Wednesday Journal 120419

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W E D N E S D A Y

December 4, 2019 Vol. 39, No. 18 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

IWS Holiday Housewalk Page 27

RF forming advisory task force to settle deer issue Residents debate health worries vs. ‘barbarity’ of sharpshooters By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

River Forest’s plan to pay the Cook County forest preserve district to hire sharpshooters to cull a growing deer population were put on hold pending creation of a task force to study all aspects of the complex issue. Residents arguing both for and against the culling solution turned out Nov. 25 at a village board meeting. A number of residents came out to strongly oppose the idea -- while a smaller, but just as vocal contingent urged the village to go through with it. Opponents said having wildlife walk through their backyards was part of River Forest’s charm, and said they were horrified at the idea of their tax dollars being used to kill deer. But proponents argued that it was a matter of public health -- their loved ones were hurt by Lyme disease. After a long discussion, the village board See DEER on page 11

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

POINT OF VIEW: John Putnam looks through a glass kaleidoscope for sale at the Out of the Box Art Market, a holiday popup shop at 133 S. Oak Park Ave., featuring handcrafted wares from area artisans. The shop will be open on weekends until Christmas.

Pop-up shop offers out-of-the-box gift ideas Art market provides non-commercial alternative to holiday shopping

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

The holiday shopping season is officially here — the trifecta of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday providing the fanfare. If the cacophony of mass consumption is too loud, though, there are places of respite.

At the Out of the Box Art Market, 133 S. Oak Park Ave., the gifts are all handmade — from ceramic coffee mugs to kaleidoscopes made of fused glass — and all have their own backstories. “My wife had taken some classes and I thought she did real well, so I bought her a pottery wheel for Christmas,” said Oak Parker John Putnam, one of the organiz-

ers of the market, describing his entry into pottery roughly 15 years ago. “It was a kick wheel. You had to cut out the base of the plywood. I was cutting out the base and she puts her head in the door and says, ‘You know I’m not going to touch that.’ So I finished cutting it out, put it together and I See POP-UP on page 14

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Re-envisioning Community Safety Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Join a public conversation with elected officials - Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and OP Village Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla. Panelists will answer, “How are you using your power to advance policies that make our communities safer using a racial equity and economic justice lens?” Childcare available (note names/ages in comments of RSVP). RSVP: http:// bit.ly/opsafety. More: facebook.com/

events/2250744191883262. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Peachy Matt Richardson, left, and Lizzy Zyburt, both of Addison, check out the holiday display items at Careful Peach in downtown Oak Park. Pedestrians walk past the shops outside of Pumpkin Moon.

State of the art(ist)

Turns out we seriously shortchanged Keith Taylor [Best blog, best Trump smackdowns, second best suburb, Inside Reports, Nov. 13]. Well, it’s complicated, as errors usually are. When we first reported the results of the annual Chicago Reader Best of Chicago survey, we initially gave Keith too much credit. We said he won Best Comics Illustrator for his marvelous Trump takedowns. In reality (a concept unfamiliar to the subject of his cartoons), Keith placed third in that category. But we gave Keith far too little credit for the Best Visual Artist category, which he flat-out won. The ever-unassuming Keith’s reaction? “I didn’t even know I was up for that.” Either category, Keith Taylor is one talented artist. Congratulations and let us know if we got anything else wrong.

Ken Trainor

Wright’s Home for the Holidays

Saturday, Dec. 7, arrive between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio: This architectural gem is decorated for the holidays in keeping with the Wright family tradition. Tour, enjoy treats, family crafts and shopping specials with free gift wrapping. Free. Register/more: flwright.org/programs/ homefortheholidays. 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park.

Michelle Dybal

OP District 97 Community Café

Monday, Dec. 9, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Addis Café:

Meet Superintendent Carol Kelley at an informal discussion. The topic for the event will be “I Belong.” 818 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

Oak Park’s Styles 4 Kidz in Oprah magazine Styles 4 Kidz founder and executive director Tamekia Swint is one

of four women featured in the November 2019 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine “devoted to making her community a bit happier and healthier.” Swint oversees Styles 4 Kidz, a nonprofit located at 20 Lake St. that provides professional hair care services to African-American children in foster care and adoptive biracial families. “Hair is a middle ground where you can find a black mom alongside a white mom offering her support,” Swint said in the feature, located on page 29 of the issue.

Stacey Sheridan

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Christmas Concert Friday, Dec. 6, 8 p.m., Chapel, Concordia University Chicago: The University Band performs festive music from “O Magnum Mysterium” to “A Christmas Intrada” to “Sleigh Ride” and more. Hear a narration of “The Night Before Christmas” and commentary on each musical selection. Free. Questions: 708-209-3060. 7400 Augusta St., River Forest.

Art & Design with Tradition & Innovation Auction Rockapella Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m., Lund Auditorium, Dominican University: See the five-man vocal “powerhouse” perform their take on holiday faves from “Little Drummer Boy” to “Winter Wonderland,” as well as Rockapella hits like “Wonderful Christmastime” and “Matunda Ya Kwanzaa.” $31 - $42. Tickets/more: events.dom.edu/ rockapella-0. 7900 Division St., River Forest.

Holiday Jazz Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 to 3:30 p.m., River Forest Library: Get into the spirit of the season with a performance by local jazz musician James Callen. Free. 735 Lathrop Ave.

Gloria! Noel! Alleluia! Saturday, Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m., First United Methodist Church: Hear a choral music concert by the Michael Teolis Singers. There will be familiar carols and other works, such as “Cantata for the Nativity,” which is rarely heard. Merit School of Music’s Perfect Cadence joins the performance. $20; $15, seniors/students. More: 224-421-6847, info@MTSingers.org. 324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

Three Tenors: A Holiday Gift for You Monday, Dec. 9, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Lyric Opera tenor John Concepcion is joined by chorus tenors Ken Donovan and Tim Bradley in performing operatic masterworks, musical theater favorites and holiday classics. $15, requested donation. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

December 4 - 11

BIG WEEK Holiday Bazaar Friday, Dec. 6, 3 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Animal Care League (ACL) Training Facility: Shop new and gently used holiday items, baked goods, pet needs and more to support the ACL. Try your luck at the basket raffle. Family/pet photos with Santa, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 2 p.m. More: facebook.com/ events/765188010600465. 1003 Garfield, Oak Park.

People and Places Reception Sunday, Dec. 8, 2 to 4 p.m., West Suburban Medical Center: See the art of David Gilbert and Maria Gedroc. Through Feb. 15. 3 Erie Ct., Oak Park.

Sunday, Dec. 8, begins 10 a.m., Toomey & Co. Auctioneers: Nearly 600 lots of important artwork, furniture, pottery, metalwork and lighting by top painters, sculptors, ceramicists, furniture makers, designers and architects who have helped define the world of art and design for more than a century are being auctioned. Bid in person, by phone (708-383-5234), or digitally (LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable). Preview through Dec. 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Dec. 5 until 7 p.m. for an evening reception. Or view online: toomeyco.com. 818 North Blvd., Oak Park.

Winterfest Saturday, Dec. 7, 3 to 6 p.m., Downtown Oak Park: Take part in a Cookie Walk and shop local. Enjoy free hot cocoa and coffee, photos with St. Nick and carolers performing holiday favorites. Cookie Walk includes tin and 30+ individually wrapped cookies to collect at participating businesses. $20 per tin. Reserve: downtownoakpark. net/signature-event/winter-fest. On Marion St. between Lake St. and North Blvd.

Robert K. Elder in conversation with Chicago Tribune’s Mary Schmich Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Meet Oak Park author Elder and hear stories from his two newly published books. Elder has curated an edition of Moby Dick illustrated by forgotten artist Gilbert Wilson. As a part of that project, he also edited Edward Spann’s previously unpublished biography of Wilson, Unfinished and Unbroken: The Life of Artist Gilbert Wilson. Books will be sold at the event. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Infant Welfare Society Holiday Housewalk, Market and More ■ See our Homes story on page 27

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ART BEAT

35 years of sugar plums and toy soldiers By MICHELLE DYBAL

S

Contributing Reporter

ome 120 dancers prepare each year to perform in The Nutcracker, being staged for its 35th year. Produced by Ballet Légere, they are choreographed by dance professionals and costumed in outfits fit for an evil Mouse King or a Sugar Plum Fairy, ruler of the Kingdom of Sweets. But it is the army of volunteers that makes the whole thing work. From makeup artists to security, to moms helping with quick changes, it is simply what is required to make the Tchaikovsky ballet come to life on the Dominican University stage. “We couldn’t exist without the volunteers,” said Artistic Director Donna Vittorio. “If we had to pay all the people to do what they do, we wouldn’t be able to function.” Fifty volunteers make it happen. Ballet Legere is a nonprofit organization. Vittorio, who is also a choreographer and a producer of The Nutcracker, started the show when she saw a regional ballet company put on the production. Trained in ballet, musical theater and opera, Vittorio teamed with a friend (who is no longer involved) and they launched their own production. The annual event combines area dance students with a small number of professional dancers — seven this year. Among the professionals are Cincinnati Ballet artists Marcus Romeo and Bella Ureta. Many of the young dancers are students of Légere Dance Center in River Forest, owned by Vittorio. The North Avenue studio serves as rehearsal space for The Nutcracker and for dance classes in contemporary, jazz, tap, ballet and pointe for ages 3 through high school. “I’ve learned what it’s like to be in a professional production,” said Gianna Bibbey, Oak Park and River Forest High School senior, who is dancing in The Nutcracker for the eighth time. “It’s taught me what I love about dance and why I want to keep this in my life.” “Having the parent volunteers takes the stress off the older dancers by helping us with quick changes, makeup changes, and making sure everything is set where we need it to be,” she said, which is crucial for dancers like Gianna who plays four roles. Anne Cheronis of River Forest assists her three daughters in and out of costumes during the show. Madeleine, a sixth grader at Roosevelt Middle School, dances three parts. Fifth grader Lolo, also at Roosevelt, and third grader Mary, who attends Willard Elementary, are also part of the ensemble. “Every year you get a different role and meet new people and make new friends,” Mary said. “If you’re an understudy, you learn more dances, too.” This is Mary’s second year dancing in the ballet. She is a toy

Photos courtesy of Bob O’Neil

(Top) Toy soldiers and the evil Mouse King. (Above) Guest artists Marcus Romeo and Bella Ureta perform. soldier and an angel understudy. Makeup is another important volunteer job. Four moms hold down this role, some even after their dancing daughters have moved on. “It’s this incredible group of people who have this vision and want to work very hard to make this show wonderful,” Vittorio said. “They miss it when their children go off to school.” Program Coordinator Rita Louis went from volunteer parent in 1989 to employee who puts in extra time for props. Her daughter, once a young dancer, is now a choreographer. “It’s the kids that really keep me coming back,” Louis said. “They are so excited. Their attitudes are great.” As for the show itself, she added, “I’ve seen other Nutcrackers. To me, our show is the best because of the interactions between characters and the personal touches Donna has added.” There are even some comic scenes to entertain the audience, Louis explained. “We want them to laugh and also go ‘ooh’.” “They love it,” said Vittorio of the volunteers. “They love being part of a production; they all know each other and are friendly; they work hard but have a good time.” See Ballet Légere’s “The Nutcracker,” Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 8, 2 p.m., Lund Auditorium, Dominican University, 7900 W. Division St., River Forest. $34, premium seating; $29 premium children/senior or general seating; $24 children/ seniors general seating. $7, backstage tour following the Saturday, 2 p.m. performance. Tickets: balletlegere.org/tickets, 708-488-5000.

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Publication Date: December 11 Space Reservation Deadline: December 5 Contact DAWN FERENCAK at 708/613-3329 or dawn@oakpark.com

Need a helping of

Fifty years ago today — Dec. 4, 1969 — Black Panther leader Fred Hampton was assassinated during an early-morning police raid on his apartment, located on the West Side of Chicago at 2337 W. Monroe. He was 21 years old. Around 4:30 a.m., a 14-man unit pumped nearly 100 shots into the apartment. The Panthers did not return fire. The evidence gathered in the days, weeks, months and years since Hampton’s death would establish that the raid was organized as part of the FBI’s secret and illegal counterintelligence program, COINTELPRO, an initiative designed to systematically destroy just about any form of effective black political empowerment not controlled by the government. Martin Luther King Jr., for instance, was one of the program’s targets. Hampton’s death had a seismic effect on Chicago’s political scene. Edward V. Hanrahan, the Cook County State’s Attorney who authorized the raid and who, afterward, falsely characterized the execution as a “gun battle� and praised the officers for their “restraint,� lost his bid for reelection and never held political office again (Hanrahan, a longtime River Forest resident, died in 2009). Hampton’s death, according to many political observers, also set the stage for the election of Harold Washington, the city’s first AfricanAmerican mayor. But if Hampton’s death is a lesson in the power of political mobilization, it’s also a testament to the power of local journalism. Paul Sassone, the late newspaper columnist and Oak Park resident who died last year, was a reporter for the Proviso Herald, the local paper for Maywood, Hampton’s hometown, at the time of the assassination. And his reporting helped humanize a man who was, and still is, stereotyped as an irrational thug. In the Dec. 11, 1969 Proviso Herald, Sassone recalled his only time meeting Hampton in the flesh (“my first, and last, look at the man whose name had become synonymous with black radicalism in the Chicago area�). The meeting, Hampton’s “last speaking engagement in Proviso,� was held in October 1969, at First Baptist Church in Melrose Park, where Hampton would be memorialized just two months later. “Look, I’m 21,� Sassone recalled Hampton saying at the meeting, which was held to discuss racism in the suburbs. “If you think it has all happened in 21 years and that I did it, then you should take me out and shoot me. But you and I know that these situations have been around for a long time.� Captivated by Hampton’s charisma and

BOB BROWN/Proviso Herald

ENEMY OF THE STATE: Hampton speaks at First Baptist Church in Melrose Park in October 1969, the last public speech he would give in the community area where he came of age. his intelligence, Sassone was convinced that “the ‘power structure’ was afraid of him for the wrong reasons. Hampton was no hoodlum or gangster. He was an intelligent and highly articulate revolutionary. That is, he didn’t like the way America was being run and wanted a change, using any means necessary.� That more empathetic, understanding and realistic portrait of Hampton ages much better than a Nov. 15, 1969, editorial by the Chicago Tribune called “No Quarter for Wild Beasts,� which lambasted the Black Panthers’ role in a shootout with law enforcement that left a policeman and a Panther dead, and seven other policemen wounded. “The Black Panthers, who were waiting for the police to come after them, fired from concealed positions, gunning down the first policemen on the scene before they could draw their weapons,� the Tribune editorial board stated in a piece published Nov. 15, 1969. The paper called the Panthers “murderous fanatics, who have been persuaded that they have a right to shoot and kill policemen� before making the reckless argument that the Panthers weren’t even worthy of due process. The Black Panthers “should be kept under constant surveillance,� the paper wrote. “They have declared war on society. They therefore have forfeited the right to considerations ordinary violators of the law might claim.� Without Sassone’s shoe leather, boots on the ground, local reporting, we would not have this line that Hampton delivered at that October 1969 meeting, which might be considered his retort to the Tribune’s editorial: “We have a right to live,� Hampton said. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

MICHAEL ROMAIN

Call Jill at (708) 524-8300 or visit OakPark.com/subscribe

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Fourth case of whooping cough discovered at OPRF By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

District 200 officials have discovered a fourth case of pertussis, or whooping cough, at Oak Park and River Forest High School in three weeks, prompting them to take extra precautions. District officials notified families of the fourth case in a Dec. 2 email. So far, three students and an adult have been diagnosed with the infection. On Nov. 27, Gwen Walker-Qualls, D200’s senior director of pupil personnel services, notified parents of the third case of whooping cough in two weeks. Walker-Qualls explained that “our buildings and grounds staff are diligently performing extra sweeps to clean and sanitize the building.” The whooping cough infection affects a person’s airwaves and is highly contagious. The infection spreads “from person to person by coughing or sneezing,” WalkerQualls explained in another email sent to families last week that outlines precautions they should take in the event of a whooping cough diagnosis. “Anyone can get pertussis, but it can be very dangerous for infants and people with

e l a s n o s t ticke W! NO

weakened immune systems,” the letter states. “Family members with pertussis, especially mothers, can spread pertussis to newborns.” District officials recommend that if a child has a cough, parents should keep them home from school and activities. If a doctor says that they have a weakened immune system, parents should ask the physician to prescribe antibiotics as soon as possible to prevent whooping cough. If a child is diagnosed with whooping cough by their doctor, parents should notify the school and request a doctor’s note stating that the child has the infection. If a student has gotten DTaP, the childhood vaccine against whooping cough, parents should know that the vaccine’s potency “decreases over time,” Walker-Qualls explained. “Older children and adults, including pregnant women, should get a pertussis booster shot called ‘Tdap’ to protect themselves and infants near or around them. If you need the Tdap vaccine, contact your doctor or call the Oak Park Public Health Department at (708) 358-5480 to find a vaccine provider near you.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Friday, December 6th • 3-9pm Saturday, December 7th • 9am-3pm Sunday, December 8th • 11am-3pm Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm • Bring your pets & kids!

Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm Bring your pets & kids! holiday items, pet items gift baskets, bakery, jewelry, music & more! Please come join us! All your generosity goes right back to support the daily activities of our shelter. Call 708-848-8155 for more information!

1003 Garfield., Oak Park (Just East of Volvo dealership at Harlem) learn more at

animalcareleague.org

Presents

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

buy your tickets: oprfchamber.org/bite-nite Sponsored By:

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Sub shortage impacting local school districts

By MARIA MAXHAM and MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporters

School districts in Illinois have been dealing with a substitute teacher shortage over the past few years. Oak Park’s District 97 and River Forest’s District 90 are no exception. Gina Hermann, senior director of human resources for D97, said this has impacted their district significantly. “Each day that a classroom does not have a certified educator present for instruction results in a disconnect in learning for students and a hardship on educators,” said Hermann, noting that D97 has used a number of strategies to attract and retain substitute teachers, including advertising employment opportunities in external and internal publications and reaching out to local universities. They hosted a career fair in November 2019. Additionally, in October 2018 the D97 Board of Education unanimously approved an increase in the daily rate of pay for people who hold credentials to substitute teach in the state of Illinois. The new rate of $110/ day applies to people with the appropriate credentials who work as substitute teachers or substitute teaching assistants in

D97 schools. Meanwhile, anyone who only possesses substitute teaching assistant credentials (i.e., an Illinois paraprofessional license) will continue to receive the rate of pay that the board approved in January 2018 ($45 for a half day or $90 for a full day). Hermann added that the district is starting to see success through these recruitment efforts. D90 in River Forest has been impacted by the substitute shortage as well. Pam Jenkins, human resources specialist for D90, said the district really began to notice the issue during the last school year. “Nobody was applying for the positions,” said Jenkins. “We were posting ads more frequently with little results.” Although D90’s recruitment efforts haven’t panned out significantly so far, Jenkins said it’s forced the schools to plan better. She added that the problem hits the district most severely when it comes to professional development for teachers on a school day and finding a large number of substitute teachers to cover a large number of teachers is extremely difficult. Jenkins said the district is looking into third-party vendors who can supply professionals for situations such as this.

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

Every week, every day in

Friday, December 6th • 3-9pm Saturday, December 7th • 9am-3pm Sunday, December 8th • 11am-3pm Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm • Bring your pets & kids!

Order Holiday Pies, Cookies & Peppermint Bark from Buzz Cafe this Holiday Season! Call 660-0894 or stop in to place your order TODAY!

Pictures with Santa: Saturday 10am-2pm AND Sunday 12noon-2pm Bring your pets & kids! holiday items, pet items gift baskets, bakery, jewelry, music & more! Please come join us! All your generosity goes right back to support the daily activities of our shelter. Call 708-848-8155 for more information!

