Wednesday Journal 022223

Former Rush Oak Park chief operating o cer indicted

for fraud

Accused of defrauding hospital out of $622,500

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Rush Oak Park Hospital’s for mer vice president and chief operating officer was indicted on fraud charges by a federal grand jury in Chicago Feb. 15. Robert Spadoni, 58, was charged with three counts of mail fraud and three counts of money laundering. Each count of mail fraud and money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years and 10 years in federal prison, respectively. An arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

The indictment alleges Spadoni defrauded the hospital out of $622,500 by causing the hospital to enter into a professional services ag reement with a company established by Spadoni and in doing so also violated the hospital’s conflict of interest poli-

See FRAUD on pa ge 14

TODD BANNOR

Of 4 OPRF candidates, one an absolute on referendum

Others say current board should choose Project 2 nancing

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The four candidates running for three seats on the Oak Park and River Forest High School board in the April 4 election met last week on a cold and snowy evening for a candidate for um hosted by Growing Community Media at Dominican University. Although there was a lot of ag reement about the issues there was one issue where a clear distinction was obvious.

That’s the question of whether there should be a referendum on OPRF’s Project 2, the planned demolition and rebuilding of the physical education wing of OPRF with a new swimming pool, a three-court gym, a new dance studio, new of fices, locker rooms and a theater Green Room along with other improvements. The project is expected to cost nearly $102 million. The current school board is likely to choose a financing mechanism for Project 2 before the three new board members are seated after the election, but since construction would not be gin until 2024 at the earliest no decision made this spring is ir reversible.

Brian Souders was emphatic that the decision whether to borrow money for Project 2 should be decided by voters in a referendum.

“Financing a project this huge, it absolutely 100 percent has to go to a referendum,” said Souders, an inde pendent marketing communications professional from Oak Park.

Graham Brisben, a for mer Oak Park District 97 school board member who owns his own supply chain consulting fir m, gave a more general answer.

“As a general philosophy the best and right way to fund long ter m capital infrastructure for schools is the use of long ter m capital bonds which are subjected to a community referendum,” Brisben said.

However in a candidate questionnaire submitted to Growing Community Media Brisben said he is comfortable with letting the cur rent school board decide the scope and financing of Project 2.

Jonathan Livingston, an adjunct professor and consultant to non-profits who moved to Oak Park three years ago, said that while he generally likes referendums, he was comfortable in this case letting the cur rent school board decide how to finance Project 2.

Tim Brandhorst, a lawyer who lives in River Forest, said the current board would decide how to finance Project 2. He suggested that they consider one main factor

“Let’s choose the funding strategy that keeps our property taxes the lowest,” said Brandhorst.

Brandhorst was alluding to a report by the school’s financial advisor on funding options that showed that the non-referendum option, funding nearly half of Project 2 with $44 in debt certificates which are like bonds but paid back from the operating levy rather than a specific bond levy, is the cheapest option for taxpayers costing the owner of a home worth $500,000 an additional $109 in property taxes per year. However that calculation rests on the questionable assumption that issuing debt certificates would result in no additional cost to taxpayers because the school’s operating levy would be the same whether or not debt certificates are used

Souders said that OPRF would lose trust with the community by going ahead with Project 2 without getting approval from voters in a referendum.

“I don’t think that it’s in the best interest of the school, and its political capital, and its reputation to once again bypass voters where, you know, 90 some percent of schools in Illinois use referendum voting to do this,” Souders said. “And if you’re going to rip your reputation to shreds because you really want this and because you think you’re going to save a few million dollars you’re going to have to worry what happens down the road when you’re paying for debt certifi-

cates and you have a financial issue and all of a sudden you’re going to need to go back to voters for an operating referendum.”

All the candidates ag reed the physical education wing of the school badly needs updating

But Souders questioned the scope of Project 2 arguing that it is so expensive that it will make it dif ficult to improve other areas of the school in the foreseeable future.

“When you’re spending this much amount of money it’s going to have a huge impact on what can happen in the future,”

Souders said. “And there’s been no discussion, almost zero discussion, both at the finance committee and at the board table about our capacity to ever do phases three, our and five in our lifetime after we spend this amount of money.”

On other issues there wasn’t much disreement among the candidates

All professed a strong commitment to equity and closing the wide gulf in test scores and grades between students of dif ferent races and ethnic groups.

They supported the Honors for All revamping of the freshman cur riculum which eliminated the colle ge prep level in most freshman courses

Livingston said improving vocational training programs is an important component of equity.

“I think that we need to do a much better job providing opportunity to all students and I think that means looking at how we retool, revamp, reapproach skills based

See D200 forum on pa ge 17

e League’s list of Candidate Forums

Only Growing Community Media’s Wednesday Jour nal, Forest Park Re view and Landmark forums are in person. All others are virtual with sign up on lwvoprf.org

Feb. 23 7 p.m. League of Women Voters hosts Oak Park village trustees forum

Feb. 27 7 p.m. League of Women Voters hosts River Forest District 90 candidates

Feb. 28 6:30 p.m. Forest Park Review and the Forest Park Chamber host mayoral and commissioner candidates at GrantWhite School, 147 Circle, Forest Park

Feb. 28 South East Oak Park Community Organization hosts Oak Park village trustee candidates

March 2 7 p.m. League of Women Voters hosts OPRF High School school board candidates

March 6 6:30 p.m. South East Oak Park Community Organization hosts OPRF High School school board candidates

March 6 7 p.m. League of Women Voters hosts Forest Park mayor and commissioner candidates

March 7 7 p.m. League of Women

Voters hosts Uncontested Candidate statements

March 7 7 p.m. Arbor West Neighbors Oak Park host village trustee candidates

March 9 7 p.m. League of Women

Voters hosts Oak Park library board candidates

March 13 7 p.m. League of Women

Voters hosts Proviso Township High School District 209 school board candidates

March 22 7 p.m. The Landmark hosts Nor th Riverside village trustee candidates live at Nor th Riverside Village Common

March 16 7 p.m. Wednesday Jour nal hosts Oak Park village trustee candidates live at Oak Park Village Hall council chambers

TIM BRANDHORST GRAHAM BRISBEN JONATHAN LIVINGST BRIAN SOUDERS

BIG WEEK

Februar y 22-March 1

Phil Angiotti Band

Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 p.m., FitzGerald’s On the one hand, guitarist Phil Angiotti is a skilled singer-songwriter. On the other hand, he knows more Beatles songs than you can shake a stick at. Both sides equal an enter taining night. 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, Ber w yn.

Punk Is Dad!: Post-Bedtime

Friday, Feb. 24, 8:30 p.m., FitzGerald’s The band Punk Is Dad! takes the concept of “dad-rock ” to new heights This group of frantic fathers plays well-known punk songs from the ‘70s onward. Believe it or not, this is their rst weekend show! $15, 6615 Roosevelt Road., Berw yn.

An Unfinished Journey: African American Music in Its Pivotal Decades

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2-3:30 p.m., River Forest Public Librar y Celebrate Black Histor y Month with this musical presentation. Clarence Goodman will per form and discuss songs from pivotal moments in African American histor y: slavery, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, and beyond. Brought to you in par tnership with River Forest Township. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest.

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest community groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon

Handel Week Festival

Film Screening: ‘Who We Are’

Sunday, Feb. 26, 1-4 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y This documentar y, featuring lawyer Je er y Robinson, takes an indepth look at anti-Black racism in America, from slaver y through the present day. Registration for this event will close on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. Masks are encouraged. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper

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

■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

Sunday, Feb. 26, 3-4 p.m., Pilgrim Congregational Church The second concert of the 2023 season features mezzo -soprano Amy Anderson de Jong singing three cantatas; two vir tuoso harpsichord works per formed by Charlie Carpenter; and a sonata for recorder and continuo featuring Lisette Kielson. $35 (free for students), 460 Lake St., Oak Park.

Oak Park Temple celebrates a woman’s right to choose

Repro(ductive) Shabbat held last Friday

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu,” chanted Cantor Julie Yugend Green, “melech hoalam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat.”

“Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to kindle the light of Shabbat.”

So be g an the Shabbat service last Friday at the Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion as it does most every Friday evening. What made this service dif ferent was that the synago gue on Harlem Avenue was joining with other Reform temples nationwide in celebrating re productive rights in an event called “Repro Shabbat,” sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women. What also made this Shabbat dif ferent was that the ser mon was not given by one of the temple’s two rabbis but by Dr. Allison Cowett, medical director of Family Planning Associates in Chicago and an obstetrician/g ynecolo gist and complex family planning specialist on the faculty at Nor thwester n University’s Feinberg School of Medicine — or, as one of her three daughters once referred to her, an abor tion doctor.

In her ser mon, Dr. Cowett be g an by showing how re productive rights are deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. She pointed to the 21st chapter of Exodus which states that if two men are fighting and a pregnant woman gets pushed causing her to miscar ry, the men will be fined, but if the push causes the woman to die, the rule will be an eye for an eye.

“The dif ference in those two penalties underscores the value placed on them,” she said. “The fetus is not considered a person until it is bor n, and therefore the penalty for causing a miscar riage is a fine. It is not considered to be murder Judaism holds that personhood be gins at the moment of

viable bir th, the moment of the first breath when the soul enters the body.”

“Judaism from the time of the Torah,” Rabbi Max Weiss explained, “has reco gnized that a fetus and child that has been bor n do not have the same status. In rabbinic tradition when the life of the mother is at risk from the fetus, the mother’s life is given precedence. The woman’s life comes before that of the fetus.”

In her ser mon, Cowett said that, especially in the 20th century, rabbis have broadened the inter pretation of the health and life of the mother to include mental health. “Abortion is permitted to safeguard both the physical and mental health of a pregnant person and for any reason identified by the pregnant individual.”

She said the Talmud even describes an abor tion as an act of self-defense, framing the fetus in some cases as the pursuer endangering the mother’s life

The 20th-century rabbinic writings,” she added, “expand the circumstances in which abor tion is permitted. Almost any reason is suf ficient, a teaching consistent with our moder n, progressive understanding of abor tion rights in the United States Abor tion is per mitted for the physical and mental well-being of women, to preserve human dignity and bodily autonomy.”

She contrasted Jewish values with what she referred to as Christian values and the abor tion stigma entrenched in our culture that abor tion is shameful, a ne gative life experience which should be carefully hidden from society.”

“Abortion restrictions endanger the lives of pregnant people,” she added, “causing delays in care for pregnancy complications such as bleeding and infection. The restric tions cur rently in place throughout the country are largely based on the Christian value that life be gins at conception which is antithetical to Jewish teaching. Restricting abor tion care is a matter of religious liber ty.”

Cowett then got personal re garding the over tur ning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Cour t in the Dobbs Decision. “Because

Political fund headed by Oak Park Dem faces late reporting nes

Expenditure committee was created to back Supreme Cour t candidates

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

A political committee led by a prominent Oak Park Democrat that spent approximately $7.3 million to help Democrats win two crucial Illinois Supreme Court races last fall faces the prospect of thousands of dollars in fines for not properly disclosing the bulk of its spending in a timely manner.

The All for Justice independent expenditure committee was founded last August by attor ney Luke Casson, a for mer member of the Triton College Board, political director of the Democratic Party of Oak Park and a close friend and associate of Illinois State Senate President Don Har mon. Casson serves as chair man and treasurer of All for Justice.

All for Justice’s failure to properly disclose most of its spending in a timely manner was first reported by the Chicago Tribune.

Other than $1.5 million in spending for television advertising, which was disclosed in the fall, the rest of All for Justice’s spending was not viewable on the Illinois State Board of Elections website until All for Justice filed amended reports in January.

Independent expenditure committees, such as All for Justice, which operate independently from candidate committees, are required to disclose all expenditures of $1,000 or more to the Illinois State Board of Elections within two or five days of the expenditure on a form known

as a B-1.

“The purpose of the B-1 reporting requirement is that we are trying to show in as close to real time as we can, what the independent expenditure committee is spending and who it is trying to oppose or support with that spending,” said Matt Dietrich, the public information officer for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Casson said that All for Justice thought it was reporting its spending to the Illinois State Board of Elections in a timely manner last fall but did not generate the correct form due to a mistake in working with the Board of Elections software and website.

“It was our error; it was a scrivener’s error, we hit the wrong toggle, but these expenditures were all uploaded in real time.”

Casson said.

Casson said his group’s spending was the subject of media reports during the fall campaign and said the suggestion in the Tribune’s story that the group was hiding its spending for competitive advantage is incorrect.

“It certainly wasn’t being hidden,” Casson said noting that political ad spending on television is widely tracked and commented about. “Errors often do occur and you correct them once you find them. There’s some insinuation, at least from other media reports, that there was something sinister here, and there just wasn’t. It was highly reported.”

Whether unintentional or not, the failure of All for Justice to properly disclose its spending will probably result in a fine.

“There will be fines for the late B-1s,” Dietrich said. “Those were not filed within the either five day or two day window that they were supposed to be filed. So there will be assessments I don’t think that those have been tallied up yet.”

Fines range from $500 for a first offense, to $3,000 for the fourth offense and beyond. Dietrich said it appears that 33 reports were not correctly filed by All for

Justice He also noted that the Board of Elections and committees facing fines sometimes reach settlement agreements for less than the total of fines that are levied.

The Illinois State Board of Elections is made up of eight members, four Democrats and four Republicans All for Justice has the right to contest any fines that may be levied against it in a hearing.

“The committee will get a chance to make its case, there is due process here,” Dietrich said.

Har mon’s campaign committee, Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate contributed $500,000 to All for Justice. Contributions to All for Justice, which were all reported in a timely and correct manner, came primarily from unions, trial lawyers and Democratic politicians. When Har mon was asked in a voicemail message about the All for Justice situation, he responded with a statement issued by his spokesman.

“We have worked long and hard to put an effective set of rules in place that everyone should follow,” Har mon wrote. “If something isn’t disclosed in a timely manner, steps should be taken immediately to rectify the situation. And if the State Board of Elections needs new or additional tools to make sure this happens more intuitively and more timely, I am always happy to work with them. We all have the shared goal of meaningful campaign finance transparency.”

All for Justice spent most of its money on television advertising focusing on two Supreme Court races, in Illinois’ 2nd and 3rd districts, supporting the Democratic candidates and opposing the Republican candidates

In the 2nd District Democrat Elizabeth Rochford defeated Republican Mark Curran, and in the 3rd District Democrat Mary Kay O’Brien edged Republican Michael Burke Those two wins ensured that Democrats retained control of the Illinois Supreme Court.

“We found a need to win those two seats and we did,” Casson said, noting that important issues such as abortion rights, immigration and gun control were at stake.

A er OPRF ght, security guard seeks to press charges

Police still investigating incident

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

A female security guard at Oak Park and River Forest High School was injured on Feb. 9 as she was trying to break up a fight between two students at the school. The fight, pa rt of which was captured on cell phone video, was first re por ted by television station CBS Chicago.

The security guard was injured and taken to the hospital and released. She wants to press charges but the Oak Park Police De par tment is still investigating the incident.

