WednesdayJournal_070517

W E D N E S D A Y

July 5, 2017 Vol. 35, No. 46 ONE DOLLAR

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of Oak Park and River Forest

D97 mulls refund checks after tax surprise

School district received more from referendum than they anticipated

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Oak Park District 97 officials are scrambling to figure out how to return to taxpayers an extra $2.6 million of additional revenue they’re collecting as a result of a 1-percent limiting rate increase referendum on April 4.

That’s on top of the $13.3 million the district had anticipated the referendum to generate going into the election.

In a statement issued on June 29, district officials said that they learned about the unanticipated $2.6 million on June 17. The extra money, district officials explained in the statement, is “due to an unexpected increase of 5 percent in the equalization factor that occurred after the Board of Education approved the district’s levy for 2016 and finalized the sizing of the April referenda.”

During a regular meeting on June 27, the D97 school board settled on two options for returning the money — both of which have the same impact. Keeping the money, district officials have said, was never an option.

See TAX SURPRISE on page 14

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

MARCHING FOR MINIMUMS: Protesters flooded village hall, 123 Lake St., on Friday, June 30, for an emergency meeting on the Cook County minimum wage ordinance. Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb removed the item from the agenda, following public testimony, and let the minimum wage ordinance go into effect.

Oak Park allows minimum wage hike Pro-minimum wage advocates pack village hall meeting

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It was standing-room only at Oak Park Village Hall on Friday night for an emergency meeting of the board of trustees,

which chose not to vote on a proposal to temporarily opt out of Cook County’s minimum wage hike until the board can further discuss the issue on July 10.

The board called the meeting on Wednesday evening to be held just seven hours

prior to the start of the minimum wage increase, which is scheduled to go into effect at midnight on Saturday, July 1.

After nearly two hours of public testiSee MINIMUM WAGE on page 13

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JULY 4TH FIREWORKS CELEBRATION

Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest wishes to thank the following organizations for a successful fireworks show!

The Park District of Oak Park Oak Park River Forest High School The Police Department of Oak Park The Fire Department of Oak Park The Wednesday Journal

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Oak Park police hold forum this week The Oak Park Police Department is holding a wide-ranging discussion about community safety this Thursday, July 6, in the Veteran’s Room of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Police Chief Anthony Ambrose and a representative of the village’s Community Relations Commission will review summer safety tips and provide an overview of areas of police concern around town.

Ambrose will give an assessment of the overall safety of the village and will take questions from the audience.

“The community policing model we follow in Oak Park relies on residents taking an active role,” Ambrose said in

Buildings for sale!

Buildings for sale!

We were surprised to learn last week that Oak Park’s tallest high-rise, the 21-story Vantage apartment building at Lake and Forest, was on the market less than a year after residents began moving in.

But maybe it’s less of a surprise to learn that another downtown building is on the market. The 63-unit apartment building at 855 Lake Street also is now on the market.

“This asset offers an investor the opportunity to creatively use the existing structure and unit mix to deliver high-end micro units to a market that has limited-to-no competition for similar product,” the listing notes. “With room to maximize building amenities, coupled with the availability of parking, this property is perfectly situated to capitalize on the rents that micro-units can offer in a highly desirable location like Oak Park.”

H O W

T O

a press release. “Engaging in dialogue about areas of concern is important to maintaining trust as we work together to keep our community safe.”

Eight of the department’s neighborhood resource officers will be in attendance to discuss neighborhood policing strategies.

“Our neighborhood resource officers are hosting zone meetings every month where they focus on issues directly related to their neighborhoods, but it is also helpful to step back and discuss the big picture and various trends we are seeing across Oak Park,” Ambrose said.

Timothy Inklebarger

The building is listed on www.cbredealflow.com.

Timothy Inklebarger

Taco Bell take 2

It’s the second time around for the Zoning Board of Appeals to hear a proposal from Bell American Group LLC, which wants to open a drive-thru Taco Bell restaurant at an empty lot at Madison and Lyman.

The ZBA was scheduled to hear the plan in May, but the village noticed the meeting improperly, triggering a rescheduling. The meeting now will be held on Wednesday, July 5, at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 123 Madison St., in room 201.

The company must present its proposal to the ZBA because it is asking for allowances from the zoning code to allow them to build closer to the lot line and to locate the parking lot to the west side of the property.

Timothy Inklebarger

R E A C H

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Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, Illinois 60302 PHONE 708-524-8300 ■ FAX 708-524-0447 ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com | www.RiverForest.com CIRCULATION Jill Wagner, 708-613-3340 circulation@oakpark.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING Dawn Ferencak, 708-613-3329 dawn@oakpark.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SALES Maureen O’Boyle, 708-613-3342 maureen@oakpark.com NEWS/FEATURES Dan Haley, 708-613-3301 dhaley@wjinc.com

CALENDAR Annette Coffee calendar@wjinc.com SPORTS/PARKS Marty Farmer, 708-613-3319 marty@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal is published weekly by Wednesday Journal, Inc. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, Illinois (USPS No. 0010-138).

In-county subscription rate is $32 per year, $57 for two years. Annual out-of-county rate is $40. © 2016 Wednesday Journal, Inc.

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

Scott Marek, right, of the Scott Marek Band plays a couple of tunes during a Sunday concert at Scoville Park last Sunday.

Jef Recommended, not to mention timely “Arrogance. Ego. Pride. Madness,” begins Festival Theatre’s description of its current outdoor production. “The order of the land has been upended. Uncertainty and fear are the new constants.

Four hundred years ago, during a time of great political transition and upheaval, Shakespeare gave us a vehicle to pick up a mirror and examine the chaos and

destruction that could be created by a tyrannical ruler.”

Who could they be talking about?

Macbeth has new resonance, it seems, and it has also been recommended by the Jeff Committee (Joseph Jefferson Committee, that is), which oversees the Chicago theater scene and highlights worthy productions. This production, also recommended by our own Doug Deuchler, has three more weeks to go, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through July 22 (including an extra performance on Wednesday, July 18).

Ken Trainor

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July 5-12

BIG WEEK

An Evening with the OPPD Thursday, July 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Police Chief Anthony Ambrose and neighborhood resource officers will meet with residents, assess community safety, offer summer safety tips, answer questions, and more. Sponsored by the Community Relations Commission. Info: community@ oak-park.us. 834 Lake.

Artist Reception and “Dream” Exhibit Saturday, July 8, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room and Art Gallery, Main Library: Meet Matthew James Collins, an Oak Park native who has been living in Italy for more than 20 years, and view his exhibit “A Dream Incarnate: Italian Landscapes and Portraits.” Exhibit through July 30. Free. Inquire: dpreiser@oppl.org. 834 Lake.

1st Tuesday Film: “After the Storm” Tuesday, July 11, 10 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m., Lake Theatre: A Japanese tale of a father and young son reconnecting in the wake of the man’s own father’s death. $6, matinee, seniors; $8.50 evening. Date change due to holiday. More: classiccinemas. com, 708-848-9088. 1022 Lake St., Oak Park.

River Forest Magic

What’s the Real Cuba Like?

■ Tuesday, July 11, 2 to 3 p.m., Library Meeting Room: Professional magician Gary Kantor teaches some of his most amazing tricks. Participants get a magic kit to take home. Grades K-4. Advanced registration required: riverforestlibrary.org, 708-366-5205. 735 Lathrop Ave.

Wednesday, July 12, 7 to 9 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Join Oak Park Library Executive Director David Seleb in viewing the not-yet-aired PBS special “Weekend in Havana with Geoffrey Baer.” Then hear Seleb’s account of his travels to this “old city… trying to find itself in a new world.” Adults and teens. Info: 708-452-3440, oppl.org. 834 Lake St.

Rethink Your Drink Wednesday, July 12, 6:30 p.m., Café, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market: Stopp iin the newly opened River Forest store and attend a free sem seminar in with dietitians. Learn how to stay hydrated, make healt healthier th adult beverage choices, and sample mocktails. Familyfrien nd Also this month: friendly.

■M Monday, July 16, 6:30 p.m.: Salad in a Mason Jar ■M Monday, July 24, 6:30 p.m.: Supplement Solutions Mo Info/register: facebook.com/FreshThymeFMRiverForest/.

Questions: 708-689-5036. 7501 North Ave.

CALENDAR EVENTS ■ As you’ve likely noticed, our

Calendar has changed to Big Week. Fewer items, higher profile.

If you would like your event to be featured here, please send a photo and details by noon of the Wednesday before it needs to be published.

We can’t publish everything, but we’ll do our best to feature the week’s highlights.

Email calendar@wjinc.com.

Author Talk: Hemant Mehta Sunday, July 9, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: The author of “I Sold My Soul on eBay” and “The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide” will speak, answer questions, and sign books. Free, sponsored by End of the Line Humanists.

Questions: cynthia@elhumanists.org.

834 Lake, Oak Park.

■ Tuesday, July 11, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Library Lawn: Be “Wowed” with magic by Gary Kantor in this free show for ages 3 and up.

Rain location: Roosevelt Middle School gym. No registration required. Info: riverforestlibrary.org, 708-366-5205. 735 Lathrop Ave.

“The Amish Project” Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9, 4 p.m., Pleasant Home: Conceived after the 2006 school shootings in an Amish community, this play reflects on Amish culture and the limits of compassion. A co-benefit with Oak Park Festival Theatre. Runs Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m. through July 30. $22. Tickets/info: pleasanthome.org, 708-445-4440, oakparkfestival.com. 217 Home Ave., Oak Park.

Free Hearing Screening Wednesday, July 12, 10 to 11:30 a.m., First Floor Conference Room, Township Senior Services: Oak Park and River Forest residents age 60 plus can make an appointment for a free screening. A doctor will conduct tests and answer questions. Sponsored by Connect Hearing and OP Township Senior Services. More: 708-383-8060. 130 S. Oak Park, Ave.

Wright Restored Masterpiece Open for Tours Mondays through Saturdays, times vary, Unity Temple: Unity Temple (1905-08) is considered the greatest public building of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie era. A National Historic Landmark, Unity Temple re-opened for tours on July 1 after completion of a comprehensive restoration. Come see Wright’s bold use of light, space and unconventional materials. Both guided and self-guided tours are available. Times, tickets, and info: 312-994-4000, info@flwright.org.

875 Lake Street.

Youth Theatre: ■ Musical Review: “Savage Summer” Friday, July 7, 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, July 8, at 3:30 p.m., Julian Middle School Auditorium: CAST Summer Youth Arts Institute presents a toe-tapping show based on Disney’s “The Lion King,” brought to the stage by third and fourth graders. $10, adults; $5, students/seniors. Tickets/ info: 708-524-7848, ksimon@op97.org.

416 S. Ridgeland Ave., Oak Park.

■ “The Lion King” Kids Thursday, July 6, 7 p.m., Friday, July 7, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday, July 8, 11 a.m., Brooks Middle School Auditorium: Junior Bravo Academy’s forth through

sixth graders are bringing the jungle to life with puppetry and memorable music as theatre students bring the African plains to Oak Park. $9, adults; $7, seniors/students. Tickets: 708-5245621, bravoperformingarts.org. 325 S. Kenilworth Ave. ■ “Number Nerds” Tuesday, July 11, through Thursday, July 13, 7:30 p.m., Madison Street Theater: Bravo Performing Arts Academy presents a musical performed by sixth through eighth graders about girls from different social circles who come together to try to win the math competition. $10, adults; $8 senior/students. Tickets: 708-524-5621, bravoperformingarts. org. 1010 W. Madison St., Oak Park.

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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ART BEAT

Artists far and near come home to Library Gallery

By MICHELLE DYBAL

Her exhibit, “Meditation on White,” which closed in early July, brought her art Contributing Reporter to the village she views as the root of her ieces of one-sies, rickrack, pom-poms creative life, and to the library she loves.

“The library is in the heart of Oak Park,” from grandmother’s pillow, even a wedding dress deconstructed, placed she said. “Museums and galleries can be purposefully in circles, a mandala exclusionary, but absolutely anyone can go of sorts, monochromatic white. A ra- into the library gallery.”

The first library gallery was conceived in vine, bathed in the light of day, buildings on cliff edges, brush-stroke-and-oil-defined the early 1990s when then library director Carol Grey and local, promistone, images only represented nent art collector and Museum by being in such a place, which of Contemporary Art co-foundseems to only exist in one’s er Joseph Shapiro, created an imagination.

L-shaped gallery to feature area Two artists, two vastly difartists at the previous Main Lifering styles, yet with similaribrary in Oak Park. ties, including exhibiting at When the current library the Oak Park Public Library opened in 2003, a permanent Art Gallery. second-floor gallery space deDiana Baumbach and Matthew James Collins were Meditation on White buted. Illuminated with natural born Oak Park and raised in

by Diana Baumbach light pouring in through large southern windows, as artistic families, Bawell as focused lightumbach’s mother an ing, the space features interior designer and art that rotates monthCollins’ father an arly. To date, 160 shows, chitect. They grew and even more artists, up surrounded by art have exhibited here. and architecture and To be eligible, artists began drawing from need to have a connecan early age. tion to Oak Park, River Collins, who now Forest, Forest Park, the lives in Florence, San Piero Caveoso Oak Park Art League, Italy, creates art usor the Oak Park Area ing “a language that

by Matthew James Collins Arts Council. Debby was developed ages ago” informed by artists such as van Dyck, Preiser, library community relations coordiVelazquez, and Corot, while creating some- nator, manages the art gallery.

“We have amazing creativity here, so we thing all his own.

“Art is something beautiful that speaks provide a space,” she said. “But the library through time and reflects on your own expe- is a gathering place for the community and a rience,” Collins said. “I work from life. Each cultural center, so it is part of that mission.”

Christine Baumbach, who is an interior picture has a story.”

His show, “A Dream Incarnate: Italian designer, garden designer, and acrylic paintLandscapes and Portraits,” opens at the Li- er, as well as a 37-year Oak Park resident and brary Art Gallery this weekend. It contains the mother of Diana, had a show in April. It oils, as well as works in pastel, bronze and was a year in the making as she transitioned from mural painting for clients to painting terra cotta.

Starting with a class at 14 at the Oak Park canvases for pleasure.

When the exhibit went up, she was enArt League, then studying studio art and art history in Chicago, Collins moved to Italy lightened at seeing her art displayed togethmore than 20 years ago to continue his art er in one space. “I could stand back and see training. He now teaches at a Florence atelier. my style and palette for the first time.”

Christine Baumbach also found the sense For him, exhibiting in Oak Park is nostalgic, as he reminisces about reading books of community to be one of the best parts at the previous incarnation of the main li- of exhibiting, including bringing together neighborhood friends, some she hadn’t seen brary with the sculpture out front.

“Oak Park is a beautiful place and it had in years, at the artist reception.

“The library is a place where we interan effect on my formation,” Collins said. “I act and make community,” she said. “I was want to share my art here.”

Baumbach took art classes at OPRF High proud to share my art here.”

An artist reception and opening with MatSchool before moving away for her art education. She now lives in Laramie, Wyoming, thew James Collins will be held on Saturday, July 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Main Library, where she teaches art at the University of 834 Lake St. Wyoming.

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Local bankers hit the big time Martin Noll named banker of the year; Daniel Watts to chair conference

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER and THOMAS VOGEL Staff Reporters

Grand Opening!

Two local bankers – Martin J. Noll, chairman of the board of Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest, and Daniel G. Watts, president of Forest Park National Bank, are making headlines in the banking world this month.

Noll was named Illinois Banker of the Year by the Illinois Bankers Association; and Watts was chosen to serve as chairman at the organization’s annual conference on June 23.

Noll said in a telephone interview that the award was “a heck of a shock and surprise.” He used the opportunity to highlight the importance of independent community banks and their importance to places like Oak Park.

Not only do they help families and businesses owners get a loan for their first home or storefront, they also build partnerships with civic organizations and nonprofits to help strengthen the community, such as the bank’s backing of the fireworks display for the 4th of July this year.

The Illinois Bankers Association noted in a press release that Noll has been in the business for about five decades and has served on at least a dozen IBA committees.

Noll has served as a delegate to the Banking Leadership Assembly of the American Bankers Association and as a member of the advisory board of the ABA’s Consumer Lending School, according to the IBA press release.

Noll founded Community Bank in 1996, first serving as chairman and CEO. He now serves as chairman of the bank and chairman of Oak Park River Forest Bankshares, the bank’s holding company.

Watts, who has served on the IBA’s executive committee for five years, will serve as chairman for one year, and help lead the group’s lobbying efforts, as well as relations with its members and communities.

“I’m pretty honored by the whole process,” Watts said in a June 29 phone call.

“It’s a 126-year-old organization. It has a great history.”

The IBA, founded in 1891, is an industry trade group.

“The IBA is pleased and honored to have Dan lead our board and executive team,” IBA President and CEO Linda Koch said in a June 28 press release. “He is a great asset to the association.”

Watts, who lives in River Forest, joined Forest Park National Bank in 2010. In his over 30-year career in banking he has also worked at the American National Bank and Trust Company of Chicago, Cosmopolitan Bank and Trust, Pullman Bank and Trust and Park National Bank. He holds degrees from Northwestern University, Loyola University Chicago and the University of Chicago.

Oak Park to release agendas earlier Board of trustees pushes release of meeting agendas to Thursday

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

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Transparency in village government was a common theme by trustee candidates in the municipal election held earlier this year, with candidates frequently pointing to the short period of time residents are given to prepare for village board meetings.

That’s because the village has been releasing the agendas for the weekly Monday night board of trustee meetings at around 5 p.m. on Friday evening.

Trustees, residents and others have argued that the Friday release doesn’t give interested parties enough time to review the material and organize a response, so last week the trustees agreed to have the agenda released on Thursday instead.

Newly elected Trustee Deno Andrews, who ran on a platform of increased transparency, said the Friday release is “not fair

to the public.”

“For most items [on the agenda] it’s not a big deal, but the big items that appeal to people in advocacy groups — having that Friday to contact and communicate and lobby that day is really important,” he said.

Trustee Simone Boutet, who also was first elected to the board of trustees earlier this year, also campaigned on transparency.

Boutet, who served as a longtime attorney for the village, said she understands the pressure it puts on village staff to get the agenda out a day earlier, but she added that the earlier release would help facilitate citizen engagement.

“This gives them an extra day — and a business day — to prepare,” she said.

Andrews said the board of trustees also discussed reserving only 30 minutes for non-agenda public comment at the beginning of each meeting. After the 30 minutes passed, those who want to testify on issues that are not on the agenda will have to wait until the end of the meeting.

“We would stop at 30 minutes and have the meetings, so the business can actually be conducted and then have more at the end, which I think is completely fair,” he said.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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D97 entertaining offers for old maintenance building

Two developers have made competitive bids for the $800K building

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

The Oak Park District 97 school board has received at least two offers from developers looking to purchase the districtowned maintenance building located at 541 Madison St. The building has been vacant since District 97 combined its warehouse operations into the Oak Park Public Works facility located at 201 South Blvd.

The board was set to vote on an offer received from a real estate broker representing Aetna Development during a June 27 regular meeting, but the motion was tabled after at least one other prospective buyer put in a competitive bid, said Dr. Alicia Evans, D97’s assistant superintendent for finance, during an interview last Friday.

Aetna develops small to mid-size shopping centers, including Dollar Tree and Walgreen stores. Currently, the company owns the Dollar Tree at 922 Madison St., near D97’s former administration building. Aetna had tried unsuccessfully to

purchase the old admin building earlier this spring reportedly to build an auto parts store.

Aetna offered to purchase the district’s former maintenance facility for $800,000 — its current appraised value.

Since Aetna’s offer, Evans said, other developers have presented the district with offers, including one whose bid was well below the building’s appraised value and that the district hasn’t entertained. The other competitive bid Evans mentioned was put forward by Brand and Company, a River Forest-based real estate investment and development firm.

Brand and Company is best known locally for its recent turnaround of the long empty LaMajada restaurant building on Harrison Street in the Arts District. According to its website, the company’s development portfolio includes River Forest Kitchen, located at 349 Ashland Ave. and a 4,800 square foot multitenant commercial building located at 400 Ashland Ave. — both in River Forest.

Last year, D97 officials said that the village of Oak Park was considering purchasing the former maintenance building, but nothing came of those preliminary discussions.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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D97 takes summer school to BASE Camp

The district has replaced its Prep for Success program with Oak Park Education Foundation’s popular summer camp

By MICHAEL ROMAIN

however, students in the program showed little to no progress on standardized academic tests following their summer school instruction.

The program was also marked by high attriOak Park District 97 has traded in its free Prep for Success summer program for the tion rates. Last year, 182 out of the 269 students Oak Park Education Foundation’s BASE who enrolled in the Prep for Success completCamp as the primary means of providing re- ed the program — an over 30 percent dropout medial summer school instruction for third- rate. Around 550 students were invited to attend the summer program. through eighth-grade students.

In a survey of 61 students who District 97 officials said that the participated in Prep for Success BASE Camp program — a series of last year, roughly 74 percent of summer enrichment camps held ■ To read more respondents noted that the profrom June 19 until July 14 — is a gram was either very helpful or progressive alternative to Prep for VISIT OAKPARK.COM somewhat helpful. An additionSuccess that will allow low-peral 23 percent were neutral. forming students access to a range District officials said that despite several of hands-on learning experiences, many of which are centered on the science, tech- modifications over the years — such as addnology, engineering and math fields. Some ing more teachers, reducing class sizes and BASE Camp themes include “Art Around the incentivizing attendance — attendance and World,” “Coding for Kids” and “LEGO Pre- participation levels, along with the rate of academic growth, remained lower than they Engineering.”

