Wednesday Journal 030823

Oak Park and River Forest

OPRF nance group hints support for referendum

School board decision on funding scenario still ahead

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Dance-ability

Four of the five community members of the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Community Finance Committee (CFC) apparently favor sending the financing of the school’s approximately $102 Project 2 to a referendum. The 12 person CFC, which also includes five OPRF employees and two school board members including president Tom Cofsky and member Kebreab Henry, met on Feb. 28 to discuss financing options for Project 2 and other matters.

Cal Davis, Petra Guer rero, new CFC member Kathleen Odell and CFC chairman Steve Miller all favored financing Project 2 primarily with referendum bonds, which are only issued after voters approve the borrowing in a referendum, rather than with debt certificates, a kind of borrowing that doesn’t require a referendum.

“We are the community finance committee so we do need to listen to the community I feel,” said CFC member Guer rero said. “And it is the right thing to do; I would

See PROJECT 2 on pa ge 12

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e Children’s School faces an uncertain future

Lease renewal at St. Edmund declined

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

After five years in Oak Park, The Children’s School’s time at the old St. Edmund School seems to be coming to an end after the denial of a lease renewal.

The Children’s School, which helps innate student’s curiosity through a “democratic practice, emergent curriculum, and handson projects,” in a nurturing environment, moved to the area following a 12-year stint in Berwyn.

Despite a “good relationship” with the Roman Catholic church, Pamela Freese, director of administration, said having a renewal of its lease declined came as a sur prise.

“It was a giant shock to us,” Freese said. “We have been a tenant since 2006 and were under the impression that the lease would be renewed based on conversations with everybody that we talked with.”

For Freese, the partnership was a no-brainer, as the school’s curriculum and style lined up with the church’s teachings. Additionally, Freese said the school has worked hard to establish themselves as a good neighbor, sharing classroom spaces without issues and even investing its own funds into the building.

In a recent newsletter emailed to parishioners, Rev. Rex Pillai, pastor of Ascension and St. Edmund, and Rev. Carl Morello, pastor of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles, told parishioners the decision to not renew the lease for the St. Edmund School property was made by the Chicago Catholic Archdiocese due to the current physical condition of the building.

“Recently we lear ned that the building is in need of extensive repairs, repairs which our parish is unable to finance,” read the letter “Our parish is also unable to financially manage the risk associated with this building while occupied by the school.”

Wednesday Jour nal reached out to Pillai, who said that at this time he had “no comments about the school.”

However, in the Feb. 26 bulletin from Ascension and St. Edmund, which last year joined under one parish with two locations, Pillai and Morello infor med parishioners that the

physical state of the St. Edmund School was reviewed due to the upcoming lease renewal discussions

“Unfortunately, the condition of the building and the overwhelming investment needed to address the condition, is beyond the reach of the community and the Archdiocese,” read the bulletin. “So the renewal of the lease to the Children’s School is not a possibility.”

According to the bulletin, the parish is moving forward with a structural review and to form new parish councils as well as a finance committee. With more information being collected, a previously scheduled “Faith, Finances, Facilities, and Facts Meeting,” which was supposed to be held across the two combined Oak Park parishes on Monday, March 6, has been canceled

“In the meantime, we will be creating our new finance councils in order to include them in the sharing of information and the conversations on how best to move into this next phase of the process of Building a New Reality (BNR).”

BNR is the second stage of Renew My Church, the archdiocesan wide process reflected in the merging Oak Park’s four Catholic churches into two parishes.

Besides two roof shingles that fell, which were addressed, Freese said the school does not currently have any safety concer ns regarding the building.

“We knew it was an old building when we moved in,” Freese said. “We don’t have any safety concer ns here. It hasn’t changed any since we have been here, to my knowledge, but I’m not a building engineer.”

When reached for comment, the Archdiocese of Chicago deferred Wednesday Jour nal to the bulletin and said those types of decisions are usually made by the parish at large

The end of the lease ter m for The Children’s School is June 30.

“This is a very big deal for us,” said Christina Martin, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “I think it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this threatens the future of the school.”

The school currently enrolls 135 students from grades K-8, with approximately 60 percent of students being local to the Oak Park and surrounding area, said Freese

This locality allows the school to dive deep into its community, engaging with local organizations and programs to help strengthen relationships According to Freese, students

have worked with the senior center, stocked community fridges, and worked on conservation efforts at Thatcher Woods, part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

This focus on service is ingrained into the school’s philosophy.

“School is not something you do to prepare for life later on, it is part of your life when you are a child,” Martin said. “I think we are really connected in the community, and we want to be, it is part of our philosophy and our approach.”

While the school hopes to reach other agreements with the Archdiocese, including a possible short-ter m extension or even a longer-ter m lease where the school financially helps with repairs needed, parents have been notified about the current situation.

“School is about stability,” Freese said. “That is what parents are looking for in a school, and we felt it was only right to let them know when we knew this issue was on the table.”

Leigh Morgan, a resident of Oak Park, said her family is disappointed the issue with the lease has arisen.

Coming from a private progressive school in California, Morgan said her family was drawn to the school’s teaching style as it aligned with their style, incorporating progressive, hands-on, project-based lear ning with a social and emotional emphasis. Location also helped her children lear n independence by being able to safely commute to school.

While her eldest daughter has already graduated from the school, the potential location change would impact her 12-year-old

son, Luke, a 7th grader at the school who had already begun scoping out the 8th grade classroom.

Morgan said their family will follow The Children’s School anywhere.

“It’s his last year and I want him to finish with his peers,” Morgan said.

Morgan is hopeful that if the school is closed, the building would be put to good use and continue to add to the beauty of Oak Park

“The Children’s School being there is such a great combination of such a wonderful, inventive, creative school community and this magnificent old building, so if the school is not there doing that, bringing that life to it, I wonder what will happen to it,” Morgan said.

Freese said alumni families have expressed disbelief and sadness as the school continues to work in hopes of either coming to an agreement or finding a new location.

“We do want to continue the conversation with St. Edmund and the Archdiocese as much as they are willing and able,” Freese said. “But we have to be prudent in looking at other options.”

While there has been talk on other potential sites through the Archdiocese, location has been an issue and Freese said they are trying to be creative and thoughtful in looking at other spaces and potential community partners, emphasizing that they are open to ideas from the community

“The school is more than just a building,” Martin said. “We can bring our values and our approach to any space and make it something amazing. It is a heady lift, but I am really confident that we can do it.”

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ/STAFF e Children’s School has called the St. Edmund School building home for the past ve years.

BIG WEEK

March 8-15

One Ear th Film Festival: ‘Powerlands’

Wednesday, March 8, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y Veterans Room and vir tually through One Ear th Film Festival

Special watch par ty of One Ear th Film Festival’s screening of the lm Powerlands by Camille Manybeads. The award-winning lm is from a young Navajo lmmaker who investigates displacement of Indigenous people and devastation of the environment caused by the same chemical companies that have exploited the land where she was born. On this personal and political journey, she learns from Indigenous ac tivists across three continents. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

13th Annual Oscar thon

Saturday, March 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y

The Oscar thon movie marathon is back for the 13th year. Popcorn, ra e prizes, and Oscar-nominated lms from the past year will be shown all day at the Main Librar y. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park. This year ’s movie lineup:

• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, 9:30-11:15 a.m.

• The Fabelmans, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

• Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, 2:15-4:10 p.m.

Teller ’s Night

Gamelan Music From Java

Monday, March 13, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Centur y Charitable Association

A group of musicians from Friends of the Gamelan will spotlight music from the Gamelan, played on Indigenous instruments There will also be a Q&A session. Suggested donation: $15 (free to members). 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park

One Voice For Ar ts

Friday, March 10, 4:30 p.m., First United Church A live per formance featuring the Oriana Singers, Pro Musica Youth Chorus, the Symphony of Oak Park/River Forest, and Oak Park Festival Theatre. This program is presented by One Voice For Arts, a newly-formed consor tium for ar ts organizations in the OP-RF area. 848 Lake St., Oak Park.

Vanessa Collier with Li’l Ed

Friday, March 10, 8:30 p.m., FitzGerald’s Collier is a multi-instrumentalist, but is best-known as a vocalist and sax player on the blues scene. She will be joined by Chicago blues veteran Li’l Ed, who is billed for this show as a “one -man band.” 6615 Roosevelt Road, Ber w yn.

Tuesday, March 14, 6:30 p.m., Exit Strategy Brewing Company

Five or six stor ytellers will relate their personal narratives

$15/$10 for FPAA members.

7700 Madison St., Forest Park

Listing your event

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper

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

■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

Simone Boutet

Susan Buchanan Jim Taglia Cory Wesley Brian Straw

A proud West Sider, Brandon Johnson advances to runo in a historic election night

Johnson will face Paul Vallas who secured 33.73% of the vote

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

Brandon Johnson, a son of the West Side, defeated incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot in advancing to the runoff election for mayor of the city of Chicago. Lightfoot is only the second incumbent mayor in the last 40 years that has been denied a second ter m; the city’s first female mayor Jane Byr ne lost her primary race in 1983.

Now, on April 4 Johnson will face Paul Vallas, the for mer CEO of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Vallas led the ninecandidate field winning 33.73% of the vote according to the latest data from the Chicago Board of Elections.

Johnson, a for mer Chicago Public Schools teacher and current Cook County Commissioner for the 1st District, came out on top of longtime political figure Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia in a contentious runoff. The night of the election, Johnson, who lives in Austin with his family, secured 20.27 percent of the vote, an advantage of 3.18 percentage points over Lightfoot’s 17.09 percent and 6.57 percentage points ahead of Garcia.

Speaking at a Feb. 4 mayoral candidates forum organized by West Side community groups, Johnson took pride in his West Side roots Yet, the latest election results show West Side residents favored Lightfoot. In the 29th, 37th and 24th Wards which cover Austin and Garfield Park, Lightfoot obtained at least 30% of the vote while Johnson averaged 17% of the vote Runoff contender Vallas only obtained a slight advantage on Johnson in the 29th Ward with a difference of 191 votes

in his favor accounting for 19.63 percent of the vote versus Johnson’s 17.64 percent. In the 24th and 37th wards, Vallas trailed behind Johnson obtaining only 5.71 and 7.63 percent respectively.

As Johnson seeks to defeat Vallas, gaining the support of the majority-Black wards on the West and South sides of Chicago will be key as both candidates try to persuade voters who favored Lightfoot and businessman Willie Wilson who also ran in the Feb. 28 primary.

Richard Boykin knows Johnson well having been defeated by him in a race for Cook County Commissioner in the 1st District which includes the West Side and near west suburbs. Boykin believes the Black community will be pivotal in the run-off and that Black voters will have to decide between two different agendas

While Johnson and Vallas are both Democrats, the two have decidedly different visions for the city on key issues including public safety, economic development and taxes Vallas boasts the support of the Frater nal Order of Police and has vowed to retur n the Chicago Police Department to “its core mission to protect and serve the people of Chicago.” His proposals

include increasing police presence in the city’s mass transit system, hiring more police officers and building a Forensic Crime Lab. He has expressed his disapproval of increasing taxes for businesses such as airlines and hotels, measures proposed by Johnson.

Johnson has moved his progressive agenda forward by expressing his support for the Treatment not Trauma ordinance seeking to reopen mental health clinics and have health professionals respond to crisis calls rather than police officers. Johnson’s approach to public safety lays on support initiatives that invest in community development to increase public safety rather than investing in police. To fund these initiatives and the city’s budget, he has proposed a budget plan that includes reinstating a business head tax, a tax on airlines known as the Chicago Jet Fuel Tax and a tax ranging from $1 to $2 on securities trading contracts known as the Big Banks Securities and Speculation Tax.

A moderate stance on policing and taxes could benefit one candidate over the other, as it is “more appealing to a broad base of people who live in the city,” Boykin said. “But I mean, there are 33 days to go before the election, so we’ll know soon.”

COLIN BOYLE/Block Club Chicago

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson greets supporters a er he announced his run for Mayor of Chicago at Seward Park on Oct. 27, 2022.

COLIN BOYLE/Block Club Chicago Johnson faces Vallas in the runo election on April 4.

Asbestos discovery halts demolition of Madison Street building

Neighbors concerned they were put at risk of exposure

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Discovery of previously hidden asbestos has led River Forest of ficials to interrupt demolition of the Lutheran Child and Family Services (LCFS) Building at 7612-20

Madison St.

The discovery in February of the asbestos prompted four people who reside near the building, including Debbie Bor man, who re presents the neighborhood org anization Lathrop, Ashland, Franklin Neighbors, to express their concer ns about the asbestos to village of ficials at the Feb. 27 village board meeting

Demolition of the LCFS Building and single-family homes at 11 Ashland Ave. and 10 Lathrop Ave. was approved by the village board last Se ptember when of ficials awarded a contract to Anthem Excavation and Demolition of Itasca for $284,000.

The demolition costs will be covered by a grant for up to $350,000 from the Illinois De par tment of Commerce and Economic Development. The properties are in the Madison Street Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.

According to village of ficials, removal of known asbestos was completed in November. Demolition did not be gin until January due to delays for utility cutof fs, but work was stopped in February when the previously hidden asbestos was discovered.

In a letter to Bor man dated March 2, Village Attor ney Lance Malina explained that United Analytical Services Inc of Downers Grove perfor med an asbestos inspection in October 2017 and issued a re port in November of that year that showed the presence of asbestos but was “preliminary in nature with no partial demolition to find hidden asbestos.”

The three buildings to be demolished have sat empty since they were purchased by the village, the LCFS building in 2017, 10 Lathrop Ave. in 2018 and 11 Ashland Ave.

in 2019.

The village actively marketed the site for redevelopment, but of ficials did not receive any viable proposals, leading to the decision to demolish the buildings in the hopes developers would be drawn to the site once it is cleared.

Malina said when village of ficials decided to bid with the known data, bid documents provided all available asbestos repor ting and stated that there was clearly asbestos in the LCFS building and that the testing was limited in scope All bids received included line items for asbestos removal, using the existing re port, he added.

“Unbeknownst to the village, the contractor and asbestos subcontractor apparently made no provision for additional asbestos removal, notwithstanding the statements in the 2017 re port,” Malina said in the letter

Village of ficials hired an additional asbestos consultant, Nor ther n Environmental Development of Chicago, to conduct an inde pendent inspection and review of the asbestos at the site, he added.