“A female campus safety staf f member from OPRF HS sustained injury while attempting to break up a fight between two students at approximately 9 a.m. on Feb. 9,” said Dan Yopchick, a village gover nment spokesperson, in an email. “The injuries sustained were to the head and ar m and she was transpor ted to Rush for treatment. The battery victim indicated a desire to proceed with charges, but again that has not occur red to date as the investigation remains pending.”

A day after the fight OPRF Principal Lynda Parker sent an email to students and families informing them of the incident.

“Physical violence in our school is unacce ptable,” Parker wrote. “The strictest consequences will be issued in accordance with our Behavior Education Plan which gover ns our response to student behavior.”

Another OPRF security guard was injured in a fight at the school a few weeks ago. One of the injured security guards is back at work, but the other is not according to Karin Sullivan, OPRF spokesperson.

Sullivan said that, as of Feb. 10, there have been 38 fights at OPRF since the current school year be g an in August.

There was a large fight at OPRF on Nov. 1 that resulted in the school being placed on a soft lockdown for about an hour Ten students received disciplinary consequences as a result of that fight.

Last fall security guards, of ficially known as campus safety of ficers, complained to the school board about the dif ficulty of their jobs complaining that that they were understaf fed.

DON HARMON LUKE C ASSON

Donations will send SisterHouse clients to annual AA event

Overcoming addiction in safe, struc tured program

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

An Oak Park-based addiction recovery home, SisterHouse Chicago gar nered $2,500 in donations from community members to help send the women in the organization’s care to the 88th annual Alcoholics Anonymous Founder’s Day celebration.

“I’m absolutely excited for the ladies to go,” said Alison Jackson, who organized the donation effort “Their lives matter and there are people out here that care about them.”

The donation made on Feb. 17 puts SisterHouse halfway to its funding goal. Touched by the organization’s mission, Jackson’s friends and family contributed to the cause, raising the $2,500 in only two days. The money was handed over to SisterHouse Executive Director Patricia Banks in a ceremony at the organization’s Oak Park headquarters, 25 W. Washington Blvd. Office Depot donated a sign and a giant check to mark the occasion, according to Jackson.

A non-profit organization, SisterHouse provides a safe haven for women working toward addiction recovery. The average age of women going through SisterHouse is 45, while 89% of the women seeking treatment through the program are Black and 61.5% have no high school diploma.

“I think that the hardest year of recovery is the first year, and so SisterHouse is a place where a person can come for 18 months, sometimes two years,” said Patricia Banks,

Reproductive rights

from page 5

Roe,” she said to the 30 people seated in the synago gue’s chapel, “we came of age with a sense of control over our re productive

18 years sober, and SisterHouse’ director.

Women are typically gram to receive extended undergone rehabilitation at 28-da centers. At SisterHouse, into what caused their de hol or drugs, while being gi live and further access to for their recovery.

“When you actually ha and a spiritual awakening, y you want to never use again, ery is going to be a part rest of your life,” said probably one of the hardest

Through the program, women attend individual and group therapy sessions with licensed clinical social workers, while also going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Women more advanced in the program are taught how to develop a network of supportive relationships and to pursue goals related to family reconciliation, personal spirituality, employment and future living situations They also participate in job training programs and are educated in money management.

At SisterHouse, there are no gray areas when it comes to sobriety. Part of the program includes recreational activities, such as bowling, to show that they can have fun socializing without the use of drugs or alcohol.

“You will find that a lot of people have spent many years trying to get high right –meaning that ‘OK, I won’t drink dark liquor because I really get sloppy. I’ll just stick to the light,’” said Banks. “There’s no right way of getting high or drunk.”

lives. We could dream; we could achieve; we could realize our potential whether that included motherhood or not.”

“The over tur n of Roe has led to chaos,” she lamented. The caseload at her clinic has doubled, with many of patients traveling from states that ban abor tions She added that the necessity to travel in order to get an abor tion places an unfair burden on the poor Cowett ended her talk by chal-

ry last year. Currently, there are nine women living in the main house and two living in the annex, which serves as a bridge to independent living. Both women living in the annex are employed. Wednesday Jour nal did not interview any of the residents out of respect for their privacy.

The AA convention is being held this June in Akron, Ohio, where the program was founded. Banks is looking to charter a 16-passenger bus for the trip. Those who would like to contribute to the trip can do so through the SisterHouse website.

At least nine women in SisterHouse are expected to go to Akron, but that number could easily grow. While there, the women will attend sessions, tour the home where the first AA session was held and have an opportunity to dress for mally for a special luncheon.

To make sure that they have something special to wear, the women have access to SisterHouse’s “sugar rack,” a special closet full of nice dresses, accessories, undergar ments

lenging her fellow temple members, declaring that as Jews they have an obligation to speak out.

At the bottom of Cowett’s emails are printed the following two quotes:

“Do not be daunted by the enor mity of the world’s g rief. Do justly now Love mercy now Walk humbly now You are not obligated to complete the work but neither are you free to abandon it.” (Pirkei Avot)

Jackson and her high school friends, all of whom grew up in Oak Park like Jackson.

The group began volunteering with SisterHouse in about 2017, when they decided to help a local charity in lieu of doing a gift exchange. The “sugar rack” now looks like a small, upscale boutique.

“We laid that foundation so the ladies, once they enter into treatment, they would have an opportunity to start feeling good about themselves,” said Jackson.

Self-esteem and self-forgiveness are core to addiction recovery Many have hurt themselves and others because of their dependency on alcohol or drugs. Once you can lear n to accept those mistakes, you can lear n from them.

“Through all of these workshops, meetings, working with a sponsor, you lear n to love yourself and lear n to accept yourself and your makeup,” said Banks “Because alcoholism is an illness just like diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s just your makeup.”

“I will choose what enters me, what becomes flesh of my flesh. Without choice, no politics, no ethics lives. I am not your cornfield, not your uranium mine, not your calf for fattening, not your cow for milking. You may not use me as your factory. Priests and le gislators do not hold shares in my womb or my mind. This is my body If I give it to you, I want it back. My life is a non-ne gotiable demand.” (Marge Piercy)

TODD BANNOR

Patricia Banks (le ) holding the check, and Alison Jackson (behind) during the Sister House check presentation

SHABBAT

EXPERIENCES ON THE HORIZON

When I asked my kids for ideas of what to buy them for a Christmas gift this past year, they said they wanted an experiential gift. Not surprisingly, this was also the type of gift they gave. So, last Christmas our family gave and received many interesting gifts. There was a helicopter ride, 360 yoga in the sky, pottery classes, Dining in the Dark, Candlelight Concerts, Cirque du Soleil tickets, Second City tickets, woodworking lessons, dance lessons, music lessons, and sailing lessons.  Sure, experiential gift giving is not new. Plenty of tickets to a show or dinner gift cards have been given as gifts. However, in the past, a gift card was a default gift given when you could not think of something original. Nowadays, at least for younger people, an experiential gift is the original gift not the default gift and it has been taken to an all-new level.

There are whole companies devoted to selling experiences. A 2018 study found 63% of U.S. adults would prefer an experience to a material gift. A 2021 study

found that percentage has now jumped to 71%. So, I was curious, how did we get here?

It all started back in the late 1990s. Goods and services were starting to lose consumers’ attention. Economists saw an emerging 4th economic offering to the three existing economies of commodities, goods, and services. Enter the experience economy. In the experience economy a company uses goods and services to create a memorable event or experience for the customer. This experience is inherently personal, engaging the consumer on an emotional, physical, intellectual, or even spiritual level.

The experience economy has emerged for several reasons. Social media use, a new idea of happiness, a belief in minimalism, and renewed family interest are among those reasons.

For better or worse social media has encouraged (or compelled) consumers

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

to show the world they have an exciting, interesting life. Experiential gifting capitalizes on this encouragement. Giving a friend an experience you do together provides content for both of your social media accounts.

People are also taking a more holistic perspective on what leads to happiness. We are shunning materialism for good reason. One study found that satisfaction in a purchase of material goods diminishes quickly but satisfaction of an experience often increases over time.

Americans are also embracing minimalism. Whether for environmental reasons or a growing lack of materialism, we are just not as interested in stuff as we used to be.

Post pandemic shut down, we want to spend more time with family and friends while doing something more than just a living room visit. Experiential gifts bring us together and get us out of the house.

Gifts of experiences are not just more fun; they are better for us than material gifts. One 2017 study found that experiential gifts produce greater improvements in relationship strength than material giftsregardless of whether the gift giver and recipient consume the gift together. Those relationship improvements stem from the intensity of emotion that is evoked when we consume the gifts rather than when the gifts are received.

So, consider making your next gift an experiential gift. It may be just as beneficial for you to give this gift as it is for your friend/family to receive it. Like experiential gift giving, estate planning is as beneficial for you as it is for your family/friends. You feel relief because you have set up things correctly and your family feels gratitude that their burden in handling your affairs is reduced.

708-819-1580

www.theresaclancylaw.com

theresa.clancy@theresaclancylaw.com

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SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, BUT I STILL LOVE MY HUMAN.

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

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THERESA CLANCY Estate Planning Attorney

Cory Wesley making another run for Oak Park village trustee

Don’t call it a comeback; Wesley ’s been here for years

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Cory Wesley ste pped onto the Oak Park village board during an unusual time. He was appointed last October to fill the trustee seat vacated by Ar ti Walker-Peddakotla after her sur prise resignation, but he intends to serve much longer than the shor t remainder of his predecessor’s ter m.

“I want to make sure that I continue to use my voice to re present folks who don’ t always have a seat at the table and don’ t always feel welcome at the table and don’t always feel empowered to use their voice to speak up even if they’re not at the table,” Wesley told Wednesday Jour nal.

Wesley made it clear when he joined the board that he planned to run for a full ter m.

T he tech entrepreneur and father of two is r unning largely on the same issue that was the basis of his village trustee campaign in 2019, a race he lost to WalkerPeddakotla by a razor-thin margin of 52 votes That issue – the af fordability of Oak Park – is just as impor tant to Wesley as it was four years ago.

“I want to make sure we keep an af fordable Oak Park, that we have an inclusive and welcoming Oak Park that we continue to focus on economic development because it contributes to that af fordabilit y, which is the underlying layer of all of our

core values,” Wesley said. Wesley wasn’t born and raised in the village. He grew up nearby in Chicago’s Nor th Lawndale neighborhood but was very f amiliar with Oak Park T he village

has “an aspirational quality” to it, according to Wesley.

“When you grow up on the West Side of Chicago, it’s the place you go when you’ re Black and you make it,” he said. “It has this re putation for being inclusive, for being a place where you can go and be Black – if you can af ford it.”

Before he and his wife moved here with their two young children, they looked at places in Berwyn and Forest Park. When they first saw what would become their first house in Oak Park, Wesley said he and his wife immediately knew the village was the “only place for them.”

He and his f amily have lived in Oak Park for almost 12 years now and in that time, he’s become a self-proclaimed loud voice for creating a village that is welcoming and af fordable, as well as economically prosperous.

Wesley became a member of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation’s board of directors in 2019 – a few months after he lost the last election. He was chair of the economic agency’s board until being appointed to the village board. He also served as a member of the village ’s Civic Info rmation Systems Commission.

Wesley believes his time with OPEDC helped shape him into the public servant he is today He was able to view governing through a lens of leadership while being sur rounded by people who valued intentionality in economic growth.

“I really do miss it,” he said. “But I love where I am now too.”

Wesley could no longer continue on the OPEDC board once he was appointed, as two spots were already occupied by Village President Vicki Scaman and Trustee Susan Buchanan, who is seeking a second ter m as village trustee. Having a third village board member on the OPEDC board would be a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

As an appointed trustee, Wesley came onto the village board after its goals had been adopted, with projects and initiatives already underway. His objective was to be the best trustee that he could in the limited time that was available to him; Walker-Peddakotla resigned with roughly six months left of her ter m.

“The board already had a working dynamic, and they’d already settled into how they made and processed decisions,” Wesley said. “I just wanted to inte grate myself into that system, so that I could contribute in a meaningful way.”

Inte grating himself into that system did not mean staying silent. Wesley has not been shy when it comes to of fering insight or sharing opinions during board discussions, but he is not afraid to admit when he is in er ror – something atypical of public of ficials in higher of fices

T hose qualities – open-mindedness, humility and the ability to acce pt evidence that is sometimes contrary to previously held views – Wesley plans to bring to the village board as a full-ter m trustee

“I am passionate about the things I believe in, but I’m also willing to change my opinions on them when I’m wrong.”

“

eep an a ordable Oak Park, that we have an inclusive and welcoming Oak Park that we continue to focus on economic development because it contributes to that a ordabilit y.”

CO RY WESLE Y Oak Park village trustee

Road improvements top River Forest’s FY2024 capital plan

$5 million budget also includes sewer upgrades, vehicle purchases

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

A $736,279 roadway resurfacing project headed the list of the five-year capital improvement plan unveiled at the River Forest Village Board committee of the whole meeting on Feb. 13.

In his presentation, Matt Walsh, interim village administrator, said capital expenditures are estimated to be $18.8 million over the next five years, $5 million of which is expected to be spent in the first year, Fiscal Year 2024, which begins May 1.

The majority of funding, $1.2 million, will come from the motor fuel tax fund, which includes the $736,279 for the Rebuild Illinois Project. Other funding sources include capital improvement fund, $1 million; water and sewer fund, $914,000; capital equipment replacement fund, $808,702; and general fund, $460,000.

According to Jeff Loster, director of public works and development services, the $736,279 roadway resurfacing project costs will be covered by Rebuild Illinois grant funds that are issued in six disbursements

of $122,713 over a three-year period concluding in FY2023.

The Rebuild Illinois capital program will make $45 billion worth of investments in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers and state facilities over the next six years, creating and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the plan and revitalizing local economies across the state, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Of that total, $25.4 billion will fund improvements to Illinois roads and bridges

Loster explained that the Rebuild Illinois Project will be similar to the village’s annual street improvement project but must be accounted for separately. The funds must be used for a bondable capital improvement with an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years, he added. Combining the annual street improvement expenditure of $650,000 accounts for the $1.2 million motor fuel tax expenditure. Funds not expended by July 1, 2025, will be forfeited Streets that will be resurfaced under the two projects have yet to be identified, Loster said.

“Staf f is still working to finalize the locations and align the project scope with the funding available,” he said. “With a project like this we always try to establish a scope of work with logical ter mini that also fully exhausts the funds.”

Loster said the summer months w ould be targeted for the two projects.

“We still have to go through permitting with IDOT and the bid process, but we plan to wrap up those ef for ts over the next few months.” he added.

Unveiling the capital improvement plan is the first step of the budget process. Of ficials said the plan is generally amended during the budget process as deter minations are made for items to be moved forward or to be deferred.

In April, a budget will be prepared and recommended to the village board, which will take input from residents, if there is any, at a public hearing. The final step in the process will be adoption of the budget, which is expected in April

The list of proposed capital improvement projects in FY2024 includes $675,000 for water and sewer improvements, which includes $250,000 for the stor m water master plan, $215,000 for water main replacements and $140,000 for sewer relining

Also on the list is $586,370 for vehicle purchases, including three squad cars for the police department and two dump trucks and two pickup trucks for the public works department.

