Wednesday Journal 031021

W E D N E S D A Y

March 10, 2021 Vol. 41, No. 32 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Oak Park nonprofit wins bid to redevelop Austin gem

Oak Park Regional Housing Center wins Invest South/West competition, but prize threatens to deepen old divides

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

An Oak Park nonprofit has won the opportunity to help turn a historic, but long-vacant West Side landmark into a vital community institution, but the prize threatens to deepen old divisions between Oak Park and Austin.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on March 8 that the city had selected a request for proposal from a team of entities, including the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, to redevelop the Laramie State Bank building at 5200 W. Chicago Ave. in Austin.

The bank building was completed in 1929 and is beloved for its architectural features, particularly the bas-relief art deco terra-cotta sculpture on the facade.

The building has been vacant for at least at least seven years. In 1995, the city designated the building a Chicago Landmark.

The $37.5 million redevelopment proposal was selected as part of Lightfoot’s Invest South/West initiative, which the city launched in 2019 in order to revive commercial corridors in blighted neighborhoods on the West and South sides.

The Oak Park Regional Housing Center and the Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization based in Chicago, anchored a team of designers, developers, See BANK on page 14

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

I’LL BE BACK: Lake Theater is seen on Monday, March 8, 2021, on Lake Street in downtown Oak Park.

Lake Theatre reopens April 15

Pandemic-darkened screens have been offline for a year

By BOB UPHUES Senior Editor

The Lake Theatre, operated by Classic Cinemas at 1022 Lake St. in downtown Oak Park, will blow the dust off their pro-

jectors and reopen their doors to the filmwatching public on Thursday, April 15.

Crippled by mitigations imposed by the state to limit the spread of COVID-19, the theaters seven screens have been dark since mid-March 2020. Major road reconstruction on Lake Street through most of 2020 added to the complications.

But, when the doors reopen next month, said Classic Cinemas CEO Chris Johnson, they’re staying open.

“I have no plans of re-closing,” said

Johnson. With Hollywood delaying new film releases because movie houses in New York and Los Angeles were closed, Johnson determined second-run movies were not the solution.

“It’s been super tough,” Johnson said.

“In many ways it was the worst possible of all situations, but the good news is that we’re going to be able to make it to the other side.”

See LAKE THEATRE on page 14

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Corporate equity and the specter of uselessness

How my uncle, Richard Linyard, rose in Oak Park in the last century and why that kind of elevation can’t happen now

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hen he graduated That would’ve been my uncle’s from Proviso East working life, if it weren’t for a High School in 1947, group of Black investors who saw my 90-year-old greathis talent and recommended he uncle, Richard Linjoin them in opening what would yard (my family calls him Uncle eventually grow into one of the Dickey), got a job working as a biggest and oldest Black-owned porter at Bond Clothing Store in banks in the country — Seaway Oak Park, where he would wash National Bank of Chicago. In show windows, among other 1973, he was appointed the bank’s duties. president, Travis writes.

“A white gentleman, [en route] I thought of Uncle Dickey after to work across the street at the Vernon Jordan died on March 1 at Oak Park Trust and Savings age 85. The Harvard professor and Bank, would often stop and chat popular historian Henry “Skip” Commentary with me for a few minutes as I Gates called Jordan the “Rosa washed the windows,” my uncle once told Parks of Wall Street.” But to me, Jordan — Chicago author and businessman Dempsey who was a civil rights attorney active with Travis for Travis’s 1991 book “Racism— the NAACP and National Urban League American Style: A Corporate Gift.” before becoming a partner at the tony law “Ernest Wagner, the vice president of the firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld, bank, frequently signed my $3 money order and adviser to U.S. presidents — was more checks when I went to the bank on Fridays,” like the Dickey of corporate America. my uncle said. “One day while he was signing Like my uncle, Jordan was tall, good-lookmy money order, Mr. Wagner told me, ‘We’ve ing and graceful. I suspect Dickie may have got a very fine colored janitorial force workgotten his dignified mien, at least partially, ing here. How would you like to work for us from my great-great-grandfather, Charles, when we get an opening?’” who was a chauffeur for a wealthy white famMy uncle took the job, which paid $198 a ily who lived in Oak Park. month at the time ($98 more than his monthly In the documentary “Vernon Jordan: Make earnings as a porter at Bond). While operatIt Plain,” which is now streaming at pbs.org, ing the passenger elevator, my uncle encounJordan said he got his graceful mien, in part, tered Ellis Denny, the bank’s president, and by mimicry. told Denny that he “would like to Jordan, whose father was a do something other than janitopostal worker, grew up in Atrial work.” lanta’s University Homes housing Denny promoted my uncle to project, the first federally funded full-time elevator operator and, housing project in the nation. noticing how cordial and friendly The project was within walking Dickey was with the customers, distance from Atlanta’s great recommended he enroll at the university system, the cluster American Institute of Banking. of Historically Black Colleges In 1956, my uncle obtained his and Universities that includes Richard Linyard told the first white-collar job as a bookMorehouse, Clark Atlanta and president of Oak Park Trust keeper. A couple months later, Spelman.

Denny promoted him to teller.

One day, a young Jordan saw After 14 years with Oak Park Morehouse President Benjamin Trust, my uncle, who never Mays, a mentor to Martin Luther stepped foot on a college campus, King, “leaving his house walking had accumulated “more bank experience to the campus and I’m 20 feet behind him.” A than any other Black” in the Chicago area quick study, Jordan began to copy the great except for three other people Travis names in man’s stroll. his book.

Just as Denny was to my uncle, Jordan But Uncle Dickey also knew that, without was a mentor and a way-maker to a Who’s a college degree and without whiteness, his Who of Black corporate titans, including Ken future at Oak Park Trust was limited (“he Chenault, the former CEO and chairman of knew in his heart and head that there was American Express, on whose board Jordan not even a remote possibility of becoming once served. the president of that institution or any other At one time, Jordan was serving on 10 mawhite-owned bank,” Travis writes). jor corporate boards, prompting the Street, Dickey figured he would stay with Oak the trade publication, to dub that period of Park Trust “11 more years and become Jordan’s activity “the age of Vernon Jordan.” eligible for a pension at age 45.” Since my By 2015, though, corporate governance had uncle considered that age too young to retire, become a much more involved endeavor and he “targeted the post office as his next career serial directorships much less common, the move,” where he planned to be for 20 years Street explains. in order to draw two pensions by the time he The stories of men like my uncle Dickey retired at 65. and Vernon Jordan — men who came from

MICHAEL ROMAIN

“I would like to do something other than janitorial work.”

PROVIDED

FROM PORTER TO PRESIDENT: Richard Linyard, the columnist’s great-uncle, was president of Seaway National Bank. the laboring class, who accumulated a variety of work and life experiences before matriculating into executive suites and corporate board rooms, who were promoted less because of their paid-for pedigrees than because of their slow-and-steady positioning and proximity to wisdom — are less common now, even as college degrees and college debt have grown exponentially.

And that’s unfortunate, because more companies could use perspectives like Dickey’s and Vernon’s on their boards.

A new report shows 67 percent of the 74 public companies in Illinois that submitted information on the gender and ethnic breakdowns of their boards to the Illinois Secretary of State have at least two female directors while only 35 percent of them have at least two non-white directors.

There’s definitely a crisis in equity and representation on corporate boards in Illinois, but there is also a deeper crisis that you won’t pick up by just reading a diversity report and that’s the crisis in corporate values.

Frankly, our economy no longer makes my uncle’s Oak Park version of the American Dream possible and that’s partly because companies increasingly consider their employees disposable.

Those of us who have entered the workplace since the 1990s have been haunted by the specter of “uselessness,” in the words of sociologist Richard Sennett.

We have been conditioned to passively accept employment insecurity as if it’s just a natural phenomenon. We’re taught that, since companies value profits more than people, we should just adjust, be flexible and smart while facing constant threats like downsizing, consolidation and “efficiency.”

In the lingo of Wall Street, and with a nod to the scholarship of anthropologist Karen Ho, workers, even knowledge workers like accountants and bankers, are becoming increasingly liquidated, their jobs rendered

disposable because of automation, the supply of cheaper labor overseas and because reaching retirement in our era of overdrive and early burnout is becoming rarer with each successive generation.

“Bankers are motivated to squeeze as much out of the short term as possible, to do as many deals in the shortest amount of time,” Ho wrote in 2009. “Just as they begin to witness the failure of their deals in corporate America, bankers leave their jobs, a new cohort arrives, and the question of followthrough is not asked.”

Within roughly a decade of being at Oak Park Trust, my uncle was “consolidating the bank’s accounts and compiling its daily financial reports,” Travis writes.

And Dickey would likely have stayed put at the bank for at least another decade if he hadn’t voluntarily moved on to become an executive in his own right.

In a 2014 interview, Sennett mentioned “one example of disposability which wouldn’t come to most people’s minds immediately […] back office workers — in Wall Street.”

These were the “account auditors, people who were reconciling files, lower-level computer information officers and so on,” Sennett said. In other words, this century’s rough equivalents of my uncle.

After the financial crash of 2007-08, those back office workers were unemployed, their “jobs either off-shored to places like Bangalore or Singapore” or “replaced by new technological systems” that were able to reconcile accounts using Big Data.

That Wall Street tendency to treat employees as disposable has now become a staple of our economy across sectors, and it has kicked into overdrive with the onset of the pandemic.

How do firms grow and recruit leaders, let alone corporate leaders who are non-white, in this environment?

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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BIG WEEK

Candidate Forums – Oak Park Library and Township Zoom with the Oak Park Public Library The municipal elections are on April 6. This forum starts with opening statements, followed by questions for the candidates and ends with closing statements. Submit questions in advance to lwvoprf1924@gmail.com or during the forum by chat in Zoom.

Saturday, March 13, 2 p.m. – Oak Park Library Board Saturday, March 13, 3:30 p.m. – Oak Park Township Hosted by the League of Women Voters of Oak Park & River Forest, in partnership with the Oak Park Public Library.

Register: oppl.org/calendar

March 10-17

“Devised Shakespeare” Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, 6 to 7 p.m., Virtually with the OPRFHS Theater Department

See the show created by the cast and directed by teacher James Bell. Jude is a normal high schooler who procrastinates their essay until they end up in detention. Upon falling asleep they find themself intertwined in Shakespeare’s plays. The real world has become dominated by Shakespeare’s characters; they must find a way to return the world to the way it was.

Tickets: oprfhs.ticketleap.com/devised-shakespeare

SEOPCO Village President Candidate Forum Wednesday, March 17, 6:30 p.m., Zoom The South East Oak Park Community Organization hosts this forum. Contact: SEOPCO@gmail.com to register.

Harambee View anytime, Virtually with Kuumba Kids Celebrate Black excellence through an explosion of music, arts, dance and poetry of the African diaspora. This annual event is usually held at Longfellow Elementary School. It is put on by Oak Parker Donna Calendar. View: youtube.com/ watch?v=0vEGbqqF-co&feature=youtu.be

“It is Almost Always Upon Us” Talkback Thursday, March 11, 7 p.m., Virtually with 16th Street Theater; Listen through March In honor of Chicago Theater Week hear Tony Awardwinning actress Deanna Dunagan and Guy Massey in a 15-minute radio play by Mickle Maher. Join Maher and MC-10 playwright Tanya Palmer for a Zoom talkback on Thursday for a discussion on the play, fairy tales and making theater. Free; donations accepted. Listen/register for talkback: 16thstreettheater.org/productions/ it-is-always-almost-upon-us

Hasani Cannon Art Exhibition Through March, Forest Park National Bank Lobby See the college student’s art, which he says reflects his experiences growing up, “surrounded by a lot of African culture, African masks” and his mother being an African dancer and himself doing African drumming … so the culture has always been prevalent in my life.” Viewable Mondays and Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Wednesdays, 1 to 5 p.m.; and Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 7348 Madison St., Forest Park.

Myths and History of the Great Highland Bagpipe Monday, March 15, 2 to 3 p.m., Virtually with the Oak Park Library With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner, learn the rich history of bagpipes, one of the world’s oldest musical instruments. Dressed in full regalia, J. Kevin Chapman will demonstrate his piping skills. Register: oppl.org/calendar

Caregiver Support Group Friday March 12, 10 a.m. to Noon, Virtually with Oak Park and River Forest Townships Senior Services This group is for those caring for individuals age 60 and older or people with disabilities. Group typically meets twice monthly using gotomeeting.com. Next up, March 26. To register, contact cberg@oakparktownship.org, (708) 383-8060 ext. 116.

One Earth Film Festival Through Sunday, March 14, Virtually This week, see Dammed to Extinction, Mermaids Against Plastic: Tamara, YOUTH v GOV, The Nature Makers, Kiss the Ground, The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel, District 15, Fantastic Fungi and more. Besides viewing movies, meet filmmakers and film subjects, and hear from experts. Free; $8 suggested donation. Register/more: oneearthfilmfest.org/films-by-date.

Perspectives on RESISTANCE — From Shakespeare to Nathan Alan Davis Two Brilliant Bills Monday, March 15, 1:30 p.m., Zoom through the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association Hear classical, Broadway and popular songs sung by Bill Dwyer, tenor, and Bill McMurray, baritone, accompanied by Lisa Kristina on piano.

Listen for a St. Patrick’s Day-related tune by these in-demand touring musicians. Register: nineteenthcentury.org

Saturday, March 13, 7 to 9 p.m., virtually with the Oak Park Public Library In this Perspectives & Performance Series, join Oak Park Festival Theatre for an examination of social and political resistance, using the works of Shakespeare and contemporary playwright Nathan Alan Davis. During the program, compare how Shakespeare contributed to resistance against Tudor tyranny in his time (with performances from one of his narrative poems as well as two pieces from Richard II) and how Davis viewed Nat Turner and the slave rebellion of 1831 (with pieces from his play, Nat Turner in Jerusalem) in relation to today’s conversations about systemic racism in America. Festival Theater is performing Nat Turner in Jerusalem on March 27. Register: oppl.org/calendar

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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ART BEAT

A poet and a novelist walk into a bar

Just how do prose and poetry assess that red truck across the street?

By ELIZABETH BERG Guest Author

I was 9 years old when I started writing poetry. I was also 9 years old when I quit writing poetry. That’s because of the disastrous event that occurred when I entered a poetry contest in American Girl Magazine and did not win. (I think I should say I REALLY did not win.

I think I should say there must have been a great deal of hilarity shared by the judges when they read my offering.) The poem was called “Dawn,” and it featured a dog, a cat and a bird.

Well, of course it did -- what else would you concentrate on when you were writing a poem about a beautiful natural event? Oh, I did allude to beauty.

The last line was, “The beauty enchantment now was broke.”

How I wept over the rejection letter! I had been planning on buying my dad a Cadillac with the prize money, which I had assumed would cover the purchase easily. I wept and I sulked and then I gave up writing poetry forever. But I kept reading it. That’s because of the myriad things it offers me: Wonder.

Comfort. Gratitude. Illumination.

I think if you say you don’t like poetry, it’s because the poets you’ve tried are inaccessible-seeming. But Barbara Crooker, who will be our next guest at Writing Matters, in partnership with the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, is one of the most accessible poets you’ll find. She writes poems about 15-bean soup and dry martinis.

About her mother. About her autistic son.

She writes about sorrow, even anguish. Joy. Love. Sex. She offers meditations on art as poems. She reflects on The Book of Kells.

How do they come up with their ideas, the poets? How is it that they can so compactly offer what a novel takes a whole book to do? What are the differences in the way a poet and a novelist look at an event, an image and then use it in their work? If I see a

red truck parked across the street from my house, I get ideas for whose truck it is. I see what’s under the seat and in the ashtray. I hear what’s on the radio. I imagine a cross country trip in that truck with two guys who argue the whole way, but whose mutual regard is plain to see. A poet sees a red truck and ....what?

I’m interested in the answer to that question. I’m interested in what kind of kid becomes a poet. I’m interested to know if poets always carry a little notebook. If they are surprised by ideas for a poem on a trip to the grocery store. By opening a fresh bag of coffee beans. By a phone call.

And that’s why I’m calling the next Writing Matters event “A Poet and a Novelist Walk into a Bar.” It is my dream to sit next to a poet while I was nursing a martini and to ask a bunch of questions freely.

On Sunday, I’m going to make a dream come true. I’ll talk to Barbara Crooker and ask her all kinds of things.

The bar will be imaginary, but I’m thinking my martini should be real.

I was once at a literary festival where there were all kinds of writers, including poets. One night a bunch of us prose writers were sitting at a table in a bar. At the table next to us was a group of poets. I think we must have expressed some admiration, but in any event one of their group came over, delivered a poem to us that they’d just written — a group effort. “Hey,” we said. “This is good! We ought to pay you for this!” So we took up an impromptu collection. Which they refused, waving their hands, saying nah, that’s okay.

But. A few minutes later, they sent over a representative to collect the money after all.

That made everyone happy.

I hope you’ll be made happy by joining us for this event. Bring your open-mindedness and your martinis.

Join best-selling novelist and Oak Parker Elizabeth Berg as she pulls up her virtual bar stool with poet Barbara Crooker on Sunday, March 14, 2 p.m. Free; $15 suggested donation. Register/more: nineteenthcentury. org

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Farmers Market seeks a new manager

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic brought wholesale changes to the Oak Park Farmers Market in 2020 and now commissioners and village staff are approaching the 2021 season as a transitional year for the 46-year-old producer-only market.

“Our goal is to have the full market season,” said Cara Pavlicek, Oak Park village manager. “The only thing that would cloud that would be a COVID curveball. And we don’t anticipate that happening.” The plan is also to return the market to its location in the parking lot at Pilgrim Church on Lake Street.

Farmers Market commission members expressed concerns during a Feb. 23 meeting about the departure of veteran market manager Colleen McNichols and worried that outreach to long time farm vendors was behind schedule.

“I hope there is an active search going,” said Laura Lencioni, chair of the commission to Wednesday Journal. “We need an experienced market manager, and I am hopeful the village will get someone on board as soon as possible.”

McNichols declined to interview for her part time role overseeing the farmers market in the 2021 season according to village staff. The staffing void concerned farmers market commissioners who expressed worry there would be a lack of leadership continuity as the market prepares for the upcoming season.

McNichols served as market manager for four years. According to commissioners she was typically hired in January. Though McNichol’s decision not to return may have been unexpected, to date no new hire has been made suggesting the process is five-to-six weeks behind schedule.

Arti Walker-Peddakotla, village trustee and board liaison to the farmers market commission, expressed concern over McNichols’ departure during the Feb. 23 commission meeting saying McNichols “held a wealth of knowledge” related to vendor relationships and hoped they would work together “to stem any losses” that come as result of her departure.

Cameron Davis, assistant director of development customer services and staff liaison to the farmers market commission, learned McNichol’s was not returning as market manager on Feb. 23 according to a statement made during the farmers market commission meeting.

“We are a little behind the curve right now,” said Pavlicek, about hiring a market manager. “But we are in the process

of looking at all our options. We need additional staff resources for the market, and everything is on the table.”

When asked if hiring from within was under consideration, Pavlicek reiterated, “everything is on the table.”

Pavlicek has been primarily focused on hiring a new Public Health Director since Mike Charley left the position in November. Charley also served as staff liaison to the farmers market for more than 15 years. When COVID hit, Davis took over for Charley as market liaison and oversaw the successful modified market in 2020.

Pavlicek anticipates, once hired, the new market manager will work closely with Davis to ensure they have appropriate support and an understanding of how the market operated last year. While Davis hopes for a quick on-boarding of a new market manager things are moving forward. The village has paid the dues owed to the Illinois Farmers Market Association and Davis confirmed the village has been in communication with farmers and will send out vendor applications in the coming days.

“We have stable vendors who have been with us for years,” said Davis. “After pulling together last year’s market from scratch, I am completely comfortable with the timeline we are working with for the 2021 market.”

Though Pavlicek was quick to say “we are not back to business as usual” she indicated it was a priority to return the market to the Pilgrim Church parking lot and place vendors in their regular locations on market days.

“If I know anything, I know we shouldn’t mess with where the vendors are located,” said Pavlicek.

Davis is currently working with Joseph T. Terry, interim health director, to draw up an ordinance naming the Pilgrim lot as the official location for the 2021 season. Pavlicek and Davis expect the decision to be finalized by the beginning of April.

“If our vaccinations are far enough along and community spread is low enough, I would also love to bring back some of the special programs, like live music, to the market,” said Pavlicek.

The popular pre-ordering program through What’s Good established in 2020 will continue in 2021. Davis relayed the intention to make the aggregation program cost neutral by adding a threedollar fee to each order to cover the costs of tents, storage units and coolers.

Barring any challenges, the 2021 Market season will run from Saturday, May 22 through the last Saturday in October.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

NO CRYING: Sisters Meg, left, and Molly Svec, co-owners of Spilt Milk, at their new location, 811 South Bld. in Oak Park.

Spilt Milk flooded with support

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

In a lemons-to-lemonade scenario, the sister duo behind Spilt Milk Pastry is moving their Oak Park bakery to a new location at 811 South Blvd. with support from the community.

