Landmark 072424

Bold Brook eld Zoo plan reinvents visitor experience

e zoo will ‘reshape’ 113 acres of land to highlight new, immersive habitats and its conservation e orts

By TRENT BROWN Staff Re porter

Wi th 90 years of history b ehind it, Brookfield Zoo Chicago is looking to the f uture — with a p lan to redevelop hundreds of acres of property and expand westward.

As pa rt of it ambitious “Next C entury Plan,” announced last week, the organization i ntends to spend $500 million over the next 15 years to create a p lan that upends the traditional zoo experienc e.

T he biggest change c omes to the western s ide of the zoo’s campus, wh ich will become the home of its new “immersive ecoreg i ons.” Unli ke a traditional zoo experienc e, where g uests see animals in habitats org anized by specie s, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s ecoreg i on habitats will bring tog ether animal species that live to g ether in the wild, re plicating their natural environment and allowing g uests to see how wild ecosystems function.

T he ecoreg i ons, wh ich will take up a majority of the

After Biden bows out, local o cials turn the page to what’s next for Democrats

e area’s federal, state and local o cials weigh in on latest turn of events

By ERIKA HOBBS Editor

Democratic leaders across the Western Suburbs have come out en masse in support of President Joseph Biden’s extraordinary decision to withdraw as the Democratic candidate for president with many ready to endorse the passing of the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris.

Praise came from elected officials at the state, federal and local levels, including from Gov. JB Pritzker, all of whom said Biden’s decision was the courageous and right thing to do for the country and for the Democratic party.

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, whose district includes Brookfield and North Riverside, issued a public letter to Biden July 19 alongside Representatives Jared Huffman of California, Marc Veasey of Texas and Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, calling for the president to step down.

“Mr. President, with great admiration for you personally, sincere respect for your decades of public service and patriotic leadership, and deep appreciation for everything we have accomplished together during your presidency, it is now time for you to pass the torch to a new generation of Democratic leaders,” the Congressmen said in the letter. “We believe the most responsible and patriotic thing you can do in this moment is to step aside as our nominee while continuing to lead our party from the White House.”

On Sunday, he thanked Biden for his decision not to run for a second term.

“President Biden is putting the country over his political career and that is the true definition of a leader,” García said in a statement on X. “His ef for ts will be remembered by a grateful nation.

Although Harris all but clinched the number of dele gates she needed to move on by publication, the 147 dele gates from Illinois still had not endorsed her.

Rep. Danny K. Davis of the 7th District

praised Biden in a statement for his “unwavering dedication to the principles of democracy, justice, and equity.”

He then added his resounding support for Harris, saying: “Vice President Harris has proven herself to be a dynamic and visionary leader, dedicated to upholding the values we cherish. Her tenure as Vice President has been marked by her tenacity, intellect, and unwavering commitment to justice and equality. She has been a steadfast advocate for the underserved and a powerful voice for those often overlooked ... As the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold the office of Vice President, she has already broken countless barriers and inspired millions. I have every confidence that she will continue to lead with integrity, vision, and courage.”

I llinois S enate President Don Harmon of Oak Pa rk said, Joe B iden did ... wh at Donald Trump c ould not. He pu t his c ountry first before his own ambition.,” said I llinois S enate President Don Harmon of Oak Pa rk . “Voters will have a clear choice in 2024 – Donald Trump, who is only c oncerned about himself, or a c andidate for president who b eli eves in something bigger. ”

He added, “His presidency will go down in American history as one of our most consequential. His le gacy of service to our nation, and specifically to the people of Delaware, is secure. His leadership, faith, and bravery in this moment will live in the memories of the American people for all time because the choice before the American people is now set.”

Biden, 81, dropped out of the race after three weeks of pressure from donors and topranking Democrats who said they believed he could no longer beat for mer President Donald Trump because of age-related issues Biden stood resolute until Sunday, saying that he was the best candidate to defeat Trump and that he had unfinished business in doing so. He also said is intent on finishing out his term in office.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” he said on his X account. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country

Suppor t is building in Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination.

for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my ter m.”

He also put his full support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

That Biden has stepped aside as the frontrunning candidate of any party so close to the election had moved the nation into unchartered waters. Former president Lyndon B. Johnson, under pressure about the Vietnam War, stepped down in March 1968.

State Rep. La Shawn Ford of the 8th District that includes the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Oak Park and Forest Park, said in a statement on X that as a pledged dele gate to the Democratic National Convention in August for the Biden-Harris campaign, that he wanted to “express my appreciation for President Biden’s steadfast commitment to public service and his le gacy of prioritizing the nation over politics. Our country is at a critical juncture, and it’s crucial for us to unite and ensure that our leaders remain dedicated to unity and progress. I believe that the upcoming ticket will uphold these values and lead us to a resounding victory over Donald Trump, reaffirming our com-

See BIDEN on page 14

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BOARD OF DIREC TORS

Chair Judy Gre n

Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

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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 county. Adver tising rates may be obtained by calling our o ce. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2024 Growing Community Media NFP.

Summer Camp @ RAC

Now until August 16, Riverside Arts Center Enroll your child in the Riverside Arts Center’s Summer Camp for a day of fun- lled art and creativity. Students will explore a wide variety of projects in materials such as clay, bers, collage, sculpture, paint, chalk and mosaics. Kids are grouped into appropriate age levels and will be encouraged to think outside the box and be creative. To register, visit riversidear tscenter.com/ fall-classes-camps/summer-break-camp, where you can also nd prices, rules and membership opportunities. 32 East Quincy St.

Rockin’ in the Park!

Na shville Electric Company

BIG WEEK July 24-31

Thursday, July 25, 7 - 9 p.m.

Catch a free country music concert in North Riverside 2401 S. DesPlaines Ave.

Jazz Night Tuesdays

Tuesday, July 30, 7 p.m., Imperial Oak Brewing Come out every Tuesday to catch local jazz artists. No cover just swing on in to enjoy live music and maybe some beer. Paul Abella is scheduled for July 30. 9526 Ogden Ave

Perspective Drawing – Adding Depth and Volume to Your Drawings

Thursday, July 25, 6 p.m., LSF Brook eld Library

Are you sick of only being able to draw stick gures? Or perhaps you would like to add some life and perspective to your art? This drawing class in the library’s Maker Studio is per fec t for beginners interested in learning how to add depth, space and perspective to all their art. Learn these basics to spice up your drawings and you will improve as an ar tist. Sign up now. 3541 Park Ave.

Teen Library Olympics

Thursday, July 25, 3:30 p.m., LSF Brook eld Library

Think you got what it takes to win the gold? All teens are welcome to participate in the library’s version of the Olympics. Compete with friends in relay races and challenges for the chance to win prizes. This friendly competition will reveal who is the best athlet of their group. Register for classes and events online at www lsfbrook eldlibrary.org, by phone at 708-485-6917 or in person a the library. Walk-ins welcome, where applicable. All events are held at the library unless otherwise speci ed. 3541 Park Ave

Movies with Mar ty –

Live at Mr. Kelly

’s

Saturday, July 27, 1 p.m., LSF Brook eld Library

Barbara Streisand, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Steve Martin—learn how these entertainment superstars got their start after performing at a legendary Chicago nightclub. The documentary will be followed by an encore screening of The Flip Wilson Show. 3541 Park Ave.

Create at The Spot: Acr ylic Keychains

Thursday, July 25, times vary, Riverside Public Library

Sign up your family for a 20-minute build session to create an engraved acrylic keychain at Riverside Librar y’s Glowforge. Morning and evening appointments are available for those with a busier schedule. Registration is required by calling 708442-6366. And remember, there can only be one project per family. 1 Burling Rd.

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

PAUL ABELLA

Riverside postpones Star Buds property purchase

e dispensary has been on contract for the land since September

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Riverside has postponed the purchase of village property by Star Buds on which the company plans to build a new dispensary.

At the village board’s July 18 meeting, Riverside trustees approved an ordinance amending the closing date to Dec. 31 of a contract between the village and Star Buds for the purchase of village property at 3320 S. Harlem Ave. and 363-369 E. Burlington Street. The amendment allows the board to extend the contract for another six months until June 30, 2025, if Star Buds does not close on the property by the board’s final meeting of the year.

Trustees OK ’d the ordinance as pa rt of the meeting ’s c onsent agenda, meaning they p assed it without discussion

alongside other i tems that are routinely approved, li ke minutes from village c ommission meeting s.

The village board first approved the execution of the sales contract at a meeting in September 2023, ag reeing to sell the properties to Star Buds for $600,000. Agenda documents from that meeting show the original closing date for the sale was within four months of the contract approval, meaning Star Buds would have had to buy the land by Jan. 22. According to documents from the board’s July 18 meeting, the original ag reement allowed for Star Buds to extend the contract’s closing date six months, until July 22.

S tar Buds’ p lan for the properties went before Rive rside ’s p lanning and zoning c ommission late last month, where pa rtner A hmad Joudeh and architect B ria n Gould explained their idea for a new disp ensary with a drive - thru and an a djoining business

Because of a myriad of issues that commissioners had with the proposal, the commission chose to table its vote that would

is rendering, shown at the June 26 meeting of Riverside’s planning and zoning commission, shows what a new Star Buds development could look like if it were to go up at 3320 S. Harlem Ave. and 363-369 E. Burlington Street.

recommend the village board either approve or deny the plan to its July 24 meeting. That meeting, where Joudeh and Gould will pres-

ent an updated proposal, is now postponed to Aug. 6, Village President Doug Pollock said at Thursday’s board meeting

*AnnualPercentageYield(APY)accurateasofOctober26,2023andissubjecttochange. Aminimumof $10,000isrequiredtoopentheaccountandtoobtainthestatedAPY.Feesmayreduceearningsonthe account. Apenaltymaybeimposedforearlywithdrawal.Offerisfornewmoneyonly.

COURTESY OF STAR BUDS

Nor th Riverside debuts green parking lots for village buildings

e Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

of Greater Chicago contributed $1.28 million toward the project

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

North Riverside has officially unveiled the village’s first ever green infrastructure project in the form of new village parking lots with per meable pavers.

of the 21st District also attended.

“The North Rive rside village b oard and I are proud to unve il our f irst green infrastructure project on record, as we are c ommitted to investing in No rt h Rive rside and finding natural solutions to a ddress local flooding and other environmental i ssues,” Mengoni said in a speech Mond ay. “The i nstallation of these new permeable pave r lots will not only naturally dive rt stormwater fo rm the village ’s c ombined sewe r system to help alleviate flooding and residential backup i ssues, but it will also rechar ge our groundwater and saf eg uard our rive rs and natural water resources from p ollutants during large rain events, j ust li ke last night. ”

Heavy storm winds battered the area the evenings of Sunday, July 14, and Monday, July 15, including an EF-0 tornado hat passed through Brookfield and Riverside on Sunday night.

