Wednesday Journal 021319 by Wednesday Journal

W E D N E S D A Y

February 13, 2019 Vol. 36, No. 20 ONE DOLLAR

JOURNAL

@oakpark @wednesdayjournal

of Oak Park and River Forest

Reality vs. progress on equity stark Celebration prompts a newspaper to reflect on racial progress By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

There could perhaps be no starker illustration of the divide between Oak Park’s lofty image of itself as a bastion of racial diversity and the much less airy reality than last Friday night’s celebration at Dominican University. Two of Wednesday Journal’s most valuable platforms — its regular Wednesday Journal Conversations series and its annual Villager of the Year distinction, given each year to notably newsworthy residents of Oak Park and River Forest — merged during a panel discussion featuring the 2018 Villagers of the Year. The event was the brainchild of Dominican University President Donna Carroll. On the panel, last year’s designees — District 200 Board President Jackie Moore, Oak Park filmmaker Steve James and River Forest District 90 Board President Ralph Martire — talked about the strides the villages have made in the area of racial equity during a conversation moderated by Frances Kraft. More than a dozen of the roughly 150 audience members were Villagers of the Year from years past. If they were in attendance they were asked to stand. For Dan Haley, Wednesday Journal’s publisher, assessing some 33 years of Villagers of the Year in Oak Park was both illuminating and indicting. Haley said that staffers scoured the archives to identify past winners before attempting See Equity on page 13

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

ANOTHER VICTIM: River Forest resident Jon Reith was carjacked at gunpoint in the parking lot of Kids Unlimited Therapy Services, 820 North Blvd. (above), on the evening of Feb. 4. He had to get his two small children out of the vehicle before carjackers could take the vehicle.

‘I’ve got to get my kids’

River Forest resident tells his story after carjacking in Oak Park By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

In early February, River Forest resident Jon Reith, a graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School and lifelong resident of the area, joined a growing number of residents who have been

carjacking victims. There have been at least six carjackings or attempted carjackings in Oak Park since the beginning of the year, and at least two other thefts of vehicles that were left running and unattended. Reith wasn’t the only victim of the armed carjacking that took place in the parking lot next to Kids Unlimited Ther-

apy Services, 820 North Boulevard, on the evening of Monday, Jan. 4 – his two small children, ages 4 and 5, were in the back seat of the car when he was robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint. “Give me you f---ing keys; we’re taking the f---ing car. Get out of the car before I fSee CARJACKING on page 15

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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THE STORIES

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Photo provided by Park District of Oak Park

New playground equipment is in store for Stevenson Park.

Stevenson Park gets $400K grant Stevenson Park, located at 49 Lake St. in Oak Park, will soon get new playground equipment and other improvements after receiving a $400,000 grant from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) program, according to a press release from state Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). Wednesday Journal reported in September that the grant would be used to implement the Stevenson Park Master Plan, which calls for updating the playground, installation of a handicapped-accessible entrance to the west side of the park and adding a walking loop around the park.

A park district spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment. The park district also will use the money to install a bioswale to reduce flooding at the park and build a practice wall for lacrosse and soccer and add picnic and chess tables. Park district Executive Director Jan Arnold said in September that the park district would match the $400,000 upon receipt of the grant. Harmon said in the press release that the OSLAD program receives funding from Illinois’ Real Estate Transfer Tax. tim@oakpark.com

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Icy Morning A coating of ice covered trees, bushes and walkways in Scoville Park and near the Oak Park Public Library on the morning of Feb. 12 following a nightlong bout of freezing rain that descended on the area late in the afternoon the previous day.

Semester in the Senate

Matthew Shabino, an OPRF High School junior, will be spending the spring semester in Washington D.C. As one of 30 students nationwide selected to participate in the U.S. Senate Page Program, he’ll attend classes at the Senate Page School in the early morning and then spend the remainder of the day working at the Capitol on the Senate floor. The pages reportedly live in bipartisan dorms and are not allowed to use cellphones, though they have access to something called a “landline.” Should be an interesting next few months in the halls of Congress.

Matthew Shabino

Ken Trainor

Southeast Oak Park group holds forums

The local community organization, Southeast Oak Park Community Organization, is holding candidate forum for the upcoming municipal election set for April 2. The SEOPCO forums will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Washington Irving School, 1125 S. Cuyler Ave. The School District 200 forum will be held on Feb. 27, Oak Park Village Trustee will be held on March 19 and the School District 97 is scheduled for March 20.

Timothy Inklebarger

Survivors to discuss ‘Surviving R. Kelly’

On Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church, 405 S. Euclid Ave. in Oak Park, the nonprofit Suburban Unity Alliance will host a town hall called “Believe Survivors: Surviving R. Kelly & Beyond.” Student leaders, survivors, teachers and others will “discuss and identify ways to combat the pervasive and systemic issues that lead to hyper-sexualization, victimization and silencing of primarily women and children,” according to the event’s flyer. The town hall comes months after the documentary series, Surviving R. Kelly, aired on Lifetime.

Michael Romain

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Name Change Workshop for Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals

Free Readers Ensemble: The Property Known as Garland

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Storytime Room, Main Library: Hear from a Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois attorney to learn about the legal name change process as part of long-term gender self-determination. Bring questions, get resources and be prepared for Name Change Mobilization, which takes place the last Friday each month at Daley Center in Chicago. More: oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Sunday, Feb. 17, 3 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: With her wicked wit, Judy Garland dishes the dirt on her MGM co-stars, her husbands and more going down the yellow brick road of her incredible life. Free; donations accepted. More: freereaders.com. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

What’s Food Got to Do with It? Understanding Eating Disorders

“We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria” Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Meet author and Northwestern professor Wendy Pearlman and hear about her book of first-hand accounts from the frontlines, based on interviews with hundreds of displaced Syrians. Pearlman grew up in Oak Park. More: oppl.org/calendar. 834 lake St., Oak Park.

Sunday, Feb. 17, 1:30 3 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Main Library: Eating disorders often emerge during adolescence. The impact can go far beyond the individual, and often deeply affects families. Hear clinical expertise on how families and healthcare providers can support youth who are struggling. Brought by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). Register: eventbrite.com/o/national-alliance-for-mentalillness-metro-suburban-affiliate-3180311428. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Church of Beethoven: Folias Duo Sunday, Feb. 17, 10:30 a.m., Open Door Theater: See the husband and wife who perform original compositions for flute and guitar, focusing on Argentine social tango dance and South American folk and world music. $10; $5, students. Tickets/more: brownpapertickets.com/ event/4075374. 902 S. Ridgeland Ave., Oak Park.

Feb. 13 - 20

BIG WEEK Oscarthon

Saturday, Feb. 16, Small Meeting Room, Main Library: See Oscar-nominated films before the Academy Awards. Popcorn and raffle prizes included. Watch Black Panther, 12:45 p.m., and RBG, 3:15 p.m. On Feb. 23, see At Eternity’s Gate, 1:10 p.m., and The Wife, 3:15 p.m. Free. 834 Lake St. Oak Park.

The Codebreaker and the POW: A Family Legacy of WWII Saturday, Feb. 16, 2 to 3 p.m., River Forest Library: Author Sue Baugh describes how her Filipino father became a codebreaker for the US Navy and helped crack Japanese codes before the Battle of Midway, while her grandfather survived three years in a Japanese POW camp. Brought in partnership with River Forest Township. 735 Lathrop Ave.

The Magic, Wonder & Whimsy of Nature

1968: A Personal Account of a Turbulent and Terrifying Year

Reception Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 to 4 p.m., Art Gallery, Main Library: Meet River Forest artist Liita Forsyth. Her exhibit features paintings that have been enlarged into murals at Trailside Museum and other nature images. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Monday, Feb. 18, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: In May 1968, Brian Flora graduated from college. Four months later, he was on his way to Vietnam. Hear about the causes and events of that year from the retired career diplomat. $15, requested donation. More: nineenthcentury.org. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

Girls Like Us Sunday, Feb. 17, 3 to 5 p.m., Martin Recital Hall, Dominican University: Inspired by Sheila Weller’s book Girls Like Us, Laura Freeman, Beckie Menzie and Marianne Murphy Orland combine to celebrate music of Carole King, Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell. An Oak Park Festival Theatre benefit. $40. Box office: 708-300-9396. 7900 W. Division St., River Forest.

“Intelligent Lives” Wednesday, Feb. 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Maze Library: This film explores the labels of intellectual disability “from a life sentence of isolation into a life of possibility.” After, join a panel discussion moderated by Paula Kluth and District 97 Director of Special Education Eboney Lofton. Brought by Lincoln PTO DivCO. Register: signupgenius.com/ go/805094fa8ae29a20-intelligent. 845 Gunderson, Oak Park.

Memory Café Tuesday, Feb. 19, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Oak Park Township Senior Services Center: Those living with memory loss and their care givers can connect, share a meal and participate in recreational and educational opportunities in a coffee house atmosphere at this new offering, which occurs the third Tuesday of each month. Register: memorycafe@oakparktownship.org, 708-383-8060, or drop in. 130 S. Oak Park. Ave.

Black Minds Matter: Holistic Support for Black Male Learners Tuesday, Feb. 19, 6 to 8 p.m., Community Engagement Space, Main Library: This series explores issues facing black males in education, incorporating research and emphasizing strategies and practices that can support success. Next up: Feb. 26, Advancing Black Male Policy, Support and Research. Register: oppl. org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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ART BEAT

FREE VERSE: From left, Kyla Pereles, a sophomore; Jesus Govea, a senior; and Nicholas Barry, a senior, react during a Spoken Word Club meeting at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

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ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Coming to terms with Spoken Word By MICHELLE DYBAL

‘S

Contributing Reporter

poken Word has ruined me,” said Morgan Varnado, without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He can’t even tell his parents that he’s going to the store without descriptives filling his head with “slightly nighttime” passing by the one tree that “crooks this way.” The Oak Park and River Forest High School senior and 49 of his fellow Spoken Word Club members put on their Winter showcase last Thursday in the packed Little Theater. Now the work intensifies as the team of eight prepare to compete at Louder than a Bomb (LTAB), starting Feb. 23. Team OPRF finished second at this Chicago-based poetry slam in 2018, with more than 120 teams competing. Four OPRF team members will compete at LTAB for the first time. Four have competed previously, including Morgan, a senior, who has attended since freshman year. Each team member prepares individual poems and they combine on two group pieces. “As Seen on TV” and “A List of Things to Call God” (working title) were previewed at the showcase. Poems performed at the showcase by other club members included pieces on depression, grades, social media, hoping friends make it home, parental abandonment, the Grammar Police, social anxiety, parental drinking and meals brought during one mother’s chemo. “I feel like there’s this generalization that teenagers don’t have a lot to say, or if we do, we’re not educated on the subject,” said Corina Robinson, OPRF senior, who is on the LTAB team. “But there’s definitely a whole mess of stuff that goes on in every teenager’s brain. I think poetry is a way to untangle that mess … and it’s important and valid.” She said a Spoken Word poem brought her closer to her mom. Corina is biracial and found it difficult to express how it affects her at school and elsewhere. “With poetry, that suddenly becomes very easy,” she said. “Having my mom sit in the audience while I perform that piece, it

builds this bond, and that conversation happens without conventional face-to-face.” The LTAB team is still honing their individual works for the Feb. 23 prelims. While Corina considers a piece on taxing feminine hygiene products or a poem on medical history not defining a family, Morgan has four he’s working on, but is leaning toward one about his grandmother, who attends his performances. The group gives helpful input to each poet decide. The team pieces are collaborative from the start — each group of four works together. “As Seen on TV” talks of White Entertainment Television and the mainstream message that people of color on mostly white TV shows are “a facade.” Onstage, the young poets become automatons that run out of power as they deliver their lines then are restarted by their reciting teammates. “We wrote through a bunch of things that would be a shared experience among the four of us,” said Nicholas Berry, OPRF senior. “And we also considered, we are all people of color, which usually doesn’t happen on slam team … so we were considering how to take advantage of that.” Spoken Word has affected these students — all three have been in the club since freshman year — in different ways. “I’m a lot more vocal — I feel like I can help people,” said Nicholas. “In Spoken Word it’s required of you to come up with ideas for the good of the group because, you never know, something you’re thinking may build up everyone else, or give them an idea.” “You are put in an intimate scenario with other people’s experiences,” Morgan said. “It feels like people are confiding in you, saying poems with all this personal stuff. … That inclusivity soaked into me and changed me as a person and how I view other people and other people’s experiences and the human experience in general.” Coaching and supporting the team is OPRF teacher Peter Kahn, who started Spoken Word at the school 20 years ago, and Christian Robinson, assistant Spoken Word teacher, who is an OPRF Spoken Word alumnus and Corina’s brother. The club meets August through May and has as many as 100 students participating through the school year.

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Independence. It costs

o a third-tier candidate for mayor of Chicago floated the notion that the city should annex Oak Park and a few other cash-flow-positive suburbs. Garry McCarthy, the former chief of police and soon to be the former chief of police, made the argument that moving a few hundred thousand taxpaying citizens within newly expanded city limits would create a fresh pool of money to pay the city’s overwhelming pension debt. And what would be the impetus for Oak Parkers, Evergreen Parkers, Oak Lawners and whatever it is that Norridge residents call themselves — Norridgeans? — to actively vote to attach themselves to Chicago? McCarthy notes that the city of Chicago has much lower tax rates and that would make annexation appealing to suburbanites who feel taxed and abused. Among other arguments, I’d suggest that city residents have historically, though less so under Rahm Emanuel’s pretty stern tax increases, paid low property taxes because they weren’t anywhere close to funding their pensions in the first place. There is a correlation. A little history lesson. Once upon a time, late 1800s more precisely, Oak Park, Cicero, Austin (might have been another burg in there, too) were all linked in what was called Cicero Township. It was an unhappy alliance. And that opened the annexation door. Chicago came calling, knowing that many of its residents were moving west to the grand community of Austin as public transit made it easy to reach downtown. The annexation of Austin came to a referendum vote. Austinites had little interest in being gobbled up by Chicago, but the vote was among all the citizens of Cicero Township. And, acting on a grudge, the whole of Cicero Township voted the community of Austin into the city of Chicago. I’ve often wondered what the history of Austin would look like if, like its sister city of Oak Park, it had remained an independent community. Certainly with decades of disinvestment now taking a harsh toll, city government hasn’t done Austin any favors.

Now Oak Park is not going to be annexed into Chicago. Nor will Evergreen Park or Norridge. This is just a vague notion from a candidate trying to get noticed in a field of more than a dozen candidates. But it gives us all a moment to reflect on why an independent Oak Park is so critical and so great. Yes, property taxes in Oak Park have gotten out of hand and concerted effort to hold them down is important and warranted. And bashing Chicago isn’t the answer either. Chicago is a fantastic city and is, in many ways, Oak Park’s lifeblood. But it has complex problems of its own making and grabbing up Oak Park, Pac Man style, isn’t a solution. Because of Oak Park’s independence and independent spirit, its high taxes allow us to have two strong school systems. Imperfect but a damned site better than CPS. We have a strong police department that works collaboratively with the city police districts along our Austin Boulevard and North Avenue borders while working to insulate us from the higher crime rates in the city. We spend money — go on, debate away — on fostering diversity, on public art, on bluestone sidewalks, some of them heated. We built a spectacular main library. We attract big money developers. We are pioneers in early childhood education. We compost. We push toward equity. It costs. We are getting ready to elect our own leaders to run village government, the schools, parks and library. Never underestimate the impact of our self-contained governance. Try getting the Chicago Park District’s full focus on Columbus Park. Try getting the CPS school board to pay attention to Austin High School. Try getting the Chicago police to shift cops from Lincoln Park to Austin. Oak Park’s limited geography, our intense self-focus, sometimes obsession, is our great gift. So in the closing days of Chicago’s mayoral primary Garry McCarthy is going to need a new hobby horse to ride into 10th place.

DAN HALEY

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Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, Illinois 60302 PHONE 708-524-8300 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com | www.RiverForest.com CIRCULATION Jill Wagner, 708-613-3340 circulation@oakpark.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING Dawn Ferencak, 708-613-3329 dawn@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal is published weekly by Wednesday Journal, Inc. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, Illinois (USPS No. 0010-138). In-county subscription rate is $35 per year, $60 for two years, $87 for three years. Annual out-of-county rate is $43. © 2019 Wednesday Journal, Inc.

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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OPRF eligible for state property tax relief grant District committed to reducing taxes by $5.8M this year

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is one of 28 school districts in Illinois that are eligible to receive a grant designed to help relieve residents’ property tax burden, the Illinois State Board of Education announced on Jan. 29. The Property Tax Relief Grant covers a share of local property reductions. For the 2019 fiscal year, the state allocated a total of $50 million for the grant program. In order to receive the grant, school districts need to agree to abate, or reduce, their property taxes up to a certain legal limit. The grant funds then offset a large part of that reduction. District 200 officials applied for the grant, along with 373 other school districts, late last year. In its application, District 200 officials committed to reducing its 2018 tax levy by $5.8 million, which is the maximum legal amount allowed. Officials with ISBE said that eligible districts are required to submit an abatement resolution to their county clerks by March 30 and share it with the state board before grants funds are distributed. After the district files a tax abatement resolution in March, District 200 will receive around $3.8 million in state funds to offset the $5.8 million abatement, officials said in a Feb. 5 statement. “This action reduces the district’s portion of the annual tax bill for a $400,000 market value home by approximately

File photo

$280,” according to the statement released by D200. District officials explained that residents should note that because OPRF is “just one of the local taxing bodies, a property owner’s total tax bill may still increase.” Officials added that the “net reduction in the tax levy also

means that the total taxes extended for District 200 would be below its 2010 tax level.” According to ISBE, the grant amount for each district “will become a permanent part” of the minimum amount of state funding each district receives going forward. During a regular meeting in December, Rob Grossi, the district’s financial consultant, said that if D200 receives the state grant, it will get $3.8 million “every year going forward even though the requirement is for” the district to abate roughly $2 million the first year. In their statement, ISBE officials said that school districts were ranked according to the relative tax burden of property owners within those districts, with eligibility being awarded “to those districts with the highest unit equivalent tax rate compared to all the districts that applied.” Oak Park Elementary Schools District 97 officials said in December that they also applied for the state grant, but that they were ranked much lower than OPRF in the priority rankings. District 200 officials said that OPRF ranked 15th in the state’s priority rankings. “Shifting more of the responsibility for education funding to the state makes our system fairer and more equitable,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, who is a River Forest resident. “Local property wealth should not determine the educational resources available to each child. The Property Tax Relief Grant takes a critical step toward uplifting families and communities.”

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Making Oak Park housing affordable? Developers would have to include affordable units or pay under ordinance

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The Oak Park Board of Trustees moved closer to approving an inclusionary zoning ordinance that would require residential property developers to provide affordable units in their developments or contribute money to an affordable housing fund. The details of how much developers must contribute, whether that includes cash or physical units and how affordable the units would be were among the top issues up for debate at the Feb. 12 village board meeting. Housing is considered affordable when the household contributes not more than 30 percent of its total income towards housing. The village has previously negotiated affordable housing with developers on an individual basis – some have contributed units and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars into the village’s affordable housing fund, while others contributed nothing. According to Tammie Grossman, director of development customer services for the village, 22.6 percent of Oak Park’s housing is considered affordable by the standards set out by the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. That is up from 18.4 percent in 2013. Evanston, by comparison, claimed 17.5 percent affordable housing stock in 2018. A report by the village notes that of the 21,327 units available in Oak Park, 4,814 are considered affordable under the definition

set out under the Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act – 3,694 of those are rentals. Village staff provided a number of recommendations for the board to consider, suggesting that the ordinance require that new developments of 25 units or more make 5 percent to 10 percent of the units affordable. Staff also recommended that the ordinance set affordability at 80 percent of the area median income for rentals. “Housing is considered affordable if a household is paying no more than 30 percent of its income towards housing costs,” Grossman said. Village staff also recommended giving developers the option of paying a fee of between $50,000 and $100,000 per unit in place of including actual affordable units in the development. That money would go into an affordable housing fund, which could be used to help kick start affordable housing projects or provide rental assistance for low-income residents. Staff also proposed only imposing the affordable housing requirement on developments within a quarter mile of Chicago Transit Authority and Metra lines. Grossman also suggested the village provide various incentives to developers for include fees, allowing for denser, taller structures and reducing the number of parking spaces required.

The village recommends reducing building permit fees by a percentage equal to the percentage of affordable units required in the multi-unit buildings. A 10-percent zoning requirement would result in a 10-percent reduced permit fee, for example. The ordinance also would not apply to condominium buildings, only apartment buildings and townhouse developments. At the beginning of the meeting, which was meant to be a study session for trustees, Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb called on the board and the public for a “balanced policy” that contributes to affordable housing but doesn’t drive away economic development. “We want a policy that makes it feasible to produce plenty of these affordable units,” he said. “To do that, the economics have to work.” Trustees did not vote on the proposal at the Feb. 12 meeting, but did reach consensus on the idea of removing the Austin Green Line CTA stop from the affordable housing ordinance over concerns that it could stifle potential future development in the area. Several residents and local leaders testified at the meeting, encouraging trustees to act on affordable housing. Rev. C.J. Hawking, pastor at Euclid United Methodist Church, noted that Evanston has a 10 percent affordable housing requirement, Chicago 10 to 20 percent, New York City 20 to 30 percent and San Francisco 30 percent.