The Prep for Success program, which was wanted them to be.

Earlier this year, the D97 school board apstarted in 2012, provided extra support and resources in reading and math within tradi- proved a one-year letter of intent with OPEF tional classroom environments to students to enroll 115 third- through eighth-graders who would have otherwise participated in performing below grade-level.

According to a report on Prep for Success Prep for Success in four weeks.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com issued by D97 administrators last December, Staff Reporter

WEB EXTRA

Water main project to disrupt Fillmore Street this summer Oak Park gets new road and curbs for $750K

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

Oak Parkers who live on or near Fillmore Street will have to deal with construction along the residential corridor for the rest of the summer. But there’s an upside: They’ll get a new street and gutters, and Brookfield and North Riverside will pay most of the tab.

The road repaving is a byproduct of the installation of a water main for the Brookfield-North Riverside Water Commission, connecting it to the Chicago water supply.

The $17 million project will install a 36-inch ductile iron pipe, running the entire width of Oak Park.

Public Works Director John Wielebnicki said Oak Park has little to do with the project but did coordinate with the water commission on the construction.

He said the entire street from Harlem to

Austin will be repaved and some areas will get new curbs and gutters. The price tag to Oak Park: roughly $750,000, Wielebnicki said.

“They’re not going to do it for free, but we get the advantage of their economy of scale,” he said.

He they’ve been helping plan the project for three years, and one village engineer

will be working with the water commission over the summer.

The project started earlier this summer at South Maple Avenue and should be to Clinton Avenue by the end of the week, Wielebnicki said.

The project is expected to reach Oak Park Avenue by the end of next week and then will skip ahead to Ridgeland Avenue.

“We’ve got Irving School along Fillmore, and we don’t want them doing their work when kids are in school,” Wielebnicki said.

The project is expected to be complete by the end of the year, he added.

More information about the project is available on the water commission’s website at http://www.bnrwcproject.com.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

River Forest permit activity is trending up

Improving economy helps explains the rise, revenue from fees doubled

homes,” she said. “People are less afraid about whether or not they are going to get a return on their investment.”

For Scheiner, macro-economic factors explain the increase, although the village has worked to improve customer

BY THOMAS VOGEL service.

Staff Reporter “There was a push a few years ago to make our process as cusThe number of permits issued tomer friendly as possible,” she

by River Forest village governsaid. The village gives out samement to residents, commercial day “express” permits for small developers and local businesses projects, for instance, like winhas jumped about 70 percent dow upgrades, to property ownsince 2013. ers living outside the village’s In fiscal year 2013, the village historic district. issued just under 900 permits. In April permit activity was a fiscal year 2017, that number was mix of residential and commer1,527, according to an April 2017 cial projects, with construction building and zoning report from ranging from basement remodthe village. els to garage construction, That increase is in part a replumbing work electrical inflection of a better overall ecostallations inside Whole Foods nomic environment, a healthier LISA SCHEINER on Lake Street, and a new soand more stable housing marRiver Forest assistant cial hall at St. Vincent Ferrer. ket, and a readiness by River village administrator According to the April report, Foresters to renovate, remodel permit revenues exceeded exand expand their homes, acpectations. Village officials had cording to Lisa Scheiner, River projected just under half a milForest’s assistant village adminlion dollars from permit fees, istrator.

“Since the economy has improved, peo- about $487,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017. But ple are a bit more willing to invest in their actual revenue nearly doubled that esti-

“Since the economy has improved, people are a bit more willing to invest in their homes.”

Permits and realestate transfer activity measures Month May June July August September Oc tober November December Januar y Februar y March April Two month comparison Fisc al year total

2013 97 113 71 128 123 84 64 37 35 19 42 71 113 884

2014 101 99 76 105 83 82 62 39 23 27 47 93 140 837

2015 113 104 112 84 111 120 55 43 24 22 41 78 119 907

2016 124 144 150 144 180 149 72 79 66 67 109 97 206 1,381

2017 178 179 140 145 130 140 98 55 107 87 120 148 268 1,527

Source: Village of River Forest

mate, totaling $1,073,498. Permit fees go into the village’s general fund, Scheiner said.

“It was definitely more than we anticipated,” she said. “A lot of planned developments came to fruition.”

Several big projects, including new condos on Madison Street, the revamped Community Bank branch on Lake Street as well as projects at Concordia University’s cam-

pus contributed to the spike in revenue.

“We tend to project revenues conservatively here,” Scheiner said. “We don’t want to balance the budget on planned developments.”

There are several other pending projects still in the works, including at Dominican University and the River Forest Park District.

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

9

Scratch Kitchen fills last spot in La Majada building

Building that served as home to La Majada restaurant now fully leased

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The folks that brought you Scratch On Lake in Oak Park and Scratch Kitchen in Forest Park are at it again – but this time on Harrison Street in the Oak Park Arts District.

It will be the second Oak Park restaurant opening this year for Patrick O’Brien, who launched Scratch On Lake, 733 Lake St., in March.

The restaurant also is a milestone for Brand & Co., which signed the lease with O’Brien as the final tenant in the building formerly occupied by the Mexican-food restaurant La Majada.

The building, located in the 200 block of Harrison Street and painted a distinctive lime green, was rebranded as Harrison + Harvey and is also home to Tapster Robotics, Happy Apple Pie Shop and Tom BassettDilley Architects.

O’Brien said he is in the early stages of developing the restaurant and is still working to get various permits from the village. He aims to have the restaurant open by Oct. 31.

He said the restaurant will be called District Kitchen and Tap and will have a different menu and feel from the Scratch restaurants.

District Kitchen and Tap will feature made-to-order nachos, hot wings and artisan pizza, O’Brien said.

He also plans to offer “on the dough” salads, he said, which allows patrons to order salads – grilled Caesar, Cobb, import prosciutto, and more – on flavored pizza crusts.

“The menu is really shareable and fun and

Photos provided by Brand & Co.

ARTS DISTRICT EATS: Brand & Co. has leased the final space available in the redeveloped La Majada building to the owners of Scratch on Lake. we want the place to echo that,” he said.

The 2,500-square-foot space will have a “Cheers”-like atmosphere, O’Brien said, referencing the 1980s television show.

District Kitchen and Tap also will offer an extensive selection of local craft beers, such as Kinslahger, O’Brien said.

He first became aware of the property a few months ago when he was contacted by Brand & Co. principal Adam Friedberg.

He met with Oak Park Arts District Business Association president Laura Maychruk and was sold on the area.

“We talked about traffic and real estate [in the area] and her business [Buzz Café],” O’Brien said. “There are a lot of reasons something needed to be [at the Harrison + Harvey] location.”

Friedberg said the location has access to public transportation and gets a lot of street traffic from the nearby Eisenhower Expressway. He noted that the area has plenty of parking and new businesses are opening up.

“It’s becoming a little foodie pocket right there,” he said.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Courageous new restaurant opening on Lake Street

Café and bakery donates 10% of proceeds to charity

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

One of Oak Park’s most visible storefronts – the northeast corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street – will soon have a new occupant, filling the void left by the closure of Red Hen Bread earlier this year.

Laura Pekarik told Wednesday Journal she’s shooting for a mid- to late-August opening for her breakfast and lunch restaurant Courageous Bakery & Café.

It’s the second location for the business, which opened its first storefront in downtown Elmhurst in 2012.

Courageous is more than a business, though – it also is committed to helping in the battle against cancer and donates 10 percent of all proceeds to cancer-related charities.

The philanthropic ethos of Courageous was spurred by her sister Kathryn Chandler’s battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010 and 2011.

Pekarik said she had long made cupcakes for her family and friends and would bring them to the nurses in the hospital as her sister recovered from cancer, but she didn’t sell them until the end of 2010, when she held a fundraiser for her ailing sister’s expenses.

Pekarik was pursuing a business degree when Chandler got the diagnosis in May of 2010. “[The diagnosis] changed everything,” Pe-

karik said, noting that she took a year off of work to help with her sister’s recovery.

She also made a big gamble – dropping out of school to use her tuition money to buy a food truck for her first business, Cupcakes for Courage and the Green Machine.

The cupcakes and other baked goods were a hit and the following year Pekarik was set to open her first storefront in Elmhurst.

She changed the name – to remove the emphasis on cupcakes – and expanded the menu to include breakfast and lunch items.

Courageous Bakery & Café offers breakfast burritos, omelets and avocado toast, along with scones, coffee and homemade bread and croissants, on its breakfast menu.

Patrons can also choose from a variety of lunch items – Gouda turkey, tuna melt and Reuben sandwiches, to name a few – she said. And the new location will have the same menu as the Elmhurst store.

Pekarik said when she began looking for a second location, she was scouting around in Wheaton, Lombard and elsewhere, when she came across the former Red Hen location at 736 Lake St. “I love that it’s on the train line and that Oak Park is very diverse,” she said, adding that she looks forward to having a shop closer to Chicago.

“The space itself is great,” she added.

“There are these beautiful windows and a lot of natural light to keep it bright.”

Pekarik said the proceeds donated go to a variety of charities, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Ride Janie Ride Foundation, the Illinois Food Bank and others.

Photos provided by Couragous Bakery & Cafe

COURAGE ON THE CORNER: Laura Pekarik, owner of Courageous Bakery & Cafe, is opening her second location at the former Red Hen Bakery.

She said the name, Courageous Bakery & Café, came about while she and her mother and sister were sitting in the hospital during Chandler’s cancer treatment.

“At first we though Cupcakes for Hope,” Pekarik said. “But then I thought, ‘No, when you’re battling cancer or anything in life, you can’t just sit there and hope -- you have to do.’

“It’s a battle. I saw my sister going through it, and if at any point you give up and don’t have that courage, your outcome won’t be as great.”

The announcement that Courageous Bakery & Café is opening in the shuttered Red Hen location may come as a surprise to some

Oak Parkers, who have seen the sign on the window of Erik’s Deli, 107 N. Oak Park Ave., stating that the beloved restaurant is moving to the Red Hen storefront.

The sign went up in recent weeks, announcing that the Erik’s location would be moving and Altiro Latin Fusion would be opening up in its place.

Realtor David King, of David King & Associates, who represented the ownership in the lease transaction with Courageous Bakery & Café, acknowledged last month that Erik’s was scouting the location, but a lease deal was never reached.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

10

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

River Forest historical map nears completion

Effort by village commission should be finished this fall

By THOMAS VOGEL Staff Reporter

The River Forest Historical Preservation Map is almost finished, according to Historic Preservation Commission Chair Tom Zurowski.

The document, which should be completed sometime in the fall, will have pictures of about three dozen architecturally and historically significant commercial and residential properties in the village along with a map of their location in town. The commission is still tweaking some of the accompanying text and is planning to sit down with the River Forest Village Board in August.

“Part of our charge is to educate and inform folks,” Zurowski said, referring to his commission. “We thought a map would be a great tool. ... We’re hoping we can get people excited about architecture in River Forest.”

Commissioners nominated properties from around River Forest and then worked to whittle down the list to something “consumable” that still captures the variety of architectural styles. The commission began its work after hearing about a similar effort in neighboring Maywood.

“The idea was to give people a flavor of the breadth of stuff in River Forest,” Zurowski said.

A draft document on the village’s website shows the variety and depth of architectural style available in River Forest. There are several Frank Lloyd Wright houses and other Prairie-style residences. The William Drummond House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is included. The David Cunningham Thatcher House, River Forest’s oldest residence — built in 1858 — and the late mob kingpin Tony Accardo’s

Charles A. Wilmeroth House, 1878.

Mob kingpin Tony Accardo’s Franklin Avenue mansion, above. David Cunningham Thatcher House, 1858. Accardo, below.

former Franklin Avenue mansion are both listed, too, along with a few mid-century modern, Tudor, Romanesque and Spanish Renaissance homes, as well.

The William Drummond House, 1915.

District 90 continues partnership with math coach

Outside instructor will help teachers with revamped curriculum

By THOMAS VOGEL Staff Reporter

The River Forest District 90 Board of Education approved a new contract at its June 19 meeting to bring back an outside instructional coach for Roosevelt Middle School as it continues to redevelop its mathematics curriculum The $62,000 agreement includes 60 days of in-person support, including feedback meetings with teachers, collaborative plan-

ning and demonstration lessons, throughout the 2017-2018 schoolyear. This is the second consecutive year D90 has partnered with the Metro Chicago Math Initiative (MCMI) at the University of Illinois Chicago.

D90 began updating its mathematics curriculum in summer 2016 after teachers requested a review.

“They weren’t satisfied with the materials they were using,” Director of Curriculum Alison Hawley said. “They wanted to take a look and see what was available out in the marketplace.”

The district ended up selecting a new set of materials for its curriculum, and implementation is ongoing.

The MCMI partnership is “non-eval-

uative” and coaches will also work with district leadership and school administration to help integrate the new curriculum.

“It really is a partnership between the coach and the math teacher,” Hawley said.

The MCMI is staffed with researchers and educators from the UIC’s Learning Sciences Research Institute. The institute, among other things, helps school districts improve educational assessments, instructional methods, and curriculum materials.

“We’re not the only district they work with,” Hawley said. “They have a level of expertise that is essential.”

District officials requested MCMI’s Nancy Mueller, who worked with D90 in the first year of the partnership. Hawley also men-

tioned Executive Director Mary Jo Tavormina as critical to the partnership.

D90’s two elementary schools, Willard and Lincoln, have in-house instructional coaches for math and literacy. There is no equivalent at Roosevelt, however, which is why the district turned to MCMI for help.

“No curriculum materials that anyone adopts are perfect,” Hawley said, adding that the new materials were piloted in some classrooms last year. “It’s helpful to have somebody outside the classroom who can coordinate feedback and professional development follow-up.”

For now, the piloting continues.

“In the math education world,” Hawley said, “the work’s never done.”

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

The confounding Mystery Spot intersections of Oak Park

Y

ou think of the big puzzles: General relativity, the meaning of life, the incoherent nostrums of John Kass.

Some we humans have figured out, others we still struggle to understand.

But in those struggles we take comfort that sometimes there is an answer, that life and our experience of it is knowable. Yet we are so often reminded the opposite is true, that it’s a baffling and hostile world out there.

Which brings me to the intersection at Forest Avenue and North Boulevard.

Is there a more puzzling and unknowable intersection in Oak Park, for pedestrians and motorists alike?

It’s a kind of Mystery Spot where a road is a parking lot and a parking lot is a road. Where eastbound traffic comes from two places and southbound traffic doesn’t know where to stop. And now those cars are blocking the northbound traffic turning into the municipal lot and a train commuter is passing by on a sidewalk that resembles a driveway -- and it’s a mess.

Oh, and a couple hundred new neighbors are moving downtown within a year or two.

I called Village Engineer Bill McKenna, who has a sympathetic ear. This is the guy whose Public Works Department placed stop-for-pedestrian signs in the crosswalk outside the Lake Theater and very recently installed similar signs in the boldly free jazz three-way, stop-stop-non-stop intersection at Forest and Ontario near Austin Gardens.

What does McKenna make of North Boulevard and Forest?

“It’s a high conflict point,” he conceded, and the future of a more heavily developed Downtown Oak Park with more people and more cars promises more conflicts.

Converging traffic arriving at an irregularly configured intersection is bad enough, then add in a spate of dueling work crews who’ve spent the spring and early summer digging up the municipal lot and it “adds to the chaos,” as McKenna put it. The intersection’s strange geometry does not exactly help.

McKenna said the village has sought to clearly mark the crosswalks at North and Forest -- some of which are among the longest in town given the angles of the intersection -- but regular visitors to the area will find those white stripes pretty dull in places.

McKenna said public works crews would survey the visibility of existing crosswalks to make sure they’re up to standard.

I made an additional request: Can the village please stripe the newly poured sidewalk section of the parking lot on the west side of Forest as a crosswalk? Too many motorists seem to consider this space

a cars-only zone.

“I think that’s a good point,” McKenna said.

McKenna said the village is open to requests from residents about other problem intersections (here is where readers are invited to weigh in directly to McKenna’s office (708-358-5700) and to the comments section at www. oakpark.com) and all requests are decided on a case-by-case basis.

There is no formal process, according to McKenna, and in some cases “we have to say no.”

Priority is generally given to locations where children and elderly residents require help making roadway crossings.

In the example at Forest and Ontario outside Austin Gardens, McKenna said the new stop-for-pedestrians signs went up just a few weeks after area residents sought instreet signage for a notoriously confounding three-way intersection.

Northbound and westbound traffic both stop at Ontario but southbound traffic, rounding the northeast corner of Austin Gardens by the giant Frank Lloyd Wright head, do not stop as they approach Ontario.

Locals know to beware, even in broad daylight, but the area is smack dab in the middle of the Wright Historic District and headphone-wearing architectural tourists are prone to wander in front of already befuddled drivers.

McKenna said the decision to act on resident requests for new signs was straightforward.

“We took a quick look at it and it probably took a couple days to implement,” he said. “I placed the work order within one or two days” of the on-site review.

Of course, in-street stop signs are no guarantee that drivers will actually stop.

McKenna said the village has replaced several such signs installed elsewhere in town after motorists simply ran them over.

“They obliterate them,” McKenna said.

Other pedestrian-motorist hotspots are more difficult to regulate. Crosstown thoroughfares like Madison Street, Division Street and Chicago Avenue feature heavy traffic, and getting pedestrians safely across those roadways away from signaled intersections requires a mix of approaches, McKenna said.

These include a relatively new pushbutton stop sign at Chicago and Harvey. A similar device is now at Ridgeland and Erie and others are in the works.

But I called to ask about Forest and North Boulevard -- and that sidewalk striping.

“We’ll definitely take a look at that one,” McKenna said.

Please do share your Mystery Spot intersection locations online or to me at brett@ oakpark.com, and let us know if you are also requesting help from the village.

BRETT McNEIL

11

Main cause of discipline at OPRF? Tardies

By MICHAEL ROMAIN

meaning that black OPRF students are twice as likely as the average student to get an infraction. Only 12 percent of white District 200 school board members are students at OPRF received an infraction, calling for fundamental changes in the meaning they were half as likely as the avhigh school’s disciplinary culture after erage student to get one. seeing the second semester report for the “Go back 10 or 20 years and you see 2016-17 school year. similar trends,” said Chandler during the OPRF Principal Nathaniel Rouse and meeting. “With black and white students, data consultant Lincoln Chandler prethe [rates in punishment] are flip-flopped. sented the new report to board members When you start to hear questions around during the regular meeting held on June what’s going on with equity, it’s this type 22. Among the findings that generated of dynamic that’s prompting that sort of most board discussion were that black question.” students accounted for roughly half of all Board member Fred Arkin also urged infractions meted out last semester and 80 administrators to look at ways to stop the percent of all spring 2017 infractions were “snowball” pattern of students getting related to tardies and missed detentions. a tardy which leads to a detention which During this past spring semester, OPRF leads to a failure to serve, students incurred 1,512 total which leads to even more ininfractions — a 56 percent defractions. crease from the second semes“When you get into the numter of the 2015-16 school year.

■ To read more ber of how many kids are havThe 2016-17 spring semester disciplinary report is the first ing issues, it’s not that many VISIT OAKPARK.COM published after SB 100 went [but] 8,000 tardies is huge,” into effect last September. The Arkin said. law prohibits zero-tolerance policies and is Eighty percent of total infractions were designed to make it harder for schools to related to tardies and missed detentions. suspend and expel students.

In the spring, OPRF recorded more than The new law, however, hasn’t immedi- 8,000 tardies — 60 percent of them occurately mitigated the problem of race-based ring during first period. disparities in the rate of punishment at On average, the number of tardies OPRF. spiked on Late Arrival Wednesdays, when Black students, who make up 23 percent the school day starts at 9:45 a.m., as opof the 2016-17 enrollment total, accounted posed to 8 a.m., in order to accommodate for 48 percent of the infractions handed faculty members participating in profesout. Hispanic students, 18 percent of the spring enrollment level, accounted for 18 sional development.

Many board members reacted to the new percent of infractions handed out. White students, who made up 54 percent of the discipline report by urging district adminstudent population, accounted for 25 per- istrators to look into whether or not racial bias among employees meting out the incent of the infractions.

Only 20 percent of OPRF students over- fractions, or bias within the structure of all incurred a disciplinary infraction OPRF’s disciplinary system itself, have anything to do with the stark disparities. of some kind while nearly 40 percent of CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com OPRF’s black population incurred one, Staff Reporter

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OUT ABOUT

O OPRF Rotarian of the Year 2017, Bob Giles with his wife Marilyn

(left to right) Amanda Young, immediate past President of the OPRF Rotary Club Ed Condon, current President of the OPRF Rotary Club, Bob Stelletello

n June 25, 2017, Scott McAdam, president and co-owner of McAdam Landscaping in Forest Park, was installed as District Governor for Rotary District 6450 which covers most of the Chicagoland area. Many of the local Rotarians from McAdam’s home club in Oak Park and River Forest were on hand to celebrate the event. Among the special guests was the president of Rotary International, Ian Riseley, of Sandringham, Australia.

