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October 27, 2021 Vol. 42, No. 13 ONE DOLLAR
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D97 also has an equity curriculum
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Anti-racism program is geared for middle-school students and families By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
For Katy Alejos, the summer of 2020 was heavy. Like many people across the nation, Alejos watched news reports about the deaths of innocent Black men and women such as George Floyd and Breonna Taylor erupt into civil unrest and protests against police violence and racial injustice all amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic. But what Alejos worried most about were her students. An eighth-grade teacher at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, Alejos anticipated that first day back when she and her students would reunite while trying to grapple with the world around them. She and her colleagues knew they needed to create room for their young students to express their thoughts and feelings. “We just personally felt this was our obligation,” said Alejos, who was teaching language arts and literature at Brooks, via Zoom. “We had to talk about these things with our students.” The question was how? Alejos said she and other District 97 teachers and administrators came together that summer and drafted a blueprint of what would become the district’s inclusive and anti-racism curricula. Though the district’s educators were already accustomed to that kind of work, they felt that the murders of Floyd, Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many others created a sense of urgency to See D97 on page 18
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Laura White, the new head chef at Kettlestrings on Oak Park Avenue, is the former head chef of Kinderhook in the same location. Her return is bringing back loyal customers. See story and more photos, page 11.
Frustrated officials give Lake-Lathrop developer a 90-day extension Reluctant to start process over, River Forest trustees extend start date to Jan. 23 By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter
Frustrated River Forest officials reluctantly gave the developers of the Lake and Lathrop project a 90-day extension to start
construction at the Oct. 25 village board meeting. The action was not unexpected given that construction on the project has yet to begin and came a week before the deadline developers were given in October 2019
to complete the project. The proposal by Lake Lathrop Partners LLC to build a four-story, mixed-use development containing 22 condominium units See LAKE-LATHROP on page 18
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Reading ‘Stamped’ accurately
n his One View, “Middle-school antiracist curriculum bears reading,” (Viewpoints, page 32), Wednesday Journal reader and Oak Park resident Adrian Johnson rightly urges people to read Jason Reynolds’ and Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, which he unfortunately shows he has critically misread. “Barack Obama is a racist,” Johnson writes in the opening sentence of his One View. He claims this isn’t his view, but that of the authors. “Specifically,” Johnson continues, claiming to paraphrase Reynolds and Kendi, Obama is “an assimilationist, which is a cowardly type of racist.” It’s important to point out early on that Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You is what the people marketing the book have called a “remix” for teens and young adults of Kendi’s National Book Award-winning 2016 book, Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. The teen adaptation is part of District 97’s anti-racist curriculum, which also includes other popular material like the New York Times’ “1619 Project” podcast. I read Johnson’s thoughtful piece very carefully alongside Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, as well as Kendi’s 2016 book. Kendi discusses former president Obama at some length g in both books and what he says about ut the former president is consistent with what he writes in the prologue of his 2016 book. For starters, Kendi categorizes the basic tenets of what he describes as the three groups engaging in the historic “polarizing debate over racial disparities, over why they exist and persist, and overr why White Americans as a group were prospering more than Black Americans as a group.” The group he calls “segregationists” blame “Black people themselves es for the racial disparities. A group wee can call antiracists has pointed to racial acial discrimination. A group we can call assimilationists has tried to argue for or both, saying that Black people and racial acial discrimination were to blame for racial cial disparities.” Some of the key personalities thatt Kendi writes about, and whom Johnson names, ames, including Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois and Obama, have, throughout their lives, straddled between attributing racial disparities to defects in Black culture and to racial discrimination. But Kendi is not so much interested in permanently tagging this person or that as “racist,” “antiracist,” or “assimilationist,” as if they’re members of a team. His books primarily focus on these terms as ideas that have been deployed throughout history by groups of people to consolidate and maintain power, mainly through creating and defending discriminatory policies. The books also explore how those ideas are perpetuated, wittingly or unwittingly, by people of all races. “This history could not be made for readers in an easy-topredict narrative of absurd racists clashing with reasonable antiracists,” Kendi writes in the prologue of Stamped From the Beginning, directly countering Johnson’s flawed characterization of the teen version as a script casting “good guys” and “bad guys.” “This history could not be made for readers in an easy-topredict, two-sided Hollywood battle of obvious good versus obvious evil, with good triumphing in the end,” Kendi writes. Importantly, far from making white people feel bad, good
histories of this country’s racial dynamics, of which Stamped is one, are able to easily dispense with the cartoon version of racism that has been a staple of American history classrooms for generations and get to the truth of why racism is such a powerful social force, which is that it functions even without racists. With respect to Obama, Kendi dedicates a good chunk of a chapter in his 2016 book to the former president’s pattern of “following in the racist footsteps of every president since Richard Nixon: legitimizing racist resentments, saying those resentments were not racist, and redirecting those resentments toward political opponents.” Obama’s famous “race speech,” delivered March 18, 2008 in Philadelphia, is a case in point. At the time it was delivered, the speech was lauded by people across political and ideological spectrums. The speech is probably the second most important one that Obama has given behind his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech. But, as Kendi correctly explains, many elements of that race speech were flat-out racist, just as much of the DNC speech was largely mythological (aspirational is the preferred term if you’re a cable news talking head). Obama had been forced to deliver the race speech as damage control for comments his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, made in a sermon — the now-infamous Dam America!” clip that went viral. “God Damn Ironica , people who would vote for Donald Ironically y Trump years later and who would tell us that it’s time to move past an attempted coup whit nationalists (and their Black and by white Brown tokens) that happened less than a year ag ago, are the same people who attempt to cancel Obama’s presidential tempted candi candidacy because of a sermon clip that, de if delivered by Trump’s white or “whiteadja adjacent” pastor, would barely register in the national consciousness. R Rather than directly denounce the ra racism and ignorance underlying m of the opportunistic reactions most t Wright’s sermon, Obama did what to w would help get him elected president — he equivocated. More specifically, as Michael Eric Dyson writes in his 2016 book, The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America, he exercised a privilege with Blacks that Dyson terms “forgiveknowle ness knowledge.” That’s the “pardon offe offered in advance to one who gives a negative spin to ideas that might otherwise be interpreted positively if the choice to do so were not deemed so costly to the greater good.” In other words, Wright’s sermon, if encountered within the safe confines of virtually any Black church or barbershop in the nation (including mine) would be lavished with praise for its indictment of some of the worst aspects of American imperialism, unchecked capitalism and systemic racism. I know, because I myself sat spellbound once by a speech Rev. Wright delivered at a Martin Luther King Day banquet. Back then, Wright hit upon the same themes. That must have been at least a decade before I even knew who Obama was. For myself and many other freedom-loving Black people, Wright is an incredibly well-respected figure in the Chicago area and his treatment by both the mainstream media and Obama was pathetic. At the time, though, we gave Obama a pass and, to be honest, were kind of rough on Wright ourselves, because we thought the pastor, by not simply shutting up and laying low, was torpedoing the potential first Black president’s chances of electoral success. “Blacks forgave Obama even before he spoke about Wright
MICHAEL ROMAIN
because they believed that he had no choice but to agree with the white mainstream’s negative reading of Wright’s words as a starting point before attempting to set those words in historical context,” Dyson correctly writes. He adds that Obama’s “forgiveness knowledge” would permit the presidential candidate to say why he loved Wright and loathed his words “in one fell rhetorical swoop. True, he would have to misrepresent Wright a bit so that he might represent him as best he could to a white mainstream that simply was not accustomed to hearing complex black views about too many issues. “The fault was not entirely, or even primarily, Obama’s but that of a white mainstream that had the power to dismiss what it did not want to know as illegitimate and immoral — or in the case of Wright, as utterly illogical and indefensible.” Obama gave whites “permission to be angry with Wright without fearing that they would be seen as bigots, and without feeling that they alone were responsible for racial healing,” Dyson continues. That was then. After two terms of Obama abusing that privilege again and again (Google his 2013 Morehouse commencement speech or his 2008 Father’s Day speech, in which he bandies about all sorts of disproven tropes of black pathology; and then compare this tough, “no excuses” rhetoric he deploys with Blacks, with his coddling of racist whites, perhaps most notably in the case of Shirley Sherrod), the jig is up. With the first Black presidency consigned to the history books, scholars like Kendi and Dyson are now calling Obama out on his routine denigrating of Blacks while in office (Dyson calls Obama the “scold of Black folk” in his book). Dyson, still referencing the Philadelphia race speech, continues: “Obama did not feel he could be nearly as generous to black folk — or that it was even necessary to try,” Dyson writes. “He relegated black anger to the sixties, as if no current troubles might incense a righteous and reasonable black person. Obama also put black anger at racism in the same moral orbit as white resentment of having to bother with fixing the racial problem. And he may have overplayed the extent of blacks’ displaying a victim mentality while underplaying their true victimization.” We can accurately say that Kendi and other scholars like Dyson argue that Obama, the country’s first Black president (indeed, elected precisely because he told white people what they wanted to hear), trafficked in racist ideas about largely fictional Black cultural pathologies without errantly claiming that these scholars are calling Obama a racist. Pertaining to Du Bois, I’ll simply say that Kendi does not argue that the famous scholar was a “king of assimilation,” because he “advocated for things like Black people getting more education as a way to improve their situation,” as Johnson claims in Viewpoints. This is patently absurd and, quite frankly, insulting. Johnson also claims that Kendi argues that people who espouse antiracism “believe that whenever there are unequal outcomes by race, it is because racism is the problem in need of changing, not Black people.” This, too, is a misreading. Kendi writes in the prologue to his 2016 work: “I am not saying all individuals who happen to identify as Black (or White or Latina or Asian or Native American) are equal in all ways.” I think Kendi knows the difference between equality of outcomes and equality of opportunity. He argues that the systematic denial, or granting, of opportunities on the basis of race leads to unequal outcomes that cannot be justified by claiming that Black people are, or Black culture is, inherently inferior or pathological. To make the justification (as I’ve done myself at points in my life) is to propagate a deeply racist ideology that has a long and brutal history, which Kendi’s work attempts to delineate. I agree with Johnson on one thing: Please read Kendi’s book (preferably his 2016 work intended for a general audience). But read it accurately.
