Wednesday Journal 080923

JOURNAL

Rehabbed apartment building isn’t living up to expectations

Developer promises to do better

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Holy Soak!

Oak Park-area teens and adults, blessed (with a Super Soaker)

by Rev. Carl Morello, head to Appalachia to build homes

STORY BY JESSICA MACKINNON, PAGE 10

What was marketed as a comfortable living experience in a building re plete with amenities has been anything but, according to tenants of 855 Lake St. Those who live there have seen broken locks on the main entrance, an unhoused person sleeping in model units, leaks and inoperable appliances, and received clipped responses, if any, from management concerning the building’s many issues. The owner, however, has pledged to do better by tenants.

“I really appreciate their patience as we pull everything together, and we promise to be more communicative in what’s going on and in what the plan is,” said Ayman Khalil, owner and developer.

Some Oak Parkers may remember the recently renovated apar tment complex, which sits across from Sco-

See 855 LAKE on pa ge 6

Oak Park village manager gets a raise and a bonus

Following an internal performance review

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Oak Park Village Manager Kevin Jackson received a lump sum bonus and a raise following an internal performance review of his first year in the position. The bonus and raise were approved by the village board July 31 as a part of the meeting’s consent agenda, meaning it was not discussed by village board members.

The $2,225 bonus is a one-time merit payment, according to the resolution amending Jackson’s contract, while the raise

boosts the village manager’s annual base salary from $222,500 to $231,400, a 4% increase. The bonus is 1% of Jackson’s base salary for his performance as village manager this past year.

The internal performance review took place over the course of April 1 through July 1, as contractually obligated, with the bonus and the raise applied retroactively to Jackson’s one-year anniversary as village manager. Jackson joined the Village of Oak Park as village manager in March 2022. The bonus and raise were reflected in Jackson’s most recent paycheck, issued

Aug. 4.

The raise and bonus are all pursuant to Jackson’s contract, as well as being standard practice for many city and village government positions. Village of Oak Park’s for mer village manager and Jackon’s predecessor, Cara Pavlicek, received yearly salary adjustments as well. The most recent of which was applied Jan. 1, 2020. Pavlicek departed from the role and the village in August 2021. She previously received a lump sum, performance-based bonus of $3,750 in 2014, according to Oak Park HR director Kira Tchang.

CRIME

KEVIN JACKSON

Man electrocuted on CTA Green Line tracks in Oak Park

Two individuals did not make it to Lollapalooza as they had intended after a dangerous photo opportunity at the CTA Green Line stop went awry, leaving one man in critical condition after being electrocuted and his female companion recovering from possible electrocution herself.

The Oak Park Fire Department arri the Ridgeland Green Line CTA station, 328 South Blvd., at approximately 7:24 p.m 6, following reports of the incident. T and woman, both in their 20s, were making their way to the Chicago music festiv a group of people, when they jumped down onto the Green Line train tracks to take a picture.

The man touched the energized third rail, and officials believe the woman may have been electrocuted as well while trying to assist her companion. Several members of the group subsequently jumped onto the tracks and removed the two.

The female was conscious upon the arrival of the fire department, but the man was in cardiac arrest. Oak Park paramedics worked to revive him before transporting both victims to Loyola University Medical Center. No fire personnel were injured. The man remained in critical condition as of Sunday night, with a long-term prognosis unknown at the time. The woman is doing well, and officials believe she may have been shocked while trying to help the man.

of the fire department’s response.

Armed robbery arrest

Two male juveniles from Chicago were arrested for the armed robbery of Dunkin’ Donuts, 6820 W. Roosevelt Rd., which occurred at 5:31 p.m., Aug. 5. The boys were positively identified as the offenders that entered the donut shop, pointed a handgun at employees and demanded and removed cash from the register. They both also received charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Robbery arrest

A 42-year-old man from Chicago was arrested for robbery after being identified as the man who pushed an Oak Park resident

which he then fled the scene m., July 31, in the 500 block of vard.

Armed robbery

Chicago residents were robbed at unpoint outside a residence in the 100 block Parkway at 2:22 p.m., Aug. 3. enders, both male and armed, ulled up to the victims in a black Chevrolet then pointed their handguns at the emanded they turn over their property. The offenders checked the victims’ pockets and removed cash and a wallet, containing credit and debit cards and a driver’s license, then fled in the Chevy being driven by a third male subject. The estimated loss is $5,000.

■ A Chicago resident was robbed by a man ar med with a semiautomatic handgun at 2:25 p.m., Aug. 3, in the 1200 block of North Austin Boulevard. The offender exited the front seat of a bluish-gray sports utility vehicle then pointed the firearm at the victim, demanding the victim’s property. He then took the victim’s wallet, containing cash, a driver’s license and credit cards and fled in the SUV, which was carrying two other passengers. The estimated loss is $30.

■ A Chicago resident was robbed by three armed men at 2:25 p.m., Aug. 3, in the 6400 block of West North Avenue. After approach-

ing the victim from behind, the offenders rifled through his pockets, taking cash and his laundry debit card, while all three pointed their handguns at the victim. One offender reportedly told the victim, “Give me all your money.” The three offenders fled the scene in a black and gray SUV driven by a fourth subject. The estimated loss is $56.

Burglary

Sixteen Apple iMac desktop computers were stolen from Oak Park and River Forest High School, 201 N. Scoville Ave., during a burglary that happened sometime between 9:30 p.m., July 27, and 8:30 p.m., July 31. The burglar entered into the school through an unlocked window. The estimated loss is $28,454.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports dated Aug. 2-7 and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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

Empty church x runs into parking requirements

Oak Park tables alternative uses proposal

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Oak Park currently has two vacant church buildings which sit in residential neighborhoods. But with church attendance declining across America, the prospect that the village will face additional empty churches in the years ahead led village officials to attempt to get in front of the issue with a zoning change which would allow additional uses of such spaces

But at a July 31 village board meeting, being proactive on one topic crashed directly into Oak Park’s most enduring challenge. Parking.

Churches, which typically draw crowds during only limited hours of the week, are not bound by existing off-street parking requirements. But a church building potentially converted into a fitness studio, music venue or school, possible uses being considered by the village, would need to provide some amount of parking or be granted a waiver.

The village board was about to come to a 3-3 draw on the issue and chose instead to table the recommendation of the Plan Commission rather than see it defeated in a tie vote

“Parking in this village sucks,” said Trustee Cory Wesley at the meeting

The proposed ordinance would allow vacant churches to be used for non-religious purposes through an application process similar to that subjected to special use permits. Allowed adapted uses of for mer churches would be fitness and art studios, schools, meeting halls and live performance venues. Churches can also be converted into residences

“It is changing the zoning without changing the zoning,” said Village Planner Craig Failor

Currently there are two vacant churches in residential districts of Oak Park. One is the for mer New Spirit Community Church, 542 S. Scoville Ave., and the former Parkview Church, 641 S. Oak Park Ave. Other churches have approached the village with concerns over viability, Failor told the board, but those churches are not in a position to make public what they plan

to do with their buildings

Parkview Church does not have a parking lot, but if it were to be converted, it would have to provide off-street parking. That requirement was of chief concern to Trustee Brian Straw, who argued some of the permissible adapted reuses might not require as much parking as a church would, while others might require more parking and any multi-family housing use would necessitate overnight parking for residents. The parking requirement does not extend to churches if they operate as a house of religious worship.

“If someone’s not coming in to use [a vacant church] for a religious use, they have an additional parking burden unless they can get a special exception,” said Straw.

Providing parking is already mandatory for the allowed uses for which owners of vacant churches may soon be able to apply. The number of spaces required is set by existing zoning rules, but that requirement can be lessened or cut completely through a zoning variance, which would be discussed during a hearing process. Keeping the requirement, as both Trustee Lucia Robinson and Ravi Parakkat preferred, is consistent with current village zoning

“This is not a burdensome requirement,” said Robinson. “It’s a requirement that already exists.”

The adaptive use applications would be processed the same way as special use applications. The applications have hearings before the Zoning Board of Appeals, unless there is an overflow of applications, in which case they are heard by the Plan Commission.

This is standard practice, according to Failor, and the village board would make the final decision on any such applications, as they do for other requests that go through those two commissions. If a vacant church is in a historic district, as well as residential, any proposed modifications to that building would require the applicant to go through the Historic Preservation Commission to obtain a certificate of appropriateness

“What we don’t want [an applicant] to do is change the historic façade of the building,” said Failor.

Wesley incurred the sharp tongue of Plan Commission Chair Iris Sims for question-

ing why the village did not just allow the permitted reuses by right. Doing so, he argued, would make it easier for a business to open in a vacant church in a residential district. But Sims, who lives near a vacant church, accused Wesley of wanting to “put the rights of people buying empty churches ahead of the residents of this village.”

“That’s what you’re saying,” said Sims.

The concern for residents expressed that night by Sims was a marked change in attitude from earlier this summer when neighbors of Rush Oak Park Hospital sought to rezone the hospital campus to protect their homes from being encroached upon by hospital expansion. Those residents Sims called “adversarial” at a June village board meeting and previously declined their request to recuse herself from the application’s hearing. Sims has said she does not consider her husband’s seat on the hospital’s board of directors a conflict of interest.

Wesley’s by right preference was born out of the concern that the lengthy and bureaucratic application process could impede leasing, which in turn could leave the church properties vacant for a much longer period. He also expressed concern that it could add to the workloads of staff and commissions, while costing the applicant money. The application could also ultimately be turned down, leaving the applicant with nothing after putting in the time and effort of going through the process

The permitted reuses promoted for vacant churches are all new to residential districts, according to Failor, which is the reason why applicants must go through a process. The process requires a public hearing, allowing residents neighboring the vacant church in question to voice their opinions and get more information about the application.

One of those permitted reuses for a vacant church is an indoor performance venue, limited to live musical concerts and theatrical plays. Such a venue could raise concerns among neighbors regarding noise and traffic, which they could express during the hearing.

“This gives the public an opportunity to have a say in what might be happening in their neighborhood,” Failor said.

The motion to table was suggested by Village President Vicki Scaman as the lack of consensus could have rendered a 3-3 vote, which would have killed the ordinance completely. The board was down one member at its meeting as Trustee Susan Buchanan was absent. Wesley and Robinson were the only members to vote against tabling.

In putting the ordinance up for a vote while the village has only two applicable churches vacant, the village intended to stay ahead of the curve, but tabling has thwarted any immediate progress. September is the earliest the ordinance could return to the village board, as it is in recess for the month of August.

Parkview Church, at the cor ner of Oak Park Ave. and Jackson Blvd.

BIG WEEK

August 9-16

Cuenta Cuentos con Kathy/ Spanish Storytime With Kathy

Saturdays, Aug. 12 & 19, 2-2:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Main Library

This Spanish-language Storytime is hosted by Kathy Valdivia, and is open to children ages 3 to 6 years old and their caregivers. Stories will be told, songs will be sung, dancing will be done, and fun will be had! Recommended for those who wish to be immersed in Spanish language. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Author Visit: ‘Frank Lloyd Wright ’s Wisconsin’ With Kristine Hansen

Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Main Library

Author Kristine Hansen will discuss her latest book, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Wisconsin: How America’s Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home State. This volume is a comprehensive guide

Toddlin’ Around Town!

Party, Friday, Aug. 11, 4-7 p.m., Pleasant District

Thursday Night Out

Thursday, Aug. 10, 5-9 p.m. Free live performance by the Saturday June Band. Marion St., between Lake St. and Nor th Blvd., Oak Park.

Concert In The Park

Sunday, Aug. 13, 6-7:30 p.m., Scoville Park Free jump-blues live performance from the Flat Cats. 800 Lake St., Oak Park.

Li’l Ed & the Blues Imperials

Saturday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m., FitzGerald’s The summer continues to sizzle with singer/guitarist Li’l Ed and his Imperials taking their raw brand of blues outside on FitzGerald’s patio. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berw yn.

Stoop Session

but there will be a tip jar for the bands. 138 S. East e., Oak Park.

We’ve partnered with Oak Park business distric ts to “piggy-back ” on their fun events to create spaces for young children to explore and be delighted. Spend some time in the Pleasant District this week. Spot “Cece the little pig with wings” hidden in shops and businesses, win prizes, and attend free, local, family-friendly events. Finishing with a par ty on Friday with special foods deals, face painting and free ice cream. Check out the map here: ww w.collab4kids.org/toddlin/

Tuesday, Aug. 15, 7-8 p.m., Forest Park Arts Alliance Special live music show featuring Yng Romance, a rapper who, true to their name, raps exclusively about love and romance. Feel free to bring a chair to sit in, or a blanket to snuggle up under. In case of rain, there will be a show the following Thursday. Sponsored by the Mark Hanson State Farm Agency. 926 Marengo Ave., Forest Park.

Listing your event

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper

■ Send details to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302 ■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

Community Fo pauses grants to r the proces

Grant awards will resume in summer of 2024

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation is pausing its Community Grants progr am for one year to revise the application process so that it aligns with the foundatio n’s updated mission to promote racial justice and equity for residents of the communities in western Cook County, not just those in Oak Park and River Forest.

T he grants will resume in summer 2024, with a new ap plication process designed to reflect that mission, with the money that would normally be divvied up into grants awarded to non-profits in 2023 set aside for the next grant cycle.

