only do I believe in it, but I am a champion for it.

■ I support and admire our teachers and administrators. LTHS has an impressive reputation for retaining highly quali ed teachers and administrators who care deeply about our students.

■ I love our community and I believe the high school is the heart of it. This is the last stop on our children’s education journey before they launch careers or go on to higher education.

I have served on the LTHS District 204 board for the last four years, helped navigate through a pandemic and hired a new superintendent. I know it takes patience, dedication and collaboration to work with a team of seven. Together, we e ectively implemented a 1:1 laptop distribution program; developed the rst district equity statement; established the Director of Student Services and Director of Equity & Belonging roles; enabled the rst live-streamed board meetings, upgraded 64 classrooms with air conditioning and recently completed a community- engaged facilities study to identify future projects/ needs to improve our aging campuses.

For the 2021-2022 school year, LTHS hired a director of equity and belonging and launched initiatives to address equity. What, in your view, is the value of pursuing these initiatives? Has LTHS

LY ONS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL D204 (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

This is a position that I was instrumental in helping to create and I am passionate about the importance of this role. Dr Rowe has been a valuable addition to the LTHS team. In her role, she is responsible for assessing and addressing disparities and barriers that prevent marginalized groups from achieving their full potential. The role seeks to ensure historically underserved groups will get the supports they need to have the same opportunities as student groups who are not underserved.

With this role, we’ve implemented professional training and begun evaluating our processes, procedures and policies. We have a lot more work to do, but I am committed to making LTHS a welcoming space for all to feel as though they belong. It is with that focus, that we can a ect true learning

As a board member, I will continue to support these initiatives and look forward to evaluating our progress along the way

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

It is the school board’s duciary responsibility to the taxpayers to make decisions on behalf of the district that will bene t all students at the least expense to all taxpayers The proceeds from a potential sale could dramatically improve the infrastructure of our campuses and would contribute to fullling strategic Goal 5.

For the 2021-2022 school year, LTHS hired a directo of equity and belonging and launched initiatives to address equity. What, in your view, is the value of pursuing these initiatives? Has LTHS started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

Dr. Rowe, in her position, pushes us forward to bring professional learning for the sta and oversees LTHS’s student and equity committee and helps guide the administration and board in moving forward. This position allows us to stay current with things we should do to include all. It brings an innovative approach to creating a school where all students belong

LTHS’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are important because the data shows that marginalized students are signi cantly behind. This is the reason why LTHS lags behind its peer districts, like Hinsdale Central. We can close that gap by giving those students the resources they need to thrive.

During the past year or so, there has been much discussion about modi cations to LTHS’ grading system. What are your views on the change/ tweaks? Do you believe that there is anything else that needs to be done and, if so, what?

There has been a robust dialog on this topic among the Board, Administration and LT community. As a result, LT has listened and adapted its policies. This topic requires continuous evaluation and a spirit of exibility as we evaluate what’s working and what isn’t with input from all stakeholders

There has been some question about whether or not LTHS is maintaining high academic standards and preparing students adequately for college and careers. Can you provide examples in which the school may be lacking or in which it excels in delivering a high-quality education?

Like students across Illinois, THS students are still recovering from the devastating impact of the pandemic. But we continue to make progress in key areas. We are working hard to close the achievement/ opportunity gap, in part by improving LTHS’s EL program. Additionally, a co-taught model has been implemented which is amazing for so many students. We are justi ably proud of LTHS’s ability to provide so many di erent opportunities through its many clubs and athletic programs. While we are happy that so many of our students progress to college to further their education, we recognize that this is not the best path for everyone We are equally proud of our ability to prepare students for vocational training. There are so many opportunities for all students.

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

A potential sale can bring valuable resources to our district and community. As a board, we are driven by our strategic plan which was implemented with the vision of all stakeholders (community, teachers, students and administration). A sale for this property would allow LTHS to make key investments in our facilities, which is part of Goal Five of our Strategic Plan. Such improvements will bene t students in many signi cant ways, giving them opportunities and resources which our current facilities do not o er -- the range of possibilities is exciting for all. Using our current resources to achieve this without a referendum is impactful for all in our district.

JILL BEDA DANIELS

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

K ARI DILLON SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

LY ONS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL D204 (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

During the past year or so, there has been much discussion about modi cations to LTHS’ grading system. What you are your views on these changes/tweaks? Do you believe anything else needs to be done?

I was very pleased that the changes that were made.  While this philosophy of “not yet,” meaning we don’t move on to the next lesson until everyone understands the material, is good in philosophy, it did not work.  Homework has value.  It is through the required practice that learning occurs. Once value was placed back on homework, I’ve seen rsthand how learning became stronger The newest debate is on retaking assessments.  While I do think students should have an opportunity to retake an exam, there must be requirements put in place to take them.  You must have skin in the game.  This means before you are allowed to retake an assessment, all of your homework must be turned in and you should either complete another study guide so teachers know you are prepared or meet with your teacher to ensure you are vested in the process.  While some may say there aren’t redos in life, we have all been given second chances when we make mistakes. But we need to earn them.  Failing and moving on isn’t helping our test scores, or, most importantly, our students

TIM ALBORES

was looking for the most value, knowing the village will ultimately need to accept the proposal. This is an outsider’s point of view.  With any major decision, thousands of smaller decisions must be made   I cannot begin to know all the questions that were asked, what variables were considered, and the results of the thousands of smaller decisions that were made to come to the point they are now.  However, I do question how much transparency and communication there was with the community. I do appreciate the communication that was shared on January 26, however, the community made it clear that they were not aware of the direction the district was heading Whether the district felt it was open in their communication or not, it doesn’t matter if the community feels disenfranchised. Currently, I am not a fan of selling this property to industry, however taking a de nitive side without knowing all the information, I believe, is reckless and irresponsible.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 204 and how should the school board address them?

During the past year or so, there has been much discussion about modi cations to LTHS’ grading system. What you are your views on these changes/tweaks? Do you be lieve anything else needs to be done?

While I have been going door-to- door in every one of our communities, this issue has come up the most—especially regarding the homework. What for sure needs to be done is an evaluation of the grading policy through the lens of di erent data points, including but not limited to standardized test data post the policy change, homework completion data post the policy change, and stakeholder qualitative data post the change (MOSTLY graduated students and how it has a ected them post high school). If all of these suggest that the policy change was detrimental to LTHS students’ academic achievement, it should be changed, immediately.

owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

If I was a sitting board member right now, I would vote no to the selling of the land. I would immediately work with school o cials and other board members to create a process to gather stakeholders together from all of our communities to discuss the sale, understand their concerns, work towards a resolution, and move to sell the land based on the outcome of the conversations. Once the sale of the land is nalized, continue updates and meetings on how the sale of the land is contributing to the needed upgrades to LTHS.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing District 204 and how should the school board address them?

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

I understand that the board is looking to generate much-needed revenue to support infrastructure for our school without having to try to pass a referendum.  However, ultimately, it is up to the Village of Willow Springs to change the zoning to allow the purchase.  I believe the current board

Academic Rigor–We need to motivate kids to come to school and attend class on time. As students get older at LTHS, we see higher chronic truancy rates. Students who feel safe, welcome, and wanted in any environment do better. This is no di erent than us as adults. If we work in a suppor tive environment, we per form better. I believe this is already occurring at LTHS, however, it must always remain a focus for our school. Similarly, we must continue to maintain the academic rigor of our students to ensure they are prepared for high-stakes tests. This requires scheduled curriculum reviews and revisions to ensure our curriculum aligns with these assessments.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

There has been some question about whether or not LTHS is maintaining high academic standards and preparing students adequately for college and careers. Can you provide examples in which the school may be lacking or in which it excels in delivering a high-quality education?

The school is lacking in providing data that shows if students are growing over their four years as a student at LTHS and prepared to thrive post-high school. There are “traditional” ways to examine student growth (e.g. growth through the SAT Suite of Assessments) and novel ways (student preparedness based on rst-year, post-high school sur veys/focus groups). LTHS o ers a wide range of AP (Advanced Placement) and Dual Credit courses, which is very bene cial for our students.

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it

■ Grading Polic y– especially regarding homework: Community members believe that LTHS is lowering the bar for both academic rigor and teaching students how to hold themselves accountable. As a school board member, I would ask to see data (both quantitative and qualitative) on its e ectiveness and move forward on making changes based on the examination of the data.

■ LTHS Facilities: Needing an upgrade of facilities–speci cally air conditioning in the north campus and upgrades to classrooms. As a board member, I would ask for a group of school stakeholders to prioritize facility upgrades and then look for both short term and long-term budgeting sources—which can include the funds raised by the selling of the Willow Springs land.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

JUSTIN CLARK

Why are you running for the board of Lyons Township High School? How would your ex perience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

My desire to give back is par of my DNA. I believe the LTHS Strategic Plan is sound and thought my previous school board experience might be a good t for me to lend a hand.

The true motivator came about during college visits with my youngest daughter in 2021. One admissions counselor said to us, “it’s statistically impossible for that many Lyons Township High School students to have a 4.0 or above GPA. We know about the school’s retake policies on tests and homework not counting, its hurting kids coming from that school.”

This was totally a di erent take on LTHS than what I had heard during college visits in 2017 with my eldest daughter. When touring colleges that year, whenever we brought up LTHS, admissions counselors said she would be well prepared and that “Lyons Township High School was the equivalent of a college prep school.”

Continued lack of communication with their constituents over the years, lately with the Willow Springs property issues, has shown what can happen with an inexperienced board and superintendent.

Watching these things, I knew I wanted and could do something to help

For the 2021-22 school year, LTHS hired a director of equity and belonging and launched initiatives to address equity. What, in your view, is the value of pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?

I believe that all children and sta have the right to be treated equally with respect, dignity, and kindness. As a Board member, I would not tolerate any behavior that led to any discrimination, bullying or any other inappropriate behavior directed at anyone due to their race, sex or sexual orientation and insist that the administration ensure

LY ONS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL D204 (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

that every student has a safe learning environment that is intimidation free. The administration needs to ensure that policies are in place and enforce policies that help deliver a safe, discrimination free and bullying free equitable environment for every student and sta member.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing District 204 and how should the school board address them?