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
NOVEMBER 1 - DECEMBER 25, 2021 TRACK YOUR RECEIPTS WITH THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
Socktober Through Oct. 31, Children’s Services Desk, Main Library Warm souls and soles by contributing new socks to benefit the clients of Housing Forward. Socks are among the most requested items at shelters. More: oppl.org/ calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.
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BIG WEEK October 27-November 3
The Backstory Project View anytime with Open Door Repertory Because Open Door believes theater is about storytelling, when they found they could not produce live shows during the pandemic, they turned to telling the stories of individuals around town,“people whose efforts enrich the lives of our communities.” Two releases now available: Part 2 of an interview with our own Growing Community Media publisher Dan Haley and Al’s Grill Manager Petros Mourtokokis. Check back for new releases. Free; donations gratefully accepted. Watch here: opendoortheater.net
Into The Woods: Ghost Stories for Adults Friday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m., Virtually with Illinois Storytelling Join featured storytellers Janice Del Negro, Megan Wells, Margaret Burk, Amy Crump, Kelly Campos, Rachael Ann Harding and Erica Gamble for a spooky evening of tales. $15 or pay what you can. Register: eventbrite.com/e/into-thewoods-ghost-stories-for-adults-tickets-184391117797
Spooky Skate Friday, Oct. 29, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Ice Rink, Ridgeland Common Don a costume for the costume contest, play games on the ice, make creepy crafts and more. Rink will be transformed into a haunted house. Ages 15 and under; may be accompanied by one non-skating guardian. $10; free, with season pass. Register: pdop.org. 415 Lake St., Oak Park.
Terrain Biennial 2021 Through Nov. 15
The international exhibition founded in Oak Park by Sabina Ott has 250 works on display in front yards, porches and other accessible locations in neighborhoods for all to see and experience art. Nearby locations include Berwyn, Forest Park, Riverside, and many sites in Oak Park. More: terrainexhibitions.org/tb2021
Now We See Them, Now We Don’t Mondays through Thursdays through, Nov. 18, Fine Arts Gallery, Room J-107, Triton College See the assembled sculpture artwork of Oak Parker Bob Steed, who sculpts endangered and extinct animal species. He aims to heighten awareness of threats facing Earth’s creatures and to exhibit something artistic and educational. To visit, reserve a time at: 708-456-0300 x3506. Or, visit Building J, Monday through Thursday mornings and call 3506 on the hallway phone to have the gallery unlocked. Questions: carolgutkowski@triton.edu. 2000 Fifth Ave., River Grove.
Fallin’ for Our Stars Friday, Oct. 29, Virtually with West Suburban Special Recreation Foundation and West Suburban Special Recreation Association (WSSRA) This benefit features virtual blackjack, roulette and craps (7:30 – 8:30 p.m.); silent auction (closes at 10 p.m.); and raffle. Also, celebrate “Our Stars,” WSSRA participants. Sponsorships: $100 and up; raffle tickets: $25; Casino: free registration. More: one.bidpal.net/wssraffos2021/welcome
Art Conservation at the Oriental Institute (OI) Museum
Family Festival Saturday, Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Virtually with Illinois Storytelling Enjoy stories, puppets and song in six live 30-minute shows that are also recorded for later viewing. 10 – 10:30: stories for preschoolers 10:45 – 11:15: puppets for preschoolers 11:30 – noon: songs for preschoolers 1 – 1:30: stories for families 1:45 – 2:15: stories/puppets for families 2:30 – 3: songs for families Free; $5, per family suggested donation. Register: eventbrite.com/e/family-fest-tickets-184397326367
“Zombie” Premiere Saturday, Oct. 30, 3 p.m., and Monday, Nov. 1, 1 p.m., Cernan Earth and Space Center, Triton College See a psychological horror and black comedy film by River Forest filmmaker Martina Reese. Reese wrote and directed the 75-minute feature film. OPRFHS grads and a Forest Park resident appear in the film. Locations include local spots in North Riverside, Oak Park and River Forest. The film contains strong language and a brief scene depicting violence. Free. 2000 N. Fifth Ave., River Grove.
Monday, Nov. 1, 1:15 p.m., Ballroom, Nineteenth Century Club The University of Chicago’s OI is a world-renowned showcase for the history, art and archaeology of the ancient Middle East. Learn what goes on behind the scenes with OI conservator Alison Whyte. She’ll explain the art and science of artifact conservation, tell stories of the early days of the Institute and more. Brought by The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association. Socially distanced seating; masks and proof of vaccination required. $15, requested donation; free, members. More: nineteenthcentury.org. 178 Forest, Oak Park.
So You Want to Grow an Orchid? Thursday, Oct. 28, 7 to 8 p.m., Virtually with the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory Join Kay Perry from the Illinois Orchid Society to learn about the care and growing of orchids, such as light needs, watering, tips on reblooming and more. Register: fopcon.org/conservatory-events
Day of the Dead Display Through Nov. 2, Idea Box, Main Library Dia de Muertos is a holiday to celebrate lost loved ones. This year’s display, “Lagrimas de Alegria,” designed by librarian and Oak Parker Raleigh Ocampo, remembers those lost to COVID-19. Share an image of a loved one who has passed and it will be added to the video installation on display. Send by Oct. 31: oppl.org/share.