She added that Evanston recently increased its in-lieu rate from $100,000 per unit to $170,000. Hawking called on the board to adopt a rate of 15 to 20 percent and at least a $200,000 in-lieu rate. “Oak Park is a leader across the country and it’s time to lead on inclusionary housing,” Hawking said. Rev. Eric Biddy, pastor at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, called on the board to adopt “a robust and effective ordinance that meets the mayor’s criteria and makes us a leader on this issue” and to make sure that the “well-being of poor folks [is] at the forefront of your deliberations.” Former Village President David Pope, who now serves as executive director of Oak Park Residence Corporation and the Oak Park Housing Authority, which provides housing for low-income individuals, said he supported Abu-Taleb’s call for a policy that doesn’t hinder economic development and agreed with the recommendations made by village staff on the ordinance. “Make sure that it’s economically viable,” he said. “We can put the sky’s the limit on what we want to charge somebody for a new unit or a payment in lieu, but if nothing happens and nothing gets done, then there’s no money to help provide for the actual creation of affordable units. I want you to look at that with a really clear eye about what’s realistic.” tim@oakpark.com

Plastic straws under scrutiny in Oak Park Environment commission gives village recommendations to curb use

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The Oak Park Board of Trustees could soon put limitations on the use of plastic straws in the village, following the release of a report by the village’s Environment and Energy Commission. The citizen commission conducted a five-month review of the issue, providing a list of options for the board to consider aimed at reducing the use of plastic straws at area restaurants. The recommendations include: ■ Educating restaurant owners and their staff along with residents on the negative effects of single-use plastic items like straws, plastic lids, containers and other items. ■ Making single-use plastic items upon request only

■ Collecting data on plastic inventory use at restaurants in Oak Park, to assess overall consumption of single-use plastic items in the village. Andrea Densham, senior director of conservation policy and advocacy at Shedd Aquarium, encouraged the village to implement a zero waste plan for Oak Park to help reduce the amount of plastics that end up in the water supply. She noted that the city of San Diego approved legislation to reduce single-use plastics and experienced a reduction in the burden the products have in city’s waste management system. The commission is expected to return at a later date with a formal presentation and a proposed ordinance. tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Teachers sound off to school board as negotiations drag on Faculty Senate says it’s reached tentative agreement with board

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

February marks the 1-year anniversary of the start of contract negotiations between the Oak Park and River Forest High School Faculty Senate and the District 200 school board. The two sides are close to hammering out a new agreement for the first since 2014 when the last one was ratified. In a statement, Faculty Senate Chairwoman Sheila Hardin said that the two sides “currently have a tentative agreement with the board of education and hope to present the offer to the faculty this week.” In interviews and written statements throughout the negotiation process, D200 school board members expressed their commitment to balancing deep support and appreciation for teachers and students with their fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers. But that didn’t stop a few hundred teachers from packing the school’s old library space during a Jan. 24 board meeting to remind the public about the rigors of the job. Paul Collins, a lifelong Oak Parker who

teaches special education and coaches on our profession, often from those who wrestling at the high school, said teachers have never done this job themselves. We have been working “as if the contract had do it because we love our students and the been settled months ago.” difference we can make in their lives. We The four teachers who spoke during the do it because of our deep commitment to meeting’s public comment serving our community portion described a that we all hold so dear.” job that requires total Veteran teacher Naomi dedication; that consumes Hildner described the nights and weekends experiences of her and eats into family and son, an OPRF graduate personal time; and that and former corporate is both satisfying and attorney who “decided he frustrating. needed to live a life that “This is a very difficult would have meaning and job,” said Matt McMurray, count for something, so he a history teacher and quit, went back to school varsity girl’s golf coach. and is now completing his MATT MCMURRAY “The hours required yearstudent teaching at OPRF History teacher and varsity golf coach round to do this job at a — his own high school high level are grueling that he fondly remembers and seemingly unending, from years back.” but we do it — day in and Hildner said every day her son “frets about every one of his day out. “We do it and we do it at an elite level,” students” and changes his lesson plans he said. “We do it at a sacrifice to our multiple times. He is learning “that this families, our social lives and our own tortuous practice is the life of a teacher. personal desires. We do it in spite of the … Just wait until he surrenders his negative perceptions and constant attacks weekends to grading.”

“The hours required year-round to do this job at a high level are grueling and seemingly unending, but we do it — day in and day out.”

Hardin, an OPRF math teacher, echoed the sentiments of the teachers who spoke before her and thanked “the 285 faculty members for their professionalism as they’ve worked without a contract this year.” “While the thousands of periods that we’ve taught represent a large part of our day,” Hardin said, “it does not represent the full story of what we do.” The scope of teachers’ work goes well beyond what’s defined in a union contract, she added, then went into a litany of offthe-clock tasks that, when considered in totality, explain why teaching is such a life-consuming profession. The before- and after-school and lunchtime meetings with students, the summers spent prepping for new curriculum, the extracurricular activities teachers attend to show support for students, the 1,200 college recommendations teachers write for each senior class and more, Hardin explained. “We are here for the students of OPRF,” she said. “They are our focus and this focus has never faltered as we’ve worked without a contract.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

at Concordia University Chicago Ferguson Art Gallery

The Collective Theater

Music Concerts

Paintings of Daily Observations by Robert J. Johnson Through February 23

The Benefit Committee by Aline Lathrop In association with Chicago Dramatists

Faculty Organ Recital | March 1 at 8 p.m., Chapel

Student Art & Graduating Art Minors’ Show March 4 - April 7

Directed by Stephanie Stroud | February 15 - 24 Madison Street Theatre, 1010 Madison St., Oak Park Tickets: CUCBenefit.brownpapertickets.com

Gallery Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Ferguson Gallery is located in Kretzmann Hall

Event details are subject to change. Unless noted, all events take place at Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest. Visit CUChicago.edu

Student Composers Recital | March 3 at 7 p.m., Chapel Music Department Information: 708-209-3060

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Should Chicago annex Oak Park?

Oak Park board takes hard pass on McCarthy proposal By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It is election season in Chicago and candidates are throwing out ideas to see what sticks. One of them fits squarely in the category of no way no how – at least according to the Oak Park Board of Trustees. That’s the proposal that surfaced on Feb. 5 from Chicago mayoral candidate Garry McCarthy, who told the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board that Chicago should annex Oak Park and three other municipalities – Norridge, Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park – to help pay the Windy City’s pension debt. McCarthy said in a telephone interview that he wasn’t surprised that the municipal leaders would reject the idea of annexation. He said any elected official that voiced support for his idea would be “out of a job.” But annexation would help reduce taxes for homeowners in the municipalities, according to McCarthy, who told Wednesday Journal that the proposal also included Schiller Park, although that community was not identified in the Sun-Times article. Annexation of the five communities would add about 160,000 residents to the city and create efficiencies through the consolidation of police and fire departments and other government entities, McCarthy said. He noted that the composite tax rate for the

city of Chicago is 7.2 percent, about half the 14.3 percent paid in Oak Park. Norridge has a composite tax rate of 8.47 percent, Schiller Park 12 percent, Evergreen Park 14.12 percent and Oak Lawn 13 percent, McCarthy said, calling it a “no-brainer” for taxpayers. McCarthy added that the state of Illinois has about 1,300 municipal jurisdictions, the most of any state in the country, he said. “Texas is, like, the size of Asia … but has about 100 fewer jurisdictions [than Illinois],” he said. According to the Sun-Times, McCarthy said annexation of the municipalities would help foot the bill on Chicago’s $270 million pension payment due in 2020. McCarthy said he’s received no takers from municipalities on the annexation question, so far. And the Oak Park Board of Trustees was no different, in most cases sending McCarthy a stern “not so fast, buster.” Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb was, perhaps, the most diplomatic in his response, stating his pride for Oak Park and its desirability as a place to live. “Even if Mr. McCarthy’s proposal has any financial advantage for us, I don’t think that alone is enough,” Abu-Taleb said in a written statement. “Oak Parkers like their voice to be heard and they do that through our small village government. We love our great schools, library, township and parks. “This community gives people a sense of belonging. I don’t think Oak Parkers would

walk away from their autonomy and they won’t hand over their public safety and other services to such large city government.” Abu-Taleb ended by stating his love for the city of Chicago, but adding that “what I love more is the village of Oak Park and our sense of community.” Trustee Bob Tucker similarly kindly took a pass, stating, “I love Chicago dearly, and I spend much of my professional life working to improve and invest in Chicago neighborhoods that have seen many years of disinvestment. But I would have to politely say to Mr. McCarthy – ‘No thanks!’” Trustee Deno Andrews took a less delicate approach with the former superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. “You don’t get your own house in order by stealing your neighbors’ assets,” Andrews said in a text. “McCarthy’s idea is an embarrassing non-starter.” Trustee Jim Taglia also wanted nothing to do with annexation, calling the proposal “a sound bite from a politician running single digits in the polls” adding that Oak Parkers “have nothing to worry about.” “McCarthy should thoughtfully and critically examine his ideas before floating them. He clearly knows nothing about Oak Park or its history and traditions. We aren’t just another neighborhood extending west from the city,” Taglia said. Trustee Simone Boutet called the idea “just too stupid” and wishing McCarthy “good luck.” “How do you get Oak Park to agree to

File

Mayoral candidate Garry McCarthy that?” she wondered. Trustee Andrea Button similarly said she has “no interest in entertaining this idea.” “Nor do I think the community would support it. In fact, I feel very confident that, if faced with this idea, Oak Park leadership and residents alike would work very hard to ensure that we preserve our identity as an independent, vibrant, progressive community,” she said. Finally, Dan Moroney also gave McCarthy a firm nope. “I don’t envision any way I would support such a proposal,” he said. “The issues and challenges facing suburban municipalities are unique to the city of Chicago. “Neighboring municipalities require the autonomy to set their own policy that maximizes the health of each individual community.”

tim@oakpark.com

D200 incumbent focuses on equity, master plan Sara Dixon Spivy, running for her second term, says progress can’t stop

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Whoever is elected to the Oak Park and River Forest District 200 school board on April 2 will walk into some pretty heady responsibilities — a series of major capital improvement projects and a raft of equityrelated measures perhaps chief among them. In a recent interview, Sara Dixon Spivy — one of two incumbents running for reelection in a field of six candidates vying for three open seats — said that she hopes that the progress she and her colleagues have made in her first term can continue. “My reason for running is because I’m concerned that we will lose some of the progress we’d made,” Spivy said. “The work that we have done in the past four years has brought us years ahead of where we were just four years ago in terms of equity and making sure we’re treating all students fairly and kindly and supporting them in the ways they need.” Spivy lauded Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, adding that the board’s decision to hire her two

years ago was its “most longand disabled students, the hard term, impactful choice” and part will be paring down total that Pruitt-Adams “has never construction costs related to the disappointed … she’s getting individual projects in the plan. things done.” Combined, district officials Spivy also touted the board’s estimate, the projects could cost ability to contain costs, around $218 million. the introduction of a less Spivy said she’s optimistic that punitive student dress code, the district can raise outside the development of a longmoney to pay for some capital term facilities master plan needs, such improvements to that catalyzed what’s likely athletic facilities. SARA DIXON SPIVY to be the busiest period of “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to capital improvements in the raise private funds, which should district’s history and the implementation of take a big dent out of the tax burden that a transgender equity policy — all of which might come if we were to do the full-blown happened while she was on the board. facilities reconstruction,” she said, adding “I’m really, really proud of our transgender that the district could better communicate equity policy,” she said of the measure to constituents that the master plan “is not that formalized additional protections a single project.” Other issues that the new board could for LGBTQ students and families. “That’s one of the most progressive policies in the confront after April 2 are a teacher contract that has yet to be ratified, the rollout of a nation and a huge source of pride.” With the board having prioritized a series new, student-led racial equity course unit of initial capital projects, most of them and the development of a comprehensive addressing the needs of special education racial equity policy.

Spivy said that she anticipates “hopefully” that the board will have ratified a new teacher contract before the new board is sworn-in. “What I hope to see happen is that the racial equity policy will be similar to the gender equity policy, where the procedure and the policy are released together so that everyone has a very transparent look at how we envision it going,” she said. “Policies can sound great and be implemented horribly and then they’re useless. So, having the procedure well-thought out and well-planned is going to be the most important part of the rollout.” Spivy said that her goals for her time on the board haven’t changed in four years and that, although she thinks the district has “made a lot of progress,” she doesn’t think the progress is done. “I think we’re on the cusp of lasting change and that’s really what I want to make sure happens. I’ve got two step-kids and my own son, and they’re all of color and they’re all boys,” said Spivy, who added that one was 5 years old. “I’m on a timeline, here.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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The Daly Bagel finds a home

Corner of Chicago and Lombard will soon be home to an ‘East Coast’ bagel shop

ew Jersey native, bagel connoisseur and Oak Park resident Amanda Daly managed to create a bagel-frenzy in our community over the past year. Now her dream of opening a bagel cafe called The Daly Bagel is drawing near. By this summer, Daly plans to renovate, build-out and open a boutique bagel and coffee shop in northeast Oak Park. Long vacant, the former Zephyr Cleaners will house the new business at Chicago Avenue and Lombard. Food Writer “A shop has always been the goal,” said Daly, “but I was shocked how hard it was to find the right sized space where a landlord was willing to have a kitchen on the premises.” Thankfully, Greg Sorg, a local developer, reached out regarding the Zephyr building. The space, owned by Sorg, is conveniently located close to Daly’s Oak Park home and suits her space needs well. Living in the area makes Daly acutely aware of the need for a boutique cafe in the northeast corner of Oak Park and expects The Daly Bagel to appeal to both community residents and folks frequenting the nearby school and hospital. Daly had settled on a space for her bagel shop, but still needed a bank loan. She put her MBA to good use, tweaked her business plan and began looking for a bank. “Forest Park Bank took a genuine interest in The Daly Bagel,” said Daly of her bank of choice. “I felt supported the second I walked through the door.” With a storefront found and a bank loan secured, Daly moved onto selecting an architect for her build out. After considering four architects, she chose Brian Hammersley of Hammersley Architecture in Chicago. Hammersley’s reputation preceded him, as his firm designed both Oak Park’s Live Cafe and Sugar Beet Food Co-Op. Daly indicated Hammersley’s vision for The Daly Bagel lined up perfectly with hers and enthusiastically embraced the project. The space in the Zephyr building will require a full build-out and Daly excitedly sketched a drawing of her intended layout. Her picture included banket seating, window ledge seating, and a large counter for placing orders and selecting bagels. She also drew a generously sized cafe kitchen. While the kitchen will not need a stove top, it will include powerful ovens, large boiling pots, racks, proofing boards, and an industrial dough-divider; she has already begun

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COMING SOON: Amanda Daly shows off the future home of The Daly Bagel at the corner of Chicago and Lombard in northeast Oak Park. purchasing her kitchen equipment. The kitchen will likely feature a large viewing window making it easy for curious customers to observe the bagel making process. Barring any unforeseen set-backs, Daly anticipates her boutique bagel shop will open in this summer. The shop will likely be opened from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, but Daly and her team will rely on a soft opening to determine the optimal operating hours for the business. In addition to offering bagels, smoked fish and cream cheese (of course), Daly intends to peddle an array of breakfast and lunch sandwiches as well as bagel dogs and pizza bagels. The regular menu at the shop will be small and thoughtful, but supplemented with rotating weekly specials to keep things fresh and interesting for regular customers. The Daly Bagel will also bring responsibly-sourced Dark Matter Coffee to Oak Park. “I dream The Daly Bagel will preserve the social aspect of bakeries,” said Daly. “I want it to be a beautiful place, a community asset, where people can bond over a shared food experience.” It wasn’t long ago that Daly, who is not a trained cook, recognized a need for proper and locally available boil-and-bake East Coast bagels. She started experimenting with bagel-making and ultimately introduced her product to customers via in-home bagel bakes and more formal bakery pop-up events. While her duo of in-home bagel bakes were stressful and at times “disastrous” from a time-management perspective, demand for Daly Bagels quickly exceeded supply. Daly forged ahead and promptly moved

her bagel production to the Sugar Beet Schoolhouse in River Forest. The shared community kitchen offered Daly the opportunity to more than double her production capacity; taking her yield on her twice monthly bake days from 400 to 850 bagels per day. Additionally, the community kitchen allowed her to bake an additional 300 to 500 special order bagels each week. But her bagels would still sell out in under 5 minutes. “I had to set an alarm on my phone to remind me to have lunch,” said Daly. “I never understood people who claimed to be so busy that they forgot to eat, but now I can totally relate.” After clearing her head on a long-planned vacation to France, Daly knew that accepting help in the kitchen was essential. Daly’s dear friend, Leah Garcia, offered up her services in the kitchen and she and Daly were soon joined by Adrienne Guldin, another friend of Daly’s. Guldin is an accomplished baker in her own right and has a background working in test kitchens As a result of the added support and Guldin’s culinary background, The Daly Bagel, not only increased production, but began to innovate. New bagel flavors like gingerbread, garlic and herb, chai, and maplebacon were added to the traditional arsenal of Daly Bagel flavors (plain, sesame, poppy, everything, sea salt, onion, garlic, pretzel, pumpernickel, asiago, cinnamon-sugar, kalamata-rosemary, and rainbow). “Now, I just love going to work at 4 a.m. because I get to hang out with my friends making bagels,” said Daly. “It is the absolute best!”

Winter is more than halfway over, which means it’s time to start planning your landscape project or new design so you can hit the ground running as spring arrives. A five-step plan can help make that happen: 1. Determine your wish list – Scott What does your McAdam Jr. dream landscape look like? A great landscape is an extension of your living space into the outdoor realm. Think about your dream landscape’s “feel,” including amenities. 2. Get the lay of the land – Walk around your property and take inventory of what you would like to keep, what needs to be changed, and what needs to go. This sets the foundation for the design process. 3. Design time – Look at the big picture and design the entire space, even if you are only working with one area at a time. This creates a cohesive landscape plan to execute instead of haphazard plantings in random locations. 4. Visualize – From inside your home, visualize the plans when looking out your windows. A beautiful landscape, framed in a window, is the best kind of artwork for your home. 5. Execute and implement – Once you have determined your final design, it’s time to execute the plan and begin installation! Feel like this is a daunting process or that you need help? Our full team of landscape designers and a landscape architect can help transform your dreams into reality.

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

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Enrich Your Life in 2019

THRIVE TALKS A FREE Speaker Series: Inspiring Healthy Families Presented by Thrive Counseling Center

Thursday, February 21 • 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Oak Park Public Library, Main Library, Veterans Room, 834 Lake Street, Oak Park

Social Media and Technology: The Effect on Families

with Heidi Hamernik, PhD and Isaac Lopez, LCSW “Can’t I stay on my phone longer?”…. “Just one more minute!”…. “All the other kids get to play this game whenever they want to!” Sound familiar? Technology and social media have had a dramatic impact on our families: both positive and negative. During this presentation we will examine the current research surrounding how social media, digital gaming, and technology affect our families. We will also Heidi Hamernik discuss how to adjust to the ever changing influences of social media and technology and how to create a balance between our technology devices and a healthy family. • Dr. Hamernik is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and their families. She completed her pre- and post-doctoral residency at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center. She has worked at Lutheran General Hospital and is currently in private practice. • For the past 25 years Dr. Hamernik has provided pediatric neuropsychological assessments as well as individual and family therapy to children and adolescents. She specializes in neurodevelopmental disorders, emotional and regulation challenges, as well as autism spectrum disorders. • Isaac is a bilingual clinician who specializes in working with youth, families and adults. He completed his MSW in 2007 at Dominican University where he also taught as an adjunct faculty member. • Currently the Clinical Director of Thrive Counseling Center, Isaac has more than 18 years of experience as a case manager, clinician and administrator for programs seeking to support people in need. Isaac Lopez

All THRIVE TALKS are open to the public and free of charge. For questions please contact Monique Slater at mslater@thrivecc.org or 708.383.7500 x322 www.thrivecc.org/thrive-talks/

HOPE

RESILIENCE

R EC OV E RY

120 South Marion Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-7500 www.thrivecc.org

Senior-centric equipment coming to Randolph Park

Oak Park Arms, Township Senior Services help raise money By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

The Park District of Oak Park is looking to put exercise equipment on the east half of Randolph Park – and a retirement community and township agency have been collecting money to help the project along. The equipment is part of the most recent update of the Randolph Park Master Plan and came in response to feedback from seniors at the nearby Oak Park Arms, who already used the park on the regular basis. The exercise equipment is designed for people of “all levels of physical ability,” including senior citizens. The improvements will also include new “intergenerational” playground equipment for families and a new picnic area in the west half of the park, as well as some minor improvements. While the park district has allocated some funds, they only cover about half of the budget. The funds raised by the foundation will be used to cover the costs of fitness equipment specifically. The master plan shows that the fitness equipment will be located on two new fitness stations in the east half of Randolph. The equipment will include a chest/back press machine, an elliptical, a cardio stepper, a squat press and a machine for ab crunches and leg lifts, as well as equipment that helps visitors do push-ups and sit-ups. The master plan also calls for the new playground equipment that’s specifically designed for kids to play together with their parents and others. That includes a two-seat “friendship swing,” a rotating spinner and a two-person cardio walker. A photo used to illustrate the last piece specifically shows an elementary school-age child and a senior citizen using it together. Diane Stanke, the park district’s director of marketing, told Wednesday Journal that both the outdoor fitness equipment and the intergenerational playground equipment will be a first for their park system. The park district held a community meeting on the proposed improvements on April 4, 2018. It was approved effective June 2018. Stanke said that all of the renovations will cost a total of $161,000, “The cost specifically for the intergenerational play equipment is approximately $12,000 and the cost of the fitness equipment is approximately $57,000,” she said. According to the master plan, the rest of the money would go toward other improvements, such as relocation of the existing

Photos provided

STAYING FIT: (Top) outdoor cardio walker, (above) assisted row and (left) chest back press are part of Randolph Park master plan. playground’s frog statues, a new picnic area in the west half of the park, relocation of benches in the east half, new plantings and other minor improvements. Stanke said that the park district committed $75,000 out of its capital budget to cover the cost. On Feb. 9, Oak Park Arms retirement community, which offers both independent living and assisted living units for seniors, teamed up with Park District of Oak Park and Senior Services of Oak Park River Forest Townships to raise funds to specifically cover the costs of the fitness equipment. Stanke said that the funds would go to Parks Foundation of Oak Park, but it will be earmarked for Randolph Park improvements. In a statement, Heather Lindstrom, Oak Park Arms’ director of marketing, said the retirement community supported the project because it was a great asset not just for their clients, but to Oak Park as a whole. “We are excited to support the opportunity for the seniors in our community and those in the greater Oak Park community,” she said. “Our residents often go to Randolph Park, so the outdoor equipment will be an added bonus.”

