Landmark 072623

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The village of Riverside is appealing a decision by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to decertify a 37-year-old woman who was hired as a patrol officer in February, a ruling the village made public after the officer’s name was included on a “Do Not Call” list released July 17 by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. The Do Not Call list, also known as the Brady List, includes the names of police officers (either active or inactive) who won’t

Ballerine announces he will step dow n as Riverside village president at the July 20 meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Komarek School to embark on strategic plan process

Former D94 superintendent to lead e ort at no cost

By BOB SKOLNIK

Contributing Reporter

In 1986, Komarek School District 94 hired a south suburban principal named Robert Madonia to be its superintendent. He stayed at Komarek for 16 years before moving on in 2002 to become the superintendent of fast-growing Frankfort School District 157C.

This fall, Madonia will return to Komarek to lead a strategic planning process to give Komarek a new five-year strategic plan. Since retiring as superintendent in 2013, Madonia has developed a strategic planning business and has helped many school districts, including Riverside Elementary School District 96, develop strategic plans.

To show his appreciation for Komarek giving him a chance to become a superintendent and his re gard for the community, Madonia is not charging Komarek for his services this fall, saving the district between $10,000 and $15,000.

“I’m giving back and donating my services to the district without cost,” Madonia told the Landmark. “That’s kind of my thank you for the wonderful place it is and for all they’ve done for me over the years.”

Komarek has always held a special place in Madonia’s heart. He worked there longer than any other place in his long career

and is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and people he hired.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working at Komarek,” Madonia said. “It’s a family environment where students are put first, so returning home to do this will be wonderful.”

This summer the finishing touches are being put on the new gym and new parking lot, capping a multi-year project that has transformed Komarek School. What once was an obsolete building is new again. The school’s east wing was torn down and a large new section was added to the west wing, whose original building was totally renovated and transfor med.

With the physical transformation of Komarek just about complete, Superintendent Todd Fitzgerald and the school board decided to think of the future.

“We felt like now would be the right time to take on a strategic plan and start to focus on what should be our priorities for Komarek moving forward,” Fitzgerald said.

Starting in September, Madonia will begin meeting with administrators and staf f to determine how Komarek can improve and what needs to be focused on. Madonia, who estimates that he has written from 75 to 100 strategic plans for a wide range of school districts in the Chicago area, will develop an online survey to gather input from parents and community members.

This fall, a str ategic planning committee

will be created with representation from stakeholders and different sectors of the community. The committee could be composed of as many as 30 to 50 people

“It will really depend how much interest we get from our community,” Fitzgerald said.

Information about how to apply for a spot on the strategic planning committee will soon be posted on the Komarek website at komarek94.org.

The heavy lifting will be done on Dec. 8 and 9, when the committee will meet for approximately seven hours to hash out what goals the district should focus on for the next five years.

“The creation of the 2024-2029 strategic plan provides an opportunity to further align the work at the school to achieve ambitious goals for the future and provide a basis to implement, measure, and communicate key indicators of success,” Fitzgerald wrote in a press release announcing the beginning of the strategic planning process.

Madonia says that his process is time tested. He hopes to involve people from all parts of the Komarek community.

“It’s not just a five-year planning tool, but it’s a phenomenal public relations endeavor,” Madonia said. “It brings the community in together with the district as a team.”

Editor Bob Uphues

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Mary Ellen Nelligan

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EMAIL jill@oakpark.com

Publisher Dan Haley

Special Projec ts Manager Susan Walker

BOARD OF DIREC TORS

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendor f Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

Nor th

Riverside

hosts centennial celebration

North Riverside will celebrate its 100th birthday on July 30 and officials are inviting residents to join in for an afternoon and evening of activities.

Things kick off at 2 p.m. with a parade that will follow the usual July 4 route, starting at 9th Avenue and heading east along 26th Street to Veterans Park

From 3 to 9 p.m., the party shifts to the Village Commons, 2401 Desplaines Ave.,

where there will be a festival including carnival rides and games, food vendors and a kids’ tent with crafts and games. There will also be live music, with the Rhythm Rockets playing from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by Chicago area favorites Infinity from 7 to 9 p.m. A fireworks display will cap the celebration.

— Bob Uphues

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Get in the groove

Nor th Riverside Parks & Rec continues its summer concert series on July 27 with the current and classic country music sounds of Wild Daisy from 7 to 9 p.m. in Commons Park, 2401 Desplaines Ave. Bring your own chairs and blankets, but no outside food/drink is allowed. Concessions available for purchase. Concerts held indoors in case of inclement weather.

Brook eld continues its summer concert series on July 28 at 7 p.m. Head to the bandshell in Kiwanis Park, Arden and Brook eld avenues, to catch the blues-based rock of Pete’s Diar y. Bring your coolers, blankets and chairs

Music on Grand also returns this weekend, with expanded outdoor dining along the 3700 block of Grand Boulevard in Brook eld, the south half of which will be closed to tra c from July 28-30.

On July 29, there will be live music from 2 to 10 p.m. on stage at the corner of Grand and Brook eld. The evening’s headliner is Wedding Banned, whose ’80s heavy hijinks will be preceded by Easily Distracted, The Vaughn Building and Deplorable Behavior.

It’s free to attend and enjoy the shows.

And more

■ Aging Care Connections, 111 W. Harris Ave. in LaGrange, presents Pride Café, a monthly in-person and virtual program providing space for LGBT+ seniors who are interested in age-related or LGBT+ related topics, discussion and social opportunities, on July 29 at 11 a.m. This month will be a listening session. Contact Hanah Sebek at 708-603-2270 or hsebek@agingcareconnections.org to get the Zoom link or with questions.

■ The Frederick Law Olmsted Society and village of

BIG WEEK

Walking tour of Riv

The Frederick Law Olmsted Societ continues its walking tours of R 30. The tour will cover the ar railroad tracks Tickets ar 62+ and Olmsted Society members).

Tour groups depart at 2 p Riverside Train Depot (east side of platform) a 90 Bloomingbank Road (PayPal or credit card) at olmstedsociety Cash/checks also accepted available by appointment.

Email tours@olmstedsociet 708-447-7635.

Na tional Night Out in Brook eld

The Brook eld Chamber of Commerce will host National Night Out on Aug. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ehlert Park, Elm and Congress Park avenues in Brook eld.

Meet and show your appreciation for Brook eld’s rst responders from the police and re departments, and enjoy giveaways, food, fun, games and more during this free, family-friendly event. All ages welcome.

Riverside will hold a Landscape Workday on July 29 from 9 a.m. to noon at Patriots Park (along West Parkway Road). Come for as long as you like. Supervised children welcome. Bring work gloves and a water bottle. All other supplies and snacks provided. Look for the public works dump truck.

■ Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents is annual Members Exhibition and Kids Show through July 29. Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. There’s also “Summer, Joy and Harmony,” featuring paintings by Joe Fournier at the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, through

Sept. 29. Viewing hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

■ The Riverside Chess Club invites players of all skills and ages to meet for casual games at the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, on Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m. Open to anyone. For more info email TheRiversideChessClub@gmail.com or visit facebook. com/TheRiversideChessClub

■ The Riverside Farmers Market operates each Wednesday through Oct. 4 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. in Centennial Park, at Forest Avenue and Longcommon Road. The Brook eld Farmers Market returns

every Saturday through Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Brook eld Village Hall, 8820 Brook eld Ave

■ North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites you to take part in the Graphic Novel Book Club (kids ages 8-12) on July 27 at 3:30 p.m., Crafterdark: Upc ycled Book Jewelry on July 27 at 6 p.m., a Club de Lectura discussion of “Paradais” by Fernanda Melchor on July 29 at 10:30 a.m., Crocheting & Knitting 101 on July 29 at noon, Stop Motion Animation (grades 6-12) on July 29 at 1:30 p.m., Big and Little Storytime (children w/

WILD DAISY

‘Mean Girls’ at Theater of Western Springs

High School Rep/Childrens Theatre of Western Springs will stage a production of “Mean Girls High School Version” based on the hit movie and Broadway show on July 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. and July 29 and 30 at 3 p.m. at The Theatre of Western Springs, 4384 Hampton Ave.

