W E D N E S D A Y
February 26, 2020 Vol. 40, No. 31 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Connects Page 19
River Forest to let SafeSpeed contract expire But village will seek to continue red-light camera program in the future By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter
River Forest officials appear committed to keeping the three red-light cameras in the village, but they apparently will not be operated by SafeSpeed LLC. At the Feb. 24 village board meeting, Village Administrator Eric Palm informed officials that staff intend to decline to renew River Forest’s contract with SafeSpeed, allowing the contract to expire July 1. Separately, staff intend to issue a request for proposals for services to consider other vendors. The village originally contracted with SafeSpeed in 2011. In addition to River Forest, SafeSpeed LLC See SAFESPEED on page 16
Photo by Paul Goyette
FRAMING THE NARRATIVE: Juanta Griffin during the Uniquely You Tea Party she hosted on Feb. 23 at The Echo Center inside of the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park. The tea, which is centered on the emotional development of girls of the African diaspora, is emblematic of why the center exists.
A space they can call their own
The Echo Center comes into focus By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
On the second floor of the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church, 405 Euclid Ave. in Oak Park, there are five deftly decorated multipurpose rooms named for iconic people of color: the African American writer James Baldwin, the AsianAmerican activist Fred Korematsu, the
Latinx singer Celia Cruz, the African American poet Audre Lorde, and the African American activist Ruby Bridges. “We’ve had a challenge in the community for a while around having spaces that are owned, so to speak, by folks of color,” said Linda Francis during an interview earlier this month inside of the Audre Lorde Library. “Folks have asked how we can get more people of color to the table, but it’s always been this model of a table that is owned and structured by someone else.” Francis is one of five volunteer board members of The Echo Center, the formal
name and governing entity of the secondfloor Euclid Avenue space that had its soft opening in November. The center is “intentionally designed … for exploring the narratives of marginalized people and coalescing the community’s equity efforts,” according to its website. “The center promotes art, theater and other modes of storytelling, serves as a hub for nonprofits and other initiatives led by people of color, and advances equity and social justice efforts.” See ECHO CENTER on page 12
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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I N S I D E
R E P O R T
Oak Park resident a Golden Apple finalist An Oak Park resident is a finalist for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Leadership. Tamara Witzl is the principal at Telpochcalli Community Fine Arts School in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. The finalists for the prize, considered among the most prestigious in the teaching profession, were announced Jan. 23 and recognized at an event in St. Charles on Feb. 22. The winners of the award will be notified in the spring, when award officials pay surprise visits to their schools. Each winner gets a $10,000 cash award and the opportunity to become a Golden Apple Academy of Educators Fellow, a support organization for current and aspiring teachers. “Witzl believes that leadership requires sharing responsibilities and developing trust,” according to a statement announcing Witzl’s Golden Apple finalist status. “She works collaboratively with faculty, engaging in discussion and learning together. She provides the space and support to try new things, writes proposals for grants,
Tamara Witzl mentors student teachers, and shares their passion for learning with students. Her open and shared leadership style demonstrates that she shares the concerns of her school community and welcomes their ideas, which leads to achieving common goals.”
Michael Romain
Former OPRF teacher mourned
Oak Park native up for TV award
AND THE WINNER IS ...: Richard C. Bailey, above, is up for a College Television Award in March. Top and middle, Bailey on the set of the comedy “They Won’t Last,” which earned him and his two classmates the nomination.
The College Television Awards have helped launched the careers of industry professionals who have landed jobs on shows like “The Simpsons,” “America’s Got Talent,” “60 Minutes” and “Empire.” Now, the awards could be a launching pad for Oak Park native Richard C. Bailey, an MFA graduate of the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, who was nominated, along with two classmates, in the comedy category for producing “They Won’t Last,” according to a statement released by the Television Academy, which puts on the awards. The comedy is about a 30-year-old woman who is afraid of commitment and has to grapple with her romantic boyfriend’s marriage proposal. The 40th College Television Awards will be held on March 21 in Los Angeles.
Michael Romain
The Oak Park and River Forest High School community is mourning the death of former teacher Kevin McCarron, who died Feb. 20 due to complications from cancer. “McCarron retired from OPRF in 2019 after 25 years of service to our students and community,” D200 Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams wrote in an email sent to families on Feb. 21. “Kevin taught astronomy and physics. My fondest memory of Kevin was seeing him out on beautiful starry nights with members of his class star and planet gazing, often giving me an opportunity to look.” Pruitt-Adams said support staffers are on standby for any students who need them.
Michael Romain
Ovation Academy wins national theatre festival award
Ovation Academy for the Performing Arts, 1010 Madison St., received the top honor of “Outstanding Production Award” at the Junior Theater Festival
File phototle
Lead Singer Shiri Clay of Ovation Academy for the Performing Arts sings “Let It Go” from the Disney movie “Frozen.” earlier this month. Only six out of 46 programs received the honor. Ovation Academy’s winning troupe of young theatricals are Lucy Adams, Isabella Airato, Griffin Arnold, Quinn Creehan-Severino, Olivia Cruz, Megan Dauphinee, Mateo Haro, Grace Iverson, Maya Keane, Nolan Maddox, Hannah Mangan, Fiona Mitchell, Raj Mitra, Jojo and Lya Nabwangu, Hogan Porter, Kyler Rettberg, Oliver Schnizlein, Joe Scott, Ella Steffen and Rosie Zapata – all from Oak Park. Also in the troupe are Brody Freund from River Forest, as well as Forest Parkers Lily and Lucy Martens, Nialiah Togba and Emme Whitebone.
Stacey Sheridan
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Harambee
ALSO HAPPENING
Friday, Feb. 28, 6 to 9 p.m., Auditorium, Longfellow Elementary: Come to a black history celebration with an African market and a performance from 7 to 8 p.m. Free. Questions: kuumbakids2006@gmail.com. 715 S. Highland, Oak Park.
KidsFest Sunday, March 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oak Park Conservatory: Discover what all the buzz is about honey bees, beekeeping, and what makes them so special. All ages are welcome to learn with hands-on activities, a scavenger hunt and crafts. Brought by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory. Free. Register for a time slot: pdop.org/ events/kidsfest/. 615 Garfield St., Oak Park.
Dopamine: Close-up Magic with Jeanette Andrews Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, Feb. 29, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Pleasant Home: Be entertained with a contemporary magician who specializes in interactive, sensory illusions. $35; $30, members. Tickets: pleasanthome.org. 217 Home Ave., Oak Park.
Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest ‘Prism’ Concert Sunday, March 1, 4 p.m., Chapel, Concordia University Chicago: Hear Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola, and Orchestra in E-flat major and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 Pathétique with Maurice Boyer, conductor. Preconcert conversation at 3 p.m. Reception follows concert. Bring donations for The Animal Care League and/or eyeglasses for the Lions Club. $28; free, students. Tickets/more: SymphonyOPRF. org, 708-218-2648. 1124 Bonnie Brae Pl., River Forest.
LGBTQIA+ Youth and Ally Friendly Events at the Library
BIG WEEK February 26 - March 4
‘Chamber Music’
Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 29, and Sunday, March 1, 3 p.m., Lund Auditorium, Dominican University: See the student production of Arthur Kopit’s dark, absurdist comedy. Set in the ward of an insane asylum in 1938, the play focuses on eight women who are convinced they are historical figures. $18; $5, students. Tickets: events.dom. edu/chamber-music. 7900 W. Division St., River Forest.
Jazz & Friends Storytime and Craft Thursday, Feb. 27, 4 to 5 p.m., Storytime Room, Main Library: Each year, in honor of a Wisconsin community’s allyship with a young transgender girl who was bullied, communities take part in the Jazz & Friends National Day of School and Community Readings. I Am Jazz is authored by transgender advocate Jazz Jennings. In Oak Park, join in stories, songs and a craft. Books will celebrate trans identities and self-expression. Ages 3+.
Rainbow Reads Book Club Friday, Feb. 28, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Storytime Room, Main Library: Join a new book club for sixth to eighth graders who want to read and discuss books with LGBTQIA+ representation. February’s selection is Spinning by Tillie Walden. Snacks provided. 834 Lake St., Oak Park. More: oppl.org/ calendar.
Fun for a Cause
Bryan Collier: You Can Never Outgrow a Picture Book Wednesday, March 4, 6 p.m., Martin Recital Hall, Dominican University: Hear from the award-winning children’s book illustrator at the Butler Children’s Literature Center lecture. Known for combining watercolor and collage, Collier has illustrated books about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Thurgood Marshall and recently released The Five O’Clock Band (2018). Reception and book signing follow. Free. Register: events.dom.edu/butler-lecture-bryan-collier. 7900 W. Division St., River Forest.
Empty Bowls
Count Me In
Friday, Feb. 28, 6 to 8 p.m., Oak Park & River Forest High School: Warm up with soup from local businesses in hand-crafted bowls. Each participant takes a one-of-a kind bowl home. Proceeds benefit Beyond Hunger, Global Alliance for Africa and Housing Forward. $15, $10, students with ID. 201 N. Scoville Ave., Oak Park.
Wednesday, March 4, 7 to 8 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Learn “Everything You Need to Know About the 2020 Census” with Jay Young, executive director, Common Cause Illinois, and staff of the Oak Park Village Complete Count Committee. Bring questions to submit on cards for the speaker. Brought in partnership with the League of Women Voters. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.
Thursday, Feb. 27, 7 to 9 p.m., Trattoria 225: Raise a glass for The Day Nursery at a Community Wine Event. Proceeds raise funds to help young students at risk be 100 percent kindergarten ready. Event includes wine, heavy appetizers, a silent auction and raffle. $80. Tickets: facebook.com/events/2536639153280795. 225 Harrison, Oak Park. Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30 to 11 p.m., The Carleton Hotel: At Havana Nights, spice up your winter with dancing to Latin music by Frankie’s People, light bites and drinks, charitable casino-style gaming and silent auction all to support the community service projects of Oak Park Women’s Guild. $95 - $125. Tickets: opwghavananights. eventbrite.com. 1110 Pleasant St., Oak Park. Saturday, Feb. 29, 5:30 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Step back in time at the Prohibition Gala, which includes dinner, entertainment and an auction. Event benefits the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association. $125. Tickets: 708-386-2729. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park. Saturday, Feb. 29, 6 to 11 p.m., Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier: Help Housing Forward’s work to end homelessness at the Have-a-Heart Gala with host Jim O’Heir, Emmy-winning actor known for his role on Parks and Recreation. $250. Tickets/more: housingforward.org/events/2020-haveheart-gala. 840 E. Grand Ave., Chicago.
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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ART BEAT
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‘Mental massage’ at the poetry book club
t snowed. And, there was a mess up with the room reserved at the library. But nothing would dampen the spirits of the group who came with poetry on their minds, and cupcakes, chocolates and handmade valentines in hand. They were here for the monthly Poetry Book Club with Elizabeth Berg. ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer Some had books with a dozen sticky CON-VERSE-ING: Elizabeth Berg (center) leads a monthly poetry notes hanging out. It book club discussion, which has drawn people from as far away was all women who as Minnesota and Tennessee, at the Oak Park Public Library. showed up, 14 plus Berg, the New York The Oak Park group is a drop-in event. Times bestselling author and 20-year Oak Some come with friends or a sister. Some Park resident. Some said they already loved come on their own. Some never miss, like poetry when they began participating, oth- Carla Kanthak from Barrington, who calls ers are fans of the fiction writer and are the group a “charmed circle.” learning to admire the art form, especially “I have found there are things that resothe experience of sharing it and listening to nated with me even though I may not have how it affects others. known that poet beforehand, and I think “I was surprised that anyone came at all we’re all finding that,” Kanthak said. ”It because it is not the first thing you think truly is a respite from the world for one eveof for reading poetry,” Berg said of the first ning a month.” gathering in September. “I think a lot of peoThis month’s selection was Billy Collins’ ple who read poetry think of themselves as “Aimless Love.” Each woman took a turn rare birds. … It was a wonderful surprise for reading a poem she liked and talked briefly me to understand not only how many people on how she relates or feels about it. But that were already reading poetry, but how many wasn’t all. others were willing to give it a try and they Berg emailed the poet and Collins replied were surprised by how much they liked it.” with a message to the group. He also sent a The idea for a poetry book club was new poem, “Up Early in Key West,” which hatched by Berg, who reads poetry regularly Berg read at the end. After everyone read and thought this had not been done before. their selections, there was one last chance to “I’ve loved poetry since I was a little kid read another, if so driven. A few couldn’t reand I find that it really, almost more than any sist, those marked pages begging to be opened. other form, helps lift me up out from wherAt the poetry book club there is no criever I am,” she said. “These days, it’s really tique, analysis or dissection of the work. necessary for me to go away from where I “I look upon it as a mental massage and am in really fractious, difficult times.” you certainly do come out of these meetings Word gets out through Berg’s Facebook feelings better,” Berg said. page and the first event drew 30. They startIt was at a smattering of small tables sured by reading “Healing the Divide, Poems rounded by chairs on the second floor of the of Kindness and Connection,” an anthology library while awaiting a better room to open edited by James Crews. Before the end of that the group exchanged valentines and each gathering, the next book is selected. In chose the poetry book for the next meeting. past months they have read books by poets In January, poet Naomi Shihab Nye spoke Ted Koozer and Barbara Crooker. at Dominican University. When a poetry While some attendees come from a dis- book club member mentioned her work tance – a Minnesota visitor in February, a was next for the group, Nye recommended Tennessean last September -- some follow “Fuel” for the group. from afar, reading along and making treats on their own. The group meets the first Thursday of the Others are being inspired to start a club month at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 of their own, according to Berg, from a po- Lake Street. Next up, March 5, 7 to 9 p.m., etry book club in Seattle, to an existing book small meeting room. More on Facebook: @ club adding poetry books to the mix. bergbooks.
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Community journalism percolating
S
unday afternoon there was tremendous energy, some deserved tension, the inevitable worries but, overall, an invigorating energy as well over 200 Chicago journalists gathered at the Allegro Hotel for a reconvening of the Chicago Journalism Town Hall. A fascinating range of people from bold startups in neighborhoods the legacy press has either ignored or exploited, including The TriiBE, Block Club Chicago, the South Side Weekly and City Bureau, to leaders of legacy publications including the Sun-Times, Trib and Crain’s talking of reinvention using thin resources. Was fascinating to watch Trib publisher Bruce Dold awkwardly encounter Charlie Johnson, one of his own reporters and a leader of the newly formed union at the Trib at a moment of difficult negotiations. Among the 24 who were split on two panels were leaders of digital nonprofit startups ranging from the Chicago bureaus of growing national outlets, such as ProPublica and Chalkbeat, scrappy and essential longtime Chicago pubs including the Chicago Reporter, the Reader and the Chicago Crusader. Representing Oak Park on the panels, and
pardon me if I miss anyone’s local lineage, were Charlie Meyerson of Chicago Public Square, Louise Kiernan of ProPublica and Steve Edwards of WBEZ. There was, of course, talk about how to stay in business whether that business was organized as a for-profit or a nonprofit entity. While there was acknowledgement that those of us reporting the news, creating the content, have been and have allowed ourselves to be rolled by Facebook and Google (and other tech giants now in pre-roll mode) there was precious little hand-wringing, happily no nostalgia for days when the media was limited to a handful of outlets posting profit margins that were near obscene and thought innovation was mixing up the roster of comic strips. I’d attribute that forward-thinking on Sunday to the gratifying, powerful mix of people in the room. The energy of young people and their editorial entrepreneurialism, the primary role played by women in so many of these ventures, the strong voices of people of color. This was not the newspaper confabs I’ve endured where aging white guys (and I’m rais-
DAN HALEY
Democratic primary candidates for Congress, 7th District
d Civic an Council
Business
Danny K. Davis (Incumbent)
of Oak Park
ing my hand) pine for 1987. Central to the discussion Sunday was the preeminent need to tackle head-on the historic lack of diversity in our newsrooms and organizations, the failings of most news organizations to connect with communities of color, to listen to people who do not look like us. So much work to do. But to be in a room where these issues were so strongly addressed was liberating. So this seems like a good time to offer an update on all that we’ve been up to here at Wednesday Journal over the past year. We, along with our sister pubs Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review and RiversideBrookfield Landmark, have made the full conversion to a non-profit called Growing Community Media. That happened with the start of the year. The corporation, Wednesday Journal Inc., which a handful of us worked to launch in June 1980 did not quite make it to the 40th anniversary, but with this new project the work we do will continue. As far as we can tell, we are the first -- maybe the only -- for-profit, legacy print community news publisher to make this leap to a nonprofit. We are glad to have the Chicago Reader right behind us in the conversion process. And our cutting-edge status likely explains why the Illinois Press Association has slotted us to talk at its
annual conference this spring. This idea is percolating. Always worth noting that our strategy is to continue to grow in print, digital and social media. We will keep offering more and better marketing solutions to local businesses, keep selling subscriptions to keep the postal service in business, too. We are making active progress in raising funds for the nonprofit. Our goal for this year is $400,000. Not chump change. At GrowingCommunityMedia.org hit the button for Donor Transparency and you’ll find the names of the hundreds of friends and neighbors who have already jumped in to create this new model of independent community journalism. We’ve got $5 donors and we’ve got $5,000 donors. And, we’ll announce soon, our first major gift which will grow our newsroom and fund expanded reporting on equity and education. We’re looking to grow funding for that post as well as other new newsroom initiatives. While you are at GrowingCommunityMedia.org, I’d welcome and encourage you to hit the donate button and partner with us in this most Oak Park and River Forest thing: Investing and sustaining in what connects us. Want to talk with me about all this? Connect at dhaley@wjinc.com. My cell is 708-268-1440.
Candidates Forum sponsored by the Business and Civic Council of Oak Park
Anthony Clark
Kina Collins
Kristine Schanbacher
Friday, March 6 • Carleton Hotel Doors open at 7:30 a.m., with a complimentary Continental breakfast The program runs from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Candidates will discuss their qualifications, policy positions and legislative priorities.
Bring your questions!
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Thursday, March 5, 2020
MICHAEL ROMAIN/Staff
JUSTICE IS EQUITY: Attorney Andrea Lewis, far left, with members of Karen Daniel’s family. They accepted the Paul Harris Fellowship recognition on Daniel’s behalf from Chuck Corrigan, Rotary International District 6450’s governor designate (third from right), Osei David Andrews-Hutchinson (second from right) and Talei Thompson.
Area Rotary Clubs talk ‘Just Mercy’, honor Karen Daniel By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
On Feb. 22, the Rotary Clubs of Maywood, Proviso Township, Cicero, Stickney, Berwyn and Oak Park-River Forest hosted a screening of the new movie “Just Mercy” followed by a panel discussion on a flawed criminal justice system— a theme that dominated the film and the life of the late Oak Park attorney Karen L. Daniel, on whom Rotary posthumously bestowed one of its highest honors. “[Daniel’s] work, in my estimation, is part of African American history,” said Talei Thompson, the assistant district governor of Rotary International District 6450, which includes the above Rotary Clubs. Thompson presented members of Daniel’s family with the Paul Harris Fellowship recognition, which they accepted on her behalf. “I thank her so much for being a champion, freeing individuals who were wrongly convicted. Individuals from my community — both the South and West Sides of Chicago,” said Thompson, a native of North Lawndale. “I think that it’s worth being in history books that children should be reading about for decades to come.” Daniel, 62, died last December, when she was struck by a car while walking her dog in Oak Park. She had retired as co-director of Northwestern University Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions the year of her death. According to the center’s biography of Daniel, at least 20 of her clients were exonerated or freed from prison. Rotary created the Harris Fellowship recognition in 1957 to recognize “individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International,” according to the organization’s website. The foundation supports a range of philanthropic efforts around the world, such as providing medical services and treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria.
During Saturday’s panel discussion, Rotarians and other community members reflected on their own experiences with a criminal justice system that ensnared Walter McMillan, an African American man who was wrongfully convicted of a 1986 murder in Alabama. The film “Just Mercy” dramatizes the effort of Bryan Stevenson, McMillan’s young defense attorney, to appeal McMillan’s conviction. The movie is based on Stevenson’s 2014 memoir of the same name. Osei David Andrews-Hutchinson, the former governor of Rotary International District 6450, said the film underscored for him an often overlooked aspect of police brutality, which he said is a form of terrorism. Once, Atlanta police pulled a gun on Stevenson, who is black. The young attorney, then in his 20s, was simply sitting outside of his home listening to the radio. “I think we need to start naming it as that,” said Andrews-Hutchinson, who said the film’s dramatization of moments like that one resonated with him, because he’s experienced them himself. “As an African American male, when I’m stopped by the police and when I encounter those situations, I’m being put in a terrorist situation … Unfortunately, we only see terrorism one way in this country, but there is terrorism that happens on a daily basis in a number of our concerns, but it’s never labeled as that.” Xavier Ramey, the CEO and lead strategist of Justice Informed — a Chicago-based consulting firm that specializes in social justice issues — put forth an “invitation to justice” that he said, “too many people are declining.” Andrea Lewis, a Northwestern law professor affiliated with the Center on Wrongful Convictions and one of the day’s panelists, said that Daniel was her teacher and mentor. When prompted by Ramey to define what justice means to her, Lewis said “justice is earning an equitable result.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
7 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. Oak Park Public Library, Main Library, Veterans Room 834 Lake Street, Oak Park
WHAT ABOUT US?
For Family, Friends and Loved Ones of People with Addictions
Mary Ann Daly, MA, LCPC
This presentation is for the family, friends, and loved ones of someone with alcoholism or other addictions. This talk will help you better understand how addiction shapes and affects YOU. You will learn that often the very things we attempt to do to help the alcoholic or addict don’t work; in fact, more often than not, they enable their addictions and get in the way of recovery. You will come away from this evening with useful information and suggestions for coping with the exhausting, heartbreaking, and crazy-making challenges that accompany loving an addict. Most importantly you will understand how your own self-care can make a meaningful impact in helping your loved one get better. Please join us to access the help and promise of hope you deserve! Mary Ann Daly, MA, LCPC is a practicing psychotherapist in Chicago with more than 30 years of experience. Mary Ann’s areas of expertise include addiction, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and trauma and recovery. Mary Ann obtained her Masters in Counseling and Psychology from Lesley University. Mary Ann authored Our Time is Now: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Life and World You Will Love. Throughout her career she has led various workshops and retreats designed to help participants explore and enrich their lives emotionally and spiritually.
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Sunday, March 1, 4pm Maurice Boyer, conductor
Concordia University Chapel MOZART
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major John Gerson, violin, Uli Widmaier, viola
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 Pathétique
Pre-Concert Conversation at 3pm with David Leehey. Free parking in the parking structure located at 1124 N. Bonnie Brae Place (one block west of Harlem Avenue between Division and Thomas Streets) in River Forest. Chapel just west of garage exit. Tickets are $30 at the door ($28 when ordered online through SymphonyOPRF.org). Students through college are free For more information email TheSymphonyOPRF@gmail.com or call 708-218-2648. Please bring donations(cash or items) for the Animal Care League.
