Wednesday Journal 092618 by Wednesday Journal

‘THE CHANGING AGING TOUR’

is coming to Oak Park, October 10. Ticket Info on page 24

JOURNAL W E D N E S D A Y

WATC H I N G ‘A M E R I C A T O M E ’ E P I S O D E V, PAGE 10

of Oak Park and River Forest

September 26, 2018 Vol. 39, No. 9 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

Lake Street makeover could take over a year

In synch The Huskies mascot performs with the drill team last Friday, during the homecoming halftime show at OPRF Stadium. For more photos, page 16.

$15 million project will run from Harlem to Austin By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The village of Oak Park has been planning a multimillion-dollar overhaul of Lake Street for years, but the project, which will redo sidewalks, lighting, street resurfacing, and water and sewer infrastructure, is set to begin in the spring of next year. The exact timeline for the project has yet to be determined but is expected to be released sometime within the next few weeks, according to Oak Park Village Engineer Bill McKenna. A presentation by village staff to business owners around Lake Street did note that the section of Lake Street from Harlem Avenue to North Marion Street will be closed from April through June of 2019, and the Marion Street intersection with Lake will be closed in early July. McKenna said in a telephone interview that the village aims to have the See STREETSCAPE on page 15

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Making the history he teaches

West Side native Prexy Nesbitt knew King and Mandela, worked with Obama By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

Prexy Nesbitt, 74, never did finish his PhD work on African History, in large part because he was too busy making the history he

was teaching at Columbia College in downtown Chicago. If there was a struggle against colonialism or racism in the last 60 years in Africa or the U.S., there’s a good chance the West Side native was involved. He addressed Nelson Mandela by his clan name, Madiba, a sign of both respect and affection used in the Nobel Prize winner’s presence only by those who were close to him. He worked side-by-side as a young man with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and he knows Barack Obama personally. The goal of his life’s journey, as well as the force that drove him, was literally to change

the world. “The vision of those liberation movements [in Africa] that I supported,” he said in a 2009 interview with Columbia College Chicago, “was about creating just, equitable, participatory societies … and creating a world in which race would no longer be the dominant force that it is even today. It was about building a new human being.” That lofty vision grew out of experiences in the first two decades of the activist-educator’s life. Rozell William Nesbitt — he hates the See NESBITT on page 12

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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FREE Screening Mammogram Early Detection Gives Us the Best Chance to Defeat Breast Cancer

Thanks to generous grant funding, Westlake Hospital is offering free screening mammograms to female residents of Proviso Township in these qualifying zip codes: 60104 Bellwood 60126 Elmhurst 60130 Forest Park 60141 Hines 60153 Maywood 60154 Westchester 60155 Broadview

60160 Melrose Park 60162 Hillside 60163 Berkley 60164 Northlake 60165 Stone Park 60305 River Forest 60513 Brookfield

60521 Hinsdale 60525 La Grange 60526 La Grange Park 60546 North Riverside 60558 Western Springs

Participants will be required to show proof of residence (Photo ID, Driver’s License or a utility bill reflecting the qualifying address). Participants must be at least 40 years old, or 35-40 years old with a strong family history of breast cancer, whose most recent screening mammogram was at least 365 days prior to the scheduled test. All FREE screening mammograms must be scheduled for and occur in the month of October, 2018. A physician’s order is required. Call (708) 783-5000 to schedule your screening mammogram today. Space is limited. Westlake Hospital 1225 West Lake Street, Melrose Park, IL 60160 westlakehosp.com © WH 2018 MDI082118

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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I N S I D E

R E P O R T

D97 racks up golden accolades

Oak Park Elementary Schools District 97 students, parents, faculty, staff and administrators have had quite a bit to brag about lately. Julian Middle School was recently named a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School “for its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for students with and without disabilities,” according to a statement released by the district. Julian — which boasts Unified Sports teams in golf, soccer, track, basketball and gymnastics — was one of only four schools in the state and 131 in the country that received the recognition. The district is also reveling in the fact that its prekindergarten program earned its first-ever Gold Circle of Quality rating from ExceleRate Illinois, the state’s quality recognition and improvement system for early childhood development programs. A Gold Circle distinction is the highest rating that preschools can receive. D97’s prekindergarten program serves 93 students.

Michael Romain

Ten restaurants honored in Johnson Awards

Beaming, with bows

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

The Oak Park and River Forest High School cheerleaders watch as the dance team performs last Friday, during the homecoming halftime show at the OPRF Stadium. More photos on page 16.

The Oak Park Department of Public Health and Board of Health has issued its annual Johnson Awards to the top 10 restaurants in the village with the highest health inspection scores. The awards are based on a two-year running average and are named after Oak Park’s first lunchroom, which operated in the 1890s on Lake Street. It is the fifth straight year for Buzz Café to be named a Johnson Award winner, making it the longest-running honoree. The winners are: ■ Boss Burrito, 1110 Westgate St. ■ Penny’s Noodle Shop, 1130 Chicago Ave. ■ Sagano Sushi, 731 Lake St. ■ Buzz Café, 905 Lombard Ave. ■ Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 1038 Lake St. ■ Jerusalem Café, 1030 Lake St. ■ Chipotle Mexican Grill, 1128 Lake St. ■ New Pot Restaurant, 727 Lake St. ■ Na Siam Thai Restaurant, 6851 North Ave. ■ Happiness Restaurant, 6222 Roosevelt Road

Ben IglarMobley, of Oak Park, wears black clothing and holds up a sign protesting Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination last Monday, at the northwest corner of Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park. More photos on page 9.

Timothy Inklebarger

Correction The story “Oak Park board: No way on Val’s Way” in the Sept. 19 edition incorrectly stated the vote count. Trustee Jim Taglia voted in favor of the proposal to allow the honorary street sign.

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

University Band Fall Concert Friday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m., Werner Auditorium, Concordia-Chicago: Hear the approximately 70-person band perform Leonard Bernstein, Jules Massenet, Malcom Arnold, Richard Wagner and more as Jean Harrison Bojes provides interesting facts on each piece. Freewill offerings accepted. Questions: 708-209-3060. 7400 Augusta St., River Forest.

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Sept. 26 - Oct. 3

BIG WEEK First Tuesday Film Club: ‘Three Identical Strangers’ Tuesday, Oct. 2, 10 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m., Lake Theatre: In this true story, three 19-year-olds discover they are identical triplets separated at birth. Their joyous reunion unravels a disturbing secret. $8.50; $6, matinee/seniors/children. Info: classiccinemas.com. 1022 Lake St., Oak Park.

Imaginary Journeys

Author Event: E. Michael Blake

Saturday, Sept. 29, 7:30 to 9 p.m., First United Church: Join The Chicago Gargoyle Brass and Organ Ensemble as they play new works and arrangements from composers such as Stravinsky and Purcell. The world-premiere title work “takes the listener on a rocketpowered interstellar adventure, inspired by recent astronomical discoveries.” $20; $15, seniors 55+; free, 18 and younger. Tickets/more: gargoylebrass.com. 848 Lake St., Oak Park.

OP District 97 Superintendent Community Café

Thursday, Sept. 27, 7 to 8 p.m., Buzz Café: Saturday, Sept. 29, 1:30 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 30, 10:30 a.m., Meet Superintendent Carol Kelley at an informal Grace Episcopal Church: discussion about what is happening in the district See African-American theologian and author Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings, from and community. Next meet-up: Thursday, Oct. Yale Divinity School, as he focuses on racism and the resurgence of the white suprem25, 9 to 10 a.m., Live Café. Buzz: 905 S. acy movement and the role church can play in helping to dismantle racism. Saturday Lombard Ave. seminar: $35; $40, at the door (cash/checks only); $20, students. Sunday, all are welcome to hear Dr. Jennings during regular church services (free). Tickets/more: graceoakpark.org/ church-in-the-public-square.html. Questions: 708-386-8036. 924 Lake St, Oak Park.

Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m., at Eastgate Café: Meet the writer and performer as he does readings from The Bifurcation of 1890, a sci-fi novel about 19th-century baseball, and his collection of science fiction comedy sketches, Sense of Wonder on a Bare Stage. Self-published books available for purchase and signing. Questions: blakesketch@gmail. com. 102 Harrison St., Oak Park.

“Unveiled” Saturday, Sept. 29, 7 p.m., First Baptist Church: Rohina Malik portrays five Muslim women in a post-9/11 world as they serve tea and uncover what lies beneath the veil in this critically acclaimed one-woman show. Reception follows. Hosted by Oak Park’s Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. $20; $25, at the door. Tickets: goodshepherdlc. org. 820 Ontario St., Oak Park.

Race, Place & Discipleship

Opioid Use and Suicide Risk Thursday, Sept. 27, 2 to 3 p.m., Lower Level Classrooms A-D, West Suburban Medical Center: Many people living with an opioid-use disorder also suffer from depression or another mental illness and do not know how to seek help. Join PCC Behavioral Health Consultants to discuss risk factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts and suicide within this population. Register: 844-794-4301. 3 Erie Ct., Oak Park.

“America to Me” Viewing and Discussion Continues Monday, Oct. 1, 7 p.m., Auditorium, Oak Park & River Forest High School: Oak Park director Steve James filmed a year in the life of a dozen OPRF students; the 10-part series about race and equity continues showing on STARZ. Join members of the community to view episodes 6 through 10 of the Sundance featured documentary. Free. Other showings: Mondays, Oct. 8, 15, 22 and Sunday, Oct. 28. More: oppl.org/news-events/announcements/america-to-me-weeklyepisode-viewing-discussion, oprfhs.org/about/America-to-MeDocumentary-Series.cfm. 201 N. Scoville Ave., Oak Park.

Uncorked Plus Friday, Sept.28, 6 to 8 p.m., Oak Park Conservatory: Start the weekend with showcase tours, locally made wares and live music by Szurko Trio. Enjoy libations from Two Brothers Social Tap while snacking on bites from Q-BBQ. Plus - enter for a chance at five premier prize packages. Ages 21+. Admission includes two drink tickets and one food token. $15, advance; $18, at door (limited availability). Tickets/more: fopcon.org/ conservatory-event/uncorked- september-28/. 615 Garfield.

Out of the Box: Installation by Bryan Northup & Open Call Mondays through Fridays, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturdays, 1 to 4 p.m., Oak Park Art League: Using found materials often tossed in the trash, Northup created a sculptural installation incorporating submissions from an open call for artists who transformed a box of their choosing into art. Through Oct. 5. More: oakparkartleague.org/exhibitions. 720 Chicago Ave.

Design A Bookmark Contest Enter through Sept. 30, River Forest Library: To celebrate National Library Card Sign-Up Month, River Forest residents (pre-K to adult in four age categories) are invited to design a bookmark using the theme “What’s incredible about your library?” Win prizes from local businesses and a chance to have art turned into a bookmark for the community. Entry forms at the library, or: riverforestlibrary.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/09/Bookmark-Art-Competition-EntryForm-1.pdf. 735 Lathrop Ave.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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ART BEAT

Becoming an author in Oak Park is no mystery By JULIA BUCKLEY

Guest Author

moved to Oak Park when I got married in 1988; back then it was a sleepy, shady town with at least four used bookstores, and I loved to wander from one to another on a Sunday afternoon. Armchair Books and Joe’s Books were two of my favorites, but perhaps the best was the Left Bank Bookstall, which boasted a couple of resident bookstore cats and paperback mysteries for less than a dollar. I loaded up on those, building collections of mysteries written by Agatha Christie, Sue Grafton, Jill McGown, Ross MacDonald and P.D. James. And I always stayed on the lookout for books by that terrific 20th-century trio of Gothic suspense: Mary Stewart, Phyllis A. Whitney, and Victoria Holt. These were the women who descended from the likes of the Brontes and Daphne DuMaurier, keeping some of the alluring staples of Gothic fiction. Stewart was my favorite; I always said that if I, an introvert, ever stood in line to meet someone in person, it would be her. Around that time I started experimenting with writing my own mysteries. I learned my craft for more than a decade, in moments stolen away from work or mothering. I sold my first book in 2004, then won a contract with Penguin/Random House (Berkley Prime Crime) to write a cozy series. I decided to bundle together some of my favorite details from various Lake Michigan resort towns and use those sensory images to create Blue Lake, Indiana, where a young writer is given the chance of a lifetime: to live and work with a famous Gothic suspense novelist that she has always admired (this is called wish fulfillment through writing). The books were dubbed The Writer’s Apprentice series by the publisher, and the first book, A Dark and Stormy Murder, earned some surprising plaudits — from Writer’s Digest, who called it “A Noteworthy Traditional Mystery,” and from Charlaine Harris, creator of the Sookie Stackhouse books (which led to HBO’s True Blood), who blogged that “Dark and Stormy is a lot of fun.” There are several homages to Stewart in

this series, starting with the main character, Camilla Graham, who embodies what I imagine Stewart would have been like. Stewart started each chapter of her suspense novels with a literary epigraph, and I did the same, except my quotations come from a fictional Graham novel called “The Salzburg Train”. Many readers have enjoyed these faux passages so much I receive emails asking me where people can buy “The Salzburg Train”. When I tell them the book exists only in the fictional world of Blue Lake, they ask if I’d consider writing the book for real. I am beyond pleased that people are so drawn into my fictional world they want to find Camilla’s books in the library or bookstore. While the series had a quiet beginning, it has accumulated a loyal following. The third book, A Dark and Twisting Path, debuted on July 31 and hit the Barnes and Noble bestseller list two weeks later. This upward trend is due entirely to loyal readers and the more-precious-than-rubies word of mouth publicity. My other work for Penguin was a culinary mystery series. The Big Chili, the debut novel, takes readers into the small (also fictional) town of Pine Haven. It is a testament to my laziness that all my fictional towns are “near Chicago,” and this includes my newest mystery, set in a European teahouse, which will debut next year. My Oak Park life hasn’t changed much since those early days of wandering through dusty, beautiful bookstores; I still teach at Trinity High School in River Forest. My children grew up and went to school in Oak Park, and I live in the same little house where I wrote my first published novel, and in which I’ll most likely be sitting when you read this. I might be grading papers or toiling over a sentence that doesn’t sound quite right. For more on Julia Buckley, go to juliabuckley.com, Facebook: Julia Buckley Mystery Novels or Twitter: @juliabucks. Her mysteries are available at The Book Table, 1045 Lake St., Oak Park, and Centuries & Sleuths, 7419 Madison St., Forest Park.

~ the murphy family ~ servin'you & thankin'you since'62 — must be doin'somethin'right!

Walkers Welcome! Get outside with your family, friends and neighbors for this fun fitness activity in your community. All paces, even strollers, are welcome in the 5K.

Adam Doe

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REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW WWW.FLWRACES.COM

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Photo courtesy of Oak Park Village Hall

SWEET TREAT: Healthy hives at Oak Park Village Hall produced 200 jars of local honey for Food Pantry clients.

Village Hall donates honey haul Two hundred jars of hyperlocal honey gifted to OP-RF Food Pantry

Bryan C. Schultz, M.D., will retire on December 15, 2018, after practicing dermatology for 40 years in Oak Park. We wish him a very happy retirement. 1978

Dr. Schultz

Treating all skin diseases for all ages Botox, Juvederm and other cosmetic procedures

Rany Jazayerli, M.D.

The practice continues in Oak Park under Rany Jazayerli, M.D. He joined Dr. Schultz in 2015 and has been a board-certified dermatologist since 2003.

Mindy Agnew, sustainability coordinator, and Village Forestry Superintendent, Rob Sproule, show off the hives located on the second floor of Village Hall. Earlier this year six-thousand honey bees were given a home on the rooftop over the southern entrance of Village Hall. Today, the duo of hives house upwards of 60,000 honey bees and the colonies produced a substantial first honey harvest. Mindy Agnew, sustainability coordinator at Village Hall, and Village Forestry Superintendent, Rob Sproule, decided to donate their substantial honey haul (in excess of 50 pounds) to the Oak Park-River Forest Food Pantry earlier this month. "A donation like this sets a good precedent for these harvests," says Agnew of the food pantry donation, "because this honey is created in our village and went directly to a nutritionfocused program in the village." "This was such a gift for the pantry;" says Teri Miller, Director of Development, at the OP-RF Food Pantry, "you'd have to go to a specialty store to purchase local honey and it would be very expensive; the fact it was available to our clients is special." Food pantry nutritionists were on hand

to discuss the health benefits of consuming local, all-natural honey and pantry clients were quick to collect their portions. The honey from the village apiaries came to in 200 individual jars so every client visiting the pantry was able to take some home. Additionally some pantry clients were well aware of the bee keeping efforts in the village and were anxious to taste the local honey. The Village Hall honey bees flit from flower-to-flower throughout the community making their honey uniquely Oak Park flavored. Pesticides and mites are having an effect honey bees and their numbers are declining nationally. Sproule and Agnew are leading the charge to "help the bees help us." They suggest Oak Parkers can support the Village's bee colonies by planting pollinator friendly gardens. Welcoming honey bees in your yard is as simple as including native plants like bee balm, cone flowers, or black eyed susans in your landscape plans. Don't forget, docile honey bees get a bad rap thanks to more aggressive wasps and yellow jackets; honey bees only sting if they feel threatened. Caught the bee-keeping buzz? Oak Park home owners can establish up to two honey bee colonies as long as the apiaries meet specific code requirements. For more information on beekeeping in Oak Park, call 708.358.5480 or email health@oak-park.us.

MELISSA ELSMO

Jennifer Cunningham PA-C

708-383-6366 â&#x20AC;˘ www.cskinderm.com 1050 Chicago Ave, Oak Park 2560 Foxfield Rd. Suite 100, St. Charles 2128 Midlands Ct. #106, Sycamore.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Two Brothers closes in Oak Park Business was open for 16 months before closing up shop By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It’s been a short run for Two Brothers Social Tap restaurant, which closed its doors for the last time on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Neither Jim nor Jason Ebel – the two brothers and co-owners of the business – could immediately be reached for comment. But a sign was posted on the door of the business, located at 100 S. Marion St., stating that a new state regulation is what caused the restaurant to close. The tap room opened in May 2017. The letter states: “Due to recent changes to state regulation of licensing for craft brewers and brew pubs the Two Brothers Social Tap will be closing its doors … We would like to thank all of you that gave us love, support and encouragement in the past 16 months.” CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Cajun Boil & Bar headed to Pleasant District

New Orleans-style cuisine joint aims to open in November By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

Oak Parkers will soon get a taste of the bayou with a new restaurant coming to the Pleasant District that offers crab legs, crawfish – even fried alligator. That’s just a fraction of the dishes that will be offered at Cajun Boil & Bar, 1109 South Boulevard, according to co-owner and operating partner Kurtis Lott. The restaurant takes the place of Connolly’s Public House, which closed last summer after about a year and a half in business. Lott said Cajun Boil & Bar will be “the first restaurant of its kind in Oak Park” and will offer raw oysters, lobster, Cajun boils made to order and a wide variety of fried fish. “It’s a great Louisiana-style flare,” Lott said. The restaurant, which is expected to open in November, is owned by Dao Group, which has operated a number of Thai, su-

shi and Hibachi restaurants in the Chicago area, Lott said. “We noticed that a certain food trend coming on is these seafood boil restaurants,” he said, noting that Cajun Boil & Bar will have a relaxed atmosphere where patrons can dig in and enjoy themselves. It is the second location for the restaurant group, according to Lott, who noted that they’re opening a Cajun Boil & Bar location in Oak Brook Terrace in October. Asked why the group picked Oak Park for its newest location, Lott said: “Honestly, why not Oak Park? It’s full of foodies and people who enjoy dining out.” “You have a diverse group of consumers in Oak Park, and you have people who travel from other neighborhoods who come to Oak Park,” he said. “It’s such a mecca for what we’re trying to accomplish with our consumers.” Lott said the group aims to have blues bands perform at the location. “We haven’t pinpointed a night of the week,” he said.

Photos provided by Cajun Boil & Bar

Sunday brunches will offer chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and catfish and eggs, he said. “The bottomless mimosas and bloody Marys are going to be great,” he said. David King, president of Oak Park-based commercial real estate firm David King & Associates, brokered the deal. CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Sponsored Content

Awkward Age • Adolescent dogs start coming into their own but those teen years can be a little rough

months to two years for most dogs but can vary by breed, your dogs begin to make choices about who they like and who they don’t. Similar to your own teenage children, they won’t feel compelled to make nice with everyone.

his week and next, we’ll continue our series on the growth cycle of dogs, from puppy to senior, with a look at the adolescent years.

Parents often take note of the subtle changes in their children as they grow up. Maybe six years ago, your 13-year-old son loved meeting new kids at the park, laughing with children he just met as they slid down the slide or climbed over the jungle gym. Now, he’d rather stay by your side playing on his phone while you push your youngest on the swings. Or maybe your 15-year-old daughter used to crawl in bed with you during a storm when she was eight, snuggling up beside you until she fell asleep. Now, she’s so engrossed in her re-watching of “13 Ways” on Netflix that she doesn’t even give the thunder and lightning outside her window a second thought.

IN THE DOG HOUSE

That’s why they may retreat to their crate when your sister brings her kids over on Saturday. Sure, they might be disappointed that Captain doesn’t want to run around with them in the yard like he used to but Captain’s probably happy that no one will be pulling on his tail for the next few hours so it’s a tradeoff. As your dog’s owner, you need to be aware of your dog’s expanding preferences and to make sure he isn’t forced into situations that might end badly for everyone.

Additionally, those social walks with other friends and their dogs may become more difficult, as your own dog may not want to share Like it or not, your kids are growing up. What his time with you. Also, he may no longer feel you assumed would be lifetime patterns are no compelled to stop and sniff every dog he meets longer set in stone. But that’s not a bad thing and in some cases, may actually develop a dislike with Jill and you know it. Your kids are finding their own for certain dogs that were once his pals. Again, way, gaining confidence and learning—in small Showalter as the owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure and large ways—to become adults. Guess what? he doesn’t find himself in unpleasant situations. Despite their lifelong need for shelter and care, your dogs People love to tell you that their dogs are friendly when they are changing as well. No longer the mischievous little rascals and their snarling canine approach you at the park. It’s OK to say you played with as puppies, dogs in their teen years begin that your dog likes to be left alone when she’s on her leash and developing new personalities, establishing new priorities and move away. Again, if your son feels uncomfortable hanging out finding ways to assert themselves at home. with the Bugs Meany on your block, you don’t tell them to be ‘Give me some space’ quiet and “just go play.” You respect his choice and allow him to spend time with the people he likes and less or no time with the While your dogs aren’t going to threaten to run away every people he doesn’t. time you take away their iPhone, there’s a chance they may not want to be the social butterflies they were as puppies. In their Still, in both of these scenarios, it’s important to remember adolescent (also called their teen) years, which are roughly 10 that your dog has already established patterns by the time she’s

two years old. If you didn’t expose her to dogs, children, adults and more when she was a puppy, the less likely she’ll enjoy spending time with them as she gets older. In some cases, you’ll notice that dogs not only become more territorial about their own bodies but their own space and possessions. They may not want to share a bed with the cat anymore or let you keep their favorite blanket up on a shelf. We have to respect their choices.

Part of the plan If you have a dog approaching his or her adolescent era, don’t worry. Many of the aforementioned things are pretty normal and in some case, barely noticeable, but they are part of the normal growth cycle of a dog, just like they’re part of the normal growth cycle of a human. Parents—even those who continually preach consistency—know that they make adjustments as their kids get older. They also know that what worked with one child may not work with the other so they adjust. Dogs require the same consideration. The angry teenager locked in his room is the cliche but we all know those are temporary actions and outbursts. The teenagers who help with dinner, watch the Cubs with us and engage in the occasional conversation about life, in general, will always have our hearts and we’ll always have their backs. Our dogs are no different. Sure, they may not want to run alongside Patches from down the street anymore but we love them anyway. After all, we took responsibility for them when they first entered our homes. The occasional challenge doesn’t negate our promise to help them live happy, healthy lives. Jill Showalter owns Yuppie Puppy and Doggie Day Play in Oak Park. She has personally tended to more than 100,000 dogs since 2007 and has shared stories and advice with numerous dog owners.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

Owner unable to find someone to take over kids bookstore

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Magic Tree Bookstore to close

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It’s been a little over three years since Beth Albrecht bought Magic Tree Bookstore, 141 N. Oak Park Ave., but the bookseller announced on Sept. 20 that she’s closing the store that caters primarily to young readers. Albrecht could not immediately be reached for comment, but she said in a post online that she put a call out three months ago to anyone who might want to purchase the store. “I’ve spoken to a good number of terrific people, but none were able, in the end, to take on the financial responsibility and time commitment it takes to keep this great old store alive,” she wrote on the bookstore’s Facebook page. Oct. 21 is the store’s last day, she wrote.

