Wednesday Journal 091824 by Wednesday Journal

Scaman, Parakkat to compete in race for Oak Park village president

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Village President Vicki Scaman and Trustee Ravi Parakkat are each running to fill the seat of Oak Park’s village president for four years, after the local election April 1, 2025.

Scaman and Parakkat have served in their respective roles since the last election for their seats in 2021. Wednesday Journal is not yet aware of any other candidates for village president.

To get on the ballot, each potential candidate will have to acquire a certain number of signatures from Oak Park residents qualified to vote based on a percentage of voter turnout in the last re gular municipal election. The filing dates are Nov. 12 to 18.

WHY THE Y’ RE RUNNING

PA R AKK AT

Parakkat said he’s not running against anybody, but rather for a vision of Oak Park, that he believes he shares with most residents: A safe, af fordable, sustainable and inclusive Oak Park

VILLAGE PRESIDENT on pa ge 14

VICKI SC AMAN Oak Park Village President

RAVI PARAKK AT Oak Park Village Trustee

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Village board dives into 5-year capital improvement plan

Oak Park trustees discuss parking, equipment and grant-funded projects

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

As part of the process to set a budget for fiscal year 2025, the Oak Park village board will review the recommended five-year capital improvement plan and costs for associated projects. On Sept. 10, trustees discussed improvements for parking infrastructure and village equipment, as well as plans for Community Development Block Grant-funded projects.

On Sept. 26, trustees will review other plans for the main capital fund, water/sewer advancements, building improvements and vehicle fleet re placements. The recommended CIP for fiscal years 2025 to 2029 is a 240-page document available online.

“There’s not going to be enough funds to go around, for everything that we want,” Trustee Ravi Parakkat pointed out, urging the board to stay focused on specific goals and allocate funds appropriately.

So, balancing the village board’s priorities with associated project costs is the key task at hand as trustees work to approve a five-year CIP and 2025 budget.

“One of the things I’d like to focus a little bit more on is operational government rather than aspirational government,” Trustee Cory Wesley said.

Parking

Emily Egan, the village’s development services director, first outlined some priorities for parking infrastructure. Those requests include a new revenue control system for certain village-owned garages, electric vehicle charging stations, lot resurfacing, parking structure maintenance and wayfinding and parking garage signage. Other projects include vehicle replacement, streetscaping and additional sign upgrades.

Parking structure maintenance was rated as a top priority in the next five-year plan. In August, the village board approved spending up to $665,000 to complete safety re pairs at The Avenue Parking Garage. Oak Park also implemented a 25-cent-per-

kilowatt-hour user fee for electric vehicle charging stations that went into effect in August. Part of that revenue is intended to go toward building new charging infrastructure, encouraging residents to drive electric vehicles and in turn decreasing greenhouse gas emissions from gas-powered cars. Work to install new stations in 2025 is expected to cost $438,000, according to the CIP.

The recommended budget for the new revenue and access control system is $650,000. Trustee Brian Straw said that number feels hard to justify and could be classified as a want rather than a need. The current system is functioning, Egan said, but has ongoing maintenance needs and technology upgrades.

As for re placing old parking signs, Sean Keane, the village’s parking and mobility services manager, said the intent is to simplify them for residents and make enforcement easier on the Oak Park Police Department.

Wesley said he wondered if new parking garage signs were needed, however. Egan said the intent is to improve the experience

for visitors who may be less familiar with the area and make signs easier to read. New wayfinding and parking garage signage is expected to cost $335,000 in 2025 and $500,000 in 2026.

Straw ag reed with Wesley that wayfinding signs to make the area more touristfriendly should be a higher priority than garage signs. But Village Manager Kevin Jackson said it might be prudent to make all signage consistent. Wayfinding signs also reduce frustration and encourage walking in the downtown area especially, Village President Vicki Scaman said.

CDBG

Jonathan Burch, the village’s neighborhood services director, said the new CIP proposes $1.1 million of CDBG funding be spent in 2025. The three main projects those dollars will fund are alley improvements, sidewalk re placements and lead water service line re placements. Alley improvements are expected to cost

WEDNESD

AY

Digital

Sta Repor

Real

Contributing

Columnists Marc Bleso , Jack Crowe, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger

Shrubtown Cartoonist Marc Stopeck

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza

Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe

Business & Development Manager

Fair Trade Rug Event

Tuesday, Sept. 18 – Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Explore a unique collection of fair trade rugs from around the world. Visit us for this special event showcasing crafted rugs with a focus on ethical trade practices. 121 N. Marion St, Oak Park

‘Rosemary with Ginger’

Saturday, Sept. 7 – Monday, Sept. 30, 6:30 p.m.

doors, 7 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. show, Monse’s Tapas Restaurant Habakkuk Theatre returns with its rst in-person production since the pandemic, partnering with Monse’s Tapas Restaurant for Edward Allan Baker ’s Rosemary with Ginger, directed by Dado. Follow the intense, emotional journey of two sisters as they meet in a closed-down diner, revealing the strife in their lives while rediscovering their common bonds. Tickets include dinner and a soft drink from a xed menu; a cash bar is available. Press can attend performances during the rst and second weekends. For tickets and more info, visit habakkuktheatre.org. 6609 Roosevelt Road, Ber wyn

Transgender 101

Thursday, Sept. 19, 7-8 p.m.,

Virtual via Zoom through Oak Park Public Library Learn about gender identity, key concepts, and terminology, with a focus on what it means to be transgender. Presented by advocate Nikk Cochran Selik, this session includes a Q&A in a nonjudgmental space. Register at //oppl.org/ calendar for the Zoom link.

BIG WEEK September 18-25

Compiled by Brooke Duncan

Oak Park Women’s Guild Annual Fundraiser: Restaurant Stroll

Thursday, Sept. 19, 7-11 p.m., Check-in begins at 6:30 p.m., at Oak Park Bank

Voices Unboxed 2.0

Friday, Sept. 20 & Saturday, Sept. 21, 7 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 22, 3 p.m., Madison Street Theater

Experience three power ful stories, “Bubbles & Boxes” by Molly Surowitz:

An autobiographical journey into race, identity, and generational connections; “They Go By Frankie Now” by Frankie Temple Ruthless:

Exploring the intersection of religion, family, gender, and folklore; and “Sex, Race & Jesus” by R.C. Riley: A candid look at romantic, platonic, and spiritual relationships. Tickets: $20 at voicesunboxed2024. eventbrite.com. 1010 Madison St., Oak Park

‘Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In & What We Can Do About It ’

Thursday, Sept. 19, 7-8 p.m., Virtual via Zoom

Join us for a virtual talk with Professor Dan Simons, co-author of Nobody’s Fool, presented by Oak Park Public Library and the League of Women Voters of Illinois Mis/Disinformation Task Force. Register at //oppl.org/calendar.

Join the Oak Park Women’s Guild for their annual fundraiser in the Hemingway District. Tickets are $50 and include up to ve drinks and appetizers. Purchase tickets and nd more details at https://donorbox.org/ events/625102. 151 N Oak Park Ave., Oak Park

In Ernie’s Footsteps: A Walking Tour of Young Hemingway’s Oak Park

Friday, Sept. 20, 10 - 11:30 a.m., Hemingway Birthplace Museum

Join a 90-minute walking tour exploring young Hemingway’s connections to Oak Park, including stops at the Bir thplace Museum, Boyhood home, Oak Park & River Forest High School, Oak Park Public Library, Congregational Church, and the WWI War Memorial in Scoville Park. Led by Dr. Nancy Sindelar, author of In uencing Hemingway: The People and Places That Shaped His Life and Work. The tour includes one copy of the book and is limited to 15 participants. 339 N. Oak Park Ave, Oak Park

David Ellis Author Visit

Sunday, Sept. 22, 2 - 3:30 p.m., River Forest Public Library

The library is excited to welcome bestselling local author David Ellis to celebrate the release of his new book The Best Lies. David Ellis is a judge and an Edgar Award-winning author of 10 crime c tion novels and eight bestselling books, co-authored with James Patterson. His novels have been translated into more than 10 languages worldwide. Copies of The Best Lies will be available to buy at the event—get yours signed by the author. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest

NIKK COCHRAN SELIK

Children’s Day on Lake Street

Sunday, Sept. 22, 12 - 6 p.m., Various Locations in Oak Park

Explore the east end of Oak Park’s Lake Street with familyfriendly events starting at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake St., featuring a children’s entertainer performing a free concert (suggested $20 family donation). Next, head to Oak Park River Forest Museum, 129 Lake St., for building stations with LEGOs, Lincoln Logs, and a Hometown Legends LEGO Mini gure Hunt—free entry. Wrap up the day at 4 p.m. at One Lake Brewing, 1 Lake St., for family Bingo along with drinks and dinner (reservations recommended at onelakebrewing.com). Various addresses

The Perils of Election Disinformation

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 6:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Main Library - Veterans Room Skewed political information harms voters’ ability to understand candidate positions and make informed choices. The League of Women Voters of Oak Park-River Forest will explore the problem of misinformation and disinformation at its fall kicko event. Guest speaker is Michael A. Spikes, lecturer at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The co -chairs of the League of Women Voters of Illinois Mis/Disinformation Task Force will present the do’s and don’ts of election disinformation. Free and open to the public. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Book Bike: Wise Cup

Sunday, Sept. 23, 9:30 -11 a.m., Wise Cup

Join the Book Bike for a small business pop-up at Wise Cup. Explore materials, learn about library services, and sign up for a library card. Stop by to see what the Book Bike is all about.1018 Lake St., Oak Park

Oak Park-River Forest Gangster Tour

Sundays: Sept. 29, Oc t. 6, Oc t. 27, 1 a.m. and 2 p.m., FitzGerald’s

Jazz Supper Club Night

Wednesday, Sept. 25, 6 p.m. dinner seating, Trattoria 225

Experience a mid- centur y jazz supper club vibe with Forest Park-based jazz vocalist Terry Sullivan, pianist Tom Muellner, and bassist Scott Mason. Enjoy a closeup performance with a prix xe menu featuring salad, entrée, desser t, and show. The event ends around 8:30 p.m. Cost is $58 per person. Advance reser vations are required by phone at 708-358-8555, with limited seating available. For more information, call 708-3588555. 225 Harrison St., Oak Park

Explore the past of notorious Chicago mobsters on this 2.5-hour exterior bus tour visiting 13 historic homes once owned by major gangsters like Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, and Sam Giancana. Led by guide John Binder, the tour dives deep into organized crime history and o ers detailed insights into each proper ty. Tickets are $40 per person. Tickets and more info: chitowngangstertours.com or call 708-2879118. 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, Ber wyn

‘Our Nazi’ Book Talk

Sunday, Sept. 29, 3-5 p.m. Oak Park River Forest Museum

Hear the story of a Nazi camp guard who hid his past and became a popular and longtime custodian at OPRF High School before his deception was uncovered, and he was removed from his job and eventually deported late in his life.

Author and former OPRF history teacher Michael So er will share his insights about his research that resulted in the new book, published just this month. The book will be available for purchase and to be signed by the author. 129 Lake St., Oak Park

JERUSALEM CAFE

MICHAEL A. SPIKES

TONY ACC ARDO

PHOTO S BY TODD A. BANNOR

A selection of wines available at Oaktoberfest on Sept. 13.

e Staleys entertain on the main stage

Sunset lights up the vendor area.

Checking out the food and the new eco-friendly parking lot on North Boulevard and Marion Street in Downtown Oak Park.

Nasty Snacks per form.

State grant rekindles Harlem bridge project

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

A $250,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will allow Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest to restart dormant efforts to undertake a multimillion-dollar project to replace the railroad bridge at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and South Boulevard that is more than 100 years old.

The grant, which was awarded to River Forest, will allow officials from the three municipalities to complete the project’s Phase 1 study, which was started in 2008. The next step is for the three municipalities to approve an updated intergover nmental ag reement. Eventually, the three will need ag reement on an IGA from other stakeholders — the Union Pacific Railroad, the Chicago Transit Agency, Metra and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“Part of the continued Phase I work will be engaging with those other parties,” Village Administrator Matt Walsh said. “The study will help provide all parties with the necessary information to reach a broader IGA. This will involve Metra and IDOT as well.”

Walsh said initial discussions with the CTA and the UP “have been positive.” He also acknowledged that the project “has been out there for some time.”

The bridge was originally built in the 1920s to carry the Chicago and Northwestern Railway tracks over Harlem. It now carries tracks of Metra, the UP and the CTA. The purpose of the reconstruction project is to eliminate the congestion problems caused by the configuration of the existing structure, which has remained essentially unchanged since its construction over 100 years ago despite significant increases in traffic along Harlem Avenue.

With the DCEO grant secured, River Forest officials voted to approve an ag reement with Chicago-based H. W. Lochner Inc., an infrastructure services provider, to complete the Harlem Avenue Viaduct Phase 1 Study for $248,211. The four trustees present at the Sept. 9 village board meeting voted unanimously to enter into the updated IGA and approve the ag reement with Lochner. Trustees Bob O’Connell and Respicio Vazquez did not attend.

Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, told officials that “having a

completed Phase 1 opens doors” to funding.

“The expected cost will be significant,” Walsh said. In 2023, the cost estimate was $30 million and is likely higher now. He said staff members will look for grant funding at the state and federal level.

Bielak explained that Phase I engineering that was started in 2008 needs to be updated, especially the traffic patterns.

The bridge structure will be a single-span through-girder bridge supported by drilledshaft caissons with a minimum clearanc of 14 feet, 9 inches, he said in a memo to Walsh. Roadway improvements will requir the lowering of Harlem to achieve a vert cal clearance along with adjacent roadwa improvements, new turn lanes and sidewalk improvements to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

In answer to a question from trustee Erika Bachner, Bielak indicated lowering Harlem will not impact water and sewer lines under the street.

Additional hurdles that need to be cleared involve the other stakeholders.

UP officials indicated they will not mo forward with additional reviews needed to reach an IGA unless review fees, which could range from $50,000 to $100,000 are paid, Bielak said. Also, according to standard UP policies, the UP will not approve an IGA or the project unless bridge maintenance and ownership is transferred after the project, meaning IDOT would need to accept ownership.

Furthermore, to receive support from the CTA, agency officials indicated they would like to keep their station and yard west of Harlem open during the work and requested that work be done off hours for almost the entire project, he said.

In 2008, preliminary engineering of Phase 1 was started to evaluate options for replacement/rehabilitation of the bridge and improvement of traffic flow through the intersection, Bielak said. Initial funding for Phase 1 was provided through a $798,400 Federal High Priority Project grant along with approximately $201,600 in local funds split among the three municipalities with Forest Park and River Forest each paying 25% and Oak Park paying 50%.

“I’m very confident of the process,” Village President Cathy Adduci said. “I think the three villages could g et something significant.”

Nine OPRF seniors qualify as National Merit semi nalists

Black, brown, native, rst-generation students also recognized

By WEDNESDAY JOURNAL STAFF

Oak Park and River Forest High School announced last week that nine seniors have qualified as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists in the 2025 program. The high school’s semifinalists this year are Marin Chalmers, Quincy Chen-Marusich, William Kaegi, Rachel Kralik, Calum MacAdam, Angira Mishra, Ethan Niewoehner, Danniel Pattie, and Ben Streif fer. The school also placed students in the

Colle ge Board’s National Recognition Programs, which award academic honors to under re presented students.

National African American Recognition: Cori Anderson, Caleb Bowman, Blaire Brown, Elijah Casselle, Michael Cruz, Caitlyn Daniel, Patric Desir, Alexander Gossett, Tristan Kidd, Jaela May, Talib Moore, Olivia Musachia, James Plepel, Alara Randle, Bryce Richards, Amaree Smith, and Isiah Thomas

National Hispanic Recognition: Cori Anderson, Sofia Ayala, Rafael Butt, Sofia

Contreras, Michael Cruz, Broderick Daunis, Abby Falkoff, Alana Gerona, Lyla Gerona, Henry Gillman, Elina Kell, Alexander Lema, Pablo Pareja, James Plepel, Xantal RozmanPuig, Torin Tamayo, and Isiah Thomas National Indigenous Recognition: Abby Falkof f National First-Generation Recognition: Caleb Bowman, Sofia Contreras, Tristan Kidd, and Jaela May

More than 1.3 million high school juniors nationwide entered the 2025 program

by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in 2024. Of these, 16,000 students, re presenting less than one percent of high school seniors in the U.S., qualified as semifinalists by being among the highest-scoring entrants from each state.

About 15,000 semifinalists are expected to be notified in February that they have advanced to the finalist round, from which the 2,500 winners of $2,500 National Merit Scholarships will be chosen.

Festival brings African music to the West Side

The GhanAgain Music Festival raises funds for youth traveling to Ghana

By ZOË TAKAKI Contributing Writer

From the Cupid Shuffle to traditional African drumming, music filled the air all day Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures was celebrating its fourth annual GhanAgain Festival, a free event celebrating African culture.

CAYTA is a nonprofit that uses travel and education to empower marginalized youth, and the GhanAgain Festival fundraises for an annual trip to Ghana.

“This is our annual fundraiser that helps us raise funds for the youth to go to Ghana free of charge, ages 13 to 22,” said Crystal Dyer, president of CAYTA. Dyer said the trip

will include 10 participants

“The kids here in Austin are landlocked here at the west end of the city, and a lot of times they don’t get to interact with other cultures, even in school. And so, this way they get to see that in real life, that we are all alike,” said Dyer.

That is also the goal of the festival, aiming to expose community members to new experiences and connect with their African roots

One way the event did this was through food, having caterers like Rasta Jamaican Grille and Badou Senegalese Cuisine fill the air with the smell of barbeque and spices.

Live music provided a variety of genres, including African music, gospel, jazz, R&B and rap.

“It’s so important because most of the time on the West Side there’s single vision

type events, either there is blues or there is gospel,” said Dyer. “This festival brings the world to Austin and brings all types of artists, from all genres of music, so the community can have a real festival to really embrace the whole world of music.”

The family friendly event had children playing in a bounce castle and dancing to the music while grandparents relaxed in lawn chairs, eating bountiful plates of food. Entertainment included everything from traditional dancing and singing to unique events like capoeira.

Susie Lewis was behind the counter for Sage & Shea African Boutique and was selling shea butter and African attire

“The performers were awesome. They had some Ghana dancers, we had some West Side artists here today,” Lewis said.

Many came dressed to impress in beautiful African garb, which was being sold by many vendors at the festival, as well as jewelry and skincare products.

“It’s been really nice, the dancers, the drummers, the jazz, the children, the food, amazing — fried rice, cabbage, jerk chicken — and just meeting some of the people around here.” said Yvette Cook, an Austin resident who was selling waist beads, earrings and oils at the festival.

“We need to do this more, and it needs to be done more often. So, we need to try to get that going so we can come together more often,” she said.

Dyer said that CAYTA will be having some ongoing fundraisers, including a reception in March at the Epiphany Center for the Arts to close out its fundraising for the Ghana trip

Garage Sale

Sat & Sun Sept 21st & 22nd • 7am to 1pm 1311 S Harlem in Forest Park

@ 13th the alley behind Harlem

Bikes, kitchen items: plates, cups, Instapot, air fryer, household goods. Decorative mirrors, books, animal necessities: dog bed, cat carrier, feeding bowls, toys, a rolling walker with a seat. Albums, children’s toys & books, some clothing (all sizes), lots of free items, etc.

River Forest wants to slow tra c on Washington

O cials eye state grant to improve safety for bic yclists, pedestrians

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest officials took a step toward a more permanent solution to prevent drivers from speeding on Washington Boulevard in the village, approving a resolution at the Sept. 9 Village Board meeting to commit the village’s share of funding for the project in conjunction with applying for a state grant.

Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, told officials at the Sept 9 meeting that speeding on Washington was one of the main concerns of the recently completed village-wide traffic study. He said the study, completed in 2023, confirmed incidents of speeding with drivers going an average of 13 miles per hour over the posted 25 mile-per-hour speed limit, and even faster during rush hour

In February, officials accepted a recommendation from the traffic and safety commission to install bollards at eight Washington Boulevard intersections, which supported a similar recommendation to address speeding drivers from the Thomas Engineering Group, a civil engineering company with offices in Oak Park, which conducted the traffic study.

“We want to slow traffic down, ” Bielak said. “The b ollards we re a temporary solution. ”

In a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator, Bielak and Seth Jansen, management analyst, explained that the resolution states the village would commit to fund the required local match and all ineligible costs for the project as required when submitting for Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program grant funding.

The estimated cost of the project is $1,785,906.15 including Phase 1 and 2 engineering along with construction and construction engineering. The grant would cover 80 percent of that cost or $1,154,960.44, leaving the village share at 20 percent or $288,740.36. The village would also be responsible for paying all ineligible costs, primarily for resurfacing the street, at a cost estimated to be $342,205.35.

“It makes sense to resurface the street at the same time,” Walsh said.

Bielak said the village would be able to use motor fuel tax funds for the ineligible costs and noted funding for the project has been included in the capital improvement project budget.

In the memo, Bielak and Jansen said the project includes a road diet, bumpouts, Americans With Disability Act improvements and various other traffic calming

Get a home cleaning in Oak Park that matches your values

hen you’re busy, enlisting the help of a professional home cleaner is a huge time-saver. But it’s easy to feel guilty hiring cleaners, who often work long hours for little pay.

Well-Paid Maids is committed to changing the industry.

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Employees are also offered comprehensive benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance; 24 paid days off a year; and more.

Plus, unlike other cleaning companies, Well-Paid Maids prioritizes employees’ health — and your family’s — by carefully choosing cleaning products based on their ratings from the Environmental Working Group.

Because Well-Paid Maids takes care of its employees, they work hard to take care of you and your home.

“We stand by our company’s mission,” said Lexi Grant, a manager at Well-Paid Maids. “People deserve for their work to be respected and recognized. When that happens, you love what you do, and you create the best results.”

Over 400 clients have left 5-star reviews of their positive experiences with WellPaid Maids, noting cleaners arrived on

time, were easy to communicate with and left their homes spotless. Plus, they felt good supporting a company that treats employees so well.

Here’s what one reviewer said: “WellPaid Maids has been cleaning my home for more than two years, and I’m continuously grateful for them. They’re professional, kind, patient with my animals and do a fantastic job cleaning!”

After seven years in the D.C. area and

two years in New York City, Well-Paid Maids is excited to now provide home cleaning services in the Chicago area. When you book your first cleaning, use promo code HELLOOAKPARK for $25 off.

Learn more and schedule a cleaning at wellpaidmaids.com

River Forest to add ele ctric vehicle charging stations

State grant will provide funding for nine more

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest will use a $370,000 state grant to add electric vehicle charging stations in three village-owned parking lots.

“The village had applied for a gr ant through the Driving a C leaner I llinoi s EV C harging Infrastructure gr ant progr am through the I llinois Environmental Protection Agency (E PA ),” S eth Jansen, management analyst, said. “The gr ant was created through the Climate and Equitable Jo bs Act that the state p assed a few years ag o. We are looking to i nstall a total of five d ual-po rt level 2 charging stations and four direct cu rrent f ast charging stations.”

Jansen cautioned that the project is still in the very early stages.

“Next we will need to put out a request for proposal for the engineering design work needed for the sites, then the actual electrical upgrades will need to be completed prior to installation of the charging stations,” he said.

“The village is consistently looking for new ways to fund initiatives that improve quality of life in our community,” Village President Cathy Adduci said. “EV charging stations continue to be in high demand so we sought and received a grant to fund this

amenity that also supports our sustainability efforts. We’re grateful for the partnerships we’ve been able to establish in funding this, and many other improvements and offerings throughout River Forest.”

Driving a Cleaner Illinois is the Illinois EPA’s grant program developed to distribute funding for various types of mobile source electrification projects. The program receives funding from a variety of sources, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act; the Volkswagen Environmental Mitig ation Trust; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act Program.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act includes provisions to phase out carbon emissions from the energy and transportation sectors. The Illinois EPA is directed to provide funding, consistent with Illinois Commerce Commission-approved Beneficial Electrification Plans, to public and private organizations and companies to install and maintain publicly available Level 2 or Level 3 charging stations. Up to 8 percent of the cost of the installation of charging stations may be funded. Additional awards may incentivize charging infrastructure in eligible communities.

River Forest will receive funding through the second round of Driving a Cleaner Illinois grant program.

ART BEAT

A long day, long on talent

Reviewing the rst annual Oak Park Film Festival

By ZOË TAKAKI Contributing Writer

Oak Park held its first annual film festival, last week, highlighting local cinematic talent and celebrating the village’s connections to Hollywood. Taking place Sept. 12 and 14, the two-day event brought in a curious crowd filled with film lovers. Turnout was heavy at both the Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre Thursday night and on Saturday at Madison Street Theatre.

The event was created by founder Joyce Porter, an actress and Oak Park resident, with the help of eight other board members. All of the films at the festival had a connection to Oak Park, whether it was the location filmed in or crew members hailing from the area. With each film, the program explained the Oak Park connection, and hosts asked insightful questions about those connections during the Q&A.

This applied on Thursday, too, when the festival screened the 1989 James Cameron film The Abyss: Special Edition, starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who grew up in Oak Park and graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School.

CIP

Replacing alleys

from page 3

about $600,000 in 2025. The village typically makes about 15 to 20 alley upgrades per year based on the current funding allocated, according to Village Engineer Bill McKenna. But once they’ re re placed, the expected service life is about 80 years.

Many residents have complained about the state of their alleys, according to several trustees. But there are about 660 blocks of alleys in Oak Park, McKenna said, so the village must prioritize the worst ones, meaning there’s a significant backlog. There are about 150 to 200 alleys still in “more desperate need of repair,” McKenna said. It’s hard to choose which alleys in the

The film was entertaining though the three-hour length felt long, and it was surprising to see a film that was not a part of the festival.