“So next year, that funding will be made available on top of the funding that’s available from our endowment at that time, pretty much oubling the grants that will be giving out next ear,” said Antonio Martinez Jr, oundatio president and CEO

T he foundation awards community grants to local non-profit organizations to support both g eneral and specific needs, de pending on the applicant. T he size of each individual grant varie s, according to Martinez, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 per recipient, de pending on need. Whether the foundation will choose to award larger amounts per grant or award grants to a greater number of recipients has yet to be deter mined.

impact with tinez.

T he directors made the decision to take a of f from distributing progr the last three and dation ser enrichment in 2023, with continuing operations ef fort

*Rates are effective as of 6/13/2023. The 8 Month Promo CD must be opened with New Money, defined as new-to-Byline. Limited time offer only available when opening in Byline Bank branches or online. $5000 minimum deposit required to open account and earn Annual Percentage Yield (APY). Certificate of Deposit (CD) offering a 5.25% APY has a term of 8 months. Interest is compounded and paid quarterly. A penalty may be imposed for early withdrawal. Withdrawals will reduce earnings. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. Rates are

“That’s why we’re taking this year to really look at how best we can make an

Charitable not be impacted by the pause

“We’re pausing this year so we can really take a look at our grantmaking holistically and how we can be much better in the way we ser ve ANTONIO MARTINEZ Community Foundation CEO

855 LAKE Promises undelivered

from page 1

ville Park, as the for mer Oak Hotel, built in 1924. It was later converted into apar tments, but the 6-floor building fell into disrepair and became a site of concern for Oak Park police, which elevated to a site of notoriety in 2011, when a 17-year-old teenage girl from Wisconsin died in one of its units of a heroin overdose.

It’s been an uphill battle getting the building back on track. Khalil’s company, Icon Clark LLC purchased the building in May 2018 for $3.97 million, gradually emptying the building for renovation. The vacant building was condemned by the Oak Park Fire Department in April 2019, after inspectors discovered a small fire had ignited in the third-floor hallway, damaging two units. The renovation project turned out to be more work than originally thought.

“You know how it goes when you open the walls and it turns into a one of those jobs where you have to do everything,” Khalil previously told Wednesday Journal.

The fire department then recommended building an enclosed staircase, which Icon Clark paid for, and an external elevator

The Oak Park Village Board ag reed to pay for the elevator, awarding Icon Clark a grant of $260,000 from its Af fordable Housing Fund in early February 2020. A few months later, COVID-19 hit, presenting unavoidable delays.

Despite supply chain issues and limited staffing, renovation resumed, with Khalil trying to save the vintage building’s art deco features, reviving the more glamorous part of the structure’s history. He began actively leasing the building in spring of this year, with 46 of the building’s 64 units approved for occupancy and 40 of the 46 units leased. Most units, about 85%, are studio apar tments. Rent ranges from $1,350 to $1,450 monthly.

It hasn’t quite been a dazzling comeback for a building many thought beyond salvation. Wednesday Journal spoke to three current tenants, two of whom wished to remain anonymous, all unhappy with management’s lack of communication and broken promises. A patio, an area for dogs and an exercise room were all advertised, on top of in-unit laundry and dishwashers.

“I believe people in general are understanding and patient with the fact that we’re bringing a lot of apar tments online. And so there’s going to be some oopsies,”

The amenities are coming, he said, but admitted that “more than a few complaints” have been received concerning combined washer and drier machines.

“Most of them have been due to inexperience with the combo unit,” he said.

As for the other problems, the village of Oak Park has come out to inspect the property and Khalil is working to address the issues. The majority of tenants are single women, and while many grievances are general maintenance-related, such as overflowing dumpsters, some fear for their safety.

One female tenant, a medical student, told the Journal her Ring surveillance camera captured a man trying to force his way into her apar tment while she was asleep in bed. The first to move in, she had invested in the camera as a precaution as she spent a couple of weeks as the building’s sole tenant. The lock to the front entrance, she said, was broken, allowing nonresidents to enter freely. Her unit is next to a model unit and one unhoused individual has been known to sleep in model units, according to tenants and confirmed by Khalil and the Oak Park Police Department.

“What if someone had actually left their door unlocked? What are they doing to secure the building to make sure people who don’t live here cannot get in?” the tenant said.

She sent the Ring footage to Icon 606, the management company overseeing the property, but no one responded to her email and no one responded to her followup emails either. Icon 606 did not return Wednesday Journal’s requests for comment.

Tenants and Khalil alike said several calls were made to police re garding people entering the building without being tenants or guests of tenants. Not all of these entries were made through the front door; once, someone let a person enter and another time, someone broke a first-floor window, according to Khalil. The tenants who spoke to the paper said they were told by of ficers not to file written re ports.

“In all instances, the police department will take a re port if it’s warranted. Officers have the discretion to code any incident,” said Police Chief Shatonya Johnson. “There was only one re port made at that property because, upon arrival, officers determined that there was not an incident or action that called for a re port at the time.”

A Freedom of Information Act request turned up just one police re port from a similar incident that took place at 1:48 a.m., June 6, when an unknown man entered a woman’s apar tment using a key. The man told police he had a master key and admitted to entering the woman’s apar tment.

The medical student’s concern is with

the people responsible for keeping the building secure, so its tenants are safe. Her concern is not with the person experiencing homelessness, nor does she want to contribute to any stigma associated with unhoused people.

“Everyone should have a space in which they’ re able to lay their head at night and be comfortable and be safe,” she said.

But her stance applies to the building’s other tenants and to herself too. She pays $1,350 each month for her roughly 350-square-foot studio apar tment. A lock was eventually put on the model unit next to her apar tment and the front door was fixed, but she never received any acknowledgement that the management company had even received her messages.

She also said her lease called for monthly rent payments but, when it came time to move in, she was asked to pay for 18 months upfront in order to get her set of keys. Her realtor, she said, was able to help her get out of having to pay that considerable lump sum. Khalil said he had no knowledge of such a request.

Barbara Todd, a 72-year-old tenant, said she was unable to move in until two days after May 1, the date specified in her lease, because management said her unit wasn’t ready. She said she paid for the full month but was assured of a refund for those two days. She was also promised her unit would have an accent wall, like the one in the model unit, for which she pays an extra $25 monthly. She has yet to see the refund or the accent wall and she believes management is dodging her calls. Her washerdryer is broken too.

Khalil promised he would contact Todd to straighten things out but was unaware of the promised accent wall, which he said was deemed unfeasible for livable units due to the fragility of the product. The accent walls mimic the look of hardwood, which Todd loved, but Khalil said it is more than just a paint job.

Another tenant, a teacher and for mer cor rections officer, said she was excited about living in the building, but it hasn’t lived up to expectations. She bought wooden dowels to reinforce the security of her windows, in case someone tried to break in. The water in her unit used to run scalding hot, re gardless of which way she turned the temperature knobs. On the other side of the building, her neighbors, she said, had only cold water. The water issue has since been fixed, but management’s lack of communication hasn’t improved for tenants, she said.

“We all want to leave but none of us can af ford to break our contracts.”

said Khalil.

JAVIER GOVEA

Understanding domestic nexus violence, a root of community con t on West Side

Police, local orgs identify how domestic violence correlates with trends in the community

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

Over the summer, the Austin area has seen a slight increase in shootings when compared to last year’s historic downtrend. But differing from common assumptions, this trend is not caused by g ang-related violence. This summer, the 15th Chicago Police District has identified at least a dozen incidents, including shooting incidents and homicides, rooted in domestic conflicts, what they call domestic-nexus incidents.

“In a district, you always have to know and understand the why [behind crime statistics], said Andre Parham, 15th district commander.

“A domestic nexus [incident], is very hard to predict,” Parham said, adding that unlike some domestic violence cases, there is not always a precedent of an abusive relationship that could help the police department intervene before violence further escalates.

Domestic nexus incidents are different from domestic violence in the way they’re categorized, but they also require a different response from the police department, he said. The Chicago Police Department classifies incidents following internal and FBI crime re porting criteria. When it comes to domestic violence, the police department follows the Illinois Domestic Violence Act, which provides special protection under the law for victims of domestic violence. Under that act, domestic violence is defined as abuse, which can take the form of physical abuse, harassment, intimidation and interference with personal liberty.

Who is the victim of such abuse determines what cases are categorized as domestic violence. Under the state act, domestic violence victims can be spouses or for mer spouses, parents, children or stepchildren, other persons related by blood or mar riage, persons who share or for merly

tionship and persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

Such a broad definition covers many scenarios, but there are still instances of incidents that don’t classify as domestic violence but have a domestic nexus. For example, there was a local shooting incident where a woman’s ex-boyfriend, also the father of her child, shot her new boyfriend.

“That kind of categorization is more like community violence, but really the emphasis of that is the underlying domestic violence issue, rooted in manipulation, power and control,” said Carol Gall, executive director of nonprofit Sarah’s Inn which is based in Forest Park.

This is a common thread between domestic nexus cases and domestic violence cases. And, domestic nexus violence also contributes to overall community violence, including gun violence.

“There is an uptick in domestic violence where guns are used in,” said Tara Dabney, director of development and communications at the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago.

Identifying domestic violence or domestic-nexus cases comes with challenges. They may require additional investigation, intelligence or cooperation from victims who refuse to share more information out of fear or stigma.

services to victims. In the case described earlier, the woman was not hurt in the shooting incident but is still at risk, even if the crime was not classified as domestic violence.

Understanding how domestic violence correlates to community violence is also key for the police department to create effective policing strategies. It is also fundamental for organizations working to prevent gun violence in Chicago’s communities, a “symptom of a greater problem” caused by systemic racism, poverty and disinvestment in communities.

“But domestic violence is also a root, it has a power and control dynamics…” Dabney said. “It’s important to understand the root causes when violence occurs so we can really address and mitigate the trauma that’s underlying that violence.”

Some of these responses include wellness programs of fered by the Institute of Nonviolence Chicago.

“We’ve really increased our behavioral health and wellness work and using a social emotional learning model and cognitive behavioral interventions to help those who have experienced incredibly high levels of trauma,” Dabney said. “We believe that is a key form of prevention … with community violence, often what we see is that those who are perpetrating violence

ry often experienced violence or extreme trauma throughout their life cycle.”

In the Austin area, numerous community organizations, including faith leadassroot organizations and the police department partner to provide services to victims of domestic violence and domestic-nexus incidents. A police officer is the domestic violence liaison who follows up with victims to ensure they are safe and them to service providers. Each case is different, but overall, victims in both of these categories may need a wide number of services that range from a 24/7 service line to counseling, legal counseling, financial support, housing, childcare, family services and job placement. When needed, the police department also helps victims get legal protections, like court protection

ough an ongoing partnership, the Institute of Nonviolence Chicago and Sarah’s Inn staf f work collaboratively to intervene and support victims of domestic or domestic-nexus violence. If victims ag ree, they can be referred to Sarah’s Inn to create a safety plan, get counseling, access financial support services and if needed, relocate.

“We’ve done a lot of cross-training, so we’ve trained their staf f in nonviolence and they trained our staf f in domestic violence, Dabney said. “So we can see if there is an undercurrent of domestic violence that might be the root cause of what’s seen as community violence.”

Other prevention ef for ts include outreach ef for ts and events, distributing information, visiting schools and other strategies to help community members identify violence and how to escape it. As community organization leaders know, to address community violence, it is key to understand it can overlap with domestic and domestic-related violence and provide resources to prevent it.

“What we know is that folks are more likely to seek help and stay eng aged in services, the sooner they are reached,” Dabney said.

If you or a loved one need help, call the National Domestic Violence helpline at 800-7999-723 or text START to 88788. You can also call Sarah’s Inn 24-hour crisis line at 708-386-4224 or text 708-669-6149.

Provided, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago 40% of Institute for Nonv iolence Chicago sta completed training in co gnitive behavioral intervention to enha nce nonv iolence prevention programs in Chicago.

Food Aid Festival bridges Forest Park and Oak Park

Food, music and a serving of help

By JOHN RICE Contributing Reporter

It is rare for an event to bridge Forest Park and Oak Park and take place over a two- day span. The Food Aid Festival 2023: A Musical Festival to Combat Food Insecurity will

take place at Exit Strategy Brewing Company in Forest Park and Scoville Park in Oak Park. The festival kicks of f at Exit Strategy on Aug. 26 from noon to 9 p.m. It will feature live music and food from a variety of vendors. Tickets are $20 for adults, kids under 12 are free.

Katherine Valleau of Exit Strate gy has been passionate about helping the hungry since she was in high school. Members of her marching band conducted food drives

and supplied food to shelters. “I saw the impact hunger has on people.” For Food Aid, Valleau is partnering with Donnie Biggins, who books bands to play at the brewery.

Biggins is hosting the second half of Food Aid on Aug. 27 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Scoville Park, Lake Street at Oak Park Avenue. It will feature a line-up of local musicians and a panel discussion about food insecurity conducted by WBEZ personality, Taylor Nazon. Fred Hampton, Jr. is among

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.

the panelists. Festival-goers are encouraged to make a $20 donation and to purchase food from nearby restaurants.

This is the second year Biggins has hosted a Food Aid Festival.

Last year, they held a two-day event at the Kehrein Center for the Ar ts in Austin. Oak Park activist Anthony Clark was on hand and proceeds went to Community Bridges. The cause was serious but the event was fun, “Like a high school reunion.”

