Landmark 071724

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Junior Olympics bound

All lead service lines in town could be replaced within ve years if the village continues at its current rate, o cials said

Brookfield is likely to end its policy of reimbursing residents who choose to replace lead service lines at their homes before the village does.

At the village board’s July 8 committee of the whole meeting, Assistant Village Manager Stevie Ferrari spoke to trustees about a recommendation from village staf f to end the reimbursement program due to issues they have seen crop up since the policy was implemented last August.

The policy allows Brookfield homeowners who had

PROVIDED BY IAN MCLEOD
RBHS’s Priscilla Gill attempts a shot on goal against Lincoln Way West at Hinsdale Central on Saturday March 9, 2024.
on

OState police grant Brookfield PD $15K for firearm enforcement

cers

from BPD rather than ISP now step in when rearm owners’ ID cards are revoked or suspended in town

The Brookfield Police Department is set to receive nearly $15,000 from the Illinois State Police as part of its third round of firearm enforcement grants.

ISP announced July 1 that it will issue $1.5 million in grants for fiscal year 2025 to 21 law enforcement agencies across Illinois, enabling their officers to “conduct enforcement details for individuals legally bar red from having a firearm.” Most departments on the list will receive grants in the range of $10,000-$30,000, including Brookfield’s grant worth $14,791.30.

This year’s round of grants is ISP’s largest monetarily. In 2023, the first year of grants, ISP issued nearly $1 million to 30 police departments that completed more than 300 details consisting of more than 3,500 compliance checks, according to the announcement. In 2024, it awarded $1 million to 16 law enforcement agencies. Brookfield did not receive a grant from ISP in either of the previous rounds.

This year, the Chicago Police Department was awarded more than $600,000 while the Cook County Sherif f’s Office was granted nearly $480,000, accounting for nearly $1.1 million of ISP’s grants.

Brookfield Police Chief Michael Kuruvilla said that to his knowledge the money from the grant will go toward paying officers for the time they spend conducting firearm enforcement details. He said Brookfield is still in finalizing its deal with ISP and that no money from the grant has yet been disbursed to the village’s police. Those officers’ work, he said, mostly involves notifying people when their firearm owner’s identification, or FOID, card is no longer valid.

“There is a portal where the Illinois

State Police now provide us notifications as to when [Brookfield residents’] FOID cards are put into a suspended or revoked status,” Kuruvilla said in a phone call Thursday. “Once we get that notification, there’s a sense of responsibility to us that we need to” then notify that individual of the change in their FOID card status.

He said Brookfield officers are placed on details as a “semi-frequent” occurrence but that there is no “exact frequency” to how often it happens, as the decision to revoke or suspend someone’s FOID card is passed on from ISP.

When ISP revokes or suspends an Illinois resident’s FOID card, that person is required by state law to surrender their FOID card to their local police department and transfer all firearms they possess to someone who is legally allowed to hold onto them, be it a police officer or another FOID card holder. As members of firearm enforcement details, Brookfield officers are tasked with facilitating that process and assisting residents with filling out firearm disposition records that they must file with the state.

Kuruvilla said that officers are not asked to seize the firearms of people whose FOID cards have become invalid. He said a police department seeking to seize an individual’s firearms would first need to convince a judge to issue a search war rant.

Kuruvilla said Brookfield police applied for the grant funding from ISP after state police, which used to handle enforcement details itself, “offloaded” some of those duties to local police departments before this year.

“I believe they’re still involved, and there’s some ambiguity in this, but they’re basically looking to share some of that responsibility with us, the local departments and local municipalities,” he said. “It’s not a, ‘Hey, this is completely your responsibility now’ Depending on the circumstances, if there’s significant action to be taken, I’m confident we’d still be reaching out to state police and leaning on their expertise.”

In its announcement, ISP said its grants come out of the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund as established by Public Act 102-0237. According to the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, the fund

accrues $5 every time a resident pays the state’s $10 fee to obtain a FOID card.

ISP said that law enforcement agencies that join the Violent Crime Intelligence Task Force are eligible for grants from the state fund. It is not immediately clear whether police departments outside of those on the task force can receive the grants or whether Brookfield is a member of the task force.

Kuruvilla said he did not have much information on the task force, as BPD learned about its grant around the same time that ISP announced this year’s recipients publicly

The police chief said Brookfield police would need to decide whether they want to apply for another grant in the future over the coming year.

“That is probably something that we’ll have to evaluate after we engage in thi s,” he said. “It actually started July 1 of this year and it goes through June 30 of next year, so over the next 12 months … I think we’ ll really g et an idea of just how much staf f time we really need to dedicate to this endeavor.”

Brookfield police are cracking down on speeding violations this month

Brookfield announced July 8 that the village, alongside more than 200 local municipalities in Illinois, is joining up with ISP and the Illinois Department of Transportation to increase the amount of police patrols kee ping track of traffic speeds for the month of July. Kuruvilla said the joint ef fort is funded by grants from IDOT; while he did not recall the amount of the grant, he said it is “not substantial to [his] knowledge.”

Kuruvilla said traffic enforcement is always part of an officer’s responsibilities, but the initiative for July represents “an elective ef fort from our staf f” to focus on catching drivers who speed.

“Our officers are aware of that and conduct those duties in the course of their re gular tour of duty, but, obviously, that competes, or has to be managed and balanced, with their other responsibilities. Calls for service, of course, are paramount,” he said. “On a normal basis, you have to juggle

See FIREARM on page 16

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Chicago Grit Bike Race Wa tch Part y

Wednesday, July 24, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., LSF Brook eld Library

Stop by the top oor of the library for the coolest views of the Chicago Grit bike races. Drop-in to the Maker Studio to create posters to cheer on the racers, sample free snacks, and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the most challenging turnpike on the racecourse. Register for classes and events online at www.lsfbrook eldlibrary.org, by phone at 708-485-6917 or in person at the library. Walk-ins welcome, where applicable. 3541 Park Ave

Family Fun Ride Bike Decorating

Tuesday, July 23, 4:30 p.m., LSF Brook eld Librar y.

Are you looking for some family fun in the neighborhood? Bring the kids to decorate bikes for the whole family to show o during the Family Fun Ride at the Chicago Grit bike races! Don’t you and your family want to ride in style? The Grit Bike Races will be held in Brook eld on Wednesday, July 24. 3541 Park Ave

Meet & Greet with Author

Rafael Perez Guer

Monday, July 22, 7 p.m., LSF Brook eld Library

Author Rafael Perez Guerra will be at the library this Monday. He will be discussing his book “Elucidation of a Historical Falsehood.” Guerra aims to reveal the real history of Chicago founder Jean Baptiste Point De Sable. Wouldn’t you like to know the real story? Stop by the library. 3541 Park Ave

July 17-24

BIG WEEK

Self Defense Class

Thursday, July 18, 6 -7 p.m., North Riverside Public Library

Learn all about the basics of self-defense with WellPower Coaching at Nor th Riverside Library. Everyone wants to feel prepared just in case, so it is important to learn how to defend yourself. Important note: Do not use these moves on your older or younger siblings. This hourlong class will give you new skills and possibly a new hobby. Hurry and register before spots ll up! Registration is required for this event so make sure to sign up online while spots are still available www.nrpl.info. 1 Burling Rd.