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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When the table is turned
eing The Boss When It’s Black Over White – 7 Strategies to Manage the Nuances and Challenges is my newly released book. I was motivated to write this book because of what I had seen our nation’s highest leader, President Barack Obama, endure as a Black man leading our country. The visceral, racist and bigoted reactions to his very presence shook me back into the reality of being Black in America. As I considered the antics to undermine President Obama’s leadership brazenly play out on a global stage, I thought about some of the challenges I, and other Black people in leadership positions, have faced, not because of our competence — but because of our color. I reflected on some of the more blatant, as well as the more subtle, challenges that I’ve both observed and personally experienced. I reflected on the scenarios I witnessed as a senior vice president of Human Resources with a seat at the “Power Table” where opportunities and promotions for the corporation were decided. Based on these experiences and observations, this book was born out of a need to validate what I believe every Black leader knows — that racism toward Blacks in leadership is real. The book is intentionally provocative, opening with this level-setting quote: “Those who think it’s a level playing field usually have box seats.” It then goes on to unveil some of the insidious and pernicious perceptions and beliefs that operate to make the position of leadership for Blacks unnecessarily
challenging and, often, untenable. Another purpose of the book is to share strategies with Black managers who are promoted to or occupy a position that requires them to engage employees who often question their suitability for the role of being their boss — thus the subtitle, 7 Strategies to Manage the Nuances and Challenges. Collectively, the chapters address what a Black boss — anyone in a leadership or managerial role — must sometimes deal with because of his or her skin color and how they should handle these issues successfully with courage and with dignity. While writing the book, I had several revelations as I tested concepts and sections of the manuscript with close associates and friends. Their comments brought about the realization that this book is not just a “How To” collection of strategies for Black leaders to be successful. It is a cathartic diary of their lived experiences. It is affirmation that the issues they are, or were, facing are not imaginary. It is empowering for those who now have strategies to manage their careers effectively. It is liberating for many who have had to suffer, in silence, the indignities of being the Black boss. And finally, it is instructional for other Black senior leaders (Sadly, still too few in number) to use their power integrally
KWAME S. SALTER
Guest Author
to serve, guide and advocate for all talented employees in their span of influence, but especially for their talented Black employees who are often overlooked when opportunities are being decided. My personal journey included a rewarding career in nonprofits and local politics before spending 22 years with Kraft Foods, where I advanced to become a senior vice president of Human Resources. I attribute my success to savvy, but down-to-earth mentors, a strong work ethic, a commitment to excellence and to the employees I served, along with unwavering candor. At Kraft, I had finally earned a seat at the table of power where employees’ career trajectories were determined. There I became an advocate for any talented employee being overlooked, sidelined or derailed. I was especially vigilant in advocating for Black leaders who would otherwise have been left on the cutting room floor after placement decisions had been made. I used my power — softly, but with a big stick of knowledge, courage, commitment and compassion. Today, I continue to be a tireless advocate for Blacks in leadership. Kwame S. Salter is a writer, a speaker on the topic of leadership and a coach to senior and emerging executives. He is a longtime Oak Park resident who now lives in Florida. “Being The Boss When It’s Black Over White, 7 Strategies to Manage the Nuances and Challenges” is available at salterconsultinggroup.com.
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Trustees skeptical of sustainability incubator Oak Park village staff to set up a study session
By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
When the Oak Park Village Board adopted its goals last summer, Trustee Ravi Parakkat shared concerns that some goals lacked sufficient detail, making it difficult for him to get on board with them. “It’s really hard to get behind some of these things without that degree of specificity,” he said during the June 14 meeting. Four months later, that sentiment is being echoed by other members of the village board, this time, in regard to the board’s goal to establish a sustainability incubator — an idea presented and pushed by Parakkat. The lofty goal was revisited during the Oct. 21 meeting of the board’s finance committee to discuss village staff ’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2022, which includes Parrakkat’s proposal to earmark $10,000 to conduct a feasibility study of the incubator. The ambiguity of the sustainability incubator idea and its feasibility study puzzled Trustee Susan Buchanan, an advocate of greater sustainability initiatives, but who had questions about the proposal. “Can we get one for $10,000?” she asked, referencing the feasibility study. “And, most importantly, what would we do with the results of it and why is that valuable to the village?”
Referencing the incubator proposal, Buchanan asked: “Was it going to be a building? Was it going to be a program? Was it going to be a pilot grant fund? I think those were all on the table.” Buchanan added that she had “overlooked” the sustainability incubator when she and the rest of the board voted to adopt the board goals last June. “Afterwards, I did have questions about it. I wasn’t sure what I voted for,” she said. While Parakkat invited Buchanan to discuss the incubator at length outside the meeting, he explained that the objective behind creating the program is to make Oak Park a hub of sustainability, attracting youths to participate in sustainability training programs to benefit the future of the environment. He acknowledged that there were a lot of forms the incubator could take. “The sustainability incubator, in my mind and as I envisioned it, is to understand what part would be feasible, if it is feasible,” Parakkat said. “Clarify that so we can have an informed conversation about the entire project.” The consultant hired to carry out the feasibility study, according to Parakkat, would identify how the village of Oak Park would go about creating the incubator from its initial scope to later phases of development. Despite Parakkat’s attempts to explain,
confusion over the sustainability incubator remained. Village President Vicki Scaman said she had anticipated the board discussing matters related to the incubator and the feasibility study in a designated study session, an idea supported by Trustees Chibuike Enyia and Arti Walker-Peddakotla. “I don’t know if I fully understand the concept [of the incubator], so I think a study session on this is actually appropriate before the board decides to spend money on a consultant,” said Walker-Peddakotla. She suggested that the study session include community partners and other organizations that are engaging in similar sustainability efforts. Parakkat did not agree, believing those groups unlikely to have sufficient knowledge. “If we have the right people facilitating it with the right expertise, then fair enough. Let’s have that session,” he said. “But I don’t see it.” Parakkat’s ardor for his sustainability incubator idea struck a chord with Trustee Jim Taglia, who believed the feasibility study worth pursuing. “I would be willing to put the funds behind Ravi’s idea,” said Taglia. “He’s very passionate about it and I think I’d like to flesh it out a little bit.” Parakkat was clearly rankled by the responses to his sustainability incubator idea
from the other board members. When Walker-Peddakotla told Scaman she had a question related to the development customers services department, but unrelated to the sustainability incubator, Parakkat snapped, “What is the conclusion on this topic?” A satisfying conclusion to the sustainability incubator discussion was not to be had. However, before moving the meeting forward, Scaman told Parakkat she had reservations about his idea from the start. “I just don’t know that we’re the ones that should be taking this on,” she said. Buchanan felt similarly to Scaman, telling Parakkat it seemed to her that the sustainability incubator did not have the support of anyone in the citizenry based on private conversations between the two of them. “If there are no residents who are interested in this and this is solely your business idea, that’s where I have the problem,” Buchanan said. These reactions took Parakkat by surprise as the sustainability incubator was among the goals the board adopted last June. “The board goal didn’t just appear by itself,” he said. “I am surprised.” In the interest of moving the meeting forward, Scaman directed village staff to leave the budget item as is for the time being and to set up a study session to discuss the matter further.
North Avenue developments progressing slowly Redevelopment of the old Sears and former U.S. Bank building sites have been slow due to construction costs
derman said the city has secured funding for the new branch, but a lease agreement is still being negotiated. The current Galewood branch library is located inside a single room at Rutherford Sayre Park Fieldhouse, 6871 W. Belden Ave. Patrick Malloy, a Chicago Public Library spokesperson, said the city received an approximately $7 million capital construction grant for a new Galewood branch, but that CPL still needs to evaluate exactly By IGOR STUDENKOV how the funding can be spent. Contributing Reporter Still, Malloy said, the construction grant is a gamechanger, since it “presents a possibility that hasn’t exTwo-long awaited North Avenue developments are isted for a while.” Once the location is firmly in place, still on track, although the rising costs of constructhe city will “work with the community to make sure tion materials is slowing progress. that all makes sense and we’re responding to what the Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th), whose ward includes community wants.” Galewood, said work on redeveloping the former “We are definitely interested in finding the resoluSears location at the northeast corner of North tion [to the current situation] and making sure that and Harlem avenues, and the former U.S. Bank site the community has the library they deserve,” Malloy at 6700 W. North Ave., has slowed due to the rising said. ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer costs of construction materials. Viktor Jakovljevic, who owns the former U.S. Bank Work on the U.S. Bank site seems to be progress- The building at 6700 W. North Ave. is under construction in Chiproperty, said that, while the project has been deing haltingly while the developers of the Sears site cago’s Galewood neighborhood. layed, the construction resumed in September. He are still waiting for the city to approve a series of said while he hopes to have the work done by the said that they would be willing to dedicate around 11,000 to zoning changes and to vacate an alley that used to “early winter of next year,” it may not be finished until 12,000 square feet of space on the first floor of the building the end of 2022. He said the negotiations pertaining to the bisect the lot. Five Thirty One Partners LLC is planning to renovate the to the new Galewood branch library. library won’t affect the construction timetable. Taliaferro and other officials involved said the library historic U.S. Bank by adding a third floor and building a Novak Construction, the developer of the Sears site, total of 36 residential units. The developers had previously project may still happen if a lease can be secured. The al- didn’t respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Pritzker urges child vaccination as changes to state law emerge By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois
An amendment to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act that allows an employer to fire a worker for noncompliance with COVID-19 vaccine or test requirements surfaced on Oct. 25 ahead of the final three scheduled days of legislative action this year. That bill language was introduced in the General Assembly on Monday as Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new partial vaccine agreement with the state’s largest public employee union and held a news conference to encourage vaccination in children aged 5-11, provided federal regulators recommend the vaccine in that age group next week. House Amendment 2 to Senate Bill 1169, carried by Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, creates a section of the Health Care Right of Conscience Act pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current HCRC Act defines conscience as “a sincerely held set of moral convictions arising from belief in and relation to God.” On those lines, certain care, including testing, can be refused without repercussions from an employer. Some have used those lines to not only refuse vaccine mandates, but also the testing requirements that are in place for people covered under the mandates if they choose not to receive the vaccine.