Saturday was a full day, 9 a.m. to past 9 p.m., featuring four blocks of films, each about two hours long, before an awards ceremony, followed by a bonus block at the end. Guest speakers were on hand at the beginning and end of each block, plus Q&As with the filmmakers.

The festival presented a wide variety of films, including shorts and feature films, as well as animation, music videos and documentaries. The quality was consistently high and entertaining, with interesting storylines and some great comedic moments.

Audience favorites included the dramatic comedy Breakup Season and the documentary Fire Department Inc., which told the story of the village of North Riverside attempting to privatize its fire department.

Some of the panel discussions dragged on, especially on a 12-hour festival day. Six films nominated for awards were not screened, due to time constraints. This was unsatisfying. It would have been better to show the films and shorten the panels.

Instead of The Abys s , screening a new

same type of poor condition should be replaced first, he said. First the village considers the condition of the pavement and then its draining issues. Straw said he would like to push more aggressively for funding here.

“I’m re gularly hearing from people ‘My alley has been in terrible shape for a decade, and I keep asking when it’s going to be done,’” Straw said. “And I think folks are getting pretty tired of hearing ‘Soon-ish.’”

Parakkat ag reed. If the board did allocate additional funding, McKenna said, the village could accommodate the work staffing-wise with contractors. But Trustee Susan Buchanan said alley resurfacing is not a priority to her and would rather focus on funding sustainability initiatives.

McKenna said the village could also investigate using a “greener” concrete, since the use of concrete has a large carbon footprint. Straw said since the board is already

e Lake eatre was one of the venues for this year’s

inde pendent film might have been preferable to a movie that most attendees could rent anytime.

On Saturday, each block films benefitted from having a theme, e.g. falling apart, overcoming challenges, reclaiming pride, fighting back, and something’s amiss. Having the themes set up engaging questions that filmmakers could answer during their Q&As.

investing in alleys, it would make sense to pick the approach that aligns with the goals in Climate Ready Oak Park

Sidewalk replacements are expected to cost about $400,000 in 2025, Burch said, focused mainly on improving accessibility standards And lead water service line re placements are proposed at $100,000, which will allow the village to assist about 10 to 12 low- and moderate-income residents with that work in 2025. The village aided 14 homes with this work in 2024, McKenna said.

Equipment

Heads of several village departments including communications, information technology, police and fire also presented their funding requests for equipment needs to the village board Sept. 10.

Fire Chief Ronald Kobyleski said the Oak Park Fire Department requests in-

All in all, the festival was a success, bringing to gether Oak Park residents, highlighting local talent and providing a source of entertainment for film lovers. The community should be proud for pulling this together, and it was inspiring to see how much the audience appreciated the event. It stands a good chance of becoming a tradition.

clude thermal imaging cameras for each firefighter at a cost of $30,000 and a new machine to test the fit of firefighters’ respiratory face masks at $22,000.

Police Chief Shatonya Johnson said the OPPD-requested items are upgrades to body cameras, police squad car technolog y, parking technology and an updated records management system. Body cameras are expected to cost more than $155,000 in 2025. The proposed car technology costs more than $115,000 and parking technology is expected to cost $45,000.

A new RMS will last about 15 to 20 years, Johnson said, and the cost to re place it, estimated now at $1.75 million but could be lower based on incoming vendor proposals, will be covered by allocated federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars.

“We want to make sure we have the resources to get more than the baseline equipment,” she said.

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Young lmmakers hold global awards celebration

The event will take place Sept. 22 in Chicago or online

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

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The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest that started in Oak Park and River Forest 12 years ago will host a global awards celebration Sept. 22.

The event will take place at 11:30 a.m. Sept 22 at the Gene Siskel Film Center at 164 N. State St. in Chicago or can be viewed online Tickets can be reserved online, and are free for in-person attendees and $5.50 for virtual participants. Doors open at 11 a.m. Free popcorn and drinks are available.

When this filmmaker contest first started, organizers received about 20 local submissions, according to Lisa Biehle Files, the contest program director. This contest asks students aged 8 to 25 to create a threeto eight-minute environmental film, she wrote in an announcement. Films can be a minimum of 45 seconds if they are animated or stop-motion.

Over the past year, they’ve had 400 submissions from 55 countries and 36 states. Of those submissions, 221 were from the United States, 22 were from the United Kingdom and 20 were from India, making up the top three most common countries for submissions. In the United States, the top three states to send submissions from were California at 77, New York at 18 and Illinois at 16.

Winners were selected from Australia,

Brazil, India, Indonesia, Poland, the United Kingdom, California, Florida, Illinois and Virginia. The winners will have their shorts screened during the celebration.

Adam Joel, an impr ov c omedian and co-founder of Ag gr essive ly C ompassionat e, will host the event. Loyola Unive rsity will be reco gnized for teaching young p eople on the i sland K iribati to tell stories about sea level ris e, a ccording to Files. And the Unive rsity of Chicag o Laboratory School student Edith Zhou Huf f man will be reco gnized for her fil m “Magicicada.”

“Once again there is a variety of wonderful films, from emotional and poignant to humorous and hopeful,” said Sue Crothers, the founding director. “From environmental justice, to appreciating the beauty of nature, these films tell us that we are all responsible for where we are but also for where we can be.”

A special screening for those in southeast Asia and the pacific will take place online at 11:30 a.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time on Sept. 22.

The deadline for the next year of submissions is May 25, 2025. In January 2025, a jury of 31 film and environmental experts will start evaluating submissions. Different entry level winners can get prizes ranging from $100 and a matching grant to $1,000 and a matching grant.

Man approaches locals with handgun, steals wallet

On Sept. 14, a man approached an Oak Park and a Forest Park resident on the 1100 block of South Ridgeland Avenue. He pointed a silver handgun at them and said “this ain’t no joke.” One victim handed his brown wallet over that contained money, credit cards, a gas card and an expired ID. The suspect then ran southbound and possibly entered a white Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle sped away northbound. The estimated loss is $300.

Aggravated assault

On Sept. 13, an Oak Park resident was trying to enter a building on the first block of Ontario Street. A black sedan drove up and two men exited. The men approached the resident and pointed a handgun at him. The men then fled the scene.

Theft

■ A man stole a pink Biagini Python skin handbag with a brass handle from the display case Sept. 8 on the 100 block of North Oak Park Avenue. The man fled in an unknown direction. The estimated loss is $2,250.

■ Two women were hired and given a key fob to clean an apartment Sept. 13 on the 400 block of North Harlem Avenue. The women allegedly stole $10,000, 10 gold coins and four black Beretta handguns with unknown serial numbers. The estimated loss is $35,759.

Burglary

A man entered an Oak Park resident’s garage through an open door Sept. 9 on the 500 block of Lyman Avenue. The man stole a blue electric bicycle and rode away southbound. The estimated loss is $3,000.

Catalytic converter theft

■ Someone stole the catalytic converter from an Oak Park resident’s 2009 Toyota Prius on Sept. 4 on the 800 block of Woodbine Avenue. The estimated loss is $2,400.

■ Two men stole the catalytic converter from an Oak Park resident’s 2008 Toyota Prius on Sept. 11 on the 400 block of South Boulevard. They fled in a gray Toyota RAV4. The estimated loss is $2,500.

Motor vehicle theft

■ A man was seen on video entering an Oak Park resident’s unlocked black 2024 Honda Accord Sport hybrid Sept. 8 while it was parked on the 6400 block of North Avenue. The man then fled on a bike, but later returned on foot. He then stole the car. The estimated loss is $41,000.

■ Someone stole an Oak Park resident’s gray 2020 Kia Sportage between Sept. 14 and 15 while it was parked on the 600 block of Randolph Street. The estimated loss is $19,000.

Arrests

■ A 36-year-old Chicago man was arrested for aggravated driving under the influence Sept. 8 on the 500 block of South Harlem Avenue. He also had an active warrant out of Cook County for assault. He was held for bond hearings

■ A 22-year-old man was arrested for domestic battery to an Oak Park resident Sept 13 on the 1100 block of South Austin Boulevard. He was held for bond hearings

■ A 33-year-old Oak Park man was arrested for battery to an Oak Park resident Sept. 13 at 123 Madison St. He was released

■ A 47-year-old Oak Park woman was arrested Sept. 13 on the Green Line after being identified as the subject who shattered the front glass door to Chipotle. She was issued a notice to appear and released.

■ A 24-year-old Oak Park man was arrested Sept. 15 on the 900 block of Fair Oaks Avenue for an active Iowa warrant for sexual exploitation of a minor. He was held for extradition.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports dated Sept. 9 – 16 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 Luzane Draughon

Do you feel you are seen or treated di erently because of your age?

Have you been told ‘you’re too old to work here’?

Are you worried about getting old?

Have you been told ‘you’re too young to work here’?

Are you invisible because of your age?

The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park

The Decade of Healthy Aging, a collaboration between the United Nations and World Health Organization, recently named Ashton Applewhite one of the Healthy Aging 50 — a group of leaders "transforming the world to be a better place in which to grow older."

VILLAGE P A competiti from pa

The last few years, the village time on topics outside of the goals members had set, Para kkat said. He said that if elected, he wants to make sure an agenda is set according to the board goals, using based, comprehensive studies to mo

“We’ve had meetings that go long hours without really moving the community forward,” don’t have any interest in sitting and discussing a distracted agenda, which I think is a waste of community’s time.”

When agendas are aligned with board goals, said there’s less contention and discussions are shorter. The longer meetings come from topics that deviate from those goals with no clear consensus, he said.

If elected, Parakkat said he’d early on and keep goals to a manageable number so staf f can also know what to expect.

“When you have a lot of b bitious, but that’s a euphemism for lack of “You don’t end up accomplishing much.”

SC AMA

Scaman said “the insinuation that I always anticipated running for two terms, is kind of true.” It takes time to finish what you started, she said.

“I do firmly believe that ship style that our community needs right now to advance the goals that we have,” she said.

Valuing the other trustees’ input is key, Scaman said. Her overarching goal as village president has been to ensure more people feel heard and in communication with the government, she said. The community was more divided before her leadership than it is now, she said.

Scaman describes her leadership style as “servantstyle.” She said she works to understand multiple perspectives and host complex conversations at the board table, appreciating the vast nuances that often emerge in discussions. The village still needs that, she said.

“My leadership style is undeniably about collective impact and bringing different voices together to fully vet decisions and ultimately decrease our division,” she said. “And identify where it is that we ag ree most and then move forward from there.”

KE Y ISSUES

SC AMA N

Scaman said the key issues she’d like to address if reelected are the issues she’s already been working on, such as sustainability, economic vitality and af fordability.

Oak Park is a re gional leader in sustainability, said Scaman pointing out the village receiving a gold designation

CONTESTED RACE: Scaman (center, in white) and Parakkat (orange shir

a village board meeting in June

in the EV Readiness Program in 2023. Under her leadership, she said the village has worked with other local entities such as the Park District of Oak Park, the Oak Park Public Library, schools and other neighboring communities to further emphasize sustainability advancements.

Small business development is another priority for Scaman, as well as diversifying housing stock, perhaps through expanding missing middle housing, defined as “a range of house-scale buildings with multiple units –compatible in scale and form with detached single-family homes – located in a walkable neighborhood.”

“When you walk into the Village of Oak Park, you know this is a community that’s prepared for the future,” she said. “Part of what makes Oak Park amazing is the diversity of all types that we have in our community.”

With development also comes the need for sustainable practices, Scaman said, such as the electrification ordinance the current board approved that required new buildings constructed after Jan. 1, 2024 to be fully electric.

Scaman also said since af fordability is a common goal on the current board, budgeting has become more strategic under her direction. The board has been working to create specific policies to instill into the process for future boards, also ensuring increased transparency.

“We’ ve g ot that c onsistency of this process, of un-

derstanding how our levy is going to affect ever yd ay Oak Pa rker s, ” she said. “It f eels li ke we ’r e wo rk ing tog ether mor e. ”

It’s also a priority for Scaman to work to be proactive in addressing issues in the community rather than reactive, like with traffic concerns or community safety.

PA R AKK AT

Parakkat said he has three focus areas for his campaign: Safety, af fordability and community development.

In terms of safety, Parakkat said ensuring the police department is properly staffed and implementing the recommendations in the BerryDunn study are key priorities. Another is ensuring the alternative police response to calls for service program is built out, as well as investing in technology and infrastructure.

In terms of af fordability, Parakkat said he wants to focus not only on responsible tax levy and use, but also on ensuring residents of all backgrounds receive the “expected value for the taxes they pay.” A lot of people who come to Oak Park find value in the school system for their kids, he said. But plenty of residents are in other stages of life, and he said he’d like them to find the same value.

Oak Park has one of the largest amounts of af fordable

LU Z ANE DRAUGHON

t) listen to Police Chief Shantonya Johnson at

housing stock in the state, he said. But the village missing the people in the middle of the af fordability trum, Parakkat said. In addition to that focus equally important that trustees contemplate use of taxp er dollars with just as much consideration as they would their own finances, he said.

