Wednesday Journal 053123

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of Oak Park and River Forest

‘Eager to work

Housed at 15th District police station, South and Central American asylum seekers share stories

FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ

Special Sec tion

OPRF board member Henry resigns to be near aging parents

Credited for strong, critical focus on key issues

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

There is now a vacancy on the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education. Kebreab Henry, the only Black member of the school board, resigned from the board May 25 because he is moving out of state to be closer to his aging parents. Henry was elected to the school board in 2021. The school board now has 60 days to fill the vacancy.

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

On a sunny and windy Monday evening, some 10 asylum seekers, mostly from Venezuela, stood outside

Chicago’s 15th district police station, 5701 W. Madison St. The Austin-based police station looked entirely different than it did a month ago, before hundreds of asylum seekers arrived in Chicago on buses from Texas,

joining about 8,000 people who have arrived in the city since the fall of 2022. As the city of Chicago’s shelters and respite centers are full, hundreds

See ASYLUM SEEKERS on pa ge 11

The D200 board will seek applications or letters of interest from those interested in serving on the school board, interview some or all of the applicants and then choose someone to serve out the remaining 23 months of Henry’s term. The precise procedure and timeline

See RESIGNATION on pa ge 10

Lovingly supported, Beye principa back from brain surger y

Sullivan back in time for close of year activities

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Cheryl Sullivan, principal at Beye School, found out within her first official year as principal of the elementary school just how far District 97’s love and support goes when she had to undergo brain surgery earlier this year

Sullivan was diagnosed with brain cancer in February and underwent brain surgery, and despite her positive attitude, it wasn’t how she imagined she would spend the last few months of her first year as principal at William Beye Elementary School, 230 N. Cuyler Ave., Oak Park.

“This is my first full year, I just couldn’t believe it was happening,” Sullivan said. “It has been a journey for me to become a principal, it has taken a while, so it just made me so sad. I came to accept that I needed to take the time that I needed.”

A resident of Oak Park for almost 24 years, Sullivan, who has been with the district for close to 18 of those years, said she has always believed in the district’s work and its mission, which made Oak Park Elementary School District 97 a perfect fit for someone who had always wanted to pursue education. Sullivan went on to teach fourth grade and also worked as a reading specialist before pursuing a master’s degree in cordia University Chicago, in River Forest.

“I absolutely love being a principal and Beye feels like home, it feels like family,” Sullivan said. “I couldn’t be happier with where my jour ney has landed.”

Sullivan served as co-interim principal at Beye for the 202122 school year before taking over for the 2022-23 school year Sullivan’s whirlwind health story began with a few symptoms, including feeling off-balance, numbness, and dizziness, which led her to call her doctor for an appointment. Upon hearing her symptoms, Sullivan was directed immediately to the closest emergency room. Following a CT scan of her head, doctors discovered a meningioma tumor, a mass that arises from the meninges -- the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Hearing that she needed surgery to remove the masses, one

the size of a large avocado and one the size of a small avocad and the estimated recovery time, Sullivan said her heart sank.

“My fourth shock, the one that brought tears to my eyes was hearing it would be a 6-to-12-week recovery,” Sulliva said, adding she underwent the surgery on March 6.

All the mass was removed and was found to be benign

“The doctor said they are very unlikely to ever return and once it was out my symptoms went away,” Sullivan said, a ing almost all her symptoms went away immediately.

During this tough time, Sullivan remained optimistic and continued to have a strong desire to be back in the halls of Beye. The community at Beye was just as eager to have back.

Throughout her health journey, Sullivan had been transparent with District 97, which rallied around her immediately. Sullivan said the district’s senior leaders, includin Supt. Ushman Shah, along with other staff all gathered on a Friday afternoon a last-minute meeting to figure out a way to support her, which in cluded bringing Sheila Carter, who had previously served as co interim principal with Sullivan, back to ser as interim principal during her leave.

PROVIDED

“I have always told the staff that their health and their family come first,” Sullivan said. “So, when the tables were turned and I needed to prioritize my health, it was was like ‘we got this,’.”

From meal trains for the weeks she was out, to rocking headbands like the ones she was wearing upon her return, Beye faculty made sure Sullivan felt the support every step of the way.

Before going on leave, Sullivan was treated to a colorful sign reading “Sullivan Strong,” displayed outside the school and another display of paper flowers was showcased outside of the lunchroom and throughout the school with the same message written in the center of each flower. The effort was organized by administrative assistants Anna Harlan, Linda Cooper, and art teacher Kristen Sundquist.

When Sullivan returned to school, she was treated to a keepsake book presented to her during a special surprise allschool assembly, where the expanded “Sullivan Strong ‘’ garden, spearheaded by PTO members Casey and Daniel Gold-

PROVIDED

“The love and support from this community has just been amazing,” Sullivan said, attributing it to one of the reasons why her surgery went so well. “I am blessed.”

Sullivan was granted her wish of being able to return to Beye before the end of the school year, miraculously only taking 8 weeks to recover versus the full 12, allowing her to witness all of the fun end-of-the-school year activities she was looking forward to, including Olympic days and fifth grade graduating events. Sullivan credits her strength to her family, her doctors, and the community support that never wavered throughout her journey.

“We can handle hard things because of the community for which we live,” Sullivan said.

C ORRECTION

In the May 24, 2023 issue of Wednesday Journal, an error was made in reporting the restructuring of staff departments at Oak Park Village Hall and the defunding of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation.

The article, as printed, stated the village board reduced OPEDC’s funding to $400,000 for the remainder of the current fiscal year. While this is what the board discussed doing, it did not take an actual vote to enact the change. Wednesday Jour nal regrets the error.

Beye Principal Cheryl Sullivan received two memory books with photographs of the touching paper owers displayed during her health journey and the removal of a brain tumor.

“Sullivan Strong” became a message of strength and encouragement throughout Principal Cheryl Sullivan’s health journey.

presents an African dance class taught by Donna

BIG WEEK

May 31-June 6

Yappy Social Hour

June 1, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Cheney Mansion

Bring your prized pooch for social hour on the lawn at Cheney Mansion. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served as you mingle with other owners, while taking in the beauty of your Oak Park surroundings. This program is in partnership with the Animal Care League-Helping Homeless Animals Since 1973. Ages 21 and up, $10 of your registration fee goes to support the Animal Care League. 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park.

Climate Science 101 With Climate Up Close

Saturday, June 3, 2-3:15 p.m., Oak Park Public Library

lines to follow when making decisions on how to is joined by Johnny Iguana on piano, Big Ray Stewar t on drums, Roosevelt Purifoy on organ, and Larry Williams on bass. The per fect “pregame” for the upcoming Chicago Blues Festival. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Day in Our Village

June 4, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., Scoville Park

More than 120 information and activity booths representing Oak Park civic, cultural, social service, educational, religious and business organizations. The Park District of Oak Park will be providing a variety of activities for all ages, including: an in atable GAGA pit, large blue blocks, model trains with the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers, and games. This year’s music enter tainment features a lineup of can’t-miss tribute bands. Food and drinks will also be available from local restaurants and businesses. 800 Lake St., Oak Park.

Learn about the fundamentals of climate science and the impacts of global warming. A Q&A will follow. Presented by Climate Up Close, a group of climate scientists who travel to communities across America. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Before The Chicago Cubs: Baseball Comes To The Windy City

Saturday, June 3, 2-3:30 p.m., River Forest Public Library Historian Bruce Allardice takes a look at the National Pastime during the 1850s and 1860s in Chicago. He focuses on how baseball spread locally, who played it, how the Civil War a ected the development of the game, and how the Chicago Cubs were formed. Brought to you in partnership with the River Forest Township. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest.

Pride Walk is back for a seco

D90’s Pride to create an inclusiv community for

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

River For schools and the Ri are gathering once clusion and di

the second annual Pride Walk on June 1. It was during the height of when the wo trict 90’s PTO anti-Asian-American bias Belongingness and Inclusion which has since expanded to elebrating as many heritages and awareness months as possible.

“We want everyone in our district to feel like they belong, and they are included,” Me g an Keskitalo, a PTO member, said. Keskitalo worked on developing the Pride Walk for Lincoln Elementary School. 511 Park Ave., River Forest, and later the entire District 90 family Keskitalo said org anizers found the event far better attended than what they had originally planned, only estimating about 20 people would participate, not anticipating the approximate 200 attendees that showed up. T he event closed Park Avenue

“It was just an outpouring of love and community and kindness and support,” Keskitalo said, adding she had ag reed to org anize the event as she is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. “I was honestly deeply touched by how amazing the whole community was. By how loving, supporting, how many people came out and felt re presented and welcomed.”

As she helps org anize this year’s walk, Keskitalo understands the need for a loving space and for acce ptance from the community.

“I think it is really important for LGBTQ+ youth to experience affirming environments,” Keskitalo said. “That is one of the best things we can do to prevent harm to LGBTQ+ youth and we know that is something that is happening a lot right

for the birds

for the birds

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PROVIDED

During the rst-ever District 90 Pride Walk last year, River Forest families gathered at village hall to raise the ag and show their support for the LGBTQ+ community. is year’s event will be held on June 1.

now, is our LGBTQ+ youth are receiving a lot of media attention or scrutiny in state houses but what they need is love and acce ptance. That is what we hope to provide last year and this year.”

This year’s event received a grant from the Youth and Family Services of Oak Park and River Forest Township. The committee used a portion of the $6,940 to help plan the event, including food and beverages as well as a fla g, banners, and decorations. Keskitalo said the approval of the grant means the River Forest community is not only behind the work but also working to further the cause

“It means that they see the need and the desire for belonging and inclusion amongst our families and our children as strongly as we do,” Keskitalo said.

T he Pride Walk will take place T hursday, June 1, the first day of Pride Month, at 6 p.m. Pa rticipants will meet at Village Hall, 400 Park Ave., River Forest, and walk around the Lincoln School block, ending at the Franklin playground where they will be treated to music and Kona Shaved Ice

specialty bird seed and gifts for all ages

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Join C21 Women’s Ensemble as we explore the many ways women shake up the status quo — defiant, sassy, subversive, resilient, persistent, determined …vocal — in “Dangerous Women,” a concert inspired by Ariana Grande's song “Dangerous Woman”

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Oak Park man indicted a er home raided by FBI

Ex-nurse indicted for cyberstalking man who rejected his romantic advances

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Oak Park resident Kevin Cruz faces federal charges for harassing and cyberstalking a man he matched with on Grindr. The 32-year-old ex-nurse is accused of using the victim’s photos to set up online dating profiles purporting to be the victim, which he used to send hundreds of men seeking sex to the victim’s house and his parents’ house. Some of the men are alle ged to be ex-felons.

According to the indictment, Cruz directed the men sent to the victim’s home to enter without knocking and, if the victim protested against their sexual advances, it was “role playing” and the men should continue trying. Cruz is also alleged to have sent nude pictures of the victim to the victim’s family and employer, as well as posting them on the internet. He reportedly sent pornographic videos to the victim’s mother and led her to

believe that her son had died by suicide.

Cruz has been charged with sending electronic communications with the intent to harass and intimidate. The FBI raided Cruz’s home on the 500 block of South Kenilworth Avenue, May 16, spending two hours in the house, according to a witness. He was denied bond on May 17.

A motion supporting his detainment listed Cruz’s lengthy criminal history. In 2017, he was arrested in Wisconsin by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and charged with misappropriating identity information and unlawful use of computerized communications systems. He was also served with a two-year restraining order filed by another victim, who alleged Cruz had conducted a “multi-year harassment” campaign that extended to the victim’s family and the victim’s girlfriend, as well as her family. Court documents state Cruz violated the order.

A Freedom of Information Act request filed by Wednesday Jour nal found that Cruz

has faced domestic violence accusations in the past. Cruz also lost his nursing job with the Rush University Medical Center in April 2022, after an internal and independent investigation found Cruz had violated the hospital system’s policy against discrimination, sexual misconduct and harassment. The indictment states Cruz’s harassment extended to the investigator and Cruz’s for mer colleague.

Cruz first met the victim referenced in the indictment in August 2021. Both lived in Oak Park at the time. The harassment campaign began after the victim told Cruz he was not interested in pursuing a more serious relationship and tried to cut off communication. The indictment states Cruz sent “thousands” of text messages from false phone numbers to the victim and the victim’s family and friends, as well as sending nude photos of the victim that the victim had previously shared with Cruz.

He reportedly ramped up the harassment by creating online dating profiles of the victim on such sites as Grindr, Double List, Scruff and Sniffies; 42 user accounts impersonating the victim were identified, which Cruz used to arrange meetings for sex or sexual favors with men who believed they were speaking to the victim. This resulted in hundreds of men showing up at the victim’s Oak Park apartment between December 2021 and April 2021. At times, multiple men showed up on the same day.

The harassment led the victim to relocate to his parents’ home in another Chicago

suburb. However, the harassment continued after the move, with Cruz allegedly sending hundreds of men to the victim’s new location between April 2021 and February 2023. A Cook County Circuit Court judge granted a restraining order against Cruz in July 2022, but Cruz reportedly continued to harass. His behavior caused severe emotional distress to the victim and the victim’s family, according to the indictment.

“Victim-1’s mother received a text message attaching a mugshot of an individual with a message stating, ‘Gonna b worse from here ;),’ and stating, “sending now,” according to FBI agent Nicholas J. Murphy in the indictment.

“I believe, based on my training and experience, that the sender was telling Victim-1’s mother that he would be sending a felon to her residence.”

Prior to Cruz’s arrest, the victim and the FBI arranged for an in-person meeting, May 5, between the victim and Cruz. The victim wore a wire and recorded Cruz’s admission of creating false dating profiles using the victim’s personal information and pictures, as well as sending men to the victim’s home and text messaging the victim’s family. He also admitted to keying the victim’s car. The meeting was monitored by the FBI.