Family Pool Day

Sunday, July 21, 1 - 3 p.m., ntennial Outdoor Aquatic Center milies of children with disabilities are invited to this Family Pool Day hosted by SEASPAR, a special recreation association serving 12 communities in age and Cook Counties. This summer event is for families of children ages 5-15 and parents and siblings are welcome. If you are interested in this event, you can register by calling SEASPAR at 630960-7600 or email info@seaspar.org. The fee is $30 per family. 16028 127th St., Lemont

Listing your event

■ If you would like your event to be featured here, please send a photo and details by noon of the Wednesday before it needs to be published. We can’t publish everything, but we’ll do our best to feature the week’s highlights. Email calendar@wjinc.com.

Compiled by Grace Har ty

North Riverside, MWRD unveil new green parking lots

North Riverside village officials and representatives from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago came together Monday morning for a ribbon cutting to unveil what Mayor Joe Mengoni called the village's "first green infrastructure project." About 71,000 square feet of permeable pavers make up new parking lots at North Riverside's Village Commons, police and fire stations and public works departments that will be able to capture up to 539,000 gallons of water at a time.

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Illinois, local politicians react to attempted assassination on former President Donald Trump

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condemned the attempt on X, for merly Twitter, Saturday evening.

“Violence is never the answer,” he wrote. “I wish for mer President Trump a speedy recovery, and I’m saddened by the loss of life of an innocent spectator.”

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It is not yet clear how Saturday’s events will a ect August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago or elections in November

Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, García’s deputy chief of staff and communications director, said in an email to the Landmark that the Congressman did not have further comment.

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As info rm ation c ontinues to c ome from investi gators over the attempted assassination of for mer President Donald Trump, the GOP’s c andidate for the 2024 presidential election, I llinois lawmakers and p oliticians are we ighing in on Saturday’s shooting

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, whose 21st District seat covers parts of Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside, told the Landmark Monday morning that he learned of the attempt on Trump’s life while driving home from an event Saturday.

“I was horrified when I learned that that was happening. Political violence is never acceptable,” he said. “No matter how much we disag ree with anyone across the political spectrum, you never resort to violence. That’s what democracy is all about; it’s about taking our issues to the ballot box.”

“I want to make it clear that political violence is never acce ptable. I wish for mer President Trump a swift recovery. In our democracy, differences should be settled through dialogue and mutual respect, not through acts of violence,” Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement.

Democratic S enator Dick Durbin, in a p ost on X, said “political violence is neve r acce ptable.”

“I’m keeping the for mer president, the bystander who was tragically killed, and all who were injured or whose safety was threatened in my thoughts,” he said.

And Illinois Republican Chairperson Elect Kathy Salvi on X said: “The Republicans of Illinois are united and stand with President Trump We express our full support for President Trump and his family We appreciate the prompt response by law enforcement and the Secret Service.”

Other area leaders did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

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He also gave his opinion on whether President Joe Biden should step out of the presidential race following calls to do so from Democrats since his debate with Trump on June 27.

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“I think he should do the right thing, and I think that his presidency has been overshadowed by support for a genocide in Gaza,” he said. “When you combine that with the reality of how he’s doing in the polling, he should take a very serious look at this choice, and do what’s best for the country.”

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Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, whose district includes Brookfield, Riverside, North Riverside and many sur rounding villages,

It is not yet clear how Saturday’s event, which comes amid deep divisions among the nation’s political parties, will affect August’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, authorities said. The region’s delegates include State Rep. LaShawn Ford, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins and Chicago Alderperson Emma Mitts of the 37th Ward. It is also not yet clear whether or how Saturday’s attempted assassination will affect polls in November.

The Democratic Party of Illinois issued a statement late Saturday.

“We are shocked and saddened by the events at the rally in PA. Political violence

See ATTEMPT on page 16

Brookfield moves forward with vacant building registration program

Village sta have identi ed about 75 vacant properties in town so far

Brookfield may soon require property owners to register any vacant buildings in town with the village

At the village board’s June 8 committee of the whole meeting, Community Development Director Libby Popovic spoke to trustees about the possibility of implementing an ordinance that would require the owners of vacant buildings in Brookfield to register those properties with the village, enabling village staff to keep an accurate count.

After some discussion following Popovic’s presentation, trustees agreed to have staff draft an ordinance that they will review at their next regular meeting on July 22.

Brookfield now does not have “any effective tracking mechanism” for staff to track which properties in town, both residential and commercial, are vacant, Popovic said. Instead, she said staff has been using indirect methods to assess which properties are vacant, like checking the public works department’s zerowater-usage spreadsheet.

“We use that to see who hasn’t been using water within the last three weeks, as kind of a starting point for the assessment,” she said. “Also, reviewing some of the piles with property maintenance, we determined that there’s probably about 75 known vacant properties and probably 90 plus, total, between commer-

cial and residential.”

Popovic said that a vacant property registration program would have several benefits to the village, like enabling maintenance to keep up a building’s exterior appearance, decreasing crime and vandalism in the area, increasing local stability and property value and generating revenue for Brookfield through the collection of related fees.

The ordinance would also promote public health by allowing staff to prevent vermin infestations and deal with garbage left on properties as well as hold a vacant property’s owner to account for leaving behind an empty building rather than rehabilitating or selling it. Ultimately, if an owner chooses not to register their vacant property, the program will enable Brookfield to fine them for violating a village ordinance.

Popovic told trustees that village staff had surveyed nearby municipalities; they found that Berwyn, Cicero, Maywood, Broadview, Forest Park, Lyons and Elgin all require vacant properties to be registered

“This isn’t a quick process where you implement it, and then everyone rushes to the counter and registers and then takes care of the buildings, but this allows us a metric to start tracking it,” she said. “My understanding from dealing with three of these municipalities [is that] it has brought the overall vacancy down a certain amount, and it allows them to track it better and keep track of the ones that are out there for public safety and, overall, for redevelopment.”

In her presentation, Popovic specified recommended details for the registration program. Vacant properties would ha newly registered when ownership

and the registration would have newed each year, both at a proposed $200 each time for single-family residential buildings and $500 for commercial or multifamily building registrations. Owners would then have to get their building inspected within 15 days of registering the property and pay a $100 fee if additional inspections are required.

Property owners would also be required to submit a statement of intent describing their plans for the building at the time of registration and for mal plan for the building within 60 days

Trustee Jennifer Hendricks took issue with the requirement for the for mal plan, as some new owners of recently vacant properties, like those inheriting land from family members who have died, may wish to take more time before they decide on what to do with the building or land

“I’m thinking that, in an estate situation, 60 days isn’t necessarily a very long time to decide what a family might want to do with those properties,” she said.

Popovic responded that the village would be willing to work with property owners to extend the deadline or accept a plan with whatever information the owner provides.

