WHAT’S CLOSED? WHAT’S OPEN? Farmers Market opens Saturday. Page 10 LaBella closes permanently. Page 14 Wine shop opens on Marion St. Page 10
W E D N E S D A Y
May 27, 2020 Vol. 40, No. 44 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
No new debt as OPRF builds Board to wait for more evidence of COVID-19 financial fallout before issuing debt certificate By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
The District 200 school board may have voted in April to move forward with Project One, the $32.6 million beginning phase of Imagine OPRF capital improvements that include renovating or constructing 76 general education classrooms, reconstructing the south cafeteria and relocating the library, among other enhancements — but the work will not be funded by issuing debt certificates. That was the unanimous recommendation that the Oak Park and River Forest High School board expressed during a May 19 Committee of the Whole meeting. At a meeting on April 23, where it voted unanimously to move forward with Project One despite the financial uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the board directed administrators to consider how added debt might spread out “the responsibility of this project to future citizens and taxpayers,” board member Jackie Moore said at the time. During the April meeting, district officials explained that numerous potential factors, including a freeze on property taxes, the state shifting the cost of pensions to local districts and a loss of state education funding could translate into District 200 losSee NO DEBT on page 8
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
RETAIL HISTORIANS: Deborah Pieritz and John Roberts will be the last generation to own the office supply house which began in Austin in 1895.
After 125 years, Pieritz Bros. calls it quits Regulars mourn closing of corner shop By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
After 125 years selling office supplies, the beloved family-run Pieritz Bros., 401
South Blvd., is closing up shop at the end of June. “It was a really difficult decision. I had been thinking about it for the last decade just because of the climate for small, independent office supply retailors. It just wasn’t real viable anymore as a business,” said co-manager Deborah Pieritz. “We kept it going just purely out of love and
sentiment.” A true family business, Pieritz’s grandfather Robert Pieritz founded the store in 1895 with his two brothers, Henry and Arthur. The original location was on the corner of Laramie Avenue and Lake Street. Growing up, Pieritz and her sister played together there. They also helped See PIERITZ on page 15
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Dear Oak Park Residents and Surrounding Community, This year we are giving back to you with an amazing one time offer (in celebration of our 25th anniversary)! Perfect for children, teens, and adults!
Language and Music Summer Camp! Spanish Immersion no Spanish experience necessary. Our Summer Camp’s waitlist has been eliminated, with all the space we have at the new Mansion!
Special 2020 Offer!
Preschool Group (ages 2-4) Kindergarten through 2nd Grade Group (ages 5-8)
$248 per month
3rd-5th grade group (ages 9-11)
All Languages, All Instruments, All Subjects for Academic Tutoring! All AGES!
$199 for the first month! Private Lessons in ANY subject we offer!
Monday through Friday 9:30am-2:30pm, choose your weeks $250 per week. Before and after care available. Two-week minimum, 8-week recommendation for language acquisition.
Don’t forget to ask about our other programs and offerings: • Before and Afterschool “Homework Cafe” at The International Mansion • Language and Fine Arts Preschool and Elementary School (Homeschool-style in School) • Our Recording Studio • Translations and Interpretations
The Language and Music School At International Mansion
509 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 info@internationalmansion.com • (708) 524-5252 • InternationalMansion.com
oprfchamber.org
JOIN US
We know that most businesses cannot reopen right now, but let's plan for when you can! Zoom into our Multi-Chamber by industry discussions on strategies to re-open. Bi-Monthly calendar per industry is available on: oprfchamber.org/events oprfchamber.org
#workingtogether #shoplocal #ChamberLOVE
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Julian Middle School principal leaving for new post Todd Fitzgerald hired as superintendent in North Riverside By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park will have a new principal next year, after Principal Todd Fitzgerald announced he was resigning to become superintendent of Komarek School District 94, a one-school K-8 district in North Riverside that serves part of that village and part of Broadview. Fitzgerald, who has been the principal for Julian for the past eight years, will start his new job on July 1 and finish out the school year at Julian. He informed Julian parents of his impending departure in an email to families on May 19, just hours before the Komarek school board voted to hire him. “Although I will miss the relationships I
Dr. Todd Fitzgerald have established in the Julian community, my family and I are excited about the opportunities and challenges this new position will bring,” Fitzgerald wrote. “I am grateful to have served as the principal of Julian Middle School for the past eight years, and have thoroughly enjoyed working with my
colleagues, families and community stakeholders to support the academic and emotional needs of our students. All of my experiences in Oak Park have helped me grow both personally and professionally and have prepared me to take this next step in my career as an educational leader. Fitzgerald introduced a middle school International Baccalaureate program at Julian and generally was held in high regard. “As a parent, I am sad that he is leaving,” said Angela Dolezal, the mother of a Julian sixth-grader and the former principal of Longfellow School in Oak Park. “He has spent eight years making Julian what it is, and I feel he’s done a great job.” Dolezal said that her daughter was sad about losing her principal. “We both were disappointed, bummed that he’s leaving,” Dolezal said. “He isn’t afraid to try new things. He has, over the course of the years, really tried to listen to the students and tried in numerous ways to meet student needs. Knowing that he is leaving as
MUSIC IN THE STREETS
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
MOBILE TUNES: River Foresters launch into Memorial Day weekend, actually leave their homes and celebrate as the mobile DJ came through town. They heard Ryan Russ of Forest Park (right) singing from the back of the pick up. Not your usual Memorial Day parade in River Forest but we’ll take it.
my daughter is starting her second year is a hard thing for us to grasp, because he’s been a calming force for a number of parents and students alike.” Oak Park District 97 Superintendent Carol Kelly said in a press release that she is sad that Fitzgerald is leaving, but the district is beginning to plan on how to replace him. “Todd Fitzgerald has been an incredible principal for District 97 for the past eight years. I want to thank him for his hard work, professionalism and significant contributions to the growth and success of Julian Middle School,” Kelly said in the press release. “Although we are sad to see him go, I am proud that one of our district leaders has the opportunity to take on a superintendency.” Kelley said the school district will immediately begin working on a plan to replace Fitzgerald, including “a discussion of how best to engage Julian students, staff and families in the process. We will keep everyone updated on the status of our efforts.”
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BIG WEEK May 27 - June 3 Live Virtual Tours of Hemingway’s Birthplace Wednesdays through Sundays, 1 and 3 p.m., Google Meet Join a docent on a live tour at Ernest Hemingway’s Birthplace Home in Oak Park, seeing and learning about the space, the author’s family and early years while interacting along the way. Up to 15 may join each live tour. $15. Reservations (at least six hours prior): hemingwaybirthplace.com
Val’s Purchases Help Support Young Musicians
Help Make History The Oak Park River Forest Museum is collecting stories, photos, samples of homemade signs and other documentation and using an online tool to survey how residents are living, working and surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. An exhibit and time capsule are being planned. More: 708848-6755, oprfmuseum.org/living-history-capturing-oprf-stories-during-2020-pandemic.
IMPACT for Teens
No Shush Salon
Mondays, 3 to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 to 3 p.m., Zoom IMPACT is Berwyn’s 16th Street Theater’s teen-led, selfdirected program for ages 13 to 19. 16th Street provides the space, resources, guidance and professional workshops. Previously an in-person program, the group now meets virtually. Any teen is welcome to try it out. Email: education@16thstreettheater.org
Thursday, May 28, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Zoom through the Oak Park Public Library Listen to performances by local creative types and share your own works-in-progress or newly finished endeavors at this monthly open mic night. Each person has 15 minutes to present. Spectators welcome. Up next: June 25, July 30, Aug. 27. Register: oppl.org/calendar.
Unity Temple History Quiz Contest Through May 29 Celebrate National Preservation Month by testing your Unity Temple knowledge. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and recently restored, it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other Wright buildings. Prizes include a wood display model of Unity Temple (UTRF members only), a model kit and guided tours upon reopening. Brought by Unity Temple Restoration Foundation in partnership with the Little Building Co. of Queensland, Australia. Online quiz: littlebuildingco. com/unity-temple-quiz.
Kids’ Summer Reading Program June 1 through Aug. 31, virtually through the Oak Park Public Library “Imagine Your Story” continues the tradition of the annual summer reading program while keeping everyone safe. Those age 3 through rising 9th graders are able to participate. Track reading progress and activities through the Beanstack web browser and/ or the app. Register/more: oppl.org/read-listenwatch/kids-summer-reading/
Through June 30 Need more music in your life? Purchase LPs and more from Oak Park retailer Val’s halla Records and 10 percent of the purchase goes to PING! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation). Val’s has recently created on online shop and offers free curbside pickup and local delivery, or mail delivery. Use code PING-ROCKS. Shop: valshallarecords.com/
Better Lake Street Reward Program Through Aug. 31 Shop and dine in Downtown Oak Park, Hemingway District or Pleasant District and save your receipts. Receipts from online shopping and delivery purchases are accepted. Receive $25 in reward certificates by spending $20 or more at five businesses with a total of $200 or more. Reward certificates must be used Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 at participating businesses. Reward books are limited. More: downtownoakpark.net/better-lake-street/
The Great Reverb Bake-Off Saturday, May 30, 7 p.m., @echotheatercollective Facebook Page, You Tube Join Echo Theater Collective’s in-house ensemble for a performance of new and adapted works written/found by its members. Ensemble members “baked up” a narrative or work from ingredients — a phrase, object or feeling. What came out of the oven is a mixture of poems, jokes, scenes and monologues.
Mask-Making for Local Distribution The Park District of Oak Park is still collecting home-made masks to distribute to Oak Parkers, including meal delivery volunteers, first responders and others. Masks are required in all businesses and public areas where social distancing may be difficult. To donate homemade masks, email Maureen.McCarthy@pdop.org. If you need a mask and have no other alternative to acquire one, Oak Park residents can visit the Oak Park Police Department, 123 Madison St. Mask-making instructions/more: cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-clothface-coverings.html
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Back by Popular Demand: Coding Sports Camps Kick Off June 8th
O
nce again Code Play Learn and Legacy Sports and robots. Specifically, they will use, Microbits, will combine forces this summer to offer MIT’s Scratch and App Creation Tool, Ready Maker their one-of-a-kind full-day weeklong Coding IO, LEGO Robotics, VEX, Spheros and more. Sports Camps that engage kids both mentally Greenwald enjoys helping students become and physically. Serving boys and girls currently in technology-literate as they build a strong foundation kindergarten through for lifelong learning, the 8th grade, the whether in technology STEPS FOR SAFER CAMPS Coding Sports Camps or other disciplines. will kick off the week • We have lowered camp enrollments to a While Coding Sports of June 8th and run maximum of 9 campers. Camp promises through the week of to challenge and • We will provide campers and staff with masks August 17th . engage children in and ensure we keep proper social distancing “Mind and body—it dramatically different in both our STEM and Sports activities. doesn’t get any simpler ways, a common • To ensure our facilities and equipment are than that,” said thread pulses through safe we will regularly be disinfecting during Greenwald. “We were the entire day: to the sessions and will use a UV light to kill pleasantly surprised enable each child germs on all surfaces in the evenings. that nobody had to think creatively, thought of it before, • Playing games where there is no contact reason systematically, and we are excited to between players. and to work and play continue blazing this collaboratively. • Altering games so participants will not use/ trail with parents and The Monday through share the same equipment. their children.” Friday program begins Beyond the athletic daily at 8:30 a.m. component, Legacy Sports instructors emphasize and ends at 4 p.m., with an on-site lunch break the development of character-building traits like in the middle. positive communication skills, teamwork and good For more information about Code Play Learn’s sportsmanship. and Legacy Sports STEM & Sports camps Through Code Play Learn, campers will spend the please visit our website at Codeplaylearn.com/ other half of the day creating, coding and building opsummer-2020 or call 708-374-8286. Space their own computer games, apps, Minecraft Mods is limited register now.
Full Day
CODING SPORTS CAMPS Summer Registration Is Now Open Robotics VEX & LEGO
Computer Game Creation
App Creation Lego Robotics
Minecraft Modding
Scratch Game Development
Coding
Scratch Game Development
ForFor registration and all our our programs programsvisit visit: www.codeplaylearn.com registration andinformation information about about all www.codeplaylearn.com 708-374-8286 Ridgeland, Oak Park, Park,ILIL60302 60302 708-374-8286• •132 30 N. Chicago Ave., Oak
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ART BEAT Pain, loss, hope, whoopee cushions Poetry Slam judged by acclaimed poets
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dds and ends with some a bit odder than others: Over the moon: Pumpkin Moon, the North Boulevard shop that celebrates “I Love Lucy,” whoopee cushions, and the best refrigerator magnets, is suffering during the COVID-19 shutdown. Now with its eye on still being in business this October to celebrate its 25th anniversary, its owner has turned to GoFundMe. As of Memorial Day morning, 93 donors had ponied up $6,910 toward a goal of $50,000. OK, make that $7,156 and 139 donors. Gail Eisner, who owns both Pumpkin Moon and Scratch ‘n’ Sniff on Marion Street, said the shop has so far failed in obtaining a federal PPP loan and so it was turning to its customers for help. All I can say is that when retail stores are finally able to reopen, we’re all going to need some Pumpkin Moon in our lives. Let’s help them get from here to there. Before it was Pieritz Bros.: If I’m doing the math right, the Pieritz Bros. office supply store was open at Lake and Laramie from 1895 to 1970. That’s when it moved down the Green Line tracks to South Boulevard and Ridgeland. That’s 50 years ago. But before it was Pieritz and if my memory serves, that location was a fancy dress store called Peck & Peck. At least they looked like fancy dresses to me as we drove by in the 1955 Ford. Major Wright cuts: The pandemic has caused a lot of pain for many local businesses and some nonprofits, including the Journal and Growing Community Media. The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, owner of the Home & Studio, has felt acutely vulnerable almost from Day 1. Hasn’t helped that the Wright Plus housewalk was delayed twice before it was fully punted into 2021. Spring and summer tour admissions at both the Home & Studio and the Robie House in the city are critical. Last week in an email to volunteers, Celeste Adams, CEO, announced that 13 full-time and part-time staffers had been let go. And it does not sound as if they will be coming back. In the email, Adams wrote, “The trust has been changed by this crisis. We face a long and challenging recovery.” The newsroom ecosystem: Newsrooms across Chicago have never been more fragile. From the Tribune, about to be plundered by new venture capital owners, to neighborhood papers, ethnic papers, digital startups to Growing Community Media, the nonprofit that now owns Wednesday Journal, we’re all feeling it. Advertising hit a wall in this pandemic and the challenges were all too real back in the glory days of February. So I’m asking you to consider making a donation, if you are able, to a newsroom collaboration we’re part of called the Chicago Independent Media Alliance. We’ve got $40,000 matching dollars from Chicago foundations and among our 43 partners we’re pushing $40,000 from individual donors. The fundraiser runs through early June, so the days are getting short. Find out more at SaveChicagoMedia. org.
DAN HALEY
By MICHELLE DYBAL Arts Editor
With quarantine, at times, comes opportunity. In this instance, it comes in the form of young people with outstanding poetry having a new version of the annual Freshman Poetry Slam. The study and creation of poetry is not something new at Oak Park and River Forest High School, but who is judging it and how it is presented has changed. This year, outstanding poems were recorded by students in their own homes and those that rose to the top were evaluated by top-tier poets, only available perhaps because of COVID-19. And the students‘ work, previously contained within the walls of the school’s auditorium for an audience of freshmen and their English teachers, is available on YouTube for all to see. Peter Kahn, English teacher and Spoken Word educator, and Christian Robinson, assistant Spoken Word teacher, bring a poetry unit to all freshman and sophomores during their English classes over the course of the school year. They instructed one-third of the freshmen in person and continued with the remaining two-thirds through e-learning when the quarantine began in mid-March. An audio lesson was recorded, as if they were in the room with the students, Kahn said, and then they provided comments as the poems came in. In all, approximately 850 freshmen studied and wrote poems. From these works, the freshmen English teachers chose poems that stood out to name 32 in-class champions. These students recorded videos of themselves reading their work. Then, poems were judged by two Spoken Word assistants who are club alumni, Vann Harris and Noelle Berry; English Division Head Helen Gallagher; Robinson and Kahn. The field was narrowed to 13 poets. The poetry teachers tried to replicate the Freshman Slam process of previous years, but it was not quite the same. “We offer feedback along the way and hopefully, they are employing that,” Kahn said. “We would have been meeting live with students during lunch periods to work with them on their revisions and they would be practicing with each other in the hallways.” “One of my favorite things is when we are doing those
lunchtime sessions and kids who don’t know each other are suddenly becoming friendly with each other,” Kahn continued. “And, that is also where we are recruiting new students for Spoken Word Club.” This is what Kahn is missing the most right now, along with getting to know these students better and seeing experienced Spoken Word students work with these freshmen, he said. Three to four freshmen become club members from this process. Robinson, a 2011 OPRF grad said he joined Spoken Word in this way. The final round was judged by poets Aimee Nezhukumatathil, José Olivarez and Jamila Woods, and Supt. Joylynn Pruitt Adams. Nezhukumatathil is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow and the freshmen class studied her poetry under Kahn and Robinson. José Olivarez, the son of Mexican immigrants, penned Citizen Illegal, which was shortlisted for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. He co-hosts the podcast “The Poetry Gods.” Poet, singer and songwriter Jamila Woods has collaborated with Chance the Rapper (appearing on Saturday Night Live with him) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and has a solo career. She is a member of Dark Noise, a collective of poets and educators of color. This is not the first time OPRF has attracted notable judges. National Book Award winner Terrance Hayes has judged as well Pulitzer Prize winner Tyehimba Jess and T.S. Eliot Prize winner Roger Robinson. “The support our school gives us and, as a result, the reputation our school has, is rather international,” Kahn said. “So when I reach out to a rather well known poet, we have connections and they’ve heard about how talented our students are and how enjoyable they are to work with. It’s a pretty easy sell.” Those talented students include those recognized at the 2020 Freshman Poetry Slam. Announced May 19, co-champions are Lauren Edwards and Irewamide “Wami” Osikanlu. Runners up are Leela Chaloemtiarana, Nainoa Ohata and Rhea Richards. The other finalists are Katherine Bromet, Colette Delgado, Anabel Govea, Victoria “Tori” Hutson, McKenna Macon, Maya Souden, Phoebe Tanocea and Taylor Montes-Williams.