The new amendment provides that it is not a violation of the Act “for any person or public official, or for any public or private association, agency, corporation, entity, institution, or employer, to take any measures or impose any requirements … intended to prevent contraction or transmission of COVID-19.” Per the bill, employers can terminate employment or exclude individuals from a school, place of employment or public or private premises in response to noncompliance. Gabel and Pritzker’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment Monday. But when asked about potential changes to the act last week, Pritzker spokesperson Emily Bittner said, “The Healthcare Right of Conscience Act was never intended to allow people to avoid public health guidance and jeopardize workplace safety during a global pandemic. The administration supports efforts to clarify the law, so it cannot be misinterpreted by fringe elements.”
Union agreements Pritzker has mandated that certain groups of state workers, K-12 school employees, higher education students and personnel, health care workers and others either receive the COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly testing. Last week, he added day care personnel to the list.
On Monday, Pritzker announced nearly 10,000 state employees are now covered under union agreements mandating vaccination. The state and part of its largest public employee union – American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, or AFSCME – announced the latest agreement, which covers about 7,800 employees of congregate facilities at the Department of Human Services and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. They join the Teamsters, VR-704 union, the Illinois Nurses Association, the Illinois Federation of Public Employees and Illinois Trade Unions as those covered in agreements with the state. All must be fully vaccinated as of Nov. 30 with the first dose received by Tuesday. The latest agreement does not cover all of AFSCME’s workers that are otherwise covered under the mandates, as negotiations between the state and the Department of Corrections and Department of Juvenile Justice have reached an impasse. The state and the union will submit to arbitration regarding the 10,300 security employees in those agencies. For an additional 1,900 non-security employees at those two departments, the governor’s office said the state plans to impose the same requirements as the rest of the unions.
Child vaccines
The governor’s Monday news conference also focused on the state’s effort to prepare for the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee is scheduled to meet Nov. 2 and 3 to consider approval. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the department has begun planning events for the following week. There are 1.1 million Illinoisans in the age 5-11 range that will become eligible for vaccination should the CDC approve it. The governor’s office said more than 2,200 providers statewide are already enrolled to provide the vaccine to children, and the state expects to receive 306,000 doses, with another 73,000 going to the city of Chicago and 100,000 doses to pharmacies. The outreach effort will also go directly to schools, Pritzker said. “We will be reaching out to approximately 750 public school districts that teach elementary aged students to offer them the opportunity to host parent-approved clinics right on school grounds,” he said. “We will have a team ready to go at the request of any district.” Parents hoping to get their children vaccinated by the holiday season should call their pediatricians as soon as possible, the governor said. For more on how to obtain a vaccine, visit vaccines.gov.
2021Fall leaf collection set to begin... The annual fall leaf collection program is scheduled for Nov 1 – Dec. 10 with six pickups planned for each section of the Village. Residents should rake leaves into the street at least 18 inches from the curb the day before the scheduled pickup dates indicated on the map. Leaves raked into the street will be pushed into piles by Public Works crews during the night to reduce impact on traffic and parked cars. Leaves will be collected the following day. Residents who miss a scheduled pickup date should keep their leaves on the parkway until the night before the next scheduled pickup. Sweepers will be scheduled to run at the end of the collection program to clean up residue. Cooperation is essential to the success of this operation, so please follow these simple rules:
For more information call 358.5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us
Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18 Nov. 25F Dec. 2 Dec. 9
EAST AVE.
THURSDAY
Nov. 3 Nov. 10 Nov. 17 Nov. 24 Dec. 1 Dec. 8 Last day to rake is Tue. Dec. 7
Last day to rake is Wed. Dec. 8
SOUTH BLVD. TUESDAY Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30 Dec. 7
Last day to rake is Mon. Dec. 6
EAST AVE.
HARLEM AVE.
• Do not park on or near a pile of leaves, which can hinder leaf removal operations. Heat from a car also could ignite the leaves. • Rake leaves onto side streets whenever possible. Try to avoid major thoroughfares where piles of leaves might create traffic hazards. • Do not rake leaves into or close to cul de sacs or traffic diverters. The equipment needs room to operate.
• Do not rake leaves into or close to bus shelters or bicycle racks. • Keep catch basins clear of raked leaves to avoid flooding. • Inform landscape services of the leaf collection schedule. • Obey all parking restrictions. Regulations will be strictly enforced. • Dampen piles after raking to avoid leaves being blown by the wind. • Drive carefully. Leaves are slippery when wet and large piles may hinder visibility. • Drive cautiously – crews will create safe work zones and close intersections for a few minutes while removing large leaf piles.
WEDNESDAY
MONDAY Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29 Dec. 6 Last day to rake is Sun. Dec. 5
ROOSEVELT RD.
2021 FALL LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE
AUSTIN BLVD.
• Consider composting or using the leaves as garden mulch as an alternative to raking. • Rake leaves out the day before the scheduled pickup date. • Leaves only -- do not add brush, grass clippings or yard waste.
NORTH AVE.
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A place to just be yourself
Local Girl Scouts are looking to increase their numbers By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
There’s an old photo of Emily Ioppolo where she’s sitting on a long log, surrounded by her Girl Scout troop mates. While the picture itself is dark, faded and a bit out of focus, the smiles on Ioppolo and her friends’ faces are clear. There they were, together on their first trip to Camp Wild Rose. Ioppolo, now 28, was about 5 years old when that picture was taken. Camp Wild Rose in St. Charles, which has since closed in recent years, was a popular site for many other Girl Scout troops, and that place is a thread woven into her memory, packed with lessons on leadership and sisterhood. “That was really one of the most formative experiences, really, of my entire childhood and young adulthood,” said Ioppolo, an Oak Park native, who joined Girl Scouts when she was a kindergartener at Ascension School and stayed with the program throughout high school. She talked about the service projects, the summers she spent outdoors and being around girls her own age, some of whom became lifelong friends. All those things were part of something bigger — an experience, Ioppolo said, that she hopes the next generation of girls will have. She belonged to a pair of troops in Oak Park that were once part of Service Unit 409, one of the oldest and biggest Girl Scout programs in the Chicago area. Service Unit 409, over a century old, folds into the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, and currently comprises 91 troops, pulling in dozens of girls from Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park and is actively looking for new members and volunteers to continue its expansion. Girls between the ages of 5 and 18 are welcome and invited to participate, said Christine Graves, manager of Service Unit 409. For Ioppolo and Graves, the Girl Scout program is all about creating a space for girls to grow, learn and thrive. “I believe in the mission, building both confidence and
PROVIDED
Pictured is Emily Ioppolo (bottom right) at Camp Alice Chester, an overnight camp in Wisconsin. In 2012, Ioppolo completed her final year as a staff member at the camp.
character,” said Graves, a mother from Oak Park and a 20year Girl Scout volunteer. “That’s always needed out in the world. You always want your girls to grow up to be strong and resilient.” Like Ioppolo, Graves became a Girl Scout in kindergarten and recalled being with the program until seventh grade when her troop disbanded. She used to be “badge crazy” and still remembers the joy she felt from learning new skills. And like Ioppolo, she also loved camping, going horseback riding and being outdoors. “I remember one of our camping trips. It rained for two days almost straight,” Graves said. “What do you take away from that? Well, you can [either] take away that you had a terrible time and whine about it, or you can try and make the best of it. “So we stayed inside the tent and played cards and made the best of it. And, things like that I’ve carried into my life to make the best of adversity. … You know, ‘Be prepared.’ It’s one of the Girl Scouts’ slogans.” Graves added that she reunited with the Girl Scouts program in the early 2000s; by that point, she returned to the youth organization as a mother of two girls and a new volunteer, signing up to become a troop leader, co-chair food drives and a member of the service leadership team. And even after Graves’ daughters graduated from Girl PROVIDED Scouts, she carried on. Emily Ioppolo (bottom, far right), then 5 years old, huddles around her troop Girl Scouts is for the girls, she said, a place “where you can go and be who mates for a group photo, marking their first overnight trip to the now defunct you are and not feel like you have to be Camp Wild Rose in St. Charles.
