Wednesday Journal 071223

Parents feel betrayed by pediatrician’s tweets

Oak Park Pediatrics announces Dr. Thompson’s ‘extended leave’

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Dr. Elizabeth Thompson, or “SuzySidewalk” as she was known on Twitter, is currently on an “extended leave” from Oak Park Pediatrics after the practice became aware of her various homophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-mask and antitrans tweets

The tweets, which have been circulating on social media, including local Oak Park parent groups on Facebook, include re-posts with the hashtag #BoycottTarget for allegedly “grooming kids,” the comment “abuse” on a picture of a toddler in a mask, replying “illegal immigration doesn’t reflect my values” on a tweet from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s tweet that included the phrase “DACA reflects our values as a nation,” and showing support for anti-drag queen story time and anti-trans activism commentary.

See TWEETS on pa ge 8

Oak Park passes gun buyback ordinance

Against police chief ’s recommendation, ordinance allows surrendering guns without identi cation

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

4th of July remains one of the deadliest days for gun violence in the United States, but the Village of Oak Park took actions the day after the nation celebrated its independence to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands. The village board unanimously passed a two-part ordinance requiring safe storage of firearms and allowing the village to conduct gun buybacks.

“We should be shouting from the rooftops about how big a deal this is,” said Trustee Brian Straw. “This is significant action in gun violence prevention in our community.”

The first half of the ordinance is rather simple: all firearms in a person’s home must be safely secured by a locking device. Any failure to do so leaves the gun owner at risk of liability in a court of law for any potential injuries caused by the unsecured firear m or firearms. However the ordinance does not apply to instances of self-defense. This section was hardly discussed by the village board at its July 5 meeting, as all members were supportive.

The second half of the ordinance is also rather simple – at least in theory. Gun buybacks are intended to reduce the numbers of firearms within a community by compensating individuals who turn them over to authorities.

Allowing the police department this ability was also supported by the board and Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, but whether to require identification or permit anonymity for those who surrender firearms led to a more philosophical discussion.

Is it better to know where a gun came from in case it is connected to a past crime or is it better to just take the gun no questions asked, for fear that requiring someone’s name may dissuade them from safely disposing of the firear m?

Anonymity ultimately won out and the

identification requirement was stricken from the ordinance, but that central question was the basis of the entire discussion around the new village law.

Straw argued requiring identification could be the reason why a gun is not turned in, as an individual could fear legal recourse for a crime connected to that firearm. That person could instead dump the gun in the trash or an alley, where it could be picked up by an unsuspecting person.

The capacity to use identification to trace a surrendered gun found to be used in a criminal offense to an actual person was Johnson’s reason for recommending the identification requirement.

“We have a public health crisis with gun violence,” Johnson said. “If there’s an opportunity to get someone off the street that is responsible for gun violence, we should not eliminate that possibility.”

Not requiring identification makes it harder to directly trace where a gun came from if that weapon is found to have been directly linked to a crime or if the firear m was reported stolen, according to Johnson.

“A gun without any association to it is like not having it at all,” she said.

Tracing a firearm to a particular person can close loops in an investigation, which the chief argued provides a resolution for victims and holds individuals answerable to crimes.

“That’s the only stance that I have: accountability and providing victims with closure,” said Johnson.

Her position on the issue won her the support of Trustee Lucia Robinson, the latter of whom spoke of her personal experience of having an unsolved gun-related tragedy in her family.

“To have an unsolved death in a family is not something we can overlook,” Robinson said.

Several municipalities have chosen not to require identification in gun surrender or buyback programs, including Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina.

Oak Park police already had the ability to accept firearms prior to the ordinance, with 17 firearms handed in over the past year. Individuals wishing to surrender a gun could do so at the police station, where an officer

Oak Park manager, police chief join gun safety marchers

As the annual July 4th parade launched in Oak Park last week, local appointed village gover nment leaders joined the blueshirted Gun Responsibility Advocates and the red-shirts of Moms Demand Action along Ridgeland Avenue. The groups held signs aloft reading, “Protect Children, Not Guns” and “Imagine a World Without Gun Violence,” reinforced by bull-horned calls for “No More Silence, End Gun Violence,” punctuated by, “Listen to your Mom.”

This coalition, which also includes the First United Church of Oak Park’s Social Justice in Action Committee, has been marching each July 4th since 2014, ac-

would file a report. If surrenderers did not wish to provide identification, police would simply leave that part of the report blank.

Not requiring ID prevents someone from having to explain the unexplainable, such as a parent finding a gun in their teenager’s bedroom without knowing where it came from or how it got there. It could also prevent deaths by suicide.

“They just want the gun out of that person’s hand,” said Trustee Chibuike Enyia, who supported making identification optional.

companied by a succession of Oak Park police chiefs — Rick Tanksley, Tony Ambrose, LaDon Reynolds, and now Shatonya Johnson. The parade was joined this year by Village Manager Kevin Jackson and his family, showing support for gun safety measures.

Johnson and Jackson diligently worked the crowds with their bags of candy. The parade-long applause and cheers from the crowd indicated popular approval for everything from Universal Background Checks to safe gun storage at home and in vehicles

--Ken Trainor

Despite not everyone on the board reaching unanimity regarding identification, all believed the ordinance was generally too worthwhile to vote against entirely

“I do think this is an important step and we should go forward with it in whatever shape it takes,” said Trustee Ravi Parakkat.

Two votes were taken on the ordinance – the first to strike the identification requirement, which Robinson and Parakkat voted against and the second to pass the ordinance, which all board members voted unanimously to do

PHOTO BY LOIS LOV E

Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson (center) and former Oak Park v illage attorney Ray Heise (right) begin the long walk up Ridgeland on July 4th.

e gi s that keep on giving

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Celine and Don Woznica spent many years working in Central America on behalf of impoverished and disenfranchised villagers, often at great risk to themselves. They are now equally focused on accompanying asylum seekers in the U.S., particularly an influx of Venezuelan families who have been sleeping on the floor of Chicago’s District 15 police station.

Guided by a calling to help those who are marginalized — by their gover nments as well as ours — the Woznicas are part of an ad hoc group of Oak Park area volunteers, connected through a WhatsApp messaging channel, who have rallied around the asylum seekers, providing shelter, food, clothing, gift cards, phones and SIM cards, rides to doctors’ appointments and grocery stores, and arranging for schooling.

“We’ll get a notice about the arrival of a family and then we all hustle to help them. All the volunteers do what they can do These folks come with nothing and they have crossed seven countries to get here. One of the things that concerned me was getting them access to showers,” said Celine.

To that end, she has used what she refers to as “nagvocation” (a little nagging, a little advocating) to arrange shower facilities and collect shampoo, soap and clean underwear for the asylum seekers.

BUILD, an Austin-based youth development and gang intervention organization, let the newcomers use their facilities, including showers, a laundry room and pool tables, and provided social workers during the day until summer programming began last month. Celine quickly pivoted and procured access during the day to the rectory at St. Catherine-St Lucy Parish, which is being used in the evenings by Housing Forward as an emergency homeless shelter

The Woznicas credit local restaurants involved in the Takeout 25 Oak Park initiative for providing food and/or space for food preparation.

“The restaurants, in gratitude for how the community rallied around them during the pandemic, have been exceptionally generous,” Don said. He mentions a group of Trader Joe’s employees who learned about

their effort while eating at Cozy Corner, one of the Takeout 25 restaurants, and arranged for TJ’s to provide food to the restaurant to be cooked for the Venezuelans

“The support of the community has been phenomenal,” said Don. “The group includes members of our Catholic parishes, Unity Temple, the secular Jewish community and evangelical churches in Austin. It just blows my mind.”

The Woznicas’ involvement is just the most recent chapter in their longstanding commitment to migrants and international service, a passion that was kickstarted when Celine spent her sophomore year in college studying abroad

“That year in Europe gave me such a wanderlust and a desire to really know and understand other cultures. That, and my family’s orientation to service, had a huge impact on my life,” she said.

She remembers hearing her uncle talk about his efforts to fight racist federal hous-

ing policies in St. Louis, where she grew up, in the 1950s and ’60s. He participated in the March on Washington in 1963 and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. A physician, he provided free services for poor people, who in turn gave him produce from their gardens as expressions of gratitude.

Don, who grew up in Melrose Park and attended Fenwick High School, came from humble roots but knew he wanted to use his interest in the sciences to help people, which infor med his decision to pursue medical school.

The couple met in college — Don attending the University of Notre Dame, Celine at adjacent St. Mary’s College and taking science classes at Notre Dame.

“Don’s roommate was kind of a mover and would walk around the library looking for girls who were studying science textbooks. Then he would ask them if they needed help If he couldn’t answer their questions, he’d

bring in Don. I decided to bypass the roommate and go directly to Don,” Celine said.

The couple stayed together when Celine transferred to the University of Iowa to enroll in a physician assistant program and Don went to Rush Medical College. However, they hit a rough patch in 1976 when Celine graduated and decided to spend a year in Honduras instead of moving to Chicago.

“Don assumed I would come to Chicago, but I was keen on doing international service. I just couldn’t see getting a job right away because it would mean putting my dream on hold. I went to Honduras and worked in a Jesuit parish clinic and was exposed to the evolving theology of liberation — an experience that radically and completely changed my life.

“I was living in a rural community on the outskirts of the banana camps overseen by the Standard Fruit Company, which had a history of overthrowing gover nments in conjunction with the U.S. I saw the poverty,

SARA JANZ

Celine and Don Woznica on their front porch surrounded by donations consisting of essential supplies, clothing, books, toys, and more for recently arrived migrants.

The Woznica family has followed their calling to aid the marginalized

the social injustice, and the very preventive health conditions. The experience convinced me to convert from clinical medicine to public health,” she said.

Returning to the U.S. in 1977, she found work at a community health center in Little Village while Don did his family practice residency at West Suburban Hospital. He proposed after he received the first check from his inter nship.

“It was terribly unromantic. I didn’t even know I was going to propose. On the way home, I was overcome with an urge to ask her to marry me. I was so nervous I couldn’t even look at her. I pulled over on Humphrey Av enue, behind my apartment, and just blurted out, ‘Will you marry me?’”

Miraculously, Celine accepted the awkward proposal — with one caveat: that Don agree to go back to Central America with her More miraculously, Don agreed. Years after that fateful proposal, Don credits Celine with helping him channel his desire to aid others through medicine and admits that he might never have gone overseas if he hadn’t been for her

“That year I was in Honduras was the year that wrote the rest of our life story,” Celine said.

Just months after the birth of their first child in 1981, the Woznicas took off for New York where they participated in a six-month orientation to lay missionary work with the Maryknoll Sisters. In January 1982, they went to Bolivia for Spanish language school before being assigned to serve in Ciudad Sandino, an impoverished barrio outside Managua, Nicaragua.

They lived in a one-room house with one

oxen than cars. They had an outdoor latrine and used pages from books as toilet paper (“so you always knew where you were in a book,” Celine said, laughing). Don worked at a medical clinic and Celine trained community health workers serving refugees from El Salvador, which, at that time, was being tor n apart by death squads. It was a stressful time because of the pervasive fear that the U.S., which was supporting the right-wing contras, might invade Nicaragua.

“Nicaragua was the second poorest country in Latin America — and it was becom-

sta gover nment put all its resources toward the poor, launching reading programs and farm co-ops, eradicating malnutrition and measles, and conducting door-to-door vaccination campaigns throughout the country. They vaccinated all the kids in the country in one weekend.”

Their second child, Maura, was born in Nicaragua in 1983. On the way to the hospital, they were stopped by a convoy of soldiers heading to the Honduran border to fight the contras.

“I could see that the soldiers were excited but frightened about going to the front. I remember thinking that I was about to give birth — while these young men were going off to war and possibly death,” Celine said.

Maura was named in honor of Maura Clarke, a Maryknoll Sister who had worked in Ciudad Sandino before answering Archbishop Oscar Romero’s call to serve in El Salvador. She and three other missionaries were raped and murdered by members of the Salvadoran military in December 1980.

“It meant so much to the Maryknoll Sisters and the people of Ciudad Sandino that we named our daughter Maura and that we had her in Nicaragua rather than flying home to the U.S. It meant as much to them as the work we were doing,” she recalled

The Woznicas returned to the U.S. in December, 1984, at the end of their three-year contract. Don did a fellowship at West Suburban and Celine wrote her doctoral dissertation on the public health programs of the Sandinista gover nment. They also did extensive Central American solidarity work, talk-

ing with church groups and the media

But the itch to return to Central America was strong, and in 1986 they were invited by the Maryknoll Sisters to serve in Oaxaca, Mexico, doing medical and community health work. They stayed for six years, enough time to bring another two children nto the world. They returned to the U.S. in 1992, as their oldest son was approaching adolescence, and settled in Oak Park

“Living outside the country for years changes your perspective on the world — on politics, religion, everything. You see the world differently. It was an incredibly mindexpanding experience,” said Don.

The Woznicas’ passion for service and fighting the good fight continued in the local area. Don worked at Alivio Medical Center, a West Side community health facility serving Mexican immigrants and the uninsured, until retiring recently. Celine has been involved in migrant issues for many years as well as efforts to end gun violence and combat climate change. She is a member of the Austin/ Oak Park Moms Demand Action chapter and works with Ascension/St. Edmund Parish’s HOME/Care of Creation climate action team.

They have served as role models for their children, participating with them on youth ministry activities through Ascension, including numerous Appalachian Service Projects and Young Neighbors in Action trips to Tijuana. Now adults, there’s not a slacker in the bunch.

