Wednesday Journal 012220 by Wednesday Journal

W E D N E S D A Y

January 22, 2020 Vol. 39, No. 25 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Wright Plus 2020 Page 25

Harmon wins top Senate post Brings position held by mentor Phil Rock back to Oak Park By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Don Harmon achieved a long-held dream and ambition Sunday when he was elected President of the Illinois State Senate after a tough battle with his colleague Kimberly Lightford. Harmon, a native of Oak Park who lives in his childhood home, represents most of Oak Park and the West Side while Lightford represents the portion of Oak Park that is south of the Eisenhower Expressway. Lightford also represents River Forest. Harmon and Lightford, who have sat just one seat apart from each other on the floor of the state Senate, had been fighting it out in a contentious battle for the top job in the Senate since mid-November when John Cullerton announced that he was resigning in the middle of his term. Lightford, (D-Maywood) was seen by some as the early favorite. She was bidding to become See HARMON on page 14

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

THEIR BEES-WAX: Production assistant Alexis Lee pours wax to make candles at Bright Endeavors in Garfield Park.

New Moms kindles bright futures

Nonprofit’s job training program doubles as a social enterprise candle company By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

While browsing the candle section at Whole Foods, pick up a Bright Endeavors candle and flip it over. On the bottom label of each candle is the name of the young mother who made it. Bright Endeavors, the New Moms 16-

week paid job training program, provides young mothers in need with the skills necessary to find gainful employment, while doubling as a social enterprise candle company. “An interesting thing about social enterprises is that it’s a very broad spectrum,” said Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst, New Moms social enterprise director. “Some don’t op-

erate with the job training force as an actual labor force, as we do.” Targeting mothers between 16 and 24 years in age, the mothers in Bright Endeavors are given the title of production assistant and split their time between manufacturing beautiful candles and atSee NEW MOMS on page 16

SUBSCRIBE! O N LY $ 38 A Y E A R !

@OakPark.com/subscribe • Enter “FREE MONTH” in comments for...you guessed it...a FREE month!

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

From Oprah to... Oak Park

We’re talking to...

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

...to running The View

Candi Carter Saturday, February 1 ■ 7pm

Dominican University Performing Arts Center Tickets: $15 • oakpark.com/conversations • $5 Student*

Moderated by Susy Schultz Museum of Broadcast Communications

Sponsors:

$5 Discount for WJ Readers • OakPark.com/conversations • Promo code: WJsub

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Volunteers needed for homeless count The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County is seeking volunteers to help during the 2020 PointIn-Time Unsheltered Homeless Count, which will take place on Jan. 29. The annual count, which happens in a single night, is required by the federal government and entails volunteers canvassing the streets in small groups attempting to count every unsheltered homeless person they encounter, according to a statement released by the nonprofit Housing Forward, an Alliance member. “The results of the Homeless Count are reported to the federal government in order to secure funds for homelessness programs and create a baseline for continued efforts to end homelessness in the area,” Housing Forward explains. “The Homeless Count also helps raise awareness about homelessness and barriers to housing in our communities.” Volunteers must be at least 16 years old. Volunteers under 18 are required to have an adult chaperone. For more info or to volunteer, visit: http://www.suburbancook.org/homelesscount or contact Katie Spoden, advocacy and development coordinator, at 708-240-9533 or at katie@suburbancook.org. Volunteers will begin the night’s count on Jan. 29 at Housing Forward’s

File photo

EVERYONE COUNTS: This year’s Unsheltered Homeless Count takes place on Jan. 29.

Stacey Sheridan

Ileana Arzani, left, and Yanisse Quiroz, both of Cicero, fold their laundry together at the World’s Largest Laundromat on Cermak Road in Berwyn.

headquarters, 1851 S. 9th Ave. in Maywood, where they will have dinner and be trained at 7 p.m., before leaving in assigned teams to conduct the count between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. All teams include a team leader experienced in working with people experiencing homelessness, Housing Forward officials said.

Oak Park’s Kaegi endorses Elizabeth Warren

Fritz Kaegi, the Oak Parker elected in 2018 as the reformminded Cook County Assessor, has announced he’s running to be an Elizabeth Warren delegate to this summer’s Democratic National Convention. This was first reported by Greg Hinz, the political columnist at Crain’s. Hinz raised the question of whether entering into a partisan political battle for a presidential candidate might tarnish Kaegi’s reputation for being above politics. A progressive Democrat, Kaegi unseated incumbent Joe Berrios for the position of Cook County Assessor in March 2018. Kaegi and his wife Rebecca live in Oak Park with their three children.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Michael Romain

Grants galore

Two area lawmakers recently announced a round of grants that will go to area park districts and local school districts. On Jan. 17, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (8th), whose district spans parts of Oak Park, announced that the Park District of Oak Park will receive a $400,000 grant for Carroll Park and Rehm Park. The grant is part of the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant program, which is designed to FRITZ KAEGI help local governments fund County Assessor public outdoor recreation projects. The OSLAD program “provides an advanced payment (for development projects only) that is 50 percent of the grant award amount shortly after the grant agreement is executed,” Ford’s office explained in a statement.

ELIZABETH WARREN Presidential candidate

School library grants In a statement released Jan.

World’s Largest (hearted) Laundromat

A French documentary crew, led by journalist Auberi Edler, is making a film about the World’s Largest Laundromat, located in Berwyn, and its philanthropic and environmental contributions. The laundromat, owned by Oak Parker Tom Benson, uses solar power, recycling, express machines and special lighting, making it a green business. It partners with the Berwyn and Cicero public libraries for its children’s summer reading program, Read-to-Ride. For every book a child reads, they get a raffle ticket and a chance to win a bike. The more books, the better the odds are of winning. The laundromat also encourages youth creative writing. For junior and high school students, the laundromat has a short-story contest. The World’s Largest Laundromat got its title in 1983, after it won an industrywide contest.

Stacey Sheridan

15, state Sen. Kimberly Lightford (4th), who represents a portion of Oak Park, announced that the Illinois Secretary of State’s Illinois State Library program will issue more than $16,000 in grants for the purpose of helping public schools

offer more library books and materials to students, Lightford’s office explained. River Forest School District 90 will get $1,073.

Michael Romain

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

NAMI Metro Suburban Support Groups Whether you live with mental illness or you live alongside someone who does, the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) has free, drop-in support groups. First and third Tuesday each month, 7 to 8:30 p.m., third floor, Scoville Building: At the Family Support Group, ideas for self-care and taking care of your family, a chance to share and learn from others, and Information about brain disorders, treatment and services. 137 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park. Every Saturday, 12:30 to 2 p.m., NAMI Drop-In Center: NAMI Connection Support Group is for those living with mental illness. Participants learn from each other’s experiences, share coping strategies and offer support and encouragement in a confidential, community setting. 814 Harrison St., Oak Park.

Houseplants for Clean Air Sunday, Jan. 26, 2 to 4 p.m., River Forest Library: As our houses get sealed tightly for energy efficiency, indoor air quality suffers. Regan Cronin of Good Earth Greenhouse presents on house plants choices that will help improve the air you breathe. Free; all welcome. Brought by Garden Club of OP-RF. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest.

The Waco Brothers Friday, Jan. 24, 8:30 p.m., FitzGerald’s: FitzGerald’s is turning 40 this year. Come celebrate with the roots rock of the Waco Brothers and music from Zachariah Malachi and the Hillbilly Executives. $15. Tickets/more: fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/calendar. 6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

January 22 – 29

BIG WEEK Wabi Sabi Film Festival: “Lives Well Lived” Friday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Lake Theatre:

First, see the feature film, which “celebrates the incredible wit, wisdom and experiences of adults aged 75 to 100 years old ... Forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life.” Author Elizabeth White facilitates a discussion following the movie. This film festival, about aging, is planned for every three months. All are welcome. $2, at the door. RSVP/more: facebook.com/events/617344209067815. 1022 Lake St., Oak Park.

Census 2020: Be Counted, Shape your Future Through Sunday, Feb. 23, Idea Box, Main Library: Stop in to speak directly with a census volunteer and learn the overall importance of being counted. Also get information about temporary employment opportunities. Thursdays, 1 to 9 p.m. | Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m. More: oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Folk Concert Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Enjoy an evening of folk music with Ben Bradford and Tim Grimm. Free. More: oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Community of Congregations Dinner & Community Gathering Monday, Jan. 27, 6:15 p.m., First United Methodist Church: Join in honoring local activist/photographer Paul Goyette and gather with your neighbors. $15, suggested donation. RSVP: oprfcoc@gmail.com. 324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s World Heritage Sites Thursday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m., Gand Lecture Hall, Chicago Architecture Center (CAC): Learn about the World Heritage status process for eight Frank Lloyd Wright sites across the U.S. Panelists include UTRF Executive Director Heidi Ruehle, director of Fallingwater Justin Gunther and others. $20, includes CAC admission; $15, CAC members; $12, students with ID at CAC Box Office. Tickets/more: architecture.org/payments-donations. 111 E. Wacker Dr., Chicago.

Entrepreneurial Engineering at the Frontiers of Science

“The Dark Passage” Sunday, Jan. 26, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Hear a reading about the little-known internment of 1,881 Italian Americans, mostly from the West Coast, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A discussion with the playwright follows. Performed by the Italian American Theatre of Chicago. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Monday, Jan. 27, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Matthew Tirrell, founding dean of the U of C Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), will discuss how PME is at the forefront of engineering innovative molecular systems. Tirrell is tackling urgent needs in water and energy resources, human health and information security. $15, requested donation. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

Rain Gardens 101 Thursday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m., Community Engagement Space, Main Library: Rain gardens are inexpensive, simple solutions to stormwater runoff. Learn the basics of rain gardening design, how to build and plant it, and which native plants work best. Led by Jerry Hossli, UIUC Extension Master Gardener. Register: fopcon.org/conservatory-event/raingardens-101-how-to. Walk ins as space allows. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Poetry Reading: Naomi Shihab Nye Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m., Lund Auditorium, Dominican University: A poet known for writing that lends a fresh perspective to ordinary events, people and objects. Nye has said that, for her, “the primary source of poetry has always been local life, random characters met on the streets, our own ancestry sifting down to us through small essential daily tasks.” Book sale and signing follows. $10. Tickets/more: events.dom.edu/naomishihab-nye. 7900 Division St., River Forest.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ART BEAT

Drummer with OPRF roots branches out

By MICHELLE DYBAL

Contributing Reporter

heir music defies description – alternative, indie, folk-rock, Americana, roots? Some try to label, but nothing quite fits. “The genre stuff is confusing,” said James Krivchenia, drummer of Big Thief and an Oak Park native. “It’s usually not a very accurate descriptor to me of what the music is actually doing. … I think our music is definitely song-focused – the songs come first, and the music sprouts out of that.” However you may label the music, or if you choose not to, Big Thief is having a moment. Up for a Grammy this Sunday, topping NPR’s Best of 2019 list and, even cracking Barack Obama’s playlist for the year. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker writes the music in which band members Krivchenia, Max Oleartchik, bassist, and Buck Meek, guitarist, contribute. But what also makes Big Thief special is the bond between the four. “There’s a lot of trust and a lot of love,” Krivchenia said. “It allows for everyone to be pretty vulnerable in the music. Everyone is giving it their all and putting it all out on the table and not holding anything back when it comes to creative stuff.” Krivchenia lives in Los Angeles but got his musical start in Oak Park. Like so many instrumental music students, he chose something to play in fourth grade. As a Longfellow Elementary student, Krivchenia’s instrument of choice was drums. He continued playing percussion in the Percy Julian Middle School bands and started playing jazz there. He had Ms. Holleman, who he said was a “very inspirational teacher and got a lot of kids hooked on music.” Krivchenia also found other like-minded kids on his block of 600 S. Gunderson, where he lived at the time, and formed a rock band with them by fifth grade. They played venues such as Pilgrim Church. Krivchenia’s Uncle Bill made albums of the band as a Christmas gift, which the drummer still has. “They’re good; they’re very free and wild,” he reminisced. Krivchenia finds them hilarious to listen to now, but said his uncle was straight-faced during the recording process. ”We totally thought they were the best things ever and he totally bought into it too.” In middle school, he also started private lessons with Don Skoog, who still teaches in Oak Park. Skoog recalls Krivchenia was a nice, easy going guy who played well and was very dedicated. Krivchenia studied with Skoog through high school. “He was the rock of my music stuff,” Krivchenia said of Skoog. “He got me into jazz and a bunch of other styles of music

Photo by Michael Buishas

Photo by Alex Perez

RESOUNDING: (Above) Big Thief band members (left to right) Adrianne Lenker, Max Oleartchik, James Krivchenia and Buck Meek have had their album U.F.O.F. nominated for a Best Alternative Album Grammy and their song “Not” made Best lists for 2019. (Below) Krivchenia at a concert at The Metro in Chicago. and was influential in broadening my horizons beyond just rock stuff.” At OPRF, Krivchenia continued to play, winning an Outstanding Soloist award at a jazz competition in 2007, his graduation year. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. After moving to New York, Krivchenia spent his time playing in bands and working as a sound engineer at Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, ultimately introducing him to Big Thief. It was mid-2016, and Krivchenia was a sound engineer on Big Thief ’s first album,

Masterpiece. He quickly moved on to become the band’s drummer, initiated into the group by “touring nonstop.” Now, after a whirlwind schedule of touring and recording three more albums, Big Thief is getting more widely noticed with an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, their song “Not” designated #1 on NPR’s Best of 2019 and a Grammy nomination. Even Barack Obama put “Not” on his Favorites of 2019 playlist. All this comes on the tails of a 2017 break out that included the band’s first European tour and an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

“We were just playing a lot and trying to get better,” Krivchenia said. “You could feel it building. Ever since I’ve been in the band, it always felt that there’s a momentum beyond the crowd getting bigger, the band getting bigger. There’s a momentum to the creative stuff too.” While touring, they performed a collection of songs, which later became two albums released in 2019, U.F.O.F. and Two Hands. The song “Not” came alive by testing it on the road, according to the drummer. “It always had a different energy to it,” Krivchenia said. “You are having an openended conversation with an audience and you can feel when stuff is translating really well to them.” Big Thief played “Not” on The Late Show in October. Krivchenia said it was fun, but it felt different from the “ebb and flow” of concerts. “We’re used to playing a bunch of songs every night,” he said. “It’s weird to get in the mindset and focus for one little moment. You’re spending all day doing soundchecks and waiting around to play for four minutes.” In November, U.F.O.F. was nominated for the Best Alternative Album Grammy. The title, taken from a song on the album, refers to a UFO friend, “accepting and finding some peace and coexistence with the alien inside yourself or the unrecognizable parts inside of you” according to Krivchenia, and “also about aliens too,” he said laughing a bit. But the band doesn’t want to be distracted by the award show on Sunday, Jan. 26, with a tour starting soon and other projects on the front burner, so they will not attend, according to Krivchenia. “We don’t follow the Grammys or know when the nominations are coming out,” he said. “We’re more neutral about it. … It’s cool, but we’re trying to not let it go to our heads too much.“ Band members work on their own creative projects during down time from Big Thief. Krivchenia is sound engineer and plays percussion with Mega Bog and plays drums in other bands. He also creates computer music, like his 2018 release, No Comment, with sound samples of “media violence.” He plans different and “not quite as scary” releases for 2020. Big Thief ’s world tour starts Feb. 17 in Europe and goes on to Israel, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. “This year we’re trying to focus on just playing and getting better as a band and finding some new dimensions live,“ he said. “The live process and the recording process, and the writing process are all happening simultaneously sometimes, but they’re such different skills. It’s one thing to make an album that you feel really good about and it’s another thing to perform in front of a crowd and have it feel fulfilling.”

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Anan knows the risks of small business

unday night, Anan Abu-Taleb said the famAbu-Taleb and his ily is “doubling down on family closed Monnie Pilsen.” While this old imBurke’s the well-remigrant neighborhood is batviewed but under suptling gentrification, he said, ported restaurant they had his family felt they were opened to acclaim in Pilsen embraced by local residents. just two years ago. Abu-Taleb “I’m an immigrant,” the has been in the restaurant Gaza Strip native said. “I business for decades. He’s came to this country for had successes, including the same reason these folks Maya del Sol in Oak Park and came to America. Their two Pizza Capri locations in story is my story. Pilsen has the city. And he has watched a soul and the people who as hard work and early suclive here love it.” cess evaporated in a competiOur conversation turned tive and changing restaurant back to Oak Park, an increasingly scene. competitive restaurant landscape and Most Oak Parkers don’t remember the December closing of Winberie’s after Vivaldi, an Italian-themed restaurant almost 40 years at Lake and Oak Park. owned by Abu-Taleb and occupying “Going through an experience like what is now Maya. It started strong and then fizzled. And it’s closing still stings this [at Monnie Burke’s] is hard. This with Abu-Taleb. was a tough decision. We made a large The decision to close Monnie’s was investment. It is costly,” he said. “But a hard one. Like everything in Abuit confirms to me the fact that small Taleb’s professional life it was also fully ma-and-pa businesses are the soul of a family decision. Margi Abu-Taleb, a community. In Oak Park we need to his wife and business partner, had a recognize the risks that small business very personal connection to Monnie’s owners take. It makes me more of a beas it was named after a late aunt whose liever that we all need to supprogressive values influenced port our small businesses.” her world view. Regulars at Talking about Winberie’s, Maya and Monnie’s also know he said, “When I heard about that the couple’s children are it, I thought about the many active in the operations. great meals, the many great “When you are the leader conversations we had there. of an organization, you feel a It is hard to see them go.” sense of failure,” said Anan Abu-Taleb acknowledged Abu-Taleb. “I feel I’ve failed the challenges of owning an employees, family, the neighindependent restaurant in borhood.” Oak Park and really anyWith money sunk into the where. “Markets change, Pilsen location, the plan is, as they seem to say in the restauANAN ABUTALEB taxes are high, regulations rant business, to “reconcept” Mayor change, food costs rise but the space, stabilize finances, you can’t charge $20 for a do a fresh build out and rehamburger and you can’t open, hopefully by summer. raise prices too quickly.” He As at Maya, the Pilsen spot pointed to the increasing has a supersized patio which makes sophistication of prepared meals at grosummer a critical season. cery stores, meal delivery services. Abu-Taleb said the New American “But competition is good. It is the best concept at Monnie’s was designed to thing for consumers. It means, though, “appeal to everyone with a multi-layered that [as owners] we need our vision to menu.” Abu-Taleb quickly figured out be executed flawlessly. And we need to th I’d never been to the 18 Street outpost reinvent ourselves. One door closes and when I told him I had no idea what New another opens. Vivaldi. It was OK. But American cuisine was or what was actuwe decided we needed to change. Maya ally on the “multi-layered menu.” Turns was born and now it is a place that is out it is burgers, steak, fish and pasta. loved by a lot of people in our communiWhile he is shy talking about what ty. For a restaurant to be successful, you comes next in Pilsen, he said the next need people to have an emotional bond “concept has to get a little more foto the brand. cused,” and “more energy driven.” I “And you need to be willing to make will leave this to my foodie readers to translate. tough decisions.”

DAN HALEY

UNDERLYING RATING: MOODY’S: “Aa2” (Expected)

PROPOSED NEW ISSUE

$24,185,000*

OAK PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT 97

Cook County, Illinois Unlimited Tax - General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2020 Anticipated date of offering on or about

Tuesday, January 28, 2020 The offering of bonds will be made only by the Official Statement, which describes the security for such issue and which may be obtained in any state in which the underwriters may lawfully offer such issue. For more information on the district and the bond offering, please contact the underwriter listed below for a Preliminary Official Statement.

Jeff Kleinkopf Financial Advisor // Raymond James, Oak Park 708.383.1229 These bonds may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time an Official Statement is delivered in final form. Under no circumstances shall this announcement constitute a recommendation, an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the bonds in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Assuming continuing compliance with certain tax regulations covenants, and agreements, Bond Counsel is expected to release an opinion that the interest on the bonds is not subject to gross income for federal income tax purposes. Before purchasing any bond, contact your tax advisor to determine any other applicable federal, state and local tax consequences. All information in this advertisement is subject in all respects to the information presented in the Official Statement. Not FDIC-insured; no bank guarantee; may lose value. A credit rating of a security is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to review, revisions, suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. A decision to purchase the bonds is an investment decision that should only be made after a complete review and understanding of the terms of the bonds, including investment risks. No decision should be made prior to receipt and review of the Preliminary Official Statement and applicable pricing information. Interest is generally exempt from federal taxation and may also be free of state and local taxes for investors residing in the state and/or locality where the bonds are issued. However, bonds may be subject to federal alternative minimum tax (AMT), and profits and losses on taxexempt bonds may be subject to capital gains tax treatment. Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. *Preliminary, subject to availability and price change Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC 1029 Lake Street, Suite 104 // Oak Park, IL 60301

“I thought about the many great meals, the many great conversations we had there.”