Riverside C4 team’s nature weekend packed with activities

Enjoy everything from bird watching and kayaking to guided tours of village

By BOB UPHUES Editor

PROVIDED

Follow the trials and tribulations of Cady Heron as she navigates the world of teenage cliques, gossip and notorious Plastics

Purchase tickets ($15) through the box o ce at 708-246-3380 or online at theatrewesternsprings com.

Relive the ‘Swinging 60s’

Join presenter and Brook eld resident Ian Tiele for “British Pop Music Movies of the 1960s” in the meeting room of the Linda Sokol Francis Brook eld Library, 3541 Park Ave., on July 31 at 7 p.m.

Riverside is reaching out to its fellow member communities in the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4), hoping to build on the success of last fall’s Tour de Proviso event with a two-day World Nature Conservation Weekend event highlighting Riverside’s natural setting and opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The World Nature Conservation Weekend, which will be held in and around downtown Riverside on July 29-30, is pigg ybacking on World Nature Conservation Day, which is observed annually on July 28.

The event grew out of a conversation between Village President Joseph Ballerine and Trustee Jill Mateo on ways to draw people to Riverside via places such as the Des Plaines River, Swan Pond and the Guthrie Park arboretum.

Area.

You can also rent kayaks through Paddle On Outfitters, which will conduct expeditions at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

Also, on both mornings at 11:30 a.m., you can take a guided tour of the Guthrie Park Arboretum (across the street from the Riverside train station at 90 Bloomingbank Road) and get a tutorial on Riverside’s online tree finder, which logs info on every tree on public land in the village.

At the same time on both mornings, you can opt to tour Swan Pond and lear n about its history and its ecological restoration plan, which has been in process for the past few years.

On June 29 from 9 a.m. to noon, you can join volunteers from the Frederick Law Olmsted Society during their Landscape Workday, near the northwest steps of Swan Pond Park.

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS

adult) on July 31 at 10:30 a.m., and Safari ABCs (child w/adult, every other week in Spanish) on Aug. 2 at 10:30 a.m. Register for programs online at northriversidelibrary.org/events-new.

■ Linda Sokol Francis Brook eld Library, 3541 Park Ave., presents Fairytale Storytime (all ages w/caregiver) on July 27 at 10:30 a.m., Pint-Sized Picassos (ages 2-5 w/caregiver) on July 27 at 6 p.m., a Medicare Seminar on July 27 at 6:30 p.m., Yoga Storytime on July 28 at 1 p.m., Book Babies (babies w/caregiver) on July 31 at 10:30 a.m., Chair Yoga (virtual) on July 31 at 11 a.m.,

Whether or not you remember the “Swinging Sixties,” you’ll get an audio-visual demonstration that epitomizes the British pop music scene of the 1960s You’ll see and hear from the likes of Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Dave Clark Five, Cli Richard, The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits and more.

Register to attend at brook eld.evanced.info/signup

Storytime Stars (ages 2-3 w/caregiver) on Aug 1 at 10:30 a.m. and Stories Galore on Aug. 2 at 10:30 a.m. Call 708-485-6917 or visit online at brook eld.evanced.info/signup to register for programs.

■ Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, presents Mindful Chair Yoga on July 27 at 11 a.m., Friday Outside Storytime on July 28 at 10 a.m., Family Playtime on July 29 at 10 a.m. and Crafting Connection on Aug. 1 at 6:30 p.m. To register for programs, visit online at riversidelibrary.org/events.

“Joe and I were talking about the nature here and how to attract people to appreciate the resources we have here,” Mateo said. “We decided, let’s try to reach all of the C4 communities that we can.”

In addition to showing those from neighboring towns what Riverside has to offer, the Riverside C4 team also wants community residents to participate, too.

Each day between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. is packed with opportunities to dive into Riverside’s natural offerings. Most of the events require registration, and you can find links to those portals via the village’s website at riverside.il.us/644/World-Nature-Conservation-Weekend.

On both mornings from 9 to 11 a.m., there are bird-watching tours guided by experts who can point out the many migratory bird species attracted to the wooded areas along the Des Plaines River.

Local bird watchers lo gged more than 340 hours in 2018 and 2019, identifying more than 60 migratory bird species. In early 2020, the Audubon Society designated the Des Plaines River cor ridor through Riverside an Important Bird

Re presentatives from Brookfield Zoo will be on hand on July 29 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. with animal ar tifacts and activities geared towards young people interested in conservation.

There will also be a master gardener from the University of Illinois Extension on site from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 29 to talk with visitors about native plants and natural lawn care

On July 30 at 9:30 a.m. get your day started with Tai Chi at the Scout Cabin, 417 Fairbank Road

If you are interested in seeing more than just the downtown and nature areas nearby, you can also join the Frederick Law Olmsted Society on July 30 at 2 p.m. for their walking tour of the village nor th of the railroad tracks

Information on how to re gister for the tour can be found at olmstedsociety.org/ events/historic-walking-tours.

And while there aren’t any guided bike tours of Riverside this time around, visitors can go solo by renting a vintage bicycle at Gears 2 You, located in the Riverside train station at 90 Bloomingbank Road

Riverside president announces he’s stepping down

Ballerine to resign midterm to move to Flor ida

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Riverside Village President Joseph Ballerine dropped a bombshell at the end of the July 20 meeting of the Board of Trustees, announcing he was resigning from the post in order to move to Estero, Florida, with his wife, Donna.

“We got an offer we couldn’t refuse,” Ballerine said of the Florida property, which he and his wife will close on this week. “So, we will be putting our house on the market in short order and moving down to Florida.”

Fellow elected officials reportedly were infor med of Ballerine’s decision last week. When the couple signed a contract for the Florida property a few months ago, Ballerine said they initially intended to rent the property until his term as president ended.

However, that option turned out to be more complicated than they thought, so Ballerine said they made the decision to move as soon as possible.

“It was such a painful decision,” said Ballerine, who has been involved as a public servant in Riverside in some capacity for the past three decades. “Once I got to it, I felt relieved.”

Ballerine, 64, has not yet tendered a resignation letter to the village clerk, but he said he expects to leave the post in the next 60 to 90 days.

“It depends on the sale of our house, but things have been selling pretty fast,” said Ballerine, who was elected president in an uncontested race in 2021.

Ballerine said he would tailor his resignation letter to line up with the closing date for the sale of his home. He likely will resign at the end of a village board meeting, after which trustees will select someone from their ranks to fill the post and complete Ballerine’s term, which expires in May 2025.

T he village board would then have up to 60 days to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of a trustee to president.

It is not entirely clear which trustee will end up re placing Ballerine as president for the remainder of the term, but early indications point to Trustee Doug Pollock.

Asked if Pollock was likely to be the consensus choice, Ballerine said, “I believe that’s an accurate statement.”

“As soon as I can g et everything settled, I’ll talk to each of the trustees, and they’ll come to a consensus. But I don’ t think it will be much of a talk. Doug is extremely qualified to fill in.”

Pollock, who was elected to a third consecutive ter m as trustee in 2021, retired in 2020 from a 37-year career as a municipal planner, department director and village administrator.

For 25 years until his retirement, Pollock worked for the village of Burr Ridg e. He previously served as a planner in Indianapolis and assistant community development director in Lombard.

He still serves municipalities on planning projects

or in interim capacities through the gover nment temp agency GovHR.

Pollock, who is the longest-serving trustee currently on the village board, said he was interested in completing Ballerine’s term.

“I think any one of the six trustees is capable of filling that position,” Pollock said. “But, I certainly would be willing to do it if the other trustees want me to. … I’d be honored to be appointed and willing to fill out the remainder of the term.”

As for a future run for a full term, Pollock indicated that while he’s thought about the possibility in the past, he’d also be happy to step aside if someone else really wanted to give it a shot.

“In 2025 we’ll see what’s going on,” Pollock said. “I’m more than happy to let someone else do it, but if the moons align, I would.”

Had he faced a challenge in 2021, Ballerine would have been a difficult candidate to beat. A native of Brookfield and a 1977 graduate of Riverside-Brookfield High School, Ballerine moved to Riverside in 1988 and soon dove into public service.