Although not included in the FY2024 expenditures, fire Chief Thomas Gaertner recommended to the village board that consideration be given to purchasing a quint

fire truck to replace the fire department’s engine and ladder truck.

He said the ladder truck is scheduled to be replaced in FY2026 but the order should be placed sooner due to the estimated two-year wait for delivery.

A quint fire truck is an apparatus that combines the equipment capabilities of a ladder truck and the water-pumping ability of a fire engine. As its name implies, it features five main tools to carry out firefighting functions – pump, water tank, fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders

The quint has also become more userfriendly over the years, according to information on the Firehouse magazine website. Advancements in reach and stability, shorter wheelbases and higher-powered diesel engines have made these units more capable of any task on the fireground that is required, according to the website.

The apparatus can combat structure fires, provide continued elevated egress and serve as an elevated master stream all within one unit, the website said.

Gaertner estimated the cost of a quint to be $1.5 million but said the village would be able to cover some of that cost by selling the department’s engine.

Although trustees made comments and asked questions about specific expenses and projects, Walsh’s presentation was accepted without major discussion.

New vehicles for River Forest re, public works depts. top $500K

truck bodies from Monroe Truck Equipment of Joliet and $232,920 for two Freightliner dump truck chassis from TransChicago Truck Group of Elmhurst for a total of $451,628.

By ROBERT J. LIFKA

Contributing Reporter

Endorsing staff recommendations, the River Forest village trustees unanimously authorized spending over $500,000 to purchase new vehicles for the fire department and the public works department at their Feb. 13 meeting.

The majority of the expense is for the purchase for the public works department of two tandem-axle dump trucks, the bodies and chassis for which are being purchased from separate vendors.

The dump truck purchase is divided between $218,708 for two Freightliner dump

The fire department will purchase a 2023 Dodge Durango from Thomas Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep of Highland, Indiana, for $50,373.81. Of the total cost, $40,082 is for the vehicle and $10,291.81 is for an emergency visual and audible package and its installation.

In a memo to Matt Walsh, acting village administrator, Public Works Director Jeff Loster said the new dump trucks will replace two Inter national dump trucks that are at or beyond their useful life, adding ongoing maintenance costs dictate that they be replaced. One was purchased in 2012 and the other was purchased in 1998 but refurbished in 2012 instead of being re placed Loster told of ficials at the Feb. 13 meeting that both vehicles are “an inte gral part of our fleet,” used for snow removal and salt

application during winter months and various tasks throughout the rest of the year

Due to inflation and general supply-chain issues, the cost for these vehicles continues to increase, Loster said in the memo These same issues also have created a significant delay between purchase approval and vehicle delivery, a timeframe likely to be 12 to 18 months or more. As such, he said staf f members are seeking approval to initiate the purchase process for these vehicles with the intention of receiving them during the 2023-24 fiscal year

Loster acknowledged that the contracts were not competitively bid nor were they selected as part of a separate joint bid. Throughout the past year, staf f members have continued to reach out to known vendors seeking vehicle availability, including those from the commonly utilized Suburban Purchasing Cooperative (SPC), he explained. Unfortunately, the SPC and other contacted vendors are no longer waitlisting

names due to vehicle shortages, he said.

In recommending the purchases, Loster said Monroe and TransChicago were the only vendors accepting purchase agreements at this time In addition, they have supplied chassis and dump truck bodies to the village in recent years as low-bidders and staf f members have been satisfied with the equipment supplied in the past as well as the established working relationships with them.

In a memo to village President Cathy Adduci, Fire Chief Thomas Gaertner said the Durango will replace a 2011 Ford Escape used as the fire marshal’s car. He said that the Escape was scheduled for a six-year useful use and is now approaching 12 years.

Once the Durango is received, which Gaertner said is expected to be by the end of April, the Escape will replace a 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe that is used for fire inspections and hydrant flushing among other duties. The Tahoe will then be sold as sur plus

O cials waive competitive bids, co- op buys due to vehicle shor tage

River Forest police chief appoints Greenwood as deputy

25-year veteran lls position vacant for 3 years

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Filling a position that has been vacant for three years, James Greenwood was appointed deputy chief of the River Forest Police Department on Feb. 1.

He took the oath office at the Feb. 13 village board meeting before a crowd of family members and fellow officers, including a contingent from the Bellwood Police Department.

Greenwood has been with the department for over 25 years, joining the force in 1997 as a patrol officer. He worked his way up the ranks, serving as detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant and patrol commander. He held the last position from October 2018 until his recent promotion.

Police Chief James O’Shea explained that the last deputy chief was Dan Dhooghe, who held the position until he retired three years ago.

“We needed to fill frontline street positions prior to promoting new deputy chief,” he said. “We have been fully staffed for several months now and it was time to fill the position again.”

Greenwood grew up in Franklin Park and graduated from

PROVIDED

He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management de gree from Benedictine University in Lisle and attended the School of Police Staf f and Command at Northwestern University in Evanston.

While at Northwestern, Greenwood received the Kreml Award, which is voted on by the class of police supervisors from around the state and awarded to one person per class demonstrating high ethical and professional values and dedication to public service.

Another memorable and “positive” moment came a few years back when Greenwood found a little boy whose mother had called police to say he was missing.

“The boy had been playing outside with the other neighborhood kids and his family,” he recalled. “I arrived on scene along with other officers and we began searching. Other officers began searching inside the home and I decided to talk to the other little kids that he had been playing with. They explained that they were playing hide and seek in the back yard and the little boy was gone

East Leyden High School. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, studying political science and landscape architecture before changing directions and attending Triton College in River Grove where he earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice administration.

“I noticed the overhead door to the neighbor’s garage was open and the yards to both homes were connected. I searched in the garage and found the little guy deep in the throes of a serious game of hide and seek. I explained to him that his mom was looking for him and walked him next door to his home.

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

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

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99% OF OUR CALEDONIA STAFF IS VACCINATED

Son Ryan Greenwood (le ) pins the shield as daughter Madoly n (center) ensures it’s straight following their father James Greenwood (right) taking the oath of o ce as River Forest’s deputy police chief at the village board meeting on Feb. 13.

Local dentist raising awareness of special needs dentistry

In campaign to make March

3 ‘Special Needs Day of Dentistr y’

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Dr. James Scapillato, of Family Dental Care Oak Park, has treated over 3,000 special needs patients in his almost 50 years as a practicing dentist. Now, he is leading a campaign to see March 3 recognized nationally as the “Special Needs Day of Dentistry.”

The campaign is meant in part to bring awareness to the lack of service being provided to patients with special needs. Finding a dentist equipped to not only work on teeth, but one also able to provide services in a way that accommodates particular needs, can be incredibly difficult.

“I’m still getting families who are finally finding me,” said Scapillato. “They’ve many times called multiple offices and had no luck because the dentists are not trained or comfortable working on their special needs relative.”

And once a capable dentist is found, the special needs patient may not be able to immediately see the doctor. Some have to wait as long as a year or even two for an appointment. This makes the situation particularly difficult considering people are advised to have their teeth cleaned by a dentist twice a year.

Professional dental cleanings may be needed more often than once every six months for those people who cannot hold a toothbrush, according to Scapillato

“Or sometimes it’s just an intrusion on their space, which is common with people with autism,” he said. “Some of them are not very comfortable with you even touching them, let alone you trying to work in their

mouth.”

Oak Park Village Trustee Susan Buchanan and her son are patients of Scapillato’s. Her son started to see Scapillato when he was around five years old. At the time, his sensory sensitivities and anxiety was such that neither she nor her husband had tried to take him to see a dentist before.

Over a period of visits, Scapillato was able to build trust with his young patient, teaching him how to care properly for his teeth. Now 17, he and Scapillato go together like toothpaste and a toothbrush.

“They’re best buddies,” Buchanan said. “My son loves Dr. Jim.”

Maintaining personal hygiene can be a problem for people with autism due to extra sensory perception, according to the National Autistic Society, but oral hygiene can impact a person’s overall health. Poor dental care can lead to certain for ms of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and dementia, making it critical for all people to take care of their mouths and teeth.

In promoting “Special Needs Day of Dentistry,” Scapillato hopes one day to have an internet database that will connect patients with special needs throughout the U.S. to dentists that have the capability to provide them care. Having that resource, he hopes, will eliminate lengthy wait times and reduce the stress associated with finding the right dentist.

The lack of services for special needs patients is caused by a combination of factors, Scapillato believes. Dental schools have only recently begun to incorporate special needs treatment into their training programs. Treating patients with special needs often necessitates a lot more time and staff than a visit to the dentist might otherwise require. Scapillato estimated that dental visits take about twice as long for those patients

“You’re still only going to bill for the service you perform, but it’s taking you longer,”

he said.

Scapillato doesn’t specialize in special needs dentistry in the technical sense, but he was exposed to it during his preceptorship at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in the 1970s. It was there he realized that most people who went to the hospital for dental care had special needs.

Now, he sees about 75 to 80 patients with special needs on a yearly basis. Those patients account for roughly 15% of his practice, but he makes adjustments to acclimate them to the dental examination setting Much time is spent discussing oral health care with the patient’s family or care giver.

The first visit is something of a meet and greet to identify what the patient likes and dislikes, as well as how the patient might react to certain things. The dentist also tries to at least look at the teeth during that initial visit, but there’s not necessarily always time to do a cleaning then.

“If we’re capable of taking x-rays, we will do so, but it’s usually limited because you’re putting this sensor in the mouth and you need them to hold still,” said Scapillato

Oftentimes, they are unable to get x-rays done, but just getting the patient in for a cleaning can do a world of good in preventing cavities and tooth extractions

There can be as many as four people in the examination room during one appointment.

Scapillato does the cleaning, while one dental assistant helps the doctor clean, and another holds the mouth props. A family member or guardian is often there to keep the patient calm and, if necessary, restrict their movements. That offers a more caring touch than physical restraints

“I do not like to use restraints,” Scapillato said.

There is no special equipment. If a patient with sensory sensitivities wants to use headphones, Scapillato welcomes them to do so He will also play music should the patient wish to listen. Once in a while, an anesthesiologist will be brought in to administer general anesthesia to a patient if a lot of work is needed to be done in one setting, but Scapillato prefers not to have to go that route if it can be avoided.

Scapillato approaches his work on a patient-to-patient basis, understanding that no two individuals are exactly alike, regardless of whether they have Asperger’s Syndrome or Down Syndrome

“They have the same feelings that you and I have, so I try to give them the best care and maintain their teeth as long as possible,” he said.

TODD BANNOR

SPECIALIZED C ARE: Dr. James Scapillato has long o ered dental care to patients w ith special needs.

“They have the same feelings that you and I have, so I try to give them the best care and maintain their teeth as long as possible”

DR . JAMES SCAPILL ATO Family Dental Care Oak Park

Madison Street in Forest Park may get $500K makeover

Village to upgrade decades old streetscape elements

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

It was much like people looking in the mirror, noticing that their hair had turned gray and asking themselves, “When did that happen?”

Independently, Laurie Kokenes, director of the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce, and Sal Stella, the village’s public works director, both noticed that although many businesses had given their storefronts facelifts, Madison Street’s own streetscape was looking old and tired after decades of incremental wear and tear

Stella began the makeover story by saying, “About a month or so ago, I was contacted by Laurie from the Chamber of Commerce She had explained how she had heard some internal talk about talking to the village in trying to upgrade some of the aesthetics on Madison Street. ”

“I told Laurie,” he added, “that it was amazing that she wanted to pursue this because I have looked at the infrastructure and street furniture for years and been wanting to give it a makeover. It was on my hit list of things to accomplish as director, but funding had always been an issue, especially during the pandemic.”

Kokenes said Stella’s concern about funding seemed to be answered by the federal gover nment’s pandemic era American Rescue Plan (ARPA) which made $350 billion available to state, local and tribal governments beginning in April 2022.

“When the village began discussing plans for use of ARPA funds,” she said, “they shared with the chamber some of the items in their preliminary plan. We had several discussions with our board, then we reached out to Mayor (Rory) Hoskins to share our ideas. Rory was very open to hearing what we had to say, and following the conversation, he connected us with Sal Stella and Ryan Nero (Commissioner of Streets and Public Improvement).”

Stella, Nero and Kokenes walked the street together to see firsthand what improve-

ments were needed. “That walk,” Kokenes said, “made it clear that there was a good deal of work to be done along with some regular upkeep.”

Following the walk, Stella and Nero did some brainstorming and, along with Kokenes, came up with an initial plan which included painting the light poles, changing out the street furniture — including trash receptacles, bike racks and benches — power washing the sidewalks and limestone planter caps, sealcoating the satellite parking lots and restriping them.

Stella worked with Jim Amelio from Christopher Burke Engineering, the village’s contracted engineering firm, to get “pricing on an array of improvements that could be done to the streetscape. The idea of pricing went to the board and they liked it.”

Although money made available by ARPA was the initial stimulus for engaging in the project, money ultimately came from funding made available through the village’s own infrastructure plan.

Moses Amidei, village administrator, explained the details of the funding.

“On this plan, a line item for Madison

Street improvements was noted at a sum of $300,000 using village VIP (Village Infrastructure Plan) funds. The village’s VIP Fund comes from two referendum approved sales tax increases: .5% in 2004 and another .5% in 2014. Generally, he said, a 1% sales tax generates about $1.9 million to $2 million per year and can only be used for infrastructure purposes.”

“As of the date of this writing,” said Amidei, “no contracts or proposals have been approved by the village council. It is quite possible that some of these items may be put in motion later this spring, following village council approval.”

Stella said the improvements will enhance the experience of customers who patronize the shops and restaurants along the street. “It is very important,” he said “to make sure our business districts are looking in tip top shape. Not only to ensure our businesses look attractive but to also give our patrons and guests an amazing experience while in town.”

He added that an attractive business district also incentivizes quality businesses to locate in Forest Park

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FRAUD Rush indictment

from page 1

policy. The hospital entered into the agreement around December 2013 with Medical Education So lutions to provide the hospital’ podiatry residency program ad ministrative and compliance sup port

That arrangement lasted unti approximately July 2021, coinciding with the arrival of Dr. Dino Rumoro, who officially became the hospital’s CEO on July 1 of that year. That winter, it was reported Rumoro and Rush hospital staff had uncovered evidence of financial misappropriation and the hospital launched an internal investigation. The results of that investigation were handed over to the proper authorities, according to Rush Oak Park spokesperson Brad Spencer, who did not mention Spadoni by name. Wednesday Journal has reached out to Rumoro for comment. The federal indictment does not specifically mention Rush Oak Park Hospital or any hospital by name

“I do want to emphasize that the for mer executive hasn’t been at RUSH since summer 2021,” Spencer said in an email to Wednesday Journal.

He also concealed, and attempted to conceal, his and his wife’s financial interest in MES, providing a direct report at Rush with a $1,500 monthly cash payment in order to perform the administrative support and compliance services that were covered by the MES reement, according to the U.S. ttorney’s Office, Northern Disrict of Illinois. The indictment alleges that Spadoni and his wife used the remaining funds paid by the hospital for the personal benfit of themselves and others.