Rotary International is a service organization that brings together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. There are 34,282 individual clubs worldwide (including the one right here in Oak Park and River Forest) with 1.2 million members. Scott McAdam is one of only 529 District Governors.

Past OPRF Rotary Club President Ade Onayemi (left), with Dr. Nabil Saleh

The 2017 International Rotary Exchange students

Past OPRF Rotary Club President Bill Planek and son, Will

(left to right) Dr. Scott Yen, Carol Gall, Mary Ann Bender, Amanda Young

Rotary International President Ian Riseley (left), and District Governor Scott McAdam

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

MINIMUM WAGE Emergency meeting from page 1 mony, Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb told residents that he had decided not to take a vote on the proposal, meaning that the wage increase will take effect in Oak Park.

Advocates rallied outside of Village Hall prior to the meeting, chanting slogans such as “What do we want? Fair pay! When do we want it? Now!” and “When working people are under attack, what do you do? Stand up and fight back!”

Cars that passed by honked their horns to signs that read, “We support a living wage.

No opt out in Oak Park” and “Welcoming communities respect workers.”

Only three of the six trustees – Simone Boutet, Jim Taglia and Deno Andrews – and Mayor Abu-Taleb attended the meeting in person. Trustee Dan Moroney attended the meeting via telephone and trustees Andrea Button and Bob Tucker did not attend.

Several dozen people testified during the raucous meeting prior to the vote, arguing that Oak Park should follow the lead of Berwyn and other communities, which chose to not opt out of the county ordinance.

Several people heckled trustees as they spoke during the meeting and one in the balcony was forced to leave at the direction of Mayor Abu-Taleb.

The meeting came at the request of some in the Oak Park business community, which also asked the village for an additional 90-

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

SUPPORTING THE WAGE HIKE: It was standing-room only at village hall on Friday night during an emergency meeting on the Cook County minimum wage ordinance. Protesters succeeded in their goal of stopping trustees from voting to delay the wage hike for further discussion. day opt-out to give the board more time to consider the issue.

“The village is sensitive to calling a special meeting on a Friday evening; therefore this action only sets the date for Village Board discussion of the request by the business community and opts out of the Cook County Ordinance until July 11, 2017,” a village memo states. “During the meeting on July 10, 2017, the village board will discuss

the request by the local business community to opt out of the Cook County ordinances for 90-days.”

The county minimum ordinance boosts the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 an hour this year and one dollar each additional year until it reaches $13 in 2020. The county ordinance also requires employers to provide paid sick leave equaling one hour for every 40 hours worked.

13

The special meeting and 90-day opt-out proposals were made at the request of 30 business owners and officials and facilitated by the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce. The group penned a letter to the board of trustees on June 28, the same day the special meeting was called.

“We appreciate that this has been a grueling few weeks for everyone, forcing us to pit our values as a community against the economic realities of that same community,” the letter reads. “The many conversations we all have been having with business owners and residents alike lead us to one conclusion. We do not yet have the facts as to the real impact these laws will have on our community.”

The group proposed that the village spend the next 90 days engaging in a more thoughtful review of the county wage hike.

Although the 30 business owners asked for the delay, several Oak Park business owners testified Friday that they opposed blocking the wage hike.

Rachel Weaver, co-owner of The Book Table with her husband Jason Smith, said that she supports the wage increase and sick-time provision and that the letter from 30 business owners did not represent her or many other businesses. Prior to the meeting she said, “We want to make sure they know (those businesses) don’t speak for us.”

One woman who signed the letter requesting the opt-out provision, Michelle Vanderlaan of Sugarcup Trading, said she supports “thriving employees and thriving businesses.”

“What I don’t want to see is us take a very premature step,” she said.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Oak Park businesses facing wage hike search for solutions

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

In the wake of the Oak Park Board of Trustees’ decision to not opt out of a minimum wage increase imposed by Cook County, the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce met with village trustees and business owners on June 27 at the Carleton Hotel to discuss the struggles mom and pops have in keeping their doors open.

Owners throughout the village voiced their opposition to the minimum wage hike and a provision requiring paid sick leave for employees, saying it would threaten their businesses.

The minimum wage hike will increase wages from $8.25 to $10 an hour on July 1 and an additional dollar every year until the wage reaches $13 in 2020. Under the sick-leave provision, employees would earn one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked, up to five days per year.

Several business owners said it’s not just the wage increase that’s burdening them but high property taxes, new taxes on soft drinks and other economic realities like increased online shopping.

Jim August, owner of The Irish Shop, 100 N. Oak Park Ave., said his business has been

hard hit for the last five years.

“It’s parking, it’s the way people are shopping, it’s the online type of presence and we persevere,” he said, noting that rents have increased as well.

“I’m for minimum wage. I think people should earn what they can … and if you look at the workforce, the market dictates that,” he said. “I can’t just say, ‘I’ll pay you minimum wage, come work for me.’ People don’t do it.”

He said that on top of the minimum wage increase “there’s the Social Security I’m paying, there’s the FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act tax) that I’m paying, there’s the unemployment that I’m paying, there’s worker’s comp I’m paying.”

Cindy Summers, owner of Sugar Fixe Patisserie, 119 N. Marion St., said that a lot of business owners at the meeting have said they are struggling to keep their businesses open.

“Some of the chatter we heard prior to board meeting [on June 19] was, ‘Well they can afford to pay for [the minimum wage increase] and if they can’t, it’s not a viable business or they’re just riding on the backs of the poor,” she said. “I make less than minimum wage myself.”

Summers acknowledged that the village

“can’t control our taxes and things like that, but what can we do to support the businesses?”

She suggested the village work to possibly seek professional consultants of some sort to help advise the business community.

Michelle Vanderlaan, owner of Sugarcup Trading, 110 N. Marion St., said that when she opened her shop eight years ago she received phone calls from the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation offering potential grant money to help with her new business.

“At the time I didn’t need to opt into those things, but they were available for small businesses,” she said.

Vanderlaan said she and other businesses are not “looking for a handout” but for the village to make small business owners a priority.

“We really want to … be a voice at the table, not a sideline but a true voice at the table and to look at what are the different options we can use to help small businesses,” she said.

Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb, who owns Maya Del Sol restaurant, 144 S. Oak Park Ave., said that the village would lose a lot of its character without its small businesses.

“In the past two years, the village board has supported the chamber of commerce in the amount of $100,000 a year so it can provide

marketing and data together for small businesses,” he said. “It’s something that was never done in the past, and that money came from the general fund of the village of Oak Park.”

He said the business community has to be active participants in the decision-making process, despite concerns that speaking out against the minimum wage hike and other issues could result in a boycott of their business.

“Another reason why some of us do not get engaged with village government is we think our voice may not be heard, so we just let it go,” he said. “Sometimes it does take an issue like this to bring us together.”

Abu-Taleb said that a segment of the community is “anti-development” and “they are for a lot of handouts.”

“They want to be generous at the expense of a business that they do not understand,” he said. “I’m with you. We don’t want a handout, but we don’t want to be choked either.”

He said the county’s wage hike pits communities against one another as one decides to opt out and putting it at a disadvantage to those who opt in.

“It’s not fair for the local government to be put in that position,” he said.

CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

14

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

Man tries to lure Oak Park teen A 15-year-old Oak Park girl was unlocking her bike in the 400 block of Erie Street at 3:22 p.m. on June 22, when a man driving a white four-door car reportedly pulled up to the curb near the teen and said, “Get in the car.”

Police said that the teenager yelled at the man, who drove away southbound on North Scoville Avenue. The man was described as black, between the ages of 35 and 40, with a muscular build and bald, with a “very round head.”

Robbery ■ An

Oak Park man was robbed by two men in the 200 block of South Oak Park Avenue at 1:26 a.m. on June 28.

Two offenders approached the man and reportedly struck him in the neck and demanded his money. One of the offenders went through the victim’s pockets and removed a wallet and a receipt. He then dropped the wallet and the two fled eastbound on Randolph Street.

■ A Chicago woman was walking to her vehicle, which was parked on the street, in the 600 block of Adams at 10:55 a.m. on June 26, when two teenagers approached her.

According to police, one held his hand inside his waistband to suggest he had a weapon, and both demanded her belongings. The victim handed over her gold Kate Spade wallet and gold iPhone 6S. The two offenders fled eastbound on Adams Street on foot. The estimated loss is $1,060. Both were described as black males between the ages of 14 and 17. One had a medium build and wore a Cubs T-shirt, Cubs

TAX SURPRISE Avoidable? from page 1 “As we promised in conjunction with these referenda and due to our commitment to be sound fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars, we want people to know that this money is coming back to them,” said Chris Jasculca, D97’s senior director of policy, planning and communications.

One option for returning the money is to use it to pay down around $4.45 million on bonds the district issued to help fund the construction of its two middle school buildings in 2002.

Although the bonds are set to expire in 2018, they will still factor into next year’s property tax bills. If the $2.6 million is used to pay the bond debt, the size of tax bills next July would be smaller.

The school board’s preferred option, however, is to issue refund checks to Oak Park taxpayers before the end of the year.

hat and black baggy gym shorts. The second teenager had a thin build and wore a black T-shirt and blue jeans.

■ A Chicago woman was the target of an attempted robbery in the 100 block of North Euclid Avenue at 10:43 a.m. on June 26, according to Oak Park police.

The intended victim parked her vehicle and was walking on the sidewalk when two teenage offenders tugged at her sweater.

They demanded her car keys, but she yelled for help and ran away. No loss was reported.

Motor vehicle theft ■ A silver 2003 Chevy Impala was stolen from the 1100 block of South Highland sometime between 8 p.m. on June 22 and 8:18 a.m. on June 23.

The thief initially broke into an unlocked black 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe and stole a purse containing a $200 money order, an iPhone 5 and a key they used to steal the Chevy Impala.

The purse was recovered in the alley in the 1100 block of South Highland. The estimated loss is $4,300.

■ An Elmhurst woman driving a gray 2013 Mercedes-Benz ML63 was rear-ended by a white Infinity Q50 while headed westbound on Roosevelt Road at 2:54 on June 22.

The victim pulled over in the 1100 block of South Euclid Avenue to check the damage and one of the passengers in the Infinity drove away northbound in her car. The driver of the Infinity pushed the victim and reentered his vehicle, which also drove away northbound on Euclid.

Board members prefer this option because of its immediacy and the fact that it’s tangible.

“Board members expressed a desire to immediately get this money back to taxpayers as fast as possible for a refund,” said school board President Holly Spurlock during an interview last Friday. “The fact that we get money back to people immediately, as close to when they’re making a payment as possible would be our desire.”

Spurlock and Jasculca conceded that their preferred option is layered with logistical challenges and unknown transaction costs.

For instance, the name of the taxpayer on a given tax bill isn’t always correct, and it may be difficult to identify taxpayers who move, divorce, change their names or don’t pay their bills, among a host of other moving parts.

“The board will work with the administration during the next few weeks to fully explore and assess the two options,” district officials said in the statement.

Board members may vote on an option at a regular meeting on July 18. They may meet during special session “prior to July 18 if

The Mercedes later was recovered in the 100 block of South 13th Avenue, Maywood, with the license plates removed. The thieves also stole the victim’s purse, $800, credit cards, a golf bag and golf clubs and an iPad mini. The estimated loss is $8,040.

■ A blue 2010 Mazda CX9 IL was stolen from the 800 block of North Ridgeland sometime between 11:55 p.m. on June 27 and 6:46 a.m. on June 28.

The thief broke a lock to enter the garage and stole the vehicle by using the key fob, which was left in a center cup holder. The estimated loss is $12,000.

■ A women was standing in her garage near the front passenger side of her silver 2017 Honda Accord, which was running, in the 700 block of South Taylor Avenue at 12:21 p.m. on June 28, when a she was approached by two men in their late teens or early 20s.

One of the men entered the vehicle, drove it out of the garage and the picked up his accomplice and drove away. The offenders got away with the victim’s brown purse, miscellaneous credit cards, cash and a Samsung flip phone, which were left in the vehicle.

The estimated loss is $44,190.

Cooper’s Hawk vandalized A 7-by-4-foot glass window on the northwest side of the yet-to-open Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant, 150 Forest Ave., was shattered by a BB-type projectile sometime between 10 p.m. on June 22 and 7:55 a.m. on June 23.

The restaurant, which serves as the ground-level tenant at the Vantage apart-

there are time sensitive aspects or elements of either option that require more immediate discussion and action.”

Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar, who said that he alerted the district about the discrepancy in an email on June 17, said he recommends that the district wait until after the second installment tax bills are due on Aug. 1, so that the district doesn’t “give a refund to somebody who hasn’t paid taxes.”

“All of these issues [around issuing refund checks] could be worked around if you really think about them and plan properly,” he said during an interview on July 1.

ElSaffar said that he told D97 officials that he’d be willing to help them return the money “in any way I can.” He said that D97 removing $2.6 million from its coffers would represent a 1.4 percent reduction in the tax rate.

Put another way, roughly $140 would go back to a homeowner with a $10,000 tax bill, he added.

But ElSaffar also explained that the $2.6 million problem could probably have been

ment building at the corner of Lake and Forest, is expected to open within the next few weeks. The estimate loss is $2,500.

Police reported separately that at 10:11 p.m. on June 22, a pellet gun was fired into the dining area of a restaurant in the 1000 block of Lake Street. The pellet shattered a window that separates the enclosed patio and interior main seating area.

A witness saw a black vehicle – possibly a Chevy or a GMC – slow down in front of the patio and then heard a popping sound come from the vehicle, which was last seen headed westbound on Lake Street.

Theft from person A 45-year-old Chicago man was arrested at the BP Amoco gas station, 6119 W. North Ave., and charged with theft after allegedly grabbing money from a customer’s hand and attempting to flee at 4:52 p.m. on June 25.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports, June 22–28, 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 Timothy Inklebarger

avoided if the district caught the discrepancy in the draft tax reports that the Cook County Clerk’s office emails taxing bodies before issuing final reports.

After discovering the discrepancy, the D97 school board could have approved an amended levy to adjust for the 5 percent increase in the equalization factor, he said.

“There were opportunities to learn about this earlier and for whatever reason they didn’t,” ElSaffar said, adding that he doesn’t think the district acted in bad faith. District 97 officials couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday.

He attributed the problem, in part, to the way that taxing bodies often “are acting in the dark” as to what EAV will be when they approve their annual levies.

In the case of D97, the school board set their levy, which is the amount of money from property taxes that taxing bodies anticipate they’ll need to operate in a given year, at around $69 million — $15.9 million higher than last year’s levy.

See TAX SURPRISE on page 15

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

TAX SURPRISE D97 has company from page 14 “They asked for about $70 million, because they weren’t decided on what they were going to ask for at the time of the referendum,” ElSaffar said. “The problem is that if you don’t ask for enough, you’re not going to get it. You have to ask for enough.”

District 97 isn’t the only suburban Cook County school district that experienced an unanticipated revenue bump after the successful passage of a limiting rate referendum. Evanston/Skokie School District 65, along with Berwyn South School District 100, also successfully passed a limiting rate referenda in April.

ElSaffar noticed that District 65, which anticipated an additional $14.5 million in annual revenue from its referendum, got an extra $1.5 million.

District 97 officials stated that after the board votes on an option, they’ll mail letters to Oak Park residents “that details our plans for returning the money.”

If anyone has comments, questions or feedback about the matter, they can email to d97board@op97.org.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

let your voice be heard

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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Meet author Hemant Mehta Sunday, July 9th 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

in the Veteran’s Room at the Oak Park Public Library.

Hemant Mehta is the editor of FriendlyAtheist. com, appears on the Atheist Voice channel on YouTube, and co-hosts the Friendly Atheist podcast. He is a former high school math teacher and the author of three books, including I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist’s Survival Guide.

Hemant will speak with us, take questions from the audience and sign books. The event is free and open to the public.

This program is not sponsored by the Oak Park Public Library.

Celebrating the USA, pre-eminent food country

M

id-June, at our Airbnb hacienda in Merida, Mexico, we ran into a friendly Parisian couple, a few years younger than us, who were spending several weeks traveling through the peninsula. They graciously invited us to the patio for some drinks; we brought along tamales we’d snagged from a street vendor. Our new French friends had never seen tamales before. They didn’t much care for them.

I believe the French have one of the most illustrious culinary cultures in the world, though as Carolyn pointed out, “The French do have a great appreciation for food … mostly their own.”

I grew up in Portage Park, on the Northwest Side, and I started eating tamales around the time I entered kindergarten.

My dad used to bring them home from work (he had some Puerto Rican associates who periodically gave a bag to him), and /Photo by David Hammond my mom used to buy Derby beef tamales in sauce, which came in a glass jar. Tamales, Lou Malnati’s pizza, a reflection of both to me, seem about as American as apple Italian and American culinary traditions. pie.

Growing up, Chinese food (mostly chop water) and which has instituted widesuey) was always readily available, as was spread farming only in the past 400 years Italian (mostly pizza). Now the landscape or so (compare that to the farmof American dining has ing in parts of Europe, where evolved, and dozens of world the land has been used and cultures are setting the table sometimes abused many times for us with huge selections of over for millennia). food from all over the world.

Italian food, like pizza, is now When it’s time to eat, there’s so ingrained in American culno longer just Chinese, but ture that we tend not to think Szechuan, Hunanese, and Hong of it as ethnic: it’s just us. The Kong-style; no longer just Italpan pizza you might find at Lou ian, but Sicilian, Neapolitan, Malnati’s, for instance, is Italand Tuscan. It’s a great time to ian-influenced, though you’re be an eater of food in the USA, not likely to find anything like the world’s pre-eminent food it in Italy. Pan and deep-dish country. pizza are ours; we’ve made it We’ve traveled through a Local Dining number of countries in Latin our own. Just as millions of America, Europe and Asia, & Food Blogger immigrants have acclimated to and few of those international our country, we’ve made their cities have anything like the food our own, and we’ve helped incredible range of culinary it evolve. offerings available in American We had an Italian student cities like Chicago, New York, stay with us for a while, and Los Angeles, Minneapolis or 1038 Lake St., Oak Park she ate a strictly Italian-type Seattle. All these U.S. cities, and diet. When confronted with 708-358-0800 many more across the country, foods from other cultures (e.g., offer a huge range of foods Mexican, Thai), she’d demur from China; Japan; France; and say, “We don’t eat that.”

Italy; select African countries; I’m not judging anyone who knows what many Mediterranean countries, including they like and are reluctant to move far Egypt, Syria and Israel; and Latin Amerifrom the foods of their heritage, but as an can countries, including Mexico, Brazil, American, I feel like all cultures and foods Peru and Chile. are open to me, and I’m hungry for all of it The strength of American food culture … and I feel very, very fortunate to live in is traceable to the immigrants who make a country where foods from so many culour country strong and diverse, but also to tures are close at hand, ready to be enjoyed the incredible good fortune we have to live in a relatively wealthy part of the world … and celebrated. that has abundant natural resources (like Bon Appetit! Happy Fourth of July!

DAVID

HAMMOND Lou Malnati’s

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

NEED TO REACH US?

oakpark.com/real-estate editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

17

Homes

The ‘modern farmhouse’ all the rage in River Forest New construction features traditional style, high-end finishes

By LACEY SIKORA

A

Contributing Reporter

rchitectural styles come and go, and in historic towns like Oak Park and River Forest, it can be easy to pinpoint the era a street was developed by the design of the homes.

From the Italianate and Victorian styles in the late 1800s to the Prairie style of the early 1900s to the Colonials and Tudors that abounded in the 1920s and 1930s, certain parts of town speak of a certain parts of our unique architectural history.

In River Forest, where new construction is rife these days, it is not uncommon to see a smaller or older home razed to make way for a newer, larger home. With its large lots and fewer restrictions on teardowns, River Forest is experiencing a mini-building boom.

A handful of new construction homes in the village share a similar look that might be used 100 years from now to pinpoint our particular era.

The “modern farmhouse” style might have its roots in popular home design shows such as HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” in which an enterprising and photogenic young family from Waco, Texas combine vintage and modern style in their makeovers of homes.

Several new River Forest homes offer their own unique spins on the style. With stone porches, peaked dormers and white, bright interiors featuring high ceilings and open floor plans, the homes are attracting plenty of attention and garnering quick sales.

554 Lathrop Ave. On Lathrop Avenue, a four-bedroom and 4.5 bathroom new build is being marketed by Gloor Realty for $1,350,000. Clad with grey shingles and white siding, the house See FARMHOUSE on page 19

Courtesy of VHT STUDIOS

HIGH END: High end: The new construction home at 554 Lathrop Ave. in Rivers Forest (top) features a family room with a coffered ceiling (lower left) and a luxury kitchen (lower right).

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

619 Jackson Ave.

FARMHOUSE Appealing new construction from page 17 features a welcoming open front porch with a stone foundation.

The house has all the bells and whistles meant to attract today’s homebuyers, from a mudroom at the rear with five storage lockers for children, to a bright kitchen that opens to a family room.

On the second level, a spacious master suite includes his-and-hers walk-in closets as well as a large bathroom. Two other bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, and the fourth bedroom is also a suite with its own private bathroom.

The basement features something that old houses just can’t deliver: 9.5-foot ceilings, which allow for an entire level of comfortable living space. A full bathroom, workout room, family room with fireplace, wet bar area and room

for a pool table or ping pong make this a family hub.