Donald, their oldest, works as a family practice physician at a nonprofit community health center on the South Side. Maura, who served with Doctors Without Borders at a refugee camp in South Sudan, also is a family practice physician. Edgar did a fellowship in India and developed a curriculum for community mental health workers. He is now a psychiatrist at Erie Family Medical Center, a facility that treats patients regardless of their ability to pay. Marian served a year with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, working with migrant workers in Arkansas, and just graduated from Northwestern University Law School.

In recognition of their collective commitment to serving immigrants, refugees and underserved communities — in the U.S. and abroad — the Woznica family received the 2019 Cultural Unity Award from TEACH (Teaching English to Advance Change), a west suburban nonprofit The Woznica family, which now includes eight grandchildren, all of whom will undoubtedly carry on the family’s service mission, are the embodiment of gifts that just keep on giving.

PROVIDED

Don and neighbors digging a community bomb shelter in Central America in the 1980s.

PROVIDED

e entire Woznica family has been involved in ser vice. Le to right: Daniel, Marian, Maura, Celine, Don, Donald Jr., Edgar.

Solar Power Hour

Wednesday, July 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Dole Branch

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is here to answer all pertinent questions about solar power opportunities. CUB’s Solar Programs coordinator will present information about Solar Switch Chicagoland (previously known as Gro Chicagoland) and opportunities for property owners to help pool their buying power and secure discounts that make the process of installing solar power more a Co -hosted by the village of Oak Park and the Oak Park Public Library. Register now at oppl.org/ calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

BIG WEEK July 12-19

Bubble Works

Outdoor Festival

Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Wonder Works Children’s Museum

At last, an entire festival devoted to bubbles! No longer con ned to the bathtub and the kitchen sink, this fest will feature a giant foam pit, bubble painting, creating a custom-beaded bubble wand, building bubble chains, making giant bubbles, and a bubble -themed scavenger hunt. There will also be performances by bubble performer Glowby the Bubbler. This rain-or-shine event will be accordingly messy, so adults and children alike should dress accordingly and with a change of clothes. $13 for members, $26 for non-members; individuals who qualify for Museums For All can purchase tickets for $6. 6445 North Ave., Oak Park.

Concer t On The Porch With Andrew Moreno

Thursday, July 13, 7 p.m., Pleasant Home Upright bassist Andrew Moreno performs with his band, live from the literal front porch. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs, refreshments and settle in for some jazz. $10 suggested donation, 217 Home Ave., Oak Park.

Suenos Latin Jazz Trio

Wednesday, July 19, 7-9 p.m., Great Sip Cafe Jazz with a Latin kick will be played, Dominican food and (non-alcoholic) drink will be ser ved. $20 (suggested donation for musicians), 818 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

Disability Pride March

Saturday, July 15, 11-11:45 a.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library

The cause of disabled people and disability as an identity will be celebrated with a march around the Main Library and Scoville Park. This march is for disabled people and allies; a disability is not required to celebrate. Disability Pride means di erent things to di erent people: to honor early activists, recognition that their disability is intrinsic to their self, celebrating disability visibility in public spaces, and more. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Before the march, you can create your own sign. Supplies will be provided

• Friday, July 14, 3:30-4:30, Main Librar y Stor ytime Room;

• Saturday, July 15, 10-11 a.m., Main Library Lobby;

• Saturday, July 15, 10-10:30 a.m., Main Library Stor ytime Room

Thursday Night Out: Bonzo Squad/ Mario DeLaurenti

Thursday, July 13, 5-9 p.m. Special outdoor concert features Bonzo Squad, a jazz quartet at 5 pm, followed by vocalist DeLaurenti at 7 p.m.. Marion St., between Lake St. and North Blvd., Oak Park.

Oak Park Porchfest

Friday, July 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Featuring two performers: Tony Nuccio/ Eddie Torrez and Falling Stars. Bring your own chairs or blanket. Tacos Bernardo will be there! The event is free (tip jar for the bands). For more information and updates follow us on Facebook at Oak Park Porchfest. 1045 Wesley Ave., Oak Park (corner of Wesley & Har vard).

Listing your event in the calendar

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest community groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon

Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper ■

Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Episcopal Church will be hosting an all-day parking lot par ty, and the general public is invited. There will be a “bouncy house” for the kids, plenty of good food, plus live music from Javier Red’s Jazz Quar tet (12 - 2 p.m.), the Windy City Ramblers (2 - 4 p.m.) and Adhara (4 - 5 p.m.). Jewelry and craft dealers will also be around. and there will be tours around the Gothic Revival sanctuar y. 924 Lake St., Oak Park.

Oak Park township manager leaving a er 15 years

Gavin Morgan will begin new position as village administrator in Indian Head Park

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Gavin Morgan will serve his last day as manager of Oak Pa rk Township gove r nment this F riday. Morgan will take on the role of village administrator in suurban Indian Head Park

“I’ve got mixed emotions,” Morgan said of leaving Oak Park. “I’m excited for the new phase, but I’m going to miss it.”

Morgan served as township manager for 15 years – the longest he’s ever been in a position in his career. He came to Oak Park by way of Evanston, where he spent four years as assistant to the city manage r.

During his time in Oak Park, he worked with community partners and other local government bodies to build on the social services the township provides residents,

young and old.

“I think that the social services network in Oak Park is something that really benefits the community as a whole,” said Morgan. “They’re there to support each other, but also to support the members of the community that need their services.”

In Indian Head Park, Morgan’s role as village administrator will be a bit of a departure from his work with the township as he will oversee services akin to what is provided by the Village of Oak Park. He looks forward to the new challenges the position presents.

Township Supervisor Clairmarie Keenan did not respond to request for comment, but congratulated and thanked Morg an for his service to the township in a press release published by Patch.

“We are ve ry proud and happy fo r Gavin and the next step in his profession-

al j ourney. He has our respect, gr atitud e and tremendous appreciation for hi s 15 years of service to the c ommunity,” Keenan said in the release.

Morgan told We d nesd ay Jour nal the township b oard and leadership are c ons idering appointing an i nterim manage r until a permanent re p lacement for Morg an is found. In the meantime, oversigh t of daily operations will be split b etween Pam Mahn and Me g an Traficano. Mahn and Traficano are the senior services director and youth and f amily services director, respective ly

Follow

On Thursday mornings at 7 am I log into my Zoom account to meet with my friend Jean, Jean’s mom Mary and sometimes our friend Sue joins us. These are my fellow virtual yoga participants. We then practice yoga together until 8 am.

During that hour Mary instructs us in her kind, gentle, yet persistent teaching style. Mary leads us through numerous yoga poses, always applying what we did on the left side to the right side and vice versa. Mary does not use any notes, nor does she take a break until we make it to the end of the hour for savasana (a yoga resting time).

Mary is 83 years old. Her mind is sharp, and her body is spry.

Mary has been practicing yoga a few times a week since the 1970s. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Mary has never needed a knee or hip replacement, nor does she suffer many of the typical aches and pains of aging. Sure, Mary could just be lucky or have good DNA. But I think Mary’s luck sprouted when she started to embrace yoga all those

decades ago. Yoga has served her well throughout her life. Research supports the case for embracing yoga. Numerous studies highlight yoga’s benefits. Yoga helps promote flexibility and reduces joint pain. Yoga decreases back and arthritis pain. In addition, yoga may help with migraines, osteoporosis, balance and mobility issues, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, and ADHD. It is like a wonder drug!

What exactly is yoga? Yoga is a combination of physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. Yoga began in India 5,000 years ago. The literal translation of the word yoga is union. Yoga brings together the mind and the body by use of the breath.

Yoga often references the word chakra. Chakra means spinning wheel. Yoga maintains that seven body chakras are the

center points of our physicality, energy, thoughts, and feelings. When the energy in a chakra is blocked, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalance that manifests in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy or poor digestion. The physical poses in yoga are used to free the blocked chakra and rebalance it.

You do not have to buy into the chakra theory to benefit from yoga. Your body will benefit from yoga despite your connection to its philosophy. In addition to being good for the body, yoga is also good for the brain. When you do yoga, your brain cells develop new connections. Changes occur in brain struc¬ture as well as its function, resulting in improved cog¬nitive skills, such as learning and memory. Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. It is like weightlifting for the brain.

Yoga is also good for your mental health. A scientific review looked at the effect of a variety of relaxation techniques on depression and anxiety. In addition to yoga, interven¬tions included massage therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, stress management, and listening to music. While all the techniques provided some benefit, yoga and music were the most effective for both depression and anxiety. And yoga appeared to provide the lon¬gest-lasting effect.

The best way to get started with yoga is to just try it. Whether it is in an in-person class, a Zoom group with friends or going solo with YouTube you will benefit from even 10 minutes of yoga. Estate planning is no different. Even doing a little estate planning is worth the effort to give you peace of mind and make things easier for your family.

GAVIN MORGAN

“I think that the social services net work in Oak Park is something that really bene ts the community as a whole.”

GAVIN MORGAN Oak Park Township manager

THERESA CLANCY Estate Planning Attorney

TWEETS

Tweets cause controversy from page 1

When asked if “SuzySidewalk” was her Twitter handle, T hompson declined provide comment to Wednesday Journal.

Oak Park Pediatrics, 1107 Chicago Av addressed the situation on its social media page on July 5 with the following statement:

“Oak Park Pediatrics does not suppo endorse or otherwise ag ree with an statements that are non-inclusive hateful in nature. We pride ourselves on being an all-inclusive, safe space wher everyone, re gardless of their race, r gion, sexual orientation or g ender identity is welcomed and can feel comfor tabl

“Many of you may be aware of some re cent posts on social media by Dr. T homp son that Oak Park Pediatrics does not support. Dr. T hompson has stepped aw from clinical practice and will be taking an extended leave of absence to address this matter in an appropriate way.”

T he same message was seen as a pop-up announcement on its business website.

On July 6, the pediatrics practice posted a follow-up on Facebook, saying that all patients who had an appointment with T hompson would be called to reschedule with a different doctor and will receive a letter with follow-up information in the near future.

According to the Illinois Secretary of Stat e, T hompson was listed as the vice president of Oak Park Pediatrics in 2022 as well as a director alongside Dr. Erin Taback, who is credited on their website with founding the practice in 2011, and Dr. Tara Brito.

T hompson’s profile has been removed from the practice’s website.

Multiple calls to Oak Park Pe diatrics from Wednesday Journal were not returned

While T hompson might not have disclosed her identity via her Twitter handle, many Oak Park f amilies were already aware of her anti-mask views as her son made headlines in 2021 for hosting an anti-mask protest at his elementary school in Elmhurst, where the family resides.

T he then-fifth-grader held a protest outside of Emerson Elementary School in Elmhurst, after the school required him to do his schoolwork in the principal’s office if he chose to remain maskless. According to previous re ports by Patch.com,

nearly 100 people attended, holding up signs that read “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Follow the Science: Unmask the Kids.”

Photos circulated of Elizabeth T hompson holding up a sign with words in support of her son.

According to a review left on May 6, 2021 on vitals.com, a parent said T hompson refused to communicate on scheduled appointments for their teenage daughter, instead “making a moral judgment and refused to provide medical help.”

“It was like being transported to the miso gynistic days,” read the anonymous review.

A local Oak Park parent, who has asked to remain anonymous for their child’s safety, spoke with Wednesday Journal, expressing sadness and a sense of betrayal when they realized their transgender child’s physical and mental health had been in the hands of someone who held anti-trans beliefs.

During the time that their child was in T hompson’s care, the parent said there were no indications of her viewpoints affecting her medical decisions. However, knowing now that T hompson held those beliefs while caring for members of the trans community felt like a betrayal.

“This child can be in a fragile state sometimes and gaining trust has been a long journey for all of us,” said the parent. “We told him [during transitioning] that this is somebody they could trust, you can talk to them, you can be in the room with them, they will listen to what you say, they will not harm you, and will not guide you on the wrong path and will allow you the space to express yourself however that needs to be, and I don’ t know yet how to say to my child that that person had these beliefs. It was a big breach of trust. ”

An Oak Park mom of two children who is part of the LGBTQ+ community and who has also asked to remain anonymous for fear of their children’s safety, said her f amily members have been patients of Oak Park Pediatrics for more than 10 years. Her children have seen T hompson for sick visits over those years, with one child being an established patient.

While the mom said she felt confident in the care T hompson provided and never picked up anything “of f” during visits that made her feel uncomfortable, she felt it was important to address the content of the tweets and social media comments “defending” T hompson, and that her

views are relevant and were doing har m.

“She was out there speaking on social media as a pediatrician under this mantle authority and spreading misinformation that gives credence to these harmful views,” said the mom. “This misinformation of the appropriateness of g ender-afming care, the impact of misgenderin g transgender people, the idea that g ender purely biological and that people who are transgender are pretending to be the pposite sex, all of that is used to push hateful laws. [It’s] used to invalidate trans identities and it causes direct and measurable harm to children in this community that she is supposed to be helping.”

T he mom said she was not sure how to ddress the situation with Oak Park Pediatrics and is trying to decide whether or not they will stay with the practice, though acknowledging the care they provide the community.

She said she was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, based on their esponse and hope the hesitation to announce T hompson’s official departure is ue to le g al reasons

Wednesday Journal has received information that patients of Oak Park Pediatrics are asked to sign a Code of Conduct ag reeing to not make disparaging remarks about the practice on social media or through reviews; howeve r, no parent was willing to go on record to confirm. Calls to Oak Park Pediatrics and messages were not retur ned

Some, however, are coming out in T hompson’s defense, mostly anonymously, through social media, saying that she, just like everyone else, has the freedom to hold her beliefs, and denouncing how local communities attack moms with conservative beliefs.

Others have expressed their frustratio n with the “reckless disre gard” for the damage that “vicious and destructive” posts can cause to Thompson.