Cruz continued to harass the victim after the meeting, days later following the victim to a gym and leaving a note on his windshield. He also sent the victim flowers and gifts, including a recorded video message where Cruz pledged to “right his wrongs.”

A retiring history teacher looks back

First a lawyer, he found that teaching ‘ t like a glove’

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Richard Mertz did not set out to be a high school teacher

First he became a lawyer. But after working for three years at Chapman and Cutler, a large downtown law firm, he was miserable on the job. His then girlfriend, now his wife, told him he should do something else because if he was miserable, they were going to be miserable and since they were planning on staying together, she didn’t want that.

“It wasn’t a good fit for me at all,” said Mertz of being a lawyer. “I’m not adversarial. I don’t care about money like that. I like money but I don’t need it. I don’t want to bill, so to speak.”

Mertz, who had graduated from the University of the Michigan Law School, one of the top law schools in the country, thought back to the debate coach when he was an under State University. So he decided to become a high school teacher. He went to UIC, asked quickest way for him to become a teacher and was told he needed classes or five math cation courses. So the one-time economics major and lawyer decide to become a history teacher

Less than two y ter doing his student tions and student teaching Oak Park and Rive School — in the fall of Mertz began teaching History at OPRF. years later, he is leaving his floor OPRF classroom time as he retires from a job he lo

“There really hasn I haven’t wanted to said. “I love this place; I lo

He spent his entire ginning, teaching f law never did.

“It fit like a glove,” Mertz said. “I never expected it to fit like a glove because nothing I had ever done had ever felt that good.”

Going to law school was not a waste of time; it influenced his teaching style. He uses the Socratic method, asking questions of students rather than lecturing all the time

“I rarely stand up and talk,” Mertz said. “And I’ve never done that because my joy of learning is conversation.”

In addition to teaching American History, Mertz teaches a class in law that he basically created in its present form. In all his classes, he asks questions, then probes and pushes his

them to refine escribes his method as high expectations and ou not learn,” Mertz said. “The most exciting thing for d to do is to watch a kid mesmerizing to me. It never nteraction and watch them, with fresh faces, get excited about it and that’s the best energy anyone can give me,” Mertz said.

Students find his classes challenging but interesting

Mertz spent five years as a division head, chairing the history department from 2007 until 2012. But he did not enjoy working as an administrator and only teaching two classes a day, so he returned to the classroom full-time.

“While I knew pretty quickly that teaching was perfect for me, I knew pretty quickly that division head was not perfect for me, and if I wanted to sit at a desk, I probably should have stayed lawyering,” he said. “It just wasn’t rewarding because the joy is watching kids learn.”

Mertz had a slide rule and the periodic table in his classroom because he wanted kids to be curious. Because teaching is a challenging job, passion is an essential component.

“You’ve got to love it because it’s just the hardest job in the entire world; you’re trying to motivate adolescents to learn.”

Mertz and his wife moved to Oak Park during the summer of 1994 after he was hired to teach at OPRF. He taught his three sons how to ride their bikes in the fourth floor hallway of OPRF outside his classroom when he would come in on weekends to grade and plan.

Mertz, who turns 59 on June 2, said he is retiring this year because he put in for retirement five years ago before the salary bump that teachers get in their final years was reduced. His wife, who was also a lawyer at Chapman Cutler where they met, retired May 31 from her job as a lawyer for the SEC. Mertz said he would rather retire a year of two too soon than too late.

But he admits it will be hard to walk out of his classroom for the final time at the end of this week.

“I am such a better person because of this place,” Mertz said. “It’s unbelievable. I am much more transparent, I am much more vulnerable, much more emphatic, and I am much more committed to scholarship than I ever thought I would be.”

TODD A. BANNOR

rtz explores the 4th Amendment at Oak Park and River Forest

80 years later, Fred Jannisch honored with dedicated street sign

River Forest re lieutenant uncovers story of Bataan Death March casualty

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

The last letter River Forest residents Fred and Anna Jannisch received from their son, Corporal Fred Jannisch, indicated that he was feeling “pretty good.” Writing from the Philippines, he complimented the Army cooks for making rice somewhat palatable three times a day but omplained about the exorbitant cost of cigar “I don’t know how long I’m going to be here, nor does anyone else for that matter, but we all do know that it can’t last forever and we’re bound to be home sometime and you can bet your life that we’ll all be looking forward to that day,” he wrote

The Jannisches received the letter, which was written on Feb. 24, 1942, in August, 1942, after an American submarine retrieved a mailbag floating in the Pacific Ocean. Six weeks after writing that letter, Fred was taken captive by the Japanese and forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March. He survived the march but died on Oct. 14 in a prisoner-of-war camp, 11 days before his 20th birthday. His parents didn’t learn of his death until June 29, 1943.

According to Susie Crichlow, Fred’s niece, her grandmother took to her bed after learning of her son’s death and didn’t leave for six weeks. Her grandfather rarely discussed the circumstances of his son’s death.

“My mother, Dot, Uncle Freddie’s sister, told me that she and her brother and sister were very close. She talked about Uncle Freddie frequently and was proud of his service. She said he was always looking out for his little sisters and was devoted to others as well. She created a framed display of all his medals, including a Bronze Star. Freddie had a short life but he had a large impact on his family,” Crichlow said.

Fred A. Jannisch was born in River Forest on Oct. 25, 1922. His father, Fred J., was a River Forest firefighter and the family lived at 333 Park Ave., just blocks from the fire house. An enthusiastic member of local Boy Scout Troop 15 and a carrier for the Oak Leaves , Fred left Oak Park and River Forest High School early, with his father’s permission, to join the Illinois National Guard. Inducted into the U.S. Army on Nov. 25, 1940, Fred enlisted with the 192nd Tank Battalion out of Maywood and was engaged in intensive training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, where he became one of the youngest corporals in the Army Fred was sent to Louisiana in the summer of 1941 for specialized training. His tank crew engaged in night maneuvers, not knowing that they were being prepared for a build-up of American military forces in the Philippines. In October, the battalion traveled by train to San Francisco and set sail on the U.S.A.T Gen. Hugh L. Scott to Guam, landing in Honolulu, Hawaii on Nov. 2. They docked in Manila, Philippines on Nov. 20 and transferred to Fort Stotsenburg, Clark Field

On the morning of Dec. 8, men staffing radios in the 192nd Battalion’s communications tent learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Fred and his tank crew were or-

SACRIFICE COMMEMORATED: At the River Forest re station, the family of Fred Jannisch Jr and re ghters, including Susie Cr ichlow (Fred’s niece) and Lt. John Carter (middle), show the honorary street sign.

dered to the south end of Clark Field to guard against Japanese paratroopers.

According to a comprehensive article in the Bataan Project (bataanproject.com), a site dedicated to the men of Company B, 192nd Tank Battalion, the Japanese bombed and strafed the airfield that afternoon with 54 planes, destroying American planes and killing hundreds of soldiers. They attacked again on Dec. 10 and 13.

After many months of battle, with few supplies and only 25% of his soldiers healthy enough to continue fighting, General Edward P. King made the agonizing decision to surrender to the Japanese on April 9, 1942. The soldiers were told to destroy their remaining weapons and supplies and the tank crews were ordered to use armor-piercing shells to destroy their tanks.

On April 11, the surviving soldiers, including Fred, were ordered by the Japanese to begin the 65-mile Bataan Death March, from Mariveles, at the southern tip of Bataan, to San Fernando. The men who couldn’t keep up were shot or bayoneted. Ten thousand men — 1,000 Americans and 9,000 Filipinos — died during the march. At the POW camp, food was scarce and conditions were extraordinarily brutal.

Of the 593 men in the 192nd Tank Battalion who went to the Philippines in October 1941, 328 did not survive. After the war, the American military tribunal tried Lt. General Masaharu Homma, commander of the Japanese invasion forces in the Philippines, and held him responsible for the Bataan Death March — a war crime. He was executed by firing squad on April 3, 1946.

According to war records, Fred was admit-

ted on Aug. 2 to the prisoner camp hospital, suffering from dysentery and malaria, and died on Oct. 14, 1942. Fred’s family held a memorial service for him on July 24, 1943 at River Forest Methodist Church. At his parents’ request, Fred’s remains were interred in 1950 at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines, the site of 16,859 soldiers who lost their lives in New Guinea and the Philippines.

“The thing that haunts me is the part in one of his letters where Uncle Freddie writes that he lost and then found the ring that his parents gave him,” Crichlow said. “He wrote that the ring was going to stay on his hand no matter what and that ‘the fellow that tries to take it off will have to cut my finger first’.”

According to Crichlow, before he died, Fred offered a Japanese medic the ring in exchange for medication. He never received the medication — or the retur n of his ring.

Fred Jannisch’s life and tragic death resonated with Lt. John Carter of the River Forest Fire Department. He was behind the village’s approval of a resolution honoring Fred’s service and designating the 7900 block of Central Avenue in River Forest as ‘Honorary Cpl Fred A. Jannisch Jr Way.”

Carter has done an extraordinary amount of work to discover details of Fred’s life and service, through research and by tracking down his surviving family members.

“Fred’s father’s photo has been hanging on the firehouse walls forever and I heard stories about his son,” said Carter. “My father was in the Korean War and my son was in the Marine Corps. I just felt it was the right thing to do — to honor this man’s ultimate sacrifice.”

JESSICA MACKINNON

PROVIDED

Fred Jannisch at Fort Knox

Oak Park ban on 24-hour gas stations violated twice

Two gas stations were issued citations and ordered to pay nes

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

With the lawsuit against the village of Oak Park for its ban on 24-hour gas stations recently dismissed, some stations have tried their luck selling gas outside of the mandated hours of operation. Two different gas stations have been issued citations for violating the ordinance and ordered to pay fines

Oak Park gas stations and convenience stores can only operate between the hours of 5 a.m. and 12 a.m. daily, according to the ordinance, which the village board passed in September.

The first violation occurred Feb. 2 at the BP station at 7140 Roosevelt Rd, when an Oak Park officer observed a female driver pumping gas at 4:39 a.m. The driver confirmed to the officer gas was flowing through the

pump, according to the police report, which stated the gas station’s lights were off at the time. Her fuel receipt total, $32.38, was also included in the report The station was given a fine of $100 for selling gasoline outside the legal hours.

The BP station at 520 S. Austin Blvd. was caught selling gas at 12:46 a.m., March 26, just five days after a Cook County Court Circuit judge dismissed the lawsuit against the ban filed by Oak Park gas stations. An administrative law judge ordered the station to pay a $150 fine.

The citation was issued by a police officer who had been conducting a premise check at the time of the violation. The officer saw a man pumping gas into a red Pontiac Grand Am for a total of $10.02. The man confirmed the pump was dispensing fuel. A neon “OPEN” sign was turned on inside the station, despite the doors being locked and lights tur ned off, according to the report

The village began enforcing the ban in November, after the rescindment of a temporary restraining order filed by attorneys representing seven Oak Park gas stations.

The order was rescinded by the same judge who dismissed the lawsuit against the village, refuting arguments the ban was unconstitutional, as well as a violation of property rights and the Contract Clause in the U.S. Constitution. No appeal was filed.

Generally, the gas stations have been compliant, according to Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, who said police officers regularly patrol the stations throughout overnight shifts. Violations of the ban result in a fine

RESIGNATION

Leaving to care for pare nts

from page 1

of the application process has yet to be determined but a notice specifying the details of the process is expected to be released on May 30.

Typically school boards interview applicants to fill vacancies in closed session, discuss the applicants in closed session and then vote in open session to choose the re placement board member. New OPRF board member Tim Brandhorst suggested at the school board meeting Thursday evening that at least part of the interviews with applicants be done in open session so that the public can view the process

“I think that transparency is important,” Brandhorst said.

Interviews can be done in open session if the school board so chooses.

During his two years on the school board Henry was unafraid to speak his mind in a blunt manner. He typically stated his opinions clearly and focused on key issues trying to move the discussion forward. Prior to being elected to the school board in 2021 Henry served on the school’s culture, climate and behavior committee. In his parting remarks from the board table on Thursday Henry said he was confident that the school and the school board would continue to make progress without him.

“As I depart, not just OPRF, but Oak Park and the state of Illinois, I can leave here feeling comfortable and confident that the next board will carry this torch and keep fighting for the kids

of no less than $20 but no more than $750 per offence. Each day a violation occurs is a separate offense

“Administrative law judges hearing such cases through the village’s administrative adjudication system have the discretion to issue higher fines for repeat offenders,” said Paul Stephanides, Oak Park village attorney. Regardless of how many times repeat offenders are caught violating the ordinance, the fine cannot exceed the $750 limit.

that can’t really fight for themselves,” Henry said.

Henry, who grew up in F lorida, said the school and the school board had made progress during his two years on the board. He made clear that he is only leaving the school board because he is moving out of state for family reasons

“It’s bittersweet, but I’m happy that I was a small part of making Oak Park and River Forest High School one ste p closer to what it needs to be,” Henry said.

Henry’s departure from the school board comes just two weeks after three new board members were sworn in. Without Henry the board will become even less experienced than it is now.

The board members he served with for the past two years praised Henry’s contributions to the school board.

Board member Fred Arkin said he appreciated Henry’s “very astute words of wisdom. I hope the community appreciates that, I certainly do,” Arkin said.

Board member Mary Anne Mohanraj said she appreciated Henry’s passionate advocacy for students’ mental health. “I’m going to try and keep carrying that torch for you,” Mohanraj said.

School board president Tom Cofsky also praised Henry saying he will leave a very big set of shoes to fill. “You’ve been a tremendously valuable board member,” said Cofsky adding that he learned from Henry.