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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EQUITY

Moment of alignment from page 1 to locate them to send an invite for Friday’s event. “To talk about systemic bias, when we look back over all of these photographs — a whole lot of white people, a whole lot of white men,” said Haley. “That reflects us and our limited view and it reflects the way people have risen up to impact our communities.” Another bias, Haley said, was more geographic in nature. “We started Villager of the Year in the mid-1980s and it didn’t occur to me, to us, with my biases, that there should be a River Forest Villager of the Year until substantially later,” Haley said. If those biases were on full display Friday night, so was the Oak Park’s potential for transformation it the area of racial equity, he said. “We started Wednesday Journal in 1980,” Haley recalled, adding that his motivation to start the paper was “to write about race.” Some 40 years later, he said, the paper’s focus has evolved from housing integration to diversity and now “to this really fascinating conversation about equity.” “This is really a moment of alignment of Steve’s [America to Me documentary] series, of school boards’ consensus on equity, of pretty remarkable leaders in the administration of our three school districts to focus RALPH MARTIRE on this issue and it D90 school board president is this moment of urgency. And now, we’ve got the village of Oak Park talking about equity as well.” During a roughly hour-long conversation, the panelists all pointed out the racial equity progress that the Oak Park and River Forest area have achieved over the last several years. Martire — the D90 board president who received co-Villager of the Year with D90 Supt. Edward J. Condon (who was unable to attend the event) — said that the River Forest school district’s recent strides in racial equity were rooted in simply pointing out the problem. “If the board didn’t buy into addressing this issue, then [the progress] couldn’t have happened, because we could’ve hidden it,” said Martire. “We’re a high-achieving district and we really could have hidden the fact that we weren’t serving our black and brown children. The board, however, chose to go public with the fact that we’ve looked at ourselves and we see a failing system. That’s bravery.” Moore said that, if real systemic change

“If the board didn’t buy into addressing this issue, then [the progress] couldn’t have happened.”

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

TALKING EQUITY: (Top) From left, Ralph Martire, Jackie Moore and Steve James answer questions asked by Francis Kraft on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, during the Wednesday Journal Conversations: 2018 Villagers of the Year event in the Performing Arts Center at Dominican University in River Forest. Jackie Moore (above right), a 2018 villager of the year, mingles on stage with past villagers. is going to happen, then “relationships need to be built, so that there is trust” at a community-wide level. She shared the story of her own mother, a public school educator, who insisted that when she had parties at their house to invite her friends from the predominantly black, workingclass neighborhood where she grew up, as well as her friends from the mostly white and wealthy private school across town she attended. “You’re the bridge,” Moore recalled her mother telling her. “I watched and saw my friends from my different groups become friends. [My mother] was right and it’s something that my husband and I have almost insisted on with our own kids.”

During a reflection on filming his 10-part docuseries that aired on Starz last year, James offered an anecdote that served as something of a cautionary tale for how the moment of alignment that Haley referenced could be lost. James said that he was surprised at how strong feelings were “for and against” an equity learning strand at Oak Park and River Forest High School, which was in its fifth year when James and his crew filmed and that still exists today. James said that the conflict over the program did not appear in the docuseries “in any meaningful way,” since the administration didn’t allow his crew to film meetings related to the program.

“To see the cross-purposes at which people seemed to be working on the equity work being done at the school was distressing,” he said. “There were a lot of good people with good intentions. Oak Park and River Forest are full of lots of people with good intentions who care about these issues deeply. But we just weren’t seeing [the program] manifest itself as one would hope and expect.” How to overcome this kind of stalemateinducing conflict, Haley said, is the challenge of the moment. “If we don’t figure this out, this is going to be lost,” he said. “We’ll be left with kind of our smug successes from the 1970s and we really need to do better than that.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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C R I M E

Albion construction site burglarized The construction site for the Albion building at 1000 Lake St. was burglarized by two men between 2:50 and 3:10 a.m. on Feb. 7. The offenders entered a storage unit on the construction site and took two reels of stranded copper wire, 500 feet of 3/0 copper wire and 60 feet of 4/0 copper wire. The estimated loss is $2,570. Both offenders were described as black men. One wore a black jacket with thick red horizontal stripes on the sleeve, black pants and black shoes. The second offender was described as having facial hair and wearing a black jacket with zipper pockets on both sides of the chest, gray pants and black shoes.

Burglary A residence was burglarized in the 1100 block of South Lombard between 3:30 and 8 p.m. on Feb. 8. The offender gained entry by prying open the locked front-porch window. They then ransacked the residence. The estimated loss is unknown.

Criminal trespass to vehicle A Chicago juvenile was arrested in the 3100 block of West Harrison Street, Chicago, at 6:35 p.m. on Feb. 9 and charged with criminal trespass to a vehicle. The victim was identified as a Cicero resident. No additional information was provided.

Criminal sexual assault Slobodan Milutinovic, 30, of the 7200 block of West North Avenue, Elmwood Park, was arrested in the 100 block of Madison Street at 5 p.m. on Feb. 9 and charged with criminal sexual assault. The victim was identified as an Oak Park resident. No additional detail was provided.

loaded with five rounds of ammunition. He was charged with being an armed habitual criminal, possession of a firearm without a FOID card, possession of ammunition without a FOID card and violating parole.

Armed habitual criminal arrest

Disorderly conduct

Cornell Fox, 21, of the 1700 block of North Mayfield, Chicago, was arrested in the 6000 block of West North Avenue at 12:39 a.m. on Feb. 11, after he was found in possession of a loaded Taurus .38 special handgun

A man was caught looking through the bedroom window of a residence in the 200 block of South Marion Street at 12:13 a.m. on Feb. 6. Once discovered, the offender fled on foot westbound from the window.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports, Feb. 4-11, 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 Timothy Inklebarger

Celebrating 100 Years in the Community and Celebrating the Amazing Agencies that We Support! by Bertolt Brecht

February 21– 24, 2019

Animal Care League | Tickets $17

Thursday preview 7:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sunday 3:00 p.m. Follow itinerant trader, Mother Courage, as she pulls her wagon of wares and her children through the carnage of Europe’s religious wars. Considered by many to be one of the greatest anti-war plays ever written and Brecht’s masterpiece.

events.dom.edu 7900 WEST DIVISION STREET RIVER FOREST, IL 60305

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Animal Care League is committed to providing shelter, medical care, and comfort to animals in need; reducing animal overpopulation; and acting as a community resource, thus promoting the human/animal bond. The Animal Care League has been helping homeless animals in the community since 1973

Learn more at AnimalCareLeague.org

See you at our next sale! 103 S. Grove, Oak Park IL | 708-383-2449 | info@economyshop.org

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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CARJACKING

All three juveniles were Chicago residents and each was charged with one count of aggravated vehicular hijacking and two counts of aggravated vehicular hijackfrom page 1 ing for a person under the age of 16, Oak Park Police Chief LaDon --ing kill you,” Reith heard scream- Reynolds said in a telephone intering from behind as four juvenile view. males and a woman approached The woman connected to the him from behind, sticking a hard, crime, the only person over the metal object in his back that he be- age of 17 in the group, did not lieves was a handgun. leave the scene of the crash and This was at about 5:55 p.m., mo- was not charged with a crime. ments after he picked up his two It is at least the sixth carjackchildren from Kids Unlimited and ing or carjacking attempt that’s strapped them into their child taken place in Oak Park since Jan. seats in the back seat of his 2018 1, most of them within a block or Subaru Outback. two of the CTA Green and Blue “Someone else came and pushed lines, including the following: me aside and got in the car and at ■ Feb. 4, in the 800 block of that point I said, ‘My kids are in North Boulevard at 6 p.m. the car,’” he said in a recent inter■ Jan. 23, in the 1100 block of view. “I opened the back door and South Harvey Avenue at 6:33 p.m. jumped in the ■ Jan. 20, in back seat and the 1100 block just started unof South Taybuckling them lor Avenue at frantically.” 6:28 p.m. Reith handed ■ Jan. 17, in over his keys the 700 block of and cellphone Garfield Street to bide his at 10:26 p.m. time. “I just ■ Jan. 8, in kept saying, the 400 block ‘I’ve got to get of South Maple my kids. I’ve Avenue at 6:30 got to get my p.m. kids. I’ve got to ■ Jan. 4, in get my kids.” the 200 block Both chilof South Oak dren, not Park Avenue at knowing what 8:20 p.m. was happenAt least two ing, began cryother car thefts ing. More than have taken a week later place over the they’re still both last six weeks, traumatized by where indithe event, he viduals stole said. vehicles that Reith rewere left runJON REITH trieved the kids ning. Those Carjacking victim and the four oftook place in fenders piled the 100 block of in and sped off. North Cuyler Reith’s wife was inside the Kids Avenue on Jan. 26 at 3:10 p.m. and Unlimited during the majority of in the 6800 block of Roosevelt Road the event, coming out only in time on Jan. 8 at 6:17 p.m. to see the four strangers driving Reynolds told Wednesday Jouroff eastbound on North Boule- nal that although carjackings are vard. on the uptick like this time last Police were on the scene in min- year, the good news is the Cook utes, Reith told Wednesday Jour- County Sheriff ’s Office’s creation nal and less than 10 minutes later of a carjacking database has his vehicle had been located – the helped solve more crimes. carjackers had crashed into anHe said that through the dataother vehicle near the corner of base, established last summer, Washington Boulevard and South communities are better communiRidgeland Avenue. cating about individuals involved The three juveniles fled the ve- in carjackings. hicle. They were captured within Reynolds called it a “Chicagothe next few hours by Oak Park land problem” but working with police. other departments has led to the

Arrest made

“I opened the back door and jumped in the back seat and just started unbuckling them frantically.”

Illustration by Claire Innes

CRIME MAP: At least six carjackings and two car thefts where the vehicle was left running have taken place in Oak Park since the beginning of 2019. Carjackings are noted in items 1, 3-6, and 8. Items 2 and 7 denote vehicle thefts. arrests of seven individuals in two of the cases. Oak Park investigators also have “very good leads” in two other cases, he said. Arrests often don’t happen for several months after the crime takes place. “We have more intelligence, we have more information and we have a more enhanced structure in place to make arrests faster,” he said. Meanwhile, Reith is still trying to pick up the pieces of his life, and Kids Unlimited is trying to

figure out how to make sure this never happens again. Ken Kreis, business manager at Kids Unlimited, acknowledged the lack of decent lighting in the parking lot in a telephone interview, but he noted that the lot is owned by the village of Oak Park. He said the business has put in a call to the village to figure out ways to make the lot safer, and they’re talking with an Oak Park beat officer to get more information to staff on how to safely enter and exit the building.

Reith said he just wants to get the information out about his experience, so his friends and neighbors are aware of the potential danger in the village. “The thought of them not knowing that the kids had to experience this, and the general public not knowing the kids had to experience this is a tragedy to me,” he said. “They should know when it happened, where it happened, how it happened and who was involved. That’s my only goal.” tim@oakpark.com

S P O N S O R E D

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

C O N T E N T

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Take a bite out of Elmwood Park

Elmwood Park’s second annual restaurant week boasts deals to suit every taste

ttention food-lovers! Elmwood Park is hosting their second annual restaurant week Feb. 15 through 24th. An array of participating restaurants will entice diners from the western suburbs to explore the eclectic variety of restaurant options located throughout the village. “The village board has been focused on enhancing the food scene in Elmwood Park for some time now,” says Village President Angelo “Skip” Saviano, “and our second annual restaurant week is an ideal way to celebrate the diverse food offerings we have in our community.” With more than 15 participating eateries there’s sure to be something for everyone during the foodfocused week in Elmwood Park. Read on to check out a few of the hottest deals. Relative newcomer to the ElmFood Writer wood Park dining scene, Eggsperience (16 Conti Pkwy), offers break-

MELISSA ELSMO

fast and lunch daily and hopes their restaurant week offering will appeal to busy folks working in the area. The breakfast cafe is offering “grab-and-go” breakfast sandwiches and a cup of coffee for just $7.99. Can’t decide between pizza, pasta, or veal? Not to worry! Jim and Pete’s (7806 W North Ave) has been around for nearly 80 years and the Elmwood Park mainstay is putting

OLD WORLD PIZZA Chicago’s No.1 Pizza! Take a journey back to the Old World with us.

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the diner in control of their restaurant week experience. During the week, dine-in guests at Jim and Pete’s will have the opportunity to earn gift cards for future restaurant visits. “We have a large menu with a lot of house favorites” says Jim and Pete’s owner, Michael Bucchianeri, “and we don’t want to limit menu choices during restaurant week.” By offering complimentary restaurant week gift cards ($10 for every $50 spent), Bucchianeri hopes to give new and

7230 W. North Ave. Ste 210 Elmwood Park Tel.: 708-456-8888

Free order of Crab Rangoon for 3 or more DINE IN ONLY *Expires 2/28/19

S P O N S O R E D

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C O N T E N T

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

Courtesy Jim and Pete’s Photos by Melissa Elsmo

returning customers the opportunity to try something new on their return visit or the freedom to stick with the Jim and Pete’s favorites they know and love. Massa Cafe Italiano (7434 W North Ave) has been focused on serving freshmade, family-friendly fare for nearly twenty years. The charming cafe is embracing restaurant week by offering several all-day deals. In addition to discounted prices on specialty coffees and pasta dinners, Massa plans to offer

a selection of generously sized panini sandwiches served with a side of crispy polenta fries and a scoop of award-winning gelato for just $12.49 “Food in Elmwood Park just keeps getting better and better;” says Massa co-owner, Giovanna Lollino “and restaurant week brings the community together by giving people a chance to get out and experience new restaurants.” Check out the rest of the Elmwood Park Restaurant Week offers below!

ELMWOOD PARK EATS: 1. Cheddar cheese and sausage snuggle up with scrambled eggs on 9-grain bread at Eggsperience. 2. On my last visit to Jim and Pete’s I selected the giant fresh rigatoni with ricotta, spinach and pinenuts. 3. A scoop of gelato comes with both the panini and pasta offers at Massa Cafe Italiano during restaurant week. 4. Menu selections, like pizza toppings at Jim and Pete’s, are highly personal. 5. Diners have eight paninis to choose from at Massa Cafe Italiano. ThePrimo (pictured) features grilled chicken, swiss cheese, bacon, tomato and romaine lettuce.

ELMWOOD PARK

RESTAURANT WEEK FEBRUARY 15TH - 24TH

Open for Business!

Welcome to the Neighborhood!! Elmwood Park Restaurant Week Lunch Specials $9.95 Cup of Soup + Soft Drink Included

The Second Annual Dine-In Elmwood Park, Restaurant Week gives food lovers the opportunity to sample some of Elmwood Park’s finest local establishments. Participating restaurants will be offering special menus and pricing during the week of February 15th through the 24th. VISIT ELMWOODPARK.ORG/RESTAURANTWEEK TO LEARN MORE PRESENTED BY:

THE VILL AGE OF ELMWOOD PARK AND THE ELMWOOD PARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

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708-456-3644 | 7308 W. North Ave.

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Bar Louie space on the rental market

Commercial units at Lake Street building largely vacant By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The commercial space currently occupied by Bar Louie restaurant, 1122 Lake St., is on the rental market, according to a listing on the website of the real estate group MidAmerica Urban. The listing notes that the space where Bar Louie has been located since 2006 is not the only commercial condo available in the socalled Eleven 20 Club building. Four other ground-floor suites, all of which are vacant, also are on the rental market. The Fitness Formula Clubs-Oak Park, located at 1114 Lake St., is the only commercial unit in the building that is unavailable, according to the listing. Neither a spokesman for Mid-America Urban nor Bar Louie could immediately be reached for comment. The listing identifies the Bar Louie space as a 5,987-square-foot unit, nearly 1,000 larger than the adjacent commercial space to the east, where Mattress Firm formerly was located. That space is listed at 5,020 square feet. Another vacant commercial space to the east of the former mattress shop, which formerly housed Brueg-

Photo by Tim Inklebarger

EMPTY STOREFRONT: Bar Louie on Lake Street is the latest vacancy.

gerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bagels, is listed at 2,227 square feet. To the east of that space is a vacant 1,289-square-foot commercial space that most recently housed a sales office for the Emerson development. The final vacant ground-floor commercial space, located on the alley north of Bar Louie, is 1,720 square feet. Combined the storefronts make up 16,243 square feet of commercial property in downtown Oak Park. The listing notes that the owner of the building would consider combining spaces for interested buyers. tim@oakpark.com

ADVANCEMENTS & NEW PROCEDURES FOR

CARDIAC CARE

SPEAKER: DONALD TANIS, MD Chief of Medicine at Rush Oak Park Hospital Dr. Tanis specializes in Interventional Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease, serving as Chief of Medicine at Rush Oak Park Hospital. He also serves as Assistant Professor with the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush Medical College.

Cardiovascular research has paved new roads in cardiac care, surgery and management. New innovations in valve repairs and arterial fibrillation treatments mean patients are living longer, healthier lives. Join us to hear about these new developments and how they may impact your heart health. A heart-healthy lunch will be served.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2019 11:30 AM

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to Pat Porter at 708-848-7200 or pporter@belmontvillage.com.

BELMONT VILLAGE SENIOR LIVING 1035 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 OAK PAR K ÂŠ2019 Belmont Village, L.P. | SC 52076 | belmontvillage.com/oakpark OP_WedJournal_CardiacCareEvent_2_2019.indd 1

2/6/19 2:12 PM

Property transfers p. B6

February 13, 2019

Homes

Making life Pleasant New programming includes tours at the Pleasant Home By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

he groundhog may have predicted an early spring, but in the near western suburbs, winter keeps on coming. When it’s too cold or dreary to enjoy things outside, Oak Park’s landmark Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave., is opening its doors for activities that don’t require snow boots or a shovel. New this year, the Pleasant Home Foundation is offering two private tours of the house. The tours will be limited to two to 10 participants, and each will offer an unprecedented glimpse into the life of the upper class at the turn of the century. Pleasant Home Foundation Acting Executive Director Paul Neumann notes that the

home was built in 1897, in an early style of Prairie Architecture designed by noted architect George Maher. “At the time, those in the Chicago School of Architecture were anxious to develop a new style of American architecture,” Neumann said. “George Maher was just as experimental and innovative as Frank Lloyd Wright.” This innovative style is not limited to the grand social rooms on the first floor of the home but also is shown in some of the nooks and crannies that become the basis of the Hidden Spaces tours. Covering parts of the mansion’s 16,000 square feet, the tour includes a secret pasSee PLEASANT HOME on page B3

Courstesy of the Pleasant Home Foundation

Pleasant Home Foundation/ Photo by Joe Kreml

LOWDOWN: The Pleasant Home Foundation is offering small, private tours of George Maher’s Prairie Style landmark, including rooms, like servants’ quarters, you normally wouldn’t see. February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

COLDWELL BANKER Oak Park | 6/5 | $1,595,000 422 Forest Avenue

River Forest | 6/5 | $1,199,500 632 Lathrop Avenue

Oak Park | 5/4 | $930,000 423 N Kenilworth Avenue

Oak Oark | 4/3 | $795,000 719 Linden Avenue

Riverside | 3/3 | $559,000 367 Blythe Road

Oak Park | 3/2 | $539,000 819 Linden Avenue

Updated & stylish 6 br, 4.5 ba home. Architecturally significant!

Beaut 6 br, 4.5 ba Victorian. New floors thruout. Spa-like master ba.

5 br, 3.5 ba home w/fabulous historical details. Near schools, shops.

Updated 4 br, 3 ba home rebuilt in 2006. 2-car gar. Mann School Dist.

3 br, 3 ba single-family home in a nice Riverside location.

A beautiful 3 br, 1.5 ba home that boasts charm! Remod ba. Hdwd flrs.

Monica Klinke 708.612.3031

John Haagenson 773.230.6995

Stephanie Eiger 708.557.0779

Sara Faust 708.772.7910

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Elmwood Park | 4/4 | $449,000 1808 N 74th Court

Oak Park | 5/2 | $425,000 Open Sun 11-1 | 1153 Clarence Ave

Oak Park | 3/4 | $375,000 601 South Boulevard F

Westchester | 3/2 | $319,900 1636 Buckingham Avenue

Westchester | 3/2 | $299,900 2936 Sunnyside Avenue

Elmwood Park | 4/1 | $295,000 7930 W Fletcher Street

Well-maintained 5 br, 2 ba home w/ updated electric & new paint.

Sunny 3 br, 3.5 ba end-unit TH. Fresh paint, refin hdwd flrs, patio.

Nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath single-family home in Westchester.

3 br, 2 ba home in S. Westchester. Updated kit. Fenced yard. Bsmt.

Beautiful 4 br updated brick bungalow. Yard, nice deck. Garage.

Shea Kiessling 708.710.5952

Deborah Wess 708.212.1122

Mary Lou Scala 630.789.8280

Jen Cavanaugh 630.954.4600

Bernice Sanchez 847.384.7539

Elmwood Park | 4/2 | $279,000 7840 W Sunset Drive

Westchester | 3/2 | $245,000 1821 Burns Avenue

Maywood | 5/2 | $219,999 2100 S 9th Avenue

Berwyn | 2/1 | $199,900 3415 East Avenue

Berwyn | 2/1 | $139,900 1503 Elmwood Avenue

Maywood | 4/2 | $121,000 819 S 8th Avenue

Well-maintained 4 br, 2 ba brick bungalow awaiting your design ideas!