Earning the trust of the community back. From Covid back to school missteps, violations of the open meetings act, attempts to silence constituents and, lastly, the many failures and tone-deaf responses to the Willow Springs community has made this di cult to repair. The board needs to improve their lines of communication with the community. If elected, I will ask for and publish my LTHS email address so the community can reach out to a board member. I will encourage other board members to do the same. I will ask the board to go on listening tours and town halls in our feeder communities to help improve communication. Finally, I will ask the administration to foster and improve relationships with village leadership from the municipalities that feed into LTHS. I believe the board needs three new members to help foster in an improved environment of trust. I believe my 12 years of experience as a board member would go a long way to helping repair the trust barrier that currently exists. Even if you are doing everything right, if the community does not trust you, it is very di cult to govern. If we can rebuild the trust in the community, providing the tools to improve student per formance should also be easier to achieve.

Why are you running for the board of Lyons Township High School? How would your ex perience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

I am running for the Board because I am concerned about the dip in academic pro ciency and believe there is need fo improvement on providing safe environments for all students Mentoring for the school’s Incubator program has given me a hands-on opportunity to observe students in their environment. I believe this experience, combined with my background in business ownership and executive management, provides me with the skillset needed to solve problems and help create solutions to our current challenges

For the 2021-22 school year, LTHS hired a director of equity and belonging and launched initiatives to address equity. What, in your view, is the value of pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives?

Every student should receive an equitable education. People with special academic and learning needs should have the resources they need to succeed

There has been some question about whether or not LTHS is maintaining high academic standards and preparing students adequately for college and careers. Can you provide examples in which the school may be lacking or in which it excels in delivering a highquality education?

I do believe there is a drop in performance levels and we are missing the mark in postgraduate preparedness. We have a reported 95% graduation rate and a 28% chronic absenteeism rating – how can that be? It is also reported that 20% of students who go to community college have to take remedial courses I have personally spoken to students that graduated last year and they said they weren’t prepared for college; they were

shocked at the amount of homework, the penalties they faced or non-attendance, and that est taking had a major impact on their grades. The ownership is on the students at the college level – they are not prepared for this. I have also talked to students who never did/had homework, attended class less than 50% of the time and still graduated. How can this be?

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

There’s been zero transparency on the sale of property until last November – a total disregard for the residents of Willow Springs. The property is already zoned residential, light retail and senior living, but the only bids received were for industrial development--this I oppose. I feel the land should be sold maintaining the integrity of the community; especially with a grade school located so close to it. I would support selling to developers who would not have a negative e ect on homeowners and/or quality of life. This timeline has made people question trust for the board. Closed door meetings promote the lack of transparency

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing District 204 and how should the school board address them?

I believe academics and safety are the biggest challenges. Kids need to feel safe at school, safe from cyber bullying, social pressure and physical threats. They need to be able to feel they can speak and act freely without retribution from other students and sta , and they need to be held accountable for academics and attendance.

TIMOTHY VLCEK

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

DAVID HERNDON SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

LT HIGH SCHOOL D204 (7 C ANDIDATES FOR 3 OPEN SEATS )

Why are you running for the board of Lyons Township High School? How would your expe rience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

I am running because I feel that the school has strayed from its fundamental responsibility of providing a safe, inclusive, and challenging learning environmen for students- and that I can help guide the school back to those basic principles

I have been self-employed my entire adult life. First as a oor trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, then as a nancial advisor since 2002. I understand budgeting and nance along with the responsibilities of a business owner--such as meeting payroll and operating expenses. A businessowner’s perspective would help the Board become better stewards of taxpayer funds.

For the 2021-2022 school year, LTHS hired a director of equity and belonging and launched initiatives to address equity. What, in your view, is the value of pursuing these initiatives? Has LTHS started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

I feel that every student regardless of race or socio-economic status should have support and access to every resource available to help them learn and succeed. Has this not always been the case at LTHS?

I don’t know if LTHS has achieved “equitable” outcomes What I do know, though, is that there have been several high-prole incidents/ ghts at LTHS- reported in the media- that have resulted in signi cant monetary payouts to those a ected. I would advocate for an analysis of what has changed in the culture of LTHS to allow such incidents to become commonplace, and nd a solution to stop this unacceptable behavior.

and, if so, what?

LTHS needs to tighten the requirement for homework, testing and attendance. Multiple test retakes, late homework acceptance and lax attendance requirements are unacceptable So, yes- it needs to change. Back to basics.

The District 204 Board of Education is planning to sell 70 acres of land it owns in Willow Springs, possibly before the next school board is seated. What is your view on whether or not the land should be sold? If you support the sale, what do you believe is the best use of proceeds?

LTHS owns the land, and it is their right to sell. However, I DO NOT support the sale of the land to an industrial developer The land is not zoned for commercial property, it would decimate the property values of the surrounding community and negatively a ect the health of students at Pleasantdale Elementary. Furthermore, the lack of transparency by the board in the decision to sell is alarming. Such an impactful decision should have had signi cant involvement of the residents and surrounding communities. I feel strongly that a decision should WAIT until after the new board is seated and community engaged properly I support the sale only under my previously stated conditions. If those conditions are met, only then will a discussion of which infrastructure or investment needs to support LTHS is appropriate

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing District 204 and how should the school board address them?

During the past year or so, there has been much discussion about modi cations to LTHS’ grading system. What are your views on the change/tweaks? Do you believe that there is anything else that needs to be done

Guiding the school back to pre-pandemic levels of excellence, allowing transparency and developing community engagement. We need to restore our school rating to a 10, provide a safe learning environment for all students and become accountable for all social, scal and educational directives.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

FRANK EVANS

In recent years, District 102 has made equity initiatives an important part of its strategic plan. What, in your view, is the value of these initiatives? Has the district started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

When I think about the value of pursuing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, I think of my beginnings with the Committee for Equity and Minority Achievement (CEMA) in 2016. I felt then and continue to feel now, “schools should ensure that all students have equitable opportunities to learn.” The following statement comes from the district’s Equity Policy:

“The District strives to ensure all students, regardless of racial identity or skin color, receive a diverse, relevant, rigorous and integrated curriculum based on recognized standards that provide the skills necessary to thrive in elementary school, secondary school, and beyond.”

https://www.dist102.k12.il.us/page/equity

As the district continues to strive toward improving outcomes, we should also celebrate what has been accomplished. The district:

■ is actively work ing to diversify the administration, teaching and support staff as identified in the CEMA.

■ seeks to become more efficient and effective when monitoring how decisions impact groups of students, based on data results.

■ has developed a Student Climate sur vey that provides more explicit student voice.

■ has created intentional structure to infuse diversity across grades.

■ has used grant funds to provide explicit outside tutoring resources.

As District 102 reports improvements for many students, we are not alone in continuing to show marginal to no growth for the following groups: Individual Education Plan (IEP), Low-Income, Black, Hispanic and English Learners. The district

LAGRANGE-BROOKFIELD D 102 (6 C ANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS )

has begun its focus on achieving equitable outcomes for students. I further believe that we, the board, should continue to inquire of the distric t’s superintendent and district and building administrators: What are our students learning? How do we k now that have learned?, and What are we doing when they are not getting it?

Following is an Equity Policy Goal - Student Development Goal: We commit to closing existing achievement gaps by developing instructional models based on student interests and needs. In order to achieve this goal, we commit to maintaining high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction that are clearly conveyed to students and families and are free of discrimination. Click for distric t’s equity polic y: https://www.dist102. k12.il.us/page/equity

It is my belief that as the district continues this focus, it will become better.

In recent years, District 102 implemented a standard-based grading system. What you are your views of the change?

The goal for making this shift in the district was to help students, parents and sta know what the learning outcomes are for each course or grade level in order for the District to become better aligned with instructional practices and expectations across grade levels. Using teacher developed common assessments and prioritizing what learning is essential for students, teachers gain a deeper understand of where students are in their learning. Following is an article based on a teacher ’s experience in switching to SBG https://www.weareteachers. com/standards-based-grading/

In recent years, District 102 has made equity initiatives an important part of its strategic plan. What, in your view, is the value of these initiatives? Has the district started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

District 102 is a leading school regarding diversity, equit y, and inclusion, and I’m ex tremely proud of the work all District 102 stakeholders have put for th to ensure all students feel a sense of belonging in our school distric t. From 2019-2021, I had the pleasure of being part of Distric t 102’s Committee of Equity and M inority Achievement (CEMA) as a parent. During my time on the committee, I participated in a subgroup that focused on the underrepresentation of students of color in accelerated classes and the overrepresentation of students of color in the multi-tiered system of suppor t. Through this subcommittee, the need for change was determined, and initiatives were created to address underrepresented students. The CEMA committee also created the current equity policy that ensures the district follows a set of guidelines. In addition to CEMA, the district is committed to creating a culture that focuses on equity by providing sta with quality professional development and equity- centered practices that align with the S ocial Justice Standards for Teaching Tolerance.

Additionally, the distric t’s e or ts to promote inclusivity have resulted in more students with disabilities being included in the general education classroom. With every successful organization, there is always room for growth, and DEI should always be a priorit y. The district is challenged to continue to ensure that all students are meeting or exceeding expectations and continue to feel a sense of belonging in every aspec t

of their school experience. The e or ts put for th towards DEI are continuous.

In recent years, District 102 implemented a standards-based grading system. What are your views of the change? Is there anything else that needs to be done, and if so, what?

The switch to standardsbased grading has allowed for a more tailored instructional approach that enables teachers and students to understand speci c areas of mastery and areas of de cit. As a parent and educator, I believe that standards-based grading is an e ective method to demonstrate student growth and mastery of skills. The change from traditional grading to standards-based grading has resulted in more consistent and objective ways to measure student progress and to ensure that all students are held to a high standard. Moving away from a point-based system has encouraged students to focus on learning and not just gaining points. The ability to make mistakes without risks and continue to practice these skills till mastery creates perseverance and promotes a growth mindset. Standards-based grading also supports the multi-tiered system of support framework. The process of targeting speci c skills guides teachers to identify struggling students and address their learning de cits immediately. As a parent, I’ve experienced the bene ts of this process rst-hand and attribute my children’s growth to this process. Since this grading system depends largely on rubrics and other scoring guides, I believe speci c, targeted feedback that clearly communicates where students are at and what they need to do to reach their full potential is essential.