A frozen drainpipe in the bakery’s HVAC system backed up into the furnace causing extensive water damage to the property, at 103 S. Oak Park Ave. on Feb. 17, leaving Meg and Molly Svec without a home for their business. The co-owners knew a move to a larger space would be necessary in the future, but the unexpected closure of their compact storefront inspired them to speed up their expansion timeline.

“We are optimists, and we were not going to let this get us down,” said Meg Svec. “The water damage was extensive, and it was unclear if we would ever be able to open in that location again. We took this as an opportunity to grow and we are excited to remain in the Hemmingway District. It has been our home for five years.”

The new location, the former home of Hit it Fitness, is a triple storefront. The added space will allow the sisters to start an e-commerce business and more than double their production of artisan pies, cookies, brownies and quiches. Customers will be able to observe Spilt Milk bakers in action through windows facing South Blvd. and the dining room and expanded retail space will lead to an outdoor patio. The Svec sisters are eager to have an outdoor dining area behind the building and intend to use the space as a community garden and gathering space.

“We have felt very supported by Cam Davis, Steve Cutaia and everyone at the Village of Oak Park,” said Meg Svec. “They have been out here and making sure we can get up and running as quickly as possible.”

Renovations to the property are already underway and will include the installation of new flooring, updates to the plumbing and electrical

systems, and the addition of new exterior signage.

New kitchen equipment, including new ovens, will need to be purchased as well. The sisters also need to replace a large Hobart mixer that was mistakenly hauled away with junk from the flooded property — they have opted to laugh rather than cry about the loss.

While the sisters had some savings to put toward the move, they appealed to the community to ask for help to ease the financial strain of the unexpected move. They started an Indiegogo campaign and have already raised nearly $39, 000.

The campaign is still accepting donations.

“It was crazy to see the donations start coming in,” said Molly Svec. “People know we don’t really want to ask for help, but we need it. I was in tears.”

In the wake of the flood Spilt Milk also hosted a duo of bakery pop ups at River Forest Kitchen, 349 Ashland Ave. in River Forest, to use up product and keep their staff on payroll. The Svec sisters noted the sudden closure put their staff of six in a “tough spot,” but the successful pop ups not only helped use up products, but more importantly the allowed them to pay their staff in full.

“It is meaningful that Cheryl [Knecht-Muñoz] and the community were so warm and welcoming to us,” said Molly Svec.

“Meg and Molly are pillars in our local food community and everyone at River Forest Kitchen was happy to jump in to offer them a place to bake and host their pop-ups,” said Cheryl Knecht-Muñoz, owner of Sugar Beet School House and River Forest Kitchens. “Our tenants made fridge and freezer space and my team was happy to change schedules to accommodate them. We are thrilled that our greater community is supporting them by buying up their amazing pies and other goodies each weekend.”

Spilt Milk’s new location is expected to open in early April.

Molly has already planted sunflower seeds in the garden.

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Generosity and the power of connection

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dds and ends with some a bit odder than others: Year 2 of virtual fundraising: A lot of nonprofits in the villages were in full invention mode a year ago when the COVID-19 pandemic came to town and, among its many intrusions, landed square in the spring gala fundraising season.

So nonprofits saw huge spikes in demands for their services at the moment when a critical fundraising tool — the in-person, swanky, silent auction, dress-up gala — was made impossible.

Improvisation followed. We reported on 5K walks around donor’s backyards, great kids auctioning art or making cookbooks, and the virtue of the straight-up ask. “We are in a crisis. We need your donation.

Now.” And it largely worked.

It worked for the Journal: A year ago this week, Wednesday Journal, newly part of our Growing Community Media nonprofit, figured out how to physically make a newspaper when no one was in our Oak Park Avenue offices. That Tuesday afternoon I wrote a letter to all of our digital readers explaining what we had accomplished, how it would shape our coverage going forward and how deeply we expected our ad revenues to fall.

I made the ask and the response was immediate and gratifying. Within 10 days we were gifted with $44,000 from hundreds of readers.

Asking works if your cause resonates with the community.

Since then, Growing Community Media has reached more than 1,600 donors. And we are on the path to inventing a sustainable community newsroom that relies, as we have for 41 years, on advertising, on print subscribers, and, now, on reader donations, larger donors and foundations.

There are a lot of people in community journalism watching closely to see our progress. There are only a handful of legacy for-profit newspapers making this leap. We were the first in Chicago.

Next week, we launch our spring campaign with the theme of “Campaign for Democracy.” It is tied to the local elections coming in April and the truth that all democracy is local and that elemental to democracy is a free and thriving press.

Get ready. The ask is coming. Prepare to be beseeched.

Drawing a crowd on Zoom: Part of

our Campaign for Democracy is hosting virtual forums for the presidential candidates in both Oak Park and River Forest. Last week, in partnership with the Business and Civic Council, we welcomed Cate Readling and Vicki Scaman for a 90-minute conversation that was civil while direct.

Stacey Sheridan reports on the discussion in a news article on page 9.

Here’s what amazed me. During the live event, we collected well over 300 viewers on Zoom and Facebook Live. Pretty good, we thought. But it was delayed viewing that stuns. As of the weekend more than 4,500 people had seen all or part of the forum.

Our conversation with Cathy Adduci and Patty Henek, candidates for River Forest president, will be on March 17.

No more endorsements: A point I made during the forum and want to make again is that one of the notable outcomes of Wednesday Journal converting to a nonprofit is that we are now prohibited from making political endorsements. That’s under IRS regs which make perfect sense.

DAN HALEY

But it is a shift. We’ve been endorsing candidates for four decades. Now admittedly, in the early years our endorsements came to be seen as the kiss of death for candidates. To which we replied, “We’re not making predictions, we’re endorsing the best candidates.” Oddly, in our final endorsements two years ago, just about everyone we endorsed won. You’re welcome.

Meanwhile back to the galas: Housing Forward, a nonprofit that has blown up and remade its model of care responding to the pandemic, announced its Have a Heart Virtual Gala on Feb. 27 brought together more than 300 people, 28 sponsors and raised $212,000. That number exceeded their goal.

And not just nonprofits: Turns out you don’t have to be a nonprofit to touch the generous hearts of villagers. The Book Table has raised considerable and necessary funds by turning twice to their loyal customers. Pumpkin Moon on North Boulevard is seeking support right now.

And as we report today, Spilt Milk, the bakery flooded out of its space on Oak Park Avenue, has already raised $39,000 from donors to fuel their relocation to a larger space on South Boulevard. Let’s hear it for the Svec sisters and the power of connection.

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Gyros Plate Dinner 1 lb meat, 2 pita breads, fries & 3 cups sauce $10.99

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Equity in the 21st Century

Oak Park took bold action when it passed the Fair Housing Ordinance over 50 years ago. But the equity work of the Village is not done until all of our residents are treated justly regardless of their skin color, sexual orientation, gender, religion, or ability. That is why we need to implement a Race and Social Justice Initiative. That is the work that will define Oak Park for the next 50 years.

Addressing Root Causes

Addressing climate change, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and access to healthcare can begin to resolve the symptoms of systemic oppression. If we commit to establishing an annual action plan as a Village, we can begin to address the root causes of inequity in our community, and Oak Park will reap the rewards for decades to come. For example, by implementing a tool to assess the impact of policy decisions on equity issues, we can help ensure that Oak Park lives up to its promise.

Property Taxes are an Equity Issue

Oak Park is unaffordable for many of our community members and this disproportionately impacts our more diverse populations. If we believe in an Oak Park that is invested in equity and diversity, then it must be the responsibility of any trustee to invest in intergovernmental work and collaborate with stakeholders to identify ways to create property tax relief.

Small Business Drives Oak Park

The key to building and maintaining a strong community is developing a strong ecosystem of local businesses. The Village Board must create a community that supports mom-and-pop establishments and startups.

We can do this by expanding access to capital, giving preference to local businesses in purchasing, prioritizing local businesses in new developments, and adopting a Business Diversity Ordinance.

Support all of the REPRESENT OAK PARK candidates for Village Trustee

To get involved, visit: https: //linktr.ee /RepresentOP www.AnthonyForOakPark.com Paid for by Activate Oak Park

Photo by Melissa Elsmo

David Silverstein, owner of Whirlwind Coffee, has opened his roastery in Oak Park.

Welcome to the Whirlwind Small batch coffee roastery now open on Madison St.

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats editor

Whirlwind Coffee, housed in the former home of Gilchrist Hardware, 513 Madison St., is now open for business. After revitalizing the property and installing an environmentally friendly Sanfranciscan drum roaster, David Silverstein, Whirlwind owner, is ready to welcome coffee lovers to his philanthropic roastery.

A bright space, featuring a well-appointed counter area, welcomes guests. The cheery alcove boasts a colorful array of bagged single origin and custom coffee blends for purchase. Drip and pour over coffee are currently available for purchase by the cup and Silverstein anticipates having espresso drinks and a small artisan-based food program available in time for Mother’s Day. Silverstein trained as a roster in Minneapolis and fell in love with the science behind roasting green coffee beans. Passion

led him to open the small batch roastery, but Whirlwind also exists to give back to the community. The for-profit business has a profit-sharing approach designed to bolster area non-profit organizations.

Whirlwind is embracing a phased opening. The shop eased onto the local coffee scene with a soft launch on March 1 and is now open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Whirlwind is closed on Tuesday and Sunday.

Silverstein encourages everyone to mask up and “pop by to say hi.”

‘Like’us on Facebook to view additional content @WednesdayJournal

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Scaman and Readling offer contrasts in WJ’s virtual forum Candidates for Oak Park village president talk equity, policing, budgets

Journal won’t be endorsing candidates

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park village presidential candidates went toe-to-toe answering tough policy questions during a virtual forum March 4 hosted

by Wednesday Journal and the Business and Civic Council. More than 4,500 Oak Parkers tuned in live or watched later to gauge the stances of candidates Cate Readling and Vicki Scaman on such issues as equity, budgeting, pandemic recovery and policing.

Both women agreed on a handful of areas including a need for greater government transparency and the belief that the official designation of Oak Park’s top elected official is village president, not mayor. Readling and Scaman also committed to keeping the village’s share of the property tax levy to a maximum of a three percent annual increase but diverged on how to tackle the village’s financial situation and budgeting.

“This last budget was passed by dipping into our rainy-day fund, or general fund,” said Scaman. “That’s just not going to be sustainable.”

If elected, Scaman plans to work across local government partners to identify shared goals and thoughtfully prioritize expenditures.

Readling said she would take on a “very holistic” approach to reviewing the village’s

CHECKERBOARD: Oak Park presidential candidates Vicki Scaman (lower left) and Cate Readling (lower right) took questions during the Journal forum on Zoom. budget as village president.

“We have to look at every department and every service – for example, our very precious leaf collection,” said Readling. “I’ve heard the village manager actually say at the board table, like, ‘Don’t bring that up because people get upset.’”

Readling said the village board and the community have to be willing to have those conversations, while looking at “regressive” fines and fees that currently subsidize the budget.

“I want us to look at every single thing,” said Readling, including leaf collection.

She called the leaf collection system a

“great example” of something beloved but not understood by the community.

“Oftentimes, [leaf piles] are not compostable even, because it’s so contaminated. It causes a safety hazard, it inhibits parking, and it cost $350,000,” Readling said.

The village of Oak Park paid around $212,000 for eight weeks of leaf pick up in 2019. In 2020, the number of pick-up weeks was reduced to six, saving the village $28,198, according to the public works department.

Scaman said during the forum that she plans to identify state and federal funding initiatives and grants to alleviate the financial burden. While serving as chair of the village’s liquor control review board, Scaman said she found two $500,000 grants

During the March 4 Oak Park presidential forum, Dan Haley, editor and publisher of Growing Community Media, reminded viewers that for the first time in its 41-year history that the Journal would not be offering candidate endorsements.

Recently reformed as a non-profit entity, Growing Community Media publications are not allowed to endorse candidates under restrictions set by the Internal Revenue Service.

The forum, which was held virtually due to the pandemic, has now been viewed 4,500 times via Zoom, Facebook Live, YouTube and on the Journal’s website at OakPark.com.

– one from the Illinois Department of Human Services and the other from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. Those grants, according to Scaman, funded the township’s underage drinking and drug use prevention services entirely.

“We need to continue to look for those kinds of opportunities, we need to garner our relationships with our state and federal representatives,” said Scaman. “And we strengthen that opportunity when we work across our borders to work with other communities.”

Scaman said she has developed relationships with neighboring communities See FORUM on page 13

Plan Commission approves Drechsler site plans Village board will have final approval over the proposed 158-unit complex

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The proposal to build a seven-story apartment complex at 203 S. Marion St., the grounds of Drechsler Brown & Williams funeral home, snagged the Oak Park Plan Commission’s approval March 4.

While some commissioners still had reservations over the design, the commission voted 6 to 3 to send a positive recommendation to the village board, which will pass the final judgement on whether to allow construction.

“We do want to promote development in the village,” said Commissioner Nick Bridge, one of the three commissioners to vote against the project.

Bridge felt that the 84-foot-10-inch apartment building proposed by development group Focus would look better in

RENDERING BY FOCUS DEVELOPMENT

ONE STEP CLOSER: The plan commission OK’d an apartment project on Marion Street. Goes next to Oak Park’s village board.

Chicago’s West Loop, rather than Oak Park.

“As a commissioner my primary responsibility is to protect my fellow citizens from development that does not fit,

development that is in the wrong place,” said Bridge. In this case, I reluctantly state that the size, the bulk, the lack of setbacks render it objectionable to me.”

If granted construction approval by the village board, Focus will pay $1.58 million into the village of Oak Park’s affordable housing fund. As proposed, the building will have 158 units and a swimming pool but no specifically affordable units.

Commissioner Jeff Clark, who also voted against the project, said he would have supported the project if the building had one floor of underground parking. Focus previously told the Plan Commission that building underground parking would be too costly.

“I don’t agree that a project of this nature can’t have underground parking,” said Clark.

Clark did not feel that the Focus proposal was the best use for the property, believing the village could find a better project for the site.

See DRECHSLER on page 13

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Remediation finally complete at Lake and Lathrop Groundbreaking for mixeduse condo development to start in mid-2021

By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter

On March 8, Sedgwick Development announced that environmental remediation of the Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue site is finally complete and groundbreaking for the four-story mixed-use condominium development will begin in mid-2021.

Sedgwick described the site, previously plagued with contamination from a drycleaning facility formerly on the land, as “the most environmentally challenging site in the area.”

According to Sedgwick, the site presented “a stubborn environmental problem” that dated back to the 1920s, when regulations over dry cleaners and other businesses weren’t as strict as today’s oversight requires. The problem, said Sedgwick in its press release, is that the solvents used to clean clothes can cause health risks and “pollution may persist for decades due to these chemicals’ resistance to degradation.”

It’s been 20 years since the first environmental testing was done at 7601-7615 Lake Street, according to Sedgwick. Those tests confirmed the presence of contaminants in the soil in 2001, and in 2004 the site “enrolled into a remediation program with the Illinois EPA.” But the extent of the contamination wasn’t known until 2005, when further testing was performed, followed by additional testing to look at spread of contamination in 2006 and 2007.

In 2010, the Illinois EPA accepted the findings of the reports and requested a plan, but all environmental efforts came to a stop in 2010 “due to difficult, time-consuming negotiations and litigation with

RENDERING BY SEDGWICK DEVELOPMENT

READY TO BREAK GROUND: Soil remediation is now complete at the site of the proposed four-story, mixed-use condominium development at Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue in River Forest. holdout property owners and vacating tenants who did not want to move,” according to Sedgwick.

In 2019 and 2020 Sedgwick Development worked with Pioneer EES, an environmental engineering firm, to continue evaluation, submitting reports to both the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Drycleaners Environmental Response Trust Fund (DERT).

In mid-October, chemical concentrations were finally reduced to allowable limits based on Illinois EPA standards.

“This has been a long journey, but we are delighted the environmental cleanup is complete and look forward to progressing through the next phase of developing a generational asset for the Village of River Forest,” said Mark McKinney, Sedgwick’s

operations director.

Ground-breaking will begin in mid-2021.

Preconstruction pricing for the development’s two-, three- and four-bedroom condominiums run from $699,000 to $1.47M. Sedgwick Development, which deals in both residential and commercial development, was founded by River Forest resident Marty Paris in 1996.

Using grant funds, RF fire dept. will replace portable radios Current models are 15 years old

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Thanks in part to a $95,238 grant, the River Forest Fire Department will replace 15-yearold portable radios with new tri-band models.

Village officials cleared the way for the 20 new radios at the March 8 virtual village board meeting by voting unanimously to waive the formal bidding process and accept-

ing the state contract quote from Chicago Communications at a cost of $139,159. The village will cover the $43,921 difference with capital improvement plan (CIP) funds.

Officials originally planned to purchase 40 new radios – 20 for the fire department and 20 for the police department – over a five-year period using CIP funds but learned in September that the fire department had been awarded the Assistance to Firefighters grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Under a revised plan, the police department will use CIP funds to purchase five new radios over a four-year period beginning with

fiscal year 2023. Estimated costs are $38,857 in each of the first three years and $39,751 in the fourth year.

Fire Chief Kurt Bohlmann said the two departments’ current portable radios were given to the village by Cook County Homeland Security over 15 years ago. Although the expected lifespan of the radios is 10 years, they are still operational but “well past their useful lifespan.”

Bohlmann said the radios are called triband because they are capable of transmitting in UHF, VHF and digital signals, which he said is “becoming increasingly necessary.”

The base price of the Motorola APX8000 radios is $5,983 each with required accessories increasing the overall cost.

Bohlmann said the deadline for spending the grant funds is September and estimates it will take four to six weeks to process the purchase.

“Portable radios are a vital piece of safety equipment for the fire department,” Bohlmann said. “Portable radios provide the ability to communicate on an emergency scene from different sides of the scene and from different floors when smoke and fire interfere with visibility.”

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEDC gets new economic development manager Eric Mazelis takes over for Viktor Schrader

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The Oak Park Economic Development Corporation (OPEC) has gained a new economic development manager in Eric Mazelis, who previously worked for J.P. Morgan Chase as a business banking relationship manager.

“It’s been awesome,” said Mazelis of his new position. “I think it’s an interesting time to jump on board.”

Mazelis joined the OPEDC staff Feb. 22 and while still fairly new, he brings his experience in working with small businesses, which he acquired during his time working for the non-profit lending network Accion Chicago.

“It’s a nonprofit organization that provides small business loans to entrepreneurs all over but really with a focus on the West Side of Chicago, underserved communities, people with low access to credit or damaged credit, that sort of thing,” said Mazelis of Accion, which has since been renamed Allies for Community Lending.

In a convenient twist, Mazelis actually knows his OPEDC predecessor, having served with Viktor Schrader on the associate board of Accion Chicago.

“I’m still on the associate board and that’s where I was introduced to Viktor and got an understanding of what the EDC does,” said Mazelis.

The always affable Schrader left Oak Park right before the new year to serve in a similar position in Massachusetts.

While working as a community lender with Accion, Mazelis assisted businessowners through the idea phase and startup phases – something OPEDC Executive Director John Lynch believes will come in handy in navigating the economic impacts of COVID-19.

“Eric’s background in small business lending and assistance will prove invaluable as we emerge from the COVID-related recession of 2020,” said Lynch. “Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs with access to capital, resources and local market intelligence will be critical in the remainder of 2021 and 2022, and that’s where Eric’s experience and energy will be a huge benefit to us and the community.”

At J.P. Morgan Chase, Mazelis worked with clients in the range of $10 to $20 million in sales. His experience working with businesses across the financial spectrum, he believes will prove useful to the OPEDC. “That will be beneficial to this role – working with mom-and-pop shops in Oak Park to working with larger developers who want to bring in new projects,” Mazelis said.

As economic development manager of the

“ “I think 2021 is going to be potentially a big year, just because a lot of people were incubating their ideas in the past year.”

The Clerk’s role is imperative to connecting our community with our government.

”

ERIC MAZELIS

OPEC Economic development manager

OPEDC, Mazelis will work existing and prospective Oak Park businesses, as well as real estate stakeholders and local organizations.

Since moving to the village in June, Mazelis has already begun exploring Oak Park’s many offerings, including Scoville Park, which he called his “favorite place.” He hopes to attend the park’s concert series this summer, should COVID-19 subside enough to allow it.

“What I’m most excited for in this role is the chance to see my work tangibly reflected in the places I’m closest to,” Mazelis said.

For that reason, he was very attracted to the opportunity to work with the OPEDC and jumped at the chance to submit himself for consideration.

“It’s really rare to have this chance to work in economic development in the community you live,” he said. “That’s what made me really excited to apply and get hired.”

Coming out of the pandemic, Mazelis has optimistic views for the future of Oak Park’s business community.

“I think 2021 is going to be potentially a big year, just because a lot of people were incubating their ideas in the past year,” he said.

He believes people are ready to turn ideas into realities.

“I’m personally really hopeful for 2021 and beyond for these opportunities for new businesses.”