Valleau is also promising fun at the brewery. “We’ re going to do a beer release that day. It will be a golden ale with citrus characteristics.” Besides quaffing beer, customers can sample brisket sandwiches from Umamicue, pizza from Dark Horse Grill and empanadas from Papa’s Chicago. These vendors are donating 10% of their profits to Food Aid, while the brewery donates 20%. Proceeds from Food Aid will benefit Unity Fridges, the Austin Eats Initiative and the Westchester Food Pantry.

Besides enjoying a variety of food and brews, patrons will be treated to “music from stem to stern.” Oak Park’s School of Rock will kick of f the outdoor concer t, followed by Biggins’ band, T he Shams Band, T he Heavy Sounds and Cheryl Tomblin. T he School of Rock will also play at Scoville Park. T hey will be joined by Fury, a hip-hop artist from Austin, Michelle McGuire and a F leetwood Mac tribute group called Second Hand News

“There’s no point in having a business if you can’ t do good,” Valleau said. Biggins is also benefiting others with his business, Harmonica Dunn. Several of his musician friends are forgoing their fee or accepting a lesser amount.

Biggins first became concerned about food insecurity during the pandemic. He found it shocking that 50% of Austin residents lack access to fresh fruits and ve g etables. His goal this year is to raise $10,000 and hopes to make Food Aid a yearly event.

Festival goers can visit foodaidfestival. com to purchase tickets or make donations.

7351 Lake St. (Just west of Panera Bread)

Dr. Linda Lambert

Chicago and country music –who knew? ART BEAT

This summer, the University of Chicago Press published a book

I wrote with “country music” in the title. Inevitably that led to people asking me at book events how I go into country music, especially since I grew up in Oak Park, a place where people speak with no discernable twang.

The answer is within the pages of my book. Chicago played a significant role in the pioneering days of country music, even before the music had the designation. In the 1920s, music played with stringed instruments was sometimes classified as just that: “With guitar accompaniment.” Otherwise, performers who sang old songs that had been passed through generations for longer than they can remember, were categorized as simply “folk.”

MARK GUARINO Guest Author

traveled to downtown Chicago for recording sessions; when bluegrass was enjoying a revival in the 1970s, Special Consensus would expand the music by becoming the first touring bluegrass band from Chicago.

fire because of a fertile independent music scene that rewarded experimentation and collaboration. Suddenly you had rock bands and auteurs like the Handsome Family, the Texas Rubies, and Robbie Fulks connecting to the themes and styles from an earlier era but reinventing it as their own.

The genre couldn’t happen in Nashville because it required detouring from patented for mulas in everything: songwriting, sound, fashion, and attitude. As a journalist I spent years covering this scene and watched it move from an underground thing to, a decade later, a genre at the forefront of the music industry, but christened with a new,

more palatable name: Americana.

Cultural amnesia and indifference combined to sweep this rich history to the margins over nearly a century. That is changing, of course, at a time when people are dusting off histories hidden for years under the rug so others can hear them for the first time. For Chicago and country music, it’s a brand new day.

“Country and Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival is published by the University of Chicago Press.” Visit countryandmidwestern. com to learn about book events or to subscribe to the book’s newsletter.

It turns out Chicago became a primary destination of early performers due to the emergence of the WLS Barn Dance, a Saturday night variety show that started in 1924. A migration of white Southerners was already streaming into Chicago for jobs, so it was inevitable that many ended up realizing they had raw talent. The Barn Dance gave them careers and they became the genre’s earliest stars. The migration continued for decades and soon most of the city’s North Side was teeming with people from the country, as were the collar communities like nearby Maywood That’s where Empson Scobie Prine settled in 1924 from his native Kentucky; as an adult, his son Bill later found work as a tool and die maker at American Can Company. Empson’s grandson, John would be the one to translate his family’s stories into songs.

Country music, it turns out, was very much entwined in this area. For example, the “father of bluegrass music,” Bill Monroe, worked at Sinclair Oil in Whiting before he decided to invent the offshoot genre and subsequently, he and other pioneers like Flatt and Scruggs and the Carter Family

Research for Country and Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival took more than 10 years because I discovered a story so rich and deep and untold. You could fill a library with the books about Chicago blues, jazz, gospel, and so on, but not even one on this story. Part of the reason is because the city itself has done such a poor job in commemorating the long history that took place here, but a more prevailing reason is because, starting in the 1950s Nashville branded the music as exclusively a Southern thing when, in reality, its origin was rural — at a time when most of the country, including the Midwest, was dominated by farmland and ranches.

In writing the book, I was driven to correct that record and give recognition to a century of musicians who created and contributed to an art form here that, until recently, went unrecognized. Besides research that took me to Tennessee, Kentucky, and special collections around Chicago, I spent hundreds of hours interviewing performers and club owners and record label employees and audience members whose lives were dominated by the music; those conversations — in living rooms, coffee shops, nursing homes, etc — were sometimes the first those people had with a journalist. Why? Because up to that point, no one really cared to ask.

What I discovered was how the music had profoundly altered the lives of the people who chose to make it their life. Stardom was not Chicago’s story; it was more about the sweat equity of music-making in the clubs and recording studios.

I entered the picture in the 1990s, a decade when Chicago was once again ahead of the curve. It was the height of “alternative country” — another subgenre that was catching

Appalachian Way

200 local teens work hard, have eyes opened on Appalachia Ser vice Project

By JESSICA MACKINNON

Contributing Reporter

Oak Park’s Ascension and St. Giles parishes sent almost 200 teens and adults to Appalachia last month as part of the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a national youth service organization that provides home repairs using volunteer labor. Both parishes have sponsored ASP trips for more than 20 years.

“The ASP is a relationship ministry that does some construction on the side,” said Paul Kraft, who has led 13 Ascension trips Chris Goetz, who organized St. Giles’ program, stepped up to lead the trip last year when it was in jeopardy of being discontinued

The St. Giles team worked in Knott County in eastern Kentucky, repairing homes devastated by last summer’s flooding. The Ascension team worked in Clay and Wyoming counties in West Virginia. The demographic profile of both areas is similar, with high unemployment rates and about a third of the residents living below the poverty line

“The ASP is a great experience for teens— for the spiritual, service and socia justice aspects. They really know the families they are serving, many of whom are living on less than $1,500 a month. The experience is sometimes uncomfortable but it’s not often that we can mak such a great impact in a week,” sai Goetz.

Crews worked every day in local homes, painting, drywalling, ing, flooring and doing basic struction projects. No construction skills are required as there are typically at least a few volunteers with experience. According to Kraft, they’re often “lear ning by doing.”

The teens traditionally tackle their work with great pu Kraft recalls a previous trip w crew insisted on staying well after 4:30 p.m. to complete a project — even though it meant missing the celebratory Friday evening pizza party.

The volunteers returned to their respecti overnight centers -- the St. Giles teams sta at a Baptist church/community center and at a local school, while the Ascension teams stayed at a middle school and the ASP’s pe manent center — for clean up, dinner, and evening activities.

According to both Kraft and Goetz, the community engagement with local residents is typically the highlight of the trip and the component that ultimately transforms volunteers.

“Every night we focus on culturally sensi tive activities, bringing in local musicians to play or asking older residents to share thei stories,” said Goetz.

During a previous trip, a local resident talked with the group about the history of coal mining in Appalachia, based on his experiences as well as those of his father and grandfather.

“The kids got a real sense that the life of a coal miner isn’t easy. They realized that the rural poor are hard workers but sometimes the deck is stacked against them to a certain de gree,” Kraft said.

Goetz describes an eye-opening activity in which everyone is given a fictitious life profile — participants whose profiles indicate that they are living with two parents, or have electricity, or running water, or access to the Internet are asked to step for-

ward sequentially.

“By the end of the exercise, the teens see how big the divide is between those whose life profiles included so many gifts — and those who don’t. They learn that people’s situations aren’t always of their own making — they’re often because of a lack of access to those things that most of our teens have been so lucky to have,” she said.

Kraft says seeing young people blossom during the week and take on leadership roles is what keeps him oming back to the ASP.

“It’s so rewarding to see their wth between their freshman ear, when they’re saying they n’t want to use a drill, to their senior year when they’re jumping in and telling the adults what to do. Our teen leaders are responsible for monitoring the work site and making sure that the other teens are involved and pulling their weight and having a good experience. You just see them grow 2 inches from this experience,” Kraft said.

Katie Kudlacz, now 33 and a researcher in pediatric neurology at ush University Medical Center, rticipated in ASP as a student at Oak Park and River Forest High School. She now co-leads Ascension’s program with Kraft and her sister, Julie.

“The ASP is a wonderful way for kids to step out of their comfort zones and lear n how many people in our own country are living below the poverty line, who have no running water and have never had a warm bath,” Kudlacz said.

Kudlacz recalls her first ASP trip, during which she worked in the home of a 15-yearold girl with one child and another on the way. Her boyfriend worked in the coal mines. The fact that the girl was about Kudlacz’s age and living on her own was shocking and humbling

“A lot of my faith comes from service. It warms my heart and feeds my soul. I can’t get enough of it. This experience helps me keep my faith alive,” she said.

Josh Negron, a rising senior at St. Patrick’s High School, served as a teen leader for this year’s St. Giles trip

“This experience means the world to me It helps build social skills and enhances your faith. It opens your eyes to how much we have compared to so many others. And it’s great to help make other peoples’ lives better and have fun doing it,” Negron said.

This summer was Sam Gray’s first experience with the ASP. A rising senior at OPRFHS, he plans to go again next year

“This was the best week of my entire summer. The experience has motivated me to be more proactive about helping others in my own community. It made me realize that once you get to know people, you understand how much alike we all are,” Gray said.

PROVIDED

is was Sam Gray’s (center) rst ASP trip. Chris Goetz (far right) led the St. Giles trip again this year

PROVIDED

e teen volunteers had a faithf ul mascot during the week.

PROVIDED Melissa Cormack and Dylan Richard built a porch at their worksite.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

It’s the little things we have in common

Afuneral procession is the very last place you would ever expect to be mar red by violence. If you were a part of a funeral procession, or observed a procession, the last thing you would think about is getting shot, or witnessing someone become a victim of gunfire. That’s exactly what happened some weeks back as a funeral procession traveled westbound on Madison Street in Oak Park, and it quickly became a crime scene after four people were shot.

That event, as upsetting as it was, along with other recent re por ted shootings in Oak Park, have fractured the feeling of safety and well-being for many Oak Park residents, and individuals who work in village stores and other establishments

Monday evening I needed paper towels and water, so I decided to stop at Dollar Tree on the 900 block of Madison — the same store this unimaginable hor ror played out in front of — on Saturday, June 10. I asked the store personnel if they were working that afternoon and did they hear the gunfire. One of the store associates remembered it vividly.

JENNIFER HARRISTHOMPSON

Ups and downs of taking the train to New York

“It sounded like fireworks at first,” she said. “Since I’m not from this area I asked another cashier, ‘Oh you guys start celebrating early for the four th of July?’ She said no, and I realized those were not fireworks; those were gunshots. I walked out and saw a person lying down in blood and saw everybody yelling.” She added, “It’s something that’s sad to see. You take a member of your family to the grave, and something else is going on, without you knowing.”

What happened to the days when people paid their last respects by being respectful of the deceased and the family of the lost loved one? It seems as if those days have dwindled away, as society quickly erodes from what we once knew.

I miss the days that I, as well as many others, did not

When I told my colleagues here at the Growing Community Media that I would be taking a train to New York, some raised eyebrows rose. After all, it takes the Lake Shore Limited train almost 20 hours to travel from Chicago to New York (if you count all the layovers), and the coach car prices are about on par with the cheapest flights.

I have good friends who have lived in New York for the past 15 years, and, before the pandemic, I mostly visited them by train. The one time I took a plane to New York was last year, for of ficial business where time was of the essence. With my plane experience still relatively fresh in my mind, I thought now would be a good time to compare the two and see whether the things that made train travel worth it to me would still be true three years later.

The short answer is that, for the most part, it did — but not without some caveats.

Taking the trains everywhere made me take certain things for granted. Carry-on luggage limits are much more generous than anything any airline would ever allow, there are no long security checks, there is more le g room, and the seats are more comfortable.

While most of what you see out of the airplane window is clouds, the Lake Shore Limited route has many scenic stretches. It weaves its way past sprawling steel mills, forests, mountains and farm fields. It weaves its way along the rivers, through small towns and large cities

On my trip back, watching the rays of the setting sun reflect of f the solar farm panes, I wondered if that’s why the ter m “flyover country” exists. It’s so easy to miss many parts of America when you’ re flying high above them.

STUDENKOV

Passengers get out to stretch their legs at the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station while the eastbound Lake Shore Limited train gets split into Boston and New York sections.

Summer summary, 2023 e Percy Julian home

It is gratifying to see fresh ef for ts by notable preservation leaders turn toward ways to preserve the Oak Park home of Percy and Anna Julian. It is also important that those effor ts include ways that allow Faith Julian, the only family member still living in the home, to be active in the process and to continue to live in the North East Avenue home.

Last month, Landmarks Illinois and the Oak Park Public Library hosted a presentation on the legacy of the Julians in their respective fields, their violence-fraught move to Oak Park in the early 1950s, and their role in civil rights.

Kendra Parzen, advocacy manager for Landmarks Illinois, talked about both the architectural importance of the home and its historical relevance as the home of the world-famous chemist and his family.

“To have a home with this magnitude and this importance does not happen a lot. It’s very much unique,” she said.

