About 70% of voters in each village picked Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris
By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
As they have in previous election years, a majority of voters last month in Brookfield and Riverside threw their support behind the Democrat on the presidential ballot. According to r esults from the C ook C ounty C lerk’s Offic e, wh ich ce rt ified the n umbers on Nov. 26, about 70% of voters in each village voted for Vi ce President K amala Harris and Minnesota Gove r nor Tim Walz over President-elect Donald Trump and Vi ce President-elect JD Vanc e.
In Rive rside, Harris won 3,678 votes, re presenting about 69.9% of the vote, wh i le Trump won 1,498 votes, about 28.5% of ballots cast.
ELECTION
Mirrors national trends
from page 1
The votes in Brookfield appeared to shake out with a simi lar proportion. Harris won 7,763 votes, or about 66.9% of them, wh i le Trump earned 3,696 votes, or about 31.8%. It is impossible to q uant ify the exact n umber of votes c ast by Brookfielder s, because in C ook C ounty, voting precincts are drawn b ased on the borders of townships rather than municipalities. Four of the 12 precinct s that cove r land within Brookfield also a ccount for r esidents of neighborin g village s, meaning the precinct data out of Brookfield is i ntermingled with votes from r esidents of L aGrang e, L aGrang e Pa rk and Lyons
In North Rive rside, Harris took 2,626 votes, about 62.4%, wh i le Trump wo n 1,513 votes, about 36.0%, although one precinct that cove rs pa rt of North Riverside falls mostly into Fo r est Pa rk
In all three villages, inde pendent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took home less than 2% of the vote, though Kennedy endorsed Trump after suspending his cam-
PROVIDED BY THE COOK COUNT Y CLERK’S OFFICE e precinct boundaries were redr aw n in 2022, leav ing several of the precincts covering Brook eld to ov erlap neighboring municipalities.
paign in August. Kennedy is now Trump’s presumptive nominee to r un the Department of Health and Human Services.
Despite how locals voted, Trump wo n the popular and electoral vote to become the 47th president. While Harris won in I llinoi s, re ports show it was the tightest race in the state since 1988 when George H. W. Bush defeated Michael Dukakis.
Voting patterns
During the p ast three presidential elections, Rive rside has r emained mostl y c onsistent in i ts voting habits that lean b lue. In 2016, Democratic c andidate and for mer Secretary of State Hillary Clinton earned about 66.1% of votes, wh il e in 2020, President Joe B iden earned about 69.8% of votes. In 2016, that figure re presented about 3,000 votes, wh ic h increased to about 3,800 votes in 2020. Trump earned about 1,570 votes in 2016 and about 1,650 in 2020 from Rive rsider s. T he number of voters fell across the b oard this year compared to 2020.
In Brookfield, voting has gr own in n umbers eve ry election since 2016, with some gr owth toward preferring Democrat s. In 2016, Clinton earned about 5,200 votes, or about 61.1% of the total, wh i le B iden earned about 6,900 votes, or about 67.8% of votes, in 2020. Trump has also earned more votes in Brookfield overtime, though his proportion of the vote has f allen; he earned about 2,800 or 33.5% of votes in 2016, about 3,300 or 32.2% in 2020 and about 3,700 or 31.8% of votes this year.
T he Democratic c andidate also maintained a majority of votes across all three elections in North Rive rside, though voting b lue a ppears to have p eaked in 2020. In 2016, about 2,300 r esid ents voted for Clinton and about 1,200 for Trump. In 2020, about 2,700 voted fo r B iden wh i le Trump rece ived r oughly the same n umber of votes. This year, about 1,500 r esidents c ame out to back the President-elect wh i le n umbers for Harris fell to about 2,600.
Dick W. Simpson, a p olitical scienc e professor at the Unive rsity of I llinois at Chicago and for mer Chicago alderman, told the Landmark that Rive rside, Brookfield and North Rive rside g enerally fit the voting trends found in the re gion.