1003 Garfield., Oak Park (Just East of Volvo dealership at Harlem) learn more at

animalcareleague.org

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Triton to offer free job training

Program designed to increase minority plumbers, carpenters, other skilled workers By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

A new career training program at Triton College will give Oak Park community members the opportunity to earn a professional certificate from the college at no cost to them, thanks to a $1 million grant the college received a few months ago that’s designed to boost the number of minorities who are represented in high-demand fields. The free certificate program will last for nine months and offer between 12 and 18 credit hours in a variety of areas, including carpentry, plumbing, welding, medical billing and automotive engine repair. Most of the programs will take place during the evening to accommodate adult learners. The program is open to anyone with at least a high school diploma, or the equivalent, living in Bellwood, Broadview, Forest Park, Hillside, Maywood, Oak Park, Rosemont and Stone Park. Audrey Jonas, Triton’s director of public affairs and community relations, said during a Nov. 25 regular meeting of the Maywood Board of Trustees that the Workforce Equity Initiative Grant was made possible through the Illinois Community College Board and sponsored by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. The caucus was responsible for appropriating a total of $18.7 million in fiscal year 2020 for the equity grants. All 48 community colleges in Illinois were encouraged to apply. The grant is designed to increase the numbers of minorities, particularly African Americans, in “in-demand, well-paying jobs

in a variety of fields,” Jonas said. According to the Illinois Community College Underrepresented Report, which evaluates the degree of access to educational opportunities and diversity among community colleges in the state, African Americans accounted for only 12 percent of Career and Technical Education (CTE) program graduates in the state in fiscal year 2017. Minorities, in general, accounted for 34 percent of CTE program graduates that fiscal year. “This is not an associate degree, but job training,” Jonas said. “Our goal is to close the skills gap in communities of need in the local workforce.” The Black Caucus does have one major requirement for community colleges that take the equity grant money — at least 60 percent of the program participants have to be African American. “They want to make sure that this job training goes toward African Americans in our community district,” Jonas said. The program starts Jan. 21, 2020, she said, adding that the “idea is to have students graduated by the end of the year in 2020.” There are roughly 160 seats that will be available in the program, Jonas said. Jamila Thomas, a Maywood native who is the founder of Community Support Alliance, a Hillside-based nonprofit that’s focused on nonprofit development, said that she agreed to host an informational meeting at her offices for the grant program because she wants to ensure that as many people in her hometown take advantage of the opportunity. “Anything I can do to help and give back to the community I came from, that’s what I will do,” Thomas said. The informational session will take place at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9, at 4415 Harrison St. (suite 303) in Hillside. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

O A K PA R K A R E A A S S O C I AT I O N O F R E A LT O R S ®

7th ANNUAL

Holiday Bazaar To benefit Beyond Hunger Formerly Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry

Sunday, December 15, 2019 1pm to 4pm International Mansion 509 N. Oak Park Avenue Oak Park

Shop for unique gifts from a variety of local vendors Sponsored by:

Proceeds benefit:

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Donor kicks off River Forest library redo

Children’s Room undergoes ‘fantastic makeover’ By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

The Children’s Room recently underwent renovation, thanks to the River Forest Public Library Foundation and a very generous anonymous donor. Elan Long, director of the foundation, said the organization started in 2015 with the goal of raising funds for projects outside the library’s regular budget. In 2018, Long said, the foundation received a “major commitment” from an anonymous River Forest family. “They committed to donate $30,000 a year for five years,” said Long. “The foundation identified a project — the Children’s Room — that was far down the list of pressing priorities included in the regular library budget.” The goal, said Long, was to raise $65,000 total for the project. With the $30,000 already donated, they needed to bring in another $35,000. Over the summer of 2019, the foundation started a big push to reach their goal, collecting donations from individuals and organizations. “There was a Daisy Troop that made a do-

nation from their cookie money,” said Long. “A Cub Scout group made a donation too.” By the end of the summer, with individual donations that ranged from $10 all the way up to the original $30,000 contribution, they had raised the money they needed. “People really value the library,” said Long. “Seventy percent of residents have library cards. What other entity reaches so many people of so many different ages?” The renovation involved replacing old, heavy shelving that dated back to 1953 with new and more easily accessible book displays, putting in new carpeting, covering the walls in fresh paint, and a new service desk. The goal was to make the Children’s Room more welcoming and enhance the functionality and ADA compliance of the space. Amy Grossman, Children’s Services manager, said she’s thrilled with the redone Children’s Room. “It was amazing to re-envision the space,” said Grossman. “When the kids came in after we reopened following renovation, they were wide-eyed and so excited. It was great to see that. It made all the hard work worth it.” She added that the new space is much more functional. “It was a fantastic make-over,” Grossman said.

NEW LOOK: The newly renovated children’s section at the River Forest Public Library, thanks to an anonymous donor.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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DEER

“Respectfully I’d [ask] you to postpone the decision on culling deer in such a barbaric way. Isn’t there enough violence in our world today? Can’t we come up with a better solution?”

Taskforce to study from page 11 agreed to postpone the vote for the time being and let the opponents and supporters set up a task force to come up with recommendations on how the village should proceed. The details of what that task force would look like and what would be the timetable wasn’t determined by deadline. As previously reported by the Journal, in recent years, deer sightings have been on the rise, and the village has been getting an increasing number of complaints about landscaping damage, tick-borne diseases, and deer droppings in resident yards. River Forest and the Forest Preserve district have been discussing the possibility of expanding the existing deer culling program to the three forest preserves that are located in River Forest — Thatcher Woods, G.A.R. Woods and Thomas Jefferson Woods. The Forest Preserve contracts sharpshooters to go into the woods and kill the deer. The proposed contract called for the village to pay up to $40,000 a year. During the Nov. 25 meeting, John Roeger argued the discussion of what to do about deer doesn’t really touch on what he saw as the most important issue -- the impact of deer on health. Deer get ticks, which can carry Lyme Disease. And that, Roeger said, can become a problem when deer are in people’s yards, “Guess who are in those yards — our children,” he said. “They’re playing [in] those yards. This is where our children pick up tick bites.” Roeger said he wasn’t speaking hypothetically — his own daughter contracted Lyme Disease. “Ticks have stolen the childhood of my daughter,” Roeger said. “Absolutely taken it away. And we absolutely know of people who experienced anxiety, brain fog,

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MARTA KOSBUR River Forest resident

Photo courtesy of Mary Wickers

and they can’t get a clear diagnosis.” Gigi Hoke said her college-aged stepson and her now-9-year old son have Lyme Disease as well, and while she conceded that the evidence that the deer are causing it may be anecdotal, she argued that it was too much of a risk. David Franek took a different tact, arguing that there are simply too many deer for the land to handle. “We’re seeking, simply, a reasonable control of deer population,” he said. “It exceeded what is naturally [supported] in the area.” Mary Vanker, argued that the village should look into less lethal solutions, such as planting “deer-resistant” plants in yards. And she argued that the link between the deer and the Lyme Disease hasn’t been conclusively established.

“I’m not aware of any evidence that the culling of 50 deer in Thatcher Woods is going to reduce that risk,” Vanker said. Marta Kosbur, who lived in River Forest for 37 years, was one of several residents who argued that using sharpshooters was going too far. “Respectfully I’d [ask] you to postpone the decision on culling deer in such a barbaric way,” she said. “Isn’t there enough violence in our world today? Can’t we come up with a better solution?” Keary Cragan admitted she had complex feelings about the issue. Deer and rodents ruined her garden many times, and she hasn’t hesitated to chase deer out of her garden. But that doesn’t mean she wants them killed, if nothing else because, she argued, there wasn’t any data to support it. If anything, Cragan said, the data suggests that

rising water levels of the Desplaines River are pushing the deer into the nearby suburbs. Several trustees expressed concerns about how the Forest Preserve determined that there is overpopulation and whether sharpshooting was the best solution. “I do feel like we needed more data points, we’re absolutely going to need benchmarks to determine that it’s going to be effective,” Trustee Patty Henek said. Trustee Katie Brennan said she would be in favor of putting together a taskforce to study the issue in more detail. Trustee Erika Bachner said that, if the village was going to enter into an agreement to allow the culling, it should have more data to justify it. After some further back and forth, Vanker suggested that the task force would be a good idea, saying that she would be willing to work with Hoke to come up with a solution that works for everyone — something that Hoke readily supported. Village President Catherine Adduci felt there was already enough data, but she and the trustees ultimately agreed to postpone the decision and let residents set up the taskforce. “We’ll step back from it, we’ll reflect, and I’m going to bring it back, so that trustees can give direction to the staff,” Adduci said.

Without dissent, River Forest OKs tax levy Village says increase will average 1.9 percent By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

River Forest’s village board unanimously approved the Fiscal Year 2019 tax levy during its Nov. 25 meeting. Overall, the amount levied increased by 2.64 percent. While the way it would affect individual property owners will vary, the village estimates it would average out to a 1.9 percent increase. Because most of the village’s tax levy is subject to the Property

“The police pension levy and the capped portion of the fire pension levy will see the highest increases.

Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), the increase is largely attributable to the increase in consumer price index increases and an estimated $5 million in new construction. Aside from the levy for the Village of River Forest corporate fund, the village levies for public safety pension payments and debt service. And, as is usually the case with municipal libraries, the village levies property taxes on behalf of the River Forest Public Library. The PTELL cap is calculated using a formula that factors in the consumer price in-

dex, the equalized assessed value of property for the past two years and revenue from new construction. Since the new construction amount is estimated, the actual levy may wind up smaller than the cap, but taxing bodies tend to levy all the way up to the cap to ensure that, if the levy is more than a cap, they won’t lose any money. Out of those levies, the only one that has seen any declines is the debt service levy, which will decrease by 2.9 percent, and the portion of the firefighter pension levy that isn’t subject to PTELL caps, which was

decreased by 0.16 percent. The police pension levy and the capped portion of the fire pension levy will see the highest increases, going up by $35,805 (2.33 percent) and $85,262 (6.33 percent), respectively. The village is levying what was recommended by the Lauterbach & Amen accounting firm, which provides actuarial services for the village. The numbers are higher than what the state law requires by $267,125 and $275,149. respectively. The levy for the village’s general fund will increase by $67,213 (1.81 percent). Finally, the library levy will increase by $35,860 (2.8 percent). The village board approved the tax levy unanimously and without any discussion.

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HOLIDAY HIGH STREET MARKET Thursday, Decmeber 12th 2:00 — 6:00pm

Warm up with spiked hot chocolate, do some holiday gift shopping, enjoy seasonal activities hosted by local businesses and sing some carols around the fireplace. Our Holiday High Street Market is an opportunity for neighbors and local professionals to gather together to toast the season.

Caledonia Senior Living is nestled in the Forest Preserve in North Riverside and is truly magical during the holiday.

2800 Des Plaines Ave., North Riverside 60546

CaledoniaSeniorLiving.org

To RSVP or to find out how your local business can participate please call

708.447.5092

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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C R I M E

Three men carjack Oak Park woman’s Prius

An Oak Park woman was carjacked after three men approached her and said they would kill her if she did not get out of her silver 2013 Prius at 9:12 p.m. Nov. 25 in the 400 block of South Humphrey Avenue. The men then dragged the woman using brute force out of the car. They also took the woman’s purse and emptied its contents on the ground before getting into the Prius. The men were last seen driving eastbound on Washington Boulevard. Police estimate the loss of the vehicle to be $15,500.

Theft

■ An estimated $7,000 was stolen from a gas station in the 300 block of Chicago Avenue at 9:44 p.m. Nov. 25. ■ Three bags of tools were stolen out of an unlocked white 2006 Ford Cutaway while it was parked in the alley in the 1200 block of Linden Avenue between noon and 1 p.m. Nov. 25. ■ Someone tried to steal a black 2005 Chevrolet Sonic parked in the first block of Randolph Street between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Nov. 24 but couldn’t remove the master lock on the steering wheel.

Attempted burglary

■ A person attempted to break into three different businesses by drilling a hole in the exteriors of the buildings in the 100 block of North Marion Street between 8 p.m. Nov. 27 and midnight Nov. 28. Two of the businesses had holes in their rooftops, while the third had a hole drilled into a wall. No entry was gained.

Burglary ■A

person pushed in the window of an Oak Park resident’s garage and stole a gray SENCO nail gun set of three with black case, Bosch hammer drill with blue case and drill bits, STIHL gas blower, DeWalt angle grinder, blue Bosch circular saw and red Milwaukee Sawzall between 1 a.m. Nov. 21 and 4:23 p.m. Nov. 22 in the 500 block of North Taylor Avenue. Total loss is $1,125. ■ A Ridgid WD14500 vacuum cleaner was stolen out of an Oak Park resident’s garage after the side door was forced open between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nov 26 in the 1100 block of Lyman Avenue. ■ A person shattered the front passenger window of a Ford F250 truck and then took

a man’s black leather bi-fold wallet containing an Illinois driver’s license, state identification and credit cards between 9:50 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Nov. 27 in the 900 block of Mapleton Avenue. Total loss is $200. ■ Someone broke the back windshield of a black 2008 Chevrolet parked at 3 Erie Court, then took a pair of blue duck boots from the trunk at 2:39 p.m. Nov. 28.

Criminal damage to property ■ A person threw a large rock at a living room double-paned window in the 400 block of Wesley Avenue at 4:50 a.m. Nov. 30.

Criminal trespass ■ A person broke into a home by forcing open the rear basement door, damaging its frame; the person went into the kitchen and turned on two gas stove burners then exited the home through a bedroom window, after pushing the screen out, at 8:10 p.m. Nov 24 in the 1500 block of North Austin Boulevard. ■ These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Nov.

21-30 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

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

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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POPUP Individualized and homemade gifts from page 1 started throwing pottery,” Putnam’s stoneware and porcelain pots are among the wares on display at the market. He also brought along bottles of the raw honey he grows on land he owns in Westville, Indiana. Putnam, 71, is among at least a dozen vendors whose work is on display at the pop-up holiday market on weekends until Christmas. Putnam said that the vendors are members of the Out of the Box arts group, which has been holding pop-up markets for at least a decade. Putnam said he and his wife have been organizing the Oak Park pop-up art market for the last “two or three years.” “About 80 percent of the artists in the group do this show year after year,” Putnam said. “We have three potters from Terra Incognito [a pottery studio in Oak Park], we have photography, we have a lady who does cork art and her daughter does iconic Chicago scenes on tiles, and we have a lady who does fused art jewelry.” Jessica Kreis, 26, makes ceramics she characterizes as “the opposite of traditional, really funky and out there,” such as her feet cups (“cups that are standing on feet, some of them are simple cups on feet, some have curves, a lot have little butts on them”). Kreis, who also lives in Oak Park, said while she distributes in stores, most of her work is sold at the Out of the Box market — a platform that reflects her artistic philosophy. “I make things that I would enjoy and that I like and other things that people suggest, but really my goal is to be out of the box,” Kreis said. “I like to go beyond expectations. I don’t want to sell mass products, but things

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

GIFTS WITH PERSONALITY: The Out of the Box Art Market includes handcrafted items like this kaleidoscope made of fused glass and Jessica Kries’ ceramics that she describes as “the opposite of traditional, really funky and out there.” that people will easily recognize as mine. I just like doing weird, fun and funky things. So a lot of my characters are from popular TV shows and movies.” Donna Zommer, 76, makes the cork art, which she sells at the market beside her daughter, 55-year-old Denise Riesen, a photographer who makes gift items like coasters, ornaments and memo holders using her photography. “My husband tells me everything I see I cork,” Zommer said. “I enjoy doing it and I

enjoy making things that make people smile.” Zommer gets her cork from customers who don’t know what to do with their wine corks and welcome the prospect of them becoming “little cork people” or “Santa and reindeer.” Zommer, who lives in Bartlett, said she has even corked a whole table. Riesen, of Schaumburg, said she’s had fun selling her wares beside her mom and is a big proponent of artisan industry. “I’m a very big advocate of small busi-

ness and handmade,” she said. “I managed a handmade gallery space for 11 years. We had about 100 locally based artists and we’ve kind of become one big community, so we’re always trying to promote small business and the arts.” The Out of the Box Art Market, 133 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, is open Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., until Christmas. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Death Café destigmatizes the end of life By confronting mortality, people can make the most out of life

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The impermanence of life affects us all, but mortality is seldom discussed. The Oak Park Death Café normalizes conversations about death, while helping people grapple with mortality and encouraging them to lead a life well-lived. “I think people hear the name and they think it’s morbid, but really it’s awareness that we have this one life to live here on Earth and, whatever our religious and spiritual beliefs, we share this common birth, breath and death

transition,” said café facilitator Katie Tyrell Weimann. Weimann is a palliative care social work student and is also studying to become a certified end-of-life doula. End-of-life doulas work in conjunction with hospice to ease the transition between life and death. According to Weimann, doulas work with individuals and their families from the time of diagnosis through the end, including the grief period. In Death cafés, groups of 10-12 people gather to talk about anything that falls under the umbrella of death, including grief, fear, their own mortality and that of loved

ones. “Death is sort of like this hidden secret that’s always around and no one talks about it,” said Weimann. “Death cafés are a safe place for people to talk about it.” Having those conversations helps people make decisions regarding end-of-life care earlier, not in the final moments of a person’s life when people are in a heightened emotional state. In 2011, Death Café founder Jon Underwood held the first session in London. Since then, Death cafés have started popping up throughout the world. Dubbed “social franchises,” Death cafés

are neither support groups nor professional counseling sessions, but Weimann provides information about where to find those services. Oak Park’s next Death Café meets Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. inside the Oak Park Public Library at 834 Lake St. Admission is free. The café is very effective and helpful, according to Weimann, because attendees continue coming to sessions. “I get a lot of side messages that say, ‘Thank you so much; that was a really important conversation for me to have,’” she said.

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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By STACEY SHERIDAN

Oak Park board passes 2020 budget

Staff Reporter

Tensions ran high and tempers flared as the Oak Park Village Board voted affirmatively to accept and implement the recommended 2020 budget, as well as the 2020 capital improvement plan, at the Dec. 2 meeting. Hackles rose as board members discussed an ordinance amending the 2019 annual budget, a prerequisite to voting on the coming year’s budget, when Trustee Simone Boutet questioned the village’s chief financial officer, Steven Drazner, about workers compensation figures that looked inaccurate to her. “With regards to the workers comp adjustments in the budget document for 2020, with respect to how it reports to 2019, they just don’t match up,” she said. “You might just want to double check that.” Drazner said it appeared that the village was just reclassing the amounts from one account to another, not adding new funds. “I just want to make sure because if someone is watching this board meeting right now and one of us is painting a picture that the information is not accurate because they don’t understand it, it becomes a reflection that you’re not doing your job,” Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb told Drazner. “This is the exact, correct way of doing it,” Drazner confirmed.

After the board unanimously voted to accept the ordinance, the mayor commented that he didn’t mean to be harsh, but Boutet should have talked with Drazner prior to the meeting. “I think this would have been helpful if Trustee Boutet had called the CFO, went over these numbers with the CFO at his office or on the phone to make sure she understood this information before she comes to the board table,” Abu-Taleb said and added, “Doing that kind of work makes us more efficient and then we are not giving the perception that our CFO is shifting money around.” Boutet quickly pointed out that she made no such accusations. “I think it would be efficient if you spent more time listening and less time always attacking me at the board table,” Boutet countered. “This is not ‘Accounting 101’ for each of us,” the mayor said. The mayor reiterating that board members needed to make sure they grasped the numbers prior to the meeting, so the board can convey an understanding of the budget to the public. “You don’t like that I ask questions at the board table. I can’t help that, Anan,” Boutet told the mayor. “I’m going to be doing my job; I’m going to ask questions at the board table. That’s where we do the job.” Abu-Taleb said that he wasn’t telling Boutet not to do her job, but that the board would be more efficient if she talked to staff beforehand.

The contentiousness continued as board members clashed with each other while discussing the adoption of the 2020 budget, which contains a 3 percent tax levy increase. Some trustees expressed frustration over what would and would not receive funding, while others commended the fiscal responsibility of the budget. “I think doing this exercise and sticking to 3 percent shows that, if a taxing body wants to be fiscally responsible, sacrifices have to be made,” Trustee Deno Andrews said. “I don’t usually like to comment on other taxing bodies and their levies, but I’m going to because every other taxing body is poised to pass between a 5 and a 10 percent tax levy increase this year.” Andrews said he was “supremely disappointed” in the other taxing bodies for doing so. Citing the circulating petition calling for lower taxes, Andrews said he was shocked that tax entities would not make sacrifices in the name of fiscal responsibility. “I’m happy on this board and I’m happy with the budget as it is,” he said. Walker-Peddakotla disagreed, saying she would have “loved” to see more solar projects come out of this budget cycle. “Climate change is an absolutely urgent threat and I don’t think we’re treating it with the urgency it requires,” she said. Boutet agreed, saying she didn’t feel the board has made enough progress with sus-

tainability initiatives. “I think the budget revolves around compromise,” said Taglia. “There are things in here that I don’t prefer and some things I do.” Overall, Taglia supported the budget, calling it “strong.” Walker-Peddakotla said she disagreed with holding the levy to a 3 percent increase. “While we talk a lot about how property taxes are increasing, we’re not talking about how your water fees are going up and your trash fees are going up,” she said. “Those fees going up actually hurt low-income and middle-income people more sometimes than property taxes.” She also didn’t believe in turning people’s water off for being unable to pay their water bills and that the board needed to discuss it. The mayor pointed out that he brought up that idea at a previous meeting. “I think it’s worth it to give the credit where it belongs before you take credit for it yourself,” he said. “You are literally going at it with Simone and I and you just need to chill,” WalkerPeddakotla said. The board also sparred over the decision to cease village funding of the Youth Interventionist program in 2020 and for the state’s community policing program, before eventually voting to accept the 2020 budget and CIP plan, with Walker-Peddakotla casting the sole dissenting votes.

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ART BEAT

Boar’s Head a feast for the ears

By MICHELLE DYBAL

T

Contributing Reporter

he community is rich with holiday performances this time of year, but no one puts on a Christmas celebration quite like the one at Grace Episcopal Church in Oak Park. “The neo-Gothic sanctuary of Grace Church is transformed into an old English manor home, with period food and costumes, and we all become guests at the Lord and Lady’s Christmas table,” said Linda Coberly, who has been attending the annual Boar’s Head Feast since her older daughter, Grace, was small and, as a member of the Schola Choir was one of the servers. “I haven’t missed it since. She is now in college.” Coberly’s younger daughter, Isabel, will be part of the Boar’s Head Feast for the last time this year because she is a senior in high school, attending Latin School, Chicago. Both daughters have been part of Boar’s Head main entertainment, singing in the Madrigal Choir. According to Coberly, Dennis Northway, the longtime Grace parish music director created the event nearly 20 years ago.