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North Riverside officials joined representatives from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and area politicians on Monday, July 15, to host a ribbon cutting at the village’s Village Commons at 2401 S. Des Plaines Ave. in honor of the 71,000 square feet of new green parking lots. They replaced six asphalt lots at the commons and the village’s fire, police and public works departments.

Altogether, the six new parking lots can capture up to 539,000 gallons of water at a time that could otherwise run into residents’ basements, village sewers or the Des Plaines River during heavy rain or snow events. The new lots account for about 17% of the area of North Riverside’s Village Commons

S teele said the MWRD was “proud” to have c ontributed about $1.28 million in f unding toward the project’s $1.53 million c ost as one of 10 projects it took on as pa rt of i ts Green Infrastructure Par tnershi p progr am in 2022. T he MWRD last June ag reed to pay out $256,000 to Rive rside for the i nstallation of permeable pave rs at the village ’s Pa rk ing L ot 8 through the same progr am.

Since starting the program in 2015, the MWRD said it has contributed to 107 finished green infrastructure projects with 24 more planned for completion this or next year.

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According to a news release from the MWRD, c onstruction wo rk to turn the lots green involved the d emolition and removal of the old asphalt before crew s dug 21 inches de ep to install filter fa bric cove red by 17 inches of three laye rs of stone, including an under- drain system. T hen, the c onstruction wo rkers toppe d the stone with the permeable brick pave rs, giving the park ing lots their new reddish color

North Riverside Mayor Joe Mengoni, Village Administrator Sue Scarpiniti, Village Clerk Kathy Ranieri and village trustees were present at the ribbon cutting alongside MWRD President Kari K. Steele and the MWRD Board of Commissioners. Cook County Board Commissioner Frank Aguilar and State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid

“To date, this is one of [ the MWRD’s] largest Green Infrastructur e Par tnership progr am projects,” S teele said in a speech. “Climate change is real, and we are experiencing more i ntense rain events, so communities like North Rive rside are leading the charge by prep a ring the c ommunity to b etter handle rainfall. So, I applaud your mayo r, the village trustees, staf f and residents for your c ommitment and partnership to investing in green infrastructur e. ”

“You c ould have built an asphalt pa rk ing lot, sending more water straigh t i nto the Des Plaines Rive r, but i nstead , you chose to invest in your f uture — in our future, ” she added.

Illinois faces backlash over bid to end oversight of disability ser vices

As hearings begin this week, independent court monitor says state’s services are ‘in stark contrast to national best practices’

By MOLLY PARKER and BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois

As I llinois seeks to end federal c our t oversight of i ts disability services, an inde p endent c ourt monitor says the state c ontinues to f all short of promises made 13 years ago to allow p eople with i ntellectual and developmental disabilities to live outside of institutions. C ourt hearings are set to begin thi s week as to whether the state will be released from wh at ’s known as the Li ga s c onsent decree. The consent decree originated from a 2005 lawsuit alleging that I llinois’ i nsufficient f unding for community living options led to the se greg atio n of individuals with i ntellectual and developmental disabilities. Due to the lack of suppo rt for living in the c ommunity, many we re forced to seek care in large, hospital-li ke facilities. T he lawsui t argued this violated a landmark 1999 U. S. Supreme C ourt decision in a c ase against Georgia, wh ich mandated states

Last week’s tornado, storms challenge clean-up in Brook eld, Riverside

PAINTING & DECORATING

A minor ood warning is in e ect for Riverside

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

A tornado passed through Riverside and Brookfield Sunday, July 14, officials confirmed, leaving a trail of debris compounded by recent heavy storm winds throughout the area.

Brookfield Public Works Director Vincent Smith and Riverside Public Works Director Dan Tabb both said that each village has had public works crews out since Sunday night to clean up in the wake of the storms, although there was no substantial damage to buildings or cars in either village

“The initial storm that came in on Sunday evening, we had crews on-site from 2 a.m. [Monday] till 3:30 p.m. yesterday,” Smith said in a phone call Tuesday afternoon. “Last night, at roughly around 11 p.m., we had crews come in again for a downed tree, and they were in for roughly around two hours.”

Smith said public works crews started cleaning up the Hollywood area of Brookfield, which sustained the most damage and debris, around 7 a.m. Tuesday morning and were expected to continue through 5 p.m.

Beginning Wednesday, he said, the village was expected to have cleaned the majority of Hollywood outside of one area where downed power lines had become intertwined with fallen tree limbs. Once Hollywood is fully cleaned up, the crews will move through Brookfield’s roadways to ensure there’s no leftover debris before completing a sweep of the village’s alleyways. He said the full cleanup effort could last through Friday.

Smith said the two storms uprooted three trees in Brookfield, though the majority of af fected trees had large limbs break off.

In Riverside, Tabb said in a phone call Wednesday that public works crews hope to finish cleaning up debris left by the storms by the end of the day, but that work could continue into Thursday.

Tabb said no section of the village sustained more damage than another, but that most of the damage was focused around areas where the EF-0 tornado with peak wind speeds of 75 mph — which originated in LaGrange at 10:23 p.m. on Sunday and dissipated in Cicero 10 minutes later, according to the National Weather Service Chicago — touched down intermittently. He said Riverside “got lucky” that the tornado did not touch down the entire time it passed through the village, and that most of the damage that crews were cleaning up, even through Wednesday, was from Sunday night’s storm.

An EF-1 tornado with maximum wind speeds approaching 110 mph nar rowly missed Brookfield and Riverside last July While progress on the cleanup ef for ts is steady, Smith emphasized how much ef fort and dedication the work takes from Brookfield’s public works department.

“A storm like this, it takes a lot of equipment and personnel resources. We have roughly around 10 [workers] dedicated just to storm damage pickup during this event, and there are two [wood chipper] trucks out, two dump trucks out, and we have a sweeper out picking up the smaller debris after we remove the large debris,” he said. “A majority — more than half — of our public works staff has been dedicated to this and will be dedicated to this pickup for the next four days.”

Minor flood warning

While a minor flood warning was issued Wednesday morning for Riverside and other villages along the Des Plaines River through 4 a.m. Saturday, Riverside Public Safety Director Matthew Buckley said the village is not anticipating “any issues” with flooding in the village

As of Wednesday afternoon, the most recent reading of the National Water Prediction Service’s gauge of the Des Plaines River at Riverside said the river had reached a peak of 6.24 feet at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday The river must reach a height of 7 feet in Riverside before mitigation action must be taken, according to the NWPS.

Global tech outage affected Brookfield, Riverside

Both villages’ computer systems were back up and running by 11 a.m. Friday

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

A global outage of computer systems causing issues at airports, hospitals, banks and other businesses last Friday morning made its way to the near west suburbs.

Riverside and Brookfield officials confirmed Friday morning that the outage, which is related to Microsoft Windows, had affected computer systems in both villages.

Brookfield Management A nalyst Bob Uphues, who was a longtime e ditor at the L andmark until last Au g ust, sai d in a vo icemail that the village ’s agend a management system was down F riday morning, meaning village staf f c ould not a ccess agendas for upcoming village meetings including the village b oard

meeting Mond ay. He said the village rece ives Freedom of Info rm ation requests through the same platfo meaning Brookfield staf f c ould not review those requests Friday mor ning

“I did email our vendor for that. The platform we use is called iCompass, and they did confirm that, due to what they described as just a global IT issue, their products currently experiencing disruptions,” he said. “They did not give us a timeframe on when that might be resolved.”

As of 11 a.m. F riday, Uphues c onfirmed Brookfield’s agenda management system was up and running

In Rive rside, A ssistant Vi llage Manager A shley Monroe said village staf f we re made aware of the i ssue overnight, and the village ’s IT team we re wo rk ing to fix the i ssue before 6 a.m., starting with the public safety department. S he said there we re no 911 outages as far as she was aware and tha the outage has not disrupted residents’ a ccess to village services

a ccommodate individuals in the most inte gr ated setting of their choosing.

In 2011, to settle the Ligas c ase, the state ag reed to undergo a major expansion of i ts c ommunity-based services. And in December, the state filed a motion to vacate the c onsent decree, a ccomp anied by a lengthy re po rt stating it had exceeded i ts c ommitments d espite that i ts system of care is “not and will neve r be perfect.”

But Ronnie C ohn, the monitor and a New Yo rk -based expert on disability services, told the c ourt that too many p eop le still ca n’ t a ccess c ommunity-based services in I llinoi s, especially those in c risis or who have more c omplex medic al and behavioral suppo rt need s.

Cohn’s report referenced a February news article by Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica that featured a young woman with cerebral palsy who had been unable to leave Kiley Developmental Center in upstate Waukegan despite her desire to live in the community. Pandemic restrictions had exacerbated the woman’s anxiety and aggression at her group home, leading to repeated police calls and over medication. Placed at Kiley in c risis, she had hoped it would be a short stay to a djust her medications and find a different group home that c ould b etter meet her need s. But i nstead, she had b een stuck there fo r two year s, unable to find a suitable alternative S he remains at Kiley, though she did recently find a group home provide r and will move out soon.

Cohn said situations like this are not unique and illustrate why the consent decree

is still needed. She highlighted numerous other cases of individuals covered by the consent decree who had faced barriers to moving out of state-run facilities. She faulted a dearth of community services available to support them and poor planning by state staff who are supposed to help facility residents find community placements and develop the skills needed to live more independently.

“The motion to terminate d oes not make sense at this time and j uncture, ”

C ohn said in a late May c ourt filing. Equip for Equality, a le g al a dvo ca cy org anization and the p lainti ff s’ attorney s, previously had told the c ourt it also objects to ending the consent decree.

The state’s motion to vacate claimed that, as a result of historic investments, Illinois extended support to thousands more individuals in community group homes and family settings – more than 23,000 in 2023 compared to 13,500 in 2011. It increased pay for frontline workers who help people with daily tasks like eating, bathing and errands. And the state argued it significantly reduced the time people spend waiting for services, especially when they are facing a crisis

Cohn acknowledged that the state has improved since 2011, but she argued that it’s not been enough, echoing what advocates have long emphasized: Illinois continues to rely too heavily on large, state-operated developmental centers and other similar privately operated facilities, as well as segregated work programs known as “workshops.”

And while the state has expanded the number of people served in Community Inte grated Living Ar rangements, or CILAs, even the state’s group home model is outdated, Cohn said. Many of the homes house six to eight individuals, while disability rights advocates say that CILA homes of three or fewer people more closely reflect the inde pendence and privacy that most people desire. As a result of these myriad shortcomings, she wrote,

The next Riverside Walking Tour that focuses on the area north of the tracks will be Sunday, July 28, 2-4 pm.

Vintage Baseball returns on Sunday, August 4, 1 pm at Riverside’s Big Ball Park. See how baseball was played during Frederick Law Olmsted’s era with long wooden bats and old fashioned uniforms. Come out and cheer for your favorite team!

Illinois’ system of care operates in “stark contrast to national best practices.”

