Wednesday Journal 032923

D97 dreams up their ideal graduate

District begins to draw ‘por trait of a graduate’ in ‘community- driven vision’

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is hitting the drawing board to create a “Portrait of an Oak Park 8th Grade Graduate” and using the model to lay the groundwork for their new communitydriven vision of who their graduates should be

During the District 97 board meeting March 14, Supt. Dr. Ushma Shah, who was hired by the district in February 2022, presented the model to the board as part of planning for the 2023-2024 school year.

“In Oak Park we can feel so proud that we made the courageous moves when it was time to make them,” Shah said. “To say, ‘let’s start to shift’ and ‘let’s reco gnize that the system that we have needs to continue to grow and evolve’ so it can be all that we envision it to be for our students.”

The coming changes will be a way of answering how the system can be adjusted to meet the cur-

Cellist Alex Groesch rehearses his ow n sy mphony, premiering at Sy mphony Center in

when the Sy mphony of Oak Park & River Forest performs a concert there on April 3. See

page

Literary legacy celebrated with lifetime award

Chicago Literary Hall of Fame honors Harriette Robinet with its Fuller Award

By KELLY POLLOCK Contributing Reporter

On Tuesday, March 14, at the Dominican University Perfor ming Arts Center, Har riette Gillem Robinet, age 91, was honored by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame with the Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement. Mrs. Robinet is the 14th recipient of the award since it was first presented in 2012. The Fuller Award is named for Henry Blake Fuller, one of Chicago’s earliest novelists, and is the highest honor that the Hall of Fame can bestow on a living writer

Don Evans, founding executive director of the Hall of Fame, explained that they had never before honored a children’s author with the Fuller Award.

“There’s a tendency for certain kinds of writing to be devalued, including writing for a younger audience,” Evans said. “Har riette was up for consideration and so when the [selection committee’s] conversation tur ned to her, we discussed the value writing for young people and how impact ful and important it was and the level artistry involved in doing it at the highest level.”

At the ceremony, Mrs. Robinet sat the front row, with her husband McLouis by her side, sur rounded by the 150 fami members and friends who filled the Mar Recital Hall. Due to Alzheimer’s disease she did not address the crowd, but spent the evening smiling broadly seemingly enjoy ing the stories, tributes, and dramatic read ings adapted from her books. She later was said to have joyfully and repeatedly ask “All of that was for me?”

Frank Lipo, executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Fo est, told the story of the Robinets’ move Oak Park in 1965 as one of the first AfricanAmerican families in the village That expe-

rience eventually became the seed for Mrs. Robinet’s first significant piece of writing, published in February 1968 in Redbook mag azine as part of their Young Mothers series. In the essay, she related that they needed a “straw buyer,” a white couple who bought the house first and then discreetly sold it to them as a way to get around real estate restrictions of that era; how they had to move-in in the middle of the week so as not to draw attention; and how some neighbors welcomed them war mly and others moved away.

Mrs. Robinet went on to write 11 books of historical fiction for school-aged children from 1976 to 2003. Her first two books were books about children with physical disabilities. Although she rarely wrote about specific incidents from her own life, her experiences influenced her writing. She felt strongly about the importance of lear ning from the past. As she said on her website, “Unless we know our history, we have no perspective on life today How can we know where we’re going, or appreciate where we are today, if we don’t know where we’re coming from?”

This need for context was highlighted by Nora Brooks Blakely, daughter of poet Gwendolyn Brooks and one of those delivering tributes to Mrs. Robinet at the ceremony, who emphasized the importance of understanding “who was who and what was what” in the past or “you won’t know the ramifications of those times and you won’t reco gnize the aftereffects in the world of today.” She continued, “People need a road to empathy and that’s where you’ ll find Har ri-

ette, subtly paving that road, smoothing our path not with concrete but with context.”

Due to her mother’s illness, Linda Robinet, the youngest of the Robinets’ children, accepted the Fuller Award on her mother’s behalf Because the story of the Robinets’ move to Oak Park and their subsequent life here is well-known, Ms. Robinet focused on Mrs. Robinet’s life leading up to their move. She talked about her mother’s childhood growing up in Washington D.C. She talked about how, despite excelling academically in colle ge with the highest grade point average in her class, her mother wasn’t awarded any honors at graduation because “honors were given to students whose parents were generous donors.” Linda also talked about her parents’ love story and the priest who played matchmaker and then eventually mar ried them.

When asked what prompted her mother to start writing books, Ms Robinet said, “She had a conversation with one of the librarians at the Oak Park Public Library, who told her that there were no books about disabled children. My mom looked at her and said, ‘I can do that,’ and that’s where her first two books came from.”

(The Robinets’ son, Jonathan, has cerebral palsy.) “She wrote for children because her life was children,” Linda added. It was six kids And she loved history and she loved researching and she was very familiar with how kids feel and how they respond. She was knee-deep in kids.”

SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

Harriette Gillem Robinet proudly holds her Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame on Tuesday, March 14 at Dominican University.

SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

Glennette Tilley Turner, Nora Brooks Blakely, Tsehaye Geralyn Hebert, Frank Lipo, Don Evans, and Athena Williams formed the panel celebrating Harriette Gillem Robinet’s Fuller Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame

BIG WEEK

March 29-April 5

Access Granted Male Mentor Program

Wednesdays, through May 31, 4-5:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y

Male students in grades 6-12 are invited to join a new, yearlong mentorship program where positive encounters and opportunities for personal growth and success will take place. Held in par tnership with YourPassion1st. Register for the rst six months of the program at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

ReThink Retirement

Thursday, March 30, 3-4 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y

This educational program provides a wide array of information for families with older adults on solutions they may consider as their parents age. You’ll learn about various options like staying at home, renting, downsizing to a smaller home, moving to an ac tive adult community, and retirement living communities. Learn which options might be best for you and be proac tive about your or a loved one’s future. Led by Chip D ell, Senior Consultant at Providence Life Communities. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Maginel Wright Enright Barney: A Lec ture By the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Tuesday, April 4, 6:30-8 p.m., River Forest Public Library

This lec ture and guided discussion will be hosted by Sarah Holian, a curator at Frank Lloyd Wright Trust The discourse will revolve around The Wright Family, a pastel by Wright’s sister, Maginel Wright Enright Barney. Both the painting and the ar tist will be explored in depth. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest

An Af ternoon With Andon Davis

S unday, April 2, 3 p.m., Friendly Tap Longtime Oak Park musician and resident

Romantic Visionaries, New & Old

Monday, April 3, 7:30 p.m., Symphony Center

The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest, conducted by Jay Friedman, will per form works by Groesch and Berlioz. They will be assisted by City oices, the Evanston Children's Choir, Pro Musica Youth Chorus, the Schola Cantorium of Concordia University, South Holland Master Chorale, the Spiritol Singers, the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest Chorus, and the Tower Chorale. $15 - 50, 220 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago.

Drawing Workshop With Jacob Grant

Tuesday, April 4, 2-3 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y

Author and illustrator Jacob Grant shares his books and leads kids in a drawing workshop. Best for early elementar y-aged kids; preschoolers will need adult suppor t. Siblings are welcome. Register now at oppl.org/ calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Nathan Graham & Andrew Sa

Saturday, April 1, 8:30 p.m., FitzGerald's Two of the most distinc t singer-songwriters on the local scene are featured. Nathan Graham describes his sound as a cross between south Chicago soul and Nashville Americana. Andrew Sa bills himself as Chicago's premiere queer countr y crooner. Both are fast distinguishing themselves on the local alt- countr y scene. $20, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berw yn.

D97 hall monitor heads out on tour, loses job

District denies a one -month unpaid leave absence request

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

As Lawrence Calloway gears up to head out on the road for a month-long tour with Chicago’s own blues singer Joanna Connor and The Wrecking Crew, he is torn between a mixture of excitement and disillusionment as his request for an unpaid leave of absenc has been denied by Oak Park’s District 97 elementary schools, leaving him without a jo upon his return.

Calloway, 35, has been directing students through the halls ofGwendolyn Brooks Middle School for the past four years as a hall monitor, building relationships and creating rapport with students.

Hannah C. Boudreau, social worker Brooks and the Oak Park Teacher A ciation’s co-president, opposed the school board’s decision during the public comment portion ofthe March 14 school board meeting.

“Losing Mr. Calloway would be a tremendous loss to our school community,” Boudreau said during the meeting. “He consistently goes above and beyond to serve our students and staff and is an integral member of our Brooks family.”

Boudreau praised Calloway’s relationships with students, saying he is an asset to the structure of the school.

“He manages our hallways which can often times be quite congested and rowdy, it is a middle school, its normal, but the relationship and rapport that he has with students by getting them to go to class and to get them to want to be successful and do their best, that is huge,” Boudreau told Wednesday Journal A longtime musician, Calloway began playing the bass guitar at the age of12 and it wasn’t long before he was hitting the stage to perform with other musicians. Calloway, who has been performing since he was 16 years old, said he has shared the stage with Dexter Walker & Zion Movement Chorale, in Europe, and the touring jam band, The Great I Am

“It’s a great experience, it’s the hospitality,

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ill be touring w

years.

it’s the adrenaline ofbeing on the big stage,” Calloway said. “You work hard. This leads up to what you’veworked hard for.”

Recently, Calloway was afforded another opportunity to showcase his musical talents and promote the album he helped produce; however it came at the price ofhis job with the district.

“I was denied. I was very shocked,” Calloway said. “I have gone above and beyond my job description here, always. I couldn’t believe it.”

Calloway originally submitted his request for the unpaid leave on Feb. 14, requesting unpaid leave from April 4 through May 7,

Lawrence Calloway has played bass guitar for many Chicago artists throughout the

Calloway w

ith Joanna Connor and e Wrecking Crew this April. Photo submitted by Calloway.

Chat and Wash? A new concept for parents at A House in Austin

Nonpro t provides free access to laundry facilities as a way to support young parents

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

It was another busy day at A House in Austin, 533 N. Pine Ave. In the children’s room, several toddlers and young children pasted small colorful paper squares in the shape of a rainbow while their parents enjoyed a break before their T hursday Parent Café session.

In the basement, standing next to two top-of-the-line washing machines, Rajeeyah Muhammad said she has enjoyed the variety of progr ams the nonprofit offers, such as their parents’ support group and children’s music class since becoming a mother in 2021.

“They had a cookout in the summer, it was pretty nice,” Muhammad said. “In the holidays they have things for us to do so we can meet up with each other and also spend time with our families.”

It was Muhammad’s first time doing laundry at the house located at the cor ner of Pine and Race avenues, a new of fering for parents that star ted earlier this year

CALLOWAY

Art vs. Day job

from page 5

2023. According to Calloway, the board did not give him a specific reason as to why his request was denied

When reached for comment, Amanda Sie gfried, the district’s communications director, said the district does out publicly comment on personnel matters out of re-

“It’s just more convenient cause you don’ t have to stress about not having a laundry unit open or having to watch your clothes intensely because someone might take them,” Muhammad said.

For parents like her, having access to the laundry machines located in the house’s basement of fers more than convenience. She said laundry can become a dif ficult task to complete given her work schedule, lack of shared laundry facilities in her apar tment building and limited transpor tation options from her house to a laundromat.

A House in Austin provides the service for free, with complementary soap and drying sheets, and even helps ar rang e transpor tation if parents need it

“As far as our families go, we find that it’s just really an essential resource,” said Lynnette Kelly-Bell, executive director. As a mother of four children, she saw laundry quickly accumulate until she found time to go to the laundromat.

“I think as a parent it’s good to be able to have a space where you can come and just get one or two loads done,” KellyBell said, adding the org anization always wanted to of fer free laundry facilities for participating parents, it was just a matter of time. Donors helped purchase the washing machines and help the nonprofit by buying washing supplies on their Amazon wishlist.

spect for employees privacy rights

“Decisions are made with careful consideration of relevant facts and with a focus on the district’s commitment to our students,” said Sie gfried.

“I don’t think silence is the appropriate response either,” said Boudreau re garding the district’s lack of explanation. “Say something or explain your decision to basically ter minate this person because of an opportunity.”

Boudreau said she believes the district is missing a great opportunity to not only have another talented musician perfor m, as

She said many of the parents face the same challenges as Muhammad: limited transpor tation options, busy schedules and lack of access to laundry facilities at home With this option, parents who attend A House in Austin’s parents’ programming can sign up to simultaneously use the laundry facilities

“It’s not overwhelming, they pop it in before our pr ogr am star ts, check on it mid-progr am, and by the time they’re ready to go home, it’s ready to go,” KellyBell said.

T heir parents’ progr ams include Parent Café, where parents have an opportunity to take a break, enjoy the parent area, including computers and kitchen

according to her Joanna Connor of fered to do a free perfor mance for students, but they are also letting the opportunity to create a more accepting culture in their schools.

‘“We want to have this diverse district and have more staf f members that look like our students and people of color and then they are going to force this man to resign,” Boudreau said, adding that Calloway’s leave will be hurtful to their black and brown students “It is sending the wrong message. It shows that we do not value this person, that he is expendable. We have the option of doing the right thing and we are

space or chat with other parents In Parent Chat, led by a licensed clinical social worker, they can discuss impor tant parenting topics, hear other parents’ experiences and get suppo rt

While these progr ams take place, their children g et access to progr ams designed to develop developmental skills through music, reading and play activities. All progr ams are of fered at no cost to parents.

“Our main goal is just thinking of what does it take for a parent to be successful and have a fairly functional schedule with their f amily...” Kelly-Bell said. “We just want to make [laundry] a resource they can come and use freely.”

just choosing not to.”

While Calloway has cherished his time and relationships with everyone at Brooks, he has decided to take the opportunity to showcase his musical talents After the tour has wrapped up, Calloway said he hopes to be able to reapply for his current position and be able to continue to work for the district for the next couple of years to help inspire students to reach their goals

“I am also doing it to be an example for our kids here. You can have whatever you want, be whatever you want to be if you put your all into it,” Calloway said.

FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Rajeeyah Muhammad, mom of one, enjoys A House in Austin’s free laundr y facilities.

River Forest’s pet microchip reader makes immediate impact

Dog reunited with owner a day after village takes possession of device

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

The River Forest Police Department’s community service officer wasted little time in putting a new animal microchip scanner to good use this month, employing it to help reunite a lost dog named Wilson with its owner the day after the department received it.

CSO Sean Bus said he picked up the department’s microchip scanner at an all-day training session on March 8 at the Bridgeview Courthouse, sponsored by the Cook County Animal Control Department in conjunction with the Chicagoland Humane Coalition and the Best Friends Animal Society

In addition to the “very informative” training, Bus said each police department

represented received a 24PetWatch microchip reader.

The after noon of next day, March 9, Bus said he received a call from one of the department’s sergeants explaining that a resident had brought a stray dog to him while he was on patrol in the vicinity of Washington Boulevard and Ashland Avenue. The small dog that Bus identified as a pug was seen wandering in the 7600 block of Washington Boulevard

Bus said he put the pug, later identified as Wilson, on a leash and put it in his police vehicle, where he scanned it to obtain its identification number An inter net search provided the name of Wilson’s owner, whom Bus contacted and made arrangements to retur n the pug to its home He said the owner was very pleased and speculated Wilson escaped from the yard when a family member left the gate open. Bus said he only had the dog for 15 or 20 minutes

Bus has been with the River Forest police for a year and a half after serving in a similar position with the Pa rk Ridge Po-

lice Department.

In addition to serving as animal control of ficer, his community service duties clude assisting with parking enforcement and traf fic control. Most of his animal control calls involve stray dogs although he has also dealt with stray cats.

“I really like what I do here,” he said.

Bus said operating the microchip scanner is pretty quick and easy He said he’ never owned a dog but “all my friends have dogs.”

Prior to receiving the microchip scanner Bus would drive stray dogs to the Animal Care League in Oak Park and staff members there would use their scanner to tain the animals’ identification number

Bus said he lear ned about the Cook County training from staf f members the Animal Care League

He said many of the stray do gs he counters are wearing collars with tags that simplify the process but calls ha ing the microchip scanner “definitely a good thing for the de par tment and the community.”

Pragmatic approach to budgeting that recognizes our high tax burden

• Voted to restrict tax levy increase to 3% in 2019-2022 and 0% in 2023.

• Supported financial assistance to small businesses during the pandemic.

Spear-headed climate action planning

• Set expectations for electrification of new construction.

• Founding member of Oak Park Climate Action Network.

Commercial/residential development

• Supports updating inclusionary zoning ordinance to expand Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

• Received a grade A from Center West Oak Park Neighborhood Association.

I want to keep moving our village forward toward a future where our village is affordable to whoever wants to live here, everyone feels included, and receives the services they need from a transparent and accessible municipal government.

Susan Buchanan, MD

Susan ensured Oak Park has a dedicated affordable housing fund. A critical first step in addressing Oak Park’s deepening affordable housing crisis.

Henry Fulkerson

D90 candidates meet and greet as Election Day draws near

Susan has a strong and passionate voice for increasing the focus on sustainability.

Jim Kelly

Trustee Susan Buchanan is a coalition builder with an impressive track record on public safety and equity.

I’m especially proud of her work as co-founder of Oak Park Climate Action Network, fighting to reduce Oak Park’s carbon footprint. She is a principled and thoughtful leader deeply committed to issues impacting everyday people. I’m supporting Trustee Buchanan because I know she will always put the concerns of Oak Parkers first.

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Four candidates running in the upcoming April 4 election to fill the three open seats for the River Forest School District 90 Board of Education attended a meetand-greet with community members at the Buzz Café in Oak Park, to answer questions and hopefully pick up some votes.

Incumbent Calvin Davis, a 25-year resident of River Fo est, has served on the school board for six years. What be gan with volunteering at a pancake breakfast has led to involvement in a plethora of community organizations.

area, including Northwestern, and that is our main goal as parents is to get our kids into these colle ges, so the process works.”

With over 90 percent of students passing algebra, an increase from previous years, Davis said he is proud of the previous work of the board in improving the math program.

