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June 15, 2022 Vol. 42, No. 46 ONE DOLLAR @wednesdayjournalinc
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Mohr concrete sold; apartments, hotel planned A daycare, multifamily residential complex and possibly more By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Memorial Day shootout Police from Oak Park and Berwyn plan to prevent recurrence REPORT BY STACEY SHERIDAN, PAGE 9 ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Hinsdale-based real estate company KrohVan has purchased the H.J. Mohr & Sons Co. concrete site with the intention of developing the land as multifamily residential complex of perhaps five stories. A hotel is also being considered for a portion of the site. A national daycare chain is already approved for construction on an additional parcel on Garfield Street. The Mohr property includes two parcels of land, the larger of which is the 3.29-acre plot at the corner of Harlem Avenue and Garfield Street where the former concrete plant sits. KrohVan purchased that site, as well as a smaller parcel on Garfield Street, which was previously used by Mohr to store concrete trucks. H.J. Mohr & Sons Co. was one of the state’s oldest businesses, even predating Oak Park’s incorporation in 1902 by nine years. The company’s founder, Henry J. Mohr, served as the first mayor of Forest Park. Originally a coal and building materials supplier, Mohr & Sons transitioned into an industrial concrete manufacturing See MOHR CONCRETE on page 14
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State board approves sale of West Sub Medical Center
Pipeline Healthcare’s deal also includes Weiss Memorial Hospital By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board has approved the sale of Oak Park-area hospital West Suburban Medical Center to Resilience Healthcare. The approval paves the way for yet another ownership change for West Suburban, a hospital beleaguered by a revolving door of owners. This time around, Village President Vicki Scaman believes the hospital has found in Resilience Healthcare an owner that will stick around, a new company headed up by health-care executive Manoj Prasad, who was not available for comment. Scaman was among those who spoke out in support of the sale during the June 7 HFSRB meeting. She expressed her confidence in Prasad during an interview with Wednesday Journal.
FILE
West Suburban Hospital Medical Center
“I do trust his desire to engage the community and be collaborative in the way that meets the health needs of both Oak Park and its surrounding communities,” Scaman said, adding that Prasad plans to embrace wider health-related discussions, such as food insecurity and homelessness. West Suburban is currently owned by California-based Pipeline Health. HFSRB approval is important to advancing the ownership change, according to Pipeline Health spokesperson Jane Brust. “This is not a done deal; this is an ongoing process,” said Brust. “The state review board approval this week was a huge step forward and we’re grateful that the board members acknowledge the importance of these hospitals to their communities.” The transaction, valued at $92 million, will also include the sale of Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. Pipeline, which has made “significant improvements” worth $60 million to the hospitals, has committed to refunding $12 million from the sale back to West Sub and Weiss for further investment. An actual SHANEL ROMAIN transition date has not yet STRONGER COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS? Dr. Manoj Prasad speaks during the community been established. forum at West Suburban Medical Center in April, in Oak Park. “The buyer and the
West Sub ownership history ■ Resilience Healthcare (pending) ■ Pipeline Healthcare 2019-2022 ■ Tenet Healthcare 2013-2018 ■ Vanguard 2009-2013 ■ Resurrection Health Care 2004-2009 ■ Independent ownership 1999-2004 ■ Loyola University Medical Center 1996-1999
seller have the green light by virtue of this approval to move forward, but there’s still some due diligence going on, there’s still some discussion and planning going on,” Brust said. Pipeline purchased the two hospitals in 2019, along with Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park. The subsequent closing of Westlake Hospital by Pipeline, despite promising to improve the safety-net hospital, sparked ire from political officials and residents alike. The souring of the health-care company’s community relationships following that broken promise to keep Westlake open has not been forgotten by Scaman. “They did a lot of damage,” said the village president. “The disappointment just resonated, and it’s stuck with people.” Being headquartered in California, Scaman wonders if perhaps Pipeline did not work as hard as it could have to understand the Chicago-area communities it served. She does not believe that will be the case for Resilience Healthcare as Prasad intends to live within or near the Oak Park community. “Dr. Prasad is taking that time to understand what West Suburban means to the community,” she said.
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BIG WEEK June 15-22
Pride Month Display Through June 15, Oak Park Main Library Idea Box This special display features Pride flags and book recommendations that celebrate LGBTQ+ history. There will also be a virtual trivia game. Learn more at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.
Celebrating Black Futures: Performance, Art & Conversation Thursday, June 16, 7-8:30 p.m., Main Library Veterans Room and virtually through Oak Park Public Library Visual artist Tia Etu, rapper F.U.R.Y., fine art photographer Tye Moores, and rapper Jsteezzy share live performance, art, and intergenerational conversation in celebration of Black futures and Juneteenth. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.
Berwyn Juneteenth Fest Saturday, June 18, Proska Park Berwyn’s second annual free cultural event centered on Black history & culture. This year’s theme is “Food Crosses Many Rivers: High on the Hog.” The event will showcase food forests and the cooking traditions of African and American cuisine, demonstrated by local vendors.
Listing your event Wednesday Journal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest groups and businesses are planning. We’ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper. ■ Send details to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302 ■ Email calendar@wjinc.com
Illinois Libraries Present: An Evening With Kwame Onwuachi Wednesday, June 22, 7-8 p.m., virtually through Illinois Libraries Present Kwame Onwuachi’s first cookbook, My America: Recipes From a Young Black Chef, celebrates the cuisine of the African diaspora, “the world’s wisest food.” He’ll share the importance of the connections between cuisine, place, and culture. This event is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration among public libraries—including Oak Park Public Library—offering high-quality events. Register now at https://bit.ly/June22_KwameOnwuachi.
Artist Reception for Tia Etu
Juneteenth Parade & Community Picnic Sunday, June 19, 11 a.m., starts at Longfellow Park
Oak Park’s celebration of African-American independence will start at Longfellow Park near Jackson Boulevard and continue north on Ridgeland Avenue to Augusta Street. The Oak Park Book Parade and library staff will march along with other community groups. The parade will end with a community picnic throughout the afternoon at Taylor Park (400 Division St.).
Babygold Presents: Brisket Class With Chefs John & Steve
John Manion
Saturday, June 18, 12:30 p.m., FitzGerald’s John Manion & Steve Domanik, both master chefs from Babygold, will show you how to trim, rub, smoke and slice Berwyn-style brisket. A threecourse meal will be served, along with a can of Babygold Coldbeer, and live jazz on the outdoor patio. $99, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.
Steve Domanik
Saturday, June 18, 1-3 p.m., Oak Park Main Library Idea Box Oak Park artist Tia Etu will unveil a Juneteenthinspired painting commissioned for the library’s permanent art collection. The exhibit will include a range of other artwork by Etu and be on display for the rest of the month. Etu’s art captures social inequities in powerful and unique ways. Learn more at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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OWENS "JOE" SHE OWENS "JOE" SHELBY
DISCIPLINE
DISCIPLINE
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
DIGNITY & RESPECT FOR ALL
DIGNITY & RESPECT FOR ALL
AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS
DISCIPLINE
ACCOUNTABILITY DIGNITY & RESPECT FOR ALL AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS
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FOUND QUALIFIED BY THESE BAR ASSOCIATIONS
JUDGE THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COUNTY ArabCOOK American BarOF Association Black Womens’ Lawyers Association 7TH JUDICIAL SUBCIRCUIT 7TH JUDICIAL SUBCIRCUIT
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OWENS "JOE" SHELBY
PUNCH #192
OWENS "JOE" OWENS Nate Rainey, of Forest Park, hoists the Juneteenth flag during the annual Juneteenth "JOE" ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
SHELBY SHELBY Juneteenth celebrations kick flag raising ceremony outside Forest Park Village Hall.
OWENS "JOE"FOR 7 SUBCIRCUIT JUDGE FOR 7 SUBCIRCUIT JUDGE TH
SHELBY off across west suburbs
Secretary of State Jessie White 24th Ward Alderman 28th Ward Alderman Michael ScottJason Jr. C. Ervin Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough 29th Ward Alderman Chris Taliaferro Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts Former 29th Ward Alderman Isaac “Ike” Carothers City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Former State Representative Arthur Turner Sr. State Representative Lakesia Collins Former State Representative Arthur Turner Jr. State Representative Camille Lilly Former State Senator Rickey Hendon State Representative Lashawn Ford 24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott Jr.
24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott Jr.
GO
PROVEN SYMBOL OF HOPE A PROVEN SYMBOL OFA HOPE
FOR 7 TH SUBCIRCUIT JUDGE
Flag raisings in Broadview and Forest Park, parade hosted by River Forest, Maywood, Forest Park, scheduled for June 18 By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
Juneteenth celebrations kicked off in Proviso Township on June 2, with a flag raising ceremony at Broadview Village Hall in Broadview. The ceremony marks the start of a series of commemorations across the west suburbs. During the June 2 ceremony, the Juneteenth flag was raised above Village Hall, just below the United States flag, as Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson explained the Juneteenth flag’s significance. “The red, white and blue was intentional and meant to show that the formerly enslaved and their descendants are free Americans, too,” Thompson said. “I don’t think as a Black elected official, I should be embarrassed to say I’m Black and I’m proud, which I am,” the mayor said. The date on the flag, June 19, 1865, represents the date when Union Army General Gordon Granger announced General Order
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in Texas were free — two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s VOTEEmancipation JUNE 28 Proclamation. Last year, federal lawmakers made Juneteenth a national holiday and Illinois made Juneteenth an official state holiday. Broadview made Juneteenth an official paid holiday in 2020. This year, the village is planning a threeday celebration from June 17 through June 19 at Schroeder Park in Broadview. Thompson said this year’s celebration will include a fireworks display, among other features. Meanwhile, the villages of Oak Park, Maywood, River Forest and Forest Park will jointly host the inaugural West Village Juneteenth Parade and related Juneteenth activities. Forest Park hosted a flag raising ceremony on June 6 in the parking lot of Forest Park Village Hall in Forest Park. The parade will take place on June 18, 11 a.m. The route is still being planned, but the parade will end at Proviso East High School, 807 S. 1st Ave. in Maywood, parade organizers said. On June 18, 7 p.m., at the Forest Park Aquatic Center, 7501 Harrison St. in Forest Park, Forest Park officials will host the annual Juneteenth Family Pool Celebration and Movie Night. For more information on the parade and festivities, email westvillages619@gmail. com.
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Sheila Mack, and violence toward parents, subject of new book Retired reporter, Oak Park cop collaborating
By DAN HALEY Editor and Publisher
A just retired Oak Park police sergeant and a mostly retired former Wednesday Journal reporter are writing a book about the life and death of Sheila Mack, the Oak Park woman notoriously murdered in Bali in 2014. Mack’s daughter Heather Mack and a boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, were convicted in Indonesian courts on charges related to the death. But Rasul Freelain and Bill Dwyer say that their book, titled Malice: When Lambs Become Wolves, will also focus on CVP, a largely undiscussed and criminally overlooked circumstance when children and teens commit violence against their parents or caregivers. Freelain, who retired last week after a 20year career in the Oak Park Police Department, said, “This is never spoken about. But as a cop I saw incidents of it.” Dwyer and Freelain said laws in Illinois and other states protect children who are abused by parents and other adults through the Department of Children and Family Services. Elders are protected from abuse under the Department of Human Services. Adults and children facing domestic abuse are protected under specific laws, including orders of protection. But said Dwyer, “There is no scenario under Illinois law, no remedy or method, that protects a parent from violence brought
BILL DWYER
RASUL FREELAIN
within the family by a child or teen.” Freelain said local police departments and state’s attorney’s offices can make strong efforts to offer protection to victims of CVP, but there is not a mechanism to prosecute cases. And, the authors said, in the absence of open discussion of this circumstance, parents feel shame in both being victimized and reluctance to see their children arrested. Freelain said he met Sheila Mack for the first time on Feb. 16, 2011 when she arrived at the Oak Park police station in village hall looking for help. Freelain took her to a department conference room and listened as Mack described the situation in their Linden Avenue home with her 15-year-old daughter, Heather. “She said it was embarrassing to talk about and ‘that I should not be intimidated by my child but I am,’” said Freelain. Mack had a broken arm at the time of the first interview. Freelain asked if her
Public Notice | River Forest School District 90 (required by the Illinois State Board of Education)
Notice of Public Hearing is hereby given that the Board of Education of the River Forest School District 90 will hold a public hearing to review the proposed renewal of the School District 90 E-Learning Plan for the 2022-23, 2023-24, and 202425 school years on June 21, 2022, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Auditorium, 7560 Oak Avenue, River Forest, IL. The regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will immediately follow this public hearing. The Board will take action to adopt the proposed E-Learning Plan during its regularly scheduled meeting that will follow the public hearing. Any inquiries regarding this notice should be directed to Dr. Alison Hawley, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, at hawleya@district90.org.
daughter had caused the injury and she said yes. When Freelain said that under domestic abuse laws he needed to arrest the teenager, Mack became upset and said, “My child is not a criminal.” She then left village hall but returned the next day and told Freelain that upon arriving home the previous day, her daughter attacked her physically and took her phone from her. “We arrested Heather Mack that day,” said Freelain. It was the first of five times that Oak Park police would take Heather Mack into custody. Freelain made four of those arrests. Over the course of years there were dozens of police calls to the Mack house. Freelain responded to those calls whenever he was on duty. “Oak Park police did everything we could do under the law,” said Freelain. Beyond arrests, the younger Mack was referred to social service agencies, twice hospitalized in mental health facilities and given community service. Mack, who over time came to speak freely to Freelain, admitted that she felt “terrorized” by her daughter and ultimately feared for her life. Dwyer talked about the reluctance of parents to acknowledge the depth of the problems they face. “These are their children. There is an approach/avoidance reaction. You don’t want to see cuffs on your kids. But the system does not even acknowledge the problem.” Freelain said the unspoken issue of CVP is not addressed because the “gaps are based on holes in the law.” Unlike adults in domestic violence cases, he said, there is no mandatory cooling off period where alleged perpetrators are held overnight without bond; there is a mandatory court appearance and a second court appearance 30 days later. Instead, after a child’s arrest they are most often released into the custody of their parents, who are their victims. Freelain said Illinois’ current child case law is based on rejuvenation and that every new arrest starts the process over with no recognition it might be for a repeated incidence of violence toward a parent. Dwyer and Freelain said their book,
Sheila Mack
THE CAXTONIAN MAGAZINE
which they hope will be published in 2023, will be “unapologetically supportive of Sheila Mack. People loved her. She had a wide circle of friends.” Mack, said Freelain, “was a caring person who was trying everything” to resolve challenges with her daughter. “She was torn about how to hold her accountable without losing her.” Dwyer and Freelain are increasingly confident that friends and family of Sheila Mack will choose to be interviewed for the book. Dwyer will travel to Bali this fall to do reporting there. Schaefer remains in prison there, convicted of Sheila Mack’s murder. Heather Mack and her daughter, Stella, left Bali last winter after Heather Mack’s release from prison. However, Mack was arrested at O’Hare Airport immediately on her arrival in the U.S. and is currently in federal custody facing an array of charges related to the murder of her mother. Dwyer says their hope is to raise awareness of CVP with a goal of changing state and federal laws. He points to the role of public awareness over time in changing perceptions and then laws related to drunk driving and domestic violence. “We need to give police officers tools and we need to take away their discretion in how to respond to such cases,” said Freelain. “This topic needs to be discussed,” said Dwyer. He and Freelain hope their book will spur that discussion.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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ART BEAT
Poems where you can find yourself Oak Parker Donald Evans publishes an anthology for his late friend
By MICHELLE DYBAL
B
Arts Contributor
eing whisked away on a journey through Chicago — its neighborhoods, its establishments, its parks and natural habitats, across time — understanding what a city means to a group, to a culture, to those who went through what others did not: This is what reading the newly released Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry feels like. The book is the culmination of a project years in the making, brought to fruition by editor Donald G. Evans. An Oak Parker, who is also the founder and executive director of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, Evans took on completing the poetry anthology in 2018 DONALD G. EVANS when his friend, Robin Metz, who started working on it in 2009, passed it on to Evans to see it published posthumously. Metz, an award-winning poet and founding director of creative writing at Knox College, had pancreatic cancer and died within two months of handing over his work. Evans met Metz in Door County, Wisconsin, a couple months before he died. “Robin, in spurts, seemed like his old self,” Evans recalled. “He was laughing at jokes; we were sharing stories; we were excited to be doing this thing together.” And then Metz would nod off, triggering the realization that he would be doing this alone, that “the reality of Robin’s impending death … all of a sudden is the only factor. He had very little time left.” To make sense of the vast collection Metz had gathered, Evans narrowed the focus in some areas and widened it in others. He limited poems to those about Chicago. While Metz had gathered roughly three poems per poet, initially solicited from a call for submissions through “Poets & Writers,” Evans decided there would only be one poem from
each poet, making room for other contributors. He then curated the collection to allow for “an enormous range of voices” that represent Chicago — from different neighborhoods, demographics, ages and races, along with LGBTQ+ poets. He first considered if a work was “a really good poem” and “a really good Chicago poem.” Then, he said, “as I was sifting through all the possibilities for inclusion in the anthology, I certainly was attracted to poems that were from a different point of view or a different perspective than we already had.” The collection contains the work of more than 150 poets, along with a small sampling of visual artists. The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame raised $25,000 to make the project happen, according to Evans. Another consideration was publishing. He secured After Hours Press of Elmwood Park, run by Al DeGenova, a small press he founded in 2000 while living in Oak Park, where he resided from 1996 to 2015. For the anthology, they needed another publisher to help with distribution and teamed with Third World Press of Chicago, which uses Ingram to get books into stores across the nation.
