Wednesday Journal 011823

JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

BUILD-ing a better West Side

STORY, PAGE 10

Betty White: Forever Golden Special section, Page 17

Geothermal installation costs at OPRF slow plans

Gradual phase-in will likely begin in 2024

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest High School’s move to geothermal heat has hit a snag and will likely be delayed. After bids for installing a horizontal geothermal system underneath the fields just west of the high school came in 37 percent higher than projected the OPRF administration is recommending, and the school board seemed inclined to ag ree, that the school board reject the bids at their Jan 26 meeting and instead shift to a phased in switch to geothermal starting in 2024, rather than installing geothermal this summer as had been planned.

By delaying the installation of any geothermal piping until after the new track is built, the new plan would result in the new shotput and discus area be dug up just after one year after it was installed to put in the geothermal piping. But the cost to dig up and then reinstall the shot put and discus area is not expected to be too onerous or expensive.

COURTESY OF BUILDCHICAGO.ORG

Oak Parker Adam Alonso, heads up nonprofit focused on ser ving youth

Pritzkersigns assaultweaponsales, manufacturingban

Illinois becomes 9th state to ban militar y-style guns

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

On the first full day of his second ter m, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 10 signed a bill banning the sale, distribution and manufacture of high-power assault weapons, .50-caliber rifles and ammunition, and large-capacity mag azines while still allowing people who already own such weapons to keep them.

Pritzker signed the bill during a ceremony in the Statehouse just hours after the final version of it cleared the House, making Illinois the ninth state in the nation to impose such a ban.

“I’m signing this le gislation tonight so that it can take immediate ef fect and we can end the sale of these weapons of war as soon as possible,” Pritzker said.

The House had passed a similar bill early on Jan. 6 and sent it to the Senate, where it appeared over the weekend to run into roadblocks But ne gotiations continued behind the scenes throughout the weekend and into Monday, when a final deal came to gether just as Pritzker, who campaigned on a pledge to pursue an assault weapons ban, was being inaugurated into his second ter m in of fice.

As recently as Jan. 8, the House and Senate seemed to be far apar t, both on the weapons ban and a bill expanding access to re productive health services, two of the biggest items being considered in a lame duck session that concluded Jan. 10.

“I will fight for the needs of Illinoisans, and I will not acce pt a watered-down version of le gislation that falls unacce ptably

shor t of the comprehensive solutions that the people of this state deserve,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Hillside), said in a statement released Jan. 8.

The following night, Welch, Pritzker and Senate President Don Har mon (D-Oak Park) announced they were all in ag reement on a final proposal.

One of the key sticking points concer ned a requirement that people who currently own such weapons re gister them with the Illinois State Police. Those individuals would be required to disclose the make, model and serial number of the specified weapons to obtain a special endorsement on their Firear m Owners Identification, or FOID card.

The House had included that in the bill it passed shor tly after midnight on Jan. 6, but an early draft of a Senate plan repor tedly proposed dropping it.

The final version of the bill, contained in a package of amendments to House Bill 5471, includes the requirement but extends the deadline for compliance to Jan. 1, 2024, instead of 180 days after the gover nor signs the bill into law, as the House had proposed

The Senate language was unveiled during a committee hearing Jan. 9, only a few hours before inauguration ceremonies for the governor and other constitutional of ficers were about to be gin blocks away in a downtown Springfield convention center

Other changes included a more up-todate list of weapons that would fall within the banned cate gory along with authority for the Illinois State Police to modify the list through administrative rules to capture new and copycat models as they come onto the market.

The Senate bill also clarifies that any device that makes a semi-automatic weapon fire more rapidly – whether it conver ts the

weapon into a fully automatic one or merely increases the rate of fire – will be ille g al. And it defines large-capacity mag azines as those capable of holding more than 10 rounds for a long gun or 15 rounds for a handgun.

The Senate version also does not change the age limit to obtain a FOID card, meaning people between the ages of 18 and 21 will still be able to obtain one with the consent of a parent or guardian. The House had proposed eliminating that exception.

“It really is the House structure,” Harmon said of the bill after a Jan. 9 committee hearing. “We have been careful to be precise, that we are ar ticulating the list of guns where an endorsement would require the make, model and serial number so that owners know exactly what they need to do.”

In an ef fort to ease concer ns from hunters and spor tsmen, the bill also contains a provision authorizing the De par tment of Natural Resources to adopt administrative rules exempting weapons used only for hunting that are expressly permitted under the Illinois Wildlife Code

That, however, was not enough to quell the opposition of gun rights advocates who argued that the weapons to be banned are “commonly used” weapons in American society and thus, under standards of recent U.S. Supreme Cour t rulings, will likely be deemed unconstitutional.

“I think folks at home need to know, and folks here in the chamber, that many of the commonly used semi-automatic shotguns will still have to be re gistered as assault weapons,” Sen. Ter ri Bryant (R-Mur physboro) said during debate on the floor of the Senate. “So even though some may come of f, we’re still going to have many commonly used shotguns that will be listed as assault weapons.”

Democrats pushed the bill through the Senate 34-20, sending it to the House, where it passed 68-41 on Jan. 10 with two Re publican votes, outgoing House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Wester n Springs) and Re p. Bradley Ste phens (R-Rosemont).

Otherwise, GOP members echoed Bryant’s sentiments

“I can tell you that we will not comply, and you’ re not going to do a darn thing about it,” Re p. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) said during House floor debate “Because the law, the constitution and the founding principles are on our side.”

During the debate, Welch, with his mother seated next to him, spoke of how his aunt was shot and killed in her car while leaving church in the mid-1980s, and how his mother ended up adopting her sister’s three daughters

“Let’s end families having to change over night,” Welch said. “Let’s not lose any more brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, children to gun violence.”

“Let ’s end families having to change overnight. Let’s not lose any more brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, children to gun violence.”

EMANUEL “CHRIS” WELCH House Speaker

Idea Box: MLK Lorraine Motel Memorial Window Exhibit

Through Jan. 31, Oak Park Public Librar y (Idea Box)

In honor of Mar tin Luther King Jr. Day, this month’s window display transports viewers to the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, room 306, where Dr. Mar tin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Visitors can view images, quotes, and a copy of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, as a memorial to his profound legac y of peace and racial justice. If you would like to be a par t of the display, stop by the ser vice desks in the Main Librar y Children’s Ser vices Area or at the Dole or Maze branch libraries to request a Dream Hand Write out your dream for the future, and we’ll add your Dream Hand to the display throughout Januar y. Learn more at oppl.org/ calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Henr y Fogel Presents: Susan Nigro, Contrabassoon

Monday, Jan. 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m.,

Nineteenth Centur y Charitable Organization

Susan Nigro has the distinc tion of taking the contrabassoon all over the United States, as well as to areas such as Salzburg, Montevideo and Rome. She is one of the few practitioners of that instrument to make a career of playing solo recitals, a sure sign that she is in full command of her abilities. Nigro will per form a selec tion of pieces accompanied by piano 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park

BIG WEEK

January 18-25

Trailside Museum of Natural History, Friday, Jan. 20, 1 - 3 p.m.

Bird Painting Workshop: Black-capped Chickadee

Organized Crime In Chicago During Prohibition

Monday, Jan. 23, 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.,

Nineteenth Centur y Charitable Organization

Author and historian John Binder discusses organized crime in Chicago during prohibition, with special emphasis on the bootlegging gangs, par ticularly Al Capone. Free, although $15 donations from non-members are appreciated. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park

Louisiana Al

Thursday, Jan. 19, 8:30 p.m., FitzGerald If a person is named Louisiana Al, he’s either a pool shooter or a blues singer. Since FitzGeralds at the moment, does not possess a pool table, you can assume that Louisiana Al is a blues singer and you’d be correc t. Hailing from Simmespor t, Al currently resides in the Chicago area, and musically he’s on the soulful end of the blues scale. $15, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berw yn.

Sketch and paint a black-capped chickadee. For beginners and experienced ar tists. Ages 13 & up, $5. Materials provided. 708-366-6530, trailside.museum@cookcountyil.gov, 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest.

Curious to See: Discovering America’s Ar t Museums

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2-3 p.m., vir tually through Oak Park Public Librar y

This online exhibit centers on how art museums became international leaders of the world’s best ar t collections. Uncover how museums grew to become America’s cultural guardians. Register now at oppl.org/calendar

More Than a Mic: Open Mic Night

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 4:30-6 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y Student ar tists, showcase your work through various forms of creative expression at this monthly open mic night. Singers, dancers, poets, rappers, and other creatives are invited to bring their best once a month, where they will receive suppor t from peers. For grades 6-12. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Jewish Genealogical Societ y of Illinois

Sunday, Jan. 22, 2 p.m. Geneaologist Ted Gostin reviews online UkranianJewish resources and how to use them, as well as what can be found in the records. Register for the CST online session at https://jgsi.org/event-4942426

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

SUSAN NIGRO

River Forest taps assistant as interim administrator

Matt

Walsh, hired as Brian Murphy’s assistant in April, will step into top

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Matt Walsh is expected to be named Rive r Fo rest’s i nterim village administrator at the Jan. 23 village b oard meeting, temporarily filling the vacancy created by the resignation of B ria n Murphy.

T he resignation of Murphy, who has ser ve d as village administrator since December 2021, was announced at Jan. 9 village b oard meeting

He re p laced Eric Palm, who lef Rive r Fo rest in Fe bruary 2021 after 10 years to a ccept a similar p osition in Hof f man Estates.

Walsh has ser ve d as assistant to the village manager since April. P rior to his h iring at Rive r Fo rest, Walsh ser ve d the village of Homer Glen for over three year s, including a year as i nterim village manage r.

He also ser ve d as c ommissioner of the Pa rk District of Fo rest Pa rk fo r eight year s.

Walsh gr aduated from the Unive rsit y

role, for now

of I llinois at Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts de gree in 2015. He also rece ived a Master of Public Administration degree from the Unive rsity of I llinois at Chicago in 2017.

W hen announcing Murphy’s resignation Jan. 9, village President Cathy Adduci said he was leaving “for personal reasons” effect ive Jan. 27. An emai l newsletter from the village Jan. 12 a dded “health reasons” as a c ause for hi s esignation.

In the emai l newsletter, Adduci said she is “confident Matt will do a remark”

Murphy ser ve d as Plainfield ’s administrator prior to hi s iring in Rive r

Following Palm’s resignation, village officials used Gov HR of Northbrook, a public management c onsulting firm, to c onduct a search for his re p lacement. T he firm, wh ich serves local gove rnment clients and other public-sector entities across the c ountr y, had b een used by Rive r Fo rest previously, most recently to fill the villa ge finance director position.

MATT WALSH BRIAN MURPHY

Young River Forest actor stars in ‘Big Fish’ musical

Production runs Jan. 25-March 19 at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshore

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

One River Forest 13-year-old is making a big splash in the theater world. William Daly will be perfor ming alongside Broadway stars as Young Will in the Mar riott Theatre production of the musical Big Fish.

Based on the 1998 Daniel Wallace novel, Big Fish: A Nov el of Mythic Proportions, and its 2003 film adaptation, musical the tense ship betw named dying fantastical ries amused a child to their bond.

“The just such gushed.

With his father now facing the end of his life and with Will approaching fatherhood himself, the adult protagonist wants to know the truth in his father’s tales Unraveling fact from fiction, the story plays out along two timelines: the present day and his father’s storybook past. The latter is where Daly’s character comes into play.

“The character of Young Will in Big Fish is critical because he lets the audience see the genesis of a young man’s strained relationship with his father,” said Henry Godine z, who is directing the musical.

As he is still a child, Daly shares the role with another boy, but he counter par t as competition. posite actually.

“Since we’re the only tw stick together,” the young thespian said.

Having two dif ferent same role, plus an adult to ter as a grownup, has led mix-ups in rehearsals To fusion, Daly shares a first character, which keeps him whole situation, he said, is “really funn Despite his youth, Daly sional. Godine z praised his acting chops, calling the to work with” because he and dee ply invested in the character.”

“He more than holds his own in a cast of Tony-nominated adult actors,” said Godine z.

Big Fish is not Daly’s first time working with adult actors, nor was it his first professional gig. He perfor med in the ensemble and as the understudy of Michael in the 2022 U.S. tour of the musical Elf

On that tour, Daly perfected his preshow ritual – the consumption of a honey lo zenge to relax his throat, then vocal war mups. If he’s feeling really nervous, he does some jumping jacks, which gets his adrenaline pumping.

“Then I’m just li ke ready to go on stage,” he said.

He also shared his trick for memorizing lines, writing down the first letter of each of his lines, then recalling what comes next. He lear ned that technique after look-

ing up memorization tips online

“It really helps with just focusing on what letter correlates with what word,” he said. “After you do that a couple times, it’s just like eng raved in your brain.”

Daly got the musical theater bug from his little sister. The two perfor m at Ovation Academy for the Perfor ming Ar ts in Oak Park, but it took some nudging to get Daly in there at first. His mother, Amanda Daly, founder of the popular local bakery the Daly Bagel, said her son was not at all interested in theater at first. She “borderline dragged” him into his first rehearsal, but by the end of it, his whole attitude had changed

“He came out and he said, ‘That was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had,’” Amanda said. “He was glowing.”

The life of a working actor is a busy one, especially when that actor is still in school. He attends St. Giles Catholic School in Oak Park, which has been very accommodating and suppor tive of his theatrical pursuits and the demanding schedule it requires. His principal took time away from visit-

ing family, driving over an hour to see Daly perfor m in Elf

“They are absolutely wonderful,” said Amanda of the St. Giles faculty “I cannot say how grateful I am to them.”

Daly’s weekends and school day afternoons are usually packed with rehearsals and lessons, but when he can, he tries to make the most of his free time. He is quick to set up playdates and knock on the doors of kids in his neighborhood

His busy schedule makes it dif ficult for him to par ticipate in the activities other kids get to do, but he understands that pursuing musical theater comes with some sacrifices. He had to miss out on perfor ming in his eighth-g rade play, which was disappointing for him.

