Landmark_041625 by Wednesday Journal

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIEL D

Riverside dentists speak to the importance of uoride in water

Dr. Frank R. Orl father helped mak uoridated wat national standar

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Dr. Frank Orland, 78, a retired from Riverside’s Orland Family grew up drinking water with fluoride in it, as his father, Dr. Frank was a pioneering dentist and his mother, Dr. Phyllis Orland, a pediatrician, before a majority of the country fluoridated its water.

“He had us drink fluoridated water wherever we went. I remember bringing little plastic bottles of water that he fluoridated himself, so we’d effect, even on trips,” Orland said Frida

“My in-laws believed in [fluoride z ealously from the research in-law did, and it sure pr fective. My husband never had ca [nor] his siblings,” Orland

Carla P. Orland, 71, added.

See FLUORIDE on page 8

ORLAND TRIO: Dr. Frank Orland, Sr. was a notable researcher in the value of uoride in water. His son Dr. Frank Orland, Jr. and Dr. Carla Orland, his daughterin-law described how essential uoride remains.

Riverside weighs food truck regulations

ey’re OK for residents’ events, but the board was split on allowing them downtown

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Rive rside trustees have approved r ules fo r food trucks to visit town as pa rt of an event hosted by a resident or existing business, bu t the village b oard did not yet decide how to re g ulate food truck businesses that want to set up shop on their own.

At their April 3 meeting, trustees directed staf f to allow food trucks, as pa rt of a “special event” p ut on by someone with a preexi sting tie to the village, to operate in any pa rt of the village on private property a limited number of times. While trustees discussed the p ossibility of allowing food truck businesses to operate inde p endently in town, they did not come to a consensus on w hether they should be ba rred within a certain distance of brick-and-mortar restaurants

April 21-27, 2025

FRANK ORLAND

C ARLA P. ORL AND

New co ee shop makes a splash at 8 Corners

Drip Co ee is housed inside Beach Avenue BBQ

Sundays through ursdays

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

When Brookfield resident Elizabeth Segura last month opened her mobile coffee business, Drip Coffee, she didn’t expect the immediate community response to be as overwhelming as it has been.

“Brookfield, LaGrange, LaGrange Park — I mean, people have been coming from different neighborhoods,” she told the Landmark Thursday. “The community has just been overwhelmingly supportive. I didn’t know what to expect, I really didn’t. I definitely didn’t expect the kind of flow that I’ve been getting, and I’ve only been doing this literally like 16 days, because I don’t operate on Fridays or Saturdays.”

Located inside Beach Avenue BBQ, 3453 Grand Blvd., Drip, which opened March 23, is Brookfield’s newest coffee shop. Segura staffs the cafe herself 7-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch. On Fridays and Saturdays, she takes the mobile espresso cart out of the restaurant for whatever events she can book.

She said the menu includes “your lattes, your cappuccinos, macchiatos, cortados, all of the standard espresso- and coffeebased drinks,” as well as custom creations. Online ordering is available through the Eate Digital app.

Segura, who grew up “on Cicero and Chicago Avenue” in the Austin neighborhood of the city, moved to Brookfield about four years ago and said she was surprised by the lack of coffee options across town.

“It was the earlier stages of the pandemic. At that time, I was working on the corporate side for a bank, and I was entirely remote.” she said. “I started making my way around the neighborhood, trying to get an idea of what’s out there, where I could go to just do my thing, and I found myself kind of floored by the fact that we really don’t have that.”

She added: “There are two coffee shops in Brookfield, both wonderful, women-owned businesses” — Gosia’s Coffee Shop and Loca Mocha Café — “but they’re on the southeast end, so for those of us sitting on the northwest end of Brookfield, it isn’t always feasible, right? Sometimes, we don’t have that kind of time to make the walk over there.

I’ve always been used to going into the shops in the city, where you’ve got all of the plugins, and it’s a whole vibe. The music is going, the energy’s flowing, all of that. And I was like, I think I could do that here.”

At first, her idea was to open a joint coffee shop and cocktail lounge, but she wasn able to find a brick-and-mortar space in the area that would fit her needs. So, she went back to the drawing board.

“I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago, and I moved a lot, and the one thing that I can always say is that the sense of community, or family, as you will, was never about the brick-and-mortar, right? It was never about the space; it was always about the people, and I’m like, ‘OK, I can do that,’” she said.

While still conceptualizing her business, Segura worked with her friend Juan Silva, who co-owns Beach Avenue BBQ. He said Drip Coffee felt like a natural fit for what he called a “residency” in the restaurant.

“First, she thought about getting a food truck or a mobile van, and we’re about helping the community, helping other people get to where they need to get in life. So, we were like, ‘Well, we’re closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and there’s no reason why you can’t operate before we’re open,’” he said. “I thought it was a perfect opportunity, and I wish that more businesses would think likewise.”

The two businesses have collaborated for Sunday brunch service since Drip opened.

“As of her being here, our brunch has increased, I would say, probably about 30%, which is great,” he said.

“Coffee has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. I’m not talking about the elevated kind of coffee, right? My grandmother was a Nescafé decaf coffee drinker,” Segura said. “The one thing my grandmother always taught me was that, when you do things with intention … no matter how simple the recipe is, it’ll taste phenomenal.”

One thing setting Drip apar t from its competitors is Segura’s willingness to craft custom cof fee creations for her customers.

“Any time someone comes in, and I’m meeting you for the first time, the first thing I ask you is, ‘Let’s talk through this. I’ve got my menu, but we can skip that. Tell me what your vibe is,’” she said. “‘What’s more important to you? Is it the kick, or is it the flavor?’ From there, I either make something that they’re used to, or, if they’re willing to let me play, we play. It’s been fun, and it’s a really great way to con-

nect with people.”

She said some of the ingredients she experiments with include hibiscus, cinnamon, powdered sugar, agave syrup and even homemade cold foam.

“I’m half-African American, half-Mexican, and I have really been playing with the ing redients that are traditional to my Mexican culture, trying to figure out what complements what and what makes what stand out,” she said.

With more than 20 years of experience working in the world of banking, Segura said she was itching for the change of scenery that running Drip has brought. On Jan. 24, she resigned from the company she had been with for 15 years and spent the next two months working to bring Drip to life.

“The first two weeks, I was losing it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ I didn’t regret quitting my job, but the hard part was getting out of that re gimented mindset. When you live that corporate life, you are always accountable to someone, and you’re always scheduled,” she said.

“It was tough from an emotional and mental perspective, but I continued to push through and work on establishing the backside of things … The goal was always to launch in March, and I was stuck to that. I married that timeframe. I’m like, ‘It doesn’t have to be the beginning of the month. It doesn’t have to be the end of the month. It just has to happen in March.’ And it happened.”