In terms of community development, Parakkat wants to focus on sustainability and equity. He said he wants to work on an economic vitality plan and class infrastructure while not losing sight of nicipal functions such as fixing alleys or streamlining trash collection.

“Rather than looking back, looking forward into the future and building the world that we want to see in our community,” he said.

C ONTRASTING C

ANDIDATES

PA R AKK AT

Parakkat said the upcoming local election is a question of focus, experience and effectiveness. He said he hasn’t seen that evidenced recently.

S ome of the discussions that Parakkat said dive r ted the b oard from i ts g oals we re discussions on the f all leaf c ollection, the Vi llage Hall remodel, and to some extent, the mi gr ant c risis. T he mi gr ant c risis c ame to the village b oard unexpectedly, Parakkat said, and had an emergent nature.

But leaving that crisis aside, he said the others “not only did … not contribute to us moving forward, they actively are hindering us in pursuing our goals.”

There may be some surprises the village board has to react to, Parakkat said, but most items should be clear.

When a new board sits, there’s a facilitated goal-setting process with the village manage r. Parakkat said he thinks that is the time to go back and for th, understand everyone’s commitments to the community, backgrounds, and perspectives, in order to arrive at reasonable goals

It’s important, Parakkat emphasized, to create that shared basis for consensus upfront, give clear direction to village staff, and not change direction at the “drop of a hat.”

SC AMA N

Scaman said she’s navigated difficult conversations by genuinely listening to the community and her colleagues. She said she thinks Parakkat feels he can narrow an agenda to match his own.

“What I do know from my experience working with him at the board table is that his reaction to an agenda that doesn’t perfectly match his, is that it, to him, apparently feels like a waste of time,” she said.

Scaman said she’s proud of the village’s migrant response. It was an emergency, and people count on the gover nment at every level to be responsive. Oak Park chose to help, she said. The board had lengthy discussions regarding the nuance of funding for the crisis, she said, but without that time spent, the issue could’ve divided them like it tends to nationally. Sometimes responding to an emergency means, however, that other issues have to be put on pause

“We could either be part of the solution or we could make it worse,” she said. And she said she won’t apolo gize for the extra time it took to respect all positions and come together to respond.

“It was an actual emergency of which it would have been a failure of our jobs to have not responded,” she said.

In terms of the discussions about changes to leaf collection procedures, Scaman said it was once again important for the board to respond to community concerns including safety considerations. She said she felt Parakkat was unclear on his position re garding leaf collection and options presented by staf f.

“Potentially he should reflect upon how it is that he might have handled it differently as village president,” she said, refer ring to both issues. “I feel that I have an obligation to value the perspectives of my colleagues … To not host conversations in a way that provides some space to speak and have their sometimes differing opinions is not valuing the residents of Oak Park … That is going to mean longer meetings sometimes.”

And the board can’t ignore the renovation issues at Village Hall, either, she said. It’s not accessible and the police station is in desperate need of change.

“Every single member of the board loves Oak Park and wants to do right by Oak Park,” she said. But to be a successful village president, Scaman said one has to be able to work with others.

Scaman, like Parakkat, said she’s not r unning against her opponent. But rather, she said she’s r unning to continue the work she’s already doing. That includes allowing for the board to occasionally ag ree to disag ree but figure out how to work to g ether. It includes understanding why there might be disag reement and constantly growing in perspective.

“Unfortunately, Trustee Parakkat is the exception,” she said. “But that’s by his choice.”

EXPERIENCE

SC AMA N

Scaman was elected village clerk in 2017. In this role, she wrote she increased transparency and worked to increase rsity on commissions. She’s served as the Oak Park wnship program coordinator for the Positive Youth Development Coalition.

Scaman was on the village’s liquor control review board, chaired the commission. She’s also served as president of the North and Northwest Municipal Clerks Association.

Additionally, Scaman has experience running a restaurant and has a record of volunteering in the community and serving on other local committees including the Oak r Forest Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee.

If she is not re-elected, Scaman said she’ll remain active in the community and supportive of any future board. She said her volunteer work won’t stop. Eventually, she said she wants to let the next generation lead Oak Park

But for now, Scaman said she’s received an outpouring of support for the job she’s done as village president.

PA R AKK AT

Parakkat is the founder of Takeout 25, a movement to support local restaurants and maintain public health started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In addition to serving as a village trustee, he has served on the Oak Park energy and environment commission and on Chicago Waldorf School’s board of trustees. Parakkat also serves as vice president of digital transformation at Junior Achievement of Chicago, a nonprofit that prepares young people for success.

He said the experience in municipal gover nance has helped him understand policymaking, budg et appropriation and other procedural aspects. But as the founder of Takeout 25, Parakkat said he has experience bringing community members to g ether to solve crises in a focused manner

In Takeout 25, Parakkat said he has a close understanding of local economic challenges, sustainability issues and food insecurity. He said he feels he can be effective and relate well to Oak Park residents due to all his experiences, including as an immigrant.

Parakkat emigrated from India to the United States, and became a citizen in 2016. He said he’s trying to give back to the community that’s given himself and his family a lot. At the end of the day, “eve rybo dy at the b oard tabl e wants similar things for Oak Pa rk ,” he said, such as safety, af fordabilit y, sustainability and inclusivit y. “Making sure that we stick with those is going to be the big dif ference. ”

Scaman and Parakkat both said they’d like to see increased voter turnout and eng agement with local elections. A love for democracy is prevalent in Oak Park, and debates between local candidates will likely be for thcoming in the new year.

Oak Park Village Hall

Hop Stop celebrates beer and Riverside

Tickets sell out, so get to it

By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Contributing Reporter

Downtown Riverside is centered on the train station. In the fall for the past seven years, the depot transforms into Hop Stop – a festival of beer, cider and other be ages This year the fest is on Sept. 28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tickets are $60 for adults, $5 for children who want access to the Pocket Circus or free for children under 12 without that. An adult ticket comes with a commemorative tasting glass for sampling from more than 20 brewing and distilling vendors.

the primary fund raiser for Riverside’s Olmsted Society.

The idea for the event took shape when Peter Boutsikakis became more involved with his family’s grocery business, Riverside Foods. The store was established by his grandfather in 1981, but when Boutsikakis joined management there were trends, like craft beer, that he wanted to explore.

“We elevated the beer selection here with early brands like Bell’s and Founders,” Boutsikakis said. “And there was always this idea of doing some sort of Oktoberfest.”

Since the beginning Hop Stop has been

The organization is dedicated to sustaining the vision famed architect Fredrick Law Olmsted had for Riverside. He designed public parks in New York, Boston and across the northeast, but Riverside is a unique Olmsted creation.

“Riverside is the only suburban landscape that he designed,” Dan Murphy, president of the Olmsted Society, said. “He was all about promoting interaction between people.”

The winding streets and many greenspaces in Riverside were designed to promote leisure.

Hop Stop makes good use of greenspace

next to downtown. Guthrie Park is part of the event with an expanded picnicking area this year.

“It provides such a good third space for neighbors, friends and people to come and meet up with each other,” Boutsikakis said. “Opportunities which are unfortunately few and far between these days.”

Participants can spread a blanket in the park, get some food from Beach Ave BBQ or Carey Corn hand popped popcorn, and circulate between sampling and eating. There is also more space this year for kids to run and play.

The event is zero waste.

“We’ re being very conscious of using compostable and recycling services,” Boutsikakis said. “We ask any food vendors to

use compostables as well. And the majority of our brewers are pouring out of a draft system. So as their tanks are emptied out, they take them back and refill them.”

The event takes place in the afternoon, which enhances its family-friendly profile.

“It is designed, so that patrons can enjoy our downtown afterwards. We have wonderful restaurant selections and a couple of bars. I’m very proud to say that after our event, the downtown seems full.”

Tickets have sold out five years in a row, so jump on board as soon as you can!

PROVIDED BY HOP STOP

Hop Stop in 2023

Welcome to Worship 2024

YOUR LOCAL RELIGION GUIDE

Find Community at Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Looking for a place where you can connect with others and explore what truly moves you? Join a community dedicated to both spiritual growth and collective action for the greater good. Together, we work to turn our values into meaningful change in our community and beyond. Discover a community where you can live into your beliefs and values, and where love and connection is at the heart of everything we do.

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a multigenerational, creedless community with a mission of welcoming all, inspiring compassion, nurturing wonder, and serving community. We welcome and affirm people as they are—wherever they are in their journey, however they identify and understand themselves, whomever they love. Together, we work for collective liberation within and beyond our landmark building walls. We offer:

• Inclusive Sunday Services: Experience open-hearted worship services that draw from diverse traditions, encourage reflection and connection.

• Lifelong Learning: Enrich your understanding through educational programs that explore various spiritual paths, philosophies and life’s big questions.

• Social Justice: Join like-minded individuals to support local initiatives creating positive impacts within our community and beyond.

• Youth & Family Engagement: Nurture the next generation’s values of compassion, empathy and curiosity through our engaging youth programs.

We invite you to check out our worship services and children & youth religious education programming at 9 & 10:45am on Sunday. Live-streamed at 9am. Connect with us at www.unitytemple.org.

Connection | Transformation | Acceptance | Justice

Worship Service and Religious Education Sundays at 9am and 10:45am 875 Lake Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 unitytemple.org

Chalice Art by Peg Green www.peacepeg.com

Oak Park Temple: A Community for All

Step into our rotunda any Sunday morning, and you’ll see why we treasure Oak Park Temple as our Jewish home.

Our men’s club, the Bagel Boys, is serving up bagels and cream cheese. Kids are rushing from religious school class to a youth service, where we can hear them joyfully singing. Adults are chatting, reading the Sunday papers, or heading to Torah study.

Oak Park Temple is a vibrant, welcoming, multigenerational Jewish community - a place where new and longtime members, interfaith couples, Jews-by-choice, LGBTQ+ families, and more come together to worship, learn, make friends, and make a difference in our world.

Bringing us all together are our worship services. Our clergy inspire us with powerful lessons, and support us with deeply meaningful pastoral care. Our new cantor leads us in beautiful song, and raises up our voices beside hers.

Anyone who might be intimidated at connecting with a synagogue need not be. Our Reform services incorporate significant amounts of English. Our Torah study groups are open to everyone - no experience required. And for those who want to learn Hebrew or further deepen their Jewish knowledge, we have Hebrew classes and an adult education program that brings in speakers on a wide array of subjects.

Oh, and we also have fun! Our communal life includes a Jewish book club, picnics in the park, Shabbat walks through the woods, and folk-song and camp-style Shabbat services.

We come from diverse backgrounds and with different levels of Jewish knowledge. But we are united by a desire to live out our Judaism in communityand to welcome new friends to join us.

We are a community of all ages. Our preschool is a joyous and enriching setting where children and parents make lifelong friends. Our Tot Shabbats get everyone jamming. Our religious school develops older children’s Jewish learning and prepares them for adulthood. Adults can practice yoga at Oak Park Temple, join the choir, help our neighbors, and become involved in social justice.

As the High Holidays draw near, we invite you to get in touch.

For all who seek a deeper connection to Judaism, Oak Park Temple is a place of warmth and welcome - and perhaps your new home.

Local Church Celebrates 100 Years

Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 100th year worshipping in Oak Park. The church began at Whittier School with a membership of 69 people, before breaking ground at the corner of Fair Oaks Ave. and Thomas St. in 1926. The church built its current sanctuary beginning in 1950, and its gothic architecture and signature stained glass remains today.

While a 100-year-old church may sound a little stiff, Fair Oaks strikes a balance of remaining both relevant and true to the church’s lasting commitment to reflect Christ’s love, service and humility.

“It’s important to us at Fair Oaks that we meet people where they are,” said Rev. Hailey Braden Lynch, co-pastor at Fair Oaks. “We know that many have had different experiences with churches in the past. We want to honor

those experiences while showing our community the radical love of Jesus.”

Fair Oaks often shows its faith through action, investing in the Oak Park-Austin area and beyond through community service and donations. The church dedicates a portion of its annual budget to mission work, partnering with local agencies and congregations to give where it’s needed most.

Church members also organize and host service-related projects throughout the year, including an annual volunteer trip for high school students, donation drives around the holidays, and the Fair Oaks Market — a local artisan event to benefit Austin mission partners and the senior high mission trip.

Fair Oaks is an open and affirming congregation that worships every Sunday at 10 a.m. Visit www.fairoakspres. org for more information.

Find Community at Grace Lutheran Church

As Christ welcomes and redeems people without distinction or exception, so do we at Grace Lutheran Church as we answer the call to share God’s love with the community and beyond.

Our 10 a.m. Sunday worship features traditional liturgies and congregation singing led by our organ and choirs. We use prayers and readings to express our identity as the people of God and celebrate our unity with Christians across the ages. If you cannot make it in person, you can join us on our YouTube page (@ gracelutheranchurchriverforest).