DeGenova is also a poet, and his poem, “The Bus Stop,” is in the anthology. But he’s not the only poet in the book with Oak Park connections. Charlie Rossiter’s poem “Memorial Day,” also appears. Rossiter lived in Oak Park for 19 years before he moved to Vermont in 2016. He partnered with DeGenova as the poetry performance duo AvantRetro, which performed locally and in the Midwest. He also ran Unity Temple’s Third Saturday Coffeehouse for 10 years, featuring performers and an open mic. Rossiter currently hosts the podcast, “Poetry Spoken Here.” Juana Iris Goergen, DePaul University professor emerita, now splits her time between Puerto Rico and Germany. She lived in Oak Park for 30 years, until 2019. The village makes an anthology appearance in her poem, “Reconquest.” Goergen said, “I included Oak Park in the poem because I was in the train from DePaul to Oak Park, Green Line, when I wrote the first draft.” Faisel Mahyuddin, a current Oak Park resident, wrote “Ella FitzGerald, Entering Chicago by Train, Remembers Her Mother’s Voice,” and has artwork in the book. Former Oak Parker Frank Varela’s “The Racoons of Humboldt Park” appears in the anthology, and Oak Park and River Forest High School English Teacher and Spoken Word Educator Peter Kahn contributed “Upstairs at Ronny’s Steakhouse.” These poems and many others were previously published in literary journals or the poets’ own books, which is noted, along with publication dates. The anthology collection is accessible to a variety of audiences, something Evans said is likely an outcome of his choosing works he likes to read. “They reflect my sensibility. I really enjoy poems that I can understand and think about, and where the images are explosive, that there is a certain urgency in them,” he said. “Sometimes I have to read them over to get the nuances, but these are poems that I immediately enjoyed,” he said, adding that these poems where, “you can find yourself.” “Wherever I’m At: An Anthology of Chicago Poetry” is available at The Book Table, 1045 Lake St., Oak Park, or booktable.net. It may also be ordered from The Chicago Literary Hall of Fame: chicagoliteraryhof.org/ poetry_anthology.
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How to eliminate gas leaf blowers divides Oak Park board Disagreement leads to feasibility study By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The Oak Park Village Board is wants to ban gasoline-powered leaf blowers but is divided on how to accomplish it. That was evident at the board’s June 13 regular meeting, where the sole topic was amending the section of village code regarding that particular piece of lawn equipment. “We’re talking about removing leaves from our yards,” Trustee Susan Buchanan told her fellow board members. “I just want to keep that in mind when we’re going down a rabbit hole of complexity.” That rabbit hole formed as trustees grappled with each other over whether to follow the divergent recommendations of village staff and the Energy and Environment Commission. The latter advised a campaign to phase out gas-powered lawn-care equipment, with the exception of lawnmowers, over the
next year for Oak Park residents. Greater enforcement, with a dedicated village email for complaints, and an educational program for contractors and residents were also recommended by the EEC. Village staff recommended a feasibility study. That study would guide implementation of the ban and also allow village staff to appropriately budget and support landscaping businesses through the ordinance change, which could go into effect as early as next spring. The study would also ease the workload of the Public Works Department and sustainability team. “Both public works and sustainability are pretty short-staffed at the moment,” said Oak Park Sustainability Coordinator Marcella Bondie-Keenan, who said she and the sustainability team would be “happy” to move forward with the EEC’s recommendation. As it currently stands, village code permits the use of gas-powered leaf blowers, providing they do not emit more than 65 decibels, May through November. All owners of gaspowered leaf blowers must register that piece of equipment with the village of Oak Park and must display the registration sticker on
the leaf blower at all times. Village staff acknowledged that enforcement of the noise restriction has been lax. Village board conversations about gas-powered leaf blowers have largely ignored the social justice implications a ban would present, according to Trustee Lucia Robinson. As many lawn-care companies are owned by minorities, she asked for greater consideration of the intersection between the village board’s equity and sustainability goals, particularly related to enforcement of any potential ordinance changes. Trustee Chibuike Enyia’s concern was less about which recommendation to follow and more about the immediate impact of gaspowered leaf blowers. “If we’re not going to heavily enforce anything, how are we going to keep those people safe in the meantime?” he asked. Gasoline-powered leaf blowers present numerous harmful effects, from the ecological to the auditory. The hand-held devices are capable of producing wind speeds comparable to hurricanes. The small-but-mighty Echo PB-2520 leaf blower weighs under 9 pounds but delivers gusts of air at 170 miles per hour,
the same wind speed of a Category Four hurricane. Other gas-powered models are even more powerful. Such strong bursts disturb topsoil and displace pollen, chemical residues and fungi spores into the air. The gas leaf blowers rely on an oil and gas mixture that generates more air pollutants than some pick-up trucks. The noises emitted are equally troublesome. Most leaf blowers emit 70 to 90 decibels of noise. Noise at that range over a prolonged period of time can cause hearing damage, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it dangerous for the operators of gas-powered leaf blowers. Considering the negative health and environmental impacts of gas-powered blowers, Buchanan urged the board not to get bogged down in bureaucracy but to move quickly in making an ordinance change. “This does not seem like a big deal that is going to affect any of us very much except the leaves on our yard,” she said. Despite Buchanan’s entreaties, the feasibility study ultimately won out. Village President Vicki Scaman directed staff to move forward with the study.
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Oak Park, Berwyn police to confer on Memorial Day shooting Incident stemmed from altercation at a Berwyn bar By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The shooting on Roosevelt Road at Cuyler Avenue put renewed focus on Mike’s Place, a bar in Berwyn on the doorstep of Oak Park. The shooting, which occurred just after midnight on Memorial Day, a holiday federally designated to mourn fallen U.S. soldiers, stemmed from an altercation that occurred before the involved parties hopped into their vehicles, firearms at the ready. In the aftermath, the Berwyn Police Department and the Oak Park Police Department are putting heads together to prevent further instances of gunfire at Mike’s Place, already a sore spot for neighbors for its loud music and its patrons’ parking habits. “We’re just trying to collaborate so we can eliminate any other incidents between the two police departments,” said Oak Park Interim Police Chief Shatonya Johnson. Oak Park police leadership and that of the Berwyn Police Department plan to meet to discuss crime mitigation efforts, such as increased police presence at the time Mike’s Place closes for the night — 1 a.m. or midnight, depending on the day. While Berwyn Police Chief Michael Cimaglia did not respond to Wednesday Journal’s request for an interview, Johnson stated that the meeting will be held soon but the date has not yet been finalized. The meeting will not be held publicly. “It’s going to be just department heads because we already work together,” she said. “We just want to make sure we’re on the same page.” The Memorial Day shooting left one 34-year-old man with two gunshot wounds to his leg. The shots were fired from an unknown person in a silver vehicle as the victim and his companion were leaving Mike’s Place. The companion, Jeremy Riley, a Chicago resident and registered gun owner with a concealed-carry license, returned fire. Riley continued to shoot at the silver vehicle while he chased it down in his own automobile, then took the victim to the hospital after giving up the chase. Riley has since been ar-
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Mike’s Place on Roosevelt Road in Berwyn was the scene of an altercation on Memorial Day that led to gunfire. rested and charged with reckless discharge of a firearm. Oak Park police are still investigating the initial shooting that wounded Riley’s companion. Adam Mikos, an Oak Park resident who lives near Mike’s Place, heard the verbal quarrel and resulting gunfire from his bedroom. “It was hot out, so the window was open, and I could hear the argument start, and the screaming continue, then gunfire,” he recounted. To Mikos, it sounded like automatic fire, as there was no pause between shots. He said he heard about 30 shots. The Oak Park Police Department has not released any information about the type of firearms used. “My son was asleep like 30 feet from where the guns went off,” Mikos said. This is the first incident of gunfire in Oak Park to originate from Mike’s Place, according to Johnson. And hopefully the last. “We haven’t had a bunch of violent incidents over there,” she said. “And obviously, we don’t want any. One is more than enough.” Wednesday Journal obtained police incident and call reports from the Berwyn Police Department and the Oak Park Police Department regarding Mike’s Place and its surrounding vicinity. Complaints made to both police departments about Mike’s Place primarily center on noise disturbances and illegal parking by patrons, with occasional calls to break up bar brawls. From the Oak Park side, parking violations reign as the main offense because bargoers regularly park their vehicles illegally on South Cuyler Avenue and South Highland Avenue. It’s not always just a few cars either. Mikos believes about 90 percent of Mike’s Place patrons park on those two streets. On May 30, 2021 an Oak Park patrol officer issued 18 parking violations at 10:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Cuyler Avenue. A whopping 23 parking
tickets were issued to cars in the 1100 block of South Highland Avenue at 11:16 p.m., on Oct. 23, 2021. Greater enforcement of parking violations is one of the potential crime prevention tactics that will be discussed between the two police departments, according to Johnson. As Mike’s Place is in Berwyn, the bar itself is out of the Oak Park Police Department’s jurisdiction, meaning Oak Park officers can only respond to incidents that spill over into Oak Park, which are typically parking-related. However, many of those who live on those Oak Park blocks fear issuing more citations will not eradicate the problem entirely. Mikos said his neighbors have been warning the police for “years” of the potential for violent incidents to occur. He said his neighborhood has previously petitioned the village of Oak Park for stricter parking restrictions to curb the nuisances presented by Mike’s Place bargoers in Oak Park. The resulting changes, he said, were minute and ineffective. “Parking regulations are useless because they don’t enforce them that often and when they do, people don’t give a [expletive] because it’s 40 bucks and they’re not going to get towed,” Mikos said. The interim chief understands that people are angry and afraid, which is why, she said, the Oak Park Police Department is working with outside agencies to address the issues. The department has patrol officers stationed on the affected blocks to ensure the safety of residents, according to Johnson. Mikos understands the limitations of police departments and legislation. He does believe, however, that something needs to be done to prevent further instances of gunplay and violent crime. “You can’t outlaw guns, but you can create a situation where those guns aren’t coming into neighborhoods to go to a bar that’s not even in Oak Park,” he said.
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
In the fold: Betty’s Pizza and Pasta set to open this week Kettlestrings group brings New York-style pies to Pleasant District By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor
To fold or not to fold? It is debatable whether extra-large slices of New York style pizza should be folded in half before eating. Some folks do it to avoid the dreaded “flop,” while others collapse the crust to keep the cheese from sliding off in a gooey avalanche. Anti-folders keep their meal a two-handed affair likely preferring to double the number of bites it takes to finish their coveted slice. No matter how you prefer to eat your pie, Betty’s Pizza and Pasta, 1003 South Blvd., Oak Park, is poised to bring a taste of the Big Apple to the Pleasant District. The highly anticipated restaurant opens to the public Thursday, June 16. Brought to life by Wil and Justine Greenwald, Rob Guenthner and Katie Ashton and Pete and Fran Lisnic co-owners of
Kettlestrings Tavern, 800 S. Oak Park Ave., and Kettlestrings Grove, 105 S. Marion St., Betty’s Pizza and Pasta completes the Kettlestings’ trifecta. Earlier this week owners welcomed friends and family to a duo of private dinners designed to serve as a soft opening for the family friendly restaurant. The fun and unfussy vibe is meant to reflect the pizza joint co-owner Rob Guenthner remembers frequenting as a child. Expect traditional red and white checkered tablecloths and traditional red cups to evoke a throwback vibe. While the restaurant’s name pays homage to the founding British matriarch of Oak Park, Betty Kettlestrings, the menu at the South Blvd. establishment is decidedly ItalianAmerican. Dan Swartz, operations director, and consulting chef, Tanya Baker worked to develop Betty’s pizza recipe and broader menu from the ground up. “I love pizza and our partner Wil Greenwald helped me realize that New York makes a purposeful style of pizza,” said Guenthner. “It turns out its pretty complicated to get right, but I think we’ve accom-
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
APPETIZERS AND SIDES: Betty’s meatballs with Arrabiata sauce pack a spicy punch while the house salad boasts banana peppers and a sweet onion vinaigrette.
MELISSA ELSMO/Food Editor
BIG APPLE PIE: New York-style pizza with sausage and pepperoni is served at Betty’s Pizza and Pasta in Oak Park. The restaurant opens to the public on June 16. plished it.” The pizzas, available in the traditional 18-inch size, are pie cut into eight generously sized slices. The bottom of the crust is crispy while the top remains fluffy and soft. A regular pie features whole milk mozzarella and up to two toppings. Sixteen toppings are available. Our pie featured properly cupped (if only slightly charred) pepperoni and crumbled sausage. Toppings were thoughtfully distributed across the pie and leftovers reheated beautifully in a hot oven. A quartet of specialty pizzas like Buffalo chicken, are also on the menu. Guenthner was pleasantly surprised at the popularity of Betty’s garlic and zucchini pie—the white pizza features herb butter, sliced summer squash, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh thyme. “People were impressed with the crispy and chewy crust and that’s the hard part,” said Guenthner. “We’ve been hyper-focused on getting our team ready to get pizza that’s cooked consistently and in reasonable time. Everybody seemed to enjoy it.” In addition to pizza Betty’s offers appetizers like meatballs, mozzarella sticks, garlic knots. The menu features four pasta dishes including wild mushroom fettuccine with garlic cream sauce as well as salads in small and large sizes. The arugula and quinoa salad with apples, blue cheese and bacon proved to be a popular choice during the soft opening seatings.
The new eatery shares a kitchen with Kettlestrings Grove, located just around the corner. Guenthner said he and his team were worried about the kitchen serving a dual purpose for the first time, but service at their sibling establishment did not suffer with Betty’s pizza ovens fired up and customers in the dining room. “It all went better than we thought it would,” said Guenthner. “Everything went smoothly and there was never a feeling of panic. It was just what we wanted; everyone was comfortable and having a good time.” Betty’s Pizza and Pasta will be open for dinner service only; weekday lunch service, including sale of individual slices, is planned for the future. Customers can dine-in or carry out; owners are evaluating whether delivery will become part of the program in the future. Like many dishes, New York style pizza is best enjoyed hot and fresh from the oven. Betty’s will be open Tuesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For now, owners are keenly aware there is pent up demand for New York Style pizza in the community and look forward to everyone in the community getting an opportunity to give their pizza a try. Let’s welcome Betty’s Pizza and Pasta to the Oak Park restaurant fold!
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
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How should families navigate COVID during the summer? Local school districts say check for symptoms, report COVID cases and follow guidelines
By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
With summer now in session, school districts across Oak Park and River Forest have sent some reminders to families about checking for symptoms of COVID-19, following quarantine and isolation guidelines and reporting positive cases to local public health departments. School nurses usually do not work during the summer, and SHIELD Illinois COVID tests, which were offered at various schools including ones in Oak Park and River Forest, are not available in the next few months. Last week, school officials at Oak Park District 97 told families that district nurses, who count and keep track of cases throughout the school year, will not be in the building until school resumes in August. Families with students who attend the district and test positive for CO-
VID over the summer should report cases to the Oak Park Department of Public Health, the June 7 email said. Families are advised to email the Oak Park public health department with the following information: name, age, zip code and date of the positive test. Amanda Siegfried, communications director at D97, explained why reporting cases looks different during the school year than over the summer. During the school year, the buildings are packed with hundreds of staff and students, and officials are required by the state to monitor and report positive cases to the local health department to determine community transmission levels. School buildings are closed during the summer with the exception of reopening only for limited summer programs, which bring in some staff and students but not comparable to a regular school day during the year. In addition, Siegfried said the
district does not have the same nursing staff available as it does during the school year. Over the summer, there is at least one nurse on site because of the summer programs. “[Our schools are] not really open in the same way during the summer. We still have all the COVID mitigations in place, of course, but we’re not reporting out because we don’t have a high number of students that are actually participating,” Siegfried said. For those enrolled in summer programs at D97, she said, district staff will inform families and students if someone tests positive and others are exposed to the novel coronavirus. Samantha Martini, infection control officer at D90, and Karin Sullivan, communications director at D200, echoed Siegfried. Families whose children are participating in District 90’s summer programs and test positive should should tell district employees, Martini said. The
district will then report those cases to the Cook County Department of Public Health. As far as testing goes, Martini and Sullivan shared a few options families have, including purchasing their own at-home test kits at pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS Health, Walmart or Target. Those stores also offer free COVID tests by appointment. Families can also receive free at-home antigen test kits from the federal government by visiting special.usps.com/testkits. Martini said District 90 also has a supply of at-home antigen tests for families in need. At this point, school officials have yet to discuss any additional plans for their COVID-19 safety measures in the fall. As schools fully reopened this past year, district administrators have pivoted, following the guidelines of federal, state and See COVID on page 17
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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Oak Park, River Forest townships just ‘one phone call away’ Meal distribution, transportation, home repairs just a few services provided by area townships for seniors
By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
Two townships have teamed up to expand meals for seniors in Oak Park and River Forest. Oak Park Township and River Forest Township have provided a list of dates along with pick-up and delivery options for seniors over 60 years old looking for prepared meals. Earlier this month, the neighboring townships expanded their meal distribution services, giving participants the opportunity to pick up meals on Tuesday or Fridays. On Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., residents can grab five frozen, microwave meals or a three-pack, which includes one fresh, hot meal; one cold meal like a deli sandwich or salad and one frozen meal. Meals can be picked up at Oak Park Township, 130 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park. Frozen meals are also available on Fridays at Oak Park Township.