As the Jour nal has re por ted in recent years, the home faces challenges, including significantly deferred maintenance and some amount of unpaid taxes. With Ms. Julian’s health challenges, ef for ts to move forward have been determined but somewhat fragmented. It could be notable if Landmarks Illinois were to take on an active advocacy in re pairing the home, resolving tax issues, and then steering it toward a future public purpose. That appears to also be the goal of Ms. Julian.

Parzen said one option could be to create a nonprofit entity that would own the home. She said it is possible there can be a national audience interested in the preservation and future use of this home.

Oak Park, its leaders, volunteers, and government, have all expressed interest in the past in finding a path forward that protects a home with profound ties to this village’s lurching history of racial inte gration. With potential leadership from the state’s leading preservation organization, there may be a structured plan that we can align with.

Community foundation rethinks

With its profound work over the past two years to reorient its mission around matters of systemic racial inequalities in a geog raphy broader than just Oak Park and River Forest, our local community foundation has been bold in its intentions. Its Community Voices project delved deep and listened actively around issues of education, health access, wealth inequality and safety and belonging. It is compelling work.

Now the foundation has taken a practical and essential step as it works to realign its community grant-making process to its updated mission. To accomplish this, it will hold of f on making such grants in 2023 while it assesses both its purpose in making the grants and simplifying its application process in an ef fort to draw in more and smaller nonprofits.

These are sincere ef for ts in a worthy mission.

Summer is quickly drawing to a close for some of us. My grandsons, Bryce and Tyler, begin their first day of fourth grade next week. For kids, summer vacation starts the second week of June and ends mid-August. Summer is short for kids.

I look forward to their summer break. During the school year, I only have the boys one day a week for a few hours after school. During the summer, that stretches to a long, luxurious 12 hours together.

We make the most of it

The first week we took Metra to Oak Park, where the boys and I have many cherished memories, which we happily relive — dragging out the entertainments from the recesses of my closets and bringing them back to life for nostalgia play, followed by lunch at George’s in the big cor ner booth, trying out the reinvented playground at Rehm Park, then crossing the street to the Conservatory to rouse George the parrot from his somnolent roost so he can say “Hello!” to us multiple times. The boys recently “adopted” him, using the proceeds from a successful lemonade stand to donate to George’s upkeep. We had just enough time to get to Petersen’s for the first ice cream of summer.

The second week, we headed to Urban Air, a climbing/trampoline/zipline emporium, where they exercised their alter egos as mountain goats, jumping frogs and cor morants, diving deep into the plastic ball pit. Afterward we had just enough time for ice cream at Kimmer’s in Wheaton.

The third week we explored a depleted Brookfield Zoo with the Plainfield branch of my family, including Charlotte, my still-new granddaughter. The butterfly tent was closed, the dolphins were all in Minnesota while the oceanarium was scrubbed and refinished, the penguins couldn’ t swim because they were in their burrows moulting, and the primates’ hangar is under construction, but we made the best of it, watching seals swim past their windows with grace and precision before our admiring eyes. We also explored the Swamp House, which I overlooked for years, because studying turtles was high on Bryce’s list. I asked him what other critters topped his list and he rattled off, “platypus, fox, Ger man shepherd, parrot, chicken, elephant.” Quite the menagerie. Maybe that’s why his favorite zoo exhibit is the gift shop.

Week four, the boys were on the road with Mom, their cousins, and Grandpa Jim in Orlando, Florida touring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. That gave me time to catch up on my assigned Hogwarts reading, now that the boys have finished all seven books

Week five, they ran through the maze and hiked through the spruce tree cathedral at Morton Arboretum, with Dad and their stepbrother Trevor. We also

perused the newest sculptural attraction, Of the Earth, consisting mostly of sticks, which they loved because boys are all about sticks. Afterward, we had just enough time for ice cream at an old-fashioned Dairy Queen in Lombard.

Week six, we went bowling, using inflated bumpers, turning gutters from a deflating hazard into a billiard-style opportunity. Eventually they got the hang of going directly down the middle instead of zigzagging their way to the pins. The results were gratifying, but it made them even more competitive (and argumentative). To settle them down, we spent time in a Lego shop in Wheaton called “Bricks & Minifigs” (short for mini-figures). We had just enough time after for Culver’s, where the ice cream special flavor changes daily.

Week seven, my friend Margaret from Los Angeles came into town with her two granddaughters, Abby and Mallory. We met at the Museum of Science & Industry, essentially a children’s museum on steroids, with more buttons to push per square yard than a warehouse full of remote control devices, plus planes, trains and submarine — and a floor-to-ceiling tor nado. Traffic was heavy on the way home, which gave us time for conversation. When they aren’t antagonizing each other in their backseat torture chamber, their discussions are imaginative and informative. Tyler mentioned that all of Mt. Everest would fit inside the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. Where do they come across this stuff?

Week eight, with their buddy Serafina and her Grandpa Ray, we visited Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Col. McCormick’s once-upon-a-time abode and now a memorial to military history. The kids clambered over the tanks outside before heading into the museum, which took us from recreated World War I trenches to the Nor mandy beaches, which Bryce found fascinating. Tyler was having a bad day, having just lear ned his best friend, Titus, was transferring to another school. Childhood has its share of battles, too

Week nine found us back in Chicago at Millennium Park, where we reflected on The Bean, splashed through the face-tower fountain, listened to an orchestra rehearsal in the Pritzker Pavilion, played a round of mini-golf on 18 holes inspired by Chicago tourist attractions, and checked out the many playgrounds at Maggie Daley Park, crossing the shining-steel serpentine bridge to get there. We stopped at Brown Cow in Forest Park after to pick up some ice cream to fortify us for the drive home

Which brings us to week 10. Not sure what we’ ll do for our final summer day together. It might involve bikes. Very likely water balloons. But you can be sure of two things:

We will make the most of it

And there will be ice cream.

KEN TRAINOR

Roast those ears and strike up the band JOY AARONSON

Ilove listening to the Oak Park Farmers Market Band when I shop at the market. These musicians play at the northwest corner of Pilgrim’s parking lot, near the donut sales and under a tall maple tree. When I was there recently, there were 20 musicians seated in a circle I’m not the only one who enjoys listening to the band. Many people of all ages sit at tables or stand around, some drinking coffee and eating donuts. All were enjoying the music.

One View

I learned from Ben Stark, a longtime member, that the band began more than 40 years ago when the owner of Guitar Fun (the music store that used to be one block east of the market at Ridgeland and Lake) decided to come over to the market to advertise lessons at his store. He and several other teachers from the store would sit in front of a rack with advertising flyers on it and play music.

I thought the band was made of professional musicians who had to try out, but Ben set me straight: “The growth of the group was by a slow accretion of people who just showed up and joined.” When Ben’s daughter was learning guitar, his family went to the market to enjoy the music. They assumed it was a closed group but found out it was the opposite and joined the group

“Each year new members join and other members move away or sadly pass away,” Ben said.

I wondered if there was a playlist, but no.

“We go around the circle,” he said, “person to person, one week counterclockwise and the next maybe clockwise, and each person chooses a song to lead. Since each person has his or her own musical likes, this leads to a large variety of songs.”

Standing behind Ben outside the circle, I heard the

musician next to him call out, “Down Home Girl in D.” Other songs called included “Texas Girl,” “Pay Me My Money Down,” and “Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Ar ms.” Smiling musicians greeted the names of the songs, improvised, and jammed, while I got to ingest the music of the band and inhale the fragrant smell of freshly-made donuts

The Oak Park Far mers Market Band likes to concentrate on bluegrass, “fiddle tunes” (instrumentals ranging from the British Isles to Appalachia and other parts of the U.S.) sometimes called “Americana” music. The main instruments played are guitars, banjos, mandolins, and fiddles, as well as accordions, ukuleles and har monica players. Some of the musicians play more than one instrument.

“Sometimes songs work well and sometimes less well, but I suppose that is part of the charm of the group,” Ben muses.

Upcoming event: On Saturday, Aug. 12, the annual Corn Roast is happening. According to Colleen McNichols, the Oak Park Far mers Market manager, “It is a fundraiser for the market. The corn is supplied by three of our long-term vendors: R. Smits, “The Far m”; Nichols Farm & Orchard; and Geneva Lakes Produce. We roast the corn at the market, and you can choose melted butter, salt or spices on your ear and eat it right there on the spot. The entire complicated operation is run by the market commissioners and volunteers.” This event will happen rain or shine and only cash is accepted.

Joy Aaronson is an Oak Park resident, regular Oak Park Farmers Market shopper, and volunteer at the market. Joy has contributed to Chicago Parent and wrote the Kids’ World column for the former Logan Square Free Press

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

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Sta Reporters Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez

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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

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Oak Park Farmers Market Band in 2019.

Some perspective the Trib ar ticle missed

On Aug. 6, Tribune

re porter Lizzie Kane in her article, “New challenges,” presented a lengthy narrative of how key Oak Park community and village of ficials, racially diverse housing proponents like for mer Housing Center Director Rob Breymaier, and longtime racial-equity advocates like African American Parents for Purposeful Education (APPLE) are confronting disturbing threats to Oak Park’s historic mission to be a racially and culturally diverse, inclusive, and equitable place to live and go to school. In this viewpoint I offer some additional perspective and data.

JOHN DUFFY One View

percentage of African Americans living in Oak Park has declined from a high of 23.5% a little over a decade ago, to 18.2% as of July 2019 (Source: American Community Survey Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau).

e human ‘Keeli’

The other day I received a package of greeting cards from an organization called, “Chimp Heaven.” The cards were attractively sketched and painted by chimpanzees sheltered in this safe refuge.

ested. A customer accused him of making ances.” why

Recently, in advance of OPRF High School District 200’s February racial-equity assessment of Project 2 (the over $100 million rebuilding of the southeast section of the building), the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education (CEEE) and others pointed to the need to for mally consider what impact the largest capital project in Oak Park history, including further capital improvements, ongoing steep increases in property values, and D200 tax levies would have on racial diversity.

These questions were never carefully examined — we can only guess and do not know the answers. We do know they will be integral to protecting racial diversity. The same can be said of the recent, outlandish proposal to consider demolishing our landmark village hall and rebuilding it for up to $118 million.

By the way, this “consideration” was put forth by the same consultants who handled Project 1 & 2 for D200.

Both school districts 97 and 200 offer some data that urgently suggests it is indeed time for the village to strengthen its commitment to diverse, equitable, and affordable housing

Our village and schools have significantly lost African American members. In the 10 years from 2007 through 2017, according to D97 state report cards, the district’s Black student population has declined 35 percent.

At OPRF High School, the Black student population has declined from 28 to 18 percent from 2010 to the present.

The village data is equally compelling

Nearly 1,500 of our Black neighbors have moved from Oak Park since 2016, and the

Providing for racial equity and economic diversity and access in housing cannot be a guessing game, driven by an invocation of historic laurels around open housing, or simply left to commercial and housing market forces. To that end, for the last four years large numbers of Oak Parkers, including the Community Relations Commission, have called on the village to vigorously move forward with a racial equity policy, which would include a racial equity impact assessment protocol that could be applied to housing policy, new construction and zoning ordinances.

In 2021, Represent Oak Park village trustee candidates Chibuike Enyia, Anthony Clark, and Juanta Griffin set forth a comprehensive plan to advance a racial equity policy and enforcement procedures Last summer, trustees (including Enyia) committed to using a racial equity tool kit that includes such procedures. This summer’s training workshop on how and when to use racial equity assessment procedures, convened by Danielle Walker, Oak Park’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion officer, represents one more step forward in fully and faithfully operationalizing these racial equity procedures

The emerging village racial equity policy and equity assessments being guided by Dr Walker are most promising. Such assessments are a necessary complement to any new, pro-active approaches for realizing racial diversity hinted at by Oak Park Regional Housing Director Athena Williams, Villager Manager Kevin Jackson, and Village President Vicki Scaman.

When our village, township, park district, libraries and schools are in sync on how to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion, we will have a greater chance to live up to the village vision so many have worked to realize since the 1960s. Recent village actions have moved us closer to that end.

John Duffy is a longtime resident of the Longfellow School neighborhood and a member of CEEE.

One card was drawn by a male chimp named “Keeli.” The reason I mention this is that Keeli looks a lot like my dear uncle Nathan. Uncle Nathan was the youngest of five brothers in my father’s family. He was known for his comic-style face with ears that protruded far from the sides of his head and folds of wrinkles rippling from his nose to chin. His high forehead and deep-set eyes fur ther added to his chimp-li ke appearance.

HAUSMAN

The family oft en teased him about his looks, and they also considered him to be stupid. In truth, he was neither stupid nor slow in any way. He was smart and he was the kindest and most thoughtful of the five brothers. Nathan seemed unconcer ned by the teasing, and I heard him tell my dad, with a laugh, that he’s living proof of Darwin’s theory of evolution.

I remember being a young teenage r and wondering why the family often whispered about my Uncle Nathan. I found out later, that he was gay. My Uncle Joe told my dad, “Nathan has ‘that sickness,’ but a good woman can change him.” Joe always seemed uncomfor table with Nathan’s mannerisms. I didn’t understand why.

Joe and Nathan co-owned a men’s clothing store in Chicago. One day, to the shock of the entire family, Uncle

eet uncle was being at “inappropriances” meant. Uncle oe responded to Nathan’s refusing to help or en see him. By contrast and n, my da d ried to reach Nathan and help him if he could. My dad hoped he could bail him out.

A mere few hours after Nathan’s ar rest, I remember how hor rified my dad appeared. There were tears in his eyes and his entire body shook. Holding on to my mother, I heard him say, “That crazy Nathan killed himself. He hung himself in the jail.” Nathan left a note saying he was sor ry he “shamed the family.”