By NONA TEPPER

Albrecht purchased the store from coowners Iris Yipp and Rose Joseph in 2015. The two founded the store in 1984. In her departing message, Albrecht praised her staff and clientele. “We’ve relished our relationships with members who’ve been shopping at the Magic Tree since its earliest years,” Albrecht wrote. “We sipped tea with the Mad Hatter, fought boggarts and played quidditch at our Harry Potter summer camp (Slytherin won the house cup), and cheered teens sharing their lives at Slam Poetry night with Spoken Word from OPRF. “We watched Maggie Stiefvater play the bagpipes surrounded by ghost pirates, listened to a panel of Chicago’s top speculative fiction authors discuss magic and outerspace and literature, danced to live bands and sang Christmas carols with Pro Musica Youth Chorus.” She said that despite all the enthusiasm for reading “we just don’t have enough people buying enough books to keep the store open.” CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Timothy Inklebarger/Staff

CLOSING THE BOOK: An Oak Park institution for 34 years will close shop on Oct. 21.

Court won’t toss Keystone’s lawsuit

Staff Reporter

A Cook County judge recently denied the village of River Forest’s request to throw out a lawsuit by Keystone Montessori, a nonprofit private school. “We are very pleased that our complaint against River Forest was validated by the court. This gives us further confidence that we are doing the right thing to support our school and the students and families of Keystone,” Vicki Shea, director of Keystone, said in a statement. Keystone filed its lawsuit against the village on March 6 in the Cook County Circuit Court, alleging River Forest officials said they would only approve the school’s zoning permit if Keystone agreed never to seek a property tax exemption. The lawsuit claims its agreement with the village contravenes public policy and constitutes unconstitutional condition, illegal contract zoning, illegal perpetual contract and equal protection violation. The school is asking for reimbursement for attorneys’ fees, $1.1 million in property taxes they said they paid over two decades, and an end to its agreement to the village. In the motion to dismiss, filed March 20 in the federal district court in the Northern District of Illinois, the village argues the school’s two federal complaints are subject to a two-year statute of limitations and its three contract claims are subject to a fiveyear statute of limitations. Therefore all of Keystone’s charges are untimely, the motion said.

“When a motion to dismiss such as this is denied, it means that the judge feels all the matters alleged in the complaint create valid claims.” JOHN MAUCK Chicago attorney

The motion also asserted that charges should be thrown out because Keystone knowingly signed an agreement to contract away its rights. Village attorneys argued the nonprofit had a right to agree to never seek a property tax exemption. In a statement, the village said it was “pleased” Judge Sanjay Tailor denied the motion. “The village will continue to defend the agreement, which has been in place for 20 years,” the statement reads. “Keystone Montessori has experienced significant financial troubles unrelated to its agreement with the village, and the village remains ready and willing to help it relocate its school to a suitable location so it may continue educating children.” In March, Busey Bank filed to foreclose on the school’s more than $2 million mortgage, according to records from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds.

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Attorney John Mauck, from the Chicagobased Mauck & Baker firm that is representing Keystone, has said that if the nonprofit school can break its agreement with the village and become tax-exempt, Keystone will be solvent and able to pay its mortgage and other obligations. The school pays about $100,000 annually in real estate taxes, and has not paid its 2017 taxes yet, Mauck said. He said the school had been relying on private donors to help pay the taxes, but this

past year donors stopped giving. “When a motion to dismiss such as this is denied, it means that the judge feels all the matters alleged in the complaint create valid claims,” Mauck said in a statement. “Because the judge upheld the complaint, and because River Forest repeatedly conceded that no substantive factual issues are disputed, we feel that Keystone is in a very strong legal position.” CONTACT: ntepper@wjinc.com

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Monday, October 1 – 1:15 Songs of Love & Faith – Soprano Kimberly Jones, pianist Luciano Laurentiu Monday, October 8 – 1:15 Beyond Silk and Porcelain: Arts of Asia Annie Morse, art educator – beyond celadons, woodblock prints and contemporary painting. ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Judge-ment Linnea Busbey, 4, of Oak Park, holds up a sign protesting Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination at Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue.

Tutor biz moves to Oak Park Huntington Learning Center relocates from River Forest after lease ends By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It was a good run in River Forest for Huntington Learning Center, a tutor and collegetest prep business, but after a quarter-century in operation there, the business has relocated to Oak Park. Owner Robert Hauck said in a telephone interview that Huntington Learning Center has relocated to 1135 N. Harlem Ave. from its old River Forest location at 400 Lathrop Ave. He said the relocation was the result of his lease ending and the owner aiming to bring in a different business. The new location gives him better visibility from Harlem Avenue and the ability to expand the business’ capacity, he said. “The families in this area truly value education, and we appreciate the opportunities we’ve had to partner with local schools and families to benefit thousands of kids over the years,” he said in a press release. Hauck has owned the franchise since 2005,

making it one of the top-performing Huntington Learning Centers in the country. He noted his center is in the top 20 among some 300 in the nation. Huntington has about 20 locations in the Chicago area. “When I knew I had to move, I wanted to stay in the Oak Park-River Forest area because the desire of students to do well in Oak Park and River Forest is positively there,” he said, adding that parents sometimes seek out tutoring for their kids here before the school directs them to look for help. Huntington’s Oak Park location, he said, has a reputation for getting a five-point gain for kids on the ACT and an average 200-point change for those taking the SAT. “We are in the top five of the whole Huntington system for our ACT-SAT prep,” he said. Students are welcomed for instruction between 3 and 9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. They’re open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The instruction focuses on reading, writing, math, study skills and college-exam prep. “We work on foundational skills that impact you across classes,” Hauck said. David King, president of the Oak Parkbased commercial real estate firm David King & Associates, brokered the deal. CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

Monday, October 15 – 1:15 Dirt is Good: The Microbiome and Human Health Professor Jack Gilbert, Ph.D. How do Amish and Hutterite children who, despite genetic similarities, grow up with very different immunities and what it means to us.

Monday, October 22 – 1:15 The Salem Witch Trials and the Power of Fear U.S Historian Joyce Haworth - When societal fear gained the upper hand and legal safeguards went out the window. Monday, October 29 –1:15 The Gothic Effect- How Modern Culture Reflects the Gothic Tradition Author Julia Buckley shows how the art of Edward Gorey, films of Tim Burton, and many genres of literature have descended from the Gothic ideal. COST: $15 requested donation for non non-members for Enrichment Series. LUNCH: precedes Monday programs at 12:00, $25 for non-members, RSVP required– all are welcome!

Evening Events and Other Activities October 13th 9–noon and 14th 1-5pm Open House Chicago: come and visit Amazing for All!

October 25 – 7:30 – 9pm Happy Hour Mind Boggles Curious minds + cash bar = Thoughtful discussion!

October 15, 7pm English Country Dance No partner needed. All dances taught and called.

October 28 – 3pm The Free Readers Ensemble The Foreigner by Larry Shue

Oak Park Festival Theater Radio Show

Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee Friday, October 19 – 7:30 Sunday, October 21 – 3:00 TICKETS: 708-300-9396 $32 General/ $25 Seniors/ $15 Student

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301 708-386-2729 For more information: nineteenthcentury.org

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

Episode 5: ‘I don’t have to think about being white’

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Bacon’s rebellion – in a gym

Crisis — the magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). “My grandfather left a passage in his diary expressing his indignation at receiving an inBy MICHAEL ROMAIN vitation to a ‘Negro’ picnic,” Du Bois writes. Staff Reporter “Alexander Du Bois, born in the Bahamas, son of Dr. James Du Bois of I watched this fifth episode, the well-known Du Bois famthe one in which we’re introily of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., had duced to the first two white been trained as a gentleman students the documentary in the Cheshire School of Conseries profiles, on the day I necticut, and the implications interviewed Austin and Miof a Negro picnic were anathchelle Harton. ema to his fastidious soul. It For 13 years, the Hartons meant close association with WATC H I N G operated Math Academy — a poverty, ignorance and sup‘ A M E R I C A T O M E ’ pressed hands-on tutoring program for and disadvantaged African-American students EPISODE V people, dirty and with bad in Oak Park looking to break manners.” into advanced math courses. They began by The same stereotypes of Negroes that Du teaching the students algebra, before advanc- Bois recalls his grandfather entertaining, ing to other kinds of math. Eventually they the Hartons said, were the ones that their found the need to introduce some history students would trot out when asked to deinto the curriculum. scribe how blacks are perceived (and how They made the students watch Eyes on we at times perceive ourselves) in the world the Prize and other movies starring positive of the 21st century. black role models like Men of Honor. After asking the students to list these negThey also made the students read “On Be- ative perceptions, the Hartons would then ing Ashamed of Oneself: An Essay on Race have the students counter the stereotypes Pride,” written by W.E.B. Du Bois and pub- they listed with actual attributes of the peolished in the September 1933 issue of The ple they loved and respected.

“We have to help our students break free of these stereotypes,” Michelle said, “but first we have to acknowledge that they’re real and that they don’t apply.” If the high-achieving black students who went through Math Academy — many of whom ended up at Ivy League schools — needed this kind of deprogramming, I shudder at what self-perceptions Ke’Shawn Kumsa may entertain. “Thank you for being one of the few teachers pushing harder than I am to succeed,” Kumsa writes in a card to Jessica Stovall in Episode 5. And if we need any more convincing of how powerful perception is, look no further than the basketball game between OPRF and Fenwick, which devolves into the predominantly white fan sections of each school trading stereotypes with the other side. We see whites stigmatizing whites based on perceived socioeconomic differences, and white OPRF students responding to some of the negative stereotypes they hear by doubling down on their stigmatization, becoming the rebels without a cause that the Fenwick students perceive them to be. In this moment, the late comedian Dick Gregory might say, white OPRF has become “niggerized” because race — black and white — has always been about more than skin color; at bottom, it has really been about power and control, about subjugation for some and freedom for others, about marginality and one’s distance from it. It is not merely coincidental that many of the whites we see in the documentary series so far, those most understanding and sympathetic to the struggles of black students, are well-versed in what Du Bois calls the “stigmata of degradation” — i.e. physically and psychologically within proximity to social stigma, suffering and shame. Paul Collins, the wrestling coach, is a reading teacher who was once, by his own admission, one of the students he now teaches. He lived mere blocks from the West Side of Chicago. His colleague, soccer coach Emily Stef-

fen, who also teaches reading and English to lower-track students, recalls one of her athletes telling her, “Whoa, coach I didn’t realize you taught those classes.” Fenwick and OPRF are contrasted most starkly by their proximity to poverty, economic precariousness and, quite frankly, blackness. The cheering OPRF students, black and white, are bonded, in that moment, by stigmas they have in common. During that scene, I thought of Bacon’s Rebellion. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy white landowner who had serious differences with how Virginia was being governed, gathered a militia comprising black slaves and indentured servants, both black and white, and rebelled against William Berkeley, Virginia’s governor. Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, wrote that the rebellion alarmed elite planters, “who were deeply fearful of the multiracial alliance of [indentured servants] and slaves. Word of Bacon’s Rebellion spread far and wide, and several more uprisings of a similar type followed. “In an effort to protect their superior status and economic position, the planters shifted their strategy for maintaining dominance. They abandoned their heavy reliance on indentured servants in favor of the importation of more black slaves.” After half a semester has passed, Steve James says, he finally finds whites who are willing to be profiled. We see both of them, Brendan Barrette and Caroline RoblingGriest, not as paragons of privilege, but from families that are positioned nearer to the periphery of the great radius of white, solid middle- or upper-middle-class comfort. There are, after all, degrees of assimilation. Money can buy distance from spaces and social conditions that are more often reserved for minorities. Absent that financial protection, there is just mutual struggle. And a myth that sticks out like an open rib cage. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Housing Forward, OPRF agree on data-sharing

Designed to more easily ID homeless students, increase support By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

During a special meeting on Sept. 18, the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education unanimously approved a data-sharing agreement with the nonprofit Housing Forward that authorizes D200 to share student information with the organization. The agreement, which Housing Forward already has with Oak Park Elementary Schools District 97, will allow the nonprofit to “proactively identify and enroll homeless families identified by District 200 and connect them to Housing Forward for assessment for diversion services and, if needed, development of a housing plan, financial counseling, stability services, for which they may be eligible,” according to a memo drafted by D200 Supt. Joylynn PruittAdams. According to Illinois State Report Card data, students without permanent or adequate homes have made up between 1

and 2 percent of the student body at OPRF — or 33 to 66 students — in any given year since 2014. Housing Forward, which is headquartered in Maywood, is an organization dedicated to providing comprehensive services and support for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Housing Forward is a member of the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition — a group of more than 30 organizations working to end homelessness. The coalition’s aim is to “make homelessness rare, brief, and one time,” according to Pruitt. D200 is also a member of the coalition. As part of the data-sharing agreement, a parent consent form authorizes the district to share students’ names, grades and the name and contact information of their parents. Parents have the ability to withdraw their consent at any time “Involvement in the program is on a voluntary basis and not mandatory for the school district or family,” Pruitt-Adams explained. Housing Forward and its agents cannot share any information that identifies a student or parent/guardian “with any other person, organization, agency or school” without permission from the parent/ guardian. It also cannot use a student’s information for commercial or any other

“Involvement in the program is on a voluntary basis and not mandatory for the school district or family.” JOYLYNN PRUITTADAMS D200 Superintendent

unauthorized purposes. Pruitt-Adams explained that the overarching goal of the agreement is to connect homeless families that are part of the OPRF community with Housing Forward’s services that are designed to transition people experiencing inadequate housing into more stable housing

situations. If district officials find out that the family of a student is experiencing housing hardship, they will connect them within eight weeks to Housing Forward so they can be screened for homeless prevention services. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Oak Parker leads effort on lead exposure Samina Hadi-Tabassum will evaluate a $600K lead pilot program

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

An Oak Park resident is playing a pivotal role in how Illinois approaches the problem of childhood lead exposure. Samina Hadi-Tabassum, an educator and researcher with the Erikson Institute, will evaluate a three-year pilot program in Cicero, Berwyn and Rockford — places with high rates of lead exposure. As part of the pilot programs, children in those areas who are under 3 years old and who have blood lead levels that are higher than 5 micrograms per deciliter (what the Center for Disease Control classifies as the “level of concern”) will automatically be eligible for a range of early intervention services. Previously, the CDC’s level of concern was set at 10 mcg/dL. “The early interventionists will come to the home, bring information about preventing lead exposure, and teach families how to

read and talk to children to make sure they won’t have cognitive delays much longer,” said Hadi-Tabassum. The pilot program is the result of $600,000 that the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation, a private foundation that focuses on children’s health, provided to Legal Council for Health Justice and Erikson Institute. If the program works in the three pilot areas, Hadi-Tabassum said, it could be rolled out across the state. She said the pilot program, the first of its kind in the country, studies whether or not providing intervention services will prevent complications from lead exposure when a child gets older, which is when they typically start to manifest. The study could have significant implications in places where there’s a concentration of old homes with lead-based paint and old, lead-based infrastructure, among other major risk factors for childhood lead expo-

sure. Hadi-Tabassum said that, even though she’s a clear-eyed researcher, the problem resonates on a more visceral, emotional level. Since having children of her own, she’s been vigilant about their lead exposure. “I live in an old home built in 1898,” she said. “We have lead in our building. I’ve looked at ways that we can seal up plaster, clean up dust, watch where our children crawl, wash their hands.” Amy Starin, a senior program officer with ILCHF, said in a statement that despite the “known harm caused by lead exposure, systems of public health, medicine, and social services struggle to provide families with the necessary testing, education, supports and interventions to ensure the best possible outcomes for children. This work promises to reshape how Illinois delivers services to at-risk children.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Samina Hadi-Tabassum

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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NESBITT

Adventures of a lifetime from page 1 name Rozell and always goes by Prexy — was born in Cook County Hospital in 1944 and grew up mainly in North Lawndale. His mother, Sadie Crain Nesbitt, was a teacher. “It wasn’t accidental,” he recalled, “that she took me to hear The Weavers [Pete Seeger’s group] and watch Katherine Dunham dance.” Sadie was a close friend of Mahalia Jackson, whom some critics refer to as “the queen of Gospel.” “When I first learned to drive,” Prexy said, “I remember taking recipes back and forth between my mother and Mahalia.” “I remember going through a phase of hating white people when I was 17 or 18,” he added. “My mother came to me one night and said, ‘If you want to have your own house, you can do whatever you want, but as long as you’re under my roof, you can’t have those attitudes.’” Prexy and his parents had experienced their share of discrimination from white people, but those negative interactions were balanced not only by his parents’ perspective on race but also by attending a Jewish nursery school and spending a summer in Sweden, hwere he lived with the Holmgren family between his junior and senior years in high school. “My parents were big advocates of interna-

Courtesy Columbia College Chicago

Growing up, Prexy’s mother suggested he volunteer with Martin Luther King Jr. on a whim. The work changed his life. tional exposure,” he explained. “Many of the Holmgrens and their friends have been here to see my family, and many of my family have been there to meet them. We’re like one family.” Prexy’s father was a union organizer and was very politically aware. “My father and mother were both oriented toward learning out of life,” he recalled.

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“There was book learnin’ and there was life learnin’ and you had to have a lot of both.” Prexy remembers fondly the 11-unit apartment building at 1514 S. Albany owned by his father and four of his father’s brothers. “It was an institution,” he said. “It wasn’t just a home. It was an institution.” He recalls meals the whole building would share together, one dish in one apartment,

the dessert in another, and so forth. It was there that he and his cousins heard stories like the one about a man on his mother’s side of the family whom they called “the gun-toting pastor.” “Pastors were special targets of the Ku Klux Klan,” he explained, “because they were the learned ones. Rev. Crane said, ‘Sometimes I got the gun in the pulpit and

I always fetch the Wednesday Journal!

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM sometimes I don’t. I ain’t worried about the people. It’s the bishops that I worry about.’ He was anti-hierarchy. He was a people’s kind of pastor. That’s the kind of tradition and values that I was raised with in my family.” Book learning also mattered. In the 1950s, Prexy’s parents pulled him out of public school and enrolled him in Francis Parker, a progressive school whose tuition was $2,000 per year, a lot of money then. On a trip he and his father took to visit Yale University and Oberlin College, they stopped to check out Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. “Black people called the town the oasis of the desert,” said Prexy, “because in the racism and bigotry down there in Southern Ohio, Yellow Springs was open.” He studied political science with a minor in 19th-century Russian literature at Antioch but what impacted Prexy even more was the year he spent at New University in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (1965-66). “It was mind-boggling,” he recalled. “It opened me up to an entirely different world.” Early on he met a group of students from South Africa, refugees from the Apartheid regime there. They invited him to listen to a recording of a speech given by a guy named Nelson Mandela. Mandela and nine other opponents were on trial for their lives. The charge was sabotage and the future Nobel Prize winner was found guilty. During the trial, when Mandela was given a chance to speak, he put into words a vision that would guide and energize Prexy for the rest of his life. Mandela said, “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” When Prexy returned to his home in Chicago in 1966, Dr. King was leading open housing marches in the city and using the Nesbitt family’s church building, Warren Avenue Church, as his base of operations. With four months to go before returning to Antioch College, Prexy’s mother suggested he “go and do some things with Dr. King.” “I worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference staff the whole summer and got very close to Dr. King,” he said. “Some of them became lifelong friends.”

Not your ivory tower academic ‘I’m not an academic in an ivory tower,” declared Nesbitt in an in August, right before leading a group of teachers on a trip to Cuba to learn how educators there are dealing with the issue of racism. “The ivory towers couldn’t tolerate me,” he said. Indeed, the Oak Park resident dropped out of graduate school at Columbia University in New York in 1966 because the school did not renew his financial aid after he was

“right in the middid organizing dle” of a student for unions, and protest against gave educational the Vietnam war speeches on beand the school’s half of the antiplans to expand apartheid cause. into Harlem. Part of his work Within a week in this counof dropping out, try was the efhe was drafted to fort to convince fight in the war schools, church he was protestdenominations ing, but evaded and unions to dithe draft by movvest from South ing to Africa to Africa as a tactic join the Mozamaimed at ending bique Liberaapartheid in that tion Front (FREcountry, an effort LIMO or Frente that culminated de Libertação de in the passage Moçambique), a here of the Commovement with prehensive Sancwhich he had tions Bill of 1986. become familiar Because he had while studying evaded the draft by moving to Afabroad in TanzaFile photogo rica and because nia a couple of the administrayears before. Nelson Mandela tion in power in “I did not agree with the war in Vietnam,” he explained, “and Washington regarded the liberation movedecided that if I’m going to fight, I want to ments he worked with as “communist,” Nesfight for something I could believe in, which bitt was under surveillance and had a file was the struggle against Portuguese colo- with the FBI. Packages delivered to him were nialism in East Africa. It was not an intellec- routinely opened before he received them. He would return to Africa many times, tual engagement for me. It was something I sometimes under cover, to edit magazines believed in very, very deeply.” As it turned out, Eduardo Mondlane, head and do other kinds of educational work in of the FRELIMO at the time, told him that support of liberation movements. One such they would not let him fight, but that they engagement took place in a convent in the did want him to contribute to their cause by Transkei region. He was transported under cover to impart what was helping to build schools. going on outside of South AfThat was the beginning of 50 rica to the information-hungry, years, on and off, of Nesbitt’s acanti-apartheid cadre assembled tive engagement with Africans there. He was then smuggled fighting to end colonialism and out — dressed as a nun — right apartheid in Sub-Saharan Afripast the South African security ca. In addition to FRELIMO, he forces. was actively engaged with five He was afraid to criticize libother liberation movements at eration movements when he different times. saw corruption. For example, “I decided to support these he authored a report in which liberation movements,” he exhe recommended discontinuplained, “because in my view ing funding for the Pan African they had a perspective and set Congress (PAC) because he had of objectives that were consisPREXY NESBITT uncovered “a lot of corruption tent with creating a world in going on with the use of monwhich race would no longer be ies.” the dominant force that it is Nesbitt worked for the World even today. It was about never seeing people as the enemy Council of Churches in Genebased on race; it was seeing systems as the va, Switzerland from 1979 through 1983 with enemy.” the Programme to Combat Racism, where Prexy’s work with FRELIMO was inter- he was able to get the WCC to withdraw its rupted in 1969 by a telegram he received money from banks involved with the apartfrom his father saying that his mother was heid regime in South Africa. dying. He arrived back in Chicago in time to The release of Nelson Mandela from jail see her once before she died, but his return in 1990 was, of course, a huge event that sigwas the beginning of a series of sojourns — naled a genuine shift in power in that counworking for oppressed people in Africa, then try and in all of Africa from white colonial in the U.S., Africa, Switzerland and so forth rule to self-governance by black Africans. — which would shape the trajectory of his The problem for Nesbitt was when black African rulers fell into the same abuses of life for decades. During the times he has lived in the U.S., power that infested their former colonial opNesbitt taught in a variety of schools, pressors.

“I’m not an academic in an ivory tower. The ivory towers couldn’t tolerate me.”