“Most of the suburbs, decades back, if you go to DuPage C ounty to your west, have b een Re publican, and that has c hanged because the d emo gr ap hy has c hanged,” he said. “People have move d out of [Chicago] or c ome in, as i mmi -
PROVIDED BY THE COOK COUNT Y CLERK’S OFFICE is map shows the boundaries for voting precincts in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
gr ants, i nto these suburbs and c hanged the b asic d emo gr ap hy, so they’ve b een going more and more Democratic. ”
He said the smaller voter turnout thi s year in Rive rside c ompared to 2020 fit national and state trends — a ccordin g to the A ssociated Press, about 5 million fe we r b allots we re submitted nationally last month than in the 2020 election, and turnout in I llinois was down 9% from f our years ago — wh i le Brookfield and Nor th Rive rside shi rked them.
“The suburb that ga i ned votes means new p eople have move d in ther e, or it ’s become more Democratic, ” he said.
Simpson said he expected national voting trends to reflect backlash to Trump ’s proposed p olicies in the 2026 m idter m and 2028 presidential elections.
“The reason is the tariffs, if they’re imposed, will cost the average household $4,000 more a year,” he said. “Cutting taxes on the rich will mean that everybody else is going to have to pay more.”
C ook C ounty ’s ce rt ified data shows that Rive rside ’s tax levy referendum p assed by 66 votes, with 2,520 “yes” to 2,454 “no.” T he referendum a ppeared to p ass by just five votes immediately after E lection Day. T he referendum’s p assage will allow the village to c ontinue maintaining streets on-schedule without facing delays due to a lack of funding.
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Our final Big Week will run on December 18. Don’t worry! We have more events coverage coming soon. For a sneak peak, and to submit events to be included in our new calendar, visit rblandmark.com/events
BIG WEEK
Holiday Jazz with the Hauser Jazz Band
Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m., Riverside Public Library
Do you like Jazz? Join the Riverside Public Library for a festive concert featuring all your holiday favorites, performed by the talented Hauser Jazz Band. It’s the per fect way to celebrate the season with music that will ll you with joy! 1 Burling Rd.
Holiday Pajama Extravaganza with Bilingual Santa
Friday, Dec.13, 6-8 p.m. LSF Brookfield Library
Families are invited to nd their best holiday pajamas and join the library for a special after-hours night of festivities featuring holiday-themed stories, crafts, music, games and a special guest appearance by bilingual Santa. Sip on hot cocoa, enjoy holiday cookies and stories, and take pictures with Santa. Walk-ins and new friends are always welcome. 3541 Park Ave
Building a Novel from Stories: ‘Number 12 Rue Sainte-Catherine’ with Roberta Gates
Meet Riverside author Roberta Gates at the Public Library for an insightful talk about how to develop a novel from a series of linked stories. Drawing from her work “Number 12 Rue Sainte-Catherine and Other Stories,” Roberta will share her journey of melding stories written across a decade into a cohesive work. She will also discuss her research into Klaus Barbie, the Gestapo chief in Lyon, France, during WWII, and explore how this controversial historical gure became a recurring character in her stories, which feature Jewish refugees, Resistance gures, British spies, and French housewives. Roberta will o er a brief reading from her work and will be available afterward to sell and sign books. Registration is required by calling 708-4426366 or visiting www.riversidelibrary.org.1 Burling Rd
Too busy to wrap gifts this holiday season? The Friends + Foundation for the Brook eld Library will do it for free. Take advantage of this annual giftwrapping service at the Librar y, or browse the Friends + Foundation’s pop -up book sale for discounted books, DVDs, CDs and puzzles. Wrapping paper, bows and gift tags will also be provided free of charge. Monetary donations to support the Friends + Foundation are appreciated. 3541 Park Ave
Kiddies: come to create your own critter Christmas ornament! All ages are welcome to drop -in to the Maker Studio and create a fun ornament to take home and use in their holiday decor. The library will provide all craft materials and supplies. Children aged 8 and under must be accompanied by a caregiver. 3541 Park Ave
Brook eld’s library is making merry this weekend
Get your gi s wrapped and party with Santa Dec. 13, 14
By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
The Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library is gearing up for a jolly weekend of pre-holiday festivity.
The library is hosting two holiday events on Dec. 13 and 14 to get you and your family into the holiday spirit well before the 12 days of Christmas are under way.
On Friday, Dec. 13, the library will host a Holiday Pajama Extravaganza at 6 p.m. for a festive night of activities, including stories, crafts, music and games. Families are invited to attend in their favorite holiday pajamas to enjoy hot cocoa and Christmas
cookies. The event is free so families can celebrate the season “without breaking the bank,” according to library staff.