Remaining dates for the Friday pick-ups this month are June 17 and 24 between 11 a.m and 1 p.m. Pamela Mahn, senior director of the townships’ senior services, said the organizations are delivering meals to seniors who are homebound. Mahn said there is a suggested donation of $1.50 per meal, but no one is turned away. A full listing of the townships’ meal distribution services can be found online at the Oak Park Township website, oakparktownship.org/seniorservices. Those interested can also call the township at 708-383-8060. Registration and pre-orders are required. In addition, Oak Park Township and River Forest Township are also providing other resources for local seniors in need of transportation or help around their home. Oak Park township is offering curb-to-curb rides throughout Oak Park and River Forest for residents of those communities. Residents are encouraged
to make reservations for shopping trips, doctors appointments or other errands a week in advance, or staff should at least have a minimum 24-hour notice, Mahn said. Residents are asked to donate $1, according to the site. The River Forest Township has a senior home repair program for Oak Park and River Forest residents over the age of 60. The program caters to simple repairs, including installing grab bars; hanging pictures, shelves or curtains; cleaning the gutters and fixing the sink. Fees range between $20 to $40 an hour, depending on income. More information can be found on the River Forest Township’s website at riverforesttownship.org/seniorservices.asp. Mahn told Wednesday Journal that area seniors looking to renew their driver’s license or take a Rules of the Road refresher course should leave July 18 open on their calendars. Oak Park Township has partnered with the Office of the Illinois
Secretary of State for Super Seniors, a program for Illinois seniors in need of assistance for driver’s license renewals. The program includes Rules of the Road classroom instruction and a vision-screening exam. Participants can also receive an identification card for $20, but those aged 65 and older are eligible to obtain a free, non-expiring State of Illinois photo ID card, according to the secretary of state’s website. Drivers who are 75 years old and older are required to take a driving test to renew their driver’s licenses and must visit a driver services facility, the site also stated. Mahn told the Journal that the townships’ mission is to give access, care and resources residents and urged those with questions to reach out. “We’re a phone call away, and we can help locate services that they may need,” she said.
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With a $25,000 goal, Oak-Leyden looks to launch new mental health program ‘This is a crucial service that our clients need now,’ says Oak-Leyden official By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
Oak-Leyden Developmental Services is hosting a fundraising campaign to create a new mental health program for its adult participants coping from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Oak-Leyden, a longtime Oak Park-based nonprofit that serves adults and children with developmental disabilities in the near west Chicago suburbs, looks to bring in at least $25,000, which will be used to support a new position for a licensed clinical professional counselor to provide group and individual therapy for the adult clients. Oak-Leyden has set up a GoFundMe account to collect donations, and the campaign runs throughout the month of June. OakLeyden is headquartered at 411 Chicago Ave. Elisabeth Loren, director of development at Oak-Leyden, said people with intellectual disabilities, including those with limited verbal communication skills, depend on routine for their livelihood. They need “consistent” access to services such as seeing their doctors or therapists regularly or attending activities with friends and family, she said. And for years, Oak-Leyden has been a mainstay – until the first wave of the pandemic hit in March 2020. Loren told Wednesday Journal Oak-Leyden was forced to close its day programs, which typically offered classes, clubs, field trips or volunteer opportunities, and because of limited resources was unable to create virtual options. “For several months, we really didn’t go virtual. We did not have the technology or [the] ability to go virtual,” Loren said, noting Oak-Leyden resumed its day programs in October 2020 as Illinois slowly, cautiously reopened. Loren said Oak-Leyden maintained its community living program even during the onset of the pandemic, but clients who lived in the group homes, or “zillas,” were abruptly thrust into a new normal with their
housemates and visitors, trying to grasp COVID guidelines. All in all, the initial absence of the day programs, along with the changing COVID-19 guidelines, created a series of hurdles for clients. “Say you were the staff member [and tested positive for COVID-19], and I was used to seeing you come in every Saturday, and now you’re not coming in. And it’s been two months, and I don’t understand why you’re not here,” Loren said, expressing the concern, worry and anxiety clients’ faced. “When [our] clients got sick [with COVID], the house would have to quarantine, but they would still need staff, which means staff moved to a live-in model.” “[It] kind of comes down to what you’re used to every day, and all of a sudden it just immediately changes,” she continued. While safety measures surrounding the novel coronavirus and case numbers have vastly changed in the last two years, Oak-Leyden staff is keen to the lasting effects of the pandemic on their clients’ mental health, Loren said. The hope for this new program is to give clients another tier of support. With the addition of a licensed professional counselor, Oak-Leyden aims to help provide “structured conversations” to participants and make them feel less lonely, reduce their anxiety and more motivated to stick to treatment plans, according to the GoFundMe campaign. Loren said once the financial goal is reached, Oak-Leyden plans to start the program by July or August. “We have to get this running. This is a crucial service that our clients need now,” she said.
Find out more To learn more about Oak-Leyden’s new mental health program, visit www. gofundme.com and find “Support the New Mental Health Program by OakLeyden” in the “search” tab of the site. For more information about Oak-Leyden Developmental Services, visit www. oak-leyden.org.
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company. It remained a concrete manufacturer until 2018, when financial woes prompted the business’s closure. KrohVan closed on the sale June 2, but Illinois property transfer records do not yet show how much was paid for the land. Mike Kaspar, KrohVan’s head of development, declined to share the purchase price, stating only that it was in the “millions.” The property had a listing price of $6.67 million when it returned to the real estate market in the summer of 2020. The property was last under contract in February 2020 to an unnamed developer that backed out due to uncertain economic conditions prompted by COVID-19. Many corporate real estate sales are contingent upon the intended buyer receiving government approval for development projects. Confident in their vision for the property, KrohVan opted against taking the conventional route and purchased the land without first going through the village of Oak Park’s planned development process. Initial conversations between Village of Oak Park staff and the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation have gone positively for KrohVan, according to Kaspar. “Our concept for the site has been pretty warmly received so far in dealing with the OPEDC,” said Kaspar. “Conversations we’ve had preliminarily with the village in virtual format were promising.” Regardless, KrohVan will still have to go through the village’s planned development process, which includes bringing designs before the Oak Park Plan Commission and the village board. KrohVan intends to build a multifamily apartment complex, roughly five stories tall, on the southern two-thirds of the Harlem Avenue and Garfield Street plot. Kaspar said the apartments would be let at market rate. For the remaining one-third, KrohVan is proposing a hotel. The hotel would fall under one of the flags the Marriott hotel group, but which has not yet been determined.
“It’ll probably be a select service hotel,” said Kaspar. A portion of KrohVan’s broader plans has already scored the approval of the Oak Park Zoning Board of Appeals. The developer is planning to open a daycare center at the former truck storage site. Part of the nationwide Kiddie Academy chain, the ZBA unanimously approved KrohVan’s request for a special use permit, which are required of daycare centers in Oak Park. Work to convert the Garfield Street lot into Kiddie Academy has already started. Crews have successfully removed the asbestos from the truck storage site. Crews are currently taking out the building’s utilities in preparation for its impending demolition. Construction of the daycare center will take between six and nine months, according to Kaspar. The decision to sell the property has been emotionally charged for the Mohr family. “It’s been in the family for all these years. I’m ashamed that under these circumstances that we have to close the doors,” said Dolores Mohr, who goes by Dolly. The sadness was echoed by her daughter, Karen Richards, who served as a principal in the family company. “It’s depressing that the place had to go,” Richards told Wednesday Journal. Mohr’s late husband and Richards’ father, Henry “Bud” Mohr, was responsible for the beloved Christmas decorations that topped the concrete plant year-round. The future of the Santa Claus figure, which became something of an unofficial mascot for the Mohr company, is unknown. Richards hopes to find him a home with the Historical Society of Forest Park. While understanding how emotional the situation is for the Mohr family, Kaspar said working with the Mohr family was an “awesome experience” due to their kindness, especially that of Mohr herself. “Dolly is just the sweetest, sweetest person I’ve ever met,” Kaspar said. The Mohr matriarch is still grieving the sale of the family’s property, but she has faith in KrohVan and Kaspar, whom she called a “very nice gentleman.” Her assurances offer something of a silver lining for the family that, despite the sale, the property is in capable hands. “I think he’ll do a very good job,” said Mohr.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
IGOR STUDENKOV/Staff
Metra riders face delays as rail ties are replaced Project may slow service through early fall
By IGOR STUDENKOV and MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporters
Union Pacific Railroad work to replace rail ties along the Union Pacific West line is expected to result in minor delays and more train horn noise until at least early September. The exact impact has not been announced, but Oak Park and River Forest riders would most likely see trains arriving a few minutes late, sometimes longer. Because Union Pacific Railroad will be replacing ties on all three tracks, the trains may not stop at the usual platforms, so riders are encouraged to listen for station announcements and check the Metra website for any boarding changes. Residents will also hear more train horns because federal regulations require trains to sound their horns when entering a work zone, even when going through the federally designated Quiet Zones. Union Pacific Railroad owns the Union Pacific West line and operates the commuter rail service under contract with Metra. The railroad is responsible for regular maintenance, with Metra helping to foot the bill. In a June 6 statement, Metra Executive Director/CEO Jim Derwinski said tie replacement “is essential and must be done at regular intervals to maintain track speeds and service levels, especially on a line like
the UP-West that sees a significant amount of freight traffic in addition to commuter service. “We understand that any delays can represent an inconvenience for our riders but focusing the work on off-peak hours should minimize these impacts,” he said. Metra said the project covers 40 miles of track from Chicago’s West Side to Elburn. “Union Pacific forces will replace approximately 90,000 ties and will be working on all three tracks used by the Metra UP-West Line,” Metra said. “To complete the work on schedule, UP forces will be working seven days a week with the majority of the work to take place in the overnight hours to early morning.” Metra indicated that rush hour trains may need to slow down while traveling through work zones, and non-rush hour trains may be affected by that as well as sections of track being taken out of service. The fact that freight trains share the tracks with passenger trains may slow down work as well. Riders can find the most up-to-date information on any schedule changes at metra. com/constructionnotices. Train noise has been an ongoing concern for River Forest residents living near the tracks. In 2020, Metra agreed to add sound mitigation material on the fencing it previously installed along the embankment while adding a third train track. However, Metra warned that residents “may hear more frequent train horns including during the evening and overnight hours.”
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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Talking shop on Black fatherhood
Black fathers from west suburbs, West Side discuss joys, challenges of parenting during conversation at Austin barbershop By SAMANTHA CALLENDER Community Narrative Reporter
Last month, in anticipation of Juneteenth and Father’s Day, a small group of men from around the west suburbs and Chicago’s West Side gathered inside of an Austin barbershop to talk about a subject they know best – Black fatherhood. The roughly two-hour-long chat, held May 29 at Tonsorial Artist Studios, 5939 W. North Ave., was moderated by lifelong Austin resident Jeremy Polk, the single father of a young son. Polk said he wanted to create a safe space, where Black fathers can come together to speak candidly and transparently about the joys and challenges of fatherhood. “I’m 72, so I come from a different generation of fathers,” said Freddie Addison, of Little Village. “I’m glad to be able to do something like this.” Addison, the elder of the group, said he was in his 40s, when his father’s words about family started to make sense to him. “It was an awakening I had that a lot of dads probably have later in life,” he said, adding that his perspective about his father, who worked a range of jobs, evolved over time. “My father wore so many hats and had so many responsibilities,” Addison recalled. “It took me a long time to realize just how powerful his position was in our family to provide for all of us.” Damon McGhee, of Maywood, shared one of the most powerful memories he has about his father. They had taken a trip to Israel after McGhee graduated high school. “That was the first time I can remember really being alone with him and having deep conversations,” he said. “It was a great experience but also a source of frustration; like, why haven’t we done this before?” McGhee said that memory has become both a treasure and an inspiration for how he handles his relationships with his own children. He said he makes a conscious effort to be routinely present in their lives. Daryl Richardson, of Hillside, said that, while having a certain level of transparency between children and parents is something he didn’t grow up with, he hopes that it empowers his daughters.
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Paul Bradley, of Oak Park, dialogues with Damon McGhee, of Maywood, right, during a May 29 conversation on fatherhood held at Tonsorial Artist Studios in Austin. “Back in my day, the [popular] expression was, ‘Children are to be seen and not heard.’ But I think that when those [unheard] children become adults, they don’t know how to express themselves,” Richardson said. “I wanted my daughters to be able to express themselves.” Richardson said that while some people may think he’s too friendly or too familiar with his daughters, he’s glad that he chose to keep that emotional door open. “One of my daughters is a psychology major and she has no problem asking me how my therapy session went. She wants to ‘unpack’ things with me,” Richardson said, laughing. In addition to maintaining healthy relationships with their children, the fathers agreed that they also want their children to grow up in safer and more uplifting environments than they did. “I grew up on the West Side and we [he and his family] live here too,” said Polk. “It’s better than what it was, but I want my kids to not be afraid. [I want them to be] aware of their surroundings, but not afraid or ashamed.” Addison said that he’s seen the West Side change over time, although many things are the same. “Some of the communities still look the way they looked when I was coming up,” he said. “The main thing I notice though is we had a strong sense of community [as far as knowing your neighbors and helping each other out]. That is what seems to be gone now.” Paul Bradley, of Oak Park, said that, while his kids are not growing up in the community he grew up in, he makes sure that they spend time with family on the West Side.
“Sometimes, my wife and I worry, but we know they’re safe with family,” Bradley said. “It’s important for them to see the different neighborhoods and get to know their family who lives [across Austin Boulevard] on the West Side.” McGhee said he wants his children to know the neighborhood he grew up in and to share some of the same struggles he experienced growing up. “I remember telling my son about the distance I’d have to walk to school,” McGhee said. “One day, I took him and we walked the exact route I used to take to school and the time it took to do it. Now, he sees how much easier he has it [than I did].” Bradley said that, while his father had a “tough-love” approach with him growing up, he can appreciate the softness his dad now has as a grandfather. “He used to call me soft, but now he’s the one soft with the grandkids,” Bradley said, laughing. “He’s always telling them he loves them and reminding me to show my love. He’s always telling me to be gentle.” As the men wrapped up the conversation, they agreed that more talks like this need to happen to give Black men a space to share their truths, wisdom and insights. “Thank you, Jeremy, for having the forethought to do this to raise our consciousness,” said Addison. “It’s a battle y’all. It can be scary, but this was nice.” This interactive, citizen-led reporting project was made possible by a generous grant of the Field Foundation.
CONTACT: samantha@austinweeklynews.com
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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Vehicle clobbered with crowbar
A silver GMC Acadia had both its side windows broken by a woman wielding a crowbar at 10:35 p.m., June 9 in the 100 block of South Harvey Avenue. According to the Oak Park Police Department, a witness saw the woman use the crowbar to strike the vehicle while the vehicle was parked on the street. Along with the driver’s side and passenger’s side windows, the vehicle’s windshield was damaged after the woman reportedly hit it with the crowbar several times. The total estimated damage caused by the woman is unknown at this time. After the vehicular attack, the woman fled with another woman in a small red sedan that was last seen traveling southbound on Harvey Avenue then westbound on Pleasant Street.
Burglary ■ Someone pulled open the rear hatch door of a Dodge Dakota pickup truck and removed a bucket full of tools between 11:09 a.m. and 11:29 a.m., June 6 in the 7000 block of Roosevelt Road. The estimated loss is $259. ■ Someone broke into a residential garage, ransacked the interiors of the two vehicles parked inside and then removed an electric air pump between 10:40 p.m., June 4 and 1:45 p.m., June 5 in the 1200 block of North Ridgeland Avenue. The estimated loss is $140. ■ Someone broke into a residential garage through an unlocked side door, ransacked the glove box and center console of an unlocked vehicle parked inside and then took a bicycle from the garage between 6:30 p.m., June 6 and 7:52 a.m., June 7. The estimated loss is $1,200. ■ Someone used a brick to break the driver’s side window of a vehicle, then ransacked the vehicle’s interior once inside, between 7
p.m., June 6 and 8:25 a.m., June 7 in the first block of Erie Court. The estimated damage is $100. ■ A children’s three-wheeled scooter and a Solé bicycle were taken from a residential garage with an unlocked side service door between 8:30 p.m., June 8 and 7:30 a.m., June 9 in the 100 block of South Scoville Avenue. The estimated loss is $600. ■ Cash, a Louis Vuitton wallet, sandals and a bag of surgical masks were taken from an unlocked Toyota Camry parked in the first block of Harrison Street between 10 p.m., June 9 and 6:44 a.m., June 10. The estimated loss is $500.
Motor vehicle theft The front license plate and Illinois registration sticker were removed from a vehicle parked in the 100 block of South Euclid Avenue between noon, May 15 and noon, May 30.
Theft ■ The Park District of Oak Park’s soccer nets were removed from the soccer field at Taylor Park, 400 Division St., between 8 p.m., June 4 and 10 a.m., June 5. The estimated loss is $100. ■ Someone removed a FedEx box, containing clothing, from the front porch of a residence in the 1100 block of South Oak Park Avenue between 2 p.m. and 2:59 p.m., June 9. The estimated loss is $138. ■ Two packages of cosmetics and clothing were removed from the front porch of a residence in the 1100 block of South Oak Park Avenue around 1:52 p.m., June 9. The estimated loss is $96. ■ Two packages of clothing were re-
COVID
Summer precautions from page 11 local public health officials as they stiffened and later eased. Sullivan said District 200 officials aim to “keep our eyes on the situation” as the summer months come. Any revisions to the district’s COVID mitigations will depend on what takes place this summer and talked about closer to August, she said. As of June 9, the Oak Park public health officials
moved from the front porch of a residence in the 1100 block of South Kenilworth Avenue between 1:08 p.m. and 1:39 p.m., June 9. ■ The catalytic converter was cut from a white 2017 Hyundai parked in the 500 block of Madison Street between 7:15 p.m., June 9 and 6:20 a.m., June 10. ■ Someone removed the front license plate belonging to a gray 2018 Volkswagen between 1 p.m., June 9 and 1 p.m., June 10 in the 800 block of Scoville Avenue. ■ A children’s red scooter was taken from a patio in the 1000 block of South Grove Avenue between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., June 4. The estimated damage is $100.
Criminal property damage The wood frame of a screen door was damaged after someone tried to forcibly
have reported a total of 193 new cases, and the community transmission levels have shifted from medium to high, with 354 cases per 100,000 people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises communities with high transmission levels to wear masks indoors among other recommendations. Masking requirements have been lifted in Illinois since the spring. “I don’t know what the situation will be in the fall. At this point, it’s masking if people want to and keeping an eye out for symptoms, getting tested if a student or an employee has symptoms. That’s sort of the plan for the summer,” Sullivan said. “We’ve come to the phase,” she said, “where we’re learning to live with COVID as best as we can.”
pull it open, but entry into the residence was not gained, at about 9:28 p.m., June 12 in the 900 block of Washington Boulevard. The estimated cost of the damage is unknown at this time. These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports, June 7-12 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
Compiled by Stacey Sheridan
COVID-19 resources The Oak Park Department of Public Health is hosting a vaccination clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. June 21 at Cheney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Ave. The clinic is open to individuals age 5 and older. Advance registration is required and can be made online at events.juvare.com/IL-IDPH/dxxwg. For more resources, including finding transportation to a COVID appointment, visit the Oak Park Department of Public Health at https://www.oak-park.us/villageservices/department-public-health or the Cook County Department of Public Health at https://cookcountypublichealth.org/communicable-diseases/covid-symptoms/.
