Wednesday Journal 032724

Oak Park police stop more Black individuals than white, data shows

The racial disparity in tra c stops re ects a statewide issue

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

In 2022, Black drivers made up more than half of the 2,814 traffic stops Oak Park police officers conducted despite only making up about 19% of the population in the village.

White individuals make up about 63% of the population in Oak Park, but are stopped only roughly a third of the time, according to to data from the Investigative Project on Race and Equity.

Overall, traffic stops in Oak Park are down from a high of more than 13,000 in 2006 to 2,814 in 2022, the latest available year for data. However, Black drivers also were more likely to be issued a citation after the stop, the data shows.

Sunday, April 28th, 2024

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Oak Park Country Club 2001 N. Thatcher, River Grove

• Buffet Lunch • Mimosas • Live and Silent auction

• Donation Match • Meet ACL Adoptable Animals

Join us for this annual spring tradition. All proceeds from this event work support the upcoming busy spring season.

Tickets and table reservations are now available. Visit aclspring2024.givesmart.com or scan below.

TRANSIT IS THE ANSWER TO A MORE AFFORDABLE COMMUTE JOIN US

A Chicagoland resident who switches their daily commute from driving to public transportation can save an average of $12,000 a year. But decades of underfunding and changes in ridership have led to transit facing a critical budget shortfall in 2026. We need your support in the fight for sustainable funding.

Learn more at TransitIsTheAnswer.org/Commuting

Art instructor uses mini-lessons to connect students to the world

Lindsay Johnson encourages students to look beyond Roosevelt’s halls

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Art appreciation is on display in Lindsay Johnson’s art class at Roosevelt Middle School, where students are not just making art, but also finding new ways to grow into the adults they want to be.

As students wrap up their time in art class, on this day making mugs, they gather around the center of the room with their work on display

The students walk around the table, viewing their peers’ work and then spend the last few minutes of class talking about their process, the challenges they faced that day, and how the projects made them feel.

All of this starts with a deep and intentional breath, led by Johnson.

“Don’t we all [need a deep breath]?” Johnson asked.

Ending each class by looking at the art pieces without it being finished helps students connect with the “iceberg” of work that goes into the art.

“In general, we look at a final product and the process is hidden,” Johnson said. “And that is not just art, that is so much of life.”

front of a screen and working alone.

A change of careers led Johnson to a classroom, where she spent a few years as an elementary teacher after receiving a master’s in arts and teaching from National Louis University and then a few more years in the technology sector as a technolog y specialist.

Now, as the art teacher at Roosevelt, Johnson said she has been able to “marry” those two passions.

“I love it, it is such a joyful content to teach,” Johnson said. “It is a nice break for the students … there is this innate drive in human beings to create something from nothing and I think people find a lot of satisfaction in working with their hands and I am glad that I am able to provide that space for them.”

T he opportunity to have a time during a busy academic school to be “hands on” was welcomed by many students, including seventh grader James Winter

“They are so proud of themselves af terwards to make something from nothing or make something from a small seed that otherwise they didn’t have time to explore.”

LINDSAY JOHNSON Ar t instructor

Ar t and creativity had always had a p lace in Johnson’s l ife, as she recalled her early childhood days always active in creating things herself

Johnson pursued that passion through a visual communication de gree from the University of Kansas for graphic arts and design, which she loved but found to be lonely, as much of her day was spent in

James said it was fun to add textures to his mug, which used slabs of clay to form it body.

As he works through the process, James said he was focused on making his mug as smooth as possible and as useful as possible so he could drink from it.

Johnson is intentional about how she cultivates her students’ passions, starting each class by introducing them to a new artist or a new piece of artwork they might not have been exposed to. The passion instantly lights up in their eyes, said Johnson.

“They have their own life experiences that they equally want to put out into the world,” Johnson said. “The relationship they have with their families or their hobbies or interests. They have it and it is my job to help them pull it out.”

That intentionally can be seen by allowing

are also having to “keep up” with intense classes, homework, after school activities and more. In Johnson’s class, they find the luxury of time to rest and reflect, connect with themselves, and decide the type of art they want to put out into the world.

“It is so peaceful and affirming,” Johnson said. “They are so proud of themselves afterwards to make something from nothing or make something from a small seed that otherwise they didn’t have time to explore.”

Calvin Lee, a seventh grader in Johnson’s art class, said he uses this time to “let his mind loose.”

“In school, you have to think so hard,” Calvin said. “I feel like sometimes people might not think school is fun but when you have art class and other classes where you actually get to do stuf f like this, it makes everybody happier.”

Through art, students are learning valuable skills they will be able to later apply to life outside of Roosevelt Middle.

“That is where I think art is not only fun and peaceful but also offers transferable skills,” Johnson said.

Through art, students learn how to prob-

they learn how to explain their and how to pivot and find a different path to the end goal if necessary.

“The course is not linear, it is all over the place,” Johnson said. “It zigs and it zags, and you are not alone.”

Part of that value is learning to share “the messy middle.”

But instilling the confidence to stand behind their work takes time, Johnson said.

“I think the shame and the fear fall away because they see they are not alone,” Johnson said. “Again, that is transferable lifelike. You are not the only person struggling with the issue that you have, there is a community of others. We care about you, and we are here to support each other. We are here to support you.”

And a way students support each other at Roosevelt is through “fan mail,” little messages that other students who see the art piece address directly to the student artists, letting them know that not only was their work seen, but it was also appreciated

“You can make something that impacts someone that you don’t even know, even when you weren’ t there to see that happened,” Johnson said.

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

Lindsay Johnson’s classroom at Rooselvelt Middle School in River Forest.

BIG WEEK

March 27-April 3

Kawaii Cute Workshop (4-10 Years)

Friday, March 29, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Kidcreate Studio

Create kawaii-styled projec ts that are so cute they ’ll make ever yone go “Aww ”. You will be using clay, paint, and Model Magic® as you make your masterpieces

Draw and paint a happy avocado and even make a teddy bear macaroon. Please pack a nut-free snack, lunch and drink for your child. 200 Harrison St., Oak Park

Shake, Rattle & Read at Maze

Monday, April 1, 10 – 11 a.m.,

2024 Egg Dash and Scramble

Saturday, March 30, 9 a.m.– 12 p.m., Maple Park, 1105 S. Maple Ave., Oak Park

The bunnies have awakened from their slumber and left beautiful eggs in Maple Park to nd. Children age 3-10 are encouraged to bring baskets, bonnets, and bunny ears to our annual scramble. This is a free event, but all par ticipants must have a ticket to be admitted, available star ting at:

• Candycopia (717 Lake St.)

• Ridgeland Common (415 Lake St.)

• Community Recreation Center (225 Madison St.)

• Gymnastics Recreation Center (21 Lake St.)

Join Us For Lunch

Thursday, March 28, 11 a.m.– 1 p.m., Oak Park Township Senior Ser vices

Guests welcome. Guest fee (under 60): $8.50. Menu items are subject to change. All meals are served with 2% or Skim Milk

A vegetarian menu and nutritional analysis are available upon request This program is funded in part by Age Options and Title III-C of the Older Americans Act. 130 S., Oak Park

Tech Help Drop-In

Thursday, March 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.,

Main Librar y

The librar y’s digital learning sta will help you answer your technology-based questions and address your concerns about laptops, tablets, and smar tphones, in 15-minute sessions. 834

Lake St., Oak Park

Oak Park Public Librar y - Maze Branch

An energetic program designed for children up to age 5, with caregivers. Sing, dance, and listen to stories Register for each class you will attend. No need to ll out the form for each family member, just once per group. Walk in spaces may be available. 845 Gunderson Ave., Oak Park

Willy Wonka’s Candy Craf ts Mini- Camp (5-12 Years)

Monday, April 1, 9 a.m.– 3 p.m., Kidcreate Studio

Create a scene made from candy, mosaics, imaginar y candy, and more ar t that is positively scrumptious. 200 Harrison St., Oak Park

Bowmanville Duo at Encore

Friday, March 29, 7:30 p.m., Encore! By Little Gem

Join Mason Jiller and Ethan Adelsman at this intimate venue for a memorable evening of music, food, and beverages. 187 N. Marion St., Oak Park

&Rise In-Person Suppor t Group for Teen Girls

Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y - Dole Branch

This group is an empowering space for high schoolaged girls* to nd community, suppor t, and healthy coping skills as they navigate the complexities of adolescence and/or heal from trauma. Please note Girls* is inclusive to high schoolers who identify as nonbinar y or trans. 255 Augusta St., Oak Park

Stor y Stretchers (grades K-2)

Wednesday, April 3, 4 - 4:30 p.m., River Forest Public Librar y, Barbara Hall Meeting Room

Listen to a stor y and do creative ex tension activities like crafts, games, and stor ytelling. For grades K-2. 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest

Listing your event in the calendar

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest community groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon

Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper.

■ Send details to Wednesday Jour nal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302

■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

OPRF’s Project 2 bid package is approved

Five enhancements, including new stair way, added as bids come in under budget

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Oak Pa rk and Rive r Fo rest High School District 200 Board of Education unanimously approved an $80.5 million bid package for Project 2 last week.

Project 2 cove rs the d emolition and reconstr uction of the southeast portio n of the school and will include a new sw i mming p ool, third floor gy m, d anc e studio and other improvements. Th e entire project is projected to cost nearly $102 million.

Because the b ase bid c ame in at more than $1.3 million under budg et, the school b oard decided to a dd five alternate enhancements that had b een taken out of the project to c ut c osts. Th e five enhancements are expected to c ost more than $1.2 million, wh ich means the project is now $75,967 less than the o riginal budget.

T he five enhancements approved are a so-called communication stairway that will be in the middle of the reconstr ucted wing and lead to the second floor where the pool balcony is, transforming the existing West Pool locker room into a trainer’s room; using epoxy flooring for the deck of the new pool, the pool area, and pool locker rooms; upgrading the roof of the new section to PVC roofing materials; and installing a motorized partition in the new dance studio.

“This menu of options aren’t new bells and whistles that we’re deciding to add in.”

T he communication stairway, which will cost $457,973, was the most expensive addition approved by the school board.

Board Vice-president Fred Arkin had some misgivings about the additional

stairway and board member Jonathan Livingston voiced concerns about some of the epoxy flooring, but ultimately both voted in favor of the entire bid package when it became clear the majority of the school board supported adding all the recommended alter nates

Board member Graham Brisben noted that all the alternates were part of the original plans.

“This menu of options aren’t new bells and whistles that we’re deciding to add in,” Brisben said.

Board member Tim Brandhorst said that he believed that the communication stairway will be used by students and will also lead to an enhanced public ex-

perience of the new space.

“I trust the administration and their assessments,” Brandhorst said adding that he didn’t think the board was in a position to second-guess the administration about thi s.

But Brandhorst said that fear of making a mistake was the biggest factor in his decision to support the construction of the additional stairway

“It’s fear of making the wrong decision, honestly,” Brandhorst said. “And for me I would rather make the investment and maybe have a somewhat lightly used staircase than not make the investment now and … two years from now we walk in and we look at the stairwell in one corner and the stairwell in the other corner and we say to ourselves ‘oh my God, we should have done the staircase We really made a mistake.’ Because this is one we can’ t g et back. Either we g et it right now or we don’ t get it right. ”

TRAFFIC STOPS

A longstand issue from page 1

This racial gap, the data indicated, is only getting bigger.

WBEZ and the Investigative Project on Race and Equity compiled re ports of traffic stop records duirng the past two decades, looking at more than 1,000 law enforcement agencies in Illinois, including the Oak Park, to build a searchable database of them. The re porting showed evidence of increasing racial disparities in policing not only in Oak Park, but also around the state.

The percentage of traffic stops in Illinois with Black drivers has reached its highest level in recent years, according to the analysis. In 2021 and 2022, roughly 30.5% of traffic stops in the state involved Black drivers. In 2004, it was 17.5% of stops. But only 13.6% of Illinois’ adult population was Black at the time of that re port.

Data from Free2Move, a Chicago-based nonprofit that wo rks to make traffic stops and safety more equitabl e, echoes those figures

“It seemed as if police were really using

the traffic safety system and traffic stops as an excuse to stop and target Black and brown drivers and pedestrians and bikers,” said Amy Thompson, staf f counsel at Impact for Equity, one of the member organizations of Free2Move. “We were motivated to think about what a traffic safety system could look like that doesn’t rely that kind of discriminatory behavior and instead makes us all safer.”

The group collected its data through Freedom of Information Act requests agencies that include the Chicago Police Department and Illinois Department of Transportation, as well as through interviews with drivers who have experienced traffic stops.

Oak Park ’s disparity

The figures may come as a shock to Oak Park residents, many of whom pride themselves for their progressive values. In 2014, a village for um was held, spur red by in Ferguson, Missouri, after the shooting of a Black man, Michael Brown.

At the time, Rick Tanksley, Oak Park’s for mer police chief, talked about joining a department that had problems with race at a community sponsored event. But he produced data that showed how the racial makeup of the Oak Park Police Depart-

POLICE TRAFFIC STOPS AT A GLANCE

• In 2022, Black drivers made up more than half of the 2,814 tra c stops Oak Park police o cers conducted despite only making up about 19% of the population in the village.

• White individuals make up about 63% of the population in Oak Park, but are stopped only roughly a third of the time.

ment mirrored the village. He also showed more data that demonstrated how Black drivers were as likely to be ticketed as a white driver.

Today, according to Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, it’s not a matter of internal bias or discrimination. It’s a matter of numbers. The population that lives here is different from the population that commutes in and out of the village, and that affects the ratio of stops, she said.

• Tra c stops in Oak Park are down from a high of more than 13,000 in 2006 to 2,814 in 2022.