S ervice

The Clerk’s office should prioritize a high level of customer service to all of our residents

Transparency Government process and operations should be highly transparent to all

A ccess

Lack of resources or ability should not restrict access to government data and information

C ommunity

I will bring a genuine voice of equity and inclusion to engaging the full community

Visit www.ChristinaForOakPark.com

Request your mail-in-ballot: http://mailvoting.cookcountyclerkil.gov Paid for by Friends of Christina Waters | Photos courtesy of Paul Goyette

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Incumbent River Forest trustee River Forest trustee candidate supports equity, fiscal restraint believes in listening to people Vasquez says challenges of COVID remain immediate

said he wants to see more diversity in hiring in all village departments, including police and fire. He said it can be achieved by working with community organizations and job recruitment firms to “open a net a lot bigger

By IGOR STUDENKOV and wider, so we can encourage more appliContributing Reporter cations” from minority candidates.

Vasquez also supports investing in police As the only incumbent in the River Forest village board race, Respicio Vasquez is the training “that includes diversity, anti-racism and [discouraging] unnecessary use of only one that has experience to fall back on. police force.”

He said that, if re-elected, he hopes to con“Our officers are being trained to deal tinue with his priorities from over the past year – keeping River Forest fiscally responsi- with social issues, and not just handle it ble, helping residents and businesses weather the way police officers used to handle it, so the COVID-19 pandemic and doing his part to we’re not always arresting everybody and make the village more inclusive and equita- putting them in jail,” he said.

Vasquez said he has been ble. He said that, as someone who an advocate for equity, divermoved to River Forest in March sity and inclusion since he was 2014 and only served one term young, and he sat on River Forest as trustee, he “wasn’t tied to past School District 90’s Inclusive Adhistory and open to new ideas.” visory Board. He supported the He also said that, as an attorney village’s racial and social justice who has served both in the public partnership with the Dominican and private sector, he could unUniversity, adding that he would derstand both the taxpayer and like to see more villages join in. government perspectives on variAs a trustee, Vasquez had ous issues. to weigh various viewpoints RESPICIO VASQUEZ Vasquez was elected trustee among his fellow trustees and in April 2017. He was a partner at Franczek P.C. law firm for 16 years, and residents. He said he got an early lesson he spent 15 years in the public sector, serv- when he proposed a welcoming resolution ing as Illinois State Superintendent of Edu- during his first year in office.

“What helped me to move through this cation and an in-house general counsel for several Illinois colleges and school districts. process was to maintain a professional and Vasquez said he was proud of his role in the respectful debate, avoiding personal attacks village’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and unprofessional discussions, trying to pointing to his votes in favor of keeping the persuade [fellow trustees] based on objective property tax levy flat, suspending restric- data, reaching a consensus and ending with tions on delivery hours, waiving business a majority decision after a fruitful debate,” license fees for 90 days and making other fee Vasquez reflected, adding suspensions and deadline extensions. He also that he would “welcome touted the fact that he founded the River For- all resident comments, est COVID-19 Senior Task Force and chaired viewpoints and perspectives in weighing and the village’s Age-Friendly Committee.

Vasquez expected COVID-19 to continue to making any decision.”

He said that he tried be the major issue until herd immunity is achieved. He said that, if re-elected, he will to encourage residents support keeping the tax levy flat and assist- who aren’t politically engaged to reach out to ing residents with getting vaccinated.

Several Chicago suburbs used the federal him by being “approachCommunity Development Block Grant fund- able and transparent.”

For now, one major decision looms on the ing to provide grants for local businesses, which is temporarily allowed under federal horizon – the selection of the new village adlaw to help address the fallout from the pan- ministrator. Vasquez said that he would be demic. Vasquez didn’t rule out supporting looking for someone who is knowledgeable something like this for local businesses, about the inner workings of village governshould state or federal funding for it become ments, especially the way government operavailable, but he also emphasized that his oth- ations are funded. Vasquez confirmed that, er major priority will be to make sure that the as with any village position, he wants River village “maintains its finances responsibly to Forest to cast a wide net.

“Most importantly, we want someone who continue operating efficiently with adequate financial resources,” so it could be ready for has a great personality to deal with resiunexpected financial emergencies like the dents,” he added. “By that, I mean [being] open to resident questions, open to resident pandemic.

His third priority would be to improve equi- comments, open to assisting residents. And ty and diversity in River Forest in general and I will say that our past administrator has the village government specifically. Vasquez been good about that.”

Gathering data, seeking more perspectives important to Ken Johnson

River Forest.”

Johnson said he supported affordable housing, for the sake of both new residents that otherwise wouldn’t be able to live in River Forest and existing residents, especially seniors, who would otherwise be priced out.

He praised the services and programs

By IGOR STUDENKOV River Forest offered to help residents and Contributing Reporter businesses struggling amid the COVID-19 Throughout an interview with Wednes- pandemic. The only thing he would do differday Journal, attorney and first-time River ently, Johnson said, was do more public outForest village board candidate Ken John- reach, so that more residents are aware the son said several times that, while he had programs exist.

In October, River Forest entered into a some priorities and opinions, he was alpartnership with Dominican University to ways willing to learn and listen.

“I won’t say ‘I want that change’ without work on creating a “community committed to racial and social justice.” Johnknowing all the facts,” he said. son said he supports the partner“And I think that one of the ship, because he believes that it’s things that I’m seeing is just important to ensure that everythe need to gather all the facts, body has access to the same opbecause I also don’t want to be portunities and services, and that one-sided in my approach.” all residents are treated fairly. He A resident of River Forest also supports making the village’s for the past 15 years, Johnson workforce more diverse, saying decided to run for the village that it has the additional benefit of board because he believed that bringing in more perspectives. his experiences raising a famKEN JOHNSON When asked about concerns ily in River Forest, along with over disparities in how police ofhis professional experience, will help the village. His major priorities ficers interact with the community, Johnson would be encouraging community devel- said he will follow the data -- some of which, opment, expanding affordable housing op- such as traffic stop information, is already tions and making sure the village is compli- publicly available.

“I heard from residents, concerns about ant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He said that he would focus on being [whether] African-Americans are being more transparent, listening to as many people as targeted,” he said. “I believe that not everypossible and trying to remove any barriers thing is totally unfair, but if we take a look at residents may face in their day-to-day lives. [the data] we find out that there’s a disparWhile Johnson never ran for public office ity, and once we see this disparity, we need before, he said that his ex- to work so that it doesn’t happen.”

Johnson added that the transparency about perience as a resident, a managing partner at “how people are treated, how things are Johnson, Blumberg & tracked” and whether the village workforce Associates, LLC would reflects the community would go a long way.

River Forest is currently in the process of be valuable for the job.

“Having participated hiring a new village administrator. Johnson in the River Forest com- said he would want the search to reach as munity for so long, and widely as possible, and he would want somehaving my children one who is “willing to take a look at what the grow up in the area, I other communities are doing and how we can thought I could enhance an already strong work to implement those things as well.”

Johnson said that, while it isn’t possible board by bringing my legal experience and for the village to please all of the residents, my [contract negotiating skills],” he said.

When asked what he felt were the major he believed that creating a consistent proissues facing River Forest, Johnson pointed cess for gathering public input that trustees to rising property taxes, public safety con- would take time to consider would make cerns. He also said that the village could do residents feel that they were heard.

“If you’re going to be a true liaison, you a better job of letting the residents know what it’s doing and give them more oppor- have to listen to the opinions,” he said.

“It has to be a discussion. It can’t be just tunities to provide input.

“I believe that, as a trustee, you have to -- I state my piece and walk away. I would be a liaison, you need to help the commu- work hard to communicate with all sides. nity residents get heard,” he said. “I also And that, combined with ensuring that we want to make sure that [community devel- understand the process, I think that, at the opment] allows River Forest to be a place very least, we’ll understand each side, and where anyone can come and live, that there we will continue to learn and progress toare no barriers, that people can enjoy our ward change.”

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

FORUM

Readling and Scaman debate from page 9 through her work as chair of the North and Northwest Cook County Clerks Association.

“It’s the responsibility of staff to solicit grants,” Readling responded. “I think that they do a fairly good job of it. And I’m sure they’ll continue to do so.”

DRECHSLER

Village board next step from page 9 “This is the premier development site in Oak Park remaining,” said Clark. “This site would attract other developers and, I believe, quickly.”

Commissioner Tom Gallagher agreed that the site could attract other developers, including developers that would not prioritize quality.

“I just don’t think we’re going to get as quality a product from the next guy as we’re potentially going to get from Focus,” said Gallagher. “For that reason alone, I will support this project.”

While Readling said she thought having staff pursue grants as a means to reduce spending was an “excellent idea,” she believes Oak Park will have the most success in collaborating with the state and county, so the village is included in their respective budgets.

“The county is not broke; the state is not broke,” she said.

Readling also mentioned Illinois’ defeated graduated income tax amendment, stating it was something that will have to be looked at again.

“That would have mitigated a lot of ex-

penses for municipalities, but especially as it relates to schools,” said Readling.

To reduce inefficiencies in spending and transparency, Scaman pointed to the implementation of certain software that would allow for an open portal, which she said she proposed in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 village budget cycle. The software, according to Scaman, cost $20,000.

“That would have been less expensive than what we currently use today by hundreds of thousands of dollars,” she said.

If elected, Readling plans to propose that

the village approach budgeting by looking at revenue sources and expenditures versus by fund, while implementing participatory budgeting.

To hear the candidates discuss equity, policing, small business recovery and other important issues, footage from the forum is available for viewing on Wednesday Journal’s website, its Facebook page and its YouTube channel.

Wednesday Journal will be hosting a forum March 17 for River Forest presidential candidates Cathy Adduci and Patty Henek.

The third commissioner to vote against the project, Commissioner Lawrence Brozek felt the proposed building is incompatible to the area. Brozek told the Plan Commission the building would have a “detrimental” effect on the area and the village. The project’s compensating benefits, Brozek called, “de minimis in nature.”

Compensating benefits include Focus rebuilding the alley adjacent to the property and paying the village $60,000 to repave the remainder of the alley from the development property south to Randolph Street.

“To me, it’s not a total win,” said Commissioner Jeff Foster, of the project.

Foster wanted to see Focus to add more design elements to the building’s façade to enhance its residential character, but otherwise found the proposal decent and voted to

approve it.

“I think this project might be OK for this site,” Foster said.

Commissioner Jon Hale thought the building would strengthen the surrounding commercial district. Hale felt it important to allow more people to live in and near greater downtown Oak Park in a walkable, urban environment.

“I’ve been a little bit dismayed frankly to hear several comments refer to the folks who would live in this development as transient residents, as though it’s a class of residents that we don’t really want here,” said Hale, who voted yes on the project.

Like Hale, Commissioner Paul May stated he would have liked to have seen Focus do more to increase the building’s visual appeal.

“It still feels a little bit corporate to me,” May said.

Chair Iris Sims said the design doesn’t excite her but still thought the design of quality.

Concerned with the building’s height, Commissioner Paul Beckwith was disappointed Focus couldn’t remove two floors.

Noting the economic situation faced by the village of Oak Park, and the positive impact the Focus building could have on it, Beckwith voted in favor of the project.

“I had to do what’s best in my view for the greater good of Oak Park.”

The Plan Commission’s recommendation includes the condition that Focus work with the village’s architectural design consultant on façade enhancements for the street sides of the development.

CELEBRATE INTELLECTUAL/ DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH As COVID-19 emerged in March 2020, Amanda, resident of a UCP Seguin group home in Oak Park, was presented with a major dilemma.

With a dual diagnosis of intellectual disabilities and bipolar disorder, she asked the question: how would she cope with challenges brought on by the pandemic?

Initially UCP Seguin was ordered to close its day services sites, including the Levinson Center in Oak Park where Amanda received life skills training and other services to promote community integration. She had to “shelter-in-place” in her group home.

Amanda faced social isolation and the potential of worsening mental and physical health. UCP Seguin deployed day services staff to her group home to ensure around-the-clock provision of enrichment activities, therapy, and other interventions.

CONTACT US

UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago 3100 South Central Avenue Cicero, IL 60804 708.863.3803

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OVERCOMING SOCIAL ISOLATION DURING THE PANDEMIC... with Help From UCP Seguin

UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago believes that all people, regardless of ability, deserve to achieve their potential, advance their independence and act as full members of the

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Using her iPad, Amanda has participated in remote Zoom video activities, such as cooking and fitness classes, conducted by day services staff. With assistance from Board Certified Behavior Analyst Dana Pavlik, Amanda has helped conduct a weekly class for other participants called “Fun Times With Dana: Let’s Get Social!”

In these classes, participants are presented with a basic understanding of the new norm and how best to cope with it.

With UCP Seguin support, Amanda has been “Alone Together” with the community, succeeding in overcoming the challenges of her dual disabilities and the COVID-19 pandemic.

I/DD CONSORTIUM

Oak Park Township Senior Services oakparktownship.org/senior-services Opportunity Knocks opportunityknocksnow.org PACTT Learning Center pactt.org Progress Center for Independent Living progresscil.org Riveredge Hospital riveredgehospital.com community. So we stop at nothing to provide life skills training, assistive technology, meaningful employment and a place to call home for people with disabilities, as well as specialized foster care for children. Our goal: life without limits for people with disabilities.

Suburban Access, Inc. subacc.org The Answer, Inc. theanswerinc.org UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago ucpseguin.org West Suburban Special Recreation wssra.net

info@seguin.org ucpseguin.org facebook.com/UCPSeguin twitter.com/UCPSeguin

You can show your support for our Consortium members and the great work they do by visiting their websites – learn more, donate, volunteer, and follow them on social media. We appreciate your support!

14

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

BANK

Many steps remain from page 1 architects and other stakeholders collectively called Austin United Alliance.

The Alliance team was one of seven groups competing to win the rights to develop the building. New Moms, which has offices in Oak Park and Austin, was part of a separate group that submitted a proposal.

The Alliance proposed renovating the Art Deco landmark’s structure and building a new facility on a 20,000-square-foot lot adjacent to the building.

The new campus will include a variety of “commercial uses that include a blues museum, bank branch, café, and business incubator. The adjacent land will be redeveloped with a mixed-income, multi-story rental building that includes a green roof, public plaza, social spaces, and outdoor art,” according to a summary of the project on the Invest South/West website.

The Alliance team estimated that the project would generate up to 150 construction jobs and 22 full-time positions once the development is completed.

Athena Williams, a longtime Austin resident and the executive director of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, said this is the first foray into direct development in the nonprofit’s nearly 50-year history.

The Housing Center has a satellite office in

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM Austin, where it offers homeownership workshops, rental and mortgage assistance, along with grants for home repairs and upgrades, among other resources.

“I am a product of the West Side and I’ve always had this vested interest in advocating for the community and wanting to see it grow and thrive and do better,” Williams said in January, adding that Heartland Alliance had initially expressed interest in collaborating in the area of tenant selection.

Williams, however, suggested the organization do even more than that and team up in the area of development. She said the pitch was made smoother by the fact that Rob Breymaier, Williams’ predecessor at the Housing Center and a District 97 school board member, is now COO for Heartland’s housing division.

But the city’s selection of the Austin Alliance proposal prompted significant backlash from Westside Health Authority, a venerable Austin nonprofit that also submitted a proposal along with a team that included the development firm Brinshore.

On March 8, while the mayor took the stage of the Kehrein Center for the Arts in Austin to announce the winning Invest South/West proposals — the bid by Austin Alliance was one of three winning Invest South/West proposals in three different neighborhoods that the mayor announced that day — protestors gathered outside with signs that read “Say No to Oak Park Housing” and “Stop the Land Steal.”

Morris Reed, the CEO of Westside Health Authority (WHA), said he felt that the Invest South/West process was unfair and indicative of yet another instance of the city selecting

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outsiders to develop the West Side.

“We’ve been here for 32 years,” he said.

Reed said that his team’s proposal was tied “Heartland does not have the same footprint with another team’s bid for the highest score that we have. But at this point, people seem on a survey sent to community members who more upset about the process than we are. attended at least one of two informational ses- This is not WHA’s fight, this is the commusions held in January. nity’s fight.”

“Each proposal was scored on a five-point Heartland Alliance officials could not be scale based on community feedback about di- contacted immediately on Tuesday morning, versity of the respondent’s teams, their ability but Williams said Heartland has a presence to develop local business and create job op- in Austin and other West Side communities portunities, and their prior experience on the through its READI Chicago program, which West Side,” AustinTalks reported this month. offers a range of services for at-risk men. She Westside Health Authority’s also lauded the organization’s Soul City Center, which included track record for development. a proposal for a cultural museum, On March 8, Mitts lauded Wiland 548 Development each scored liams and vouchsafed for her role a 3.6 out of 5. The Austin Alliance Read a longer version as a community advocate. proposal scored a 3.5. Ethan Las“Athena has lived in Austin her of this story online siter, a planner for the city, told whole life. She’s worked with my AustinTalks that city officials LOG ON TO OAKPARK.COM office and she’s worked with Ausreceived 27 total responses out of tin Coming Together [Williams roughly 100 people who particico-chairs the organization’s Housing Commitpated at each informational session. tee],” Mitts said.

The survey, however, was just one part of “She’s been around for a long time and she the overall selection process, according to mulhas a mindset of making sure she creates tiple people involved with the process. Other opportunities for our community using the determining factors included the number of resources she brings to the table and workpotential jobs created by each proposal and oring with partners to get that done,” the alderganizational capacity. man added. “She knows that has to be done by “The alderman’s office and the mayor’s working with others.” office told us they’re going with Heartland, Still, WHA officials said they plan to vigorbecause they demonstrated more experience ously fight the Austin Alliance development doing this kind of project and that they have a better track record than us, but I challenged every step of what city officials admit will be a them,” Reed said during an interview conduct- long and winding road.

Igor Studenkov contributed to this report. ed shortly after city officials informed him CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com that WHA’s proposal was not selected.

WEB EXTRA

LAKE THEATRE Movies are back from page 1 Shanon Williams, executive director of Downtown Oak Park, said, “We’re so excited. It’s a sign that things are returning back to normal. They are a staple in this community and we are thrilled they will be reopening.”

Shawn Weakliss, known to Lake Theatre regulars as its main ticket taker, tipped off social media followers last week that good news was coming. “I will be able to go back to work in April. I’m going back to the Lake Theatre. I’m going back home,” he wrote on Facebook.

New York’s movie theaters were given the go ahead to reopen last week and Los Angeles theaters are slated to reopen March 19.

While Johnson was able to reopen most of the chain’s theaters late last June, the Lake remained closed due to a major road and streetscape improvement project that shut down traffic in the downtown district.

In July, Classic Cinemas pulled the plug on its summer reopening at all of its theaters and furloughed the company’s employees. Johnson said he maintained contact with employees throughout the past eight months, updating them on possible reopening dates (some of which fell through) and soliciting feedback from them.

The good news from the staffing perspective, said Johnson, is that all of the company’s theater managers are returning along with many employees.

“We had enthusiastic support from our employees, and that was great because we were worried about that,” Johnson said.

“They’ve been way too nice, kind and understanding. We’re ready to go.”

Although Hollywood is still tweaking its release schedule and at least one blockbuster that was supposed to open this spring in theaters got sold to Netflix, Johnson said there are other draws that will be coming out in April and May, including “Mortal Kombat” and “Black Widow.” Another movie that had been delayed until September, “Quiet Place 2,” has been moved back to May, and “Top Gun” is slated to open July 2.

“It’s enough to get going,” Johnson said.

The theaters will be operating under some COVID-19 mitigations, including a requirement that patrons wear face coverings. The theaters will limit capacity based on state guidelines and parties will be socially distanced from one another.

Johnson said he’s hopeful that the governor will ease the capacity limits to allow for more than 50 patrons in spaces that can accommodate them safely.

“I absolutely am ready,” Johnson said.

“The outpouring of support has been fantastic and I share the belief that people will get out of the house and return to the theaters.”

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

15

Oak Park crime stats turns to defunding argument

By IGOR STUDENKOV

Oak Park crime statistics

Contributing Reporter

A discussion of 2020 crime stats in Oak Park during a Monday night village board meeting turned instead into an argument over the movement to defund the police.

During the March 8 meeting, Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds summarized the statistics, which showed an increase in crime in several categories. Throughout the meeting, several trustees cited the statistics to suggest that reducing police funding would make the situation worse, while also praising the department for its more community-oriented approach.

Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla, who has pushed to reduce the police budget in favor of investing more in social services, questioned the value of saturating neighborhoods with police officers and argued that even police stops that didn’t result in arrests would lead to trauma.

Reynolds’ report singled out several major crime categories. As with Chicago area as a whole, carjackings were up. He said the village also saw an increase in batteries, thefts and “aggravated discharge of firearm,” when someone fires a weapon at or near a person, a vehicle or an occupied building.

Village of Oak Park Police Department

According to the presentation, the number of carjackings went up between 2019 and 2020 from 16 to 20 – though that’s still lower than 21 carjackings in 2018 and at par with 19 carjackings in 2017. The number of aggravated discharges of firearms was the same as in 2019 – six, which represented a sharp increase compared to 0 in 2018 and 2 in 2017.