In her statement to the court, she included state data showing that there are currently 200 individuals covered by the consent decree residing in six of the state’s seven developmental centers. These centers have been the focus of a monthslong investigation by the news organizations that has exposed abuse, poor care, ef forts by staf f to conceal misconduct, and systemic failures to improve conditions over at least two decades.

In prior re ports to the court, Cohn and Equip for Equality have emphasized that persistent safety concerns in these facilities underscore the critical impor tance of avoiding placements in state-run institutions for individuals covered by the consent decree. In an October court brief, Equip for Equality said individuals had been transfer red from community homes to institutional care during crises and then suffered tragic outcomes.

More than half of the 200 individuals who have been sent to institutions ended up at Choate Developmental Center in the small southern Illinois town of Anna, where the news organizations uncovered some of the most eg re gious instances of abuse and cover-ups. In its December court filing, the state acknowledged problems inside some of the centers and said they are working to address them, while adding that facility conditions are not covered by terms of the consent decree

I llinois De partment of Human Se rvices officials previously told re porter s they p lanned to i nstall security c ameras in c ommon areas at all state-run facilities, along with b eefing up staffing, training, security and oversight.

To d eal with more acute safety problems at C hoate, state officials announced a p lan in March 2023 to begin ing about 120 C hoate residents,

half of the p eople residing there at the time. I DHS said that, as of m id- Ju ly, 49 individuals had relocated: 37 move d into other facilities, mostly state-run developmental c enter s, and nine individuals transitioned i nto group homes or move d home with relative s.

C ohn told the c ourt she’d heard from individuals receiving services and thei r love d ones from across the state since Illinois made i ts bid to terminate the c onsent decree

At an April “Lig as Family Town Hall,” pa rt icipants “passionately expressed f ears over p otential termination,” C ohn told the c ourt, with one self-a dvo cate saying, “I thought I llinois wanted to go forward, not millions of steps backward.”

C ohn said in her c ourt testimony she had also rece ived numerous p hone c alls and emails. In one co rrespondenc e, a parent told Cohn that most group homes in their re gion house eight p eople, wh ich the parent said is not well suited fo r those with higher needs li ke their son. While he cu rrently lives at home, C ohn said the parent told her: “Our son’s longterm outcomes are not promising, and as we ag e, we wo r ry about his f uture when we can no longer care for him. ”

Oral arguments in the Ligas c ase are scheduled to begin We d nesd ay in Chicago in the U. S. District C ourt for the Norther n District of Illinoi s.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit , nonpartisan news service cov ering state go ve r nment. It is distributed to hundre ds of print and broadcast outlets statewide . It is funded primarily by the Illinois Pre ss Foundation and the Ro b ert R. McCo rm ick Foundation, along with majo r c ontributions from the Illinois Broad-

Landscape Workday scheduled for Saturday, August 17, 9 am-Noon, Akenside and Longcommon Triangle.

ZOO

Reinvention

from page 1

zoo’s c ampus, will be c onnected by the under ground Savannah Passage, a halfmile corridor that will allow zoo staf f to move animals b etween environments on a daily basis.

“Our goal there, really, is two-fold. It’s really to make the most enriching, dynamic environment that we can for the animals that [will] maintain optimal health and optimal wellbeing, as well as providing them the opportunity to have variety in their daily routines, to be engaged within the landscape and the environment around them,” zoo President and CEO Michael Adkesson said in a phone call last week. “It also keeps it exciting for our guests, so it lets us better recreate that kind of immersive experience of going on a safari or out onto a track and not necessarily knowing for sure what’s going to be right around the cor ner.”

T he ecoreg i ons will feature habitat s i nspired by 15 environments across the g lob e, such as the A frican Savannah, the Himalayas and the Pacific c oast of the A mericas. T he 35-acre “Gateway to A frica” habitat, whose development will kick of f the second p hase of the p lan, will link four ecoreg i ons b ased the c ontinent; the ecoreg i ons’ development will last through the third phase of the plan. In a ddition to the new ecoreg i on habitats, the zoo’s p lans include three other “key zones” for the pa rk : the c onservation c ampus, the wildlife discove ry area and the historical core

T he c onservation c ampus, wh ich will be located on the pa rk ’s south end after it is built toward the end of the 15-year p lan, will be “a hub for scientists, educators and c onservationists” that g uests c an visit to see examples of live c onservation research and learn about Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s conservation ef fo rt s.

“Conservation is at the core of everything we do here, and zoos have evolved so much over the last hundred year s, from p laces that we re created to j ust be a p lace for human entertainment with animals to p laces that, tod ay, house some of the wo rl d’s most endangered animals and c onduct some of the most important research and science with those specie s and pl ay an enormous role in c onservation,” Adkesson said.

He named the zoo’s Sarasota Dolphi n

is

Research Progr am, wh ich has studie d d olphins in Sarasota, F lorida, sinc e 1970, as one of Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s “hallmark” conservation progr ams.

“It’s the longest r unning c onservation research study of a marine mammal species anywhere on the g lob e, ” he said. “That progr am, for us, is tied so tightly to wh at we b eli eve with our d olphins here at the zoo, and our d olphins here at the zoo have b een able to help refin e everything from satellite tags to other i nstruments to help develop models that are able to be deployed on wild d olphins, and the info rm ation we ga in from wild d olphins has helped with the healthcare and medical care of our animals here at the zoo.”

T he new wildlife discove ry zone, located on the east s ide of the zoo, will feature recreational and i nteractive experiences for g uests. T he biggest a ddition to the zone will be an open-air amphitheater that the zoo will use for progr amming , from educational lessons to musical pe rfor mances, li ke the zoo’s Roaring Nights summer c oncert serie s. T he zone will also feature a permanent butterfly house so g uests c an learn about the c olorful insects year-round.

The historical core, as the name suggests, will maintain the zoo’s existing his-

Senior Living Benefits YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone

toric features, like its iconic gates on the north and south side of the park and its carousel at the center of the zoo’s campus.

Wi th all of the changes c oming to the zoo through 2039, Adkesson said he struggled to pick j ust one as his favo rit e.

“It’s li ke asking to pick a favo rite animal or a favo rite child. I think we are all so excited about everything within thi s p lan right now. It ’s been a real challeng e towards the end of the plan to really prio ritize wh at we wanted to see c ome online first, and I think that we ’ve landed in a great order, ” he said. “Right now, our natural excitement is kind of f alling to wh at comes next, and so, as we look to Tro pical Fo rest” — a $66 million project leading the first p hase of the N ext C entury Plan — “opening this c oming summer with a new outdoor habitat for our gorillas and orangutans, we ’re tremend ously excited about that.”

The changes will be split into four phases, the first of which is already underway, that will change the way guests experience the zoo and open doors for new kinds of learning opportunities. Officials said they zoo has already secured nearly $200 million in funding for the plan.

For more information about the plan, including access to a 45-page executive summary, go to Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s website.

Senior living communities offer a myriad of benefits that enhance the quality of life for older adults. One of the primary advantages is the opportunity for social interaction. Residents can participate in a variety of activities, from arts and crafts to group outings, fostering friendships and reducing feelings of isolation.

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.

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

PROVIDED BY THE BROOKFIELD ZO O CHIC AGO

rendering shows what the East African Forest area of the zoo’s new Gateway to Africa ecoregion could look like.

Police ticket driver who caused a crash while making a U-turn

A man was ticketed July 15 in Riverside after police responded to a car crash involving four vehicles.

Just before 6 p.m. that day, an officer was dispatched to assist other police at the intersection of South Harlem Avenue and Lawton Road after a four-car crash. At the scene, the officer spoke with one of the drivers of a car involved in the crash.

That driver told police he was driving north on South Harlem Avenue when he saw a gray car make an “improper” U-turn; while turning around, the gray car’s driver failed to yield to oncoming traffic, and his car was struck by another car heading south. According to police, “the ricochet of the vehicles hitting each other” caused them to strike a third car, which then struck the fourth car, driven by the man the officer spoke to.

Police cited the driver of the gray car for making an improper U-tur n, failing to reduce his speed to avoid an accident and operating an uninsured car. The driver was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. The other three drivers were given cards to access the report of the crash alongside tow

slips, as all three of their cars were rendered undriveable in the accident.

Ticketed for leaving after striking another car

Police ticketed a 26-year-old Brookfield woman July 18 after she struck another vehicle with her car and left the scene

According to Brookfield police, an officer arrived around 11:19 p.m. to the scene of the crash on the 3800 block of Grove Avenue on a report of a hit-and-run collision, in which a white car struck a parked blue car. Police identified the unoccupied white car at the scene of the collision and ran its license plates through the police database, revealing it belonged to a Brookfield woman.

After heading to the woman’s registered address on Brookfield Avenue, the officer spoke with a resident of the home, who said the owner of the car was her daughter who was not home. After the officer explained that her daughter’s car had been involved in a crash, the woman called her daughter, who said she did not know what had happened to her car and that she had not been driving it.

The officer then went to Irish Times to watch video footage of the white car, which had been parked across the street earlier in the night. According to police, the officer saw the car’s owner and her friend enter the vehicle at about 10:57 p.m. that night on Irish Times’ video footage. The footage showed the car heading toward the 3800 block of Grove Avenue after reversing out of its parking spot.

After viewing the video, the officer returned to the car owner’s address and found her there. While speaking with the officer, the woman said she had left Irish Times with her friend to drive her friend home. She said she struck the blue car when she tried to pull over but didn’t stop in time, in part due to her car’s worn tires and dimmed headlights

She said that she panicked after striking the other car and left the scene, as she had never been involved in a collision before. The officer told her that she should have called Brookfield police and left her insurance information at the scene

The officer issued the woman three citations related to the crash: one for failing to reduce her speed to avoid a collision, one for

failing to provide her insurance information and one for leaving the scene of the crash. An Aug. 27 court date was set, and police told the woman her car had been towed.

Cited for driving without a license or insurance

A man was ticketed July 11 in Lyons after a Riverside police officer on patrol caught the man driving an uninsured vehicle.

T he officer was patrolling near the intersection of South Harlem Avenue and Ogden Avenue around 6:30 p.m. when they noticed the man’s car heading south on Harlem. T he officer ran the car’s license plates through the police database, which showed the car’s re gistration had been suspended due to a lack of insurance, police said.

After pulling the car over near 40th Street, the officer approached the driver and explained the reason for the traffic stop. After being asked by the officer, the man did not provide a driver’s license or proof of insur-

See POLICE REPORTS on page 14

OBITUARIES

Betty Jo Hermanek, 92

Loved music and dance

Betty Jo Hermanek (nee St. Charles), 92, a longtime resident of Riverside, has died. She was a professional dancer who danced with the USO, and was a member of the Aloha Nanis Hawaiian Dance Group and The Profiles Music Group where she made lifetime friendships. She had a varied career, including flight attendant with TWA and a Realtor. She was an avid tennis player, world traveler, and an astrologer who taught Astrology at Triton Colle ge She was a for mer member of the Riverside Junior Women’s Club. Her three true loves were f amily, friends and music. She was an animal lover and was always open to new ideas and experiences.