POETRY ZOOM: Co-Champion Lauren Edwards performs via Zoom.
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Trinity’s class of 2020 breaks scholarship record
Over $33 million offered to students By MARIA MAXHAM Staff Reporter
Trinity High School’s class of 2020 has broken the record for the amount of scholarship money offered, with the total at $33.6 million, an average of $314,000 per graduating student. Katie Granholm, college counselor at Trinity, said the amount is more than $9 million over the school’s previous record. Granholm said she’s proud of the students, who worked hard not just academically but during the college application process as well. “They’re undaunted,” Granholm said. Granholm’s goal is to provide the students with all the resources and guidance they need to apply to colleges. “I make a concerted effort to really help the students feel empowered and prepared,” Granholm said. “I want to take the ‘scary’ out of it.” The students this year, she said, went into the application process with confidence. One of the most important parts of college counseling, said Granholm, is guiding students in researching and applying to the right colleges. At Trinity, the students are diverse in many ways, including economically. So Granholm makes a point of telling students who will need more financial help about schools that traditionally offer a lot of assistance. “I try to steer kids toward the colleges and universities that give generous aid,” said Granholm. “Cost is a big part of the decision on where a person will attend college.” Claire Hanley, a senior at Trinity, is the oldest of five chil-
dren, so the process of applying to colleges was brand new for her. “During my junior year, I was so stressed about it,” Hanley said. “I wanted to start the process as early as possible.” She went on college visits, toured campuses, did research. “I think I went through seven drafts of my college essay,” she said. In the end, it was all worth it. She was accepted into the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where she plans to study business. But she was accepted into several other colleges and received scholarship offers totaling over $254,000. Granholm said the bulk of scholarships come from colleges and universities themselves, although the school keeps a robust database of organizations, including churches and local clubs, that offer money for education. As for what college will look like in the fall, Granholm said there will be more clarity by July, when universities will have solid plans in place. “In my conversations with admissions officers,” said Granholm, “colleges are making A B, C, and D plans. Nothing is firm at this point.” Granholm said students who are thinking about taking a gap year or postponing enrollment due to the COVID crisis should work closely with their intended college or university, since “these decisions could impact the terms of admission and financial aid.” Families which have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and will have a hard time paying for
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college are encouraged to reach out to the college’s financial aid office. Financial aid packages for students starting college in the fall, said Granholm, are based off of tax returns from 2018. But there are options for students struggling to pay because of recent events. “Many schools have processes in place to request a financial hardship appeal,” said Granholm. “Colleges are usually willing to consider more recent financial information if a student’s ability to pay has been impacted.” For students entering their senior year of high school in the fall, Granholm encourages researching colleges now, despite inperson visits and tours being canceled for the time being. “Just because you can’t visit schools, it doesn’t mean you can’t advance your college search,” Granholm said. She recommends doing a lot of research to find the “right” school. Just because your neighbor went somewhere, for example, doesn’t mean it’s the best place for you to go. “A lot of students find schools that might not have been in their line of sight originally,” Granholm said. She has high hopes for the class of 2020, and confidence that they’ll do well despite the difficult times we’re in right now and the uncertainty of what college will look like in the fall “This class is so resilient,” said Granholm. “They will figure it out, and they will do so graciously.”
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NO DEBT
Financing Phase 1 at OPRF from page 1 ing roughly $42 million from 2022 through 2025, said Rob Grossi, the district’s outside financial consultant. But despite the gloomy financial forecast, officials and administrators agreed, the district would probably never be in better financial shape to fund much-needed capital improvements than now, when D200 is debt free, has a AAA bond rating and has a fund balance of roughly $100 million. The district’s stellar financial condition, coupled with historically low interest rates makes now a good time to borrow, officials have said. But during the May 19 meeting, board members expressed reservations about funding Project One with debt, arguing that possible borrowing should instead be applied to other needs. “My understanding is that Project One is coming from reserves,” said board member Ralph Martire, adding that the district may need to issue debt certificates to fund the cost of routine maintenance costs in the future. “My understanding of the debt service was that it was just putting us on a rational basis of issuing debt to cover ongoing maintenance needs, which is the standard operating financing procedure of a well operated school district and one that comes at no additional levy cost for taxpayers.” Board member Craig Iseli said that “right now, there’s no sense of borrowing now for risks that are there, because none of them have actually happened and, from my perspective, there’s no reason we can’t allow them to happen and know what they are and then borrow, because we have a big fund balance. We actually have a cushion that gives us that time to watch these things happen before we have to act.” Earlier in the meeting, district administrators had asked that the board borrow $20 million worth of debt certificates, which are paid by the district and not by issuing new taxes, over 15 years. Total interest on the debt would be $3.2 million and annual payments would be $1.6 million, district officials said. Cindi Sidor, D200’s chief financial officer, said the money made available through issuing the debt certificates would need to be spent within a three-year timespan. She added that this scenario, which was one of 12 options — that ranged from $20 million to $40 million and 10-year payment periods to 20-year payment periods — was the best option for the district’s budget. Grossi also said that issuing debt certificates gives the district optionality, meaning that “if we push the cost of a portion of the projects out beyond the next five years, then the district will have more time to adjust to the impact of the finan-
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM cial crisis, either by gradually making reductions in its operations or by waiting for an economic turnaround that will happen at some point over the next decade.” Grossi said that if financial circumstances for the district prove rosier in reality, the bonds can be paid off within seven to 10 years and further costs associated with interest payments avoided. Sidor said that if the district were to issue the debt certificates, she would recommend that they utilize Grossi’s firm, Crystal Financial Consultants Inc., as a municipal advisor; Chapman and Cutler LLC as bond counsel; and Raymond James and Associates as underwriter, a firm that the district has been working with since at least 2017. But all board members agreed that the timing for issuing new debt was off, particularly since there are still many unknowns related to COVID-19’s financial impact. “I don’t think we have the information we need to be making this kind of decision just yet,” said board member Gina Harris. “We should not borrow a penny for Project One,” said board member Tom Cofsky. “We have no debt, which is wonderful. But we’ve absorbed all the expenditures, so we’re spending just as much. But in doing so, in my opinion, we’ve robbed from money that needs to be spent on our facilities.” Board member Jackie Moore said the discussion the board had at the May 19 meeting “dealt with the best way to take on that debt and how.” Matt Baron framed the discussion in terms of what he said has been District 200’s past practice of overtaxing residents. “The reality is our mathematics on all of this is screwy, because we have too much money in the bank. That is an enviable problem. A lot of school districts would love to have that problem, but it came at a cost. And the cost is that we’ve had people in this community for years who have overpaid,” Baron said. “For us to issue more debt for future users to pay for future use of the school makes sense in a sensible world and in a sensible history, but we don’t have that.” Baron said the only way he would support issuing more debt was if “we go with some kind of abatement,” adding that the district will still be able to borrow money down the road. “Banks will still loan money in the future,” he said. “And if and when we get to that point and we have actual figures in front of us instead of projections, I think that’s a more appropriate time to look into that.” Board President Sara Dixon Spivy said that holding off issuing more debt in order to offset concrete costs related to COVID-19, as opposed to anticipating unknown risks associated with the pandemic, “feels much more strategic. To have the information well in advance of when we may need it or act on it is really helpful for making this decision going forward.”
File photo
HOMECOMING GOING: OPRF students celebrate Homecoming in 2018
OPRF’s homecoming likely not coming in September By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
Homecoming is unlikely to happen this September at Oak Park and River Forest High School, District 200 board members and administrators conceded during a May 19 Committee of the Whole meeting. The discussion about homecoming was prompted by D200 administrators presenting a contract to the board for Boom Entertainment, the company that has provided DJ services for OPRF’s homecoming dance for the past 12 years. Greg Johnson, D200’s associate superintendent, said at the meeting that the contract included a Sept. 26 date for homecoming even though it’s unlikely that the event will happen then. Administrators took that step at the request of Boom, which made changes to the contract in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said. Johnson said Boom will allow the district to postpone homecoming to a later time next school year or to cancel without incurring penalties, as long as the cancellation is at least 60 days prior to the event, which would be July 26. Boom would charge the district $30,958 to provide entertainment for this year’s homecoming dance, according to a contract that administrators put up for board review. That’s a 5.5 percent increase over last year, officials said, adding that Boom had not increased its price in several years. “Not only will they put on the same show this year, but they will work with OPRF to make it unique,” Susan Johnson, D200’s director of student activities, wrote in a May 19 memo. “Though we have used Boom for 12 years, in 2016 we did research other companies to make sure we were getting the best deal. “Hands down, Boom Entertainment put on the most flawless show in all schools and was attractive to a diverse population,” she wrote. “The company knows our facility, our
students and our culture and ensures three hours of healthy and safe entertainment for 71 percent of our student body. We will look into other companies again next year to make sure that we are still receiving competitive pricing.” Last school year, more than 2,300 OPRF students attended the dance, which is held in the field house, officials said. The dance, they added, generates its own revenue primarily through ticket sales. Some board members, Ralph Martire in particular, questioned why the date ought to be included at all when it’s highly unlikely that homecoming will happen then. “We’re not securing a date,” Martire said. “It’s not going to happen in September. It’s just not. We have a date in here that is not a real date. And the future date is a to-bedetermined date … I don’t see why we put a date in here that everyone knows is a bad date … I just think the Sept. 27 date is beyond unrealistic.” Johnson, who acknowledged that homecoming is unlikely to happen on Sept. 26, said that the date was put in the contract as a marker designed to lock in the current terms that Boom was offering in light of the pandemic. “Rather than jumping out in front of next fall’s calendar at this point in the game and start to cancel specific events, we wanted to try to get these rates in place given the timeline we had,” Johnson said. Johnson, who did not rule out the possibility of homecoming happening at some point later in the school year, told Martire that “I hear your note of caution. We’ll go back to [Boom] and see if these same terms are possible without that precise date.” Supt. Joylyn Pruitt-Adams said that a lot hinges on “how the state reopens and what the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Oak Park Department of Public Health give as guidance” in the coming months.
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Former Westlake employees sue hospital’s owner
Charge retaliatory termination by Pipeline Health for whistle-blowing By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
Two former employees of the shuttered Westlake Hospital, 1225 Lake St. in Melrose Park, have filed a lawsuit against the hospital’s owner. The lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County on March 24, claims that the company fired Marianna Woosley and Phyllis Morris — Westlake employees for 28 and 26 years, respectively — in retaliation last year after the plaintiffs provided information and evidence demonstrating that Pipeline was attempting close down the hospital in violation of a temporary restraining order filed against it by the village of Melrose Park. Melrose Park sued Pipeline Health and what the lawsuit claims were two shell companies — Pipeline-Westlake Hospital LLC and SRC Hospital Investments II LLC — which the California-based company allegedly “would use to purchase and quickly close” Westlake despite telling state regulators that it would continuing operating Westlake and providing charity care, or
free or reduced health care for low-income patients, for at least two years following the change of ownership transaction. The mandatory requirement to continue providing charity care put Pipeline Health “in a difficult position,” the lawsuit states. “On the one hand, Pipeline Health knew that it would not follow through on any sworn promises to provide charity care because it planned to permanently close the hospital immediately upon purchase,” the lawsuit states. “On the other, Pipeline Health knew that without making the sworn charity care promises, the [Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which regulates hospital acquisitions] would deny its application and Pipeline Health would lose out on the opportunity to purchase” West Suburban Medical Center, 3 Erie St. in Oak Park, and Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago. The latter two hospitals were the only “profit-generating hospitals that [Pipeline’s] investors were determined to acquire.” Once Pipeline secured regulatory approval, it finalized the purchase of Westlake on Jan. 31, 2019 before announcing three weeks later on Feb. 16, 2019 that it would soon file an application to close the hospital. The lawsuit states that Woosley and Morris learned of Pipeline’s plans to close Westlake “on or around Feb. 16, 2019,” when it filed an application with the state’s Review
Board, requesting permission to discontinue all services. Melrose Park sued Pipeline for fraud and violations of the village’s municipal code on March 7, 2019, the lawsuit explains. Even though Pipeline’s application was scheduled for review by state regulators during a meeting on April 30, the company tried closing the hospital before the meeting, prompting Melrose Park on April 9 to file a temporary restraining order in the Circuit Court of Cook County prohibiting Pipeline “and its affiliates from closing Westlake Hospital before its application was approved by the Review Board,” the lawsuit states. On the same day, Pipeline Health CEO Jim Edwards instructed senior officials within Pipeline and Westlake to start “shutting down all operations” at Westlake and “vacating the facility.” After learning of the village’s temporary restraining order, Woosley and Morris began providing the village with evidence that Pipeline was violating the order and state law by attempting to close a hospital before the state granted permission. On May 2, Pipeline — “furious with both Plaintiffs for reporting its violations” — fired Woosley and Morris. No other employees were fired, the lawsuit states. Pipeline directed Westlake to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August 2019 in federal
bankruptcy court in Delaware. Westlake closed in the same month. The lawsuit was filed by attorney Ari J. Scharg, of Edelson PC, the same law firm that filed the lawsuit against Pipeline on behalf of Melrose Park. Woosley and Morris are both seeking back pay, with interest, damages for their emotional distress, punitive damages, all litigation costs, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and all other relief available at law.” The lawsuit did not specify a dollar amount. Westlake’s emergency department has since been temporarily reopened by the state as an alternate care facility designed to take in COVID-19 patients, in case existing hospitals in the area become overwhelmed. Attempts to contact representatives with Pipeline Health on Monday were unsuccessful.
CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com
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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN DISTRICT 91? Retirement Parade for Mr. Milnamow and Mrs. Compere
Monday, June 1, 2020 at 12:00 pm (rain date Tuesday, June 2nd)
The staff of Betsy Ross Primary School is hosting a drive-by parade to honor our retirees, principal William “Bill” Milnamow and librarian/media specialist Leslie Compere. Please help us to say goodbye to our dedicated educators as you drive by Betsy Ross School and wave. To honor Mr. Milnamow, let’s have some fun and encourage everyone to wear a tie in homage to his iconic tie collection. Please spread the word to the community. All are welcome to participate! We look forward to seeing everyone!
To learn more go to FPSD91.org
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Wine by the bottle. Served at the curb Anfora Wine Merchants opens on Marion Street By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor
Anfora Wine Merchants, a retail shop and wine education center, officially opened for curbside service at 128 S. Marion St. on May 22. An Italian word with Greek origins, Anfora, refers to a two-handled terracotta vessel used in Ancient Rome to store or transport wine. Currently the young business is offering wine packages in groups of three, six and 12 bottles for pickup at price points that appeal to budget conscious wine-lovers and wine collectors alike. Rather than order from a list of available bottles, Adrian Weisell, co-owner, sommelier and River Forest resident, asks for preference notes and selects wines for customers. Orders are placed through Anfora’s website. “I am looking to build relationships with my customers,” said Weisell. “Ultimately we’re asking that you trust me. Let go a little and let me pick the wine for you. Anfora will give people a chance to try wines they wouldn’t normally try.” Weisell’s parents hailed from Indianapolis where his father worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Weisell was born in Italy after his father was stationed as a nutritionist in Rome. Weisell’s elementary school was housed in a working vineyard. He remembers the school library was housed in an old barrel house and toy bins were made from repurposed animal troughs.
After attending the College of Wooster in Ohio, Weisell returned to Rome and began working in his friend’s restaurant. Graduate school brought Weisell back to New York where he worked in the notable Italian restaurant, Il Buco, while studying international affairs. Il Buco, was (and remains) a notable wine destination in the city and carried a great selection of Italian wines. Through mentorship, exposure, and education Weisell was ultimately promoted to sommelier. “My approach to wine is not how a standard sommelier would approach it,” said Weisell. “Wine is about more than taste to me. I look at wine drinking through a cultural and historical lens.” The Marion Street space still requires finishing touches, but Weisell is hoping the shop recaptures the feeling of his childhood and honors old world traditions. A welcoming retail space engages customers upon entry, floral murals cover walls and terracotta pendant fixtures hang from the ceiling. Wooden shelves house bottles of wine and a set of double doors give way to a tasting room with a counter suitable for hosting small classes. The shop does not have a kitchen, but he is laying the ground work to partner with Carnivore, located just around the corner, in an effort to provide charcuterie boards, oysters and other small bites to the enoteca — a regional wine shop that originated in Italy. As for opening during a pandemic, Weisell remains optimistic. “It is a very interesting time to open, but my concept very much caters to these sorts of limitations,” said Weisell.
Courtesy Melissa Elsmo
VINEYARD ROOTS: Adrian Weisell extols a bottle of wine from the Italian village where he spent his childhood.
“This is a great business to be opening now. That said, we are scrambling to adapt because there is still a lot of uncertainty and a lot to figure out.” Socially conscious and well-travelled guests will appreciate the thoughtful approach Weisell takes to curate a wine tasting experience. In the future he envisions Anfora Wine Merchants to be a social destination where people can try wines by the glass or by the bottle.
Exploring What’s Good – Farmers Market
How the pre-ordering app for Oak Park Farmers Market works
For their 45th season, Oak Park Farmers Market is offering two ways to shop. In addition to a modified in-person market opening
on Saturday, May 30, they are also piloting an online preordering program through What’s Good, an app designed to connect people to local farmers, artisans and producers. Online preordering, expected to sell out quickly, went live on Monday, May 25 at 9 a.m. The first virtual market sold out within hours. In the future, pre-orders will be offered in
limited quantities to prevent volunteers and village staff from becoming overwhelmed. As familiarity with the aggregation process increases, the capacity for pre-orders will grow as well. Interested parties are encouraged to create an account on the site. Click on Oak Park, under Chicago markets, to see a list vendors and products available for purchase.