English Boar’s Head festivals date back to the 1300s. Serving wild boar, creatures that threatened villagers, symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. A taxidermy boar, courtesy of a Grace Church parishioner who obtained it on her Texas ranch a number of years ago, is presented during the program, according to Deborah Maue, an organizer of the event. “All of the parents and many parishioners devote considerable time and effort to the event — cooking, decorating, mending and maintaining costumes, directing and coaching the choir’s British accents,” Coberly said. “And the smallest singers in the church’s youth choirs serve the meal.” The church is lit with candles and decorated with banners and greenery. Those eating dinner sit at Middle Ages-style banquet tables and dine on “Olde English Modern” fare — beef burgundy, noodles, green beans, salad, rolls with herb butter and English trifle. A dessert-only service is also available. While dining, high-school-age members of Grace’s Madrigal Choir perform sacred Christmas music and traditional English Christmas carols in period costume — as jesters, lords and ladies, huntsmen and

sprites. “The setting is medieval, and it takes place on a winter’s night near Christmas time; the mayor of a small town and his wife have invited all to their lovely home for a Christmas party,” explained Cate Springer, senior at Fenwick High School. We all sing and act and speak in English accents throughout the night. … It is a time for celebration, where all are welcome.” The 25-year-old Madrigal Choir also performs original music. One piece, “Homeland,” is written by Grace Coberly. Her mother said she wrote it “as a tribute to the choir, which played a tremendously important role in her life growing up.” Grace Coberly is now a junior at Haverford College, studying music and linguistics, and “Homeland” has been published and performed by another choir on its European tour. Linda Coberly said the piece has “become a mainstay in [Grace Church] choir’s repertoire. Performing it is very emotional for the kids, as it really reflects the deep community and bonds created within the choir.” Cate has been in the Madrigal Choir and taken part in the Grace Church holiday tradition since seventh grade. “At first, I just

Photo by Ralph Romero-Luther

Madrigal Choir members sing at Grace Episcopal in Oak Park at the Boar’s Head Feast. went along with the group — Boar’s Head Feast is just part of the Madrigal tradition,” she said. “But then … I realized just how important Boar’s Head really is. Boar’s Head and the Madrigal program as a whole are about more than just singing. They’re about becoming part of a close-knit community.” Guests are invited to become part of that community — 14th-century costumes are optional; singing along is encouraged; and merriment is likely unavoidable. Attend the Boar’s Head Feast on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, 7 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake St., Oak Park. Enjoy dessert while sitting in church pews. $10, advance; $15 at door. Dinner seating available Friday only, $40, advance. Tickets: graceoakpark.org/boar-s-head-feast.html. Questions: 708-386-8036.

Surf’s Up serves up catfish on ‘Chicago’s Best’

The episode airs on Dec. 8. By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Co-founder Denise Roy’s dream of having Surf ’s Up, 6427 W. North Ave., on WGN TV’s Chicago’s Best is finally coming true. In an episode airing at 10 p.m., Dec. 8, the program is featuring the seafood eatery and its handbattered, made-to-order fare. “I have been wanting to be on Chicago’s Best, oh God, for years,” said Roy, who started and runs Surf ’s Up, with husband Eric Roy. Maurice and Trenace Higgins are also partners in the business. Chicago’s Best showcases the best dining sites located in the Chicago area, based on recommendations submitted by the show’s fanbase. “The customers in Oak Park must’ve reached out because [WGN] called the store,” she said. “Oh my God, I was so excited.” Host Elliott Bambrough came to Surf ’s Up on Oct. 28 and interviewed Eric Roy. Denise taught Bambrough how to make the restaurant’s fried green tomatoes and catfish filets. “He actually had to do all the legwork; I just kind of instructed him on how to prepare, how to mix the batter,” she said. “I had to show him how to make the seasoning.” Bambrough also interviewed satisfied

customers. “The place was packed,” she said. “It was a really great day.” Surf ’s Up boasts a wide variety of Southern comfort food, including po’boys, crab legs, fried lobster, fresh-cut onion rings, and cheese grits. The restaurant also has fried green tomatoes, served with house-made remoulade, year-round. “I really wanted them to do our fried green tomatoes because there’s not a lot of fried green tomatoes in this area,” Roy said. “That’s a really popular item here.” The restaurant also serves healthy options, including vegan shrimp, which have quickly become a popular menu item, and greens prepared fresh daily. “I just can’t see a thing on our menu that isn’t good,” she said. The episode, Roy hopes, will encourage new customers to eat at Surf ’s Up, which has received a lot of social media interest since filming the episode. “It’s funny because I chase people around from Chicago’s Best all the time. I always go to the restaurants,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to be on so bad. It brings a lot of attention.” Surf ’s Up is located at 6427 W. North Ave., the spot that formerly housed Felony Frank’s. Like its predecessor, Surf ’s Up believes in giving second chances, Roy said, and is open to hiring former felons.

MELISSA ELSMO//Contributor

CAMERA READY: Oak Park seafood restaurant will get more exposure this Sunday.

The purveyor of fine fried fish also gives back to the community. Roy said the restaurant has donated to nearby churches and

schools. “We love Oak Park,” she added. Roy plans to host a viewing party at the restaurant, with the episode projected onto a large screen, movie theater-style. “It’s a fun show, they crack a lot of jokes. The host was really funny,” she said. “It’s going to be a good time.”

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Alice B. Toklas and National Brownie Day

Instead of celebrating National Brownie Day on Dec. 8, The brownie as we know it is so ubiquitous that one might think it’s been around forever, like toast or scrambled eggs. hold off until after Jan. 1 so you can follow Toklas’ recipe The brownie’s inception, however, is a matter of historical for her special brownies, which she describes as “the food record. of Paradise — of Baudelaire’s Artificial Paradises: it might Turns out, Bertha Palmer, she of Palmer House fame, provide an entertaining refreshment for a Ladies’ Bridge asked her chef, Joseph Sehl, to make something Club or a chapter meeting of the DAR.” special for the boxed lunches to be served at the Here’s the recipe as it appears in The Alice B. Women’s Pavilion at the Columbian Exposition Toklas Cookbook. When Toklas’ book was pubof 1893. “She wanted something special,” says lished in the United States by Harper’s in 1954, Ken Price, Palmer House director of Public Rethis recipe was mysteriously omitted. Somelations/Historian. “She wanted something more what surprisingly, Toklas’ recipe seems more a than just a piece of cake or pie. She wanted savory than sweet concoction, which is one of something more like a cookie, but denser than several ways in which it appeals: a cookie.” “Take 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 whole After its debut at the White City, the brownie nutmeg, 4 average sticks of cinnamon, 1 teawas served at the Palmer House, and it’s still spoon coriander. These should all be pulverised served to this day at Potter’s in the Palmer in a mortar. About a handful each of stoned House. I found these Potter’s brownies to be very dates, dried figs, shelled almonds and peanuts: gooey and chocolaty. Price told me there’s a lot chop these and mix them together. A bunch of of cocoa butter in these brownies, “so it’s a little canibus sativa can be pulverised. This along Local Dining like fudge.” with the spices should be dusted over the mixed & Food Blogger But brownies need not always be chocolate; fruit and nuts, kneaded together. About a cup of Sugar Fixe, for instance, serves a caramel brownsugar dissolved in a big pat of butter. Rolled into ie, and butterscotch Blonde Brownies show up at a cake and cut into pieces or made into balls Starbucks. about the size of a walnut, it should be eaten with care. Two National Brownie Day is Dec. 8. With the legalization of cannabis just around the corner, you may want to prepare a pieces are quite sufficient.” Ironically, Alice B. Toklas brownies are not baked (get it?). batch of Alice B. Toklas Brownies. Toklas was the life-mate As of the first of the year, you’ll be able to purchase the of Gertrude Stein, one of the English language’s most difficalled-for “canibus” at Seven Points (1132 Lake). As for the cult authors, avant-garde doyenne, and good buddy to Pablo “stoned dates,” you’re on your own — haven’t had one of Picasso as well as Oak Parker Ernest Hemingway during his those since 1969. Paris days.

DAVID

HAMMOND

ROCKAPELLA THE PRESIDENT’S HOLIDAY CONCERT

12.6.19

With their sparkling renditions of holiday classics, this concert will put anyone in the Christmas spirit! Since they first achieved national television fame on PBS’s Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Rockapella has toured the globe and provided a funky powerful soundtrack to several generations of vocal music fans, while keeping it all fresh along the way.

FRIDAY, December 6, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. BOX OFFICE (708) 488-5000 • FREE PARKING 7900 West Division Street • River Forest, IL 60305

events.dom.edu

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PRESENTS

The Polar Express SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2019 | 10:00 A.M. LAKE THEATRE 1022 LAKE STREET, OAK PARK

Pick up FREE TICKETS at the Oak Park, River Forest, Berwyn and Elmwood Park Byline Bank branches.

We encourage you to bring a donated item for New Moms. Please donate new and unopened diapers and winter clothing for children, ages newborn to 8-years old.

©2019 Byline Bank. Member FDIC.

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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The Joyful Giving Catalog

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Everything you need for a better world: • More Art

• More Food

• More Compassion

• More Health

• More Education

• More Housing

• More Equity

• More Peace

Running now through December 25

Browse, read, share with your children. Give Locally – Give Joyfully! Animal Care League Animal Care League offers a safe haven for pets in need. Rooted in the community since 1973, Animal Care League takes a proactive approach to animal care and adoption as well as preventative measures to help reduce the number of homeless animals in our communities. With over 1000 pets coming to our doors each year, Animal Care League counts on supporters to ensure that we can provide what is needed from routine vaccinations to life-saving surgery. Make a difference in the life of a homeless animal by visiting www.animalcareleague. org where you can sign up to volunteer, make a donation, view our adoptable pets, and learn about upcoming events.

Beyond Hunger (formerly Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry) $1 = 3 meals, is an equation only you can make possible. With your help, Beyond Hunger has been reducing local hunger for over 40 years. Your gifts support over 13,000 local families struggling with hunger. That support provides groceries for a week plus access to vital programs and services to help people stretch limited food budgets in healthy ways. Even a little goes a long way: every $1 donated can feed a neighbor for an entire day. Join us in making sure everyone in our community can move beyond hunger. To make a donation, visit GoBeyondHunger. org or send checks payable to Beyond Hunger, 848 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60301

BUILD Since 1969, BUILD has helped Chicago’s most vulnerable youth escape gangs and violence to become positive leaders in their communities. These young people face enormous obstacles and trauma, and so we surround them with the counseling, mentoring, training, and opportunities they need to build a future and succeed. We engage youth at every stage, with specialized teams dedicated to street violence interventions, gang detachments, creative after-school programming, academic school and college support, mental health care, community violence crisis response, and enrichment activities ranging from art and music to sports, podcasting, engineering and gardening. Potential doesn’t discriminate, neither should opportunity. Join us in BUILDing a better future. Visit and donate at buildchicago.org/

Cantata Adult Life Services Cantata Adult Life Services has a strong history that goes back 100 years. Our commitment to the changing needs of older adults on our campus and in the community continues to grow and evolve. We support over 1,000 seniors annually in their journey to “best life.” Your contributions will carry on our mission of helping individuals, families, and the community age successfully. In tune with the season of giving, Cantata is hosting a Soup Supper on 11/14 – all proceeds benefitting seniors and the Best Life Foundation. For m/ore information on how you can make a positive difference, please visit cantatacares.org.

Celebrating Seniors Coalition

neurodevelopmental issues. CRT programs increase accessibility of mental health services for high-risk children in under-resourced communities, specifically those who have experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, community and domestic violence, and prenatal substance exposure. Check us out and support CRT at: childrensresearchtriangle.org/donate/

Since its launch almost ten years ago, Celebrating Seniors Week has become a vibrant annual tradition in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. The Celebrating Seniors Coalition is dedicated to honoring, recognizing and serving local seniors. The organization concentrates on four main objectives: • To facilitate cooperation between the business community, government agencies and non-profit organizations for the benefit of the senior population. • To promote senior groups and organizations that serve persons 60 and older. • To raise public awareness of issues affecting seniors. To generate funds to support at-risk and vulnerable elders. To volunteer to support our Celebrating Seniors Week (May 14 – May 21, 2020) or to contribute financially to our community mission, visit us at celebratingseniors.net.

Children’s Research Triangle (CRT)

Children’s Research Triangle (CRT) is the only organization in Illinois specializing in addressing mental health and the medical impact of prenatal substance exposure and treatment of childhood trauma. Our clinical and research staff are experts in designing and implementing interventions for youth struggling with severe mental health and behavioral challenges associated with trauma and complex

Cluster Tutoring

Cluster Tutoring is a nonprofit, community-based organization that provides free one-to-one tutoring to more than 100 students in grades K through 12 from Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Tutor-student pairs work together during the school year on reading, math, and other homework to prepare the student for a successful academic career. When Cluster started nearly 30 years ago, fewer than half of Chicago Public Schools graduated from high school. Now, all of Cluster’s seniors not only graduate but are accepted at colleges and other post-graduation programs. Donations go toward materials that help students learn. To learn more or to donate, visit clustertutoring.org.

The Collaboration for Early Childhood

For over 15 years, the Collaboration for Early Childhood has been here to support children under 5 years of age. Last year, we provided over 1,900 hearing and vision screenings for children in Oak Park and River Forest; We delivered robust outreach, and training to over 700 parents; and we hosted over 350 professionals at our Annual Early Childhood

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The Joyful Giving Catalog Easing Sorrow and Bringing Joy to Families at St. Angela School

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etrice Sanderson came to St. Angela School when her son, Dejon, was in preschool. She felt welcome, befriended; she knew that Dejon was safe, and better yet, that he was learning, he was happy. As time went on, dropping off Dejon each morning wasn’t enough for Petrice, who was looking for a new job— “I wanted to spend the day at St. Angela, too”—so she accepted a position as an afterschool care aide. That was ten years ago. Dejon moved on, of course, but Petrice stayed and gradually became the go-to person for school parents, students, faculty and staff. She is the office manager, enrollment specialist, nurse, tuition and scholarship expert, orderer-offield-trip-busses, short-term sub. She Symposium. This year, donations will support mental health programming, supports for children with disabilities, and programming for grandparents and pregnant moms. Please support young children this giving season. For more information, or to make a donation, please visit us at www.collab4kids. org or follow us on Facebook.

Concordia University Chicago

Concordia University Chicago is a liberal arts university based in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1864, the university is located on 40 acres in River Forest, Illinois. Historically a college for teachers, it now offers more than 100 areas of study through traditional, blended or online classes. Students can earn bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees through one of four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education and the College of Graduate Studies. Professors are passionate about teaching, learning and preparing students for success in their chosen vocations. Beyond academics, Concordia offers NCAA Division III athletic teams, intramural sports, touring music groups and numerous student clubs and organization focused on service, recreation, spiritual life and more. Currently, more than 6,100 students are enrolled. To learn more, please visit

is generally acknowledged—with love and gratitude, and without reservation, even by the principal—as the person who runs the school. Principal Bruce Schooler is new to St. Angela this fall but says he already can’t imagine the school without her. “The importance of Petrice to our families is immeasurable. She knows them all, knows their stories and their circumstances. Because of the deep connection she has with the community she makes the impact we have on Austin possible. She is strong, resilient, practical and totally reliable. She is a hero to me – someone who is willing to do whatever she can for the people she represents. How blessed we are that she’s here!”

CUChicago.edu or CUChicago.edu/GiveNow to support our students.

Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park is a non-profit 501(c)(3) literary arts and educational foundation dedicated to thoughtful reading and writing. The foundation offers a wide variety of programming, all open to the public, to nurture and encourage creative expression for students and for people of all ages. Through tours and exhibits at Ernest Hemingway’s birthplace museum, the foundation fosters an understanding of his life and work, his Oak Park origins and his impact on world literature. Your gift supports creative outlets for people of all ages through professional teacher development, local author and performing artist programs, inter-generational engagement, a writer-in-residence program, as well as student writing workshops, mentorships, and scholarships. For more information about us or to donate online go to www.hemingwaybirthplace. com or mail us at: Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park, P.O. Box 2222, Oak Park, IL 60303-2222.

“Everyone needs to be needed,” Petrice says, “to find a way to serve and to make someone else’s way a little easier. I’m really fortunate that I’ve found that at St. Angela – a second home, a second family. There are hard days for all of us, but we are a community and we know these struggles, and these worries, intimately. There is a lot of sorrow out there, but there is a lot of joy as well. I think I came to St. Angela for the joy, but I’ve stayed to help with the sorrow. And I’ve learned that it is the blending of the two that makes our lives worth living.” St. Angela School has been serving the families of Chicago’s west side for one hundred years. Find out more about our community and donate at SaintAngela.org.

Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory The Oak Park Conservatory began as a community effort to house exotic plants residents collected during their travels abroad. Completed in 1929, it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free to the public with 50,000 visitors annually, the Conservatory offers a rich atmosphere throughout three indoor showrooms featuring more than 3,000 plants. The Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory offers programs focused on enriching the visitor experience at the Conservatory. Toddlers through adults can participate in year-round educational and recreational programs, volunteer opportunities and special events. To learn more or to join, visit fopcon.org.

Green Community Connections At this time of increasing climate urgency, One Earth Film Festival continues to grow and harness the Power of We, of our families, friends and communities, to make real change for our planet and our future. Save the date for the 9th annual Festival, March 6-15, 2020, in

the Oak Park / River Forest area and beyond. Join us for quality films, engaging discussion, activities and community-building that inspire climate action, resilience and environmental justice. Protect our cities and our planet by joining One Earth and becoming part of the Power of We. Memberships start at $25 ($15 for students / seniors). Visit oneearthfilmfest.org/ members today. All donations now through #GivingTuesday will be matched 1:1, doubling the impact of your donation.

Growing Community Media

Growing Community Media is dedicated to building community through independent, non-partisan local journalism. We believe that high quality community journalism preserves and strengthens the fabric of our democracy. Independent community journalism holds local governments to account. It connects neighbors. It is the credible source when social media goes haywire, and it allows a community to debate and celebrate. Through Austin Weekly News, Wednesday Journal, Forest Park Review and Riverside-Brookfield Landmark, Growing Community Media reports local news and tells compelling local stories across many platforms. Our mission calls us to build fact-based accountability and connection,

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Helping Generations of Youth Flourish

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aised by her grandparents and new to Chicago, a teen named Jessica began to act out. Bouts of gang involvement, domestic violence, and school truancy resulted in court-mandated mental health treatment. Eventually she found her way to Youth Outreach Services (YOS). YOS helped Jessica to build her skills and engage in positive activities. “YOS was a safe haven for us kids,” Jessica recalls, “we needed somewhere to be ourselves.” At YOS Jessica met Xavier, a counselor who made a lasting impact on her life. By age 16, Jessica was pregnant with her first child, whom she named Julian Xavier. Faced with homelessness and single parenthood, Jessica remembered Julian’s namesake fondly, and vowed to raise her child the way Xavier once helped her. Fourteen years later, Julian,

now a young teenager, became rebellious, his school grades were failing, and he was suspended for a school fight. Jessica brought Julian to YOS, and lo and behold, found Xavier, still a counselor! The results have been wildly positive. Julian has now been attending YOS for over a year, and he is in all honors classes in high school. Moreover, Jessica continues to advocate for at-risk youth with Youth Outreach Services. “If we hadn’t gone to YOS,” she says, “I think we both would’ve been in jail or dead.” This inspiring story is only one of many. We have numerous others just like it, where YOS helps generations of families. Find out more and donate at yos.org/donate or text @GROWYOS to 52014.

Jessica with Xavier conversation and civility, diversity and a sense of belonging. Join our mission by donating at GrowingCommunityMedia.org or contacting dhaley@wjinc.com

Historical Society Forest Park The Historical Society Forest Park was founded in 1975 for the purposes of “collecting and preserving the rich heritage of Forest Park.” The historical society offers tours of Haymarket Martyr’s Monument in Forest Home Cemetery every Saturday in the summer, collect oral histories of Forest Park Veterans of Military service, hosts several historical events a year and celebrates Forest Park. For more information about the Society, its events and programs, or to donate visit forestparkhistory.org or mail us: Historical Society of Forest Park, PO Box 311, Forest Park IL 60130

Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest

We are the community’s story tellers and our new facility in an 1898 Oak Park Landmark at Lake and Lombard is Oak Park River Forest

Museum, selected by Illinois Association of Museums as Small Museum of the Year. We invested $1 million in private funds to create a welcoming space in a former firehouse. Featured exhibits include “Open House: The Legacy of Fair Housing” and “Proud Oak Parkers: OPALGA at 30.” We are not supported by tax dollars and a gift of any amount funds our 2020 schedule of programs, our research center, and our knowledgeable staff. Learn more and donate at oprfmuseum.org or 708-848-6755

Hephzibah Children’s Association

Hephzibah Children’s Association was founded in 1897. We serve more than 1,000 children and families each year through innovative, community-based programs. Hephzibah provides a Group Home for children who have been taken from their families due to profound abuse or neglect. Our skilled staff recruits and trains foster parents and offers ongoing support to help all family members navigate challenges. Our after-school Day Care operates on a sliding scale to serve working parents in Oak Park, with programs based at each elementary school. To make a real difference in the lives of children and families, please donate today at hephzibahhome.org.

Housing Forward

Housing Forward’s mission is to end homelessness by transitioning people from housing crisis to housing stability. The agency, now in its 27th year, offers a full range of services designed to reduce the length of time and impact of trauma associated with homelessness and housing instability. Our current programs include the PADS Emergency Shelter, Outreach & Engagement, Supportive Housing, Employment Readiness, and Emergency Assistance and Stabilization in two area walk-In centers (Oak Park and Maywood). In 2019, we launched Sojourner House to offer medical respite for medically vulnerable individuals and interim housing for families transitioning from homelessness. Housing Forward impacts the lives of over 2000 adults and families with minor children annually. To learn more about us, to volunteer or to donate, visit housingforward.org, email giving@housingforward.org or call 708.338.1724 ext. 283.

Infant Welfare Society (IWS)

Join us in our mission to advance the health and well-being of children in need. When you support the Infant Welfare Society, you help vulnerable children in our community and surrounding areas access critical healthcare, including pediatric, dental and behavioral health services. Our Children’s Clinic and health outreach programs serve 3,500 children each year, and your generosity is key. A gift of $50 pays for two essential vaccines. A gift of $150 provides specialized dental services. Give Health today: www.oprfiws.org/donate or 708-406-8661. You’re also invited to join us for our 21st annual Holiday Housewalk & Market, December 5 - 7!

