Wednesday Journal 012721

W E D N E S D A Y

January 27, 2021 Vol. 41, No. 26 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Anthony Clark off the ballot Electoral board sustained objection in 2-1 vote

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

and board members have taken pains to counter.

Some teachers held signs: “Back to class is happening too fast.” In the parking lot, the windows of cars bore messages drawn in liquid chalk: “Advocating for our educators is advocating for our students.”

“We don’t have a whole lot of faith in what this looks like,” said John Colucci,

Oak Park village trustee candidate Anthony Clark will not appear on the April ballot per the Oak Park Municipal Officers Electoral Board’s Jan. 25 ruling.

In a written statement sent to Wednesday Journal, Clark denounced the process under which his candidacy was found ineligible.

“Those who believe in true Democracy, in allowing the people to decide elections, were silenced today,” Clark said in his statement. “Instead of a hearing to determine where I reside, it was an opportunity for current leaders who share different ideological viewpoints to attempt to assassinate my character.”

The electoral board ruled that Clark did not meet the residency requirement necessary to secure a place on the ballot and serve in an elected capacity.

The decision came during Clark’s final hearing Jan. 25.

According to Clark’s statement, he and his campaign are evaluating next steps which could include appealing the electoral board’s decision to the Cook County Circuit Court. Clark did not explicitly state whether he intends to file an appeal.

“Attacking me won’t stop the movement and as a Black man who will continue to dedicate his life to the community of Oak Park, I recognize that when you rock the boat, you better be able to swim,” Clark’s statement reads.

Board members Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb and senior village board trustee Jim Taglia voted to sustain the objection against Clark, filed by resident Kevin Peppard. Village Clerk Vicki Scaman, the board’s third member and herself a candidate for village president, supported Clark remaining on the ballot.

“There’s been a lot of sworn testimony in federal court in particular,” said Taglia. “That is to me in-

See PROTEST on page 6

See CLARK on page 12

SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor

NOT SO FAST : Claire Brooks, a Julian 6th grade Individuals in Society teacher stands in the parking lot of Julian school with her sign in support of virtual learning.

D97 teachers leery of Feb. 1 return

Supt. Kelley says district working tirelessly to manage ‘no-win situation’

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

On a wintry Monday morning, a few dozen teachers at Julian stood defiantly

outside the school building just before entering, in order to protest the district’s decision to start hybrid learning.

Teachers were returning to classrooms roughly a week earlier to prepare for when students start back on Feb. 1.

Monday’s demonstration, participants said, was a way for them to voice their disagreement with what many said has been a hasty and poorly planned return — a perception that D97 administrators

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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To hell with good intentions

O

n Jan. 19, I had the pleasure of attending virtually Dominican University’s fifth annual National Day of Racial Reckoning. The event happened in the wake of George Floyd and the June 6 insurrection at the Capitol — events that bookended a time of great strife in this country, strife that threatened to shred even the social fabric here in the western suburbs.

Floyd’s murder prompted protests and pushback. A hate crime in the Commentary parking lot of the Jewel in River Forest stirred something in a Maywood trustee, who partnered with a trustee in River Forest on what would become a renewed commitment among the two communities at reconciliation and collaboration called the Twin Villages Covenant.

Dominican President Donna M. Carroll announced that the university would build on that Covenant and work with Maywood to develop an immersion program. Instead of going overseas to do service work during Spring Break, Dominican students would build relationships much closer to home — in Maywood.

Carroll said the initiative is an extension of Dominican’s commitment to “becoming a stronger, anti-racist institution,” according to a Jan. 13 statement released by the college. The commitment, university officials said, is displayed in measures like the college’s Sanctuary Campus Covenant, which was passed in 2017 to support undocumented students.

Dominican is also among the first groups of universities in the country to be designated a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center by the American Association of Colleges and Universities, officials said.

MICHAEL ROMAIN

I swelled with pride listening to President Carroll announce Dominican’s Maywood initiative. I’m glad something like this is happening in my hometown and I hope as many people in Maywood will join this effort as is feasible.

Now, for the students who may want to trek the few miles west, I give myself up as an object lesson in how not to “do good.”

Even though I was born and raised in Maywood, I had left in my teens after my parents moved to River Forest.

From there, I went to college and Peoria. When I returned to Maywood in my 20s, I was a little dejected (this not being the American Way, after all), but determined to make an impact.

I started volunteering and eventually settled on starting a news blog in 2013. In those early months, I had something of a savior complex. I was a little arrogant, quite frankly.

And, at times, that arrogance came through in my writing and reporting.

Back in those heady days, before I owned a car or worked full-time for a newspaper, I would walk from my grandmother’s home in Maywood to Dominican’s Rebecca Crown library in River Forest and stay for hours on end.

At the Crown library, I discovered the writings of a Roman Catholic priest and theologian named Ivan Illich. I swallowed his words, which gave me a vocabulary, a framework for understanding community.

“Participatory democracy demands low-energy technology,” he wrote, “and free people must travel the road to productive social relations at the speed of a bicycle.”

In his 1977 book, Toward a History of Needs, Illich described “convivial politics,” which are “based on the insight that in a modern society, both wealth and jobs can be equitably shared and enjoyed in liberty only when both are limited by a political process. Excessive forms of wealth and prolonged formal employment, no matter how well distributed, destroy the social, cultural, and environmental conditions for equal productive freedom.

“Bits and watts—which here stand for units of information and of energy, respectively—when packaged into any

mass-produced commodity in amounts that pass a threshold, inevitably constitute impoverishing wealth,” Illich wrote. “Such wealth is either too rare to be shared or it is destructive of the freedom and liberty of the weakest.”

In an unsparing address he delivered in 1968 to the Conference on InterAmerican Student Projects in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Illich chastised the American volunteers who were so eager to spread their impoverishing wealth to the poor in the Third World while ignoring “much worse poverty at home.”

Such charity, after all, isn’t very charitable.

“I am here to entreat you to freely, consciously and humbly give up the legal right you have to impose your benevolence … I am here to challenge you to recognize your inability, your powerlessness and your incapacity to do the ‘good’ which you intended to do.”

Before I could be the good that my hometown needed, I had to unlearn many implicit biases and creeds that I’d developed through years of schooling, I had to unburden myself of the ego that comes with a degree, a credential that I have and others in my ‘poor’ hometown don’t.

I had to listen with humility and without judgment, and I had to be willing to learn more than I wanted to lecture.

That’s the only way I earned my neighbors’ trust and, consequently, their attention as readers.

Illich taught me that people can be useful and unemployed; that poverty means more than a lack of money; and that those places that our society, rich now to the point of decay, designates impoverished are often more robust in spirit than the wealthiest enclaves.

So, students, do not make the mistake I did. Do not come to Maywood, or any other place (even your hometown) wanting to do “good,” or to “sacrifice.” Do not come bearing solutions to preconceived problems.

As Illich told those volunteers in a hurry to “change” Latin America.

“Come to look, come to climb our mountains, to enjoy our flowers. Come to study. But do not come to help.”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

North Riverside vaccine center now taking appointments Cook Co. Health Clinic opens for seniors, essential workers

By BOB UPHUES Editor

On Jan. 25, the Cook County Health Clinic at 1800 Harlem Ave. in North Riverside became an important hub in the state’s campaign to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, against COVID-19 as the global pandemic enters its second year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday morning announced that as of noon that day the state would begin Phase 1B of its vaccination program, which includes some 600,000 Cook County residents, including those 65 and older as well as a slew of essential workers, including first responders, postal service workers, grocery store employees, public

transit workers, teachers and school administrators and those working in adult daycare settings.

Anyone who qualifies for a vaccination in Cook County under Phase 1B can now make an appointment through a special website that went live Jan. 25 at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov. You can also make an appointment by phone by dialing the county’s vaccination appointment hotline at 1-833-308-1988.

The website also includes a list of FAQs, reason why you should get vaccinated and information on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines themselves.

But it appears people are going to have to patient. Less than 24 hours after the county’s new website began booking appointments for its 13 vaccination sites, every available spot was filled.

“The rollout of Phase 1B is truly an exciting development, but I want to remind everyone that there are only about 120,000

first doses arriving in Illinois – outside of Chicago, that is – this week,” Pritzker said.

“Because of the federal supply limitations, I want to emphasize that vaccinations are being given by appointment only. I’ve said that before, but I want to make it clear so people don’t go line up at their local pharmacy or line up at their local health department.”

Health officials expect the limited number of appointments available at the North Riverside site and at other clinics will be booked quickly. However, said Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr., that should not dissuade people from visiting the new appointment website and registering their information.

According to Rocha, whether you are someone who qualifies for Phase 1B or not, “you should register your information so that as you become eligible for a vaccine, you will receive updates.”

“We are anxious to vaccinate all the people that are able to receive the shot, but patience is needed as the federal government works to ramp up production,” Rocha said. “When you visit our microsite at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov it is critical to remember that all sites share appointments at this one time.”

The website only reflects appointments for which a vaccine is guaranteed, said Rocha.

North Riverside clinic is one of just four operated by Cook County Health taking appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations, but there are more than 90 other locations at Walgreens, CVS and Jewel-Osco pharmacies. Hundreds more sites will open as vaccine supplies ramp up, Pritzker said during his Monday press conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center, which has been chosen as a large-scale vaccination site capable of delivering up to 18,000 doses a week when at capacity.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BIG WEEK January 27-February 3 Emancipation to Inauguration: Chicago’s Black Experience

Monday, Feb. 1, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Zoom with the Oak Park Public Library

From the first non-indigenous citizen to the 44th President of the United States, African American history runs deep in Chicago and has touched all aspects of American life. Learn more with musician/historian Clarence Goodman. Register oppl.org/calendar

Seed Starting Thursday, Jan. 28, 7 to 8 p.m., Virtually with the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory Learn how to start vegetables indoors to transplant in spring — where to purchase seeds, how to set up for optimal growth, how to thin seedlings and ways to promote strong healthy plants. For ages 18+. Free. Register: pdop.org

Be My Love Monday, Feb. 1, 1:30 p.m., Zoom with the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association This love-themed program features operatic and musical theatre repertoire designed to evoke emotions of love — lost, found and unrequited. See a quartet of Chicago singers live from the Nineteenth Century Club third floor ballroom — Sarah Geocaris, soprano; Maia Surace, mezzo; John Concepcion, tenor; Michael Cavalieri, baritone; and Lisa Kristina, accompanist. $15, suggested donation; free, members. Register: nineteenthcentury.org

Supported Storytime Sunday, Jan. 31, 1 to 1:30 p.m. Zoom with the Oak Park Library Enjoy books, songs, dancing and more - with winter and Valentine themes - in this storytime designed for children with disabilities ages 3 and up, with caregiver support. Classes are structured with visual schedules, emailed to families prior to class. Siblings welcome. If unable to attend, a video recording will be sent to registered families after class. Register: oppl.org/calendar

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Friday, Jan. 29, 7 to 9 p.m., Zoom with the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame In this happy hour/seminar, learn about Chicago-area authors and their literary cocktails through readings, drinking, bartending tips and tutorials. From Sterling North and Carl Kroch’s recipe collection, Oak Parker Ernest Hemingway cocktail named for his book, Death in the Afternoon, and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ the Tarzan Cocktail. Raymond Chandler’s Champagne Cocktail, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Gin Rickey and more. Mixologist Ryan Prindle leads the interactive experience. $25, suggested donation. Register: chicagoliteraryhof.org

Grief Journaling Workshop Sunday, Jan. 31, 2 to 4 p.m., Zoom with the Oak Park Public Library For those experiencing the loss of a loved one, you are invited to try journaling.

Session begins with prompts followed by time to journal. At the end, there is time to share (optional). Resources for writing, grief, where to get help and more are provided. Feel free to attend any or all sessions. Next up: Feb. 28.

Register: oppl.org/calendar

Oak Park River Forest Trivia Night Thursday, Jan. 28, 8 to 9:30 p.m., Virtually with The Historical Society of OPRF Support Oak Park River Forest Museum, closed during the pandemic, while partaking in trivia questions, each having a connection to someone or something from Oak Park or River Forest. Put a team together (up to six players/devices), play on your own or ask to be put onto a team. Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. $20; $15, members; $100, team of six. Register/more: oprfmuseum. org/events/virtual-trivia-night

Opening Up River Forest Public Library Mondays, 9 a.m.to Noon and 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to Noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

Operating at limited capacity, the library is allowing browsing and check out of materials, computer sessions, copying, printing and faxing. Safety protocols are in place. Patron visits should not exceed 30 minutes. More: riverforestlibrary.org.

735 Lathrop Ave.

Oak Park Public Library Mondays through Thursdays, 2 to 6 p.m., Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, 2 to 6 p.m., Main Library The lobby is open for Grab & Go service for returns and hold pickups. The parking garage is also open. In February, Oak Park library cardholders will be able to place SWAN holds, make Clio interlibrary loan and Home Delivery requests, use remote printing services and return materials anytime to external book drops. More: oppl.org. 834 Lake St.

The Oak Park Conservatory Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A maximum of 25 visitors at any time with face coverings worn at all times while inside. The conservatory offers flora and fauna throughout three indoor showrooms including a Mediterranean room, Tropical room and Desert room. Urban outdoor gardens surround the buildings, representing Illinois native ecosystems. Free, $5 suggested per person donations appreciated. More: pdop.org. 615 Garfield St.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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ome years back, a highranking official in the Oak Park Police Department offered me his long view of the department’s hiswhen it was Irish, German, Italtory on race and how it played ian and Greek, was our sister out on the streets of the village. community.

His starting point was the The point this official made 1970s when Oak Park first began 30 years after the hiring binge to recognize that the astoundthat brought the force to well ingly quick resegregation of the over 100 officers was that it was, West Side — 90 percent of white at that point, the end of the people bolted, Blacks moved waiting game — waiting for this in — was heading toward Oak cohort of officers to retire, to Park. allow a different, more diverse, In the rosy-glassed version more educated, more open of that era, Oak Park did 5-10 group of officers to be hired visionary things that allowed it to make and to allow a new generation of cops to be the risky attempt to become a truly racially promoted up the ranks. integrated community. Open Housing.

I believe a lot of progress has been made Housing Center. Redistricting the elementoward those worthy goals. There are more tary schools. Residence Corporation buying Black, Brown and female officers, more apartment buildings to keep them integratof them in leadership. It is what has made ed. Economic investments in commercial this department better than average. And areas and housing stock. Hired a PR firm to State Farmmaybe a little better than that. “tell the story.” Added a Community RelaBloomington,The IL point is that police departments, tions Department to village hall. like other organizations — though police And, less remembered, doubled the 2001290 size departments are unique in ways good and of the Oak Park Police Department. pretty bad — evolve. They change slowly in So in very short order a whole lot of cops response to outside stimulus. were hired. This was still the olden days.

Right now, finally, in America there is a A high school education was plenty. Being lot of outside stimulus demanding that polocal was an advantage. And, obviously, licing change dramatically. And even with mostly white and male. internal and external protectors of the staPainting the police cars orange and tus quo pushing back hard, there is change white, along with every other vehicle in coming. We saw it this month in Springfield the village’s fleet, suddenly made for the where a criminal justice reform package perception of a much more visible and acwas passed. Not perfect, but it focused on tive public safety presence. And white Oak goals that would have been unthinkable not Parkers liked it a lot. long ago.

I don’t want to, and the cop I talked with Here in Oak Park, we’re stuck and worse did not want to, paint this super-sized than stuck. We’re fighting the wrong battle police department with too broad a brush. and using the wrong words. We need to But it is true that police departments come talk and all we do is hurl insults. We need to reflect the communities they serve. And to lead and reinvent and re-engage and for all of Oak Park’s genuine progressive instead we divide and defend. bonhomie, it always came with a giant side of “protect us from the West Side.”

It is a long way to April’s election.

DAN HALEY

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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PROTEST

Teachers frustrated from page 1 a sixth-grade teacher at Julian, who is also a department chair and a building representative for the Oak Park Teachers Association.

“I think teachers want to be back in school and be with their kids, but [only] when we feel like it’s safe,” he said.

“I have a dad who is in his 80s and I can’t go see him until I get my shots and until he gets his shots,” said Valerie Brown, who also teaches sixth grade at Julian. “What happens if we lose a teacher or, God forbid, a kid? You can’t wait until all of your teachers are vaccinated? So we don’t agree with the decision and, in solidarity, we are all wearing black and will black out when Dr. Kelley speaks to us this morning.”

Clare Brooks, a sixth-grade teacher at Brooks, said the return to classrooms “doesn’t make sense” and may exacerbate challenges for students whose families opt to continue full remote learning, such as students of color and special education students.

The protest happened a week after the District 97 board voted 4-1, at a special meeting on Jan. 20 to approve a finalized Return to School Plan. The board also voted 4-1 in favor of a separate memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the OPTA ahead of the return to classrooms.

Board members Kecia Broy, Jung Kim, Gavin Kearney and Holly Spurlock voted in favor of both measures while Katherine Murray-Liebl was the only member to vote against them. Members Cheree Moore and Rob Breymaier were absent.

Murray-Liebl channeled the frustration of many teachers, parents and community members who said they were caught offguard when the district updated the metrics and guidelines it uses to help make decisions about hybrid learning.

In the past, the district had been relying on metrics that track community spread of the virus in Oak Park and Cook County, in order to determine when students will return to classrooms. Now experts are recommending that school districts across the country prioritize their own internal data that can be collected through measures such as diagnostic surveillance testing.

Jim Hackett, D97’s safety and security manager, said on Jan. 20 that new guidance by “a multi-disciplinary group of experts” at a variety of institutions, including Harvard, Brown and Boston universities, “recommends that schools can be open even at very high levels of community spread, provided they strictly implement strategies for infection control.”

In addition, Hackett said, the new guidance “supports the use of community spread metrics as general points of information — not an automatic trigger to close or delay the opening of a school.”

The guidance marks a change since March, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered schools closed because of COVID-19 case

SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor

TEACHERS IN BLACK:: Teachers at Julian middle school walking into the school building for the first time with the majority of them wearing black in solidarity. rates that were based on the spread of the virus across municipalities, counties and the state.

Murray-Liebl, who was a member of the bargaining team that helped negotiate the MOU, said she had been in support of the plan to return when “we were using the metrics we’d been using for months and months.”

She said the district should be more flexible with setting the date for returning to classrooms, and the district should make COVID-19 surveillance testing mandatory, at least among students, as Oak Park and River Forest High School plans to do once it returns to class next month.

D97 Supt. Carol Kelley said she’s been sharing updates about the changing guidelines in her Weekly Wrap-Ups, which are posted to the district’s website each week.

She added that she would consult the district’s legal counsel about mandating students to take the tests.

Hackett said if the D97 were to purchase Safeguard, the vendor that OPRF is using for diagnostic testing, the cost would be approximately $577,742 for the 17 weeks remaining in the school year. Instead, he recommended the district contract with Northshore Clinical Labs, which provides diagnostic COVID-19 tests at no cost to the district and with “minimal logistical impact” on staff.