“There are not a lot of the leaders of those liberation movements who have kept the faith with the values that we were talking about,” he noted. Much of his work as an educator is done outside the classroom. At present, he teaches African History at Columbia College in downtown Chicago, but two weeks ago he returned from Cuba where he brought American teachers to dialogue with teachers on the island about how they are addressing the issue of racism. He is anxious to get Americans to visit other countries, in part because he thinks Americans are uninformed, misinformed or at best partially informed about what is going on in the rest of the world. “If people are not knowledgeable about the history,” he said, “you can’t change any attitudes or convictions they have. That’s why I teach and take people to places like South Africa and Cuba. I watch them and I see lights go on in their heads and hear them ask, ‘Why did I not know about this before?’ That’s what I do with my organization, Making the Road.” In a very real sense, Nesbitt’s underlying mission is not to help students learn about Africa as much as to help students see their lives from a new perspective. “I learned out of all of this involvement,” he says, “that it wasn’t about skin color. It was being with people who paid the highest price you can possibly pay for your values. Being taught by people like that, I internalized a much more clear understanding that would be the basis of the organization of all my life.” His years working with liberation movements also gave him a new perspective on his own country. To explain, he quoted an African he greatly admires, named Amilcar Cabral, who once told him, “The highest form of solidarity you can give us Africans is to change the conditions and circumstances of the United States.” “I think it’s truer now than it’s ever been before,” he said. “Because the United States sets the pace and shapes the framework for so much of world affairs and of human interactions, it’s only going to be when there is real change in the United States, that there will be possibilities for change in other parts of the world.” Looking back at a long life in which he participated in the making of the history he teaches, he admitted to having some regrets. “When I got involved with the liberation movements in Africa, I was told that I won’t be allowed to have a personal life, that my personal life will always be subordinate to the imperatives of the struggle. We were about changing the world, not trying to line up the loves of our lives. At the time, I very much believed that. Now I think it was all nonsense.” Is he happy? “I have had wonderful, wonderful people who have loved me and whom I have loved through the course of it all. Did I do well by the conventional measures of marital life and family? No. But did I do better by the other measures of friendship and contribution and serving? Then, I am very happy.”

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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C R I M E

Arrest made in March carjacking incident

Justin Ward, 18, of the 5000 block of Quincy, Chicago, was arrested at 11:01 a.m. in the 2700 block of South California and charged with a vehicular hijacking that occurred in Oak Park on March 28 in the 700 block of Van Buren.

Theft ■ A River Forest resident’s black 2016 Chrysler 300, which was reported stolen on Sept. 13, 2018, was recovered in the 3600 block of Sunset, Markham, by the Country Club Hills Police Department at 7:07 a.m. on Sept. 20. ■ A Wheaton resident’s black 2009 GMC Sierra, reported stolen on Aug. 29, was recovered by the Maywood Police Department in the 300 block of Legion, in Maywood, at 2:02 a.m. on Sept. 21. ■ An Oak Park woman was the victim of theft at 6:06 p.m. on Sept. 18, in the 900 block of South Oak Park Avenue, when a man approached the victim and grabbed her black purse and ran. The purse contained credit cards, $20 and an iPhone 6. The perpetrator was last seen running east. The estimated loss is $890. The thief was described as a black man between 5-foot-10 and 6-foot, thin and last seen wearing a gray hooded sweat-

STREETSCAPE

Merchants are worried from page 1 work completed in 2019, but the work on the east end of the project could dip into 2020. “We are still preparing final plans,” he said. “The intent is to have a January bidding of the project by the state for construction to start in spring of 2019.” He noted that the streetscaping portion of the project — this includes replacing street furniture, lighting and other aesthetic features, in addition to roadway and infrastructure improvements — runs from Harlem to North Euclid Avenue, while the Euclid to Austin portion of the project is simply a street resurfacing project. The village has received $3 million in federal funds for the streetscaping project, which means the state will handle the bidding process for the streetscaping, while the village will handle the bid for the resurfacing, said McKenna, adding that the village met with businesses to share the best information so they could start planning their 2019 sales season. Business owners are worried about the street closures and general traffic and parking headaches that come along with such streetscaping projects. Jim August, owner of The Irish Shop, 100 N. Oak Park Ave., and president of the

shirt and black pants.

Burglary ■ A 2017 Dodge Journey was burglarized in the 1000 block of Chicago Avenue, sometime between 5:45 p.m. on Sept. 19 and 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 20. The offenders ransacked the interior and took a women’s black wallet, adorned with multicolored skulls, which contained an Illinois ID, a Social Security Card and miscellaneous cards. The estimated loss is $15. ■ A residence was burglarized in the 800 block of South Maple at 2:13 p.m. on Sept. 18. The burglar broke a glass panel on the front door to gain entry, then stole a check book with a brown leather cover. The estimated loss is $50. ■ A residence in the 400 block of South Kenilworth was burglarized sometime between 3 a.m. on Sept. 12 and 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 20. The offender entered the apartment through an unlocked window and then ransacked the residence, stealing two MacBook computers. The estimated loss is $4,000. ■ A residence was burglarized in the 400 block of Harrison, sometime between 7:45 and 8:50 a.m. on Sept. 18. The burglar gained

Hemingway Business District, said he and others are working with various business groups in the downtown area to develop a marketing plan that will ease the pain of the long construction project. The village and other government entities, he said, are spending $15 million on the project, and some of that should go toward helping businesses survive the financial impact they will suffer from residents avoiding downtown. August said he is excited by the prospect of some of the design elements seen in downtown, such as brick crosswalks and some bluestone sidewalks, spreading east to the Hemingway Business District, which runs from Lake to Pleasant streets along Oak Park Avenue. “I think when it’s done it will really solidify the downtown districts,” he said. August said there is some consternation in the Hemingway District about the possible four-month closure of Lake Street between Oak Park Avenue and Euclid. “That would be disastrous for our businesses,” he said. McKenna said he believes it is unlikely that the street will be closed that long and the four-month timeframe is a conservative estimate. “We’ve got a lot of concerns about the four-month duration,” he said, adding that the village needs more time to run the numbers. The project is expected to cost a total of $15 million, a number that was reduced

entrance through an unlocked window and stole an iPhone 7, cash, a sapphire ring, an emerald ring and a gold wedding band. The estimated loss is $2,720. ■ A 2015 Toyota Highlander was burglarized in the 400 block of North Lombard, sometime between 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 and 10:02 a.m. on Sept. 18. The burglar entered the vehicle by unknown means and stole a wallet, which contained credit cards and IDs that were recovered in the alley. The estimated loss is $120. ■ Quentin Carter, 50, of the 1600 block of North Mobile, Chicago, was arrested in the 2700 block of South California, Chicago, at 9:50 a.m. on April 30 and charged with a residential burglary that occurred on June 15, 2017, in the 100 block of North Cuyler. ■ An apartment was burglarized in the 900 block of South Humphrey, sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 18. The burglar entered through the closed but unlocked kitchen window. Two bedrooms were ransacked. The estimated loss is unknown. ■ A Toyota Camry was burglarized in the 700 block of Lake Street, sometime between 5 and 9:58 p.m. on Sept. 18. The burglar stole a pink wallet that contained miscellaneous ID, credit cards and $5. The estimated loss

is $30. ■ A shed was burglarized in the 900 block of South Taylor, sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept. 17. The burglar used a pry tool to break the lock of the shed and then took a two leafblowers, a weed whacker and eight golf clubs. The estimated loss is $1,160. ■ A Wilmette resident’s 2011 Toyota Camry was burglarized in the 6800 block of Roosevelt Road about 1:10 p.m. on Sept. 17. The intruder gained entry by breaking the front driver side window. Once inside, access to the trunk was gained and a black suitcase containing cash was stolen. The estimated loss is $5,000. These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports, Sept. 12-21, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Timothy Inklebarger

“ think when it’s done it

will really solidify the downtown districts.” JIM AUGUST

Owner of The Irish Shop

from about $20 million by the Oak Park Board of Trustees. In an effort to cut the big price tag of the project, the village removed a section of Marion Street from Lake to Ontario Street. Bluestone planned for the sidewalks and other aesthetic aspects of the project also were modified or eliminated last year. “The current scope is showing regular concrete sidewalks from Harlem to (the west side of Target),” McKenna said. “In the mid-section from Forest to Oak Park Avenue we’re not doing decorative pavement materials.” He said that mid-section will entail “normal concrete sidewalks and a normal asphalt street.” “We did a lot of pencil sharpening to get down to that ($15 million) goal,” McKenna said. CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com

let your voice be heard

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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O P R F

H O M E C O M I N G

2 0 1 8

Photos by ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Bring the noise Oak Park and River Forest High School students put on a show during halftime of the homecoming game last Friday. Cheerleaders, dancers and members of the marching band fueled the football team to a 41 to 12 victory against Proviso West.

OPRF to develop racial equity policy

Principal Rouse says policy is not a response to ‘America to Me’ By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest High School Principal Nathaniel Rouse announced recently that school officials are working on developing a board policy and administrative procedures “that focus specifically on our commitment to racial equity.” Rouse made the announcement during a Committee of the Whole meeting held Sept. 18. Goal 2 in District 200’s strategic plan charges officials to “continuously strive to create

an environment where the academic achievement and social and emotional growth of students will no longer be predictable by race, socioeconomic status, or other social factors.” In a memo the principal drafted, Rouse said “codifying this commitment as policy would further our work to eliminate systemic barriers that maintain the status quo and historical opportunity and access gaps that have existed in our district for decades.” D200 school board members unanimously praised the first step toward drafting the policy, with some urging that the district adopt the same rigor and organizational discipline that went into changing an already existing policy and implementing a series of new procedures in order to increase supports for transgender and non-conforming students. The board adopted the policy

change and the new procedures in May. In the run-up to the May vote, the district convened a diverse committee of OPRF faculty and staff members, parents, experts and representatives from various organizations, such as Illinois Safe Schools Alliance and Lurie Children’s Hospital’s Gender and Sex Development Program. Board member Jennifer Cassell said she’s looking to see similar detail and comprehensiveness as the district works to develop its board policy and new procedures related to racial equity. Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams said there will be a similar committee of representatives from various stakeholder groups and areas of expertise that will help draft the racial equity policy and procedures. “I’ve been waiting three years for this,” said board member Fred Arkin, adding that

“it is time for action” on racial equity. Board members expressed hope that a formal policy and procedures would, once and for all, eliminate race as a predictor of student experiences in three areas in particular — academic performance, discipline and student belongingness. “This is a reason why a lot of us ran for this seat,” said board member Craig Iseli. “This is a huge topic.” Rouse said plans to develop a racial equity policy and procedures were in the works well before the new Starz documentary, America to Me, which is currently airing. “This is not a response to [the documentary series],” Rouse said. “It’s a response to my students and the conversations we’ve been having.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

SAY CONNECTS

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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JOURNAL

A YEAR-LONG SERIES FOCUSING ON COMMUNICATING OUR PRIORITIES FOR CHILDREN

Girls + Math = Gender stereotype? Local schools say girls match boys in math test scores

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

he long-held stereotypes that female students lag behind their male peers in math performance or that female students do not enjoy math as much as male students have largely fallen by the wayside in Oak Park and River Forest schools. Representatives of District 97, District 90 and District 200 report that very little disparity exists between the sexes in terms of math performance. Dr. Amy Warke, chief academic and accountability officer for the D97 Oak Park elementary schools, says that gender disparities in math have not been observed for years in the district. “Basically, we stopped cutting data by gender because there are no disparities by gender. We do continue to do spot checks, but there have not been any disparities with our local or state data in a number of years.” Warke does note that stereotypes may still exist around how the genders feel about math and says that a large focus of the district is countering stereotypes that may exist both in race and gender by using consistent messaging that D97 programming in STEM programming is for all students. This fall, the district is partnering with the Oak Park Public Library on a community read of “Whistling Vivaldi” by Claude Steele. Among other issues, the book explores stereotypes of race and gender in standardized testing. Warke says the book provides insight into the threat of various stereotypes in education, and she encourages all of the community to join in reading it. In River Forest, District 90 Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Alison Hawley says that the district does not have a statistical analysis of data broken down by gender, but she believes the gender breakdown in math classes is roughly equal parts male and female. “I can say that in terms of different classrooms, we do see strong representation

PROBLEM SOLVERS: Amelie El Mahmoud (above), a sophomore, goes over math questions with teammates on the Oak Park and River Forest High School Math Team. Coaches actively recruit young women to join the team. (ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) of girls in more accelerated math -probably half or more than half in those classes.” District 90 Math Coach Nancy Mueller says that the schools have been very intentional about improving girls’ interest in math. “We lean on Jo Boaler’s work,” she says of the Stanford University mathematics professor. “One

In partnership with

of the things she suggests to increase girls’ self-efficacy is eliminating timed activities. Doing so can reduce anxiety. District 90 eliminated that practice in our math programs.” At Oak Park and River Forest High School, Julie Frey, the math division

See GENDER on page 19

Are we ready for change? Oak Park and River Forest talk a good game about change. But change is hard. We’ll gather the community and its leaders to talk about what real change looks like at the first SAY Connects event. Coming soon at Percy Julian Middle School. Watch for the announcement. Sponsored by

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Choosing math: OPRF’s math team actively recruiting young women

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

heila Hardin remembers being a student at OPRF and never having a female math teacher. After graduating and studentteaching at the school and with 24 years as a teacher under her belt, she says the school has made great strides in providing female role models in math. Now the OPRF Math Team moderator and A.P. Calculus teacher, she hopes this will play out in future generations of females feeling more at home in the field but acknowledges that it’s still an uphill battle to recruit females for the school’s math team. “We are constantly worried about balance,” she says noting that teachers help identify students who might be interested in the team. “It’s not always “I love the people, the top students and not just honors stuI love that the Math dents. It’s the math Team makes math interest we are looking for.” fun, and I love the Senior Emma Lofcompetition.” gren says a number of factors played into — Amelie El Mahmoud, her joining the math Sophomore team last year. “All of my friends are on it, and my Tuesday afternoons were free.” The A.P. Statistics student adds, “I really loved my math class last year, and my math teacher was the senior team coach of WELCOMING CIRCLE: A racially and the math team.” gender diverse crew of OPRF Math In Hardin’s experience girls are often more comTeam members keep their heads down fortable joining the team with a group of friends, and she says that activities like marching band and do the work at a team practice. can siphon off potential members during busy (ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) seasons. She is always happy to work with other coaches and to accommodate full schedules to team. She remembers the junior high team as get more females on the team. While upper level “male-dominated and uncomfortable.” She math classes are balanced in terms of gender, she tried again in high school because she says, “I says, “Pushing females into STEM beyond the was ambitious and I wanted to get back into classroom is the next level.” math and science.” She enjoys team competiSophomore Amelie El Mahmoud is one of those tions, as well as problem solving. students who was initially drawn into math team For junior Rachel Taylor, the math team has enby a friend while at Percy Julian Middle School. It hanced her initial interest in the subject. “I’ve alhas proven a good fit for her skills and personality. ways liked math because you can analyze things “I love the people, I love that math team makes from a logical standpoint.” She joined the math math fun, and I love the competition.” team to find others who felt the same way about Teammate Charlotte Reynders, who hopes the subject. “A lot of people I know say they to work in a STEM field someday, also loves the hate math, so math team is a great way to find competition and loves math. “I like going to people who like it too. It also really helps with my meets and working under pressure. You also learn other classes.” a lot of things on math team that you don’t learn For Taylor, taking her love of math outside of in math class.” the classroom setting may pay dividends beFellow sophomore Eleanor Siegel initially yond high school: she is considering pursuing a joined the math team at Brooks but soon left the career in mathematics.

SOLVE FOR X: Elenor Sigel, a sophomore, left, and Eva Pisabaj, a freshman, solve problems during a Math Team practice. (ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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How race and income impact which students get enrichment

By SIOBHAN NEELA-STOCK Contributing Reporter

eanine Pedersen, 60, doesn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for a private math tutor for her oldest daughter, 16, who is a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School. But this doesn’t mean finances aren’t tight in her family. “You make choices and it [paying for a math tutor] meant that we didn’t travel as much as we liked to and I don’t get new clothes. To be honest, the shoes I have on my feet right now are cast offs from my kids,” Pedersen said. Pedersen and her husband have been paying for a private math tutor for her oldest daughter for the last three years of her daughter’s high school career. They pay $65 to $80 an hour each week for a private tutor. But the expense is worth it. “She’ll be able to finish calculus senior year, which means she won’t have to take calculus in college and she’ll be done with math,” Pedersen said. Cost calculations for enrichment are a real issue for many middle income and lower income families in these villages. More often than not, parents of low-income status cannot afford extra resources, like private tutors, for their children. Race often plays a hand in this. Racial minorities, on average, earn less than their white counterparts. Pedersen, who is white, believes economic status affects a family’s ability to pay for extras like math tutors but she doesn’t think race affects this. “There are plenty of parents of color in Oak Park who are in the same financial

GENDER continued from page 17 head, notes that the school has made great strides to counter gender stereotypes in math and says that in almost every performance metric, females perform as well as males in math at the school. Gender balance when hiring teachers is part of this effort. “We are really intentional about making sure our teachers represent the demographics of the kids. With our math teachers, it is probably about 50-50 male to female, and it’s not just men teaching

Math - 8th Grade PARCC 2017

Given the challenges with the PARCC assessment and the unreliability of the data, NWEA MAP scores will be used by SAY to measure progress going forward Note: Data is not listed for populations of 10 or less students

situation I am and they make the same choices,” Pedersen said. Julie Frey, the mathematics division head at the high school, agrees that a family’s financial status affects the resources, like math tutors, they can offer their children and that this is related with the success of their child in a particular subject. “There has been some research done on one-on-one math instruction and it

higher level math. Our A.P. Calc teachers are 50-50, and the class makeup in A.P. Calc is roughly 50-50 in terms of gender as well.” She notes that while at the University of Illinois Chicago, she observed the Master’s program in math was divided almost 50-50 between male and female students, but the PhD students were predominantly male. “The gender gap does still exist at this level and in engineering and computer science.” OPRF still has room to grow in terms of participation in some areas according to Frey. “A.P. Computer Science is almost all

definitely will increase success in learning math. So, if a kid is getting private tutoring, research says they will have more success than the kid they’re sitting next to that isn’t getting private tutors,” Frey said. However, unlike Pedersen, Frey doesn’t think race is a negligible factor. Frey, who has held her role for the past nine years, says the U.S. education system was designed for and built by white

people and this legacy affects teaching today. But she says the high school is trying to lessen this gap. “Standards-based grading. The research on that shows the kids who benefit the most are kids of color,” Frey said. Standards-based grading evaluates students on units they have passed. A student will not receive a grade in a unit, like algebra, until they have mastered all

boys. I just hired a female computer science teacher to try to get more girls to take that class.” She also notes that on the American Math Competition, an annual, national test for those in higher level math classes, very few students get to move on to the competitive level, and the majority of those are male. Of that disparity, Frey says, “Obviously, I don’t think there’s any difference in intelligence between the sexes, but there could be some very small systematic bias or some stereotype that girls think math is not for them.”

of the quizzes or tests in that unit. “It tells kids that learning something isn’t about some innate ability…I tell kids you can’t fail, you can only quit,” Frey said. This type of instruction is a big shift, Frey said, but it’s the route most schools are taking. Frey said conversations around race and equity are constant among teachers. There are also resources the high school offers that don’t require parents to shell out extravagant sums of money so their child can get ahead in math. “The tutoring center is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and through the entire day and it’s staffed heavier in mathematical expertise than in anything else,” Frey said. She also refers parents to Khan Academy, which offers free online courses in a variety of subjects, and free online digital textbooks the school provides. The school also offers summer school courses in math. During the 2018 summer session, the school charged $185 per credit. The school has financial assistance for families who can’t afford summer school, Frey said. But to significantly lessen the gap between the success of low-income students and students with more financial resources when it comes to math, there needs to be an intervention in the third grade, she said. “If a kid gets behind in third grade and then continues to lose ground, by the time they hit me they’re four or five grades behind,” Frey said. “So, the truth is that we as a society have to recognize how important education is. We all have to agree that all kids can learn.”

SHARP PENCIL: Silvia Gimbel hard at work on a Math Team practice test at OPRF. (ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Minding the math gap

District 97 finds ways to boost students of color into advanced math By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

ichelle Harton is a longtime Oak Park resident who worked as a senior staff engineer with Motorola for nearly two decades before becoming a high school math teacher. For 13 years, she and her husband, Austin, facilitated Math Academy, a homemade Oak Park support group that offered hands-on math tutoring for dozens of African American students. The couple, both engineers-turned-educators, drilled into participants the importance of self-confidence and a sense of belonging. “Of course, math acumen is important, but it’s really important for any student, especially students of color, to believe that they can excel and that they can achieve,” said Harton, a former District 97 school board member. “When you believe that you can excel and achieve, it changes your whole academic experience,” Harton said. “Stereotypes play a big role in students’ perceptions of themselves.” LeeAndra Khan, the former principal of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, said that those stereotypes can be invisibly reinforced through curricular barriers, which may bar black and low-income students from being exposed to high-level math. That’s why, when she was hired in 2015, one of the first things she did was examine the district’s process for allowing students to enter advanced math courses. She found that some black and brown students JUMP STARTER: LeeAndra Khan, former principal of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, boosted a group of black and brown stuwere not able to progress into higher level math dents into advanced math during her tenure at the school. (ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) ALEXA ROGALS/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER with their white peers — despite having similar test scores, which are major “Next year, those sixth-graders will be in the sevs suggests that her strat- to perform advanced math often hinges on whether criteria for advancement. e egy may have worked. or not that student is exposed to advanced math in enth grade and we’re anticipating that the percent“I wondered whether A Although the gap in math the first place. High performance follows exposure age will go up,” Warke said. ‘It’s really important, or not the district was Warke said that, in addition to eliminating lowa achievement separating and exposure reinforces high performance. keeping true to its own especially for students of “Generally, we decide that if a kid can’t do one level math curricula, the district has also impleblack and white students, b standards of entry,” she thing in math, then they can’t do what’s next,” said mented a variety of professional development proa well as low-income and color, to believe that they as said, “and I found that this non-low-income students, Khan. “That’s not true. Not every aspect of math cedures designed to identify implicit racial bias, and n wasn’t the case.” can excel and that they at a District 97 has dimin- has to be linear. Just because I don’t understand to promote cultural responsiveness, among teachThere were clearly other ished over the last three fractions doesn’t mean I can’t understand solving ers in the district. Officials have also taken steps to is can achieve.’ factors influencing the seyears, the contraction at the system of equations. Is the goal for students to boost the number of minority teachers and staff in y lection process. One of — Michelle Harton, Brooks has been even demonstrate mastery on an exam or is the goal for the district. B them, Khan discovered, them to get it?” more pronounced. “All of these steps go to breaking down the stem Former D97 school board member was parent advocacy. District 97 officials are thinking along these lines, reotype [of low achievement among minority and Khan’s radical intervenWhite students benefitted tion seems to have been as well. Warke said that the district eliminated low-income students],” Warke said. “It’s about makt from having parents who a leading indicator of how a “bottom tier” math curriculum last year, auto- ing sure every student knows that we know that were familiar with the rules of advancement and District 97 plans to address the so-called achieve- matically raising standards across the board for all they can do the work.” who were able to “subvert the process” to their incoming sixth-graders — regardless of “achievement gap between black and white students in the children’s advantage. ment” level. years ahead, particularly in math. What some black and brown children at Brooks Distribution of information by a community group “We ensured that all of our students are getting The idea that is gradually taking hold within the needed, Khan decided, was an advocate of their in accordance with District 97 policy does not imply, district, said Amy Warke, District 97’s chief academ- exposed to grade-level math or above,” Warke own with some insider awareness. That’s what she directly or indirectly, that the group’s program(s), ic and accountability officer, is that achievement fol- said. event(s) and/or service(s) is sanctioned, sponsored would be. As a result, she added, the district saw a 7 perlows equitable access and opportunity, as well as or endorsed by the district, the Board of Education “I bumped them up myself,” she said. cent increase in the number of students of color takuniform expectations. or the superintendent. One year after Khan left Brooks, the available data Both Warke and Khan said that a student’s ability ing advanced math in sixth grade.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

NEED TO REACH US?

oakpark.com/real-estate email: buphues@wjinc.com

Homes

By LACEY SIKORA

Architectural O Finds Tent Sale Coming to Oak Park

Contributing Reporter

n Sunday October 14, 2018, the first of its kind Architectural Finds Tent Sale will take place in Oak Park on the lawn of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. All proceeds of the sale will benefit the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society. Volunteer organizer Tom Abrahamson says he thinks this is the first time a local fundraiser has been so onmission in that historical, architectural items are being sold to benefit historical, architectural charities. The Oak Park resident and Frank Lloyd Wright homeowner got the idea for the sale a few years ago. “My basement is full of loads of things left behind by former homeowners. Among these were some column pieces. We have a Frank Lloyd Wright home, and the original columns had been left in the basement when they were remade.” Abrahamson sold the original Wright pieces on eBay and donated the proceeds to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and the Oak Park Education Foundation, and the idea for a charitable event was born. “I realized that our house is not unique,” he said, adding that there are probably a number of houses in Oak Park that have things historic items the basement or attic. “There is a lot of stuff that’s not so precious but that people want to buy.”