While the debate continues, the moms of children who identify as part of the communities highlighted in T hompson’s tweets are trying to find a way to address the real-life consequences and feelings of betrayal left behind

“While she is in a room treating my children, looking at us, talking to us, being somebody that we trust in these very vulnerable situations you are in during a patient provider relationship, to know that in her mind and in her heart, she feels really horrible and disgusting things about my children and who they are, that was just extremely upsetting to me,” said one of the moms

Dr. Elizabeth ompson holds up a si gn in suppor t of her child during an anti-mask protest in Elmhurst in 2021.

Being transgender in Oak Park topic of village’s conversation

Bringing Pride Month to a close, local LGBTQ+ leaders discussed ways to suppor t transgender community members

By ELIZABETH SHORT Contributing Reporter

As Pride Month closed, Oak Park’s village government hosted a panel discussion on local transgender issues and experiences on June 28. Madison Street Theater, 1010 Madison St., was the venue for a conversation moderated by Darien Marion-Burton, president of the Oak Park and River Forest Chamber of Commerce, who introduced himself as the “youngest, Blackest, and gayest” president the organization has ever had.

Panelists sat at a table decorated with Pride and transgender flags as audience members filed into the small black box theater. The five panel members re presented PFLAG, the Oak Park Public Library and Oak Park and River Forest High School.

Over two hours the panelists discussed their experiences as transgender individuals, parents of transgender children, and allies. “Being transgender is part of being a normal human being,” said one panelist.

Hal Patnott highlighted how children are often much more acce pting of transgender individuals than adults.

“I often will get questions from young curious little friends who are like, ‘Are you a boy or a girl,’” said Patnott. “They’ll have questions about my voice and they’ll want to know who I am. It’s always out of curiosity, and they handle it much better than the adults. People in Oak Park really want you to know they’re progressive, and if you cor rect somebody on your pronouns, they get very nervous that they might think they’re a Re publican.”

“I really wanted to second that idea that our young people are able to accept and embrace the diversity around us so much better than us adults,” said Bencola. “We can lear n so much from them.”

However, support specifically from adults -- or lack thereof -- has a massive impact on transgender children, said Bencola. “If students are experiencing a lot of support and affirmation (from adults), I see students who ha a sense of elief,

ing experience,” said Bencola.

The panelists shared resources including the library’s Rainbow Services and PFLAG’s group for Parents of Transgender Individuals. They also of fered advice on how residents can support the transgender community. One of the most important things, said Bencola and Patnott, is to eliminate gendered language in everyday conversation.

Many see places like Oak Park as a safe haven for the transgender community. Librarian Anne Jordan-Baker, who attended the discussion, said she heard stories about families with transgender children deciding to move to Oak Park from red states.

“They’re almost refug ees,” said JordanBaker. “They’re losing the life they built.” In an ef fort to support these families, Jordan-Baker is working with the local Community Action Team (composed of OPALGA+, Indivisible Chicago, and Unity

Temple) to create a guide of resources for these families.

Jordan-Baker reflected on her own experience parenting a transgender child. “My kid was very little when he came out, like three to four years old,” she said. “My response at the time was ‘you don’t have to be a boy to like boy’ things. It took me a long time to get to the point where (I understood) he’s not just saying this because he wants to do things differently. This is how he feels as a person.”

The panel was an opportunity to hear new perspectives and opinions, said Jordan-Baker. Patnott said he was glad to see “people being willing to learn and grow and be uncomfortable with what they don’t know.”

The discussion reminded Jordan-Baker how important it is to talk to people “who really don’t get it,” she said. “Educating people from where they are is so important.”

Ch@ngeme! changed following cybersecurity snafu

For a short time, OPRF students all had the same password

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Late last month, for approximately 28 hours, all OPRF High School students had the same password for their school accounts in a cybersecurity mistake that was quickly corrected. The problem began on June 23 when OPRF’s data manage Level Data, a Kalamazoo, Mich igan company that specializes in managing data for school districts, was conducting a bersecurity audit on the OPRF system.

“They were doing, basicall just routine updating and maintenance on our accounts and passwords and in doing so they inadvertently wiped out all of our students’ passwords. They also wiped any ability for us to go back and retrieve them,” Superinten-

dent Greg Johnson told Wednesday Journal.

The result was that, because of what the school described as “an unexpected vendor er ror,” students could not get into their which they use for all manner of schoolwork and acTheir Google accounts also link to their grades and other personal information. Every OPRF student has a schoolissued Chromebook.

As a temporary fix all OPRF students were given the same rd, Ch@ngeme!, so they could access their accounts. Students and their families were notified of the new password in an email sent out during the afternoon of June 22. The email also strongly suggested that, after signing into their accounts using the universal password, they update their password to their own unique

password “as soon as possible.”

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But students, parents and Johnson quickly realized that for the time period when every student had the same Ch@ ngeme! password, any student could sign in to another student’s account and access the personal information of others, including emails, papers, class work and anything saved to the Google Drive. Johnson said access to student grades, which are ke pt on Skyward, were never compromised.

their student ID number and their birthdate, along with instructions as to how to create another unique password.

Johnson said school officials have found no evidence of any unauthorized access to student accounts during the time when all students had the same password

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Every student having the same password was “something I became aware of late afternoon on June 22,” Johnson said. “It was an accident. It certainly isn’t anything that we want to have happen again, and it certainly is something that is a problem. Anytime anybody can have access to potentially anybody else’s account, it’s a real problem which is why we needed to find that second solution as quickly as possible.”

As soon as he became aware of the issue, Johnson asked the school’s Technology Department and Level Data to come up with a different way to allow students to access their accounts.

At a little after 8 p.m. on June 23, about 28 hours after the initial email was sent, OPRF sent another email to families giving each student a unique password based on

“We were able to monitor our systems and see if we had any unauthorized access and we’ve had no re ports of that so far at all and we have not seen any anomalous behavior with our students accounts and our monitoring of that,” Johnson said.

One OPRF student told the Wednesday Journal that she had trouble creating a new password because she had changed her password so many times, a problem that the student said was annoying.

Johnson encouraged any student having problems with creating a password or accessing their account to call or visit the student helpdesk.

“If somebody calls our helpdesk, we’ll just help them out and get everything squared away,” Johnson said.

Johnson was relieved that the problem was solved quickly.

“It had the potential to disrupt summer school,” Johnson said. “We were able to get through it fairly quickly.”

GREG JOHNSON

Slashed hours, another strike at Lake Stre et Starbucks

Frustrated workers return to co ee brewing after two-day work stoppage

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Oak Pa rkers looking for an afternoon ca ff eine b oost will have noticed the S tarbucks at 711 La ke St. c an no longer acc ommodate their d esires for a cup of jo e after 2:30 p. m. T he shop has b een operat -

ing on a stunted schedule following the April unionization of the location.

S tarbucks co rp orate says the earlier daily closures are d ue to not havin g enough baristas, but the baristas say their shifts have g otten longer. Baristas have p laced the onus for the cu rrent situation on S tarbucks leadership for not

ke e ping the store f ully staffed and therefore c ompelling them to wo rk extended shifts without breaks

“I f we take breaks, we end up being 30 minutes b ehind on drinks and then we g et screamed at by the c ustomer s, ” sai d a supervising barista.

A Starbucks the size of the Lake Street

Do you have DIABETES?

If you do, you should know how important foot care is. Over time, diabetics risk developing foot complications. When the nerves are damaged from chronic high blood sugar, feet can become numb or painful with burning or tingling. is is called diabetic neuropathy. When diabetes a ects the arteries, circulation to the legs and feet may be compromised. Either of these conditions may lead to serious problems including ulceration, even amputation.

e key to prevention is early diagnosis of diabetes, and regular foot exams from a podiatrist. Diabetics who receive regular foot care, including paring of calluses and debridement of thick fungal toenails, are almost four times less likely

to undergo an amputation than those who do not seek treatment.

Medicare and some private insurances cover 1 pair of diabetic shoes and 3 pair of protective insoles each calendar year. Dr. Lambert has been a supplier of diabetic shoes since 2002. e shoes come in 30 di erent styles each for men and women. ese include boots, lightweight colorful athletic shoes, and dress shoes. Even patients who are not diabetic love the look and comfort of the footwear. Diabetic socks, slippers and compression hosiery are also available.

Protecting your feet with appropriate footgear is an important aspect of preventive care for diabetics.

location requires 15 or 16 wo rkers to operate at “optimal level,” a ccording to S tarbucks co rp orate spokesperson Andrew Trull. Nine wo rkers “voluntarily resigned” from the location, Trull said, following the store’s union election vote April 11. He was unable to give specific s re ga rding why those staf f members resigned .

S tarbucks co rp orate i ntends to reinstate the shop ’s o riginal hours of operation once staf f is rebuilt. At the moment, Trull said there are five baristas cu rrently on staf f at the La ke Street S tarbuck s. Four more have b een hired and are in the early sta g es of training .

T he store’s remaining staf f returned to picke t lines Ju ly 1 and 2 to protest lengthy shifts and understaffing. Baristas returned to wo rk the following day, as the barista sai d they c ould not afford to c ontinu e striking. T hei r labor union was only able to pay them for one day of striking.

Supervising barista

“We would have love d to c ontinu e to be on strike j ust to prove our point,” said the barista.

Understaffing has affected more than hour s. According to the barista, staf f do not have any time to carry out such re gular maintenance as cleaning. Pests, she said, have become a problem because of thi s, prompting a visit from Orkin Pest C ontrol Service.

Relations b etween co rp orate and staf f have soured, the barista said. S he told We d nesd ay Journal the unionized staf f are “public enemy number one” to the store and district managers since the store became unionized.

“It’s j ust an extremely hostile wo rk environment b etween our managers and the c ustomers who j ust do n’ t care that we ’re extremely understaffed,” the barista said.

“

If we take breaks, we end up being 30 minutes behind on drinks and then we get screamed at by the customers.”

Dr. Linda Lambert

Man pulls knife on CTA passengers

Two people fled the CTA Green Line station, 1116 South Blvd., after a man pulled a knife on them at 10:04 p.m., July 3.

The two victims, one a resident of Tinley Park and the other of South Holland, had first been approached by the offender, who tried to sell them some items he had displayed.

The offender raised his voice after the victims told him they were not interested in buying anything. He then took out a knife from his waistband and threatened to stab them, but the two victims fled the station.

Aggravated assault

A man threatened an employee at Wing Stop, 515 Madison St., left the business and went to a blue Chevrolet pickup truck and got out a gun, with which he threatened to shoot and kill the employee at 9:15, p.m., July 2. The offender then fled in the pickup.

Armed robbery

Someone held a semi-automatic handgun to the head of a Rockford resident who was paying for items at the Shell gas station, 401 Madison St., at 11:46 p.m., July 9. The offender approached the victim from behind and threatened to hurt him if he didn’t hand over his property. The victim gave the offender the keys to his white 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, a necklace with a pendant that said “Chase,” four rings, and his wallet, which contained his driver’s license, credit cards and cash. The offender then drove of f in the victim’s vehicle, which was later recovered by police after officers were alerted to a vehicle fire in the 600 block of South Scoville Avenue in Oak Park. The fire was extinguished by Oak Park firefighters. The total estimated loss is $17,200.

Criminal trespass to residence

An Oak Park resident found an intruder lying in the resident’s guest room at 12:15 a.m., July 5, in the 1000 block of Lake Street. The resident confronted the offender, who left willingly

Burglary

Someone broke into Da Pizza Company, 421 N. Harlem Ave., and took several construction tools from the kitchen and behind the counter between 1:47 p.m., June 30, and 7:48 a.m., July 1. A Milwaukee drill, a saw, a battery, a crowbar and drill bits were all taken for an estimated loss of $1,700.

Attempted burglar y

A man gained entry to a resident’s home through an unlocked kitchen window, then opened the victim’s bedroom door, causing the victim to see him, at 12:43 a.m., July 2, in the 400 block of South Lombard Avenue. The victim then chased the offender out of his home with the offender fleeing in an unknown direction.

Motor vehicle theft

■ A 2013 Ford Explorer was removed between 8 p.m., July 6, and 2 p.m., July 7, in the 400 block of South Clinton Avenue.

■ A 2023 Hyundai Sonata was taken between 11:45 p.m., July 6, and 9 a.m., July 7, in the 300 block of South Ridgeland Avenue.

■ A 2022 Jeep Compass parked in the 100 block of Home Avenue was removed between 5 p.m., July 7, and 3:30 a.m., July 9.

■ Someone removed a 2019 Kia Optima between 3 p.m., July 8, and 5:41 a.m., July 9, in the 300 block of Home Avenue.

■ A 2017 Infiniti Q50 was removed between 5:30 p.m., June 28, and 8 a.m., June 29, in the first block of Le Moyne Parkway.

■ A 2015 Hyundai Elantra was taken from a parking lot in the first block of Iowa Street between 8:30 a.m. and 2:55 p.m., June 30.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

■ Someone shattered the rear passenger side window of a 2019 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, then accessed the vehicle’s fuse box in a likely attempt to re program the key fob and take the vehicle, between midnight and 6:23 a.m., July 4, in the 1200 block of North Humphrey Avenue.

a 2013 Hyundai Elantra was broken and the vehicle’s steering column and ignition switch damaged between 10:30 a.m., June 28, and 9:15 a.m., June 29, in the first block of Lake Street.

Theft

■ The catalytic converter was cut from a 2011 Toyota Prius parked in the first block of Harrison Street between 9:30 p.m., June 28, and 8 a.m., June 29.