Both chambers pass cocktails-to-go measure SPRINGFIELD — A measure allowing bars and restaurants to serve cocktails to go passed both chambers of the General Assembly Saturday, meaning it needs only a signature from Gov. J.B. Pritzker to become law. State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, said in a news release the bill is aimed at bringing “much needed” relief to bars and restaurants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a floor debate, she added that 300,000 of the 580,000 people employed in the hospitality industry in Illinois are currently jobless as indoor dining is still not allowed under the state’s stay-at-home order.
Per the bill, bars and restaurants would be allowed to sell pre-mixed cocktails or other mixed drinks for delivery and curbside pickup, provided they are in tamperproof, sealed containers. Drivers would be required to store mixed drinks in a trunk or other inaccessible compartment. The cocktails-to-go measure would be repealed one year after the effective date of the bill, which would be whenever the governor signs it. The measure, House Bill 2682, included other provisions aimed at assisting businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well. Those include automatically renewing and extending liquor
licenses and waiving late filing fees for a license holder that has had business suspended in any capacity due to the pandemic. Lawmakers were scheduled to work well into the night Saturday and possibly into Sunday, making passage of the bill still a possibility this weekend.
JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Given the limited number of preorders, market-goers are encouraged to keep pre-ordering slots available to high-risk shoppers. Virtual market shoppers must pre-pay online to receive their order in Pilgrim Church’s parking lot at 460 Lake St. between 9 a.m. and noon. Items will be placed directly into vehicles and no money will be exchanged. Green City Market uses What’s Good to fill orders. Recently Robin Schirmer, a former Oak Park Farmers Market assistant manager and current volunteer, visited the Chicago market to observe the aggregation and distribution process where volunteers fill and give out 275 online preorders per market. “Oak Park’s operation will start out on a much smaller scale,” said Schirmer. “It should be able to grow into a successful asset for the market, farmers and those unable to safely shop in the live market.” Oak Park’s in-person market, featuring more than 20 vendors, will open at 7:30 a.m. across the street from Pilgrim Church at Scoville and Lake and close at 1 p.m. Free parking is available in the OPRF High School parking structure on Scoville at Lake. And, yes, there will be donuts, sold preboxed on the church’s lawn, also available for pre-order pickup.
Melissa Elsmo
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
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C R I M E
Burglars hit St. Catherine-St. Lucy Roughly $700 in cash and gift cards were taken out of an unlocked desk drawer in an unlocked office at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy, 27 Washington Blvd., between 3 p.m., May 10 and 2:31 p.m., May 18. Burglars hit the church again not long after, ransacking several offices and unsuccessfully attempting to pry open a locked office between 5:30 p.m., May 19 and 7 a.m., May 22. In late March, the church was broken into and had almost $6,000 work of electrical equipment taken from it.
Burglary
■ Someone forced open the service door of a residential garage in the 900 block of North Grove Avenue at 12:15 a.m., May 20. No loss was reported; damage is estimated at $200.
■ A silver Windsor 6.0 bicycle was removed from a garage with an unlocked side service door in the 300 block of South Grove Avenue between 9 a.m., May 19 and 7:30 a.m., May 20. The estimated loss is $600. ■ A blue 26-inch specialized expedition mountain bike was taken out of a residential garage with an open overhead door between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., May 20 in the 1100 block of North Lombard Avenue. The estimated loss is $300. ■ A lawnmower was taken from an unlocked residential garage in the 1000 block of Clarence Avenue between 10 p.m. and 11:20 p.m., May 21. The estimated loss is $300. ■ A bicycle and a handheld router were taken from an unlocked garage also in the 1000 block of Clarence Avenue between 9 p.m. and 11:45 p.m., May 21. The estimated loss is $2,150.
Vehicle theft
*Someone stole a beige 1991 MercedesBenz 300TE, left unlocked with the keys inside, parked in the 400 block of South Harvey Avenue between 12 p.m., May 19 and 8:20 a.m., May 20. The estimated loss is $8,400. Illinois State Police recovered the vehicle at 4:45 a.m., May 22 in the 600 block of South Genesee Street in Waukegan but made no apprehensions.
Theft
■ *The catalytic converter was cut from a vehicle parked in the 900 block of Wesley Avenue between 6:30 p.m., May 14 and 10 a.m., May 15. Estimated loss is $1,000. ■ *A green Giant Comfort Cruiser bicycle was taken from a rear porch in the 400 block of Berkshire Street between 1:30 p.m. and 5
What’s up with the catalytic converter thefts lately? Over the past two weeks, Forest Park’s police department has seen an increase in the number of catalytic converter thefts. And Forest Park’s not alone. Oak Park, Brookfield and North Riverside have experienced a similar trend in people removing and stealing the auto part from cars. In North Riverside, catalytic converters were cut from 14 vehicles in a car dealership overnight between May 11 and 12. In Brookfield, a resident reported one stolen on May 18. In Forest Park, at least seven have been stolen from vehicles around town since May 10. Oak Park has seen several similar thefts too. According to Forest Park Police Chief Tom Aftanas, there has definitely been an increase lately in the illegal removal and theft of catalytic converters, which act as
exhaust emission control devices on cars. “This type of theft was popular a few years ago but dwindled,” said Aftanas. He explained the logistics of stealing a catalytic converter: “A person has to crawl under a vehicle and use a Sawzall [reciprocating saw] to cut the pipe on both ends of the converter to remove it. It can be done quickly, but it can be noisy.” In fact, a North Riverside victim of a recent catalytic converter theft was alerted to the crime occurring because he heard what sounded like an electric saw. Aftanas said the thieves steal converters to sell them to scrap yards because inside them are metals, including platinum, that make them valuable. Catalytic converters can be sold to scrap yards or online to metal recyclers for any-
where from $30 to over $100, depending on where you sell it and what kind of converter it is. For unfortunate victims of cat thefts, a brand-new catalytic converter can cost anywhere from as low as $50 to upwards of $1,000, depending on what kind of car and converter you need. But installation, if you don’t know how to do it yourself, can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars onto the cost. Aftanas said he’s unsure if all the crimes are related or not, though he said the police department does have the description of an offending vehicle involved in several incidents that occurred on the same day.
Maria Maxham
p.m., May 20. The estimated loss is $800. ■ *A ceramic chicken statue was taken from the back yard of a residence in the 200 block of Randolph Street between 9 p.m., May 20 and 9 a.m., May 21. The estimated loss is $300. ■ *The catalytic converter was cut from a 2002 Honda CR-V parked in the 700 block of Wesley Avenue between 4 a.m. and 4:03 a.m., May 22. The estimated loss is unknown. ■ *The catalytic converter was cut from a 2012 Kia Soul parked in the 1000 block of Washington Boulevard between 6 p.m., May 21 and 7 a.m., May 22. The estimated loss is $3,000. ■ *The catalytic converter was cut from a 2003 Honda CR-V parked in the 700 block of South Harvey Avenue between 5:30 p.m., May 20 and 1 p.m., May 21. ■ *The catalytic converter was cut from a Cadillac DeVille parked in the 200 block of South Kenilworth Avenue between 2 p.m., May 19 and 7 p.m., May 23. The estimated loss is $700.
Criminal damage to property
*Someone used a sharp object to scratch the paint on the driver’s side of a vehicle parked in the 400 block of North Harlem Avenue between 10:45 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., May 18. Estimated damage is unknown. *Someone scratched the paint on the driver’s side of a vehicle parked in the 1000 block of Pleasant Place between 6 p.m., May 27 and 5:44 p.m., May 18. Estimated damage is $400. *Someone entered the foyer of an apartment building and ransacked open mailboxes, scattered mail on the floor, then knocked off and broke the glass light fixtures and unscrewed the lightbulbs between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., May 22 in the 800 block of Washington Boulevard. Compiled by Stacey Sheridan
Oak Park’s COVID-19 cases reach 279
Since March 18, Mike Charley, Oak Park’s director of Public Health has released daily announcements to keep the public up to date on the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact. Here is the latest: As of May 19, 24 Oak Park residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the village’s total cases to 279. Charley also announced that three people have died, officially the 18th, 19th, and 20th COVID-19-related deaths. Charley announced that a man in his 60s died and, on May 22, that a man in his 70s died. Both fatalities came after the residents tested positive for COVID-19. The village also provided information on the positive cases within long-term care and assisted living facilities. Berkley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center did not have any new residents or staff members who tested positive for COVID-19. However, according to the village’s report, one
Berkley resident died on May 20, which is the 19th likely COVID-19 death in Oak Park. When Wednesday Journal reached out to Berkley to confirm the death of the resident, the nursing home did not respond immediately. Since last week, Brookdale Oak Park had two residents test positive for COVID-19. Belmont Village of Oak Park, Oak Park Arms and Oasis of Oak Park did not experience any changes in staff- or resident-confirmed cases of COVID-19 or deaths related to the virus. In total, two residents and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at Belmont Village to go along with one fatality. Berkley Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has had three residents and one staff member who have tested positive for the virus while one resident died. Brookdale Oak Park has had seven residents and seven staff members
test positive for COVID-19 while one resident has died. Oak Park Arms has had six residents and three staff members with confirmed cases as well as one resident fatality. Oasis of Oak Park has had 20 residents and five staff members test positive for COVID-19. Ten residents at Oasis have died after testing positive for the virus. As it does with every daily announcement on this matter, the village stated that it cannot release further information regarding any of the cases due to privacy laws. Based on information that was provided by Natalia Derevyanny, who is the director of communications at the Cook County Bureau of Administration, Cook County has had over 3,460 COVID-19 infection deaths. Last week, that number was at 2,465.
James Kay
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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SPORTS EXTRA
With help from Fenwick, military family reunites Girls soccer honors Military Appreciation Month
Presidential Service Badge and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. For a time, Marlin Sr. was assigned to the White House, where he would meet his wife Shela, who is also a Marine. She now works as a police officer at the Department of Veteran Affairs after working as part of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron for four years. On top of the service provided by Shela and Marlin Sr., MJ and his cousin, Victor, didn’t own bikes, making the Grant family a perfect match for the campaign. The event’s press release stated that they wanted to give Victor a bike as well so that “they can ride together.” On the day of the event, members Fenwick and Solorio’s soccer teams talked with MJ about his dad right before the grand reveal. “MJ and his cousin [Victor] were so funny,” said Fenwick junior Anna Mulcahy. “We asked him what his dad was like and he said that his dad wears a uniform and a lot of buttons. He made sure to tell us [Marlin Sr.] wears a belt which we all laughed at.” While Trost and Mulcahy said that MJ has a big personality, he was a little camerawary with all the media members pointing their lenses at him. Still, he shook off his timidity and went for a ride on his new bike. “He was very sweet and polite,” said Mulcahy. “It was a great moment to be a part of.”
By JAMES KAY Sports Editor
When he heard his doorbell ring early in the morning on May 19, 6-year-old Marlin Grant Jr. had no idea of the surprise he was about to receive. Greeted by members of Fenwick and Solorio high schools’ girls soccer teams, multiple media members and cameras outside in front of his home, Grant Jr. (nicknamed “MJ”) heard a countdown from the small crowd. “Three! Two! One!” Pealing around the corner of his house was MJ’s father and U.S. Marine, Marlin Sr. on the bike the soccer players assembled for MJ. Even with the excitement in receiving a new bike, MJ ran over to get a hug from dad, whom he hadn’t seen with Marlin Sr.’s travel-heavy schedule. “If you haven’t been in a military family, you don’t think about what a military kid goes through,” said Joe Trost, the founder of PepsiCo Showdown which helped organize the event. “You hear stories where dad couldn’t make graduation because he had to spend it at base or the family has to move six times in nine years. We wanted to do something for those kids.” Over the last year, PepsiCo Showdown, which brings high school sports teams together from different areas for tournaments and charitable off-the-field events, has been planning out a campaign to honor military families for Military Appreciation Month. For last year’s PepsiCo Showdown tournament, Trost and company brought bike parts and manuals for the teams to assemble bikes
Fenwick players also reunite Courtesy Joe Trost
TOGETHER AGAIN: U.S. Marine Marlin Grant Sr. surprised his son on May 19 when he returned to the Grant family residence. for the children of the military families. The Grants were obvious candidates to be recipients of the campaign. Marlin
Sr. has been a Marine for the last 12 years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. During his time of service, he received the
Former Huskie Barnes transfers to Simeon After announcing on April 23 that he planned to transfer from Oak Park and River Forest High School, incoming senior Isaiah Barnes told Scott Burgess of Prep Hoops Illinois that he will be transferring to Simeon High School. This is Barnes’ second time transferring to a different high school. After his freshman year at Romeoville High School, Barnes transferred to OPRF for his sophomore and junior years. His brother, Daniel, also played at OPRF and went on to play college hoops at University of Illinois Chicago. Barnes didn’t return Wednesday Journal’s inquiry on why he chose to make the move to the city. However, he joins a strong Simeon team that already includes
dynamic guard Ahamad Bynum, who verbally committed to DePaul University last November. At OPRF last season, Barnes averaged 18 points and seven rebounds per game. He scored 27 points versus Simeon at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament. Since the season ended, he has picked up scholarship offers from Big Ten schools such as University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Michigan and Iowa State University. Other offers from prominent collegiate programs include DePaul, University of Kanas, University of Georgia, Creighton University and Texas A&M university. After dominating the West Suburban
Conference over the past four years, OPRF’s basketball program is going to have a different look heading into next season. Along with Barnes’ departure, OPRF’s head coach, Matt Maloney, stepped down from that position on May 6. The team also lost two key seniors in Justin Cross and Kyren Gardner to graduation. Even with the shake-up, OPRF still has a solid roster that, for now, includes last year’s starters Josh Smith and Demetrius Dortch. Rising seniors Rashad Trice, Eric Locke Jr., and Anthony Coleman also provided valuable minutes off the bench and will certainly take on larger roles next year.
James Kay
The Grant family wasn’t the only group that reconvened after time apart. While the whole team wasn’t there due to scheduling conflicts with AP testing, seven Friars showed up to support the cause. It was the first time the team members had seen each other since their season was suspended four days before the first game. “It went from hard practices and going 100 miles per hour to the season being canceled and stopping at zero miles per hour,” said assistant coach Dan Hussey. “I felt so bad for the seniors and everyone on this team because they put a lot of time in to prepare for this season. But you have to give them credit. They understood the situation and took the right attitude. I also think it says a lot about them to show up early in the morning and come through for this [event]. They are still have class and AP testing. Even if we didn’t have the entire team there, I think it meant something to them to do this.” Mulcahy echoed a similar sentiment. “We’ve gotten to see each other over some [Zoom video conferencing calls], but it’s not the same,” said Mulcahy. “With social distancing too, we wanted to give [MJ] a hug and give each other hugs. But when we saw each other yesterday, we were super happy. Our team is really close.”
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
W H A T ’ S
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C L O S E D ?
LaBella forever gone La Bella Pasteria, 1103 South Blvd., permanently closed on Sunday, May 17. The 30-year-old restaurant, known for serving up Italian cuisine, was an Oak Park mainstay. Steve Dolinsky, TV personality and author of 2018’s “Pizza City, USA,” named La Bella’s thin crust pizza among the top five available in the Chicago suburbs. Specific reasons for the closure were not given, but a post on LaBella’s website expressed gratitude for their “supportive, kind and wide customer base” and expressed hopes they would “stay safe and in good spirits during these difficult times.”
Maya offers takeout as patio awaits Maya del Sol, 144 S. Oak Park Ave., has introduced “Maya To Go” and reopened May 21 to offer food and cocktails for contact-free curbside pickup. They are offering a robust menu including their popular ropa vieja, wagu burger and mango braised beef nachos as well as margaritas and sangria by the quart. In addition to maintaining strict kitchen sanitation procedures, Maya has introduced additional COVID-19 related safety measures to protect staff and patrons when ordering and picking up from the establishment. Details on safety protocols, hours of operation and ordering instructions can be found on Maya’s website. Additionally, customers should keep an eye on Maya’s patio. On May 20, Gov. J. B. Pritzker announced, as part of phase three of Reopen Illinois, it is probable restaurants will be allowed to reopen for patio seating as soon as May 29. Maya is not currently taking patio reservations but will update their website as plans for outdoor dining become clear in the coming days. “I anticipate Oak Park will follow the governor’s order. We can be tighter on regulations but not looser,” said Mayor Anan Abu Taleb and Maya del Sol stakeholder, “Having a good working relationship with the state is important to us. There will be a meeting of the village board on Tuesday to discuss all of these issues.”
Put a Cork in it Illinois The Uncork Illinois Wine Festival held each June in Downtown Oak Park will not happen this year. Cancelled by COVID. So the Seventh Annual event will have to reemerge in 2021 as Seventh Semi-Annual event. We do have a story today on page 10 about a new wine shop opening on south Marion Street. Let that ease your sorrows. Uncork Illinois was to have been a fundraiser for the Oak Park Animal Care League. So send a few dollars to those pups and kittens.
Block parties? That would be a no
Pretend it is 2019 again. It’s block party
W H A T ’ S
N O T ?
W H A T ’ S
C H A N G E D ?
day. It’s hot and humid. And you forgot a key ingredient for the seven-layer nachos you had promised to bring. Besides, there’s a Sox game on TV — hey, it’s our fantasy, so yes, there is a Sox game on TV. Maybe you’ll just turn off the lights and pretend you’ve left town. There’s always next year’s block party. Well, now its 2020 and you’d kill to watch the neighbor kids run through the sprinkler all day, chasing each other with water balloons. Sitting by the fire pit swapping stories until too late sounds luxurious. But no block parties for you. Oak Park has suspended block parties due to COVID-19. We have to wait for the elusive Phase 4 of Restore Illinois before groups of up to 50 can gather. So no new block party applications will be accepted. And if your block has already signed on, you’ll be getting your cease-and-desist order shortly.
Is the pool open? That would be a no Should have happened over the Memorial Day weekend. The park district pools at Ridgeland Common and Rehm always open on Memorial Day. And this year we had the hot weather that would have made it a treat. But good ol’ COVID put the kibosh on that fun. The park district has announced the pools will not open pending further guidance from the state. Further darkening the picture, park officials said they suspended pool opening maintenance prep and training of staff. Meanwhile in Forest Park, the park district officially cancelled its pool season outright.