This hor rific episode happened a long time ago, and for tunately many attitudes have changed over the years since then. Education and understanding have encouraged most of us to appreciate a variety of human behaviors and to be proud of who and what we ar e. That said, much hurtful intolerance still exists

I am grateful to “Chimp Heaven” for sending me the greeting cards with the picture of Keeli, the chimpanzee ar tist. Mixed in with my memory of what happened to Nathan, the photo brought back thoughts of a sweet and gentle uncle whom I remember with great fondness.

Harriet Hausman is a longtime Ri ver Forest resident and, at 99, is lik ely the oldest re gular newspaper columnist in the country, if not the world.

What’s a ‘Bin Ambassador?’

During Plastic Free July, members of “Go Plastic Free,” a local nonprofit working to minimize the impact of plastic on our lives, were invited to serve as “Bin Ambassadors” at Far mers Market. Standing near the trash collection bins and talking with residents about whether to put their trash in recycling or compost or landfill, we learned a lot!

Here is some of what we lear ned:

The most inspiring data: About 99% of the people we talked to were trying to make the right decision.

Packaging materials for food products: It’s a complex and rapidly changing technology. Even if you’re a chemical engineer, it can be really tricky to understand what makes an item compostable or recyclable Art Spooner Oak Park

Community Foundation hits pause on grants

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation is pausing its Community Grants program for one year in order to evaluate and revise its grant-making operations to align with its enhanced mission.

The pause affects only the foundation’s Community Grants program. Donor-advised funds, scholarships and enrichment grants, the Russell & Josephine Kott Charitable Memorial Trust, and giving groups, will continue to operate and distribute funding. More than $4 million is awarded by these funds and groups each year.

The Community Grants program is a process through which nonprofit organizations apply for funding to support general operations or specific needs. This pause means there will be no community grant applications or disbursements made for 2023. The program will restart in the summer of 2024 with a new process designed to advance a more racially just society and more equitable outcomes for residents in Oak Park, River Forest and surrounding communities.

This decision is based on the work conducted by the foundation staf f and board over the past three years, learning and listening and gathering perspectives from those in our community whose voices are not always heard. These conversations infor med the top priorities outlined in the landmark Community Voices re port the foundation released last year.

While community grants are an important resource for nonprofits, the program re presents just a portion of our overall work and impact in the re gion. The funds that would normally be disbursed through the Community Grants program are invested, and will be made available when the program resumes in 2024 — effectively doubling the available funds for even greater impact.

The foundation’s staf f is available to meet with donors to answer questions and offer philanthropic advice, and will continue to of fer other important support and services, such as capacity-building programs, to its nonprofit partners and other constituents.

Over the course of its 60-plus-year history, the foundation has evolved to reflect the changing needs and priorities of the communities it serves. Today we are at another inflection point in our evolution, and this pause will allow us time to reflect and recalibrate to truly address racial equity and how our community wishes to move forward.

The foundation will be sharing its progress throughout the year. To ensure you’ re receiving all the foundation’s latest news or for any questions, please contact Program Director Elizabeth Chadri, at echadri@oprfcf.org.

We appreciate your understanding and continuing suppor t for the foundation at this pivotal time.

Antonio Martinez Jr. President & CEO OP-RF Community Foundation

Do the right thing for village hall

We live in a village that takes pride in our collection of great architecture. I am reminded of this each day walking the dogs up Forest Avenue, around the FLW Home & Studio, and then passing by Unity Temple and the Post Office. On Madison Street our village hall was designed by nationally known architect Harry Weese and is a Modern Movement masterpiece. Weese drew his inspiration for this building from Alvar Aalto, who is to Helsinki as Wright is to Oak Park. Everyone in Helsinki knows Aalto and they treasure his works.

Now there are rumblings that Oak Park Village Hall is in danger of demolition. The urgent need for a new police station is certainly warranted, and I do not contest this. Let’s put aside the architectural significance of village hall and look at the issue through the prism of climate change, waste, and unwarranted spending of our tax dollars

The concept of sustainability, linked to mitigating climate change, requires effective protection of the environment and prudent use of natural resources. Architects like to say that the greenest (most sustainable) building is the one that is already built. The reasoning becomes obvious when you realize that demolition, filling landfills with usable materials, quarrying and harvesting, production of building materials, transportation, and construction activities and their carbon-producing activities will greatly decrease if a building is rehabilitated rather than replaced.

Re placing village hall is a wasteful measure and is an example of the throwaway society that America has been. Such actions were acce ptable in the past but should not be acceptable in an enlightened village such as ours.

My experience in historic preservation has shown me

What I learned

from

Last Tuesday, my 7-year-old daughter was holding back tears when I picked her up from soccer camp. In the car, she confessed that the boys on her “World Cup” scrimmage team were refusing to pass to her and were complaining that they were going to lose because they had a girl on their team. The next day, we talked to the coach, who ag reed to address it.

“Where are these boys learning to act this way?” I wondered.

Later that day, I stumbled on an answer. Passing through the park, I overheard a coach asking a group of older kids soccer trivia questions. “Here’s a question for the girls, since they don’t watch soccer,” he said. “What color is Winnie the Pooh?” (Not-fun fact: While women re present 40 percent of athletes, women’s spor ts receive 4 percent of media coverage.)

I began staying to closely watch what I was now privately refer ring to as “soccer and sexism” camp, but over the next couple of days my concern shifted from wor rying about our girls to wor rying about our boys

that rehabilitation is almost always less costly than demolition and re placement.

I remember when Ridgeland Common was on the verge of demolition and the excuse was obsolescence — the outdoor field did not drain properly, and the plumbing was bad. An economic slowdown, thankfully, put that project in limbo, and we now have a great example of adaptive reuse of an existing building. It also pokes a hole in the myth that building problems can only be solved by replacement.

Working toward solutions that would rehabilitate and possibly expand village hall would be better for the environment, less wasteful, and will most likely cost less than demolition and re placement.

Let’s do the right thing here and put aside talk of demolishing village hall.

Stephen Kelley Oak Park

summer soccer camp

Teams were rearranged so that there were two all-girl teams that, in the end, came in first and second in their “World Cup.” I observed the girls communicating, strategizing, passing the ball, cheering each other’s victories, and comforting each other after mistakes. Thanks to the encouragement of her teammates, my daughter ended the week by confidently running up to the boys on her old team and stealing the ball from them to pass to her teammates, helping earn her team the win. Meanwhile, the boys seemed more often to be jockeying for reco gnition and channeling embarrassment or frustration into lashing out and fighting. As far as I observed, the coach never spoke to the boys about their poor team spirit.

These kids will probably never play in the real World Cup, but all of them need to learn to work as a team, handle frustrations, and learn from mistakes. My daughter learned this week that success comes from working as a team. I wonder what the boys in her camp lear ned.

Nora Malone River Forest

Apply the Climate Ready plan to village hall plans

In August 2022, Oak Park trustees approved the Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) Plan, which makes a commitment for our community to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 and cut our greenhouse gases by 60% by 2030. The village staf f and board should be lauded for establishing equity-focused programs and key policies that address climate pollution in Oak Park, such as becoming the first municipality in the Midwest to require that new buildings be all-electric. These steps demonstrate our potential to rise to the challenge we face in climate disruption, and to do so in a way that makes our community more resilient.

We request that the same attention to a decarbonized and climate resilient Oak Park be applied to the vision and plans for village hall and a new police station. We understand the passage and implementation of the

HARRIS-THOMPSON

e little things between us

from page 11

realize were our good old days. Days when children could go outside to play safely until the street lights came on, days when you could drive and the risk of being shot was almost non-existent, days when you could bury your loved ones and ride in a funeral procession without witnessing someone become a victim of senseless gun violence. This

STUDENKOV Traveling by train

from page 11

On the plane, you’ re mostly chained to your seat. Lake Shore Limited’s five c oach cars, on the other hand, give yo u some room to stretch your le gs, and the café car has tables where you can sit, buy some tea and a snack, plug in your laptop, and wo rk or just look out the wind ow.

La ke Shore Limited is one of the few long-distance trains that has onboard

CROP Plan to require that every new project and budget of Oak Park take climate emissions and impacts into account. With CROP as the framework, the benefit-cost analysis for renovating, constructing, or demolishing/ rebuilding, both buildings should include the emissions associated with each option, and weighed alongside financial impact. Additionally, OPCAN is concer ned about the disproportionate and inequitable impact the financing would have on residents with limited resources, as no other public funds would be available in the reconstruction of a building with National Landmark status.

OAK PARK CLIMATE AC TION NETWORK

One View

with operating the building, but also those used in demolition and waste disposal — and the “embodied energy” in the building itself, which includes all the energy consumed in the production of a building, from the mining and processing of natural resources used, to the manufacturing and transport associated with product delivery.

the additional tax burden that seems likely to squeeze out implementation of the CROP Plan, we cheer the decision to appoint a community-led expert committee to review options for village hall and the safety headquarters.

Greenhouse gas emissions incorporate not only the future emissions associated

has been far too common in recent years, and more people are outraged by this senseless violence than those who are not.

What happened to the time when people would disag ree, talk it out, argue it out, or worse-case scenario, duke it out? Simple little things like saying hello, thank you, or you’ re welcome, used to be common. Common cour tesies, common sense, and common respect, are not so common anymore. I miss those days, and I know I’m not alone. This is truly a sign of the times.

What happens to the youth when they don’ t see the “little things” occur ring

Wi -Fi. This time around, it only really wo rked in the café car — but after a wh il e, I realized how nice it was to be disconnected. No pitches and press releases, no notifications — just hour s of writing time with beautiful scener y around. Being a news re por ter can be a g rind, an endless churn of storie s, and it ’s easy to forget how rare and precious true relaxation is

I should also mention that there are o ppor tunities to get out and get some fresh air — mostly for a few minutes at a time, but at the Albany-Rensselaer station passengers can walk around for almost an hour

T here are some downside s. Sleeping in

The costs of these emissions can be estimated using the federal gover nment’s “social cost of carbon,” which puts a dollar figure on the costs borne by society for each additional metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent put into the atmosphere — about $51/CO2e. These costs are real, and material, to the residents of Oak Park today, as well as to future generations.

For this reason, as well as concer ns about

b etween people as they grow up? The lack of “little things,” once common, can leave the younger generation hardened , defensive, and lacking empathy. When children are small, we tell them to “do as I say, not as I do,” but that has backfired on many parents, leaders, and now society. Children have always mimicked what they see, not what they’re told to do. It truly takes a village to raise a child and, tragically, many of these shooters and victims are teens and young people.

I know there are a lot of factors contributing to the ills of society and juvenile delinquent behavior, but home is the

the coach chair, even with all the extr a le g room, is a skill, one that takes some practice to develop — and even for a seasoned coach car traveler li ke me, a f ull night’s sleep is not guaranteed. No matter how much you stretch your le gs, 20 hours inside the train is a long time. And the sad fact is that, in some ways, the La ke Shore Limited onboard experience has declined over the year s. T he complimentary pillows are gone. Dining cars that serve d meals cooked onboard used to be available to slee pe r and coach car passengers ali ke (the latter did have to pay for the food). The dining cars we re taken out of service on La ke Shore Limited during the Trump

We additionally urge the village board to engage a wide range of community voices in this process — from Oak Park residents to local experts in energy efficiency and sustainable building retrofits and construction. We ask that the board keep CROP goals and milestones top of mind as they explore ways to ensure a safe, accessible village hall and create a new home for our municipal safety division. And we thank both board and staff for the path-breaking steps they’ve taken so far to pass and implement our CROP Plan.

Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) is a resident-led climate action and community resiliency working group.

very first place that shapes a child. If we want to begin to see even a small change, we can begin today, and lead by example This is certainl y not a cure, but it’s a start.

Jennifer Harris-Thompson was born and raised in Oak Pa rk. She has a di verse background in Broadcast Media, including tele vision and radio, and is currentl y a traffic anchor and traffic producer at WBBM. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, Fine Arts dancing, and spending time with her family. She also lov es to write and is a published author of the 31 Day Devotional, “Who Told You, You Couldn’t Do That? ”

Administration, and, w hen they we re brought back, they became exclusive to sleeping car passenger s. And, on this trip, passengers we re n’ t allowe d to put any personal belongings in the seat pockets — wh ich I don’ t think even ai rl i nes do.

But overall, the latest trip af firmed the many things that ke ep me coming back to trains. Domestic flights have one thing going for it — speed. But w hen it c omes to comfort, the ease of boarding, a chance to unplug and relax, to see this c ountry in all of its many dimensions, p lanes do n’ t even come close Igor Studenkov is a staff re porter for Growing Community Media newspapers.

As two residents of Oak Park who have spent a lot of time in our village hall, since soon after it was constructed — Sandra as an 8-year member of the staf f in the Community Relations Department and 16 as the elected village clerk, David as a village trustee, who later served on the Historic Preservation, Plan, and Public Art commissions — we are very concerned that the needs of the community and village staf f be addressed through improvements to the building rather than through its demolition.

Our Oak Park Village Hall SANDRA & DAVID SOKOL

One View

already corrected some of the misconceptions about the ideas behind the design, and particularly the placement of the Police Department. Others have pointed out that spaces meant to be open and inviting as a major component of open government have been chopped up and/or cut of f by dividers, and that the requirements and desire to address access issues has complicated some of the changes, walling of f the residents from the employees there to serve them.

tain functions of gover nment and other shrinkages in some depar tments, suggest that the current building should be able to adequately house all of the necessary functions other than those of the Police De partment.