The event will feature bilingual Santa, who speaks English and Spanish, so any child can ask Father Christmas for the gifts they want the most.
While free, the Holiday Pajama Extravaganza requires advance re gistration. You can sign up on the library’s website or by calling the library at 708-485-6917.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, the Friends + Foundation for the Brookfield Library is hosting a pop-up book sale and free gift wrapping. Books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles and more will be available at a discount, but they will also wrap gifts you bring to the library. According to a news release, the Friends + Foundation will supply all wrapping paper, bows and gift tags. The group will accept monetary donations, but wrapping services will be free of charge
OPRFCF Announces New Focus of Community Grants
The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation recently announced the new direction and focus for its Community Grants program. A er a yearlong process of fact- nding, research and interviews, the Foundation has decided to focus its grantmaking on the intersection of two priority areas identi ed in its landmark Community Voices report: Safety and Belonging, and Health — speci cally, addressing behavioral and mental health for young residents in western Cook County. “By focusing on behavioral and mental health, we are seeking to repair some of the damage and division caused by the historic inequities in our region and empower the solutions the community has called for,” said Elizabeth Chadri, Foundation program director. “We are now putting forth a grantmaking strategy that is responsive to our community’s expressed needs, through a process that engenders equity, trust, and inclusion.”
e 2024-25 Community Grants cycle will prioritize proposals that focus on creating pathways to a robust, representative workforce of mental and behavioral health professionals; or facilitate access to and/or provision of services or treatment for youth and young adults. ese priorities will be further re ned in 2025 by a steering committee made up of Foundation board, sta and members of the West Cook community to develop a multi-year grants process. e multi-year program will include convenings and shared decision-making, and will bolster opportunities for advocacy and other systemic change.
e deadline for applications was in October, and applicants will be noti ed of decisions no later than January 31, 2025. Funding will be disbursed shortly therea er.
Elizabeth Chadri serves as program director for the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
Brookfield is preparing for more electric vehicles
e village has joined the third cohort of an EV readiness program
By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
By this time next year, Brookfield will be better suited for electric vehicles
The village announced Dec. 5 it had been selected as one of about 20 municipalities to participate in the third annual cohort of the EV Readiness Program run by ComEd and the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, an organization that encourages teamwork and collaboration among local municipal leaders in the Chicagoland area.
As a member of the program, Brookfield will develop policies intended to enhance the village’s infrastructure for electric vehicles through next summer, at which point the village will be designated an “EV Ready Community.”
“They walk you through the whole process,” said Community Development Director Libby Popovic. “They give you what they call
homework, and every other week, we have meetings [for] things that we need to do to get us ready like pick out a site, look at the different EV charging stations … The Mayoral Caucus is really walking us through what are the next steps, and then they give you additional things that you could do within the municipality, different tips on how this should work to make it sustainable.”
The program launched at the start of November, and so far, Popovic said, it’s been going well for the village.
“It’s like having a mentor that’s walking you through it, and there’s two other groups of cohorts before us that we can look at and say, ‘Well, what is Chicago doing?’” she said.
Popovic said the program can also assist municipalities with fleet sustainability — that is, electrifying the village’s fleet of vehicles — but Brookfield isn’t quite ready for that step.
So far, the homework assignments have been “pretty easy,” she said, including joining a newsletter about electric vehicles and looking for potential locations for an electric vehicle charging site, but they’ll get progressively more intense with time.
“Another one of the homeworks was to find out how many people have an [electric vehi-
cle] here within the village, so we’re actually looking at that research now,” she added.
Popovic said Brookfield is “ahead of the curve compared” with other municipalities in the program due to some of the village’s previous work, namely the passage of its sustainability plan in April.
She said part of Brookfield’s reason for joining the program was to put the village’s plan into action.
“The goal is really to meet our policies and our goals in our sustainability plan,” she said. “At some point, we’ll look back at the sustainability plan and say, ‘Do we need to update it?’ because this gives us the nuts and bolts of what we should be doing. There’s a lot of grants that are coming out there, including charging stations, and sustainability is so popular right now. As we’re growing and developing, this is like somebody holding your hand and showing us, ‘This village did it this way. This works. This doesn’t work. Plan accordingly.’”