Superintendent Greg Johnson also praised Henry. “You’ve been a good, critical, friend of the district,” Johnson said. “It is exactly the outline of a board member. I appreciate your focus and your attention to a variety of areas of this school, not just around this board. You served on other committees which should be recognized.”

ASYLUM SEEKERS

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of migrants are temporarily sheltering at police stations across the city.

In the 15th district police station lobby, a group of asylum seekers, mostly men, sleep on the floor in sleeping bags, blankets and comforters collected by volunteers who stepped in to help

Outside the lobby, a few plastic tables hold aluminum trays with food, water bottles, fruit, coffee, cookies and other donations

“Most of them arrived to the 15th district last night [May 21], from the 12th district,” Carlos, one of the Venezuelan asylum seekers told the Austin Weekly News in Spanish. To the side, stood a group of 7 asylum seekers, mostly men. Some chatted among themselves, others walked back and forth on the sidewalk. As the evening went on, another asylum-seeker, Luis arrived from a nearby library. His wife, who sat on a bench outside the police station, said he went to print personal documents they needed for an immigration court appointment the next day. She is staying at another shelter but came to see her husband

Carlos said he is part of a larger group that up until Monday was sheltered at the 15th district, which included women, one of them pregnant. Earlier that day, a medical team had come to the shelter to offer a general health check-up for all migrants, he said, though he could not identify the group. Later, a group came to pick up some asylum seekers who were relocated to a shelter, though he did not know who led these efforts.

Other asylum seekers said “help” arrives multiple times a day in the form of local people who bring food, clothes, personal hygiene items, shoes, bags, towels, comforters and blankets, used phones and SIM cards. For the last two weeks, volunteers have brought hot meals 3 to 4 times a day, in addition to pantry items. Phones and SIM cards are important so asylum seekers can reach family members in their home countries or other countries where their families may have migrated to.

All of them are fleeing Venezuela to pursue economic stability and, in some cases, safety. While everyone’s story and jour ney to the United States is different, all asylum seekers this publication spoke to said they came because they are pursuing opportunity to provide a better life for them or their families

“We are very thankful for all the help we

have received,” Leonard, another Venezuelan asylum-seeker said in Spanish. “We have more than enough food and water, but we want to work.”

Other asylum seekers echoed his statement.

“We are very grateful for the help we received,” Noel, an asylum-seeker said, as he looked around at the improvised shelter “But this is not what we came here for.”

“We don’t want to be a burden to anyone, we don’t want to be a burden to the government or the people,” Leonard said. “And we want people to know that if a Venezuelan has done something ‘bad,’ they do not represent all of us.”

“Most of us [Venezuelans], and us here, we want to work,” he added. “We are eager to work, we want to do better.”

“I have never not worked for this long,” Julio added. He said he fled Venezuela as a young teenager, leaving some of his six siblings behind while others fled to neighboring countries like Colombia, including his mom.

Other asylum seekers said they have families in Panama, Colombia and other South American countries that they have to provide for. A job would allow them to get back on their feet and be independent, they said. It appeared that all asylum seekers this publication spoke with were admitted into the United States as they wait to go through

an often lengthy immigration process where the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services reviews their asylum petition. In many cases, asylum seekers are yet to complete a series of steps, such as attending court dates, providing their biometrics, personal documents and proof that supports their asylum claims. In the process, they file for work authorization.

Luis, the asylum-seeker who walked to a nearby library, said transportation is also required. For his court appointment, a volunteer had offered to pay for a rideshare service, but he and his wife would likely have to walk back to the 15th district police station, like most asylum seekers do when they need to move around the city

The immediate needs for food and clothing for asylum seekers sheltered at the 15th district are being addressed by a group of local volunteers, mostly residents from Austin, Oak Park and Forest Park, though people from all over the city are helping, volunteers told the Austin Weekly News.

The volunteer groups are all organized through group chats in the mobile app “WhatsApp,” in a grassroots network that involves people from all over the city and is known as the Police Station Response Team. There is one WhatsApp chat for each police station in the city where asylum seekers are taking shelter. As of Thursday, 73 volun-

teers participated in the response to the 15th district.

On Thursday, 15th police district Cmdr. Andre Parham, 25th police district officer Karina Vivas, re presentatives from Austin and city nonprofits and volunteers joined a meeting convened at Austin-based BUILD Chicago to coordinate efforts to assist asylum seekers in the 15th and 25th districts. Among their concerns, all volunteers expressed the need for infrastructure and a system that ensures an equitable distribution of resources and wraparound services.

Both volunteers and asylum seekers said the outpouring of help from Chicago residents and business owners has allowed them to have their food and clothing needs met.

“We have been so blessed that we can share our blessings, sometimes we share food with passerby people experiencing homelessness,” Carlos said, as he described the group they often see experiencing homelessness or people who use drugs walk by the police station on Madison Street.

While many have responded to the cry for help, there are also concerns for the asylum seekers safety as there have been reports of people approaching the group to offer temporary shelter in exchange for labor at minimum to no pay, Parham said at the May 15 meeting. Opposition from locals is also a prevalent concern. Though it was not mentioned by the asylum seekers or volunteers, Austin Weekly saw one woman who loudly expressed her disagreement with the help asylum seekers have received as she walked by the police station the evening of May 20.

This publication repeatedly reached out to the Chicago Police Department to obtain further information regarding the number of migrants sheltered at the station and how the law enforcement agency is working with the city to coordinate the response. We were asked to refer our questions to the mayor’s press office, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment as of this publication’s deadline

As previously reported, earlier this month Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state will continue to send migrants who arrive at the U.S-Mexico border to Chicago and other welcoming cities like Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia. Thus, the situation is fluid and constantly changes, volunteers and Cmdr. Parham said during the May 25 meeting. If, as expected, hundreds of migrants continue to arrive, the response is likely to continue and potentially adapt to involve more coordination of city and state agencies and other nonprofits.

This is a developing story, for a detailed description of the grassroots led response read next week’s edition of this publication.

‘Grateful for support’

PROVIDED/CHRISTINA-MARIA VAROTSIS, REFUGEE COMMUNIT Y CONNECTION Emigres shelter at the 15th District police station, sleeping on the lobby’s oor.

Urbana-Champaign

Urbana-Champaign

Nora Kate Miller

Claire Papp Marquette University

Maria Isabel Romero Carthage College

Haley Sweatman St. Ambrose University

Urbana-Champaign University

University of Tampa - Oshkosh University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Melissa Modica Creighton University

Dennis Steven Moore Marquette University

Martin Morrissey Marquette University

Colleen Mulcahy University of Iowa

Artemio Murillo, Jr. Triton College

Mary Murphy Indiana University

Madeline Murray Boston College

Mia Maria Nardello Loyola University Chicago

Michael Nevers Loyola University New Orleans

Vincent Nguyen Roosevelt University

Hava Nordquist Marquette University

Caroline Norton Vanderbilt University

Michael A Novy Jr. University of Mississippi

Julia Nowicki Miami University

Annie O'Brien Marquette University

Luke Thomas O’Brien University of Dayton

Alexander J Ochoa

Cristian Ochoa University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sean Patrick O’Connor University of Iowa

Shannon O'Laughlin Elon University

Grace O'Malley University of Virginia

Matthew Timothy Ortiz Indiana University

Julia Verona Overmyer Salve Regina University

Margaret Pabst Marquette University

Maeve Paris University of Tennessee

Emuni Wilma Desiray Domonique Pearson Xavier University of Louisiana

Ivanna Giselle Penate University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Angel Perez, Jr. Bradley University

Ariya Perez.

Adrian Perkowski Trade School

Francis Petruncio Lake Forest College

Kamil Pilecki Marquette University

Natalie Poleszak Southern Methodist University

Olivia Polston University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sean Pondelicek Milwaukee School of Engineering

Alec Posluszny George Washington University

Sophie Prangle Miami University

Alyssa Pucillo University of Dayton

Jesus Pulido University of Illinois Chicago

Baileigh Racky Niagara University

Mary Grace Raniere Miami University

Molly Eileen Reardon Marquette University

Alexander Recchia Gap Year

Arissa Reyna Marquette University

Kendall Richards Savannah College of Art & Design - SCAD

Grayden Brooks Rill . . . . . .

Anna Ringelstetter-Ennis University of Tennessee

Carter Robertson University of Dayton

Adrian Salgado Horst DePaul University

Caroline Sampson Marquette University

Dario Santoy Purdue University

Ava Marie Saunders University of Texas at Austin

Felicia June Saunders Santa Clara University

Grant Michael Schleiter University of Michigan

Hannah Schubkegel University of Denver

Nathan James Schultz University of Iowa

Nicholas Scudder United States Naval Academy

Michael Vincent Sennello

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

William Thomas Shannon Belmont University

Anne Showel University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Luke Showel University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Mia Sierra Loyola Marymount University

Ava Siragusa University of Dayton

Liam Smith Marquette University

Stefan Solares University of Dayton

Angelina Squeo DePaul University

Gabriella Rose Sramek University of Denver

Donnie Lashaun Stanton University of Houston

Maya Angelina Stathas Carthage College

Conor Stetz Illinois Institute of Technology

Natalie Sur University of Notre Dame

Frank Svete Indiana University

Kaitlyn Sweeney Saint Mary's College

Gael Tafolla Miami University

Johnathan Teska Concordia University - Chicago

Amelia Timpone University of Miami

Katherine Trifilio Carroll University

Meghan Turgeon Texas Christian University

Mallory Elizabeth Turner University of Notre Dame

Reny Tzankova Loyola University Chicago

Maya Underwood University of Wisconsin - Madison

Jordan Vazquez Concordia University - Wisconsin

Gabriel Velasco, Jr. Northern Illinois University

Stella F. Vilchis Columbia College Chicago

Natalie Anne Vlcek Miami University

Katherine Anne Vogelsperger College of the Holy Cross

Molly Weber Wellesley College

Maeve Kathleen Welsh Santa Clara University

Brynne West Quinnipiac University

Elise Nicole Weyer Indiana University

Brendan Hart White University of Dayton

Brandon J. Williams Loyola University Chicago

Finnegan James Williams University of Illinois Chicago

Alec Wojcik University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Angelina Woods University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Yaileen Zermeno Loyola University Chicago

Dylan Charles Zorovich Virginia Tech

Opioid outreach van coming to Oak Park every Wednesday

Van provides supplies and suppor t for those battling or recovering from addiction

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

The United States is in the throes of an opioid epidemic, but despite the awareness of the problem – lawsuits against drug manufacturers and an ever-rising number of casualties, stigma still surrounds addiction. Stigma, however, is ultimately unhelpful in properly addressing the national crisis, according to Anita Pindiur, executive director of the recovery non-profit the Way Back Inn.

“We wouldn’t necessarily protest or take away medical treatment from people who need anything like, say, allergy medicine or an epi pen, and yet we do that for substance abuse disorders,” said Pindiur. “We need to check our biases at the door.”

More than 106,000 persons in the U.S.

died from drug overdoses in 2021 and of that number, 80,411 deaths were caused by opioids, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Opioid-related fatalities have been consistently rising in the U.S. since the 1990s and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control re ports the drug overdose situation continues to worsen.

Despite the tragic trends, the atmosphere was entirely joyful May 24 at the Way Back Inn’s Grateful House, 412 Wesley Ave. in Oak Park. Police officers, recovery advocates and local officials gathered in the backyard of the rehab center to celebrate the ribbon cutting of an opioid mobile outreach vehicle.

Called the “Stigma Crusher,” the van is an outreach program by Live4Lali, a nonprofit working to prevent substance abuse disorders while reducing societal shame surrounding them and minimizing the overall health, legal and social impacts of such addictions.

The van will be stationed every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the alley behind the Grateful House. The van will then move

Welcome to Our Town Oak Park

“Our Town Oak Park – Walk with Me, in Search of True Community”, a new book by Wednesday Journal columnist Ken Trainor, an Oak Park native, is based on short essays, published over three decades in the local newspaper, that chronicle life in a dynamic, ever-evolving town where the unique meets the universal. The unifying thread is true community — nding it in the extraordinary ordinary, in the day-to-day, the face-to-face, the moments of beauty, and, as Thornton Wilder said of his play, Our Town, nding “a value above all price for the smallest events in our daily life.” Our Town Oak Park aims for that same “rainbow’s end,” capturing the experience of being alive — in one middle-sized, middleclass, Midwest town at the beginning of the 21st century. Join this pedestrian-friendly journey in search of true community. The book is available at The Book Table, the Oak Park River Forest History Museum, or online via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

WASH

to the Metra station on South Boulevard near Harlem Avenue. Anyone struggling or who knows someone struggling with addiction can visit the van, which is stocked with everything from unused hypodermic needles and fentanyl testing strips to fresh fruit, personal care items and pamphlets for dif ferent recovery pathways.

The vehicle is also stocked with Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication which has been labeled a miracle drug. In overdoses, the life-saving solution is administered by bystanders to those in the grips of an overdose, restoring breathing within two or three minutes. Narcan also has no adverse effect on people not suffering from an overdose, so if it is administered by mistake, it causes no harm to that individual. The packaged doses of the medicine, which is now available over the counter, were given out to attendees, who were advised to carry it with them always.

“It’s a good safety precaution,” said Pindiur.