Ballerine spent 15 years on the Riverside Parks and Rec-

reation Board, serving as its chairman. He served for two years as a village trustee after being appointed to that post in the 1990s. He then served two full terms as trustee after being elected in 2011 and 2015.

He was a co-founder of the Riverside Friends of the Fourth, a nonprofit created in 2009 w hen the village board at that time cut funding for the July 3 and 4 festivities, and in 2017 Ballerine was named Riverside Person of the Year by the Lions Club.

“Everybody loves Joe, and he’s been a really good leader,” Pollock said. “He’s put in so much for the village, not just these past two years, but the last 30. I completely understand his decision. Family and life are more important than the volunteer work we do.”

Ben Sells, who decided against running for a third consecutive term as president in 2021, enthusiastically threw his support behind Ballerine. After Ballerine was elected that spring, Sells personally administered the oath of office to Ballerine.

“Riverside is lucky to have had Joe’s dedicated and heartfelt service over many years,” Sells said. “We are a better village because of him and I wish him and Donna the best in the next chapters of their lives.”

Joseph Ballerine is sworn in as Riverside v illage president by outgoing President Ben Sells (foreground) during a ceremony seating those newly elected to the v illage board at Riverside Township Hall in 2021.

PROPER TY TR ANSFERS

North Riverside home on 5th Avenue fetches $500,000

The following property transfers were re ported by the Cook County Clerk from April 2023. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk’s office.

Brook eld

Homes LLC Ziegler, Alexander

Man Ngoc Meraz, Rodolfo

Andria C Gallagher, Elizabeth E

Kevin Stipcak, Keaton Anthony

Riverside

from page 1

be called to provide testimony in criminal cases because past conduct of that of ficer might be used to challenge the credibilit y of a prosecution.

That list is separate from, but apparently is infor med by, decisions made by the ILETSB, which is charged with maintaining professional standards of swor n police and corrections of ficers.

T he ILETSB decertified Zenna Ramos as a police officer on April 19, about two months after the village hired her, apparently because of a 2008 misdemeanor arrest for theft.

T he village immediately appealed the decision, but stripped Ramos of her police powers. She is still employed by the Riverside Police Department, performing administrat ive duties

According to Village Manager Jessica Frances, who met with the Landmark along with Ramos, Public Safety Director Matthew Buckley and attorney Yvette Heintzelman on July 19, the village boar d authorized Ramos to continue working for the villa ge pending the appeal.

Heintzelman said she was not aware of anyone appealing an ILETSB decision in the past and that in lieu of a for mal administrat ive hearing process, the village will argue its case before that state board on Sept. 7.

“The village board, village of Riverside and I fully support Zenna Ramos,” said Riverside President Joseph Ballerine. “It is appalling that she is forced to revisit the challenges that she overcame so many years ago. …

“The village is for tunate that Zenna ap-

plied to work in Riverside, and we want her to be here for many years, this is why the village will continue to advocate on her behalf. She is the type of employee that every department endeavors to hire. Her presence, knowledge, positive attitude, approach and life experiences only strengthens an already incredible department.”

Illinois state Re p. Abdelnasser Rashid, whose 21st District includes Riverside, also threw his support behind Ramos, asking the ILETSB to revisit its decision.

“I stand with Ms. Ramos and the village of Riverside in calling on the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to reverse its decision to decertify,” Rashid said during an appearance at the village board’s July 20 meeting. “I hope the ILETSB promptly reviews its decision and that the state’s attorney office removes her from the ‘Do Not Call’ list.”

What makes this case unusual is that the ILETSB previously certified Ramos as a police officer in August 2021, a month after she was hired as a patrol officer in Cicero.

As pa rt of the police of ficer application process, candidates are asked to disclose any prior ar rests or convictions, which do not necessarily disqualify someone from becoming a police of ficer.

In both her applications to Cicero and Riverside, Ramos disclosed a 2008 ar rest in North Riverside for misdemeanor retail theft, when she was 22 years old

According to the police re port, which the Landmark obtained from the North Riverside Police Department, Ramos was ar rested for alle gedly stealing three shirts, valued at a total of $14.99, from J.C. Penney at the Nor th Riverside Park Mall.

A June 23 letter from Patrick L. Hahn, general counsel/chief ethics officer of the ILETSB, to Heintzelman noted Ramos was convicted of retail theft in 2008 and placed on six months conditional discharg

In the same letter, Hahn also argues that even though the conditional discharge was vacated, her conviction was still a matter of fact and that it didn’t chang e the ILETSB’s discretion to deny waiver requests.

Hahn stated Ramos was also placed on court supervision for retail theft in 2003, and that “Ramos’ prior retail thefts call her credibility and character into question, which can be exploited to a criminal defendant’s advantage.”

Arguing on Ramos’ behalf, Heintzelman re plied on July 21 that ILETSB did not afford Ramos due process before re porting her decertified to the Cook County State’s Attorney

By re porting her as a Brady List of ficer prior to Riverside’s appeal being adjudicated, Heintzelman continued, “ILETSB may have violated Ramos’ liberty interests in her job and re putation as well.”

Heintzelman also stated that at the time of her 2008 ar rest, Ramos “was a single parent struggling with domestic violencerelated issues” and that the theft was done “out of desperation. ”

Following her ar rest, Ramos told the Landmark, she sought to change her life’s trajectory and landed a job as a community service officer in Cicero, working in that position for four years before moving to the department’s front desk, a job she held for six years before she decided to apply to be a police officer in her 30s

“I learned from my mistake and did everything I could to change my life,” Ramos told the Landmark. “When I learned I could apply to be a police officer even with the misdemeanor, I said, ‘OK I’m going to change my life around and do better for myself and my family.’”

T he 2008 ar rest was not an obstacle to Ramos being hired as a police officer in Cicero and the ILETSB also did not object

Ramos resigned from the Cicero Police Department in 2022 for personal reasons and worked the front desk at the Forest View Police Department while seeking to be hired as a police of ficer elsewhere.

After testing in Riverside, the Police and Fire Board placed her No. 2 on Riverside’s hiring eligibility list. T he Riverside Board of Fire and Police Commissioners voted to approve Ramos’ hire on Feb. 20 and because she was already a certified police officer, she was immediately placed into the department’s field training program.

However, after leaving Cicero, Ramos status as a police officer became inactive and the ILETSB sought records from Riverside as part of their reactivation process. Part of that information included a letter from Buckley acknowledging Ramos’ prior ar rest and waiving concer ns

“As a member of this community who leads public safety, I would never bring anyone in here that wasn’t a valuable employee,” Buckley said. “I believed that was what we had in Zenna.

“She took accountability for her actions, that’s what I saw.”

But a law that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022 allowed the ILETSB to seek decertification “for misconduct that does not rise to the felony conviction level,” according to a memo on the ILETSB’s website.

While the ILETSB website lists theft as one the 41 misdemeanor of fenses triggering automatic decertification if an officer is convicted of that crime or enters a guilty plea, it does not state simply being charged triggers decertification.

But, apparently, the 2008 misdemeanor ar rest was enough for the board to decertify Ramos in April.

Buckley said Ramos being decertified in Illinois automatically disqualifies her from being certified as a police officer here in the United States

IDOT gives Brook eld green light to design Ogden Ave. overhaul

First phase will result in plan for complete makeover of public right-of-way

By BOB UPHUES Editor

T he Illinois De par tment of Transpor tation has given the go-ahead for Brookfield to launch a $725,000 ef fort to develop a preliminary plan for making over the Ogden Avenue corridor – easily the largest single public infrastructure project undertaken in living memory.

Construction, if funding for the improvements is identified, would not begin before at least the f all of 2027, but the firm chosen to lead the planning project, Civiltech Engineering, will introduce the study to the public at a booth at the Intelligentsia Cup bicycle race between 4 and 7 p.m. at the race’s Expo Center in the parking lot of the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library at Lincoln Avenue and Grand Boulevard

Residents can g et a sense of the project’s timeline, sign up for project updates and notifications about public meetings.

T here’s also a project we bsite where

residents can track the progr ess at energizeogden.org.

“This study is an opportunity to reimagine Ogden Avenue as a multimodal transportation corridor, as a hub for community activity and as a catalyst for neighborhood economic development,” said Michael J. Folkening, director of urban design and traffic for Civiltech Engineering, in an email to the Landmark.