Based on the results of that inspection, village of ficials are seeking proposals to remove all remaining asbestos with the hope to award a contract at the March 13 village board meeting.

Husar Abatement, the asbestos subcontractor, and Nor ther n Environmental Development indicated no interim interaction with the remaining asbestos was needed, which was suppor ted by the Illinois De par tment of Public Health, according to Malina.

However, after discussion with the Cook County De par tment of Environment and Sustainability, village of ficials hired Husar Abatement to remove approximately 30 feet of linear pipe at the opening of the building, which was completed March 3.

Neighbors who spoke at the Feb. 27 meeting said they felt they and the workers on the site were at put at risk by the presence of the asbestos, in particular the 30-foot drainage pipe

Park district gets $1M grant and village board criticism

Village board upset over park’s summer camp equity failing

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The Park District of Oak Park narrowly got its second grant of $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the village gover nment after its gaffe in promoting a racially insensitive summer camp put the request in jeopardy. The village board’s approval of the request March 6 came with an upbraiding of the park district for its absence of equity-oversight and a perceived lack of proper remorse. So vehement was the board’s scolding, the meeting was likened to being called to the principal’s office in school.

“You were going to teach a class on foods of the freaking slave trade,” said Trustee Susan Buchanan, the sole board member to vote against granting the request. “I’m wondering where the humility is here, and you deserve to be in the principal’s of fice.”

The camp, since canceled, and its description were widely criticized for glorifying the country’s ugly history of enslavement by teaching children to cook foods consumed along the Transatlantic slave route The park district received further criticism from the community for announcing the camp days before Black History Month.

The park district’s ARPA request, while not directly tied to the camp, has been viewed by the village board as making a further investment in racial equity. The sum approved March 6 was requested to make necessary improvements to Barrie and Andersen parks, the latter of which draws a racially diverse crowd. The village board was widely in favor of the renovation project when it was first presented in December. The board was still widely in favor of the project March 6, albeit angry and disappointed in the park district. Trustee Jim Taglia did not attend the meeting due to an injury

The park district’s efforts to address the harm caused by the camp offering underwhelmed the village board, which opted at its Feb. 6 meeting to table the request. Exactly one month later, the village board remains underwhelmed, despite the entire

park district board and Executive Director Jan Arnold attending the follow-up meeting

“We accept with no reservation or qualification that our actions brought harm and hurt to residents of our community and others,” said park board President Kassie Porreca. “And we deeply re gret that, and we do apolo gize.”

In addressing the board on behalf of the park district, Porreca vacillated between apolo gizing for the camp and describing the good intentions behind it. Much of her statement was a reading of the park district’s résumé of equity work and education, past and present.

Porreca professed to wishing to add historical context to strengthen the district’s commitment to addressing its summer camp mistake That only served to puzzle members of the village board.

“It does continue to leave me with confusion in how this happened, and not just the initial class and the language around it, but then the apology that followed, which really felt like a doubling down,” Trustee Cory Wesley said.

Further confusion, and ire, was caused by the park district’s repeated assurances that many Black residents, including an NAACP representative, said they believed the camp would have offered children a valuable educational experience, had it been promoted in a better, more responsible context. This did not fly with Village President Vicki Scaman.

“Don’t come here and tell us that you’ve spoken to Black residents of Oak Park who said that it was a good idea for you to run that class,” said Scaman. “The only people who matter right now are the people who were hugely traumatized by your actions.”

The board was further frustrated by the park district’s ambiguous plans to prevent similar racial equity missteps from happening in the future. Porreca relayed that the park district intends to add more personnel to its diversity, equity and inclusion internal committee, as well as give the committee more training and time to do their work.

At the suggestion of Trustee Chibuike Enyia, the village board stipulated that, in approving the park district’s ARPA request, park district personnel must seek the input of people outside the park district in making equity decisions. It was also directed that they employ a broader, more comprehensive community engagement strateg y.

Oh, my! Mamma Mia!

You want a sign of Spring? Here’s the sure thing.

It is the Spring Musical at Oak Park and River Forest High School. This year the treat is Mamma Mia!, the frothy musical

SATURDAY

based on the 2008 movie.

Sip, sizzle and swing during Jazz Thaw!

Enjoy free live music performances inside 12 local restaurants with the option to order from the host restaurant’s menu.

Presented by Downtown Oak Park in partnership with 90.9 WDCB “Chicago’s Home for Jazz!”

For the full schedule go to downtownoakpark.net/event/jazz-thaw or scan:

PHOTO S BY JENNY DONOHUE

Oak Park community banker banking on Oak Park

Former Community Bank CEO now heading up Oak Park Hoyne Savings Bank branch

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

A familiar face in Oak Park community banking is making a retur n. Walter Healy, for mer Community Bank president and CEO, has joined Chicago-based Hoyne Savings Bank to head up the bank’s first Oak Park branch. That branch just so happens to be in a for mer Community Bank location.

“It feels great. It’s a little sur real,” said Healy, now a Hoyne board member and executive vice president of commercial lending.

The retur n to 810 S. Oak Park e., which was Community Bank’s second Oak Park location, also serves as Healy’s retur n to community banking. Community Bank was purchased roughly four ears ago by Byline Bank and a noncompete ag reement compelled Healy to take a break from community banking.

“I wanted to comply to the letter the law,” said Healy. “So, I sat on the sidelines, doing my planning and now here we are talking, about a month before I’m ready to open that of fice over there.”

The exact date of the branch’s opening has yet to be decided but is expected to happen in mid-April. Healy, a lifelong Oak Parker, is thrilled to retur n to the profession he loves in the community he calls home for a company that shares his values.

“[Hoyne] has been around since 1887 and they’re committed to community banking, which is what attracted me to the org anization,” said Healy.

The company has also been very supportive of Healy’s desire to open a branch to serve people in the River Forest, Oak Park and Forest Park communities, which Healy said was a “critical” part in the work he wanted to do with Hoyne.

Healy has worked in community banking his entire ca-

reer The ability to make a dif ference in people’s lives is why he continues to work in that field. That reasoning, he admits, “sounds trite.”

“When the decisions are made locally, really made locally, that’s an important level of commitment to the community,” he said.

Despite not being able to represent the Oak Park community through banking in recent years, Healy has maintained his support for many of the village’s institutions on a personal level. Healy and his wife Maureen, both alumni, have are longtime donors to Ascension School, a Catholic school at Van Buren and Clarence..

And, while Healy’s been working with Hoyne for about seven months now, the bank’s official announcement coincided with Ascension’s Blue Tie Gala. Healy and his wife sponsored the March 4 fundraising event.

“It worked out really nicely,” he said of the timing

health and neither expressed any risk. We’re just going by their recommendations.”

from page 7

Village President Cathy Adduci said March 4 that she did not agree.

“I empathize with the residents, but we would never knowingly put them at risk,” she said. “We’ve been working with the Cook County and Illinois de par tments of

Matt Walsh, interim village administrator said there still is “a good amount of asbestos” that needs to be removed, adding the cost for the additional work would be covered either entirely or partially by the remaining $66,000 from the grant. If the costs exceed that amount, TIF funds would be used, he said.

The two houses will be demolished after the LCFS building goes down, Walsh said.

Healy was a founding shareholder of Community Bank, which he helped to establish in 1996 out of offices at 1001 Lake St. Community Bank grew to have three locations, including one in River Forest.

Community Bank opened its last location, the one which will soon reopen under the Hoyne name, in 2017. It took the bank about eight or nine years, Healy recalled, to find a location in south Oak Park. Community Bank snatched up 810 S. Oak Park Ave. after it was vacated by another bank then built out the space using local carpentry and restoration fir m Von Dreele Freerksen.

“We spent a lot of time designing and building that branch,” Healy recalled

Community Bank’s south Oak Park branch had a short life, however The property was acquired in 2019 in Byline Bank’s purchase of Community Bank. Byline closed the branch down without explanation the following year

Sometime next month, it will reopen as a Hoyne branch. Due to the “significant investment” Community Bank put into 810 S. Oak Pa rk Ave., which Byline left intact, the spac e needs little work before Healy opens its doors to the public once again.

“We’re going to just put desks in there,” he said.

The vintage-inspired wooden bank teller booth with custom metal lattice and reclaimed glass transom windows that Freerksen created for Community Bank is staying put, but it won’t be the branch’s only recognizable aspect. Healy has brought back several for mer Community Bank employees to staff Oak Park’s Hoyne branch.

On top of running the branch, Healy will be helping Hoyne to form and build out the bank’s commercial banking division. Hoyne has already done a “great job” of serving its residential mortgage customers, according to Healy, but the bank is looking to grow its commercial loan offerings and products. Healy will be leading those efforts.

“Building off the rich tradition and longevity of Hoyne, his experience, leadership and community connections will transfor m our offerings to include commercial banking for our current and future clients,” said Hoyne President and CEO Steven F. Rosenbaum. “We look forward to our growth under Walter’s leadership.”

Once all three buildings are demolished, topsoil and seed blanketing of the site will take place, weather permitting.

The Madison Street TIF District, which was created in November 2016, includes 98 tax parcels and 45 structures The district includes the nor ther n portion of Madison between Lathrop and Thatcher Avenue and includes several properties just nor th of Madison.

At the time the TIF District was created, of ficials estimated it could generate $25 million over its 23-year lifetime TIF funds

may be used for a variety of projects, from property acquisition to public infrastructure improvements to incentives for developers to bring in new businesses

The equalized assessed value (EAV) of all properties within the TIF District are “frozen” during the entire life of the district. Any taxes collected with incremental increases in those property values would be placed into the TIF fund, while all taxing bodies would continue to receive their share of the base EAV of those properties.

GOOGLE MAPS

810 S. Oak Park Ave.

Oak Parkers report feeling less safe in survey

A 15% decline overall on safety in 2022 responses

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park residents are generally very satisfied with life in Oak Park, planning to stay in town for years to come, loving park district services and, for 9 of 10 ready to recommend the village as a place to live.

This is according to just released results from the 2022 National Community Survey, a standardized survey Oak Park has been conducting regularly through a national organization since 2000.

There is one area, though, which saw a notable drop in confidence and that is public safety Just 6 in 10 Oak Parkers reported a “good” to “excellent” perception of overall safety. That is a 15% drop from two years ago. Lessened feelings of safety are not something unique to Oak Park, Village Manager Kevin Jackson told the village board in presenting the survey results on Feb. 27.

“The trend we’re seeing here is the trend we’re seeing across the country,” said Jackson.

The survey did report that 9 of 10 residents feel safe in their own neighborhoods and in Oak Park’s downtown area during daytime hours. Those numbers are unchanged from 2019.

About 7 in 10 reported feeling safe from violent crime, while a marginally smaller percentage reported feeling safe from property crime – 63%.

Public safety remains a priority for Oak Park residents overall, with 96% of respondents rating it as an essential or very important area of focus for the village in the next two years. The dip in feelings of safety, however, provide an opportunity for improvement, according to the survey.

Reviews of departments and services associated with public safety saw some significant decline since the previous survey, including police services, which was ranked 89% “excellent or good” in 2019 and 75% in 2022. Crime prevention in Oak Park saw the biggest decline, with 58% “excellent or good” rating in 2022 from 71% in 2019.

Gover nment polling platform Polco conducted the survey, as it has for the previous seven surveys The National Community Survey measures the “livability” of a community based on residents’ opinions in 10 central areas: economy; mobility; community design; utilities; safety; natural environment; parks and recreation; health and

wellness; education, arts and culture; and inclusivity and engagement. Since 2011 Oak Park has conducted the survey every two years.

The 2022 surveying period opened Sept. 28 and closed Nov. 16. During that time, Polco mailed the survey to 2,800 randomly selected households and received 505 total responses It also received 347 responses to its open-participation survey. The results are benchmarked across more than 500 comparison communities in the U.S.

Faith in animal control and the police department remained stable from 2019 to 2022. Animal control and fire services maintained “excellent or good” ratings of 72% and 93%, respectively. Fire prevention and education kept its 84% “excellent or good” rating as well.

In a question specific to Oak Park, survey respondents where were asked to rate the importance of maintaining certain village services at least at current levels, compared to cutting service levels, maintaining police and fire services ranked among the highest in importance. About 9 in 10 rated each as essential or very important.

NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER

PROJEC T 2 How to fund it

from page 1

definitely favor referendum bonds.”

Miller, who works as head of business operations for Schaumburg School District 54, said the size and expense of Project 2 seemed to call out for a referendum.

“I don’ t feel like many of the scenarios really work without it,” Miller said. “That’s my perspective. I think it’s big enough that’s there is going to have to be a referendum piece to it.”

Project 2 is a plan to demolish and rebuild the southeast cor ner of the OPRF building, which mostly houses physical education spaces. T he plan would include a new 25 by 40 yard swimming pool and a new third floor three cour t gym among a host of other upgrades

Guer rero, Miller, Davis and Odell all said they did not favor using debt certificates, a kind of bond that is paid of f from a school district’s operating levy rather than a specific bond levy and thus does not need to go before the voters in a referendum, to finance the project.

“I think we have more options than debt certificates so I think we should just take that one of f the table,” Davis said. Miller, Guer rero and Odell ag reed.

Debt certificates, because they are not backed by a specific tax levy as building bonds approved at a referendum are, g enerally car ry a somewhat higher interest rate than referendum bonds.

“I don’ t particularly favor debt certificates,” Davis said. “It would be a last resor t for the most pa rt.”

“Once you star t g etting long ter m on them, you’ re paying a lot.”

Greg Kolar, the final CFC community member, did not voice an opinion on whether the borrowing necessary to pay for Project 2 should go to a referendum.

None of the school employees on the committee voiced an opinion and neither did Cofsky and Henry.

Monica Sheehan, who has been a critic of the size of the pool in Project 2 and who has argued for months that any borrowing for Project 2 should go to the voters in a referendum was pleased with the meeting and the support for a referendum.

“It was a positive meeting, and I appreciated that CFC members stated clearly that debt certificates should not be used to fund major capital projects,” Sheehan said in an email sent to Wednesday Jour-

nal after the meeting.

The CFC did not examine any of the five specific financing scenarios, one of which doesn’t require a referendum, that the district’s financial advisor has previously presented. The CFC will look at specific scenarios at its next meeting on March 13.