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Cannabis is special (use) Plan commission unanimously votes to recommend special-use zoning for recreational cannabis By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The village of Oak Park’s plan commission voted a second time Jan. 16 to recommend the village board require special use zoning for recreational cannabis retailers. The plan commission’s original special use recommendation was rejected by the village board Sept. 16. The village board voted then to make it permitted use. Last December, the village board asked the plan commission to make further recommendations related to the governing of recreational cannabis and placed a temporary moratorium on the opening of new dispensaries. At the Jan. 16 plan commission meeting, Village Planner Craig Failor made a recommendation on behalf of village staff to prohibit cannabis consumption lounges. “We are strongly recommending there be no on-site consumption lounges within any recreational or medical dispensary or stand-alone type of use or tobaccos store,” Failor said. Many community members, including several North Avenue businessowners, expressed support for making cannabis dispensaries special use in the village zoning code. “It’s ironic that daycare centers and preschools are special uses in Oak Park, even though we are already licensed by the state,” said Dailela Williams. “Oak Park uses the special use process to ensure the safety and welfare of our children. Shouldn’t recreational cannabis sales, also licensed by the state, be subject to the same scrutiny by the village?” Williams is the director of Future Leaders Inc., a North Avenue daycare center. Future Leaders, Williams noted in her testimony, is less than a block away from a “prime site” for a dispensary – the vacant grocery store located on the corner of North Avenue and Harvey Avenue. She also noted that a different daycare center sits across the street from Future Leaders. Julianne Nery, president of Wonder Works Children’s Museum, 6445 W. North Ave., also made a plea for a united approach to cannabis zoning. “We hope we can come together, not just as businesses that support children,” Nery said, “but as a consortium of businesses, neighborhood groups and village leadership and be guided by the same philosophies on how to best integrate cannabis sales thoughtfully into our community on a caseby-case basis through special use zoning.” North Avenue District Chair Judith Alexander supported a rule that dispensaries have a minimum of 500 feet from sensitive uses, such as daycare centers. Alexander also asked that the 500 feet be measured from the Chicago side as well. Alexander also agreed with staff ’s recommendation to prohibit on-site consumption

“The special-use process is needed to evaluate safety, localized impacts and other potential considerations for each proposed store.” ERIC DAVIS

Oak Park Township Trustee

lounges, “especially because North Avenue is a four-lane state highway with a [drunken driving] problem.” She called on the commission to recommend “the kind of common-sense regulations that would prohibit problematic dispensaries and approve ones that would be an asset.” “It’s so much easier and more effective to prevent a problem business than to close one after the fact,” Alexander concluded. Oak Park Township Trustee Eric Davis came to the meeting and read a statement he first gave Dec. 2 to the village board, on behalf of the township, urging the village to reconsider special use zoning. “The special-use process is needed to evaluate safety, localized impacts and other potential considerations for each proposed store,” Davis said. He said that since the initial village board cannabis zoning vote, the city of Chicago voted to make cannabis special use. “They will be a special use in River Forest, if permitted at all,” Davis added. “It is our understanding that Forest Park will allow [dispensaries] only in a small area of Roosevelt Road.” After some deliberation by the commission over the details of special use, the commission voted unanimously on a motion to recommend that “recreational cannabis should be special use.” The commission concurred that facilities should be 15 feet away from existing dispensaries and 500 feet away from sensitive areas, including parks. The motion also included a recommendation for a limit of three dispensaries in Oak Park. The same conditions, the commission agreed, should apply to craft cannabis growers as well.

Registration ends February 1st. Late fees apply after the 1st pending space availability.

We ARE LIVE ONLINE! Your Table is READY Served fresh by

For sponsorships or advertising

call 708/613-3329

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPRF may hire Uber-like firm to transport special ed students D200 officials say ridesharing firm Zum Services Inc. could realize nearly $74K in savings for 2019-20 school year By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

The District 200 school board is poised to contract with an Uber-like ridesharing company to transport special education students to and from Oak Park and River Forest High School in the middle of the day. During a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 14, Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said the administration is recommending

that the board approve a contract with Zum Services Inc. at a regular meeting on Jan. 23. If the contract is approved, drivers employed by Zum will replace cabs and buses from Grand Prairie, the company that provides transportation for OPRF’s general student population, as the primary means by which special education students who attend OPRF full-time, but off-site, commute to and from the high school. Unlike Uber, however, Zum is a rideshar-

ing company that focuses exclusively on transporting students. According to Tech Crunch, the company is essentially “a mobile app that enables parents to schedule rides for their kids from fully vetted drivers. It also partners with school districts to support their transportation needs. To date, the company has partnered with 150 school districts across the country and transported more than 500,000 students.” Mark Rising, an account executive with

River Forest

FOOT CLINIC

7351 Lake St. (Just west of Panera Bread)

Do you wake up with heel pain?

Dr. Linda Lambert

eel pain is one of the most common conditions I treat" says Dr. Linda Lambert of the River Forest Foot Clinic. If you wake up having difficulty putting your feet on the floor, Dr. Lambert can help.

Heel pain or plantar fascitis is caused when the foot flattens out with weight bearing. Sometimes a heel spur forms where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone. A heel spur can be diagnosed with an in office x-ray. There are many ways to treat heel pain without doing surgery. Rest, ice, antiinflammatory medication, supportive shoes and stretches help in most cases. Custom made orthotic devices or cortisone injections may also be needed. Call Dr. Lambert, you don't have to live with foot pain. Aetna, AARP, Blue Cross PPO, United Healthcare, Healtspring, Humana, PHCS, Medicare Assignment & most other insurances accepted • CIGNA PPO

Zum Services, said the company is currently in seven states and looking to expand. Rising said the company entered the Illinois market last November. “We’re not here to take away yellow bus business, because that’s the most cost-effective, safest way to transport students in your district; rather, we’re trying to help districts with an alternative transportation,” Rising told board members on Jan. 14. “We personalize the service, so there’s a consistent driver and there’s technology around it,” he said, adding that district officials like Carolyn M. Gust, D200’s director of purchasing and transportation, can use a dashboard to monitor the rides in real time. The parents also have an app similar to one used by Uber or Lyft that allows them to see where their students are at in real time. The dashboard tool “includes a picture of the vehicle and driver, as well as the vehicle’s license plate number,” Gust explained in a Jan. 14 memo. “The driver doesn’t have to touch the phone, because I know there was a rule last July — no touching your cell phone, so our drivers do not touch their cell phone,” Rising said. Gust said that Zum has been transporting students on a trial basis this school year and that “feedback from parents has been very positive and administration/staff are very pleased with the service provided by Zum staff and drivers.” Rising, who said that he’s a former Indian Prairie School District 204 board member and father of children who have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), explained that all of Zum’s drivers hold Class D school bus driver’s licenses and receive rigorous school bus driver training. All of the drivers’ vehicles are inspected twice a year and must meet all requirements established by the Illinois Department of Transportation, Gust said. The drivers are also fully insured by Zum, she said. District officials said it’s difficult to provide a precise estimate of potential costsavings because transporting out-placement special education students is fluid and varies throughout the school year. But a price comparison between Zum and Grand Prairie, which is based on the number of special education students who had to be transported in December, shows that the district would have saved approximately $10,511 with Zum that month. The approximate savings for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year is $73,584, Pruitt-Adams said. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

24 Years’ Experience • Se Habla Espanol • Free Parking

To run an obituary

708.366.FOOT (3668)

Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Lake and Lathrop lops off one floor, submits building permits Developer sends necessary soil remediation docs to EPA By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

The mixed-use development project at Lake and Lathrop in River Forest may finally take off, as the developer submitted new project plans on Dec. 16. These plans call for eliminating one floor from the original fivestory plan, with 22 condominiums rather than 33 units. The building is still mixed use, with commercial on the ground level and residential above that. The developer, Lake and Lathrop LLC, which is comprised of Sedgwick Development and Keystone Ventures, has been granted extensions in the past, most recently receiving permission from the village board to extend the permit application deadline from June 17, 2019 to Dec. 15, 2019, which pushed out dates for breaking ground and project completion. These was some frustration from village trustees during this process, and Trustee Patty Henek voted against the extension. Trustee Tom Cargie voted for the extension but said he would not do so again. “This is the last extension I will vote for,”

said Cargie. “It seems like a continuous process of delays. There will be no more excuses moving forward.” Although the original plan was for a five-story building, Village President Cathy Adduci said that since the development review board initially approved the 5-story development, the developer can build less; developers can go below but not above the original approved scope. These new plans, for a 4-story building, fall under the original approval since they are less than the approved structure. In an email, Village Administrator Eric Palm said that Lake and Lathrop LLC has also sent the necessary reports and documents to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to ensure that soil remediation has been completed. It will be about two to three months before the plans are fully reviewed by an architectural engineering firm outsourced by the village. If everything meets village approval, the permit will be given to Lake and Lathrop LLC sometime around May, at which time, per zoning code, the developer has 15 months to complete the project.

Rendering courtesy of Lake and Lathrop LLC

OLD PLANS SCRAPPED: Developer Lake and Lathrop LLC is planning one less story than this rendering of their project at the corner of Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue in River Forest.

In River Forest, two families believe deer caused illnesses

Lyme disease rising in Midwest with climate change By ROBERT LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Although the occurrence of tick-borne disease is concentrated in the northeastern United States, two River Forest residents have proof in their own homes that tickborne disease exists in the village. And each has become outspoken in the village’s ongoing debate over controlling the local deer population as a method of reducing tickborne illness. John Roehger’s daughter suffered for years before she was diagnosed as having Lyme disease. “We think she got it when she was four or five years old,” he said. Roehger said Lyme disease compromised his daughter’s immune system. Although she exhibited symptoms while in fourth grade, she was not diagnosed until she was in seventh grade. Following treatment, including ozone therapy, he said she is doing “much better” but noted she missed 50 percent of schooling on and off for eight years. Now a senior in high school, she still has anxiety, he said, but other symptoms have subsided. Gigi Hoke’s stepson, then 20, started exhibiting symptoms during his junior year at college. He suspended his studies and came home to undergo a series of tests, none of

which led to a diagnosis. He returned to school for a semester, then was still suffering when he came home for the summer. She said Roehger encouraged her to have her stepson tested for Lyme disease but the doctors said there was no reason for it. Hoke said they went ahead with testing anyway and the results showed her stepson, then 21, had Lyme disease. “We were stunned,” she said. “We felt terrible that we did not have him tested sooner.” Hoke said when every member of the family, including the dog, were subsequently tested for Lyme disease, her son, then 7, was diagnosed as having the disease. Following treatment, which also included ozone therapy, her stepson, now 23, is “feeling a lot better,” Hoke said, adding this is something he will have to monitor “for the rest of his life.” Doctors removed the tonsils and adenoids of Hoke’s son and prescribed antibiotics. He is now 9. “That seemed to have worked,” she said. “We’re hoping we caught his exposure early enough. “Without a doubt, our seven-year-old picked up Lyme disease either in our backyard or while playing soccer in Thatcher Woods.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Lyme disease is the most common form of vector-borne disease in the United States. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-

legged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. Lyme disease is spread through the bite of an infected tick, according to the Center for Food Security and Public Health. Wild mammals, especially small rodents and deer, can carry the bacteria in nature. Ticks get the bacteria when they feed on infected wildlife. The tick can now spread the bacteria to other animals such as pets or humans when it bites. In 2017, state and local health departments reported a record number of cases of tickborne diseases to the CDC. The reported numbers of cases of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, spotted fever rickettsiosis, babesiosis, tularemia, and Powassan virus disease all increased—from a total of 48,610 reported cases in 2016 to a total of 59,349 reported cases in 2017. Reported cases capture only a fraction of the overall number of people with tickborne illnesses. Even so, the number of reported cases of Lyme disease in the United States has tripled since the late 1990s. Roehger said he is aware of seven individuals from four families, five children and two adults, from River Forest who have been diagnosed with Lyme disease, including his daughter. He said all live within two blocks from a forest preserve. “If I had to guess, I would say there are 25

others who are undiagnosed,” he said. Hoke said she also thinks Lyme disease cases are underreported. “I believe it exists in the population in much greater numbers,” she said. Roehger and Hoke said their goal is to educate the community and are hopeful that village officials will support their effort. “My mission is to spread awareness,” Roehger said. “Lyme disease is increasing nationwide, especially in the Midwest. It’s a very big health concern due to climate change.” “I want to let people know about Lyme disease and I’m excited that the village is interested in increasing awareness,” Hoke said, encouraging parents to check their children for ticks every night. “There’s clearly an epidemic in River Forest,” Roehger said. “It’s not going to change unless we do something with the deer. “Ticks need a host. Deer are the largest host by far. It makes sense that decreasing the population of the most common host will reduce the likelihood of ticks.” “Clearly we have an issue,” Hoke said. “With prevention, hopefully others can avoid what our family has gone through.” Roehger and Hoke spoke at the Nov. 25 and Jan. 13 village board meetings about their family members who have been diagnosed as having Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses during discussions of a proposal to cull deer in forest preserves adjacent to River Forest.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Sponsored Content

CHOOSE TO DISRUPT YOURSELF

discomfort.” To which the nurse replied, “That discomfort is your baby’s head crowning!” Hilarious! Mike’s birth weight - a whopping 10lbs 6oz.

y mother-in-law, D. Clancy, is very progressive. When she was pregnant with my husband Mike, she wanted to have a “natural childbirth experience.” So, she enrolled herself and my father-in-law Bill in a childbirth class. The class followed the teachings of the popular book, How to Relax and Have Your Baby, by groundbreaking researcher Edmund Jacobson.

To me, there are two ways to change and create growth. Incremental change or disruptive change. Two excellent sources of information about successful incremental change are the book Atomic Habits by James Clear and the Ted Talk How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals by Stephen Duneier.

Incremental change is the usually Having a baby is the preferred method of change. a big life change. THERESA CLANCY Easier to implement and less painful. Estate Planning Attorney Change is usually Unfortunately, life does not always give us accompanied The instructor of the childbirth class the option to choose incremental change by a certain amount of discomfort. taught the students that the word pain over disruptive change. Sometimes life Sometimes, change can be downright was not a positive word. Instead, the is unpredictable, and disruption occurs students were instructed to use the more painful. But change is necessary. When even when we wish there was no change we change, we grow. Growth is what life desirable word discomfort to describe at all. how they were feeling during their child’s is all about. birth. Since D. Clancy has always been Would we ever choose Lately, there has been an excellent student, she followed the disruptive change? Yes, a great deal written Life does not teachings of this class very closely. says Whitney Johnson about the growth When the time came for Mike to be born, D. and Bill found that Mike was not a patient baby. With D. in labor, she and Bill arrived at the hospital in the nick of time. In the elevator on the way up to the birthing room, D. followed her natural childbirth class instructions. D. said to the nurse, “I am feeling a great deal of

always give us the bestselling author of the mindset. Researcher option to choose book Disrupt Yourself. Carol Dweck coined incremental change Johnson writes that if the phrase growth we choose disruptive mindset (as opposed over disruptive change through pursuing to fixed mindset) change untapped opportunities, over 30 years ago. To playing to our strengths, implement the growth mindset, we must believe we can change. embracing constraints, battling

entitlement and becoming discovery driven, we can become the best version of ourselves. I could not agree more. Starting as a solo attorney in a new area of law was a chosen disruptive change. Embracing the change, playing to my strengths, and seeking growth has made all the difference in my success and my happiness. I believe the same approach can be applied to estate planning. Choose a disruptive change -- create an estate plan to protect your family. The change will be completed quickly -- your estate plan will be done, and you can embrace growth and happiness throughout your lifetime knowing your family is protected for those unexpected future disruptive changes. To create or update an estate plan, please contact me today.

708-819-1580

www.theresaclancylaw.com theresa.clancy@theresaclancylaw.com

A Wednesday Journal & A Tribe Called Aging Production

wabi sabi

LivesWell

F I L M F E S T I V A L

AUDIENCE AWARD SECOND PLACE

MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

OFFICIAL SELECTION

SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

A film by Sky Bergman

AUDIENCE AWARD

DOCUTAH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

BEST OF THE FEST

NEVADA CITY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

LIVES WELL LIVED Celebrating the Secrets, Wit and Wisdom of

Age

40 people. 3000 years of collective life experience.

Lives Well Lived | lives-well-lived.com

Sky Bergman, Filmmaker (805) 215-8684 lives.well.lived@gmail.com

PRESS KIT

Signature Sponsors

Our First Film Event of 2020:

Lived Non Profit Patron Sponsors

Oak Park Township/River Forest Township

A TRIBE CALLED

AGING

Friday, January 24th 10am

Admission: $2 • Tickets available day of event at The Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St, Oak Park

RSVP & Share at Facebook.com/pg/wednesdayjournalinc/events

Host and moderator, Elizabeth White, author of 55, Underemployed and Faking Normal. Ms. White will introduce the film and facilitate the in-theater interactive discussion following the movie.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Oak Park Ave. affordable housing project moves forward Community Builders broke ground 0n 37-unit apartments By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The affordable housing development project for 801 S. Oak Park Ave., which the Oak Park village board approved in October 2018, is finally moving forward. “Construction started last week,” confirmed Kirk Albinson, a project manager with Community Builders, the non-profit real estate development company spearheading the project. Progress was stymied by a lawsuit filed by neighbors against the village in December 2018. The neighbors argued that the development violated zoning codes. Judge Celia G. Gamrath dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice October 27, 2019. “What this means is that it cannot be refiled, and the case was over as of that date,” said Village Attorney Paul Stephanides. Albinson expects construction of the 37-unit apartment complex to wrap up in March 2021 and be ready for occupancy in early April of that year. The company is also trying to implement a preference for renting to people already in Oak Park. “We understand that there’s a desire from the village to have a preference, so we are still working to see if a preference could be allowed for folks who work or live in Oak Park,” said Will Woodley, Community Builders director of development. To secure that preference, Community Builders has to go through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. “That’s something we are doing and should know in the next handful of months,” said Woodley. “With that said, with the loca-

Rendering courtesy Community Builders

GROUNDBREAKING: An updated rendering of the affordable housing building at Oak Park and Van Buren. tion of the project and just all of the work force on Lake Street, on Oak Park [Avenue], on Madison [Street], we will be, regardless of a preference, marketing to the folks working along those corridors in Oak Park and other major employers in Oak Park.” Community Builders received $500,000 from the village’s affordable housing fund for the project. Tenant rent costs range, with the average expected to be somewhat under $900. A number of units will be reserved for people with disabilities. Rents on those will be lower. “It’s an income restriction, similar to rent control, but those will be set at about $431 per month, based on where things are currently,” said Albinson. “We expect those numbers to go up as we get closer to having the building ready

for occupancy. That’s going to cover about nine units.” The units are targeting people who work full time and make roughly $18 to $21 dollars an hour or around $37,400 a year to $42,800 a year. Two live-work units flank the building, with one on Van Buren Street and the other on South Oak Park Avenue. “The back of those units will have a one-bedroom dwelling unit, but the front of the apartment will have space that someone can use for a business or retail operation,” said Albinson. Both live-work units have direct entry from the sidewalk. There is also a retail space of about a thousand square feet. Community Builders is working with Oak Park real estate broker Theresa Jurgus, of Baird & Warner, to let that space. “She’s going to be actively engaging and looking for businesses to help complement the other businesses on the block,” said Albinson. “Something that would be a draw for the community and strengthen that whole retail block.” Boston-based Community Builders has been working in the Chicago metropolitan area for almost 20 years. “We truly focus on developments that not only help ensure long-term affordability in the community, but also strengthen the community,” said Woodley. “I used to live in Oak Park, so I know it well. It’s absolutely the kind of community that we want to be working in and we were really encouraged by the leadership of the village.” Woodley also believes that the apartment building is an opportunity to address the issue of residents getting priced out of the area and add value to the Oak Park community. “We’re replacing a site that has long been vacant. This is a really important block in the village,” he said. “We’re confident that what we’re delivering is going to not only ensure affordability when it’s really needed in the village but strengthen this block and strengthen the community.”