ROBERT SPADONI

Oak Parkers living near the hospital may remember Spadoni for his involvement in the hospital’s plans to build a parking garage on Wenonah Avenue, which is now indefinitely on hold. Spadoni served as the hospital’s representative during the project’s hearings before the Oak Park Plan Commission, the first of which took place in November 2019. At the time, the hospital was criticized for not meeting with neighbors ahead of the hearing. Neighbors were resoundingly against the garage

BRAD SPENCER

Under the terms of the agreement with MES, the indictment alleges, the hospital consented to pay $6,5000 per month for the administrative and compliance support services that Spadoni knew would not be provided.

The hospital put the plan on hold, then brought a revised plan to the commission the following year for a series of hearings. The garage finally received the commission’s approval on March 5, 2020, but Spadoni still got notably testy over claims that the garage was too tall. The garage was planned to be 64 feet tall, which is below the maximum height of 80 feet allowed by zoning code.

“Just so we’re clear, this is zoned H and in H, we can build what we’re due, but we’re trying to be a good neighbor in that regard,” Spadoni told the commission.

“I do want to emphasize that the former executive hasn’t been at RUSH since summer 2021.”

Rush spokeperson

The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest Invites you to our annual

The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest Invites you to our annual

MUSEUM GALA

MUSEUM GALA

Honoring the 2023 Award Winners

Honoring the 2023 Award Winners

Heart of our Villages

CamilleWilsonWhiteandJanNovakDressel

CamilleWilsonWhiteandJanNovakDressel

Join us to celebrate the Exceptional people whose stories make our villages so special

Join us to celebrate the Exceptional people whose stories make our villages so special

Thursday March 9, 2023

Heart of our Villages 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

We celebrate the stories of Oak Parkers and River Foresters whose lives of service are models for our communities

We celebrate the stories of Oak Parkers and River Foresters whose lives of service are models for our communities

Ni ne t een t h Cen t ur y Cl ub , 178 Fore st, Oa k Park Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and carving station

The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest

Entertainment at 6:30 P.M.

Remarks and Award Presentation at 7:30 p.m.

$125/ticket

Questions? 708-848-6755 or oprfhistorymatters@sbcglobal.net

Questions? 708-848-6755 or oprfhistorymatters@sbcglobal.net

Honoring ard Winners

CamilleWilsonWhiteandJanNovakDressel

people special

Thursday March 9, 2023

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Ni ne t een t h Cen t ur y Cl ub , 178 Fore st, Oa k Park

Lead Sponsors

Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and carving station

Lead Sponsors

Entertainment at 6:30 P.M.

Remarks and Award Presentation at 7:30 p.m.

$125/ticket

Questions? 708-848-6755 or oprfhistorymatters@sbcglobal.net

Questions? Call 708-848-6755 • oprfmuseum.org

Iraqi vet and Housing Forward board member blends homeless concerns

Sleep Out 4 Change raises money, awareness of vets without housing

By LACE Y SIKORA Contributing Reporter

The temperature was forecast to hit a low of 19 de gr on Feb. 17 in Forest Park, but Housing Forward board member Erich Krumrei was enthusiastic about slee ping outside in a cardboard box to raise money and awareness of homelessness issues.

The Iraqi war veteran noted before the event, “I’ve been watching the weather very The idea is to get out there little so you have a bit of an idea when they don’t have a home Krumrei, who lives in Oak Park and owns Play it Ag ain Spor ts in Forest Park, notes he was inspired by Gimme Shelter, an event hosted by Peoria-based Phoenix Development Services to raise awareness of the challenges faced by community members without homes Participants pay for the privilege of spending the night in a cardboard box in order to raise funds to help combat homelessness.

As a board member with Housing Forward, the Maywood-based non-profit, Krumrei decided to bring a similar event to the near-west ys is a way to support his passion for ending homelessness, especially veteran homelessness

Branding his inaugural ef fort Slee p Out 4 Change, Krumrei challenged others to join him in slee ping outside to raise awareness about homelessness, and also launched a fundraiser at: Sleep Out 4 Change (clickandpledge.com)

The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated

etthe number Krumthird-generation andfather his Krparthe ys, iseterans from n’t was including Maria Maxham. Maxham is a volunteer for Housing Forward, and through her work as a village commissioner in Forest Park she is currently eng aging with the mayor’s of fice and the Community Center to add a focus on mental health and social services to the de par tment’s work.

She says, “When Erich told me about the Slee p Out 4

Change initiative, I was immediately interested because I love the work Housing Forward is doing. It’s a project that will raise money for and awareness of a very impor tant issue.”

Krumrei hopes to expand this ef fort into an annual event with multiple people slee ping outside for pledges, with cor porate sponsors This year, the village of Forest Park and Mayor Rory Hoskins of fered suppo rt, and Grand Appliance on Madison Street in Forest Park donated refrigerator boxes to the effort.

Housing Forward Executive Director Lynda Schueler kicked of f the evening with a brief speech, acknowledging Krumrei’s ef for ts that help shine the spotlight on homeless veterans His ef for ts dovetail with Housing Forward’s Victory’s Path program, which provides support to veterans, helping them obtain housing as they work towards paying for their own housing as an inde pendent community member.

Erik Johnson, development chief at Housing Forward, praised Krumrei’s ef forts. “He is a new board member for Housing Forward and just really wanted to roll up his sleeves and do something that crossed ground with his personal experience and his board experience.”

As of Monday, Feb. 20, Slee p Out 4 Change has raised over $7,700 and Housing Forward continues to acce pt donations

PHOTO S BY TODD BANNOR

Erich Krumrei (r ight), ow ner of Play It Again Spor ts in Forest Park, and a Housing Forward board member talks about his suppor t for unhoused military vets.

Journal’s Oak Park village board forum on March16

Live event to be held in village hall council chambers

The spring election season is here with contested races in some village gover nment and school board races. Election Day is April 4 and early voting starts in just three weeks

After hosting a forum last week for OPRF school board candidates, Wednesday Journal is planning our next live event which will be a forum for candidates running for the Oak Park village board.

The forum, moderated by Doris Davenport of “The Doris Davenport Show” on WPNA (AM 1490), will be March 16 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Oak Park’s village hall, 123 Madison St. Audience mem-

D200

FORUM Project 2 debate

from page 3

training, vocational training, certificate opportunities,” Livingston said.

None of the candidates supported bringing back a police presence in the school in the form of having a police officer stationed at the school as a full time school resource officer

All the candidates liked the current emphasis at OPRF on restorative justice, a philosophy that focuses on repairing the har m caused by misdeeds rather than punishment.

“I’m a huge proponent of restorative practice,” Livingston said. “Let’s look how we can better make restorative practice more sophisticated and more deeply embedded in the school.”

bers will be able to submit written questions during the forum.

There are five candidates for three open seats on Oak Park’s village board. Running for reelection are Susan Buchanan and Jim Taglia. Cory Wesley was appointed to the board last year and is now running for a full ter m. Simone Boutet, a for mer trustee, is running for a seat along with newcomer Brian Straw.

On other fronts, Wednesday Jour nal is gearing up for the election with candidate profiles underway, a digital candidate guide underway, questionnaires out to all the can-

didates, an extensive Voter Guide being prepped for print on March 15 and, we’re glad to say, the retur n of in-person candidate forums as COVID eases

Growing Community Media’s election events and special coverage is underwritten by the Good Heart Work Smart Foundation.

Oak Park Village Board

Fi ve candidates for three seats

March 16 at 7 p.m.

Oak Park Village Hall

Council Chambers

123 Madison St.

Moderated by Doris Davenpor t of “The Doris Davenpor t Show” on WPNA

er of Chicago Public Square, noted that all four candidates were white men and asked what they thought of that.

“I don’t know how to answer that,” Souders said. “All I know is I saw an opportunity to help the community and help our school and I stepped up. Why other people don’t do that I don’t know.”

Livingston said he would have not run if there had been quality candidates of color running.

Livingston, Brisben and Brandhorst said they would encourage more diverse candidates to run in the future.

WEB EX TRA

“We clearly don’t represent the community,” Brandhorst said. “We’re four middle aged white guys and that is a problem.”

Those who chose not to run for another ter m are a white male, Ralph Martire, a white female, Sara Spivy, and a Black female, Gina Harris.

Brisben said his experience on the District 97 school board, where he served from 2013 to 2017, taught him the importance of remaining student focused and of listening to everyone

“You usually have well-resourced families that can show up to board meetings and show up to all kinds of events, you have to make an effort to find those students and families who can’t be as present,” Brisben said.

Moderator Charlie Meyerson, the publish-

Twenty-two people attended the forum in person and another 48 watched it live on Zoom.

One of those who attended the forum in person said afterwards that he was struck by what wasn’t talked about.

“I was hoping there would be more discussion about academic excellence and competitive grading and scoring versus other high schools, like goals to get us into the top 20 percent of Illinois high schools,” said River Forest resident Owen Beacom who graduated from OPRF in 1977.

Here’s the link to the Zoom recording of our OPRF candidate foru m

CRIME

Hospital sta battered

Two people were arrested in separate incidents of battery of hospital staff, one of which occurred at Rush Oak Park Hospital and the other at West Suburban Medical Center

A 33-year-old man, from the 1100 block of South Boulevard in Oak Park, was arrested at 2:39 p.m., Feb. 14, for aggravated battery after he struck a hospital staff member at Rush Oak Park Hospital.

The day before, a 34-year-old man, from the 1100 block of North Leclaire Avenue in Chicago, was stopped and arrested for aggravated battery of a West Suburban staf fer and for disorderedly conduct at 7:45 a.m., Feb. 13.

Both were processed and held for bond hearings.

Burglar y

■ A Colt WWII commemorative blue steel .45 caliber handgun was stolen from a second-floor bedroom after a burglar forced open the rear door of a residence in the 1100 block of Nor th Kenilwor th Avenue between 9 a.m., Feb. 8, and 11 a.m., Feb. 11.

■ A pair of Dior sunglasses, cash and high heeled YSL shoes were taken from a vehicle with an unlocked door between 8:31 p.m. and 8:35 p.m., Feb. 15, in the 900 block of Ontario Street. The estimated loss is $2,112.

■ Two cases, containing Denon SC 6000 tur ntables, were taken from the closed bed of a 2013 Ford F150 between noon and 1 p.m., Feb. 17, in the 400 block of South Lombard Avenue.

■ Someone broke into a residence, possibly through a kitchen window, ransacked dressers and cabinets, taking jewelry and the keys to the victim’s 2021 Kia Sorento, which the burglar also removed, between 11 p.m., Feb. 14, and 5:30 a.m., Feb. 15, in the 100 block of South Elmwood Avenue. The estimated loss is unknown.

Motor vehicle theft

■ A maroon 2013 Kia Optima was removed from the 6200 block of Nor th Avenue between 5:30 p.m. and 7:55 p.m., Feb. 16. The estimated loss is $10,550.

■ A 2021 Toyota RAV4 was taken between 11:40 a.m. and 11:50 a.m., Feb. 14, from the 900 block of Lake Street. Chicago police recovered the vehicle at 7:28 p.m., Feb. 16, in the 4700 block of West Flour noy Street in Chicago.

■ A 2020 Hyundai Elantra was removed between 3:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., Feb. 13, from the 200 block of Nor th Linden Avenue. The vehicle was recovered by Chicago police at 7:53 p.m., Feb. 15, in the 5500 block of West Gladys Avenue in Chicago.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

■ Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window of a 2021 Kia then peeled the vehicle’s steering column between 9:15 p.m., Feb. 12, and 9:30 a.m., Feb. 14, in the 700 block of Washington Boulevard

■ Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window of a 2015 Hyundai Sonata then peeled the vehicle’s steering column between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Feb. 14, in the 600 block of South Boulevard.

Theft

■ A package containing a 10-carat diamond and sterling silver necklace and a pair of diamond, white gold ear rings was taken from the 400 block of Taylor Avenue between 4:07 p.m. and 5 p.m., Dec. 22. The estimated loss is $1,048.

■ A package containing a board g ame was taken from the front porch of a residence in the 500 block of Woodbine Avenue between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., Feb. 11. The estimated loss is $30.

Criminal proper ty damage

■ The driver’s side window of a 2013 Hyundai Sonata was broken between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Feb. 16, in the 6200 block of Nor th Avenue

■ All four tires on a 2015 Toyota Corolla were punctured between 10 p.m., Feb. 16, and 7:30 a.m., Feb. 17, in the 100 block of South Maple Avenue The estimated damage is $600.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports, Feb. 14-20, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

Oak Park police o ering steering wheel locks

To prevent Kia and Hyundai thefts

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Anyone who pays attention to Oak Park police summary re por ts knows that Hyundai and Kia vehicles are getting stolen left, right and center lately. Two Hyundais and two Kias were purloined from the village, between Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. Another Kia had its steering wheel damaged in an attempted theft sometime between Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. The thefts are occurring almost daily.

To prevent further thefts, the Oak Park Police Department is hosting a steering wheel lock giveaway for residents who drive select Hyundai and Kia models As supplies are limited, residents must pre-register by emailing Community Policing Sergeant Robert Monty, at r monty@oak-park.us, to request a free steering wheel lock.

The de par tment will provide locks to people who drive Hyundai models manufactured between 2016 to 2021 or a Kia models manufactured from 2011 to 2021. Locks can be picked up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Feb. 25, at the police station,

DEPUT Y CHIEF Veteran promoted

from page 11

“The feeling of happiness and relief from the mother was more than hear twar ming. The sense of commitment to a g ame of hide and seek was almost as hilarious.”

Greenwood said the seed for law enforcement as a career was planted by the father of a childhood friend who was a police of ficer The seed remained dor mant until went to colle ge and started working as a student employee for the University of Illinois Police De par tment.

“I was assigned to check campus buildings and provide transpor tation for students at night,” he recalled. “We worked for the of ficers, and I admired the work

which is in the basement of village hall, 123 Madison St.

There were an astounding 266 vehicle thefts in Oak Park last year, a notable increase from 71 in 2021. The surge in Kia and Hyundai thefts mirrors re gional and national trends, according to the police de par tment.

Those particular vehicles are easy targets for theft because they use a mechanical key to star t rather than a key fob and push button. Videos have circulated on social media showing people how to steal cer tain Kias and Hyundais using a bo gstandard USB charger, which most people keep in their vehicles Thieves use the USB charger to tur n a vehicle’s ignition and in about a minute, they are cruising away in a car that doesn’t belong to them.

On top of steering wheel locks, the police de par tment recommends people who drive Kias and Hyundais manufactured in the previously specified years take extra precaution with an engine immobilizer. It is also recommended to park in well-lit areas and to keep the overhead doors to personal parking garages closed.

that they did and realized over time that this was my passion.”

Greenwood said he never considered working for any other type of police depar tment other than local municipal police

“I was interested in the daily interactions with the community and helping people at the local level,” he explained.

Greenwood said he believes the biggest public safety concer n for River Forest sur rounds the area of traf fic violations and the police de par tment’s enforcement of the infractions.