“There’s more work to be done,” Cofsky said.

T he CFC members opposition to debt certificates is not likely to sit well with many of the most avid suppor ters of Project 2. T hey have been attending school board meetings consistently for months making public comments at the meetings calling upon the school board to vote to pay for Project 2 without a referendum.

T hey argue that waiting for a referendum, which could not happen until 2024, would delay Project 2 by a year and raise costs T hey typically don’ t say this but avoiding a referendum would also eliminate the risk of losing at the ballot box. In 2016 a much smaller $25 million referendum to part ially finance a new pool was defeated by a scant 28 votes Some Project 2 advocates have said they are confident that they could pass a referendum

this time if it comes to that. O pponents of Project 2 and those demanding a refe rendum, such as Sheehan, have also been attending school board and CFC meetings for months making public comments, demanding the issue be put to a referendum.

Project 2 proponents appearing before the school board have re peatedly pointed out that the one non-referendum option presented by financial advisor Elizabeth Hennessey of Raymond James Financial, had the lowest annual projected cost to taxpayers. But that result is obtained by assuming that issuing $44 million of debt certificates and paying them back at the rate of $3.5 million a year over 20 years will result in no additional cost to taxpayers because the operating levy would be the same with or without issuing debt certificates If OPRF paid for Project 2 with referendum bonds instead of by debt certificates it could presumably reduce its operating levy compared to less than it would levy if it was paying of f debt certificates.

Before the meeting Sheehan sent the CFC members an email with calculations concluding that the cost of spending $3.5 annually to pay of f debt certificates, as

Hennessey’s non-referendum scenario 4 would do, would cost the owner of a home wor th $500,000 an additional $199 a year in proper ty taxes which, combined with other borrowing for Project 2, would no longer make the non-referendum scenario the least costly to property taxpayers.

But in an email Karin Sullivan, the OPRF communications person, challenged the idea that the operating levy would have to be higher to pay of f debt certificates

“It’s er roneous to assume future boards of education will vote to increase the annual levy by $3.5 million per year to pay of f debt certificates, thereby increasing proper ty tax bills,” Sullivan wrote “In fact, the district’s already existing fiveyear financial projection — which does not include any debt — was used to estimate the af fordability and impact of the debt certificate payments on operatin g fund balances. T he annual tax levy was NOT increased in order to accommodat e the payment of debt certificates. This ability to ‘make room’ in the budg et has been discussed in many public meetings about the issue of debt cert ificates.”

Rendering of OPRF’s Project 2 pool proposal.

OPRF seeks 50 percent security sta hike

School board wants to see more data, possibly o setting cost cuts

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

In the wake of two recent fights that injured security guards the Oak Park and River Forest High School administration is asking its school board for permission to hire 14 additional security guards, known of ficially as Campus Safety and Support personnel, at an estimated annual cost of $677,000 based on an average salary of $48,400 per security guard. The school currently employs 27 security guards

If the additional security guards are hired this month, it would cost about $140,000 more for the remainder of the school year. But at the Feb. 23 school board meeting board members told OPRF principal Lynda Parker to come back with more evidence to support her proposal.

Parker told the school board that most of the additional security guards would be stationed by exterior doors to prevent students from exiting the school during the school day which happens several times a day setting of f alar ms. Parker also said more security coverage in general is needed at OPRF.

Last fall some security guards, including union leaders, appeared before the school board and said security guards were overworked, students were becoming harder to deal with and saying that morale was low among the security team

“Our Safety and Suppor t team has consistently re por ted that incidents of disrespect are increasing,” wrote Parker and Director of Campus Safety Cherylynn Jones-McLeod in a memo to the school board. “A significant reason for this disrespect is linked to our inability to consistently enforce expectations due to having insuf ficient coverage in the building. This results in doors being unsupervised, and alar ms being set of f by unauthorized exits, a several-times-a-day occurrence.”

Parker said at three particular doors

there are an average of 28 unauthorized exits by students per day.

The memo states fights at OPRF are not increasing. There were 33 fights at OPRF in the first semester, the same number as in the first semester of the 2021-22 school year and fewer than the 47 fights re por ted in the first semester of the 2019-20 school year.

But the memo states that currently security guards cannot cover all 17 first floor exit doors leaving some doors unmonitored. Other problems include the existence of the few “hot spots” where students can cong re gate outside the view of security posts, multiple students using single occupancy restrooms at same time, insufficient staf f to provide complete coverage in hallways during passing periods, and a greater need for supervision of the south cafeteria doors during lunch periods

Lunches, where students cong re gate, have been a time of problems Board member Gina Har ris who leads the Climate, Culture and Behavior Committee said educators on the committee have expressed concer ns about safety at the school.

If 14 new security guards are hired nine would be assigned to cover doors and four would be assigned to cover so called hot spots where students tend to cong re gate The assignment for the other new hire is not specified.

“Hiring these 14 positions will allow us to redistribute the remaining safety and security personnel, increasing coverage in the cafeteria and other hot spots throughout the building,” the memo states

Cur rently OPRF has 27.2 full time equivalent security employees which is already significantly more than the 17 supervisory aides recommended for a school the size of OPRF by the Illinois evidence based funding model which recommends one supervisory aide for every 200 students. But Parker said that OPRF is dif ferent than the average school in that it has 17 exterior doors She also noted that OPRF employs security people round the clock, eight of whom work on the evening shift and two work over night.

School board members seemed wary of

having so many more security guards than the state model recommends for a school the size of OPRF and wanted data to suppor t the request.

“An ask of 14 additional bodies is not a little ask,” said school board president Tom Cofsky noting that hiring 14 additional security guards would put OPRF at triple the number recommended by the evidence based funding model.

Board member Ralph Mar tire also noted that the spending on security was much more than the evidence based funding model would indicate and he wanted the administration to look for places to cut expenses so that the cost of additional security guards would be balanced out by cuts elsewhere.

Board member Sara Spivy wondered if a security guard was really needed at every

door She suggested that perhaps cameras could be installed to take photos of everyone leaving the school during the school day to serve as a deter rent.

Kebreab Henry, a board member, wanted more data about the need for additional workers just to monitor doors. Henry wanted to know how additional security workers would solve the problems the memo identified and wanted a balanced approach that also focused on changing student behavior.

Changing student behavior was also a focus for Har ris

“Are these people that are going to help them lear n new behaviors or are these just going to be reinforcements,” Har ris said. “I’m mindful of how that might feel for the students of having additional people just to observe them.”

ART BEAT

Inclusive dance company celebrates 40 years

Empowering ar tists, with and without disabilities, through dance for 20 years

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park-based Momenta is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a dance company and its 20th year of being inclusive of dancers with disabilities. To mark the two major milestones, Momenta is staging two different shows this month, with dancers performing physically integrated works, all choreographed by Momenta alumni.

“I would like our audiences to see that physically-integrated dance is its own beautiful artfor m. Our perfor mances can hopefully change perceptions and preconceived notions about disability,” said Sarah Najera, Momenta artistic and executive director

The Momenta showcase includes a matinee perfor mance of “The Empress and Her New Clothes,” starring professional Ladonna Freidheim with supporting performances by children in the dance company. The evening show, “Coming Home,” features adult professionals and advanced student dancers. Both shows will be perfor med the weekends of March 11 and March 18 at the Academy of Movement & Music, the studio out of which Momenta was founded in 1983.

Momenta was expanded in 2003 to embrace dancers with disabilities by Stephanie Clemens and Larry Ippel, two of the dance company’s three founders. Since then, Momenta has been challenging the ableist ideas that block many from engaging in dance.

“Momenta’s stage is a place for all of our perfor mers to be seen, acknowledged and celebrated, and that includes artists with disabilities who are making important contributions to the world of dance because of their disability, not in spite of it,” said Najera

Dance is one of, if not the most expressive art for ms because it uses the entire body to tell a narrative, but the world of dance is also one of the most physically discriminatory. Those without full range of motion

are widely excluded from dance classes and programs because their bodies do not fit the standard of what is traditionally expected of dancers. This marginalization leads many people with disabilities to believe that they cannot be dancers.

Freidheim, now 55, was led to believe that her dance career was over when she was diagnosed as a young woman with a degenerative disease. She had only perfor med three times as a professional ballerina before her condition caused her to lose stability in her legs And while she did not need to use a wheelchair immediately after her diagnosis, she was essentially shunned from the professional dance community

“When I showed up at a dance studio with my leg braces on, one of my old teachers said, ‘You know it’s just too depressing for the other dancers to see a cripple,” she recalled. “It was pretty awful.”

Momenta directly opposes the idea that a person who uses a wheelchair or has a disability cannot be a dancer. Pieces performed by the company are fully integrated, which is unusual even in companies that accommodate wheelchair usage. Dancers with and without disabilities dance alongside and with each other, challenging conventional ableist beliefs that perpetuate the mass rejection of entire groups of capable artists.

Wheelchairs are not treated as props in Momenta, but rather as extensions of the body They are incorporated into composition of dances in much the same way that a choreographer would call for a male dancer to lift a ballerina during a pas de deux. Momenta choreographers likewise do not eliminate partner dances from the company’s repertoire on the basis of one dancer using a wheelchair while the other does not.

For the piece “Runes,” which is a part of the program’s evening show, wheelchairs are used for balance and connection between the dancers, according to dancer Jess Martin, who uses a motorized wheelchair, having been born with cerebral palsy and dystopia, a condition that causes muscles to contract involuntarily.

The wheelchairs, like the people who use them, are integral to the construction and perfor mance of the piece In “Runes,” like

MOMENTOUS: “ e Empress and her New Clothes” is part of Momenta Dance Company’s 40th Anniversar y celebration, March 11 and 18.

other Momenta pieces, dancers with disabilities do not feel as though they have been shoehor ned in for the sake of surface-level inclusivity.

“I love this dance because they couldn’t do it without us,” said Martin. “We’re really a part of it and we don’t feel like we’re added on.”

“Runes,” choreographed by Oak Park native Annika Sheaff, is an archival Momenta piece first perfor med in 2016. It was restaged this year for the showcase. Martin and Kris Lenzo, another company dancer who uses a wheelchair, have had the distinction of being in “Runes” during its original staging and its 2023 revival.

Sheaff, who now lives and teaches college dance courses in Ohio, studied dance at the Academy of Movement and Music and continued her training at Julliard before embarking on her professional dance career “Runes” was the first time she had ever worked with a group of physically integrated dancers.

“I just tried to see how creative we could be, what sort of things could we do with the bodies in the room that we couldn’t do if it was a different group of people,” she told Wednesday Jour nal. “It just led to so many beautiful possibilities.”

Of the many possibilities to come from inclusive choreography was a star-making tur n for for mer athlete Lenzo, who has used a wheelchair since 1979 after a work accident necessitated a bilateral amputation.

To celebrate the accessibility improvements made to the studio, Lenzo, whose daughters were academy students, was asked to dance alongside his youngest, then a preschooler. That father-daughter moment led to him being in another piece, where the incredibly strong Lenzo was suspended upside down eight feet from the ground. From his aerial position, he spent the nine-minute piece dancing with a partner, at various points lifting her from the ground then lowering her back down.

Prior to joining Momenta, Lenzo joked that he only danced twice a year at weddings. He’s since been with Momenta for two decades, even winning an award for dance in 2015 from 3Arts, a non-profit that works in Chicago’s arts community The designation of “dancer” does not depend on whether or not someone uses a wheelchair or a cane or a brace It depends on opportunity.

“We’re all natural movers and dancers to some extent,” Lenzo said. “I think everybody can give it a try.”

SARA JANZ

Tra c stop leads to drug, DUI charges

A Chicago man received a litany of drug, traffic and alcohol-related charges after being stopped for a traffic violation in Oak Park Saturday night. The eight charges levied at the man include driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

The 37-year-old man was pulled over by Oak Park police at 11:01 p.m., March 3, in the 400 block of North Austin Boulevard in Chicago for improper lane usage, according to the Oak Park Police Department. A name check revealed the man was driving on a suspended license. He was arrested and transported to the police station.

After the man failed field sobriety tests, it was found he was in possession of heroin. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, three counts of driving with a suspended license, transportation of open alcohol and improper lane usage, as well as the DUI and intent to distribute charges.

Armed robbery

Two Chicago residents were held at gun-

point during an afternoon armed robbery at an ATM in Oak Park. The two victims were withdrawing money from an ATM in the 6600 block of North Avenue at 2 p.m., March 2, when two men pulled up next to them in a gray sedan with tinted windows. The two men then exited the vehicle and pointed black firearms at the victims, demanding money. Once the victims handed over the cash, the two offenders fled the scene in their vehicle, traveling northbound on Columbian Avenue. The estimated loss is $685.

Burglary

■ Two or three firearm magazines of 9mm ammunition and a ballistic vest were taken from a vehicle parked in the first block of South Boulevard between 3 p.m., March 1, and 9:15 a.m., March 2, during a burglary.

■ Someone broke into TGI Fridays, 401 N. Harlem Ave., damaged the secured liquor cabinet, then took several bottles of alcohol between 11 p.m., March 1, and 7:30 a.m., March 2. The estimated loss is $615.

Battery

An unknown man hit an Oak Park resident in the face several times while the victim was exiting a CTA train at 7:15 a.m., March 3, in the 700 block of South Boulevard. The victim was injured around the mouth and eyes

Motor vehicle theft

■ A 2014 Hyundai Sonata parked in the 300 block of North Cuyler Avenue was taken between 4:30 p.m., March 4, and 6:29 a.m., March 5. The estimated loss is $7,000.

■ A 2017 Hyundai Elantra was taken between 11:15 p.m., Feb. 26, and 8 a.m., March 1, from the 700 block of Ontario Street. Chicago police recovered the vehicle at 10:24 p.m., March 1, in the 200 block of South Hamilton Avenue.

■ A Hyundai Elantra of unreported year parked in front of a residence in the 1000 block of North Woodbine Avenue was taken between 4:30 p.m. and 7:40 p.m., Feb. 26. The estimated loss is $17,000.

■ A 2017 Hyundai Tucson parked in front of a home in the 1000 block of North Fair Oaks

Avenue was taken between 2:30 p.m., Feb. 26, and 8:30 a.m., Feb. 27. The estimated loss is unknown.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

A passenger’s side window of a 2020 Kia Spor tage was broken, and the vehicle’s steering column damaged between 6:20 p.m. and 9:42 p.m., March 4, in the 400 block of Ontario Street.