Restaurateurs react to proposed plastics ban By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats
Oak Park is poised to ban single-use plastics and polystyrene foam containers in Oak Park restaurants, after village trustees approved a plan presented by the Environment and Energy Commission on Feb. 10. The commission would like to see a law banning single-use plastics to take effect in concert with Earth Day in July. Highlights of the proposal include defining and subsequently banning all “single-use plastics” from restaurants, taking money from the Sustainability Fund to offer restaurants a one-time $200 incentive to help with conversion costs, orchestrating a “soft implementation” period to help restaurants adjust and introducing noncompliance fines. “There was no business representation at the hearing and that was unfortunate,” said Environment and Energy Commissioner Laura Derks. Several local restaurant owners had varied reactions and opinions regarding the potential ban. Some were not ready to speak publicly about it. However, most owners were unaware of the proposed ban. All were in favor of green initiatives, but many worried about an ordinance being punitive. Trattoria 225 owner Bill Quick said he tries to do the right things for the environment and his customers, but thinks village trustees and commissioners do not understand how their decisions impact small businesses -- especially independent restaurants with tight profit margins. “The idea of a $200 rebate is insulting, really,” said Quick, “especially when all the policies that affect restaurants, from liquor licenses to sidewalk fees are always going up in Oak Park.” Trattoria 225 has voluntarily eliminated all Styrofoam from operations and has curbed the use of single-use straws by 80 percent just by asking customers if they would like one. The bags the establishment uses for to-go orders, however, cost less than half a cent each; replacing those bags with a paper equivalent would raise the cost per unit to 10 cents or more, said Quick. Carry-out and delivery orders account for approximately 10 percent of Trattoria 225’s business. “This is a tough business in Oak Park,” said Quick. “I would like to see the village work with restaurants to help change habits rather than just handing down ordinances that cost us more money without our input.” Derks said she recognizes such an ordinance would represent a “culture shift” for restaurants and patrons. She suggested restaurants “should raise their prices” to ease the burden of added expenses the ordinance may cause eateries. “The proposed ordinance had broad support on the board,” said Derks, “but the board also understands the need for input from restaurants to define the ordinance.” Kettlestrings Tavern co-owner Rob Guen-
thner chimed in via email saying, “If passed, a proposed plastics ban in Oak Park, while disruptive to historical operating methodologies and impacting operating returns, is an operating challenge that can and will be overcome with innovation and ingenuity. There simply is no other choice because, as a business, we ultimately must deliver what our customers demand and desire.” Michelle Mascaro of The Happy Apple made eco-conscious choices when building her business and suggested cooperative economics could help restaurants get on board with the ordinance should it pass. “For places that will be challenged to retrofit their takeout packaging, I can see how it will require rethinking,” wrote Mascaro via email. “We are Oak Park, so why not do something creative and different? Food businesses might consider ordering together in bulk to substantially reduce costs. This is a concept to be explored.” The Environment and Energy Commission put a year and a half of research into their recommendation. Derks indicated the commission knows education will be an essential part of implementation but opted to recommend a strong ordinance banning single use plastics, because voluntary efforts were not working effectively to curb their use in restaurants. Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb, who owns a restaurant in Oak Park, cast the lone vote against drafting the proposed ordinance. He is supportive of an educational program, resolution or proclamation encouraging ecoconscious practices in Oak Park restaurants but does not see how this ordinance could be enforced village wide. He openly questioned who would be responsible for inspecting restaurants’ supply purchases. “We only have one planet and I am the first person to say green choices are the best choices,” said Abu-Taleb of the proposed ban, “but I will not support any ordinance that makes restaurant owners intimidated to do business in Oak Park.” Abu Taleb said his own restaurant, Maya Del Sol, is largely compliant with the proposed ban. He noted, however, this type of ordinance would not impact operations at premium casual restaurants in the same way it could potentially impact fast food establishments. The mayor went on to indicate that Oak Park has more supply than demand when it comes to available restaurant spaces. AbuTaleb is convinced those vacancies are a result of the high taxes and regulations small businesses face in the village. “People who don’t have small businesses don’t understand what small businesses go through,” said Abu-Taleb. “They have changes coming at them all the time from local and nonlocal agencies and all levels of government.” Restaurants should expect to receive information about the proposed ordinance and a request for feedback from the village in the coming weeks.
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
HOW TO BECOME EVEN BETTER PARENTS OF TEENS
Facilitated by Steven Parker, LMFT with Co-Facilitator Kristen Keleher, LCPC ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
FIRED UP: Peter Pilafas, deputy fire chief of operations, shows the area where the firefighters sleep and work out at Fire Station 3 on East Avenue in Oak Park. The area shows the lack of privacy for the firefighters.
East and Ike fire station gets first upgrade since 1961
Out of the total 6,200-square-foot station, 2,100 square feet will be remodeled By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
To modernize its amenities, the Oak Park Fire Department’s south station, 515 Garfield St., will undergo significant renovations to its south side, which encompasses bathrooms, sleeping quarters and the work out facility. “There hasn’t been any remodeling of that section for 59 years. It’s mostly all original,” said Deputy Fire Chief Peter Pilafas. Opened on Jan. 15, 1961, the station has received very minimal updates since. “Due to the age of the building, once we start remodeling, we’re not sure what we’re going to uncover,” Pilafas said. The village has allocated $150,000 from its capital improvement budget for the fire station’s renovation. “We appreciate the village’s support in going through this project,” Pilafas said. Out of 6,200 square feet, 2,100 will be remodeled. The planned renovations include building gender-neutral bathrooms. The updated station will have three separate bath-
rooms complete with new plumbing and fixtures. “We don’t have any facilities for women,” Pilafas said. “This is a great time for us to make accommodations for the future.” The fire department does not currently have any women firefighters or paramedics. The department’s last female retired in 2017. “We’re trying to bring it up to date and modernize it,” he said. “This is going to be an entire remodel and reconfiguration.” Currently the south side of the station is broken up into three rooms: the bunk room and weight room, a very small locker room, and then one big bathroom. “There’s really very limited privacy there,” Pilafas said. “That fire station, at times, has up to five individuals.” Bids from contractors are due March 6. Then the fire department will review them, which Pilafas expects to take a few weeks. Pending village board approval, Pilafas thinks a contractor will be selected in maybe April or May. He hopes the work will start this summer. The fire department cannot estimate how long the renovation process will take until it receives and reviews contractor bids. For those concerned with how the renovation may affect the department’s ability to fight fires, Pilafas offered some comfort: “Rest assured that that station will remain open and functioning during this project.”
WHO:
For parents of teens who want to create a kinder and more respectful family culture and enhance their relationships with their children. In this interactive format, participants will learn from each other while gaining skills to understand the difference between a reaction and a response and replace emotional surges with responses that communicate their wisdom.
WHAT:
A series of three, 2-hour workshops for $150 per person or $200 per couple. Groups will be limited to 10-20 participants and will be interactive in nature, using role plays, simulation, and discussion. Attendance at all three workshops is preferred.
WHERE: Thrive Counseling Center, 120 S. Marion St., Oak Park WHEN:
7 pm-9 pm on Thursdays (March 12, April 9 and April 30)
HOW:
Contact Kristen Keleher, LCPC (kkeleher@thrivecc. org 708.383.7500 X206) with questions and Wynne Lacey (wlacey@thrivecc.org | 708.383.7500 X111) to register.
*If you are an interested parent of younger children, please contact us!.
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120 South Marion Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-7500 www.thrivecc.org
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Oak Park takes next step toward police station upgrade New construction or renovation both come with $40M-plus cost
said. “We will work to give the board options to meet what their goals are in a fiscally responsible manner.” Police Chief LaDon Reynolds, and multiple of his predecessors, have argued that the current facility has been outdated for decades. Located in the basement of village By STACEY SHERIDAN hall at Madison Street and Lombard Avenue, Staff Reporter the police station has hardly changed since There was wide agreement Feb. 18 on Oak its 1975 construction as part of a statementPark’s village board that the current police making village hall complex. “Policing is a lot different than it was 40 station, housed in the basement of village hall on Madison Street, is obsolete, over- years ago when the structure downstairs crowded and, in many ways, an unhealthy was built,” Reynolds said. “As far as moving work environment. By a 6-1 vote, the board the police department forward into the 21st agreed to move from last fall’s study of po- century, I think it’s imperative that we plan tential space needs for the police depart- for the future,” said Reynolds in his presenment to spending $322,600 to fund architec- tation to the board. “FGM identified some tural proposals for three options to remake very serious life safety issues downstairs in the basement,” Reynolds said. the department’s space. Back in November, Louise ■ A full renovation of the curKowalczyk of FGM Architects rent 35,000 square foot facility dubbed the police station an “un■ Renovation and an expanhealthy environment.” FGM presion of the facility sented four possible options re■ A new police station at an ungarding the police station: leave determined site it as is, renovate the station, The space study undertaken build a completely new facilby FGM Architects in 2019 conity or renovate and add onto the cluded the department would current station. The firm recomneed 78,000 square feet to operate mended that the village build a efficiently and to solve current new facility or renovate and add police safety issues. onto the old one. In its presentation to the vilAt the Feb. 18 meeting, Trustee lage board, FGM representaDeno Andrews readily gave his tives estimated that renovatsupport for the agreement with ing and expanding the current FGM, saying, “I look forward to space would cost between $41 their expertise to help us decide and $44 million. Building a new what is in the best interest of the police station off site would village in a new, modernized or cost between $42 and $45 milfixed up police facility.” lion. That does not include the Citing the current station’s cost of a suitable piece of land, JIM TAGLIA health and safety issues, Trustee said Village Manager Cara PavTrustee Jim Taglia gave his support as licek. well. “It’s a serious situation,” Land purchase would add to he said. “I’m ready to move forthe cost, “unless someone wantward.” ed to give us land,” said Pavlicek. Trustee Susan Buchanan called the cur“Anything’s possible.” The village manager could not give an rent state of the police station “appalling in estimate of what the entire project would terms of health and safety of the workers cost also noting that the village board would and the dignity of detainees.” Outside of her work as a village trustee, need to decide how environmentally sustainable it would expect the police station Dr. Buchanan is associate director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine to be. “Right now, the only thing the board has Residency Program at the University of Ilcommitted to is the $322,600 and they’ve al- linois at Chicago. Trustee Dan Moroney also gave his supready spent $53,000 to get the space needs assessment,” Pavlicek said. “We’re really port but told Reynolds to employ fiscal reearly in this journey and I think it’s impos- straint when possible. Arti Walker-Peddakotla was the sole board sible for me to say, ‘Here’s an approximate project cost,’ because I don’t know what they member not in favor of improving police facilities. “I can’t in good conscience vote afboard will do.” Pavlicek said the village’s finance depart- firmatively on this item,” she said. Walker-Peddakotla believes the funding ment would strategize to find the best fiscal approach to fund the project. “We know we going toward the police station should go cannot do this and create a tax burden,” she toward something that would benefit the
“It’s a serious situation. I’m ready to move forward.”
youth of Oak Park. “I don’t think one negates the other,” said Trustee Simone Boutet. “I think we need to do both.” Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb said the health issues within the station “required the village to move with a sense of urgency.” In a 6-1 vote, the board approved entering the design agreement but made no decisions regarding which route to take in upgrading police facilities, nor have any renderings been created. Pavlicek said the board will not make any major decisions quickly. “They’re not going to in one day say, ‘Go build this,’” Pavlicek said. The board will have public discussions with the architect firm and the police department to identify the biggest areas of concern and receive more pinpointed cost estimates. “The village board is going to schedule a public meeting in the next 45 days and at that meeting, they will have a conversation with the architect about options to address, space needs in the police facility and review in detail the space needs assessment,” said Pavlicek. “I would hope after that public meeting, the board would provide staff some consensus of what they want further information on,” Pavlicek said. Antiquated and cramped, the station poses risks to health and safety for both officers and detainees. While the detainment cells contain some anti-ligature features, there are still elements that hinder suicide prevention. The windowless station also has inadequate space to transfer detainees and its sally port doubles as storage. The entry to the booking room has stairs, a tripping hazard. The booking room itself is narrow and cramped, making it difficult for officers to safely restrain detainees. The current station has insubstantial room to hold evidence. The police lockers cannot store all the equipment officers are required to have. The station also has major accessibility problems. The building has poor airflow with inefficient heating and cooling. Pavlicek expects the village will have planning information in the next six months, but a big part of the discussion with the architect will be spent talking about financial capacity. Those interested can view the results of the space needs assessment on the village website. The communications staff plans to post a video for public to see what the station looks like. In-person tours of the police station are also available. What’s most important, Pavlicek said, is the board is making progress in addressing the police station’s condition.
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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
ECHO CENTER
African-American community that stood there first.” Lipo, who co-authored Suburban Promised Land, the 2009 book about the first 100 years of Oak Park’s African American community, said he wasn’t aware of any other Mt. Carmel-like space in Oak Park, where African Americans can “meet and have a presence and come together,” where they can set the terms of understanding and fellowship — until he heard about The Echo Center last week. “It must have been powerful to have a place to come together as your own during a time when racism and prejudice was particularly heinous,” Lipo said. “It will be interesting to see the parallels as the Echo Center evolves.”
Shifting power from page 1
Moments after stepping out of the Ruby Bridges Family Lounge — a colorful space featuring orange walls and a tie-dye-colored rug that has the feel of a Montessori classroom — Maui Jones, the center’s inaugural executive director, said that the space should allow marginalized people in the community an area to practice selfempowerment and just be themselves. “All of those elements — storytelling, activism, organization and community — are about recapturing that spirit of the Civil Rights movement, recapturing that spirit of civil disobedience and empowering each other; not waiting for someone else to tell us that we’re good and pat us on the head, but to empower ourselves,” he said. “That’s what this is all about.” Francis said the center has been open since late last year but doesn’t have regular hours yet. The board is currently fundraising in the hopes of garnering enough money to bring Jones on full-time by the spring, which would allow for scheduled hours, regular programming and enhanced community access. In the meantime, there’s plenty of activity at the center, which has partnered so far with a range of area organizations, including the Echo Theater Collective, One Earth Film Festival, Success of All Youth, Race Conscious Dialogues, Revolutionary Oak Park Youth Action League, Oak Park Call to Action, Ase Productions, Reparations Working Group of Euclid Ave. UMC, Live Cafe, Black Residents of Oak Park and Workout Warriors, among others. There have been parent meetings and visioning sessions and, most recently, a Uniquely You Tea Party. In the future, Jones envisions a podcast and music classes, among many other possibilities that the community can collectively imagine for the space. The tea party, held Feb. 23, is emblematic of why the center exists. The party offered “a safe space for girls that identify as members of the African diaspora, ages 8-11 to share their stories,” according to a Facebook description of the event posted by Ase Productions Inc., the nonprofit that planned the tea. “It is designed to strengthen the social and emotional development of pre-adolescent, girls that may have been effected by systems of oppression and colorism, under the guidance of intelligent, self-actualized, professional, women from the Oak Park community,” the nonprofit explained.
The Echo’s antecedent? “Around here, are there really places that are gathering spots for black residents that while not exclusively for black residents, are comfortable spaces that are focused on their needs?” Frank Lipo, the executive director of the Historical Society of Oak
No strings attached
Photos courtesy The Echo Center
BUILDING A HOME: The Echo Center’s board includes Ana Garcia Doyle, Linda Francis, Maui Jones, Stacey Austin and Dot Lambshead Roche. The space features multipurpose rooms named after iconic people of color. There’s the Audre Lorde Library (middle left), the Ruby Bridges Family Lounge (middle right) and the Celia Cruz room. Park and River Forest, asked aloud during an interview last week. Lipo hadn’t heard of The Echo Center, but he is familiar with what may be its closest progenitor — the Mt. Carmel Colored Baptist Church. Built in 1905 after a battle between the congregation and “concerned” white homeowners who didn’t want a black church in their neighborhood, Mt. Carmel was the most the significant communal space for the village’s burgeoning black community. The church, located at 1138 Westgate, was the site of political mobilization, spiritual renewal and social bonding. Writing in Wednesday Journal in 2005, local historian Doug Deuchler wrote that the church “was a busy, active congregation,”
where potlucks and musicals took place every Thursday evening “because that was when cooks, servants and coachmen had their one night a week off.” But as Oak Park’s downtown emerged during the 1920s economic boom, Mt. Carmel and the “colored neighborhood” that surrounded it were in the path of development. “After several mysterious fires, the church was sold and razed,” Deuchler wrote. “The clapboard cottages and rooming houses were bulldozed. Many of the church members moved to Maywood; some settled in the city. “During 1930, the area where Mt. Carmel stood was developed as an ‘Old English’ shopping district (Westgate),” Deuchler wrote. “There is no trace of the early
Mt. Carmel may not have been built if Elijah Hoard hadn’t left a small lot to his maid, “a member of the Mt. Carmel congregation, who in turn sold it to the church for $1,000,” according to Suburban Promised Land. The church broke ground thanks to the “the proceeds from the sale of the Chicago Avenue lot, contributions from members, support from black Baptist churches in Chicago, and assistance from white Oak Parkers like flamboyant millionaire John Farso.” Similarly, The Echo Center wouldn’t have materialized if not for the support of Sally Stovall, the prominent Oak Park activist who died last May. “Last spring, Sally came to me to pick my brain about where I thought there might be an opportunity to support folks of color,” Francis recalled. “She belonged to Euclid Avenue’s Reparations Working Group and they were in the process of figuring out how they might support blacks in the community and were talking about this need to have space.” Francis told Stovall about the need for a space where older young people can go after school. At the time, Euclid Avenue’s second floor space was vacant after the church’s former tenant, the nonprofit New Moms, moved to another space. Stovall said that the Reparations Working Group might have seed funding, as well. She vowed to pass the idea on to her colleagues in the group. “The next week, Sally passed and so we didn’t know for a while if she had been able to share that information with the group, but it turned out, she had,” Francis said. “That summer, I ran into Maui at the Juneteenth celebration and asked him to follow up on it. He did.” “I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” said Jones, the founder of the Echo Theater Collective, which is based in Oak Park and Forest Park, and “designed to promote unity and cultural understanding in our community using theater and music,” according to its website. The theater is not formally affiliated with the center. Jones said he had twice unsuccessfully pitched what was essentially something of a blueprint for The Echo Center at the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s Continued on facing page
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Continued from facing page Big Idea competition, which awards $50,000 grants to local organizations dedicated to community improvement. Jones also posted what he called his manifesto on Facebook, which outlined his vision for a community center premised on the needs and wants of people of color. “And then I had a personal tragedy,” he said. “My daughter-to-be died about halfway through the pregnancy and I went into this pretty dark place for a while. And then this past June was like the first time I had really come out of the house and I saw Linda at this Juneteenth celebration. She was asking me how the community center dream was going and I hadn’t been working on it. Then she told me about these conversations she was having with Sally Stovall, who died like the same week my daughter passed.” During the encounter, Jones said, something “clicked in my head and pulled me out of my funk. This project in a very real way saved me.” Jones pitched his vision to members of Euclid Avenue church and its trustee board, who connected him to the church’s Reparations Working Group. “They said, ‘Yeah, that sounds amazing,’ and they cut a check for $18,000. No strings. No reporting. Here’s an $18,000 check to do the work on your terms, on the terms of you and your board. That’s how much they trust not just us specifically, but marginalized communities, in general, to have the
Photos by Paul Goyette
FEELING EMPOWERED: Young women of color gather around Juanta Griffin during the Uniquely You Tea Party, held at The Echo Center on Sunday. competence to advocate for themselves and that is revolutionary.” Dot Lambshead Roche, a member of the Reparations Working Group and an Echo Center board member, said the multiracial group raised funds within the Euclid Avenue church community that “went above and beyond people’s pledges.” The group had been meeting each Sunday and asking some tough questions about how to disperse the funds. “The money came in, but we had some pretty clear language around what this is,”
Roche said. “I believe that it’s, first and foremost, like wages owed. When someone wins a settlement and is awarded a sum of money, no one gets to tell them what to do with the money. It’s their money. Communities impacted by racism know what they need and can make the best decisions on how to use money, which is why I believe that reparations is a critical financial component of justice.” Roche helps lead Race Conscious Dialogues, an affinity group that meets
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regularly in the center and is a partner organization. The group helps whites address their own racism and biases. Roche said that she’s clear about her role as a white ally in The Echo Center’s ecosystem. “The important thing is that we are included into the space,” she said. “This is not for us. I feel honored to be included in this space, but I have a high degree of mindfulness around who it is designed for, who it’s centering, who it’s uplifting and who it’s celebrating. It’s flipping the power dynamics we often see around the word inclusion. When you do a power analysis around the word inclusion, who is doing the including? It’s often people who are white who are including folks of color and other marginalized identities.” Jones said the center is currently focused on raising the necessary funds it will take to adequately staff the center, so that it keeps regular hours and can operate a slate of programming that he said will be decided by whatever community members say they need. “Our youth of color are the very, very center of what we’re doing,” Jones said. “They’re at the top of the food chain here. And those who are used to being at the top of the food chain are at the bottom and you have to learn to be OK with that.” The board has created a GoFundMe page. As of Feb. 25, the center had raised roughly $4,000 of its $25,000 goal. To donate, visit: bit. ly/384I9iE. For more information on The Echo Center, visit: www.echocc.org/. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
Before first meeting, RF deer committee will add 2 members September target for report on deer management By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter
The issue of deer management in River Forest continued down its already contentious path Feb. 24 when the village board voted 5-1 to approve village President Cathy Adduci’s appointment of 11 members to a newly formed deer management ad hoc committee but informally agreed to add two more members. The ad hoc committee is scheduled to meet for the first time at 7 p.m. tonight in the Community Room of Village Hall, 400 Park Ave., with Trustees Tom Cargie and Patty Henek as co-chairs. Don Hollenbach, Cathleen Hughes, Dawn Mizgala, Ronald Lemar, John Roeger, Annette Madden, Ingrid Liu, Katharine Christmas, Joel Lueking, Laurie Gillard and John Flynn were selected from 30 applicants. The committee’s purpose is to draft a community survey and review results; research alternative ways to manage/reduce deer conflicts; plan at least one community forum to educate residents on the importance of a deer management program; and prepare a writ-
ten report with the committee’s findings and recommendations to the village president and village board regarding deer management strategies to use in the village. During the citizen comment portion of the Feb. 24 meeting, five residents criticized the selection process in general and Adduci in particular, leading officials to informally agree to vote to add two more members at the next village board meeting March 9. The board agreed to create the committee Jan. 13 after deciding to not pursue a deer culling contract with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and approved the committee’s formal creation Jan. 27. Officials were originally set to vote on a deer-culling contract in November but, when a large group of residents from both sides of the issue came out, the board agreed to suspend the vote. While they agreed to form the task force, they postponed the discussion of any specifics until a later date. At the time, it was understood that there would be no further vote until the task force had a chance to consider the issue. But after a prolonged discussion, a majority of the board agreed in December to vote on the culling agreement in January, while still working to form the task force. In recent years, deer sightings have been
on the rise, and the village has been getting an increasing number of complaints about landscaping damage, tick-borne diseases and deer droppings in resident yards. The residents who spoke Feb. 24 expressed concerns regarding the balance of the committee and accused Adduci of appointing residents who support culling. They said the committee was not geographically balanced and questioned why residents who had presented their own research on deer management when speaking at previous meetings were not represented. “I stand by my appointments,” Adduci said. “I came up with what I believe is the best fit.” She defended her process of making the committee appointments, noting it was the same process that she has used over the past seven years. She also said she was on a tight schedule, needing to choose 11 from a group of 30 before the agenda was posted on Feb. 20, which was less than two days after the application deadline of Feb. 18. “I think I did my job and did it well given the time constraints,” she said. Adduci encouraged those who spoke to stay involved as the committee works toward making formal recommendations in September. “I know this is difficult,” she added. “We are all very passionate about doing what’s best for our community. I wish we could in-
clude all 30 on the committee but we are limited to 11.” Trustee Katie Brennan suggested adding two residents to the committee. “Over the past six months, we listened to residents,” she said. “Without input from residents we would not be the well-informed board that we are. I was surprised and disappointed that this group was not represented. “Nobody is disappointed that they personally were not selected but that nobody from this group was selected.” Trustee Bob O’Connell opposed adding to the committee and indicated he would vote against expanding the committee March 9. “We had an option of nine, 11 or 13,” he said. “We chose 11. “I just want to see people come together. The task force should take input from others.” Brennan cast the only negative vote. “I voted no because I opposed the makeup,” she said, explaining that she was not opposed to any individuals who were selected. After the meeting, Adduci said she was “encouraged” with 30 applicants. “The best thing is the majority of the board approved it,” she added. “That was the right thing to do. “I’m excited. Eleven plus two is a nice complement. The committee is open to all. We welcome everybody.”