PHOTOS PROVIDED

ARCHITECTURAL FINDS: A light fixture and wrought iron gates donated by owners of the Harold C. Lewis House (above), designed in 1928 by Kenneth White. Abrahamson’s idea was also influenced by his time as president of the village’s Historic Preservation Commission, when he realized that when local homes are rehabbed, a lot of items end up in the landfill. During his See FINDS TENT SALE on page 25

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Wednesday Journal and A Tribe Called Aging welcome

The

Tour

Wednesday, October 10th Pilgrim Congregational Church | 460 Lake St. Oak Park A day long, 3 part event, blending medical science, storytelling and live music The ChangingAging Tour shatters our culture’s damaging myths about aging. This is a beautiful day and evening that fills one with hope and excitement for the future. Disrupt Dementia - ChangingAging Tour Disrupt Dementia 2:30-4:00pm | $20* This immersive and transformational non-fiction theater experience weaves film, music and first-person stories with groundbreaking research turning convention on its head by focusing on what we can all learn from people living with dementia, rather than from experts. This performance is designed for people living with dementia and their allies.

The Lobby Experience - ChangingAging Tour Lobby Experience 4:00-7:00pm In the lobby Dr. Bill Thomas and his friends have created an interactive experience for you to engage with the ideas presented in the afternoon performance, get plugged in with local culture changers’ and connect with others in your community. Dining options available on campus (within short walking distance) between performances.

Life’s Most Dangerous Game - ChangingAging Tour Life’s Most Dangerous Game 7:00-8:30pm | $20* Dr. Thomas’ signature “non-fiction” theatrical performance features original music, storytelling, poetry and groundbreaking insights on aging and care. Featuring musical guests Nate Silas Richardson and Namarah McCall.

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PHOTOS PROVIDED

MORE TREASURE: Among other items donated, Abrahamson collected a piece of column from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Rollin Furbeck House (upper left) and three leaded glass windows from the Wright-remodeled Hills DeCaro House (upper right).

FINDS TENT SALE from page 23 time on the Commission the group researched how other cities handled restoration of historic housing stock and learned that Portland, Oregon had a very active system of salvaging items, selling them and using the proceeds to better the community.

Beneficiaries Abrahamson, who spent his professional career in non-profit marketing, realized he had stumbled upon an opportunity uniquely fitting for Oak Park. “Fundraising for non-profits is both never-ending and it’s often hard to find something on mission. I approached the Trust and the Historical Society and they were both very excited about it,” he said. Tom Gull, Director of Development for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust says, “The Trust is delighted to participate in this event,” he said. “The proceeds will allow us to continue to offer programs such as our summer pop-up design studio for young children and complimentary tours for local residents several times a year. “As the organization that was an early leader in Oak Park’s historic preservation movement, we are delighted to offer another venue for reusing and repurposing these architectural finds.”

How It Works Abrahamson said he is seeking doors, windows, hardware, architectural elements, light fixtures, fireplace mantles, ironwork, and other items from Oak Park and River Forest homes. During September, he can schedule free pickup service at donors’ homes. Donors may also drop off their items during business hours at the ReUse Depot. Abrahamson urges donors to email him at tom.d.abrahamson@gmail.com to request donation information and instructions. Items can be donated through October 7. Abrahamson notes that the ReUse Depot of Maywood is offering its services pro bono to make the event run smoothly. If items are suitable for the sale, ReUse Depot will provide a free pickup service and store all of the materials in its warehouse prior to the sale. They will provide a charitable deduction receipt based on the value of the donated item. ReUse Depot is a certified partner of The Reuse People of America, a 501(c)3 nonprofit and will provide tax deduction forms at the time of donation. The donor will determine the value of their donation at an amount of up to $4,999; for items valued at $5,000 or more, a professional appraisal is required. Any items that do not sell during the event can be returned to the ReUse Depot, where they will be sold on consignment with the proceeds benefitting the Trust and Historical Society. See TENT SALE on page 26

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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FINDS TENT SALE Open Sunday 1-3

from page 25

1431 Ashland Ave., River Forest

Donated Items

MOST IMPRESSIVE. 6,500 sq. ft. stately colonial with porte cohere circular paver driveway! Grand foyer w/ 2-story winding staircase. Spectacular living room w/ wood burning fireplace adjoining sun porch; formal dining room; library w/wood burning fireplace; cherry cabinet kitchen w/wolf stove, Sub Zero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, breakfast room. 2nd flr has 5 BRs w/master suite, 3 updated BAs. Finished basement w/rec rm, game rm, laundry & summer kitchen. 3 car garage & coach house. 12’ pool with diving board; bar-b-que grill w/ spit. Tile roof & copper gutters. Seller is negotiable .................................................................................................. $1,588,888

Open Sunday 1-3 1222 N. Marion St., Oak Park LOVELY COLONIAL in northwest Oak Park on a nicely landscaped lot. Living room with wood burning fireplace; separate formal dining room; eat-in kitchen with breakfast bay and half bath; enclosed porch on 1st floor. On 2nd floor: master bedroom with walk-in closet; 2 spacious bedrooms; full bath. Finished basement has natural wood paneling, a bar, laundry room and storage. 2 car garage .......................... $449,900

To date, Abrahamson says he has already received significant donations. “Right now, more than twenty historic homes, many of them landmarked, have donated items to the sale,” he said. “We have several Frank Lloyd Wright homes donating stuff. There are some pretty amazing homes involved.” Donations include leaded glass windows from the Hills-DeCaro house, remodeled by Wright and Heywood Wakefield chairs from the River Forest’s Women’s Club designed by William Drummond. Other donations include original kitchen floors from a Wright home, columns, architectural artifacts, stained glass and leaded windows, doors, hardware, bathtubs, pedestal sinks, medicine cabinets, doorknobs, sconces and hardware. During the tent sale, each item will have a sales tag with a photo of the home it came from and a story about the item’s origin, which Abrahamson thinks contributes to the historical tenor of the event. “It’s pretty great that people can buy a little bit of history.”

Benefits Beyond a Clean Basement Gabe Caporale, CRS, CRB, GRI Managing Broker 708.473.7334 Serving Your Real Estate Needs Since 1971

I N T EG R I T Y & R ES U LTS 70 8 -36 6 -1 9 1 9 W W W.C A P O R A L E R E A LT Y.C O M

Abrahamson notes that the event has five benefits. It raises awareness in the community about historic preservation and reuse and provides a method for homeowners to make tax deductible donations of architecturally interesting materials. The event also raises

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Owners of the home once used as the River Forest Women’s Club, which was designed by William Drummond in 1913, donated a set of Heywood Wakefield chairs. funds for two important local organizations: the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and the Oak Park and River Forest Historical Society. It helps the environment by providing renovators and contractors an alternative to dumpsters and landfills, and it lets homeowners share the enjoyment of these treasures with others in the communities for their renovation and “upcycling” projects. The Architectural Finds Tent Sale will take place rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., on Sunday October 14th. The event is during the Open House Chicago weekend, an annual, free architectural tour of architecturally significant Chicago area buildings that brought over 2,000 visitors to the Oak Park area last year.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

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

MANAGING River Forest, BROKER/OWNERS

Pat Cesario Joe Cibula

Tom Poulos

236 FOREST • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

Julie Downey Kurt Fielder

Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox Laura Gancer Chris Garvey Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski

330 FOREST • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 122

Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Sherree Krisco Jack Lattner Susan Maienza Charlotte Messina Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney

Colleen Navigato John Pappas Sue Ponzio-Pappas Rosa Pitassi Caroline Rauch Michael Roche Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman

Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

1028 S EUCLID • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

1000 N MARION • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 13

N EW LI S T I N G! STUNNING RENOVATION by Birmingham Development. Situated on a tree lined cul-de-sac block, this four bedroom, three and one half bath home has been thoughtfully designed and constructed with high quality craftsmanship & great attention to detail. ...................................................................................... $999,000

RIVER FOREST HOMES

GREAT LOCATION & EASY LIVING in this single family Tri-level home on a quiet Cul-De-Sac street. Great flow for entertaining, complete with family room. MBR has an en-suite European bath. Finished lower level has a 1/2 bath, study and exercise room. Growth to make it your own............................................................... $639,000

WARM, INVITING CLASSIC OP HOME with vintage charm throughout. Double parlor LR has stained glass window, hardwood floors. DR is highlighted with beamed ceiling and built-in cabinet. Eat-in kitchen with cozy pot belly stove. Basement fam room, full bath, laundry, storage.............................................................$415,000

ADDITIONAL OPEN HOUSES • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail in both house and landscaped grounds. .........................................................................$2,399,000 BEAUTIFUL RIVER FOREST ESTATE features a stone and brick exterior leading to a timeless Interior. Includes a two story marble foyer, spiral staircase, 5 fireplaces..................................................................................................................$1,895,000 REMARKABLE TUDOR with four levels of living space, 6 BRs, 7-1/2 BAs. Winding staircase to 2nd floor, French doors to DR, elaborate library, family room, game room. ............................................................................................................$1,695,000 SPECTACULAR HOME offers modern/elegant architectural design, tasteful decor and impeccable attention to detail throughout, featuring 4 BRs, and 5 full baths. .......................................................................................................................$1,595,000 CLASSIC, ELEGANT HOME with exceptional design & open floor plan. Special features include a dramatic double door entry, gracious foyer, limestone mantle, open great room...............................................................................................................$1,250,000 SPECTACULAR HOME features generously sized bedrooms, loads of closet space, a chef’s kitchen. High end features throughout. Two car attached garage......... ...................................................................................................................................$1,200,000 IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED CONTEMPORARY HOME includes 3 BRs, 3 full and 3 half BAs, unique bamboo floors, multi-faced gas fireplace, in-ground pool. ......................................................................................................................................$940,000 LOVELY TUTOR HOME offers beautiful woodwork and custom built-ins throughout. Original details blend seamlessly with the updated 3-story addition....... ......................................................................................................................................$935,000 LOVELY BRICK GEORGIAN with elegance, modern day conveniences, and space. Hdwd floors, 3 fireplaces, sunroom with heated floors, LL rec room.$925,000 HANDSOME TUTOR with original details that beautifully blend with updated baths and kitchen. 4 BR, 4-1/2 BA home with full outdoor kitchen and patio............... ......................................................................................................................................$899,000 ELEGANT, GRACIOUS HOME with 4 BRs, 2-1/2 BAs offers, hardwood floors, beautiful molding, family room, eat-in kitchen, finished LL and whole house generator.................................................................................................................................$719,000 PRICE REDUCED SOLID BRICK GEORGIAN located on beautiful tree-lined street. This 3 BR, 2-1/2 BA home offers generous room sizes, sitting room, French doors, family room. ...................................................................................................$619,000 THIS IS YOUR PERFECT HOME! Brick, three generous sized bedroom Georgian on corner lot. Updated kitchen, 1st Fl fam rm, fin bsmt, laundry/storage room............................................................................................................................$599,000 BEAUTIFUL 3 LEVEL SINGLE FAMILY offers 3800+ sq/ft of living! Open concept on first floor. Second floor features 4 BRs & sunroom overlooking backyard. ......................................................................................................................................$595,000

RIVER FOREST 1140 JACKSON • OPEN SUNDAY 13

SETTING A NEW STANDARD in approachable elegance, this five BR, 3-1/2 bath home will exceed your expectations with wide plank hardwood floors, striking lighting and custom millwork throughout. One of a kind floor plan, and three fully finished levels. ...............$1,300,000

824 S HARVEY • OPEN SUNDAY 122

1206 LATHROP • OPEN SUNDAY 13

THIS HOME HAS IT ALL! Open floor plan, hardwood flooring and natural woodwork. High-end kitchen, first floor laundry area. Four large bedrooms. Large basement offers additional living space. 2-car attached garage. Tons of storage with lots of natural light throughout. ...$795,000

OAK PARK 106 S RIDGELAND UNIT 209 • OPEN SUNDAY 13

SO MUCH TO LOVE about this house in the Historic Harrison Street District built in 1913! Since then, house has doubled in size. It includes an open front porch, eco friendly lot and location, oak woodwork, family room, lower level office, built-in breakfast bar, 2 car garage. ....$469,000

NEWER ELEVATOR BUILDING! Remarkable corner unit with a fabulous open layout with bedrooms on adjacent but separate corridors, deluxe closet space, in unit washer/dryer, common area patio, Juliet balcony, extra storage. The location is a commuter’s dream! ....$315,000

ELMWOOD PARK 1731 N 74TH AVE • OPEN SUNDAY 13 1834 N 77TH CT • OPEN SUNDAY 1012

JUST MOVE IN! Serious pride of ownership is evident. First floor features LR with crown molding, a remodeled cook’s kitchen, separate breakfast room with built- ins, den. Two bedrooms and full bath. One first floor BR may be used as office or DR. Finished basement. A must see. ...............................................................................................$339,000

CHARMING ENGLISH TUDOR in River Forest Manor area! Sitting on an oversized lot, this 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath home offers hardwood floors, updated eat-in Kitchen, family room, large Master Suite, cedar closets, huge finished basement with rec room & wet bar. Large yard. .... ......................................................................................................$325,000

OAK PARK HOMES

CENTER OF TOWN VICTORIAN high ceilings, four spacious levels of living, 5 BRs, 3-12 Bas, sun room. Great flow, natural light & storage throughout! ....$675,000 GORGOUS TOTAL GUT REHAB of this unique bungalow. A lot of house in this 6 BR, 4-1/2 BA home with open floor plan, quality finishes, family room.....$675,000 MOVEIN READY! Enjoy the well thought out design of this 5 BR, 4 BA home! Open floor plan, kitchen/fam room combo, finished bsmt. .............................$599,900 CLASSIC QUEEN ANNE HOME with 3 BRs, 3-1/2 BAs includes sun rm, family rm, updated kitchen, great closet space, fin rec room, custom deck. ............$545,000 LARGE BUNGALOW with beautiful slate entry, amazing art glass windows, hardwood floors & stunning period lighting throughout! ...............................$529,900 ELEGANT BRICK HOME lives large! Great architectural details of yesteryear with today’s amenities. Fabulous and elegant brick home. .......................................$499,000 A TRUE OP BEAUTY! Enjoy the deep park-like lot in Northwest Oak Park. Well maintained 1905 Farmhouse with 3 BR, 1-1/2 baths. In great condition!......$479,900 PRICE REDUCED READY TO MOVE IN charming 3 BR home features a welcoming front porch with swing and sitting area. Home offers oak woodwork, stained glass & hardwood floors. ..........................................................................$458,000

PRICE REDUCED UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of OP! Meticulously renovated property offers exquisite details and refined finishes. A showcase home! ...................................................................$1,625,000 COMFORT & CONTENTMENT LIVING in gracious A.L. Gardner House. Many improvements include a total kitchen redo and finished 3rd floor family room............ ......................................................................................................................................$899,000 PRICE REDUCED YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED in this recently renovated, move-in ready E.E. Roberts home. This stunning 4 BR prairie style house is located in OP’s estate section. ................................................................................$899,000 STATELY BRICK CENTERENTRANCE COLONIAL. WB fireplace, high ceilings, crown molding, architectural details, leaded glass windows, hardwood throughout.................................................................................................................$760,000 LARGE ENGLISH COUNTRY TUDOR HOME with 5 BRs, 3-1/2 BAs in OP’s Historic District. Blends both old and new, with natural woodwork................$749,950 WONDERFUL HOME offers a combination of original features and updated modern conveniences in this five bedroom, 2 full, 2 half bath home. .............$749,000

THIS HOME HAS IT ALL! Bright, sunny north east lot located in Horace Mann School District. Freshly painted walls, refinished hardwood floors, over sized Master Bedroom with room for multiple seating arrangements. Beautiful gardening surrounds the home. ... ................................................................................................. $589,000 PRICE REDUCED SIDE ENTRANCE COLONIAL offers a generous LR with wood burning fireplace, formal DR, breakfast room, laundry in basement, mature fenced yard.................................................................................................................$450,000 MOVEIN READY, HANDSOME COLONIAL HOME. Hdwd flrs, new kitchen, 3 large BRs and heated enclosed porch. 3-car garage with storage.$419,000 PRICE REDUCED CLASSIC OP BRICK BUNGALOW in wonderful location! Newly decorated, hardwood floors thru-out, all new windows. Nice sized yard with patio. ..........................................................................................................................$380,000 CLASSIC OAK PARK BRICK HOME on a beautiful block in great location. Large living, hardwood floors under carpet. Large MBR + 2 additional bedrooms. .... ......................................................................................................................................$343,000

FOREST PARK HOMES METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED NEW CONSTRUCTION. Open floor plan features 10 ft ceilings, hardwood floors, and many custom details from crown molding to door handles...................................................................................................$464,000 TWO STORY BRICK & FRAME HOME w/open floor plan on first floor with slate entry & hardwood floors. Basement is semi finished with laundry room. ............ ......................................................................................................................................$399,000

ELMWOOD PARK HOMES PRICE REDUCED PERFECT 5 BR with beautiful open floor plan, hdwd floors, open kitchen, 1st floor family room. Lower level rec room with bar area. .....$450,000 LARGE BRICK COLONIAL beautifully renovated from top to bottom! Some updates include wood floors, plumbing, electrical, appliances, siding, roof. $419,000

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2-FLATS RIVER FOREST 3BR, 2BA. Two parking spaces.............................................$319,000 RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Penthouse Condo. ..............................................$265,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 3-1/2BA. Screened porch & open deck..............................$578,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 2-1/2 BA. Sun drenched unit. ..............................................$489,000 PRICE REDUCED OAK PARK 3BR, 3BA....................................................$412,500 PRICE REDUCED OAK PARK 3BR, 2BA.................................................... $249,000 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Original character/modern comforts. .......................$160,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Spacious, sunny, top floor.............................................$129,900 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Vintage condo. ...............................................................$115,000 PRICE REDUCED OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA....................................................$103,500 NEW LISTING OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA............................................................$64,000 PRICE REDUCED FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA.............................................$179,500 FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA. Vintage unit...........................................................$109,500

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

In The Village, Realtors®

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

HomesintheVillage.com Harry Walsh, Managing Broker

Mike Becker

Oak Park • $675,000 3BR, 2.1BA Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $788,800 4BR, 2.1BA Call Kyra x145

Oak Park • $639,998 4BR, 4.1BA Call Keri x127

Forest Park • $439,900 Multi unit Call Joe x117

Roz Byrne

Tom Byrne

Joelle Venzera

Oak Park • $319,900 3BR, 2.1BA Call Elissa x192

Oak Park • $419,800 3BR, 2.1BA Call Kyra x145

Oak Park • $262,000 3BR, 1BA Call Marion x111

Oak Park • $317,000 3BR, 2BA Call Joe x117

Kris Sagan

Home of The Week Laurie Christofano

Linda Rooney

Oak Park • $259,000 2BR, 1BA Call Steve x121

Forest Park • $219,900 2BR, 1BA Call Kris x101

Marion Digre

Kyra Pych

1006 Clinton Ave.

Morgan Digre

Ed Goodwin

Oak Park • $139,900 2BR, 1.1BA Call Keri x127

Oak Park • $109,900 1BR, 1BA Call Mike x120

Joe Langley

Dan Linzing

Jane McClelland

Open Sun 12-2 pm • Oak Park • $469,000 3BR, 3BA Call Roz x112

Keri Meacham

Mary Murphy

Steve Nasralla

Elissa Palermo

Karin Newburger

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Your local Real Estate Professionals Since 1933. FEATURED LISTING

FEATURED LISTING

202 S Euclid Ave. Oak Park

$1,225,000

Completely renovated and historically preserved estate in ideal location Agent: Swati Saxena & Lloyd Behrenbruch

ACTIVE LISTING

River Forest

$699,900

Berwyn

$450,000

Oak Park

$365,000

Oak Park

$379,900

$600,000

River Forest

$485,000

ACTIVE LISTING

$175,000

Enjoy tree top views from this sunny corner two bedroom vintage condo. Agent: Bobbi Schaper Eastman

Oak Park

$625,000

River Forest

Oak Park

$745,000

$1,150,000

$570,000

Forest Park

Oak Park

$649,000

ACTIVE LISTING

$569,000

Tons of living space, no maintenance needed for this home in FP’s Gold Coast district Agent: Patti McGuinness

Oak Park

Oak Park $224,900 Charm and character abound in this spacious two bedroom condominium Agent: Ann Keeney

Oak Park

$549,000

Chicago

$249,900

A very special garden unit in one of the city’s hottest neighborhoods! Agent: Mary Carlin

ACTIVE LISTING

$212,000

This charming townhome is fresh, clean, and move in ready! Agent: Peggy Letchos

1037 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park IL | 708.697. 5900 | BAIRDWARNER.COM

$499,900

Gorgeous and immaculate Queen Anne with room to roam beckons! Agent: Swati Saxena

ACTIVE LISTING

Amazing updated Queen Anne located in the heart of central Oak Park Agent: Steve Scheuring

River Forest

$739,000

Curb appeal galore on this deceivingly large farmhouse in great Oak Park location Agent: Leigh Ann Hughes

ACTIVE LISTING

Sophisticated and refined newly built duplex down a quiet tree lined street Agent: Boris Lehtman

$385,000

Well-cared for three unit building in great Forest Park location Agent: Rosemary Amani

ACTIVE LISTING

Victorian home located in Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright District Agent: Lois Bonaccorsi

ACTIVE LISTING

Rare opportunity in Downtown Oak Park to own excellent classic retail space Agent: Theresa Jurgus

Forest Park

ACTIVE LISTING

Colonial-inspired home nods to architecture of the past, with modern luxuries. Agent: Meredith Conn & Lisa Andreoli

Chicago

$249,000

Beautiful move in ready bungalow with all recent updates throughout. Agent: Sandra Dita Lopez

ACTIVE LISTING

Potential abounds in this bungalow in a great River Forest location Agent: Arrick Pelton

ACTIVE LISTING

Berwyn

ACTIVE LISTING

This EE Roberts designed home offers 4 full levels of living space Agent: Catherine Simon-Vobornik

ACTIVE LISTING

Rarely found greystone 3-flat in HOT East Garfield Park! Agent: Moises Pacheco

$279,500

ACTIVE LISTING

Welcome to one of the finest examples of Craftsman architecture you will ever see Agent: Steve Scheuring

ACTIVE LISTING

Oak Park

$373,000

ACTIVE LISTING

2 bedroom, 2 bath upper floor beauty with great courtyard and treetop views Agent: Kara G. Keller

ACTIVE LISTING

This charming bungalow offers all the benefits of one level living plus finished basement Agent: Bethanny Alexander

Chicago

Forest Park

$1,049,000

Spectacular Tudor home is stunning throughout with fantastic detail Agent: Kara G. Keller

NEW PRICE

Classic American four square that is truly move in ready Agent: Vanessa Willey

ACTIVE LISTING

Oak Park

$200,000

ACTIVE LISTING

Beautifully landscaped courtyard leads you to your new home! 4 levels of living await. Agent: Bethanny Alexander

810 N Marion St. Oak Park

ACTIVE LISTING

Lovely two story home nestled in beautiful south Berwyn has much to offer! Agent: Edward Tovar

ACTIVE LISTING

$1,200,000

Great investment property in red hot Buena Park Neighborhood Agent: Steven Green

ACTIVE LISTING

Spacious home offers beautiful charm with some unexpected extras! Agent: Saretta Joyner

Oak Park

712 W Buena Ave. Chicago

FEATURED LISTING

Oak Park

$349,000

Not your typical bungalow! This classic cutie is ready for new owners Agent: Patricia McGowan

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Need Help Buying or Selling? Call your neighborhood experts. 708.848.5550 www.WeichertNickelGroup.com 101 N. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60301 OAK PARK

OPEN SUNDAY 11-1PM

3D NEW PRICE!