To learn more For more information on the Girl Scouts, visit https://www.girlscouts.org/. To learn how to join your local Girl Scouts, visit the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana at https://www. girlscoutsgcnwi.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html.
anything other than yourself.” Even when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last spring, she and local troop leaders prioritized togetherness with their girls. They didn’t want to lose that sense of camaraderie and hosted virtual activities so their girls could see each other and hang out. “We delivered gingerbread houses to about 200 girls, and they decorated them,” said Graves of an online event Service Unit 409 initiated last year. “Then we had a virtual event where we went around and everybody showed off their gingerbread house. In April, once the weather was a little nicer and we could go outside, I organized a scavenger hunt throughout Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park that emphasized the environment.” At its core, Girl Scouts is about having fun, said Graves, Ioppolo and Amelia Peloquin, a current Girl Scout and sixth-grader at Brooks Middle School in Oak Park. Peloquin said she enjoys every chance where she can be in her community to “make stuff ” and do things with her troop mates. And not even the pandemic can get in the way of that mission, Graves said. “We’re here for the girls to help them continue to develop through this crazy, weird period of time that we’re in,” she said. “We want to give them that opportunity. We want people to know that we’re still here, and we’re still operating. We’re still going strong.”
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Stakeholder participation uneven in Oak Park village manager search Broad community invitations not effective in engaging Black residents
By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
The village board of Oak Park has been very vocal in its desire to make community engagement a major priority, but what happens when the community does not engage in engagement efforts? Try again, but with a more specified approach. That’s the philosophy the Personnel Committee, a subsect of the wider board, has opted to employ regarding the hunt for a new village manager. The approach comes at the counsel of Dele Lowman Smith and Katy Rush of GovHR, the firm hired to carry out village manager recruitment. They reported during an Oct. 20 Personal Committee meeting that initial stakeholder meetings generated poor attendance. “When the village made a broad invitation, there was not a huge turnout both for the in-person session that Katy facilitated at the library and for the virtual [session] that I facilitated that Trustee [Jim] Taglia was able to attend,” said Lowman Smith, GovHR senior vice president. Oak Park Human Resources Director Kira Tchang told Oak Park that two people came to the Oct. 9 session at the main branch of the Oak Park Public Library, while three people participated in the virtual session Oct. 12. Recognizing that attendance was especially low among Black residents, Lowman Smith said during the Personnel Committee meeting GovHR decided to take a more direct approach to engage that particular population segment – and it proved much more fruitful. “When we had the session that was really targeted to Black Oak Parkers, where there were more personal invitations made, we had about 21 people who showed up,” she said, adding that those who attended participated actively throughout the session. Tchang stated in an email to Wednesday Journal the village of Oak Park did not record this particular meeting, as its participants were told that their feedback would not be personally attributable. Personal invitations were shared directly with community leaders either through email or social media. The number of people who attended after receiving such invitations is notably higher than that of the previous two sessions “It was a striking difference in terms of the response, and I think that’s instructive in terms of how you move forward and build buy-in in the community through this process,” Lowman Smith said. GovHR further discovered why Black residents respond-
FILE
Oak Park Village Hall ed better to a more tailored approach, based on thoughts “expressly articulated” by attendees or “divined from the discussion,” according to Lowman Smith. Rush called the process of making these discoveries “organic.” Lowman Smith said that some residents may not have known about the previous sessions, the times and dates of which were listed on the village’s website. He said another reason for the low participation may be that Black residents do not always feel they are included in broad invitations for community engagement. “They did not see themselves as being the intended audience of that invitation,” she said.
Additionally, Lowman Smith told the committee GovHR found that Black residents do not feel that their input is welcome or well-received by other members of the community. “They felt much more comfortable speaking openly and candidly in a forum that was dedicated to their interests and their perspectives,” said Lowman Smith. “We share that for obvious reasons.” She and Rush believe that this information will prove useful moving forward, particularly when it comes time to introduce the community to candidates. The Personnel Committee unanimously voted to approve the position announcement during the same meeting.
Citizen Commission appointments The Oak Park Village Board made progress in rebuilding its citizen commissions last week at its Oct. 18 meeting, appointing a total of 14 people to fill vacancies on various commissions. Initially, the motion to approve the appointments sailed through the village board easily. However, Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla had second thoughts.
About a half an hour into the meeting and well after the board voted to approve the appointments, Walker-Peddakotla asked if the vote could be retaken, so she could change her prior “yes” to a “no.” The request was prompted by the appointment of Dana Wright to the Citizen Police Oversight Committee (CPOC). Wright’s past work in law enforcement made the citizen
unfit to sit on the commission in WalkerPeddakotla’s eyes. The trustee told her fellow board members that she had not noticed that part of Wright’s history in the documents provided to the village board. “We need citizens on CPOC — citizens who can hold the police accountable,” Walker-Peddakotla said. “We should not be appointing law enforcement-adjacent per-
sonnel to CPOC.” Trustees Susan Buchanan, Chibuike Enyia, Ravi Parakkat and Jim Taglia voted against reconsidering the original commission appointments and Walker-Peddakotla’s motion failed 4-3. The commission appointments stand.
Stacey Sheridan
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Kettlestrings’ kitchen welcomes a familiar face Chef Laura White brings plenty of positive energy
By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats
Considerable experience, contagious energy and a sincere devotion to comfort food drove Rob Guenthner and his coowners at Kettlestrings Tavern, 800 S. Oak Park Ave., to hire Chef Laura White. Only it wasn’t the first time the veteran chef had worked in the restaurant’s kitchen. White was hired as a consulting chef and stayed on as executive chef at Kinderhook Tavern, formerly housed in the same location. She worked at the well-loved neighborhood bar from 2010 to 2011 and was responsible for collaborative development of the Kinderhook menu. “After we saw her resume, we thought she had applied by mistake because she had so much experience, but we had no idea she had worked here before,” said Guenthner. “After we found out, we thought we would give her a few days, but the word started getting out quickly that she was back.” Industry-wide staffing shortages had left the tavern without a chef for more than a month and owners were worried their menu needed updating. Chef White took over the Kettlestrings kitchen on Sept. 23 and immediately began breathing new life into the business. “I like to make dishes that warm my heart, and it warms my heart to nourish your soul,” said White who finds cooking therapeutic. She savors Kettlestings’ menu standouts like the Oak Park burger, double-fried chicken and fish and chips and has already brought back the pork schnitzel sandwich made popular at Kinderhook more than a decade ago. The versatile chef is also adding specials like shrimp and grits, pan borracha, and spicy shrimp to the menu offerings. Diners should also expect “Soul Food Sundays” to become part of
Preparing the salad.
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
AN EYE TOWARD SUSTAINABLE FOOD: Head chef Laura White shows off the weekend special salad, butternut squash goat cheese, at Kettlestrings on Oak Park Avenue. the restaurant’s repertory. White is prepared to turn out her favorite foods, including braised short ribs, southern baked mac & cheese, collard greens and smothered sweet potatoes. “I have an eye toward serving good, sustainable and healthy food,” said White. “I want to make food that fits the community.” As a child, she was the primary cook in her family despite being the youngest child. When she was a student in community college, she took a summer job at the Double Tree Hotel on Michigan Avenue, stacking trays and filling the cafeteria line, to help cover her tuition. One day she capitalized on a “no-call no-show” and seized the opportunity to cook lunch for 300 people. She talked her way into the kitchen with little more than the courage of her conviction and turned out chopped steak and bow tie pasta with roasted vegetables. “Chef told me I had a good palate,” said White. “He fought to have me transferred to his kitchen for a week. Once he got me, he put me right on the breakfast hot line. Within two years I was the head banquet chef and in time became the executive sous chef.” ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer The owners of Kettlestrings are on the precipice of opening a
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Garlic parmesan truffle fries second restaurant in Oak Park and went looking for a chef whose experience and skill level would benefit both operations. White’s tenacity and experience level made her an ideal candidate to handle expanding responsibilities. “Chef Laura is keeping the integrity of Kettlestrings and bumping things up a little,” said Guenthner. “The more people learn she is here, the more people are showing up. She is a draw and it is impossible to be around her without feeling her positive energy.”