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
For complete program descriptions, visit www.nineteenthcentury.org
Monday Afternoon Programs March 2 – 1:15 p.m. Made in Chicago: The Windy City’s Manufacturing Heritage Author Austin Weber will examine the important role manufacturing played in the development and growth of Chicagoland during the 19th and 20th centuries. March 9 – 1:15 p.m. Pinched Paintings: Art Heists in Art History Dr. Michelle Mishur will shed light on some of history’s most notorious art heists, some that have been solved and others that still remain open. March 16 – 1:15 Casting an Historic Vote Prior to 1920, American women were denied the vote in most elections. Fighting for enfranchisement was not a unified strategy among suffragists. The path to women’s suffrage was infused with competing ideologies and widely diverse stakeholders. Jeanne Schultz Angel is an historian and Illinois Humanities Road Scholar.
March 23 – 1:15 p.m. Give My Regards to Broadway! Since Show Boat debuted over 50 years ago, the “book musical” became one of America’s greatest storytelling devices. Tenor Ryan Morton and baritone Steve Becker will perform some of the genre’s best songs featuring the heroes and villains of Broadway, accompanied by pianist Hayden Ashley. March 30 – 1:15 p.m. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig exploded For 87 days, more than 210 million gallons of crude oil spewed into the Gulf of Mexico. Jim Brinkman represented the EPA and NOAA on the response and natural resource damage assessment. He will present the enormity of the challenge to monitor and evaluate recovery processes and the extent of damages to the flora and fauna of the area.
COST: $15 requested donation for nonmembers for each program. LUNCH: precedes Monday programs at 12 p.m., $25 for non-members, RSVP required –all are welcome!
Evening & Weekend Events HAPPY HOUR MIND BOGGLES Thursday, March 12 – 6 - 8 p.m. The Electoral College: Relevant or Obsolete? Joyce Williams of the League of Woman Voters of Illinois will lead a discussion on this timely topic. The Free Readers Ensemble Sunday, March 15 – 3 p.m. Barrymore by William Luce Director: Mercita DeMuynck Free Readers.com
English Country Dance Monday, March 16 – 7 - 10 p.m. English Country Dance is a social dance with a long history and a vibrant modern presence. Dances are taught and called, and frequently accompanied by live music. No partner needed, no experience necessary.
Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 708-386-2729
Cop oversight board adds African-American member Curtis Lott received unanimous approval from Oak Park village board By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Oak Park Citizen Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) gained a new commissioner in Curtis Lott Feb. 18. Following the tumultuous appointment of Jack Powers to CPOC earlier this month, it was all smooth sailing for Lott, who received unanimous approval from the village board. “I look forward to the opportunity to hopefully be able to give some input that is helpful and can be used in a progressive way,” Lott said. Before Lott’s appointment to the sevenmember commission, CPOC only had one commissioner of color, something that raised eyebrows considering the historically troubled relationship in America between police and people of color. “As an African American, I do have a different view because my experiences are different,” Lott said in an interview with the Journal. “The experiences that an African American has had with police is different than the experiences that a Caucasian has had.” According to Lott, the greater AfricanAmerican community distrusts the police. Accepting that people of color and white people have different experiences with police, Lott believes, is crucial in moving forward. “I don’t think we need to ignore it; we don’t need to argue. We need to accept it and once it’s accepted, then we change it,” he said. As a CPOC commissioner, Lott plans to listen to all sides of each matter from a perspective of understanding, not bias. “I’m not coming in with the approach of criticizing,” he said. “My dad always told me, ‘There’s always three sides to every story: your side, my side and what really happened.’” Lott believes his experiences and his openminded personality may benefit CPOC. “I’m accustomed to adversity and I try to understand your perspective of it,” he said. “You can’t get anywhere until you accept each view. Once you accept their views, then you come up with a resolution.” For Lott, understanding is the key to success while working in a group. “You have to move from the ‘me and I’ to the ‘we and us,’” he said. “When you do that, your directives are different because you’re not just looking at what I want; you’re looking at what we need to make this relationship work.”
Photo provided
“As an African-American, I do have a different view because my experiences are different. The experiences that an African American has had with police is different than the experiences that a Caucasian has had.” CURTIS LOTT
New police oversight commissioner
Lott came to Oak Park 1983. Not long after, he met his wife. The couple has two sons, one of whom owns Cajun Boil & Bar, 1109 South Blvd. His other son is a first responder in New Jersey. In addition to CPOC, Lott serves on the Citizen Involvement Commission and has for the past two years. He believes that people cannot come to an understanding without listening to each other. “Everybody wants to be heard, but no one wants to listen,” he said. “When I listen, I digest what you say, and it changes my perspective toward you and the situation.”
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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C R I M E
Three armed robberies in less than a week
Three armed robberies, including one at a bank, took place in Oak Park over a fiveday time period. The first occurred Feb. 19 at 10:20 a.m. when two men got out of a tan vehicle and approached the victim in the 1100 block of Home Avenue. One of them showed a silver handgun and demanded the victim’s property, while the other took the victim’s Samsung cell phone, wallet and a purple and gold hat from the victim’s coat pocket. The two men fled in the tan vehicle driven by a young woman. Police describe the men as being black, about 140 lbs. and approximately 19 to 20 years old. The man with the gun a had a tattoo on his right hand, was dark skinned and was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket with red stripes on the sleeves and a black mask. The other man was about 5 feet 10 inches, light skinned and last seen wearing a black hat, black jacket and tan pants. Police estimate the victim’s loss as $525. ■ PNC Bank, 6621 North Ave., was robbed by a gun-toting man Feb. 21. at 4:32 p.m. The man showed a black semi-automatic handgun and demanded money, then fled from the scene with $2,200 in cash. The entire incident lasted two minutes. According to the police description, the man is black, of thin build and around 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing light blue jeans, a black Nike hooded sweatshirt and a black skull cap. ■ The third armed robbery happened Feb. 23 at 7-Eleven, 661 South Blvd., when two men with covered faces entered the business. One showed a silver handgun and demanded money. The two men fled with $500 in cash. Police describe the man with the gun as being black, 5 feet 6 inches tall, of thin build and wearing a black scarf over his mouth and nose, a tan winter jacket with the hood up, dark jeans, white gym shoes, a red glove on his right hand and a gray glove on his left. The second man is described as black, 6 feet tall and thin. He wore a black ski mask, black winter jacket, white and black tennis shoes, black jeans and black gloves.
Strong arm robbery While on the train, a teenage boy grabbed a clear and gray Apple iPhone 11, 64G out of the victim’s hands then fled the compartment with two other teenage boys; after following them, the victim was struck and pushed to the ground by the third teenage boy in the 300 block of South Boulevard Feb. 16 between 2:10 and 2:15 p.m. The estimated loss is $920.
Burglary
■ Someone pried open an Oak Park resident’s overhead garage door and removed two RYOBI power tool batteries, a RYOBI air compressor, RYOBI circular saw and cash from the unlocked vehicle parked in the garage between 7 p.m. Feb. 15 and 7 a.m. Feb. 16 in the 500 block of Clarence Avenue. ■ A person forced open a kitchen window and then removed W-2 documents, a jar containing $30 in change, a Nintendo NES Classic Edition entertainment system, a Nintendo SNES Classic Edition entertainment system, a Nintendo Switch gaming system containing a Mario Kart videogame, two bottles of liquor and four gold rings between 6:50 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. Feb. 19 in the 400 block of North Austin Boulevard. ■ Someone entered an Oak Park residence through an unlocked kitchen window and stole a brown Louis Vuitton purse, brown Louis Vuitton wallet (containing multiple debit and credit cards), house keys, a black Apple iPhone 6 and vehicle keys, then entered the detached garage through an unlocked door and removed the victim’s vehicle between 9:15 p.m. Feb. 18 and 6 a.m. Feb. 19 in the 700 block of Gunderson Avenue. ■ Police later recovered the vehicle in the 3100 block of South Rhodes Avenue, Chicago. The estimated loss is $17,800.
Criminal damage to property Someone slashed all four tires of the victim’s vehicle between 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 7:30 a.m. Feb. 18 in the 800 block of South Oak Park Avenue. The estimated damage is $800.
Recovered stolen vehicle Police recovered a Toyota Camry reported stolen at 10:44 p.m. Feb. 17 in the 3500 block of West Fifth Avenue, Chicago. The vehicle was reported stolen earlier that day from the 600 block of Garfield Street. These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Feb. 17 to Feb. 24, 2020 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
Rush Oak Park told garage too tall
Plan commission slated to revoke on project By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The proposal for a new 713-space parking structure at Rush Oak Park Hospital returned to the Plan Commission Feb. 20 with the hospital’s modifications and design upgrades. The changes were not enough to convince the short-handed plan commission to approve the new version. With three commissioners absent from the meeting, the commission lacked enough votes to make a final ruling. That did not keep the commissioners present from making clear they wanted one floor lopped from the top of the garage and, like some residents at the meeting, were curious about the hospital’s long-term master plan and what it intended for property it is currently assembling along Harlem Avenue. A series of commission-mandated public sessions between Rush Oak Park and its neighbors, ordered after a November commission meeting, seem to have mollified at least some of nearby residents of a project planned on the hospital’s current surface parking lot at Wenonah Avenue and Monroe Street. “The result of that work is shown here tonight,” said neighbor Trina Sandschafer. “We have come very far on many points that were raised in November.” Originally presented to the commission Nov. 7, the project was panned by angry neighbors concerned about the negative effect they anticipated in the neighborhood and for the hospital’s lack of advance communication with neighbors about the major project. Plan Commission Chair David Mann felt similarly. “It seems to me, you should meet with the community before you come to us,” he said. At the Feb. 20 meeting, Sandschafer said many neighbors opposed the garage due to its height but understood the needs of the hospital and the village. While not speaking for all neighbors, she said, “With the proposed revision, our neighborhood group drops its formal opposition to this project.” Among many smaller changes and a broadened traffic study, the updated garage design contains two major modifications. The first is how the garage is accessed. Unlike the initial plan to vacate a portion of Monroe Street to serve as the garage access point, the approach to the garage will be a new access road set between Monroe and the garage. The second major modification is its architectural design. The new design gives the garage the appearance of a medical office building.
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Despite the changes, the garage’s size and location are functionally the same as they were when previously presented. Resident David Osta believed the hospital should provide neighbors with a comprehensive master plan for development. “We don’t really appreciate the piecemeal approach to development,” Osta said. “It’s really unclear to us and unfair to the neighborhood and the village that we don’t know what’s coming next.” The commission felt strongly about the proposed garage’s height, especially considering its close proximity to residences and the lesser height of the existing hospital garage, roughly 46 feet. The proposed new garage has a height of just under 70 feet. When asked about the possibility of removing a floor to scale back the structure’s height, Robert Spadoni, the hospital’s vice president of operations, said, “It’s cost prohibitive just from what we did to improve the appearance as it is now.” The commission regarded that claim with skepticism. “I think the hospital needs the parking; I think that’s clear. I’m not sure if they need all 700 spaces,” said Mann. “For me, taking one floor off would be a big improvement and still gets you over 600 spaces.” Rush Oak Park Hospital’s recent acquisition of property on Maple and Harlem Avenues gave Commissioner Jeff Foster pause, calling it a “game changer.” “As a result, I think further study is needed,” he said. “We’re talking about a structure being built here, directly across the street from single-family homes, that’s going to be here for 50 years.” Foster would like to see a study exploring whether a garage could go on Harlem Avenue and have eastbound circulation through the closed hospital campus that exited on the controlled intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Madison Street. Spadoni said that it wouldn’t be viable to put a garage on Harlem because it would require the removal of handicap spots. Village government staff recommended the hospital put up a $50,000 escrow held by the village while the village engineer reviews any issues with the east-west alley movements after construction. Further, staff recommended, due to the village’s recent Madison Street traffic redesign, the hospital update the traffic study with data taken in late spring 2020. The commission moved to approve the motion with the staff recommendations and the condition requiring the removal of a minimum of 10 feet 8 inches in height, to the motion. The motion needed five affirmative votes to pass but received only four. The commission will revote on the motion at its next meeting.
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Lincoln parents start petition after another principal leaves The petition nets nearly 400 signatures, lays out four recommendations to address school’s principal turnover problem By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
The parents of students at Lincoln Elementary, 1111 S. Grove Ave., have launched a Change.org petition in the wake of the mid-year departure of the school’s latest principal. Last month, D97 Supt. Carol Kelley notified Lincoln families that Laura Zaniolo, the school’s principal since July 2019, announced her resignation “due to personal reasons.” Lincoln has had two permanent principals and one interim principal since 2017. According to the petition, which had garnered 376 signatories as of Feb. 24, the instability at the principal position “harms all students, especially those with special needs” and “is a symptom of a larger district problem.” Lisa Peloquin, a Lincoln parent, created
the petition after Zanilio announced her resignation. Her petition urges the district and the D97 school board to adopt four recommendations from families, which include hiring more staffers in proportion to the school’s student population. The petition also recommends that the district conduct exit interviews with former principals to identify the school’s “missed opportunities to assist [them] in being successful,” establish performance goals for Kelley that are related to principal retention and conduct a “comprehensive analysis of the problems Lincoln faces and how best to address them.” In an interview in January, Kelley said she had created a “comprehensive support plan” that includes “a thorough and transparent review of our hiring practices before making any decisions regarding the 2020-21 school year.” She added that Oak Park equity consultant Reesheda Graham Washington had agreed to work with the district “from a critical, objective lens” during a comprehensive review of its “hiring, on-boarding and induction processes for new principals.” During an interview last week, Peloquin, who was among a group of parents who spoke during public comment at a regular school board meeting on Feb. 4, said that she
SAFESPEED
Seeking proposals from page 1 operates red-light cameras in more than two dozen municipalities in northern Illinois, generating millions of dollars in fines, predominantly from people failing to make a complete stop before turning right. One of River Forest’s red-light cameras is at Harlem and North avenues and the other two are at Lake Street and Harlem Avenue. Fines for red-light camera violations are set at $100 per ticket by the state. Under the current contract with SafeSpeed, River Forest receives $60 from each ticket. SafeSpeed is reportedly at the center of a federal investigation that led former state Sen. Martin Sandoval to plead guilty to accepting $70,000 bribes in exchange for protecting the interests of the red-light camera industry in the Illinois General Assembly. Sandoval remains free on bond and is cooperating with federal investigators in what appears to be a wide-ranging corruption probe involving local politicians and large contributors, including SafeSpeed, and lobbyists. In response to a question from Trustee Erika Bachner on Feb. 24, Palm said there are three other red-light camera vendors with contracts with other municipalities. She expressed a desire to avoid firms that “trick” drivers into making illegal turns. Palm said the village’s contract with SafeSpeed gives River Forest officials control of whether tickets are issued. Trustee Bob O’Connell asked if SafeSpeed would be eligible to bid, but Palm said he believed the firm’s “current difficulties” made that seem unlikely.
“I don’t get a sense that the administration is as heavily invested in that process as the parents and the teachers are.” KENNETH LEHMAN Lincoln School parent
and other parents aren’t satisfied with those measures. “I think the superintendent has done things she thinks will support principals, but at this point, it’s clear that those supports aren’t what the principals need,” she said. Kenneth Lehman, the parent of a second grader at Lincoln, told board members on Feb. 4 that “I don’t get a sense that the administration is as heavily invested in that process as the parents and the teachers are. I think that there is a very strong desire on the part of both faculty members and parents at Lincoln to do something productive and make a difference.” When reached for comment on Feb. 24, Amanda Siegfried, D97’s communications director, said the “situation at Lincoln is a top priority for the district, and we are fully committed to addressing the community’s concerns.
In response to a question from Trustee Patty Henek, Palm said multiple bills are pending in the Illinois General Assembly that would outlaw red-light cameras, but noted at least one would affect only non-home rule municipalities, including River Forest. Two bills are pending in the Illinois House and one in the Illinois Senate that were introduced last fall and are still awaiting committee assignments. All three reportedly have bipartisan support. At least one town that has partnered with SafeSpeed in recent years, Oak Lawn, has pulled the plug on the devices. Cameras in that southwest suburb went dead on Jan. 1, after the village board voted not to renew its contract with SafeSpeed, and Tinley Park’s village board signaled in December that it may follow suit. Should River Forest choose to end its red-light camera program, it would eliminate a revenue stream that’s used to fund capital projects. Over the past five years, River Forest has collected more than $4 million in red-light camera fines, according to village budget documents. New state Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), meanwhile, is calling for a “full review of the red-light program in Illinois” after the latest revelations involving Sandoval. “What I read in the [Sandoval] plea agreement is disgusting,” Harmon said in an email message to Wednesday Journal. “These cameras were meant to protect the public from irresponsible drivers. Running a red light is incredibly reckless and dangerous. That public safety goal, unfortunately, appears to have been lost. “There is legislation already pending in the Senate for a review of red-light cameras, and I plan to talk to my colleagues to see how to best address this troubling issue.”
“Since Ms. Zaniolo resigned four weeks ago, the district has been working diligently to establish a strong system of support for Lincoln students and staff through the remainder of the year, while simultaneously beginning an after action review that will help us improve the hiring, on-boarding and induction/mentoring process of the next Lincoln principal. Community feedback and engagement has been and will continue to be a critical component of this process.” The district had originally scheduled a town hall meeting on Feb. 19 to “to give the community the opportunity to share thoughts and perspectives that will help us reflect as an organization and plan our next steps,” according to Kelley. That meeting has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Lincoln School. Graham Washington will facilitate. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
File photo
ON CAMERA: River Forest has three red-light cameras, including two at Lake Street and Harem Avenue (above).
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Debating cannabis regs, trustees debate each other
Oak Park village board expands and defines cannabis legislation By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Oak Park village board underwent exhaustive, prickly discussions Monday night, often talking over each other and picking apart the legalese of two ordinances concerning regulation of recreational cannabis. The discussion at the board meeting left trustees frustrated and puzzled over what they were even voting on. Confusion set in when dissecting the proposed updates to village code to include a process of regulation and registration for recreational cannabis retailers, as well as rules regarding the possession of cannabis and paraphernalia. “I think we’re going above and beyond to criminalize drug paraphernalia,” Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla said, adding that it was a tool used in the War on Drugs to incarcerate brown and black people. “The goal in that language was to decriminalize,” said Village Attorney Paul Stephanides in response. Instead of striking the original language,
Stephanides added a further section to describe the ways in which people can possess cannabis and paraphernalia legally. The new section also allows police officers to take youths found in possession to an adjudication process rather than arresting and trying them in criminal court. “Thus, there would be no criminal record to the person charged,” Stephanides said. Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said staff stood by the ordinance and further explained how the recommended ordinance decriminalized possession. Trustee Simone Boutet disagreed, saying, “That’s not true.” “Simone, I’m sorry, you always interrupt us and say it’s not true,” Pavlicek said. Boutet moved to amend the ordinance to clarify language, prompting Mayor Anan-Abu Taleb to tell Stephanides to defend the ordinance. “Paul, you wrote the ordinance yourself. And you’re happy with the way it is, right?” AbuTaleb said. “I don’t want to sit here and make amendments to legal stuff that I don’t understand. I count on you to provide us with a sound judgment, so stand up for your ordinance.” Walker-Peddakotla also suggested making it a requirement that cannabis retailers put signage in both English and Spanish illustrating the impact cannabis possession could have for immigrants. “Under federal immigration law, the sale or
possession of cannabis is still illegal and can trigger deportation proceedings,” she said. She added it can prevent people from becoming naturalized citizens. The board agreed to add that requirement and Boutet’s amendment to the code. Further changes were discussed regarding hours of operation. Under state law, dispensaries may start operations as early as 6 a.m. and cease operations as late as 10 p.m.; staff mirrored that timeframe for Oak Park so as not be more restrictive than the state. Boutet thought the hours should match those of the wider business community, to which Trustee Deno Andrews disagreed. “It’s just so controlling and bizarre that we would say, ‘At 8 a.m. it’s OK, but at 6 a.m. it’s not.’” Boutet relented and the hours remained consistent with state law. She also raised concerns over what she called “sort of an equity thing” – making it unlawful for dispensary employees to engage in employment activity without a photo identification card. “Which would mean that if they were enforcing, they would arrest the employees as compared with making the employer responsible,” Boutet said. Boutet wanted to change the ordinance to make it illegal for dispensaries to hire people who do not have a state ID. Andrews believed the ordinance, as written, already stated that.
Stephanides said it allowed for flexibility in case-by-case situations. Such as if an employee used a fraudulent ID, they would receive a citation instead being arrested. The board voted to remove that part of the ordinance. Tensions flared when Boutet raised further concerns over the ordinance, prompting Trustee Dan Moroney to call her out for using social media instead of working with staff. “You should have the courtesy to go to staff and talk things over,” he said. “This environment where we run to social media is toxic.” The village manager said the board was sending staff mixed signals. “It is confusing, though, because earlier we heard if we didn’t write everything in here, the public couldn’t read it transparently and understand it,” Pavlicek said. “And now, you’re asking to delete things that provide the public information. We are getting mixed messages as staff.” In the end, the board approved the updated ordinance, along with the proposed amendments presented by trustees, making Oak Park cannabis legislation more in line with state law. The board also voted to give special use designation to recreational cannabis retailers, despite Andrews argument that doing so was unnecessarily bureaucratic and WalkerPeddakotla’s disagreement with making onsite cannabis consumption lounges unlawful.
2020-2021 Preschool & Kindergarten Registration Preschool Registration
Kindergarten Registration
• District 91 offers a preschool program, ages 3-5, five days a week. To enroll, children must be 3 years of age on or before September 1, 2020. • Registration for new students:
• If you have a child who is currently enrolled in preschool and will be 5 years old prior to September 1, 2020, they will be enrolled in Kindergarten.
• Beginning Friday, March 3, 2020, please call Diane Rice, school secretary at 708-366-6945, to set up your registration and screening appointment. • Registration/screening dates are Monday, May 4 and Monday, May 11, 2020 at Garfield School. • Registration/screening times are from 9 am - 2 pm each day, and both the parent/guardian and child must be present. • Space is very limited. Upon completion of screening, registration and paid fees ($100 for the year) a child’s enrollment will be secured in the Forest Park Preschool program.
• Beginning May 5, 2020, you may call the schools to set up a screening and registration appointment for the first week of August 2020. • Your child will need to attend the appointment with you as they are screened for instructional planning purposes. • Families who reside south of 290 will call and attend Betsy Ross School (call Patty Marino at 708-366-7498). • Families who reside north of 290 will call and attend Garfield School (call Diane Rice at 708-366-6945). If you child has an IEP, information about next school year will be discussed at the Annual Review meeting, which is scheduled with each individual family.
Beginning Friday, March 3, 2020, please call Diane Rice, school secretary (708-366-6945) to set up your Preschool registration and screening appointment.