Grace Gathers is our Sunday morning time together before worship at 8:45 a.m. Pastor Lyle leads us in scripture, conversation, and prayer before we split into the different groups: Sunday School (PreK to 6th grade), Confirmation (7th to 8th grade), Adult Education (speaker,

Bible study, or book study), and Making Disciples (our prospective new member class). Our high school students also meet monthly for food and fellowship after worship. Nursery care is available from 8:45 until 11:15 a.m.

During the month, there are various groups that meet regularly either for fellowship, Bible study, discussion, or spiritual growth. Some of them include yoga class, knitting group, Faith Forum, chronic illness support (Finding Hope), and many more. Cornerstones is our weekly senior citizen group who meet for fellowship and Bible study on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.

To find out what is happening, and to get involved, you can visit our website (graceriverforest.org) or stop by the church on Sunday. We hope to see you soon.

HSt. Christopher’s Episcopal Church: Am I really welcome?

ey there, dear reader. I’m George, a priest at St. Christopher’s, a lovely little neighborhood church at East and Adams in Oak Park. Our members and I invite you to join us some Sunday to check us out.

Our 8 am service is cozy and relaxed. Our 9:30 am Wiggle Worship service is full of explosive joy as kids lead and serve communion. At 11 am, our choir sings as we explore our lives through worship.

Hesitant to start out on a Sunday? Join us for one of our events: Serviceoriented outreach, The Blessing of the Animals, Blue Christmas in December; multigenerational wreath-making during Advent; chili cookoff; women’s gatherings; and “Thank You God for Video Games” youth night.

Stepping into a new church can feel wonderful and intimidating. But each

Sunday, we affirm that whoever you are; wherever you are on your journey of faith, we welcome you as you are. We include lifelong Episcopalians, nondenominational Christians, Catholics, atheists, agnostics, and more. We are all seekers.

In our pews are those who have been helped by religion and have been hurt by it. We are male, female, gendernonbinary, and trans. We are married and single, young and old, black and white. At St. Christopher’s, we believe that all are welcome at God’s table, including you.

I hope we’re lucky enough to meet you and see the good you bring into the world. Thanks for considering our church.

- Rev. George (George +)

Visit us at

We are a warm and welcoming community for individuals and families of all backgrounds.

Our Conservative congregation is home to a diverse group united by a dedication to Judaism and a love of the Jewish people. From young families raising their children to seniors sharing their experiences, Temple Har Zion nurtures faith and friendship. We pray, learn, and live, inspired by our Jewish faith, tradition, and community.

We strive to create an environment that is inclusive, uplifting, meaningful, and transformative throughout the full lifecycle, including intergenerational activities, ongoing adult education, cultural and community events, and social groups such as our Sisterhood. Our preschool and religious school create a strong foundation of Hebrew, study of the tradition, and tikkun olam (healing the world) for our youth.

We invite you to celebrate the High Holy Days with us in person or even online!

• Selichot Musical Service Sep 28

• Erev Rosh Hashanah Oct 2

• Rosh Hashanah Oct 3-4

• Kol Nidre Oct 11

• Yom Kippur Oct 12

• Sukkot Oct 16-18

• Simchat Torah Musical Service Oct 24

Complimentary High Holy Days tickets for first-time guests!

Sunday, October 20, 10am-12pm

Music by MISTER G!

No matter where you may be on your spiritual journey, you will find inspiration and meaning in our synagogue. Visit

Enjoy a day of fun, food, and music by Latin Grammy award-winning Ben Gundersheimer, better known as MISTER G! at our 2024 Jewish Latine Family Festival! Visit our website or scan the QR code for details and tickets.

If it’s your first time with us, we invite you to be our guests for the High Holy Days. Enjoy programs and services for all ages throughout the holidays.

Simply call or email us, and we’ll get a seat ready for you!

Interfaith families are welcome!

Welcome to First Presbyterian Church of River Forest

Come as you are to First Pres River Forest! We may look like any church on the outside, but what you will find inside is what matters. There is laughter and noise. There are children. There are teenagers. There are adults. There is mess. There is music. There is beauty. There is mission work. There are Bible studies. There are celebrations. There is worship.

We invite you to come and see what we mean. Feel the vibrancy. Feel the sincerity. Feel the love of Christ. In all the different things we do, we have one singular focus on the main thing (spoiler alert, it’s Jesus!). As we prepare

to celebrate 100 years at Quick and Lathrop, you will find we don’t dwell in that rich history, but draw from the past and boldly lead into the future. First Pres is the future of church.

Unity, justice, and service to humanity with Baha’i Community of Oak Park

The Baha’i Faith is a world religion that emphasizes the oneness of God, religion, and humankind. It promotes principles of unity, justice, and service to humanity. We warmly invite individuals from all faiths to become partners walking together in service as we further in our mission to cultivate harmony and love among all people.

The Baha’i Community of Oak Park is one of the oldest Baha’i communities in the United States, dating back to 1898.

Our Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, is an architectural wonder and serene sanctuary that invites visitors to explore its stunning gardens, experience its peaceful atmosphere and participate in uplifting community events.

The Baha’i Faith Community Center of Oak Park is a local gathering place for activities hosted by the local Bahai community.

Please join us every Sunday from 10:00 to 10:45 AM for the Hour of Prayer. This is an inclusive, interfaith devotional gathering. A special time open to all and providing a welcoming space for various expressions of prayer, song, and inspiration. We encouraged participants to bring their own readings and prayers to share during this uplifting event.

Please join us every Sunday from 11:00 to 12:30 PM for Meaningful Discussions. We meet to explore our inner spiritual nature discuss how we can contribute to creating a peaceful and united world and examine topics such as our purpose, and social justice.

Visit WWW.OPBAHAI.ORG for more information on events, programs or to contact our community.

Painting prowess: Keeping historic beauties in shape is the name of the game

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

The John Seaman House at 139 S. Grove in Oak Park is getting a new paint job, and it’s not the first time the Victorian-era mansion has been rehabbed by Thomas Restoration Painting.

The home was designed in 1894 by architect H. G. Fiddelke for John Seaman, a wealthy cooper who automated the barrelmaking process. At the time, construction cost $17,000. Seaman purchased the entire block and built several homes, keeping 139 S. Grove for himself and decorating the interiors with seven different kinds of wood.

H.G. Fiddelke also designed the John

I. Jones house across the street at 209 S. Grove. Thomas has worked on that home’s historic purple-toned paint scheme for multiple owners, as well.

In fact, over his more than 40 years in the business, Peter Thomas has painted all four architectural significant homes at the intersection of Grove and Pleasant, some of them multiple times for dif ferent owners.

Thomas grew up in Oak Park, the youngest of seven boys. His father was a village trustee, and his older brother Jim started the painting business in 1971. Peter joined in 1981 and has been restoring houses ever since.

See PAINTING on pa ge 25

TODD BANNOR

Dormers of the house at 139 S. Grove newly painted by omas Restoration Painting on ursday Sept. 5, 2024.

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PAINTING

Painstaking sourcing

from page 23

Warren Stewart, helped save the house from dereliction when he bought it in 1986. T he home went through a few more owners until the Blahnik f amily purchased the house in March 2024. Previous owners called T homas to bring the house back to life.

“They renovated Avondale Bowl on North Milwaukee in the city,” Thomas said. “They won a national historic preservation award for that. I’m hoping we’ll win a local award for this one.”

Thomas’ right-hand man is Omar Morales, who has been working with him for fifteen years. On this job, they have had a team of seven, five painters and two carpenters, re pairing the woodwork and repainting the home. At roughly 7,600 square feet, there’s a lot of house to cover.

Thomas said that some of the original details on the home were starting to deteriorate. He turned to Decorator’s Supply in Burr Ridge, which still has their catalogues of stock pieces from the 1880’s. Thomas believes it is likely where the original builder of the home would have purchased pieces during the construction of the home.

The company was able to remake the swag design over the windows and the newel posts for the porch.

The middle dormer on the front of the house was added during a renovation at some point in the home’s past, and Thomas said it was missing the intricate details that set of f the two original dormered windows on either side. They had the millwork recreated by Janik Millwork.

The Thomas Restoration team also had to re place do zens of porch spindles, which were in bad shape. They are rebuilding the stair rails to match the original. Morales and a co-worker teamed up to recreate the tongues on one of the sea serpents carvings over the front steps.

Thomas said that this kind of restoration is what takes his company beyond a typical painting company.

“We take all comers,” he said, noting that they can do partial paint jobs or full-blown restorations that include rebuilding porches and woodwork

The company won an Historic Preservation Award for its work on the home of Seward Gunderson at 701 S. Elmwood Avenue, and Thomas said that’s one of his most famous jobs.

In the St. Edmunds parish area in the center of town, it’s hard to find a block that’s not dotted with homes that he has painted

For a house on Wesley, he applied gold leaf to the bullseye detail. On the 200 and

and Peter

100 south blocks of Grove, he’s painted more than a dozen homes

A job like 139 S. Grove might be one of the more detailed examples of the work that Thomas Restoration Painting has done locally, but Peter Thomas said it’s all just part

of the job. He estimated he painted thousands of homes in the Oak Park and River Forest area and said that contributing to the historic landscape of the town where he grew up makes for a rewarding career

TODD BANNOR

Portico of house at 139 S. Grove newly painted by omas Restoration Painting.

TODD BANNOR

House at 139 S. Grove newly painted by omas Restoration Painting.

TODD BANNOR

Omar Morales

omas of omas Restoration Painting in front of the house at 139 S. Grove.

Mana prisoners is County fu

Recently, I read that the village of Department has decided to end its contract with the North Riverside Police De housing. An editorial also co stated that the municipality must look for ways to consolidate services, which I ag P processing of prisoners and the holding of these individuals unti they appear in court after an ar rest, should solely be the responsi bility of the Cook County Sherif Police only counties where the sherif do not handle prisoners from municipal police de ments. Police departments in neighboring counties, suc as Cook, Will, and DuPage, bring their detainees directly to the County lockup after booking for housing. Some agencies bring their prisoners directly to the sherif processing and housing.

I pushed the Cook County Sherif housing of prisoners my entire tenure as police chie received no traction from the Sherif my municipal police chief Still, we ran into roadblocks, including Sherif Office, Cook County President T and even our local county of increased prisoner population, expenses, liabilit headache of managing this population. But think about this: the Cook County Jail is designed for that, and of already do that at the facility this was simply ridiculous, and it ne every other municipal police de

If you want to know how it impacts municipal policing to book, transport, and house prisoners — this is an officer makes an arrest cu the arrestee into the local police facility, type up criminal charges, identify the individual, most likely through fingerprints, book them into custody, arrange for their housing at the local municipality, watch them over night so there are no medical or suicide issues, and then physically transport them either to the Maybrook Court House in Maywood or, at times, to the main courthouse at 26th and California

VIEWPOINTS

Shrubtown: A magni

This all requires pulling officers off the street to do the

the current safety measures on CTA buses, trains, and stations, so we can work to regain public trust and restore ridership to pre-COVID levels and beyond. We should reignite the joy of riding the train, whether it’s the excitement of a child at the front of the train or the festive spirit of the Santa train. A holistic approach to safety is essential, addressing the immediate needs of the most vulnerable where they are. This involves actively engaging the public in reporting distressed individuals and implementing a widespread effort to gather real-time data. We should strategically deploy social services at major ter minals and

other place to go, passengers trying to travel safely, and employees who deserve a secure working environment. We cannot rely on temporary fixes or merely remove individuals from the system. Those in distress need sustained support, and public transit workers, police, train operators, and cleaners are too often overwhelmed and are not appropriately trained to manage these issues effectively. With 145 stations, 1,500 rail cars, 1,800 buses, and countless bus stops, monitoring all areas continuously is a for-

at damn Harlem viaduct

If at first, third or seventh you don’t succeed, then try, try again.

That ought to be the mantra of the villages of River Forest, Forest Park and Oak Park as they finally scored a modest success in gaining state funding for a study of the obsolete bottleneck that is the Harlem Avenue viaduct at South Boulevard — or is it Circle Avenue, or Central Avenue, or North Boulevard?

The tangle of street names is a small indicator of the complexity of finding a path to finally fix what is so obviously a traffic snarl.

Three towns, a state route overseen by the Illinois Department of Transportation, a railroad bridge owned by the recalcitrant Union Pacific Railroad which carries freight traffic for the UP, and commuter traffic for the CTA and Metra. It is also the wester n ter minus for the CTA’s Green Line

So many stakeholders with competing needs and, in the case of the UP, selfish desires.

The railroad, which has owned the train trestle and the Harlem bridge for a century, has pre-demanded that its cooperation in the rebuilding is contingent on IDOT accepting ownership of the new bridge and being responsible for its upkeep forever more.

In this current moment, it is River Forest that won the planning grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. And it has now let a contract with an engineering firm that will work to update the last planning done on this project, which dates back to 2008. The hope is that when there is a completed Phase 1 plan, it will open doors at the state and federal level to provide the considerable funding needed. Last year there was an estimate of $30 million to reconstruct this viaduct — i.e., lowering Harlem a bit to improve truck clearances, getting rid of the space-eating central piers, etc.