If re-elected, he hopes to continue building a stronger foundation for early education in the community, saying that he was a proud supporter of all-day kindergarten, which was recently passed by the board. The board is now working on getting the district’s finances in order, he added, which could potentially help fund additional programs.

SUSANBUCHANAN4OP.COM

Kina Collins

A project manager at O’Hare Airport, Davis is running again because, he says, “The children are important — not just mine, but everyone else’s too. I am an example right that the process works. … I have a 12thgrader now [OPRF High School] who got accepted into the colle ge he applied to, got accepted into all the Big 10 schools in the

JOE CO R TESE

For candidate Joe Cortese, choosing to raise his three daughters in the same neighborhood where their mom grew up, made him want to be an active voice in the community.

With all three daughters currently at-

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

D90 River Forest school board candidates Er ic Isenberg, Kristine Mackey, and Calv in Davis attend a meet-and-greet at Buzz Café in Oak Park. Not pictured, candidate Joe Cortese.

OPRF focuses on 3 options y for Project 2

Final board decision expected in late April

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

To have a referendum or not to have a referendum. That is the question that the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 school board will consider over the next five weeks as it moves toward deciding how to pay for an estimated $102 million project, known as Project 2, to tear down and rebuild the southeast section of the high school which mostly contains physical education facilities

At the board’s March 23 meeting the school’s Community Finance Committee (CFC) presented the school board three ways to pay for Project 2 although the board is not limited to only those three options. The CFC did not recommend any option. Two of the three options would include a referendum asking voters whether they want to issue bonds to pay for a portion of Project 2.

As has been the case for months the public comment portion of the school board meeting featured comments from those strongly in favor of a referendum for Project 2 funding and those strongly opposed to a referendum. Four speakers favored a referendum and four opposed a referendum.

Those opposed to a referendum stressed that a referendum, which couldn’t be held until next year because that is when the next election is scheduled, would likely delay the start of Project 2 by a year. A one year delay is estimated to raise the cost of Project 2 by $6 million although that estimate does not include the increase in the reserve funds held by the district resulting from an additional year of interest earnings on the portion of reserve funds that are projected to cover nearly half the cost of Project 2. The additional $6 million cost has been included in the projected costs of the two options that would include a referendum.

“This school needs this work done now and this community wants this work done now,” said River Forest resident Jordan Chalmers as about 15 people stood behind him suppo rting him during his public comment. “Let us not debate over what amounts to $5 a week on our taxes. Let us instead discuss how soon we can get this project started and completed so students can benefit from a 21st Century lear ning environment that they deserve.”

Ann Krieter of Oak Park agreed. Krieter said the physical education facilities at OPRF badly need to be replaced.

“Generations of Oak Park and River Forest children have not had adequate physical education facilities at this high school due to the inability of our community to get the critical work accomplished,” Krieter said. “Generations. It is not a badge of honor when a current student says, ‘Oh my grandparents, or my great grandparent played in this gym, they swam in this pool, they changed clothes in this locker room.’ That is not a badge of honor. It’s sad, it’s embarrassing; we can do better.”

Krieter said there are non-financial costs to holding a referendum. She worried about the divisiveness a referendum would cause.

“There are things that you cannot put a dollar amount on and that would be student morale and community morale,” Krieter told the school board.” I believe pushing Project 2 to a referendum might appease a minority of community members in the short term but I believe divisive rhetoric that would surround a referendum vote would create long lasting divides in our community and, quite frankly, I don’t think we could handle that right now. We are a community that is still recovering from a pandemic and all the divisiveness that came with it.”

Those supporting a referendum said it is the democratic and usual way to fund and decide upon large long term capital projects. They also pointed to a 2020 non-binding advisory referendum in Oak Park in which 76.6 percent of voters approved of the notion that

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all local public capital expenditures of $5 million or more be sent to voters for approval in a referendum.

Pete Prokopowicz, who finished fifth in a race for the Oak Park Library Board in 2021, also noted that Project 2 would be the largest capital expense in OPRF history.

“If this doesn’t call for a referendum what does,” Prokopowicz said.

Referendum advocate Monica Sheehan of Oak Park noted that four current members of the school board, Fred Arkin, Tom Cofsky, Mary Ann Mohanraj, and Sara Spivy, have said at candidate forums in either 2019 or 2021 that they would support sending any proposed Project 2 funding to a referendum. But now those board members and the entire school board are keeping their options open.

All of the options presented to the school board include the expectation of receiving at least $12.5 million in charitable donations from the Imagine Foundation which was created to raise private money for the project.

The first option would ask voters to approve issuing $44.5 million in bonds and use $51 million from the school’s cash reserves to pay for Project 2, which includes a new swimming pool. This option, if approved, is projected to cost the owner of a home worth $500,000 an additional $199 in taxes annually for the next 20 years. This option has a projected overall cost, including interest, of $133.9 million.

The other option that would necessitate a referendum is now being called option 3. It is a bit of a smorgasbord consisting of $44 million in reserve funds, $15.6 in five year debt certificates, a kind of debt that is paid for out

of the district’s operating levy rather than from a specific bond levy, $22.2 million in debt service extension bonds, a kind of bond that only is subject to a referendum if at least 7.5 percent of registered voters in the school district sign a petition asking for a referendum, and $13.7 million in referendum bonds along with the $12.5 million Imagine Foundation donation. This option has the lowest overall cost at $122.9 million even after adding on the estimated $6 million cost of a one year delay. It is projected to cost the owner of a home worth $500,000 an additional $188 a year in taxes over 20 years but that cost would vary over time ranging from $414 a year in the first five years to just $61 a year in years 11 through 20.

The option that doesn’t require a referendum would be to borrow $45.3 million in 20 year debt certificates and to use $44.2 million in cash reserves and the $12.5 Imagine contribution. Since debt certificates are paid out of the operating levy this option would result in no separate levy but the CFC estimates that the financial impact on an owner of a home worth $500,000 would be $199 a year, identical to the first referendum option. The overall cost, including interest, of this option is estimated to be $127.9 million.

CFC members, who did not recommend any particular option, were concerned about the long term impact of using $3.5 million in operating funds to pay off debt every year for the next 20 years in this option.

But Alison Welch, an Oak Park resident, argued in her public comment that financing the debt from the operating levy would force financial discipline on future school boards and administrations.

“Approving to fund the project without referendum bonds can offer a check and balance to the board and administration encouraging fiscal responsibility so that the budget is managed within the standard operating tax levy versus adding a second taxpayer levy just for the referendum funding,” Welch said.

At last week’s meeting school board members asked the CFC chairman Steve Miller and vice chairman Greg Kolar basic clarifying questions. School board members are expected to discuss the funding options in more detail at their April 13 Committee of the Whole Meeting and hope to vote on a funding option at their April 27 meeting, which will probably be the last full meeting that departing board members Spivy, Gina Harris, and Ralph Martire participate in before three new board members are seated in May.

Jordan Chalmers of Ri ver Forest makes the case in favor of nancing Project 2 with debt certi cates and not going to referendum

A er community engagement, Mars will work with city and developers on future of site

extensive legislative approvals

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

Mars Wrigley will evaluate the community’s draft plan as it reaches a final decision on the future development of its Mars Wrigley candy factory at 2019 N. Oak Park Ave. after it closes in 2024. When announcing its closure, the company said it would donate the land to whichever developer or org anization the community chose In an update shared today, the company said after gathering community input last year, it is moving into the project’s next phase

T he next phase includes inter nally evaluating the community’s proposal and deter mining a timeline to eng age potential developers. T he final decision “will de pend on zoning approval, market demand and changing conditions,” the company said in a community eng agement re port

Community members, spearheaded by local community groups Austin Coming

To g ether, Galewood Neighbors and Nor thwest Center, recommended a mixed-used site that incorporates community areas, green spaces, housing, businesses and a small business park

“As a community member and part of this org anization, we’re very pleased

with the outcome [of the community meetings],” said Steve Green, president of Galewood Neighbors, in an interview with Austin Weekly News. He said the draft proposal included in the re port captures the community’s desire s.

“As a multi-use site, I couldn’ t imagine it being more ideal. It has so many dif ferent aspects to it that touch on every need or request from the community,” he said.

Yet, the city noted that the long-time manufacturing plant is in two industrial districts — the Planned Manufacturing District #15 and the Ar mitage Industrial Cor ridor — which require zoning amendments for non-industrial uses

T hese amendments would have to go through the De par tment of Planning

and Development and City Council for a review of the entire planned manufacturing district, not just the Mars Wrigley site. T he process could take 18 to 24 months to complete, according to the planning agency remarks included in the community eng agement re port

T he city’s De par tment of Planning and Development also noted the city is interested in landmarking the orange-rated of fice headquar ters on the site. In a letter from December 2022 the city agency provided feedback on the community’s draft plan for the site submitted by Mars. Orange-rated buildings are proper ties classified by the city of Chicago as potential landmarks since they “possess some architectural feature or historical asso-

No nal decision made, Mars said; city warns community’s vision would require

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Mars candy factory in Galewood.

ciation that made them potentially significant in the context of the sur rounding community.”

T he community’s draft plan includes a “Community Innovation District” where the current plant would be developed into a campus with designated areas for different uses, including nature spaces, connected by a main boulevard. According to the re port, community members proposed five main areas:

■ Building a mixed-use development featuring housing and commercial or healthcare spaces next to the adjacent Mars Metra station.

■ Reusing the historic Mars headquarters building for education, training or recreation and adding new buildings to house higher education, health care, professional offices and a business incubator

■ Creating an outdoor central open space with an amphitheater between the Mars building and the proposed new boulevard and designating a nature space to house a stormwater facility and natural habitat

■ Designating a space for urban farming with environmental features such as renewable energy and re cycling areas

■ Creating a business park offering flexible space for light manufacturing and artisan production.

T he city’s planning agency said some of these uses “are not consistent” with the uses permitted in planned manufacturing districts, though it “does not preclude the possibility of a development that reflects the community’s prefer red scheme.” It recommended Mars prioritiz e evaluating the zoning process.

Mars said it intends to work cooperatively with the city ’s De par tment of Planning and Development and the co-design partners who participated in the community eng agement process

Green said the community is “very happy” they were allowed to participate and give voice to their concerns and desires for the site, adding it is understandable factors like cost, city approvals and developers’ vision will come into play in the future.

While the company said “no major updates or announcements are expected in 2023,” it will continue to update community members through quarterly newsletters. According to Green, a community meeting may take place later this spring.

“Now we move forward, and feasibility is yes, the main focus,” Green said. “Hopefully we won’ t have to change it too much.”

Groesch: Symphony No. 3 (world premiere)

Berlioz: Te Deum

Ketter, tenor Patrick Godon, organ

South Holland Master Chorale, Philip J. Bauman, director

Spirito! Singers: Bravura, Ragazze, and Men of Spirito!, Carling FitzSimmons, artistic director

WILLIAM CHIN

ALEX GROESCH

CHRISTIAN KETTER

PATRICK GODON

JAY FRIEDMAN

Senior organizes festival for OPRF st

OPRF’s rst student lm festival is in nal planning stages

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

More students are going to be able to showcase their talents and passion for storytelling as Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Jaden Mathews, a senior, works to put together the very first short film festival. Mathews, 17, began following his love for creative outlets when he was little, which eventually led him to developing a passion for animation and storytelling. Mathews viewed animation as an outlet that would let him combine his passion for writing and drawing without feeling that he would have to pick and choose which outlet to devote to During his junior year, the OPRF student started an animation club, which allowed for students who also shared the same interest

to gather and find encouragement from thei peers. Soon, ho there was a wasn’t being met.

“I started to wasn’t being promoted, side,” Mathews said. “There are art shows and art festi students who did fine arts who did film, they moted by the school.”

While Mathews found creative support in the animation club, he was dreaming ofcreating something that would have a lasting impact, and thus the idea for the OPRFHS Film Festival was born.

“My goals were bigger and more long ter m,” Mathews said. “I was hoping for some impact that would trickle down.”

With the idea ofa bigger and better event, Mathews began approaching faculty during the end ofhis junior year. Mathews said he had three things in mind when coming up with the concept ofa film festival: promoting student work, being able to give students

a prize, and creating something that would leave an impact

“From those three things, I began to write ideas and concepts and think about the festival in a longer term,” Mathews said. Mathews began approaching faculty at

PROVIDED

Jaden Mathews

OPRF to get guidance on how to start the process of creating a successful event from scratch.

When reached for comment, Karin Sullivan, the school’s communications director, said the district was not ready to publicly comment on the event.

The OPRFHS Film Festival opened its submissions to high school students before winter break. While the current deadline for submissions is April 4, Mathews said they are considering extending it to allow time for more students to participate. Currently the film festival has received 10 submissions, but Mathews is expecting a few more to apply towards the end of the deadline

With support from local businesses such as The Book Table and Candycopia, which will be providing concessions for the festival, Mathews is excited for the community to come out to the free event and support their local high school students’ passion for storytelling

Additionally, Mathews will be using a donation from the alumni association of $500 to provide the top three films with a monetary prize. All submissions will be reviewed prior to the festival by Mathews and a board of reviewers he had put together over the course of the past year. The films will be ranked and shown in order of their ranking, with the top three films being shown last. First place will receive a $250 prize, second place will receive $150, and $100 will be awarded to third place. While it was his passion that led to the first ever student film festival at OPRF, Mathews said he will not be showcasing any of his work

“I thought it would be kind of cheap if the guy who is running the festival is also submitting,” Mathews said.

With hopes of a flawless execution, Mathews hopes his efforts to support students with a passion for filmmaking will continue after he graduates but he seeks the communities support for that wish to come into fruition.

“The biggest thing is showing up to support the students and their artwork,” Mathews said. “I think art is essential in the community because it provides a deeper sense of where the community’s heart lies and it also provides a space for the community to grow. Artwork is essential in any growing community. Let’s not only view it but let’s show up to celebrate it and promote it. To give it power.”

The official festival screening will be held on Sunday, May 14 at Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave., Oak Park from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information readers can visit the OPRFHS Film Festival website at sites. google.com/view/oprfhsfilmfestival

Scratch Kitchen and Lounge moving to former Slainte location

Bar nishing up renovations, aims to re- open in early April

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

After almost 10 years at 7445 Madison St., Scratch Kitchen and Lounge is moving into bigger digs – complete with a fullfledged kitchen and a second-floor private ent space.

The burger and craft beer establishment is only moving a few doors down, taking er Slainte Irish Pub, 7505 Madison St., ich has been on the market for years.

SKL owner Patrick O’Brien told the Review that he’s looking to do more than add capacity. Slainte’s second-floor room will allow it to host private events, and a full-

service kitchen will allow his business to significantly expand its menu.

While O’Brien’s trademark take on madefrom-scratch bar food isn’t going away, they will be expanding the menu, and, SKL will be offering cocktails in addition to craft beer. He said he was responding to changes in his re gulars’ tastes, as well as what he saw as the general shift in Madison Street vibe away from old-school bars and more toward restaurants with bar components.

March 26 will be SKL’s last day at the original location. O’Brien said they need to finish renovating the new space, especially the second floor, but he hopes to re-open on April 3.

The “Scratch Kitchen” name refers to the bar concept which, while not unique to Chicago, was a first for Forest Park. Every ing redient, including the ketchup and pickles, was made from scratch. O’Brien drew on his experience as a restaurant chef to prepare high-quality version of the bar-style food.

SLK’s success allowed him to open other eateries in the area - Scratch on Lake, Lathrop House and the since-shuttered District Kitchen and Tap in the Oak Park Arts District – but he acknowledges it has been a rock y road.

The pandemic hurt Scratch Kitchen as much as other Madison Street establishments, and he admitted that the spike in rowdy behavior on the corridor in the first half of 2021 gave him pause.

“No one can argue there were problems on Madison Street,” O’Brien said. “When I closed for renovations [for 10 months], I wasn’t sure I would reopen.”

Since then, he believed that Madison Street has “cor rected itself,” but the vibe changed as well.

“It looks like the mantra is not a big bar, but a big bar-restaurant,” O’Brien said.

The Slainte space will allow SKL to move in that direction, since they will

now be able to use a full-fledged commercial kitchen “instead of cooking behind the bar.” But they are not moving too far from their roots. The plan, O’Brien said, is to start making tavern-style and deepdish style pizza, which will be available to order, and they will be offering prime rib, meatloaf and various “comfort foods.” The drink menu will be expanded as well, with Scratch offering cocktails and martinis.

In practical terms, the new space would triple Scratch Kitchen’s capacity. The current space holds up to 40 people – Slainte’s first floor can sit 120. The upstairs party room will allow them to host music acts and private events. O’Brien said it will have a full bar and will be able to hold 150 people. He also said they plan to build a gazebo in the back – which will also allow them to host barbeque nights.

When asked whether he thinks the changes will go over well with the re gulars, O’Brien said when Scratch Kitchen opened the customers tended to be around colle ge age. As they grew older, their tastes have changed.

“I think the clientele is getting older, and they have families, and they want to drink out of a martini glass,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think anyone is going to complain.”

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

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

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

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

99% OF OUR CALEDONIA STAFF IS VACCINATED

our

ART BEAT

Local composer’s symphony to premiere at Orchestra Hall

Community symphony to play longdelayed concert at Symphony Center

By KELLY POLLOCK Contributing Reporter

On Monday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m., the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest will perform their sixth concert in Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The concert has been a long time coming. Since 2010, the Symphony has performed a biennial concert at that venue, but the 2020 concert was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year, they finally decided that the time was right to reschedule.

The concert consists of two parts: the world premiere of Alex Groesch’s Symphony No. 3 and Hector Berlioz’s Te Deum, which has not been perfor med in Chicago since 1982. The perfor mance will run about 90 minutes

Groesch’s piece was not part of the original 2020 program. But when the concert was planned for this spring, the decision was made to add it. According to David Leehey, president of the Symphony board, “Jay Friedman [music director] had this idea to premiere Alex’s symphony. It turned out to be a shrewd move as it’s gotten a lot of interest. Alex is a young, musical genius.”