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
A YEAR-LONG SERIES FOCUSING ON COMMUNICATING OUR PRIORITIES FOR CHILDREN
Embedded: How District 97 schools focus on teacher growth Instructional coaches are always at the ready in elementary schools BY LACEY SIKORA
Contributing Reporter
P
rofessional development typically calls to mind those handful of school days each year in which students stay home and teachers and staff gather for learning opportunities. In recent years, Oak Park’s District 97 has been thinking outside of the box for professional development. Instead of relegating learning opportunities to ‘Instructional a finite number of coaching lets days, the district has added instructeachers develop and tional coaches grow, and the more to each school to assist teachteachers develop, ers and principals throughout the the better outcomes school year. you’ll get,’ Martha Polley works at Hatch ElSarah Mendez ementary School, Principal Hatch School 1000 N. Ridgeland Ave., and was part of a pilot program that saw technology support staff transition to the role of instructional coaching five years ago. Sarah Mendez, Hatch principal, says the move towards instructional coaching has become more common among
See COACHES on page 21
COACHING STAFF: At Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School instructional coaches gather up to review materials. Pictured are Katie Dean, Seth Robey, Laura Stamp and Anya Contraveos. ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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When the best change is no change
District 90 opts to cut class size for math rather than reshaping school schedule BY LACEY SIKORA
Contributing Reporter
L
ast year, River Forest’s District 90 schools proposed changing the traditional schedule of the school day at Roosevelt Middle School to add more time for math instruction. Principal Larry Garstki said the proposal was due in large part to changing math standards with the Common Core curriculum, noting that with so many standards, it was a struggle to cover all the required areas. He says, “We adopted the CMP3 math curriculum a few years ago, and that probably forced the conversation.” Roosevelt School is at 7560 Oak Ave., River Forest. The district discussed changing ‘It’s the best solution from a traditional schedule, in which to the alternative each academic of making class meets for a set amount of time widespread changes each day, to a block schedule in which to other areas that Master Schedule M fewer classes meet Change. Chief C are going well. for longer periods among the cona of time each day, Larry Gartski cerns was rec and classes change duced time for d Principal Roosevelt Middle quarterly. Garstki School foreign language f said a typical tradiinstruction, as in tional middle school well w as increased day consists of eight need for professional development periods per day, while a block schedule to prepare teachers for a large-scale would include four or five classes per day. schedule change. At District 90, adding a proposed Roosevelt parent Emily Paster was 15 minutes to math classes in the traone of those parents voicing her conditional schedule would have required cern about the proposed schedule taking time away from another class changes. While she is familiar with the and would have wreaked havoc on the block schedule concept and sees how school’s ability to coordinate schedules, it functions well in other districts, her as not all children are in math at the primary concern was the elimination of same time. Moving to a block schedule would have resulted in fifth graders daily language instruction for seventh receiving one-third of a year of foreign and eighth graders. “Foreign language needs to be covlanguage instruction instead of the ered consistently for the best results,” two-thirds they currently receive. Sixth, seventh and eighth-graders would have she says and notes that taking a quarter gone from eight total quarters of for- off would not be beneficial to students. She says the current world of globaleign language instruction to six. ization requires students to be more Parents expressed concerns and frustrations about the changes at numer- proficient in foreign languages, and ous meetings with the district, and the she was concerned that students from district surveyed parents about the per- Roosevelt would struggle to transition ceived benefits and downsides to the to foreign language courses at Oak Park
and River Forest High School under the new standards. Garstki says that after looking at all the options, one thing was clear. “Although we considered making changes to the schedule, we realized it would negatively affect other areas. There wasn’t a compelling reason we needed to make the changes, and lots of other things we have here are doing very well.” Roosevelt teachers already have been hard at work on meeting the new math standards according to Garstki, and the district determined it made more sense to provide more support to teachers and students in math without changing the schedule of classes. Instead, Roosevelt will add two math teachers to bring down the size of math classes and will also offer an option tentatively called A.M. Academy, in which students who might have more significant needs can come in before school to work with math teachers. Garstki says of the changes, “Class size in middle school math fluctuates, but adding two more teachers will reduce class size by 20 to 30 percent. Two additional teachers means a lot at a small school.”
Paster says she and other community parents weren’t dismissive of the district’s concerns about math but says there wasn’t a strong argument for something as drastic as the Master Schedule Switch. She says she is relieved to hear about the decision. Garstki sums it up, “It’s the best solution to the alternative of making widespread changes to other areas that are going well.”
HANDS ON: Nancy Mueller, a math teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, and Luka Flodin work together on a math problem. Meanwhile, a seventh-grade math class at Roosevelt at work on math.
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Creating glue to bind equity and career readiness
OPRF looks at collaborations in every direction BY MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
I
n the years ahead, if all goes according to the plans of District 200 officials, two big changes will come to Oak Park and River Forest High School. incoming freshmen students at OPRF will no longer be separated into college preparatory and honors course levels. Instead, all students will enter the high school in a single rigorous curriculum in most subjects. And the artificial line dividing post-secondary and advanced academic coursework will be intentionally blurred. That reality, which D200 officials are working toward now, fits within an overarching goal of eliminating race-based opportunity gaps at OPRF while also preparing all students for college and careers, officials say. And the glue that’s essential for holding the preparation for students learn in ways that go deeper this singular change together is profes- than grades, Johnson said. Johnson said all of those strands of sional development. “If you do that right, you’re empow- professional development are critical to ering your extant faculty to really be implementing the freshman curriculum part of that systems change and that’s changes in the years ahead. In preparation, he said, teacher what’s unique,” said Ralph Martire, a D200 board member during a meet- teams have visited other schools, such as Maine Township and ing in January, in which the Evanston, to learn best E board discussed a chapter p practices in data analysis from the book Excellence a and understanding more through Equity, edited by about support systems. a Alan M. Blankstein and PeIn addition, Johnson dro Noguera. said, sa all OPRF instructionDuring an interview in al a coaches and division February, Greg Johnson, heads have partnered with h D200’s associate superinRush Oak Park Hospital R tendent, said on executive functioning o when it comes to laying training, so that executive tr the groundwork for the GREG JOHNSON functioning skills, which fu district’s plans to do away with freshmen tracking, OPRF Associate Superintendent “are the mental processes that enable us to plan, fo“there are three strands of cus attention, remember instructions, this work required for it to go well.” Those strands include culturally and juggle multiple tasks successfully,” responsive pedagogy, a method of according to Harvard’s Center on Develteaching that integrates students’ oping Child, are integrated into more unique cultures into the curriculum in aspects of the high school’s curriculum. Another area critical to the developa way that enhances their well-being; differentiation, which “is how you re- ment of the new freshman curriculum spond to a wide range of learners in changes is postsecondary pathways, the classroom”; and assessment for Johnson said. “We’re really interested in growlearning, which is understanding how
ing our post-secondary career cluster framework at the school,” he said. “Over the next three years, we want to make sure electives are very well arranged within postsecondary pathways, so students can choose their own educational experience based on the postsecondary mindset of how will this serve them when they leave here.” Johnson said that the state of Illinois has set aside funding to “try to go after what is a very artificial divide between high-end academic experiences and postsecondary career experiences that goes back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s — that traditional divide between vocational and academic experiences.” “There’s a misunderstanding about what it means when we talk careers,” said Sarah Wurster, D200’s postsecondary pathways coordinator and a former counselor at the high school. “Careers [used to be] kind of a taboo word.” That is no longer the case, she said. The federal and state governments currently fund a significant portion of OPRF’s Career and Technical Education programming. Wurster said the district is currently trying to meet a greater set of expectations established by the government several years ago. “We do a really good job of checking
boxes. We’ve done a really good job for a long time to receive that money. Where we are looking to grow the program is to meet this greater expectation of the state that has been put out there starting with Barack Obama,” Wurster said, adding that the federal and state governments have reevaluated its funding requirements for CTE programs. “They looked at us and said, ‘Yeah this is great. You’ve got a bunch of stuff going on, but where is the continuation for our students? How are we seeing them through from eighth grade through graduation,” she said, adding that pathways can be “anything from a trade to law school … [For a long time] careers was a taboo word, but this work forces us to rethink how we’re looking at things, because we’re all in a career.” Wurster and Johnson said the district is looking to partner with local businesses and government agencies, such as the police, fire and public works departments in Oak Park and River Forest, in order to develop those new career pathways. “Let’s say I’m interested in a career as a police officer or I want to go into environmental work, what we’ll do is have you take an AP government course that will be part of that police career pathway or AP Environmental Science will steer you toward the environmental ca-
‘For a long time, careers was a taboo word, but this work forces us to rethink how we’re looking at things, because we’re all in a career.’ Sarah Wurster OPRF Postsecondary Pathways Coordinator reer pathway,” he said. The intergovernmental partnership between the district and area agencies like police and fire departments could entail allowing students to do internships, micro-internships and other work-based learning experiences, Johnson said. The planning in this area, however, is still preliminary, he said. What’s unquestioned is that partnerships and collaboration will be important to the endeavor, said Jackie Moore, president of the D200 school board in January. “Partnership is necessary to be able to extend the reach that we’re trying to have,” she said.
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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COACHES continued from page 19 Chicago-area school districts. Mendez previously worked in Evanston and saw the positive effects instructional coaches had at schools there. “This is one of the things that attracted me to Oak Park. I’d seen what a difference they make. It not only helps student outcomes but contributes to a culture of learning for the professionals as well. Instructional coaching lets teachers develop and grow, and the more teacher develop, the better outcomes you’ll get.” For Polley, who began her career teaching in Chicago Public Schools and later worked as a reading and literacy specialist, working as an instructional coach means something different every day. She calls teacher development on the large and small scale the biggest part of her job and says that takes many forms. She does one-to-one coaching with teachers all the way up to programming for the entire district, and jokes that sometimes her various job duties remind her of the old-fashioned one-man band with a drum strapped around one leg, a guitar hung over one shoulder and an accordion on the other. “There are so many different hats to wear.” She studies curriculum and instructional goals for Hatch to determine what each year’s programming will look like, in addition to taking into consideration teacher needs. She notes new teachers might need more time at ‘This is really about the beginning of the helping teachers year to adjust to the school, and a new figure out where curriculum might they are and where require working with more established they want to be.’ professionals to adApril Capuder just to changes. Mendez says a Principal Gwendolyn few of the tools Brooks Middle School Polley implements regularly are model classes and Lunch and Learns sessions, in which teachers can opt into sessions on specific topics. Mendez adds that Polley also regularly reviews school-wide data to determine what kind of opportunities would best support the teachers. At the end of the day, Mendez says the elementary learning environment is a very valuable investment.” is positively impacted by the instrucAt Gwendolyn Brooks Middle tional coaching model. “Data shows School, 325 S. Kenilworth Ave., April that one-and-done professional development is not as effective as em- Capuder, principal and Katie Dean, bedded professional development. the instructional coach, say this is the This kind of instructional coaching is school’s fourth year with someone in a much more powerful and effective the role of instructional coach. Previform of professional development that ously, Dean worked as a social studies
HERE TO HELP: Seth Robey, an instructional coach at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, and colleague Anya Contraveos at work in a planning meeting. ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
and humanities teacher at the school and as a data technology coach. Capuder says moving to include an instructional coach in her team, which also includes assistant principals, has been beneficial for teachers as well as the administrative team. Dean describes her role as working
to partner and collaborate with teachers to support student learning, and Capuder says one positive part of this is that Dean’s role is not to evaluate teachers, stressing, “This is really about helping teachers figure out where they are and where they want to be.” Capuder says with the four profes-
sional development days built into the school calendar, there was not a lot of time to cover a lot of material. She says having professional development embedded in the school day enables teachers to get a lot more assistance. The 12 Wednesday morning staff meetings provide an opportunity to align with school improvement plans and provide learning opportunities. On other school days, Dean can assist teachers in their individual classrooms or sponsor Lunch and Learn sessions on specific topics. Not all other districts have adopted the instructional coaching model, but Capuder says the unique approach is often the envy of her colleagues in other school districts. “For the teachers to know they can reach out to someone and have that resource, I don’t know how much better it can get. Having learning supporters like Katie is really unique and helpful. You’re able to take what you’ve learned and make it happen in real time.”
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Homes
The high-rent, high-rise movement Are luxury apartments a single-family home replacement? By LACEY SIKORA
I
Contributing Reporter
n recent years, Oak Park has added four new high-rise rental buildings to its downtown corridor, and the 1,068 units ranging from studios to three bedrooms are changing the face of the rental market in the village. With studio rents starting from roughly $1,300 a month to three bedrooms topping out at almost $6,000, these rentals don’t come cheap. A recently published study by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies posits that, nationwide, more developers are building similar buildings for ever-increasing numbers of high-income people looking to rent rather than own. The study points out that between 2010 and 2018, the number of Chicago-area renters considered high-income, with earnings of $75,000 or more, rose 38.8 percent. Households earning $75,000 or more made up 25.5 percent of the Chicago-area’s renter households in 2018, up from 19.9 percent in 2010. Oak Park appears to be part of the nation-
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
THE HIGH LIFE: Paul and Leah Beckwith (above) moved to Albion at 1000 Lake St. (at left) last November – renters after more than 40 years as homeowners in Oak Park – and are big proponents of the village’s new high-rise living, calling it a greener way to live. wide trend, in which developers create apartment buildings with condominium-style amenities in an effort to entice those of means to rent in an apartment. A glimpse into the lives of a few residents of Oak Park’s newest high-rise, Albion, supports the idea that emptynesters and professionals are choosing to rent over owning single-family homes. Paul and Leah Beckwith are happy to be a part of the trend. The couple have lived in Oak Park for 42 years of their 52year marriage, and have owned singlefamily homes as well as a condo in the village. The couple sold their condo in Oak Park last year, moving into a rental unit in Vantage, 150 Forest Ave. In November, they moved across the street to a three-bedroom unit at Albion, 1000 Lake St., where they hope to stay for years
to come. Paul says there are a number of reasons that high-rise living makes sense for them. First, he said that he is a big proponent of the new high-rises in town, saying his approval is based both on both the tax and environmental implications of having the buildings in town. To him, more, dense buildings without children going to local schools will have a positive effect on the tax base in the village. He also thinks that having more people living in close proximity to public transportation and amenities is a greener way to live. “I’d like 10 of these high-rises here,” Beckwith said. “I’m living my values.” Another reason that he likes high-rise living? The amenities. Albion’s many amenities were part of what lured him and Leah across the street. The building has a side entrance for dog walking,
along with a dog grooming room and indoor dog playroom. An upscale gym eliminates the need for a separate gym membership, and an outdoor pool and grilling area provides the feel of a backyard without the lawn care maintenance for renters. The building also has a party room on the 18th floor and a lobby-level library that are perfect for hosting resident events. The Beckwiths are active in the community and have already used Albion’s common spaces to host events for Housing Forward and the Infant Welfare Society, as well as smaller gatherings for book club. The building is within easy walking distance to Unity Temple and Paul’s office, not to mention a number of groSee HIGH-RISE on page 26
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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GORGEOUS GUNDERSON with open porch, LR/DR combo w/ hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen, large 1st FL family room, mudroom. Five BRs, 3-1/2 baths, & 2nd FL laundry room. Finished basement, new 2.5 car garage plus exterior spaces for 2 more cars. Luxurious and sooooo livable! ...........................................$589,900
CONTEMPORARY HOME with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths. 1st floor features include an expansive foyer, unique bamboo floors, multi-faced gas fireplace, office, updated kitchen & family room. 2nd FL includes a laundry and office/or nursery. Finished basement. In-ground pool. Great updates. ............................. $799,000
UNIQUE BURMABUILT HOME is a must-see property. You will appreciate the high-quality craftsmanship and sophisticated details throughout, including art glass doors, a custom milled cherry mantel, and custom kitchen cabinetry. The home has been very well maintained. ......................................................$1,275,000
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FABULOUS BRICK HOME has it all! On extra-wide lot with 4 BRs, 4-1/2 BAs. Features include private office, open kitchen, breakfast room, family room, Butler’s bar, master suite w/sep sitting room, finished bsmt w/full wet bar & media room, private backyard, garden and pond..............................................................$1,049,000
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
BEAUTIFUL BURMA BUILT TUDOR sits on a lovely lot with side drive leading to attached 3 car garage and large yard. This 4 bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home offers a great flow throughout the 1st floor, large eat-in kitchen, hardwood floors, leaded glass and classic cove ceilings. ........................................................... $669,000
CLASSIC OP HOME with classic features and modern finishes to compliment. Dark mahogany woodwork throughout, hardwood floors. Features include wood-burning fireplace, upgraded kitchen, and den/sitting room, large master BR, fantastic amount of windows. Finished basement. .......................................$555,000
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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
LOVELY SPLITLEVEL 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
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
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. ........................................................................$1,425,000
174 N RIDGELAND • OAK PARK
Get Ready for the Spring Market!
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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ESTATE SECTION 1023 PARK, RIVER FOREST $1,650,000 :: 7 BED :: 6.5 BATH
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Beautiful English Tudor - Exquisite Home.
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NEW PRICE
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
VALUE-DRIVEN: Paul Beckwith and Steve Kingwell, both renters at Albion, believe part of the move toward apartment living is that with the cost of maintaining a home and paying high taxes, there’s a diminishing return on investing in home ownership.
HIGHRISE
‘Different picture’ from page 23 cery stores and restaurants. Paul calls the amenities better than anything you can get in a house, especially when you take into account the views from the upper floors. Leah says the views are what sold her on high-rise living. “There’s a lot of difference in having all of these floor-to-ceiling windows,” she said. “It’s amazing to look out every day.” Paul is equally smitten “I’ve lived in 18 houses since I was born,” he said, “and this is the best place I’ve ever lived.” According to Paul, the move makes a lot of financial sense as well, even with rents that are high by Oak Park standards. “The reality is, you’re not making money on your house here anymore, and with condos you’re losing money,” he said. Paul points out that the tax burden locally, when combined with sluggish home appreciation and maintenance costs, no longer make homes a great money-making investment. He says that condos, with their tax bills and assessments, have become a losing proposition. “I think you have to put pencil to paper on owning versus renting, and you have to look at the taxes,” he said. “There’s roughly a 5-6 percent tax increase in Cook County. Rent will increase, but not as much. You have to look at the total cost. If you own a house, you have to set aside money for maintenance
and repairs. If you sell your house, you can put your money into the market and maybe make a return.” Neighbor Steve Kingwell says this outlook was part of the reason he and his wife moved to Albion, too. After living in their Oak Park home since 2010, they decided to downsize when they became empty nesters. Kingwell says that after nine years in the home, and a fair amount of money spent on restoration and renovations, they sold their home in November for less than their total investment. Both Kingwell and his wife are Canadian, and they own a home in Vancouver where they eventually plan to retire. But, with a child in college in the Midwest, they weren’t ready to decamp just yet. They plan to stay put for a few more years, and he says it made a lot more sense to rent. “We never really considered buying,” Kingwell said. “You’re not going to get a return on the investment in this period.” Kingwell says that while the family dog had to get used to the elevator, the transition to high-rise living has been easy. The Beckwiths say it has not only been a smooth transition but a fun one. The couple loves meeting their new neighbors and living in the center of town, and they love keeping connected to local causes in which they have spent years and built relationships. They also appreciate that after decades in Oak Park, variety is the spice of life. “When you live in a high-rise, you get a different picture of what life is,” Paul Beckwith said. Leah adds, “And the sunsets and sunrises are just fabulous.”
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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189 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 386-1400
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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Sunday, March 1, 2020 ADDRESS
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TIME
3515 Maple Ave, Brookfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $199,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 2057 N. New England Ave, Chicago . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$234,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 2057 N. New England Ave, Chicago . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$234,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat. 12-2 1535 Park Ave. UNIT 203, River Forest . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$259,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1:30 2247 S. 4th Ave, North Riverside . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$279,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
426 E. Butterfield Rd, Elmhurst. . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$375,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 842 N. Euclid Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$434,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 318 S. Cuyler Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $450,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 632 Home Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$474,700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-1 1101 N. Harvey Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $489,800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 706 Lyman Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $495,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 949 Linden Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $549,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1:30-3 838 Fair Oaks Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$579,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 902 Park Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$749,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 500 William St., River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$750,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 725 Belleforte Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$799,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 623 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $849,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 1114 Forest Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $885,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4:30 700 Columbian Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . @properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3
ADDRESS
REALTY CO.
LISTING PRICE
TIME
CONDOS
121 Washington Blvd. UNIT 1, Oak Park. . . . Coldwell Banker Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 424 Park Ave., Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 424 Park Ave., Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 344 Wisconsin Ave. UNIT 2, Oak Park . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$239,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3 821 Washington Blvd. UNIT A, Oak Park . . Coldwell Banker Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$285,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2
TOWNHOMES
17 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $499,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-1
ADDRESS
REALTY CO.
LISTING PRICE
TIME
504 Park Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$599,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
Fitness
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
VIEWPOINTS
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What Fair Share foods meant to one family p. 33
Seeking asylum, and justice, at the border
have become close to a father and his two children who are seeking asylum. I met them in mid-October when I traveled with a multi-faith delegation from Chicagoland to Matamoros, Mexico. These past four months I have held in my heart the images and stories of 9-year-old Belen, 4-year-old Stiven, and their loving father, Mario. We have talked and texted through WhatsApp. Mario has shared their challenges of living in a tent, dealing with respiratory illnesses—which landed Belen in a hospital, and struggling with the monotony of being caught in legal limbo, not to mention the lack of school for the kids other than one hour a day provided by volunteers. When I first met Mario, he was a week away from his first asylum hearing. He asked me to help him with his asylum application that was in English. I was so touched by his story and how he interacted with his children that I secured a lawyer for him on a “low bono” basis and agreed to be his sponsor. Over time I found myself committing to do whatever it may take to get this beautiful family settled in the United States. As his Feb. 14 asylum hearing approached, I realized that I could not miss it. On the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 12, I missed my connection in Houston and crashed on the couch of a colleague. The Lyft driver that drove me to the airport told me that he received asylum two years earlier, that he’s from Cuba where his family was persecuted. He said, “I spent 32 days in the freezing cold detention center and 14 days in solitary confinement because there was no space in the regular prison. I almost went crazy it was so awful, but you know what, I’d do it again if it meant that I could stay in the United States.” He said, “I don’t know if people are aware how great this country really is. I’m so glad to be here. I’d do whatever I had to just to be able to live here.” I encountered similar determination and strength of spirit in Matamoros both in October and my recent trip. In October, I encountered squalid conditions. Even though the number of refugees has tripled to over 3,000, it feels now like an organized refugee camp. Instead of five poorly maintained port-a-potties, there are now 60 clean ones clearly marked for women and men. Purified water stations and showers are available. These improvements come from Team Brownsville. World Central Kitchen, headed by Jose Andres, has partnered with Team Brownsville to prepare two healthy meals a day, served under a giant tent. The dire poverty is still quite visible. Many tents are as crowded together as they used to be. It is like a concentration camp with one border they can’t cross, and it’s too dangerous to go more than a couple blocks into town. The river is horribly contaminated; a number of people have died from going swimming. It is not a place for children and yet a lot of
Photo by Cate Readling
ON THE MARCH: Local Boy Scouts raise the flag – including a Pride flag – at a recent gathering.
A
ALAN TAYLOR
See BORDER on page 36
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S C O U T
L E A D E R ’ S
V I E W
Now in bankruptcy, what is future of Boy Scouts
ver the past eight years I have been a registered volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). I had no plan to do this. I married an Eagle Scout, gave birth to four boys and felt my contribution to the growth of the organization was complete. In the summer of 2012, when my twin boys had finished their first year of Cub Scouts, the BSA reaffirmed a ban on openly gay Scouts and Leaders that many people in Oak Park had been subjected to back in 2000. At that moment I was determined to find another organization for my children. The research I did to find an alternative program is how I discovered the depth and breadth of the BSA program. I became frustrated that we would have to give up participating in a program that taught incredible skills, character building, community connection and civic engagement due to prejudiced practices. My choices seemed simple -- I could attempt to explain to our twin seven-year-old children why we were no longer participating in this thing they loved or tell them later that we knew about the ban on gay people and we participated anyway. I then realized that there was a third choice -- become a registered leader and participate in the movement to get the BSA to follow its own Scout Oath and Law. Three years and an enormous amount of effort later, the BSA voted to end the ban on all gay people. That was an incredible moment in BSA history. Now
the BSA is facing a history of multiple instances of child sexual abuse. I have participated in the National Annual Meeting of the BSA for the past four years. Last May in Colorado the national leadership of the BSA opened a voting representative meeting with the words “We believe victims.” Three years before that, the leadership highlighted industry leading Youth Protection Training that is accessible at no charge to any person seeking youth protection assets. I personally began promoting this at my church, to school staff, the park district, and anyone who would listen. Although registered adult volunteers are required to pass this training annually, many BSA units encourage all parents and guardians to invest 90 minutes in this education. The more of us that learn how to recognize the signs of abuse, the safer our children are. A reporter asked me recently if I was sad the day the bankruptcy was announced. For two reasons I was not. The leadership of the BSA had been informing the membership about financial solvency and future needs for compensating victims and how this is an important step that the organization must take. Of all of the organizations with roles of responsibility around children, the BSA has acknowledged harm, encouraged victims to step forward, and committed itself to right wrongs. From the research I’ve done, when reports of abuse made it to a staff level, there were real efforts to
CATE
READLING One View
See SCOUTS on page 34
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Black power space
omething remarkable and wonderful is being crafted on the second floor of Euclid Avenue Methodist Church in Oak Park. The Echo Center is a collective of local non-profits doing the work of equity in this village. They are sharing space provided by the “radically inclusive” congregation at Euclid Avenue. But it is not the collaboration among non-profits that is most notable here, though it is always welcome. It is not simply the focus on equity though that, too, is vital. The singular distinction, one so long overdue that most of us did not even recognize it was missing, is that the Echo Center is a space created and led by people of color. Let it sink in. Fifty years into the Oak Park experiment in racial integration there is now a common space in this community where the agenda is being set by people of color, specifically African Americans. That is radically inclusive. This is a village that has long talked strong about its openness but has village boards that traditionally tilt heavily white; where the high school tinkered for decades around the edges of racial equity; that two decades ago found an alternative buyer to keep a black congregation from buying a landmark church in the center of town; that has, for any number of reasons, lacked a black power structure. Now a coalition of vital non-profits helmed by people of color will share space, build community and welcome all of us to join in the work — the satisfaction and the frustration of that work — to make Oak Park more truly welcoming, more determinedly focused on facing up to falling short. Congratulations to the Echo Theater Collective, One Earth Film Festival, Race Conscious Dialogues, Revolutionary Oak Park Youth Action League, Oak Park Call to Action, Ase Productions, Reparations Working Group of Euclid Avenue UMC, Live Café, Black Residents of Oak Park and Workout Warriors as early members of this project.