Another reason Brookfield is ahead of the pack is that village staff, including Popovic, have already been working to make the village a better place for electric vehicles
“We applied for a grant called the Driving a Cleaner Illinois charging grant. We applied
for that in May,” she said. “In July, we received notice that we actually received the grant. I’m waiting for the state certification, because that grant is for the actual charging station.”
Popovic said Brookfield is hoping to keep its focus on going green as staff work to improve the village, like through the redevelopment of the Theater Building on Grand Boulevard.
“We’re just excited, because now, as we’re looking at our comprehensive plan and sustainability plan [and] all the different developments that are coming, as much as we can, we want to bring in some of these green features into the village,” she said. “We’re a village of walking. We’re a village of pedestrian traffic, trains, biking. You can bike from one side of the village to the other, so this just fits right in with exactly everything that we want.”
Other nearby municipalities also have their eyes on the future of electric vehicles. Oak Park owns 13 public electric vehicle charging stations after the village participated in the EV Readiness Program last year and earned a gold designation. River Forest also participated the second cohort and has taken steps to allow charging stations across the village.
us for login information for rive with Pride at o ce@holycovenantmcc.org
A H ALLMARK CHRISTM AS WEEKEND
PHOTOS BY TODD BANNOR
Brookfield and Riverside go all out for the holidays – Riverside’s stroll has been going on for nearly 50 years – and this year was no exception as the villages spread camaraderie and yuletide cheer.
TODD BANNOR
Sa nt a Cl au s a rrives on a fi re tr uck at Brookf ield’s Chri stmas Tree lig ht ing.
TODD BANNOR
Carolers spread good cheer, at Brookf ield’s Ch ri stmas Tree lig ht ing.
TODD BANNOR
e sta at Riverside Pilates Studio gives out cookies.
TODD BANNOR
Revellers walk the streets of Riverside’s downtown.
High-impact local news takes support from our readers
This is the time of year when we naturally look back on the Landmark’s stories that had the biggest impact on Brookfield and Riverside people across 2024. We asked Trent Brown, our Landmark reporter, to tell us which stories resonated most with him:
• Thorough coverage of the November tax referendum in Riverside. Early vote counting had the pro-referendum up by 5 votes. Final certified results showed it winning by 66 votes.
• Brookfield is investing in a retail incubator project called the Brookfield Shops, in Prospect Park near Eight Corners
• Bikes. Lots of bikes. Cycle Brookfield hosted the second Chicago Grit race in town while Ride Riverside took a more leisurely tour of the village
• Hollywood Motors led the way in raising support for those impacted by Hurricane Helene
• And everyone loves Wally’s Waffles at the Brookfield Farmers Market. We told Wally Strzepka’s backstory
Here’s how you can help:
We have about three weeks remaining in our critical year-end campaign — and we could really use your support to secure much-needed funding for 2025.
And right now, to spur you on, our Growing Community Media board of directors has set up a $10,000 match. That means that every dollar you offer in support of local news gets doubled. You give the Landmark $50 and we get $100!
We need your help to meet this $10,000 match! Will you join us?
With gratitude, Dan Haley Erika Hobbs Publisher
Editor
Donate now at GrowingCommunityMedia.org/donate. Every dollar helps. Every dollar goes straight into our newsroom.
You can also scan and donate here:
Trent Brown Riverside/Brookfield reporter
Driver caught speeding with an illegally concealed rearm
Riverside police arrested a man Dec. 1 for unlawful use of a weapon after he was caught driving nearly three times the speed limit.
Around 4 p.m., an officer on patrol saw the man’s car heading south on Woodside Road. Using their radar speedometer, the officer saw the car was going 69 mph in a 25-mph zone. After following the car to the stop light at the intersection of Forest and First avenues, the officer turned on their car’s emergency lights and pulled the car over by the intersection of Parkview and Forbes roads.
After approaching the driver and explaining the stop, the officer noticed a child in the front passenger seat whom the driver said was his 11-year-old brother. The man provided police with a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance before the officer arrested the man for aggravated speeding. After police searched him, the man told police there was gun ammunition in his car but there were no firear ms.