As long as musical theater continues to bring him joy, his parents are happy to suppor t him in his pursuits It doesn’t appear that interest in the theater will be fading any time soon. He’s got his eye on bigger stages. His dream role is to play Shrek in the musical adaptation of the og re love story.

JOE MAZZA/BRAVE LUX

William Daly w ith Alexander Gemignani, who playsWill’s father in the musical ‘Big Fish’ at the Marriott eatere.

JOE MAZZA/BRAVE LUX

William Daly

Oak Park Librar y debuts young men’s mentorship program

Program facilitated by local nonpro

t YourPassion1st

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Local nonprofit Your Passion1st has partnered with the Oak Park Public Library for a new young men’s mentorship prog ram that focuses on confidence building and workforce readiness

“The goal is really just to inspire them to overcome any adversity that they have in their life and empower them to leverage what they’re good at,” said Chris Thomas, founder and CEO of YourPassion1st.

The program is open to young men in sixth through 12th grades The mentorship group meets every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the main Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St.

Thomas and Roberta Ber nice Logwood, YourPassion1st’s program director, facilitate each meeting.

“I’m already ready to see the development in these young men,” said Lo gwood. “I’m so excited.”

About 25 kids showed up to the program’s first meeting on Jan. 11, according to Thomas Over pizza, the participants got to know each other by writing down three things about themselves, which helped them to open up about their interests and talents

“Some of them had no clue even what they liked, or what they were good at,” Thomas shared. “But by the end of the day, everyone there knew what they liked and started to understand some things that they are good at.”

In sessions to come, participants will engage in activities to boost self-esteem, lear n conflict resolution, create connections and grow self-awareness. Snacks will always be plentiful. Three field trips have also been scheduled. The kids will have the opportunity to weigh in on where they go.

“I am always a proponent of trying my best to keep it educational, but sometimes kids just need to have fun and I think there’s value there in ter ms of allowing them to have fun,” said Thomas

Many people got their first jobs as teenagers. To prepare those in the mentorship

program for this, Thomas and Logwood will help build their resumes and conduct mock interviews They will also lear n to market their skills, develop business plans and prioritize what makes them passionate, so that they come away with a better idea of what career they’d like to pursue in the future.

“They say there’s a shortage of talent in the workforce,” said Thomas “I don’t think there’s a shortage of talent in the workforce; I think that there’s a shortage of mentorship.”

Through mentorship that is both fun and educational, the participants will build life skills that will help them to avoid engaging in detrimental activities and thinking.

“It’s really important to know who you are as a person inter nally and the value that you create,” said Thomas

The program is funded through a $25,000 grant from the Illinois State Library and will serve to satisfy a need identified by Oak Park Public Library staf f to engage young men in programming specifically geared toward their development. The team at YourPassion1st, which had been looking for the right opportunity to work with the library,

was chosen to lead the program.

“They’re teen magnets They’re in tune with what teens want,” said Latonia Jackson, the library’s manager of middle and high school services “We knew if anybody could get butts in seats, it would be them.”

Jackson was unable to attend the program’s first meeting, but she said she is excited to attend subsequent meetings. She, along with Logwood and Thomas, hopes that the program will continue to draw in a large group of excited participants

The program has received great feedback from its target audience, according to the results of a voluntary assessment the attendees were asked to fill out after the first session.

It’s not too late to join. Attending the first meeting is not a requisite of the program. Re gistration is open. Any young man who falls within the designated age range can attend. Nor do participants have to live in Oak Park. All that is required is a desire for self-g rowth.

“We should grab the opportunities we have before us and not let them get away,” said Logwood.

Dormant Pruning & Prepping for Spring

Earlier this month, temperatures soared into the springlike 50s. Deep down, though, we knew that winter wasn’t done with us. The good news: it’s not here forever, and spring will arrive, more or less on schedule, in two months.

Will your landscape be ready?

Until mid-March, be sure to put your trees and shrubs on a “diet” of dormant pruning. It promotes healthy plant growth when spring shows up.

Pruning is best now because without leaves it’s easier to see what should be removed. Also, wounds from the pruning cuts heal much faster during the dormant season, allowing less time for disease penetration.

Preventive pruning removes wood that is diseased, damaged or dead, as well as unwanted or problem limbs such as those that grow into a house or hang low over a sidewalk.

Corrective pruning redirects the plant’s growth to establish a more natural and healthy growth habit.

Rejuvenation pruning is a more drastic approach in which the plant is cut back heavily to thin overgrown plants, to promote new, vigorous growth and to winnow the plant to a more manageable size.

Questions on this or any other landscaping topic? Call us to arrange a one-hour consultation!

2001 Des Plaines Ave. Forest Park • 708-771-2299 www.mcadamlandscape.com

COURTESY OF D AVID T KINDLER

Chris omas, founder and CEO of the nonpro t YourPassion1st, is now leading a young men ’ s mentorship program for those in grades six through 12 each Wednesday at the Oak Park Public Library.

Scott McAdam Jr.

Concordia head basketball coach returns following players’ hospitalization

Internal investigation found no evidence of hazing or intent to harm athletes

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Concordia University Chicago has reinstated Steve Kollar as head coach of the men’s basketball team. Kollar had been temporarily removed from the position after a particularly intense Dec. 31 practice caused six players to be hospitalized, but an internal investigation has found no evidence of hazing or intent to harm the student-athletes.

“The university and athletic administration has full confidence in Coach Kollar and believes that he has the best interests of our student-athletes in mind,” wrote

Concordia athletics director Peter Gnan in a letter to parents, students, coaches and training staf f.

Kollar resumed his off-court, administrative duties Jan. 13. Assistant coach Rashaan Surles, who took over head coaching duties in Kollar’s absence, will continue to oversee team practices and games in the near term, according to the letter.

“We look forward to Coach Kollar’s return in the weeks ahead,” Gnan wrote.

Gnan’s letter confirmed that the intensity of the New Year’s Eve practice was a direct consequence of some players breaking curfew during a late December trip to California, where the team played two games.

“We believe the intensity of the practice contributed to the students’ illness when combined with other factors including, but not limited to, an immediate return to full activity after an extended break, crosscountry travel, rest, hydration and nutri-

tion,” Gnan wrote.

During the week of Jan. 2, six players were admitted to local Illinois hospitals with rhabdomyolysis, a potentially lifethreatening syndrome that can be caused by serious physical exertion.

Rhabdomyolysis occurs when damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and electrolytes into the blood, which can hurt the heart and kidneys, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition can cause permanent disability and death.

The six players have since been released from care. The university is continuing to assess the health of the student-athletes. The team doctor is working alongside professionals at Loyola University Medical Center to create care plans for the players. Once it has been determined that they are fit to resume physical activity, the players will make a “gradual return” over two

weeks.

The university anticipates the team will could return to playing games by Jan. 17. The men’s basketball team did not play in three re gularly scheduled games over the past two weeks due to the incident, nor will they play in a Jan. 14 game against Marian University. Those games will be considered forfeits.

The university declined to disclose additional details re garding Kollar’s absence, citing the situation as a private employment matter. It was stated in the letter, however, that no for mal complaints had been lodged against Kollar prior to or in relation to the six players being hospitalized.

“Overall, Coach Kollar continues to have the overall support of his team and their parents, many of whom have voluntarily provided affirmation of their support during our recent inquiry,” Gnan’s letter states.

OPRF board raises bar for in-person meeting attendance

Three exceptions allowed for remote participation

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

From now on members of the Oak Park and River Forest District 200 Board of Education will be expected to attend school board meetings in person unless they have a good reason not to

Remote attendance at meetings became the nor m in the early days of the Covid-19 pan-

demic and more recently meetings have been a mix of in person and remote attendance. For example at the Jan. 12 Committee of Whole Meeting six of the seven school board members attended in person. Only Gina Har ris, who has attended a number of recent board meetings in person, attended remotely. Most school board members have attended some recent meetings remotely but all of them have mostly attended recent meetings in person.

Board president Tom Cofsky made clear that he wants members to attend meetings in person. Cofsky noted the board policy is that members attend board meetings in person. He said

that the policy is that there are three exceptions that permit remote attendance at meetings: out of town business travel, illness, and a personal family emergency.

Only in person attendance counts for comprising a quorum which is four members which is necessary to hold a meeting.

“We’ve struggled to get a quorum in the last six months because a quorum means in this room, not via Zoom,” Cofsky said. “We did not have a quorum for a tri-board meeting, and as such, were not a participant in that meeting officially. As president that’s the rules we’re going to follow.”

GEOTHERMAL

Costs slow conversion

from page 1

The lowest bid for installing geother mal system next summer came in at approximately $6.3 million. The projected costs had been about $4.6 million. The increased cost moved the breakeven point for geother mal to somewhere between 15 and 19 years, an increase from the previous estimate of 12 to 15 years.

The school board discussed the issue at its Jan. 13 Committee of the Whole meeting.

“I’m fine with rejecting the bids,” said school board member Ralph Martire. School board president Tom Cofsky ag reed

“I think reevaluating this with a phased in approach makes sense,” Cofsky said. Administrators had said that this summer would be an ideal time to install a below ground geother mal system because the west fields will be tor n up to build a new outdoor track. But now they say the best approach is to install a geother mal system in stages be ginning in 2024 with the installation of a vertical geother mal system between the west field and the mall with an estimated capacity of 595 tons, or enough to heat about 15 percent of the OPRF campus

Geother mal uses pipes and pumps to move air from the ear th’s core to the place that is to be heated or cooled.

The next stage of geother mal could be added a few years later, sometime between 2026 and 2028, under neath the Oak Park

much more than the horizontal piping that was planned for this constraints. Vertimes more ef ficiency more expen-

Some board members expressed concer n federal incensubsidies for last year duction Act will subsidies could the installageother mal inflation escalator be s propossaid that mal would ward a long ich would heating source approach geopercent of and 100 perpiping was installed under the new tennis courts at an unspecified time in the distant future. established emissions els by 2030 eenhouse goals that but it’s a

TOM COFSKY

COURTESY OPRF AND PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK

Current plans would add a track and soccer eld west of the school. Baseball and so ball would shi to park dist rict and school elds south of Lake St reet

Changing young West Side lives

Oak Parker Alonso heads BUILD, a violence prevention program

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Although he took a detour from an initial plan to become a doctor, Adam Alonso is saving, or at least changing, lives nonetheless. As CEO of BUILD, a West Side nonprofit focused on g ang intervention, violence prevention and youth development, Alonso and his team serve more than 2,500 vulnerable youth every year His work was recently reco gnized by the inaugural Chicago Bears Inspire Change Changemaker Award. The award was accompanied by a $10,000 grant from the NFL Foundation, through Bears Care, a program that has par tnered with BUILD since 2012.

Alonso was honored during a frigid half-time in the Dec 24 Bears-Buf falo Bills g ame, in a live presentation viewed by thousands of fans. He particularly appreciates the award because of his desire to be a positive role model for the youth served by BUILD Alonso, an Oak Pa rk resident for more than 20 years, grew up in Summit and graduated from Argo High School before enrolling in the University of Chicago’s pre-med program. Fairly quickly, he realized that he didn’t have the drive required to be a doctor He graduated with a de gree in Latin American Studies and joined the Peace Corps, with an assignment in Ecuador, but political unrest prevented his involvement. Instead, he took a job as a school-age director with Casa Central, a Hispanic social service agency serving children and adults

“I took the position at Casa Central because I was desperate for a job, and they were desperate for war m bodies. After two years, I transitioned to a position managing the teen program. At that time, I thought I hated teenagers — I thought they were disrespectful and loud and I was afraid to engage with them. But I soon realized that I really did like them — and the messier they were, the more I liked them,” Alonso said.

Then, at the age of 24, Alonso experienced an e piphany that would change the course of his life While working at Casa Central, which was operating out of the basement of a North Side church, a clearly distraught kid showed up looking for the pastor, who was not there at the time. As the boy walked away, an inter nal voice told Alonso to call him back.

He lear ned that the youth had a two-year-old, with another on the way, and had been homeless since the age of 11. His mother was a heroin addict and he saw his father shot and killed in a park. He was selling drugs and had smoked all his inventory and, in desperation, was planning to kill himself because he didn’t know what else to do

“Hearing his story was so far out of the realm of my own life. I realized that there were people out there who suf fered from a poverty of love and stable relationships, which is more devastating than economic poverty, and I was so grateful to have had a loving family, people who would hug me and ask me about my day and wor ry about my future. I understood that it was incumbent on me to do everything I could to suppor t this young man,” Alonso said.

Alonso maintained a relationship with the youth, through years of ups and downs involving drugs and prison, until he was shot and killed.

“That relationship was my introduction to what Christianity really is. I was raised in the church but this taught me what it truly means to serve God by of fering unconditional love It was the defining moment for me That relationship changed me from the inside out,” Alonso said.

Alonso joined BUILD as CEO in 2015 after a number of leadership positions with Chicago social services agencies. He was aware of the org anization’s solid re putation. Founded in 1969, BUILD had grown to be one of the premier g ang intervention agencies in the country. Under Alonso’s leadership, the org anization has grown exponentially — in size, capacity, financial support and re putation.

When he took over, BUILD’s programming was scattered throughout schools on the West Side. Alonso quickly realized the value of of fering comprehensive afterschool programming in a central location in the Austin neighborhood.

“Of fering programming in our own building allowed us to experiment and try new things. But we also knew that we needed to get out and introduce ourselves to our neighbors because no one knew us. We worked hard to thread ourselves into the fabric of the community by attending block parties, community meetings and work groups. We really embedded ourselves in the neighborhood,” Alonso said.

The org anization be g an adding programs, including ar ts and woodworking, based on what young people were requesting. According to Alonso, staf f operated under the assumption that, if they just got

star ted and did things right, the money would follow.

However, in 2018, Alonso and his team realized that they needed more space. The board approved a 50,000-square-foot campus, combining renovated and new space, with a steadily increasing price tag — from $15 million to $18 million and then $21 million. Fundraising was halted in March 2020 by the pandemic. The campus is at Har rison Street and Laramie.