• In 2021 and 2022, roughly 30.5% of tra c stops in the state involved Black drivers. In 2004, it was 17.5% of stops. But only 13.6% of Illinois’ adult population was Black at the time of that repor t.

• A 2020 study from the University of South Carolina showed that Black drivers were 63% more likely to be stopped than white drivers even though, researchers said, they drive about 16% less.

• In 2022 in Chicago, the citation rate was less than 3.4% of tra c stops.

“We have more individuals that may come from maybe Austin or surrounding communities to shop due to the lack of ocery stores in their communities,” she said. “We do have a different demo graphic coming in for those reasons.”

Kevin Barnhart, chair of the Citizens Police Oversight Committee, said he doesn’t believe that completely explains the disparity.

“If we were to say that there were more Black drivers in Oak Park, because of the neighboring communities, then there also has to be an assertion that those drivers are somehow driving worse than other drivers to have the numbers,” he said. “If there are more drivers, that doesn’t necessarily mean that should translate to higher percentage of stops.”

Johnson said to prevent bias in its work, the police department has a policy on biasbased policing and trainings on cultural competency.

“We have some of the best trained individuals in the police force,” she said. Barnhart said the Citizens Police Over-

sight Committee wants to learn more about the disparity in Oak Park from the police department and affected community members, if possible. He said he did not know when those conversations might happen.

The committee has dealt with a few cases where a traffic stop and resulting interaction caused the driver to question why they were stopped, Barnhart said. The details, he added, are confidential. Anyone looking to make a complaint to the committee can file a report at the police station or online. That helps hold everyone accountable, he said.

“We strive for that in all aspects of policing: accountability and transparency,” Barnhart said.

But because Oak Park provides data on its traffic stops, the police should be willing to discuss it, he said.

Oak Park also adopted the “Shared Principles” of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police and the Illinois National Association for the Advancement of Colored People State Conference, Johnson said. The principles include valuing life, treating everyone with dignity, rejecting discrimination and supporting diversity by recruiting diverse police departments.

Despite those ef forts, the data shows that problems persist.

A national issue

Oak Park is not alone – the problem is a national one. Thompson said Black drivers are often pulled over for minor infractions such as improper re gistration or a

JAVIER GOVEA

headlight not working, but these stops can escalate into something bigger.

“Black and brown drivers may not be given the benefit ofthe doubt,” she said. “That ends up becoming a dangerous situation.”

A 2020 study from the University of South Carolina showed that Black drivers were 63% more likely to be stopped than white drivers even though, researchers said, they drive about 16% less. As for contraband – a reason cited in support of traffic stops – it was found more during searches of white drivers.

driving without police intervention should be implemented, Thompson said.

Another idea is to have civilian traffic responders who focus solely on keeping roads safer rather than looking for criminal activity. This solution could reduce harmful effects, such as an escalating or dangerous outcome, ofthe current law enforcement strateg y, she said.

“

Thompson added she’s heard Black and brown drivers consistently and disproportionately say police will ask ifthey have a gun or about engagement in criminal activity almost immediately during a traffic stop White drivers have not reported that same experience, she said. Police may try to search the vehicle by claiming probable cause or by asking for consent, Thompson said, which can prompt individuals to say yes out of fear

e have some of the best trained individuals in the police force.”

SHATONYA JOHNSON

Park Police Chief

The resources dedicated to traffic stops could be invested into community resources instead, Thompson said, such as the education system, employment opportunities or even infrastructure to make traffic safer and better for pedestrians. Change could start on a local level, she said.

“We [the Oak Park Police Department] want to learn from other department’s mistakes,” Johnson said. “We want to make sure that our officers are aware [that] this can happen anywher at any time.”

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In defense of tra c stops

“The problem is that interaction isn’t necessarily indicative of what we normal people might think ofas voluntary,” she said. “The experience ofa person with a police officer is an inherently coercive situation.”

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Traf fic stops may seem like they are taking care ofan issue, but they have low rates ofarrest or citations, Thompson said. For example, in 2022 in Chicago, the citation rate was less than 3.4% oftraffic stops, according to Impact for Equity.

But some police unions and officers still argue that pulling cars over to search them is necessary to prevent crime, according to a New York Times ar ticle.

“We [the Oak Park Police Department] have one ofthe most renowned and unique community policing philosophy and policy, which definitely leads to reducing crime,” Johnson said.

Monday & Friday 9am-5pm

Tue s/Wed/Thurs 9am-7pm

Saturday 9am-12pm

“These traffic stops are a huge waste of resources,” she said. “They are not resulting in our streets being any safer.”

Police officers should not be making traffic stops, Thompson said, not only because ofthe harm from escalating situations but also because ofthe general ne gative impact it can have

“This practice really de grades trust with communities and ends up being counterproductive to law enforcement goals in the first place,” she said.

To address dangerous traffic behavior, changes to infrastructure that lead to safe

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In Philadelphia, a police union sued to block an ordinance banning certain stops, claiming it violated state laws, according to the article.

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In Los Angeles, a police union warned that discouraging stops could allow “guns and killers to remain on the road,” according to the article.

In Virgina, police associations, chiefs and Re publican officials campaigned to get rid of a ban on minor stops.

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Monday & Friday 9am-5pm

Tues/Wed/Thurs 9am-7pm

However, many still disag ree that traffic stops are necessary to keep streets safe.

Saturday 9am-12pm

“What unites us all is that we all want to have safe communities,” T hompson said. “[But] for individuals who experience these stops over and over again, they don’ t think that these stops are making them safer.”

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OPRF, not Gepetto, made this puppeteer and Montessori teacher

Claire Saxe let her conscience be her guide and turned her acting career into successful puppeteering

By JACK HELBIG Contributing Reporter

Claire Saxe is a puppeteer. And the story of her life reads like Pinocchio played backward: real girl dreams of becoming a puppet. Or more accurately, it’s the story of a woman who dreams of being at once real and a puppet.

“I’m the kind of puppeteer who likes to be all the way in it,” Saxe said.

On one level, she is the puppet master, controlling the puppet’s movements and expressions, but at a deeper level, she is the puppet.

It’s a very primal connection, and, as Saxe puts it, “really fun.”

It must be. Because puppets and puppetry changed the trajectory of her life. Today, she is the co-artistic director of the Rough House Theatre Company, a small, plucky storefront puppet theater in Chicago, dedicated to boldly taking puppetry where no puppets have gone before. One of the notable participants in Chicago’s International Puppet Theatre Festival last January, the shoestring theater, with its annual budget $120,000, is best known for its edgy puppet shows, most notably their late-night puppet cabaret — Nasty, Brutish, and Short — and their annual Halloween hor ror show, House of the Exquisite Corpse.

But Saxe wasn’t always that into puppets. She used to be just another Oak Park child actor who got the theater bug early

“I did my first play when I was five,” she said, “and never looked back.”

Saxe’s family moved to Oak Park when she was four. She went to Alcuin Montessori for elementary school, Emerson/ Brooks for seventh and eighth grade (the school transitioned from a junior high to a middle school while she was a stu-

dent there), and to OPRF. It was at OPRF that Saxe’s interest in theater took over her life.

“Oh my god, I was such a theater kid.” Saxe laughed. “I did almost nothing else. I was always working on at least two theater projects at once. There were so many shows at the high school. I couldn’t say no. I got shingles my sophomore year from just doing too many plays.”

Among her favorite roles: the lead in “KinderTransport,” about the rescue of Jewish kids from Nazi Germany just before WWII, and the role of Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker.”

But the highlight of her high-school acting career was being cast her senior year as Anne Frank in the Steppenwolf production of the Diary of Anne Frank. To be in this play, Saxe had to attend rehearsals during school hours at the Steppenwolf Theatre. The school adjusted Saxe’s schedule to three classes so she was finished by 10:30 a.m., when she had to go into the city to re-

“The high school was so lovely and accommodating,” she said.

After colle ge, Saxe went on to study theater at Skidmore Colle ge, and then at graduate school in England, at University of Exeter before returning to Oak Park to try her luck in Chicago’s theater scene.

“I knew in Chicago I can af ford to work 20 hours a week and spend the rest of my time making theater.”

Saxe started getting roles in local productions, but she found she didn’t get the same kick out of acting that she had gotten before in high school and college.

“I think having done so many plays and so many really good plays at OPRF,” Saxe said, adding, “with really good directors …” Her voice trailed of f. “By the time I was, you know, 25, and had already done like 100 plays in my life, I was starting to feel like, okay, but what else is there?”

Saxe explored other ways to assuage her urge to perform. She was an intern for a while at the late lamented Redmoon Theatre, a company that specialized in largescale puppet shows and public spectacles. It closed in 2015.

It was through Redmoon that Saxe met her future partner, Mike Oleon, co-founder, along with Max Wirt and Shelley Geiszler, of Rough House Theatre Company.

The Rough House was holding auditions for the role of a puppeteer to play a robot dog in an original play called “Into the Uncanny Valley.”

Saxe tried out for the role and got it.

“The puppet was incredible,” Saxe said. “Mike was building it, so it was custombuilt to fit my hands and my body. It hopped around on the ground with these fabulous little legs, and it had one hand on the back and one hand on the head. It was such a good puppet.”

Playing the robot dog changed Saxe’s performing life.

“I did a couple more straight plays after that show,” Saxe said. “But I think at some point I really was li ke, yeah, I’m done.” Being a puppeteer just “felt more holistically enriching and more challenging.”

Saxe has never looked back. Today, Saxe divides her time between running Rough House Theatre company and teaching theater part time at her alma mater, Alcuin Montessori, where she has been the last 11 years.

“I find Maria Montessori’s pedago gy inspiring, creating a style of learning that was accessible for people who weren’ t otherwise being served by the education system, but also creating these little microcosms of a kind of ideal society in the classroom, where people different ages and strengths are working together.”

Saxe does the same when she does her puppetry, “making like a perfect little version of the world in whatever room you’re in.”

Rough House Theater holds ev ents and shows throughout the year. Visit https:// www.roughhousetheater.com/ for more information.

PHOTO BY MIKE OLEON

Claire Saxe

PHOTO BY Y VET TE MARIE DOSTATNI Saxe’s solo show, “We Missed the Train and Had to Wait,” at Steppenwolf ’s LookOut series, August 2023.

Feature documentary ‘O Pioneer’ to show April 3 at Lake eatre

The lm follows three West Virginians, rede ning the American pioneer

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Former Oak Parker Jonathan Lacocque and his filmmaking partner Clara Lehmann’s feature documentary “O Pioneer” will screen at 7 p.m. April 3 at the Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre.

The film follows the story of three Appalachians from West Virginia: a blacksmith, a seamstress and a hospital chaplain. It’s a global story, Lehmann said, because it has expressions that are human and universal. Tickets can be purchased online

“‘O Pioneer’ redefines and reckons with what it means to be an American pioneer,” Lehmann said.

Lehmann said she wanted to pursue this topic after finding inspiration in a poem titled “Pioneers! O Pioneers!” by Walt Whitman that her grandma used to recite.

“When looking back at it, I was immediately shocked at some of the violence in the poem, but also the way that he identifies what a pioneer is,” she said. “It’s very

different from what, maybe, we think of as a modern-day pioneer.”

In West Virginia, there’s re petitive stereotypes of the locals and other southerners, Lacocque said. Most news stories are about poverty, obesity or addiction, he said, and people are often surprised to lear n that there is more there than that.

“A secondary goal of ours was to counteract that and tell a story by Appalachians and for Appalachians, so it isn’ t focused on some of those stereotypes,” Lacocque said.

Their first goal in making the film was to inspire people to connect and be curious. Even in Illinois, there’s a dichotomy between rural and urban lives, Lehmann said. This film shows the stories of some individuals in those rural communities and attempts to remind viewers that we’re not all so disconnected

“That is meant to help, again, redefine that pioneer, but seeing within yourself there is this tether that we all have that is kind of universal,” Lehmann said.

Humanities & Enrichment Series Programs

April / May 2024

Programs are OPEN to ALL and begin at 1:15 pm

April 1 Social Studies

A Brief History of the Reintroduction of Native Americans to Illinois

Presenter: Ho Chunk Ska Ga (Chief White Winnebago)

April 8—Science

Mammalian Diversity in the Philippines

Presenter: Lawrence Heaney, PhD, Field Museum Curator

April 22—Art

Georgia O’Keeffe, An American Original

Presenter: Margaret Farr, PhD, Art Institute of Chicago

April 29—Literature

Blending Fiction with History: The Sinking of the S.S. Eastland

Presenter: Cynthia Pelayo, Award winning author

May 6 Social Science

Let Me Explain Black Again

Presenter: Pepper Miller, Author and Consultant

May 13 Music

The Creation of “Chicago!”

Presenter: Charles Troy, Music Historian

Lacocque and Lehmann met in colle ge while they both attended Carleton Colle ge in Minnesota and took film classes to g ether. After colle ge, they came to live in Oak Park before moving back to Lehmann’s home state, West Virginia

Film has been an interest for both codirectors, but neither studied it full-time.

While attending Oak Park and River Forest High School, Lacocque said he and his best friend, John Severson, created a film club. Later, he and Severson started a wedding videog raphy company called Smiling Toad Productions

“O Pioneer” took about three and a half years to create, Lehmann said, after they started in 2020. T he two filmmakers wanted to create thoughtful, intentional films while still doing corporate work to support themselves. T hey had a diverse creative team with artists from around the world, Lehmann said, who all believed in the message of the film.

The artists were able to reco gnize themselves in the story of “O Pioneer,” Lehm-

ann said. The desire and hope to be a pioneer that has a vision, who gives back and solves problems in a sustainable way is a universal feeling, she said.