Rich Gloor, managing broker of Oak Park’s Gloor Realty, who partnered with O’Malley Builders on the project, says that one of the hallmarks of the builders is their finish work.

The first-floor family room has coffered ceilings, while wainscoting lines the wall of the stairwell.

Details such as intricate wood trim and herringbone-patterned tile on the fireplace raise the house above standard-issue basic construction.

River Forest ripe for new homes Gloor says that three builders arrived in River Forest at the same time with the same idea of building new construction, large homes.

“River Forest was kind of being overlooked when you consider the amount of new construction in La Grange, Western Springs and Elmhurst,” Gloor said.

The house at 554 Lathrop Ave. represents the kind of lot and home that makes new construction appealing from a business perspective. According to Gloor, this partic-

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

NEW CONSTRUCTION: This five-bedroom, 5.5 bath home at 228 Gale Ave. in River Forest provides almost 4,000 square feet of living space at a price tag approaching $1.4 million. ular lot was once home to a smaller bungalow with an attached garage that, over time, had suffered water damage.

Gloor says that the success of building new and selling at the right price is a combination of factors unique to River Forest.

“River Forest has bigger lots and higher price points than Oak Park,” he said. “Land is more expensive here, but you can spend $400,000 on a teardown and sell it for over $1 million, because there are neighboring homes at that price point.

No one wants to by the proverbial nicest house on the block. These new houses fit into what’s surrounding them.”

A modern ‘farmhouse’ With plenty of interest in the Lathrop house, Gloor and O’Malley are working together on a second, similar home now under construction in the 800 block of Forest Avenue in River Forest.

Two other homes with similar aesthetics recently sold in the village.

In August 2015, 228 Gale Ave. sold for $375,000. The existing home was torn down and replaced with a five-bedroom, 5.5-bath home built by West Development.

The stone porch foundation, peaked dormers and white and gray color palette are similar to the Lathrop Avenue home. At

Courtesy of VHT STUDIOS

ROOM GALORE: At 554 Lathrop Ave., master suite includes a large private bathroom (left), while a basement wet bar (right), family room and are plenty airy due to 9.5-foot ceilings.

3,940 square feet, the Gale Avenue house was marketed for $1,375,000 and is pending contract as of press time.

In November 2015, another teardown house was sold at 619 Jackson Ave. in River Forest for $475,000. The new home constructed on the lot, like other new construction, features a stone foundation and a white, grey and black color palette with prominent dormered windows. Measuring roughly 4,600 square feet, this six-bedroom, 5.5-bathroom house sold for $1,785,000 in March.

The appeal of houses like these appears to represent a certain segment of the buying market.

Gloor notes that they might appeal to some buyers already in the area who are looking to move up to a bigger house.

“Some locals are going for the ‘homerun’ house, and they want new,” Gloor said. “Not everyone grew up with or wants an older house.”

Primarily though, he sees these houses appealing to young families moving to the suburbs from the city.

“People are ready to move to the suburbs and want plenty of room and don’t want to do any work on the house, or we see people skipping the starter house and buying big for their first home,” Gloor said. “We’re seeing a lot of that now.”

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Religion Guide Methodist

Check First.

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

First Congregational Church of Maywood

And at the Altenheim, you’ll be able to protect it with rent that is reasonable.

But the Altenheim is so much more… it is surrounded with beautiful grounds and wildlife, seniors who look out for one another and apartment selections and activities to suit your lifestyle.

You’ll be as happy as a lark here; come visit us to find out why.

400 N. Fifth Avenue (1 block north of Lake St.) Come join us for Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am Pastor Elliot Wimbush will be preaching the message.

Refreshments and fellowship follow the service.

708-344-6150 firstchurchofmaywood.org When you're looking for a place to worship the Lord, Check First.

You’re Invited to A Church for All Nations A Church Without Walls SERVICE LOCATION Forest Park Plaza 7600 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, IL 60130

7824 West Madison Street Forest Park, IL 60130 708.366.2206 www.thealtenheim.com

William S. Winston Pastor (708) 697-5000

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Get your daily dose of your local news straight from home!

Presbyterian

Fair Oaks

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

409 Greenfield Street (at Ridgeland Avenue) Oak Park Holy Communion with nursery care and children’s chapel each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM

LIVE Webcast - 11:15AM Service Believer’s Walk of Faith Broadcast Schedule (Times in Central Standard Time) Television

How to Keep in Touch with Us in 3 Steps

324 N. Oak Park Avenue 708-383-4983 www.firstUMCoakpark.org Sunday School for all Ages, 9am Sunday Worship, 10am Children’s Chapel during Worship Rev. Jenny Weber, Pastor Professionally Staffed Nursery Fellowship Time after Worship

DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest Meet our Rabbi, Adir Glick Pray, learn, and celebrate with our caring, progressive, egalitarian community.

Interfaith families are welcome.

Accredited Early Childhood Program Religious School for K thru 12 Daily Morning Minyan Weekly Shabbat Services Friday 6:30pm & Saturday 10:00am Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor David W. Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School/Adult Ed. 9:45 a.m.

Childcare Available

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

744 Fair Oaks Ave. Oak Park 386-4920 Rev. Daniel deBeer, Interim Pastor

Sunday Schedule Worship Service 9:30am Child care provided

fairoakspres.org OAK PARK MEETING OF FRIENDS (Quakers) Meeting For Worship Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Park Art League 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park Please call 708-445-8201 www.oakparkfriends.org

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 105TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Friday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca Traditional Catholic

The Traditional Catholic Latin Mass

Our Lady Immaculate Church 410 Washington Blvd Oak Park. 708-524-2408 Mass Times: Sat. 8:00am Sun. 7:30 & 10:00am Operated by Society of St. Pius X. Confessions 1 hr. before each mass

Third Unitarian Church 11am Service: “Celebration of Life” thirdunitarianchurch.org (773) 626-9385 301 N. Mayfield near Austin and Lake

Grace Lutheran School

Preschool - 8th Grade Bill Koehne, Principal 366-6900, graceriverforest.org Lutheran-Missouri Synod

Christ Lutheran Church

607 Harvard Street (at East Av.) Oak Park, Illinois Rev. Robert M. Niehus, Pastor Sunday Bible Class: 9:15 am Sunday School: 9:10 Sunday Worship Services: 8:00 and 10:30 am Church Office: 708/386-3306 www.christlutheranoakpark.org Lutheran-Missouri Synod

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

305 Circle Ave, Forest Park Sunday Worship, 9:30 am Adult Bible Class, 10:45 am Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary Leonard Payton, Pastor Roney Riley, Assistant Pastor 708-366-3226 | www.stjohnforestpark.org

808 S. East Ave. 708/848-2703 www.ascensionoakpark.com Worship: Saturday Mass 5:00 pm Sunday Masses 7:30, 9:00, 11 am, 5:00 pm Sacrament of Reconciliation 4 pm Saturday Taize Prayer 7:30 pm First Fridays Feb.– Dec. & Jan. 1 Holy Hour 6:00 pm Third Thursdays

Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

188 South Oak Park Ave. Saturday Masses: 8:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

Sunday Masses: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.

Weekday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

Holy Day Masses: As Announced Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 p.m.

Parish Office: 708-848-4417 School Phone: 708-386-5131

To place a listing in the Religion Guide, call Mary Ellen: 708/613-3342

Unity

UNITY CHURCH OF OAK PARK 405 North Euclid Ave.

The Love of God enfolds you.

Sunday Services 9 am & 11 am Youth Education 11 am 708-848-0960 — unityoakpark.org

Upcoming Religious Holidays

July

9 Martyrdom of the Bab Asalha Puja Day

11 St Benedict Day All Saints

13 Ulambana Obon

13-15 Obon

Baha’i

Buddhist

Catholic Christian

Orthodox Christian

Buddhist Shinto

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Serving Our Community For Over 70 Years

114 North Oak Park Avenue Oak Park, Illinois 60301

HOURS: MONDAY-FRIDAY 9AM-5PM SATURDAY 9AM-4PM • SUNDAY 10AM-2PM

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Center of town on huge lot, boasts 7 BRs including coach house & 4.1 baths. x .............................................................$1,149,000 STUNNING 5 bedroom, 3.1 bath Victorian centrally located near Green line, Farmer’s Market on a wide lot with a 2-car garage. x ......................................................................$975,000 SUNNY 4BR HOME on corner lot. Refin’d hdwd flrs. 2.1 BAs. Newer kitchen & SS applncs. 1st flr family rm. Too much to mention! x ...........................................................................$685,000 RARE OPPORTUNITY to own this expanded brick bungalow. 4BRs, 2.1BAs. Beautiful stained & leaded glass windows, birch trim & drs, refin’d flrs. Lots of storage. C/A. x.$649,500 STYLISH CENTER-ENTRANCE Colonial w/sun-drenched rms, oak flrs, 2 frplcs & lrg MBR suite. 3BRs, 2.1BAs. 1st flr family rm. Lots more! x ..........................................................$640,000 GREAT HOUSE! Charming & updated 4 BR, 2 ½ BA, 2-story on a lovely block! Hdwd flrs, family/sun rm. Frplc. C/A. Fenced yd. 2-car garage.................................................................$629,00 EXCEPTIONAL CLASSIC Prairie-style home. 3BRs, 2.1BAs. Newly remodeled kitchen. WBFP. Family rm. 3-tier cedar deck.

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LEFT!

RIVER FOREST CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES

OPEN 1-3PM • 637 CLARENCE

OPEN 1-3PM • 1546 FOREST PRICE REDUCED! PRAIRIE STYLE brick bungalow. Needs cosmetic updating only. Excellent mechanicals. 2 BRs on OPEN CONCEPT 2 bedroom River Forest townhome.

1st flr, 1BR with BA on 2nd, large basement. x ... $365,000 Updates throughout. See it! x........................................ $216,000 COMFORTABLE 3-STORY, 5BR, 3 full BA Victorian with C/A - SpacePak. Maintenance-free exterior. Newer roof. x ....................................................................................$550,000 REDUCED! TRULY CHARMING 4BR, 2½BA w/ living & dining rm, sunroom & library. Great yard with 2-car garage. x .................................................................................... $519,900 BUNGALOW GEM! Gorgeous 3BR, 2BA brick bungalow w/ awesome master suite. 1st flr family rm, screened porch + deck.

Priced to sell at x .........................................................$479,000 AMAZING HOME & LOCATION. 4BRs, 1.1BAs. Lovely vintage details. Spacious living & dining rm. MBR w/WIC. Newer windows. x ..................................................................$439,500 SPACIOUS, LIGHT-FILLED 4 BR, 2 BA house on extra wide lot in Harrison Art District. 3-car garage w/carport. x ....................................................................................$399,000 ONE-LEVEL LIVING in the 3BR Mid-Century brick ranch.

Hdwd flrs. C/A. Spacious living rm & separate dining rm. Full bsmt. Great yd. 2-car gar. x ........................................$398,000 REDUCED! DELIGHTFUL 3BR, 1½BA, American 4-Square, winning mix of modern improvements & classic details. Stylish kitchen & BAs, rec rm, fenced lndscpd yd. x.............$375,000 BRING YOUR DECORATING IDEAS to this very large & well-maintained Queen Anne w/4BRs, 2BAs. Nice location. ...........................................................................................$345,000

A New Standard of Luxury in Oak Park.

• • • • • • •

OAK PARK CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES OPEN 1-3PM • 156 N. OAK PARK #1A

ONE-OF-A-KIND! LARGEST 3BR, 2.1BA unit. Newer kitchOPEN 2-4PM • 735 HOME CHARMING, UPDATED 2-story stucco w/lovely nat’l en adjoins family rm. Private patio. MBR ste w/walk-in wdwk, hdwd flrs, blt-ins & 2 frplcs. 3BRs, 2.1BAs, updated closet. 2 garage pkg spcs. x............................................. $739,900 kitchen. Fin’d LL, C/A & more! Fab loc’n. x............. $585,500

Call Gloor Realty at 708-524-1100 for a Private Showing.

ONLY

RIVER FOREST OPEN 12-1:45PM • 1519 ASHLAND

11 spacious, deluxe residences Close to vibrant downtown Oak Park 3 bedroom units 2 indoor parking spaces 1808-2969 sq. ft. units Spacious terraces Eco-efficient- LEED certified

Starting at $669,900

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

RIVER FOREST

JUST LISTED! CENTRALLY LOCATED, close to train, this charmer has it all. 3 BRs, 3.1 BAs. Designer kitchen opens to family rm. Library. Bsmt rec area. Lots more!! x......$779,000 NEW CONSTRUCTION! Elegant “Coastal” style home.

Deluxe kitchen. 3 levels of finished luxury. 4BRs, 4.1BAs, 2nd flr lndry & a whole lot more. x.....................................$1,350,000 PRAIRIE SCHOOL home built in ‘06 w/classic architectural design & contemporary amenities. Spacious w/4BRs & 4½BAs. Family rm. x .............................................................. $1,195,000 YOU WILL LOVE THIS SPACIOUS 4BR, 3BA Queen Anne in highly sought-after location. Lovely & spacious with a large yard. x...........................................................................$899,000 WAITING FOR YOUR finishing touches. 5BR, 5.1BA under construction. 2½-car garage. All plans & permits included. ...........................................................................................$679,000 CHARM ABOUNDS in this 4BR, 2.1BA home w/nat’l wdwk & hdwd flrs. Lovely front porch, light-filled rms, & 3rd flr family rm. Perfect loc’n. x ......................................................$609,990 NEED AN IN-LAW HOME? Loads of room, 8 BRs, 3 BAs. 3 BRs on 1st & 5 BRs, 2BAs on 2nd. Living rm & dining rm on both flrs. Great location. ..........................................................$479,000 WELL-MAINTAINED 3+BR home. Hardwood floors.

Custom shutters/shades. Freshly painted exterior. Huge lot.

2-car garage. x ............................................................$449,000

OTHER AREA HOMES

ADDISON. ATYPICAL RANCH-STYLE HOME! 3 spacious BRs, 2.2 BAs. Open flr plan w/huge kitchen & family rm.

Luxurious MBA. Lots of storage. x .............................$479,000 BERWYN. WAITING FOR ITS NEXT OWNER. Spacious 4BRs, 2BAs in a great location. Open kitchen & family rm. Lrg yd.

Well-kept; add finishing touches. x...........................$222,000 BIG ROCK. MID-CENTURY MODERN home with 2.9 acres. 3BRs, 2.1BAs. Large rms, lots of closet space & lots of potential. x ...................................................................$350,000 ELMWOOD PARK. WELCOME HOME! Lovely and spacious 3BR, 1.5BA - while it lasts! x.............................$345,000

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

ELMWOOD PARK. NEED ROOM? NO PROBLEM. Cape Cod has 4 BRs & home office could be 5th BR. 2BAs. Spacious kit & family rm. Lots more. x ...........................................$298,000 PARK RIDGE. OWN THIS RAISED RANCH TODAY. 4BRs, 2 updated BAs. Hdwd thru-out. Eat-in kitchen. Tons of storage. Beautiful yd. x ...............................................$359,000

INCOME OAK PARK. BRICK 3-FLAT close to school with a big living rm, formal dining rm. Well-maintained! Great income!$729,000

COMMERCIAL OAK PARK. MIXED-USE BLDG. 1st flr: lrg commercial spc – approx. 3000SF. 2 apts on 2nd flr: 3BR, 1BA /1BR, 1BA. 2-car gar. 1st flr handicapped access. Call for more info. ......$350,000

OAK PARK CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES NEW CONSTRUCTION! New standard of luxury! 1808-2200 SF units, 3 BRs, 2 indoor pkg spaces, spacious terraces, ecoefficient LEED certified. Pricing starts at .......................$669,900 BRIGHT OPEN FLOOR PLAN. Updated twnhse w/2BR, 2.1BA, eat-in kitchen, in-unit lndry, private deck, 2-car garage & many other great features. x ...................................... $319,900 GREAT 2+BR, Family rm & 2 full BA sunny, spacious condo in elevator bldg near DTOP. New kitchen & updated BAs. Frplc. 2 garage spcs! .....................................................................$245,000 STUNNING 1 bedroom, 1BA unit in the historic Van Bergen designed Linden Landmark. Updated throughout, a true masterpiece. x.....................................................................$199,000 SUNNY AND SPACIOUS vintage condo with 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and laundry in-unit. x ............................... $179,000 WELL-LOCATED STUDIO features hdwd flrs, new SS fridge and portable washer. Murphy’s bed. ............................... $67,000

FOREST PARK. RECENTLY RENOVATED. New kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 1½ baths plus 2 parking spaces. x.....................$119,900 RIVER FOREST CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES

OPEN CONCEPT 2 bedroom River Forest townhome. Updates throughout. See it! x ...................................................$216,000 EXTRAORDINARY 1BR CONDO in exceptional location.

Updated kitchen. Great closet space. Full BA w/double vanity.

Balcony. Elevator bldg. x............................................. $139,500

FOREST PARK CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES

TEN FOOT CEILINGS, SUNLIGHT & a great location. 3 level twnhse w/2BRs, 2.1BAs. Hdwd flrs. 1st flr lndry. Wellmaintained. x...............................................................$298,000 MUST SEE! Updated 2 BR, 1.5 BA condo with parking. Granite kitchen with stainless steel appliances.......................... $110,000

OTHER AREAS CONDOS/TOWNHOUSES

CHICAGO. SHARP 1 BEDROOM, 1 BA with gleaming hdwd flrs & city views. Updated kitchen & BA. Laundry hook-up.

Great location. x .......................................................... $149,000 NORTH RIVERSIDE. LINCOLN SQUARE TOWNHOME! Lovely 2BR, 2BA offers lots of living space. Hdwd flrs. C/A. Updated BA. 1-car garage. x ...................................... $159,000 PALOS PARK. DESIRABLE, well-maintained & spacious 2BR, 2BA condo in Mills Creek. Vaulted ceiling, gas frplc, wet bar.

MBR ste w/WIC. In-unit lndry. x................................$152,000 RIVER GROVE. BEAUTIFUL 2 bedroom, 1 bath unit with balcony. Large living & dining area. 1 Parking spc behind bldg.

Great location................................................................... $129,000

CONDOMINIUM RENTALS

OAK PARK. 2 BEDROOM, 2 bath+ den in heart of Oak Park.

Lovely unit in great condition. Parking...........................$1750/mo

COMMERCIAL RENTALS

ELMWOOD PARK. OPEN FLOOR PLAN, 1st flr office spc in mixed use residential tower. Inside & outside pkg. 1 toilet, kit area, 1 private office & storage rm. Great building!...$18.36/sq ft OAK PARK. OFFICE SPACES in lovely Art Deco bldg.

2 Elevators. Entry handicap equipped. Tenants pay electric. Public pkg. Call! ............................................................................... $24/sq ft OAK PARK. READY FOR NEXT TENANT! Clean 1st flr store front office space. High foot traffic & 2 public bus routes.

Tenant pays electric. Bldg supplies heat. .................... $18.31/sq ft

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

WHAT’S HAPPENING at OPEN DOOR in JULY Fridays/Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 3PM through July 23rd

It Don’t Just….Shake Off Set in the 1920s, this new production

by McKinley Johnson, is a chamber musical based on the partnership of bluesmen, Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker) and Georgia Tom (Thomas A. Dorsey - the Father of Gospel, composer of Precious Lord, Take My Hand).

The setting is a surreal 1920’s juke joint caught somewhere between want and lost. Big D....the God of the Blues. finds these two lost souls Thomas and Hudson and transforms them into Georgia Tom and Tampa Red … the performances are top-notch and the songs are wonderful fun (The Wednesday Journal, 6/28/17)

Thursday, July 13 at 7:30PM

Tom Chapin in Concert The New York Times calls 3-time Grammy winner Tom Chapin “one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.” With 25 recordings and hundreds of songs in his repertoire, Chapin serves up a tasty mix of story songs, ballads, comedic and political songs, as well as old-time folk classics and a favorite song or two of his late brother Harry’s.

His new CD, THREADS is being released July 7th, and reflects Chapin’s strong family ties. This collection of songs features original songs, a cover of a Harry Chapin song and a new folk anthem, penned by his daughters Abigail and Lily (performing as The Chapin Sisters).

Friday, July 28 at 8PM

Ty Cooper…. Shades of Blue A gorgeous selection of jazz standards referencing ‘Blue’ mixed with old time Blues tunes from the Legends of Blues! Koko Tayler, BB King, Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, The Rolling Stones and Billie Holiday.

Special appearance by Chicago Blues Icon, Jimmy Burns!

With: Frank Portolese, Eric Schneider, Mike Benning, Justin Kramer

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Tickets: www.opendoortheater.net 708.386.5510 902 S. Ridgeland | Oak Park, Il 60304

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Beautiful Lake Geneva Home!

Exceptional renovated and expanded home on oversized, wooded lot in Geneva Bay Estates: • Private lake access to Lake Geneva • 5 BRs including TWO master suites • 4.5 Baths • Chef’s kitchen with custom cabinetry and high-end appliances • Great room with fireplace • Fully furnished • Offered at $1,050,000 For more information or to set up a private showing contact Dorothy Higgins Gerber Mobile: 262.949.7707

23

NEW PRICE REDUCTION

UNDER CONTRACT

NEW PRICE REDUCTION

1435 PARK AVE, RIVER FOREST $699,500 :: 4 bed :: 4.5 bath

825 BONNIE BRAE, RIVER FOREST $895,000 :: 5 bed :: 4.5 bath

1142 FRANKLIN AVE, RIVER FOREST $1,445,000 :: 4 bed :: 4.5 bath

Spacious, meticulously maintained Georgian family home. Walk to elementary school.