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza Marketing & Adver tising Associate Ben Stumpe Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls

Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner EMAIL jill@oakpark.com

Operations Associate Susan Babin

Chair Eric Weinheimer Treasurer Nile Wendor f Deb Abrahamson, Mary Cahillane, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson, Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson

HOW TO REACH US

ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066

E-MAIL dhaley@wjinc.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com

The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $45 within Cook County and $65 outside the

TRENT BROWN

DRIP BY DRIP: Elizabeth Segura opened Drip Co ee inside Beach Avenue BBQ.

North Riverside Players

Proudly Presents

North Riverside Players

Louisiana, where all the ladies in the neighborhood have eager assistant, Annelle, Truvy styles the hair of rst lady of Chinquapin, Clairee Belcher, local career woman M’Lynn, and her daughter Shelby, town, but the joy and excitement of her wedding myriad of health complications. As the women of they ﬁnd comfort (and a fair amount of verbal another.

Proudly Presents

Brook eld Zoo administers $140K in research grants

Funding focuses on conservation, wildlife health and eld research

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

Nineteen conservation and veterinary science research programs, ranging from dusky gopher frogs in Mississippi to spider monkeys in Bolivia, have received nearly $140,000 in grants from the Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund.

The seed funding, administered by Brookfield Zoo and announced April 7, supports global projects focused on species conservation, wildlife health and field research

projects around the globe focused on protecting species threatened with extinction.

“We’re proud to support these groundbreaking ef for ts that advance the field of conservation science,” Manne said in a Brookfield Zoo press release. “These grants enable researchers to explore new frontiers in veterinary medicine, wildlife health and species recovery ef for ts that have the potential to create lasting impact.”

Since the fund’s inception in 1988, $2.4 million has been awarded to more than 550 projects. About 150 grant applications are received every year and reviewed by an advisory committee led by Manne.

Brookfield Zoo further supports by administering the application process and coordinating the distribution of financial support to recipients on the fund’s behalf, according to zoo director of public relations Julianne Olivo

“Each year, the amount available to award is determined using an approach that balances preservation of the fund’s value over time with generating spendable income to support its purpose,” Olivo said.

April 25, 26, 27 • May 2, 3, 4, 2025

By Robert Harling

Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm • Sundays 2:30pm

By Robert Harling

Directed by Karen Levin

Scheck Village Commons, North Riverside For tickets, visit www.nrplayers.com or call the number below.

Directed by Karen Levin

Six of the 19 grant recipients are associated with Brookfield Zoo, including Dr. Katie Delk, whose project focuses on veterinary education in Laikipia County in Kenya. The other five programs involve research conducted at the zoo. For example, Dr. Lance Miller’s project focuses on African elephants, pangolins and bottlenose dolphins. Cody Hickman’s project focuses on greater prairie chickens, while Dr. Lily Parkinson’s entails bottlenose dolphins and Humboldt penguins.

Truvy Jones runs a successful beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies in the neighborhood have a standing Saturday appointment. Along with her anxious and eager assistant, Annelle, Truvy styles the hair of many of the women about town: wealthy widow and former ﬁrst lady of Chinquapin, Clairee Belcher, local curmudgeon Ouiser Boudreaux ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years”), intelligent and compassionate career woman M’Lynn, and her daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town.

The Chicago Board of Trade Endangered Species Fund was founded in 1988 by current Brookfield Zoo trustee Jerry Manne and his then-colleagues at the Chicago Board of Trade. Since its inception, fundraising has been led by the zoo in collaboration with Manne and his colleagues, creating the endowment intended to support

“The number of award recipients is determined based on the advisory committee’s careful review of projects and the corresponding funding requested.”

Other non-Brookfield Zoo programs that received grants included one focused on monitoring the current population status of endangered black-faced spider monkeys in Bolivia Another program, involving a researcher at the Memphis Zoo, will monitor the success of a reintroduced population of dusky gopher frogs in Ward Bayou, Mississippi.

JAVIER GOVEA

Riverside hair salon ﬁnds new life after owner’s passing

Alisa Paganis inherited Salon Elia when her father passed away last year

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Alisa Paganis first worked at Salon Elia in Riverside at the age of 10. For three years, she swept the floors, answered the phones and shampooed customers’ hair. While most children wouldn’t dream of working in a hair salon, Paganis, as the owner’s daughter, had little say in the matter

“It was not always fun because I was the oddball of my friends. I had an immigrant dad who expected me to work, so I didn’t really have a social life, but I did have a rich social life within the salon,” she told the Landmark Thursday. “Although I felt like I missed out on some things as a kid, I actually was learning so many other things about people and life within these walls, being around people from the ages of 9 up till 90 years old, and everything in between.”

Since 1977, Paganis’s father, Vasili “Bill” Paganis, ran the salon himself after emigrating from Greece. But that changed when he fell and injured his head last November.

“When my father passed on Christmas, my mother asked me if I wanted the salon. She said, ‘Listen, I can’t run this from my kitchen table, but if you want it, I’ll give it to you. Dad would be thrilled.’ So, I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” she said. “Closing the doors to the shop would close my dad’s book, in a way, which made my family kind of sick to their stomach.”

She said thoughts of her community of family and friends, “clients who are also now friends and like family,” and the hairstylists who would lose their jobs motivated her to take on ownership of the salon.

While Paganis didn’t initially take to styling hair, her upbringing in the salon led to a decadeslong career in the field; first, however, she spent years in an adjacent field, starting when she was just 13.

“I went to St. Mary’s from fifth through eighth grade, so I would come here with my Catholic school uniform on and go to

work. I walked here from school one da and my mother, who had a huge with nails, said, ‘I’ out every hour. Go wash your hands and come sit down. you how to prep learning that da I started building was doing girls’ nails moms started coming to me, and I just took to it like a fish to water.”

For another decade, she technician before going to beauty school and returning to her sition into hairstyling.

“When I knew I wanted to be a hairstylist, but I didn’t know it one of my dad’s employees, Heather, asked me to put on her know how to do that,’ and she said, ‘Oh gosh, you’ve seen it a million times. Come on, you can do it. I’ll walk I put that brush to the hai came over me, honestl

Paganis worked ther until her ear at Solo Salon in the years before retur

“I just really lo dad’s shop and knowing feeling that sense of community. Although I came from this absolutely gorg eous, very progressive environment, now in my life, I was looking for a bit of a hug during my day,” she said. “When my mother and I talked about [taking on the salon], it felt perfect. It felt like, what I was searching for the last year and a half, my father gifted me from the other side through my mom.”

GENERATIONS: Alisa Paganis holds a portrait of her late father, Vasili “Bill” Paganis, who opened Salon Elia in Riverside in 1977.

Read & Support

Paganis said she plans to keep Salon Elia running and growing to honor her father’s le gacy. So far, she’s added more greenery to the waiting room and brought in a new line of products by R+CO for customers.