The number of aggravated batteries is the only statistic that has been going up consistently increasing from 49 in 2019 to 67 in 2020.

The chief said the police department responded by sending more officers to what their analysis determined to be crime hot spots. Throughout the meeting, Reynolds said police were meant to act as a deterrent rather than to try arrest as many as people as

oprfchamber.org

TOP 10 CONCERNS

3

possible, though he acknowledged that stops did sometimes happen.

Trustee Dan Moroney said the numbers showed how important maintaining current police staffing was. “In my mind, reducing staffing, that response time has nowhere to go but up,” he said.

Trustee Simone Boutet said that, while she believes police needs to move more towards community service and de-escalation, maintaining the staffing levels was important, too.

Throughout the meeting, Reynolds demurred on questions about changes to police funding, saying only that the budget request he sends to the board reflects the department’s needs.

Business Finances

Access to capital to survive or expand Access to trusted financial advice Ability to pay the bills

FACING BUSINESSES IN 2021

1

Corona Virus Pandemic Public Health & Protocols

Access to & efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine Rising cost & accessibility to PPE Trust in information Impact of future shutdowns

2

Photo Credit: Todd Bannor at Cross Function Ribbon Cutting

4

Constant pivot to adjust to change Business in the digital world Resources needed to learn new skills

5

Minority Owned Businesses & Civil Unrest

7

Family Life & Personal Impact

Safety & security of minority owned businesses Attracting & supporting minority businesses Ensuring minority business voices are heard

9

Consumer Confidence

Attracting business Shop local messaging Post COVID planning - medium & long term recovery

Mental health & wellbeing Access to childcare & return to school Food insecurity & homelessness

Employees & Staffing

Staff retention Finding new or replacement staff HR & management issues

Doing Business in New COVID World

6

“We look at needs of our agency, we look at the staffing level and everything that goes into the policing of our community,” he said. “ I think [the budget] is appropriate and I think it will help us meet the needs of the village.”

Walker-Peddakotla questioned the value of community saturation, arguing that social workers would do more good in those situations, since even stops that don’t result in arrests can cause trauma.

“What does it mean for people that are racially profiled by the police or are likely to be policed because they’re Black?” she said.

“That pain hits deeply, and we just refuse to want to even have the conversation about it.”

Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb said that, having experienced discrimination himself as a youth growing up in the Gaza Strip, he agreed with Walker-Peddakotla that such incidents shouldn’t be tolerated. But he also questioned how prevalent that was, saying that she gave anecdotes without providing proof. And, while Abu-Taleb didn’t name her specifically, he said that no one on the board is in any position to talk to Reynolds about Black experience.

“For any of us, to make the chief think that we know more about his experience, as a Black man, I think it’s insulting to the chief,” he said.

Village Affairs

High property taxes Development & changing trends in zoning Collaboration between local agencies

Photo Credit: Todd Bannor at Takeout Stakeout at Mulata Photo Credit: Todd Bannor at Takeout Stakeout at Mulata Source: Bender-Coates Family

8

Government

Federal unrest & divisive politics State & county government regulations Working with local government

10

Safety, Security & Enforcement

Defund the police movement Role of law enforcement

This list represents the collective voice of the OPRF Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors regarding the Top 10 concerns facing businesses in 2021.

Choose

ommunity

oprfchamber.org

16

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Robbery An unknown man wearing a ski mask confronted an Oak Park woman in the vestibule of a building in the 800 block of Washington Boulevard on March 6 at about 8:25 p.m. and forcefully removed her purse before fleeing on foot.

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Juveniles charged with carjacking Two juveniles from Chicago, whose ages were not given by police, were arrested and charged with vehicular hijacking on March 6 at 7:37 p.m. in the 100 block of Madison Street.

The police activity report provided by the Oak Park Police Department stated that the two suspects approached a Niles resident, struck him and then took his vehicle. It is not clear from the information provided by police whether the carjacking occurred at the time and place of the arrest or if the incident occurred at some time in the past and at some other location.

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Wendy’s employee struck Oak Park police charged a 25-year-old Cicero man with battery and criminal damage to property after he allegedly struck an employee and damaged property at Wendy’s, 11 N. Harlem Ave., on March 6 about 9:30 a.m.

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

Burglary

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Thomas R. Reed, 28, of Oak Park, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and drunken driving after he was stopped by police in the 400 block of Chicago Avenue at 5:40 a.m. on March 7.

According to police, Reed was found to be in possession of a firearm that had been reported stolen out of south suburban Hazel Crest. He also appeared intoxicated, police reported, and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

■ Oak Park police charged a juvenile from Hillside with unlawful use of a weapon after he was found to be in possession of a firearm on March 5 at 10:39 p.m. in the 400 block of Home Avenue.

Police provided no details regarding why they detained the juvenile.

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Someone entered a residence through an unlocked window in the 700 block of South Cuyler Avenue during the overnight hours of Feb. 24-25, ransacked the kitchen and removed a wallet, Apple iPad and vehicle keys.

The offender then entered the victim’s garage and removed a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was later recovered in Chicago.

The estimated loss is $2,650.

■ Someone entered an unlocked and va-

cant residence, under construction, in the 1100 block of south Oak Park Avenue and removed copper piping during the overnight hours of March 1-2.

Police also reported that someone tried but failed to force open the rear door of another residence in the 1100 block of south Oak Park Avenue overnight on March 2-3.

No damage or loss was reported.

■ A resident of the 900 block of Clinton Avenue called police to report that someone broke into their vehicle overnight on March 2-3, ransacked the interior and took two keys from inside, then opened the trunk and removed a portable car battery charger, a car jack and a pair of jumper cables.

Theft Someone cut the catalytic converter from a 2009 Toyota hatchback parked in the 100 block of North Humphrey Avenue sometime between 3:50 p.m. on Feb. 26 and 5 p.m. on March 1. The estimated loss is $3,515.

■ Police reported that the catalytic converter was cut from a 2005 Honda CRV parked in the first block of South Boulevard during the overnight hours of March 3-4.

■ A white Trek bicycle with green lettering and a front and back light was taken after someone broke the lock securing it to a fence in the 200 block of North Euclid Avenue between 12:50 and 5:30 p.m. on Mach 3.

The estimated loss is $300.

■ Someone took FedEx packages containing an Erica Synths Pico System III audio synthesizer, a Cre8audio eurorack, a 10-foot Roland Musical instrument digital interface cable, a 10-foot Pro Co TS to TS cable and a Black Market Monomult splitter cable that had been delivered to a residence in the 1000 block of Wesley Avenue between 1:10 and 1:30 p.m. on March 4. The estimated loss is $787.

Criminal damage to property Someone damaged the south-side door and frame to a storage unit at a building in the 200 block of South Maple Avenue between 12:01 a.m., Feb. 14 and 5:34 p.m., March 2.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Feb. 24-March 7 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

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

17

Homes

NEED TO REACH US?

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

(Clockwise from top left) 801 Clinton, River Forest; 334 S. Kenilworth, Oak Park; 811 Park, River Forest; 600 N. Ridgeland, Oak Park;

The upper brackets What $875,000 buys in Oak Park and River Forest

By LACEY SIKORA

T

Contributing Reporter

he $875,000 price range for single-family homes is quite a bit more than the median selling price in Oak Park of $380,000 and is just a bit above River Forest’s median selling price of $710,000.

For the extra money, home buyers are getting more square footage, a bigger yard, a more recently updated in-

terior or perhaps some combination of the three. While homes that need a lot of updating might linger on the market, move-in ready homes at this price point in Oak Park have been under contract within a matter of days and are selling at a brisk pace in River Forest as well.

Listed right at $875,000, the home at 334 S. Kenilworth Ave. in Oak Park has five bedrooms, and 3.5 bathrooms. Built in 1892, the 3,193-square-foot house was under contract within days of listing.

The Victorian home has soaring 10-foot ceilings. Recent updates include a new kitchen, new bathrooms and new roof. The gourmet kitchen features stainless-steel appliances and quartz countertops. A fully-finished attic offers room

for a family to spread out, and the four-car garage provides rental income for parking spaces. Recent yearly property taxes were roughly $18,400.

Also recently under contract after a few days of re-hitting the market after some time off, 600 N. Ridgeland Ave. provides 5,300 square feet of living space for its $875,000 price tag.

The brick traditional style home has plenty of rooms that make good work-from-home spaces and a sunroom to bring the outdoors in during all seasons. The nearly half-acre yard includes over 9,400 plants, according to the listing.

The house has five bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a new See HOUSE SHOPPING on page 19

18

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

UNDER CONTRACT! 193 E Quincy, Riverside Brand new construction, walking distance from downtown Riverside and Metra stop.

Luxury 4BR/3.5BA with open floor concept, high-end kitchen, large master suite and many additional amenities......... $699,900

NEW LISTING! 7509 Madison St. #4D, Forest Park 2BR, 2BA in trendy loft condo on Madison St. in Forest Park! Granite countertops, hdwd flrs, elevator building, in-unit laundry, 2 parking spaces. Walk to the Blue Line El and quick access to I-290… $250,000

Sandi Graves | 708-752-6540 sgraves@cbexchange.com

Michelle Miller 708-334-5833 michelle.miller@cbexchange.com

506 S. Austin Blvd., #1, Oak Park 3 BR, 2 BA. Fantastic first-floor spacious condo near transportation. Beautiful hardwood floors. Bosch stainless steel appliances and washer/dryer in the unit.

Assign parking available. $178,500

2923 Natoma #11, Chicago Posh metro townhouse end-unit. Adjoining DR and LR, newly finished ebony stained floors. Bright kitchen with stone counters! Two gracious BRs with laundry and updated full BA on 2nd Level. Balcony and stone patio.......................... $300,000

UNDER CONTRACT! 1120 Thomas St, # 304, Oak Park 2BR, 2BA. Light-filled, top floor condo with a large balcony, hardwood floors, many closets, in-unit laundry, and 2 parking spaces (1 garage.) A great package in an elevator building! ......................$330,000

Lisa Andreoli and Meredith Conn 708-557-9546 or 708-743-6973 TeamGo2Girls@gmail.com

Stephanie Eiger | 708-557-0779 Stephanie.Eiger@cbexchange.com

Andrea “Bonnie” Routen | 708-544-8440 Andrea.bonnie@cbexchange.com

JUST SOLD! 110 Lincoln, Riverside You’ll love this bright gem of a condo in a beautiful courtyard building. Updated 1BR, 1BA with tons of space. Close to town and train.

JUST LISTED AND UNDER CONTRACT! 1906 N. Spaulding, Chicago Rare investment find. Bright, wellmaintained Greystone. Hdwd floors, built-ins and other vintage details. Deep lot. Being sold AS IS .................. $699,000

Sue Canepa I 312-203-0848 suecanepahomes@gmail.com

Sara Faust | 708-772-7910 sara.faust@cbexchange.com

UNDER CONTRACT IN 4 DAYS! 1020 Harlem 1D, River Forest 2BR, 2BA condo with garage parking and in unit washer/dryer and hardwood floors… ................................................... $335,000 John Haagenson | 773-230-6995 john.haagenson@cbexchange.com

UNDER CONTRACT 1 DAY! 435 William #307, River Forest 2BR, 2BA condo with garage parking and in unit washer/dryer ................... $350,000 John Haagenson | 773-230-6995 john.haagenson@cbexchange.com

JUST SOLD! 1201 Fair Oaks, Oak Park Represented buyer! Beautiful 4BR/5BA, 6,000 sq ft home with over 100 original stained glass windows! ............... ................................................... $750,000 Patty Melgar Hooks | 708-261-2796 patty.melgarhooks@cbexchange.com

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Stephanie Eiger | 708-557-0779 Stephanie.Eiger@cbexchange.com

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM Oak Park 114 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park | 708.524.1100 The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker Realty. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Realty LLC.

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HOUSE SHOPPING Within your budget? from page 17 roof. Original woodwork and stained-glass windows with a floral motif make this house quintessential Oak Park. The finished basement boasts its own fireplace, and property taxes run about $21,500 a year.

On the market for only a few hours before finding a buyer, 215 S. Scoville Ave. in Oak Park was listed for $889,000. Constructed in 1903, the house has 2,510 finished square feet of living space spread over five bedrooms and three bathrooms.

A large front porch and spacious rear patio give the home multiple outdoor living spaces. Inside, the kitchen has been updated and includes quartz countertops. Updated bathrooms, dual-zoned Space Pak air conditioning, original woodwork and two wood-burning fireplaces add to the home’s appeal. Property taxes run $21,475 per year.

In River Forest, the $875,000 price range is closer to the median single-family home price in the village, and recent offerings show that price buys a lot of different styles in the village.

The home at 801 Clinton Place recently went under contract at more than 90 days on the market. Last listed at $859,500, the Mediterranean colonial style home was built in 1930.

It has 2,675 square feet, four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.

The original style of the era shines in the green tiled roof, double staircase, coved ceilings, stained glass and 14-inch plaster crown moldings. The home has two fireplaces and a 2018 property tax bill of $18,041.

Further west, 811 Park Ave. is also under contract and most recently was asking $865,000. Built in 1965, this contemporary stone and brick house was listed for sale in mid-January.

The home has five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms spread out over 2,628 square feet. A modern kitchen includes quartz countertops, while the adjacent family room boasts a fireplace. Laundry is on the second floor.

A finished basement includes a recreation room as well as the fifth bedroom and a full bathroom, making this an ideal nanny or in-law suite. A newer garage makes parking your SUVs easy, and 2018 property taxes were $16,939.

Recently under contract, 1522 Forest Ave. in River Forest was listed for sale for over 115 days before attracting the right buyer.

Listed in “as-is” condition, the home last sold in 1978. The English Tudor style house was built in 1928 and includes many original details such as leaded glass windows and a stone fireplace.

The basement is styled after an authentic English pub with a bar, wine room and game room. An attached four-car garage provides plenty of parking and the 250-foot yard is deep and wooded. Recent property taxes were $26,303 for the year.

1522 Forest, River Forest (top) and 215 S. Scoville, Oak Park

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Amazing Queen Anne Bungalow features, exquisite architectural details, custom lighting and modern conveniences.

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Want to see your listings in Distinctive Properties?

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

21

OAK PARK

5 BR, 4 BA .................................................. $750,000 Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

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OAK PARK

6 BR, 4.1 BA .................................................................................................................$1,285,000

5 BR, 4 BA .................................................. $750,000 Erica Cuneen • 708-220-2025

Kathy & Tony Iwersen • 708-772-8040

Marvelous luxury home completely refurbished.

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Every week, every day in

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7375 West North Avenue River Forest, Illinois 60305 708.771.8040

Want to see your listings in Distinctive Properties?

Contact Marc Stopeck at 708.613.3330 or marc@oakpark.com

22

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BairdWarner.com

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

147 N Euclid Ave, Unit 406 Oak Park | $689,000 Hughes Home Team

6624 Windsor Ave Berywn | $589,000 Sandra Dita Lopez

2022 N Wood St, Unit 1N Chicago | $580,000 Elsa Lucas

435 William St, Unit 208 River Forest | $515,000 Ed Bellock

320 S Maple Ave, Unit D Oak Park | $459,000 Liz O’Connell

110 S Marion St, Unit 304 Oak Park | $439,000 Patricia McGowan

830 N Austin Blvd Oak Park | $353,000 Heidi Rogers

170 N Marion St, Unit 3 Oak Park | $349,000 Patricia McGowan

7240 Franklin St, Unit 3B Forest Park | $295,000 Cathy Yanda

324 N Marion St, Unit 2N Oak Park | $288,899 Sheila Price

3807 N Ravenswood Ave, #1 Chicago | $269,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik

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

7753 Van Buren St, Unit 318 Forest Park | $259,413 Jim Gillespie

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

715 Washington Blvd, #2D Oak Park | $219,000 Bethanny Alexander

135 S Kenilworth Ave, Unit 11 Oak Park | $145,000 Arrick Pelton

217 Chicago Ave, Unit 2 Oak Park | $139,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik

1209 N Harlem Ave, Unit 10 Oak Park | $116,000 Ed Bellock

7859 S South Shore Dr, #1W Chicago | $99,000 Divietta Starr

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

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

23

Generations of Excellence since 1958

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

Tom Poulos

Joe Cibula Don Citrano

Ramona Fox Laura Gancer

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

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

Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

750 WILLIAM • RIVER FOREST

815 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 122

547 LINDEN • OAK PARK

1621 77TH AVE • ELMWOOD PARK

N E W LIS TING!

PRI CE RED U CED!

N EW LI S T I NG!

N E W L ISTIN G!

CENTRAL LOCATION so you may walk to town and train! Located on the historic 700 Block of William this home features a beautifully renovated open floor-plan Kitchen, 1st floor family room, LL playroom, laundry /storage, office & full bath. Professionally landscaped yard and large deck ........................................ $755,000

STATELY SOUTHERN COLONIAL blends old world craftsmanship with elegant modern updates ideally located. Grand foyer, elegant LR with fireplace, recently remodeled gourmet kitchen, mudroom, family room, large basement with den/office.

Meticulously maintained and ready to move in. ........... $1,549,000

COLONIAL REVIVAL STYLE with Tudor Revival influences built in 1909. This stunning six-bedroom home displays sophistication and tasteful elegant décor. It offers wonderful space for family and entertaining with beautiful views of the spectacular oversized corner lot. ......................................................................... $1,395,000

PICTURE PERFECT HOME on a cul de sac street. Do not overlook this METICULOUSLY maintained BRICK 2 bedroom (option for 3rd bedroom) home that sits on 50 FOOT WIDE LOT. Oak Floors thruout the home, first floor office/family room or could be used as bedroom. .............................................................................$299,000

520 N OAK PARK AVE • OAK PARK

611 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST

1147 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

1737 N 75TH CT • ELMWOOD PARK

TERRIFIC BRICK ENGLISH in South EP. Bright and sunny with crown molding, arched doorways, and hardwood floors under carpet. Two BR, 2 Full Baths. The walk-up attic has a semi-finished room. Great backyard with covered 9 X 12 deck for fun entertaining. 2 car garage. ................................................................ $289,000

PRI CE RED U CED! THREE STORY GRAND VICTORIAN on 100 x 218 lot in the heart of the Frank Lloyd Wright district. This estate features 6 Bedrooms, 2 Full baths, 3 fireplaces, many historic details including double front entry doors sourced from the Historic Pullman Estates section of Chicago. ...................................................................$646,000

BEAUTIFUL, CENTER ENTRANCE COLONIAL with a large foyer, family room, sunroom, luxury kitchen with eating area AND island seating, tons of storage and pantry space, open floor plan rec room in basement. Tastefully done and impeccably maintained. All you need to do is move in! ......................................................$1,249,900

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

702 PARK • RIVER FOREST

RIVER FOREST HOMES

COMFORTABLE SPACE for all your needs and wants in this 4BR brick home. Hardwood floors and many built-ins throughout, a woodburning fireplace, breakfast room/mudroom, custom deck, and two family rooms! Bring your decorating ideas and make it your own! ......... .......................................................................................................$625,000

UN DE R CO NTRAC T! LOVELY, CLASSIC COLONIAL situated on a sun-drenched oversized corner lot. Features include large LR, sunroom, DR with built-in cabinet, kitchen that opens to back porch and large deck.

Basement offers higher ceilings open space. Many recent upgrades and improvements.............................................................. $599,000

Find that New Home!

Contact a Gagliardo Realty Associates Agent for a free market analysis

EXPERT DESIGN RENOVATION! The very best in contemporary design, finishes and mechanicals alongside exquisitely restored leaded glass doors and gleaming hardwoods create the ideal blend of old and new. Massive rooms and high end craftsmanship throughout. Oversized lot ............................................................................................... $1,499,000 EXQUISITE, UPDATED HOME with luxurious finishes throughout, walk to EVERYTHING location! Four full floors of renovated space including massive, open, chef’s kitchen that opens to family room, French doors, amazing basement living space and home gym. Move in and enjoy! ........................................................................................ $1,299,999 ELEGANT CRAFTSMANSHIP can be found throughout this 5 BR French Normandy home. Sophistication is evident from the moment you walk in the door. Impressive foyer, formal LR with fireplace and built-in benches, family room, separate formal DR, updated kitchen, home office. .................................................................................$999,000 MUCH LARGER THAN IT LOOKS! This 3+ BR, 2-1/2 BA brick bungalow is move-in ready! Features include an open LR/DR, eat-in kitchen, reworked basement, new windows, Alpha closets, new washer & dryer, and brick patio and firepit all enclosed by a private back yard. ............... ....................................................................................................... $729,000

335 FOREST • RIVER FOREST

MELROSE PARK HOMES NEW LISTING METICULOUSLY UPDATED PROPERTY. Professional upgrades include a newer roof, soffit, facia, and windows. All bathrooms have been gutted. Refinished hardwood flooring in most rooms. Beautiful ceramic tile in the family room!

New cement slab in the two-car attached heated garage. ............. .............................................................................................. $349,900 NEW LISTING WELL CARED FOR BEVERLY in great location!