“The plan might be, we’re assessing it now. It’s in probate, and we’re not going to be in front of a judge, for example, for 90 days, and we need to extend it,” she said. “Or, it could be, the family is assessing it, and they’re going to sell it within six months. That’s OK. That’s a lot more information than we have right now, which is nothing.”

o would be responsible for the property, could act in place of an owner

Trustee Kit Ketchmark raised the issue that there may be cases where tracking down a property owner or determining a property’s assessor could take a long time or a significant investment of staff work. Popovic agreed that some cases will take longer than others, but that the vacant properties are still worth tracking down.

“We have the mechanism and the tools, because most of [the information about property ownership] is public record,” she said. “Right now, what we’re doing is we’re pulling this information as it is from different resources. This allows us to keep it squarely with the owner, whether that owner is a trustee in a bankruptcy, a bank that owns it, or whether it’s an estate or the actual owner. It’s usually not that big of a mystery; it just takes some time to be able to look through it.”

After more back-and-forth discussion between trustees and Popovic, the members of the village board agreed to have the proposed ordinance come before them once again.

“If there’s an estate that the executor doesn’t want to do anything and has no interest in the property, the alternative is it could sit vacant for two years, and we have no mechanism for penalizing them other than the regular code sections, and this, I think, is just an additional tool,” Village President Michael Garvey said. “I know it’s not going to solve all our problems. It’s not going to cover every case, and I know you’re acknowledging that it will be a case-by-case basis, but I’m glad to see it coming forward.”

REIMBURSEMENT

Costly pipelines

from page 1

for 2024 went i nto effect, residents pay $16.10 per thousand g allons of water, and $1.66 from that amount goes into the f und. At the meeting, Fe rr a ri said the f und each year a ccrues about $750,000 wh i le paying out b etween $250,000$300,000 toward the village ’s debt ob li gation from its IEPA loans.

quotes ranging from [$]8,000, which is a little more typical, all the way up through [$]18,000 recently for line re placement.”

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- Create a Vegetable Garden: a great way to connect them to their food and understand how to nurture, grow, and harvest what they eat.

- Visit or create Pollinator Gardens: they will be able to see the diversity of plants and pollinators, while also becoming educated on this crucially symbiotic relationship.

- Take Field Trips: visit parks, nature preserves, or botanic gardens— many are only a short drive away! Every time my children point out a bug, ask to see baby birds in a nest, or want to go outside barefoot, I’m constantly reminded of nature’s vital importance. Nurturing their connection to our surroundings will help grow their appreciation of nature and understanding of the importance of why it’s worth protecting.

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c ontractors re p lace lead service lines r unning under their homes to request reimbursement from the village for the f ull c ost of the wo rk Fe rr a ri said the village d oes not reimburse residents fo r other c osts related to the line re p lacement, li ke required up gr ades to the service lines, the i nstallation of new water meters or interior restoration wo rk .

“S o, if flooring or drywall had to be breached, for example, we would not reimburse for the c ost of new drywall and flooring,” she said.

S he said that Brookfield d oes cove r the c osts to re p lace water service lines if there is a leak, even if the leak is on the private side of the line

While the village b oard ag reed to have staf f bring for th an ordinance that would eliminate the p oli cy at the b oard’s next meeting, the p oli cy will remain on the b ooks until trustees take their vote at that meeting . Brookfield has b een required to rep lace all lead service lines in town by the L ead Service Line Re p lacement and N otification Act since 2022. T he Act specifies that municipalities must star t re p lacing the lines by 2027 and c omplete the project by 2044, but Brookfield is already well ahead of schedule

“We are cu rrently ve ry proactive in approaching re p lacements of these lines,” Fe rr a ri said at the meeting. “While the state mandates this to be c ompleted in a 17-year period, going at this rate, and most especially because we are on the [Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s] i ntended f unding list for next year, we may have all lead water services re p laced within five year s. ”

According to village documents, Brookfield expects to receive $10 million in nointerest, 30-year loans from the IEPA next year for lead service line replacements. The IEPA is lending the village up to $7.15 million without interest for its replacements this year.

T he reimbursements c ome out of the village ’s lead service line re p lacement f und, wh ich has b een f unded by a small po rt i on of each resident’s water bil l since the village hi ke d water rates by 14% in 2022 for that pu rp ose. As of Ju ly 1, when Brookfield’s water rate increase

To date, Fe rr a ri said the village has reimbursed nine homeowners who elected to re p lace their private lead service lines at a total c ost of $78,023. S he said there are now four p ending requests for reimbursements, a dding up to about $51,000 b ased on the q uotes from c ontractor s that the four homeowners have submitted to the village

After sur ve ying six municipalities near Brookfield, Fe rr a ri said village staf f found that L aGrang e, L aGrang e Pa rk , North Rive rside, Rive rside, Westchester and Western Springs have no similar poli cy.

“Brookfield is the only c ommunity allowing elected private line re p lacement at all, and then, ours is with 100% reimbursement,” Fe rr a ri said. “The only c ommunity that had indicated they would p otentially be looking at elected private line [rep lacement] is Wester n Springs. T hey cu rrently have an overhead sewe r c ost-share progr am, similar to our flood miti gation progr am,” with a 50% c ost-share cap that an elected line re p lacement p oli cy in Western Springs c ould mi rror

Oak Pa rk , wh ich Brookfield staf f did not sur ve y, implemented an incomeb ased reimbursement poli cy in March Fe rr a ri said village staf f have notice d three main i ssues with the reimbursement p oli cy since Brookfield implemented it 11 months ag o.

Dealing with solicitors

T he first i ssue she raised is that local c ontractors have be g un soliciting resid ents to have them re p lace lead servic e lines at their property on the village ’s dim e, some of whom have taken advantage of the fact that the p oli cy d oes not require residents to seek q uotes from multiple contractor s.

“We did not see the high contractor quotes at the beginning of this program, and now that private contractors are realizing the village has a reimbursement program, we are getting residents calling [to say] a plumber or their plumber contacted them to let them know they should do this now because the village will pay 100% of it,” Ferrari said. “We’ re seeing

According to village documents, Brookfield is paying about $7,300 pe r lead service line re p laced this year du e to bulk pricing secured in the c ompetitive bid process. Brookfield partnered with Five S tar E ner gy Services, a c ontractor b ased in Waukesha, Wi sconsin, in May for this year ’s re p lacement project, wh ich is expected to see 690 lead water services — nearly 25% of identifie d lines in town — re p laced by the end of the year

Finishing full replacements

T he second i ssue that Fe rr a ri sai d staf f had encountered has to do with the state mandate that requires Brookfield to re p lace lead service lines. According to the Act, the village must re p lace the public s ide of a lead service line within 30 days of the private s ide being rep laced, even if the homeowner d oes not ask for reimbursement from the village.

“We are mandated by state law to replace the public side if that side is determined to be lead as well, so if you touch either side of that line, public or private, you need to do a full replacement,” she said. “The unknown in public-side material verification does require hydro excavating down at the B-box. That is the only true way to, as close to 100% accuracy, identify the line material. That does take staf f coordination; that does take staf f costs.”