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Chicago Waffles heads to Lake Street
Micro-chain to offer waffles, burgers and cocktails By MELISSA ELSMO Food Editor
Chicago Waffles, a breakfast and lunch café, is poised to open an Oak Park location in the former home of Saigon Pho, 726 Lake St. The micro-chain, with two locations in Chicago and a third in Willowbrook, is known for serving up creative waffles, colorful pancakes, bold burgers and cocktails and is expected to open the Oak Park location in early 2022. The morning-fare focused establishment strives to give customers a “balance between convenience and quality” according to Felix Friedman, co-owner of Chicago Waffles. Friedman started dining at Chicago Waffles in the South Loop when the restaurant opened on the ground floor of his apartment building on Michigan Avenue. In time, he was eating there every day and became friends with owner Gary Kreymer. “Gary runs Waffles like a family restaurant, and he has excellent people skills,” said Friedman. “He is the heart and life of the business and I wanted to be a part of it.” Now a customer-turnedinvestor, Friedman is excited to bring the burgeoning brand to Oak Park. He has friends who live locally and suggested he consider opening a restaurant in the community. “They said we would do really well here; we agreed and hired David King to help us find a location,” said Friedman. “When
Avocado Toast
COURTESY CHICAGO WAFFLES
Waffles are on the menu at Chicago Waffles — expected on Lake Street in early 2022. we visited the Lake Street location we fell in love with the space, the street and the whole block.” The property has a commercial kitchen located in the front of the restaurant. The unconventional layout attracted the business owners because it will be the first Chicago Waffles location with an open-concept kitchen. Everything is made from scratch at Chicago Waffles and that attention to detail makes operations more labor intensive. “A lot of prep goes into operating every day at Waffles, and an open kitchen will allow us to show people the work that goes into our food,” said Friedman. “Even our potatoes are complex. We boil red potatoes, crush them slightly and crisp them up in the fryer before seasoning them with truffle salt.” Customers looking for a sweet start to the day may find to their liking the vibrantly colored green tea waffles, garnished with candied ginger, pistachios and warm maple syrup or ruby-hued red velvet pancakes. Savory seekers have a choice of bacon COURTESY CHICAGO WAFFLES and chicken waffles, waffle benedict, or the “Chitown” burger, featuring
COURTESY CHICAGO WAFFLES
Red velvet pancakes Black Angus beef, topped with grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, American cheese and a sunny-side-up egg. Chicago Waffles also offers an extensive cocktail menu featuring bloody marys, chocolate martinis, spiked horchata, and an assortment of margaritas. “We never really thought breakfast and cocktails would be such a hit, but we are offering top quality liquors, homemade juices and scratch-made mary mix,” said Friedman. “Prosecco is our top seller. We go through 5-6 cases on a Sunday.”
The business owners are in the process of updating the restaurant space to embrace the red, yellow and orange color palate. They have removed some booths to open up the floor plan and want to let in as much natural light as possible. The goal is to keep the work to a minimum in order to open as quickly as possible, but supply chain delays have the arrival at least three months in the offing. “We are looking forward to bringing our friendly, fun and laid-back restaurant right in the heart of Oak Park,” said Friedman.
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Got gargantuan zucchini? Stuff ’em!
A
Why all the hating on this vegetable?
ly), and then stuff it with whatever suits you. fter a few weeks out of town, we came back to find three very large zucchini Carolyn went with a mixture of cooked rice in our garden. Some were 3 inches in and hot Italian sausage from Pete’s, which is diameter, maybe a foot long, with thick spicy but nowhere near Mexican-hot. To the flesh that’s not as tender and flavorful as rice and sausage, which had been browned up that of the baby squash we’d harvested earlier in a pan, she added some sauce made of our in the season. garden tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms, So, what to do with these gargantuan zucand a small yellow sweet pepper. On top, more chinis? In the past, we’d given up and thrown sauce and a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano. some of the monster squash in the compost, This was all baked at 400 degrees for about but that’s a wasteful, clearly undesirable ophalf an hour to warm it through and get the tion. sauce bubbly. You could make zucchini bread, which We’re being loose with this recipe because allows you to shred the vegetable and thus you can stuff a zucchini with just about render it more edible. Or you could slice/dice anything in any proportion that tastes good Local Dining it and add it to soup so maybe it will absorb to you. & Food Blogger some of the more delicious flavors of your With this preparation, the zucchini softens stock. Though all these options are always on a little and more readily absorbs the flavors the table, our most recent use for gargantuan of the sausage and sauce. After baking, the zucchini was to stuff ’em. top of each zucchini stuffing becomes pleasantly crusty Late-summer zucchini has flesh that is both less flavorand crisp, a good contrast to the soft squash. The slight ful and more dense, sometimes dry and woody. So you bitterness of the older vegetable is balanced by the slight must add flavor and cook it long enough for the vegetable sweetness of the tomato sauce. to soften (though not so long that it becomes mushy). Instead of rice, you could use quinoa or potatoes … or Gargantuan zucchini is firm, which means it’s a good just add a well-sauced protein, like beef or chicken. The sauce is probably the most important part because it’s vehicle for holding whatever you choose to stuff into it. this tasty liquid that’s going to season the squash and Just cut the zucchini lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and render delicious a somewhat tough old vegetable. Also, center pulp, cook it at 375 degrees for 45 minutes (just to the tomato sauce/cheese topping makes for a dish that ensure the dense squash cooks through almost complete-
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Stuffed Zucchini
looks so good you will be eager to eat a lot. We greatly enjoyed this stuffed zucchini, but when I posted a photo of this dish on Facebook, I faced a torrent of anti-zucchini sentiment, including, “Somehow, the zucchini seems superfluous” and “Zucchini, the tilapia of vegetables.” I don’t get it. Why all the hating on zucchini? You just need to work a little to get the most deliciousness out of it.
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D97 forum elicits input for superintendent search Top 5 or 6 candidates to be recommended by Nov. 30 By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
Representatives from Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA), a suburban search firm hired to carry out Oak Park Elementary School District 97’s superintendent search, hosted a forum, Oct. 20, for families and residents to offer input on the ongoing hiring process. HYA President Max McGee and senior associate Connie Collins led the hour-anda-half-long discussion Wednesday night via Zoom and heard from parents and other key community stakeholders about their expectations for a permanent superintendent and the issues facing the district. McGee said the forum was another way for attendees to share their thoughts openly, candidly and anonymously, if they desired, and part of HYA’s efforts to address the district’s needs. He explained further
that he and Collins, a former District 97 superintendent, were there to guide the conversation, collect information and pick up ideas to help craft interview questions for potential candidates. Over the last few months, HYA interviewed 100 people, including school administrators, parent leaders and local community partners, and released an online survey to better understand the district’s various needs. Approximately 1,474 people — a majority of whom were parents with children who attend the district, followed by teachers, staff and taxpayers — responded to the survey, McGee and Collins previously reported. Of those respondents, 1,290 had submitted written comments, citing staff retention, communication and transparency, and a growing achievement gap as major concerns. “We have already done the survey analysis,” McGee said at the Oct. 20 Zoom meeting. “We’ve written up interviews. We’ve written up focus groups. We’ve written up our staff forum. After we finish this, we’ll have a full-length written report next
week.” That report, he added, will be used to recruit more candidates. During the Oct. 20 meeting, some parents restated problems outlined in the online survey. They spoke about the district’s struggle to recruit and maintain faculty and staff and the lack of pathways for career advancement. They also want a new superintendent who has experience in that role and worked with a diverse student population. They wanted someone who can take on the district’s achievement gap and strengthen D97’s middle schools, preparing students for high school and beyond. McGee and Collins also shared with attendees that they are currently screening applicants and plan to recommend five or six candidates to the Board of Education by the target date of Nov. 30. Board members have the final say on which candidates will make it to the firstround interviews, McGee said. First-round and second-round interviews are expected to be held in December and early January, he said.
McGee and Collins said it is up to the board whether they will publicly share the names of the top 5 or 6 candidates. The two shared that they have worked with districts who have openly listed the names of applicants vying for superintendent and who have kept that information confidential. Applicants “will many times shy away from applying for the position because they don’t want information out there that they’re looking [for a job], because if they don’t get the job,” Collins explained, “they’ve got to deal with their community and with the superintendent or other staff members and their board, and still have to function within that environment.” “I think there’s a lot of protection that we try to provide around these individuals, so that people will be open and will want to apply and really move forward with the process rather than pulling out,” she said. Applications for superintendent are now closed, according to the D97 website. To stay up-to-date on the district’s superintendent search, visit https://www.op97.org/ boe/superintendent-search.