The partnership with Live4Lali is part of a community-wide initiative born from a grassroots movement that became known as the opioid taskforce. Pindiur cochairs the taskforce with Rickey Schwartz, community liaison for Riveredg e Hospital, and with stakeholders and community leaders serving as members. The taskforce

Opioid taskforce member organizations

Along with individual members of the Oak Park and River Forest communities, the taskforce includes the following organizations:

■ Oak Park Township

■ River Forest Township

■ Way Back Inn

■ Riveredge Hospital

■ Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township

■ River Forest Police Department

■ Oak Park Police Department

■ Illinois National Guard Counterdrug Task Force

■ Village of Maywood

■ Rush University System for Health

■ Live4Lali

■ Thrive Counseling Center

■ The Oak Park Public Health Department

— Stacey Sheridan

falls under the umbrella of the Oak Park Township’s Positive Youth Development work group, led by Kelly O’Connor, the township’s prevention service manager. Pindiur, Schwartz and O’Connor gathered around Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman as she cut the purple ribbon on the outreach vehicle; purple is the color of the inter national recovery movement.

“I considered it an honor to be asked to cut the ribbon,” said Scaman.

Scaman has been involved with substance abuse and recovery work since 2010. She previously held O’Connor’s position prior to becoming village clerk, the position she held before being elected village president in 2021.

Schwartz told Wednesday Journal the taskforce is moving forward with raising awareness for the opioid crisis, from which he said people are dying every day. Par tnerships with such organizations as Live4Lali and its Stigma Crusher are impor tant in raising that awareness.

“Lives will be saved,” said Schwartz, of the mobile outreach vehicle.

For those further along in their recovery journey, the van will be staffed with a minimum of two peer recovery support specialists and Live4Lali employees will be available to help identify available treatment options. The van can even provide transpor tation to recovery centers.

Kee ping the van stocked with syringes and other paraphernalia used for drug consumption is not to encourage drug use; it is meant to encourage safe drug use among those not yet in recovery. Access to clean needles can reduce the risk of contracting HIV or viral hepatitis. Programs that provide access to sterile injection equipment are associated with an approximate 50% decrease in HIV and hepatitis C diagnoses, according to the CDC.

It is also a falsity that access to such equipment makes people want to use drugs.

“I drive around with supplies in my car all the time and I’ve never been tempted or encouraged to use a needle,” said Laura Fry, Live4Lali executive director.

The harmful belief that encouraging safe use is tantamount to encouraging use feeds into the stigma that the opioid taskforce and Live4Lali are working to eradicate. The notion those who use or are addicted to drugs are inherently bad or weak is also detrimental to recovery. Fry herself is in recovery.

“I was one of those people on the street using drug s,” she said. “We do recover. We just need to be loved and respected.”

Shots red a block from Irving School

Oak Park police are investigating a shooting that occurred near Washington Irving Elementary School, 1125 S. Cuyler Ave., about 10 minutes after school was dismissed Friday. No injuries were reported but for students still on the school playground or at the school for extracurriculars a soft lockdown was implemented

Officers responded to a call for shots fired in the area of South Cuyler Avenue, South Ridgeland Avenue and Garfield Street at approximately 3:10 p.m., May 26. Multiple callers reported hearing several rounds fired and seeing a black sports utility vehicle flee the area westbound on Garfield Street, according to Oak Park spokesperson Dan Yopchick. Police found discharged rounds in the vicinity, as well as property damage from the incident.

Battery

An Oak Park resident was hit in the face and nose by an unknown man at 4:44 p.m., May 24, in the 900 block of Madison Street. The man fled.

Motor vehicle theft and recovery

■ A 2015 Hyundai Sonata was removed between 7 p.m., May 26, and 5:30 a.m., May 27, in the 1100 block of South Maple Avenue.

■ A 2017 Jeep Cherokee was taken at approximately 2:30 p.m., May 25, in the 100 block of North Scoville Avenue. Chicago police recovered the vehicle in the 4100 block of West Gladys Avenue, Chicago, at 12:15 a.m., May 29.

■ A 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, left running with the keys in the ignition, was taken at 8:38 p.m., May 26, in the 400 block of North Austin Boulevard. The driver exited the vehicle to make a food delivery but noticed someone exit a silver vehicle, possibly a Honda, and enter his Jetta. Both vehicles were last seen traveling southbound on Austin Boulevard.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

■ The rear passenger’s side window of a 2014 Kia Forte was broken, and the vehicle’s steering column peeled between 11

p.m., May 26, and 4:12 a.m., May 27, in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue.

■ Someone broke into a 2017 Kia Sorento and partially removed the vehicle’s steering column between 3:20 p.m. and 4:52 p.m., May 26, in the 900 block of North Boulevard.

■ Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window of a 2016 Kia Forte then peeled the vehicle’s steering column between 9 a.m., May 20, and 5:46 a.m., May 22, in the 800 block of South Maple Avenue

■ Someone broke the rear passenger’s side window of a 2022 Hyundai Accent then peeled the vehicle’s steering column between 4:30 p.m., May 22, and 3 a.m., May 23.

Theft

■ The catalytic converter was taken from a 2003 Honda CR-V in the 100 block of North Scoville Avenue between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., May 25.

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2013 Hyundai Elantra between 1 a.m., May 15, and 3 p.m., May 21, in the 100 block of North Humphrey Avenue.

■ Someone removed the lug nuts of f the front left tire of a 2003 Honda Civic be-

tween 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., May 22, in the 400 block of Wisconsin Avenue.

Criminal damage to property

■ Someone threw a piece of concrete at a 2011 Honda Accord, damaging its hood, the windshield and the windshield wiper fluid dispenser, in the 200 block of South Boulevard between noon and 5:35 p.m., May 24.

■ The rear passenger’s side window was removed from a 2018 Kia Optima between 2 p.m., May 20, and 4:55 a.m., May 22, in the 400 block of South Home Avenue.

■ Someone hit a parking pay station with a hammer between 6 p.m., May 19, and 9 a.m., May 20, in the 100 block of North Oak Park Avenue. The pay station belongs to the Village of Oak Park. The estimated damage is $20,000.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports, May 23-29, represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

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

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

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

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

99% OF OUR CALEDONIA STAFF IS VACCINATED

Immediate availability in our Memory Care Assisted Living Small House

The Chicago Edge Soccer Club, a non-profit organization, provides young soccer players in the Oak Park/River Forest community the opportunity to develop their soccer skills, whether they play competitively, recreationally, or are just starting out. Our professional coaching staff focuses on creating a fun and dynamic environment to maximize player development. www,chicagoedgesc.com

A Day In Our Village 2023

Welcome back to Scoville Park for the premiere summer event in Oak Park.

Acrew of volunteers and Village and Community Liaisons have been working all year to make this event the best yet!

Greg Kolar and Cory Kohut have joined me in the leadership of Day in our Village this year!

Now as we enter the 49th year of this event we would like to say Thanks to all that made this Day in Our Village possible!

We have some great bands and local performers as well as fantastic food line up for 2023.

We also would like to welcome all the 100 plus participating businesses and organizations who will be promoting their services.

Thanks to all of you that come out and learn, live, taste and hear all that makes Oak Park the best of the best!

Sincerely, Michael Stewart Day in Our Village

We are proud to be a part of Oak Park’s history and once again participate in A Day In Our Village

causes

We are proud to be a part of Oak Park’s history and once again participate in A Day In Our Village

MICHAEL STEWART

SHANEL ROMAIN

49th A Day in Our Village Festival

Sunday, June 4 • 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Most sites are accessible to those with disabilities. Free “Disabled Only” parking also is available. Public restrooms (also accessible) are located just west of the Scoville Park Tennis Courts. For more information on A Day in Our Village, call 708.358.5408 or e-mail community@oak-park.us.

A Day in Our Village is an event organized to celebrate the vitality and the rich advantages of our diverse community, and provide the opportunity for all residents, their families, and friends to come learn about the myriad of organizations (civic, cultural, social services, religious and business) and share in this Oak Park experience.

Participants................Booth #

Festival Committee

Volunteer Chairpersons

Michael D. Stewart

Festival Co- Chair, Promotional Items, Publicly

Greg Kolar

Festival Co-Chair, Activities Co-Chair

Cory Kohut

Festival Co-Chair, Refreshments/ Restaurants Chair

Bev Smith

Activities

Chris Edwards

Entertainment

Bill Planek

Fundraising

June Stout

Hospitality

Scoville Park Activities

Liaisons

Cassandra Adediran

Village of Oak Park, Community Relations Coordinator, DAVY Awards

Dr Danielle Walker

Village of Oak Park Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion O cer

Erik Jacobsen

Village of Oak Park, Communications Manager

Angela Schell

Village of Oak Park, Communications Coordinator

Tom Fulton

Village of Oak Park, Public Works Street Supervisor

Sergeant Bob Monty

Village of Oak Park Police

Department Community

Policing Sergeant

Park District of Oak Park (Tennis Court area) (10am-4pm)

The Park District of Oak Park will be providing family friendly activities in our park for the enjoyment of residents and celebrating the Village of Oak Park. In Scoville Park there will be a variety of activities for all ages, including: an in atable GAGA pit, large blue blocks, model trains with the Oak Park Society of Model Engineers, and games. The GAGA pit is a great way to get some exercise and have some fun with friends. The large blue blocks can be used for building forts, playing games, or just relaxing. The model trains are a great way to learn about engineering and history. The games are a great way to test your strength, have some fun, and maybe even win a prize. So come on down to the park and enjoy all that it has to o er!

Chris Lindgren

Park District of Oak Park

Superintendent of Parks and Planning

Susan Crane Park District of Oak Park

Special Events Manager

Maureen McCarthy

Park District of Oak Park

Superintendent of Recreation

Susan Curtain Park District of Oak Park

Scoville Park Stage @ Lake St. & Oak Park Ave

Entertainment

The Teolis Singers 11:10am

All My Brothers Band 11:30am

Irish Dancers 12:15pm

American Prayer Band 12:45pm

Davy Awards 1:30pm

Great Pretenders 2pm

Music and Dancing 3pm

Midnight Sun 3:30pm

Food Court @ Library Plaza, Scoville Park & Grove Avenue

• Domino’s Pizza, Pizza by the slice.

• Candycopia. Candy

• Do Not Forget Your Lunch Box : Hot dogs. Polish, Italian Beef, Burgers, Snow Cones

• Taco Mucho - Tacos, soft drinks

• Brown Cow Ice Cream, Ice cream.

• Scratch On Lake. Serving beer and wine

Thanks to our Sponsors

Special thanks:

• Oak Park Public Work Department

• Oak Park Fire Department

• Communications Department, Village of Oak Park

• Rush Schae er, Finance Department, Village of Oak Park

• Oak Park Police Department

• Park District of Oak Park

• Thanks to all of the volunteers who made this event possible for the last 49 years!

An extra special thanks to the Oak Park Public Library! Please ride a bike or walk to this fun event!

Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership is approximately 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries.

Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more con dent speakers, communicators, and leaders.

Oak Park Toastmasters Club 614 has been in

continuous existence since December 1, 1954. The membership has changed over the years, but our primary mission remains to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-con dence and personal growth.

For more info, email: president@oakparktoastmasters.org.

Homes

Oak Park getaway includes Betty White ‘museum’

Local Airbnb pays homage to late actress born here

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

Anne Pe zalla, who along with her sister Kate co-owns Lively Athletics in Oak Park, can add another title to her resume. She’s the curator of what is she is pretty sure is the world’s smallest museum dedicated to Betty White.

Television and movie star White was born in Oak Park and lived in the village for a few months as an infant. Despite her brief tenure, she made her mark on the village as evidenced by Betty White Day, which was celebrated on Jan. 15, 2022, on what

would have been the star’s 100th birthday

Pezalla says her decision to create the museum in one of the Airbnbs she and her husband operate in Oak Park was based a bit on whimsy, a bit on marketing and bit on the layout of this particular Airbnb, which had a surfeit of closets.

“I have to be honest; it is a closet,” she said.

As her husband did the handyman labor needed to turn the house with a mother-in-law unit into an Airbnb, Pezalla says she was the designated decorator. The basement’s overwhelming number of closets inspired her to think outside of the box.

See BETTY WHITE on pa ge 26

e Betty White Museum inside the closet of an Oak Park Airbnb was inspired in part by the “Elvis shrine” that used to be inside Val’s halla record store for many years on South Boulevard.

BET TY WHITE Capturing the zeitgeist

from page 25

While out with friends one night, she polled the group about how she should use the space, and inspired by the Elvis “shrine” in the original Val’s halla record store, she thought of making the space a shrine as well. Who else to make a shrine to but Betty White?

“It made all of my friends laugh, so I knew it was a good idea,” Pe zalla said Pe zalla rented a projector, found an image of White, and got to work. She traced the projected image on the back wall of the closet with pencil, and then filled in her homage to the golden girl with paint.

She says there are four main components to the museum. A timeline tells the story of White’s professional life in pictures. The large painting on the back wall is filled with White’s signature sparkle. White memorabilia fills shelves on the walls, and a Betty White library rounds out the space.

Pe zalla is quick to point out that the library consists of only a few books -- the only ones she could find on White. She also admits that she has yet to read them, but adds, “Now that I have access to the library, and I’m a curator, I need to read them.”

“I know she was only in Oak Park

about nine months, but I like to think we put her on the path to greatness.”

Pe zalla said it wasn’t until recently that she noticed the widespread appreciation for White, pointing to an annual convention where attendees dress up like characters form White’s signature sitcom “Golden Girls.” A Betty White-themed restaurant is also in the works for Chicago.

“I happened to capture this Betty zeitgeist,” Pe zalla said.

There’s no entry fee to the museum, but it isn’t actually open to the public. Guests of the Airbnb will have free access. Pe zalla describes it as a goofy attempt to give the Airbnb a special Oak Park twist and make it stand out in a growing community of local, short-ter m rentals

She and her husband own a handful of Airbnb units locally, and she says that while some people have mixed feelings on the short-term rentals, she sees them as a net positive for the community

“We pay property taxes on them, hotel taxes and Airbnb fees, and these houses aren’t using the local schools, so we taking some pressure of f the school system while paying into it,” she says

She also points out that having rentals available can be a boon to other small businesses in the area. She says that most of her Airbnb clients are relatives coming to graduations and to spend holidays with family members, and she writes local guidebooks pointing her renters to locally owned business for dining and shopping.