“All of these artists are seeing the same trends within their communities,” she said. “That’s the job of a filmmaker is to bring themselves to it, but also convey the stories of the participants in the film.”

The narrator is musician Kaïa Kater, who studied Appalachian music and has her work incorporated into the film. “O Pioneer” also stars Nellie Rose Gundersen Davis, Tim Hibbs and James Morley.

The film also explores indigenous roots in the United States and some of the cruelty indigenous people faced. It uses creative tools such as poetic vignettes and animation to bring the stories to life.

More screenings of “O Pioneer” will be available throughout the summer in other states. A full list can be found online. In a few months, Lehmann said, they hope it will be available on a streaming service.

Judge halts move to nd new developer for Lake and Lathrop

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

A Cook County Circuit Court judge stopped ef for ts to secure a new developer for the Lake and Lathrop project.

Ascend Real Estate Group, the courtappointed receiver, had been ne gotiating with Chicago-based Michigan Avenue Real Estate on a contract to buy the site ofa onetime condominium project at Lake Street

and Lathrop Avenue.

But Circuit Court Judge Catherine A. Schneider issued an order March 18 re voking Ascend’s authority to market or sell the property and supported a motion to reconsider presented in January by Lake Lathrop Par tners LLC and Sedgwick Properties, an authorized agent acting on behalf of Lake Lathrop Partners LLC.

As a result, the Ascend has ceased ef for ts to negotiate the sale of the property.

In the motion to reconsider, Lake Lathrop Par tners disputed that the appointed receiver should be allowed to advertise and market the subject property at 7601-7613 Lake Street for sale. Lake Lathrop Par tners argued that such power is not granted to a receiver under the Illinois Mortg age Foreclosure Act.

A foreclosure case filed by Beverly Bank and Trust, a Wintrust-affiliated bank, is still pending before the court and is

currently in the discovery phase. The Wintrust foreclosure case will take precedence and once the foreclosure case is resolved, Wintrust may be able to sell the property to another developer, according to village of ficials.

Ascend continues to be responsible for the maintenance and security ofthe site and Wintrust is responsible for all associated costs, including legal fees and property taxes, officials said.

Michigan Avenue RE had re por tedly submitted a bid of$3.75 million for the site at Lake and Lathrop and was ne gotiating on a contract with Ascend, according to the second receiver’s re port issued earlier this month by Ascend.

T he village ofRiver Forest pulled the plug on the Lake and Lathrop development on a critical Sept. 15 deadline, apparently ending years of frustration for village officials and village residents, especially those who live near the development — but resulting in an unknown future for the site

Sedgwick Properties failed to meet the conditions set for th by the village, according to officials. Construction activity was not to be permitted on the site, they added.

“As ofSeptember 15, 2023, at 4:30 p.m., the Village has re pealed the building permit for the La ke and Lathrop development at Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue and issued a stop work order to Sedgwick Properties, the developer,” village of ficials said in a news release issued at that time.

According to the second receiver’s report, Ascend eng aged Jones Lang LaSalle, a Chicago real estate company, in the fall to conduct an “agg ressive marketing campaign” ofthe Lake and Lathrop property Beginning in November, the property was “exposed extensively” to the market for approximately 75 days via email blasts, on site tours and follow-up phone calls, according to the re port.

Through that campaign, 66 firms were contacted, 47 of which requested additional information. Five written offers were submitted in response to a “call for offers” in January. Follow-up discussions were held with the five bidders and a second round ofbidding was announced wherein all five bidders were instructed to present their highest and best offer. Three enhanced offers were received in February, the highest of which was from Michig an Avenue RE

Trustee’s letter not enough to x ‘bullying behavior,’ Oak Park’s village president says

Tensions between village President Vicki Scaman and trustee Ravi Parakkat play out in public

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Nearly a month after Oak Park village president Vicki Scaman abruptly ended a finance meeting over a comment a colleague made, the issue is playing out in public.

At the regularly scheduled village board meeting Tuesday, Scaman publicly addressed a comment trustee Ravi Parakkat made Feb. 22 that Scaman said she felt was “threatening.”

At the time, the comment was reported to be a “joke,” and Parakkat wrote that it came in reference to a story interim chief financial officer Donna Gayden told about a police officer shooting in New York, where she previously worked.

Gayden’s story, he leaned over to trustee Lucia Robinson and said “I wonder if our chief knows.”

Scaman disagrees. She told Wednesday Journal the comment was “We should talk to the chief.”

The Wednesday Journal reported about the issue, but neither Scaman nor Parakkat wanted to directly address the issue, each saying they’d like to focus on the positives.

However, this week, Parakkat wrote a letter to the editor, published in Wednesday Journal, in which he wrote that after

That comment, which was not recorded by the village’s system, left Scaman visibly startled. Individuals expressing support for Scaman said she was shaken by what was described as a “joke” refer ring to gun violence or violence against women.

After Scaman adjourned the meeting early, Parakkat said he asked her to talk and was “waved off.”

He also wrote that he reached out to Scaman to clarify and apolo gize

At the March 19 board meeting, after his letter to the editor was published, Scaman publicly addressed the situation.

“I take seriously my responsibility to shut down abusive, bullying behavior that is unproductive, violates our values and guidelines as a board in how we operate, and interferes with our work,” she said.

Parakkat’s letter to the editor does not represent the facts “consistent with the intention to repair harm,” Scaman said.

She added that she is trained in restorative justice and said she understands when “bullying behavior leads to an individual changing facts to suit their own agenda.”

At the March 19 meeting Scaman also said she has been reflecting on her experience as a woman in the position as vil lage president.

“I am resilient and powerfu in how I lead with empathy and compassion,” she said. “Hold ing this perspective that my service is not about me help me not inter nalize criticis and work to learn from a differing perspective.”

preciates. She encouraged the trustees to be “unapologetically themselves.”

“We are 4-3 more often than in recent history but I am of the opinion this leads to hopefully more of our residents feeling heard,” she said.

She said recent events have led to a “less than productive environment.” She also said she does not want to hurt the reputation of Oak Park and does not take interviews with media organizations that intend to use quotes out of context.

The board is racially diverse and diverse in perspective, Scaman said, which she ap-

It has been a difficult time for her and her family, Scaman said, ut she said she wants to ensure the board focuses on its goals

At the March 12 board meeting, trustee Susan Buchanan said she was surprised Scaman had not received an apology. She said one time she “shot [her] mouth off” a meeting but sent an apology email to her colleagues almost immediately, and then publicly apolized at the next meeting

“I think you, our village president, deserves the same from trustee Parakkat,” Buchanan said.

“I have again reached out to President Scaman to clarify the misunderstanding and to offer my apology for the mental and emotional distress that my remark caused her,” Parakkat said in his letter. “I look forward to hearing back and working with her to figure out the best way forward.”

GoFundMe for Joslyn Bowling Dixon raises more than $7.5K

Dixon was red from her executive director position at Oak Park Public Library

March 16

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

After Oak Park Public Library’s for mer executive director, Joslyn Bowling Dixon, was fired March 16, her friends and colleagues started a crowdfunding campaign to assist with living expenses and, as the donations page hinted, a possible legal

challenge to her dismissal.

The GoFundMe titled “Justice for Joslyn,” raised $7,748 as of March 21. The goal was $7,500, according to the fundraiser, and 95 donations ha been received.

Dixon was fired after alle tions of racism and opposition to her management of a Palestinian cultural event.

The fundraising page states that Dixon pledges 10% of the donations to the LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian fund. According to the American Library Association, the fund supports the welfare of librarians who are denied

employment rights or discriminated against because of gender, sexual orientation, race or other factors. It also supports librarians who are denied employment rights because they defend intellectual freedom. Many of her donors are anonymous, but among the named donors are Jodi Kolo, the library’s director of communications and development, and Suzy Wulf, the library’s de puty director

The fundraiser states that Dixon’s firing was “the culmination of a misinformation campaign.” The library board of trustees

stated that the decision to fire Dixon was not based on one isolated incident, but a “consistent pattern, observed over many months, of a persistent lack of alignment between the priorities of the Board and the Executive Director.”

“We as Joslyn’s friends and colleagues have come together to set up this fund to help her family bridge the gap between now and next steps,” the authors of the GoFundMe page wrote. “We all know how devastating it is to lose one’s livelihood while also looking into legal paths forward, and the time it can take to find new employment.”

Wednesday Jour nal reported in 2022 that Dixon’s annual salary at the library was $150,000.

VICKI SC AMAN

RAVI PARAKK AT

JOSLYN BOWLING DIXON

OPRF board approves secure gun storage policy

The polic y passed with a unanimous vote

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School Board of Education approved a secure firearm storage policy committing the high school to provide information to parents and guardians about the importance of secure storage.

The policy was unanimously approved during Thursday night’s meeting.

In Februar y, the poli cy was unanimously approved.

“We stand with our families, community members and agency partners in collective ef for ts to increase safety in Oak Park,” said Supt. Ushma Shah.

“This board policy introduces a new component to our holistic approach to school safety, which is annually using our district channels to raise awareness about secure gun storage as an important public health issue.”

At both Oak Park districts, local community members urged boards of education to adop of a policy.

Jenna Leving Jacobson, local Moms Demand Action member, had been advocating for firearm storage policies at both districts.

The new policy states that information on secure storage, along with informing parents and guardians of their legal obligations to protect others from unsafe guns, “shall be affirmatively provided in the manner or manners” up to the superintendent’s discretion.

This can include through the student handbook, when students are being registered school and through other manners of “appropriate annual communication.”

As part of the new policy, the district will be consulting with public health experts and gun safety experts along with other stakeholders. Information on secure gun storage should also be easily found on the district’s website.

Now that both school boards have committed their support, Leving Jacobson said the organization is very happy the policy was passed and expressed the need that the community had following the events at the high school on Feb. 14.

Cofsky said that the incident that occured last year where a student was apprehended near campus with a gun played a bigger role in supporting this policy

“That could have been a very serious situation,” he said.

Tom Cofsky, board president, said the policy aligned with the goal of the board and others in the community, adding that it seemed to be “common sense in trying to help protect” students.

Secure firearm storage policies have recently been passed at other local organizations, including the Village of Oak Park, which passed an ordinance re garding safe storage in July 2023.

The ordinance states that it is required that all firearms in the village be stored in a locking device. No one besides the authorized person can have access to the key or combination for the locking device.

Firearms left unattended in a vehicle in sight are also not considered secure.

Earlier this year, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 also approved a gun-storage education policy

Cofsky added that the school safety and security emerged as a “critical focus area” during the board’s goal setting retreat and the “collective voice” from the community who urged the district to speak about home gun storage.

According to a 2019 re port called “U.S. secret service analysis of targeted school violence” from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Threat Assessment Center, 76% of school shootings are committed with guns from the home.

“In his Superintendent’s report at the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Johnson described the ‘secure and teach’ lockdown on Feb. 14,” said Leving Jacobson. “It was upsetting to remember the fear and anxiety of that day, but important to connect it to the very reason for a policy that requires the D200 administration to share information with families about secure firearm storage.”

OPRF celebrates 5 years of bringing students joy with therapy dogs

OPRF has welcomed the dogs as a way to emotionally suppor t students

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Students at Oak Park and River Forest High School have been welcoming belly rubs and puppy dog tails as the high school’s therapy dog program celebrates its fifth year of bringing pooches into the halls.

The therapy dog program was started by Ginger Bencola, prevention and wellness coordinator at OPRF, who had long been interested in the field of therapy animals as an emerging field in

zations to begin coordinate visits.

“It has really grown from there and now we have folks reaching out to us,” Bencola said.

Therapy dogs are brought into the high school as part of addressing three different components, Bencola said. This includes during “high stress times,” such as end of the quarter and near finals.

Therapy dogs also come to the high school during lunch periods for “de-stress with dogs,” where students can stop by and hang out with them.

To support more higher-needs students, the school also has therapy dogs visit Special Education programs and the TEAM program, which is designed for students with mild, moderate, and severe intellectual disabilities.

crease the number of students attending classes, improve connections with peers and instructors, and improve communication skills among college students.

Bencola said she worked in partnership with school administrators, as well as the student activities department, and began reaching out to certified therapy dog organi-

dents who struggle with “school refusal,” a disorder of a child who refuses to go to school on a regular basis or has problems staying in school, according to the National Institute of Health.

Lauren Conway, a special education teacher working with the social emotional development program, said the dogs have been very uplifting for students in both special education and TEAM.

Conway works those programs alongside Claire Downs, special education teacher at OPRF

“It’s been a really wonderful partnership,” Conway said.

“The students report lower stress and I have surveyed the students and they will say things like ‘oh I had a lab the next period but then I saw the dog and felt so much calmer and ready to tackle the challenges of my next class.’”

The high school also partners with Pet Partners and Healing Hearts Comfort Dogs

Conway added that they have seen an increase in attendance, especially among stu-

“Just telling them that the dog will be coming, we have better attendance on those days,” Conway said.

Right now, the dogs are coming to those programs about once a month. Over time, Bencola said, students become familiar with them and even ask for them by name.

One of the dogs who is well-known at OPRF is Chief, who visits with his handler Katie Trame, a volunteer with Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc.

The five-year-old golden retriever began coming to OPRF towards the end of 2021.

Trame, who enrolled Chief in basic obedience training, decided to have Chief take the therapy dog training because of his naturally friendly personality.

“He is very people focused, he loves to get attention from people,” Trame said. “He is actually a very good dog in that he is not overly hyper and he loves to be pet. He can be very calm, very loving and he can also be very intuitive when it comes to people who might need extra attention.”

To be a therapy dog, Chief trained to be used to being around loud noises, medical equipment, and around other dogs without interacting, as well as leaving food alone, and handling different ways that people could greet him with.