Groesch is 28 and has been a musician all his life. He started playing cello at age 6 and began composing in high

school. This is the second time one of his symphonies will be performed. He started composing this symphony about five years ago but said he “began taking it a lot more seriously in the last year.” He also received assistance from Friedman, who said his experience as a conductor allowed him to “advise on and edit the technical aspects of Alex’s score.”

Groesch describes his work as being in the Romantic style. One of his goals is to “introduce classical music to people who don’t normally listen to it. In my music, I strive to evoke emotions that make people nostalgic, such as thoughts of people, places, or other meaningful memories. When I’m coming

Young composer’s dream comes true

Alex Groesch grew up in St. Louis and started playing cello at the age of 6. After he graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2017, he moved to Forest Park to be with Anne, now his wife, who was in medical school at Loyola University in Maywood

When he arrived, Groesch checked to see if there was a community orchestra and if they had need of a cellist. He has played with the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest ever since.

Groesch started composing when he was a senior in high school. “I started out just dabbling and it grew from there. I wrote my first symphony the summer after high school graduation.”

When asked about his process, Groesch described how he “works backwards by writing the melody, figuring out which instruments will play, and determining how they will hand off to each other.” Then he works out the harmony and the background.

up with themes, I often think of close friends and family. The brass themes often reflect fate and death. The strings play a lot of adventurous, hopeful, and longing themes, while the woodwinds are constantly fluctuating.”

The second piece in the concert, Te Deum, was originally composed for the 1852 coronation of Napoleon III (nephew of Napoleon I) but was not actually performed until 1855 with an ensemble of 950 musicians. The work is unusual in that it has not only a full orchestra but also three different choruses: two adult and one children’s choral groups. This performance will consist of an orchestra as well as

“I listen to a lot of Tchaikovsky and Dvořák. I’ve always liked how emotional and dramatic Romantic music is and strive to mimic that style.”

Just 10 years after he started composing, Groesch can’t believe his Symphony No. 3 is premiering next month. “It’s crazy. To have the premiere at Symphony Center where the Chicago Symphony Orchestra plays is like a dream come true. I feel very lucky that everyone had faith in me and gave me a chance.”

When Groesch isn’t playing or composing, he owns his own video production company called Butterfly Productions

“I chose the name because of the butterfly effect. I liked the idea that a small thing can make a big impact.” Together, he and his wife enjoy doing arts and crafts and making gifts for friends and family. Groesch also enjoys running and playing with his beagle Bonnie.

Kelly Pollock

PHOTO CREDIT

Oak Park & River Forest Sy mphony Orchestra cellist Alex Groesch listens to Jay Friedman’s directions dur ing rehearsal of his Gr oesch Sy mphony #3 in G minor at Concordia College on March 8.

200 voices, evenly split between adults and children. The three choruses are made up of singers from eight different singing groups from across the Chicago re gion.

According to Bill Chin, the Symphony’s chorus director, “This concert is an example of how arts organizations can achieve high goals through cooperation by partnering with other musicians. It’s a winwin when we can combine five adult choirs along with three children’s choirs and create a whole that is more than just a combination of the parts.”

According to Friedman, the idea for performing Te Deum came from Leehey, who said, “I had wanted to do it for a long time. I performed it when I was 22 years old at Tanglewood [the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra] and the audience loved it. It’s not a trivial piece. It’s very wellconstructed, but it’s more accessible to an audience that may not be that musical. And it has one of the most exhilarating endings in all of music.”

Excited is building. Groesch said, “Symphony Center is a spectacular venue and it’s huge for a community orchestra to be performing there. It would be great for people from the community to come out and support us.”

Added Leehey, “It’s been five years since we’ve played downtown. We’re very ready to do this again.”

Tickets for the April 3 concert are $25-$75. For more information, visit www.symphonyoprf.org.

7

Month Certificate of Deposit

7

Month Certificate of Deposit

5.10% APY*

TODD A. BANNOR

Oak Park & River Forest Sy mphony Orchestra cellist Concordia College, conducted by Jay Friedman.

Hometown bites of foods you’ve probably never tried

cago restaurants

By DAVID HAMMOND Oak Park Eats Blogger

March 21 was the launch date for Made in Chicago: Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites. In the book, my co-author, Monica Eng, and I examine the origin stories of foods that were first found on Chicagoland menus.

Odds are good you’ve eaten a Chicago-style hot dog, deep-dish pizza, and Italian beef In our book, we cover these three, plus 27(!) other Chicago original foods, many of which you probably haven’t eaten. For each of these sometimes-eccentric edibles, we provide color photos and a backstory, a list of local restaurants where each food can be found and, whenever possible, recipes.

Here are six local foods you’ve probably never eaten, and these aren’t just daily specials: they’re on the regular menus at Chi-

Akutagawa is hamburger meat with chopped onions, green peppers, bean sprouts and scrambled eggs, with a side of rice and gravy. Akutagawa was first served at Hamburger King in Wrigleyville, where owner Tom Yamauchi made it for his friend, George Akutagawa, who had asked for “something special.” The resulting dish is hearty, with the beef and gravy balanced by fresh veggies.

Gam Pong Chicken Wings are bathed in a slightly hot/sweet sauce, with meat pulled to the end of the bone, which becomes a kind of handle that allows for less messy eating of the saucy meat.

Mother-in-Law is a Chicago corn roll tamale, in a poppy-seed hot dog bun, covered in chili and dressed with sport peppers, onions,

mustard, and sometimes pickles, cucumber and/or blue-green relish. Anthony Bourdain pronounced it “perhaps the greatest, most uniquely Chicago food invention,” but he also called it the “evil stepbrother of the hot dog.”

Taffy Grapes are sometimes spotted at places like Baba’s Steak & Lemonade on Laramie near Madison. These grab-and-go confections are simply fresh green grapes, dipped in frosting or chocolate, sprinkled with nuts. We like these treats so much we’ve made dozens at home

Jim Shoe is a sandwich of corned beef, roast beef, and gyros meat, in a submarine roll, with giardiniera, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise and cheese, splashed with a sauce that’s something like tzatziki. Breaded Steak Sandwich, served at Rico-

bene’s in Bridgeport, is a pounded steak, breaded and fried, ladled with red gravy, laid into Gonnella bread, with mozzarella, sweet peppers and/or giardiniera — a huge mouthful of food. About the sandwich, a friend of mine said, “There were moments when I was absolutely convinced I was eating breaded carpet padding.” Still, in 2015, a writer in USA Today dubbed it “the best sandwich in the world.” You decide

There are many more foods and their backstories in Made in Chicago, and what many of these foods demonstrate is that even with relatively limited resources, human creativity will shape simple ingredients into dishes that reflect local tastes and become beloved in local communities, even when — and perhaps because — they are largely unknown to the outside world.

Our book is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble … and we encourage you to buy local at Book Table. If you’d like to hear us talk about some of the foods we present in the book, Monica and I be speaking at the Oak Park Public Library on May 26 at 6:30 p.m.

April 3 • Jazz for Everyone!

This program of jazz and pop classics, performed byThomas Linsk on piano and vocals and Michael Fiorino on bass guitar, will excite you.

April 10 • The Permanent Art Collection of the Oak Park Library

Jeremy Andrykowski, the Director of Operations at the OP Library, will discuss the permanent art collection maintained at the library

April 17 • Presentation of the 2022/2023 Scholarship Awards

Meet our newest scholarship recipients in a personalandentertainingvenue.Hearfromthese extremely accomplished OPRFHS seniors.

Scan for more program details.

April 24 • The “New Woman”

At the end of the Nineteenth century, the “New Woman” emerged: who engaged in politics, outed convention, and even worked outside the home. Catherine Prendergast, author of The Gilded Edge, will introduce us to the clash of genders and two prominent New Women.

May 1 • The Science of Pandemics

How did these COVID years follow the science of pandemics? Dr. Theresa Chapple, head of the Oak Park Health Department, discusses what is necessary to track the cases and direct polices to limit the pandemic.

May 8 • Stars at Any Age

Talented young pianists Freya Pang, Claire Rong, and Christian Gerald Esteban, joined by concert pianist Dr. Natasha Stojanovska, will amaze and delight you with their musical skills.

‘Made in Chicago’ may, and may not, whet your appetite

House passes bill prohibiting book bans

Libraries would be disquali ed from state grants

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a bill last week that would prohibit libraries from banning books or other material because of partisan or doctrinal pressure, prompting strong opposition from Republicans who called it an assault on local control.

House Bill 2789 is an initiative of Democratic Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office oversees the Illinois State Library and administers several grant programs for public and school libraries as well as adult literacy programs throughout the state

The bill would require that as a condition of qualifying for those grants in the future, libraries or library systems would have to adopt a written policy prohibiting the practice of banning books. Alternatively, they could adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, which includes a statement that “(m)aterials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”

The bill came in response to a wave of highprofile controversies throughout the country, including at least one in Illinois. School districts and public libraries have come under pressure to remove certain material from their collections, often material dealing with issues involving race, sexuality and gender identity.

“Banning books is the sort of behavior that was once, for good reason, associated with the worst, most repressive and repugnant authoritarian regimes of the mid-20th century and before,” the bill’s lead sponsor Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, said during debate on the House floor. “The fact that this is even up for discussion in America in the 21st century is disgusting. And yet, just last year in my district, that discussion was spurred on by a few radical parents and the Proud Boys hate group over a book called ‘Gender Queer.’”

That book is a memoir by Maia Kobabe about a nonbinary person grappling with issues of gender identity and sexuality as a

teenager and young adult. According to the New York Times, it has been pulled from library shelves in dozens of school districts around the country.

One of the school districts that came under pressure to remove the book was Community High School District 99, in Downers Grove, in Stava-Murray’s district. According to a June 2022 Chicago Sun-Times story, the pressure was generated by a group of conservative parents and members of the Proud Boys, but students in the district pushed back and the board eventually voted unanimously to keep the book on the shelves

“Students led a community-supported effort in my district to keep the book in the library,” Stava-Murray said. “But kids shouldn’t have to be the heroes… Nobody is forcing you or your children to check out or purchase or read these books. If they are not consistent with your personal beliefs, don’t read them.”

PEN American, in a report on book bans around the country, identified five enforced bans in the state between July 2021 and June 2022, including 3 bans of Gender Queer

Some Republicans, however, argued that public libraries are gover ned by locally elected boards, and that those boards should have the authority to decide how best to serve their communities.

“I find this a complete assault on local control,” said Rep. Martin McLaughlin, RBarrington Hills. “… These people volunteer as nonpartisan elected local officials, and for the state to tell a local library board, ‘listen to the professionals; follow the professionals’ – I don’t understand why we have local elections anymore if a bill like this passes.”

The bill passed the House 69-39 with all of the no votes coming from Republicans Three Democrats and one Republican were recorded as present but not voting. The bill next goes to the Senate for consideration.

“Public and school libraries are facing unprecedented censorship of books and resources, not just in Illinois but throughout the nation,” Giannoulias said in a statement after the vote. “This important first-in-thenation legislation combats book banning and upholds freedom of speech, which America has always stood for. I applaud the Illinois House of Representatives for passing this important measure and encourage the State Senate to do the same.”

Security equipment taken in package the

Packages containing an estimated $3,000 worth ofsecurity equipment were stolen from an Oak Park resident’s front porch in the 200 block of Washington Boulevard between 1:56 p.m. and 4 p.m., March 17.

Motor vehicle theft and recovery

■ A black 2019 Kia Forte parked in the 400 block ofErie Street was removed between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., March 24. The vehicle was later recovered by Chicago police in the 500 block ofNorth Mayfield Avenue in Chicago.

■ Someone removed a 2021 Kia Soul parked in the first block ofPleasant Street between 9:30 p.m., March 23, and 3:13 a.m., March 24. The vehicle was later recovered abandoned in Cicero after it was involved in an accident.

■ A 2019 Kia Sportage was r emoved from the 400 block of South Lombard Avenue between 5:30 p.m., March 23, and 4:25 a.m., March 24.

■ A 2020 Hyundai Tucson parked in the

800 block ofRandolph Street was removed between 6 p.m., March 18, and 6:16 a.m., March 20. The vehicle was recovered at 9:05 p.m., March 20, in the 5000 block of West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, by Chicago police.

■ A 2015 Hyundai Sonata re ported stolen March 17 from Oak Park was recovered by Chicago police March 20 in the 1100 block of West Washburne Avenue in Chicago.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window ofa 2015 Kia Optima, ransacked its interior and damaged the vehicle’s steering column between 6:30 p.m. and 10:48 p.m., March 24, in the 600 block of North Avenue.

Theft

■ Packages containing toys, clothes and lightbulbs were removed from a front porch in the 900 block ofNorth Oak Park

Avenue between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., March 25. The estimated loss is $115.

■ The catalytic converter ofa 2016 Kia Optima was removed between 3 p.m., March 25, and 7:11 a.m., March 26.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2005 Honda CR-V between 5 p.m., March 21, and 7:30 a.m., March 22, in the 300 block of South Cuyler Avenue.

■ Someone stole a BMX bicycle from a playg round in the 700 block of South Highland Avenue between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., March 19.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2004 Cadillac de Ville parked in the 400 block of South Kenilworth Avenue between 5:30 p.m., March 20, and 6:55 a.m., March 21.

Criminal proper ty damage

■ Someone threw a rock through an Oak Park resident’s window at 8:55 a.m., March 21, in the 400 block of South Ridgeland Avenue. Four to six people were seen fleeing on foot.

■ The steel door to the Village ofOak Park’s traf fic control cabinet was damaged in an attempt to pry it open between 9:52 a.m., Feb. 21, and 9:52 a.m., March 21, in the 1100 block of Westgate Street. The estimated damage is $3,000.

■ Someone shattered a window ofa 2017 Hyundai Elantra parked in the 500 block ofNorth Grove Avenue between 4 p.m., March 23, and 11 a.m., March 24.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports, March 21-27, and re present a portion ofthe incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port the race ofa 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 ofthe suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

D97 GRADUATE Visioning the full child

from page 1

rent needs of students and families. The idea behind a “Portrait of a Graduate” is to re present the school district’s vision for the skills, character traits, and socialemotional abilities that a student would need to succeed as they get older. By establishing a portrait of a student, the district will be able to work backwards to build a model for education that helps reach those desired outcomes directly.

The vision in producing well-rounded, high-achieving students goes back to basics in setting them up with a strong foundation that will guide them to academic success. Part of this equation is having active participation from the school board along with Shah, who said her role is to deliver and be held accountable for carrying out the community’s vision.

“This complex relationship can only happen if there really is good foundational governance between the board and the superintendent,” Shah said during the presentation, addressing that trust and communication are crucial to the success of the district.

D90 CANDIDATES Reading curriculum concerns

from page 8

tending Willard Elementary, he said, “we have grown a little concerned about the direction of the schools in the last few years.”

Originally from Iowa, he moved to the Chicago area to pursue an MBA at the University of Chicago and has worked in financial services for the past 20 years.

Cortese believes his finance background would be of direct benefit to the board. He has also served on private and nonprofit organization boards to help them be effective stewards of their assets

After a reading curriculum change a few years ago, Cortese said, student reading scores have declined. If elected, he would call for a critical review of that change.

“You can look at things like the Illinois Assessment of Readiness Scores that shows only 62 percent of students are meeting English and Language Arts expectations and only 58 percent of students are meeting math expectations,” Cortese said. “We could

To create the portrait, Shah suggested the creation of a “Portrait of a Graduate” community design team in hopes that by Summer 2024 they can continue with the project with more clarity of students’ needs and how to meet them.

According to Amanda Sie fried, the dis trict’s communications director the district is currently focused on the first phase of the redev opment, which includes additional faculty

“We are currently in the process of hiring and determining placements for the 2023-24 school year, with the goal of filling positions by July 1,” Siegfrie said. “From there, we will be engaging more deeply as an organi zation to further define roles and create new team structures tha support increased collaboration across the district.”

To provide additional support for students, Shah has added positions to help in overseeing students and aid in clear communication with the district. Part of the SY23-24 Central Office Leadership Alignment includes two assistant superintendents, one focused on the elementary schools and one focused on the middle school, to increase alignment in instruction across all grade levels.

do better.”

“We feel the current board, hasn’t placed as much importance on what the community expects from the district and feedback that the community has been providing hasn’t been given the weight it deserves in board discussions.

Cortese said surveys would be a great way to solicit feedback from the community.

He is also a supporter of full day kindergarten.

“We all want to deliver the best education we can and it is just a matter of working together to ensure that it happens. I think there are some things we can do to improve how that process works.”

Eric Isenberg grew up in the area and decided to move back 10 years ago. He attended Willard Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School before graduating from Oak Park and River Forest High School.

He was an associate director at a nonpartisan social policy research organization that plays a role in studying and researching what education policies, strategies, and programs work for kids and which do not.

Currently, Isenberg is working on a study of English lear ners.

“It has been a career devoted to trying to

Additionally, the district will also be hiring student success coaches, which would be focused on helping students with career, counseling and competency as well as building relationships over time.

“We want to build the capacities in our schools and make sure that everyone is well ted,” Shah said. maintain a mindset valuing equity, the district will relook at allocation of finances. Adthe district will examne the way they use technology, esources, their communication and engagement, and use as they hope to move to the second phase in the future. really having clarwhat is that baseline of sal investments that the district makes and then what is that above and beyond donations and contributions that can be made so that it is in alignment with our equity process,” Shah said.

As part of the community-driven vision, the district will invite other agencies in Oak Park to co-design the portrait with hopes of creating long-term partnerships that will focus on “multilingual early childhood education,” and students who would use time outside of the classroom for “competency-based learning.”

find out what works for kids,” he said. “Lots of programs sound good but it doesn’t mean they all work better than some equally good or not as expensive program,” Isenberg said.

He is concerned about the percentage of children in the district who are proficient in reading.