When the officer searched the man’s car, they found a single shell casing on the front passenger floor and a fully loaded Ruger pistol in the rear passenger floorboard “within the driver’s reach” alongside three boxes of ammunition for the pistol in the trunk. According to police, before being read his Miranda rights, the man said he had bought the gun a week before and that it was registered to him. Dispatchers confirmed for police that the man did not possess an active concealed carry license, making his possession of the gun a crime.
Another officer transported the child to his mother’s home in North Riverside while the
facility in Berwyn. Police ran the man’s gun through their database, and it came back with no crime record. After contacting felony review, police charged the man with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, and aggravated speeding, a misdemeanor, before releasing him and setting an upcoming court date.
These items were obtained from the Riverside Police Department reports dated Dec. 1 and the Brookfield Police Department reports dated Dec. 2-9; 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 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
RIVERSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT 96
Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye, Superintendent NOTICE OF PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR RIVERSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 96
I. A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase for Riverside School District No. 96 for 2024 will be held on December 18, 2024, at 7:00 P.M., at L.J. Hauser Junior High School.
Any person desiring to appear at the public hearing and present testimony to the taxing district may contact Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye, Superintendent, 3340 S. Harlem, Riverside, Illinois 60546, (708) 447-5007.
II. The corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2023 were $30,117,302.00.
The corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2024 are $31,286,285.00. This represents a 3.88% increase over the previous year’s extension.
III. The property taxes extended for debt service and public building commission leases for 2023 were $0.00.
The estimated property taxes to be levied for debt service and public building commission leases for 2024 are $0.00. This represents a 0.00% increase compared to the previous year.
IV. The total property taxes extended or abated for 2023 were $30,117,302.00.
The estimated total property taxes to be levied for 2024 are $31,286,285.00. This represents a 3.88% increase over the previous year’s extension.
AOpinion
THE L ANDMARK VIEW
Still prett y blue
s we all adjust after the presidential election five weeks ago, as our neighbors celebrate or worry about the outcome, it is interesting to look at how those neighbors actually voted It took a while, but we now have certified vote totals from the Cook County Clerk. It shows that both Riverside and Brookfield remain staunchly blue. Just shy of 70% of Riversiders cast their ballots for Harris/Walz while 29% preferred the Trump/Vance ticket. In Brookfield 67% of voters chose the Democratic ticket while 32% chose the GOP.
A small point: The numbers from Brookfield include some precincts outside of village limits, as Brookfield falls into three townships.
In both Riverside and Brookfield, Harris matched the percentage won by President Biden in 2020. The total vote count dropped a bit in Riverside, a circumstance seen in many places across America. Do these results change anything? Nope. But they offer a picture of our hometowns
Fly the ag
Designing a new village flag by committee(s) sounds like fun. And Riverside is in the midst of it right now. With its sesquicentennial year approaching, Riverside decided to revise the current flag that has been unfurled since 2005. Makes sense.
And since we’re joining in the opining, and while we’ve never thought of it before, the move to simplify the flag, to remove words and focus on the im age makes sense. The Stars and Stripes does not spell out the “United States of America.” We all know the four blue stars on the Chicago flag without adding, “The Windy City.”
In the least stunning outcome, the new flag is likely to feature the water tower. As it should be. However, you know you are deep in the weeds when members of the village board begin offering suggestions on the shade of green or blue that might be used on the flag — and when the village manager then points out that the shades being suggested might fall outside the color palette agreed to as part of the village’s branding.
Trust us We’ve been in those meetings! Once spent hours debating whether the elegant “L” that graces the Landmark’s logo should be salvaged or ditched. Happily it was retained. So good luck on the flag.
Invest in the Landmark
Again this week, you’ll find a small envelope tucked in the Landmark. It comes from Growing Community Media, the nonprofit entity which publishes the Landmark and three other local newspapers. It is a donation envelope. And as we move toward our end-of-year fundraising season, we’re asking you to use the envelope to invest in our reader-supported newsroom. The Landmark is a vital hub in Riverside and Brookfield. Hard news reporting, stories about neighbors, local businesses, the faith community, public safety. This is reporting you will not find anywhere else. And we need our readers to help support our work
Please consider making a donation now. A one-time gift is valued. A recurring monthly gift is welcome Use the handy envelope or go to RBLandmark.com/donate And thank you.