Trame and Chief also volunteer at other local schools in the Downers Grove community.

At OPRF High School, Chief has visited classrooms, as well as made rounds during finals week and at the end of the semester.

“Usually, they [the students] are very excited,” Trame said. “A lot of them will say ‘this is the best day ever!’ when it’s time for them to move on, to give another group time, they get disappointed.”

Conway said being around the therapy dogs has also been beneficial with special education students as it helps them work on different skills including communication skills, greeting with their assisted technology, practice walking the dogs, giving commands, and even working through their fear of dogs.

“Bringing the therapy dogs in, we have been able to work with those students on addressing those fears,” Conway said. “Parents have expressed what an enormous difference that has made for their child to be able to feel safer and more comfortable in various community spaces.”

Bencola said the school climate has also become warmer and more supportive since the dogs have been coming to the high school.

“They light up the room when they come in,” Conway said. “Whether you are an adult or a kid, who can’t help but smile when one of the wagging therapy dogs comes up to you. You can feel the smiles and the joy in the room when they come in.”

TODD BANNOR erapy dog Ollie gives bene ts even as he gets pets

TODD A. BANNOR erapy dog Opie char ms OPRF High School stude nts.

Tickets at bit.ly/GCMTwoDads For

Presents TWO DADS DEFENDING DEMOCRACY

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Through respect and understanding, former Congressman Joe Walsh and activist Fred Guttenberg successfully model how to engage in dialogue with a willingness to listen and learn to nd common ground.

Individuals shoot at car, damage vehicle

A person driving an unknown vehicle shot firearms at a Skokie resident and an Oak Park resident March 20 on the 900 block of Pleasant Street. The victims were stopped in the road in their car. The offenders fled west on Pleasant Street. An estimate for the costs of damage to the car was not known.

Criminal damage to property

Two individuals in a silver Infiniti shot firearms from the 5900 block of Augusta Street March 18. The shots damaged a vehicle driving south on Austin Boulevard and two buildings located on that street. The victims were an Oak Park resident, a Chicago resident and the Oak Park Residence Corporation. The estimated damage is unknown.

Arrests

■ A 35-year-old Chicago man was stopped and arrested for aggravated driving under the influence and driving while his license

was revoked March 19 on the 400 block of South Oak Park Avenue. He was also found to have an active Elmwood Park warrant.

■ A 39-year-old Oak Park man was arrested for violation of an order of protection and failure to re gister as a sex offender March 20 on the 1200 block of Hayes Avenue. The victim was an Oak Pa rk resident.

■ A 37-year-old Oak Park man was arrested for violation of an order of protection that happened on the 500 block of Madison Street on Jan. 13. T he victim was an Oak Park resident. T he ar rest took place in Chicago.

Burglary to motor vehicle

■ Someone broke into a Roselle resident’s parked 2022 Ram ProMaster March 19 on the 1000 block of North Gr ove Avenue. The individual then stole various tools and batteries. The estimated loss is $1,536.

■ Someone broke into a Palatine resident’s Ford transit work van March 20 on the 100 block of North Taylor Avenue. The individual stole various tools, culminating in an estimated loss of $1,107.

■ Someone broke into a Chicago resident’s 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee through the rear passenger side window. The individual stole an iPhone cable, gift card and lotion. The person also peeled and panel and pulled wires out. The incident, which occur red between March 23 and March 24 on the 800 block of Mapleton Avenue, resulted in an estimated loss of $1,060.

Motor vehicle theft

■ A person stole an Oak Park resident’s gray 2017 Chevy Cruze March 18 on the 900

block of North Humphrey Avenue. The estimated loss is $20,000.

■ Someone stole an Oak Park resident’s gray 2021 Dodge Durango March 19 on the 1100 block of Madison Street. The estimated loss is $50,000.

■ Someone stole an Oak Park resident’s blue 2017 Ford Explorer between March 21 and March 22 on the 200 block of North Marion Street. The estimated loss is $20,000.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports dated March 1825, and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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.

Local schools celebrate Youth Art Month

Local schools share and display students’ ar t

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest are celebrating students and their art through the month of March. Administered by the Council for Art Education, Youth Art Month supports quality school art programs while also promoting art material safety. Schools across the country put on art shows, exhibits, fundraisers and other activities for the community to come together to celebrate the visual arts.

6th Grade Students Watercolor collage, Watercolor and in k

Will Woods (7th Grade) Self Portrait, Oil Pastel and Pencil

Sophia Stoner (7th Grade) Self Portrait, Oil Pastel

Arjun Ivy (4th Grade), Willard Athena Dyer (1st Grade), Willard

Cr ystal Chen (3rd Grade), Willard

Maysa Yanaki (4th Grade), Lincoln

Sheppard Wilson (3rd Grade), Willard

Miles Cullen (4th Grade), Lincoln Dylan Zhang (4 Grade), Lincoln

ST. LUKE PHOTO S BY STEFAN ROSEEN

WILLARD AND LINCOLN SCHOOL PHOTO S BY STEPHANIE RATH

Spring 2024

United Lutheran Church

Invites you and your loved ones to join us this Easter season

Mar 28 - Maundy Thursday contemplative 7:00pm

Mar 29 - Good Friday contemplative music 7:00pm

Mar 30 - Vigil of Easter with skits, songs & all ages participation 7:00pm

Mar 31 - Easter with festive music 9:30am

Holy Communion on 28th, 30th, and 31st

409 Greenfield St Oak Park unitedlutheranchurch.org

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park 324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 • www.firstumcoakpark.org

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park 324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 ⬧ www.firstumcoakpark.org

Fri., March 29, 2024 – Good Friday

7 pm Worship Service.

Sat., March 23, 2024 –Children’s “Eggstravaganza”: 11 am – 1 pm

This remembrance features our historic Skinner organ.

Refreshments, crafts, and the story of Easter with an Easter Egg Hunt to follow on the playground. Please register on our website. Space is limited.

Sun., March 24, 2024 – Palm Sunday: 10 am Worship Service.

Sun., March 31, 2024 – Easter Sunday

Fri., March 29, 2024 – Good Friday: 7 pm Worship Service. This remembrance features our historic Skinner organ.

Sun., March 31, 2024 – Easter Sunday

7 am The first service of Easter, outside in the Memorial Garden. Recount God’s saving grace in the quiet of the morning. In the event of rain, we will be in the Chapel (ring Tower doorbell for entry).

8 am – 9:30 am Potluck Breakfast.

7 am The first service of Easter, outside in the Memorial Garden. Recount God’s saving grace in the quiet of the morning. In the event of rain, we will be in the Chapel (ring Tower doorbell for entry).

8 am – 9:30 am Potluck Breakfast.

10 am A festive Easter Celebration of Resurrection with our diverse music ministry and special activities for children.

10 am A festive Easter Celebration of Resurrection with our diverse music ministry and special activities for children.

Service times at stchristophersoakpark.org

Saturday • March 23rd

Vigil Mass 5:30pm

Palm Sunday • March 24th

7:30am, 9:00am, 11:00am with Solemn Procession, and 5:30pm

March 28th • Holy ursday

7:00pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper - Adoration until 11:00pm, Kyte Hall

March 29th • Good Friday

8:00am Morning Prayer with the Friars

3:00pm Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion

March 30th • Holy Saturday

8:00am Morning Prayer with the Friars

12:00pm Blessing of Easter Baskets in Church

8:00pm Easter Vigil Mass

March 31st • Easter Sunday 7:30am, 9:00am, and 11:00am Masses

ere will be a modi ed schedule the week of April 1st through April 6th with 7:00am Mass Only. Confessions will resume on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 7th at 3:00pm.

1530 Jackson Ave, River Forest, IL 60305 • (708) 366 -7090 www.svfparish.org

Come and See: the Catholic Community of Oak Park invites you to celebrate Holy Week and Easter with us!

The Parish of Ascension and St. Edmund

www.ascensionoakpark.com · 708-848-2703 or 708-848-4417

Ascension Church

808 S. East Avenue, Oak Park

St. Edmund Church

188 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park

The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena - St. Lucy and St. Giles

www.stgilesparish.org · 708-383-3430

St. Catherine of Siena -St. Lucy Church

38 N. Austin Boulevard, Oak Park

TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday, March 28

Mass of the Lord's Supper - *7:30 pm at Ascension Church with the Ascension and St. Edmund Choirs

Adoration until Midnight Night Prayer 11:45 pm

Morning Prayer 9:00 am at St. Edmund Church

St. Giles Church

1045 Columbian Avenue, Oak Park

Morning Prayer

8:30 am at St. Giles Church

Mass of the Lord's Supper - *7:00 pm at St. Giles Church with the Adult Choir and the Handbell Choir

Adoration until Midnight Night Prayer 11:45 pm

Good Friday, March 29

Taizé Prayer Around the Cross *3:00 pm at Ascension Church

Good Friday Solemn Celebration –*7:30 pm at Ascension Church with the St. Edmund Choir and the Ascension Schola

Morning Prayer 8:30 am at St. Giles Church

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion *3:00 pm at St. Giles Church with the Adult Choir

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion – 7:00 pm

at St. Catherine of Siena St. Lucy Church with the Praise Choir

Living Stations of the Cross – 7:00 pm at St. Giles Church with the Teen Choir Family Mass Community Good Friday Prayer Service with Silent Passion – 7:30 pm in the St. Giles School Gym

Holy Saturday, March 30

Morning Prayer 9:00 am at St. Edmund Church

Blessing of Easter Food 11:00 am at St. Edmund Church

Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter - 8:00 pm at St. Edmund Church with the Ascension and St. Edmund Choirs

Initiation of New Members

(No 5:00 pm Mass at St. Edmund Church )

Morning Prayer 8:30 am at St. Giles Church

Blessing of Easter Food 11:00 am at St. Giles Church and at 1:00 pm at St. Catherine of Siena St. Lucy Church

Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter - 7:00 pm at St. Giles Church

Initiation of New Members

(No 4:30 pm Mass at St. Giles Church)

Easter Sunday, March 31

8:00 am (with the Ascension Schola) and *10:30 am (with the Ascension Choir) at Ascension Church

9:15 am and 11:15 am (with the St. Edmund Choir) at St. Edmund Church

12:30 pm Bi Lingual Spanish/English Mass at St. Edmund Church

No 5:00 pm Oak Park Catholic Community Mass on Easter Sunday

Sunrise 6:00 am in the St. Giles Courtyard (weather permitting, otherwise in Church)

*8:00 and 10:30 am at St. Giles Church

9:00 am at St. Catherine of Siena St. Lucy Church with the Adult Choir

10:00 am Family Mass Community in the St. Giles School Gym

*Marked service times will be livestreamed. Please see our websites, ascensionoakpark.com or stgilesparish.org, for further information, and to find links to livestream events.

A village of volunteers supports migrant men

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

On the night of Halloween 2023, community activists and volunteers brought migrants who were living outside of the 15th District Police Department in Austin to Oak Park’s Village Hall.

Throughout the months that followed, volunteers in the community and the Community of Congregations worked with the village to provide housing for migrants at area churches, the Carleton Hotel and the YMCA. As ef for ts focused on providing more

permanent housing to families and women with children, groups of men living at Grace Episcopal Church were in danger of being forgotten.

For Reverend John Rumple, that was not an option. He credits the Oak Park Resettlement Task Force with aiding his congregation to make sure that the men were not left behind.

Rumple said he remembered being called by a village re presentative on the night of October 31 asking if Grace Episcopal could house a few migrants for two weeks. Because of Grace Episcopal’s relation-

ship with Beyond Hunger and Housing Forward — the church had been a PADS shelter site for Housing Forward prior to the pandemic — Rumple said it made sense for the village to reach out.

He said that he and his congregants were happy to assist, saying, “It’s in our spiritual DNA that this ministry was appropriate.”

The full magnitude of the request became apparent rapidly.

“They then asked us to house the migrants through the end of the year. Then through the Chicago winter, until March 15.”

What started as a group of 16 men grew

as the City of Chicago sent more people to Grace. Rumple estimated that the church has sheltered between 40 and 45 men, with a core group of 33 migrants.

The migrants come from Venezuela, Peru and Columbia. Almost all of them have wives and children at home whom they want to support.

Grace Episcopal volunteers got to work, raising funds to support the men, even building a temporary shower.

See MIGRANT MEN on pa ge 24

MIGRANT MEN

Resettling lives from page 22

Frustrations grew as the March 15th date approached, and the village was not providing financial help.

“We had to go to bat for funds from the village,” Rumple said. “Supplies ran us about $12,000. We had a few thousand in expenses for transport and medical expenses, and $4,500 on clothing. We submitted receipts, and the village is considering what they will reimburs e.”

While a portal on the church website helped collect some donations, Rumple said the church hit a wall in January and has been operating in the red since then.

“Trying to operate a shelter on a few thousand dollars just isn’t working,” he said.

Grace had an on-staf f supervisor for the shelter who stepped down around Christmas. Since that time, Rumple said he has been working two jobs: ministering to his cong re gation and running the shelter.

As the eviction date approached, Rumple and volunteers grew increasingly frustrat ed that there was no plan in place for men living at Grace

At a special meeting March 11, the Vi lage approved spending an additional $200,000 of Village funds to aid the migrants in Oak Park, including those stay-

ment Task Force was working to find apar tments for the men. As of March 22, the men should all be moved out of Grace and into apar tments, with the understanding that they have one-year leases.

Rumple praises OPARTF volunteers and leader Betty Alzamora with being a saving force. He also said that the citizens of Oak rk made a difference.

“These migrants were going through so much pain.

people here saw that reacted. To that extent, I’m proud to be a member this community.”

volunteers stepped up, according to Al zamora. While noting that there are lessons to be learned from the past four months, she said that helping the migrants in Oak Park has brought to g ether many elements of civic society.