ChurchJazz Ensemble will ‘Jazz It Up’ at Grace Lutheran By TOM HOLMES
“It’s said that jazz happens in the spaces between the notes that are played. The same can be said for our spirituality. The connection to the Divine happens between the words The ChurchJazz Ensemble will present a piece composed that we speak. In both cases, our ability to hear both what by the group’s leader, Andy Tecson, called “Jazz It Up” at is spoken or played, and what is perceived in the silence beGrace Lutheran Church in River Forest on Nov. 5. Proceeds comes a deeper connection.” Andy Tecson has led the ChurchJazz Ensemble since from the concert will go to Voice of Care, a “ministry by and 1982. He composed “The Jazz Psalms,” “The Chicago Jazz with people with disabilities.” The ChurchJazz Ensemble website states that the 9-piece Mass” and set more than a hundred hymns for jazz band and congregational singing. The Churchgroup “has celebrated the gift of God’s Jazz band has been heard internationally music with congregations and audiences on the BBC, nationally on CBS, and perfor 34 years.” Their repertoire includes formed at numerous churches and church “The Jazz Passion,” “The Chicago Jazz Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. – assemblies throughout the United States. Mass,” “The Jazz Psalms,” “Jazz Nativdoors open at 6:30 While studying at the Ludwig Maximility,” and several more. Grace Lutheran Church, ian University in Munich, he toured with Voice of Care is a Recognized Service 7300 Division St., River Forest jazz and pop bands throughout Germany, Organization of the Lutheran Church, General admission tickets including Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Missouri Synod, established in 1976, are $40. All tickets are on sale Hanover, Stuttgart and Bayreuth. Upon which describes itself as “equipping the at voiceofcare.org returning to Chicago, he performed with local church to embrace, empower, and Steve Goodman, Howard Levy and Jump engage people who experience disabilities — and their families — in their discipleship walk with in the Saddle. “The Jazz Passion” has been performed in Chicago, New York, Leipzig, Berlin and Slovakia. Christ.” Nancy Hagen obtained her master’s degree in oboe perforOne example of what Voice of Care does is what their website refers to as “Jesus Time,” a ministry in which volunteers mance, studying with then principal oboist of the Chicago go to facilities for people who have disabilities and tell Bible Symphony Orchestra, Ray Still. She is a freelance musician, stories, pray, and lead songs. The site notes that “this is often recording and performing on oboe and piano with orchestras and other ensembles. She was the principal oboist of the the only Christian ministry available at these facilities.” Voice of Care advises congregations on how to make their Park Ridge Civic Orchestra and is married to Andy Tecson. Ken Jandes plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxobuildings more accessible, provides training to congregations on how to serve the disability community, presents Dis- phone. In addition to having taught saxophone at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, he has performed ability Awareness Days in schools and much more. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Oak Park has been extensively as both a jazz and classical saxophone player. A doing Jazz Prayer on the third Friday of every month for former superintendent of schools, he is currently academic dean of the American College of Education and a passionyears. For those who find jazz a strange musical genre for reli- ate advocate for linking professional practice to student gious music, Good Shepherd’s pastor Kathy Nolte explained, achievement. Contributing Reporter
To attend
Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St.
FILE
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C R I M E
Car passenger shot from passing vehicle A Chicago resident riding in a 2011 Jeep Liberty was shot in the left shoulder while traveling southbound on Ridgeland Avenue after being circled by a tan vehicle. As the Jeep neared Jackson Boulevard, the tan vehicle pulled up alongside, then sped past the Jeep. The tan vehicle made a U-turn, drove northbound and turned around again after passing the Jeep. As the tan vehicle passed the Jeep again, this time going southbound, someone fired numerous shots at the Jeep. The tan vehicle then took off. The driver of the Jeep brought the victim to Rush Oak Park Hospital. Police reports describe the wound to the victim’s left shoulder as non-life threatening. The investigation is ongoing, according to the Oak Park Police Department.
Aggravated carjacking ■ A man was carjacked by a female and an armed male after exiting his parked red 2015 Toyota Avalon to open his trunk at 11:55 p.m., Oct. 20, in the 700 block of South Oak Park Avenue. Approaching the victim from behind, the female grabbed him while the man pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at him. Both offenders started punching the victim as he tried to get away, causing
him to fall to the ground. The offenders then fled in the victim’s vehicle going southbound on Oak Park Avenue. The loss is estimated at $10,000. ■ Police recovered the vehicle Oct. 22, after it was left parked and empty in the 4200 block of West Monroe Street in Chicago.
Aggravated carjacking arrest Chicago police arrested 35-year-old Levell Carter, of the 900 block of North Long Avenue in Chicago, at 8:27 p.m., Oct. 19, after he was positively identified by the victim as the person who got into the victim’s van with a handgun and ordered the victim to exit the vehicle at 2:27 p.m. earlier that day near the 1000 block of Belleforte Avenue. Police reports state that Chicago police monitored messages of the stolen vehicle and apprehended Carter as he tried to flee on foot. Carter was charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, armed habitual criminal, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with no firearms owner identification.
Motor vehicle theft A silver Honda Civic, left running with
the keys in the ignition, parked in the 1200 block of Rossell Avenue, was taken between 3:45 p.m. and 3:50 p.m., Oct. 20. The estimated loss is $21,000. A 2018 black Buick Encore, left unlocked and running in the first block of Lake Street, was removed between 11:36 p.m. and 11:46 p.m., Oct. 23. The estimated loss is $15,000.
Burglary Someone entered a residence through an unlocked door, ransacked the entire apartment and took cash and a Dell laptop computer from the bedroom between 3:15 and 4 p.m., Oct. 18 in the 800 block of Washington Boulevard.
Theft ■ The catalytic converter was cut from a Mitsubishi Outlander, parked in the 800 block of North Lombard Avenue around noon, Oct. 15. ■ A black Google Chromebook laptop computer was taken from a storage shelf at Percy Julian Middle School, 416 S. Ridgeland Ave., between noon, Sept. 1, and noon, Sept. 3. ■ An inflatable Halloween decoration was removed from a resident’s front yard in the
1100 block of Home Avenue between 10:30 p.m., Oct. 20, and 7 a.m., Oct. 21. The estimated loss is $200.
Criminal damage to property ■ Someone scratched a line from the front panel of a 2007 Ford Escape to the rear panel door and scratched the ride side of the vehicle’s trunk between 8 p.m., Oct. 21, and 9:15 a.m., Oct. 22, in the 600 block of South Maple Avenue. ■ The south unit window to a residence was shattered between 8 a.m., Oct. 20, and 10 a.m., Oct. 22, in the 400 block of South Maple Avenue. Estimated damage is $200.
These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Oct. 19-26 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
Compiled by Stacey Sheridan
Oak Park carjacking attempt connected to murder Rideshare driver’s killing occurred last January By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter
A newly filed federal indictment against a Chicago man accused of murdering a rideshare driver connects him to an attempted carjacking in Oak Park that occurred last January, according to an Oct. 25 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Chicago resident Edmond Harris, 18, was first charged with the March 23 carjacking of a Lexus GS sedan and the fatal shooting of its driver, rideshare worker Javier Ramos in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Harris now faces additional charges for carjacking and attempting carjacking under the new indictment, which also renewed the original charge against him. According to the new indictment, Harris attempted to carjack a Nissan Altima, Jan. 20, in west suburban Oak Park in
addition to conspiring to and carjacking a Mitsubishi Outlander that same day in the Chicago Loop with his accomplice, Chicagoan Joshua Walker, 21. Walker, who is not connected to the Oak Park incident, is also charged with carjacking and firearm offenses in the new indictment. Furthermore, the indictment includes charges against both men for federal firearm violations. “The charges against Harris carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 27 years in federal prison and a maximum of death. The charges against Walker carry a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life,” the news release stated. Both Harris and Walker are in federal custody. Harris is scheduled for arraignment on the superseding indictment at 9:30 a.m., Friday. Walker, who pleaded not guilty during his arraignment last week, is set to appear for a detention hearing Thursday at 11 a.m.
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Think Pink
Eileen Lynch (left), Senator Don Harmon’s chief of staff, mingles with guests on Monday, during a Think Pink Get Screen breast cancer awareness event at West Suburban Medical Center on Lake Street in River Forest.