My office hosted a property tax appeal workshop in Hillside on Dec. 4 for homeowners seeking property tax relief. Filing an appeal is a free service that cannot increase your property tax bill, but it could potentially decrease your future property tax bills. Although Proviso Township is not being reassessed this year, all taxpayers can still file an appeal for tax bills to be paid in 2025. The deadline to appeal with our office is Tuesday, Dec. 17.
If you c ould n’ t join us on the 4th, you c an co nveniently submi t an appeal online by the Dec. 17 d eadline by using the following link: appeals.cookcountyboardofreview.com.
If you’d prefer to file in-person, you can visit our office at 118 N. Clark St. #601, Chicago, IL 60602 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. You can also file locally at the Proviso Township Assessor’s Office, 4565 W. Harrison St., Hillside, IL 60624 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you’d like additional information, you can visit us online at www.cookcountyboardofrevie w. com or give us a call at 312-603-5542.
As one of three commissioners on the Cook County Board of Review, it is my obligation to ensure that property tax valuations are cor rect. My office is committed to
working with all taxpayers. But for the Cook County Board of Review to get values correct, taxpayers must appeal by the deadlines and with understandable evidence.
Thank you to the offices of Village of Hillside Mayor Joe Tamburino, Proviso Township Assessor Steven J. Zawaski, Proviso Township Supervisor Michael Corrigan, Village of Berkeley Mayor Robert Lee, Village of Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey, Village of Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, Village of Westchester President Greg Hribal, 16th District Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar, 17th District Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, and 1st District Cook County Commissioner Tara Stamps, all of whom helped organize our Dec. 4 appeal workshop to help taxpayers with the appeal process.
This event was the continuation of the work being done by our office. We will keep working with taxpayers throughout the appeal process while striving to ensure fair property tax assessments.
George Cardenas Cook County Board of Review Commissioner
District One
Jerry Vohasek, 62
Gerald “Jerry” Vohasek, 62, of Brookfield, died on Dec. 5, 2024.
Born on June 18, 1962, he was the husband of Christine (nee Phillips); the father of Thomas (Vinny Scalice); the son-in-law of Rena Phillips; the brother of Edward Vohasek, Donna (Mark) Sukacz, Terrence (Virginia) Vohasek, Dan-
iel (Abby) Vohasek and Patricia (Mark) Gaber; and the uncle of many nieces and ne phews.
Vi sitation will be held on F riday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p. m. at Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, 3847 Prairie Ave. , Brookfield Cremation is private Online condolences, photos and memories may be shared with the family at www.johnsonnosek.com.
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Holiday Celebration
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SATURDAY,
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DECEMBER 7, 2024
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Activities & Schedule
Trolley Stop 1 Fill My Jar, 3726 Prairie Ave
Kringle Market
Grossdale Station, 8820 ½ Brookfield
Fill My Jar, 3726 Prairie Ave Holiday character visits
Ink Your Wear, 8838 Brookfield Ave Hot chocolate Brookfield Breakfast, 3755 Grand Blvd
DON’T MISS UPCOMING WINTER/SPRING PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
DON’T MISS UPCOMING WINTER/SPRING PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
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Trolley Stop 4
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Betty’s Flowers & Gifts, 9138 Broadway Ave
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Petting Zoo at the corner of Grand Boulevard and Washington Avenue, west of Beach Ave BBQ
Ice Carver @ First National Bank of Brookfield
WINTER/SPRING PARKS AND RECREATION
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Trolley Stop 2
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Betty’s Flower and Gifts, 9138 Broadway Ave
Trolley Stop 5
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Brennan Massage & Spa, 3700 Grand Blvd Offering gift card sales
Trolley Stop 3
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PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
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S.E. Gross Middle School, 9235 Broadway Ave
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DON’T MISS WINTER/SPRING AND PROGRAMS
DON’T MISS UPCOMING WINTER/SPRING PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS.
SCAN THE QR CODE TO GET THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FOR THIS YEARS HOLIDAY CELEBRATION EVENT FOR BROOKFIELD!
Inside S.E. Gross Middle School Gym2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
LIGHTING CEREMONY! AT GROSSDALE STATION 8820 ½ Brookfield Ave
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Paisans
Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library 3609 Grand Blvd (Opposite library parking lot)
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Activities for tree lighting begin at 5:30pm with the RBHS choir caroling!