Unique Buurma Built home, Great location!

Custom modern 6000 sq. ft. home.

Dramatic design and unique detailing throughout.

JUST LISTED

UNDER CONTRACT

UNDER CONTRACT

131 GALE AVE, RIVER FOREST $869,000 :: 4 beds :: 2.5 baths

417 N MARION ST, OAK PARK $369,900

1048 N EAST AVE, OAK PARK $750,000 :: 3 bed :: 3.5 bath

Delightful Victorian - updated kitchen & master bath - huge park-like yard walk to train.

Stand alone office building with 4 parking spots. 1,800 sq. ft. Multi-use.

Walk to train, shop & restaurants.

Charming picturesque English Country home with original architectural details.

Newer kitchen & baths.

KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com

623 Main St. • Lake Geneva, WI 53147 • dorothysells.shorewest.com

MODEL HOME NOW OPEN! 7836 Madison Street, River Forest Open Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-1PM or by appointment 29 new construction luxury townhomes Upscale finishes • Attached 2-car garage Blue ribbon award-winning schools Direct access to public transportation Lush maintenance-free landscaping Starting at $499,900

thepromenaderiverforest.com · 708.457.1400

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest Donna Barnhisel Cibula 7375 West North AvenueJoe Dan Bogojevich Don Citrano Anne Brennan Julie Cliggett Illinois 60305 Karen Byrne Alisa Coghill Kevin Calkins JoLyn Crawford 708.771.8040 Tom Carraher Andy Gagliardo Maria Cullerton

MANAGING BROKER/OWNERS River Forest,

Pat Cesario

Tom Poulos

Karen Doty Julie Downey

Kurt Fielder Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox Chris Garvey Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin Sharon Halperin Aubrey Jacknow

729 KENILWORTH • OAK PARK

1109 WISCONSIN • OAK PARK

N E W L IS T I NG!

PP RR II CC EE RR EE DD UU CC EE DD !!

IMMERSE YOURSELF in the warmth & beauty of this 5BR/3BA Hulbert home on an oversized lot in Historic Oak Park. Inviting open front porch, expansive LR, beamed ceiling formal DR, full baths on three levels, finished rec room in LL, two fireplaces! Wonderful family home! .................................................................................$619,900

STUNNING VICTORIAN! Updated 3 bedroom, 3 bath home.

Original details have been preserved, and well considered updates added to create an ideal blend of historical character and contemporary design. House sits on an extra large lot with professional landscaping. ..........................................................................$624,900

511 LINDEN • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

New Construction Luxury Condominiums In the Village of River Forest

Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Joanne Kelly Michael Kinnare Sherree Krisco Jack Lattner Susan Maienza Vince McFadden

Charlotte Messina Kathleen Minaghan Colleen Navigato Rosa Pitassi Sue Ponzio-Pappas Katie Possley Michael Roche Jenny Ruland

Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Meg Sullivan Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

45 KEYSTONE • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 12-2

1038 FOREST • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

CORNER PRAIRIE STYLE HOME with spacious open floor plan on 1st floor, adorned with oak trim and flooring, and casement windows. Kitchen opens to the family room & large semi covered deck. Four BRs, 2 and ½ baths. Finished basement. 3 car garage and 3 car apron..............................................................................$795,000

ELEGANT HOME with spacious rooms, high ceilings, four bedrooms and 2-1/2 baths. Impressive entry. Lots of natural wood decor and hardwood floors throughout. Main level laundry off kitchen. Third floor walk-up and full basement provide plenty of storage. ..................................................................................$769,000

827 LATHROP • FOREST PARK OPEN SUNDAY 12-2

The Avalon 15 Luxury Units* All Three Bedroom Units

RIVER FOREST HOMES

• Top of the Line Finishes

• Wide Generous Floorplans

• 2 Car Garage Parking

• 9 / Foot Ceilings

• Ranging from 1900-2550 S.F.

• Oversized Terraces

• Outstanding location

Located at the corner of Bonnie Brae and Thomas

TRULY CLASSIC OP RED BRICK COLONIAL with four or five bedrooms, depending on your needs, and four full and two half baths. Third floor features rec room, or bedroom, and full bath. There is a heated 2 car, with addl 2 tandem space, garage with fabulous coach house above..............................................................$1,750,000

BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. ....................................................................................................................................................$2,449,000 SPECTACULARLY UPDATED American Federalist Home. Tremendously restored and improved by the designer/owner. Benefits include 5 BRs, 4 full + 2 half baths, Gourmet Kitchen, Library/Office and private Family Room with large-scale windows overlooking backyard. ......................................................................................................................................................$1,895,000 EXPERT DESIGN RENOVATION! The very best in contemporary design, finishes and mechanicals alongside exquisitely restored leaded glass doors and gleaming hardwoods create the ideal blend of old and new. Massive rooms and high end craftsmanship throughout.

Oversized lot. .............................................................................................................................$1,550,000 GORGEOUS FRENCH NORMANDY with 5 bedrooms, 5 full & 5 half baths sits on a 75 foot corner lot. Gleaming hardwood floors and fireplace in LR, simply stunning eat-in kitchen with adjoining family room. Lower level rec room with gas fireplace. Beautifully landscaped grounds. .....................................................................................................................................$1,049,000 COMPLETELY RENOVATED 4 bedroom home is move-in ready. First floor features a spacious open floor plan. Large, high end kitchen. Full finished bsmt consists of a family room, a wet bar and a bonus room with its own bath. Deep backyard with a large patio and fire pit. .........................................................................................................................................................$944,900 LIVES VERY LARGE! Each room has been thought out in this six BR, two and a half BA home. Kitchen boasts Rift Cut Oak and was completely redone in 2009. MBR has radiant heated floors. Patios and sitting areas off the Master. Everything has been done for you. .......$779,000

• Innovative Custom Design

For Information please contact Andy Gagliardo • 708-771-8040 *All information in this ad is estimated and therefore subject to change.

BEAUTIFUL STONE COLONIAL with three bedrooms, two and one half baths, and two gas fireplaces is finished to perfection! There is also a finished basement with upscale appliances. Brick pavers everywhere; very spectacular yard! .....................................................$729,000 CHARMING, SPACIOUS QUEEN ANNE BUNGALOW in pristine condition. Art glass windows, French doors, wood trim, hardwood floors. Granite kitchen, breakfast nook. Family room and 1st floor bedroom. 3 bedrooms on 2nd floor. Finished basement, enclosed porch, 2 car garage......................................................................................................................................$634,900 CLASSIC TUDOR offers the charm and elegance you’ve come to expect in River Forest. A beautiful brick and stone exterior and timeless interior with natural woodwork in this vintage home. Kitchen overlooks large backyard. Two fireplaces, dry basement. Two car garage. .........................................................................................................................................................$599,500 CONTEMPORARY PRAIRIE STYLE with huge potential. Great opportunity for investor, rehabber or homeowner. ..........................................................................................................$549,000 LOVELY, WELL CARED FOR VICTORIAN offers three bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths and classic Victorian details throughout. All brand new - wood floors, carpeting, kitchen appliances, quartz counter tops, sink & fixtures, and washing machine. The large, deep back yard is fully fenced. ...........................................................................................................................................$499,000 COZY BUNGALOW with lots of natural light, hardwood floors throughout, tons of natural wood trim, renovated living room with amazing bay Pella windows and renovated master bedroom! Enjoy your morning coffee in the sunny breakfast nook which overlooks large back yard.................................................................................................................................................$339,000

OAK PARK HOMES

UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home!.........................................................................................................................................$2,300,000

GORGEOUS CLASSIC COLONIAL with all the bells and whistles! Flawlessly renovated home with high end finishes and quality updates throughout. Gourmet eat-in kitchen opens to family room, massive finished basement, Bluestone patio. Perfect for entertaining. .$799,000 THREE CAR GARAGE PARKING a bonus in this three BR, two BA brick Georgian home.

Many recent improvements to this well maintained, move-in condition home. Updated kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances. First FL fam rm with fireplace. Heating & Central air. .........................................................................................................................................................$539,000 EXQUISITE BRICK BUNGALOW beautifully maintained w/ hardwood floors, natural oak woodwork, stained glass, coved moldings, brick fireplace with built in bookcases. Large deck with view of the professionally landscaped yard, side drive leads to 2 car brick garage. .........................................................................................................................................................$499,000 BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED VICTORIAN style three bedroom, two bath home in central Oak Park. Large front porch. Open high end kitchen with granite, perfect for entertaining! All new furnace/ac, windows, siding, roof, etc. make this a nearly maintenance free home. .........................................................................................................................................................$498,800 PRISTINE HOME with spacious rooms. Kitchen with double glass doors leads to backyard deck. Second level features 3 BRs with CA Closets. Hardwood floors & custom blinds throughout! Finished bsmt rec room, storage, laundry & utility room. Backyard has privacy fence & 2 car garage......................................................................................................................................$449,000 WARM AND INVITING impeccably maintained home. Open living/dining room with hardwood floors. Updated kitchen, den with sliding doors to large backyard, 3 nicely sized bedrooms on the 2nd floor, large family room and office in the basement. Don’t miss this stunner! .........................................................................................................................................$419,900 BEAUTIFUL HOME located in the heart of Oak Park with a large front porch to relax on.

Easy walk to Green Line train, schools, pool and restaurants. Sunny rooms, oak floors throughout, high ceiling in the basement. Newer roof. Great back yard too! ................................$299,000

P R I C E R E D U C E D! TWO STORY BRICK & FRAME HOME w/open floor plan on first floor with slate entry & hardwood floors. Large LR, formal DR open to wood cabinet kitchen. 2nd floor has 4 BRs, 5th BR in basement.

Basement is semi finished with laundry room. Large fenced in yard, 2 car garage. ..........................................................................$439,000

FOREST PARK HOMES METICUOLOUSLY MAINTAINED new construction with open floor plan features 10 foot ceilings, hardwood floors, and many custom details from crown molding to door handles.

High end kitchen. Four generously sized bedrooms. Open basement ready to finish. Just move in!! ...................................................................................................................................................$474,000 CHARMING THREE BEDROOM FARMHOUSE with updated kitchen, family room that overlooks fenced yard and in-ground pool with pool house. Partially finished basement with finished rec room, updated full bath, laundry room. One car garage, 3 exterior spots. ........................................................................................................................................................$274,999

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Luxurious & unique! .............................................................$285,000 NEW LISTING RIVER FOREST 2BR, 1BA.....................................................................$99,900 NEW LISTING OAK PARK 2 Flat. .................................................................................$675,000 OAK PARK 2 Flat. ..................................................................................................................$549,900 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Unique condo...................................................................................$250,000 NEW LISTING OAK PARK 3BR, 2BA. ..........................................................................$197,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Enclosed back porch. ......................................................................$188,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Two parking spaces. .......................................................................$163,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA. Open floor plan................................................................................$159,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Vintage condo..................................................................................$129,000

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

25

Sunday, July 9, 2017 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1546 Forest, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$216,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 637 Clarence, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$365,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 241 Harrison St, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$396,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 1:30-3 711 N. Lombard Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1233 N. Lombard Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1109 S. Highland Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$425,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

607 Home Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$448,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 716 Carpenter Ave, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$449,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 937 Division St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$475,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 625 Clarence Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$499,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 921 N. Oak Park Ave, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$524,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1 947 Mapleton Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$550,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-1:30 1519 Ashland, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$565,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-1:45 735 Home, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$585,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 818 N. Euclid, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$589,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 725 S. Elmwood, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$615,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1:30-3:30 944 N. East Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$624,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 519 S. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$635,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 131 Ashland Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$674,990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 847 N. East Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$689,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 335 Clinton Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$729,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 630 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$739,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11:30-1:30 1206 Lathrop Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$895,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1

CONDOS

1230 W. Norwood St, Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1135 Schneider Ave. UNIT 2B, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$275,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4 156 N. Oak Park Ave. UNIT 1A, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gloor Realty Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$739,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

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JOURNAL W E D N E S D A Y

June 1, 2016 Vol. 34, No. 42 ONE DOLLAR

of Oak Park

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April 17, 2013

Powered by the Oak Park Area Association of Realtors

A conversation with John Lawrence

business or the most transactions,” says Gerri Keating, CEO of OPAAR. “The Realtor of the Year is the person everybody else can look up

By DEB QUANTOCK MCCAREY to, somebody who is an all-around good person, professionally and personally. John will be given another plaque in Springfield on April 17, and hen first meeting John Lawrence, the honored, so it is a big deal.”

2012 Realtor of the Year, it’s easy to see WJ recently sat down for a conversation with how and why the broker/owner of Oak Lawrence in his offices at 101 N. Oak Park Ave. Park-based Weichert Realtors – Nickel Group was selected by the Oak Park Area How did your new real estate office survive Association of Realtors (OPAAR) to receive this top the recent recession? industry honor.

Well, we opened up on Dec. 1, 2006, not knowing With a warm handshake, sincere smile and we were about to go into a real depressed period. earnest gaze, Lawrence epitomizes a home-grown It did get a bit hairy. I lost one partner and then businessman and committed community guy who another a couple of years later. enjoys giving back to Oak Park, River Forest and We started out lean, and we stayed lean … and Forest Park. the money was well managed, so we weren’t Peers say the 41-year-old family man is a successful feeling that real pinch. Throughout everything, real estate pro because of his commitment to we also kept a very positive message and dialogue excellence in business as well as the common good going in the office. As a result, every single year where he lives and works. These attributes he we have out-performed the market by a large attributes to the role-modeling he received from his margin. At the very end of 2008 we affiliated with compassionate and civic-minded parents, Dr. Gene Weichert Real Estate, and that played a role in our and Evelyn Lawrence of River Forest. increase in business. For example in 2009, when The fourth in a line of six kids, Lawrence attended everybody was losing it in real estate, we had a St. Luke Catholic School in River Forest, and is a 1989 40 percent increase in business and were able to graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School. attract good, quality, producing agents.

He went on to earn an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois Champaign and a teaching What is your business philosophy? certificate from Concordia University in River People want to work with good people they feel Forest. He currently resides with his wife Pam, an are going to treat them right. So it is important early childhood special education teacher, and their to me to make this a place where agents want to 9-month-old daughter in River Forest. do business, and for the community to see that Nine years ago, he shifted careers from being a we give back to it. For example, we are a strong special education teacher himself in River Forest supporter of Opportunity Knocks, so our agents School District 90 to real estate, first working for are given the opportunity to make a donation other offices, then opening his own. after every closing, and the office matches it. We An active member of the Oak Park-River Forest also do food drives … [for the Forest Park and Oak Chamber of Commerce, in 2012 he became its Park food pantries] and we will continue to do president. Lawrence also serves as treasurer on that. the board of OPAAR, and sits on the board of directors for Opportunity Knocks, a community How’s business so far this year? organization that serves teens and young adults with [In the third week of March], the inventory developmental disabilities.

“Being Realtor of the Year is not necessarily See LAWRENCE on page B3 because the recipients did the most amount of

Meet our Realtor of the Year

W

THE MOST LOCAL REAL ESTATE I

OAK PARK 2 BR, 1 BA . . . . . . . . . . .$279,000 See page B6

OAK PARK 3 BR, 2 BA . . . . . . . . . . .$749,000 See page B6

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Special pull out section

Oak Park police to carry anti-overdose drug Oak Park Fire De

| 708

administers Na partment already rcan roughly on ce a week

By TIMOTHY

INKLEBARGER

Staff Repor ter

Oak Park police offic with an anti ers will soon -opioid over be equipped can, conf dose drug irmed Oak known as Park Dep Tony Amb Naruty Police rose.

Participants Chief A state law w wave at the that went crowd during dates that into effec WILLIAM CAMAR the annual Mem t in January all Illinois GO/Staff Photog mancarrying rapher orial Day Para police depa the drug in rtments de in River Fore an effort to begin from hero st on May 30. prev in and opio id-based pres ent overdoses For more phot Ambrose said in a cription drug os, page 10. telephone OPPD is s. work interview that the ment to rece ing with the Oak Park Fire ive training DepartNarcan prog and gran t funding ram. for the Oak Park Deputy Fire in a telep

By TOM HOLM Chief Pete hon ES to r e suns Pila inte fas said Contributin C et, every rview that paramedics gR day for four Reporter fire depa have been Nausheen weeks. rtme can for som trained to sounds very Syed Moh administer nt e ator, to deve on Yom much like uddin (a.k.

Kippur or times a mon time and used it an NarDAVID PIERINI/Staff Photographer lop a Jew to and his wife a. Mohi) a Christia average of th in 2014 perfect one’ patience, gratitud Ahmed Lent when she Nausheen Oak n during and 2015. four Pilafas appl THE REAL DEAL: John Lawrence was named Realtor of the Year by the e and s characte describes keep Akhter will a Mus ing the mon ied on May r. When fasti what Mus Park Area Association of Realtors. be begin are striving for duri will cove th of Ram 20 for the lims beha lim is supposed to ng, 5. The Rive r 100 perc ng Ramadan adan on Jun Ri r Fore grant, whic be on thei “What peop vior, avoi ent of the prog . st r e d h best le resi ram ange may ing without costs for dent , and it r, bad lang etc. Many the OPPD food or drin s will fast, go- “is that the purp not know,” she said uage, lies, He said now was approved thre , example people give up bad ose of Ram N PRINT AND ONLINE k, from sunr e bring you days police and habits, for adan is to smo will attend ise closer spir fire departme later. itually to a training spection and king. It is a time nt officials of introyour Creofficers on seminar self-reflection to instruct how on how to police Earlier this to administer the betdrug.

See RAMADA year, Oak Park Tow N on page nship Sup 12 erviSee NARCAN on page 13

OAK PARK4 BR, 2.1 BA . . . . . . . . . .$799,900 See page B6

A day of remem

An American River

brance

Ramadan

Forest couple say s don’t make ass umptions abo ut Muslims

RIVER FOREST 3 BR, 2 BA . . . . . . .$539,000 See page B7

RIVER FOREST 7 BR, 7.1 BA . . . $1,195,000 See page B8

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 12-1:30PM

OPEN SUNDAY 11:30-1:30PM

3D

OPEN SUNDAY 12-2PM

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3D

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947 Mapleton Ave 4BR, 3BA $550,000 OPEN SUNDAY 12-2PM

630 N Marion St. 4BR, 3BA $739,000

847 N East Ave 3BR + 1BSMT, 3.1BA $689,900

OPEN SUNDAY 1-3PM

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OAK PARK 3D

3D NEW LISTING

937 Division St 3BR, 2.1BA $475,000

3D

920 N Kenilworth Ave 5BR, 3BA $699,000

519 S Oak Park Ave 4BR, 3.1BA $635,000

RI V ER FO R E S T

131 Ashland Ave 4BR+ 1BSMT, 3.1BA $674,990

3D

926 Home Ave 4BR + 1BSMT, 3.1BA $624,900

3D

716 Carpenter Ave 4BR, 2BA $449,000

OAK PARK 3D

3D NEW LISTING

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1133 Paulina St 3BR, 2.1BA $385,000

426 N Humphrey Ave 4BR, 1.1BA $419,900

751 Forest Ave 3BR, 1.1BA $579,000

3D

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F O R E S T PA R K

3D

1411 Monroe Ave 4BR, 2.1BA $675,000

1005 Ferdinand Ave 3BR, 3.1BA $425,000

3D3D

3D

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7419 Warren St. 4BR, 3BA $529,000

101 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301 • 708-848-5550 www.weichertnickelgroup.com

546 N Oak Park Ave 5BR, 2.1BA $979,000

622 Woodbine Ave 3BR, 2BA $569,900

3D

1040 Wisconsin Ave 4BR, 2BA $434,000

3D

927 Clinton Ave 4BR, 1.1BA $345,000

3D

1023 Franklin Ave 4BR+1BSMT, 2.2BA $1,149,000

3D

7770 Washington Blvd 4BR,3.1BA $689,000

Townhomes & Condos

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847 Lathrop Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $660,000

OAK PARK

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944 N East Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $624,900

NEW LISTING

3D

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607 Home Ave 3BR, 2BA $448,000

OPEN SUNDAY 12-2PM

3D

625 Clarence Ave 3BR, 1.2BA $499,000

936 Chicago Ave 5BR, 3.1BA $670,000

3D NEW LISTING

NEW PRICE!

921 N Oak Park Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $524,900

OPEN SUNDAY 1-3PM

832 Ferdinand Ave 3BR, 1.1BA $280,000

613 Grove Ln - 2BR, 2.1BA $331,000 339 Clinton Ave - 2BR, 2BA $185,000 224 S Oak Park - 2BR, 2BA $224,000 1005 Des Plaines Ave - 2BR, 1.1BA $81,500 222 N. Grove Ave - 2BR, 2BA $224,000 156 N Oak Park Ave - 2BR, 2BA $393,000 108 S Scoville Ave - 2BR, 1BA $159,000

Go to

WeichertRNG.com to view 3D 3D Tours and see what else is on the market!