Hackett and other district officials also tried to alleviate concerns among teachers and community members about the safety of the buildings once hybrid learning begins.

District officials said masks will be mandatory at all times in school buildings, with each school given a supply of washable and disposable masks. They said bathroom hygiene and social distancing will be emphasized throughout the buildings with signs and floor markings. Administrators also created public service videos featuring students in order to illustrate hygiene and distancing and mask-wearing practices. Class-

room seats, they said, will be spaced 6 feet apart.

Jeane Keane, D97’s senior director of buildings and grounds, said face shields will be available on request. She added that the district modified its HVAC system in order to increase the number of air changes per hour. Experts recommend achieving 4-6 air changes per hour of clean air, she said.

“Our ventilation system is designed to have three air changes per hour of clean air and we increased this amount to five by opening HVAC dampers and allowing 100 percent outside air into the spaces, as weather allows,” Keane explained.

Hackett said the Oak Park Department of Public Health will direct contact tracing, with D97 administrators and nursing staff attending weekly meetings with local public health officials “to ensure everyone is operating with timely information.”

Hackett and a few board members also worked to counter public perception that schools are particularly susceptible to the virus.

“To date, there is no evidence to suggest that children or educational settings are the primary drivers of COVID-19 virus transmission,” Hackett said. “It’s important to note that transmission itself doesn’t mean that in-person learning has failed.

“We have to distinguish between occasional transmission and outbreak, between correctable mistakes (transmissions that can be prevented with effective control measures) and non-correctable mistakes, such as viral spread dynamics that go beyond what can be addressed in those school settings,” he said.

Board members Holly Spurlock and Jung Kim addressed public concerns among the public that schools have been sites for the virus to spread. Spurlock referenced data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, which shows three schools in the state are currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

The IDPH designates an outbreak after a local health department reports “five or more COVID-19 cases who may have a shared exposure on school grounds and are from different households.” In the last 30 days, no outbreaks have been reported in Cook County, according to the latest IDPH data.

Referencing cases within Chicago Public Schools, which some Oak Park teachers brought up during communications with the district, Kim said “almost all of those cases” relate to infections that “didn’t occur within the school” and have been traceable to “infection outside.”

During last week’s special meeting, Kelley addressed Murray-Liebl’s concerns about the seemingly abrupt change in the district’s metrics. Murray-Liebl pointed out that the district’s old guidelines, when administrators were still relying mainly on community spread metrics to determine their decisions on hybrid learning, were still on the website, which could be confusing to some people.

“I’m sure it does feel that we are changing the rule book here, because in many ways that is exactly what is happening, but we do have to for this situation we’re in, this pandemic,” Kelley said. “We have to follow the science.”

Kelley apologized to people who may have been confused by the conflicting information on the site.

“It has been the district’s practice that we don’t pull things down from the website, but there is a lot of information we provide in the Weekly Wrap-Ups,” Kelley said, adding that those are the “best source of information” for the public to learn about the district’s plans.

Administrators said families who elected to send their students back to school but may have a change of heart can contact their building principals while staff members with reservations can contact the HR department. District officials said on Jan. 20 that they are still processing paperwork for teachers who have requested to continue teaching from home, particularly due to health reasons.

“It’s taking a ton of time and it’s not an easy process,” said Gina Hermann, D97’s senior HR director.

“The health and safety of our students and staff members is definitely our top priority,” Kelley said, adding that the process of preparing for a return to classes “has not been easy for our school board volunteers, and certainly our team has been attempting to work tirelessly in, quite frankly, a no-win situation here.”

Monday’s protest underscored Kelley’s point. Despite the administration’s planning and messaging, teachers said they still feel unsafe and unheard.

“Let the record show we’re not happy about this and we don’t feel that it’s in the best interest of all of our students,” Colucci said through a black face covering with the words “Be Brave” emblazoned in yellow, just under his nose.

And then he went to work.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Merge yes, but keep both St. Luke, St. Bernardine open Shared recommendation from parishes

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

St. Bernardine parish in Forest Park and St. Luke parish in River Forest, grouped together to be merged by the Archdiocese of Chicago, have written an official, joint recommendation on how they would like to proceed.

Their choice is to be joined as one parish under a single staff and pastor but to continue to hold mass and social activities within the two separate churches.

The recommendation was one of two choices offered by the archdiocese. The other was to combine the parishes in one location, St. Luke’s church in River Forest.

St. Bernardine church would then be closed.

The letter will be submitted to the Renew My Church Standards and Recommendations Commission of the Archdiocese of Chicago on Feb. 8. A final decision on how the two churches will be combined will be made by Cardinal Blase Cupich and announced in March.

“We recommend the creation of a single parish with two worship sites, i.e. St. Luke Church and St. Bernardine Church would continue to provide the liturgies that are critical to the retention of our parishioners,” reads the letter from the St. Luke-St. Bernardine Grouping. “We understand that there will be a single staff team to manage the critical activities of the parish. We believe that approval of our recommendation will enable us to retain the membership of a diverse assembly that, over time, has the potential to unify, learn from each other and build on one another’s strengths.”

St. Bernardine parish in Forest Park The letter to the archdiocese stresses that the new combined parish, with two separate physical churches, should “build on the strengths of the past and present.” The separate churches represent “two decidedly different communities, each with strengths that should not be forfeited in the merger since they hold the roots of our faith.”

Both churches, it was pointed out, have a robust offering of social activities and ministries that have built relationships among parishioners for years and served those in need.

Concerns raised in the recommendation letter included demographic differences, risk of failure to unite as a parish, potential

loss of parishioners (especially for St. Bernardine church), and integration support from leadership.

The letter points to recent census data that indicates River Forest residents are more likely than Forest Park residents to be college educated. River Forest residents also tend to have higher household incomes and the village has a higher median home value.

“These socioeconomic differences impact the ways the parishioners socialize and raise funds for parish needs,” states the letter. “Concern has been expressed that because of these socioeconomic differences, parishioners from St. Bernardine will not feel welcomed at St. Luke. On the other

hand, St. Luke parishioners may not feel welcomed at St. Bernardine. This is a critical matter that cannot be left to chance and requires leadership from both communities to establish trust and confidence in each other.”

In merging the parishes under either scenario, but especially if St. Bernardine’s physical church is no longer used for worship, there is the fear that St. Bernardine parishioners will go elsewhere. Oak Park residents who are parishioners at St. Bernardine, for example, might decide to attend mass in that village rather than go to River Forest.

“Under either of the scenarios which we were asked to consider, St. Bernardine’s identity as an independent parish will change, and if it also loses it its worship site, there is grave concern that it will lose some parishioners,” reads the letter. “St. Bernardine already experienced the closure of its school in June 2013, a loss over which some parishioners continue to grieve.”

Support in integrating the two parishes will be needed, and strong leadership will be essential, the group stated.

The letter makes it clear, however, that both parishes wish to keep both churches open.

“Forcing these two distinctive parishes to abandon one of the worship sites brings with it the specter of disaffiliation by some, which would work against achievement of the three mission imperatives of Renew My Church.”

St. Bernardine Renew My Church committee members include Rev. Stanislaw Kuca (pastor), Michael O’Brien, Della DeSonia, Julia Doloszycki, Deb Michalak and Mary Richie. St. Luke members include Rev. John Szmyd (pastor), Rev. Ed Fialkowski (associate pastor), Julie Bauer, Joe Bobek, Sarina Butler, Benjamin Keith, and Andrew DiMarco, principal of St. Luke School.

Meters are running ahead in capital plan River Forest 5-year capital improvement project unveiled

ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

A $1.3 million Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project heads the list of the five-year capital improvement plan unveiled at a virtual River Forest Village Board Committee of the Whole meeting, Jan. 25.

Capital expenditures are estimated to be $19.8 million over the five years, $6.8 million of which is expected to be spent in fiscal year 2022, which begins May 1.

Unveiling the capital improvement plan is the first step of the budget process. Officials said the plan is generally amended during the budget process as determinations are made for items to be moved forward or deferred, based on current information. In April, a preliminary budget will be

prepared, a recommended budget will be presented to the village board and a public hearing will be held. The final step in the process will be adoption of the budget, which is expected at the Monday, April 26, village board meeting.

The AMI project, which would allow for automatic water meter reading and leak detection, was originally discussed in October. It would entail upgrading water meters in all water customer locations throughout the village with stateof-art equipment that will allow the village to obtain meter readings without requiring Public Works staff members to perform a “drive by” read, which is the current practice.

John Anderson, public works director, explained in October that the project would deliver better customer service by providing accurate bills based on actual consumption that can be seen in real time with meter reads on a daily basis. It can also help identify any irregularities in water usage such

as leaks being experienced by residents, he added.

Also on the list of proposed capital improvement projects in FY2022 is $650,000 for street improvements.

Streets to be resurfaced under the program include Hawthorne Avenue from Thatcher Avenue to Forest Avenue; Gale Avenue from Hawthorne to Washington Boulevard; Keystone Avenue from Hawthorne to Madison Street; Linden Street from Thatcher to Forest; and Forest from Hawthorne to the cul-de-sac. Also, Keystone from Division Street to Thomas Street; Forest from Division to Thomas; Park Avenue from Division to Thomas; and Thomas from Forest to Lathrop Avenue.

Although a few trustees had comments and questions, presentation of the capital improvement plan by Lisa Scheiner, assistant village administrator, was accepted without major discussion.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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Harrison Jewelers says goodbye Store closes after 51 years in Oak Park

Because of Klein’s eagerness to help people the closure hit customers hard. Throughout the years, he said, he developed close relationships.

“What I’m going to miss the most is the customers,” he said. “I’m realizing how much more

By STACEY SHERIDAN than customers they really are now that I’m not Staff Reporter there to see them.”

Harrison Jewelers became a trusted place to Harrison Jewelers, 6032 Roosevelt Road, has been a part of the community since the store bring jewelry in need of repair. Through the first opened in Oak Park in 1970. In addition to years, Klein repaired many pieces that other purchasing new jewelry, people trusted Harrison jewelers wouldn’t touch — either because the repair was too time-consuming or they Jewelers to repair prized possessions didn’t have the necessary expertise. and family heirlooms. Now, after 51 “The basic thing is, we just wanted years in Oak Park, the shop has offito help people,” said Klein. “It’s been cially closed, and COVID-19 made its that way ever since the beginning.” last year in business a difficult one.

Now that the store has closed, those “It was just kind of like, ‘OK, well in need of a repair should seek out things are bad right now; I don’t know mom-and-pop jewelers and avoid that it’s going to get better and I’m jewelry stores in downtown areas, acgetting older, so maybe it’s time to say cording to Klein. Overhead costs will goodbye,’” said owner Jack Klein. be lower and the quality of service Founded by married couple Gene JACK KLEIN higher. and Philomena Caselli, Harrison JewOwner “Find somebody that you can feel elers first opened in Chicago in 1947. comfortable with,” he advised.

Their son, and Klein’s dear friend, While his repair days are over, Klein is neither Nick Caselli took over the family business. Klein ready for retirement, nor is he ready to stop helpjoined Harrison Jewelers in 1975, a handful of ing customers. He is waiting for the paperwork years after the shop opened in Oak Park.

“I really loved that little store,” said Klein. “It to go through for his new and smaller venture, called Harrison J. LLC. was my home away from home.”

“I can take care of any of my customers that In 1999, Klein assumed ownership with business partner Barry Kluft, who retired in 2014. want to get in touch with me,” said Klein. “Anything I can do for my customers – I’ll try to do.

Klein has manned the enterprise ever since.

The pandemic caused Harrison Jewelers to And of course, they can get a very good price.”

The new venture will also help Klein to stay close for months, and Klein himself caught the virus. Making 2020 even harder for the shop, Ca- busy and help others. During his phone interselli passed away July 20 of a severe lung disease view with Wednesday Journal, Klein was on his way to make a house call for a customer. Helping unrelated to COVID-19.

“I’m still suffering from his loss. We were more others, he says, is his nature.

“I’m still going to do whatever I can if a cuslike brothers,” said Klein. “I just never had anybody that close to me as a friend.” tomer calls.”

Photo provided

Harrison Jewelers, 6032 Roosevelt Road

Closure leaves retail gap

Downtown Oak Park Gap will shut its doors end of the month

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest residents will have to look online for well-priced basics and blue jeans, as the Gap location in the Shops of Downtown Oak Park strip mall is set to close by the end of January, Gap’s parent company Gap Inc. confirmed.

“As part of our company strategy to adapt to the changing needs of our customer and growth of our online business, we are looking thoughtfully at our real estate to support the best path forward,” said Gap Inc.

spokesperson Justine Jordan in a statement to Wednesday Journal.

Gap Inc., which also includes retail outlets Banana Republic and Athleta, announced during an October investor meeting a three-year plan to close 30 percent of North American Gap and Banana Republic stores. Oak Park’s Gap location, which has been open for roughly 23 years, is included in that 30 percent.

“We are closing a number of stores across the Gap Inc. fleet, including our Gap store located at Shops [of] Downtown Oak Park at the end of January 2021. We remain committed to making appropriate and timely decisions on stores that don’t fit our vision for the future of Gap Inc.,” said Jordan.

“We are confident these closures will help strengthen the health of our company moving forward.”

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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9

Defund police referendum makes April ballot on split vote Referendum is non-binding

the meeting he does not believe that the concept of defunding and abolishing were interchangeable terms but stated that “the

By STACEY SHERIDAN most vocal advocates’ goal is to abolish the Staff Reporter police.”

Trustee Simone Boutet accused Moroney Oak Park’s village board was split across of proposing the referendum because he ideological and gender lines during its heatholds a vendetta against Walker-Peddakotla ed, emotional and, at times, tearful discusand leveraging his feelings at the expense of sion on Jan. 19 of whether to include on the the community.

April 6 ballot a non-binding but controver“When you take an issue like this that insial referendum: “Shall the village of Oak vokes fear and is done through, essentially, Park defund its police department?” hatred of one trustee for another – whose The referendum was proposed by Trustee whole purpose in running for office is haDan Moroney, a candidate for village presitred of one trustee,” said Boutet, referencdent, and seconded by Trustee Deno Aning Moroney’s campaign for village presidrews, up for reelection. The board’s three dent, “you divide the community at a time female trustees were staunchly against the when our community is so gravely at risk.” referendum and overtly critical of MoronFear, hatred and anger are felt on both ey’s intentions, while the referendum won sides of the political spectrum, Boutet stated. the support of the board’s two other male “That is what the purpose of [referenmembers – Trustee Jim Taglia and Mayor dum] is. It’s to increase anger and fear,” said Anan Abu-Taleb. The referendum narrowly Boutet. made it onto the ballot by a 4-3 vote.

While Boutet said she doesn’t agree with “This is an advisory referendum,” Modefunding the police in the sense of elimironey said. “As a new board comes on, it’s a nating officers, those who will vote against point of reference.”

Moroney told his fellow board members that defunding the police will do so out of fear the “concept” of the referendum was brought for their safety, according to Boutet, and to him by a few residents over the holidays those who vote for defunding the police are doing it out of fear of the police. and that he agreed with their sentiments.

“Fear on both sides is destructive to soci“Their point was, and I agree, that despite ety,” Boutet said. “How we should be decidthis direction that we’re headed in, the deing these issues is based on information.” funding vernacular, the defundBoutet also believed the refing concept, the defunding advoerendum question confusing to cacy has not stopped.,” Moroney voters. said.

Trustee Susan Buchanan The village board over the last called it “irresponsible” to use a year has pledged to reform policterm in a ballot referendum that ing but the extent to which and has many different connotahow to do so has caused many artions but no universal meaning. guments between trustees.

“This word ‘defund,’ that has Moroney cited emails sent to Trustee Moroney so triggered, the board by the public calling for has many meanings,” said Buthe defunding, and in some cases, chanan. abolition of the police force. He Moroney’s proposal, accordalso mentioned that local activing to Buchanan, assumes that ist group Freedom to Thrive Oak the village board’s sole duty is Park has started an “Abolitionist to vote according to the people’s Book Club,” and added, without will, which is not always what is saying her name, that the group morally sound. has ties to Trustee Arti Walker“If elected officials only voted Peddakotla. per the will of the people, we’d The club’s reading material, still have segregation, Jim Crow Moroney told the board, includes and poll taxes,” Buchanan said.

DAN MORONEY an opinion piece published in the “Ending those policies took acOak Park village trustee New York Times, titled, “Yes, We tions that were in direct opposiMean Literally Abolish the Potion to the will of the majority.” lice.”

Buchanan also voiced her “That is what we’re being asked suspicion of Moroney’s motivato do,” said Moroney. “That is the tions, suggesting his intention language of the most strident adbehind the referendum was more Machiavocates in this space.”

Defunding police essentially means real- vellian in nature.

“This looks an awful lot like Trustee Molocating or redirecting funding from the police department to other social services or roney is proposing this referendum because government agencies. There is no standard he’s put out by racial justice activists in this percentage by which to defund the police or town,” said Buchanan.

Buchanan proposed changing the wordset timeframe in which to do so. Abolishing ing on the referendum question to read as, is the dissolution of a police force entirely.

Moroney told Wednesday Journal after “Shall the village of Oak Park use funds pre-

“The defunding concept, the defunding advocacy has not stopped.”

viously budgeted for the police Peddakotla, saying she does not department to establish a noncooperate with her fellow board police response to mental health members and only represents and other non-emergency calls?” one faction of Oak Park citizens.

A longtime advocate of police “You’ve made it clear that you reform, Trustee Arti Walkerdon’t represent the whole comPeddakotla voiced her support munity,” Abu-Taleb said. for defunding the police, as well Abu-Taleb called out Walkeras her distaste for Moroney’s refPeddakotla and Buchanan for erendum. voting to defund the police last “Defunding the police is the August; Buchanan said she did civil rights issue of our generanot care for the word “defund” tion,” Walker-Peddakotla said. and would never vote in a sudWalker-Peddakotla railed den decrease in police. against Moroney for claiming “I, as mayor, value public that the village board had mulsafety as the number one priortiple advancements in its goal to ity for our community,” he said, address and reform systemic racadding that activists would like ism within law enforcement. to see the police defunded by “The board has done nothing. one-third which would elimiWhat we’ve done is said, ‘Oh, let’s nate about 40 jobs out of 120 ARTI WALKERhire a consultant,’ – sworn officers in Oak Park.

PEDDAKOTLA A consultant that has yet to be Abu-Taleb said Oak Park poOak Park village trustee hired,” said Walker-Peddakotla. lice are “extremely excellent to Walker-Peddakotla felt that the community” and that it is the referendum was yet another not fair to view the village’s pohurdle preventing the board from lice force based on the national having a genuine conversation mindset of treating each police about reforming policing practices. department the same.