Betty Jo was the wife of the late Hubert E. Hermanek Sr.; the mother and best friend of Marybeth (Richard) Vavrik, Hubert E. (Ana) Hermanek and John (Lenda) Oberg; the grandmother of Paula and Keith Hermanek, Dawn (Russell) Palmer and Jason (Abbey) Vavrik, Jessica (Joe) Benoun, and Alex and Jason Oberg; the great-grandmother of Ella Grace Palmer, Camden James Richard Vavrik, Victoria Belle Vavrik and Tristan and Ethan Benoun; the sister of Edward (Mary Ann) St. Charles; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Services we re held on Ju ly 23 at C onboy-Westchester Funeral Home, i nterment private T he f amily would li ke to personally thank the nurses and staff of

the Scottish Home for their decade-long wonderful and c ompassionate care, and would also li ke to reco gnize the lovin g care and suppo rt from S uncrest Hospic e over her final 18 months.

In lieu of fl ower s, memorials to the C aledonia S enior Living “Scottish Home” (wwwcaledoniaseniorliving.org ) are appreciated Ar rangements were handled by the Original Kuratko Family, Brian D. Kuratko, Funeral Director.

Bart Demma, 81

LaGrange Park Shoe Repair ow ner

Bartholomew Demma, 81, for mer owner of L aGrange Pa rk S hoe Re pair in L aGrange Pa rk , died on Ju ly 14, 2024. Born on Jan. 9, 1943, he started wo rk in g at the shoe re pair in 1982 for his c ousinin-l aw ’s husband, and in 1994, “bought himself a job” and purchased the business. He fixed thousands of shoes, jackets, lug gage, g olf bags, gl oves, etc., even expanding to shar p ening knives and blades. Through the years he ser ve d residents of L aGrange Pa rk and the sur rounding area, local p olitical leaders and c elebritie s, and even clowns. He absolutely appreciated the c ommunity and the friendships he built through thi s pa rt of his life.

Bart is a Vietnam Veteran who will be buried at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood with full military honor s. For more information or to honor Bart,

please visit www.sheehyfh.com/obituaries/Bartholomew-I-Bart-Demma.

Kenneth Benes, 57

Restaurant manager

Kenneth M. Benes, 57, of North Rivers ide, died on June 7, 2024. He was a restaurant manage r.

Ken was the husband of Gina (nee Prus); the father of Daniel, Ryan and Brooke; the son of the late Ray mond J. Benes and the late Dolores Mary (nee Kiedrowski); the brother of Ray mond (late S haron), Ro be rt (Donna), Mar y (Gard Strother), T homas (Valerie), and the late David W. Benes; the uncle of B rian (Caitlyn), Juli e, St ep hanie (Nate), E llen, and Emily; and the great-uncle of Bailey, Madison, Pe y ton, E aston, A lex and Elizabeth.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on Ju ly 15 at St. Mary C hurch, Rive rside, followe d by i nterment at Queen of Heave n C emeter y. Ar r angements we re handled by I vins/Mor avecek Funeral Home (www mor avecek.com).

Anne L. Watylyk, 68

Religious Education coordinator

A nne L. Watylyk, 68, of L aGrang e Pa rk , died on Ju ly 15, 2024. S he was a dedicated and proud l ifelong parishioner of Mater Christi C hurch, St. Paul VI Parish and active member of St. L oui se de Marillac C hurch, Holy Guardian Angels Parish. S he was an active choi r member and a ccompanist of St. Hug h and St. Paul VI churches, p ast officer

and member of the St. Paul VI Women’s Society and p ast Religious Education c oordinator for St. L ouise de Marillac C hurch. In her professional career outs ide of C hurch, she was a Mutual Trust L ife Insurance co rrespondent.

A nne was the sister of T heodore (Jeanine) Watylyk Jr.; the aunt of Gina (fiancé C olin Fa g an) Watylyk, Grac e Watylyk and Gabriella Watylyk; the niece and c ousin to many; and the d aughter of the late T heodore F. Watyly k Sr. and Lena A. Watylyk (nee Cannella). Vi sitation will be held on Sund ay, Ju ly 28 from 3 to 7 p. m. and Mond ay Ju ly 29 from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at Hitzeman Funeral Home Ltd., 9445 31st St., Brookfield. A funeral Mass will be c elebrated at 10 a.m. on Mond ay at Mater Christi C hurch, North Rive rside, followe d by i nterment at Queen of Heaven Cemeter y, Hillside. Memorials are appreciated to St. Paul VI Parish, 40 E. Burlington, Riverside, IL 60546.

Leonard Milewski, 85

Commercial window salesman

L eonard R. Milewski, 85, died on Ju ly 18, 2024 at his home in North Rive rside He was a U. S. Marine Co rp s veteran and a retired commercial wind ow salesman. Len was the husband of the late Carol Ann (nee Schultz); the father of Wendy (Robert) Planek, Jeff (Joyce), Leonard A. (Kate) and Michael Milewski; the grandfather of Robert L. and Caroline Ann Planek, Jossane F. and Penelope J. Milewski. Inurnment and military honors at A braham Lincoln National Cemetery. Ar r angements we re handled by I vins/ Mor avecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., Rive rside (www. mor avecek.com).

To run an obituary

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

POLICE REPORTS

from page 12

ance, though he did give the officer an ID card. After running the man’s name through the database, the officer learned he did not have

BIDEN

Lawmakers unify

from page 3

mitment to a brighter and more inclusive future for all Americans.”

On X, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch of the 7th District said: “President Biden has put our country first time and time again. His commitment to moving forward even amidst adversity and personal loss embodies who we are as Americans. Today, he

a driver’s license. The officer told the man he could not be driving without a license, and the man acknowledged it.

The man was cited for his illegal behavior — driving an uninsured car with suspended re gistration without a driver’s license — and given an Aug. 16 court date before he was released and his car was giv-

has put our country first again.

“I want to thank President Biden for his selfless leadership, and for again putting our country and our democracy ahead of individual ambition. I look forward to working with my colleagues to help move a united Democratic Party forward to victory in November.”

The message from the DCCC remained optimistic.

“Here in Chicago, our mission remains the same. During the convention, we will have an opportunity to show the country and the world who Democrats are and what we stand for,” said Democratic National Convention Chairperson Minyon Moore.

en over to a legal driver.

These items were obtained from the Riverside Police Department reports dated July 11-15 and the Brookfield Police Department reports dated July 15-22; they represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases

“Over the past year, we have been building the stage – literally and figuratively – for President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats to tell our story to the American people. The historic progress Democrats achieved under the Biden-Harris Administration will still be central to that story, as will the story of what is at stake in this election.”

Illinois Republicans used the opportunity to take a shot at Democrats

have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Trent Brown

It’s always been easier for me to help others than to help myself

It’s always been easier for me to help others than to help myself

It’s always been easier for me to help others than to help myself

It’s always been easier for me to help others than to help myself

“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of lies from the Biden White House and Democrats shaming anyone who questioned the fitness of President Biden,” Kathy Salvi, Illinois Re publican

Party chairperson said in a statement. “Democrats are divided, torn apar t by their own duplicity trying to pass of f President Biden’s inability to fulfill his role, while Re publicans stand united behind President Trump and an agenda of freedom, prosperity, and safety. Democrats have become the pa self-service while Re become the voice of this nation. publicans must continue to call attention to JB Pritzker’s tax-and-spend, pro-criminal agenda that dri from this state to protect the rest of the nation.

Re porter Trent Brown contributed to the article.

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out. Find resources at VA.GOV/REACH

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out. Find resources at VA.GOV/REACH

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to respond. But it’s also okay to get help for yourself. Maybe you want or need assistance with employment, stress, finances, mental health or finding the right resources. No matter what it is, you earned it. And there’s no better time than right now to ask for it. Don’t wait. Reach out. Find resources at VA.GOV/REACH

As a Veteran, when someone raises their hand for help, you’re often one of the first ones to

Sports Brook eld 11-U softball tops Riverside for district title

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Solid pitching by Molly Beattie and Leila Chave z helped the Brookfield Little League softball 11-and-Under all-stars capture the District 9 championship at Sedgwick Park in La Grange.

Moments after the clinching victory, July 16, the pair were even stronger together. During the postgame celebration, coach Andy Righeimer was doused by a large cooler with freezing cold water, down to the last drop.

“It was me and Molly,” Chavez said.

“I’m pretty smart. [Luci Jarecz ek’s] dad was distracting him,” Beattie said.

Brookfield swept Riverside 16-2 and 16-5, July 15, both in four innings, to win the twoteam, best-of-three district series. Brookfield advanced to the three-team state tournament in Clarendon Hills Saturday but lost to Clarendon Hills 11-1 and Kaneland 10-0 both in four innings in round-robin pool play and did not advance to Sunday’s championship game. Brookfield 11-U team members are Beattie, Ellie Chase, Chavez, Olive Costello, Brooklyn Depke, Mallory Faught, Jareczek, Amelia Johnson, Elizabeth Lentz, Eloise Righeimer, Fiona Stenson and Annabelle Villasenor. Coaches are Righeimer, Erin Depke and Joe Lentz.

“They really came to g ether. T hey worked hard. T hey’re always there for each other, which is huge for our team because they’re always picking each other up every moment they can,” Andy Righeimer said after districts

“They’re still learning a lot but at the same time, the way they come together as a team, very proud of them.”

Chave z (triple, double, 5 runs batted in), Johnson (5 for 6, 5 RBIs) and Faught (4 for 6) were top hitters over the two district victories. Both pitching complete games, Beattie struck out seven on July 16 and Chavez eight on July 15.

“[Winning districts] means a lot to me because I feel like our team has come really far and we worked really hard for it,” Chave z said. “I think having teamwork really helped us in this.”

Riverside’s Annalisa Sandor f (21) jumps but is hit by the Brook eld pitch dur ing the Illinois District 9 11U so ball tournament Monday, July 15, 2024 in La Grange, IL.

“I told our girls you’re re presenting your community, which is a very rare opportunity for any athlete. And we’re really proud of them,” Nick Caputo said. “We’re really thankful to the hosts. This tournament represents everything it’s supposed to be about, good sportsmanship, working hard and having fun. I think Brookfield [also] exemplified those qualities.”

In 2023, Brookfield lost the 11-U state championship game to Clarendon Hills. 12-U team came one victory th in the Central Re gional after the 2023 team captured Brookfield’s first state title since 2006.

“[I liked] our ability to stay positive despite what was happening on the field. They were always still pumping each other up and battling and encouraging each other,” Andy Righeimer said.

Sandorff (triple, 2 runs) and Pisano (double, 2 runs) both reached base in three of their four district plate appearances, Fitzgerald hit a two-run double and struck out three

“[Districts] went really well, especially the pl didn tie j Riverside 11-U team members are Mila Caputo, Mia Drenth, Emery Fitzgerald, Olivia Galindo, Elena Kasparek, Libby McKay, Evie Pisano, Annalisa Sandorff, Angie Tokarz, Molly Wojowicz, Sophia Wyskiel and Annika Yanz. The manager is Nick Caputo with assistant coaches Scott McKay and Vic Yanz and volunteer assistants Mike Drenth and Missy Wojowicz.