D97 hands out inaugural ‘Making My D97 Better Awards’ Charlie Kane and Ana GarciaDoyle are first two recipients of new honor By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Late last year, District 97 officials launched a new community outreach campaign called MyD97, which features a “Weekly WrapUp” newsletter, consistent updates on the district’s equity progress and a new “Making MyD7 Better Award,” a recognition the district gives out monthly to students, staff members, parents and community members “who are making their schools a better place for all,” according to a D97 statement. In December, the district gave out its first “Making MyD97 Better Award” to Charlie Kane, the interim building engineer at Lincoln Elementary. “Charlie arrived at Lincoln at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year as crews were working to complete the school’s expansion project,” district officials explained in a statement announcing the award. “He played a vital role in preparing the building

for the first day of school, and his dedication, hard work and positive attitude quickly earned him the respect of Lincoln’s students and staff.” Joanne Lowry, an administrative assistant at Lincoln, said employees at the school nominated Kane for the award “because our school year would not run as smoothly without him. We were under construction up to the day of school. They brought Charlie to us in probably mid-August. He was positive, motivated, and helpful — anything we needed from him he was there for us.” The district gave out the second “Making MyD97 Better Award” to Ana Garcia-Doyle, a parent and founder of Beye Elementary’s Green Team, an organization run by volunteers. In a statement announcing her award, D97 officials said that under Garcia-Doyle’s leadership, “the Green Team has implemented a number of initiatives in an effort to create a “green culture” within the school,” such as securing a $20,000 grant to help fund “zero waste initiatives, including purchasing lunchroom dishwashers and new water fountains compatible with water bottle refilling capacity.” The Green Team also helped Beye “divert 68 tons of solid waste from the landfill since 2008 through the school-wide recycling,

BETTER: Charlie Kane, right, and Ana GarciaDoyle, were the first and second recipients of District 97’s inaugural “Making My D97 Better Award.” Photos courtesy District 97

composting and zero-waste programs,” and was instrumental in the school winning the Environmental Hero Award from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn in 2011 and the Fitzsimmons Award for Excellence in Public Health from the Village of Oak Park in 2012. “When Ana started all of this she really was looking to make Beye School better, but over the years she has made the entire district better, because there are just so many things that started here at Beye that were

great and they have [spread] throughout all the elementary and middle schools,” said Beye Principal Jonathan Ellwanger. At the time of this article’s print deadline, the district was scheduled to announce the third “Making MyD97 Better Award” at a regular school board meeting on Tuesday. For more info on the award, visit: https:// www.op97.org/. To nominate someone for the award, visit: https://bit.ly/2RfmQFR. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ASSISTED LIVING • SHELTERED CARE • MEMORY CARE • SKILLED NURSING • RESPITE CARE

Move to our awardwinning memory care this winter and save up to two months!* JUST LISTED

UNDER CONTRACT

400 FOREST AVE, OAK PARK $1,167,500 :: 5 BED :: 3.5 BATH

1447 KEYSTONE, RIVER FOREST $595,000 :: 3 BED :: 2.5 BATH

Frank Lloyd Wright historic district - beautiful 1 acre lot.

Brick & stone English cottage, on a beautiful cul-de-sac street.

NEW PRICE

UNDER CONTRACT

JUST LISTED

906 COLUMBIAN, OAK PARK $799,000 :: 4 BED :: 2.5 BATH

620 LATHROP, RIVER FOREST $549,900 :: 3 BED :: 3.5 BATH

1023 WENONAH, OAK PARK $799,000 :: 5 BED :: 4 BATH

Beautiful totally new renovation top to bottom. Great location.

Charming totally updated home with new kitchen & baths. Great location.

Unique Victorian in Lincoln School district. Renovated kitchen & baths.

KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com

We know what a living room is for. More than a place to live, it’s a place to call home. Laughter echoing across every room. Meals shared, stories swapped. Impromptu dancing in the living room. At Caledonia Senior Living, we care for each person’s quality of life without losing the essence of life.

SCHEDULE A PERSONAL TOUR TODAY! 2800 Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, IL 60546 (708) 477-5092 | CaledoniaSeniorLiving.org

formerly The Scottish Home

january 29th Rewards!

Full color

COUPON BOOK inserted into Wednesday Journal, Forest Park Review and Landmark

“I love WJ Rewards. It’s the only thing that works for us. It brings people in the door. Direct mail is a dinosaur.” - Jim Beckwith, Fast Frame

AD DEADLINE: JANUARY 24TH

Great Local Coupons For: Oak Park River Forest Forest Park Riverside North Riverside Brookfi eld

UES FALL LEAG January 2017 SIGN UP NOW FOR

REWAR ARD DS

Adult Hair cut

BeBri

Not valid with any Expires 06/04 other offers. /16 • Book 1

ONE FREE OR BOW L ONE GET GET 1/2 HOUR FREE R OF BILLIARDS, BUY ONE 1/2 HOU ING ANYTIME DURING

lliant

LINE OF BOWL GAME IS FREE. FREE PARKING IN FRON AND YOUR NEXT T OF SALON OPEN BOWLING . ANY OTHER OFFER LIMENTARY ROOM NOT GOOD WITH S - WITH COMP BOWLING PARTIE YOUTH BUMPER

PAY FOR ONE Also Online at: Oakpark.com | Forestparkreview.com | RBlandmark.com

Kids Haircut

$ 95 0es FS Shampoo -281Includ Therapy EST PAR K • 708-366 7244 CIRCLE • FOR

995

Includes FS

Shampoo Therap

Not valid with any Expires 06/04 other offers. /16 • Book 2

Color, Cu Treatment t, Style $65*& Includes FS

Shampoo Therap

Facial Wax or Conditioning Treatment

795

*Long hair extra. Not valid with any Expires 06/04 other offers. /16 • Book 3

Not valid with any Expires 06/04 other offers. /16 • Book 4

EXPIRES 9/04/16

Fantastic Sam s|

7226 W. Mad ison

Forest Park | (708) 771-465 0

| www.fantastic sams.com

Get expanded circulation on-line at: OakPark.com • ForestParkReview.com • RBLandmark.com

To Reserve Space, call

708.524.8300

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

More pertussis in Oak Park, River Forest schools Cases reported in all three public school districts By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

More cases of pertussis have been reported at Oak Park and River Forest public schools in the new year, adding to the already high running total that began in December. The first cases were reported at District 200 Oak Park and River Forest High School in November, with students and at least one teacher being affected. Since then, more confirmed cases have been reported at D200 and by the District 90 River Forest elementary schools and District 97 Oak Park elementary schools. D200 parents received a Jan. 9 email from Dr. Gwen Walker-Qualls, senior director of pupil personnel services, stating that the school was notified of a sixth OPRF student diagnosed with pertussis “shortly after winter break began.” A Jan. 6 memo to D97 parents and families stated that the district was notified of an individual case at Whittier, bringing the total number of cases since Dec. 9 to eight within the schools (two cases at Lincoln and individual cases at Brooks, Mann, Longfellow, Holmes, Julian and Whittier). River Forest’s D90 has 12 confirmed cases to date, the first reported in December.

Totals for the district are four cases at Roosevelt, seven at Willard and one at Lincoln. All three districts mentioned that parents should alert the schools immediately if their child is diagnosed with pertussis, and all districts mentioned that custodial and building staff were working diligently to keep the schools as germ-free as possible. Pertussis, a bacterial infection, affects the airways, causing severe coughing. Highly contagious, it is spread through coughing and sneezing. It can be especially dangerous for infants and people with weakened immune systems. Although pertussis is one of the vaccine preventable illnesses, a vaccine for it on the regular schedule of recommended shots, immunity can wane over time. According to the D97 memo to families, which included information about the disease, “Protection against pertussis from the childhood vaccine, DTaP, decreases over time. Older children and adults, including pregnant women, should get a pertussis booster shot called ‘Tdap’ to protect themselves and infants near or around them.” Residents are encouraged to contact their doctors if they suspect they or a family member has pertussis or to see if a booster is necessary. The Oak Park Public Health Department can be contacted at 708-358-5480 to find a vaccine provider.

C R I M E

Three cars stolen, one recovered

A dark gray Ford Escape pulled up alongside a black 2013 Volvo S80, the keys of which were inside; a man hopped out of the Ford’s passenger seat and into the Volvo, then drove off, stealing the vehicle at 10 a.m., Jan 17 from the 1100 block of Garfield Street. The perpetrator was described as thin build, approximately 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, wore black jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt with the words “Dope Vibes” in white. The Ford had heavy front-end damage to the driver’s side and a front spare tire. The estimated loss of the Volvo is $10,000.

Recovered Stolen Vehicle A 2015 Toyota Highlander, reported stolen out of Oak Park, Jan. 17 from the 800 block of North Lombard Avenue, was recovered by Chicago police on Jan. 18 in the 4800 block of West Dickens Drive, Chicago, at 7:57 p.m. Police made no apprehension.

14 in the 500 block of South East Avenue. The estimated loss is $5,520. ■ Someone entered an unlocked side door to the victim’s residence and took a green leather purse containing an Illinois driver’s license, credit cards and vehicle keys; the offender then took the victim’s 2007 Volkswagen Jetta from the garage between 4:13 and 6 a.m., Jan. 18 in the 700 block of North East Avenue. The estimated loss is $5,090. These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Jan. 14-20 and 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 Stacey Sheridan

Burglaries, car thefts ■ Someone broke into a residence, possibly by placing a trash can underneath a window, and stole a pair of Apple AirPods, cash and a garage door opener. The offender then opened the garage and stole the vehicle from inside, between midnight and 7:24 a.m., Jan.

To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

D90’s 5-year strategic plan takes shape Equity, family support are high priorities By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

River Forest’s District 90 is about halfway through developing its strategic plan for 2020-25, a guide to direct the district’s focus for the next five years. The committee intends to have a rough draft available for review in March, and the final plan is slated to be presented to the Board of Education by May. In the previous plan, 2015-20, flexibility was a key feature. Dawne Simmons, communications and community outreach coordinator for the district, says the same flexibility will be built into the plan that will take the district to 2025. “There has to be room to change the plan to accommodate for advances and developments that arise,” said Simmons, pointing out that all students have Apple iPads now,

though that wasn’t something the planning committee could have anticipated as a need or possibility when they wrote the previous plan in 2015. The current Strategic Plan Committee began meeting in November. The committee, said Simmons, represents as many stakeholders as possible, including parents, faculty, staff, union members, and residents without children, as well as high school freshmen who recently graduated from the district. They invited community partners such as the YMCA, River Forest Community Center, and the public library to provide input. Juan Alegria from the National Equity Project is also a team member. “We wanted it to be as welcoming, encompassing and inclusive as possible,” said Simmons. “The goal was to have as many different perspectives as we could fit into the room.” The Consortium for Educational Change (CEC), a nonprofit that acts as a facilitator for strategic planning, is working with the district through the process. This is the sec-

ond time the CEC has worked with D90 on their strategic plan. The strategic planning process began on Nov. 12, when the committee met and discussed their roles and responsibilities. They also reviewed how the process will proceed. On Dec. 5, the committee held its first allday meeting, listening to reports and reviewing district performance data to determine what’s going well in D90 and where there is room for improvement. The team offered their own perceptions of strengths and opportunities, compared them to measurable data, and came up with a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis to drive plans and strategies. Their draft SWOT analysis identified a number of strengths, most centering on high student achievement, dedicated and talented faculty and staff, and strong leadership. Weaknesses identified were achievement disparities and gaps among student subgroups; inequities among all students, classrooms and schools; and the need for support for increased social, emotional, and

health needs of student and staff. Another weakness discussed was the problem of aging facilities that impacted the learning environment. On Dec. 11, parents and community members were invited to review the SWOT analysis. Feedback generated additional weaknesses and opportunities for the lists. Participants felt there was a disconnect between D90 and District 200 (Oak Park and River Forest High School). Also mentioned was an overall lack of family support programs in D90. An additional opportunity was improving family supports to enhance equity and inclusion for single-parent and working families. On Jan. 16, the committee attended a strategic planning vision retreat where team members looked at the current mission and vision statements measured against criteria for a good mission and vision statement, and asked themselves if the statements used now best represent the goals and dreams of the district. They also took time to draft a statement of core values.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HARMON

stater Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) Harmon assiduously courted his lesser known colleagues. Harmon apparently won the support of members of the so-called X caucus, a group of moderate senators who thought that their voices were not often heard by Cullerton and his leadership team. Harmon also won the support of from page 1 Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) who bucked most of his colleagues in the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus who were the first female president of the state Senate. But Harmon supporting Lightford who chairs that caucus. emerged victorious Sunday after Senate Democrats met beHarmon also showed that he could raise big money, an imhind closed doors for five-plus hours at the state capitol. portant consideration in leadership contests since party leadThe win was especially sweet for the 53-year-old Harmon ers in each chamber of the General Assembly typically probecause his mentor was former state Senate president Phil vide most of the funds for members’ reelection campaigns. Rock who moved to Oak Park from the Austin neighborhood His campaign committee, Friends of Don Harmon for State of Chicago and served as Senate president for 14 years, from Senate, raised nearly a million dollars in the final quarter of 1979 to his retirement in 1991. Rock died in 2016. Harmon got 2019, most of that coming in after Harmon became a candihis start in politics after talking to Rock, who was the father date for Senate president. DPOP itself kicked in $150,000 and of a St. Giles School classmate of Harmon, when Harmon was Harmon personally loaned his campaign committee a little a first-year student at the University of Chicago Law School. more than $100,000. His committee also received some sig“When I got to law school and got interested in politics I nificant contributions from labor unions including $100,000 made an appointment, I went to see him in his office and I from the Chicago Journeyman’s Plumbers Union. asked him if I could recharter the Young Democrats of Oak In November after deciding to run for Senate president Park and he looked at me over those reading glasses and said Lightford and her allies Steans and Manar created a new ‘Alright kid I’ll give you a shot’ and that led to all sorts of difcampaign committee, the Democratic Leadership Fund, ferent opportunities to work with him in Oak Park on the powhich raised $556,215 in the final six weeks of 2019. litical side,” Harmon recalled on Monday. “I miss him often Lightford was bidding to be the first woman to lead a legand now, especially with this opportunity, I’d love to be able islative chamber in the Illinois General Assembly and she to pick up the phone and get his advice. I’m hoping his large would have only been the third black Senate president. hand is still hovering as I take on this new responsibility.” Harmon has a reputation as a shrewd legislative tactician In 2000 Harmon succeeded Rock as the Oak Park Townwith a keen understanding of both politics and policy. He is ship Democratic Committeeman and Harmon built the BOB SKOLNIK/Contributor smart and articulate and one of the best educated members Democratic Party of Oak Park, known as DPOP, into per- COLLEGIAL: State Senator Kimberly Lightford rose Sunday of the General Assembly having earned both a law degree haps the most active Democratic organization in the state. to nominate Don Harmon (foreground) as state Senate and an MBA from the University of Chicago. But he also unDPOP volunteers have worked on many campaigns throughderstands practical politics. He is considered a good listener out the Chicago area collecting chits for Harmon. Harmon president. who is sensitive to the perspectives of his colleagues. For said that the strength of DPOP helped convince many of his job of leading the Democrats in the Senate. Lightford is stay- about seven years he served as the president pro tempore of Senate colleagues that he would be an effective leader of ing on in her current post of majority leader. the Senate where he played a key role in shaping policy and Senate Democrats. Monday Lightford told Wednesday Journal that despite moving legislation through the Senate. He was a long-time “I think it was a key ingredient in my message to my colthe defeat, running for Senate president was a sponsor of the effort to put a constitutional amendment perleagues,” Harmon said. “That I’ve been doing great experience. mitting a graduated income tax on the balthis work for decades and I’m going to keep do“This has been an incredible lot in November. He also sponsored bills to ing this work. It’s important that we marshal the journey for me over the past sevexpand access to preschool through the Preresources we need and we employ them wisely eral weeks and one that I would school for All program and to make same day and I’m grateful that we have so many politically never trade,” Lightford said in a voter registration a permanent option. engaged people in Oak Park who are willing to text message. “While it is not the Harmon said at a press conference after his do the work necessary to elect good people and outcome I had hoped for, I know selection as Senate president that restoring make good policies.” that the Senate Democratic caupublic trust in government and promoting Harmon’s combination of policy chops and pocus will emerge stronger and fairer taxation would be two of his main goals litical savvy, along with his impressive fundraismore unified than ever. I want as Senate president. ing, convinced enough of his colleagues that he to thank my colleagues who put “As I traveled around the state visiting with would be the best leader of Senate Democrats. DON HARMON their trust in me with their vote. my colleagues and campaigning two things I Harmon was elected Senate president late DON HARMON Senator, 39th District To those who did not, I look forheard the most often from my colleagues was Sunday afternoon besting Republican Minority New Senate president ward to many battles ahead that the urgent need for us to work together to help Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) in a 37-12 we will fight together to make this restore the public’s trust in Illinois governparty line vote on the Senate floor. But the real state the very best it can be for evment while at the same time a similarly urgent action took place earlier behind closed doors ery resident and family.” need for us to rationalize our tax policy by adopting the Fair when Senate Democrats met in private offices at Harmon in turn praised Lightford. Income Tax on the ballot in November and finding a way to the state Capitol Sunday to choose their leader. “Kim and I have been friends for 20 years,” Har- push down the pressure on property taxes,” Harmon said. Soon after the Senate Democrats met at 11 mon said. “We’ve worked together on difficult isAs Senate president Harmon will preside over the Sena.m. Sunday they held a secret ballot vote. The sues. Notwithstanding anything anyone said, we ate, make committee assignments, manage the schedule of result was 22 votes for Harmon and 17 votes for never had a cross word with each other during the Senate and manage the Senate Democratic staff. He will Lightford. From then on it seemed that Harmon the campaign. We stayed in touch and we got to- have a large say in what becomes law and will work with had the upper hand but it took hours more of gether to talk and to compare notes and it was al- powerful House speaker Mike Madigan and Governor J. B. conversation and deal making for the Senate ways collegial between the two of us. So, I’m look- Pritzker to determine state policy. Despite the larger responDemocrats to work out a leadership team and for ing forward to her continuing on in this service sibilities of his new role as Senate president Harmon said KIMBERLY LIGHTFORD Lightford supporters to be comfortable, if not as majority leader looking for more opportunities that he would not lose touch with his constituents in Oak Senator, 4th District happy, with the result. for us to continue to work together on big issues. Park and the rest of his district which includes the West “We built a coalition ticket reflecting the diShe’s an immensely talented person. I’m glad that Side and runs from Oak Park northwest to Addison. versity of our caucus,” Harmon said. “We worked through “The first rule of politics is don’t lose touch with the peosome of those rough edges and I’m very pleased that every- she agreed to stick around with this enormous job.” Harmon and Lightford are very similar ideologically, both ple who sent you to Springfield,” Harmon said. “I have no body came together in the end and that everybody will have being strong liberals. The Senate president race came down intention of diminishing my involvement in Oak Park and a voice and a role in the Senate.” in all of my district. It’s going to be more difficult to juggle, Once on the Senate floor it was a display of unity as Light- to who senators thought would make the best leader. While Lightford had the early support of some big names but I’ve been juggling for 17 years and I’m ready for the chalford nominated Harmon for Senate president and the two hugged. Lightford said that Harmon would do a wonderful in the Senate such as Heather Steans of Chicago and down- lenge.”

Friends and colleagues

“Notwithstanding anything anyone said, we never had a cross word with each other during the campaign.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Fitness

www.TENandFiT.com

Racquetball

It Is, Resolution Time!