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V I E W P O I N T S
Raggedy stations
ven as Oak Park starts what we hope is an open-minded process to figure out the best, most innovative and fiscally responsible options for remaking the decrepit police station hidden in the cellar over at village hall, today we report on plans to update portions of the South Fire Station. That facility, on East Avenue at the Ike, opened 59 years ago and remains basically unchanged since. That is how Oak Park’s village government rolls. No one has been wasting taxpayer money on fancy upgrades. Instead the model is to run things to ground and then fix them. Possibly not the best strategy. It didn’t work for Oak Park’s alleys either and reclaiming the worst of them has been an expensive retool over recent years. The fire house, mid-century modern it would be labeled these days, has been allotted $150,000 in capital improvement funds by the village. It will be used to remake the one-third of the station which houses bathrooms, sleeping quarters and a work-out facility. The single large bathroom/locker room will be broken up into three gender neutral bathrooms to afford both privacy and also allow for the hoped for return of female firefighters/paramedics. The department’s last woman retired in 2017. Here’s hoping the next improvements to the fire station come before 2079.
‘T
The remarkable bliss of the ordinary
hat question is boring!” brays Tyler from the back seat. I have made the fatal parent/ grandparent mistake of asking, “How was school today?” I thought I might have a grace period since they’re only in kindergarten. Wrong. They have bypassed elementary and gone straight to middle-school temperament. “It’s interesting to you but it’s boring to us,” Tyler explains. Note to self: ask more interesting questions. The boys are cranky when I pick them up from school. Potentially meltdown cranky. Go-to-war-with-my-brother cranky. But somewhere I read an article about kids and blood sugar. These two are in all-day kindergarten. They’re often too busy gabbing to eat their afternoon snack. Low blood sugar brings out the lesser angels of their nature. So now I have a secret weapon: I hand them each a cereal bar after they buckle into their booster seats. So far it works like a charm. Winter’s a tough time for kids after a long day at school. They come out tired but restless from being cooped up. Maybe that’s why their school offers a mindfulness meditation club. That surprised and impressed me. But I don’t think it’s open to kindergarteners. So we head home and run around the house for a while, pelting each other with snowballs. Thank God it snowed a couple of times recently. It was overcast for about three weeks straight, which is a mood-downer. One day recently the clouds opened for a moment. I said, “Looks like the sun is trying to break through.” Tyler, as if noting something everyone obviously already knows, says, “The sun is always trying to break through,” then continues on with the imaginative narrative he and Bryce have cooked up. Tyler is a metaphor machine. Bryce, meanwhile, is working on his own mystery. “Papa Ken,” he asks, “can you Google how zombies take people’s brains out of their head?” Not a question one hears every day. I don’t know how this will go over, but I inform him I don’t have access to Google on my phone. This is a far greater mystery than anything involving zombies. Wednesday is library day for Bryce’s class and he gets to bring one book home. He chooses well. This one contains another mystifying phenomenon: Elephant pregnancies last 22 months. Almost two years! And when the baby is born, it almost immediately gets on its feet and starts walking! Bryce considers this and says, “That’s because
they have all that room inside the mom to practice.” We take a moment to visualize a baby elephant pacing back and forth inside Mama Elephant, impatiently counting down the days till birth. Bryce asks, “How do babies get inside moms anyway?” Dad and I hem and harrumph and decide discretion is the better part of valor. We tell him it’s too complicated to explain and we’ll get back to him in a couple of years — like when he’s 13. I heat up the dinner Mom has left for us and we sit around the table discussing table topics from Chick-Fil-A, such as “Where would you rather go this summer: a beach, a mountain, or a lake?” They choose the beach, which leads to a discussion about how many grains of sand there are in your average beach. Billions. Maybe trillions. Too many to count. They love big numbers that boggle the mind. I email them Bing photos from my computer at home, including a sea turtle breaking out of its eggshell. Dad shows it to them on his phone and talks about their perilous race across the sand to the water and how humans sometimes protect them from predators. We also read a book about fish in the ocean and the food chain, starting with crill and plankton and moving up in size, the bigger fish eating the smaller fish, except for the biggest, the whales, which eat plankton and crill. We imagine how many plankton a whale has to eat to fill up. Billions. Maybe trillions. What an amazing bignumbered world we live in. Mom gets home and we sit around the kitchen table, and the boys can’t get enough of her. They do homework and make up excuses for why they didn’t eat their snack or Photo provided all of their lunch. When life is good, it is a wondrous thing to behold, this blissful ordinariness, this all-rightness with the world. Tyler twirls around with delight like a mini-Nureyev. There is a comfort level with Mom that can’t be duplicated as they climb up and down from her lap. Moments like this are exactly why the human race continues on, why we reproduce and create families, why the circle stays unbroken. The boys lobby for a post-dinner sweet and dawdle as much as they can to forestall bedtime, but Mama is no pushover. She keeps to a strict schedule and soon enough they’re in their pajamas and hugging us goodbye. In the days that follow, when I miss them, I remind myself: The sun is always trying to break through.
KEN
TRAINOR
V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 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
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
A DAD’S THANKS: Tom Zapler’s son David is developmentally disabled. He thanks Joe Salamone and Daisy LaBarbera for offering David work and a second family for 15 years.
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What Fair Share’s closing means to my family
want to share with the readers of Wednesday Journal the wonderful things Joe Salamone, his family, and the Fair Share family have done for David, my son, for the 15-plus years he has worked at Fair Share. Also, I want to let your readers know how badly I feel that Fair Share will be closing. In the Wednesday Journal article on the closing of Fair Share, Joe clearly explained how difficult it is for a “Mom and Pop” business to succeed nowadays. This is especially true when the village where it is located does not help and promote small businesses to succeed — so sad. I can still remember the first day David and I met with Joe to see if he would hire him to work at Fair Share. One can quickly determine David is developmentally disabled especially in the areas of communication. One can just as quickly determine Joe has a big heart and is a genuinely caring person. Joe never was concerned whether David could do the job of stocking shelves. His only concern was would David be safe and enjoy working at Fair Share. David really loved his job stocking shelves. Even better, he truly felt the family atmosphere Joe, Phillip and the Fair Share family created at the store. For the first
time in his life he was able to talk with Joe, Phillip, Daisy, and other employees, not just his own family. This was because of the way he was treated and cared for by his Fair Share family. David was not the best of employees and was sometimes difficult. I remember times Joe would contact me because of his unacceptable and inappropriate behavior. Joe was not mad, nor did he justifiably want to fire David. He wanted to work with me to eliminate the bad-for-business unacceptable behavior. The Fair Share family led by Joe, Phillip, and Daisy have always helped David and looked out for him. Fair Share, and David’s experience there, are among the great joys of David’s limited life. Even when he is not working, David comes to the store several times a day to say hello to his fellow workers and straighten up the shelves. As a parent of a 47-year-old developmentally disabled child, I can never adequately express how grateful I am for all the Fair Share family has done for David. I want to sincerely thank Joe, Phillip, Daisy and all current and past Fair Share employees for all they have done to make David’s life fuller and more enjoyable. David and I will really miss Fair Share. Tom Zapler is a resident of Oak Park.
TOM
ZAPLER One View
Circulation Manager Jill Wagner 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
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V I E W P O I N T S
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L E T T E R S
Help Wanted Editorial Design Leader • Digital & Print Join in to make change happen. We’re reinventing independent community journalism on the Greater West Side and the near west suburbs from Oak Park to Riverside. We’re Growing Community Media, a six-month-old non-profit with 40-year roots in our seven neighborhoods. Digitally and in print, we make connections, tell stories, hold institutions to account and drive the community narrative. And we need an editorial design leader to move us ahead on all platforms, to speed our digital momentum, to jump in and help make change happen. What do we need from you? Strong, active knowledge of InDesign, a journalist’s mind for design down to the details, comfort and passion for print and digital community news, a determined problem-solver with a risk-takers attitude. Launched in 1980 and reinventing in 2020, come and join our growth, celebrate our successes and overcome our challenges. You don’t have all the answers and neither do we. Let’s work together. This is a full-time job. Open immediately. Work in our Oak Park offices. Send resumes, portfolio links and a brief note telling us why you’re the one we’re looking for. Dan Haley. Publisher. Growing Community Media. dhaley@wjinc.com
Remembering Dr. Grissom
When I read your column in the Journal [DOOPer’s Memories, John Stanger, Viewpoints, Feb. 5], you mentioned someone I hadn’t thought of in years: Dr. Grissom. He was my pediatrician. Seemed like a nice man, but he didn’t joke around. I remember he made house calls. I think I had the mumps. He gave me penicillin, which I didn’t know I was allergic to, so I ended up with hives all over my body. I remember his office on the seventh or eighth floor of the Medical Arts Building. I could look down and watch the fire trucks
come and go from the old station adjacent to the old village hall [Euclid and Lake]. I think my mom drove me by his house in the 500 block of Oak Park Avenue. If I remember, it was gray, frame and big. My wife and I were just talking about the balloon man who used to hang at the corner of Oak Park and Chicago avenues. Dr. Grissom brought back some memories. For that, thank you!
Paul Stamm
River Forest
So long Geppetto’s. So long roasted red pepper soup Last Wednesday, when our family called up Geppetto’s for our weekly fix of roasted red pepper soup, the phone was not answered, and we wondered why. The next day when we called again, because one of us had a craving for the garlic chicken and spinach, the same thing happened. On Friday, we called up to place an order for the tilapia, and we began to wonder what was going on. Geppetto’s Restaurant was a place that our family ordered from on a regular basis, and we are sad to have lost such a great place that contributed so much to the community. Their food was of good quality. The pizza had good ingredients, and a very good crust to place the ingredients on. The pasta dishes were also delicious, as were the sandwiches and appetizers. As I stated in the beginning, our family were huge fans of the roasted red pepper soup, and, like clockwork, every Wednes-
day, and Sunday, we would stock up. We consumed the last of what was left of the roasted red pepper soup while reading the article about the closing of Geppetto’s as a fitting tribute to a great restaurant, knowing full well that nobody else in Oak Park had roasted red pepper soup of this quality. In fact, I don’t think any other restaurant in Oak Park even serves it, and that we may never enjoy it ever again. We are sad that the people who ran Geppetto’s could not keep up with the cost of living, and are grateful for the fact that there was a good restaurant serving high quality food at a price that we could afford. I know that you will get flooded with thousands of e-mails touching on this subject, and commenting on the article, but as a family that has lived in Oak Park for over 45 years we could not stay silent about losing one of the great restaurants of this town.
BOY SCOUTS
will volunteer to apologize to any person who suffered in the care of Scout leaders. I would say that I am sorry, you did nothing wrong and it is not your fault. I will always stand up and expose false narratives within this and any other organization. I believe victims and I believe that the BSA is committed to supporting victims. We will continue to provide BSA programs and the bankruptcy does not affect our local units. But each of us can do our part to keep children safe every day. Cate Readling is with Cub Scout Pack 16 which is sponsored by First United Church of Oak Park.
The road ahead from page 31 track and remove abusers. What makes me sad is knowing that victims must continue to relive their trauma, hearing about it now on the news. I do pray that every person who has experienced trauma, especially as a child, can find some level of resolution and I encourage them to seek that help. As a current leader, I
The Mikelsons/Goldhamer Family
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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L E T T E R S
“Kopit’s absurd logic is delightful and disturbing.”
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—The Chicago Reader
Feb 28 - Mar 1
Chamber Music by Arthur Kopit
In this absurdist dark comedy, a group from the women’s ward in an asylum call a meeting to plan a pre-emptive attack on the men’s ward. Each believes herself to be a fierce historical figure—Joan of Arc, Queen Isabel of Spain, Gertrude Stein, Amelia Earhart and others. Things get out of hand when the plan transforms into the unsettling demise of one of their own.
Photo provided
A successful night of youth action
“With privilege comes responsibility,” said OPRF sophomore Frankie Krystal during her speech about the importance of sustainability. On Jan. 31, a group of over 60 Oak Park residents piled into Live Cafe on Oak Park Avenue for a night full of awareness and festivities all with one purpose: advocating for climate change. The event was hosted by the It’s Our Future Core Team, a group of high school students who work in climate advocacy through Seven Generations Ahead. “I would say it really went well. We were sold out, had great attendance, and made a big impact on the people who went”, said Roz Belie, a group leader. The night featured musical entertainment from a series of local bands such as Girls Rock and Idioglossia. “There were a ton of really great inspirational speakers and everybody added to the energy of the event. Being together made me feel like we were all united while we were taking on this issue” said Jack Kelsey, an Idioglossia band member. Speakers included representatives from the Economy Shop in Oak Park, poetry performances from members of OPRF’s Spoken Word, and appearances from representatives of prestigious climate groups such as the One Earth Film Festival, Openlands and the Sierra Club. The event was unique to any other in the community, mainly because it catered spe-
cifically to students. Not to mention, the entire event was completely sustainable. Roz Belie said, “IOF made this a total zero-waste event, we also brought our own compost bin and talked to the venue to make sure that everything was vegan.’ The students were asked to write down their own climate resolutions on the cafe walls as well as to bring an old item of clothing to donate to the Economy Shop, a popular resale store, upon admission. Amongst the loud music and sweaty dance floor, simmered a strong feeling of community. With the recent rise of Fridays for Future strikes and youth icons like Greta Thunberg, young people in communities like Oak Park have begun a surge of activism on a local and global scale. Climate Live was a simple steppingstone for the IOF team and their efforts to raise awareness. They plan on organizing several events for Earth Day in April as well as coordinating local screenings with the One Earth Film Fest. In the meantime, students in Oak Park have continued to praise IOF for what it means to be an activist, teaching them about dedication but also the importance of having fun with it.
Margaret Korinek Core member of It’s Our Future and a senior at OPRF
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April 17-19
Proof
by David Auburn
Following the death of her father, a famously brilliant but unstable mathematician, Catherine sorts through his life’s work with his former student and her estranged sister. While Catherine navigates relationships both new and old, and confronts the possibility that she may have inherited her father’s genius—or madness—the discovery of a notebook of unknown origin threatens to unravel everything.
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events.dom.edu
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
V I E W P O I N T S
BORDER
Asylum denied from page 31 children are there, but not as many as there were in October. An estimated 700 children have been pushed across this specific border into the custody of the Brownsville Border Patrol by parents denied asylum. Desperate, these parents hope somehow their children will find a better life than what they believe they can provide. Truly heartbreaking. After a full day among the refugees and learning more and more stories from people who are fleeing violence, I met with the lawyer, Cathy Potter, and learned that most of the asylum seekers have no lawyers and without a lawyer, it is virtually impossible to be granted asylum. A lawyer increases the chances by 17-fold, but even still, the odds are stacked against success. In my collar and best black suit, I showed up early the next morning at the Brownsville Immigration Court. It’s a permanent huge white tent structure right next to the bridge to Matamoros. Neither the judge, the translator, nor the government lawyer show up in person. Instead there is a flat screen where their images are projected. But I never saw this, because to our surprise, I wasn’t allowed to enter. So I drove to the
Photo provided
CONNECTION: Rev. Alan Taylor found a bond at the border with Mario and his sons Belen and Stiven. Harlingen Immigration Court, 25 miles away, and watched the judge conduct the hearing in person. I sat where I could see
Mario and Cathy on the flat screen television — and they could see me when the government lawyer asked questions. I was impressed by how Cathy asked Mario questions to get his story out. He is from a small town in Honduras but found a good job in the city of Pimiento. For 14 years he worked at a clothing factory. He was appreciated for his diligence and leadership. A man that Mario knew from when he first moved to town had joined the gang MS-13 and had returned to Pimiento. This man came to Mario’s house with two companions and told Mario that he needed him to sell drugs at the factory. Mario refused. He was told that he had a week to think it over and, if he didn’t agree, he and his family would pay the consequences. The most poignant moment of the hearing was when the judge asked Mario about his extended family in the small town where he grew up. He began crying, saying that he misses his family terribly but is too scared to return because of the gang’s threats. Mario’s request for asylum was denied. The judge said she found Mario credible but the law requires a certain amount of evidence to grant asylum. There is a very high bar that must be met to demonstrate “persecution” such that very, very few meet it. I return from Matamoros very sad. I am overwhelmed by the cruelty of this country’s policies towards refugees. I cannot imagine what it’s like to live with the daily
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM terror of one’s own safety, as many people do both south of the border as well as people here in the United States who don’t have legal documentation. The good people I have encountered in Matamoros are living in a dead end and many see no option but sending their children across the border. This cruelty must end. This cruelty is a result of United States law and worsened by the Migrant Protection Protocols instituted by the Trump administration. I am grateful for PASO who organized my first trip to Matamoros that included two state lawmakers, including Rep. Lisa Hernandez. She introduced a House Resolution calling upon U.S. Congress and particularly Illinois representatives to end the Migrant Protection Protocols and oppose funding for Customs and Border Patrol, ICE. I’m grateful that Chuy Garcia and Jan Schakowski voted against the recent federal budget because it increased funding for CBP and ICE. But they were the only U.S. Representatives who did so from Illinois — and named this funding as the reason for their “no” vote. Illinois was the first and only state to pass such legislation, and now it is up to us citizens to demand the end to cruel and inhumane laws. Rev. Alan Taylor, an Oak Park resident, is senior minister with the Unity Temple Unitarian-Universalist Congregation in Oak Park.
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
V I E W P O I N T S
RF assessments rose, taxes don’t necessarily follow
On Feb. 7, the Cook County Assessor’s Office mailed reassessment notices to River Forest property owners. If you would like to understand the figures you see on your notice, my office has resources to guide you at http://riverforesttownship.org/proptax.asp There you will find a range of helpful information, including answers to frequently asked questions and a link to the Cook County Assessor’s 2020 evaluation report for River Forest Township’s triennial reassessment. Along the way, it’s essential to keep a few related facts in mind. Just as your property value is likely to have increased by a significant amount, the same is true of most of your neighbors. In fact, River Forest has grown by approximately $40 million in total assessed value from 2019 to 2020, according to the Cook County Assessor. If your property value has grown by 25 percent, for instance, that does not mean that your tax bill will go up by that much. Your property’s assessment is your portion of the tax burden, and that tax
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impact is driven by changes in the levy amounts determined by local units of government. The 2020 reassessment will not impact tax bills until the second installment tax bills in 2021. On Tuesday, March 3 at 6 p.m., my office is hosting a Community Outreach seminar with the Cook County Assessor’s staff. All residents are invited to attend and will be able to ask the staff questions regarding your new property assessment. The outreach will be held at the River Forest Community Center, 8020 Madison St., Room 206, in River Forest.
Pamela Kende
River Forest Township Assessor
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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River Forest’s Affordable Housing Plan comes round again
It’s vital that River Foresters who care about preserving the housing affordable to their neighbors with modest incomes — retired seniors, teachers, librarians, nurses, etc. — attend and speak up at Tuesday’s (March 3) Plan Commission meeting at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 400 Park. Public testimony on the draft Affordable Housing Plan at the Jan. 21 public hearing, led the Plan Commission to send it back to the consultant for rehabilitation. The revised plan probably won’t be available until this Friday, just four days before the March 3 Plan Commission meeting — hardly enough time for adequate public review. I will post an annotated copy of the plan within 24 hours of its release at http:// www.riverforestmatters.com. Nobody knows exactly how much the plan will be rehabilitated except that the entire Plan Commission wanted the language calling affordable housing a “burden” removed. As a professional city planner who has worked on affordable housing policy for decades, I urge River Foresters to attend and
speak out March 3 in support of including these recommendations in the plan: Amend River Forest’s Comprehensive Plan to establish a policy of preserving existing housing affordable to households with modest incomes Adopt effective incentivized inclusionary zoning Adopt the policy that at least 15 percent of dwelling units in all new developments that include multi-family housing be affordable to households of modest incomes Adopt a precise policy for TIF districts to either maintain existing multi-family and single-family housing affordable to households with modest incomes or replace existing affordable housing with new affordable units in new developments in the TIF districts on a one-for-one basis If these recommendations are left out of the Affordable Housing Plan, the plan will be a whitewash when far more than a new coat of paint is needed.
Daniel Lauber, AICP River Forest
Thank you to all of our sponsors and vendors for a super successful sale!
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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L E T T E R S
Kina Collins strongest challenger to Davis
The four-person race for the Democratic nomination for Illinois 7th District representative shows that it’s finally time for a change of leadership after 22 years. Danny Davis’s three young challengers all speak eloquently for change in the district, especially for addressing its vast inequities in everything from life expectancy, public education, and employment to criminal justice and policing. Kina Collins stands out, however, as the candidate most prepared and able to represent us in Congress and to use that position to tackle the many issues facing the district and the nation. As a lifelong resident of Austin and a survivor of gun violence, Kina has lived the experience of the district’s most disenfranchised residents. As the child of working-class union organizers, she learned firsthand how to turn grassroots activism into policy objectives and political action that achieves real gains for ordinary people. But Kina brings much more to her candidacy than her background. She has statewide
experience in crafting civil rights and gender equity legislation and getting it passed with bipartisan support and under a Republican governor. She has national experience as an organizer for healthcare reform. She has proven skills in community engagement, coalition building and advocacy. Kina understands that the 7th District’s issues are local but also connected to national and even global issues. She is informed as well as passionate, a listener who engages and connects as well as inspires. She may be the youngest black woman ever to run for Congress from Illinois, but she has already demonstrated the smarts, energy, discipline, and skills necessary to effectively represent the entire 7th District at the national level and to bring urgently needed change to its diverse neighborhoods. That’s why I’m supporting Kina Collins in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, March 17. I hope you’ll join me. To learn more, visit kinaforcongress.com.
Wendy Greenhouse Oak Park
Experiment in democracy is finished Now that Senate Republicans have absolved President Trump for crimes that many Republican Senators admitted he was guilty of, he now knows he is above the law. He has been awarded absolute power to do anything he wants. His modus operandi has always been that of an organized crime godfather. True to form, he has fired American patriot Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland for testifying truthfully during the impeachment hearings. Now Trump’s lackey, Attorney General William Barr has acceded to the twitter commands of his chief by recommending that convicted felon Roger Stone be given no more than a slap on the wrist. Among Stone’s crimes was lying under oath, which was the sole basis for William Clinton’s impeachment. The Rule of Law is dead.