At state, Brookfield was hampered by a seven-run first inning by Clarendon Hills. Brookfield only trailed Kaneland 2-0 entering the third inning.

“If they make all-stars again [for 12U], they already know what it’s like to be there and the attitude they need to come with, the determination and how much work you have to put into it to come out on the positive end.”

PROVIDED BY STEVE JOHNSTON

Brookfield Majors 12-U softball comes one win from state title

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

T he Brookfield Little League softball

Major 12-and-under all-stars were fueled by success and high expectations. That was the only disappointment as another great r un came up just one victory shor t with a 6-1 loss to Clarendon Hills, July 10, in the state championship g ame in downstate Rushville.

Team members are Ema Beattie, Lea Becker, Grace Campbell, Justina Costello, Kallie Hickey, Viv Kowynia, Nena Melendez, Lyla Pigoni, Maeve Toland, Josie Stremski, Josie Swanson and Yannis Villamil. Mike Melendez is the manager, with assistant coaches Dave Campbell and Ed Kowynia. This group wanted to repeat last year’s

first 12-U state title since 2006 and berth in the Central Region in Whitestown, Indiana. This group was part of four District 9 titles every year and five for Campbell, Kowynia, Melendez, Pigoni and Swanson, counting two in the Minors 10-U age group

“I think in time they’ll appreciate what they’ve been able to do, especially that kind of core group,” Mike Melendez said. “Since they had lofty ambitions, they don’t appreciate the little things. The stream of success they’ve had is incredible. Right now, it’s still a little raw and they might not fully appreciate it. A lot of people were watching and following us. The girls should be proud of what they’ve done.”

C larendon Hills scored all six r uns in the first i nning. Pitcher N ena Melend ez and Brookfield hung tough from there

Maggie Durkin

Riverside Brookfield High School

* Colle ge sports plans: Lacrosse at the University of Indianapolis; NCAA Division II

* Colle ge major: Business with minor in marketing

* Future goals: “I’d like to maintain a good GPA during my time at UIndy. For lacrosse, one of my goals is for the team to win another national championship [after capturing the 2022 Division II title].”

* Reasons I chose Indianapolis: “UIndy has an amazing athletic program all around, but what first set my eyes on their program was my old club coach Audrey [Moran]. She was a goalie at UIndy and spoke to us about how the program is the perfect balance between competitiveness and fun. Academically, I thought UIndy would be a good fit because of the class sizes. Re gardless of lacrosse, I was looking for a smaller school so I could have a more personal connection with my classmates and professors, and UIndy is perfect for that.”

* Recruiting memories: “My recruiting season [as a junior] was pretty difficult because I tore my ACL about a month before it started. A lot of schools wrote me of f right when I let them know, but UIndy was extremely supportive about it, and

still gave me the opportunity to play for them this fall.”

* On playing colle ge sports: “Lacrosse has always b een an outlet for me, and I wasn’t ready to give it up j ust yet.

with solid defense, but Mi ke Melend ez said C larendon Hills was solid defensive ly the entire g ame.

Brookfield’s lone r un c ame on a massive home run by Hickey

“It was one of the hardest b alls I’ve seen hit. Pe riod,” Mi ke Melend ez said. “There was nothing cheap about it. Definitely a crowd pleaser.”

Brookfield made the single-elimination semifinals with a 2-2 record in p ool pl ay, and remained p ositive after losing their last two g ames 7-1 to Oglesby and 20-10 to Clarendon Hills

In the championship semifinals earlier, Ju ly 10, Brookfield beat Oglesby 6- 1 with perhaps i ts b est state performanc e and after f alling b ehind in the first inning. Oglesby was the No. 1 seed for the

C OLLEGE COMMITMENT S

I decided I wanted to pl ay lacrosse before my first tournament with my club team, Second Cit y. I signed up for a showcase the day before with a few c olle ge c oaches. Being c oached by them and taking c riticism to improve our g ames really j ust changed my pe rspective on lacrosse. I realized that that was the kind of c oaching I was looking for to improve my g ame.”

* What I learned from high school sports: “I learned a lot. My most valuable lesson, however, was when I tore my ACL. I learned never to take a g ame for granted, and always give 100 percent effort. Not being able to play with my teammates was hard for me, but it just made me appreciate lacrosse even more.”

Compiled by Bill Stone

Emily Baartman

Riverside Brookfield High School

* College sports plans: Swimming at Calvin University (Grand Rapids, Michigan); NCAA Division III

* College major: Geology

* Reasons I chose Calvin: “It will challenge me and help me grow as a swimmer. Dan Gelderloos, the head coach at Calvin, is a hard-working and talented coach. From what I have learned from students under him and from watching from the bleachers, he is going to help me improve on all aspects of swimming. Alongside that, the community within Calvin swimming and diving is one that I’m excited to be a part of. Every interaction with fellow students has been positive and encouraging. Calvin’s science programs, specifically their geology program, are exceptional. They have many opportunities for hands-on learning and research. The professors at Calvin are kind and knowledgeable, which adds to the appeal of the school.”

* Recruiting memories: “Nearly every small DIII swim program that reached out to me to swim, also wanted me to play other sports. Many asked about triathlon, to which I politely declined as I hate running. Others asked about switching to rowing, which I nearly said yes to

* On continuing college sports: “The routine that I have established is very important

semifinals after a 4-0 p ool record, outscoring opponents by a combined 52-8.

“We pl ayed really strong defense. [The g ame] was tight, 2-1, for a large chunk, ” Mi ke Melend ez said. “(Our pl ayers) we re always p umped up. Once they realized we we re where we want to be (in the semifinals) after losing two in a row, they we re (still) two wins from a state title.”

Little League baseball

Brookfield finished third and Riverside fourth in Majors 12-U. Brookfield was 3-2 with two losses to LaGrange Park and eliminated Riverside, which had a 2-2 record In 11-U, Riverside and Brookfield were 1-2 with Brookfield beating Riverside in the opening round of the six-team bracket.

to me. I worry that without the normalcy of swimming, I will have a difficult time staying on task and focused in school. I knew from a young age that I would be swimming in college. Of course, then I was thinking I was going to go swim DI and make the Olympics, but little me was right on the swimming part. Swimming is a big part of my life, and I can’t imagine a life without it.”

* What I learned from high school sports: “I learned a lot about leadership and how to go about leading when one is normally a follower. I learned how to stand up for myself even when it may push others away. I learned that friendships are more important than drama, and that petty drama tends to split people apart in the worst way. I learned that you cannot be friends with everybody, no matter how hard you try. I learned that it’s easy to get caught up in yourself, but taking time for others will keep you grounded. Nearly every day on that team I learned something new, from silly small things like a favorite color, to hard-to-swallow truths.”

Compiled

by Bill Stone

FUND BALANCE/NET POSITION AT JANUARY 1, 2023

Subscribed and Sworn on this 22nd day of July, 2024

DOUGLAS E. COOPER, VILLAGE TREASURER

RECEIPTS SUMMARY: 50/50 TREE REPLACEMENT SALES, 19,700.00 ACTIVE MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS, 555,084.23 ADMIN TOW FEES, 20,500.00 AMBULANCE & EMS FEE, 1,194,017.94 ANIMAL IMPOUND FEE, 20.00 ANTENNA SITE LEASE, 56,857.04 BROOKFIELD AVE TRAIN STATION RENTALS, 8,204.24 BUILDING CODE VIOLATION FINES, 37,195.00 BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUES, 40,535.00 CASH OVER/SHORT, 122.02 CIRCUIT COURT FINES, 18,082.93 DAILY PARKING FEE, 38,139.66 DONATIONS, 8,216.92 EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS, 3,106,670.23 EVENT SPONSORSHIP SALES, 25,000.00 EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT, 9,479.52 FEDERAL GRANTS, 827,230.12 FILING & VARIANCE FEE, 10,950.00 FRANCHISE FEE-CABLE TV, 212,766.49 GARBAGE CHARGES, 2,322,111.70 GASOLINE TAX REIMBURSEMENT, .00 HOTEL MOTEL TAX, 24,696.02 INCOME TAX, 3,140,439.70 INCREASE IN FAIR MARKET VALUE OF INV, 5,804,330.59 INSPECTION FEE, 16,700.00 INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENT, 6,989.16 INTEREST FROM DEPOSITS, 515,690.06 INTEREST FROM INVESTMENTS, 382,581.67 IRMA SURPLUS REVENUE, -30,838.99 LATE PAYMENT PENALTY, 159,898.84 LICENSE - CLASS 12 BYOB, 1,000.00 LICENSE - SOLICITORS, 625.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 1, 6,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 13, 600.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 14, 3,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 2, 30,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 3, 26,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 4, 1,050.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 5, 4,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 6, 1,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS 7&7A, 10,000.00 LICENSE-ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR CLASS S, 9,440.00 LICENSE-CONTRACTORS & RELATED TRADES, 85,900.00 LICENSE-LIQUOR CLASS 10, 2,200.00 LICENSE-PASSENGER CAR, 555,708.50 LICENSE-VIDEO GAMING MACHINE, 33,500.00 LIQUOR CLASS 11, 1,250.00 LOCAL TOWNSHIP ROAD & BRIDGE, 41,976.48 LOCAL USE TAX, 758,104.03 MEMORIAL TREE DONATIONS, .00 MISCELLANEOUS, 14,293.06 MOTOR FUEL TAX, 444,023.09 MUNICIPAL DEBT SATISFACTION CERTIFICATE FEE, 2,939.68 NONHOME RULE GASOLINE TAX, 52,340.53 NON-HOME RULE SALES TAX, 1,180,507.93 NSF CHECK CHARGE, 1,245.00 OTHER GRANTS, 502,652.93 OTHER INTEREST, 2.64 OTHER RECREATION PROGRAMS, .00 OTHER RENTALS, .00 OTHER STATE SHARED TAXES, 1,006.86 PARKING TICKET FINES, 231,428.36 PERMIT-BUILDING, 322,922.68 PERMIT-COMMUTER PARKING, 22,119.40 PERMIT-DUMPSTER, 5,650.00 PERMIT-OTHER, 225.00 PERMIT-OTHER BUILDING, 75.00 PERMIT-PICNIC, 13,191.00 PERSONAL PROPERTY

LEGAL NOTICE

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS ANNUAL TREASURER’S REPORT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2023