Pride never goes away June is Pride Month. No virus changes that. Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association+ (OPALGA+) is urging supporters in Oak Park and River Forest to fly their Pride flag in support of the LGBTQ+ community. And here’s the pro-tip: OPALGA+ members will be canvassing the villages on June 6 and 7 taking pictures of all the flags they see. And some of those images will be featured in a full-page ad in the Journal on June 24.
Oh, thank heaven, 7-Eleven The 7-Eleven at Madison Street and Scoville is gone. Permanently closed, says the sign on the door. How can this happen?! And when Fenwick eventually reopens, where will its students buy their healthful snacks? What are the cops from the Austin District doing on their breaks? There will be a new normal. So far it is lesser than.
Throw a pot? It’s possible Terra Incognito, 246 Chicago Ave., is planning for summer camps despite the virus.
Fair Share becomes Dollar Tree The former Fair Share grocery store, at 6226 Roosevelt Rd., is being converted into a Dollar Tree location. The familyrun grocery store closed in February after 44 years serving the southeast Oak Park community. Millco Investments purchased the property March 16 for $1.1 million with Dollar Tree serving as a tenant on a long-term lease. “They’re excited to open up business and we’re excited to help them,” said Millco Investments President Bobby Miller. Despite the COVID-19 crisis, which has put many development projects on hold, construction crews have already started renovating the roughly 15,000-square-foot building and its accompanying surface parking lot. “The village [of Oak Park] was generous to give us a demolition permit during the COVID and they’ve been a pleasure to work with,” said Miller. Dollar Tree is scheduled to open July 20 but Miller is “optimistic” that it could open before July 4. The intention was always to have the property converted into a dollar discount store of some kind, according to Miller. “We generally have an idea when we’re prospecting and pursuing property what our intentions are,” Miller said. The building is undergoing improvements worth an excess of $300,000 Miller The shop announced registrations for a preteen and teen two-week camp for learning wheel-throwing. Well, that’s something to do.
Do you need some Hemingway? The Hemingway Foundation, owner of the Hemingway Birthplace Museum on Oak Park Avenue, has begun virtual tours of the lovely relic. In a lively twist, the tours are
believes, during its transformation into a Dollar Tree, Miller believes. Construction crews are leveling the floors, redoing the roof and repaving the parking lot. The new Dollar Tree will also have brand new signage, fixtures and counters, as well as new heating and air conditioning. Miller also believes the building will receive upgraded plumping and electricity. “I think the store is going to do exceptionally well in this market,” said Miller. “It’s a great community for them. It’s an immediate neighborhood that’s very dense. Roosevelt Road is a very well-trafficked road.” Fair Share, founded by brothers Joe and Vito Salamone in 1976, was a beloved neighborhood staple. Over their 44 years doing business in Oak Park, the Salamones provided countless Oak Park teenagers with jobs and supported community organizations. The closure was mourned by many. “It always sad to see a long-standing neighborhood business go out of business,” said Miller. “It is nice that the property can continue the service the community and Dollar Tree is looking forward to a successful relationship with the city of Oak Park and the community for the next chapter of this real estate.”
Stacey Sheridan
live on the Google Meet platform. Hemingway docents conduct the tours twice a day at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday. You’ll hear the fascinating stories of the complicated Hemingway family and how the family and the Oak Park community shaped young Ernie. You need to make a reservation at least six hours in advance and the tours are limited to 15 people. Sign up at hemingwaybirthplace.com
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
PIERITZ
Long history from page 1 tidy up the shop, earning a nickel for every cabinet they cleaned out. “It was kind of a mysterious place with all this cool stuff,” she said. After 75 years at its first location, Pieritz Bros. moved to the corner of South Boulevard and Ridgeland Avenue in Oak Park. Pieritz’s father Alvin Pieritz ran the shop for many years. Her mother turned the shop over to Pieritz and her sister in 2005; she has manned the helm ever since alongside her brother-in-law and co-manager, John Roberts, who started working at the family business in the 1980s. While Pieritz Bros. sells standard supplies, it is far more than just a peddler of pens and file folders – it’s an Oak Park institution. Pieritz Bros. doubles as something of a quirky, walk-in time capsule filled with antique manual typewriters and vintage pens; it even sells bits of history, including typewriter ribbons and china markers. As it currently exists, Pieritz Bros. is an earnest homage to yesteryears, completely devoid of the cheesiness that permeates nostalgia shops. And that makes it truly unique. Pieritz Bros. saw its business steadily decrease with the onslaught of big box office
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
MANY GENERATIONS: Deborah Pieritz holds up an old photo of her father inside the store at Pieritz Brothers on Ridgeland Avenue supply chain stores. Now, most of the store’s profits come from walk-in customers. “It was a cool, funky place but in terms of an actual business that was supposed to support us, that was kind of waning,” Pieritz said. “I’ve known that was happening for a long time. It was inevitable – and then the [COVID-19] pandemic, that made it very clear.” The Oak Park River Forest Museum will preserve the memory of Pieritz Bros. by displaying its fascinating artifacts. Executive Director Frank Lipo has already collected some Pieritz signage and one of the store’s
counters. “He’s taking a few key things, which I’m really happy about, so I think we’re going to have a bit of a presence,” Pieritz said. The museum will also house many of the typewriters displayed in Pieritz Bros., as well as an antique pen case originally from the Oak Park Marshall Field’s. Pieritz finds saying goodbye to the store bittersweet. “Making the decision was really, really difficult,” she said. However, once decided, Pieritz said it felt like a “weight just lifted off of ” her.
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“Part of me is sad,” she said. “And this is going to sound weird, but I want to kind of enjoy it – giving out pieces, expanding the store on a different level.” The store has been a monumental part of Pieritz’s life; the aftermath of its closure will, she said, “be sort of interesting,” but exciting. Pieritz herself is an artist and her brother-in-law is an inventor. Both will now have more time to dedicate to their individual creative pursuits. “I always have all these outside projects, and so does John,” she said. “It’ll be different. I’m excited to work on other ideas, see how it’s going to affect my art.” Many customers have expressed their sadness over the store’s impending closure to Pieritz. “People are sad, but for the most part people are very understanding of why it’s happening,” she said. “I was worried that we were letting them all down, and we are, I’m sure, but it just doesn’t make sense anymore.” Throughout its many years in business, Pieritz Bros. served many of Oak Park’s most beloved residents, including Barbara Mullarkey, Wednesday Journal founding member and former columnist, and housing integration pioneer Bobbie Raymond. Saying goodbye to its customers has made closing Pieritz Bros. even more difficult. “We will miss them terribly. They were just very good to us,” she said. “That’s why it’s been really hard to move on.”
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n environmental cleanup process of this magnitude has many moving parts. The property has long been recognized as an environmental hazard due to a history of on-site dry-cleaning facilities. This past January, the developer’s environmental consultant, Pioneer Engineering and Environmental Services, prepared and submitted a site investigation/remediation objectives report and action plan to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA.) Approval of this submission by the IEPA is a required step in achieving a “No Further Remediation” (NFR) determination, meaning the site is “clean” at the completion of the development. As the developer awaits IEPA approval, the Illinois Drycleaners Trust Fund (IDTF) approved the remediation plan on May 13th. This is an important milestone in the process. Due to the site contamination, the project qualified for Illinois Drycleaners Trust Fund remedial benefits, which are an important component of the project. In cooperation with the current claimant (former drycleaner), Sedgwick received the proper authorization, and Pioneer prepared the budget for approval.
This Drycleaner Trust Fund approval, along with the anticipated upcoming IEPA approval will allow for completion of the on-site remediation and cleanup. Once completed, the condominium homes at RF are designed to create a maintenancefree lifestyle for residents. Owners will have incredible access to the outdoors, providing condo owners with outdoor space that rivals that of a single-family home, without the upkeep. Residents can enjoy outdoor space with no need to spend time on lawn maintenance, tree pruning, gutter cleaning or snow removal. For those residents who spend part of the year in other locales- whether it’s Michigan, Florida or Arizona- a condominium at RF allows them to lock and leave, without worry. The interior spaces are easy to manage as well. For those downsizing from larger homes with multiple staircases, single-floor living in a condominium provides all of the space and none of the hassle of having to climb stairs throughout the day. Without the staircases and hallways needed in single-family-home style living, the condominiums at RF live large, and
allow residents to host large family gatherings. Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty is leading the sales of the project, Preconstruction pricing from $699,900 to $1,449,900. Call 312-335-5354 or visit www. RF-LakeStreet.com for more information. Due to the Covid-19 Shelter-In-Place Order, the
Sales Center at 7579 Lake Street is open for individual appointments only. Meanwhile, the RF Development team wishes good health to all during these challenging times
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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17
Homes
Frank J. Baker House, Wilmette
New owners to breathe life into 1909 Wright home Oak Park realtor, contractor help buyers realize landmark’s potential By LACEY SIKORA
T
Contributing Reporter
he Frank J. Baker House in Wilmette was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909. Reportedly, Wright himself brought the plans to Baker in Wilmette via horseback. A co-founder of First National Bank of Wilmette, Baker also helped bring electricity to the North Shore while working for Commonwealth Edison. Eric and Amy Bauer purchased the home in October 2019 for $600,000. It last sold in 1957 to architect Walter Sobel and his wife, gallery owner Betty Sobel, who called the place home until their deaths in 2014 and 1999, respectively. Oak Park realtor Jan Kerr listed the house for sale, and the Bauers brought in Oak Park contractor Pam Whitehead of P&P Limited to help them bring the house back to life. At roughly 4,800 square feet, the Prairie Style home is Wright’s largest home in the suburb. According to Whitehead, the house has a lot going for it. “It’s about two blocks from the lake, on a triple lot,” Whitehead said. “The lot alone is worth a lot of money, but the house is a historic landmark, so you can’t tear it down. It’s
pretty much in its original state.” Kerr first listed the house in July 2019 for $900,000, but prospective buyers struggled to see the potential in the house. Whitehead, Kerr’s friend and former neighbor, said, “The kitchen was from the seventies, and there was an active leak in the roof. People had no idea how to live in this house.” Whitehead called on her frequent collaborator, Wilmette architect Mike Venechuk, and the two put together a floor plan and a prospective budget that Kerr could show potential buyers. Within two weeks, the house was under contract. Barbara Gordon, executive director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, says that the organization was glad to see the house in the right hands. “The Frank J. Baker House is a unique and important representation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early Prairie Style,” Gordon wrote in an email. “Constructed in 1909, it has a long and interesting history in the village of Wilmette. “Wright’s architecture has recently been recognized as having World Heritage status, thus there is an imperative to the saving and caring for all of his existing houses. This is the only Wright Prairie house in Wilmette. “The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy offered the Bauers its assistance in learning about the house and caring for it shortly after they acquired the property. We were given the opportunity to review their rehab plans and our staff architect, board attorney and I spent an afternoon
with Amy reviewing their intentions for the house. “Our board attorney convinced the Wilmette Historic Preservation Commission that the Bauers were absolutely the perfect new stewards for such an historic house and that their plans were exactly what the house needed to preserve its historic character yet making it livable in the 21st century.” The Bauers liked Whitehead and Venechuk’s plans so much that the couple brought the contractor and architect on board to bring the house back to life. Whitehead said the house has great bones but needed a lot of attention. Rehabilitation will start with new HVAC service, wiring, plumbing, water and sewer service. Along with general old-house issues like knob-and-tube wiring and some leaks, Whitehead says animals had tunneled into the crawl space beneath the house to live. She also says that the house suffered from some structural issues that often plague Wright’s work. “There are wide expanses with lots of windows,” Whitehead said. “They are beautiful, but they don’t offer a lot of support.” She adds that the living room’s leaded windows are pushing out and need to be stabilized. The Baker House is the first Wright commission for See BAKER HOUSE on page 21
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
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Oak Park Eats positively encourages readers to think about the food and beverages they consume and seek our unique and memorable beer drinking experience while celebrating Kinslagher’s local partnerships with Carnivore, Opportunity Knocks, Daly Bagels, and Darr-B-Q. - Keith Huizinga, Kinslagher
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Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District. Beautiful 1-acre lot.
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KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
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LISTING PRICE
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1243 W 112th St, Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $188,999 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................................................................................................................ Facebook.com/Annette-Shelton-Chicago-Real-Estate-Expert-714783365261978/ . . . . . . Sunday 12-12:15pm 814 Wenonah Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $434,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest................................ Facebook.con/BuyInBerwyn. . . . . . . Sunday 12-12:15pm 814 Wenonah Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $434,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest..............................Facebook.con/OakParkBroker. . . Thur, May 28 • 4-4:15pm 110 S Marion. Unit 305, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . $439,900 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest.....................Facebook.com/myrealtorpatandco/. . . . . . . . . .Sunday 2:30-3pm 1230 Linden Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $550,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................................................................................................................ Facebook.com/YourTrustedRealEstateResource/ ..................................................... Sat, May 30 • 1:15-1:45pm 1201 N Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . $565,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................... Facebook.com/BuyInBerwyn. . Sat, May 30 • 11-11:15am 1201 N Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . $565,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest.............................Facebook.com/OakParkBroker. . . Thur, May 28 • 4-4:15pm 819 Fair Oaks Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $670,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................................................................................................................ Facebook.com/YourTrustedRealEstateResource/ .........................................................Sat, May 30 • 12:30-1pm 545 Gunderson, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $675,000 ......................................BHHS CHICAGO.................................. Facebook.com/zak.knebel/. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunday 1pm
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1132 Rossell Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $949,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................................................................................................................ Facebook.com/BuyInBerwyn ................................................................................ Sat, May 30 • 11:30-11:45am 1132 Rossell Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $949,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest............................................................................................................................ Facebook.com/OakParkBroker .................................................................................... Thur, May 28 • 4:30-4:45pm 703 N East Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,080,000 ...................BW Oak Park River Forest.....................Facebook.com/myrealtorpatandco/. . . . . . . . . . Sunday1-1:45pm
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17 Forest Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $499,000 .......................BW Oak Park River Forest.....................Facebook.com/myrealtorpatandco/. . . . . . . Sunday 12-12:30pm
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
! o G o T Up!
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These local retailers are all OPEN during the current shelter-in-place order Check out their offerings online, call them for curbside pick-up.
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CarefulPeach Boutique
108 N. Marion St, Oak Park 708-628-3677
1024 North Blvd, Oak Park 708-383-3066
Specializing in contemporary women fashion, accessories and gifts.
Wine, bath and body, jewelry, home goods, kitchen and hostess gifts, puzzles and childrens items, all with a French Flair!
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You can order online or call 708-628-3677. We offer Curbside Pick-up, Free Local Same Day Take 20% off your entire purchase use code SPRING20
Accents by Fred 7519 Madison St., Forest Park 708-366-9850 Facebook.com/accentsbyFred/
Handcrafted one-of-a-kind jewelry, gift items, custom greeting cards, custom face masks. Jewelry repair, watch batteries replaced Call or email us at accentsbyfred38@g-mail.com. Curbside pick-up Hours: Tues - Sat 1-6
Al-Mart Furniture & Bedding 7045 W. North Ave. Oak Park 708-383-5909 Almartfurniture.com
Bedroom Furniture, Sofas, Sectionals, Desks, Book Cases, Dinettes, Recliners, Mattresses and all other home furnishings and accessories.
Order on our website or call to schedule a showroom appointment. Curbside pick-up Hours: 11 to 5 pm Extra 20% off everything we carry!
Art Studio 928 911 South Lombard, Oak Park 630-240-9092 studio928.net
We offers Virtual Paint Parties for birthdays and other special occasions.
Call us or email events@studio928.net or visit our website http://studio928.net to select an image to paint. We will call or text you when your order is ready for pick-up. Curbside Pick-up Hours: Tues - Sun 11- 4 ART! Now paint kits with bonus traceable bird image, $20. Limited Supply. Available until we run out!
Bead In Hand 145 Harrison Street, Oak Park 708-848-1761 Beadinhand.com
We have DIY bead kits for sale on our website, including kits for Mother’s Day gifts. Kits are available now!
Orders can be placed on our website Curbside Pick-up is available 1-3pm daily except Tuesdays and Sundays, and at additional times as needed. Customers can knock on our door or call from their car and we’ll bring their items out.
The Book Table 1045 Lake St, Oak Park 708-386-9800 Booktable.net
Books, journals, and puzzles
Order online or over the phone. Curbside pick-up Hours: Mon-Sat 9-9, and Sun 11-6
CarefulPeach.myshopify.com
Call our shop, direct message us on Facebook or Instagram, or order thru our Shopify website Curbside Pick-up Hours: Mon-Sat 10:30-6, Sun 12-5 Buy a case of wine, even mixed, 15% off! Check out our 25% OFF Daily Peachy Items on our website or social media.
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore 7419 Madison St, Forest Park Centuriesandsleuths.com/ E-mail: cns7419@sbcglobal.net
Specializing in History, Mystery and Biography Books both hard back and paperback books for adults, young adults, and children. Call or shop online 708-771-7243 (Fax 708-771-7412) Curbside Pickup Hours: Tue-Fri 12-7; Sat-Sun 12-5 Make a $15 purchase for books (before sales tax) and choose an ARC* from the books (covers) displayed on easels in the store’s display window.
Divine Consign 1800 S. Harlem Ave, North Riverside 708-386-3366 Divineconsign.com
New and Nearly New Furniture and Decor Purchase online or call (708)386-3366 for appointment.
Curbside pick-up is available. Just pull up and call us. Hours: Tues - Sun 1-5
Edible Arrangements 107 N Marion St, Oak Park 708-848-4840 Edible.com
Fruit baskets, chocolate strawberries, fruit smoothies, balloons, cookies and cheesecakes
Order on our website or call us. Pay for your order online or by phone, then call when you arrive and we will bring it out to you. We also offer next day free delivery (except holidays) Hours: 9-6 Mon thru Fri. 9-5 Sat and 10-3 Sunday
Elevate Hair and Beauty Boutique 321b Harrison Street, Oak Park 708-227-3788 elevatehairboutique.com
Beauty and bath products, home decor, hair care and accessories for all ages. We have great gift sets, or we can help create for you!