It is increasingly obvious that Trump plans to take seriously the ludicrous opinion of his lawyer Alan M. Dershowitz, who claimed that if Trump believes his presidency would benefit America, then he is justified in committing any crimes necessary to ensure he keeps this job. I predict that Trump will lose the 2020 election. But I also predict that he will declare the results invalid (“fake news”). Perhaps he will claim that millions of Ukrainians voted for his opponent, then declare himself the winner by royal fiat. Who will stop him? The spineless GOPcontrolled Senate? The Supreme Court, now stacked with his appointees? Will the military intervene to save democracy? I doubt it. The grand American Experiment in Democracy is finished.
Tom DeCoursey Oak Park
O B I T U A R I E S
Mark Hinojosa ‘never, ever stopped living’
Hinojosa was born Aug. 17, 1956, and grew up in East Los Angeles. Neither his father, John Garcia Hinojosa, a gardener, nor his mother, Emma Martinez Hinojosa, were advantaged with higher education, said Katherine “Kay” Foran, to whom Hinojosa was married for more than 31 years. She said that at the pinnacle of his career, “as a kid from East L.A.,” Hinojosa had to pinch himself. He couldn’t believe where he was. “He never, ever stopped living,” said Kathy Kiely, a professor and colleague of Hinojosa’s at the Missouri School of Journalism. “Even when he was dying, he never stopped living.” Hinojosa was hired as a member of the convergence faculty at the Missouri School of Journalism in 2015. He was a two-time Pulitzer judge for photography and local reporting and was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team at The Kansas City Star in 1982. He also worked as an editor for a photo book, “Americanos: Latino Life in the United States,” which was a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit. Hinojosa was recently chosen to receive a Reynolds Faculty Fellowship award, the Missouri School of Journalism announced Wednesday. “He was a person of exceptional generosity, compassion, tenacity and love,” Foran said. “Everywhere he went, he made deep friendships and changed the places and the people for the better.” After Hinojosa’s diagnosis, Kiely remembers him asking her, “What’s our next project?” The two spent a lot of time together driving to and from the Bootheel, working on a pro bono project for the National Stars and Stripes Museum and Library in Bloomfield, even throughout Hinojosa’s illness. Kiely said the last thing she took to Hinojosa’s house was a bottle of rye whiskey and a straw. Hinojosa held students to a high standard but treated them as colleagues. He was the “definition of tough love,” said Lynda Kraxberger, associate dean at the Missouri School of Journalism and part of the hiring team that chose Hinojosa. Kiely said she saw one of his students in tears Friday when news broke of his passing. Kraxberger said Hinojosa “thought creatively and compassionately about the people he told stories about,” adding that his license plate, when spoken aloud, formed the phrase “Fourth Estate,” referring to the free press as an informal component of the political system. She said Hinojosa “noticed the most granular details” and was a perfectionist who was always thinking about the future of journalism. “He was the best boss I ever had,” said Ellen Warren, a columnist at the Chicago Tribune. Hinojosa was Warren’s editor in 2004, a year that she described as “the best year of my 50 years of journalism.” When Warren received a phone call from Kiely on Friday, she said her heart sank. She knew exactly what the call was about. “He was the most generous and smart editor I ever had,” she said. Warren said when working at the Chicago Tribune, she would walk into Hinojosa’s office for a quick talk and find herself having a long conversation on politics and the state of the world. Hinojosa allowed her to start the Tribune’s first political blog. “He was so curious, so informed and so funny,” Warren said. In middle school art class, upon seeing his work, Hinojosa’s teacher instructed him to follow her. She took him right across the hall to the photography teacher. Foran
Former Missouri School of Journalism professor Mark Hinojosa said that for her husband, when it came to photography and visual storytelling, “it was love at first sight.” Warren described Hinojosa’s relationship with photography similarly, calling it “his great love.” While Warren is a self-described “word person,” she recalled a time when the two stood in a hallway and Hinojosa went on talking about the photos there, adding that he could talk about photography forever. Hinojosa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma while living in Detroit in 2012. Warren said that he took the diagnosis with “great grace,” adding that “he could give a master class on overcoming adversity.” “His tenacity, his determination to not let a disease in any way” come between him and his goals was inspiring, Foran said. “He was always profoundly appreciative of the many doctors, nurses and health care providers in Detroit, St. Louis and especially at MU Health Care, who gave him so many more wonderful years and experiences throughout his journey with the disease.” Despite his professional success, Foran said that for her husband, “always, family came first.” He was home for dinner whenever he could be, and he taught his children how to ride a bicycle, rock climb and fly fish. His children are John Luke Hinojosa (Xiaotian Hu), Maria Hinojosa and Isabella Hinojosa. He is also survived by three sisters, three nieces and a nephew. There will be a funeral Mass for Hinojosa at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park, Illinois. Visitation is an hour prior, at 10 a.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Mark Hinojosa Fund for Future Journalists or by mailing a check to the Office of Advancement, School of Journalism, 103 Neff Hall, Columbia, MO 65211. A few weeks ago at home, Hinojosa took a book off the shelf, Foran said. It was “The Little Prince.” He read her a line. “In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing.”
Courtesy of the Missouri School of Journalism
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Frank Villari, 88
O B I T U A R I E S
Engineer, inventor
ished papa of Emma and FranFrank K. Villari, 88, a resident of cesca Villari. He was the uncle Oak Park for more than 50 years, and great-uncle of many. He died on Feb. 17, 2020. was preceded in death by his He was born Nov.11, 1931, in Chiparents Joseph and Mary Vilcago and graduated from St. Mel lari; daughter Julianne Villari High School and later, The Univerand his siblings, Joseph (the sity of Illinois at Urbana-Chamlate Antoinette), Genevieve paign. He served in the U.S. Army (the late Louis) DeRose and during the Korean War. Julie (the late George) Seitz. He got married and moved to Oak A funeral Mass was celebrated Park in 1967. He was an engineer FRANK K. VILLARI Feb. 22 at St. Bernardine Church for over 50 years in the research in Forest Park, followed by interand development of plastics, for ment was at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Hillside. which he was granted multiple patents. Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Frank Villari is survived by his wife, Jean, and son Frank (Sherry); and was the cher- Home, Oak Park, handled arrangements.
Gene Ruoff, 80
Distinguished professor at UIC Gene William Ruoff, 80, died on “The Multicultural Debate AmerJan. 4, 2020 of natural causes. He ican Literature and the Schools.” was born on July 23, 1939. In 1994, Gene became associate Gene was a scholar of English vice chancellor for Academic Afromantic literature and was an fairs. emeritus faculty member and forFrom 1996 to his retirement in mer administrator at the Univer2009, he was associate provost and sity of Illinois at Chicago. The son special assistant to the chancellor of Robert G. Ruoff and Thelma L. for Information and Management O’Hara Ruoff, Gene was raised in Systems. He coordinated UIC’s Paducah, Kentucky. collaboration with the UrbanaGENE WILLIAMS RUOFF In 1967, he married A. LaVonne Champaign and Springfield camBrown Ruoff, now professor emerpuses to create a unified computita of English, UIC, who survives him. er system as well as supervised that of UIC. Because the University of Illinois did not Gene and LaVonne dedicated 31 years to permit married couples to be in the same de- restoring their 1893 three-story Victorian partment, Gene and LaVonne had to obtain an home, known as the Charles A. Purcell exception to this rule from the central admin- House. They received a state of Illinois resistration. Gene adopted her children: Stephen toration grant and were among Oak Park’s Charles (1958-2018) and Sharon Louise (1959- first homeowners to repaint their house in 2002). During their marriage, the couple pri- Victorian colors. They and Stephen decorated the walls and marily lived in Oak Park and Glen Ellyn. After receiving his B.A. in 1961 from Centre ceilings with Bradbury & Bradbury’s VictoCollege, Danville, Kentucky, Gene entered the rian reproduction wall papers. Their home University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was featured in “Wallpaper with Style: completed his master’s degree in English in Bradbury & Bradbury,” Victorian Sampler (Christmas 1993). 1963 and his Ph.D. in English in 1970. In 1997, the Historical Society of Oak Park He wrote “Wordsworth and Coleridge: The Making of the Major Lyrics, 1801-04” (1989), awarded the couple its prize for interior decand “Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility” oration. In 1998, the house was part of the (He edited “Romantic Poetry: Recent Revi- Frank Lloyd Wright Plus Tour of Oak Park. Survivors include his brothers, Robert A. sionary Criticism,” with Karl Kroeber (1993); “The Romantics and Us: Essays on Literature Ruoff and Charles O. Ruoff; sister-in-law, and Culture” (1990); and “The Age of William Suzanne Brown; and daughter-in-law, CherWordsworth: Critical Essays on the Romantic yl Moffitt Ruoff. He was buried privately on Jan. 8 in Mound Cemetery, Charleston. Tradition,” with Kenneth R. Johnston (1987). Gifts in memory of Gene may be sent to From 1986 to 1996, Gene directed the UIC Institute for the Humanities, where he men- the University of Illinois Foundation and tored the fellows and organized programs. designated for the University of Illinois, Gene was a leader in offering summer insti- Chicago, for either the Institute for the Humanities or the Richard J. Daley Library. tutes for high-school teachers. The National Endowment for the Humanities Gifts may be made online at give.uic.edu funded seven of these: “Jane Austin: The Soci- by pasting in either of the fund titles in ety and the Self,” “Jane Addams’s Hull House the search box provided. Checks should be Humanities Program,” “The Romantics and made payable to the University of Illinois Foundation and sent to 1305 W. Green St., Us,” and “Literature in an Age of Revolutions.” The Illinois Humanities Council supported Urbana, Illinois, 61801.
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Patricia Novielli, 86 Lover of the arts
Patricia C. Novielli (nee Sikora), 86, a longtime resident of River Forest, died on Feb. 21, 2020. She was born on Aug. 8, 1933 in Chicago to Steven and Mildred Sikora (nee Evans). Pat loved music, literature, and theatre. Years ago, she was thrilled to visit her family’s ancestral home in Wales. Dedicated wife to the late Dominick M. Novielli, aka Domo, of Bari, Italy. Dom and Pat met ballroom dancing at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago and married on the first day of summer in 1952. Pat and Dom are now reunited and dancing a rumba to “Spanish Eyes” by Al Martino – their very special song. She was the devoted mother to Pamela, James (Carol), Steven, and the late Paula; grandmother to Kyle, Justin, Jennifer, and Marco (Alicia) Novielli; close-in-heart to her sister-in-law Stella (Tony) Lettieri nee Novielli; loving aunt to Chris (Brenda), Renee, Michael Let-
tieri, Marina (Phil) Figarelli and Jeffrey (Anne), Paul, Daniel (Shelly), and Robert (Marissa) Lettieri. Pat is also survived by her former daughterin-law, Pamela PATRICIA NOVIELLI Adams Novielli. Vi s i t a t i o n is 3 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St., Oak Park. Prayers Thursday, Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m. to St. Luke Church for Mass at 10 a.m. Interment Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to BrightFocus Foundation for Macular Degeneration Research, St. Jude’s Research for Children, and Misericordia.
Nora Meewes, 96 Oak Park resident
Nora C. Meewes (nee (the late Mary Frances) Duffy), 96, of Oak Park, and Thomas (the late Rene) died on Feb. 18, 2020. She Duffy and Mary McDonwas born on June 18, 1923. nell, Margaret Dillon and Nora was the beloved Rose Cassidy; and an aunt wife of the late Dellwyn to many nieces and nephMeewes; the mother of ews. Donald, Eileen (Sergio) A funeral Mass was celDiaz, Maureen (Fred) ebrated Feb. 21 at AscenHewitt and Robert (Jacsion Church in Oak Park, queline) Meewes; the followed by interment at NORA C. MEEWES grandmother of Jennifer Queen of Heaven CemeWells, Brian (Lauren), tery in Hillside. Donations Christopher (Stephanie) and Eric to the school fund at Ascension Parish Meewes, Stephanie (Tony) Luleung are appreciated. and Emily Ruiz, and Ariana and AnDrechsler, Brown & Williams Fudrea Meewes; the great-grandmother neral Home, Oak Park, handled arof 12; the sister of the late William rangements.
Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home
Since 1880 Family Owned & Operated Read Step 1. le . Recyc Step 2
Charles Williams, Owner/Funeral Director 203 S. Marion St. Oak Park 60302 708/383-3191
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Religion Guide You’re Invited to
Roman Catholic
St. Edmund Catholic Church
ELCA, Lutheran
A Church for All Nations A Church Without Walls SERVICE LOCATION Forest Park Plaza 7600 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, IL 60130
Good Shepherd 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
William S. Winston Pastor (708) 697-5000
on the corner of Thomas and Fair Oaks Ave.
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)
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
www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org
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
Lutheran-Independent
Grace Lutheran Church
7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior 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
Upcoming Religious Holidays
Mar 1 St. David of Wales Intercalary Days end Cheesefare Sunday 2 2-20 3 8 9 10
Christian Baha’i Orthodox Christian Clean Monday Great Lent begins Orthodox Christian Nineteen Day Fast Baha’i Hindi New Year Hindu Orthodox Sunday Orthodox Christian Magha Puja Day Buddhist Holi Hindu Purim Jewish Hola Mohalla Sikh
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
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
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
To place a listing in the Religion Guide, call Mary Ellen: 708/613-3342
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
@ @OakPark
Swimming sectionals 42
SPORTS
41
What coach said
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Fenwick beats Trinity in crosstown matchup Hinrichs, Heneghan combine for 32 By JAMES KAY Sports Editor
There was not an inch of breathing room for anyone in attendance for the girls basketball sectional matchup between Fenwick and Trinity. On Feb. 24, both programs packed the gym in the crosstown battle that ended with the Friars beating the Blazers 38-28. Fenwick’s Audrey Hinrichs (18 points) and Elise Heneghan (14) combined for 32 points in the win. “This type of game is always going to be intense, but when you have a big student section on your side it always helps,” said Hinrichs. “Playing a great player in [Makiyah Williams] is always tough but it’s just good competition and we are happy with how we played tonight.” It was an uncharacteristic offensive night for both teams as they struggled to find any consistency on that end of the floor. Heading into the game, Fenwick was averaging 52.5 points per game while Trinity averaged ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer 49 PPG behind the multifaceted forward in COURT VISION: Fenwick’s Sheila Hogan (20) dribbles during a playoff game against Trinity at Fenwick. Williams. However, Fenwick was able to contain the Blazers’ star in the first half and held right and seeing what that would do. When ond half that we did a much better job of they can focus on, it’s easier to stop but when Trinity to just two points. The Blazers went [Williams] is struggling, she relies on her getting to the rim.” you have two kids who play so well together 0-11 from three-point range while the Friars teammates for outside shots, and I think our Trinity started putting pressure on Fen- and know where each other are on the floor, gave Williams no room to defense did a great job on wick and trimmed the Friars’ lead to 26-15 it’s really hard for teams to contend with.” finish at the basket. closing out on their shoot- heading into the fourth quarter. However, it Even though her team had some bright After taking a week to was Hinrichs and Heneghan, whose lethal moments in the second half, Williams ers.” game plan for Williams, Heading into halftime, high-low game has been at the center of thought the Blazers got going too late in the Fenwick’s assistant coach Trinity’s head coach Kim Fenwick’s success this season, went to work game to be able to mount a comeback on the Erin Power said her team Coleman preached not with the Friars up 28-18 with 5:33 remaining road. learned from its mistakes getting wrapped up with in the game. “I think we wanted it too late honestly,” after Trinity and Fenwick Fenwick went on a 15-4 run and didn’t look said Williams. “We have to start from the bethe lack of fouls not being played one another on Dec. back the rest of the way (Hinrichs scored ginning, and we went in knowing we could called their way. 10. “I told them, ‘We aren’t ten of her 18 points in the second half). come in and win a sectional title. We will be “[Hinrichs and Heneghan] have been in- back ready for next year. I will be in the gym getting any fouls, but we “Makiyah Williams is just have to be patient and credible for us all season,” said Power. “We tomorrow.” such a great player but we attack the basket,’” said struggle on the nights when they are not know she likes to go left,” After beating the Blazers (14-17), Fenwick AUDREY HINRICH connecting, which is a rarity when that hapColeman. “We were setsaid Power. “We did a lot (26-8) will face Westinghouse College Prep Fenwick So. tling for jump shots, and I pens, but the two of them have been an un- (23-8) on Feb. 27 for the sectional championof work in practice around think you saw in the sec- stoppable force. When a team has one player ship. shading her hard to her
“This type of game is always going to be intense, but when you have a big student section on your side it always helps.”
Sports Editor
By JAMES KAY
Host Fenwick places second
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
OPRF Fenwick Reavis St. Rita Oak Lawn (Community) Morton Curie Argo
329 274 211 174 110 77 67 58
Sectional Team Results
His teammate Connor McCarthy placed second in the 200 IM (1:54.94) and placed first in the 100 butterfly (51.25). Senior Dan Bajda had a time of 21.74 in the 50-yard freestyle to qualify as well. “We weren’t too concerned with Mike [Flynn’s] events,” said McGuire. “Connor [McCarthy’s] IM was incredible and so was his 100 fly. We were kind of worried that he might be a little shy of the [state qualifying] time [for the IM], but he was well under it. If he goes at that time or goes faster than that, we are looking at points at the state meet.” OPRF and Fenwick also advanced multiple relay teams to state after their performances last weekend. The Huskies’ 200-yard medley relay team (Pareja, Tirone, Guerrero and Raidt) placed first with a time of 1:32.75. Fenwick’s relay team (Pete Buinauskas, Flynn, McCarthy and Bajda) followed with a second place finish and a time of 1:34.59. The 400-yard free relay teams for Fenwick and OPRF both qualified for state, with Fenwick placing first (3:07.46) and OPRF placed second (3:08.16). OPRF’s 200 free relay team also qualified for the state meet, placing first at 1:25.71.
1:32.75 1:34.59 1:25.71 3:07.46 3:08.16
200-Yard Freestyle 200-Yard Freestyle 50-Yard Freestyle 50-Yard Freestyle 50-Yard Freestyle 200-Yard Individual Medley 200-Yard Individual Medley 100-Yard Breaststroke 100-Yard Breaststroke 100-Yard Butterfly Diving
Individual Results
200-Yard Medley Relay 200-Yard Medley Relay 200-Yard Freestyle Relay 400-Yard Freestyle Relay 400-Yard Freestyle Relay
Will Raidt (OPRF) Mike Flynn (Fenwick) Frank Tirone (OPRF) James Shorney (OPRF) Dan Bajda (Fenwick) Benjamin Guerrero (OPRF) Connor McCarthy (Fenwick) Benjamin Guerrero (OPRF) Brandon Graves (OPRF) Connor McCarthy (Fenwick) Tyler Hoyt (OPRF)
OPRF Fenwick OPRF Fenwick OPRF
Team Results
Swimming State Qualifiers
ON TO STATE: OPRF’s swim team gathers in the pool after it placed first at sectionals on Feb. 22 at Fenwick.
1:41.58 1:42.80 21.15 21.73 21.74 1:53.46 1:54.94 58.22 58.72 51.25 425.80
Photo provided by AMBER STITZIEL PAREJA
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OPRF boys swimming wins sectional
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
East Avenue will be well represented when the Oak Park and River Forest and Fenwick high school boys swimming programs head to the state championships on Feb. 28 at Evanston High School The Friars hosted the Huskies and nine other teams on Feb. 22 for the sectional round of the postseason. Both programs blew the other teams out of the water as OPRF placed first (329 points) while Fenwick placed second (274). “I am really proud of how the kids swam and dove yesterday,” said OPRF coach Clyde Lundgren in a phone interview with Wednesday Journal. “That first third of the meet always has a lot going on, and you try to figure out if the kids are on and hitting it. Everyone stepped up, and I still think we have a lot more in us [when they go to state] for Friday.” Fenwick coach Luke McGuire was also pleased with how his team stepped up on the day. “You know, I was really happy,” said McGuire. “We are excited our two relay [teams] got in and both had really good times. We are feeling really good about where we are going into Friday.” OPRF had nine individuals qualify for the state meet. Senior Will Raidt placed first in the 200-yard freestyle (1 minute, 41.58 seconds). Junior Benjamin Guerrero set a pool record in the 200-yard individual medley (1:53.46) and placed first in the 100 breaststroke (58.22). Juniors Frank Tirone and James Shorney both qualified for state in the 50 freestyle with respective times of 21.15 and 21.73. Junior Diego Pareja (51.16) and senior Evan Burnham (52.53) qualified in the 100 backstroke. Brandon Graves rounded out the individual state qualifiers for OPRF by placing second in the 100-yard breaststroke (58.72). According to Lundgren, diver Tyler Hoyt also put up a personal-best score of 425.80 and qualified for state as well. Guerrero was satisfied with how the Huskies took care of business at sectionals. “One thing that I think separates us is that we grown so close together this past season, and we have been motivating each other every single day than we have in past years,” said Guerrero. “I think that has created an interesting team dynamic where we push each other to work harder with the end goal being able to place at state and doing well there.” Fenwick had three individuals qualify for state. Mike Flynn posted a time of 1:42.80 in the 200 freestyle (second place) and swam 4:39.32 in the 500 freestyle, placing first.
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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WHAT COACH SAID...
What Coach Said: Boys Wrestling State edition OPRF’s Ogunsanya places first By JAMES KAY Sports Editor
In this week’s edition of What Coach Said, we are highlighting boys wrestling. Fenwick and OPRF’s wrestling teams have had their ups and downs this season, but both programs saw their best wrestlers turn out strong performances at the 2A (Fenwick) and 3A (OPRF) IHSA state finals. On Feb. 23, Fenwick’s wrestling head coach Seth Gamino and OPRF’s assistant coach Jamil Smart reflected on the success of their wrestlers. Here is what they had to say: After spending his first four years as an assistant coach at Fenwick, Seth Gamino took over the reins of the Friars’ wrestling program. Here is what he had to say about his first trip down to state as a head coach and how his group of state qualifiers went at SETH GAMINO it against Illinois’ FENWICK best wrestlers. On Zuber’s fourth place finish at 2A 160 lb class… “Matt Zuber placed that high because he is Matt Zuber. He worked his butt off all year and I can’t tell you how many nights we would end practice and tell him, ‘Hey buddy, you have to get going because I have to go to work [at Gamino’s other job] because you can’t be here without me.’ There are a lot of athletes and wrestlers who wonder why they don’t accomplish their goals but don’t ask themselves if they put in the work. I can attest to Matt Zuber putting in the work.” On Zuber bouncing back after initial loss… “Matt [Zuber] faced an opponent from Crystal Lake and he had wrestled [Crystal Lake wrestler Caden Ernd] earlier this year but [Ernd] got the better of us and lost the decision 5-1. The good thing is down state it is double elimination, so we weren’t too discouraged after the loss. [Zuber] came back Friday on fire. He was focused, loose, and wrestled some of the best matches I have ever seen from him and I’ve coached him for four years.” On sophomore Jimmy Liston’s performance at state (placed eighth in 285 lb class)… “It’s hard because everybody wants to win when they go to state but I try to keep the kids focused and centered and tell them, ‘Hey this is a huge thing qualifying for state as a sophomore.’ Usually at his weight, there are a lot of juniors and seniors who have chest hair [laughs] and are bigger. He
Photo by Samantha Smart
TAKEDOWN: OPRF’s Joshua Ogunsanya (left) placed first at state and holds a 42-4 record this season. did amazing and wrestled very well down at state but big seniors are hard to overcome. I told Jimmy afterwards, ‘Now that we have state out of the way, next year you have experience and know what it’s like being under the lights.’ He was excited about wrestling as well as he did.” After a dominant performance at sectionals the week before, OPRF saw more of the same success in Champaign with Joshua Ogunsanya placing first in the 3A 145 weight class. His teammates Joe Chapman (152 lb. weight class) and Daemyen Middlebrooks (195 lb. weight class) JAMIL SMART placed third in OPRF their respective classes. Fabian Gonzalez also placed and finished eighth in the 285 lb. weight class. Here is what assistant coach Jamil Smart had to say about how the four wrestlers did at state:
On Ogunsanya dominates despite MCL injury… “The beautiful part about Josh’s performance is that, at the state meet, he didn’t give up one offensive point. He didn’t get taken down and didn’t get turned. It was truly a dominant performance from him. What stood out most for me this season was that knee injury he had. He had a knee injury right before the Doc B Invitational, and that was a tough time for him because we weren’t exactly sure what we were going to do with him. Do we rest the knee? Do we test it and see how it respond? Ultimately, he decided to push through it and see what he could achieve, and I knew at that point he was ready to take on any adversity he was going to face.” On Jacob Rundell’s third place finish… “It’s tough for him because he had his eyes set on a state championship and that’s the only thing he has been training for and the only thing he has ever wanted. For him to lose a semi-final match and comeback and win a third-place finish in the state was profoundly mature of him. We are really proud
of our seniors because they have shown that when they face adversity they can focus and dial it back in and still achieve an amazing performance. Jacob did that for us.” On Daemyen Middlebrooks’ resilience… “Daemyen is a special kid. We have a phrase in wrestling where we say, ‘When you are on, you’re on’ and he just gets in that zone where no one can touch him. What was special is that he had to face the No. 1 kid in the state, who had an undefeated record, and he dropped that match 5-3. He pushed it to the brink and worked as hard as he could but just couldn’t secure the victory. When he walked off that mat, he wasn’t broken or defeated. He was so focused and the first thing he said was, ‘I am coming back for third [place].’ That’s exactly what he did and he pinned his next two opponents.”