■ Someone took a Jewel Osco bag containing prescription drugs of f of the victim’s wheelchair while he was waiting in

p.m., June 28.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports dated July 3-10 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

Book Table / 1045 Lake St

Book Table / 1045 Lake St

EcoKarat / 131 N Marion St

EcoKarat / 131 N Marion St

Einnim / 1020 Lake St

Fitzgerald’s Fine Stationery / 111 N Marion St

Einnim / 1020 Lake St

JAYNE / 122 N Marion St

Fitzgerald’s Fine Stationery / 111 N Marion St

Kyuramen / 118 N Marion St

JAYNE / 122 N Marion St

Pumpkin Moon / 1028 North Blvd

Kyuramen / 118 N Marion St

Pumpkin Moon / 1028 North Blvd

Scratch n’ Sniff / 120 N Marion St

Garland Flowers / 137 S Oak Park Ave

ST

NORTH

Sugarcup Trading / 110 N Marion St

Scratch n’ Sniff / 120 N Marion St

Gem Home + Jewelry / 115 N Oak Park Ave

Garland Flowers / 137 S Oak Park Ave

Wheel and Sprocket / 1118 Westgate St

Sugarcup Trading / 110 N Marion St

16 Suitcases / 108 N Marion St

Wheel and Sprocket / 1118 Westgate St

Candycopia / 717 Lake St

16 Suitcases / 108 N Marion St

Festive Collective / 159 S Oak Park Ave

Candycopia / 717 Lake St

FILONI / 131 N Oak Park Ave

Festive Collective / 159 S Oak Park Ave

FILONI / 131 N Oak Park Ave

Lively Athletics / 109 N Oak Park Ave

Gem Home + Jewelry / 115 N Oak Park Ave

Manouche / 146 N Oak Park Ave

Lively Athletics / 109 N Oak Park Ave

Olive & Well / 133 N Oak Park Ave

Manouche / 146 N Oak Park Ave

Selleria Veneta / 139 N Oak Park Ave

Olive & Well / 133 N Oak Park Ave

Trends / 810 North Blvd

Selleria Veneta / 139 N Oak Park Ave

Trends / 810 North Blvd

Questions about how much free expression a agpole should accommodate

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

Second River Forest agpole proposal gets tabled Friends of the Oak Park Public Library Book

by a member of the River Forest Village Board at least 60 days in advance.

Officials were told in 2021 that a village flagpole flying only the United States flag is considered a nonpublic for um as opposed to a traditional public for um or limited or designated public forum.

T he policy is modeled after one from a municipality in California that Trustee Erika Bachner said she found while doing research on the matter

“In adopting this policy, the village r ve the fedomby the oard’s official sentiments,” the na

Deep Tunnel worked during ood but stilll overwhelmed

More capacity locally, regionally still necessar y

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the agency responsible for reducing flooding and ensuring Chicago area residents have clean drinking water, insisted that reservoirs and tunnels system worked as intended during the July 2-3 flooding – it’s just that the flooding was more than it could ever accommodate.

On the first weekend of July, most of the Chicago area received anywhere between 3 to 7 inches of rain, but the west and southwest sides of Chicago and the nearby suburbs, including Forest Park and Oak Park received the brunt of it, getting as much as 8 or 9 inches.

In a statement to the Review, MWRD spokesperson

Alison Fore said that tunnels and reservoir system that were built as part of the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP), also known as the Deep Tunnel, worked the way they were supposed to, but that was still not enough to handle all the water. She said that local stormwater mitigation projects, as well completion of the next phase of the TARP projects, can help address the situation, and further investments will most likely be needed on MWRD’s end.

As Forest Park officials noted in the past, part of the problem is that much of the village has a combined sewer system, into which both sanitary waste and storm runof f flow. The village has been separating sanitary an storm sewers block by block, but there is still ways to go.

Fore said the TARP interception sewers

and the McCook Reservoir it connects to did what it could

“It has captured more than 5 billion gallons between the McCook Reservoir and two tunnel systems to protect Forest Park and other communities that rely on combined sewer systems,” she said. “But these storms demonstrate the need to invest in both gray and green infrastructure to increase capacity for more storms. As storms have increased in frequency and intensity, even the valuable gray infrastructure technologies cannot always keep up with all of the runof f, leading to flooded basements

and surface flooding.”

“Grey infrastructure” is traditional sewer systems, while “green infrastructure” projects include projects such as alleys with per meable pavers, which directs storm water away from the sewer system. MWRD helped fund installation of several per meable-paver alleys throughout Forest Park

The MWRD is currently working to expand McCook Reservoir’s capacity to allow it to capture an extra 6.5 billion gallons from sewers serving areas throughout Cook County. The project is one of TARP

Stage 2 projects, and it is expected to be completed in 2029.

But Fore also said that “more work is needed across Cook County” in the long run.

“Climate change threatens to alter precipitation, water resources and the reliable systems that the MWRD has installed to protect area water quality, public health and safety,” she said. “We believe environmental leadership is our responsibility, so we are looking for solutions to climate change that can keep our region and world safe for future generations.”

e Eisenhower Expressway was shut down in Forest Park dur ing July 2 ooding.

Deep Tunnel

“captured more than 5 billions gallons” during ood.

ALISON FORE

MWRD spokesperson

Mosquito abatement agency warns of ‘major hatch’ this week

The Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District on July 10 warned area residents to expect an influx of mosquitos this week, following recent rains and war m weather that have provided excellent conditions for their proliferation, and to take action at home to limit their numbers.

This week, there will be a “major hatch of the Aedes vexan floodwater mosquito,” the agency stated. That particular species does not spread disease, according to the agency, but “it is an extremely aggressive biter” that is “migratory in nature, with a flight range of well over 10 miles.”

While the mosquitos may be more a nuisance than a threat, there ha mosquito samples in the area that ha ed positi

“While this is not unusual

of year, it does indicate that WNV amplification is increasing and residents need to use precautionary measures,” the agency stated.

According to the Centers for Disease Control there have been no human cases of West Nile Virus reported in Illinois in 2023 and just 17 nationwide, with the most -- seven –reported so far in Arizona.

Residents are encouraged to inspect and repair any damaged window screens to prevent mosquitos from entering their homes and to seal any openings around window air conditioners and clothes dryer vents.

Wearing long-sleeved shirts and long

The agency also encouraged residents to eliminate any possible mosquito breeding grounds around their properties, throwing away trash that can hold water, cleaning gutters and mopping up standing water on flat oof turning buckets and heel ba screening rain ba mming pools, changing the water in bir baths and wading pools at least once a w

and disposing of used tires without rims.

T he Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District encompasses 77-square miles of suburban Chicago in the Des Plaines River and Salt Creek valley. It omprises 31 municipalities within Riverand River

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Oak Park designates home its newest local landmark

Homes

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

In May, the village of Oak Park designated the Swenson-Gottlieb Home at 1201 Fair Oaks Ave. a local landmark, joining a group of nearly 70 locally designated landmark properties in the village

The designation comes with a few benefits, not least of which is the opportunity to celebrate and share the home’s architectural and historical character.

The home was built in 1931 as a collaboration between architect George E. Pearson and the builders George Ellefsen and Arne Bentsen. Pearson was active in designing homes in the Oak Park area and between 1919 and 1938. He designed at least 229 homes in the suburb. Of these, 24 were collaborations with Ellefsen and Bentsen, including their own homes -Ellefsen’s at 1227 Rossell Ave. and Bentsen’s at 1212 N. Grove Ave.

Pearson specialized in designing bungalows and American foursquare houses and often referenced Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival styles in his designs. One of his other Oak Park designs, 1139 Woodbine Ave., also known as the Benson/Armstrong House is also an Oak Park landmark.

The Swenson-Gottlieb House is a one-story, red brick

bungalow, designed with a matching two-car garage. The front bay window features stonework in the Renaissance Revival style and the home’s form, bricks and stained-glass windows reference the Craftsman style

Over the years, the porch and wingwall were replaced with the existing stones reset, and in 2008 previous owners remodeled the kitchen. Much of the house’s original details, including over 100 stainedglass windows remain intact.

Contractors Ellefsen and Bentsen sold the house to Peter Swenson in December 1931. At some point between 1935 and 1936, Swenson sold the house to David Gottlieb

Gottlieb earned millions as a pinball machine manufacturer. He founded a company in 1927 which devised the button-operated flipper, used in the operation of almost all pinball machines manufactured at that time. At the time of his death, Gottlieb’s company was the world’s largest manufacturer of pinball machines.

Locally, Gottlieb is also known for his philanthropy, which led him to found Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park in honor of his parents

Classic bungalow was once owned by pinball machine magnate, hospital patron

LANDMARK Many original details intact

from page 19

David and his wife Dorothy raised their three children, Alvin, Marjorie and Roberta, in the home and lived in the house until the 1970s. David Gottlieb died in Florida in 1974 at the age of 73.

By 1978, the home was owned by Robert Noland, who was famous in his own right. A physics professor at the University of Chicago, Noland also worked at the Argonne National Laboratory. Neighborhood lore says that Noland worked on the Manhattan Project.

Oak Park’s urban planner in historic preservation, Susie Trexler, says the Swenson-Gottlieb Home are nominated for landmark status erty owners but notes that anyone mit a landmark nomination.

Landmarking has numerous financia benefits, Trexler said, as it makes proper ties eligible for financial incenti state and federal tax credit pr She points out that these incentives exist for owner-occupie residences as well as for incomeproducing properties

Landmarking also protects the historic integrity of property by requiring historic preservation reviews for ture exterior alterations. Owners of landmarked properties receive a bronze plaque tha

t in 1931, the home was purchased by Dav id Gottlieb in 1936, and the Gottlieb family lived there until the 1970s.

they can display on their property.

“Landmarking brings recognition to a historic property and promotes its unique exler said. “We are so grateful to owners of landmarks because they ensure the continued preservation and recognition of Oak Park’s broad and varied history as told through its buildings. There are al-

ways more stories to share and we always welcome new landmark nominations. They help give a voice to these stories.”

Trexler encourages any property owner who is interested in landmarking their property or in learning more about the process to reach out at historicpreservation@ oak-park.us.

Landmarks Illinois to spotlight work, home of Dr. Percy Julian

Next week, Landmarks Illinois Programs Manager Leila Wills will host the special presentation “Dr. Percy Julian: An American Story That Is Home To Oak Park” as part of Landmarks Illinois’ “Preservation Snapshots” series of lectures.

The presentation will focus on Julian’s life and work. Wills will be joined by Dr. Julian’s daughter, Faith Julian, who maintains the family’s Oak Park home, which was purchased in 1950 and is part of the village’s Frank Lloyd Wright His-

toric District.

Also joining Wills will be Kathleen Spale, special collections manager for the Oak Park Public Library, and Kendra Parzen, advocacy manager for Landmarks Illinois.

The presentation will be held via Zoom on July 19 at noon. Registration (free for Landmark Illinois members/$5 for nonmembers) is required. Visit landmarks org/events/preservation-snapshots-lectures to register

David Gottlieb and Alv in Gottlieb

Oak Park might demolish village hall along with police station

A novel option not previously presented to the public or village board

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

What started as a consultant’s study of ways to substantially renovate or replace the decrepit Oak Park police station which sits windowless in the basement of village hall, 123 Madison St., turned into a much wider discussion July 5 before the Oak Park village board.

Among the options presented was the previously unsurfaced concept of entirely demolishing Oak Park’s almost 50-yearold village hall and re placing it with a new police station and municipal headquarters on the same site. T he estimated cost of such a project was pe gged between $118 million and $124 million.

“This discussion is limited in just moving to the next ste p,” said Trustee Lucia Robinson, wanting to make it clear that there is still much discussion and community eng agement to be had re garding any new construction plans

T he village board directed staf f Wednesday night to proceed with developing the schematic design, the first step in the architectural process, for the new combination facility. T he lack of prior community discussion and potential expense lost the votes of Trustees Ravi Parakkat and Brian Straw.

T hose concerns were shared among other board members as well, but the excitement of having a far better, more useful facility for staf f and visitors seemed to tamp down wor ries. Such a building, the board was told, would need no major renovations for 30 years. Trustee Cory Wesley, however, was a bit more hesitant in his support, stating that any final funding of the project should be determined by taxpayer referendum.

Updating the police station, located in the windowless basement of village hall, has been something of a pipedream project for the last five years, though frustrations with the facility go back to the building’s construction in 1975. T he village contracted FGM Architects to conduct a space needs assessment of the station in 2019, then was contracted by the village in 2020 for schematic design services, but the project stalled with the onset of COVID-19.

Interest was renewed in 2022 when po-

lice consulting firm BerryDunn’s re port of the village’s law enforcement department reaffirmed the necessity for a new station. FGM was reeng aged to update the space needs assessment, finding that the village could benefit from a completely new, redesigned village hall and police department.

“I don’ t think it’s crazy,” FGM architect Raymond Lee told the board.

A brand-new facility could solve space, parking and efficiency problems facing not just Oak Park police, but village staf f as well. T he building, designed by noted architect Harry Weese, is aging out of its usefulness, according to Lee.

This was made all the more apparent as water dripped into village council chambers in what Public Works Director Rob Sproule called an “expected leak” due to recent storms. T he building’s U-shape, meant to evoke openness and transparency, makes heating and cooling village hall uneconomical. Lee called the building’s heating and cooling “one of the most inefficient systems possible,” but re placing it would require the village to essentially take the building apar t.

At one point, the village was considering just re pairing and correcting the current police station, but costs have inflated between 30 and 40%, according to Lee. Doing that renovation now, which would have required a total estimated project budg et of $9.8 million in 2019, would cost roughly $15.7 million now.

“If you did nothing, this is the kind of money you’d spend to keep it up to snuf f,” said Lee.

T he high costs of making any such improvement led Trustee Chib uike Enyia to compare the entire village hall building to that of a broken-down car. Sometimes, he told the board, it’s a better investment to just g et a new vehicle. Or in this case, “just get a new building.”