“Trustee Moroney has the audacity to say “We have a police department that reprethat the advocacy has not stopped; it has not sents and looks like our community,” said stopped because the issue is still ongoing,” the mayor. “I would like to keep that.” she said.

Abu-Taleb repeated that defunding the po“He is putting something on the ballot,” said lice would not happen during his tenure as Walker-Peddakotla, “to fearmonger his way to mayor. winning the election as village president.”

“I feel like this is a referendum against Trustee Deno Andrews called the defund me, as a person and what I stand for and the police “slogan” too “vague” and, when the advocacy work that I do,” said Walkerused to drive legislation, “dangerous.” The Peddakotla. lack of an agreed upon meaning contributes Through tears and invoking Tamir Rice, to the community’s inability to hold any a young man killed by police in Cleveland, productive conversations to discuss defund- Walker-Peddakotla said she put forth the ing, Andrews believes. resolution to defund the police last August “We’re divided in this community because with the intention to start a conversation. of this slogan,” Andrews said.

“It was a referendum to say these are the The referendum, according to Andrews, things we should be talking about,” said gives the public the ability to drive the dis- Walker-Peddakotla, who added she created cussion and vet the candidates running for Freedom to Thrive Oak Park and called Movillage board. roney’s referendum a “referendum against “Villagers deserve to know how all the the Black Lives Matter movement.” candidates feel about the slogan,” said An“You all are so scared to just have a conversation when peoples’ lives are at stake,” drews, himself a trustee candidate.

Walker-Peddakotla countered that the slo- said Walker-Peddakotla. “And I am unable to gan was created by Black activists designed hold my emotions on this anymore because to call into attention the systemic racism it’s ridiculous and you should vote no on it.”

Out of the 31 public comments submitted, within policing.

“We all know that it is a push-pull de- 23 urged the village board to vote against adding the referendum. Many comments signed to sway an election,” said Walkerwere laced with criticism, describing the Peddakotla.

Trustee Jim Taglia said he believes that referendum as “grandstanding,” “not hiring a police reform consultant and pos- genuine” and “distasteful.”“This board ing the referendum aren’t mutually exclu- should be absolutely ashamed if this sive. While he said he understands that po- goes through,” said Walker-Peddakotla. lice reform is a “vital, very personal” topic, “This board should be just so [expletive] ashamed.” he saw no harm in the referendum.

While Moroney, Taglia, Andrews and the “I just don’t think, final analysis, that this is our community’s undoing,” said Taglia, mayor voted in favor of adding the referenwho also said he liked the referendum’s dum, Boutet and Buchanan voted “no, and ashamed.” Walker-Peddakotla voted, “[Exphrasing as is.

Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb criticized Walker- pletive] no.”

“We all know that it is a pushpull designed to sway an election.”

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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Indoor dining ban lifts Restaurants can serve patrons inside again, at limited capacity

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Those who want to dine out can now dine in as suburban Cook County restaurants and bars have gotten the go-ahead from the state to resume indoor dining services.

“I think it’s a great step in the right direction,” said Anan Abu-Taleb, Oak Park mayor and restaurant owner. “I think it shows a lot about the need for these restaurants to come back and be part of the community.”

Abu-Taleb, who owns the Latin American restaurant Maya Del Sol, when asked if he plans to serve customers inside, responded with an enthusiastic, “Absolutely, yes.”

As of Jan. 23, suburban Cook County

moved into Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigations, allowing restaurants and bars to serve patrons inside at a reduced capacity of 25 percent or 25 people maximum per room.

“Twenty-five percent capacity is not sufficient for any business to make a profit, but I think it will allow many of us to stay open,” said Abu-Taleb, who added that it will also allow restaurants to make enough revenue to retain staff.

Under Tier 1 mitigations, all tables must be placed 6 feet apart and face coverings are required to be worn. Bars and restaurants must also close by 11 p.m.

Across the street from Maya Del Sol, the crew at George’s Restaurant are also pleased about the lifted indoor service ban.

“It’s going to help, of course,” said Dennis Konstantos, son of the eponymous restaurant owner, George.

Since indoor service was reinstated, business at George’s has increased, according to Konstantos. They’re doing a similar number

of carryout orders but there are also people seated at tables, eating inside.

“We’re not where we need to be,” he said.

“We’re just trying to make enough to pay our employees and break even in our bills.”

George’s struggled to abide by the state-

imposed restrictions on indoor restaurant service, but the lift on the ban makes Konstantos optimistic for the future.

“We’re being allowed to do what we’re in business to do,” he said. “It gives us a shred of hope that we’re going to survive.”

Education bill to revamp social studies classes Also puts heavier emphasis on computer science and computer literacy

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Social studies classes in Illinois public schools are about to get a major overhaul, with more emphasis on Black history and the contributions of other underrepresented groups to American culture.

In addition, within the next few years, all school districts in the state will be required to offer computer science courses and more instruction in computer literacy.

Those are just two of the major provisions of a 218-page education equity bill, House Bill 2170, which passed during the recent lame duck session of the General Assembly with the backing of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus.

Jennifer Kirmes, executive director of teaching and learning at the Illinois State Board of Education, said in an interview that the agency has been working toward updating the state’s social studies standards for months.

“Over the summer, we convened a working group of educators and advocates and gave that group the task of reviewing the existing Illinois social science learning standards, in particular through the lenses of equity and social justice, and to ensure that the standards aligned with the statutory mandates to teach about the contributions of underrepresented groups like African Americans and LGBTQ Americans,” Kirmes said. “So really, what’s in the bill codifies work that we started several months ago, and are still undertaking now.”

Specifically, the bill calls on ISBE to adopt new standards

by July 1 “that are inclusive and reflective of all individuals in this country.”

It also calls for establishing an Inclusive American History Commission to help the board develop the new standards.

That 22-member commission will be charged with review-

ing educational resources that teachers can use that “reflect the racial and ethnic diversity” of Illinois and the United States, providing guidance for educators on how to ensure that their class content is not biased in favor of certain cultures and providing guidance on how to identify resources for “non-dominant cultural narratives.”

The bill also calls on every elementary and high school to develop a curriculum that includes one unit of studying pre-enslavement Black history. That unit will cover the period from 3,000 BCE to 1619, when the first enslaved Africans were brought to America. Black history units will also have to include the study of the reasons why Black people came to be enslaved and the study of the American civil rights movement.

Social studies programs in the United States have been criticized for years for putting too much emphasis on the white European origins of the original 13 colonies and the development of a predominantly white culture while paying only scant attention to the history of slavery or the contributions of people from other, non-European cultures.

“I cannot speak to what is happening in every district across Illinois, and I think it’s hard to make any kind of sweeping statement about all of history education in Illinois,” Kirmes said. “Our position is that we want it to be well supported and well executed in every community.”

Kirmes said ISBE expects to have a draft of the new standards available for public comment in March. The final standards will then be presented to the board for approval early in the summer.

In addition to revising social studies standards, the bill also tries to ensure greater access throughout the state to computer literacy programs and computer science education.

It calls on all districts to provide “developmentally appropriate opportunities” to gain computer literacy skills beginning in elementary school. Also, starting in the 2022-23 academic year, students entering ninth grade will be required to take at least one course that provides “intensive instruction” in computer literacy. That could be a course that also

meets other graduation requirements such as math or social studies.

Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, all districts that operate high schools will be required to offer at least one course in computer science, which is defined as “the study of computers and algorithms, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their implementation, and their impact on society.” It does not include the study of everyday uses of computers and applications such as keyboarding or accessing the internet.

ISBE does not currently have educational standards for computer science, Kirmes said, so those will have to be developed from scratch.

She said ISBE has already convened a group to begin drafting computer science standards and the agency expects those to be adopted this summer as well.

Other provisions of the bill call for changing the state’s high school graduation requirements so they are more closely aligned with college admission requirements at the University of Illinois. Starting in the 2024-25 academic year, students entering ninth grade will have to complete two years of laboratory science. And beginning in the 2028-29 school year, they will be required to complete two years of a foreign language.

In the area of higher education, the bill changes the funding formula for the AIM HIGH student aid program. Instead of splitting the cost of those grants evenly between universities and the state, schools where 49 percent or more of their undergraduate student body are eligible for federal Pell grants will only have to match 20 percent of their state allocation while schools where fewer than 49 percent of students qualify for Pell grants will have to match 60 percent of the state allocation.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Kimberly Lightford (DMaywood) in the Senate and Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) in the House. Lightford, the Senate majority leader, represents North Riverside and part of Brookfield.

It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law.

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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11

PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE FOREST PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Cozy meals on Madison Street

Menu items with winter flair are easy to find on Forest Park’s main street

I

ndoor dining restrictions are finally easing, and there’s no doubt local Forest Park eateries have been clamoring to welcome guests back into their socially distant dining rooms. Even if you are not quite ready to dine inside, five Madison Street restaurants are serving up fare designed to warm your soul in the cold winter months whether you carry out or sit in a dining room chair.

Nothing keeps folks Food Writer more comfortable than cozy comfort foods.

Things are “souper” at Starship Restaurant, 7818 Madison St. Co-owners Paul McKenna and Henry Laskowski typically offer a flight of four soups as a January special for dine-in customers, but COVID-19 has made such dining opportunities elusive. Thankfully, Starship’s food makes for cozy carryout fare. In addition to out of this world subs and “stick to your ribs” daily specials like beer cheese and pulled chicken on a pretzel roll or an indulgent prime rib sandwich, the beloved sandwich shop still offers four warming soups daily. The shop also boasts a freezer full of 80 frozen house-made soups making Starship soup flights a breeze to create at home.

MELISSA ELSMO

A spin on tradition at Fatduck Tavern and Grill, 7218 Madison St. Few things spark thoughts of winter faster than a homey pot roast dinner, and Fatduck Tavern and Grill is putting a spicy spin on tradition with a platter full of pot roast nachos. There’s nothing old-fashioned about the popular starter featuring warm tortilla chips piled high with braised beef and garnished with pickled jalapeno, pico de gallo, queso Chihuahua, sour cream and guacamole.

Dennis Miller, co-owner of Fatduck, is also proud of Chef Danny Sandoval’s array of hickory smoked meats and top-quality burgers.

The popular duck fat burger features a comforting combination of imported brie cheese, applewood smoked bacon and house-pickled onions. No matter the dish you decide on, Fatduck’s quality ingredients are destined to curb any cold weather craving.

Savor a steak at Chirrion Mexican Grill, 7510 Madison St. Family owned and fiercely COVID-compliant, Chirrion Mexican Grill, has been awaiting the news their diminutive dining room can reopen at limited capacity. Frank Garcia, coowner of the well-appointed eatery known for serving gourmet tacos, is ready to make you feel like Chirrion is your second home.

Whether you order for carry out or take advantage of dine-in opportunities, be sure to check out the Carne Asada a la Tampiquena.

The robust and warming plate is brimming with chargrilled premium outer Skirt Steak prepared to your desired doneness. The wellseasoned and tender steak is served with a cheese enchilada, rice, beans, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and grilled scallions—a perfect

Cocktails are ready to carry out at O’Sullivan’s

Lunchtime line up at Starship Restaurant in Forest Park. Inset: Stick to your ribs specials like the pulled chicken and beer cheese sandwich keep Starship co-owner, Paul Mckenna, feeling creative in the kitchen.

Fatduck owner, Dennis Miller and Chef Donny Sandoval dish to fill you up on a chilly evening.

Slurping noodles from Panda Café, 7600 Madison St. A twisted nest of noodles floating in a savory broth provides an ideal winter warm up and Panda Café has you covered. The Forest Park restaurant offers an extensive menu of thoughtfully curated Chinese favorites like pot stickers, sesame chicken, and hot black pepper beef, but also offers an array of customizable noodle soups. Savory soups studded with fresh vegetables and meat comes with your choice of pho, egg, or ramen noodles. Served spicy or mild, the Szechuan beef noodle soup is more all photos by Melissa Elsmo

Szechuan beef noodle soup shown here with ramen noodles can be served spicy to heat you up on a cold day.

Carne Asada a la Tampiquena is a house specialty at Chirrion Mexican Grill. than suitable for slurping.

Cozy bar vibes at O’Sullivan’s Public House, 7244 Madison St. Snag a basket of O’Sullivan’s wings in the barroom. No matter if you’re eating them on the heated patio or taking them to-go, the generously sized wings, served with a choice of sauce, are sure to be a warming precursor to the much-lauded Hugh burger or cheesesteak sandwich.

“We sell a lot of wings, but our menu is largely focused on hot sandwiches,” said Anthony Crawford, O’Sullivan’s general manager.

“We take pride in serving comforting pub food designed to be enjoyed with a beer.”

O’Sullivan’s offers growlers of beer and cocktails available for pick up. Try out their premixed naked and famous, Manhattan, old fashioned, or side car. Each bottled cocktail comes with proper garnishes and a QR code designed to take you to a video of Crawford sharing tips and techniques to serve the drinks properly. *All food credited to Melissa Elsmo was ordered via carry-out and plated at home.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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D200 board member sounds alarm on pension burden

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

If the state of Illinois, which currently funds most public school teacher pensions, shifts that cost burden to local school districts, which has been proposed in the past and floated as a possible solution to the state’s pension liability, District 200 could be on the hook for $500 million in pension debt.

That was the most glaring take-away by D200 board member Tom Cofsky during the board’s review, at a Jan. 14 Committee of the Whole meeting, of its FY 2020 financial audit and a separate Comprehensive Annual Financial Report prepared by the Chicago accounting firm Baker Tilly.

The annual reports are rather routine documents that give school district officials insight into things like historical financial trends and the status of their internal financial practices.

Joseph Lightcap, a partner at Baker Tilly, said during the meeting that the reports showed numerous signs of financial health.

The district’s statement of net assets, which is the balance of its assets against its liabilities, increased by about $856,000 in 2020, Nightcap said. He explained that the in-

CLARK

Bounced from the ballot from page 1 dicative that Anthony is not a resident of Oak Park.”

Peppard presented as evidence Clark’s April 2020 bankruptcy filing, wherein Clark listed his parents’ Oak Park home as his mailing address and his property in west suburban Lombard as his permanent residence. Further evidence brought forward

by Peppard included Clark’s August 2020 property tax bill, which showed a residential property tax exemption on the Lombard address.

“I do agree that this is a very difficult case,” said Scaman.

She believed the evidence pointed to Clark having a residence in Lombard but not one that she could definitively say was his primary home.

“His physical presence here in Oak Park is undeniable. His commitment to Oak Park is undeniable,” said Scaman. “I can’t find anything to believe that he resides in Lombard.”

Clark has maintained during the hearings that he lives fulltime with his parents, whom he cares for, in Oak Park on Lombard Avenue but that he purchased the suburban Lombard property to house what he believed to be his biological child and the child’s mother. He stated under oath that he has never lived in Lombard. His mother Blanche Clark also stated under oath that Clark lives with her and her husband in their Oak Park home.

Clark’s attorney Ed Mullen stated in his closing arguments that Clark listed the

crease was mainly due to the district’s capital improvements and additions over the year that have outpaced depreciation.

The district also experienced increased revenues over expenditures, mainly due to the unanticipated closure caused by the pandemic, Lightcap explained.

“Revenues were in excess of budget in the general fund by about $4.7 million and expenditures were under budget by around $3.5 million,” he said.

The district’s fund balance was down by about $2.4 million — from $108.2 million in 2019 to $105.9 million in 2020 — largely due to the board’s decision to draw down funds to pay for capital projects and planned reductions in the general fund.

Cofsky praised the fact that Baker Tilly’s analysis showed, from 2011 to 2020, the D200 school board has only increased the levy by about 1.4 percent per year. Cofksy said the district has successfully reined in its penchant for taxing residents since “the infamous referendum” of 2002 that led to a significant tax hike and resulted in the district’s more than $100 million fund balance.

“As a comparative, when you look at the lion’s share of the decade since the infamous referendum,” Cofsky said, “from 2003 to 2010, the levy was up 6.2 percent per year. So, we’ve

… definitely [been] hitting the brakes after what was some exhaustive levy increases of earlier years.”

But Cofksy said he was “alarmed” by the potential pension liability that D200 could have if the state decides to shift the cost burden. According to the report, D200 could be on the hook for around $400 million for its teacher pensions alone if the state shifts the cost burden.

“And that number is up from, if you look at 2015, when it was a little more than $200 million,” Cofsky said. “So it’s doubled and then some in the last five years. Am I misreading something here? That equates to $650,000 per person covered on the teacher side.”

Cofsky said that, after factoring in other pension-related liabilities, the district could owe “half a billion dollars of pension liability. That is eye-opening.”

“No, I don’t think you’re misreading the numbers,” Lightcap responded. “It’s definitely what is out there for the potential liability should the state look to shift the costs. It wouldn’t be due all in one year, but it would be something you’d have to work to spend down.”

The D200 school board is expected to accept Baker Tilly’s financial reports at a regular meeting on Jan. 28.

affidavits submitted by Clark Lombard townhouse in his bankand the testimony of his mother ruptcy filing as his primary residemonstrated that Clark was dence because it was the only physically present in Oak Park property Clark owned and for from April up until the preswhich he was financially responent, as well as that Clark spends sible. The Lombard residence, most of his nights in his parents’ according to Mullen, is also not home or with his girlfriend, who an income-generating property. also resides in Oak Park.

“His understanding of ‘resi“I don’t think that the affidadence’ and where he ‘lived’ vits, although they were helpful, when he signed the bankruptcy ANTHONY CLARK and they were strongly considpetition was primarily a finanered,” said Taglia. “They don’t cial answer for purposes of the carry the same weight as the other evibankruptcy code rather than an answer of physical presence and intent to remain for dence.”

Abu-Taleb felt similarly to Taglia regardpurposes of municipal and election law,” ing the evidence presented against Clark, Mullen stated in his closing argument.

He further argued that Clark believed he which included a loan obtained by Clark’s qualified for the homestead tax exemption parents through the village of Oak Park. on his Lombard property because it gener- When applying for the loan, Clark’s parents ated no income and it was the only property did not disclose Anthony Clark’s income. under his ownership.

Clark’s income, had it been included, Whether made in error, the municipal would have made them ineligible to receive board found Clark’s listed addresses in his the loan. His mother swore in testimony that bankruptcy filing and tax bill hurt his cred- she did not know and was not told that she ibility and character. and her husband needed to include Clark’s “I am concerned that we don’t have any income in the loan application. information as to whether he intends to corAccording to Abu-Taleb, the funds from rect exemptions that he’s taken, but I don’t the loan come from the U.S. Department of believe that is for this board to be judging,” Housing and Urban Development and the said Scaman. application for the loan requires listing evTaglia mentioned that perjury, or lying eryone in the household over the age of 18. under oath, can result in a hefty financial Abu-Taleb also stated that there is a waiting fine or prison time. If they were simply list to receive these loans in Oak Park. paperwork mistakes, Taglia reasoned, the “The Clark family decides not to list Anboard had no way of knowing if Clark in- thony as an income in that household and tends to fix them. they get the $24,100 when they shouldn’t,” “This goes to credibility,” said Taglia. said Abu-Taleb. “That actually denies an“You would think that if somebody made other family from getting it.” four or five serious errors in paperwork The loan document submitted as evidence that they would try to at least explain how does not show whether the Clark family acthey’re going to undo that.” tually received the amount stated by AbuClark’s attorney Ed Mullen argued that Taleb; rather, the document states “the Vil-

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

lage’s Chief Financial Officer is authorized and directed to loan up to $24,180.00 and grant up to $8,590.00 in [Community Development Block Grant] funds to the Owners…”

“We have a character issue,” said AbuTaleb. “We have someone who is lying under oath.”