Features hardwood flooring in most rooms, newly remodeled master bath, plus updated kitchen. Lovely fenced yard. Full finished basement with second kitchen. Freshly painted. Absolute move in condition! ....... ........................................................................................................$339,900

PERFECT HOME, PERFECT LOCATION! This 3 bedroom home offers extremely large LR with adjacent sunroom, extraordinary sized dining room, and a kitchen with endless possibilities.

Basement renovated with Permaseal warranty. UNBEATABLE LOCATION -- DON’T MISS THIS HOME! ..............................$499,000

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS

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

OAK PARK Two Flat ................................................................... $550,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. ................................................................ $369,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full/1 half BA. Vintage beauty. .................. $285,000

Shop for homes online at GagliardoRealty.com

U N DE R CON TR AC T!

OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Open, light-filled floor plan...................$179,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Great space. ............................................$174,000

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ASSEMBLING THE

BUILDING BLOCKS F O R

T H E

F U T U R E

O F

O A K

P A R K

MEET STEPHEN MORALES, a proud and active

leader in Oak Park with a deep knowledge about healthcare, finance, policy and entrepreneurship. He has volunteered his time on citizen commissions focused on the environment and affordable housing. He has board governance experience and brings business and engineering training from MIT and Duke.

Stephen believes that the next Village trustees will need discipline to keep our property tax levy increases at 3% and that in the near-term Oak Park needs to focus on ensuring a successful vaccine roll out.

www.stephenmorales4trustee.com MEET RAVI PARAKKAT, he was named an Oak Park Villager of the Year for creating Takeout 25, a groundup movement that has saved local restaurants and jobs during the pandemic. He serves Oak Park on the Energy & Environment Commission and the Climate Action Planning Team. An Engineer and an MBA, Ravi is a forward thinking leader with board room experience, who has spent his career reducing household energy costs and increasing transparency in financial markets at state and national levels.

Ravi believes the strength of his ideas and the depth of his experiences can contribute to Oak Park’s sustainable and equitable economic recovery.

www.raviparakkat.com MEET LUCIA ROBINSON, she has deep roots in our community. She received her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College and earned her law degree from DePaul University. Lucia has led major financial institutions in creating and implementing legal and compliance protocols.

Lucia believes that Trustees should listen, then lead. As our trustee she will be accessible to residents, this will help her truly understand the issues effecting our neighbors. She believes that no one should feel ignored in our Village.

www.luciarobinson4trustee.com

PAID FOR BY STEPHEN FOR THE FUTURE, RAVI PARAKKAT FOR TRUSTEE, AND COMMITTEE TO ELECT LUCIA ROBINSON FOR TRUSTEE

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

I

The case of Father Michael Pfleger

hate guns. I dread the warmer weather and the Monday morning death toll of mostly Black teens and preteens shot and/or killed by guns in Chicago in neighborhoods, parks, and now on expressways. Black lives matter? Black lives shatter. It feels like scattershot genocide.

On New Year’s Eve day, I went downtown on the el to an anti-gun march Father Michael Pfleger was holding at the Tribune Tower plaza. I was thrilled; Father Michael Pfleger is my hero, largely because of his constant struggle against guns. Further, he is the only major Chicagoan leading the fight against guns.

It was a smallish march, 200-300 people, largely older people, many middle-aged couples holding photos of handsome boys who had died by gunfire. There were a number of teenage girls there, several of whom spoke and wept about lost brothers or boyfriends. I noted with more than a bit of dismay and anger that there were not many teenage boys, the age group most at risk and most responsible in the constant gun deaths.

Pfleger asked us to walk in pairs, so we wouldn’t disturb the shoppers on Michigan Avenue. I was paired with a delightful African-American woman. We had a lot in common and I learned a lot from her in a short time. She was a writer for the Tribune, and like many (most?) Tribune employees, had recently lost her job. She lived in St. Sabina Parish and loved the church. She and her husband had one son, about 18, who will be going to college next year. She said the neighborhood was very dangerous because of guns. I asked her where her son went for fun. She said, “He doesn’t. We don’t let him go out.” Stop and let that sink in.

I asked her how easy it would be to get a gun. She said, “I could walk out the door and get a gun within 10 minutes.”

Truly, I had no idea. She and I agreed that we could get rid of the guns if the political will was there.

Several weeks later, two brothers in their 60s, and later, another adult, accused Pfleger of sexual abuse. I was surprised and not surprised. Sometimes I think the only men who enter[ed] the Catholic clergy, do/did so for their access to children. Then I think back to my childhood priests and absolutely can’t accept that they were abusers. First of all, there was the pastor, Father Briody, who hardly showed his face except to come in to distribute report cards and mispronounce names. Then there was Father Fraser, the lovable jokester. And two incredibly handsome young men, Father McGinnity and Father McGourty. They were always walking fast and playing sports. I just can’t imagine any of them being abusers.

On the other hand about a year ago, the Tribune published the names of all priests accused of sexual abuse over a long period. Virtually all of the names were Irish. The good old days. Pfleger is German. Ridiculous, you say? Yes, no, and maybe.

MARY KAY O’GRADY

See O’GRADY on page 35

VIEWPOINTS R A C E

A N D

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

25

Social justice begins at home for Fenwick p. 27

E D U C A T I O N

I N

O A K

P A R K

The divisive OPRF election of 1995 Connie Van Brunt.

Part 9 of an ongoing series on educational equity efforts in Oak Park and the surrounding area.

I

Call to action

At BRIDGE’s public introduction, moderator and OPRF parent Larry Shapiro pron the early 1990s, at the start of the second claimed that BRIDGE was coming together generation of school integration in Oak to serve as an umbrella organization for Park, activists were hopeful for change students at the school who were experiencthat would confront ongoing racial inequiing individual and institutional discriminaties at Oak Park and River Forest High tion. Shapiro stressed that BRIDGE was School. Despite positive developments in Oak focused on student rights and representaPark’s District 97 elementary schools, racial tion, academic achievement for all students, equity advocates ran up against a perceived and sound financial management. BRIDGE lack of urgency by District 200. That fruscalled on D200 to reverse its ban of APPLE tration, along with other developments, led from the school, to appoint a student to to the creation of the unprecedented but the school board, conduct a review of the short-lived coalition Building and Renewing school’s discipline policy, provide more serInstitutions Dedicated to Good Education vices for suspended and expelled students, and hire more (BRIDGE).

African-American and Hispanic faculty members.

Soon after its formation, BRIDGE announced a set OPALGA’s Wilson stressed the historic moment in Oak of goals aimed at advancing equity. It then sponsored Park, saying the coalition was “the first time that Africanboard candidates dedicated to an open inquiry into curAmerican organizations, gay and lesbian organizations, riculum at OPRF with an emphasis on what was workand student organizations within the community all ing and what was not working for students, especially banded together to confront common problems at OPRF.” for students of color, who were disproportionately assigned to the lower curriculum tracks. It was an agenda that elicited strong opposition from Centrality of curriculum inquiry supporters of the status quo, who resorted to racist dog whistles to defeat the BRIDGE With unwavering commitment from slate in the 1995 election.

Oak Park racial equity advocates, BRIDGE In 1989 through the unwavering work prioritized an evaluation of curriculum and of the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay instruction, with attention to what might be Association (OPALGA) and courageous done to enhance student achievement. This advocates like the late Mel Wilson, the D200 was the exact call for action later proposed by board, after hearing months of virulent the D200 Learning Community Achievement homophobic and hateful opposition, made Gap Report in 2003 and in the 2011 Blueprint OPRF the first high school in Illinois to Assessment. protect the rights of its gay and lesbian Backers of the PTO election slate, however, MEL WILSON members. Still, when OPALGA representawere relentless in denigrating the BRIDGE tives met with OPRF counselors to explore platform, believing all was fine at OPRF. Their ways to make the school safe and welcoming for all persistent chorus was that BRIDGE proposed to dumb students, they were deeply discouraged by the lack of down the school, eliminate Honors and AP programs, institutional understanding and support of gay and protect gang members at OPRF, and bring financial chaos lesbian students. OPALGA later joined BRIDGE and to D200 — allegations that had no basis in reality. helped solidify Oak Park’s first broadly-based alliance In rebutting opponents in Wednesday Journal in July for equity. of 1995, BRIDGE leader Caren Van Slyke The Oak Park NAACP chapter, headed argued that the coalition “wants the best for

by Jaslin Salmon (a Wednesday Journal OPRF students, nothing more.” She insisted opinion columnist) would also join BRIDGE. that one of the group’s central tenets was In 1992, the historic civil rights organization a commitment to “educational practices focused on systemic discipline inequities that foster the academic achievement of and called for a community inquiry into the all students.” Van Slyke further denounced disciplinary system that was not working as unfounded the charge that BRIDGE was for Black students — a goal BRIDGE would out to scrap the two academically advanced later endorse. curriculum tracks, Advanced Placement and In November 1994, BRIDGE was formally Honors. She challenged school leaders and launched — with APPLE, OPALGA, the Oak the community to act, insisting that “OPRF JASLIN SALMON Park NAACP and OPRF Students for Peace can hold onto the current way of doing things and Justice. Then in the summer of 1995, BRIDGE or we can approach these problems with an attitude of introduced a slate of three candidates for the upcoming transformation and continual improvement … and begin Board election — former D97 board members Charles Brauner and Henry Fulkerson, and African-American See DUFFY on page 35

JOHN DUFFY

26

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

O U R

C

Why we reach

V I E W S

Saving Laramie State Bank

ongratulations and praise are due the Oak Park Regional Housing Center and the Heartland Alliance for earning the nod of the city of Chicago’s Invest South/ West project and being chosen to save the lustrous yet decrepit Laramie State Bank building and adding a block of affordable housing, too.

We love this building. It is a genuine landmark in Austin, anchoring the corner of Chicago and Laramie. It harkens back to when banks were banks and knew that creating the edifice was part of the message of strength and commitment to a neighborhood. We’ve watched this anchor become an anvil over nearly 40 years as it has been ignored and allowed to deteriorate to the point it turns up regularly on preservationists’ lists of most endangered buildings.

Wisely, the city of Chicago chose Laramie State Bank as its initial targeted project under Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s critical decision to invest in the West Side and South Side.

The Housing Center, which has for a decade been active in Austin and placed a satellite office in the community, made an audacious move here. It is not a developer. It is not a property owner. But in teaming with the Heartland Alliance, it has built in those skills. Credit to Athena Williams, the housing center’s executive director, and a longtime West Sider for having this vision. It is more than a happy coincidence, we surmise, that the lead on Heartland’s housing department is Rob Breymaier, who earlier had headed the Housing Center.

The plan put forward calls for salvaging and restoring the bank building and using its 10,000 square feet of commercial space as a Blues museum, a business incubator, a co-working space, a locally owned coffee shop and, in a nice nod to history, a bank branch. Beyond the bank’s walls and on city-owned land just to the east, the proposal is to build 76 units of housing, 53 of which would be affordable housing. There is also, in the renderings, a handsome and welcoming public space facing Chicago Avenue.

New Moms, another nonprofit with Austin and Oak Park roots, also submitted a proposal. While it was not chosen, it reflects the vitality and vision of New Moms that we see every day in its work.

Also among the seven proposals considered by the city was one from the venerable and essential West Side Health Authority. A force in Austin over decades when this great neighborhood lacked champions, the WHA’s leadership is frustrated that it was not chosen for the Laramie State Bank project.

We get it. This one is a prize. It has notable financial backing from the city and, as one of Lightfoot’s key initiatives, it will get plenty of attention.

That said, we’d urge Morris Read and the leadership of WHA to be thoughtful before it disparages the Housing Center as an interloper from Oak Park or its leader Athena Williams as anything less than a woman who rose up in leadership on the West Side.

This is no “land grab” as a protest sign at a WHA press conference outside the bank proclaimed yesterday. Our perspective, as one of the few institutions that has long worked in both Austin and Oak Park as the publisher of the Austin Weekly News and Wednesday Journal, is that these two communities are at a precious moment of alignment.

Mutually respectful relationships are flourishing — and sometimes bumping — across the divide that Austin Boulevard has too long represented.

A successful restoration of the bank and a successful addition of affordable housing will be a stunning statement in Austin. And it will only add to the momentum long built by worthy organizations such as the West Side Health Authority.

All these squalls to which we have been subjected are signs that the weather will soon improve and things will go well for us, because it is not possible for the bad or the good to endure forever, and from this it follows that since the bad has lasted so long, the good is close at hand.

Miguel de Cervantes

T

Don Quixote

he weather has indeed improved in the past 10 days. The snow is slowly, steadily melting. It has been luxurious to watch the thick blanket of February dwindle to a patchwork of abstract expressionist art on the canvases of front lawns, some resembling 3D topographical maps of the Rocky Mountains. Snowmelt has bathed the buried bulbs. Having received their marching orders from above, they push irrepressible shoots, piercing the softening soil and reaching for sunlight.

The Earth is waking up. Daylight lengthens and is about to receive a booster shot when the clocks spring forward this Saturday. An hour less sleep but an hour of extra sunlight on the far side of day. A fair trade after the difficult winter we only recently outlasted, having received our marching orders from above. The sandhill cranes were spotted overhead on Monday, returning from their winter refuge.

Like tulips and daffodils, the human spirit is irrepressible, the life force poised and ready, which is reason enough for optimism. We awoke from our four-year anti-democracy nightmare and we’re emerging from a difficult pandemic. Outdoor dining is setting its tables.

Whitman’s pent-up aching rivers are ready to be unleashed.

The pandemic wasn’t all bad. We miss each other.

We’re reaching out, hungry for connection. But we discovered that virtual could be real and remote could be meaningful too. We had COVID but virtually no colds or flu. We learned lessons for the next virus. We learned to value what we too long took for granted. We know what we can survive. We know what we don’t want to return to. We know there is a better life to lead.

Getting vaccinated makes me feel more optimistic. I did a deep spring cleaning after my second shot.

Politically, we have a sane president. We outvoted the duped and deluded, setting records. We prevented the election from being overturned. The big lies and liars continue to implode. The COVID relief bill will help millions. We are choosing lives of possibility and opportunity over death by despair. We learned that hope is stronger than hopelessness.

And that it’s never over till it’s over.

Just as pessimism doesn’t protect us from bad things, optimism doesn’t guarantee good things. But there are reasons for optimism nonetheless. A reckoning with race

is just beginning, a rendezvous with reality.

The anti-democratic stranglehold is losing its grip.

Locally, I’m optimistic about the Oak Park village board race. The good news is that people of color are stepping forward to run for local office. The next generation is getting involved. I wouldn’t be upset if any three of the six trustee candidates are chosen and either candidate for village president. Some are more familiar with the way village government works, but experience is just one qualification and not always the best. A new generation brings new energy. I trust they know what they’re getting into.

The new board will feature four new members and likely be more “progressive” than the past two boards, which tilted heavily toward economic development, business interests holding sway and getting its way. Before that, the pendulum swung toward sustainability and preservation. Will it simply swing back again or have we learned enough to incorporate the best of both worlds? We’ll see, but I’m optimistic.

At this time of year, I always feel optimistic. Another winter fading, another spring ahead. Optimistic isn’t quixotic. In general, the odds are in our favor. Things tend to work out. Not for each of us, not in the end, but in the long run for all of us and those yet to come.

Optimism isn’t for saps or sissies. Optimism is for realists who can make it happen. The flip side of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go right will go right. Optimism makes us look forward, which helps us move forward, as we must, as we were meant to. Time to get a move on.

The tree out my bedroom window these days is sunlit by 7 a.m. The sun has found it, blessed it, worked its morning magic on it, flashlit by the strongest flashlight in our corner of the universe. Each day is a miracle of cosmic connection, the Earth tilting ever more slightly toward the sun for the next four months. A nod, an extended bow, and our days lengthen, our thermometers rise, our spirits soar. In the morning, we bend to the east, open our arms overhead at noon, gaze longingly to the west in the evening.

Optimism must be some kind of law — like gravity, which holds us in place when all we want to do is fly. So we compromise. The Earth grounds us underfoot, leaving the rest of us free to reach for the stars. That reach is optimism and will not be denied. It is why light needs the darkness to shine, why air bubbles rise to the surface of the ocean, why life rose to the surface and climbed onto dry land. It is the reason we break through barriers and obstructions and come out the other side.

It could all go so wrong. But it could also go wildly right.

Living on Earth isn’t for conspiracy theorists. It’s for visionaries.

Just ask Don Quixote.

KEN

TRAINOR

Arkin a proven ally for D200

This year more than ever, Oak Parkers must carefully consider whom they elect to the D200 school board. I will be casting my votes for those candidates who have proven both their commitment and ability to address the diversity, equity, and inclusion work so very important to supporting our youth of color. Among those I vote for will be Fred Arkin.

For 10 years, I have known Fred first as a dedicated wrestling coach to my older son, next as a mentor to both of my biracial sons, as well as numerous other

youth, and finally as a friend. He has spent his entire adult life as a dedicated servant to our youth and community. During his previous tenure on the board, he established his unconditional commitment to the hard and humble work demanded of this role to effect sustainable change that benefits all of our youth. He would again be a valued member of the board. Fred has my vote and he should have yours too.

Sally Lemke Oak Park

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

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

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

Growing Community Media

Social justice begins at home for Fenwick

R

ev. Richard Peddicord, OP, president of Fenwick High School, wrote last week [The search for common ground, Viewpoints, March 3] about the important role that Catholic social teaching can play in healing the divides in our nation.

He wrote that “The guiding principle of Catholic social teaching is the inviolable dignity of the human person. Every human being is a unique and beloved creation of God. As such, every human person deserves respect, care, love.” https://www. oakpark.com/2021/03/03/the-search-forcommon-ground.

The problem is that this high-minded language does not apply to the Dominicans and their failure to release the facts they know about sexual abuse by Dominican priests at Fenwick and at parishes in Chicagoland, including River Forest.

In January 2019, Wednesday Journal reported on extensive sexual abuse by a priest, Fr. William Farrell, OP, at Fenwick in the ’60s and until 1970 https://www. oakpark.com/2019/01/08/victims-of-former-fenwickpriest-tell-their-stories.

Fr. Marchionda, the head of the local Dominicans, told Wednesday Journal that he would release a list of known Dominican sexual abusers by the end of 2019.

That never happened. Unlike the Archdiocese of Chicago and most religious orders such as the Jesuits, the Dominicans and Fenwick have failed to give any accounting.

Nor is one in the offing. A recent Sun-Times article reports that, despite pleas from Cardinal Cupich, the Do-

minicans continue to refuse to post a list of members credibly accused of sexual abuse (Feb. 26, 2021) https://www.google.com/ amp/s/chicago.suntimes.com/platform/ amp/2021/2/26/22299424/dominicans-dominican-friars-child-sex-abuse-catholic-religiousorders-marchionda-james-blase-cupich.

A national priest pedophile website lists the names of eight local Dominican priests.

In the Sun-Times, Fr. Marchionda (who is also on the Fenwick Board of Directors) says that no list will be forthcoming anytime soon. “The province has made no decision with respect to a public listing of the names of those who have substantiated allegations against them. It remains under consideration.”

The Dominican dissonance on Catholic social teaching hits home for me personally because the Dominicans and Fenwick have never publicly acknowledged that one of their own, Fr. Francis Robert Crowe, OP, who taught Latin and was athletic director at Fenwick in the ’50s, repeatedly sexually assaulted my brother when he was a child, as I wrote here in 2018 https:// www.oakpark.com/2018/12/04/catholics-need-a-truthreconciliation-commission.

Fr. Bob, as we called him, was my father’s first cousin. The Dominicans have remained silent about that abuse since being informed by 2002 at the latest.

If the Dominicans, Fenwick, and President Peddicord seek to lead a discussion about the “respect, care and love” owed to all individuals, they should start by being accountable for the sexual abuse of innocent young people by Dominican priests at Fenwick and elsewhere.

JACK CROWE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

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

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O N S O R E D

Chi Taco Grill: Look for fries inside

C O N T E N T

Elmwood Park taqueria puts a Cal-Mex twist on tradition Located northwest of Elmwood Park’s bustling “restaurant row” on North Avenue and just east of “the circle,” Chi Taco Grill, a relative newcomer on the local dining scene, confidently stands alone at 7530 W. Grand Ave. “The road to opening was long because of the renovation and dealing with the pandemic,” said Emilio Godinez, Food Writer co-owner of Chi Taco Grill. “But the Village of Elmwood Park has been great about everything and business so far has been really good.”

Father and son, Hector and Emilio Godinez, purchased the small-scale property three years ago after agreeing something about the eatery appealed to them. It took the co-owners a few years to complete a thoughtful renovation to bring Chi Taco Grill to life, but the passionate

MELISSA ELSMO

duo’s modern taqueria is up and running and bringing a unique California twist to burritos, tacos, tortas and bowls.

Hector, a native of Jalisco in western Mexico, spent his early years cooking alongside his mother and father. Though the self-taught cook’s salsas are influenced by recipes he learned cooking alongside his parents, he had the menu for Chi Taco Grill in the back of his mind ever since he learned about California-style burritos.

Chi Taco puts a twist on tradition by cramming a handful of fresh cut fries into every CALI TORTA: Look for fresh cut fries on the side and inside of Chi Taco’s steak torta. burrito in true Cal Mex style.