TIZIANA LAMBER T

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

BESSIE BOYD

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

In recent years, District 102 has made equity initiatives an important part of its strategic plan. What, in your view, is the value of these initiatives? Has the distric t started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

Equity is a huge priority of mine. When I was teaching in the distric t, I was proud to be an early adopter of the equity work and vision of District 102. My journey to understanding the inequities in our education system has been long and I understand how impor tant it is to provide an equitable education for our students There are many components to a student’s identity and it is the role of school to embrace and suppor t those identities so all students feel safe at school. Only when students feel safe can in depth learning occur.

The initiatives in place now are a star t, but we must continue to do the work. Continuing to pursue diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives is mandatory for all our students to be successful. We must understand that all of our students are not starting from the same place. Diversity, equity, and inclusion training for sta members should be further implemented. Hiring highly quali ed sta members who re ect the student population should be a priorit y.

In recent years, Distric t 102 implemented a standard-based grading system.

LAGRANGE-BROOKFIELD D 102 (6 C ANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS )

helpful standards-based grading is. Many LTHS feeder schools utilize standards-based grading, and LTHS has recently shifted to more of a standards-based grading system. Our District 102 students and families are prepared for the high school system.

Like all systems within a school, questions should continuously be asked. It is the role of the board to work to make sure our systems, grading and otherwise, are most e ec tive for our students, families, and educators.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the district and how should the school board address them?

Why are you running be on the school board of District 102? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

What you are your views of the change?

What more needs to be done?

In 2019, I was part of the rst team in District 102 to implement standards-based grading. Standards-based grading provides the students, families, and educators with speci c k nowledge of which skills have been mastered and which are still in progress. This data is imperative to best guide students through their learning

Although the mindset shift was challenging years ago, I believe the students, families, and educators now understand how

Retention of the highly quali ed and passionate sta is a challenge. According to the state report card, 26.7% of sta lef t District 102 last year, more than twice the state average. Ask ing for exit inter views would be a way to understand why so many sta members are leaving. Af ter understanding the causes, we can conduct a root-cause analysis to come up with solutions to retain sta . I want District 102 to be a place where sta members feel cared for, suppor ted, ful lled, and excited about their work. When that happens, ever yone wins. The social and emotional needs of students have shif ted throughout the past three years. As a board member, I would strongly support researchbased programs that meet the emotional needs of students. I would support sta training that helps them to reach the students in this ever shifting world. The students of District 102 need to feel empowered with knowledge, critical think ing, love, and compassion. Our teachers and sta can do that if we empower them with strong support.

I am running for the District 102 school board because I am passionate about public education. am a work ing mom with three -year- old son who will eventually attend Distric t 102 schools, so it is also very personal to me. I enjoy being a part of the decisionmaking process and want to have a seat at the table and ser ve as a voice for all parents and advocate for the students I believe education is a public good and all children should have access to high-quality education. I am motivated by the desire to make a di erence and ser ve my community.

For the past 15+ years, I have worked in various sectors, including higher education, non-pro t associations, and business. I have experience work ing with a variet y of stakeholders. I have a keen ability to listen and have also been described as someone who has a ‘ bias for action.’

I have attended the majority of the board meetings for the 2022-23 school year. This has helped me understand the role of the board, the issues they face and the questions they ask of the administration.

In recent years, District 102 has made equity initiatives an important part of its strategic plan. What, in your view, is the value of these initiatives? Has the district started to achieve equitable outcomes for students and how can it do better?

themselves, their families, and their culture represented in books and curriculum at all D102 schools. I believe in providing the students of D102 with a full and robust education which can sometimes mean challenging discussions on di cult topics.

In recent years, District 102 implemented a standard-based grading system. What you are your views of the change? What more needs to be done?

I support the change to the standardbased grading system. I believe this grading system o ers a more accurate assessment of the student’s progress and achievement. With any new system or polic y, it is worthwhile to evaluate how it is work ing for all stakeholders, including students, teachers and parents

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the distric t and how should the school board address them?

The current board has done a great job over the past several years. They faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and they successfully brought the students and teachers back to the classroom.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

Diversity, equit y, and inclusion initiatives are important because it improves student learning and outcomes. I support these initiatives and if elec ted, will continue to advocate for them in D102.

All students should be able to see

One challenge facing District 102 is revising and strengthening the academic programs to ensure they meet the needs of all students. I think the way to address this is to fully review the curriculum and ensure that it is peer-reviewed and based in science. This is no small task, but I think it is important that we hold high curriculum standards.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

MOLLY KNOTT

KATHRYN M C QUISTON

Compare our CD Rates

Compare our CD Rates

Compare our CD Rates

LAGRANGE-BROOKFIELD D102 (6 CANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS)

Why are you running to be on the school board of District 102? How would your experience and perspectives be valuable as an elected o cial?

I’m running to help improve the quality of education in the community and help make a positive impact for all students. Serving on the school board would allow me the chance to help shape the educational landscape of children in our community to best prepare them for a successful educational future.

In addition to my passion for fostering the education system for all children, I also want to help children who have challenges or need extra support. I want to help them have a voice in our community and receive equal opportunities by helping schools meet the needs of all students.

I believe my diverse experience and background can be valuable as a school board member. My leadership and management experience taught me the importance of collaborating with others and overseeing projects, including timelines and budgets. In addition, my experience in community organizations demonstrated my commitment to projects and a cause and illustrated my ability to understand and prioritize the needs of others.

I’ve also had years of experience in advocacy through my involvement with Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Texas Children’s Hospital of Austin, demonstrating a commitment to public service, utilizing my time and experiences to help others.

Most importantly, my experience being a mom of two kids, one who’s had severe special needs, has taught me patience and the skills needed to e ectively advocate for their needs. I also have a unique background of experience with both the public and private school system in our community.

The newly elected school board members will start their terms as Kyle Schumacher exits as superintendent. Do you

believe that this transition represents an opportunity to seek new policy initiatives and, if so, what would you support pursuing? What polices do you think should be retained?

This is a very exciting time for our schools, with the transition of a new superintendent starting this year. I think while Kyle’s dedication has been admirable and his e orts appreciated, it’s important to view this as an opportunity to have a new viewpoint, di erent set of skills, and background to our community. I think the biggest focus should be on improving communication within our schools and families, including collaborating with the community. I think it’s also important to help foster a caring and inclusive school environment in which the needs of every child matter and are met. Lastly, I think the primary focus should always be ensuring student achievement.

Beyond these e orts, I would welcome the opportunity to learn more about the superintendent’s opinions about our policies, and what they feel should be the top priorities for the schools in our community and develop a system in which we could all collaboratively determine what policies are most/ least e ective.

What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing the district and how should the school board address them?

The need to ensure that all students receive the highest-quality education possible, so they have the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. Some of these challenges can include meeting diverse students’ needs, recruiting and retention of quality educators, and providing a safe and healthy learning environment.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

CATHERINE MURPHY

The Brook eld library sta and patrons have now settled into a new building. What do you believe the library board must do in the coming four years to maximize the institution’s potential?

To engage with the premise of that question, I don’t know if you can say we are completely settled. The board and sta worked hard to ensure success of the project. I feel we have a ne showpiece building that gives the Village of Brook eld something to brag about, but we are still learning about the facility both in terms of the structure and campus, and in how the public engages with it. Additionally, on top of that, we are still dealing with the low unemployment environment which has created hiring challenges for all organizations in the past year

Currently, the board is in the middle of the strategic planning process so we can assess how well we are meeting the community’s needs and what we can do to make sure that we build on our strengths and limit whatever perceived weaknesses we might have The goal is to serve the community and to be a good neighbor in our immediate surroundings

I think it is important to remember that the library is not just the one building on Park, Lincoln, and Grand. I live on the southeast side of the village, and one thing that you notice is that aside from having the best park, the south side feels underserved by village services

The north side of Brook eld is the center of gravity for village services, and one thing I want to move towards is directly serving the residents south of Ogden. This service can be as simple as a book bike to a potential satellite branch, but we have to balance all these needs within the constraints of the library’s budget.

BROOKFIELD LIBRARY BOARD (5 C ANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS )

schooling, but also in building capacity for all the people in the community, so Carnegie endowed libraries nationwide. At the time, that capacity building meant books, but it also meant public lectures and discussion groups

The library, as a public institution, both then and now, is not just about books – it never was. The library is about access and dissemination of information. However, information is not just sitting there. The information is not of use without trained professionals to guide you to what you want and maybe to something that you need but you did not even know. More than books, it is the service of connecting people with information and each other. It is an incredibly important institution in that it is neutral ground for gathering throughout the community for all ages. Having a place like the library can hopefully build bridges so that we can all be part of a community, as important a connection in the rst century as in the 21st century.

The Brook eld library sta and patrons have now settled into new building. What d you believe the librar board must do in the coming four years maximize the institution’s potential?

The board is currently undergoing a process formulate our long-range plan. There was a sur vey sent out and listening sessions held as a start to this process. Making the transition to the new library was a tremendous undertaking. Both the sta and the public still need time to acclimate to the new space and “grow into it.”

to meet that end. The needs of the community will change with time. The building was designed exibility in mind for future needs

I believe there are ways can expand and enrich ommunity awareness of the diversity amid and around us without alienating our patrons and community members

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

I am incredibly proud of the sta and leadership as they navigated two huge changes in the last few years. Transitioning to a new building would be exciting yet stressful at any time, but doing so while trying to balance the needs of the community with the need to be safe in the uncertainty of the pandemic made it even more di cult. To do both while maintaining and expanding programming like the maker space is something that I, as a board member, am dazzled by. It makes me think of the quote about how Ginger Rodgers did everything Fred Astaire did – but backwards and in high heels

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st centur y? What kind of programming and services should a library o er; and what should it not o er? Is the Brook eld library meeting its mission now?

The library is the cultural, educational, and social hub of the community. The library is continuously striving to meet that end. The needs of the community will change with time. The building was designed with exibility in mind for future needs

In the past few years, throughout the nation and even locally, there have been attempts to censor library materials. As a library trustee, how would you suggest sta approach requests to remove materials? Do you believe the library’s collection serves and reects Brook eld?

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st century? What kind of programming and services should a library o er; and what should it not o er? Is the Brook eld library meeting its mission now?