“Trying to operate a shelter on a few thou-sand dollars just isn’t working.”

REVEREND JOHN RUMPLE

He c alls A lzamora an angel and said “This is nothing short of a mi racle. A ll of us are j ust so gr ateful that their story is not ending with them back out on the street.”

lzamora, who has a history as a grassroots org anizer and working in immigration justice, said, “I’m a first generation American, born and raised in Venezuela,

“So many people have showed up for the migrants,” Alzamora said, calling out Brynne Hovde for her work organizing many aspects of the migrants’ time in Oak Park

Alzamora also praises the village for providing the funds the men so desperately needed.

“When a d oor opens on one end, a wind ow opens on another,” A lzamor a said. “Wi th shared c ommon g oals, m iracles can happen.”

She pointed to the importance of following the lead of the migrant community in all volunteer ef forts.

“They were never looking for a handout, just looking for a hand.”

red she said.

“To be able to see the relief and joy on these people’s faces. They just want to show people what they can do. We’ve given them the opportunity to do that.”

Alzamora credited Grace Episcopal and a similar program at Cavalry Baptist for giving the migrant men a solid beginning in the U.S. that set them up well for living on their own. Going forward, Alzamora said, there is still plenty of work to be done.

The next stage includes connecting the men with volunteer advocate families who can help them as they move through the immigration system and get acclimated to life in the U.S.

The legal piece of the puzzle is also on the horizon as the men apply for asylum and try to get work permits. Working with Resur rection Project and North Suburban Legal Aid, OPARTF will be hosting a legal clinic in April at Cavalry Baptist to assist the migrants.

Volunteers will continue to support the migrants throughout their journey. For those looking for more ways to aid the migrants, Alzamora points them to the volunteer website: https://opmigrantresettle mentmission.com/

AL CHURCH

Food supplies at Grace Episcopal Church

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

Evolving homes, inventive families

It seemed at times like we were falling all over each other in our bungalow on Clarence Avenue: Six kids, four of us born in the first six years of our parents’ marriage. I was the oldest, followed by four sisters, and then a brother, 17 years younger than me

Day and evening, this crowded, energetic home chur ned with productive and creative activy. Mom was there all the time We lived a block from school. We’d often walk home for lunch and Mom was ready with sandwiches, fruit and milk.

KORDESH

Dad worked at a printing company on the lakefront. We’d eat dinner around the table, then do homework or watch TV, parents and kids often chatting together about what we were seeing. We’d play records on the stereo that Dad had built in the living room.

Dad had a workshop in the basement. Next to it, he built a darkroom for my sister to encourage her photography We practiced the piano on the upright in the dining room. In eighth grade, I rehearsed in our basement with our rock band, “The Velours.”

We had one bathroom. You waited your turn, yelling through the door, “Hurry up!”

Privacy was found by reading on a corner of the couch or maybe in your bedroom. I had my own room. The sisters at first had one in common, until after I moved into the enclosed back porch, and later, the basement.

A lot of work, play and lear ning happened at home in spaces you couldn’t help but share.

Later, Maureen and I raised our four kids in a house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then for 16 years in a Victorian on Elmwood in Oak Park. All the lots and homes were bigger than the old place in Berwyn.

We had offices away from home, but the nature of our work — teaching, writing — allowed us to do some of it in the house We split the tasks of home management.

I didn’t build stereos and darkrooms like Dad, but I grew a lot of food out back in beds or on terraced hills that I landscaped. And I did most of the cooking. We tried to keep family dinners a re gular thing.

The Elmwood home was busy: a kid might be practicing a violin, trumpet, sax, or clarinet. Homework took place around the dining room table. TV and video games were

VIEWPOINTS

The residents of Oak Park are lucky to live in a dense, urban, highly walkable and transit-connected community. And Oak Parkers take advantage of that walkability. Survey results from the Vision Zero planning process indicate that 90% of respondents walk at least weekly, and Oak Park sees more pedestrian activity than many parts of Chicago.

Unfortunately, our transportation infrastructure includes one car-centric feature that is not found on any Chicago intersection: the pedestrian push button, or its more colorful (and frankly more illustrative) term: the Beg Button.

Beg buttons require pedestrians to press a button to trigger a walk signal at an intersection. These buttons prioritize cars over pedestrians, posing risks especially to vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. Beg buttons penalize people for walking by:

1. Delaying the ability to cross. Beg buttons often result in long wait times for pedestrians and a lack of clarity on when they can expect to be given “permission” to cross

2. Increasing safety risk. Beg buttons that are broken

or don’t activate while cars have a green light create confusion for both pedestrians and cars, increasing the likelihood of accidents

3. Creating access challenges. Beg buttons are challenging to access, not just for people with disabilities, but anyone whose ability to access the button is compromised, whether one is pushing a stroller, carrying groceries, or navigating rain or snow.

Legally, pedestrians have the right of way, yet cars are the ones who benefit from clear and automated signaling while the burden of safety is placed on the person not surrounded by two tons (and increasingly three, four and five tons) of protective metal.

At a minimum, we should at least provide pedestrians with the same clarity and automation we provide cars. Oak Park could easily tur n these buttons off and have the walk sign illuminate automatically with the green light, just as it does all across Chicago, whether it’s a busy downtown intersection or a quiet residential neighborhood

How do we know this? Because the village tur ned

Leave the leaves

Judging from the rush of letters to the editor to the Journal’s Viewpoints section, Oak Park village trustees have hit a hot button in their support for shifting the plan for autumn leaf collection in the village

For decades, villager homeowners have raked all their leaves and, true confessions, most of their fall garden cleanup vegetation, into the street in front of their houses. A fairly simple and satisfying process. In the dark of night, village employees would push all the leaves on a block into a ginormous pile at the corner. The village’s contracted waste hauler came along the next day and took them all away to a supersized composting site none of us have ever asked about or visited.

But concerns have grown in recent years that the leaves-in-thestreet model creates a danger to drivers, clogs sewers, has, rarely, been a cause of vehicle fires. There is also a frustration that owners of multifamily buildings, who should be paying landscapers to haul their leaves, are piling leaves into the street, too

The alternative being proposed, and one used in many towns, is to require homeowners to bag their leaves and then deposit them on parkways to be collected and hauled

Change is hard. We get it. But change is coming to a village filled with a glorious urban forest. Le aves are going to fall. The question is what to do with them. We’d say this debate isn’t about leaves in the street vs. dozens of paper bags to be hauled off.

The best option is the most simple, least expensive, best for the environment solution. Leave the leaves where they fall. They will compost all by themselves. For the slightly more lawn obsessed but still environmentally aware, follow the advice of Trustee Susan Buchanan, and chop them to blazes with your last mow of the season and let the little leaf bits compost in place.

Problem solved

Impervious Union Paci c

Forest Park, River Forest and Oak Park are bisected by freight and commuter railroads. Make a list of untouchable entities and we’ll put our nation’s railroads high up there. From the early land grants in the 1850s, which created the paths of America’s rail networks, a continuously consolidating rail industry has had stunning independence on how those lines are maintained and regulated.

In multiple ribbons of track, the CTA and Metra rail lines are a notable benefit to each town as they connect our citizens with both the Loop and the wester n suburbs.

Freight trains? Not so much of a blessing

In the past few weeks both our Forest Park Review and Wednesday Journal have carried reporting on citizen upset over freight trains idling for hours on the Union Pacific line south of Lake Street. Noisy and polluting, these trains make life miserable for those in neighboring condos.

We have both residents and electeds complaining. But the impervious UP just doesn’t care. History would tell us they have no reason to care as there is no effective way to impact their arrogant behavior.

We’d love to be proven wrong

When I think about Marc Blesof f, what springs to mind is the world’s largest Jewish leprechaun. Possibly the world’s only Jewish leprechaun. Marc, who writes the Conscious Aging column in our Viewpoints section each month, celebrated his 75th birthday last week at ComedyPlex on Lake Street. It tells you a lot about Marc that he would celebrate at a comedy club, but it fits. Living three-quarters of a century is an achievement worth celebrating. Doing so with your sense of humor intact and without losing your exuberance for living is an even greater achievement, but that’s Marc, whose purpose in life (at this stage) is to give aging a good name

Giving aging a good name KEN TRAINOR

is young fore ver. (Musician Pablo Casals)

Ever tried. Ev er failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. (Playwright Samuel Beckett)

Li ve your life and forget your age. (Pastor/Writer Norman Vincent Peale)

The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ ve been. (Writer Madeleine L’Engle)

To honor that achievement, I resurrected my favorite collection of quotations, Age doesn’t matter unless you’ re a cheese, compiled by Kathryn and Ross Petras. Here is a selection of wisdom from the ages about living a full life:

There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though ev erything is a miracle. (Attributed to Albert Einstein, though with quotes one never knows for sure, but it also applies to Marc Blesof f, who lives according to the latter.)

All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the basis of our splendid failure to do the impossible. (Novelist William Faulkner)

I’m at the age where food has taken the place of sex in my life. In fact, I’ ve just had a mirror put ov er my kitchen table. (Comedian Rodney Dangerfield)

Never re gret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience. (Writer Victoria Holt)

Never retire! Do what you do and keep doing it. But don’t do it on Friday Take Friday of f. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, do fishing, do sexual acti vities, watch Fred Astaire movies. Then from Monday to Thursday, do what you’ ve been doing all your life, unless it’s lifting bags of potatoes off the back of a truck. I mean, after 75, that’s hard to do. My point is: Li ve fully and don’ t retreat. (Comedian Mel Brooks)

In the greatest confusion there is still an open channel to the soul. It may be difficult to find because by midlife it is overgrown, and some of the wildest thickets that surround it grow out of what we describe as our education. But the channel is always there, and it is our business to keep it open, to have access to the deepest part of ourselves. (Novelist Saul Bellow)

As long as you can admire and love, then one

One must wager on the future. To save the life of a single child, no effort is superfluous. To make a tired old man smile is to perform an essential task. To defeat injustice and misfortune, if only for one instant, for a single victim, is to invent a new reason to hope. (Writer Elie Wiesel)

A man is not old as long as he is seeking something. (Biologist Jean Rostand)

The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped. (Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer)

What a wonderful life I’ ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner. (Writer Colette)

What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow that runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. (Last words of Blackfoot warrior Crowfoot)

The present is the ev er-moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. In that lies hope. (Architect Frank Lloyd Wright)

And finally, it seems only appropriate for a birthday party in a comedy club to give the last word to (arguably) America’s greatest comic: Last night I had a typical cholesterol-free dinner: baked squash, skim milk, and gelatin. I’m sure this will not make me li ve any longer, but I know it’s going to seem longer. (Groucho Marx)

No, wait! Too dreary. Let’s give the last word to feminist Susan B. Anthony:

The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball — the further I am rolled, the more I gain.

No, wait! With Easter and the resur rection story upon us, let’s give the final, final word to a scientist, Edward Teller:

When y ou get to the end of all the light you know and it’s time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be gi ven something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly.

Happy birthday, Marc, and to all of us as we consciously, exuberantly and, sometimes humorously, age.

by Marc Stopeck

Why bagging leaves is a bad idea

The village leaf removal program we now have is one of the most cost-effective and popular programs Oak Park provides. Gutting it transfers the cost to us homeowners, a massive transfer of cost and labor, basically a tax increase under the guise of ecology and cost savings for the village

Here is why it is a bad idea:

1) Bagging leaves is difficult and labor intensive, the least effective way to do it. The bags are costly and we the homeowners would bear that cost, plus the effort in time that could be spent doing better things, not to mention stamina at my age which I have less and less of.

2) Cost increase if you have a yard service. They are not going to take those leaves away for free. So expect an increase in your fees there.

3) From 30-40% of the leaves are from village-owned tree lawns and parkways. Am I supposed to bag those also, basically passing that village leaf removal cost to me the homeowner?

4) Just mulch them all? Chew them up and leave them on your lawn? A really bad idea if you want any kind of lawn. The fact is that all those leaves create so much mulch you cannot use it all. And year after year it will continue to build up. I do this but there are just too many leaves to use all of them.

Why is the village doing this?

■ Bob Sproule, public works director, wants it out of his budget. He lives in another suburb and they bag their leaves and he says it works fine.

■ Someone parked over a pile of leaves and their car bur ned up.

■ Two kids playing in a leaf pile were almost run over by a car.

■ Leaf piles obstruct intersections (Lake Shore Recycling (LRS) could push them to the center of the block and collect them there).

So we get a stream-of-consciousness reasoning at the board meeting in November and again last week about why we need to end the program. End a popular and efficient village program just like that. Not so much consideration about the homeowners who will have to live with this decision forever.

So if that has to be, in the name of efficiency and cost reduction, trustees Lucia Robinson, Susan Buchanan, and Brian Shaw should put that into their campaign literature when they seek re-election and see how popular their position is

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards

Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

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, re 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 ling.

Please understand our veri cation 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 veri cation, 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 con rm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay.

If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

Charles Chauncey Wells Oak Park

Ridiculous reasons for bagging our leaves

Iam 78 years old. I have lived in my Oak Park single-family home for over 50 years and have lived in Oak Park for over 73 years. For all that time, and for previous decades, the homeowners of Oak Park have raked their leaves into the street and the village has picked them up, nor mally by using a contractor. This service has worked perfectly over the decades.

ALAN KRAUSE One View

Now the current village board has proposed changing this system for the flimsiest and most ridiculous reasons possible. While I am limited by space to go into all of their superficial reasons, I will comment on just three. First, is the person who parked his/her car on top of a pile of leaves, which set the car on fire. Rather than holding this individual responsible for their actions, the village board has proposed penalizing every homeowner in Oak Park for this person’s mistake. Furthermore, to my knowledge, this sort of fire only happened once in the past 75 years. And the only damage done was to the car of the person who parked it in the wrong spot.