“In May, a $5 million grant from the state energized the campaign. And a $2 million commitment from a couple who really believed in the project convinced us to go full steam ahead. That $7 million made us realize, that, oh my gosh, we can absolutely do this!” Alonso said.

Alonso said while fundraising at this magnitude was uncomfortable for him — he had never led a capital campaign before — it was made easier by the urgent need to combat a growing rise in violence in the Austin neighborhood. Plans for the new campus were based on input from the young people BUILD serves, as well as from the community and staf f.

The facility will ultimately cost almost $28 million and include ar t studios, a recording studio, a computer center, a mental health center, public café, and a full-size gym, all sur rounded by green playfields and a community garden. A grand opening is scheduled for February.

Alonso expects the building to serve as an anchor for the Austin neighborhood — and to fur ther his dream of saving, or at least changing, a few more lives.

COURTESY OF BUILDCHICAGO.ORG

NEW GROW TH: e BUILD campus, expanded and updated, will open in Februar y at Harrison and Laramie in Austin.

“That relat ionship was my introduction to what Christianity really is. I was raised in the church but this taught me what it truly means to ser ve God by o ering unconditional love.

ADAM ALONSO CEO of BUILD

Oak Park’s Harmon reelected state senate president

Challenges colleagues to put citizen interest above self-interest

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park’s Don Harmon was reelected Illinois Senate President during a Jan. 11 opening ceremony in Springfield presided over by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. In Harmon’s inaugural remarks, the Democratic state senator said he was “honored and humbled” to receive the support of his colleagues and vowed to keep Illinois moving forward.

“My commitment to you is that I will strive each day to do my best to live up to the responsibilities and trust you have placed in me,” he said.

As senate president, Harmon presides over the 59-member Illinois Senate. In quite direct ter ms reflecting the chamber’s history of political corruption, he called on his fellow senators to honor the obligations the public expects of elected officials, without

letting political differences obstruct them from acting in the best interest of Illinois residents.

“What is best for the nearly 13 million people who collectively call Illinois home? Be guided by that truth, whether it be politically convenient or not,” Harmon said. “If your motivations are elsewhere, the Illinois Senate is not for you.”

His inauguration marks the beginning of Harmon’s second full term as Illinois Senate President. Harmon was first elected as senate president in 2020 to serve the remainder of the term vacated by the for mer senate president John Cullerton, who retired. He was reelected to a full two-year ter m the following year.

Senate sessions resumed Jan. 12, and Harmon used his inaugural address as an opportunity to also welcome the 103rd General Assembly He congratulated Republican John Curran on being elected senate minority leader and greeted 16 new senators. Harmon also took a moment to remember Sen. Scott Bennett, who died last month at age 45 due to complications from a brain tumor.

DON HARMON

New Austin mural a gi to community, school says

St. Angela School mural by ar tist Ally Braden depicts longtime students

By SHANEL ROMAIN Community Narrative Reporter

A new mural in Austin features the faces of students who attend St. Angela School, 1332 N. Massasoit Ave. The public piece by artist Ally Braden was completed around Thanksgiving, said Lynn Frederick, St. Angela’s director of advancement.

who are pictured in the mural are students mer students,” said Frederick. “It represents joy and

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) accurate as of January 5, 2023 and is subject to change. A minimum of $1,000 is required to open the account and to obtain the stated APY. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer is for new money only.

St. Angela was for merly connected to St. Angela Parish before the church 2005. In 2017, the Archdiocese of who owned the church buildings, demolished to make way for green space Angela School students.

Frederick said Braden “spent some cold days” painting the mural, a process tha lasted nearly five weeks

“The kids think it’s very cool,” said. “They loved watching here. out for recess and would know that Ms. was on her lift. Sometimes, she w down and answer their questions

Frederick said she believes the mural is “gift to the neighborhood. It’s a sign of commitment that we’re going to sta think it re presents how much we appreciate the neighborhood that we’re in.”

Xaria Johnson Rickett, 11, is one of the

students whose face showed up on the mural.

“People ke pt saying that it looks like me pt on saying, ‘No it doesn’t,’ until I learned it was me,” Rickett said.

“It was a huge surprise, said Amares Chambliss, 13, whose face is also depicted on the mural. “I didn’t even know.”

Malia Jones, 13, said she was also d that her face was on such large public artwork. She said when she told her that her visage was featured, her relatives put things in perspective. re like, ‘Well, of course, because een there a long time.’ I’ve been here since I was 3 years old.”

shanel@growingcommunitymedia.org

Above, St. Angela School students Xaria Johnson Rickett, Malia Jones, Isaiah Stines and Amares Chambliss stand in front of the new mural. Below right, Chambliss admires his face on the mural.

PHOTOS BY SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

Stranger kicks open door

An unknown person kicked open the door to an Oak Park resident’s apartment unit around 4:41 a.m., Jan. 10, in the 900 block of South Humphrey Avenue. The stranger was heard shouting, according to Oak Park police, before fleeing the scene

The damage to the door is estimated at $200.

Burglary

■ Someone broke into a 2019 Chevrolet Express van, damaging the side cargo lock, and removed miscellaneous tools from inside the vehicle between 7:15 p.m., Jan. 10, and 6:40 a.m., Jan. 11., in the 800 block of South Euclid Avenue. The estimated loss is $2,000.

■ Someone broke into a 2017 Porsche Macan, damaged its ignition, ransacked its interior and removed its owner’s manual between 7 p.m., Jan. 8, and 8 a.m., Jan. 9 in the 1200 block of North Elmwood Avenue. The damage and loss are estimated at $900 total.

Motor vehicle theft

rack in the 1100 block of Ontario Street between 4 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Jan. 12. The estimated loss is $250.

■ A witness saw a man using a Sawzall tool to cut the catalytic converter from a 2010 Honda Element parked in the 700 block of Belleforte Avenue at 11:41 a.m., Jan. 10.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport between 7 a.m. and 4:15, Jan. 10, in the first block of Van Buren Street.

■ A witness saw a woman removing two packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service from a front porch in the 100 block of Augusta Street at 4:30 p.m., Jan. 9.

Criminal proper ty damage

■ Someone splattered paint on two flags hanging from a construction fence in the 1000 block of South East Avenue at 9:15 p.m., Jan. 9.

■ A red marker was used to deface an Oak Park resident’s garage door in the 700 block of North Harvey Avenue between 7 p.m., Jan. 9, and 12:15 p.m., Jan. 10.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

■ A gray 2015 Hyundai Elantra pa rked in the first block of Washington Boulevard was taken between 10 a.m. and 11:35 a.m., Jan. 12.

■ A 2016 Hyundai Sonata was removed from the 1200 block of North Austin Boulevard between 11 p.m., Jan. 9, and 2:30 p.m., Jan. 10.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

■ A garage door was marked with graffiti with a red marker between 4 p.m., Jan. 7, and 9:45 a.m., Jan. 8, in the 700 block of Lombard Avenue.

■ Someone used a red marker to graffiti an Oak Park resident’s garage door between 5 a.m., Dec. 26, and 3:29 p.m., Jan. 8, in the 700 block of North Harvey Avenue.

■ An Oak Park resident’s garbage cans were defaced with yellow paint between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m., Jan. 8, in an alley in the 600 block of South Ridgeland Avenue.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more important.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window of a 2014 Hyundai Accent and damaged the vehicle’s steering column and ignition port between 11:45 p.m., Jan. 9, and 9 a.m., Jan. 10, in the 400 block of South Lombard Avenue.

Theft

■ Someone was captured on video surveillance camera removing a package of food from a front porch in the 400 block of North Taylor Avenue at 10:38 a.m., Jan. 12. The estimated loss is $150.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2007 Honda Civic parked in the 400 block of Lake Street between 7:25 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Jan. 12.

■ Someone took a black and gray mountain bicycle that was locked to a bicycle

■ Someone splashed green paint onto the stucco wall and trim of an Oak Park resident’s home in the 500 block of South Highland Avenue between 11 p.m., Jan. 7, and 11 a.m., Jan. 8.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports, Jan. 10-15, 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 th ey seek the public’s help in making an arrest

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

Trinity caps inaugural MLK Day Shootout with win

Fenwick defeats Taft; OPRF falls to Hyde Park

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Trinity High School tied a bow on its inaugural Martin Luther King Jr. Shootout basketball showcase on Jan. 16, pulling away in the final quarter of the event’s final game to beat Butler Prep 70-57.

Lauren Miller (23 points, 14 rebounds), Cierra Richardson (18 points, 5 steals, 5 assists, and Sophia Rodriguez (20 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists) led the Blazers (14-9)

“When Cierra, Lauren and Sophia are all going, it’s tough to beat us,” said Trinity coach Kim Coleman. “And when we have our role players buying in and doing whatever it takes, good things happen.”

The MLK Shootout at Trinity was unique in that all of the teams were led by African American coaches.

“It was beautiful. Everything ran smoothly,” said Coleman. “I appreciate all 14 teams who were a part of this. I’m also grateful to the Trinity parents for their support as well as that of our athletic director [Ken Trendel] There was a lot of good basketball.”

Coleman hopes the MLK Shootout becomes an annual event and wants all of this year’s participants to return. In fact, she thinks the event has room for growth.

Trinity’s Cierra Richardson looks to drive against Butler Prep during the Trinity MLK Shootout Jan. 16. Richardson had 18 points, ve assists, and ve steals in the Blazers’ 70-57 v ictory.

“I’d like to add 14 more teams next year and make it a two-day event,” she said.

Two other local teams competed in the event.

Fenwick High School opened play by defeating Taft 35-22, although coach Lenae Fergerson felt her team could’ve played better.

“We got the win and that’s important,” she

said. “But I wasn’t pleased with our style of play We were unfocused, sloppy, and had a lot of unforced turnovers, so we’ll get back to the drawing board at practice.”

Allie Heyer scored a game-high 13 points and was named Fenwick’s Player of the Game. Cam Brusca added 10 points for the Friars (12-11), who have won five of their last

six contests.

“It was great to see the atmosphere and the acknowledgment of the coaches,” said Fergerson of the shootout. “I thank Kim Coleman for inviting us; it’s a good opportunity for the players and families to see the diversity occurring in our area.”

Oak Park and River Forest High School stayed close early on against Hyde Park, but the Thunderbirds pulled away for a 63-35 victory.

Hyde Park junior center Mia Gaines scored 23 points and grabbed 22 rebounds as she had her way with a much smaller OPRF squad

“She didn’t do anything spectacular, but she did her job,” said OPRF coach Carlton Rosemond of the 6-foot-4 Gaines. “We just don’t have the height or size to match her.”

Libby Majka, named OPRF’s Player of the Game, had a team-high 10 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Huskies (0-20), who committed 19 tur novers

“It’s the same thing that keeps rearing its ugly head,” Rosemond said. “We don’t take care of the ball very well, and that’s been the story. I hope my players continue to strive to right some wrongs.”

Like Fergerson, Rosemond was appreciative of the invitation to the shootout.

“It was a very good experience,” he said. “It was a good way to showcase our African American culture. There were great programs, a great environment, and some good basketball throughout the day.”

New head coach named fo r OPRRF boys lacrosse

Justin

Porter plays on U.S. Virgin islands national team

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

When it takes the field this spring, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys lacrosse team will have a new voice to provide guidance.

Justin Porter was introduced Jan. 13 as the Huskies’ new head coach. He replaces Rocco Chierici, who led the program for eight years.

“I’m looking forward to putting OPRF boys lacrosse on the map,” said Porter in a press release issued by the school. “We have a lot of raw athletes and now is the time to turn them into lacrosse players.”

Porter brings plenty of experience to the Huskies As a player, he lettered all four years at Hobart College and reached the 2004 NCAA tournament. Porter is a member of the U.S. Virgin Islands men’s national team, but he said that will not interfere with his OPRF coaching duties.

“I am looking forward to seeing how Coach Porter can assist in moving our program forward,” OPRF athletic director Nicole Ebsen said in the release. “I

have no doubt that we will see great things happening for boys lacrosse under his leadership.”

As a coach, Porter has coached in youth leagues in Manchester, England. He has been both a head and assistant varsity coach at Glenbard South and Evanston Township high schools. Recently, Porter was an assistant at Hobart College

Porter said he expects the Huskies to play with discipline, effort and respect.

“It may take some time for the team to adjust to the level of expectations I have for them on the playing field,” he added. “But we will get it, and we will be good.”

CAROL DUNNING/Contributor

JUSTIN PORTER

OPRF swimmers splash RBHS Invite

Rauch sprints to wins in 50 and 100 freestyle

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys swimming and diving team won the Riverside-Brookfield High School Invitational on Jan. 14 with 247 points. St. Ignatius was second with 225 points and Oswego East third with 220.

The Huskies were victorious in three individual events and one relay. Lars Rauch won two races, the 50-yard freestyle in 22.34 seconds and the 100 free in 48.45. Adan Pedraza took the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.53, and OPRF’s 200 medley relay team of Pablo Pareja, Pedraza, Emmett Harmon and Rauch won in 1:37.59.

Pareja finished second in the 100 backstroke in a time of 54.82, while Harmon took third in the 100 butterfly (53.51).

Other notable individual performances by the Huskies included a fifth-place finish in the 100 free (50.97) by Ethan Neuner; a sixthplace showing in the 500 free (5:11.66) by Will Keyes; and a pair of sixth-place finishes by Ian Glossa in the 50 free (23.26) and 100 backstroke (57.55) respectively.

OPRF’s 200 free relay of Harmon, Neuner,

on Jan. 16, the Friars fell to RiversideBrookfield 56-45. Damion Porter Jr. had 13 points and six rebounds while Thomas added 12 points and eight rebounds.

OPRF boys basketball

OPRF split a pair of West Suburban Silver games and dropped a close non-conference af fair last week.

On Jan. 14, the Huskies (8-10, 2-2) pulled out a 63-62 over time victory at York. Justin Bowen had 25 points and nine rebounds while Rodney Murphy added 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jaziah Harper nine points.