Order online at our web store Call Gail to arrange curbside pick-up or delivery. E-gift cards available online. Free shipping nationwide! We can also include a free card in your order to your gift recipient.
Fitzgerald’s Fine Stationery 111 North Marion Street, Oak Park 708-445-8077 Fitzgeraldsstationery.com
delivery (Oak Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park, Forest Park) or Curbside pick-up.
Garland Flowers 137 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park 708-848-2777 GarlandFlowers.net
Flowers, loose and arranged, green plants, blooming plants, garden plants
Order by phone or online Call when you arrive and we will bring your order out to you. We also deliver! Hours: Mon – Sat 9-3
Sear’s Pharmacy 1003 Madison St, Oak Park 708-386-6304 Searsrx.com
Prescription Medications, Over-the-counter medications, Vitamins
Call ahead with order and payment info. Call when curbside, and we will bring your order out to you. We also offer Delivery Hours: Mon-Fri 9-7; Sat 9-2; Sun Closed
Sugarcup Trading 110 N. Marion St, Oak Park 708-524-5336 Sugarcuptrading.com
A whimsical well curated children’s boutique specializing in fashion, accessories, books, specialty toys and gifts.
Offering: Online Shopping, Concierge Service, Virtual Shopping Parties You can order online or call 708-524-5336. We offer Curbside Pick-up, Free Local Same Day Delivery and shipping throughout the US. Hours: Mon-Sat 11-5
Team Blonde Boutique, Eco Spa, and Salon 7442 W. Madison, Forest Park 708-771-5590
Register on our site now for Summer Session I or II All classes held via zoom while Coronavirus restrictions are in place.
Teamblonde.com Clothing, gifts, jewelry, handbags, bath & body products, hair care products To order, go to our website, email us at blondes@ teamblonde.com, or call. We offer curbside pick-up and delivery. For curbside pick-up, pull up to our front or back door and call to let us know you arrived. Hours almost anytime, by appointment. Mention this ad for 15% off your first curbside purchase
Lively Athletics
Ten Thousand Villages
L’Institut Français d’Oak Park 11 Harrison St, Oak Park 217-840-6359 Frenchinstitute.net/
All levels of French classes for adults and mature teens.
109 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park 708-358-0605 Livelyathletics.com
Athletic apparel and shoes for women, athletic shoes for kids
To order: Call us, email us, Facebook message us... anything! We’re so excited to take your order! For curbside pick-up, pull up outside our store and give us a call. We’ll run your purchase to your car, or leave it right outside our door. Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5 $5 off any curbside shoe purchase (adult or kid) with code WednesdayJournal
Manouche 146 N Oak Park Ave (New Location - previously at 103 N Oak Park Ave)
708-505-5546 Women’s clothing and accessories with a focus on independent designers, organic fibers, and ethical sourcing. manoucheshop.com Currently open for curbside pick-up and doing local non contact delivery. Flexible hours 15% off purchase of $300 or more. (pre-tax) Now thru May 31.
Oak Park Jewelers 101 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park Oakparkjewelers.com
Jewelry store
Call 708-383-9695 or email info@oakparkjewelers. com to set up a virtual appointment and/or arrange curbside pick-up. Local Delivery is also available. Hours: Tues – Fri 11-4
A Paw Place in Oak Park 708-516-8038
APawPlace@gmail.com • Apawplace.com/ A mom-owned local business delivering biologically appropriate foods, treats & toys for cats & dogs. We also carry artisanal Grounds & Hounds coffees. Help support homeless pets! Shop online or contact us any time by phone or email. We provide FREE Door Drop Delivery!
121 N Marion St, Oak Park 708-848-4572 land-line 708-737-3156 mobile
Tenthousandvilllages.com/oakpark
We are a cultural gift shop selling an assortment of fair trade items from jewelry, home decor, musical instruments, planters, garden accessories, cards, coffee, tea, chocolate, wall decor, clothing.
Look online, then call the store to place an order. You can also DM us if you see something you like through our Facebook or Instagram pages. Curbside pick-up is at our side door on Westgate. Call us when you arrive. Hours: Tues, Fri and Sat 10-4pm
Trends Consignment Boutique 810 North Blvd, Oak Park 708-434-0801 Trendsoakpark.net
Women’s clothing & accessories
Shop on our website and through our social media posts. If you have a special request, virtual shopping appointments are also available. Join us for our LIVE shopping parties on Facebook. Tues-Thurs at 8pm. When you have placed an order, you can request curbside pick-up by emailing Amanda@trendsoakpark.com. Curbside pick-up is available Monday-Friday starting at noon
Tulipia Floral Design 1044 Chicago Ave, Oak Park 708-524-1323 Tulipiafloraldesign.com
Floral arrangements and gifts
Order on our website or call us at 708-524-1323 . For curbside pick-up, call upon arrival and we will bring out your order. We also deliver. Hours: 10-5
Greeting Cards, Stationery and Gifts
Call or shop our online store. Complimentary local
Each of these businesses paid a very nominal fee to participate in this ad. Thank you for supporting these local businesses!
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
BAKER HOUSE
Rebuilding a treasure from page 17 Whitehead, who left behind a corporate career to become a general contractor 18 years ago. Much of her work has been in historic homes in the Oak Park and River Forest
area, but this one feels different. “After 18 years, I finally get to work on one,” Whitehead said. “I’m super excited.” Likewise, Venechuk is looking forward to working on his first Wright house. He has worked on homes on the National Register of Historic Places before, but says there is something special about a Wright house. “There’s great light coming in. Right away, you know this is going to be fun,” he said. Venechuk notes that the project required
jumping through a few extra hoops for permits and plan approval. “With a Frank Lloyd Wright home, there’s more to consider,” he said. “There’s more local, national and even international interest in this home.” Venechuk says that the Wright connection has affected his approach to the project from the very beginning. “Usually, when I start a home, I go in and take measurements, and it takes me three to four hours for the entire house,” he said. “This house took four days.” On top of making the house water tight and updating bathrooms, the major focus is a new kitchen. Like most Wright kitchens, the existing space has a low-ceiling and is dark. Venechuk says the ceilings are a bit below seven feet, and the plan is to pick up the feeling of the living room, which has 16-foot ceilings. Because the kitchen is on the rear of the house, Whitehead says they got approval to change some of the layout, and can raise the ceilings up two feet.
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The construction will take the house from five bedrooms to four, and will add a laundry room and guest bathroom to the second floor. Whitehead points out that a faithful restoration according to the strictest standards is not the plan, but stresses that the homeowners are keeping true to the feeling of the house, “They are doing a renovation to save the house, not a complete restoration,” she said. Whitehead notes that a faithful restoration can add a lot more time and a lot more expense to a project, something that very few have an appetite for. “For me, an old house is an old house,” Whitehead said. “A lot of them were built better if they weren’t Wright houses. An old house is an old house, and they all need the same thing.” Venechuk says the house was a treasure and will remain one when it is finished. “Every time I go in, I’m just amazed at what a presence it has,” Venechuk said. “It needs a lot of work, but it’s going to be beautiful.”
BIG JOB: The new owners of the Frank J. Baker House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909 toward the end of his Prairie style period, have opted against a full-blown restoration, but their renovation will honor the home’s historic character while making it work for contemporary living.
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020 paid advertisement
These local restaurants are all OPEN during the current shelter-in-place order Check out their menus online, call them for delivery, carry-out, or curbside pick-up. Barclay’s American Grille
1120 Pleasant St., Oak Park Classic American cuisine: burgers, BBQ ribs, fresh seafood, steaks and chops Our Menu: barclaysamericangrille.com/wp-content/ uploads/Barclays-Pick-up-Delivery-Menu.pd Call 708-848-4250 for Curbside Pick-up Delivery is available through Grubhub and UberEats 4pm - 8pm, Tuesday through Sunday
Blackout Baking Co.
(office) 842 N Harlem Ave, River Forest Bite-size gourmet cookies Our Menu: Blackoutbakingco.com Order from our website for FREE local delivery or nationwide shipping. Always accepting orders. Delivery and ship day every Tuesday. Call 872-222-9519 Local PERK! 20% OFF our new DIY Cookie Box with code ‘FOOD2GO’
Burger Moovment
7512 W North Ave, Elmwood Park 708-452-7288 Our menu: Burgermoovment.com/ delivery:Grubhub.com
Buzz Café 905 S. Lombard Ave, Oak Park Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner + Sweets, Snacks & Desserts served ALL DAY! Our Menu: Thebuzzcafe.com For Carry Out, Curbside Pick-up or FREE Delivery call 708-524-2899 Deliver also available with Uber Eats 7am - 7pm, 7 days a week
Counter Coffee Air Roasters
7324 Madison Street, Forest Park Our menu: Countercoffee.com FRESH Coffee, Eco-Friendly, Air Roasted each day in store, hand crafted beverages, and pastries (gluten free & vegan options available). Whole bean coffee and single use pods roasted for you when you order! Mobile order online at Countercoffee.com, call ahead, and walk-in available. We can ship coffee to all 50 states. 708-689-8896 Open daily from 7am - 4pm
Cucina Paradiso 814 North Blvd, Oak Park Italian Menus: Cucinaoakpark.com For Pickup, call 708-848-3434, curbside pickup is available For Delivery go to DoorDash or Grubhub Every night 4pm – 9pm
Eastgate Café 102 Harrison, Oak Park American Comfort Our Menu: Eastgatecafe.net For Curbside Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-660-9091 Delivery is also available on Grubhub 12pm - 8pm; closed Monday
George’s Restaurant
145 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Our Menu: Georgesoakpark.com/menu Serving breakfast and lunch for pick-up. One soup per day. All items won’t be available. Call ahead for availability. For Pick-up call 708-848-4949; Delivery available through Door Dash and Postmates 8am - 3pm Monday - Sunday
Grape Leaves Restaurant 129 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park Mediterranean, Moroccan and Lebanese cuisine Our Menu : Grapeleaves.us For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-848-5555 We also partner with Grubhub, UberEats, Postmate. Sunday - Thursday 12-8pm Friday and Saturday 12-9pm
Happy Apple Pie Shop
226 Harrison, Oak Park happyapplepie.com Sweet and savory pies, special orders Our menu is posted on our Facebook page and Instagram, or call us. Call 708-606-0037 to arrange for No touch take-out, Curbside Pick-up, and Free Delivery Wednesday-Friday 11:30am to 6pm, Sat. Noon-5pm.
Hemmingway’s Bistro & French Market
211 N Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL French-American: Steaks, Roast Chicken, Burgers, fresh Seafood, Salades, fresh-baked Desserts, Family-Style Dinner Packages, plus Champagne, Fine Wines, & Cocktail kits Our Menu: Hemmingwaysbistro.com Call 708 524-0806 for Contactless Curbside Pick-up & Delivery 11am - 7:30pm, Seven days a week, Sunday till 7pm.
Jerusalem Café
1030 Lake St., Oak Park Our Menu: Jerusalemcafeoakpark.com/menu Middle Eastern cuisine For Pick-up and Deliver call 708-848-7734 Delivery is also available through Uber Eats and DoorDash. 11am – 9pm Daily
Kettlestrings Tavern
800 S. Oak Park Ave Contemporary American Our Menu: Kettlestringstavern.com/eat For Curbside Pick-up, call 708-613-5044 Delivery is available through GrubHub Mon 3pm - 8pm; Tues - Thurs 3pm-8pm; Fri - Sat 11am–8pm; Sunday 10am-8pm
La Notte Ristorante Italiano 118 N Marion St, Oak Park Fine Authentic Italian Our Menu: LaNotte-op.com For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-948-7576, or text 773-817-2858 or order online Delivery also available on UberEats and Doordash 2pm - 9pm daily Limited time offer -$100 Gift Certificates for just $80
Old World Pizza 7230 W North Ave, Elmwood Park Pizza, Burgers, Pasta Our Menu: Originaloldworldpizza.com For Pick-up, Curbside Pick-up, Delivery and Contact-less Delivery call 708-456-3000, or fax 708-456-4580 Mon 3:30pm – 9pm; Tues – Thurs 11am –9pm; Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm; Sun 11am – 9pm
One Lake Brewing
1 Lake St, Oak Park Contemporary Locally Sourced Food - Craft beer brewed on-site, plus wine & cocktail kits Our Menu: nelakebrewing.com/eat Curbside pick-up & complementary contact-free delivery. To place an order please call 708-434-5232 (we only have one phone line so please call us back if busy). Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 4 pm - 8 pm
O’Sullivan’s Public House 7244 W. Madison Street, Forest Park Modern American/Pub Food Our Menu: Osullivanspublichouse.net Call 708-366-6667 to order Carry-Out and Local Delivery (No Delivery Fee) Daily Specials posted on Facebook @osullivanspublichouseFP Delivery also available on GrubHub O’Sullivan’s is open for Carry-Out and Delivery Friday-Saturday 12-9pm, Sunday-Thursday 3-9pm
Puree’s Pizza & Pasta 1023 Lake St, Oak Park Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, panini, wraps Our Menu: Pureespizzaandpasta.com/ For Curbside Pick-up, take-out and Delivery, call 708-386-4949 Available Daily 11am – 9pm
Q-BBQ 124 N. Marion St, Oak Park BBQ Our menu: Q-bbq.com For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-628-3421 or order online. Open every day 11am - 8pm Delivery available with ChowNow and DoorDash NOW OFFERING FAMILY PACK SPECIALS! Go online or call for more info
Robinson’s #1 Ribs 848 Madison St, Oak Park Barbecue (vegetarian options available) Our Menu: Rib1.com For Carry-out and Delivery call 708-383-8452 Delivery is available through UberEats, DoorDash , Grubhub Tues – Sun 12pm – 8pm
Scratch Restaurants Scratch Kitchen & Lounge 733 Lake Street • 708-434-5643 District Kitchen & Tap 220 Harrison • 708-434-5289 American/burger/sandwich/salad/mac n cheese Our Menu: Scratchfp.com For Pick up/curbside (rear entrance), call 708-434-5643 Sun - Thurs 11am - 12am; Fri - Sat 11am - 1am
The Little Gem Café 189 N Marion St. Oak Park American Bistro Our Menu: Thelittlegemcafe.com/menu For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-613-5491 Tues - Sun 3pm - 9pm (closed Mon) Delivery is also available from Doordash
Tre Sorelle Ristorante 1111 Lake St., Oak Park Homemade Pizza, Italian cuisine Our Menu: Tresorelleoakpark.com For Curbside Pick-up and Delivery call 708-445-9700 Delivery also available with Grubhub, Uber Eats Mon - Thu 11am - 9pm; Fri 11am - 10pm; Sat 3pm - 10pm; Sun 3pm - 9pm
Starship Restaurant 7618 Madison St., Forest Park Gourmet sub sandwiches, homemade soups, catering and individually wrapped items for safe distribution Our Menu: Starshiprestaurant.com For pick-up and delivery, call 708-771-3016 or order online Mon thru Sat. 8am - 9pm, Sunday 11am - 6pm
Now is the time to support local business!
Each of these restaurants paid a very nominal fee to participate in this ad. Thank you for supporting these local businesses!
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com
VIEWPOINTS
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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Summer Reading Program p. 25
Many dances came before ‘The Last Dance’
T
he recent documentary, The Last Dance, about the Chicago Bulls’ remarkable six NBA championships in eight years was a great relief from the relentless noise of COVID and politics for many Chicagoans. It was great fun to relive the many iconic moments from the 1990s when Chicago was the center of the basketball universe. My sons and I parsed each episode in great detail. I’m sure many might not appreciate how special those golden years were to us fans. After all, basketball is only a game. Not so for me. Like art or music or dance, for me and my family, basketball is much, much more. As a child of the 1950s growing up in southern Indiana, there really wasn’t any other sport. I played basketball all the time. I shoveled my court, cut off the fingers of cloth gloves to dribble, and played against myself, pretending I was Rick Mount or Jimmy Rayl (who was Indiana “Mr. Basketball” in mid-’50s), eventually making the winning buzzerbeater. My Uncle John had a hoop on his barn. For real. Marsha’s rites of Hoosier passage included her first season ticket to the New Albany Bulldogs high school basketball team when she was in junior high. I wasn’t all that good at basketball except for defense. I was afraid to shoot, and never wanted to take the last shot because I was afraid to miss. The anti-Jordan. Marsha and I had three sons. The four of us were nuts about basketball. I coached. They played. Park league, YMCA, Julian Junior High, OPRF, countless camps, and hours and hours in the alleys behind our homes. I’d referee, coach, announce, and break up fights. I had a vast collection of basketball coaching Rick Mount goes in for a layup. tapes and books. There were high times and low times, joy and sorrow. Exhilarating wins were followed by soul-crushing defeats. We followed high school, college and pro basketball. I’m currently in a fantasy basketball league with my sons and their friends. I’m the oldest by 30 years. Lily and Ava, my two oldest grandchildren, are now playing basketball, coached by their dad. I was awarded Best Fan by the fifth-grade Glen Ellyn Titans last season. It is one of my proudest accomplishments. The documentary reminded me of how central basketball has been to me and our family. Of course there are lots of different ties that bind our family together, but the long multi-generational history of the sport is pretty special for us. My three sons are my closest three friends for a number of reasons. The role basketball has played in creating those relationships is certainly one of them.