Spacious, well-maintained 3 br, 2 ba brick ranch. Ideal location!

Beautiful & spacious 5 br, 2 ba home. Lots of updates! Priv back yard.

Freshly painted 2 br Georgian on lrg lot in South Berwyn! Yd w/patio.

2 br brick home w/full basement has loads of potential! New roof.

Beautiful 4 br, 1.5 ba house in nice area near park, transportation.

Matt Melull 847.382.3600

Julie White 708.352.4840

Manuel Contreras 708.288.5402

Stephanie Eiger 708.557.0779

Andrea Bonnie Routen 708.544.8440

Manuel Contreras 708.288.5402

Berwyn | 5/4 | $499,000 1308 Kenilworth Avenue

Riverside | 3/2 | $348,500 137 E Quincy Street

Westchester | 3/2 | $279,000 2812 Sunnyside Avenue

Berwyn | 4/2 | $225,000 3614 Lombard Avenue

Berwyn | 3/2 | $219,900 3607 East Avenue

River Forest | 3/2 | $210,000 1545 Monroe Avenue 3

Sophisticated, modern, luxury & newly constructed home. 5 br, 3.5 ba.

3 br, 2 ba single-family home in a lovely area. Great opportunity!

Solid brick 3 br, 2 ba ranch home w/2.5-car attached gar. Fenced yard.

4 bedroom, 2 bath home in a nice loc. Don’t miss this opportunity!

3 br, 1.5 ba brick tri-level home in South Berywn. Near everything!

Amazing 3 br, 1.5 ba unit has been completely rehabbed! Deeded prkg.

Lilia Perepitchka 630.954.4600

Dorene Fliger 708.352.4840

Jen Cavanaugh 630.954.4600

Dorene Fliger 708.352.4840

Lisa Clemente 708.352.4840

Ginny Leamy 708.205.9541

Spacious and well-cared-for 4 br, 4 ba brick home. Full fin bsmt.

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE? CALL ME TODAY.

Lewis R. Jones, Managing Broker Oak Park Office (Formerly Gloor Realty) 708.524.1100 | lewis.jones@cbexchange.com

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Any affiliation by you with the Company is intended to be that of an independent contractor sales associate, not an employee. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

B2 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate ■ February 13, 2019

Pleasant Home Foundation/ James Caulfield

PLEASANT HOME

Second-floor conversion from page B1 sage and a hidden message. Neumann says the foundation has a lot of stories from visitors and former residents to entertain guests along the way. The second new tour focuses on the Servant’s Staircase. Neumann notes that the first owner of the home, investment banker and philanthropist John Farson had very progressive views on labor. “He and his wife through that servants should be paid well,” Neumann said. The tour offers a PAUL NEUMANN Pleasant Home Foundation b e h i n d - t h e - s c e n e s acting executive director look at the experiences of the cooks, maids and chauffeurs who worked to host and maintain Pleasant Home. According to Neumann, the third floor was home to the female servants and could host about five maids per room. The male servants lived

“This tours... [tell] stories about the house and the people that used to live here.”

Pleasant Home Foundation/ James Caulfield

on the second floor of the old coach house, which was demolished in the 1960s. Neumann is excited to be offering new tours of the house. “We’re lucky because John Farson was written up in the Oak Leaves frequently, and he collected articles about himself,” he said. “The scrapbook is at the OPRF History Museum. These tours fall into that area of telling stories about the house and the people that used to live here.” Advanced registration for the tours of at least one week is required, and reservations can be made by emailing Neumann at pneumann@pleasanthome.org.

Royal Weddings event

On Feb. 22, the Pleasant Home will host a Royal Weddings event at the house. At 7 p.m., historian and lecturer Leslie Goddard will present a living portrayal of British Royal Weddings, followed by a reception on the second floor of the Pleasant Home. A private pre-reception, limited to 25 guests will include an auction of five British-inspired fascinator hats. Neumann says that the event ties nicely into the role Pleasant Home plays for many. “Pleasant Home is currently used for weddings, receptions and rehearsal Pleasant Home Foundation/ James Caulfield dinners, and we have an

Pleasant Home Foundation/ James Caulfield

GRACIOUS SETTING: Pleasant Home is currently used for weddings, but renovation of a second-floor space will provide a suite to accommodate those who need space to prepare and dress. historic wedding dress, which will be on view during the event,” he said. Noting that people tend to get engaged around the holidays, Neumann says the event offers an opportunity to combine that timing with a surge in interest in royal weddings following last year’s nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Pleasant Home is converting secondfloor space previously used by the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society into a wedding suite. Neumann states that the

launch will allow people getting married in the home to have space for preparation and dressing in the home. On Sunday, March 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. Pleasant Home will partner with the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest to host a concert of Scott Joplin at the Pleasant Home. The ragtime music will be paired with themed alcoholic punch and root beer for purchase. See PLEASANT HOME on page B5

February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

Let Us Put Your Home on the Map

# 1 Team of Oak Park-River Forest, 2018, 2017 1000+ Homes Sold 5-Star Agents in Chicago Magazine #1 Office in Oak Park-River Forest, and in the Entire Mred Multiple Listing Service, 2018 Contact Us for a Market Evaluation of Your Home The pins on this map represent just some of the homes sold by SWK Group

Patti Sprafka Wagner 708.218.8102

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1011 South Boulevard Oak Park, Il 60302 B4 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate â&#x2013; February 13, 2019

Zak Knebel 773.290.9293

Zak@swkgroup.house

NEW LISTING

LUXURY 510 KEYSTONE, RIVER FOREST $1,395,000 :: 7+ BED :: 7.5 BATH

907 LATHROP, RIVER FOREST $1,495,000 :: 6 BED :: 7.5 BATH

Gourmet kitchen opens to family room. Attached 3 car garage. Walk to train.

Beautiful Tudor - Attached 3 car garage. Expansive lot - too much to list.

NEW LISTING

132 S GROVE, OAK PARK $539,000 :: 3 BED :: 3 BATH

7310 HOLLY , RIVER FOREST $1,125,000 :: 6 BED :: 5.5+ BATH

Beautiful kitchen & baths. Located in the heart of Oak Park, walk to everything.

Great family home - newer construction in awesome location. Walk to everything!

KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com

Think local.

Pleasant Home Foundation/Darris Harris

COMING SOON: Upcoming events at Pleasant Home include a ragtime concert on March 3, an architectural lecture on April 25 and the annual Revel on June 22.

PLEASANT HOME from page B3 Neumann says the musical theme fits into the timeline of the house and offers a chance for visitors to see how the house was designed for entertaining. In April, with the advent of warmer weather, Neumann will take the reins, offering a lecture on April 25 at 7 p.m. Neumann, who has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Historical Society and the Frick Collection, has a master’s degree in museum studies from Georgetown University. He will be sharing some favorite homes, which have shaped the architectural character of the country. From small bunga-

lows to the amazing Hearst Castle to Oak Park’s own historic beauties, Neumann will discuss the unique architecture of the country. “I’ll speak about the wonderful range of homes here,” he said. “Why people are interested in historic homes, and why it is important to teach people about historic houses.” Neumann points out that it has been a big year for Pleasant Home, which saw renovations to its roof and a restoration of the front entrance’s art glass windows. To celebrate, the Pleasant Home Foundation’s annual Revel will take place on June 22 and will celebrate the second owner of the home, Herbert Mills. Information on all events can be found at www.pleasanthome.org

OakPark.com ForestParkReview.com RBlandmark.com Complete local news coverage. Breaking news email updates. Expanded video and photo coverage. Community links. Check it out!

February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

P R O P E R T Y

T R A N S F E R S

Oak Park home sells for $675,000

The following property transfers were reported by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds from December 2018. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the recorder of deeds.

OAK PARK ADDRESS

PRICE

SELLER

BUYER

326 S Austin Blvd 235 Harrison St 1122 Westgate St 1 233 N Elmwood Ave 178 N Elmwood Ave 622 N East Ave 1018 Forest Ave 500 S Lyman Ave 308 N Oak Park Ave 1043 N Oak Park Ave 1138 N Ridgeland Ave 809 S Elmwood Ave 1030 N Elmwood Ave 1000 N Marion St 316 S Lombard Ave 1154 S Ridgeland Ave 323 S Taylor Ave 302 S Lombard Ave 326 S Humphrey Ave 623 S Harvey Ave 817 N Ridgeland Ave 1035 S Scoville Ave 220 S Cuyler Ave 931 S Kenilworth Ave 141 Francisco Ter 304 Clinton Ave 933 Clinton Ave 851 Columbian Ave 1106 S Grove Ave 729 S Lombard Ave 6543 North Ave 900 N Harvey Ave 324 N Marion St 1N 1025 Randolph St 208 228 N Oak Park Ave 3W

$3,040,000 $1,380,000 $1,150,000 $810,000 $720,000 $675,000 $669,000 $665,000 $657,500 $640,000 $630,000 $620,000 $567,500 $550,000 $545,000 $532,000 $483,500 $480,000 $456,000 $435,000 $417,000 $408,000 $372,500 $355,000 $334,500 $315,000 $300,000 $285,000 $285,000 $275,000 $260,000 $230,000 $225,000 $185,000 $165,500

Greenplan 326 Austin Llc Greenplan 229 Harrison Llc Bbq Llc Beasley William G Hazkial Anthony Garcia Nicoll Garry Rist Jennifer 500 Lyman Llc Davis Raphael Ludwig Christian Osineme Obumneme E Ehlke Christopher S Brimstin Eric J Elman Zachary D Clark Kelli M Windelborn David Joseph Shanna Troung Mykim T Miller Corey B Howland Michael A Blobaum Dean Lloyd John Bestor Kevin E Keefner Thomas Bradley Verpil-Greer Johanne M Baronger Dev Llc Aletheia Sa Llc New Age Ventures Llc Warrior Const Inc 800 Llc 6545 N Llc Jbcii Pholdings Llc - 900 Harvey Op Montanari David Byron Joseph J Riordan Michael

1217 N Harlem Ave 125 Washington Blvd 1251 420 Home Ave 308S 426 S Lombard Ave 204 1127 Erie St 2A 169 N Grove Ave 5B 224 Lake St 918 S Austin Blvd

$145,000 $140,000 $112,000 $100,000 $96,000 Unknown Unknown Unknown

Schuman Corp Schuman Corp United Dental Partners Llc Raftet Thomas D White Thomas P Tr Manning Elizabeth C Tr Mitchell Anthony A Seok Kyun Se Tr Us Bk Conway Sean M Third Coast Hldgs Llc Allington Jason Ebert Matthew S Cole John E Frank Daniel R Jr Tr Rmac Lendg Llc Kilavos Zoe Linde Christine L Tr Frankel Scott J Tr Balmer Brett M Gaynor Nicholas D Tull Christopher W Smith Jennifer W Tr Zucaro Lucy Olga Sharp Kelly B Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Sciaccotta Robert Ind Extr Hanawalt Assets Llc Quille Rita Anne Wood Jane E Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Reverse Mtg Solutions Inc Kirsch David Anselmo Frank M Jkm Prop Inv Mgmt Llc Series Marion Parcel 1 Fantis Edward P Jr Wilson Donna M Palacio Luis Doyle Susan M Anderson David G Judicial Sales Corp Judicial Sales Corp Judicial Sales Corp

B6 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate â&#x2013; February 13, 2019

Grandview Capital Llc Diaz Veronica Jajic Nikola Barbosa Maria A De Sousa Osborne Karen L Tr Federal Natl Mtg Assn U S Bk Deutsche Bank National Trust Co.

622 N. East Ave., Oak Park

RIVER FOREST ADDRESS

PRICE

SELLER

BUYER

7772 Central Ave 227 Keystone Ave 1005 Bonnie Brae Pl 5E 1330 Lathrop Ave 721 Monroe Ave 625 Forest Ave 942 Forest Ave 434 Clinton Pl 602 1420 N Harlem Ave 7348 Lake St G1

$2,020,000 $1,000,500 $615,000 $590,000 $516,000 $503,000 $500,000 $165,000 $148,000 $132,500

Shirley Apts Ltd Ps Ryan Willliam Barnicle Matthew W Tr Doppes Joseph C Greene Joan Ward Arends Nancy H Tr Diglio Joanne Horrigan John F Iii Us Bank Sweeney Maggie

776-7772 Central Ave Llc Hinton Deborah Sturgis Divane William T Jr Tr Terrell Eric W Coloff Jonathan Burnstein Kenneth A Diglio Melissa Gorski Amy Galvez Jose M Hughes Nathan

FOREST PARK 1416 Elgin Ave 929 Harlem Ave 526 Marengo Ave 7531 Brown Ave 104 1029 Lathrop Ave 7428 Harrison St 1239 Elgin Ave 7624 Madison St 300 Circle Ave 2K 1508 Circle Ave 315 Des Plaines Ave 103 850 Des Plaines Ave 101 7432 Harrison St 314 Lathrop Ave 205

$440,000 $344,000 $315,000 $267,000 $259,000 $175,000 $152,000 $110,000 $78,000 $76,500 $76,500 $70,000 Unknown Unknown

Sturgis-Hinton Deborah Delos Reyes Julian-Avelino S Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Sheth Jigish Adelman Jessica A Wrt Marcia Intercounty Judicial Sales Corp Goedert Paula C Extr Cotton Shea M Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Roach Ronald H Tr Empire Quality Rentals Llc Stefl Timothy C Judicial Sales Corp

Spratt Patricia S Tr Richardson Evan D Mahendra Sudil Thompson Sharla Hitre Ian Leonard Tiffany A Black Gold Properties Lp Fish Finder Llc Redmond Melissa Tr Grandview Cap Llc Husic Sebila Chenette Brian Stefl Timothy Tr Hsbc Bk Usa

OPEN SUN 122

NEW LISTING

731 BELLEFORTE AVE, OAK PARK

1434 JACKSON AVE, RIVER FOREST

714 WILLIAM ST, RIVER FOREST

936 FOREST AVE, RIVER FOREST

1136 GUNDERSON AVE, OAK PARK

5 br, 4.1 ba $999,000

5 br, 3.1 ba $939,900

3 br, 2.1 ba $640,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $595,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $547,000

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Victoria Witt 708.848.5550

Jeanette Madock 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

NEW LISTING

OPEN SUN 13

NEW LISTING

845 IOWA ST, OAK PARK

325 N GROVE AVE, OAK PARK

847 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

300 N MAPLE AVE 16, OAK PARK

713 S EAST AVE, OAK PARK

3 br, 1.2 ba $525,000

5 br, 1.1 ba $495,000

4 br, 1.1 ba $475,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $475,000

3 br, 2 ba $450,000

Jeanette Madock 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Kelly Fondow 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

Get Noticed. World-Class Marketing that moves your home from Listed to Sold. 101 N. Oak Park Avenue | 708.848.5550

NEW PRICE

936 MARENGO AVE, FOR EST PARK

1230 N EUCLID AVE, OAK PARK

943 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

812 AUGUSTA ST, OAK PARK

1170 S HUMPHREY AVE, OAK PARK

8 br $447,500

3 br, 1.1 ba $439,900

3 br, 1.1 ba $428,600

3 br, 2 ba $425,000

4 br, 2 ba $399,000

Jeanette Madock 708.848.5550

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

Pauline Sharpe 708.848.5550

Robert Hann 708.848.5550

OPEN SUN 122

NEW PRICE

156 N OAK PARK AVE 2H, OAK PARK

709 HAYES AVE, OAK PARK

1020 RANDOLPH ST 3W, OAK PARK

300 N OAK PARK AVE 2, OAK PARK

1029 BELOIT AVE, FOREST PARK

2 br, 2 ba $349,000

3 br, 1 ba $329,000

3 br, 2 ba $309,000

2 br, 2 ba $297,000

3 br, 3 ba $240,000

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Monica Dalton 708.848.5550

Dorothy Gillian 708.848.5550

| February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

NEW PRICE!

BERWYN

FOREST PARK

3 BR, 2 BA .....................................$229,000

1 BR, 1 BA .....................................$190,000

3 0 :DOVK &2 1SVEFOUJBM

Tagger Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien â&#x20AC;¢ 708-456-6400 6LQFH

FOREST PARK

2 BR, 2.5 BA ..................................$294,900 Ken Van Santen â&#x20AC;¢ 708-975-0210

FOREST PARK

OAK PARK

2 BR, 1 BA .....................................$148,000 Steve Scheuring â&#x20AC;¢ 708-369-8043

OAK PARK

3 BR, 2.1 BA ..................................$349,800 Pych Team, Linda Rooney â&#x20AC;¢ 773-297-3473

OAK PARK

4 BR, 2 BA ..................................................................................................................... $389,000 Greer Haseman â&#x20AC;¢ 708-606-8896

3 BR, 2.2 BA ..................................$360,000 Steve Scheuring â&#x20AC;¢ 708-369-8043

OAK PARK

2 BR, 2 BA .....................................$420,000 Steve Scheuring â&#x20AC;¢ 708-369-8043

OAK PARK

4 BR, 3 BA ..................................................................................................................... $579,000

4 BR, 2 BA .....................................$492,000

Greer Haseman â&#x20AC;¢ 708-606-8896

OAK PARK

6 BR, 3.1 BA .................................................................................................................. $590,000 Steve Scheuring â&#x20AC;¢ 708-369-8043

Tagger Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien â&#x20AC;¢ 708-456-6400

3 0 :DOVK &2 1SVEFOUJBM 6LQFH

Want to see your listings in Distinctive Properties? Contact Marc Stopeck at 708.613.3330 or marc@oakpark.com B8 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate â&#x2013; February 13, 2019

OAK PARK

4 BR, 2.1 BA ..................................$594,800 Kyra Pych • 708-648-0451

OAK PARK

5 BR, 4.1 BA .................................................................................................................. $875,000 Steve Scheuring • 708-369-8043

OAK PARK

4 BR, 3.2 BA ............................................................................................................... $1,225,000 Steve Scheuring • 708-369-8043

OAK PARK

4 BR, 3.1 BA ..................................$718,800 Kyra Pych • 708-648-0451

RIVER FOREST

1 BR, 1 BA .....................................$497,500 Saretta Joyner • 312-318-4777

OAK PARK

6 BR, 3.1 BA ............................................................................................................... $1,600,000 Greer Haseman • 708-606-8896

RIVER FOREST

3 BR, 2.1 BA .................................................................................................................. $650,000 Steve Scheuring • 708-369-8043

RIVER FOREST

5 BR, 3.1 BA ...............................$1,095,000 Gagliardo Realty Associates • 708-771-8040

7375 West North Avenue River Forest, Illinois 60305 708.771.8040

Want to see your listings in Distinctive Properties? Contact Marc Stopeck at 708.613.3330 or marc@oakpark.com February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

RIVER FOREST

6 BR, 5.1 BA ...............................$1,795,000 Gagliardo Realty Associates • 708-771-8040

7375 West North Avenue River Forest, Illinois 60305 708.771.8040

RIVER FOREST

4 BR, 2.1 BA .................................................................................................................. $775,000 Greer Haseman • 708-606-8896

RIVER FOREST

4 BR, 4.1 BA ............................................................................................................... $1,175,000 Greer Haseman • 708-606-8896

STILL TIME TO CUSTOMIZE!

Lots of Homes to LOVE every week in Wednesday Journal

50% SOLD IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY STARTING AT $479,000 New Luxury Townhomes Walk to restaurants, shops, Metra Attached 2-car Garages Blue Ribbon Schools

M O D E L O PE N 15 Forest Avenue, River Forest (Corner of Forest Ave & Madison St)

Open Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-1PM or by appointment

promenaderiverforest.com · 708.457.1400 B10 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate ■ February 13, 2019

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest Donna Barnhisel Cibula 7375 West North AvenueJoe Dan Bogojevich Don Citrano MANAGING Anne Brennan Alisa River Forest, Illinois 60305 Coghill BROKER/OWNERS Karen Byrne Kay Costello 708.771.8040 Kevin Calkins JoLyn Crawford Andy Gagliardo Tom Carraher Pat Cesario

Tom Poulos

Maria Cullerton Julie Downey

Kurt Fielder Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox Laura Gancer Chris Garvey Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin

924 ASHLAND • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

163 N CUYLER • OAK PARK

Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Sherree Krisco Jack Lattner Charlotte Messina

Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney Colleen Navigato John Pappas Sue Ponzio-Pappas Rosa Pitassi Caroline Rauch

Michael Roche Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

926 ASHLAND • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

1035 BONNIE BRAE • RIVER FOREST

N E W LIS TI NG!

N E W L ISTIN G!