The history of the library in Brook eld starts with the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie at the turn of the last century. One of the things that Carnegie, as well as other thinkers at the time, knew was that an educated populace is a social good. This meant that there was investment not just in more public

That said, there are almost twenty thousand people in Brook eld, and each person has a di erent vision of what the Library is and can be. Our job as democratically elected board members is to listen to those viewpoints and create a communal vision as we play our role in guiding the Library into the future. We will continue to o er as much to the community within the various constraints of budget, space, sta time, and sta expertise that we can so that we meet the needs and desires of the community while recognizing that we cannot be everything for everyone.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

I believe there are ways we can expand and enrich community awareness of the diversity amid and around us without alienating our patrons and community members.

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st century? What kind of programming and services should a library o er; and what should it not o er? Is the Brookeld library meeting its mission now?

The library is the cultural, educational, and social hub of the community. The library is continuously striv-

Sta members must adhere to the policy set for th by the board of trustees regarding censorship and the removal of materials. It is not an individual decision. The board supports the First Amendment. Even with the new building, space is limited. The inter-library loan system is invaluable in providing materials for our patrons while keeping costs within budget. The library also has an impressive online database

What other issues are impor tant to you as library board candidate? How would you advocate for them as a board member?

I see a great opportunity for the library to remain vibrant and grow in its role as a hub in the community. I would love to continue being a par t of that process.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023election-guide

JOHN EDGAR MIHELIC

LINDA K AMPSCHROEDER

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st tury? What kind of progr ming and services should library o er; and what should it not o er? Is the Brook library meeting its mission now?

The library of the 21st centur is a combined physical environment and a digital environmen that is centered around the needs of the people, providing access to tools and resources at no cost, enriching lives and strengthening communities. The role of the library is to provide a welcoming space –physical and online – that supports, teaches, and inspires

The library should continue to o er an array of programming for every age, from infants to seniors. As Brook eld grows more diverse, the library should o er more programs in Spanish and other foreign languages, as needed. The community would also bene t from more technology classes, especially those that help learners understand the ins and outs of working in the Cloud and how to make best use of their mobile devices.

With the dramatic rise in hybrid and remote work since the start of the pandemic, the librar y of the 21st century should be prepared for an increase in remote workers looking to spend their workday there. There will be a continued need for quiet space, as well as collaboration space. The library will always need well-functioning Wi-Fi and plenty of mobile hot spot devices available for checkout.

The pandemic also brought about a shift in the workforce and people looking for jobs. Assistance with job searches, resume writing, ling for unemployment, and trade school applications will continue to be needed. The library should remain a resource for social services for the homeless, the disadvantaged elderly, and children. If it were nancially feasible, having a social worker on sta at the library would be a tremendous asset, too

Across the past few years, our library has proven itself to be resilient and future-focused, and adaptable. I believe they have

BROOKFIELD LIBRARY BOARD (5 C ANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS )

lived up to their mission to “create a cultural, educational, and informational center for the community roviding readily accessible and organized materials, programs, and services that enrich the lives of esidents of all ages.” I am a library patron and have experienced, rsthand, the welcoming environment of our library, and the enrichment ers is priceless. There is no better example of the library living out its mission than The Mobile Museum of Tolerance Civil Rights Exhibit in June 2022. This exhibit was a moving cultural immersion that prompted important discussions on hate in all its forms, nonviolent protest, and an excellent educational tool on human rights. Thanks to our library, Brook eld was very fortunate to have this experience.

While we’d all like to see the library continue to expand and grow, discontinuing programs that are not well-attended and/or do not t the needs of the community, makes good sense to me

What other issues are important to you as library board candidate? How would you advocate for them as a board member?

The Linda Sokol Francis Brookeld Library is operated by a dedicated, future-focused, talented, diverse team of librarians and sta . As a library board candidate, I want them to know that I support and appreciate them. It is impor tant to me that we maintain an excellent library sta , as they are the face of the library and carry out the daily tasks and responsibilities that make the library a vital community resource. To that end, I would advocate for development opportunities for the sta to learn and grow, and bring those key learnings back to our library for consideration. I spent most of my career in higher education and understand that lifelong learning bene ts not only the individual, but also the institution they ser ve.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st century? What kind of programming and services should a library o er; and what should it not o er? Is the Brook eld library meeting its mission now?

Libraries are no longer just about providing access to books – which we already do remarkably well – but about providing a community meeting space and community programming. As a parent, I know the library already provides fantastic programming for children particularly in the early childhood years (whoever thought to add children’s yoga/zumba events is brilliant.) I want to see that continue. I think we also do an excellent job of serving the needs of our teens and senior citizens. Our library o ers excellent programming as is. My goal on the board is to ensure it stays the course. Of course, we do need to make sure that our programming doesn’t become stale and evolves as needed

In the past few years, throughout the nation and even locally, there have been attempts to censor library materials. As a library trustee, how would you suggest sta approach requests to remove materials? Do you believe the library’s collection serves and re ects Brook eld?

As a kid, I mined banned book lists for reading material

If someone thought I shouldn’t read something, I was deeply curious as to why. I’ve seen a number of libraries recently appeal to this sentiment with prominent tables highlighting banned books. I like that approach. You can consider me a rewall against censorship.

On a more nuanced angle, the library doesn’t have an endless budget and can’t stock every book. It doesn’t stock pornography and I don’t think it should. My wife and I spoke about this recently, pondering what de nes “pornography” to us. Many of the books that people want to see banned

are described as being “porn.” To me material where the purpose of the content is explicitly to titillate is “pornography.” Material whose sexual content is part of a narrative or educational, is not When asked to remove materials, I’d have the librarians emind patrons that there are plenty of books in the stacks they don’t agree with themselves. The purpose of the library is to open lines of discussion, not shield people from content.

On a broader note, I think our collection already serves the community well. I’ve never had trouble getting books I’d like through SWAN. While I understand the cost constraints of providing digital material, I think we’ve done an excellent job at that as well I’d like to see more “recommended” and curated tables. I walk into bookstores and always nd things to read, because they have tables and displays showcasing interesting books. We have some at the library, but I think more would be ideal. I also love that the library has branched out beyond books and o ers things like STEM material and board games for check out.

What other issues are important to you as library board candidate? How would you advocate for them as a board member?

We need to make sure that we are careful stewards of the community’s tax dollars. I will always promote a balanced budget and an eye towards thrift - so long as we do not sacri ce the quality of programming Brookeld has come to expect from the library.

I’d also like to see closer cooperation with the town. I recall the parks department hosting a summer kicko event the same day that the library was hosting theirs. My kids couldn’t go to both. That speaks to me of a lack of communication that I’d like to see bridged.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

MITZI NORTO N

SEE CANDIDATES’ COMPLETE ANSWERS AND BIOS ONLINE

K ARL A. OLSON

BROOKFIELD LIBRARY BOARD (5 C ANDIDATES FOR 4 OPEN SEATS )

The Brook eld library sta and patrons have now settled into a new building. What do you believe the library board must do in the coming four years to maximize the institution’s potential?

The library board must continue to respond to the needs of the community. The resident survey that began the strategic planning process in October is a great way to get feedback from the community. Continuing to seek input from residents in listening sessions and then building short and long term goals for the library is an excellent way to move forward. Additionally, the library board must continue to identify and safeguard revenue streams, including grants and donors, for the library.

What do you believe is the role of a library in the 21st century? What kind of programming and services should a library o er; and what should it not o er?

Is the Brook eld library meeting its mission now?

When I star ted as an academic librarian 22 years ago, libraries and their patrons looked very di erent from the way they do now. We are more reliant on the internet, mobile devices, and e-content. However, not everyone can a ord all of these technologies or have the knowledge to navigate content. Libraries are places where people can have equal access to these things. In 2023, we are more likely to work from home, par ticipate in the gig economy, or be online content creators. Libraries can o er spaces, equipment, and programming on these newer trends. And yes, in assisting the public with these things, and providing so much more through programming, the library does ful ll its mission to “create a cultural, educational, and informational center for the community  by providing readily accessible and organized materials, programs, and ser vices…”

In the past few years, throughout the nation and even locally, there have been attempts to censor library materials. As a library trustee, how would you suggest sta approach requests to remove materials? Do you believe the library’s collection serves and re ects Brook eld?

As a library board member, my role, in part, is to advocate for the library and set policies for the operation of the library. Currently, there are policies in place that the library and board of trustees follow when an item is challenged for removal from the library. The process is fair and gives the resident an opportunity to express their concerns about an item(s). One of the things I love about Brook eld is the diversity that I see in the village’s residents. We can see ourselves re ected in the schools, the businesses, the residents, and, yes, in the collection at the library. I have witnessed rsthand the library’s willingness to purchase materials that enrich my life and my daughter’s life.

What other issues are important to you as a library board candidate? How would you advocate for them as a board member?

As a trustee, I would like ensure a healthy library budget for any planning or programs that the library would like implement down the road. I know the library just built a beautiful new facility. But, as our diverse populations within the village shift, so must the library. I am interested in serving the Spanish-speaking/ bilingual population in our town. I would like to ensure that the many residents who live in apartment buildings in town know they have library access and encourage them to use the resources o ered through the library. Finally, I hope to put my many years of experience as a librarian and a resident of Brook eld together to serve my hometown.

The candidate’s responses have been edited for print. The full unedited responses can be found online at: rblandmark.com/2023-election-guide

JENNIFER PALIATK A

LTHS board candidate looking to bring educator’s perspective

Justin Clark not interested in partisan politics, just ‘what’s best for kids’

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Justin Clark believes that the Lyons Township High School District 204 school board needs a professional educator on it.

Clark, who is the associate principal for building operations at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, is one of two professional educator the other is Plainfield District 202 Director of Student Services Tim Albores, running for one of the three seats available on the LTHS school board in April. Clark is running independently.

“Am I part of the education establishment? Absolutely, I’m go ing to say it’s more of positive or a negative for this reason,” Clark told the Landmark in a telephone interview. “There is always a learning curve for people when they get on the school board to understand the jargon and the nuance of education. That would be just like for any job.”

As an educator, Clark says his focus would always be what’s best for kids. Both of Clark’s parents were educators. His father taught so-

LTHS LAND Intense opposition

from page 1

in the future, it will conduct a meeting to set the new bidding price and terms and conditions,” school board President Kari Dillon told the Landmark in an email. “The board has not begun next steps related to vetting additional options that would maximize the value of the property moving forward.”