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
SPORTS A look back on the top teams, athletes, moments in 2021-22
W
ith the Fenwick High School baseball team’s heartbreaking 8-6 rain-shortened defeat to Crystal Lake South in an IHSA Class 3A supersectional June 6, the 2021-22 high school sports season came to a close. But there were several outstanding achievements and performances, and this week in Tate’s Take, in the tradition of the ESPYs (ESPN’s award show), I present the Tatesies -- my choices for all the best moments of the year. And away we go... Team of the year: Fenwick football. Several good choices -- including Fenwick boys cross country’s Class 2A champions (the first Chicago Catholic League team to win a title), but the Friars’ IHSA Class 5A football championship is tough to argue with given it’s the first at a school with a rich football tradition. Fenwick (12-2) was a senior-dominated team with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, and its only losses came by a combined total of four points. The Friars had four players sign with major colleges: quarterback Kaden Cobb (Ball State), center Jimmy Liston (Purdue), and wide receivers Eian Pugh (Illinois) and Max Reese (Eastern Michigan). Game of the year: Under John Hoerster, Oak Park and River Forest High School football teams have been known for their grit and tenacity. A good example occurred Oct. 15, 2021 when the Huskies hosted Downers Grove North. Trailing 28-27 in the final seconds, OPRF faced a fourth-and-1 on the Trojans’ 14. Hoerster had a tough decision to make, more so with starting kicker Nolan Vitale unavailable due to injury. “Do you put in a kid who hasn’t been in this situation?” Hoerster said of backup kicker Gavin Johnson. “Gavin was kicking well during the week, and seemed like he wanted the opportunity.” Hoerster opted for a field goal, and Johnson rewarded his faith by drilling the eventual winner from 31 yards out as the Huskies
prevailed 30-28. “I’m not going to lie, I was shaking. I was really nervous, but I had to pull through for my team,” Johnson said afterwards. Play of the year: Fenwick led 21-17 against host Nazareth Academy at the start of the fourth quarter in the Class 5A football quarterfinals on Nov. 13. But the Roadrunners were driving and the Friars needed a big play in Valenta Stadium -- a place where Nazareth has been very difficult to beat in the postseason. Senior defensive lineman Suleiman Abuaqel provided it when he picked off Logan Malachuk on a screen pass one-handed and returned it 58 yards for a pick-six that sealed the deal in a 28-17 victory. Athletes of the year: Josephine Welin, senior, OPRF girls cross-country/track and field. A University of Washington signee, Welin won the IHSA Class 3A individual cross country championship in the fall with a time of 16:26, helping the Huskies finish 15th in Illinois as a team. Then, after missing the entire outdoor track regular season due to injury, she qualified at sectionals for both the Class 3A 1,600 and 3,200-meter races, finishing third and sixth, respectively. Kaden Cobb, senior, Fenwick football. A three-year varsity starter at quarterback, the Ball State signee completed 206 of 320 passes for 2,846 yards. He threw 30 touchdown passes and rushed for nine TDs and 520 yards. In the IHSA Class 5A championship game against Kankakee, he threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score as the Friars defeated the Kays 34-15, winning the school’s first-ever state football title. Paige Smith, junior, Trinity lacrosse. Smith enjoyed a breakout spring, tallying 107 goals as the Blazers advanced to the sectional quarterfinals. Smith scored 11 goals in Trinity’s first-round 15-10 victory over RiversideBrookfield on May 18. She also led the Blazers in ground balls (71), caused turnovers (16) and draws won (173). Coaches of the year: I had a hard time
MELVIN TATE
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Fenwick football coach Matt Battaglia (from left) celebrates the Friars’ state title with players Jimmy Liston, Suleiman Abuaqel, Kaden Cobb (with trophy), Max Reese and Danny Kent. making up my mind on picking out a Coach of the Year, so I opted to list a few names to share the honor: Matt Battaglia, Fenwick football. In his second season as head coach, the 29-year-old Battaglia guided the Friars to the aforementioned Class 5A state championship. Craig Blazer, Fenwick girls soccer. Also in his second season, Blazer led the Friars to a fourth-place finish in Class 2A. Jason Fried, OPRF boys’ soccer. Fried led the Huskies to a Class 3A sectional title, the first in program history. David Rill, Fenwick boys cross country. Rill steered the Friars to the Class 2A championship, the first time a Chicago Catholic League school has won a title in the sport. Gerard Sullivan, Fenwick girls tennis. The veteran coach guided the Friars to third place in IHSA Class 1A -- the first state trophy in program history. Kristin Wirtz, OPRF field hockey. Wirtz led the Huskies to a runner-up finish at state and guided the Huskies to an 18-3-6 record that featured wins over top programs Glenbard West, Lake Forest and state champ New Trier. Lifetime achievement: Who else could it be but Dave Power? When you have both a locker room and a playing court named after you, you have done special things.
And that’s what Power did during his 45-year coaching career, including 29 years at Fenwick. He won over 1,000 games (joining the legendary Dorothy Gaters and the late Gene Pingatore in reaching the mark) and three state championships -- including 2001 and 2007 with the Friars. Moreover, Power was a coach who genuinely cared about his players on and off the court. I had the pleasure of interviewing him the last few years and always found to be insightful. He will be missed on the sidelines this winter. Now, summer is here. That means a break for me, though you’ll still hear from me as I have a few stories I’m working on. But pretty soon, fall sports will be here, and this year is going to start with a bang when OPRF and Fenwick meet in football. Yes, that’s right. For the first time in over 30 years, the Huskies and Friars will do battle on the gridiron. The game opens the season; the location, date and time should be announced soon. I have always wanted to see an OPRF/ Fenwick football game, and I hope this is the start of a tradition. There’s no reason these two storied programs shouldn’t meet every year. Kudos to the athletic directors (OPRF’s Nicole Ebsen and Fenwick’s Scott Thies) for finally making this happen.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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Climate Changed Photo by Kevin Welch
Photo by Dave Mausner
Tuesday night’s “stormaggedon,” with high winds and heavy rains, left plenty of calling cards in its wake, including flaming power lines (left) in the alley between the 900 blocks of North Elmwood and Fair Oaks, with power out for several blocks, north and south; and a split tree on the 100 block of North Harvey in Oak Park.
LGBTQ+ Programming & Resources We believe that all who live and work in our community should have the opportunity to thrive. This is our Chamber vision, and we work tirelessly to make this a reality in everything we do! To this aim, we have developed programming and resources to help support our LGBTQ+ businesses and allies. Check them out on our website! https://www.oprfchamber.org/LGBTQProgramming-Resources
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NewsDiningGovernmentActivismArts EducationEventsRealEstateNonprofits Dear Readers, Local news at its best captures the heart and soul of the communities it covers. Growing Community Media Wednesday Journal reporting consistently tells local stories that do just that. Stories that you can’t read anywhere else: about a beloved retiring mail carrier or neighborhood school turtle; about front porch concert series, local artists or fresh food markets; stories of elementary school students’ philanthropy projects and statewide contest triumphs; of high school and senior center proms, and ground-breaking Eagle Scouts and local heroes. You know what we’re talking about. They’re the stories that leap off the page and tug at your heartstrings and make you so glad you choose to live here. They’re the stories that inspire you to do something for our community too. We want to inspire you to support the local journalism that keeps these stories of your hometown available. So do your neighbors. Generous local donors have offered a $7000 matching fund, to match your gift by June 30 dollar for dollar. We need your financial support to keep this local news coming. Small or large, every gift helps. With gratitude, Dan Haley and the Wednesday Journal team
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Take it outside
Oak Park & River Forest Garden Walk returns June 26 By LACEY SIKORA
T
Contributing Reporter
he 28th Annual Oak Park and River Forest Garden Walk returns this summer on June 26 and features seven private gardens in both communities along with one community garden. The walk is the joint effort of the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory (FOPCON) and the Garden Club of Oak Park and River Forest. As in past years, the Garden Club proceeds will benefit scholarships and community projects, and the FOPCON proceeds will directly support projects that benefit the Oak Park Conservatory. Garden Club Co-President Gina Sennello says that most of the gardens selected to be on this year’s walk were identified by word of mouth. Garden Club and FOPCON members used to drive the streets of Oak Park and River Forest looking for suitable gardens, but now, Sennello notes that many are found through Garden Walk docents who talk to attendees about local gardens. This gardens in year’s walk are located primarily in northeast Oak Park and the north end of River Forest. Sennello praises the variety of gardens.
Randy Bell talks about the cottage-style garden he and his wife, Deb Fenwick, have created over the past decade in Oak Park. Their garden is one of seven on this year’s walk. “We have one with a large pond; one that’s very Zen with a lot of stone, conifers and metals; and another that’s an entertaining backyard with an outdoor kitchen,” Sennello said. Her co-chair for the walk, FOPCON Copresident Sue Boyer, added, “I’m amazed at some of the things we’ve seen. There’s such a variety -- from almost the non-garden to the most amazing French bathtub in a garden.” Boyer also commented on the community garden at the Oak Park Temple. See GARDEN WALK on page 25
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Painter and sculptor Melinda Whitmore considers her Oak Park garden another artistic medium, layering in textures and colors.
Apart from laying a patio, Melinda Whitmore and David Jamieson did all of the work creating their Oak Park garden. “It’s ever-evolving,” Whitmore says of the garden.
GARDEN WALK
If you go
Amazing variety from page 23
“No one would ever think that would be there on Harlem Avenue,” she said. Among the seven private gardens on the walk, Janice and Rich Roberts will share their River Forest garden, which began in 2017 when the couple hired landscapers to help reimagine their front yard. With the help of Valley Landscaping, they added a long, curved bed and filled it with lilacs, roses, a river birch tree and hydrangeas. Over time, with the help of guidance from programming from the Oak Park Conservatory and West Cook Wild Ones, Janice Roberts expanded the garden on her own, adding a hosta garden and raised beds for growing vegetables. She is also inspired by the work of David Tallamy, who encourages the planting of pollinators. “If everyone just created their own little national park in their backyard, it would be very helpful,” Roberts said. Painter and sculptor Melinda Whitmore will share her Oak Park garden, which she considers another artistic medium. In 2016 when she and David Jamieson put an addition on their house, it inspired a re-thinking of their yard. Whitmore drew up plans, laid out a patio and tried to bring in colors and textures. Other than laying the patio, she says it was work she all did herself. “Professional gardens are amazing but
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ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Deb Fenwick (left) and Randy Bell have divided their garden into multiple zones, including a shade garden and a native plant garden. can be intimidating,” Whitmore said. During the pandemic, Whitmore completed a master gardener program online to build a base of knowledge. She also credits the downtime of the pandemic with getting her out into the garden more. “I had the extra time with no commute, and I needed to stay sane,” Whitmore said. “It keeps my head clear to see what’s living, what’s dying, what can I fix. It’s everevolving.” Also in Oak Park, Deb Fenwick and Randy Bell began working on their garden when they bought their house in 2011. Like
Whitmore, they used the pandemic years to spend more time in their garden, and both say the sustaining nature of the garden was a helpful respite from recent health issues and the stress of the pandemic. “The garden was our dining space, our social space,” Fenwick said. “It was a safe place for us to go do something,” Bell added. “It was like a safe haven.” Their cottage-style garden is divided into multiple zones and incudes a shade garden, a water feature and dogwoods. A native plant garden is a work in progress along the driveway. A favorite plant is the
The Oak Park and River Forest Garden Walk takes place on Sunday, June 26 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.gcoprf.org. Tickets can be purchased by mail via check mailed to GCORPF, at P.O. Box 5633, River Forest, 60305. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the event for $23. Children 12 and under are free. Tickets are not refundable. Tickets and garden guides for ticket holders must be picked up the day of the walk between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at either the Oak Park Conservatory, 615 Garfield St., Oak Park (credit card ticket purchases only) or Cheney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park (credit card or check purchases.) Drive-up accommodations will be available at both sites for garden guide pickups. wisteria vine growing on the garden gate. Bell says it reminds them of time spent in France. “It’s all of the romance of Paris, right here in Oak Park,” Fenwick added. In addition to the Garden Walk being a joint venture between FOPCON and the Garden Club, Boyer said, it’s also a great tie to the community. Attendance in 2021 was robust, with more than 800 people attending, something Boyer is hoping to repeat this year.
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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
P R O P E R T Y
Oak Park home sells for $950,000
T R A N S F E R S
The following property transfers were reported by the Cook County Clerk from February 2022. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk.