REPLACEMENT TAX, 211,303.39 PLACES FOR EATING TAX, 316,444.94 POLICE SPECIAL DETAIL FEE, 1,329.90 POLICE/FIRE REPORT FEE, 3,315.00 PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF FIXED ASSETS, 18,660.00 PROGRAM FEES - TEEN TRAVELER'S CAMP, 48,533.50 PROGRAM FEES-COED VOLLEYBALL, 2,835.00 PROGRAM FEESCONTRACT KIDS FIRST SPORTS, 1,085.00 PROGRAM FEES-COOP LA GRANGE PARK, .00 PROGRAM FEESKAMP KIWANIS, 279,201.03 PROGRAM FEES-MENS BASKETBALL, 2,750.00 PROGRAM FEES-OTHER RECREATION, 357,749.73 PROGRAM FEES-PRE & POST CAMP, 40,582.32 PROGRAM FEES-REC HOUSE CAMP 5'S & 6'S, 1,625.00 PROGRAM FEES-SAND VOLLEYBALL, .00 PROGRAM FEES-TOT PREP 3'S REC HOUSE, 12,734.00 PROGRAM FEES-TOTS PREP 3'S WATER TOW, 16,203.00 PROGRAM FEES-TOTS PREP 4'S-REC HOUSE, 29,799.00 PROGRAM FEES-TOTS PREP 4'S-WATER TOW, 18,985.00 PROGRAM FEES-TRIPS & OUTINGS, 1,218.00 PROGRAM FEES-YOUTH ART, 798.00 PROPERTY TAX

- 2016 GO BOND ISSUE, 1,036,592.37 PROPERTY TAX

- CORPORATE LEVIES, 6,231,743.86 PROPERTY TAX

- FIREFIGHTERS PENSION, 1,030,088.51 PROPERTY TAX - OGDEN AVE. TIF, 495,967.96 PROPERTY TAXPOLICE PENSION LEVY, 2,076,581.33 PROPERTY TAX

2018 G O BOND ISSUE, 929,254.39 PROPERTY TAXES

- 2020 GO BONDS, 769,190.30 PROPERTY TAXES 8 CORNERS TIF, 246,518.18 PROPERTY TAXES GRAND BLVD TIF, 82,411.75 RECREATION SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION DONATION, 9,393.70 SALES TAX, 1,416,079.76 SEWER CHARGES, 1,551,325.71 Special Assessment #359, 26,766.00 Special Assessment #361, 11,752.41 SPECIAL REGISTRATION FEES - PD, 770.00 STATE GRANTS, 916,332.51 STATE REIMBURSEMENT, 417,886.66 TELECOMMUNICATIONS TAX, 173,675.11 TOWNSHIP GRANTS, 28,509.50 TRANSFER IN FROM GENERAL FUND, 1,755,000.00 TRANSFER IN FROM INFRASTRUCTURE FUND, 432,051.09 TRANSFER IN FROM MFT FUND, 1,388,567.84 TRANSFER IN FROM OGDEN AVE TIF, .00 TRANSPORTATION RENEWAL FUND DISTRIBUTIONS, 396,589.97 UTILITY TAXELECTRIC, 432,199.67 UTILITY TAX-NATURAL GAS, 410,567.97 VIDEO GAMING TAX, 274,143.15 WATER METER INSTALLATION/REPLACEMENT, 18,695.33 WATER SALES, 7,387,522.95 WATER TURN ON FEES, 18,095.00 WATER UTILITY TAX, 330,169.41 WORKERS COMPENSATION REIMBURSEMENT, 61,901.95 TOTAL RECEIPTS $54,618,843.41

DISBURSEMENTS SUMMARY: VENDOR PAYMENTS

GREATER THAN $2,500.00: Aabbitt 24 Hour Locksmith Service, 3,378.00 Accurate Document Destruction, 4,416.92 Aclara Technologies LLC, 11,021.78 AEP

Energy, 3,604.80 Aero Removals, 3,600.00 Aidroos, Mujtaba, 2,900.00 Aim Invest, 3,000.00 Air One Equipment, Inc., 91,114.95 Airgas USA LLC, 8,199.43 Allied Garage Door Inc, 24,403.28 AlphaGraphics 375, 14,057.46 Alta Construction Equipment Ilinois LLC, 151,392.65 Alternative Energy Solutions, 4,754.62 Amalgamated Bank of Chicago, 3,552,570.00 American Fidelity Assurance, 16,756.10 American Municipal Private Plumbing, 13,000.00 American Solutions for Business, 2,758.44 Apex3 Systems, 33,694.30 Appraisal Associates, 4,500.00 Associated Technical Services Ltd., 42,207.00 AT&T, 63,831.72 Atlas Bobcat, LLC, 12,882.33 Avalon Petroleum Co., 112,308.08 Avila, Esmerelda and Erik, 3,000.00 Axon Enterprise Inc, 35,779.13 B & F Construction Code Services, Inc., 61,225.99 B Allan Graphics, 26,250.00 Badger Meter, 16,852.15 Baker, April, 5,000.00 Bartley, Christopher, 3,000.00 Bear Metal Welding & Fabrication, 5,640.00 BEE LINE Communications Inc., 3,000.00 Beesley, Sean, 3,000.00 Benda, Carol, 2,750.00 BENISTAR/ HARTFORD-6795, 20,700.00 Benjo Builders, 3,000.00 BenOfficial Productions LLC, 4,500.00 Bisnow, LLC, 3,000.00 BKF Computer Services, Inc., 6,818.00 Blue Cross Blue Shield of IL, 804,394.15 Blue Reef LLC, 22,140.45 Bound Tree Medical, LLC, 3,989.43 Boyd, Daniel, 3,000.00 Brookfield Public Library, 48,668.70 Brookfield/North Riverside Water Commission, 4,117,213.23 Burk, Chris, 2,750.00 Callahan, Richard, 3,000.00 Calvetti, Aventi, 4,000.00 Campbell, James, 5,000.00 Capers, 4,000.00 Cargill Incorporated, 109,561.35 Carlson, James, 9,332.00 Carlson, Jim, 2,600.00 Carlson, Steffan, 3,000.00 Case Lots, Inc., 23,111.32 Ceiling Guys, Inc., 37,406.00 Chamberlin Pony Rides, 2,675.00 Chicago Communications, LLC, 4,659.00 Chicago Dine-Around, Inc, 3,680.17 Cintas Corp, 20,501.07 Ciorba Group, 255,888.28 CivicPlus, 22,318.25 Civiltech Engineering, Inc., 53,251.36 CK Management Services, LLC, 77,994.00 ClearGov Inc, 7,210.00 Cleveland, Jennifer, 4,000.00 College of Du Page, 6,178.00 Comcast, 8,676.61 ComEd, 68,164.89 Communications Direct Inc., 11,874.12 Compagno LLC, 3,000.00 CONSERV FS INC, 2,717.25 Constellation NewEnergy, Inc., 187,614.22 Cook Castle Associates, LLC, 4,506.00 Cook County Dept of Public Health, 11,900.00 Cook County ETSB, 42,256.93 Cook County Sheriff's Training Institute, 3,250.00 Core & Main, 25,744.69 Crestway Klassic Flooring Inc., 17,333.53 Crystal Maintenance Services Corp., 25,795.00 CustomCrete LLC, 22,637.50 Cycle Brookfield, 2,742.00 CZERWIEN, JOHN, 8,500.00 DACRA Adjudication System, 19,600.00 De Lage Landen Public Finance, 40,155.28 Delillo, Michael, 3,000.00 Dell Marketing L.P.,

4,135.89 Delta Dental Of Illinois - Risk, 16,999.37 Derailed Music Inc, 4,500.00 Designing Concrete, Inc, 3,000.00 Digital Assurance Certification, LLC, 2,750.00 Diligent Corporation, 14,621.25 Dinges Fire Company, 73,662.09 Donahue & Rose, P.C., 7,455.00 DOUGLAS SPORTS EQUIPMENT, 11,438.00 Duffek, Mark, 3,664.96 DuPage Topsoil Inc., 5,975.00 Eagle Uniform Co, Inc, The, 8,085.75 Elmhurst Occupational Health, 14,876.00 Enchanted Castle, 4,491.00 Entercept Corp, 3,600.00 Enterprise FM Trust, 99,255.09 ePACT Network Ltd., 6,600.00 Ernst, Dennis, 2,750.00 ESO Solutions, Inc., 2,906.05 Evans and Son Blacktop Inc, 237,875.00 Factory Motor Parts, 10,726.09 Fire Service, Inc., 12,221.24 First Student Inc, 27,527.76 Freeway Ford Truck Sales Inc., 15,570.24 Full Circle K9 Solutions Inc, 3,600.00 Future Technology Systems, 2,593.00 Gaffney, Megan, 5,535.00 Garvey's Office Products, 7,411.38 Gaughan, Kelly, 2,750.00 GBJ Sales, LLC, 3,983.75 Giverrang, 9,246.00 Go Painters, Inc., 16,128.00 Grainger, 6,090.58 Groot Industries, Inc., 1,652,802.94 Growing Community Media, NFP, 7,523.00 Grund & Riesterer Architects Inc., 24,365.75 Guadalupe, Israel, 3,000.00 Gurtner Plumbing, 3,000.00 Hancock Engineering, 1,234,266.51 Harney, Kelly, 3,000.00 Hawk Auto, 4,685.85 HBK Water Meter Service, Inc., 11,022.35 Heat Engineering Co, The, 35,500.51 Heidelberg Materials Midwest Agg, Inc, 14,436.32 Hernandez, Brian, 3,000.00 HFS Bureau of Fiscal Operations-GEMT, 133,297.93 Hickey, Jenna, 4,388.44 High Star Traffic, 64,022.25 Hildebrand Sporting Goods, 9,857.50 Hinsdale Humane Society, 5,500.00 Hinsdale Nurseries, 3,177.55 Hitchcock Design Group, 44,477.04 HL Landscape, 111,874.12 Holdren, Cynthia, 3,000.00 Holewa, Jean, 7,400.00 Homer Tree Care, Inc, 30,061.00 I/O Solutions, Inc, 18,508.00 IFPIF, 23,743.48 Illinois Alarm Service, Inc, 2,677.50 Illinois EPA, 6,019.56 IMRF, 311,660.81 IMX Group, 15,000.00 Insituform Technologies USA, LLC, 58,665.00 Integral Construction Inc, 637,792.65 Internal Revenue Service, 484,397.90 Interstate Battery System of Central Chicago, 3,651.00 Interstate Power Systems, Inc., 6,135.83 IPOPIF, 35,994.40 IPPFA, 6,465.00 IRMA, 648,378.42 J & M Fence, 5,990.00 J Cizek & Sons Inc, 4,994.00 J. Nardulli Concrete, Inc., 2,663,570.72 J.V. AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE & REPAIR, INC., 4,119.30 Janica, Tom, 2,750.00 JCM Uniforms Inc., 4,748.82 JEFF WAGGONER GRAPHIC DESIGN, 2,650.00 Jennings, John, 4,000.00 JJ Construction and Flooring Inc., 3,900.00 Johns, Katie, 3,919.40 Johnson Controls Fire Protection LP, 4,476.00 Jones, William, 5,000.00 Julie, Inc., 3,265.08 K.C. Mechanical, Inc., 3,440.00 Kammerer, Chase, 3,000.00 Karlson Garza McQueary, LLC, 20,240.68 K-Five continued on next page