While the UP seems typically greedy, there are other notable logistical issues. One is the desire of the CTA to continue to use its wester n terminus throughout a lengthy construction cycle. They suggest work should be done only during off hours. That would create an endless project that could wreak havoc for both motorists and retailers adjacent to the viaduct.

Someday, somehow this viaduct needs to be completely remade. The challenges to getting there are many. Good that our three villages are united in this effort.

Now we have a race

Yes, most of us are fully focused on the upcoming U.S. presidential race. It’s a big deal. But as the Journal’s Luzane Draughon reports today, Oak Park is going to have a competitive race for village president next year. Also a big deal.

Vicki Scaman has announced her intention to run for re-election as village president. And Ravi Parakkat, a current village trustee, will also be running for the top spot. There is still time for other s to join this race before the late fall filing deadline

A competition of ideas and approaches to governing is always welcome

Return to the ‘Mystery Zone’

Earlier this year, I wrote about a train-crossing episode that seemed intriguingly inexplicable (“Comfortable in the Mystery Zone,” Jan. 24).

Driving north on Oak Park Avenue on a cold winter night, I was stopped by the crossing arms at the tracks near the Mars Candy plant (alas, no more). I was late for an appointment and uttered a deeply felt challenge to the universe: “Why does this always happen to me when I’m late?!” (or words to that effect).

KEN TRAINOR

Then suddenly the arms lifted and I was able to cross, even though I saw the bright light of a freight train down the tracks in the distance, apparently not moving. And when I looked back in the rear-view mirror, the arms were descending again.

The e pisode made me briefly reconsider my notions about divine intervention — and mystery’s place in a largely explainable universe.

In that column, I wrote:

“Many would be tempted to view this as some supernatural intervention in response to my ‘prayer,’ but it wasn’t a prayer really, more of a beseeching whine, even though it came from deep within. Others would assure me there must be some ‘perfectly logical explanation.’

“I didn’t sur render to either side. All I knew was it felt eerily unreal, extravagantly pleasant, and deliciously inexplicable. Maybe God was sick of hearing me complain that such things ‘always happen to me,’ and wanted to shut me up. If so, it worked. I will never again say such annoyances ‘always’ happen. ‘Often’ maybe, but not ‘always.’ I’m cured.

“There may well be a lo gical explanation for what happened that night. Maybe this is simply protocol when a train has temporarily halted. Maybe the human, not divine, overseer cuts the drivers uptrack a break until the train gets clearance to continue. If so, the railroad folks have become a whole lot more considerate of vehicular traffic than they used to be — and deserve our thanks for it.

“I wouldn’t know where to begin tracking down that logical explanation. Maybe some railroad buff reading this will provide it.”

And that’s precisely what happened. The following week, a reader familiar with the ways of railroads sent the following logical explanation:

“Grade crossing signals work on a small electrical charge that is placed into each rail. The charge runs down the track away from the crossing for a specified length, then hits an insulator that stops the charge from running down the track any further The distance between the insulators on either end of the grade crossing is sometimes called ‘the circuit.’

“When an train enters the circuit, the metal wheels and axle complete an electrical connection between

the two rails, indicating to the equipment in the bungalow near the crossing that a train has occupied the circuit, activating the warning devices. The spacers are set far enough away from the crossing to provide adequate warning of the approach of the fastest moving authorized speed for on-track equipment.

“Originally, the signals would activate any time a train shunted the circuit, but that resulted in very slowmoving trains causing the roadside signals to be on, sometimes for minutes at a time, encouraging lawbreakers to slalom around the gates. So ‘constant warning time’ circuitry was developed. It not only senses the presence of an on-track vehicle, it also calculates the speed of the vehicle, and activates the war ning devices at the crossing just in time to provide 20 seconds of warning before the front of the train enters the roadway crossing.

“Additionally, if the bungalow senses that the on-track equipment has stopped, the active warning device issues a ‘time out,’ and the gates will go back up, only to restart if the on-track equipment restarts its movement toward the crossing. This sounds like what happened in your example.

“Obviously, I wasn’t there, and don’t know that the gates timed out, but that sounds exactly like what you described.”

I was mildly disappointed, but my explicator was kind enough to sympathize with my hunger for mystery, writing:

“This is not to say that serendipity isn’t a real thing, or that we shouldn’t rejoice in the many blessings that the world brings us daily. I don’t think the world is any less glorious simply because the curtain is pulled back and we can see the mechanics behind life’s daily events.”

I ag reed and re plied, “Quite a complex mechanism. You might call it a small miracle in itself.”

It took me a while to revisit this column and share the explanation with those of you who recall the incident. What finally got me moving again was my latest visit to “the Mystery Zone”: The 2024 Presidential campaign has me pinching myself because of the remarkable sequence of events that have transpired since the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump

Those events, too, probably have a perfectly reasonable human explanation. And there is still plenty of hard, human work left to do to save our country from the train wreck we were heading fo r. Nonetheless if all goes well this Nov. 5, a small part of me will once again be wondering: Maybe someone, or something, is helping us get back on-track.

SHRUB TO WN by Marc Stopeck

“An unbelievable, beautif ul, incredible cartoon, a magni cent work of genius!”

What the townships can do for you

As a committee member for Senior and Disability Services, I have navigated the world through that lens for the past nine years. I soon realized that even though I am a longtime resident, I had no idea what the townships actually do.

EL SERUMAGA

One View

John Becvar, River Forest Township supervisor, and April Dugal, general assistance director for Oak Park Township, say the program they wish people knew about is the Emergency Assistance Program for Oak Park and River Forest townships. It provides financial assistance to residents for issues that shift their ability to earn income or pay for emergency events.

One such example is the strain some residents felt who were in the restaurant business and made their money from tips when the Democratic National Convention was here. Many restaurateurs and restaurant workers experienced a loss of income due to their restaurants being shut down for security reasons during the convention.

The Emergency Assistance Program steps in to help in situations like that. John and April, recalled a woman who was over 60 and was not able to pay her tax bill who received help paying her bill. They recalled another person who became ill and was not able to pay some basic bills. Both townships have services for seniors and youth, and collaborate in order to provide services and funds for low income individu-

als in our communities. Through partnerships with other organizations, like Chicago Furniture Bank, many domestic needs can be met.

John is a semi-retired former chief of procurement officer for Groupon and is active with Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association Plus. He realized that, due to a death and some health challenges within his family, his mission in life was to no longer work 80 hours a week but rather serve his highest purpose volunteering to help others be more self-sufficient and stable. April, like myself, had a near-death experience which resulted in gallbladder and kidney failure. She has been in social services for 28 years.

John says, “People don’t know what townships do.”

Only 1 percent of our property tax bill goes to River Forest Township to provide for these needs. About 2% of the tax bill in Oak Park goes to Oak Park Township to help individuals in the community. Oak Park and River Forest dynamically work together to make life here a little bit better for everyone.

You can visit the respective township websites to find out more about these services (https://www.riverforesttownship. org/financial-assistance) (https://oakparktownship.org/ general-assistance/) and if you do not need these services, maybe you can volunteer to help advocate for others.

EL Serumaga is a resident of River Forest

WEDNESD AY

of Oak Park and River Forest

Viewpoints Guidelines

e goal of the Viewpoints section is to foster and facilitate a community conversation and respectful dialogue. Responsible community voices are vital to community journalism and we welcome them. Space is at a premium and readers’ attention is also limited, so we ask that Viewpoints submissions be brief. Our limit for letters to the editor is 350 words. For One View essays, the limit is 500 words. Shorter is better. If and when we have su cient space, we print longer submissions, but when space is limited — as it o en is — we may ask you to submit a shorter version or hold the piece until space allows us to print it.

We reser ve the right to edit submissions. We do not have time to allow the writer to review changes before publication. We also do not have time to do more than super cial fact-checking, and because of our national epidemic of misinformation and conspiracy theories, when writers include statistical evidence to support their opinions, we require them to include the source of that information, such as credible websites, print publications, titles of articles and dates published, etc. Be as speci c as possible so that we and our readers have some way of assessing the credibility of your claims. Links may also be included for the online version. We follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics: seek the truth and report it and minimize harm. As a result, we will do our best not to publish pieces that espouse doubtful or debunked theories, demonstrate harmful bias, or cross the line into incivility. While we will do our best not to engage in censorship, we also do not intend to be used as a platform for misinformation. Your sources for fact-checking are a critical step in keeping the discourse honest, decent and respectful.

All submissions must include your rst and last name and the municipality in which you live, plus a phone number (for veri cation only). We do not publish anonymous letters. One View essays should include a sentence at the end about who you are.

If we receive your submission by 5 p.m. on Sunday, you can expect your opinion to be included in that week’s paper (and online), space permitting.

Pieces can be submitted through our online form at oakpark.com or directly to Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor, ktrainor@wjinc.com. For the latter, we prefer attached Word les or plain tex t included in the email.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

■ 350-word limit

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

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

■ 500-word limit

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■ Signature details as at left

Lessons in diversity at the county fair

This summer, my family and I visited friends, who live in northwester n Illinois, for a weekend of swimming, roasting marshmallows, and looking up at the stars. One after noon, our hosts invited us to attend the local county fair — rides, games, and tasty treats were on offer, so we said yes. We drove over country roads, past rows of corn and gently rolling hills to the fairground, where the parking lot attendants directed us into a crowded field of cars.

JIM SCHWARTZ

One View

As we walked in, I started to feel some discomfort about the dif ferences between our group and most of the other people I could see. We were both racially mixed and of dif ferent sexual orientations. But as we waited in line for our tickets, I started to reco gnize that my discomfort was less connected to the people I was with and more connected to my own experiences.

I grew up in a somewhat rural area of Wisconsin. My parents came from an even more rural community, and some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins still lived there when I was growing up. But I always felt discomfort in relating to some of my family and many of my classmates. I was quiet. I was more brainy than brawny. And while American culture as a whole has a complicated relationship with introversion and intellectualism, I think the friction is especially acute with rural white American culture. What is prized for young men is to be strong, outgoing, and full of common sense, not to be thoughtful, quiet, and book-smart. The people at the County Fair looked like my cousins, like their children, like my aunts and uncles, like my grandparents. They were white, rural people. Many of them wore T-shirts touting motorcycles, rock music, and the rural

communities they were part of. And I recognized I was more comfortable with the people I had come with than those I saw around me.

I felt some dissonance in recognizing that discomfort. And more than feeling uncomfortable, I recognized that I felt some lack of respect for them. I was making assumptions — that they would be prejudiced against those of other races and sexual orientations. And it is likely that some percentage of them had those prejudices. But it is also likely that many did not. And it is true that an individual’s racism or prejudice does not undermine their value as a human being. And it doesn’t mean that they are incapable of lear ning and change.

My grandparents and aunts and uncles grew up believing that their family members should marry other white people. But from the moment I brought my Asian-American girlfriend, now my spouse, to meet them, they were only loving toward her. I’m sure when they were growing up and having their own children in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, they never envisioned an AsianAmerican woman being part of their family But when that happened, they accepted it. And more than accepting, they embraced her This is not a paean to the “melting pot” of the U.S. I don’t believe we will all just hold hands and magically get along. But I also do believe in the basic decency of most people — and the capacity of every person to change, if they are willing.

I love my family and I believe that they love me. I don’t believe that all our ills will be healed by skeeball, tilt-a-whirl, and funnel cakes, but I believe that all of us partaking sure can’t hurt.

Do you have any extra tickets?

Jim Schwartz is an Oak Park resident, an educator, and a blogger at Entwining.org.

No place for rude ar rogance

So the ter m limits referendum was temporarily shut down on a matter of wording. I commend those people who brought this old and great concept to our village and it’s wonderful that so many people signed to support this choice. That is all it was asking: let’s choose if we think it would be an asset to our community. I was one of the many who signed and sought signatures and I’m happy to say that I spoke with many kind and progressive neighbors What I wish I hadn’t experienced were some rather unpleasant people who couldn’t be kind enough to even let others choose. No matter

how kind and politely I spoke, I experienced arrogance and rudeness in return. Why?

I am a River Forest native and have always admired this town for being a wonderful place to grow up. There were, and are, so many kind and friendly neighbors.

So I believe we should observe what a beautiful place we live in, be grateful, and remember that there is never an acceptable reason for arrogance and rudeness

Jayne Gould River Forest

e last can of baked beans

Tonight, I will eat my last can of B&M Baked Beans, which I have consumed since I was a child. Its main component featured Michigan-grown Navy Pea Beans, coming from Michigan’s thumb area. My father was in charge of promoting Michigan agricultural products and there was a Michigan Bean Queen, all reasons for my love of this product, plus it featured the recipe for original Boston Baked Beans

We always bought them at Jewel in the distinctive brown glass jars. Then no longer and I thought they had just been pushed out by Bush’s many varieties of canned beans, which all use the

despicably large Great Norther n Beans from Idaho. Nowhere could I find them except for Amazon.