Beginner Non-Member Tennis Classes Available

301 Lake St., Oak Park (708) 386-2175

266 Lake Street, Oak Park (708) 524-YOGA

Investing in Our Community and Residents for 36 Years New Tennis Classes Starting NOW • Register Online Today or Call! Pickle ball

Tennis

Group Exercise

Yoga

Pilates

Spinning®

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

NEW MOMS

Brighter futures from page 1 tending professional skills workshops. The moms get paid for both. New Moms is based in Oak Park and in Austin while the production facility is located in Garfield Park. “The moms are here on the production floor Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” Ashenhurst said. “They have a half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the afternoon where they’re working on professional skills, not specifically on-the-job skills.” Mondays and Fridays, production assistants receive more professional development training, such as peer coaching and participating in mock job interviews. “Part of why our schedule works the way it does is it allows our moms to be here and get the job skills they need without having to sacrifice being able to be an active parent,” she said. On the production floor, the moms carefully pour soy wax, mix scents, attach labels, conduct quality checks and pack and ship candles out. “We have to be able to fulfill the volume of orders that any small business would need to fulfill, but in a really concentrated timeline, basically three short shifts a week,” AshenALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer hurst said. In addition to being sold at midwestern Whole Foods loca- WORKING MOM: Team lead Terrah’ Davis, inspects the candles at Bright Endeavors in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighbortions, the candles are also sold in a variety of independent hood. local retailers, gift shops and fair-trade boutiques. They can also be purchased on the Bright Endeavors website. CB2 also room workshops and on-the-job training, works too. The job an 8-month-old daughter. sells Bright Endeavors candles under its private label brand. retention rate of young mothers who have completed the Like Davis, Miller is about one week away from the end Production assistants are split into teams and handle a program is 85 percent. of her Bright Endeavors tenure. After she finishes the prosector of the candle making operation. Those further along Terrah’ Davis, team lead of the finishing department, has gram, she’s going to get her GED and then start college at in the program may receive the honorary position of becom- one week left with Bright Endeavors but already has a job Malcom X to become an ultrasound technician. ing a team lead. Team leads wear red aprons, while regular lined up. Upon completion, she will begin her job working as “It’s bittersweet, but, at the same time, it’s not because they production assistants wear black. stick with us two years after the program to make sure that a guest services representative at the United Center. “They have earned that title based on their performance She’s excited to start her new career path but is sad to we’re still on the right path,” Miller said. “It’s bittersweet but it’s and knowledge of the department they’re in, but also they leave. not completely the end for our relationships with each other.” showed up and showed out and took this training experience Natarah Grisby, team lead of wax pouring, agrees that it “It’s been great. Being a production assistant to a team to another level,” said Cathy Robinson-Yates, Bright lead, it’s been awesome. Working on these can- will be bittersweet to say farewell, especially because she Endeavors production and training specialist. dles, it’s bettered me as a person and as a young loves the women with whom she works. Team leads make sure their teams run smooth“If this were a permanent job, I would stay here,” Grisby mom,” Davis said. ly and carry out their duties well. Davis found out about the program toward said. “I hate that it’s only 16 weeks because you come into “Everybody has a beautiful time,” Robinsonthe end of her pregnancy while she was at the program and you get to love working here.” Yates said. “We’re more like a sisterhood here. It’s She grew to love making candles and hopes to start her Rush Oak Park. Her doula, who works at New really hard to get the moms to move on, but you own small candle making business using what she learned Moms in Oak Park, recommended she apply. know the training wheels must come off.” She has dreams of becoming a mortician and at Bright Endeavors, after going back to finish college. The primary goal of Bright Endeavors is to “Candle making – you’d think that was boring. Honestly, I once her 5-month-old baby turns one, Davis have each production assistant find employment love it,” Grisby said. “Candles lighten up your spirit. They plans on going back to school. upon completing the program. When a production She had yet to tell Robinson-Yates she had make you feel at home.” NATARAH GRISBY assistant finds a job, she rings the bell on the wall She hopes the candles bring something special to the peogotten the United Center job and ring the bell. of the manufacturing facility. “Oh my god! Are you serious?” Robinson- ple who buy them. “It is so fun. You can be doing whatever and you “I don’t know the people buying the candles, but I know Yates said, giving Davis a hug. hear that bell, you just have to stop. Someone got a Making sure she was set up for a good start to I made them, and I made them with warmth and love,” she job; it’s so exciting,” Robinson-Yates said. her new career, Robinson-Yates immediately launched into said. “I feel like, when they light it, they’re receiving my After ringing the bell, the mom writes her name on the questions about Davis’s start date. warmth and love.” wall, along with the name of her employer, the date she got Grisby said it’s hard to work and have an infant son at “Let’s verify with your employment coach. Let’s verify her job and a meaningful quote. that this is a good fit for you. I’m so proud of you,” Robinson- home, but she does it for him and his future. “They’re kind of leaving their legacy, but also giving the Yates said. “Congratulations! I can’t wait for you to ring the “I miss him,” she said. “This is all for him. To make sure he other moms some inspiration,” Robinson-Yates said. goes to college. I have to be successful so he can be successful.” bell. Good job!” Due to the brevity of the program, New Moms and Bright Shipping team lead Ricarda Miller found out about the She hopes other young mothers in difficult situations find Endeavors relies on a training tool called executive skills. program online “I took a leap of faith and just called and New Moms. Each cohort and New Moms staffer take a survey that they ended up calling me back with a date for an interview,” “If there are any young mothers who are in shelters, are identifies the skills that come naturally to them and those she said. homeless, who can’t find a job, who need any type of help – that don’t. The knowledge is made public, so that everyone Miller would definitely recommend New Moms to young reach out to New Moms,” Grisby said. “Whatever you need, knows how to interact better with each other. mothers in need of support, saying “They give us a lot of I guarantee they can help you with it.” “It’s nonjudgmental coaching,” said Robinson-Yates. “It support and they really try to assure us that you can be a Grisby also encourages those moms to apply for Bright helps us to best understand them. It helps them to best un- mom, you can work, you can still go to school.” Endeavors. derstand us.” Bright Endeavors staff helped Miller believe in herself. “I promise you, you’ll love it,” she said. “All of the things And it also helps everyone best understand themselves. “They basically helped me see things in myself that I they teach you here and what you learn here, will help you The executive skills coaching, combined with the class- didn’t even see,” she said. Miller has a four-year-old son and for a career, not just a job.”

“Candles lighten up your spirit. They make you feel at home.”

January 22, 2020

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

Education Education Enrichment Enrichment

Winter 2020

and

guide

guide local schools | afterschool | tutoring programs

local schools | afterschool | tutoring programs

Special Advertising Section

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

Special Advertising Section

5LYHU )RUHVW &RPPXQLW\ &HQWHU (DUO\ &KLOGKRRG /HDUQLQJ &HQWHU Half-Day & Full-Day: Preschool & Pre-K

January 22, 2020

Join the fun in the Early Childhood Program at the River Forest Community Center!

Before and After School Care Summer Camps Parent and Tot Programs Full-Day Infant—Preschool Programs at our OPRF HS location 8020 Madison Street River Forest , IL 60305 (708) 771-6159 www.rfcc.info

he River Forest Community Center provides an age-appropriate curriculum designed to encourage positive group interaction as well as foster individual growth. Our teachers thrive on creating a safe and fun learning environment through play in which children are encouraged to explore and develop their cognitive, language, socialintellectual and motor skills. Our mission is to provide a hands-on approach to learning which allows the children to explore their environment while enhancing their social, emotional, cognitive and motor development. Classes start as young as 15 months of age. The Early Childhood Programs include: • Munchkins • Playschool • Preschool (Half-Day & Full-Day) • Pre-Kindergarten (Half-Day & Full-Day) • Before & After School Programs The River Forest Community Center is located at 8020 Madison Street in River Forest. For more information about the Early Childhood Programs, call 708-771-6159.

Bring in this ad to receive $10.00 off your initial registration fee! wj20 PreK-12TH GRADE

SAT, ACT & ISEE TEST PREP

HOMEWORK HELP

SUMMER PROGRAMS

ENRICHMENT

Mathnasium Makes Math Fun!

Changing Lives Through Math FREE TRIAL SESSION

Call today to schedule a free session for your child.

Mathnasium of Oak Park/River Forest 1101 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 oakparkriverforest@mathnasium.com

www.mathnasium.com/ oakparkriverforest

708.613.4007

to inspire students’ interest in math, help athnasium of Oak Park/River Forest, the area’s math-only learning center, is them understand and master math concepts, promote STEM literacy, and empower families dedicated to changing children’s lives through math. One of the latest ways they have to support their children’s success in math. “We’re pleased,” Frank continues, “to bring been demonstrating that mission is through Mathnasium’s 40+ community Math years of hands-on Nights. instruction and This fall research to the Mathnasium students at Holmes to OPRF hosted hopefully set the stage its first Math for a love of math, true Night at Holmes understanding, and Elementary lasting mastery.” School in Oak Math Night at Park. With plenty Holmes School was of smiles and organized as part laughter, students of the Mathnasium and their parents company’s founding gathered for partnership in National an evening of PTA’s STEM + Families math games initiative. If you’d like and activities. The team from Mathnasium OPRF at Math Night to bring a Math Night “Math Nights to your school, contact engage the Jana Frank at 708-613-4007. whole family in hands-on learning experiences and fun games,” says Jana Frank, Owner of Mathnasium OPRF is located at 1101 Chicago Mathnasium OPRF. “It’s our mission to provide Ave, in Oak Park. Learn more at mathnasium. children of all skill levels with the strong math com/oakparkriverforest or call 708-613-4007 to foundation they need.” Math Night is designed schedule a FREE TRIAL SESSION.

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

January 22, 2020

Advertise in the

2020

Publish Date:

February

Ad Deadline: Feb. 5th

Buy a 1/8 page ad or larger and get a FREE 100 word listing!

Special Advertising Section

Are you excited about your Summer Camp program? This is the time to tell everyone about it!

Get your message out to thousands of households in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge audience of parents and kids all looking for fun things to do this summer!

To advertise, call 708-524-8300

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

Special Advertising Section

Interested in District 90 Kindergarten?

Attend a 2020-21 Kindergarten Information Night Thursday, February 6, 2020 6:30 p.m. Welcome and Registration 7:00 p.m. Presentation Lincoln School Auditorium 511 Park Ave. River Forest

Willard School Auditorium 1250 Ashland Ave. River Forest (River Forest families residing North of Chicago Avenue should attend the program at Willard, and River Forest families living South of Chicago Ave should attend the program at Lincoln) For more information contact: Casey Godfrey, Lincoln School, Principal • godfreyc@district90.org Diane Wood, Willard School, Principal • woodd@district90.org Christine Gerges, Assistant Principal • gergesc@district90.org

January 22, 2020

Strategic Planning in River Forest District 90: Ambitions and Aspirations

istrict 90 has once again embarked upon the process of creating a new strategic plan, an important event that is conducted in our school community every five years. Designed to guide the District’s strategic direction, the 2020-25 Strategic Plan relies on the work of more than 40 community stakeholders. This group of dedicated individuals includes parents, faculty, staff, administrators, Board of Education members, community members, and former students. The Consortium for Educational Change, a nonprofit organization committed to improving student learning and achievement, is lending the expertise to facilitate the process. In addition to determining District goals for the next five years, the final version of the strategic plan will refine District 90’s comprehensive vision and mission. The plan will also be flexibly designed to accommodate unanticipated opportunities that may soon appear but are not yet visible. At the writing of this article, the Strategic Planning Team has already met three times as part of the planning process. In order to garner a greater understanding of the District’s current state, a full day was devoted to sharing data about

student growth and achievement; finance, facilities, and technology; and the learning and work environments in our schools. Based on that information, the Planning Team drafted an analysis of the District’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (also known as a SWOT analysis). This SWOT analysis was then presented to community residents for their feedback. The Planning Team recently completed the initial “visioning component” of the process. During the visioning stage, questions abound: How do we envision moving District 90 from an excellent school district to a truly extraordinary one? What do we want for every student entering our classrooms? How can the District incorporate as many perspectives and viewpoints as possible in this strategic planning process? These questions and others embody the aspirations and ambitions of this critical work. A draft of the 2020-25 Strategic Plan will be completed and presented to the District 90 DISCOUNTED Board of Education by April 2020. With the Board of EducationAPPLICATION approval, the District intends to launch the newFEES plan this fall. Please stay tuned!

The St. Luke School Difference

t. Luke School has been providing families an excellent, Catholic education since 1921. We are proud of our almost 100 year legacy and look forward to educating children for generations to come.

Open House Sunday, January 26, 10 am – noon

Registration now open for all programs, including half and full day preschool and full day kindergarten through 8th grade.

St. Luke School

Catholic Schools Week

519 Ashland Avenue, River Forest 708-366-8587 www.school-stlukeparish.org facebook.com/slpsbearcats

DISCOUNTED APPLICATION FEES

At St. Luke, each child is encouraged to learn at their own pace led by teachers who are highly experienced and credentialed. We provide a rigorous curriculum that challenges our students to reach new heights in both their creative thinking and academic skills. These high expectations in the classroom lead to matriculation to top high schools where our graduates excel. More than 60% of our recent graduates were placed in high school honors and AP courses. Our graduates leave as young, independent leaders filled with academic confidence, spirituality, and a sense of service. Complementing our exceptional education, St. Luke offers: • Early Childhood Program options including half and full day preschool options for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as full day kindergarten, all of which focus on play-based learning • Classroom community building program that integrates academic and social emotional skills and creates an environment where students do their best learning

• Nurturing environment where kindness is promoted • A no-cut sports program for students in grades 4-8 promoting athletic participation, personal growth, teamwork, and leadership • An affordable extended day program before and after school • Wide variety of extracurricular activities including our award-winning Speech Team, Art Club, and a variety of musical programs. We focus on the values of faith, hope, love, and community. Teachers talk openly about these values and give children a daily opportunity to learn, share, and understand the consequences of good behaviors and poor choices. Service projects allow our students to understand the meaning of community life, interdependence, commitment, and service for others while being challenged to think critically for reallife problem solving. There are many alternatives to Catholic school, but St. Luke School’s exceptional education and nurturing environment make it an unparalleled choice. We invite you to come and experience the St. Luke difference. Visit www.school-stlukeparish.org to learn more.

January 22, 2020

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

The following Catholic Elementary Schools are opening their doors to parents from Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities during

National Catholic Schools Week

Special Advertising Section

BASEBALL & SOFTBALL ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN THROUGH FEBRUARY 22!

January 26–February 1, 2020

For parents seeking a value-based education and academic excellence for their grade school children, the following open house events are the perfect opportunity to learn more about the many advantages of sending your children to Catholic School. Parents can tour buildings, get familiar with individual curriculums and other program enhancements including: computer training, foreign language programs, athletics, band, summer enrichment classes, and affordable preschool and after-school day care. Most of all, hear from administrators, faculty and students about what a difference the Catholic environment can make in the positive development of your child.

ASCENSION SCHOOL

Love, Kindness, Respect 601 Van Buren St. • Oak Park, IL 60304 708-386-7282 • Ascensionoakpark.com/school Principal: Maryanne Polega • Pastor: Fr. James Hurlbert • PK3 through Grade 8 • Full and half day preschool classes • Comprehensive Extended Day Program from 7 AM to 6 PM • Innovative STEM offerings • Extensive programs for Fine Arts, Athletics and extracurriculars • National Blue Ribbon School Open House: Sunday, January 26, 2020, 10 a.m. – Noon Call for a private tour: 708-434-1558

ST. LUKE SCHOOL

Excellence – Faith - Service 519 Ashland Ave. • River Forest, IL 60305 • (708) 366-8587 • www. school-stlukeparish.org • Half and full day preschool options for 3- and 4-year-olds with full day kindergarten through 8th grade • Rigorous curriculum challenges students to reach new heights • More than 60% of our recent graduates were placed in high school honors and Advanced Placement courses • No cut sports program for students in grades 4 - 8 • Highly experienced and credentialed teachers • Affordable before and after school program • Resource center to support student learning needs • Fine Arts Program includes music, art and Spanish • Nurturing environment which promotes kindness • Focus on spiritual development • Emphasis on giving of self encourages a dedication to service to others Open House: Sunday, January 26, 2020, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Discounted application fees during Catholic Schools Week Can’t make the open house? Please call the school office to schedule a tour at your convenience.

T-BALL LEAGUES

PITCH LEAGUES

AGES 6-8

AGES 9-14

opybs.org

House Hunting? Find a Realtor. Find a home. Get a list of Open Houses.

Every week, every day in

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

Special Advertising Section

Grace Lutheran School

7300 Division Street River Forest 708-366-6900

Faith Academics Character Early Childhood age 3 to 5 All-day kindergarten Half-day or full-day preschool We learn about God’s love!

Elementary grades 1–8

Caring, experienced teachers Challenging curriculum Support for individual learning needs Music, art, and sports teams Before and after-school care available

First Look Fridays Drop by for a tour!

Feb. 21, March 20, 8:30–10:30 am

Open House Sunday, January 26, 1–2:30 pm

January 22, 2020

Preschool through 8th grade students succeed at Grace Lutheran

race Lutheran School, at the corner of Division and Bonnie Brae in River Forest, offers a nurturing and faith-filled environment for students from preschool through 8th grade. Early childhood programs. Preschool and junior kindergarten classrooms at Grace provide flexible morning and afternoon options for families with young children. Three-year-old preschoolers attend morning classes two, three, or five days a week. Four-year-olds attend junior kindergarten every morning, Monday through Friday. An afternoon program is available 1-5 days per week for both 3- and 4-year-olds. All-day kindergarten. Senior kindergarten, for children age 5, is a full-day program at Grace, focused on academics and social and emotional development.

Grades 1–8. Grace’s elementary-age students consistently perform above national averages on standardized tests and go on to succeed at competitive high schools in the city and suburbs. A strong core curriculum challenges children academically while high expectations and appropriate supports help students achieve their best. The faculty includes a full-time resource teacher.

Students of all ages learn about God’s word every day and are encouraged to live out their faith through service as well as in prayer and worship. Students in all grades participate in art, music and German classes. Band and orchestra lessons and ensembles are also available. After-school enrichment classes offer a variety of fun and creative learning experiences. Grace sports teams are open to all and include basketball, volleyball for grades 5–8. Track and cross country teams are open to students in grades 3–8. Extended care is available until 6 p.m. for children age four and up. Before-school care opens at 7 a.m. “We love our daughter’s school!” says the mother of a Grace student. “I can’t think of any other place we’d rather have our girl being lovingly taught about the world God created and the people we share it with.” Come to the Open House on Sunday, January

DISCOUNTED

26, 1–2:30 p.m. Or visit on a First Look Friday, APPLICATION 8:30–10 a.m. on February 21 or March 20. To more information or to schedule FEES a visit at another time, call the school office (708-3666900) or click on School at GraceRiverForest. org.

www.GraceRiverForest.org

Open House - Sunday, January 26th - 10am to Noon Questions? advancement@ascensionoakpark.com

Compassionate, Comprehensive, Innovative, Exceptional

or generations, parents have chosen Ascension School for their children’s education because of our reputation for excellence. Today, we stand as a vibrant community, proud of our history and ready to serve the needs of each child who joins us.

Ascension School

The Distinction of Excellence From our youngest learners in preschool, to our eighth graders preparing for high school, we strive to recognize the individual gifts of each student, and celebrate the rich diversity of our unique community. The result is an exceptional learning experience in a nurturing environment.

Love

Kindness

Respect

601 Van Buren Street Oak Park, IL 708.386.7282 www.school.ascensionoakpark.com

In addition to an excellent elementary school education, Ascension provides: • A wonderful preschool led by certified teachers with full and half-day classes • An outstanding Extended Day Program before and after school from 7 am to 6 pm • Two classes per grade with a 12:1 student Ascension School offers a faith-based and – teacher ratio comprehensive curriculum for students ages • Athletic teams, starting in grade 3 with a 3 through grade 8. At each level children ‘no cut’ policy to encourage teamwork are prepared and nurtured to ensure their and collaboration success as they continue through their • An emphasis on service and social justice education. Their days are enriched through • Participation at all grade levels in the exposure to the fine arts, physical education, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program music, technology and Spanish language. Students can choose to participate in a variety of clubs, athletic teams and We know that parents have many extracurricular activities to explore their wonderful options when choosing the right individual interests. Our experienced faculty school for their children. When you choose and dedicated parents are committed to Ascension School, be confident that you are providing Ascension students with a unique providing your children with more than an community that fosters our values of Love, academic experience, you are giving them a Kindness and Respect. foundation for a lifetime of success.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Let’s PLAY GUITAR. They don’t call it “Work Guitar”

www.FriendlyMusic.Community for classes (708) 749-1932 6731 Roosevelt, Berwyn

Presents

s t e k ic t d e Limit lable avai

The Ultimate Foodie Party!