Hector took the concept a step farther by including fries inside of Chi Taco’s tortas and vegetarian tacos. In fact, fries are the first ingredient mentioned in nearly every menu item at Chi Taco Grill.

Feedback from eager customers has revealed steak is the most popular filling for Chi Taco’s offerings. Hector credits his special blend of seasonings for the popularity of his meat offerings—he spent years tweaking the recipe until it was just right. Vegetarians, however, have nothing to fear at Chi Taco. A robust mushroom and

IT’S A SIGN: Chi Taco Grill is located at 7530 W Grand Ave. in Elmwood Park.

Lourdes Nicholls

Vegetarians will delight in well-seasoned mushroom and potato tacos from Chi Taco Grill shown here with a duo of house-made salsas.

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Dine -in / Carry Out / Delivery Catering / Bar / Banquet Chinese • Thai • Japanese Cuisine Hibachi Steak House Co-owner Emilio Godinez shows off the branded exterior of Chi Taco Grill. potato mixture can form the base of any bowl, burrito, torta or taco.

As summer draws nearer Hector and Emilio are eager to place a few tables outside and attach drop down benches along the east side of the building to increase their outdoor dining footprint. The taqueria has also been approved for a liquor license by the Village of Elmwood Park and the owners are currently exploring the option of adding a limited bar program to the restaurant including beer offerings and house-made micheladas.

In addition to his thoughtful menu, Hector is especially proud of the distinctive branding behind Chi Taco. Hector’s brother, Felipe Godinez is a creative director and brought Chicago-centric design elements

forward in the branding. Both the logos and color scheme evoke the highly recognizable Chicago flag.

Hector and Emilio are eager to grow the business and replicate the Chi Taco brand of California i n s p i r e d Mexican fare at future locations.

“People from every walk of life are coming to my business and we have a really wonderful clientele,” said Hector. “We are proud our food at Chi Taco is always fresh and delicious. People love the taste of the food.

It is 100% worth the trip from a neighboring suburb.”

Chi Taco puts a twist on tradition by cramming a handful of fresh cut fries into every burrito in true Cal Mex style

*All food items were ordered via carry out and plated at home.

All photos, Melissa Elsmo

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Henek is a breath of fresh air Vote for Adduci for Village President

When considering the qualities a leader should possess, integrity, thoughtfulness, vision, rigor, and empathy rise to the top.

It is readily apparent that Patty Henek possesses all of these qualities throughout all of my interactions with her.

It became clear to me throughout the planned development process for the Harlem & Chicago senior living facility that Patty utilizes a comprehensive set of metrics to assess the pros and cons of a particular decision, rather than just relying on

simplistic analysis/gut instinct. It is evident from the questions she asks and the way she communicates that she weighs the relevant factors before coming to a wellconsidered conclusion.

Patty’s approach is a breath of fresh air and I am happy to support her candidacy for Village President, as I feel that she will expand on the transparency, fairness, and supportive nature of village government.

Richard Taveras River Forest

Vote for Henry for D200 board

There are several candidates running for District 200 school board in the current campaign. Sometimes it’s difficult to know who to vote for if you don’t know someone personally. In order to try to reduce that gap, I highly recommend Kebreab Henry. I’ve known Kebreab and his family for the past five years and call him and his wife friends. He deeply cares about equity and inclusion for students who have historically been left out, oppressed, or discriminated against. He has maintained a high standard of education for his daughter, who graduated with my daughter from OPRF High School, and is now attending the University of Illinois.

He continues to encourage her to pursue

excellence, and has the same expectations for his sons.

He believes that culture, opportunities, and instruction must all present a climate for every student to excel in whatever area they choose and to thrive without barriers to their learning and well-being.

His service at our church, on the Community Council, and on the Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee have all pointed toward his goals of doing his part to make life meaningful and joyful for every person.

He is needed on the D200 board, so be sure to vote for Kebreab Henry.

Wendy Daniels

Oak Park

Henek for RF president River Forest is creating a Stormwater Master Plan (SMP) to identify projects to reduce flooding conditions to protect property, improve sanitation, and reduce environmental hazards. Prioritizing and funding SMP projects will come before the village board.

North-side residents benefit directly from the 2015 Northside Stormwater Management Project (NSMP) to separate sewers along Greenfield Avenue. We are spending $917,146 annually for 20 years to repay a loan on the $15+ million project.

Now, north-side residents are asking for improvements to drain north Keystone and an NSMP Phase 2 project. Residents on the south and east sides want funds for alley drainage. West-side residents want protections from river flooding and sewer backups. Others want yard drainage.

I am concerned about the added tax and debt load to fund big expenditures. River Forest owes $20.6 million. The shortfall in pension and health-care funding is $49 million, an increase of $6 million this year.

The village can pay only 52% of those costs, according to 2020 property tax bills.

In comparison, school District 90 can pay 76% of those costs, and other local taxing

bodies can pay higher percentages. The village portion of property tax bills has risen 49% from 2009 to 2018, compared to a 32% increase for schools (D90 and D200 combined), per $100 of assessed property value.

I am also concerned about how projects will be prioritized based on cost-effectiveness, the appropriate level of protection, fairness, and inclusiveness of all residents’ perspectives. Village budgets will be challenged in fiscal 2022 and beyond, while resident demands for improvements and pension costs continue to rise and tax burdens increase.

Patty Henek has demonstrated on two large development projects, The Sheridan and Lake & Lathrop, a willingness to investigate; empathy for nearby residents and businesses; engagement with the broader community; fairness in decision-making; and courage to voice her concerns. I trust her judgement and her ability to be a good steward of our funding while being equitable in decision-making.

It is time for change in River Forest. I endorse Patty Henek for Village President.

Margie Cekander

River Forest

Cathy Adduci has been an outstanding village president and we are thrilled she wants to continue to serve our community in such a meaningful way. She has demonstrated she has the experience, the business background, and extraordinary leadership skills that the position of president demands.

I am a former District 90 Board of Education elected official, who served on the D90 Board of Education for eight years in a variety of capacities, including two years as board president. I know that experience and qualifications do matter. Cathy has the experience and qualifications necessary for the position and she has demonstrated that

throughout her tenure.

My husband, Dr. Peter Geldner, and I have been extremely pleased with how our village government has been operating and the numerous accomplishments under Cathy’s leadership. As a lifelong resident who was raised in River Forest and chose to raise my family in our wonderful community, now more than ever, as we move away from the pandemic and into recovery, we need strong leadership, a steady temperament and someone with laser-like focus to keep our community a wonderful place to live and work.

JuliAnn Geldner River Forest

Oak Park: where architecture goes to die?

After referring two weeks ago to the four high-density structures in my Pleasant District neighborhood as “eyesores,” I am now compelled to reconsider. After going to Trader Joe’s today, my eyeballs encountered Oak Park Place Apartments, which looms over that business. What a drab, uninspired architectural effort. It has all the visual appeal of a Soviet-era block housing. Ah, but that location! Thus, by comparison, Cameron, Vantage, Albion and 1133 are — relatively speaking — gems. Costume jewelry level gems, however.

The Journal’s current issue also has articles about the Pete’s Market project and the wrangling over architectural design for what will eventually replace the Drechsler funeral parlor. As for Pete’s, it supposedly will “revitalize” Madison Street. Sounds great, but as the article noted, the new (and huge!) Pete’s will likely be calamitous for Carnival grocery, and Sugar Beet, two smaller and well established businesses nearby.

But the village board vote was 6-1 in favor of Pete’s, with Dan Moroney offering his “sympathy” regarding collateral damage to other businesses.

Ah, the calculated cold-blooded concession to progress.

As for the Drechsler site, the article alluded to debate over the new structure’s height and potential jarring contrast to the immediate surrounding area. Rebecca Houze, a Historic Preservation Commission member, said it best, noting the “global significance” of Oak Park related to architecture, and poignantly asking, “What kind of monument to wealth, and to whose wealth, will this building be?”

Whatever goes up in place of the funeral home, this site, more than all the rest of the recent developments, will, in bitter irony become the place where architecture, 21stcentury style in Oak Park, came to die.

Joe Harrington Oak Park

Whole lotta love for Venus Johnson I was truly excited to hear that Venus was running for the District 97 Board of Education. She is ready to go! Like effortlessly merging into high-speed traffic, her candidacy is a natural progression of a long history of service in our schools and community. She is thoughtful, smart, brings folks together, navigates brave conversations and gets the work done.

Venus was a wonderful PTO president at Mann Elementary and continued to inspire as a founding member of the D97 Diversity Council (DivCo), with the purpose of coalescing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts within all of our schools. The robust equity policy that was passed for our district included her guidance and input. She went on to lead the D97 PTO Council, which consists of presidents from all 10 schools, plus liaisons to the administration and the board.

Venus excelled in these leadership roles, all of which are partnerships, and I’m confident she’ll continue her manner of collaboration at the board table.

One conversation we had was particularly memorable, as we sat in the car after a meeting. Venus shared insights from the book Beyond the Bake Sale, about meaningful discussions yet to be had in our schools, and the importance of supporting learners with disabilities and unique abilities. She takes the time to cultivate relationships and empower others, which goes an incredibly long way in Oak Park.

Venus Johnson is a dedicated pillar of our community with the deepest level of commitment, and I endorse her candidacy without reservation. Please vote on April 6.

Dot Lambshead Roche

Longtime community member, D97 parent

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Venus has a passion for equity

As you consider candidates for the District 97 Elementary School Board of Education, I ask that you give strong consideration to Venus Hurd Johnson. With experience as a parent, school and district leader, Venus will bring great knowledge and leadership capabilities to the board role. Her older son attended D97 schools and is now at OPRF High School, and her younger son is currently a middle-schooler.

I first met Venus over 12 years ago when we attended the same church. Since that time, I’ve had multiple opportunities to work and partner with her. For the past couple of years we have partnered as co-presidents of the D97 PTO Council (PTOC).

Prior to serving in a PTOC leadership role, Venus held a number of roles at Mann, including co-president for both the PTO and the Diversity Committee (DivCo). She was also copresident for the D97 PTO Diversity Council and played a pivotal role in the development of D97’s Ensuring Racial and Educational Equity policy.

She is a strong advocate for equity, which she defines as a commitment to meet the needs of all students and to remove barriers that inhibit their success. She recognizes the importance of every student having an equi-

table and excellent educational experience and will work to make this a reality by pushing for full community engagement, collaborating with local organizations focused on equity and using the oversight and governance responsibilities of the board to drive accountability for results.

The purpose of the school board is to govern the district, sitting in trust for the entire community and governing effectively. The duties of board members are varied, and require leaders with broad skill sets and capabilities.

Venus excels as a listener, respects diverse opinions and is highly collaborative. She seeks to understand multiple sides of an issue and is not afraid to make tough decisions when necessary. With a focus on financial well-being she will be guided by the values of transparency, frugality and sustainability when it comes to the stewardship of our public funds. I find her to be a great partner who does what she says she will do and genuinely cares about positive outcomes for others.

Venus will be an active and engaged board member, bringing passion and energy to the role. Please join me in supporting her candidacy for this critical community position.

Audrey Williams-Lee Oak Park

Venus Johnson for D97

I enthusiastically support Venus Hurd Johnson for the D97 school board. Venus’ professionalism, warmth, and clear vision make her an excellent candidate to lead our schools through this continued challenging time.

While working on the D97 Diversity Council (DivCo), Venus was responsive and thoughtful. Her children have been through the course of D97 schools, and she was a leader in her own school community for all of that time. She brings her own lived experiences to this demanding and important work, and makes room for others to contribute. When opinions differ, she does not make anyone feel less than. Her profession-

alism and warmth allow space for topics to be thoroughly explored.

I have seen Venus lead the PTO Council (PTOC) and she navigates with grace the fraught topics with which our schools are grappling. She listens when others speak and also deftly keeps the conversation focused on whatever the current issue is at hand. Her professionalism and clear vision enable the assembled body to consider subjects — and move forward on them.

This excellent leadership is a key quality for a successful board. Venus Hurd Johnson is the person our schools need now.

Charity Anne Caldwell

D97 parent, D97 DivCo member

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

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Why I’m for Scaman I’m for Vicki Scaman for Village President (not Mayor) of our wonderfully unique village. Why? As our village clerk the last four years, she’s been an effective communicator who patiently listens to questions and if she lacks an answer, almost immediately gets the answer and responds.

She hears you out when your view is different from hers, and even when she disagrees, is never disagreeable. She knows how to run a meeting and allows everyone to express their thoughts. However, if there is disagreement, she will ask and

expect that those not in agreement not be disagreeable!

Vicki will fight for what she thinks is best for Oak Park. She is highly respected at village hall, where she knows all the personnel and interacts comfortably. She’s been on commissions and committees, and was voted president of the North and Northwest Clerk Association.

We have the right candidate in Vicki. She is bright, experienced, and forward-looking. Vote for Vicki Scaman for President.

Doug Wyman Oak Park

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9200 W. Cermak Rd, Broadview, IL 708-343-9040 • www.SawasOldWarsaw.com

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Re-elect River Forest President Adduci

I feel grateful to live in a village that has such a professional, competent and dedicated president and board of trustees. River Forest is fortunate to have high quality candidates running for village president; however, I plan to cast my vote for Cathy Adduci.

She has demonstrated exceptionally solid leadership and governance skills during her tenure as village president.

Managing a nearly $30 million budget requires a depth of experience and strong relationships with county, state and federal government. Her many years of experience serving as a corporate executive and village trustee, along with her willingness to listen and her desire and ability to solve complex problems make her an ideal leader during these challenging times.

At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis and throughout this past year, Adduci’s competence has been put on full display. She swiftly responded to the crisis by directly communicating to residents via frequent e-newsletters to promote social distancing, mask-wearing, and share testing site and vaccine information. She led an effort to partner volunteers with seniors needing groceries and medication, and she secured financial relief to the most vulnerable though property tax relief.

Despite the strain that the pandemic has exerted on our village, she has managed to keep River Forest’s budget balanced through sensible choices and policies.

President Adduci has also made it clear that she is committed to improving and enhancing racial, ethnic and gender eq-

uity and inclusion in our village at all levels. She has implemented more progressive training for police and has demanded greater transparency and accountability of law enforcement. I am pleased that she is invested in furthering this important work through a variety of initiatives that are being developed, along with our dedicated village trustees and other community members.

At this time, I believe we need a leader to serve as president of River Forest who is tried and tested. Cathy Adduci is that person. I look forward to supporting her as she continues to expand and develop the important initiatives and projects that she has helped set in motion.

Christine Khaledan

River Forest

RF president candidates need more clarity

Having watched the River Forest Village President candidate forum today, aside from learning that nearly every question was a “great question,” we didn’t see much space between the two candidates.

With respect to a diversity plan, affordable housing, and the ill-fated LakeLathrop development, both were vague.

I would have expected that at least Ms.

Henek would have created clear contrast by stating different and substantive plans on those points, areas where we see Ms. Adduci as quite vulnerable, but Ms. Henek did not do that.

Perhaps the chief thing we learned is that Cathy Adduci understands the president’s job as that of CEO while Patty Henek does not. The contrast between

them as executives with budget and staff experience was perhaps most striking.

Ms. Henek’s experience is quite clearly not as compelling as that of Ms. Adduci.

But both of them would do well to have much sharper thoughts about issues and stating them clearly and concisely.

Ed McDevitt

River Forest

Fred Arkin helped me do the right thing life. Beginning at age 9, he was there for me on a daily basis as my wrestling coach, and he looked after me to make sure I was going to school and doing the right thing.

This relationship continued through to my high school years and beyond.

During high school, I was getting in trouble and hanging out with the wrong crowd. Fred Arkin went the distance for me, becoming my legal guardian. He gave me a stable home life while I finished high school and provided distance from the bad influences from my old neighborhood. He held me accountable for my ac-

tions, for grades and homework, helped me prepare for the ACT test and pushed me to graduate. Fred’s influence and guidance gave me opportunities that I would not have had otherwise.

His work as an entrepreneur inspired me to pursue a career after school. I am now a successful business owner and an Olympic wrestling coach. Fred’s passion and influence has made a tremendous impact on my life for which I am truly grateful.

A blow to special-ed community

input from the families she serves, is remarkably thoughtless.

Many special-education parents will be expressing their outrage at the March 11 special board meeting when this will be submitted for approval. I hope the board will put the brakes on this, and first determine how this will affect the special-education community it serves.

With great enthusiasm, it is my pleasure to recommend Fred Arkin for the District 200 school board, serving Oak Park and River Forest. Fred has been committed to supporting the community for as long as I have known him, and he places high importance on ensuring that children in all communities focus on education. Fred has embraced this vision throughout his life and has worked tirelessly to aid the Oak Park-River Forest community to this day.

As a struggling teen in need of a mentor, Fred helped to change the trajectory of my

Friday afternoon, OPRF High School’s new Special Education director, Shalema Francois-Blue, advised parents she was imposing a massive reorganization of the Special Education Department. Ms. Francois-Blue unilaterally decided to eliminate all four program chairs, to be replaced by a new system of her devising.

While this sounds like a dry and uninteresting administrative matter, this move has been a blow to the families in the specialeducation community. Our program chairs,

whose positions were just eliminated, were our lifelines in the sea of red tape that is the life of a special-education parent. Each special-education family has a story about its struggles this year, and how Fawn Joyce, Lauren Achurra, Mary Young or Linsey Kirby did their best to save the day.

The Special Education director has been at OPRF for nine months. Most of the families have never met her in person. She does not know our children. The fact that she would impose such a disruption, with zero

Herb House

Coach, USAWrestling Oak Park

Flo Schumacher, Vanessa Hooker, Tina Baird, Christina and Johnnie Moore, Jill ShipleyRicks, Marie Jones, Oscar Medina, Heather Pflederer, Tammy Schulz, Andi Watson, Rick and Katie Renner, Natalie Andrus, Ross Lissuzzo, Sarah Mellman, Mark and Renee Rotatori, Dee Jeffries

Grant and Bade for RF park board

If you’ve been paying attention to the River Forest Park District news the last five years, much of the board’s attention has been focused on platform tennis. Over the last 18 months, however, almost all of their attention has focused on platform tennis.

Since 2013, the park district has built four platform tennis courts at a cost of over $750,000. Now three of the current board members, who are also platform tennis members, want to spend another $1.5 million to build two more platform tennis courts and a members-only paddle hut (bar?). One of these three platform tennis members is running for re-election in April.

The 2020 Park District Community Survey overwhelmingly supported the initiative of building a gymnasium and definitively opposed the construction of more platform tennis courts and a paddle hut/bar. The three platform tennis board members are ignoring the community survey results and focusing all the park district’s time and money toward more platform tennis courts and a paddle hut.

These three are also discussing issuing taxpayer funded debt to finance their project.

Voting for Mike Grant and Carl Bade is the only way to move the park district back to serving all residents and not a select few. Mike and Carl support following the community’s wishes and the 2020 Community Survey: 1. Support reaching out to all stakeholder groups to maximize park district resources 2. Support greater transparency 3. Oppose issuing any debt without community support A vote for Mike Grant (#1 on the ballot) and Carl Bade (#3 on the ballot) to the River Forest Park District Board is a vote for the entire community.

Diane Carroll, River Forest

Re-elect Trybus for Township Trustee Our neighbor, Margaret Trybus, is running for re-election as Oak Park Township Trustee. We will vote for her again — because of her experience, integrity and commitment to equity and social justice.

Margie, an educator by profession, has lived in Oak Park for over 40 years, and in that time has not only served as township trustee but also has a long record of volunteer work on behalf of seniors, youth and mental health services. She worked with the Township Youth Committee for eight years, has advocated for senior services, including transportation, a lunch program, and the Memory Café, and served on the Community Mental Health Board. She is a promoter of increased collaboration between the township and other governing bodies, including the village and school districts. She is a tireless worker for equitable access to township services.

We are confident that Margie Trybus will continue to be a great advocate for the best use of tax dollars on behalf of those needing social services in our community. We hope you join us in supporting her continuation as township trustee.

Lynn Weiner & Tom Moher Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Saying goodbye to Muggles It doesn’t seem that long ago that we adopted Muggles, a blind Shih Tzu from the Animal Care League, and brought him home to be a member of the family. Sadly, on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 1 p.m., we had to say goodbye.

He was a true blessing to our family and we blessed him with love and care for these past years. When the weather was nice, my wife pushed him in his stroller around the neighborhood so he could enjoy the fresh air and all the smells, his little button-sized nose twitching. We had him groomed routinely, a huge thanks to Stephanie Skrine for doing such a great job. We kept him fed on his special diet and administered his medication.

He slept in his comfy bed in the bedroom of Patrick, my youngest son. Patrick would carry him around the house on his shoulder and when Muggles was relaxed and dozing off he would make an almost motor-like snoring sound and his little pink tongue would stick out.

He travelled to Naples, Florida, and went up and down the paved path near the beach and took in the sounds and smells of the Gulf. He made soft barks when he wanted water, and we would hold him over the water dish until he sensed it and started drinking.

All was well up until several weeks ago.