“The community wants to ensure that the streets are safe to drive on and that their children can play outside without the wor ry of a car speeding by or worse,” he said. “The de par tment is here to provide the safety and security for the community so that they can enjoy going out for a bike ride, walk or head to the park to play.

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Vintage Home Show returns to Unity Temple

Seminars geared toward common oldhome renovation projects

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

If you own an old home, think you might buy an old home or just love historic architecture and old-world craftsmanship, the second annual in-person Vintage Home Show at Unity Temple is worth a stop on Saturday, March 4.

Heidi Ruehle, executive director of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, says that like last year’s event, this year’s Vintage Home Show will feature artisans, designers and contractors who are experienced in working with older homes. At the event, guests can attend seminars, visit vendor booths to learn about their work in vintage homes and ask experts home renovation questions.

One of the vendors who will be on hand is Hollice Childress, whose business C&H Specialty Craftworks, specializes in recreating historic-style windows, doors and other carpentry that look old but perform more like modern pieces.

He developed his own process to re produce historical designs and notes that it involves, “a lot of challenging geometry.”

This year, he’s bringing a door to the show that highlights his skills.

“It’s supposed to re present Frank Lloyd Wright and other styles I’ve seen in Oak Park,” Childress said. “I wanted to incorporate things people are using today, like Ring doorbells, and I added a mailbox to show different options.”

Eric Lindeman of OP Painters will also have a vendor booth at the Vintage Home Show. He says that his career in Oak Park and the surrounding areas have honed his skills

working in older homes.

OP Painters as found a niche in specializing in the kind of houses that have lath-and-plaster walls rather than drywall, and Lindeman says his team has worked on significant homes such as Frank Lloyd Wright design

“In Oak Park, all the homes are late 1800s to ear compared to the newer homes you might see in a place li Hinsdale,” Lindeman said. “It takes a certain kno about how houses we gether back then.”

Ruehle re ports that from the 2022 Vintage Show indicated that attendees wanted more relatable oldhome stories. To that end, this year’s seminars aim to co topics that people are finding applicable to the circumstanc es they deal with in their own homes.

For example, one seminar will feature homeowners who installed a modern kitchen in their landmar Anne style home. Another will feature homeowners who re-converted their two-flat back into a single-family home

See VINTAGE HOME SHOW on pa ge 24

Kirke Cushing (right), the ow ner of Floor Coverings International, displays product samples for attendees of the Vintage Home Show at Unity Temple in Oak Park last year.

Hollice Childress

HEIDI RUEHLE

VINTAGE HOME SHOW

Experts on hand

from page 23

In addition to the seminars, she touts the local exper ts who will be on hand and ready and willing to answer individual questions Architect and historic preservation exper t Frank Heitzman, Oak Park Village Urban Planner Susie Trexler and a re presentative from the Oak Park River

Before you go

The Vintage Home Show will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. at Oak Park’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Unity Temple, 875 Lake St. in Oak Park on Saturday, March 4.

General admission tickets cost $20. For $50, realtors can purchase a package which gives all of their clients access to the show just by mentioning their name at the door

Fo information, a complete s, and a link to ticket visit utrf.org/event/home-

from the event benefit mission to preserve Unity educate the public about significance of Frank Lloyd contribution to moder n ar-

that for many who are just Oak Park or River Forest, the Show can be a great way to into future renovations and educational experience about the details that make up historic homes had a fantastic tur nout,” lot of the people were those purchase or a renovation project on the horizon. This is a great resource anyone who lives here or is ving here.”

UNIT Y TEMPLE RESTORATION FOUNDATION

Phil Gould (le ) of Property Guidance Inspection talks about his rm’s services during the 2022 Vintage Home Show at Unity Temple in Oak Park. e show returns March 4.

Simone Boutet

Susan Buchanan Jim Taglia Cory Wesley Brian Straw

Fenwick races to title at swimming sectionals

State -bound Adomaitis shines in come-from-behind 100 breast win

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

After seeing crosstown rival Oak Park and River Forest High School win the IHSA Leyden Sectional last season, the Fenwick High School boys swimming and diving team wanted to finish this year in a familiar spot -- on top.

The Friars got the job done Feb. 18 by winning sectionals in their home pool with 296 points, 36 more than the runner-up Huskies.

“It’s amazing, there are no words that can describe it,” said Fenwick junior Tomas Adomaitis. “I love my team.”

Adomaitis had an excellent day, winning the 100-yard breaststroke in 57.79 seconds and the 200-yard individual medley in 1:55.77, qualifying for the state meet. He came from behind in the 100 breast to edge out OPRF’s Adan Pedraza, whose time of 58.17 was good enough to advance downstate as well.

“I was training hard the whole season and I didn’t let [Pedraza] getting in front of me get into my mind,” Adomaitis said. “I swam like I knew how, hit all my walls, and knew I could get him at the end.”

Adomaitis was also part of the Friars’ winning 200-yard medley relay (1:36.28),

along with junior Finn Vahey, freshman Patrick Rhatig an and junior Carter Fask.

“Tomas is a special kid,” said Fenwick coach Steve Thompson. “He likes to race and he’s got a lot of talent.”

Rhatigan rose to the occasion individually as well. His victorious time of 1:42.16 in the 200-yard freestyle qualified him for state. He also swam a leg on Fenwick’s winning and state-qualifying 200-yard freestyle relay (1:24.86) along with Fask, Code Podgorski and Sam Kulisek.

“Patrick came to us [this season] ready to make a statement,” Thompson said. “He’s done a really great job of stepping in and contributing.”

Fask won the 50-yard freestyle in a statequalifying time of 21.06, and the Friars’ 400-yard freestyle relay of Podgorski, Rhatigan, Adomaitis and Kulisek advanced downstate by finishing second in 3:09.44.

“This was a total team ef fort,” Thompson said. “Everyone that was here contributed. Now we’ve got to keep moving forward, that’s our theme this season.”

Huskies advance 5 individuals, 2 relays

Meanwhile, OPRF coach Clyde Lundgren expressed satisfaction with his team’s perfor mance.

“It was great swimming all the way around,” he said. “I’m really proud of our guys, especially with having to overcome the setback with the medley relay disqualification.”

Lundgren said an exchange mishap led

Fenw ick High School’s Tomas Adomaitis (above) quali ed for the state swimming meet in the 100-yard breaststroke at the IHSA Fenwick Sectional on Feb. 18, winning in come-from-behind fashion

to the disqualification. The Huskies’ Pablo Pareja also was disqualified in the 200 IM “It was one of those things where you can say hard times build character,” Lundgren said. “But I would say hard times reveal character. Our boys were in a tough spot, but they bounced back well and ke pt their composure.”

Pareja, a sophomore, was a good example. After his earlier DQ, he responded with a state-qualifying victory in the 100yard backstroke (52.65).

OPRF also won and advanced downstate in two other individual events. Senior Emmett Harmon took the 100-yard butterfly in 51.24, while junior Lars Rauch was victorious in the 100-yard freestyle (46.70).

In addition to Pedraza’s state-qualifying performance in the 100 breast, sophomore Will Keyes’ second-place showing in the 200-yard freestyle (1:43.83) qualified him

Trinity, Fenwick girls win regional hoops titles

The Trinity and Fenwick High School girls basketball teams won their respective re gionals last week, keeping a potential crosstown showdown for the IHSA Class 3A Trinity Sectional championship on track.

The top-seeded Blazers (22-11) rolled to

the Prosser Re gional title Feb. 16, defeating Elmwood Park 71-6. Trinity was led by Lauren Miller, who scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Ciarra Richardson added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and five steals, and Sophia Rodrigue z

had 10 points.

The Blazers -- who outscored their first two playof f opponents by a combined score of 120-11 -- met fifth-seeded Westinghouse in the sectional semifinal round on Feb. 21, after Wednesday Journal’s print deadline

for the state meet.

The Huskies also advanced downstate two relays. The 400-yard freestyle relay of Keyes, Harmon, Pedraza, and Rauch was victorious in 3:08.73, and the 200-yard freestyle relay of Rauch, Pedraza, Keyes, and Harmon finished second, qualifying in a time of 1:24.98. Afterwards, Lundgren lauded his young talent.

“You want to be in the moment,” he said, “but it’s nice to see what’s to come (in the future).”

Lundgren hopes to get the relays through to the final day of the state meet. He’d also like to see the individual times improve and get Har mon a re peat honor.

“He was All-State last year, so we hope to get him back into the top twelve and see what he can do,” he said.

The IHSA state meet takes place Feb. 2425 at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont.

Meanwhile, Fenwick, the sectional’s third seed, defeated host Amundsen 43-25 on Feb. 17 to claim a re gional championship. The Friars (17-16) faced second-seeded Resur rection Feb. 21 in the second semifinal.

Sectional semifinal winners meet for the sectional title Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in River Forest.

— Melvin Tate

Cameron caps historic season at state bowling nals

Sophomore misses secondday cut, but is rst Fenwick’s nals competitor

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

Fenwick High School sophomore Olivia Cameron made history Feb. 17-18 at Cherry Bowl Lanes in Rockford, when she became the first girl to re present the Friars at the IHSA state girls bowling finals.

Cameron knocked down 998 pins for an average of 166.3. However, she missed the cut to the second day and finished 105th among individuals.

“It was very tough,” said Cameron of her state finals experience. “It was a lot differ-

ent than the re gional or sectional; there were a lot more people and a lot of noise. I didn’t expect it to be overwhelming, but I expect to be more prepared next year since I’ve been through it and now know what to do in preparation.”

While she wishes she could’ve done better at state, Cameron feels she and the Friars had a good season overall.

“I think it went very well,” she said. “It was a little challenging trying to bowl on a completely different team from last year. All the girls were beginners, and it was a little hard at first to bowl with them, but by the end of the season we found a way to bowl together and got a couple of wins.”

Cameron admits that while last year’s season was solid, she wanted to improve with a single objective in mind.

“I worked harder this year,” she said. “I

had a goal of getting to state. Last year, I was just bowling and didn’t have a goal. This year, I had that goal, and I completed it.”

While focusing on her goal of going downstate, Cameron had no idea she was about to make Fenwick history. Now, it’s something she’s proud of.

“It feels good,” she said. “I didn’t expect to make history; I literally just wanted to get to state. I was shocked and surprised [to find out], but it felt good.”

Cameron hopes her success will encourage more girls at Fenwick to join the bowling program.

“I think it will,” she said. “By girls knowing that there are colle ge scholarships available, they should look forward to bowling in order to gain one, and not just [treat it] as a recreational hobby.”

Soph-laden Friars face postseason test in state hoops tourney

Fenwick boys, No. 4 in De La Salle Sectional, host Steinmetz on Feb. 22

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

With only one junior, Darshan Thomas, and one senior, E.J. Hosty, on the roster, having an 18-12 record entering this year’s IHSA Class 3A tournament is a remarkable achievement for the sophomore-laden Fenwick High School boys’ basketball team.

“I’m proud of how the boys played in the re gular season,” said Fenwick coach Tony Young. “I threw a lot at them, and the fact that they caught on and tried to do the right things, I have no complaints.”

Fenwick is well-balanced offensively Thomas is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 11 points and seven rebounds per game. Sophomore D.J. Porter is averaging 9.5 points and three rebounds per game, sophomores Dominick Ducree and Nate Marshall average seven points per game apiece and sophomores Kameron Hogan and J.T. Pettigrew average six points per game each.

The Friars have also received valuable contributions from sophomores Caleb Burgins, Ty Macariola and Zion Young, as well as Hosty.

“Everyone contributed the way we

thought they would,” Young said. “It’s a good group to coach, and I’ve had a lot of fun with them.”

Young is thrilled to have Marshall back. One of the state’s top football prospects in the Class of 2025 who missed most of the year with an injury, Marshall provides a physical presence in the post and is their emotional leader.

“He sets the tone for a lot of our guys,” Young said. “He’s not afraid to say and do the tough things and is our glue to the energy we want.”

With Pettigrew also now fully healthy, Young finally has the team he envisioned in November. He’s interested in seeing how the Friars will fare in the IHSA Class 3A De La Salle Sectional, where they are the No. 4 seed

“It’s not just about playing hard now, it’s about being smarter,” said Young. “Discipline on both sides of the ball is what matters most.”

Fenwick hosts a re gional this week, meeting Steinmetz in the first semifinal Feb. 22 at 6 p.m., followed by Payton Prep vs. Lake View in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. The winners meet for the title Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

“We’ve got to rebound and take care of the ball,” Young said. “Being able to execute our offensive sets is also important. We’re going to find out what we ’re made of and how tough we are.”

OPRF faces huge sectional challenge

T he Oak Park and River Forest High School boys basketball team was in a rebuilding phase this season, and competing in the rugged West Suburban Conference Silver Division meant there would be challenges

T he Huskies closed the re gular season on a six-game losing streak and finished with a 9-18 record. However, eight of the losses came by five points or less

“When you’ve got a young team, experience is the best teacher,” said OPRF coach Phil Gary. “We could’ve easily flipped that record, but losing a lot of close g ames is the price of having a lack of experience.”

Now they have to navig ate what looks to be the toughest IHSA sectional tournament in the state. T he Hinsdale Central Sectional includes three Sun-Times Top 25 WSC Silver teams, three other 20-win schools in Proviso East, Lyons Township

and Riverside-Brookfield and perennial Chicago Public League powers Whitney Young and Curie

T he No. 8-seeded Huskies host Lincoln Park in a re gional semifinal on Feb. 22 at 7:30 pm. Should OPRF win, top-seeded Whitney Young is the likely opponent for the re gional title Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

“We’ re looking forward to all of the challenges,” Gary said.

Senior forward Rodney Murphy, a recent Illinois Institute of Technolo gy commit, has been a bright spot for OPRF. He’s averaging a double-double for the season with 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds per g ame

T he Huskies’ leading scorer is junior guard Max Johnson. Despite missing a little over a month due to injury, he’s averaging 15 points per g ame, while sophomore forward Justin Bowen is averaging 14.7 points per g ame.

“We need to be better defensively, that’s the main thing,” Gary said. “When we’re locked in, we stay within reach of a lot of good teams. We can g et out and r un in transition as well as press when we’re focused defensively.”

OLIVIA C AMERON

Fenwick, OPRF wrestlers can’t break through at state

Two Friars fall one match short of top 4

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Fenwick High School had four wrestlers participate in the IHSA Class 2A individual state finals held Feb. 16-18 at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus.

The Friars were hoping to get at least one wrestler on the podium, which would have meant all-state status. But against strong opponents, Fenwick could manage just two victories, and all four wrestlers who had advanced to the meet were eliminated on the competition’s second day.

“The spots we got in the brackets were pretty tough,” said Fenwick coach Seth Gamino. “We ran into some sti ff competition.”

At 152 pounds, sophomore Aiden Burns (20-11) lost both ofhis matches via pin.

In the first round, he was pinned in by Connor Cumbee of Joliet Catholic, then pinned by Kenny Rutherford of Peoria in the wrestleback.

Senior Vincent Fioravanti (21-14) at 160 also dropped both ofhis matches. He lost his opener to eventual state champion Mason Alessio of Joliet Catholic via technical fall, then dropped the wrestleback to Isaiah Duckworth of Carbondale 1-0.