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
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PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK The Park District of Oak Park is actively recruiting for the following positions: seasonal Horticultural Worker, seasonal Horticultural Worker-Driver, seasonal Historic Estate Gardener and part-time year round Conservatory Birthday Party Host and part-time year round Conservatory Receptionist. To view the full job description and to apply, go to www.pdop/jobs PART-TIME COMMUNITY SERVICE COORDINATOR The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualiďŹ ed candidates for the position of Part-Time Community Service Coordinator in the Adjudication Department. This person monitors individuals who have been ordered to provide community service in the Village, coordinates with organizations that provide community service opportunities, etc. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/. Interested and qualiďŹ ed applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than February 27, 2020. Senior Software Engineer I sought by Enova Financial Holdings, LLC in Chicago, IL to perform proof of concept projects with new tools or technologies to evolve deployment and development environments. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref# 22668. Database Administrator sought by Coyote Logistics, LLC in Chicago, IL to ensure accrcy intgrty of data & dbs. Apply @ www.JobPostingToday.com, REF#46080. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST – SUMMER (TEMPORARY FULL TIME) The Summer Day Care Program is accepting applications for nurturing individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children. Positions are Monday through Friday, 8-hour shifts between the hours of 7:30 am and 6:00 pm. The summer program runs from June 8th through August 14th on site at an Oak Park elementary school. Responsibilities include supervising play shops, arts and crafts, activities, sports, group games, and indoor and outdoor play. Staff accompany and supervise children at the swimming pool and on weekly ďŹ eld trips. Requirements include: • Minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work, or related college courses • Experience working with children Contact MJ Joyce, Human Resources at mjjoyce@hephzibahhome.org
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PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, to consider amendment(s) to the Village’s Zoning Ordinance which include, but may not be limited to, the following: 1. A Text Amendment to Section 1021 (Land Use Chart) of the Zoning Ordinance to change massage therapy establishments from a permitted use to a special use in the C1, C2, C3 and ORIC Zoning Districts. The petitioner for the Text Amendments is the Village President and Board of Trustees. This public hearing is being held pursuant to direction given by the Village Board of Trustees for the Zoning Board of Appeals to consider these amendments. For additional information visit www.vrf.us. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record. For further information or for a copy of the proposed text amendments, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at (708) 714-3554 or at lscheiner@vrf.us or visit www.vrf.us. Sincerely, Lisa Scheiner Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Wednesday Journal 2/26/2020
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PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE TO BIDDERS AND INVITATION FOR BIDS VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT RECEIPT OF BIDS The Village of Brookfield will receive sealed proposals for the Police Department Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning System Replacement until 2:30 o’clock p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, March 18 2020, at the Office of the Village Manager, Village of Brookfield, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois, immediately after which time bids will be opened and publicly read aloud. The Project consists of the replacement police department heating, ventilation and air conditioning system on the roof of the Brookfield Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS Specifications and bid forms may be obtained from Mr. Carl Muell, Director of Public Works, 4545 Eberly Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513; Email – CMuell@brookfieldil.gov No bidding documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Bid proposals must be submitted on the forms provided. Submission of a bid shall be conclusive assurance and warranty that the bidder has examined the plans, the site of the work and the local conditions affecting the contract and understands all of the requirements for performance of the work. The bidder will be responsible for all errors in its proposal resulting from failure or neglect to conduct an in-depth examination. The Village of Brookfield will, in no case, be responsible for any costs, expenses, losses or changes in anticipated profits resulting from such failure or neglect of the bidder. The bidder shall not take advantage of any error or omission in the plans or proposal. Sealed envelopes or packages containing bids shall be addressed to the Village Manager and plainly marked “BID PROPOSAL FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT” on the outside of the envelope. QUESTIONS, CHANGES, CLARIFICATION Any questions that arise must be made in writing and shall be directed by electronic mail to Mr. Carl Muell, Director of Public Works, 4545 Eberly Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513; Email – CMuell@brookfieldil.gov; Telephone (708) 485-2540; Fax (708) 485-6575. The written questions, along with the Village’s responses, shall be circulated to all known potential bidders without identifying the party submitting the questions. The cut-off for receipt of additional questions shall be 3:00 p.m., Central Daylight Savings Time on Thursday, March 12, 2020, in order to facilitate preparation of any addenda. No inquiry received after that time will be given consideration. Replies and/ or addenda will be electronically mailed to all known potential contractors by 4:00 p.m., Central Daylight Savings Time on Friday, March 13, 2020. Receipt of any addenda must be acknowledged in writing as part of the Bidder’s Proposal. Bidders shall be responsible for ensuring that they have received any and all addenda. The Village of Brookfield shall not assume responsibility for the receipt by the Bidder of any addenda. BID SECURITY Each bid shall be accompanied by a proposal guaranty in the form of a bid bond, executed by a corporate surety company, a bank cashier’s check or a certified check payable to the Village of Brookfield for not less than five percent (5%) of the amount bid. The proposal guaranty checks of all, except the two lowest responsible bidders, will be returned after the proposals have been checked and tabulated. The proposal guaranty checks of the two lowest responsible bidders will be returned after the contract and the contract bond of the successful bidder have been properly executed and approved. Bid bonds will not be returned. RIGHT TO REJECT BIDS The Village of Brookfield reserves the right to waive technicalities and to reject any and all proposals for any reason deemed in the best interest of the Village of Brookfield. AWARD OF CONTRACT Unless all bids are rejected, the contract award will be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder that the Village of Brookfield in its sole discretion determines to be in the best interest of the village. In determining who the lowest responsive, responsible bidder is, the Village of Brookfield will consider all factors that it, in its discretion, deems relevant. PAYMENT OF PREVAILING WAGES The general prevailing rate of wages in Cook County, Illinois, for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract or perform the work, also the general prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work, as ascertained by the Illinois Department of Labor, shall be paid for each craft or type of worker needed to execute the contract or to perform the work. February 20, 2020 Village of Brookfield, Illinois Timothy C. Wiberg, Village Manager Douglas Cooper, Director of Finance Published in RBLandmark 2/26/2019
Starting a new business? Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News Call for details: 708/613-3342
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: Y20003235 on February 20. 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of TERRY MITCHELL & ASSOCIATES FOR ENGAGING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES with the business located at: 4825 W 31ST ST UNIT 1W, CICERO, IL 60804. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: TERRY A. MITCHELL, 4825 W 31ST ST UNIT 1W, CICERO, IL 60804. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/26, 3/4, 3/11/2020
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A MOTOR GRADER FOR THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS The Village of Brookfield, Illinois, will receive sealed Proposals for one (1) motor grader. The sealed proposals will be received at the Village Manager’s office, at the Brookfield Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513, until 2:00 o’clock p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, March 18 2020. Any Proposal unsealed or received after the deadline for submitting proposals will not be accepted. Specifications and Proposal forms may be obtained from Mr. Carl Muell, Director of Public Works, 4545 Eberly Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513; Email – CMuell@brookfieldil.gov. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Proposals must be submitted on the forms provided. Submission of a Proposal shall be conclusive assurance and warranty that the bidder has examined the proposed work and understands all of the requirements for performance of the work. The bidder will be responsible for all errors in its Proposal resulting from failure or neglect to conduct an in-depth examination. Sealed envelopes or packages containing a Proposal shall be addressed to the Village Administrator and plainly marked “PROPOSAL FOR A MOTOR GRADER FOR THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS” on the outside of the envelope. Any questions must be made in writing and shall be addressed to Mr. Carl Muell, Director of Public Works, 4545 Eberly Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 or electronically mailed to the Director of Public Works at CMuell@ brookfieldil.gov. The written questions, along with the Village’s responses, shall be circulated to all known prospective bidders without identifying the party submitting the questions. The cut-off for receipt of additional questions shall be 2:00 o’clock p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time on Friday, March 13, 2020, in order to facilitate preparation of any addenda. No inquiry received after that time will be given consideration. Replies and/or addenda will be mailed and electronically mailed to all known prospective bidders by 4:00 o’clock p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time on Monday, March 16, 2020. Receipt of any addenda must be acknowledged in writing as part of the bidder’s Proposal. Bidders shall be responsible for ensuring that they have received any and all addenda. The Village of Brookfield shall not assume responsibility for the receipt by the bidder of any addenda. Proposers seeking to submit a Proposal for any equipment not meeting the specifications must contact Mr. Carl Muell, Director of Public Works, 4545 Eberly Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 or at CMuell@brookfieldil.gov and obtain the written approval to submit the non-compliant Proposal not less than ten (10) days prior to the bid opening. No Proposal shall be withdrawn after submission of the Proposal without the consent of the Village of Brookfield for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled deadline for submission of Proposals. The Village of Brookfield will review all Proposals received and reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive technicalities, and to accept the Proposal as the Brookfield Village board of trustees determines, in its sole discretion, to be in the best interest of the Village of Brookfield. February 20, 2020 Village of Brookfield, Illinois Tim Wiberg, Village Manager Doug Cooper, Director of Finance Published in RBLandmark 2/26/2019
VILLAGE OF RIVER FOREST INVITATION TO BIDDERS
VILLAGE OF RIVER FOREST INVITATION TO BIDDERS
The Village of River Forest is accepting bids for the Tree Trimming Program throughout the Village of River Forest.
The Village of River Forest is accepting bids for the Parkway Tree and Stump Removal throughout the Village of River Forest.
Detailed specifications for the above may be obtained by contacting John Anderson, Director of Public Works at 708-7143550, via email janderson@vrf.us or through the “Bids & RFPs” section of the Village’s website www.vrf.us and can also be obtained at the office of the Director of Public Works Department, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, beginning Friday, February 21, 2020. A certified check or Bid Bond of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid, made payable to the Village of River Forest, must accompany all proposals.
Detailed specifications for the above may be obtained by contacting John Anderson, Director of Public Works at 708-714-3550, via email janderson@vrf.us or through the “Bids & RFPs” section of the Village’s website www.vrf.us and can also be obtained at the office of the Director of Public Works Department, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, beginning Friday, February 21, 2020. A certified check or Bid Bond of ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid, made payable to the Village of River Forest, must accompany all proposals.
Proposals must be submitted before 10:30 AM on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at the office of the Director of Public Works, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois 60305, and will be publicly opened and read at that time in the Community Room, 400 Park Avenue, Illinois. All envelopes must be clearly labeled “2020 Tree Trimming Program.”
Proposals must be submitted before 10:00 AM on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at the office of the Director of Public Works, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois 60305, and will be publicly opened and read at that time in the Community Room, 400 Park Avenue, Illinois. All envelopes must be clearly labeled “2020 Tree and Stump Removal Program.”
The Village President and the Board of Trustees reserve the right to reject any and all bids.
The Village President and the Board of Trustees reserve the right to reject any and all bids.
John Anderson Director of Public Works Village of River Forest
John Anderson Director of Public Works Village of River Forest
Published in Wednesday Journal 2/26/2020
Published in Wednesday Journal 2/26/2020
PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID – SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR IN-DISTRICT STUDENTS 1. The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will accept bids for special education transportation services for students attending school in the School District. 2. Bid documents will be available beginning February 20, 2020 and may be picked up between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 3. There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting on February 25, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. The pre-bid meeting will be in the Board Room of the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 4. All bids must be submitted on or before March 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Bids are to be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Special Education Transportation Services For In-District Students” and delivered to the District Office, Attn: Mark Sheahan, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 5. The bid opening will take place on March 10, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 6. All questions must be submitted in writing to the attention of Mark Sheahan at msheahan@op97.org or 260 West Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/26/2020
LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID – SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR OUT OF DISTRICT STUDENTS 1. The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will accept bids for special education transportation services for students attending school out of the School District. 2. Bid documents will be available beginning February 20, 2020 and may be picked up between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. at the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 3. There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting on February 25, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. The pre-bid meeting will be in the Board Room of the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 4. All bids must be submitted on or before March 10, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Bids are to be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Special Education Transportation Services For Out of District Students” and delivered to the District Office, Attn: Mark Sheahan, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 5. The bid opening will take place on March 10, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. in the Board Room of the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. 6. All questions must be submitted in writing to the attention of Mark Sheahan at msheahan@op97.org or 260 West Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/19/2020
Attention! Home-improvement pros! Reach the people making decisions. Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342
46
Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
CLASSIFIED
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In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
Invitation to Bid The Park District of Forest Park (“Park District” or “Owner”) will receive bids for the Aquatic Center Slide Resurfacing Project, located at the 7501 West Harrison Street, Forest Park, Illinois 60130. Bid Documents, including Instructions to Bidders, Drawings, Technical Specifications, General and any Special Conditions, and Bid Forms, including required Contractor Certifications and Prevailing Wage Determination and Supersedes Notice, are available at Park District of Forest Park Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois 60130 commencing on February 26, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. A Pre-bid Meeting will be held at Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois, at 10:00 a.m. on March 6, 2020. This meeting will be used to review the Specifications and give any Bidders the opportunity to discuss any concerns with the Owner. Attendance at this meeting by all persons desiring to bid on this Project is highly recommended. Each bid shall be placed in an opaque sealed envelope and clearly marked “Park District of Forest Park, Aquatic Center Slide Resurfacing Project.” The envelope shall be addressed and delivered to and received by the Park District at the following location: Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois 60130. No responsibility shall be attached to any person for premature opening of a bid not properly identified. Bids will be received until 10:00 a.m. March 12, 2020. Immediately thereafter, the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids received after that time or at a different location will be rejected and returned to the Bidder unopened. The Park District of Forest Park reserves the right to waive technicalities, to accept or reject any or all bids, and/or to accept only portions of a bid and reject the remainder. Owner will award the Contract to the lowest most responsible and responsive Bidder, as determined by Owner. In considering the Bidder’s responsibility, the Owner may evaluate, among other factors, the ability of the Bidder to provide experienced labor sufficient in numbers to timely and properly complete the services, the financial capability of the Bidder, and the performance of the Bidder on other projects. Bids shall not include federal excise tax or state sales tax for materials to be incorporated in, or totally consumed in the prosecution of the Work. A tax exemption certificate will be furnished by the Park District at the request of the Bidder. The Park District’s tax exemption number shall only be used by the successful Bidder for the Work of this Project. After the bid opening time, no bid shall be withdrawn or canceled for a period of sixty (60) calendar days. The Work of this Project is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq. The Contract entered into for the Work will be drawn in compliance with said law and proposals should be prepared accordingly and provide for payment of all laborers, workmen, and mechanics needed to perform the Work at no less than the prevailing rate of wages (or the prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work) for each craft, type of worker, or mechanic. The Contractor(s) selected will also be required to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and executive orders, including but not limited to those pertaining to equal employment opportunity. Direct questions to Jackie Iovinelli, Executive Director, Park District of Forest Park, jiovinelli@pdofp.org, 708-366-7500. Published in Forest Park Review 2/26/2020
LEGAL NOTICE LAW OFFICE OF LINDA EPSTEIN 722 WEST DIVERSEY PARKWAY SUITE 101B CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60614 STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re the marriage of MARIO ENRIQUEZ, Petitioner and ROSA OSDELIA FLORES, Respondent, Case No. 20 D 000798. The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, ROSA OSDELIA FLORES, Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending. Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before March 11, 2020, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition. DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/12, 2/19, 2/26/2020
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 4:00 p.m. on Friday March 13th, 2020 for the following BID 20-121 VILLAGE OF OAK PARK RESIDENTIAL LED STREET LAMP INSTALL PROJECT REQUEST FOR PRICES 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. Information is also available from the Streets Superintendent, Scott Brinkman, sbrinkman@oak-park. us or on the Village’s website http://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/finance-department. 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 2/26/2020
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 Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park Police Department Firing Range Ventilation Improvements Proposal Number: 20-123 There will be a pre-bid meeting in the Police Dept. lobby in the lower level of Village Hall at 123 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302 on Thursday, March 5th, 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 2/26/2020
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2018-RPL12 TRUST Plaintiff, -v.KARL A. REESE, ROSALYN CUMMINGS-YEATES A/K/A ROSALIND CUMMINGS-YEATES, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2019 CH 08990 439 S. TAYLOR AVE. #2/3-B 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 December 11, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 19, 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 439 S. TAYLOR AVE. #2/3-B, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-321-0311006; 16-08-321-031-1007 The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse. 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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-04531 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019 CH 08990 TJSC#: 40-85 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 08990 I3145087
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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-06429 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019 CH 08452 TJSC#: 39-8185 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 08452 I3145090
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14 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 December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 17, 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 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car 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. 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
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION QUICKEN LOANS INC. Plaintiff, -v.DRIKO DUCASSE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2019 CH 08452 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD 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 December 17, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 19, 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 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0270000 The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, 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/
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
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) 236SALE 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. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 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 # 18 CH 12736 I3144838
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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-02481 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019 CH 09264 TJSC#: 39-7338 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 09264 I3145074
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; Plaintiff, vs. CORNELIUS MCALLISETER AKA CORNELIUS D.MCALLISTER; GABRIELA MCALLISTER AKA GABRIELA LAUREANO; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 4302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Friday, March 20, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-08-101-026-0000. Commonly known as 30 52nd Avenue, Bellwood, Illinois 60104. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Anselmo Lindberg & Associates, LLC, 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563-1890. (630) 453-6960. F19020192 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3144920
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. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay
the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-07106 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019 CH 09325 TJSC#: 39-7348 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 09325 I3145072
PARK Defendants 18 CH 08348 846 WESLEY AVE APT 2 OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 11, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 27, 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 846 WESLEY AVE APT 2, OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-226-0361012 The real estate is improved with a condominium. The judgment amount was $125,856.02. 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, HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 111 East Main Street, DECATUR, IL, 62523 (217) 4221719. Please refer to file number 402910. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC 111 East Main Street DECATUR IL, 62523 217-422-1719 Fax #: 217-422-1754 E-Mail: CookPleadings@hsbattys. com Attorney File No. 402910 Attorney Code. 40387 Case Number: 18 CH 08348 TJSC#: 40-983 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 # 18 CH 08348 I3146256
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING Plaintiff, -v.AMIN SAHTOUT, SCOVILLE COURT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2019 CH 09264 500 WASHINGTON BLVD, UNIT 107 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 November 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 17, 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 WASHINGTON BLVD, UNIT 107, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-415-0271007 The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, 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/
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION REVERSE MORTGAGE FUNDING, LLC Plaintiff, -v.JEANETTE JOHNSON, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, VILLAGE OF MAYWOOD Defendants 2019 CH 09325 130 SOUTH 9TH AVENUE MAYWOOD, IL 60153 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 17, 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 130 SOUTH 9TH AVENUE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-10-235-0330000 The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION NEW RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, LLC Plaintiff, -v.SARA DANKER, CORNERSTONE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, THE CORNERSTONE CONDOMINIUM, CITY OF OAK
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Wednesday Journal, February 26, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
The Schubert + Festival Returns! Unity Temple • February 29, 2020 Featuring International Superstar Lawrence Brownlee! Join us for our second bi-annual festival of world-class musicians performing the timeless music of Austrian composer, Franz Schubert (and other composers), in Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, Unity Temple, newly designated as a UNESCO National Heritage Site. Like the smashing success of Schubert+ Festival 2018, this year’s festival will consist of four concerts in one featuring chamber music, piano works, and songs performed by internationally acclaimed Tenor, Lawrence Brownlee, as well as Soprano Christine Steyer, Pianist Winston Choi, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Lyric Opera Symphony musicians.
Lawrence Brownlee
Christine Steyer
Winston Choi
Unforgettable music in the intimate setting of Unity Temple.