“My father had over 500 people come to his wake. A lot of friends, a lot of clients, and I can’t tell you the number of people who were crying and sharing how my father impacted their life in a positive way,” she said. “I care about people as much as he does, and so do the rest of us. It’s a big deal. We don’t take it lightly.”

Apartment for Rent

District 208 to catch some rays

Roo op solar system at RBHS to come online late summer 2026; school’s alum expected to work on project

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

The sun’s rays will offset up to 18% of Riverside-Brookfield High School’s future power consumption needs with rooftop solar modules that are expected to be installed in 2026.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kristin Smetana, who made a presentation about the solar system at the April 8 District 208 school board meeting, said that 926 solar modules will be placed on racking rails to be installed in three primary locations on the school roof. They will capture sunlight that will result in direct-current (DC) power that will be converted by seven inverters to usable alternating-current (AC) power.

T he project is expected to g et under way in May 2026 and be completed the following August.

Most of the district’s upfront cost of $1.1 million will be offset by state, federal and ComEd incentives, with full return on investment in about five years. The ultimate cost to the district will be $74,849, Smetana told the board, which will be recovered by energy savings.

“After five years, it’s cost-neutral,” she said. The district is currently in contract discussions with Verde Solutions, with completion of that and school board approval, possibly April 29, the night the new board will be installed. Verde Solutions, based in Chicago, was the winning firm of an RFP (request for proposals) that was issued by the district last October. Four companies submitted proposals.

One of the Verde Solutions engineers on the project will be a 2015 Riverside-Brookfield alumnus, Grace Rasmussen, a renewable energy engineer who has a mechanical engineering de gree from Purdue. She’s See

ge 7

a renewable energy engineer who has a mechanical engineering de gree from Purdue. She’s stoked to be part of the installation at her alma mater, and added some reminders that she went there in a project presentation prior to Verde’s selection.

“It’s funny, because public schools put out notice s, and we saw one,” Rasmussen said. “‘Oh my gosh I went there, how funny.’ We have a fairly small team, so I was going to work on (the project) already.

“I put to g ether the presentation and found some photos from graduation. I havsome photos of me shaking hands with Dr. Smetana at graduation. At the time she was the principal.”

Rasmussen said the incentives are what make the project work for the district. ComEd will provide a check of $130,000 after the system is energized in August 2026. T he federal investment tax credit, under the direct-pay prog ram that’s part of the Inflation Reduction Act

mussen said.

Finally, the Illinois Power Administration progr am Illinois Shines incentivizes solar by paying entities like District 208 for g enerating solar power. According to Rasmussen, the total incentive there will be just under $500,000.

“Right now, Illinois is one of the hottest solar markets,” she said, adding she got into engineering after high school because she liked physics and math and was “interested in how things move.”

Smetana said the roots of the district’s solar ef fort be g an back in 2019, before the COVID pandemic. T he solar landscap e was markedly dif ferent back then.

“A lot of it was a purchased power,” she said. “The cost savings went to the company that installed (the system). T he tax credits are now available for schools.”

She added that having Rasmussen in on the project is “really neat that it comes full circle

“She did the presentation along with the CEO,” Smetana said. “I was surprised when she showed up … ‘Gosh that person looks so f amiliar.’ And when she did the

March 10, 1:15 pm

my first class where I was the princi

CelebratingMusicofWomen

Tatyana Stepanova and Sara Su Jones present a concert featuring women composers, introduced by WFMT’s Dennis Moore.

April 21, 1:15 pm

Gustave Caillebotte:

Painting His World

March 17, 1:15 pm

TheOriginal “A Star is Born”

Dr. Gloria Groom will give us a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges in putting together this exhibition

Kathleen Rooney shares the story of silent film star Colleen Moore, whose fairy castle is in Chicago!

March 24, 1:15 pm

Suffrage Song: The Haunted History of Gender, Race, and Voting Rights in

Chicago’s African-American StudioPhotographers

With author and illustrator Caitlin Cass

All programs are open to the public. Building is fully accessible. Donations to help support programs are appreciated.

A three-course lunch is offered at noon. Lunch reservations required by Wednesday prior; contact the office.

Dr Amy Mooney examines how photographers helped develop a collective racial consciousness.

Sunday Program - May 4, 1:15 pm

Evolution of Human Language, Aesthetics and Free Will

March 31, 1:15 pm

Jim Walters has written and co authored papers relating to evolutionary psychology.

TheMarginalizationofAfrican BeautythroughHistory

May 19, 1:15 pm

Best of Broadway

Karen J Anderson shifts the narrative about beauty and how African American women are seen in art, history, and modern media.

Devin DeSantis and Jacquelyne Jones, accompanied by JoAnn Daugherty on piano, bring Broadway musicals to life.

Programs are livestreamed and can be viewed on our website. Previous programs can also be seen on our website: nineteenthcentury.org

Programs are live streamed and can be viewed on our website. Previous programs can also be seen on our website: nineteenthcentury.org

FLUORIDE

Frank Orland’s father was one of the scientists who helped prove bacteria can cause tooth decay. While earning advanced de grees in microbiology from the University of Chicago, his father was involved with studies comparing fluoridated water in Evanston with non-fluoridated water in Oak Park and the effects on children’s teeth from 1947 to 1961.

His father was also one of the founder s and the first president of the Historical Society of Fo rest Pa rk Water has widely been fluoridated since that time in the United States due to the proven benefits of daily exposure. Chicago has added fluoride to its water since 1956, Frank Orland said, and Riverside has gotten its water from Chicago since the 1980s. But the practice is now coming under fire and making national headlines. Last month, Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah signed a bill banning communities from adding the mineral to their public water systems, a move Health and Human Services Sec-

retary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised. He called for the end of water fluoridation and may have an HHS task force make a new recommendation on the practice.

Despite Kennedy’s anti-fluoride stance, the American Dental Association continues to recommend the use of fluoride in water while the Center for Disease Control finds consuming fluoride reduces cavities by about 25%. Fluoride does so by repairing and preventing the natural damage to teeth caused by bacteria in the mouth, which produce acid that dissolves minerals in teeth when someone eats or drinks

“I was totally distraught by that comment of Secretary Kennedy because it literally is unfounded on fact, with all the research that’s been done for fluoride intensely since the ‘40s, plus all the empirical work before then. It just doesn’t make any sense to ban fluoride when it’s been so beneficial to how many millions of kids and adults, too,” Frank Orland said.

“No of f ense, but how well ve r sed scient ifically is [Secretary] Kennedy? I mean, is he a scientist, or is he j ust listening to, maybe, some p eople that have kind of erratic views?” Carla P. Orland a dded. “Basic science is who I would listen to, and , my God, no one, to my mind, in the d ental profession thinks banning fluoride is ing potentially amage

A LOT OF TEETH: Dr Frank Orland, Sr with a dolphin skull given to him by Brook eld Zoo.