A new home for that department is certainly needed.

Judith Kerns, 83

Lifelong member of Grace Lutheran

The building is located where it is, not because of land availability or cost, but as part of a commitment by a dedicated board to confront the naysayers who were writing of f the east side of the village. Similarly, the glass-walled, open courtyard was and remains an invitation to be part of the community.

Bill Dring, a native Oak Parker and an architect who worked in the Weese office when village hall was designed, has

These issues, and the fact that important changes to accommodate the new realities (like installing a totally inadequate elevator rather than a full service one to the Council Chamber, or the equally inadequate chair lift to the Police Department) were made for immediate cost savings and now are given as part of the rationale for re placing the entire building.

We are not certain of the statistics relating to village employees, but it seems that the erection of the Public Works Building, the outsourcing of cer-

Creativity rather than demolition is what is needed in addressing such key and vital issues as access for all and a maximal attention to the cu rrent and future environmental needs. There should be a full and comprehensive examination by all segments of the community, including those already serving on or having served on our many commissions and committees.

Oak Park has faced bigger challenges, and we came out stronger for our joint ef forts. Let us be deliberate and committed to our growth and change while we remain the community where architectural creativity is admired and preserved.

Sandra and David Sokol are longtime Oak Park residents, who have spent years in public service.

Let’s rethink the turf grass behind village hall

In the wide-ranging conversation that is currently happening around the future of Oak Park Village Hall and the police station, a small contingent of commentary has centered on a desire to protect the current expanse of green space south of the current building. Some have called it a “Village Green” or a “Public Plaza” — generous descriptions of what is currently a vast expanse of low value, under-pro grammed turf grass

While it is true that the current giant lawn is certainly preferable to a paved parking lot (that honor is reserved for the space to its north), its current state offers limited value to our climate or our community. Turf grass consumes a lot of resources in the name of maintenance, while contributing virtually nothing in terms of carbon sequestration, biodiversity, heat island reduction, and storm water management when

compared to native plants and grasses Meanwhile, nearby Longfellow Park provides many more options for play and outdoor activity for children and f amilies. If this property is ultimately determined to be the best location for a new police station, it could be an opportunity to reim agine the space in a way that simultaneously advances Oak Park’s climate and biodiversity goals — especially since the building presumably wouldn’ t require any new parking, the worst of fender in terms of climate unfriendly land uses

What could a true “public plaza” look like in the time of climate crisis? How can native plants and trees, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, walking paths, educational signage and other more for mal community spaces be integrated alongside a building to create a holistic, eng aging and climate resilient community hub?

T he opportunity to reim agine a higher and better use for this giant patch of grass is well-timed with news that the village is exploring an ordinance to formally allow and encourage native plantings in our other vast expanse of turf — Oak Pa rk’s many miles of parkways. Native plants not only attract pollinators and wildlife; their deep roots enable them to better withstand periods of drought and more efficiently soak up water from heavy rains, two extreme weather patterns that Oak Park has had the honor of experiencing in just one summer.

With unpredictability our new normal, every bit of tur f grass in the village converted to native plants is a high-value investment in a more comfortable, engaging and climate-resilient community.

Nicole Chavas Oak Park

Judith B. Kerns, 83, of Oak Park, died on July 27, 2023, from complications of cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Born in Decatur on July 11, 1940 to Mildred E. (née Schlie) and Wayne W. Schroeder, she attended Grace Lutheran School, Walther Lutheran High School (now Walther Christian Academy), and the University of Illinois. With her previous husband, Phillip Blum, Judy had two children, Gregory and Victoria. Her finance career began in banking and real estate, and continued in the business office of Grace Lutheran Church, where she was also a lifelong member. In addition to enjoying tennis, bridge, art, reading, frappuccinos, a lifetime of cats, and picturesque sunsets over Lake Michig an — as viewed from her cottage in Arcadia — she was also long active in Stephen Ministries, where she shared her caring, supportive, and spiritual gifts.

Judy is survived by James Kerns, her husband of 36 years; her sister, Janet (Mark) Hall; her children, Gregory (Deborah) Blum and Victoria (Matthew) Skelton; her sistersin-law, Martha Schroeder, Georgia Blum, and Kristi (Mur ray) Sagsveen; her ste p-children, Gigi (Malcolm) Wilson, Anne Ker ns (William Mayfield), and Michael Ker ns (Kimberly Glyder); her grandchildren, Courtney and Heather Blum, Emma and Clay Skelton, Jenifer (Diego Baez) and T homas Wilson, Miles Mayfield, and Violet and Archer Ker ns; her great-grandson, Malcolm Wilson; and numerous nieces and ne phew s. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, James Schroeder

A memorial fellowship will be held at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., in River Forest on Saturday, Aug. 19 at 10 a.m., with services following at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Judy’s name to Grace Lutheran Church, the Ar t Institute of Chicago, the Salvation Ar my, Walther Christian Academy, or T rinity Lutheran Church (Arcadia , Michig an).

Interment will follow at a later date in Arcadia.

HELP WANTED

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Experience or not.

Call for more information.

708-738-3848

COVID-19 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Covid-19 Epidemiologist in the Public Health Department. This is a One-Year, Full Time Temporary position as of date of hire. This position will serve as a subject matter expert on communicable diseases of public health concern, including COVID-19. This position will work on the surveillance and investigation of infectious diseases and other public health threats; rapid response to disease outbreaks including assisting the community’s emergency preparedness and response team. 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. This position is open until filled.

General maintenance on lifters and towing trailers. Must be able to operate and fix maintenance equipment. Some assembly and build projects. Some other job duties may include but are not limited to general building upkeep, painting, light cleaning, lifting 50lbs+, driving company vehicles on occasion, operating forklifts and scissor lift, assisting in other warehouse tasks such as loading and unloading trucks, shipping and receiving. email resume to hr@sievertelectric.com

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits

Salary: $16.00 - $18.00 per hour

Schedule: 8 hour shift Monday to Friday

OAK PARK POLICE DEPARTMENTACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

Application Deadline is Friday, September 1, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.

How to Apply:

• Complete your application at https:// iosolutions.com by the application deadline.

• Submit all supporting documentation by the application deadline.

Police Officer Minimum Requirements:

• At least 21 years of age and have not passed their 35th birthday by closing date for application.

• U.S. Citizen who speaks and understands English.

• Possess at least 60 hours of college credit at a fully accredited college or university, and also possess a minimum grade average of “C” by application deadline.

• Possess a valid driver ’s license.

• Possess a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card at the time of hire

Written Exam Information:

A mandatory written exam will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Testing will take place at Oak Park Village Hall (room# 101) located at 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302. Sign-in will held from 8:30a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Additional details will be provided to eligible candidates approximately one week prior to the exam.

About the Village of Oak Park and Police Department:

• Starting Salary: $78,650.74 after 4 years of service $110,953.23

Please contact IOS Recruitment at (800)-343-HIRE or recruitment@ iosolutions.com with questions regarding the application, required documents or testing.

Data Engineer III sought by Press Ganey Associates LLC in Chicago, IL to dvlp & manage end-to-end data analytics & warehouse project plans & ensure on-time delivery. Telecommuting permitted up to 2 days/ wk. Reqs a Bach deg in Comp Sci, Electrical/Electronic Engg, or a rltd field & 5 yrs exp in s/ware engg, systems engg, or technical product/ prgm mgmt. Exp must incl: 3 yrs exp in Jira s/ware or similar agile project mgmt s/ware; 4 yrs exp delivering cross-team tech prgms or products from inception to delivery using CI/ CD (continuous integration/continuous delivery); 5 yrs exp w/ analytical solutions in relational d/bases such as MS SQL Server, Oracle, or DB2; 5 yrs exp w/ NoSQL d/bases & solutions such as data lakes & document-oriented d/bases. To apply, send resume to Pam.Holland-Riddle@pressganey.com & ref job title & KS23 in subj line.

GARAGE SALE

RIVERSIDE MOVING SALE 465 UVEDALE ROAD

SAT AUG 12

8:30 AM TO 3PM

Furniture, high-end crystal and china, household goods, tools, workshop equipment and more!

FOREST PARK

HUGE MOVING SALE!!

1333 S ELGIN AVE

FRI

CARS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles 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

Collector James 630-201-8122

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars: Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars,

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

ROOFING

JOE

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION

August 24th, 2023 AT 7:00 P.M

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village and Park District of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 2:00 p.m. on Friday September 1, 2023 for the following:

Village and Park District of Oak Park

2024 Comprehensive Tree Maintenance Bid Number: 23-127

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park. us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 3585700 during the above hours.

A mandatory pre-bid meeting shall be held on Wednesday, August 23 at 11 a.m. at the Public Works Center in Oak Park. Proposals received from bidders who do not send a representative to the pre-bid meeting shall not be considered.

The Village and Park District of Oak Park reserve the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening.

Published in Wednesday Journal August 9, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y23010865 on August 1, 2023

Under the Assumed Business Name of IMAGINATION STATION LEARNING CENTER with the business located at: 615 SOUTH BLVD C, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: CASHMERE WIGGINS 615 SOUTH BLVD C OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA.

Published in Wednesday Journal August 9, 16, 23, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of BARBARA RUTH GIBBS

20234004150

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from:

BARBARA RUTH GIBBS to the new name of: RUTH T. WITTBRODT

The court date will be held:

On 9/19/23 at 11:00 AM at 1500 Maybrook Drive, Maywood, Cook County in Courtroom # 0111

Published in Wednesday Journal August 2, 9, 16, 2023

NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, August 24th, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edward Barcal Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois for the purpose of considering a request for a preliminary planned development application for a property located at 8845 Burlington Ave, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 (PINs 15-34-433-0010000; 15-34-433-002-0000; 15-34433-003-0000) by Peter Haleas for a proposed 12-unit, 3-story new construction residential building with enclosed parking.

Legal Description: Lots 17, 18, and 19 in Block 29 in the Subdivision of Blocks 27, 29 to 34 Inclusive, in Grossdale, a Subdivision in Section 34, Township 39 North, Range 12 east of the Third Principal Meridian, in Cook County, Illinois.

The public is invited to attend the public hearing and present oral and/ or written comments.

The proposed planned development application may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours. Written comments may be provided prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the public hearing to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Kate Portillo, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513 or at kportillo@brookfieldil.gov. Please reference PZC Case 23-10. Oral or written public testimony may be given during the public hearing.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield (708) 485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access is available through the front (South) entrance of Village Hall.

By the Order of Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman.

Published in RB Landmark August 9, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD

Notice of Public Hearing

Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission August 24, 2023 at 7:00 PM

NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, August 24th, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Edward Barcal Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois for the purpose of considering a request for variations from §62-75 Bulk, yard and space requirements of the Village Code in order to build a garage for property located at 3106 Oak Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 (PIN 15-34-202-019-0000).

Legal Description: Lot 2 in Block 5 in Brookfield Manor, being a Subdivision of the Northeast ¼ of Section 34, Township 39 North, Range 12 East of the Third Principal Meridian (Except the Right of Way of the Suburban Railroad), in Cook County, Illinois.

PUBLIC NOTICES

The public is invited to attend the public hearing and present oral and/ or written comments.

Written comments may be provided prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the public hearing to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Kate Portillo, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513, kportillo@brookfieldil.gov, or 708-485-1113. Oral or written testimony may be given during the public hearing.

The application may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours. Please reference PZC Case 23-11. Public hearings may be continued from time to time without further notice except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Individuals with disabilities requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield (708) 485-7344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access is available through the front (South) entrance of Village Hall.

By the Order of Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman.

Published in RB Landmark August 9, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

OP Elementary D97 09/12/2023

PUBLIC HEARING ON 23-24

BUDGET PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON 2023-2024 BUDGET PUBLIC

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District Number 97, Cook County, Illinois, that it will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget for the 2023 - 2024 school year on the 12th day of September, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. The hearing will be held at the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302. Such proposed budget shall be on file conveniently available for public inspection from and after August 11, 2023, in the Business Office of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. The Board of Education intends to adopt the proposed 20232024 budget following the public hearing on 09/12/2023.

Published in Wednesday Journal August 9, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

ration, will at 10:30 AM on September 1, 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 420 HOME AVENUE #208, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-07-324-0331017

The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $104,989.28.

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) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 22-096854.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. LOGS Legal Group LLP

2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com

Attorney File No. 22-096854

Attorney Code. 42168

Case Number: 22 CH 8975

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

TJSC#: 43-2298

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 # 22 CH 8975 I3225644

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

FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Plaintiff, -v.-

ANTONIO A. BRAVO, THE TREMONT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION

Defendants

2023 CH 00031 227 W CHICAGO #3 OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 6, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 8, 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 227 W CHICAGO #3, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-102-0211009

The real estate is improved with a residence.

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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORA-

TION

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. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com

Attorney File No. 14-22-09619

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2023 CH 00031

TJSC#: 43-2462

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 # 2023 CH 00031

I3226051

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

SANTANDER BANK, N.A.

Plaintiff, -v.KRIS M. KERTGEN, WISCONSIN WINDINGS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendants 2023 CH 00062 423 S. WISCONSIN AVENUE #1E 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 June 15, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 18, 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 423 S. WISCONSIN AVENUE #1E, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-07-322-0611017; 16-07-322-061-1043

The real estate is improved with a residence.