Nosek Funeral Service
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Burger Antics
The library will be offering free hot cocoa in the lobby and crafts for all ages in the Maker Studio
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Strong named Bulldogs’ rst football all-stater since 2015
Lions’ Stamm, Long, Nazareth’s Kaminski, Malachuk also all-state
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Riverside Brookfield High School senior Max Strong returned to middle linebacker this past football season with a new scheme and a more experienced and determined mindset. Strong’s leadership as the Bulldogs’ leading tackler was rewarded by being named to the Class 6A all-state team by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.
“It was pretty exciting, just overcome with joy. I couldn’t stop smiling,” Strong said. He is the first all-state RBHS football player since Ryan Swift in 2015. Strong found out soon after the season ended when RBHS head coach Sam Styler took him out of Spanish class to deliver the news.
“The first thing I asked [coach] Styler was, ‘Will I be on the Wall of Fame?’ That was a goal when I first came to RB,” Strong said. “I don’t think it would be possible without other people. You have the D-line taking down the block in front and there’s the guys around me It’s everybody, and the commitment. If they don’t do their jobs, then I can’t do mine. I want to thank all of my coaches and teammates for making it possible.”
Strong was named the Upstate Eight Con-
ference East Division Defensive Player of the Year after collecting 100 tackles, the last on his penultimate play.
That included 41 solos, four tackles for loss, five sacks, one fumble recovery and a pick-six interception touchdown in the season-opening victory over Niles West. The Bulldogs finished 4-5 and 2-4 in the UEC East.
The outstanding student also hopes to find football a fit with an Ivy League or prominent Division III program while pursuing pre-med.
“Those stats obviously jump off the page,” Styler said. “What really stands apart is what he’s able to do off the field as well. He has a 4.5 GPA and truly is a special kid. We’re truly excited for him. His performance warranted [all-state].”
Strong returned to middle linebacker, where he played as a sophomore before moving to outside linebacker junior year. He credited the dedication and philosophies of defensive coordinator and outside linebackers/ safeties coach Joe Urbanski, middle linebackers coaches Keith Miller and David Wackrow, and defensive line coach John Evans for making the transition to a more traditional 3-4 defense a successful one
“A lot more blitzing and a much more structured,” Strong said. “[At inside linebacker] you’ve got to deal with bigger bodies because you’re in the middle of the field and you see more because you have to key on the inside instead of one side of the field.”
Class 8A quarterfinalist Lyons Township had senior receiver/cornerback Travis Stamm and senior receiver/safety Mack Long
on the 8A all-state team. LTHS senior two-way lineman and Northern Illinois recruit Tyler Chambers was honorable mention all-state Stamm, an Illinois State recruit, finishes with 10 school records, including career receptions (145), receiving yards (2,047) and receiving TDs (28) and a single-season record eight interceptions this past season with a record three in the playoff victory over Downers Grove South. Stamm caught 41 passes for 601 yards with seven TDs this fall.
The two-time All-West Suburban Conference selection was named the WSC Silver coMVP this past season after being co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
“It means everything. It’s been a goal I wanted to achieve but it means nothing without what my teammates did, my coaches,” Stamm said.
“It’s really just a plaque on the wall if it wasn’t for all of the hard work that they put into it. The things that I learned, not just about the game, about family, are lessons that I’ll never forget.”
In his breakthrough season as a prominent two-way starter, Long was named WSC Silver co-Defensive Player of the Year after collecting three defensive or special teams TDs, five interceptions and 33 tackles (2 for loss). Long also was a huge asset offensively with 30 receptions for 648 yards and six touchdowns
“I think that played a big role because I had stats going both ways,” said Long, who hopes to play collegiately.
“It really was an honor. I didn’t really expect to get it at first. It kind of showed me the
success of our season. I kind of look at it as a team award.”
Class 5A state champion Nazareth Academy had senior linebacker and Stanford recruit Gabe Kaminski of Riverside and senior quarterback Logan Malachuk named to the 5A all-state team. Senior lineman Sam Stec was honorable mention all-state.
Kaminski and Malachuk were named the respective Chicago Catholic League/ East Suburban Catholic Conference Green Division Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year.