The school board had set a $55 million minimum price for the land. In January it received two bids, a $55 million offer from Bridge Industrial, which wanted to build an industrial park on the site, and a $46.5 million from ProLogis, a company that specializes in building warehouses and distri-

cial studies for more than 30 years at Orland Junior High School and his mother was an English teacher at Palos South Middle School before becoming an assistant principal and then principal at the school.

Clark, who grew up in Orland Park, initially didn’t pursue a career in education. After graduating from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in business, Clark was hired as a management trainee by the Hyatt Corporation.

He then helped manage a downtown Chicago restaurant for a couple of years before following in his parents’ footsteps. He earned a second bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education and was hired as an English teacher at Lockport High School.

Clark later moved to Shepard High School, where after seven ears as an English teacher he became assistant principal for curriculum and instruction. He was hired at Richards in 2021. While working as an educator, lark earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate in education.

Clark says that while test scores are important, LTHS must also focus on improving education is other ways, especially at a time when many colleges and universities are becoming admission test optional and employers are looking for people with soft skills.

“[SAT] an incredibly important data point, but schools and colleges and other things are looking at other ways to evaluate how schools

bution centers.

The proposed sale sparked intense opposition from those who live in the quiet neighborhood near the tract of wooded land southwest of 79th Street and Willow Springs Road. Pleasantdale Elementary School is adjacent to the LTHS-owned land.

Those opposed to the sale said an industrial park would ruin their neighborhood, create congestion and create pollution. The deal fell apar t after the village of Willow Springs made clear that it would not alter the zoning to allow industrial development.

As a result, Bridge never paid LTHS the required earnest money and the school board officially rejected the bids on Jan. 23 at a meeting attended by more than 100 opponents of the sale

Those against the sale continued to attend and speak out at every school board meeting since, criticizing the school board

and students are doing,” Clark said.

Clark said he wants to know how LTHS is doing in improving student growth and just not proficiency.

Clark is passionate about expanding opportunities for students who are interested in options other than going to college after high school.

“Every student that walks in should be able to have a rich experience through their four years to get themselves not only prepared to make that jump from high school to post high school and to thrive within it,” Clark said.

Clark, 44, is the youngest among the seven candidates vying for three seats on the school board. He is the only candidate who hasn’t had any children attend LTHS, although that will change next year when his son becomes a freshman. He is running an energetic campaign with a detailed and sophisticated website. He clearly enjoys talking about school issues.

Clark said that homework and the grading system at LTHS comes up often when talking with voters. He applauds the administration’s move to retreat on some of the changes made to the grading system a couple of years ago. Once again, homework counts towards a student’s final grade and to test retakes have been limited.

“I’m very, very happy that it seems like the school administration was responsive to the community regarding some of their con-

for trying to sell the land to an industrial developer and accusing the board of not caring about the Pleasantdale neighborhood.

They have called for the board to make clear that it would not again try to sell the land to an industrial developer

“We are grateful for our engaged community and have heard your feedback, both for and against the land sale,” a press release issued last week by the school board stated

The school board is still interested in ultimately the selling the land, which was originally purchased in 1955 and 1962 as the possible site for a new high school should one ever be needed. LTHS officials have decided that there is no need for a new high school in the foreseeable future.

“The board will continue to explore options on how to maximize the property’s impact for our entire District 204 commu-

cerns,” Clark said.

On another hot-button issue, Clark says LTHS should take the approximately 70-acre tract of undeveloped land it owns in Willow Springs off the market for the time being and work with the community after an attempted sale to an industrial fir m fell apart.

The proposed sale drew strong opposition from those who live near the land and those whose children attend Pleasantdale Elementary School s just west of the LTHS parcel.

Clark criticized the LTHS administration and school board for not involving the community earlier. The school district did not announce that it was considering selling the land until eight months after being approached by the potential buyer.

“There definitely has been some level of miscommunication and there definitely has been a lack of engaging in the community,” Clark said. “The communication, the collaboration has been lacking. I do think the land needs to be sold, but you need to walk it all the way back in a really thoughtful way with full collaboration.”

The LTHS school board race has strong ideological undercurrents this year, but Clark says he’s not interested in labels

“Right now, I would say that I am the most non-partisan,” Clark said. “If you want to look at it real generally … I’m sort of taking positions from both those sides and I’m thinking about what is best for the kids.”

nity,” the press release stated. “When that time comes, new terms, conditions and pricing would be established.”

Most of the opponents of the land sale have said that they are not opposed to selling it, they just are opposed to a sale for industrial development. The land is currently zoned to allow single-family housing, retail or a senior housing

The school board would like to use proceeds from the land sale to upgrade the technology and aging infrastructure of its two campuses in LaGrange and Wester n Springs

The press release acknowledged the anger and frustration that the proposed sale caused in the Pleasantdale community and areas near it.

“We understand the stress and uncertainty that many in our community felt these past few months,” the press release stated.

JUSTIN CLARK

Jewelry, cash taken in Brook eld home burglary

Brookfield police say a vehicle observed on doorbell camera video pulling into the driveway of a home that was burglarized in the 4400 block of 44th Place on the after noon of March 9 has been linked to several other burglaries throughout the Chicago suburbs

According to police, a silver Chevy Traverse was captured pulling into the home’s driveway at about 4:40 p.m. A man is seen exiting the rear driver’s side door before the video ends.

The homeowners reported to police at 5:10 p.m. that they had arrived home to find the rear door to their residence had been forced open and that several rooms had been ransacked, with multiple items missing, including jewelry, cash, checks and other bank documents.

As part of their investigation, Brookfield police reported lear ning the same vehicle seen pulling into the victim’s driveway had been used in burglaries in Lincolnshire, Park Ridge, Hickory Hills, Rolling Meadows and Palatine Township.

■ A resident of the 3200 block of Grand

Boulevard called police to report that sometime over night on March 9-10 someone tampered with two screen windows on the east side of his home

According to the police report, the screens had been slid toward the middle, and there was damage along the screen’s frame The main windows were locked and no entry was made to the home. No other screens appeared to have been tampered with.

Facebook Bitcoin scam

A 50-year-old Brookfield woman was scammed out of about $3,600 earlier this month after someone posing as a high school classmate contacted her on Facebook Messenger about investing in a Bitcoin scheme that promised a $1,500 retur n on a $100 investment.

The scammer reportedly gave as proof an image of the classmate’s Illinois ID and built enough trust that the victim sent payments of $100 and $900. When the immediate payouts didn’t come, the scammer asked for

By Linda Sokol Francis. E.A.

OPTIONS FOR TAXPAYERS WHO NEED HELP PAYING THEIR TAX BILL: PART II

Taxpayers who can’t pay the full amount of federal taxes they owe should file their tax return on time and pay as much as possible. This will help reduce penalties and interest. If they can’t pay their full bill, they have some other options. Here are some tips for taxpayers who owe tax, but who can’t immediately pay their tax bill.

Taxpayers should file their tax return or request an extension of time to file by the deadline. People who owe tax and do not file their return on time or request an extension may face a failure-to-file penalty. Taxpayers should remember that an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. An extension gives taxpayers until October to file their 2022 tax return, but taxes owed are still due by the April deadline. Pay as much as possible by the April due date. IRS.gov has information for taxpayers who can’t afford to pay taxes they owe.

Whether filing a return or requesting an extension, taxpayers must pay their tax bill in full by the April filing deadline to avoid penalties and interest. People who do not pay their taxes on time will face a failure-to-pay penalty.

Some disaster victims, taxpayers living overseas, military service members and eligible support personnel in combat zones have more time beyond the April deadline to file and pay their taxes.

Taxpayers should also check their state filing and payment deadlines, which may be different from the federal April 18 deadline. A list of state tax division websites is available through the Federation of Tax Administrators.

more money, citing various fees and the victim sent a total of $3,580 to various CashApp accounts and a Bitcoin wallet.

When the scammer asked for a final $200 “for the gover nment,” the victim said she was going to police.

Their investigation revealed that the victim’s high school classmate had her Facebook account hacked after falling for a similar Bitcoin scam, telling police she had sent the scammer images of herself and her state ID.

Smash and grab

An employee at Skadarliya, 9237 Ogden Ave. in Brookfield, called police on March 9 at about 9:15 p.m. to report that someone had burglarized his car, which was parked in the lot outside the restaurant.

According to police, the burglary was captured on a security camera video, which showed a silver Mazda pull into the parking lot at about 7:35 p.m. A man wearing a ski mask, ball cap and yellow reflective vest

with the work “Bailey” on it gets out of the Mazda and checks out another vehicle in the parking lot before looking inside the victim’s vehicle.

The man then is seen going back to his vehicle and retrieving an object which he uses to break out the front passenger side window and rear driver’s side window, taking from the interior a black backpack and a black gym bag. The man then gets back into the Mazda and drives off.

According to police, the license plate on the Mazda registered to a Chicago resident who had reported his license plate stolen in January. Video capturing that theft showed the offender getting out of a silver Mazda

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, March 6-12, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues

THE L ANDMARK VIEW

Lifting up teens

If the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for everyone to be co gnizant of attending to their mental health, it very much revealed just how impor tant it is not to discount how the pandemic impacted younger people.

While the pandemic upset everyone’s life, it was particularly hard on children who were suddenly disconnected from their peers and social structure during a time when they are trying to navig ate a time of life when connections are made and fostered with people of their own age and the wider world.

So, the new teen mental health center The Loft at 8 Corners in Brookfield, a partnership involving NAMI Metro Chicago and Pillars Community Health, could not have come at a better time.

In development for at least the past six months, The Loft is the result of cooperation from a network of people, nonprofit foundations, township and county health agencies who provided critical funding, exper tise and guidance.

The ef fort actively included input from the constituency

The Loft is meant to serve – high school age teens – and it is staf fed by young adults, who trained in assessing mental health and who can recommend appropriate mental health services, many of which include connecting teens to peer suppor t groups and classes, to one-on-one and family counseling and up to and including crisis intervention.