“It is still pretty high relative to the state,” he said. “That kind of motivation is going into the schools, so you expect to get very high proficiency rates coming out of the schools.”

Even if the reading curriculum change was the right decision, he said, that doesn’t mean it is the right decision for students now.

Isenberg said it is about finding the best practices for teaching kids how to read, whether it be phonics-based or other well documented, well researched practices

Isenberg has three daughters in the district.

“There has been a lot of improvement over the years, and I just hope we can keep moving in an upward trend,” he said.

Kristine Mackey began her career in education as a middle school science teacher in Nebraska before coming to the Midwest and

“What are the possibilities when we think about all the different places that our youth lear n and grow?” Shah asked

As the district moves forward with the revamping, they will also take a look at core instruction and the options for communitybased learning and entrepreneurialism, along with sustainable and long-term operational systems that will continue to move students forward. Despite drawing a portrait of a model student, Shah said it was important to acknowledge not all experiences are identical across the student body, and the district plans to embrace those differences while navigating the changes to help give all students the best education possible.

“We want to find a balance between that district wide vision for an Oak Park graduate but also allowing space for the unique cultures and histories and life experiences that we have in each of our different neighborhood school communities,” Shah said.

Conversations around “Portrait of an 8th Grade Graduate” are ongoing and Shah hopes to engage the community as well by meeting with Oak Park Teachers Association union leaders, the PTO council, holding staff meetings, holding student meetings, as well as encouraging discussion on what the community believes are important characteristics of their students upon graduation.

working as associate dean in the University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Currently she is vice president of communications and provincial assistant at USA Midwest Jesuits. She said she has always stayed close to education because of her love of teaching.

Her decision to run for the board was inspired by hearing concerns from younger parents regarding certain issues, said Mackey, who has three grandchildren in the district.

“I saw some of the reading homework and listened to other people talk about the reading thing, that we aren’t on the right track,” she said. “I understood it more when I saw what the kids were doing.”

The district, she said, is overdue for a review of the reading program. Additionally, she is concer ned about finances

“I think I could be helpful with that,” she said.

Calling herself the “dark horse” in the race, Mackey praised teachers and the district as a whole.

“We have some things we need to worry about in the future or worry about today, but it doesn’t diminish the goodness of this district.”

SUPT. USHMA SHAH

Struggling? You’re Not Alone, Spiritual Direction Can Help

Uncertain how to move forward?

Searching for greater meaning?

Considering whether to open a new chapter in your life?

Seeking to navigate a difficult transition?

Not sure where to turn?

Whatever life is asking of you, I can help you answer that call.

Whether or not you have a spiritual community, focused professional spiritual direction can make the difference between success and failure, flourishing or languishing. Most everyone, at various points in our lives, are in need of help getting unstuck, cultivating lifeaffirming practices, and clarifying how to move forward with more meaning and purpose.

Spiritual direction is an intentional practice of deep listening in a supportive, confidential space. The practice leads to greater awareness, including the discernment of inner wisdom that too often remains untapped because of how busy and anxious our lives have become. Spiritual direction explores the interplay of one’s inner life, one’s understanding of the sacred, and how one moves—or stumbles—through the world.

A spiritual director makes space for the sharing of pain without seeking to take the pain away but instead provides guidance to notice what possibility or wisdom beckons underneath. Spiritual direction is not therapy, though spiritual direction benefits many people with life struggles that are common in therapy. This is especially so when grief, regret, resentment or other spiritual challenges are impacting one’s relationships with oneself, others, and one’s ultimate concern.

In 2021, the most read and shared article in the New York Times was not about the January 6 insurrection, the introduction of the Covid vaccines, or the faltering of the global supply chains. It was “There’s a Name for the Blah You’re Feeling: It’s Called Languishing” by Adam Grant. While mental health can be seen on a spectrum between depression and flourishing, so many of us have experienced a place in between, a sense of stagnation. If you currently find yourself languishing, spiritual direction can make a huge difference in your life.

Let me show you how spiritual direction can work for you. I meet with people online and in-person in Oak Park. Contact me at alan@alanctaylor.com or at 708826-0006.

Learn more at www.alanctaylor.com/spiritual-direction.

Rev. Alan Taylor 708-826-0006

alan@alanctaylor.com

REV. ALAN TAYOR

Join us for Holy Week and Easter Worship

Maundy Thursday Holy Communion April 6, 7:00 p.m.

Good Friday Liturgy April 7, 7:00 p.m.

The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Vigil Holy Communion April 8, 7:00 p.m.

The Resurrection of Our Lord: Easter Day Holy Communion April 9, 9:30 a.m.

Children, all ages, welcome to Easter Sunday!

United Lutheran Church

409 Greenfield Street (at Ridgeland) Oak Park, Illinois

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

324 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 ⬧ www.firstumcoakpark.org

Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Palm Sunday 10 am Worship Service.

Friday, April 7, 2023 – Good Friday

7 pm Worship Service featuring “A Service of Darkness: Seven Choral Meditations on the Last Wordsof Christ, Adapted from the Ancient Tenebrae for Mixed Voices” by Dale Wood. This will be a musical remembrance, accompanied by our historic Skinner organ, of the seven last words Jesus uttered from the cross. This event is open to the public with a freewill offering.

Sunday, April 9, 2023 – Easter Sunday

7 am Sunrise Service in the Memorial Garden outside, weather permitting. In the event of rain, service will be held in the Chapel (ring doorbell at Tower for entry).

10 am Worship Service. Easter Celebration of Resurrection with special activities for childrenfollowing worship.

St.LukeandSt.BernardineParish

HolyWeekMassSchedule

Holy Thursday, April 6

8:30 am, St. Luke, Morning Prayer

7 pm, St. Luke, Mass of the Lord's Supper

Eucharistic Adoration until closing prayers at 10 pm

Good Friday, April 7

8:30 am, St. Luke, Morning Prayer

3 pm, St. Luke, Way of the Cross

7 pm, St. Luke, Liturgy of the Lord's Passion

Holy Saturday, April 8

8:30 am, St. Luke, Morning Prayer

12 pm, St. Luke, Blessing of Easter baskets and food

8 pm, St. Bernardine, Vigil Mass in the Holy Night of Easter

HappyEasterfromSt.Luke

Easter Sunday, April 9

8 am, St. Bernardine, Mass

9:30 and 11 am, St. Luke, Mass

forestparkreview.com

Holy Week at Grace Lutheran Church

Holy Week at Grace Lutheran Church

Passion/Palm Sunday

Sunday, April 2

8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Maundy Thursday

Thursday, April 6

8:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Good Friday

Friday, April 7

Journey to the Cross: 9:00 a.m.

Adoration of the Cross: 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Easter Vigil

Saturday, April 8 7:00 p.m.

Easter Day

Sunday, April 9

Festival Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

John 11:25-26

HOSANNA! Come journey through Holy Week with the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park and Chicago

ASCENSION AND ST. EDMUND PARISH

St. Edmund Church • 188 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Ascension Church • 808 S. East Avenue, Oak Park Palm Sunday, April 1/2

Saturday, 5:00 pm at Ascension Church and 5:30 pm at St. Edmund Church

Sunday, 8:00 and 10:30 am at Ascension Church and at 11:00 am at St. Edmund Church

5:00 pm Mass at St. Edmund Church co -sponsored by the Oak Park Parishes Palms blessed and distributed at all Masses

TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday, April 6

Mass of the Lord's Supper – 7:30 pm at Ascension Church

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9:30 pm to midnight, with Night Prayer at 11:45 pm

Good Friday, April 7

Family Stations of the Cross ** – 12:00 pm at St. Edmund Church

** Please note that the noon service on Good Friday will be geared towards families with children K-12. It is not intended for infants and toddlers.

Taizé Prayer around the Cross – 3:00 pm at Ascension Church

The Passion of the Lord – 7:30 pm at Ascension Church

Holy Saturday, April 8

Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter – 8:00 pm at St. Edmund Church

Easter Sunday, April 9: The Resurrection of the Lord 8:00 and 10:30 am at Ascension Church

9:00 and 11:00 am at St. Edmund Church

(NO 5:00 pm Mass at St. Edmund Church)

*Please see the website, ascensionoakpark.com, for further information..

ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA-ST. LUCY AND ST. GILES PARISH

St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church • 38 N. Austin Boulevard, Oak Park St. Giles Church • 1045 Columbian Avenue, Oak Park Palm Sunday, April 1/2

Saturday, 4:30 pm at St. Giles Church and 5:00 pm at St. Catherine of Siena -St. Lucy Church

Sunday, 8:00 and 10:30 am at St. Giles Church and at 9:00 am at St. Catherine of Siena -St. Lucy Church

10:00 am Family Mass Community in the St. Giles School Gym

Palms blessed and distributed at all Masses

TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday, April 6 Mass of the Lord's Supper – 7:00 pm at St. Giles Church Adoration until Midnight, with Night Prayer at 11:45 pm

Good Friday, April 7

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion – 3:00 pm at St. Giles Church

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion – 7:00 pm at St. Catherine of Siena -St. Lucy Church

Living Stations of the Cross – 7:00 pm at St. Giles Church

Family Mass Community Good Friday Prayer Service with Silent Passion – 7:30 pm in the St. Giles School Gym

Holy Saturday, April 8

Easter Vigil and First Mass of Easter – 7:00 pm at St. Giles Church

Easter Sunday , April 9: The Resurrection of the Lord

Sunrise - 6:00 am in the St. Giles Church Courtyard (Weather Permitting)

8:00 and 10:30 am at St. Giles Church

9:00 am at St. Catherine of Siena -St. Lucy Church with the combined Celebration and St. Giles Choirs

10:00 am Family Mass Community in the St. Giles School Gym

Please see the website, stgilesparish.org, for further information.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

It’s a family a air

Family home for ve generations for sale in River Forest

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

Today, it’s not uncommon for houses to change hands frequently. Young residents or couples may start out with a smaller home, sizing up when kids arrive or when the kids need more space.

As older residents size down and grow weary of high property tax bills, new residents move into town to send their children to school and stay until their kids are out of the house. A house in River Forest is

Homes

PROVIDED

don’s family has owned the property at 7416 Oak Ave. before the house (at ) was built, probably in the early 1900s. Above, Gordon’s great grandmother, tha Behrends, holds her grandfather, Elmer, on the front steps of the Oak ue home. Her great grandmother’s Uncle Fritz, who lived in the house as an adult, sits at the center of the group

an exception to the short-term tenures of many recent homeowners.

he house at 7416 Oak Ave. has been in the same f amily for five g enerations. Built in 1898, the home last hit the real estate market in November 1923. For more than 100 years, it has welcomed amily ’s children and sheltered the in their last days at home. It has seen a lot of life

th the passing of the last owner, her aughter, Jill Gordon, reached out to realtor Andy Sokol of T he Sokol Group for vice on renting or selling the house.

“She found me on Facebook,” Sokol said. “We both had last names that started with S and were in the same A period class at OPRF back in high school.”

While they two hadn’ t been in touch in years, Gordon knew Sokol would understand the area where they both grew up Gordon would have prefer red to keep the house in the f amily, but she is settled in another town and the rest of the family has also moved too far away to call River Forest home.

“I’ve been in the business 18 years, and you break a lot of hearts,” Sokol said.

“People g et emotionally tied to houses, but it doesn’t always make sense to keep them.”

When the home was last listed for sale in 1923, it was listed by realty agency G. Whittier Gale & Co. for $24,000. At the time, the home spanned a lot from Monroe to the alley between Monroe and William, and the realtor touted the farm-like setting, re plete with cherry, pear and apple trees.

Gordon notes that her f amily owned the home at the time, but the sale fell through due to finances, so her f amily continued its tenure on the land, eventually selling of f lots between family homes to friends of the family.

T he first in her f amily to own the lot were Frederic and Elizabeth Grager t, who came to America from Prussia and Germany. T he property appears to have been in the family prior to the house being built.

“My three times great grandfather bought [the prop er ty] from Mr. Quick, and the section of River Forest was known as the Quick subdivision,” Gordon said. In the next g eneration, her great great grandfather Frederick Schulenburg and his brother owned an or namental plaster business with a workshop on the lot. T here was no alley until another relative lobbied to have an alley to aid transport from Chicago Avenue to Lake Street for the business.

T he orchards and the barn are long gone, but two trees remain from her grandparents’ time, including a catalpa and an apple tree. A few lilacs from the original hedge also survive.

Today another home fronts Monroe Avenue, but the Oak Avenue house still has a sizeable rear and side yard.

“How cool of a soccer field or hockey rink would that yard be?” Sokol said of the side yard

A

Over the years, the house once heated by coal has been updated to include air conditioning and a full bathroom with laundry on the first floor of the house. Gordon says that when previous g enerations updated, they saved

things such as wood trim and door s, and those pieces remain in the home.

In the kitchen, a walk-in pantry hosts an original kitchen cabinet that Gordon says was moved there when her grandparents remodeled the kitchen in the 1970s.

On the second floor, the front bedroom and sitting room spans the front of the house, and Sokol points out that the toile wallpaper is back in style today at high-end hotels. Three other bedrooms share a hall bathroom, and a built-in linen storage remains in the hall.

Both the walkup attic and basement are unfinished and offer opportunities for buyers looking to finish more space. While the house has been cleaned out, the basement holds the original dining room buffet and a few g ems such as the cast iron feet of a now-gone claw foot tub.

Sokol is listing the home for $799,000, and Gordon hopes that another f amily will build a long-term relationship with the house.

“Any time anything happened, the family w ent back to the house,” Gordon said. “This is the place that we all went back to.”

While there’s no guarantee that the next owners will keep it in the f amily for 100 years, there’s plenty of room to grow some cherry, pear and apple trees if the next owners choose to do so

Children pose for a photo with the original barn in background. e barn and an orchard are long gone, but one apple tree remains, along with a few lilacs.

1923 newspaper ad states that the house at 7416 Oak Ave. had been owned by the same family for 15 years. A sale never happened at the time, leaving the property in the family until now

Elizabeth and Frederick Gragert, immigrants from Germany, bought the land. ey were the rst of ve generations of the family to own the property.

Fenwick volleyball sets lo y goals

Friars looking to land top 3 seed in postseason tourney

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Fenwick High School boys volleyball team is of f to a 2-1 start in 2023 after victories last week at DePaul Prep and at home against Nazareth Academy (25-14, 25-14), falling March 27 at Lane Tech in three sets

At DePaul, senior Caleb Groll had 14 kills, senior Aidan Butler 22 assists, senior Charlie DiFranco 11 digs, and senior Dario Santoy two blocks

Against Nazareth, Butler had 23 assists, Groll 15 kills, and sophomore Will Griswold four aces. At Lane, Groll had 18 kills and Butler 23 assists

With 10 returnees, all seniors, Fenwick coach Kate Whitman likes what she has seen so far.

“Our strength is definitely our experience,” she said. “With so many returning seniors, we’ve got great leadership for our young players. The experience of my two captains, Butler and Groll, will drive our success this year.”

Groll, an outside hitter who will continue his career collegiately at Lindenwood University next year, was named the 2022 Chicago Catholic League White Division Player of the Year and was also the co-Lawless Player of the Year. He had 219 kills, 23 aces, 16 blocks, and 99 digs.

Butler, a setter, also made the CCL All-White Division team. He recorded 92 digs, 14 blocks, 20 aces and 27 kills in 2022.

DiFranco (41 digs in 2022) and classmates James Dubanowich (40 kills, 6 blocks), Daniel Hardy (25 kills, 7 aces, 51 digs) Frank LaMantia (29 digs), Santoy, and Gabe Tafolla (8 aces, 10 blocks) supply Fenwick with depth, while Griswold saw valuable playing time last year

Notable scheduling highlights for the Friars are non-conference matches with Chicago Latin, Loyola Academy, Niles Notre Dame, and St. Rita along with the Brother Rice Tournament April 21-22.

Whitman believes St. Ignatius is the team to beat in the CCL White. Fenwick plays the Wolfpack twice this spring, May 2 for Senior Night and May 17 at Ignatius.

“We are always geared up for games against St. Ignatius,” Whitman said.

The Friars, who finished 11-12 last year, want to win the conference and get a top-three seed in the IHSA sectional tournament. Whitman is optimistic about those things occurring.

“If we can stay healthy and focused for the entire season and really come together as a team, I’m confident that we’ll reach those goals,” she said.

OPRF takes Oswego Invite title

The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys volleyball team is of f to a 5-0 start this year after winning the Oswe go Invitational March 25 in convincing fashion.

In the morning session, the Huskies rolled past St. Patrick 25-15, 25-12 and Glenbard South 25-13, 25-22.

After defeating Rockton Honone gah 25-18, 25-16 in the semifinals, OPRF was pushed to three sets for the first time this season in the title match against Geneva. The Huskies dropped the opening set 19-25, but rallied to win the next two 25-17, 25-9.

Add in a season-opening 25-14, 25-16 victory at Morton on March 20, and coach Justin Cousin couldn’t be more pleased with OPRF’s start.

“I’m very impressed with this team’s ability to bounce

back,” he said.

The Huskies’ early success is taking place despite of going through a bit of a rebuild. OPRF lost four key players from last year’s 25-9 state quarterfinalists to graduation. In their place is a junior class that, while having talent, is largely lacking experience.

But the Huskies have a few returnees, including captain and senior Peter Zurawski, a Ball State University recruit who amassed 34 aces, 80 kills, 557 assists and 108 digs in 2022.

Juniors Quinn Borzarth (83 kills, 25 blocks, 92 assists, 31 digs) and Danny McNeilly (62 kills, 11 blocks, 16 digs) also return. A pair of junior newcomers, Roan Doody and Ben Naber, look to make an impact this spring.

Juniors Lincoln Beecroft, Mateo Garcia and Gar rett Lundg ren along with seniors Ralph Bennet, Jonathan Brown, Ryan Montroy, Danny Moran, and Saadiq Muhammed round out the roster.

“There are many juniors that will gain experience and motivate the retur ning players,” Cousin said.