“It was a locked hands call that cost Vincent [in the wrestleback],” Gamino said. “I didn’t agree with it, but you respect the referee’s opinion.”

At 170, senior Finn McGee (36-6) was pinned in the first round by Rock Island’s Amare Overton. He won his first wrestleback 9-4 over Alec Miller ofHinsdale South but lost 13-6 in his next match to Brenden Banz of Carbondale.

Sophomore Jack Paris (19-9) was the lone Friar to win his first-round match,

defeating Cary-Grove’s Gabe Simpson 3-1 in the 182-pound class.

“In total Jack Paris fashion, he got a last-second takedown to win,” Gamino said. “That was exciting.”

But in the quarterfinals, Paris was pinned by Brennan Hauser ofMahometSeymour, then lost to Triad’s Koen Rodebush with one second left in the wrestleback.

“Finn and Jack each were one win away from advancing to the placement matches,” Gamino said.

The Friars are optimistic that with several key returnees, they can take another step forward next season.

“I’m extremely pleased with where the program is going,” said Gamino. “The guys are young and hungry; they want to be good and put Fenwick back on the map.”

OPRF’s Knackstedt knocked out in quar terfinals

Oak Park and River Forest High School had two wrestlers participate in the IHSA Class 3A individual state finals.

Sophomore Joe Knackstedt scored a major decision (12-4) in his first-round match at 132 pounds over Glenbrook South’s Max Brown. But in the quarterfinals, he was pinned in 3:14 by eventual state champion Sergio Lemley ofMount Carmel. Knackstedt then lost the wrestleback 9-8 to Sandburg’sRyan Hinger to finish with a 35-13 record.

Freshman Zev Koransky saw his splendid debut season come to a quick end. He got pinned in his 113-pound opening match at 1:31 by Homewood-Flossmoor’s Deion Johnson, the eventual state runner-up, then fell in the wrestleback via a major decision (17-8) to Alejandro Cordova of Round Lake to finish the season 34-11.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

She’s leaving me

My wife is leaving me — one precious brain cell at a time. She is suffering from moderate-stage dementia.

In many respects, Gianna has already left. She is no longer the dynamic, intelligent and social person she once was. She will continue to decline — there’s no cure, no stopping it. Dementia has been referred to as “the long goodbye.”

We were living together until Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. That day, due to full body tremors and weakness, she had go to Rush Oak Park Emergency. Yet another 911 call. It was her fifth visit of the year. Once again, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.

In the evening she was transfer red for inpatient rehab to a facility in Brookfield. On Nov. 15, our sons, Tony and Marco, and I had made the difficult decision that, after her rehabilitation, she would transfer to a local senior living facility as a per manent memory-care patient. Gianna was not part of the discussion. She would not have understood

After visiting her on the 15th, I sat in my car somewhat dazed. Endless days of relentless stress and pressure had suddenly given way to a great void. I could do whatever I damn well pleased. As her care giver, I had been in perpetual catchup mode for about five years.

The job just sort of sneaks up; there is no official start date. Now nothing

I ran a few unnecessary errands and retur ned home

The day was snowy and gray. The house felt hollow, cavernous. Noah, her dog more than mine, greeted me and sniffed around for her as always. He gazed up with his WTF look.

Lonesomeness lurked in the growing dark, probably because my new lifestyle now had the official stamp on it. I knew this day would come, but it was always out there somewhere. Now the “out there” was here. We’ve been mar ried and in the same house for almost 50 years. She would not be returning, ever. One fellow care giver said when the loneliness is so strong, you can almost touch it.

I will eventually prevail along the difficult road to coping. But, damn it, sometimes I just don’t want to tackle it. Despite her condition, there are times when I would rather have her back. Those first few weeks of November, we had been at risk of injury due to her lack of mobility and weakness. Her incontinence was overwhelming. She was incapable of cleaning herself. I would. It was awful. I was bur nt out.

But as I write this, I’d almost accept that again.

Gianna has adjusted well and moved on to her new lifestyle Recently, my therapist suggested I do the same. Easier said than done. I attend support group meetings, read self-help material, and think a lot. Family and friends are very supportive. Yet I still struggle.

Pardon me while I take a few deep Zen breaths and meditate.

Jim Chmura is a longtime Oak Park resident.

Leaders from the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education (CEEE) participated in a meeting that District 200 framed as a racial equity assessment (REA) of Project 2 on Feb. 13. After introductions by a large group of participants and the facilitator, Dr. Gregory Hutchings, the meeting concluded in less than two hours. The session consisted mostly of responding as individuals to a set of four Imagine Facilities Committee documents, and four assessment questions related to racial equity

CEEE maintains that the D200 REA process has two narratives — one that D200 has pitched incessantly and that elevated equity in concluding all students gained from Project 2, and that no students were racially advantaged or disadvantaged. A second narrative, which CEEE offers, tells of a truncated, disingenuous, and manipulated process, devoid of community-raised issues, and limited evidence, despite administrative assurances in pre-meeting consultations that the process would be

an open and full equity assessment of all components of Project 2.

Overwhelmingly, the group assembled on invitation from the administration supported the Imagine process and its improvements of physical education (PE) facilities, dance facilities, the swimming pool, locker rooms, accommodations for students with disabilities, and gender diverse locker rooms and restrooms. The entire project was judged universally equitable. The consensus was that these upgrades will create the excitement, access, comfort, and safety that the current facilities lack. It was a set of sentiments about equity few could challenge.

We offer another narrative, not to deny what the group, including student participants, concluded, but to fill out a complete story of the REA. We do so hoping to prevent another pro for ma, facile equity assessment of major initiatives.

Multiple decisions, whether intentional or not,

Exterior schematic design for Imagine OPRF Project 2.

Pandemic lessons we shouldn’t forget Project 2 decisions stack up

It is a disappointment that equity advocates at Oak Park and River Forest High School came out of a Feb. 13 meeting frustrated over the racial equity assessment undertaken to consider how the massive Project 2 construction project at the school impacts equity goals.

Only weeks back members of the Committee for Excellence and Equity in Education had met with school leaders, including Superintendent Greg Johnson, and seemingly saw a positive path forward to conduct an equity assessment of the $100 million plan to rebuild physical education facilities at the southeast cor ner of the Scoville Avenue campus

But the group’s leaders felt the meeting on the topic was a pro for ma performance designed to rubber stamp the project. That the sitting school board, with multiple members eyeing their exits with the April elections, had plans to meet this week to presumably sign of f on the vast project fueled the wor ry that the equity assessment process was more of a box to be checked than a serious review.

This school has made serious and sincere strides on centering equity as key to decision making. The school board and the administration deser ve credit for that. But the test will always come in the ability to execute those broad plans. And in this instance, with an advocacy group which has ear ned respect over years of work on this issue, the school has fallen short.

We fully expect the school board will sign off on the scope of Project 2 this week. That will set the stage for final review of options to finance this massive investment during March, just ahead of the April 4 election.

Generally, we support the idea that an elected body which has focused rather singularly on a project should work to bring that project to a conclusion before the end of a ter m. Leaving decisions hanging only forces the next board, always with a learning curve, to slow down and reevaluate.

It is time for the construction plan for Project 2 to be approved. When it comes time to decide how to finance the construction, we will stick with our position that it is in this school’s best interest to put its financing plan before voters in a referendum. We reco gnize the delay that will ensue with that decision.

But OPRF is an institution that has not dealt honestly with taxpayers over the past two decades. It has cost the school the trust of its constituents. Legitimate progress has been made by recent school boards to spend down the obscene cash reserves OPRF had stashed away. Paying for this project will most certainly involve finally right-sizing the cash hoard.

That said, it is just wrong to not seek voter approval of a project of this scope. And, OPRF has a good case to make for this investment. The villages will benefit from the school making that case in public and, we think, likely winning the day.

We’ re coming up on the third anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many seem to have put it all behind them and simply want to forget it. But we learned a lot from that experience, and we shouldn’t forget those lessons, so as a reminder, I combined a couple of my early pandemic columns from March and April 2020:

I see friends shaking hands, saying, ‘How do you do?’ They’re really saying, ‘I love you.’

Louie Armstrong What a Wonderful World

Well, maybe not shaking hands. Bumping elbows. Or a friendly wave. But the question has taken on new urgency, deeper meaning

“How are you?”

Things are different now, as you may have noticed. Impossible not to notice, really. We’re using words like “isolation,” “quarantine,” and “lockdown,” which send shivers up the spine. “Social-distancing” is a kinder, gentler euphemism, and “shelter in place” which sounds positively benign, though it also sounds like “running in place,” a metaphor for expending a lot of energy to go nowhere. Some might call that an apt description of our world — before this global pandemic altered (permanently?) that world. And how we live in it.

So how are you? Are you well? Are you coping? Are you thriving in spite of circumstances? Are you down? Struggling to adjust?

I feel for high school and college seniors whose last semesters have been cut short. The final semester should be a golden time of savoring, looking back, and eagerly anticipating what comes next. I feel for athletes whose encounter with a bigger stage has been canceled after years of extraordinary dedication to their sport — high school and NCAA basketball players, baseball players on the brink of making the major leagues, teams that might have won championships, hundreds of Olympic athletes around the world.

I feel worse for those who live paycheck to paycheck and have been furloughed or laid off, and those who will lose businesses over this. And those, in the wealthiest country on Earth, who still don’t have adequate access to affordable health care.

I worry about those who are frail and fragile and most at risk. I worry because we’re all vulnerable. No one is exempt; no one’s privilege can protect them. It’s scary, and the loss of life is staggering and unnerving. But after I work through these emotions, I look around and notice what’s happening and what’s not happening

Distractions have been reduced. Consumerism is based on distraction, exploiting our impulses, our

willingness to serve our appetites With so many businesses closed, distractions are reduced — radically. With less hustle and bustle, noise has been reduced.

We can hear ourselves think.

We’re all in, people are saying, but we’re also out. Normally when I’m walking, the only people I encounter are attached to dog leashes. Now whole families are ambling along, taking their time, taking it all in, going nowhere in particular. It’s like every day is the day after Thanksgiving. We’re in permanent holiday mode as the economic engine idles — minus the afterglow of celebration.

We have been given the gift of time. Not short-ter m “time off” but time with no end in sight. Time to remember or, for the first time perhaps, realize what’s important and what isn’t. Time enough perhaps to think about what is unnecessary in our life and in our world. Time to imagine a whole new world. A world in which we are not reduced to bowing at the altar of capitalism and serving the 1% priestly caste

Or as Rebecca Solnit said in her On Being interview, “There is so much other work that love has to do in the world. … What if we can be better people in a better world? … Unpredictability is better than certainty. It creates an opening, but you have to walk through it. … We can become the storytellers rather than the person told what to do.”

In ways we cannot yet see, our current cloistering could lead to a healthier, better world. A global time-out. These are “The Days the Earth Stood Still,” and like that sci-fi classic, it has the potential to bring us all to our senses We have time to think about the world we’ve created and wonder whether we can’t do better

Most of us now have enough toilet paper — our security blanket — to last us for a year. Grocery stores have become our new community centers. Mostly we’re sheltering in place, but we’re reaching out to one another, sending emails, using our hand-held devices as actual telephones

And we’re asking the most profound question of our time:

How are you?

I’ve been walking quite a bit lately. You too? It’s a gratifying experience. I’ve never been thanked so often for going out of my way to avoid people. And I’ve never been so tempted to use my favorite line from the end of every Lone Ranger episode: “Who was that masked man [or woman]?”

Feels good to get out, though, if only to survey the display of seasonal flowers, which seem to thrive in our chilly, not-in-any-hur ry spring. The daffodils are dazzling, nodding as if to say, “We’re cool.” They shine like yellow glow sticks. Even the magnolias, bur ned by sub-freezing temps and burdened by two

KEN TRAINOR

SHRUB TO WN by Marc Stopeck

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

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About Viewpoints

snows, have shown real hardiness, struggling through and even thriving.

Flowers are vulnerable, but they are not fragile. There’s a lesson in this.

Sidewalks are a-bloom with chalk pastel bouquets

Hopscotch is making a major comeback. Creative expression abounds. Front windows are full of teddy bears and encouraging messages. My favorite is “April distance means May existence.”

And speaking of creativity, I never expected to be singing “What a Wonderful World” to my grandsons on a computer “platform” called Zoom.

Here’s a quote I found, attributed to Chekhov: “Any fool can get through a crisis. It’s this day-to-day that’s killing me.” But what happens when the day-to-day is part of the crisis?

Another, attributed to Oscar Wilde: “It is because humanity has never known where it is going that it has never been able to find its way.”

Or Henry Ford: “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.”

Plenty to think about. Plenty to ponder

Nothing has ever been so dangerous for the status quo — or the status quo’s guardians — as so many people having so much time on their hands to contemplate the flaws and unfair ness of the current system.

Maybe a revolution is building.

The powers-that-be desperately want the economic en-

gine restarted — mostly as a distraction — because the longer this goes, the more clearly the inequities come into focus. No wonder the privileged are in such a hurry Yet so many families are spending so much time together. You see them out on front lawns and in the parks, whole families, mid-day, mid-week. Kids today will be telling stories about this extended recess when they are grandparents themselves.

We shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to reopen. Never underestimate the power of a pandemic to reorder priorities.

What’s important … and what isn’t? We’ve been given a great gift: slowing down so we have time to think about the world we want to live in, a world where the economy and the powers-that-be serve us instead of the other way around April social distance means May co-existence. Will the lockdown set us free?

Pollution is fading. Gas prices falling. The system needs overhauling. We’re all in eLear ning, Is fair ness retur ning?

A revolution a-brew with revelations

Think about it. You have the time

Who are all those masked men and women?

It’s us, the Lone Rangers.

Just keep thinking: What a wonderful world this could be.

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

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

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

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

LET TER TO THE EDITOR

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‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

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

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Don’t decide OPRF Project 2 in a vacuum

The District 200 Administration and board have been unwilling to consider reasonable alter natives to Project 2, the $100 million-plus (excluding interest and inevitable cost overruns) Imagine Committee wish list for Physical Education facility updates.

Reasonable and lower cost alter natives satisfying school needs have been suggested for years and include collaborating with the Park District of Oak Park to cover the pool at Ridgeland Common and doing a gut rehab and repurposing of existing space rather than spending millions on demolition, then millions more rebuilding.

They have not explained why this plan is the only option. What is the incremental value to a student’s experience (future career?) from a $100 million-plus project not found in a project of, pick a number, $25 million, $35 million, $55 million, and is it worth such a vast sum of money? Gee Mom and Dad, if only they’d have spent $50 million more, I’d have had a much better time in gym class; never mind those kids in the achievement gap, they had way more fun in gym too! Would that money, wisely spent, not cover all five Imagine wish list projects rather than just one? Or at least the majority of it. It would produce a terrific upgrade if spent judiciously.

They have put forth five funding scenarios for PE/Pool Project 2 and no funding scenarios for academically oriented projects 3, 4, and 5, which include classrooms, science labs, career & technical education, special education classrooms for lear ning development and emotional programs, and family and consumer science labs, among other things.