The Loft’s services are free and are available to high school age teens 365 days a year, from 1 to 8 p.m. You can simply walk in or schedule an appointment; the goal is making teens experiencing mental health issues or crises comfortable and welcome in seeking the help they need Teens don’t have to go it alone, either. Their families are welcome to lear n with them and par tner in their recovery jour ney. Ultimately, The Loft seeks to provide teens with tools they need to recognize when they are experiencing mental health issues and how to cope with them

NAMI has long of fered adults “living room” type settings, welcoming and comfortable, to help those over the age of 18 address mental health issues. But mental health is not an adults-only issue, and addressing teen mental health is especially vital in providing ways for those teens to move into full adulthood to help themselves.

As far as we know, this center is a first in the Chicago re gion, and as the model matures our hope is that NAMI and Pillars Community Health can roll out similar teen mental health centers in other places within the communities the agencies serve

But The Loft at 8 Cor ners is a great start and a welcome addition to the communities here.

KOSEY CORNER

Irish or Italian, these celebrations are both sweet

Continued Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who are Irish, want to be Irish and claim to be Irish at this time of year With things semi back to nor mal, people were able to show their green with parades and celebrations. If I’m not mistaken, Chicago’s parade is the largest in the country.

So, after the last helping of cor ned beef, cabbage and boiled potatoes has been washed down by a pint of Guinness, we go right on to the next celebration – St. Joseph’s Day.

Celebrated on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day arrived in America with Sicilian immigrants and have at their center very elaborate St. Joseph tables, which are usually arranged in three tiers, representing the Trinity.

JOANNE KOSE Y

A statue or picture of St. Joseph is prominently placed on the highest tier. The tables are adorned with flowers, fr uits and breads. Most of the loaves of bread are baked into elaborate shapes, the cross being used most. Small loaves are sometimes available for guests to take home. The tables are meatless, but sometimes they will include fish.

Sweets are in abundance on the tables, and in Sicily they hold a prominent place and cover most of the

LET TERS

Ar ticle on candidate was unfair

I am a longtime resident and follower of the Landmark and feel that Skolnik’s article was unfairly biased against Tim Vlcek who is running for the school board (“LTHS board candidate attended Awake Illinois workshop in January,” News, March 1).

I know the man and know what he re presents I do not believe that this was fairly portrayed.

Rober t Lisk a Ri verside

tables. Prominent on the sweet table is the traditional St. Joseph cake, called a zeppole. It is similar to a French doughnut, cut in half and filled with either custard or cannoli filling. To find a full selection of St Joseph’s Day treats, go to Vesuvio Bakery in North Riverside

It surprises me the things I lear n when writing this column, so I was surprised to lear n that St. Joseph’s Day is celebrated annually in New Orleans. I have a feeling it is a little tamer that the usual Mardi Gras in the French Quarter

They do have parades and dozens of altars which are assembled to honor St. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus

Since this is the Lenten season and many Catholics give up sweets, you may want to bypass the sweet tables – or get what we call a dispensation.

I checked out the menu here at Cantata to see if they have St. Patrick’s Day or St. Joseph’s Day planned, but I don’t see anything unless mac and cheese counts. OK, chef, you may want to revise things a bit!

Have a good week. It’s good here at Cantata, where I’m working on getting stronger. The legs still need work, but they don’t need to be in marathon-running shape, just your basic everyday stuff.

Brook eld librar y must continue to be resource for all

With great enthusiasm, I announce my candidacy for the Board of Trustees for the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library. As a for mer higher education administrator, I understand the importance and value of a great library. I would be honored to serve as a trustee to support the library’s mission and advocate for policies and programs that support the needs of our community

I have patronized the library since moving to Brookfield in 2016. I was new to the village and frequented the library to borrow books, participate in programs and attend meetings for various community groups. It was a great way to meet people In 2017, I co-founded a local community group, and we often met at the library and hosted educational programs in the meeting spaces.

Since I was a child, my parents and teach-

Mildred Boburka, 88 Medical o ce receptionist

Mildred Boburka (nee Broz i k), 88, of Brookfield, died March 5, 2023.

Ms. Boburka was bo rn Jan. 7, 1935 and wo rked as a rece ptionist at an ear, nose and throat physicia n’s of fic e.

S he was the w ife of the late Paul F. Boburka; the mother of Deborah (Glen) Mottl, Paul (Linda) Boburka, St eve Boburka and Amy (Tom) Kendall; the d aughter of the late Jose ph and the late Jose phine Brozik; the gr andmother of A mand a (Shane) Deuel, Eric Boburka, Evan (Samantha) Boburka, Josh Boburka, Katherine Kendall and Andrew Kendall; the great gr andmother of Owen Deuel and A idan Boburka; the sister of the late Jose ph (late L ee) Broz ik; and an aunt to many nieces and ne phew s.

Cremation was private Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled ar r angements Online c ondolences may be offered at J ohnsonNosek.com.

ers never missed an opportunity to tell me how special a library is. Where else can you go w you are always welcome, walk in with less than a dime in y pocket, and leave with wonder ful treasures? The important of lifelong lear ning was instilled in me at a young age.

An institution such as the Brookfield Library is a tremendous resource for our residents far greater than just a place to check out books, and truly a community center. The board of our library makes big, bold decisions to ensure the library is an inclusive space that welcomes all people and reflects the diversity of the Brookfield community and the world.

NORTON Candidate Op-ed

ted boards as a professional oard secretary and board assistant. Currently, I am the manager of executive adminstration at NIQ, the leading lobal consumer intelligence ompany. Good gover nance ry important to me and something at which I excel. This es me uniquely qualified to on the board.

I believe that great communities are cultivated by engaged residents. Here in Brookfield, I have volunteered for Project NICE, Share Food Share Love and I co-founded Indivisible Brookfield in 2017. I am also a volunteer homestay host for WorldChicago.

tive. Active participation and service has always been meaningful to me.

I am excited for the future of the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library . Recently, I attended a listening session for the library’s strategic planning process. I appreciated the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas, and was inspired by what I heard from other participants

It is important to me that our library maintains equitable access to resources and materials for lear ners of all abilities, and provides resources, collections and events that are both diverse and inclusive.

Throughout my adulthood and career, I have served on nonprofit boards and sup-

OBITUARIES

Joanna M. Falco, 75 Housekeeper for Paul and Angela Harvey

Joanna Maria Falco (nee Burdi), 75, of North Riverside, died March 4, 2023 in Winfield.

Ms Falco was born Jan. 14, 1948 in Chicago and worked as the housekeeper for renowned ABC Radio broadcaster Paul Harvey and his wife, business partner and producer, Lynne “Angel” Harvey, who lived in River Forest.

She was the mother of Anna (Hans Yu) Falco, Gabriel (Jennifer Dekker) Falco and Rocco Falco; the grandmother of Alexandra, Angelia, Colin, Nicholas, Isabella, Joanna, Gabriella, Joseph, Gigi; the great grandmother of Johnny, Michael, Anthony and Gianna; the sister of Mary (late Alex) Bratuljevich and the late Anthony (Rosemary) Burdi; and the aunt of many nieces.

Visitation is Wednesday, March 15, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Kuratko-Nosek Funeral Home, 2447 Desplaines Ave., North Riverside, with a memorial service at 4 p.m.

Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared at KuratkoNosek.com.

Outside of Brookfield, I have volunteered extensively for Housing Forward, American Greyhound and The Chicago Help Initia-

L. Elaine Lawson, 98 Lifelong mu sician

L. Elaine Lawson (nee Kranz), 98, of Lombard and for merly of Brookfield and Downers Grove, died March 10, 2023.

Ms. Lawson was a wonderful, loving mom and grandma who was a lifelong musician who enjoyed music and loved her g randchildren dearly

She was the wife of 62 years to the late Lloyd Arelando Lawson; the mother of Lana (Eric) Larson and Cathy (Jim) Lawson-Kennedy; the grandmother of Brad Larson and Liz Larson; the sister of Er na (the late William) Ahlemeyer and the late Marguerite (the late Donald) Fowler; and the aunt and great aunt of many nieces and ne phews

Visitation is Monday, March 20 from 12:30 p.m. to time of service at 1 p.m. at Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield. Inter ment is at Fair mount Willow Hills Memorial Park, Willow Springs.

Memorials are appreciated to the family.

Send sympathy cards to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the L. Elaine Lawson family

Brookfield is fortunate to have the most dedicated, driven and talented library staff. I am eager, if elected, to work with our library director to ensure the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library best meets the needs of our growing, evolving village. Please vote for Mitzi Nor ton on April 4.

Rudolph J. Nekovar Jr., 86

Retired orist

Rudolph J. “Rudy” Nekovar, Jr., 86, of Hodgkins and for merly of Riverside, Nor th Riverside and Cicero, died March 6, 2023.

Mr Nekovar was born May 4, 1936 and was a retired florist of many years working with Romani F lorists, Phillips Flowers, Heritage House F lorists and Cur tiss Bridal. He was the wedding coordinator at Riverside Presbyterian Church for many years and was known as the “Original Wedding Singer,” long before the movie.

He had the gift of music and was a talented singer dating back to the 1940s and ’50s and won first place at Hot Point Family Night in April of 1949, among many other awards He loved crosswords, pro wrestling and was an avid fan of “Judge Judy.”

Mr Nekovar father of Curtis (Janet) Nekovar, Melody Johnson and Keri (Jorge) Her rera; the for mer spouse and dear friend of Christine Stout; and the grandfather of Nicole (Ray) Dalrymple and Morg an, Nicholas and Benjamin Johnson.

A memorial service will be held at Highlands Presbyterian Church, 1902 W. 59th St., LaGrange Highlands, on May 6 at 11 a.m. A rece ption at the church will follow. Inur nment at Bronswood Cemetery

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Angels Grace Hospice. 440 Quadrangle Dr., #G, Bolingbrook, 60440 are appreciated.

Ar rangements were handled by the Original Kuratko Family, Brian D. Kuratko, funeral director.

New LTHS softball coach hits the ground running

Megan Pyles takes over program on the upswing

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

After of ficially being hired in February, new Lyons Township High School varsity softball coach Me g an Pyles has hit the ground running

“Literally the next day I was meeting players for open gym, and going through all of the coaches meetings and the spring spor ts meeting,” Pyles said. “It’s been a really nonstop process.”

Pyles brings enthusiasm and experience to the Lions, who are coming of f their best seasons in recent memory with a seniorled lineup

In 2022, LTHS was 21-4, ear ned a share of its first West Suburban Conference Silver

PROVIDED

title since 1990 and won its first re gional since 2017. T he Lions reached the IHSA Class 4A Marist Sectional final before losing to the host RedHawks 1-0.