For a few times I could order them from Amazon by the case. Then no longer there. What I found out is that B&M went out of business in Portland, Maine, about 2021, their distinctive sign taken down and the land developed for a college

I have been living the twilight zone of stocks canned back about three years. This is the last can. Nothing can replace B&M brand, but I keep looking.

Charles Chauncey Wells Oak Park

Will our local FOP renounce the Trump ticket?

The national Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed the disgraced Donald Trump for president in November’s election. Is it possible that the local Oak Park FOP Lodge #8 could disavow the national organization’s endorsement?

If for mer Republican U.S. Rep. Lynne Cheney and her infamous father can renounce the Trump/Vance ticket, why not the local chapter of the FOP also?

Chris Donovan Oak Park

anks to West Sub’s Rehab unit

In the beginning of August, I was an inpatient in the Rehab Department of West Suburban Hospital. I want to make public my appreciation of the care, concern and professionalism I experienced from every member of that unit during my nearly two-week stay.

The difficult physical situation I was in when admitted improved and was made positive by the exceptional staff. My deep thanks to all of them.

Mary Jane Peterson River Forest

More facts, less rhetoric

Do we actually live in a great democracy? Why is it acceptable for both presidential candidates to not directly answer questions? Is it really impossible to check falsehoods in real time? Better debates are possible. Questions can be displayed in large, bright letters above each debater for everyone to see. This should make it much harder for a politician to change the topic

We have millions of viewers with

online search ability. Crowd-sourcing fact checks would be much better than interpretations from one-sided podcasters or a small group of usually biased, well-groomed news readers. At the end of the debate, a person presenting misinformation could be given a chance to respond to discovered contradictions Aren’t we all better off with the truth?

Robert Sullivan Oak Park

Down with the duopoly

I just read some WJ opinion letters. First, someone was thanking someone else for a retort to an earlier edition’s piece that was apparently unfavorable to Kamala Harris. The term “logical fallacy” was given consideration. Logical reasoning involves evidence, be it stone cold fact or inferential reasoning — connect the dots — to draw a conclusion.

Fallacies of reasoning are all emotional appeals. Emotional appeals are the bedrock of both commercial advertising and political campaigning. It takes a criticalthinking mind to parse the emotion and seek a logical reason to buy that particular box of cereal or vote for a particular candidate. If one lets his or her emotions exclusively guide their choices, then good luck with that. You might roll a 7 or get “snake eyes.”

That cereal may be loaded with ultra-processed ing redients. Maybe not. Consult a biochemist or Consumer Re ports. Do that and informed, logical reasoning ensues. As far as for whom to vote, do you seek unbiased analysis on that candidate’s platform and proposals? Are they realistic? Are the ideas endorsed by the candidate working to good effect elsewhere? Does the candidate seem to be consistent in the prof fered policy proposals? Or is it a variation of “two chickens in every pot” pontificating? Cheap emotional reasoning.

In my opinion, backed by for mal education, research and writing and understanding of history, I’d say any Democratic candidate or current office holder is very suspect (I need not bother with a debunking of Agent Orang e, do I?). In the last 45 years, and in spite of the Donkey Party having occasionally been given a majority in both Houses, and the Oval Office, what have they done with that political power? Look around, huh? This isn’t the FDR or Truman Democratic Party, that’s for sure. We have a cor rupt and corrosive duopoly disguised as opposing political forces Smoke and mirrors. And any third-party candidate is confronted with expensive and harassing legal challenges and completely ignored by the corporate broadcast print and electronic media. What I see very clearly is a ri gged and cynical system that uses the greatest fallacy of reasoning of all, the fear appeal, to keep the electorate afraid of voting for a third-party. Or even knowing one exists! When I encounter these current squabbles about Har ris or the Insur rectionist, it means that duopoly has the public right where it wants them: unable to realize they have the power to change things. But one cannot use their power until they first realize they have it. Wake up. Demand better.

Joe Harrington Oak Park

Carleton

TOM WEITZEL

e county should do it

from page 27

job. That means you are shortening the shifts and, therefore, fewer officers are patrolling during that time. Municipalities are paying overtime somewhere, whether to the transport officers or the officers covering the street while an officer handles the prisoners. Additionally, municipal police departments are not set up as lock-up facilities. They are not set up as lock-up keepers.

The liability of local municipalities to house prisoners is enormous, as is the responsibility and the overall strain on resources. No resident wants their local police officer spending vast amounts of time out of the village they are patrolling to manage prisoner transport and bond hearings. It costs additional money, the liability is extreme, and the possibility of officers getting injured on prisoner transport is high. If officers are getting injured on these transports, you can bet that taxpayers are paying for it through high worker compensation costs. If there’s any doubt about my commitment to efficient police services, I urge you to read the op-ed I wrote in Wednesday Journal in 2022. In that piece, I advocated for the merger of small municipal police departments, a move that would significantly improve efficiency. This commitment to efficiency is at the core of my a dvocacy for consolidating prisoner management services under the Cook County Sherif f’s Police.

Tom Weitzel retired from the Riverside Police De partment in May 2021 after 37 years in law enforcement, 13 of which were as chief of police. His opinions are his own.

and the reunion

I have live d in Oak Pa rk for 28 years and until I star ted p lanning a family reunion to be held there, I knew little about the Carleton Hotel. What a gem! Its conference rooms and intimate ballroom we re perfect for my gathering of around 40 people coming in from nearby suburbs and out of state.

Catering and Event Manager Katie Fox provided exceptional customer service from our first conversation when she took my wide-ranging vision and started to map out a practical and personalized plan for creating a truly special event. Katie met with me several times, answered all my (many) questions, and shared my excitement — suggesting things that she had seen work well for similar gatherings —

all within range of my modest budget. When I had to postpone the reunion due to a death in the family a week before the event, Katie was truly sympathetic. I was able to commiserate with her because I’d come to view her as a member of my extended family. I learned that Katie’s father had purchased the hotel in the 1970s, so it’s a family business that really feels like one. I want everyone to know what a special place the Carleton is, and I cannot wait to hold our postponed event there in the coming year.

With pride in our local businesses,

BOB PREVIDI Making the CTA safe

from page 27

midable challenge, and it’s unrealistic to expect the CTA to handle this alone. Currently, a 911 call triggers emergency responses, but we need a system that also addresses non-emergency issues and prevents problems before they escalate

We must start by understanding the scale of the problem. If we don’t know how many calls for help are made each day, how can we develop an effective response?

Effective communication between the public and the CTA Control Center is crucial for managing this situation. We need new protocols for nonemergency communication, allowing passengers to send anonymous updates about distressed situations or emerging issues. Although the CTA has shown capability in handling severe crises — such as the Forest Park incident, where the suspect was apprehended within 90 minutes — our focus should now include proactive and preventive measures that segregate emergency and non-emergencies. Utilizing modern technology and communication tools will help improve safety and ensure effective 24/7 operations in partnership with the public

A campaign promoting courtesy on public transit is also essential. Elected leaders, including the gover nor and mayor, should advocate for respectful and safe transit behavior. Simple acts, such as offering seats to the elderly or pregnant women, avoiding loud conversations, and keeping doorways clear, can greatly enhance the riding experience and improve service efficiency.

Currently, the CTA’s approach often relies on fear-inducing automated messages. Instead, we should use real human voices to convey positive updates during delays and encourage respectful behavior. This shift can foster a more welcoming environment and a sense of community spirit.

The el is a defining feature of Chicago—it should be clean, safe, inviting, and, above all, welcoming

It’s time for comprehensive changes that prioritize both safety and respect in our public transit system but we must also realize that transit agencies can’t afford to accomplish this within their current budgets. We must find other means of paying for the professional services needed for this to succeed. Let’s make public transit work for everyone by effectively managing this challenge.

Sheila Black Haennicke Oak Park

Bob Previdi is a former planner and spokesperson for NYC Transit and the Philadelphia City Council, currently residing in Philadelphia. He worked as a communications and political consultant and lived in Chicago for most of 2023.

Howard Hansen, 100

Social Security eld rep and programmer

Howard Hansen, est Park, his home, by his July 5, 2024 after a brief grew up in Marquette, resided ears in here he Charlis Florida, ansas. About a decade Park to be near his sons. He was a frequent customer est Park March locks there from hi ench on the

d Unitar harlis in the ounding member of the tion of the Swannanoa Valley in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Active in the Civil Rights Move ment, he contributed to other social justice and environmental causes. He and Charli were signatories on the letter published in 1964 in the Oak Leaves titled, “The Right of All People to Live Where They Choose.” He retired from two careers. First he worked on Chicago’s West Side as a field representative for the Social Security Administration and then as a Cobol programmer after retiring as a field rep. He served stateside in the U.S. Ar my during WWII as an instructor

After Charlis died, Howard became the husband of Autumn Earth (maiden name Ballentine), and later JoAn (previous last name Staudinger, maiden name Wilmon). He is survived by his sons, Frank and Howard (Buddy); his daughters in law, Rebecca Irwin and Patricia Williams; and his two grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Third Unitarian Church in Chicago on Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Third Unitarian Church’s Austin Scholars Program.

The family would like to thank the Neurology and Palliative Care Teams at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood, Suncrest Hospice, and Amada Senior Care for their wonderful support and aid during Howard’s final days

Antoinette Seidelmann,

80 , FLW docent

Antoinette Louse “Toni Lou” (Pighetti) Seidelmann, 80, died with her husband and living daughter by her side on June 14, 2024. Born on Nov. 15, 1945 in Chicago Jeanette (Andersen) Pighetti and Anthony Louis Pighetti, she graduated from Tuley High School in 1963, and attended Chicago Teacher College North, now called Northeastern Illinois, to pursue a degree in Mathematics Education, graduating in 1966. She began a long career teaching math, her passion, to students at the elementary, middle, high school, and eventu-

ally college level.

In 1965, she met the love of her life, James Seidelmann at a best friend’s wedding, and were married on Oct. 21, 1967. After their first daughter was born, they purchased their first home in Oak Park. She pursued her master’s degree in Mathematics and was an active member of many Math teaching councils and organizations. She also found time to write a book, Stop the Vacuum, I Want to Get Off! and was a 30-year volunteer interpreter at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio She was also an active member in the Newcomer’s Club, the Oak Park Tennis Club, and United Lutheran Church.

She pursued her doctorate in Mathematics Education at Illinois State University, graduating in 2005, and wrote her dissertation on “Students’ Conception of Zero.” She finished her teaching career as the Math Department chair at Thor nridge High School, retiring in 2006, then moved permanently to Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia.

After being diagnosed with, and beating,

breast cancer in 2012, she lived the last 12 years of her life to the fullest.

Antoinette is survived by James Seidelmann, her husband of 57 years; her daughter, Elizabeth (Jack) Bataoel; her grandchildren, Justin Andrews, Zachary and Marion Bataoel; her sister, Joanne Lutzow; her two nephews, Robert (Dawn) and Christopher Harman; and countless cousins from the United States, Germany, and Italy. She was preceded in death by her parents, in-laws, sister-in-law, and her first-born daughter, Jennifer Andrews.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at United Lutheran Church in Oak Park. Her family invites anyone who was touched by Toni to please join them on this day.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests that donations be made to the Smith Mountain Lake AAUW in her name where a scholarship fund will be created. Please send all donations to SMAAUW, P.O. Box 632, Hardy VA 24101.

Bj Richards Memorial Service

A memorial service will be held for Bj Richards, 77, an accomplished and admired Oak Parker, who had a deep and lasting impact on children and families in the village. She died peacefully June 12, 2024, surrounded by her family. Her influence grew from her unique early childhood education program and the ounseling she did with local families on parenting and family ife. She ran a popular home child care program called Bj’s Kids out of a two-flat on the east side of Oak Park for 24 years — and then in Forest Park for several more years. Many people in Berwyn, Forest Park and Galewood knew and loved Bj he memorial service will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. in the beautiful sanctuary at First Baptist Church in Oak Park, which was chosen because it now houses the innovative Children’s School, which Bj thought was such a great and badly needed addition to the west suburban educational landscape. She served on the board of the school for many years. Refreshments and conversation will follow. Also some may want to tour The Children’s School

SPORTS

OPRF’s strong showing at RB Invite

Things are looking bright for girls swimming

By LAUREN RECCHIA

Contributing Reporter

The OPRF girls swim team is off to a strong start this season, and it showed at the Riverside-Brookfield Invitational Saturday.

The Huskies took fourth place at the invite with 171 points, as senior Kate Walby placed sixth in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:12.34), an event in which she qualified for state last season. She also placed eighth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:24.78.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” she said. “It’s definitely the time to experiment since it’s early in the season and I’m feeling good about the training we’re doing, and technique tweaks we’re doing.”

“Across the board, I’m really happy with how the girls did,” said head coach Clyde Lundgren. “When you watch their strokes, you can tell they’re battling. The fatigue sets in, but they keep pushing. That type of character attribute is something we really value. They’re putting the work in at practice, they’ve got great attitudes, and they’ re taking care of themselves outside of the pool. I’m delighted to be a part of it.”