OAK PARK ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
303 N Marion St 947 Forest Ave 225 S Scoville Ave 724 Clinton Ave 228 Forest Ave 126 Clinton Ave 830 N Kenilworth Ave 240 Chicago Ave 936 Chicago Ave 803 Belleforte Ave 901 N Oak Park Ave 1039 N Oak Park Ave 1037 Belleforte Ave 216 S Humphrey Ave 532 N Marion St 1026 Gunderson Ave 1001 N Marion St 245 S Cuyler Ave 240 Iowa St 411 N Lombard Ave 424 Pleasant St 1014 Clinton Ave 711 Carpenter Ave 1221 N Ridgeland Ave 6615 North Ave 1048 S Euclid Ave 726 S Lyman Ave 824 N East Ave 830 N Euclid Ave 511 S Ridgeland Ave 451 Greenfield St 135 S Cuyler Ave 820 Belleforte Ave 1116 Clinton Ave 526 S Humphrey Ave 517 S Highland Ave 1181 S Kenilworth Ave
$950,000 $947,500 $895,000 $871,000 $825,000 $780,000 $775,000 $762,000 $750,000 $744,000 $740,000 $725,000 $668,000 $625,000 $615,000 $615,000 $608,000 $585,000 $555,000 $550,000 $540,000 $532,000 $530,000 $527,000 $525,000 $525,000 $518,000 $512,000 $497,000 $495,000 $490,000 $470,000 $466,000 $455,000 $442,000 $439,000 $430,000
Picchiotti Robert D Riley Kevin Thurman Douglas W Paterick Timothy E Tr Filbin Joan M Tr Engbers Ruud Dols Jason Glavin Matthew Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 391 Barrett Elisabeth R Tr Parmar Paminder S Tr Green Alexander Garvy Maria Tr Amyx Ira Ke Cs Holdings One Llc Lin Patrick Hooper David Ryan Pasha Meghan Bellingham Robert B Irwin Paul Flannery Patricia Tr Gresk Geoffrey S White James R Tr Cornelius Dana Hedayat Samad Tr Mary Walls Cap Llc Moore Christopher A Castellanos Jeanette Foster Trevor Cohen Ashley E Warrior Const Inc Manimala Luke J Kelly Peter C Tr Ray Nicole Carlson Bedrossian Carlos Rochr Kristen Joyce Thomas P Chatz Peter M Bowen Kenneth P Tr Carlson Elizabeth Garcia Tony Tr 101 Bruemmer Cora Bertoletti John C Schmidt William L Bailey John Townsend Sciamanna Andrew D Pfeffer Michael Marek Ryan M Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 21742 6611 Oak Pk Inc Blue Collar Artistry Llc Mccaughey Amanda Ketchum Billy Liss Lauren T Bank Of Amer Na Tr Murphy Ryan J Lane John J Strimaitis Michele Cook Carson R Bougher Ryan K Byline Bk Tr Kasons Prop Inc Perkovich David J Marcellino Peter J Hughes Duane Sanders Tiffany Walsh Susan E Tr Morales Rafael Jr Alger John C Straub Patrick Hasso Jack Kirschner Andrew Jay J Dev Llc Graves Robert S
303 N. Marion St., Oak Park
ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
1207 Rossell Ave 914 Hayes Ave 1158 S Lombard Ave 731 S Maple Ave 716 S Maple Ave 845 S Kenilworth Ave 715 S Taylor Ave 540 S Elmwood Ave 425 S Oak Park Ave 641 Madison St 932 N Harvey Ave 935 Garfield St 532 Forest Ave 225 S Maple Ave 1108 S Lombard Ave 1038 S Ridgeland Ave 942 N Austin Blvd 804 N Taylor Ave 226 S Maple Ave 322 N Marion St 603 N Cuyler Ave 804 S Cuyler Ave 1130 S Harvey Ave 238 Madison St
$425,000 $422,000 $420,000 $399,500 $385,000 $377,000 $375,000 $360,000 $354,000 $330,000 $330,000 $325,000 $300,000 $300,000 $299,000 $295,000 $295,000 $290,000 $279,000 $266,000 $255,000 $240,000 $237,500 $234,000
Bley Jordan Doss Matthew J Amonson Erik Allen Mark Ketchum Billy D Berger Evan M Davis Justin Dean Escobedo Miguel 229231 S Oak Pk Ave Llc Lillmar Llc Henderson Lynn Long Real Estate Prop Inc Kaftanowicz Andrew Grady Elizabeth A Dean Swapanil Mangler Ryan Tran Thien Sullivan Martha A Buehler Hernandez Noemi Sarahy Garci Isabel Timothy 603 Cuyler Llc Brownlee Anastacia E Tsi Prop Llc Durham Realstate Grp Llc
1028 S Ridgeland Ave 930 Ontario St 930 Ontario St 1016 N Lombard Ave
$233,000 $225,000 $220,000 $215,000
Cutler James L Bloom Mary Ann Kettner Kristopher J Hearne John T Denkovski Tito Roth Bridget Tr Furlette-Koski Sara Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 7539 Powell Charles G Iii Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 3768 Bodzewski Lawrence Glen Hemstreet Donna M Tr Gordon Melissa L Chicago Title Land Trust Co Vasquez Noel Mccarthy Nathan Scott Richardson Tracy Squeo Michael Guy Demay Thomas N Krzyzewski Lori Walker Irea Klenske Madalyn Fannie Mae Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 30069504 Chavez Jessie Gotsch Marilyn H Tr Won Raymond McGuire Donal
Paragon Ventures Llc Spangle Laura Hartman Nancy M Tr Martinez Raymundo
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
P R O P E R T Y
T R A N S F E R S
OAK PARK ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
426 S Lombard Ave 425 Home Ave 150 N Austin Blvd 1033 Ontario St 746 S Wesley Ave 220 N Oak Park Ave 920 Wesley Ave 1042 Washington Blvd
$211,000 $195,000 $169,000 $169,000 $165,000 $145,000 $142,000 $140,000
Bartlett Actress J Parker Daniel Roll Ashley Thompson Candace L Mcginnis Jennifer J Otoole Mary K Duncan Kimberly D Rendon Alma Delia
651 South Blvd 232 N Oak Park Ave 232 N Oak Park Ave 228 N Oak Park Ave 425 Wesley Ave 216 S Marion St 430 Home Ave 825 Lake St
$129,000 $125,000 $125,000 $125,000 $120,000 $115,000 $90,000 $85,000
Sinclair Barbara Desalvo Scott D Beier Brad Joa Yuleidy Tanaka Amanda Homeric Ping Kranz Denise A Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 8002371576 Zukauskas Karolis Gallagher Dana M Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc Hartney Robert J Landis Robert B Goggin Michael J Christopher Joy A Hayman Noah Michael
Alexandre-Drake Marie Weichert Workforce Mobility Inc Tabasco Ana Rita Garcia Lascurain Valero Slowikowski Kamil Solis Ramiro Goggin Michael M Bisharat Raed Jeunnette Carol
RIVER FOREST ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
1407 Ashland Ave 600 Lathrop Ave 835 Monroe Ave 1407 William St 207 Franklin Ave 911 Lathrop Ave 931 Thatcher Ave 7964 Augusta St 931 Forest Ave 500 S Park Ave 927 Forest Ave 314 Lathrop Ave 1 Gale Ave 7612 Vine St 706 Monroe Ave 348 Ashland Ave 12 Franklin Ave 435 Williams St 1436 N Harlem Ave 410 Ashland Ave 407 Franklin Ave
$1,500,000 $1,300,000 $915,000 $895,000 $762,500 $725,000 $715,000 $662,000 $630,000 $620,000 $550,000 $500,000 $450,000 $440,000 $400,000 $390,000 $306,000 $245,000 $245,000 $240,000 $236,000
Doherty Charles V Tr Fulton Audrea H Kuntz Donald R Paulk Richard L Gee Bernard M Carlson Barbara Ann Manno David Oreste Gardenier Peter W Oneyear James J Di Sabato Diego Schmidt Hildegarde Tr Smith Adam Wolfkiel J Leonard G Tr Brennolt Quinn Michael Guistino Dino Ritchie Jeanne Harvey Jeffrey Burch James G Touhemi Chekib Mohamed Swanson Jason A Peterson Melinda Holm
417 Edgewood Pl 8023 Lake St 1531 William St
$145,000 $140,000 $86,000
Szewc Slawomir Stefanski-Douglas Anne C Unti Agostino Jr
Grining Bradley R Di Sabato Diego Tr Berger Ian D Lepere Andrew J Willert Luke Brauc John Smith Adam Davila-Ruhaak Sarah Blatt Stephen Andrew Pierce Michele R Peterson Melinda Holm Mathes David Carolan Lisa M Godschalk Andrew Paul Mulka Jadwiga Haas Audrea Padgett Marcus Paulsen Lawrence R Tr Reyna Jose Jr Tyner Terese C Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 8002387975 The Mcdouglass Family Trust Fulton Douglas Evan Gadsby Isabela Grace
235 Circle Ave., Forest Park
FOREST PARK ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
516 Des Plaines Ave 241 Des Plaines Ave 7403 Madison St 235 Circle Ave 7428 Franklin St 7721 Wilcox St 7630 Monroe St 934 Thomas Ave 618 Marengo Ave 1026 Hannah Ave 812 Lathrop Ave 106 Lathrop Ave 1035 Beloit Ave 96 Lathrop Ave 1232 Circle Ave 7247 Roosevelt Rd 1418 Circle Ave 1126 Des Plaines Ave 1108 Des Plaines Ave 1113 Lathrop Ave 1134 Thomas Ave 1101 S Harlem Ave 320 Circle Ave 320 Circle Ave 1101 Harlem Ave 300 Circle Ave
$2,101,000 $1,620,500 $975,000 $615,000 $600,000 $515,000 $465,000 $422,500 $395,000 $395,000 $355,000 $339,000 $255,000 $245,000 $240,000 $240,000 $240,000 $228,000 $225,000 $185,000 $174,000 $126,000 $90,000 $70,000 $70,000 $42,500
Bozana Ilic Tr Ilic Bozana Tr Lofts On Madison Llc Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 7880 Gordon Jones Llc Dempsey Julia Quinn Labb Amy E Slocum Brandon Sbavey Mark Prah Amy Rathbun Catherine Scott Susan Ann Tr Horras Toni Schirico Tr Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr 1016027 Thr Prop Illinois Lp 7247 W Rosevelt Llc Woods Karol M Extr Kroupa Robin Minor Keith Tr Hess Jeannette Tr Oconnor William T Extr Williams Desoray E Mcmahon Patrick H Iii Lueder Shirley Owens Eugene Dullinger Elaine E
Greenplan 516 Des Plaines Llc Greenplan 241 Des Plaines Llc Cruz Lilia Kuelhorn Jonathan S Graham Todd Matthew Negiz Elif Louise Szymoniak Blazej Hands Kelli Helm George Edward Ii Hirschtick Jana Lexicon Government Services Llc Seitelman Brielle C Mcdonald Timothy B Taber Mitch Sutton Grinslade Maureen Hernandez Isela Hill Amaku Mcintosh Beverly J Mohlajee Atul Prosek Brandon M Coates Sachie Tillomon Aniya Gregoratos Nicholas Tr De Oliveira Fabio Brancati Villagran Jaime Rem Enterprises Llc
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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Legal Notice
★ ★ ★
cookcountyclerkil.gov
★ ★ ★
OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ELECTION, SPECIMEN BALLOTS, REFERENDA/QUESTIONS OF PUBLIC POLICY & POLLING PLACES Aviso oficial de elección, balota de muestra, referéndums/preguntas de política pública y lugares de votación OFFICIAL NOTICE IS HERBY GIVEN, by
Karen A. Yarbrough, Cook County Clerk that the Primary Election will be held in Suburban Cook County on:
que la elección primaria se llevará acabo en los suburbios de Cook County en:
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 Martes 28 de junio de 2022
The Primary Election will be held in election precincts under the jurisdiction of the Election Division of the Cook County Clerk's Office. La eleccion primaria tomara acabo en precintos de eleccion bajo la jurisdicción de la división de eleccion del Cook County Clerk's Office.
The Polls for said Primary Election will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Locations are subject to change as necessity requires.
Las urnas para tal eleccion primaria estarán abiertas de las 6 a.m. hasta las 7 p.m. Localidades están sujetas a cambio por necesidad.
At the Primary Election the voters will vote on the following contests and referenda questions. Referenda/Questions of Public Policy will be voted upon in those precincts of Cook County under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Clerk in which a Unit of Local Government has requested the County Clerk’s Office to place said referenda/questions of public policy on the ballot. En la eleccion primaria los votantes votaran por los siguientes puestos y cuestiones de referendo. Referendos/Cuestiones de Política Pública serán votadas en aquellos precintos de Cook County bajo la jurisdicción del Cook County Clerk en la cual una unidad de gobierno local le ha pedido a la oficina del County Clerk que provea dicho referendo/cuestión de política pública en la boleta.
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OFFICIAL NOTICE OF POLLING PLACES The voting will be conducted at the following polling places for each of the aforesaid election precincts selected by the Cook County Clerk. Las votaciones tomaran lugar en cada de los antedichos precintos de elección seleccionados por el Cook County Clerk. Ward 8500001 8500002 8500003 8500004 8500005 8500006 8500008 8500009 8500010 8500011 8500012 8500013 8500014 8500015 8500016 8500017 8500018 8500019 8500020 8500022 8500023 8500024 8500025 8500026 8500027 8500028 8500029 8500031 8500032 8500033 8500034 8500035
Polling Place Name HATCH SCHOOL HATCH SCHOOL ADELE H. MAZE LIBRARY HORACE MANN SCHOOL HORACE MANN SCHOOL GWENDOLYN BROOKS MIDDLE SCHOOL DOLE LEARNING CENTER OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY WHITTIER SCHOOL DOLE LEARNING CENTER OAK PARK TOWNSHIP LONGFELLOW SCHOOL HATCH SCHOOL J L HEDGES ADMINISTRATION OFFICE ADELE H. MAZE LIBRARY LINCOLN SCHOOL HOLMES SCHOOL GWENDOLYN BROOKS MIDDLE SCHOOL 19TH CENTURY CLUB OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY OAK PARK RIVER FOREST HIGH SCHOOL WASHINGTON IRVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WEST CENTRAL CHURCH GWENDOLYN BROOKS MIDDLE SCHOOL WEST CENTRAL CHURCH OAK PARK CONSERVATORY BEYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WASHINGTON IRVING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEYE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OAK PARK TOWNSHIP
Township OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK
Address 1000 N RIDGELAND AVE 1000 N RIDGELAND AVE 845 GUNDERSON AVE 921 N KENILWORTH AVE 921 N KENILWORTH AVE 325 S KENILWORTH AVE 255 AUGUSTA ST 834 LAKE ST 715 N HARVEY AVE 255 AUGUSTA ST 105 S OAK PARK AVE 715 HIGHLAND AVE 1000 N RIDGELAND AVE 218 MADISON ST 845 GUNDERSON AVE 1111 S GROVE AVE 508 N KENILWORTH AVE 325 S KENILWORTH AVE 178 FOREST AVE 834 LAKE ST 834 LAKE ST 201 N SCOVILLE AVE 1125 S CUYLER AVE 230 N CUYLER AVE 1154 WISCONSIN AVE 325 S KENILWORTH AVE 1154 WISCONSIN AVE 615 GARFIELD ST 230 N CUYLER AVE 1125 S CUYLER AVE 230 N CUYLER AVE 105 S OAK PARK AVE
City OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK OAK PARK
Zip Code HCap Access 60301 Y 60301 Y 60304 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60301 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y Y 60302 60304 Y 60301 Y 60302 Y 60304 Y 60304 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60301 Y 60301 Y 60301 Y 60301 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60304 Y 60302 Y 60304 Y 60304 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y 60302 Y
NOTE: The letter (N) following the polling place address denotes that the polling place itself is not accessible to the handicapped although other parts of the facility may be accessible. An exemption has been granted by the State Board of Elections and signs are posted indicating if the whole building is accessible or if there is a special entrance. NOTA: La letra (N) después de la dirección de un lugar de votación indica que el lugar de votación en sí mismo no es accesible para personas discapacitadas, aunque otras partes del edificio pueden ser accesibles. La Junta Electoral del Estado ha concedido una exención y hay carteles publicados que indican si todo el edificio es accesible o si hay una entrada especial.
Dated at Chicago, Illinois this 15th day of June 2022
Karen A. Yarbrough Cook County Clerk cookcountyclerkil.gov
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
VIEWPOINTS
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com
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Harriet Hausman: Justice or Just Us? p. 35
Navigating the plastic minefield
O
n a recent Sunday morning walk, I found myself walking through Taylor Park in north Oak Park. Near the soccer field, next to a bench, I saw three plastic bottles, one half-filled with blue liquid, an unopened water bottle, and an almost-empty bottle still holding a bit of strawberry-something. I picked them up and started looking for a trash bin, a habit of mine. A little further, near the playground, I came across a plastic bottle minefield. There were dozens of empty water bottles, some promising seltzer or fruit, generic water bottles, canned water and so on. Thirsty park-goers, I thought. A wild non-alcoholic party the night before. It’s spring and people, especially young people, especially teenagers, hang outdoors in public places. The fruity flavors and aquamarine-colored liquids gave them away. But dumping trash in park settings is not solely an Oak Park youth problem. On warm summer Monday mornings, when I commuted by bike through Garfield Park to work Downtown, I would see city workers, specially tasked, clearing a sea of trash left across the park’s green from weekend card players and picnickers. By my evening ride home, the park would have been returned, more or less, to its non-garbaged state, only to repeat the process next week. And public trashing is not only an urban thing. We have a cabin up north in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It’s next to the Sylvania Wilderness, a pristine 20,000-acre, old-growth forest with 30 or so remote lakes. Before the native grasses revive, I walk both sides of Thousand Island Lake Road, under the cover of massive hemlock and white pine, filling construction garbage bags with empty beer cans and super-caffeinated drinks such as Red Bull and Monster. When I asked a local, she explained that it’s illegal to drive with open alcohol in a pickup, so people chuck the empty beer can out the window and into the forest. I wanted to ask her why people don’t see the forests as if they were their front yards? And why would people drink
JACK CROWE
See CROWE on page 39
PROVIDED
SON TO FATHER TO GRANDFATHER: The author, right, with his father and with his daughter, Kathy.
I
I couldn’t just leave: a Fathers’ Day reminiscence
went out to the driveway, got in the car to head off to a local bookstore, turned on the ignition, exited the driveway, drove a bit, and then remembered: “Whoa! What am I doing? There’s a baby in the house! I’m the dad. I can’t just leave!” It was the late ’80s. My daughter, my firstborn, new to the world, was sleeping in her crib on this winter morning. I was home with her on a day I didn’t teach at the university. Maureen was ensconced in her office in Harrisburg. And for a minute, in my freshly anointed role as a father, I just flat-out forgot that I couldn’t drive off anymore, whenever I felt like it. I went back in, checked on her in her crib. My little girl was fine — her tiny, chunky self, sleeping on her back with little fists clenched on either side of the dark brown hair resting above her forehead. Three sons, two of them twins, followed my daughter over the next seven years. The jolt from that first bout of absent-mindedness probably cut me deeply enough to internalize forever the reality that being a dad was not something to forget you do. I’ve made my mistakes over the years, but I never left a kid alone in the house again. My own dad had followed a more traditional model.
He worked full-time as a photo re-toucher at R.R Donnelly’s and Sons, south of the Loop. The company was demanding of his time and talent. Mom was a full-time homemaker. As we — my five siblings and I — got older, he worked a lot of overtime. But when he’d come home at 7 or later, he was always locked into being dad. He wanted to know what we did at school, who was working on what kind of homework, what TV shows we might be watching after supper, or how basketball or volleyball practice went. I was the oldest, so maybe during my first month, in late 1953, he too had a moment like mine when he had to tell himself, “Hey, guy, remember, you’re the dad now. It’s not a job to forget you have.” But for me on that January day, perhaps the fact that I was beginning this non-traditional role as, in part, a stay-at-home working dad put me in the position where I didn’t have any working memory of how I was supposed to perform. I had no practice, and at the time, no role models for the kind of fatherhood I was beginning to live out. Thus, the mental slip, which allowed me to walk out the door, however temporarily.
RICH
KORDESH One View
See KORDESH on page 39
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
O U R
T
V I E W P O I N T S
First, get mad, then get to work
V I E W S
A beginning on reparations
he work of a volunteer Oak Park Reparations Task Force is taking shape. Combined with the donated resources of Dominican University’s College of Applied Social Services, the reparations task force is beginning outreach to Oak Park’s Black community as it considers where to focus demands of local taxing bodies and how it suggests funds be generated to make reparations payments. Locally, Oak Park trails Evanston by a year or more in exploring and now implementing a reparations plan. Like Evanston, early indications from the Oak Park task force are that it intends to focus on housing as the target. In an article last week, our Michael Romain reported the task force sees Evanston’s program as both a model and as a cautionary tale in how implementation can work. If housing is the focus of an eventual program, funds might be allocated for home repairs and upgrades, down payment or mortgage assistance for Black residents. In that article, task force leader Christian Harris pointed to the power of generational wealth transfer through housing and correctly noted that, 100 years ago, Oak Park consciously displaced its only Black neighborhood as the downtown commercial area at Lake and Harlem was built. When it presented to the village board last year, the task force was looking to the proceeds of the village’s cannabis sales tax revenue and a portion of the Affordable Housing Fund to pay for reparations. All of this is still in its early phases. A survey of Black residents is planned. Discussions with elected officials are in the future. We recall two years back that then Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb spoke up in favor of reparations. It was a somewhat undeveloped thought, we believe, but he felt any reparations should be focused on educational opportunities. A fair debate to be had. Finally, we would ask for a determined public education and discussion process in an effort to explain the history and the necessity of such a program. This has the potential to be divisive. But it also has the potential to unify, if explained well.
This is the township
In a town where people pay a lot of property taxes, there has always been a lack of clarity in which government body is which and what they actually do. Oak Park Township took a step forward last week as it unveiled new branding that seeks to explain the range of services it offers and has long offered. The array includes senior services, youth services, mental health services, general assistance, and property tax assessment help. Generally speaking, those services are exceptional and largely invisible until a person needs them. In an understatement, Gavin Morgan, township manager, was quoted in our story last week saying, “We’re social service providers. Marketing is not our strong suit.” Now the township has taken a necessary step to declare and explain why it is a vital part of Oak Park’s safety net.
We sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had 15 homicides and 63 violent crimes, as if that’s the way it’s supposed to be! … We sit in the house, and slowly the world we’re living in is getting smaller, and all we say is … “Just leave us alone.” Well, I’m not going to leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot. I don’t want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first, you’ve got to get mad.