“The project team will facilitate a process that both builds upon previous engagement ef for ts and eng ages community members on the process moving forward to become active participants in determining how to continue energizing Ogden Avenue to reflect the community and its needs.”

Last November, the Brookfield Village Board approved hiring Civiltech to complete what’s known as Phase I engineering for the Ogden Avenue cor ridor. The village is funding the bulk of the $725,000 cost for Phase I engineering with a $500,000 federal grant administered through the West

Central Municipal Conference, of which Brookfield is a member

The engineering study will be comprehensive, with the final project aiming to transform the mile-long stretch of Ogden Avenue in Brookfield by addressing every aspect of the public infrastructure – from sidewalks, driveways and the roadway to new storm sewers and water mains as well as streetscape elements such as decorative pavers and crosswalks, benches, landscaping, lighting and gateway signage.

The plan will be infor med by the Energize Ogden master plan, adopted by the village board in 2022.

“This will be one of the biggest projects ever done in Brookfield,” said Village Engineer Derek Treichel.

Over the next four months, Civiltech will be collecting data, looking at existing conditions and exploring design alternatives. Civiltech will also hold meetings with Ogden Avenue stakeholders, including business and property owners as well as community groups, particularly ones

focused on transpor tation.

In December, Civiltech has tentatively scheduled the first of two public infor mation meetings, where the existing conditions and concept designs will be presented for feedback .

During the time period, Civiltech also expects to conduct a public survey to gain additional feedback on design concepts presented at the public meeting

By spring 2024, Civiltech is expected to choose a prefer red alternative, which it will submit to IDOT for review. That fall, Civiltech will host the second public info rmation meeting to outline the prefer red alternative, its impacts and next steps. There will also be an opportunity to provide feedback at that time

Civiltech expects the Phase I design to be completed by late fall 2024, with approval from IDOT coming in spring 2025.

Next steps – final engineering design, right-of-way acquisition and construction – will depend on obtaining additional federal funding.

Veteran athletic directors slot into interim roles at RBHS

Domin returns and will joined by former Hinsdale Central AD

By BOB SKOLNIK

Contributing Reporter

The Riverside-Brookfield High School athletic department will be in experienced hands during the upcoming school year. Retired athletic directors Tom Domin and Dan Jones will serve as co-interim athletic directors this year, re placing Brendan Curtin who left the job this summer to return to the classroom.

Domin is familiar with RBHS. This will be the second stint as co-interim at RBHS for the for mer Willowbrook High School athletic director. From 2015 until 2018, Domin served with John Treiber as the cointerim athletic directors at RBHS after Ar t Ostrow left for Hinsdale South.

For one year after that, Domin mentored and helped Curtin during his first year as athletic director. This past spring Domin was back at RBHS for about six

weeks working as a dean, filling in for Cara Weinberg who was on maternity leave

Domin, 66, worked for 34 years at Willowbrook, including 14 years as athletic director, before retiring in 2015. He was a high school football star at Willowbrook, played football at the University of Notre Dame and played on Notre Dame’s 1977 national championship football team.

Domin, who has a strong relationship with Superintendent Kevin Skinkis and other administrators, will work two to three days a week.

“When you don’ t have anything to do, sometimes it becomes a little bit like you’ re trying to find stuf f and now this is like you have an important two or three days that you know are full time and then you have a little bit of a break. It winds up being good and refreshing, but it doesn’t look like it’s a job,” Domin said.

Skinkis reached out to Treiber to see if he could help out again, but Treiber was unavailable

But Dan Jones, who retired on July 1 from his position as the athletic director at Hinsdale Central, was available.

“He’ll be a good addition,” Skinkis said of Jones.

Domin doesn’t know Jones well, but Jones has a stellar re putation in the Illinois high school athletic community

Jones has worked in education and athletics for 34 years, the last 11 as athletic director at Hinsdale Central. Under his leadership in the 2014-2015 school year, Hinsdale Central athletic teams won a remarkable seven state championships.

Before taking over at Hinsdale Central, Jones was the athletic director at DeKalb High School. Jones previously coached at St. Charles High School.

Domin and Jones will split the job, with

Domin overseeing girls sports and Jones overseeing boys sports while sharing the day-to-day work and responsibility for overseeing events

T hey both will be paid $600 a day. The school board approved hiring Domin at its July 10 meeting. Jones is expected to be officially hired at the school board’s Aug. 8 meeting and he will begin working in August. Jones could not be hired in July because of Teacher Retirement System rules

Both Domin and Jones will receive their pensions while working at RBHS and can only work a certain number of days

In addition to overseeing the athletic department this year, Domin and Jones will help in the search and interview process for a new permanent athletic director for RBHS. The search will g et going in ear nest in the fall.

Riverside o ers permit fee credit for some storm water projects

Pilot program focused on limiting standing water, overloading sewers

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The village of Riverside has launched a pilot program to incentivize homeowners to undertake storm water management projects for their properties by granting a onetime building permit fee credit of up to $250.

The new program, approved unanimously by trustees at their July 20 meeting, is principally focused on exterior projects that address prolonged standing water on properties after storms or divert storm water away from the sewer system to lessen the impact of sewer backups on other properties

“In the last couple of weeks, we’ve had larger it sits on their property,” said Village heads the

PROVIDED/FILE

Riverside is o ering an incentive to homeowners to initiate projects that will mitigate ooding a er heavy storms, like the one that inundated Ken Circo’s backyard (above) on July 2.

department.

“If we can help one property and also neighboring properties by reducing the amount of storm water infiltrating the public system or over private property, that’s the

the permit fee credit. Those criteria include whether drainage/standing water is causing direct damages to structures or home drainage, documented evidence of standing water lasting at least 24 hours after a rain event, hether the project e the problem and

lation and benefit more than one proper

18

18

5.25%

The types of projects that could result in the permit fee credit include installing rain gardens or bioswales of more than 100 square feet, installing a dry well of more than 10 cubic feet, disconnecting downspouts from the sewer system and relocating drain tile and gutter discharge, relocating a sump pump to mitigate water discharge and installing overhead sewers

Flood-control solutions, such as installing check valves, are not part of the program at this time, because those types of projects primarily benefit one property at the possible expense of others.

The village is setting aside $5,000 during 2023 to accommodate permit fee credit storm water management projects – roughly 20 for the remainder of the calendar year -- which will be evaluated in the order they come in to the village’s community development department.

Depending on how many homeowners am, elected ofould increase the amount of money en expand the scope of

North Riverside Village Commons parking lot project starts next month

Work to be done in th ree phases, to wrap up in November

By BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside is expected to break ground next month on a comprehensive makeover of the parking lots that serve the Village Commons campus, a project that is expected to be completed in phases through mid- to late-November.

On July 17, the North Riverside Village Board voted unanimously to award a $1.53 million construction contract to Palos Heights-based MYS Inc., which was the sole bidder for the work

The bid actually came in about 30% below the engineer’s estimate of $2.2 million, which means the village’s share of the cost will come in at $435,639, which is a savings of a little more than $160,000.

The bulk of the cost -- $1.2 million – will come from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, which is partnering on the project through its Green Infrastructure Par tnership Program. The partnership was announced earlier this year.

Work must be completed prior to the end of the calendar year, and is now expected to commence in mid-August, said Public Works Director Vince Ranieri, with crews first reconstructing the small parking lot in front of the Village Commons as well as the strip of 15 spaces used by fire department employees, about a dozen spaces in front of the public works building and a small parking area in front of the police station.

In all phases, the asphalt is being removed and will be reconstructed using per meable pavers. When complete, the village will have converted 71,000 square feet – about 1.6 acres – from asphalt to permeable pavers, diverting a combined 200,000 gallons of water from the village’s sewer system by detaining it in a roughly 17-inch rock base topped by bricks.

The village will wait until after Fall Fest, which is scheduled for Sept. 15, before tackling the main parking lots behind the Village Commons and in front of the police station.

“The Fall Fest is a pretty big deal for us, so there was no way we were going to disrupt that in any way, shape or form,” Ranieri said.

One of the two main parking lots will be available at all times to those visiting the municipal campus, said Ranieri.