Theft

The driver’s side rear quarter panel was removed from a vehicle parked in the 400 block of North Taylor Avenue between 8:30 p.m., March 1, and 1:11 p.m., March 2.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports, Feb. 28-March 6, 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

A preliminary drawing of the proposed building at 505 N. Ridgeland Ave

eyes corner of Chicago and Ridgeland

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

On Feb. 23, the Oak Park Architectural Commission, an arm of the village Preservation Commission, heard a proposal from Ambrosia Homes for a five-story residential development at the northwest corner of Chicago Ridgeland Avenues.

The property at 505 N. Ridgeland Ave. is presently occupied by a shuttered one-story medical office building and a parking lot. The non-conforming building is located in the village’s Frank Wright Historic District.

Tim Pomaville, president of Ambrosia Homes, says the building would be the developer multifamily development in the village Flats, at 504 Lyman Ave., was completed almost two

See AMBROSIA HOMES on pa ge 17

apartment building on the northwest corner of Chicago and Ridgeland avenues (top), replacing the existing one-story o ce building and parking lot (above).

AMBROSIA HOMES Some changes likely

from page 16

years ago and of fers 23 rental apar tments.

Ridgeland Flats Oak Park, at 261 Washington Blvd. is under construction at Washington Boulevard and Cuyler Avenue and will have 28 units when it is completed in fall 2023.

Pomaville said the Chicago and Ridgeland development is in the very early stages, but states that it will have some similarity to Ambrosia’s other Oak Park apartment buildings.

“Essentially, we build midrise, Class A, luxury apartment buildings,” he said. “The buildings are very similar. They have parking onsite, elevators, luxury finishes, a pet spa, workout rooms. They are sort of like the nice highrises near Lake and Harlem, but in a smaller building. These are meant to compete with the best of the best in Oak Park.”

Drawings for the proposed development are for zoning and preliminary planning purposes, and the building will likely go through many changes during the planning

process. Based on the preliminary plans, Pomaville says the building will have 36 units for rent.

Boutique Flats on Lyman is completely rented, and Pomaville says there is strong interest in rentals buildings like these.

“There’s so much beautiful architecture in Oak Park, but some of the vintage buildings aren’t great to live in,” Pomaville said. “Our two bedroom-units have two bathrooms. We have in-unit laundry, modern heating and cooling and finishes. I call it the millennial dream.”

While comparable to the newly built high rises in ter ms of amenities and finishes, Pomaville notes that the mid-rise buildings appeal to people who want a smaller living experience and the ability to know all of their neighbors.

Prior to meeting with the ARC, Pomaville consulted with Oak Park Village Planner Craig Failor and Zoning Administrator Mike Bruce as well as the village’s architectural design consultant, Wight & Co. As a result of that back and forth, he recessed the fifth floor of the building and added more details and recessed the Chicago Avenue entry of the building.

A 7-foot landscaped buffer is required between the development and the singlefamily home to the north, and according to

VALENTINE’S DAY BREAKFAST

Ambrosia Homes’ 23-unit Boutique Flats on Lyman Avenue (above), completed about two years ago is completely rented, according to the company’s president, Tim Pomaville.

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“Essentially, we build mid-rise, Class A, luxury apartment buildings.”

TIM POMAVILLE Ambrosia Homes president

Harriette Gillem Robinet to Receive Fuller Award

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

6-8 p.m.

Dominican University Performing Arts Center

7900 West Division Street River Forest, IL 60305

Free and open to the public, but registration required.

Harriette Gillem Robinet, the acclaimed author of 11 historical novels for young adults, will receive the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Fuller Award at a ceremony on Tuesday, March 14. e ceremony will take place at Dominican University’s Performing Arts Center, starting at six p.m.; a reception with appetizers and drinks will follow. Speakers include Linda Robinet, Nora Brooks Blakely, Athena Williams, Frank Lipo, Glennette Tilley Turner, and Tsehaye Geralyn Hébert. In addition, Timothy Rey and Beye Elementary School students Madyson Strong and Amira Hogan will read two very short stage adaptations based on the author’s work. e event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Visit https://qrco.de/bdlzvE or scan

e Ridgeland Flats Oak Park (above) is a 28-unit Ambrosia Homes development now under construction w ith expected completion this fall.

Pomaville, Failor and Bruce also suggested making that buffer as large as possible.

The first floor of the building would consist of covered parking and the building’s common areas. Failor and Bruce suggested that Pomaville incorporate commercial-style windows on that level to blend in with the commercial buildings on Chicago Avenue

At the ARC review, which is advisory, Historic Preservation Commissioner Andrew Elders voiced concerns that a five-story building is too tall for the site, and referenced four-story, masonry buildings further east along Chicago Avenue as good models for multifamily buildings in the neighborhood

“It’s a little more Madison Street than it is Chicago Avenue,” Elders said.

Pomaville said those older four-story buildings do not have onsite parking and would not meet current code and that his building is essentially four-stories of residences atop the required parking of one space per unit.

Acting ARC and HPC Chairman Lou Garapolo said he lives in the area of the proposed development and felt the height, massing and form of the building do not relate to the historic district.

Pomaville said he was open to the ARC’s thoughts on materials that would help the building fit into its historic neighborhood

The other corners of the intersection, comprised of a gas station, Domino’s Pizza and a strip mall with a dry cleaner and nail salon, do not provide much in the way of architectural inspiration, so he looked to the neighborhood’s single-family homes for design inspiration.

The developer next heads to a meeting of the entire Historic Preservation Commission on at 7:30 p.m. on March 85 at the Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St., for an advisory opinion.

That opinion would then be considered by the Plan Commission before the village board makes a decision on whether or not to greenlight the project. Along the way, Ambrosia will hold required meetings with neighbors of the proposed development.

Pomaville notes that on previous projects he has worked with the village to create buildings that fit into the neighborhood and expects this process will yield similar results

“We basically just try to incorporate the feedback from committee meetings into the drawings,” he said.

Under the best of circumstances, he foresees the planning process lasting at least six months before a final design is agreed upon. That could lead to a groundbreaking by summer of 2024.

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Friars hang tough but fall to Wolfpack in sectional nal

St. Ignatius senior Barron steps up in second half to seal title

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Standing 6 feet, 6 inches tall, St. Ignatius senior boys basketball player Richard Barron can do a lot of damage inside or outside.

The George Mason signee ste pped up when the Wolfpack needed it most during the second half of the IHSA Class 3A De La Salle sectional final March 3 against Fenwick High School. He scored 16 of his g ame-high 26 points to hand the Friars a season-ending 50-43 defeat.

It’s the second consecutive year Fenwick has been eliminated in the state tour nament by St. Ignatius in the sectionals.

“I’m not upset that we lost,” coach Tony Young said. “We’ re a young team, and things happen. We’ve just got to grow and lear n from this.”

Buoyed by strong play from J.T. Pettigrew, Fenwick (21-13) led St. Ignatius (2311) 16-10 with five minutes remaining in the first half

“J.T played great and competed hard for us tonight,” Young said of the 6-6 sophomore, who had 11 of his team-high 17 points in the first half and grabbed nine rebounds.

But Bar ron, scoring eight points, keyed a closing 13-5 spur t that gave the Wolfpack a 23-21 halftime lead.

St. Ignatius opened up a 34-29 advantage in the third quar ter and seemed poised to pull away. But Fenwick closed with a 7-2 run and trailed 36-34 heading into the final eight minutes.

The Friars were down 42-41 with 4:18 remaining, but Bar ron went on a personal 5-0 run over the next 2:30 to give the Wolfpack some breathing room.

“Things we’ve been able to get away with this season, Richard Bar ron made us pay for them tonight,” Young said. “He made big shots in the clutch, that’s why he’s a [NCAA] Division I kid.”

A basket by sophomore Nate Marshall

Fenwick sophomore D.J. Porter (le ) scored 8 points and had 3 rebounds during the Friars’ loss to St. Ignatius on March 3 in an IHSA Class 3A sectional nal at De La Salle

(9 points) with 1:30 left brought Fenwick to within four, but Owen Kyhl hit two free throws with 41 seconds to go After Pettigrew missed a pair of 3-pointers, Bar ron hit a g ame-clinching free throw with 9.7 seconds left.

“It sucks to lose, but the reality is that this is something we can lear n from,” Young said.

Sophomore D.J. Por ter scored eight points and had three rebounds while Dominick Ducree added six points for the Friars

Fenwick’s 21 wins is an impressive accomplishment, given that there are 11 sophomores on the roster It’s a 12-win improvement from last season.

Junior Darshan Thomas was voted to the Chicago Catholic League All-Conference Third Team, while Marshall and Por ter were Honorable Mention.

“I’m proud of the way we competed and did things the right way,” said Young. “Tonight, the ball didn’t bounce our way, and that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes. But the goal was to be better by the end of the year, and I think we continued to grow.”

The Friars lose only one senior to graduation in E.J. Hosty

“Let’s work on our ef ficiencies and get our bodies stronger,” Young said of the of fseason plan. “It’s about getting better individually and as a group.”

Fenwick girls water polo looks to build o top 8 nish

Friars return six from last year’s 23-7-1 squad

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

After reaching the IHSA state quar terfinals last spring, the Fenwick High School girls water polo team hopes to have similar success and perhaps more this year

In her third season as head coach, Eliza-

beth Timmons likes what she has seen so far from the Friars with the preseason preparation.

“We are definitely improving every day and have great team chemistry,” she said.

“The girls are excited to play and build of f of our top-eight finish at state last year.”

Fenwick, which went 23-7-1 last season,

retur ns six players with varsity experience in seniors Nahla Basile, Annie McCarthy, Pam Medina and Hannah Schubke gel, and juniors Audrey Mason and Xiomara Trejo.

The Friars have 12 newcomers in two freshmen and 10 sophomores.

“The girls are incredibly talented,” Timmons said. “We’ve set personal and team

goals that we will work toward throughout the season, and I can’t wait to see all of the amazing things we can accomplish to gether.”

Fenwick usually plays a rigorous schedule, and this year is no exception. The See GIRLS WATER POLO on pa ge 20

SARA JANZ

Fenwick water polo seeks return to state’s Elite 8

After falling in sectional round in 2021 and 2022, Friars look

to rebound

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

With eight players retur ning from last year’s 23-10 team, which advanced to the IHSA York Sectional final, the Fenwick High School boys water polo team is eager to shake of f their state tour ney showings the past two seasons and once again reach the state’s final eight

“We’ re of f to a great star t,” said Fenwick coach Kyle Per ry of the preseason preparation. “Our strength is that the boys are ready to work and improve. We have several guys with a lot of varsity experience, and they’ve been doing all they can to share their knowledge with their teammates.”

The Friars’ top retur nees are senior Chris Badja, who made the All-State Third Team last spring with a team-leading 90 goals, 68 assists and 66 steals; senior Alec Posluszny (57 goals); senior goalie Sam Kulisek (third team All-Sectional, 186 blocks, 18 assists, and 22 steals); junior Tim Fischer (45 goals); and junior Finn Vahey (second team All-Sectional, 45 goals, 41 assists, 44 steals).

Junior Owen McDonald and seniors Jacob Chi and Vincent Meo are also key retur ning contributors.

GIRLS WATER POLO

Huskies look to improve

from page 19

annual Mike Mur phy Tour nament takes place in early April and features several of the state’s top teams.

There are also non-conference matches with perennial powers Naperville Nor th, Stevenson, New Trier, Lyons, Evanston, York and Naperville Central. And the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference is traditionally challenging for the Friars

“Every conference g ame is big for us, and we look forward to being a contender

Top newcomers for Fenwick include sophomore Thomas Helt, who posted 100 goals last year on the frosh-soph juniors Patrick and Timothy Gibbons; freshmen Lorenzo Buonicore, T Caicedo, Ewan McLachlan, Eddy novic, whom Perry says is competing starting goalie job, and Jack Posluszn

The added depth is sure to come in with another daunting schedule They’ ll host the Dan Lynch Tour nament March 16-18, which features many of the state’s top teams along with two top Missouri schools.

Fenwick will host a crosstown showdown and Senior Night with Oak Park and River Forest on April 5, then go to St. Louis for an invitational April 14-15. The Friars will also look to defend its Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference championship, no easy feat with Loyola Academy, St. Ignatius and St. Rita being the main challengers.

“The MCAC is always one of the top conferences in the state, so we will be tested every time,” Perry said.

Entering his 13th year as head coach, Perry knows Fenwick has a tradition of excellence in water polo, and he anticipates the Friars being in the hunt for the state title.

“Our goal every year is to be playing our best water polo in May,” he said. “We look forward to the challenges of our conference, sectional, and IHSA state tour naments, and

for the MCAC championship again,” said Timmons.

Fenwick’s goals are for everyone to show improvement and have fun. Timmons feels if those things occur, it will be a successful season.

“We’ re looking to win conference, win the sectional, and make a better showing at state,” she said.

OPRF

The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls water polo team plans on improving from last season, which ended with a 14-16 record and a sectional semifinal loss to York

“I’m looking forward to this season and

we want to represent Fenwick as best as we can.”

Fenwick has its season opener at home against Loyola March 8.

OPRF

Oak Park and River Forest High School’s boys water polo team is aiming to build upon last season, which saw the Huskies go 11-12 with a loss in the York Sectional semifinals to Fenwick.

“We look much stronger than we did at this time last year,” said second-year OPRF coach Bailey Wendt, a Fenwick alumnus. “Our team’s greatest strength is their communication in and out of the pool. This whole team is comfortable communicating in game situations.”

OPRF has six retur nees from last season. Among them are senior Brad Huseby, a two-year captain who led the Huskies in assists, and senior J.J. Kuenster, the team’s

the group of players we have,” said OPRF coach Beth Pere z, entering her 19th year.

“This is our second season in a row with a third level, so our players’ de pth and knowledge as well as our talent pool will continue to grow.”

The Huskies have eight varsity retur nees, including junior goalie Ella Homrock, junior field players Ines Feliciano and Phyllis Kreiter, and senior field players Tori Evans, Amanda Lane, and Ellie Raidt.

Key newcomers are sophomore goalie Zoia Se gbawu and junior field players Mary Andolina and Trinity Mosher.