Non-conference scheduling highlights for the Huskies include home matches with Riverside-Brookfield and Whitney Young, a road match at Loyola Academy, and invitationals at Downers Grove South and Glenbrook North. Glenbard West and Hinsdale Central are the top teams in the West Suburban Conference’s Silver Division.

Fenw ick High School boys volleyball player Aidan Butler sets up a teammate against Nazareth Academy in a nonconference match March 23. Butler had 23 assists in the Friars’ 25-14, 25-14 victor y.

OPRF girls snap losing streak, win water polo invite

Huskies a per fec t 3-0 to take trophy at Glenbrook South

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School girls water polo team snapped a season-opening nine-match losing streak in grand style, capturing the Glenbrook South Invitational on March 24-25.

“We had a great weekend,” said OPRF coach Elizabeth Pérez “A few key players played well.”

The Huskies (3-9) edged past the host Titans 8-7 on March 24. Seniors Tori Evans and Ellie Raidt each tallied two goals and sophomore Zoie Segbawu came up huge in goal with 15

saves.

The following day, OPRF defeated Niles West 7-6. Raidt and junior Phyllis Kreiter each had two goals and Segbawu had the game-winning goal and 11 saves.

In the nightcap, the Huskies blanked Elk Grove 14-0 to clinch the title. Evans and sophomore Jada Noyes each had three goals, Kreiter and senior Amanda Lane had two goals apiece and Segbawu 12 saves.

“I think our team is starting to click offensively,” Pérez said. “We’re seeing each other better in the pool.”

OPRF returns to the pool April 4 at Morton.

Fenwick girls water polo

The Fenwick High School girls water polo team went 2-1 at the Lyons Township In-

vitational on March 25-26.

The Friars (6-4) lost to the host Lions 13-7 in the opener, they but rallied for victories in the next two matches, 13-7 over Lincoln-Way Central and 6-5 over Lincoln-Way East.

For the weekend, Annie McCarthy had eight goals, 14 steals, and drew six ejections Hannah Schubke gel had 16 steals and four goals, Pam Medina six goals and 10 steals and Lillian McGar ry 13 saves and 5 steals.

On March 23, McCarthy scored six goals as Fenwick rolled past host Lockport 14-2. That was the exact score in another Friars’ victory March 20, this one against Loyola Academy as McCarthy and Audrey Mason each scored four goals and Alex Lefko three goals and five assists.

After a home match with Mother McAu-

ley March 29, Fenwick hosts the Mike Murphy Tour nament March 31-April 1.

Trinity softball wins debut

Kendall Hynes had three hits and two RBI, Linnea Drever scored three runs and had two RBI, and Emily Rodriguez had a three-run double as the Trinity High School softball team rolled past Niles North 16-2 on March 23 in Rosemont.

Anais Rodriguez got the win in the circle, allowing two runs and three hits in three innings. She also helped the Blazers (1-0) at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.

Trinity’s victory marked a successful debut for new coach Ivette Cano, who replaced Steve Curley in January and is the program’s sixth coach in the last five seasons

OPRF boys tennis returns with deep squad, high expectations

Huskies nally back on home cour ts after nearly 4 years

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School boys tennis team opened the season with a 6-1 victory over visiting Maine South on March 23.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as on-campus construction, this was the first home match for the Huskies in nearly four years, and OPRF coach John Morlidge was thrilled.

“It was very nice because we hadn’t had a home match in a while,” said Morlidge, in his 32nd season. “The weather was awful, but it was still amazing.”

With 12 retur ning players from last year’s team that went 6-3 in duals, finished third in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division and had an individual state qualifier, Morlidge is optimistic this spring.

“We have a lot of depth and experience on the team,” he said. “We have a lot of flexibility because many of the boys can play singles and doubles.”

OPRF’s top retur ning players are sophomores Alex Dolipschi, Manu Rajagopal and Eli Stein, juniors Cameron Khaledan and

Will Neumann and seniors Gabe Wolter and Trevor Wilson. The Huskies’ top newcomers are seniors Jay Ahn and Ian Kelley.

Juniors Ian Hansen and Evan Pope and seniors Jacob Drews, Alex Hymson, Trevor Raymond, Simon Wellner and Charles Yang round out the roster

OPRF’s key invitationals are at Hersey and Hinsdale Central, where many of the state’s top teams and players will participate.

“Tour naments are the best prep for state, because you have to play multiple matches in the same day,” Morlidge said. “We get beat up a little bit, but these tour naments also help us get ready for the end of the year.”

Hinsdale Central is one of the state’s premier programs, one that has an established stranglehold on the WSC Silver. That said, Morlidge says OPRF looks to finish second in the conference and qualify multiple players for the state finals.

“We need to play to our maximum level, and I have to make the correct doubles pairings to achieve these goals,” he said. “It also depends on the sectional draw. Since we’ve gone to two classes, it’s so much tougher to make it to state.”

OPRF hosts a quad tour nament April 1, which includes Fenwick High School, during spring break.

“It’s the end of break so I’ ll be missing some kids, and other teams will probably be

missing some kids too,” he said. “But just to have a tour nament again is nice, and we’ll try to get back up to eight teams next year.”

Friars to rely on experience

Fenwick opened the season with a 5-1 victory at Wheaton-St. Francis on March 20. With last year’s top eight players retur ning, Fenwick coach Gerard Sullivan likes how things are shaping up.

“We’ re very solid in ter ms of de pth and experience,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of good players that play well and take things seriously. They’ve been playing in the of fseason to get better, and there’s a lot of spirit and good energ y.”

Seniors Bobby Anzaldi, Matt Car mody, Colin Crotty, Jack Har rison, Danny McGarel and Mar ty Mor rissey were Chicago Catholic League medalists last spring. Junior Jake Brecknock and sophomore David Schubke gel (5th in No. 1 singles at the CCL meet) are Fenwick’s current No 1 doubles pairing.

“David is as good as he was last year,” Sullivan said. “He’s in No 1 doubles with Jake, and he loves being there.”

Junior Tommy Shishman , the No. 1 singles player in the lower levels last season, also saw time on the varsity and looks to make a bigger contribution to the Friars.

Junior Matt Bero and senior Quinn Hynes

complete the roster

Fenwick, which has finished third in the Catholic League the past two seasons, looks to compete with Loyola Academy, Mar mion Academy, and St. Ignatius for the title this spring.

“St. Ignatius looks like the team to beat; they’ re really strong at the top,” Sullivan said. “Loyola’s always good top to bottom, and Marmion is a solid team with the top singles player in our league. That good competition helps us get ready for postseason.”

Last year, the Friars were in the IHSA’s toughest Class 1A sectional at Chicago University High and failed to qualify anyone for state This year, Sullivan feels Fenwick can get multiple players downstate, but it won’t be easy

“If we go to U-High again, they’ ll have to come in with a grudge and go all out,” he said. “To get a good draw, you need a seed, and to get a seed, you need to have good results all season. We’ve got two good doubles teams and a singles player who’s a battler that will improve with every match, and we’ ll do the best we can.”

Fenwick will compete in the OPRF Quad on April 1.

“We haven’t played them since the pandemic. I’m sure both teams will be energized and put up a good fight,” said Sullivan.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

Suppor t for candidate p. 32-39

Include disability in our equity legacy

It may be hard to believe, but less than half a century ago, disabled people were largely shunned from public life. Fiery and feisty disability rights activists, fed up with the world of discrimination and stigma that they’d experienced, led the push for creating a more accessible world for everyone. On March 4, Judy Heumann, a leader of that group of activists, died at 75, leaving behind a le gacy of legislative and societal accomplishments that changed the world for millions of disabled Americans — including me.

As a 16-year-old, I’m lucky to not know a world without Judy’s advocacy — her work on landmark legislation — the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act — gave me rights that other Americans may take for granted, like being able to access an education or even enter a public space.

As a proud member of the new generation of disability rights activists, I know

that the work doesn’t — and cannot — stop. I also know, though, that I can’t do it alone

The Oak Park and River Forest communities, given our longtime commitment to fostering a diverse space for residents, are in a unique place to serve as an exemplar of how to continue the legacy of activists like Judy To do that, we must recognize and fight for access when increasing inclusion — because inclusion that ignores people isn’t actually inclusive.

As readers of this paper are no doubt aware, Oak Park and River Forest High School has recently begun implementing a multi-step equity plan, which is meant to better the school community (and, hopefully, have positive effects on the broader community as well). One minority that isn’t always re presented in this equity plan? Students with disabilities, like me.

As a current OPRF student with a dis-

Gracias a la Vida!

¡Qué noche tan extraordinaria tuvimos esta semana para nuestra primera Noche de Música Latina! El Great Sip Café se llenó al máximo con personas ansiosas por escuchar la maravillosa música de jazz latino del Sueños Trio, probar nuestras comidas y bebidas dominicanas y relajarse con amigos y vecinos. Lamentamos mucho no poder admitir a todos, pero teníamos que seguir los límites establecidos por el Oak Park Fire Marshall. No se preocupen - tendremos otra noche especial de música, comida y conexión cada temporada, y la próxima noche llegará este verano. Muchas gracias a todos los que vinieron, que intentaron venir, que publicitaron el evento, que tocaron la música, que prepararon y sirvieron a nuestros amigos toda la comida y bebida, y a todos los que están ayudando a nuestro café a encontrar nuestro hogar en esta comunidad.

Muy atentamente,

What an extraordinary night we had this week for our first Noche de Música Latina/Latin Music Night. The Great Sip Café was filled to capacity with people eager to hear the wonderful Latin Jazz music of the Sueños Trio, sample our Dominican foods and drinks, and relax together with friends

ability, I only have to enter the building to feel this reality deeply To start, the physical barriers that I face at the school each day are astronomical. Broken elevators and heavy doors may seem like just an inconvenience to some, but to me, it’s just another reminder of how far away from equity we really are. How, exactly, am I supposed to feel like a member of the community when I can’ t access my community ?

Further, while removing these physical bar riers would be a great first ste p, true equity and diversity will be achieved when the 17% of OPRF students with disabilities can just enter a space and feel welcome in it.

I applaud my school for working to improve the equity experiences for many minority students at the school, but I implore the administration (and the

larger community) to see disability as an identity and include it in the equity conversation.

Having my disability identity valued and validated at school looks like working to more mindfully include — not tokenize — the experiences of students with disabilities. Mindful inclusion means access to spaces, inclusive language in documents, accommodations easily met, and curriculum that reflects disability histor y.

Back when Judy Heumann was growing up, the community that we live in — where we try to value and respect anyone — would have been a dream. Her work made it possible for us to have a diverse community, but it’s up to us to continu e that work to move beyond diversity and to embrace full access, equity and inclusion for all.

Anja Herrman is an OPRF High School junior with a disability.

Noche de Musica Latina on March 22 at Great Sip Café on south Oak Park Avenue

and neighbors. We were so sorry that we had to turn folks away, but we had to follow the limits set by our Oak Park Fire Marshall. But no worries – we will have another special evening of music, food, and connection every season, with the next evening coming this summer. Many thanks to all of you who came, who tried to come, who publicized the event, who

played the music, who prepared and served our friends all of the food and drink, and to everyone who is helping our café find our home in this community

Warmly, Rosa Cruz Great Sip Café

OUR VIEWS

D97 envisions its graduate

As we move toward the final quarter of Ushma Shah’s first year as superintendent of Oak Park’s District 97 elementary schools, it is rightly anticipated that we will begin to see her vision for these schools begin to take focus.

At the March 14 meeting of the school board, Shah explained a central reimagining of how her administration will work to bring change, innovation and compassion to its efforts. It is a sort of reverse engineering that does not start with pre-K or fourth grade, does not obsess over test scores, and, thankfully, is not heavy with the educational jargon of the previous administration.

Instead, Shah has started a year-long and unusually collaborative process in which the district – read teachers, parents, partners, school board, students, staff and administrators – will work to create a “Portrait of an Oak Park 8th Grade Graduate.”

What are our community’s expectations of the skills, the values, the capacity we want to intentionally build into every student who makes their way through our public schools when they graduate from eighth grade and launch into a wider world?

This focus on the whole child is captivating.

It is a vision that encompasses academic competence but also values the social and emotional abilities our children will find essential as they move into high school and beyond, in how they forge friendships and come to know themselves

Shah was clear in crafting this portrait that the district is fully aware and appreciative of just how diverse our student body is. Embracing the differences, focusing resources equitably to raise every child up, is part of the values the district, and its students, will need to address.

“We want to find a balance between that district-wide vision for an Oak Park graduate but also allowing space for the unique cultures and histories and life experiences that we have in each of our different neighborhood school communities,” said Shah.

The conversations have already begun. Staff meetings, student meetings, PTO meetings, teacher union meetings are underway. Outreach to the array of social service providers and other potential collaborators is planned

This is a vision we can support with enthusiasm.

Rush grows at Harlem and North

In a not closely guarded secret, Rush University Medical Center went public last week with its plans to invest in a 60,000-square-foot hybrid medical facility at North and Harlem — a portion of the old Sears site.

The multi-story facility will house an array of outpatient and diagnostic services, with 90 exam and procedure rooms and specialty care, including cancer, neurology and cardiology services.

The new facility will have an alignment with Rush Oak Park Hospital, which extends its reach into Galewood and Elmwood Park

This is a notable and welcome investment from one of Chicago’s leading health care systems

Jane Goodall’s excellent adventure

The good news about Jane Goodall is that, at 89, she seems more popular than ever. The Chicago Theater, which has a seating capacity of 3,600, was packed on March 19 with an audience of all ages, who gave her a standing ovation before she even began her talk on “Inspiring Hope Through Action.”

And they continued applauding at re gular intervals. Dame Jane looks very much the prim and proper Englishwoman that she isn’t. After pointing out a distinguished colleague in the audience, she cut us of f. “Oh don’t applaud yet,” she said. “Wait till you hear everything he’s done!”

I always assumed Goodall came from a privile ged background, but she was raised by her mother after her father left for good, though he did give her a stuf fed chimpanzee (in lieu of a teddy bear), which Jane prized dearly. She said she also inherited her “toughness” from him.

From her mother, she received remarkable support. When, at a young age, Jane piled soil on her bed in order to study earthworms, Mom, instead of freaking out, gently told her she might crush the little buggers if she slept on them, so she helped her move them out to the yard where they would be safer. When the young scientist decided to find out how chickens produced eggs, she hid in the henhouse on the family farm, and remained perfectly still until a hen came in and laid one, right in front of her wondering eyes.

Stephen Cope tells that story in his book, “The Great Work of Your Life – A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling,” which includes a chapter on Jane, among many individuals who found their true calling and acted on it. He titled the Goodall chapter “ Trust in the Gift.”

That first act of field observation lasted four hours, at which point her mom was frantic. Here’s how Goodall described it in her autobio graphy:

“Despite her worry, when Vanne saw the excited little girl rushing toward the house, she did not scold me. She noticed my shining eyes and sat down to listen to the story of how a hen lays an egg: the wonder of that moment when the egg finally fell to the ground.”

A child doesn’t understand that she has “The Gift,” Cope writes. “They can only feel their spirit leap up toward their object of interest — can only feel the delightful energy of fascination and enthusiasm. … Trust in The Gift needs to be nurtured by parents, teachers, friends. The moment must not pass by unnoticed. We must be encouraged to identify with our gifts.”

Goodall told the crowd in Chicago that when she announced her plan to study animals in Africa,

the adults in her life were dismissive — except for her mom, who gave her important advice: You will have to work very hard, learn as much as you can in preparation, and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. Jane did just that when a family friend who had a farm in Kenya invited her to visit. That led to meeting and working for renowned archaeologist/ paleontologist Louis Leakey, which led to three decades studying chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.

As a result of her ef forts, Goodall revolutionized our view of chimps and other animals, revealing how closely related we really are and how much we have in common. She showed a video clip that made the case in fewer words. Jane and her collea gues rescued a captive chimp trapped in a tiny cage. After realizing she was free, our primate cousin threw her arms around Goodall’s neck and gave her a long, heartfelt hug.

Goodall has a powerful, compelling story to tell about our connection to the animal world and their connection to us. She is not a spellbinding speaker, but she’s been doing this for the past 20 years, 300 days a year, and I suspect she’ll keep doing it till she can’t. What’s good for Goodall is good for all and good for the Ear th.

What she lacks in oratorical flourish, she makes up for in authenticity. She was clearly energized by Sunday’s audience, and noted that she feels a particular affection for Chicago, where the local Academy of Science hosted an “Understanding Chimpanzees” conference in 1986, which became a turning point in her life, starting her on this second career as a global conservation phenomenon.

The Jane Goodall Institute is the organization that leads those ef forts, which include its widespread Roots & Shoots program for youth in over 100 countries.

She also has an Oak Park connection. In her youth, she came across Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels, some of which he wrote while living here. She said they fed her fascination with the jungles of Africa. Her only disappointment, she said, was that “Tarzan married the wrong Jane.”

There was no disappointment a week ago Sunday, however, only hope, instilled by the enthusiastic response to this aging, yet tough, activist, still a primatologist, only now she’s studying us.

“I always have this feeling,” she wrote in her book, Reason for Hope, “that I am being used as a messenger … to tap into the spiritual power that is always there, providing strength and courage, if only we reach out.”

We all need to keep reaching.

PROVIDED

Honoring Vietnam War Veterans Day

March 29 is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, first officially commemorated by President Barack Obama in 2012. T he Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 was signed into law by President Donald Trump, designating every March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

March 29, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the day that combat and combat support units withdrew completely from South Vietnam.

During the eight years of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam, hundreds of Oak Park and River Forest boys/

Listening sessions for everyone

“A Library for Everyone” is Oak Park Public Library’s taglin e. It’s the first thing you see when you enter, and the last sign you see on the way out. But what do services, programs and spaces look like in “A Library for Everyone”?

We are p lanning nine listening sessions over three months. Each topic offers daytime, early evening, and weekend times to pa rt icipate. Find specific days, times, and locations at oppl.org/calendar

men were drafted, selected by lottery or joined the military to ser ve in the military and Vietnam. Unfortunately, nine of them died in Vietnam in service to their country.