FOOD TRUCKS Regulations debated

from page 1

Trustee Jill Mateo was absent from the discussion.

T he b oard did not take any final action at the meeting that affects how food trucks operate in Rive rside, thoug h trustees will li ke ly review at least one ordinance on the matter at meetings in the near future.

Based on staf f recommendations presented by A ssistant Vi llage Manage r A shley Monroe, food trucks that are being brought to town for an event will be pe rm i tted through Rive rside ’s specia l events application process. T hey will be allowe d to operate in Rive rside for up to three c onsecutive days as pa rt of wh at the village c onsiders one event, and each truck c an return for up to 12 recu rring events — o ccurring over the same time spam and org anized by the same individual or group — per application, though these numbers are not yet final. Fo r example, “Let’s say charit y

number one has 12 events, and they hire Joe’s food truck for all 12 events C harity B has 12 events, and they hire Joe’s food truck. Th at ’s O K,” Vi llage President Doug Pollock said. “Joe ca n be here as much as he wants … It ’s the sponsor that’s being limited, not the actual food truck.”

Monroe recommended a flat f ee of $30 per special event application involvin g a food truck, though she said it would be a private ag reement b etween the truck and the Rive rside-based sponsor on who pays the fe e.

When the discussion turned to food truck businesses that would operat e re gularly within the village, trustees’ opinions appeared to be split on whether Riverside should ban them within 100, 200 or 300 feet of existing restaurants, based on distances for pedestrians to get from the truck to the restaurant’s front door. T he buffer would not apply to food trucks in town for special events

Trustee Elizabeth Kos suggested re gulating food truck locations b ased on the kind of food they sell. Cu rrently, the single food truck that operates re gularly in Rive rside, P rime Ta co s, d oes so at Rmarts, a g as station along Harlem

Avenue, about 300 feet north of El Faro ; b oth ser ve Mexican food

“I would n’ t say that they ’re similar menus, but it ’s b oth Mexican food. I do n’ t know this for a fact, but El Faro might love a cupcake food truck opening right near them, right?” she said. “There might need to be some wo rdin g of a similar menu because, de p endin g on wh at kind of food truck we ’re talking about, it might actually be b eneficial to have it closer to them.”

However, Village Attorney Robert Pickrell advised against it: “From a leg al perspective, it’s going to be very hard to describe that in a way that’s going to be understandable and enforceable.”

As trustees discussed, the co nversation c entered on whether allowing food trucks would be fair to the operators of brick-and-mortar restaurants who have invested in opening a location in Rive rside. Kos and Trustee Meg an C laucherty said the b oard c ould not know the c onsequences of allowing food trucks and that trustees may have to revisit the topic in the future to change re g ulations.

Kos pointed out that there are few private pa rk ing lots near do wntown River-

s ide where a food truck business c ould pa rk , as they would not be allowe d to pa rk on the roadway as public proper ty Food trucks c ould p otentially pa rk in the Masonic Temple’s pa rk ing lot or that of Rive rside Food s, but only with the pe rm i ssion of the property owner s.

“If you put a separation requirement, I think it’s safe to say that food trucks are prohibited from downtown,” Pollock said. “Effectively prohibited, because every property is within 100 feet of a restaurant.”

Claucherty pointed out that, as village code currently stands, food trucks could set up shop downtown, but none have At the end of the discussion, Ko s, C laucherty and Trustee A lex Gallego s said they we re in favo r of having no bu ff er requirement downtown wh il e trustees Aberdeen Marsh- Ozga and Cristin Evans said they would want a bu ff er to protect existing restaurants. T he b oard ag reed to have staf f to research where so-called “business” food trucks c ould pa rk on private property in Rive rside and bring the i tem back before the b oard at a f uture meeting with a full slate of trustees.

Exhibit at Riverside Arts Center focuses on personal re ections of home

ree artists featured at Ruminations on Home

By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter

The Riverside Arts Center opened Ruminations on Home on April 6, showcasing art by Jennifer Mannebach, Jeffly Gabriela Molina and Brad Stumpf and their personal reflections of home

Curated by Karen Azarnia, the exhibition features a diverse collection of handmade paper objects, oil on panel works, plaster and acrylic pieces, graphite on vellum, a containment sketchbook, homemade sculpture and oil on linen.

The exhibition is on view through May 10. An artist talk and closing reception are scheduled for May 10.

The Riverside Arts Center has been at its current location at 32 E. Quincy St. for 31 years. Before that, the building was apartments. The idea for the exhibit comes from that previous usage

Said Azarnia: “I was struck by how each artist approached the theme [of home] from a distinct perspective. I think each vantage point really gives us a different facet to consider and allows us to bring our

she calls “homemade sculptures.”

“There is a sense that nostalgia has the ability to transform the way we look at something. When that something is no longer accessible – like, in this case, Venezuela, my hometown, my family –the memories of the past become more precious and there’s a kind of shine to them that may even transform them,” Molina said.

Mannebach’s sculptures transform childhood objects, like a slide and toy, blurring the lines between memory and new perception. Her work highlights the home as a space for risk-taking, where memories remain fluid and ever-changing.

ideas to the viewer – hopefully sparking their own notions of home and what that means to them.”

Mannebach is a Chicago-based artist and curator whose mixedmedia work explores boundaries and material remnants. Molina is a Venezuelan-born artist in Chicago who creates emotionally resonant works and public sculptures reflecting personal and cultural narratives. Stumpf is a multidisciplinary artist whose detailed paintings resemble theatrical stage sets, capturing surreal or intimate moments from memory. Molina reflected on how nostalgia shapes her view of the past, particularly memories of her hometown in Venezuela, which feel more precious and beautiful with distance. As she builds a new life and home in the U.S., she said her art honors both the fragility and sweetness of home, whether through transformed memories or intimate objects

Reflecting on a personal memory from when her children were young, Mannebach recalled an orange and blue plastic slide she could not wait to get rid of, only to later seek it out again for her work The slide is now composed of fragmented pieces, reassembled and altered from its original form

“My kids are now in their 20s and this memory is from a long time ago. There’s something about looking back at something, especially when using an autobiographical source, that gives you some distance from it. At the time, I might have responded to it differently than I do now – with a bit distance and a broader perspective on what it might mean beyond what it meant in the moment,” Mannebach said. When asked how these sets represent both real and imagined moments of home in Stumpf’s life, he responded that his approach to this show represents imagined futures and hopeful realities

“At least in this show, everything exclusively works with the future with my work So, I make these little objects, and then I build my stage set on what used to be my bedside table, creating a reality that’s kind of like a wish,” Stumpf said.

