W E D N E S D A Y
August 23, 2017 Vol. 36, No. 1 ONE DOLLAR
@oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Sweetness and light Homes, page 19
Deadly, but avoidable, avian collisions above Local commission works to prevent bird strikes By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
Visitors to the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., may have noticed the black silhouette cutouts of birds in the windows of the second and third floors on the east side of the building. Those patterns aren’t mere decoration, but rather an effort by library staff to lessen a pervasive threat to birds in the area, according to library Deputy Director Jim Madigan. Madigan said that, in the first few years after the library opened, birds flying into the windows of the building were a daily occurrence. Library staff would find dead and injured birds around the library almost every day for the first couple of years, according to Madigan. Staff took a closer look to find out why it was happening and learned about the problem with birds, particularly those migrating in the spring and fall, flying into windows. “We did an extensive study and put the images of the birds of prey on the windows on the east of the building,” Madigan said. That reduced the number of bird strikes substantially, but library staff is continuing in its effort to get that number as close to zero as possible. Erin Daughton, who serves on the Oak Park Environment & Energy Commission (EEC), said the commission is working to develop a plan to educate other building See BIRD STRIKES on page 16
Sunning (and mooning)
WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer
Glassy-eyed observers Gabe Wolter, Arian Tajik, Lowis O’Connor, Josh Wood, Jack Friker and Laurence Friker (rear) witness the solar eclipse at Scoville Park on Monday. For more photos, see page 18.
RF board passes welcoming resolution Months-long process ends with 4-2 vote By THOMAS VOGEL Staff Reporter
The River Forest Board of Trustees adopted a welcoming resolution at its Aug. 21 meeting after nearly an hour of, at times, passionate discussion
before a standing-room-only crowd at village hall. The vote, a 4-2 split with trustees Mike Gibbs and Carmela Corsini dissenting, came after Corsini moved to strike a section of the resolution related to non-judicial immigration warrants or detainers. But Trustee Thomas Cargie immediately moved to table her motion, which then passed. River Forest now joins other neigh-
boring communities, like Forest Park and Oak Park, which have adopted similar ordinances and resolutions in recent months, spelling out protections for undocumented individuals. “I cannot and will not be associated with language in Section 6 or any other language that does not provide for full cooperation with all levels of See WELCOMING on page 15
New Sunday Brunch Menu Plus, $5 sangria & mimosas!
144 S Oak Park Ave
708.358.9800
mayadelsol.com