“There will only be one phase going on at one time,” Ranieri said. “It should take three to four weeks per lot.”

In addition to the change in paving surfaces, there will be some other design changes. The circular concrete planter behind the Village Commons will be removed and the curb line will be realigned to create a proper drop-off/pickup area closer to the main entry.

A new sidewalk will also connect the Village Commons to the bike path.

Third green parking lot on tap in Riverside

The village of Riverside will break ground on its third green parking lot

project in 2024 after receiving a pledge of $256,000 from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to re pave the commuter parking lot along the south side of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad tracks east of the Arcade Building.

Referred to by the village as Parking Lot 8, the roughly 14,000 square feet of pavement comprising about 35 spaces wraps around the rear of the commercial buildings at 12, 20, 32, 36 and 40 E. Quincy St

T he existing asphalt pavement is badly deteriorating and had been eyed for a green makeover back in 2021 when the village applied for a grant from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to reconstr uct the parking lot using permeable pavers

While that grant didn’t pan out, the MWRD’s Board of Commissioners in June approved entering into an intergovernmental ag reement with the village to provide the funding through its Green In-

frastructure Par tnership Progr am.

It’s the second time the MWRD has partnered with the village to re pave one of its commuter parking lots. Back in 2019, Riverside partnered with MWRD to re pave its main commuter parking lot, west of the train station, with per meable brick pavers.

T he MWRD provided about $560,000 toward the $1.1 million main commuter parking lot project, with the West Suburban Mass Transit District chipping in another $375,000.

T he total cost to re pave Parking Lot 8 with permeable pavers is estimated at about $513,000, so the village will have to come up with the balance or obtain additional grant funding to defray the cost.

On July 20, the Riverside Village Board approved spending $70,750 for Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd. to perform the engineering and design of the new parking lot as well as manage the construction, which will take place sometime next year.

e Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago noti ed Riverside in June that it would prov ide more than $250,000 for the village to reconstruct Parking Lot 8 (shown above) south of the railroad tracks using permeable br ick pavers. Work w ill be completed in 2024.

B ROOKFIELD C HAMBER C L ASSIC C AR S HO W

For the rst time since 2019, the Brook eld Chamber of Commerce’s Classic Car and Bike Show retu rned to the 3700 block of Grand Boulevard in Brook eld on July 23, drawing those looking to show o their wheels, like a customized 2014 Jeep decked out in Cubbie blue (top right) and a souped-up lime green custom 1937 Chevy (bottom right), in addition to car bu s looking to sneak peeks under the hood and families looking for that perfect Instagram spot (middle le ). For more photos, visit online at RBLandmark.com

PHOTOS BY TODD A. BANNOR

PO LICE REPO RT S

Man reportedly tosses kid’s bike overboard over ducks

Two kids called Riverside police on the afternoon of July 14 after an unknown man reportedly got angry at them and threw one oftheir bikes into the woods near the Des Plaines River.

According to the police report, the two had been fishing down by Swan Pond when a man began swearing at them and proceeded to throw one oftheir bikes into a wooded area “behind the cement stairs.”

The offender, reported to be about 30 years old, had been walking with two girls and apparently got angry at one ofthe victims, because the man didn’t like how close one ofthe boys’ fishing pole was to a group of small ducks swimming in the river.

The boys also reported that the man had also threatened to push them in the river as he was leaving. Police were able to retrieve the bicycle, which did not appear to be damaged.

Catalytic converters stolen

Brookfield police are investigating a pair ofcatalytic converter thefts on the south end ofthe village overnight on July 16-17, ones targeting a pair of Ford trucks, similar to a rash ofcatalytic converter thefts involving Ford trucks in June.

On the morning of July 17, the owner of a Ford F150 box truck that had been parked at a property in the 9100 block ofPlainfield Road reported that the vehicle’s catalytic converter had been removed.

Surveillance video reportedly showed two people wearing all black walking across the parking lot checking box trucks between 3:45 and 3:50 a.m. Later the two appear back in view with one holding what appeared to be a catalytic converter.

The owner ofa landscaping business whose truck was parked in the same vicinity between July 14 and July 17 also reported that the catalytic converter on his Ford truck had also been stolen.

Following the last spree ofcatalytic converter thefts, Brookfield police charged a local man with 33 counts of possessing catalytic converters, including ones from trucks. That case is still pending.

DUI

■ A 31-year-old Berwyn man was charged with driving under the influence ofalcohol after he reportedly passed out behind the wheel ofhis vehicle, which was still running an d in drive, with his foot on the bra ke, on Harlem Avenue at E ast Burlington Street on Ju ly 14 at 1:15 a.m.

A Rive rside p olice office p ositioned his squad car in front of the vehicle so it would n’ t drive i nto a p assing train or another ca r. T he man suddenly awoke and his car move d forward striking the squad car’s push bumper

After being told multiple times to pu t the car in pa rk , the drive r c omplied and exited the vehicl e. T he man failed field sobriety tests and was taken i nto c ustody and charged with DUI and also cited fo r d amage to village proper ty.

■ North Rive rside p olice charged a 33-year- old Westchester man with DUI after an officer on patrol on Ju ly 17 around 2:15 a.m. re ported observing a wh it e GMC truck stopped in the m iddle ofthe street in the 2500 block of Ke y stone Avenue

T he officer said the man b ehind the wheel was aslee p, with the ke ys in the ignition and the vehicle r unning. Th e drive r re por tedly wo ke up as the officer approached and appeared i ntoxicated, re por tedly admitting to drinking 10 b eers before g etting b ehind the wheel to drop of f a friend in North Rive rside

A breath test nearly an hour later repor tedly revealed the man’s blood-alcohol c ontent to be . 169, wh ich is more than twice the le g al limit of .08.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Ri verside, North Ri verside and Brookfield police departments, July 1423, and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

A

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more important.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult. Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

Race in 7th District primary is gathering contenders vs. Da

Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin expects to declare candidacy in early fall

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

While the Democratic primary is still nine months away, long-time incumbent U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (7th) is already facing two declared challengers, one challenger who hasn’t declared yet, and a perennial conservative candidate banking on the fact that nobody else will run in a Republican primary in the heavily Democratic district.

Austin activist Kina Collins, who ran against Davis twice in the Democratic primary, is challenging him again. She came much closer to winning the primary in 2022 than she did in 2020, and she believes that she can impr numbers. Pilsen teacher Nikhil Bhatia announced his intention to run in late June.

And while Chicago er and for mer state

Melissa Conyears-Ervin hasn officially announced her run, her congressional campaign committee has already raised $283,436. In an interview with this Conyears-Ervin said she will announce her run in ear

Chad Koppie, a gin, ran for various s. Now he is running as a lican after mounting an unsuccessful write-in campaign in 2022. According to his campaign, he wanted to take advantage of the fact that the district isn’ other Republican candidates to campaign in both the primary and the general election. The primary will take place on March 19, 2024, and the general election will take place on Nov. 5, 2024.

The 7th congressional district includes much of Chicago’s West Side and also extends into the suburbs. It includes all of Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, Maywood, Bellwood, Broadview and Hillside, and it includes North Riverside west of 9th Avenue as well as one property at the northern tip of Brookfield.

Under the U.S. Constitution, a congressional candidate must live in the state where they are running, but they don’t have to live in the district – in fact, Bhatia and Koppie don’t

Collins first ran against Davis in 2020, getting 13.8% of the vote in the Democratic primary. She did nearly three

times as well in 2022, earning 45.6% of the vote. Collins said she thought long and hard she wanted to run again, but her supporters ultimately swayed her.

“My supporters, residents in the district [and] nors thought it was a good idea for said.

Collins believes her campaign can cord and improve on her numbers.

“We’re offering something different to the distinct, and I think that our field game has expanded, and our suppo has expanded, and my face reco gnition and ognition has expanded,” she said.

In a July 11 campaign launch press conferenc support from several Chicago aldermen both within and outside the district, though none of them represent the West Side. Collins endorsed Ald. (29th) in this campaign against d C.B. Johnson, but returned the fa-

his support and his endorsement,” Collins said. “Ald. constituent in this district, so I’m going to court his I’m going to court any other across the district.” ed endorsements ral members of the police district councils, including 15th police district council president Carmelita Earls and 11th District council member Alees Edwards. Edwards was one of the district council candidates Davis endorsed. ed endorsements trustees Susan Buchanan, Ravi

that we have are popular, they big bases,” she said. “They made it clear that they going to put their resources and their volunteers behind our campaign.”