According to documented totals at IHSA. org, Kaminski also established an IHSA record for any class with his 42 career sacks and Nazareth records for career solo tackles (405, No. 2 IHSA) and sacks in a season (19 in 2023). Malachuk set IHSA career records for passing yards (11,190), total offense (11,991 with 801 rushing yards) and pass completions (758) and a school-record 113 career TD passes (No. 3 IHSA) after a single-season school-record 46 as a senior Kaminski now looks forward to his next challenges at Stanford. He plans to pursue computer science
“All of the coaches from the Division I programs that I visited would tell me I would get this feeling when I visited somewhere and I knew it was home,” Kaminski said.
“I never really got that feeling until I visited Stanford. It’s kind of an indescribable feeling but you kind of know it’s your home. Obviously, another part of it is to pursue both academics and athletics at the highest degree.”
RBHS wrestler Villagomez has state return on her mind
She says she’s motivated to work harder
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Riverside Brookfield High School junior Danely Villagomez missed returning to the state meet in 2024 in her new weight class at 140 pounds. A very tough Schaumburg Sectional bracket certainly didn’t help. Villagomez also believes looking back that she should have been competing in a different class
“That sectional was really hard, a lot of state p lacers and national q ualifiers,”
Vi llagome z said.
“This year I’m going 145. I had to cut a lot last year and I think that’s why I didn’t go as far as I hoped to. I’m just going to a weight class that’s more comfortable.”
Vi llagome z and senior Frankie Abasta are the Bulld og s’ two r eturning sectional q ualifiers for second-year c oach Dan Ve rr after the gr aduation of three-time state q ualifier E leanor Ap hay, who bec ame the pr ogr am’s first state q ualifie r in 2022.
In her first season with the team, Villago-
mez joined Aphay at state in 2023, winning her first match 10-6 and then losing to two all-staters at 135 to finish 25-9. Last year, Villagomez finished 22-7 and was pinned in her two sectional matches.
“Qualifying for state as I did freshman year [is the goal]. That was a big motivation for me to work harder [this offseason],” Villagomez said.
“I just lifted a lot, went on runs and I think it’s helped my endurance be better and my strength.”
Re gionals were added to the girls post-
season in 2023. Abasta (18-8 at 110) reached sectionals by taking sixth at re gionals but was unable to compete because of injury. This season, she is working her way back from concussion protocol.
Other returnees are senior S amira Giron C antero, j uniors E stefany Bejarano, E lla Hutar, Angelica S olis and Heidi Velazquez and sophomore Emily An aya. N ewcomers include seniors L esley C astillo and Diana Garcia, j unior S ascha Hayes and freshman Jay lah Cajamarca, C hloe Gonzalez and Alicia Mueller
The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District #97 will receive sealed letters of intent for out of school time program proposals for Brooks and Julian Middle Schools located in Oak Park, IL, 60302, until 3:00 p.m. on Monday, December 23, 2024. The letter of intent should include the name of the organization, intent to submit a response, the organization’s background information and areas of documented expertise in the out-ofschool time space.
Copies of the scope of services may be requested by emailing Eboney Lofton (elofton@op97.org). The cutoff date for receiving the scope of services is 3:00 pm, Friday, January 3, 2025.
Responses mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of:
Oak Park School District 97 Attn. Dr. Eboney Lofton 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302
The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “Out of School Time Programs for District 97 Middle Schools”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Dr. Eboney Lofton at elofton@op97.org. Faxed or electronically submitted bids will not be accepted. Any faxed or electronically submitted proposals will disqualify vendors.
Responses Due Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 3:00 P.M.
Only those responses complying with the provision and specification of the response will be considered. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualifications, or irregularities and/ or reject any or all responses when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97.
Lonya Boose, Board of Education Secretary
Published in Wednesday Journal December 11, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.
Request of Kimiata Caprice Mottley Case Number 20244006019
There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Kimiata Caprice Mottley to the new name of: Kimiata Caprice Fields
The court date will be held: On January 7, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at 1500 Maybrook Drive, Maywood, IL in Courtroom # 111 and on ZOOM at Meeting ID 936 687 05913 Password 862976.
Published in RB Landmark December 11, 18, 25, 2024