Freshman Lily Cook took seventh place in the 500-yard freestyle (5:40.45), shaving 10 seconds from her previous time for the event, as well as 10th place in the 200-yard freestyle with another season-best time of 2:07.87. Walby, along with teammates Avaa Ruffer, Kyie Miller, and Evelyn Hasenbalg finished third in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:56.46.

“I think the team did very well overall,” Walby said. “We came out and just threw it all out there and had some really fast swims or just went out fast and hoped for the best, and that’s all you can do at the beginning of the season.”

Junior Hailey Boland took fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:00.54, and placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:10.23. Miller placed fifth (26.12) and Hasenbalg placed seventh (26.19) in the 50-yard freestyle. Hasenbalg also took ninth place in the 100-yard freestyle in 58.11 seconds. Junior Avaa Ruffer took sixth place in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:04.13. For diving, junior Jillian Louie took third place with a score of 203.15.

This was the first seeded meet for the team in this young season, after participating in the KP Invitational and a dual

OPRF’s Avaa Ru er during the 200 Yard Medley Relay at the RB Girl’s Swim Inv ite, Sept.14, at Riverside-Brook eld High School.

work on as the season progresses.

“I felt a lot better at this invite for sure,” she said. “We’ re more in shape now and it’s ents. hammerto strokes in Individual Medley, and my breaststroke needs some tweaking in the stroke, just a couple of things to fix up as the season goes on.”

Brantley back for OPRF girls basketball

Interim tag removed, she’s now the permanent varsity head coach

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

After serving on an interim basis last season, Renee Brantley is the new head coach of the Oak Park and River Forest High School varsity girls basketball team. The school announced her

full-time hiring in a press release, Sept. 13. “It’s a blessing I’ll never take for granted,” Brantley told Wednesday Journal in an interview. “I just want to be able to help improve the program, change the culture, and put our young athletes in a good position to be successful on and of f the court.”

“Renee has a passion for basketball and a student-centered approach to coaching,” OPRF Athletic Director Nicole Ebsen said in a statement. “Not only is she trying to develop athletes, but it is clear she is trying to develop good hu-

See BRANTLEY on pa ge 34

Fenwick, Trinity girls swimmers show promise

Equal parts experience and youth bene t Friars, Blazers

BY MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

The Fenwick High School girls swimming team placed third at the Fenwick Relays, Sept 14, with 424 points. The Friars were victorious in one individual event and two relays

Senior Anna Doherty, who last year established a new school record in the 500 freestyle, won the 200 freestyle in a time of 1:55.70. She also competed in the 500 and was runner-up in a time of 5:11.74.

Fenwick’s 200 medley relay unit of freshman Samantha Stowe, sophomore Maggie Raniere, Doherty, and senior Evelyn Mulvihill won in a time of 1:50.95, while the 400 freestyle relay of Doherty, Raniere, sophomore Maeve Ryan, and Mulvihill prevailed in 3:37.97.

Doherty, Mulvihill, Raniere, and Ryan are four of Fenwick’s six returning state qualifiers, with the others being junior Claire Wood and senior Viktoria Castillo. Other retur ning varsity swimmers are sophomores Jill Peele and Sammie Reiss along with junior Regan McDonald. Stowe, along with classmate Audrey Munley, are the Friars’ top newcomers.

“The strengths of the team are the backstroke and breaststroke, and the rapid improvement of the freshmen,” said secondyear Fenwick coach Ben Munster. “Our team objectives are to win the relays at the sectional meet and get to the ‘A’ final at the state meet.”

Munster added that Fenwick’s other season

BRANTLE Y

from page 33

mans. Coach Brantley and her staf f will be working to not only develop our OPRF athletes, but also to develop relationships within the community through the Junior Huskies Feeder Program.”

Last year, Brantley led the Huskies to a 7-25 record, which was a five-win improvement over the previous season. She feels

goals are supporting the development of the program’s younger swimmers and get them to swim faster and win races at dual meets.

Trinity

Trinity High School also competed at the Fenwick Relays and finished sixth with 69 points. Senior Sarah Falkenholm, one of six returning varsity swimmers, posted the Blazers’ best individual finish, placing eighth in the 50 freestyle in a time of 26.27 seconds. She also finished 11th in the 100 freestyle in 59.19.

Other top returnees are seniors Avril Ruiz (100 butterfly), Emma Steadman and Mia Sznewajs (both distance freestyle). Newcomers include sophomore Theresa Olson in the 100 breaststroke and junior Eve Patrickus in the 50 and 100 freestyle

“I love how our team is performing so far this year,” said sixth-year Trinity coach Mary Gibson. “With our senior leadership and how hard the swimmers are training, our goal is to swim our fastest at the end of the season.”

Gibson adds that the Blazers always look forward to the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference meet because the quality of competition there serves as good preparation for the sectional.

“The ke y to our success is wo rk ing on the little things all season long so that when we are at sectionals, we will be able to race at our highest p otential,” G ibson stated. “I feel that we have a great school and a great team that wo rks hard, always t ries i ts b est, and improves over the c ourse of the whole season. ”

the experience was of great benefit.

“Experience, I think, is one of the best teachers,” Brantley said. “I was able to learn, grow, see a lot of improvement from my players, and put the foundation in place. As time went on, I got to see the girls gain a little more confidence.”

OPRF is scheduled to bring back at least 10 players when practice starts in November. Having such an experienced squad is a plus in Brantley’s eyes.

“Absolutely. I’m excited,” she said. “It allows us to continue to build that chemistry.

Fenw ick’s Anna Doherty sw ims the 200 Yard IM dur ing Hinsdale Central’s

Invitational at FMC Natatorium Aug. 31, in Wesmont.

I’m also excited about the young players we have coming up. They’ve been working hard in the offseason and they’re understanding what it takes to be a competitive team night in and night out.”

Like boys basketball coach Phil Gary, Brantley believes the creation of the Junior Huskies Feeder program will help strengthen the high school program. She is upbeat how things are going.

“It’s such an honor and privilege to watch the amazing young talent we have in our community,” Brantley said. “It allows kids

to play with one another and build relationships with the coaches, and also be around the high school players. It’s so much fun to see them grow and get better; hopefully we can get them to come to OPRF.”

While Brantley is optimistic about a program turnaround, she also realizes patience is necessary with the Huskies, who haven’t had a winning record since 2015-16. OPRF was 17-14 that season.

“It’s going to take some time,” she said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”

STEVE JOHNSTON

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of Robert Mulloy Thompson

Case Number 2024CONC001473

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Robert Mulloy Thompson to the new name of: Jack Mulloy Thompson

The court date will be held:

On January 9, 2025 at 9am via Zoom. Meeting ID 92302509713 Password 709022 Court room 1707.

Published in RB Landmark September 11, 18, 25, 2024

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: G24000482 on September 13, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of HARMONY TREE YOGA with the business located at: 1249 DEERFIELD PKWY, BUFFALO GROVE, IL 60089. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: MEGAN BRANCATO 1249 DEERFIELD PKWY APT 303 BUFFALO GROVE, IL 60089, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal September 18, 25, October 2, 2024

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

PRESCRIBED BURN AT SOUTH KIWANIS PARK

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project includes performing a prescribed burn at South Kiwanis Park located in the Village of Brookfield.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 2nd day of October 2024, in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 2nd day of October 2024, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 27th day of September 2024. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark September 18, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 16-24-Z

HEARING DATE:

October 9, 2024

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

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

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, Saint’s Rest, LLC, seeking a variance from the following sections of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance to allow six dwelling units in the building of the existing four-unit building at the premises commonly known as 429-431 Forest Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-102022-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-5 Two-Family Zoning District.

1. Section 4.3 (Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards) only allows TwoFamily dwelling units. The existing property is improved with a legal nonconforming four-unit building. The proposal is to allow two additional dwelling units in the building for a total of six dwelling units on the property.

2. Section 15.2 (B) requires that a nonconforming use of a structure cannot be expanded, extended, enlarged, or increased in intensity. The proposal is to add two additional dwelling units in the building of the existing nonconforming four-unit building which increases the intensity of use by two dwelling units.

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

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, September 18, 2024

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF AUDIT REPORT OF RIVER FOREST TOWNSHIP

River Forest Township hereby provides public notice that an audit of its funds for the period April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024 has been made, and that a report of such audit dated May 31, 2024 performed by IL NLP Audit and Tax LLP has been filed with the County Clerk of Cook County, in accordance with 30 ILCS 15/0.01 et seq. The full report of the audit, including of the component unit River Forest Civic Center Authority, is available for public inspection at the Township Office located 8020 Madison St, River Forest, IL 60305 during regular business hours plus available on the Township website under “Audited Financials > Fiscal Year 2024” at: riverforesttownship. org/townships-meetings-andfinancials.

Published in Wednesday Journal September 18, 2024

PUBLIC NOTICE

Public Notice is hereby given to all persons concerned that on the 11th day of September, 2024, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village of River Forest, Illinois, voted to amend its Rules and Regulations. Printed copies of the Rules and Regulations, as amended, may be obtained from the Office of the Village Clerk, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois. The Rules shall be effective as of September 28, 2024, or 10 days from the date of publication of this notice, whichever date is later.

Published in Wednesday Journal September 18, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 14-24-Z

HEARING DATE: October 9, 2024

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

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

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, Anthony Ehiri, seeking a variance from Section 4.3 (Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance to construct a third dwelling unit in the basement of an existing two-family dwelling unit building. The subject lot is 40 feet by 125 feet totaling 5000 square feet of land which is 700 square feet less than the required 5,700 square feet required to allow the Applicants to construct a third dwelling unit at the premises commonly known as 140 S. Austin Blvd., Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number

16-17-115-022-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-7 MultipleFamily Zoning District.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@ oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, September 18, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 15-24-Z

HEARING DATE: October 9, 2024

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

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

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, Worthy Body Work & Healing, to operate a massage service establishment pursuant to Section 8.3 (“Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 1011 Lake Street, Suite 304, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-126-0120000, in the DT Downtown Zoning District.

A copy of the application and

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

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@ oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, September 18, 2024

USAlliance Financial; TD Bank USA, N.A.; Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants Defendant 22 CH 3421 CALENDAR 60 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on October 15, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-17-328-003-0000. Commonly known as 1154 South Lombard Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group LLC, 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1540, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455. INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3251240

Wednesday Journal 091824

Scaman, Parakkat to compete in race for Oak Park village president

WHY THE Y’ RE RUNNING

Grow your savings faster at Byline Bank.

Village board dives into 5-year capital improvement plan

Oak Park trustees discuss parking, equipment and grant-funded projects

Parking

CDBG

AY

Fair Trade Rug Event

‘Rosemary with Ginger’

Transgender 101

BIG WEEK September 18-25

Oak Park Women’s Guild Annual Fundraiser: Restaurant Stroll

Voices Unboxed 2.0

In Ernie’s Footsteps: A Walking Tour of Young Hemingway’s Oak Park

David Ellis Author Visit

Children’s Day on Lake Street

The Perils of Election Disinformation

Book Bike: Wise Cup

Oak Park-River Forest Gangster Tour

Jazz Supper Club Night

‘Our Nazi’ Book Talk

JERUSALEM CAFE

State grant rekindles Harlem bridge project

Nine OPRF seniors qualify as National Merit semi nalists

Black, brown, native, rst-generation students also recognized

Festival brings African music to the West Side

The GhanAgain Music Festival raises funds for youth traveling to Ghana

Garage Sale

River Forest wants to slow tra c on Washington

O cials eye state grant to improve safety for bic yclists, pedestrians

Sponsored Content

Get a home cleaning in Oak Park that matches your values

River Forest to add ele ctric vehicle charging stations

ART BEAT

A long day, long on talent

Reviewing the rst annual Oak Park Film Festival

CIP

Replacing alleys

Equipment

Escape, Relax, Recharge.

SENIOR LIVING SUMMER RESPITE SPECIAL

Young lmmakers hold global awards celebration

Man approaches locals with handgun, steals wallet

Aggravated assault

Theft

Burglary

Catalytic converter theft

Motor vehicle theft

Arrests

VILLAGE P A competiti from pa

SC AMA

KE Y ISSUES

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PA R AKK AT

C ONTRASTING C

ANDIDATES

PA R AKK AT

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EXPERIENCE

SC AMA N

PA R AKK AT

Hop Stop celebrates beer and Riverside

Tickets sell out, so get to it

Welcome to Worship 2024

YOUR LOCAL RELIGION GUIDE

Find Community at Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

Connection | Transformation | Acceptance | Justice

Oak Park Temple: A Community for All

Oak Park Temple: A Community for All

Local Church Celebrates 100 Years

Find Community at Grace Lutheran Church

Welcome to First Presbyterian Church of River Forest

Unity, justice, and service to humanity with Baha’i Community of Oak Park

Painting prowess: Keeping historic beauties in shape is the name of the game

Quality

PAINTING

Painstaking sourcing

Mana prisoners is County fu