The board should direct the administration to provide realistic cost projections, funding scenarios, tax implications, and a timeline for each project, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

For transparency, also included in each project funding scenario should be the compensation that would be received by their advisor, Ramond James Financial Inc., so that everyone — the administration, the board and taxpayers — are clear on their motivation for recommending any particular scenario, and its overall cost to each project.

By not analyzing holistically the path to completing projects 2, 3, 4 and 5, the board is just considering PE/Pool in a vacuum and not making educated decisions about tradeoffs. This piecemeal approach is not how executive boards are supposed to work, certainly not one charged with strategic longter m direction of a vital civic asset.

The board owes the taxpayers a comprehensive, transparent approach to a long-ter m master facilities wish list, not just to a PE/Pool project decided in a vacuum.

The board also owes taxpayers a referendum. There’s no justification for the board to decide project 2 until it has considered comprehensive cost and tax data for each project, which one assumes the administration already has on hand. Then, having considered the totality of projects 2-5 from a financial perspective, if the board still feels PE/Pool Project 2 is justified, explain what the feasibility and timeline implications are for projects 3-5 are, and put project 2 to referendum to see if taxpayers agree.

Jack Powers Oak Park

OPRF and the ‘People’s Republic of Oak Park’

As the OPRF High School District 200 Board of Education gets ready to vote on the Imagine plan for OPRF, the ter m “People’s Republic of Oak Park” comes to mind, and I’m not sure if that is good or bad.

An example of the more positive spin on the ter m appears in a 2015 Washington Post article titled, “How race still affects where we choose to live,” where writer Emily Badger reflects, positively, that “Oak Park became the place it is today — progressive, proudly integrated, ‘the People’s Republic of Oak Park’ — because of decisions residents there made in the 1960s and 1970s when the suburb was almost all-white.”

That vision of integration from the ’60s and ’70s is still being played out in all of its complexity in Oak Park today, including at OPRF In the 2018 Steve James documentary television series, titled America to Me, which was

filmed at OPRF, James bore witness to the reality that integration is hard, messy work not glorious, easy work One must give credit to OPRF for doing the work, full of challenges, day in and day out, failures and successes included.

But describing Oak Park as the “People’s Republic” can conjure negative images as well. The Wikipedia page for the ter m “People’s republic” describes the ter m as “an of ficial title, commonly used by some current and for mer communist states” … and as “mainly associated with soviet republics.” Think inefficient soviet bureaucracies that can’t get anything done, whose societies are years behind other countries with more functional, healthy for ms of gover nment. Think analysis paralysis of the type most famously satirized in the scene from Monty Python’s Life of Brian https:// youtu.be/55fqjw2J1vI. (Please do

check it out, it’s hilarious and timely.)

The question is: What does the ter m “People’s Republic” mean right now for all of us in District 200? Will the community and board support a hardworking, excellent high school, which is doing its honest best every day to live up to the ideals of America? Or will we be mired in bureaucracy and inaction and endless referendums?

If you prefer action, if you want to support the proud tradition at OPRF instead of suffocating it, please use your voice or the board will not be able to hear anything except the din of the “small but vocal” group who oppose this project. Please tell your D200 Board of Education members to vote Yes on the Imagine plan and to use option #4 for financing.

The board needs your voice John Grant D200 resident and proud dad of an OPRF sophomore

Avoiding a referendum helps, not hur ts, taxpayers

We strongly urge the OPRF District 200 Board of Education to approve the scope of Imagine OPRF Project 2 and, more specifically, to proceed with funding option #4. This option makes the most financial sense as it is the fastest and, therefore, cheapest route to completing this essential project.

Plans for Project 2 have been thoughtfully curated and involved years-long collaboration with all stakeholders. It is time for the board to move forward with this work without the costly delay of a referendum. Doing so does not “bypass taxpayers,”

as some would argue. Rather, it shows our trust in the OPRF board to do what they were elected to do — serve as responsible stewards of resources while also improving the OPRF community in ways that will last for generations to come.

We also want to take a moment to ne gate the messaging from the small, but very loud, contingent that Project 2 is simply a “pool project” being demanded by a small group of swim team parents for their children’s benefit. We have a child who swims for OPRF and if Project 2 be gins under

funding option #4, our child will not have access to a pool at OPRF for the remainder of their high school swimming career

Despite this lack of access for our child, we understand the financial importance of be ginning this work as soon as possible so that construction costs do not continue to climb.

We are supporting Project 2 funding option #4 despite the fact that it doesn’t benefit our OPRF swimmer whatsoever.

Joyce & Br yan Webster Oak Park

Project 2 is long overdue

The upgrading of the physical education facilities, and especially the swimming pools, OPRF High School should have been accomplished years ago when it would have cost much less than the now estimated amount.

The school and the neighborhood cannot af ford to wait another year for a referendum, more expense and

higher costs

Physical education af fects all students, from the star athlete to those with disabilities, and is a life-long tool for healthier living. Swimming is a life-saving skill and the sooner lear ned the better

My family represents three generations who have attended and gradu-

ated from OPRF High School. And we are appreciative taxpayers of the educational excellence the high school provides.

Please don’t delay this project any longer

Elizabeth Mar tin Ri ver Forest

How much would Project 2 cost taxpayers?

The District 200 school board is considering an unethical funding scenario to circumvent voters and push through the $100 million-plus Project 2.

The board’s Community Finance Committee may make a funding recommendation at its next meeting. Five funding scenarios are currently under consideration for the project, which contains half of the school’s Physical Education facilities, including an aquatic center

Scenarios 1 & 2 are straightforward. They consist of referendum bonds with dif ferent levels of cash reserve dollars. Referendum bonds are best practice in funding major capital projects, placing their funding on the ballot for voter approval and spreading out the cost of the investment over the life of the asset so that future residents who will enjoy the benefit help pay for it.

Scenarios 3, 4 & 5 include multiple

bor rowing tools and ter ms, including non-referendum bonds and debt certificates They are included in these scenarios to circumvent taxpayers on their funding. Scenario 4 contains no referendum bonds.

While there would be no se parate levy for debt certificates, D200 would have to levy more operating tax dollars than necessary each year to re pay them. Taxpayers would bear this cost. Also impor tant to underscore, scenarios 3, 4 & 5 are front loaded with borrowing which would place an unfair and greater tax burden on current residents.

Longtime residents would already be paying more for the project as millions of their over taxed dollars in the cash reserve are being proposed to pay for this project.

D200 amassed a cash reserve of over $100 million in 2013 after nearly a decade of over-taxation, the result of an

Clean it up, Illinois

unethical board action using a loophole to take more tax dollars from an operating referendum than authorized. Ethically, the board should have retur ned all the unauthorized tax dollars years ago, but it didn’t, retur ning only a fraction.

To maintain the highest financial rating, a school district needs to keep 25% of its annual operating expenses in reserve. The purpose of a cash reserve is to cover funding delays during a given year. It is not intended to finance major capital projects

Source:

Project 2 Proposed Funding Scenarios (pa ge 5): https://go.boarddocs.com/il/oprfhs/ Board.nsf/files/CN2T7U7608ED/$file/ Financing%20Options%20Presentation%201.17.23.pdf

Monic a Sheehan Oak Park

Project 2 opponents want a standard-sized pool

In my previous Viewpoints letter on OPRF’s Project 2 [Opponents of OPRF’s Project 2 are not anti-pool, Feb. 1], I wrote that we opponents favor a pool of standard high school competition size over the proposed pool for four main reasons:

■ The proposed pool is unnecessarily large, and therefore

■ Unnecessarily expensive

■ Inequitable

■ Undemocratically financed, unless the full amount comes from referendum bonds or from the still-enor mous and infamous District 200 cash reserve.

The Project 2 pool would be 10 lanes, 25 x 40 yards. A standard high school competition pool is 20 x 25 yards and 8 lanes

■ Per the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), a competition pool must have a minimum of 6 swim lanes (7-feet wide) in 25-yard lengths. This would give us a pool that is 15 x 25 yards.

■ Stantec consulting engineers in 2013 said OPRF’s existing 11 lanes are a luxury for a high school. Per Stantec, eight lanes are the acce pted standard size for a high school competition pool. A pool of this size is 20 x 25 yards, al-

lowing room for bumpers.

The high school would have you believe that a pool of this size is needed so that it can hold two swimming classes in one period. But this many classes wouldn’t be needed if D200 didn’t require all students to complete two sessions of swimming. OPRF could allow students who can pass a swimming test to opt out of classes. More than half of OPRF students enter high school already able to swim.

Re garding cost, Project 2’s proposed $100 million-plus price tag is due mainly to the need to tear down and reconstruct par t of the building to make room for the new pool. A pool of standard size would fit within the footprint of the existing, structurally sound building and cost much less It is true that other high schools have built pools of Project 2’s proposed size. But these high schools had the space for them without the need for a similar demolition and rebuild.

This Thursday, 2/23, the D200 board will vote to approve Project 2. (No date has been set yet to vote on its financing.) If you believe that plans should be revised to include a new pool of

standard size, please email the board (board@oprfhs.org) and say so If you also believe that taxpayers deserve the oppor tunity to vote on this controversial project, please also share this with the board and finance committee (cfc@ oprfhs.org).

Sources:

■ h ttps://www.ihsa.org/documents/ announcements/SWSpecs2020.pdf

■ Oak Park and Ri v er Forest High School Competition Pool Upgrade/Relocation Study, March 2013, Stantec Consulting Services Inc. See pp 1.1 and 1.2. https://campussuite-stor ag e.s3.amazonaws.com/ prod/1558748/bd01c7ae-765f-11e9-94020a56f8be964e/1931838/73c91954-7e0511e9-8f73-12caf8ac05c6/file/StantecPoolRe portMarch2013pdf.pdf

■ “Approximately 20-30% of OPRF students are either non-swimmers or struggling swimmers when they enter our classes.” https://www.oprfhs.org/ about/pool-faq. The later reference to a swim test pertains to standards for lifeguards, not simple skills necessary to prev ent drowning

Judith Alexander Oak Park

Cheap to produce, easy to mold, impact-resistant, water proof, a good insulator, and buoyant: what’s not to love about extruded polystyrene, aka Styrofoam?

Plenty, in fact. Styrofoam breaks up but doesn’t break down — it’s neither biodeg radable nor recyclable It now re presents 30% of landfill material by volume. It’s also the bulk of the plastic pollution that comprises 90% of all marine debris, with single-use food and beverage containers being one of the most common items found in ocean and coastal surveys — and 80% of all ocean pollution, primarily Styrofoam, originates from the land.

A known carcinogen, Styrofoam is toxic trash to humans, wildlife and marine life, the food supply, and our environment, while costing taxpayers millions in clean-up and mitigation costs.

More environmentally friendly alter natives are available and many businesses have made the switch. The UK, the EU, Australia, India, and many other countries, as well as eight U.S. states and numerous major cities, have banned Styrofoam.

Now, finally, it’s Illinois’ tur n. Contact your state re ps to urge them to support upcoming le gislation banning Styrofoam food service containers. Even if you know they’re on the right side of this issue, your opinion matters.

And here in Oak Park, a Styrofoam ban first proposed more than four years ago is finally in the works, and you can help: Re gister at eng ageoakpark.com and share your opinions in the brief survey on single-use plastic Your biosphere thanks you.

Wendy Greenhouse Oak Park

Who will best move this country forward?

Thank you, Mr. Trainor, for your Viewpoint about the fitness of Joe Biden to run again for President and how ageism plays a role in many people’s concer ns [Should Biden run again? Ken Trainor, Viewpoints, Feb. 15]. Any candidate can potentially suf fer an acute or progressive mental or physical illness that can impair their ability to serve Strokes happen to people of all ages. Whether you favor Ron DeSantis or J.B. Pritzker, both could stand to lose some weight — will you withhold your vote based on that? The people of Pennsylvania elected Sen. John Fetter man, even though he had suf fered a stroke and has a history of clinical de pression, because he was the best candidate for the job That should be our criteria: Who will best re present our views and move our nation forward?

Kris Hansen Oak Park

New options for treating mental-health disorders

We are in the midst of a global mentalhealth crisis Conditions such as depression and anxiety are on the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic has fur ther exacerbated this crisis as the stress and uncer tainty caused by the pandemic have led to an increase in mental-health problems.

I am a clinic owner and physician and treat clients with various mental-health disorders I am seeing, first-hand, patients who have not found relief from traditional phar maceuticals and are looking for dif ferent treatment options. Psychedelics have shown great promise in treating conditions such as de pression and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, these substances are ille g al in most states and still extremely tightly re gulated by the federal gover nment.

In Illinois, there is a glimmer of hope. A bill was introduced last month in Springfield by Re p. LaShawn Ford that would le g alize the therapeutic use of psilocybin, a naturally-occurring psychedelic compound found in cer tain species of mushrooms.

Unfortunately, the le gislative and administrative process can take some time, years most likely While we continue to work toward this le g alization,

Equity gets short shri

from page 29

compromised the inte g rity of the REA process. The administration:

■ Failed to seek the assistance of an org anization like Race Forward/ GARE that has expertise guiding an REA analysis; instead they hired a colleague and education entrepreneur from Virginia who lacked experience in conducting REAs of major school projects and was a friend of our previous superintendent

■ Denied the opportunity to discuss the claim made by PE faculty and parent sports advocates that questions about Project 2 have been driven exclusively by the misunderstanding that Project 2 is only about a swimming pool

■ Provided participants only documents from the Imagine Committee,

there is an alter native available now that many people are not aware of — ketamine Not a psychedelic, ketamine is available to patients now to help with a variety of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Research suggests that ketamine and psilocybin work in a similar way by increasing neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences This could lead to the fo rmation of new connections between brain cells, which could help to improve brain function over time. They also appear to have an ef fect on the default mode network (DMN) which is a network of brain regions that are active when the mind is at rest. This network is involved in selfreferential thinking and rumination, which are common in de pression. By decreasing activity in the DMN, these substances may help to reduce symptoms of de pression by breaking up patter ns of ne gative thinking.

Studies have shown that ketamine can quickly reduce symptoms of depression, even in people who have not responded to other treatments This is likely due to ketamine’s ability to rapidly increase the release of cer tain

arbitrarily excluding any equity relevant studies prior to 2015, including the 2013 Stantec engineering report on solving the OPRF pools problem

■ Provided no quantitative data on the racial demographics of student use of component parts of Project 2

■ Excluded evidence regarding how decisions about three alter native pool solutions were made or who made those decisions, or what impact building demolition had on the selected pool solution costs

■ Provided no breakdown of the costs of the major components of Project 2 (as promised to CEEE), and instead claimed without support that over $80 million in costs were dedicated to non-pool related improvements

■ Refused to address alternative costs (how the immediate and long-range costs of the project may ignore, jeopardize, siphon resources for existing or new equity-centered plans and programs, including components of Projects 3, 4, and 5), or to provide a cost-benefit analysis of

neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, which can have an immediate ef fect on mood. Additionally, ketamine may also promote the growth of new connections between brain cells, which could help to improve brain function over time. While it is le g al to undergo ketamine treatments there are a few things prospective patients should know before star ting. Ketamine is not FDAapproved for mental health disorders, which means that providers are using it “of f-label” when treating conditions such as de pression, and choosing a skilled and experienced provider is critically impor tant. Finding a knowledgeable provider who thoroughly evaluates each patient and customizes an individualized care plan is essential, as is researching the setting in which treatments will take place. A patient should feel safe, comfortable, and well cared for.