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27

28

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

In The Village, Realtors®

189 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 386-1400 HomesintheVillage.com

April Baker

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED PROPERTIES 335 CLINTON AVE OPEN SUN 12-2 PM

1233 N LOMBARD AVE OPEN SUN 12-2 PM

1135 SCHNEIDER AVE #2B OPEN SUN 2:30-4 PM

TOO NEW for Photo!

Mike Becker

Roz Byrne

1109 S HIGHLAND AVE OPEN SUN 12:30-2 PM

Oak Park • $729,000 4BR, 3.1BA Call Jane x118

Oak Park • $425,000 3BR, 2BA Call Kelly x113

1230 W. NORWOOD ST. OPEN SUN 2:30-4 PM

1206 LATHROP AVE. OPEN SAT 11-1 PM

Joelle Venzera

Oak Park • $399,000 4BR, 2.1BA Call Marion x111

Oak Park • $275,000 2BR, 2BA Call Kelly x113

Chicago • $1,200,000 4BR, 4BA Call Dorothy x124

River Forest • $895,000 5BR, 4BA Call Laurie x186

Oak Park • $828,800 5BR, 3BA Call Kyra x145

River Forest • $799,000 6BR, 4.1BA Call Roz x112

Kelly Gisburne

Linda Rooney

Forest Park • $595,000 4BR, 3.1BA Call Steve x121

Oak Park • $450,000 3BR, 2.2BA Call Harry x116

Kerry Delaney

Oak Park • $349,000 2BR, 2.1BA Call Joe x117

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CONGRATULATIONS

2017 Illinois Banker of the Year

Martin J. Noll Chairman of the Board, Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest

Named by the Illinois Banker’s Association at their Annual Conference in Nashville, TN.

Oak Park Office: 1001 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60301 708.660.1000

South Oak Park Office: 810 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park, IL 60304 708.919.6200

Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest employees at the IBA Conference in Nashville (left to right): Walter Healy, President and CEO, Martin Noll, Ruth McLaren, Senior Vice President, and Mary Lou Noll

River Forest Office: 7751 Lake Street River Forest, IL 60305 708.366.4700

Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest also wishes to congratulate

Dan Watts

President, Forest Park National Bank & Trust Co., who was named Chairman of the Illinois Bankers Association.

@cbo @cboprf @cboprf

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

F

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

VIEWPOINTS

31

DOOPer’s Memories: Time travel p. 34

Taxing questions about those Aug. 1 bills

or most Oak Park taxpayers, the recently mailed second installment tax bills reflect an annual increase of about 12% over the total amount of property taxes paid last year. This year’s tax increases, coupled with the increases from last year, mean that most Oak Park taxpayers are contending with tax bills that are about 20% higher than they were two years ago.

This year’s tax increase is largely a result of the referendum for Oak Park’s Elementary School District 97, which voters approved in April. In the referendum campaign, the school district said that a successful referendum would increase its revenues by $13.3 million.

This would have increased tax bills by 7.4%, or $740 on a $10,000 tax bill.

But the referendum has generated significantly more money than the district expected. Instead of $13.3 million, the school district’s levy has increased by $15.9 million. This increase is about 20% higher than expected and corresponds to a tax hike of about 8.8%, or $884 for a $10,000 tax bill.

I do not believe the revenue estimates put forth by the district during the referendum campaign were made in bad faith. Indeed, I concurred with the district’s $13.3 million estimate. Nonetheless, for the reasons explained below, the referendum has generated $2.6 million more than the district expected. When I became aware of this in mid-June, I alerted the school board to the problem, and am pleased that the board has made a commitment to find a way to return the extra money from the referendum to taxpayers.

ALI

ELSAFFAR One View

Why did D97 receive nearly 20% more money from its referendum than expected?

The school wanted an additional $13.3 million in revenue, but under state law it could not directly ask for this sum.

See TAXING on page 35

WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer

Racial equity demands true dialogue

I

am a black mother with a black child in this community and director of the Oak Park-River Forest cradle-to-career initiative, Success of All Youth (SAY). My child is a high performer who has had the benefit of GTD (Gifted, Talented and Differentiation) services, and now honors and AP classes. However, I have observed how easily this would not have been the case without vigilance and advocacy; and I observed far too many being left on the sidelines.

I am disheartened by the exchanges I see associated with the issue of GTD services in particular and equity in general. I do not refer to it as dialogue in that dialogue is a conversation or discussion to resolve a problem and what I am reading is not that.

We have a challenge: To be a community that meets the diverse developmental needs of all children/youth — in essence, to actually be the community that we so proudly claim we are. Individuals, groups, and institutions have been working on this challenge. And yet each time we attempt to take a bold step toward that realization, we devolve into the type of exchange we are seeing in Wednesday Journal and Facebook comments; and we remain no closer to addressing the gaps in opportunity and achievement that plague our community.

Now please be clear — I am not suggesting that we not question decisions or participate in dialogue about the merits of particular approaches. But once again, what I see is not reflective and inquisitive dialogue toward addressing our challenge. I believe it is really our fears that we are allowing to rule the day:

Fear of the zero sum game – So many of the comments reflect the belief that the opportunities afforded our children are part of a zero sum game rather than a system where all can gain. It assumes that intelligence is not an attribute to be nurtured and developed but rather is an attribute that has value because there are others who have less of it. This is simply not true. There are children with abilities who are not being challenged through our current means for determining worthiness.

Can we not acknowledge that that is happening to too many black and brown children right now? GTD services do not just involve advanced access to subject matter. They contribute to a view of oneself as “deserving” and the establishment of expectations by both children and the adults around them to do their best.

These kids then gain additional exposure to increasingly more learning skills and experiences that ensure their academic success. There is no reason why all students should not receive these benefits while also ensuring that students learn at the pace best for them individually.

Win-win, not zero sum.

Fear of competition – We hear about the increasing competition for college acceptance, funding and employment in a society that struggles to maintain the gains made by our parents. So if more kids are excelling, what does that mean for my child? Will she not get into that AP class or will he not get into the college

LINDA FRANCIS One View

See RACIAL EQUITY on page 35

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

O U R

V I E W S

Higher wages and, next, higher sales

O

ak Park’s village government keeps getting to the right outcome. But its recent paths to the correct solutions have been unnecessarily tumultuous and the wild rides have undermined the final messages the town is trying to send about our values.

Last Friday, for instance, the village board was called into an “emergency meeting” by Mayor Anan Abu Taleb to consider delaying participation in the county’s new minimum wage and sick leave law.

One demonstration and nearly two hours of passionate and angry public comments later, Abu Taleb rightly chose to abandon any vote and to let the previously approved changes take automatic effect on July 1.

We understand but disagree with Abu Taleb’s decision to call this special meeting. He is sympathetic to the concerns of many local businesses that the “opt-in” to the county law while several neighboring towns have “opted out” creates a competitive disadvantage. The mayor sought a pause in implementation so business concerns could be fully heard.

We share the worries of small businesses. Wednesday Journal is, after all, a small, independent business fully dependent on the success of other local businesses. Those concerns, though, cannot supersede either the essential Oak Park value of treating working people fairly or the unfairness of reopening at the 11th hour a decision fairly made.

Those Oak Park values were ably reflected Friday afternoon as a long parade of villagers made plain their belief that the progressive majority in this town expect that fairer wages for low-paid workers are long overdue. They are right, of course, though raising those wages town by town within a single county is a problematic method of achieving the goal.

Too many of the stout-hearted liberals, though, betrayed their expected tolerance with overly intense criticism of local small business owners. Some speakers, suspicious of capitalism and happy to toss out stereotypical guff portraying local business owners as fat cats, created unhelpful divisions.

That outcome, though, was made inevitable by the village in simply calling this meeting. With fears that something important, seemingly secured, might be taken back, passions were heightened and rhetoric was made hotter.

With the minimum wage now hiked, and guaranteed to rise further over the next three years, we have that certainty. How do we have the important conversation about Oak Parkers actively, consciously supporting the small business people now paying these higher wages, paying them while employers in Forest Park, River Forest and Elmwood Park are not paying them?

Friday’s meeting created an artificial wedge between progressives and small business owners. With the social media flaming of local business owners who dared support the idea of the pause, only a handful of business owners spoke at the meeting.

When everyone calms, here’s the reality: Most small business owners — not all but most — live locally and opened their business in Oak Park because they share progressive values. But business is tough. The long recession, high property taxes, Amazon, expectations for local charitable giving, and now higher minimum wages, make business owners worry rightfully.

Most everyone in Oak Park theoretically lauds the independent businesses for giving Oak Park character and definition. But are we actually supporting those businesses, on purpose, over and again?

Or are we going online to save money or because it’s easy?

The default response is that somehow this is the village’s fault, that Oak Park should be handing out money to market or even directly support small businesses. That won’t solve the property tax crisis in town.

So it is time for a long talk and a strategic response if we really want small businesses to continue to exist so they can pay higher minimum wages to worthy workers. This is not a Facebook conversation that we’re talking about having.

B

@ @OakParkSports

A value, above all price, in our daily life

efore we go on, a few comments about writing in the local newspaper: I write in order to find out what I think (Joan Didion) and because it’s what I do best (Flannery O’Connor), and because I have idea diarrhea (my inelegant coinage, as far as I know).

Also because I grew up just outside Chicago, land of Mike Royko, where a newspaper column seemed the greatest achievement to which a writer could aspire. And because Oak Park’s most famous native son, Ernest Hemingway, was first and foremost a journalist. And because I spent seven years in the Chicago Archdiocesan seminary system, and these humble homilies allow me to allude and alliterate without the terror of facing pews full of faces.

But mostly I keep writing because readers keep reading, sometimes in spite of themselves (readers who disagree but read anyway pay the ultimate compliment). Nothing quite compares to the lift of having a reader respond — even if only to tell me off online. Mostly, though, people are kind and seem to know my intentions are sincere.

A good column, I often kid, is good both for our circulation and the readers’. It gets the blood rushing to their heads. My job is not to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted but to afflict the conventional and comfort the conflicted.

My mission is ministering to the middle class, which is beaten up, anxious, and struggling to sustain hope.

Oak Park is a good place to do this. A longago editor of the local newspaper reportedly labeled Oak Park “the middle-class capital of the world.” But I prefer to think of it as a modernday, Midwestern version of Our Town. Not the simplistic, sentimental, cultural cliché in many people’s minds, but the much more complicated play by Thornton Wilder, which fellow playwright Edward Albee, no sentimental slouch by any stretch, described as “one of the toughest, saddest, most brutal plays I’ve ever come across — and so beautiful” — a play that Wilder himself said was “an attempt to find a value, above all price, for the smallest events in our daily life.”

Sounds like a good guideline for community journalism.

Our Town I think of as the Great American Play, just as I think of Oak Park as the Great American Town.

So I spin my secular sermons for a weekly newspaper with an unassuming name, Wednesday Journal (my attempts to convince them to change to “The Vindicator” went unheeded). It’s a good gig.

There is no 50,000-resident community quite like it — progressive, educated, opinionated, diverse.

Frank Lloyd Wright began his career here, and we host the largest collection of his remarkable homes. Steve James, John Mahoney, and Chris Ware live here. Kathy Griffin, Johnny Galecki and Ludacris grew up here. Edgar Rice Burroughs

penned his early Tarzan books here.

Betty White was born here.

There’s a theory about the water.

But our real claim to fame is finding the courage to welcome African Americans in the 1960s when most other communities were segregating, re-segregating, or running scared. Since then, we have not only maintained stable diversity, we celebrate it — and more to the point, our kids grow up comfortable with it. We haven’t achieved educational equity yet, but we’re working on it.

As a columnist, my subject matter careens from the personal to the universal, the microcosmic to the cosmic, preferably within the same piece. My formative influence was Sidney Harris, Royko’s colleague at the old Chicago Daily News, a master at getting readers to transcend the default setting of their everyday thinking. I aspire to that, but haven’t yet mastered it.

If I have any claim on your time and attention, it would be as a voice of the middle class, this endangered social strata, struggling to keep hope alive and find solid ground, now that all our certainties have shifted.

I’ve been doing this a long time. Why did I stay so long in a profession where you have to work too hard for not enough money? The question occurred to me fairly often, and I talked about it often with friends. But whenever I got to the point of doing something about it, I couldn’t.

For a long time I attributed that to a character deficiency, but as time went on, I started to look at this company and this enterprise differently.

For some reason, my hard-working colleagues and I stayed — in spite of the discomfort of flying by the seat of our pants. There are myriad reasons, of course. But I think the main reason for me, in spite of dedicating my efforts to an industry that has already been declared dead several times, is that when all is said and done and complained about, what we are doing here is worthwhile, that our work has import and significance and substance and meaning. It matters. And that the communities we publish in are better off for our doing so. And for the most part, it matters to substantial portions of these communities.

And also because it matters not just in the present but also for the future. As the Stage Manager says to “people a thousand years from now” as he puts Our Town in the Grover’s Corners time capsule: “This is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying.” That’s what we should be trying to capture, and what I will try to chronicle in the weeks and months ahead.

I love life in Our Town, and, thanks to community journalism, I’ve had a life here.

To complete Thornton Wilder’s thought: “It’s like what one of those Middle West poets said: ‘You’ve got to love life to have life, and you’ve got to have life to love life.’ It’s a vicious circle.”

Not so vicious really. On we go.

KEN

TRAINOR

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

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Timothy Inklebarger, Thomas Vogel Viewpoints/Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter Marty Farmer Columnists Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Staff Photographer William Camargo Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes

A bit of wildness comes to our block

A

fox has taken up residence on our block. I saw him last week crawling out from under the porch next door early one morning. It looked young and healthy, with a red coat and black tail and went on its way to the back of the yard.

The rabbits, which have been in great abundance, seemed not to notice. One nibbled dew-covered grass nearby.

A fox. A bit of wildness resident on our block.

A couple days later, I stopped by two neighbors who were chatting about other things. When I raised the fox issue,, one said he had seen n two in front of his house in the street late e one night. The other had seen both as well. ell.

I predicted thee rabbit issue would take care of itself, and it did. From m a gaggle of rabbits nibbling, to three, then two, then one.

My wife sent me a photo of a rabbit skeleton left on our driveway. eway. Nothing but bones, except for a furry ry rabbit’s foot that looked unlucky.

Some neighbors ors walking their dogs were all about bout the foxes too. “Oh, that noise oise at night is so creepy!” py!”

Foxes yip in a peculiar way, grating and high pitched.

JACK CROWE

Another neighbor’s son is trying to raise chickens in the backyard. So far, two chicks have disappeared. Foxes must be fence climbers.

Late one hot night, my wife heard the yipping, followed by a non-somnolent neighbor yelling “shut up” out his window.

I imagine the foxes will move on now that the rabbits are gone.

One teenager even claimed to have seen a coyote chasing a fox down the street.

But for now, we rest in our foxy stories, connecting us to a natural world that normally is far from our civilized block.

And the y yipping? pp g I thought g it sounded wonderful.

Editorial Designers Jacquinete Baldwin, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Director Social Media Strategy & Communications Jackie McGoey Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck, Joe Chomiczewski Media Coordinator Kristen Benford Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Caleb Thusat Comptroller Edward Panschar Credit Manager Laurie Myers Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

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

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

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

If you have questions, call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 708-613-3310 or email him at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ■ 250-word limit ■ Must include first and last names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY ■ 500-word limit ■ One-sentence footnote about yourself, your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

D O O P E R ’ S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

M E M O R I E S

Time travel: A view from Scoville Park hill

I

’m standing in front of the War Memorial statue in Scoville Park waiting for my friend Charlie. We are going to the Scoville Institute to borrow books.

While I am waiting, I may as well look around at the sights on this Saturday morning.

The hill that I’m standing on is steep enough to make for great downward sledding in the winter and to offer a great view of the Oak Park-Lake area.

When I turn around and face north, I see First Baptist Church where many of my friends attend Sunday school.

I turn to the east and see the Christian Science Church and across Ontario Street to the south is the Oak Park Club.

My family does not belong to this club, but some of our neighbors do. I have never been inside this place, but this fall I am signed up to attend dance classes on Thursday evenings. I’ll last about a month.

When I look past the Oak Park Club to the south, the YMCA comes into view. I have never been here either.

A

Further down Oak Park Avenue is Prieb’s Cleaners, Cannon’s Book Store, and the Acadia Restaurant.

I have been to Cannon’s many times with my grandfather. I would love to work here during the summer. I love reading.

On the northeast corner of Oak Park and Lake Street is Peck and Peck’s women’s clothing store. Neither my mother nor my grandmother shop here.

When I turn directly south, I see Strickland’s grocery store and the top floors of the Medical Arts building, which is almost a block east of Oak Park and Lake.

It is at the Medical Arts building where both Dr. Grissom, my pediatrician, and Dr. Traut, the doctor for the rest of the family, practice.

On the southeast corner of Oak Park and Lake is Fannie May Candies and just south of this store is Walker’s Hardware.

My uncle Gene says that Walker’s sells the best hand tools money can buy.

From my vantage looking directly south, I see Gilmore’s Department Store on the southwest corner of Oak Park and Lake. My mother buys linens here.

Turning slightly to my right [west], I can see an apartment building where my classmate Ann Synnerdahl lives with her mother, who teaches math at OPRF High School, and her grandfather.

Ann’s grandfather was my grandfather’s math teacher at Crane Tech in the late 1890s. Boy, he must really be old.

The Scoville Arms Hotel is next to the apartments and across Lake from the library.

Unity Temple is on the southeast corner of Kenilworth and Lake. This church was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I have

JOHN

STANGER

Parking and its discontents

fter reading Wednesday Journal’s June 14 article “Mills Park Tower struggles after losing parking,” and receiving a letter from the Oak Park Transportation Commission to provide public comment on this, I decided to participate.

On June 26, the village of Oak Park Council Chambers was packed. There were approximately 50 constituents, the vast majority from Mills Park Towers, and two who recently received 24-hour parking permits, and didn’t want their

24-hour permits to be taken away. Village of Oak Park staff provided background, and the commissioners listened respectfully to all who wanted to speak.

Here’s part of my public comments: I’m responding to a notice from Parking & Mobility Services, to provide public comment at the Oak Park Transportation Commission Meeting here tonight.

I am a neighbor, and live about two blocks away from Pleasant Place.

I’m disappointed and unhappy

JOY

AARONSON One View

OPEN SUNDAY 12-2PM

Call Dave!

514 N Marion, Oak Park 4 BR, 3.5 BA $775,000 THIS IS THE ONE! Updated in 2013 after a 2004 gut rehab.

Lovely OP Victorian on huge lot just 3 blocks to Downtown OP, CTA Green Line & Metra. Sunny open granite & SS kitchen. 1st flr laundry rm + sweet 3 season screened-in porch! Master suite w/soaking tub & separate shower. 2 full baths on the 2nd floor! 2 unit zoned hi-efficiency HVAC. Surround sound “mancave” + steam shower in the basement. 2.5 car garage w/ storage loft. Huge yard. Newer appliances

that seven parking spaces at Mills Tower were taken away from a building with over 150 senior and disabled residents who need parking spaces for their caregivers, medical assistance, and families to visit, and made into 24-hour permit parking Lot 119. This has provided a hardship.

I live near Mills Tower, and know how tight the parking situation is.

Parking here in Oak Park can be a challenge on a good day, and a frustrating mess on other days. I also feel that taking those spaces away and making them 24-hour permit parking is a shortsighted and misguided plan.

COMING SOON

heard that he was a famous architect.

Across the street from Unity and on the southwest corner of Kenilworth and Lake is the U.S. Post Office.

Shifting completely to the right, I see the tower of the First Congregational Church and next to the church is the Scoville Institute.

I see Charlie coming south on Grove, so I’ll leave the hill now and meet him at the front door of the library.

I want to find a book on baseball by John Tunis and a naval book by Armstrong Sperry. Charlie told me yesterday that he wants a book about football and two or three books about magic.

The view from the top of the hill is wonderful. I hope it never changes.

John Stanger is a lifelong resident of Oak Park, a 1957 graduate of OPRF High School, married with three grown children and five grandchildren, and a retired English professor (Elmhurst College). Living two miles from where he grew up, he hasn’t gotten far in 77 years.

I love living here in Oak Park, a diverse, vibrant, and involved community. And I want Oak Park to be a community where people of all ages and backgrounds thrive. I work in the aging field, volunteer in local government, and love this community.

Please remember that aging is an equal opportunity process. Everyone who is not taken earlier in their lives by illness or an accident can look forward to aging. And many of us want to age in the Oak Park community.

Parking in Oak Park is a huge, complicated and complex issue.

We need to think strategically, and possibly “outside of the box.” But making parking a hardship for the Mills Tower residents is not the way to solve this issue.

COMING SOON

I sincerely and strongly urge you to rescind the 24-hour permits and make this right. I believe that finding another solution, without taking these spaces away from the caregivers, families, and medical assistants of the residents, is the right direction to take in addressing the parking situation on Pleasant Place.

It was an exciting and energizing meeting. I was impressed with the volunteer commissioners, who after listening to the public comments realized that taking away the seven spaces provided a hardship for the residents of Mills Park Tower. They asked staff to investigate various alternatives, and I look forward to hearing how this gets resolved.

Joy Aaronson is a resident of Oak Park, who lives near Mills Park.

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TAXING

D97 plans a refund from page 31 Instead, it had to ask for a specific tax rate, and hope that the new rate would generate the money it was seeking. Under this system, school districts sometimes get less money than they expect from a referendum, and sometimes they get more.