Second, is mulching or composting leaves if a disabled or elderly person is unable to carry out the task of picking up and stuffing multiple bags with leaves. I have an environmentally-friendly, battery-operated lawnmower that is great for cutting grass when it is dry. It does not have enough power to mulch leaves. Some leaves take 6-12 months to break down into compost. I have a huge Northern Red Oak in my backyard, and I am assuming other Oak Park homeowners also have our namesake oak trees on their properties. Oak leaves take 3-4 years to break down (Nature Notes: Why does oak leaf litter linger, 1/1/22). For approximately $400 I would have

to get a gas-powered mulching mower at Home Depot to replace my battery-powered mower to comply with the village board’s “environmentally sound” suggestion to mulch leaves.

Third, the village board is changing a longstanding and highly successful program based on the hypothetical scenario that children might play in the leaf piles in the street and might be hit by a car — again, a situation that, to my knowledge, has never occurred during the past 75 years I have lived in Oak Park

Christopher Goode and Adrian Marquez previously pointed out in last week’s Viewpoints section the extreme cost to the homeowner of purchasing the bags needed to comply with this proposal, which could be hundreds of dollars per year. In addition to their point, it should be mentioned that people like me, who would have to hire somebody to bag leaves, would have to pay around $20 per hour for that help This is an additional cost of a couple hundred dollars a year

Maybe the village board could order Oak Park’s Streets and Sanitation Department to bag all the leaves in all the streets of Oak Park, then determine the collective cost to homeowners of the bagging program being proposed

Finally, as a village board that purports to be progressively searching for affordable housing, why is it assessing an annual tax of hundreds of dollars on single-family homeowners? Is this additional tax (in dollars and man hours) supposed to make Oak Park housing more affordable?

I am absolutely opposed to this unreasonable policy idea.

Alan Krause is a longtime Oak Park resident.

Library board is dysfunctional

There is high drama at the Oak Park Public Library (OPPL). The institution known primarily as a place where local citizens can peruse books, newspapers and magazines, or do their homework, seems to be evolving into something else

By the directive of the library trustees, OPPL has become an institution dedicated to the elimination of racism, through their equity and anti-racism effort. The equity and anti-racism web page and its action plan outline the comprehensive effort

The problem is that these web pages are written in an incomprehensible woke-speak that requires the non-cognoscenti to consult a glossy of terms to understand what they are trying to say. Any transgression or deviation from “the mission” by any member of the staff will certainly trigger major corrective action from an OPPL rapid-response team.

Fast forward to this past January when a “Palestinian Cultural Event” was held at the main branch of our library This event, and its tumultuous aftermath, have been welldocumented in Wednesday Jour nal. Inter nal factions of the library staff and their external supporters have slung accusations of racism and insensitivity toward head librar-

ian Joslyn Bowling Dixon (who is Black) on how she handled the situation. Well, the mob prevailed and the trustees fired her. An unattributed quote from Wednesday Jour nal says: “Dixon [they said,] was trying to position the library as a place for books only — an outmoded practice — and away from the community hub Oak Park’s library strives to be.”

Books, schmooks!

So here we are. OPPL has a dysfunctional board that has produced acrimonious chaos among the ranks within our library system. Moreover, they have demoted the role of our public library’s traditional function as a respite of (quiet and peaceful) reading and scholarship in favor of its being a “community hub” for political and social change of a very prescribed type. Dissenting views are not invited.

Our library board consists of seven trustees, four of whom are up for re-election or replacement in 2025. Those who would like to see OPPL return to its more traditional role should examine the candidates’ statements closely and vote accordingly.

Mark Knickelbein Oak Park

Biden and Bibi

Reading excellent journalism is one of the things I most treasure, and especially when I find writing that puts into words the values and views of the world that attune with my own. That was the experience I had reading Wednesday Journal’s March 13 issue: Ken Trainor’s column on President Joe Biden in the Viewpoints section [The inconceivability of Joe Biden] and Karen Morris Muriello’s letter to Benjamin Netanyahu on the next page [Dear Bibi].

“Inconceivability” is a good word to describe Joe Biden’s career. It has been a long road of overcoming obstacles, dealing with setbacks, navigating the politics of Congress and the White House, and coming back again and again to win elections. His life has been marked by tragedy with the death of his first wife, a baby daughter, and then his son, Beau. Knowing personal loss and deep grief may be the source of the quality of compassion that is so much a part of Biden’s character.

In her letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Karen Morris Muriello gives voice to the double heartbreak that I have felt since Oct. 7. Heartbreak for the innocent people of Israel who were savagely attacked, murdered, and raped, and for the innocent people in Palestine whose homes, hospitals, and families are being destroyed at a massive level disproportionate to the need for the defense of Israel.

As one who has long admired Israel’s remarkable achievement in establishing a homeland for Jews, I find it painful to see Israel being destroyed by its own extreme reaction (“blind rage” in Muriello’s words) and by the terrible leadership that is driving this violence. I find it hard to live with the knowledge that our country is complicit with this by continuing to send military aid to Israel.

We watch as we see President Biden torn between his longtime support of Israel and his abhorrence at the loss of life and the blocking of humanitarian aid that has been inflicted on Gaza. He himself may find it inconceivable to be caught in this position.

Nicholas Kristof writes: “So we’re now in a bizarre situation: American bombs and American aid are both falling from Gaza’s skies.” He lists a number of ways that Biden could restrict the aid we are giving Israel. There is leverage in U.S. and international law for holding a country accountable for its conduct in war. (See Kristof ’s New York Times column on March 17: President Biden, You Have Leverage That Can Save Lives in Gaza. Please Use It) Kristof notes that President Biden has been “unwilling to lean hard on Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make it stop.”

The president has been making more comments expressing his real concern about this war. It is past time for the president to lean hard and to use every kind of leverage he has to back up those concerns with action.

Stephanie Ferrera Oak Park

Bagging leaves adds costs … for homeowners

The village board’s leaf-bagging discussion ignores one player in the decision — homeowners. Each would, at a minimum, have to buy bags. For my small lot in south Oak Park, that’s maybe 25 bags. About $16 out of pocket. For some 10,000 single-family residences in the village, that’s $160,000.

It gets worse.

I do my own leaves, and figure the village is asking me for about 4-plus hours of involuntary community service to bag the leaves. Lawn services will probably raise their fees because it takes extra labor to bag leaves.

Could the board dig deeper into the issue and find an answer that doesn’t just move the problem onto homeowners?

James Peters Oak Park

Losing their moral compass

Our Oak Park Public Library Board is nonfunctioning and has opened us all up to litigation, financial drains on an already stretched budget, tainted our library’s reputation, and possibly could usher in nefarious outside influences. I am furious and ashamed of their blatant disregard for due process and their own employee policies

They were reckless, hasty, and terribly disrespectful to their own staff. This is appalling and unkind behavior. In my 20-plus-year library career I have never before spoken out in public against a board, but this is egregious

With the single exception of Theodore Foss — who tried to do the right thing and take a more reasoned and tempered approach suggesting an investigation first — our board members folded to public pressure. They acted based on suspicion, rumor, hearsay, unsubstantiated allegations, with no compelling evidence. They jumped out of their designated lane by getting way too involved in private personnel matters. They panicked, and they have lost their ethical compass.

Heather McCammond-Watts Oak Park

No more curbside leaf pickup?

Our village gover nment’s ongoing efforts to complicate the lives of residents and to foist more and more costs on us continue with increasing fervor. Now one of the few benefits we receive — curbside leaf pick up — will be taken from us. Despite paying thousands of dollars in taxes and being required to deal with red-tape and an unresponsive local gover nment, we will now also need to buy dozens, or more, paper bags and manage to stuff them full of leaves instead of simply raking them into the street.

Our village board members are oblivious to the burdens they casually impose on us. We all need to remember how each trustee votes on this issue come election time

Jerry Bowman Lifelong Oak Park resident

Librar y board res highly regarded director

Regardless of your viewpoint on the issue at hand, the recent firing of Joslyn Bowling Dixon as OPPL executive director should be a concern to all residents

Executive directors are hired to “execute” the views of their respective boards of trustees For practical reasons of job security, if for nothing else, they typically adhere closely to the wishes and march in step with their boards. I suspect that was indeed the case in this situation. It’s hard to believe Bowling Dixon, the now for mer director, in just her second year in the position, was flying solo — directly, willfully, flagrantly defying and moving against the board’s wishes and policy directives.

Rather, the only explanation for the firing that makes any sense to me is that the board was deeply embarrassed, as they should have been, by a situation that got out in front of them. In casting about for blame, they are singling out and sacrific-

ing the director — a highly regarded and recruited candidate for the position — to divert attention from their own failed ownership and mismanagement of the situation.

The firing is an example of face-saving run amok. The board should at the very least stand in resignation with Bowling Dixon, the executor of their own policies and directives. Suspecting that will not happen.

The next election offers an opportunity I will vote against retention of all current trustees up for re-election with the exception of Theodore Foss, who had the clarity, presence of mind, and good sense to resist the firing. Unless, of course, the other current trustees have already resigned in humiliation by then and new candidates have stepped forward.

Jim Houston Oak Park

Electrifying buildings and its costs

In a recent Chicago Tribune column, Ask the Builder, by Tim Carter, a builder for decades, he stated that the average monthly heating cost in the U.S. was:

Gas: $931

Heating oil: $2,354

Electricity: $1,359

JIM POLASKI

One View

Heating season in Oak Park is from Sept. 15 to May 15, a period of eight months.

Oak Park wants to electrify future buildings. Given the difference in costs, that means electric heat in an “average” home in Oak Park would pay $3,424 greater cost for heat using electricity. Of course that is an average home. Many of Oak Park’s older residences are 60-100 or more years old and perhaps uninsulated and may even have older, less efficient heat (boilers or furnaces) and the difference might be even greater. Plus, this also affects your other appliances, your stove, hot water, etc. for added cost.

If you renovate your older home, insu-

late, move walls, new kitchen and bath or more, does this require you to upgrade to electric heat, hot water, etc.? What if only your old boiler or furnace dies and needs replacement? Again, do you have to upgrade to electric? There is talk that you might have to upgrade your older home with any renovation/replacement in the future.

I’d guess how the board operates, that might be sooner rather than later. I asked a village board member and she didn’t have a clue, yet was involved in crafting this change in ordinance/building code As she once told me, her favorite phrase is “out with the old, in with the new.”

I’ve thought of putting up a two-story garage and heating the second floor so I’d imagine even with a super-insulated structure, the cost to heat will be significant since I’d have to use electric. Either pay up front (for super-insulation) or pay later in higher monthly cost for electricity and we know electricity will only go up.

If I had to replace my boiler (I have

quiet, wonderful hot water radiator heat), what will it cost to upgrade to electric?

Not only the boiler but the electric panel and wiring to the boiler, plus increased service to the house perhaps with Commonwealth Edison’s dreaded “demand meter” where your highest usage for a 15-minute period sets the rate for your month of usage.

I might add that, in 1980, quite some time ago, I moved my business to an all-electric renovated building in River North. It was billed as cheaper rates and blah, blah, blah by the landlord. Those were the highest rates we ever paid for utilities, and they kept going up

I’m all in favor of doing what we can to make the environment cleaner with less carbon. That said, there are far bigger targets to go after, automobiles, airplanes, trucks, trains and maybe a few other things.

So VOP, was this a wise decision to have been made by the board at this time to put on the residents of Oak Park?

Jim Polaski is a resident of the Oak Park Gunderson Historical District.

NICOLE CHAVAS

Protecting pedestrians

from page 25

them off in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. While its intention was to limit shared touching of surfaces, it was a boon to the increasing number of walkers looking to spend more time outside. What a disappointment when they were eventually reactivated.

But we can do more than the bare minimum. Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) are an emerging best practice for pedestrian safety. LPIs give pedestrians a head start of a few seconds to begin crossing the street before vehicles get a green light to turn. LPIs significantly increase visibility and reduce conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles. Meanwhile, studies show that LPIs can reduce pedestrian-vehicle collisions by up to 60%. LPIs are a low-cost modification that could be easily programmed into the existing signaled intersections

Chicago is increasingly implementing LPIs; cross Austin Boulevard, and you’ll see them all over the West Side

We are in the midst of a national pedestrian safety crisis. Cars and trucks are getting bigger and heavier, and drivers are more aggressive and more distracted than ever. It is an unsettling time to be a pedestrian. If Oak Park is really committed to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries through the Vision Zero initiative, it needs to use every tool in its toolkit to do so Telling beg buttons to “Beg Off” is a great start.

Lear n more about Vision Zero Oak Park and how you can make your voice heard at: https://engageoakpark.com/visionzero.

Bike Walk Oak Park (BWOP) is a volunteer advocacy group of Oak Park residents who work toward the fair and safe use of friendly streets by all our neighbors who walk, roll, ride and drive. To learn more, visit www bikewalkoakpark.org.

Nicole Chavas of Oak Park, wrote this on behalf of Bike Walk Oak Park.

Curb the noise ordinance violators

In the nine years I have lived in a condo on Madison Street, not once have I seen a police officer enforce the offenses to our noise code. When we called the police, we were told there was nothing they could do about it unless the perpetrator was caught in the act.

I will attend the village board meeting this week to state my frustration with the lack of action the village has taken and continues to ignore rather than finding a solution to this ongoing problem.

I and other residents in the area are no longer willing to be ignored, especially with neighboring villages that found solutions to curb noise ordinance violators, such as Forest Park’s large sign on Harlem and Madison warning violators of expensive consequences for those who violate their noise ordinance — and also River Forest with their effective police presence.