Patients should know they have options for mental health if their current treatment plan isn’t working, and with work in Springfield by Re p. Ford and others, there will hopefully be another option on the horizon.

Rachel Norris Chica go

Project 2.

To summarize, D200’s process — using a compliant education consultant and assembling a pro-Project 2 audience, heavily populated by PE teachers, supportive parents, coaches, and D200 administrators — was unfortunate, at best. It was intended to legitimize all aspects of the severely limited and carefully orchestrated process, completed in one short meeting without airing of legitimate community equity concerns about Project 2.

CEEE has worked with D200 leaders and teachers for 12 years on shared racial equity goals, building trust and mutual accountability. Today, we look to opportunities to restore trust. In January, Superintendent Johnson stated that D200 wishes to continue to work collaboratively with CEEE. We hope he is genuine.

CEEE is a multi-racial group of Oak Park and Ri v er Forest residents advocating for racial equity at OPRF High School.

Debt increases faster with Republican presidents

There is a big difference between the majority of Democratic and Republican politicians. All politicians tell us what great things they will do for us and most stretch the truth to their advantage Some may even outright lie. Rep. Santos comes to mind. The big difference is that, after winning office, Democrats tend to ignore their stretched truths and hope the voters do also. Republicans continue to spout their stretched truths to convince voters that their lie is actually the truth. Republicans continue to shout that they want, and will demand, a balanced budget so that our national debt will not increase under their watchful eye.

A list of national debt per president gives a rough picture of what each president did, with no description of the problems the president faced. The first year of their presidency is really from the previous president. The websites below allow an easy comparison.

The percentage of debt increase rather than a dollar amount is a way of accounting for inflation. The percentage increase per year is used so that eight-year ter ms are fairly compared to shorter ter ms

Republicans claim their biggest goal is to reduce the deficit, but our national debt increases more than twice as fast under Republicans Interesting how they brag about their continuing failures and lies

Here are the URLs used to extract the debt infor mation:

https://www thebalancemoney.com/us-debt-bypresident-by-dollar-and-percent-3306296

https://www.sounddollar.com/national-debt-bypresident

https://www.propublica.org/a rt icle/nationaldebt-trump

https://www.self.inc/info/us-debt-by-president

Rob Kleps, Oak Park

Show some respect for the Field building

Is it too much to ask of the current owners of the old Marshall Field building to show some respect and make the building beautiful again? It really looks like a dump, and despite all the newer buildings built in Oak Park, it remains potentially the most iconic and beautiful.

Jayne Gould

My 4-legged best friend

Mine is a family that absolutely loves do gs! Amazingly, among my extended family, we have 10 dogs. Most of our do gs are from shelters and none of them are alike.

I learned that my dog, Patty Girl, led a dreadful life before becoming a member of my family. She was one of a group of 26 dogs saved from the Oklahoma floods several years ago. She was trucked with the other dogs to our local Animal Care League, where they named her “Patty Girl.”

HAUSMAN

They concluded she had been abused because they found wood chips in her gums and several teeth missing. She had probably been hit with a wooden stick or bat. From her size, coloration, handsome fur, and her shepherding and sedate manner, they classified her as an Australian Sheep Dog.

I visited the Animal Care League with my do g, Fuzzy We were both mour ning the loss of my sweet 16-year-old dog, Freckles. Poor Fuzzy was as sad as I was, and I thought adopting another dog would be good for both Fuzzy and me.

Patty Girl was the last of many dogs I saw at my visit. She had survived the trip from Oklahoma, and then most recently sired five pups. During the whelping period, Patty had been fostered by Donna LaSage, a dear and caring woman. For me, meeting Patty and Donna was love at first sight.

Patty proved to be a balm to the sadness that both Fuzzy and I felt. Although extremely different, Patty and Fuzzy became fast friends. Fuzzy was a friendly, jumpy 12-pound little guy, and Patty, by contrast, was and continues to be a quiet and calm 25-pound gal of considerable intelligence. However, loud noises and angry male voices frighten her

In early December about eight years ago, I took Patty and Fuzzy to the River Forest Town Center for holiday photo-taking. The noise, the crowds, and the holiday clanging chimes ter rified Patty, and before I was able to put her back in the car, she thrashed, breaking her leash, and then bolted out of the parking lot. I was frantic! I worried she’d be hurt, and I didn’t know what to do. I drove up and down River For-

est streets calling out her name, ail. My niece made osters and placed them in store at local fire and police , hoping someone seeing her photo might call. I reached out to Donna, seeking her help searched for Patty for . It was a , with temring around zero, en more urgency, and fear, to our pursuit. We were frustrated and losing hope that Patty would ever be found. Adding to this trauma, I fell on some ice and fractured my hip. Dear Donna continued her search while I recuperated from surgery and then a stint in rehab at Rush Oak Park Hospital. On Christmas mor ning, I received a call on my cellphone from the diligent River Forest police. They had kept a flyer, picturing Patty, in their patrol cars, and one of the officers believed he spotted her on the grounds of the Oak Park Country Club

They were surprised when I mentioned in that phone call that I was in the hospital. They questioned how best to follow up on their possible sighting of Patty I contacted Donna who cleverly decided to pick up Fuzzy from my home, hoping that Patty would respond to seeing Fuzzy and come to Donna … and she did!

My Christmas miracle of retrieving my dear dog, missing for almost three weeks at that time and in frigid weather, all came true thanks to the River Forest police, Donna, and the chef at the Oak Park Country Club. I can’t imagine another police department being as concer ned with finding a lost dog. After I was discharged and back home with my happy, healthy (although quite slender) Patty, I contacted the Oak Park Country Club to personally thank their observant chef who left food out for shy Patty. Using food, he tried to entice Patty inside, but she was too fearful. I will be forever grateful to Donna, the chef, and the local police for their kindness and assistance.

Patty Girl rarely leaves my side now, and like most family pets, she relishes being a fully participating member of the household. Dogs are loyal and loving to their human families

Would that we humans could be as loving to our fellow human beings as these precious pets are to us.

Scottie Lippitt Willey, 94

Ruth “Scottie” Lippitt Willey, 94, died peacefully on Feb. 11, 2023. Bor n Rhode Island on May 1928, she rece ived her underg raduate de gree from Wellesley Colle ge She was one of the first women rece ive a PhD in Biolo from Harvard Universit in 1956 and was a professor in the Biolo gy De par tment at the University of I nois Chicago for 30 year She be g an her most impo tant life’s work star ting 1958 at the Rock y Mountain Biolo gical Laboratory (RMBL) in Gothic, Colorado, which eventually named a laboratory building in her and her husband’s honor. She is remembered in particular for her research and preservation work in Colorado’s Mexican

ut and on rare plant species found in Colorado’s etlands.

Over the past 10 years she vided her time between Oak Park and Colorado. She was an active member the Oak Park Photo graphy Club and the James ussell Lowell Society. Scottie was predeceased her husband, Robert lley, on Nov. 11, 2011, and survived by a number nieces and ne phews, including Alex Lippitt (Elizabeth), David Bock (Rachel), Susie Bock, Katie Bock Rosa (Angelo), and close family friend Cecilia Gray (Frank).

A memorial service will be held in July at the Rocky Mountain Biolo gical Laboratory

HELP WANTED

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

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

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

IT OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

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

E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

PARALEGAL

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Paralegal. The ideal candidate will perform a variety of responsible duties in support of the Law Department, including research, document preparation, administrative support to Law Department staff and other related duties. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled.

DAYCARE CENTER DIRECTOR QUALIFIED TEACHER

Early childhood transcripts needed Immediate opening CALL TODAY! (773) 619-5545.

Analyst, Supply Chain Engineering sought by Coyote Logistics, LLC in Chicago, IL. Supprt supply chain consultng for clients. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref# 61731.

Commissioning & Energy Engineer (Chicago, IL) 2 F/T Positions - Dsgn, dvlp, or evaluate energy-rltd projects or prgms to reduce energy costs or improve energy efficiency during the dsgng, bldg, or remodeling stages of construction. Lead & execute condition assessments & energy audits. Conduct engg site surveys for bldg & system assessments that result in recommendations & energy conservation measures. Provide engg consulting svcs for commercial & institutional bldgs, as well as industrial facilities, incl (but not limited to)

LEED consulting & energy audits for new & existing bldgs. Master’s deg in Energy Engg, Architectural Engg, or Construction Mgmt or closely rltd field reqd. LEED AP Building Design

+ Construction certificate OR LEED Green Associate certificate reqd. Email resume to Baumann Consulting Inc., Attn: Oliver Baumann, President, at: O.Baumann@baumann-us. com

INFANT TEACHER

Under the guidance of the childcare center Director, the Teacher is responsible for planning and implementing an effective developmental program to meet the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of each child in line with the philosophy and mission statement of The Giving Tree. In addition, the Teacher is responsible for efficient and timely communication with parents.

One year of child development experience in a school or childcare setting, along with CPR, First Aid and Food handlers’ certifications.

(Required but can be obtained upon hiring)

Medical insurance offered.

Salary commensurate with experience and education.

Contact information.

Director Hazel Bell 708-209-1555 hazeltbell@gmail.com

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Call for more info.

708-738-3848

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

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

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

• Case Manager – HCV Program

• Accounting Clerk (PT)

• Assistant Property Manager – The Oaks and The FarrellyMuriello Apartments

• Property Assistant/Cleaner –Mills Park Tower

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

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

- Tuition Reimbursement

- A Collaborative, Supportive, and Fun Work Environment

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

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

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

MARKETPLACE

CARS WANTED

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010134 on February 1, 2023.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Under the Assumed Business Name of TRAVELS & TREASURES with the business located at: 1016 ERIE STREET, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: TANYA TAYLOR 1016 ERIE STREET, OAK PARK, IL 60302.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010087 on January 24, 2023 Under the Assumed Business Name of DONOR 4 A CAUSE SOLUTIONS with the business located at: 930 ONTARIO ST 2D, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: SULE KIVANC-ANCIETA 930 ONTARIO ST 2D, OAK PARK, IL 60302

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Domestic / Import Cars:

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

WOODWORK

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James • 630-201-8122

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

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED

Terry's Woodwork

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: Y23010121 on January 31, 2023 Under the Assumed

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: Y23010173 on February 9, 2023

Collector James 630-201-8122

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars: Mercedes,

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

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James 630-201-8122

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

PROFESSIONAL

Experienced

Business Name of JUST CALL JAK with the business located at: 9119 FRANKLIN COURT, ORLAND PARK, IL 60462. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: JONATHAN MICHAEL CARSTEN 9119 FRANKLIN COURT, ORLAND PARK, IL 60462.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010112 on January 27, 2023 Under the Assumed Business Name of KC KAREN’S CREATIONS with the business located at: 622 HANNAH AVE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: KAREN CHILDS 622 HANNAH AVE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130.

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

Under the Assumed Business Name of MARY CANTU CREATIVE with the business located at: 704 N KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: MARY CANTU 704 N KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60302.

Published in Wednesday Journal February 15, 22, March 1, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for:

2023 Street Improvement Program

This project includes the replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalk and driveway aprons, hot-mix asphalt surface removal, frame/lid adjustment, resurfacing, and other associated work.

NEVER FAIL NOVENA

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised, adored and glorified throughout the world, now and for-ever. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in you. Holy Mary Mother of Jesus, pray for me. St. Theresa child of Jesus, pray for me. St. Jude, helper of hopeless causes, pray for me and grant this favorI ask. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days .R.B

PRAYER TO ST. JUDE

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. By the 8th day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail .Publication must be promised. Thank you Jesus. Thank You St . Jude. R.B.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL)

Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to suc cor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. R.B.

The bidding documents are available for download starting Friday, February 17, 2023 at: www.vrf.us/bids

Bids must be submitted by Friday, March 3, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at: Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305

The bid proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time. Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.

No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.

Bidders shall be prequalified by IDOT for: HMA Paving

The Village of River Forest reserves the right in receiving these bids to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.

CLASSIFIED

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

FINANCIAL

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 3/31/23, a sale will be held at 1510 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130 to sell the following articles to enforce a lien existing under the laws of the State of Illinois against such articles for labor, services, skill or material expended upon a storage furnished for such articles at the request of the following designated persons, unless such articles are redeemed within thirty days of the publication of this notice. Our records show, your 2018, Nissan, Sentra with the following VIN 3N1AB7AP5JY240173 was towed to our facility per police ordinance. Our records show that the current amount due and owing is $2000.00. If payment is not received within 30 days Nobs Towing Inc. will enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3.

Published in Forest Park Review February 22, 2023

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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

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

is newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

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

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

PUBLIC NOTICE ATTENTION

DEVONTA T HURD & WESTLAKE FINANCIAL SERVICES.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 3/31/23, a sale will be held at 1510 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130 to sell the following articles to enforce a lien existing under the laws of the State of Illinois against such articles for labor, services, skill or material expended upon a storage furnished for such articles at the request of the following designated persons, unless such articles are redeemed within thirty days of the publication of this notice.

Our records show, your 2014, Jeep, Cherokee with the following VIN 1C4PJLCB0EW158370 was towed to our facility per police ordinance. Our records show that the current amount due and owing is $2000.00.

If payment is not received within 30 days Nobs Towing Inc. will enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3.

Published in Forest Park Review February 22, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE ATTENTION

KELILA MAUREEN BOWEN & SCS CREDIT CORP.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on

3/31/23, a sale will be held at 1510 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130 to sell the following articles to enforce a lien existing under the laws of the State of Illinois against such articles for labor, services, skill or material expended upon a storage furnished for such articles at the request of the following designated persons, unless such articles are redeemed within thirty days of the publication of this notice. Our records show, your 2015, Chevy, Malibu with the following VIN 1G11B5SL6FF312597 was towed to our facility per police ordinance.

Our records show that the current amount due and owing is $2000.00.

If payment is not received within 30 days Nobs Towing Inc. will enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3.

Published in Forest Park Review February 22, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 17, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park

2023 Redi Mix Concrete

Purchase Bid Number: 23-109

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours.

Published in Wednesday Journal February 22, 2023

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NEWREZ LLC DBA SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING; Plaintiff, vs. ROSALIE ZAYIA; OAK PARK TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS, GENERALLY AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 4330

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

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

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE (CWALT 2005-56); Plaintiff, vs. CELESTE MARIOTTI; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC.;

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17th, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park

2023 Surface Hot Mix Asphalt Purchase Bid Number: 23-113

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours.

Published in Wednesday Journal February 22, 2023

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, March 13, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-05-320-040-1005. Commonly known as 914 N. Austin Blvd, Apt A5, Oak Park, IL 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Mr. Matthew C. Abad at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Kluever Law Group, 225 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 236-0077. ADC SMS000539-22FC1 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3212746

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2005-56, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-56; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 18 CH 10982

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the