A B-box is a valve that connects a building’s private water service lines to the public water main at the edge of the property. Hydro excavation is a process through which the village or another contractor can use pressurized water to cut through soil and remove it in order to access the water service line buried underground

According to village documents, when a resident re places their private line electively and the village must re place the public side within 30 days, “[W]ater is reinstated with the partial water service replacement, and the consumers within the building have a potentially increased level of exposure to lead” until the village can re place the public side

Coordinating staff

The third issue with the policy, Ferrari said, is that village has had to have staf f set aside time on-the-clock to work on re-

See REIMBURSEMENT on next page

Scott McAdam Jr.

placing the public sides of lines that were partially replaced while also managing the planned replacements for this year.

“Having to coordinate elective replacements outside of this large capital improvement project does take some time and can create some prolonged frustration for a private resident if they want to move forward with an elective replacement. We do need to project manage that, pull staf f from project schedules to hydro excavate [and] determine public material, and that can create some delays,” Ferrari said.

“A dditionally, de p ending on at wh at stage they notify the village of their rep lacement, it may require us c ontracting their procured c ontractor at a higher rate, as we would be unable to use Five S tar E ner gy, for example, who are already on precured, low-bid rates,” she a dded.

Possible solutions

At the meeting, Fe rr a ri presented trustees with five options to modify the p oli cy to a ddress some of staf f’s i ssues without g etting rid of it, though she sai d the b oard c ould choose to ke ep the p oli cy as-is or pursue another path forward outs ide of those options

S taf f’s recommendation, she said, was

to eliminate the reimbursement p olicy entirely

The first option would require residents to submit multiple quotes from contractors before they select one and proceed with the re placement.

The second option would give Brookfield the power to choose the vendors for elective private replacements

T he third option would i nstate a maximum cap for the village ’s share of the c ost; for example, the village c ould cove r 50% of c osts up to $4,000, leaving a resident on the hook for the rest.

The fourth option would involve sending public works staf f to check whether the public side of a line contains lead before a contractor re places the private side

T he fifth option would requir e homeowners to pay a f ee to the village if public wo rks staf f have to check the public s ide of a servic e line at all following an elective rep lacement.

After discussing the p ossibilities, village trustees ag reed with staf f’s recommendation to end the p olicy outright.

“I ’d li ke to say that I suppo rt staf f’s

connect the village’s water main to each residence. *AnnualPercentageYield(APY)accurateasofOctober26,2023andissubjecttochange.

recommendation,” Trustee Jennife r Hendricks said. “I say that as a person who has a lead service line r unning to my home, and we ’re li ke ly to be one of

the last ones re p laced, b ased on the ag e of our street. I am c onfident that this is the most responsible and efficient use of public dollar s. ”

$10,000isrequiredtoopentheaccountandtoobtainthestatedAPY.Feesmayreduceearningsonthe

COURTESY OF THE VILL AG E OF BROOKFIELD is diagram shows the di erent components of water ser vice lines that run underground to

Brook eld is updating its zoning code and it wants your input

e

village’s zoning consultant will summarize issues at 2 upcoming commission meetings

Brookfield has launched a we bsite fo r i ts project to u pdate the village ’s zoning code — and it wants residents to give their feedback

T he village We d nesd ay announced the public release of a re po rt sharing findings from a technical review of i ts zoning code by Brookfield’s c onsultant fo r the project, C amiro s, a Chicago-based p lanning, zoning and u rban d esign firm. According to i ts i ntroduction, the 56page re po rt is d esigned to “highlight ke y i ssues and revisions that that re present substantive changes to cu rrent re g ula-

tions” rather than discuss every p otential change to the village ’s zoning code. The report goes into detail about possible amendments to the zoning code, including reorganizing the code’s format, standardizing use permissions, modernizing the nomenclature for district zoning and updating standards for development across several sections of the code, among other proposals

Re presentatives from C amiros will be present at two upcoming c ommission meetings to give an overview of the repo rt to the public: the economic development c ommission meeting on Ju ly 17 at 5:30 p. m. and the p lanning and zoning c ommission meeting on Ju ly 25 at 7 p. m. Both meetings will be held in the C ouncil Chamber at Brookfield Vi llage Hall.

To learn more about the village’s project or read a copy of Camiros’s technical review re port, visit the project website at brookfieldcodeupdate.com. Residents who want to give their feedback on the re port or other aspects of the project can do so on the website’s feedback page or by emailing Planning Division Manager Kate Portillo at kpor tillo@brookfieldil.gov.

COURTESY OF CAMIROS

Brookfi heads to Junior Olympics

Priscilla Gil is California-bound this month for competition

When Priscilla Gil first took up water polo, she did not expect to like the sport. Ten years later, not only does she love the sport, but she is preparing to head to California in two weeks to compete in a tournament at the Junior Olympics.

“My mom wanted me to play another sport, and she saw that after swimmers were done with the season, they go into water polo season,” Gil said. “She decided to sign me up and I totally didn’t want to do it, but I ended up doing it my first year. I ended up loving it.”

In California, she will compete in a Ju nior Olympics water polo tournament. This is her first time as an athlete on a Junior Olympics team, an opportunity she said she is very excited for.

“I was obviously really nervous, but I made it,” Gil said about the tryouts. “I think it’s really fun because some of my friends are on it, and I met new people. It just really helpful too, because I’m going to play in colle ge, and I think it’s really special that I could continue to train in the summer going into my freshman year.”

Born in Chicago, Gil moved to Brookfield when she was seven years old. She started playing water polo at Lyons Aquatics, a club aquatic team, where she practiced and honed the skills that are leading her towards her future.

With the Lyons Aquatics team, Gil had the opportunity in June to spend 10 days training in Barcelona, Spain. It was her first time in Europe, and she spent it mainly training and competing with other water polo players. In the little bit of downtime they had, they were able to explore the city and soak up their time abroad.

Gil said that from the moment the team landed in Spain they began working on their skills. They dropped of f their bags the hotel and went straight to the pool Club Natació Barcelona.

Senior

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Senior living communities also free residents from the burdens of home maintenance and chores. Housekeeping, laundry services, and meal preparation are typically included, giving residents more time to enjoy their hobbies and interests.

Moreover, senior living communities often provide various levels of assistance, from independent living to full-time care, allowing residents to age in place comfortably This flexibility ensures that as needs change, the appropriate level of care is always available. Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030.

PROVIDED BY IAN MCLEOD
Priscilla Gil heads to Penn State in the fall a er she competes in the Junior Olympics.

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arrested after giving police false names, ages during traffic stop

A 27-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were arrested July 7 in Riverside after a patrolling officer said they noticed their car’s license plates were suspended

Around 5 a.m., the officer was driving south on South Harlem Avenue when they saw a car headed in the same direction “with suspended registration tags.” After pulling the car over near Robinson Road, the officer approached the driver, who gave her name and a 1993 birthdate, police said. When asked for her driver’s license, the woman stated she left hers at home, and she did not provide proof of insurance. The officer also asked the man in the passenger seat for his ID, which he said he did not have before giving his name and a 1998 birthdate.

According to police, the officer ran both of their information through the police database; the woman’s information came back clear but with no record of a driver’s license while there was no record found for the man’s

information. After learning this, the officer asked the woman to step out of the car to speak. The officer told her they would need to bring her to the station to verify her identity with a fingerprint inquiry

At that point, police said, the woman put her head down before raising it again and telling the officer her real name, which was not the name she first gave, and that she was actually born in 1994. After running the woman’s real name through the database, the officer found her driver’s license was suspended, so they placed her into custody.