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.

REAL ESTATE FOR 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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

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

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com

Attorney File No. 14-22-09640

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2023 CH 00062

TJSC#: 43-2722

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 # 2023 CH 00062

I3226570

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.

learning. The the independently.

Montessori are children. classroom redirection, encouragement of paramount to at their and subject areas.

Montessori children from 3

NOW ENROLLING For Fall 2023

For over 35 years, WSMS has provided an authentic AMI accredited Montessori education in Oak Park.

We offer half day, extended day, and full day programs for children ages 3 to 12.

Join us for a tour and ignite your child’s curiosity for learning.

RSVP today at www.wsms.org/tour

1039 S. East Ave., Oak Park, Illinois | 708.848.2662

(Austin), or 6:30p.m.

Monday Catherine-St. The only willingness ability to check. orientation 6:30p.m. Church Park 6:30p.m. Church Park application at https://learningedgetutoring.org/enroll/. If contact Kara kara@learningedgetutoring.org or

Please join us for one of our upcoming in-person orientation events:

September 14th, 2023, 6:30p.m. First United Church 848 Lake Street, Oak Park

September 18th, 2023, 6:30p.m. Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church 744 Fair Oaks, Oak Park

You can submit a volunteer application at learningedgetutoring.org/enroll/. If you have any questions, please contact Kara Kalnitz at kara@learningedgetutoring.org or 773-378-5530 for more information.

Sponsored Content

An exceptional Montessori education for over 35 years

West Suburban Montessori School has been providing an exceptional Montessori education in Oak Park for over 35 years. We value kindness, hard work, and the spark or enthusiasm required for real learning to take place. The children who attend WSMS are on a path toward independence. Our graduates are confident, strong minded, outside of the box thinkers. They are kind, respectful, and curious.

West Suburban Montessori School embodies the educational principles established by Dr. Maria Montessori (18701952), an Italian physician who dedicated her career to the study of children. Following Dr. Montessori’s guidance, we focus on the whole child at WSMS, including the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual development of the child.

• Montessori environments have mixed ages: Primary (ages 3-6), Lower Elementary (ages 6-9), and Upper Elementary (ages 9-12)

• Children actively engage in their learning. The guide gives lessons to the student, and the student continues the work independently.

• Hands on learning happens in Montessori environments. The Montessori materials are made to be touched and manipulated.

• Montessori students have freedom of movement. Movement is vital for all children.

• An AMI credentialed guide in each classroom is key. Montessori guides focus on redirection, honest conversation, and encouragement of their students.

• Uninterrupted work cycles are paramount to Montessori classrooms. Students work at their own pace, learn to concentrate deeply, and develop interests in a full range of subject areas.

West Suburban Montessori School is accredited by the Association Montessori International (AMI) to educate children from 3 to 12 years of age.

Sponsored Content

Become a Learning Edge Tutor!

For over 30 years, Learning Edge Tutoring has been providing tutoring to students who come from the Austin neighborhood. Our mission is to contribute to the lives of Chicago-area students through free one-to-one tutoring and academic enrichment opportunities enhanced by caring, mentoring relationships. We strive to help our students improve their foundational reading and math skills, provide homework help, and foster enduring relationships. We are currently recruiting new volunteers who are interested in becoming a tutor. Tutors are assigned to work with the same student for 30 weeks throughout the school year. They attend tutoring one night per week on either

a Monday (Oak Park), Tuesday (Austin), or Thursday (Oak Park) evening from 6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. or participate in our Monday after-school program at St. Catherine-St. Lucy School (3:15p.m. to 4:15p.m.). The only requirements to volunteer are a willingness to help a young person and the ability to pass a criminal background check. Please join us for one of our upcoming in-person orientation events:

September 14th, 2023, 6:30p.m. First United Church 848 Lake Street, Oak Park September 18th, 2023, 6:30p.m. Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church 744 Fair Oaks Ave., Oak Park

You can submit a volunteer application at https://learningedgetutoring.org/enroll/. If you have any questions, please contact Kara Kalnitz at kara@learningedgetutoring.org or 773-378-5530 for more information

LMS/ International Mansion: every child has a gift to be shared

Our school can be best described as a ‘Homeschool in School’ style program. We have a full dynamic Spanish Immersion curriculum and are listed by MENSA as a recommended program for gifted students.

We are a small school with only 30 students total between Preschool and 8th grade. What sets us apart?

- Fluency in Spanish Achieved within one year during Preschool years, or within two years during Elementary School years. The Spanish language is spoken throughout as the target immersion language. Academic classes are

Current subjects, but not limited to, are:

• Penmanship

• Reading/writing

• Math

• Science

• Geography/history

• Logic/coding

• Theater (improv, superhero stage combat, musical theatre)

• Martial arts

all taught in English and/or Spanish and English. If weather permits, many of our academic classes are done outdoors.

- Student to teacher ratio: some classes are one on one, two to one, with a maximum of six students to one instructor.

- Daily schedule is customized and flexible.

- Professional and passionate instructors.

- Guest tutors with real life experience.

- No test to enter, no traditional testing.

- Students paired by interest, in mixed age setting.

- Weekly reports sent to parents.

• Art (including painting, clay art, comic book art and more)

• Music (Rock band, intro to most instrument, harmony, chorus)

• Social emotional discussions/Life skills

• Spanish immersion spoken through out the day and taught in lesson format. Russian immersion taught in lesson format.

Sponsored Content

• Intro to Foreign languages (Hebrew, Italian, chinese, japanese, korean, etc.)

• Physical education: Archery/Ice Skating/ Soccer, and more.

• Chess and board games.

• Architectural design

Ascension School Enriches Minds, Bodies and Souls

For over 110 years, Ascension has provided an excellent Catholic education in the spirit of love, kindness, respect, and inclusion.  The strength and support of our Ascension community is notably present in the students’ academic, social, and spiritual education. Our goal is to create a positive atmosphere where students can grow in a safe, challenging and faith-filled learning environment.

With an average student to teacher ratio of 13:1, our faculty recognizes the individuality of each child’s development and has the opportunity to work with our students one on one to help them achieve their academic goals. Our students experience a well-rounded, Catholic education that enriches their minds, bodies and souls.

This year Ascension is one of only 15 Chicago schools entering its second year school partnership with the Museum of Science and Industry. Beginning in

preschool, every classroom has access to iPads, chrome books and students are exposed to comprehensive STEM opportunities throughout the year.

We offer both full and half-day programs for our preschool children.  Our preschooler’s day focuses on independent learning, socialization, reading readiness and literacy skills, fine motor and gross motor development.  Ascension School also has an Extended Day Program which offers before school and after school care for our preschool to grade 8 students.

Ascension provides outstanding fine and performing arts programs, extracurricular athletic programs and a number of clubs that promote teamwork, community and inclusion.

Learn about what Ascension School can offer your child with a private tour at school.ascensionoakpark.com

Forest Park School District 91 is abuzz with excitement as the start of the new academic year approaches. With the first day of school on August 21st, just around the corner, educators and leaders are eagerly anticipating the beginning of a thrilling journey filled with growth, learning, and exploration.

This year, Forest Park School District 91 is proud to introduce several exciting new programs aimed at enriching the educational experience of its students. Among the highlights is the much-anticipated STEAM program, set to engage students from 3rd to 8th grade. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics will come alive in hands-on and innovative ways, sparking a passion for critical thinking and problemsolving across various disciplines. The district is committed to equipping

Forest Park School District 91

its students with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Superintendent Alvarez, school board members, local officials, community members, parents, and staff will gather for the ribbon-cutting event to celebrate this significant milestone scheduled to take place at 5:30 pm on August 23rd. They will express their gratitude to the community for its support in making this innovative project a reality and highlight the importance of STEM education in shaping the future.These labs will serve as hubs for innovative projects and experiments, engaging students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The district aims to create an immersive and dynamic learning environment that nurtures creativity and curiosity.

Forest Park School District 91 is

also eagerly welcoming its new staff members, bringing fresh perspectives and expertise to the district. Alongside them, the district is excited to have its dedicated returning staff members back, ready to nurture students’ growth and guide them on their educational journey. The commitment of the staff to the well-being and development of their students is a driving force behind the district’s success.

To ensure a smooth start to the academic year, all families are encouraged to complete the registration process as soon as possible. Visit fpsd91.org to get started today. This helps schools adequately prepare for the arrival of students and ensures a seamless transition into the new school year. The administration is actively working to streamline the registration

process, providing online support and resources for parents to access easily. If you have questions email register@ fpsd91.org.

Adding to the excitement, Forest Park School District 91 is organizing a Back-to-School Picnic at the park district on August 15th, from 4 pm to 7 pm. Families can look forward to a fun-filled evening with a range of activities, fostering a strong sense of community among students, families, and staff. The event will also offer valuable resources and support for families during the registration process, including assistance with online registration.

As the first day of school draws near, the entire community stands united, and ready to embark on this educational adventure together.

Sponsored Content

Full-Day Kindergarten Comes to District 90

District 90 students will begin the 2023-24 school year on August 24, which also starts the District’s full-day Kindergarten program. Five current District 90 teachers -- Tammy Brenneman, Amy Driscoll, Barb Garvey, Kathryn Stasys, and Lori Suzuki -- worked throughout the end of the prior school year and during the summer to transform the kindergarten program.

With nearly 50 years of experience teaching kindergarten, the teachers expect the beginning of the school year will focus on helping young learners acclimate to a full-day program, build their stamina for learning, and adhere to classroom and school routines. “There’ll be more time for everything that happens in school –more time for cooperative learning and developing friendships,” said Amy Driscoll. Lori Suzuki added, “There’ll be more time to devote to both academic and socialemotional learning development.”

All five teachers expressed a common goal regarding their students. They strive to instill a love of learning in each student. Tammy Brenneman said it’s simply magical watching kindergarten students become independent learners. “Kindergarteners go from not knowing letters to reading books, from not knowing numbers to adding and subtracting,” Barb Garvey added. Further, it’s such a joy to see their delight as they learn new things, said Kathryn Stasys.

This transition to a full-day kindergarten program reflects District 90’s commitment to equity, social-emotional learning, incorporating teacher-facilitated, playbased instruction, and adequate time for student interventions and support during the school day. A full-day kindergarten program ensures that District 90 provides a strong academic foundation for all students.

Welcome back to school!

The Day Nursery’s missionwelcoming all children

The Day Nursery welcomed Charles when he was 3 years old, he spent most of his young life at home with his family during the pandemic, like so many other children. He joined his teacher and new friends with a lot of distrust of grown-ups from past trauma, and was very shy with other children. His challenges with being in a new place and selfregulation interfered with his ability to learn his letters and numbers, and grow socially and emotionally from a toddler to a preschooler. As an accredited and Gold Circle rated program, The Day Nursery is one of the only year-long, full-day programs that provides working families affordable and top-rated early childhood education. Our teachers build curriculum based on the IL Early Learning

A Tradition of Excellence and Equity

A Tradition of Excellence and Equity

Full-Day Kindergarten

Standards, assesses progress, and engages with parents to practice skills at home. We are committed to each child’s educational path, that ensures they are kindergarten ready. The Day Nursery builds an equitable foundation for a successful future - for all children.

Charles practices his numbers, letters, and is an amazing artist!

The Day Nursery worked with his mother, a single mom of two, to find resources for the family and empowered them to actively stay involved with Charles’ learning process. The Day Nursery’s mission is to provide exceptional early childhood education in an environment that welcomes all children, enhances individual strengths and fosters the academic, socialemotional and physical development that leads to school readiness.

95% of Day Nursery children transition into Kindergarten with the skills for school success.

Since 1912, we've been providing quality early childhood care and education for children of working families.

Evidence-Based Curriculum

Full-Day Kindergarten

82% of Faculty/Instructors with Masters Degrees or Higher

Evidence-Based Curriculum

A Tradition of Excellence and Equity

Inclusion Preschool

82% of Faculty/Instructors with Masters Degrees or Higher

Art, Music, Library, STEM, etc.

Full-Day Kindergarten

Inclusion Preschool

Evidence-Based Curriculum

Many Extracurricular Activities

Art, Music, Library, STEM, etc.

After-School Program with West Cook YMCA

Many Extracurricular Activities

82% of Faculty/Instructors with Masters Degrees or Higher

Inclusion Preschool

After-School Program with West Cook YMCA

Art, Music, Library, STEM, etc.

The 2023-24 School Year

Starts August 24, 2023

Many Extracurricular Activities

The 2023-24 School Year

After-School Program with West Cook YMCA

www.district90.org // 708-771-8282

Starts August 24, 2023

www.district90.org // 708-771-8282

The 2023-24 School Year

Starts August 24, 2023

www.district90.org // 708-771-8282

95% of Day Nursery children transition into Kindergarten with the skills for school success.

95%

Since 1912, we've been providing quality early childhood care and education for children of working families.

Since 1912, we've been providing quality early childhood care and education for children of working families.

Nursery children transition into Kindergarten with the skills for school success.

95% of Day Nursery children transition into Kindergarten with the skills for school success.

Since 1912, we've been providing quality early childhood care and education for children of working families.

Since 1912, we've been providing quality early childhood care and education for children of working families.

Concordia University Chicago’s Local Business Advantage Program

Service for the common good is a longstanding value of Concordia University Chicago—giving back to the community is an important part of who we are.