Book on Unity Temple awarded gold medal

“Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple: A Good Time Place Reborn” with text by Patrick F. Cannon and original photo graphs by James Caulfield has been awarded the 2023 Gold Medal for Architecture by the Inde pendent Publishers Book Awards

Published by the nonprofit Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, the book it tells the story of the design, construction and restoration of the landmark building

that was designated as part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Unity Temple underwent a complete restoration, completed in 2017 under the supervision of UTRF. T he book includes a section on the restoration by the architect in charge, T. Gunny Harboe.

This is the seventh book on Chicago-area architecture and architects by Cannon and Caulfield, and it’s the third to receive

the top prize from the Inde pendent Publishers Book Awards. T hey are currently working on a major revision of an earlier book on f amed Chicago architect Louis Sullivan.

“Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple: A Good Time Place Reborn” is available for purchase onsite at Unity Temple, 875 La ke St. in Oak Park, or online at utrf.org/store.

Lacey Sikora

and career in pictures, shelves lined with Betty White memorabilia and a tiny librar y.

—

“It made all of my friends laugh, so I knew it was a good idea.”

ANNE PEZALL A

Airbnb owner

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH

Whether you are struggling with a temporary challenge or if you are living with a chronic condition, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

50%

More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

GROWING CRISIS AMONG YOUTH

America’s youth mental health crisis has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness INCREASED

69% between 2009 and 2021 for U.S. high school students

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE

The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township (CMHB) and the River Forest Township Mental Health Committee invest in a continuum of mental health care that is responsive to our unique and evolving community needs. Together, we provided over $1.5M last year to help local organizations and schools offer prevention, early intervention, treatment, and quality-of-life services to Oak Park and River Forest residents. Our grants resulted in:

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF OAK PARK TOWNSHIP

• Over 4,400 Oak Park residents accessing services

• Nearly 10,000 units of mental health treatment for Oak Park residents

• Over 200 educational presentations on mental health to Oak Park residents

• Over 1,000 Oak Park high school students trained in suicide prevention

In fiscal year 2023, CMHB provided over $1.4M in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit oakparktownship.org/CMHB.

RIVER FOREST TOWNSHIP MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

• Over 18,000 hours of services provided to River Forest residents

• Over 70 hours of educational presentations on mental health to River Forest residents

• Over 250 River Forest high school students trained in suicide prevention

In fiscal year 2023, RFT provided over $170,000 in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit www.riverforesttownship.org/mhservices.asp.

Newhart’s silver in 3,200 paces OPRF boys at state me et

Huskies post six all-state per formances, nish 8th in team standings

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Senior Liam Newhart’s final lap for the Oak Park and River Forest boys track and field team on May 27 was maybe his hardest.

At the IHSA Class 3A state meet finals in Charleston, Newhart earlier was an impressive second in the 3,200-meter run and going after top-nine, all-state honors in the 1,600. He won the five-runner battle for sixth plac e.

“I was not feeling 100 percent. Just getting a medal and my finish, that made me happy,” Newhart said. “When we were coming down the stretch, it hit me that was it. I had to give everything.”

Ten other Huskies provided all-state ef for ts yet there still was disappointment after finishing eighth as a team (32 points).

Junior Kaden Garland (17.58 meters/57 feet-8.25 es) and sophomore Kwabena Osei-Yeboah (6.73m/22-1 in long jump) both finished fifth, the 3,200 relay of j Michael Michelotti and Lewis O’Connor, sophomore Finn Kelly and junior Daniel Johnson (7:52.23) was sixth. Sophomore Caleb Schulz (100 in 11.02) and the 400 relay of seniors David Flint and Elijah Mowatt, junior Santiago Valle and Schulz (43.00) were seventh. Only Garland previously was all-state.

The Huskies hoped to at least re plicate third-place phies of 2019 and 2012. They were eight points shy of and 10 from second. Events that just missed advancing during the May 26 prelims affected the Huskies’ hopes.

During the finals on May 27, Newhart’s lifetime-best 9:07.03 was second in the 3,200 by 1.05 seconds to Belvidere North senior Evan Hogan (9:05.98).

“I didn’t put myself in the best position the first few laps. It kind of made it tough to come back but I’m proud of what I did,” Newhart said.

In the 1,600, Newhart (4:15.06) pulled out sixth by 10th just .56 behind.

“I wanted to win the 3,200 and I wanted to place a little higher in the 1,600 but considering the situation I was put in each race, I think I executed pretty well,” said Newhart, who will run at Wisconsin.

In his state return, Schulz earned multiple all-state medals. He nearly made the 200 finals but was 11th (21.96), .10 from the last qualifier.

“I’m excited about both (medals). I’m just ready to go back to work and come back next year stronger,” Schulz said.

Friday’s preliminary distances in shot and triple jump carry over to Saturday. Garland was fourth in shot Friday but could not throw further Saturday.

In 2022, Garland was all-state fifth in discus (lifetimebest 169-2.75). Garland was 11th Saturday (45.02m/147-8), 7 feet-7 inches from ninth.

“I felt like I still could have done more (in shot), but I’m still happy. Now I’m fifth and fifth in both,” Garland said. Osei-Yeboah remained fifth from Friday’s best jump Friday. His lifetime-best 23-6.25 won sectionals.

“I see this more as a humbling experience and I’ll improve on this,” Osei-Yeboah said.

Rill, McKillop all-staters for Fenwick

enwick senior Grayden Rill truly appreciated his proam-best fourth all-state medal by taking sixth in the IHSA Class 2A 1,600 meters in 4:20.96, his third-fastest time

Rill was healthy after facing injuries during cross country and a recent lingering illness.

“Just put everything I had in that race,” said an exhausted Rill. “The last lap, my legs just weren’ t moving like I

Rill’s highest finishes were fourth in the 800 in 2021 and with the 3,200 relay last year, his favorite memory.

“It was just a pleasure to do it for my dad [Dave] and brother [Brixton] coaching,” said Rill, who plans to be a firefighter like them and brother Skyler. “I’m definitely goep running.”

Junior Nate McKillop earned all-state in the 3,200 with seventh place in a personal-best 9:30.75.

eshman Matt Simon (400 in 54.04) was 21st, junior Dean O’Bryan (1,600 in 4:32.61) was 22nd, junior Jalen lliams (5.51m/18-1 in long jump) was 26th, junior high jumper Avion Brown missed the 5-11 opening height and senior Joep Engbers scratched shot put.

RICH SKOR A

Grayden Rill

Fenwick soccer attens Payton, claims sectional title

Mullarkey scores twice, Kapsch notches two assists for Friars

By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

With the loss of 11 players from last season, which ended with a fourth-place finish in the IHSA Class 2A state tournament, it stood to reason that the Fenwick High School girls soccer team would experience a few bumps as new players were introduced to the squad.

But the early season trials are starting to pay dividends for the Friars, who claimed back-to-back sectional titles with a 4-1 victory over Payton Prep at De La Salle on

May 27.

“It feels really great, especially with losing all the seniors from last year,” said Fenwick sophomore Grace Kapsch, who scored a goal and had two assists. “We had something to prove, and I think we did a great job as a team.”

Bor rowing a moniker from the football team, Fenwick (8-9-5) started fast, scoring just 26 seconds into the match when sophomore Kiera Mullarkey took a feed from Kapsch and buried it past Payton goalkeeper Chloe Guzik for the first of her two goals.

“It was really important and got our energy up,” Mullarkey said.

About a minute later, Ajla Gradjan got the equalizer for the Grizzlies (11-9-1). But the Friars responded with two goals in the next six minutes, one by Susie Shank, the

other by Mullarkey.

“Unbelievable,” said Fenwick coach Craig Blazer. “To settle in and get more after that, it was a terrific start.”

In the 35th minute, Kapsch took a pass from Alex Ballinger and, after breaking away from the Payton backline, rocketed a shot past Guzik for a 4-1 lead.

From there, Fenwick relied on solid defense to thwart the Grizzlies the rest of the way.

“We showed some maturity and played safety-first in the back,” Blazer said. “Leah [Hyland] did a great job as our goalkeeper, as did Ellie [Dvorak], Maddie [Rogowski], Kiera [Kapsch], Lola [Martinez], and Kiera [Mullarkey]. They were smar t back there.”

The victory advanced the Friars to the IHSA Class 2A De La Salle Supersectional on May 30, after Wednesday Journal’s print

deadline. Fenwick meets the host Meteors in a rematch from last year, which saw the Friars prevail on penalty kicks.

The two teams played to a 1-1 draw April 25 in what Kapsch described as a physical contest. She believes more of the same is likely to happen, especially with a trip downstate at stake.

“We need to carry over the way we played today,” she said. “We were also missing Susie the last time we played, and she’s a big part of our team.”

“We’ re definitely going to have to play really hard,” Mullarkey said. “We know what [De La Salle’s] strengths are and we know how to break their defense. It’s a matter of us staying focused and playing together.”

The winner moves on to the IHSA Class 2A semifinals on June 2 at North Central Colle ge in Naperville.

Hasapis homer powers OPRF so ball to regional crown

Morales gets complete game victory as Huskies return to sec tionals

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

After an unaccustomed early exit from the IHSA Class 4A state tournament last year, the Oak Park and River Forest High School softball team is back in a familiar position this week -- the sectional round.

At the Evanston Township Regional final on May 27, Bella Morales tossed a complete game and Elyssa Hasapis smacked a home run and RBI double to lift the Huskies past the Wildkits 3-2.

Hasapis’ solo homer in the first inning gave OPRF (27-7) the early lead. In the top of the third, Charlie Hendersen’s homer tied the game 1-1, but the Huskies responded with two runs in the bottom half to go ahead for good

Kelly Cortez led off with a walk, then stole second. Anne Stine’s fly ball to right was dropped for an error, moving Cortez to third OPRF next pulled off a double steal as Cortez scored and Stine went to second. Stine then came home on Hasapis’ double as the Huskies took a 3-1 lead

“Elyssa’s one of the best players in the state,” said OPRF coach J.P. Coughlin.

“We’ve talked all season about being a full

team, which we are, but the numbers Elyssa is putting up are insane. She’s always there in the clutch.”

Sophie Berger-White’s homer in the fifth drew Evanston closer, but Morales slammed the door on the Wildkits after that, retiring the final nine batters.

Morales gave up two runs on three hits and had eight strikeouts with no walks allowed.

“She wasn’t hitting her spots early in the game and I thought she was a little nervous,” Coughlin said. “But she wasn’t walking people, and she’s so calm and cool.”

OPRF met Taft May 30, after Wednesday Journal’s print deadline, in a sectional semifinal at Whitney Young. The Eagles edged the Huskies last year 5-4 in the OPRF Regional final.

“Taft is deep, just like us,” Coughlin said. “It should be a really good game.”

Fenwick advances to sectional play

Fenwick High School fended of f a seventh-inning rally to edge Elmwood Park 4-3 to claim the IHSA Class 3A Elmwood Park Regional. It’s the second consecutive re gion-

al title for the Friars

“The game was a little too close for comfort,” said Fenwick coach Bryan Hoffman. “But we’re not done yet, and we hope to go much further.”

Kailey Janda started in the circle for Fenwick with two scoreless innings. Hoffman said it was by design to start Janda instead of ace Talia Lorenzo (4 innings, 3 ER, 3 K), who entered in the third.

“We thought Elmwood Park would be expecting Talia, so we wanted to provide them with a few surprises,” he said. “One of them was starting Kailey, and she gave us two solid innings. That allowed Talia to be fresh for later in the game.”

Sophie Stone led off the bottom of the second for Fenwick (16-14) drawing a walk from Elmwood Park pitcher Kylie Plasencia. After a strikeout and fielder’s choice, Gianna Pescatore (2-for-2, BB) singled, then Teresa Nevare z doubled to bring home Caity Barganski (2-for-3) and Pescatore.

Nevare z also scored on the play due to fielding and throwing errors.

The Tigers (20-8) scored on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but Madelyn Entler drove in what proved to be an important insurance run for Fenwick in the sixth with a two-out

double.

In the seventh inning, Elmwood Park scored on a double, and Stone sealed the win after relieving Lorenzo, who got her 500th career strikeout during her outing Fenwick meets sectional host St. Ignatius in a semifinal May 31. The Friars defeated the Wolfpack 6-1 on March 27.

Trinity knocked out by St. Ignatius

T rinity High School saw its year end with a 13-3 r un-rule defeat to St. Ignatius on May 26 in the Class 3A Trinity Re gional title g ame at Triton Colle ge

With the score tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, the Wolfpack (19-15) scored eight r uns, seven coming after two outs. A three-run homer by Payton Goodwin followed by a homer by Lauren Walton were the big blows.

St. Ignatius ended the g ame in the sixth with a home run by pitcher Abby Lee and an RBI single by Goodwin.

Lia Caporale, Kendall Haynes and Fiona Lundt each had two hits, and Claire Rambasek drove in two r uns for the Blazers (16-9).

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

Electrify buildings to reduce climate change

Climate change is an issue that must be addressed at all levels of our governmental, economic, and social systems. At the local level in Oak Park, 70% of our emissions come from our buildings. As such, we must move to reduce emissions from those buildings as a key component of addressing climate change. Electrifying those buildings is a key component of reducing their impact Currently, only 10% of Illinois’ electricity comes from renewable sources, but the recent Clean Energy Jobs Act mandates that all of Illinois’ energy must come from fossil-fuel-free sources by 2045, only about 20 years away. As Illinois moves toward that goal over the next two decades, ings whose power comes solely from electricity will see their emissions trend toward 0.