KEN
TRAINOR
Howard Beale
I
soul-mate Republicans. ■ We live in a country where a conservative, politicized Supreme Court is almost sure to overturn Roe v. Wade, despite popular support, the primary motive being to disempower women. ■ And racism underlies so much of this — extreme economic inequality, first and foremost. You may not show your anger. You may be in denial about it. You may not be mad about all these things or madder about some than others, but chances are you’re mad about something. What we can do about all this is the big question. For that we have to rely on our imagination and creativity and one another. But the only way anything will get done is if we first re-ignite the fire inside. The anti-democracy coalition already has plenty of fire in the belly. That gives them a big advantage over the pro-democracy coalition, which consists of center right (too few), center left, independents, moderates, liberals and progressives (pick your label), who are very uncomfortable with anger, as if it were a major character defect. To be sure, anger is draining and can easily get out of hand. But well-channeled ire, as we discovered in 2020, is galvanizing and absolutely necessary when facing existential threats to our democracy and our very lives, especially the lives of our children and grandchildren. Then it’s a bigger character defect not to get mad. When those we love and what we love are threatened, it activates us. And right now, we’re existentially threatened by a seditious political party that has no business being anywhere near the levers of power — ever again. The pro-democrats came together because we were pissed off for four long years by a wannabe dictator in the White House. Four years is a long time to stay angry. Nonetheless, we rose up and threw the psychopath out. That, on top of the pandemic, left us exhausted and we forgot two crucial steps remain — winning the midterms and the next presidential election. Only then can real change occur. We have to focus on the macro-level, where policy is made, because policy affects so many more lives. Government is necessary. Responsible, responsive government is essential. If the anti-democrats take control of the House and retain control of the Senate in the midterms, Trump will be back on the ballot in 2024, threatening democracy all over again. Count on it. Anger alone isn’t enough, but it’s the spark that rekindles the fire. Howard Beale said it best. First, you’ve got to get mad. Then we’ve got to get creative and get to work — for the sake of who and what we love.
Network
t’s one of the great speeches in movie history, Peter Finch as respectable-newscaster-turned-mad-prophet-of-the-airwaves Howard Beale. If you’ve never seen it, or haven’t seen it since Network came out in 1975, it’s worth revisiting the scene on YouTube. You might be tempted to stick your head out the window and yell, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” But doing that didn’t work out so well in Network. Besides, you don’t need to “get” mad. You’re most likely mad already — because the world Howard Beale was railing against wasn’t half as crazy as the one we’re in now. ■ A half-century later, we live in a country where the flag is almost always flown at half-staff — for all the victims massacred by AR-15s, including children decapitated by high-capacity, military-style assault weapons in their classrooms, where school shootings have occurred 900 times in the past decade thanks to easy access to guns and the complicity of the NRA and the Republicans in Congress (Sunday’s announcement of a “bi-partisan compromise” worked out by senators is a long way from legislative reality and a much longer way from having real impact). ■ We live in a country where the previous president organized a coup to overturn the results of a clean, fair election —— where anti-democratic minions, calling themselves “patriots,” violated the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with the full support of that president. The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack is now holding public hearings to explain how it was incited by the Trump administration and defended by Republicans who still promote the Big Lie and are working hard to restrict voting in future elections. ■ We live in a world where man-made climate change produces drought and massive forest fires in Western states and super-storms with super-flooding in the South and East and where efforts to save the planet are blocked by Democrat Joe Manchin and his
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Our ‘awesome’ Supreme Court
ne might believe that at age 98 there would be no way to become disillusioned. Every time I see scenes of the Jan. 6 insurrection in our Capitol and view the huge fencing and multi-guards in front of our Supreme Court, I shudder with disbelief. I remember my first visit to Washington D.C. My husband, Marty, had occasion with his work to travel to D.C. and he was my well-informed tour guide of our government buildings. His attorney-in-good-standing card afforded us entry to the Supreme Court while it was in session. This unique opportunity to visit the austere chambers of the court had me awestruck. The decorum as the justices discussed and sometimes dissented on issues caused me to respect the court and its decisions with patriotic fervor. On this visit I thought this Court represented what I defined as democracy. The authors of our Constitution were so sure that the Supreme Court justices would be apolitical, knowledgeable and fair, that the Court and its justices were not accountable to any other unit of government. Each Supreme Court justice was to be free of any party affiliation; completely devoted to Constitutional principles, and above any possibility of corruption. They would loyally support the basic rule that all are equal under the law. I am sure there have been many times in our history when justices may have been either unqualified and/or biased, but the millions of dollars of dark money that is now paid to corrupt our Supreme Court is a new phenomenon. I should note that this influence started on a small scale before the Trump administration was in office. It shocked me to learn that corporate funds and the Republican Party payoffs began with the George W. Bush administration. During his administration some of his advisors recognized the value of influencing the Supreme Court. One was quoted as saying, “Own the Supreme Court, own the law.” George W. Bush had the unusual opportunity of selecting two justices within a 5-month period, as a result of the death William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O’Connor’s retirement. Two staunch Republicans, John Roberts and Samuel Alito, were their replacements. Both were strong corporate loyalists who lied in their Senate interviews so they could be placed on the court. Soon after confirmation, they aggressively fought for their corporate donors by ruling for the outrageous Citizens United decision and against the Voting Rights Act.
Although money used for these judicial confirmations does not require public disclosure, knowledge of some of the dark money was leaked to the public. During the Trump administration, the millions of dollars contributed for bribery was far less hidden. The culprits were Coors Beer, Searle Drug Companies, Mercer and Scaife of Wall Street and the media, the Olin Family, and the Koch brothers. The money was distributed to the Federalist Society and then funneled to the justice candidates of the donor’s choosing. This corrupting bundle resulted in three more biased Supreme Court justices appointed by former President Trump: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. During President Obama’s administration, in February of 2016, Antonin Scalia died. President Obama nominated as his replacement Merrick Garland, but it was blocked by the Republican-held Senate. It was rumored that the Koch Brothers paid $17.9 million dollars to waylay this nomination. It is sad to recall that Judge Garland was not even allowed to appear for a confirmation hearing. It’s also disheartening that we are facing the same well-paid justices to decide very important issues today. Unfortunately, there seems to be an agreement and willingness among these six conservative justices to permit voter suppression, racial gerrymandering, attacks against immigrants, ignorant book banning, the “don’t say gay” campaign, the repeal of equal education requirements, the rejection of science, the white-washing of history, cuts to Social Security and social service needs, rollbacks of environmental and health protections, the denial of climate change protections, and now the projected reversal of Roe v. Wade. Is this the 2022 version of “equal justice under the law?” Lisa Graves of True North Research was one of the researchers of this “justice,” or lack thereof. She calls it the new “Just Us” system, catering to the wishes of corporations, the super-wealthy, white supremacists, and the selfish, greedy and power-mad new autocratic Republicans. This financial bonanza was also researched by a 2019 Washington Post investigation, a report by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a “Fix the Courts” study, and True North Research. The Supreme Court that I once admired as the epitome of Constitutional Law no longer earns my respect. In fact, I’m ashamed of what it now represents.
HARRIET HAUSMAN
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022 W E D N E S D A Y
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Michael Romain Senior Editor Bob Uphues Digital Publishing and Technology Manager Briana Higgins Staff Reporters Stacey Sheridan, F. Amanda Tugade Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Big Week Editor James Porter Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Harriet Hausman, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Special Projects Manager Susan Walker Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer
About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action. In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing. Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay. If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.
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‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY ■ 500-word limit ■ One-sentence footnote about yourself,
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Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302
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ADDRESS 141 S Oak Park Ave., Oak ParkIL 60302 ■ PHONE 708-5248300 EMAIL Dan@OakPark.com ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com Wednesday Journal is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $43 within Cook County and $53 outside of Cook County. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 10138). Postmaster, send address corrections to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, Il 60302. © 2022 Growing Community Media, NFP.
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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ow Abel became a shepherd and kept flocks, while Cain tilled the soil. Time passed and Cain brought some of the produce of the soil as an offering for Yahweh, while Abel for his part brought the first-born of his flock and some of their fat as well. Yahweh looked with favor on Abel and his offering. But he did not look with favor on Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry and downcast. Yahweh asked Cain, ‘Why are you angry and downcast? If you are well disposed, ought you not to lift up your head? But if you are ill disposed, is not sin at the door like a crouching beast hungering for you, which you must master?’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out;’ and while they were in the open country, Cain set on his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis, Ch. 4) Page 5: 1,542 more pages to go in the Old Testament, and the die is already cast. Page five. This is who we are. This is our Judeo-Christian, western civilization origin story. But it does not stand alone. In Egyptian mythology, Seth murders his brother Osiris. In Rome’s origin story, Romulus kills his twin brother Remus over a dispute over which hill Rome should be built on. In the Indian Mahabarata, the Pandavas, five brothers, kill their halfbrother Karna in a civil war. Our daily newscasts and newspapers are filled with headlines of carnage and killings, duplicity and disasters, failures
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What will we write on Page 6? and finger-pointing. If it bleeds, it leads. And yet, often buried on page 17 or 23 of the papers, or briefly presented on screen as “a life worth living” are great acts of kindness and caring, heroism and altruism. This is who we are. Cain and Abel. While the whole notion of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel makes no biological or evolutionary sense, that’s not the point of the story, which is that human beings are both Cain and Abel, capable of both good and evil. The U.S. military budget for 2021 was $800 billion; the budget for Doctors Without Borders was $1.7 billion. In the Vietnam War, 353,000 Americans died; Habitat for Humanity has built 800,000 homes worldwide. Last year there were 26,000 homicides in the U.S. and 36,000 organ donations. There are 53,000 gun retailers in the U.S. — and 60,000 food pantries. Russia develops a hypersonic missile to terrorize its enemies. NASA launches the James Webb Telescope to expand our knowledge of the universe. Multiple countries (and some U.S. senators) resist any effort to curb the burning of coal or oil which are destructive to our planet but enriching to them, while multiple others race to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar power to enrich the lives of future generations.
While the Adam/Eve and Cain /Abel story makes no biological or evolutionary sense, it absolutely nails our DNA. Sometimes I wonder if things would have been different if Cain and Abel were, instead, Carol and Agnes. Or if Adam and Eve had not eaten the apple but instead filled the 1,547 pages of the Old Testament with detailed descriptions of all the wondrous trees, shrubs, flowers, birds, mammals, and fish they were given to enjoy. Could have saved Linnaeus a lot of trouble — and us a lot of grief. How terrible would it have been to describe all that existed except for one lousy tree? Not to fault “god,” but his command not to eat from the tree of good and evil was arguably the first example of “reverse psychology.” Surely he knew that that’s exactly what they would do. And that would make us “human.” Multiple news reports over the past few years document our Navy fighter pilots tracking structured craft that move in ways we earthlings have not yet discovered how to do. Is it possible that maybe, just maybe, on a distant planet somewhere “out there,” another intelligent species wrote its own origin story, its “Page 5,” without a Cain, only Abels? And maybe, being therefore “well disposed,” they were able not only to “lift up their heads” — but the future of their entire species by spending all their resources on improving their
BILL SIECK
One View
The hypocrisy of Mitch McConnell Senator Mitch McConnell recently expressed outrage that Congressional Democrats did not drop everything to pass legislation to protect Brett Kavanaugh and other radical right-wing Supreme Court justices from threats posed by crazy teenagers with assault weapons. Ironically, Kavanaugh’s would-be assassin cited the refusal of the Supreme Court to allow gun safety laws as a motivating factor for his actions. When his hand-picked Supreme Court justice is threatened, McConnell responds instantly, demanding extraordinary protection. Where is the urgency to protect American school children from these
lives rather than constantly destroying and rebuilding. Back here on earth, human beings spend almost 2 trillion (with a “T”) dollars a year on military equipment — tools to kill and destroy. If we add in all the money spent on police, prisons, locks and guns, home security services, and lawyers who will extract “justice” from those who have wronged us, we’re talking serious money. Imagine where the human race would be if all that money had been spent on building and none of it on destroying. But I know that would be “alien,” not “human.” We are Cain. In the last two years, Jose Andres and his World Central Kitchen has served more than 25 million meals worldwide to those in need. In 2020, we Americans donated a record-breaking $471 billion to charitable causes. We are also Abel. To be surprised at man’s inhumanity to man is to deny the basic message. Equally, to be surprised at mankind’s incredible acts kindness, love, and heroism is also to deny the basic message. We were conceived on Page 5. We, Homo Sapiens on planet Earth, will always be both Cain and Abel. The answerable question is not why, but rather what will we each, individually, write on Page 6? It’s that ability to choose what to write on our own page that makes us human. And gives us hope. Bill Sieck is a resident of Berwyn who frequently works in Oak Park.
The havoc of traveling teams
same crazy teenagers with assault weapons? Alas, our children evidently do not merit any protection whatsoever, although McConnell will wring his hands and offer his prayers and crocodile tears when the next mass murder occurs in a school or church. Republicans who claim the murderous assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was legitimate political discourse protected by the Constitution should consider whether an attempted assassination of a Supreme Court Justice also qualifies as harmless political debate.
Tom DeCoursey Oak Park
As a mother of five and grandmother of nine, I’m curious if the founders of traveling teams are parents. Even on Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day, Sundays and some holidays, there are games. What happened to family life? It costs a lot to be on the traveling teams. There are out-of-town games, which sometimes involve the entire weekend. What happened to playing in your or your neighbor’s yard? It is my understanding that coach-
es often choose from the traveling teams first. Pity the children whose families can’t afford to join. Perhaps family life would be happier and less hectic if athletics returned to the days of the 1970s and ’80s when there was a normal amount of practice and there wasn’t so much emphasis on sports. There might even be family dinner on Sundays!
Carolyn O’Leary River Forest
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
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Kina Collins will show up for us
Vee Jaroszewski, 88
s teenagers, we are fortunate enough to have been surrounded by adults who frequently encourage us to participate in politics, use our voices, and vote. Students from across the Oak Park and River Forest area have done just that. We’ve listened, talked to candidates and found an inspiring leader and candidate that we wholeheartedly support: Kina Collins. We want a representative in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District who will be available and accountable to this community — no matter their age. We know that Kina will be that person. She frequently listens to our voices, including teens at Youth Committee 4 Change meetings and students at OPRF High School events. Crucially, she also shows up with us to actions that matter to so many of us, from protests against gun violence to climate action rallies and teacher strikes. Our community deserves someone who will always show up for the fights that matter to us. When Danny Davis, the incumbent and Kina’s opponent, first ran for the House of Representatives in 1996, his platform was notably progressive — according to a Chicago Sun-Times article from the time, he supported gay rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, and single-payer health care. At the time, he was endorsed by the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. He was representative of one of the most progressive districts in the country. But 25 years later, as Davis remains the congressperson for the Illinois 7th District, he has changed and no longer truly represents us — instead, he represents a machine in Washington. He promised a lot of investments that never came, missed over 1,000 votes in his career, and took votes that disappointed us. He voted to continue construction on the Keystone XL oil pipeline that President Obama vowed to veto. He has voted against new campaign financial contribution regulations, and takes tens of thousands of dollars from real estate, Wall Street, oil and gas, and pharmaceutical corporations. It’s time we pass the torch to a new generation of leadership, uncorrupted by decades of politics in Washington.
From leading Illinois’ largest gun violence prevention nonprofit to leading protests for criminal justice reform and climate change, Kina Collins has been a relentless fighter for progressive values. Our generation will be the most heavily impacted by whatever climate change legislation passes, or fails to pass, today, and Kina has been outspoken about the need for an equitable transition to 100% renewable energy — plus, she has signed a pledge to not take money from any corporations, including oil and natural gas corporations. As students, gun violence is another far-too-relevant concern in our lives, one that literally could mean life or death for us in our own classrooms, and it’s an issue Kina has already been fighting for years, as executive director of One Aim Illinois, the largest gun violence prevention nonprofit in the state. As we begin to join the workforce, we want to know that we will have adequate pay and protections, such as those offered in the PRO Act. As the Supreme Court threatens to take away our reproductive freedom, we need leaders who have proven that they will never stop defending our rights. After Trump rolled back rights and protections for women, Kina helped write and pass the Illinois Council on Women and Girls Act to ensure that women will have statewide protections for reproductive health care, domestic violence, housing, and education. If Roe is overturned, we know that she will be a fierce advocate for putting women’s rights into law. Kina Collins represents a young and passionate generation inspired to fight for our community and has the experience to get things done in Congress. So if you are serious about empowering young people in politics and their communities, please stand with us and vote for the future we deserve. Vote for Kina Collins in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District primary election on June 28. Remus Bachner (14), Tucker Bonnell (18), Eva Carson (18), Noelia Guerrero (19), Anne Lynch (16), Maeve Mascarenhas (18), Ingrid Medgyesy (16), Tim Mellman (18), Charlotte Meyer (18), Rachel Prestes (16), Katie Stabb (16), and Paisley Templeton (16) are Oak Park and River Forest residents, most of whom attend, have attended or will attend OPRF High School.
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Loved painting, real estate and family Wieslawa “Vee” Jaroszewski, 88, of Oak Park, died peacefully in her sleep with her son by her side on June 1, 2022. Born in Poland, she overcame many hardships during World War II which later in life shaped her into a strong and independent woman. Her many passions included painting, real estate, and her family. Vee was the daughter of the late Anna and Walter Przybysz. She was preceded in death by her younger brother, Andrew Przybysz, and her late husband, Walter Jaroszewski. She was the mother of Gregory Jaroszewski and grandmother to Matthew Ryan Jaroszewski; and the aunt of Stephen (Laura) Przybysz, Anne Marie Przybysz, Christopher (Yuka) Przybysz, and Andrew Przybysz. On Saturday, June 25 at 10 a.m., there will be a memorial Mass at St. Giles with visitation from 9 to 10 beforehand. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to support the Movement Disorders & Community Research Fund at Rush University Medical Center. Please send memorial checks, made out to “Rush University Medical Center” to Rush Office of Philanthropy, 28057 Network Place, Chicago, IL 60673-1280 or visit https://rushgiving.com/MovementDisorderstribute.