Intersection Christian Ministries Intersection Christian Ministries, a ministry of Judson Baptist Church, seeks to demonstrate the love of Christ by addressing the economic injustice and inequity that afflicts West Side of

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Chicago. As the Chicago neighborhoods plagued with the highest crime rates are the same ones beset by the worst unemployment and poverty rates in the city, employment and job readiness training present the greatest opportunities to have an immediate and significant positive impact on our community. We offer free classes in Windows/Internet/ Email, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and classes in essential job search, resume writing and interviewing skills. To volunteer or donate, call 708-613-5177, email at info@intersectioncm.com or donate at intersectioncm.com/donate/

MOMENTA Momenta is the resident Dance Company of the Academy of Movement & Music, located in Oak Park. MOMENTA dance concerts are the only place audiences can see classical ballet, historic American modern dance, contemporary works, and integrated dance (includes dancers with disabilities) all in one performance. Learn more & donate at MomentaDances.org

New Moms

L’Arche Chicago L’Arche Chicago is a community where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together in homes, as family. We are committed to merge individualized, high-quality care with genuine friendships in our group homes. Our vision is to create environments that celebrate difference - revealing the unique gifts of people with intellectual disabilities. Help L’Arche Chicago spread joy and gratitude in this season: www.larchechicago. org/gratitude

Maywood Youth Mentoring Program Organized in 1993 as a 501c3, the Maywood Youth Mentoring Program has served hundreds of middle to high-school youth providing a variety of programs, workshops, field trips, and experiences designed to increase academic potential and instill cultural pride. Since 2008, the program has hosted free monthly youth breakfasts with topics ranging from anger management/and conflict resolution, etiquette, police/community interactions, sexual health, drug and alcohol avoidance, and academic excellence. Youths practice critical thinking skills to encourage positive life choices. Volunteer mentors interact with youth providing positive role models for college and career choices. To volunteer, or to donate, visit us at www. maywoodyouthmentoring.org, or contact Barbara Cole, founder/CEO at 708-344-3577

New Moms believes in the strength, skills, and potential of all families and communities to achieve audacious possibilities. Guided by our mission, to share the love of God by surrounding young moms and their children with everything they need to transform their lives, New Moms takes a 2-Generation approach to engagement that puts families in control of their goals and unleashes their potential. Together with families, we construct the foundations of wellbeing by strengthening brain architecture, incorporating early childhood development supports, building pathways to and preparation for education and employment, and expanding positive social networks and access to community resources. Learn more and donate at newmoms.org.

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association strengthens our community through learning, giving, and sharing our landmark building through space grants to local non-profits. 80% of its usage is non-profit. We provide community outreach, scholarships, and public programming in five areas: music, art, literature, science, and social sciences. The NCCA is the owner of 178 Forest Avenue, commonly referred to as the Nineteenth Century Club. Our charitable and cultural activities are supported by our members, volunteers, donors, and by the events held at the Club. Programs are open to all and we welcome all ages to join. If you would like information about volunteering, joining or donating, please call us at 708-386-2729 email to info@ nineteenthcentury.org. You can also make donation at ncca.memberclicks.net/givingtuesday.

Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) For more than four decades, the Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) has been an advocate for fair housing. Our mission is to achieve vibrant communities and promote intentional

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and stable residential integration throughout Oak Park. The OPRHC is the only non-profit in Oak Park and the Greater Westside Region that encourages pro-integrative housing options. Our work is at the heart of why Oak Park is such a wonderful, diverse, and vibrant community, welcoming to everyone.

and spaces that support a unique quality of life in Oak Park. You support work dedicated to literacy, education, diversity, inclusion, equity, health, safety, and affordability. You also choose to help connect people and community, to educate global citizens, and to sustain, share, and respect our community’s resources.

Support our work with a donation at oprhc. org/donate/. To learn more about the OPRHC call 708.848.7150, inforequest@ liveinoakpark.com, 1041 South Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302.

To learn more about how you can make Oak Park’s center of information, civic engagement, and local history stronger, contact Executive Director David J. Seleb (DavidS@oppl.org, 708.697.6911). Make an online donation now at oppl.org/give.

Oak-Leyden Developmental Services The mission of Oak-Leyden Developmental Services is to help children and adults with developmental disabilities meet life’s challenges and reach their highest potential. The organization offers life-changing support in three areas: Children’s Services, Residential Services, and Lifelong Learning. Empower people with developmental disabilities today at oak-leyden.org/getinvolved/donate.

Oak Park Art League As one of the longest, continually running non-profit arts organizations in Illinois, the Oak Park Art League (OPAL) is a vibrant cultural center where the invitation and challenge to use art as a medium for personal and community growth is made available to people of all ages. Since 1921, OPAL has brought arts education, appreciation, exhibitions and the spirit of artistic inquiry to the surrounding community. OPAL is committed to meaningful community outreach to the population that makes up our greater community through partnerships and on-site art and programming with local social service agencies through our “Art for Social Change” initiatives. For more information about membership, volunteering or to make a donation, please contact Executive Director, Jill Kramer Goldstein at 708-386-9853 or oakparkartleague@gmail.com. The Oak Park Art League is located at 720 Chicago Ave. in Oak Park.

Oak Park Public Library

Empower every voice in our community! When you choose to give to your local library, you invest in foundational resources, services,

Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation is based on a powerful promise: to create an enduring institution where people can come together and pool their resources to meet our community’s most pressing needs — not just now, but forever. For sixty years, generations of thoughtful and caring donors and residents have empowered the Foundation’s work to safeguard and advance the community in which we live, raise our families and work. From helping donors with legacy gift planning, to managing donor advised funds, to strengthening local non-profits, we connect. Visit oprfcf.org or call Rhea Yap at 708-8481560 to start a fund, discuss your charitable estate plans, or make a donation today.

Opportunity Knocks Opportunity Knocks is dedicated to enriching life and community. We exist to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as they live, work, learn, grow and connect within their community. We use a dynamic, person-centered and community-based approach to programming that serves to engage the voice of our participants, foster interdependent connections, encourage exploration, promote holistic wellness and healthy relationships. We are 95% privately funded and rely on the generous support of the community. Your gift does matter in moving our mission forward. To volunteer or donate, visit us at www.opportunityknocksnow.org.

PING! Providing equitable access to instrumental music for students in grades 4 through 12 in Oak Park and River Forest public schools has been the mission of PING! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation) for more than 20 years. In addition to loaning band and orchestra instruments to students whose families cannot afford them, PING! also provides music

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

enrichment through workshops; mentoring; and scholarships for summer music camps, school music trips, and private instruction. Enrichment programs like these provide positive peer groups and growth opportunities for students in need. PING! relies on community support for donated instruments and financial contributions to maintain its instrument inventory and program funding. For more information or to make a donation, go to pingoprf.org. If you have an instrument to donate, send us an email at pingoprf@ gmail.com.

River Forest Public Library Foundation

RFPL Foundation works to enhance River Forest Public Library today and for the future through fundraising and advocacy. In 2019, the Foundation fully funded major updates in the Children’s Room to make the space more welcoming and functional. We provided support for the Summer Reading Program and contributed to the Lobby/Circulation area renovation. Since 2015, gifts have supported special programming for all ages, staff development and the Anne Smedinghoff Memorial Garden. Help ensure a bright future for River Forest Public Library with your gift. We gratefully accept cash, credit/debit, securities and bequests. Visit RFPLFoundation.org/donate.

Sarah’s Inn

For nearly 40 years, Sarah’s Inn has worked to improve the lives of those affected by domestic violence and break the cycle of violence for future generations. Sarah’s Inn Services and Programs include: • Free, confidential and bilingual services for victims of domestic violence

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

St. Angela School St. Angela School has walked with the families of Chicago’s west side for one hundred years—walked with a deep commitment to enriching the lives, and the futures, of their children. We have a rich and varied history – and a future of great promise. We provide our children with a safe and loving environment and challenging academics; we help them explore paths that lead to meaningful and rewarding careers; and we teach them, above all, to believe in themselves. As we prepare for our next hundred years, we’re proud to reaffirm our commitment to love and serve all those who choose to be part of our community. Learn more about St. Angela School at saintangela.org.

The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest

Named “Community Orchestra of the Year” in 2018, The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest, under the leadership of award-winning conductor, Jay Friedman, continues to bring extraordinary and accessible concerts to our community. Ticket sales provide less than half the funds needed for the Symphony’s performances. Your gift keeps the orchestra going strong and allows us to maintain affordable ticket prices, including free admission for all students through college. Please help us continue and strengthen our 88-year tradition of bringing beautiful and inspiring music to Oak Park and River Forest. Make your end-of-year tax-deductible donation at symphonyoprf.org, or: P.O. Box 3564, Oak Park, IL 60303-3564.

Thrive Counseling Center

• 24-hour crisis line (708)386-4225

critical services to more than 1,400 friends, neighbors and family members including: • Counseling for youth and adults • Psychiatric care and medication management • In-home counseling for older adults • Increased access to care for impoverished youth • 24/7 crisis intervention

• School-based violence prevention • Volunteer and internship opportunities To donate, visit www.sarahsinn.org/donate. To learn more about our services, programs, upcoming trainings, events and more, visit www.sarahsinn.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SarahsinnOakPark.

West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA) provides recreational programming for individuals with disabilities who reside in Oak Park, River Forest and nine other sur-

Adult and youth group therapy including: art therapy, stress management, coping with anxiety, grief support and Sibshops We are open Monday through Friday during regular business hours and evenings, and on Saturdays from 9am-2pm (all services). To learn more or donate, please visit thrivecc. org or call 708-383-7500, ext. 111. Follow us on Facebook!

UCP SEGUIN OF GREATER CHICAGO

UCP Seguin believes that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to achieve their potential, advance their independence and act as full members of the community. So we stop at nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, meaningful employment and a place to call home for people with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for children. Our goal: life without limits for people with disabilities. Make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Donate online at ucpseguin. org or send gifts to UCP Seguin, 332 Harrison Street, Oak Park IL 60304

VOCEL

• Legal Advocacy Thrive Counseling Center (formerly Family Services of Oak Park) has provided mental health services to our community for over 120 years. Located in the heart of Oak Park, our mission is to build healthy minds, families, and communities by empowering people to attain mental and emotional well-being. Hope, resilience and recovery form the heart of our programs and services. Last year we provided

West Suburban Special Recreation Association

• FREE, public Thrive Talks: our Speaker Series at the Oak Park Main Library

• Counseling for adults, teens and children

• Community and professional training

Find out more about VOCEL and donate at vocel.org.

• Suicide Safer Community Programs including: safeTALK and QPR

• Advocacy, referrals, and safety planning

• Partner Abuse Intervention

Through VOCEL’s programs, families are equipped with the insights, tools, and support they need to catalyze their child’s brain development in preparation for preschool and beyond.

At VOCEL, our ultimate purpose is to help ensure every child has the foundation to learn, grow and lead. Our core program, the Child Parent Academy, is a dynamic, two-generational early learning accelerator for both children and their parents. VOCEL uses innovative early learning approaches designed for children age 0 to 3 while remaining grounded in science-based best practices in child development, attachment, and neuroscience.

rounding communities. Donations to WSSRA, help provide financial assistance to those participating in our yearround programs and summer day camp. To make a donation, please visit wssra.net.

Youth Outreach Services

Youth Outreach Services supports youth ages 12 to 21 and their families, by providing free programs that offer skill development, therapeutic interventions, and mentorship to improve their safety and well-being. Through the past 60 years, YOS has offered outpatient, community-based behavioral health and substance abuse treatment, after school mentoring and outreach, family therapy, crisis intervention services, case management, foster care, transitional living and housing services, in-school prevention curricula, and juvenile justice programs. Help youth flourish by donating at yos.org/ donate or text @GROWYOS to 52014. Or help empower youth to reach their goals, by calling 773-777-7112 to refer them for services.

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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WEST COOK YMCA

47th Annual

Christmas Tree & Wreath Sale

BUY A TREE CHANGE A LIFE

There’s something extra just for you! Your purchase of a tree, garland, or wreath comes with this special offer:

NO JOINER’S FEE PLUS 1 MONTH FREE CREDIT

(to be applied towards annual membership fees) Offer Code:19TreeWJ Expiration: 12/31/19 Exclusions apply, please inquire within.

November 29–December 24 When you buy your Christmas tree, garland, or wreath from the West Cook YMCA, you help us make sure that every family, child, or adult has access to our programming—even if they can’t afford it. We change lives every day, and you can help us make that happen.

TREE LOT HOURS Mon.–Fri.: 2 PM–8 PM Sat. & Sun.: 10 AM–6 PM

100% of the proceeds will be used to benefit the community through scholarships at the West Cook YMCA and a portion of your purchase is tax-deductible.

WEST COOK YMCA

255 S. Marion St. Oak Park, IL 60302 | 708-383-5200 | westcookymca.org

YMCA_2019_Christmas_Tree_WJ_ad_v2.indd 1

11/20/19 1:17 PM

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019 26

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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

HomesInTheVillage.com

Featured Listings for This Week

Erika Villegas,

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Berwyn $320,000 Multi unit Erika x180

Oak Park $290,000 3BR, 2.1BA Marion x111

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Joe Castillo, Co-Owner

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Mike Becker

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Properties of The Week

616 Highland Ave Oak Park $335,000 Multi unit Jane x118

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

27

Homes

NEED TO REACH US?

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

Merry and bright

Infant Welfare Society’s Holiday Housewalk this weekend By LACEY SIKORA

T

Contributing Reporter

he 21st Annual Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society Holiday Housewalk and Market takes place this weekend, and includes tours of five Oak Park and River Forest homes decorated for the season, as well as a Holiday Market at the Nineteenth Century Club featuring artisanal gifts. Event Chairwoman Susan Shields says the annual event is an integral part of the IWS’s fundraising efforts for the Children’s Clinic, a health care safety net for vulnerable children and families living in Chicago’s west side and the near west suburbs. “The walk provides an avenue of fundraising for our clinic, and also helps bring our mission to the public,” Shields said. “It showcases the great work the Infant Welfare Society does in providing health care to those in

need, and it is a fun way to kick off the holiday season with a great opportunity to get a glimpse inside some beautiful homes.”

Holiday houses This year’s homes include two Oak Park and three River Forest homes, each with their own unique spin on holiday décor. A Prairie-style stunner in Oak Park designed by architect George Maher once served as a convent for nuns who taught at nearby St. Edmund’s School. Today, the nuns’ cells have been conSee HOLIDAY HOUSEWALK on page 21

DONE UP: The Holiday Housewalk includes two Oak Park and three River Forest homes, each with their own unique spin on holiday décor. Courtesy Infant Welfare Society

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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This year, come Home for the Holidays at the Scottish Home and experience the true meaning of home and family. Our Holiday respite program includes: • a fully furnished and seasonally decorated sheltered care apartment* • delicious meals • the opportunity to participate in holiday programs such as carol singing and a trip to the Zoo Lights

NEW PRICE

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Try us for two months this winter and if you decide to move in we’ll apply those two months towards future monthly fees. Offer valid now until March 31st, 2020.

JUST LISTED

906 COLUMBIAN, OAK PARK $839,000 :: 4 BED :: 2.5 BATH

620 LATHROP, RIVER FOREST $549,000 :: 3 BED :: 2.5 BATH

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

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417 Lathrop #3E | River Forest $709,000

178 N Euclid Ave | Oak Park $650,000

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Patricia McGowan

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742 S Ridgeland | Oak Park $435,000

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(We get you.) And your Baird & Warner Oak Park agent knows the home that’s just right.

street

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Source: BrokerMetrics® Detached and Attached only. 1/1/2018 - 12/ 31/2018

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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HOLIDAY HOUSEWALK Key fundraiser from page 27 verted to bedrooms for a family of six who enjoy decorating with ornaments collected on family travels. A snowman collection amassed over 27 years decorates the dining room buffet, and a treasured crèche collection has a spot of honor in a bay window. Also in Oak Park is a newly renovated Hulbert House dating to 1907. A new chef ’s kitchen, great room and master suite addition allow this family with young children to spread out and enjoy their musical instruments and art. After the traditional Christmas morning scavenger hunt, the family gathers in front of the fireplace in their family room, decorated with fresh greens and candlelight to open presents and enjoy Christmas breakfast. In River Forest, a Spanish Renaissancestyle house was designed in 1926 by Frederick Meyer and Norman Cook for the family of Joseph Cook. The Butlers expanded the home in 1950, and the house brims with Staturio marble and art embedded in the walls. Today, the owners celebrate the holidays with nods to their Russian heritage and decorate with 100-year-old family icons. Down the street, another River Forest family decorates their Jerome Cerny-designed French eclectic home with decorations that hint at the owner’s Southern heritage. Every year, the house is decorated with 12 trees, one of which comes from their familyowned farm in North Carolina. The owners updated the home in 2017, retaining Cerny trademarks such as the circular floor plan, arched doorways and rounded ceilings, while adding touches that speak to their family history. During the holidays, an advent calendar purchased on a trip to Germany and a nativity set from Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral are memories of their travels. In the third River Forest home, the homeowners celebrate their Swedish heritage with decorations both old and new including Dala horses, Swedish linens, straw ornaments, and heart-shaped ornaments made from gingerbread. The French Normandy-style home was built in 1942 and though modernized, retains many original decorative touches. During the holidays, the family brings out its nutcracker collection and adds a new nutcracker to the mix every year. Shields says that every year, homeowners graciously offer to share their homes to benefit the mission of the Infant Welfare Society. In the past, Shields has served as a docent on the housewalk, and says that IWS volunteers as well as those who purchase tickets for the walk enjoy learning more about the various homes. “Getting to know the history and the background of the small pieces, the holiday decorations, the art and the antiques in the home make for such a fun evening,” Shields said. “You would never know just from looking at the outside what all of these homes look like

Photos courtesy of Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society

HOLIDAY SPIRIT: Like the homes on last year’s housewalk (above), the 2019 Infant Welfare Society Holiday Housewalk will feature 5 spectacular homes decked out in their holiday finest.

on the inside.”

Holiday market As the IWS raises money for its new Children’s Clinic on Madison Street in Oak Park, Shields says that it is important to keep fundraising to support the enlarged

space, which will allow the Children’s Clinic to serve more clients. An important piece of that fundraising is the holiday market, held at the Nineteenth Century Club over the weekend. With more than 25 vendors selling jewelry, clothing and food items, Shields says the market is the perfect place to find unique items for your holiday gifts that can’t be found elsewhere. While crossing items off your gift list, you are also donating to a great cause: 15 percent of all market sales benefit the IWS Children’s Clinic. Also at the market, visitors can buy raffle tickets to win a Celebration Table scape, and enjoy delicious food provided by Charlie Robinson. Shields says the weekend is all about community members helping families and points out that while friends and family enjoy the weekend festivities together, they are doing so in a way that benefits children from over fifty communities who receive medical, dental, and behavioral health care services

at the IWS Children’s Clinic.

Event details Tickets for the Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Society’s Holiday Housewalk and Market cost $45. Admission to the Market at the Nineteenth Century Club is free. Opening night tickets for Thursday, Dec. 5 are $15 and can be bundled with the Holiday Spirit and Wine Tasting, sponsored by Famous Liquors for $40. Not-So-TrivialPursuit Night takes place Friday, Dec. 6, and includes admission for up to 10 guests, for $250 per table. Tours of the five houses take place on Friday, Dec. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m., and on Saturday, Dec. 7 from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets for all events can be purchased in advance at oprfiws.org or at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. in Oak Park, the day of the event. For more information about the event, visit oprfiws.org or call 708-406-8660.