Friday, January 31, 2020 5:30-9:30P The Nineteenth Century Club Oak Park

buy your tickets now:

oprfchamber.org/bite-nite

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEN SUN 13

NEW LISTING

500 WILLIAM ST, RIVER FOREST

427 N OAK PARK AVE, OAK PARK

735 AUGUSTA ST, OAK PARK

234 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

7660 WILCOX ST, FOREST PARK

5 br, 5 ba $775,000

4 br, 4 ba $739,000

4 br, 2.1 ba $729,000

5 br, 2.1 ba $649,000

4 br, 3 ba $624,760

Monica Dalton 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Kelly Fondow 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

OPEN SUN 122

OPEN SUN 12:302:30

932 N OAK PARK AVE, OAK PARK

611 N RIDGELAND AVE, OAK PARK

130 S HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK

804 N HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK

300 N MAPLE AVE 16, OAK PARK

4 br, 3.1 ba $549,000

4 br, 1.1 ba $524,895

5 br, 1.1 ba $499,000

5 br, 3 ba $499,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $399,900

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Jennifer Hosty 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Jonathan Reith 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

A new day in Chicago real estate

BHHSChicago.com OPEN SUN 122

OPEN SUN 13

1108 S SCOVILLE AVE, OAK PARK

1105 LYMAN AVE, OAK PARK

1024 PLEASANT ST 6, OAK PARK

1170 S HUMPHREY AVE, OAK PARK

1020 N HARLEM AVE A, RIVER FOREST

4 br, 2.1 ba $399,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $399,000

3 br, 2 ba $392,000

4 br, 2 ba $385,000

3 br, 2 ba $369,000

Susan Abbott 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Victoria Witt 708.848.5550

Robert Hann 708.848.5550

Susan Maienza 708.848.5550

1821 N NEW ENGLAND, CHICAGO

1110 HAYES AVE, OAK PARK

911 MARENGO AVE, FOREST PARK

200 HOME AVE 2C, OAK PARK

820 WASHINGTON BLVD 3, OAK PARK

3 br, 1 ba $359,000

3 br, 1.1 ba $227,000

2 br, 2 ba $198,000

2 br, 1.1 ba $179,900

1 br, 1 ba $132,498

Jeanette Madock 708.848.5550

Beth Franken 708.848.5550

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

OPEN SUN 13

BHHSChicago.com

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

Homes

NEED TO REACH US?

oakpark.com/real-estate email: buphues@wjinc.com

COURTESY OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST. Photo by James Caulfield

ONE AND ONLY: H. Mahler’s only Prarie-style design, the Bell House will be on the Wright Plus housewalk for the first time.

Wright Plus 2020 is River Forest forward

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

hen Wright Plus returns on May 16, the historic housewalk will have a River Forest focus, and walk participants will gain access to eight private residences and two landmarked buildings designed by Wright and his peers. As usual, the all-day architectural event will provide unparalleled access to private homes in River Forest and Oak Park. Also, as usual, ticket holders will gain access to other Wright tourist sites in Oak Park and Chicago with their tickets. Not so as usual, this year’s walk features a majority of homes in River Forest, including two new-to-Wright Plus homes open for the first time to Wright Plus visitors. Wright Plus Coordinator Angela Whitaker welcomes the

opportunity and the challenge that comes with planning the homes for each year’s Wright Plus and says this year will be a fun walk for participants. “What is unique this year is that we are so heavily focused in River Forest. It’s a really good opportunity to shed some light on that village after being more Oak Park-focused in previous years. We’re really excited about River Forest being out in front. It gives us the opportunity to highlight some new houses.” One of those houses is the F. H. Bell House, designed in 1913 by H. Mahler. Mahler’s only Prairie-style design, it was commissioned as a wedding present from father to daughter. Whitaker says of the home, “The Bell House is outstanding. The fact that we’re able to share it is great. It fits into the time period of all the houses: the first 20 years of the century.” The other new home on the walk is the John A. Klesert

House, designed in 1915 by William Drummond. Whitaker says this Prairie design is “a great example of a really sweet, livable family house.” Back on the walk after 20 years, the J. Kibben Ingalls House is a Wright design last open on Wright Plus in 1999. Whitaker says that with new homeowners, the house offers a fresh perspective on living in a Wright-designed home. As Wright Plus enters its 47th year, Whitaker says homes that have been featured in the past are often quite different when they are purchased and decorated by new owners, creating an entirely new experience for those visitors who attend Wright Plus every year. She points out that Wright’s Oscar B. Balch house in Oak Park, also back on the walk this year, has new owners as well. “For sure, people are going See WRIGHT PLUS on page 28

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest DonnaAvenue Barnhisel 7375 West North Dan Bogojevich MANAGING Anne Brennan River Forest, Illinois 60305 BROKER/OWNERS Karen Byrne Calkins 708.771.8040 Kevin Tom Carraher Andy Gagliardo Pat Cesario Joe Cibula

Tom Poulos

Don Citrano Alisa Coghill Kay Costello Maria Cullerton Julie Downey Kurt Fielder Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox

Laura Gancer Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Jack Lattner

Jane Maxwell Iris McCormick Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney Colleen Navigato John Pappas Rosa Pitassi Sue Ponzio-Pappas

Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

174 N RIDGELAND • OAK PARK

1427 THATCHER • RIVER FOREST

1020 BELLEFORTE • OAK PARK

221 KEYSTONE • RIVER FOREST

LOVELY TRADITIONAL HOME, found in walkable OP location, offers wonderful space for family and entertaining. Original details blend seamlessly with the updated 3 story addition. Offers 5 bedrooms, 4-1/2 baths, newer kitchen, abundant storage, family room, wine cellar........................................................ $1,065,000

LOVELY SLPITLEVEL HOME offers newly refreshed contemporary style and wonderful space. Home offers three bedrooms, three brand new bathrooms, beautiful front entryway, vaulted ceiling family room, sun room, game room, deck, spectacular backyard, attached two car garage. ................................ $659,000

STUNNING RENOVATION with exquisite modern finishes. Solid brick home features new hardwood floors throughout, recessed lighting, wood burning fireplace, family room, 3 generously sized BRs. Spacious finished LL. Central air, and 3-car garage. Just Move in and Enjoy! ....................................................................... $629,500

BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC HOME offers everything for today’s modern living. Custom-built home has the highest quality finishes. No detail was missed. Brick and stone exterior, wrap around porch, eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows. LL has 2,000 feet of living area. ....................................................................... $1,525,000

909 BONNIE BRAE • RIVER FOREST

638 N ELMWOOD • OAK PARK

1423 LATHROP • RIVER FOREST

745 S TAYLOR • OAK PARK

UNIQUE QUALITY BURMA BUILT HOME with 5 bedrooms and 3 full, 2 half baths. House has many wonderful features; 2 separate office areas, hardwood floors, kitchen with all newer appliances, adjoining eating area-family room. Finished basement. Three car garage ................................................................................. $795,000

BEAUTIFUL HOME found in OP Historic District. Offers three large bedrooms, all with hardwood floors, two and a half bathrooms, new kitchen with butler pantry, full finished basement, over-sized backyard, brick paver patio, dog run, two car garage and two outdoor parking spaces. ......................................$569,000

HANDSOME TUDOR with classic original archway details beautifully blend w/ tasteful updated bathrooms and kitchen. Spacious formal living room with wood-burning fireplace. Lovely dining room with built-in corner cabinets. OUTSTANDING BACKYARD. Finished basement ............................................................. $735,000

CLASSIC OAK PARK HOME on a large corner lot in the Harrison Arts district. This four BR, three BA home boasts four levels of living space. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, vintage leaded glass windows, updated kitchen with breakfast bar. Finished 3rd floor, newly finished basement. .................................................$549,000

RIVER FOREST HOMES

NEWLY UPDATED HOME on large lot in a great location of River Forest. Brand new eat-in kitchen. Four spacious BRs, two and half baths of which upstairs have radiant heated floors. Completely painted, refinished floors, newer windows. New staircase leading to the basement. ................................................................$699,000 VINTAGE CHARMER on tree lined cobblestone street. Warm, inviting home with lots of potential! Living room is centered with a cozy fireplace, separate dining room, bright kitchen and spacious family room. 2nd floor has 3 BRs and 1 full BA. Large deck overlooking backyard. ........................................................$425,000

P RIC E RED UCED!

BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. .................................................................... $1,975,000 GORGEOUS RESTORATION of stately RF home offers 3BRs, 4 full baths, recently updated kitchen/dining, art glass windows, French doors, hardwood floors, sun room and large family room. Fab finished basement. Private, beautifully landscaped, newly fenced yard with in ground pool. ...................................$1,200,000 BEAUTIFUL BRICK & STONE CLASSIC HOUSE with a unique front wrap-around porch sits on a private park-like lot. Features 4 BRs, 2 full/2 half baths, natural wood, art glass windows, open kitchen with breakfast room, family room, mudroom, finished basement. Nothing will disappoint! .............................. $1,150,000

OAK PARK HOMES UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home!............................................................$1,450,000 CENTER OF TOWN VICTORIAN with high ceilings, four spacious levels of living in beautiful Oak Park. This 5 BR, 3-12 BA home offers a formal entry, wood burning FP, sun room, family room, eat-in kitchen. Great flow, tons of natural light & storage throughout this beauty! ................................................................... $519,000

Get Ready for the Spring Market!

Contact a Gagliardo Realty Associates Agent for a free market analysis

REHABBERS AND PROJECT LOVERS! Classic Oak Park American Square located in south Oak Park ready for major renovation. Some newer windows, some copper plumbing. Easy to show, easy to finish. Get the new year started with a fairly straight forward fix n flip. “As-is” ................................................................... $199,900

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS

RIVER FOREST 3BR, 2-1/2 BA. Two heated gar spaces.$479,000 RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. Updated and move-in ready.$169,000 OAK PARK Two Flat ..........................................................$669,000 OAK PARK Two Flat ..........................................................$530,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2-1/2 BA. Three levels of space! ...........$489,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full / 2 half BA. East facing balcony. .$429,900 OAK PARK 2BR, 2-1/2BA. Stunning, bright tri-level. .....$330,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA.........................................................$299,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2-1/2BA. 3 floors of living! ...................$259,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Bright corner unit. ........................$136,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Cared for building. ..........................$99,000

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

1000 ASHLAND AVENUE, RIVER FOREST

1000ASHLAND.INFO

210 HOME AVENUE, OAK PARK

210HOME.INFO

A true retreat in the heart of River Forest. Exquisite, yet warm and inviting

Location, Location, Location! Live 3 blocks from the El and Metra, door to

brick colonial.

downtown Chicago in less than 20 minutes!

$1,095,000

LAFIDO/MOHAMMED

mikelafido@atproperties.com

$2,150,000

JENNIFER VANDE LUNE • 312.593.8707 • jennifervandelune@atproperties.com

•

630.674.3488

•

1011 SOUTH BOULEVARD

608 S SCOVILLE AVENUE, OAK PARK

608SCOVILLE.INFO

114 ASHLAND AVENUE, RIVER FOREST

114ASHLAND.INFO

Updated, large victorian home offering 4 bedrooms/ 3 1/2 bathrooms over

Curb appeal alert! Darling and expansive 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath bungalow

3,000 square feet of living space.

on a very generous, fenced in lot.

SOHAIL SALAHUDDIN

•

$613,300

312.437.7799

•

sohail@atproperties.com

GREER HASEMAN

•

$549,000

708.848.0200

•

greer.gps@atproperties.com

Stop looking, start finding® atproperties.com

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

WRIGHT PLUS River Forest focus from page 25 to see different things if they have visited these houses in the past,” she says. Also on this year’s walk, Purcell and Elmslie’s Henry Einfeldt House, which has not been on Wright Plus since 1982, the Seth A. Rhodes House, which features Philippine mahogany and diamond-paned glass windows, and the Edward Probst House. Whitaker says the Probst House “is just a showcase. Everything is museum quality. It’s a jewel.”

Special events

With just under four months to go until the walk, tickets to the walk and all special events are readily available but are expected to sell out quickly. One hot item? The limited number of fast passes, which allow walk participants to skip the line the day of the walk. Fast passes cost $500. The Ultimate Plus Package includes an entire weekend of events centered around Wright Plus. For $2,650, you receive access to an exclusive Wright-Night at the Rookery Building, tickets to the day excursion, Wright in the Region, a Wright dinner, accommodations at Oak Park’s Carleton Hotel, fast pass tickets to Wright Plus and transportation. Limited tickets are also available to Wright in the Region, a one day tour on Monday, May 18 to explore Wright’s answer to affordable yet aesthetic housing in Milwaukee with a tour of the fully restored Model B1 House and the privately-owned Frederick Bogk House, as well as a tour of the landmark SC Johnson Administration Building and neighboring Research Tower in Racine.

More for your money

Tickets are on sale now at www.flwright. org/wrightplus, and cost $90 for the general public and $80 for Frank Lloyd Wright Trust members through Jan. 31. After that, prices increase each month under the tiered pricing system. Whitaker says tickets may seem pricey but are quite a bargain when all the inclusions are examined. “When you break it down, you realize that you get to see the Home & Studio, Robie House, the Rookery, and Unity Temple with your ticket. These four tours can happen any time, not just the day of the walk. It really is a value when you think about the cost per tour of these four buildings, plus you get the added value of access to private homes.” Trust members receive several perks over the walk weekend. Whitaker says members can check in early, picking up their ticket packets on Friday, May 15 enabling them to get to the homes early on Saturday. Members also receive discounted tickets, an extra 20 percent discount at the museum shops all weekend and access to a members-only oasis the day of the walk.

COURTESY OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST. Photo by James Caulfield

OLD AND NEW: The Klesert House (top) is new to the Wright Plus while the J. Kibben Ingalls House returns to the walk for the first time since 1999.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Sunday, January 26, 2020 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1102 Circle Ave, Forest Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $199,800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1046 N. Austin Blvd, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$285,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

1100 N. Humphrey Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $319,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1108 S. Scoville Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1105 Lyman Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 908 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $450,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 804 N. Harvey Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $499,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 611 N. Ridgeland Ave., Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$524,895 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2:30 1130 Paulina St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$534,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 547 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$539,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 949 Linden Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $560,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 638 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$569,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 735 Augusta St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$729,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 1201 N. Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$925,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4:40 1506 Forest Ave Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$949,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:15-1:15 630 N. East Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,099,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1331 N. Harlem Ave. UNIT 2F, Oak Park . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$99,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

CONDOS

530 Washington Blvd. UNIT 1E, Oak Park . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1:30-3 1020 N. Harlem Ave., Forest Park . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$369,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 235 S. Marion St. UNIT K, Oak Park . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $449,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat. 12:30-2 110 S. Marion St. UNIT 402, Oak Park. . . . . @properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 110 S. Marion St. UNIT 403, OAK PARK . . . @properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$525,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2

TOWNHOMES

17 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$529,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2:30

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

Need a new dress code at work?

Find a new job in our great classified section!

TIME

105 S. Euclid Ave. UNIT B, Oak Park. . . . . . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $410,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-1 186 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$599,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2

This Directory brought to you by mrgloans.com

Providing financing for homes in Oak Park and surrounding communities since 1989. Conventional, FHA, and Jumbo mortgages Free Pre-approvals

7544 W. North Avenue Elmwood Park, IL 708.452.5151

Mortgage Resource Group is an Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee. NMLS # 207793 License # 1031

Classified. In print. Online. oakpark.com/Classified

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

189 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 386-1400

HomesInTheVillage.com

Featured Listings for This Week Oak Park $579,900 5BR, 3.2BA Marion x111

Oak Park $517,000 Multi unit Laurie x186

River Forest $485,000 Multi unit Mike x120

Forest Park $360,000 3BR, 1.1BA Patti x124

Oak Park $359,000 3BR, 2.1BA Harry x116

Oak Park $275,000 3BR, 2.1BA Elissa x192

Oak Park $175,000 3BR, 1BA Joe x117

Oak Park $99,000 1BR, 1BA Jane x118

Oak Park $79,800 Studio, 1BA Laurie x186

Properties of The Week

Open Sun 11-1 pm

105 S Euclid Ave, Unit B Oak Park $410,000 3BR, 2.2BA Jane x118

Berwyn $327,000 Multi unit Mike x120

908 N Ridgeland Open Sun 1-3 pm Oak Park $450,000 5BR, 3BA Joe x117

Open Sun 1:30-3 pm 530 Washington Blvd 1E

Oak Park 2BR, 1BA Jane x118

Erika Villegas,

Joe Castillo,

Managing Broker/Owner

Joe Langley

Co-Owner

Mike Becker

Jane McClelland

Roz Byrne

Mary Murphy

Tom Byrne

Sharon O’Mara

Laurie Christofano

Elissa Palermo

Kari Chronopoulos

Kyra Pych

Marion Digre

Linda Rooney

1102 Circle Ave Open Sun 12-2 pm Forest Park $199,800 3BR, 1BA Kyra x145

Morgan Digre

Kris Sagan

Ed Goodwin

Patti Sprafka-Wagner

Leticia Cruz

Harry Walsh

VIEWPOINTS

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor, ktrainor@wjinc.com

Happy New Year, Oak Park!

reetings to all my dear friends and acquaintances in Oak Park and River Forest. Like so many of you, I feel the year 2019 slipped by with surprising speed. After recently celebrating Christmas and the arrival of the New Year for the second time in my new home in the Brainerd Lakes area of central Minnesota, it is still hard for me to realize that Oak Park, and the surrounding area, is not just a doorstep away. Although the pace of my life has slowed considerably due to two corrective hip surgeries since September of 2018, I continue to enjoy the zest of life, with three of my children close to me, four grandsons, and nine (soon 10) great-grandchildren, all living within a comfortable drive from my home. Frequent visits from my out-of-town kiddos bring such joy as well. My son Patrick and daughter Sheila are both retired, and have devoted their days to keeping me comfortable and safe in my cozy independent living apartment at the Northern Lakes Senior Living complex. My neighbors are interesting, caring and lovable seniors who stop by often with goodies and conversation. As I approach my 96th birthday in April, I am increasingly aware of my physical limitations. Daily exercises and walks keep me fairly “well oiled,” but as both legs have pins and rods in place, movement is challenging on most days. Sheila and my care assistant Peggy are great motivators — with sweet, but firm, encouragement to “keep going.” I follow all the interesting and exciting news about Oak Park as I receive my weekly copy of Wednesday Journal. National/political news has become exciting, but complicated, to follow. I try to get the gist of events with the help of CNN, MSNBC, Time Mag and daily newspapers. The distance between us has not dimmed my affection for Oak Park as a community and the wonderful people I have been close to over many years. As I unpacked boxes of beloved Christmas decorations early in December, it was like getting hugs from loved ones who had visited my Grove Avenue home during my 60+ years there. My heart has been deeply touched by the cards, letters, phone calls and flowers from Oak Parkers that continue to brighten my life. For those who have kept in touch, I am grateful for your warm embrace across the miles. May the coming year bring blessings to you and your families, and may our shared memories bring us comfort and joy in 2020. I would enjoy very much hearing from you! Love you always,

GINIE CASSIN

Ginie

8182 Excelsior Road #306, Baxter, Minnesota 56425 218-454-0517

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

Pruning is ruining our trees p. 00

Deer River Forest ...

other Nature does not lie. Preserving a thriving forest and ecosystem is wholly different from simply culling a seemingly random number of hosta-chomping deer who stare predictably at the headlights of a 25-mph-traveling minivan. Preserving the forest may mean the uncomfortable admission that we are facing both personal and communal responsibility — work that may force us to roll up our sleeves and dab our wrists with Deet. With a $120 million budget, we may need to ask the Cook County Forest Preserve to do a little better. It seems it needs to conduct or seek out through research with conscientious attempts to understand the forest floor, the impact of furry forest friends, and perhaps most importantly, to better understand and potentially remedy the source of the problems those of us living in communities along the Des Plaines River are facing. As of now, research on deer around River Forest appears anecdotal at best. I see a deer, you see 11 deer, someone on Facebook (where all information is accurate) saw 24 deer or one was impaled on a fence. OK, we get it. There are deer here. But acting without research or authentic advice from those in the field is as muddied as the forest floor itself. At the Jan. 13 village board meeting, it became exceedingly clear that village officials had not been provided with any research from the Cook County Forest Preserve. It is not clear why they had such little information, but it proved to be a pretty frustrating way to make the decision to call in sharpshooters who would bait deer and patiently wait in tree stands hoping for a clear target. All of us — old and new residents alike — have our thoughts and hopefully questions too. Here are mine: I can’t help but notice the correlation between the water levels rising and the deer (and let’s be sure to add the trotting coyote and fox) heading to our hood. I am not sure how folks are missing the headlines — perhaps comforting denial— but the Great Lakes water levels are at an all-time high and are actually predicted to get worse, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in a report this month. As this happens, no one should be surprised to notice wetlands replace dusty earth and that rivers deepen and widen, including our very own Des Plaines River. It’s even harder to miss when it hits home — and actually spills into your home.