304 S. Taylor Ave 4BR, 1.1BA $435,000

713 S. East Ave 3BR, 2BA $513,900

3D NEW PRICE!

NEW LISTING!

1136 Gunderson Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $563,000

929 Fair Oaks Ave 4BR, 4.1BA $999,000

1123 Schneider Ave 3BR + 1BSMT, 2.1BA $449,000

OAK PARK

1100 N. Oak Park Ave 4BR, 2.1BA $489,000

333 N. Euclid Ave 9BR, 3.2BA $1,399,000

NEW PRICE!

546 N. Oak Park Ave 5BR, 2.2BA $810,000

NEW PRICE!

409 S. East Ave 2BR, 2.1BA $335,000

839 N. Lombard Ave 3BR, 1.1BA $359,000

OAK PARK

735 Belleforte Ave 3BR + 1BSMT, 2.1BA $507,000

517 S. Elmwood Ave 5BR, 2.2BA $549,900

3D COMPLETE GUT REHAB!

818 N. Ridgeland Ave 4BR, 3BA $519,000

1218 N. Euclid Ave 4BR, 2.1BA $529,900

101 N. Euclid Ave 2BR, 2.1BA $439,000

OAK PARK

1176 S. Taylor Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $544,900

847 S. Kenilworth Ave 4BR, 1.1BA $499,000

731 Belleforte Ave 4BR + 1BSMT, 4.1BA $999,000

FOREST PARK

OPEN SUNDAY 12:30-2:30PM

3D 3D

NEW PRICE!

1022 S. Scoville Ave 3BR, 2BA $399,900

325 N. Grove Ave 5BR, 1.1BA $539,000

RIVER FOREST

3D NEW PRICE!

NEW LISTING!

709 Hayes Ave 3BR, 1BA $329,000

215 S. Ridgeland Ave 5BR, 3BA $599,000

323 S. Taylor Ave 2 Flat + PKG $497,500

1120 Lathrop Ave 3BR, 2.1BA $377,000

Condos

3D NEW PRICE!

10 Park Ave 3BR, 2.2BA $529,000

1147 Forest Ave 4BR + 2BSMT, 4.1BA $1,400,000

NEW LISTING!

500 William St 5BR, 5BA $810,000

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

1020 Randolph St – 3BR, 2BA $340,000 6436 Roosevelt 3D Rd – 2BR, 2BA $239,000 930 Ontario St – 2BR, 2BA $209,900 1401 N. Harlem Ave – 2BR, 1.1BA $218,000 720 Erie St – 1BR, 1BA $185,000 1033 Ontario St – 1BR, 1BA $174,900 821 Lake St – 2BR, 1BA $165,000 426 S. Lombard Ave – 2BR, 2BA $163,000 7432 Washington St – 2BR, 1.1BA $117,500

Go to

WeichertRNG.com to view

3D Tours

and see what else is on the market!

Follow Weichert

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Show Off Your Costume! It’s a costume party and you’re invited Enter our costume showcase, with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. (costumes are not required to attend Playdate!)

Playdate Fall

Sports Thrills • Character Visits • Bounce Houses • Train Rides • Obstacle Courses • Entertainment Stage • all ages welcome!

Saturday, October 13 • 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Naperville Yard Sports Complex 1607 Legacy Circle • Naperville

Introducing: Chicago Parent Marketplace! Shop at a dozen small retailer booths as part of the fun! Thanks to our Sponsors!

Visit ChicagoParent.com/playdate for advance tickets and info!

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

4th Annual Women in Leadership Conference

INNOVATE, INTEGRATE, MOTIVATE! Wednesday, October 24, 2018 Riveredge Hospital 8311 Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park, IL 60130 Registration is free 12pm â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3pm - Keynote Speaker & Panel Discussions

Prominent women community and business leaders.

Networking reception to immediately follow hosted by Riveredge Hospital

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Dawn Ferencak for sponsorship details: (708) 613-3329 Hosted by:

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

The

Tour

The Changing Aging Tour is coming to Oak Park on October 10th. Some local favorites are hosting great dinner and show deals exclusively for ticket holders!

Rustico - FREE Dessert & Limoncello drink with the purchase of an entree

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

1035 N Lombard Ave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $319,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4 1834 N. 77th Court, Elmwood Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12 1731 N. 74th Ave, Elmwood Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $339,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1011 S East Ave Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $367,400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1120 Lathrop Ave, Forest Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$377,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2:30 6725 31st St Berwyn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $379,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 1028 S. Euclid Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $415,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 304 S. Taylor Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weichert Realtors Nickel Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $435,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 1222 N Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caporale Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $449,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

Visit one of the restaurants below and show your Changing Aging ticket to receive a special treat.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

838 N. Taylor Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $455,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 824 S. Harvey Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $469,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1006 Clinton Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $469,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 824 S Grove Ave Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $479,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 326 S. Humphrey Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $480,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 826 Wenonah Ave Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $499,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 19 Keystone Ave River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $529,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2 108 Wesley Ave Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $549,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1032 Superior Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $570,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1032 Superior St Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $570,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 842 N. Elmwood, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $584,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1000 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $589,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 401 Augusta St Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $619,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 330 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $639,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1206 Lathrop Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $795,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 236 Forest Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $999,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1140 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,300,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1431 Ashalnd Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caporale Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,588,888 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

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TOWN HOMES

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554 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,950,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

106 S. Ridgeland Ave. UNIT 209, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $315,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

431 S. Harvey Ave. UNIT A, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 601 South Blvd. UNIT F, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $389,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3:30 15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat. 11-11

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

“arguably the best reporter on the most important beat in the world.” —WIRED magazine

10.2.18

RUKMINI CALLIMACHI THE GE O R G I E A N N E G E Y E R L E C T U R E

Tuesday, October 2 // 7:00 p.m. Performing Arts Center Tickets $20, proceeds support Geyer Initiative scholarships New York Times foreign correspondent and three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Rukmini Callimachi has become the go-to reporter on the Islamic State. She has been cited by U.S. lawmakers and foreign governments. Honoring renowned journalist Georgie Anne Geyer, the Georgie Anne Geyer Initiative brings distinguished reporters and journalists to Dominican University and provides experiential learning scholarships for students aspiring to be foreign correspondents. Made possible through the generous support of Dominican University alumna Gera-Lind Kolarik ‘75.

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events.dom.edu

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Become a part of the bigger picture as a partner at Wednesday Journal’s next big event, “Changing Aging” on Wednesday, October 10.

PREVIEW HOUSE Produced by the Advertising Department

Many sponsorship levels available Contact Dawn Ferencak dawn@oakpark.com • (708) 613-3329 Wednesday Journal and A Tribe Called Aging welcome

The

Tour

Wednesday, October 10th Pilgrim Congregational Church 460 Lake St. Oak Park A day long, 3 part event, blending medical science, storytelling and live music The ChangingAging Tour shatters our culture’s damaging myths about aging. This is a beautiful day and evening that fills one with hope and excitement for the future.

Get tickets at: oakpark.com/changingaging

A TRIBE CALLED

AGING Sponsors:

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ocated at 907 Lathrop in River Forest, this magnificent home, with four levels of living space, was completely rehabbed in 2001. On the first floor, you’ll find a formal living room with an original Batchelder fireplace, complete with a remote gas starter. French doors lead to an elegant dining room. The wood-paneled library, currently used as family room, has custom bookcases and a wood burning fireplace. Rounding out the first floor is a stunning remodeled kitchen. As featured on HGTV, this kitchen offers stainless steel appliances, granite counter-tops, 42” wood cabinets and Italian Travertine stone tile floor with pewter medallions. Climb the grand winding staircase to second floor. A master bedroom awaits, with a large walk-in custom closet and a bath, complete with whirlpool tub, separate shower, double vanity and private toilet. The other bedrooms each have remodeled full baths. The second floor also has a washer/dryer laundry room. The third floor ballroom has oak floors and 10 foot ceilings! Over the garage is a game room with a wet bar and refrigerator. Other features of the home include a clay tile roof, heated three-car garage, a large lot, patio and a semicircular driveway. 907 Lathrop is currently listed for $1,695,000. To make an appointment for a private showing this Sunday between 2:30 and 4, contact Jolyn Crawford at Gagliardo Realty Associates, 708-860-2510.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 9 (Choral)

JAY FRIEDMAN, Music Director MAURICE BOYER, Assistant Conductor

Sunday Oct. 7, 2018 - 4PM Concordia University Chapel

The Symphony Chorus, William Chin, Director Jessica Coe, Soprano • Julia Hardin, Mezzo-soprano Christian Ketter, Tenor • Daniel Eifert, Baritone Pre-Concert Conversation at 3PM with David Leehey Free parking in the garage located at 1124 N. Bonnie Brae Place (one block west of Harlem Avenue between Division and Thomas Streets) in River Forest. Chapel just west of garage exit.

FlexTix Subscriptions $125 for our fiveconcert season, $100 for Seniors 65+. Single tickets: $28. Students through college attend free of charge.

Tickets and subscriptions are available through our website: SymphonyOPRF.org and also at the door. Email TheSymphonyOPRF@gmail.com or call 708-218-2648 for more information. Please bring items for the OPRF Food Pantry.

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Photo by David Hammond

Asparagus guacamole at Oak Park Farmers Market.

Guacamole, with or without avocados

avocado guacamole. uacamole is one of the Apparently, the ancient Aztecs many foods bequeathed to us by indigenous peonever trademarked the word “guaples of North America. camole” because now there are In addition to corn and a number of other sauces called chili peppers, the ancient people “guacamole” that are prepared of Mexico were the first to cultiwithout avocado. vate avocados, beginning probThere’s guacamole made with ably around 8,000 B.C. The Aztecs, edamame, the soybeans typically whose homeland was colonized served as an appetizer at sushi by the Spanish, seem to have joints, and there’s guacamole been the first recorded people to made with broccoli (no thanks) have developed guacamole. The and even green peas. No less a word “guacamole” comes from foodie than former President Nahuatl, the language of the Obama responded poorly to a New Local Dining Aztecs, and it means something York Times story about using peas & Food Blogger like “sauce.” in guac, tweeting “respect the Guacamole, now so common NYT, but not buying peas in guac.” at Mexican restaurants, started Part of what people are reacting gaining popularity in the United to with non-avocado guacamole is States in the 1980s. In the ’70s, I the fact that a sauce traditionally 104 N. Marion St., was teaching college and as part made with avocado is being made Oak Park of a Mexican mythology unit, I with something else. It’s like the 708-848-4226 brought some avocados to class to jack fruit “pulled pork,” which make guacamole. Several students contains no meat, and used to be were totally grossed out by the served at the vegan/vegetarian strange green mush. Munch on Marion Street. I asked Munch Today, guacamole is everywhere … though owner Robin O’Hara why she named her fruit sometimes what’s called guacamole is made in barbecue sauce “pulled pork,” which it without benefit of avocados. somewhat resembles, and she said because Walking through Oak Park Farmers Market “we want to give customers an idea of what it’s going to taste like.” That seems a reasonlast weekend, I stopped by Stover’s, one of able rationale to me. the market’s mainstay vendors, and bought Similarly, calling this asparagus sauce a jar of asparagus guacamole. I ate it with “guacamole” does give you an idea of what some tortilla chips, and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Seasoned with garlic this pureed vegetable dip is going to taste like. and cumin, thickened with pectin, it looked It’s not traditional guacamole, but it’s kind of and tasted somewhat like guacamole. Though like traditional guacamole, and it’s better than it lacked the lushness of avocado-based calling the product “pureed asparagus,” which guacamole, it also lacked the calories. A jar sounds like baby food. of asparagus guacamole is only 70 calories; National Guacamole Day was Sept. 16, compare that to an average of 230 calories which neatly coincides with Mexican Indefor one avocado, which may be mixed with pendence Day. Celebrate with any kind of sour cream and other caloric condiments on guacamole you please. For me, I prefer the the way to becoming guacamole … or at least kind made with avocado.

10.14.18

NOBUNTU Sunday, October 14 // 3:00 p.m.

This a cappella quintet has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. Tickets starting at $25 7900 WEST DIVISION STREET RIVER FOREST, IL 60305

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor, ktrainor@wjinc.com

First impressions of ‘America to Me’

10-hour documentary series focused on the minority student achievement gap is not likely to reveal solutions. The documentarian can cherry-pick 8 to 12 students, some teachers and a couple of administrators to tell stories from their point of view. There are thousands of students, hundreds of teachers and dozens of administrators who are voiceless and invisible to the viewers. The chosen want to tell their Oak Park story. Most students don’t want to audition for a part — too scared, shy, uninformed or indifferent. This is a snapshot of the high school world in 2015-16. It would be very interesting to see how the participants feel about their high school experience after they have gone on to college or employment. Life outside the bubble of high school can change perception. The documentary art form is an inherently flawed means of discerning truth. It is clear that we humans act differently when we are observed (the Hawthorne Effect). It’s why I load the dishwasher more carefully when Marsha is in the kitchen. All this said, I have enjoyed these first episodes. The show captures the incredible, swirling energy, humor and vibe of this very special high school. I love all the students and am pulling for them. I can feel the frustration of the high school’s adult community. The idea that a big public high school can somehow be held responsible for closing this pernicious, significant gap seems unlikely, even absurd. The educational community has spent significant time and money for 25 years with no real progress. So I give the school credit for trying. Putting the high school in the bullseye of responsibility seems a bit unfair to me. Surely the parents, day care facilities, elementary schools and the students themselves bear some responsibility for education. The achievement gap is manifest years before the ninth grade. But I suppose the high school can be criticized for not trying hard enough. There is a lot of vague, abstract, education-speak, but what exactly should the high school be doing? Good intentions are not solutions. Trying harder and being more sensitive are not strategies. OPRF High School is a big, diverse, suburban, taxpayersupported high school. It necessarily involves many competing constituencies: students, parents, teachers, elected board members, heavily-taxed homeowners and businesses, et al who have opinions, expectations and investment in the community. So maybe the high school could do more to help the underachieving students, but maybe it has done as much as it possibly can, given that the majority of stakeholders do not quite share the primacy and urgency of closing a gap that seems to defy closing. Maybe there have been students who have had the arc of their lives changed for the better by their efforts and the help and support of parents and teachers. I hope their stories will be told. I do apologize for a critique of a work before it is completed. One should avoid a book report on War and Peace until at least after the war. I just couldn’t wait.

JOHN

HUBBUCH

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

VIEWPOINTS

Andrea Button: Reflections on village board service p. 42

Why we need a safe gun storage ordinance

necessary state counterpart, Gun Dealers Lihe midterm election is less than censing legislation. They represent two sides two months away and for many of of the same coin. To be truly effective, one us it cannot come soon enough. So cannot operate without the other. The only many important and fundamental way a prohibition of the sale of firearms to issues hang in the balance. The these three categories of people can be effecchallenge will be to not lose sight of any tive is to have it apply on a nationwide basis. of these issues while remaining fully Likewise, to make the national legislation engaged in doing all we can to overcome enforceable, there must be complementary state legisthe present challenges to our Democracy and to the lation requiring gun dealers to keep detailed records of Rule of Law. each gun sale transaction, which would be available for The November midterm election will present an inspection. opportunity here in Oak Park to address a critical Five years ago, just months after Sandy Hook, 53 U.S. element of one of these important issues. The ballot senators voted to adopt Universal Background Check will contain an advisory referendum question asking legislation. The measure failed because Senate voters if they would support legislation requiring the filibuster rules required 60 votes. That safe storage of firearms within homes. significant piece of legislation A citizens group, Gun Responsibilhas languished since that time ity Advocates (GRA), initiated this in the face of NRAreferendum question. The GRA inspired Republistrongly believes that with can opposition and rights come responin spite of the fact sibilities. I that more than 80% am proud to of the voting public call myself a and more than 60% member. We of NRA members favor respect the Secthe adoption of Universal ond Amendment Background checks. None Rights of law-abiding citizens to own of this is easy and this kind of change is always and possess firearms, but we also understand that the ownership and possession more of a marathon than a sprint. Special interests of firearms requires reasonable regulawith deep pockets like the NRA can stave off the will of tion. On behalf of the GRA, I urge you to vote “Yes” in the people for a while, but with perseverance, history November in support of Safe Gun Storage legislation. has consistently shown that the will of the people will This type of legislative action is not only reasonable, it prevail. The cancer that is gun violence will continue is a critical component of any effective comprehensive to rear its ugly head, as it tragically did only seven plan to stem the tide of gun violence in months ago in Parkland, Florida, and the United States in too many other places along the way The most important part of any to count. comprehensive plan to reduce gun Four years ago, 92.7% of Oak Park Shall all firearms be required violence in our nation is taking voters voted “Yes” on an advisory refto be stored in a safe and whatever reasonable actions we can erendum question asking them if they to reduce the access of criminals, the favored federal Universal Background secure manner that prevents significantly mentally and emotionally Check legislation. Over 85% of Cook access by unauthorized perdisabled, and minors to firearms. The County voters voted the same way on a sons when such firearms are two most significant ways in which similar question in the same election. not under the direct personal these people obtain access to firearms Since that time, the Board of Trustees control of the owner? is purchasing them from gun dealers of the villages of Oak Park and River and taking them from homes — in the Forest have adopted Resolutions urgcase of criminals, stealing them from ing all of their state and federal legishomes, in the case of significantly mentally or emolators to do all within their power to see that Universal tionally disabled persons and minors, having access to Background Check legislation is enacted. firearms in the homes where they reside. In the spring of this year, a historic Gun Dealers There are three pieces of legislation, one at the fedLicensing Act, sponsored by Oak Park state Senator eral level and two, most likely at the state level, which Don Harmon, was passed in a bipartisan effort in the if enacted into law, would significantly reduce access Illinois Senate and House only to be vetoed by Gov. of these three categories of people to firearms, thereby Rauner. significantly impacting all aspects of the gun violence Sen. Harmon responded with an amended bill that problem in the U.S. It would not be an overstatement responded to minor concerns raised by the Governor to say that these three pieces of legislation would form and some legislators, but which remained true to the the core of any comprehensive plan to significantly intended purpose of the original bill. This bill (SB0337) reduce gun violence in this country. also passed the Senate and appears to have been The most significant of these is federal Universal Background Check legislation and the second is its See HEISE on page 42

RAY HEISE

One View

Referendum:

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

O U R

V I E W P O I N T S

Ripening is all about timing

V I E W S

Equity first

very election counts. But some count more. And the April 2019 school board elections for the District 97 elementary school board and the District 200 Oak Park and River Forest High School board are, in our eyes, critical. Here’s why: It has taken decades, but these two school boards have by purposeful action and by luck or good fortune both arrived in a place where equity — the conscious decision to provide access and opportunity to every student, to acknowledge and compensate for past failings in access and opportunity — has risen to Job 1. You can see it in the hiring of two strong black women as superintendents of the districts. You can see it in strategic plans — yes, we know strategic plans — but these plans are now single-minded in prioritizing equity. In D97 you can see it in the past two contracts with faculty. If the high school ever gets a new faculty contract, we hope to see it there as well. Don’t get distracted by the shiny, and expensive, new object of the Imagine OPRF facilities plan. But there is plenty in this large-scale, once-in-50-year, plan that goes straight at remaking this school for equity, for better teaching environments, collaborative learning, state-ofthe-art technology. In a town that talks boldly about race and diversity but for far too long has taken timid actions in our public schools to focus on equity, this moment is vital and it is fragile. We know now that three of the seven members of the D97 school board will not seek re-election. Bob Spatz (three terms), Jim O’Connor (two terms) and Ruppa Data (one term) have announced they will leave the board after the election. A fourth member up for election, Holly Spurlock, will happily seek another term. Our endorsements are months away. But, plainly in D97 we will be looking to support candidates who consciously, thoughtfully, creatively want to build out an equity model. And as we have said so many times, equity is a culture issue, an admission-of-past-failings issue, a determination-and-perseverance issue. It’s not a money issue. At the high school, it is not fully plain to us yet what seats will be open. Three of seven school board members are up for election. We look for them to declare their intentions shortly. Fred Arkin, Jessica Dixon-Spivey and Jennifer Cassels are all wrapping up first terms. They have been strong on equity and we hope they are up for second terms. In a new term the members of the OPRF board, whoever they are, will have complex and sometimes conflicting decisions to make on equity and on updating the facility. The worst-case scenario is that with property taxes in Oak Park and in River Forest at such high levels, that we will see single-issue candidates come forward with too strong a focus on reducing costs. The same scenario could capture interest in the race for Oak Park village trustees where three of seven seats are up for election. We are sympathetic to angst over taxes. The high school dilled its pickle with its decade of unconscionable overtaxing. Every taxing body must swear off the new taxes coming from the high-rises as free money. The trade-off for this density must be mitigating property tax hikes. We are coming to a moment. Oak Park either focuses on educational equity or we just give up the bragging rights. That’s what the next election is about.

@ @OakParkSports

This column has been ripening since it first appeared in September of 2014: t’s tomato season. Yes, you can still find sweet corn — and peaches, pears, apples galore, zucchini, bell peppers, even pumpkins — at Farmers Market each Saturday morning. But the epitome of ripeness is red and round and a pleasure to slice. How to describe the flavor, the fragrance, the color, the fullness? Spanish has a good term for it: “Que Rico!” How rich. So different from the pale imposters that define mediocrity the rest of the year. August and September are the only time to enjoy the treasure trove of tomatoes at Oak Park Farmers Market. I’ve probably eaten more this month than the previous months combined. The only downside is the long wait every year till August rolls round again. But the wait makes the arrival that much more precious. My, what a difference. Crabapple trees, on the other hand, give ripeness a bad name. These previously lovely trees (forming a cloud of fragrant blossoms in the spring) with the not-so-lovely name fill up with fruit this time of year, tiny apples that drop to the sidewalk where they are summarily smooshed, then rot. Pedestrians pick their way gingerly through the messy minefield. So ripeness has its upside and its downside. I thought about that last Wednesday at the Lake Theatre as I watched Roger Ebert on the big screen, his body disfigured by cancer and subsequent surgeries. Our own Steve James and The Lake combined recently to offer a one-day, two-showing presentation of Life Itself, based on Ebert’s remarkable memoir of the same name. In fact, The Lake should book this documentary for a two-week run so our villages can show their support for James’ fine work. Life Itself is a moving tribute to a well-lived life and a chronicle of that life’s ending, but really it tells the story of the long ripening of Roger Ebert, who turned out to be much more than a popular film reviewer. His movie reviews endeared us to him, but what ripened him was his struggle with alcohol and cancer and his late-in-life love story with his wife, Chaz. Later that day, I sat in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theatre at Navy Pier and watched Lear lose everything. In the process, he discovers his humanity, but was it worth all the suffering? There’s the rub. The king’s counselor, Gloucester, meanwhile, loses his eyes but gains insight. Gloucester’s son, Edgar, consoles him (or is it really a challenge?) when he says, “Men

must endure their going hence even as their coming hither — ripeness is all.” Which reminded me of a translation I came across of the Lord’s Prayer from the original Aramaic, which replaced “forgive us our trespasses” with “forgive us our unripe acts.” Stuart Sherman of Fordham University, who provided the scholar’s notes in the Chicago Shakespeare program, quotes the ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus, who contended, “We must suffer into truth,” prefiguring King Lear’s predicament by 2,000 years. But truth is one thing and wisdom another. As the Fool so wisely tells his liege: You should not have grown old before you became wise. Which is everyone’s predicament — except perhaps those few who suffer their way to wisdom. Like Roger Ebert, who lost his speech but discovered his voice as he transcended his popular role as movie reviewer. In his blog, he wrote about alcoholism and his experiences with A.A. He wrote not about “Why I believe in God” but “How I believe in God.” And he faced his death clear-eyed, his spirit ripening even as his body disintegrated. Lear, on the other hand, never ripens, and that is his tragedy though he does discover empathy. He also discovers his long-lapsed humanity, but he must lose everything first, and in the end there is no real redemption. Ebert’s progression is fascinating and inspiring to watch whereas Lear’s regression is fascinating and tragic to watch. The last part of Ebert’s life was, in many ways, the best. He became a more fully realized human being. And Steve James was able to tell Ebert’s story so well because he has ripened as a filmmaker. As a writer, I understand. I know that some of these columns take a year to write. Some take a decade. Some even longer. Timing is everything. The year is ripening our fruit and vegetables. Life, meanwhile, is ripening us, which takes time, patience, perseverance and loving care. How many die unripe or past ripe, littering the ground with the general mass of crabapples? How many die at peak ripeness, like a timely picked tomato? Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” probably while praying, “Forgive us our unripe acts.” Some human beings, on the other hand, ripen. My, what a difference.