After placing the woman in the squad car, the officer told the man that the car would need to be towed unless he could produce a valid license. The man said he did not have one and ag reed to step out of the car. After doing so, the man asked to grab his medication from the glove box, but the officer said they would grab it instead. After finding the medication, the officer noticed that the

name and 1997 birthdate on the prescription did not match the information the man had given.

The man admitted that that was his real name and said he gave another name because people call him that. After running the man’s information through the database, the officer learned there was an active warrant out for the man’s arrest, so they placed him into custody as well.

After taking both people to the station, police were able to finger print them and verify their true identities. The woman was charged for lying about her identity, driving on a suspended license, driving a car with suspended re gistration and driving an uninsured car. The man was charged for lying about his identity.

The man posted bond on his warrant, so both people were released and given an August 16 court date, police said.

Arrested for domestic battery

A 42-year-old Brookfield woman was arrested July 11 after her ex-boyfriend told police she scratched and bit him during an argument.

A Brookfield police officer was dispatched to a residence on the 9300 block of Jackson Avenue around 3:25 a.m. on a report of domestic battery. After arriving, the officer said he spoke with the man who had called police, who was standing outside. He told the officer that him and his ex-girlfriend had gone out drinking to Of f Broadway Pub earlier in the night and that, after they came home, his exgirlfriend gave him her phone, which the man said was receiving notifications from “what appeared to be her new boyfriend,”

See POLICE REPORTS on page 16

AND IRA REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTIONS

must still take RMDs from designated Roth accounts for 2023, including those with a required beginning date of April 1, 2024.

You can withdraw more than the minimum required amount.

equired minimum distributions (RMDs) are the minimum amounts you must withdraw from your retirement accounts each year. You generally must start taking withdrawals from your traditional IRA, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, and retirement plan accounts when you reach age 72 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022).

Account owners in a workplace retirement plan (for example, 401(k) or profit-sharing plan) can delay raking their RMDs until the year they retire, unless they’re a 5% owner of the business sponsoring the plan.

Roth IRAs do not require withdrawals until after the death of the owner. Designated Roth accounts in a 401(k) or 403(b) plan are subject to the RMD rules for 2022 and 2023. However, for 2024 and later years, RMDs are no longer required from designated Roth accounts. You

Your withdrawals are included in taxable income except for any part that was already taxed (your basis) or that can be received taxfree (such as qualified distributions from designated Roth accounts).

Beginning in 2023, the SECURE 2.0 Act raised the age that you must begin taking RMDs to age 73. If you reached age 72 in 2023, the required beginning date for your first RMD is April 1, 2025.

Pritzker signs health insurance reform measures

New law bans practices aimed at lowering insurance payouts

Gov. JB P ritzker signed legislation last week that p uts new c ontrols on the state’s health i nsurance industr y, including b ans on certain practices c ompanies have used to reduce c osts by c ontrolling the amount of health care services a patient rece ives

“Illinois, by the way, is once again a pioneer, the first state in the nation to do this for adults and children,” Pritzker said.

T he new law also requires i nsurers to maintain a ccurate, up-to-date lists of providers in their networks. And it give s the I llinois Department of I nsurance authority to approve or reject proposed premium rate changes in large-g roup health i nsurance p lans, similar to the authorit y it already has over small- group plans

P ritzker first announced the p lan in his State of the State a ddress in Fe bruar y, saying he expected sti ff resistanc e from the i nsurance industry but vowing “to spend serious p olitical capital” if necessary to pass the le gislation.

ance c ompanies as well as their i nadequate provider networks, so c alled g host

T he Health Care Protection Act, House Bill 5395, was among P ritzker ’s top legislative priorities during the just-completed le gislative session.

to hund ds of newspapers, adio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation ert R. McCo oundation, along with major contributions from the Il linois Broadcaste rs Foundation and Southe rn I llinois Editorial Association.

Pritzker also signed House Bill 2499, which bans the sale of short-term, limited-duration insurance plans in Illinois –policies Pritzker and other critics refer to as “junk insurance” because they are not required to meet the minimum standards under the federal Af fordable Care Act .

T he bill was, in fact, the subject of i ntense b ehind-the-scenes ne g otiations b etween the administration, i nsuranc e industry re presentative s, health care providers and other stakeholder group s. In the end, the final ve rsion of the ac t had little opposition and drew some Republican suppo rt . It p assed 45-14 in the S enate and 83-23 in the House.

Part of the reason for the bipartisan support was that the more controversial provision banning the sale of short-term, limited-duration insurance plans was taken out and put into a separate bill.

“For too long, insurance companies have used predatory tactics to make an extra dime at the expense of Illinois consumers,” Pritzker said at a bill signing ceremony in Chicago. “For too long, patients have delayed or been denied medically necessary treatments because of profitdriver utilization management practices. For too long, shoddy networks, price gouging and overly complicated bureaucracies have stood in the way of our families getting the care that they deserve Today, with my signature, Illinois is addressing and rectifying that problem.”

A mong other thing s, the Health Care Protection Act bars the use of a restriction known as “step therapy, ” also known as a “fail first” provision, that requires a patient to t ry and fail on one or more treatments prefer red by the i nsurance c ompany before they c an a ccess a treatment recommended by their doctor

It also prohibits i nsurers from requiring prior authorization before a patient c an rece ive emergency inpatient treatment at a ps ychiatric facility

T hose p olicies are marketed as temporary p lans i ntended mainly for p eople who find themselves in b etween coverage p lans, often because of changes in employment. Supporters of the bill arg ued those p lans provide substandard cove rage and often leave individuals liable for huge medical bills. But many Re publicans argued that those p olicies provide a lowe r-cost option that suits the needs of some individuals.

Th at measure p assed largely along pa rt y lines: 40-19 in the S enate, and 72-35 in the House

P ritzker signed the two bills at a ceremony at Rush Unive rsity Medical C enter in Chicago where he was joined by lawmakers who supported the bill, as well as health care providers.

“The health i nsurance refor ms p assed by the I llinois lawmaker s, many of them are right here, will ensure that admini strat ive d elays c aused by the i nsur-

Opinion

THE L ANDMARK VIEW

Just what is vacant?

Brookfield is close to taking a worthwhile, incremental step to understand the status of vacant buildings in town. Whether a property is commercial or residential, we all know that a percentage of those structures become actively problematic for a community

A house long vacant, and usually ill cared for, can impact the perceptions of an entire block. With concerns about safety, infestations, and property values, a fundamental sense of well-being can be undermined when a house is effectively abandoned.

And we’ve all seen the deadening effect of a long-empty commercial building. It stunts the growth of neighboring businesses, sends rippling signals that a business strip is not desired, and causes the same worries as an empty house: maintenance, safety, steady decay of a property.