JIM SCHWARTZ One View

are substantial tax credits and rebates available, and a heat pump replacing a building air conditioner can both heat and cool that building. The village board could require a similar re placement policy when residents replace gas stoves, requiring that they be replaced with electric induction stoves.

The village should also investigate partnerships with nonprofit and for-profit organizations, such as BlocPower, that could provide financing for residential and commercial buildings to make the switch from gas to electric. Some of these organizations finance new equipment themselves and the cost savings from costs are used to pay of f the er time.

AI does ‘depictions,’ not art

Ihad a conversation with an artist about the difference between his art and AI art. He seemed resigned about continuing his craft. He was discouraged by the fact that AI could create art so much faster than he could and lost motivation to spend time on his craft because “AI is taking over.”

There are two components to the electrification process:

First, the village must mandate that all new construction, both residential and commercial, be all-electric. Cities like Ithaca, New York and Menlo Park, California have already accomplished this goal. The Oak Pa rk Village Board will be considering legislation making this commitment in the next several months. Developers and homeowners should support this requirement, as constructing a home with only electric infrastructure is less expensive than building for both electricity and gas, and studies have shown that more efficient electric heating systems will save homeowners money over the long term.

Second, the village must suppo rt existing buildings to move from gas to electricity. This is a thor nier problem. It will require the replacement of lots of existing infrastructure, and there will be questions about who pays and when the equipment should be replaced. There are several possibilities for this process, all of which should be considered.

Initially, the village board could require that heat pumps be installed for building heating whenever gas furnaces or whole-building air conditioners are re placed. The cost of a heat pump is currently more than a gas furnace, but there

the village should support neighbors to become examples of building electrification for one another. Neighbors learn from one another, and electrification can spread through the community as residents educate one another about its benefits. We can address climate change locally by electrifying our buildings, but only if we get started now. Our village has a lot of building stock, and it is growing all the time. If we take up this ef fort without delay, can take advantage of our state’s transition to fossil-fuel-free electricity and reduce our emissions all of us.

Sources:

■ Information on Clean Energy Jobs Act: https://www. nrdc.org/stories/illinois-shows-us-what-road-clean-energy-should-look

■ Cost savings of electrification: https://www.nrdc.org/ bio/valeria-rincon/new-report-finds-electric-homes-cansave-chicagoans-money

■ Incentives and rebates for electric infrastructure: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/ rebates-for-home-energy-upgrades-are-coming-soon-hereshow-to-plan

Jim Schwartz is an Oak Park resident, an educator, and a volunteer with the Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN).

In a world where craftsmanship takes so much time and the world is short on time and patience, he found it hard to validate reasons for putting in the ef fort when AI art is available. I pointed out to him the intricacies of his art: the lines in facial features which were so exact that it looked like a photo graph. He is self-trained and was a mechanic with a Da Vinci-level artisan existing in the depths of his psyche and hands. We went back and forth about the ef ficiency of AI and its ability to eliminate the mundanity of the brush stroke.

So I wondered if we could reframe that thinking. It’s not mundane. It’s an act of worship or celebration, I thought. We summarized art history over the past 1,000 years and the legendary predecessors who paved the way to various styles. That was an exhausting discussion but seems to be necessary in the days of AI.

Then we went to church through our discussion and had a mini-worship service in conversation. What do I mean by that? We discussed the soul of a human being versus AI. I reasoned with him that AI can’t re place the artist because the artist has a soul. Anything the artist creates is much more intricate, unique and divine because it comes from a hand, attached to a body that has a soul living in it, and a brain to think through the creation. The brain is made up of neurons and electrons, which fire divine ideas and thoughts that come from inspiration in thinking because we have DNA, which has telomeres that, though shortening through our lifespan, also get

As much as I want nonpar tisan and cooperative action in Congress, I find myself in this “us opposing them” state of mind. These times are chaotic, but I believe that my views on public issues and civil rhetoric are shared by the majority of our country. As the following chart demonstrates, ongoing critical decisions in governance must be made amid an extreme divergence of views

Them

1) Support Russia

2) Minimal concern for environment and deny climate change

‘Us’ opposing ‘ em’ HAUSMAN

10) quire ethics code compliance for all wyers

11) Shore up the 15th Amendment, assurote for all citizens

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

3) Support the NRA and add more police officers to the force

4) Promote private health care

5) Prohibit abortion

6) Edit history and ban numerous school books and teaching topics

7) Close borders to asylum seekers

8) Support white supremacy

9) Spread hate and fear

10) Support Supreme Court’s refusal to adopt a code of ethics

11) Limit minority voting with eligibility restrictions and curbing access to polls

12) Promote an autocratic government

13) Refuse to abide by the Constitution

Us

1) Support Ukraine

2) Invest in green energy and take measures to protect the environment

3) Seek solutions to quell violence and establish reasonable gun regulations

4) Promote affordable public health care

5) Support women’s right of choice

6) Provide truth in history and access to all books

7) Keep borders open to asylum seekers

8) Criminalize racism

9) Curb the rhetoric of hate and fear

Continued

massaged by complex thought. And we are divine beings.

Whew! So that was going to church in our conversation.

He thought about it and realized AI creates art from inputted data and images it copies from descriptions of things that our brain programs it to do. It does this without feeling because it has no soul. We looked at a picture of a face he painted in which the model was disabled and had many imperfections. The picture looked like a photo graph.

12) Promote democracy rt the Constitution you have additional ou’d want government ement. My priority is voting rights thout free access to the pools, fair elec, and lawful and unrestricted balloting for all citizens, there can be no democracy. Yet voting rights have been a problem for over 150 years. Time and time again, voting rights have been reaffir med, and then those whom I call “them” have found ways to chip away with restrictions that curtail access to the polls for minority and non-white citizens

In March of 1965, my husband Marty and I felt strongly about supporting the fervent efforts of John Lewis and others to secure full voting rights for African Americans. We went to Alabama and joined the throng peacefully marching in Selma. On Saturday March 6, however, we were frightened as we watched a fully-armed militia amass alongside us With some feelings of guilt, Marty and I left the march before our worst fears were sadly actualized the next day, on Bloody Sunday. Many were injured and some were killed that day. Although this nightmare took place, it spurred the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 three months later. “Us” versus “them” aside, the bill passed by a unanimous vote!

So here we are in 2023, and we are yet again wrestling with this same issue. “Us” versus “them” continues. I ask that “us” urge our legislators to buffer, not weaken, voting rights, the very foundation of democratic governance. Fortunately, our country is still populated with more of “us” than “them.” Let’s add to our ranks, heartened by the knowledge that we are on the side of the angels of Bloody Sunday.

Harriet Hausman is a longtime resident of River Forest and, at 99, likely the oldest weekly newspaper columnist in the U.S., if not the world.

I explained that I would rather buy a piece of art made by a human who put feeling and soul into his depiction which I then could interpret in my own brain. I could even discuss it with him from a spiritual perspective. I couldn’t do that with AI. He finally began to see what AI can never provide for the creative arts: soul, insight, perspective, feeling. These things cannot be manufactured.

AI can only copy and output data. Maybe we should stop calling AI art “art” and instead call it “depictions.” The artist/artisan will always be necessary in this world if our cultures are to continue having soul.

Senior Repor ter Stacey Sheridan

Sta Reporters Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Big Week Editor James Porter

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

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designer Susan McKelvey

Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady

Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

About Viewpoints

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

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

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

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

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OUR VIEWS

An opening at OPRF

The news last week that Kebreab Henry was resigning his post on the Oak Park and River Forest High School board was disappointing as he has been a strong and focused voice for students and equity during his two years on the District 200 board. That his reason for leaving the board and moving with his family from Oak Park is to be nearer his aging parents is a positive reflection on his values

As his board colleagues made clear in remarks at the May 25 meeting, he will be missed.

The school is expected to announce by mid-week its specific plans for a process to appoint Henry’s successor. Under law, the board has 60 days to make an appointment of a person who will fill out the remaining 23 months of Henry’s term.

Two thoughts:

We support the idea raised at the May 25 meeting by newly elected Tim Brandhorst that the school board open up the application and interview process to the public. A person interested enough in being considered for appointment to this key public policy board should be fully comfortable with their name being made public And the interviews themselves should be fully open to the public.

We wouldn’t consider shielding candidates from public scrutiny in an election. What is the logic for going behind closed doors for an appointment that carries the same authority as being elected by the community? This school board declares itself transparent. Here is a way to make that real.

Of course, the school board should act to appoint the best possible person, but representation matters and, as we know the school board understands, the present configuration of the OPRF school board skews heavily white and male. Before Henry’s resignation, six of seven members were male, he was the only Black person on the board, and Mary Anne Mohanraj was the sole woman and other person of color on the school board. During an election forum sponsored this spring by Wednesday Journal among the four white male candidates for the board, moderator Charlie Meyerson asked the candidates about the imbalance that adding three more white men to the board would create. Their answers were direct in acknowledging the outcome would be far from the ideal and that active ef for ts to recruit more candidates of color, more women would be essential.

And so, as this appointment process begins, the best outcome will be to welcome and recruit candidates who will of fer wider re presentation and experience to this school board.

Coping with a Sox-suck season

It’s been a rough first two months for the Southsiders. Deep under .500, they’re a notoriously injury-prone team that doesn’t demonstrate a fierce desire to win. Bad chemistry? Bad psychology? Lack of character? Their prospects look dismal to say the least. With four long months ahead, if you’ re a Sox f an, how do you cope?

I took refuge in Richard Roeper’s 2006 book, Sox and the City – A Fan’s Love Affair with the White Sox, from the Heartbreak of ’67 to the Wizards of Oz. He wrote it after the White Sox did the unimaginable: winning the 2005 World Series. Part historical survey, part memoir, it is an eng aging, lively, wellresearched book from the Sun-Times columnist, film reviewer and lifelong Sox fan.

KEN TRAINOR

My brother gave me the book years ago, and it sat on my bookshelf until I needed something to take my mind of f this year’s disappointment. It helped.

I was 7 years old in 1959 when the White Sox finally beat out the hated Yankees and Cleveland Indians to win the American League pennant for their first World Series in 40 years. If you know baseball history, you know 1919 didn’t tur n out so well — and 1959 didn’t tur n out well either, but getting to the World Series was enough to bond me to this franchise, apparently for life. It’s been a love/ hate relationship ever since. For Roeper, though, it appears to be true love.

He rolls through the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and ends with the gobsmacking, stupefying, ultra-astonishing 2005 World Championship season, something most Sox fans had given up on ever experiencing. Eighteen years after, many of us still can’t quite believe it happened.

Roeper’s tour really starts in 1951 when, after decades of misery, the Sox began an almost-as-astonishing feat that many fans may not even be aware of: For 17 straight seasons (1951-1967), they finished over .500. Only two teams have ever exceeded that: the Orioles (1968-1985) and, of course, the hated Yankees (1926-1964), who neutralized almost every Sox success. From 1957 to 1965, for instance, the White Sox finished second five times and first once. But though they always came up short, they were consistently good. Known as the Go-Go White Sox, they had speed, pitching and defense. Hitting was their Achilles heel. Whenever the Sox managed to score a run or two, my father, a lifelong Cubs fan, would playfully proclaim, “another White Sox rally,” which usually consisted of a walk, stealing second, advancing to third on a ground ball, and scoring on a sacrifice fly. Some of their best hitters were pitchers. In one g ame I attended, Gary Peters was sent up in extra innings to pinch-hit for a posi-

tion player and won the game with a walk-of f homer.

What a long strange trip it’s been — owners like Bill Veeck with a wooden leg and a heart of gold, Jerry Reinsdorf with a wooden heart and a hollow leg full of gold; managers ranging from the dignified Al Lopez to the excitable Ozzie Guillen; broadcasters like the well-lubricated Harry Caray (pre-Cubs), the mercurial Jimmy Piersall, and the annoyingly folksy Hawk Harrelson; a Disco Demolition Night promotion that literally blew up; a group of castoffs known as the South Side Hit Men in 1977 who lived up to their name but were forced to wear funky uniforms, including shorts(!); the “winning ugly” team in 1983 that went 60-25 in the second half to clinch their first division championship then broke our hearts in the playoffs; an abor ted attempt to move the team to Tampa, Florida, a ploy most likely to leverage a new stadium to re place creaky old Comiskey Park; another division champ in 1993 and an even better team in 1994 (we’ll never know how good since Reinsdorf led an owners’ revolt that canceled the season); and finally in 2005 squeaking into the playoffs, then tur ning into a jugger naut, sweeping the defending World Champion Red Sox, taking four out of five from the 2002 World Champion Angels (four complete game victories by four different pitchers), and sweeping the Houston Astros in the World Series.

Reading Roeper’s book revived my own store of memories — players who entertained like Minnie Minoso, Early Wynn (who won early and often), speedy Louie Aparicio, Nellie Fox (who had fewer strikeouts over his entire career than many hitters tally in a single year), a string of graceful centerfielders (Jim Landis, Ken Ber ry, Tommie Agee, Chet Lemon), ele gant pitchers (Gary Peters, Joel Horlen, Tommy John, Black Jack McDowell, Chris Sale, Mark Buehrle), and eventually even sluggers: Dick Allen, Carlton Fisk, Harold Baines, Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, Jose Abreu.

Going back in time made me realize that playoff and World Series glory is overrated. In baseball memory, the sun is forever shining

The White Sox will always be a quirky, oddball franchise but I’m coming to terms with that. Let all those obsessively successful franchises elsewhere keep struggling to please their unpleasable fan bases I think I’ll stay wedded to this group of crazies

If you’re unable to watch the current crop of unlovable losers, I recommend you read Richard Roeper’s book — and also Veeck as in Wreck (Bill Veeck’s autobiography), which I just started

As I did, you might find it therapeutic.