I hope Wednesday Journal will honor the men and women who fight and die in service to their country, in light of this 50th Anniversary, by printing this letter

Alan E. Krause, draftee Recon Platoon, Echo Company, 5th Battalion, 7th Calvary 1st Air Calvary Division, Re public of Vietnam July 1970-April 1971

Photo and article placement misleads

In the March 22 edition of Wednesday Journal on page 21, a photo appears captioned, “Leaders Network recognizes Rev. Janette C. Wilson.” Next to it is a short article with the headline “Vallas also wins support of some Black West Side ministers.”

One might surmise that the article and the photo go together. However, they do not, since the article about that gathering to honor Rev. Wilson is on the opposite page, page 20, and its

headline is “Group of West Side faith leaders favor Brandon Johnson.” That article names two of the West Side faith leaders who support Johnson, Rev. Ira Acree and Rev. Marshall Hatch, both of whom appear in the photo. The arrangement of the articles and photo is not just clumsy — it’s really misleading. I suggest greater attention to such composition.

Edmund McDevitt, River Forest

We cannot fully answer that q uestion or delive r on those wo rds in the most i ntentional and responsive way without hearing from the valued vo ices re presenting our c ommunity. Th at ’s why we are hosting a C ommunity Listening S essions Series p osing q uestions about l ibrary-led progr ams and spaces Please join us to meet and talk with me, your new l ibrary executive director, and dedicated staf f members of your l ibrary team. As I’ve returned to Oak Pa rk Public Library after more than a decade and am still relative ly early in my tenure, it is impor tant to me that the l ibrary operates with transparency and that we c ontinue the pro-active approach of ensuring ample and varied opportunities for the c ommunity to provide us with feedback .

■ In April, you are invited to c ome tell us wh at you think about l ibrary services and events for older adults (60+).

■ In May, we will ask about library spaces .

■ In June, we will ask about l ibrary-led events for everyone (18+).

At each session, you will find us outside, front and c enter at our locations (weather pe rm i tting), eng aging in co nversation with cu rrent active l ibrary user s. Your input will help shape f uture l ibrary wo rk related to spac e, use and library-hosted progr ams

I hope you will join me and the l ibrary team for our first L i stening S essions as we c ontinue to f ully develop wh at it truly means to be A Library for Everyone.

Joslyn Bowling Dixon Executiv e director, Oak Park Public Library

How Jim Taglia helped seniors

I sat in on the Oak Park trustees for um a few weeks ago and was very intrigued hearing what each candidate had to say about staying in that position and or becoming a trustee, and they all share what they had done for the community or yet wish to do.

Whereas the others in the meeting spoke of many great things, I heard none of them state how they had spent any time with seniors. Then I met Jim Taglia; he was the answer to my prayers.

I had reached the end of my rope, trying to get somebody with authority to help us seniors to be heard and address the many issues and circumstances we are having here in our building, from management to the doorknobs.

Mr. Taglia came to our residents meeting, introduced himself, and listened to every resident’s grievances. He then went back to his office and the rest needs to be written in the newspaper

The next thing we knew, Jeff Prior and his crew met with residents and did a full inspection of not only the building as a whole but each apartment, all due to Mr Taglia

We are still working on who we should contact regarding having our community area women’s bathroom returned to us as well as the laundry room.

Rita Arrington President of residents, Heritage House Apartments Oak Park

Boutet’s knowledge and integrity

I ser ve d the village of Oak Pa rk as de p uty village clerk from 2005 to 2010. During that time I had the privil eg e of wo rk ing with Simone Boutet. S he was an assistant attorney for our village. Simone’s knowledge of our village code is vast and de ep, as is her f amiliarity with our fo rm of gove r nment, c ommittees, and departments. S he is smar t

as a wh ip, witty, kind, and c ommitted to our hometown. S he is able to articulate her visions for the village. I will vote for her with f ull c onfidence that she will ser ve Oak Pa rk with thoughtfulness and i nte g rit y. I encourage you to vote for her as well.

Karen Muriello, Oak Park

Cal Davis has the most experience for D90

The District 90 school board election is a week away. It is quite the strange election cycle. No open debates. The caucus was a five-person circus with no endorsements. There are four candidates for three open seats. Calvin “Cal” Davis, is the incumbent, the seasoned community servant among newcomers Kristine Mackey, Eric Isenberg, and Joe Cortese

But there is only one name that is recognized in connection with being active in the community and that is Cal Davis. Cal started out as a community activist, who along with neighbors, fought against the park district trying to put a dog park at the Washington and Park Triangle. In case you did not know, the Washington and Park Triangle was the end of the line for the cable car that moved through the village in the early 1900s Maybe patterned after the cable car’s path, Cal’s next community endeavor was Lincoln School’s Pancake breakfast. Cal created an idea, which the PTO still implements today, a .5K Run/Walk so little kids could participate in a healthy physical activity with their families. He continued to support the Pan K 5K & .5K even after his children were no longer Lincoln students. Currently, both Lincoln and Willard utilize the Pan K 5K & .5K as a means to bring families together

As a D90 board member and parent volunteer, he has served on various committees, including the Interview Committee to support the hiring of quality staff mem-

Livingston understands D200’s great challenges

I write to share my strong support for Jonathan Livingston in the upcoming District 200 school board election. I first met Livingston when he was a fellow parent at our child’s school in Oak Park. At all times — without any election pending or on the horizon — Livingston was deeply involved in the school community and regularly volunteered in and outside the classroom. His commitment to education and our teenagers is rock solid and genuine.

I have since gotten to know Livingston as a leader in our community — someone who is deeply thoughtful, forward thinking and committed to improving D200 and the lives of our students. His priorities align with my own and, I believe, with the vast majority of the D200 community. For example:

■ He is acutely aware of our high school students’ deteriorating mental health. He rightly characterizes this situation as a public-health crisis and is committed to

bers and administrators, the Calendar Committee, the Five-Year Planning Committee, and the Finance Committee, where he is currently serving as Committee Chairman.

Cal’s volunteerism is not limited to D90. He is the vice chair of the River Forest Family Services Committee (formally the River Forest Youth Services Committee) where he works to allocate funds for Police and Library programs. He also serves on the executive board of ED-RED (Education/Research/Development), which is a lobbying group to fight for the rights of school districts in Illinois. He extends his service to OPRF as a member of the Community Finance Committee, the committee that advises OPRF’s school board on tax levies and provides guidance re garding the district’s fiscal operations, and as a member of OPRF’s Culture, Climate, and Behavior Committee, the committee that provides the board of ed recommendations to create a welcoming school environment where students feel a sense of belonging. He serves as vice president of the West Cook Governing Board, an organization that educates school board members on board gover nance.

His qualifications and community volunteerism are unmatched by any of his opponents in the race for D90’s school board.

Citizens for Calvin “Cal” Davis for D90

providing the necessary leadership in our community to combat it.

■ He understands that equity and excellence is not a “zero sum game,” and that D200 must consider and take account of all students’ strengths and interests to enable them to excel. With this in mind, he understands the need to provide more robust vocational- and skills-based training opportunities for our teens, as well as creating innovative certificate opportunities and identifying and strengthening connections to regional employers

■ He understands that we must do more to build a racially equitable environment at OPRF. This includes establishing and maintaining instruments of accountability that ensure D200 follows best practices, fosters trust and improves recruitment and retention of teachers of color

■ He appreciates the need for a greater emphasis on a high school-wide commitment to restorative practice. This will not just help replace a failed, punitive approach to discipline, but will open up respectful and reliable channels of communication at all levels of the institution.

Our challenges as a community are great — we need Jonathan Livingston on the D200 school board to help us meet them.

Noel Paul Oak Park

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Senior Repor ter Stacey Sheridan

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Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

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Big Week Editor James Porter

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

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Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards 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, re you to action

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Livingston’s unique perspective for D200

This letter is written in support of candidate Jonathan Livingston for the District 200 high school board. As a father of four kids, I have a strong interest in the better ment of our public school system. Speaking with Jonathan, I truly believe he provides a unique and dynamic perspective that would be of great benefit to the future of our kids’ education.

Jonathan would be the only PhD in Public Administration on the board, bringing an informed perspective to data analysis and program evaluation. I also appreciate his wish to place greater emphasis on the mental health and well-being of all students

Speaking as a mental health professional, I believe the need for a proactive approach to address the worsening issues of adolescent de pression, anxiety, and suicidality among our children — as opposed to the reactive, or crisis-based approach often used — is essential to address the root causes of this problem.

Jonathan Livingston is able to provide our community with the necessary combination of experience, research and strategies that can be implemented on a local level to continue to help achieve the best for our children and our community

Deep Buch, Oak Park

Souders (only) for the D200 board

I urge you to vote for Brian Souders for the OPRF Board. He’s the only candidate to unequivocally support referendum bonds for the $100 million+ Project 2.

Referendum bonds are best, standard practice for public capital projects In 2015, 4,300 D200 residents petitioned to put a D200 bond issue on the ballot. In 2020, more than 77% ag reed that capital expenditures should be subject to referendum. And yet, incredibly, the board is poised to bypass voters and finance Project 2 with non-referendum debt certificates

The other candidates support bypassing voters or are content to go along with the lame duck board’s decision. If you vote only for Brian Souders, this will send a powerful message that you want to vote on Project 2.

But that’s not the only reason to vote for Souders. He really cares about kids, as he’s shown by years of involvement with Boy Scouts and as a youth baseball coach. And he has two children at OPRF

He’s a communications professional committed to true transparency. He has a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility. But he also reco gnizes the need to support educational excellence, equity, and renovating the 100-year-old+ building. He’s the candidate best able to balance the high school’s responsibility to its students and taxpayers

Souders will be an inde pendent voice on a board that sorely needs one. Please join me in voting for him on April 4.

Judith Alexander Oak Park

Tim Brandhorst is the right choice for D200

I have known Tim Brandhorst for over 30 years, as a law school classmate, friend, fellow attor ney, father of two, and committed resident of the OP-RF community

Tim is hard-working, deeply compassionate, and dedicated. He is thoughtful and deliberate in making decisions He is humble and considers all viewpoints. He understands the complex and vital role OPRF High School plays — not just as a crown-jewel to our community but in the daily accomplishments and long-ter m success of each and every student who walks through its halls

He has been a reliable and steadfast contributor to the OPRF community for years — coaching youth soccer, working with D90 in River Forest, and serving on numerous committees and boards dedicated to the high school’s success, including the Imagine OPRF working group, the OPRF Community Council, and Applause

In shor t, Tim cares about OPRF’s progress and success, and he will be an excellent steward of its future direction.

Laura Hardwicke, Ri v er Forest

Brandhorst, Brisben & Livingston for OPRF board

On April 4, my votes for D200 will go to Tim Brandhorst, Graham Brisben and Jonathan Livingston. All three have the qualifications and temperament to serve our students and community in the manner we deserve They have a realistic pulse on cur rent student issues, understand and value equity, are concer ned for student mental health, and are willing to stay infor med, listen to feedback and communicate with the OPRF and wider community

All three are suppor ters of the recently passed Project 2 and the long-ter m facilities plan created by our current elected high school board. These projects should have been dealt with long before they reached their hor ribly worn and deteriorated state

This is no time to retur n to the drawing board without significant delay and a fur ther increase in cost. I trust Tim, Jonathan and Graham to continue with the communitydriven solutions in the Imagine Plan.

I urge you to vote with me for Tim Brandhorst, Graham Brisben and Jonathan Livingston.

Amy Hansmann Ri v er Forest

Vote Livingston, Brandhorst & Brisben for D200

As we approach the spring elections, many community members have asked whom I support for the OPRF High School Board of Education.

I joined the board in 2015 along with Jennifer Cassel and Sara Spivy as agents of change. Led by Jenn’s acute awareness of equity and social-justice issues, and Sara’s expertise in policy and procedures, change has been realized. But much work remains

I am incredibly impressed by three of candidates:

■ Jonathan Livingston is a breath of fresh air. Relatively new to the district, he brings a young outsider’s perspective that is so desperately needed in our community. He has a PhD in public administration and is experienced in how public entities should serve their constituents His experience in taking equity issues from policy to operations will be invaluable.

■ Graham Brisben previously served on the District 97 school board. He selflessly gave up his D97 seat to run the successful referendum effort. He is intelligent and brings a local experience that will be needed on the D200 board. He has owned and operated his own businesses and will bring a business expertise and pragmatism to the district.

■ Tim Brandhorst has already served the district as a member of the Community Council and the Imagine work group By trade, he is an attor ney, and since the board will lose the two serving attor neys, his wealth of knowledge is needed. It is impressive that Tim voted No on the 2016 pool referendum but stepped up and volunteered by engaging his efforts to create a solution.

All three of these candidates are committed to our community and school. They are wellrounded without being driven by a single issue. They will devote themselves to what is in the best interest of our students, our taxpayers and our staff.

These candidates are hard-working, honest, and will serve with the same thoughtful dedication that I have given the board over my six years of service. I give them my full support in this race, and I hope you will too.

Fred Arkin D200 board member

TRUSTEE C ANDID AT E

Committed to progress and hard work

In my first full ter m as Oak Park village trustee, one of my top priorities as a trustee has been to tackle property taxes. When I took of fice, taxes had been going up 6-9% annually. Reco gnizing the unsustainable tax levy growth early in my first ter m, we committed our board to a more fiscally responsible model. We have successfully limited property tax levies to only 3% for the last four years, and no increase this year

Despite many not believing this was possible without depleting reserves, I am happy that during this time we doubled our reserves without cutting any services.

I am a CPA and the only finance professional running for this of fice, so I believe my experience and education are crucial to continuing the financial diligence we have established over the last two boards

Another achievement I am proud of is the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance (IZO), which ensures dedicated affordable housing

units, or funds for our housing trust that are used to underwrite affordable housing developments and programs. Affordable housing is one of the most important elements to maintain the diversity that makes Oak Park the wonderful place it is As a village, we must always be considering ways to guarantee that a strong percentage of our housing stock stays affordable. Our IZO has raised well over $3 million and has supported the creation of workforce housing at 801 S. Oak Park Ave., as well as other initiatives.

As a trustee, I am an advocate for public safety and have continuously met with neighbors and stakeholders throughout the village to hear their concer ns and suggest solutions that make Oak Park a safe place. I understand that safety is a top priority

Voters need to ‘hire’ the best

School b oards have lots of respons ibilitie s, but their #1 job is to assess, advise and act on wh at is in the b est i nterest of students. This is the job we hire them for with our votes It ’s a responsibility that g oes well beyond bein g a committed volunteer. It takes deep understanding of the dive r se and c omplex needs of all k ids, listening and c onsensus-building skills needed to be an effect ive board member, and the ability to p ut aside personal bias to do the wo rk that will matter most to all k ids, tod ay and tomor row.

After meeting with and reading about the four c andidates for the District 200 high school b oard, there are three wh o have the back ground and skills, as well as the hear t for doing right by the thousands of k ids who spend thousands of hours lear ning, perfor ming, c ompeting , and grow ing at our high school each year

■ Graham B risben brings a wealth of experience to the table as a for mer member of the District 97 school b oard and as owner and CEO of a supply chai n c onsultancy focused on clean ener gy and renewables. He understands the

impor tance of equity in education and has a pr oven track record of wo rk ing to improve educational o ppor tunities fo r all students.

■ Tim Brandhorst is an attor ney wh o has ne g otiated union c ontracts and ser ve d as an administrator for the Chicago Public Schools He has also ser ve d on the Imagine OPRF wo rk ing group and understands the reasoning used in D200’s long-ter m facilities p lan. Hi s experience and knowledge of the education system make him an excellent choice for the school board.

■ Jonathan Livingston is a highly q ualified c andidate with a PhD in public p oli cy and public administration, and years of experience teaching at the Unive rsity of Pittsburgh and c onsulting to nonprofit s. He will bring his expe rt i se to help shape p olicies that will b enefit students, f amilies, and the w ide r c ommunity

Our students d eser ve those thing s that are b est. Graham, Tim and Jonathan are the b est our c ommunity has to of fer to guide D200. Let’s hire the best.

Molly James-Lundak Ri v er Forest

for Oak Parkers. Two specific things that illustrate my commitment to public safety are the elimination of over night hours for retail businesses when they became hot spots for violent rime and working with a neighboring community to address problem businesses on Roosevelt Road. These issues took an enor mous amount of time, meeting with affected neighbors and building consensus around my proposed strategies. It was an investment in time that I was proud to make.

I am also committed to environmental sustainability and worked hard to adopt our Climate Action Plan. I recognize the urgent need to address climate change and believe that Oak Park has a responsibility to do its part in creating a more sustainable future. Now that we have

an adopted plan, we need to shift our focus to implementation and sustainable funding, in order to keep things moving in the right direction.

Finally, I have supported many racial equity initiatives, including establishing, and hiring, our DEI director, and the implementation of racial equity assessment tools to make more infor med decisions at the board table.

As a lifelong resident of Oak Park, I care deeply about this village and all who live, work, and visit here. I believe by working together, we can build a community that is welcoming, inclusive, and equitable for everyone

I ask for your support so I can continue to serve Oak Park as village trustee. I am proud of what we have accomplished, and am committed to continuing the hard work needed to keep progressing.

Jim Ta glia is a candidate for re-election as Oak Park villa ge trustee.

We need more trustees like Taglia

Our community is struggling with high taxes Jim Ta glia led the move for a levy increase last year of just 3%. This year he championed — and succeeded — in holding the village tax levy increase at 0%. We need more of that.

Our community is struggling with housing af fordabilit y. Jim continues to support use of the Housing Trust Fund (money from high-rise developers) to create workforce housing oppor tunities

Our community is struggling with

public safety issues He suppor ts recruiting and hiring the full budg eted complement of police and fire of ficers. He also suppor ts development of a new police station, which will enhance recruiting and re place the de plorable and outdated current facility

Our community needs to re-elect Jim Ta glia, and to find more trustees like him.