JOHN
HUBBUCH
PHOTO BY ANDERSON KENNEDY
PROM-INENCE: Back row left to right: Charlie Kreidler, Ella Weatherington, Mattie Blake, Audrey Kessler; Front row left to right: Helena Lorenz , Margaret Korinek, Japer Nord, Elise Beile
Quarantine Prom and lessons learned
P
rom is one of America’s most beloved high school traditions, ongoing since the late 19th century. OPRF High School’s was supposed to be on May 16. Being the sensitive person I am, I knew I would be upset if I didn’t do anything to celebrate. So I had a handful of friends dress up and hosted an impromptu “Quarantine Prom” in my front yard (while abiding by social-distancing rules). We were able to take photos in front of my senior lawn sign, which the OPRF faculty was so kind to give to this year’s graduates. The experience brought back many great high school memories, which I shared with the people who attended. Don’t get me wrong, OPRF wasn’t perfect. There were times when I felt more like a number than a valued student. I had terrible anxiety, and it wasn’t until my senior year that I actually started to enjoy school. At the beginning of quarantine, I found myself constantly negotiating with the virus. When we were told we were not coming back to school after spring break, I thought that I would at least have a month to be with friends and teachers before the year ended. I desperately wanted just one more school day to properly say goodbye. When we were told the rest of the school year and graduation were canceled, I thought I would at least start college on time. However, even that might not be a possibility anymore. That’s the problem with coronavirus, it doesn’t make compromises. You get to a point where it’s difficult to look forward to anything. The most devastating part about all of this is that I had to leave an environment I was finally starting to feel comfortable in. We all did. Not only have we been robbed of the best part of high school, but we have also been forced
into this new, weird form of adulthood. The administration notified us a few weeks ago that our graduation had been moved to an online ceremony in June instead of the original in-person one that was planned for August. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I know this whole situation is out of our control and the administration is doing everything they can. However, four years of hard work just to hear our names read off over a computer has left us feeling a little heartbroken. Still, we’re learning to make the best of every situation. Even though we all forgot how to socialize due to lack of human interaction, “Quarantine Prom” really did raise my spirits, and it was nice for my friends and I to be reunited. In the first piece I wrote for Wednesday Journal, I mentioned that seniors would find ways to celebrate even if not in a traditional way. We are doing just that. As much as I would have liked to perform one last show with my teammates, or danced with my friends at an actual prom, I’m still finding ways to be grateful for quarantine because it has taught me lessons that I don’t think I would acquire anywhere else. My biggest takeaway from quarantine is the importance of optimism. For the longest time, I’ve always just assumed that optimism was a sign of ignorance. I saw it as a way to avoid the difficult parts of the world without dealing with the consequences. However, I’ve learned that optimism isn’t a rash choice, but a way of living. It’s not about ignoring the challenges in front of you; it’s about choosing to remain positive in spite of them. I now realize that if there is anyone who will make it out of this pandemic alive, it’s the optimists. Quite literally, because science has proven that optimism strengthens the immune system.
MARGARET KORINEK One View
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
O U R
V I E W S
OPRF says no to debt
A
good decision, a unanimous decision, by Oak Park and River Forest High School’s board last week to move forward with Phase One of the overdue capital project at the Scoville Avenue campus — but to undertake this $30 million-plus project without taking on new debt. Instead, Phase One will be paid for out of the still ridiculously huge cash reserve — we’re talking north of $100 million — that this school has unfairly accumulated by illicitly overtaxing local residents in years past. It was gratifying to hear current board members acknowledge again publicly that past boards acted improperly in that scheme. All major decisions in this moment are rightly made with the impact of COVID-19 top of mind. There will be financial consequences to OPRF from this virus. Administrators and financial consultants have now twice attempted to slow this determined school board from moving forward with a project that will remake dozens of classrooms and rebuild the south cafeteria on its way to finally investing money in this building after 50 years of neglect. But the board, partly with the valued input of member Ralph Martire and his unique professional perspective on taxation and education, have decided, rightly we think, that it is impossible at this moment to sort out where the pain will come from and how big the potential hit will be. And since all involved agree that OPRF is in outstanding financial shape owing to that fund balance, the board is moving ahead. It will hold the option of taking on debt for a future moment where it might prove necessary. But, said the board, it is not necessary now. We agree.
Dining out(side) Oak Park has plainly become a mecca for restaurants. They line the streets in each and every commercial strip. They help define, especially those that are independently owned, the culture of the village. They generate notable sales tax, liquor tax and property tax revenue. So getting this engine of commerce running again in this COVID-19 pandemic is important. Like all small businesses, our restaurants are suffering grievous, sometimes insurmountable damage. We report today that LaBella, South Boulevard off Marion Street, will not reopen. There will be more of these permanent losses. So the move to follow Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s new guidance on allowing outdoor seating to re-open, maybe even to be created, is enticing. The state’s guidance is strict: much diminished seating capacity to ensure social distancing, servers and diners wearing masks except when eating, temperature checks of employees before shifts. All necessary steps. Oak Park officials have basically said the village will follow state guidelines. So we expect to see outdoor dining as early as the end of this week. Here’s our caution: There are clearly many lame-brained people at large. We saw them all Memorial Day weekend on TV news in states and cities — Lake Geneva, for one — which have already reopened. No masks, no social distancing, seemingly no brain cells at work as they swamped bars and restaurants. Down that path is more infection, more delay in anything that looks like sustainable normal. As Oak Park moves forward with outdoor dining, it must carry a big stick of enforcement. Pressure and expectations will fall on food entrepreneurs to enforce crowd limits. And it will be necessary for the health department and police to actively shut down excess. If we thought it was hard to scoot families off playgrounds a month ago. Setting limits on diners and drinkers will be much harder but more necessary. We have not, as a village, as a state, sacrificed so much over three months for the public good to allow it to evaporate for nachos and beer on a summer evening.
V I E W P O I N T S
Living and learning, day by day
W
hat does it mean to live in “the present”? Each second? Each minute? Each hour? Being “in the present” each second takes too much concentration. Each minute works if I’m meditating and need to bring my wandering, undisciplined mind back to my breathing. Each hour when the nearby St. Edmund bells toll the relentless march through the day, heading toward the 9 p.m. wrap-up, I feel chased (and chastened). The bells remind me that time waits for no one. Each day works best for me. Not too long, not too short. A day is a good measure of time spent. Day by day, we wake to a clean slate “with no mistakes in it” as Anne of Green Gables would say. The mistakes accumulate quickly, but that’s living, and not a good way to measure each day. Each cycle of the Earth around the Sun is unique and we — changeable, moody, aging, improving, regressing, impressionable, becoming beings — are unique within each day’s friendly (or unfriendly) confines. The sun’s arc overhead is a better marker than elusive, slippery hours: The introduction of morning, the development of afternoon, the climax of evening, and the denouement of nightfall. Another day, another tale told. But not a tale told by an idiot. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, creeping in its petty pace with poor players strutting and fretting their hours upon the stage, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing? Hardly. Macbeth was a little depressed at that point, having just heard the news of his wife’s demise. I say our days are potentially full of meaning, signifying everything. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, coming to us as abundance from a mysterious benefactor. Greatly to be prized and used as well as energy allows. That’s pretty much how it felt at New Melleray Abbey, the Trappist Cistercian monastery I visited each October for 20 years. Each day seemed consecrated by the prayerful presence of the monks, who were “cloistered,” i.e. voluntarily withdrawn from “the world” to live a structured life of work and contemplative prayer. “Cloister” is a much nicer term than “quarantine” or “lockdown” or “self-isolation.” Warm and wise, the monks live in community. Hospitality is one of their missions, so the world is welcome to visit, even if they rarely visit the outer world. It’s true they practice a kind of “spiritual distancing,” but most are friendly and accessible. I mention this because we have been “cloistered” for the past two months, and we could learn from the monks how to make the most of it. You don’t need to be a believer in a supreme being to benefit from their example. We can still experience the world around us as “holy” or “sacred” even if we use other language. We can certainly benefit from the simplicity they practice — reducing the ego, surrendering the frills and excesses that many of us spend too much time and money on anyway. We can also benefit from their daily structure, though more extreme than ours. When the bell tolled each morning at 3 a.m., I turned over in bed
and wished them well, admiring their dedication. I joined them for Mass at 7 in the chapel, a beautiful space that resembles a spiritual “barn” and is, by far, my favorite worship space. During the daylight hours, the monks work, with occasional breaks for prayer. For 150 years they tilled the soil of generous land holdings granted in 1849 when they arrived in northeast Iowa from Ireland. A few years back, farming became too difficult for their aging community, so they began harvesting their bountiful woodlands, producing wooden caskets and urns. Throughout the day, the monks head back to chapel at regular intervals because their minds are never far from the divine, even when they’re laboring. After dinner, they bring the day to completion in the lovely dark with Compline and head to bed by 8 p.m. The lifestyle seems to agree with them. Most live well into their 90s. They have a firm sense of purpose and each day feels meaningful. Isn’t that what each of us seeks in our own fashion? If you substitute “mindfulness” or “reflection” for prayer, create your own helpful daily “structure,” shed as many excesses of the consumer culture as you dare, devote yourselves to meaningful work, and create a strong sense of community, then we’re only different from the monks by degrees. If we overwhelm ourselves with too much work or too many distractions, it prevents us from being mindful of each day as it passes, of understanding the day’s significance and being attuned to, for wont of a better term, its sacred qualities. As many have discovered during our current cloistered interval, each day deserves its due. The monks are able to imbue the ordinary with a sense of the extraordinary. In their presence, it seemed to me, each day was “redeemed,” a word that covers a lot of ground — we use it for everything from coupons to saving all of humanity. The monks would probably say God doesn’t care how we get there, just that we get there. If only we could figure out where “there” is. Maybe “there” is right here. Day by day, here, now, each morning, each afternoon, each evening, each nightfall. Paying attention to the world surrounding us, savoring the sunlight as it falls at different angles; steeping in the songs of birds, some of the most beautiful music ever composed; inhaling the scent of lilacs, lilies of the valley, and viburnum. And taking our cue from Kenneth Patchen’s poem, “Love Seen as a Search for the Lost”: Then not that we do more or stop pity, but that we be Wider in living, that all our cities fly a clean flag … We have been alone too long; it is terribly late For the pierced feet on the water and we must not die now. When this is over, I hope we remember what we learned. If nothing else, the prominent reminder posted in front of one Oak Park house recently: “Kindness is contagious, too!” Having been cloistered like monks, I hope we can live a little wider, a little deeper, a little better, seeing things more clearly, loving each other more dearly, following our path more nearly — like the old “Godspell” song says. Day by day.
KEN
TRAINOR
V I E W P O I N T S
C
Imagine your story this summer
an you imagine a year without Oak Park Public Library’s summer reading program? Neither can we! That’s why we’ve put together a safe, convenient, and fun new way to participate in our classic program online, starting June 1. This summer’s virtual version is super-flexible, makes it easy to track your progress, and provides loads of ways to make learning fun — because keeping everyone safe and reading for fun are our goals this summer.
SHELLEY HARRIS & GENEVIEVE GROVE One View
Summer reading = lifelong reading Research has shown that kids who read over the summer keep their skills sharp and are better prepared for learning in the fall. And in 2013, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center found that kids who choose their own books lose even fewer skills over the summer.* That makes summer the perfect time to help kids develop their own preferences and explore new and familiar genres at their own pace. When kids love what they read, they’ll love reading, now and in the future.
Get ready to Imagine Your Story online From June 1 through Aug. 31, families can track their reading and activities with an easy-to-use, cloudbased platform called Beanstack, accessible from anywhere through an app and web browser. Kids, age 3 through rising 9th-graders, are encouraged to read, be read to, or listen to digital audiobooks for 20 minutes a day to help us reach our community goal of 450,000 minutes read, as well as participating in activities around their home and community. For every hour logged, kids earn virtual badges and, as in past years, beads to build a necklace or keychain. Kids also can earn badges and beads for completing art, science, literature, and movement activities
tailored to their ages, the majority of which are screen-free. Bead pickup or delivery will be arranged this summer. Beanstack has great features, including a timer so kids can track themselves and automatically log their reading, and a translation feature so families can read the challenges in their native language or a language they are practicing and learning.
Sign up, get recommendations: oppl.org/kids Remember: all reading is good reading! Books, magazines, graphic novels, audiobooks, podcasts, fan fiction, reading aloud to someone, or being read aloud to — these all count and are encouraged. Siblings can even work together by reading aloud to each other or listening to something as a family. Visit oppl.org/kids to sign up starting June 1, and get links to book recommendations for babies through graduating middle-schoolers, all of which can be checked out online with your Oak Park library card or account. We also have recommendations for podcasts and apps because there are so many ways to bring stories into your lives. For adults and teens, check out our all-virtual Many Voices, Many Stories community reading program, also starting in June. And for the latest updates on building closures and services, visit oppl.org/faqs. We look forward to seeing you all again soon. Happy summer reading! * University of Rochester Medical Center, “‘Summer Slide’ Reduced by Letting Kids Pick Their Own Summer Reading,” May 20, 2015. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/4326/summer-slide-reduced-byletting-kids-pick-their-own-summer-reading.aspx Shelley Harris and Genevieve Grove are children’s librarians at the Oak Park Public Library.
Negative letter unfair to park district We are all experiencing loss, fear, uncertainty and economic hardships right now. So perhaps that is what drove Cory Wesley to write his negative take on the decisions made by the Park District of Oak Park [Put people over projects, Viewpoints, May 13]. Through research I discovered that he received the same information I did on their decision-making regarding the new recreation center. I wish he had not simplified the issue and maligned a well-run municipal agency. We would all like our governments to support residents as fully as possible during this pandemic. But in my research I discovered that the monies to be used are not a discretionary slush fund to be used however the park district decides. They cannot be
used to support employees who have been furloughed — a furlough not a layoff — specifically chosen so employees would not lose their health coverage. The PARC grant may be used only for construction and expires in 24 months. To take advantage of this grant the district had to have a construction plan and funds were solicited for this purpose. None of these funds could be used for salaries. Wesley also neglected to mention all full- and parttime employees were given three weeks’ pay after the stay-at-home order was instituted. With all the negativity and divisiveness abounding right now, let’s not overlook the facts.
Joan Slanina
Oak Park
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
W E D N E S D A Y
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan, Maria Maxham Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Linda Francis Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Mark Moroney, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs
About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action. In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing. Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay. If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY
■ 250-word limit
■ 500-word limit
■ Must include first and last names,
■ One-sentence footnote about yourself,
municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)
your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left
Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 708 613 3300
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V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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How to effectively communicate with facial masks
earing facial masks has become the new normal, so it’s important to maintain effective communication while wearing one. Facial masks reduce the volume of conversational speech anywhere from 5 to 15 decibels. This can hinder accurate communication, especially for listeners with hearing difficulty. Moreover, facial masks limit our ability to utilize facial cues, which many people rely on to enhance communication. To help overcome this, individuals wearing facial masks should follow a few tips to help ensure what they are saying is accurately understood. First, slow your rate of speech and speak a little louder, but do not shout. This gives the listener time to process what is being said and added volume to improve the signal (speech) over
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any background noise. If you are in a loud environment, try reducing the background noise whenever possible. If there is a fan making excessive noise, move away from it or turn it down or off. Removing background noise, or moving away from the noise, will help improve the signal-to-noise ratio and simplify communication. In addition, body language can be used to enhance the meaning of what you are trying to communicate. Using hand gestures and pointing to what you are talking about can help direct the conversation. This can also be used as you transition from one discussion topic to another. Moreover, be sure to use
your eyes and eyebrows to help convey emotions. For example, happiness can be observed by raised eyebrows and wide eyes; while pinched eyebrows and squinted eyes can convey confusion or sadness. Collectively, the use of these nonverbal cues and gestures can help enhance what you are communicating verbally. It’s important to verify that your conversational partner understood what you said. If your partner responds inappropriately, be patient and try again. Just because they didn’t hear what you said correctly doesn’t mean they weren’t listening. Now more than ever, listeners have to exert more effort to understand what is being communicated to
CYNTHIA CHOW One View
them. We are all adjusting to a new normal and doing our best, so be prepared to repeat what you are trying to communicate if necessary. If you are experiencing hearing loss, now is as good of a time as ever to get your hearing evaluated. Hearing aids are designed to amplify speech and reduce background noise. If you are a candidate for hearing aids, this alone can help relax and improve communication, especially as facial masks become to new normal. I’m an audiologist at CAA The Hearing Place, located on North Avenue in Oak Park. I was curious if the Wednesday Journal was interested in a small piece I could write regarding communication tips while wearing a facial covering. Cynthia Chow is an audiologist with Consulting Audiology Associates in Oak Park.
A season of their own
t was two years before Title IX began to level the playing field between men’s and women’s athletics. Unaware of the momentous, national policy changes that would unfold, my sisters, Mary and Annie, ages 12 and 10, along with their friends, Marge and Peggy, just wanted to play summer baseball. They’d learned the game over the years in pickup contests with the boys: in our Berwyn alley, on a makeshift field designed by Peggy’s dad in her yard, and in the “stone place,” an unpaved parking lot on a property on 16th Street, next to the original Salerno’s pizza parlor. I had developed my early game in those spots, too. Playing baseball in these tight spaces forced you to refine your approach. While batting in the yard, you had to hit lefty in order to avoid knocking the ball into the neighbor’s bushes. You played outfield beyond the backyard fence, taking position in front of a neighbor’s tall shrubs. If you were hitting in an alley game, you honed your swing to go up the middle — there were no left or right fields. The bases you touched were designated telephone poles or fence posts on opposite sides of the compressed, concrete diamond. There was no sliding. In addition to these informal competitions, we boys had our well organized, formal Little League at St. Mary of Celle. We played on a nicely groomed field: it was 210 feet to straightaway center, and 192 down the lines. There was a large scoreboard beyond the centerfield fence. Behind home plate was a “press box,” furnished with mic and speaker, from which a dad would announce the game. We had uniforms, a paid umpire, team sponsors, an opening day parade, and an annual banquet at which,
on alternating years, a Cubs or White Sox player would give a talk. At the banquet, every boy received a trophy. But for the girls on our block, if you wanted to play ball, it would be in the alley, the stone place, the street or a backyard, and that was it. And you were on your own. Yet my sisters and their friends wanted what the boys had. So in the summer of 1970, the four of them decided to create their own softball league. They began recruiting through the phone book. At Peggy’s house, they made hundreds of cold calls to girls in the parish. They made a priority of first reaching out to girls in larger families, hoping they’d hit it big and lure a couple of recruits in one contact. Peggy’s dad, who had set up the backyard diamond, encouraged them to forge ahead. But the four of them worked the phones on their own. As Marge tells me, “We never expected anyone to help.” After about two weeks of reaching out, they had 40 girls ready to show up. Thirtynine of them were Catholic girls from St. Mary’s. The other one, our neighbor Laurie, attended Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst. The place where they chose to meet made a statement. The 40 girls got together, picked managers and teams, and then played on four nights over four weeks in the parking lot directly opposite the boys’ field, just beyond its outfield fences. Intentionally, they did all this while the boys’ games were “live.” In seeking a space for their fledgling effort, the girls hadn’t actually asked anyone if they could use that field, even though it was a parish property. As Mary recalls, “We didn’t think they would let us have it. It was the boys’ field.”