Pareja (above) was part of OPRF’s

nished second in the 100 backstroke in a time of 54.82.

Keyes and Pedraza came in tied for second with a time of 1:30.72, while the 400 free relay of Keyes, Harmon, Neuner and Rauch finished third in 3:17.30.

Fenwick boys basketball

Fenwick High School boys basketball coach Tony Young knows his young team has made good progress this season, already exceeding last year’s win total of 10. But he also realizes the Friars still have

lessons to learn.

“We need to learn to close games out at the end,” Young said after Fenwick’s 54-40 home loss to Brother Rice on Jan. 13.

The Friars (11-9) led 23-18 at halftime, but Brother Rice’s Ahmad Henderson, a Niagara University signee, scored 13 of his game-high 16 points in the second half to rally the Crusaders.

Darshan Thomas led Fenwick with 11 points while JT Pettig rew added nine.

In the Martin Luther King Jr. Shootout

Two nights earlier, OPRF hung in for a while with WSC Silver leader Lyons Township, but the Lions pulled away over the final 10 minutes for a 76-47 victory.

“LT just took of f at the end,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “We made a lot of mental mistakes. With a young team, we’re like a roller-coaster: up one minute, down the next.”

Christian Marshall led the Huskies against LT with 10 points.

OPRF lost to Farragut 64-61 on Jan. 16 at the Hyde Park MLK Shootout. Murphy and Alex Gossett each scored 14 points while Bowen posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

OPRF, Fenwick wrestlers face o for rst time since 2010

Huskies display slight edge in restar t of Village Cup competition

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

For the first time since 2010, the Oak Park and River Forest and Fenwick High School wrestling teams faced off on the mat Jan. 14 before a large and enthusiastic crowd at the OPRF fieldhouse.

The Village Cup, which goes to the winner of the match, was not awarded as there was no team score kept due to multiple forfeits. However, that didn’t diminish the excitement as the Huskies won five bouts while the Friars took four

“It was awesome,” said OPRF coach Paul

Collins. “Fenwick’s a few blocks away and coach [Seth] Gamino and I have a good relationship. He’s been extremely helpful and I’m glad we got the ball rolling on this again.”

“It was exciting and fun,” Gamino said. “It’s just great to get the friendly rivalry started again.”

Fenwick had to forfeit four bouts due to injury or illness. But the Friars who competed fared well.

In perhaps the most exciting bout of the evening, Fenwick’s Luke D’Alise jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 195-pound class against OPRF’s C.J. Robinson. But Robinson escaped in the third period to gain a point, and after having been penalized two points for stalling, D’Alise got a takedown with one second left to claim a 5-3 victory.

“I didn’t agree with the stalling call,” Gamino said. “But Luke got the takedown before it was over, and that’s all that matters.”

The Friars’ other winners were Vincent Fioravanti (10-0 over Roman Pantazopoulos at 160 pounds), Finn McGee (pin over Hugh Vanek at 170), and Conor Stetz (11-1 over Eric Harris at 220).

“Finn and Vincent are looking strong,” said Gamino. “They’ve got goals of going downstate and making some noise and I think they’re on the right track. Conor is also doing well and looks sharp.”

For OPRF, freshman Zev Koransky improved his season record to an impressive 24-7 with a pin of C.J. Brown in just 38 seconds.

“Zev is really good,” Collins said. “We knew he was going to be a starter and make an impact right away. You never know how the transition from the Little Huskies [youth program] is going to be, but Zev has done a fantastic job.”

The Huskies’ other on-mat victories also

came via pin. At 132 pounds, Will Kelly pinned Max Kenny in 1:58, while Joe Knackstedt defeated Elam Staples in 2:40 at 138, Isaac Davies beat T.J. Nix at 152 in 4:42 and Vance Domenz pinned Jack Paris in 5:32 at 182.

“I feel good,” Collins said. “We’ve had injuries, but I’m excited because we have guys willing to continue to work and push themselves. As long as we get everybody back, we have a good shot at competing for the regional title.”

Fenwick will participate in the Chicago Catholic League championships Jan. 21 at Mount Car mel.

“I told the boys that now a new season starts,” Gamino said. “It’s the postseason, and I like where we’re at. We’re ready to roll.”

After a West Suburban Silver dual at York on Jan. 20, OPRF hosts its annual Huskie Invitational on Jan. 21. The Huskies will host an IHSA Class 3A regional meet on Feb. 4.

IAN MCLEOD

Pablo

winning 200-yard medley relay and

Artwork: : “Forever Golden” A mural by Sara Jean Stevens, located across from 104 N. Maple, Oak Park

From Thursday, January 19 to Sunday, January 22, you will nd at each of the business locations cited on the map, a Betty cutout along with a stack of Betty fact cards, a di erent fact at each location. Go and collect at least seven di erent fact cards over the course of the 4 days (note: business days and hours vary). Fill out (with name and email) and mail them (or drop them through the mail slot) to Wednesday Journal, 143 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. Each card will be entered into a drawing for local gift certi cate prizes – the more cards you turn in the more entries you get. Keep in mind, locations 11 and 15 are not businesses and don’t have fact cards. Feel free to take sel es and photos, #BizBash4Betty Email questions to ndingbetty@oakpark.com.

1. Betty Marion White was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on Jan. 17, 1922.

2. “Betty” was her legal name and not a shortened version of “Elizabeth.”

3. Betty was the only child of housewife Christine Tess and lighting company executive Horace Logan White.

4. She relocated to Los Angeles, California, at the age of two.

5. As a young girl, Betty took singing lessons and dreamed of being an opera singer.

6. Betty received 21 nominations and won 5 Emmy Awards.

7. Betty is the only woman to have received an Emmy in all performing comedic categories.

8. Betty’s last Emmy nomination came 60 years after her first.

9. In 2014, Betty became the Guinness World Record holder for Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female). 70 years in show business!

10. During World War II, White joined the American Women’s Voluntary Services.

11. White produced the sitcom “Life with Elizabeth” in the 1950s.

12. Betty is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom.

13. From 1962 to 1971, White hosted NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

14. At age 95, she was the oldest person asked to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

15. Betty voiced characters in “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Toy Story

4,” “The Simpsons,” “King of the Hill” and “The Wild Thornberrys.”

16. In 1995, Betty was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

17. From 1956 to 1976 Betty was a commentator for NBC’s annual Tournament of Roses Parade.

18. Betty’s work on CBS forced her to leave her role as host on NBC’s Tournament of Roses Parade.

19. White was known to skip breakfast and eat a simple sandwich for lunch.

20. Betty claimed she only entered the kitchen to feed her dog.

21. As part of their Amazing Women of the Month program, the Girl Scouts of America unveiled a brand-new Betty White patch in 2022.

22. Betty was not a dieter and quipped to People magazine that she credited her longevity to avoiding green foods.

23. From 1973 to 1977, Betty starred as Sue Ann Nivens on “Mary Tyler Moore.”

24. Betty won two, back-to-back Emmy Awards in 1975 and 1976 for her role on “Mary Tyler Moore.”

25. Betty White was married three times.

26. Her first marriage to Army Air Force Pilot, Dick Barker was in 1945 ended quickly.

27. Betty’s second marriage to Lane Allen, a Hollywood talent agent, ended because she wanted to focus on her career.

28. She married Allen Ludden, a television host and personality in 1963.

29. Betty met Ludden in 1961 when she was a celebrity guest on “Password,” a game show that Ludden hosted.

30. Ludden proposed to Betty multiple times, sending her a stuffed Easter bunny with gold and sapphire earrings.

31. White initially refused Ludden’s marriage proposals, but he wore the engagement ring he purchased for her around his neck until she changed her mind.

32. Betty joked the only reason she married Ludden was because he had two poodle puppies.

33. Allen and Betty stayed together until his death in 1981.

34. Betty included potato chips among her favorite foods.

35. Betty played Ellen Harper Jackson on “Mama’s Family” from 1983 to 1984.

36. From 1968 on, White only lived in two houses, both in California.

37. Betty was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2015 Emmy Awards ceremony.

38. Betty remarked about the pilot of “The Golden Girls.” “It was a wonderful script. You read so many bad scripts. … For every good script, you read 10 bad ones, and that one was a knockout. It really was.”

39. White originally auditioned for the role of Blanche on “The Golden Girls.” Director Jay Sandrich was worried about typecasting, so during the auditions he asked White to switch roles with Rue McClanahan who was reading for the part of Rose Nylund.

40. An animal lover and activist, if Betty hadn’t been an actor, she would have been a zookeeper.

41. On her 90th birthday, the Los

Angeles Zoo named a baby orangutan to honor her “Hot in Cleveland” character, Elka.

42. White was offered the role in the Oscar-winning movie, “As Good as It Gets,” but declined it because of a scene where a small dog is thrown down a trash chute.

43. In 2010, a Facebook group gathered nearly a million fans calling for Betty to host “Saturday Night Live.”

44. At age 88, White was the oldest person to ever host “SNL.” She won her 5th Emmy for the performance.

45. Past SNL cast members Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler and Molly Shannon all returned to appear on the episode with Betty White.

46. Betty’s snacking habits included Red Vines, hot dogs, French fries and Diet Coke.

47. In 1988, Betty and the other Golden Girls performed for Queen Elizabeth II.

48. Betty’s first work in Hollywood was in a Parkay margarine commercial.

49. Betty never took acting lessons.

50. Betty visited the campus of Minnesota’s St. Olaf College in 1992.

51. Jimmy Fallon once said of White’s comedic style, “Betty plays the cute factor, then goes for the jugular.”

52. White turned down an offer to co-host the “Today” show because she didn’t want to live on the east coast. Her choice opened the door for Barbara Walters.

53. Betty hosted a show called “The Pet Set” in 1971 featuring celebrities and their pets.

54. Known as “The First Lady of Television” White famously said, “Retirement is not in my vocabulary. They aren’t going to get rid of me that way.”

55. When “The Golden Girls” ended White was 70 years old.

56. Betty told Katie Couric, “Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself keeps you feeling young.”

57. Her last TV role was as the voice of “Bitey White” in Disney’s “Forky Asks A Question.”

58. White’s appearance on “Hot in Cleveland” was only supposed to be a one-time guest role.

59. Betty won a 2010 Teen Choice Award for Best Dance for her performance with Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal.”

60. Betty’s 1977 Cadillac Seville, named “Parakeet,” is part of the Automobile Club of America Museum collection.

61. In 2010 Betty’s popularity surged after starring in a Superbowl commercial for Snickers.

62. In 2012 she returned to television as the host of “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers,” a show in which older people pranked younger people.

63. The American Association of Zoo Keepers, L.A. Chapter, named Betty an honorary zookeeper in 2013.

64. Betty White won a 2015 People’s Choice Award in the Television Icon category.

65. Betty supported Morris Animal Foundation for over 50 years, “sponsor[ing] animal health studies to improve the health of cats, dogs, horses and multiple species of wildlife.”

66. Betty was 63 years old when “The Golden Girls” began.

67. Betty’s memoir “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t)” was published in 2011.

68. Betty won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2012 for her recording of her 2011 memoir.

69. Betty was the oldest Golden Girl in the cast.

70. Betty won an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series,

for the first season of “The Golden Girls.”

71. She was nominated for an Emmy every year “The Golden Girls” run.

72. Betty appeared in the horror film, “Lake Placid” in 1999.

73. Betty published her first book, “Betty White In Person,” in 1987.

74. White sat down with four “Tonight Show” hosts including Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and guest host Joan Rivers.

75. For her guest appearance on WWE RAW in 2014, White was nominated for a professional wrestling Slammy Award.

76. Following her death, President Joe Biden described Betty as a “cultural icon who will be sorely missed.”

77. She had her own daily talk and variety show, “The Betty White Show.” It ran from 1952 through 1954.

78. Calls to cancel “The Betty White Show” came because White refused to remove Black tap dancer Arthur Duncan from the show.

79. Red Vines presented White with a portrait of her made out of red licorice (her favorite treat) to mark her 99th birthday.

80. During the 1950s Betty formed a genuine friendship with Lucille Ball.

81. Betty was profiled on a 2003 episode of “Biography” on A&E.

82. Betty’s television acting career took off again when she joined the “Mary Tyler Moore” show in 1973. She was 51.

83. Sue Ann Nivens, was originally a guest role on the show, but was upgraded to a series regular the following season.

84. When Allen Ludden was asked if Betty and Sue Ann Nivens were the same, he would say, “They’re the same except Betty can’t cook, of course.”

85. When asked what she would like to hear God say to her when she arrived at the gates of heaven, White answered, “Come on in, Betty. Here’s Allen!”

86. The U.S. Forest Service made White an honorary ranger in 2010.

87. Betty hired a female director—a first—for her daytime talk show.

88. Betty appeared on the soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2006.

89. Speaking about her years on “The Golden Girls,” Betty said, “It was just heaven. It was like being with your family every day.”

90. White had an entire room in her Carmel home filled with stuffed animals.

91. Dinah Shore, Burt Reynolds and Gloria and Jimmy Stewart were close friends of White and Ludden.

92. Betty was given the honorary title of Mayor of Hollywood in 1955.

97. Betty won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance on “Hot In Cleveland.”

98. In 2010, Betty established the Betty White Wildlife Fund in response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

. Betty graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

93

94. Shortly after high school, Betty was recruited to shoot an experimental television show called “The Merry Widow.”

95. White never had any biological children but became stepmother to Allen Ludden’s three children from a previous marriage.

96. From 2010 to 2015, Betty starred as Elka Ostrosky on the TV Land series “Hot In Cleveland.”

99. When Betty died, Michelle Obama took to Twitter saying, “Betty White broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh.”

100. During a CNN inter view with Joy Behar, Betty responded to being called a “legend” by saying, “I just laugh. Have I got them fooled.”

101. “Betty White: First Lady of Television,” a documen tary about White, is streaming on Peacock.

Homes

Early Frank Lloyd Wright design hits the market

George Smith House listed for the rst time in more than 60 years

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

Frank Lloyd Wright’s George Smith Home, at 404 Home Ave. in Oak Park, recently hit the market. It’s the first time the 1890s-era home has been listed for sale in more than 60 years.