Tom Gallagher Oak Park

Boutet has the experience we need

Please vote for Simone Boutet for the Oak Park Board of Trustees. Simone has a wealth of experience as a for mer village attor ney and board member.

While on the board, she spearheaded the passing of the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance that requires developers to help make it possible for low-income citizens to become part of our diverse community

She is in favor of smar t commercial and residential development, which in-

cludes designs reflective of our architectural history and commitment to preserving the planet’s environment.

Serving on our board isn’t an easy job; the issues and materials that the board members must understand are immense

Simone Boutet has the energ y, intelligence and skills to take on Oak Park’s complex ar ray of challenges and work hard for our village

Tim Kelly Oak Park

Serving and making an impact in Oak Park

In 2019, I ran for village trustee and finished as the runner-up — losing by about 50 votes. Between that race and acce pting the appointment to the Oak Park Village Board in October of 2022, I spent a lot of time thinking about local gover nment.

I think in most places, people want local gover nment to make their lives easier and to get out of the way. But in Oak Park, that isn’ t enough. We want impact. We want to change the world — and we should, because we have

We were pioneers with the Fair Housing Ordinance in the fight against discrimination in housing; our adoption and implementation of community policing has served as a model to communities nationwide; in 1997 we passed an ordinance establishing a village-wide Domestic Par tnership Re gistry, establishing Oak Park as the first municipality in Illinois to of fer reco gnition to gay and lesbian residents in committed relationships; and

we’re the home of the Collaboration for Early Childhood, which served as the basis for President Obama’s plan for early education for all Americans.

In this country, Oak Park makes an impact far exceeding its size and population. And inspired by Oak Park, I’ve spent the last four years trying to do the same

As chair of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation, I voted to recommend policies to the villa ge board that created record-high sales tax revenue, record-l ow retail vacancies, and record-high business license applications.

CORY WESLEY One View

our neighborhood festival, from local attraction to village destination.

As a board member at Oak Leyden, I use my voice so that folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities can live their best lives.

That was all before I was appointed to the village board.

During the five months since that appointment, I voted for a balanced budget with no increase to property taxes

I voted to fully fund our police de par tment and for a task force to establish an alter nate response system to handle folks experiencing mental-health crises.

our kids in school without a parent/ guardian present or their expressed permission.

I advocated for, and achieved, quarterly public-safety updates that hold us accountable for community safety and racial bias in policing.

I voted for a community-wide racial equity assessment to ensure that Oak Park continues to be a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming village

And I voted for the creation of a Vision Zero Plan that will reduce traffic fatalities and create a safer network of streets for everyone village-wide

As co-president of the South East Oak Park Community Org anization (SEOPCO), I helped create a partnership with TakeOut25 that took BarrieFest,

Brandhorst, Brisben, Livingston to move OPRF forward

As 25-year residents of River Forest, my husband and I have gone from being the new kids on the block to being block elders. The “new kids” cite the same reasons for moving here that we did: More space — to live, park, etc. — and schools.

The April 4 election is particularly impor tant for our community’s public high school.

I urge you to support Tim Brandhorst, Graham Brisben, and Jonathan Livingston for the District 200 school board. Among other things, they understand the impor tance of implementing the longter m facilities plan developed during the Imagine OPRF process in order to address needed capital improvements. Fur ther, each is committed to making student-centered decisions in collaboration with all stakeholders.

There are four candidates for three positions in this race. Your vote matters

Please join me in suppor ting Brandhorst, Brisben, and Livingston for the D200 school board.

Holly Hirst Ri v er Forest

I voted to save a family from an economic disaster by putting their wellbeing over bureaucracy I advocated for, and achieved, a policy that ensures our police won’ t question

Candidates need to address crime

After years of increasing violent crime in Oak Park, and now including brawls at OPRF High School, the Village Board of Trustees is finally waking up to the fact that there is a crime problem in Oak Park Recent survey data indicates that Oak Park residents do not feel as safe as they once did.

Oak Parkers need to ask each board candidate what they plan to do to keep us safe. And demand specifics. How is the village going to fully staf f our police depar tment? What policies will they enact that realistically address crime in Oak Park? When will village gover nment express its full public support for our police de par tment?

Oak Park alone cannot cu re the world’s ills, whether it’s climate change, poverty or social injustice. But village government can, and must, do better to fulfill their number one priority: the safety of its residents

Michael Pajonk Oak Park

Instead of letting a loss define me, I let it inspire me. I dug in, did the work, and made an impact. And if you vote for me on April 4, I pledge to continue making that impact

Cory J. Wesle y is an Oak Park Village Board trustee, who is a candidate in the upcoming election. Visit www.corywesle y. com for more

Re-elect Buchanan to the village board

As a member of the Oak Park community for 16 years, I am committed to suppor ting Susan Buchanan as she seeks a second ter m as Oak Park village trustee I have known Susan for over a decade as a friend, neighbor, physician colleague, and community activist. For as long as I have known her, she has been a voice for progressive causes and inclusion in Oak Park.

As village trustee, Susan has exhibited a diplomatic and measured approach, while at the same time remaining committed to her core values She does not shy away from complicated and divisive issues, believes in candid dialo gue, is always willing to listen to the ideas of others, and is never afraid to speak her mind.

She has the rare ability to focus on both the big picture while also tending to the smallest necessary details During her time as village trustee, Susan has demonstrated her

commitment to climate action. She co-founded the Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN), an org anization working to counter pollution while concentrating on equitable practices

During her second ter m on the village board, she will be committed to following through on a comprehensive climate action plan for the village with the goal of decreasing our carbon footprint and looking toward a more sustainable future.

Because I know Susan on a personal level, I can speak to her inte g rity, intelligence and passion. She cares dee ply about our community and is willing to stand up and work for the changes she believes in.

I strongly support Susan Buchanan for re-election to the Oak Park Village Board, and I hope you will join me

Allison Cowett, MD Oak Park

Fresh ideas for Oak Park’s future

Oak Park has a long history of being a leader on significant issues. We see that national leadership when we look at the Fair Housing Ordinance, the Collaboration for Early Childhood, and more recently Climate Ready Oak Park and the Cross-Community Climate Collaborative. These ideas have defined the last 50 years and built the Oak Park we enjoy today, but we need fresh ideas to continue building an Oak Park that we are proud to hand down to the next generation.

Historically, we are a community that does not shy away from real challenges and is willing to reach beyond the easy solutions to find the right solutions. In this campaign, I have brought fresh ideas that offer an affirmative vision for Oak Park’s next 50 years. Serving on the Transportation Commission, one of the first issues I highlighted was how we can make Oak Park’s streets safer for biking, walking, and alter native modes of transportation. Pre-pandemic, Oak Park averaged 100 people a year hit by cars while biking and walking. This should not be a common story, but nearly everyone in Oak Park has a story of being hit — or nearly hit — while walking or biking in our village. As the campaign continued, other candidates have heard the urgency that exists around this issue and have come to the table with their own ideas for how to make our streets safer

On property taxes, because the village is only responsible for about one-sixth of the

What sets Jim Taglia apart

property taxes residents pay, we need creative solutions to have any real impact on reducing proper ty taxes. That’s why I ut forward a tax fairness and equity plan focused on making sure that the biggest buildings in Oak Pa rk are paying their fair share.

he Vantage building, which Goldman Sachs purchased for $102 million, had their assessment reduced to $54 million by the Board of Review on appeal. That single appeal increased the property tax bill of every $500,000 single-family home by more than $50.

T he village can reduce the property tax burden on individual residents by intervening before the Board of Review, and making sure that everyone pays their fair share by shifting the burden back to the largest buildings in Oak Pa rk.

In deciding who to vote for, I would urge you to check out my website at brianstr aw. com, review the questionnaire s, and watch the recorded forums . Vote for the candidates who are bringing fresh ideas and an af firmative vision of how to build an Oak Pa rk for the next g eneration.

To continue Oak Park’s tradition of being a national leader, and to be gin building an Oak Park we are proud to hand down to our children and grandchildren, I ask for your vote on April 4.

Brian Straw is a candidate for the Oak Pa rk Village Board.

Support for Straw’s views on public safety

As Brian Straw runs for Oak Park village trustee, I urge readers to become familiar with his approach to public safety, especially gun violence. I agree with him that crime and gun violence are equity issues — they disproportionately impact marginalized communities

I’m struck by how deeply Brian Straw has eng aged and reflected on these complex issues, and I fully support his plan to address them in Oak Park. Policing and the fear around policing impacts the Black commu-

nity, not only in Chicago but also here in Oak Park. The answer is not simply more police but a holistic approach that eng ages mentalhealth responders and community eng agement in police accountability.

I invite you to join me in voting for Brian Straw, as he will help the village board embrace the complexity of public safety with a real heart for justice.

Alan Taylor Oak Park

When I focus on what sets Jim Taglia apart from the other candidates vying for election to the Oak Park Village Board, the word experience jumps out. Jim has had a wealth of experience, having served six years as a village trustee and, previously, six years as a township trustee. As a CPA and successful entrepreneur, he has demonstrated that he has the smarts, common sense, and business acumen to be fiscally responsible and govern effectively

As a trustee, he has served on multiple finance-related committees. Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated fiduciary responsibility for the residents of our village. He believes in affordable housing and is committed to keeping our property tax levy low.

The Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance is legislation that Jim championed. It requires that a portion of every new, planned housing development has so many affordable units for low-income residents. If the developer doesn’t want to designate specific units, then he is required to contribute a substantial sum to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund The monies in this fund provide for lowincome housing, as well as housing for the homeless; for example, $300,000 went

toward creating a homeless shelter at St Catherine-St. Lucy Church

Jim is a mediator, friendly, empathic, and respectful. He strives to effect reconciliation, settlement, or compromise among board members who have differing opinions in order to focus on the important issues needed to serve all of Oak Park

He listens carefully to the residents of our community, appreciating their emotions and needs. He genuinely cares and has an open-minded, caring and creative approach to everything.

He is concerned about crime in our village. After the tragic murder in June 2022 of Jailyn Logan-Bledsoe, a recent graduate of OPRF, who was killed at an all-night gas station in Oak Park, Jim worked to require our gas stations and 7-Eleven stores to close at midnight, closing these facilities from midnight to 5 a.m.

Jim is my friend and neighbor. He is supportive, generous, kind and loyal. He is not afraid to speak up for his beliefs and ideals.

When you go to the polls on April 4, remember a vote for Jim Taglia is a vote for quality, experience and well-being Faith Julian Oak Park

Straw is committed to a progressive agenda

Since my time as a village trustee in Oak Pa rk ended in 2017, I inevitably g et to speak with c andidates ever y c ouple of years who are r unning fo r

a seat on the village b oard. It ’s no exa ggeration to say that B rian Straw is the most q ualified c andidate for that p osition that I’ve had the p leasure of meeting over these past few cycles

B rian is progr essive and de ep ly c ommitted to the wo rk of anti-racism. He is also experienced, having active ly ser ve d on the village ’s transportation c ommission. This experience, and hi s leadership on the c ommission, is no small thing because it ’s provided hi m with a d etailed gr asp of Oak Pa rk ’s unique fo rm of gove r nment.

He knows wh at the village c an and ca n’ t do, and he is creative and i ntel-

ligent enough to understand exactly how the powe rs of the village c an be used to advance a progr essive agend a and make tangible progr ess on equity, af fordability and safety.

B rian has also shown himself to be de ep ly c ommitted to the c ommunity through his activism and c ontinual eng agement with the i ssues that Oak Pa rk has aspired to lead on for decades — i nte gr ation, af fordable housing, dive rsit y, inclusion and sustainabilit y.

I am gr ateful that B rian decided to r un for the village b oard, and I am looking forward to voting for him.

I am urging all my Oak Pa rk neighbors to do the same

Adam Salzman Village Trustee, 2011-2017

Voting for the two Brians

If you are, like many Oak Park homeowners, alar med by ever-rising property taxes, consider voting for the two Brians — Brian Straw for Oak Park Village Board and Brian Souders for the OPRF High School District 200 board.

Commercial property owners have the resources to appeal their property tax assessments and thus lower their tax bills Since the money has to come from somewhere, residential property owners have to pay higher taxes on their homes to make up the dif ference

In one of the most eg re gious examples, the Cook County Board of Review slashed the valuation of the 21-story Vantage Oak Park Apar tments, 150 Forest Ave., from $90 million to $54 million. As Mr. Straw points out, this means the owner of a $500,000 house will pay about $50 per year more in property taxes to benefit Goldman Sachs and a Chicago investment fir m, which own the 270-unit apar tment building.

To help relieve the property tax burden on homeowners, Mr. Straw has proposed that the village of Oak Park par tner with other local taxing bodies to intervene in the Board of Review and challenge such attempts by commercial property owners to avoid paying their fair share.

Homeowners are facing another hit to their proper ty tax bills with the proposed $100 million-plus OPRF High School renovation. Astonishingly, the OPRF board is considering a funding scheme that would prevent voters from having a say in this project. Mr. Souders is the only candidate to state unequivocally that major projects such as this must go to voters via a referendum.

Anna Madrz yk, Oak Park

Simone Boutet knows how to get things done

I am writing to endorse Simone Boutet for Oak Park village trustee. Simone is a consensus builder with knowledge about how to get things done in gover nment. Her history of service to Oak Park makes her the most qualified candidate She is an attentive listener, is broadly infor med and understands issues from multiple perspectives These traits will serve us well as we continue to strive for social progress while living in an increasingly expensive community.

Deborah Kramer Oak Park resident for 30+ years

Re-elect Trustee Jim Taglia

For nearly five years during my two ter ms as mayor of Oak Park, I had the honor of serving on the village board with Jim Taglia. Throughout this time, Jim showed himself to be an exceptional public servant by perfecting the qualities necessary to succeed in the role. He listens, he is practical and he has high inte g rity. Perhaps most importantly, he brings consensus to the board table.

Building consensus is the only way to move forward in solving problems and bringing about needed change. Vision, resources and the community’s support are necessary, but consensus is paramount, and it requires trust and compromise I have continually seen Jim bring people together through the trust he has established with his fellow board members. He understands that, without consensus, many opportunities for Oak Park are lost.

Jim never alienates others due to a dif ference in opinion or political belief. He knows that, regardless of where we

stand, we do better for our community when we unite and not divide When we respect and not dismiss When we are practical and not ideological.

Further more, Jim takes his fiduciary responsibility seriously and holds himself accountable to all Oak Park residents He is always prepared and asks the right questions As a CPA, he understands the village budget and its impact on our tax levy and the financial health of Oak Park

Jim also understands that a trustee’s responsibility must be dedicated to our local issues. He views public safety as the top priority. Additionally, he prioritizes minimizing property taxes, growing property values, and investing in infrastructure.

For all of the reasons above, I ask Oak Park voters to join me in re-electing Jim Taglia to the village board on April 4.

Anan Abu-Taleb Former Oak Park mayor/ villa ge president

We need Buchanan’s climate vision

We would like to express our deep appreciation for Trustee Susan Buchanan’s consistent leadership, concer n, and thoughtfulness in her first ter m, especially on policies related to the care and sustainability of our Earth. Without her persistent and clear vision, the village of Oak Park would not be at the cusp of implementing Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP), a comprehensive climate action plan that puts us on the path to “Net Zero” by 2050.

With broad community engagement, CROP created a roadmap to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible, establish renewable energy building sources, and ensure low emission transportation, but also help prepare our neighborhoods for the challenges and ef fects of a rapidly changing climate.

Since Susan was elected four years ago, she has followed through on her promise to advocate on behalf of our environment and to ensure the sus-

Taglia should be re-elected

In Oak Park, we are for tunate to have really good and hardworking elected leaders re presenting us currently on the village board. One of those members is Jim Taglia. Over the years, I have watched him handle complex issues before the board with thoughtful, meaningful and concise reviews. When he was the village trustee liaison to the Citizen Police Oversight Commission, where I am a volunteer member, I appreciated working with him and hearing his perspective on issues before us Even while we may not have ag reed on some items, I always appreciated his thoughtful and detailed responses, and his patient and calm demeanor and manner, while serving with him. He is cer tainly someone who should be re-elected to the village board.

Donovan Pepper Oak Park

tainability and resilience of Oak Park

Working closely and collaboratively with her colleagues, she initiated the policy framework for CROP

As with every strategic plan, ef fective implementation can be slow as well as challenging. Understanding how daunting it will be to reach our Net Zero goal, she does not hesitate to serve as the exceptional voice on the Village Board.

Climate change affects virtually every aspect of living, working, commuting, and thriving in Oak Park and will likely be an undercurrent in almost every policy consideration. It is reassuring and hopeful to know that Trustee Buchanan will be central to those discussions

We the undersigned are so pleased to support her with our vote for four more years.

Boutet will move the village forward

I’m writing to endorse Simone Boutet for Oak Park village trustee. Simone is an amazing candidate Her background as assistant village attor ney and her previous ter m as trustee provides her with the experience to lead. Her years of experience give her the wisdom to balance ideals with common sense. She resists polarizing stances in favor of moving gover nment forward. I’m grateful for candidates like her who truly care about what is best for the village and who are willing to put “politics” aside for the sake of the village and its residents Let’s vote in people who will move our village forward with sensible, smar t, long-ter m strategic goals.

Denise Hauser Oak Park

Park

Mona Blaber, Laura Derks, Cindy Klein-Banai, Amy Rosenthal, Wendy Greenhouse, Laurie Casey, & Pamela Tate Oak

Boutet will tackle our challenges

The future of Oak Park de pends on strong leaders who understand and are ready to tackle the challenges our community faces. Our most pressing challenge is safety on our streets and in our village , while the longest-standing issue is our ever-rising tax burden.

With deep history in Oak Park, Simone Boutet has been a leader on social issues like fair housing and the environment, but her strength is understanding that issues like safety, af fordability and quality infrastructure are the bread-and-butter issues that make a dif ference in our day-to-day lives.