KEN

TRAINOR

Dream big, Oak Park Bob Stigger’s letter in the Sept. 19 Wednesday Journal Viewpoints [Why not consider a brand-new building?] was right on. At some point, it makes sense to consider starting over and building a brand new high school. In fact, we have the perfect spot for it: Madison Street. Oak Park should dream big to create an “Education District,” using all the vacant properties along Madison. The location offers up a chance for our two high schools to invest in shared facilities. It also offers the chance to revitalize a part of

our town that has been begging for re-investment. The current high school land and buildings would be a developer’s dream. The athletic fields to the west could be additional public space. A consolidated Madison location for our high schools would allow justification for greater public transit service. This is a win-win-win for our community. Dream big, Oak Park.

Don Anderson Oak Park

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

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Timothy Inklebarger, Nona Tepper Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter Marty Farmer Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, Cassandra West, Doris Davenport Staff Photographer Alexa Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Jacquinete Baldwin, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck, Bill Wossow Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan

Hinsdale Central owes OPRF an apology I am one of the community members who attended the America to Me showing at OPRF High School on Monday, Sept. 10, and the previous times it was shown as well. I am a parent-alum and a grandparent of four students. I invested in inclusion when I chose to pay property taxes here since 1985, which I estimate at $350,000, so I am invested in OPRF and a major stockholder. I’m a minister, psychotherapist, health-care justice advocate, and I also work in higher education. I am deeply offended by the sad and offensive outcome of the prelude to the viewing that Monday. I believe it was a phenomenal act of wisdom and courage for the principal of OPRF to invite the Hinsdale principal to the showing and recounting the race-baiting events of the game in question as well as his confrontation of their behavior in the moment. However, when Hinsdale’s principal rose to speak to the community members gathered there and made no apology and accepted no responsibility, he deepened the offense from three years ago. He said something about working together. That is not possible without accepting

Event Coordinator Carmen Rivera Media Assistant Megan Dickel Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Credit Manager Laurie Myers

responsibility and making an apology. Period. I seriously regret not standing up at that time, but it occurs to me that was the job of our principal. He allowed the Hinsdale principal, Mr. Walsh, to gaslight OPRF and the community. In a letter recently circulated to Hinsdale parents in regard to the third America to Me episode’s revealing their race-baiting of our football team, it is clearly communicated that Hinsdale apparently was never (officially) aware about the issues depicted in the documentary prior to or after that game in 2015. What that means to me is that, despite a confrontation at the time directly to the Hinsdale team, the official denial persists. And our principal still cooperates with Hinsdale’s denials. The question both Hinsdale Central and OPRF high schools must answer is how they can truly deal with systemic issues that they aren’t willing to truly address, and when confronted, deny. The time is past due for an apology, Hinsdale.

Rev. Elizabeth Ritzman, LCPC Oak Park

Remembering Kathryn Jonas Kathryn “tree-person extraordinaire” Jonas came many times to my yard of first Mama Oak and second Baby Oak, from the 2011 Historic Oaks Propagation Project. How our trees will miss Kathryn’s breadth of tree knowledge and guidance to stop volcano mulch-

ing, piled against a tree trunk. Her contagious laughter made the birds sing. She will be dearly missed.

Barbara Mullarkey and Julie Samuels

And her tree-hugger friends from Oak Park Environmental Network (OPEN)

Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action. In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing. Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay. If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

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

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

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

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Reflections on village board service

fter nearly five years of service as a village trustee, I have decided not to run in the 2019 election. This decision did not come easily or quickly but required several months of soulsearching to determine what is best for me, for my family, and for Oak Park. I feel very good about my years of service. I believe I stood my ground, served as a voice of reason and compassion, and consistently advocated for policies that fall in line with what I believe to be Oak Park values: racial and economic diversity and equity, environmental sustainability, walkability/bikeability, transit-oriented development, and access to affordable housing, to name a few. I plan to finish my term advocating for those same policies and values. I hope my departure will allow someone with a fresh set of eyes to take my place at the board table. Our community is ripe for a competitive, democratic election filled with candidates who care about the community as a whole and have a passion for service. And while I know these eyes can come from any race, gender, or orientation, I would personally love to see more women, people of color,

V I E W P O I N T S

and LGBTQ citizens on the board. If we want to maintain a diverse community (and I believe we do), then we need a diverse board to represent the many voices it comprises. I have just a few wishes for the 2019 candidates: 1. Lead from your conscience, not your ego. Robert K. Greenleaf (founder of the servant-leadership movement and one of my favorite political writers) wrote, “Ego focuses on one’s own survival, pleasure, and enhancement to the exclusion of others; ego is selfishly ambitious. It sees relationships in terms of threat or no threat, like little children who classify all people as ‘nice’ or ‘mean.’ Conscience, on the other hand, both democratizes and elevates ego to a larger sense of the group, the whole, the community, the greater good. It sees life in terms of service and contribution, in terms of others’ security and fulfillment.” If you want to run, run for the sake of serving others. Have a set of values that drive you, and vote consistently

with those values. Forget self. Serve the “greater good.” 2. Social media is intended to supplement, not supplant, real democracy. Our social media pages and feeds can become real echo chambers. While I certainly post plenty on my personal feed, some of you may have noticed I stopped relying on social media as a leadership tool a few years ago. There is certainly a role for it, if you can keep it in perspective. Remember that good decision-making requires synthesizing facts, information, the community’s “pulse” on a particular issue, and your own conscience. Good intention is easily overlooked in a Facebook post. It is easier to throw electronic stones than to engage face to face with someone who disagrees with you. Emotional reactivity is quick and sharp when all it requires is the push of a button behind your own screen, and the resulting emotion can easily cloud good decision-making. Also, 300 “likes” does not a community-wide opinion make.

ANDREA BUTTON One View

3. Respect past leaders and staff: Oak Park has a deep legacy of strong leadership and an educated, active citizenry. Most decisions you will be faced with at the board table have a rich history (you’ll come to see the patterns 2-3 years into your service). Don’t make decisions in a vacuum. And trust your staff — the Village Manager form of government was designed to maximize efficiency and fairness and minimize personal/political influence. Trust it. Please send me an email at any time if you want to discuss service, even if it is just something you are considering but haven’t fully committed to yet. I will miss the work, dearly. But I feel good about the years ahead. As many of you know, I am getting remarried and blending my family. I have two children of my own, two new lovely stepdaughters, and a full-time job to boot. I have spent half of my 30s serving in this office, and I am ready to serve in a slightly different capacity. That said, I hope to be out and about in the community—speaking, teaching, and leading on the issues I care about in the years to come. And I look forward to seeing you there.

Living with a disease, working tirelessly for a cure

was 23 years old and about halfway through undergraduate school when I realized I was seeing double vision. I made an appointment with an optometrist in October 2008. Little did I know this appointment would be the first of many and the beginning of my journey. I was mis-diagnosed and treated for an autoimmune disease, Myasthenia Gravis, for two and a half years before being properly diagnosed. I saw my health deteriorate and I felt completely out of control over my body. After having a major surgery for the wrong disease, I was told my symptoms had not improved. My neurologist stated she believed I may have a muscular dystrophy called Mitochondrial Myopathy. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. My immediate response was, “What do I have to do for that?” Like knives cutting my heart, I heard “Nothing.” There is no treatment or cure for Mitochondrial diseases.

It is not an easy process to learn a new you. A muscle biopsy confirmed I have a Mitochondrial disease called Single-Large Scale mtDNA Deletion. Essentially, my body does not produce enough energy due to the mutated mitochondrial DNA. Through the grace of God, my husband Mike, my mother and grandmother’s prayers, my family, and friends, not only did I have more fight left in me, I came back stronger and clearer than ever. I finished undergraduate school, I got accepted to graduate school in Chicago, Mike and I got engaged, we moved to Chicago from San Antonio, we got married, and I received a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. I am now halfway through a doctoral program for clinical psychology. I want to help others who struggle with mental illness due to a physical condition. I truly believe my journey serves as a guide to living

out this purpose. I live with chronic pain and fatigue daily. I have great days and bad days, but the frustrating part is that every day and every moment in a day is unpredictable. I have my moments where my thoughts are drowning in fear, but I’ve learned to allow myself to feel it and make the best with what I have. One of my saving graces is living in Oak Park. When my Mike and I were looking for a place to purchase our first home, we knew we needed a place that would be accommodating to my needs. We fell in love with Oak Park and have called it home for the past two years. At 32 years old, for the first time, I have been able to feel a sense of community. Oak Park has made going out not just fun, but feasible, since I have to be careful with the energy I expend on activities. We

are steps from Scoville Park, where you can find me lying on a blanket with a good book and our dog Heidi. Mike and I often have date night at the local restaurants or enjoy a movie at Lake Theatre. I’m most often at coffee shops studying, reading, or writing my blog. Most of my doctors are in Oak Park, making it easier for me to make appointments without a chauffeur. Most of all, I am a part of Greater Community Church where I am able to feel his greatest presence and be reminded to stay ever so faithful. Today I am hopeful, and as long as I do not have a cure, I will work tirelessly to fight for one. Zayna Achmar is a United Mitochondrial Disease ambassador (http://www.umdf.org) and third year PsyD student in the Clinical Psychology Program of the Illinois School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University Chicago.

HEISE

This brings us to what must be the third critical part of any effective comprehensive plan to curb gun violence — safe gun storage. You may be surprised to learn that not much has been done at the local, state or federal level to address the issue of safe gun storage in the home. In fact, there really hasn’t been much discussion about it either. Safe gun storage legislation not only can play a significant role in keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals, the significantly mentally and emotionally disabled, and minors, but it also can play a significant role in reducing gun-related suicides,

the accidental death of children, and deaths related to domestic violence. If regulations can be put in place that effectively limit access to firearms in the home to the individuals who actually own them, not only will there be a greatly reduced opportunity for thieves to steal firearms, there will also be greatly reduced opportunities for emotionally or mentally unstable members of the household to obtain access to such firearms to do harm to themselves or others. If firearms are properly stored and secured, the many tragedies that occur every year as a result of children playing with firearms

can also be averted. It is time to heighten public awareness of the need for safe gun storage as another critical part of the comprehensive plan to reduce access to guns by criminals, those with significant mental and emotional disabilities, and minors. The safe gun storage advisory referendum question you will find on the Nov. 6 ballot will get that public discussion started. Please vote “Yes” for this common-sense proposal to save lives by requiring the safe storage of firearms. Ray Heise is the retired village attorney of Oak Park.

Safe storage referendum from page 39 passed, with amendment, in the House and sent back to the Senate where it currently resides. It may not come to fruition, but we could be ever so close to having a major part of a rational and effective comprehensive plan to curb the epidemic of gun violence in place.

ZAYNA ACHMAR One View

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

A store that reflects Oak Park’s ethos

ut of the ashes of civil war in Guatemala come gorgeous purses and bags that sustain dozens of families with a living wage, access to good health care and schools, and improved quality of life. That’s what the founders of Ruth & Naomi in Chontala, Guatemala, found out after a devastating war in 1982 saw 40 husbands from one town killed in just one day, leaving many women to raise their families with few resources. But with insight into reprising native Mayan dress into purses and bags in a range of beautiful hues and patterns, and introduced to Ten Thousand Villages with their fair trade practices, their lives have dramatically improved over the last 25 years. You may have walked by the Ten Thousand Villages store on Marion Street several times. Some of you have stopped in and found a unique retail environment that combines one-of-a-

kind, handmade, artisan wares for your home, as well as clothing, jewelry and, of course, chocolate! But there is so much more to this store. That’s because when you shop at Ten Thousand Villages, you join our mission: to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn a sustainable income by bringing their products and stories to a global marketplace through long-term, fair-trade relationships. So who are these global artisans? Ten Thousand Villages currently supports 75 artisan partner organizations in 28 countries. These organizations represent 40,000 artisans. It is estimated that purchases from Ten Thousand Villages provide direct income for 7,500 individual artisans, of which over 60% are women, and over 50% are led by women. So how does shopping at Ten Thousand Villages make a difference? It’s all about transformation. Transforming lives from

DENISE WALSH One View

poverty to sustainable livelihoods. Transforming communities through access to safe housing, clean water, health care, education and training. Transforming raw materials into beautiful end products. And transforming shoppers who live their values through their purchases. For 11 years, Oak Park has benefited from our own Ten Thousand Villages store. And while it is part of a 60+ store network, the Oak Park store is independent in management and operations. It is staffed primarily with the help of volunteers, so more revenue goes to support the artisans. And for those interested in supporting Ten Thousand Villages beyond shopping there, the store is conducting an online auction where you will find fantastic items to bid on, including restaurant gift certificates, sporting and entertainment event tickets, gift cards, high-end food/wine baskets and services. You can access the auction site from now until 10 p.m., Oct. 7, through this link: www.32auctions.com/

tenthousandvillages2018. Each item is showcased online, in the store’s Westgate street window and found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ TenThousandVillagesOakPark. Ten Thousand Villages’ motto is “Together We Thrive.” This

is an ethos we embrace in our communities. Go online or stop in this neighborhood gem and support those that are supporting our global artisans in need. Denise Walsh is president of the Ten Thousand Villages Board of Directors in Oak Park.

Road Trip on the Horizon? Let us know we’ll hold your paper! Email: circulation@OakPark.com

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

Why physical ed spaces are important at OPRF

ince the cost estimates for the Imagine OPRF Team’s proposed master facilities plan were released, some people have questioned why such a significant portion of the expected cost is coming from the construction of physical education spaces, many of which are used by athletics and other extracurricular programs. Here’s why: The simple fact is that the portion of the current campus that houses most of the physical education activity is most in need of significant repair. Gyms with warped floors from leaking ceilings and locker rooms regularly flooded with sewage cannot be considered safe. Pool facilities with ventilation so poor it becomes difficult to breathe after 10 minutes are a health issue. Whole areas of the building that are either completely inaccessible or extremely difficult to navigate for anyone with a disability are not equitable. And facilities that are overcrowded and overscheduled on a daily basis due to a lack of enough flexible, multi-functional space puts everyone at higher risk for accidents and injuries. The Imagine Team has not prioritized physical education, athletics, or extracurricular activities over academic or other needs in our overall assessment. What we have prioritized is the health, safety, accessibility, and equity for all students in spaces that are used by virtually every student every day. The reality is that the infrastructure of these physical education spaces costs more than the infrastructure associated with modernizing classrooms, creating collaboration areas, or renovating public spaces to make them more welcoming for all students. Some people have said that the cost of renovating the physical education facilities isn’t worth the benefit because the activities housed in those

D200 Facilities Plan needs voter approval

spaces are less important. They would say that the primary mission of our school is to provide a quality academic education to its students, and that physical and extracurricular activities are a nice but non-essential benefit. For those who believe that to be true, consider this: Numerous studies have shown that students (including our own OPRF students) who participate in athletics and extracurricular activities reach higher levels of academic achievement and have fewer disciplinary issues. Physical education is education — our students are learning both valuable content and necessary life skills, such as healthy habits, cooperative learning, problem-solving, social and emotional skills, and physical self-defense through participation in PE classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities. Finally, let’s not underestimate the value of having a high school that continues to offer a comprehensive set of experiences for its students — one of the biggest selling points for this community is the reputation of the school and the overall education it provides. Rich, varied, and holistic educational opportunities are what draw families to our community. A decision not to invest in maintaining and improving that offering would have repercussions extending far beyond the impact it would have on our students. The Imagine OPRF Team wholeheartedly believes that our proposal meets the basic needs of all students across all areas — academic, physical, and emotional. We have worked hard to develop a plan that addresses those needs we have identified as critical to the future success of the students, the teachers/staff, and our community as a whole. Renee Bell is an Imagine OPRF team member.

RENEE BELL

One View

Wants vs. needs in OPRF facilities plan I appreciate the District 200 school board’s service and dedication to OPRF High School and the thoughtful proposal created by the Imagine OPRF team on how our facility should evolve. We have two children currently at OPRF and agree the facility needs to be updated. However, we need to differentiate between needs and wants and be laser-focused on the school’s core mission. At OPRF we are facing a key moment on how we go forward to help each student achieve their full potential. Part of Sequence 1 seems to support this goal by providing a new library/media center, student resource space, update classrooms and other academic and student services needs. A quite large new pool and rebuilding the entire field house in subsequent sequences seem to fall into the “want” category. I have asked the school board to further refine the plan to focus on specific, measurable student outcomes that are supported by these facility changes. We also need to see a complete (all sequences)

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funding plan for a facility upgrade and how we will balance this with the need for additional funding to help each student achieve their full potential. The documentary America to Me shows we need to do more (and/or explore different approaches) to improve student outcomes for all of our students. I do not see how a $150 million-plus facility upgrade is the best and fastest way to achieve the core educational mission of OPRF. My recommendation is, once we get a complete cost/funding strategy of the current plan, we refine/prioritize those elements that directly impact student outcomes (and show how we are going to measure so we can make sure they positively impact student outcomes). Please write to the school board and attend the Oct. 3 meeting at OPRF to make sure all of our voices are heard and that facility improvement meets the urgent need to improve student outcomes for all students at OPRF.

Lisa Reed

OPRF parent

fter many months, the D200 Board of Education (BoE), through its surrogate, the Imagine OPRF Work Group, has finally released cost estimates for its proposed Long Term Facility Plan (LTFP). The plan would totally demolish and rebuild a third of the structurally sound building and historic field house, largely for physical education (PE) and athletics. Yet the total price tag is still unknown, as costs for 40% of the project have not been released. The estimate just for sequences 1 through 3 — there are five in all — is $145 million. Costs for Sequence 5, in particular, will be substantial as it includes the plan’s third massive addition to the south end of the building. Once all costs are released and borrowing costs are tacked on, the BoE’s LTFP could easily surpass a quarter of a billion dollars. This expenditure alone would make OPRF the third most expensive public high school in America, according to Public School Review. It’s a red flag that the total cost of the LTFP was not released during the “Big Reveal” on Sept. 11. Imagine’s co-chairs defended the lack of estimates for sequences 4 and 5, stating that they are “further down the road” and unable to estimate. Yet all three phasing options would complete the project within 10 years. In the most aggressive option, sequences 4 and 5 would begin in year four. That’s not “further down the road.” Moreover, D200’s architect of record, Legat, proposed several LTFPs in 2016 and every plan included a total cost. It’s standard constructionindustry practice to release a total

price tag during the discussion phase, not after a project has begun. If the BoE-contracted architectural and cost-estimating consultants can’t provide estimated costs for these two sequences along with public disclosure, then both Perkins + Will and ICI should be fired and replaced with competent firms. The proposed LTFP is filled with many wants and few actual educational needs, and its cost estimates lack transparency and specificity. For example, Sequence 2 includes the demolition and rebuild of the southeast corner of the building for an aquatic center with seating for 600 spectators and a pool double the size of a standard-size high school competition pool. Yet there’s no lineitem cost estimate for the oversized 17-lane pool and aquatic center. The pool’s cost is hidden with other PE/ athletics expenditures, and the cost of the aquatic center’s seating for 600 spectators is lumped in a category called “Community/Shared Space.” Based on costs for just 60% of the proposal, here’s how the $145 million is allocated: 47.95% = PE/Athletics; 21.28% = Community/Shared Space (including Aquatic Center); 10.30% = Performing Arts; 7.41% = Building, Roof and Faculty Offices; 7.08% = Academics (including Special Education and Applied Arts); and 5.98% = Student Resources. Ethically, the BoE can’t decide the fate of a massive expenditure of taxpayer dollars without voter approval. Acting without voter authorization would be an egregious act of overreach. A board seat is not a blank check. Monica Sheehan is a member of OPRF Pragmatic Solutions.

MONICA SHEEHAN One View

Send letters to the Editor Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com Fax: 708-467-9066 Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

Making racial equity real at OPRF PART 1

e’re halfway through the extraordinary stories of our community’s children of color, their families, and their teachers in America to Me (ATM). Sadness, outrage, amazement, laughter, and hope consume me with each episode. I am buoyed by the courage and resilience of our students of color, yet also see their great pain. This past week in Episode 5 we finally meet two white students and their families and begin to see how they, too, live school and understand race in Oak Park and River Forest. We are impacted by the dedication of teachers we meet who too frequently feel unsupported, discouraged, and even hindered in their efforts to support their students. We see their work to improve instruction and enhance racial equity, and we are encouraged to be hopeful. For five engaging hours, we have traversed a school and community, and we search for ways those in charge might be working to alter long-standing and systemic institutional, racial inequities — and District 200 leaders hardly show up. Fortunately, we are to a degree comforted as ATM gently assures us of

something we have known but may never have seen firsthand: Many teachers are doing inspiring work with our children. As we start the second half of ATM, viewers need to know that racial-justice-minded individuals and organizations in our community are fighting for changes that can move OPRF closer to true racial equity. The racial equity challenges we see in ATM are not unique to our community. Oak Park and River Forest are part of the wider and deeper American story of race, power and education. We can change, but only if we see and act with an honesty and commitment missing in the past. As ATM instructs us, juxtaposed to the liberal racial idealism and mythos many have believed, there is a very different reality for our AfricanAmerican families, students, and teachers. Members of our alliance working for racial equity are hardly surprised. As student Ke’Shawn asks in Episode 1: “What’s the big deal about Oak Park?” Our local racial contradictions, and the failure of the dominant culture to fully sponsor racially equitable education where all students feel welcome, affirmed and achieve to their fullest potential have been documented for decades in Oak Park and

River Forest. As last week’s commentary by Wednesday Journalist Michael Romain points out, race in our community and in ATM has predominantly been about black people, largely leaving out, thus far, any examination of what it means to be white or to critically look at the need for whites to take responsibility for ending schoolwide racial inequities. Today, we reach out to justice-minded people of all identities to join with us, teachers, the board and our administration in taking an irreversible step forward, to seize this moment and forge a racial watershed where we begin to act differently. To do so requires the white majority in our community to engage with a new resolve in confronting our conscious and unconscious beliefs about race and to critically unpack our past and current school practices, which, intentionally or by default, block our path to racial equity. In this pursuit, it is imperative for whites to listen intensely and compassionately to our students, parents, families and community members of color if we truly seek change. CEEE has been fortunate to work in alliance with other local organizations on critical racial equity goals and actions: African

JOHN DUFFY

One View

American Parents for Purposeful Leadership in Education (APPLE), Suburban Unity Alliance (SUA), Oak Park Parent Empowerment Network (OPPEN) and Oak Park Call To Action (OPCTA). We seek changes in four key areas at OPRFHS. These include: 1) developing an All Freshman Curriculum experience that addresses the long-standing racial inequities in our current curriculum organization, 2) reforming the district’s recruitment, hiring, support and retention of more teachers of color, 3) supporting and monitoring the implementation of restorative justice and behavioral intervention practices, and, 4) formalizing the district’s commitment to racial equity with the board’s adoption of a Racial Equity Lens Policy. With bold and courageous leadership from board President Jackie Moore and Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, we believe D200 is primed to advance racial equity. In that process, they cannot be left alone. As history so poignantly demonstrates, racial justice will only come about with the unwavering involvement and pressure of an organized, community-based movement. John Duffy is chairperson of the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education (CEEE).