“It does need work inside; it’s been in the same family for about 60 years,” said realtor Catherine Cannon, who is listing the three-bedroom, one-bathroom house for $595,000. “It’s a beautiful home. The ceilings are nice and tall, and the rooms are spacious.”

Oak Park River Forest Historical Society records do not contain a lot of information on the home, but early Oak Park directories show that George Smith worked in sales at Marshall Field & Co. and that he and his wife Lucy were still living in the home in 1910.

Barbara Gordon, executive director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, says the house is an important example of Wright’s early work in Oak Park.

“The 1898 George Smith House on Home Avenue is a fine example of Wright’s use of the Shingle Style early in his career,” Gordon said. “The exterior geometric for ms show how Wright was reacting to the Victorian designs of the times by stripping away ornamentation to design a bold form, while still blending into the neighborhood. The interior is even more impressive, with an open floor plan that creates generous, sun-lit living spaces that fit with modern living.”

In Oak Park, Gordon compares the home to the Parker House built in 1892 on Chicago Avenue and says it also has some similarities to Hinsdale’s Bagley House, as all three homes have strong geometric forms, differentiating them from their Victorianera peers.

Gordon recently toured the home with John Waters, the Frank Lloyd Wright

Building Conservancy’s preservation programs manager, and she notes that they were surprised by how open and spacious the first floor was.

“The dining room is just spilling into the living room,” Gordon said. “It feels so open and airy, not boxy and closed of f like a typical 1890s Victorian.”

The house maintains many original details such as large, diamond-paned windows in the living room and a fireplace of Roman brick. The second floor includes one larger bedroom, two smaller bedrooms and a shared hall bath. A walk-up third

floor was probably once used as maids’ quarters.

Like Cannon, Gordon acknowledges that the house needs a lot of work, noting that the house has one full bathroom and a kitchen that is not up to the expectations of today’s buyers.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy is happy to consult with Wright owners contemplating restoration, and Gordon says the organization can share resources as well as examples of how other Wright homeowners have handled restoration and remodeling issues.

Noting the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy’s network of Wright homeowners across the nation, Gordon calls the organization’s ability to pair homeowners looking to restore with experienced preservationists something of a match-making system.

Gordon’s colleague Waters was taken with the house when he toured it and spent some of his holiday vacation working on an animation of the house to show what it could like, if restored.

GEORGE SMITH HOUSE on

See

e George Smith House, 404 Home Ave. in Oak Park, is an early Frank Lloyd Wright design, dating to 1898. e home’s Shingle Style exterior belied a more forward-looking open oor plan inside

Although the home needs extensive rehabilitation, it does retain many or iginal features. John Waters, the Wright Building Conservancy preservation programs manager, made dig ital renderings of what the living room (above le and top right) and entr y/main stair well (bottom right and middle right) might look like if restored.

GEORGE SMITH HOUSE

Rehab needed

from page 25

He says he often makes digital models of Wright designs that may need a bit of work to show the homes in a different light. If a home has been unfortunately altered, the models can help homeowners see what the original would have looked like or give them ideas for restoration.

“When you see the house, you’ll be overwhelmed by what needs to be done,” Waters said.

Waters hopes his renderings will help people see past the work that the home needs to show people what they could get with an infor med restoration. The digital models can be seen on the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy website at savewright.org/exploring-the-georgesmith-house.

One of Waters’ favorite parts of the home is the way the

Shingle Style emphasizes the exterior of the home

“The Smith and Bagley Houses very much look to the East Coast Shingle Style,” Waters said. “Wright was experimenting as a young architect.”

The home’s location in the Ridgeland Historic District protects its exterior from demolition, and any exterior alterations would need to be approved by the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission, but it has a generous backyard and a rear addition is not out of the question.

Both Gordon and Waters stress the importance of restoring and preserving the house’s interior elements.

“Restoring that living room, dining room and upstairs hallway are really important,” Waters said.

He calls the home very Arts and Crafts in style and notes that it was such a carefully-planned space that feels and lives like a more modern house.

Gordon points out that an interested buyer could work with the state’s tax rebate program to receive a break on property taxes for an approved restoration of the home

“Whoever takes this on, it’s a lot of work, but in my opinion, the rewards are so worth it,” Gordon said.

IMAGES COURTESY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT BUILDING CONSERVANC Y

719 Belleforte Ave $787,000

618 N Elmwood Ave $780,000

428 Clinton Ave $770,000

Harrell

Montoya Daniel

Russell Daniel 405 N Lombard Ave $725,000

709 S Oak Park Ave $751,000

Myron Garth Pelzer Jack Mccarthy 523 S Highland Ave $645,000 Bean Jean E Ferris Kyle 636 Gunderson Ave $636,000 Wright Nathan A Mongan Edwin Iv 424 N Harvey Ave $575,000 Reuter Kathleen Volz Andrew 817 N Cuyler Ave $565,000 Cavallaro Lisa M Walther Mathier 1116 S Maple Ave $565,000 Sherman Iris G Lux Michael 1157 S Lombard Ave $510,000 Kaczmarek Mark John Tr Quion Jeremiah 1218 N Lombard Ave $489,000 Ya e Sarah Kattau Leah C 149 Harrison St $482,000 Janice Elkins Llc - Series Harrison Meadows Charles D 1121 S Ridgeland Ave $470,000 Greene Jerome G Iii Kenn Kristyn M 1127 Home Ave $462,000 Daley Kelly A Mcconnell Nicola E 717 S Taylor Ave $459,000 Ryan Julia M Tr Lenz Clare 801 Wesley Ave $430,000 Rabichow Debra A Tr Villalobos Mark 411 Harrison St $413,500 Endicott Je rey 411 Harrison St Llc 1163 S Lyman Ave $410,000 Moroney Daniel S Baig Rameez Raheel 1024 S Euclid Ave $394,000

RIVER FOREST

FOREST P ARK

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

VIEWPOINTS

Stop, start or continue

The bad ne ws is, time flies. The good news is, you’ re the pilot.

Michael Altshuler

Like so many, I reflect on how I handled the challenges, opportunities and blessings experienced in the calendar year just past. I ruminate on how I could have handled situations and people dif ferently or more ef fectively. My objective in looking back is to, hopefully, be a better version of myself fo r the upcoming New Year

Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com PROVIDED

For the record, 2002 was hellacious, unrelenting, and tested my mettle on every level — mentally, physically, and emotionally.

T he good news is that I survived relatively intact and positive. I believe it is a useful practice to look back and glean some important lessons lear ned from the “annus horribilis” that was 2022.

Allow me to share the technique I use to collect data and apply lessons from the past. This technique involves asking people we live, work, and play with questions about how they saw us doing the past year. My technique is simple. I ask people close to me what behaviors I should:

1) Stop

2) Start or

3) Continu e

For example, re garding behaviors that we should stop , it is important not to become defensive or argumentative. Acce pt the feedback. Self-reflect. Most importantly, commit to incorporating the feedback into your daily behavior. Sometimes we are unaware or clueless on how our words, silence, or behaviors impact people.

In addition to asking about things we should stop, inquire about what behaviors we should start . Too often we are trapped in our own perc eption of reality. We don’ t reco gnize the little changes in our behavior that would make us more palatable and pleasant to others.

GEN Z SCHOLARS: Scholarship recipients (on stage) returned to the 19th Centur y Club to report on their progress and ac tivities. e students are (le to right) Rachel Young, Jennie Bull, Kaleigh Clarke, Caroline Robling-Griest, Sabine Roser, Sarah Pilditch, Danielle Guralnick, Matylda Jamroz, Amelia Rossbach, Talib Becktemba-Goss, Peera Serumaga

Students put hope into action

The 19th Century Charitable Association has a long history of providing scholarships to local students at Oak Park and River Forest High School. The resilience of Gen Z has been salient through the past few years. As we are coming out of this and moving toward rebuilding our futures, emotions, and even our confidence, there are lights at the end of the tunnel.

EL SERUMAGA

One View

The event that took place Jan. 2, was to hear updates from the students who were scholarship recipients. Janet Barkley, chairperson, a lively, assertive, and kind woman, blends in as a longtime Oak Parker — self-aware and relevant. Her message was about “hope,” referencing Nelson Mandela’s quote, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness,” and adding that “hope has to be harnessed, to work.” It is easy to forget that people who do the work are the most impressive when they overcome opinions and actions that we are conditioned into through upbringing.

Barkley is a part of a group of women (LCP6), which means Ladies Who Chat with a Pur pose. She said the women of the group had “life experiences with prejudice that affected them,” so they worked through it. Their goal was to learn how to better help people of color and work toward a more diverse and inclusive world.

She and her LCP6 ladies actually cared to “be the change they wanted to see in the world.” This was reinforced when student after student share their updates about how their first semester of college went and thanked Nineteenth Century for their scholarship support

and mentoring. Almost every student, of their own volition, got involved in “paying it forward,” helping younger and disenfranchised students by tutoring them.

Two students for med organizations to help tutor kids. Talib Becktemba-Goss extended his support with his mother’s help and founded a nonprofit organization helping kids in the Lawndale area. Matylda Jamroz’s eyes danced when discussing helping elementary kids to the point where she even considered switching majors to become a teacher. I was amazed that these young Gen Z-ers, who have been through so much, put their hope into action out of concer n for the generation right behind them (Gen Alpha) because of how the pandemic affected them academically. Partially catalyzed by Janet Barkley, her group and the 19th Century Club, the kids decided to be hope for the younger generation though they are now college students of Law, Astrophysics, Economics, Political Science, Media/Film, and Nursing among others.

I suppose Lord of the Flies, required reading during my school days, got two things right.

1) Children will take care of themselves regardless

2) There is hope in the world and hope for future generations

I can’t wait to see what these child benefactors do next and where they go. Community and world change start at home.

Stay tuned.

EL Serumaga is a resident of River Forest and Founder of ecovici.com.

OUR VIEWS

Regrouping on energy at OPRF

We are enthusiastic about Oak Park and River Forest High School’s pro-active plans to shift its energy consumption from fossil fuels to geothermal. It is part of a necessarily ambitious climate plan to first reduce and then eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But that ambition has seemingly hit a wall as bids for installation of geothermal piping, beginning this summer, came in 37 percent higher than expected. That installation was planned in conjunction with a remaking of outdoor athletic fields scheduled for the summer.

The administration recommended and the school board seems inclined to delay the work until 2024 and then to move forward in a phased process over multiple years.

Disappointing, but a reasonable compromise as taxpayer dollars are in play

Climate policy and commitments need to be made at a national and international level. But the hard, and expensive, work also needs to take place locally, institution by institution, house by house.

So we commend OPRF for understanding that the only way to get to zero greenhouse emissions is through radical investment in alternative energy sources. Changing out light fixtures is a fine thing. Energy efficient windows are good. But it is not the substantial change that is essential.

So delay, re group, phase-in, but keep this critical institution focused on the worthy goal.

Harmon’s call for integrity

Don Harmon is not a stirring orator. And his speech last week in Springfield, on the occasion of his re-election as state senate president, had the sincere but expected “honored and humbled” phrasing that we’d expect.

What struck us though was Har mon’s direct acknowledgement of the le gacy of political corruption that afflicts the state senate and all governmental entities in the state capital. This is not just past history. There are currently two members of the senate, both Democrats, whom Gov. J.B. Pritzker has implored to resign as they face investigation.

Speaking to both the incumbent senators and a flock of 16 newly sworn-in senators, Harmon said, “What is best for the nearly 13 million people who collectively call Illinois home? Be guided by that truth, whether it be politically convenient or not. If your motivations are elsewhere, the Illinois Senate is not for you.”

Those words are not going to change the hearts of politicians driven by greed, entranced by power, focused on self. But having the leader of the chamber say them out loud, on day one of a new session is meaningful.

It is a message that needs to be repeated. Internal consequences must be real. The alternative is more of the grim parade of federal investigations that pluck of f the crooks one by one, tattering our faith in state gover nment and reinforcing our ear ned cynicism.

What is your life’s purpose?

Two friends, recently, distilled for me their life’s purpose. Both said: To serve. The similarity caught my attention.

It’s a small sample, obviously, but I wonder if this is common among older adults. It makes sense We spend the first part of our lives decidedly inner-directed. By necessity. We’re growing up, discovering who we are, identifying and developing our skillset. We learn how to “take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone else.” As we get older, friendships, par tnering, and possibly parenting, force us to be more otherdirected. Most of us get a taste of care giving along the way.

KEN TRAINOR

Many find that taste surprisingly fulfilling. It feels good to help. Maybe we’re better at it than we thought. Some are naturals, some have to work at it, but after a cer tain point in life, I think, pursuing more indulgent, less meaningful for ms of self-g ratification just can’t compete As we age, the ego-driven life be gins to fade We aren’t as desperate for exter nal validation. Inner validation from helping grows stronger, feels more real and lasting Being entirely inner-directed is a prescription for isolation. Being entirely other-directed is a recipe for exhaustion. When it comes from a balanced place, serving creates a positive feedback loop. You have to help others in order to help yourself, and you have to help yourself in order to be ef fective helping others. You give what you get and get what you give. After a while, cause and effect blurs. You’ re better for it, they ’re better for it, everything works better. At its best, your life becomes a self-reinforcing eco-system of interconnection and symbiosis.

So you serve. Motives aren’t suspect. You don’t do it for reward or re gard. T he positive stuf f that accompanies helping is the result, not the goal. It’s not a “payof f.” It’s part of the package.

But it doesn’t always work so smoothly. Not every “other” welcomes your service. You may not welcome someone’s giving if it seems to come from a giver’s neurotic, unfulfilled needs. Vice versa if you’ re the one with neurotic, unfulfilled needs.

Nonetheless, the question, “What is the purpose of my life?” got me thinking. There are also preliminary questions, “Does everyone have a purpose?” and “Is it a purpose worth serving?”