He was losing weight rapidly. He was unable to stand up. Then he lost his appetite.

Patrick took him to the vet at River Forest Animal Hospital. Later that day my wife got the call, the one every pet owner dreads.

I spoke to the veterinarian and she informed me that he was slowly wasting away; weak, unable to stand, down to skin and bones. It was time. The family gathered for a tearful goodbye. When it was time to go, we came home.

My wife said she saw Muggles jumping into the arms of Jesus. A younger dog, with his eyesight. I closed my eyes and imagined him running about in a field and playing with other dogs, waiting for the day they would be reunited with their families.

Until that day, Muggles, we will miss you.

River Forest

Chief O’Shea of the River Forest Police made it happen not once but twice. The two vaccination events held with the assistance of Jewel Foods allowed approximately 575 of our neighbors to get the vaccine.

My thanks go out to Mario Ferro, Ron Sherman and the cadre of village staff and volunteers that made this happen.

Thank you, President Adduci for your leadership and support during what has been a very difficult time for so many of us. Thank you for leading from the front. Your efforts will bring an end to this pandemic sooner and improve the quality of life for everyone in the village of River Forest.

I will vote for President Adduci because of her effective leadership and vision for our village. She has demonstrated how progress does not come at a cost to our way of life in this village. I am excited to see what she will do in her next term.

James Flanagan River Forest

Enyia is what OP is about We lived in Oak Park for 32 years before moving to Florida. I served in various positions within the village during my residency and I still stay involved through the AMEN’S group. I have known Chibuike Enyia and his family since he was in sixth grade. I drove him to sporting events, college, and danced at his wedding. My son is the godfather to his son, and “uncle” to his

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Scaman is the best choice for president I am glad to see the strong field of candidates for Oak Park Trustee and Village President. No matter who is elected, the new board will have a valuable diversity of skills, viewpoints, and lived experience. At the same time, though, it will have the least governing experience of any village board in recent memory.

As a former school board president, I learned how critical experience is. Vicki Scaman’s service as village clerk and chair of the Liquor Control Review Board provide her with the critical knowledge and skills necessary to lead, and I am delighted to endorse her as Oak Park’s next village president.

She is committed to racial equity, economic recovery, and environmental sustainability — all vital goals for our community.

But we often have different ideas about how to accomplish those goals, and the last few years on the board have been particularly contentious. As village clerk, Vicki was in the room — but above the fray — for these disagreements. Combining that perspective with her ability to listen deeply to multiple points of view and to forge healthy, respect-

ful dialogue, she will begin with a strong foundation for building trust on the board.

Building the community’s trust in the board will also be essential. Her commitment to hearing and respecting all voices and to reinvigorating our citizen commissions will help us build bridges and find new and broadly supported solutions to many of our challenges.

Vicki will also bring her commitment to transparency to assure those efforts are successful. Drawing on her experience as village clerk, she will be open about how and why decisions are made and will work to assure user-friendly access to necessary information, further supporting highly engaged citizen involvement.

Working together over the next few years, we can make major strides toward racial equity, a robust local economy, a sustainable and livable community, and a government that is highly trusted. I believe Vicki Scaman is the best person to lead us to that future and I hope you will join me in voting for her on April 6 or in early voting.

Jeff Weissglass

Oak Park

Emerson Bolen

Adduci delivers vaccine to older adults

It has been said and I have always believed that great leaders always lead from the front.

Watching and working with Cathy Adduci during the village of River Forest’s most recent efforts to help older adults in our community receive the COVID-19 vaccine only made my belief stronger than ever. I have been a volunteer with the River Forest Citizen Corps since its inception in 2008. During my 13 years in service to our community I have never seen a village president so involved and committed to the service of the people of River Forest.

President Adduci did not come to the vaccination distribution site to pat people on the back. She came to work. From early in the morning until the last person was vaccinated, she was taking care of people. She helped streamline the check-in process, worked in the recovery area and assisted our neighbors with mobility challenges.

Obtaining the vaccine was not easy, but the leadership of Cathy Adduci, Chief Bohlmann, of the River Forest Fire Dept. and

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

daughter. His wife is on my family’s speed dial. I’m extremely proud of his growth as a father, husband, and member of the Oak Park community. He is what the village has nurtured, when we adopted the slogan “it takes a village.” I, on behalf of Chibuike, humbly ask for your vote.

Lee Pulliam Oak Park

Keep party politics out of it

Resolved: That municipal affairs should be divorced from party politics, and that it is desirable that some workable method be devised for the selection of candidates for municipal office which shall be entirely independent of the party machinery.

May Estelle Cook

From “Little Old Oak Park” The above resolution appears on the last page of Little Old Oak Park, which I recently re-read. Curious about its source, I sought the assistance of the Oak Park River Forest History Museum.

Rachel Berlinski was able to discover in the archives of the “Scoville Institute” (aka the Oak Park Public Library) a newspaper, the “Oak Park Times,” dated Feb. 8, 1900. A front page article reports: “The citizens meeting in Kenilworth Hall on Monday night … H.R. Hamilton stated the object of the meeting by reading the following resolution(s) whose adoption he moved.

“Whereas, at a mass meeting of citizens held at Scoville Institute on Dec. 23, 1898, the

following resolution was unanimously adopted — namely: RESOLVED, That municipal affairs should be divorced from party politics, and that it is desirable that some workable method be devised for the selection of candidates for municipal office which shall be entirely independent of the party machinery; and Whereas, Said resolution was unanimously confirmed at a subsequent mass meeting held at the High School building in Oak Park on Dec. 29, 1898, for the purpose of nominating town officers for the Town of Oak Park; and Whereas we are in full accord with said resolution, and believe that the “workable method” for which a desire was expressed therein should be at once devised and put into practice; therefore be it RESOLVED, 1. That we hereby adopt and confirm the above resolution.”

(His resolution won approval) I’m just sayin’ …

Jay Champelli

Oak Park

A smart energy source for township

The source? Valerie Lester. I know Val, first through the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s Leadership Lab program as she put herself through a year of intensive leadership training. Later, we worked together as members of Arbor West Neighbors to examine ways information on housing preferences for seniors

could help shape public policy.

She’s a very energetic, thoughtful, dedicated person. Her view of public service as service to the public is refreshing. She will be responsive to the needs of township residents and work to mitigate the daily challenges created by the pandemic.

Henry Kranz, Oak Park

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

V I E W P O I N T S

Griffin, Clark and Enyia for trustee Yesterday, some fellow Oak Parkers and I hosted a virtual house party for the Represent Oak Park candidates for Village Board Trustee, and it was a great chance to hear Juanta Griffin stand up for renters in our community, Anthony Clark literally out on the streets building the community fridge while talking to us, and listen to Chibuike Enyia’s passion for ensuring that Oak Park is a place for everyone to live with safety and dignity.

When Juanta speaks, you get the genuine, informed voice of a woman who rents and works in her community. Her depth of knowledge and experience bring the perspective that our village board sorely needs if we are going to solve problems like equitable housing and regressive taxes.

Anthony, as it’s been said, is Oak Park. Anytime there is an important or difficult challenge at hand, from making sure elderly Oak Parkers get their walks shoveled to taking on white supremacy in our community’s systems, Anthony is there, to be brave, to not mince words, and to

walk the proverbial progressive and inclusive walk that we strive to walk as a village.

Every time I listen to Chibuike, speak I hear a deep love for Oak Park, and a longing to make it a community that feels like home to everyone. His story of growing up in Oak Park and working with his wife to be able to raise their own kids here is the story that informs a leader who is dedicated to seeing small businesses and citizens alike through tough challenges like this past pandemic year, and to creating a community that offers safety and dignity to all.

Juanta, Anthony, and Chibuike offer brave, bold leadership. Their approaches to our village’s issues have the important, lived sense of urgency for racial equity and a deep love for Oak Park that will contribute to a more fair and just community for all of us. They are leaders who will bring the board, other Oak Park entities, and citizens together to cooperate and build an Oak Park that belongs to everyone.

Jenny Jocks Stelzer Oak Park

A reason to retain Adduci

As a former trustee of the village of River Forest and former chair of its finance committee, I read with interest the letter to the editor from Margie Cekander (“Henek for RF President”). She seems to imply that the village is not being well-managed from a financial standpoint. This is inaccurate, and therefore, misleading.

Virtually all of the village’s long-term debt is an Illinois Environmental Protection Agency loan, the proceeds of which were used to fund the Northside Stormwater Management Project. This loan is being repaid through charges on monthly water bills and not from tax revenues received by the village. Therefore, tax burdens will not increase due to this debt.

The village’s credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, a nationally recognized credit rat-

ing agency, is AAA. According to Standard & Poor’s, which is well aware of the village’s future financial commitments, “An obligor rated AAA has extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. AAA is the highest issuer credit rating assigned by S&P.” Furthermore, the village consistently receives awards for its excellent financial reporting and budgeting process from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The Standard & Poor’s credit rating and the aforementioned awards, all happening while Cathy Adduci was village president, speak highly of the village’s financial condition and financial management. For those concerned about future tax increases, that is a good reason to retain Cathy as Village President.

Right leader, right time

through years of carefully studying issues important to the village. She is ever present in the village, seeking input from stakeholders and analyzing her interactions with an exceptional character and intellect. When issues arise at the village board, her diligence allows her to act quickly and decisively, unafraid to rally the board to address difficult issues. She focuses on the issues that really matter to residents, undistracted by political drama or the hysteria of social media. She understands the job is more like running Mayberry than Washington. It isn’t about making political statements but about making our town a better place to live.

Cathy is the servant leader River Forest needs.

She is smart, responsible, and a woman of great character. I am grateful for her stewardship over the past eight years and I am equally excited to endorse her for four more. River Forest is indeed blessed to have her at the helm. I hope you will join me in supporting her on April 6.

The choice for River Forest village president in the upcoming election couldn’t be clearer: Cathy Adduci is the right leader at the right time for our community. Tumultuous times call for cool heads, a steady hand, and experience.

Throughout her public service Cathy has demonstrated character, intellect, poise, and vision.

She has earned my trust and deepest respect. I unequivocally endorse her as the right leader for River Forest for the next four years.

Having supported both Cathy and Patty in prior campaigns, I know them both well. Both have their skill sets, but the village president position is about leadership: a combination of vision, communication, and decisive action.

Cathy’s vision for River Forest has both depth and weight because her views were developed

Jim Winikates River Forest

John Phelan

River Forest

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Losing teacher is tragic, short-sighted We are writing to express our support for Patrick McAndrew, a teacher who has long been regarded as a District 97 treasure and who is facing removal from his Beye School teaching position.

We are 36-year Oak Park residents and raised three children here, all of whom attended Beye School. Our family came to know Mr. McAndrew over a period of several years and during that time we experienced him as a gifted, committed, and joyful teacher who went above and beyond to ensure that all students received an excellent educational experience.

Having spent countless hours at Beye School as volunteers, we observed Mr. McAndrew firsthand, long before he became our youngest son’s teacher. As a teacher, he was a tireless and enthusiastic advocate for his students, working with the children, staff, and parents to maximize educational success. Mr. McAndrew demonstrated a genuine love of teaching, his enthusiasm for learning was infectious, and his energy seemingly boundless.

Additionally, he regularly went above and beyond his teaching duties, organizing theatrical presentations and other popular extracurricular activities. When

our son became his student, we learned that Mr. McAndrew was not only inspired and creative, but also firm in his expectation that students consistently bring their best effort. We have always experienced Mr. McAndrew as an unquestionably professional teacher who embodies respect, compassion, and integrity. He is clearly an invaluable role model for all our children.

Given this, we are bewildered by the decision to terminate Mr. McAndrew from his teaching position. While we understand that some administrative rule-breaking may be in question, it is unimaginable that termination could be a reasonable response considering the alleged offense and his years of service to our children.

We all need to be celebrating and supporting our teachers right now instead of looking for ways to demoralize them — and their students — even further. The loss of Mr. McAndrew would be tragic, shortsighted, and would send a message to our children about what we as adults value — administrative rules over continued access to a dedicated, remarkable, and beloved teacher.

Judy Roth and Steve James Oak Park

Scaman has experience and ability In these challenging times, when public health and private enterprise are both struggling and social justice and institutional racism are rightly at the forefront, experience and the ability to lead on day one is crucial. Challenges come with opportunities. Village Clerk Vicki Scaman is the only Oak Park Village President candidate prepared to address the challenges we face.

Together, we have 22 years of village trustee experience and served with three village presidents and two village clerks. We witnessed how a president’s leadership ability is critical to forging board consensus, and ensuring the success of the village. Two of the three continuing board members have just two years of experience.

Vicki is prepared to channel enthusiasm, new ideas, and multiple viewpoints into actions, moving our village forward and addressing the unique opportunities facing us.

She shares the best attributes of past presidents. She’s unique because of the breadth and depth of lifetime experiences that will chart a course for Oak Park’s better future. Those experiences include being a teacher, small business owner, nonprofit leader, community organizer, youth advocate, racial equity

champion, and sustainability advocate.

In each role, she successfully brought people together for the greater good.

She brought $1 million in state and federal grants to the village in support of youth programs. She did this as a volunteer! Imagine how effective she’ll be as village president.

Experience matters. Action matters even more.

Her peers elected her president of the North/NW Municipal Clerk’s Association. They saw what we see — a strong leader, focused on bringing people together. She’s a transparent, goal-oriented decision-maker, putting others at the center of every decision. Vicki won’t need to learn on the job — whether it’s reviewing the village budget, or ensuring marginalized voices have a seat at the table. Her life’s work leads her to this moment.

We urge you to learn more about Vicki. She’s a practical progressive with a record of accomplishments. She’ll do the same as village president. She’s committed to effective government and she’s ready to lead.

Visit VoteVicki.org to learn more.

Colette Lueck & Ray Johnson

Former village trustees Oak Park & Queens, NY

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Ortega for D200 school board I am supporting Elías Ortega in his candidacy for the District 200 OPRF school board. I have known Elías and his family since they moved to Oak Park.

Anyone who has known him could not fail to observe his intelligence both in academic matters, as well as equality.

As an educator, he empowers students to achieve excellence while working to break down social, economic, and racial barriers.

I believe Elías is uniquely suited to serve on the D200 board. His education,

background, and deep empathy for others can help D200 achieve its goals of equity and preparing our next generation of leaders.

As a parent of two children who will be students in D200, I believe Elías will be sensitive and responsive to the needs of both students and parents. For this reason, I hope you’ll join me in casting your vote for Elías Ortega for the D200 School Board.

Sarah Jackson Oak Park

DUFFY

O’GRADY from page 25 About the accusers. The two brothers grew up on the West Side, raised by a struggling single mother in a crime-filled area.

They were small for their age and sometimes bullied. Father Pfleger helped them.

According to the younger brother, Pfleger got him a church job and took them to pizza parlors and an amusement park. The older brother said he saw Pfleger as a father figure and a hero in the African-American community. One of the accusers has asked Pfleger for money. The latest accuser, a

FOOT CLINIC

to think in new ways.”

Dog whistle campaigning

7351 Lake St. (Just west of Panera Bread)

Do you have diabetes?

I

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

The key to prevention is early diagnosis of diabetes, and regular foot exams from a podiatrist. Diabetics who receive regular foot care, including paring of calluses and debridement of thick fungal toenails, are almost four times less likely to undergo an

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teenager at the time, sort of “hung out” with Pfleger, and says Pfleger gave him drugs and alcohol.

As I write this, Father Pfleger is back at St. Sabina, apparently with or without the approval of the Archdiocese, which has been dithering in its own investigation. St. Sabina has been withholding its $100,000 monthly contribution to the Archdiocese.

(Every Catholic I know chuckles about this.) Pfleger has been cleared by DCFS, which only deals with current cases.

Pfleger has not been arrested, and the parishioners of St Sabina are overjoyed.

FYI: There were 769 gun homicides in Chicago in 2020, 240 people shot in January of this year, and 144 shot in February.

River Forest

from page 25

The weekend before the 1995 election, backers of the PTO slate delivered a campaign flyer to every home in River Forest, but not to Oak Park residents. It was replete with racist dog whistles — phrases, symbols, and alarms cloaked in subtle and not-so-subtle appeals to racial fear. It stressed the danger of an all-Oak Park “takeover” of OPRF, taxation without representation, and previous dog whistles about dumbing down the school, letting gangs thrive, and predicting fiscal disaster if the all Oak Park BRIDGE slate were to win. It was a clear attempt to divide D200 and it worked, at least in 1995.

Michael Nevins who ran the campaign of the two CALL candidates from the third slate of board candidates, characterized the leaflet as “lies and misrepresentations, if you will, but it was effective in River Forest.” When questioned about the River Forest leaflet, Barry Greenwald, a longtime activist with the Village Managers Association, which slated candidates for Oak Park village elections, ran the PTO slate campaign.

After the election, Greenwald admitted that the PTO candidates “wanted to make it dramatic enough to call attention to the issues at hand … you begin to say things to make a point.” Whether the strategy helped defeat BRIDGE is uncertain. Without a doubt, it demonstrated Oak Park and River Forest were deeply divided over what, if anything, to do about gross disparities in how students experienced school.

The BRIDGE slate was defeated and the coalition soon dissolved, but the issues it raised and its insistence on a serious racial equity-centered inquiry into hiring, discipline, and curriculum reform did not.

In 2003, D200 would publish a second revealing study on racial inequity with findings and recommendations in the areas of concern BRIDGE addressed in the divisive election of 1995.

John Duffy is a co-founder of the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education, a

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

Dr. Linda Lambert

amputation than those who do not seek treatment.

Medicare and some private insurances cover 1 pair of diabetic shoes and 3 pair of protective insoles each calendar year. Dr. Lambert has been a supplier of diabetic shoes since 2002. The shoes come in 30 different styles each for men and women.

These include boots, lightweight colorful athletic shoes, and dress shoes. Even patients who are not diabetic love the look and comfort of the footwear. Diabetic socks, slippers and compression hosiery are also available.

Protecting your feet with appropriate footgear is an important aspect of preventive care for diabetics.

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

Duffy for D97 school board

I am writing to endorse District 97 school board candidate Jeremy Duffy. I have the privilege of knowing Jeremy as a colleague and friend.

I met him in 2015, when he served as legal counsel for a school district where I served as Assistant Superintendent. I witnessed firsthand his commitment to improving systems for students. As a sitting school superintendent, I am confident that he’d be an asset to our district. His vast knowledge and experience in the educational sector, coupled with his child-centered disposition, position him as the perfect candidate.

Something I admire most about Jeremy is his intentionality in considering various perspectives when making decisions. He has a rare combination of approachability and fierce commitment to what is best for children that will facilitate stakeholder collaboration, while keeping the focus on equitably serving the children of our community.

He is passionate about transparency and clear communication to the broader community. His experiences as an educator, legal counsel for schools, and his current role as attorney for the Waukegan School District Board of Education provide him with unique insight surrounding the complexity of a school system. He recognizes the need for information related to things like finance and operations to be accessible to the average citizen.

When I met Jeremy in 2015, he was in the process of relocating to Oak Park. Given his knowledge of school systems, he did a vast amount of research and made a conscious decision in choosing Oak Park, knowing the investment he was making in his own children moving here. What struck me about him then and now is the passion and enthusiasm he has for Oak Park and our district’s success. With him, we have the opportunity to honor the long history of D97 being a destination for families while continuing the community charge to close the opportunity gap that can support us in becoming a flagship district for this work.

It is my privilege and honor to endorse Jeremy Duffy in his quest for a D97 Board of Education seat.

Merryl Brownlow Oak Park

Clark will make Oak Park better for all This world would be a much better place if we all took care of each other. We need to elect leaders who will take care of all their constituents at the national, state, and local level. For Oak Park, Anthony Clark is a leader who will do just that.

Anthony’s resume displays his dedication to taking care of those around him. He joined the Air Force, where he served for six years. After that, he dedicated his career to teaching, first in Chicago and now in Oak Park.

He founded and continues to direct Suburban Unity Alliance (SUA), an organization many people know from its slogan, “More Love Less Hate.”

SUA is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to “bring entire communities together based on empathy, collaboration, and equitable philanthropic endeavors.”

Anthony has laid out priorities as a trustee to make sure our village government seeks to take care of all Oak Parkers: making village government more responsive, investing to make Oak Park a great place for small businesses, and balancing the tax burden that everyone agrees is unsustainable. He pairs these priorities with a record of working toward equity, making sure Oak Park is a place where everyone gets what they need.

His goals for the village are not controversial. What he brings, that some candidates do not, is a steadfast record of working toward equity, even when difficult. All the candidates want all Oak Parkers to thrive in the abstract, but Anthony is a candidate who has been working to make that happen for years. It is time to vote for candidates who can point to the work they have done to make all of Oak Park better, who have demonstrated their awareness of the inequities in our village, and are willing to have tough and open conversations about solutions. Electing Anthony to serve as village trustee will help make Oak Park a better place for all Oak Parkers.

Laura & Scott Sakiyama Oak Park

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Column raised my awareness

Waters is ready to be village clerk

Michael Romain’s column, “Pete’s Fresh Market and the ‘Matthew’ Principle,” in Wednesday Journal, March 3, deserves more than one reading. It deserves to be studied in classes in high schools and colleges.