Moving to a senior living community may not be your first choice, but delaying the decision has drawbacks. Your well-being is at stake—senior communities provide essential services that enhance physical, emotional, and social health. Waiting too long could mean missing out on support that improves your quality of life.

Additionally, postponing the move can make the transition more difficult. Moving is a big step, and delaying it may lead to unexpected challenges. By making the move earlier, you can adjust at your own pace and fully enjoy the community’s amenities.

Social connections are vital at any age, and senior living offers a built-in network of friendships. Procrastination could mean missing out on meaningful relationships that bring joy and companionship.

Ultimately, moving sooner allows you to embrace a more comfortable, engaging, and fulfilling lifestyle—why wait to enjoy all that senior living has to offer?

Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030.

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER

Brad Stumpf | “I Recall With Eyes Closed,” 2022, Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER

Jennifer Mannebach | “Flood,” 2024, Hydrocal, acrylic rod, acrylic paint, 10 x 10 x 2 inches

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER

Je y Gabriela Molina | “A Broken Jar Won’t Hold Much Candy”, 2023, Oil on linen, 50 x 40 x 2 inches

Sweet spring with NRebozo’s squash blossom mole

Our inaugural dish is a mole at NRebozo, 7403 Madison St. in Forest Park. Oak Parker nette Hoag is a re gular diner at the restaurant and always looks forward to seeing wh of Chef Paco’s mole creations are on the menu. One of her favorites is a spring sensation: squash blossom mole. She orders it with cheese enchiladas, though you can also get them filled with meat.

“It has a little spice, little bit of smoke. No heat. It’s a tiny bit sweet,” Hoag said. “It pairs perfectly with the cheese. It’s a little butter nut squash-y. I always like the texture of his moles. I would say it’s very smooth.”

It’s one of Chef Paco’s favorites as well.

“I have 40 moles. Every week we serve six. This one is special. I love it. It’s the zuc-

flower, flor de calabaza,” said Chef Paco flower is yellow. This it’s the color.” does it take to make this dish?

“In Mexico, people lo zucchini flower. Here it hard because the flower for a couple of months.

zucchini flower

United States, very expensive.” said owner and chef Paco Lopez.

Each year when the fl owers hit the market, Chef Paco grabs them up to feature the dish as long as he can. Creating the mole takes up to eight hours.

“Also in this is onions, cilantro, lime and the secret is the chili guajillo,” Chef Paco said.

Not super spicy, not super sweet,” he said.

Those ingredients are sauteed with garlic and tomatoes, then they all go into a blender. And then back on the stove to simmer.

“I go to a lot of Spanish or Mexican restaurants.” Hoag said. “They have one kind of mole, just the traditional chocolate mole I’ve never seen anything close to these moles I can’t imagine getting squash blossom mole anyplace else. This is fresh, silky.”

The goal for Chef Paco is, “…when you

taste, close your eyes and say, ‘Oh my God, this is so delicious.’”

The mole options cycle through the seasons, so squash blossom mole will only be on the menu for a few weeks. The others currently available are pumpkin, broccoli, chocolate, habanero and peanut.

RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR

Squash blossom mole at NRebozo.

Speeding driver caught with a revoked license

Riverside police arrested a man April 4 after they saw him speeding.

Around 5:30 p. m ., an officer on patrol was driving north on L ongcommon Road when they saw a car heading south from S elbourne Road at 42 mph in the 25-mp h zone. T he officer made a U-turn and p ulled the car over near the intersection with Kent Road

The driver provided the officer with an Illinois ID and said he did not have a driver’s license. After running his information, the officer found the man’s license had been revoked.

The officer arrested the man and transported him to the Riverside Police Department, where he was ticketed for speeding and driving with a revoked license. Police released the man with a May 2 court date.

Investigating shots ﬁred

Brookfield police on April 8 responded to a re po rt of shots fired but did not arrest anyone or find evidence that shots we re fired

Around 9:45 p.m., an officer responded to the 4600 block of Grove Avenue in response to a call from a resident, who said she heard about three or four loud noises that she thought could be gun shots after seeing three people in a nearby parking lot.

The officer spoke to several people in the area who said they did not hear gunshots. One woman told police she had heard fireworks go of f about 20 minutes prior.

Police did not find bullet casings in the area.

These items were obtained from the Ri verside Police Department re ports dated April 4 and the Brookfield Police Department reports dated April 7-14; they re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Trent Brown

THE L ANDMARK VIEW

Fluoride and its Riverside connection

When the current ruckus over the use of fluoride in drinking water be g an to burble, we had a hard time taking it seriously. After all, the benefits of fluoride in battling cavities are settled science. Has been since the 1950s

But as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., outrageously the secretary of the federal de par tment of Health and Human Services, added fluoride to his nonsensical attacks on vaccines, we had to pay attention. And when the governor of Utah last week signed a bill banning fluoride in water supplies, another pillar of a shared American view beg an to shred.

And that’s when we thought about Dr. Frank Orland, Sr. He’s the dad of Dr. Frank Orland, Jr., a now retired dentist in Riverside. We know the senior Orland through his work leading the Forest Park Historical Society. But he was also a leading advocate for fluoride during his studies at the University of Chicago when he earned de grees in microbiology. He was involved in a notable study which compared the impact of fluoride in Evanston’s drinking water with the absence of fluoride in Oak Park’s water supply from 1947 to 1961.

T he clear consensus then was that fluoride prevents cavitie s. Soon fluoride be g an to be added to municipal water systems across America. Chicago added fluoride in 1956 and Rive rside has been getting its water via Chicago since the 1980s

Dr. Frank Orland, Jr., told our Trent Brown last week that he and his sibs only drank fluoridated water and that his dad mixed the fluoride into plastic bottles at home. Dr. Carla Orland, also a dentist and mar ried to Frank Orland, noted that there were no cavities in that family.

Dr. Orland, Jr. said he was “totally distraught” when Kennedy be g an undermining faith in fluoride “because it is literally unfounded on fact. … It just doesn’t make sense to ban fluoride when it’s been so beneficial to how many millions of kids and adults, too.”

Clearly, facts do not matter in this moment. Science is to be doubted. The gover nment at all levels is suspect. What a disturbing moment we are living in.

R-B’s solar initiative

And in an example of how things are supposed to work, our Greg g Voss reAports this week on how state and federal funding, along with support from ComEd, will largely pay for the installation of an array of 926 solar modules on the roof of the school.

When installation is complete in August 2026, the school will meet up to 18% of its power consumption needs from the solar panels. The district will pay about $75,000 toward the $1.1 million project. And savings will make the project cost neutral in just five years.

OBITUARIES

Douglas Schaﬀ, 74

Riverside resident, librar y suppor ter

side Public Library.