Residents clearly notice the evidence of the rising water table beyond beheaded roses. Maybe the dots need to be connected. Is your backyard a puddle or even a pond after a rain when it wasn’t before? How about your basement? Is it getting seepage or flooding when there wasn’t an issue before? We are soaking in a reality of climate change, but we just turn on our sump pumps and call in ServiceMaster. Nature does not lie very well; seems maybe it can’t. Perhaps the deer (and other forest animals) roaming around town are harbingers of a very real environmental crisis now in our back, front and side yards. Maybe our patches of personal earth are just awash in climate truth. While Mother Nature may be good at

truth-telling, humans have a tendency to get trapped and snared by ego, which will do all it can to suppress what is less convenient. Culling the deer without examining the source allows us to put the crisis in the closet (with those other pesky problems that are just too much to deal with). I am clearly not a climate-change expert; just a mere observer, like most everyone else in the cull-the-deer debate. We can sharp-shoot all the deer we want — and we may need to settle on a thoughtful number of tags to help Mother Nature regain her balance — but it is vital to heed the early warnings these animals and waters are presenting to us. Jennifer Moore, lifelong River Forester, was lucky enough to grow up with Thatcher Woods in her backyard.

JENNIFER MOORE One View

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

O U R

V I E W P O I N T S

V I E W S

Harmon and corruption

fter the cheering dies out, and that won’t take long, Oak Park will be left to proclaim that once again the president of the Illinois state Senate is a son of the village. Following the path of Phil Rock, his neighbor and mentor, Sen. Don Harmon won that battle Sunday after a contentious day in Springfield. Harmon won the important post over Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Maywoodian who represents Oak Park south of the Ike. Both good people, smart leaders. Remarkable that the race for what is usually a once-in-a-generation opportunity came down to two very local people. But our bragging rights for Harmon won’t be worth much unless the senator genuinely recognizes and aggressively embraces the need to excise the profound corruption that permeates political life in Illinois. The brand is rotten at the core. The culture of Springfield is a cancer of self-interest and self-dealing. This is the reality of the decades that is only beaten back a bit by perpetual federal investigations, which toss a new generation into the clink. We are in another moment right now with investigations and resignations and, almost certainly indictments and trials. It is a small comfort to know that some of the corrupt pols will pay a price. Forget about pensions overwhelming taxpayers. Forget about the property tax burden funding an inequitable education system. Forget about declining population and the coming census. At root, Illinoisans are ashamed of their political system. Too many out-and-out crooks actively game a greased system. In a press conference after his victory Sunday, Harmon said restoring public trust was one of his two top goals as Senate president. Restoring that trust won’t come from tinkering around the edges of ethics reforms. It must start with a frank admission that the political system our politicians have foisted on us is built for them, not for us. Gov. J.B. Pritzker gets high marks from us, so far at least, for a determined intolerance of corruption, of anything that implies self-dealing. Don Harmon has a limited window and a tremendous opportunity to follow that lead and to call out every single instance of stink. Harmon and Pritzker can team up for what is right. And then we will wait impatiently for Mike Madigan to fall. It is a credit to Senator Harmon that he has risen to a post he has long sought. Now that he has this power, there is no room for allowances, for excuses, for favors or second chances. Root out corruption. All good flows from that start.

Things we like Affordable housing breaks ground: After outlasting and beating back a lawsuit reeking of NIMBYism, Community Builders has broken ground on the affordable apartment project at Oak Park Avenue and Van Buren. This is a flat-out great project that will fill a niche in our diverse housing market as it offers modern apartments to working people — possibly with a preference for people living or working in the village. Close to transit, replacing a corner best known as an abandoned gas station, offering a modern design and amenities, benefitting from a $500,000 grant from the village government’s affordable housing fund, this is a worthy project we can take satisfaction in. Zum, zoom: For a parent of a student with special needs who might require transportation to an off-campus facility, the first stress of the day can be getting a child onto the “short bus,” or into the back of a cab. OPRF is experimenting and now leaning into a new Uber-like service which specializes in safely moving local students to alternate sites. It comes with the promise of thorough driver vetting, specialized driver training, and an app that will allow a parent to follow the progress and safe arrival of their precious child and to monitor the return trip. Added benefit: Early testing suggests the Zum service will actually save District 200 a few dollars — as in $74,000 — in the course of a school year.

Weaving together the ‘I’ and the ‘we’ Civil rights activist and public theologian Ruby Sales first came into the public eye on Aug. 20, 1965, in Lowndes County, Alabama, when a young white seminarian, Jonathan Daniels, took a bullet meant for her. She created a nonprofit, which she still runs, called the SpiritHouse Project, to honor his memory. Krista Tippett interviewed Sales in 2016 for On Being and that interview was rebroadcast last Sunday. The power of her prophetic voice brings clarity and healing to the issues that divide us. Here are some excerpts I thought were timely and applicable to our current national impasse/debate. I should mention that it’s one thing to read Sales’ words. It’s another altogether to hear her say it. She speaks with great authority.

KEN

TRAINOR

Where does it hurt?: A defining moment for me happened when I was getting my locks washed, and my locker’s daughter came in one morning, and she had been hustling all night. She had sores on her body. She was just in a state — drugs. So something said to me, ask her. And I said, “Shelley, where does it hurt?” Just that simple question unleashed territory in her that she had never shared with her mother. She talked about having been incested. She talked about all of the things that had happened to her as a child. She shared the source of her pain. And I realized, listening to her and talking with her, that I needed a larger way to do this work, rather than a Marxist, materialist analysis of the human condition. ‘I’ sight vs. ‘we’ sight: One of the things theologies must have is hindsight, insight, and foresight — that is, complete sight. I think fragmentation really shatters that sight; it’s not “I” sight, it’s “we” sight. … How [do] we develop a theology or theologies in a 21st-century capitalist technocracy where only a few lives matter? How do we raise people up from disposability to essentiality? This goes beyond the question of race. What is it that public theology can say to the white person in Massachusetts who’s heroin-addicted because they feel their lives have no meaning because of the trickle-down impact of whiteness in the world today? What do you say to someone who has been told that their whole essence is whiteness and power and domination, and when that no longer exists, then they feel as if they are dying? That’s why Donald Trump is essential because, although we don’t agree with him, people think he’s speaking to that pain they’re feeling. I don’t hear anyone [else] speaking to the 45-yearold person in Appalachia who is dying at a young age, who feels like they’ve been eradicated because whiteness is so much smaller today than it was yesterday. Where is the theology that redefines for them what it means to be fully human? I don’t hear any of that coming out of anyplace today. There’s a spiritual crisis in white America. It’s a crisis of meaning. We talk a lot about black theologies, but I want a liberating white theology. I want a

theology that speaks to Appalachia. I want a theology that begins to deepen people’s understanding about their capacity to live fully human lives and to touch the goodness inside of them, rather than call upon the part of themselves that’s not relational. Because there’s nothing wrong with being European-American. That’s not the problem. It’s how you actualize that history and that reality. It’s almost like white people don’t believe that other white people are worthy of being redeemed. So as a black person, I want a theology that gives hope and meaning to people who are struggling to have meaning in a world where they no longer are as essential to whiteness as they once were.

Love and anger: Love is not antithetical to being outraged. There are two kinds of anger. There’s redemptive anger, and there’s non-redemptive anger. Redemptive anger is the anger that moves you to transformation and human up-building. Non-redemptive anger is the anger that white supremacy roots itself in. I became involved in the Southern freedom movement not merely because I was angry about injustice, but because I love the idea of justice. It’s where you begin your conversation. Most people begin their conversation with “I hate this” — but they never talk about what they love. We have to begin to have a conversation that incorporates a vision of love with a vision of outrage. I don’t see those things as being over and against each other. You can’t talk about injustice without talking about suffering. But the reason I want to have justice is because I love everybody in my heart. Always, there is a tension between liberation and oppression, between justice and injustice, between love and hate. I will go further and say the kind of resistance movements that came out of black folk religion have saved America from tilting over into the abyss of fascism. It has been the salvation of a country. It has been the balance, to talk about that kind of justice. To talk about that in the heat of empire, to talk about God as a liberating God, has really been an important stopgap to save America from itself. Being human vs. being humans: Tippett: What does it mean to be human? Sales: What it means to be humans. We live in a very diverse world, and to talk about what it means to be humans is to talk with the simultaneous tongue of universality and particularities. As a black person, to talk about what it means is to talk about my experience as an African-American person, but also to talk about my experience that transcends being an African American, to the universal experience. I think we’ve got to stop speaking about humanity as if it’s monolithic. We’ve got to wrap our consciousness around a world where people bring to the world vastly different histories and experiences, but at the same time, a world where we experience grief and love in some of the same ways. So how do we develop theologies that weave together the “I” with the “we” and the “we” with the “I”?

V I E W P O I N T S S H R U B T O W N

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan, Maria Maxham Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Linda Francis Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Mark Moroney, Scot McIntosh Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Bobbie Rollins-Sanchez Revenue & Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Client Engagement Natalie Johnson Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

The Manichaean States of America

anichaeism was a major religion founded by the Iranian prophet Mani in the second century. It thrived between the third and seventh century, but lost out to Islam. Manichaeism taught an elaborate cosmic dualism describing the struggle between a good spiritual world of light and an evil material world of darkness. Today Manichaeism seems to be making a comeback. We divide ourselves into a binary ethos of red/blue, rich/poor, Uzis/ disarmament, black/white, abortion/choice and climate change/hoax. One is tempted to blame President Trump, but this devolving simplistic world view has been going on for a long time. What is weird about it is that everything for the last 500 years makes clear that our world is much more complex and complicated than we ever knew. Life is filled with nuance, ambiguity and uncertainty. The world is not binary. Consider the 2016 presidential election results. In Alabama 729,547 voters cast their ballot for Hillary Clinton. In Mississippi 485,131 citizens voted for her. Conversely, 2,146,015 Illinoisans and 4,483,810 Californians voted for Donald Trump. Yes, that really happened. Manichaeism in Oak Park politics is manifested by what is known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, whereby Trump’s corruption and lunacy is attributed to all Republicans, and therefore reasoned argument is pointless. This is so despite Pew Research Center

polling that 19 percent of conservative Republicans and 43 percent of self-identified moderate and liberal Republicans regard climate change as a major threat. On taxes, 42 percent of all Republicans say some corporations don’t pay their fair share, and 37 percent believe that some of the wealthy should pay more income tax. Democrats poll similar non-monolithic views. So how come we are so divided these days? I say follow the money. Who benefits the most from a Manichaeistic world view? It’s obvious. The two political parties and mass media. Contributions to Republican and Democratic parties have never been higher, and both conservative and liberal TV show ratings are off the charts. There’s gold in dividing us into two camps, convinced that we are engaged in a death struggle between the light and the dark. President Eisenhower warned of a military-industrial complex whereby generals and Defense Department elites shuffled back and forth with weapons manufacturers. Today Republican- and Democrat-elected and -appointed officials shuffle back and forth with mass media pundits and talking heads on media platforms like Fox, CNN and MSNBC. So in our democracy we citizens should stop slavishly supporting our political parties and mindlessly listening to paid, political, talking entertainers lest we remain citizens of our modern Manichea.

JOHN

HUBBUCH

Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action. In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing. Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay. If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

■ 250-word limit

■ 500-word limit

■ Must include first and last names,

■ One-sentence footnote about yourself,

municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)

your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 708 613 3300

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

The corner barbershop

There’s a barbershop on a corner in Forest Park, and it’s for sale. It’s the kind of place that hasn’t been updated in 30 years, if ever. Sinatra and Harry Caray are given their due on the faded walls and there’s always a fresh Trib on the counter. Not everyone there is waiting for a cut; some are just hanging out, passing the time. Shear Style was once populated by Three Old Italians. Between and during the plying of their trade, the Three Old Italians would sometimes use colorful language in their monographs on life, so the place was jocosely dubbed, by some of its patrons, the “blanker-blankers.” Gradually the Three Old Italians became One Old Italian and The Kid. John, the last Italian, calls everybody “young man,” even those who are well past fitting that description. If you were of working age, you’d be referred to as George Clooney. It’s the kind of place where, if you prompt John, he’ll tell you how he emigrated from Italy or talk of the old days on Taylor Street before urban renewal tore asunder a neighborhood. While the hours on the door might be 9-5, if you went on a really nice spring day in mid-afternoon, the kind that happens about twice a year in these parts, John might take off early to go hit a round of nine at Columbus Park. You’d smile, and wait another day to get your cut. Gradually, the actual golfing became just talk of golfing — a flight of imagination — as time took its toll on the mobile arms and legs required for the sport. It’s the kind of place where if you if you realized you didn’t have cash to pay the bill, you could run out to the bank and come back later, no problem. It’s the kind of place that if you were waiting for a cut, you’d willingly go across the street to McDonald’s and get the old man a coffee. Mind you, it was a two-way deal. If you brought your dog in, John would break off a piece of his turkey sandwich to assuage the most hungry of hounds. It’s the kind of place where Frank, The Kid, was a selfproclaimed expert in three things: hair, food, and the mob. He was well-versed in the various family trees of local Outfit figures, and wouldn’t hold back in telling your kids how JFK was really killed by La Cosa Nostra. He would lament that a certain beef joint on North Avenue isn’t as good as it used to be since most of the guys there decamped for Arlington Heights. If you mentioned you were going to a place for lunch that day, he’d cajole you into bringing him back a sandwich or a slice. Eventually, though, Frank looked across the empty middle chair at John the octogenarian and realized he didn’t want to advance into his senescence without a pension. So Frank left. One day he was just gone. And while Frank will be missed, one can’t help but smile, knowing he’s finally thinking beyond the next cut. There’s still a barbershop on a corner in Forest Park. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t have an app. Or a website. And there’s certainly no WiFi. You just go. And if you do, bring John a coffee from the McDonald’s across the street. One cream. And if you bring your dog, be prepared for it to get some human food. But go soon, because it’s the kind of place that won’t be around for long. Andrew Lennie is a resident of River Forest.

ANDREW LENNIE

One View

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Rethinking winter tree pruning

get very discouraged every year when the village’s OP/FYI newsletter arrives in January to remind us of the winter pruning of our parkway trees. My personal efforts to have the program reassessed seem to have failed. I challenged the forestry superintendent about the work on my block in 2011 and again in 2015, also writing a letter to the editor. The unnecessary pruning happened again at my house a year ago, Jan. 15, 2019. The irreversible damage was done in minutes while I was away for a short time. I once more wrote a letter to the editor, this time sending it and backup documents and photographs to the forestry division and the village trustees. To make matters worse, the Forestry Division announced that the pruning cycle would take place every three years instead of every four. I submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the village to better understand the nature and cost of the pruning program. It is not a pretty picture. In 2018 we paid almost $200,000 just for the pruning program. (Cutting down trees and stump removal are additional costs, as are tree purchasing and planting.) The pruning expense happens in just four months, January through April. Remember that this money is going to an outside contractor, which comes

to $12,500 per week or $2,500 per day. Remember also that this amount does not include the salaries of the village’s forestry personnel. Another major issue is supervision. Forestry no longer has its own citizen commission to guide and monitor its superintendent. Rather, forestry is now folded into the Community Design Commission, which is supposed to have at least two members who are arborists. I could find only one listed, and he did not respond to my inquiries. The outside contractor supplies a supervisor for each work crew. When I tracked the guy down last year, he was in his car on his cellphone, while the workers acted on their own. He claimed they knew what to do because they had done it before. So these are non-professionals making judgement calls about sidewalk and street safety, property protection, and tree health. I can assure you that they are not considering the impact of their work on the benefits that your parkway trees afford you as a resident. On their own, most trees do not “need” to be pruned. Oak Park has over 18,000 parkway trees, which means that this year’s target area has about 6,000 trees. In a 16-week period, that means evaluating 375 trees per week, or 75 trees per day. The contract stipulates that the workers prune at least 300 trees

BOB

TREZEVANT One View

per week. I think it’s fair to assume that they don’t touch every available tree, but you can see how a small team of guys with pole saws and chair saws would be tempted to chop away to keep up the appearance of a professionally-determined form of pruning. To make matters worse, they also tend to cut off established branches at the trunk rather than from the tips, leaving the tree permanently damaged. Look around your neighborhood for evidence of their earlier work. What can we do? This year’s target area is between Madison Street and Chicago Avenue and between Austin Boulevard and Harlem Avenue. First, you and the neighbors on your block can call the forestry superintendent at 708-358-5700 (public works) or email him at publicworks@oak-park.us to report that your parkway trees are just fine. Second, you can be alert for the no-parking signs that will appear, followed by a fleet of trucks with chippers and trucks with aerial lifts. If you can find the supervisor, ask for the plan for your block and challenge it if necessary. Try talking with the workers. Some impromptu filming might be appropriate. You can always alert the village manager and the trustees. We live in an “urban arboretum” that every year is invaded by a portable sawmill. It’s time for that to stop. Bob Trezevant is a longtime resident of Oak Park.

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

The best way for Oak Park to honor Dr. King SHARHONDA KNOTT

here are three things I know in which Oak Park residents take tremendous pride, and a dash of arrogance: Ernest Hemingway, Frank Lloyd Wright, and their Fair Housing Ordinance. All of these things are great, but to me, the Fair Housing Ordinance is the sole item that makes Oak Park truly better than other similar Chicago suburbs. The historic Oak Park Fair Housing Act of 1968, made housing discrimination illegal in Oak Park and, more importantly, it enacted policies to stop racist white housing policies. While Oak Parkers like to think themselves responsible for this radical housing policy, true credit belongs to Martin Luther King, who in 1966, came to Chicago to start his northern campaign against racism with the Fair Housing Campaign. The 1960s was the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America. Young progressives from all over the country, including Oak Park, who were passionate about ending racism, were going to the South to fight “racism in America.” Racism and legalized segregation, to many white progressives, was an issue that existed “in the South,” not in Chicago, and especially not in Oak Park. Dr. King’s Chicago Fair Housing Campaign exposed northern racism to the world, and, more pointedly, it provided a mirror to northern white liberals about the racism in their own communities. At a rally at Soldier Field in the summer of 1966, Dr. King said, “We are tired of being lynched physically in Mississippi, and we are tired of being lynched spiritually and economically in the North.” In 2020 more than 50 years later, the evidence of poverty and the spiritual and economic lynching in Chicago is still vividly alive today. Instead of keeping with the legacy of MLK and a welcoming community, Oak Park is becoming more exclusive and unattainable for low-income black folks. Oak Park, once a leader in racial housing integration, is pushing more black and low-income folks out of the village with the high cost of apartments and taxes. Essentially, the lack of low-income affordable housing is turning Oak Park into a northern Jim-Crow, “No Blacks Allowed” community. It is time for Oak Park to take the lead again and demand racially and economically integrated housing:

The Oak Park Fair Housing Act was a huge step toward ending systemic racism, but that was in 1968. In 2020, it is time for Oak Park to boldly recommit to an economically and racially diverse village. Recently there was a fight among Village Board Trustees to renew funding for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. Because of the advocacy of community members and Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla, the organization narrowly succeeded in receiving the monies needed for the only affordable housing organization focused on racial integration. In 2017, the trustees voted against a progressive bill for affordable housing that would tax developers on new housing developments. This bill passed in many other suburbs, including Evanston. Under pressure from community advocates, the board in 2018 passed a much weaker Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance that only asks developers to set aside 10 percent of the units or pay $100,000 in fees, making it one of the weakest inclusionary zoning bills in the Chicago area. The best way for the village of Oak Park to honor Martin Luther King and his legacy against racism, is to fight for affordable housing. Here are four tangible ways to do that: 1. Demand that the village continue funding the Oak Park Regional Housing Center in 2020. 2. Demand that trustees add a progressive development tax, similar to Evanston, that will tax all new housing developers at 25 percent, and increase the fees in lieu to $250,000. Oak Park can then use that money to provide affordable housing units. 3. Change the zoning ordinance to cover all of Oak Park. Currently, large areas of Oak Park (i.e. Madison Street) are excluded from the ordinance. 4. Demand that developers build affordable housing integrated with “regularly” priced housing. Oak Park should ensure that it doesn’t build pockets of affordable housing separated from new housing development. Dr. King’s legacy was much more than personal calls to judge every person by the content of their character. His legacy is to eliminate racism by providing an “equal economic playing field” for us all. To finally eradicate racism, we have to demand affordable housing and a racially and economically diverse community.