D97 got more.

An important reason for the variation in revenue coming from referendums is a little-known factor called the state equalizer, which changes every year. This year, the equalizer increased significantly, and thereby allowed D97 to receive much more money than it expected.

I do not blame D97 for the poorly designed law on referendums, nor do I blame it for the increase in the state equalizer, which was not released until after the referendum vote. But school districts can control how much revenue they receive through their tax levy requests, and have the ability to amend their levies after a referendum to ensure that they receive the correct amount of money. Had D97 filed an amended levy after the referendum, it could have avoided the problem it is now confronted with. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

V I E W P O I N T S Will D97 be issuing refunds?

The district has indicated that it does not want to keep the extra money it received from the referendum and is exploring options about how to return it. One option is to refund the extra $2.6 million it received from the referendum directly to taxpayers.

Such a plan is possible but will be challenging, as it involves issuing some 19,000 refund checks. The other option is for the board to reduce its tax levy next year by the extra $2.6 million that it received this year. The school board’s preference, if feasible, is to issue refunds directly to taxpayers as soon as possible. The board expects to make a final decision on how to proceed in mid-July.

If D97 is responsible for an 8.8% tax increase, why did my taxes go up by 12%?

Although D97 is the largest taxing district in Oak Park, it is not the only taxing district. Tax highlights from the other districts include a 13.7% levy increase from village government and a 10% levy reduction by the Oak Park Public Library, reflecting repayment of construction debts.

Combined, tax levies from all local governments increased by 10.4%.

In addition to levy increases, most taxpayers are also paying more because of the impact of appeals. Under our property tax system, whenever one property reduces its taxes through a successful tax appeal, every other property owner

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

has to pay a little more to ensure that all the money levied by local governments is collected. This year, those Oak Park residents who did not file appeals had to pay about 1.2% more to make up for those who did.

RACIAL EQUITY

Do these tax increases have anything to do with the new assessed value I received from the county in March?

No. All Oak Park properties were reassessed in March, but the impact of the reassessment will not appear on tax bills until the summer of 2018.

of his choice? This type of thinking has us fighting over crumbs rather than creating a society that bakes more bread.

Our economy and our schools have not suffered because of the growth of white women and girls in areas previously the domain of white males. Neither will this happen when more black and brown children are afforded an opportunity to excel. More kids performing well will lead to more vibrant and challenging classrooms and an even better school system for everyone.

Fear of change – This system is working for my child, so it must be good. Changing it may ruin things for kids like my child. It’s those other kids and their families who need to change. Many statements reflect this belief.

For a village that has such great schools, it is interesting to note that we are not ranked as high as one would expect. That is because you cannot have only parts of your student body doing well to truly be a great school.

If we are in the same boat, the water needs to rise for all to rise. That means being responsive to the changing needs of children and our society. Old ways of teaching and learning will just not do.

Our schools have stumbled through attempts to find the new normal, with multiple curriculum changes and service approaches.

It has been difficult for teachers, students, and parents. But we are in a transition as an economy and forging new ground. There are few hard-and-fast solutions. Our schools need us to be partners in this effort, not groups formed to impede progress. True dialogue involves the search for answers, not the maintenance of the status quo. We must all figure out how to work toward better outcomes as allies, not enemies.

Equity is not just a pretty picture of diverse children playing together with limited inclusion that is easy and self-affirming for the majority. Equity will occur when our community coordinates and aligns our priorities, efforts, and resources to empower every youth to reach her/his full potential, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, income, disability, or sexual orientation. That takes real work and real dialogue.

So let’s use our heads and hearts and be fearless. Let the next comment read: I am not sure about the approach and I’m a little scared of what this means, but I’m excited to help work toward a better solution for all kids. Our children are watching and listening.

Linda T. Francis is a 25+ year resident of Oak Park and director of Success of All Youth (SAY), the cradle to career community collective of all who provide care and services to children living in Oak Park and River Forest. We unify the priorities, efforts, and resources of our partners, enabling them to increase the impact of their support to all of the children in our communities. SAY is a member of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation family.

Can I do anything to reduce next year’s tax bill?

In August, the Cook County Board of Review will be accepting appeals from Oak Park residents for next year’s taxes. When appeal dates are announced, residents may call Oak Park Township to schedule an appointment for help in preparing an appeal.

Can I do anything to reduce my current tax bill?

If you are eligible for a homeowner, senior citizen or other exemption but did not receive one, the Township Assessor’s Office can assist you in obtaining a revised bill for a smaller amount. If you have received all exemptions for which you are eligible, you likely will not be able to do anything about your current bill.

Ali ElSaffar is the Oak Park Township Assessor.

One for your summer reading list Recently on a walk in Austin Gardens, I passed three women sitting on a bench, each with hair streaked with white. They were chatting and laughing as only old friends do.

On another bench, a suitcase rested with the top open revealing a jumble of books. The owner paced nearby clutching several sheets of paper as he read out loud in a language I couldn’t identify. In the grassy center of the park, two older adults moved slowly and beautifully through a series of Tai Chi movements.

I could go on. The park is seldom empty.

It’s vibrant but also restful, filled with glorious trees, grass, plants and flowers. I’ve always felt lucky we have great parks in our village, but my gratitude has deepened since reading Robin Kimmerer’s book, Braiding

Sweetgrass.

In May, eight of us, men and women, read this book and met five times to discuss it.

The author is a Native American woman who has a PhD in plant ecology. She writes like a poet. She opened our eyes to the wonder of our environment. I hope you will read her book. If you do, you will laugh, cry, and your soul will be stirred. Given today’s government, it’s especially incumbent on each of us to protect our earth. Robin’s book will inspire you to do that. It’s especially powerful to share in a group. I promise you’ll never look at our tree-filled community and lush parks in the same way.

Robin Sheerer Oak Park

Thanks for a successful Garden Walk

The 2017 Garden Walk was a great success as we had wonderful weather and more attendees (500+) than 2016. The garden owners outdid themselves and visitors came away with many new ideas for their own gardens.

We want to thank the generous supporters of our event: American Gardens; Care of Trees, A Davey Co; City Escape; Gerger and Greco, Hutter Architects; McAdam Landscaping; Park District of Oak Park;

and Yard Crew Landscaping.

The hardworking garden owners and the many volunteers made this event happen.

We thank Magic Tree Bookstore, Oak Park Visitors Center, and Westgate Flower and Plant Shop for selling tickets.

We also thank Wednesday Journal for the great article prior to the walk and Elaine Allen for her stunning photos in the article.

We do want to remind readers that the

35

event is a joint venture by the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory and the Oak Park-River Forest Garden Club. Both groups will use the funds raised by this event to support their group’s mission in the community.

Please contact us with possible gardens for 2018 at suegboyer@gmail.com.

Sue Boyer and Gina Sennello

Co-chairs of Garden Walk 2017

A fearless approach from page 31

36

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O B I T U A R I E S

Robert McCabe Jr., 74 Bronze Star veteran, coal broker

Robert J. McCabe Jr., 74, of Westchester, a former longtime resident of River Forest, died on June 25, 2017. Born March 29, 1943 in Selma, Alabama, he grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played football and enrolled in the Army ROTC. Upon graduating, he went onto Officers Training and Flight School. He served his country in the Vietnam War where he was stationed in Vinh Long, Vietnam, 196869. A captain and helicopter pilot, he also served as a platoon leader in an assault aviation company, company commander in the Army Security Agency, and group aviation maintenance officer. He was awarded several medals for distinguished service, including the Bronze Star.

Upon returning, he married Kathleen in 1970 and raised their family of five children in River Forest, where they created lifelong friendships.

He was proud to be a “coalman,” brokering coal sales in the energy industry for over 40 years. He had the gift of making everyone’s day brighter. He loved to make people smile, including the Starbucks barista, the mail carrier, and even the hospital cafeteria worker, who was convinced she made the best tuna fish sandwich after he called to tell her.

Robert McCabe Jr. is survived by his wife, Kathleen (nee Sittler); his children, Robert III (Amy), Kevin (Tara), Brian (Katherine), Julie (Dan) Stratis, and Jenny (Marc) Hans; his grandchildren, Nora, Sean, Brendan, Sadie, Madeline, Jacob, Aiden, Henry, Jackson, Danny, Ellie, Charlie, and Chloe; his sisters Cindy (Don) Langguth and Terry (James) Riley; his sister-in-law, Mary Ellen (the late Daniel) Gibbs; and his brother-in-law, Ed (Joni) Sittler. He was preceded in

MEL WILSON

ROBERT MCCABE JR. death by his parents Robert and Helen McCabe.

Visitation was held on June 29 in Westchester. A funeral Mass was celebrated on June 30 at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park. Burial with military honors followed at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Fisher House Foundation (https://donate.fisherhouse.org), which provides support to military families.

Arrangements were handled by Peter B. Kennedy & Co. Funeral Directors.

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home

Since 1880

Memorial service for Mel Wilson Mel Wilson, an Oak Park resident for over four decades and pioneering leader in the village’s lesbian and gay community, died on April 20, 2017 after several months in hospice care.

The 74-year-old Wilson was a founding member of the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association (OPALGA), a community advocacy group established in 1989.

A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, July 9, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, 875 Lake St., Oak Park.

Send letters to the Editor Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com Fax: 708-524-0047 Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

Robert P. Gamboney Funeral Director

Family Owned & Operated

I am there for you in your time of need.

All services handled with dignity and personalized care.

Charles Williams, Owner/Funeral Director

Cell: 708.420.5108 • Res: 708.848.5667

203 S. Marion St. Oak Park 60302 708/383-3191

I am affiliated with Peterson-Bassi Chapels at 6938 W. North Ave, as well as other chapels throughout Chicagoland.

I always fetch the Wednesday Journal!

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

37

SPONSORED CONTENT

Getting Down To Business

with the Oak Park - River Forest Chamber of Commerce July 2nd, 2017

Blame Me, Not Businesses for a Messy Process

B

By CATHY YEN, Executive Director

lame me, not the businesses, if you are still upset about last week’s special board meeting regarding the Cook County wage and sick leave ordinances that went into effect on Saturday.

Please do not boycott or take action against businesses I wanted to help.

My job is to give voice to small local businesses. Your local, unaffiliated Chamber of Commerce does not take official positions on issues. But I speak for (and yes, write for) businesses on issues they bring forth. It is a hard line to walk, since never will I speak for the entire business community, which is too diverse to share a common opinion.

Some Oak Park businesses raised concerns about the impact of the ordinances two months ago. Not because they missed it last October, but because in the past ten weeks, neighboring towns opted out in rapid succession. These business people acted as swiftly as they could to respond to the uneven playing field rapidly emerging.

We knew from our small business survey that half of the respondents were fine with the wage laws. The other half said they would struggle. The latter asked that we push for conversations with Village Hall. These businesses hoped Oak Park could craft its own law – one more favorable to workers than the County’s but with flexibility for small independents.

Turns out Oak Park cannot do that. But that was the kind of conversation we wanted, the one I hoped to lead.

community will move on to the next issue and forget about us. That is why we continued to push until the bitter end – to secure the conversation and illustrate the unique challenges to doing business here.

The democratic process challenged us, as real conversation was offered then taken away multiple times. I presented information, wrote letters and gave testimony which may have caused more harm than good.

If my political naivete made this situation worse, let me apologize. I hope the online threats of boycott are just rhetoric. Please do not blame businesses.

We are on the same side.

Our biggest concern was (and still is) that once laws go into effect, the

Fresh Thyme Market 7501 W. North, River Forest freshthyme.com/go/riverforest

… to FRESH THYME FARMERS MARKET on their Grand Opening!

Among those celebrating the opening: Lynn Palmgren, Palmgren Acupuncture; Pat Koko, Celebrating Seniors Coalition; Mary Ann Bender, Dr. Mary Ann Bender Podiatry; Kim Goldschmidt, AXA Advisors; Susie Goldschmidt, MB Financial; Asiah Miles, Fresh Thyme; Nate Black, Fresh Thyme; Randy Santos, Fresh Thyme; Cathy Adduci, Village of River Forest; Peter Silvestri, Cook County Board Commissioner; Cathy Yen, OPRF Chamber of Commerce; Chris Welch, IL House of Representatives; Bob Stelletello, Right at Home Oak Park/Chicago; Christian Harris, MaidPro; Corey Nekimken, Day Nursery of Oak Park; the staff of Fresh Thyme Farmers Market; and many more!

OPRFCHAMBER.ORG

38

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM New local ads this week

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

Deadline is Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

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

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

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

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

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 524-0447 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

BILLING & ADMIN SUPPORT Intermodal Logistics Company, located in central downtown Oak Park, seeking a full-time Billing and Administrative Support professional.

The ideal candidate must be detail oriented and possess a willingness to learn new skills in our growing organization.

EXPERIENCED PIANO TEACHER West Suburban Montessori School is seeking an experienced piano teacher to work with our students between the ages of 4 and 12 years old. The position will be part-time for 4 or 5 afternoons per week throughout the school year and possibly summer. Candidates may send a resume to the Head of School, Patty Eggerding, at peggerding@ wsms.org

Primary Responsibilities Include: * Ability to perform complex billing processes * Light phone work, filing, order supplies Proficiencies: * Microsoft Word & Excel Training will be provided. Logistics industry and /or Quick Books knowledge is a plus. Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Qualified candidates can email resume and cover letter to humanresources@icl-na.com CUST SVC POSITION AVAIL Seeking mature person for in house sales, customer service, billing, etc..

Must be detail oriented with clerical and computer skills. 401K, insurance, other benefits. Call Roger at 708-780-0070 x4850.

DRIVER-Part Time ASAP Local company looking for part time parts driver/receiving clerk.

Must be drug Free and have valid IL DL. Must be able to lift 75lbs.

Hours 10am til 3 pm. $12/hr. Email resume: HR@sievertelectric.com NO PHONE CALLS Java Developer, F/T (Chicago, IL) Responsible for dsgn, dvlpmt, quality analysis, implmtn & maintenance of projects using Web Methods & Java technologies. Must have a Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Info Systems, Electrical/Electronics Engg or related field. Must have 5 yrs of progressive exp in software dvlpmt or prgmg positions performing the following: dvlpmt using Java prgmg best practices; dvlpmt of code with use of distributed computing concepts; implmtn of different Security protocols; object-oriented dsgn & dsgn patterns; applying knowl of SDLC processes & methodologies & EAI integration technologies, such as J2EE connectors; deploying cloudbased apps in Amazon (AWS); Agile Software development lifecycle (SDLC); working with: Relational database SQL, Core Java, J2EE, Open Source, Messaging infrastructures, JDBC, Hibernate, JMS, Java, JavaScript, Servlets/JSP, XML, XSLT, JAXB, SOA, Web Services, WSDL, UDDI, SOAP & RESTful web services, HTML5 & Web 2.0 concepts XML. In the alternative, employer will accept a Master’s deg in Comp Sci, Info Systems, Electrical/Electronics Engg or related field plus 3 yrs of exp in software dvlpmt or prgmg positions performing the aforementioned duties. Send resume to: Jennifer Livatino, Mgr, Recruitment Prgms, e-gatematrix, llc (d/b/a eGate Solutions), 1880 Campus Commons Dr., Ste 200, Reston, VA 20191.

Part Time Positions Available for 2017-18 school year After-School Youth Development Specialist on site at Oak Park public schools The Day Care Program of Hephzibah Children’s Association is accepting applications for warm, caring, nurturing individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children in the After School Day Care program on site at Oak Park public schools. The days and hours are Mon–Fri from 2:30-6:00 PM and 1:30-6:00 PM on Wednesdays.

Plan and supervise arts and crafts, indoor & outdoor play, games, sports, homework help and more.

Requirements include: minimum of 6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work or related college courses previous experience working with children.

Openings available for the 2017-18 school year starting.

Contact Amy O’Rourke, Director of Day Care at aorourke@hephzibahhome.org Equal Opportunity Employer PART-TIME ADMIN ASST Looking for a part time (20 hours) efficient administrative assistant to support youth violence intervention research project. Must possess great work ethic, exceptional communication skills, comfortable with Microsoft Office, able to travel to off site meetings. Qualifications: High School Diploma, with college background & high energy.

Email resume to: Emmanuelhealthandsocial@gmail. com Please call 708-697-6207 and leave a message if interested in position.

Software Engineers sought by Uptake Technologies, Inc. in Chicago, IL to build framework for training & scoring predictive models at web scale. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com # 91746 SPANISH TEACHER/CHILDCARE West Suburban Montessori School is seeking a Spanish teacher/child care assistant. Position could be full or part time. Applicants must be fluent in Spanish, have a love for working with young children, and be detail oriented. Candidates may send a resume to the Head of School, Patty Eggerding, at peggerding@wsms.org

OakPark.com | RiverForest.com

SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE

SUBURBAN RENTALS

NEW CONCEPT!

FOREST PARK 2BR & 1BR 2BR & 1 BR apts in a smaller, quiet building. 2 BR $1050/mo. 1 BR $890/mo. Short walk to Green Line “L”. Updated with fresh paint.

Very clean. No smoking. No pets.

Credit check and 1 1/2 mos. security deposit required.

Call 708-404-2865.

HISTORIC MAYWOOD MANOR

902 S. 3RD AVENUE (2 blks W of 1st Ave & 1 blk N of Madison) Tired of renting? Why not consider buying an affordable 2BR condo w/ 1000+ sq ft of living space? Savings are built in from a unique 12 year tax freeze plus lower utility costs from energy saving systems and appliances. Onsite pkg, exterior lighting and enhanced security systems included. Plus you can customize and design your living space to better meet your needs! For details Call 708-383-9223.

BEAUTIFUL GUNDERSON HOME Feel right at home in this grand, spacious Gunderson home with plenty of warmth and comfort throughout.

Lots of space and amenities, Wonderful and diverse block; “walking- distance close” to all neighborhood elementary and middle Schools, both OPRF and Fenwick High Schools, Transportation (Blueline), Parks and recreation, and all businesses, including Grocery, restaurants and services.

For more information e-mail Dennis B at: dmbracco1@comcast.net or call 708-557-0664

OAK PARK FOREST PARK Studio, 1, and 2 BDRM. Heated.

Dining room. Parking available.

Walk to El. $625-$1250.

www.oakrent.com

CITY RENTALS 2 BR/1 BA 4940 W VAN BUREN 2 br/1 bath apartment for rent at 4940 West Van Buren. Rent $750 plus 1 month security. Utilities not included. Quiet Building. No pets allowed. On the street parking.

Please call 773-261-7131.

AUSTIN VILLAGE 5939 W. Midway Parkway Remodeled 1 BR. Half block from Oak Park, Green Line & shops. 3rd Floor. $800/month. Heat not included. 708-383-9223 or 773-676-6805.

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro.

Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up.

773-637-5957 Large Sunny Room with fridge & microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101.00 week & up. New Mgmt.

773-378-8888

CHURCH FOR RENT MAYWOOD COUNTRY CHURCH Lovely, old fashioned country church in Maywood, on corner of Fifth and Erie is looking for a roommate or tenant. We are willing to work out a flexible arrangement if you are an appropriate tenant. Various size spaces. Call 708 344-6150, leave a message.

OAK PARK CLASSIC CHURCH FOR RENT

Includes Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Kitchen, Midweek Service/ Bible Study, Office Options.

708-848-5460

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT * RIVER FOREST * 7777 Lake St. - 3 & 5 room suites 7756 Madison St. - Store: 926 sq. ft.

- Office: 900 sq. ft.

* OAK PARK *

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-888-328-8457 for an appointment.

6955 North Ave. - 3 room office suite 6957 North Ave. - 2 room office suite 6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. - 4 room office suite

Strand & Browne 708/488-0011

You have jobs. We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified!

Call 708-613-3342

OFFICE/RETAIL SPACE FOREST PARK OFFICE/ STOREFRONT FOR LEASE Busy Madison Street location.

1350 sq ft

Call 708-771-2020

GARAGE/YARD SALES Berwyn

FLEA MARKET TRINITY COMMUNITY CHURCH 7022 RIVERSIDE DR SAT 7/8 9AM-2PM Vendors, lunch and bakery.

Chicago Style Hot Dogs!

708-484-1818

Oak Park

GARAGE SALE 916 N HUMPHREY SAT 7/8 8AM TO NOON

Lots of DVDs; brand new items,some seen on TV, never used and many more misc. items Oak Park

FAMILY GARAGE SALE 431 S EAST AVE SAT 7/15 9AM - 2PM

Large variety of household items including brass headboard, bedding, jewelry, luggage, puzzles, electronics, kitchen and household items.

Cleaning out after my wife’s death.

Money will go to my church’s youth program. Very low prices.

River Forest

2 FAMILY YARD SALE 563/603 THATCHER AVE SAT 7/8 8AM–4PM

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 )PVTF TJUUJOH t 1MBOU DBSF Bonded References

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AIR CONDITIONING/ HEAT AIR CONDITIONING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Air Conditioning Automotive A/C 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

Furniture, Children’s Toys, Teacher Supplies, Miscellaneous and More!

TO BE GIVEN AWAY 2 FREE SOFAS 2 sofas to be given away, 1 a sofa bed. You pick it up.

Call 708-328-7009.

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

Attention! Home improvement pros!