HANDSOME PRAIRIE INFLUENCED HOME, evident in gorgeous original wood and beautiful art glass windows throughout. Beautiful entryway, classic wood mantle, French doors, built- ins. Charming coach house. Special home much loved by same family for two generations. ..............................................................$899,000

STATELY BRICK/STONE ENGLISH STYLE HOME with 6 bedrooms and 7-1/2 baths. Features include a formal living room with limestone wood burning fireplace, dream kitchen, sun-soaked breakfast room, Smart Home ready, white oak floors, mud room, 10 ft ceilings. ........................................................................... $2,490,000

RARE NEW CONSTRUCTION in prime location is like no other. From the cut limestone, European detailing to the unequal foyer, it has no peers. This 7 bedroom, 7-1/2 bath home offers private office, elaborate chef’s kitchen, 10 ft ceilings, mud room, impressive lower level. .................................................................................... $2,490,000

BRIGHT, SPACIOUS BRICK TOWNHOME with 3 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths in outstanding location! This townhome lives like a single-family with three full levels of living space, private yard and garage parking! Beautiful refinished hardwood floors and freshly painted throughout. ..............................................................$419,000

923 ASHLAND • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

438 LENOX • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

639 N LOMBARD • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

611 THATCHER • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

N E W L ISTIN G! THIS LOVELY HOME, found in premier RF location, offers wonderful space for family and entertaining, along with 2 fireplaces and hardwood floors. This elegant home is beautifully constructed and large enough to accommodate family and friends for years to come. ...................................................................................$1,225,000

CLASSICE NORTH OP HOME with impeccable curb appeal. Three bedroom, one and a half bath home includes a wood burning fireplace, stained glass, family room, eat in kitchen, ample closet space, expansive deck overlooking a beautiful yard. Discover the best of Oak Park!................................................................................ $469,000

READY TO MOVE IN charming 3 bedroom home features a welcoming front porch with swing and sitting area. Home offers magnificent oak woodwork, stained glass & hardwood floors. Finished basement. Large deck & beautifully landscaped yard. Home has many extras! ...........................................................................$432,500

RIVER FOREST HOMES

ELEGANT, GRACIOUS HOME with 4 BRs, 2-1/2 BAs offers a large formal LR w/gas fireplace, spacious DR, hardwood floors, beautiful molding, family room, eat-in kitchen, finished lower level and whole house generator. Outside includes back deck & 3 car garage. ....................................$700,000 GREAT LOCATION & EASY LIVING in this single family Tri-level home on a quiet Cul-De-Sac street. Great flow for entertaining, complete with family room. MBR has an en-suite European bath. Finished lower level has a 1/2 bath, study and exercise room. Growth to make it your own.$599,000 PRICE REDUCED OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU exists in this brick colonial with attached garage. Three bedrooms---shared Master Bath with huge walk in closet. Walking distance to school and parks. ................... $509,000

CENTER OF TOWN VICTORIAN with high ceilings, four spacious levels of living in beautiful Oak Park. This 5 BR, 3-12 BA home offers a formal entry, wood burning FP, sun room, family room, eat-in kitchen. Great flow, tons of natural light & storage throughout this beauty! ........................$650,000 MOVEIN READY with space for everyone! Enjoy the well thought out design of this 5 BR, 4 bath home! 1st FL includes open floor plan, kitchen/ family room combo, BR, full bath. 2nd FL features 4 BRs, 2 full baths, laundry. Finished basement with additional BR and 4th full BA... $599,900 A TRUE OP BEAUTY! Enjoy the deep park-like lot in Northwest Oak Park. Well maintained 1905 Farmhouse with 3 BR, 1-1/2 baths. In great condition! ..................................................................................................... $435,000

OAK PARK HOMES

FOREST PARK HOMES

UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home! ... $1,545,000 BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONAL BRICK HOME with four large bedrooms and two and a half baths offers a wood burning fireplace, high ceilings, leaded glass windows and beautiful architectural details. The sun room has French doors leading to a paved patio. A must see property! ....... $760,000

AWARD WINNING RENOVATION of this impressive 4 bedroom, 3 full bath luxury home! Large open floor plan, designer kitchen, mud room with built-ins, huge pantry, finished basement rec room, loads of storage and three separate porches. Architect designed landscaping. ............. $639,000 ENJOY LUXURY LIVING in this masterfully renovated home on an extra wide lot. Gutted down to the studs, this Impressive open concept home features wood floors, natural light and high-style designer finishes. 1st FL office, finished LL family room and easy access to a large deck. ..$469,000

BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. .......................$2,399,000 EXCEPTIONAL RENOVATION in the heart of RF presents unparalleled quality and design. The quality construction continues into the rehab where not a detail has been missed throughout this thoughtfully proportioned home with 6 BRs and 5 full and 1 half bath. ................................ $1,795,000 SETTING A NEW STANDARD in approachable elegance, this five bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home will exceed your expectations with wide plank hardwood floors, striking lighting and custom millwork throughout. One of a kind floor plan, and three fully finished levels. ......................... $1,250,000 STATELY LANNON STONE GEORGIAN that is move in ready with five large bedrooms, and three full baths. Large room sizes, remodeled gourmet kitchen, family room, three fireplaces , full finished basement, walk up third floor storage with 10 foot ceiling. Slate roof. Attd 2 car garage.$1,095,000 UNIQUE QUALITY BURMA BUILT HOME with 5 bedrooms and 3 full, 2 half baths. House has many wonderful features; 2 separate office areas, hardwood floors, kitchen with all newer appliances, adjoining eating areafamily room. Finished basement. Three car garage .......................$895,000

GRACIOUS, NEWLY UPDATED four bedroom, two full, two half bath home features refinished hardwood floors, a recently renovated kitchen, updated bathrooms, two laundry rooms. Longtime owners have meticulously maintained this home. Enjoy all it has to offer! .......................................................................................$835,000

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2-FLATS RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Top floor, corner unit. ......................... $259,000 PRICE REDUCED RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. ...............................$114,500 NEW LISTING OAK PARK 3BR, 3BA. ........................................... $399,900 NEW LISTING FOREST PARK 4 Flat............................................ $435,000 FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA. Neat, tidy unit. ........................................ $95,000

The Spring Market is Here!

Contact a Gagliardo Realty Associates Agent for a free market analysis

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

B11

In The Village, Realtors

841 N MARION ST OPEN SUN 11-12:30 PM

1032 S HARVEY AVE OPEN SUN 1-3 PM Harry Walsh, Managing Broker

Mike Becker

Oak Park • $459,000 3BR, 1.1BA Call Elissa x192

Oak Park • $899,000 Multi unit Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $280,000 3BR, 2BA Call Joe x117

Oak Park • $699,000 4BR, 2.2BA Call Roz x112

Roz Byrne Joelle Venzera

Tom Byrne

Forest Park • $419,000 Multi unit Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $594,800 4BR, 2.1BA Call Kyra x145

Oak Park • $675,000 6BR, 4BA Call Roz x112

Oak Park • $309,900 3BR, 2.1BA Call Elissa x192

Home of the Week Open Sunday 12-2pm

Kris Sagan

Laurie Christofano

Forest Park • $199,900 2BR, 1BA Call Kris x101

Forest Park • $150,000 3BR, 2BA Call Marion x111

Linda Rooney

Marion Digre

1139 S Lombard Ave, Oak Park Morgan Digre

Ed Goodwin

Oak Park • $119,800 1BR, 1BA Call Laurie x186

Joe Langley

$349,800 • 4BR, 2.1BA

Oak Park • $110,000 1BR, 1BA Call Mike x120

Jane McClelland

B12 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate ■ February 13, 2019

Kyra Pych

Call Kyra x145

Keri Meacham

Mary Murphy

Steve Nasralla

Elissa Palermo

is all you need

February 13, 2019 â&#x2013; Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

B13

No. 1 Oak Park Office in 2018!

3BR/2BA & a Chicken Coop (We get you.)

1114 Forest Ave | River Forest

622 S Cuyler Ave | Oak Park

174 N Marion St | Oak Park

738 N Marion St | Oak Park

1188 Clinton Ave | Oak Park

1016 Hayes Ave | Oak Park $399,900 Patti McGuinness

431 S East Ave | Oak Park

106 S Ridgeland Ave | Oak Park

415 S Ridgeland Ave | Oak Park

2400 Oak Park Ave | Berwyn

930 William St | River Forest

439 Thomas Ave | Forest Park

7541 Brown Ave | Forest Park

1016 Baldwin Ln | Oak Park

808 N Humphrey | Oak Park

945 N Elmwood Ave | Oak Park

822 Forest Ave | River Forest

415 N Lombard Ave | Oak Park

1188 Home Ave | Oak Park

732 S Taylor Ave | Oak Park

$999,000 Kara Keller

$649,000 Kara Keller

$699,000 Victoria Atkins

$349,900 Swati Saxena

$180,000 Kim Wojack & Anne Ferri

$789,000 Roman Lewis

$465,000 Arrick Pelton

$679,900 Patricia McGowan

$365,000 Leigh Ann Hughes

$294,900 Ken Van Santen

$359,900 Ed Bellock Jr.

$749,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik

$256,500 Lois Bonaccorsi

$429,900 Bethanny Alexander

$350,000 Vanessa Willey

$449,000 Heidi Rogers

$334,900 Sandra Dita Lopez

$399,900 Saretta Joyner

$699,900 Celeste Duignan

Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest | 1037 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 | 708.697.5900 | BairdWarner.com B14 View more at OakPark.com/Real-Estate â&#x2013; February 13, 2019

Virtuosity

(vur’ choo was’ e te’) noun. Displaying great technical skill above and beyond the average; masterful

Sunday, February 17, 2019 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1128 S. Oak Park Ave. UNIT 1W, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $125,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 210 N. Oak Park Ave. UNIT 1GG, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $144,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 3456 N. Narragansett Ave. UNIT 1, Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $225,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1 2817 Ridgeland Ave, Berwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $245,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 2817 Ridgeland Ave, Berwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $245,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 1032 S. Harvey Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $280,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

864 Carpenter Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $319,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1139 S. Lombard Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 170 N. Marion St. UNIT 10, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $364,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2 1122 N. Harvey Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$419,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1153 Clarence Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $425,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 639 N. Lombard Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $432,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 841 N. Marion St, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $459,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-12:30 438 Lenox St, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $469,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1217 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $485,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 721 Ontario St. UNIT 106, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $495,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4 325 N. Grove Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . $495,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Tom Carraher redefines the essence of real estate service. Finding someone who is indeed dedicated to mastering his craft is rare. For Tom Carraher, being the best is the only way to be. He works hard to make it look easy. He will not settle for second best—not for himself or his clients. Call Tom Carraher at 708-822-0540 to achieve all of your real estate goals.

842 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $575,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 842 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $575,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 1-3 942 Lathrop Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . $639,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 719 Linden Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $795,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 611 Thatcher Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $835,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 923 Ashland Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,225,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 926 Ashland Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,490,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

CONDOS

924 Ashland Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,490,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

415 S. Maple Ave. UNIT 201, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$119,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2

TOWNHOMES

Tom Carraher ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1

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February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

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his stunning home, located at 1147 Forest Ave. in River Forest, has undergone multi-year restoration and enhancement work performed by skilled professionals from top to bottom. Starting with the Italianate entryway, the first floor features a huge sunken living room with spectacular crown moldings, an exquisite fireplace, and two sets of French doors. The kitchen is designed for a gourmet chef, featuring top-of-theline fixtures, Thermador appliances and custom made cabinetry. You will love the four-season solarium and full-fledged breakfast room with its arched cabinet and a floor-to-ceiling book case.

Online • In Print Homes • Agents • Financing • Neighborhoods Renovation • Open Houses

The master bedroom, with its French doors and grand balcony, also offers a full bathroom with a whirlpool tub. The second bedroom and tandem room are currently used as a second floor media room, with integrated surround sound. Altogether, the home has six bedrooms and four full and one half baths. The finished basement includes a bedroom, bathroom, office, a multipurpose room/ kitchen area, utility rooms, and a food/ wine cellar.

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The property also features a renovated luxury studio apartment style coach house with separate HVAC. The property is situated on a large, wooded, corner lot. The backyard features an in-ground heated swimming pool with automatic cleaner, and a six foot tall wrought iron fence with automatic gate openers. 1147 Forest is immaculate and ready to move in! For more information, or to schedule a private showing, contact Pauline Trilik Sharpe, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group, at 708-785-1895 A member of the franchise systems of BHHS Affiliates, LLC

Our team of brokers is committed to your success! F E A T U R E D

P R O P E R T Y

Oak Park Beautiful and meticulously maintained side entrance classic American Four Square in highly desirable area of Oak Park! Pristine oak floors, gorgeous detail throughout. Large, sunny formal living room with original decor fireplace flanked by built-in shelving. Formal DR. Beautiful professionally landscaped yard and patio. The second floor boasts 3 large bedrooms + a versatile tandem. 3BR/2BA ..$475,000

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

Erica Cuneen Managing Broker

Cynthia Howe Gajewski

Broker Associate

Ruby Blair

Broker Associate

Denise Espinosa

Broker Associate

Karen Baldwin

Broker Associate

Denise Sacks

Broker Associate/ Office Manager

Oak Park

R DE

R NT

Michele Strimaitis

Phil Joseph

Broker Associate/ Client Care Coordinator

Broker Associate

Lisa Allen

Kristen Hollinden

Client Care Coordinator

Marketing Coordinator

Oak Park

A TR

Martha Murphy

Broker Associate

Isaac Jordan

Marketing and Technology

Chicago

Spacious two-story with hdwd floors throughout. Large kitchen overlooks large backyard with deck and patio. 1st floor laundry! Huge fam rm & bar area in finished basement. Expansion possibilities on third floor. Open front porch. 2-car garage plus add parking spot. 4BR/1.5BA........$420,000

Rare opportunity to own HUGE 2 flat on deep, double lot with double garage (4 car parking) only 2 blocks from vibrant downtown OP! Units are 3/4 BR, 1400+ square feet each. Possibility to duplex down into the basement for even bigger living space! 2 Flat – 7BR/2BA..................$475,000

Unique condo is truly a one-of-a-kind find! Hardwood floors, woodwork, art glass windows, abundance of natural light make unit incredibly warm and inviting. Kitchen with cherry wood cabinets, granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. Don’t miss out! 3BR/2BA................$320,000

Don’t miss your chance to enjoy the luxury of District House! This stunning 3-bedroom unit (plus office!) is the last developer listing available and boasts a breathtaking open floor plan, 10 ft. floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony overlooking the LEEDcertified green roof. 3BR/2.5BA.. $575,000

Dunning area gem is just the surprise you have been waiting for! Sunny, expanded bungalow on tree-lined street checks so many boxes. Huge eat-in kitchen w/newer black stainless-steel apps and bay window, backyard with plantings, patio, and a sturdy 2-car garage. 3BR/1.5BA.............$299,900

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

Cynthia Howe Gajewski • 312-933-8440

Erica Cuneen •708-220-2025

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

Cynthia Howe Gajewski • 312-933-8440

O CL Forest Park

Chicago

Conveniently located mixed use space! Retail on 1st flr with three 1-BR apartments on 2nd flr. Close to Blue Line, I-290, and bus. Each unit has upgraded windows and long-term tenants. Six parking spaces! Opportunity for an investor or business owner! Mixed use – 4 units.............$320,000

Charming auto body structure sits on 75x125 corner lot in Montclare, a great development or business opportunity! Clean EPA, 3 bays, and month-to-month rented parking. Great for a user or developer - lots of condos and rental units around. Great restaurant as well...$425,000

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

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Chicago

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You can’t go wrong with this solid brick bungalow! Beautiful original woodwork and great bones! There are 2 generous-sized bedrooms (large closet in master), a partially finished basement with retro rec room (tall ceilings, wet bar!). 2BR/1BA...........$193,000

Georgian in heart of Galewood. Hardwood floors, new windows, open floor plan, updated granite/SS kitchen, DR. LR with WBFP, mantel, built-in shelving. Fnshd bsmnt, large fam rm with WBFP. Wellmaintained home! 3BR/1.5BA......$310,000

HDWD flrs, built-ins, art glass! Modern kit with ss applncs. Mstr Suite with two walk-in closets, window seat plus mstr BA, double vessel sinks, sep shower, soaking tub. 3rd flr with BR, wd flrs, built-ins, skylights. Fnshd bsmnt with half BA. Close to El, shops and restaurants. 4 BR/3.5 BA.................$565,000

Karen Baldwin • 708-288-1995

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

Erica Cuneen •708-220-2025

F E A T U R E D

P R O P E R T Y

Oak Park Gorgeous with sustainable design on double lot! Open floor plan, beamed ceilings, 1st flr family rm, 2nd floor laundry, master suite with private deck, 3 closets, tub & shower, finished basement! Rare energy star rated home-geothermal heating/cooling system. 5BR/3.5BA.............. $750,000

Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

708.386.1366 • 109 N. Marion St., Oak Park • beyondpropertiesrealty.com February 13, 2019 ■ Wednesday Journal/Forest Park Review

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February 13, 2019

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Spring Sports Thrills • Character Visits • Bounce Houses • Train Rides Obstacle Courses • Entertainment Stage • all ages welcome!

Sunday, April 28 • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Athletico Center • Northbrook 1900 Old Willow Rd., Northbrook, IL 60062

Discover Chicago Parent Marketplace! Shop at a dozen small retailer booths as part of the fun!

Visit ChicagoParent.com/playdate for advance tickets and info!

Special Advertising Section

C A M P G U I D E | F E B RUA RY 2 01 9 Special Advertising Section

February 13, 2019

Cam p G u ide F EB RUA RY 2 01 9

OA K PA R K F O R E S T PA R K R I V E R F O R E ST RIVERSIDEBROOKFIELDNORTHRIVERSIDE

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SUMMER CAMP

KIDS LOVE $

25 OFF

PER WEEK

ENROLL BY FEB 28 REFER A FRIEND BY MARCH 15 AND SAVE $

100 DEEP OCEAN EXPLORERS RENAISSANCE ADVENTURE MAKERS WORKSHOP EXPEDITION TO EVEREST

JULY 15 - AUGUST 23 Hosted By First Presbyterian Church of River Forest 7551 Quick Ave, River Forest

F E B RUA RY 2 01 9

Academia, Institute of Language and Culture

Special Advertising Section

308 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 708-401-0888 www.chicagoacademia.com

Explore cultures from around the world! From Crete to Madagascar, Mongolia to Azerbaijan, get ready to travel far and wide! Each week is a new adventure! Take a daily Spanish lesson, enjoy the sandpit, splash pad, park fun, and playtime with new friends. Weekly field trips for ages 5+ to restaurants, museums, bowling, pottery studio, forest preserve and more. Ages 3-5 head to Wonder Works Children’s Museum every week. Ages 3.5-10 – full-day, 7:30am-6:30pm. Half-day week/day passes and custom scheduling available. Early-bird pricing from $360/week (or $324/week when enrolling siblings). Valid until Feb. 28. Email us at info@chicagoacademia. com Text/call: 708-401-0888

F EBRUA RY 2019

Camp Galileo

SUMMER CAMPS KIDS LOVE IN RIVER FOREST www.galileo-camps.com 800-854-3684. At Camp Galileo, pre-K – entering 5th graders find the perfect mix of summer camp fun and hands-on learning. Each week of our four-week program is organized around a different inspiring theme and full of projects carefully designed for every age group. Supported by the boundless energy and experience of the best staff around, campers rotate through science, art and outdoors. Camp Galileo comes to First Presbyterian Church of River Forest July 15 to August 23. Optional extended care and healthy lunch. Financial Assistance available. Learn more at www.galileo-camps.com or 800-8543684.

Camp Now EnrollinGuide g S for

ummer

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

e Make Math ake Sense

CAMP LISTINGS

EST PREP HOMEWORK HELP SUMMER PROGRAMS PRE-K – 12TH GRADE

ED S

CAMP GUIDE

SAT, ACT & ISEE TEST PREP HOMEWORK HELP SUMMER PROGRAMS

Huskie Summer Sports Camps!

Now nrollinMath g WeEMake for SumSense Make mer

Mid-June through July at Oak Park and River Forest High School General and Sport-Specific Camps Serving First Grade through High School Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Cheer, Distance Running, Drill Team, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Pole Vault, Soccer, Volleyball, and Water Polo

Huskie Swim Camps • Ages 4-10

Staffed by OPRF Coaches and Varsity Swimmers

Pre K - 12th Grade Remediation to Enrichment WE ARE EXPERIENCED EARLY REGISTRATION SPECIAL: MATH SPECIALISTS FREESummer CONSULTATION CONSULTATION Slide Prevention 25% OFF ALLFREE Summer An in-depth SAT/ACT look at how the An in-depth look at how the Prep Programs the Method works WE TEACH ALL LEVELS during Mathnasium Method works Mathnasium & Geometry and howAlgebra we can meet your and how OF MATH ABILITY month of Februarywe can meet your family’s needs. family’s needs. Review/Preview PROVEN RESULTS

Mathnasium Oak Park/River Forest

Mathnasium La Grange

1101 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302 1 S. Waiola Ave, La Grange, IL 60525 mathnasium.com/your web address Your Locationlagrange@mathnasium.com mathnasium.com/your web address oakparkriverforest@mathnasium.com 123 Any Street Rd. 800-123-4567 800-123-4567 mathnasium.com/oakparkriverforest mathnasium.com/lagrange Any Town, ST 90000

708.613.4007mathnasium.com/your web address 708.582.6593

Summer 2019 Camp Brochure Available Early March at www.oprfhs.org/Athletics Online Registration Opens April 2 for Swim Camp & April 3 for All Other Camps

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F E B RUA RY 2 01 9

February 13, 2019

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Swim with the Sharks this Spring! Mon/Wed from April 1st through May 8th (12 sessions)

Camp will be held at Roos Recreation Center, Forest Park - At the corner of Circle Ave and Harrison St.

Baby Sharks Intro to Basketball

K-4th Boys and Girls 5:00-6:00 (K-4th Co-Ed) $150.00 Each session will be composed of both drills and individual/team contests. Prior basketball experience is not required.

Junior Sharks

APEX Sharks

4th-6th Grade Boys and Girls

6th-9th Grade Boys

King/Queen of the Ocean: 6:00-7:30 (4th-6th Co-Ed) $195.00

King of the Ocean: 7:30-9:00 (6th-9th Boys) $195.00

King of the Ocean Shooting/Ball Handling Challenge Team Competitions in our Signature Sharks Format (Triple Threat, 33 Jumpstreet, etc...) Awards including custom shoes and bags available. Camp includes Sharks gear!

Sharks Alumni League Local High School/College players looking for a menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s league this spring/summer? Email us at info@sharksbasketballacademy.com

Learn more at

sharksbasketballacademy.com

or email

info@sharksbasketballacademy.com

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February 13, 2019

F E B RUA RY

2019

Special Advertising Section

CAMP LISTINGS Mathnasium of Oak Park/ River Forest

1101 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 708-613-4007 oakparkriverforest@mathnasium. com mathnasium.com/ oakparkriverforest

Mathnasium of La Grange 1 S. Waiola Ave. La Grange, IL 60525 708-582-6593 lagrange@mathnasium.com mathnasium.com/lagrange SUMMER FUN WITH A PURPOSE!