O ther candidates

Conyears-Ervin served as a state representative for the 10th District, which fell entirely within Chicago and included West and East Garfield Park, from 2017 to 2019, when she was elected city treasurer in a three-way race. She ran unopposed in 2023. She is married to Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), who contributed a total of $3,000 to her congregational campaign through various campaign committees.

In April, she for med an exploratory committee to look

at a run for Davis’ seat should the incumbent decide not to run. After Davis announced on June 10 that he would run again, Conyears-Ervin told the Chicago Sun-Times that she would pursue the seat anyway.

In an interview, she said she intends to officially launch her campaign in the early fall. Conyears-Ervin said that, as a life-long 7th District resident, she wanted to be “a new breath of fresh air.” While she said she would reveal a detailed campaign platform once she makes the official announcement, it will be built around the foundation of supporting working families. Conyears-Ervin reflected that she was raised by a single mother who benefitted from a supportive network of friends and neighbors.

“I’m born and raised in the district, and it is very personal for me,” she said. “I know the struggles of working families, and we need someone who’s going to be the bold leader, and that’s exactly what I plan to be.”

A press release announcing Bhatia’s campaign launch said he worked as a teacher for nine years and a principal for five years. He currently teaches at Gary Comer Middle School. a charter school in the South Side’s Grand Crossing neighborhood and serves as a parent representative on the Local School Council for Galileo Scholastic Academy which is in the Little Italy portion of the 7th District.

Bhatia said he was running to improve the education system and believed that Davis was no longer up to the task of re presenting his constituents.

“Unfortunately, Danny Davis is not getting the job done anymore,” he stated. “Our communities deserve a congressman that will work as hard as they do, stand up to corporate interests, and bring new ideas to Washington.”

According to federal disclosures, Bhatia received $55,324 in contributions as of June 30.

KINA COLLINS

MELISSA CONYEARS-ERVIN

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis

Opinion

THE L ANDMARK VIEW

Say it ain’t so

Well, we certainly didn’t have Joseph Ballerine retiring from local politics midway through his first ter m as village president on our Riverside Bingo card.

When Ballerine announced he’d be leaving the post in order to move out of state in the next few months, it no doubt was a shock to those, like us here at the Landmark, who hadn’t gotten advance warning.

Ballerine has been such a fixture as an elected official and tireless volunteer that it will seem strange not seeing him around town.

During his time as a trustee and as president, what has been Ballerine’s trademark approach is his ability to look at conflicts as a neighbor, a peer. To listen to those presenting a problem and really try to find some way to make a difficult situation easier to bear.

A recent example is the decision on how to handle traffic around the soon-to-come cannabis dispensary at Harlem and Berkeley. After initial plans were resisted by neighbors, he spent time with them to hammer out a solution – including agreeing to a stop sign at Byrd and Berkeley suggested by a 10-year-old resident of the neighborhood – that maybe won’t be foolproof, but which addressed the issues residents had.

That neighborly approach will be difficult to replace, but Riverside also has plenty of capable people on the village board, one of whom will be able to slot in to lead trustees through the end of Ballerine’s term in May 2025.

Thanks, Joe, for your three decades of service to Riverside and the indelible mark you’ve made in making Riverside a friendlier, fun place to be.

Harsh decision

In an era when restorative justice is a goal and we seek equity when it comes to providing those who may have found it difficult to access careers in professions like law enforcement, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board’s decision to decertify a Riverside police officer over a 15-year-old retail theft arrest apparently committed during a time of turmoil in the then-22-year-old woman’s life seems more than harsh.

The board contends the offense, for which the woman was sentenced to court supervision, a decision since vacated and expunged, could still jeopardize criminal prosecutions in the future, because the offense could be used to call her credibility as a witness into question.

KOSEY CORNER

Prokes was the backbone of RBTV

During moments of insomnia, it is not uncommon for me to flip on RBTV for some quality viewing. It may be repeats of old programs or newly done programs. The fact they were quality-produced made them better and many of those students under the direction of longtime RBTV head Gary Prokes went on the work in the field.

My association with Prokes began a number of years ago when our son Michael was in a class of his. Later, due to my role as a newspaper columnist, he put together a program with a student producer and, thus, “Koffee with Kosey” was born.

KOSE Y

One student was so excited he even ordered mugs saying “Koffee with Kosey,” and we’d give one to each guest. Students helped book guests and put the show together. For many students, it gave them a chance to expand themselves.

I was always amazed when in the studio how diligently the students worked, asking the occasional question to Mr. Prokes. They had found their place much as some students found themselves in the gym. Mr. Prokes was their mentor.

Lucille Landise, 103

Former North Riverside reside

Lucille Landise (nee Kowalski) died peacefully at 103 years old on Fe 2023, in her home in Laguna Hills, California, so happy to be surrounded by loving family, making witty comments and singing songs until the last minute.

While serving as president of the Riverside Brookfield Educational Foundation, we were searching for ideas to raise funds for our grants. It was then that Gary Prokes approached us with the idea of a telethon. And so, the first RB Telethon was created and it was a success over the years.

All members of the school board admitted there would be no Telethon without Gary. He secured the technical people, programmed the show and was there all day in the booth. Prokes even brought back for mer students who had continued on in broadcasting field in some way, either in production or education.

Prokes encouraged students to submit their projects to local and national competitions, with many students walking away with plaques and trophies. The Landmark recently had pictures of winners from recent competitions.

Over the years I have become friends with Gary, discussing everything from antiques to TV. Now that he’s retired, getting time to sit and talk with him will be welcome.

Thanks Gary, you have left your mark on RB and the students you taught there.

OBITUARIES

Lucille’s love for her family came first. She was deeply spiritual and loved with a higher love, prayed day and night for her children and grandchildren, as well as the freedom of America.

She was proud of her heritage, loved language and teaching, was a Cub Scout leader, Girl Scout leader and a great enthusiast of community, fair ness, honesty and integrity. She was deeply interested in people and made friends everywhere y, bridge clubs, total strangers, poetry oups, checkout clerks. She was always extremely respectful and generous. She enjoyed

We find it hard to believe that an offense that might not even rise past the level of a local ordinance violation these days would pose such a hurdle. We’d strongly ask that the ILETSB reconsider its decision, although they’ve already done some possibly irreparable damage to this woman’s career See OBITUARIES on pa ge 17

After mar riage, Lucille moved to Chicago from South Bend and opened a hair stylist shop as a beautician. She first joined St. Nicholas of Tolentine parish and years later moved to North Riverside, then 2011 to be near her daughters.

JOANNE

LUCILLE LANDISE

After state title, Brook eld

12U all-stars win Central Region opener

Berth at Little League

So ball World Series on the line

By BILL STONE

Contributing Reporter

Brookfield Little League 12-Under allstar softball player Quinley Costello has hopes of becoming a professional ballerina.

Her fleet feet on July 23 helped Brookfield take a huge first step in its Little League Softball Central Re gion opener against Crestwood, Kentucky.

Costello’s r un-scoring, two-out infield single completed a three-run fifth inning that rallied Brookfield to a 7-4 victory in Whitestown, Indiana.

“We ke pt cheering [down 4-3]. Everyone ke pt cheering. I think that ke pt everyone going,” said Costello, whose single opened a 6-4 lead. “I hit it between third and short, past the pitcher. T hey were all fighting over it, so I just ran as f ast as I could.”

Team members are Hannah Buscemi, Costello, Cam Fox, Sienna Giampietro, Kate Hamilton, Aurea Hilgenberg, Elly Kowynia, Amanda Krue ger, Bella Nasti, Brailyn Naylor, Alyssa Norman, Amelia Pytel and McKenna Toland. T he manager is Lisa Hilgenberg-Buhle with coaches Kevin Krue ger and Angelo Nasti

Brookfield plays Zionsville, Indiana at 6 p.m. on July 25, after the Landmark’s print deadline, in the nine-state, doubleelimination bracket. T he final to advance to the World Series is on July 28.