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Sunday, December 8, 2019 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

721 Revere Rd., Glen Ellyn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . $3,000/mo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 937 Dunlop Ave., Forest Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . $264,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:30-2 839 N Lombard Ave., Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . $315,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

139 Rockford Ave, Forest Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $339,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:30-2 928 N. Lombard, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $390,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 535 Lyman Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 719 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$419,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:30-4:30 743 S. Cuyler Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$419,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 131 S. Humphrey Ave., Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . $424,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:45-4 629 S. Humphrey Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $440,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 465 E. Adams St., Elmhurst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . $450,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:30-4 731 Hayes Ave., Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . $474,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:30-1:30 638 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $569,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 234 S. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . $650,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1423 Lathrop Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $759,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

CONDOS

817 Lake UNIT 2N, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $129,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 424 S. Austin Ave. UNIT 1N, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $174,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 721 Ontario St. UNIT 210, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $489,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 411 Lathrop Ave. UNIT 3E, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $689,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3

TOWNHOMES

417 Lathrop Ave. UNIT 3E, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $709,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

186 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $599,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2:30-4

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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1124 LAKE ST 702, OAK PARK

427 N OAK PARK AVE, OAK PARK

4 br, 4.1 ba $1,400,000

3 br, 3.1 ba $869,000

4 br, 4 ba $739,000

Donna Serpico 708.848.5550

Lorne Frank 312.642.1400

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OPEN SUN 13

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735 AUGUSTA ST, OAK PARK

234 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

611 N RIDGELAND AVE, OAK PARK

130 S HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK

731 HAYES AVE, OAK PARK

4 br, 2.1 ba $729,000

5 br, 2.1 ba $650,000

4 br, 1.1 ba $524,895

5 br, 1.1 ba $499,000

5 br, 2 ba $474,500

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

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329 S HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK

131 S HUMPHREY AVE, OAK PARK

300 N MAPLE AVE 16, OAK PARK

212 MARENGO AVE 1S, FOREST PARK

1024 PLEASANT ST 6, OAK PARK

3 br, 2 ba $449,900

4 br, 1 ba $424,500

3 br, 2.1 ba $399,900

2 br, 2 ba $399,000

3 br, 2 ba $392,000

Mari Hans 708.848.5550

Janet Rouse 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Victoria Witt 708.848.5550

NEW LISTING

OPEN SUN 12:302

839 N LOMBARD AVE, OAK PARK

1135 SCHNEIDER AVE 3B, OAK PARK

937 DUNLOP AVE, FOREST PARK

200 HOME AVE 2C, OAK PARK

911 MARENGO AVE, FOREST PARK

3 br, 1.1 ba $315,000

2 br, 2 ba $272,500

3 br, 2 ba $264,000

2 br, 1.1 ba $199,000

2 br, 2 ba $198,000

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Dorothy Gillian 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

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

Tom Poulos

1423 LATHROP • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 122

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

Ramona Fox Laura Gancer Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima

638 N ELMWOOD • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

Jack Lattner Jane Maxwell Iris McCormick Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney Colleen Navigato John Pappas Rosa Pitassi

Sue Ponzio-Pappas Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

424 S AUSTIN #1N • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 122

721 ONTARIO #210 • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

N E W L ISTIN G! HANDSOME TUDOR with classic original archway details beautifully blends w/ tasteful updated bathrooms and kitchen. Spacious formal living room with wood burning fireplace. Lovely dining room with built in corner cabinets. OUTSTANDING BACKYARD. Finished basement!.............................................................$759,000

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

LOVELY CONDO at the Oak Park Club! Found in premier OP, it offers three levels of wonderful space. Main level boasts beautiful hardwood floors, built-in book shelves, gallery kitchen. Second level laundry room. Two indoor parking spaces, all with great reserves. Solid building! .................................................... $489,000

VINTAGE UNIT in Historic Landmark building. Three bedrooms, two baths, with hardwood floors, an updated kitchen with SS appliances, 6 burner stove, vent, refrigerator, freezer and dishwasher. Built-in Murphy bed. In-unit washer and dryer. Gorgeous! ............................................................................$174,500

1435 CLINTON PL • RIVER FOREST

BEAUTIFUL BRICK & STONE CLASSIC HOUSE with a unique front wrap-around porch sits on a private park-like lot. Features 4 BRs, 2 full/2 half baths, natural wood, art glass windows, open kitchen with breakfast room, family room, mudroom, finished basement. Nothing will disappoint! .......... .............................................................................................................$1,150,000 ROOM FOR EVERYONE! Move in ready, gracious rooms and high-end updates! Designer kitchen, first floor family room, mudroom, 5 BRs, 3-1/2 baths, finished 3rd floor retreat, finished basement with a 6th bedroom. Completely renovated top to bottom, all you need to do is move in! .............. ................................................................................................................$939,000 UNIQUE QUALITY BURMA BUILT HOME with 5 bedrooms and 3 full, 2 half baths. House has many wonderful features; 2 separate office areas, hardwood floors, kitchen with all newer appliances, adjoining eating areafamily room. Finished basement. Three car garage ..........................$825,000 LOVELY SLPITLEVEL HOME offers newly refreshed contemporary style and wonderful space. Home offers three bedrooms, three brand new bathrooms, beautiful front entryway, vaulted ceiling family room, sun room, game room, deck, spectacular backyard, attached two car garage................. ................................................................................................................$659,000 VINTAGE CHARMER on tree lined cobblestone street. Warm, inviting home with lots of potential! Living room is centered with a cozy fireplace, separate dining room, bright kitchen and spacious family room. 2nd floor has 3 BRs and 1 full BA. Large deck overlooking backyard. ..............$425,000

CLASSIC OAK PARK HOME on a large corner lot in the Harrison Arts district. This four BR, three BA home boasts four levels of living space. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, vintage leaded glass windows, updated kitchen with breakfast bar. Finished 3rd floor, newly finished basement. ...$549,000 CENTER OF TOWN VICTORIAN with high ceilings, four spacious levels of living in beautiful Oak Park. This 5 BR, 3-12 BA home offers a formal entry, wood burning FP, sun room, family room, eat-in kitchen. Great flow, tons of natural light & storage throughout this beauty! ................................$539,000 FANTASTIC HOUSE in Historic OP! This four bedroom three full bath home is nearly 100 years old and feels like new, as it was renovated roughly ten years ago. Spacious eat-in kitchen, 2nd floor laundry, central air, large backyard. Vacant and ready for immediate occupancy!....................$469,900

815 LINDEN • OAK PARK

BEAUTIFUL BURMA BUILT TUDOR sits on a lovely lot with side drive leading to attached 3 car garage and large yard. This 4 bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home offers a great flow throughout the 1st floor, large eat-in kitchen, hardwood floors, leaded glass and classic cove ceilings. ........................................................... $689,000

RIVER FOREST HOMES

BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. ..........................$1,975,000 BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC HOME offers everything for today’s modern living. Custom-built home has the highest quality finishes. No detail was missed. Brick and stone exterior, wrap around porch, eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows. LL has 2,000 feet of living area. ............................$1,525,000 LOVELY BURMA BUILT BRICK HOME, situated in the heart of RF, offers old world charm seamlessly blended with modern updates. Includes 6 BRs plus tandem, 5-1/2 baths, hardwood floors, wb/gas fireplace. Expansive bsmt with media/rec room. In-ground pool on double lot. ..........$1,330,000 GORGEOUS RESTORATION of stately RF home offers 3BRs, 4 full baths, recently updated kitchen/dining, art glass windows, French doors, hardwood floors, sun room and large family room. Fab finished basement. Private, beautifully landscaped, newly fenced yard with in ground pool. ..... .............................................................................................................$1,200,000 INVITING SPACIOUS HOME offers mid century/prairie style features with a large open floor plan. Unique feature with dual fireplaces in both kitchen/family room & living room/dining room. Professionally landscaped yard with a built-in in-ground hot tub and inviting fire pit........... $1,199,000

OAK PARK HOMES

UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home!..............$1,450,000 LOVELY TRADITIONAL HOME, found in walkable OP location, offers wonderful space for family and entertaining. Original details blend seamlessly with the updated 3 story addition. Offers 5 bedrooms, 4-1/2 baths, newer kitchen, abundant storage, family room, wine cellar..........$1,065,000 POSITIONED BEAUTIFULLY ON A CORNER LOT in a great location. The detail found throughout this home is something to see. The seamless addition adds tremendous space to this 4 BR, 2 full and 2 half BA home. A full finished bsmt with office and rec room. Storage galore.............$879,000 STUNNING RENOVATION with exquisite modern finishes. Solid brick home features new hardwood floors throughout, recessed lighting, wood burning fireplace, family room, 3 generously sized BRs. Spacious finished LL. Central air, and 3-car garage. Just Move in and Enjoy! .....................$629,500

ELMWOOD PARK HOMES

ARCHITECTUALLY UNIQUE COLONIAL with extra large rooms flooded with natural light. Vaulted ceilings and skylights in the upstairs hallway, bathrooms and master BR. Fin basement. Professional landscaping, large outdoor deck, second floor balcony. Move right in and enjoy!.........$478,000 RECENTLY UPDATED COLONIAL located in EP’s RF Manor. Huge 2-story addition which includes a family room and 2-room master suite. Lots of windows and natural light. Family room includes a wood-burning fireplace and radiant floor heat. Enjoy entertaining in this home! ..................$449,900

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS

RIVER FOREST 3BR, 2-1/2 BA. Top floor with open views. ..........$579,950 RIVER FOREST 3BR, 2-1/2 BA. Two heated garage spaces. ..........$479,000 RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. Updated and move-in ready. ...............$169,000 OAK PARK Two Flat............................................................................$669,000 OAK PARK Two Flat............................................................................$530,000

GREAT NORTH OP LOCATION with this 4 bedroom 2 bath home! Three BRs upstairs, Master BR downstairs. Large LR with gas fireplace. Kitchen and family room off dining room. Huge 2nd floor bathroom. Basement ready to be finished. Nice landscaping in the back yard...................................................................$359,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full / 2 half bath. East facing balcony. ...............$429,900 OAK PARK 2BR, 2-1/2BA. Stunning, bright tri-level. ......................$330,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2BA. Lots of large rooms........................................$329,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Renovated to perfection! ..............................$284,500 OAK PARK 3BR, 2-1/2BA. 3 floors of living! ....................................$259,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Garage parking. .............................................$200,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Bright corner unit. .........................................$136,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Lovely, cared for building. ...............................$99,000

Thinking about buying or selling?

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

Contact Gagliardo Realty Associates today.

VIEWPOINTS

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

C O N S C I O U S

T

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

33

Dooper’s Memories p. 41

A G I N G

Talking about aging and dying

his is the time of year when many of us engage in family conversations — sometimes about grandchildren, sometimes politics, sometimes previous generations and who knows what else. Sometimes around the dining room table, sometimes in the living room and, I suppose, maybe even online. There’s a couple of topics that traditionally don’t make the list — our own aging and dying. Our current cultural narrative about aging is that old is bad, that life peaks in middle age, and it’s all downhill after that. (This is actually self-fulfilling prophecy.) Who wants to talk about that? Also, most of us are deathly afraid of our own mortality (no pun intended), so why bandy that topic about over dinner? If we do talk about dying, it is usually somebody else’s death. There is no getting around some of the difficult changes we experience because we are aging, which is to say we are living — loss of relationships or loss of some physical abilities or loss of mental acuity. Serious, difficult changes. While we have limited control over how our bodies age, we do have freedom to fashion the meaning we make and the attitudes we hold. We can embrace new limits, and from there discover and give meaning to the things we still can do. The author Mary Chase Morrison, writing in her late 80s, mused, “To preside over the disintegration of one’s own body, looking on as sight and hearing, strength, speed and short-term memory deteriorate, calls for a heroism that is no less impressive for being quiet and patient. Anyone who watches aging closely and with a sympathetic eye can sometimes be lost in admiration for the aging and their gallantry.” The Conversation Project (www.theconversationproject.org) is a very good tool to help start us talking about what kind of medical care we choose as we age. I have used it in my family and it was extremely helpful. The long and short of it is, let’s take advantage of our traditional holiday family conversations to include the traditionally difficult topics of our own aging and dying.

MARC BLESOFF

Center for Gerontology Distinguished Speakers Series This Friday, Elizabeth White is speaking in River Forest. Elizabeth is a friend and a colleague in A Tribe Called Aging. She is the host of our local Wabi Sabi Film Festival, held at the Lake Theatre. Friday evening, Elizabeth will be the first speaker in the Concordia University Chicago Center for Gerontology Distinguished Speaker Series. She recently wrote a book titled, Fifty-Five, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, wherein she researches, analyzes and chronicles the stories of the rapidly growing numbers of older Americans who are not able to save enough for retirement. I encourage you to attend Friday, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Krentz Center, Room 120, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest. This event is free and open to the public. It is the kickoff event for the Center for Gerontology’s 2019 Holiday Camp for Seniors, which will be held on the River Forest campus, Dec. 6-8. For more information, contact Dr. John Holton at John.Holton@CUChicago.edu. Marc Blesoff is a former Oak Park village trustee, co-founder of the Windmills softball organization, co-creator of Sunday Night Dinner, a retired criminal defense attorney, and a novice beekeeper. He currently facilitates Conscious Aging Workshops and Wise Aging Workshops in the Chicago area.

Fred Hampton

Good and dead

A poem on the 50th anniversary of the killing of Fred Hampton by Chicago Police: hicago never an enlightened city has declared itself a sanctuary city to blunt federal predatory immigration policy and shrieks of a tweeter-in-chief inciting his base’s hatred of The Other

C

GARY

JOHNSON

Even with its new-found dignity a “reform” mayor Mexican Independence paraded down 26th King Drive Bud Bilikin pageantry, our immigrant city has yet to square a notorious racist past Chicago never an enlightened city where in a Dec. 4, 1969 predawn West Side raid at 2337 W. Monroe fourteen cops in cahoots with, we now know, the FBI blasted their way Capone-style ninety-nine flying bullets into a Black Panther apartment to a single outgoing shot killing party member Mark Clark (shot through his heart) and Illinois party chairman Fred Hampton (twice shot at close range in the head)

This in the middle of our military napalming Vietnamese, Nixon’s law and order crackdown on cities, J. Edgar Hoover declaring the Black Power movement America’s #1 public enemy, FBI agents ordered to “prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify or electrify the militant black nationalist movement”

One View

A community activist turned militant revolutionary born in the shadow of the Argo Corn Products plant off Archer Road in Summit, Illinois (where his parents worked alongside Emmett Till’s father) Fred Hampton solid-bodied with a shy big-dimpled grin was an orator par excellence and fearless the king of signifying able to rouse feet-stomping crowds to join him with shouts of “I am a revolutionary!” While west coast Panthers stormed the Sacramento state house toting guns in berets wraparound sunglasses leather jackets See FRED HAMPTON on page 36

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

O U R

I

V I E W S

Shredding the Interventionists

n a moment when Oak Park’s two public school districts are full in on restorative justice — some prefer aspiring to transformative justice — as essential ways to create safe and welcome school communities, it is discouraging to see the unraveling of the powerful alliance of local governments that 25 years ago invented the first bold and sincere effort at derailing the traditional and failing policing approach to youth at risk. This was the Youth Interventionist program organized by Oak Park Township Youth Services under the leadership of John Williams. It had two remarkable aspects: The program hired several young social service professionals who went straight to the streets and in homes to engage young people about to make rotten choices. They met kids in the parks, they took referrals from an appreciative police force, and they went knocking on front doors to meet the parents of these youngsters across the dining room table. They talked honestly, offered resources, and diverted young people from the policing/prison pipeline. The second remarkable accomplishment: On a proportional basis, every single taxing body in Oak Park and River Forest used tax dollars to pay the township for the program. Park districts, libraries, village governments, townships all cooperatively funded a program that needed both the cash and the buy-in to make this work. The alliance has fractured in recent years. River Forest’s village government dropped its funding last year. It now seems clear that Oak Park’s village government is going to bail in 2020. This is a bad choice that reflects, in part, bad feelings among our elected officials. We’re not talking big dollars here. The entire program costs a bit more than $200,000 to run each year. Oak Park Village Hall’s share came to $50,000. The Oak Park library chipped in $10,500. The parks in River Forest contributed $3,154. You get the picture. It wasn’t about the money. It was about the unanimity. All hands on deck. Until now. As Oak Park village government prepares to walk away, village trustees are split. Some understand the power of shared support. A majority, though, say the township has plenty of resources to fund this program directly. Likely they do. Hopefully they will. But the necessity of focusing on alternate methods of connecting kids on the verge with solutions that don’t take them to court, that don’t put them in the system, has never been more critical. Shredding the collective determination to do just that diminishes the possibility of success.

Dear deer From the first moment the River Forest Village Board began considering hiring or contracting sharpshooters to cull a growing and roaming deer population it was an idea bound to lead to sharp opinions. The village board has now, in the face of determined disagreement, decided to step back. A citizen-driven task force will soon be formed with both proponents and opponents charged with sorting out solutions. No timeline has yet been announced. Ground rules still uncertain. A prudent cop-out? We will see. Everyone agrees the deer population ranging out of Thatcher Woods and into the residential neighborhoods is on a steep rise. Too many deer? A rising Desplaines River drowning a natural habitat? Points to be argued. A natural outcome of living adjacent to a forest, even part of the “charm” of the neighborhood? Some make that case. Residents tired of having lovely and costly gardens devoured and trampled? A direct health hazard with reports of Lyme disease being spread? Also arguments being made. This was a topic too hot for the village board to just decide. We’ll find out if a task force of divided citizens can reach a consensus.

V I E W P O I N T S

Theme song for the Trump reality show

I’ve been trying to come up with a song to accompany Donald Trump’s reality TV presidency, but it’s already been written: “Razzle Dazzle” from Chicago, the 1975 Bob Fosse musical (and 2002 Oscar-winning film), words by Fred Ebb, music by John Kander. You can find the tune online. Just imagine Richard Gere as Billy Flynn with orange hair. Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle Razzle dazzle ‘em Give ‘em an act with lots of flash in it And the reaction will be passionate. Impossible to be indifferent. If we ignored Trump, his base might begin to doubt him too. Our resistance, in their mind, validates him. Mindless hatred, they say. It’s not. It’s moral condemnation. There’s a big difference. But the persistent roar of our outrage is just so much background noise for their standing ovation. Give ‘em the old hocus pocus Bead and feather ‘em How can they see with sequins in their eyes? What if your hinges all are rusting? What if, in fact, you’re just disgusting? Razzle dazzle ‘em And they’ll never catch wise. Trump can’t get enough of them, holding rallies, it seems, every week. And they can’t get enough of him. So what if he lies? All politicians lie, right? He tells far more lies than the other guys do, but those are lies they can believe in. Yes, he’s a womanizer. He cheated on his wife, all his wives. He’s crooked in business. He’s cozy with white supremacists. But he’s anti-abortion! All is forgiven! He’s completely self-serving. He may have betrayed everyone in his life, including his country, his oath of office, but he’s on their side! He would never betray them. No way! Give ‘em the old razzle dazzle Razzle dazzle ‘em Give ‘em a show that’s so splendiferous Row after row will grow vociferous. Pay no attention to that long train of abuses of power going on behind the curtain. Pay no attention to the fact that he acts more like a servant of the Kremlin than a defender of the Constitution. Pay no attention to his constant stream of Twitter insults, his adolescent ranting and emotionally unstable raving, the pure unadulterated meanness of the man. Pay no attention to his disdain for checks and balances and subpoenas. The law is for little people! He’s above all that. He’s the grand and powerful Oz in his great and unmatched wisdom, the chosen one, the savior, the most amazing president in U.S. history! Pay no attention to the polls and pundits. His rambling rallies tell the story. This impeachment stuff is baloney. He’s innocent. A victim. Purely political. It’s a professional wrestling match and row after row is howling for Trump’s orange scalp, but his base only sees a white hat. Give ‘em the old flim flam flummox Fool and fracture ‘em

KEN

How can they hear the truth above the roar? What is truth anyway? Truth is the winner’s version. Pay no attention to the facts. As Reagan said, facts are stupid things. As Marx said (Groucho, not Karl), “Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?” They’ve been hoodwinked too many times by their own eyes. The American Dream was fake news. Throw ‘em a fake and a finagle They’ll never know you’re just a bagel, Razzle dazzle ‘em And they’ll beg you for more! The system is corrupt. They want someone to drain and destroy the swamp. It takes a corrupt person to battle a corrupt system. Fight fire with fire, corruption with corruption. The winner is the one who’s the most entertaining and Trump is nothing if not entertaining. The Gospel According to Donald. Give ‘em the old double whammy, Daze and dizzy ‘em. Back since the days of old Methuselah Everyone loves the big bambooz-a-ler. He speaks their language. They can read between his lines, loud and clear. He says what he means and even if he doesn’t, they know what he means. He says what they want to hear. They’re of one mind. Give ‘em the old three-ring circus Stun and stagger ‘em When you’re in trouble, go into your dance. He’s in trouble now and dancing to beat the band, dancing the dance of executive privilege and immunity. No one can touch him as long as he keeps up the beat. Though you are stiffer than a girder They’ll let ya get away with murder Razzle dazzle ‘em And you’ve got a romance. Trump said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue in broad daylight and get away with it. He’d plead self-defense, like he always does. Give ‘em the old Razzle dazzle Razzle dazzle ‘em Give ‘em an act that’s unassailable They’ll wait a year ‘til your available! The base can’t wait ’til 2020 to re-elect him. And if the other side impeaches him and tries to remove him from office, there will be hell to pay. Give ‘em the old Double whammy Daze and dizzy ‘em Show ‘em the first-rate sorcerer you are. Trump has plenty of tricks up his sleeves. He’ll pull this election out of his hat. Four more years … at least! Long as you keep ‘em way off balance How can they spot you got no talents? Razzle dazzle ‘em And they’ll make you a star! Or as Roxie Hart says in Chicago: “The audience loves me. And I love them. And they love me for loving them. And I love them for loving me. And we love each other. And that’s ’cause none of us got any love in our childhoods. “And that’s showbiz.”

TRAINOR

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

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Linda Francis John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Tom Deja Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck

Thanks for remembering Mark Rogovin I liked the great breadth of the Nov. 13 issue. I was especially delighted with the obit for Mark Rogovin [Missing Mark Rogovin, John Rice, Viewpoints]. John’s acknowledgement of his wife, Michelle was very moving. Pages 24 and 25 of Viewpoints, particularly. Well done layout of those pages! I knew Mark before I moved to Illinois. He had a great passion for African-American singer Paul Robeson. As my mother’s small record company was the last company to release Robeson’s music, I was still living in

Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan Client Engagement Natalie Johnson Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge

New York when Mark first contacted my mother (now deceased, founder of Monitor Records). I was delighted to find him when I moved to Oak Park. With Mark’s help, my husband (Don Goldhamer) built a very complete discography of Robeson’s recordings. I hope to meet John Rice and sit with him on the bench that meant so much to Mark.

Nancy Mikelsons Oak Park

Make up for past tax mistakes Taxing bodies of Oak Park are squandering a unique opportunity with the end of TIFS to bring Oak Park taxes in line with other comparable communities and I respectfully urge you to reconsider at this time how you handle TIF payments and an increase in levies. I recall at least one study published in a local newspaper within the past few years that demonstrated how our tax increases over the past decade or longer were significantly greater than comparable communities (as I recall as much as 20-25 percent). Many homes in other communities (even communities without a large commercial tax base) are far more valuable than my own, yet pay significantly less in taxes. In the past year I have seen at least two families turn away from buying in Oak Park because of the tax bur-

den, and I see that selling a home in Oak Park just continues to get more difficult because of our taxes. Taxing is a complex issue and I keep reading and talking to others to better understand it. I have worked for and supported referendums in this village for more than 30 years. But our taxes have gotten out of hand and our taxing bodies are proving to be tone deaf to what I am hearing most Oak Parkers are feeling. We need to make up for past mistakes, and, as I understand it, we have some opportunity to do that now. Going forward, we all need to get involved in helping our taxing bodies spend judiciously.