RICH
KORDESH One View
PROVIDED
MAKING A STATEMENT: The St. Mary of Celle field in Berwyn, looking out toward the parking lot where the girls pioneered youth softball in 1970. The organizers were aware that they were stepping onto turf in the neighborhood and parish seen as the boys’ domain. Annie recalls that our Mom, a warm, devoted, and traditional woman, had cautioned them over the years: “Don’t beat the boys at things.” This wariness about treading on male territory carried over into their games. A couple of the girls could hit with power. But they held back their swings enough to make sure they didn’t smack the ball — a 16-inch softball — into the Little League field. They feared that would get them in trouble. Maybe they wouldn’t get their ball back. No one harassed the girls during their four-week season. After all the work it had taken to get organized, four weeks used up the time they had left in the summer. A few people complained about them taking parking spaces normally used by Little League spectators. Few individuals, if any, watched the girls’ games. Peggy’s dad “umped.” Four teams played weekly during that summer of 1970. The best team was de-
clared champion. In full view of the Little League, the girls had made their statement. During the 1970s, girls’ softball took hold around the country, including in Berwyn, Cicero and Oak Park. Women’s athletics expanded dramatically. In their early 20s, the four friends played on a softball team sponsored by Roberts Inn in Forest Park. Coached by Peggy’s dad, the team’s name on their uniforms read, “Roberts Outs.” Thirty years after her aunts had played their one-month season in the parking lot at 14th and Wesley, my daughter Kathy joined with a few friends at OPRF to establish its first girls’ lacrosse team. In doing so, they stood on the shoulders of the girls before them who had already broken ground in baseball, basketball, ice hockey, field hockey, soccer and other athletic endeavors. Rich Kordesh grew up in Berwyn, raised his family in Oak Park and now lives in Chicago, but the grandkids are here, so he plans to move back.
Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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When the world took a pause
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hen I started practicing law, I spent some time at my desk or on a computer, but I spent most of my time in the library with a yellow pad. So much so that my mother was convinced there was a store named The Library. There was no internet. There were no search engines. There was no Lexis or Westlaw or remote research. Reading the law in books in the library was all I knew … and I got by just fine. Obviously, over the last 25 years, technology has evolved. It has forever changed the practice of law. COVID-19 has forced us to rely on technology even more. Today, all of my interviews, meetings, and depositions are now done via Zoom. I am dictating remotely to a legal assistant who is at home. Courts are closed but we are still seeking justice for our clients, albeit by telephone with judges. In the presence of this pandemic, we are all confronted with navigating the new “normal.” The legal system is not the only area that has had to evolve and adapt. We, as a community, have had to alter and modify our lives. Curbside pickup, social-distancing, face masks, and frequently washing hands remain a constant in our changed lives. Yet only part of this new normal is in the “doings” of our everyday lives. Perhaps the greater challenge is psychological. You cannot turn on a television or read the internet without seeing the turmoil going on in our country as a result of the coronavirus.
In these uncertain times, it is easy to question and be concerned about our future. With all the concerns over COVID-19, the fear of “what comes next?” looms large in the minds of many. As one whose vocation is to uphold the justice system, I feel certain that society will prevail after we reshape and rebuild our lives even in these troubling times. While we may think the future is unknown and while we may question where and when re-entry will occur, I believe some facets of our future can be predicted with a level of certainty. To many, it looks like the whole world hit pause. The legal system has not. Today we face a number of battlefronts, separate from and amidst the pandemic itself. These battles are being played out in the streets of our cities and towns and broadcast to us all through the media. People versus the government. Unions versus the government. States versus Federal. Stay-at-home versus re-entry. Yet I’m here to remind you that there has been and continues to be, one constant throughout the history of our great country. In these uncertain times, the very backbone of our justice system is a certainty on which we can depend. Justice will prevail when this pandemic ends … it always has and always will. And consequently so will we as a people united under it. Longtime River Forest resident Elizabeth A. Kaveny is managing partner of Kaveny + Kroll Trial Lawyers (www.kavenykroll.com).
ELIZABETH KAVENY One View
House Hunting? Find a Realtor. Find a home. Get a list of Open Houses.
Say no to D200 debt certificates Acknowledging that the community lacks trust in the District 200 school board, and it needs to work on rebuilding it, the OPRF board decided not to bypass voters and borrow money for Project 1 at its May Committee of the Whole meeting. The board’s decision not to issue debt certificates shifts the funding back to its original plan to pay the $32.6 million fully from the cash reserve. At its April general meeting, the board pivoted sharply and reached an apparent consensus to take on debt to partially fund the construction of the academic and special education facility-needs project scheduled to begin construction in June. The board cited low-interest rates and the district’s lack of debt as reasons to borrow money for the project. The board’s pivot raised questions regarding its transparency and accountability to taxpayers. Generally, taxpayers would disapprove of D200 issuing debt now, given its nearly $100 million cash reserve, which includes the $20 million the board has earmarked
for “urgent needs” in Project 2, namely a massive pool and 600-seat natatorium. While major capital projects should be fully bonded, approved and paid for by the voters who will benefit from them, D200’s mountainous cash reserve, amassed unethically via a loophole, continues to skew this funding dynamic. Debt certificates are a funding tool available to Illinois school districts, which allows them to avoid referendums, bypassing voters. Because debt certificates are not backed by the taxing power of a district, they command a higher interest rate and cost the school district/taxpayers more than bonds. There are a variety of bond options, including Life Safety which address critical building needs outlined in an approved safety survey report. As such, there is no justifiable reason for D200 to ever issue debt certificates.
Monica Sheehan
Oak Park
Every week, every day in
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O B I T U A R I E S
Fred Good, 95
Roofing Contractors Association executive Cashman and Sally Kucko; his Fred Clifton Good, 95, of River stepdaughters, Joan (Evan) Bauer, Forest, died on May 18, 2020. Born Barbara Dwyer (Tom Greenberg) on Dec. 27, 1924, to Ray and Lillian and Karen Baehler (Jon Foley); (Beckwith) Good, he graduated his stepsons, Robert (Lanie) Defrom Oak Park and River Forest ist, John (Karen) Deist, Thomas High School and the University of Deist, and William Deist (LesIllinois. lie McLeod); his grandchildren, Fred spent most of his career Grace Good, Max Good, Hanna in the field of association manGood, Daniel (Valerie) Cashman, agement, serving as the chief Patrick (Beth) Cashman, Kerry staff executive for the National FRED GOOD (T.J.) Anson, Keegan (Mallory) Roofing Contractors Association Kucko, Jean (Timothy Maness) from 1957 until his retirement in 1989. During that time, he was recognized as Bauer, Peter (Kali) Dwyer, Kirsten Lesaka chartered (now certified) association execu- Greenberg, Luke Foley, William Foley, Sarah tive, part of the first class of association pro- (David) Gonzalez, Kathleen Deist, Christine fessionals so recognized. He was awarded the (Kevin) Dunham, Charles (Emma) Deist, Brithighest honor in the roofing industry, the J.A. tany (Kee Welch) and Shawnee Deist; and he Piper Award, in 1981. was the great-grandfather of 20. He loved sports and was a longtime memA private memorial service was held. In ber of the River Forest Tennis Club, where he lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to served as president in 1974, and the Oak Park the Roofing Alliance earmarked for the Fred Country Club. A native Chicagoan, he also Good Scholarship. The purpose of the scholloved living in River Forest, where he served arship is to assist individuals seeking to furas village trustee from 1973 to 1977. ther their education to pursue careers in the Fred is survived by his wife, Dorothy Deist roofing or building construction industries. Wood; he was previously married to the late If you would like to donate, please contact Dorothy (Stockdale) Good and the late Mar- Bennett Judson at bjudson@nrca.net or 847jorie (Ulvestad) Good. He is also survived by 493-7513. his sons, William (Sarah) Good and Carl (VicArrangements were handled by Drechsler, toria) Good; his daughters, Susan (William) Brown & Williams Funeral Home.
W E D N E S D A Y
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To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.
TAKE TAKEYOUR YOUR
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
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PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. by telephone audio conference and / or in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois. Pursuant to the Illinois Governor’s Executive Orders and disaster declarations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical attendance at the public hearing may not be available, or may be limited to no more than 10 individuals, with Zoning Board of Appeals members, staff and consultants having priority over members of the public. Public testimony and comments regarding the subjects of the public hearing may be made by telephone during the hearing, and written public testimony and comments submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals before the hearing will be entered into the public hearing record. You may submit your public testimony and comments via email in advance of the public hearing by 12:00 pm on Thursday June 11, 2020 to Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at lscheiner@vrf.us. You may listen to the hearing and participate by a telephone conference call as follows, dial-in number: 1-312626-6799 with meeting id: 861 1999 2667. If you would like to participate over the phone, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner by telephone at (708) 7143554 or by email at lscheiner@vrf. us by 12:00 pm on Thursday, June 11, 2020. The purpose of the public hearing is to consider the following text amendments to the Village’s Zoning Ordinance: Additions and amendments to the definition of “home occupations” in Section 10-3-1 regarding “home kitchen operations,” as defined in Section 3.6 of the Illinois Food Handling Regula-
tion Enforcement Act, 410 ILCS 625/3.6. Additions and amendments under consideration include whether to heighten, or lessen, the requirements for a home kitchen operation to operate as a home occupation, including whether a special use permit must first be obtained and whether performance standards for this use will be modified and / or added. The additions and amendments to the Village of River Forest Zoning Ordinance include, but are not be limited to, those described above, and such other regulations as the Zoning Board of Appeals and/or Village President and Board of Trustees may determine are appropriate. The petitioner for the Text Amendments is the Village President and Board of Trustees. This public hearing is being held pursuant to direction given by the Village President and Board of Trustees for the Zoning Board of Appeals to consider these amendments, for additional information visit www.vrf.us. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record at the hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals. For further information or for a copy of the proposed text amendments, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at (708) 714-3554 or at lscheiner@vrf.us or visit www.vrf.us. Sincerely, Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals
Published in Wednesday Journal 5/27/2020
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Notice is hereby given by the Village of Oak Park of the availability of an estimated $162,107 in Program Year 2019 Community Development Block Grant-Corona Virus (CDBG-CV) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. To non-profit agencies serving primarily low- and moderate-income Oak Park residents (at least 51% of the total proposed project clientele), the Village is calling for CDBG-CV Public Services applications. Each proposed project must be an eligible CDBG project. The application period is from May 27 to 5 p.m., June 10, 2020. No late submittals will be accepted. To obtain application materials or for more information, send a message to Mark Dwyer, Grants Supervisor, at grants@ oak-park.us. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed. Published in Wednesday Journal May 27, 2020
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday 11 June 2020, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Zoning Board of Appeals will conduct a public hearing to consider a request for an amendment to the Special Use granted by Ordinance No. O-24-04, as amended, to allow for certain site improvements, including but not limited to a reduction in onsite parking and traffic circulation, construction of an outdoor recreational field, and reconfiguration of stormwater management in the Community Business District 2 (B-2) on the following described property: LOT 1 IN CHICAGO GUARANTEE SURVEY COMPANY THE PROVISO MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE ACADEMY PLAT OF SUBDIVISION, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED MARCH 19, 2009 AS DOCUMENT NO. 090718040, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 8601 W. Roosevelt Road, Forest Park, Illinois. PIN(s):
15-14-400-013-000
The applicant is Township High Schools District 209 Due to COVID-19, limits on group assembly and social distancing requirements are being utilized. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals will be conducting the hearing via Zoom and a limited amount of people will be allowed to physically attend the hearing. In light of recent changes to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, alternative public testimony options have also been instituted. Information regarding these options and how to access the hearing via Zoom can be obtained at http://www. forestpark.net/dfp/. If you have any questions please contact the Director of Health and Safety, Steve Glinke at sglinke@forestpark.net. Signed: Kerry McBride, Acting Chair Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Forest Park Review 5/27/2020
PUBLIC NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICE
The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2020 Lead Water Service Replacement Program Bid Number: 20-127
Bid forms may be obtained from the Village of Oak Park website, http://www.oak-park.us/bid. Bid documents may be viewed at the Public Works Customer Service Center at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the contact person, Water and Sewer Superintendent, James Eggen, jeggen@oak-park.us . The deadline for questions is 8:00 A.M. on Friday, June 12, 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 1:00 P.M. on Monday, June 15, 2020. All bidders will be required to submit Bid Security in the form of a Certified Check, Cashier’s Check or a Bid Bond in the amount of Ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid, payable to the Village of Oak Park. The successful bidder will be required to post performance security and to provide a certificate of insurance as set forth in the bid package. This contract shall be subject to the provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS130/1 et seq.) to the extent required by law.
The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700. Published in Wednesday Journal May 27, 2020
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST; Plaintiff, vs. LORNA J. RANKER; CHARLES K. RANKER; CITIZENS BANK NA; Defendants, 18 CH 2459 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-17-327-034-0000. Commonly known as 1185 S. LOMBARD AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60304. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Ira T. Nevel at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 18-04613 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150861
Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-034750 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150870
out recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 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 # 18 CH 12736 I3150458
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION AM SOLUTIONS LLC; Plaintiff, vs. ARIEL CHAPMON; TAJ CHAPMON; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 7196 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-10-431-012-0000. Commonly known as 830 South 16th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 3609455. W19-0247 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150866 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR TOWD POINT MASTER FUNDING TRUST 2018-PM16 Plaintiff, vs. GRADY RIVERS AKA GRADY A. RIVERS, JR.; GLENDA L. RIVERS AKA GLENDA RIVERS; Defendants, 18 CH 11332 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 Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-11-317-010-0000. Commonly known as 406 South 7th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. The successful purchaser is entitled to possession of the property only. The purchaser may only obtain possession of units within the multi-unit property occupied by individuals named in the order of possession.
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 9, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car garage. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and with-
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.
The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review
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Wednesday Journal, May 27, 2020
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
WE’RE BY YOUR SIDE 630 N East Ave | Oak Park $1,099,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik
703 N East Ave | Oak Park $1,080,000 Patricia McGowan
822 Jackson Ave River Forest | $999,000 Sheila Price
819 Fair Oaks Ave | Oak Park $670,000 Swati Saxena
1029 Linden Ave | Oak Park $649,000 Anne Ferri & Kim Wojack
1201 N Ridgeland Ave Oak Park | $565,000 Sandra Dita Lopez
1115 Rossell Ave | Oak Park $560,000 Saretta Joyner
1230 Linden Ave | Oak Park $550,000 Swati Saxena
1111 N Kenilworth Ave Oak Park | $519,500 Anne Ferri & Lynn Scheir
547 N Ridgeland Ave Oak Park | $499,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik
17 Forest Ave | River Forest $499,000 Patricia McGowan
38 Le Moyne Pkwy | Oak Park $469,000 Keller Group Chicago
2044 N 77th Ct Elmwood Park | $444,900 Ed Bellock Jr.
814 Wenonah Ave | Oak Park $434,000 Sandra Dita Lopez
1228 Scoville Ave | Berwyn $420,000 Eddie Tovar
512 Clarence Ave | Oak Park $339,000 Keller Group Chicago
3720 East Ave | Berwyn $339,000 Steve Green
204 S Maple Ave. # 18 Oak Park | $329,000 Catherine Simon-Vobornik
7505 Brown Ave. Unit C Forest Park | $290,900 Bobbi Eastman
1243 W 112th St | Chicago $188,999 Annette Shelton
Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest | 1037 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 | 708.697.5900 | oakpark.bairdwarner.com Source: BrokerMetrics® LLC, 1/1/2019 - 12/ 31/2019Detached and Attached only. Chicagoland PMSA
May 27, 2020
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER (AFT) IN 2019. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
AUSTIN
ASPIRES FOR MORE How a set of redevelopment projects will catalyze growth
EMPOWERING RESIDENTS PAGE 3 | THE ASPIRE INITIATIVE PAGE 4 | FROM ASPIRATIONS TO ACTIONS PAGE 7
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Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin community. Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life of all residents. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets. Learn more at AustinComingTogether.org.
ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers CHAIR
Larry Williams Broker, State Farm Insurance VICE-CHAIR
Ruth Kimble Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network SECRETARY
Angela Waller Community & Government Relations Director, Advocate Aurora Health
TREASURER
Deborah Williams Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.
Directors
Tenisha Jones
Jack Macnamara
Senior Director of Strategy and Operations, West Side United
Visiting Scholar, Center for Urban Research & Learning at Loyola University
Bradly Johnson Director of Core Programs, BUILD Inc.
Founders
Reginald Little
FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR
Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools
Mortgage Loan Officer for Residential Lending, Old Second National Bank
1955-2019
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus
Senior Marketing Strategist, Zoe Communications Group
Sharon Morgan
Mildred Wiley
Dawn Ferencak
Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
ACT STAFF Leadership Team
Service Delivery Team
Darnell Shields*
Jerome Sader
Executive Director
Neighborhood Network Manager
Shavion Scott
Sandra Diaz
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Community Hub Coordinator
Alicia Plomin
Jai Jones
Marketing & Development Manager
Community Engagement Coordinator
Andrew Born
Dollie Sherman
Research & Evaluation
Youth Engagement Coordinator
*Ex Officio Member of the ACT Board of Directors
Aaliyah Phillips
Planning & Investment Team
Operations Team
Jose Abonce
Office Administrator
Tanner Beck
Lead Organizer
Ethan Ramsay Project Coordinator
Esther Ramsay Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator
Hub Engagement Associate
ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS A House in Austin
Chicago Community Loan Fund
KRA Westside American Job Center
St. Joseph Services
Accion
City of Refuge
St. Leonard’s Ministries
Austin Childcare Providers’ Network
Cluster Tutoring Program
Legal Aid Chicago (formerly known as LAF)
Erikson Institute
Manufacturing Renaissance
The Loretto Hospital
Friends of the Children
Mary Shyrese Daycare
The North Avenue District, Inc.