Use the Summer to let Mathnasium help your child Catch up, Keep Up, and Get Ahead! Mathnasium is the nation’s leading math only learning center, specializing in teaching kids math in a way that makes sense to them in a fun and engaging environment. Mathnasium can prevent the summer learning slide and prepare your student for the rigors of his or her new math curriculum in the fall. Working with students in Pre K-12th grade, Mathnasium can make a student’s summer both enjoyable

and productive. Whether your child is signifi cantly behind or leaps ahead, Mathnasium develops a program to challenge and excite their math muscles. Mathnasium has learning centers in both Oak Park and La Grange! For more information and to schedule a trial session, call Mathnasium and see what a difference it can make.

OPRF/Huskie Summer Sports Camps

Mid-June through July at Oak Park and River Forest High School

General and Sport-Specific Camps Serving First Grade through High School Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Cheer, Distance Running, Drill Team, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Pole Vault, Soccer, Volleyball, and Water Polo Online Registration Opens April 2 for Swim Camp & April 3 for All Other Camps

Park District of Oak Park

Hedges Administrative Center 218 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 708-725-2000

Come and enjoy your summer with the Park District of Oak Park! Our camps are accredited by the American Camp Association and accommodate kids 2-14. We offer a variety of camps including half-day, full-day, early and extended care. Go skating, swim in the pool, learn new circus tricks, play with science, play ball, learn tennis, get crafty and much more! For more information please visit www.pdop.org/ camps

River Forest Park District

401 Thatcher Avenue River Forest, IL 60305 708-366-6660 rfparks.com

In addition to our popular half-day morning camps (Tot Camp, Kidz Camp, and Ultimate Sports Camp), we offer a large variety of afternoon specialty camps ranging from sports and fitness to STEAM, cooking, and art. For the older kids, we offer Thrill Zone, a fieldtrip based camp for kids ages 10-14.

LAUGH HARD. PLAY HARD. MAKE FRIENDS. REPEAT.

TRADITIONAL DAY CAMPS HALF-DAY & FULL-DAY EARLY & EXTENDED CARE GENERAL SPORTS CAMPS TENNIS CHESS GOLF FIGURE SKATING SOCCER SCIENCE & NATURE FOOTBALL OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SKATEBOARDING ARTS CIRCUS BASKETBALL SWIMMING BASEBALL GYMNASTICS TEEN SCENE COUNSELOR-IN-TRAINING PROGRAM LEGO PRESCHOOL CAMPS HOCKEY LACROSSE VOLLEYBALL COOKING AND MORE! REGISTER AT PDOP.ORG/CAMPS

With over 40 camps to choose from, we have something for everyone! To view our 2019 Summer Camp Guide, go to rfparks.com Resident registration for Summer Camps begins February 25. Non-resident registration for Summer Camps begins March 25.

Sharks Basketball Academy

sharksbasketballacademy.com info@sharksbasketballacademy. com

Sharks Basketball Academy aims to provide all players with the essential skills to achieve success in life and in athletics by reinforcing work ethic, team work, responsibility, and accountability. We pride ourselves in providing a fun, safe, and competitive atmosphere for all athletes ranging from beginners to future collegiate players. Boys and Girls from Kindergarten through 9th grade can start playing with the Sharks this Spring and on through the summer! Spring camps begin on April 1st. For more information about our spring and summer programming, email us at info@sharksbasketballacademy. com. Our camps are held at Roos Recreation Center, Forest Park (the corner of Circle Ave and Harrison St).

School of Rock Oak Park

219 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 708-298-0002 Oakpark.schoolofrock.com

Our very popular Oak Park School of Rock Summer Music Camps will get your child rocking this summer! We have camps for absolute beginners thru advanced players and cover a wide range of musical tastes. Our Performance camps are designed to teach music, build confidence and create memories that will last a lifetime. Kids of all ages and abilities work together to create a real rock experience complete with a show unlike any other. Our camps for younger kids will spark a passion for music that will get them on their musical journey. Let’s Rock!

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February 13, 2019

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CAMP LISTINGS The Viola Project violaproject.org 773-349-2685

Join The Viola Project in Austin Gardens for three different week-long Shakespeare summer camps full of acting, ice cream and fun! Campers will do scene work, play theatre games and work with professional Chicago actors. They’ll also get an inside look at Oak Park Festival Theatre’s summer season and perform at the end of week on a professional set! Choose from Queen Camp, Villain Camp, and/ or Much Ado About Nothing Camp. All programs focus on getting campers to speak up and speak out on what’s important to them, whether it’s running for president or writing a sonnet.

SUMMER WITH CAMP CHOICES FOR ALL AGES AND SKILL LE VELS, SCHOOL OF ROCK IS THE PERFECT SUMMER ACTIVIT Y FOR YOUR CHILD. OUR SUMMER MUSIC CAMPS ARE PERFORMANCE-BASED, ME ANING STUDENTS LE ARN TO PL AY BY REHE ARSING AND PERFORMING TOGE THER IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT. FROM BEGINNER CAMPS TO SONGWRITING AND THEMED CAMPS, WE OFFER A WIDE VARIE T Y OF OPTIONS TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD HAS AN AMA ZING, IMMERSIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCE. SIGN UP YOUR CHILD NOW AND WATCH THEM BECOME A MUSICIAN THIS SUMMER.

SCHOOL OF ROCK | Oak Park 219 Lake Street, Oak Park, 60302 708-298-0002 oakpark.schoolofrock.com

World Explorers Summer Camp! Explore cultures from around the world. From Crete to Madagascar, Mongolia to Azerbaijan, get ready to travel far and wide!

With over 40 different summer camps, we have something for everyone! Our 2019 Summer Camp Guide is available online. Check out our large variety of fun summer camps at rfparks.com. Resident registration for Summer Camps begins February 25. Non-resident registration for Summer Camps begins March 25.

Take a daily Spanish lesson, enjoy the sandpit, splash pad, park fun, and playtime with new friends. Weekly field trips for ages 5+ to restaurants, museums, bowling, pottery studio, forest preserve and more. Ages 3-5 head to Wonder Works Children’s Museum every week, and local parks. Ages 3.5-10 – full-day, 7:30am-6:30pm. Half-day week/day passes available. Early-bird pricing from $360/week (or $324/week when enrolling siblings). Valid until Feb. 28. Visit us at www.chicagoacademia.com Email: info@chicagoacademia.com Text or Call: (708) 401-0888

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CAMP GUIDE

The Viola Project Using the works of William Shakespeare, The Viola Project unites and empowers girls from diverse backgrounds to stand up, advocate for themselves, and demand inclusion.

F E B RUA RY 2 01 9

Special Advertising Section

SUMMER 2019, OAK PARK CAMPS

Queen Camp July 8-12

All camps run from 9 am - 3 pm Mon.-Fri.

Villain Camp July 29-August 2

The Viola Project welcomes all youth ages 10-16 who culturally identify as girls and women. Our students are welcomed regardless of their race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation of ability.

Much Ado About Nothing August 5-9

This program is partially supported by grants from the Chicago Foundation for Women, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency through federal funds

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ELMWOOD PARK

RESTAURANT WEEK FEBRUARY 15TH - 24TH

The Second Annual Dine-In Elmwood Park, Restaurant Week gives food lovers the opportunity to sample some of Elmwood Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest local establishments. Participating restaurants will be offering special menus and pricing during the week of February 15th through the 24th. VISIT ELMWOODPARK.ORG/RESTAURANTWEEK TO LEARN MORE PRESENTED BY:

THE VILL AGE OF ELMWOOD PARK AND THE ELMWOOD PARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Black History Month Celebration and Health Fair “Equality in Healthcare” Striving to close the health care gap in the Austin community. Join us for free health screenings, health information and a celebration of Black History Month. 10:30 to 11:30 Free Health Screenings Health Information Booths 11:30 to 12:45 Black History Month Program by students of Ella Flagg Young Elementary School Keynote Speaker: Rev. Stanley Stephens, President, WSPCA

Wednesday, February 20th 10:30 am – 12:45 pm

West Suburban Medical Center Lower Level Classrooms A-D and Lecture Hall

Please call to register at 844-794-4301 The physician(s) featured in this publication is/are (an) independent member(s) in good standing with the medical staff at West Suburban Medical Center and is/are neither (an) employee(s) nor (an) agent(s) of the hospital. As such, the hospital is not responsible for any actions that this/these physician(s) may take in his/her/their medical practices. This/These physician(s) is/are (an) independent physician(s) who is/are a member(s) of the West Suburban Medical Center medical staff, and is/are not (an) employee(s), (an) agent(s) or (a) partner(s) of the hospital, and has/have not entered into joint ventures with the hospital.

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death.”—Martin Luther King, Jr, March 25, 1966

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

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

VIEWPOINTS

Islamophobia has no place here p. 23

Think before leaping into school reform

n 1968 when I enrolled in a small college in rural Iowa, Calvin Trilling wrote a New Yorker article singling out the school. He noted that even its “idyllic college life” was interrupted by the emerging student protests of the ’60s against the war and racism. [New Yorker, April 20, 1968] In the first semester, I had eye-opening experiences. One was a student takeover of the college administration building in support of black students, demanding a black activities center, black speakers, black courses and more black faculty. The second was an honest re-evaluation of my brilliance as a mathematician, caused by meeting my new roommate Mark. Although he and I attended the same math class, for him it was a repeat of an OPRF class in his hometown, Oak Park, something that my high school did not offer. Fifty years later I reside in Oak Park, where the issues of racism and school quality are still unresolved. The demands made at my college for more representation of the black perspective on campus were repeated by OPRF students last fall. And the quality OPRF education that my college roommate experienced was still available to my children who were raised here. In recent months, the voices calling for changes at the high school to support the education of minorities have grown louder, more insistent and less patient. One civic leader urged the board to “move quickly” [WJ, Nov. 21]. A popular teacher announced that “things have gotten so much worse” that she felt compelled to take a leave of absence [WJ, Nov. 7] The local newspaper publisher accused the school’s past leadership of sitting on their hands [WJ, “It’s now or never at OPRF”]. These voices seem ostensibly reasonable given the limitations of our progress. If there were a time for suggesting that we hold our horses, this would not appear to be it. But maybe it is. Failed attempts at educational reform in the name of improving the reach of our schools are now legion. Two recent presidential administrations initially endorsed No Child Left Behind — before it was completely overhauled because of perverse consequences. In Atlanta, many teachers falsified student test results because of pressure from their administration. In New York, there have been major reform misadventures at both the state and local level. This week the state of New York reversed a plan to require half of a teacher’s rating to be determined by student results on standardized tests, only four years after the plan was adopted. And last year the city of New York abandoned a $773 million school reform program that had been “imposed by a mayor eager to show on a national stage” improvements in the poorest-performing schools. Does this have the ring of an Oak Park voice arguing that OPRF must focus “on educational equity or we just give up the bragging rights”? [WJ 9/26/18] In the years between my introduction to an Oak Park roommate in college and today’s initiatives to reform OPRF, much has been left to be accomplished. The social injuries owing to centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation are still conspicuous. It should not be a matter of embarrassment to say that Oak Park has not found the solution. Listening to the various voices in the village, one realizes the consensus to take action is not matched by agreement on the type of action. And an honest inspection of the failed school reform experiments across the country is sobering. Hopefully, women and men with level heads will lead our schools. Their goal should be to do those things that are best for generations of minority students, rather than to protect the near-term reputation of the village. The history of both our village and our country suggests that this will be a grinding struggle, requiring equal parts of inspiration and perspiration … and patience. Dale is a nearly 40-year resident of Oak Park whose children attended the local public schools.

DALE

SORENSON One View

Credit: Peace Jam Foundation/Facebook

Oak Park schools would benefit from Peace Jam

ids are the future, and regardless of which “side” you’re on in politics, we are seeing strong opinions from children making headlines. I recently read an inspiring article by a neighbor in Oak Park, comparing the “school-to-prison” pipeline for black kids, and what she described as the “school-to-politics” pipeline for white kids. I have worked in charter schools that claimed to be the best for the black kids on the South and West sides of the city and have seen firsthand the way they are treated like prisoners. Those kids, especially the boys, were “bad” if they didn’t get in line — literally and emotionally. I am certain that what the author wrote is true, and that we (I am white) are also conditioned from childhood to expect privileges and to give privileges because I can’t even imagine a white school like some of the charter schools in the city. As a speech therapist, I know children recognize when things are unfair — and we all know they certainly bring it up. I personally feel they don’t need to be taught what “fair” is, but the problem arises when the adults “correct” them and un-teach fair. The author is hopeful that we can take on the privilege of white schools and remove the inherent lessons of entitlement that we teach. I might have a suggestion for our little corner of the world that doesn’t require us to reinvent the wheel, and is affordable, global, and lauded. I’m sorry I didn’t suggest it sooner. The program is called “Peace Jam” and they have a curricu-

lum to teach actions toward peace and tolerance in schools. When I was in college in St. Paul, Minnesota, I was part of our on-campus activist groups and participated in an oncampus conference with Peace Jam hosting Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum. It was inspiring and everyone walked away from it feeling empowered. Peace Jam can certainly speak for itself through its website, www.peacejam.org, and I encourage everyone to check it out. This program connects youth to 13 Nobel Peace Prize laureates to have direct conversations about Compassion in Action and builds a platform to motivate real action projects for youth to build equality and tolerance. They have curricula for literacy, civics, project-based learning, mentorship, and antibullying. I think Oak Park would be perfect for these programs as I see a community eager for tangible, tried-and-true solutions for our kids. I care about kids, I have built a career to help those who can’t communicate to have a voice, and I regret not thinking of bringing this program to my hometown sooner. Activism these days is a lot of discussion with relatively little action, but I see the young people really doing and taking immediate and bold actions. Sometimes they are braver than we are, thank goodness, and I hope we can give them the tools that bring more good into the world. Katie Wilkie is a speech therapist and an Oak Park resident.

KATIE WILKIE One View

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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V I E W S

Whither Lake Street?

ith word that Bar Louie is not long for Lake Street, it becomes apparent that a confluence of factors is turning the stretch of Lake from west of Marion all the way to Harlem into a quiet zone. This occurs while Lake Street thrives from Marion to Forest Avenue with retail, restaurants and the sturdy Lake Theatre driving traffic and Marion Street and North Boulevard south of Lake holding up well. So what gives? A few thoughts: Discount the perpetual vacancy at the old Marshall Field’s, or for more recent transplants, the old Borders Bookstore. It is a great and visible space. It has a lower level that will never again be viable retail. The upper floors are fairly well filled and generate cash. And while there is parking a half block north, the building has the feel of being parking deprived. Add to that the unmotivated and unimaginative family that owns the site and you have a prime vacancy that is likely to remain vacant. Not the fault of the village government. And not likely to be transformed into a boutique hotel no matter how often it is suggested in our comments or on social media. The arrival of the new Target store clearly proves that there are shoppers nearby. But seemingly that store and its parking garage to the south has reoriented traffic patterns to the detriment of Lake Street retail and dining and it has diminished the stretch as a pedestrian destination. You’d need to hire a high-priced consultant to prove it up but it seems clear to us. And finally we’d suggest that the soon-to-be clean sweep of retail and dining out of the base of what we all think of as the FFC building is certainly pegged to the higher property tax rates that new construction generates. This is problematic for a key frontage on Oak Park’s most important commercial street.

Tax gifts and tax fibs Through errors of omission, commission, negligence or greed, the two public school districts serving Oak Park (and at the high school level also River Forest) have fairly drastically overtaxed citizens in recent years. That is entirely a stick in the eye to homeowners, apartment building owners and commercial property owners who were paying steep taxes even before these mistakes compounded the costs. So as we’ve said before, it is always disingenuous when representatives of either the District 97 elementary schools or Oak Park and River Forest High School try to take credit for efforts to rebate the unfairly collected tax or to suggest solid stewardship in reducing the obscene financial reserve the high school piled up over a decade. That said, there is some good news from District 200 on taxes. The high school has qualified — no we’re not entirely clear on how — for a new state program that is shipping/reimbursing OPRF $3.8 million based on the school district agreeing to cut its local taxes by $5.8 million. Add it all up and the owner of a $400,000 home in Oak Park or River Forest will pay $280 less to D200 next year. Where our financially teetering state is coming up with the $3.8 million is unclear. That D97 does not qualify for the bonanza is clear but unfortunate. Our final point, made before and sure to be made again: The test of whether these two school districts, the prime beneficiaries of local property taxes, are serious about respecting stretched local property taxpayers is how they treat the incremental tax revenue about to be generated by the new high-rises in downtown Oak Park. There are only a handful of children living in their buildings so school costs are not rising. If the schools consider the gift of these new taxes as a way to hold the line on existing taxpayers, the message will have been received. If the hike is seen as found money to be appropriated, we have the wrong people in office.

@ @OakParkSports

What will they think of us?

uring Deep Freeze 2019, I took inventory of my columns from the past calendar year — for submission to the Illinois Press Association’s Best of the Press Contest. I pulled all 53 (some years there’s an extra Wednesday) then arranged them in categories to check the distribution: 1 – Catholic Church (the scope of the sex abuse scandal widened, a rough year to be Catholic) 3 – Personal tributes (friends who got married, one in memoriam, and one who I hope will live forever) 3 – The documentary series, “America to Me” (I’m surprised it was only three) 4 – Gun violence/regulation (a recurring theme for years and always timely, such as the upcoming one-year anniversary of Parkland, Florida, the new Valentine’s Day massacre) 5 – Twins (I get more comments about my grandson columns than any other, including from my grandsons, now that they know I’m writing about them) 5 – Reprints of past columns (which generated more comments than I expected) 5 – Poetic/philosophical/personal reflections (soul stuff) 8 – National politics (leading up to the mid-term election of all mid-term elections) 29 – Strictly local If you’re doing the math, that adds up to more than 53, but some fall into more than one category. Overall, the distribution seemed about right. My goal is to be “mostly” local, but I like having the freedom to range a bit. Looking through the local columns, I wondered what people in the future, who stumble across them in the smoking rubble of the former United States of America, might think about the village they depict. The second column of 2018, for instance, “Surviving the deep freeze,” was written after 12 straight days in late December/early January when “temperatures never got within shouting distance of 20 degrees, and most of the time were mired in single digits, one side or the other of dreaded zero.” That pales in comparison to -20 over three days the week before last, but 12 consecutive days set a record. I wrote about Oak Park’s Fair Housing history, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 ordinance (“Why I’m proud to be from Oak Park,” May 16); Harriette and Mac Robinet’s experience as Fair Housing-era pioneers and their memories of the day King was killed (“From many flags, one people,” April 4); Village Manager Association history as the VMA officially dissolved after 66 years (“The VMA legacy we can’t afford to lose,” June 20), and a reminiscence of Halloween in Oak Park in the year 2000 (“Trick-ortreating when you’re older,” Oct. 31). I covered Sergio Quiano’s funeral (“Upholding the covenant of community,” March 7), attended by a diverse array of local residents who gathered at St. Edmund Church to celebrate the life of a modest, gentle man who was murdered in his apartment. The crime may never be solved, but there is no mystery about whether his life had meaning because so many testified to his impact on their lives. Parishioners and non-parishioners alike drew close Saturday morning to reenact an ancient ritual, one that defies death, defies even murder — that says violence may steal a life, but it cannot steal a life’s meaning. It is

the covenant of community: We promise to be a witness to each other because everyone’s life has value. … Because, at our best, we hold one another in our hearts. In the future, people can read about middle-school students (“Helping us believe again,” April 25) who organized a march and led a rally in Scoville Park against mass killings caused by too-easy access to firearms, which often target schoolkids, such as the 13 (plus four staff) killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida two months earlier. They have changed the conversation. Focused it. Liberated it. They’re saying things adults stopped saying because we stopped believing change was possible. These kids stepped up and helped us believe again. They’re not going away and neither are we. I also wrote a column urging all of youth to “Never stop calling B.S.” on our “pathetically weak” elected officials who block gun regulation (Feb. 28). Or they can read about Shawn “Mr. Weekend” Weakliss’ surprise party at Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor (“A community birthday bash for Shawn,” May 30): This is a story about a community where a local movie-house ticket-taker can turn into a celebrity. … It’s about a movie-house [Lake Theatre] that patrons from three communities bond with, inspiring enough good memories to bring them out on a rainy Monday night to honor someone they only interact with for a few seconds — but over and over again, spanning an entire childhood. And it’s about living in a digital era when a do-gooder’s impulse is magnified and summons over 100 people to give one good guy a birthday he’ll never forget. Ultimately, it’s about being, and staying, connected. … One boundary-less, big-hearted community. Future inhabitants might read about high school students turning the sidewalk outside the main entrance into a canvas (“Chalk up another graduating class at OPRF,” June 6) as a special sendoff for graduating seniors on the last day of classes, wishing them well on their journeys into adulthood and reminding them their time here was worthwhile. I listed them in my own order, ending with my favorite: “Growing up is a beautiful experience.” It is, don’t you agree? And if departing grads feel that way, we’ve done our job. Or a column about graduates from the OPRF class of 1968, who came back to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the journey that began here (“Remembering, reconnecting and saying thanks,” Oct. 17). And they can read about what a good place Oak Park was to wander and wax poetic (“Jogging on Pleasant Street,” Aug. 15). A year’s worth of columns forms a virtual time capsule of what life was like in our tri-village community — as in the song by Michael Smith, where “the morning is heavy with one more beginning … when all of our lives were entwined to begin with, here in Spoon River.” And most of these columns are entwined as well. They chronicle and celebrate community, finding it at times in the most unusual places, here in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. Is it the whole picture? Not by a longshot. Just a snapshot. Not the whole thing but enough, I hope, to do us justice.