Winning pitcher Fox (6 strikeouts), who relieved in the fourth, and starter Pytel (7 strikeouts) combined on a one-hitter with five walks and two hit batters. But that hit

in the fourth was a bases-loaded triple followed by a wild pitch that put Kentucky ahead 4-3.

“[Coach Krue ger] always tells them that we g rind. I’d say the atmosphere in the dugout [down 4-3] was the same as it always is,” Hilgenberg-Buhle said. “The more challenging the g ame, the more hyped up they g et. T here was never a point where they looked panicked or scared or nervous that they couldn’ t do it.”

Brookfield qualified for the Central region tournament by winning state for the first time since 2006 (Dan Cook manager) and 1997 (John Vermillion manager) .

T hese days, re gional g ames are broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans back in Illinois org anized watch parties, such as the roughly 60 who gathered at Irish Times Pub and Restaurant in Brookfield to watch the game ag ainst Kentucky

“It’s really exciting but with the TV cameras, it’s a little overwhelming because you don’ t know when you’ re actually on TV,” Toland said. “You just tune the cameras out and focus on the g ame.”

Hilgenberg-Buhle said the teams received additional r ules, such as when to take the field during TV timeouts. Players and coaches were required to sequester cellphones and tech watches in a bag du ring the g ame

“When I was up to bat, I was smiling the whole time,” Hamilton said. “It’s really fun for people to see you play at a higher level [and when] you’ re winning and g etting hits.”

Brookfield batted first. In the fifth, singles by Nasti, Norman and Giampietro loaded the bases with one out. Krue ger’s infield single just past the pitcher scored Nasti for a 4-4 ti e.

After a fly out, Brookfield went ahead to stay. Norman was forced in when Toland walked on a full-count pitch

“I also trusted my gut, telling me [the pitch] was low,” Toland said. “Honestly, it was pretty fun, because I just came back from an injury. I hadn’ t been able to do this for a long time, so it was good to be back.”

Sidelined for about a month, Toland returned to action just before the allstars’ r un to the District 9 championship. Costello has been juggling softball with ballet. She is in her last of five weeks with Ballet Chicago’s Summer Intensive training that culminates in a perfor mance.

“I think after the first inning everyone was pretty ready,” Costello said. “Even though we got a little behind we ke pt our momentum throughout the whole g ame.”

Brookfield took a 2-0 lead in the first.

Hamilton and Pytel singled and scored on Fox’s two-out single that got by the center fielder.

In the third, leadof f hitter Naylor delivered a two-out single, stole second and scored on Hamilton’s single to right.

Hamilton concluded her 3-for-3 g ame by scoring all the way from second in the sixth. Hamilton tagged up on Hilgen-

berg’s fly out to right field and was waved home after the ball dropped out of the fielder’s glove.

“It was basically continuous. I just ke pt r unning,” Hamilton said. “I hope this g ame really shows what to expect. I hope we can just keep going and play like we always play.”

Hilgenberg-Buhle said the phone ba g “was physically vibrating” from wellwishers and congratulations. Brookfield also had strong re presentation at the g ame

“It’s a little overwhelming how many people are stopping their lives to watch these girls and support them, and we’re all really grateful for it,” Hilgenberg-Buhle said.

Another watch party was scheduled for the July 25 g ame. Brooke BancikRigheimer coordinated the July 23 event with Irish Times owner Mar tin Lynch.

“We have a lot of the f amilies come over after [games at Ehlert Park]. I think it was just a natural progression,” Lynch said. “We love working with the local community and local teams.”

STEVE JOHNSTON

Brook eld Little League 12U so ball all-star Hannah Buscemi beats the throw into second base against Evergreen Park during the state championship game on July 18 in Burbank.

Clarendon Hills spoils Brook eld 11U softball’s state title bid

All-star team that nished third last year improves in 2023

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Vivien Kowynia and her Brookfield Little League 11-Under all-star softball teammates had some tears July 23, yet they still could clearly see their bright future.

Brookfield lost to Clarendon Hills 18-7 in four innings in the state championship game at Ehlert Park but improved upon its thirdplace state finish as 10 year olds in 2022.

“Our team has grown a lot,” Kowynia said. “Last year, we did really well. I’m really proud of our team because we got from third to second.”

Team members are Ema Beattie, Lea Becker, Grace Campbell, Justina Costello, Nora Graham, Kallie Hickey, Kowynia, Nena Melendez, Paige Olsen, Lyla Pigoni, Lula Smith, Josie Swanson and Yannis Villamil, Mike Melendez is the manager with assistant coaches Dave Campbell and Ed Kowynia.

All but one player was part of last season’s

LETTERS

continued from page 15

sharing the lively art of conversation, memorizing jokes and having fun.

Lucille always ke pt up with the times but not with the Joneses, as she was a little ahead of her time. She was an Aquarius, open-minded, high-spirited, good at analyzing problems, then coming up with solutions.

She provided an example for us to live by in every way. Lu ran a tight ship and was passionate about making things nice. She worked incredibly hard making things nice, preparing dinners, pies, dumplings, cookies, bread and took pride in decorating her home with great care. She emphasized the value of “dining” (not just eating), loved good food but always ke pt her figure.

Lucille had impeccable style and had enthusiasm for all the fine ar ts, Strauss waltzes and rock ‘n’ roll, sang in chorus, painted over 30 oil paintings and wrote many poems. She derived joy from beauty and saw life through the eyes of

third-place 10U state team. Brookfield also has great role models from the 12s team, which won state for the first time since 2006 and its Central Region opener , also on July 23, in Whitestown, Indiana.

“I feel like what they’ve taught us is to make sure never give up, because you can always come back. And always make sure you’re paying attention and see how fast their pitcher is,” Pigoni said.

The 12s began their regional opener 30 minutes before the 11s final. Kowynia’s sister Elly is on the 12U squad.

an ar tist.

Clothing was an art, hair was an ar t, life was an art. She was cool, a class act, a real lady and always made a good impression. She made friends easily, for she genuinely took interest in people and people loved her back. By setting an example she taught us ar tistry, etiquette, kindness, dignity and the importance of light hear tedness

Her family misses singing with her, (she said songs were li ke poems, especially from the ’40s-’60s and knew 50 off the top of her head.) But the one thing they miss most is her unconditional love. She was genuinely interested in anything they had to say.

She would ask them how they were, no matter how she was feeling. Her love, unlike any love, is the kind of love that made life wor th living. Her daughter Charisse said, “As a child I never believed death was the end and I know why ... because love never dies.”

God bless you Lucille, you remain alive in your family ’s hearts through the majesty of infinite divine unconditional love With the help of God and the angels the family is especially connected to her

“I would really love to be there, but I really wanted to be here for my team also,” Kowynia said. “They were calling out the score during the game. I’m really proud of my sister and really proud of our team.”

Brookfield also was riding the momentum of going 2-0 in state tour nament pool play on July 22, beating Moline 17-0 in three innings and Clarendon Hills 9-8 with four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

However, Melendez pitched a combined seven innings between the two games, which under tournament rules made her ineligible to pitch the following day for the final. Mike Melendez said had Nena worked six innings, she could have pitched as needed the next day.

“My biggest re gret is I just didn’t put them in the best position to win. That ’s my job as a manager,” Mike Melendez said. “That’s hard because they did everything they could. They played their hearts out. You could tell they were nervous. It was a different setup than what they’re used to.

now. Death is her well-deserved reward. She lives in her family ’s hearts in the ever-now, with deep gratitude and love Lucille is survived by her three grateful children, Jerilyn Bagwell, Cyril Landise and Charisse Landise, and her three grandchildren, Renee Walt, Neil Bagwell and Oskar Landise.

Her interment was at Our Lady of Heaven Catholic Cemetery beside her husband, Cyril (Cy) Landise. T hey were married 72 years and he predeceased her by 11.

Robert W. Porak, 75 Studied philosophy, loved the ne arts

Ro be rt “Bob” Way ne Po r ak was bo rn Dec. 30, 1947 and died on Ju ly 17, 2023.

Mr. Po r ak gr aduated from Western Illinois Unive rsity in 1970 with a de gree in philosop hy and later attended Ede n T heological S eminar y. He remained interested in philosop hy his enti re l ife and dedicated much of his time to w ritin g j our nal entrie s, poetry and fiction.