LASER AVAILABLE FOR FUNGAL NAILS • Mention this ad for FREE initial consultation (new patients only)

Apartment living with congregate services

• Medicare covers shoes for diabetics

114 South Humphrey Oak Park, IL 60302

his property with its architecturally award-winning atrium, provides seniors and persons with disabilities with parking, library, laundry room, wellness center and other conveniences. A service coordinator is on staff to assist tenants who may need additional services. The units are studio and one bedroom, each with electric appliances, tile bath, and wall to wall carpeting. Modern fire and safety systems are installed in each apartment and common areas of the building. There are 8 accessible one bedroom units for the mobility impaired. The Oaks is owned and operated by the Oak Park Residence Corporation and is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the 202/section 8 Program. Residents pay approximately 30% of their monthly income for rent. For additional information, please visit our web site at www.oakparkha.org or contact us at 708-386-5812.

Happy Feet... begin with gentle, friendly care for your feet Louis J. Chi, D.P.M.

Mary M. DiSomma, D.P.M.

Ruth A. Chi, D.P.M.

Open Monday-Saturday • Free Initial Exam for Laser Fungal Nails

www.disomma.com 708-383-5554

Most Insurances & PPO’s Accepted Outpatient Foot Surgery Affiliated with Rush Oak Park Hospital

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

Early Childhood Resources Early Childhood Center and Camp

West Suburban Temple Har Zion 1040 N. Harlem Ave. River Forest, IL 60305 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org 2-5 years old 7:30 am–6:00 pm M-Th 7:30 am–3:30 pm on Fri.

Preschool and kindergarten programs for three, four, and five-year-olds Call for an appointment. 7300 Division St. River Forest 708-366-6900 graceriverforest.org

Helping parents be successful since 1980 708/848-2227 www.parenthesis-info. org Find us on Facebook.

Early Childhood Education at

Pilgrim Community Nursery School Celebrating 50 years. 460 W. Lake St. Oak Park IL, 60302 Phone: 708-848-5869 www.pilgrimschool.net Accepting students ages 2–5 years old.

First United Church Nursery School More than Just a School 848 W. Lake St. 708-848-4910 Find us on Facebook and at www.firstunited school.com Call for a tour and info about summer camp.

The Day Nursery

1139 Randolph Street Oak Park, IL 60302 708.383.8211 Call to Schedule a Tour! oakparkdn@att.net www.oprfdaynursery.org

• Open 7 am–6 pm • Serving children 2½–6 years old • NAEYC Accredited

Raise your profile in the community. Check the early childhood directory on oakpark.com for updated listings, maps, & current open house information. Call Mary Ellen Nelligan for details: 708-613-3342

Collaboration for Early Childhood Strong Start, Bright Future

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Women and gender in Islam

oes Islam oppress women? Do Muslim women around the world enjoy the same rights and freedoms as American women? Why do Muslim women wear a veil? Does the Qur’an condone the inequality of men and women? These are just some of the questions many average American Muslims are regularly asked at work, at school or in community settings. Many non-Muslim Americans, who have few outlets to properly learn about Islam, are particularly captivated by the dominant image of the “oppressed, burqa-clad” Muslim woman, which has been entrenched in the media for decades, especially on the evening news, in TV shows and in blockbuster Hollywood movies. However, a closer look into what Islam’s sacred book, the Qur’an, actually states about the equality of men and women, as well as the fate of oppressors and core concepts of masculinity and femininity, may be eye-opening for some and can perhaps best explain why many observant Muslim women find solace and peace within Islam and perceive the Qur’an as a liberatory and emancipatory sacred text. Understanding the complexities of the role of women and gender in Islam can explain not only the lived experience of American Muslim women, but also the

MALIHA CHISHTI One View

surge of activism among Muslim women worldwide who are reclaiming their human rights from within an Islamic framework. In doing so, they are rupturing the dominant misrepresentations and stereotypes many in the West have about the role and status of Muslim women in Islam. For a closer look into women and gender in Islam, please join me at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. Let’s continue the important public dialogue. Bring your questions to the discussion, or email them in advance to communications@oppl. org. For more information, see oppl.org/ calendar. Dr. Maliha Chishti is a researcher specializing in war and post-conflict peacebuilding and a lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy. Her upcoming presentation is part of the Oak Park Public Library’s ongoing series Understanding the World of Islam and is presented in partnership with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago.

Where’s the conversation on OPRF’s facilities plan? Dear District 200 Board of Education, On Oct. 3, you will host the fourth Imagine Community Conversations meeting regarding the Long Term Facilities Plan, currently a $145 million project for the first three of its five sequences. In the past, these have been informational sessions where presentations are given and then feedback is elicited, but only in writing — not to be shared, unfiltered, with the community. Why have community members not been supported to give feedback, and ask questions, in an open forum? Where is the “conversation”? How can the community trust this school board and this administration when voices have been muted and silenced and no space created for the community to have a conversation? Last November, an online racist incident sparked a true community conversation via open microphone. This facilitated commu-

nity members to both listen and be heard by fellow residents. Surely, if we can thoughtfully and respectfully discuss such an important and hot topic as race, we can do the same for this Long Term Facilities Plan. How can board members, who were elected to represent the people of this community, glean insight from their neighbors, when all feedback given at these meetings has been filtered? How can board members claim that this is a transparent, democratic process when questions are not allowed to be asked for all to hear, and when comments are not allowed for all to hear? I urge the board and the administration to allow questions to be asked, and comments made, in an open-microphone forum on Oct. 3. Otherwise, this meeting will be just another example of faux transparency and faux community engagement.

Gina Sennello

Oak Park

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O B I T U A R I E S

Marie ‘Ghislaine’ Paul, 68 Longtime Oak Park resident

Marie “Ghislaine” Paul, 68, died on Sept. 15, 2018 at Rush Oak Park Hospital due to complications from stomach cancer. Ghislaine, as she was affectionately known, fought a great fight but went into cardiac arrest while surrounded by her family and friends. Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on July 7, 1950, she migrated to America in September of 1983 and settled in Oak Park, where she worked as a housekeeper and lived for the remainder of her adult life. A woman of great faith and pride in her Haitian culture, she had an MARIE PAUL abundance of love for, and commitment to, her family and was a generous, loving, and caring person to all. She took great pride in being a single mother of five children, all of whom were Oak Park and River High School graduates. Throughout her life and time living in the Oak Park community, she was a faithful member of Ascension, St. Bernardine, and St. Edmund parishes where she would often be seen front and center with her sister, Yvette Durand, and her best friend, Luthan Haider. She loved traveling to many places in the U.S. and abroad. In particular, and dear to her heart, was her first trip to Paris. She will be remembered for her upbeat personality, delicious Haitian dishes, her love of dancing, welcoming friendship, and an unwavering strength and determination to

provide a better life with boundless opportunities for her kids, Elsie Paul, Beatrice Baptiste, Emmanuel Baptiste, Gregory Baptiste, and James Baptiste; and her grandkids, Destiny, Imani, Fatima, Anthony, Marc, Christian, Adrianna, Garrison, Kaleb, and Roman. Her loving smile and nurturing heart will be missed by all. Family and friends will meet at St. Edmund Church, 188 S. Oak Park Ave., on Saturday, Sept. 29 for visitation from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by Mass. Interment will take place at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Arrangements were held at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home in Oak Park.

Carol Schiffner was the wife of Frank with whom she recently celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary; the mother of Nancy (Michelle), Don (Stacy), Sheri (Brian) and Scott (Carolyn); grandmama of Eric, Kayleen (Ben), Brad, Frank, Alison, Mary Clare, Matt, and James; aunt of many nieces and nephews; and a friend and neighbor to many more. A private ceremony to celebrate a life welllived is being planned for late October. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial donations to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (www.ccfa.org).

Patricia Spagat, 89

Carol Schiffner, 86

Environmental, political, and humanitarian advocate

Carol M. Schiffner (nee Held), 86, died on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 surrounded by family. A lifelong resident of Oak Park, she made a loving home for her own family in the house where she grew up. She and her husband created a life full of love and laughter that was readily shared with all who knew her. She remains an exCAROL SCHIFFNER traordinary example of unconditional love. Her sweet and kind heart will be deeply missed by a second family of friends and neighbors from her summer home in Wisconsin where she enjoyed being on the lake, playing cards, and watching a good sunset from the deck.

Patricia May Spagat, 89, died on Sept. 22, 2018. From her Oak Park front porch, she loved watching and waving to the dogs and people who passed by on the sidewalk or played in the park across the street. A former teacher, she tirelessly supported many causes. It would be difficult to find a more vigorous and relentless PATRICIA SPAGAT advocate for animals, LGBTQ rights, and many other environmental, political, and humanitarian causes. She has helped many people and animals, and will continue to do so by donating her body to Science Care for medical research. Pat Spagat was the wife of the late David Spagat; the mother of Susan (David) Moore, Michael (Karen) and Robert (Toni); the

Lifelong Oak Park resident

of Oak Park and River Forest

Robert McGee, 77 Forest Park and former River Forest resident

Robert Butler McGee, 77, of Forest Park, formally of River Forest, has died. He was the father of Bobby, Melanie (Ty) Vukelich, and the late Daniel; grandfather of Catherine, Erin and Jarrett; son of the late Leonard and Eleanor McGee; brother of the late Leonard McGee Jr. and Eleanor Morgan; and an uncle, cousin and friend of many. Robert McGee was predeceased by his former wife Joan (nee Lescher). A visitation and funeral Mass were held on Sept. 20, with interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. The family appreciates memorials to the ALS Association Greater Chicago Chapter, Attn: Julie Sharpe, 220 W. Huron St., Ste. 4003, Chicago 60654. Arrangements were handled by Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home.

To run an obituary

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL

grandmother of Daniel, Grant, Isabella, Lucas, Henry, Oskar and Anton; and the sister of John Picchiotti. There are also many nieces, nephews and their families, loyal friends, and her much-doted-upon pets (particularly her rescue dog, Paula) who feel this loss. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the charity of your choice. Some of Pat’s favorites were Tree House Humane Society (www.treehouseanimals.org), Oak Park Conservatory (www. pdop.org/parks-facilities/oak-park-conservatory/), and 20-20-20 (www.20x20x20.org) to restore eyesight. A Memorial Open House will be held at Pat’s Oak Park home on Saturday, Sept. 29 between 3 and 8 p.m. Additional information is available at 708-386-8637.

Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/467-9066 before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home

Find out what all of the buzz is about. Sign up today for our Breaking News Emails. Join the community at

RBLandmark.com • ForestParkReview.com • OakPark.com • RiverForest.com

Since 1880 Family Owned & Operated Charles Williams, Owner/Funeral Director 203 S. Marion St. Oak Park 60302 708/383-3191

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Growing community.

explore your community @ OakPark.com

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

The

Tour

The Changing Aging Tour is coming to Oak Park on October 10th. Some local favorites are hosting great dinner and show deals exclusively for ticket holders! Visit one of the restaurants below and show your Changing Aging ticket to receive a special treat.

Religion Guide Check First.

First Congregational Church of Maywood

400 N. Fifth Avenue (1 block north of Lake St.) Come join us for Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am Pastor Elliot Wimbush will be preaching the message. Refreshments and fellowship follow the service. 708-344-6150 firstchurchofmaywood.org When you're looking for a place to worship the Lord, Check First.

You’re Invited to

Rustico - FREE Dessert & Limoncello drink with the purchase of an entree

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

William S. Winston Pastor (708) 697-5000 Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM

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

Brick’s Pizza - 20% off pizzas for the day & a free fountain drink with any sandwich or entree

DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

IL Vicolo - FREE dessert with purchase of any entree

Oak Park Brewing 1 FREE pint of OPB beer with each dinner purchase Tickets for The Changing Aging tour are still available at www.oakpark.com/ changingaging - $5.00 off by using WJSUB

1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest Meet our Rabbi, Adir Glick Pray, learn, and celebrate with our caring, progressive, egalitarian community. Interfaith families are welcome. Accredited Early Childhood Program Religious School for K thru 12 Daily Morning Minyan Weekly Shabbat Services Friday 6:30pm & Saturday 10:00am Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org

Methodist

ELCA, Lutheran

Good Shepherd

Worshiping at 820 Ontario, Oak Park IL (First Baptist Church) 9:00 a.m.—Education Hour 10:30 a.m.—Worship

All are welcome. goodshepherdlc.org 708-848-4741

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

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

708/386-1576

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor David W. Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Ed. 9:45 a.m. Childcare Available

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

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

Fair Oaks

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

744 Fair Oaks Ave. Oak Park 386-4920 Sunday Schedule Christian Education for All Ages 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am

Child care available 9-11am

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

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

Grace Lutheran School

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

Christ Lutheran Church

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

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

305 Circle Ave, Forest Park Sunday Worship, 9:30am Christian Education Hour 8:30am Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary Leonard Payton, Pastor Roney Riley, Assistant Pastor 708-366-3226 www.stjohnforestpark.org

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

Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

188 South Oak Park Ave. Saturday Mass: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Masses: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Weekday Mass: 8:30 a.m. M–F Holy Day Masses: As Announced Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 p.m. Parish Office: 708-848-4417 Religious Ed Phone: 708-848-7220

Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 107TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Friday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca

St. Giles Family Mass Community

We welcome all to attend Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. on the St. Giles Parish campus on the second floor of the school gym, the southernmost building in the school complex at 1034 North Linden Avenue. Established in 1970, we are a laybased community within St. Giles Roman Catholic Parish. Our Mass is family-friendly. We encourage liturgically active toddlers. Children from 3 to 13 and young adults play meaningful parts in each Sunday liturgy. Together with the parish, we offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based religious education program for children in grades K-8. For more information, go to http://www.stgilesparish.org/ family-mass-community or call Bob Wielgos at 708-288-2196.

Traditional Catholic

The Traditional Catholic Latin Mass

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

Third Unitarian Church 10AM Sunday Forum 11AM Service Rev. Colleen Vahey thirdunitarianchurch.org (773) 626-9385 301 N. Mayfield, Chicago Committed to justice, not to a creed Upcoming Religious Holidays

Sep 24-31 Sukkot 27 Meskal 29 Oct 1 2 4 8 9-16 18 19 20

Jewish Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Michael and All Angels Christian Shemini Atzeret Jewish Simchat Torah Jewish St Francis Day Catholic Christian Blessing of the Animals Christian Thanksgiving - Canada Interfaith Navaratri Hindu St. Luke, Apostle & Evangelist Christian Dasara Hindu Birth of the Báb Baha’i

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED Deadline is Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

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

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion. Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion. The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE ANALYST Darwill Inc. seeks Business Intelligence Analyst. Mail resume to 11900 W Roosevelt Road, Hillside, IL.

ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER PART-TIME Part-time Electrician’s Helper. Must have own transportation. Call for more info 708-738-3848.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Community Service Officer in the Police Department. This position will perform a variety of public service, customer service and law enforcement related duties and responsibilities that do not require the services of a sworn police officer; and to perform a variety of administrative duties. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 8, 2018.

PARKS MAINTENANCE WORKER The Park District of Oak Park is hiring Parks Maintenance Workers to clean and maintain buildings, parks and equipment in order to ensure parks standards are met & parks are functional, safe and attractive for all users of the Park District. 3 to 5 days a week; 3:30PM-10PM, average 18 hours per week, schedule varies. $11 per hour. A valid drivers license is required. To view full job description and to apply, go to www.pdop.org/jobs JOB ID 1485

SERVICE COORDINATOR FOR MILLS PARK TOWER Mills Park Tower is a 198-unit Public Housing residence located in downtown Oak Park that houses a population composed predominately of seniors. The Oak Park Residence Corporation seeks a Service Coordinator to establish, organize, manage, and maintain the newly created HUD Ross Grant Service Coordination Program.

Join our awesome team! Wednesday Journal seeks an Advertising Assistant extraordinaire! Support the Associate Publisher and Sales Team with your excellent customer relationship skills and enthusiasm. Supports classified, display, digital, and event sales. Must be a true go-getter and superb project manager! Technical savvy required–Google Docs, Microsoft, customer relationship management (database), social media. Some design skills a plus. You will be a liaison between staff and clients, work with teams across the company, and help grow clients through prospecting and some networking. You will be a master of our CRM! Must be a great communicator–on the phone, email, and in-person. You must be excited to work in the digital and social media space! Love of community newspapers a plus.

DATA ENTRY/CUSTOMER SRVC Small local company has an opening for a Data Entry/Customer Service Rep. We are looking for an energetic self-starter, analytical mind, detail-oriented, advanced customer service and a positive professional attitude. The position requires: 2+ years customer service skills, strong interpersonal skills, ability to multi-task, flexible attitude, general AP/ AR, payroll knowledge, data entry skills. Full benefits, paid vacation & holidays. Submit cover letter & resume to datainputjob@ yahoo.com

PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Public Health Nurse in the Health Department. This position will provide professional public health nursing services including management of family case management, health education and promotion which includes disseminating information, making referrals, and counseling as well as managing caseloads, and performing a variety of tasks relative to assigned area of responsibility. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/ jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 4, 2018.

Substitute Teachers Needed for River Forest Public Schools District 90. Must have Valid Illinois Teaching License; Professional Educator License with Endorsements (PEL); or, Substitute Teaching License (SUB); or Educator License with Stipulations with a Para-professional Educator Endorsement (ELS). Required Certification: Current State of Illinois Professional Educator License or Substitute License Certificate must be registered in West Cook Region 06. Working Conditions: Available to work on an as-needed basis for Early Childhood through 8th grade classrooms, including core subjects, art, music, physical education and special education. Position not eligible for benefits.

Reporting to the Manager of Mills Park Tower, position responsibilities will include: -Create and manage program to help link MPT residents to needed services offered by agencies and organizations throughout the community and beyond. -Establish strong alliances with community service providers and develop an array of on-site programs and services as well as a broad network of referral options. -Attract residents to utilize these services, conduct assessments of resident needs, develop service plans and provide case management services. -Maintain comprehensive records and file accurate and timely reports in compliance with all requirements of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Candidate Requirements: -Minimum 2-3 years of experience in social service delivery for seniors and/or people with disabilities. -Bachelor’s degree, with a strong preference for candidates with a Bachelor of Social Work or a degree in Gerontology, Psychology, or Counseling. A full position description is available at: https://www.oakparkrc.com/ work-oprc

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the on-line application available at district90.org. Please do not send hard copies of supporting documentation, i.e.; cover letters, resumes, etc. to River Forest Public Schools. Selection Process: If your qualifications meet the District requirements, a District administrator will contact you directly for an interview and to pick up a document packet from the District office.

7776 Lake Street, River Forest, IL 60305 708-771-8282 • www.district90.org

You have jobs. We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified! Call 708-613-3342.

•

Don’t delay–send resume to Dawn@OakPark.com

SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE NEW CONCEPT FOR MAYWOOD

In this quiet residential neighborhood

902 S. 3RD AVENUE (2 blks W of 1st Ave & 1 blk N of Madison)

Wednesday Classified 3 Great Papers, 6 Communities To Place Your Ad, Call: 708/613-3333

Reserve your own affordable 2 or 3 BR condo unit of 1000+ sq ft of living space being built on this historic site. You’ll benefit from a unique 12 year tax freeze and lower monthly living expenses from energy saving systems/appliances, and you can help design your own individual unit. Plans also include building 5 new townhomes onsite. For details Call 708-383-9223.

HELP WANTED

Interested candidates may direct a cover letter and resume to ken@ oakparkrc.com

Rate of Pay: $110/day for 1-20 days $120/day thereafter

Superior organizational skills required. Helpful skills include great common sense, leadership, and willing to be a jack-of-all-trades. 15-25 hours per week in the office. Possibility to grow into a full-time position. Some flexibility. Mondays and Tuesdays a must. Reports to Associate Publisher.

DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR •

Wednesday Journal, Inc., is looking for an energetic self-starter for the parttime position of Distribution Coordinator. This person is responsible for data entry, coordinating drivers for pickup of both weekly and monthly publications, management of our warehouse space, fielding customer service calls and attending community events. This position requires: strong customer service and problem-solving skills, some college preferred, basic computer skills (Windows), a valid driver’s license, reliable and insured vehicle and the ability to lift 20-30 pound publication bundles. This position is 20-25 hours per week including Tuesday evenings. Paid vacation and holidays. Send resume to circulation@oakpark.com.

email us: classifieds@RiverForest.com 

CITY REAL ESTATE MLS #: 10019447

5832 W Superior Street Chicago Offered at $296,900

JUMBO 2 UNIT 6 Bdrms, 2 Baths

5832 W. Superior St. Chicago SELLER WILLING TO ASSIST with closing COST on reasonable offer. Spacious units w/ high ceilings, sep LRs & DRs, lg kitchens. Enclosed back porches. Spacious fin’d bsmt w/lg BR and storage. 2 laundry rms. SEPARATE UTILITIES. Newer roof, and many other updates. .....$296,900 Samuel Jones A. Vision Realty and Mgmt Co. (708) 236-5111 | (708) 732-1907 sam_j_mgmt@msn.com 6 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms

2 Units

SELLER WILLING TO ASSIST with closing COST on all reasonable offers -JUMBO 2 unit,Spacious units features -high ceilings ,Separate living &Dining rooms,Large kitchens,And Enclosed back porches. Beautiful & spacious finished basement,Includes 1 large bedroom and plenty of storage space.2 separate laundry rooms.SEPARATE UTILITIES.Newer roof,and many other updates. Samuel Jones

A. Vision Realty and Mgmt Co. 4415 W. Harrison Hillside, IL 60162 Office:(708) 236-5111|Cell:(708) 7321907|Fax:(708) 236-5113 sam_j_mgmt@msn.com

A. Vision Realty and Mgmt Co.

List office: A. Vision Realty and Mgmt Co. (708) 236-5111

All measurements and figures are approximate. Source of information is deemed reliable, but not verified.

SUBURBAN RENTALS FOREST PARK 2BR APT Near public transportation. Quiet building. No smoking, no pets. Gas & electric not incl. Parking avail. $1000 plus 1 month security and credit check. Call 708-366-0552. OAK PARK 2 BR GARDEN APT 2BR 1BA Garden Apt near Longfellow school. Freshly decorated with hdwd floors, tiled bath and beautiful backyard. Includes heat, private parking, washer/dryer on premises. $1300 plus 1 mo. security. Background check required. Call 847-561-2699 SELLING YOUR HOME BY OWNER? Call Us For Advertising Rates! 708/613-3333

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK 3BR 519 N HUMPRHEY 2nd floor of 2-flat. Hardwood floors throughout. Parking avail. Laundry next door. Month to Month. $1390 per month. Call 312-927-4725. SOUTH OP CONDO Beautiful, vintage condo featuring 2BR and 1 Bath, with plenty of light and newly re-finished hardwood floors. One block form CTA Blue line and minutes away from I-290. Surrounded by parks, elementary schools, and laundromat. Includes gas and water. Rent is $1225 + $75 for parking. Available immediately! Email: haddymaddela@gmail.com

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro. Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up. 773-637-5957 Large Sunny Room with fridge & microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101.00 week & up. New Mgmt. 773-378-8888

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

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

Apartment listings updated daily at:

CITY RENTALS WEST GARFIELD CLEAN 2 BR APT LR & DR. Heat & appliances included. $900 per month. Deposit & Background Check Required. 312-590-2951

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT OAK PARK OFFICE SPACE Private office (approx. 100 sf) for lease at 1100 Lake Street, Oak Park. Includes desk & chair; high speed Wi-Fi; coffee, tea and water service; nightly cleaning; corporate-style conference room; reception area. Parking in attached garage (with covered access to building) is free for first 1.5 hours or purchase monthly pass from VOP. $375/ month. Includes heat, AC, electric. Available now. Call 708-267-8072. For pictures and more info, search “6686478994” on Craigslist.