KEN

TRAINOR

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

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Timothy Inklebarger, Nona Tepper Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter Marty Farmer Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, Cassandra West, Doris Davenport Staff Photographer Alexa Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Jacquinete Baldwin, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck, Bill Wossow

Islamophobia has no place in a city of big shoulders

ear Friends, In these turbulent times, it is particularly important for us to lift our collective voice for love and justice. At a time when many of our national leaders seek to divide us by targeting immigrants and other marginalized groups, we must show particular compassion and concern for those among us who are made to feel vulnerable. As people of faith, we strongly support freedom of religion, which is a core value of our American democracy, and we are grateful for the religious and cultural diversity that makes our society better. Therefore, it is with great sadness that we learned this week of the Islamophobic emails of Joe Ricketts, a patriarch of the family that owns the Chicago Cubs. These emails have been made public. They are completely abhorrent and unacceptable. So many of us have enjoyed watching the Cubs play baseball. We have fond memories of cheering for the Cubs, celebrating their victories, and keeping the faith during their times of struggle. The opportunity to enjoy a baseball game can feel like a great equalizer — surely anyone can choose a favorite team and become a fan! And beautiful Wrigley Field, with its ivy-covered brick outfield walls, is one of the iconic images of Chicago.

COMMUNITY OF CONGREGATIONS One View

But let us not become confused about what really defines Chicago. What defines Chicago is the people — who are culturally, religiously, racially, and ethnically diverse — in all the myriad and endless possibilities that make for a thriving city of rich

communities. There is no space in this beautiful tapestry called Chicago for hatred or the targeting of any religious group. There is no space for scapegoating, or for the spreading of baseless conspiracy theories, racism or lies. In our beautiful city, we choose to celebrate our diversity. We seek to protect the religious and cultural freedom of all people. In this hour of sadness, we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Muslim brothers and sisters. We offer them our love, our friendship and our support. And we reject, in the strongest possible terms, the targeting of Muslims or any religious group. These are uncertain times for our Muslim friends, and we must affirm, again and again, how grateful we are for their many valuable contributions to our beloved city of Chicago, for their patriotism, and for their friendship. Peace.

Board of directors

Community of Congregations

Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan Event Coordinator Carmen Rivera Ad Coordinator Nonna Working Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ■ 250-word limit ■ Must include first and last names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY ■ 500-word limit ■ One-sentence footnote about yourself, your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

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

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

When will Kids + cryptography = secret messages Democrats grow up? D O O P E R ’ S

M E M O R I E S

hen I was in eighth grade, George Warren, Art Solomon and I decided we would like to communicate with each other using a cryptogram. Art had come across this idea when he read The Adventures of the Dancing Men, a Sherlock Holmes mystery. When Art explained this means of communication to George and me, we were perplexed by the difficulty we would have devising a simple cryptogram that would be easy enough to decipher quickly. Art told us that the easiest form for us to use would be a substitution cipher where the original text letters would be replaced by cipher symbols arranged in the same order as the original message, and would use a “+” sign to indicate the end of a word. The cipher symbols we used were numbers and the cryptogram set up was this: 1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C, 4 = D, etc. We also used the Armed Forces time where a zero followed by one or two numbers followed by two zeros would be the time indication. On a Thursday, George gave me the first coded message. He asked me what time I would meet him on Saturday afternoon. The coded message I put in his desk on Friday read: 9 12 12+ 3 15 13 5+ 2 25+ 1 20+ 0 14 0 0+ or “I’ll come by at 2:00.” Art was a fan of spy stories, so he told us we would have to set up a drop where we could place the messages we sent to each other. We thought about places where we could set up a drop, but nothing safe came to mind. George suggested we could leave the messages under a rock that he would place on the northwest corner of the playground, but Art and I told him students and teachers

would probably see us hiding the messages and wonder what we were doing. Art suggested we use the hollow tree stump on the northwest corner of Chicago and Forest for our drop, but George said the messages might be destroyed by the elements if we didn’t retrieve them quickly, and he agreed people would probably see us making a drop. We had reached a deadend until George suggested we could deliver the messages to each other at school while passing in the hallways rather than in our respective classrooms. This was a good idea because Art was in seventh grade, and there was no way that George or I could go into Art’s classroom and make a drop. We communicated in this fashion during the school year, but during the summer we set up a drop under a large rock on the Holmes School playground. This worked well. No one ever saw us that we knew of, nor was any message ever removed. If a message had been removed, though, the words would have meant nothing to the reader without him or her knowing the cipher. We took turns every day checking the drop. Although we had a great time with the cryptogram, we played the game for only one year, and by the time the three of us were in eighth grade and high school, respectively, we had moved on to other pursuits. John Stanger is a lifelong resident of Oak Park, a 1957 graduate of OPRF High School, married with three grown children and five grandchildren, and a retired English professor (Elmhurst College). Living two miles from where he grew up, he hasn’t gotten far in 78 years.

JOHN

STANGER

Thanks for the needed coverage on Triton In the past, I have been critical of the lack of Wednesday Journal coverage of Triton, our community college. So it’s only fair that I now thank WJ for Michael Romain’s excellent story on the appointment of a new senior administrator at Triton [Triton hire his ‘concerning,’ says faculty union, News, Jan. 30], and the faculty union’s contention that the position should not have been filled without a

search process that included public posting of the open position. Thanks also for your editorial on this issue [Our Views, Jan. 30]. Romain’s article and your editorial help make our community aware that Triton has a history of insider hiring, has a poor graduation rate, and has a mainly white administration and faculty though nearly 60 percent of its students aren’t white.

I hope and believe that your attention to Triton will help inspire improvements at the community college that our taxes support. I also hope you make endorsements for the next Triton board election, and that some of your readers with education expertise run for the board next time.

Judith Alexander Oak Park

Is alley plowing counterproductive? After a snowfall, the plows prioritize sensibly, clearing the streets first and don’t get to the alleys until the next day. By then, cars have made a manageable track and homeowners have either shoveled their aprons, or have simply packed down the snow

on the aprons with everyday use of the cars. This works quite well, but then the plows come through the alleys and create icy mounds of snow that are difficult to remove and must be dealt with to get into and out of the garage. As the alleys are generally al-

ready passable before the plows come by, the alley work seems unnecessary. Am I alone in wondering whether plowing the alleys is counterproductive?

Jim Whalen Oak Park

emocrats are such suckers. Perhaps we deserve to keep losing elections to vicious, anti-American, racist, homophobic, antediluvian, willfully ignorant, misogynistic, corrupt Republicans. Democrats fall all over themselves demanding Virginia Governor Ralph Northam resign over a decades-old photograph posted by a right-wing conspiracy website. Why? No one believes Northam is racist. No one accuses him of racist political behavior as governor nor of any misdeeds in the past 30 years. He apologized for his poor taste in the distant past. What are the consequences of this Democratic overreaction? 1) Democrats are eating their own. The Republicans could not be happier. We have an overtly racist president, who is supported at every turn by almost every Republican in Congress, yet Democrats are outraged when another Democrat is found to have shown poor judgment. 2) “Zero tolerance” means “zero intelligence.” For any transgression, no matter how minor, to be punished by the political death penalty is outrageous. Making a joke in poor taste is equated with actually lynching or raping a victim. 3) This kind of knee-jerk political correctness convinces 1/3 of Americans that they will always be held in contempt by liberals. Some are outright racists and we do not covet their votes; the GOP can have them. However, many more do not consider themselves racist, but still feel they will be shunned because the PC brigade allows no room for the slightest error in judgment. This is the flagrantly unjust type of PC that Trump so successfully disdains to the cheers of his supporters. 4) Democrats allow no sense of humor. The stupid photo in question was obviously intended as a joke. Humor in poor taste, but humor. These were not two people ready to head out to lynch anyone. Al Franken also felt the wrath of those lacking a sense of humor. He was banished from the Senate for a spur-of-the moment joke in the distant past. No one was hurt; no one was intended to be hurt. No one even complained until they were goaded into it by the self-righteous PC squad. Poor taste? Yes. Deserving the Death Penalty? Absolutely not. 5) We will run out of Democrats. The level of “transgression” that is permitted is so trivial that no sane person can imagine they could survive public life as a Democrat. Republicans are shameless, and hang on despite proven felonious behavior. They pride themselves in expressing overt racism, homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, and ignorance. Democrats have no room for error, and are eaten alive by their own over something they forgot 35 years ago. In contrast, the GOP had no qualms about installing a likely serial rapist onto the U.S. Supreme Court. 6) The Republicans now know that in the 2020 election, all they have to do is disinter some tiny ancient “sin” by the Democratic candidate, then wait until three weeks before the election, and reveal the sin to the media. The Alt-Right trolls are already gearing up after this successful foray into domestic terrorism. The Democrats will concede the election without a fight. They will feel self-righteous as they hand a second term to Donald Trump, Pussy-Grabber-in-Chief, Servile Underling of Vladimir Putin, The Most Corrupt President in U.S. History. The Democratic candidate will have been soundly punished for winking at a girl in high school. When will Democrats grow up and act like they belong in charge? Tom DeCoursey is a longtime resident of Oak Park.

TOM

DECOURSEY One View

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

A day of empowerment, education, liberation It’s common to hear that the purpose of education is to produce better citizens. But is that all it’s meant to do? One meaning of “educare,” the Latin root of “education,” is “to bring up.” Bringing up young people, challenging them to challenge themselves, is what the Youth Social Justice Conference at the Oak Park Public Library on March 16 is all about. The one-day “Educate to Liberate” Youth Social Justice Conference will feature community builders, expert speakers, group panel discussions, and engaging activities, including a stage reading by Echo Theater Collective, a performance from the OPRF High School Hip Hop Club, and a keynote address from Dr. David Stovall, UIC professor of African American Studies, Criminology, and Law and Justice. Our goals for this full day of learning, exchanging ideas, and growth are to create space for youth to critically explore social justice topics, inspire them to take action in their community and the world, equip them with the necessary tools, and connect them to community builders and peers leading ongoing efforts for commu-

nity and global transformation. Now more than ever, we need to educate our students outside the box. We need to help them develop their own compass to navigate their way through the world. This one-day conference builds on the work we’ve been doing since October 2017 through a grant-funded initiative made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Based at the Oak Park Public Library in partnership with Triton College and the Equity Team (E-Team), we offer activities that build personal and social skills for middle and high schoolers, after-school tutoring, mentorship for young people planning to enter college and the workforce, and support for families as they navigate community resources and school systems. Learn more and register for the conference happening Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., at oppl.org/social-justice.

“When will America show up for us,” Sam Kirk, Mixed Media on Canvas, 36 x 36 , 2018

Kara Lester and Cynthia Martz Triton College

Jose Cruz

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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Do you have diabetes?

f you do, you should know how important foot care is. Over time, diabetics risk developing foot complications. When the nerves are damaged from chronic high blood sugar, feet can become numb or painful with burning or tingling. This is called diabetic neuropathy. When diabetes affects the arteries, circulation to the legs and feet may be compromised. Either of these conditions may lead to serious problems including ulceration, even amputation.

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Dr. Linda Lambert

amputation than those who do not seek treatment. Medicare and some private insurances cover 1 pair of diabetic shoes and 3 pair of protective insoles each calendar year. Dr. Lambert has been a supplier of diabetic shoes since 2002. The shoes come in 30 different styles each for men and women. These include boots, lightweight colorful athletic shoes, and dress shoes. Even patients who are not diabetic love the look and comfort of the footwear. Diabetic socks, slippers and compression hosiery are also available. Protecting your feet with appropriate footgear is an important aspect of preventive care for diabetics.

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

Congratulations to Club Pilates on their opening! 708 Lake St., Oak Park * (708) 613-6008 * clubpilates.com/location/oakpark Among the celebrants at the ribbon cutting: Clifford Osborn, Jack Carpenter Realtors; Bill Fletcher, Jake's Place Bookstore; Jonathan Biag, Escape Factor; Kim Goldschmidt, AXA Advisors; Liz Holt, OPRF Chamber; Mary Ann Bender, Dr. Mary Ann Bender Podiatry; Christian Harris, MaidPro; Curtis Sargent, Centre Physical Therapy; Kristin Kohn, Club Pilates; Don Moss, Jake's Place Bookstore; Susie Goldschmidt, MB Financial; David Bores, David Bores Vintage Home Restoration; Molly Stark; your ribbon cutting contact us on oprfchamber.org Angela, The UPS Store onFor Lake; CJ,own The UPS Store on Lake; Bob Stelletello, Right At Home Oak Park/Hinsdale/Chicago

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O B I T U A R I E S

Josephine Blaber, 88 Artist

Josephine Blaber (nee Dooley), 88, of Oak Park and Palm Springs, California, died on Feb. 3, 2019. Born on July 12, 1930, she was a brilliant and prolific artist and a cherished and trend-setting mom and grandma. She was a graduate of St. Luke and Trinity in River Forest and St. Mary of the Woods, and a longtime member of St. Edmund Parish, as well as president of the Palm Springs Museum Artists Council. Josephine was preceded in death by her husband of 50 JOSEPHINE BLABER years, Leo B. Blaber Jr. She is survived by her brother Dick (Barbara) Dooley; her children, Mary, Wendy (Bill) Cook, Mark (Maureen), Peter (Heather), Christina (Eric) Blake, Vincent (Loly), David (Pilar), Barbara (Mark) Jenig, Ramona (Mike Cosgrove); and her grandchildren, Kylie, Brendan, Peter, Erin, Christopher, Justin, Nicole, Kelly, Spencer, Stacia, Melissa, Michael, Natasha, and Maverick. Visitation was held on Feb. 10 at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home. Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Edmund Church on Feb. 11, followed by interment at All Saints Cemetery. The family appreciates memorial gifts to St. Edmund Church, 188 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302, (www.stedmund.org) or to Operation Smile Train https://www.smiletrain.org.

Alice Keys, 89

Alice Mary Keys (nee Collins), 89, died on Feb. 7, 2019. Born on July 7, 1929, she was the wife of the late Walter J. Keys; the mother of Dorothy, Mary (Merle) Callahan, Roger (Mary), Kathryn (Gary) Walke, Thomas,

Nancy (Peter) Buttitta, and the late Walter C. Keys; the mother-in-law of Susan Keys; grandmother of Nancy Weichert (Arlin Peebles) and Amy (Josh) Komarek, James Ryan (Ashley), Roger (Adriane), Kathryn and William (Ashlee) Callahan, Matthew and Meghan Keys, Bridget and Joseph Keys, and Laura, Mary Elizabeth, Ellen and Sarah Buttitta; great-grandmother of 12; sister of the late Thomas (the late Genevieve), John (the late Darlene), Michael (the late Nancy), S/Sgt. Roger W. Collins (USA Air Corps), Mary (the late Thomas M.D.) Tierney and James ALICE KEYS (the late Gloria) Collins; and the aunt, great-aunt and cousin of many. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of Mass, 11 a.m., on Saturday, Feb. 23 at St. Edmund Church, 188 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, followed by interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations to the Voluntary Action Center (vacdk.com/donate/). Additional information is available at 708-383-3191 or drechslerbrownwilliams.com.

Ruth Nielsen, 95 WWII Navy veteran

Ruth Miller Nielsen, 95, of Downers Grove and a former longtime resident of River Forest, died on Feb, 2, 2019. Born on July 16, 1923, she served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and volunteered for many years with the Infant Welfare room in the Economy Shop in Oak Park. She also volunteered at West Suburban Hospital and the River Forest Park District. Ruth was the mother of the late Trudy Nielsen, the late Donald Nielsen and Laura (Mike) Maguire; the grandmother of four and great-grandmother of three.

Services will be private, arrangements entrusted to Hallowell & James Funeral Home.

sons so you could continue to rise to the challenges of life. You found your niche when you used your gift of gab and charm to become a catastrophic claims adjuster working in the aftermath of events like Hurricane Katrina and Sandy. Again, you bonded with your comrades in the industry and made lifelong friendships and created more brothers-inarms. You continued to make family, friends, Ernie, This letter is about you and the life you led, and colleagues proud as you expanded your the people you touched with your golden spir- knowledge and skills in the industry and also it on this earthly plane, and those who will be attended classes at Temple University to exreceiving you in heaven. You were born on pand your expertise. You are leaving your mother, Joycie, a faJan. 29, 1970 at 4:15 am. The number one R&B ther, Wendell, three younger sissong on that day was “I Want You ters: Joycie, Tabitha, Iris, and one Back” by the Jackson 5. It was a brother, Wendell, here on Earth. snowy day in Chicago with a high You are the very beloved uncle temperature of 37 and a low of 21. to Erik “Tusk,” whom you nickErnie, you were the most dapnamed, and Mannie. Your many per of all the kids on the block. cousins, friends, and colleagues Although always a well-dressed offer libations to the life you had man, the most charming and imand often remembrance about pressive part of your style was the the loving and amazing person smile that was given freely and you are. Awaiting you in heaven easily to everyone around you. ERNIE SMITH is your sister, RaSheda, as well You were well known and liked as grandmas, grandfather and by all your teachers at Deck Preuncles who cared for you here on Earth and school and kindergarten, Longfellow Grade with endless love will herald your final homeSchool, Hawthorn Junior High School and coming. lastly, Oak Park and River Forest High School Until we can meet again in heaven as we in your hometown of Oak Park, class of ’88. have on Earth we shall miss you and hold you You then went on to San Diego where you dear in our hearts. spent six grueling weeks to become a Navy With gratitude for being a part of your life, man. You made lifelong connections and Your beloved family created brotherhood through challenge and Ernie Smith of Oak Park died on Feb. 4, struggle there that taught you valuable les- 2019.

Ernie Smith, 48

Navy veteran, claims adjuster

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

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

Family Law Donald B. Boyd Jr. • Divorce/Wills/Trusts • Real Estate Closings • Civil Unions • LGBT Issues • Custody Visitation • Child Support Free Initial Consultation

708-848-1005

402 Lake Street #200, Oak Park 60302 Evening & Weekend Appointments Available Major Credit Cards Accepted DonBoydLaw@yahoo.com.

Growing Community.

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

RELIGION GUIDE Presbyterian

Check First.

First Congregational Church of Maywood

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

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

William S. Winston Pastor

ELCA, Lutheran

Good Shepherd

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

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

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

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

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

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

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

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

744 Fair Oaks Ave. Oak Park 386-4920 Sunday Schedule Christian Education for All Ages 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am

Child care available 9-11am

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

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

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

Fair Oaks

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

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

Grace Lutheran School

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

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

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

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

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

808 S. East Ave. 708/848-2703 www.ascensionoakpark.com Worship: Saturday Mass 5:00 pm Sunday Masses 7:30, 9:00, 11 am, 5:00 pm Sacrament of Reconciliation 4 pm Saturday Taize Prayer 7:30 pm First Fridays Feb.– Dec. & Jan. 1

Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

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

St. Giles Family Mass Community

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

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

Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

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

Upcoming Religious Holidays

Feb 8 Nirvana Day

Mar 4 Maha Shivaratri 5 Shrove Tuesday 6 Ash Wednesday

Buddhism, Jain, Sikh Hinduism Christianity Lent begins Christianity

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

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5:00 P.M. MONâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED Deadline is Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

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

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

HELP WANTED

SPACE FOR RENT

ACCOUNT CLERK The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Account Clerk II. This position which performs a variety of accounting clerical duties involving financial record keeping and/or transactions including accounts payable and receivable and to provide a variety of accounting support to the Development Customer Services Department. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website http://www.oak-park. us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than February 15, 2019.

SPOTLESS CAR WASH We are looking for a self-motivated friendly person to meet and greet customers and keep the properties clean. Weekends are a must. Duties are to meet and greet, prep the cars with wheel cleaner and squeegee the windshield, on site car wash token sales, and keep the lot and equipment room clean. If you are interested please apply at the Car Wash, 7343 Roosevelt Rd in Forest Park.

501(c)(3) SPACE AVAILABLE

Data Warehouse/Business Intelligence Developer sought by Envoy Global, Inc. in Chicago, IL. Respnsble for designing, dvlping, & maintaining data warehouse & analytics architecture. Apply @ www. jobpostingtoday.com #48909. Logistics Coordinator (Chicago, IL) Perform all logistical functions & general office duties of coordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;n & movement of customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s import & export shipments; provide effective customer srvc & maintaining customer satisfaction; monitor srvc performance identifying root cause of failure; review existing transportation & logistics plans w/ providers & customers to ensure meeting goals & contract obligations; implmt strategies to optimize the logistics costs, working capital & customer srvc stndrd; dvlp & maintain positive bus. relationships w/ clients; provide support & guidance for supply chain & ops of the co.; resolve any transport issues that arise during the movement of customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shipments. Bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deg in Bus. Admin, Mgmt, or Public Admin + 24 mos of full-time exp in the job or in any executive positions at private bus. sector; M-F, 40 hrs/ wk; Send resumes (by mail only) to Edip Pektas, Maestro International Cargo, LLC., 837 Patton Dr., Tower C, Chicago, IL 60666. PART-TIME EXEC SECRETARY The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Part-time Executive Secretary in the Development Customer Service Department. The ideal candidate will have excellent customer service skills, strong writing skills as well as multi-taking capabilities. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at http:// www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled. Applications will be accepted until February 22, 2019.

SUBURBAN RENTAL FOREST PARK 1BR STUDIO Garden Apartment w/ heat & parking. $685 per month. 708-227-7007

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro. Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up. 773-637-5957 Large Sunny Room with fridge & microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101.00 week & up. New Mgmt. 773-378-8888

Oak Park near library 5 offices + large reception 3rd Fl. Elevator bldg.