Pyles has been coaching locally in traveling softball with the Under-18 Blazers teams based in Hodgkins and Willow Springs She was encouraged by Blazers players who attend LTHS to inquire about the opening.

“That’s been a dream of mine since I was little to coach high school softball. It’s a really great progr am,” Pyles said. “Lots of them are from our [Blaz ers] progr am so it’s nice to see some familiar faces and the new ones so I’m really excited for the oppor tunity.”

Pyles was a four-year varsity player at Evergreen Park High School and played one season at Moraine Valley Community Colle ge. She then ear ned a bachelor’s degree in spor ts and fitness administration from St. Xavier University.

Steph D’Anna retur ns as the Lions’ varsity assistant coach. New junior varsity coach Brian Wolf for merly coached the

freshmen with Brennan Quick. New freshman coaches are head coach Kylie Maloy, also a Blazers coach, and Jason Kurey.

Pyles appreciates her coaches at Evergreen Park, John O’Connor and for mer Lewis University player Michelle Vucsko. She hopes to bring their dif ferent approaches to her new position.

“I would love for [my players] to be energeti c. I’m very big on development from the freshmen up My main goal is to get equality between all three progr ams,” Pyles said.

“I really want to create a good culture here where they all have a really good high school experience. With my travel team, a lot of girls come back, they go to dif ferent high schools, and they had a really bad high school experience. That’s something I want to alleviate and to have a really positive experience for everyone that comes through this progr am.”

RBHS boys water polo ghts numbers game

Bulldogs rely on returning starters with just 9 players on roster

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

Senior Brad Hruska and his RiversideBrookfield High School boys water polo teammates accept the challenge of having no more than nine players for matches this season.

“In preseason and regular season I’d say we are all working twice as hard as last year because we have to make up for the players we have lost,” Hruska said.

Four starters retur n -- juniors Alex Jacobs (26 goals, 45 assists, 36 steals in 2022) and Hayden Marrs, who had team highs of 38 assists and 67 steals along with 30 goals, and seniors Ruska (16 goals, 21 assists, 15 steals) and Murphy Regan (18 goals, 31 assists, 19 steals).

Other team members are sophomores Julio Aranda, Martynas Bieliauskas, Rylan Bruno and Avi Ponnappan and freshmen Jake Kocourek and Henry Manning

The Bulldogs are hoping to at least retur n to the sectional semifinals. They were 12-12 last season and reached the Lyons Township Sectional semifinals before losing 17-5 to the host Lions, who finished third in state

“[Our plan is] build of f what we are good

at, work on what we are weak on,” RBHS coach Kevin Wolak said. “I think our strength is going to be our outside shooting coming from Alex, Murphy and Brad.” The Bulldogs graduated firstteam all-sectional player Liam Matthews from their three 2022 all-sectional honorees Mar rs was second-team all-sectional and Mur phy Re gan was third-team all-sectional. A member of the Class 2A boys cross country state championship team in November, Mar rs currently is splitting time between sports and mostly competing indoor track.

Jacobs should pick up some of the offensive slack. He made the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program Midwest

Zone team and had a busy of fseason with Elmhurst Aquatics.

“Alex will play a huge role on our team,” Wolak said.

Hruska, who has worked on improving his speed in the water, and Re gan seek to provide leadership as seniors.

“Based on my experience, I can see that it’s important to have a good defense,” Re gan said. “We have strong swimmers, which is a key to having a good water polo team. We also have a team of players that are dedicated to trying their best.”

The Bulldogs have started 1-3, losing their season and home opener to Curie 22-5 on March 8 and finishing fourth at the Bradley-Bourbonnais Tour nament on March 11. RBHS beat Lincoln-Way Central 16-12 and lost to Maine South 19-9 and Bradley-Bourbonnais 8-5 for third

Ruska (15 goals), Mar rs (8 goals, 10 assists, 15 steals), Re gan (7 goals, 4 assists, 10 steals) and Bieliauskas (29 saves, 7 assists) are among the early contributors.

Megan Pyles

ALEX JACOBS BRAD RUSKA MURPHY REGAN

New RBHS girls coach looks to build water polo success

Bulldogs return three starters from 2022 squad

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

New head coach Amy Frey be g an the Riverside-Brookfield High School girls water p olo season March 11 with the stresses of a season-opening invitational but the suppo rt of many familiar faces.

As assistant c oach the previous three seasons, Frey knows her roster well, wh ich includes four seniors and three retur ning star ters in senior Gem S ambug aro and j uniors P riscilla Gil and g oali e Edie Hamilton.

“I’ve c oached most of them before, unless they ’re new, ” Frey said. “They have a lot of hear t and they ’re ve ry g ood defensive ly. And they have great personalities

and they ’re easy to c oach and wo rk with. ”

T he Bulld og s (0-3) have j ust a varsit y team this season. Other team member s are seniors C laire Cervi, Madyn Dron and Katelyn St owe, j unior Lorelei Leimbere r,

sophomores Olivia Dobbe, Eleanor Glenni e, Isabella Gonzale z, E leanor L enaghan and Riley Mulhall and freshmen Isabella Aber nathy and C hloe Ivan.

“We’ re j ust t rying to build the progr am thi s year and focu s on that,” Frey said.

RBHS finished 8-19 in 2022 and lost to Yo rk 17-6 in the Yo rk Sectional semifinals. The Bulld og s gr aduated their three

2022 all-sectional pl ayers – first-team Gillian Dowling, second-team A lli Brand and honorable mention CeCe Rosa. This season be g an with a sixth-plac e finish at the Hinsdale C entral Tour nament. T he Bulld og s lost to St. Ignatius 8-3 for fifth after losing to eventual champion Yo rk 13-0 and Lincoln- Way West 14- 6 in pool pl ay

“Our shooting, hopefully that we ca n [ home] in on, that’s going to be g ood fo r us,” Frey said.

“Some of their g oals are to be smar ter about the g ame and know wh at their options are wheneve r they have the b all. S ome of my g oals are for them to be succ essful when they have man-up situations and use those to our advantage.”

Lions boys water polo looks to reload after 3rd at state

Just two starters return, but program stacked with players

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

Junior and third-year star ting goalie Charlie Vlk has been through this scenario before with the Lyons Township High School boys water polo team.

In 2022, the Lions had several question marks after graduating most of their lineup from the 2021 secondplace state lineup. They posted a 30-3 record and finished third for the program’s fourth consecutive top-three state trophy in the past four state tour naments

“That’s the one thing about this program and [LTHS coach Doug Eichstaedt]. He does a great job, building players when they’re young,” Vlk said.

These Lions face the same dilemma

Vlk, who was fourth-team all-state and second-team all-sectional, and senior left

attacker Sean Gripp are the only retur ning star ters. Vlk made 236 saves in 2022 and Gripp had 20 goals and 32 assists, third on the team.

Senior center defender Louis Grib (9 goals, 3 assists), senior Kieran Athy (6 goals, 4 assists), junior attackers Luke Jackson (16 goals, 12 assists) and Brendan Whelton (5 goals, 20 assists), junior center Michael Wall (12 goals, 3 assists) and junior goalie Steven Strandberg (64 saves) also saw significant varsity action.

Newcomers are juniors Michael Avakian, Sam Garvin, Sam Pere z, Laine Te gan and Josh Vander Wa g en and sophomore Sami Rabah.

Last year, the Lions beat Stevenson 12-11 in triple over time for third in state after losing to eventual champion New Trier 9-6 in the semifinals

“I’ve taken two losses in the state tournament, so I know for me especially I’m

really looking to g et a win this year and put it away,” Vlk said.

“My biggest goal [as a retur nee] is to keep everybody focused and serious throughout the workouts. I feel as a goalie you can almost do it better because you’ re kind of like the captain on the defensive side. You’ re calling out switches and orienting the defense.”

Vlk is the only retur nee among the Lions’ five postseason honored players. Graduated are multiple first-team allstater Jack Bradbury, second-team allstaters Jimmy Bolan and AJ Vitek, and third-team all-sectional Matt Jablonski. Eichstaedt was sectional coach of the year Bradbury, Bolan and Vitek were the team’s top three scorers with 268 combined goals.

“Every year there’s oppor tunities for players to kind of ste p up to the dif ferent roles. Last year, we had arguably the best player in the state (Bradbury with 126 goals) but we relied a lot on him to score whereas I think the team this year will be more balanced,” Eichstaedt said.

“I know this group is going to work hard

and they’re very coachable,” Eichstaedt said. “They all understand and embrace the expectations. It’s a jour ney so trying to navig ate it, stay positive It’s kind of their tur n to ste p up and take it.”

Another indication of the Lions’ success is having more than 50 players in the progr am -- the most that Eichstaedt can remember. For mer LTHS boys water polo standout Victor Pere z has been added as a junior varsity coach.

“That allows for more teamwork. It’s good oppor tunities for everyone to get more coaching and more experience,” Eichstaedt said. “Obviously the goal is to raise the level of play on all levels of the progr am.”

In their opening action on March 11, the Lions lost to Stevenson 12-8 in the championship g ame of the Stevenson Tour nament after beating Whitney Young 10-2 and Fremd 15-5.

“I think our key to success will be lear ning to play to g ether,” Vlk said. “I’ve never played with these guys my whole life, really. If we can lear n to work tog ether as a team, I think we’ ll be good.”

CHARLIE VLK

EDIE HAMILTO N GEM SAMBUGARO PRISCILLA GIL

HELP WANTED

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Human Resources Generalist in the Human Resources Department. This position will perform a variety of professional and technical functions in support human resource management including orientation, hiring, employee testing, classification analysis, compensation analysis and benefits administration. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Position opened until filled.

IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of IT Operations Specialist. The ideal candidate is responsible for the effective operation of information technology services and support across the organization. The IT Operations Specialist serves as a technical expert for the implementation, maintenance and support of systems and networks. The IT Operations Specialist plans and carries out various complex assignments and develops new methods and approaches in a wide variety of IT specialties. Evaluates new and enhanced approaches to deliver IT services; test and optimize the functionality of systems, networks, and data; and define technical requirements. The IT Operations Specialist is responsible for providing various forms of computer-related technical assistance and improving the efficiency of the work of the staff through the use of technology. Interested and qualified applicants can visit our website at http://www.oakpark.us/ for more details.