Find out more and purchase tickets to this unique all-day event at www.SchubertFestivalUnityTemple.org
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February 26, 2020
SAINTANGELA.ORG
St. Angela School | At 100
St. Angela School at 100:
Next generation of visionary leadership By LUCIA WHALEN Contributing Reporter
L
ast year, St. Angela School proudly welcomed its new principal, Bruce Schooler, whose vision for St. Angela includes faculty and staff working together to increase academic excellence. Schooler’s appointment coincides with the centennial celebration of St. Angela, ushering in a second hundred years of leadership in service of students and the Austin community. Schooler comes from a long line of educators, and because of that, and his fortuitous last name, he playfully calls his career as an educator “predestined.” Schooler says he has always had a passion for education. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and I’ve been very blessed that I got to follow my dream,” he said. A native of Northwest Indiana, Schooler earned a Master’s in Administration from Purdue University before working at Aquinas Catholic School in Gary where he oversaw an impressive School Improvement Plan. That plan targeted a lack of leadership and led to improved test
scores. Schooler served as curriculum director and principal at St. Augustine School in Lafayette, IN. prior to joining the leadership team at St. Angela School. Schooler said his decision to join the St. Angela community was not one of need, but of resonance. Schooler was working at St. Augustine when a friend from Schooler’s time in Gary, who was working for the Archdiocese of Chicago suggested that he visit St. Angela. “I came here and five minutes in I knew this was where I was supposed to be. I met the staff, and I fell in love with the place. I had no ambition to leave where I was, but that’s what happened,” Schooler said. Schooler says much of the focus and direction of leadership was already in place at St. Angela School, and that he hopes to improve on the already strong administration in place. “I hope to further solidify a culture of collegiality. The staff is very close knit, everyone gets along and it’s a very professional staff, so I hope to add to it,” he said. As part of Schooler’s plan, a new school improvement team made up of faculty, staff
and administration meets biweekly to focus on ways to benefit students and instruction through faculty collaboration. Schooler’s vision for St. Angela School revolves around improving literacy scores. While St. Angela School students overall excel in math, reading scores are lower on the ASPIRE tests, the standardized tests which students in Archdiocesan schools take. Schooler plans to address the gap in scores through increased literacy coaching, levelled reading, and the oversight of Dr. Marygrace Farina, a nationally recognized reading specialist currently teaching at the school. Lynn Fredrick, director of advancement at St. Angela School, says the regular biweekly faculty meetings provide the great benefit of having a continuous conversation between faculty and staff about reading scores and other academic initiatives. St. Angela School has a history of strong leadership, and Schooler is being passed the baton from a long line of administrators who made St. Angela the school it is today. Sister Mary Finnegan, RSM, who served as interim principal
before Schooler’s arrival, started working at St. Angela School in 1987. Massasoit Avenue, the street where the school is located, is named Honorary Sister Mary Finnegan Way in recognition of her service. Kelly Busa has worked at St. Angela School for 10 years, first as a teacher and then in her current role as assistant principal. Busa expressed her excitement about the future of St. Angela and the positive changes that the new administration is bringing. According to Busa, there is a new focus on increased communication among administration, teachers, parents and students. In particular, the administration is finding more flexible options throughout the day for parents to meet with teachers. “Principal Schooler has meetings with students just so he can listen to their concerns about the school. He wants them to feel proud of St. Angela and have input into what’s going on,” Busa said. According to Busa, “The students and staff at St. Angela are very loving and committed to their academics as well as their relationship with God. continued on B2
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February 26, 2020
SAINTANGELA.ORG
St. Angela School | At 100
St. Angela’s Green Dream comes true An oasis for students and Austin neighbors By LUCIA WHALEN Contributing Reporter
T
hree years ago St. Angela School went through a radical facelift and is now home to one of the biggest green park spaces in the North Austin neighborhood. Up until 2006, St. Angela was part of an active parish, on a traditional Catholic campus including the church, school, convent and rectory. For decades, priests and nuns lived on campus and served a robust Catholic parish community, including the families of over 1,200 children enrolled in the school. Over the years, though, the neighborhood evolved and most Catholic families moved out of Austin. The parish population began to dwindle, eventually leading to the decision to close the church. The church was shuttered in 2006 and sat vacant until 2017 when the Archdiocese of Chicago decided to demolish the empty parish buildings. The demolition opened up nearly an acre of open space, which was turned over to the school for an outdoor recreational area where students could safely play and learn. Prior to the creation of St. Angela School’s “Green Dreams,” as the project was named, older students were only able to play on a portion of the parking lot; younger students had a small playground. Wittenberg was principal of St. Angela during the demolition and was instrumental in the development of the campus. “In a sense, it transformed the school and it transformed the neighborhood. Our kids love it. The neighbors love it. To a large degree, it is the only green space in the area,” he said. Once the unused buildings were demolished, landscape designer Tari Delisi joined the project to beautify the newly open space next to the school and bring the “Green Dreams” plan to
life. The plan included laying new sod on the open field, creating multiple outdoor classroom areas, a garden, fitness area, and lining the garden with bricks with engraved dedications to former faculty, staff and classmates. Delisi, whose focus is environmentally sustainable landscape design, said that she felt a responsibility to do the project from an ecological perspective while honoring the history of St. Angela Parish. “I wanted to tell the story of the buildings that were once there, along with what the land is going to become for the community, the students, the faculty, and the school space itself. I wanted to reuse and repurpose anything and everything possible and hold onto some historic relics to tell the history of the space,” she said. Delisi did just that, and parts of the former church are integrated into the landscape design. Limestone slabs offer bench space near one of the outdoor classroom areas, the cornerstone from the church has been incorporated into a newly tuckpointed school wall, and a statue of Saint Angela, a relic saved from the church demolition, stands in a garden. According to Delisi, green space is crucial for students, as “it provides the framework for further development, learning and connection to the natural environment.” Time in nature provides students a break from long hours sitting indoors and offers the opportunity for them to develop respect for the environment. While most of the “Green Dreams” renovations are complete, plans are in place to include a large mural on the school wall which was previously hidden by the enormous church; shade for outdoor classrooms and outdoor fitness equipment. One of the highlights of the new outdoor space is the introduction of a memorial brick program. Friends of St. Angela -- alumni, donors, teachers,
neighbors -- can purchase bricks in various sizes and inscribe them with their names, graduation years or other messages that convey the message of what St Angela has meant to them. The bricks are “planted” twice per year, and according to Lynn Fredrick, director of advancement at St. Angela, the bricks “give alumni the opportunity to be involved in a way that is meaningful to them, so they can buy their own little piece of our campus—their message literally ‘carved in stone’.” While the demolition of St. Angela church was not easy for many alumni and former parishioners, many of whom remember St. Angela Church as an important part of their childhood, Fredrick sees the renovations as the next life of St. Angela and as an opportunity to focus on the current mission of the school.
“The only ministry left to the St. Angela community is this school and these children, so we have a new narrative now as to our purpose. Why not build something equally new and beautiful for these kids and for the neighborhood?”
St. Angela School at 100: continued from B1 I also think that our teachers are determined to set an example of what it’s like to be part of a community; I don’t think you find that at every school. When people come here they feel that sense of belonging, that sense of camaraderie.” Schooler is working with a Patrons Board at St. Angela School, a diverse group of alumni and community members working to keep the school prospering into the future. Rich Murphy serves as president of the board, and voiced his enthusiasm about advising and supporting the new administration: “[Schooler] has done a really nice job of taking the vision for the curriculum and saying ‘how do we take this to the next level?’,” he said. Murphy said that because the board serves in an advisory position, he hopes to continue
to bring new voices to the table to reflect the diversity of St. Angela. “Everybody wants the same thing. We want St. Angela to be a tremendous resource for the North Austin community. We want wonderful outcomes for the children and families who made the decision to attend. And when you bring really well intentioned, smart people to the table, you can really get awesome results,” Murphy said. One of the biggest changes this coming year will be a collaboration between the Big Shoulders Fund and St. Angela School. The fund has an incredible track record for supporting Catholic schools throughout Chicago by investing in scholarship support, leadership development, academic programs and more.
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St. Angela School | At 100
Alumni are advocates and supporters of St. Angela
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ne of the best ways to understand the history and significance of St. Angela is through the stories of alumni. The history of St. Angela is a history of faculty and staff who provide a loving and nurturing environment, preparing students to thrive in the world and eventually return to support their alma mater. The proof of St. Angela School’s positive impact on the world can be seen through the huge network of alumni who stay connected to the school due to their warm memories of life at St. Angela. The Jordan Family name has now become a part of St. Angela School itself, with the newly renovated gym named after Jack Jordan. Jack Jordan graduated from St. Angela School in 1938, and after later marrying and moving back to his childhood home, he sent all 10 of his children to St. Angela. Their graduation dates range from 1964 to 1979. Jack Jordan was a star basketball player, and in the mid 1900’s there was a Catholic basketball league specifically for boys under 5-feet, 9-inches. Jordan attended high school
at St. Philip’s High School on the West Side, where he played in that league. Jordan remained involved with St. Angela School, and in the 1960’s when he noticed the lack of athletic programs at the school, he got involved and organized football and basketball teams. Jordan served as the volunteer athletic director at St. Angela for close to 15 years between the late sixties and early eighties.
Jack Jordan worked tirelessly to raise money for the St. Angela athletic program, ensuring that there was adequate funding for uniforms and equipment, along with trophies, awards and end-of-season banquets.
“For me personally, it’s just a natural extension of what my dad did and what my brother did,” Dan said. Dan’s brother Marty Jordan, who organized St. Angela’s yearly Bowling Bash for charity, died 10 years ago. His legacy lives on through the continued Marty Jordan Bowling Bash. The school currently provides the Jack and Marty Jordan fund, which primarily supports the athletic programs at St. Angela. Dan also attributes his continued involvement in St. Angela to a larger pattern of alumni staying in close contact with the school.
According to Dan Jordan, one of Jack Jordan’s seven sons, his father was a kind of legendary figure at St. Angela School.
“All the families that were there in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s moved out. And yet, the camaraderie, friendship and closeness of many of the classes has stayed extremely strong. All of us have kids now, and our kids roll their eyes because everywhere we go, we run into someone who has a connection with St. Angela,” he said.
“He was a surrogate father for literally thousands of boys that went through that school over the years,” Dan said.
Joan Gibbons graduated from St. Angela School in 1943, and she attributes her career in the Foreign Service to her time at the school.
While Jack Jordan passed away 25 years ago, his legacy lives on, and the newly renovated gymnasium was named the Jack Jordan Gym in his honor.
“The Providence Nuns had hospitals and schools in China and frequently referred to their mission there, especially rescuing abandoned girl babies. This stimulated my curiosity about the rest of the world outside of North Austin and resulted in my joining the U.S. Foreign Service in my early twenties,” Gibbons said.
The Jordan family has stayed intimately involved with St. Angela School throughout the years, and Dan Jordan serves on the Patrons Board. According to Dan, the family’s continued involvement can be attributed to his father, who worked tirelessly to make St. Angela the school that it is.
Many young and not so young athletes love to relive their years of glory in the gym, or on the field, or on the court. Jack Jordan provided St. Angela alumni with many years of great memories and, since the gym was named for him in 2016 he will be part of the memories of hundreds more St. Angela alumni. Jack’s ten children, including Marty (Class of 1977) pictured here as a toddler, were part of all those gym memories.
Gibbons was accepted into the Foreign Service in 1952, where she served in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Egypt, and Hungary. She was also assigned to U.S. Consulates in South Africa, Indonesia, and Senegal, among others.
Gibbons eventually returned to the United States, where she currently lives. And in 2012, she volunteered as a teacher’s aide in a firstgrade class at St. Angela. Tom Gull graduated from St. Angela in 1974 and remains involved with the community as an alumni and donor. The youngest of seven, all the Gull children attended St. Angela School, starting with his eldest sister in 1950. He calls his entire eight-year education at St. Angela School impactful. The presence of the Sisters of Providence, who taught his mother when she was in high school, made a particular impact on Gull. “Their life of faith and service was evident to us. As I continued to attend Mass through high school, it was nice to continue to see my teachers at Sunday Mass,” he said. Gull went on to attend Holy Cross High School in River Grove and earned his MBA from Dominican University. According to Gull, he would recommend a Catholic education to anyone: “Catholic education is incomparable. In a Catholic school, the teachers and administration are able to teach the children in ways that public schools cannot: teaching through faith. As Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, founder of the Sisters of Providence who staffed the school said, “Love the children first, and then teach them.” Lucia Whalen
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February 26, 2020
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St. Angela School | At 100
Students’ learning styles inform literacy efforts By LUCIA WHALEN Contributing Reporter
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sk any teacher in any classroom at any school around the United States what their greatest challenges are, and more likely than not, addressing every student’s unique needs will be somewhere on that list. Teachers at St. Angela School are no exception, as they work with a diverse range of learners in each classroom. Luckily, St. Angela is fortunate to have an array of in and out of classroom resources to provide students with a holistic education that addresses their individual needs.
St. Angela welcomed a new literacy specialist who is working with faculty and administration to increase literacy scores across the school. Dr. Marygrace Farina earned her master’s in reading education and a doctorate in leadership in Florida before joining the staff at St. Angela. While in Florida, she worked with all classroom levels, from elementary to community college, teaching students to read effectively and be engaged learners. While math scores at St. Angela currently exceed expectations, reading scores overall need work. Farina joined the team at St. Angela in 2019 as a reading specialist and sees low reading scores as being symptomatic of students’ need for better test prep, and literacy education that caters to unique learning styles. All of this, says Farina, leads to engaged learning. “Literacy is much more of a cognitive skill than schools in half of the United States have seen math, as far as we know. Math reading scores decline. has a format and a definite Bruce Schooler, the new structure. You follow step one, principal, has set raising literacy two and three. But reading scores as a top priority for the starts earlier. It starts with oral “We try to find what school, which Farina says will language. You have to take benefit all areas of study for information, process it, and the student might be students. The school also plans come up with ideas and a to hire more literacy specialists conclusion on your own, not to provide assistance to more deficient in and why just passively. It’s engagement,” students. Farina said. “It’s [Schooler’s] number and then address the Because of the difference one priority because math in processing required for scores will go up if literacy reading, Farina says that math challenge.” goes up. You have to read the and literacy skills must be math problem, you need to taught in very different ways. Adrian Brown understand what data they’re And while a newfound push for giving you and what is not STEM education has started important,” Farina said. to dominate the educational
And there’s extra help, too Along with literacy coaching, St. Angela School has a strong team of resource specialists who assist teachers and students. Mary Darnell is a retired occupational therapist who started volunteering at St. Angela School after selling Kids Unlimited, her business in Oak Park. Darnell works with students from all grade levels twice per week on handwriting, while also incorporating exercises and practices that engage students sensory processing and fine motor skills.
discourse across the country, the “nation’s report card” revealed in 2019 that
Farina is approaching literacy education at St. Angela with a holistic lens, one
Darnell’s classroom is called the Life Skills Center, and younger students join Darnell in her classroom to work on basic life skills necessary for developing brains, such as shoe tying, buttoning, and scissor use.
on what teachers notice their students need support with.
“It might seem basic, but all younger children need to learn the skills that adults take for granted as automatic activities, like grabbing a pair of scissors off the table and cutting a piece of paper,” said Darnell. Darnell also uses “theraputty” with younger students to strengthen their hands and aid in coordination development for daily activities. According to Darnell, all the work she does with students is teacher directed and based
Students who need extra support to gain academic strength can also meet with Adrian Brown, the Title 1 academic coach. Along with academic development, Brown works with students on internal regulation such as selfesteem, anger management and organizational skills. Teachers who identify students with special needs can call on Brown and the Title 1 team for extra help. “We try to find what the student might be deficient in and why and then address the challenge,” Brown said.
not solely targeting test-taking. She also focuses on learning styles, so that students can adjust their education to their unique and preferred style of learning, such as visual or kinesthetic. Students are tested with the ACT Aspire Assessment System in the fall, winter and spring. According to Schooler, the data from the first administration of Aspire to the second last year shows positive growth. When discussing improved test scores, Farina says test scores will not change immediately, nor should they. “There’s no magic potion,” she said, “It is not going to go from 30th to 90th percentile [overnight]. We want to show growth, and if we can show growth, the kids have moved. It’s gradual.”
According to Lynn Fredrick, director of advancement at St. Angela, out of classroom resources are crucial for tackling the diverse needs of students. “Inside the classroom, it can be difficult to provide a group of kids with diverse needs everything they need,” Fredrick said. “That’s where the incredible resources at St. Angela come in. Teachers alone cannot provide for all of the needs of an entire classroom. Resources like Mr. Brown and Mary Darnell provide one-onone support, which is crucial in any school.”
February 26, 2020
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St. Angela School | At 100
Young artists at work
St. Angela School believes in the importance of the inclusion of art in education and has made it a priority to maintain it, and all “specials,” (music, Spanish and gym) in the curriculum. Among other projects this year students in several grade levels produced self-portraits using creative and age appropriate methods.
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February 26, 2020
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St. Angela School | At 100
Friends and family are St. Angela’s generous donors By LUCIA WHALEN Contributing Reporter
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t. Angela Merici, a 17th century Italian woman who founded a teaching order of religious sisters, is the Patron Saint of St. Angela School. She is known for bringing education to the children of rural communities of Italy, saying to the women in her order, “Build community wherever you go.” The strength and resilience of St. Angela School depends upon community, in this case the one built in Austin by the Sisters of Providence and then sustained by the Sisters of Mercy. The generous support of this community, and their faith in St. Angela School’s mission to provide a highquality, faith-based education for all students and prepare them for a life of leadership, is what keeps the school alive and thriving. No Catholic school is able to fund everything they need with tuition. To give you an idea, the stated tuition at St. Angela school for one child in 2020-21 is $4,100, which is $2,000 less than the actual cost of educating that child. So, from the beginning, even if parents are paying full tuition, St. Angela School must find a way to subsidize that tuition with an additional $2,000. St. Angela depends on donors for that subsidy,
Big Shoulders Fund lifts St. Angela School
and the school is extremely fortunate to have donors who are generous enough that the school is also able make improvements to its campus and strengthen programs for the boys and girls of St. Angela School. The St. Angela community spirit is alive, showing up at extended family gatherings throughout the Northwest suburbs, in St. Martin de Porres Parish when many former St. Angela parishioners still worship, in the second and third generations of alumni still enrolled at St. Angela, and in social events designed for the purpose, events like The Marty Jordan Bowling Bash. The “Bash” honors the late Marty Jordan, who organized a yearly bowling event at Circle Lanes in Forest Park to raise money for charity. The event, now run by Marty’s widow, Maureen, his brother Dan, and Dan’s wife, Mary Ann Conrick Jordan, lives on in his name. All proceeds go to St. Angela School. The powerful and positive effect of donors can be seen at St. Angela through the recent “Green Dreams” renovations on the exterior of the building and inside the school in the recently upgraded gymnasium. Donor gifts allow St. Angela School to continue working in service of students and the Austin community, carrying on the legacy for another 100 years.
St. Angela among 30 Catholic schools to receive Big Shoulders Fund support
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t. Angela is among 30 Catholic schools in the Chicago area to share in a $47.5 million commitment over 10 years from the Big Shoulders Fund, an independent charitable organization that supports inner-city Catholic schools. St. Angela School will receive “significantly increased” funding for operations, explained Big Shoulders Fund officials in their statement. In addition, the organization will “take on an expanded leadership role with principals in these schools to help them manage their schools toward specific goals in key operating areas of academics, enrollment, development and finances,” the statement explains. “We are honored to be able to provide this
historic level of investment to help strengthen communities throughout the greater-Chicago area,” said James J. O’Connor, the founding chairman and current co-chairman of the Big Shoulders Fund. “Our own research has shown that alumni of our schools go on to vote, study, work, and volunteer at rates higher than their peers, becoming the citizens and neighbors that make our communities and Chicago a better place for all of us,” O’Connor said. Josh Hale, president and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund, said the $50 million commitment is a “natural next step” for the organization and builds on 15 years of providing operational and academic assistance for 75 Catholic schools in the Chicago area and Northwest Indiana. St. Angela, which has been without a parish since 2005 and is the only Catholic school in Austin, is heavily dependent on resources from the archdiocese and Big Shoulders but also donations from alumni — all of whom “have supported our mission over the years,” Fredrick said. “The new commitment of Big Shoulders for operating expenses means the contributions of our alumni and friends can help the children more directly. Big Shoulders will not replace the investment of donors – it will help their gifts go further,” she said. Michael Romain
Engraved bricks line the “green” on St. Angela’s new campus, and alumni (including Tom Gull, Class of 1974) helped “plant” the bricks. The bricks tell the stories of the people who have made the school their home, including dear friends, teachers, pastors and neighborhood friends. The brick program continues; the next brick order will be placed early in March, 2020.
Why I Give: Tom Gull: I donate to St. Angela because I want to give the current students the opportunities to succeed that they might not otherwise have without their St. Angela experience. My generation and those before me benefitted from ridiculously low tuition that make Catholic education available to everyone who wanted it. I contribute to St. Angela in honor of my parents and the many wonderful sisters and lay teachers who helped form me into the person I am.
Dennis LaLiberty: I give to St. Angela School because I see how the scholars thrive through the dedication of the teachers and staff, because I believe families should have the opportunity to choose a school, and because I have personally benefitted from my education in the Catholic school system and am convinced that the combination of academic excellence and emphasis on morals and discipline produces well-rounded adults who are a credit to their community.
Patty Henek: To see that St. Angela School is still thriving at a time when other schools are closing and that there are people who care about the community and are investing in the community, I think is a great sign for Austin and I try to do what I can. Going to St Angela shaped the person I am today, and I want to help these same students that are there today thrive and have the same great experience that we did growing up.
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St. Angela School | At 100
Powerful allies step up for St. Angela By LUCIA WHALEN Contributing Reporter
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elebrating 100 years of existence is no small deal. Through major historic events like the Great Depression and World War II, the arrivals and departures of neighbors of diverse backgrounds and the closure of St. Angela Parish, St. Angela School has remained a staple of the Austin community and a seminal institution offering high-quality faith-based education to all students regardless of financial status. Austin, like every Chicago neighborhood, has gone through many transformations. In the early days of St. Angela Parish, North Austin was a heavily Catholic mix of Irish, Italian and German. By the mid-1970s those white families left Austin and, in their place, came African Americans and, in more recent years, a growing number of Hispanic residents. State Rep. LaShawn Ford, who currently serves on the Patrons Board of St. Angela, grew up in the Austin neighborhood in the mid-1970’s and
Schools, and, according to Ford, witnessing the attended Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic disparity in school quality in different neighborElementary School, where he played St. Angela hoods led to his eventual desire to work as School in basketball. Later, while training to be a state representative. Ford a teacher, Ford worked as a watched his students on the student teacher at St. Angela. West side travel all the way By that point in 1994, Austin “ St. Angela has from Austin to the North side was predominantly African to find a safe and higher-quality American, and most studedicated teachers education. “It made me want to dents were Baptist instead of and they are educating be a strong advocate for public Catholic. However, according education,” he said. to Ford, the Catholic education students so they at St. Angela School provided White flight, a result of racist can become better something that neighboring real estate practices and segrepublic schools could not. gationist fear in the late 1960’s, people”
caused resources to drain from “St. Angela is a faith-based Austin, as in most neighborinstitution. At public schools, hoods impacted by the pheprayer is not an option. [During Christine Riley nomenon. Ford recalls multiple my time at St. Angela], whether banks and grocery stores from they were Catholic or not, the his childhood leaving once the advantage was that most of the demographics shifted. However, Ford expects families in the neighborhood were families that the Austin community to continue to diversify, as prayed. And it allowed children, whether they were Baptist or Catholic, an opportunity to learn real estate in the community is attractive with the draw of quality schools like St. Angela. in a faith-based setting,” said Ford. Ford went on to teach in Chicago Public
According to Ford, throughout all of the
changes in Austin, St. Angela school has remained an anchor in the community, continuing to offer a high-quality education to all students. Much of that continued stability is due to the support of alumni, the board and the surrounding community. In 2005, when St. Angela Catholic Church closed, many parishioners joined St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Austin, where current board member Christine Riley serves as Director of Religious Education. Riley, who grew up in West Garfield Park, attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School. According to Riley, St. Angela School adds important value to Austin as the only remaining Catholic grammar school in the neighborhood. “Having that strong Catholic education is so important in the Austin area. When I was growing up, there were so many more Catholic schools in the area. St. Angela has dedicated teachers and they are educating students so they can become better people. I think it’s a staple in the community,” she said. Riley says family values in the community are strong.
Volunteer driven The transformation of St. Angela campus would not have been possible without the help of four volunteer groups who helped us realize our “green dreams.” Big Shoulders Fund produces thousands of volunteers annually for the schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago and they sent us three wonderful teams. The fourth was the Appalachian Service Project teens of Ascension Parish in Oak Park who, with adult volunteers in tow, built a boulder wall and benches, and removed demolition debris from planting beds.
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February 26, 2020
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St. Angela School | At 100
how to give You can make a difference for our scholars with an investment in their future! St. Angela School accepts gifts of all sizes; gifts in honor or memory of someone; gifts made in person, or online, or sent in the mail. We accept gifts for specific projects and gifts for our general unspecified use: gifts for scholarship; for technology; for athletics; for the development of our campus; for professional development for our staff. We accept gifts of cash, checks or credit cards, and we accept gifts of stock. To learn more about the ways you can support the people and programs of St. Angela visit our website: www.saintangela.org/giving or call our Advancement Office, 773.626.2655 ext. 103.
come and visit! Whether you attended St. Angela or are looking for a new school home for your children, please, come visit! Our regular school day hours are 7:50 to 2:50 but please call if those hours are not ideal for you. Prospective school families: You, too, are invited to join us for our Picnic on the Green, May 16 from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. or visit during our Open House Week March 23 to 27 â&#x20AC;˘ 8:30 to 11:30 daily Take a tour, meet the Principal and learn more about what St. Angela has to offer your child from preschool through eighth grade.
how to enroll Enrollment for the 2020-21 school year will open for new families on April 1. (We will accept your registration before that, but will not process it until that date.) The enrollment fee is $150 per family. All families are required to apply for tuition assistance; 95% of our families receive significant aid. The application fee for aid is $25 per family. To arrange for a visit, please call Ms. Petrice Sanderson, Registrar during regular school hours (7:50 am to 2:50 pm) or email her at psanderson@saintangela.org. For the tuition schedule and registration forms, please visit our website, www.saintangela.org/registration. Check us out!
CALL US : 773-626-2655 | VISIT US : 1332 N. Massasoit Ave, Chicago, IL 60651 | ON LINE at: SaintAngela.org
St. Angela School Green Dreams III Our Picnic on the Green
Saturday, May 16
11:00 am to 1:30 pm featuring a picnic lunch prepared by Blue Plate Catering Music, games, raffles, school tours, garden blessing, food, fun and fellowship.
All are welcome! Please join us as we celebrate our 100th Spring! 332 N Massasoit Avenue Chicago 60651 For more information: www.saintangela.org.