Abu Taleb continued, “We have someone that chooses to decide which household they belong to, based on what works best for them. I struggle with that.”

Scaman said she didn’t disagree with AbuTaleb’s views on the subject but that it was not within the boards purview to determine whether Clark had committed perjury.

“This is a tough position for all of us,” said Scaman.

“I am being asked to determine whether he has laid his head in Oak Park over the last year and whether the intention is for him to continue to live and reside in Oak Park,” said Scaman. “I don’t have any reason to believe he’s not going to.”

Represent Oak Park, the coalition backing Clark, released a statement following the board’s ruling, in which they committed to support Clark if he seeks an appeal.

“We are outraged that the electoral board would use taxpayer dollars to obstruct one of our own and infringe on his right to run for elected office,” the statement reads.

The statement called Peppard’s objection to Clark one rooted in “unabashed racism, hypocrisy and fear” and the ruling “a challenge to progress, equity and to justice.”

“We believe in [Clark’s] candidacy and feel deeply that Oak Park needs leaders who can speak to the unique experiences of the Black residents of Oak Park, the poor families in Oak Park and other communities who remain unrepresented, while also upholding our shared values.”

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

13

Interested in District 90 Kindergarten?

Attend a attend a 2021-22 Virtual Interested in District 90 Kindergarten?

2019-20 Kindergarten Kindergarten Information Night Information Night

Interested in District 90 Kindergarten?

attend the

2021-22 Virtual Kindergarten Information Wed. February 6, 2019 Night

Thursday, February4,4,2021 2021

6:30 p.m. Welcome and Registration Thursday,February 7:00 p.m. Presentation

6:306:30 p.m.

Presentation pmLive Live Virtual Virtual Presentation

Lincoln School Auditorium 511 Park Ave. River Forest

Willard School Auditorium Lincoln School Presentation

1250 Ashland Ave. River Forest River Forest families living South of Chicago Ave should SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor (River Forest families residing North of Chicago Avenue shouldthe attend the program at Willard, and River Forest families living South of attend virtual Lincoln Presentation.

ROCK ON: For 20 years Eric Gyllenhaal’s front yard rock garden on South Elmwood has welcomed neighborhood kids to explore and take home a rock or two.

Chicago Ave should attend the program at Lincoln)

To obtain the Zoom Link and Password please send an email to: For more information contact: DuboisT@district90.org Casey Godfrey, Lincoln School Principal godfreyc@district9o.org

A neighbor who rocks

Rock garden encourages kids to explore the natural world

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

For the last 20 years, Oak Park resident Eric Gyllenhaal has kept the rock garden in his front yard stocked with polished stones, shells and fossils, free for children to explore and take home.

“I’m a big believer in giving kids a chance to collect things and get their hands on things,” said Gyllenhaal, who lives in the 1000 block of South Elmwood Avenue.

He first created the rock garden for his young son, who wanted to have a rockthemed birthday party. The kids who attended the birthday party got to collect rocks to take home as party favors. After the party, Gyllenhaal kept the rock garden stocked for curious children. To keep supply from running out, he capped the limit of rocks kids could take to five per trip.

“The neighborhood kids over the years would come, some of them would get interested and they’d come over to us every day and collect rocks,” he said. “It was kind of a local thing that kids on the block and from a few blocks around knew about.”

Gyllenhaal, who has a degree in natural resources and a doctorate in paleontology, teaches nature and science programming at Wonder Works Children’s Museum. When the pandemic struck, Wonder Works had to cease all programming.

“When the pandemic hit, all of a sudden it was a hands-off world for kids,” said Gyllenhaal. “I decided to spruce up the old rock garden.”

Willard School Presentation River Forest families residing North of Chicago Avenue should attend the virtual Willard Presentation.

To obtain the Zoom Link and Password please send an email to: OlivaresS@district90.org

Diane Wood, Willard School Principal, woodd@district90.org David Davis, Assistant Principal, davisd@district90.org

Among the array of natural keepsakes available to kids, Gyllenhaal started putting out “quarantine bags” — plastic bags for kids to carry their haul. He also puts out informative guides so children can identify and learn more about the rocks and fossils they’ve chosen.

Since he began doing so last spring, interest rose in his rock garden because more people were out walking.

“People from several blocks away started to discover it,” he said.

Word spread among Oak Park’s multiple community Facebook groups as well.

“All of a sudden, people were replying that they’d discovered it years ago or they discovered it this year and their kids were really interested in it,” said Gyllenhaal.

Come May, Gyllenhaal’s rock garden, dubbed the Nature Collector’s Garden, will hit its 20th anniversary. Its treasure troves have expanded over the years to include sea urchin spines, crystals, pieces of coral and broken geodes.

While some people have donated their childhood rock collections to the garden, Gyllenhaal also purchases some of the rock garden’s stockpile through rock dealers.

“The government keeps giving us money, and we’re supposed to spend it on local small businesses,” said Gyllenhaal. “But rock dealers are small businesses too.”

Many of the rock dealers with whom he does business he met through geology shows. Prior to COVID-19 making such gatherings unsafe, Gyllenhaal worked at the shows in the children’s booth.

At home, he tries to stay out of the spotlight to give the garden a magical feel. Near the garden sit two gnomes, one holding the handles of a wheelbarrow and one digging in the earth.

For more information contact:

For more information contact: Casey Godfrey, Lincoln School Principal godfreyc@district9o.org Diane Wood, Willard School School, Principal, Principal woodd@district90.org Casey Godfrey, Lincoln • godfreyc@district90.org Christine Gerges, Assistant Principal, gergesc@district90.org Diane Wood, Willard School, Principal • woodd@district90.org Christine Gerges, Assistant Principal • gergesc@district90.org

RESIDENTIAL — COMMERCIAL — RETAIL — CHURCHES — SCHOOLS

SERVING OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST SINCE 1976

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ART BEAT

During COVID, artists make art apart

Benefit for Expressions Graphics

By MICHELLE DYBAL Arts Editor

Art can be used to communicate. It can be used to heal. It can be used for good. When it accomplishes all three, it may be at its best, as is the case with the show of collage and multimedia art, “apART 8x10,” at Expressions Graphics, 29 Harrison St., Oak Park.

Three artists created the works for the show. Angela Potaczek is an art therapist, licensed clinical professional counselor, artist and jewelry designer. Eric Dean Spruth is an artist and an expressive art therapist.

Julie Gard Freeney is a visual artist.

Potaczek has known Spruth “from the art therapy community in Chicago for around 25 years,” she said. Potaczek is an artist member of Expressions Graphics and lives in Elmwood Park. Spruth, of Gary, Indiana, has known Freeney for about the same amount of time from volunteering together at an organization that serves developmentally delayed adults according to Potaczek.

Freeney lives in Grayslake.

Last February, Potaczek met with Spruth and they spoke of ways to “commit to making one piece of art a month that would be 8 x 10-inch or smaller so that it could be easily mailed,” she said. They also discussed a show and fundraiser at the culmination of the undertaking.

“As the weeks went on and the pandemic exploded, we realized the relevance of our project,” Potaczek said. “The pandemic and the catastrophic political climate affected

“As the weeks went on and the pandemic exploded, we realized the relevance of our project.”

ANGELA POTACZEK Art therapist

the content of our work, and the work became an outlet for our emotions.”

“The three of us looked forward to receiving each other’s artwork and feeling an emotional connection to each other over the span of the year,” she said. “The artwork became a tie that kept us connected given the fact that we couldn’t really see each other, especially since the pandemic was restricting our travel and our ability to get together without taking health risks.”

Their project ended in November. The three artists agreed to donate all sales to nonprofit Expressions Graphics “to support the arts in this difficult time when small community businesses are struggling,” Potaczek said.

Each work of art is priced at $20.20. The gallery of artworks can be viewed and purchased online at expressionsgraphics.org/ apart-8x10. Visit Expressions Graphics on the closing date, Saturday, Jan. 30, 1 to 4 p.m. to view the artworks in person. Masks and social distancing required.

Photos provided

ARTISTIC DISTANCING: (Clockwise from top) “Milan” by Julie Gard Freeney , “Nature is Real” by Julie Gard Freeney, “Breathe” by Angela Potaczek , “My Way” by Eric Dean Spruth, “Virus” by Angela Potaczek.

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Oak Parker named U.S. Department of Education chief of staff

Sheila Nix adds new title to her extensive resume

United States “back on track” particularly in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic turmoil.

“Vice President Biden has a lot of experience.

He’s been doing this for a long time,”

By STACEY SHERIDAN said Nix. “He believes in science. He listens Staff Reporter to experts.”

She previously served as Jill Biden’s Oak Park resident Sheila Nix has been appointed chief of staff for the U.S. Depart- chief of staff in her time as second lady during the Obama-Biden administration. Her ment of Education’s secretary White House credentials also in the Biden-Harris presidential include serving as deputy assisadministration. tant to President Barack Obama Nix, who has lived in Oak Park as well as then Vice President on and off since 2004, served as Biden’s campaign chief of staff senior advisor to Vice President during the 2012 campaign.

Kamala Harris during the 2020 Outside of the White House, presidential campaign.

Nix served as president of phiIn an August 2020 interview, lanthropy for political strategy Nix told Wednesday Journal she consulting firm Tusk Strategies, was “very excited” to be part where she spearheaded efforts of the Biden-Harris team. She SHEILA NIX to increase voter participation previously served as First Lady through mobile means.

Dr. Jill Biden’s chief of staff in Also within the philanthropic sphere, Nix her time as second lady during the Obamaworked with U2 musician Bono’s ONE CamBiden administration.

She told Wednesday Journal that she be- paign as the organization’s U.S executive lieved then-former Vice President Joe Biden director. would be the right candidate to get the

Central Baptist Village offers you a renewed sense of independence and safety in a vibrant and caring community.

Enjoy freedom from household responsibilities while living in a fully renovated apartment with a brand new kitchen and bath. Feel safe and secure, knowing strict COVID-19 protocols are being followed and an array of supportive services are available if you need them.

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PRICE REDUCTION

Oak Park main library reopens, partially The lobby has reopened; services resume February

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park Public Library announced that the lobby and parking garage of its main branch, 834 Lake St., has reopened with a limited schedule for returns and holds pickups as of Jan. 21. All staff areas have been disinfected and all library teams have completed quarantines.

In-person hours for pickup and returns

are 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

People can return books or pickup holds between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fridays, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Saturdays and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Come February, the library expects to broaden its available services allowing cardholders to make requests for at-home delivery, use remote printing amenities and return materials to external drop boxes, among others.

The Maze and Dole branches remain closed to the public, but all virtual programming will continue as well as virtual staff support.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

A man was shot while sitting in his vehicle in the early morning hours of Jan. 20.

The male offender approached the victim’s vehicle then fired a handgun at the victim, striking him in the cheek around 7 a.m. in the 1100 block of South Maple Avenue. The offender then entered a black vehicle and fled, traveling northbound on Maple.

The victim was transported to Loyola University Medical Center for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, according to Oak Park spokesperson David Powers.

“The preliminary investigation has not determined if this victim was targeted,” Powers said. “This is an active investigation, and police continue to follow up on several leads.”

Police reports describe the offender as a Black male, about 6-feet-3 with a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black stocking cap.

Man shot in vehicle

covered the vehicle at 5:32 p.m., Jan. 20 in the 3900 block of West 14th Street in Chicago.

Theft

■ Someone removed a package from a porch in the 900 block of Home Avenue between 3 and 3:30 p.m., Jan. 18. The estimated loss is $13.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2009 Toyota Prius, parked in the 800 block of South Taylor Avenue between 5 p.m., Jan. 20 and 2 p.m., Jan. 22. The estimated loss is $3,650.

Burglary

Someone forced open a wooden overhead garage door and removed a red Toro snowblower from inside at 6:38 a.m., Jan. 19, in the 1200 block of North Oak Park Avenue.

The estimated loss is $200.

Motor vehicle theft A black 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, left run-

ning, was taken from the 500 block of South Austin Boulevard at 10:03 p.m., Jan. 19. The estimated loss is $7,000. Chicago police re-

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Jan. 19-25 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

SHOP LOCAL! Support our Restaurants.

Purchase a Shop Local digital gift card and use it throughout the community at your favorite participating eateries.

Available at oprfchamber.org

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E Special Advertising Section

January 27, 2021

Education Enrichment Winter 2021

and

guide

lo ca l s cho ols | ea rl y lea rn in g | tu to rin g p ro g ra ms

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E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

January 27, 2021

Special Advertising Section

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411 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL

www.abctooontown.com

Ascension School

Shaping Children into Independent, Successful Learners Staying Safe Today - Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow Virtual Open House - February 2nd through 4th

Ascension School

or generations, parents have chosen Ascension School for their children’s education because of our reputation for excellence. Today, we stand as a vibrant community, proud of our history and ready to serve the needs of each child who joins us.

Virtual Open House - February 2nd through 4th

Ascension School offers a faith-based and comprehensive curriculum for students ages 3 through grade 8. At each level children are prepared and nurtured to ensure their success as they continue through their education. Their days are enriched through exposure to the fine arts, physical education, music, technology and Spanish language.

Students can choose to participate in a variety of clubs, athletic teams and extracurricular activities to explore their individual interests. Our experienced faculty and dedicated parents are committed to providing Ascension students with a unique community that fosters our values of Love, Kindness and Respect.

With both in-person and virtual learning options, we proudly provide an excellent, faith-based education to students in preschool through eighth grade. Our accomplished faculty and staff ensure the safety of our students, giving them the opportunities they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

For more information about our Open House or on how to enroll for the 2021-22 school year, visit our website at: school.ascensionoakpark.com

Kindness

Respect

601 Van Buren Street Oak Park, IL 708.386.7282 www.school.ascensionoakpark.com

winter ad 21.indd 1

Love

Kindness

Respect

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teachers mouths moving as they interact with them? How will they handle the changes emotionally? They returned in June 2020 to a ‘new’ normal. Fast forward seven months later, as I walk through the hallways and peek inside the classrooms, what I see are strong, happy children. They are thriving and have adapted well to the changes, which gives me hope that their future is secure.

The outside world is full of uncertainty and anxiety. However, while in our care the children have stability, structure, calmness and safety. With the vaccine rollout, my prayer is that we’ll soon get back to the way things were prior to when COVID-19 disrupted all of our lives. In the meantime, we’ll continue to be a safety net and support for our children and their families. Better days are coming, I can feel it!

Bernadette Hicks, M.Ed. Executive Director, ABC Toon Town

Compassionate, Comprehensive, Innovative, Exceptional

F

Staying Safe Today - Preparing Leaders of Tomorrow

Love

W

e will make it to the other side of this. It’s what I have to keep telling myself as I see the daily COVID-19 updates. Not being able to see my family (my parents, especially) and having things shut down is disheartening. However, the one thing that keeps a smile on my face, is to witness the resilience of the children in our care. Prior to the mandatory shutdown in March 2020, the children were able to play freely, interact with their friends, give hugs to their teachers, explore their environment, etc. Today they have to wear masks, play in small groups, and practice social distancing.

As an early childhood educator, I was very concerned as to how this would affect their development. I pondered things like how does a 2 to 5-year-old practice social distancing? How do children play with masks on all day? How will the infants and toddlers develop language skills if they can’t see their

In addition to an excellent elementary school education, Ascension provides: • A wonderful preschool led by certified teachers with full and half-day classes • An outstanding Extended Day Program before and after school from 7 am to 6 pm • Two classes per grade with a 12:1 student – teacher ratio • Athletic teams, starting in grade 3 with a ‘no cut’ policy to encourage teamwork and collaboration • An emphasis on service and social justice articipation at all grade levels in the •P Olweus Bullying Prevention Program We know that parents have many wonderful options when choosing the right school for their children. When you choose Ascension School, be confident that you are providing your children with more than an academic experience, you are giving them a foundation for a lifetime of success.

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E Special Advertising Section

Grace Lutheran, a nurturing and faith-filled environment

G

race Lutheran School, at the corner of Division and Bonnie Brae in River Forest, offers a nurturing and faith-filled environment for students from preschool through 8th grade.

Early childhood programs. Preschool and junior kindergarten classrooms at Grace provide flexible morning and afternoon options for families with young children. Three-year-old preschoolers attend morning classes two, three, or five days a week. Fouryear-olds attend junior kindergarten every morning, Monday through Friday.

An afternoon program is available one to five days per week for both 3- and 4-year-olds.

All-day kindergarten. Senior kindergarten, for children age 5, is a full-day program at Grace, focused on academics and social and emotional development.

Grades 1–8. Grace’s students consistently perform above national averages on standardized tests and go on to succeed at competitive high schools in the city and suburbs. A strong core curriculum challenges children

academically while high expectations and appropriate supports help students achieve their best. The faculty includes a full-time resource teacher.

Students of all ages learn about God’s word every day and are encouraged to live out their faith through service. Students participate in art, music, library, P.E., and German classes. Band and orchestra are also available. After-school enrichment classes offer a variety of fun and creative learning experiences. Grace sports teams are open to all and include basketball and volleyball for grades 5–8.

Track and cross country teams are open to students in grades 3–8.

Extended care is available until 6pm for all children. Before-school care opens at 7am.

Visit our website to register to attend the Open House on Sunday, January 31, 12:30–3:00pm, or check out a virtual tour option. For more information or to schedule a personal tour call the school office (708-366-6900) or click on School at GraceRiverForest.org.

West Suburban Home Daycare Association - Our Philosophy

W

est Suburban Home Daycare Association advocates for professional family childcare on behalf of providers and offers professional family childcare as a viable community resource to children and their families.

WE ARE an equal opportunity organization serving families and family childcare providers in these near-west suburbs and Chicago neighborhoods: Austin, Bellwood, Berwyn, Broadview, Cicero, Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Galewood, Maywood, Melrose Park, MontClare, Oak Park, River Forest, River Grove, and other nearby suburbs.

OUR PROVIDERS PROFILE The members of the West Suburban Home Daycare Association are committed childcare providers who have chosen to care for young children as their profession and see themselves as more than babysitters. West Suburban Home Daycare Association’s childcare providers are encouraged to offer care which is warm, caring, sensitive, attentive, and responsive to children.