DAWSON

ShaRhonda Knott Dawson is a west suburban resident who is involved in multiple service organizations and projects in, and around, Oak Park. Her writing can be found on her blog, sharhondatribune.com.

One View

No war with Iran!

It is time for Congress to be brought in on our war decisions. No president should be enabled to take the United States to war without Congress’ approval. We need to find a place for diplomacy and cool tempers on both sides always. In solidarity,

Charlaine McAnany Oak Park

Photo courtesy Creative Commons

THE RADICAL KING: Above, King meets with President Lyndon B. Johnson. at the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As he aged, King became frustrated with liberalism as he grew closer to the radical racial vision more closely aligned to Black Power proponents like Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael.

Help us end corporate ‘personhood’ Ten years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in favor of Citizens United. Ten years of unlimited corporate money legally in politics as speech has influenced every issue affecting our lives. Corporate personhood did not start in 2010, but slowly crept into law since the 1800s, and has expanded to have influence beyond We the People. The nation’s founders gave the inherent and inalienable rights to natural persons. Come learn how this happened, how we can end corporate personhood, and all about House Joint Resolution 48 (H.J. Res.48) at Dole Branch Library, Saturday, Jan. 25, 11:30 a.m. for a 30-minute documentary film followed by discussion. This national movement would di-

minish corporate power. Candidates have to spend excessive time, energy, and use volunteers for fundraising for ads to let the public know their name, their POTUS candidacy, policies and resume. The fastest fundraising is through wealthy contributors, creating obligations to them, not working for the good of We the People, thereby leading to corruption. Free coverage of the candidates, beneficial to media profits and their sponsors, is in effect, huge campaign contributions in-kind, because other candidates would have to hugely pay for equal quality and equal quantity coverage. As part of the solution, we need laws for inexpensive ways to get the public to know every candidate equally. I used the dictionary to verify that money

is not speech and corporations are not people: An individual human being (natural person) can express ideas and feelings in words, which can be delivered to an audience (speech), distributed widely, with a transaction using a medium of exchange that is property (money), to a legal entity created through laws of its state, distinct from its owners, who are not liable as individual human beings (corporation). Originally, if corporations were not acting for the common good, then the state could revoke its charter to do business. That is how a corporation could be “executed in Texas” like a human being is executed.

Leslie Roberts Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O B I T U A R I E S

James Fenno, 81

Rita Behrenbruch, 74

Financial analyst, worked on the Apollo program

Educator

Rita Louise Behrenbruch Library for about 10 years. (nee Kavanaugh), 74, of Oak In 1999, she focused her efPark, died on Jan. 13, 2020. forts on educating young Born on Dec. 31, 1945, she students. was devoted to her family Until her passing she and educating and caring for was a tutor for elementhose around her. She had tary school students at a wide range of skill sets Huntington Learning Centhat she used to help others. ter and took great joy in Graduating from Southern working with students to Illinois University-CarbonRITA BEHRENBRUCH improve studies, knowdale in 1968, she began her ing the efforts they put in life after college as a social would prepare them for the worker in East St. Louis helping chil- future. She cherished travels with her dren who needed services. She then be- husband, touring exciting destinations came a high school English teacher in on five continents throughout their 43 Missouri and New Jersey. years of marriage. She poured her love In 1975, she earned a nursing degree and attention into her daughter, Shawn and then performed nursing services (Bob) Deutschman as well as her grandat Loretto Hospital and Rush Hospital. sons, Matthew and Luke. After she had accumulated many onA service to celebrate Rita’s life will the-job experiences, she started a pro- be held on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1 p.m. gram to instruct nurse’s aides. In 1987, at Oak Park’s Fair Oaks Presbyterian she decided to put her love of learning Church, 744 Fair Oaks Ave. and books to use in a different capacity, In lieu of flowers, memorial donaworking as a librarian in the Oak Park tions can be made to Fair Oaks PresbyPublic Library system at Dole Branch terian Church.

Braeden, and Kaelyn; his siblings, James Elton Fenno, 81, died Lorraine (Cy), Betty, Mary (Chris), peacefully on Jan. 15, 2020, in Margo (Rod), Jerry (Heidi), Steve North Riverside. Born on April (Maureen), and Mike (Cherie); and 30, 1938 in Wabasso, Minn. his many nieces and nephews. He is along with his fraternal twin, predeceased by his parents; his wife Jerry, they were the fifth and Ruth; and his siblings, Tom, Connie sixth of 11 children raised by and Jeanne. Irene (née Reader) and Melvin A memorial visitation will be held Fenno, both of North Dakota. on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. until As a child, he delivered newsJAMES ELTON FENNO time of the memorial service, 12 p.m., papers, loved to read novels and at Oak Park’s Drechsler, Brown & Wilfollowed sports, especially baseliams Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St. ball. In 1956, he graduated valedictorian from In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Cathedral High in Crookston, Minnesota and the Alliance for the Great Lakes (greatlakes. studied engineering at Marquette University org) are sincerely appreciated. in Milwaukee, then worked in the early 1960s W E D N E S D A Y at M.I.T. in Boston on designs for the Apollo space program. Upon returning to southeast Wisconsin, he met Ruth Roach, an English of Oak Park and River Forest teacher and, during their 39-year marriage, they lived primarily in South Milwaukee and loved to travel. He was a longtime financial Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: analyst for S.C. Johnson & Son in Racine. ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 James Fenno is survived by his children, before Monday at noon. Christine (Patrick), Mike (Erin), and Joe Please include a photo if possible. (Celeste); his grandchildren, Ruby, Gavin,

JOURNAL To run an obituary

Beth Ann O’Reilly-Amandes, 64 Actor and singer

Elizabeth “Beth Ann” O’Reilly-Amandes, 64, died on Jan. 17, 2020 at her Oak Park home, surrounded by her children, husband, and several of her siblings. Born Oct. 3, 1955 in Chicago, she was the seventh of Winifred (Giebel) and James O’Reilly’s 14 children. Later, the O’Reilly clan moved to Crystal Lake where she attended St Thomas Catholic School and Crystal Lake Community High Schoolm where she sang in choirs, acted in plays, and befriended the Amandeses, another large family of performers. Beth Ann and Paul started dating in 1974 and continued doing theater and leading music for St. Thomas Church, the Happening in Christianity, and later at the Newman Center of Northern Illinois University where both were students. While in married student housing, the couple forged lifelong friendships with several other young families. Married at the Resurrection Center in Woodstock in 1980 they continued studying in DeKalb, where their first two children were born. The young family moved to Chicago where she served on the board of Call To Action and was the tour manager for their theater company. She also toured the country as an actor/singer in Call To Action Theatre’s productions: “Between The Times” and “PeaceWorks,” often with Paul, his brother Tom,

Beth Ann’s brother Eugene, her where daughter Sarah lives with sister Jamie, and/or her sisterher family. in-law Tammy. Beth Ann’s battle with breast She continued to perform with cancer began in 2010. She was her family and friends in various considered cancer-free in 2012, Chicago companies throughout but it returned in 2017. In Deher life, including the Curious cember 2019, her final trip was Theatre Branch, Bottom of Your a magical Christmas spent in Shoe Theatre Collective, and York, England, surrounded Open Door Repertory. She also by her husband, children, and worked at Bacino’s Pizza, then at grandchildren. ELIZABETH O’REILLYTulip Management Co. and LaBeth Ann O’Reilly-Amandes AMANDES Salle National Bank. was the wife of Paul Amandes In 1989, the family moved to for almost 40 years; the mother Oak Park, where they had already become of Michael and Sarah Amandes; the mothvery involved in the St. Giles Family Mass er-in-law of Charlie Hanover; grandmothCommunity. For the next 30 years at St. er of David and Kate Hanover; sister of Giles, she served on the Council of Pastors, Willem, Cecilie (Leonard Brooks), Chris was an active liturgy director, and mentored (Katrina), Gloria, Beau, Dorothy (Billy children of the Mass Community, where she Imm), Kate, Jamie, Ned (Kathleen), Henri was a featured liturgical singer and soloist. (Don Peters), Eugene (Tammy), Bridget In 2000, she became the manager of Logos (John Wagner), and Bernadette (Don HadBookstore in Oak Park. When that closed in erlein); and had many extended family 2006, she worked at Community Bank and members. then trained in early childhood education. A memorial visitation was held Jan. 20 at During the 2010s, Beth Ann was the beloved Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home. nanny for the Rosado and Holzer-Lopez fami- On Saturday, Jan. 25, family and friends will lies. meet at Oak Park’s St. Giles Church, 1045 A devoted and favorite client at the Buzz Columbian Ave. for Mass at 1 p.m. Cafe and Oak Park Chiropractic, she enIn lieu of flowers, donations to Housing joyed traveling frequently to visit family on Forward (housingforward.org), where Beth the West Coast, in New York, and in London Ann volunteered for years, are appreciated.

let your voice be heard

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Check First.

Religion Guide

First Congregational Church of Maywood

400 N. Fifth Avenue (1 block north of Lake St.) Come join us for Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am Pastor Elliot Wimbush will be preaching the message. Refreshments and fellowship follow the service. 708-344-6150 firstchurchofmaywood.org When you're looking for a place to worship the Lord, Check First.

You’re Invited to A Church for All Nations A Church Without Walls SERVICE LOCATION Forest Park Plaza 7600 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, IL 60130

William S. Winston Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

ELCA, Lutheran

Good Shepherd

188 South Oak Park Ave. Saturday Mass: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Masses: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m. Weekday Mass: 8:30 a.m. M–F Holy Day Masses: As Announced Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 p.m. Parish Office: 708-848-4417 Religious Ed Phone: 708-848-7220 stedmund.org

Worshiping at 820 Ontario, Oak Park IL (First Baptist Church) 9:00a-Worship 10:30a-Education Hour

All are welcome. goodshepherdlc.org 708-848-4741

on the corner of Thomas and Fair Oaks Ave. Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

409 Greenfield Street (at Ridgeland Avenue) Oak Park Holy Communion with nursery care and children’s chapel each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

worship on Sundays @ 10am nursery care available

fairoakspres.org 744 Fair Oaks Ave. • 708.386.4920

OAK PARK MEETING OF FRIENDS (Quakers) Meeting For Worship Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Park Art League 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park Please call 708-445-8201 www.oakparkfriends.org

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

(708) 697-5000 Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM

LIVE Webcast - 11:15AM Service Believer’s Walk of Faith Broadcast Schedule (Times in Central Standard Time) Television DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor David W. Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Ed. 9:45 a.m. Childcare Available

Grace Lutheran School

Preschool - 8th Grade Bill Koehne, Principal 366-6900, graceriverforest.org Lutheran-Missouri Synod

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

305 Circle Ave, Forest Park Sunday Worship, 9:30am Christian Education Hour 8:30am Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary Leonard Payton, Pastor Roney Riley, Assistant Pastor 708-366-3226 www.stjohnforestpark.org Methodist

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

324 N. Oak Park Avenue 708-383-4983 www.firstUMCoakpark.org Sunday School for all Ages, 9am Sunday Worship, 10am Children’s Chapel during Worship Rev. Katherine Thomas Paisley, Pastor Professionally Staffed Nursery Fellowship Time after Worship

808 S. East Ave. 708/848-2703 www.ascensionoakpark.com Worship: Saturday Mass 5:00 pm Sunday Masses 7:30, 9:00, 11 am 5:00 pm at St. Edmund Church Sacrament of Reconciliation 4 – 4:45 pm Saturday Taizé Prayer 7:30 pm First Fridays Feb.– Dec. & Jan. 1 Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 108TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca

St. Giles Family Mass Community

We welcome all to attend Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. on the St. Giles Parish campus on the second floor of the school gym, the southernmost building in the school complex at 1034 North Linden Avenue. Established in 1970, we are a laybased community within St. Giles Roman Catholic Parish. Our Mass is family-friendly. We encourage liturgically active toddlers. Children from 3 to 13 and young adults play meaningful parts in each Sunday liturgy. Together with the parish, we offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based religious education program for children in grades K-8. For more information, go to http://www.stgilesparish.org/ family-mass-community or call Bob Wielgos at 708-288-2196.

Third Unitarian Church 10AM Sunday Forum 11AM Service Rev. Colleen Vahey thirdunitarianchurch.org (773) 626-9385 301 N. Mayfield, Chicago Committed to justice, not to a creed Upcoming Religious Holidays

Jan 25 Conversion of St. Paul Christian 28 Tu BiShavat Jewish Feb 2 CandlemasPresentation of Christ in the Temple Christian Imbolc Lughassad Wicca/Pagan Northern and Southern hemispheres Saint Brighid of Kildare Celtic Christian

To place a listing in the Religion Guide, call Mary Ellen: 708/613-3342

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

Lehman prepares for another shot at Olympics 39

@ @OakPark

SPORTS

This week in wrestling 40

OPRF boys come up short against York

ALEX ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

SURROUNDED: The Huskies struggled to find room down low against York on Jan. 16 and ended up falling to the Dukes 65-40. Isaiah Barnes (No. 11) scored 18 points.

Huskies short-handed in front court By JAMES KAY Sports Editor

After beating Glenbard West High School two weeks ago, the Huskies went into last week hoping to make up for the loss of Justin Cross and Kyren Gardner. The two seniors have been a force in the front court this season, with Cross acting as the defensive anchor in the paint while Gardner cleaned up the offensive glass. While OPRF (9-6) took care of business against Proviso West with a 72-62 win on Jan. 14, the Huskies struggled in their conference matchup with York High School on Jan. 16

with the teams tied at the top of the West Suburban Silver. Cross and Gardner’s contributions were missed as York (18-2) pounded OPRF inside all night, winning 65-40. OPRF’s Isaiah Barnes scored 18 points while teammate Josh Smith added 11. York’s Jeffery Grace poured in 21 points and Nate Shockey contributed 20. OPRF head coach Matt Maloney was not pleased after the game. “We always say, ‘Don’t let [the opponents’] secondary options be stars,’ and we let Jeffery Grace have a career night,” said Maloney. “We let some other guys out there score more points than when I watched them play six times. We got off to another slow start and had other stuff we were going to run but couldn’t run it because we were down.”

The Dukes scored the first 12 points in the game and held a 32-11 lead with 3:40 left in the half before OPRF started to generate offense. Smith went coast-to-coast after York turned the ball over and Barnes followed with a three to cut the deficit to 34-18. After another turnover, OPRF sophomore Demetrius Dortch found Barnes for a transition layup, and Smith finished with a left-handed layup on the next possession. Going into the half, the Huskies trailed 34-22, but that would be the closest they got to coming back against York. The Dukes outscored the Huskies 28-18 the rest of the way as OPRF struggled with turnovers against the press. See HUSKIES on page 40

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OPRF alum gears up for another Olympics

Speedskater Emery Lehman to participate in Four Continents event, held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 By JAMES KAY Sports Editor

OPRF alum Emery Lehman had an eventful 2019 as he prepared for taking another shot at the Olympics. After traveling across Europe and competing against some of the greatest speedskaters in the world, Lehman is in the final stages of preparing for the 2020 Olympic Trials. Before he does that, Lehman is two weeks away from participating in the Four Continents Speedskating Championships in Milwaukee, Wis. at the Pettit National Ice Center. Throughout his time in high school, Lehman routinely traveled an hour and 30 minutes to Pettit to train and continues to do so while he works toward an undergraduate degree in civil engineering at Marquette University (he graduates this spring). “It’s pretty cool that I get the opportunity to skate in an international event on my home rink,” said Lehman. “I believe this is the first time in 15 years the Pettit is hosting an international event, so I am glad I get to be a part of it.” At the beginning of the season, Lehman skated in five marathons in the Netherlands and participated in the four fall World Cups which were in Poland, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Japan. According to Lehman, that qualified him for the World Championships. He has three competitions left this season. They include Four Continents, an event back in Calgary, and the World Championships back in Salt Lake City. Lehman describes as the competitions collectively as the “Olympics on non-Olympics years.” At Four Continents, he will participate in the 1,000-meter event and the 5,000-meter in team pursuit. “Talking with Gabriel [Girard, Lehman’s head coach] before the season, we agreed that the Olympics is the ultimate goal. [The goal] is not a marathon, the world cup, or Four Continents, which isn’t to say that event isn’t important since it will help me prepare for the Olympic Trials, which will hopefully get me to the Olympics.” This past year, Lehman decided to turn to Girard as his new coach after working with Eric Cepuran for two years. He spent four months in Calgary with Girard (who is from Calgary) from May through August before heading to Salt Lake City in September and October. Girard was named the head coach of the national long-distance team based in Salt Lake City, so Lehman gave up his apartment in Calgary and moved in with one of his friends in Utah to be closer with his coach. “I wanted to try something new and get

a coach’s perspective from outside of the U.S.,” said Lehman. “Not to say that what coaches in the U.S. are doing is wrong, but I wanted to see what the other coaches were doing in other countries. Gabriel has coached all over and I thought he would have a good perspective with what everyone else was doing.” After placing 21st in the 5,000 meters in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, Lehman admits there is a certain level of wanting to redeem himself after finishing 16th at Sochi in 2016. “It’s definitely in the back of my mind where I think, ‘My first goal is to get to the Olympics,’ but past that, I want to outperform myself from the last two [Olympics],” said Lehman. “Only 24 people qualify for the Olympics, which has become very hard to do, but on the other side of that, getting 21st out of 24 is never a good feeling. I would like to improve upon that and maybe qualify in another distance.” The year 2018 might have been a disappointment for Lehman, but he is only 23 years old and still has a lot left in the tank as he ramps up for another chance to contend in the Olympics. Having trained in the Netherlands (which Lehman says is considered the mecca of speedskating) could also elevate his chances of reaching his goal of placing higher in 2020. Before he gets to that point, Lehman will participate in Four Continents, which will be held in Milwaukee at Petit from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2.

Photos by Steven Penland

ICE COLD: Emery Lehman (top) competes during the Olympic Trials. (Below) The moment after Lehman found out he was named to the Olympic team in 2018. He will return to his home ice on Jan. 31 during the Four Continents event in Milwaukee at the Pettit National Ice Center. When he trained for the Olympics in high school, Lehman would drive an hour and a half to Wisconsin to work at Pettit.

S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HUSKIES

Running the table from page 38 Despite not having Cross or Gardner (both out with injuries with no set timetables for their return), Barnes didn’t make excuses after the game. “Going into [Jan. 16], I was thinking, ‘We are missing two big pieces, but I am going to step in and take on those roles,’” said Barnes. “It was much different today. We weren’t as free flowing as we usually are since we didn’t have [Cross and Gardner], but I wanted to light a fire underneath the team since we still had to come in here and play. We just came up really, really short.” Despite the tough loss to York, there is reason for optimism for the Huskies. OPRF was in a similar position last year heading into the latter half of January before going 7-0 in conference. And though they struggled against York, OPRF’s Anthony Coleman and Rashad Trice showed against Glenbard West and Proviso West that they are capable of starting and closing for the Huskies. “We ran the table last year and ended up winning our third straight conference championship,” said Maloney. “We are going to have to do that again with a team like York but, even with our backs against the wall, there is still a lot to be determined.” Moving forward: The Huskies face Downers Grove North on Jan. 24 at home. After not playing at home in the first half of the season, the Huskies will play six of their final 12 games at the field house.

Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer

Fenwick girls hoops falls to Benet

On Jan. 17, The Friars lost 60-42 to St. Ignatius after the Wolfpack went on an 18-6 run in the third quarter. The next day, Fenwick had another tough matchup against Benet and missed two threes at the end of regulation that would have sealed the upset. The Friars lost 45-43 but head coach Dave Power was impressed with his team aft er a tough weekend. “We knew that we were facing a Benet team that has been ranked first in the state or second in the state throughout the season,” said Power. “We didn’t win but I was extremely proud of how this team bounced back after playing [St. Ignatius].”

WHAT COACH SAID...