We’re not either/or creatures We’re both/ and. Most of us anyway We’re inner-directed and other-directed — to varying de grees. And we can be other-directed and inner-directed in

healthy or unhealthy ways. As the old story goes, each of us has a good wolf and a bad wolf inside. Which one dominates? The one we feed. The one we serve.

I’m thinking out loud here. I definitely don’t have all this worked out, and I’d be interested in hearing from others if you’ve worked it out — or maybe it will spark some wor thwhile pondering.

What is the purpose of your life? Is life better when it is purpose-driven, as Rick Warren, an evangelical Christian author, said in his book, The Purpose-Dr iv en Life – What on Earth am I here for? Barack Obama liked it so much he invited Warren to deliver the invocation at his first inauguration.

As I started thinking about it, I came up with multiple statements of purpose: 1) to write something that benefits and inspires; 2) to love wisely and well, and keep striving to get better at it; 3) to do as much as I can to support my loved ones as they pursue their paths through life; 4) to be useful and make a contribution to the world.

All of the above seem to fit under “To serve.” And having service serve as one’s “north star” may be the best way to assure that we continue to “feed the good wolf.” Doing it with humility is also a hedge against grandiosity

But my four “purposes” sound more like “life goals.” Purpose, i.e. the reason I’m here kind of purpose, seems different. I think of “to dialogue,” “to question,” “to wonder,” “to incite insight,” “to provoke thought,” “to challenge conventional thinking.” Or maybe simply “to write.” Or “to love.” But I think “love” is the one-size-fits-all purpose for every human being.

Recently I read a book by Stephen Cope titled, The Great Work of Your Life – A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling, which made quite an impact. “True calling” feels like purpose, something we are “called” to do, whether by divine inspiration or something deep down inside us.

Cope begins by asking, “What do you fear most in life? … When I pose that question to myself, the answer is this: I’m afraid that I’ll die without having lived fully. … I’m afraid that I may be missing some magnificent possibility. That perhaps I have not risked enough to find it. That maybe I’ve lived too safe a life.”

Does everyone have a true calling that needs to be heard? Does everyone have a purpose for being here?

I don’t know, but I think the question is worth asking

Have you heard what is calling you?

SHRUB

TO WN by Marc Stopeck

Destigmatizing sobriety

Happy Dry January! As a prior village trustee and liquor commissioner, I have one request: let’s destigmatize sobriety The decision not to drink — no matter how long — is not just for alcoholics and pregnant women. It is, simply, a healthy choice.

Last summer I quit alcohol because the benefits no longer outweighed the costs for me. Although not always easy, I haven’t re gretted it for a moment.

While this was very personal decision, everything I have lear ned since has af fir med it. Did you know that one bottle of wine is just as carcinogenic as 5-10 cigarettes? And alcohol is the four th most addictive drug in existence, behind heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine, ahead of nicotine?

Alcohol is the only drug we ask people to justify not using

I loved the social ritual of alcohol: the feeling of connection and relaxing into a fun evening while clinking glasses with a friend. The loss of that feeling — or the perceived loss of that feeling — was the hardest for me to accept. But then I realized: Glasses clink no matter what you put in them, and my ability to have fun came

long before my ability to drink.

It’s also a great time to be sober! The alcohol-free (AF) beverage industry is booming. From high quality AF spirits like Lyre’s and Seedlip to AF craft brews like Athletic and Big Drop, decent beverage options for sober people are growing by the

as we celebrate Dry January, are a few things we can all do to destigmatize sobriety: you host a party, of fer AF options for guests you own/manage a restaurant or store, car ry AF options. someone tells you they don’t drink, don’t ask why. It doesn’t mat. They just don’t. wants to discuss their decision not to drink, let them! Sobriety is only as taboo as we make it.

5. Don’t forget that alcohol and fun don’t always go hand in hand. Sober people know how to be friends, laugh, and have fun. Sometimes more fun, in my sober opinion.

Andrea Button Oak Park

WEDNESD AY

JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Michael Romain

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Staff Repor ters Stacey Sher idan, Shanel Romain

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Big Week Editor James Porter

Columnists Marc Bleso , Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Harriet Hausman, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey

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Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Donor Relations Manager/Food Editor Melissa Elsmo

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

About Viewpoints

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

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

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

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

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calling

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

Little to show for Oak Park on Roosevelt

On Jan. 5, the Village of Oak Park Plan Commission held their first public hearing of 2023 to consider a zoning amendment for the property located at 6536 Roosevelt Road. The property’s current status is a vacant lot after the purchase and demolition of the building that had been the Salvation Ar my resale store. The application for the zoning amendment and variances was submitted by agents for Turano Baking Company with plans to expand the office and/or plant’s parking lot.

I did not attend the public hearing or submit comments because I don’ t have any objections to Turano’s plans. The parking lot extension provides the bakery and/or of fice workers valuable benefits. T he finished project cer tainly will be an improvement over the condition and appearances of the for mer building. Also, after Turano purchased the nonprofit Salvation Ar my parcels, they be g an g enerating proper ty taxes. Undoubtedly, this is good for all stakeholders, including the village of Oak Park.

However, this parking lot is another example of the abject failure of the village and the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation to attract meaningful redevelopment on the nor th side of Roosevelt Road. There are at least two proposals, each for wistful projects at se parate locations; one for a privately owned EV charging lot at 6104, the other is for a “mixed-use” development, to include enter tainment, at 6000 Roosevelt. It’s open to speculation as to the future of either, but especially the latter It seems more likely that U.S. Bank was just dumping the former branch (as with others in Oak Park and beyond), selling it for less than 40% of the value conservatively estimated by the Cook County Assessor

A windshield survey of the properties along the 1.5-mile, primarily commercial cor ridor reveals a significant number of vacancies and dreary building facades. There are also problem buildings, as recently exemplified by the troubles at 6212 Roosevelt. This all adds up to little or nothing to show for Oak Pa rk

Christopher Donovan Oak Park

Equity and OPRF’s Imagine Project 2

In the Jan. 4 Viewpoints [OPRF’s Project 2 demands a true racial equity assessment], the Committee for Equity & Excellence in Education (CEEE) called for a true racial equity assessment of OPRF High School’s Project 2 — the proposed $100 million+ rebuild of athletic* (1) facilities in the south end of the main building. Project 2 includes plans for a 10-lane, 40-by-25-yard pool with four diving boards and stadium seating for 420. A pool of this size would require the expensive demolition and reconstruction of part of the building.

CEEE is a multi-racial group of local residents calling for racial equity in D200. It points out that the high school’s Se pt. 22 racial equity assessment, not released until December* (2), didn’t follow its own racial equity policies and procedures (REPP). Specifically, it didn’t apply the Racial Equity Assessment Tool (REAT) or follow its community eng agement protocol. Groups most har med by past and cur rent inequities were not involved.

Did they fail to follow the REPP* (3) because the high school already knew what would be found? Project 2 as it stands is inequitable. Though swimming classes and private groups would use the enor mous new pool* (4), a pool of its planned size and spectator seating clearly is designed for the aquatic teams. A standard high school competition pool is 20 by 25 yards* (5) — half the size of the Project 2 plan.

The inequities here are also clear* (6):

■ About 125 people par ticipate on the aquatic teams, including managers. About 250 par ticipate on the track and field teams.

■ Almost all aquatic team members are white. The track and field teams are the high school’s most diverse, by the administration’s own admission.

■ Project 2 makes the pool and some other gyms the first Imagine Plan athletic facilities to be constructed.

■ The Field House used by track and field teams is not addressed until Project 5. Given financial constraints, there is a serious question whether it will ever be built.

I thank the CEEE for raising important equity concer ns and join them in calling for a true racial equity assessment* (7) before any decisions are made about Project 2.

Judith Alexander Oak Park

We asked OPRF High School to respond to the preceding letter. The responses were provided by Karin Sullivan, head of communications at OPRF:

(1) As we’ve said publicly and re peatedly, while some of the facilities in the southeast wing are used by athletics teams, their primary purpose is curricular. Virtually every one of our 3,400 students lear ns in PE spaces for four years; 300-400 students receive PE instruction every single period of the school day.

Link to our FAQ with this information: https://campussuitestorage.s3.amazonaws.com/ prod/1558748/bd01c7ae-765f-11e9-94020a56f8be964e/2496416/3901cdb2-53cb11ed-9959-0e55e97f8ecb/file/Project%20 2%20FAQ.pdf

(2) Per Board Policy 7:12 Racial Equity Policy (link below), publicly releasing racial equity assessments is not required. Nevertheless, we shared the assessment in good faith with CEEE — with whom the executive director of equity and student success had been requesting to meet since last August. If CEEE had agreed to meet as requested prior to December, they would have received the assessment much earlier

Link for Policy 7:12: https://www boardpolicyonline.com/?b=oak_parkriver_forest_200&s=610924.

(3) The Imagine OPRF process of data gathering, analysis, stakeholder engagement, vetting, decision-making, etc., began before the racial equity policy and the assessment tool were developed. Equity was one of the pillars of the process, and we’re not going to go back and redo it simply because we’ve developed a new tool. (All this is also true of our freshman curriculum overhaul, which CEEE has enthusiastically supported.)

The very first document in the twoinch binder of background documents given to the Imagine OPRF Work Group was the racial equity tool from the Portland Public Schools We put it in the left-hand pocket so it would be the first thing folks would see every time they opened the binder. (You can see the document here: https://drive.google.com/ file/d/12x5_JExwOpqxshP8hqHp7edAdtUQ-lYp/view?usp=sharing.)

The Imagine team was deliberate in gathering data that it could disaggregate

by race For example, in our student survey, 669 students responded to the question about what spaces do not work well for them. For the 245 respondents of color, the top three spaces were, in order, bathrooms, locker rooms, pool. For the 92 Black student respondents, the top four spaces, in order, were bathrooms, locker rooms, cafeteria, and pool + music spaces (tied).

The team also conducted 28 listening sessions with student groups/classes, a third of which were, by design, clubs whose members tend to experience marginalization, such as ASPIRA, Black Leaders Union, and Students Advocating for Equity.

We stand behind the integrity of our process, with equity, and specifically racial equity, in the forefront.

One further note — when we applied the REAT in September, we did conclude it isn’t well suited to major capital projects (vs. programs). We’re looking at how we can redesign the tool for this purpose, and we have specifically invited CEEE to be part of this process. They have not responded to this invitation.

4) This deliberately ignores information we’ve publicly and re peatedly communicated: Roughly 2,000 students a year receive PE instruction in our pools during the school day. The 25 yard x 40 yard pool in Project 2 would allow us to serve two classes in one period, just as we currently serve one class in each pool.

Link to our FAQ with this information: https://campussuitestorage.s3.amazonaws.com/ prod/1558748/bd01c7ae-765f-11e9-94020a56f8be964e/2496416/3901cdb2-53cb-11ed9959-0e55e97f8ecb/file/Project%202%20 FAQ.pdf

5) Actually, there is no standard size for a high school competition pool. The Imagine team found that the pool in Project 2 aligns with the size of competition pools built at roughly 20 other Chicagoarea high schools over the past 25 years. For instance, Leyden and Hinsdale have recently built pools with comparable dimensions.

6) The author is cherry picking and ignoring the data we’ve published about PE usage

7) Again, we stand behind the integrity of our process, as detailed above.

Racial equity requires sustained political will

In recent weeks the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education (CEEE) and others have c alled on District 200 to conduct a faithful racial equity evaluation of Project 2 of the Imagine improvement plan focused on rebuilding the physical education and athleti c de par tments, gy ms, and sw i mming pools — a project whose final cost members of the D200 Community Finance Committee in November predicted will exceed $125 million.

I am saddened and disappointed in D200, given how long many dedicated equity-minded individuals, org anizations, and indeed OPRF employees and school b oard members wo rked to get the D200 Racial Equity Poli cy and Procedures (REPP) on the books. D200 has failed to use ag reed upon protocols to conduct a racial equity assessment. The protocols are called REAT or the Racial Equity Assessment Tool. I do not cast blame upon any individuals — we are all part of any failure to live up to the pledge previous b oards and administrators made from 2018 through 2020.

During this week celebrating Dr. King ’s bir thd ay, we cannot forget the

historic and immediate roots of the REPP at OPRF. We cannot bury that histor y. Instead , we must remember that the REPP came out of courag eous student actions, including sit-in s, walkouts, and marches. It came out of mass attendance at board meeting s, brave teachers speaking up, suppo rt by group s li ke Students A dvo cating for Equit y, Black Leadership Union, and students who would fo rm the Revolutionary Oak Pa rk Youth Action League

JOHN

all equity ef fo rt s.

A ll who we re closely involved in the process to adopt the RE AT understood the need for exper t training in how and when to use the protocols. That training is c alled for in district pledge s and in the 2017-22 Strate gic Plan. It must now take plac e.

years ago when our multiracial pioneer s shaped Oak Pa rk ’s vision for social and racial democra cy. Dr. King ’s counsel remains timely tod ay as D200 decide s whether it has the courage and will to faithfully follow the racial equity protoc ols so many struggled to win.

This is in response to the Wednesday Jour nal education ar ticle titled , “OPRF test scores still split on racial and income lines,” [News, Dec. 21, 2022 https://www oakpark. c om/2022/12/20/oprf-test-scores-stillsplit-on-racial-and-income-lines/]:

Our prior superintendent, Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, was hired in 2016. Our cu rrent superintendent, Greg Johnson, was named in 2021 after being with the district since 2017. Both are welli ntended educators. T he transition was d escribed as follows in this ve ry publication [ Johnson’s strong OPRF hi re s , Dan Haley, News, June 16, 2021, https:// ww w. oakpark .com/2021/06/15/johnsonsstrong-oprf-hires/]: “What’s the most impor tant thing a leader a ccomplishes? S etting up the leader who follows for succ ess.” The column w ent on, “A nd now we are i nto the Johnson era and b ased on the hires and promotions he is making ,

REPP came out of suppo rt from Dist rict 97 and District 90 families and the allied wo rk of multiple equity-focused org anizations like African American Parents for Pur p oseful Leadership in Education (APPLE), CEEE, Suburban Unity Allianc e, Oak Pa rk Call to Action, as well as by members of the D97 Dive rsity Council, pa rt icipants in Rac e C onscious Dialo g ues, and many others.