Carolyn Kalina Oak Park

Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

■ 250-word limit

■ 500-word limit

■ Must include first and last names,

■ One-sentence footnote about yourself,

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

your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

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

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

FRED HAMPTON 50 years after from page 33 demanding an end to police brutality Fred was organizing a west suburban NAACP youth group demanding black faculty and administration hires at his Proviso East High School marching for open housing in Marquette Park with Dr. King Once inside the apartment operating from a floor plan hand-drawn by an FBI informant (actually Hampton’s bodyguard) a cop emptied his machine gun along a hallway wall into the bedroom where he knew Chairman Fred (probably drugged) slept At that moment Fred’s fiancé Deborah Johnson pregnant with his child was straddling Fred’s back the bed (she said) violently shaking from bullets whizzing through the thin wall into the mattress Two cops stormed in flung her from the room then went back in where she heard the pop pop of a handgun a woman screaming one cop saying “He’s good and dead now” Filmmaker Mike Gray’s grisly documentary The Murder of Fred Hampton staggers the imagination We Serve and Suspect cops following orders can and will barge into your house shoot to kill you dead in your bed brag about it lie about it argue its merits period full stop Gray was tracking the 21-year-old’s dynamism at party headquarters a people’s court trying Fred lively downtown speeches in Daley Plaza the People’s Church on Ashland free school kid breakfasts Panther-run health clinics but needed an ending until he got the call Fred is dead

come to 2337 W. Monroe bring your camera It’s shocking black & white images show Fred’s shot-up blood-soaked mattress bullet holes in doors walls woodwork bloody floors lines of sober-faced neighbors braving the cold Panther tour guides pointing “This is where our chairman got his brains blown out” stepping thru the trashed hellish site left open arrogantly abandoned by police like the dangling burnt and mutilated black carcasses of long-ago Southern lynchings There’s a chilling Black-and-white photo of a group of cops carrying out Fred Hampton in a body bag smirks on their faces lit by the flash leather jackets and pie hats fading into the predawn dark proud as punch of their hunting booty a job well done. A “blatant act of legitimized murder” claimed white Maywood councilman Tom Streeter adding “and in the context of militant acts against militant blacks in recent months suggests a systemic act of repression” as FBI COINTELPRO surveyed Panthers were gunned down and jailed across the country At the Fred Hampton Pool in Maywood west of the city there’s a front-lawn bust of Fred on a marble block the significance of this water-filled hole in-the-ground memorial cannot be overlooked Fred’s push for a pool and rec center for Maywood’s black kids led to his arrest by Maywood police then making the FBI’s Key Agitator Index of activists the rest is history While Panthers recognized their oppression in liberation struggles of colonized Third World peoples in China, Cuba, Vietnam, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau Fred’s ultimate sin in the eyes of the police state was forging Chicago’s original Rainbow Coalition Panthers aligning with poor white racist “dislocated hillbilly”

Young Patriots in Uptown with Cha Cha Jimenez’s Young Lords Puerto Rican street gang of Lincoln Park Daley’s cops let off the leash to split riffraff heads in the way of gentrification Folks forget in the 1960s blacks were under nationwide siege by police folks forget point # one of the Panthers’ 10-point plan “Freedom to determine the destiny of the black community” Panthers arming themselves with calls to “off the pigs” in essence to police the police menaced only terrorist cops haunting black neighborhoods Chicago’s heart beats blood power control from the Haymarket riot (1887) to cops ordered to shoot to kill or maim arsonists cripple looters in the King Riots (April 1968) to the whole world’s watching Democratic Convention police riot (August 1968) to Chairman Fred’s targeted murder a year later to Laquan McDonald shot 16 times (2014) (the police-killing video suppressed for 13 months) the Panthers at least challenged as best they could what a recent report calls a culture of “excessive violence” within the Chicago Police Department the beat goes on Chicago never an enlightened city with shoot-’em-up weekends school kids escorted down safe corridors crushing poverty Mag Mile mammon Panthers a faded tattoo a bruise beneath the skin that never heals a sanctuary city in search of its humanity So here’s to Fred Hampton fifty years out a true people’s radical dared speak truth to power seek justice and parity across racial class ethnic divides paid the ultimate price Sources: The Murder of Fred Hampton (film documentary), The Film Group (Chicago) 1971, Mike Gray, producer The Assassination of Fred Hampton, by Jeffery Haas, Chicago Review Press, 2009 Hillbilly nationalists, urban race rebels, and black power: community organizing in radical times, by Amy Sonnie, Melville House, Brooklyn, 2011. Gary Johnson is an Oak Park resident.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

We’re giving thanks for you

Dear Wednesday Journal, You’ve helped us care for more than 3,400 children this past year with pediatric medical, dental and behavioral health care that truly goes above and beyond to support each child and their family. Thank you for being a part of our active, caring community, fulfilling a vision of health justice that will positively impact patients today, and for generations to come.

Peggy LaFleur

Executive director

Staff

Children’s Clinic

Board and members OPRF Infant Welfare Society

Don’t give away our streets

Recently the Oak Park Village Board has been giving away a certain kind of real estate that they don’t think we citizens will miss — streets. For example, Maple Street south of South Boulevard for the new apartment building, and Lombard south of South Boulevard for the Public Works building. Developers are swooping in now to seize portions of Euclid near Madison Street, and Monroe Street near Wenonah Avenue. These land grabs are a bad idea for several reasons. They cause traffic to increase on surrounding streets and alleys, increasing congestion. By reducing foot and vehicular traffic on Euclid, they make the area less safe, particularly at night. They reduce the ability of firefighters to access buildings in the area in an emergency. Village board: Please don’t give away any more streets to developers.

Kevin Shalla Oak Park

Send letters to the Editor Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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ANNUAL STATEMENT OF AFFAIRS SUMMARY FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2019 Copies of the detailed Annual Statement of Affairs for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2019 will be available for public inspection in the school district/joint agreement administrative office by December 1, annually. Individuals wanting to review this Annual Statement of Affairs should contact: Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302 708.524.3000 8:00 - 4:30 School District/Joint Agreement Name Address Telephone Office Hours Also by January 15, annually the detailed Annual Statement of Affairs for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2019, will be posted on the Illinois State Board of Education’s website@ www.isbe.net. SUMMARY: The following is the Annual Statement of Affairs Summary that is required to be published by the school district/joint agreement for the past fiscal year. Statement of Operations as of June 30, 2019 Educational Operations Debt Services Transportation Municipal Capital Projects Working Cash & Maintenance Retirement/ Social Security Local Sources 1000 56,871,487 7,705,602 3,848,950 3,166,252 4,137,829 164,849 787,782 Flow-Through Receipts/Revenues from One District to Another District 2000 0 0 0 0 State Sources 3000 13,524,510 0 0 2,404,184 0 0 0 Federal Sources 4000 3,039,864 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Direct Receipts/Revenues 73,435,861 7,705,602 3,848,950 5,570,436 4,137,829 164,849 787,782 Total Direct Disbursements/Expenditures 74,746,510 8,310,205 7,236,857 3,741,234 2,333,292 23,593,233 Other Sources/Uses of Funds (2,094,867) 0 2,507,537 0 0 30,003,060 0 Beginning Fund Balances - July 1, 2016 16,813,115 4,458,322 6,744,079 3,654,869 3,965,848 (4,283,703) 3,166,853 Other Changes in Fund Balances 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ending Fund Balances June 30, 2017 13,407,599 3,853,719 5,863,709 5,484,071 5,770,385 2,290,973 3,954,635

Tort

Fire Prevention & Safety

1,687,858

1,644

0 0 1,687,858 432,703 0 2,250,988 0 3,506,143

0 0 1,644 0 0 115,172 0 116,816

SALARY SCHEDULE OF GROSS PAYMENTS FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL AND NON-CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL GROSS PAYMENT FOR CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL Salary Range: Less Than $25,000 Bellmar, Mary; Benedict, Alan; Bernabe, Carrie; Billingslea, Ralph; Blench, Nicholas; Brooks, Kathleen; Burke, Devin; Camacho, Lena; Carlson, Brian; Carmody, Cara; Ciosek, Mark; Cofield, Antoinette; Collins, Olive; Daly, Dana; Dunn, Diane; Dunn, Jeanette; Endres, Anne; Evans, Mary Ann; Fencl, Mary; Fisher, Cassandra; Franzen, Barbara; Frost, Joanna; Fuller, Donna; Fuller, Janis; Gallo, Kathryn; Green, Amy; Hartman, Edward; Henderson, Lamonica; Hillard, Jaren; Inksetter, Julia; Ivy, Michelle; Jones, Pamela; Keith, Katrina; Kitto, Karen; Kyritz, John; Leahy, Erin; Lofton, Katherine; Loud, Janice; Magura, Loriann; Martin, Paul; McClellan, Brittney; McCorry, Alexandra; McDonald, Maureen; McDonnell, Anne; McGee, Daniel; Morrison, Robert; Muhammad, Diana; Myles, Lynette; Neumayer, Alexandra; Nowinski, Alissa; Pedraza, Arlene; Petrosino, Maribeth; Petruczenko, Meghan; Pingle, Aryan; Pintado, Lisa; Porat, Elana; Powers, Nathan; Robinson II, Vernon; Robinson, Deborah; Rodriguez Bazzi, Natalia; Saam, Eileen; Schandelmeier-Bartel, Cathleen; Sell, Catalina; Senneke, Cindy; Shea, Lisa; Shelton, Bruce; Shepherd, Dolorez; Sherlock, Robyn; Skocen, Vera; Smith, Kerry; Smith, Mary; Sotelo, Magdalena; Steele, Donna; Stokes, Heather; Stokes, Megan; Suggs, Linda; Thomas, Darryl; Watson, Charles; Weigel, Donna; Williams, Philip; Wilson, Edwin; Zemke, Frieda Salary Range: $25,000 - $39,999 Kowalczuk, Peter; Perry, Courtney; Whitehead, Georgia

Qayumi,

Mariam;

Salary Range: $40,000 - $59,999 Anderson, Julie; Beck, John; Chu, Elizabeth; Clark, Natalie; Conley, Laurie; Connell, Hannah; Corrigan, Betsy; Daniel, Matthew; Fillyaw, William; Garcia, Felicia; Gonzalez, Erika; Hill, Elizabeth; Homann, Jessika; Jenkins, Kathryn; Lazzara, Jessica; Moody, Kiera; Mullins, Margaret; Pecora, Kathryn; Planek, Anne; Raad, Jason; Radogno, Nancy; Rojas, Lauren; Rosales, Kimberly; Roskos, Meagan; Schirmer, Zoe; Sims, Nicole; Skaczylo, Anthony; Small, Stephanie; Solomon, Jenna; Villalobos, Cecilia; Wampler, Jeannie; Wynn, Erin; Yafaie, Maryam; Youman, Lisa; Zarosl, Jennifer Salary Range: 60,000 - $89,999 Ablan, Megan; Advani, Shilpa; Affetto, Amanda; Agruss, Lauren; Aguilar, Savanah; Aguirre, Lidys; Alberttis, Estefania; Alejos, Katy; Alheim, Mary; Altshuler, Sarah; Andersen, Mark; Anderson, Elisa; Anderson, Joseph; Anderson, Michelle; Armstrong, Rhapsody; Arreola, Gloria; Asgharzadeh, Parisa; Bagri, Juliana; Baker, Caroline; Baldassarre, Jennifer; Banks, Renita; Barker, Ruth; Barnard, James; Bartell, Claire; Bates, Bess; Baylian, Jessica; Beader, Kimberly; Belmont, Kathleen; Bennett, Lindsey; Berger, Colleen; Berkeley, Rachel-Lee; Berman, Abigayle; Biggins, Anna; Bland, Antoine; Borah, Cynthia; Boudreau, Hannah; Brazen, Donna; Breit, Robert; Bringley, Maria; Brown, Kiah; Brown, Lauren; Browning, Jennifer; Brummell, Lee; Bruno, Molly; Buccieri, Rachel; Buckley, Jennifer; Bultas, Christina; Burch, Brandon; Burries, Catina; Byrnes, Julie; Cahill, Mary; Cairns, Katherine; Caputo, Mina; Casselle, Rahwa; Chaidez, Clemente; Chan, Willa; Childress, Marvin; Chinn, Amy; Chinski, Nicole; Choi, Petra; Chrystall, Linda; Cofsky, Jennifer; Coglianese, Steven; Colella, Jessica; Colucci, John; Colucci, Michael; Contraveos, Aaron; Contraveos, Agnese; Conway, Elizabeth; Cooper, Deborah; Corcoran, Ellen; Cordero, Alina; Costanzo, Danielle; Court, Adrienne; Cousin, Johanna; Cruz, Michael; Dabney, Veronica; Dajani, Ruby; Datz, Madison; Debruin, Jennifer; Degman, Kiera; Degman, Sean; Delia, Caroline; DeSanto, Jordan; Dewolf, Daniel; Djikas, Megan; Dolan, Emilie; Dolan, Michael; Dombek, Jill; Donovan, Georgia; Downs, Claire; Downs, Matthew; Dykla, Maxwell; Ebert, Quinn; Eggert, Laura; Egner, Katherine; Eichstaedt, Douglas; Emmendorfer, Erica; Feierberg, Patricia; Fenske, Jessie; Fleming, Kasey; Fogg, Karen; Fourman, Grace; Fowlkes, Krystal; Fox, Kaitlyn; Frame, Carolyn; Freeman, Megan; Friel, Juliette; Friesen, Judy; Gaffney, Pam; Gates, Ryan; Gawne, Heidi; Gehrke, Jeffrey; Gibson, Shantorria; Golemes, Lindsay; Goodman, Megan; Gordon, Mark; Gordon, Ryan; Gray Jr., Joseph; Grogan, Jorie; Guarino, Nancy; Guerrier, Anne Marie; Hamilton, Catherine; Hanna, Lisa; Haro, Sari; Harrington, Christiana; Harris, Faith; Hart, Deanna; Harvey, Lawrence; Hauser, Carmen; Heaphy, Madeline; Heide, Lindsay; Heide, Nora; Heidloff, Savannah; Helm, Keisha; Henrichs, Brianne; Highland, Cristina; Hill, Stacey; Howard, Bernard; Howe, Erin; Hussey, Colleen; Jacobo, Julia; Jacobson, Erin; Jacobson, Evan; Jamrosz, Christine; Jaros, Jennifer; Jarosch, Elizabeth; Jenkins, Alicia; Jirka, Heidi; Johnson, Michael; Johnson, Sarah; Jones, Kimberly; Kadlec, Christian; Kahn, Samuel; Kamysz, Angelica; Kanavos, Stacey; Kane, Charles; Karia, Anjali; Kaunelis, Lauren; Kearley-Pruitt, Carina; Kelleher, Dierdre;

Kelly, Kathleen; Kelly, Mary; Kemper, Susan; Kibblesmith, Rachel; Kiferbaum, Rachel; Kinnaman, Anna; Kiolbasa, Sarah; Kleespies, Lauren; Klemp, Casey; Klette, Katharine; Kline, James; Knox, Catherine; Kontos, Elena; Koransky, Tamara; Kruse, Beth; Kula, McKenzie; Lagioia, Vito; Lahucik, Ann; Lamb, Allison; Leban, Todd; Lee, Miles; Lee, William; Logan, Jennifer; Lopez, Brent; Louthan, Sarah; Lukehart, Jason; Mabry, Amber; MacFarlane, Sada; Maggio, Sabrina; Magierski, Edward; Maher, Jacqueline; Manns, Yolanda; Mariani, Amy; Marinelarena, Liza; Martin, Alice; Masters, Molly; McAndrew, Patrick; McCauley, John; McDowell, John; McGill, Raven; McKinney, Carin; McKinney, Mary; McKinney, Wesley; Medema, Shannon; Meglan, Christopher; Meglan, Laura; Meier, Samuel; Meierhoff, Molly; Meilinger, Rebecca; Meisinger, Rebecca; Merriweather, George; Miller, Karolyn; Missman, Anna; Mohammad, Marta; Morrell, Jason; Mucha, Katrina; Mucha, Patrick; Munoz, Karla; Mura, Susan; Murawski, Nathan; Naples, Molly; Nelson, Allison; Nicks, Carmelita; Nieto, Anna; Niewald, Elizabeth; Nikolakakis, Caroline; Ninan, Jincy; Nowaczyk, Steven; Nylec, Kimberly; O’Brien, John; Ojeda, Esmeralda; O’Keefe, Kathleen; Olsen, Jennifer; Olson, Lauren; Olson, Steven; Omenazu, Aimee; Pabellon, Meaghan; Park, Shirley; Parr, Noelle; Patino, Margaret; Pelling, Lori; Perkins, Steven; Perros, Sarah; Peterson, Cathie; Peterson, Jamie; Pettenuzzo, Marissa; Pines, Nicole; Pletsch, John; Podlasek, Eric; Polley, Martha; Pros, Christopher; Pryor, Ayhesha; Pryor, Nicole; Quintero, Keira; Rajashekar, Veena; Rapoport, Carolyn; Raub, Daniel; Reeves, Laura; Rehfield, Marianne; Rhoades, Jennifer; Ricker, George; Rigali, Megan; Righeimer, Andrew; Robinet, Linda; Robinson, Sabrena; Robinzine, Lauren; Rodriguez, Tasia; Rogers, Marquita; Rollo, Richard; Rote, Emily; Ruff, Michaela; Ryan, Alyssa; Ryan, Sideeka; Sakamoto, Molly; Saliny, Lauren; Saliny, Shannon; Scanlon, Luke; Schmidt, Joshua; Schrems, Sheila; Schulte, Patrick; Shannon, Ericka; Simatic, Charles; Smith, Elizabeth; Smith, Elyse; Smith, Laura; Smith, Lindsay; Smith, Stephanie; Sorensen, Michael; Spillane, Karri; Stewart, Megan; Stigger, Nichelle; Stringham, Nefret; Suedbeck, Michele; Suerth, Stephanie; Sundquist, Kristen; Svihlik, Lara; Swistowicz, Phillip; Tabar, Aurore; Tague, Emily; Tangorra, Michael; Tatro, Hannah; Tencate, Therese; Thomas, Stephanie; Tisch, Caitlin; Torres, Rebecca; Touchette, Melanie; Tousignant, Paula; Tresselt, Susan; Trout, Lauren; Tucker, Miranda; Turner-Reid, Marsha; Tysse, Kate; Utter, Rory; Valle, Kelly; Vega, Lauren; Vella, Megan; Villasin, Katherine; Vincenti, Lawrence; Von Bokern, Mandra; Walsh, Susan; Walsh-Kallay, Jean; Weber, Rachel; Weck, Madonna; Weck, Meghan; Wehman, Christine; Weiss, Leslie; Welchko, Christina; Wetzel, Christine; Whitley, Katherine; Wieczorek, Carrie; Wilkes, Jasmine; Williams, Anne Marie; Williams, David; Williams, Emile; Williams, Jillian; Williams, Mohogany; Williams, Rasheedah; Williams, Sarah; Wilson, Cynthia; Winchell, Jamie; Winchell, Ryan; Winfield, Porsche; Winkelhake, Hilary; Withers, Richard; Witz, Jeanne; Wiza, Noah; Woods, Emily; Woodson, Erin; Wrenn, Jennifer; Yigzaw, Salome; Yocius, Mary; Youngberg, Michael; Zaragoza, Silvia Salary Range: $90,000 and over Andries, Paula; Apostol, Emmanuel; Arensdorff, Michael; Ashford, Kristine; Baker, Amy; Baker, Seth; Balicki, Linda; Bauman, Natalie; Beauprez, Lynne; Bell-Bey, Kila; Berger, Kevin; Boyle, Malachy; Bronner, Donna; Brown, Kina; Brown, Valerie; Budde, Leslie; Buie, Avivah; Bulger, Mark; Campbell, Laura; Capio, Michele; Capuder, April; Carr, Chemaine; Carrillo, Fernando; Casanovas, Joseph; Cassin, Norma; Chase Vivas, Elizabeth; Childress, Erica; Ciosek, Anne; Circo, Carla; Claire, Michael; Cole, Faith; Collins, Monica; Colmenero, Maria Elvira; Conmy, Diane; Darley, Anne; Dean, Katherine; Decancq, Nicole; Dinatale, Jacqueline; Dolezal, Angela; Dorka, Meghan; Doyle, Carolyn; Druckmiller, Kerri; Dunn, Julieann; Durham, Candace; Ellwanger, Jonathan; Featherstone, Jeffrey; Fenske, Emily; Ficca, Lynda; Fitzgerald, Todd; Francis, Christopher; Germanier, Janette; Gillespie, Michael; Glover-Rogers, Donna; Gonsur, Steve; Greco, Vincent; Grimaldi, Hilary; Groben, Patricia; Gulley, Canika; Gunnell, Sharon; Hancock, Joshua; Haus, Darren; Hausfeld, Mark; Hayes, Kathryn; Hayward, James; Hiolski, Tehra; Hjalmarson, Melissa; Hodge, John; Hoehne, Nancy; Hoover, Stephanie; Hoskins, Monique; Hughes, Paula; Ivey, Marion; Jacoby, Rocio; Janu-Chossek, Lori; Jaskiewicz-Garcia, Margaret; Jerkatis, Aaron; Johnson, Evette; Kamm, Carrie; Kannan, Ashley; Kanwischer, Thomas; Kelley, Carol; King, Julianne; Klein, Stacie; Korelc, Sandra; Kraft, Darren; Kuntz, Matthew; Lacey, Beth; Lawrence, Tawanda; L’heureux, Jean; Lofton, Eboney; Lyles, Sherita; Maciak, Matthew; Madsen, Susan; Manuel, Melissa; Manus, Paul; Martin, Angela; Martinez, Blanca; McComb-Williams, Chasity; McDaniels, Danielle; McDonald, Timothy; McGlynn, William; McNish, Susan; Mendez, Sarah; Middleton, Donna; Milburn, Jessica; Missman, Jeffrey; Moore, Sarah; Mulsoff, Beth; Murray, Kristiana; Naber, Scott; Nagano, Virginia; Nelson, Jennifer; Nelson, Mary; Nelson, Sondra; Neubert,