Our high taxes should insulate us from being subjected to this noise problem from individuals who use our village as a thoroughfare. From our experience, they are always the same motorcycles that come through every year so they can’t be that difficult to pull over and arrest or ticket. We deserve our quality of life and have a right to peace in our own homes, which is why we live in Oak Park Something must be done to stop disturbing the peace of residents and taxpayers. We are your priority, not the ignorance of violators disturbing the peace of your village taxpayers.

Linda Berger Oak Park

RICH KORDESH

Transformative spaces

from page 25

viewed, played and discussed energetically in a finished attic.

With more room than we had as kids in the bungalow, a lot of work, play and learning took place in our Oak Park home as well. It was dense, often fun, and productive

Now we’re the grandparents. Of the five grandkids, three live locally; two are in Iowa.

The pandemic changed the relationship between work and home. Four of the five parents in our kids’ homes can work online, at least part of the time. The grandkids are young, so there isn’t much homework yet. But there’s plenty of play, teaching and learning taking place, with tummy time, chasing, rollicking and breathless, hands-on management.

Maureen and I change roles as the grandkids’ caregivers, part-time. I’m retired. She’s still teaching and going to meetings though many of the latter now take place on Zoom. Some she attends from our living room.

I do more of the home management and cook

dinner. The little ones have been to our condo a lot. We Facetime with the Iowans. Car seats in our vehicle are permanent fixtures. There’s a crib, stroller and toy box in the guest room, and a fold-out sleeping couch in Maureen’s office for occasional over night stays.

As I look back on these various homes, from the Berwyn bungalow to the Oak Park Victorian to our condo and the kids’ current domiciles, I see the adaptive, creative uses of our evolving habitats. Our shifting practices across different eras enabled adjustments over time to the redefined, developmental needs of young and old, reknitting family bonds.

And then there’s the redesign of my inner home: Now a grandpa, I see that as my outer homes changed over the decades, my understanding of who I was evolved as well. Little did I know at 12 that at 45 I’d be a dad and professor growing food in the yard, cooking it for the family, and then going into the home office to prepare the next day’s public policy class.

Along with my outer domiciles, my inner house has been recast over the years; my understanding of my manhood has diversified, while my soul’s energy surges over it all in an awakened, teeming and transformative inner space.

The work of family continues, inside and out.

Say no to bagging leaves

Instead of simply raking leaves into the street in the fall, the village board now wants homeowners to work harder, back-breaking and sweating, bending and lifting, to pick up and bag all the fallen leaves in our yards and parkways. We’ve been raking leaves into the street ever since we bought our Oak Park home some 30 years ago. Suddenly, raking leaves into the street for Public Works and the garbage collector to pick up and haul away is “not working.”

Instead of trucks and plows doing all the heavy work, the village now wants individual homeowners to do the manual labor of picking up leaves and stuffing them into thousands and thousands of paper yard waste bags, standing them up one after another along our curbs like soldiers in formation.

Before the village board approves this burdensome measure, can it tell us how many thousands of yard waste bags in total Oak Park homeowners will have to buy to hold the 2,200 tons of leaves that fall each year? Can the village that taxes shoppers 10 cents a shopping bag (to reduce waste and encourage use of reusable bags) tell us the environmental impact of having to buy all of these additional yard waste bags? How many trees will have to be cut down every year to make the paper needed to make all these additional bags?

Will the trustees who vote for requiring bagging

leaves also take a pledge at the same time to personally bag all the leaves on their own properties? No paying a landscaper extra to bag your leaves. If you’re going to impose this arduous extra labor on all of us homeowners who are too skint to hire professional landscapers, could you at least promise you’ll take your own medicine and bag all the leaves on your own properties? Lead by example

Professional landscapers, by the way, should be pleased by this new proposal. All the extra labor of picking up leaves and filling bags will have more homeowners calling them for help. They’ll get more business, and be able to charge every client, old and new, bags of more money for all the extra work

Chicago ousted a mayor for not shoveling snow off the streets one winter. Because of citizen outcry, the Cook County Board had to repeal a 1-cent/ounce soda tax just two months after the board imposed the tax. People like their streets cleaned. They like their soda. And this Oak Park homeowner, for one, likes not having to cram all the leaves that fall each year into hundreds of yard waste bags (way too many leaves to mulch and compost).

Voters like gover nment to make their lives easier, not harder.

Mark Wallace Oak Park

John O’Brien, 84 Letter carrier

John Ronald O’Brien, 84, a cherished Oak Park resident for nearly six decades and a for mer Oak Park Post Office employee, died on March 22, 2024, at Loyola MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. Bor n on Nov. 17, 1939, in Paxton (IL) Community Hospital, he was the eldest son of Charles Francis and Mary Myrtle (née Houtzel) O’Brien. He hailed from a longstanding lineage of farming. The O’Brien family farm in Pigeon Grove Township of Iroquois County traces back to before the U.S. Civil War.

John attended the same one-room schoolhouse as his father, which lacked electricity and indoor plumbing. He graduated from Cissna Park High School in 1957, then contributed to the family farm and worked various odd jobs for about 18 months before enlisting in the U.S. Ar my shortly after his 19th birthday. He served in Europe for two years before transferring to the Reserves in October 1961, receiving an Honorable Discharge in October 1964.

He joined the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier in Oak Park in 1962. Over his 39-year tenure, he participated in the experimental E.I. Program. He was an active member of the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers, serving in various capacities, including state president. He retired in December 2001 but remained active in union activities, particularly those involving retirees.

He married Mary Alice Stuckey of Paxton, Illinois on April 28, 1962.

John is survived by his two sons, Bruce Alan and Patrick Dale; his brothers, Dennis L. (Donna) and C. Stephen (Jean) O’Brien; his grandson, Christopher Charles O’Brien; two great-grandsons; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 26 at Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home, 7319 W. Madison St., Forest Park Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 27 at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park, where John was a member since 1967.

He will be laid to rest in Glen Cemetery in Paxton, Illinois, next to his parents.

OBITUARIES

Gary Barnes, 87 Home improver, antique restorer

Gary GaMaille Barnes, 87, a long time resident of Oak Park, die peacefully in hi sleep on March 14, 2024, after severa years of declinin health and vascular dementia. Born on Nov. 23, 1936, he was a standout at Monticello (IL) High School and went on to play college basketball at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where he studied philosophy. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale and a master’s degree in Social Work

Deborah Frederick, 77

Enjoyed traveling and her grandkids

Gary loved working on his home on Humphrey Avenue, restoring antiques, and woodworking. He enjoyed jazz music, camping and hiking, and staying active whether it was tennis, volleyball league, or riding his bike around town.

He was not a fan of technology and was not shy to share his view on that subject and a few other topics as well. His stubbornness to adapt was a part of his charm. In fact, he labored for 10 years hand-writing a book on the detriment of technology to society. Sadly, it was never published. It would have been an interesting read

Known for his smile, his laugh and sense of humor, and his staunch, passionate positions, he was keenly interested and involved in politics, was an active member of the Oak Park community and an avid sports fan rooting for the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, Illini, and OPRF Huskies.

Gary was the father of Rachel Barnes Pledger; grandfather of Scott Thomas Pledger and Rebecca Anne Pledger; son of the late CW Barnes and the late Roby Gregory Barnes; brother of Gregory (Yoko) Barnes; and uncle of Stephen Barnes and Roby Barnes.

In keeping with his wishes, Gary will be cremated and interred at the Bement Township Cemetery alongside his parents at a later date

A memorial at his beloved Allerton Park, near his hometown of Monticello, Illinois is also planned Arrangements were handled by ConboyWestchester Funeral Home.

Deborah Ann Tintera Frederick, 77, of River Forest, died on March 15, 2024 after a short battle with brain ancer. Born in St ouis, Missouri, on Nov. 11, 1946 to Bernard and Virginia Tintera. After graduating from Webster University, she and new husband Paul “Chip” Frederick moved to the Bay Area in 1971, where they spent 17 years raising their children and enjoying the West Coast. They returned to St. Louis in 1988 to be near family, and then moved to the Chicago area in 2002 when they became empty-nesters. Debbie worked in retail management for many years before retiring in 2015 to spend time with her grandchildren.

Always a wonderful friend, she went out of her way to lend a hand or send a thoughtful note in her beautiful handwriting. She enjoyed traveling and catching up with friends and family, but above all, her biggest loves were her six grandchildren. Her sudden illness took her from us too soon and she is greatly missed.

Debbie was preceded in death by her parents, Bernard and Virginia Tintera. She is survived by Chip, her husband of 52 years; her three children, Matthew (Erin) Frederick, Anna (Sam) Henderson, and Clare Frederick (Dan Cooper); her six grandchildren, Adelle, Meara, and Teagan Frederick, Amelia and Mitchell Henderson, and Alina Cooper; her siblings, Pamela (Jim) Hobelman, Robert Tintera, Tom Tintera, and Julie (Glenn) Powers; and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of a funeral service, a celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute at Northwester n Medicine.

Sandra White, 87 A lifelong runner

Sandra Shoults White (nee Sandra hoults), 87, of Forest, died March 19, 2024 ue to heart failure. andra grew up moving all over the ounty following ther’s jobs in jet engineering. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and over the course of her life earned three master’s degrees, in statistics, environmental biology and evolution, and accounting

When her husband died in 2006, she moved to River Forest to be near her daughter. In 2023, she made her final move into the Sheridan at River Forest, an assisted living facility, where she made many friends and continued to lead an active lifestyle. A lifelong runner, she competed in her last 10K at age 82 with a time of 1 hour and 3 seconds. When she could no longer run, she would often be seen walking all over River Forest in her signature orange hat.

Active was an apt adjective for Sandy — never one to sit, she always lent a helping hand and strived to fulfill her purpose, to be of service to others.

She is survived by her three children, Winifred White and her husband, Paul Ford; Christopher White and his wife Tamara Zemlo; and Andrew White. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren — Nathaniel Ford, Colin Ford, Cassandra Ford, Zoe White, Ezekiel White, Zachary White, Brianna White, Spenser White, Storm White, and Pierson White — as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and her sisterin-law Marion Lardner

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on April 6 at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, 744 Fair Oaks Ave., Oak Park, followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to Austin Coming Together (https://austincomingtogether.org/austincares/) in her memory. Austin Coming Together’s mission is to facilitate the collective impact of 50+ members and hundreds of partners to improve quality of life in Chicago’s Austin community

SPORTS

Records by Garland, Henderson fuel OPRF hopes

Boys seeking 3A state trophy; girls thinking all-state nishes

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Senior and returning all-stater Kaden Garland became the first Oak Park and River Forest High School boys track and field athlete to throw beyond 60 feet in shot put this indoor season.

He improved his all-time program record to 19.12 meters/62 feet-8 3/4 inches Saturday in winning the Class 3A title at the Top Times Indoor Championships at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Returning all-state long jumper, junior Kwabena OseiYeboah, came within a quarter-inch of his personal best with a second-place 7.18m/23-6 3/4.

“I knew there were going to be some pretty good throws, as long as I stayed calm and just threw it,” said Garland, the USC recruit who first broke 60 feet on Feb. 8 at home (61-0). “I felt like I could get a little bit more out of it, but I’m happy with what I got.”

After finishing seventh in 3A in 2023, the Huskies alread are showing signs of contending for their first top-three state trophy since taking third in 2019 and 2012.

On March 15, they again won the indoor West Suburba Conference Silver Division Meet at York. They’re now seeking their seventh straight Silver title outdoors.

“It’s a delicate balance between making sure we’re competing at our highest level at the state meet and bein healthy,” OPRF head coach Tim Hasso said. “As a staff, we’r

going to continue moving in the right direction. This team has the potential to finish among the best teams in Illinois. whether we can put it together at the right time.” unior Caleb Schulz was second in the 200-meter dash (22.44) and fifth in the 60 (7.01) Saturday. Osei-Yeboah also was fourth in triple jump (13.94m/45-9) and the 4 x 200 relay of senior Kevin McGovern, sophomore Kingston Petersen, Schulz and Osei-Yeboah came in fifth (1:32.76).

At 2023 state, Garland (17.58m/57-8 1/4 in shot) and Oseiboah (6.73m/22-1 in long jump) both took fifth for topnine, all-state honors. The 4 x 800 relay with seniors Michael Michelotti, Lewis O’Connor and Daniel Johnson and junior Finn Kelly (6th, 7:52.23) and 4 x 100 relay with senior Santiago Valle and Schulz (7th, 43.00) also made all-state. T he 4 x 400 relay with junior Quinn Testore and Valle (10th, 3:23.03) just missed finals and Garland was 11th in

discus finals (45.02m/147-8). T he 4 x 200 relay with Valle, Schulz and sophomore Kingston Petersen was 12th (1:28.97).

Other contributors include senior Mariano Escobedo, juniors Liam O’Connor, Lukas Brauc, Adam Moroney and Connor Schupp and sophomores Christian Crape, Jonathan Sibley-Diggs and Riley Jackson. Liam O’Connor was an all-state 17th in cross country for the sixth-place Huskies, Nov. 4.

OPRF girls track & eld

As one of 11 OPRF girls returning from the 2023 state lineup, sophomore high jumper Alexis Henderson is seeking more come May.

At the Homewood-Flossmoor Invite, Feb. 24, Henderson cleared 5-6 ¼ — another all-time best in program history — following 5-4 at the OPRF field house in the Feb. 16 opener to initially break the 5-3 school record.

“I knew I was close and I wanted to beat it this year,” said Henderson, who was 16th at state (1.55m/5-1).