We require our members to be licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, who sets basic health and safety procedures, as well as requiring each home to have enough capable adults to give children the attention and care that parents want their children to have. Illinois standards set maximum group sizes and childto-caregiver ratios, as well as minimum requirements for caregiver trainings, such as CPR and 1st Aid. They also set requirements for age-appropriate activities, nutrition, discipline, space, equipment, supplies, policies, and records. Licensed childcare providers know what they must do to comply with the law.

We offer our members opportunities to work with and learn from their colleagues through training programs and workshops, including enhanced training to further their caregiving skills. Monthly meetings to satisfy the Department of Children and Family Services’ continuing education requirements and an informative newsletter are provided to our members.

WEST SUBURBAN HOME DAYCARE ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX 1156 Oak Park, IL 60304 708-848-8931

January 27, 2021

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Grace Lutheran School 7300 Division Street Faith

▪ River Forest

▪ Academics ▪ Character

Early Childhood age 3 to 5 All-day kindergarten Half-day or full-day preschool Play-based curriculum We learn about God’s love!

Elementary grades 1–8 Caring, experienced teachers Challenging curriculum Support for individual learning Music, art, and sports teams Before and after-school care

▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Apply now!

Call 708-366-6900 to schedule a visit or virtual tour

WEST SUBURBAN HOME DAYCARE ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 1156 Oak Park, IL 60304 (708) 848-8931

Independent, committed family childcare providers, licensed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. DCFS sets basic health, safety, activity, and policy requirements for family childcare to which our members must adhere.

Call our referral line (708) 848-8931 to get the telephone numbers of providers who have a vacancy to serve your needs. Schedule an interview in various providers’ homes to find one who is most compatible and meets the qualifications you desire.

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E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

January 27, 2021

Special Advertising Section

Using an equity lens, giving every child the opportunity to succeed

B

y age five, a child’s brain has completed 90% of its development. That means that the foundation of her future learning and life habits take shape at this crucial early stage of life. If we get these first years right for our children, we have optimized their ability to problem solve, communicate, practice self-control and retain strong relationships. This age period is also the time when executive functioning skills skyrocket – these are the skills that help us manage the many moving parts of life to be successful family members, employees, and community members.

By focusing on early childhood health, development, and education using an equity lens, we give every child the opportunity to succeed – and thrive.

This is what the Collaboration for Early Childhood knows, and this was Oak Park’s vision when all six of its governing agencies came together to start the Collaboration for Early Childhood. Built from local partnerships, the organization

improves outcomes for Oak Park and River Forest children in these first amazing years of life by supporting the families, educators, health professionals and systems leaders that care for them.

If you are new to Oak Park or River Forest and have young children (-- or are expecting to! --) contact the Collaboration by visiting www. collab4kids.org/contact or calling 708-613-6122. Take a look at the Collaboration’s Early Childhood Resource Directory on our website to see listings of child care centers, music, art, and other enrichment opportunities for children in Oak Park and River Forest.

Oak Park and River Forest provide affordable, high-quality preschool to children whose families meet eligibility criteria such as veteran status, income level, or if their child has a disability or developmental delay. If you believe you may be eligible for public preschool, reach out to us and we will help you with next steps.

The following Catholic Elementary Schools are opening their doors to parents from Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities during

National Catholic Schools Week January 31–February 6, 2021

For parents seeking a value-based education and academic excellence for their grade school children, the following open house events are the perfect opportunity to learn more about the many advantages of sending your children to Catholic School. Parents can tour buildings, get familiar with individual curriculums and other program enhancements including: computer training, foreign language programs, athletics, band, summer enrichment classes, and affordable preschool and after-school day care. Most of all, hear from administrators, faculty and students about what a difference the Catholic environment can make in the positive development of your child.

ASCENSION SCHOOL

Love, Kindness, Respect 601 Van Buren St. • Oak Park, IL 60304 • 708-386-7282 school.ascensionoakpark.com Principal: Maryanne Polega Administrator: Rev. Carl Morello Assoc. Pastor: Rev. Rex Pillai • PK3 through Grade 8 • Full and half day preschool classes • Comprehensive Extended Day Program from 7 AM to 6 PM • Innovative STEM offerings • Extensive programs for Fine Arts, Athletics and extracurriculars • National Blue Ribbon School Virtual Open House: Feb. 2nd through Feb. 4th. See website for more information Call for a private tour: 708-434-1558

ST. LUKE SCHOOL

Excellence – Faith - Service 519 Ashland Ave. • River Forest, IL 60305 • (708) 366-8587 • www.school-stlukeparish.org • Half and full day preschool options for 3- and • Highly experienced and credentialed teachers 4-year-olds with full day kindergarten through 8th • Affordable before and after school program grade • Resource center to support student learning • Rigorous curriculum challenges students to reach needs new heights • Fine Arts Program includes music, art and Spanish • More than 60% of our recent graduates were • Nurturing environment which promotes kindness placed in high school honors and Advanced • Focus on spiritual development Placement courses • Emphasis on giving of self encourages a • No cut sports program for students in grades dedication to service to others 4-8

Private Tours Available Call the school office at 708-366-8587 or email admissions@stlukeparish.org to schedule your visit today.

Coffee with the Principal February 3 Prospective families are invited to join us for a virtual meeting on Thursday, February 3 at 10:00 am.

Visit www.school-stlukeparish.org to register for the event.

Special Advertising Section

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

January 27, 2021

The River Forest Public Library offers something for everyone

R

esearch shows that reading has many benefits, including strengthening the brain, improving vocabulary, stimulating imagination, and even reducing stress. With over 90,000 items in our physical collection, as well as access to millions more through the SWAN system, there’s something for everyone. Our expert team of librarians can also guide you in your selections, perhaps steering you to a title you might not otherwise have chosen, supporting you in a school project, or even providing resources for career development.

To encourage reading, River Forest Public Library (RFPL) has several reading programs throughout the year. There are summer and winter programs for all ages, as well as the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten and 100 Books Before High School programs that run all year long.

You can register at the library or on our website.

River Forest Public Library (RFPL) is more than just books, however. One of our main strategic objectives is to “foster learning and personal growth” for all age groups.

Visit our Digital Library (riverforestlibrary. org/digital), where you can learn a new language with Mango Languages, prepare for a wide variety of tests such as the SAT or GED with the LearningExpress Library, and learn about practically any subject through the vast collection of online resource databases. Of course, you can also access digital books, movies, documentaries, music, magazines, and more through our streaming services which include Libby, hoopla, Kanopy, and Flipster.

Despite a pandemic, we continue to offer stimulating and educational virtual programs. Children can enjoy live story times and educational programs on our YouTube channel, or do a virtual craft or STEM challenge. Teens can learn to cook with only a microwave, or join a virtual book club. For adults, we have several book clubs and many historical and cultural programs.

Learning is a journey, and we hope that journey starts here at the Library. The River Forest Public Library is located at 735 Lathrop Avenue in River Forest, or visit www.riverforestlibrary.org.

Join the fun in the Early Childhood Program at the River Forest Community Center!

T

he River Forest Community Center provides an age-appropriate curriculum designed to encourage positive group interaction as well as foster individual growth.

Our teachers thrive on creating a safe and fun learning environment through play in which children are encouraged to explore and develop their cognitive, language, social-intellectual and motor skills.

Our mission is to provide a hands-on approach to learning which allows the children to explore their environment while enhancing their social, emotional, cognitive and motor development.

Classes start as young as 15 months of age.

The Early Childhood Programs include: • Munchkins • Playschool • Preschool (Half-Day & Full-Day) • Pre-Kindergarten (Half-Day & Full-Day) • Before & After School Programs

The River Forest Community Center is located at 8020 Madison Street in River Forest.

For more information about the Early Childhood Programs, call 708-771-6159.

River Forest Community Center Early Childhood Learning Center RiverForest Forest Community Community Center River River Forest Community CenterCenter Early Childhood Learning Half-Day & Center Full-Day: Early Childhood Learning CenterCenter Early Childhood Learning Preschool & Pre-K

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 Summer Camps Full-Day Infant—Preschool Full-Day Infant—Preschool Infant—Preschool Full-Day Programs at our OPRF HS Programs at our OPRF HS  Parentatand Programs Programs our Tot OPRF HS location location location Full-Day Infant—Preschool 8020 Madison Street 8020Madison Street HS 8020 Street Programs our OPRF River Forest , Madison ILat60305 River , IL, 60305 RiverForest Forest IL 60305 (708) 771-6159 www.rfcc.info location (708) 771-6159 www.rfcc.info Bring in this ad to receive $10.00 off your www.rfcc.info (708) 771-6159 initial registration fee! wj21 Bring in this ad to receive $10.00 off your

Bring initial in thisregistration ad to receive $10.00 off your fee! wj21 initial registration wj21 8020 Madisonfee!

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E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E

January 27, 2021

Special Advertising Section

A history of excellence, a future of faithful leaders.

14

CLASS OF 2020

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STUDENTS RECOGNIZED

BY THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

ATTENDING SCHOOLS IN 31 STATES, D.C., SCOTLAND & POLAND

OF THE GRADUATING CLASS ARE RECEIVING ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS

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EVANS CADDIE SCHOLARSHIPS

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COUNSELORS AVAILABLE TO ADVISE AND DIRECT STUDENTS ON THEIR COLLEGE SEARCH

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS (68% OF CLASS)

COLLEGE APPLICATION AND ESSAY WRITING SEMINARS DURING THE SUMMER AND THROUGHOUT 1ST QUARTER

Educating students in spirit & mind since 1929! fenwickfriars.com

E D U C AT I O N & E N R I C H M E N T G U I D E Special Advertising Section

January 27, 2021

23

Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois

F

enwick High School, founded in Oak Park in 1929, is a collegepreparatory secondary institution with a co-educational enrollment of approximately 1,100 students. Guided

by Dominican Catholic values, our mission is to inspire and educate each student to compassionately lead, achieve and serve.

Over nine decades, we have maintained a strong academic tradition, with a 100% college acceptance rate and attendance to top universities around the world. Members of the latest Class of 2020 attend schools in 31 states, Washington, D.C., Scotland and Poland; 75% are receiving academic scholarships. Last year, 14 of our students were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and 31% of the class (85 students) were Illinois State Scholars.

Fenwick has a Golden Apple teacher on its faculty and an alumni list that includes a Skylab astronaut, Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer Prize winners, a Heisman Trophy recipient and other leaders making positive impacts nationally and internationally. The Friars are celebrating their 92nd academic year, proclaiming a history of excellence and a future of faithful leaders committed to justice and peace in a challenging global society.

Inclusion Statement

With Saint Dominic as our guide, Fenwick continues the great Dominican tradition of inclusion and welcome for the common good. This process is rooted in interaction with those of different backgrounds, cultures and ways of life. Experiencing racial, gender, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic diversity enriches everyone involved in the educational enterprise.

Fenwick commits itself to welcoming

ST. LUKE SCHOOL Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence in Catholic Education Registration now open for all programs, including half and full day preschool and full day kindergarten through 8th grade.

Visit our website to schedule a private tour or to complete an application.

St. Luke School 519 Ashland Ave, River Forest 708-366-8587 www.school-stlukeparish.org

S

every student who would flourish by embracing our Dominican, Catholic, college-preparatory curriculum.

Fenwick pledges that no one will face discrimination based on race, gender, religion, culture, ethnicity or sexual orientation. A Fenwick education is marked by diversity, equity and inclusion. www.fenwickfriars.com

The St. Luke School Difference

t. Luke School has been providing families an excellent, Catholic education since 1921. We are proud of our 100 year legacy and look forward to educating children for generations to come.

At St. Luke, each child is encouraged to learn at their own pace led by teachers who are highly experienced and credentialed. We provide a rigorous curriculum that challenges our students to reach new heights in both their creative thinking and academic skills.

These high expectations in the classroom lead to matriculation to top high schools where our graduates excel. Our graduates leave as young, independent leaders filled with academic confidence, spirituality, and a sense of service.

Complementing our exceptional education, St. Luke offers: • Early Childhood Program options including half and full day preschool options for 3- and 4-year-olds, as well as full day kindergarten, all of which focus on play-based learning • Classroom community building program that integrates academic and social emotional skills and creates an environment where students do their best learning

• Nurturing environment where kindness is promoted • A no-cut sports program for students in grades 4-8 promoting athletic participation, personal growth, teamwork, and leadership •An affordable extended day program before and after school • Wide variety of extracurricular activities including our award-winning Speech Team, Art Club, and a variety of musical programs.

We focus on the values of faith, hope, love, and community. Teachers talk openly about these values and give children a daily opportunity to learn, share, and understand the consequences of good behaviors and poor choices.

Service projects allow our students to understand the meaning of community life, interdependence, commitment, and service for others while being challenged to think critically for real-life problem solving.

There are many alternatives to Catholic school, but St. Luke School’s exceptional education and nurturing environment make it an unparalleled choice. We invite you to come and experience the St. Luke difference. Visit www.school-stlukeparish. org to learn more.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

NEED TO REACH US?

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

25

Homes

Oak Park’s apartment boom predated pandemic

Village over past 5 years added most rental units in the state

By LACEY SIKORA

T

Contributing Reporter

he COVID-19 pandemic has brought a newfound appreciation for living in the suburbs. During the summer and fall, local realtors reported a significant uptick in city dwellers looking for more space in the suburbs.

The Chicago Tribune recently covered an Apartment List study reflecting that rents in Chicago fell 12 percent in 2020 and that Chicago-area rents dropped 6 percent, suggesting suburban rental markets were stronger than those of the city.

According to the Tribune, Chicago ranked ninth in the nation for steepest rent decreases.

But in Oak Park, far before the pandemic, apartments were a significant part of the development landscape. A recent study done by the California-based blog apartment

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

While much of the attention in Oak Park has centered on new high-rise rentals in recent years, vintage apartment buildings like (clockwise from top left) The Paulina Mansions on the corner of Garfield Street and Wesley Avenue and the buildings at Grove Avenue and Ontario Street, Oak Park ad Erie and Ridgeland and Washington Avenue have attracted plenty of interest. listing service Rent Café (https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/ rental-market/market-snapshots/top-20-suburbs-withmost-new-apartments/) shows that over the last five years, Oak Park has added the most newly-built apartment units of any suburb in Illinois. The study considered apartments of 50 or more units with 12 or more stories.

In Oak Park, the past five years have seen the addition of four high-rise buildings: Albion, Vantage, Emerson and Eleven33. Of the almost 11,400 units added in Illinois, 1,068 of those were in Oak Park in those buildings.

A recent dive into rentals at Oak Park’s newest high rises shows that rents at the buildings range from $1,254 for studios to up to $5,169 for three bedroom-units. Rent Café’s sister unit, Yardi Matrix, has published data showing that as

of December 2020, the average occupancy rate in Oak Park buildings with 50 or more units was 85.9 percent.

Michelle Certu, spokesperson for Rent Café, reports that the U.S. Census shows that in Oak Park, there are 8,097 renter-occupied housing units in multifamily properties of two units or more. The majority of those units are existing apartments in vintage buildings.

How vintage units are faring Oak Park Apartments is one of the village’s largest landlords with over 70 vintage buildings in Oak Park, Forest Park, River Forest and Chicago. Vice President of Operations Jim Rolff says 2020 was an interesting year for rentals See RENTALS on page 26

26

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

RENTALS

Occupancy remains stable from page 25 in Oak Park.

He notes that Oak Park Apartments rents units in the $800 to $1400 range, not in direct competition with the new high rises, which typically command much higher rents.

In the spring of 2020, Rolff says the pandemic initially had a negative effect on local rentals.

“We were basically at full occupancy when the pandemic hit,” Rolff said. “But when it hit, we couldn’t show apartments. There were real logistical issues we had to overcome.”

He notes that the company quickly pivoted to providing virtual, 3-D tours of units.

In short order, people who were not willing to tour a unit in person were willing to rent sight unseen. By July and August, Oak Park Apartments had two record-breaking months.

On top of getting around the issue of how to replicate face-to-face showings, the agency also had to overcome a variety of issues in doing routine updates to units. For example, the pandemic caused supply side issues, making it difficult to buy, receive and install new appliances in the short periods between tenants.

Overall, Rolff says that the pandemic hasn’t had too many negative effects on Oak Park Apartment’s rentals. Very few tenants have needed rent relief due to the pandemic, but he notes they have worked with the few tenants

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM who have had problems.

Unlike some areas where renters tend to work in the hard-hit hospitality industry, he says that because of its location, many Oak Park renters are in the medical field or students and have been able to keep paying rent.

While a handful of renters left to take advantage of the historically low interest rates to buy their first homes, Rolff says that occupancy remains very stable.

“One quarter of our buildings are at 100 percent,” Rolff said. “About a half are at 95 percent and a few are a bit lower.”

In non-pandemic times, he says it is typical for banks to require 95-percent occupancy to underwrite loans, and says that Oak Park Apartments tends to run at that level or more.

In terms of overall trends, Rolff says that they are seeing less demand for units near the CTA’s Green and Blue lines and more demand for parking, remarking that fewer people are taking public transportation right now.

He says that parking has always been in demand for rentals.

“Here, people want their cars,” Rolff said.

“They want their parking. We’ve seen no indication that people living in Oak Park or moving to Oak Park are giving up their cars.”

Oak Park Apartments is using the pandemic period to focus on updating their current inventory rather than acquiring more buildings and expects to be renting at pre-pandemic levels within a year.

“I think as things open up, college kids will move out of their parents’ houses, and people will be getting jobs and looking for that first apartment,” Rolff said.

Photo provided

921-923 Garfield (top) and 225 & 229 Harrison

House Hunting?

Find a Realtor.

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Get a list of Open Houses.

Every week, every day in

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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27

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest Alisa Coghill DonnaAvenue Barnhisel 7375 West North Kay Costello Anne Brennan MANAGING River Forest, Illinois 60305 Maria Cullerton Kevin Calkins BROKER/OWNERS Julie Downey Tom Carraher 708.771.8040 Kurt Fielder Pat Cesario Andy Gagliardo

Tom Poulos

922 LATHROP • RIVER FOREST

Joe Cibula Don Citrano

Ramona Fox Laura Gancer

Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Jack Lattner

520 N OAK PARK AVE • OAK PARK

N E W LISTI NG!

Iris McCormick Vince McFadden Colleen Navigato John Pappas Rosa Pitassi Sue Ponzio-Pappas Jenny Ruland

Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

612 KEYSTONE • RIVER FOREST

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

1135 FOREST • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 121:30

S O LD!