REPP also came about because board leaders understood it was time to ac t dif ferently, to follow through on commitments, and to eng age in ongoing monitoring and appropriate revision of

In a true RE AT process, pa rt icipants from groups har med by cu rrent or historic inequities can of fer unique insights, identify alter native s, and lead us to see wh at is not readily visible to the majority wh i te racial group

Pe rhaps RE AT, more than any feature of REPP, challenges all of us to think and act dif ferently about institutional decision-making. We know these changes require political will — not just when co nvenient, but for the long haul. W hen we have this will, and necessar y training, the skill will follow.

Our community and schools are well i nto the third generation of racial i nte gr ation. Some of the last wo rds of Dr. Mar tin Luther King Jr. provided a p olitical and spiritual compass over 50

In his “Testament and Hop e, ” Dr King instructed us saying, “Inte gr atio n is meaningless without the sharing of powe r. When I speak of inte gr ation, I do n’ t mean a romantic mixing of colors; I mean a real sharing of powe r and responsibilit y. ” It was this sharing of powe r and responsibility that the community demanded in calling for REPP j ust a few years ag o. Faithfully following the D200 racial equity protocols with exper t guidance can help move us closer to the sharing of powe r Dr. King envisioned .

John Duffy is a founding member of CEEE. In 2012 he ser ve d on the steerin g committee of the D200 Strate g ic Pla n focused on ra cial equity and later as a community member on the school committ ees that drafted the Ra cial Equity Po lic y and its enforcement procedures.

doesn’t lie on OPRF education

the man is ready to execute on the vision that he and PruittAdams have led us toward.”

Haley ’s c olumn was co rrec t in hinting that our p ast two superintendents shared the same vision for OPRF This vision, and broader ideolo gy, has now produced a record that our community c an ev aluate. WJ recently wrote an updated ar ticle [Dec. 21] re po rt ing on the 2017 through 2022 academic school record which included the following :

■ “Overall 57.6% of OPRF students met or exceeded expectations in E LA, and 51.4% did so in math. Test scores remain b elow where they we re in the prep andemic year of 2019 when 65.6% of OPRF students met or exceeded expectations in ELA and 58.5% did so in math. ”

■ “Last April, OPRF j uniors took the SAT as pa rt of state-mandated testing In English L anguage Ar ts, as measured

by the evidence-based r eading and w riting po rt i on of the SAT, 74.6% of white OPRF students met or exceeded the state’s expectations c ompared to j ust 20.4% of Black stud ents at OPRF.”

■ “The ga ps we re even w ider in math. Asian students outperfor med their c lassmates in math with 39% of Asian OPRF students exceeding expectations in math c ompared to 20% of mixedrace students, 19.3% of wh i te students, 7.1% of Hispanic students and j ust 1.8% of Black OPRF students.”

■ “But the percentage of Black stud ents in the lowest cate gory of pa rt i all y meeting expectations actually increased in 2022 to 65.2%, up from 60% in 2021. In 2021 3.2% of Black OPRF students exc eeded expectations in math c ompared to just 1.6% this year.”

So, it takes i ntellectual honesty fo r

leaders to reco gnize the cu rr ent strate gic direction is not wo rk ing out as i ntended. It fur ther takes humility and c ourag e, minus any unhelpful vir tue signaling, to p ivot to help our students Doubling down on failed p olicies is not rational and sounds r emarkably f amiliar to the p olitical hacks, on the left and right, who have poisoned tod ay ’s disc ourse. We should not p ut blinders on and “stay the c ourse.” Rather, we need leaders who are willing to use data, the scientific method, i terat ive processes and actual r elev ant ev idence to help our c ommunity and students move forwar d to g ether

Go Huskies

Ro ss Lissuzzo is an Oak Pa rk nati ve and current Ri v er Fo rest resident.

S ources for those interested in e valuation: State Re port Card, OPRF board strate g ic goals, r ecent board presentation on State of the District

‘Free’ speech?

As we be gin 2023, let us resolve to consider our use of the free speech clause of the First Amendment of our Constitution. What we say matters, possibly even more than what we do.

As we know, hate speech can only produce more hate, as we have witnessed when the speech is fiery and presented to a group of willing listeners, violence is produced. Trump was able to instigate the January 6th insur rection at our Capitol aimed against the very existence of our democracy with his hateful rhetoric. That treasonous attempted coup caused irreparable damage to our nation and the threads of y weakened, between liberals and publicans and Democrats.

When a fact isn’t a fact but is

er n civilization — has been recently denigrated as an instrument of wester n oppression — this is not sur prising, but none the less very concer ning. And that is a fact!

Bruce Kleinman North Ri verside

HAUSMAN

reduce hurtful speech? A beginning wareness of the words we use and our unconscious bigotry. What ted and seemingly har mless” to some tful to others. Not so long ago, it was acptable to refer to the Japanese as “Japs. Now, it’s an , hateful speech, along with slurs used oups such as “Chinks” for Chinese, olish, “Kikes” for Jews, “Dagos” for Italians, “Spics” for Latinos and, of course, the “N-word” for African Americans. Under the umbrella of free speech these ter ms can be used and unfortunately are used, but they are damaging and degrading to both people and cultures We would certainly have a more peaceful, kind society without these scathing ter ms

Another facet of free speech is one that has an even more serious impact as it relates to the right of expression. At present, we have very few restrictions on social and other for ms of media. Rarely do commentators or writers distinguish personal views from actual facts. In today’s world, communication spreads at a rapid pace, and social media, tweets, news media, radio and television become a frightening influence on us, especially those messages that are untruthful. For example, Fox News irresponsibly spread Trump’s “big lie” that he was the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Fox News’ cavalier attitude was brought to court by a $1.7 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Election Systems. Fox News falsely accused Dominion of manipulating election ballots resulting in Biden winning the election. For almost two years, this case has been active and to date, has not yet been resolved. It does seem that this should be an easy court battle to win, since a Fox representative accused Dominion on public television for all to hear. However the problem is that “Dominion must prove to a jury that Fox and its TV hosts acted with actual malice.” And because some commentators involved have been replaced by Fox, the case might be settled out of court. One would hope a lesson has been lear ned that truth must be distinguished from the opinions of a reporter or a news station. This abuse of free speech is not new. It is just more prevalent these days. Years ago, Senator Moynihan said to a reporter, “You are entitled to your own ideas, but you are not entitled to your own facts.”

The phrase, “alter nate facts” was popularized during Trump’s presidency. The horrific repercussions of spreading untruths forces me to question whether there should be some restrictions on free speech. Most of us welcome a variety of views expressed by our diverse population and therefore do not favor censorship. I have set forth a difficult question because who among us could be without personal or political partisanship and be the one to set reasonable safeguards?

Sadly, it cannot be our Supreme Court with its current biased leanings. Perhaps the year 2023 will hold some answers to benefit all who want civil and honest free speech.

Harriet Hausman, 98 years young, writes a re gular column about her hometown, Ri v er Forest, and the world.

Joe Har rington [The fact is , Viewpoints, Jan. 11] points out the importance of critical thinking and by implication the folly of Mr Trainor’s aversion to fact-based correspondence [We welcome your opinions … within reason, Ken Trainor, Viewpoints, Jan. 4]. Mr. Trainor, in justifying the Jour nal’s position to limit fact-based correspondence, used the example of the sun traversing the sky from east to west. This is an illusion according to Mr. Trainor, not a fact. Hence, facts are not what they seem, as many are mere illusions. The observation that the sun rises in the east, traverses the sky and sets in the west is not illusory. It is an undeniable truthful observation. What has been debated over the millennia are the facts behind this observation: does the sun actually move across the sky or does the earth rotate on an axis and the sun remain still? In the end, further observation, astronomical as well as earthbased (as graphically illustrated by the Foucault pendulum), all subjected to critical thinking, won the day. But the larger point is this: Mr Trainor’s skeptical view in regard to fact-based correspondence, actually insults his reader’s intelligence by implying their inability to use critical thinking to sort out the “facts behind the facts.” Now, given that critical thinking — a hallmark of west-

Editor’s note: We do not have an “aversion to fact-based correspondence” as Bruce so unhelpfully exaggerates. But we are averse to correspondence that is overly reliant on numbers, statistics, quotes, etc., especially when those are misused, badly reported, taken out of context, inaccurate or altogether false — and when that happens, don’ t be surprised if it takes longer to get that correspondence into print and, yes, sometimes not printed at all.

Here at Wednesday Journal, we are big fans of critical thinking, which is a close ally of reason, neither of which Bruce seems to have been using when he was reading our proposed guidelines for submitting to Viewpoints We are not limiting “fact-based correspondence.” We are simply asking those who submit to use critical thinking and reason, as Bruce attempted to do here, instead of padding their letters with “evidence” that requires a considerable amount of fact-checking.

How did this happen?

I am a concer ned citizen from Boy Scout Troop 16. While I may be young, I am not blind to an odd trend that has happened in the last few years that my parents have lamented many times When I was a little kid, my parents had me put g as in the tank for the first time and I saw that it was a dollar and a couple of cents per g allon.

Now that I am lear ning to drive, I notice that some g as stations have gone up to five dollars a g allon. While the prices have star ted to go back down, I find myself wondering why this hap-

SALTER

from page 29

You don’ t necessarily have to acce pt all the suggestions given — but you should give serious consideration to all suggestions

While asking for feedback on what you should stop or star t, it is equally important that we ask what behaviors we should continue. The fact is there are things we do that resonate with our family, friends and even strangers.

pened in the first place? Was it because of some shipping accident losing thousands of g allons in the sea? Is it due to the war in Ukraine stopping Russian oil from reaching American companies? Is it some other reason that is far too complicated to be explained in the media? The reason I bring this inquiry to you is that I want to know how the g as prices rose as fast and as high as they did and if it will ever happen again.

Adam Salisipan Maywood

Boy Scout Troop 16

Unfortunately, sometimes we are blind to the positive impact

our behaviors have on people

The process of getting feedback on what you should stop, start, or continue is simple. I would suggest sending an email, text or making a call to key people in your life. Ask each person you contact to give you honest feedback. Let them know this is your way of improving who you are as a parent, spouse, relative or friend.

If serious, I assure you that this process will make you a better human being.

Kwame Salter, a former Oak Park resident, is president of the Salter Consulting Group LLC.

Balloon releases are inadequate

Iam not a big fan of balloon releases. Even 60 years ago, when the crime in the Black community wasn’t at the heinous level that exists today, I couldn’t see it happening in re gards to crime. Especially when a child becomes the victim of a hor rific murder. The response by some in the Black community to send balloons up into the sky, truly shows how looney some of us are!

What I would rather see are some heartfelt calls for the perpetrator to be found, with the hope that some severe bodily injuries be done to them. I’d also like to see emphasis on getting our elected officials to put through laws that can stringently be applied to the criminal elements who are causing all the chaos.

NFL = No Fun Lately

JONES

Most of all, I’d like to see promises made by people that they will serve on jury duty when called so they can make sure justice prevails. A meaningless release of balloons into the air is, in my humble opinion, nothing more than a momentary, feel-good, symbolic action, the meaning of which is just hot air.

Those balloons will not seek out the criminals and tur n them in. Those balloons, when they land, do not have a message with the description of the perpetrator for people to hunt him or her down. Instead, the balloons will float around and then eventually fall to the ground and some poor animal will ingest it and die. But hey everybody had their “feel good” moment at the release It was the recent balloon release for Jarvis Watts that got to me. He’s the 9-year-old boy who was in the family home on New Year’s Day and ended up dead with three bullet wounds. The bullet holes were in his face, neck and hands. A family member who was in the home at the time is alleged to have said that Jarvis shot himself. Somehow, three bullet holes does not say self-inflicted. I don’t know if the boy was right or lefthanded, but if one of the bullets went through his predominant hand, that would be even more amazing. Even more interesting, police haven’t been unable to find the weapon. Another amazing moment out of that household. More than likely it’s a stolen/unregistered weapon with an unlicensed owner who probably would be going back to jail for a long time; thus, that person is not anxious to step forward and admit it I thought back to another time when a balloon release was the response, after the hor rific murder of Jaslyn Adams. She was the little girl who committed the hor rific crime of being in the backseat of her father’s car in the drive-thru at the McDonald ’s, Kedzie and Roosevelt. The shooters who came upon them, shot more on the passenger’s rear side then they did on the driver’s side. Those bullets said that the intentionality of killing the child in the backseat is pretty obvious

Every year we progress forward in calendar time, but behavior-wise, there are far too many in the Black community who are headed butt backwards. It is time to take a stand against the stupidity they manifest.

Let’s get serious about addressing criminal behavior and not tur ning to feel-good actions that do little to address the crime problem.

Arlene Jones, a resident of the Austin neighborhood of Chica go, writes a weekly column for the Austin Weekly News, a Growing Community Media publication.

Iused to pay a lot of attention to the NFL. I had fan gear and season tickets for Bears home g ames. I built weeks around smoking meat Sundays when the Bears were on the road. I was there both times the Bears won a g ame to send them to the Super Bowl. I played in multiple fantasy leagues. I had an hour-long meeting once a week during fantasy season with a similarly underemployed friend. I knew the point spreads and had … views on them. (This was many years before anyone bragged in ads of being “the of ficial spor tsbook of the Chicago Bears,” a brag that still bo ggles my mind to hear.) I followed the of f-season news, had thoughts on the draft, and celebrated the opening of training camp.

ALAN BROUILET TE

about sticking with the team through fair and foul. Only a person of w character would give up on a team just because they’ re not very good. You gotta stand by your guys. Fans are part the team. Loyalty matters and we’re all in this to gether. That’s what f amily is all about.

ever notice nobody says stuf f like that about restaurants in decline?

Eventually, though, the league got around to acce pting that brains were something one maybe oughta look out for and made reasonable and righteous rule changes in the name of safety Wanna be clear: I’m for them. Brains are important. I do not wish to watch football through my fingers, and I now wince at big hits where I might once have roared.