At a recent meeting of the Brookfield Village Board, Libby Popovic, the community development director, made the case for creating a re gistry of vacant properties. This new re gulation would be the responsibility of the owner of any property to adhere to. Popovic, who received the OK to create a proposed ordinance, said many neighboring communities, including Forest Park, Lyons, Berwyn, Maywood and Broadview already have such ordinances in place.

By placing the burden on a property owner to self-report a vacant property, the village will gain access to current information, be able to require that owner to update the village on its plans for the property, and furnish a timeline and collect incentivizing fees to nudge an owner toward a better outcome for that structure.

Some elected officials raised concerns that not all vacant properties are created equal and pointed to cases where a home may become vacant after the death of a resident and it takes time for the estate to decide next steps in its disposition. Popovic was clear that enforcement around the proposed ordinance would include room for staf f discretion. In such a case, she said, the update from the executor of an estate could be as simple as, “Property is in probate. We see the judge in 90 days.”

To us this step is just another in the ongoing process of Brookfield gaining focus on its future. The laisse z faire approach to governing that marked Brookfield’s attitude two decades ago has steadily given way to professional management on many fronts.

Documenting the vacant properties in town and being in re gular contact with the owners of those 75 to 90 properties, are positive steps toward better outcomes for all residents of the village

OBITUARY

James Hajek, 76

High school indust rial ar ts teacher

James I. Hajek, 76, found peace on July 11, 2024, at home with his wife of 53 years and children by his side “Haj” taught industrial arts for 33 years, starting Hinsdale Central High School where he met Elaine on the first day of school, both as new teachers. They were mar ried on the last day of school that same year. He spent the rest of his career at Morton high schools in the graphi arts program and Elaine followed as a math teacher unti they both retired.

Many of his students became lifelong friends and he often said he’d go back to teaching tomorrow. His love of teaching was overshadowed only by his love for his family, musi and his Green Bay Packers. His greatest achievement was his grandchildren who called him “Pa”; his greatest joy was watching them grow and sharing their daily lives together Jim was the husband of Elaine Hajek, nee Prizy; the ther of James Douglas (Jen) Hajek and Jaime Elaine (Brad Kennedy; and the grandfather of Jesse James Hajek, Av Lynn Hajek, and Sydney Rose Kennedy.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 20 from 9 a.m. to the time of service, 11 a.m. at Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, IL 60513.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated for: An and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611; Ride Janie Ride, P.O. Bo 307, Downers Grove, IL; or Mercy Home for Boys and Gi 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607. Peace, Haj

To run an obituary

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

INSURANCE

from page 14

it already has over small- group plans.

Pritzker first announced the plan in his State of the State address in February, saying he expected stiff resistance from the insurance industry but vowing “to spend serious political capital” if necessary to pass the legislation.

The bill was, in fact, the subject of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations between the administration, insurance industry representatives, health care providers and other stakeholder groups. In the end, the final version of the act had little opposition and drew some Republican support. It passed 45-14 in the Senate and 83-23 in the House

Part of the reason for the bipartisan support was that the more controversial provision banning the sale of short-term, limitedduration insurance plans was taken out and put into a separate bill.

Those policies are marketed as temporary plans intended mainly for people who find themselves in between coverage plans, often because of changes in employment. Supporters of the bill argued those plans provide substandard coverage and often leave individu-

als liable for huge medical bills. But many Republicans argued that those policies provide a lower-cost option that suits the needs of some individuals.

That measure passed largely along pa rty lines: 40-19 in the Senate, and 72-35 in the House

Pritzker signed the two bills at a ceremony at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where he was joined by lawmakers who supported the bill, as well as health care providers.

“The health insurance refor ms passed by the Illinois lawmakers, many of them are right here, will ensure that administrative delays caused by the insurance companies as well as their inadequate provider networks, so called ghost networks, should be a thing of the past,” said Piyush Vyas, president of the Illinois State Medical Society.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit , nonpartisan news service cov erin g go ve r nment. It is distributed to hundre ds of newspapers, radio and TV stations s tatewide. It is funded primarily by th e I llinois Press Foundation and the Ro b ert R. McCo rm ick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southe rn I llinois Editorial Association.

& FRESHLOCAL NEWS

FIREARM

Support for o cers

from page 3

all of that, and, especially, calls for service generally take up more time. Traf fic enforcement is done in between, when there are gaps and when there’s time. So, this is an initiative where the officer is working above and beyond their tour of duty, and the individual’s sole focus is to spend that time out there, working toward identifying and stopping” drivers going above the posted speed limit.

In Brookfield’s announcement for the initiative, Ku ruvilla said BPD’s speeding enforcement will focus “especially on 31st Street, Washington Avenue, Ogd en Avenue, Prairie Avenue and Maple Avenue, where most of our speed-related crashes occu r. ”

ATTEMPT

Local reaction

from page 6

has no place in our society. We pray for the safety of all attendees and condemn violence in the strongest terms. Thank you to the first responders and Secret Service for their swift response.”

The FBI is investigating an attempted assassination on Trump Saturday at a political rally in Pennsylvania. He appeared to be shot in the ear and was determined to be otherwise in good health.

The suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Butler, Pennsylvania was shot and killed by law enforcement agents, authorities said. They said he fired an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, purchased by his father.

Gunfire also killed a 50-year-old Pennsylvania man and wounded two others.

This is a developing story. Please check back to learn more about what your local legislators and politicians have to say about the attempted assassination and what changes, if any, will be made to the DNC or November’s elections.

POLICE REPORTS

Blotter

from page 13

police said.

The man told the officer that the topic of the woman’s new boyfriend started a verbal argument between the two. The man said that his ex-girlfriend began to scratch and bite him when he would not give her phone back to her, leaving marks that the officer could see, before she started throwing items around the living room. The man said he did not hit the woman at all and that he called 911 after he got away from her

The officer then went into the basement, where the woman was with her son, who said he arrived home after the argument and did not see it take place. When he got home, the son said, he took his mother downstairs because he saw she was upset.

When talking to the officer, the woman confirmed she and her ex-boyfriend had been drinking at Off Broadway Pub, but she said she did not throw anything in the living room. She confirmed that they had been arguing, but she said she denied attacking her ex-boyfriend. According to police, she did not want to speak further and the officer did not observe any visible injuries to her

At that time, the officer placed the woman into custody for domestic battery and transported her to the North Riverside Police Department for processing and to wait for bond court. After arriving, the woman said she did not wish to speak about the incident and did not sign her Miranda wa rning, police said. The woman was processed on her single domestic battery charge and waited in a cell until she was taken to the Maybrook courthouse for bond court, according to police.

These items were obtained from the Riverside Police Department re ports dated Ju ly 6-10 and the Brookfield Police Department re ports dated July 8-15; 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 onl y when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physica l description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest

Compiled by Trent Brown

Sports

Riverside’s Rettke ready for volleyball Olympics debut

RBHS grad a key player as Team USA tries to defend rst gold medal

In early 2022, women’s indoor volleyball standout Dana Rettke of Riverside decided the best route to reaching France for the 2024 Summer Olympics went through Italy.