One way we seek to live out that principle is by providing employees of local businesses with discounted access to our nationally recognized online degrees as well as customized

professional development opportunities. Employees who feel invested in are more likely to stay and contribute better to their organization. When you or your staff members are looking for more enrichment, take the next step by enrolling at ConcordiaChicago.

Discounted Degrees and Certificates

Employees of local businesses within 10 miles of Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, IL, receive a 10% tuition discount on any of our online accelerated bachelor’s degrees (ADP), master’s degrees, doctoral degrees or professional certificates. Take advantage of this opportunity to build your own expertise or that of your workforce, which can lead to better employee retention and overall staff satisfaction.

Custom Corporate Workshops and Training

The University’s faculty comprises experts in a wide variety of subject areas relevant to both small and large businesses. Meet with our team to tailor a custom workshop or training to meet your organization’s specific needs.

Contact Information

Contact Kathryn Wozniak, Associate

Employees of businesses within 10 miles of Concordia-Chicago are eligible to receive a 10% tuition discount on our online bachelor’s, graduate and certificate programs.

We also offer customized training workshops for businesses.

Terra Incognito is not just a pottery studio

Terra Incognito is a community of potters ranging from novices to artists-in-residence and has been part of the Oak Park community for over forty years. Numerous national ceramic artists started at Terra. The legacy of our studio is something they take great pride in, continuing with current and future potters.

One advantage of joining the community at Terra Incognito is that working with clay can be a type of meditation, some people even use it as a form of therapy. When creating, people can experience mindfulness or a mini vacation from the world. Calming one’s mind and body from current happenings and circumstances, being conscious of the present and worrying about nothing else. The community at Terra is strong and flourishes because members say they feel a sense of peace and get a much-needed break from the chaos of life at the studio.

Terra Incognito has classes for everyone’s schedule and ability from beginners up to professional artists. Evening classes are offered MondayThursday, morning classes are on Tuesday and Friday. Classes run for 8 weeks, 3 hours per class, and are open to any skill level. Students are taught throwing on the wheel, glazing techniques etc. The experienced teachers at Terra make sure to work with each person individually to help bring out each student’s potential.

Taste of Elmwood Park is back

Four days of fun, food, friends and family

By GCM STAFF

The Taste of Elmwood Park is returning this week. Experience the best of Elmwood Park at the family-friendly event, Aug. 1013, in Central Park at the corner of Fullerton and 75th Avenues. The festival has it all – beer, wine, arts and crafts, rides, games and, of course, plenty of food from some of Elmwood Park’s finest restaurants. All together and you know why it’s been an unmissable event for over 30 years.

“The Taste of Elmwood Park is an iconic summer festival, and we are happy to welcome people from all over the Chicago region to celebrate all of the delicious food that our village has to offer,” said Lauren Gruber, Elmwood Park special events coordinator.

Providing all that delicious food are 23 different restaurants and vendors, includ-

ing several from Elmwood Park’s famous Restaurant Row along North Avenue. Come hungry and grab a slice of pizza from Armand’s then head over to the Café Cubano booth for an authentic Cuban sandwich. Don’t forget to top it all off with some of Grecian Kitchen’s loukoumades, Greek donut holes garnished with chopped walnuts, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. If you’re looking for an insider tip, pair the loukoumades with a side of gelato from Massa Café Italiano, another of the festival’s exciting food vendors. It’s a Mediterranean fusion treat you don’t want to miss.

It’s not just about the food though. There will be live music throughout the festival, so attendees can dance the days and nights away in between all of the good food Elmwood Park restaurants offer. The performing acts play a wide variety of tunes across decades and musical genres, from classic rock and ‘70s disco to soul, country western and swing – something for everyone

to groove out to. Over at the Taste Lounge, the festival’s premium cocktail bar sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, local dj’s will be spinning records, so the dance party never has to stop. Stop by the lounge throughout the four-day festival.

Dancing isn’t the only way to get blood pumping during the festival. Roll into a fun, food and fitness-filled good time with the Taste of Elmwood Park’s bocce tournament, which starts at 5 p.m., Aug. 10. Take part in “Fitness at the Festival” to jumpstart the body, mind and fun. Join the owners of ReNew Studio at 11:30 a.m., Saturday morning, for a full-body and high-energy workout. Tennis shoes are a must. Don’t forget your yoga mat Sunday morning! Head over to the festival for mats and mimosas, a blend of yoga and barre exercises, with the Barre Studio at 9:30 a.m., Sunday morning.

Of course, no Taste of Elmwood Park festival is complete without its now annual meatball eating contest. The meat-

ball consumption competition made its festival debut last year, with ESPN 1000’s Carmen DeFalco serving in the venerable role of contest host. The contest was an instant success as 12 randomly selected contestants scarfed down meatballs from Rosebud Restaurants, vying for first, second and third place prizes. This year, one of those contestants might just be you, so save some space in your stomach at 4 p.m., Saturday, in case you are the one to go down in history as the meatball eating champion.

Taste of Elmwood Park in 2022

Participating restaurants and vendors:

75th Avenue Market featuring Sergio’s Seafood

Armand’s Pizzeria

Café Cubano

Caputo’s Fresh Markets

Caruso’s

Circle Tavern

Donny G’s Elmcrest Banquets

Fit to be Fried

Grecian Kitchen

Gringo & Blondie Taqueria

Jimmy’s Red Hots

Johnnie’s Italian Beef

Maria’s Mexican Restaurant

Massa Café Italiano

New Star

Rosebud Restaurants

Russell’s Barbecue

Spizzico Pizza & Pasta

Strawberry Slushies

Top Butcher

Tri Café

Union Tap

Sponsored by: Wintrust Bank Chicago

Metro Paramedic Services Inc.

Power Parking

Pan American Bank & Trust

Harlem Irving Plaza

Tito’s Handmade Vodka

George Gullo Development Corporation

H&H Electric Company

Bath Planet of Chicagoland

Laborers’ International Union of North America

Storino, Ramello & Durkin Attorneys at Law

Allstate

Provant Insurance

Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd.

D&P Construction Co. Inc.

Jim and Pete’s Italian Standard Fencing Company

First Security Trust & Savings Bank

Byline Bank

Lakeshore Recycling Systems

Utility Dynamics Corp.

John Neri Construction

Calumet City Plumbing

Westway Coach

Climate Ready Oak Park initiatives rolling out

Village bans fossil-fuel heating/appliances in new construction; may promote parkway planting

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

In August 2022, the Village of Oak Park adopted Climate Ready Oak Park, a comprehensive and long-range plan meant to address the global climate crisis.

Among the commitments embraced were a pledge to decrease communitywide greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, to achieve community-wide, net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to establish 30% of Oak Park’s land as green infrastructure or enhanced park management.

Fossil fuel ban in new construction

On June 20, the Oak Park Village Board voted to approve an electrification ordinance, following the recommendations of

the Environment and Energy Commission and the Building Code Advisory Commission, which makes all-electric new construction part of the building code.

With this change, Oak Park becomes the first town in the Midwest to ban fossil fuels in new residential and commercial buildings.

The ordinance takes effect in January 2024 and was one of the steps identified as needed to help the village achieve the goal of having net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.

Marcella Bondie Keenan, Oak Park’s chief sustainability officer, says that instead of using natural gas for stoves or heating, anything that would require gas will now be required to be all-electric in both new homes and in commercial construction.

At this point, she says that the ordinance only covers new construction and

not renovations to existing homes, but she states that it is possible that the village will eventually require that gas-fueled appliances and mechanicals be swapped out with electric in older buildings undergoing major renovations.

Parkway plantings

Another part of achieving the goal of increasing Oak Park’s green infrastructure is a goal of having 30% of plantings to be native plants.

“In addition to being in a climate change emergency, we’re also in a biodiversity emergency,” Bondie Keenan said.

Most of the green space in Oak Park is owned privately or by the Park District of Oak Park. The parkways, which are public property located between the sidewalk and the curb of the streets, are the primary opportunity for the village to reach its biodiversity goal by 2030.

On Aug. 1, the Oak Park Environment

and Energy Commission considered draft language that would amend village code to allow residents to plant on the parkways throughout the village and to promote the placement of native and pollinator plants in the parkway. The commission had several questions for village staf f, so the vote was tabled until village staf f could provide more infor mation.

As the draft language is finalized and before the issue goes to the village board, residents can weigh in by responding to an online survey at eng ageoakpark.com/ parkway-planting-ordinance.

While the language of the proposed ordinance was not available as of press time, the FAQs accompanying the survey lay out a few parameters of the plan.

The planting of “designated exotic weeds” or “noxious weeds” will not be permitted. The homeowners adjacent to the parkway will be responsible for the upkeep of the plantings in the parkway. Plantings near intersections will not be permitted to exceed 30 inches in height, and in other areas, the height should not exceed 36 inches.

See CLIMATE on pa ge B15

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

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

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

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Immediate availability in our Memory Care Assisted Living Small House

CLIMATE

Other initiatives

from page B13

The village would be permitted to disturb the plantings for any necessary utility or other work and, except in cases of emergency, will attempt to notify the homeowners adjacent to the parkway of the planned work two weeks in advance.

Bondie Keenan says that at this time, the ordinance will give homeowners permission to plant in the parkways but will not require re placing turf with plantings.

“Even urban areas can have an impact,” Bondie Keenan said. “This opens up all that parkway land, which is mostly turf.”

Details are still being worked out and responses to the community survey will be considered in determining what percentage of plantings should be native plantings and what kind of educational materials will be provided to the

community.

Looking ahead, Bondie Keenan says that the village is considering other initiatives to help meet its climate goals. The Oak Park Environment and Energy Commission is beginning to discuss night-sky pollution and rates for trash, recycling and composting that might encourage more residents to compost.

“These conversations are just starting,” Bondie Keenan said.

“In addition to being in a climate change emergenc y, we’re also in a biodiversity emergenc y.”

M ARCELLA BONDIE KEENAN Oak Park chief sustainability coordinator

Winding road leads to spot on Il lini football roster

Former Fenwick lineman Engbers a preferred walk-on in Urbana

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The road to a spot on the University of Illinois football team has been unique for Joep Engbers, a recent graduate of Fenwick High School.

Engbers was born in Singapore, but his parents are from the Netherlands, where he grew up and has citizenship. He then moved to Indonesia, then Papua New Guinea.

After moving to the Netherlands so his parents could marry, Engbers came with his family, which includes three sisters, to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania for two years. After a short return to Indonesia, they came back to the U.S. to stay.

The family moved to Waco, Texas, in time for Engbers’ high school freshman year. It was at Bosqueville High School that he got introduced to American football. Engbers immediately fell in love with the sport and decided it was something he wanted to pursue.

“I made varsity my freshman year,” said Engbers, a 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman. “My mother told the coach I wouldn’t play varsity. It took about three weeks to convince her to let me play. I missed one game and eventually started that season.”

But Engbers wanted to improve his game in order to attract collegiate offers, and after his sophomore season at Bosqueville, he transfer red to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. There he faced top-quality competition that helped to hone his skills.

While at IMG, Engbers and his parents made another life-changing move

“When I was at IMG, my parents were still in Texas when my dad got a job offer in the Chicago area,” he said. “They were ready to leave Texas, and we moved to Oak Park. They told me about Fenwick, and I thought it was a good school.”

After talking with Fenwick player Mirko Jaksic (a University of Dayton signee) and meeting with head coach Matt Battaglia, Engbers opted to join the Friars for his senior season.

He made all-conference in the Chicago Catholic League/ East Suburban Catholic Conference and was named the White Division Lineman of the Year. He also got honorable mentions on the Chicago Sun-Times All-Area Team and the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 5A All-State Team.

Moreover, Engbers did great in the classroom, meriting honors for both the CCL/ESCC White Division and IHSFCA Class 5A All-Academic teams.

“I bonded with the team and never looked back,” he said. “It was an adjustment being a Catholic school, and I had to catch up on my theolo gy courses. But I loved [Fenwick]; it was like a family.”

“I’m really grateful I had the opportunity to coach Joep,” said Battaglia after the season on Twitter. “As good of a football player he is, he’s an even better person and teammate. Wherever Joep goes, I know he’s going to dominate on and of f the field and be a great re presentative of what Fenwick High School and Friar football are all about.”

Engbers, who played in the U.S. Ar my All-American Bowl in Frisco, Texas, after the season, received several NCAA Division I offers, including from Ball State, Brown,

Dartmouth, East Carolina and Kent State. But he opted to become a prefer red walk-on player at Illinois, because he had more than football in mind.

“I can see myself growing at Illinois,” said Engbers. “I talked with [defensive line] coach [Terrance] Jamison, and he said there was a chance of earning an eventual scholarship. Also, academics is a big thing. I’m going into business, and Illinois is such a great business school. It was a no-brainer and being close to home and my family being able to come here is a plus.”

Last year, Engbers initially started exclusively on offense, but became a two-way star by the end of the Friars’ season. He’s working as a defensive tackle as Illinois started fall camp Aug. 3, and he knows he’ll need to continue to put in the work in order to eventually make a contribution to the Fighting Illini.

“I need to buy into the program, take everything to heart and be coachable,” Engbers said. “I need to look at film and study plays and be the most physical person on the field and not let up.”

Engbers already has a supporter on the team in wide receiver Eian Pugh, a member of Fenwick’s 2021 IHSA Class 5A state championship team.

“There’s one locker between his and mine,” he said. “We see each other daily, and we’ve talked about our experiences at Fenwick.”

UNIVERSIT Y OF ILLINOIS FOOTBALL/ 247SPORTS.COM

Joep Engbers