“Our team has a strong connection,” Perez said. “They’re friendly, kind, and hardworking, and having this as a base will help us work to gether this season.”

top goal scorer who will also be a captain. The Huskies are looking for contributions from several newcomer s. Sophomore Lucas Puntillo takes over the star ting goalie duties

“He’s a very talented athlete and we will be counting on him this season,” Wendt said.

Sophomore Greg Huseby, Brad’s younger brother, and junior Diego Mendo za also look to make an impact for OPRF.

The Huskies open the season at the Palatine Tour nament on March 10-11.

With state title contenders Lyons Township and York on the docket, the West Suburban Silver figures to be grueling. But Wendt feels OPRF can be competitive against each.

“Our team goal is to play a competitive g ame in the sectional final and see what happens from there,” he said. “We want to develop our sophomore and junior classes to continue to improve the program.”

Schedule highlights for OPRF include a home tour nament against Prospect, Sandburg, and Waubonsie Valley on April 8, as well as a crosstown showdown with Fenwick on April 15.

The Huskies also have a challenging slate in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division, with Hinsdale Central, Lyons Township and York figuring to be the top contenders

“Our goals for the season are to lear n together, play each g ame competitively, and improve throughout,” Pere z said. “We never want to feel as though any win is outside of our reach.”

OPRF opens the season March 11 with a quad tour nament at Naperville Nor th.

Fenw ick senior Chris Badja led the Friars in scor ing last year with 90 goals. He was named third team all-state at the end of the 2022 season.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

History, DeSantis-style

Place: Miami, Florida, a sixth-grade classroom

Date: Feb. 21, 2023

Teacher: Miss Brainoff

Miss Brainof f star ts the day: “Good mor ning, students! I hope you had fun on your day of f of school for Presidents Day yesterday. And aren’t we excited to be the first class to study from the new history books, sanctioned by our gover nor, Ron DeSantis? I am honored to lead our discussion on cor rected history and eptions.”

A student holds up his hand e had Presidents How come tin Luther t it a national y in January?”

Noticeably flustered, the , “The reason that holiday is because it is based on inacmation about Martin Luther King. As we read our new books, you will lear n more and understand.

Another student excitedly blurts out, “But Miss Brainof f, my mother said she and all the parents got notices about Mar tin Luther King Day, and she said it almost seemed like a threat.”

The teacher answers, “I am so sor ry, but your mother is mistaken about the notices. They were sent from Gover nor DeSantis’ of fice, saying that the parents of any students absent from school without a medical release, would be fined for intentionally defying the state’s new rule. They were merely sent to urge parents not to be influenced by the liberal media and some of the troublesome folks who spread dishonest infor mation about who Mar tin Luther King really was.”

Miss Brainof f continues, “Now let’s be gin today’s reading concer ning how Ne gro families first came to America. English folks who settled here were ambitious and established wonderful plantations, which required lots of help to maintain. They generously invited some poor, ignorant Ne groes from Africa to come to America. They of fered free ship passage and made ar rangements for their soon-to-be happy lives in the new world of America. Promises from the plantation owners included

As has often been our historic racial nar rative, recent divisions around how to conduct a racial equity assessment (REA) of Imagine Project 2 at OPRF High School, while unfortunate, were not a sur prise. What is more impor tant now than those dee p disagreements is what happens next for the goals of racial equity that so many seek.

Committee for Excellence & Equity in Education is now ready, with District 200, to evaluate what worked, what was problematic, and to consider ways to improve the existing REA procedures.

In doing so, it is paramount to remember that D200’s racial equity assessment was the first to take place in our school and community. The fact that it occur red on a decision of the magnitude of Project 2 made this event even more notable.

Like other landmark events centered on racial diversity, equity and inclusion, many in the community disagreed and felt betrayed about the process, substance, and outcome of unprecedented developments aimed at reconciling tensions around racial equity Some examples from Oak Park’s past are illustrative of the divisions that major developments involving race predictably elicit.

Harriette

When the village of Oak Park in 1968 codified fair housing, large numbers of white people vehemently objected. Then in the ’70s many whites fled Oak Park and many African Americans joined the community as racial inte gration advanced. Still, even suppor ters of fair housing were critical of some of the means the village considered, or in fact implemented, to maintain racial stability and prevent housing se greg ation.

In 1974, District 97 elementary schools committed to community-wide school inte gration, instituted limited busing, and reorganized K-8 schools by creating two new junior highs and eight K-6 buildings. The sea change brought heated debate and large contentious meetings where some parents felt betrayed by D97.

Many Oak Parkers, mostly white families, echoing Chicago and Boston resistance to school inte gration, saw re-districting, as school boundary changes were called, as destroying a proud tradition of K-8 neighborhood schools. Even suppor ters of the plan wor ried that inte gration by itself was no guarantee that African American children would feel safe, be suppor ted culturally, and thrive under re-districting.

Robinet wins the Fuller Award p.

OUR VIEWS

Policing and safety

Like many, possibly most, communities, Oak Park is on the knife’s edge when it comes to perceptions, realities and tensions re garding how we view public safety while also working to reshape how we police this town.

T he challenge is on display this week as village government released the 2022 community survey it conducts re gularly through a national org anization. There are many aspects of the surve y that are af fir ming. Respondents plan to stay in Oak Park over the long haul, are ready to recommend the village to friends and family. The pa rk district gets very high marks. The schools do well.

But when it comes to perc eptions of public safety there is notable slippage from two years ago. Those sur veyed said they feel safe in Oak Pa rk’s downtown and in their own neighborhoods during the day. But the percentage of those who feel safe from violent crime dropped by 15% in that time period. That’s a notable change.

And since 96% of those who took the surve y said public safety is an essential gover nment service, the decline has to be taken seriously.

What does that look li ke in a moment when the village is simultaneously, and correctly, looking at alter natives to traditional policing strat egies? The Alter native Response Taskforce, appointed by Village Manager Kevin Jackson, continues its work and hosted a public eng agement session this week to consider the intersection of mental health and policing and what Oak Park’s first response to such calls should be This is good and essential work.

But it will take nimble work by police de par tment leadership, village trustees and the public to be thoughtful and innovative in understanding that growing wor ry about crime and rethinking policing can be companion pieces not in opposition. Two things can be true at onc e.

Criticism and grace

In a thoughtful One View in today’s Viewpoints section, the Committee for Excellence & Equity in Education offers both its concer ns and frustration over what it sees as a flawed and inadequate racial equity assessment (REA) of Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Project 2 capital project, as well as a valuable historical perspective tracing the hits and misses of this village’s ef for ts toward inte gration and now equity over five decades.

The piece of fers both justified criticism of the just completed REA process and some g race for those involved at OPRF with the expectation its ef for ts will get stronger and more genuine going forward.

“What we must guard against is a situation where whitedominant institutions like OPRF and the larger community become complacent – for that likely means racial equity is being ignored,” members of the group wrote in their essay. Wise words.

Harriette’s lifetime achievements

Ifirst interviewed Har riette Robinet back in the 1990s because she was a highly re garded author of historical non-fiction books for middlegrade readers. A stay-at-home mom, she somehow found time to write her novels while raising six children, four of them adopted. Couldn’t have been easy

I figured she must be a natural-born writer. Not really, she said. Her scientific background made her an experienced researcher, but literature didn’t come naturally. She said she taught herself how to write novels by copying passages from famous authors, writing them in longhand, which is also how she wrote her books

That seemed … painstaking. Why couldn’t she just read those authors? There was an extra dimension in writing it out, she said. You get closer to the writing and how it’s constructed. You can see how these authors worked, how they composed their sentences and paragraphs, how they engineered their voice.

She was right, I discovered when I wanted to use an extended quote from another writer in one of my articles or columns. These days, of course, it’s easy to cut and paste on my computer. But I found when I wrote it out in a notebook and then typed it in, I understood the passage at a deeper level than merely reading it. Writing it out slows down and deepens the comprehension process

That is particularly true with poetry. If a poem doesn’t impress you on first reading, try writing it. You might be surprised how it comes alive

For Harriette, that extra effort seemed to pay off. She published a dozen books, which won awards and were used in classrooms as a way to make history come alive for students. Her own daughter, Linda, still uses them to teach fourth-graders in the same classroom at Beye School that she attended as a child.

But Harriette did more than pen a dozen excellent books for young readers — as if that weren’t enough for one productive adulthood

She and her husband Mac also helped integrate Oak Park in the 1960s, being one of the first black couples to move into the village, serving as a “test couple” to expose unethical real estate practices, leading protest marches calling for open housing, and then helping spearhead efforts to pass a local fair housing ordinance, which produced the diverse village, and more enlightened community, we enjoy today

They also raised a remarkable family — and are

still here 58 years later as community anchors.

But it’s Harriette’s literary legacy that is being recognized next Tuesday, March 14, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Dominican University’s Performing Arts Center, when the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame honors her with its Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The CLHOF was founded by Oak Park resident Don Evans. The award is named for Henry Blake Fuller, one of Chicago’s earliest novelists.

“The Fuller,” as the award is known, has other meanings as well. According to the CLHOF website, “a fuller is also a tool used to form metal when it’s hot, an important part of building and a nice metaphor for Chicago, home to the ‘First Chicago School’ of architecture that rose up from the ashes of the Chicago Fire of 1871. … Chicago emerged as a resilient city that took risks and made bold decisions — using iron and steel to frame its buildings, giving rise to the world’s first skyscraper. The fuller was one such tool that made it happen, a symbol of possibility and perseverance.”

The statue that Harriette will receive on March 14 is “based on Hephaestus, the Greek god of the blacksmith’s fire and patron of all craftsmen. … The patron of artists and craftsmen, he seemed a fitting symbol to capture the spirit of excellence embodied by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame’s Fuller Award.”

Previous winners include Rick Kogan (2022), Ana Castillo (2022), Luis Alberto Urrea (2021), Sandra Cisneros (2021), Sara Paretsky (2019), and Stuart Dybek (2018), so Harriette is in very good company. She, too, excelled at her craft, which celebrated possibility and perseverance. Kudos to Don Evans and CLHOF for recognizing that and choosing her. So Oak Parkers have good reason to tur n out on March 14 to cheer Harriette Robinet’s lifetime achievement. If you don’t know the Robinets, they are among the finest individuals I’ve ever met, here or anywhere else. They have made a significant contribution to turning this village into what we celebrate today. This is an opportunity to thank them for everything they’ve done

If you’re not familiar with the books and you have young readers at home, Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park carries them, and The Book Table in Oak Park can order them if they aren’t already in stock.

The Fuller Award event, at 6 p.m. on March 14 at Dominican, is free but they ask that you register at https://chicagoliteraryhof.org/events_entry/fulleraward-for-harriette-gillem-robinet.

HARRIET TE ROBINET

e secret to becoming a memory machine

Until my sophomore y school when I wanted to remember a Latin vocabulary list or any other list, I would overlear would have to continue to memorize the list long after I thought I kne Recitation during the original lear process also helped me remember peating the items over and I lear ned to remember the ent single unit rather than lear ning the firs half one day and the second half day. This was discouraging at first w memorizing a long list, but I realized that lear ned faster and remembered the items longer by memorizing items as a single unit. I wanted more though.

Reliable memory is so important to success in life, and I knew many fellow students who spent a great deal of time inventing ways to strengthen their respective memories. Some guys I knew used mnemonics, i.e. trying to make remembering easier by using various kinds of rhymes or associations.

But in order to remember a great many facts by using such devices, a person has to remember the many devices, so it may become harder to remember the device than the information the person wants to remember

I worked with my friend Bob in order to develop a ter rific memory.

We had heard of people who had fantastic memories. They never forgot a face or a name. Secondly, they could re peat whole pages word for word, or they could play a dif ficult music piece after having heard the piece played once. In fact, some people could

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

the material in their mind after they had lear ned it and with a brief the material, if needed, they a complete description. at Bob and I wanted, but velop our own memories en be close to this? thinking and often felt discouraged as we tried dif ferent , but one day in the early spring our sophomore year in world history , the plan became apparent to Bob. our class was studying world maps, and one of the assignments was to draw a map of a European country of our choice. The map had to be both political and physical, drawn to scale with symbols, proper coloring, and geog raphic g rids

Bob thought that if he studied the map of a country or a state, covered the map and re produced it from memory until he re produced it perfectly, his memory would shar pen. He was right.

I did this with both states and countries for 15-20 minutes per day from the spring of my sophomore year in high school through my many college years so as not to lose the skill.

The results were amazing, and I also lear ned a great deal of geog raphy.

Bob and I told other students about Bob’s discovery, and if they used it, they told us of the memory miracle that happened to them. A person has to persevere, though, in doing the mental re productions, but once a person has mastered the method, he or she will become a memory machine

CPOC and WJ didn’t provide context

I read in last week’s Wednesday Jour nal that, in the Citizen Police Oversight Committee’s semiannual re port, Chair Donovan Pe pper stated, “In the last six months, there were a total of nine instances where officers did not switch on audio recorders” and “That the problem persisted across two consecutive CPOC re por ts was not lost on Trustee Chibuike Enyia.” [Police ov ersight group’s power expands slowly, News, March 1]

In the Jour nal’s Our Views editorial [Viewpoints, March 1] titled, “Things we like,” the editors state, “CPOC raised concer ns, again, about of ficers too frequently failing to tur n on the limited recording devices the police de par tment cur rently provides.”

Unfortunately, the statements by CPOC, and especially Wednesday Jour nal, lack context and may be

just advocacy rather than fact-finding and re porting. Over a period of six months, were these nine out of 10 instances when of ficers failed to tur n on their audio recorders? Maybe nine out of 100? Maybe nine out of 1,000? Without knowing how many instances were involved, it is impossible for anyone to know if this is a “too frequent” problem or just occasional human errors. Is it the same of ficer nine times, or nine dif ferent of ficers who made one mistake in six months?

Perhaps in the future Wednesday Jour nal and its repor ters could provide its readers with all the facts and trust its readers to be able to make their own infor med decisions

Perhaps even CPOC could do the same.

Alan Krause Oak Park resident for 72 years

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

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About Viewpoints

Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, re you to action

In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for ling.

Please understand our veri cation process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that veri cation, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot con rm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay.