T he 6-foot-8 m iddle blocker had j ust b een named the NCAA National Playe r of the Year and the spor t’s firs t five -time AVCA A ll-Americ an. S he powe red the Unive rsity of Wi sconsin to it s first national championshi p the previous December

Yet to improve chances of making her first 12-pl ayer U. S. Olympic roster, the 2017 Rive rside Brookfield High School gr aduate pl ayed 2½ professional seasons in the I talian League and the C hampions League c omprising the b est club teams throughout Europe

“It’s one of the reasons I g ot to where I am tod ay. You’ re playing against great, great volleyball pl ayer s, the b est in the wo rl d. T hey have the physicality you j ust do n’ t have in the NCAA,” Rettke said.

much wo rk , sacrifice and dedication went i nto that moment, not only for that group but the women before them, I was over the moon that day. ”

E ntering these Olympics, the U. S. is No. 5 in Mond ay ’s FIVB wo rl d r ankings b ehind No. 1 I taly, Brazil, Tu rkey and Poland

A new preliminary fo rmat for the 12 c ompeting c ountries is three 4-team p ools rather than two 6-team group s. T he top two teams in each p ool advance to the single-elimination q uarterfinals along with the two b est third-place pool finisher s.

T he U. S. p ool includes No. 6 China, No. 9 Serbia and No. 19 Franc e. On June 21, the U. S. lost to eventual champion I taly in the q uarterfinals of the Volleyball National League in Bangkok, T hailand and had an overall tour nament record of 7-6.

“When I tell you [ the Olympic team] has b een on my mind every single day for a whole year and a half, the whole club season was wh at I have to do to make the roster.”

Rettke officially was named to the Olympic team June 5 and leaves for Pa ris Saturday. T he U. S. returns eight pl ayers and head c oach Karch K iraly from the 2021 team in To kyo, wh ich captured i ts first gold medal in the spor t. Rettke’s f ans in Paris will include father John and sister L eah and mother Kathy the second half of pl ay.

“It’s j ust a magical p lac e. I think the Olympics in Paris makes it that much

more magical and special,” Rettke said.

“It’s b een some time that’s p assed from of ficially being named on the team, but I do n’ t know if it ’s really sunk in yet. It ’s b een li ke a dream c ome true and I’m j ust really excited to g et to defend the g old with the team. ”

Rettke rece ived her exciting news as she wished — by herself. S he and roommate Jo rdan T hompson, headed to her second Olympics, ag reed to be apar t when the email ar rive d.

“It was definitely a suspenseful moment. I was just sitting in the living room. I opened up the letter and saw my name on it,” Rettke said. “Once that kind of sunk in, the next second I called f amily and friends.”

The only disappointment was within minutes the roster had become public. Several people Rettke wanted to contact personally were instead sending her cong ratulations.

T he p ast five year s, Rettke has b een on the U. S. training roster. S he was at Wi sc onsin when the U. S. achieved i ts g old medal victory around 2 a.m. by sweeping Brazil in three sets

Rettke and roommates ag reed to avoi d television and social media so they c ould watch the re pl ay that morning unaware of the outcome. Rettke secretly “cheated” and saw the third set live but ke pt the results to herself

“To watch that moment happen for my teammates and friends was so incredible,” Rettke said. “Just knowing how

“I think we learned a lot about ourselves and exposed wh at we need to g et b etter at,” Rettke said. “This migh t be the strongest Olympics for volleyball that’s ever b een. It ’s really j ust going to c ome down to who’s playing the best volleyball at that time and I think we ’re p utting ourselves in a good position. ”

In I taly, Rettke pl ayed for the Ve ro Volley Milano club team b ased in Monza, wh ich this p ast season reached the C hampions League final for the firs t time in its histor y.

I taly b oasts four of Rettke’s recent or previous club teammates. National pl ayers for the N etherland s, France and Dominican Re public also we re teammates.

“It makes it kind of fun because you know their tendencies but they know yours. You

COURTESY OF USA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Dana Rettke celebrates w ith her team at the 2024 Volleyball Nations League.

RETTKE Olympics ready

from page 17

always wish the best for each other but you want to beat them,” Rettke said.

“It’s the same teams we play against any tournament. The Olympics definitely make it a little bit of a higher stake. I think it’s really just about not making it bigger than it really is, even though it is big. Don’t get me wrong. It’s the Olympics, the pinnacle of any athlete’s dream. Every team is bringing their A game. It’s absolutely going to be a challenge and you have 40,000 people in the stands watching. It’s going to be crazy.”

U.S. captain Jordan Larson, points leader Annie Drews, setter Jordyn Poulter, libero Justine Wong-Orantes and middle blocker Haleigh Washington were among the eight players who appeared in the gold medal match in Tokyo, which was moved back one year by the worldwide pandemic. Larson is playing in her fourth Olympics and Kelsey Robinson Cook

Tommy Newcomb

Lyons Township High School

* College sports plans: Football at Kent State University (Kent, Ohio); NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)

* College major: Construction management

* Future goals: “Maintaining a high GPA while competing for a scholarship.”

* Reasons I chose Kent State: “I buil t great c onnections with b oth c oach [ and defensive c oordinator Ko dy] Morgan and head c oach [Kenni] Burns, who is building a special progr am. ”

* Playing colle ge sports: “Has b een a dream of mine since I started kicking a football sophomore year and the connections I built with the c oaching staf f was p henomenal. ”

Compiled by Bill Stone

from Wheaton St. Francis her third

Another first-time Olympian is Lauren Carlini, a West Aurora graduate re garded with Rettke, as Wisconsin’s all-time greats and the first Badgers in the Olympics the sport. They missed playing together Wisconsin by one year but crossed paths as Carlini (2012-16) continued training after her senior season while Rettke already was in Madison after graduating from RBHS one semester early

“She’s been someone I looked up to the whole recruiting process,” Rettke said.

Next professional season, Rettke will have new teammates in Istanbul, playing for Eczacibasi Sport Club in the Turk League. She’ll always be grateful to Ital her teammates and coaches for contributing to her Olympic moment.

“[Italy] was a blast. Beautiful countr Amazing culture. The food speaks for itself I think if I stayed for one more year, I would have been fluent,” she said.

“I really appreciated their pace of life and appreciation for leisure time and enjoying life. I’m really going to miss it. It will always hold a special place in my hear t for sure.”

C OLLEGE COMMITMENT S

Brady Chambers

Lyons Township High School

* College sports plans: Baseball at Michigan State University (East Lansing); NCAA Division I

* College major: Finance

* Reasons I chose Michigan State: “The great coaches like [assistant coach] Graham Sikes, [head coach] Jake Boss Jr. and [assistant coach] Mark Van Ameyde. I also feel like it is going to be a great fit for me to improve my baseball game. I chose MSU academically because they have a very good business school and that is what I plan to go into when I get there.”

* On playing college sports: “I decided to play college baseball because I love to play the game and I constantly want to get better I made this decision in October of 2022 because I felt like MSU was where I wanted to go and it felt like a great fit for me.”