“This is something that needs to get done,” said Enyia, who called the current police station “appalling.”

Putting the police department in the basement of the building was originally supposed to be a temporary solution that became permanent. T he dark and dank space has no windows, aside from one skylight, located in a storage closet. T here is also limited space to safely store

evidence, outdated locker rooms, and accessibility issues among many other problems presented by the building’s ag e and the changing nature of police work

“Probably the newest thing was you replaced the light fixtures in 2011,” said Lee of the space.

In the intervening years since its construction, the rest of village hall has had to accommodate changes it was not originally intended or expected to confront, from new technological developments to internal growth, with the creation of new departments, more public services, adjudication and more public meetings.

“It clearly is just a mess and a pile of needed re pairs,” said Trustee Susan Buchanan.

A completely new village hall and police department was not the only option presented, although it was the one that the village board ultimately decided to pursue. Four other concepts were presented including building an addition to the current police station and renovating the basement to keep police training functions there. This would cost approximately between $75.4 million and $77.8 million.

T he village was further presented with the option of building a new standalone station elsewhere in the village without renovating the basement, with an approximate cost between $66.9 million and $69.5 million. T hose figures do not reflect land acquisition and no space has been identified, but a new standalone station would require 1.5 to 2 acres of land.

T he third option called for a standalone station to be built elsewhere in the village, plus the renovation or rebuilding of village hall. The cost of the for mer would range roughly between $51.9 million and $54.7 million. Rebuilding village hall would increase those costs to between $55.9 million to $62.6 million – this was the option favored by Straw.

T here’s always the option for the board to change course during the schematic design phase. This, howeve r, might add to the expenses and timeline, but the will of the board re garding a new facility was ultimately summed up by President Vicki Scaman.

“The minimum is that we want a new police station,” she said.

Preservationist weighs in on v illage hall demo idea

Oak Park architect and preservation advocate Frank Heitzman has come out against the potential plan to demolish Oak Park Village Hall and build a new one in its place.

While the current structure has an inefficient heating and cooling system, according to the village’s contracted architecture firm, a complete demolition of the building would be far from environmentally friendly, Heitzman wrote in an email sent to Wednesday Journal.

“There is local concern against demolition of buildings because of the fact that the spent embodied energy of the materials would never be recovered through new construction,” he wrote Village Hall’s place on the National Register of Historic Places also presents preservation hoops the village would have to jump through should it choose to tear it down. This includes undergoing reviews with federal and state historic preservation

agencies should the village seek federal or state funds, permits or licenses, which Heitzman believes likely for a project of this scale. Heitzman authored the building’s nomination for inclusion on the register many years back

Heitzman offered his own solution to the problem of inadequate police facilities and insufficient space for village staff at village hall

“If anyone asked me, I would propose building an annex building for the police in the lawn area south of the village hall parking lot on the corner of Adams [Street] and Lombard [Avenue],” he wrote

The basement of village hall could then be reused for the village’s less-public space needs, according to Heitzman.

“Neighbors might complain about the loss of green space, but there could be a solution to that issue,” he wrote. “Give me a day or so.”

— Stacey Sheridan

Enjoy a taste of Italy at Jim and Pete’s

Savory food, a great all-seasons patio and exceptional service await at this Elmwood Park favorite

By Staff

If you’re looking for a great Italian meal, Jim and Pete’s, 7806 W. North Ave., will not disappoint.

This longtime staple of Elmwood Park’s Restaurant Row has earned its customers loyalty with a menu that features Italian

classics made with fresh and often, locally sourced, ingredients. The family-owned restaurant was founded in 1941 by Jim Sorce Sr., and his brother-in-law Pete Pizo, the inspiration for its name. Though it changed owners in 1999, it has stayed true to its mission of bringing the finest Italian cuisine to locals and visitors who walk through its doors.

The main indoor dining area is beautifully adorned with chandeliers, providing a modern and cozy atmosphere where guests can enjoy a view of North Avenue through the restaurant’s almost floor-to-ceiling windows. The patio also offers guests with

outdoor seating in a patio setting that stays functional even when the temperature begins to cool down. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the patio was key to helping Jim and Pete’s stay open despite state-wide indoor dining restrictions. The patio is located within the restaurant’s party room, featuring a retractable roof and a heating fireplace that makes the space versatile for indoor and outdoor dining.

The patio is one of many examples of owner Michael Bucchianeri’s attention to detail. This same spirit is shared by Jim and Pete’s staff, who continuously watch over every detail to provide each guest with an exceptional experience, both for lunch and dinner.

The menu includes a wide selection of appetizers, great for sharing with a group in a delightful ambience. The fried calamari is cooked until the golden batter is crispy, perfect for dipping in cocktail sauce or sprinkling with some lemon juice. It is one of several seafood specialties, namely

the signature baked clams, grilled calamari and grilled octopus. Yet, cheese lovers will also find themselves in a dilemma to decide whether to order a classic, mozzarella sticks fried to perfection, or an antipasto plate with a selection of imported meats and cheeses accompanied with olives, tomatoes and romaine lettuce.

When visiting Jim and Pete’s, everyone at the table is sure to find something of their liking, from pasta to pizza to meat, poultry and fish dishes.

Be sure to try the Eggplant Parmigiana for a savory vegetable-based meal. It is made with thinly sliced, battered eggplant baked in marinara sauce, over pasta and

STAFF

Enjoy Italian favorites like eggplant parmigiana and gnocchi in vodka sauce at Jim and Pete’s.

The fried calamari is a great option to share an appetizer when dining with a group.

covered with melted cheese. You won’t even miss meat.

Pasta lovers can find one of the best vodka sauces in the city. Order gnocchi in vodka sauce for an equally creamy and tasty bite or indulge in one of several house-made pasta specialties. Try something new, like the giant fresh rigatoni covered in “aglio” sauce, stick to the classic lasagna or ask your server for the risotto of the day.

If you join at lunchtime, don’t forget to take a look at the daily specials. Jim and Pete’s opens daily at 11 a.m., providing locals with great options for a lunch gathering or a quick and tasty bite. You can order a rib-eye steak sandwich, chicken parmigiana sandwich or eggplant parmigiana

for an easy-to-eat meal that is equally delicious. Or, keep it lighter with a tasty arugula salad with black olives, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers.

Keep

Fenwick grad now in NFL hosts free youth football camp

Spots still open for Robert Spillane inaugural F.A.M.I.L.Y. event

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Robert Spillane has continued the football le gacy his f amily as a veteran linebacker in the National F ball League.

He’s just as excited to continue the lessons of paying it forward from his parents, Michael and Gretchen.

T he 2014 Fenwick High School graduate is holding hi first free F.A.M.I.L.Y. Youth Football Camp from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 16 at Priory Park, the F riars’ practic field.

“Spending my childhood in Oak Park, I have so man great memories of the youth huskies football prog ram and to go out and give back alongside my f amily is great,” said Spillane, who signed with the Las Ve g as Raiders on March 16 as a free agent after playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers the past four seasons

“This is an opportunity to give ba ck to the community I love the best way I know,” he said. “It’s definitely been on my mind, something I’ve wanted to do.”

Camp sessions are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for ages 7-13, and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for ages 14-18.

Re gistration via the rober tspillane.com website has been overwhelming.

Event coordinator Aaron Garland, Spillane’s longtime friend and a 2015 Fenwick graduate, said the first session’s 50 slots filled quickly and then another 25 added. Spots remain for the second session.

“I’ve always said if a kid absolutely wants to be a part of the camp, show up July 16 and we’ ll do all we can to make that happen,” Spillane said. “It’s not just about football and skills training, but I want to instill a sense of inspiration to go out and accomplish your dream. It’s a series of intentional actions that g et you to where you want to go. If it’s wor th earning and if you put your hear t and soul into it, it’s attainable.”

Spillane’s grandfather, Johnny Lattner, won colle ge football’s Heisman Trophy with Notre Dame in 1953 and also played football at Fenwick and with the Steelers.

Spillane attended the 2016 Heisman awards ceremony to commemorate the passing of Lattner that February.

Spillane’s seasons with the Steelers included Tuesday volunteer events. He fondly recalls visiting children, veterans and breast cancer patients, delivering Christmas presents and serving meals to the homeless.

“It really brought me joy, any opportunity I got. [Children] thought I’m special because I have that jersey and just to make kids smile, laugh, bring them that moment of joy, that’s how I got that joy,” Spillane said.

“I grew up very blue collar. [My parents] worked for everything they have and were still willing to help everyone at every opportunity. My dad was always a stand-up person, a really shining example of that.”

Spillane’s football work ethic carried him from a twotime second-team All-Mid-American Conference player at

Western Michig an to signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent and playing his first two NFL games in 2018.

Spillane is coming off his best season with the Steelers, playing all 16 games with a personal-best 67 tackles (40 solo).

Spillane wore No. 41, the same uniform number as Lattner in his one season as a Steelers halfback

“I got to see him every day on that 1954 roster. There’s not a day or moment I don’t think about him and making his legacy proud,” Spillane said.

Besides joining the Raiders this offseason, Spillane married Shelby Hague on June 25. They attended Fenwick together but didn’t date until after college They spent their honeymoon in Chicago.

“We were exploring the city we knew as kids, but I’ve been away so long so it was fun to get back,” Spillane said. “This year is a big year for me, being in a new organization, a new opportunity. It’s really a chance to stake my claim to be a dominant linebacker in this leagu e.”

Fenw ick High School graduate Robert Spillane high- ve fans last year a er a game during his four-year stint w ith the Pittsburgh Steelers. In March, Spillane signed a free-agent contract to play for the Las Vegas Raiders.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

OPRF ignores 66% of constitue nts at its peril

The article “OPRF communication audit cites 7 areas to improve,” which appeared in Wednesday Journal on July 5, re ports that “while 77 percent of OPRF parents and 61 percent of school staff rate the school as excellent or above average, only 34 percent of the non-parent community did the same.” That means 66% of the non-parent community rate the high school as average or below average. The report seems to make 6 of its 7 recommendations on the “silo” issues of what is going on inside the high school.

One View

VIEWPOINTS

I believe the single most important recommendation was number 7, “to implement tactics to engage stakeholders with no connection to the school.” The “no connection” mindset shows the “silo thinking” of the high school and the audit committee

I would like to give some very broad examples of why recommendation number 7 should be the top priority for the high school, and to point out the basic flaw in the audit because everyone who lives or owns a business in Oak Park has a “connection” to the school. The numbers below are used as broad examples for illustrative purposes from Google searches and are not meant to be taken as exact figures

There are 3,407 students at OPRF. There are 24,200 housing units (whatever that means) in Oak Park. If we assume there is one OPRF student for each housing unit (the best possible assumption for OPRF), that means there are 20,793 housing units in Oak Park that do not have a student at OPRF

I am in that category. According to my latest available tax bill, I pay 24.37% of my real estate taxes to OPRF. I assume the other 20,793 housing units do the same We are the backbone and core constituency of OPRF We pay the bills OPRF students and their parents just pass through for four or five years. OPRF students and their parents come and go. OPRF taxpayers are here mostly for the long term.

In addition, apparently the audit committee and the high school did not consider the fact that among the 20,794 housing units that presumably do not have a student at OPRF are housing units that have a “connection” to OPRF because they contain an elementary or middle-school student

See OPRF on page 30

Is there a mandate to build a new village hall?

This week, village staff and architects, who have been working since 2018 on the design of a new police station, came back to the village board with options for our consideration.

While two options were exclusively for a new police facility, additional options were also introduced, which would expand the scope of the efforts to include rebuilding all of village hall. These expanded options would increase the price tag for the project from $70 million for the police station alone to $140 million for police station plus village hall.

Keep in mind that these estimates do not include moving costs and temporary space costs to support the transition, both of which are certain to increase overall costs.

I am writing today to share my initial thoughts and seek your feedback on this important decision. The decision whether to build a new police station or an entire village hall complex will have an impact on each of our household budgets

Our current police facility in the basement of village

hall is, frankly, an embarrassment. It was meant to be a temporary space for our police department back in 1975. Almost 50 years later, that temporary space is not only an unacceptable workspace, it also fails to meet the basic needs of the department and our community at large

The need to replace the police station has been discussed in our community since at least 2017. I campaigned for a new police facility during my election cycle in 2020/21 and have followed the community discussion on this topic since. The need was further validated through the comprehensive Berry Dunn community safety study/report the board commissioned in 2021 and received in 2022. At a price tag of $70-80 million, the new police facility is expensive but needed and long overdue. I am satisfied with the due diligence in analyzing this, and I fully support spending community funds to provide for this demonstrated need

See VILLAGE HALL on page 30

Courtesy Village of Oak Park

VILL AG E OVERHAUL?: An aerial photog raph of Oak Park’s Village Hall taken a er construction was completed in 1975.

Demolish village hall?

Fairly stunning that a consultant’s re port about fixing the police station in the miserable bowels of Oak Park’s village hall should turn up on a village board agenda and that, before the evening’s festivities are concluded, the village board has approved a plan to deeply consider fixing the cop shop by demolishing the entire village hall.

That would be the 48-year-old, Harry Weese-designed, National Re gister of Historic Places designated village hall. The building constructed in the 1970s on the east side of the village as a bold statement about the future of a portion of the village seen by many as troubled, constructed with intent to create transparency and citizen involvement, built with a historically crappy HVAC system, came just a couple of years before accessibility became the proud law of the land, and built with the police station crammed into the windowless basement, a failing from day one.

The conclusion has been reached in recent years that the cur rent police facility is inadequate, dangerous, totally depressing and works against every impulse related to open and welcoming community policing strat egies.