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e limits of quoting Scripture

I’m grateful for two pieces in Wednesday Journal in recent weeks. The first, about the “Repro Shabbat” at Oak Park Temple B’Nai Abraham Zion, was timely as our church recently completed a sermon series about re productive justice and Rabbi Max Weiss was one ofour guest speakers. Rabbi Weiss was generous with his time and wisdom on this knotty issue and he brought new insights to our parishioners.

The second was a letter from James Hanert in response to the Repro Shabbat article [A Biblican rebuttal, Viewpoints, March 1]. In that letter, Mr. Hanert quotes from one of my favorite pieces ofScripture, Psalm 139. Interestingly, he cites verse 13, which more than a few ofour LGBTQ+ members also cite when they embrace their gender and/or sexual identity: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made …”

The challenge ofciting the Bible when it comes to cultural or political issues is that there is often someone on the other “side” who probably does the same thing. I’ve certainly quoted Scripture when advocating for the poor or the undocumented. Indeed, Psalm 139 has its own challenges. If one keeps read-

ing that psalm, they come across this difficult verse: “O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me …” (Psalm 139:19). Do we really want God to kill the “wicked”? Though we might confess from time to time that our lives would be easier ifour political enemies didn’t exist, in our more rational moments, we certainly wouldn’t pray for that.

In my tradition (United Methodist church), we often look to four areas that help us interpret what God is doing in our world today: Scripture, tradition (how those who have gone before us have believed/ thought), reason, and experience. We use these tools when we do our best to discern God’s heart on any number ofthings, both large and small.

Mr. Hanert lifts up one ofthose, Scripture. In the Repro Shabbat article, Dr. Allison Cowett speaks to many other important considerations (including Scripture). All are important. All are needed, especially when we consider how any law might affect the marginalized and oppressed.

Rev. Christian Coon Pastor, Urban Village Church

End the conspiracy talk

We are in favor ofDistrict 200 starting Imagine Project 2 at OPRF High School as soon as possible. As we read letters in the Journal, comments on social media, and words spoken at D200 board meetings from residents who are against Project 2, we notice two consistencies.

There are continuous comments related to: build less, teach less swimming, pay less money. These encourage the ba re minimum. This would suggest an education based on mediocracy.

OPRF’s motto is “Those things that are best.” How can we expect students to do their best ifthose around them are suggesting mediocracy?

There is no plan to build an Olympicsize pool. There is no conspiracy to build a gold-plated teacher’s lounge or enrich the financial advisors guiding the board. But one would think there is a conspiracy from listening to some ofthe comments against this project. Project 2 is simply what any 21st-century school builds for its students

There are comments second-guessing the following: the physical education (PE)

curriculum that teachers and PhDs with hundreds of years of combined experience have put into place, the design of the building by architects who have spent their entire careers designing schools, the advice offinancial experts with decades ofexperience advising municipalities on how to fund major projects. How is it that a letter writer in the period ofa few weeks can be an expert on all these things?

We admit to knowing little about how to set a school curriculum for a school of 3,200 students, how to design and build said school, or how to fund a $100 million construction project. But we do know that relying on people who are experts in their chosen field is the best way to get any project done with excellence.

For mer Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

For the good ofthe community, end the conspiracy talk and let the D200 board do the job they were elected to do

Meg and Jordan Chalmers River Forest

e ‘State of River Forest’ is not that rosy

I read with interest Wednesday Journal’s recent article (March 1) regarding the River Forest Village Board meeting, held on Feb. 27. I attended that meeting and after I read your paper’s piece headlined, “Adduci delivers State of the Village address,” I questioned whether the reporter and I attended the same board meeting

The meeting started with impassioned comments delivered by four residents regarding the potential community asbestos contamination by the aborted demolition of the old Lutheran Family Services building on Madison Street, followed by 8-10 residents speaking out about the change in traffic patterns in the northeast section of the village and how these changes are negatively affecting businesses there.

After a good hour of impassioned comments by residents, Village President Cathy Adduci delivered her rosy State of the Village speech. After hearing all the disgruntled people making serious comments all you report

CEEE Making equity real

from page 21

D97 developments in the early ’80s confirmed doubts of pro-inte gration proponents as re-se greg ation within schools followed a major change in the daily class schedule, purpor tedly to address achievement disparities. Deep divisions, mistrust, and militant multiracial resistance followed for most of the decade.

In 2019, the D200 high school board, responding to proposals made by African American Parents for Pur poseful Leadership in Education (APPLE), CEEE, and Suburban Unity Alliance in 2016, brought for th a final racial equity policy that was a shadow of the strong policy a D200 community committee had drafted. After bitter accusations both ways, community and board leaders hammered out a stronger policy that mirrored what the committee had drafted during five months of meetings.

Today, we look forward, not with the hope that disagreements will end, but with the understandings that our local and

is the State of the Village speech?! Did the reporter not hear the other two issues? Do those two issues not matter?

I’m not saying you can’t run the article you ran, but completely ignoring the other two issues gives a distorted view of the true State of the Village. It makes one question the Journal’s journalistic integrity. Is this actual, factual reporting? Or is the Journal simply there to print positive articles about village leaders?

If this is what Dan Haley wants, there is no need for a reporter to go out and sit at a boring village board meeting on a Monday night. Just ask the village president to email a pdf with her statement and you can print that.

Anyone reading the last issue would be under the mistaken impression everyone and everything is just peachy in River Forest. It’s unfair to the residents of River Forest to ignore and fail to report on two fairly important issues affecting the village.

David Er fort River Forest

national history around racial justice and equity teach us. Decisions and policies impacting race will remain contentious.

What we must guard against is a situation where white-dominant institutions like OPRF and the larger community become complacent — for that likely means racial equity is being ignored.

In advancing the racial equity vision of D200, we accept Superintendent Greg Johnson’s recent pledge to move forward in collaboration on multiple fronts:

■ to ensure that future REAs on major decisions are conducted more faithfully, effectively, and satisfactorily for all involved

■ to find, grow, hire and retain more teachers of color

■ to expand curriculum changes that promote racial equity in opportunity to learn for all students

■ to finalize a procedure to evaluate re source allocations for equity

■ to make school culture safe and welcoming for all

■ to reduce the racial disparities in school suspensions and outplacements

CEEE and racial equity allies remain dedicated to realizing these goals.

CEEE is a multiracial group of Oak Pa and River Forest residents advocating for racial equity at OPRF High School.

OPRF Finance Committee didn’t do its job

The District 200 Board of Education has approved the scope of the schematic design presented for Imagine OPRF Project 2. Finally, this board said that conditions in these 1928 facilities were unacce ptable for our community high school, and these very impor tant improvements must be done

Just five days later, at the D200 Community Finance Committee (CFC) meeting, the committee batted down the idea of using debt certificates to fund Project 2 without providing any research or data — or even eng aging in significant discussion — as to why these certificates might not work

T he CFC chair acknowledged that the CFC failed in its own directive to have a three-person subcommittee meet to dive deep into the numbers of this project: to put it bluntly, the subcommittee never met. How can this committee then be fully infor med of the funding options available to them if they’ve never convened?

T he CFC chair simply stated that the community wants a referendum so the project funding should go to a referendum.

This supposition lacks common sense

This community wants Project 2 to be

HAUSMAN

Living in dreamland

from page 21

shor t work hours in exchange for providing delicious and plentiful food, handsome durable clothing, and comfortable lodging on the grounds of their beautiful plantations. They even of fered to educate children of the families who came to g ether. So obviously these Africans who acce pted these generous of fers were definitely not slaves.”

She continues, “There were a few Ne groes who were unappreciative of what they rece ived, and they caused some trouble. They even tried to intimidate some of their friends and relatives to join them in leaving the plantations. They used the incorrect ter m of “slave” to describe themselves, as a tool to encourage more Ne groes to join their ung rateful and rebellious ranks. Even today, we have some troublesome groups of Ne groes who call themselves ‘Blacks’ and/or ‘African Americans’ who continue to cause soci-

funded the f astest and least expensive way possible. T he only way this can be accomplished is with debt certificates. A referendum will delay constr uction by a year or more, adding millions in avoidable costs each year

T he board and the CFC have rece ived do z ens of letters support ing debt certificates to fund Project 2. Yet not only did the committee have little discussion about its rejection of debt certificates, it also appeared to be wholly uninfor med — or at the very least, less than transparent — about the ramifications of using other methods to fund this needed work

A referendum is not just about a yes/no vote T he approval of referendum bonds would add an extra debt levy to proper ty tax bills, on top of the usual annual levy, for the life of the debt. Debt certificates, on the other hand, do not add an extra levy to proper ty tax bills.

Fur ther more, many in our community have come forward and of fered to pay “more than their share.” T he hard work of the Imagine Foundation will contribute private funds. Yet these potential contributions were dismissed as inconse-

etal disruption. These DeSantis-approved books are excellent guides on how to deal with these trouble-makers and will help us better understand why the police have to use strong means to keep us safe.”

Anxiously waving his hand, another student inter rupts and asks, “But Miss Brainof f, what about the Civil War? Wasn’t that because most people thought the Souther n Blacks … oops, I guess I am supposed to say, ‘Negroes’ … were abused and lived as slaves?”

Miss Brainof f responds, “Oh, no! The Civil War had nothing to do with slavery. It was a war between the states; a political dispute only.”

Other students be g an speaking out of tur n, “What about TV and churches refer ring to February as ‘Black History Month?’”

Miss Brainof f answers: “The liberal media and left-wing activists have done a ter rific job of brainwashing the public. Don’t you be fooled! You are all now old enough to lear n what is co rrect and these newly approved books will tell you that.”

This imaginary classroom could be a possibility if one listens carefully to the remarks of Gover nor Ron DeSantis and

quential to any numbers the CFC might analyze.

T he defined pu rpose of the Community Finance Committee is to provide the D200 board and administration with ongoing exper tise and guidance re garding the district’s fiscal operations How can this committee advise anyone, never mind the school board of a taxing body, when they refuse to use info rmation outlining what other districts have done to support projects of a similar scope? T he shor t answer is, it can’ t, and that’s a major disappointment.

I’m confident I speak on behalf of many in the community who want this work done for our current and future students as quickly as possibl e, funded in a way that costs the least. We need the CFC to do the, admittedly, dif ficult work with which it was charged and present the board with a variety of debt options.

I hope the conversations at the next CFC meeting on March 13 will be based on research and data, not just the fore gone conclusion of any single member

Matt Kruse Oak Park

his re-thinking of history. Contrary to his revisionist view, most people seek to expand their knowledge of history, researched over the past century. Thankfully, most of us are not stagnant thinkers. We must continue to open our minds and encourage our children to lear n the truth.

As a side note, Gover nor DeSantis could easily be accused of plagiarism. His words, especially concer ning African American history, are the same as those of Mildred Lewis Rutherford, the for mer Historian General of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Mildred Lewis Rutherford, or “Miss Millie” as her devoted followers called her (1851-1928) was a white supremacist, who tirelessly advocated for the “righteous cause” version of Souther n history, holding the Confederacy “blameless.”

She was widely known for delivering her many speeches wearing antebellum hoop skirts, well into the 1900s. She wrote that the “crimes of the Reconstr uction made the Klu Klux Klan, a necessity.” Fur ther, she wrote that “the Civil War was a division between the states and was not a war to end any evils of slavery.”

Accumulate more aliveness

I received many wonderful comments after my previous Viewpoints piece, [Advanced Aliveness means rethinking aging, Feb. 15] was published, so I’m offering a short follow-up:

A friend of mine, Jonathan, offered three additional benefits of Advanced Aliveness “Always be a mensch.”

(A mensch is a Yiddish word describing a person of integrity and honor.)

“We follow the Golden Rule (Matt. 7:12, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

“We clean up our messes, both literally and figuratively.”

Let’s stop thinking about the gathering of years as decline and loss The mind and heart can experience rebirth. Let’s accumulate more aliveness.

Karen Muriello Oak Park

As a slave owner, herself, she said, “Negroes of the South were never slaves and were totally misrepresented.” Rutherford also provided a “war ning listing” of books to be rejected by librarians and teachers:

“Reject any book that spreads contradictory info rmation on the Civil War other than that it was any compact between sovereign states.”

“Reject any book that states the South caused the secession.”

“Reject any book that claims the Negroes of the South were treated cruelly or unjustly.”

We cannot help but see similarities between Rutherford’s writings and DeSantis’ pronouncements and, shockingly, those of a large and fast-growing cohor t of his like-minded thinkers. Can the truth of an ugly past be re pressed?

Mar tin Luther King stated, “No society can fully re press an ugly past when the rava g es persist into the present.”

And they have! We must be concer ned that historical truths be taught and prevail. Let’s lear n from historical researchers and good teachers, and not politicians pandering to their base

OBITUARIES

Sylvia Menninga, 88

Coordinated the CROP Hunger Walk

Sylvia Grace (Nikkel) Menning a, 88, died peacefully in her slee p at home on Feb. 10, 2023, after suf fering the debilitating impacts of Parkinson’s disease over the past three years. Bor n on Nov. 11, 1934 on a farm outside Lynnville, Iowa, the eighth of 10 children, she mar ried her high school sweethear t and life par tner, Gysber t (Gy) Menning a in 1955. She attended nursing school at Blodgett Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Grand Rapids, Michig an. They star ted their family in El Paso, Texas, where Gy served in the U.S. Ar my After living in Michig an and New Jersey, they settled in Highland Park, Illinois to raise their four children. A re gistered nurse, she was a supervisor at Home Health Care Nor th (Chicago), director of nursing at Abbott House (Highland Park), as well as The Grove School (Lake Forest). She was an active member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, where she helped run the Erie Summer Project, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school.

They retired to gether to Oak Park, to be near, and help raise, grandchildren. She immediately became a volunteer in her community and a busy member of First United Church of Oak Park She was a tutor and librarian (Cluster Tutoring, now Lear ning Edge), co-coordinated the CROP Hunger Walk for many years, co-founded and co-facilitated the Oak Park chapter of PFLAG, was active at the Oak Park YMCA, played piano for the seniors at Mills Park Tower, and could be seen selling homemade bread at Far mers Market to raise money for one of her causes, among many other activities She was a strong social advocate for progressive causes, including prison reform, housing, hunger, racial and gender equity, and LGBTQ rights She and Gy were reco gnized for their community service with the Ulyssean Award from the Senior Citizens Center of OP-RF, and the Bruce Scott Courage and Justice Award

reco gnizing LGBTQ activism.