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Riverside Department of Public Works is seeking energetic, responsible, and motivated applicants who enjoy working outdoors. This is a part-time, seasonal position lasting from approximately May through September. Applicants will be expected to work up to 40 hrs. per week or as scheduled by staff. Primary tasks will include, but not limited to: cutting grass, maintaining athletic fields, general facilities maintenance, flushing hydrants, reading water meters, installing water meters, cleaning/televising sewers, assisting full-time employees, and other duties as assigned.

Applicants must be 18 years old, possess a valid Illinois driver’s license and high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants will be subject to a criminal background check, pre-employment physical and drug/ alcohol screening.

Applications can be downloaded from the Village website at www. riverside.il.us or picked up at the Riverside Village Hall located at 27 Riverside Rd, Riverside, IL 60546. Completed applications should be submitted to the Riverside Village Hall or the Riverside Public Works Department, 3860 Columbus Blvd, Riverside, IL 60546. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. Pay rate is $18/hr.

The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

GARAGE/MOVING SALE

Moving Sale!

Saturday March 18th. 8-1 Midcentury Modern Furniture, kitchen, what not 1146 S. Scoville,OP

CARS WANTED

COLLECTIVE IMPACT MANAGER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Collective Impact Manager in the Village Manager’s Office. Under the general direction of the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, the Collective Impact Manager will be responsible for building and assessing racial equity impact needs and developing a strategic plan to support those needs. This includes driving the initiatives focused on the Racial Equity Action Plan through community assessments, community engagement, data functions, and overall internal and external functions. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://secure.entertimeonline. com/ta/6141780.careers?ApplyToJob=537117711 or visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

Real Estate Acquisitions Associate (Chicago, IL) Conduct demographic analysis of secondary & tertiary mkts to identify potential real properties that meet the Co.’s acquisition criteria. Direct the acquisition process incl fin’l evaluation, negotiation, due diligence, investment structuring & bldg architectural planning. Provide fin’l forecasts & strategic budget plans for prospective acquisitions. Reqd: Master’s in Real Estate or Finance & 1-yr exp as Project Mgr in Real Estate or Architectural Dsgn industry & knowl of real estate capital mkt & proficiency in ARGUS & skilled at reading architectural plans. Mail Resume to: CapRock Management, 65 E Wacker Pl, #820, Chicago, IL 60601.

Operations Product Manager sought by Chowbus, Inc. in Chicago, IL to be end2end owner of operations platform supporting internal tooling. Telecommuting permitted in commutable distance to office. Reqs: MS in Managing Info Tech, Comp Sci or rltd field & 1 yr exp in job offd or rltd role. Must also possess coursework or work exp w/data mining; info system dvlpmt; info security; & project mgmt. Apply online at: https://www.chowbus.com/careers

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Domestic / Import Cars:

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James • 630-201-8122

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED

Collector James

Restored or Unrestored

630-201-8122

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James

630-201-8122

BRICKWORK

Maggie Professional Cleaning with 20 years experience, good references. Homes, Apartments, Condos and more.

WOODWORK

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

SUMMONS (Family Law)

CITACIÓN (Derecho familiar)

CASE NUMBER (NÚMERO DE CASO): HF22130927

NOTICE TO RESPONDENT

(Name): AVISO AL DEMANDADO (Nombre): ANGELO C GALLARDO

You have been sued. Read the information below and on the next page.

Lo han demandado. Lea la información a continuación y en la página siguiente.

Petitioner’s name is: Nombre del demandante: MERCEDITA M. GALLARDO

You have 30 calendar days after this Summons and Petition are served on you to file a Response (form FL-120) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter, phone call, or court appearance will not protect you.

If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, your property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs.

For legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. Get help finding a lawyer at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courts.ca.gov/ selfhelp), at the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association.

NOVENAS

PRAYER TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. By the 8th day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail .Publication must be promised. Thank you Jesus.

Thank You St . Jude. R.R.

Tiene 30 días de calendario después de haber recibido la entrega legal de esta Citación y Petición para presentar una Respuesta (formulario FL-120) ante la corte y efectuar la entrega legal de una copia al demandante. Una carta o llamada telefónica o una audiencia de la corte no basta para protegerlo.

Si no presenta su Respuesta a tiempo, la corte puede dar órdenes que afecten su matrimonio o pareja de hecho, sus bienes y la custodia de sus hijos. La corte también le puede ordenar que pague manutención, y honorarios y costos legales.

Para asesoramiento legal, póngase en contacto de inmediato con un abogado. Puede obtener información para encontrar un abogado en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en el sitio web de los Servicios Legales de California (www.lawhelpca.org) o poniéndose en contacto con el colegio de abogados de su condado.

NOTICE—RESTRAINING ORDERS

ARE ON PAGE 2: These restraining orders are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further orders. They are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them.

AVISO—LAS ÓRDENES DE RESTRICCIÓN SE ENCUENTRAN EN LA PÁGINA 2: Las órdenes de restricción están en vigencia en cuanto a ambos cónyuges o miembros de la pareja de hecho hasta que se despida la petición, se emita un fallo o la corte dé otras órdenes. Cualquier agencia del orden público que haya

recibido o visto una copia de estas órdenes puede hacerlas acatar en cualquier lugar de California.

FEE WAIVER: If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. The court may order you to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party.

EXENCIÓN DE CUOTAS: Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario un formulario de exención de cuotas. La corte puede ordenar que usted pague, ya sea en parte o por completo, las cuotas y costos de la corte previamente exentos a petición de usted o de la otra parte.

1. The name and address of the court are (El nombre y dirección de la corte son): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, 24405 AMADOR STREET, HAYWARD, CA 94544 - FAMILY LAW DIVISION

2. The name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner’s attorney, or the petitioner without an attorney, are: (El nombre, dirección y número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante si no tiene abogado, son): SATNESH S. PRASAD, 607 LONGWOOD AVE., HAYWARD, CA 94541

Date (Fecha): OCT 21, 2022

CHAD FINKE, Clerk, by (Secretario, por) SARAH GOUVEIA, Deputy (Asistente)

[SEAL]

Published in the Wednesday Journal March 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010237 on February 27, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of DOUG MCGOLDRICK PHOTOGRAPHY with the business located at: 1034 WISCONSIN AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DOUG MCGOLDRICK 1034 WISCONSIN AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60304.

Published in Wednesday Journal March 1, 8, 15, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010231 on February 23, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of BTE MOBILE NOTARY SERVICES with the business located at: 5927 W. CHICAGO AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ERIN WILLIAMS 5927 W. CHICAGO AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60651

Published in Wednesday Journal March 8, 15, 22, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BROOKFIELD

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to call of its directors, a special meeting of stockholders of First National Bank of Brookfield (the “Bank”) will be held at the Bank’s main office located at 9136 Washington Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois, on April 19, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. to consider and vote whether an agreement and plan of reorganization, whereby a holding company, to be named Brookfield Bancshares, Inc., located in Brookfield, Illinois (the “Company”) would be created, making the Bank its wholly-owned subsidiary under the provisions of the laws of the United States, shall be ratified and confirmed, and to vote upon any other matters as may properly come before the meeting. A copy of the agreement and plan of reorganization, approved by a majority of the directors of the Bank and the proposed holding company, is on file at the institution and may be inspected during business hours.

First National Bank of Brookfield

Phillip Richard President and Chief Executive Officer

Published in RB Landmark March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive bids from qualified pest control service providers for pest management services at Village buildings. Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, or via e-mail at fgutierrez@oak-park. us until 11:00 a.m. local time on Friday, March 31st, 2023.

Request for Bids

RFB 23-118 - Village of Oak Park Pest Control Services

Issuance Date: 3/15/23

Bid forms may be obtained by calling 708-358-5714 or by e-mailing fgutierrez@oak-park.us between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. M-F. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Published in Wednesday Journal March 15, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 03-23-Z

HEARING DATE: April 5, 2023

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, Mel Garland, on behalf of Think Big Academy, to operate a day care center pursuant to Section 8.3 (Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 845-847 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Numbers 16-18106-012-0000 (“Subject Property”) in the MS Madison Street Zoning District.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a crossexamination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 15, 2023

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 06-23-Z

HEARING DATE: April 5, 2023

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“Board”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, SunFlower/Acupressure Massage Spa, to operate a massage service establishment pursuant to Section 8.3 (“Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 6340 Roosevelt Road, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-17-324-035-0000, in the RR Roosevelt Road Form-Based Zoning District.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park

CDBG Water Service Replacement Program - 2023

Bid Number: 23-114

Bid forms may be obtained from the Village of Oak Park website, http:// www.oak-park.us/bid. Bid documents may be viewed at the Public Works Customer Service Center at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the contact person, Water and Sewer Project Manager, James Eggen, jeggen@oak-park.us. This project has a mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting requirement. The Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at The Public Works Customer Service Center on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 10:30 A.M. All bidders will be required to submit Bid Security in the form of a Certified Check, a Cashier’s Check or a Bid Bond in the amount of Ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid, payable to the Village of Oak Park.

The successful bidder will be required to post performance security and to provide a certificate of insurance as set forth in the bid package. This contract shall be subject to the provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS130/1 et seq.) to the extent required by law. This is a Federally-funded project, funded with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and is thus subject to all applicable Federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC; Plaintiff, vs. JOHN PRABHAKAR PULUKURI; 929 OAK PARK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; BANK OF AMERICA, NA; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 5256

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, April 17, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-18-307-034-1008.

Commonly known as 929 South Oak Park Avenue, Unit 2SW, Oak Park, IL 60304.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a crossexamination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 15, 2023

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

e Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

is newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

CALENDAR NUMBER: 07-23-Z

HEARING DATE: April 5, 2023

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“Board”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, Christopher Bell, to operate a live performance venue (Comedy Plex LLC) pursuant to Section 8.3 (Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 1128 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number16-08-118-0031-0000 (“Subject Property”) in the DT Downtown Zoning District.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a crossexamination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 15, 2023

For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455. W22-0188 ADC INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3215203

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

Deborah Czajka

Jose Del Angel

Joseph Maruska

Marybelle Mandel

Nicholas Tricoci

Sandra Greicius

Antonio Santucci