EXPERT DESIGN RENOVATION! The very best in contemporary design, finishes and mechanicals alongside exquisitely restored leaded glass doors and gleaming hardwoods create the ideal blend of old and new. Massive rooms and high end craftsmanship throughout. Oversized lot. .............................................. $1,499,000

THREE STORY GRAND VICTORIAN on 100 x 218 lot in the heart of the Frank Lloyd Wright district. This estate features 6 Bedrooms, 2 Full baths, 3 fireplaces, many historic details including double front entry doors sourced from the Historic Pullman Estates section of Chicago. ...................................................................$650,000

SPECTACULAR PRAIRIE SCHOOL HOME on one RF’s favorite streets! Fabulous 1st FL with family room off LR and updated kitchen addition with breakfast area. Classic features include mahogany beamed ceilings, quartersawn oak floors, art glass windows, beveled glass, and a working elevator. ......... $1,295,000

ELEGANT CRAFTSMANSHIP can be found throughout this 5 BR French Normandy home. Sophistication is evident from the moment you walk in the door. Impressive foyer, formal LR with fireplace and built-in benches, family room, separate formal DR, updated kitchen, home office ............................................$999,000

1147 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST

1301 PARK • RIVER FOREST

217 N TAYLOR • OAK PARK

1427 THATCHER • RIVER FOREST

UN D ER CO N T RAC T!

SOL D!

GRAND SPRAWLING HOME with an abundance of interior and exterior living areas. 5 BRs, upstairs laundry, 3 full & 1 half BAs, 3 fireplaces, full basement with recreation room. Grand two story family room incorporated into an open plan kitchen. Hardwood floors throughout main level. ............................................ $787,000

FRENCH COUNTRY ESTATE built for flexible living. Fully renovated and expanded to preserve the feel and charm of a 1946 home, with all the conveniences of modern amenities and finishes.

Sits on a private, double lot. Large pool, 5 BRs w/BAs, 2nd Fl laundry, private office, finished basement......................$1,749,950

RARELY AVAILABLE, “Cavalcade of Pride” award-winning home on 50 x 170 ft lot. Includes high ceilings, oak staircase, marble fireplace, separate formal dining area, spacious den/family room with stained glass and built-in bookcases, eat-in kitchen, and a large full basement with storage....................................... $599,000

SPLITLEVEL HOME offers a newly refreshed contemporary style and wonderful space. Home offers three bedrooms, three brand new bathrooms, beautiful front entryway, vaulted ceiling family room, sunroom, game room, deck, spectacular backyard, attached two-car garage ................................................... $599,000

1416 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST

301 S EUCLID • OAK PARK

922 N HARLEM • RIVER FOREST

1038 HOME • OAK PARK

U N D ER CO N T R AC T!

U N DE R CON TR AC T!

UNDE R CO NTRAC T! STATELY HOME located on a picturesque River Forest block! This 5 bedroom, 3 full/2 half bath home includes four floors of living with two finished family rooms, a large study and three fireplaces.

Large sun-drenched rooms with elegant cove molding and windows. In-ground outdoor pool. ......................................... $819,000

ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY of this 4 BR, 3BA farmhouse has been preserved whenever updates were completed. Double door entry, antique light fixture, hardwood flooring, art glass windows, natural trim work and high ceilings are found throughout this home. ................................................................................... $579,000

CENTER ENTRANCE COLONIAL offers wonderful space! Deep lot, large deck, and original details throughout the home. Features include large living room, sunny sitting room, hardwood floors, updated kitchen, family room, full finished basement, and a twocar garage. ...........................................................................$425,000

CLASSIC CHARACTER & CHARM are found throughout this 3BR/1.5BA bungalow. Hardwood Floors, natural wood trim, decorative fireplace, built-in bookshelves, art glass windows, remodeled eat-in kitchen, backyard deck, two plus car garage with an extra parking space............................................................. $379,900

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS

OAK PARK Two Flat ...........................................................$699,000

OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Two parking spots. ........................ $379,000

NEW LISTING OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA ............................... $179,000

OAK PARK Two Flat ...........................................................$550,000

OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full/1 half BA. Vintage beauty............$285,000

OAK PARK 3BR, 2 and 2 half BA. Luxury & Location! .....$469,000

OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Courtyard view. ..............................$249,900

Find that New Home!

RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Completely updated..............$264,000 RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. Move-in ready! ...................... $169,000

Shop for homes online at GagliardoRealty.com

Contact a Gagliardo Realty Associates Agent for a free market analysis

28

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CONDOS

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Sunday, January 31 ADDRESS

OFFICE

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1526 Lathrop Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$635,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1135 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$999,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1:30 940 Bonnie Brae Pl, River Forest . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,139,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-3

ADDRESS

OFFICE

LISTING PRICE

TIME

44 N. King Arthur Court. # 5, Northlake . . . . . . .Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $115,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat. 1-3

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

WE’RE BY YOUR SIDE 107 S Scoville Ave Oak Park | $1,250,000 Keller Group Chicago

940 Bonnie Brae Pl River Forest | $1,139,000 Ed Bellock

947 Wenonah Ave Oak Park | $799,000 Swati Saxena

232 S Kenilworth Ave Oak Park | $795,000 Jim Gillespie

180 N Marion St Oak Park | $655,000 Patricia McGowan

1526 Lathrop Ave. River Forest | $635,000 Bethanny Alexander

111 Home Ave, Unit 3 Oak Park | $559,000 Hughes Home Team

320 S Maple Ave, Unit D Oak Park | $479,000 Liz O’Connell

1030 Alexander Ln Oak Park | $400,000 Swati Saxena

1014 Hayes Ave Oak Park | $379,000 Bobbi Eastman

830 N Austin Blvd Oak Park | $373,000 Heidi Rogers

170 N Marion St, Unit 3 Oak Park | $369,900 Patricia McGowan

170 N Marion St, Unit 8 Oak Park | $369,900 Bethanny Alexander

3150 N Prater Ave Melrose Park | $315,000 Carla Taylor

7531 Brown Ave, Unit H Forest Park | $295,000 Liz O’Connell

219 N Grove Ave, Unit 3 Oak Park | $259,900 Ed Bellock

164 N Humphrey Ave, #3S Oak Park | $249,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik

424 Park Ave, Unit 205 River Forest | $240,000 Saretta Joyner

210 S Lombard Ave, Unit B Oak Park | $219,000 Peggy Letchos

8009 Lake St, Unit 2W River Forest | $157,000 Anne Ferri & Kim Wojack

Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest | 1037 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 | 708.697.5900 | oakpark.bairdwarner.com Source: BrokerMetrics® LLC, 1/1/2019 - 12/ 31/2019Detached and Attached only. Chicagoland PMSA

29

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

VIEWPOINTS

31

Vicki Scaman on the police referendum p. 33

River Forest Year in Review, take 2

T

ake 1 seemed accurate, but things were missing that mattered in River Forest during 2020. It blended into the rest of the Journal in a sunless way, when I was sure “a year like no other” had cast at least a few rays of light in little-old River Forest. I’m talking about the Dec. 30 article reporting the “River Forest Year in Review,” and I’m wondering, is River Forest irrelevant to Oak Park, or just this paper?

The value of this paper to the Oak Park and River Forest community is proportional to its coverage of local topics. This point lifted my initial hesitancy in helping as volunteer columnist. I’m not naive thinking perfection is possible, but undoubtedly local is a happier image than various other depictions of broken conditions beyond our village limits.

Still, I think there is more to it.

If you are a resident of River Forest, then maybe you agree. It seems things important to River Forest get painted into the background of these pages. The central topics of society like governance, development, village life or schools deserve discourse despite a diminutive mark on the map. There’s an opportunity to go one step further with Dan Haley’s good point on local: This paper can break the cycle, recast the mold and interest more readers if we actively separate ourselves from the tone, tenor and especially the political formula of today’s mainstream media. Maybe that was it; the article just followed a tired old formula.

At 805 words, the first 283, a whopping 35% of them, were spent on racial relations. An important topic at any scale, but linking the travesty of George Floyd to an altercation at the local grocery store sounded like a remix of the nightly news.

In second place, at 149 words, was the “Development” section. It was ambivalent in tone, even when reporting on an affordable housing plan in Cook County’s smallest municipality. Mind you, River Forest is mostly single-family houses. It read like another opportunity to politicize a topic less pressing in River Forest compared to Oak Park, a chance to polarize where village president candidates stand on an issue more relevant to Oak Park. How could it have missed the Sheridan at River Forest, one of the largest development projects in River Forest history, which sprang from the ground in 2020 at the corner of Chicago and Harlem? This development project is expected to produce nearly $700K in annual tax revenue without adding children to schools or substantial wear on infrastructure. No mention.

“Village Life” ranked third at 129 words. There was more boring news of the village running into county and state bureaucracy when investigating deer management. It wasted words on the sustained debate over adding more paddle tennis courts. Instead, it could have mentioned national accolades and local progress on initiatives, making it easier for multiple generations of River Forest families to age in place together. It could have mentioned COVID relief to residents

STEVE LEFKO

See LEFKO on page 34

MARTIN FALBISONER, CC BY-SA 3.0

United States Capitol

I

Election insurrection

n: In the dawn of this new era Sur: Surfaces a count, so counted on, Rec: Wreck and reek opposed at arms Tion: Shun the surety of deception, And weep in the wake of failed insurrection.

NAOMI HILDNER One View

The chirp of crickets Melts into sweeps of fallen leaves.

Amid the color atlas of undressing trees, (Confident, yet concerned) “If I lose, it’s rigged.”

Daylight by inches shrink, Each day winter pansies wink.

As wrens and warblers begin their journey, Their verse of farewell accompanies, (Secure, yet increasingly nervous) “If I lose, it’s rigged.”

One, united sea to sea, more voters of alternative visions, Young, old, all races, all souls, Race to vote at mailboxes or polls, Haunted by a whisper that screams, (In desperation, hiding with haters) “If I lose, it’s rigged.”

Elections produce one loss and one win.

Like it or not, that’s the moment we’re in.

But “Martial Law” calls and incitement to insurrection By a president, an ex-con, and a pillow man, Has swamped the results of our free, fair election, And into the People’s House they ran.

(In ponderous pout) “If I lose, it’s rigged.”

As white supremacists reign supreme, In Wagnerian drunkenness their weapons wave,

Our eagle warps into a new meme, Haters reveal the privilege they crave, And fear white people are losing their clout.

That’s what all this is really about.

Neo-Nazis and racists are moved to tears As they lose their most powerful spokesman in years.

In the quicksand of supposed political passion They have staged their sick insurrection.

In: In the courts and the court of public opinion Sur: Surfaces a challenged confidence in our democratic palm, not Rec: Wrecked by wrinkles of imagined conspiracy, we Tion: Shun the chaos and embrace the calm.

The People’s House in majestic peace, The count confirmed, the era inaugurated, The chill and fury of the year’s first season, Stands secure, democracy venerated.

Repetition of that distant basso continuo, “Stop the Steal” when nothing was stolen, Has issued our country a serious blow, We may be bruised, but we’re not broken.

Today, the shadow haunts the siege.

20,000 uniforms confirm the inevitable, The surrender of a flawed, fearful, ignorant liege.

Anger at masks and metal detectors regrettable, A new era will be confirmed, As we envision the great wren and warbler returned.

Naomi Hildner is a retired OPRF High School faculty member, English Division.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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V I E W P O I N T S

V I E W S

Siding with Anthony Clark

nthony Clark was blocked Monday from the April ballot for Oak Park village trustee. The action came as the three-person local election board met to consider a challenge made to Clark’s candidacy brought by an Oak Park resident best known for filing just such challenges.

The split vote was 2-1 with Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb and Trustee Jim Taglia voting to remove Clark from the ballot. Village Clerk Vicki Scaman, also a candidate for village president in April, voted to allow Clark to remain on the ballot.

This may or may not be the final word on the issue as Clark could choose to appeal the decision to the Cook County courts and even beyond. Two years ago, two incumbent Black trustees were tied up in court challenges almost through Election Day, based on challenges brought by the same Kevin Peppard.

Some argue that Peppard must be displaying racism based on this history of challenges. And he may be. But he can also point to any number of white candidates he has also challenged with mixed results over the years. He’d claim to be protecting democracy by policing the tics and peculiarities of election laws.

Our preference is most always to allow voters to protect democracy at the ballot box.

The same three-person panel had previously disallowed Peppard’s challenge to another Black man running for the village board. Chibuike Enyia remains on the ballot after the panel unanimously rejected Peppard’s claim that Enyia was not eligible to run, based on Peppard’s extraordinarily thin claim that he had been convicted of a felony some years back in Iowa. This claim was based on a scanty Google search that coughed up just hints of a legal issue a long while back.

Peppard wished Enyia well after the panel ruled in his favor.

What Peppard ought to have offered was an abject apology for slandering the young man’s reputation. And we’d suggest that Enyia consult a defamation attorney.

When it comes to Anthony Clark, things are always more complicated, often sort of messy. And so it was in this instance.

Peppard’s charge against Clark was that he is not a resident of Oak Park, that he owns a residence in west suburban Lombard on which he has claimed a homeowner’s tax exemption making it his principal residence. Much of the evidence Peppard presented, and which the board considered, came from the legal documents Clark assembled in his bankruptcy declaration in 2020.

For his part Clark tells an intensely personal story of having bought the Lombard residence several years ago for a woman who claimed Clark had fathered a child with her. That was later proved to be untrue, he said. Clark says he never lived there but has long lived with his aging parents on Lombard Avenue in Oak Park. He says he is registered to vote in Oak Park, that his driver’s license reflects that Oak Park address.

In a statement Monday to the Journal, Clark argues that life is complicated, that hard and imperfect family choices are made and that those choices are all the harder if your financial means are stressed and if you are Black or Brown. As a high school teacher and activist, Clark says he is fully committed to Oak Park, his hometown. We take his points.

And we agree with Scaman that this is a tough call. Fundamentally, the electoral board was charged to decide only the issue of Clark’s residency. Clark’s various decisions and choices opened a door for Abu-Taleb and Taglia to offer their views of Clark’s character. That wasn’t their job. Deciding on a candidate’s character is the task of voters.

Straight up on residency, we side with Anthony Clark. And we side with the right of voters to decide.

T

Bryce and Tyler’s Next Big Thing

he past few Sunday mornings, I’ve been triangulating with my son and my grandsons from Oak Park to Carol Stream to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Africa. It’s a big triangle.

I’m thankful for satellites. Dylan is on deployment with his National Guard unit.

He sits outside his room with his computer in his lap, surrounded by the desert in the dark, temperature in the 80s. Tyler and Bryce are curled up on the couch with their electronic tablet from school. They get antsy, of course, and take their tablet, and us, with them, showing us things they’re working on in their room or the basement or out to the garage so they can bounce on the trampoline.

This is Dylan’s weekly check-in and sometimes I jump on. I haven’t seen the grandboys much since school started because of the pandemic. They’re in class five days a week, four hours a day, so I stayed away just to be on the safe side. It has been my biggest deprivation.

We’re on Zoom until I can get vaccinated. I have high hopes, now that someone is actually in charge of the federal government again. Zoom is great, but attention spans are limited, so I usually have a book to read to them when we hit a lull. Last week was “Archibald’s Next Big Thing” about a chick who explores his world after he hatches and finds a card in the mailbox that says, “Your Big Thing Is Here!” So off he goes

in search of it. I asked the boys what they thought his first Next Big Thing would be.

Bryce said with remarkable confidence, “A dinosaur on a roller-coaster made out of chicken wire.”

No, he wasn’t just being imaginative, though he is pretty imaginative. Sure enough, when I turned the page, there was a dinosaur on a roller-coaster.

I had read this to them once before, I couldn’t remember how many months ago.

“In May!” Tyler piped up brightly. I had no reason to doubt him.

I’m used to doing double-takes when I’m with these two, but this one blew me away.

It wasn’t so much that, despite the passage of some seven months, Bryce (and probably Tyler) remembered that what came next was a dinosaur on a roller-coaster. It was remembering that the entire structure was made out of chicken wire that really floored me.

I asked if they knew what the Next Big Thing was after the dinosaur.

“A whale,” they said in unison.

Sure enough.

No, this is not the moment where I insinuate that my grandsons are geniuses, though I do believe all of us have some genius in us and we occasionally show flashes of brilliance. I was more astounded by a greater wonder, the miracle of the rapidly developing 7-year-old human brain, firing on all cylinders, their memory cells practically aglow. My son’s 37-year-old brain is in its own prime, agile and highly active, hitting its stride. And I, with my older, slower, deeperdelving mind and deteriorating memory. Three generations, three ages of brain power. I sat back in wonder and thought, “Thank God they’re coming along in the nick of time. Give the world over to youth and let them run with it” — with, of course, a gentle reminder that if they’re smart, they’ll take advantage of our experience, appreciating that wisdom is knowledge aged, just waiting to be poured.

We were running out of time, so I asked them what their Next Big Thing is. They didn’t have a ready answer for that, probably because everything for them is the Next Big Thing, which was basically the message of the book. After flitting from Big Thing to Big Thing, the chick looks at the card again and realizes, “Your Big Thing is Here” means the Here and Now. And yet they have so many Big Things ahead: honors and regrets, triumphs and defeats, breakthroughs and setbacks, beginnings and endings, exhilarations and disappointments. A lifetime of Next Big Things.

Rilke wrote, “God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us silently out of the night. These are the words we dimly hear: ‘You, sent out beyond your recall, go to the limits of your longing. Embody me.

Flare up like flame and make big shadows I can move in. Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.

Just keep going. No feeling is final.’”

For now, Friday night pizza and watching a movie while cuddling with Mom is plenty big enough.

For me, the Next Big Thing is vaccination, so I can, without fear, be with them in-person, our new national aspiration, because they won’t be 7 forever despite wishing it could be so. There are so many double-takes I might be missing.

And the Next Biggest Thing after that is Daddy getting home safe and sound from Africa so that all our Zoom rectangles overlap at last.

KEN

TRAINOR

PROVIDED

Bryce and Tyler, at the top of their Next Big Thing.

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Defund the police?

Not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question

am grateful that I live in a community where starting with “we need to reaffirm commitment to democracy and hope” is stating the obvious. Unfortunately, that cannot be trusted today, just days after we celebrated the hope we have as a nation for a brighter future.

We have elected representatives in our village who are willing to use democracy to divide us to prove a point based in fear and defensiveness. I often say, “democracy is my first love.” That is why I ran for village clerk without feeling the need to run for village trustee or village president before this last year. My commitment to fairness and transparency has been unwavering and evident in my behavior and life accomplishments.

If you know me, you may have heard me say once or twice over the last three years “that as elected officials, we need to feel the weight on our shoulders of what it truly means to be a civil servant.” The call to be a civil servant is to make decisions consistently that are grounded firmly in putting the community’s needs above your own. The greater good must be the motivation, not disdain for each other. It is your job as an elected leader to listen for understanding patiently so that you have the information you need to make decisions. You may have to step back from how some-

thing is being said, again and again, in order to hear what is being said. If you are going to respond with defensiveness and fear, being an elected official is not your calling. No one said it would be easy, but that is the job.

Granted, one might say, reasonably so, that the example of how to express an opinion or make a point with grace and dignity should ideally be demonstrated by our elected officials. I accept that challenge, but I do acknowledge that that is my privilege as a white person.