Wear orange for a future free from gun violence

Hadiya Pendleton marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later she was shot and killed in a playground in Chicago. To honor her life, Hadiya’s friends decided to wear orange — the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves

Hadiya’s birthday, June 2, is known as “Wear Orange” day, and the first weekend in June, Friday-Sunday, is Wear Orange Weekend. This year it’s June 2-4.

When we wear orange, we’re honoring those whose lives have been cut short and the hundreds wounded by gun violence. When we wear orange, we are standing together in our commitment to work for peace to end gun violence.

Oak Park resident Marilyn Heinrichs wanted to take action against the horror of gun violence. One

thing she could do was wear the or ange T-shirt at her Brookdale home Her T-shirt reads, “Reimagine Chicago – End Gun Violence.” Marilyn’s Brookdale friends were curious and once they understood that she was quietly protesting against gun violence and supportive of taking ac tion, they started wearing orange too Every Thursday morning, Brookdale friends come to breakfast wearing or ange. They are a wonderful group of peacemakers advocating for the end of gun violence.

You are invited to join Marilyn and her friends and wear orange, June 2-4, and throughout the month of June. Join in showing your commitment to doing what we can do together to end gun violence.

Lois Thiessen Love Oak Park

Brookdale residents

Board indiscipline and the costs of not voting

Tax stewardship?

Stewardship’s dead, baby, stewardship’s dead.

District 200’s board approved an eye-watering $102 million Project 2, contorting itself using pretzel logic specifically to bypass taxpayers by not going for a referendum.

Board President Tom Cofsky said, in effect, no new taxes needed. According to the Wednesday Journal article “D200 board opts for no referendum” [News, May 3], “After the meeting, Cofsky told Wednesday Journal that in the future it is likely that the district will have to levy the maximum amount allowed by law but he said that paying the debt incur red for Project 2 will force future school boards to be disciplined and careful in their spending.”

Which is it, no new taxes, or years of maximum annual increases forced solely by Project 2? Board indiscipline.

From that same Journal article: “Cofsky acknowledged there are risks in funding such an expensive project from operating revenues. He listed … inflation above the rate of 5 percent, the maximum amount the operating levy can be increased in one year under the tax cap law, a pension cost shift switching the responsibility for paying teacher pensions to local school districts from the state, a big increase in enrollment, a significant change in local economic conditions and the loss of budget discipline by future school boards. … We’ve got to really play our game out well and even then, it’s going to be a challenge.”

Cofsky himself makes the case against the ir responsible gambit he led the board to choose. “Everyday taxpayers don’t understand the workings of the finances.” Neither does most of the board.

The Community Finance Committee clearly understands. It includes two CPAs, one runs business operations for a Schaumburg school district (https:// sd54.org/about/). As the largest elementary school district in Illinois, School District 54 connects more than 15,500 students with 2,000 staf f members. An-

other has a PhD in economics, an M.A. in economics and an M.A. in public planning. Another is director of finance for a billion-dollar corporation. On two occasions, members of the CFC advised against what the funding option the board chose.

Poor stewardship abounds.

Meanwhile, the Park District of Oak Park just completed an $18 million Community Rec Center few clamored for on the assertion that a 2014 “community survey” of about 600 residents somehow justified it. No referendum (https:// parksfoundationop.org/history/community-recreation-center-faq)

District 97, in 2017, $13.3 million referendum passed https://www.oakpark. com/2017/04/11/district-97-gets-referendum-relief). Additional unauthorized $2.6 million windfall taken (https:// www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/oakpark/ct-oak-park-97-tax-abatement-tl0727-20170720-story.html). Had opportunity to decline it, chose not to. Then at D97, new D200 board member Graham Brisben led the referendum/windfall

ef fort: $15.9 million increase in one fell swoop

D97, in 2019, took $5.7 million from expiring TIFS (https://www.oakpark. com/2019/11/19/most-oak-park-taxingbodies-plan-to-capture-tif-funds). Rob Grossi, D97’s financial consultant, said the district’s 2019 tax levy would capture all of the available taxes from the expiring TIFs — about $5.7 million from the expiration of the two TIFs and new taxable property, about $4.1 million from the expiration of the downtown TIF and about $1.2 million from the expiration of the Madison TIF. The remainder, roughly $376,000 from new taxable property. For 2017-2019 alone, D97 received $21.6 million. Breathtaking

The Library Board, 2019, levied a 9.98% levy increase plus expiring TIF money (https://www.oakpark. com/2020/07/29/expiring-tifs-andother-questions-about-tax-bills, by Ali ElSaffar (see chart). Current D200 board member Mary Anne Mohanraj, was then on the library board.

‘Upgrade’ fails to protect the elderly

Oak Park’s elderly population will be affected by a recent FCC decision that approves dere gulation (https://www.fcc.gov/ document/fcc-g r ants-relief-outdated-burdensome-phone-industry-re gulations), allowing telecom companies to replace copper wire landline phone service with internetbased phone service.

According to the FCC order, the existence of landline service is preventing us from transitioning to the next generation of communication technology because it requires expensive infrastructure maintenance. However, this decision will ne gatively impact the 1.6 million seniors in Illinois (https://www.communityphone.org/landline/il#landline-usage-statistics) who still rely on landline service, including my parents. They struggle to use their cellphone,

and their internet connection is often unreliable

It is ir responsible for the FCC to prioritize telecom giants’ profits over the needs of rural communities, senior and elderly folks, and places with poor internet connectivity. How can we tie the primary means of communication of these groups to something as unreliable as an internet connection? They would lose internet connectivity completely if the power went out.

If the federal gover nment does not protect the interests of vulnerable groups, it is the responsibility of the Illinois state le gislature to step in and advocate for them. They must ensur e that no one is left behind in this so-called “upgrade.”

Alec Cunningham Oak Park

Going Green at the Farmers Market

Oak Park’s wonderful Far mers Market is underway with fresh produce, flowers and other treats. If you stopped at the Go Plastic Free table during Go Green Days, you would have seen all the ways you could be plastic “freer.” Here are some of them:

Green up your shopping experience all summer long. Start by bringing your nondisposable bags to avoid taking away new plastic bags, and reuse those you do accumulate, such as bread bags.

If you’ re buying crushable fruits and ve getables, such as berries and tomatoes, bring your own containers, like the clamshell plastic containers that some supermarket produce now often comes in. Return vendors’ containers on your next market visit so they can be reused; this also helps cut vendors’ costs.

At the market, sort your recycling, composting, and trash into the appropriate containers, and aim to divert as much landfillbound stuf f as possible.

Finally, ask the Far mers Market Commission to encourage, and eventually require, vendors to use sustainable packaging. Let vendors know you care about this.

And thank and support those who’ve made the switch from single-use plastic to compostable containers.

For more ideas for greening your home, your shopping, and your life, look for our table during Plastic-Free July

See you there with your reusable grocery bags.

Phyllis Rubin River Forest Co-leader, Go Plastic Free

anks for your support of Wright Plus 2023

On May 20, we welcomed over 1,000 guests to the Wright Plus Architectural Housewalk in our beautiful historic village of Oak Park We truly appreciate this gracious community for welcoming guests from across the country with hospitality and friendship.

We thank the homeowners for g enerously sharing their magnificent houses and reco gnize the exceptional dedicatio n

of over 300 volunteers who bring this community to g ether in goodwill.

Wright Plus would not be possible without our sponsors and patrons: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Village of Oak Park, Heritage Auctions, Old Califo rnia Fine Lighting & Home Goods, Old Second National Bank, Baird & War ner, Chicago’s North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau, RUSH Oak Park Hospital, and

As long as books shall live …

Seinfeld, the iconic “show about nothing,” is still good for some laughs, even in perpetual re-run mode. We need to laugh, of course. It is, as the saying goes, the best medicine.

For those whose eyes are wide open, and whose brains are capable of basic logical reasoning, it’s become hard to laugh at what passes for politics, writ large or small. That’s because there’s another “show” that is also about, essentially, nothing, and it is produced and directed, pretty much exclusively by the GOP.

The sickening cynicism and callous extremism that has captured the party with the elephant mascot is a clear and present danger to We the People. Unless you are extremely wealthy. But of course! And white.

And male.

Of all the creepy, fascist enactments of anti-democratic policies advanced in the recent past, the banning of books that dare teach historical truths is the most alarming. I cannot imagine being an educator or librarian in many of the blood-red states controlled by the lunatic Right. Thankfully, Illinois is a fairly safe haven for either of those professions. Critical thinking has yet to be outlawed here. Hopefully never will be. As for that book-banning ef fort, I noted a quote on the facade of the Riverside Public Library: There Is No Past As Long as Books Shall Live Exactly.

I love books!

I am an avid reader. When I’m done with a book, I want to pass it on to another book lover. I’ve discovered, belatedly, a wonderful resource for just that purpose

It’s a Facebook group called (Re)Book Oak Park. You can find it here

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/209709169846345

When you’ re ready to hand of f a book, take a photo of the cover (optional), title, author and maybe your own short review. (I tend to include the number of page s and a link to an online review, such as Amazon.)

If someone is interested, they’ll comment on your post. You can ar range with him/her how and when to pick it up. I put mine in a plastic bag and hang it on my front railing. I give the commentator my

address when it’s ready to go

But there’s another “re-book” resource all over Oak Park and probably River Forest and Forest Park as well: the Little Free Libraries people have in their front lawns. Seems that it might be wor thwhile to create a publicly available map of the locations of these little libraries.

If it doesn’t already exist, I’d be willing to do that. If you have a little library on your property, provide the exact street address with zip code and I’ll add it to a Goo gle map. You can either message me in (Re)Book Oak Pa rk or send an email to OakParkBooks@proton.me.

Happy reading!

West Studio

T hank you to our Dine Wright community partners: Broken Tart, Cucina Paradiso, Giordano’s Restaurant & Pizzeria , Maya Del Sol, Mickey’s Gyros & Ribs, Smoothie King, and Victory Italian.

Finally, thank you to the following local florists for their lovely floral ar rangements: Berwyn’s Violet Flower Shop, Garland Flowers, Good Earth Greenhouse,

Moss Modern Flowers, Tulipia F loral Design, and Westg ate Flower & Plant Shop

Without our many friends in this community, Wright Plus would not be possible. Thank you all.

Celeste Adams President and CEO Frank Lloyd Wright Trust

Ron Elling Oak Park

Joe Harrington Oak Park

Oak Park Vintage Car Club

At the OPRF History Museum, Lake & Lombard, Oak Park

VIEWPOINT S OBITUARIES

Village board should override plan commissio n

The Oak Park Plan Commission recently voted against a zoning reform that would re-establish similar standards for both Oak Park hospitals and guarantee neighbors of Rush Oak Park Hospital a voice in future developments.

Four residents who own property close to Rush proposed lowering the maximum height on parts of the campus to 50 feet, along with modest increases in setbacks. This would reduce shadows, canyon-like effects and other ne gative impacts.

CENTER WEST OP NEIGHBORHOOD

One View

Plan Commission Chair Iris Sims refused to recuse herself, even though her husband is a member of Oak Park Hospital’s board. Sims appeared friendly with the hospital CEO, refer ring to him by his first name, and allowed the hospital attorney to inter rupt the applicants’ presentation. Not surprisingly, she voted against the residents.

In 2017, village staf f asked West Suburban and Oak Park hospitals to ag ree to a reduction of maximum heights in portions of their campuses where the hospitals are closest to homes, from 125 to 50 feet. West Suburban agreed, but Rush ag reed only to reducing the height to 80 feet on one side of campus. Village staf f now oppose the precise height restriction they previously recommended. In justifying this reversal, staf f used apples-to-oranges metrics to make it appear that Oak Park Hospital is farther from the neighborhood and thus should be allowed higher maximum heights. In the Oak Park Hospital zone, staf f measured the distance from a building to residences, while in the West Suburban district, it measured from the hospital property line to residential property lines. Rush actually is much closer to homes — in some cases only 7 feet — than West Suburban.

Some commissioners bought the hospital’s doomsday speculation that the zoning refor ms would “threaten our future” as an inpatient facility. In fact, the zoning refor ms allow significant flexibility. There would be no change in the height over the Emergency Department, which was built to accommodate additional floors. Similarly, there would be no change in the height over the footprint of the original hospital. And should the hospital want to build higher than the proposed limits elsewhere on campus, it would be free to petition the village for a zoning varianc e. This would ensure residents a voice in the process.

The Zoning Ordinance states “a property owner in the village” can propose changes to the ordinance. The four residents who proposed the zoning reform all meet this requirement. Nevertheless, several commissioners parroted Rush’s lawyers by insisting that residents living next to a hospital zone have no business even proposing zoning changes.

Adopting this position would set a disturbing precedent: A commercial property owner could propose zoning changes to improve its bottom line, but neighboring residents would be denied a similar right to propose refor ms to protect their neighborhood.

The village board is not bound to follow the Plan Commission’s anti-resident recommendation. We’re confident that if the board examines the proposed zoning reform objectively and on its merits, it will adopt zoning changes that protect the neighborhood while giving Rush the flexibility to continue to grow and prosper.

Melody Turner, 80 Church musician, stained glass artisan

Melody Lynn Turner (nee Jackson), 80, of Oak on May 2, 2023 after a 12-year battle with multiple Born on Aug. 3, 1942 to Welles and Frieda (nee Busch) son in Austin, Texas, she was only 2 when the family to Ramsey, New Jersey to li with her paternal ents through the end of War II. She continued to mo around throughout her tive years, living in Waukesha and West Alli Wisconsin; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and eventually graduating high school in Toled Ohio.