Douglas J. Schaff, 74, a longtime resident of Riverside, died on March 31, 2025. He attended Culver Military Academy and the University of Illinois Chicago. Doug worked in the air freight industry for many years. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and many good friends. Memorials may be made to the River-

Halina Rzepka, 99

Long time Riverside resident

Halina C. Rzepka, 99, of Riverside, died on April 9, 2025. Halina was the wife of the late Stanislaw “Stanley”; the mother of Toni (Frank) Harford; the Babcia of Stephanie (Erik) Johnson and Michael (Tanja) Murray; the Babcia-inLaw of Kathleen Chandler, John, Thomas and David Harford; the greatgr andmother of Brianna and Fiona Murray, Nicholas, Theodore and Anna Chandler, and Francis and Anne Harford;

and the great-great-grandmother of Charlotte Chandler

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 from 3 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday, April 16 from 9 a.m. till services at 10:40 a.m. at Ivins/ Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., Riverside, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary Church at 11 a.m., with interment at St. Adalbert Cemetery.

Sandy Saban-Kolar, 62

Worked in the RBHS lunchroom

Sandy Saban-Kolar, 62, of North Riverside, died on April 13, 2025. Born on Feb. 3, 1963, she was a friend of many, including those at Quest Food Management. She work in the lunch room at erside Brookfield High School for ov a decade. A proud mother who doted on her daughter’s a ccomplishments, she had a kind heart, treated everyone as family, and will be missed by all.

Sandy was the wife of Glenn Kolar; the mother of Kati (Riley Connell) Kolar and her beloved dog, Ivy; the sister of Jackie Larucci, Cathy (Bob) Holmes, Sheryl (late Tim) Gladden, Dan (Brenda) Saban, the late John (Robyn) Saban, and Marty Saban; the aunt of Joe (Vida) Larucci, Jen (Brett Fergin) Larucci, Molly (Connor) Strawn, Tricia (Mike) Longo, Calliope Saban, and Alan Saban; and the great-aunt of Landon, Bentley and Lilija.

Visitation will be held at Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home, 10501 W. Cermak Road, Westchester on Thursday, April 17, 2025 from 3 to 8 p.m. Interment private.

In goal or eld, Bieliauskas excels for RBHS water polo

Boys and girls teams both achieve rst two victories of season

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Senior Martynas Bieliauskas once again splits time playing goalie and field this season for the Riverside Brookfield High School boys water polo team. He’s made significant progress in the net, thanks to tips from RBHS assistant coach Tatum Bruno and RBHS girls water polo coach Amy Frey, a for mer colle ge goalie.

“She’s kind of helped me out, diffe ent tactics. It’s like a fresh set of eyes to improve my g ame,” Bieliauskas said. “I think my legs have definitely gotten a lot better and my positioning and awareness in goal have definitely improved.”

For tunately for the Bulldogs, Bieliauskas was on offense when they needed him most April 9. He scored the winning goal with 14 seconds left as the Bulldogs re corded their first victory this season, 7over Morton, after f alling behind 6-4 with 5:23 remaining

“[Avi Ponnappan] fed me a pass tha was just beautiful and I finished the job,” said Bieliauskas about his third goal of the season. “It was nice. I haven’ t been scoring much, which is a little bit of a disappointment. Scoring when it matters always feels good and just to execute a win in the last crucial seconds is nice.”

. Jake Kocourek scored in the second uarter for a 3-3 halftime tie. T he g ame also was tied 4-4 after three quar ters. “Coming into the season I didn’t have ry high expectations but two wins back back has shown me a lot more what our team is capable of and what we can do in the future,” Ponnappan said. “Working Tatum in practice, we’ve been able to elop a lot of skills that we didn’t have at the start of the season and that has helped e our games run a lot smoother.”

Other top-scoring players this season include Marcello George (6 goals) and destandout Henry Manning and Jacob Photiades (5 goals each).

Bieliauskas usually alternates quarters oal with junior Zachary Kowalski Because of illness F riday, Bieliauskas ed the entire match in goal. Ponnapan scored a single-match best seven against Maine East, including the ve of the g ame. Manning and Koourek also tallied

RBHS girls water polo

T he Bulldogs had just gone a man up on Morton. T he ejection with 15 seconds followed a steal by Ponnappan, their leading scorer with 27 goals

“[Our players] did a really good job of pressing hard on defense and playing

said Bruno, a first-year coach along with RBHS head coach Mike Laurich. “Fro m our first g ame, everyone was nervous to have that much contact and to play big T hey’ve gained a lot of confidence playing pretty intense varsity-caliber teams, even our JV kids. Now we have young players coming that are looking really, re-

T he Bulldogs (2-6), who followed with a 9-4 victory over Maine East F riday, are a relatively inexperienced lineup that continues making significant strides. The Morton victory was further proof. Down two goals, the Bulldogs closed to 6-5 on Ponappan’s fourth goal of the g ame with 2:45 to play T hey tied it on freshman’s Ryan Meshke’s fifth goal with 36 seconds

The Bulldogs (2-6) posted their first two victories during a busy four-match week, beating Stagg 14-4, April 7, and Hinsdale South 10-7, Friday.

Senior Bella Gonzalez had four goals at Hinsdale South. Seniors Liv Dobbe, Eleanor Glennie and Sophie Ivan had two each. Varsity newcomers making contributions include new senior goalie Afton Douglas in her second season with the program, junior Bella Abernathy and sophomore Leah Ve ga

STEVE JOHNSTON

RBHS tracks success at annual Bulldog Relays Sports

Matthew Torrens wins pole vault; Dosek among varsity girls standouts

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

Like many athletes, Riverside Brookfield High School junior Rebecca Dosek faced having multiple favorite sports in the same competition seasons. After playing softball the past two springs, Dosek is trying track and field for the first time.

“I’ve always wanted to try track but it overlapped with soccer,” Dosek said. “For my freshman and sophomore years, I decided to just stick with soccer because I had

been playing it for so long. With only two more years left of high school, I figured I would give track a try this year because I would re gret not trying it out.”

So far, Dosek has been among many highlights for the Bulldogs. On Saturday, she was part of two third-place relays at the annual home Bulldog Relays. The RBHS boys finished fourth (62 points) and the girls were 10th (22.5 points) in the invite that combines results from varsity, junior varsity and frosh-soph competition, including several additional relays.

Senior Matthew Torrens had the lone event victory, taking the boys pole vault with a height of 3.73 meters/12 feet-2¾ inches.

Nazareth Academy junior Daniel Lewis of Brookfield won the boys 3,200-meter run

Riverside/Brook eld’s

(9:52.95) by nearly 44 seconds.

Dosek, seniors Jorie Eggers and Gianna Gelb and junior Addie Vaia combined to take third in both the girls 4 x 800 relay (10:20.36) and varsity 4 x 400 relay (4:21.40).

“I was just really proud of the relay teams. We all did really well and I enjoyed cheering them on,” said Dosek, who ran first in both relays. “As for why I tend to lead the relays, it’s just what we as a team ve found to work best.”