Because I Care
Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin
Mercy Housing Lakefront New Moms
UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work
Beyond Hunger (formerly known as Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry)
Greater West Town Community Development Project
OAI, Inc.
VOCEL
Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Westside Health Authority
BUILD Inc.
Housing Forward
Open Books
By the Hand Club for Kids
I.C. Stars
PCC Community Wellness Center
West Side Forward (evolving from Bethel New Life)
Cara
IFF
Project Exploration
Worldvision
Catholic Charities
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Sarah’s Inn
Youth Guidance
Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
South Austin Neighborhood Association
Austin Weekly News Be Strong Families Beat the Streets Chicago
Kids First Chicago
The Catalyst Schools
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
3
Austin is building upon its vision to empower residents By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together
A
community that enables its residents to live healthy and prosperous lives—that is the vision that the Austin community has been aspiring towards. However, in Chicago, our ability to realize our aspirations is often limited by our zip code. As a life-long Austin resident, I see every day the long-term impact that racial injustice and a lack of critical infrastructure and resources can have on a community. Austin has remained economically stagnant, while others are experiencing exponential growth.
have the opportunity to thrive. We were formed in 2010 because a group of leaders saw the potential in harnessing the power of partnership. When groups collaborate and stay committed to the greater good of the neighborhood, we can improve fundamentals like education and economic development. Due to our proven success in this role, ACT was chosen to help the community create and implement its first quality-oflife plan. Almost two years of planning and input from over 500 stakeholders produced Austin Forward. Together (AFT) that was published in December 2018. AFT outlines a comprehensive way for Austin to improve the quality of life for every resident from the years 2019 through 2023. There are 84 actions across seven issue areas: Community Narrative, Education, Economic Development, Housing, Public Safety, Youth Empowerment, and Civic Engagement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only served to further uncover the breadth of systemic inequalities that have weighed heavily on Now, in the second year of implementation, black and brown neighborhoods in our Austin is already seeing benefits from city. From access to quality education, the AFT. We accomplished the plan’s first healthcare options, and fresh food, to a action of having an lack of economic Austin high school investment and basic offer the International infrastructure, these Baccalaureate imbalances have and have caused challenges for ACT is a great convener Program, made progress toward years. In Chicago, our many of the other ability to realize our of organizations that steps. Additionally, aspirations is often AFT is garnering the have complementary limited by zip code. citywide and regional The current health recognition Austin services...that allowed us crisis has brought this deserves. reality to the surface. to build collectively on the But we will not allow A spotlight is now it to be covered up shining on Austin in a momentum of AFT. again. new way and a recent burst of opportunities Despite the economic MORRIS REED, have come from disparities, as well as PRESIDENT AND CEO OF it all. The Mayor’s the current pandemic, WESTSIDE HEALTH AUTHORITY INVEST South/West I know Chicago is Initiative has chosen to strong. Enabling include Austin in its neighborhood-focused neighborhoods like Austin to grow will development strategies which will lead to unlock a bright future for the entire city. new business opportunities in the community. Even in these uncertain times, a clear path to Also, several community groups have come economic and racial equity remains open. together to submit a collaborative proposal in At Austin Coming Together (ACT), our role Austin for the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s is to facilitate collaborative action so that $10 million Chicago Prize, and it was selected Austin becomes a place where residents as one of only six finalists. Austin is now
positioned to move past merely surviving to become the thriving community we’ve always known we could be. Austin’s Chicago Prize proposal is called the ASPIRE Initiative and is designed to reflect the community’s needs for the development or enhancement of existing assets near Madison, Chicago, Central, and Laramie Avenues. This will create conditions for resident empowerment, health, prosperity, and happiness. ASPIRE is led by ACT, Westside Health Authority (WHA), and By the Hand Club for Kids (BTH). The plans include a new state-of-the-art early learning, health and recreation center called The Aspire Education & Wellness Campus; new programs and support to increase enrollment at Austin’s only neighborhoodserving public high school, the Aspire Austin College and Career Academy (ACCA); renovation of the vacant Emmet School into the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation; and Aspire Housing, a multitiered approach to provide homeownership assistance, plus new or renovated units for sale. To read more about each of these projects, see pages 4 and 5.
“We know that our kindergarten kids are already 1½ years behind academically,” said Donnita Travis, Executive Director of BTH, discussing the need for these new developments. “So for ASPIRE to create a cradle-to-career pipeline starting at birth is a way for us to have an even greater impact on their trajectory for school and life.” With such large-scale construction projects, we estimate ASPIRE will create more than two hundred jobs here in Austin. Not only will this change the physical landscape, but it will also shift the mindset of people who will now look at Austin and see potential and focus on long-term solutions to generational problems. “We hope ASPIRE will change the hearts, minds and perceptions of people,” said Reed. “When people see investment, they get encouraged, they get hopeful, and they start to aspire for themselves on how they can contribute, how they can be a part of the movement to be a good neighbor, to be an engaged citizen, and to make their neighborhoods better for their families and children. That will be the greatest story: when people see what is happening and they want to be a part of the change.” n
4
Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
The ASPIRE Initiative: A Cradle-to-Career Pipeline
O
ur neighborhood is at a critical moment in its history. Decades of public and private disinvestment have caused a decline in Austin’s population and as a result, our neighborhood is in crisis. In response, hundreds of civic leaders have mobilized around a powerful vision for a healthy and prosperous future for Austin called the ASPIRE Initiative (ASPIRE).
ASPIRE is born out of Austin’s first qualityof-life plan called Austin Forward. Together (AFT). Reflecting input from 500 community stakeholders, AFT outlines 84 actions to improve the quality of life in Austin from the years 2019 through and 2023. A 20-member steering committee of local leaders, stewarded by ACT staff and supported by LISC Chicago, coordinated this plan’s development over 20 months. Task forces for seven issue areas now oversee the implementation of AFT and have already secured nearly $14 million in public and private investments. This civic infrastructure will anchor ASPIRE in the community. In turn, ASPIRE will accelerate AFT and extend its impact into the future. Although ASPIRE is one of six finalists competing for the $10 million Chicago Prize grant, the total investment necessary to actualize all of the ASPIRE projects is $122 million. ASPIRE will revitalize physical assets in Central Austin, a densely populated area bounded by Madison, Central, Chicago, and Laramie Avenues, through the projects projects listed on these two pages:
ASPIRE EDUCATION & WELLNESS CAMPUS
How the new Community Workspace could look inside the Education and Wellness Campus
This Campus will comprehensively serve 150 families, boost access to quality early learning opportunities and prepare children for kindergarten. By The Hand Club (BTH) will build upon the $60 million already invested in Austin to further investments in both education and wellness.
A new early learning, health and recreation facility, as well as a community workspace, will be created at Kinzie and Laramie. The Early Learning Center will provide Austin children with access to the high-quality educational experience needed to positively influence their future life trajectory. Plus, increasing the kindergartner readiness levels of the children entering the Austin neighborhood elementary schools is critical to creating an effective K–12 pipeline. The Early Learning Center will serve as the first step toward building that pipeline by offering 120 new seats to the children of Austin. Within the same facility as the Early Learning Center will be a new Fitness/Wellness Center, offering children and adults an opportunity to improve their physical and psychological well being. The Campus will also include a community workspace large enough to host community meetings and events. It will house the local African-American-owned business, Lighthouse Café, becoming a key resource for Austin households without personal access to computers or WiFi. The second floor of the workspace will serve as BTH’s citywide headquarters for its 70 employees. Project Lead
Partners
Potential Tenants
Supporting the ongoing reinvention of the Austin College and Career Academy (ACCA) will aid the school in reaching a Level1+ status where all local students can attain a quality secondary education.Engaging our community in the reactivation of ACCA will be instrumental to the long-term success of the cradle-to-career pipeline that ASPIRE will create. ACCA is a historic asset that has benefited from the City’s investment of over $36 million in renovations. However, it is underutilized with fewer than 10% of high-school-aged Austin children currently attending. As Austin’s only neighborhood-serving public high school, our initiative will leverage previous investments by making new ones in curricular options that will boost student enrollment.
ASPIRE ACCA
Project Lead
Partners
Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
For middle, moderate, and low-income households, this multi-tiered approach will ensure that vacant and under-utilized residential properties are revitalized and made available at affordable rents and prices. We will provide affordable housing for purchase and wealth building for Austin families by creating pathways to homeownership; rehabbing homes of existing residents; building 30 new housing units on vacant lots on Pine and Washington; and developing 30 additional scattered city-owned lots.
ASPIRE HOUSING Project Lead
Aspire Housing will trigger a housing reinvestment cycle in Austin—reclaiming much of the lost land and housing stock along residential blocks near other ASPIRE investments and returning it to active use. Home equity is the largest contributor to household wealth in the U.S. and therefore it is critical that our residents capture a large portion of the housing wealth we expect to be generated as a consequence of Austin’s return to health.
Partners Potential Habitat Chicago housing design rendering
ASPIRE CENTER FOR WORKFORCE INNOVATION We will revive the once-bustling intersection of Madison Street and Central Avenue by repurposing the former Emmet Elementary School, one of Chicago’s many public schools closed in 2014, into an anchor for commercial revitalization and a destination for top-notch workforce training. Plans include renovating the existing school building currently owned by Westside Health Authority, adding an atrium space and plaza, and constructing a new building to house community-focused retail space. This will transform the abandoned land into a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility featuring an advanced manufacturing training center, small business incubator, community hub, and event space. Including both career development programs as well as supportive services will not only improve the pathway to further postsecondary education for Austin’s young adults, but it will give Central Austin’s workers and entrepreneurs opportunities for careers that provide a living wage. Project Lead
Partners
Potential Tenants
LEARN MORE ONLINE AT AUSTINCOMINGTOGETHER.ORG/ASPIRE
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Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
Plan Leaders Community Narrative
Economic Development
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Briana Shields
Jerrod Williams
Briana Janeé Arts
Kenneth Varner
Community Resident & SANA Member
Healthy Schools Campaign
Thomas Gary
STRATEGY LEADS
STRATEGY LEADS
Community Resident
Lasondra Kern
Erica Staley
Community Resident
Manufacturing Renaissance
Suzanne McBride
Heather Sattler
Austin Talks
Alicia Plomin
Austin Coming Together
Michael Romain
Austin Weekly News
Cindy Schneider Spaces-n-Places
Community Development Consultant
Emily Peters
Education TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Natasha Smith-Walker Project Exploration
Crystal Bell
Ella Flagg Young Elementary School
Housing
Public Safety
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Athena Williams
Bradly Johnson
West Cook Homeownership Center
Allison McGowan
Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS
Shirley Fields Hunters Realty
Rosie Dawson
Charles Anderson
Westside Health Authority
STRATEGY LEADS
West Cook Homeownership Center
Ruth Kimble
Chris Banks
Michele Clark High School
Austin Childcare Providers’ Network
Pam Price
Chicago Public Schools
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Natasha Dunn
Melody Lewis
Cata Truss
Roxanne Charles
Sean Schindl
Athena Williams
Community Resident
Mindy Taylor
Mercy Housing Lakefront
VOCEL
Austin Chamber of Commerce Community Resident West Side Forward
Kids First Chicago
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE?
BUILD Inc.
Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance
Chris Patterson
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Youth Empowerment
Civic Engagement
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Carmen Scott-Boria
Deborah Williams
BUILD Inc.
D’elegance Lane Westside Health Authority
STRATEGY LEADS STRATEGY LEADS
Adam Alonso BUILD Inc.
Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc.
Edwina Hamilton
Deonna Hart BUILD Inc.
Jeramie McGill
Habilitative Systems Inc. STRATEGY LEADS
Arnold Bearden
South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA)
Sharif Walker Austin Resident
St. Joseph Services
Frederica Malone Catholic Charities
BUILD Inc.
Juan Villalobos BUILD Inc.
Gina Young
Catholic Charities
Bertha Purnell
Institute for N onviolence Chicago
Jordan Bester Westside Health Authority
Contact ACT’s Lead Organizer, Jose Abonce at 773.417.8615 or jabonce@austincomingtogether.org for more information.
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 2
Austin Weekly News • May 27, 2020
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From aspirations to actions: The ASPIRE Initiative proposal process By Alicia Plomin Marketing & Development Manager, Austin Coming Together
A
ustin is restoring the vibrancy and sense of ownership it once had. The community is taking its destiny in its hands and revitalizing assets back to their former glory. Years of diligence and dedication from numerous organizations, including Austin Coming Together (ACT), have helped bring Austin into this position. Through changing times, ACT has proven its ability to adapt in order to take advantage of new opportunities like the Pritzker Traubert Foundation’s $10 million Chicago Prize. ACT collaborated with Westside Health Authority (WHA) and By the Hand Club for Kids (BTH) to create a proposal for the Chicago Prize that clearly outlines the plans for Austin’s ASPIRE Initiative. ASPIRE is a continuation of the community’s first quality-of-life plan Austin Forward. Together (AFT) and describes four projects that build on existing efforts, specifically addressing
the needs Austin has identified for itself. The ASPIRE projects are multifaceted and will help progress almost all of AFT’s 7 Issue Areas (Community Narrative, Education, Economic Development, Housing, Public Safety, Youth Empowerment, and Civic Engagement).
most accurate data to drive forecasts and strategies. In addition, teams were provided with technical assistance resources through the Pritzker Traubert Foundation per the Chicago Prize opportunity.
“It was inspiring to be around such talent and diversity. Everyone really listened and Experts from a diverse set of industries learned from each other and to the input that and organizations lent their time to the had been received from demanding process of hundreds of residents drafting the proposal through Austin Forward. because they saw Together,” said Scott potential in the projects There is something that’s Goldstein of Teksa and were passionate Associates. about the issues being incredibly unique about addressed. In addition Purpose Built to representation Communities the amount of actionfrom the three lead considered the organizations, the oriented thoughtfulness proposal process to individuals on the be “a very fulfilling ASPIRE team included that makes this feel like experience,” and they folks from LISC Chicago; were particularly United Way of Metro a once-in-a-generation “impressed with the Chicago; IFF; Teska talent represented in the opportunity. Associates; Lamar partners.” Johnson Collaborative; In order to meet the Purpose Built DAVID FEINBERG, IFF proposal requirements Communities; k r i s t a, and tight timeline, a think & do tank; Kids ACT’s ability to effectively mobilize, lead, and First Chicago; City Open Workshop; and learn was put to the test. Fortunately, ACT’s Applegate Thorne-Thomsen. The partners experience is cemented on relationship-based created working groups and leveraged community organizing, which served the resources from both within and outside of committee well throughout this endeavor. their own networks in order to gather the
“We had to make the proposal compelling and ambitious, but also feasible and comprehensible. This was a huge challenge so we needed to make sure everyone’s ideas were taken into account, questioned, critiqued, and confirmed,” said Andrew Born, head of Research and Evaluation for ACT and ASPIRE team lead. A willingness to remain cooperative despite the intensive process built solid relationships, many of which will continue. Mount Auburn Consultants, Teska Associates, and other partners have committed to sustaining their support of the ASPIRE projects even now that the Chicago Prize proposal has been submitted. Although it may have been a strenuous process, the end result is that the ASPIRE Initiative has now become an incredibly well-researched blueprint to execute largescale plans in Austin. Conversations are underway with essential key players, a proven infrastructure to lead implementation has been established, and projections of what this will mean for Austin over the next ten years are backed up by data. ASPIRE will create the conditions needed to empower Austin residents to lead healthy, happy and prosperous lives. “The breadth and scope geographically, by sector, with capital investment, and in terms of stakeholders all coming together in such an organized manner is pretty monumental. This is Austin’s chance to enact story, and to participate in story-making through the process of building the environment,” said David Feinberg with IFF. “There is something that’s incredibly unique about the amount of action-oriented thoughtfulness that makes this feel like a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” Austin is on its way to gaining the broader city and regional recognition that our community deserves. But if ASPIRE or any other efforts are able to truly reverse Austin’s vast inequities, it will take the support from the Chicago Prize, as well as significant additional investments. This ambition can only be realized by embracing this recent shift in prioritizing support for quality education and healthcare options; economic development; and housing that directly benefit Austin’s residents and businesses. n
ASPIRE and AFT leaders joined forces at a Summit in March to discover how to support each other’s efforts.
IS RESPONDING! ACT has established a COVID-19 Response Strategy to gather information on community needs and support them through: ADVOCACY â&#x20AC;˘ COMMUNICATION â&#x20AC;˘ RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT
20K Masks Distributed
1,000+
500+
$20K+
Households Fed
Laptops Distributed
in Direct Financial Assistance to Families
Austin Coming Together (ACT) has been identified as the community lead to help develop and implement strategies to meet the need in Austin per the Racial Equity Rapid Response Team (RERRT). As a collective effort to address the racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality outcomes, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the collaborative West Side United recently formed the RERRT. Three communities have been identified for initial engagement, based on local COVID-19 data that indicated a need for urgent action: Austin, Auburn Gresham, and South Shore. The RERRT has chosen a local anchor community organization in each of those neighborhoods to develop hyperlocal, data-informed strategies to slow the spread of COVID-19 and improve health outcomes in communities that have been most heavily impacted. ACT is the partner organization for Austin.
In order to continue supporting the safety net that is essential to Austin families right now, we need your help.
DONATE at AustinComingTogether.org/Donate VOLUNTEER at a neighborhood resource distribution event GIVE supplies like PPE, cleaning products, sanitizer, etc. CONTRIBUTE other resources or connections
AustinComingTogether.org