It deserves to be discussed widely by all who are concerned about the present state and direction of our economic system and values.

When I first heard of the plan for a second Pete’s Fresh Market in Oak Park, I was puzzled about why Oak Park needed or how it could support another supermarket, and wondered how it would impact nearby stores, especially Sugar Beet. I didn’t give it more thought than that. Now I am. Romain puts this one event into the bigger framework of food availability in the western suburbs. He gave me facts I had not known about the food deserts in communities near Oak Park.

He then puts that into the still larger picture of how economic decision-making works to create clusters of resources in some places and deficits in other places.

We are talking about food, the most basic necessity. We are talking about families and children not having access to fresh food in their own neighborhoods.

Romain puts this example of how our system creates inequality into the moral framework of the Matthew Principle. “Them that’s got shall have; them that’s not shall lose.” Wealth begets wealth, and poverty begets poverty. This is not the society we want, but this is the reality of what we live with as we participate in the institutional inequality of our social and economic systems.

My son-in-law, poet and musician Dan Hanrahan, ties this system to the impact that we know it has on the natural world. He captures the anguish that he and many others feel around the contradiction between the consumerist lifestyle and ecological values: “Problem is, the longer this economy persists, the more degraded the planet becomes. That, unfortunately, is the design of this particular system. Its persistence is dependent upon our degrading our home and the home of all our fellow beings. This internal dissonance threatens to become overwhelming.”

Thanks to Mr. Romain for his thought leadership, and to Wednesday Journal for creating a dialogue on these most important subjects.

Village hall can be a confusing place, even in non-pandemic times. The Village Clerk’s Office has traditionally been the “face of village government” to those who come seeking information or assistance. The clerk has provided first contact and direction.

Christina Waters is superbly prepared to assume the duties of village clerk. With nearly four years of service as a village employee and most recently as deputy clerk, Christina knows about village services and who handles what duties.

She has already “served an internship” as deputy and is ready to assume the clerk’s duties.

Another important skill as clerk is to truly enjoy making people feel welcome. In our conversations I have been impressed by the joy she feels in being able to help people who come to village hall. She uses active listening, empathy, healing, awareness, foresight and stewardship in her decision-making process.

The relationships she has built over her time in government with the board, staff and residents are a real advantage. As clerk she will be responsible for providing access to information (the FOIA process) and maintaining village records, hosting early voting and other election services, such as voter registration and candidate petition filing, as well as participating as clerk at all village board meetings.

She will also coordinate the engagement of volunteers for open positions on village advisory boards to assure greater diversity in the composition of these commissions. I was intrigued to hear more about her work with the Aging in Place Commission that helps residents remain in their home or community as they get older.

She is also deeply committed to equity for all residents. She wants to allow those who may need extra help to access services and those whose voices have been overlooked to engage with their government. She is committed to ensuring there are no barriers to access for all digital content of our village government. I am proud to endorse Christina Waters as the next Village Clerk of Oak Park.

Oak Park

Former village clerk

Stephanie Ferrera

Teresa Powell

Vote for Scaman’s wisdom, experience As an elder and retired nurse who grew up in Oak Park, I am writing in total and enthusiastic support of Vicki Scaman’s very thoughtful candidacy for OP Village President. Her extensive knowledge base and relevant experience will lead us through this very challenging pandemic period.

Vicki’s work life demonstrates an argument from Aristotle: “Human flourishing depends on realizing our nature through the cultivation and exercise of our abilities.” (The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good). I bring this up because Vicki embodies a philosophy where every citizen has merit. Her way of speaking and living demonstrates a reflectiveness, and deep fa-

miliarity with principles of the common good.

She understands and has a record of the commitments one makes to her community in raising children, supporting local businesses, and working at village hall for 20 years. This will support her deep listening skills and wisdom in trustee meetings, administration, various units of village government meetings, and vendor meetings for the village.

I think Vicki Scaman is the wisest and most experienced choice in these times for village president.

Vote Vicki for excellent direction of Oak Park.

Mary Rose Lambke

25-year Oak Parker

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Joan Mecke, 90

Singer, pianist, lover of sunshine Joan Clare Mecke (Donley), 90, died on Feb. 28, 2021, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 28, 1930, she was a graduate of the local Academy of Notre Dame and attended Immaculata College. She and her late husband, Peter, married in 1953 and settled in the Clearwater, Florida area in 1956 after his discharge from the U.S. Air Force. As a widow in 1998, she relocated to Oak Park for 20 years, living with family and later in two local senior communities, where she had many warm and kind neighbors. She was a sunny, optimistic person who especially enjoyed Linden Avenue block parties, Mass at St. Giles, St. Patrick’s Day, her grandchildren’s church and school events, and graduations at Mann, Julian and OPRF High School, lunch at Al’s Grill, musical performances at Dominican University, watching trick-or-treaters (and dressing up herself), theater outings and family holidays.

Trained as a singer and pianist, she had a golden coloratura soprano voice, a wonderful sense of humor and an ever-present smile. In her final years, she returned happily to the Florida sunshine she so loved.

Her husband, Peter, preceded her in death, as did her parents, James and Mary Boyle, her sister, Gloria Gavigan, and an infant daughter. Joan is survived by her daughter Michele Donley (John); three grandchildren, Cara Donley (fiancé Vishnu Menon), Jennifer Convey (Tim), and Brendan Donley; and her great-grandsons Rowan and Leland Convey.

As a survivor of a 1932 polio epidemic and forever grateful for medical care that allowed her to walk, Joan would be pleased for gifts in her memory to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Funeral Mass and burial took place in Largo, Florida, on March 6.

Marsda Conner, 85 Renaissance woman

Following a brief illness, Marsda Carolyn (Mead) Conner, 85, died peacefully in her Oak Park home on Feb. 16, 2021 in the loving company of her husband, Roger, her youngest daughter, Ariadne, and her steadfast cat, MacDuff.

Born in Oquawka, Illinois, she trained for many years as a classical pianist before graduating from Northwestern Univer-

O B I T U A R I E S sity with a master’s degree in English. She taught at both Northeastern University and Mundelein College before committing herself full-time to the care of her growing family, whom she raised in Evanston and Beverly-Morgan Park, before finally settling in Oak Park 34 years ago.

A prominent fixture of the community, she was known to many locals from her years spent working at Barbara’s Bookstore and Magic Tree, where she took care and delight in connecting young readers with just the right book. She was often seen around town walking to the post office, the Jewel, Fannie May, or her Some Like it Light fitness class at the park district, or supporting productions by Festival Theatre and Academy of Movement & Music. She would frequently take the el into the city to attend the Grant Park Music Festival, exhibits at the Art Institute, or performances with friends at the Goodman Theatre or Lyric Opera.

She was not only a devoted mother, book lover, and patron of the arts, but a passionate political activist. She left the country over the Vietnam War, marched with Martin Luther King in Selma, sponsored refugees from Cuba and Cambodia, and in her later years, campaigned for Obama and Bernie Sanders.

In addition to her husband, Roger, and her daughter, Ariadne, she is also survived by her sister, Wanda, her children, Robbin, Maia, Gwenda, and Gareth, and six grandchildren. She was predeceased by two sons, Malcolm and Brendan, and one granddaughter, Rose.

A funeral service will be held at noon on March 12 at Ascension Church, 808 S. East Ave., Oak Park with burial at 2 p.m. in the Mount Greenwood Cemetery, 2900 W. 111th St., Chicago.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to any organization that supports animals, the arts, the food insecure, or the disenfranchised.

Ryan Jarka, 32 Ryan Patrick Jarka, 32, formerly of Berwyn and Oak Park, died suddenly as a result of an automobile accident on March 6, 2021. Born on Oct.17, 1988, Ryan was the son of John and Clara White Jarka; the brother of Patrick (fiancée Frances Muschal) and Shannon Jarka; the uncle of Patrick and Nathan Jarka; the grandson of Charlotte and the late John Jarka, and the late Charles and Clara White; the nephew of Harold “HoHo” and AnnMarie Jarka, and Charles (the late Susan), Ronald, Eugene (Angie), Steve (Vivian), Philip (fiancée Dawn Mangiarulo), Thomas, Michael (Barbara) and Adam White and the late George and the late William (Lisa) White; and the cousin and friend of many.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St., Oak Park, with private interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please honor Ryan by supporting a local animal shelter.

Thomas Norris, 62

Standout basketball player at OPRF Thomas J. Norris, 62, a resident of Wheaton, formerly of Oak Park, died peacefully on March 5, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his family after a long hard battle with cancer. Born on April 4, 1958 in Chicago to Edward and Margaret Norris, he grew up in Oak Park, the youngest of nine children. Coming from a long line of athletes, he excelled on the basketball court leading his Oak Park and River Forest High School team to a thirdplace finish in state his senior year (1976). He was eventually inducted to the Illinois High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 for his achievements. He continued his playing career at Baylor University and then the University of Illinois Chicago. Soon after graduating from UIC in 1981, he married his high school sweetheart, Terri Hakes, and the two moved to Wheaton. There they raised their three sons.

He worked in the beverage industry in various sales and managerial positions for more than 35 years at various companies. His wit and charm made him a successful manager,

37

but his real passions were sports, family, and faith. He served the Wheaton community and his sons for over 20 years as a coach in various youth programs, including the boys travel basketball, park district baseball, and Rams youth football. He relished every opportunity to teach young people about the power of sports and the lessons that come with it. He also became very involved in various ministries at his parish, St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton, working with the refugee ministry and as a teacher in the religious education program.

His gifts included storytelling and his contagious sense of humor. He was a true “family man”. He had the ability to bring out the best in others, making them always feel loved and valued.

Tom Norris is survived by Terri, his wife of 38 years; his three sons, Tom, Sean (Sarah) and Ed Norris; his grandchildren, Lydia & Miriam; his siblings, MaryJo Delihant, Edward (Lynn) Norris, Jeff (Janine) Norris, Julie Norris and Margaret Norris; and his sisters-in-law, Barb & Linda Norris.

He was preceded in death by his siblings Mike, Kathy and David, and his parents.

A visitation will be held Friday, March 12, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187 where a service of remembrance will begin at 7 p.m.

Guests are asked to wear a facial covering and maintain social-distancing guidelines. Only 50 guests are allowed in the funeral home at one time. You may be asked to remain outside until someone exits.

Funeral services will take place on Saturday, March 13 at 9:15 a.m. from the funeral home to St. Michael Catholic Church for Mass at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.

The service of remembrance and the Funeral Mass will be livestreamed.

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

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

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

All services handled with dignity and personalized care.

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

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021 New local ads this week

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

WEDNESDAY

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

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

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

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

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

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

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED

OFFICE & RETAIL SPACE FOR RENT

Director of Customer Care Midwest/East sought by Mérieux NutriSciences (Chicago, IL) 10% US &/or Int’l travel. Deg’d applicants exp’d w/LIMs for operation of lab testing processes, etc. Send resume to Corrine.castillo@mxns.com.

RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft.

OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

SEASONAL FARMERS’ MARKET ASSISTANT The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Assistant in the Development Customer Services Department. This position will provide administrative support to the Farmers’ Market Manager to allow growers and producers of food to sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This position requires work in inclement weather conditions; some heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds; walking or standing for sustained periods of time. 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. Open until filled.

ITEMS FOR SALE ANTIQUE HALL TREE Antique American Hall Tree, solid oak. Excellent condition. 29”w x 78”h x 11”d, with covered shelf and mirror. $159.00.

708-488-8755 BRASS & GLASS SOFA TABLE Brass beveled glass sofa table. High quality, bought at Marshall Field’s.

27”h x 56”w x 15”d $249.00.

708-488-8755

SUBURBAN RENTALS

KENMORE WASHER & DRYER Sold as set. $100.00.

Call Terry Baggett 773-988-6468

STUDIO APARTMENTS BROADVIEW Studio apartments for rent. $600/mo and up, all utilities incl. $25 credit application fee.

9200 W. Cermak Broadview 708-715-7292

MUSIC Music: piano scores, concertos, piano trios, flute music violin music.

Variety of composers. $3.00 each.

708-488-8755

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

You have jobs. We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified!

SUBURBAN RENTALS

SUBURBAN RENTALS

STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service

OAK PARK & FOREST PARK

708-386-7355

MMpropMgmt.com

Apartment listings updated daily at:

CEMENT

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708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 )281'$7,216 3$7,26 67(36 &85% *877(56 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

REFINISHING

PUBLIC NOTICES

HANDYMAN

Terry's

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

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

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

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

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

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

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848

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

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

AUTO FOR SALE 2003 LEXUS RX300 Silver w/ beige interior, 160,950 mi., great condition. New brakes, passed recent emissions test. $3275.00.

Call Terry Baggett 773-988-6468

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

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

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

Lost & Found, Items For Sale and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery.

708-848-9404

HANDYMAN

PAINTING & DECORATING

Mike’s Home Repair

CLASSIC PAINTING

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

708-296-2060

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

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

HANDYMAN

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

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

oakpark.com | riverforest.com

Woodwork Restoration On-site refinishing of wood

and fiberglass since 1977.

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

References available.

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

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of KEVIN KHANG DINH Case Number 20214000570 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: KEVIN KHANG DINH to the new name of: KEVIN KHANG LEODINH The court date will be held: On April 13, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Video-conference. Please use the information below to access the hearing.

ZOOM MEETING ID: 914 3462 0283 ZOOM PASSSWORD: 988648 CALL IN: 3126266799 Published in RBLandmark 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE Case Number 20214000561 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE to the new name of: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEODINH The court date will be held: On April 13, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Video-conference. Please use the information below to access the hearing.

ZOOM MEETING ID: 936 6870 5913 ZOOM PASSSWORD: 862976 CALL IN: 3126266799 Published in RBLandmark 2/24, 3/3 3/10/2021

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Asha Andriana Berry Case Number 20214000560 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Asha Andriana Berry to the new name of: Asha Andriana The court date will be held: On April 13, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. at 1500 Maybrook Drive, Maywood, Cook County, IL in Courtroom # 0112.

Published in Wednesday Journal 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE CLAIMS NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, COUNTY DEPARTMENT, PROBATE DIVISION. ESTATE OF JASON EDWARD BOBZIN, DECEASED. NO. 2020 P 006222.

Notice is given to creditors of the death of the above named decedent. Letters of office were issued to COURTNEY MARIE BOBZINMOHAMMED, 1002 SPRUCE ST., APT 1A, GELNDALE HTS., Il 60139, as Independent Administrator, whose attorney of record is DANSBY G. CHEEKS, 108 MADISON ST., OAK PARK, IL 60302.

The estate will be administered without court supervision, unless under section 5/28-4 of the Probate Act (Ill. Compiled Stat. 1992, Ch. 755, par.

5/28-4) any interested person terminates independent administration at any time by mailing or delivering a petition to terminate to the clerk.

Claims against the estate may be filed in the office of the clerk in Room 1202, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, IL, or with the representative, or both, on or before AUGUST 24, 2021, or, if mailing or delivery of a notice from the representative is required by section 5/18-3 of the Probate Act, the date stated in that notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date is barred. Copies of a claim filed with the clerk must be mailed or delivered by the claimant to the representative and to the attorney within 10 days after it has been filed. E filing is now mandatory for documents in civil cases with limited exemptions. To e-file, you must first create an account with an e-filing service provider. Visit http://efile.illinoiscourts.gov/ service-providers.htm to learn more and to select a service provider. If you need additional help or have trouble e-filing, Visit http://www.illinoiscourts.gov/FAQ/ gethelp.asp.

ATTY. DANSBY G. CHEEKS, Published in Wednesday Journal 2/24, 3/3, 3/10/2021

Attention! Home-improvement pros!

Reach the people making the decisions – your target demographic.

Place an ad in Wednesday Classifieds! Call 708/613-3342

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PB

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know In print • Online • Available 24/7/365 OakPark.com | RiverForest. com

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE 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: Y21006103 on February 25, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of ADG HANDYMAN SERVICES with the business located at: 2417 N. 75TH AVE UNIT F, ELMWOOD PARK, IL 60707. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ALBERT JOSEPH DEGENOVA 2417 N. 75TH AVE UIT F, ELMWOOD PARK, IL 60707, USA

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: Y21006062 on February 24, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of FIRST FINANCIAL PLUS with the business located at: 4232 EDGEWATER AVENUE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: STEEVE KIDD 4232 EDGEWATER AVENUE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/3, 3/10, 3/17/2021

Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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: Y21006089 on February 25, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of WILSON FINANCIAL with the business located at: 1126 N. 6TH AVENUE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: ALEATHA WILSON 1126 N. 6TH AVENUE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153, USA

Published in Forest Park Review 3/10, 3/17, 3/24/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Maeve Madeleine Kennedy Riordan Case Number 2021CONC000230 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Maeve Madeleine Kennedy Riordan to the new name of: Rory Quinn Kennedy Riordan The court date will be held: On May 13, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. at Cook County Court Calendar 6.

Published in Forest Park Review 3/3, 3/10, 3/17/2021

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/10, 3/17, 3/24/2021

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21006185 on March 5, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of TWISTED SOU’LS CATERING with the business located at:139 HARRISON ST APT 2N, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ANTHONY BOWMAN 139 HARISON ST APT 2N, OAK PARK, IL 60304, USA

INVITATION TO COMMENT ON A PROPOSED TOWER CONSTRUCTION: The Village of Riverside is proposing to construct a 120-foot tall self-support communications tower (overall height including top-mounted appurtenances) at the Public Works Department, 3860 Columbus Boulevard, Riverside, Cook County, Illinois. The type of lighting (if required) for the tower has not yet been determined.

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/10, 3/17, 3/24/2021

Starting a new business in 2021?

The Village of Riverside invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments pertaining specifically to potential effects on historic resources may be submitted within 30 days from this publication to: Ben Youra, G2 Consulting Group, LLC, 1186 Heather Dr. in Lake Zurich, IL 60047, Phone: 847-3538740, e-mail: byoura@g2consultinggroup.com This notice is provided in accordance with the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission, 47 C.F.R. Part 1, Subpart I and Appendices B and C. Published in RB Landmark 3/10/2021

Call the experts before you place your legal ad!

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News • Village Free Press Call 708/613-3342 to advertise.

PUBLIC NOTICES

local employees...

happy employees!

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE SECTION 000020 – LEGAL NOTICE Village of Brookfield 8820 Brookfield Avenue Brookfield, Illinois 60513 Candy Cane Park The Village of Brookfield does hereby invite sealed bids for redevelopment construction of Candy Cane Park. Work will include site clearing, earthwork operations, storm sewer, asphalt paving, concrete curbs, walks and paving, shelter, site furnishings, playfield equipment, fencing, and planting and seeding.

Project manuals, including bid form and specifications, and construction documents are available after 10:00 AM on March 11, 2021 from Accurate Reprographics, 2368 Corporate Lane, Suite 100, Naperville, Illinois 60563, 630-428-4433 www. hitchcockplanroom.com.

Bidding documents are available for download and print at the non-refundable cost of reproduction.

Bids will be accepted at the Village of Brookfield, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513, during regular office hours. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked with the Contractor’s name and address, and “Bid for Candy Cane Park,” on the face of the envelope. Bids must be received no later than 10:00 AM March 25, 2021. Bids will be opened on March 25, 2021 at 10:01 AM at the Village of Brookfield, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513. All bidders will be required to submit Bid Security in the form of a Bid Bond, Certified Check, Cashier’s Check in the amount of 10% of the Base Bid, payable to the Village of Brookfield.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

The successful bidder, as determined by the Village of Brookfield, shall be required to pay, and to agree to pay no less than the Prevailing Rate of Wages, pursuant to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130) for the locality of the Village of Brookfield (Cook County), to each laborer worker, or mechanic needed or used to complete the work as detailed in the contract to be let. The successful contractor, and all subcontractors shall be required to submit, to the Village of Brookfield, certified payrolls no later than the tenth day of each calendar month for the immediately preceding month.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, parts of any and all proposals, or to waive technical errors or omissions in submitted proposals.

No submitted bid may be withdrawn until a period of sixty (60) days after the bid opening date, without written consent of the Village of Brookfield.

The Village of Brookfield encourages minority business firms to submit bids on this project and the successful contract bidder to utilize minority businesses as sub-contractors for supplies, equipment, services, and construction.

Questions should be directed to Bridget Deatrick or Steve Konters, Hitchcock Design Group at 630.961.1787 bdeatrick@hitchcockdesigngroup.com or skonters@ hitchcockdesigngroup.com.

Wednesday Classified 3 Great Papers, 6 Communities To Place Your Ad, Call: 708/613-3333

PUBLIC NOTICES

This project is being financed, in part, with funds from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, “Open Space Land Acquisition & Development” (OSLAD) grant program.

END OF SECTION 000020 Published in RB Landmark 3/10/2021

Hire Local. Place an ad on Wednesday Classified’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to OakPark.com/classified today!

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information.

(708) 613-3342 • maryellen@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal, March 10, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

A mortgage program specifically for physicians

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