“My race highlight was our 4 x 800,” Eggers said. “From what we ran at one of our meets prior, we shaved our time down by almost 30 seconds. I think we were all happy with how the race went.”

Dosek is no stranger to running. She’s been all-conference in cross country and part of the re gular varsity lineup. She got an early confidence boost track-wise with her fourth-place 2:37.28 in the 800 at the indoor Upstate Eight Conference Meet March 22.

“I was running with a lot of really fast girls and I surprised myself when I did well enough to earn a medal,” Dosek said. “For me, cross country and track races feel nothing alike. Cross country is all about

long-distance endurance and in track meets I’m usually running mid-distance. In cross country, I know I have a long race ahead of me (generally 3 miles). In track, the distance is much shorter and I don’t have to conserve nearly as much energy.”

Eggers added that she was disappointed with her third-place 51.10 in the 300 low hurdles but noted this was her first time racing this season.

At most invites, the 4 x 400 relay is three events after the 300 hurdles. There was more recovery time Saturday with the addition of the 1,600 medley relays.

“Even though my legs can get a little tired [competing the 300 hurdles and 4 x 400], the adrenaline kicks in and I forget all about it,” Eggers said. “It doesn’t feel like a tough transition at all since they are similar distances and it feels much easier not having to jump over hurdles.”

The junior varsity 4 x 400 of Adriana Svora, Sadie De La Varga, Julia Daniels and Courtney Frank was sixth (5:02.30). Aileen Rivera tied for seventh in high jump (1.32m/4-4).

In the boys races, seniors Brady Norman (1,600 in 4:27.16) and Asa Kahle (11.83m/38-

ERICA BENSON

Kira Hanson hands the baton o to Addie Vaia while running the 4 x 400 meter relay during the Riverside/Brook eld Track Inv ite held Saturday.

ERICA BENSON

Riverside/Brook eld’s Brady Norman runs the 1600 meter during the Riverside/ Brook eld Track Inv ite held April 12.

RBHS, LTHS so ball teams come out swinging, scoring

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

Senior second baseman Ella Jurgens is among several Riverside Brookfield High School softball players of f to a blistering start offensively. Just don’t give her any statistics.

“I don’t want to know. I’m superstitious now so I’m not checking my batting average,” Jurgens said, “totally and I want to keep it like that.”

The Bulldogs (6-5, 3-2 in Upstate Eight Conference East Division) are batting .376 as a team with a 1.004 OPS. They’ve scored between 20 and six runs, five in double digits, in all but two games.

And yes, Jurgens (.571 batting average, 15 runs batted in, 1.338 OPS) is among the offensive leaders along with senior and Northern Kentucky recruit Ellie Megall (.483, 8 RBIs), junior Trinity Stevenson (.425, 16 RBIs), sophomore Alexis Busse (.438) and freshmen Mia Melendez (.371, 5 home runs, 19 RBIs, 1.39 OPS), Brailyn Naylor (.438) and Amelia Pytel (.370, 8 RBIs).

“It’s awesome, especially to see the freshmen come out and hit so well. This year we have a lot of consistent hitting,” said Jurgens, who hit .253 in 2024 with 14 RBIs.

“I feel like I had a little bit of a rough season last year but this year I feel a lot more like myself. I have a much better mental approach to my at bats. Last year in my head the whole time was thinking don’t strike out, don’t strike out. This year it’s more like, get a hit, swing at a good pitch, a more positive approach than don’t do this.”

In UEC play, RBHS has beaten Fenton 141, West Aurora 13-4 and East Aurora 20-0 and lost to West Chicago 15-3 and Glenbard East 13-6.

“We have a solid lineup No. 1 through 9 and hitters on the bench that can hit,” first-year RBHS head coach Emma Jarrell said. “We keep telling ourselves we can win any game because we can hit, so we can always come back and score a bunch of runs. We’ve just got to stay sound on defense and

9¾ in triple jump) both finished third. Norman already is in range of the 4:21.89 Class 3A state-qualifying standard.

Kahle, Henry Walker, Quinn Hendricks and Clayton Dosek combined for fourth in the 4 x 800 and (8:46.16) and varsity 4 x 400 (3:33.63). Wayne Torrens, Matthew’s

ards in the March 18 opener and also has beaten Neuqua Valley 4-3 and Hinsdale South 5-4. The team’s .304 average includes seniors Maddie McLane (.368), junior Ava Jacklin (.364, 3 RBIs) sophomore Mary Sandman (.364, HR, 7 RBIs), all returnees, but also Bruckner (.348, 6 RBIs), Wagner (.312) and juniors Mia Jovicic (.357) and Lyla Replin (.286).

“Our offense has been probably the best it’s been since I started at LT,” third-year LTHS coach Megan Quinn said. “We’ve got a ridiculously fast team so offense and runs is how we’re going to stay in ball games.”

Quinn said Bruckner “shocked us” when they first observed her during summer camp Her ability to also play catcher has been an added bonus. Bruckner said she already knew some of her older varsity teammates through her Blast traveling team.

JOHNSTON

Riverside-Brook eld’s second baseman Ella Jurgens (1) makes the throw to rst base against West Chicago dur ing an Upstate Eight Conference game, April 8, in Brook eld.

we’ll win a lot of games.”

The Bulldogs hope to complement their hitting with improving defense and pitching (27 er rors, 33 unear ned runs).

Pytel, Stevenson, Abby Weinert and Reese Milchhoefer have been pitching, as well as Melendez, who made her debut against Fenton, April 9.

Melendez allowed four hits in five innings with five strikeouts. She has five of the seven RBHS homers. The others are by Pytel and Kennedy Holakovsky as a pinchhitter against Fenton.

Stevenson, a pitcher/first baseman in past seasons, is playing shortstop, a new position including traveling season. Megall began the season at shortstop but has returned to third base, her position the past three seasons.

“I love switching positions and being a complete utility player. I didn’t expect it at all coming into the season, but now that I’m

twin brother, (6.08m/19-11½ in long jump) and the varsity 4 x 800 of and the varsity 1,600 sprint medley relay of Ryan Kendall, Omar Guzman, Samuel Lee and Emmitt Olson (2:22.82) also finished fourth.

Calvin Martin and De’Marcus Robateau finished 5-6 in high jump and Joseph Al-

playing [shortstop], it’s so much fun,” said Stevenson, a 2024 all-conference player.

“[And offensively] I feel like my confidence is a lot higher. Now I just go up to bat thinking just wait for your pitch, your pitch will come and then you can just smash it.”

Lyons Township softball

A couple of new faces, one a familiar one, are helping the Lions to a high-scoring start. Sophomore pitcher/first baseman Caylee Wagner, a transfer from St. Laurence, and freshman catcher Alice Bruckner are among key newcomers for the Lions (3-4).