Bob had a de ep appreciation for clas-

I’ll learn from it. They’ll continue to get better. They’re fantastic athletes. But this is 100 percent on me.”

Nena Melendez played shortstop in the final. In the best-of-three District 9 final against North Riverside on July 6, Melendez was Brookfield’s only pitcher, allowing one hit in two 15-0, three-inning victories with a combined 13 strikeouts and seven walks.

“I’ve been dreaming of pitching in the championship for a while. But if you couldn’t play your main position, play your other position,” Nena Melendez said. “I wish I could have pitched, but it’s fine because I did my best to get my team in the best position.”

In the July 22 win over Clarendon Hills, Campbell’s walk-of f single was an infield grounder just past the pitcher to score Pigoni in rainy conditions after Melendez’s RBI single tied the game. Brookfield used five singles and two walks in the four-run comeback – all with no outs.

sical musi c, the fine arts and the b eauty of nature.

In his early year s, he enjoyed playin g b aseball, fishing and playing the accordion.

He was preceded in death by hi s parents, Vivia n K andlik and Adolf Po r ak, and is survive d by his sister Marlene (Randy) , brother Wesley ( Pat) and nephews Brett, Brandon, Eric, Christopher and Dustin. Services are private

T he f amily asks that any d onations be made to the National A lliance of the Mentally I ll, 4301 Wi lson Blvd ., Suite 300 Arlington, VA 22203 in Ro be rt ’s name Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled ar r angements.

Express c ondolences online at HitzemanFuneral.com. S end sympat hy card s to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Ro be rt Wayn e Po r ak family

ROBERT W. PORAK

HELP WANTED

Sr.

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Experience or not.

Call for more information.

708-738-3848

COVID-19 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Covid-19 Epidemiologist in the Public Health Department. This is a One-Year, Full Time Temporary position as of date of hire. This position will serve as a subject matter expert on communicable diseases of public health concern, including COVID-19. This position will work on the surveillance and investigation of infectious diseases and other public health threats; rapid response to disease outbreaks including assisting the community’s emergency preparedness and response team. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled.

IT OFFICE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Office Coordinator in Information Technology. This position will perform a variety of responsible and complex administrative duties for the IT Department; provide information and assistance to Village staff regarding requests for service; and provide administrative support to the IT Director and the IT staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

General maintenance on lifters and towing trailers. Must be able to operate and fix maintenance equipment. Some assembly and build projects. Some other job duties may include but are not limited to general building upkeep, painting, light cleaning, lifting 50lbs+, driving company vehicles on occasion, operating forklifts and scissor lift, assisting in other warehouse tasks such as loading and unloading trucks, shipping and receiving. email resume to hr@sievertelectric.com

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits

Salary: $16.00 - $18.00 per hour

Schedule: 8 hour shift Monday to Friday

Reqs: MS in Comp Sci or rltd field & 2 yrs exp in Lead s/ware dvlpmt role position(s) involving writing s/ware in Ruby on Rails lang.; dsgn s/ware products implmtg NLG solutions; & deploy AWS cloud services for data pipelines, incl. S3, SQS, Lambda (Python Runtime), RDS, & Firehouse or equivt. F/T telecommute option available. Apply online at: https:// www.statsperform.com/careers/

OAK PARK POLICE DEPARTMENTACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

Application Deadline is Friday, September 1, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.

How to Apply:

• Complete your application at https:// iosolutions.com by the application deadline.

• Submit all supporting documentation by the application deadline.

Police Officer Minimum Requirements:

• At least 21 years of age and have not passed their 35th birthday by closing date for application.

• U.S. Citizen who speaks and understands English.

• Possess at least 60 hours of college credit at a fully accredited college or university, and also possess a minimum grade average of “C” by application deadline.

• Possess a valid driver’s license.

• Possess a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card at the time of hire

Written Exam Information:

A mandatory written exam will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Testing will take place at Oak Park Village Hall (room# 101) located at 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302. Sign-in will held from 8:30a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Additional details will be provided to eligible candidates approximately one week prior to the exam.

About the Village of Oak Park and Police Department:

• Starting Salary: $78,650.74 after 4 years of service $110,953.23

Please contact IOS Recruitment at (800)-343-HIRE or recruitment@ iosolutions.com with questions regarding the application, required documents or testing.

HOME SERVICES

CROSSING GUARD

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session. A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@ forestpark.net.

Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.

BRICKWORK CONSTRUCTION

RITEWAY BRICK

Tuckpointing

WANTED TO BUY

WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

HOME SERVICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:

The ZBA will consider an application for a major zoning variation submitted by Alfredo Moreno, owner of the property at 7821 Thomas Street, who is proposing to construct a one story addition onto the existing home.

Section 4-8-5 of the Village Code provides the Zoning Board jurisdiction to hold public hearings and offer recommendations to the Village Board concerning variations to Zoning Ordinance.

The applicant is requesting a major variation to Section 10-9-7 of the Zoning Ordinance.

Section 10-9-7 of the Zoning Ordinance (10-8-7-B) requires the primary building to maintain a setback from the rear property line not less than fifteen percent of the depth of the lot or twenty six feet two inches, whichever is greater. The proposed addition to the house will have a setback of 5 feet to the western portion of the rear lot line and the roof eave will have a 3 foot setback.

The legal description of the property at 7821 Thomas Street is as follows:

THE EAST 60 FEET OF LOT 22 AND EAST 60 FEET OF THE SOUTH 20 FEET OF LOT 23, THE EAST 80 FEET OF THAT PART OF LOT 23 LYING NORTH OF SOUTH 20 FEET THEREOF AND EAST 80 FEET OF LOT 24 ALL IN HENRY E. GRAVES SUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 10 IN SNOW AND DICKINSON’S ADDITION TO RIVER FOREST BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PARTS OF SECTIONS 1 AND 2, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

YARD SERVICES

A copy of the application will be available to the public at Village Hall and on the Village’s website at www.vrf. us/zoningvariation no less than 15 days prior to the public hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting packet will also be available at www. vrf.us/meetings no less than 48 hours prior to the public hearing.

All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record. Interested persons can learn more about how to participate in the hearing by visiting www.vrf.us/zoningvariation.

Sincerely,

Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals

Published in Wednesday journal July 26, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC

D/B/A MR. COOPER

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park

CDBG Water Service Replacement Program - 2023

Bid Number: 23-126

Bid forms may be obtained from the Village of Oak Park website, http://www.oak-park.us/bid. Bid documents may be viewed at the Public Works Customer Service Center at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the contact person, Water and Sewer Project Manager, James Eggen, jeggen@oak-park.us

All bidders will be required to submit Bid Security in the form of a Certified Check, a Cashier’s Check or a Bid Bond in the amount of Ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid, payable to the Village of Oak Park. The successful bidder will be required to post performance security and to provide a certificate of insurance as set forth in the bid package. This contract shall be subject to the provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS130/1 et seq.) to the extent required by law. This is a Federally-funded project, funded with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and is thus subject to all applicable Federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal, July 26, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of School District No. 91, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, the tentative budget for said School District for the Fiscal Year 2024 will be available for public inspection at the District Office, 424 DesPlaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, after 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 2, 2023. Notice is hereby given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 6:00 p.m. on the 14th day of September, 2023, at Grant-White School, 147 Circle Avenue, Forest Park, in this School District No. 91.

Dated this 26th day of July, 2023

Board of Education School District No. 91 County of Cook State of Illinois

Steve Rummel

Secretary

Published in Forest Park Review July 26, 2023

Plaintiff,

-v.PATRICE HOUSTON A/K/A

PATRICE CAREY, PARRIS HOUSTON, OAK PARK PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION

Defendants 22 CH 8975 420 HOME AVENUE #208 OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on May 31, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 1, 2023, 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:

Commonly known as 420 HOME AVENUE #208, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-324-0331017

The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $104,989.28.

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, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 22-096854.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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. LOGS Legal Group LLP

2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com

Attorney File No. 22-096854

Attorney Code. 42168

Case Number: 22 CH 8975

TJSC#: 43-2298

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 # 22 CH 8975 I3225644