A music lover, she played both piano and org an, and her lovely soprano was a joy to hear. A prolific baker, she enjoyed gardening and bird-watching, and traveled the world.

Sylvia is survived by her husband, Gysber t; her children, Beth (Chris Leroux), Ber t (Francisco Ballesteros), Nick (Nancy Fong), and Charles; her grandchildren, Alizarin, Thalo and Haskell Menning a, Isabelle (Mauss Jones) Leroux-Jones, and Owen Boone; her brothers, Bruce (Joyce) Nikkel and Nelson (Nor ma) Nikkel; her lifelong friend, Jan (Jim) Monsma; many nieces and ne phews and in-laws; and dear friends

She made the world a better, brighter and more caring place

In lieu of flowers, donations should be sent to Pine Avenue Church Food Pantry, Pine Avenue United Church, 1015 N. Pine Avenue, Chicago, IL 60651.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at First United Church of Oak Park, 848 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60301.

Edith Kause, 100 Oak Park resident

Edith Ryd ell

Kause, 100, Park, daughter of Swedish grants Henry Esther Ryd ell, on March 2, 2023.

She was ed in death husband, Kause; her ter, Jean C. ris; and her Ryd ell, and F lorence Graetz. She is survived by her children, Kenneth (Ter ry), Henry, and Esther Weasenfor th; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Visitation was held on March 6 at Peterson-Bassi Chapels, 6938 W. Nor th Ave., Chicago. T he funeral ceremony was held on March 7 at the same location.

A memorial service will be held at a later date

In lieu of flowers, p lease donate to Calvary Memorial Church, 931 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60301

Jake Lofgren, 51 Commercial real estate builder

Jacob Lofg ren, 51, of Oak Park died peacefully his home on March 3, 2023, sur rounded by his family and friends For more than a year living with pancreatic cancer, he faced each day with bra ery and an honest humor that put his ease.

He graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School and went on to ear n a bachelor’s de gree from Lawrence University In 1997, he mar ried his high school sweethear t, Jenny. To gether they raised four children, Tregg (21), Jaylen (19), Max (17), and Trevor (13). Time with his family was his greatest joy.

For the last 15 years, he took pride in building commercial real estate alongside his cousin, Alex, and many talented tradesmen. In his spare time, he enjoyed coaching youth spor ts (of all kinds), rooting for the Cubs and the Bears, drafting long texts and email messages, and sharing a good rsation with friends or passersby. was preceded in death by his father Lofg ren, and his ne phew, Nathan BedHe is survived by his wife, Jennifer Ondrla); his children, Tregg, Jaylen, and Trevor; his mother, Mary (nee Lehwald); his siblings, Kurt (Eva) Lofg ren, essica (Jon) Bedway, Jason (Peggy) Lofand Katherine (Kur t) Arbeen; his inom and Chris Ondrla, Joe (Mindy) la, Mark (Tory) Ondrla, and his many and ne phews. He will be greatly missed by the Nowak family, his aunts, uncles, cousins and all who knew and loved him

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, at Revel Motor Row, 2400 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago.

Paul Peters, 56 Co-owned Westgate Flowers

Paul E. Peters of Chicago, died on Feb. 27, 2023, sur rounded by f amily, ending a

brave battle with cancer Bor n on October 26, 1966, lived in Chicago his entire , attending wthor ne and St. Ladislaus elementary schools, and aduated from Patrick High School in 1984. He ned the rank of Eagle Scout on Dec. 11, 1980.

He serve d as an altar boy at St. Ladislaus Catholic Church. Later in life he became an active member of Edgebrook utheran Church

He loved fishing with his father and later with his daughters. A history buff, he was amazingly knowledgeable about historic, current, and political events. His hobbies included cooking and eating good food, and watching Dr. Who and the Star Trek franchise on TV. An avid spor ts f an, he loved the Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks He valued f amily, loved meeting and relating to people, and enjoyed travel.

He was co-owner of Westg ate Flowers in Oak Park for over 34 years with his good friend, Adam Szetela. He was wellknown for his ar tistry in floral design and ar rangements, and took great pride in a job well done. An outgoing person with a ready smile and optimistic outlook, he made everyone feel he was their friend Paul was the husband of Dora Navarro Peters; the father of Marie Navarro Peters and Rose Navarro Peters; the son of Barbara Ann Hauf fe and the late Richard Albert Peters; and the brother of Linda Cybul and Marianne Peters. He is survived by many cousins, ne phews and a niece, and a great-niece and great-ne phew and will be greatly missed by his in-laws.

A memorial service will be held at Edgebrook Lutheran Church, 5252 W. Devon Ave., Chicago, on Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m. Private inter ment will occur at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Edgebrook Lutheran Church are appreciated.

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.

HELP WANTED

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Human Resources Generalist in the Human Resources Department. This position will perform a variety of professional and technical functions in support human resource management including orientation, hiring, employee testing, classification analysis, compensation analysis and benefits administration. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Position opened until filled.

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

HELP WANTED ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Administrative Assistant in the Public Health Department. This position provides a variety of responsible administrative and analytical functions; records and monitors department budget and fiscal requirements of grant-funded programs; oversight of Accounts Payable process; prepares reports and serves as a resource for computerized office applications. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/ jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of IT Operations Specialist. The ideal candidate is responsible for the effective operation of information technology services and support across the organization. The IT Operations Specialist serves as a technical expert for the implementation, maintenance and support of systems and networks. The IT Operations Specialist plans and carries out various complex assignments and develops new methods and approaches in a wide variety of IT specialties. Evaluates new and enhanced approaches to deliver IT services; test and optimize the functionality of systems, networks, and data; and define technical requirements. The IT Operations Specialist is responsible for providing various forms of computer-related technical assistance and improving the efficiency of the work of the staff through the use of technology. Interested and qualified applicants can visit our website at http://www.oakpark.us/ for more details.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will be accepting applications for the following classification(s):

Associate Structural Engineer (Original)

Additional information regarding salary, job description, requirements, etc. can be found on the District’s website at www.districtjobs.org or call 312-751-5100.

An Equal Opportunity EmployerM/F/D

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Riverside Department of Public Works is seeking energetic, responsible, and motivated applicants who enjoy working outdoors. This is a part-time, seasonal position lasting from approximately May through September. Applicants will be expected to work up to 40 hrs. per week or as scheduled by staff. Primary tasks will include, but not limited to: cutting grass, maintaining athletic fields, general facilities maintenance, flushing hydrants, reading water meters, installing water meters, cleaning/televising sewers, assisting full-time employees, and other duties as assigned.

Applicants must be 18 years old, possess a valid Illinois driver’s license and high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants will be subject to a criminal background check, pre-employment physical and drug/ alcohol screening.

Applications can be downloaded from the Village website at www. riverside.il.us or picked up at the Riverside Village Hall located at 27 Riverside Rd, Riverside, IL 60546. Completed applications should be submitted to the Riverside Village Hall or the Riverside Public Works Department, 3860 Columbus Blvd, Riverside, IL 60546. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. Pay rate is $18/hr.

The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

FARMERS’ MARKET MANAGER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Farmers’ Market Manager in the Health Department. This position manages the strategic planning and operation of the Oak Park Farmers’ Market; develops sustainable food strategies; and provides health and nutrition education, programming and promotion for the Village. During the Market season, this position would manage the internal staff and contractors needed to operate the Market, provides staff level support to the Farmers’ Market Commission, and manages vendor relations. The Market season runs from May through October, with the Market itself held outdoors each Saturday. During this time, the work week for this position is Tuesday through Saturday. Year-round, this position will provide nutrition education programming for the community in collaboration with the Health Education and Nursing divisions. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at https://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

River Forest Public Schools

River Forest Public Schools District 90 currently seeking three paraprofessionals/ teacher aides to start immediately for the following roles:

• Special Education Teacher Aide - Full-time

• Special Education Teacher Aide - Part-time, 1:30pm - 3:15pm, Monday - Friday

•Early Childhood Special Education Teacher AidePart-time, 11:30am - 3:10pm, Monday - Friday Qualifications: a) Current Illinois Paraprofessional License, Professional Educator License or Substitute License, b) Successful teacher assistant experience is preferred in regular education or special education.

Job Duties: The instructional assistant in Special Education will work with both general education and special education staff members to support learning for identified child(ren) with special needs. Responsibilities include instructing students in small groups and one-on-

River Forest Public Schools

one settings. This will also encompass helping students to develop positive interpersonal relationships with peers and adults: utilizing and modeling school behavior management programs: and assist in communications between students, teachers and parents as requested. As an equal opportunity employer, it is the policy of the River Forest Public Schools, District 90, to not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment. District 90 values a talented and diverse workforce, and will attempt to recruit and hire minority employees.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application available at district90.org

River Forest Public Schools, D90 is seeking a temporary Summer School Nurse for Willard Elementary School.

• Start Date: June 20th – July 21st (No school July 4th)

Hours: 8:15am-3:15pm

Qualifications: (a) Registered Nurse License, (b) CPR certified; (c) experience working with children is preferred

Job Duties: The summer school nurse will provide direct professional nursing services, first aid, illness and emergency care to students and staff in response to the nursing assessment and in accordance with professional standards, school policy and procedures, and state and local mandates. He/she will administer or supervise the administration and proper storage of medication with

appropriate documentation. The nurse will review and evaluate records of students with medical conditions; maintain communication with parents and staff regarding children’s medical issues in accordance with procedural protocols as specified by the Illinois Department of Public Health. He/she will also perform other duties as assigned by the school principal.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application available at district90.org

MARKETPLACE

ESTATE SALE

CARS WANTED

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

de haber recibido la entrega legal de esta Citación y Petición para presentar una Respuesta (formulario FL-120) ante la corte y efectuar la entrega legal de una copia al demandante. Una carta o llamada telefónica o una audiencia de la corte no basta para protegerlo.

Si no presenta su Respuesta a tiempo, la corte puede dar órdenes que afecten su matrimonio o pareja de hecho, sus bienes y la custodia de sus hijos. La corte también le puede ordenar que pague manutención, y honorarios y costos legales.

WOODWORK

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: Y23010237 on February 27, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of DOUG MCGOLDRICK PHOTOGRAPHY with the business located at: 1034 WISCONSIN AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DOUG MCGOLDRICK 1034 WISCONSIN AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60304.

Published in Wednesday Journal March 1, 8, 15, 2023

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Domestic / Import Cars:

Para asesoramiento legal, póngase en contacto de inmediato con un abogado. Puede obtener información para encontrar un abogado en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte.ca.gov), en el sitio web de los Servicios Legales de California (www.lawhelpca.org) o poniéndose en contacto con el colegio de abogados de su condado.

NOTICE—RESTRAINING ORDERS

PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD

Notice of Public Hearing Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission March 23, 2023 at 7:00 PM

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

630-201-8122

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED Restored

Collector James 630-201-8122

Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

of wood and fiberglass since 1977. Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty! References available. Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE SUMMONS (Family Law) CITACIÓN (Derecho familiar)

CASE NUMBER (NÚMERO DE CASO): HF22130927

NOTICE TO RESPONDENT (Name): AVISO AL DEMANDADO (Nombre): ANGELO C GALLARDO

ARE ON PAGE 2: These restraining orders are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further orders. They are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them.

AVISO—LAS ÓRDENES DE RESTRICCIÓN SE ENCUENTRAN EN LA PÁGINA 2: Las órdenes de restricción están en vigencia en cuanto a ambos cónyuges o miembros de la pareja de hecho hasta que se despida la petición, se emita un fallo o la corte dé otras órdenes. Cualquier agencia del orden público que haya recibido o visto una copia de estas órdenes puede hacerlas acatar en cualquier lugar de California.

FEE WAIVER: If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. The court may order you to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party.

NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lower Level of Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois for the purpose of considering a request for variations from §62-75 Bulk, yard and space requirements and §62290 Required parking spaces of the Village Code for property located at 4512 Grove Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 (PINs 18-03-422-0320000 and 18-03-422-033-0000).

Legal Description: Lot 2 (Except the North 30 Feet and Except the South 30 Feet Thereof) in Block 2, in Pinkert’s State Road Addition, Being a Subdivision of the East ½ of the Southeast ¼ of Section 3, Township 38 North, Range 12, East of the Third Principal Meridian, In Cook County, Illinois.

OFFICE/RETAIL FOR RENT

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James 630-201-8122

You have been sued. Read the information below and on the next page.

Tuckpointing

& Commercial 40 yrs. experience Fully insured (including Workmans Comp) 708-354-2501

Ritewaybrickglobal.net

Lo han demandado. Lea la información a continuación y en la página siguiente.

Petitioner’s name is: Nombre del demandante: MERCEDITA M. GALLARDO

You have 30 calendar days after this Summons and Petition are served on you to file a Response (form FL-120) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter, phone call, or court appearance will not protect you.

If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, your property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs.

For legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. Get help finding a lawyer at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courts.ca.gov/ selfhelp), at the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association.

Tiene 30 días de calendario después

EXENCIÓN DE CUOTAS: Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario un formulario de exención de cuotas. La corte puede ordenar que usted pague, ya sea en parte o por completo, las cuotas y costos de la corte previamente exentos a petición de usted o de la otra parte.

1. The name and address of the court are (El nombre y dirección de la corte son): SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, 24405 AMADOR STREET, HAYWARD, CA 94544 - FAMILY LAW DIVISION

2. The name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner’s attorney, or the petitioner without an attorney, are: (El nombre, dirección y número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante si no tiene abogado, son): SATNESH S. PRASAD, 607 LONGWOOD AVE., HAYWARD, CA 94541

Date (Fecha): OCT 21, 2022

CHAD FINKE, Clerk, by (Secretario, por) SARAH GOUVEIA, Deputy (Asistente)

[SEAL]

Published in the Wednesday Journal March 1, 8, 15, 22, 2023

The public is invited to attend the public hearing and present oral and/ or written comments. Written comments may be provided prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the public hearing to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Kate Portillo, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513, kportillo@brookfieldil.gov, or 708-485-1113. Oral or written testimony may be given during the public hearing.

The application may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours.

Please reference PZC Case 23-05. Public hearings may be continued from time to time without further notice except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Individuals with disabilities requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield (708) 485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access is available through the front (South) entrance of Village Hall.

By the Order of Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman.