Compiled by Bill Stone

Maggie Kachmarik

Lyons Township High School

* Colle ge sports plans: Volleyball at the Unive rsity of West Georgia (Car rollton, Ga.); Jo ining NCAA Division I thi s c oming season

* Colle ge major: Health and C ommunity Wellness (p hy sical therapy)

* Reasons I chose West Georgia: “What really drew me i nto UWG we re the c oaches and their vision for the future. Head c oach Kara Hellmann and assistant c oach Katie Miller did a great job of d escribing their g oals for the future and helping me understand where I c an make an i mmediate impact on those g oals. Wi th the progr am moving to the Division I level this f all, it ’s exciting to be a pa rt of the building process of thi s progr am with my f uture teammates. Th e expectations and standards are already set high for us this upcoming season, and I’m really looking forward to the progr ess we will make toward all the g oals we have set. ”

* On playing colle ge sports: “It was always a dream of mine to pl ay c ollegiate volleyball. I’m a ve ry c ompetitive person, but I also love how team-focused

the sport of volleyball is. Yo u truly c annot have a successful team without ever y single person being invested and focused on the team’s needs and g oals above thei r own, and I’m excited to explore that idea at the next level. I’m also thrilled to have found a progr am in wh ich I know I’ ll be able to grow as an athlete, but also as a person, teammate, and lear ner.”

* What I lear ned from high school sports: “There is nothing li ke high school volleyball, especially at Lyons Townshi p. T he b onds I’ve for med with my teammates and c oaches there are some of the b est memories I have from my time in high school. I think high school volleyball taught me how important and special it is to re present your school on the c ourt and how much pride that c an bring, and it only makes me even more excited to re present the Wolves at UWG. ”

COURTESY OF USA VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Dana Rettke made her senior national team debut during 2019 Volleyball Nations League. She is pictured he re celebrating at VNL in 2024.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

CITIZENS BANK, N.A. F/K/A RBS

CITIZENS, N.A.

Plaintiff,

-v.-

CLOVER L. MATTHEWS

Defendants 2023 CH 10280 119 47TH AVENUE

BELLWOOD, IL 60104

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 17, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 A.M. on August 14, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

LOT 29 IN BLOCK 25 IN HULBERT’S ST. CHARLES ROAD SUBDIVISION, BEING A SUBDIVISION IN THE NORTH HALF OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Commonly known as 119 47TH AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-08-213-0070000

The real estate is improved with a residence.

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

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

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

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

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030

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

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

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100

BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com

Attorney File No. 14-23-07801

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2023 CH 10280

TJSC#: 44-1074

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2023 CH 10280 I3248183

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive bids from qualified consultants through Monday, August 5, 2024 for the following:

Integrated Streetscape Branding and Design For Chicago Ave., in Honor of Dr. Percy L. Julian Bid Number: 24-717

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oakpark. us/bid. For questions, please email Brandon Crawford, Deputy Director Development Services at bcrawford@oakpark.us

Published in Wednesday Journal July 17, 2023

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 013-24-Z

HEARING DATE: August 7, 2024

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 an application filed by the Applicant, Adam Fotos, seeking a variance from Section 9.3 (N) (2)(c) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance requiring that if a lot abuts a public alley that provides adequate access to a street, a detached garage must be constructed so that access is from the public alley, to construct a garage with access from the corner side yard (Fillmore Street) and not the alley at the premises commonly known as 1150 S Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-17-325-001-0000.

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 inperson in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination 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 July 17, 2023

DOCKET NUMBER: PC 2405/06 (Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment and Special Use Application – Community Service Center)

HEARING DATE: August 1, 2024

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: Housing Forward, 1851 South 9th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153

PROPERTY ADDRESS: 38 North Austin Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lots 1 to 13 both inclusive, the North 9 feet of Lot 16 (except alley), Lots 17 to 22 both inclusive, the North 21 feet of Lot 54, the vacated 16 foot East and West alley lying South of and adjoining Lots 1 to 14 both inclusive, and the vacated North 21 feet of the North and South alley lying between Lot 15 and Lot 54, all in Block 4 in the Subdivision of that part of the East 1/4 of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 8, Township 39 North, Range 13 East of the Third Principal Meridian lying South of the Chicago Harlem and Batavia Railway, in Cook County, Illinois.

P.I.N.s: 16-08-323-026

REQUEST: The Petitioner, Housing Forward, seeks a text amendment to the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance as follows: An amendment to

Article 2 (“Definitions & Rules of Measurement”), Section 2.3 (“Definitions”), by adding a definition for “Community Service Center” as follows: “An emergency overnight residence for individuals who are unhoused on a short-term basis. Said individuals may reside at a community service center on an overnight-only basis. A community service center may offer: meals for its residents prepared on-site, food products stored on-site to be provided to residents, office space for not-for-profit housing-related agencies, not-for-profit public outreach agencies and counseling and medical and mental health services”, amending Article 8 (“Uses”) to add “Community Service Center” as a special use in the I-Institutional District, and amending Section 8.4 (“Principal Use Standards”), by adding a new section “X. Community Service Center” with the following standards: ”1.) Overnight hours for the residential portion of a community service center are limited to 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., 365 days-a-year. 2.) The maximum capacity of individuals housed within the residential portion of a center is the lesser of 45 individuals or as determined by the Village’s current residential building codes. 3.) Counseling and medical services may be offered for overnight residents, school students and families of school students. 4.) Community Service Centers

must meet all federal, state or local requirements regarding health, safety and building code requirements and 5.) All applicants are required to submit a statement of the exact nature of the community service center, the qualifications of the agency or agencies that will operate within and the center, including the number and types of personnel who will be employed. No special use permit application will be accepted by the Village until the required statement is filed with the Village.” The Applicant is also requesting a Special Use permit to allow a Community Service Center at the above referenced property addresses. The Plan Commission may also consider any related and additional relief that may be discovered during the review of these dockets.

A copy of the proposed text amendment and special use application is on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 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

Public Information Meeting Notice Scheduled by Village of Riverside East Avenue Improvements

The Village of Riverside will hold a Public Information Meeting concerning the proposed streetscape improvements of East Avenue from Pine Avenue to Forest Avenue. The Public Information Meeting will be held at Riverside Parks and Recreation Community Center, 43 E Quincy St, Riverside, IL 60546 on August 6, 2024, at 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. All interested persons are invited to attend. Persons with disabilities planning to attend should contact the person listed below by August 1st. The contact may be by telephone, in writing, by fax or by telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY).

To allow for all potential federal and state funding sources, the public information meeting is being held in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s public involvement policy.

All persons interested in the project are invited to attend the meeting to express their views and comments on the project. The meeting will also serve to involve and obtain the views of the public for purposes of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Information will be available on known historic resources that may be affected by the proposed project and the historic resources protection process. IDOT requests comments from the public on effects to historic resources to assist in consultation with the Illinois State Historic Preservation Officer.

The meeting will be conducted on an informal basis. Representatives of the Village of Riverside will be available from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Representatives will answer individual questions and record comments offered by those in attendance. Verbatim comments will not be recorded. The Village of Riverside representatives will provide information about the proposed improvements and anticipated schedule. Preliminary reports, engineering drawings, maps, and aerial photography, will be available for review and inspection at Riverside Parks and Recreation Community Center.

For more information, contact Ashley Monroe, Assistant Village Manager, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546, amonroe@riverside.il.us, 708-447-1241.

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