I would hope none of the kids I love plays football. I cannot cheer for defensive plays without feeling as if I should disclaim my intentions to the fans around me. (“When I said ‘Knock His Head Of f !’ it was all in fun, of course. I wouldn’t want to see *anyone* take a hard hit to the head. I’m not a psychopath. DEE-FENSE! DEEFENSE!”)

These welcome and overdue rule changes have, however, largely rendered the game unwatchable for me. I have no interest. I liked football as a game of thunderous power and superhuman feats. As a g ame of complex movement and precision timing — basketball on g rass — it’s just not nearly as compelling.

Or maybe it’s the ongoing incompetent apathetic rancidity of the Bears. I can, right now, with confidence, name one Bear. I used to be much tighter with that team. I believed all the

“This place was so great 40 years ago. We keep coming here to eat every week hoping they tur n it around. I know we got food poisoning a bunch of times, but then they come out with a new menu item and we know that’s the one that’s gonna bring this joint back to culinary greatness We can’t give up on ’em now; they’ve been here for us as long as we can remember. They take our money and provide a substandard dining experience, and we keep paying and hope they’ ll tur n it around — despite abundant evidence indicating that they’re not capable of anything better than this — because that’s what family is all about. ”

So I don’t pay much attention to the NFL anymore

Except when something ter rible happens to Green Bay. Anytime the Packers choke away a playoff g ame or Aaron Rodgers smar mily reveals that he is both smug and dumb — two things that occur with pleasing regularity — it is time to pour a snifter of something nice and settle in for a few quality hours reading packers.com. Including the comments. Maybe especially the comments

And I didn’t even watch the game they lost (To Detroit, lol). The purity of my hatred is such that last Sunday when Goo gle showed me some stories Goo gle thought would interest me, they nailed it most cleanly with “Lions Comeback Costs Pack Playoffs”. Dar n right that interests me, Goo gle, and may this flame burn forever.

Alan Brouilette, a Forest Park resident, writes a monthly column for the Forest Park Re view, a Growing Community Media publication.

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class.

Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

DEFINITION

To perform various network/system administration, computer support, and operational activities for the Village including computer system setup, configuration, and testing.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Reports directly to the Information Technology Services Director.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES:

Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential duties and responsibilities

1. Ensure that best in class customer service is provided to both internal and external customers and also embrace, support, and promote the Village’s core values, beliefs and culture.

2. Configure, test, and deploy network systems, such as, firewalls, routers, switches, wireless equipment, network servers and storage arrays.

3. Configure, test, and deploy system servers, such as, file, print, Internet, e-mail, database, and application servers.

4. Configure, test, and monitor server and end-user systems for security, such as, user accounts, login scripts, file access privileges, and group policy management.

5. Configure, test, and deploy end-user systems, such as, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software.

6. Test, configure, deploy, and support security systems, such as, facility access system, video & audio system.

7. Monitor and auditing of networks, systems, and user activities to ensure security and efficiency of systems. Create scripts and reports of detail activities for regular review.

8. Perform and participate in disaster recovery activities, such as, backup procedures, data recovery, and system recovery planning.

9. Assist end-users with computer problems or queries. Troubleshoot systems as needed and meet with users to analyze specific system needs.

10. Ensure the uniformity, reliability and security of system resources including network, hardware,

HELP WANTED

software and other forms of systems and data.

11. Prepare, create and update user/technical procedure documentations and provide computer training.

12. Assemble, test, and install network, telecommunication and data equipment and cabling.

13. Participate in research and recommendation of technology solutions.

Other important responsibilities and duties

1. Train users in the area of existing, new or modified computer systems and procedures.

2. Participate in the preparation of various activity reports.

3. Travel and support remote facilities and partner agencies.

4. Operate, administer and manage the Village and Public Safety computer systems, including E-911 center, in-vehicle computer systems.

5. Prepare clear and logical reports and program documentation of procedures, processes, and configurations.

6. Complete projects on a timely and efficient manner.

7. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

9. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

Principals and procedures of computer systems, such as, data communication, hierarchical structure, backups, testing and critical analysis.

Hardware and software configuration of. computers, servers and mobile devices, including computing environment of Windows Server and Desktop OS and applications, Unix/Linux OS, VMware, iOS/Android.

Network protocols, security, configuration and administration, including firewalls, routers, switches and wireless technology.

Cabling and wiring, including CAT5/6, fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down.

Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, analog, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant.

Principles and methods of computer programming, coding and testing, including power shell, command scripting, macros, and

VB scripts.

Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.

Technical writing, office productivity tools and database packages.

Ability to:

Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following:

- Walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time

- Operating assigned equipment

- Lift 50 pounds of equipment, supplies, and materials without assistance

- Working in and around computer equipped vehicles

Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for:

- Making observations

- Communicating with others

- Reading and writing

- Operating assigned equipment and vehicles

Maintain mental capacity allowing for effective interaction and communication with others.

Maintain reasonable and predictable attendance. Work overtime as operations require.

Experience and Training Guidelines

Experience: Three years of network/system administration in the public or private sector, maintaining a minimum of 75 Client Workstation computers. AND Training: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in computer science or a related field. Certifications in Microsoft Server Administration, Networking, Applications and Cisco Networking.

Possession of a valid Illinois Driver License is required at the time of appointment.

Vaccination against COVID-19 strongly preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work in a computer environment; sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time; continuous exposure to computer screens; work in and around computerized vehicles outdoor and garage facility; lifting heavy equipment, communication cabling and wiring into walls and ceilings.

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.

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.

FINANCE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Finance Coordinator. The ideal candidate will perform a wide variety of responsible and complex administrative, secretarial and clerical duties for the Finance department; and will provide information and assistance to the public regarding department to which assigned. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/jobs.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled.

Shipping Manager

Manufacturing

per hour

Top rated firm Alpina Manufacturing LLC founded in 1992, locally owned beautiful campus in Galewood, near Mars candy, 3 blocks north of Oak Park. We build and sell display framing systems to customers nationwide including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Circle K, Hospitals, CTA Apply in person M-F 8am to 4pm • Alpina • 6460 W Cortland St Chicago, IL 60707 www.fastchangeframes.com

FULL-TIME POLICE RECORDS CLERK FOREST PARK, IL

The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Full-Time Civilian Information Management Records Clerk reporting to the Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigations Division. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include excellent organizational skills, computer skills, the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, good knowledge of English language, and adherence to all police department policies and procedures.

Responsibilities and duties include subpoena fulfilment, evidence room duties, data entries, general office functions, report creation, and other duties as needed our assigned. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE II

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Customer Service Representative II in the Development Customer Services Department. This position provides customer service to the public by providing a variety of responsible and difficult customer service and receptionist work including high volume telephone traffic; and to perform the more difficult and complex customer service duties depending on the department including but not limited to service requests, permits, parking passes, block party permits, accounts payable processing and vehicle stickers. This position is crosstrained with the other Customer Service Representative IIs in the Village.

Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/6141780.careers?ApplyToJob=537079168 or 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. First review of applications January 20, 2023.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is looking for a full-time Director of Finance & Administration, who will manage the administrative and financial matters of the congregation in collaboration with church leadership and board officers. This person will participate on and advise the Executive Team and advise governing board on a wide range of financial matters at both the strategic and operational levels including the operational budget and stewardship planning. They will also oversee and adjust processes and operations as necessary to ensure efficient and effective implementation and creation of policies and procedures, as well as supervise some other staff members.

Core Competencies:

● Organization and Planning: Organize and oversee people, funding, materials, and support to accomplish multiple, concurrent goals and activities. Project management and excellent organizational skills

● Vision and Purpose: Commitment to and knowledge of Unitarian Universalist Principles, values, history and worship.

● Trust and Integrity: Is widely trusted to keep confidences, admit errors, and adhere to a transparent set of personal and professional values that are congruent with the ministry of the congregation

● Conflict Management: Recognize and resolve conflicts effectively, applying principles of active listening, collaboration, and equity for both congregants and staff

● Proficiencies: Working knowledge of business and church related software (Google Drive. Constant Contact and Realm or other church database software). Must have excellent project management and professional communication skills. Working knowledge of HR and accounting practices.

You can find out more information about the position at https://unitytemple.org/job-postings/. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to jobs@ unitytemple.org indicating “Director of Finance & Administration” in the subject line.

Oak Park Residence Corporation is hiring and inviting candidates to apply for:

• Case Manager – HCV Program

• Accounting Clerk (PT)

• Assistant Property Manager

– The Oaks and The FarrellyMuriello Apartments

• Property Assistant/Cleaner –Mills Park Tower

We offer benefits such as 401(k) with employer contribution, Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Short-term and Long-Term Disability Insurance, EAP, FSA, Professional Development Assistance as well as these added Benefits:

- PTO, Paid Sick Leave, Paid Vacation, and Paid Holidays

- Tuition Reimbursement

- A Collaborative, Supportive, and Fun Work Environment

For a complete job description please go to our website: Work for OPRC –OPRC (oakparkrc.com) or to apply send cover letter and resume to bswaggerty@oakparkrc.com.

OPRC strives to provide a positive and meaningful work experience, where you can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Oak Park Residence Corporation is a community-based, non-profit organization. For over 46 years, we have led the way in promoting Oak Park’s housing diversity and economic balance by offering quality apartments at affordable prices.

HELP WANTED • NETWORK SPECIALIST

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed separate bids will be received by the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (the “Board”) for the following project:

OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 97 SD97 - SUMMER 2023 LIFE SAFETY WORK OAK PARK, IL 60302

BID GROUP 2 – ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING and GENERAL TRADES

Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Administrative offices, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be read at 2:15 p.m. CST on that date. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked:

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302

Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: SD97 - SUMMER 2023 LIFE SAFETY WORK – Bid Package 2

Bid Opening will be held at 2:15pm CST within the board room:

Scope of work for Bid Group 1 generally includes: Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing & General Trades

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted.

No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available Tuesday January 3rd, 2023 and are available for viewing/download online without cost or purchase on the Bulley & Andrews, LLC One Drive, located at the following link. No username or password is required.

https://tinyurl.com/ysfudxfr

The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District.

The site will be available for visits by appointment to be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions. Schedule an appointment with Michael Damato of Bulley & Andrews in advance if you wish to visit the sites.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all

Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Michael Damato of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at mdamato@bulley.com or 847-602-9512.

Dated: 1/3/23

Michael Damato

Bulley & Andrews, LLC

Published in Wednesday Journal January 11, 18, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010023 on January 9, 2023.

Under the Assumed Business Name of DANIELMOKMAD SP with the business located at: 1024 WASHINGTON BLVD, APT 302, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DANIEL MOKRAUER-MADDEN 1024 WASHINGTON BLVD, APT 302, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal January 11, 18, 25, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of Lindsey Ann Brewer Case Number 2022CONC001598

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Lindsey Ann Brewer to the new name of: Lynzy Ann Bailey

The court date will be held:

On February 3, 2023 at 9:30am at 50 W Washington, Chicago, IL, Cook County in Courtroom #1730

Published in Wednesday Journal January 18, 25, February 1, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice

ADVERTISEMENT OF BIDDING

Request of bids for the Park District of Taylor Park Tennis Court Resurfacing, 400 W. Division St., Oak Park.

Owner: Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302. The Park District of Oak Park will accept sealed bids of the Taylor Park Tennis Court Resurfacing, 400 W. Division St., Oak Park. The project consists of patching, crack filling, new acrylic surfacing and striping. The Park District of Oak Park will receive individual sealed Bids until 2:00 p.m. (Central time) on Friday, February 3rd, 2023, at 218 Madison St., Oak Park, IL. The bidding documents and requirements will be available on the link below as of 5:00 pm Wednesday, January 18 th , 2023. Bid bonds will be required by bidding contractors. Copies of the bidding specifications are available via this link: https://www.demandstar.com/app/

PUBLIC NOTICES

buyers/bids/407243/details

For additional information, contact Chris Lindgren at chris.lindgren@ pdop.org or (708) 7252050. Only the bids prepared in compliance with the bidding documents will be considered. This project must adhere to the Prevailing Wage Act of 2022. The Park District of Oak Park strongly encourages minority and women owned business firms to submit bids for this project.

Park District of Oak Park

By: Chris Wollmuth, Secretary Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal January 18, 2023

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: Y22009998 on December 28, 2022. Under the Assumed Business Name of BEYOND THE NUMBERS with the business located at: 855 N PARKSIDE AVE APT 1R, CHICAGO, IL. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: DANAE ROSARIO 855 N PARKSIDE AVE APT 1R, CHICAGO, IL

Published in Wednesday Journal January 11, 18, 25, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION

FIFTH THIRD BANK NA; Plaintiff, vs. CITIZENS BANK NA FORMERLY KNOWN AS RBS CITIZENS NA SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO CHARTER ONE BNAK NA; JOEL A. VERHOFF; RAELIN M. VERHOFF; RANDOLPH CROSSING CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNONW OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 6637

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-408-026-1012.

Commonly known as 612 RANDOLPH STREET, UNIT #2, OAK PARK, IL 60302.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act

Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates, P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563. (630) 453-6925. 6722185734

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3211098

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.-

UNKNOWN HEIRS AND/OR LEGATEES OF LAURA RIZZARDINI, DECEASED, DANIEL ROBERT RIZZARDINI, JOHN LOUIS RIZZARDINI, JOAN R. RINELLA, DAMON RITTENHOUSE, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR LAURA RIZZARDINI, DECEASED, OAK PARK PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, ALPINE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS LLC, STATE OF ILLINOIS, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN OCCUPANTS Defendants 20 CH 2480

420 SOUTH HOME AVENUE UNIT 107N OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 26, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 16, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 420 SOUTH HOME AVENUE UNIT 107N, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-324-0331007

The real estate is improved with a condominium. The judgment amount was $63,816.46.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial

Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

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

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

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

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSES-

SION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 20-093376.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 20-093376 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 20 CH 2480

TJSC#: 42-4228

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 20 CH 2480 I3210947

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