There is no reason to fear the words “defund the police.” We have a responsibility to listen so that we can understand what “defund the police” means as a call to rethink public safety. Putting the question on the ballot “shall we defund the police?” was a failure as civil servants to demonstrate the willingness to hear from residents. This is not a question that can be answered with a “yes” or “no,” nor should it be.

As village president, I will listen for understanding and use my knowledge of our government and need for improved data collection to advance policy reform that is responsive and fair. Together, we can realize a vision for Oak Park that lives up to our values.

Vicki Scaman is a candidate for village president in the April 6 election.

VICKI

SCAMAN

Is anything clearer than ‘Yes’ or ‘No’?

I write in support of adding the ballot referendum, “Shall the village of Oak Park defund its police department?” for our electoral consideration this spring.

Contrary to the Journal’s editorial view, it’s not a “fake question,” nor a “political charade.” That dismissal seems like cynical, psychological projection to me. The proposed ballot referendum is, in fact, a very real and direct question about a fundamental principle for guiding our public policy, one which can be answered directly and democratically at the ballot box.

If the answer is “Yes,” the village will have a clear

mandate to draw down the police budget and look for other places to spend public money. If the answer is “No,” the village will have no such mandate. Either way, there will be clarity.

Honestly, is there anything more sacred in public governance than a simple, straightforward, democratic vote?

I don’t think so. So let’s put this question to a vote and let the people decide.

William Ward

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan, Maria Maxham Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Arts Editor Michelle Dybal Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crow, Doug Deuchler, Linda Francis, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Mark Moroney, Javier Govea, Debbie Becker Business Manager Joyce Minich Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

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

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

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

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

Oak Park

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Ranked choice: a simple solution Re: “Boutet, again, leaves village president race” [News, Jan. 20], I was wondering about Ms. Boutet’s comment that “the vote could split to produce a result that the majority … does not support.” I wasn’t concerned so much about the local political dynamics — we will always have that. I’m concerned that we have a voting system that allows this to happen at all when there is a very simple solution that has been widely implemented across the country.

I’m talking about ranked-choice voting. In this system you would rank the candidates for village president 1

through 4. If your number one pick came in last, then your vote goes to your second choice and so on. I think this system would prevent the outcome that Ms. Boutet fears and would ensure the winning candidate has the most approval of voters. I also believe the village board has the authority under home rule to implement this voting system in Oak Park. I urge them to consider it.

For more about ranked-choice voting, please visit the fairvote.org website for tons of information.

Ted Sowinski Oak Park

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Let me know when the Trump siege is over

The three gates

The recent column by Mary Kay O’Grady acknowledging her diagnosis of dementia, was heart-wrenching in its honesty prompting a bouquet of memories! [To these I drink tonight, Viewpoints, Jan. 6]. Before she became a fixture in Oak Park, Mary Kay was a resident in the D.C. area, a homeowner on Sunset in LaGrange, and later in Willowbrook. Her career as a communications consultant made her vital to area school districts and the South Suburban Association of Realtors. Her own photography of events and her snappy newsletters allowed area parents to keep abreast of educational issues before their respective boards.

I admired that she willingly sought input from the Leadership Council for Open Metropolitan Communities regarding Fair Housing and the challenging issues of fast-moving integration. Her organization, her adherence to deadlines, and her own professional tone in

her conversation were her calling cards. This has continued in her visible writing while in Oak Park.

We reconnected when we both relocated to Oak Park as single women. She invited me to join her for glasses of Pinot Grigio on her gracious back balcony, as we recounted our separate journeys. For her 60th birthday, she hatched a plan that we should go to Paris! After arranging everything from hotel to flights, she found 20+ friends and kids in attendance.

What a merry group. She sang to us at a posh French bistro, as she might have done as a cabaret singer. Her love of the city was infectious.

Later I joined her on Washington Island to stay in a remote, grungy trailer in order to be in the perfect location for sunsets. Fish boils, the Icelandic pebble beach, the stunning, shimmering birches were all highlights. Her love of sunsets continued with invitations to

Key West in February to escape the winter.

She knew the jazz hangouts and the Hemingway legends. Great times.

Her 70th birthday at Hemmingway’s here in Oak Park included her children, Rob and Meg, who had joined her living in Oak Park.

Some of the same faces from the Paris adventure were also present. I seem to remember a bagpiper and more singing. Her ability to create the milieu of fine dining, creative conversation, and fashion statement are keys to her charm.

While she has chronicled much of the last decade through her blog posts, and you now recognize her acerbic wit, political insight, and strong opinions, I wanted to share some backstory to the redhead you know today. May she stand tall, work hard, and never admit defeat in the face of this mighty challenge.

I love to talk to my husband Jeff. No subject is off limits: politics, the meaning of life and how I need to stop eating chocolate. And he’s great. After 50 years of marriage and 35 years working together, he’s learned the art of listening. Lean in.

Eye contact. Make small agreeable noises, “Aha, Mmm-hmm, I see.” It’s why we’ve stayed together; he’s so agreeable.

But I’ve noticed when I talk to other people, their eyes glaze over and they make an excuse to leave, “I just remembered I have a colonoscopy!” or they change subject, “Turkeys two for one at Jewel,” or laugh, “For a short story, that was really long.” So, I’ve decided to stifle myself. Not in a mean Archie Bunker Cro-Magnon way, but in an evolved Rumi way, “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates.”

Ask yourself, ‘Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?’”

Stuff like this makes so much sense. But in the moment of listening to people I privately label “knucklehead,” “birdbrain,” or “nincompoop,” it’s hard to filter. That’s why I’m going to stifle myself because it cuts straight to the chase; zipped lips don’t sink no stinkin’ ships.

I can’t tell you how many arguments I’d have stopped if I’d just stifled. And it’s not like I don’t know better; I’ve taught thousands of people in all the VA hospitals across the U.S., and Fortune 500 companies worldwide about Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Intelligence, and Building Personal Resilience. But in all honesty, I feel a lot of problems could be solved, if we just stifled ourselves because, from executives to frontline employees, their burning question is, “How do I communicate with ...?”

And they always name one person in their department who is causing them to lose sleep, eat junk food and exhibit road rage on their drive home.

In most cases if they could just stifle themselves, use the Three Gates philosophy and seek agreement, their lives and the lives of everyone around them would improve. Because what is said cannot be unsaid — every word has consequences.

Oak Park

Oak Park

LEFKO

“exemplary” status either, and portrayed student instruction as a volley between in-person and remote? There was healthy debate and disagreement at the board table in 2020, news in its own right, but kids didn’t finally see inside their school until mid-December. This came after hundreds of parents pushed back publicly and the superintendent bent the arc toward an upcoming school board election. Exemplary education has been a hallmark, an engine fueling this tiny village. Learning residents still care about high-quality education was great news, not reported in 2020. There is more. Not having air conditioning has always been a hot school

topic, and in 2020 it finally boiled over.

This board approved a multimillion-dollar spending plan to outfit classrooms with air conditioning. A thoughtful plan at a time when using classrooms in the heat of the summer to address COVID-related learning loss should be up for debate.

Crisis or not, the schools section probably should have led in the word count.

In dead last, a two-person race for village president and a departing village administrator used up 51 words.

My sister-in-law used to say “little people, little problems.” She jokingly said this in shrugging off low-priority parenting issues. It’s mostly adults who read this

paper though, and my belief is residents can enjoy the smallness of River Forest without this paper shrinking behind truth and objectivity. Shrugging off important topics like schools, life and leadership is no way to increase readership, and applying the same formula, the same tactics, as mainstream media should be beneath this paper. It isn’t local.

We’re not perfect, but I think we’re better than this.

Steve Lefko is a 2010 transplant to River Forest, husband and father, and a former corporate scientist who has traded up for the role of Director of Character Development, Lefko Inc.

resident Trump has been impeached for the second time. Now we wait for the Senate’s answer to either acquit him (again) or find him guilty. This time Trump’s own words should indict him.

Meanwhile as we review what occurred on that fateful day of Jan. 6, 2021, we realize our safe nation will never be the same. Dictator Trump has actually accomplished two of his demonic goals … stoking hate and fear, and dividing the nation. Trump ignited hate between whites and non-whites, Republicans and Democrats, citizens and immigrants, etc. Fear, hate’s handmaiden, has caused many Capitol workers to fear returning to work.

Many legislators have decided to carry guns. In addition, many others have expressed fear of opposing Trump because of threats against them and their families. Murderous threats were openly made against Pelosi, Pence, and even Dr. Fauci and his daughters! Trump incited this domestic terrorism and encouraged the violence. Afterwards, Trump said he opposed violence yet he also told the out-of-control marauders, “I love you.”

Fear is similar to a long-term chronic disease that recurs when situations appear that re-energize the disease. The horrific invasion of the Capitol caused my personal memory of sheer terror, to resurface.

When I was 10 years old, I came face-to-face with armed robbers. This took place during the Depression and no small business had money.

My parents’ small store was no exception. These frustrated armed robbers first turned their guns at my restrained barking dog. Then,

when the small safe that was in the store proved to hold only papers and no cash, one of those angry, disappointed men slammed the butt of his gun into my dad’s head. That bloody scene is still vivid for me today, 86 years later.

One of the legislators described her experience of the Capitol attack and her extreme terror and fear. A helpful policeman, with blood streaming down his face, led her to a safe closet as a hideaway. My memory of terror and fear resurfaced in reaction to learning about hers, and remain with me now, nightmares and all!

Members of the Justice Department claim they have identified and arrested some 200 of the thousands of terrorists who flooded the Capitol leaving behind in their wake utter destruction and desecration, five dead, and uncounted numbers of injured folks. Many more will be located and charged, and the Congressmen who were supportive of this ugly coup attempt are also under investigation. The Justice Department’s rapid response to the seditious invasion of the Capitol should lessen our concerns about future attacks.

For the Inauguration, the National Guard has placed over 20,000 troops in Washington D.C. to ensure the safe installation of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Federal and state authorities have declared, “We are prepared for any incursion. The country is safe!” We all pray this is true. In the meantime, I will try to manage the apprehension and fears I have for my country, my friends, my family, and me … and hope Trump’s siege is over.

HARRIET HAUSMAN One View

Someone you should know more about

Short shrift for River Forest from page 31 in the form of flattening property taxes.

Not raising taxes not getting a mention under Village Life?

The “Schools” section rated just 94 words. It skated past pre-COVID declines in student achievement and rising teacher dissatisfaction, among the early signs of failure in its curriculum overhaul focused on equity. It didn’t mention losing the state’s

Cyndy Breunlin

Val Gee

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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Turning outward: Our antiracism journey

W

hen I joined the Oak Park Public Library in 2016, I was one of the first library social workers in the United States. My hiring as director of Social Services and Public Safety was also one of the first major changes at the library to come from efforts to “turn outward” — to make intentional choices that ground library work in Oak Park’s shared aspirations.

Today, our innovative social services and public safety model is designed to serve patrons experiencing homelessness, mental illness and social isolation. The library connects people with resources such as free mental health assessments, educational support for lowincome students, supportive housing advocacy, and employment assistance.

And we continue to turn outward. In February 2020, we began an anti-racism journey — taking a deeper dive into examining race and social equity in the organization and community. When our executive director, David Seleb, emphasized his intention that the library’s equity, diversity and inclusion training be specifically focused on examining race and social equity, my reaction as the only Black member of our leadership team was, “Sign me up!”

Now almost one year later, we are continuing our work with consultant Reesheda Graham Washington and RGW Consulting LLC. Reesheda’s international experience and local awareness make her uniquely positioned to lead our organization. She offers a comprehensive, expert perspective and methodologies to examine race and social equity.

She also is highly engaged within the community as a community organizer, an Oak Park Black business owner and a trusted race and social equity adviser.

Last February, Resheeda spent a week interviewing and listening to a crosssection of more than 50 library stakeholders, including the leadership team, board members, managers and community members. To illuminate some of the root causes that impact the library’s culture and climate, specifically racist and antiracist behaviors, she spoke with library stakeholders who represent particular affinity groups based on gender, race, sexual orientation, age, ability and

interests. This process helped determine where our library was, and how we were positioned to move forward.

Because words like white supremacy, privilege, allyship, white fragility, entitlement and reparations can unravel discourse if they aren’t neutralized and accepted, shared exercises have helped the library gain more common language. It has been crucial to learn how to neutralize what has been considered “racially charged” language to become better equipped to share dialogue on this difficult and challenging topic.

All library staff have had the opportunity to engage with Reesheda and each other in a safe space to discuss what being a victim and/or perpetrator of racism is like. A powerful and emotional exercise gave us an opportunity to get to know each other in a totally different context and challenged us to be vulnerable as we processed how racism affects us personally.

Additional ways our library is implementing antiracism work include:

ROBERT SIMMONS One View

Creating an antiracism advisory team of library staff and community members. The team is developing a comprehensive year-long antiracism strategic plan that includes activities, benchmarks and communications for integration into the library’s overall 2021 strategic plan.

Dedicating budget lines for race and social equity initiatives, programs and projects.

Expanding our adult and teen summer reading model to become an Antiracism Resource Challenge beginning Feb. 1 and continuing all year long.

How we measure and evaluate our success and challenges on this journey is paramount. The equity lens protocol tool we are using will help us determine outcomes, review numbers and narratives, measure benefits and burdens, and identify who is accountable.

The next two years of antiracism work will help build a new foundation for the library that will hopefully last for generations. Equitable, diverse and inclusive environments are beneficial to everyone.

Robert Simmons is director of social services and public safety at the Oak Park Public Library. This column has been adapted from a blog post he authored for the Urban Libraries Council.

Curbsi de Pick

It’s a B Up! o w l of Sup Valent ine Foo er d To G o!

Upon further review, you must order out!

Burger Moovment 7512 W, North Ave. Elmwood Park burgermoovment.com/ (708) 452-7288 Valentines 12-8pm Superbowl 12-6pm Burgers, Fries and Shakes Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website, ChowNow

Buzz Cafe 905 S. Lombard Ave, Oak Park thebuzzcafe.com/ (708) 524-2899 Monday-Saturday 7am-8pm, Sunday 8am-2pm Coffee, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Homemade, Organic, Vegetarian, Vegan Our Menu: thebuzzcafe.com/menu/ Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website, Uber Eats Check out our Super Bowl party packages with an option to add Kinslaher Beer and our Family

Valentines Day Meal packages with an option to add wine or champagne from Careful Peach!

Cucina Paradiso 814 North Blvd, Oak Park cucinaoakpark.com (708) 848-3434 4pm-8pm Valentines Italian Our Menu: cucinaoakpark.com Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website, Door Dash, GrubHub, chow no

Mickey’s Gyros & Ribs 525 N. Harlem Ave, Oak Park facebook.com/mickeysgyros (708) 848-3333 11am - 9pm every day BBQ Ribs and Chicken, Burgers, hotdogs and beef Our Menu: facebook.com/mickeysgyros

Call Restaurant, Come in for Carry Out Mickey’s Rib Special: 1/2 slab dinner $11.99, full slab $17.99 includes fries or baked potato, coleslaw & garlic bread. Italian beef sandwich w/fries $8.49. Big Mickey double cheeseburger $2.99.

Old World Pizza 7230 West North Ave, Elmwood Park originaloldworldpizza.com (708) 456-3000 Monday 3:30 to 9pm; Tue, wed, Thu and Sun 11am to 9pm; Fri and Sat 11am to 11 pm Pizza Our Menu: originaloldworldpizza.com Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website

Q-BBQ Oak Park 124 N. Marion, Oak Park q-bbq.com (708) 628-3421

11:00 am to 8:00 pm BBQ Our Menu: q-bbq.com/menu Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website, Door Dash, GrubHub, chownow.com Check out our Family Packs-suggested for a family of 4

Wild Onion Tied House 1111 South Blvd. wildoniontiedhouse.com (708) 628-3553 Tuesday-Friday, 4pm-8pm, Saturday-Sunday 12pm8pm Upscale Pub Fare toasttab.com/wild-onion-tied-house/v3 Call Restaurant, Restaurant Website, GrubHub We deliver Large charcuterie tray with a 6-pack and a double batched Tied House Old Fashioned $60

Each of these restaurants paid a very nominal fee to participate in this ad. Thank you for supporting these local businesses!

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Candidates need We should pay heed as Harmon’s power grows skillsets, not skeletons PAUL GOYETTE in the closet One View

S

ome folks have been up in arms that a white guy filed objections to the nominating petitions of two Black men for village trustee.

I’m far more concerned over the information objector Kevin Peppard uncovered on Anthony Clark and Chibuike Enyia, regardless of whether or not it disqualified them from the ballot. The information Peppard uncovered should disqualify both men from getting the vote of any citizen who cares about character and competence.

Chibuike Enyia’s attorney publicly acknowledged Enyia entered into a “deferred judgment plea” in which he was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and sentenced to three years of probation for delivery of a controlled substance.

Because of that, “a felony judgment [wa] s never entered.”

Enyia actually had the gall to label Peppard’s objection “false and defamatory.”

Effectively saying, yeah, it quacks, and sure, it waddles, but don’t you dare call it a duck. The electoral board didn’t, and allowed him on the ballot.

Clark, who I understand has two master’s degrees, testified to his misunderstanding of the rather simple concept of “residence.” As in where one resides. He was also confused by the question “Where do you live?”

It was all a misunderstanding, Clark told the electoral board. If he was being truthful, what does that say about his basic reading comprehension and language skills? We already know he has poor financial management skills.

I’ve voted for many Black politicians, so I don’t give a hoot about people thinking I’m a racist or not “woke” enough because I engage in legitimate discrimination based on candidates’ character, requisite experience and past behavior.

There’s not that much difference between those who would never vote, no matter what, for a candidate who is Black and those who will vote for a candidate, no matter what, because he is Black.

While the first case is flat out racist, the second isn’t any more commendable than Irish candidates winning races for decades because they were Irish and connected to the political machine.

Apparently some people need to be reminded that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was of a day that his children would be judged by the content of their character, not that society would bend over backwards to make excuses for their bad behavior and mistakes.

Some people confuse civil rights with civil privilege, and elective office is just that, a privilege, not a right. This isn’t about denying the rehabilitation of people with criminal pasts or shaming people who have mishandled their finances. It’s about choosing the best people possible to oversee our public treasury and governance.

Those who believe that social justice and the long, frustrating march toward genuine civil rights somehow involves overlooking past criminal behavior or obvious financial irresponsibility and false statements, are mistaken.

People of any race or gender who aspire to public office should be capable of conducting their own affairs properly and effectively before they presume to be ready to represent others.

If some folks see that as racially motivated, that says far more about them than it does about those who rightly demand a modicum of demonstrated accomplishment, competence and good judgment in our elected officials.

BILL DWYER One View

L

ast week our state senator, Don Harmon, chose not to call a vote in the Illinois Senate that would have given Chicago an elected representative school board like every other school district in our state. The bill had passed overwhelmingly in the Illinois House, and there was enough support for it to pass the senate. Harmon has himself expressed support for the measure in the past, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot campaigned on it.