Call 708/848-4070

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Forest Park

Ceiling Fans Installed

HAULING

A&A ELECTRIC

We make service calls! We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs Home Re-wiring â&#x20AC;˘ New Plugs & Switches Added New circuit breaker boxes â&#x20AC;˘ Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp â&#x20AC;˘ Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential â&#x20AC;˘ Commercial â&#x20AC;˘ Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. â&#x20AC;˘ Bonded â&#x20AC;˘ Ins. â&#x20AC;˘ Low Rates â&#x20AC;˘ Free Est.

708-409-0988 â&#x20AC;˘ 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts â&#x20AC;˘ 30 Yrs. Exp Servicing Oak Park â&#x20AC;˘ All surrounding suburbs â&#x20AC;˘ Chicago area

WANTED TO BUY

HANDYMAN %,%#42)#!, (!.$9-!. 3%26)#%3

Strand & Browne 708-488-0011

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

1200 sq. ft. of built-out office space with parking in front. $1,750 per month

THERAPY OFFICES FOR RENT Therapy offices for rent in north Oak Park. Rehabbed building. Nicely furnished. Flexible leasing. Free parking; Free wifi; Secure building; Friendly colleagues providing referrals. Shared Waiting room; optional Conference room. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays. Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

ITEMS FOR SALE FUTON Black futon, excellent condition. Black metal frame. $35. 708-488-8755 MUSIC Musical scores, piano trios, concertos, violin, cello and flute music. All 1/2 price or less. 708-488-8755

SUBURBAN RENTALS

CLEANING

!LL 4YPES OF (OME 2EPAIRS 2EPAIRS )NSTALLATIONS 0ROFESSIONAL 1UALITY 7ORK !T 2EASONABLE 0RICES 0ROMPT 3ERVICE 3MALL *OBS A 3PECIALTY

Pamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A+ Cleaning Service

Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Repair

Fall is here! Time to make a change? Take a moment to preview our detailed cleaning. For a free estimate please call 708-937-9110

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

GARAGE/GARAGE DOOR Our 73rd Year

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 â&#x20AC;˘ www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Oak Park: Studios, 1, 2 & 3 BR from $825 - $2,100 Forest Park: Studios, 1, 2 & 3 BR from $795 - $1,850

Apartment listings updated daily at:

Garage Doors &

Smart Door Openers

Sales & Service Free Estimates

(708) 652-9415 www.forestdoor.com

HANDYMAN CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair â&#x20AC;˘ Painting Fans Installed â&#x20AC;˘ Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ Window Repair

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

WINDOWS

BASEMENT CLEANING

Let an American Veteran do your work

7740 Madison Street

Senior Software Engineers sought by Grubhub Holdings, Inc. in Chicago, IL to design, implement, and deliver techincal platforms and products. Apply @ jobpostingtoday. com ref# 90582.

Starting A New Business? Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in Journal/Review/ Landmark/Austin CLASSIFIED! Call 708/613-3342

ELECTRICAL

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Do

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING

BROKEN SASH CORDS?

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

CALL THE WINDOW MAN!

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges â&#x20AC;˘ Ovens Washer â&#x20AC;˘ Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

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708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

708-296-2060

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773-732-2263

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708.749.0011

PLUMBING

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Serving Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park & Riverside Since 1974

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held before the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois at the Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois, on the 28th day of February, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. to hear the Application of the Village of Brookfield which is seeking certain text amendments to create and define a commercial use subcategory for amusement arcades in Section 62-25, to amend the permitted uses set forth in Section 62.30 entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Other Use Categoryâ&#x20AC;? of Article I entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Generalâ&#x20AC;? of Chapter 62 entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zoningâ&#x20AC;? of the Village Code of Brookfield, Illinois, and to amend the use category table contained in Section 62-216 entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Building Types â&#x20AC;&#x153;contained in Division 8 entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Station Area Districtsâ&#x20AC;? contained in Article II entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Districtsâ&#x20AC;? of Chapter 62 entitled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zoningâ&#x20AC;? of the Village Code of Brookfield, Illinois. The application may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours. Interested parties may address the Planning and Zoning Commission at the hearing or may submit written communications prior to the time of the hearing. Written comments may be provided prior to the public hearing to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Elyse Vukelich, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513. Please reference Text Amendments. Individuals with disabilities who require certain accommodations in order to participate in the hearing are asked to contact the ADA Coordinator at (708) 485-7344 prior to the hearing in order to allow the Village to make reasonable accommodations. BY ORDER OF Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairperson Published in RB Landmark 2/13/2019

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

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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

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Change to 2019 Regular Public Meeting Schedule

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Oak Park on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 123 Madison St., Oak Park, Illinois on the following matter:

Cal. No. 03-19-Z: 6140 Roosevelt Road, Kim Rasmussen Property Index Number 16-17-328-033-0000

Cal. No. 04-19-Z: 46 Lake Street, Robert Althouse Property Index Number 16-08-122-032-0000

The Applicant Kim Rasmussen seeks a variation from Section 8.3 (Table 8-1: Use Matrix) and Section 5.4 (K) (Table 5-12: RR District Use Restrictions by Building Type) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, which sections requires that residential dwelling units be located above the ground floor in buildings in the Roosevelt Road District, to permit the construction of a residential dwelling unit at the front on the ground floor, inside a single-story shop front building at the premises commonly known as 6140 Roosevelt Road, Oak Park, Illinois. Those property owners within 300 feet of the Subject Property and those persons with a special interest beyond that of the general public (“Interested Parties”) wishing to cross-examine witnesses must complete and file an appearance with original signatures with the Village Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on the business day preceding the public hearing. All papers in connection with the above matter are on file at the Village of Oak Park and available for examination by contacting the Village’s Zoning Administrator at 708.358.5449. The Zoning Board of Appeals may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/13/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y19000399 on January 23, 2019. Under the Assumed Business Name of NICE OUTDOOR DECORATING SERVICE with the business located at: 2844 W WALNUT ST, CHICAGO, IL 60612. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: JONATHAN KELLY 2844 W WALNUT ST CHICAGO, IL 60612 Published in Wednesday Journal 2/6, 2/13, 2/20/2019

SELLING YOUR HOME BY OWNER? Call Us For Advertising Rates! 708/613-3333

The Applicant Robert Althouse seeks a variation from Section 8.4 (M) (Place of Worship) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, which requires that a place of worship in a non-residential district are subject to the dimensional standards of the R-7 District for a non-residential use, to permit the use of Zen Life and Meditation Center, a place of worship at the premises commonly known as 46 Lake Street, Illinois. Those property owners within 300 feet of the Subject Property and those persons with a special interest beyond that of the general public (“Interested Parties”) wishing to cross-examine witnesses must complete and file an appearance with original signatures with the Village Clerk no later than 5:00 PM on the business day preceding the public hearing. All papers in connection with the above matter are on file at the Village of Oak Park and available for examination by contacting the Village’s Zoning Administrator at 708.358.5449. The Zoning Board of Appeals may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/13/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200 will be receiving offers on its Request for Proposals for: Beverages. RFP’s must be received by Wednesday, March 20, 2019, by 8:00 a.m. The Northern Illinois Independent Purchasing Cooperative will be receiving offers on its Request for Proposals for: Selected Commercial Foods, Vending Machine Supplies and Milk/Dairy Products. RFP’s must be received by Wednesday, March 20, 2019, by 8:00 a.m. All RFP’s must be sent to the Business Office, Room 270A, of Oak Park and River Forest High School, 201 North Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. RFP’s should be placed in a sealed envelope marked with the type of RFP and ATTENTION: Micheline Piekarski, Food Service Director. If you have any questions, please call Micheline Piekarski at (708) 434-3142. These institutions are an equal opportunity provider. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/13/2019

OakPark.com | RiverForest.com

Public Notice is hereby given that the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois has revised its 2019 Regular Public Meeting Schedule. The Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, previously scheduled to have regular meetings on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7:30 AM, will now hold its regular meetings on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM. The meetings will continue to be held in the Community Room of Village Hall. Meeting dates and locations will continue to be noticed at Village Hall and on the Village’s website at www.vrf.us. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/13/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISEMENT OF BIDDING Request of bids for the flooring replacement at Barrie Center. Owner: Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302 The Park District of Oak Park will accept sealed bids for the Flooring Replacement at Barrie Center in Oak Park. The project consists of the removal of existing flooring and installation of new LVT flooring. The Park District of Oak Park will receive individual sealed Bids until 2:00 p.m. (Chicago time) on Thursday, February 28th, 2019, at 218 Madison St., Oak Park, Illinois. The bidding documents and requirements will be available on the Park District’s website as of 5:00 pm Wednesday, February 13th, 2019. A non-mandatory pre-bid walk-thru is scheduled for Tuesday, February 19th, at 1:00 p.m. (Chicago time) at 1011 S. Lombard Ave., Oak Park, IL 60304. Bid bonds will be required by bidding contractors. Copies of the bidding specifications are available via the Park District of Oak Park website at: http://www.pdop.org/bids-and-rfps/ For additional information, contact Chris Lindgren at chris.lindgren@ pdop.org or (708) 725 2050. Only the bids prepared in compliance with the bidding documents will be considered. This project must adhere to the Prevailing Wage Act of 2018. The Park District of Oak Park encourages minority and women owned business firms to submit bids for this project. Park District of Oak Park By: Kassie Porreca, Secretary Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 Published in Wednesday Journal 2/13/2019

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR WELLS FARGO HOME EQUITY ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES 2007-2 TRUST, HOME EQUITY ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-2 Plaintiff, -v.THERESA JACKSON, ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Defendants

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

14 CH 010505 239 N. HILLSIDE AVENUE HILLSIDE, IL 60162 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 26, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 28, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 239 N. HILLSIDE AVENUE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162 Property Index No. 15-18-214-039. The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales

Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-14-11449. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-14-11449 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 14 CH 010505 TJSC#: 39-487 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3111264

ASSOCIATION (‘’FANNIE MAE’’), A CORPORATION ORGANIZED AND EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Plaintiff, -v.BENITO OJEDA A/K/A H. BENITO OJEDA A/K/A HORACIO B. OJEDA, LURDES MARTINEZ A/K/A LURDEZ MARTINEZ A/K/A LURDES OJEDA Defendants 15 CH 01793 1928 SOUTH 1ST AVE MAYWOOD, IL 60153 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 8, 2015, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 5, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1928 SOUTH 1ST AVE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-14-315-0210000; 15-14-315-038-0000. The real estate is improved with a brown, brick, single family, two car detached garage. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN

POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. Please refer to file number 252205. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 252205 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 15 CH 01793 TJSC#: 39-482 I3111265

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION SPECIALIZED LOAN SERVICING LLC; Plaintiff, vs. TAWEE PIMSARN; SOTHSRI PIMSARN; PAKDEE YU; NOOPOTH STEVAUX; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 17 CH 16942 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-17-111-026-0000. Commonly known as 617 South Lombard Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-008379 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3110705 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL NATIONAL MORTGAGE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff, -v.SHERRY M. FORD, ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Defendants 2017 CH 14351 3911 GLADYS AVE BELLWOOD, IL 60104 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 2, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 26, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3911 GLADYS AVE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-16-114-0260000. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residen-

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

tial real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-17-15462. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-17-15462 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2017 CH 14351 TJSC#: 39-395 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3111012

SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS TRUSTEE FOR CARLSBAD FUNDING MORTGAGE TRUST Plaintiff, -v.EDITH ROBLES Defendants 2018 CH 07038 3043 MARION AVE MELROSE PARK, IL 60164 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 5, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 7, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3043 MARION AVE, MELROSE PARK, IL 60164 Property Index No. 12-30-215-0030000. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-06081. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-06081 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 07038 TJSC#: 38-9620 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3110851

shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Anthony Porto at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Kluever & Platt, L.L.C., 150 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (312) 981-7385. SPSL.0399F INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3110785

except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-16-00440. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-16-00440 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 16 CH 004497 TJSC#: 39-353 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3110854

18 CH 9182 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, March 5, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 12-33-106-018-0000. Commonly known as 10106 BELDEN, MELROSE PARK, IL 60164. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-019351 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3110710

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, vs. FRANCESCO MANCINI; JENNIFER MANCINI AKA JENNIFER MCLEAN; LIONS GATE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants, 17 CH 15605 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Friday, March 15, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-315-029-1005. Commonly known as 336 South Maple Avenue, Unit 2B, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 19-001387 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3111611

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK NA SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO BANK OF AMERICA, NA SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO LASALLE BANK NA ON BEHALF OF THE REGISTERED HOLDERS OF BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I LLC ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-AQ1; Plaintiff, vs. AMANDA MEATH AKA AMANDA K. MEATH AKA AMANDA K CRUEA; JEFFREY MEATH, JR. AKA AKA JEFFREY R. MEATH AKA JEFFREY MEATH; CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA) NA; AMERICAN GENERAL FINANCIAL SERVICES OF ILLINOIS, INC.; PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES, LLC; HOUSEHOLD FINANCE CORPORATION III; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 15 CH 10779 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Thursday, March 7, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-29-404-037-0000. Commonly known as 2823 Buckingham Ave, Westchester, IL 60154. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.LOUIS LITTLETON A/K/A LOUIS LITTLETON JR., UNITED STATES OF AMERICA–DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, STATE OF ILLINOIS–DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Defendants 16 CH 004497 3304 WILCOX AVENUE BELLWOOD, IL 60104 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 21, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 7, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3304 WILCOX AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-16-111-0350000. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION BEAL BANK Plaintiff, vs. PATRICIA NERI, AKA PATRICIA A. NERI Defendants,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK NA; Plaintiff, vs. BARBIE ELERSON AKA BARBIE HURST AKA BARBIE ELERSON HURST; PARK TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; Defendants, 18 CH 10199 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, March 18, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-13-300-022-1073. Commonly known as 1013 South Des Plaines Avenue, Unit B401, Forest Park, IL 60130. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-022015 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3111830

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. Wednesday Journal • Landmark Forest Park Review

S P O R T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

OPRF wins third straight league title

Cross sparks Huskies against York; Maloney earns 200th career win By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team accomplished its primary goal of winning the West Suburban Conference Silver division Saturday in Elmhurst. The Huskies edged host York 54-52 to claim their third straight conference championship. OPRF head coach Matt Maloney, who notched his 200th career win the previous night via a 53-45 victory at Glenbard West, credited the Huskies’ maturity as the key to thriving in Saturday’s challenging environment. “York was one of the toughest games in recent memory,” he said. “The crowd was hostile and York hit many big threes. We were short-handed and in foul trouble. Yet, our grit and resilience shined through in the end.” OPRF sophomore forward Josh Smith provided a welcomed boost against York. He led the Huskies in scoring with 15 points. Se-

nior Anthony Roberts added 14 points “Josh was our MVP,” Maloney said. “He texted me Saturday morning and asked when I was arriving at the school as I always come in early and watch film. He beat me to the school more than an hour and a half before everyone had to arrive to get extra shots up. That gave me more than enough confidence to not only start him, but to give him extra looks in the offense. Obviously, he earned that and then some. Josh’s ceiling is sky-high.” Of course, the Huskies’ “Core Four” of seniors Dashon Enoch, Charlie Hoehne, Chase Robinson and Roberts substantially contributed to the victory as well. “Our seniors just continue to amaze me,” Maloney said. “Dashon battled through a pulled hamstring and played after not suiting up the night before. Anthony was his usual dominant self. Charlie neutralized York’s big man, who is one of the best in the area. Chase made some of the biggest and most clutch free throws I’ve seen in years by going 4-for-4 in the final 30 seconds.”

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In the aforementioned victory against Glenbard West, Robinson (19 points) and Roberts (15 points) led the Huskies in Glen Ellyn.

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The Huskies’ Josh Smith (#30) provides depth and versatility to the OPRF lineup.

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Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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PLAYOFFS

during the playoffs.” Senior guards Faith Smith and Kate Sisler, junior guard Tatym Coe, junior forward Karly Cantrell and freshman guard Lilah Gery have played key roles as well. “Tatym Coe has really been coming on lately,” Coughlin said. “Karly Cantrell is our only post player and she’s averaging close to double-digits in rebounding.” Advancing out of regional play will be a challenge. OPRF’s first game is Wednesday, Feb. 13 against Taft in the 4A Lane Tech Regional. If the ninth-seeded Huskies take care of Taft, the next opponent is likely Maine West - considered by many a strong favorite to win state. “The kids know its win or go home,” Coughlin said. “We’re going to throw everything we have against Taft and see what happens. For some of them, these playoffs will be the last time they play basketball. So there’s definitely a strong sense of urgency.”

Survive & Advance from page 36 at the right time of year,” Power said. “This is why we play an unbelievably challenging schedule. We put the team through a lot of battles to try to get ready for the war. We’ve seen it all and feel we’re able to adjust.” Maggie Van Ermen, Lauren Hall, Sheila Hogan, Lily Riordan and Katie Schneider have been solid contributors this season, while freshmen Elise Heneghan and Audrey Hinrichs have infused the Friars with exciting, young talent. Although senior guard Gianna Ortiz did miss several games with a severe ankle sprain late in the season, the Friars’ floor general should be good to go for the GIANNI ORTIZ state tourney. Fenwick guard “It’s so much fun playing on this team because we all work so well together,” Hall said. “We played many tough games during the regular season and grew a huge amount from each one. We’re excited for the upcoming games.” Ortiz and Van Ermen were named to the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Red allconference team. “The regular season was a journey of pure growth,” Ortiz said. “We definitely made our team known and proved that we aren’t a team to be taken lightly.” Another positive for the Friars is they are hosting a 3A sectional. If Fenwick reaches the sectional final, their likely opponent would be defending 3A runner-up (and topseeded) Nazareth Academy. The Roadrunners and Friars are seeded first and second, respectively. “Our team is very excited going into the

“The regular season was a journey of pure growth.”

Photo by Carol Dunning

Darse Sanchez averages 15 points per game for OPRF. playoffs,” Van Ermen said. “We are in a great spot to be successful. We just need to utilize everybody on the court and stay together.” Led by dynamic all-state guard Annie Stritzel, Nazareth edged the Friars in last year’s sectional title game at St. Joseph. Power cited North Lawndale, Payton Prep and Westinghouse as other teams to watch out for in the Fenwick Sectional. “We have to focus on every team we play and give them our utmost attention,” Power said. “We don’t want to get caught looking ahead. We can’t be focusing on Nazareth only to be one-and-done. I’ve seen it happen a lot. I think the state tournament is going to be very interesting because there’s a lot of parity and good players.”

OPRF In 2019, the Huskies have lost 11 of 12 games, with their sole win coming against Hinsdale Central. “We were in just about every game, but couldn’t seem to finish and get over the hump,” coach JP Coughlin said. “Whether it was missed free throws or layups, those

are the difference between having six or seven more wins and our current record. (But) this group is still positive and enthusiastic.” Despite their recent struggles, the Huskies (10-20) have a pair of guards who are very capable of leading the team to victory. Senior Ahsha Spencer is the Huskies’ leading scorer (18 points per game) and rebounder (10 rebounds per game), while fellow senior Darse Sanchez (15 ppg) can go on a massive scoring spurt at any time. Spencer recently received a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois at Chicago. The injury-prone Sanchez simply must stay healthy during the playoffs. “Ahsha has been terrific for us all year,” Coughlin said. “She’s starting to get Division I offers which is nice. Darse rushed back from ACL surgery. Usually that’s a 12-month recovery and she was back in less than 9. She’s had to work her way back into shape. “On nights when they’ve both played well, we’ve played with just about anyone in the state,” Coughlin added. “We’re hoping for big things from the two of them

Trinity With new head coach Kim Coleman guiding a primarily young and inexperienced team, this season figured to be transitional one for the Blazers. To complicate matters, Trinity suffered a major blow before the start when promising junior guard Dayjah Chimelewski tore her ACL and missed the season. Her loss redirected responsibility on the shoulders of junior guard Zee Stafford and sophomore forward Makiyah Williams. Williams produced several outstanding performances that cemented her status as one of the state’s top recruits in the Class of 2021. She’s the type of impact player that can power Trinity to some upset wins in the tourney. Sophomores Savannah Childress and Maddie Miller and juniors Claire Hanley and Lauren Saleh also showed signs of progress. With only two seniors on the roster, plus the highly anticipated return of Chimelewski next season, the Blazers’ future appears bright. However, the team’s current focus is on the 4A Evanston Sectional. Trinity (12-16) opens regional play Tuesday, Feb. 12 against Niles West at Loyola Academy. The Blazers are the tenth seed in the 4A Evanston

Wednesday Journal, February 13, 2019

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OPRF wins third straight league title 33

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SPORTS

Friars, Huskies & Blazers are playoff-ready Each team has enough talented players capable of taking over games

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

ith all due respect to the timehonored tradition of the NCAA mens basketball tournament affectionately known as “March Madness,” Illinois high school girls basketball teams can’t wait that long to get it on the hardwood. A “February Frenzy” of IHSA games begins this week with single-elimination tournaments at all four class-levels. And while plenty of drama and excitement are a given, the best teams don’t always win championships which adds further intrigue. The Fenwick, Oak Park and River Forest and Trinity teams all have postseason aspirations. Despite difficult draws, the Friars, Huskies and Blazers have enough talent to make a run in the postseason. Here’s a closer look at each team’s outlook for the playoffs.

Fenwick

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Fenwick senior guard Maggie Van Ermen made all-conference in the GCAC Red this season.

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After hovering around the .500 mark for the past few seasons, the Friars won 20 games this winter. Fenwick (20-11) notched notable victories over Bogan, Marian Catholic, Peoria and Stevenson. The Friars also lost close games against state title contenders like Loyola, Montini, Fremd, Benet and New Trier. Fenwick coach Dave Power is confident that the rigorous schedule will benefit the Friars in the 3A tournament. “We feel we’re playing very good basketball See PLAYOFFS on page 34

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