Most everyone who has been watching, and we’ve been watching, assumed this consultant would ag ree there was no retrofitting the current station. We anticipated a plan to build a new station, elsewhere in town, likely in the east-central portion of town. In fact we anticipated the new station would be built on the patch of green space at the south end of the village hall campus on Lombard at Adams.

So color us flabberg asted that one of the consultant’s options was a full demolition of village hall and the construction of a new village hall and a non-subterranean police station at the same location. More shocked that the demolition route was the one village trustees were attracted to and ordered additional study of.

We’re talking about demolishing an awkward but almost sacred building. And the first take on a price tag for the project is $140 million.

We appreciate those trustees who are promising this is only the very start of a long public process. And we stand with those trustees assuring taxpayers that any funding plan would have to be approved by citizen referendum.

We’ve watched OPRF High School agree to spend $100 million plus on necessary upgrades to its Scoville Avenue campus and contort itself to avoid ever asking taxpayers for approval of the project.

No more of that.

There will be rightful and intense pushback on the demolition route from both strapped property owners and from preservationists. As there should be. The village will need to build a mighty case to convince residents that this isn’t overreach, that this is not disrespect for a mid-century architectural classic.

What is the meaning of life? People have been kicking that one around forever. A better question might be: “What makes life meaningful?”

But I’m interested in a deeper question: Is life inherently meaningful? Regardless of whether we bring our brand of meaning to it or whether we can even articulate what meaning is.

Nailing the meaning of life KEN TRAINOR

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Existential phenomenologists would say it only matters if someone is there to hear it. But I believe a falling tree creates sound waves and when ears are close enough, the circuit is complete and there is sound.

Similarly, I believe life is meaningful even when we’re too busy to realize it

I thought about this in Nor thside Park in Wheaton, looking out over the lagoon, sipping coffee on a beautiful early July mor ning. My grandsons were busy in the outdoor pool nearby, swimming laps. There was nowhere else I needed to be and nowhere else I wanted to be, two pre-conditions for entering the here and now. That and not being in a hurry. You can’t be in a hurry in the present. Neither can you be “lost in thought,” as Eckhart Tolle says in The Power of Now. You enter the present when you’re more aware of your surroundings than you are of your inner self.

I was momentarily content to be right here, right now. Mind you, all the ducks of my life were not in a row. All is never right with my world. But this was not about circumstances. The present is always present, regardless of circumstances. It’s always there for us, even though we rarely realize it, which is what Emily Gibbs realizes when she revisits her 12th birthday in Act III of Our Town, my favorite play.

Our Town nails the meaning of life.

In the first two acts, we roll blissfully along in the capable hands of the all-knowing Stage Manager, who serves as our tour guide to Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. Nine years have passed since Emily Webb mar ried George Gibbs (in Act II). They have a son and a farm. But then (spoiler alert) the reader smashes headlong into the brick wall of untimely death. We find ourselves in the Grover’s Corners graveyard.

Act III is why playwright Edward Albee, author of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? so he knew a thing or two about tough plays, described Our Town as “one of the toughest, saddest, most brutal plays I’ve ever come across — and so beautiful.” Act III is a tough read, but don’t let that put you of f because

this is where you’ll find the meaning of life.

Emily, the graveyard’s newest resident, is war ned against returning to the world of the living, but chooses to go anyway — for one day, her 12th birthday. She is quickly overwhelmed. “I can’t look at everything hard enough,” she says. “Oh, Mama, just look at me one minute as though you really saw me.”

Soon enough it becomes unbearable.

“I can’t go on. It goes so fast. We don’t have time to look at one another.” She breaks down.

“I didn’t realize. All that was going on and we never noticed. Take me back. But first: Wait! One more look. Good-by, world … Good-by to clocks ticking … and Mama’s sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths … and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you.”

On my too-infrequent visits to the present, I am reminded that life is heaven on Earth, but we are generally too preoccupied, distracted, aggravated, busy, and lost in our thoughts and feelings (or our smartphones) to realize it. O, Earth, too wonderful for anyone to realize you … not for long, anyway, and not often enough.

Martin Buber calls it the “melancholy of our fate.” We live in two realms, but most of our life is spent in the realm of I-It, where the subjective and objective are split. Nonetheless, we’re capable of entering the world of I-Thou — aka The Present, aka The Garden of Eden, aka Life Itself — where the veil of the ordinary is lifted, revealing the extraordinary.

We can’t live there forever. That’s our melancholy. But if we never glimpse life’s fullness, even for a moment, that would be truly tragic.

Unhappy ending? Not really. Emily experiences the full meaning of life just before she lets go of it. But we’re not doomed, not yet. We can, in fleeting moments, realize how wonderful it is to be alive on Planet Eden. We have the key to the kingdom. Using that key is up to us.

The meaning of life is not a bumper sticker or a set of steps or principles. It’s not a prescription or recipe for fulfillment. In spite of life’s setbacks, differences in body chemistry, inequality, or simply being too busy to look at one another, realizing the wonder of the world is possible.

If we enter the present, lift the veil, and look at everything hard enough, we will find, like Emily, that life is filled with more meaning than we ever dared to dream.

Ways to go plastic-free this month

Thanks to the Go Plastic-Free group for reminding us all in the June 28 issue of seven ways to go plastic-free for Plastic-Free July Reducing use of plastic, especially single-use plastics, prevents pollution by keeping plastic out of the waste stream and by requiring that fewer raw materials be used. It also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Sugar Beet Food Co-op on Madison Street is an independent, community-owned, full-service store that offers a whole range of groceries, and anyone is welcome to shop there at any time. Sugar Beet offers many ways to take part in Plastic-Free July for the rest of the month and year-round too. Here are just a few suggestions:

• Bring in your own reusable containers of any kind to shop the bulk department for spices, grains, nuts, tea and coffee, snacks and treats, and more.

• Stop by the café with your reusable drink bottles for coffee and tea, fresh juices, and on-tap kombucha.

• Make a corner of your home a little greener by choosing plastic-free products like laundry or dish soap.

• Compost the produce bags that Sugar Beet uses instead of traditional plastic bags — or bring your own fabric produce bag.

• Choose compostable packaging, like produce clamshells made from plants and paper, and compostable single-use items like straws and utensils

• Donate to your community with Beet Bucks. Every time you shop, bring a reusable bag, mug, or bulk container and you’ll receive a Beet Buck ($0.05) to donate to a local charity.

• Support local and sustainable companies — Sugar Beet carries products that have the lowest possible environmental impact in production, delivery, and packaging.

Plastic-Free July makes it easy for anyone to make small changes and be part of a plastic pollution solution. Even if you can’t commit to going 100% plasticfree, it’s a great time to discover some alter natives that just might become your favorite new habits.

To lear n more about the Sugar Beet’s commitment to community and sustainability, visit http://sugarbeetcoop.squarespace.com or stop in to check it out for yourself.

Katherine Faydash Sugar Beet Co-op board member

Start local sustainable plastic use today

I certainly support thoughtful progress toward reducing the overflow of Styrofoam (and other “disposable” plastics) in our community — as raised by Oak Park Trustee Ravi Parakkat in the recent Wednesday Journal One View, “Important steps forward on local sustainability” [Viewpoints, June 27]. In the meantime, I suggest our village governments encourage all of us to do our individual parts to reduce our collective plastic footprint.

It can be as simple as my switch to the metal hot and cold beverage cups with metal straws I nowadays carry with me everywhere, which have proven to be endlessly re-usable and offer a partial alter native to plastic and land-fill consumerism.

However, I confess I made this switch for a more personal reason: in the midst of three cancer diagnoses, my nutritionist strongly exhorted me to avoid eating anything heated in plastic because of an increased cancer risk when my half-of-a-liver and other organs must work overtime to filter out BPA or microscopic plastic potentially released by the heat.

While he indicated refrigerating leftovers in reusable

plastic containers is safe enough, I now transfer the food to glass dishes before microwaving and I have almost eliminated the use of plastic wrap. But what shocked me into action was when he specifically mentioned that the plastic bottled soft drinks and water — when on pallets in transit via truck or train — were likely exposed to temperatures over 100 degrees. So I fill my own reusable cup with much healthier options. Not dramatic changes, I just have to be intentional.

We as a community can easily take such small steps toward a healthier diet and cleaner environment — by filtering our own water, refusing plastic straws and styro-containers in restaurants, buying single-serving drinks in metal or glass (even paper) containers, and choosing the non-plastic packaging option whenever possible. I encourage our many thousands of citizens, during this “Plastic-Free July,” to begin the “important steps forward” with a few easy changes completely in our control.

David Loofbourrow River Forest

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Senior Repor ter Stacey Sheridan

Sta Reporters Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Big Week Editor James Porter

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

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designer Susan McKelvey

Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady

Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

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

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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

About Viewpoints

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

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

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

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

■ 250-word limit

■ Must include rst and last names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for veri cation only)

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

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

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Grateful for actions to reduce gun violence

Gratefulness! So very grateful for actions taken by our village leadership to reduce the risk of harm from guns in our community.

Thank you, Trustee Brian Straw and Trustee Susan Buchanan for creating the motion for an ordinance on secure safe gun storage and the opportunity for a gun buyback event in the village of Oak Park

Thank you, Village Manager Kevin Jackson, Police Chief Shatonya Johnson, and Village Attor ney Paul Stephanides for promptly responding to the motion by taking action to develop the legal changes required to make that motion a reality.

Thank you, President Vicki Scaman

for placing this motion on the agenda.

Thank you, Village Board of Trustees, for discussing issues and dif ferences with compassion and voting to move these important peacemaking changes to our Village Code.

As Oak Park residents comply and take advantage of safe storage requirements and surrender unwanted guns in a gun buyback program, each household will be safer.

Placing safety as a top priority and taking the actions within our control is most appreciated.

Thank you!

Gun owners should be required to carry insurance

Re: “The high cost of one gunshot,” Chicago Tribune, p. 16, July 9:

I applaud the writer who re ported the medical costs of a single human shooting: $5,000 for ER treatment, $96,000 for hospital bills, and $845,000 for long-ter m costs.

A big step toward solving the problem of gun violence in the United States would be to require every gun owner to buy insurance to cover the expenses that will result if someone is shot with that gun, whether intentionally or accidentally.

When we drive a car, we are required to have liability insurance to cover the expense of an accident. It is completely reasonable to require liability insurance for gun owners.

Why should peaceful citizens who eschew guns be forced to pay the costs of gun violence?

Tom DeCoursey Oak Park

St. Edmund concerns need to be heard

The recent ar ticle, “Tension arises from Renew My Church merger” [News, July 5], describing the situation at St. Edmund Parish, missed important points and shared only part of the story.

Lois Thiessen Love Oak Park

I have been a parishioner for 20 years, a for mer school board member, and my children attended the school. I am sad and outraged at recent actions on the part of the pastor. The people of the parish are not being heard and in fact have been misled about re pairs to the damaged church, the use of its parishioner-funded, recently-restored McGivern Parish Center, and the sudden eviction of the school tenant.

The architectural and artistic signif-

icance of this church warrants immediate attention, yet re pairs have been intentionally delayed. St. Edmund parishioners have not been invited to the table for discussions involving the use of the McGivern Center. The school tenant was evicted behind the backs, and without the support, of the staf f and parishioners.

A cooperative plan for a better path forward has been clearly stated and yet ignored. The Catholic Church can ill-af ford to fur ther alienate its members and supporters. Do better, Fr. Carl Morello and Chicago Archdiocese.

Mary Beach Prudence St. Edmund parishioner

Re-evaluate schools’ reading curricula

Are Oak Park and River Forest schools using the most up-to-date, evidence-based reading, writing and math curricula?

Are our schools aligning with authors and publishers whose programs are proven to help kids read, write and learn math?

Are such authors and publishers open to new research and willing to learn themselves?

Many school districts across the country are pivoting away from reading programs that de-emphasize the importance of phonics.

Recent advancements in the science of reading, including brain MRIs, suggest a focus on phonics helps children learn to read. Teaching kids how to read should not be political, but history suggests politics and money have influenced curriculum decisions in our country. If you think the science of reading is simply an over-publicized podcast, I strongly suggest otherwise and so do recent academic outcomes. According to NAEP, one of our country’s longest, consistent studies of student achievement, better known as the Nation’s Re port Card:

“The mathematics decline for 13-year-olds was the single largest decline we have observed in the past half a century. The mathematics score for the lowest-performing students has returned to levels last seen in the 1970s, and the reading score for our lowest-performing students was actually lower than it was the very first year these data were collected, in 1971.”

Closer to home, based on the official Illinois Re port Card website, here are the current “proficiency” rates in the

English Language Ar ts for our local school districts: River Forest D90 Schools: 61.6% proficiency

Oak Park D97 Schools: 41.7% proficiency

Oak Park and River Forest High School D200: 56.9% proficiency

Of course, no single metric is perfect and a single data point is surely not telling us the entire story. Yet if our highly taxed and well-resourced districts are offering families reading proficiency rates in the 40s, 50s and 60s, something is not working as planned. Also recall that the national NAEP data is pointing to some of the most challenging academic student outcomes across the nation since the 1970s.

So yes, it is reasonable to assume that school districts across the country, including ours, should at least consider a different direction. We are all hopeful we have local school districts that are open to different ideas and also value diversity of thought.

I hope this open letter solicits a response from our school leaders and others in our community. I hope it starts an iterative conversation that results in better academic outcomes for all Oak Park and River Forest students. Why not start with evaluating the reading and phonics curriculum in our K-4 classrooms?

There is no greater educational gift than combining a truly rigorous and evidence-based education with a philosophy of agency for those trying to improve their lot in life. I believe we can, and should do better.