GARAGE/YARD SALES Brookfield

YARD SALE FOR DC 3609 WOODSIDE AVE FRI 9/29 & SAT 9/30 10AM TO 4PM

To benefit local teen Junior State Association’s trip to DC. Kids toys & bikes, holiday, small furniture, sports, clothes, kitchen. You never know what you will find! Help teens get to DC for a session of Congress. Please help! North Riverside

AUTUMN GARAGE SALE 9026 W 22ND PLACE THU 9/27 8AM TO 5PM FRI 9/28 8AM TO 5PM SAT 9/29 8AM TO 3PM

School desks, clothes, coats, household items, toys and much more! Oak Park

MOVING SALE ONE DAY ONLY! 631 N KENILWORTH AVE SAT 9/29 9AM TO 4PM

Everything must go! Furniture, tools, beautiful frames, books, toys, collectibles, records, and much more! Oak Park

BLOCK SALE 1150 BLK S SCOVILLE SAT 9/29 8AM TO 12 NOON

Clothes, toys, books, household goods and more. Oak Park

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-888-328-8457 for an appointment.

GARAGE SALE 805 MAPLETON AVE SAT 9/29 9AM TO 1PM

ITEMS: Cloths, Furiture, Christmas Ornaments, Kids Games, Sewing Machine–Other Household Items. Rake in some extra cash with a fall garage sale! 708/613-3342 to advertise here.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CLASSIFIED GARAGE/YARD SALES Oak Park

HUGE RUMMAGE/ YARD SALE 1154 WISCONSIN WEST CENTRAL SDA CHURCH (1 blk east of Harlem & Roosevelt)

FRI 9/28 1-5PM SUN 9/30 10AM-4PM

Tons of clothing, shoes, lots of new items, toys, baby clothing, household items, bedding, books, CDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, videos, games, exercise equipment, too much to mention, lots and lots of stuff!! Oak Park

HUGE YARD SALE 1224 LINDEN AVE FRI 9/28 7:30Aâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;7P SAT 9/29 7:30Aâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;7P SUN 9/30 7:30Aâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1P

Office Furniture, Bunk Bed, Kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Desk and Chair, Microwave, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clothes & Shoes, Purses, Toys & Games, Tools, Xmas Ornaments & Decor, Halloween Costumes and Decor, Fishing Gear, X-Country skis, Collectibles, Antique slide projector and slides, Books, DVDs, Bike, Razor Scooter, Tennis Rackets

ITEMS FORÂ SALE CERTIFIED WIND SURFER Full Size, with cover and sail $130.00 WATER SKIS $15.00 708-488-8755

(708) 613-3333 â&#x20AC;˘ FAX: (708) 467-9066 â&#x20AC;˘ E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

CEMETERY PLOTS FOR SALE TWO CEMETERY PLOTS FOR SALE PARKHOLM CEMETERY

LaGrange Rd, North of 31st St. Retired/Relocated Call 608-647-8726 2 WOODLAWN CEMETERY PLOTS Two (2) Woodlawn cemetery plots for sale (side-by-side). In Birchwood section. $5,300 for both, includes transfer fees. Contact Andy 847858-7726

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers-lead plastic-other misc. toys. Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

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â&#x20AC;˘ Sidewalks â&#x20AC;˘ Stairs â&#x20AC;˘ Driveways Patios â&#x20AC;˘ Repair Foundations â&#x20AC;˘ StampedÂ & Colored Concrete â&#x20AC;˘ Exposed Aggregate

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PIANO MUSIC Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann piano concertos, ensemble piano music and piano trios. 708-488-8755

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

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Drives Walks Patios Stamped Concrete Curbs/Gutters GarageÂ Floors Foundations Water Control / Management

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ELECTRICALHANDYMAN Ceiling Fans Installed

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 Â&#x2021; )281'$7,216 Â&#x2021; 3$7,26 67(36 Â&#x2021; &85% *877(56 Â&#x2021; 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* Â&#x2021; 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

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++++++++++++++ + + + + + + + + Appliance lines + + Lightingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;services + + Furnace repair & tune-ups + + Trouble calls + Realty pre-sale inspections + + Lic & Insured Since 1986 + + + Good References + + + 708-612-4803 + ++++++++++++++

FIREPLACES/ FIREWOOD

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Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS â&#x20AC;˘ $130 F.C. CBH & MIX â&#x20AC;˘ $145 F.C. 100% OAK â&#x20AC;˘ $165 F.C. CHERRY OR HICKORY â&#x20AC;˘ $185 F.C. 100% BIRCH â&#x20AC;˘ $220 F.C. Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available

847-888-9999 Order online:

www. suregreen landscape.com

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FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

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HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

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All Work Guaranteed Lowest Prices Guaranteed FREE Video Inspection with Sewer Rodding /P +PC 5PP -BSHF t /P +PC 5PP 4NBMM Family Owned & Operated

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WINDOWS BROKEN SASH CORDS? CALL THE WINDOW MAN!

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Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs â&#x20AC;˘ Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

PLUMBING

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SENIOR SERVICES SERVICES FOR SENIORS Light housekeeping, errands, paperwork organization, decluttering, meal prep & more. Contact me for full brochure. Honest, caring, patient, dependable, mature, local. $15/hrâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;2 hr min. Weekly/bi-weekly spots available. 708-628-7171 or ServForSeniors@gmail.com

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â&#x20AC;? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: D18155520 on September 24, 2018. Under the Assumed Business Name of D.M. BURTON with the business located at: 7208 HARVARD ST UNIT 1, FOREST PARK, IL 60130. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DARIEN T MARION-BURTON 7208 HARVARD ST UNIT 1 FOREST PARK, IL 60130. Published in Forest Park Review 9/26, 10/3, 10/10/2018

CLASSIC PAINTING

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708.749.0011

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Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â&#x20AC;&#x153;An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â&#x20AC;? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: D18155388 on September 7, 2018. Under the Assumed Business Name of AMY Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CONFECTIONS with the business located at: 9111 29TH STEET, BROOKFIELD, IL 60513. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: AMY R KACZMAREK, 9111 29TH STREET BROOKFIELD, IL 60513 Published in RB Landmark 9/12, 9/19, 9/26/2018

LEGAL NOTICE Received 08-17-2018 FILED 08-17-2018 Oneida County Register in Probate 2018PR000070 STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT ONEIDA COUNTY PROBATE BRANCH IN THE MATTER OF: THE ARTHUR R. ABBOTT Case No. 2018-PR-70 REVOCABLE TRUST ORDER AND NOTICE FOR HEARING ON PETITION TO REMOVE CO-TRUSTEE, ORDER SALE OF MINOCQUA PROPERTY, APPROVE TRUSTEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ACCOUNTS, AND REIMBURSE THE EXPENSES OF THE REMAINING TRUSTEE Allison Moran, as Co-Trustee of the Arthur R. Abbott Revocable Trust, by her counsel, Boardman & Clark, LLP, by Kathryn A. Harrell, has requested a hearing on her Petition to Remove Co-Trustee, Order Sale of Minocqua Property, Approve Trusteeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Accounts, and Reimburse the Expenses of the Remaining Trustee. THE COURT ORDERS THAT: The Petition will be heard at the Oneida County Courthouse, 1 South Oneida Avenue, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, before the Honorable Michael Bloom, Circuit Court Judge, Branch II, on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. Notice shall be given by mailing at least 20 days before the hearing a copy of this Order to every person entitled to notice. Electronically signed by Michael H. Bloom Circuit Court Judge 08/17/2018 F:\DOCS\WD\39516\1\A3195985. DOCX Published in RB Landmark 9/19, 9/26, 10/3/2018

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE River Forest Park District Cook County, Illinois â&#x20AC;&#x153;Notice of Availabilityâ&#x20AC;? Annual Statement of Receipts and Disbursements Fiscal Year Ended April 30, 2018. The River Forest Park District has the Annual Statement of Receipts and Disbursements on file at Park District Headquarters, 401 Thatcher Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305. It will also be on our website at www.rfparks.com Published in Wednesday Journal 9/26/2018

LEGAL NOTICE Chertkow and Chertkow (22019) Attorneys for Petitioner 1525 East 53rd Street Chicago, Illinois 60615 STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re the marriage of MARGARITA MENDOZA, Petitioner and JUAN CARLOS CAMACHO, Respondent, Case No. 2018D-007945. The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending. Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before October 30, 2018, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition. DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk. Published in Wednesday Journal 9/26, 10/3, 10/10/2018

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING You are hereby notified that a Public Hearing has been called by the Housing Authority of the Village of Oak Park, Oak Park, Illinois to be held at the Oak Park Village Hall located at 123 Madison Street, (Lombard and Madison), Oak Park, Illinois in Room 101 at 2:00 PM on Friday, September 28, 2018, for the purpose of considering the following item of business: To hear comments from the Public on the Public Housing Agency Annual Plan. The draft of the of the Annual Plan for 2019 along with the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments will be considered by the Authority before adoption of the Annual Plan to be submitted by October 18, 2018 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The draft plan is available for inspection at the following locations during normal hours of operation: Oak Park Housing Authority 21 South Boulevard Mills Park Tower 1025 Pleasant Place Written comments will also be accepted prior to the hearing for inclusion in the public record. Address all comments or inquiries to: Oak Park Housing Authority Executive Director 21 South Boulevard Oak Park, IL 60302 Published in Wednesday Journal 9/26/2018

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

CLASSIFIED

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION DITECH FINANCIAL LLC Plaintiff, -v.SHAUNTEL POTTS, 1205-07 N. HARLEM AVENUE CONDOMINIUM Defendants 2017 CH 16630 1205 N HARLEM AVENUE 6 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 17, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 23, 2018, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1205 N HARLEM AVENUE 6, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-06-120-0451006. The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common

interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-17-15366. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-17-15366 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2017 CH 16630 TJSC#: 38-5994 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3097898

12 CH 019546 1526 N. AUSTIN BLVD. OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 11, 2012, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 10, 2018, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1526 N. AUSTIN BLVD., OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-106-020; 16-05-106-021. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS

AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-12-14848. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-12-14848 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 12 CH 019546 TJSC#: 38-7184 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3098191

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 18, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 19, 2018, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 8 LE MOYNE PKWY, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-106-0300000. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-17-10569. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-17-10569 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 17 CH 15175 TJSC#: 38-7477 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3099115

7248 DIXON STREET #B FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 30, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 5, 2018, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 7248 DIXON STREET #B, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-12-420-0191010. The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-03595. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION CITIMORTGAGE, INC. Plaintiff, -v.JESSIE BRUMFIELD Defendants

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION CIT BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, -v.MARY MARGARET T. CALFA, MARY MARGARET T. CALFA, AS TRUSTEE OF THE MARY MARGARET T. (KRAMER) CALFA DECLARATION OF TRUST DATED 5/ 17/05. Defendants 17 CH 15175 8 LE MOYNE PKWY OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, vs. FRANCESCO MANCINI; JENNIFER MANCINI AKA JENNIFER MCLEAN; LIONS GATE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants, 17 CH 15605 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, October 29, 2018 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-315-029-1005. Commonly known as 336 South Maple Avenue, Unit 2B, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call The Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Anselmo Lindberg & Associates, LLC, 1771 West Diehl Road, Naperville, Illinois 60563-1890. (630) 453-6960. For Bidding instructions visit www.alolawgroup.com 24 hours prior to sale. F17110139 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3099058 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE (THE TRUSTEE) FOR THE HOLDERS OF DEUTSCHE ALT-A SECURITIES, INC. MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST, SERIES 2007RAMP1 Plaintiff, -v.ANDREA M. RANDALL, LOFTOMINIUMS OF FOREST PA R K CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2018 CH 04590

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-03595 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 04590 TJSC#: 38-6342 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3099297

RECOVERY ASSOCIATES, LLC, CITIBANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO CITIBANK (SOUTH DAKOTA) N.A. Defendants 16 CH 11164 1836 N. 21ST AVENUE MELROSE PARK, IL 60160 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 9, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 9, 2018, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1836 N. 21ST AVENUE, MELROSE PARK, IL 60160 Property Index No. 15-03-103-0480000. The real estate is improved with a single family residence. The judgment amount was $290,919.14. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate

taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, contact Plaintiff’s attorney: HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC, 111 East Main Street, DECATUR, IL 62523, (217) 4221719 Please refer to file number 564652104-FT. If the sale is not confirmed for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the purchase price paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC 111 East Main Street DECATUR, IL 62523 (217) 422-1719 Fax #: (217) 422-1754 CookPleadings@hsbattys.com Attorney File No. 564652104-FT Attorney Code. 40387 Case Number: 16 CH 11164 TJSC#: 38-7594 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3099790

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. Plaintiff, -v.GINA CAMPA A/K/A GINA M. CAMPA, JESUS GARCIA A/K/A JESUS M. GARCIA, A/K/A JESUS H. GARCIA, MIDLAND FUNDING LLC, CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO CAPITAL ONE BANK, STATE OF ILLINOIS, EQUABLE ASCENT FINANCIAL, LLC, PORTFOLIO

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local employees, happy employees! REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act., which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informedthat all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. WEDNESDAY JOURNAL Forest Park Review, Landmark

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

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Chicago serves as perfect fit for Laver Cup

World-class tourney reflects passion for tennis in town

After his pulsating 6-7, 7-6, 10-7 victory over the t’s amusingly debatable whether Chicago is 6-foot-10 Isner, Federer addressed the UC crowd a Bears, Cubs or Bulls town. I’m sure fans by saying, “Oh man, what a match, what a weekof the Blackhawks and White Sox would be end. Thank you, Chicago.” glad to weigh in with their opinions as well. Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slams, played a The immutable truth is that Chicago is a primary role in making the Laver Cup possible. great sports city. The Swiss great talked about the Laver Cup as an Laver Cup organizers certainly felt that way opportunity to celebrate tennis and pay homage when choosing the Windy City as host site for to the game’s legends (notably Rod Laver), while its second edition, pitting several of the best also allowing current players a chance to interact tennis players from Europe and the rest of the in a team format and entertain fans. world against each other in a spirited compeAs host city, Chicago served its role as impectition featuring singles and doubles matches. cably as a Federer ace on match point. Team Europe consisted of captain Bjorn “It’s an absolute privilege to play here where Borg, vice captain Thomas Enqvist, and playMichael Jordan had so much success,” Federer ers Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Alexander said. “He was one of my biggest heroes and inspiZverev, Grigor Dimitrov, David Goffin, Kyle Sports Editor rations so to be in the city where he has left such Edmund plus alternate Jeremy Chardy. Team a big mark means a lot to me. World included captain John McEnroe, vice “We’re so happy to have the Laver Cup here in captain Patrick McEnroe, and players Kevin Chicago. What a great sports city and great fans. We made Anderson, John Isner, Jack Sock, Nick Kyrgios, Frances the perfect choice.” Tiafoe, Diego Schwartzman plus alternate Nicolas Jarry. The numbers reflect Federer’s praise of Chicago. A total In my dual role as sports editor and tennis fanatic, I had of 93,854 tennis fans attended the second edition of the Lathe privilege of covering this year’s Laver Cup. ver Cup, which was broadcast in more than 200 countries. Playing matches at the United Center all weekend before Djokovic, owner of 14 Grand Slams, including titles at capacity crowds, Team Europe edged Team World 13-8 in the U.S. Open and Wimbledon over the summer, described a thrilling series of matches that often went the distance his first Laver Cup experience as a “perfect tennis dream.” with decisive 10-point tiebreakers in the third set. In addition to playing matches at the United Center or Federer and Zverev paved the way for Team Europe with practicing in the adjacent Laver Cup “Fan Zone” public a pair of singles wins each.

MARTY FARMER

Courtesy @FenwickAD/Twitter

World No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic takes a photo with Fenwick tennis players. court, the tennis players enjoyed a taste of Chicago with events like their public appearance at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and an Opening Night Gala at Navy Pier. Players greeted fans, signed autographs and took photos whenever possible. Djokovic even spent a few moments taking pictures with Fenwick tennis players. Geneva, Switzerland is next year’s Laver Cup venue. Until that gathering, and fresh off a memorable weekend of competition and camaraderie, the world’s greatest tennis players depart Chicago knowing it’s their kind of town.

Friars edge Huskies in pool Fenwick wins dual meet; takes third at own Invite, OPRF fourth By MARTY FARMER Sports Editor

The Fenwick and OPRF girls swimming teams compete against each other throughout the season. In fact, the Friars and Huskies annually face each other in a dual meet and both the Fenwick Invitational and Fenwick Sectional. It’s a good-natured rivalry with each team featuring several outstanding swimmers who often know one another well. At Saturday’s Fenwick Invitational, the Friars finished third with a score 249.5 and the Huskies took fourth with 132 points. St. Charles North (452) won the invite, followed by St. Ignatius (376) in the 12-team field. Fenwick performed particularly well in the relay races with a pair of third-place showings and a fourth-place result. In the final race of the day, the Friars’ Perri Stahl, Blaire West, Lindsey Drumm and Katie Drumm came in third in the 400-yard freestyle with a time of 3 minutes, 44.10 seconds. Fenwick also earned third in the 200-yard freestyle as Paulina Correa, Angelina Cakuls, Ryan Grasser and West recorded a time of 1:42.48. In the 200-yard medley relay, the quartet of

Katie Drumm, Lindsey Drumm, Stahl and Correa notched fourth at 1:50.66 In the 100-yard breaststroke, Stahl touched the wall at 1:09.54 for fourth place. She also placed fifth in the 100-yard freestyle (54.97). “Perri is a very versatile swimmer for the team,” Fenwick coach Renee Miller said. “She’s a great leader in and out of the pool.” The Friars have impressive depth in the lineup this season with seniors Ciara Mulcahy, Stahl, Correa, juniors West, Katie Drumm, Alyssa Sayatovic, and sophomore Meredith Callahan. Freshmen Lindsey Drumm and Grasser have made an immediate impact at the varsity level. Off to a 6-0 start in dual meets, the Friars are very competitive in the Metro Catholic Aquatics Conference. On Sept. 18, OPRF hosted Fenwick in a highly anticipated dual meet. The Friars won the varsity meet 104-82, while the Huskies claimed victory in the junior varsity competition 110-75. “The dual meet against OPRF is always a great swim meet,” Miller said. “Both teams really show up and swim well. The meet

Photo by Jill Beda Daniels

Katie Drumm qualified for the state finals in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard backstroke for Fenwick in 2017. was loud, fast and fun.” Promising freshman Teagan Osga won two events (100-yard backstroke, 58.81; 200 Individual Medley, 2:12.27) for the Huskies against Fenwick. She also came in second in the 100 back (58.76) at the Fenwick Invite. Senior OPRF standout Natalie Ungaretti set a new pool record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 23.63. Ungaretti, one of the best sprint and relay swimmers in the state, missed the Fenwick Invite due to her official visit at Tennessee. Ungaretti committed to swim for the Volunteers last spring. She won an individual state title when

she captured the 50 free (23.31) at the 20162017 IHSA Swimming & Diving Championships. Ungaretti also was runner-up in the 100 free (50.90) at that state final. Other top OPRF swimmers include junior Sara Segal (2nd place/100 breast, 1:08.47 at Fenwick Invite), Elizabeth Silber, senior Emma Wojack, senior Avery Kozak and Osga. Sophie Lever and Yasmin Ruff are both outstanding divers who placed second (360.90) and third (353.65), respectively, at the Fenwick Invite. The Huskies also fared very well at the Riverside-Brookfield Invite with a firstplace result earlier this year.

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Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

HUSKIES

Explosive team from page 56 really an even game against a good team.” Two days after the loss to LTHS, the Huskies (10-2-1, 1-1 West Suburban Silver) bounced back with a 7-0 win over Rock Hills on Sept. 20. “Overall, we’re doing well,” Fried said. “We’re not perfect; we have plenty of room to improve. Sometimes we make a few mental errors, but overall we’re playing good soccer.” OPRF, which earned a share of the 2017 conference championship with LTHS and then defeated the Lions to claim a regional title, is winning big again this fall. The Huskies have won the Leyden Cup Challenge and the Great Midwest Classic tournament at North Central High School in Indianapolis as well this season. OPRF has outscored its opponents 54-10 in 13 games. The Huskies finished with the best record at the Great Midwest Classic by beating Michigan-based teams Columbus North 5-0 and De La Salle Collegiate 2-0 and tying tournament host North Central 0-0. OPRF sophomore forward Paul Garcia led the offense with three goals, while senior midfielder James Maguire and junior midfielder/forward Jaime Guillen contributed a goal and two assists apiece. Senior forward Collin McKitrick had a goal and an assist and junior goalkeeper Sam Pecenka notched all three shutouts. “The team really came together at the tourney in Indy,” Fried said. “They played very smart soccer and adjusted well to very rainy weather. Our defense and goalkeeping really played organized against some very good teams. We didn’t give up a single goal throughout the entire tournament.” The Huskies have flourished with a balanced lineup all season. “It’s hard to name top individual players, which is a cool thing about the team this year,” Fried said. “This is a well-rounded group. Everyone has played a role in our success.” Supporting Pecenka in goal, the Huskies have a solid defensive backfield led by Bram Lebovitz, Blake Soto, Jai Hsieh-Bailey, Zeke Rivera and Ryan Stutz. Maguire, Guillen and Anthony SilvettiSchmitt anchor a playmaking midfield. “Blake Soto is a senior who has done a good job on defense and keeping it organized,” Fried said. “James Maguire is a guy who fights through everything and has been strong in the middle.” Along with Garcia and McKitrick, fellow forwards Brody Bliss and Grant Kindler provide scoring punch up front. Brandon Pavon, Dylan Whitney, Olivier Lombardo, Matt Hawthorne, Caleb Pacheco, Zaahir Hall, Karsten Oettel and Mateja Tadic complete the varsity roster. “We’ve also had a lot of younger guys step up in different areas,” Fried said. “Each game we’ve had different guys step up, which is a good thing to see.” LTHS is unbeaten in conference, while

Photos by Carol Dunning

(Top) Senior Blake Soto (#17) anchors the defense. (Above left) OPRF senior captain James Maquire (#20) is a skilled playmaker. (Above right) Jaime Guillen provided scoring punch. OPRF, Hinsdale Central and York each have a loss. Glembard West and Downers Grove North field competitive teams as well. “Our conference is always strong but it feels even stronger this year,” Fried said. “In order to win conference, we’ll probably have to win out the rest of our games. We can do it if we play together and at a high level consistently.” OPRF has seven games remaining in the regular season, highlighted by conference

matchups against Glenbard West, York and Hinsdale Central. The Huskies also play crosstown rival Fenwick Thursday, Oct. 11 (6 p.m.) in the regular-season finale. “Our expectation is to win conference,” Fried said. “As a team, we want to get better each day. We want to hit our stride heading into the playoffs. No matter how we play, we want to find areas we can improve on.” Looking ahead to the Class 3A state playoffs, OPRF landed in the Riverside-Brook-

field Sectional. Notable teams in the field include the sectional host Bulldogs, OPRF, LTHS, Hinsdale Central, Morton and Argo, plus eight teams from Chicago “Our sectional is a hard one, but that’s our expectation,” Fried said. “The season will be successful if we play consistently good soccer heading into the playoffs.” The Huskies host Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday, Sept. 26. The nonconference game starts at 6 p.m.

Wednesday Journal, September 26, 2018

@ @OakPark

SPORTS

Chicago serves as perfect fit for Laver Cup 54

Friars edge Huskies in pool 54

OPRF soccer set for strong finish With a 10-2-1 record, Huskies target conference title, postseason success By MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporter

ntering a conference showdown against rival Lyons Township on Sept.18, the Oak Park and River Forest High School boys soccer team had won seven games plus a tie in its previous eight outings. Although LTHS edged the Huskies 1-0, both perennial contenders remain in the thick of the West Suburban Conference Silver Division race. Other lofty aspirations are still attainable as well. Jonny Gray scored the gamewinning penalty kick for LTHS (8-4, 2-0 West Suburban Silver). OPRF had several chances to score but couldn’t JASON FRIED find the back of the Lions’ net. OPRF coach “It was a good game. (Lyons Township) did a good job pressuring at the beginning of the game,” OPRF coach Jason Fried said. “In the first five minutes, they scored the only goal on a penalty kick and maintained the pressure on us the rest of the first half, although we did start to adapt well. “In the second half, we controlled the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t put one away. We had our chances. It was

“Our expectation is to win conference.”

See HUSKIES on page 55

Photo by Carol Dunning

SAM THE MAN: OPRF junior goalkeeper Sam Pecenka has notched several shutouts this season.

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