Melody’s love of music developed early. Her first instrument was the accordion, followed closely by the piano and somewhere in there the violin. Her passion became clear as she completed her initial piano studies independently, which encouraged her father to pay for for mal lessons. By 15, she had her first church job for which she learned to play the organ. She earned her undergraduate de gree in music from Indiana University, followed by a master’s from Union Theological Seminary in NYC. She pursued her PhD at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana, but chose to dedicate herself to family and career, rather than completing her degree.

Upon graduating from Union, she had numerous job offers across the country, and opted for the position at First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois. Although certain it would be a short stint, she stayed for over 20 years. This is where she met her tenor husband, Dale R. Turner, through the church choir she directed. She gave birth to two daughters and raised them in music, art, beauty, and love. Over the years, she worked at First Methodist, as well as a synagogue where she learned Hebrew to better follow the services at which she played. She founded the Springfield Oratorio Choir in 1971, later named the Springfield Choral Society, which continues today, over 50 years later.

Springfield is also where she discovered her love of and skill in creating stained glass windows. At Melotte Morse Studio, she eventually worked on the state capitol dome restoration, taking on the center seal herself. One of her last projects for the studio was an extensive restoration of windows in a Frank Lloyd Wright home. Meanwhile Dale built

her a personal studio in the basement where she created windows family home and as gifts amily and friends.

In 1989, the family, and her stained glass studio, moved to . She had brief posia few area churches bebecoming the music director and organist at Church of Our Savior in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, where she for over 20 years before retiring in 2012. Melody wasn’t fully ready to stop playing and she continued to offer her substituting at various churches before becoming the “interim” organist and music director at St. Paul Episcopal Church in Riverside, where she worked until retirement in June 2022.

Meanwhile, she wanted to share her love of music through teaching. She studied the Suzuki method of instruction before opening her in-home studio, teaching children both piano and violin. In her free time, she accompanied violin and viola students of Michael Hining, accompanied rehearsals and some performances of the Tower Chorale, and played first in West Suburban Symphony and then the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest.

When they downsized, selling their house and moving into an apar tment, she donated the contents of her stained glass studio and ag reed to teach classes to seniors through the Oak Park Senior Citizens Center.

She loved comedy, puzzles (jigsaw and sudoku), reading profusely, good food, good friends, and discussing ideas of faith. She had an easy smile and a contagious laugh. She was kind, loved when kids got messy, especially digging in the dirt, and found joy in anyone who enjoyed or shared beauty.

Melody is predeceased by her parents and husband, Dale, and survived by her daughters, Alison Duray (Mark), and Justine Turner Smith (Mike), and her two grandchildren, Theodore Duray and Alden K. Smith. She is also survived by her siblings Win Jackson, Tim Jackson, Robin Sytnik and Chris Jackson, and her nephew and nieces.

Memorial visitation at Peterson-Bassi Chapels 6938 W. North Ave. will take place on June 2 from 4 to 8 p.m. A memorial service be held at Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake St., Oak Park, on June 3 at 11 a.m..

Anne Frueh, Bruno Graziano, David Osta, Jim Ritter and Mike Weik are members of the Center West Oak Park Neighborhood Association.

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COLLECTIVE IMPACT MANAGER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Collective Impact Manager in the Village Manager’s Office. Under the general direction of the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer, the Collective Impact Manager will be responsible for building and assessing racial equity impact needs and developing a strategic plan to support those needs. This includes driving the initiatives focused on the Racial Equity Action Plan through community assessments, community engagement, data functions, and overall internal and external functions. Applicants are encouraged to apply online at ht tps:/ /secure.entertimeonline. com/ta/6141780.careers?ApplyTo-

Job=537117711 or visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

CASHIER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Cashier in the Finance Department. This position will perform all clerical tasks related to the cash receipt function. Collect, process, and deposit payments made to the Village received directly from customers, via mail, lockbox, or from other internal departments. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled, first review of applications will be on May 23, 2023.

The Oak Park Residence Corporation (OPRC) is looking to hire talent-

MARKETPLACE

HOME SERVICES

JOB OPENINGS

SENIOR PROPERTY MANAGER, HOUSING PROGRAMS – Provides oversight in the management of three housing communities in Oak ParkMills Park Tower, The Oaks, and The Farrelly-Muriello Apartments.

ROSS PROGRAM SERVICE COORDINATOR (RPSC) – MILLS PARK TOWER – Develops and coordinates service programs that promote self-sufficiency and independent living for Mills Park Tower residents.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ PROGRAM SUPPORT – MILLS

PARK TOWER - Provides administrative and clerical support to Mills Park Tower Property Manager and Assistant Property Manager.

HCV PROGRAMS CASE MANAGER(S) – Provides case management to Oak Park Housing Authority Housing Choice Voucher participants.

PROPERTY MANAGER, MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL –Manages multiple market-rate buildings throughout Oak Park. In collaboration with leasing and maintenance teams, provides excellent customer services to residents.

For a complete job description for each of these positions and information about how to apply, please visit our website at https://oakparkrc.com/ about-us/work-for-oprc/ OR Send Cover letter and resume to bswaggerty@oakparkrc.com

SYSTEMS ANALYST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Systems Analyst in the Information Technology Department. The ideal candidate will perform a variety of complex technical duties in design, application programming and development, PC configuration and support, testing and maintenance of the Village’s computer application systems and perform a variety of technical duties as required. Knowledge of a wide variety of computer programming languages and systems, such as, City View Permit, License & Inspection Suite, Laserfiche, ESRI ArcGIS, MS-SQL, Reporting Tools, Java and HTML is wanted. Interested and qualified applicants must complete

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOREST PARK, IL

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking Part-Time Parking Enforcement Officer(s); Shifts to be filled are 8:00pm – Midnight or Midnight – 6:00am. The position is a rotating schedule assigned by the Supervisor – 4 days on and 4 days off which includes weekends and some holidays. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check.

Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license, knowledge of basic parking regulations, and good verbal and written skills.

Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net

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PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: YY23010544 on May 9, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of NOTHING MATTERS with the business located at: 3938 N CALIFORNIA AVE APT 1E, CHICAGO, IL 60618. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: CLAUDIA LICETH CRUZ 3938 N CALIFORNIA AVE

APT 1E CHICAGO, IL 60618, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal May 17, 24, 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of Nathan Christopher Gonzales Case Number 2023CONC000747

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Nathan Christopher Gonzales to the new name of: Nathan Ace Pietri

The court date will be held: On 08/10/2023 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.

Published in Wednesday Journal May 17, 24, 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: YY23010581 on May 17, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of ARCADIA FINANCIAL STRATEGIES with the business located at: 830-A NORTH BLVD, OAK PARK, IL 60301. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DAVID WALZ 1518 ELGIN AVE. FOREST PARK, IL 60130.

Published in Forest Park Review May 24, 31, June 7, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

VILLAGE OF FOREST PARK NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR WATER TOWER PAVING PROJECT

The Village of Forest Park is now accepting sealed bid proposals for the Water Tower Paving Project.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The proposed work is officially known as “Water Tower Paving Project” and further described as asphalt removal and installation of new asphalt surrounding the North Water Tower and South Water Tower as further described in the contract documents for the said work prepared by Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. (CBBEL).

AVAILABILITY OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

The Bidding Documents can be downloaded from QuestCDN via the Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd. (CBBEL) website http://cbbel. com/bidding-info/ or at www.questcdn.com under Login using QuestCDN #8526711 for a non-refundable charge of $50.00. A QuestCDN login will be required. Contact QuestCDN. com at 952-233-1632 or info@questcdn.com for assistance in membership registration and downloading this digital project information.

Contractors must purchase bid documents and be shown on the Bidder’s Planholder List in order to bid. Bids received from contractors who are not in the Bidder’s Planholder List will be rejected.

Notice is hereby given that the Village of Forest Park, Illinois, will receive and accept bids ONLY through QuestCDN.com via their electronic VirtuBidTM online bid service. A virtual bid opening will be held at the day and time of the bid closing.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/ j/89726731893?pwd=aXJQL1BBekgxcko2aUFBeWJKZllIQT09

Meeting ID: 897 2673 1893 Passcode: 388405

Contractors must purchase bid documents and be shown on the Bidder ’s Planholder List in order to bid. Bids received from contractors who are not in the Bidder’s Planholder List will be rejected.

BID SECURITY

All bid proposals must be accompanied by a bid bond payable to the Village of Forest Park for ten (10) percent of the amount of the bid as provided in the General Provisions. No proposals or bids will be considered unless accompanied by such bond.

Published in Forest Park Review May 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

SECTION I REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

NOTICE TO CONSULTING

FIRMS: The City of Berwyn (hereinafter “City”) is seeking Design and Construction Engineering Services for the project listed below. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet is available at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 West 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402, or at https://www.berwyn-il.gov/government/bids-rfps#!/

Sealed Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) will be received at the City Clerk’s Office, until the time and date specified below, for:

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES – DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING OGDEN AVENUE WATER MAIN, SEWER AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS

ADDRESS THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TO: Attention of the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 W. 26th Street, Berwyn IL 60402, on or before the submittal date specified below. The SOQ shall be sealed and clearly marked on the front “Statement of Qualifications for Engineering Services”. FAXED OR EMAILED SOQs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS IS DUE NO LATER THAN: 10:00 a.m. on June 16, 2023. Consulting Firms shall submit three (3) paper copies and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a flash drive

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

of their SOQ.

Published in Wednesday Journal May 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

The River Forest Park District has placed its 2023-2024 Combined Budget and Appropriation Ordinance on file for public inspection. Said Ordinance may be examined on the River Forest Park District website. A public hearing on said Ordinance will be held at 6:00pm on Monday, June 12, 2023, at the Depot, 401 Thatcher Avenue, River Forest, Illinois.

Michael J. Sletten, Secretary River Forest Park District

Published Wednesday Journal May 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2023 SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project includes the removal and replacement of approximately 6,500 square feet of sidewalk and other related work.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, June 14, 2023 in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal and project specifications are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. All bidders must provide proof that they are prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform at least 100% of the value of the work before being issued bidding documents. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding

documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the right to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark May 31, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

SECTION I REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

NOTICE TO CONSULTING

FIRMS: The City of Berwyn (hereinafter “City”) is seeking Design and Construction Engineering Services for the project listed below. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet is available at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 West 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402, or at https://www.berwynil.gov/government/bids-rfps#!/

Sealed Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) will be received at the City Clerk’s Office, until the time and date specified below, for:

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES – PHASE II AND PHASE III ENGINEERING

16TH STREET IMPROVEMENTS

ADDRESS THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS TO: Attention of the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 W. 26th Street, Berwyn IL 60402, on or before the submittal date specified below. The SOQ shall be sealed and clearly marked on the front “Statement of Qualifications for Engineering Services”. FAXED OR EMAILED SOQs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS IS DUE NO LATER THAN: 10:00 a.m. on June 9, 2023. Consulting Firms shall submit three (3) paper copies and one (1) electronic copy in PDF format on a flash drive of their SOQ.

Published in Wednesday Journal May 31, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday June 15, 2023 for

Project: 23-2, Resurfacing of Various Streets. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, this contract includes removal and replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalks and sidewalk ramps, and driveways; combined sewer repairs; drainage structure adjustments; pavement patching; full depth pavement removal; earth excavation; cold-milling of bituminous concrete; installation of hot-mix asphalt base, binder and surface courses; installation of HMA speed humps at various locations; installation of RRFB systems; pavement markings; parkway restoration; and all appurtenant work thereto.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic

Published

service starting on Thursday June 1, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8539392 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. All prospective bidders must be pre-qualified in the HMA Paving category by the Illinois Department of Transportation. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

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

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2019-3; Plaintiff, vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF KAREN PEISS AKA KAREN P. PEISS AKA KAREN GARDINER KOLOZSY; EDWARD J. KOLOZSY AKA EDWARD KOLOZSY; MICHELLE P. PURCELL AKA MICHELLE PURCELL AKA MICHELLE PEISS; CHARLES H. PEISS AKA CHARLES PEISS; WILLIAM (BILL) BUTCHER AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR KAREN GARDINER KOLOZSY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 8974

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 5, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate:

P.I.N. 15-34-124-065-0000 (new); 15-34-124-056 (underlying ). Commonly known as 9523 Monroe Ave., Brookfield, IL 60513. 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 The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates, P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563. (630) 453-6925. 1396183819

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3221091

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION; Plaintiff, vs. PATRICIA CRAWFORD; MARION-AT-MILLS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 22 CH 9108

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 27, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-309-045-1019.

Commonly known as 248 S. Marion St., Unit 206, Oak Park, IL 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)

(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates, P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563. (630) 453-6925. 7020-184095

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3220520

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

HMC Assets, LLC solely in its capacity as separate trustee of CAM XI Trust Plaintiff, vs. Elizabeth Meza aka Elizabeth A. Meza; Agustin Meza; Unknown Owners and Non-Record

Claimants

Defendants, 21 CH 2539

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of

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

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

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

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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate:

P.I.N. 16-18-135-009-0000.

Commonly known as 826 South Grove Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act.

Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates, P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563. (630) 453-6925. 1491189651

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3220513

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

WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR MFRA TRUST 2015-

1;

Plaintiff, vs. MATTHEW O. MCMURRAY AKA MATTHEW MCMURRAY; SOUTH MALL COURT CLUB CONDOMINIUMS HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS;

Defendants, 17 CH 11906

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate:

P.I.N. 16-07-314-024-1022.

Commonly known as 1150 Washington Boulevard, Apartment 1, Oak Park, IL 60302.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)

(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates,

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

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

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

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

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

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

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

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

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