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Se habla Español Se habla Español
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
Acknowledging the Ulyssean journey
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his past week as I was reading Wednesday Journal, I arrived at the column by Ken Trainor [The journey that may or may not end, Viewpoints, June 8]. One of the statements caught my eye, the poem by Tennyson. This section of the poem is one that we have used for the past 18 years in describing the Ulyssean event, sponsored by the Senior Citizens Center of Oak Park-River Forest. In 2004, 50 years after the birth of the Senior Center, we decided to celebrate this milestone by establishing the Ulyssean Award. Each year for the past 18 years we have chosen individuals who have exemplified the journey of one’s life, one that keeps them involved in community, their volunteering spirit to make life better for others, and to celebrate that journey along the way. Ken describes his personal journey by the statement he makes, to better himself and maybe others, to journey as far as he can. Whatever happens along the way, he will keep going, all the way to the end. Ken was one of our Ulysseans in 2018. When one looks back over the past 18 years, you have to be in awe of those who have been chosen Ulysseans for each year. It is always with sadness to recognize those who have passed away along this journey. Those individuals were pillars of our community. These names will always be remembered for their exceptional journey: Sherlynn Reid, Redd Griffen, Virginia Cassin, Lee Brooke, Gus Kostopulos, Roberta Raymond, Norbert Teclaw, Lawrence Christmas, Donald Offermann, Barbara Furlong, Jeanette Fields, Harold Rohlfing, Michelle Germanson, Dolores Register, and Margorie Gockel. Our Ulysseans still on their journey are Rev. Dean Lueking, Chatka Ruggiero, Sylvia & Gysbert Menninga, Sandra & David Sokol, Marguerite Bloch, Jim Bohenstengel, Harriette & McLouis Robinet, Nancy Waichler, John Hedges, Mena & David Boulanger, Ann & Gene Armstrong, Marty Noll, Harriet Hausman, Barbara Ballinger, Janet & Bob Haisman, Ken Trainor, Nancy Teclaw, Rev. Don Register, Galen Gockel, Stephanie Clemens, Bob Downs, Mary Kay O’Grady, and Charles Williams. Tennyson’s poem sums up the Ulyssean Way with the thoughts: “I am part of all that I have met. … How dull it is to pause, to make an end. To rust unburnished, not to shine in use. … You and I are old, Old age hath yet his honor and his toil. Death closes all, but something ere the end, Some work of noble note, may yet be done. … Come, my friends, ’tis not too late to seek a newer world.” He ends his speech with, “Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” It is this thirst for learning, doing, and adventure of body and spirit that is the Ulyssean Journey. The Ulyssean Award honors individuals in the community who exemplify this lifestyle and philosophy. The specific criteria for the award are: an individual must be age 50 or above, they must have demonstrated commitment to the continued quest for lifelong learning, and they must have had significant involvement in, and made contributions to, the community that have served to broaden our social, educational and/or cultural horizons. On Sept. 21, one of the Ulysseans we will honor this year is Jerry Lordan. Save the date. Nancy Teclaw is the executive director of the Senior Citizens Center of Oak Park-River Forest.
NANCY TECLAW One View
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Carolyn Poplett: leader extraordinaire With the utmost respect and admiration, I hon- on how we could turn over another or a different or and recognize the passing of Carolyn Poplett. stone to unveil a new approach. She was an adCarolyn was a community leader extraordinaire. vocate and leader pursuing the vision of making She was driven and achieved goals with enor- our community more accepting of mental health mous grace and empathy, with a comservices and of ensuring our commumitment and dedication to making a nity had the life-saving mental health difference. She was an amazing role services accessible to those in need. model and inspired many in our comHer gracious and engaging demeanmunity and beyond. or was beautiful, and all felt welcome I had the privilege of working with and acknowledged in her presence. She Carolyn on the board and on several had a twinkle in her eye and a gentle campaigns for Thrive Counseling Cenhumor in her approach. And her apter, then known as Family Service and proach was powerful, and her leaderMental Health Center of Oak Park-Rivship helped achieve the significant er Forest. Carolyn understood the imfundraising goals that allow nonprofit portance of community mental health organizations to continue to be misCAROLYN POPLETT services and brought her leadership sion-driven. and community activism to Thrive Carolyn, thank you for being you, you are in my as a board member, chair of the Roots Capital heart, and Oak Park and River Forest are better Campaign, leader of an Endowment Campaign, communities from your love and dedication to all with a steady focus on leadership and volun- making a real-life difference. As I continue to adteerism. vocate for mental health awareness and services, Carolyn was a community leader that you al- your spirit will be with me. ways knew you could count on. We strategized Jan Pyrce about fundraising in ongoing meetings, including Honorary board member evenings in my home, and she always had an idea Thrive Counseling Center
My hometown hero
I first met Officer Rasul Freelain when I began teaching at Percy Julian Middle School in 2004. It was the end of my career and the beginning of his. This man was impossible to miss as he swaggered down the hallways in his uniform, seeming to effortlessly know the names of students and teachers alike. It was status to be recognized by Rasul. His deep baritone on the P.A. was a bit foreboding, but if a teacher thought a skirmish might develop between kids, Rasul would be the one she would notify. He’d bring them together and the fight would never occur; no report would ever be made. Or Rasul might invite them to join him in the Police Explorer Club which he started, meeting after school and on weekends. This is exactly what he did with belligerent twins new to Oak Park who were distrusting of both their new community and its schools. They attended every one of these meetings, and connected with Rasul as they were unable to do with anyone else at the school. He had a personality that won people over; someone you’d point to as you tapped a friend and said, “That cop is going places.” Sure enough the next year he was the school resource officer at OPRF High School. As time passed, I’d occasionally run into Detective Rasul Freelain. The conversations were always
about family. So it came as a surprise when I ran into him another time, while he was patrolling the Farmers Market, a strange assignment for a detective. Turned out he had requested reassignment to patrol after his wife, Ontisar began her journey back to health after her breast cancer diagnosis. This was not a tough decision for Rasul; he had set his priorities many years previous, with family being number one. With more days off as a patrol officer, he’d have more time at home to help his wife and three school-aged children. The reduction in status left him vulnerable. Shortly thereafter, he was unjustly accused of violations and fired. Three lean years and four hearings later, he was awarded back pay and he chose to be reinstated with his good name intact. Justice stands up to power, and if a student today would ask me the meaning of integrity, I’d hold up a picture of Rasul. Now four years later, after two more promotions, he is retiring as head of the juvenile division, with 20 years’ pension credits. He has a healthy wife and three very proud children and is a man full of gratitude. I am proud to call him my friend.
Pat Healey Oak Park
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D200 needs more transparency on Imagine Plan There have been a series of Viewpoints letters in the last several weeks supporting the Imagine Plan’s Project 2 and replacement of OPRF High School’s aging physical education (PE) facilities — including its indoor track and swimming pools. Some letter writers have urged these improvements in the name of equity. All their arguments have been made in all-or-nothing-at-all terms. But no one is arguing that nothing be done about the PE facilities, though many would be in much better shape had necessary repairs not been neglected — presumably to build support for Project 2. And it is certainly not the case that Project 2 is the only possible way to address PE facility needs. Project 2 calls for
tearing down a structurallysound building that otherwise could be renovated to include things like handicapped accessibility, new locker rooms, gender-neutral bathrooms and a new pool of standard high school competition size. A new building is required only to accommodate the Imagine Pool — a 16-lane x 25-yard pool with 600 spectator seats. The Imagine pool is unnecessarily large — just six lanes short of an Olympic-size pool. Some letters have implied that our high school should have facilities as good or better than any other suburban high school. But this is a want, not a need. We don’t have to spend $65+ million to ad-
dress real needs. Those who have noted the shortcomings of the indoor track in the Field House don’t seem to understand that Project 2 does not include any work on the Field House, where the track is located. The Imagine Plan does not address the Field House until Project 5 — dead last. As a result, these letter writers don’t understand the inequity involved here. The number of students on aquatic teams is about half of those on track-and-field teams. The aquatic team students are almost all white. The track-and-field teams are the high school’s most diverse. Project 1 is at least 25% over budget. And per FGM construction architects,
JUDITH
ALEXANDER One View
the 2018 cost estimates for the Imagine Plan are too low. Yet the District 200 school board has rubber-stamped moving forward on Project 2, which surely will cost more than the $65 million Imagine Plan estimate. If they proceed, the likelihood is that Projects 3 and 4 will never be completed, let alone Project 5. The D200 board promised many times that it will review and prioritize the remaining Imagine Plan projects. It has a responsibility to the community, taxpayers, and D200 students to keep that promise. I urge you to email the board, BOE@ oprfhs.org, to insist that they fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities instead of rubber-stamping the administration’s requests. Judith Alexander is an Oak Park resident.
Younger families should support OPRF upgrade
I’m writing to urge the District 200 school board to move forward with the planned athletic facilities upgrades at Oak Park and River Forest High School. I’d also strongly encourage families in our community — especially those with children in elementary or middle school — to learn what’s being proposed and consider sharing support, ideas and questions with the board. Why eighth grade and younger? Because if this badly needed construction
KORDESH
Fatherhood revisited from page 33 Now, as a caregiving grandfather to my daughter’s children, I draw on the lessons and memories of the 25 years I spent as that dad who worked from home a lot, and who sought flex-time opportunities to be there with the four kids. That storehouse of recollections is alive in my brain, my heart and my muscles. Pushing my grandson on a park swing and holding my granddaughter after she falls and bangs her knee feel familiar, almost
work goes forward as planned, those are the families who will benefit most and soonest. The students in our feeder elementary and middle schools will be the first to enjoy these badly-needed upgrades and improvements. To many of us who have current students at OPRF High School, or who have already had a chance to tour the school facilities, the need for renovations is obvious. The PE/athletics spaces are crumbling, ill-suited to what students need, and
second nature. Years of practice make it unlikely that I’d walk out during one of their naps. Today, when I take my grandkids for walks, I see many dads and grandpas walking with, playing with, and riding with kids. Oak Park is a community full of engaged fathers. Many work, at least part of the time, at home. For some, taking care of kids is their primary work at home. There’s more opportunity for sharing experiences, learning from one another, and even having their children and grandchildren play together at the parks. A community helps to mold and reinforce the kind of fatherhood that I was only beginning to learn, mostly on my own, as my baby girl slept.
long past their useful life. Many other suburban school districts have long ago upgraded their facilities; our lack of action makes us an outlier. The time to prioritize these needs is long overdue. But don’t take my word for it. This summer, the high school will be offering tours of the current PE/athletic facilities. Go see, firsthand, these century-old spaces, and get a sense of how they simply can’t support 21st century learning. Administrators and faculty who work in these
CROWE from page 33 and drive anyway? And what about all the empty non-alcoholic pop cans and McDonald’s coffee cups? But I kept quiet. In a remote forest, no one likes to hear from a holier-than-thou garbage-picker from trashy Chicago. How do we change this urban and rural trash culture? A film at the recent Good Earth Film Festival highlighted that a plastic bottle can take 450 years to decompose in a landfill. That’s a long time. And only around 10 percent of plastic bottles are recycled. What can I do? I haven’t got a few centuries to wait for decomposition.
spaces every day will explain the planned renovations and the positive outcomes they will help produce. You’ll be able to ask questions, make your own judgments about the upgrades and how they will impact your family. And then I hope you’ll join me in urging the D200 school board to approve this project.
Matt Kruse
Oak Park
For one thing, I am becoming a more discriminating consumer, buying fewer plastic food containers, including products that have unnecessarily complex packaging. So goodbye to those delicious Costco chocolates with nuts wrapped in foil, placed in wax paper cups, arrayed in a hard plastic non-recyclable tray, all sealed with plastic wrap. And I collect and reuse those ubiquitous carry-out plastic containers. They even make it through my dishwasher. And goodbye to buying single-use plastic bottles. No more Poland Springs on a hot summer day. I will keep picking up empty plastic bottles I see in Taylor Park and elsewhere around Oak Park. The real challenge is to do so placidly — without the smugness of a non-trash thrower.
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
Growing Community Media
Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI
HELP WANTED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INTERN
HELP WANTED • NETWORK SPECIALIST Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job. DEFINITION To perform various network/system administration, computer support, and operational activities for the Village including computer system setup, configuration, and testing. SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED Reports directly to the Information Technology Services Director. EXAMPLE OF DUTIES: Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: Essential duties and responsibilities 1. Ensure that best in class customer service is provided to both internal and external customers and also embrace, support, and promote the Village’s core values, beliefs and culture. 2. Configure, test, and deploy network systems, such as, firewalls, routers, switches, wireless equipment, network servers and storage arrays. 3. Configure, test, and deploy system servers, such as, file, print, Internet, e-mail, database, and application servers. 4. Configure, test, and monitor server and end-user systems for security, such as, user accounts, login scripts, file access privileges, and group policy management. 5. Configure, test, and deploy end-user systems, such as, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software. 6. Test, configure, deploy, and support security systems, such as, facility access system, video & audio system. 7. Monitor and auditing of networks, systems, and user activities to ensure security and efficiency of systems. Create scripts and reports of detail activities for regular review. 8. Perform and participate in disaster recovery activities, such as, backup procedures, data recovery, and system recovery planning. 9. Assist end-users with computer problems or queries. Troubleshoot systems as needed and meet with users to analyze specific system needs. 10. Ensure the uniformity, reliability and security of system resources including network, hardware,
software and other forms of systems and data. 11. Prepare, create and update user/technical procedure documentations and provide computer training. 12. Assemble, test, and install network, telecommunication and data equipment and cabling. 13. Participate in research and recommendation of technology solutions. Other important responsibilities and duties 1. Train users in the area of existing, new or modified computer systems and procedures. 2. Participate in the preparation of various activity reports. 3. Travel and support remote facilities and partner agencies. 4. Operate, administer and manage the Village and Public Safety computer systems, including E-911 center, in-vehicle computer systems. 5. Prepare clear and logical reports and program documentation of procedures, processes, and configurations. 6. Complete projects on a timely and efficient manner. 7. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing. 8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. 9. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required. QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of: Principals and procedures of computer systems, such as, data communication, hierarchical structure, backups, testing and critical analysis. Hardware and software configuration of. computers, servers and mobile devices, including computing environment of Windows Server and Desktop OS and applications, Unix/Linux OS, VMware, iOS/Android. Network protocols, security, configuration and administration, including firewalls, routers, switches and wireless technology. Cabling and wiring, including CAT5/6, fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down. Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, analog, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant. Principles and methods of computer programming, coding and testing, including power shell, command scripting, macros, and
VB scripts. Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment. Technical writing, office productivity tools and database packages. Ability to: Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following: - Walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time - Operating assigned equipment - Lift 50 pounds of equipment, supplies, and materials without assistance - Working in and around computer equipped vehicles Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for: - Making observations - Communicating with others - Reading and writing - Operating assigned equipment and vehicles Maintain mental capacity allowing for effective interaction and communication with others. Maintain reasonable and predictable attendance. Work overtime as operations require. Experience and Training Guidelines Experience: Three years of network/system administration in the public or private sector, maintaining a minimum of 75 Client Workstation computers. AND Training: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in computer science or a related field. Certifications in Microsoft Server Administration, Networking, Applications and Cisco Networking. Possession of a valid Illinois Driver License is required at the time of appointment. Vaccination against COVID-19 strongly preferred. WORKING CONDITIONS Work in a computer environment; sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time; continuous exposure to computer screens; work in and around computerized vehicles outdoor and garage facility; lifting heavy equipment, communication cabling and wiring into walls and ceilings.
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Environmental Health Intern in the Health Department. This full-time seasonal position will provide assistance to the Environmental Health Practitioners in the inspection and local businesses, homes and other establishments to enforce state and local laws and ordinances related to public Health safety; to respond and resolve citizen complaints regarding nuisances and reported epidemics. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.
ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Animal Control Officer in the Health Department. This position will perform a variety of duties involved in enforcing Village ordinances governing the care and keeping of animals in the Village; and to impound, care for and assist with redemption of animals as appropriate. Applicants are encouraged to apply using the following link: https://secure.entertimeonline.com/ta/6141780.careers?ApplyToJob=218333253. For additional information on the position please visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. This position is open until filled.
BUSINESS LICENSE OFFICER
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Business License Officer in the Development Customer Service Department. This person will perform a variety of technical duties in the processing and approval of business licenses and permits; and provide assistance and support to the Department. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be May 9, 2022.
PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.
SEASONAL FARMERS’ MARKET ASSISTANT
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Assistant in the Health Department. This position will provide administrative support to the Farmers’ Market Manager to allow growers and producers of food to sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This position requires work in inclement weather conditions; some heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds; walking or standing for sustained periods of time. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.
HELP WANTED
BUDGET AND REVENUE ANALYST
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Budget and Revenue Analyst in the Development Customer Service Department. This position will Serve the public with professional administrative and analytical duties in the areas of budget preparation, purchasing, payroll, data analysis and process improvement. Provides, prepares and maintains records, and financial and statistical reports and analysis which assist in the Village’s ability to improve business processes and gain efficiencies through better use of technology. Budget duties include assisting in the development, analysis and application of performance measures with regard to Village services and resources; preparing, modifying, tracking and monitoring Village expenses and transfers; and conducting budget-related research and analysis. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.
POLICE RECORDS CLERK
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Police Records Clerk in the Police Department. This position will perform a wide variety of specialized clerical duties in support of the Police Department including processing and maintaining documents, correspondence and coding reports; and to provide information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.
Growing Community Media NFP • Bookkeeper/Office Manager
We are hiring a part-time Bookkeeper/Office Manager to oversee the day to day operations of our busy community publishing nonprofit. Flexible hours (25 per week), a hybrid of in-office and work from home options, and a salary in the low $30s. Among the key roles for this are: • Bookkeeping entries; QuickBooks proficiency desired • AR and AP management • Payment processing for donors, advertisers and subscriptions
• Payroll and benefits processing • Office supply maintenance • Nonprofit experience a plus.