Also back from 2023 state are seniors Hannah Franke (16th in pole vault, 3.28m/10-9), Taylor Smith (17th in triple jump, 10.98m/36-0 1/4), Brianne Davis (no mark in discus) and Katherine Johnston (no height in pole vault), juniors Bella Brauc (21st in 400, 1:00.36 and no height in high jump) and Julia Brown (24th in 400, 1:01.34) and the 4 x 200 relay of junior Amelia Hammersley and sophomores Chloe Ko zicki, Violet Schnizlein and Maisie Hoerster (21st, 1:45.80).

Other contributors include senior Lenny Sterritt, junior Nora Butterly, and freshman Devyn Kleidon. Sterritt again qualified for the state cross country meet.

“Going down to the state meet, it’s a huge motivator for the next year and it’s definitely shown. We have some other hopefuls that are going to jump in,” OPRF head coach Nick Michalik said.

T he Huskies were third at the indoor Silver Meet March 15 at Proviso West. Brauc (1.62m/5-3 3/4) and Henderson (1.57m/5-1 3/4) finished 1-2 in high jump, Davis won shot (10.42m/34-2 1/4), Brauc (1:00.95) and Brown (1:01.26) finished 2-3 in the 400, Franke (3.20m/10-6 in pole vault) and the 4 x 400 relay were second (4:10.27). Smith was third in long jump (5.17m/16-11 1/2) and triple jump (10.50m/34-5 1/2).

CREDIT MOTO JOHNSON AND DAN CHAMNESS den Garland won the class 3A indoor title in the shot put.

CREDIT MOTO JOHNSON AND DAN CHAMNESS

Caleb Schulz nished second in the 200 meter dash

ALEXIS HENDERSON

Experience abounds for OPRF, Fenwick girls lacrosse

Friars, Huskies are both o to good starts

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls lacrosse team is off to a 2-0 start this spring, having defeated St. Laurence 20-5 and St. Viator 14-4.

“I am most impressed with how this team has jelled so quickly,” said OPRF coach James Borja, in his seventh season. “It’s an extremely smart group and they’ve picked up concepts extremely fast. It’s one of the most talented groups I have had at OPRF, and they can compete with any team in the state.”

The Huskies, who went 13-7 last season, have 15 returnees, including junior attacker Hannah Simon, an All-Stater who had 80 goals and 50 assists in 2023; junior midfielders Kelsey O’Brien (13 goals, 8 assists) and Harper Thompson (44 goals, 6 assists); senior midfielder Kai Coffee; and senior goalie Elizabeth Thompson.

Newcomers to watch are sophomore attacker Tess Cronin and freshman defender Megan Thomason.

OPRF has a loaded schedule, with nonconference matches against Benet Academy, Lake Forest, and New Trier. The Huskies will also face one of Indiana’s top programs, Carmel, and travel to Ohio to play two stateranked teams in Granville and Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

Borja f eels the chase for the West Subu rban Sil ve r title will be “one of the tightest in recent year s, ” with Downer s Grove North, Hinsdale C entral, OPRF,

Fenw ick’s goalie Regan McDonald blocks a shot attempt by Lyons Township dur ing the LTHS Invitational on March 23, in Western Springs.

and Yo rk vying for the crown.

“Our g oal this year is to make a de ep r un i nto the pl ayoffs,” Borja said. “A s we improve, we will be a ve ry d angerous team in May. ”

OPRF’s next matches are at home with Benet, April 4, and Lake Forest, April 6.

Fenwick

The Friars started the season nicely

with victories over Riverside-Brookfield (11-2), St. Laurence (13-9), and Lane Tech (10-2) in their first four matches. T he only loss came to Loyola Academy, a perennial state power.

”We have a great balance of newcomers and returners,” said Fenwick coach Tracy Bonaccorsi, in her fifth season. “One great thing is every single player has made their mark on the stat sheet, which shows how balanced we are as a unit.”

Fenwick (10-7 last year) returns 14 players, including junior goalie Lily de la Torre, junior attacker Katy Berni, junior midfielder Sade Rucker, senior defender Molly Pondelicek, senior midfielder Caroline Sutton, and senior attacker Elizabeth Winkiel. Rucker and Sutton share the team lead with nine goals each.

Newcomers to watch are freshman Tessa Timpone; sophomores Kate and Maddy Cox, and Emma Kure; and juniors Margaret Gibbs, Olivia LaChance, and Lauren Wilson, who’s back after spending her sophomore year with the school’s theater department.

The Friars have a rigorous schedule, with upcoming non-conference matches against Fremd, Lyons Township, and OPRF

“We haven’t played (LT) in my past four seasons, but I know the girls are looking forward to it, considering a handful of them play club together or know each other from growing up in the Western Springs and Hinsdale areas,” Bonaccorsi said.

Loyola has dominated the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference in recent years, but Bonaccorsi is optimistic Fenwick can be competitive with league rivals Montini and St. Ignatius.

“I’ve been extremely happy with how it’s gone so far,” she said. “A handful of our seniors have been on varsity all four years, so having that experience, consistency, and strong coach-player relationship should really help us succeed this year.”

Fenwick returns to action at Mother McAuley on April 10.

Balance is the key for OPRF boys tennis

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Despite losing nine players to graduation from last year’s team, which went 9-2 in dual meets and finished third in the West Suburban Silver, things are trending upward for Oak Park and River Forest High School boys varsity tennis.

“We have an unbelievably even team,” said OPRF coach John Morlidg e, who has led the Huskies since 1993. “After our first

top spots, most kids are even in ability.” OPRF has seven returning players, including junior Eli Stein, who qualified for the IHSA state tournament in singles last year. Other returnees are juniors

Alex Dolipschi and Manu Rajagopal, and seniors Ian Hansen, Cameron Khaledan, Will Neumann, and Evan Pope. Newcomers to watch are freshmen Jackson Dodd and Nick Vizzone; sophomores Nick Balesteri, George Barkidjija, and Sebastian Hilton; juniors Reese Brotman

and Lev Khoubaev; and seniors Justin Hsieh, Henry Kur tz, and Shea Sturtevant.

T he Huskies are 1-1 this season, defeating Ve r non Hills but losing to Deerfield. Over the next few weeks, OPRF has meets with L ane Te ch, Latin, and St. Ignatius — all are schools pa rt icipating in the sectional the Huskies will be assigned to. Further prep aration fo r the state tournament takes p lace at the Hersey Invitational featuring seve r al top progr ams, April 13.

With likely five NCAA Division I prospects, longtime power Hinsdale Central is the overwhelming favorite in the WSC Silver. Lyons Township should also be strong

Morlidge said the Huskies’ success this spring will be based on striking a perfect balance between providing experience for the new players while being competitive.

“I need to try to put the best lineup out there to win, but still develop the younger players,” he said.

STEVE JOHNSTON

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LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICES REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

LEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS)

COUNTY OF COOK )ss

Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of Jose Antonio Ibarra, Petitioner and Francisca Fernandez, Respondent, Case No. 2024D001717.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that

amend-

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed proposals from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday,September 6, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park Master Meter Testing

Project Number: 23-121

Proposal documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/bid.For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours.

The Village of Oak Park —Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302— will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 18, 2024 for Project: 24-16, 2024 Sidewalk Improvements Program. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, this contract includes sidewalk angle cutting, removal and replacement of public sidewalk, parkway and carrIage walks, combination curb and gutter, driveways, and PCC basecourse; pavement adjacent to curbs, adjustment of drainage structures, buffalo boxes, removal and resetting of historic sidewalk, and all appurtenant work thereto. Sidewalk sequencing during the work and adherence to the completion date is of emphasis for this project as outlined in the plans and proposal forms.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday, March 28, at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park. us/your-government/budget-purchasing/requests-proposals or at www.questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 9039695 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plansand specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

This project is financed with local Village funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and thus is subject to all federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Section 3, and Equal Opportunity requirements.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection at the Village Hall during regular business hours or on the Village’s website at www.vrf.us. For more information, please contact Finance Director Rosemary McAdams at 708-3668500.

of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hearing to consider a variance request for AVA’s Wine Bar located at 7700 W 26th Street, North Riverside, IL.

**Variance Request Details**

The variance request pertains to the installation of a pole sign.

**Public Hearing Details**

April 18, 2024

All interested parties are invited to attend and provide input at the public hearing. Written comments may also be submitted to the Community Development Department prior

**VARIANCE REQUEST FOR 2227

NORTHGATE AVENUE**

Notice is hereby given that the Village of North Riverside Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals will hold a public hearing to consider a variance request for 2227 Northgate Avenue, North Riverside, IL.

**Variance Request Details**

The applicant is requesting a side setback to maintain an existing setback of 2’10” and a variance to permit a total building height of 30’.

**Public Hearing Details**

Date: April 18, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Village of North Riverside Village Commons

Address: 2401 Desplaines Ave, Riverside, IL 60546

All interested parties are invited to attend and provide input at the public hearing. Written comments may also be submitted to the Community Development Department prior to the hearing at the following address:

Community Development Department Village of North Riverside 2401 Desplaines Ave Riverside, IL 60546

For further information, please contact the Community Development office at (708) 447-4211.

PublisÍhed in Landmark March 27, 2024

on 15 April 2024, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow the installation of a billboard structure in the I-2 Limited Industrial District on the following described property:

That part of the East half of the Northwest Quarter of Section 13, Township 39 North, Range 12, East of the Third Principal Meridian, (except the West 3 feet thereof) lying West of a line 50 feet West, measured at right angles thereto, of the centerline of Des Plaines Avenue; South of the South rightof-way line of Chicago and Great Western Railroad, and Northerly of the following described line: Beginning at a point in a line 3 feet West of, measured at right angles thereto, the centerline of Des Plaines Avenue, 160 feet Southerly, measured along a line 3 feet West of and parallel with the centerline of Des Plaines Avenue, from the South right-of-way line of said Railroad; thence Southwesterly on a line forming an angle of 54 degrees, 41 minutes (measured from the last described parallel line extended Southerly) 763.81 feet; thence continuing Southwesterly on a straight line to a point in the West line of said East half of the Northwest Quarter of said Section 13, 218. 75 feet North of the Southwest corner thereof.

Commonly known as 711 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL

PIN: 15-13-112-015-8004

The applicant is Stina Fish.

Signed:

Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

NOTICE OF ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the legal voters, residents of the Town of Oak Park, County of Cook, and State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of said Town, will take place on Tuesday, April 9, 2024,at the Oak Park Township Senior Services Center, 130 S. Oak Park Ave., in the Town of Oak Park, at the hour of 6:30 p.m., for the transaction of the business of the Town; and a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of officers, and decide on such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting, following this agenda:

I. Call to Order

II. Pledge of Allegiance

III. Procedures for Meeting

IV. Supervisor’s Annual Financial Statements

V. Election of Moderator

VI. Township Year in Review: COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD ASSESSOR • SENIOR SERVICES YOUTH SERVICES • GENERALASSISTANCE PREVENTION SERVICES

Published in the Forest Park Review 27 March 2024 OAK PARK TOWNSHIP

VII. Resolutions to Come Before the Electors:

VIII. Public Comments

IX. Adjournment

All interested citizens, groups, senior citizens and organizations representing the interests of senior citizens are encouraged to attend.

Oak Park Township does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission or access to, or employment in its programs or activities. Those needing special accommodations are asked to provide 48 hours notice.

Given under my hand in the Town of Oak Park, County of Cook, State of Illinois, this 22 day of March 2024.

DaToya Burtin-Cox Oak Park Township Clerk

PublisÍhed in Wednesday Journal March 27, 2024

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

e Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

is newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

GROWING

The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named 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 April 26, 2024, 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.

A. BROWN,

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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiffmakes 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, thepurchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The CondominiumPropertyAct,765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

COURT OF COOK COUNTY,

COUNTYDEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff, -v.MELANIE MARTIN, 300 CHICAGO CONDOMINIUM, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF HAZEL J. ANTHONY, GERALD NORDGREN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR HAZEL J.ANTHONY (DECEASED) Defendants 2022

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

DESCRIBED REAL ESTATE:UNIT4-N TOGETHER WITH ITS UNDIVIDED PERCENTAGE INTEREST IN THE COMMON ELEMENTS IN 300 CHICAGOCONDOMINIUM AS DELINEATED AND DEFINED IN THEDECLARATION RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NUMBER

25110568, IN THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 5, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

Commonly known as 300 CHICAGO AVE., 4N, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-321-0341007

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION MATRIX FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION

Plaintiff, -v.RONALD CAILLOUET, UNKNOWN

OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN

OCCUPANTS, UNKNOWN

HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF SUSAN L. CAILLOUET, DAMON RITENHOUSE,ASSPECIAL

REPRESENTATIVE FORSUSAN

L.CAILLOUET A/K/A SUSAN

CAILLOUET (DECEASED)

Defendants

22 CH 04542

31 LE MOYNE PKWY

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 July 12, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, willat 10:30AM on April 10, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 31 LE MOYNE PKWY, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-05-112-007-

0000

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiffmakes 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, thepurchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The CondominiumPropertyAct,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

THEJUDICIAL 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. 14-22-09308

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 22 CH 04542

TJSC#: 44-491

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 22 CH 04542

bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 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

It’s not just about crime reports and board meetings. We also need inspiring, funny, heartwarming and, at times, heartbreaking stories about our friends, neighbors and children. Perhaps now, more than ever.

COUNTY

CHANCERY

MIDFIRST BANK Plaintiff, vs. Unknown Heirs and/or Legatees of Yolanda Daniels, Deceased; Derrick Rockett; Julie Fox as Special Representative for Yolanda Daniels Deceased; United States of America; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS; UNKNOWN OCCUPANTS Defendants, 22 CH 146

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 Monday, April 29, 2024 at the hour of 11 a.m.

the highest