Ross Lissuzzo Oak Park nati ve and current River Forest resident

Sanitizing MAGA

In her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton remarked that “half” of Trump’s supporters constituted a “basket of de plorables.” She was pilloried for this remark. Yet Trump was even more cutting: In his quest to become White House Occupant 45, he boasted that his supporters were so depraved, he could murder someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a “single vote.”

GREGORY MUMM One View

Actually, Trump understated his supporters’ sordidness. Now re garded with apparent indif ference are the thousands dead from COVID as a likely consequence — in no small measure — of his public re presentations about the course of this disease and his preposterous recommended precautions (or lack thereof) that the public should take, his ar rangement for lynching the man they voted to be vice president, the attempted dismantlement of our democracy, and the mishandling of confidential national security materials in this nuclear age.

We remember, too, this is a man who euphemistically admitted to thoughts of dating his own daughter and confessed to sexually assaulting women; who, as Cadet Bone Spurs, dismissed John McCain’s Vietnam service and bragged during a Howard Stern radio interview that “avoiding STDs,” as a “brave soldier,” was his “personal Vietnam”; and is quoted in Atlantic magazine as describing our veterans buried in France (at Aisne-Marne and Belleau Woods) as “suckers” and “losers.” And finally (although the list is inexhaustible), publicly inviting Russian interference in the 2016 election; celebrating, the day after, the firing of James Comey with Russian diplomats present in the Oval Office; and attempting to disgrace this country’s intelligence services in remarks in Helsinki, standing before the press, leashed to a smirking Putin.

Concisely put, Trump — possessed of not a single virtue, dispossessed of no vice — is the craven choice of a political party that blames poverty on imagined character defects of the poor. Yet, nearly unfathomably, Trump’s support in the GOP, over rival candidates, re por tedly is increasing with each civil and criminal indictment.

What gives? To this casual observer even the Trump critics have it wrong: In their effor ts to condemn Trump they end up, however unintentionally, excusing and thereby sanitizing his supporters, diluting responsibility. For example, Gene Lyons, in a Sun-Times column (June 17) — preposterously positing MAGA open-mindlessness — implored the “pro-Trump insur rectionists” to “read the damn indictment” before “locking and loading.” (Gee wiz, Stuart Rhodes, of Oath Keepers, are you sorry now?)

Rejected here are explanations that the Trump supporters have been “conned” or are “cult victims,” are “fearful,” “don’t get it,” are “cultural

conservatives” or “Christian nationalists,” “economically agg rieved,” “don’t understand how our democracy works,” or even “idiots.”

No, these labels are not descriptive. The behavioral causality is more sinister and runs in the opposite direction than commonly asserted. The support for Trump is too intense (even fanatical and homicidal), overlooking and discarding too much, to be accounted for in this manner. What undergirds his persistent support requires a powerful emotion (and willfulness).

Only raw bigotry would seem animating enough to fuel the furious (AR-15 seasoned) support for Trump: the same seething hatred, in all of its varieties, plaguing this country since its inception. Unprovoked hate, constituting the rejection of the central ethos at our founding, penned by slaveholder Thomas Jefferson, that we are all equal. “Men” he wrote … yes, but not “white, straight, Christian males.” As in “all of us.”

The hate is so intense that in 1957, for example, President Eisenhower deemed it necessary to send 1,000 troops from the storied 101st Airborne Division to enforce the integration of nine Black students into Central High School in Little Rock (a combat unit that had participated in the bloody Normandy and Market Garden operations against the Nazis in 1944).

That hate hasn’t dissipated. The Ron DeSantis “anti-woke” agenda, akin to Holocaust denialism, is how bigots presently express their support for history’s darkest chapters: an attempt to render us civically comatose by suppressing history so it can more easily be re peated. (Caution: the MAGA crowd —“fake news” parrots, not patriots, deliberating following serial fabricators — are not to be taken at their word for what they claim to believ e.)

MAGA = Make America Great Again = the headline of the Fall 2016 issue of the KKK’s publication “The Crusader.” The KKK dates from 1865. The opportunistically transactional Trump is a creation of that perverse sensibility, not vice versa.

The equality of all is America’s foundational creed from which arises our insistence on democracy, the opening “We the People” in our Constitution, the proposition that “no man is above the law,” the Bill of Rights, Lincoln’s 1862 Emancipation Proclamation and 1863 Gettysburg Address, the Reconstruction Amendments (13-15) and the 19th Amendment.

As operationally American as bigotry has been and continues to be — in the ugly tradition set at times by the Supreme Court and the likes of John C. Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Charles Coughlin, and Jesse Helms — yet the hatred is full-bore anti-American as to our truest nature.

Gregg Mumm is an Oak Park resident.

Do one thing to reduce plastic use

Hey, neighbors, it’s Plastic-Free July! We hope you take this month to do one new thing, develop one new habit, in using less plastic. Take the Plastic-Free July Pledge:

I will do my best to choose things other than single-use plastic to sip, slur p, eat, drink. I will use:

1) My own reusable items such as straws, utensils, to-go containers, cups (that are not plastic and Styrofoam) for hot and cold drinks — and reusable shopping bags.

2) Ask businesses or restaurants for alternatives to single-use plastics, such as paper or compostable straws, napkins, plates, containers.

3) If there are no alternatives, say “No, thank you” to the plastic item.

4) Pick up any single-use plastic items in our neighborhood and put them in the trash/recycle bin.

We know there are a lot of things that contribute to climate change. The accumulation of plastic is one of them. Pick one thing to change in your use of plastic, just one thing, and work to make it a habit. Then you pick one more thing! As we know, each ste p, each one thing, if we all do just one more thing, it can make a difference. It’s our choice to take that one step.

And while you’re at it, stop by and say hi to your Bin Ambassadors at the Far mers Market. We’d love to hear the habit you are working on to care for our common home. Feel free to pick our brains.

Jen Packheiser & Phyllis Rubin Co-leaders of Go Plastic-Free

Reviving the driving range on Madison Street

Dear editor,

We would like to make Wednesday Journal readers aware of a business opportunity in the community. Currently, there is a golf driving range that is not being utilized on Madison Street in nearby Maywood, just west of the Des Plaines River. We know many golfers in the community, including ourselves, who would love to have a driving range close by We believe that with a little bit of love, this driving range could turn out to be a fantastic business for an enterprising entrepreneur. We also think a reduction in greenhouse gases could be achieved by local residents not being required to drive to a driving range further away. All in all, the community would be a better place if somebody steps up to the tee and drives this to the end of the range.

Conrad Grant and Eli Nash BSA Troop 4066

Why was Ridgeland Pool o limits on July 4th?

My husband and I took our disabled son to the Ridgeland Pool on July 4th from our home a block away We were planning to pay the daily Oak Park residency rate but were not allowed entry because we weren’ t summer pass holders. We were told that this policy was put in place for July 4th only, and only at the Ridgeland Pool (not at Rehm Pool). The pool was practically empty. The computer display at the window showed it was at 6% capacity. I could understand why we would be denied entry if we did not live in Oak Park, or

VILLAGE HALL

What’s your opinion?

from page 25

The prospect of a new village hall, however, may be premature for these reasons:

• Anecdotal evidence of need may exist, but cannot not be the basis for a significant capital expenditure. It has to be based on a comprehensive needs assessment.

• In a post-pandemic world, the ways in which office space is being used to deliver services is changing rapidly, and models are still emerging.

• A new village hall is a significant additional expense with very little community input, debate, or vetting.

Altogether, the significant estimated cost increase, evolving post-pandemic of fice space requirements, insufficient needs analysis, and inadequate community input prompted me to favor decoupling the decision to build a new police facility from the decision to rebuild villa ge hall. However, the majority of the board (5 of 7) was in favor of considering the all-in option estimated at $140 million (the most expensive option available).

I am also conscious of the already existing burden on our community resulting from cumulative capital expenditures by local taxing bodies

if the pool were full. We had been pass holders for many years in Oak Park but stopped because Ridgeland Pool was so often closed.

We, like other Oak Parkers, have paid exorbitant taxes for many, many years and expect to be able to use, within reason, the resources we financially support. Can someone explain to me why, as Oak Park residents, we were not allowed entry into our town pool that was only 6% full on July 4th?

Pamela Grace Oak Park

OPRF

from page 25

that will eventually attend OPRF

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a high school teacher in 2021 was $61,820. Any teacher/ administrator at OPRF who makes more than that can thank the 20,793 residents of housing units that do not have a child attending OPRF for their salaries.

And what do these housing-unit residents think of OPRF? According to the article 66% think OPRF is not an excellent or above average high school, but an average or below average high school. And they apparently get that opinion from reading Wednesday Jour nal. Whether Wednesday Jour nal re-

ports more negative than positive stories, or people only remember the negative stories, is unknown.

The report says that Supt. Greg Johnson is a “skilled communicator who understands the importance of public relations.” Communicators skilled in public relations should not ignore 86% of their target audience.

Let’s hope that the OPRF Communications Department is smart enough to break out of its “silo” and move recommendation number 7 up to recommendation number 1 or the high school is going to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

I am a graduate of OPRF, Class of 1963, and a homeowner in Oak Park in the same house since 1973, when my Annual Real Estate Tax was $650.78. At that time, 24.7% of my real estate taxes went to OPRF. I have voted in support of every funding referendum for OPRF that has been held since 1973.

(for example, the recent $100+ million spend approved by the OPRF High School District 200 board for Phase 2 of the Imagine project).

How would it affect us to have two such expenditures in quick succession? If a new village hall is included, this translates to a cumulative burden of over a quarter of a billion dollars (billion with a B). Re gardless of how we finance the cost, it will make our community less af fordable. Debt financing (a loan) would be the logical option, as it would distribute the cost equitably over current and future taxpayers who benefit from these investments. Yet current high interest rates make this option unattractive.

Having said all that, we do have to invest in our community. I would be happy to explore building a new village hall (without delaying the much-needed police station) if there is independently verified evidence of the need, coupled with community appetite for it.

While the majority on the board was comfortable exploring the all-in $140 million option, I am not there yet. This financial burden will land squarely on all our shoulders for the foreseeable future. Hence in this instance, I would need robust community eng agement and will be open to a ballot referendum (while not required) to make sure that you the voters get a chance to weigh in.

Please share your thoughts with me @ TrusteeParakkat@oak-park.us. Look forward to hearing from you.

Conservative vs. reactionary

“There’s a difference between a conservative and a reactionary.”

If memory serves, it was Mrs. Fiock, my fifth-grade teacher in Victor, Colorado, who explained the difference. She contradicted my parents’ hatred of FDR, who had died about three years earlier, though she couldn’t have known what their political views were. She just intended to educate her students to become good citizens, discerning and thoughtful.

My parents, as staunch conservatives raised on farms in Wisconsin and Biblebelieving Lutherans, had a world view that rejected the systemic changes of the FDR years because, they claimed, federal programs like Social Security undermined each person’s individual responsibility in favor of gover nment handouts. They expected that we children should think as they did about politics and life in general. The commandment to “Honor your father and your mother,” and others in rightful authority, was taught in Luther’s Small Catechism, and must be obeyed. Questioning their authority could be grounds for scolding, or even punishment (even though they themselves rejected most of FDR’s works and ways).

They would no doubt have heartily affir med St. Paul’s words in Galatians 6:5: “All must carry their own loads.” But to their credit, they were not absolutists about this; they reached out to care, especially for fellow

church members, when needs arose. They lived, even if they didn’t say, St. Paul’s seemingly contradictory words just before in 6:2: “Bear one another’s burdens.” They knew that taking care of yourself to the best of your ability doesn’t preclude taking care of a sister or brother who had burdens too great to be borne alone

The recent, flawed decisions of the Supreme Court do not, in my judgment, reflect true conservatism. For years I followed my parents in thinking that conserving the status quo as “tried and true” should be the default position because changes too often do not work out as intended. (The “law of unintended consequences,” as it was called later.) But I came to understand that allowing no changes in how our society works is actually reactionary, not conservative. The SCOTUS decisions ignore the reality that the body politic suffers when the individual bodies of women, people of color, and victims of gun violence suffer harm, and even death by actions validated in their recent rulings.

Look around. Isn’t it obvious that our body politic is under attack by those who insist on clinging to their own power and privilege?

“My way or the highway,” which is reactionary, not conservative, is no way for a true democracy to work

Fred Reklau Oak Park

We all have a connection

Ray Kizelevicus, 76

Longtime teacher at St. Ignatius

Raymond P. Kizelevicus, 76, of Downers Grove, for merly of Oak Park, died on July 5, 2023. Born on May 5, 1947 to Vincent and Ann Kizelevicus, he taught English at St. Ignatius Colle ge Prep for 42 years and served as moderator of the school yearbook. Education was his passion. A family man, he was always there to help his children and grandchildren with school projects, sports, and cooking. He loved a good adventure, and in retirement filled his passport with stamps from many countries.

Ray is survived by Barbara (nee Haws), his wife of 50 years; his two daughters, Laura (Robert) O’Brien and Cheryl (Calvin) Brown; and his grandchildren, Aiden and Claire O’Brien, and Cecilia and Caylyn Brown.

A memorial service will be held at 12 p.m. on Aug. 19, 2023, at Church of the Holy Family, 1080 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation to St. Ignatius Colle ge Prep tuition assistance program. Contributions can be made to St. Ignatius Colle ge Prep, David Stephens, 1076 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608 or call 312-432-8321. More information at www.adamswinterfieldsullivan.com.

Terr y Mack, 67

A life full of discover y

Terence Edward “Terry” Mack, 67, Elmwood Park, merly of River rest, died on June 29, 2023 in his hom e, surrounded by his three sisters. Born on March 22, 1956, he had a wonderful, scientific mind, which provided him with a life full of discovery.