Bonus points for being a notary! Send resumes to Dan Haley, CEO, Growing Community Media dhaley@wjinc.com
HELP WANTED • OAK PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Application Deadline is Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. How to Apply: • Purchase and complete your application at https:// iosolutions.com by the application deadline • Submit all supporting documentation by the application deadline
Written Exam Information: Your exam will be offered electronically, and you will take the exam in your own home. There will be multiple sessions offered and each will be proctored virtually. All sessions will be offered during business hours the week of July 25, 2022 – it is your responsibility to ensure you have the flexibility to test during these times.
Police Officer Minimum Requirements: • $40.00 non-refundable application fee
Salary and Benefits:
• At least 21 years of age and have not passed their 35th birthday by closing date for application
• Population: 54,500 Sworn Police Officers: 119
• U.S. Citizen who speaks and understands English
• Competitive benefits package includes: Two weeks paid vacation; Health, dental and vision insurance plans; Paid sick leave accrual; $50,000 Village-paid term life insurance; 13 paid holidays; Educational pay; Defined-benefit pension plan
• Possess at least 60 hours of college credit at a fully accredited college or university, and also possess a minimum grade average of “C” by application deadline • Possess a valid driver’s license • Successful completion of the POWER Test within one year prior to the application deadline
• Salary: $72,680.49
Please contact IOS Recruitment at (800)-343-HIRE or recruitment@iosolutions.com with questions regarding the application, required documents or testing.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
CLASSIFIED
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG MARKETPLACE
R E N TA L S
SUBURBAN RENTALS 1 BEDROOM APT STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Small 1 bdr apt in Forest Park. Water and heat included. No parking. Available May 1. $750/month. 708-227-7007
Best Selection & Service
Clean, quiet, secure building. No pets. Seniors welcome. Available now. Rent $500/month. Call 630-247-7936
GARAGE SALES OAK PARK & FOREST PARK
708-386-7355
ROOMS FOR RENT CHICAGO WEST SIDE ROOM FOR RENT
41
MMpropMgmt.com
River Forest
BLOCK SALE 800 BLOCK WILLIAM ST SAT 6/18 8AM TO NOON
Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, clothes, toys, tools, books and everything else! Berwyn
OFFICE/RETAIL FOR RENT OAK PARK THERAPY OFFICES:
Therapy offices available on North Avenue. Parking; Flexible leasing; Nicely furnished; Waiting Room; Conference Room. Ideal for new practice or 2nd location. 708.383.0729 Call for an appt.
RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft. OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011
MARKETPLACE
WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys. Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400
CARS WANTED
GARAGE SALE 6420 WINDSOR AVE. SAT JUNE 18 10AM-3PM
Tools, kitchenware, furniture & misc. items. River Forest
GARAGE SALE 534 FOREST AVE FRIDAY JUNE 17SATURDAY JUNE 18 9AM-1PM
Ladies clothing, shoes, purses, linens, rugs, pillows, collectibles/ vintage, laptop, toaster oven, paper goods, and many new items. Oak Park
MULTI-FAMILY GARAGE SALE 848 N. CUYLER, ALLEY SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 8:30 AM TO NOON
Furniture, housewares, kitchen ware, clothing, rain suits, picture frames, vintage vases and collectibles, puzzles, books, jewelry, and more. Riverside
ESTATE SALE 400 KENT RD FRIDAY JUNE 17SATURDAY JUNE 18 9AM-4PM
Mid century furniture, coffee tables, chairs, sectional sofa, kitchen items, designer clothes, shoes, bedding, towels, yard items, tools. Brookfield
CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS WANTED Restored or Unrestored
or Unrestored Cars &Restored Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Import Cars: Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette,Cars: Ferrari’s, Domestic / Import Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, $$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.
Ferrari’s, James Jaguars,• 630-201-8122 Muscle Cars, Collector Mustang & Mopars
$$ Top $$ allWANTED makes, Etc. CLASSICS Collector James Restored or Unrestored Cars630-201-8122 & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:
Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars
$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc. Collector James
YARD SALE 8519 ROCKEFELLER AVE SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH 9AM-3PM
Wide assortment of household items, collectibles and electronic media including: a kitchen table, glassware, CD’s, DVD’s and baseball cards. Brookfield
ANNUAL ART MARKET LAURA ATWOOD STUDIO BEADS & TRADING CO. 9142 BROADWAY SAT JUNE 26 10AM-6PM
Art and the unusual! Many local artists. Jewelry, gemstones, metaphysical, lots of artwork! Forest Park
GARAGE SALE 419 ELGIN AVE SAT JUNE 18 9AM-4PM
Infant and toddler gear, clothing, toys. Camping tents, volleyball net, fabric, patterns, housewares. Cash only.
HOME SERVICES
A/C AIR CONDITIONING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Air Conditioning Install & Repair Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Hot Water Heaters Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience
FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT. 708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000
FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.
New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 • www. klisflooring.com
CEMENT
CEMENT
MAGANA
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ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed
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We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.
708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area
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Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do
708-296-2060
HANDYMAN CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair
Free estimates Excellent References No Job Too Small
708-488-9411
Starting a New Business? Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Call Stacy for details: 773/626-6332
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
CLASSIFIED
HOME SERVICES
HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING
Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404
LANDSCAPING BRUCE LAWN SERVICE Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com
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PAINTING CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/ Plaster Repair Low Cost • 708.749.0011
PETS While you’re away, your pets are okay . . . at home
cat calls
Oak Park’s Original Pet Care Service – Since 1986
Daily dog exercising Complete pet care in your home House sitting • Plant care Bonded References
708-524-1030
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE
PUBLIC NOTICE SECTION I REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice ADVERTISEMENT OF BIDDING Request of bids for the Oak Park Conservatory North Wall Restoration, 615 Garfield St., Oak Park.
Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled deadline.
STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Alex Michael Rodriguez 2022CONC000657. There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Alex Michael Rodriguez to the new name of: Alex Flores The court date will be held: On July 22, 2022 at 1:30PM at Via Zoom: Meeting ID: 953 7031 0834 Password: 310046 Cook County in Courtroom # 1703 Published in Wednesday Journal June 1, 8, 15, 2022
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: Y22009192 on May 23, 2022 Under the Assumed Business Name of GRIEF AF with the business located at: 3712 168TH STREET, COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, IL 60478. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: ERIN ANDERSON 3712 168TH STREET, COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, IL 60478 JANAE ANDERSON 3712 168TH STREET, COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, IL 60478 Published in RB Landmark June 8, 15, 22, 2022
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: Y22009247 on June 6, 2022 Under the Assumed Business Name of STUDIO 4-5-6 with the business located at: 407 WISCONSIN AVE APT B, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: RILEY CHATTIN 407 WISCONSIN AVE APT B OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA TAMMY NERENBERG 407 WISCONSIN AVE APT B OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA Published in Wednesday Journal June 8, 15, 22, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Kennedie Lynann Carlson 20224002734. There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Kennedie Lynann Carlson to the new name of: Kennedie Carlson Gill The court date will be held: On 08/09/2022 at 11am at 1500 Maybrook Dr., Maywood, Cook County in Courtroom #0112 Published in Forest Park Review June 15, 22, 29, 2022
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS: A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet is available at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 W. 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402, or at https://www.berwyn-il.gov/sites/all/ files/pdfs/RFPs/SOQ_PhaseI_Engineering_Services_34thStreet.pdf 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 I DESIGN ENGINEERING 34TH STREET UTILITY 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 “Engineering Statement of Qualifications for Engineering Services”. FAXED OR EMAILED SOQ WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS IS DUE NO LATER THAN: 10:00 a.m., on June 30, 2022. Proposers shall submit four (4) copies of their SOQ. Published in Wednesday Journal June 15, 22, 29 2022
PUBLIC NOTICE SECTION I REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NOTICE TO PROPOSERS: A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) packet is available at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 W. 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402, or at https://www.berwyn-il.gov/sites/all/files/pdfs/RFPs/ SOQ_PhaseI_Engineering_Services_26thStreet.pdf 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 I DESIGN ENGINEERING ACCESS TO TRANSIT 26TH STREET UTILITY 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 “Engineering Statement of Qualifications for Engineering Services”. FAXED OR EMAILED SOQ WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. THE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS IS DUE NO LATER THAN: 10:00 a.m., on June 30, 2022. Proposers shall submit four (4) copies of their SOQ. Published in Wednesday Journal June 15, 22, 29 2022
Owner: Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St, Oak Park, IL 60302 The Park District of Oak Park will accept sealed bids for the Oak Park Conservatory North greenhouse wall restoration, 615 Garfield St., Oak Park. The project consists of removal of existing wood cladding, vertical windows and vents along the North wall of the Conservatory, removal of side vents and manual drive operators, prime and paint steel structure, install new windows, framing, vertical posts, side vents and motors. The Park District of OakPark will receive individual sealed Bids until 10:00 a.m. (Central time) on Friday, July 8th, at 218 Madison St., Oak Park, IL. The bidding documents and requirements will be available on the Demand Star website as of 5:00 pm Wednesday, June 15, 2022. The Conservatory is open to view Tues- Sunday’s from 11am-3pm. A non-mandatory pre-bid walk-thru is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22nd at 11:00 a.m. at the Conservatory at 615 Garfield St., Oak Park, IL 60304. Bid bonds will be required by bidding contractors. Copies of the bidding specifications are available via the Demand Star website at: https://www.demandstar.com/ app/buyers/bids/400339/details For additional information, contact Chris Lindgren at chris.lindgren@pdop.org or (708) 725-2050. Only the bids prepared in compliance with the bidding documents will be considered. This project must adhere to the Prevailing Wage Act of 2022. The Park District of Oak Park encourages minority and women owned business firms to submit bids for this project. Park District of Oak Park By: Chris Wollmuth, Secretary Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 Published in Wednesday Journal June 15, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed Proposals will be accepted for: 2022 Village-Wide Traffic Study – Traffic Engineering Services The Village of River Forest is seeking a professional engineering firm (FIRM) to assist the Village with the traffic engineering services for the 2022 Village-Wide Traffic Study. It is the goal of the Village to contract with a qualified FIRM that has substantial experience in this type of work. The RFP is available for download starting Thursday, June 9, 2022 at: www.vrf.us/bids Proposals must be submitted by Wednesday, July 13, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. to: Village Hall – Public Works, 2nd Floor Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305 Proposals will be considered based on the criteria set forth in the RFP. No Proposal shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and
The Village of River Forest reserves the right in receiving these Proposals to waive technicalities and reject any or all Proposals. Published in Wednesday Journal June 15, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICE Public Notice of Annual Budget Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Riverside School District No. 96 in the Cook County, State of Illinois, that a budget for said school district for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, will be on file and available for public inspection by appointment Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm starting the 19th day of June 2022, at the district’s administrative offices on 3340 South Harlem Avenue in Riverside Illinois. To schedule an appointment please email fittonj@district96.org. Notice is further given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 7:00 o’clock p.m. on the 20th day of July 2022 followed immediately by the scheduled regular board meeting. Board of Education Riverside School District No. 96 Cook County, Illinois By: Wesley Muirhead, Board Secretary Published in RB Landmark June 15, 2022
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park—Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302—will receive electronic proposals until Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. for Project: 22-11, Central Pumping Station Upgrades. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of removal of two horizontal splitcase “Pit” pumps and motors, check valves, demolition of existing concrete equipment bases, and replacement with two new horizontal split-case pumps and check valves, in addition to rehabilitation of the two horizontal split-case “Chicago” pumps, removal of four existing variable frequency drives (VFD) located in the electrical room, replacement of existing electrical conductors between the VFDs and pump motors and replacement with four new VFDs along with miscellaneous items of work. Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 10:00 A.M., which can be
found at https://www.oak-park. us/your-government/budgetpurchasing/requests-proposals or at www.questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8134161 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications to only those contractors deemed qualified. No plans will be issued to prospective bidders after 4:00 P.M. on the working day preceding the opening of bids. A mandatory pre-Bid Meeting will take place at the Central Pump Station located at 102 N. Lombard Avenue, Oak Park, IL on Wednesday, June 29th at 10:00 AM. Attendance to the pre-Bid meeting is required in order to bid the project. Bids received from contractors who did not attend the pre-Bid meeting will be rejected. The work to be performed pursuant to this Proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq. THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer
Published in Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS HEARING DATE: July 6, 2022
TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits CALENDAR NUMBER: 16-22-Z
APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“Board”) will conduct a public hearing on a variance application filed by the Applicants, Jack and Libby Aronson. The Applicants seeks a variance from Section 9.4 (Table 9-1: Permitted Encroachments Into Required Setbacks) and 9.3 (A)(5)(b) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning Ordinance”) which regulates permitted encroachments into required setbacks and requires that a parking pad shall be located no closer to the corner side lot line than the building façade line of the principal structure to permit construction of a vehicle off-street parking pad in the required corner side yard setback and closer to the corner lot line (Le Moyne Parkway) than the building façade line at the premises commonly known as 1201 N. Euclid Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-05-200-032-0000 (“Subject Property”) in the R-2 Single-Family Zoning District. A copy of the application and ap-
plicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Board will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video. The hearing will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT U-Verse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an in-person public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons Published in Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
may provide written evidence, testimony and public comment on the application by email to Zoning@ oak-park.us or by drop off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 6, 2022. An individual’s name and their testimony or comment will be read aloud into the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses, present evidence, testimony or public comment by emailing Zoning@oak-park. us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing. Individuals who sign up to participate in-person will receive an email from Village staff with information about how to join the hearing online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.
Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
CLASSIFIED REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CROWD LENDING FUND ONE, LLC; Plaintiff, vs. 52ND AVE., LLC AN ILLINOIS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY; FOSTER CHAMBERS; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 21 CH 4378 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, July 12, 2022 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. 16-18-420-033-0000. Commonly known as 1131 SOUTH ELMWOOD AVENUE, OAK PARK, ILLINOIS 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 Ms. Sheryl A. Fyock at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Latimer LeVay Fyock LLC, 55 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 422-8000. 35146-03 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3195856 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 19, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse, attached one car garage. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the
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BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 20-04687IL_613739 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 42-1079 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 18 CH 12736 I3195248
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Advertise your garage sale for just $25 in Wednesday Journal, Advertise your garage sale for just $25 in Wednesday Journal,
Forest Park and eld Landmark ForestReview Park Review andRiverside-Brookfi Riverside-Brookfield Landmark Call Stacy at 708.613.3342
Call Stacy at 708.613.3342
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA
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Let the sun shine in...Public Notice:
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Wednesday Journal, June 15, 2022
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
YOU’RE INVITED!
Family Day
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FRIDAY, JUNE 17 | NOON TO 5 PM Lunch is served 1 TO 3 PM OAK PARK BANK – MADISON ST. 400 Madison St. | Oak Park
Enjoy a taco truck, live music, and a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony as we open the new Oak Park Bank location. Something new is coming to Oak Park! Is it a Taco Bell? Not quite — but we’ll have a taco truck here to help us celebrate. We are thrilled to cut the ribbon on our new Oak Park Bank location — this one’s on Madison Street — and we hope you’ll come to enjoy the live music, festive atmosphere, and tacos that we’ve arranged to ring in the moment.
Celebrate our GRAND OPENING with our #1 CHECKING ACCOUNT and
GET 300 $
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400 Madison St. | Oak Park, IL 60302 708-948-0480 | bankoakpark.com
Plus, enjoy TOTALLY FREE ATMS!
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Really, every ATM you use is free. We’ll reimburse your ATM fees everywhere outside our network.
when you open a new Total Access Checking account. Only $100 required to open. No minimum monthly balance or monthly maintenance fees. Enroll in online banking, activate e-statements through the bank website, and have at least monthly occurring direct deposits totaling $500 or more each month for the qualification period.2
Stop by to say hello or open online at bankoakpark.com/taco Oak Park Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. 1. Total Access Checking Account Bonus Information. This Total Access Checking account bonus offer is valid for new accounts opened January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022. This Total Access Checking account bonus offer is not available to existing or closed checking account customers of Wintrust Financial Corporation (‘WTFC’) and its subsidiaries or its active employees. Limit 1 bonus payment per customer, regardless of the number of accounts opened. If you qualify for this Total Access Checking account bonus offer, you are ineligible to receive this Total Access Checking account bonus offer from any other WTFC location. If you qualify for any other WTFC savings offer it may be combined with this Total Access Checking account bonus offer. Your new account must be open, in the same product, and have a balance greater than zero to receive the bonus payment. Balance is determined as of the end of each Business Day as the funds currently in your account including deposits and withdrawals made in the Business Day. The $300.00 bonus payment is subject to IRS 1099-INT reporting and may be considered income for tax purposes for the tax year in which the bonus was paid. BANKER INSTRUCTIONS: Enter offer code WFC00DMTA300 during account opening. 2. Total Access Checking Account Bonus Qualifications. (i) Open a new Total Access Checking account; (ii) tell us you are aware of this Total Access Checking account bonus offer at account opening; (iii) have at least monthly occurring direct deposits totaling $500.00 or more each month made to your new account for 2 consecutive calendar months after the calendar month your new account was opened (‘Qualification Period’). For example, if you open your new account in January, you would need to have “Direct Deposits” made to your new account in February totaling $500.00 or more and in March totaling $500.00 or more; and (iv) enroll in online banking and activate e-statements within the Qualification Period. A direct deposit is defined as any payment made by a government agency, employer, or other third-party organization that is made via an electronic deposit. A direct deposit does not include teller/ATM/mobile or remote deposits, wire transfers between accounts at WTFC, external transfers from other accounts at other financial institutions or ATM/debit card transfers and deposits. After you have completed all the above bonus qualifications, we will deposit the bonus payment into your new account within 30 calendar days after the Qualification Period. 3. ATM Fees. There is no WTFC transaction charge at any ATM in the Allpoint, MoneyPass, or Sum surcharge free networks. Other banks outside the network may impose ATM surcharges at their machines. Surcharge fees assessed by owners of other ATMs outside the network will be reimbursed. Reimbursement does not include the 1.10% International Service fee charged for certain foreign transactions conducted outside the continental United States. A listing of WTFC locations can be found here: wintrust.com/locations.