So what happened? It appears that Harmon prevented a vote in deference to Lightfoot, who’s had a heavy hand with Chicago schools in office despite having campaigned on an elected school board for CPS. But representation is important. During the pandemic, CPS has seen inconsistent policies handed down from the Mayor’s Office, and community members have had no clear avenue to make themselves heard because the current board is appointed by the Mayor. An elected representative board would make board members more accountable to their communities because their power would come from the people instead of the Mayor; it would also create a clear process for advocacy and debate.

Unfortunately, accountability and a clear process seem to be missing in Springfield as well, with Senate President Harmon quietly channeling his inner Mitch McConnell to stop a floor vote on this legislation. It’s not the first time this has happened in the push for an elected representative school board for Chicago — the previous senate president, John Cullerton, buried the popular measure more than once. It is, however, the first time the person standing in the way has been our elected representative here in Oak Park.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the most powerful Illinois state senator hails from Oak Park. Our village is a liberal stronghold, so it’s a safe seat for a competent Democrat. And while Oak Parkers are passionate about politics, our attention is all too often on the happenings within our borders or on policies with direct effects here. This insular self-focus affords our representatives at the state level considerable latitude to wield power over what’s happening elsewhere. Mix in the top senate leadership role and we have a senator who can, on his own, exercise a veto over the wishes of Chicagoans — with his own constituents barely paying heed.

We need to start paying heed. As a community, we already fail to appreciate the profound effects our local policies have on neighboring communities — subsidizing yet another large grocery store just outside the borders of the Austin food desert and continuing to harvest Austin sales tax dollars, just to take a current example.

As voters, we share responsibility for the policies and actions of our elected representatives, and as those elected representatives grow in power, we have a civic duty to continue to hold them accountable to our values.

Progressive notions of equity and inclusion don’t hold up so well if they vanish at Austin Boulevard or Roosevelt Road.

I, for one, will be paying close attention to Senator Harmon’s leadership both locally and throughout the state over the coming years, and I encourage all Oak Park voters to do the same.

Paul Goyette is an Oak Park resident.

Giving ‘credit’ for sedition where credit is due

O

n Jan. 6, America’s democracy came under siege. Thousands of armed demonstrators violently surged to breach the sanctity of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. They outnumbered, overwhelmed, and outmaneuvered the security police of the Capitol. The mob vandalized and desecrated the hallowed halls of our nation’s government, our nation’s freedom, and our ideals.

The rioters were emboldened by Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, with his delusional claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent and that his re-election was stolen from him.

Outraged citizens rightfully lay the blame for the violence at Trump’s feet. He is the one at the head of the movement. He is the one who ultimately must take full responsibility for the results of his leadership.

But Trump is only the poster boy of a movement that consists of 73 million followers, who faithfully voted for him and are the base of his support. To hold Trump alone accountable for the insurrection-like attack is like holding Adolf Hitler solely responsible for Nazism.

His base of support also deserves to be credited with complicity.

There is a subtle but significant difference between blame-laying and assigning accountability. Blame is mere accusation. Accountability mandates correction and restitution, not vengeful punishment.

The armed siege and overrun of our nation’s Capitol does not come as a surprise. A rehearsal for the takeover was staged in the summer of 2020. Armed members of an extremist right-wing political faction overran and occupied Michigan’s State Capitol.

There was no violence in Michigan. But a few months later, a plot to kidnap, and eventually execute Michigan’s Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was revealed. Thirteen individuals were arrested and charged in the plot to assassinate Michigan’s governor. Six of them were indicted and await trial.

The fervor of the 2020 presidential election campaign took center stage in the news, and detracted from the ominous horror of the Michigan plot. But five months later on Jan. 6, the grand performance was staged in D.C. Lame-duck Donald got the credit as the leading man with rave negative reviews.

In the uproarious coverage of the desecration, I heard a noteworthy comment, “America is in a crisis of two pandemics. One is the pandemic of the coronavirus; the other is a pandemic of violence.” I was struck by the great insight and wisdom of the statement. Much to my regret I missed the name of the spokesman and cannot attribute the credit due to him.

An infectious pandemic of violence propagated by an abundance of hatreds has persisted and devastated America for decades. Violence is a declaration of bankruptcy of options in conflict resolution. Could it be that the violence of the civil unrest of the past year is an affirmation of America’s bankruptcy? I hope not!

The urgency-filled attempt to remove the incumbent president is analogous to a medical lancing of an infected boil. It’s a necessary removal of an irritant. The transfer of power to a new administration may stop the hemorrhaging. But the impending healing process promises to be long, tedious, and arduous.

Fred Natkevi is a longtime Oak Park resident who grew up in Eastern Europe during World War II.

FRED NATKEVI One View

O B I T U A R I E S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Larry Lambe, 71

Alfia Sassetti, 91

Larry Albert Lambe, 71, of Hanover Park, formerly Oak Park, died on Dec. 20, 2020. Born on Nov. 21, 1949, in Chicago, he was the son of the late Donald and Grace NovakLambe. Ever since he was little, he was intellectual. Once he found his love, the field of mathematics was never the same. He attended the University of Illinois Chicago for his B.S, M.S., and PhD in Mathematics. He also found the love of his life, Mary Kay Angland-Lambe.

The life they led was full of travel, education, and complex mathematics.

Dr. Lambe received global praise for his achievements, an honorary PhD from Stockholm, Sweden, two honorary professorships from Bangor University in Wales, and he was nominated for a Fields Medal.

He mentored many students, domestically as well as abroad and recently collaborated with Dr. José Camberos on projects for the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Many thanks to all his friends — mathematicians, physicists and scientists around the world.

Left with years of fond memories are his brother, Donald Gary Lambe; his sister and her husband, Vita and Chuck Tibbs; Aunt Mary Agnello-Miller; several close cousins; brother- and sister-in-law, Mike and Kim Angland; his six nieces and nephews, Donald Ichiro, Susan, Rachel, Melissa, Kaela, and Vincent; and his great-nephew and great-niece, Riku and Camina.

Due to the trying times, we will hold a memorial service in the spring. News to follow. Please, no flowers, Dr. Lambe was not much for fluff, but we would greatly appreciate donations sent to Chicago Public Schools.

Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.

Alfia M. Sassetti (nee Giannasi), 91, of River Forest, died on Jan. 7, 2021. Born on May 5, 1929, she had an infinitely generous and loving heart, as evidenced by her countless contributions to her parish, social services and multiple charitable organizations.

Alfia was the wife of the late Robert C.; mother of Robert J. (Karen), Rita Farina, Donna (Jose) deAvila, Marian (Robert Kent Jr.) and Francis (Tracy); daughter of the late Fortunato and Rosa (nee Valiensi); sister of the late Alfio and the late Louis (Carol); grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of 13.

A funeral Mass and celebration of Alfia’s life will be held at such time as current health and safety challenges have abated and make gathering possible.

Arrangements were handled by PetersonBassi Chapels. Please go to the website to send electronic condolence cards to the family.

Math wiz

River Forest resident

Lillian Gustafson, 89 Teacher, Infant Welfare advocate

Lillian Gustafson (nee Sasko), 89, of Lincolnshire, formerly Oak Park and River Forest, died on Jan. 17, 2021. Born on April 8, 1931, she graduated from Northern Illinois University followed by master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. She was a phenomenal schoolteacher who retired, after 40 years, in 1993. A member of Infant Welfare Society, Oak Park Circle 1 for many years, she was also an avid bridge player, a loyal fan of all Chicago sports teams, and huge advocate for sending Hallmark cards. She loved betting on the ponies and enjoyed traveling the world, especially on cruises. Lilka embraced her Czech and Slovak heritage and, of course, Prague was her favorite city she visited. She met Robert,

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

her husband of 50 years, through the Oak Park Ski Club.

Lilka Gustafson was the mother of Kathy, Robert “Thure” (Sallie) and John (Nancy); grandmother (“Far Mor”) of Anna, Margaret, Eric, and Jack; sister of the late Rudolph (Anne and the late Hazel) Sasko; and the aunt, cousin, and great friend of many.

Private interment took place at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois.

A Celebration of Life is tentatively scheduled on July 1.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to United Lutheran Church in Oak Park are appreciated.

Richard Perry, 80 Dentist and teacher

Richard Palese Perry, DDS, 80, of Forest Park, formerly of Oak Park, died on Jan. 18, 2021. Born on April 7, 1940, he grew up on Chicago’s West Side attended Austin High School, Roosevelt University, and graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago Dental

School in 1968.

He had a long career and lasting love for dentistry, practicing for 52 years. His practice touched many lives and provided more than just dental care. He was both a professor and general practitioner. A much loved teacher at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Dentistry, he rose to dean of Clinical Affairs and had a distinguished career with many leadership roles. A former president of the Illinois State Dental Society and chairman of the board of Delta Dental of Illinois, he received many accolades, but he took more pride in encouraging young minds and filling them with the love he had for dentistry. His private practice started on Western Avenue, in the neighborhood he grew up in and finished only a few miles away in Oak Park, where he raised his family. He took great pride in providing care for all, no matter their condition and regardless of their ability to pay. He practiced dentistry well into his 80th year and only a pandemic could slow him down.

He lived a life filled with joy, family, friendship and love. He loved a delicious meal, a good joke, baseball and a hot cup of coffee. He was never sleeping, just resting his eyes, always had a smile on his face and a sunny disposition. He had a big heart and a generous soul.

Richard Perry was the husband of Eleanora (nee Bruni); father of Katherine Lutz, Sara (John) Schoff, and Teresa (Cody) Crase; papa of Andrew, Caitlin (Kevin Nutley), Evan, Aidan and Charlotte Lutz, Liam, Jack and Ryan Schoff, and Noah, Sammy and Henry Crase; great-grandpa of Maeve Nutley; brother of the late Dr. Robert (Zoila) Perry; brother-in-law of Martha (Ron) Walczyk; and uncle, cousin and friend of many.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the CDS Foundation Clinic are appreciated. Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.

Sylvia Babik, 86

Teacher, escaped from Poland Sylvia Babik, 86, of Oak Park, formerly of Jensen Beach, Florida, died on Jan. 11, 2021. Born on Sept.

12, 1934 to the late Felix and Zofia Skoczek in KonstancinJeziorna, Poland, she grew up and graduated with a degree in teaching and English.

She married Richard Babik in 1960, and they attended the Olympics in Rome, then escaped from Poland and emigrated to the U.S. They spent many years in Riverwoods, Illinois until she and Richard retired to Florida.

Sylvia was the wife of the late Richard Babik and dear companion of Joe Hammer; the mother of Monika Babik; grandmother of Richard and Andrew Anger; sister of the late Luczyna.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Giles Church, 1045 Columbian Ave., Oak Park on Saturday, Jan. 30 at noon. Interment is private.

Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.

Robert P. Gamboney Funeral Director I am there for you in your time of need.

All services handled with dignity and personalized care.

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

37

advertise • 708-524-8300 • www.OakPark.cOm

38

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021 New local ads this week

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

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

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST HEPHZIBAH CHILDREN’S ASSOCIATION PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE Hephzibah Children’s Association is a renowned social service agency in Oak Park, IL that has been helping children thrive and families flourish through innovative community-based programs.

The Day Care Program is accepting applications for February – June, 2021 school year. We seek individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children. Positions are Monday through Friday from 12:15 – 6:00 pm.

Responsibilities include assisting with and monitoring e-learning, supervising arts and crafts, activities, sports, group games, and indoor and outdoor play, lunch and snack, and homework help.

The program begins in February and will be in Oak Park, IL serving 5-11-year-old (K-5th grade) children.

The program will follow the safety guidelines of the IDPH regarding face masks, social distancing and cleaning & disinfecting.

Requirements include: • Minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work, or related college courses • Experience working with children If you are interested please contact: Amy O’Rourke, Director of Day Care by email at: aorrouke@hephzibahhome.org include letter of interest and resume.

Hephzibah Children’s Association is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We value, advocate for and support diversity throughout our organization. We embrace a respectful, multicultural, environment for employees and the clients we serve.

VILLAGE PLANNER POSITION The Village of Brookfield is recruiting for the position of Village Planner within the Community and Economic Development Department. Qualified candidates must have 2-5 years direct experience in the planning field, with a Masters degree in Urban Planning preferred and other professional requirements. The position entails a variety of planning and project management activities. Full description and instructions on how to apply available at: https://brookfieldil.gov/careers/

SENIOR SERVICES SENIOR SERVICES At We All Care Home Care Agency we offer in home care services in senior. We make sure you or your family member safe and comfortable in their home. We assistant with cooking, cleaning, transportation, assistant with vitals, Medication reminder and much more. Feel free to call 773-827-4543

SUBURBAN RENTALS

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

ELECTRICAL

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Ceiling Fans Installed

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848

Apartment listings updated daily at:

Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK: ROOSEVELT/ OAK PARK AVE. CORRIDOR 2BR 4RMS close to blue line. On site laundry, parking, heat & water incl. $1200/ month 708-383-9223

CITY RENTALS DELUXE 3BR APT 5955 W HURON First Floor. Large kitchen, all electric appliances. Near West Suburban Hospital. Near all public trans. $1150/mo.

Call 773-637-8677 for appt.

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. *1116 sq. ft. suite *569 sq. ft. with patio OAK PARK–1053 Lake St. *Entire 3rd Floor, 1275 sq. ft.

OAK PARK– 6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. *3 and 5 room office suites Strand& & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

ITEMS FOR SALE RALPH LAUREN KING SIZE COMFOTER Ralph Lauren Allison pattern King size comforter used as bedspread.

3 huge matching custom-made shams.

708-386-6160

CEMETERY PLOTS 4 FOREST HOME CEMETERY PLOTS 4 Forest Home cemetery plots available together or separately. Easy access and exit, in desirable Garden Sec. 61, Lot 342-A spaces 1,2,3,4. $1650 each, transfer costs not included.

Call 847-468-0013 and leave message

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

FLOORS

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

708-296-2060

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers

708-488-9411

Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery.

708-848-9404

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

PAINTING & DECORATING

HAUL AWAY

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Clean out your basement, garage or attic.

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JUNK

773-637-0692 Ask for John

KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

Attention! Home-improvement pros!

Reach the people making the decisions. Place an ad in Wednesday Classifieds!

Call 708/613-3342

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

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708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

REFINISHING Terry's

Woodwork Restoration On-site refinishing of wood

and fiberglass since 1977.

Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty!

References available.

Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is00given, 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: Y21005627 on January 14, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of CHAD KEAST HAIR with the business located at: 31 G HARRISON ST, OAK PARK, IL 60304.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: CHAD KEAST 1028 RANDOLPH ST 1NW OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

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: Y20005512 on December 29, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of PANDA STUDIOS with the business located at: 1913 S. MANNHEIM RD, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: PATRICIA ANN REIS 10518 CANTERBURY ST, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154, USA. Published in RB Landmark 1/13, 1/20, 1/27/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLIONIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Dylan Stephen Weinand Case Number 2020CONC000687 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Dylan Stephen Weinand to the new name of: Dylan Stephen Weinand-Flannery The court date will be held: On March 17th, 2020 at 9:30 at Daley Center, 50 W Washington Street, Chicago, IL, 60602 in Courtroom # 1706.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/13, 1/20, 1/27/2020

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE SERRANO LEGAL SOLUTIONS, LLC Attorney for Petitioner P. O. Box 3581 Oak Park, IL 60303 Attorney for Petitioner STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of LAURA VALDEZ, Petitioner and LINO CHIMALPOPOCA-ABARCA, Respondent, Case No. 2021D430022 The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before February 19, 2020 default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLIONIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of JULIAN RICHARD ANDREOTTI Case Number 2020CONC000961 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Julian Richard Andreotti to the new name of: Julian Richard Topete-Andreotti The court date will be held: On February 17, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Video-conference. Please use the information below to access the hearing.

ZOOM MEETING ID:970 3250 0245 ZOOM PASSSWORD: 895226 CALL IN: 3126266799 Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

Starting a new business?

Call the Experts!

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in Wednesday Classified.

Call 708/613-3342 to advertise.

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

CLASSIFIED

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES INVITATION TO BID LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOILER REPLACEMENT Notice is hereby given that the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, hereinafter known as Owner, is seeking bids for Boiler Replacement work at Lincoln Elementary School located in Oak Park, Illinois.

Lump Sum Bids will be publicly opened and read at the District Office of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 W. Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, at 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Bids received after designated time and date of bid opening will not be considered. Bidders must comply with all of the requirements set forth in the Project Manual.

Bids mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of: Ms. Jeanne Keane Oak Park School District 97 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302 The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “Lincoln Elementary School Boiler Replacement”.

Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Bid security, in the form of a bid bond or certified check, in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid shall be submitted with the bid. Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds and Certificate of Insurance,as required by the Owner, will be required from the successful bidder.

The Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualification or irregularities and/or reject any or all bids, when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing rate of wage to all laborers, workmen and mechanics working on public funded projects. If during the time period of work, these rate changes, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount.

The proposed contract is subject to the requirements of the Equal Employment Practices Commission and the Illinois Human Rights Act (HRA) Illinois Revised Statutes, Ch. 68, Par. 1-101, et. seg.”(Including the requirement thatevery party to a public contract shall have adopted written sexual harassment policies, P.A. 87-1257).

Bidding Documents will be available on January 27, 2021. To view and obtain bidding documents please visit Best Imaging Solutions’ planroom at http://www.bestimagingplanroom. com/jobs/public.

Bidders are strongly encouraged to attend a pre-bid conference on February 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. as detailed in the Project Manual.

Sheryl Marinier Board of Secretary Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Published in Wednesday Journal 1/27/2020

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park –Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302– will receive electronic proposals until 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 11, 2021 for Project: 21-5, Oak Park Public Work’s Rain Garden. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of site grading and excavation, erosion control, installing amended soils and gravel pathways, installing landscape plantings for creating a rain garden, and all appurtenant work thereto.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

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Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday, January 28, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 7499464 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

The bidder is specifically advised that the Village is a Subgrantee of a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) grant, pursuant to an agreement entered into and between the MWRDGC and the Village.

The MWRDGC requires that contractors entering into contracts shall have a performance bond and a payment bond. The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory performance bond in the sum of the amount of the contract in dollars guaranteeing the proper completion of the work and the maintenance of the work during the period of one (1) year from and after the date of the completion and acceptance of the same.

The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory payment bond in the full amount of the Contract guaranteeing payment of all material used and for all labor performed.

The Contract will be subject to the requirements of the Multi-Project Labor Agreement. A copy is on file at the offices of the Engineer and may be requested from the Engineer. The Contractor shall execute the form entitled “Certificate of Compliance with Multi Project Labor Agreement (MPLA)” as found in the Bid Proposal Submittal Packet.

The work to be performed pursuant to this Proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer Published in Wednesday Journal December 23, 2020

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Wednesday Journal, January 27, 2021

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