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Zillman, Lynne GROSS PAYMENT FOR NON-CERTIFICATED PERSONNEL Salary Range: Less Than $25,000 Agha, Fatima; Aguirre, Victor; Agustin, Elaine; Alejos, Darren; Alejos, Desi; Alexander, Jolynn; Anderson, Carlene; Andrade, Jennifer; Anthony, Johnnie; Arceo, Melanie; Ardison, Michaell; Arnold, Christopher; Austin, Avan; Avila, Stephanie; Bacalzo, Derek; Bailey, Desiree; Baker, Amber; Baker, Danette; BakerMills, Shetrice; Bannon, Eleanor; Barnes, Elizabeth; Barney, Kristen; Barrientos, Randy; Bassett-Dilley, Mariannell; Bayon, Jeanette; Benjamin, Terese; Bennett, Mica; Benson, David; Beutler, Alison; Bitoy, Fior; Black, Edward; Bland, Ariel; Bonds, Vanessa; Boone, Howard; Boonstra, Elizabeth; Botticelli, Kathy; Bowman, Camille; Boyd, Lakesha; Brewer, Gwashauna; Brooker, Sarah; Brown, Denoris; Brown, Kristina; Brown, Mitzi; Brown, Teresa; Buchanan, Erin; Bullock, Glenda; Bunch, Janice; Burger, Jacqueline; Burns, Maria; Callahan, Helen; Callahan, James; Campbell, Alfredia; Carr, Sandra; Cataldo, Angela; 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V I E W P O I N T S

In search of a Thanksgiving myth

hen I was a boy — I know, I know, that’s how so many stories from septuagenarians begin, but I’m trying to make a point that will bring what we do on Thursday up to date. When I was a boy, the reason for the season of Thanksgiving was told in a myth or story about Squanto teaching the Pilgrims how to farm in this new world, the Pilgrims putting on a big feast after a bountiful harvest in 1621, and the little colony of 53 people from England inviting their native neighbors to join them. When anthropologists use the term “myth,” they don’t mean a story that’s fake news. Rather, they mean a story that people tell to explain who they are and why they do what they do. We learned what I will call the PilgrimSquanto Myth (PSM) in grade school to promote the idea that we are a nation of immigrants and that we should all get along with and help each other. I loved PSM then and still do now. For me, it’s sort of like Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. To switch metaphors, it paints a picture of how I want life to be. In fact, I went through a stage in grade school when I wanted to become an Indian. My parents drove me up to the town of Kahena in the Menominee Nation northwest of Green Bay for one of my birthdays,

where I met some real Indians, and my parents bought me a 12-inch-high teepee made out of birch bark. Squanto was a role model for me. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, 242 years after Anglo-Saxons and Native Americans enjoyed an hour or two of harmony. He did it partly because he wanted to begin healing the wounds of war even before the conflict had ended. Here’s the problem: Dr. King referred to what he said — “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” — as a dream. The problem with PSM these days is that historical facts get in the way of that narrative working as a compelling, unifying myth, and that will always be the case when myths are based on historical individuals or events. For white nationalists, it portrays white people as the immigrants and completely dependent on Indians for their survival. So they can’t buy into it. For Native Americans and progressive

advocates of marginalized people, PSM neglects to tell the whole story. What I was not told, for example, was that Squanto spoke English because he was kidnapped and enslaved in 1614 by Englishmen who were exploring along the New England coast. I wasn’t told that when he got back to the “new world” he was shocked to discover that his whole tribe had been wiped out by smallpox which the colonists had imported from England. What PSM failed to note was that in the Pequot War in 1637, 16 years after the “first Thanksgiving,” the settlers burned a Wampanoag village and killed hundreds of men, women and children in retaliation for the murder of a white man whom they believed was killed by a member of that tribe. What was left out of the narrative was that indigenous Americans had been holding “thanksgiving” feasts for centuries if not millennia before 1621. For people who don’t want this myth to work, it won’t. Here’s what I mean. As I listen to people talk in coffee shops, local taverns and in the impeachment inquiry hearings, I have come to the conclusion that people don’t really want what the PilgrimSquanto Myth portrays, i.e. a table where

TOM HOLMES

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Sweeney Electrical 10,448.00; Kagan & Gaines Music Company 7,924.86; Kagan Contracting, Inc 45,040.00; Dahl Rachel 63,250.00; Delta Professional Development 18,271.91; Kasarda John Ph.D. Education Inc 6,113.34; Demco, Inc. 6,648.25; Demes Jacob 9,600.00; Keddesign, LLC. 9,750.00; Keys2Broadway Educ. 5,957.00; Didax, Inc. 6,426.43; Dist 97 BCBS 3,139,825.12; Dist 97 Theater Co., LLC 37,402.00; Keystone Educational Management Beneflex 207,858.95; Dist 97 First Commonwealth 380,257.92; Servic 32,709.00; Kinsale Contracting Group, Inc 22,500.00; Dist 97 HMO 5,663,603.14; Dist 97 Life Insurance Gross Up Liabili Kirtley Technology Corp 4,040.00; K-Log 2,918.47; Kripton Jordan 14,325.04; Dist 97 Guardian Critical Care 21,099.51; Dist 97 Unum 3,420.00; LaGrange Crane Service, Inc. 26,581.12; Lakeshore Life 11,957.63; Dist 97 Unum Long Term Disability 31,270.00; Dist Curriculum Materials 21,822.47; Lakeview Bus Line 3,707,210.28; 97 VSP Vision 16,063.94; Dist 97 VSP Vision Buy Up 17,625.28; Laureate Day School 112,626.22; Layden Matthew 2,806.50; Leap District 97 ECC 513,090.00; Dominos 9,001.70; Don Johnston Inc. Innovations 12,500.00; Learn 8,359.20; Learning A-Z 79,989.35; 13,635.00; Done Deal Promotions LLC 10,085.47; Donovan Learning Techniques, Ltd. 10,680.00; Learning Without Tears Geogria 4,000.00; Donovan Scane Clare 61,500.00; Downs 15,819.94; Lexia Learning Systems 39,600.00; Lige Anita 2,925.00; Matthew 3,032.82; Dr. Yvette Jackson, LLC 39,445.25; Dreambox Lincoln Investment Planning 565,124.43; Lincoln Investment

Planning Retirement S 7,000.00; Lisa Westman Consulting, Inc. 70,000.00; Lofton Katherine 5,123.50; Lopez Rosita 6,688.07; Lowery McDonnell 42,589.00; Luse Thermal Technologies, LLC 101,870.00; M & M Sports, Inc. 4,175.86; M2 Communications 4,125.00; Mackin Educational Resources 2,673.39; MaegawaGoeser Tyler 3,000.00; Magic Tree Bookstore 2,644.24; MakeMusic, Inc. 4,080.00; Mason Melissa 57,365.00; Maxim Staffing Solutions 183,883.84; MBS Identification, Inc. 3,420.00; McMaster-Carr 3,496.51; McGraw-Hill 77,100.25; McShane Michael 6,849.69; Meade Electric 9,000.00; Mecar Metal Inc 7,917.62; Meck Print 7,859.65; Meenoo Rami 5,000.00; Meglan Christopher 3,563.47; Menards 3,664.37; Mendoza Associates, Ltd 8,500.00; Menta Academy - Oak Park 36,892.04; Menta Academy Hillside 105,453.48; Metropolitan Preparatory Schools 221,142.37; Michael Driscoll 4,100.00; Michaels Uniform Company 9,173.53; Micro Management Technologies, Inc 3,757.20; Mid American Energy 998,460.29; Midway Contracting Group, LLC 38,039.00; Midwest Computer Products, Inc. 58,639.00; Midwest Event Solutions LLC 8,968.35; Milazzo Mary Katherine 21,048.98; Mitchell Serota & Associates 6,500.00; Mja Plumbing & Sewer Company 7,421.73; MobyMax 6,081.00; Morrow Lisa 3,394.38; Multi-Health Systems, Inc. 3,462.79; Murnane Paper Co 116,140.89; Murray Erin 4,800.00; Museum of Science and Industry 3,393.00; Music & Arts 11,464.72; Music Arts Center 5,435.66; NASCO 2,932.95; National Board Resource Center 31,388.00; National Equity Project 51,420.72; NCPERS-IL IMRF 3,136.00; Neale Quincie 5,110.18; Neopost Leasing 23,352.78; New Horizon Center 122,695.78; News-2-You 6,914.08; Nolan Fire Pump System Testing 3,000.00; Noland Sales Corp. 22,472.00; Northern Illinois University Bursar 20,680.37; Northwest Evaluation Assoc. 57,750.00; Northwestern University 20,900.00; Nsba 4,165.00; NSN Employer Services, Inc. 4,050.60; NutKase Accessories USA, LLC 12,849.85; NuToys Leisure Products 3,312.19; Oak Hall Industries, L.P. 5,654.00; Oak Park & River Forest Township 24,590.60; Oak Park Educ Support Prof IEA/NEA 18,288.85; Oak Park Education Foundation 8,150.58; Oak Park Elementary School District 97 50,079.74; Oak Park Tchr Assistants Assoc 38,936.03; Oak Park Teachers Association 361,933.30; Oconomowoc Dev. Trng. Cntr. of Wisc., LLC 14,929.18; Odyssey Cruises, Inc. 5,611.06; Office Depot 23,406.45; Olson Irina 2,667.00; Olsson Roofing Co., Inc. 21,408.00; OPRF High School 3,020.60; OPRF High School Food Service 696,652.22; OPSD 97 Federal 5,104,033.50; OPSD 97 FICA 2,831,058.04; OPSD 97 HSA (Further) 43,675.00; OPSD 97 IMRF 1,421,789.44; OPSD 97 State 2,341,567.93; OPSD 97 This 989,293.08; OPSD 97 TRS 4,662,033.47; OPSD 97 TRS Fed 23,261.08; Organized Sportswear 3,853.50; Ormiston Meghan Dba Tech Teachers 18,600.00; Padcaster 3,188.10; Palos Sports Inc 3,605.75; Park District of Oak Park 67,341.62; Parkland Preparatory Academy 177,587.61; Paula Kluth Consulting 13,555.02; Pearson 28,829.94; Peppler Misti 55,298.25; Perfect Cut Productions, LLC 5,400.00; Performance Fact, Inc. 75,419.99; Peripole, Inc. 5,093.20; Perry Ty 13,204.00; Phoenix Fire Systems, Inc. 3,869.00; Power Mechanical Services, Inc. 256,212.99; Powers Maureen 19,188.13; PowerSchool Group, LLC 83,227.21; Precision Control Systems Inc. 37,479.65; Prestige Distribution, Inc 4,200.00; Pros Chris 2,650.00; Providence Capital Network LLC 348,191.00; Quill Corp 30,232.54; Quintero Oryana S. 4,050.41; R&G Consultants

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

39

everyone is included, where our mutual interdependence is celebrated. What we want is for our side to win. What we want — you and me, somewhere deep in our secret selves — is expressed in the following joke: “When two people get married, the two become one. The question is which one.” James Hoggan put that way of approaching differences in the title of his book: I’m Right and You’re an Idiot. And finally, the myth is not compelling for the average Joe and Mary because they have their attention focused on enjoying a delicious meal tomorrow and shopping till they drop on Friday. The two subjects we avoid like the plague that killed Squanto’s people are religion and politics. Here’s the irony: If, in the picture of Thanksgiving we try to paint, we omit our human vulnerability to forces beyond our control, our need for other forces beyond our control to smile on us, the acknowledgment that we are interdependent, the admission that for the political process to work we have to be open to the other as a potential ally and the conviction that our differences can be complementary — if we avoid those essentials, there isn’t much emotional/spiritual room left for gratitude. Those essentials are the very things the Pilgrim-Squanto Myth was trying to inspire us with. If PSM is a vehicle that is no longer capable of carrying the freight, then we desperately need to find a dream to replace it — a dream that most of us can buy into.

24,622.55; R.E. Walsh & Associates, Inc. 23,265.00; Rachel Loftin, PhD, PC 11,900.00; Rainbow Book Company 5,413.61; Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 2,950.00; Really Good Stuff 4,705.28; Red Wing Business Advantage Account 5,861.23; Reeves Laura 3,292.71; Reliance Standard Life Insurance Co. 6,187.67; Research for Better Teaching 12,101.97; Rivs.com Inc. 7,500.00; Robbins Schwartz, Nicholas Lifton & Ta 427,327.57; Royal Pipe & Supply Company 19,770.29; Rush Day School 203,388.06; Rush Neurobehavioral Center 8,610.00; Rush University Medical Center 3,925.00; Russo’s Power Equipment, Inc. 27,658.13; Ryan Declan 2,835.00; S A S E D 48,149.00; S E I U Local #73 28,818.42; Saltillo Corporation 24,431.00; Santillana USA Publishing Co., Inc. 2,516.59; Saunders Elizabeth 7,583.13; Schindler Elevator Corp. 4,989.94; Schoen Audrey 3,300.00; Scholastic Classroom and Communit 5,815.74; Scholastic, Inc. 3,702.67; School Health Supply Co 29,233.59; School Specialty 53,634.41; Schoolbinder, Inc. (Teachboost) 81,624.00; Scope Shoppe 3,290.94; Seal of Illinois 104,732.79; Security Benefit Life Ins Co 18,761.63; Select Account 9,018.00; Self 205,614.00; Sherwin-Williams Company 10,540.18; Sign Express 2,964.00; Six Flags Great America 9,270.75; Soaring Eagle Academy 25,029.01; Social Thinking (Workshops, Books) 4,920.50; Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School 130,059.93; South Side Control Supply Co. 102,815.89; Southpaw Enterprises 4,755.79; Spanish Horizons, Inc. 5,400.00; Special Education Systems, Inc 39,811.94; Stanton Mechanical, Inc. 932,866.96; Starship Subs 6,654.43; State Disbursement Unit 65,216.41; Steps to Literacy 47,557.43; Stewart Filmscreen Corp 14,442.10; STR Partners, Inc. 1,912,676.29; Strategic Educational Interventions, Inc 5,700.00; Sunbelt Rentals 9,327.81; T. Rowe Price Trust Co Retail Retirement 136,236.18; Taylor Publishing Co. dba Balfour 13,608.00; Teachers Retirement System 127,574.60; Temperature Equipment Corp. 24,786.08; The CLM Group, Inc. 4,938.00; The Heph Foundation 4,500.00; Theatrical Lighting Connection 7,051.00; Thermosystems, Inc. 26,700.03; Thompson Elevator Inspection Service 3,100.00; Thomson Reuters-West 3,141.09; Thyssenkrupp Elevator Corp. 32,046.50; Tk Concrete, Inc. 12,800.00; Tobii Dynavox, LLC 11,144.00; Tom Vaughn, Standing Trustee 4,659.00; Tommy Guns Garage 7,650.00; Trane 59,181.36; Trebron Company, Inc. 9,333.33; TSA Consulting Group, Inc. 5,854.46; Twin Supplies, Ltd 5,205.23; United Radio Communications 10,627.23; University of Illinois Project Lead The 4,111.00; University of Oregon Educational & Commu 4,880.00; Unum Life Insurance Company of America 84,103.13; US Department of Education 6,527.78; USI 3,672.02; Vahey Lisa 4,305.00; Valic 200,345.06; Van Dusartz Susan 3,183.23; Varland Virginia 6,873.60; Verizon Wireless 14,777.81; Vex Robotics 4,463.38; Village of Oak Park 154,350.16; Village of Oak Park 149,698.73; VSP of Illinois, NFP 43,711.38; Warehouse Direct 162,430.13; Waste Management 25,834.64; Weathershield, LLC 5,675.00; Wednesday Journal 4,642.60; Weidenhammer Systems Corp 34,181.06; West 40 Intermediate Ctr #2 3,500.00; West Music Company 10,234.92; West Suburban Consortium 2,610.88; WI Center for Educational Researc 10,500.00; Wilson Language Training Corp. 64,176.90; Wolowitz Susan 5,500.00; Wooden Roof Structures, Inc. 9,960.00; World Centric 27,558.36; Worthington Direct 5,579.98; Wps 7,607.06; York International Corp. 13,692.20; Zearn, Inc. 20,000.00; Ziegler Ford of North Riverside 6,184.53

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

Check First.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

RELIGION GUIDE

First Congregational Church of Maywood

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

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

William S. Winston Pastor

Roman Catholic

Good Shepherd

Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM Believer’s Walk of Faith Broadcast Schedule (Times in Central Standard Time) Television DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest Meet our Rabbi, Adir Glick Pray, learn, and celebrate with our caring, progressive, egalitarian community. Interfaith families are welcome. Accredited Early Childhood Program Religious School for K thru 12 Daily Morning Minyan Weekly Shabbat Services Friday 6:30pm & Saturday 10:00am Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org

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

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

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

St. Giles Family Mass Community

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

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

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

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

(708) 697-5000 LIVE Webcast - 11:15AM Service

St. Edmund Catholic Church

ELCA, Lutheran

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

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

Grace Lutheran School

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

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

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

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

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

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

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 107TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca

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

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

Dec 1-24 Advent

6 Saint Nicholas Day

Christian

Christian

8 Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) Buddhism Immaculate Conception of Mary Catholic Christian

12 Feast day - Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Christian

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

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

D O O P E R ’ S

W

M E M O R I E S

What I learned and how I learned it

hen I was a young guy, I learned a great deal from both my elders and from books, and as this year draws to a close, I reflect on these lessons. Although some teachers and other people suggested the possibility of my becoming a teacher, I rejected this advice. But during my first year of college, an English professor brought up the topic of my becoming an English teacher. Somehow his approach made an impact on me, so I switched my major from math to English. When I told my family and friends, they thought I had lost my mind. They felt that way because they knew of my longstanding desire to be a civil engineer, but I stood firm. The lesson I learned was to be open to changes in life and to be willing to change my mind. In my younger days, I spent much time playing various sports, and I learned that sports can enrich one’s life and gave me the opportunity to build friendships and test myself both physically and mentally. I learned that sports are a source of accomplishment and self-knowledge, but at the same time, I learned that nothing is a substitute for education, and I always made certain that I would never forfeit education for sports. My grandfather taught me that it is important to learn from the ordinary experiences of life — from everything we do and say and think and feel, and as important, from everything those around us do, say, think and feel. It matters what we make of these experiences. It is necessary to examine them, to choose and to come away from each experience a better person. Reading is an invaluable skill, not only for the vast knowledge it brings but

for the sheer pleasure as well, and as a youngster I learned lessons from a number of books. The King James Version of the Bible gave me spiritual nourishment and also served as a model of great writing, language and style. In my fourth year Latin class, I read the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius [with the English translation open beside me] which showed me the importance of having an internal moral compass. I read The Origin of the Species when I was in college, and it helped me form the opinion that the world could be understood in a rational way. When I was in my second year of French in college, I read Les Miserables, which taught me certain social values that have stayed with me. I was quite aware of the Civil Rights Movement when I was a senior in high school, but it wasn’t until I read Black Boy that I became truly aware of the meaning of racial prejudice. Once a year for many years, I read Alice and Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn was a boyish adventure, but it was also comedy, terror and lyricism, and it taught me that the best writing and t h e subtlest makes artful use of plain and ordinary words. Alice taught me that witty and comic writing can do justice to the strangeness and dangers in the world. All in all, I have had a lifetime of rewarding learning experiences.

JOHN STANGER

41

O B I T U A R I E S

Lynne Morris, 71

Known for her laughter, social life, and hospitality Lynne Darby Morris, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, formerly of Oak Park, died peacefully surrounded by loved ones on Nov. 26, 2019 after a long struggle with multiple sclerosis. She was the longtime LYNNE MORRIS medical librarian at UNC Health Sciences Library; a younger resident of The Cedars, a retirement community in Chapel Hill; and the wife and business partner of Dwight Morris, founder of Carrot-Top Industries in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Born in 1948 in Portsmouth, Virginia to Charles Riggs Darby and Rosemary (Holly) Holler, she grew up in an army family, living in places such as Japan, Turkey, Kansas, Oklahoma, New York, and Northern Virginia. She graduated from Duke University in 1970 and earned her M.A. in Library Science from the University of Maryland. While at Duke, and on a blind date, she met Dwight, her husband of 48 years. Known as “the skinniest couple on campus,” they did their homework together and were married in 1971 in the same church as Lynne’s parents. They eventually moved to Oak Park where they gave birth to both of their daughters, of whom Lynne was endlessly proud, Jenni Darby Morris and Liz Darby Morris. In 1987, the family moved to Chapel Hill. Diagnosed with MS when she was 26, Lynne refused to succumb to this disease of the brain and nervous system for 45 years of her life. She demanded her independence and overcame each of her disabilities one by one as they arose in her life. Once a skier and a cyclist, she gradually lost her ability to feel her own body, the ability to walk or stand, or to hold objects without a severe tremor, becoming

so profoundly disabled that it eventually affected every aspect of her life. Despite this, she was known for her spunky personality, her full-steam-ahead attitude, and her vital presence. She taught others to do the things they wanted to do in life and not to hold back. Lynne and her husband raised money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and she has now donated her brain and organs to the MS Society for research. She loved people and working, passing on the latest technical knowledge about medical research, and going to the movies. She was known for her outspoken feminism and for her laughter, social life, and hospitality, including her annual New Year’s Day party. She had friends everywhere. She loved dark chocolate M&M’s, See’s Candies, the mountains of New Mexico, interior design, and impressionist paintings. She read thousands of books, regularly attended plays, attended monthly Carolina Science Cafes, ran committees for her community, met with her scrabble and mahjong groups, and inspired many with her determination — reminding us all that it is how we respond to adversity that shows our character. In addition to her immediate family, Lynne Darby Morris is survived by her sisters, Joan Darby Norris and Dana Darby Johnson and her kitten, Sonny. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to either the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to Planned Parenthood. Online condolences may be posted on www.clementsfuneralservice.com.