Don’t be caught short… reach the people making the decisions…

Advertise your home improvement business in Wednesday Classified.

Call 708/613-3342

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME In the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, County Department, County Division. In the matter of the petition of Jeremy Silvester Brown, Jr. for change of name to Jeremiah Wahid Muhammad, Case No. 20174003291.

Notice is given you, the public, that on June 15, 2017, I have filed a Petition For Change of Name in this Court, asking the Court to change my present name of Jeremy Silvester Brown, Jr., to the name of Jeremiah Wahid Muhammad. This case will be heard in courtroom 111 on August 11, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.

Published in Forest Park Review 6/21, 6/28, 7/5/2017

PUBLIC NOTICE The Board of Education for Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is soliciting Statements of Interest and Qualifications from qualified firms to provide comprehensive Architectural Services, as per (50 ILCS 510/) Local Government Professional Services Selection Act. Initially, the services of the selected Architectural Firm will include only development of initial design services, including scheduling, budgeting, funding, and delivery method. After the initial services are completed, the Architectural Firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services may be extended through subsequent phases of the Project as the School District deems to be in its best interests. Such further services shall be provided via amendment to the initial contract.

This RFQ is not an Invitation for Bid: responses will be evaluated on the basis of the relative merits of the Qualifications. There will be no public opening and reading of responses received by the School District pursuant to this request.

A Pre-Submittal Meeting and Walkthrough will be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at 10:00 AM CST at Oak Park & River Forest High School. Attendees are to gather and obtain ID badges at the Welcome Center located at Scoville Avenue Entrance 4 near Ontario Street.

Qualification submissions are due on Wednesday, August 2, 2017 at 12:00 PM CST. Interested firms can may access the RFQ documents on the Districts solicitation website located at www.oprfhs.org,â&#x20AC;?About Usâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Servicesâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Business Officeâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bids and RFPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sâ&#x20AC;? or by contacting Tod Altenburg at taltenburg@ oprfhs.org.

Published in Wednesday Journal 7/5/2017

Public Notices: Your right to know PUBLIC NOTICES Legal Notice State of Illinois County of Cook PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing on the adoption of the proposed Annual Budget and Appropriations Ordinance of the Park District of Forest Park, County of Cook, Illinois for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2017 and ending April 30, 2018 will be held at the Park District of Forest Park, 7501 W. Harrison Street, Forest Park, Illinois on July 20, 2017 at 6:00 p. m.

Chris Richards Park Board Secretary Dated this 30th day of June, 2017 Published in Forest Park Review 7/5/2017

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Oak Park on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Room 201 of the Village Hall, 123 Madison St., Oak Park, Illinois on the following matter: Cal. No. 12-17-Z: 834 S. Cuyler Avenue, Stephanie Socall

Applicant, Stephanie Socall, is requesting that a variation be granted from Section 3.5.4 (B) (1), which requires that the required front yard setback for the principal building shall be not less than 20 feet, whereas the project will feature an enclosed front porch addition with an approximately 15-9â&#x20AC;? front yard setback.

The applicant is seeking to construct a new enclosed front porch to the existing principal building. The proposal will attempt to be compatible with the original design of the residence that featured an enclosed porch based on the style and age of the residence.

Those property owners within 500 feet of the Subject Property and those persons with a special interest beyond that of the general public (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interested Partiesâ&#x20AC;?) wishing to cross-examine witnesses must complete and file an appearance with original signatures with the Village Clerk not later than 5:00 PM on the business day preceding the public hearing.

All papers in connection with the above matter are on file at the Village of Oak Park and available for examination by interested parties by contacting the Zoning Administrator at 708.358.5449.

DATED AT OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, this 5th Day of July, 2017 Published in Wednesday Journal 7/5/2017

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Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

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Public Notice: Your right to know In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST HIGH SCHOOL, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS ASCERTAINING THE PREVAILING RATE OF WAGES FOR LABORERS,WORKMEN AND MECHANICS EMPLOYED ON PUBLIC WORKS OF SAID SCHOOL WHEREAS, The State of Illinois Illinois, this determination or any has enacted “An Act regulating revisions of such prevailing rate of wages of laborers, mechanics and wage. A copy of this determination other workers employed in any or of the current revised determinapublic works by the State, county, tion of prevailing rate of wages then city or any public body or any politiin effect shall be attached to all concal subdivision or by any one under tract specifications. contract for public works,” approved SECTION 4: The Secretary of the June 26, 1941, as amended, (Ill. Board of Education of the Oak Rev. Stat. 1987, Ch. 48, par.39s-1 Park and River Forest High School, et seq. as amended by Public Acts Cook County, Illinois, shall mail a 86-799 and 86-693) and copy of this determination to any WHEREAS, the aforesaid Act reemployer, and to any association quires that the Board of Education of employers and to any person or of the Oak Park and River Forest association of employees who have High School, Cook County, Illinois, filed their names and addresses, investigate and ascertain the prerequesting copies of any determivailing rate of wages as defined nation stating the particular rates in said Act for laborers, mechanics and the particular class of workers and other workers in the locality of whose wages will be affected by said Oak Park and River Forest such rates.

High School, Cook County, Illinois, SECTION 5: The Secretary of the employed in performing construc- Board of Education of the Oak Park tion of public works, for said Oak and River Forest High School, Cook Park and River Forest High School, County, Illinois, shall promptly file a Cook County, Illinois. certified copy of this Ordinance with NOW THEREFORE, BE IT both the Secretary of State Index ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF Division and the Department of LaEDUCATION OF THE OAK PARK bor of the State of Illinois.

AND RIVER FOREST HIGH SECTION 6: The Secretary of the SCHOOL, COOK COUNTY, Board of Education of the Oak ILLINOIS: Park and River Forest High School, SECTION 1: To the extent and as Cook County, Illinois, shall cause required by “An Act regulating wagto be published in a newspaper of es of laborers, mechanics and othgeneral circulation within the area er workers employed in any public a copy of this Ordinance, and such works by State, county, city or any publication shall constitute notice public body or any political subdivithat the determination is effective sion or by any one under contract and that this is the determination of for public works,” approved June this public body.

26, 1941, as amended, the general prevailing rate of wages in this lo- PASSED THIS 22nd day of June 2017. cality for laborers, mechanics and APPROVED: other workers engaged in construction of public works coming under /s/ Jackie Moore, President the jurisdiction of the Oak Park and Board of Education, Oak Park and River Forest High School, Cook River Forest High School, District County, Illinois, is hereby ascerNo. 200, Cook County, Illinois tained to be the same as the preATTEST: vailing rate of wages for construc/s/ Jennifer Cassell, Secretary tion work in Cook County area as Board of Education, Oak Park and determined by the Department of Labor of the State of Illinois as of River Forest High School, District No. 200, Cook County, Illinois June of the current year a copy of that determination being attached STATE OF ILLINOIS ) hereto and incorporated herein by ) reference. As required by said Act, COUNTY OF COOK ) any and all revisions of the prevailCERTIFICATE ing rate of wages by the Department of Labor of the State of Illinois I, Jennifer Cassell, DO HEREBY CERTIFY THAT I am the Secreshall supersede the Department’s tary of the Board of Education of June determination and apply to the Oak Park and River Forest any and all public works construcHigh School; that the foregoing is tion undertaken by the Oak Park a true and correct copy of an Orand River Forest High School, dinance duly passed by the Board Cook County, Illinois. The definition of any terms appearing in this of Education of the Oak Park and River Forest High School being Ordinance which are also used in aforesaid Act shall be the same as entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE in said Act. OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST SECTION 2: Nothing herein conHIGH SCHOOL, COOK COUNTY, tained shall be construed to apply said general prevailing rate of ILLINOIS ASCERTAINING THE PREVAILING RATE OF WAGES wages as herein ascertained to any FOR LABORERS, WORKMEN work or employment except public works construction of the Oak AND MECHANICS EMPLOYED ON PUBLIC WORKS OF SAID Park and River Forest High School, SCHOOL”, at a regular meeting Cook County, Illinois, to the extent held on the 22nd day of June 2017, required by the aforesaid Act. the ordinance being part of the ofSECTION 3: The Secretary of the ficial records of said Board of EduBoard of Education of the Oak cation of Oak Park and River Forest Park and River Forest High School, High School.

Cook County, Illinois, shall publicly DATED this 22nd day of June 2017. post or keep available for inspec/s/ Jennifer Cassell, Secretary tion by any interested party in the Board of Education, Oak Park and main office of this Board of EduRiver Forest High School, District cation of the Oak Park and River Forest High School, Cook County, No. 200, Cook County, Illinois Published in Wednesday Journal 7/5/2017

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION PNC BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR

BY MERGER TO MIDAMERICA BANK, FSB Plaintiff, -v.IWONA JARZYNA, PAWEL KOPEC, PIOTR CHMIELEWSKI, CITIBANK, N.A., RBS CITIZENS, N.A. S/B/M TO CHARTER ONE BANK, N.A., UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 13 CH 22653 917 NORTH LOMBARD AV A/K/A 917 NORTH LOMBARD AVENUE 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 May 1, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 2, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive–24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 917 NORTH LOMBARD AV A/K/A 917 NORTH LOMBARD AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-123-0290000.

The real estate is improved with a two story single family home; two car detached garage.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance 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 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.

For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5pm.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 416-5500. Please refer to file number 8692.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

I723315

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE (CWALT 2004-2CB) Plaintiff, -v.CHARLES J. NOVAK, KATHLEEN A. NOVAK A/K/A KATHLEEN ANN NOVAK, BEERMANN SWERDLOVE LLP, CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., FIRSTMERIT BANK, N.A. S/B/M TO MIDWEST BANK AND TRUST COMPANY, GERALDINE M. REDMOND, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 15 CH 09899 1537 SOUTH ELGIN AVENUE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 22, 2016, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 4, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive–24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1537 SOUTH ELGIN AVENUE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-24-215-0340000.

The real estate is improved with a tan, vinyl siding, single family, with a two car detached garage.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance 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 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.

For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5 pm. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number 8255.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

I724400

AVENUE 1SE, RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 Property Index No. 15-12-205-0241033.

The real estate is improved with a brown, brick, condominium, no garage.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance 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 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.

For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5pm.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 416-5500. Please refer to file number 9375.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

I722250

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. Plaintiff, vs.

OLIVEA SHANNON; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS; OAK VIEW TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants, 16 CH 14664 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 25, 2017 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. 16-05-307-035-1004.

Commonly known as 7 Division Street, 2A, Oak Park, IL 60302.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 17-011467 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I723556

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff, -v.JULIE FOX, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEASED MORTGAGOR, PAUL A ROESER A/K/A PAUL ARNOLD ROESER, JOHN PAUL ROESER, MICHAEL ROESER, ALEXANDRA ANGEL ROESER, JUAN C CANALES, RIVER FOREST GARDEN APARTMENTS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF PAUL A ROESER AKA PAUL ARNOLD ROESER, IF ANY Defendants 14 CH 12921 7204 OAK AVENUE 1SE RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 5, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 18, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive–24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 7204 OAK

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Public Notice: Your right to know In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION M&T BANK Plaintiff, -v.CAROL A MANCUSO BARTELS, CHICAGO TITLE LAND TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE UTA DTD 3/23/94 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NO. 4001, BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. Defendants 15 CH 09291 1427 JACKSON AVENUE RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 18, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 4, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive–24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1427 JACKSON AVENUE, RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 Property Index No. 15-01-207-0070000.

The real estate is improved with a brown, wood siding, single family, with a two car detached garage.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third

party checks will be accepted. The balance 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 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.

For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5pm.

McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 416-5500. Please refer to file number 2133.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

I724595

Commonly known as 830 Carpenter Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call the Sales Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 3609455 WA15-0577.

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I724757

single family home with an attached two car garage.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance 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 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 identifi-

cation for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information: Visit our website at service.atty-pierce.com. between the hours of 3 and 5 pm. PIERCE & ASSOCIATES, Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street Suite 1300, CHICAGO, IL 60602. Tel No. (312) 476-5500. Please refer to file number 11302.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

I724866

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 Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 16-010473 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I724773

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-EMX3; Plaintiff, vs.

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY; MARY WINIFRED CONNOR, AS INDEPENDENT ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM L. HOSTY, JR.; Defendants, 16 ch 6338 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 Thursday, August 10, 2017 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-13-220-021-0000.

Commonly known as 617 Hannah Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged

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 informedthat all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

WEDNESDAY JOURNAL Forest Park Review, Landmark

ILLINOIS CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK AUCTION REAL ESTATE AUCTION 17035 Burnham Ave., Lansing, IL 38,000sf Multi-Tenant Industrial Building **Ideal for User/Investor** On approx 1.7 Acres.

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2007-OPT3, ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-OPT3; Plaintiff, vs.

GREGORY J. CHRISTIAN; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF GREGORY J. CHRISTIAN, IF ANY UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants, 15 CH 14368 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 Thursday, August 10, 2017 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. 16-18-133-010-0000.

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.LISA NORDSTOM-PITZEL A/K/A LISA A. NORDSTROMPITZEL, BERNARD PITZEL A/K/A BERNARD A. PITZEL, ELIZABETH HEBSON, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS NOMINEE FOR GMAC MORTGAGE CORPORATION DBA DITECH. COM Defendants 12 CH 45189 312 NORTH RIDGELAND AVENUE 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 April 28, 2016, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 7, 2017, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive–24th Floor, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 312 NORTH RIDGELAND AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-106-0080000.

The real estate is improved with a

MORTGAGE DIRECTORY

MORTGAGE RATE DIRECTORY LENDER COMMUNITY BANK OF OAK PARK - RIVER FOREST

(708) 660-7006 1001 Lake St., Oak Park IL 60301 www.cboprf.com

AMOUNT

RATE/YR

80% 80% 80% 80% 80% 80%

4.000% / 30 yr. fixed 3.875% / 20 yr. fixed 3.250% / 15 yr. fixed 3.500% / 5 yr. ARM 3.625% / 7 yr. ARM 3.750% / 10 yr. ARM

POINTS/ APP. FEE 0%/$550 0%/$550 0%/$550 0%/$550 0%/$550 0%/$550

A.P.R.

4.070% 3.972% 3.372% 3.890% 3.892% 3.915%

· Approved IHDA Mortgage Program Lender · Financing available up to 97% LTV Construction Loans and Home Equity Lines of Credit available – call for terms.

Mortgage rates are accurate as of Monday afternoon. Due to the fluctuation of mortgage rates, the rates may vary before publication. Contact your mortgage lender for complete details. Mortgage rates vary in APR and other qualifying factors.

To Advertise your Mortgage Rates, call Mary Ellen Nelligan: 708/613-3342

42

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

S P O R T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

d an ry! ad sto n a EE y R But a F ge

Photo by Steve Branscombe

Keith Rogalla drew Major League Baseball scouts’ attention with a fastball between 92 and 95 miles per hour and a solid curveball. The Angels drafted the former OPRF star in the 12th round as the 355th player chosen overall in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

ROGALLA

Moving on and up from page 44

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Even if he needed time to develop, it really wasn’t discernible at the high school level with the Huskies. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds and armed with an electrifying fastball (low-to-mid 90s) and a solid curve, Rogalla succeeded at OPRF following so many great players he admired before him.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be the star of the varsity team,” Rogalla said.

“Growing up watching guys like Tim Dennehy, Sam Picchiotti, Jo Jo Maldonado, I always wanted to be like them.”

Rogalla was a four-year letter winner and two-time First-Team All-West Suburban Conference selection. He also led the Huskies to a share of the conference title in 2013, as the Huskies finished 16-9 overall, with an 8-3 record in the West Suburban Silver.

Although his skill level was among the best in OPRF history, Rogalla’s high school career had a disappointing finish. The highly touted Huskies lost to conference rival Lyons Township in a 2014 Class 4A regional final on the Lions’ home field.

During his time with the Huskies, Rogalla kept learning from OPRF head coach Chris Ledbetter and the rest of the staff, which empowered him to grow as an athlete. “[OPRF] definitely had a big impact on me,” he said. “Led [Coach Ledbetter] and everyone else really helped me figure out that I could do this.”

Like most amateur pitchers, Rogalla had a bat in his hand at one point. In high school, he played well both at first and third base defensively and showed solid offensive skills to boot.

Ultimately, the bat was taken out of Rogalla’s hands, which signaled that pitching would be his calling.

That happened later than most.

“I’d say my junior [high school] summer was when I knew I was a pitcher and not a position player,” he said. “I went to a baseball showcase and college teams started calling me as a pitcher. It just kind of went from there.”

An often overlooked aspect of Rogalla’s time at Creighton was the impact his older brother had on him. Jack Rogalla was a graduate transfer for the Blue Jays during Keith’s freshman year. Having already attained his degree from Binghamton University in New York, Jack had another year of athletic eligibility left.

After that, he stayed on to coach at Creighton for Keith’s sophomore year before departing this past season.

Even before Keith’s time in Omaha, he was a role model in the Rogalla household.

“Jack had a major impact on me,” Keith said. “Watching him play football and baseball [at OPRF] kind of taught me how to take care of business. He helped me learn the ropes of college baseball as well when I got there.”

There is no Jack Rogalla in Orem, Utah. It’s just Keith and baseball, day in and day out.

If he stays the course on his interesting baseball journey, there’s a good chance we will see him in an Angels uniform soon enough.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

43

Eagles 12U wins Downers Grove Tournament The 12U Oak Park Eagles A team went 4-0 to win the Downers Grove Longshots Memorial Day Weekend Invitational, May 27-28. This Eagles squad won the 11U tournament last year. Dominant pitching from a deep staff of seven pitchers and a dangerous top-to-bottom hitting lineup overwhelmed travel teams from Berwyn, Lemont, Hinsdale and Naperville. After the weather shortened pool play to a single game on Saturday, the team was seeded

third heading into elimination play. They played three games on Sunday, including the 11-5 championship victory over the Naperville Renegades at Memorial Park in Downers Grove. The Eagles are a part-time travel team affiliated with Oak Park Youth Baseball and Softball. The team is comprised of players from the six-team Bronco league, which concludes its season later this month. The Eagles will then compete in travel tournaments throughout July.

L-R 1st Row: Francis Heinzmann, John Philip Ferraro, Patrick Carmody; 2d Row: Jack Chambers, Owen Augustine, Hank Babwin, Drew McConville, Jack Lenehan; 3d Row: Asst. Coach Tim Ferraro, Head Coach Chuck Carmody, Calvin Proskey (piggyback), Cole Shamhart, Asst. Coach Brian Shamhart, Henry Spillane, Ryder Conway (piggyback), Asst. Coach Andrew Augustine.

Photo courtesy David Heinzmann

Shetland Champs Rockey Structures Top Row - Emmett Baker, Coach Avery Chi, Coach Joe Nery, Coach Bob Richard Middle Row - Cameron Chi, Mateo Nery, Bernie Krasinsky, Alex Hymson, Reid Maggio Bottom Row - Charles Yang, Patrick Crilly, Jay Ahn, Dylan Richard, Julio Desir (Missing Zach Kohler)

Courtesy Robert Richard

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Find a new job in our great classified section!

Classified.

In print. Online. oakpark.com/Classified

44

Wednesday Journal, July 5, 2017

Shetland ChampsRockey Structures 43

@ @OakPark

SPORTS

Eagles 12U wins Downers Grove Tournament 43

Rogalla on his way to achieving diamond dream Former OPRF/Creighton pitcher drafted

by Los Angeles Angels

By JACK McMULLEN

E

Contributing Reporter

ven coming from a tradition-rich high school baseball program like OPRF’s, Keith Rogalla has done things in his baseball career that few are ever able to accomplish.

He’s fully aware, however, that his selection in the 12th round, the 355th player overall, of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Los Angeles Angels is just the first step in the hardest test he will ever take.

Rogalla signed with the Angels on June 23, according to senior writer Jim Callis for MLB.com, for $150,000.

“Most people don’t understand the process fully,” said Rogalla, an Oak Park native. “I’ve had plenty of people ask me if I was going right to Los Angeles.”

Instead, Rogalla will find himself far away from the Hollywood lights, settling in Orem, Utah by the end of this week. He’s been assigned to pitch for the Angels’ rookie-ball affiliate, the Orem Owlz.

From there, it could take several years before he sets foot on the diamond at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. Regardless, it’s a process Rogalla has been dreaming of taking on for a long time. “[For most of high school] I was just happy to get colleges calling,” Rogalla said. “The first time I thought I could pitch professionally was the very end of summer before senior year. The Phillies [who drafted him in 2014] came out to see me pitch.”

The Philadelphia franchise selected Rogalla in the 37th round that year, but he was intent on attending Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

The decision proved wise as Rogalla dazzled scouts with his power arm during this time with the Bluejays. He posted a 4.54 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 71 1/3 innings en route to Second Team AllBig East recognition.

“I feel like Creighton taught me how to handle myself as a professional. I really feel a difference in maturity now because I am better equipped to handle the ups and downs of the game,” Rogalla said. “The reason I didn’t sign out of high school is that I feel like I wasn’t physically or mentally mature enough.”

See ROGALLA on page 42

Creighton pitcher Keith Rogalla had a 4.54 ERA with 70 strikeouts over 71 innings pitched en route to Second-Team All-Big East recognition this season. The former OPRF star was drafted in the 12th round of the MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels on June 23.

Photo by Steve Branscombe