“It’s definitely a change from (the size of) St. Laurence. Probably the kids here [have been the best aspect]. They were really welcome and supporting,” Wagner said. “[We enjoy] just hanging out as a whole and how everyone’s been playing and the team bonding.”

LTHS enjoyed a big 8-5 victory over Rich-

berts was fifth in shot put (11.91m/39-1).

The varsity 4 x 100 of Mateo Santini, Matthew Torrens, Levi Huffman and Wayne Torrens was sixth (47.88). Taking seventh were Cooper Sahlas (5.50m/18-0½ in. long jump) and Wayne Torrens (100 in 12.02).

The frosh-soph 800 sprint medley relay

“I wasn’t really sure [about varsity] until the tryouts. It’s been pretty easy. The girls have been really nice and I really like the team,” Bruckner said. “I’d say staying calm and collected (has helped offensively) because I’m stressed out when I’m at the plate. But at this start I’ve been pretty calm.”

The move of Wagner’s family to Countryside has reunited her with Quinn, who personally coached her when they both were part of the Blazers traveling softball program.

Wagner’s addition has been even more important because senior all-conference pitcher/first baseman Isabella Evans has been sidelined from elbow surgery in February. Evans received medical clearance to return last week.

“When I had found out that I was getting Kaylee, that was truly awesome,” Quinn said. “She’s got an already high softball IQ. She’s willing to put in extra work.”

Wagner and Bruckner also are already connecting as a battery.

“I can trust her around the plate. Alice has helped me with pitches more comfortable to throw,” Wagner said. “I was able to cover more of the location of my pitches and [make them] better.”

of Ronin Pasimio, Omar Guzman, Ben Weisman and Bryson Reum (1:47.63) and 1,600 sprint medley relay of Weisman, Kaimeon Jackson, Huffman and Aiden O’Brien (4:05.43) both were third. The frosh-soph 4 x 400 of Huffman, O’Brien, Wilson Leister and Reum was fourth (3:57.77).

STEVE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION

WINTRUST MORTGAGE, A DIVISION OF BARRINGTON BANK & TRUST COMPANY, N.A.

Plaintiff, -v.ARMANI GRIFFIN

Defendants

24 CH 04949

2501 SOUTH 18TH AVENUE

BROADVIEW, IL 60155

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 10, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 13, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 2501 SOUTH 18TH AVENUE, BROADVIEW, IL 60155

Property Index No. 15-22-124015-0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

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

The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

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

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

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

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

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

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC

One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088

E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 23-16277IL

Attorney Code. 61256

Case Number: 24 CH 04949

TJSC#: 45-520

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

Case # 24 CH 04949 I3263630

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING Plaintiff, -v.-

JOSE G. ROMERO, GEMA A. ROMERO, BYLINE BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO COMMUNITY BANK OF OAK PARK RIVER FOREST, CROWN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, LVNV FUNDING, LLC

Defendants 2023 CH 02946 812 HUGH MUIR LN MAYWOOD, IL 60153 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 10, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 13, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 812 HUGH MUIR LN, MAYWOOD, IL 60153

Property Index No. 15-02-322016-0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $183,864.65. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

TJSC#: 45-910

The Judicial Sales Corporation.

No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition.

The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

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

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

For information, contact CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ

SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810, CHICAGO, IL, 60601 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 22-087686. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

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

CHAD LEWIS

ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ

SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810 CHICAGO IL, 60601 561-241-6901

E-Mail: ILMAIL@RASLG.COM

Attorney File No. 22-087686

Attorney ARDC No. 6306439

Attorney Code. 65582 Case Number: 2023 CH 02946

Notice of Public Meeting

Proviso Township High School (PTHS) District 209, located at 8601 N. Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park, IL, will hold a “timely and meaningful consultation” virtual public meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the district’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private or parochial schools or are homeschooled within the district for the 2025-2026 school year.

Case # 2023 CH 02946

I3264296

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

Attention: Parents of Homeschooled Students

On Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 9:00am, Forest Park Schools District 91 will conduct a meeting at the Administration Office, 424 DesPlaines Avenue, Forest Park. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the district’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities and/or students that are eligible to receive Title 1 services who attend private schools and/or home schools within the district boundaries for the 2025-2026 school year. If you are the parent of a homeschooled student who has been or may be identified with a disability and/or is eligible to receive Title 1 services and you reside within the boundaries of Forest Park Schools District 91, you are urged to attend. If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting, please contact David Mekhiel, Director of Student Services, at (708) 366- 5700 ext 3306.

Published in Forest Park Review April 16, 23, 2025

Riverside Township Budget and Appropriation Ordinance and Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given to the legal voters of Riverside Township that the Township Board has drafted a Tentative Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the 2025 - 2026 fiscal year. Copies of said Budget and Ordinance are available for inspection during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, in the Township Office at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546. A Public Hearing on the Budget and Ordinance will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 6:45 pm in Room 4 of the Riverside Town Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL.

Jay Reyes Clerk, Riverside Township April 8, 2025

Parents of homeschooled students residing within the boundaries of PTHS District 209 who have been or may be identified with a disability are encouraged to attend. This meeting is being conducted in compliance with Illinois State Board of Education regulations. To receive a Microsoft TEAMS invitation to participate in the meeting, please email rfleming@ pths209.org.

For questions or additional information, please contact: Ms. Ramonda Fleming, Ed.S District Coordinator (708) 497-4650

Published in Forest Park Review April 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION

DOCKET NUMBER� PC 25�02

�Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment)

HEARING DATE� May 1, 2025

TIME� 7�00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING� Room 201 � Council Chambers, Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302

PETITIONER� Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302

REQUEST� The Petitioner, Village of Oak Park, seeks a text amendment to the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance as follows: 1.� Amending Article 8 �“Uses”) � Table 8�1 (“Use Matrix”) by adding “Place of Worship � Dual Use” as a special use in all zoning districts, except the OS � Open Space District and H � Hospital District. 2.� Amending Article 8 �“Uses”), Section 8.4 �“Principal Use Standards”), subsection M. (“Place of Worship”) by adding, “…and Place of Worship � Dual Use” to the heading and adding subsubsection 2., as follows: “Places of worship – dual use shall allow, through special use approval, an existing Place of Worship the

ability to allocate unused areas within said Place of Worship for R�7 multiple family residential use or for general office use, as defined within this Ordinance. a. The sanctuary or the area of worship must continue to be used by the congregation. b. No additions shall be allowed to expand any proposed residential or office use. c. Provided the remaining sanctuary or area of worship is abandoned, the property shall become subject to the Adaptive Reuse provisions of this Ordinance.”

A copy of the proposed text amendment is on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, between 9�00 a.m. and 5�00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in RBLandmark April 16 2025 Published in Wednesday Journal, April 16, 2025