This week in high school wrestling This week, we’re highlighting wrestling. We weren’t able to make connections with OPRF’s program, but Fenwick’s varsity coach Seth Gamino sat down to discuss the direction of the Friars’ program. OPRF’s program will be highlighted next week. On how injuries derailed the beginning of the season … “The year started off a little staggering since we were dealing with injuries. Our star, Matt Zuber, who is a four-year wrestler and state qualifier, had a tear in his knee. We didn’t get him back until SETH GAMINO mid-December. That is always goFenwick ing to hurt you but when he got healthy, David Capron started dealing with a shoulder injury. So we got one guy back and lost another guy. But we are getting healthier day by day.” On state goals for the end of the season … “We have four real promising kids in senior Matt Zuber,

junior David Capron, heavyweight sophomore Jimmy Liston, and another senior with Max Daley. One of our big goals to start the year was to have the most state qualifiers we have had in the last 10 years. We haven’t had more than three since 2008, so we are shooting for four this year so we can get Fenwick wrestling back on the map. It’s a very exciting time.” On being a first-year head coach … “You know, it was a lot more nerve-wracking than I expected. In my business, I deal with a million and one things and can go to sleep at night, but since I’ve become the wrestling coach I find myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘Oh my god what are we going to do from 4:50-5:10 a.m.?’ You have to really plan. Twenty minutes of wrestling feels like two hours. It’s been stressful, but you want what’s best for the boys and if they don’t meet their goals, it feels like it falls on you because you didn’t get them there. I find that wonderful and stressful at the same time. To have their eyes looking at me knowing that I am their head coach is a joy that I didn’t know I would love as much as I do now.”

What Gamino learned from former head coach Peter Kowalczuk … “He always talked about how your attitude and demeanor matters. You may be tired or you may be exhausted, but pushing forward is where you have to go. Coach K would always say he wanted to make wrestling fun again since high school wrestling is, in my opinion, the hardest sport at this level. It’s not like football where you hit your sprints and get 15 minutes to rest. You are constantly moving for two hours and he was always saying to make wrestling fun again and it is stuck in my head.” Preparing for regionals and being able to host … “The boys are doing such a great job preparing every day and getting ready for regionals. It’s great because we get to host [regionals] and I want them to get excited about potentially getting to win at home. I am not saying we are going to win the regional, but I think we have a sneaky good chance of winning and being able to do it at home.”

James Kay

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM New local ads this week

YOUR WEEKLY AD

REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST, FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion. Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion. The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

Place your ad online anytime at: www.OakPark.com/Classiﬁed/

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

ADJUDICATION HEARING CLERK The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualiﬁed candidates for the position of Adjudication Hearing Clerk in the Adjudication Department. This position will perform a wide variety of specialized and responsible clerical work supporting the ongoing and established programs assigned to the department including processing and maintaining documents, correspondence and statistics, provide word processing and data entry support and to provide information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualiﬁed applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than January 30, 2020.

Logistics Manager sought by Goldwind USA Inc. in Chicago, IL to evaluate transportation options and strategies for new wind turbine sales projects. Req Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Mgmt or rltd + 2yrs logistics & transport mgmt exp. Req 2yrs exp w/: SAP, wind turbines, project cargo, & procurement cost analysis. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com #81916

Sr. Project Controls Specialist sought by Fluor Enterprises, Inc. in Chicago, IL: Dvlp & implmt a project controls plan as part of the Project Execution Plan (PEP) for the project execution. Plan & organize the setup of project baseline in Fluor’s project controls system, & implmt a plan to track against the baseline on a regular basis. Must have unrestricted right to work in U.S. Mail Resumes: Global Resources - Talent Acquisition, Mobility, Immigration, One Fluor Daniel Dr, Sugar Land, TX 77478. Must ref job code IL0419AA.

Cloud Engineer sought by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association in Chicago, IL to be respbl for the maint and admin of app & srvr rsrc. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com, Ref #42803. Director, Compensation and Benefits (Chicago, IL) member of ArcelorMittal North America Leadership Team, resp for dvlpmt & deployment of compensation & benefits strategy throughout North American region. Areas of responsibility incl HR policy, salary, benefits, advancement & performance evaluation, global mobility, & HR IT improvements. Must have Bach Deg in HR Admin, Business Admin, or related field (foreign equiv accepted). Must have 3 yrs of exp in the job offd. Exp must incl mgmt of labor cost, job evaluation techniques, in-house mgmt of global mobility prgm for multinational company, knowl of compensation trends & its peculiarities w/in North America region; practical exposure at different levels in a large multinational organization - country, region, global. Please send resume & cvr letter to AM/NS Calvert, ATTN: Fernanda Soeiro, 1 AM/NS Way, Calvert, AL 36513. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INTERN The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Environmental Health Intern in the Health Department. This full-time seasonal position will provide assistance to the Environmental Health Practitioners in the inspection and local businesses, homes and other establishments to enforce state and local laws and ordinances related to public Health safety; to respond and resolve citizen complaints regarding nuisances and reported epidemics. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than February 6, 2020. EXPERIENCED SERVERS BARTENDERS & BUSBOYS WANTED APPLY IN PERSON. ELMWOOD PARK. CALL FOR APPOINTMENT 708-456-3644

Part Time Positions Available for After-School Recreation / Day Care Worker Youth Development Specialist on site at Oak Park public schools The Day Care Program of Hephzibah Children’s Association is accepting applications for nurturing individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children in the After School Day Care program on site at Oak Park public schools. The days and hours are Mon – Fri from 2:30-6:00 PM and 2:00-6:00 PM on Wednesdays. Plan and supervise arts and crafts, indoor & outdoor play, games, sports, homework help and more. Requirements include: - previous experience working with children - 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work or related college courses Immediate openings available for the current school year. Contact MJ Joyce at mjjoyce@hephzibahhome.org Equal Opportunity Employer PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOREST PARK, IL The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Part-Time Parking Enforcement Officer. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license, knowledge of basic parking regulations, and good verbal and written skills. EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net. PRESCHOOL TEACHER Riverside Preschool is looking for a part time Preschool teacher to join our growing facility. We are looking for an energetic, creative , team oriented individual with ECE credentials. Please call call 708-442-5250 for details. Software Quality Assurance Analyst III sought by Wolters Kluwer United States, Inc. in Chicago, IL to oversee exc of auto tests & trblshoot sys failures. Aply @ www.jobpostingtoday. com (ref# 91415)

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

River Forest D90 has an immediate opening for a Part-time (0.3) English Language Learner Teacher.

SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE

SUBURBAN RENTALS

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACE

NEW CONCEPT FOR MAYWOOD

FOREST PARK 2 BR GARDEN APT Newly remodeled, new appliances, etc. Pay own heat and utilities. Close to transportation. Security. 1 year. No pets. 1 car garage. Avail. immediately. $1000. 630-279-8111

DOWNTOWN OAK PARK SUBLEASE We are looking to sublease our beautiful, spa-like office. Our office is already set up and is available for sublease in downtown Oak Park. This office is perfect for a physician, anesthetist, masseuse, and/or acupuncturist. Space is available immediately. Please contact us for pricing and to schedule a tour of the office. Ask for NikI. 708-613-4417 Nikimoreno33@gmail.com

RETAIL SPACE–FOR LEASE A 1600 Sq Ft. Retail Space for Lease in Strip Mall: 321 S. Harlem Ave., Forest Park, IL. 60130. Vacated. Available Now. Upgraded. Formerly a Cleaners. End space. Heavy foot/road trafﬁc area. 45-Space Parking Lot!

In this quiet residential neighborhood

902 S. 3RD AVENUE (2 blks W of 1st Ave & 1 blk N of Madison)

Reserve your own affordable 2 or 3 BR condo unit of 1000+ sq ft of living space being built on this historic site. You’ll benefit from a unique 12-year tax freeze and lower monthly living expenses from energy saving systems/appliances, and you can help design your own individual unit. Plans also include building 5 new townhomes onsite. For details Call 708-383-9223.

SUBURBAN RENTALS

Qualifications: Valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with an English as a Second Language Endorsement. Master’s Degree is preferred. Successful teaching experience is preferred.

CICERO Lg 3 RMS, 1BR. $795/mo. No pets. Sec. dep. Incl. heat, water, appl., etc. Blvd Manor area. BROKER 312-780-9257

Job Duties: The English Language Learners Teacher will meet the needs of limited English proficient students.

$1000 CASH TOWARD 1ST MONTH RENT

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application available at www.district90.org. Please do not send hard copies of supporting documentation, i.e. cover letters, resumes, licensure, etc. to River Forest Schools District 90; instead, upload these materials onto the online job application system for proper processing.

LIKE A GREAT VINTAGE WINE OAK PARK 3 BR, 1.5 BA

Large apartment, high ceilings, hardwood ﬂoors, large yard space, garage avail.

$1800 PER MONTH ARISTON REALTY 708.771.5000

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

FOREST PARK 2BR 2BR 2nd floor. 1 pkg space avail. Tenant paid central air & heat. On Madison in downtown Forest Park. Spacious apt. w/ hardwd floors. Very private. $1150/mo. 708-436-3644 OAK PARK 2BR 1BA Oak Park 2BR 1BA in owner occupied brick 3 flat. Large dine-in kitchen, large closets, extra storage. Newly refinished hdwd floors throughout. Walking distance to Blue and Green lines. Move in Bonus: January FREE. Utilities incl., tenant pays electricity. $1395/mo. 312-446-5857 RIVERSIDE 5RMS 2 BR incl. heat, water, parking, appl., etc. $995/mo. Sec. dep. Lease. Parking area, close to train, bus & shopping. BROKER 312-780-9257

CITY RENTALS AUGUSTA & HARDING Beautiful 2-bedroom condo-like apt, in a sunny, safe, secure 8 unit bldg. Large newly tiled kitchen & bath, hardwood ﬂoors, central air, appliances included, tenant pays utilities, rent $830.00, for more information call 773-838-8471.

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro. Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up. 773-637-5957

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT THERAPY OFFICES FOR RENT Therapy ofﬁces for rent in north Oak Park. Rehabbed building. Nicely furnished. Flexible leasing. Free parking. Free wiﬁ; Secure building; Friendly colleagues providing referrals. Shared waiting room; optional Conference. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays. Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

COMMERCIAL SPACE BERWYN FOR RENT/LEASE STORE OR OFFICE App. 750 sq ft. Great loc. 2 or 3 mo. sec. dep. Imm. poss. $2750/mo CENTURY 21 HALLMARK, LTD CHRIS T. 708-788-2800 CICERO FOR RENT/LEASE Vic. 35th St & Austin Blvd App. 900 sq ft. 2 exits. Add’ storage/ warehse avail in rear. Seller open to all ideas and remodeling. $1100/mo. 2 or 3 mo. sec. dep. Imm. poss. CENTURY 21 HALLMARK, LTD CHRIS T. 708-788-2800

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

For more details: Serious Inquiries ONLY: EMAIL: poppygator@yahoo.com CALL/TEXT: PB at: (708)250-7997

ITEMS FOR SALE

FULL LENGTH SHEARLING COAT Brown full length shearling coat w/ attached hood. Beautiful condition. $99.00 708-848-8755 TREK BIKE TWO YEARS OLD Trek Bike, two years old, was $550 new, comes with lock and pump, $200 OBO. Email henriettaatkin@me.com or call 312-848-3801.

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

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

ELECTRICAL

GARAGE DOORS

Red Star Electric

Your Neighborhood Electricians *Licensed *Bonded *Insured

-Residential/ Commercial Electrical Upgrades -Electrical Service/ Panel Upgrades -Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations -Standby Generators 708 722 1388 www.RedStarElectric.net

Our 73rd Year

Garage Doors &

Smart Door Openers

Sales & Service Free Estimates

(708) 652-9415 www.forestdoor.com

Find more home-improvement pros on the next page!

☛

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

CLASSIFIED FLOORS

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood ﬂooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-ﬁnishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

HANDYMAN CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

Mike’s Home Repair Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

708-296-2060

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

WINDOWS

In print • Online • Available to you 24/7/365

OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIlli-

HVAC HHHHHHHHHHH H H H H H H HVAC H H Furnace repair– H H all makes. H H Inspect furnace, H H vacuum burner. H Trouble calls, no heat. H H H H 708-612-4803 H the suburbs. H H Serving refs. H H LicensedGood • Bonded • Insured H H HHHHHHHHHHH

HUGHS

PAINTING & DECORATING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates. Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Attention! Homeimprovement pros! Reach the people making decisions. Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

WINDOWS

Cold rooms, we have the solution!

Our acrylic storm window inserts will make your rooms warmer, and reduce outside noise We can make for exterior or interior or both, any size to fit your window. No need for expensive window replacement, low cost local install or DIY. Direct from manufacturer, we’re right up the street in Galewood, see our factory video. Owner is an Oak Park resident since 2008. Call for a simple, free estimate, fully guaranteed or your money back BBB A+ rating.

sales@stormsnaps.com Alpina Manufacturing, 6460 W. Cortland St. Chicago Visit our website for easy online ordering or call us for info:

773-202-8887 STORMSNAPS.COM ®

Public Notice: Your right to know

BASEMENT CLEANING

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

CLASSIC PAINTING

HEATING / AIR CONDITIONING

Easy press fit from the inside

Let the sun shine in...

HAULING

free local delivery

 email us: classifieds@RiverForest.com 

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, February 14th, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park Police Department Firing Range Ventilation Improvements Proposal Number: 20-100

There will be a pre-bid meeting at the Oak Park Police Dept. main lobby in the lower level of Village Hall located at 123 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302 on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.

Bid forms may be obtained from the Public Works Customer Service Center by calling 708-3585700 or by stopping by the office located at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700. THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Published in Wednesday Journal 1/22/2020

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE For any person who was a Special Education Student at Oak Park & River Forest High School and graduated in 2012-2013, you will have 30 days to contact Lynette Welter at Oak Park & River Forest High School at 708.434.3806 or lwelter@ oprfhs.org to request your records. On February 28, 2020, the Special Education student records for the 2012-2013 school year will be destroyed.

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certiﬁcation was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20002922 on January 8, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of GPTETREV POTTERY with the business located at:159 SOUTH OAK PARK AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: GABRIEL PAUL TETREV 127 SOUTH TAYLOR AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302.

PUBLIC NOTICE A second neighborhood meeting will be held Wednesday, February 5 at 7:00pm in the ballroom of the Oak Park Arms, located at 408 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. The meeting will be to discuss the proposed Pete’s Fresh Market project located at 640 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302.

Lynette Welter Scheduling and Records Secretary Special Education Published in Wednesday Journal 1/15, 1/22/2020

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/15, 1/22, 1/29/2020

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certiﬁcation was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y2002921 on January 8, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of POWERS & SONS CARPENTRY with the business located at: 711 FOREST AVE, RIVER FOREST, IL 60305. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: TERRENCE POWERS 711 FOREST AVE RIVER FOREST, IL 60305.

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certiﬁcation was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20002975 on January 15, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of B-SAFE PPE with the business located at:2245 KEYSTONE AVE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: PAUL CONRAD, III 2245 KEYSTON AVE NORTH RIVERSIDE, IL 60546.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/15, 1/22, 1/29/2020

Published in RB Landmark 1/22, 1/29, 2/5/2020

Starting a New Business in 2020? Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice here. Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed separate bids will be received by the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (the “Board”) for the following project: OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 97 D97 SUMMER 2020 RENOVATIONS BROOKS, HATCH, IRVING, JULIAN, LONGFELLOW, MANN OAK PARK, IL 60302 BID GROUP 1 – DEMOLITION, MASONRY, GENERAL TRADES, ROOFING, GLAZING, DRYWALL, FLOORING, PAINTING, CASEWORK, FIRE SUPPRESSION, PLUMBING, HVAC, and ELECTRICAL Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Administrative ofﬁces, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 2:30 p.m. CST on that date. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked:

suppression, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted. No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modiﬁed after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: D97 SUMMER 2020 RENOVATIONS - BID PACKAGE 1

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available Monday January 13, 2020 and are available for viewing/download online without cost or purchase on the Bulley & Andrews, LLC One Drive, located at the following link. No username or password is required.

Scope of work for Bid Package 1 generally includes, but is not limited to: demolition, masonry, general trades, roofing, glazing, drywall, flooring, painting, casework, fire

h t t p s : / / b u l l e y a n d r e w s - m y. sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/ jkraft_bulley_com/EqkJvLuKNtVEuy1RTbbOFDUB4n1U-NgcMEdKceoMFlynzQ Published in Wednesday Journal 1/15, 1/22/2020

The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District. The site will be available for visits by appointment to be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions. Schedule an appointment with John Kraft of Bulley & Andrews in advance if you wish to visit the sites. All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws. For additional information on the project, contact John Kraft of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at jkraft@bulley. com or 312-914-0351. Future Bid Package 2 – General Trades 2, is expected to be available on or around February 10, 2020: with a bid opening date March 3, 2020; Dated: 01/13/2020 John Kraft Bulley & Andrews, LLC

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/22, 1/29/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR PRETIUM MORTGAGE ACQUISITION TRUST Plaintiff, -v.KAREN RONEY, GUL RONEY, WEST SUBURBAN BANK AS TRUSTEE UTA DATED 10/24/94, KNOWN AS TRUST NO. 10237, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 10 CH 50958 1039 ELGIN AVENUE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 2, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 3, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1039 ELGIN AVENUE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-13-422-0300000,15-13-422-031-0000 The real estate is improved with a two story single family home with a two car detached garage. 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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.

REAL ESTATE FOR 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. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 9558 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 10 CH 50958 TJSC#: 39-8122 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 # 10 CH 50958 I3141813 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE, IN TRUST FOR REGISTERED HOLDERS OF LONG BEACH MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-7, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-7 Plaintiff, -v.JEANNE L. EDWARDS, SCOVILLE COURT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO LONG BEACH MORTGAGE COMPANY, MIDLAND FUNDING LLC Defendants 2019 CH 07779

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CLASSIFIED

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

500 W. WASHINGTON BLVD. APT. 403 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 24, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 14, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 500 W. WASHINGTON BLVD. APT. 403, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-415-0271024 The real estate is improved with a condominium. The judgment amount was $91,575.96. 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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, JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 230 W. Monroe Street, Suite #1125, Chicago, IL, 60606 (312) 541-9710. Please refer to file number 18-6534. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC 230 W. Monroe Street, Suite #1125 Chicago IL, 60606 312-541-9710 E-Mail: ilpleadings@johnsonblumberg.com Attorney File No. 18-6534 Attorney Code. 40342 Case Number: 2019 CH 07779 TJSC#: 39-7382 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 # 2019 CH 07779 I3141842

real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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, Chris A. Pellegrini, CHUHAK & TECSON, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 30 S. WACKER DRIVE, STE. 2600, Chicago, IL, 60606 (312) 444-9300. Please refer to file number CAP.21168.71290. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. Chris A. Pellegrini CHUHAK & TECSON, P.C. 30 S. WACKER DRIVE, STE. 2600 Chicago IL, 60606 312-444-9300 E-Mail: cpellegrini@chuhak.com Attorney File No. CAP.21168.71290 Attorney Code. 70693 Case Number: 2019 CH 9407 TJSC#: 40-230 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 # 2019 CH 9407 I3143329

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION FOREST PARK NATIONAL BANK & TRUST CO. Plaintiff, -v.JOHN JOSEPH SIGNORELLA, AN INDIVIDUAL, SPOUSE OF JOHN JOSEPH SIGNORELLA, AN INDIVIDUAL, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2019 CH 9407 7242 W. ROOSEVELT RD. FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 14, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 18, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 7242 W. ROOSEVELT RD., FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-24-203-0030000 The real estate is improved with a commercial property. The judgment amount was $146,876.71. 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential

Illinois Classified Advertising Network ANTIQUES/COLLECTIBLES

ANTIQUE SHOW, SPORTING & ADVERTISING Jan. 31 & Feb. 1, Sunnyview Expo Center, OSHKOSH WI. Friday 10-6, Saturday 9-3. BUY/SELL/TRADE. $7.00 admission. AntiqueSportingAndAdvertisingShow.com • 906-250-1618

local employees, happy employees! REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Hire Local. Place an ad on the Journal’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to OakPark.com/classified | RiverForest.com/classified today!

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information. (708) 613-3342 Classifieds@OakPark.com | classifieds@RiverForest.com

Wednesday Journal, January 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Meet the team, pictured left to right: Denise Warren, Susie Goldschmidt , Norma Mora, Rosemary Conway, Maggie Kenny, My Hanh La, Kim Adames. Not pictured: Mary Beth McIntosh

Committed to Oak Park and River Forest Byline Bank is pleased to welcome an outstanding group of experienced bankers who recently joined our Oak Park and River Forest team. Already established in our community, our new colleagues look forward to continuing their commitment to customers and support of our local Oak Park and River Forest communities. To learn more about our commitment to Oak Park and River Forest, visit bylinebank.com/oprf

ÂŠ2019 Byline Bank. Member FDIC.