e Landmark, July 24, 2024

Construction Corp, 4,670.23 KLF Enterprises, 53,664.00 KnowBe4, 8,739.60 Koerner, Valerie, 4,000.00 Koustenis, James, 3,000.00 Kuusakoski US LLC, 3,488.00 La Grange Park Ace Hardware, 3,257.59 Lakeview Bus Lines Inc, 4,583.95 Lambertson, Andy, 5,000.00 Lauterbach & Amen, LLP, 66,445.00 Law Offices of John L Fioti, 16,112.50 Lawson Products, Inc., 8,611.21 LDA Painting, 16,420.00 Lexipol, 18,278.51 Lintakas, Aras, 5,500.00 Living Waters Consultants, Inc., 11,100.00 Lotz, Martin, 5,800.00 LRS, LLC, 4,053.55 Lyn Doering, CSR, 2,846.00 Lyons Pinner Electric Co, 102,879.07 M.E. Simpson Co., Inc., 5,210.00 MABAS Division 10, 7,210.00 MacQueen Emergency, 1,285,506.24 Madison National Life Insurance Co., 10,950.63 Magic of Gary Kantor, 2,625.00 Major Case Assistance Team, 3,300.00 Malec, Beata, 3,000.00 Malgorzata, Gosia Glimco, 3,293.00 Manasse, Bryan, 3,000.00 Mariottini, Kristen, 3,000.00 Mashud, Jewel, 3,000.00 Mashud, Mehedi, 3,000.00 Mc Grath, Robert, 14,010.22 McKendry, Bridget, 3,000.00 Menards, 4,911.85 MG Audio Inc, 16,700.00 MGP, Inc, 51,568.03 Midwest Meter Inc., 406,013.76 Midwest Paving Equipment, Inc, 35,639.00 Miller, Elmer, 3,000.00 Mirza, Michael, 3,000.00 Mollo, Luigi, 3,900.00 Monroe Truck Equipment, 7,339.00 Monti, Dave, 3,000.00 Moran, Logan, 3,000.00 Morning, Noon & Night Plumbing, 54,000.00 Motorola Solutions, Inc., 2,631.48 MPC Communications & Lighting, Inc., 3,209.00 NAPA Auto Parts, 12,768.35 National Power Rodding Corp, 101,725.90 NATIONAL SPORTS PRODUCTS, 5,195.88 Navarro, Gia M, 8,906.25 Neer LLC - Your Dream House Series, 3,000.00 NICOR, 7,393.78 NIPSTA, 6,595.00 NIU Center for Governmental Studies, 5,300.00 North East Multi-Regional Training, 5,095.00 North Suburban Employee Benefit Cooperative, 1,100,107.56 Northern Illinois University, 17,892.00 Northern Trust Company, 1,798,256.34 Nunez, Lucio, 3,000.00 Nutoys Leisure Products, 14,300.58 Orkin Inc., 9,570.80 Otis Elevator Co., 5,067.92 Palos Plumbing, 11,110.00 Palos, Robert, 8,700.89 Passport Labs, Inc, 3,107.50 Pehr, George, 3,000.00 Peter Troost Monument Co, 4,992.00 Phoenix Fire Systems, Inc., 6,405.00 PIT STOP, 4,680.00 PowerDMS, Inc., 2,500.00 Premier Trolley and Limo, 3,312.00 Priority Print, 8,331.70 Professional Benefit Administrators, 2,864.20 Protanic, 3,691.00 ProxIT Technology Solutions, 171,706.63 Public Safety Direct, Inc., 19,055.74 PULICE, LAWRENCE, 5,000.00 Quadient Finance USA, Inc, 29,555.00 R.N.O.W. Inc, 281,255.53 Ramirez, Dalia, 4,000.00 Ray O'Herron Co., Inc., 10,147.25 Record-A-Hit Entertainment, 6,462.50 Red Feather Group, 108,417.00 Redmonds, The, 3,000.00 Reed, Charles, 8,198.37 Reimer Dobrovolny & Labardi, PC, 10,977.27 Reingruber, Mike, 31,879.00 Reliable Fire & Security, 3,429.72 Reliable Materials Lyons LLC, 9,845.00 Restore Construction Inc., 3,486.00 Revize LLC, 22,100.00 Rhino Linings of Carol Stream-DuPage, 2,596.00 Riverside Brookfield Jr Bulldogs, 15,903.00 RS Masonry Restoration Inc, 8,831.00 Rubino Engineering Inc., 16,919.00 Rush Truck Center -

Chicago, 3,303.57 Russel's Painting, 3,275.00 Russo's Power Equipment Inc, 5,078.64 Salto, Jessica, 3,000.00 Sawyer Falduto Asset Management, LLC, 12,000.00 SB Friedman Development Advisors, LLC, 16,402.27 Schaumburg Police Pension Fund, 246,310.68 School District 95, 23,120.00 Schreiber, Terry, 3,641.96 Scot Decal Co., Inc., 14,961.75 SEASPAR, 77,006.29 Selden Fox, 29,400.00 Shah, Gloria, 4,000.00 Sherwin Williams Co., 3,847.78 Shirt Printing 4 U, Inc., 3,241.00 Sikich LLP, 2,500.00 Simpson, Paul, 2,750.00 Six F Studio, LLC, 4,450.00 Smith, Rocio, 7,936.80 SOIL AND MATERIAL CONSULTANTS, INC., 9,297.00 Southwest Spring Inc., 5,034.84 Special T Unlimited, 2,582.00 Sportsfields, Inc., 12,250.00 Standard Equipment Co., 9,011.86 Staples Advantage, 5,560.15 Stasica, Charlie, 2,750.00 State Street Bank and Trust Company, 2,889,626.68 Stenstrom Petroleum Services Inc, 12,464.52 Stockwell, Mary, 4,000.00 Storino, Ramello & Durkin, 294,620.37 Strategic Resources Partners Inc., 45,935.01 Stryker Sales, LLC, 99,918.05 Suburban Laboratories, Inc., 6,926.75 Suburban Truck Parts, 4,466.14 Superior Road Striping Inc, 22,613.17 Swan Cleaners, 2,937.45 Tallgrass Restoration, LLC, 4,400.00 Target Solutions Learning, LLC, 5,513.75 THE CONTAINER STORE, 7,193.84 THERMFLO, 5,187.15 Third Millennium Associates, Inc, 52,986.06 Three Oaks Ground Cover, 10,890.00 Tischler Finer Foods, 2,730.94 TKB Associates, Inc, 12,640.00 Treasurer, State of Illinois, 653,496.45 Truenorth Consultants, 12,476.00 Tyler Technologies, 128,593.63 ULINE, 28,736.55 Unifirst Corporation, 16,001.57 Unique Plumbing Inc., 526,163.10 Verizon Wireless, 50,404.81 Vermont Systems, Inc, 28,433.21 Village of Brookfield, 11,001,102.41 Village of Brookfield - Insurance, 108,495.19 Village of North Riverside, 4,271.64 Village of Romeoville Fire Academy, 4,985.00 Viramontes, Martin, 3,850.00 Visa, 191,676.50 Water ProductsAurora, 3,049.52 WC3, 380,709.06 Wedding Banned Entertainment LLC, 4,000.00 Weeks, Mike, 3,000.00 Weidel, John & Alisha, 7,976.00 Wentworth Tire Service, 11,721.91 West Central Municipal Conference, 48,589.32 West Cook County Solid Waste Agency, 274,776.79 Westrich, Joseph, 4,000.00 Whitehead, Kyle, 3,000.00 Wholesale Direct Inc., 4,551.60 Williams Associates Architects, Ltd., 13,693.26 Winkler's Tree Service, 29,294.00 Wisniewski, Brett, 4,000.00 Witteman, Nicholas, 4,036.81 WOLDHUIS FARMS SUNRISE GREENHOUSE, INC., 6,341.64 Wysoglad, Teresa, 3,000.00 YAD Construction LLC, 207,427.75 Zeman, Anthony, 54,940.09 TOTAL VENDOR PAYMENTS GREATER THAN $2,500 - $43,680,348.37 VENDOR PAYMENTS LESS THAN $2,500 - $298,880.24, TOTAL VENDOR PAYMENTS $43,979,228.61.

EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION SUMMARY: under $10,000: HOFFMANN, ANNETTE, KELLER, ALLISON MARIE, ESCOBEDO, MATTHEW J, HEALY, AMANDA, BAUER, EMMALINE, MOHRHUSEN, MARIANNE J, RIOS, PEGGY, RIFE, NOAH, PICTON, ANNA S, SOTO, JAYLIN,