Maria Arenas, 80 Oak Park resident

Maria R. Arenas, 80, of Oak Park, died peacefully on Dec. 1, 2019. Born on March 31, 1939 in Santander, Spain to the late Ricardo Arenas Solis and Rebecca (nee Gorigoti), she was the wife of the late Carleton O’Connell. Additional information is available at 708366-2200, Forest Park’s Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home.

Robert P. Gamboney Funeral Director I am there for you in your time of need. All services handled with dignity and personalized care.

Cell: 708.420.5108 • Res: 708.848.5667 I am affiliated with Peterson-Bassi Chapels at 6938 W. North Ave, as well as other chapels throughout Chicagoland.

42

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

Fenwick falls to Benet 43

@ @OakPark

SPORTS

Water polo tradition lives on 44

Photo by James Kelly

MIDRANGE GAME: OPRF’s Isaiah Barnes (No. 11) rises up for a midrange jumper over RBHS’ Paul Zilinskas (No. 10) in the Huskies’ loss on Nov. 29.

RBHS upsets OPRF 88-79 in Thanksgiving Classic Huskies place third in tournament By JAMES KAY Sports Editor

You might have had the weekend of Thanksgiving off, but Oak Park and River Forest and Riverside Brookfield high schools spent Nov. 29 sparring in the Bill VandeMerkt Thanksgiving Classic. The Bulldogs upset the Huskies in an 88-79 thriller that saw both teams tugging back and forth with the momentum. OPRF’s Isaiah Barnes poured in 25 points, and his teammate Josh Smith contributed 23. RBHS’s Paul Zilinskas

tallied 23 points and went 5-8 from 3-point range. Bulldog Jamir Truman established himself as a force in the paint and ended the game with 14 points. Barnes, Zilinskas, and Truman earned all-tournament team honors. “We want to be peaking in January, February and beyond,” said OPRF head coach Matt Maloney. “We have been a better second half team the last few years. But we are going to use this as lessons and not losses. There’s a lot of bright spots and a lot of learning and practice time before we get to Pontiac and beyond.” Before the season, Bulldogs’ head coach Mike Reingruber told Wednesday Journal that the team would rely on hitting from beyond the arc. That is exactly what they did on Nov. 29.

In the first quarter, RBHS came out firing from the perimeter and Zilinskas ended the quarter with a contested three over Rashaad Trice in the corner as time expired to give the Bulldogs a 21-15 lead. Even with a marginal six-point lead heading into the second quarter, it was clear that RBHS was feeding off the energy of the rambunctious home crowd, propelling their momentum. “I think we were clicking on all cylinders, especially at the end of the first half,” said Reingruber. “We had 30 points off the bench which is kind of unheard of in high school. We have eight guys who know how to put the ball in the basSee UPSET on page 43

S P O R T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

43

UPSET

Comeback efforts from page 42 ket, and they all were able to do that on Friday.” The Bulldogs started to pull away at the 4:15 mark when Zilinskas hit another three to increase the Huskies’ deficit to 11. Over the last four minutes of the half, RBHS kept pushing the ball down the floor and finding the open man from deep. OPRF’s Josh Smith halted the momentum with a coast-to-coast transition layup that resulted in a 3-point play to make the score 41-29. However, RBHS wing John Hanley scored eight points in the final two minutes and gave the Bulldogs a 52-35 lead going into halftime. Despite the sizeable deficit, OPRF didn’t go away in the second half. The Huskies forced RBHS to turn the ball over during the last six minutes of the third quarter by pressing full court which started their comeback. After Barnes struggled to get anything going in the first half, one RBHS fan, who trash talked OPRF’s squad throughout, yelled, “Let Barnes shoot! He can’t hit anything!” Spurred, perhaps, by the fan’s remarks, Barnes took over and had two monster dunks, and went 4-4 from midrange and 3-point range in a four-minute span. After sophomore guard Demetrius Dortch hit a contact layup and Barnes threw a fullcourt outlet pass to Smith for a lay-in, the Huskies made it a one-possession game after Barnes pushed off his defender and buried another midrange shot. “The guys showed tremendous fight being down [over 20] points,” said Maloney. “We did that in 6-8 minutes. I think that is a testament to the heart these guys play with and that, when we clamp down, we are going to be tough to beat.” With six minutes left to play and the score 68-66 in favor of the Bulldogs, Reingruber called a timeout to regroup his team. “We just had to calm them down more than anything,” Reingruber said. “Basketball is a game of runs and that was theirs. I told them to move onto the next play, and it was as simple as that.” The Huskies’ comeback efforts were stunted after the timeout when RBHS guard Ryan Gaynor hit back-to-back transition threes to give his team a 74-66 lead. Both teams traded baskets the rest of the way and the duel ended in an 88-79 RBHS win. OPRF overcame that tough loss the next night and roughed up Proviso West in an 83-67 victory. They placed third in the tournament. St. Rita won the eightteam tourney. Their next game comes against Fenwick at the Chicago Elite Classic on Dec. 6 at Wintrust Arena.

Photo by Shanel Romain

LONG RANGE: Fenwick’s Sean Walsh attempts a 3-pointer at the John Malone Thanksgiving Tournament against Benet in a 50-42 loss.

Friars fall to Benet in tourney final

Head coach likes what he sees so far By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Fenwick boys basketball team has been receiving plenty of positive attention in the first week of the season, being ranked by NBC Sports Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times. But if one were to take a closer look at the Friars’ roster, there are only three players with significant varsity experience — Bryce Hopkins, sophomore guard Trey Pettigrew, and senior guard Sean Walsh. The youth on the roster oozes potential but there are going to be growing pains. Such was the case on Nov. 27 at Fenwick in the title game of the John Malone Thanksgiving Tournament. In front of a large, boisterous crowd, the Friars fell to Benet 50-42. “Benet is a great team and very well coached,” said Fenwick head coach Staunton Peck. “They are always one of the best defensive teams in the area and showed that against us. We have five sophomores in our regular rotation. Playing against a disciplined team like Benet early in the season is hard for any team, let alone a young team.”

Hopkins struggled in the first half against Benet, going only 1-of-6 from the field. Yet the Friars were able to take a 24-23 lead into halftime thanks to the second-quarter scoring contributions of senior Cal Malchow (six points on two 3-pointers) and sophomore Eian Pugh (five points). In the third quarter, Hopkins had a thunderous dunk that electrified the home crowd. But that would turn out to be his only basket of the second half as he again went 1-of-6 from the field, finishing the game with seven points and eight rebounds. “Bryce was being guarded by a big, physical kid and every time he drove to the basket he had two or three guys on him,” Peck said. “They also face-guarded him, making it hard to catch the ball. I don’t care if you’re Michael Jordan, it’s tough to score when people do that to you. Bryce will be fine.” Fenwick took a 35-34 edge into the fourth quarter, but Benet took the lead for good with an 8-2 scoring spree in the first three minutes. Matt Reid capped the Redwings’ outburst in spectacular fashion, stripping Hopkins of the ball and then going coast-tocoast for a layup and foul. The three-point play gave Benet a 42-37 advantage, and the Friars couldn’t come any closer as they went nearly six minutes without a basket. Benet’s Jack Prock led all scorers with 17 points. Reid finished with 10 points and five rebounds, and Jacob Snell — the primary

defender on Hopkins — added nine points and six rebounds for the Redwings (3-0). Pettigrew led Fenwick with 10 points but fouled out down the stretch, damaging the Friars’ hopes of a late rally. Max Reese added nine points and four rebounds and Pugh had eight points for the Friars (2-1). Hopkins’ rough outing against Benet came on the heels of an outstanding performance on Nov. 26 against Westinghouse, in which he poured in a career-high 44 points and added 11 rebounds in an 87-74 Friars victory. Pettigrew chipped in with 22 points, and sophomore Gabe Madej added 10 points. Devin Davis tallied 33 points for the Warriors (1-2). Overall, Peck was pleased with how his team performed. But he also knows the season is long and there’s a lot of work ahead. “I am happy with how we played,” Peck said. “We had some great performances from our young players. Every time you play in the championship game of a tournament, it is a positive. I am excited about the potential for this team as the season progresses. Fenwick has another busy week ahead. After playing at Providence, Dec. 3 (postdeadline), the Friars will have their annual rivalry game with crosstown foe Oak Park and River Forest High in the Chicago Elite Classic, Dec. 6 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago’s South Loop.

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

S P O R T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Eight years in, OPRF’s water polo tradition lives on

$5,655 raised for boys program since 2014 By JAMES KAY Sports Editor

From the class of 1977 to the recent graduates of 2015, generations of OPRF water polo players have congregated in the east pool over the last eight years to participate in the Paul Eckenroad Memorial Alumni Game. It serves as the ultimate high school reunion where the older participants can reminisce about their time with Eckenroad (a former OPRF swimmer and water polo player) while the younger alumni get to reconnect with their erstwhile teammates. “I think it’s great,” said Isaac Rothenbaum, one of the organizers of the event. “We aren’t a close group of people in terms of being OPRF alumni, but the water polo community is pretty tight. There is a lot of discussion about [water polo], and I think it helps get people out who haven’t played in a while.” The OPRF alumni game started back in the 1980s but didn’t occur every year. It wasn’t until Eckenroad died of heart complications in 2011 when the event was renamed after him and turned into an annual affair. He was a member of the 1977 OPRF graduation class and was known for his elite athleticism. His best friend, Charlie Groen, swam with Eckenroad since the two were 7 and 8 years old. Groen attends the alumni game to honor his fallen friend. “Paul was always cracking jokes and could light up a room,” said Groen, who graduated from OPRF in 1978. “I miss him, and I wish

S C O R E B O A R D OPRF Girls Basketball (1-4) 11/18 11/21 11/23 11/25 11/29

@Lane Tech St. Ignatius College Prep Metea Valley Planfield South Neaqua Valley

(L) 55-49 (L) 49-32 (L) 35-34 (W) 54-48 (L) 64-41

Fenwick Girls Basketball (5-0) 11/19 11.21 11/23 11/27 11/29

@Taft Phillips New Trier Warren Loyola Academy

(W) 51-32 (W) 51-35 (W) 52-37 (W) 57-37 (W) 41-35

Trinity Girls Basketball (4-1) 11/18 11/19 11/21 11/22 11/26

St Charles East Prospect Oswego East Conant @ Proviso West

(w) 72-43 (L) 51-62 (W) 67-55 (W) 54-44 (W) 49-40

he could come back and see the group.” Outside of honoring Eckenroad, the event is used to raise money for OPRF’s boys water polo team. Rothenbaum said no one has to pay, but it is preferred that anyone who participates makes a $20 donation. Since 2014, the event has generated $5,655 with attendees contributing more than $20 each most years. In terms of the game itself, warmups start at 11 a.m. but most participants arrive closer to game time at 11:30. “There are times when it’s [11:15 a.m.] and six people are in the pool,” said Rothenbaum. “We start to wonder if everyone is going to come, but then everyone arrives, and we have more than enough. It is always a nail-biter though.” The teams are divided by year of graduation (evens versus odds). In the 2019 game, Rothenbaum introduced every participant by the graduating class while the players were lined up on the side of the pool. Teams were cheered on by an audience of 20-30 people in the second-floor balcony above the pool. After the odds won the game, 15-10, the group made its way to O’Sullivan’s Public House on Madison Street. In the back room of the bar, tables were put together and everyone shared beer and a late lunch. At this point, everyone got the chance to catch up and talk with different generations of OPRF water polo players. “The thing I find most inspirational is seeing the generations above us coming out and playing with us,” said Eric Hallman, class of 2010. “It’s really a nice reminder that it’s a tradition that is alive within our commu-

nity for decades.” The event occurs on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Rothenbaum has the date earmarked with the school). For OPRF alumni who are interested in a casual game of water polo and have a swimsuit and $20, there is a place for you in the pool.

Photo by James Kay

TREADING LIGHTLY: Participants from this year’s alumni game pose for pictures after the event. (Below) OPRF alum Lee Werner receives a pass during warmups

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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

WEDNESDAY

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

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

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

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT, COUNTY DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS OF THE 4100 BLOCK BETWEEN DEYO AVENUE AND DUBOIS BOULEVARD

) ) ) ) ) )

2018 COSA 000001 VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD SPECIAL ASSESSMENT NO. 359

NOTICE - CERTIFICATE OF FINAL COST AND COMPLETION Notice is hereby given to all persons interested that the Village of Brookfield, Illinois, having ordered the construction of improvements to a portion of the public alley located between the 4100 block between Deyo Avenue and DuBois Boulevard, has filed with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, a Certificate of Final Cost and Completion and a Motion to Confirm the Certificate of Final Cost and Completion to have the court consider and determine whether or not the facts stated in the certificate are true. The hearing thereon will be held on the 23rd day of December 2019, at 10:30 a.m. or as soon thereafter as the business of the court will permit before the Honorable James Carroll in room 1710 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. All persons desiring to file objections to the Certificate of Final Cost and Completion may do so with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County before that time and may appear at the hearing and have their objections heard. DATED this 27th day of November 2019. VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD By: Kit P. Ketchmark, President Board of Local Improvements

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT, COUNTY DIVISION ) ) ) ) ) )

2018 COSA 000002 VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD SPECIAL ASSESSMENT NO. 361

NOTICE - CERTIFICATE OF FINAL COST AND COMPLETION Notice is hereby given to all persons interested that the Village of Brookfield, Illinois, having ordered the construction of improvements to a portion of the public alley located between the 3500 block between Forest Avenue and Prairie Avenue, has filed with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, a Certificate of Final Cost and Completion and a Motion to Confirm the Certificate of Final Cost and Completion to have the court consider and determine whether or not the facts stated in the certificate are true. The hearing thereon will be held on the 23rd day of December 2019, at 10:30 a.m. or as soon thereafter as the business of the court will permit before the Honorable James Carroll in room 1710 of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. All persons desiring to file objections to the Certificate of Final Cost and Completion may do so with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County before that time, and may appear at the hearing and have their objections heard. DATED this 27th day of November 2019.

Attention! Homeimprovement pros!

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Illinois Classified Advertising Network TRAINING/EDUCATION AIRLINE CAREERS FOR NEW YEAR–BECOME AN AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECH. FAA APPROVED TRAINING. FINANCIAL AID IF QUALIFIED - JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. CALL AIM 1-800-481-8312

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD By: Kit P. Ketchmark, President Board of Local Improvements Published in Landmark 11/27, 12/4/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y19002602 on November 14, 2019 Under the Assumed Business Name of GLOSS ADDICT with the business located at: 2110 S. 4TH AVE., MAYWOOD, IL 60153. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: FELICIA SIMMONS 2110 S. 4TH AVE. MAYWOOD, IL 60153. Published in Forest Park Review 11/20, 11/27, 12/4/2019

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Public Meeting Concerning Riverside School District 96 Proposed eLearning Plan

LEGAL NOTICE SCOTT J. LEVY (32596) Attorney for Petitioner 1525 East 53rd Street, Suite 504 Chicago, Illinois 60615

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Riverside School District 96 Board of Education will hold a public hearing at the beginning of its regularly scheduled Board meeting at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 to be held in the Learning Resource Center (LRC) at Hauser Jr. High School located at 65 Woodside Rd., Riverside, IL 60546.

STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss

The purpose of said hearing will be to receive public comment on the proposed eLearning plan, which, if approved, will permit students’ instruction to be received while students are not physically present in lieu of the district’s scheduled emergency days. This program is allowed under Public Act 101-0012. Notification of this hearing is provided to families and is posted in the newspaper more than 10 days prior to the scheduled Public Hearing. Published in RB Landmark 12/4/2019

Published in Landmark 11/27, 12/4/2019

IN THE MATTER OF THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENT FOR ALLEY IMPROVEMENTS IN A PORTION OF THE 3500 BLOCK BETWEEN FOREST AVENUE AND PRAIRIE AVENUE

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y19002681 on November 26, 2019 Under the Assumed Business Name of JOY XOXO with the business located at: P.O. BOX 22, BERWYN, IL 60402. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JEANITA MOORE 3512 OAK PARK AVE BERWYN, IL 60402. Published in Wednesday Journal 12/4, 12/11, 12/18/2019

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District #97 will receive sealed Financial & Human Resources System responses at the Administrative Office located at 260 West Madison Street – Oak Park, IL, 60302, until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2019. At this time sealed responses will be publicly opened and read. Copies of specifications may be secured at the Oak Park Elementary School District #97 District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. Cut-off date for picking up scope of services is 4:00 pm, December 13, 2019. Responses mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of: Oak Park School District 97 Attn. Mr. Michael Arensdorff 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302 The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “FINANCIAL & HUMAN RESOURCES SYSTEM”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Mr. Michael Arensdorff at (708) 524-3015 or marensdorff@ op97.org Responses Due Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 4:00 P.M. Only those responses complying with the provision and specification of the response will be considered. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualification or irregularities and/or reject any or all responses, when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97. Sheryl Marinier Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journal 12/4/2019

Starting a New Business in 2020? Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice here

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Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re the marriage of MARCELO GONZALEZ-NUNEZ, Petitioner and MARIA MARTHA RUIZ, Respondent, Case No. 2019D-000393. 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 December 27, 2019, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition. DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk. Published in Wednesday Journal 11/27, 12/4, 12/11/2019

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS PROJECT NAME: Riverside School District 96 is requesting Bids for the following project: RIVERSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT 96 – CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM -All Trade Packages (see bid dates below) -Tentative Start Date: 1/27/2020 -Substantial Completion Date: 8/14/2020 -Owner’s Representative: Vistara Construction Services -Architect: DLA Architects -Construction Manager: Berglund Construction SUBMISSION DUE DATE: Bids for ALL Trade Packages must be delivered by 1:00 pm on Friday, December 20th, 2019 to the attention of Jim Fitton, Riverside School District 96. Bids must be addressed and delivered to Riverside School District 96, 3340 S. Harlem Ave, Riverside, IL 60546. Public Bid Opening will be held in the District Office Board Room on the 2nd floor immediately following receipt of bids. CONTACT: Mr. Brian Sayles, Project Manager; bsayles@berglundco.com or 312-871-4442 DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE: Bid documents will become available at 8:00 am on Wednesday, December 4th, 2019. Please contact Brian Sayles with Berglund Construction to receive a bid invite through SmartBid, which will have the link to all project Documents. Published in Landmark 11/27, 12/4/2019

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION LOANCARE, LLC Plaintiff, -v.JORGE BAUTISTA, ROSALIA SANCHEZ Defendants 2018 CH 06558 149 RICE AVENUE BELLWOOD, IL 60104 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 2, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 6, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 149 RICE AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-09-107-0930000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE

P

PB

Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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) 236-SALE 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. 14-18-05678 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 06558 TJSC#: 39-6480 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 # 2018 CH 06558 I3138437

The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES

CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE 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. 14-17-17365 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 05883 TJSC#: 39-6512 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 # 2018 CH 05883 I3138403

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) 236-SALE 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. 14-12-14848 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 12 CH 019546 TJSC#: 39-7341 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 # 12 CH 019546 I3138921

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF ABFC 2007-WMC1 TRUST ASSET BACKED FUNDING CORPORATION ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007WMC1 Plaintiff, -v.CLEVELAND ARMSTEAD, YVETTE PENNYMON ARMSTEAD A/K/A YVETTE PENNYMON, ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Defendants 2018 CH 05883 309 SOUTH 22ND AVE BELLWOOD, IL 60104 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 3, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 6, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 309 SOUTH 22ND AVE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-10-124-0110000

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CITIMORTGAGE, INC. Plaintiff, -v.JESSIE BRUMFIELD Defendants 12 CH 019546 1526 N. AUSTIN BLVD. OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 11, 2012, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 7, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1526 N. AUSTIN BLVD., OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-106-020; 16-05-106-021 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said

local employees, happy employees! REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Hire Local. Place an ad on the Journal’s Local Online Job Board. Go to OakPark.com/classified today!

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. The 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. This 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. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review

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

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Wednesday Journal, December 4, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

I’m proud to work for a Community Bank that gives back to organizations like Oak-Leyden.” ERIN O’NEILL, SVP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, BYLINE BANK

A Community Bank for Oak Park and River Forest. Born and raised in Oak Park and River Forest, Erin O’Neill returned to the area, nearly a decade ago, to raise her own family here—and quickly became involved with Oak-Leyden Developmental Services. “I’m constantly inspired by our participants and amazed by the work Oak-Leyden does, helping children and adults with developmental disabilities to enjoy fuller, richer lives,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I joined Byline—a true community bank with more than 100 years of history supporting neighborhoods and organizations like Oak-Leyden, all around the Chicagoland area.”

To learn more about our commitment to Oak Park and River Forest, visit bylinebank.com/oprf

©2019 Byline Bank. Member FDIC.

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