All furniture, china, crystal, housewares, small electrics, lamps, artwork, picture frames, costumes, clothes, shoes, CDs,DVDs, books.

is: ERIN WILLIAMS 5927 W. CHICAGO AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60651

Published in Wednesday Journal March 8, 15, 22, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE of PUBLIC HEARING (PEID)

Notice is hereby given to all residents and property owners in the Village of Forest Park, Illinois and all users of the water system that a Public Hearing will be held at Forest Park Village Hall on Monday March 20,2023 at 4:00 P.M. The Village plans to construct the lead service line replacement project. This Public Notice is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the Village’s proposed construction. A project summary and Preliminary Environmental Impacts Determination (PEID) document provided by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is available for review at Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. The document contains information including the project costs, location, user rate impacts and potential environment impacts.

This Notice is to provide access to the documents and to satisfy Section 662.330 of the Illinois Procedures for Issuing Loans from the Public Water Supply Program from the Illinois EPA. These documents will be on file at the Village Hall after the Public Hearing to allow for public comment. Written comments can be submitted up to 10-days following the public hearing to the Village or directly to Chad Rice at the Illinois EPA, Infrastructure Financial Assistance Section, P.O. Box 19276, Springfield, Illinois 62794-9276.

Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk Forest Park 517 Des Plaines Avenue Forest Park, Illinois 60130

Published in Forest Park Review

March 8, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 30, 2023 for Project: 23-1, Sewer and Water Improvements. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of water main replacement, fire hydrants, valves, water service replacements, sewer replacement, HMA pavement, curb & gutter removal and replacement, PCC sidewalk removal and replacement, pavement markings, and all appurtenant work thereto.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday, March 9, 2023

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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

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

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

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www. oak-park.us/your-government/ budget-purchasing/requestsproposals or at www.questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8302906 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening. The work to be performed pursuant to this proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 8, 2023

A Public Notice is hereby given that the Village of Oak Park Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CDCAC) will be meeting for applicant presentations, a funding recommendations determination meeting and a public comment for the upcoming Program Year (PY) 2023 project proposals submitted to the Village for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) grant funds. PY 2023 will run from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. All meetings will be held at Village Hall—123 Madison—room 101 and are as follows: Presentations, 5:30 -9:00pm on April 18, April 20 and April 25; Meeting to determine funding recommendations and receive public comments on proposed funding recommendations, 6:00pm on May 9, 2023. All meetings are open to the public and reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons as needed. Meeting specifics are subject to change; please send a message to grants@oak-park.us to confirm details.

Published in Wednesday Journal March 8, 2023

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2023 QUARTER 1.

March 8, 2023

THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.

COMMUNITY

LEADS THE WAY

Through their plan and landmark developments

FROM SURVIVING TO THRIVING PAGE 3 | SUPPORTING PLAN IMPLEMENTATION YEAR FIVE PAGE 4

MARCHING AHEAD PAGE 7

Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan

legacy investors:

Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.

ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

CHAIR

Larry Williams

Broker, State Farm Insurance

SECRETARY

Bradly Johnson

Chief Community Officer, BUILD Inc.

TREASURER

LaDarius Curtis

Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United

ACT STAFF

Leadership

Darnell Shields

Executive Director

Andrew Born

Strategic Advisor Operations

Deirdre Bates*

Director of Operations

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Darnell Shields

Austin Coming Together

Directors

Sharon Morgan

Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools

Reverend Reginald E. Bachus

Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church

Tenisha Jones

Vice President of Community & Government Engagement, Catholic Charities

Dearra Williams

Executive Operations Lead/ Assistant to the CEO

Strategic Initiatives

Sandra Diaz* Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Austin Community Hub

Janelle Martin Austin Community Hub Specialist

ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

A House in Austin Academy of Scholastic Achievement

Austin Childcare Providers Network

Austin Community Family

Center

Austin Weekly News (Growing Community Media)

Be Strong Families

Beat the Streets Chicago

Because I Care

Bethel New Life

Beyond Hunger

BUILD Inc.

By The Hand Club For Kids

Cara

Catholic Charities

Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures

Chicago Community Loan Fund

City of Refuge

Defy Ventures Illinois

Reginald Little

Business Development Specialist, Great Lakes Credit Union

Dawn Ferencak

Senior Marketing Strategist, Chicago Parent

Deborah Williams-Thurmond

Community Outreach & Engagement

Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.

Ruth Kimble

Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network

Jerrod Williams

Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court

Emone Moore Engagement Coordinator, Austin Community Hub

Dollie Sherman Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub

JeVon D. Moore* Planning & Investment Manager, Austin Forward. Together.

Ethan Ramsay Lead Organizer, Austin Forward. Together.

Erikson Institute

Friends of the Children

Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin

Greater West Town Community

Development Project

Housing Forward i.c. stars

IFF

Institute for Nonviolence

Chicago

Grace Cooper Project Specialist, Austin Forward. Together.

Natalie Goodin

Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator

Nicholas Galassini Micro Market Recovery Program Intern

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

Kids First Chicago

KRA Westside American Job Center

Learning Edge Tutoring (fka Cluster Tutoring)

Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF)

Manufacturing Renaissance

Mary Shyrese Daycare

Maryville Academy

Mercy Housing Lakefront

New Moms

Max Komnenich

Associate Principal, Lamar Johnson Collaborative

In Memoriam

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jack Macnamara

1937–2020

FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR

Mildred Wiley

1955–2019

Marketing & Development

Alicia Plomin*

Director of Marketing & Development

Scott Prywitch Marketing & Development Coordinator

Maria Romero Luther Marketing & Development Associate

*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team

OAI, Inc.

Oak Park Regional Housing Center

Open Books

PCC Community Wellness Center

Project Exploration

Renaissance Social Services, Inc.

Sarah’s Inn

South Austin Neighborhood Association

St. Joseph Services

St. Leonard’s Ministries

Stone Community Development Corporation

The Catalyst Schools

The Journey Forward

The North Avenue District, Inc.

Towers of Excellence

UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work

VOCEL

Westside Health Authority

West Side Forward

Worldvision

Youth Guidance

From surviving to thriving: How community ownership will ensure the future remains bright

By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together

Going into 2023, the Austin community has found itself at a crucial moment. With the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-of-life plan entering its fifth and final year of implementation, many key projects and developments are rapidly advancing Austin toward a full transformation and a flourishing future. And I’m proud to see that many of these efforts are led by residents, community stakeholders, or local organizations who have answered the call to get involved in the ongoing activities laid out in the AFT plan.

In celebrating the progress of the Austin renaissance, it is important to remember where we started. Five years ago, nearly 500 Austin residents and community stakeholders came together to define what they felt were the community’s most glaring needs and priorities. This profound display of community ownership ultimately gave life to the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-of-life plan, the definitive set of goals created by and for the community designed to address 23 strategies with 84 total actions across seven Issue Areas between 2019 and 2024: Community Narrative, Education, Housing, Youth Empowerment, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Civic Engagement.

Community ownership leads the way. By enabling community residents and stakeholders to leverage the Quality-of-Life planning process, they feel empowered to create permanent, dynamic change. When our community feels heard, they have power. That power then becomes motivation to get and stay involved. Quality-ofLife plans like this have been created in other communities, but they have not built the level of momentum that Austin’s plan has.

Moving forward, we must continue to work as a community, decide as a community, and act as a community. For many decades, residents of Austin have faced a collection of challenges, many of which have prevented them from gaining sufficient access to extremely basic resources. Though many leaders have stepped up and volunteered their time, more is needed for the AFT plan to be fully achieved. Today, the community perseveres to stay ahead in improving its own quality of life. These days, we’re not just merely surviving but are instead moving toward stability. With all that is in the works, this moment is helping the community remain on the path to

“The change we’re creating together is being done by Austin and for Austin.

DARNELL SHIELDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER

BELOW—Baxter Swilley, Director of Legislative & Public Affairs, at The Oak Park Regional Housing Center, speaks to a group of AFT plan leaders in Sept. 2023 about the Austin United Alliance and their plans for reviving and redeveloping the landmark Laramie State Bank site into a functioning bank, business incubator, and mixed-income housing.

TOP—Donnita Travis, Founder and Executive Director of By The Hand Club For Kids, speaks about the North Austin Community Center at the Jan. 2023 Austin Community Summit (photo by Maria Romero Luther). BOTTOM—The Youth Empowerment Task Force of the AFT plan, representing a handful of local organizations, hosted a Youth Job Fair in April 2022.

BELOW—Jermaine Abdual, owner of Spirit & Soul Catering Company, speaks about food access inequities at Rosie’s Peace in the Valley Garden during the postfilm discussion at an outdoor movie and food event hosted by the Austin Eats Initiative in July 2022.

Economic Development

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Jerrod Williams South Austin

Neighborhood Association

Heather Sattler

Plan Leaders

Community Narrative

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Briana Shields

Briana Janeé Arts

Kenneth Varner

Healthy Schools

Campaign

Dearra Williams

Austin Coming Together

STRATEGY LEADS

Lasondra Kern

Community Resident

Suzanne McBride

Austin Talks

Michael Romain

Community Stakeholder

Alicia Plomin

Austin Coming Together

Cindy Gray

Schneider

Spaces-n-Places

Community Development Consultant

STRATEGY LEADS

Erica Staley

Manufacturing Renaissance

Emily Peters

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

Tina Augustus

Chicago West Side

Chamber of Commerce

Roxanne Charles West Side Forward

Education

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Crystal Bell

Ella Flagg Young

Elementary School

(retired)

Charles Anderson

Michele Clark High School

STRATEGY LEADS

Ruth Kimble

Austin Childcare

Providers Network

Madelyn James

Austin Childcare

Providers Network

Pam Price

Chicago Public Schools

Cata Truss

Community Resident

Sean Schindl

Kids First Chicago

Housing

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Athena Williams

West Cook

Homeownership Center

Allison McGowan

Community Resident

STRATEGY LEADS

Shirley Fields

Coldwell Banker Realty

Rosie Dawson

Westside Health Authority

Athena Williams

West Cook

Homeownership Center

Public Safety

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Bradly Johnson

BUILD Inc.

Marilyn Pitchford

Heartland Alliance

STRATEGY LEADS

Adam Alonso

BUILD Inc.

Edwina Hamilton

BUILD Inc.

Bertha Purnell

Mothers OnA Mission28

Jose Abonce

The Policing Project

Ruby Taylor

Taproots, Inc.

Youth Empowerment

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Carmen Scott-Boria BUILD Inc.

D’elegance Lane

Community Stakeholder

STRATEGY LEADS

Deonna Hart BUILD Inc.

Aisha Oliver

Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Helen Slade

Territory NFP

Dollie Sherman Austin Coming Together

Civic Engagement

TASK FORCE CHAIRS

Deborah Williams-Thurmond

Habilitative Systems Inc.

STRATEGY LEADS

Arnold Bearden

South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA)

Crystal Gardner

Protest to the Polls

Sharif Walker

Bethel New Life

Marching ahead: Celebrating community-led investment in Austin

By Scott Prywitch Marketing & Development Coordinator, Austin Coming Together

On Saturday, January 21st, ACT and the quality-of-lifeplan task forces hosted the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) Community Summit at By The Hand Club For Kids. The Austin residents, community stakeholders, ACT members, and local organizations carrying out the AFT quality-oflife plan were able to provide an overview of progress to date and an outlook on what is to come.

More than 300 guests enjoyed a performance by The Happiness Club, heard from community leaders about community development projects, and learned more about the plan in-depth. This year’s Summit helped to inspire more residents and stakeholders to become part of the AFT work as it begins its fifth year of implementation.

ACT Executive Director Darnell Shields hosted a panel of guests who shared updates on the significant progress of community development projects: the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation; Build The Future Youth and Community Hub; North Austin Community Center; and Laramie State Bank Redevelopment. These projects, which have garnered over $100 million dollars in total investment, are the direct result of community-led action in improving the quality of life for all who live in Austin.

The Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation is an effort to repurpose a closed school at Madison and Central Avenues into an anchor for commercial revitalization and a destination for top-notch workforce training. The site will have already been activated with a POPfit area that has year-round outdoor workout equipment and a field that will transform into an ice rink in the winter.

Build The Future is a welcoming and supportive safe space that will dramatically expand the organization’s services and capacity and allow them to open more widely to the community. The transformed

campus will stand for growth, opportunity, joy, and every child’s right to grow up and achieve their potential. The site had its ribboncutting ceremony on February 25th.

The North Austin Community Center serves 400 Austin kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The innovative space is a 150,000-square-foot professional-level sports, education, and wellness facility on a 10-acre campus. It provides the same opportunity for growth, impact, and sustainability as their other sites offer. It held its grand opening ceremony on February 2nd.

COMMUNITY SUMMIT ATTENDEE

Economic Development, Public Safety, and Civic Engagement. During these sessions, attendees learned in great detail about their selected issue area and discussed various ways to get involved in the plan. The time is now to create real and lasting change. Not only are we seeing more investment in revitalizing the physical environment in Austin, but also in opportunities that specifically lend to the advancement of its people.

The Laramie State Bank Redevelopment Project will revive the now vacant yet prominently known site at Chicago and Laramie Avenues and transform it into a hub with a variety of commercial and residential amenities. As an Austin landmark, this project will preserve history and fuel the growth to come in the community.

Following the panel, Summit attendees had the unique opportunity to directly engage with the community leaders of the seven AFT issue areas in breakout sessions. The issue areas are Community Narrative, Education, Housing, Youth Empowerment,

It will be up to the community and AFT leaders to make sure that these large-scale development projects continue living up to the vision and actions laid out in the plan.

Gatherings like the Austin Community Summit have been instrumental in the plan’s progress because it creates more awareness for an effort that will take the entire community to execute. If you or anyone you know would like to get involved in the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-of-life plan, please contact AFT Lead Organizer Ethan Ramsay at eramsay@austincomingtogether.org. n

I am so grateful to be a part of the family in Austin. In our community, we continue to come together despite our age, ethnic differences, religious preferences, and affiliations to make Austin better.

ACT Executive Director Darnell Shields called to the stage all those involved in the implementation of the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-of-life plan so Summit attendees could get an idea of how many people are needed to carry out this work, including ACT staff, AFT task force chairs and strategy leads, Austin youth, and representatives from local organization (photo by Maria Romero Luther).

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER: 2023 QUARTER 1.