TOWERS, SADIE, MEAGHER, CHRISTINE, CURIN, JOHN J, LARSON, JOHN, SLATTERY, MARY, EWELL, EVELYN, IZAGUIRRE, TAMMY, STEPAN, BONNIE JEAN, HUNS, GRETA, TRAVIS, MARK, SLINKMAN, SHARON L, OBERT, LAUREL D, SAFI, MINA, KIELCZYNSKI, JOSEPH D, RAVELING, LUCIA, JANUSZ, KAYLA, LECLERE, DAVID P, CONROY, BRIAN G, DE LA CRUZ, ELIZABETH, MURPHY, MEGAN R, MUGNAINI, EMILY, SANDERS, JENNIFER M, HERNANDEZ, ISABELLA, SMITH, ETHAN, HOSACK, ABIGAIL A, LEMOINE, MADISON, URLAUB, AMANDA, MEDINA, TALIA, GONZALEZ, BRIANA, OWENS, SOFIA, PERRY, HEAVEN, ROSADO, SHENTY, MARKUS, ELIZABETH, HAGGERTY, ALEXIS, GILHOOLEY, NICOLE, NARIMATSU, JULIE, UPHUES, ROBERT, MUGENIS, PAULIUS, SHADLE, JARED, GONZALEZ, CLARISA, RICHERT, LACI, BRAVO, NORMA, COZZI, CARTER, MARCHESE, NICHOLAS, CHOATE, CARL MATTHEW, KNIGHTON, JOY, MOODY, KENNETH, BURRELL, REGINA M, IZQUIERDO, CHRISTIAN, GARZA, KARRIE, HALMON, KAYLA R, HOFFMAN, GABRIELLE, BLANCO, SEBASTIAN, BOTHWELL, EMA, FINNIGAN, JULIA A, JESSWEIN, RALEIGH, COTE, EDWARD, KETCHMARK, KIT P, KALUZNY, KATHRYN S, HENDRICKS, JENNIFER, HERTOGS, TATIANA, HARALAMOS, AVA, WURST, DARLENE C, BOZZI, TRINA, PRESCOTT, LUKE, SANCHEZ, SOFIA, GILHOOLEY, DANIEL H, CONNELL, ANNA V, CIESIELCZYK, SUZANNE, WEBER, BRIGID, COOK, TINA, DIGIOVANNI, KATHLEEN, CULVER, DIANA, MORRILL, THOMAS, FERRIER, DARIUS, DARRAH, CHRISTINE, BROWN-LUCE, MICHELLE C, MUDJER, MARIJA, FAHEY, RICHARD, DE STEFANO, ANITA T, BRIDGES, ANNA D, MAYERHOFER, SUSAN, MAGRO, NICHOLAS, BRENNAN, KATHLEEN, ALVARADO, JULIE, CABALA-LOWRY, GAIL, VALDEZ, ASHLEY, DOSEK, WYATT, CHMURA, JOHN, POLICH, EMMA A, ZACK, KAITLYN, WOJACK, JOSEPH W, $10,000 to $19,999: HONE, TYLER, GARVEY, MICHAEL J, ISENBERG, JORDAN, MUHAMMAD, TANIA, SANDERS, DAVID W, MORRISS, CAROLYN, SLECHTA, CYNTHIA, WESTEL, MARCIE L, CASTELINO, ABIGAIL J, TODOROVIC, KATARINA, FLORES, CATHLEEN, IZQUIERDO, KAYLA I, NAVA, OLGA, MC GRATH, ROBERT, OCAMPO, AIDA, ROBLES, MELISSA, SUERO, JAMES T, HERREJON, NANCY, VALUS, BRANDON, SAIBERT, FAITH, LOPEZ, SOLEDAD, HERNANDEZ, MARTHA Y, $20,000 to $29,999: ENGEL, RUSSELL, GORNIAK, JOANNE M, HUXHOLD, MARCO, URBINAPEREZ, MICHAEL, NITECKI, CEZARY, MCMAHON, LISA, YELICH, CYNTHIA, $30,000 to $39,999: CHAPKOVIC, RICHARD F, SALUS, MAXWELL, CERVENKA, LINDA C, HULL, MARY MARGARET, GATTARI, LOGAN PATRICK, LOWRY, ANDREW R, ZAHROBSKY, ALICE, $40,000 to $49,999: RYAN, JILLENE M, PALERMINI, TERESE M, RYAN, MARK E, MIKESH, ERIC A, JOHNSON, SANDRA J, KELLY, GLORIA M, NOVAK, JENNIFER, ZAK, CHARLES S, NOTHNAGEL, ROGER W, BURRELL, DWAYNE A, MICHAELS, DIANA L, LEH, JEFFREY J, SMITH, VINCENT, HARRINGTON, ANDREW, OLIVER, FRANK J, $50,000 to $59,999: CONRAD, JOYCE S, HARDING, ANTHONY, REICH, THOMAS M, CALDERONE, JENNA LEIGH,

WITTEMAN, NICHOLAS G, KONOVSKY SR, WILLIAM J, GOOSSENS, WILLIAM, $60,000 to $69,999: PICTON, KELLY, AIRDO, VINCENT A, KUTELLA, LAWRENCE T, SHILNEY, MEGAN D, SHEEHAN, CAROLINE K, DIGAN, SEAN D, MIKOWSKI, FRANK J, TREICHEL, COREY, GAHR, KEVIN P, MCGRATH, ROBERT P, BALSIGER, DANIEL C, FRAGA, VINCENT M, BENSFIELD, KENNETH C, $70,000 to $79,999: POWERS, DAVID J, KISSANE JR, JOHN MICHAEL, RADDE, RICHARD R, EPISCOPO, JAMES L, MUELL, CARL S, MCDONALD, TRAVIS R, YACOVACCI, ANTHONY, MAREK JR, FRED J, POLICH, TYLER, PORTILLO, KATE, DUFFEK, MARK S, SCHOENFELD, THOMAS G, ROVNER, JESSICA L, HULTMAN, JON J, CARMODY, BRAD, $80,000 to $89,999: FRON, JOHN J, MARINO, JOHN T, BERMANN, PAUL E, AGUILAR, ROBERT, DAVIS, CHAD N, PROCH, WESLEY, MORRISON, SCOTT P, MITCHELL, BRAD, SAULTERS, SCOTT R, MORONEY, TIMOTHY P, STAROSTA, JOSEPH J, KRECEK, JAMES J, LENZI, PATRICK T, KROSS, KENT G, TRUDEAU, PAUL R, GUNDERSEN, LUKE, MITIU, WILLIAM J, UDSTUEN, MICHAEL D, $90,000 to $99,999: PETRAK, EDWARD A, TOKMANIAN, KARNIG G, LIVERMORE, HERBERT C, HAYNES, SPELMON, CICHON, THOMAS A, DALBKE, MATTHEW, BRETZ, MICHAEL J, FLORES, DANIEL M, HILDEBRAND, KENT R, SWIERCZYNSKI, ROMAN, BUCZKOWSKI, DARRYL, MARTINEZ, JORGE L, $100,000 to $109,999: MANESCALCHI, MICHAEL J, JANUSZ, VICTOR H, ZONTOS, ANDY, KUNCL, ARTHUR C, BARBANENTE, ROCCO, VARGAS, FREDDY, EGAN, EMILY A, $110,000 to $119,999: ROCHE, DANIEL P, BERRY, KEVIN J, ZEMAN, ANTHONY J, KOPEC, DAVID, MAJTHOUB, HASSAN, MC CARTHY, DANIEL M, WEISSGERBER, EDWARD J, KUDLA, DAVID A, $120,000 and above: FERRARI, STEVIE J, DUFFEK, CURTIS J, GOLDEN, KATHLEEN A, REYES, ANTHONY A, BANDOLA, CHRISTOPHER M, JELINEK, BRIAN T, POLLARD, MARK R, PALOS, ROBERT H, ANDEL, DAVID J, HAHN, NICHOLAS R, POSKUS, DAVID J, KLOSS, BRIAN W, HARTNETT, KEVIN M, MC BRIEN, PATRICK, WONSOWSKI, KEITH R, ALVARADO, RAFAEL R, COOPER, DOUGLAS E, MC MAHON, MATTHEW, DUBIN, RICHARD, TESKA, MICHAEL J, PATON, RAYMOND J, MC EWAN, MARK A, MIHALIK, JAMES M, REED, CHARLES D, BAUMRUCK, JASON T, SCHREIBER, TERRY S, FISHER, MARC S, ADAMS, JAMES C, SHAMASKO JR, ROBERT L, JIMENEZ, CARLOS, PACYGA, BRADLEY N, DUBIK, MATTHEW P, ROMEO, CHARLES E, BURDETT, JAMES R, BALDWIN, BRIAN K, KURUVILLA, MICHAEL J, HARRISON, DAVID J, SEBEK, RENEE C, WIBERG, TIMOTHY C, - TOTAL EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION: $13,950,354.15

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

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

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

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2024 CATCH BASIN CLEANING PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project includes removing debris and cleaning drainage structures at various locations within the Village of Brookfield.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, at the Village Hall. Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 9th day of August, 2024. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive,

the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark July 24, 2024

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2024 FIRE HYDRANT PAINTING PROJECT

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project includes painting approximately 400 fire hydrants at various locations within the Village of Brookfield.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 9th day of August, 2024. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered

into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark July 24, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE OF ANNUAL BUDGET

Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Riverside School District No. 96 in the Cook County, State of Illinois, that a budget for said school district for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, will be on file and available for public inspection by appointment Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm starting the 19th day of July 2024, at the district’s administrative offices on 3340 South Harlem Avenue in Riverside Illinois. To schedule an appointment please email fittonj@district96.org.

Notice is further given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 7:00 o’clock p.m. on the 21st day of August 2024 followed immediately by the scheduled regular board meeting.

Board of Education

Riverside School District No. 96 Cook County, Illinois

By: Stephanie Basanez Gunn, Board Secretary

Published in RB Landmark July 24, 2024

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2024 PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project will include the replacement of concrete curb and gutter, sidewalks, and driveway aprons, replacement of drainage structures and installation of sewer, earth excavation, installation of aggregate base course, resurfacing, pavement marking, landscaping disturbed areas, and performing other related work.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 14th day of August, 2024, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 9th day of August, 2024.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. All bidders must provide proof that they are prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation before being issued bidding documents. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive,

the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued. The Contractor and Subcontractors shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards. The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark July 24, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is currently engaged in engineering and environmental studies for the improvement of Washington Boulevard from 1st Avenue to Thatcher Avenue in Cook County.

The scope of work for the improvement consists of improved safety and mobility of Washington Boulevard by removing and replacing the structure over the Des Plaines River due to the poor condition of the structure. The roadway improvement consists of a road diet to avoid/minimize impacts on both sides of Washington Boulevard which matches the roadway west of 1st Avenue and east of Thatcher Avenue. Pedestrian and bicyclist improvements consist of a 6’ sidewalk on the south side and 5.5’ on-street bike lanes on both sides of the roadway. IDOT is seeking public comments on impacts the Washington Boulevard will have on G.A.R. Woods, Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area, and Thomas Jefferson Woods owned and operated by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC).

G.A.R. Woods, Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area, and Thomas Jefferson Woods are protected under federal regulations originally enacted as Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966, which protect public parks, recreation areas, and wildlife and waterfowl refuges, as well as public or private historical sites. IDOT anticipates a de minimis impact finding for G.A.R. Woods, Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area, and Thomas Jefferson Woods, based on the determination that the project will not adversely affect the features, attributes, or activities qualifying the property for protection under Section 4(f).

The project will impact 0.060 acres of Quercus Woods Family Picnic Area, 0.239 acres of Thomas Jefferson

Woods, and 0.070 acres of G.A.R. Woods Area of FPDCC for demolition, reconstruction, and access to maintain the proposed structure, connecting proposed drainage improvements, and removal of existing guardrail terminals. Documentation of this proposed action and its impacts, including avoidance, minimization, mitigation, or enhancement measures, will be available at the following locations:

DATE: 7/24/2024 to 8/14/2024

TIME: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday thru Friday PLACE: Illinois Department of Transportation Bureau of Programming – 4th Floor 201 West Center Court Schaumburg, IL 60196

7/24/2024 to 8/14/2024 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday thru Friday Forest Preserve District of Cook County 536 North Harlem Avenue River Forest, IL 60305

An electronic version of this documentation is available on the IDOT website at: https://idot.illinois.gov/ transportation-system/environment/ section-4f-documents.html. Written comments can be submitted at the IDOT office, mailed to the IDOT office, or sent electronically to the above referenced website. Comments received by 8/14/20224 will become part of the public record. This comment period will be accessible to people with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance including Spanish interpretation should contact Corey Smith, P.E. at (847) 705-4103. Persons planning to attend who will need a sign language interpreter or other similar accommodations should notify the Department’s TTY/TTD (866) 273-3681 at least five (5) days prior to the meeting.

All correspondence regarding this project should be sent to:

Illinois Department of Transportation 201 W. Center Court Schaumburg, IL 60196-1096

Attn: Bureau of Programming Corey Smith, P.E. (Corey.Smith@ illinois.gov)

Published in Wednesday Journal July 24, 2024