Terry was the husband of the late Christine (nee Bar rows); the son of Edward “Terry” Mack, the late Dorothy (nee Brennan) Mack, and the late Barbara (nee Jacques) Mack; and the brother of Maureen (John) Lawler, Debra (Patrick) Damian and Karen (Bud Rein) Taylor. He held dear his three sisters who provided care and support for him every step of the way. He was the uncle, cousin, ne phew and friend to many. Memorial visitation will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. at Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home, 10501 W. Cermak Road, Westchester on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Interment private

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

Wendy Kanno, 54 Entrepreneur, restaurateur, author

Wendy Nicolette Kanno, 54, formerly of Oak Park, died suddenly and far too soon from health complications in Weston, Florida on June 30, 2023 with her loving family by her side. She was born on July 9, 1968 in Seoul, Korea and joined her father and family in Chicago when she was 1 year old, the fifth of eight children born to Hiroshi and Arlene Kanno. A true Oak Parker at heart, she grew up with her seven brothers and sisters on Lombard Avenue. She was on the gymnastics team at OPRF High School, worked at the old Geppetto’s restaurant part-time, and lived above the old Murphy’s restaurant in Oak Park

After graduating from Oak Park and River Forest High School she went on to live the American Dream of independence, entrepreneurship, travel, home ownership, mar riage, and motherhood. She was generous beyond measure with her time, energy and care for others. Together with her husband Mark, she started a company from their small apar tment and grew it to eventually be acquired by one of the largest health-care companies in the nation. But retirement was not for her. She went on to author a book that encouraged young people to achieve their dreams, own a restaurant, obtain a real estate license and

continue to build her “empire.” She enjoyed her legion of F lorida friends, often playing pickleball and tennis, attending social events and hosting dinner parties. She was truly one of those rare people who impacted lives in big and small ways. We will miss her random texts throughout the year with recipes and healthy eating tips, photos of her pup Cody and her latest culinary creation. She will be remembered for her big heart, enthusiasm for sharing life with others, and the love she had for those closest to her.

Wendy leaves behind her son, Vance Kanno Hendryx; his father, Mark; Scott Gardner; her parents; her siblings, Mat, Ann, Kathy (Mike Wood), Paula, Stephanie (Grant We gner), Ronnie, and Cary (Christina Grijalva); seven ne phews, and dozens of cousins, aunts, and uncles. She was predeceased by her grandparents; her niece, Michelle Bernat; and Oak Park friends, Laura Southwick and Sherri Wyzykowski.

A Chicago-area Celebration of Life is planned for Labor Day weekend. Please contact Steph.kanno@gmail.com.

Jacob Cousin, 33 OPRF grad, cook

Jacob Cousin, 33, a loyal and compassionate man, died suddenly at his home on June 13, 2023. Born on March 1, 1990 in Oak Park to Julius Jr. and Janice Cousin, he graduated from OPRF High School in 2008 and attended Illinois State University where he earned a B.A. de gree in Political Science in 2012. He began a career at the state of Illinois Department of Revenue and later decided to pursue his passion, which was cooking, working for Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf in Chicago at the time of his death. He had a captivating smile and will be greatly missed.

Jacob is survived by his parents; two grandmothers, Anne Cousin and Fredda Sherman; and five siblings, Johanna, Julius III, Justin, J. Aubrea, & James Cousin, as well as one niece and four nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a memorial fund via Zelle, 708-363-6013.

essential news. essential voices.

Our Community Needs Community Journalism

It’s not just about crime reports and board meetings. We also need inspiring, funny, heartwarming and, at times, heartbreaking stories about our friends, neighbors and children. Perhaps now, more than ever.

Read and Support the Wednesday Journal.

RENTALS

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Experience or not.

Call for more information.

708-738-3848

SYSTEMS ANALYST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Systems Analyst in the Information Technology Department. The ideal candidate will perform a variety of complex technical duties in design, application programming and development, PC configuration and support, testing and maintenance of the Village’s computer application systems and perform a variety of technical duties as required. Knowledge of a wide variety of computer programming languages and systems, such as, City View Permit, License & Inspection Suite, Laserfiche, ESRI ArcGIS, MS-SQL, Reporting Tools, Java and HTML is wanted. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application by visiting the website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. This position is open until filled.

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN II

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Engineering Technician II in the Public Works Department. The employee performs layout, draft and design drawings from field survey information and field notes for various engineering and planning projects including existing improvements, right-of-way and various utilities and performs a variety of field inspections. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

Senior Engineer – Wireless sought by DISH Wireless LLC in Chicago, IL. Perform RF dsgn activities rltd to bldg the 1st standalone 5G broadband; Optimize the end-to-end RF dsgn, propagation modeling & prediction for deployment of Macro Cell deployment; Determine eqpmt & power configurations; Work w/ eNB/ RAN & UE teams on RF solutions incl modifications to RF link budgets; Perform site candidate evaluation & selection as well as site walks; Work w/ RF Mgmt to establish dsgn criteria, link budget & traffic analysis for n/work dsgn & update existing performance parameters for ongoing improvements. Req’s: Bach deg (or foreign equiv) in Comp Sci, Electrical Engg, or a closely rltd field + 4 yrs of relevant LTE RF Dsgn exp in job offd or as RF Engineer. Also reqs 3 yrs exp w/using the following (which may have been gained concurrently): Dsgn & optimization of 5G/LTE Wireless N/work; Providing RF support of site dvlpmt & zoning reqmts; Analysis of system performance & n/ work parameters for optimization of KPIs; Creation & validation of various LTE dsgn & optimization eqpmt & s/ ware. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check, which may incl a drug test. Benefits

River Forest Public Schools

River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking a School Social Worker

Qualifications:

a) Valid State of Illinois Professional Educator License

b) Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) preferred

c) At least three years of successful School Social Work experience preferred.

Job Duties: The School Social Worker provides needs-based behavioral and social-emotional services to the students, parents, and faculty/staff of a school. The role includes, but is not limited to, individual and group counseling with students; direct and indirect consultation with students and teachers; assessment, behavior planning and

info available at careers.dish.com. Rate of pay: $120,000.00. Apply at careers.dish.com. Ref: 2023-78450. May also apply by emailing resume with (Ref: 2023-78450) to tasharedservices@dish.com.

Senior Business Analyst - Industrie Reply, Chicago, IL. DUTIES: Understand & document business processes & workflows regarding current & future s/ware solutions. Surface business users’ reqmts, interview key stakeholders, document findings & present results. Assist business users, project mgrs, & IT leadership in optimizing scope, benefits, & proposed project risks; manage expectations. Define use cases to articulate new functional s/ware needs & applic users’ roles. Analyze change request impact. Support traceability; assist defining test plans, strategies & creating test cases. Assist in rollout definition, training, & user support plans. Create &/or review manuals, procedures, & rltd user documentation; ensure documentation is targeted to appropriate audience. Present concepts concisely & focused. Assist in setup & configuration of web applic solutions. Assist dvlpmt teams to ensure functional coverage of solutions per customers’ needs. Act as Scrum Master, set up, conduct & moderate Scrum Ceremonies. Support setting up, maintaining, & improving Scrum process. Manage & train junior resources. REQMTS: Master’s deg in IT, engg, or MBA. 5-yrs in business analysis. 3-yrs w/ dsgn in CRM. Strong understanding of data modeling. Target oriented, strong understanding of complex situations. Ability to effectively communicate w/ business & technical teams. SCRUM

Master, Oracle CRM and Salesforce

ADM Cert. SALARY OR WAGE

RANGE: $110,500/yr + benefit plan. Send letter of interest & resume to:

Saidabanu Pathan, 71 S Wacker Dr, Ste 3090, Chicago, IL 60606, Imm. industriereply@reply.com

intervention implementation and monitoring; and universal screening/ prevention of behavioral & socialemotional concerns. The School Social Worker hired for this position will assist teachers in development and implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MtSS) social/emotional interventions, and may provide some school-wide SEL programming and parent outreach.

Interested candidates, please complete an online application at https://www.district90.org/about/ employment

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

CROSSING GUARD

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session. A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@ forestpark.net.

Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.

COMPUTER NETWORK SPECIALIST (LINCOLNWOOD, IL) Provide technical direct support & backup n/ work data; install, configure, & troubleshoot n/work s/ware, desktop systems, workstations, printers, & servers; analyze & report computer n/work security breaches; configure & evaluate WAN or LAN & use diagnostic testing s/ware & eqpmt; perform routine maintenance or std repairs; stay current w/ system info, changes, & updates. Bach Deg in Comp Sci, Info System Engg, or Comp Engg & 24 mos of F/T exp in the job or s/ware dvlpr reqd. M-F, 40 hrs/wk. Send resumes (by mail only) to Vasik H. Anarwala, Anar Logistics, LLC, 6755 N Monticello Ave, Lincolnwood, IL 60712.

STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR OAK PARK & FOREST PARK

Best Selection & Service

MARKETPLACE

MOVING SALE

MOVING SALE

22 East Ave., Apt. 203 Riverside Saturday, July 15 10 AM –

708-386-7355

CARS WANTED

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

LOST & FOUND

FERRET LOST

A ferret named Nero was last seen on July 10 at midnight between Madison & Washington. Nero’s very friendly, brown, with a white face, black stripe across his eyes (like a burglar’s mask), and about 15 inches long.

AWARD AVAILABLE IF FOUND. If found call David 872-273-8452.

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:

Domestic / Import Cars:

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

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James • 630-201-8122

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

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED

AUTO SERVICES

Restored or Unrestored

Collector James 630-201-8122

TOWING

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

630-201-8122

HOME SERVICES

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK

YARD SERVICES

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Blonde Cedar $54/yd

• Spreading Available! • Topsoil, Garden Mix, Mushroom, Firewood, Compost, Gravel, Sand

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847-888-9999 • 630-876-0111

)ss

Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of Aisha T. Oliver, Petitioner and Terrell Hollins, Respondent, Case No. 2021D002298.

The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before May 24, 2023, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

IRIS Y MARTINEZ, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, July 5, July 12, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS COUNTY OF COOK VILLAGE OF FOREST PARK

I, VANESSA MORITZ, CLERK OF THE VILLAGE OF FOREST PARK, DO HEREBY STATE, that on Monday, July 24, 2023, at 6:45 PM at the Forest Park Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, a public hearing will be held to consider the proposed adoption of the Appropriation Ordinance for fiscal year 2023-2024 for the Village of Forest Park. At the public hearing, all interested persons may provide comments concerning the appropriation of the sums of money the Village of Forest Park deems necessary to defray all its necessary expenses and liabilities. The appropriation document will be available for public inspection no later than July 14, 2023, in the Village Clerk’s Office at the Village of Forest Park, 517 DesPlaines Ave., Forest Park, Illinois.

Dated this 12th day of July, 2023

Vanessa Moritz Clerk, Village of Forest Park

Published in Forest Park Review July 12, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice of Annual Budget

Public Notice of Annual Budget

Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Riverside School District No. 96 in the Cook County, State of Illinois, that a budget for said school district for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, will be on file and available for public inspection by appointment Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm starting the 17th day of July 2023, at the district’s administrative offices on 3340 South Harlem Avenue in Riverside Illinois. To schedule an appointment please email fittonj@district96.org.

Notice is further given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 7:00 o’clock p.m. on the 16th day of August 2023 followed immediately by the scheduled regular board meeting.

Board of Education Riverside School District No. 96 Cook County, Illinois

By: Wesley Muirhead, Board Secretary

Published in RB Landmark July 12, 2023

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 11-23-Z

HEARING DATE: August 2, 2023

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by Lill Mar LLC, Applicant, to allow a live/work dwelling unit pursuant to Section 8.3 (“Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 641 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-18-202-003-0000, in the MS Madison Street Zoning District.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Village of Oak Park 2023 Annual Action Plan

Notice is hereby given that the Village of Oak Park Program Year (PY) 2023 Draft Annual Action Plan is available for public review and comment, the Plan can be reviewed during business hours Monday-Friday, effective July 12, to August 12, 2023, from the Oak Park Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street; and on the Village HousingGrants webpage https://www. oak-park.us/village-services/ housing-programs/communitydevelopment-shelter-grants and at the Public Library, Main Branch, 834 Lake Street. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed. This Action Plan was previously subject to a public notice and related public hearing and comment period, as published on June 21, 2023. The Village has revised the proposed PY2023 Action Plan as of July 12, 2023, and is therefore advising its citizens of a new public hearing and comment period as prescribed herein in this public notice.

The original draft Action Plan included allocations in the amount

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing. The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal July 12, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

of $500,000 to be allocated for the Oak Park Fire Department Rehabilitation which will no longer take place.

Comprising year 4 of the Village PY 2020-24 Consolidated Plan for Housing & Community Development (Con Plan), the Draft PY 2023 Action Plan contains goals and objectives for implementing the Village’s 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, as well as a description of proposed projects to be undertaken in PY 2023 as part of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for the period October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. The Village received $1,539,187 in CDBG funding, along with other program funds to utilize for the Plan.

Any comments concerning the Draft PY 2023 Action Plan can be submitted in writing to Vanessa Matheny, Grants Supervisor, at grants@oak-park.us, or in person at the Draft Action Plan Public Hearing to be held at Village Hall Room 101 from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on July 24, 2023 at 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302.

Published in Wednesday Journal, July 12, 2023

HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS, INC., MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, MANA SERIES 2007-OAR4

Plaintiff, -v.-

ELLEN C. SCHNACK, RANDALL C. SCHNACK Defendants

19 CH 14891 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 4, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 31, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

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

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

0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $417,344.71. 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. 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, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 2911717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19-092500.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-

SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com

Attorney File No. 19-092500

Attorney Code. 42168

Case Number: 19 CH 14891

TJSC#: 43-2421

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 19 CH 14891

I3223066