I urge all Oak Parkers to vote for Simone Boutet for village trustee in the April 4 election.

Mark Delisi Oak Park

Buchanan br ings a sense of urgency

We need Susan Buchanan’s continued advocacy for zero-carbon policies on the Oak Park Village Board. When Susan ran for trustee four years ago, she declared that the environment was front and center on her agenda for village action.

It was her clarion call for a rigorous climate action plan that ultimately resulted in the adoption of “Climate Ready Oak Park” last summer She didn’t do it by herself, but she did rally other activists as well as village of ficials like Village President Vicki Scaman and fellow Trustee Ravi Parakkat to work to gether to lay the groundwork for the plan. She understands the impor tance of working in a colle gial manner with fellow board members and village staf f. She also understands the impor tance of working with as many facets of the community as possible

Susan fully understands that the global climate crisis really is a crisis, which may well imperil our civilization with very little war ning. Professionally, she is an occupational and environmental physician. More impor tantly, she is always lear ning and willing to listen to other points of view.

Although she has been a leader on environmental issues, Susan is far from a one-issue trustee She is infor med on the entire range of issues facing the village, including economic development, policing, solid waste management, and street re pair.

We need her hard work and continued sense of urgency on our village board.

Nick Bridge Oak Park

Support Livingston, Brisben & Brandhorst for D200

I recently met with Graham Brisben, Jonathan Livingston, and Tim Brandhorst to discuss their candidacies for the District 200 school board. I found all three of them to be highly intelligent and qualified to serve on this board. Graham served on the District 97 board from 2013 to 2017 so will ar rive with a previous knowledge of the complex issues that school boards face. Jonathan has a PhD in public poli cy and public administration, has taught at the University of Pittsburgh, and has mentored high school students and adults for decades. Tim served on the OPRF Imagine working group and has a deep understanding of the D200 long-ter m facilities plan. He has also served OPRF on the Community Council and the board of Applause.

We are for tunate as a community to have such well qualified candidates willing to serve on our school board. I will be voting for all three of these candidates and encourage you to do the same

Jordan Chalmers

Ri v er Forest

Keep Buchanan’s momentum going

When one talks with Susan Buchanan during this campaign, you lear n that her theme for the campaign is “Let’s keep the momentum going.” She’s pleased to be working on the Oak Park Village Board that has been setting impor tant goals and achieving them.

This re presents one of the facets of Susan that I most admire. She responds to a critical need with a critical mind of inquiry to lear n and understand the complex issues af fecting the need, and then takes action on a strateg y to address the need. She’s not just a doer, but an infor med, strat egic doer

Susan is a lead with the Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) that has provided input for Climate Ready Oak Park, our Village Climate Action Plan.

She is concer ned about justice and racial equity in housing and equity. She’s been a strong suppor ter of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. In response to some resident concer ns about some police practices, Susan urged the board to have an inde pendent review of the police department, and is encouraging the de par tment to review findings and create action plans

In my work as a gun violence prevention activist, Susan has provided good guidance and support for our work in making our village a safer place.

I hope you will join me in supporting Susan Buchanan for Oak Park trustee — to keep the momentum going.

Lois Thiessen Love Oak Park

Nell Behr, 21 OPRF grad and athlete

Nell M. Behr, 21, for merly of Oak Park, died in car crash in Florida. A 2019 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School and a star athlete in swimming and water polo, she had graduated from beauty school just nine days before her tragic death. She was an organ donor and saved three lives.

Nell is survived by her parents, Monique and John Behr; her sisters, Tess Behr and Lisa Brooks; and her brother, Matthew Behr

A private Memorial is planned.

Donations are appreciated for the Nell Behr Aquatic Scholarship at OPRF High School, asullivan@oprfcf.org or 708-848-1560.

Carol Zanke, 90 High school teacher, League of Women Voters member

Carol N. Zanke, 90, of Rive Forest, died on March 23, 2023. Bor n on May 28, 1932 and raised in Oak Park, she attended Loyola Universit Chicago (Class of ’54) wher she met Jerry, and the rest was history. A member of the League of Women Voters, she also taught high school fo over two decades in the CPS. After retirement she enjoyed bicycling, furthering her ing with Jerry.

A parishioner at St. Luke early ’60s, she later served as of the Chicago Cubs, Carol down to her sons. Her spirit ing many health issues was truly missed

Carol was the wife of Gerald “Jerry” Zanke for 67 years; the mother of Mark (Lisa), Paul (Deb), and the late Gary; grandmother of Austin, Adam and Dylan; sister of the late Elisabeth Noel; sister-in-law of Marilyn Keblusek; and the aunt of John, Tom, Michael, Mary Clare, Christine & Karen.

Visitation was held on Tuesday, March 28 at Zimmerman-Har nett Funeral Home, 7319 W. Madison St., Forest Park, processing to St. Luke Catholic Church where Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Interment is private

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COLLECTIVE IMPACT MANAGER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Collective Impact Manager in the Village Manager’s Office. Under the general direction of the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, the Collective Impact Manager will be responsible for building and assessing racial equity impact needs and developing a strategic plan to support those needs. This includes driving the initiatives focused on the Racial Equity Action Plan through community assessments, community engagement, data functions, and overall internal and external functions. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at https://secure.entertimeonline. com/ta/6141780.careers?ApplyToJob=537117711 or visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

SEASONAL FARMER’S MARKET ASSISTANT

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmer’s Market Assistant in the Health Department. This position will provide administrative support to the Farmer’s 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.

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HUMAN RESOURCE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Human Resource Coordinator in the Human Resources Department. The ideal candidate will have a high level of customer service skills, Will provide routine to complex office, clerical, and administrative tasks. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled, first review of applications will be on April 14, 2023.

POLICE RECORDS SUPERVISOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Police Records Supervisor in the Police Department. This position will manage, supervise, plan and coordinate the activities and operations of the Police Records Division Support Services Bureau, within the Police Department including records maintenance and management services; and coordinate assigned activities with other divisions, outside agencies and the general public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be April 21, 2023.

CARS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars $$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James • 630-201-8122

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

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED

Collector James 630-201-8122

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

CHURCH MUSICIAN

Domestic / Import Cars: Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

Church Musician IS Available for church services. Experienced, professional, with music degree. Can teach adults and children. Reads music and plays by ear, Hymns, praise & worship anthems, spirituals, contemporary, etc. Call: 312-909-0381.

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James 630-201-8122

PROFESSIONAL

Maggie Professional Cleaning with 20 years experience, good references. Homes, Apartments,

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Office space (2-3 office rooms,1 bathroom, 700-900 sq ft,$1650/monthly) Please call 708-485-9224 ask for Linda Sokol-Francis

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: Y23010313 on March 14, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of AADEL ISTAMBULE with the business located at: 1500 ROBIN CIRCLE #212, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL 60169. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: AADEL

ABDALMONEAM ISTAMBULE 1500 ROBIN CIRCLE #212, HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL 60169

Published in Wednesday Journal March 22, 29, April 5, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010328 on March 16, 2023 Under the Assumed Business Name of MADAM STYLES with the business located at 2545 W. CATALPA AVE. APT 4C, CHICAGO, IL 60625. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: TOTIANNA POLK 2545 W. CATALPA AVE. APT 4C, CHICAGO, IL 60625

Published in Wednesday Journal March 22, 29, April 5, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET

The Village of River Forest will hold a public hearing on Monday, April 10, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the 1st floor Community Room of the Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois concerning the Village of River Forest proposed budget for the fiscal period starting May 1, 2023 and ending April 30, 2024.

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection at the Village Hall during regular business hours or on the Village’s website at www.vrf.us. For more information, please contact Finance Director Rosemary McAdams at 708366-8500.

Published in Wednesday Journal March 29, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010346 on March 21, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of FLOOFS RANDOM WORKSHOP with the business located at: 339 S TAYLOR AVE OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is:

CARSON HARRIS 339 S TAYLOR

AVE OAK PARK, IL 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal March 29, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

SECTION 000020

– LEGAL NOTICE

Park District of Forest Park 7501 Harrison Street Forest Park, IL 60130

Reiger Park

The Park District of Forest Park does hereby invite sealed bids for Reiger Park. Work will include removals, earthwork operations, concrete curbs, walks and paving, site furnishings, sand play surfacing, artificial turf play surfacing, playground equipment, water play equipment, fencing, planting and seeding, utilities, pre-fabricated restroom installation, and subdrainage.

Project manuals, including bid form and specifications, and construction documents are available after 10:00

A.M. on March 22, 2023 from Accurate Reprographics 2368 Corporate Lane, Suite 100, Naperville,Illinois 60563, 630.428.4433 www.hitchcockplanroom.com. Bidding documents are available to download and print at the non-refundable cost of reproduction.

Bids will be accepted at the Park District of Forest Park, 7501 Harrison Street Forest Park, IL 60130, during regular office hours. All bids must be submitted in a sealed envelope marked with the Contractor’s name and address, and “Bid for Reiger Park,” on the face of the envelope. Bids must be received no later than April 12, 2023

10:00 AM. Bids will be opened on April 12, 2023, 10:00 AM at the Park District of Forest Park, 7501 Harrison Street, Forest Park, IL 60130. 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 Park District of Forest Park.

The successful bidder, as determined by the Park District of Forest Park, 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 Park District of Forest Park (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 Park District of Forest Park, certified payrolls no later than the tenth day of each calendar month for the immediately preceding month.

The Park District of Forest Park 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 ninety (90) days after the bid opening date, without written consent of the Park District of Forest Park. The Park District of Forest Park 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 Eric Hornig, Hitchcock Design Group (630) 9611787, bdeatrick@hitchcockdesigngroup.com, or ehornig@hitchccockdesigngroup.com

[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 Forest Park Review March 29, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park –Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302– will receive sealed proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 20, 2023 for

Project: 23-14, Bridge Fence Repairs. In general, the improvements consist of: the removal and replacement of the damaged fence assembly at the Southwest corner of the Oak Park Avenue Bridge, the installation of bent steel plates to the existing fence posts on the Northeast and Northwest corners of the Oak Park Avenue Bridge between post gaps at the expansion joint, the installation of woven wire fence repairs on the Oak Park Avenue Bridge, and the reattachment of fence posts on the Home Avenue Bridge. Work will include a detour of the Home Avenue Bridge pedestrian traffic as part of traffic control and protection.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained from the office of the Village Engineer starting on Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications to only those contractors deemed qualified. No plans will be issued to prospective bidders after 4:00 P.M. on the working day preceding the opening of bids.

The work to be performed pursuant to this Proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal March 29, 2023

Date of Publication: March 29, 2023

The Village of Oak Park 123 Madison St. Oak Park, Illinois 60302 (708) 358-5416

On or after April 7, 2023 the Village of Oak Park will submit a request to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the release of Community Development Block Grant funds under Title 1 of the of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL93383), to undertake the following project:

Tier 1 Broad Review Project/Program Title: PY 2022 ADA Sidewalks

Purpose: There are many locations throughout the Village where public sidewalks have been identified which, due to their condition or settlement, no longer comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and present a barrier to persons with disabilities.

Location: The project will take place in Oak Park between South Blvd. to the north and Roosevelt Ave. to the south, and Harlem Ave. on the west and Austin Ave on the east.

Project/Program Description: The project involves replacing and angle cutting public sidewalk squares and curbs adjacent to and between crosswalk ramps where elevation differences, cross slopes, or other physical conditions exist that make these areas non-compliant with ADA requirements. Replacing means removal of damaged squares and laying of new concrete, angle cutting means filing and leveling of squares with elevation differences.

Tier 2 site specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known.

PUBLIC

Environmental Justice.

Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): For Contamination and Toxic Substances the Responsible Entity (RE) will assess the 12 zones that make up the whole of the project area for Contamination and Toxic Substances and provide an assessment for each. In doing so, the RE will use data from the following resources to ensure to noted hazardous materials, contamination, toxic chemicals and gases, and radioactive substances, where a hazard could affect the health and safety of occupants or conflict with the intended utilization of the sites: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory and Toxic Substances Control Act Facilities, Illinois EPA Agency Facility Inventory and Information Search System and Landfills, Illinois State Fire Marshall Underground Storage Tanks and National EPA Assist; For Wetlands Protection the RE will assess the zones that make up the whole of the project area to make sure the none of the zones are on or adjacent to land that is designated as Wetlands and provide an assessment for each. All zones will be mapped using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Mapper and proper zone boundaries will be identified.

Estimated Project Cost: $275,000

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The Village of Oak Park certifies to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Tammie Grossman, Certifying Officer, in their capacity as Director of Development Customer Services, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Village of Oak Park Public Works Department to use HUD program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of fund and the Village of Oak Park’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases:

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, April 14, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park Central Pumping Station Masonry Repairs Project Number: 23-116

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

Published in Wednesday Journal March 29, 2023

Level of Environmental Review Citation: Special projects directed to the removal of material and architectural barriers that restrict the mobility of and accessibility to elderly and handicapped persons: 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(2)

Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances; Wetlands Protection;

The activity/activities proposed are categorically excluded under HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements per 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(2). An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for this project is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 and may be examined or copied weekdays 9:00 A.M to 5:00 P.M. or at https://www.hudexchange.info/ programs/environmental-review/ environmental-review-records/.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Village of Oak Park office of Development Customer Service. All comments received by April 7, 2023 will be considered by the Village of Oak Park prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 29, 2023

(a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Village of Oak Park; (b) the Village of Oak Park has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD administration office at 77 West Jackson Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 60604. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Tammie Grossman, Director of Development Customer Services, Certifying Officer

Date of Publication:

March 29, 2023

Village of Oak Park 123 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-6400

Notice is hereby given of a proposed Substantial Amendment to the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) Program Year (PY) 2020 Action Plan for additional funding allocations using $87,451 in returned CDBG PY2020 funds to the following: 1) $78,166 for resurfacing, street lighting, and landscaping on Census Tract 8123.01 Block 2 and 2) $9,285 for alley improvements on Census Tract 8123 Block 1 and 8215. The additional funds being reallocated is due to the bids selected to complete these projects were over budget.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

FIRST

NATIONAL BANK OF BROOKFIELD NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

The proposed substantial amendment is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 and is available for public examination and copying weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST from March 30, 2023 to May 2, 2023.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any comments concerning the proposed substantial amendment may be submitted in writing to the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, via: email to Vanessa Matheny, Grants Supervisor, at vmatheny@oak-park.us, or at the Public Hearing to be held from 3:30PM-4:30PM on May 2, 2023. Please send a request to the above referenced email address to attend the virtual hearing. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed.

Published in Wednesday Journal, March 29, 2023

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

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to call of its directors, a special meeting of stockholders of First National Bank of Brookfield (the “Bank”) will be held at the Bank’s main office located at 9136 Washington Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois, on April 19, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. to consider and vote whether an agreement and plan of reorganization, whereby a holding company, to be named Brookfield Bancshares, Inc., located in Brookfield, Illinois (the “Company”) would be created, making the Bank its wholly-owned subsidiary under the provisions of the laws of the United States, shall be ratified and confirmed, and to vote upon any other matters as may properly come before the meeting. A copy of the agreement and plan of reorganization, approved by a majority of the directors of the Bank and the proposed holding company, is on file at the institution and may be inspected during business hours.

First National Bank of Brookfield

Phillip Richard President and Chief Executive Officer

Published in RB Landmark March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 2023

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS, INC., MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, MANA SERIES 2007-OAR4

Plaintiff,

-v.ELLEN C. SCHNACK, RANDALL C. SCHNACK

Defendants

19 CH 14891

626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE

OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 4, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 19, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-05-319-008-

0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $417,344.71.

purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

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

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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC; Plaintiff, vs. JOHN PRABHAKAR PULUKURI; 929 OAK PARK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; BANK OF AMERICA, NA; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 5256

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty

Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, April 17, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-18-307-034-1008.

Commonly known as 929 South Oak Park Avenue, Unit 2SW, Oak Park, IL 60304.

Date of Publication:

March 29, 2023

Village of Oak Park 123 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-6400

Notice is hereby given of a proposed Substantial Amendment to the Community Development Block Program (CDBG) Program

Year (PY) 2022 Action Plan and move unexpended funds from PY 2018-PY 2021 to PY 2022. The proposed amendments will include the following reallocation of funds: 1) PY 2018 $3,373.50; PY 2019 $128,503,89; PY2020 $350,586.90; and PY 2021

$89,666.50 for a total of $572,130.79 added to the original PY2022 HUD allocation of $1,553,643.00. To prevent funds from expiring and being returned to HUD the Village of Oak Park will amend the PY2022 to reallocate unused funds. 2)

The PY22 budget originally allocated $225,000 to purchase the construction and purchase of a community restroom. This proposed project will be paused until PY23. The proposed amendment will allocate the $225,000 towards two activities

a) $200,000 for an ambulance for the Oak Park Fire Department

Published

and b) $25,000 towards the alley improvements to be completed in PY22 on Census Tract 8123 Block 1 and 8125. The additional funds being reallocated is due to the bids selected to complete these projects were over budget.

The proposed substantial amendment is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 and is available for public examination and copying weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST from March 30, 2023 5.p.m. to May 2, 2023.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any comments concerning the proposed substantial amendment may be submitted in writing to the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, via: email to Vanessa Matheny, Grants Supervisor, at vmatheny@oak-park.us, or at the Public Hearing to be held from 3:30PM-4:30PM on May 2, 2023. Please send a request to the above referenced email address to attend the hearing. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed.

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

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

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

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

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the

For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19-092500.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com

Attorney File No. 19-092500

Attorney Code. 42168

Case Number: 19 CH 14891

TJSC#: 43-1045

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

Case # 19 CH 14891 I3216043

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455. W22-0188 ADC INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3215203

11 Month Certificate of Deposit

11 Month Certificate of Deposit

5.36% APY

5.36% APY*

*Annual Percentage Yield (APY) accurate as of March 21, 2023 and is subject to change. A minimum of $1,000 is required to open the account and to obtain the stated APY. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Offer is for new money only.