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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A ransomware attack directed at the makers of Brach’s Candy Corn and dozens of other candy and cookie brands has impacted production at Ferrara Candy’s factories just ahead of Halloween, according to a statement released by the company. A company spokesperson would not release details on the attack or the extent to which production has been impacted but indicated that all of Ferrara’s factories were operating “in a limited capacity” and “progressing toward full operations” as of Oct. 22. The ransomware attack was detected Oct. 9. “Upon discovery, we immediately responded to secure all systems and commence an investigation into the nature and scope of this incident,” the company wrote. “Ferrara is cooperating with law enforcement and our technical team is working closely with third-party specialists to fully restore impacted systems as
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D97
Complex conversations from page 1 unite staff and students, said Eboney Lofton, chief academic and accountability officer. What followed next was a series of steps that brought the plan to fruition. The district homed in on the social justice standards, a pillar of guidelines set by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Learning for Justice program, which focuses on identity, diversity, justice and action, and created a committee to develop lessons and activities around those core values, said Tawanda Lawrence, senior director of curriculum, instruction and assessment. The district also partnered with its ETeam, a coalition of community leaders, educators, youth advocates and families from Oak Park dedicated to providing resources for students, and other entities, including Dominican University and the Oak Park Public Library. From there, D97 began building the curricula around the “1619 Project,” a podcast from the New York Times that reexamines the legacy of slavery in America, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You, a book by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi for readers 12 and up, which details this country’s long racial history. The district used those stories to anchor
LAKELATHROP
Yet another extension from page 1 and 14,000 square feet of retail space was approved in 2016. Lake Lathrop Properties is a joint venture between Sedgwick Properties and Keystone Ventures. The original project included another story and eight more units but was scaled back. The ordinance approving the third amendment to the second amended and related redevelopment agreement was approved 5-1 with Trustee Katie Brennan casting the only negative vote. “There is a long history of delays and a lack of confidence,” she said. “I think it’s possible for this project to be successful but we can’t count on possible. I hope you prove me wrong.” Despite voting in favor, no trustees embraced the extension, expressing frustration with the lack of progress and reluctance to pull the plug and start over. Residents who spoke during the citizen comments portion of the meeting also expressed frustration over the delays. Some also expressed concern over wording in the amendment regarding the village relinquishing the “clawback” clause, but Village Attorney Greg Smith explained that the developer is required to meet five specific goals
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM discussions on racism at school and at home, said Alejos and Lawrence. Alejos and Carina Pruitt, curriculum specialist for sixth- and eighth-graders at D97, pointed out that faculty and staff needed to prepare for those conversations. They had to be mindful of their students and families, especially those of color, in order to create a safe space to share or to just be. “The day of Breonna Taylor’s trial was a super-challenging day for some of our students,” Alejos recalled as an example of how she gave students time to “just pause,” “be quiet and to think about it, and be in our feelings because there are so many feelings with all of this.” Pruitt said faculty and staff, too, needed levels of support, including training to help carry out the curricula and time to prepare, as well as a place to reflect, rethink and recoup from their work. “The goal is really to support students, teachers and administrators in those conversations because we do have a complex past and we have a complex present, and we will probably have a complex future,” Pruitt said. “But our futures depend on how we think and talk amongst one another, and that dialogue needs to continue. “I know sometimes it is tough,” she added, “but the only way we [can] move together is by having those conversations with one another and building that mutual respect and admiration.” When Alejos thought back to how her students responded to the anti-racism curri-
cula, she spoke of their readiness to engage. “We found that they [were] more prepared to talk about these challenging topics than most adults are. They are just braver in that way, and they were living this,” she said, noting her students saw the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic unfolding before them. “This was like day-to-day life for them.” “We were all experiencing it at the same time together, so every student came to the table with something to share about,” she said. “... I think that was very empowering for them — to be like, ‘Someone is going to listen to me right now, and my voice matters in this because this is my life.’” Kate Walz, whose son attends Percy Julian Middle School, echoed Alejos and spoke about her own experience reading Stamped last year. Walz, of Oak Park, said her son was a sixth-grader when D97 deployed its antiracism curricula. They listened to “1619” together, read aloud chapters from Stamped and started having more and more conversations about America’s complicated racial history around the dinner table. “I will admit as a parent, I probably wasn’t having those conversations early enough,” Walz said. “I was having them more with [my daughter], who’s a teenager, and I really realized my mistake — that you have to talk about this at a very early age, but you have to be very race conscious and have this [be] part of your family discussions. One thing Walz found helpful was her
son’s teacher, Stacey Hill, who often posted open-ended, thoughtful questions, allowing students and families to have “fierce conversations.” “These conversations around race plague us adults, especially as white adults,” said Walz, who is white. “For [Hill] to think creatively about how to do this under these circumstances so that they could have this type of dialogue for sixth-graders, it just blew me away.” And that’s something Alejos wanted parents such as Walz and other students to walk away with. “I hope that being able to have these conversations, understanding who they are, that it gives them a sense of confidence that they can handle what’s coming at them. They can have these hard discussions. They can challenge people,” she said. “They can stand up for what they believe in, or they can help others as they grow.”
‘March’ on Next up on the anti-racism reading list, Alejos said, is March, a graphic novel trilogy on the late civil rights icon and congressman John Lewis. The Oak Park Public Library kicked off a virtual series Oct. 26 for families to discuss the graphic novel and plans to hold two other sessions on Nov. 16 and Dec. 7. For more information, visit the Oak Park Public Library at https://www.oppl.org.
ing village manager, backed for that to happen. him up. She pointed out that In addition to beginning site since the last extension was work on the project, the develgranted two years ago, the oper will be required to obtain developer obtained a bridge construction financing, enter loan for site remediation and into contracts with its general substantially completed that contractor and subcontracwork, relocated utilities and tors, pay the balance of the obtained a permit from the permit fee to the village and Metropolitan Water Reclamastart work on the project’s tion District. concrete footings. Referring to the remedia“This isn’t easy. It shouldn’t tion, Village President Cathy be like this,” Trustee Bob Adduci noted, “We have a O’Connell said. However, he clean piece of property.” said he was “willing to go 90 Under terms of the amenddays more.” ment, the developer will be Trustees Lisa Gillis and Ken required to commence bonaJohnson cited concerns about fide construction by Jan. 23, starting over with Gillis not2022, and complete the projing, “We don’t have time to SEDGWICK PROPERTIES ect in 18 months. start over.” Johnson pointed BETTER LATER THAN NEVER? Rendering for the proposed luxury condo To meet the timeline, the out that “starting over would development at Lake and Lathrop in River Forest. developer will pay $50,000 totake even more time.” ward the $220,439.25 cost of a Trustees Erika Bachner building permit from the viland Respicio Vazquez shared ting the total number of units sold at 15. He residents’ feelings of frustration. also said a medical tenant has committed to lage, which is ready to be issued. Once the “I understand residents’ frustration,” taking 2,500 square feet of the retail space permit is issued, the developer will begin Bachner said. “I’m frustrated, too. I’m voting and that three others, two restaurants and work on the project, including removing two yes but I’m not happy.” another medical firm, had expressed serious feet of topsoil from the site that is unsuit“I totally appreciate residents’ frustration,” interest. He also indicated the developer is able for construction and excavating further Vazquez said referring to the required steps negotiating with a prospective lender and is down in certain areas to install foundations as “a last set of sink-or-swim conditions.” close to agreements with a general contractor later. Mark McKinney of Sedgwick Properties and subcontractors. A rare glimmer of optimism was exinformed the board that two more residential “We have made meaningful progress,” pressed by Vazquez, who said, “We’re alunits have been sold -- two penthouse units McKinney added. most at the end of this marathon. Hopefully that will be combined into a single unit -- putIn a memo to the board, Lisa Scheiner, act- this will get it done.”
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Homes Local agencies help renters find assistance
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oakpark.com/real-estate email: buphues@wjinc.com
With COVID still roiling household budgets, Cook County, Housing Forward, Oak Park Housing Center may offer solutions By LACEY SIKORA
T
Contributing Reporter
he COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated or created financial difficulties for many, and renters may still face difficulties paying rent and utilities. A Cook County program is available for those who qualify for rent assistance who apply by Oct. 29. Program managers at Housing Forward and the Oak Park Regional Housing Center note that there are additional relief programs available, and both agencies can offer aid in the application process to those who need a helping hand.
Cook County Emergency Rental Assistance Program Now in its second round, the Cook County COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program is open for applications through Oct. 29. Tenants are eligible if they live in suburban Cook County and rent, have current or future obligations to pay rent, utilities, and/or other housing-related expenses, have proof of financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and have an income at or below a certain level. Details on income thresholds and applications are available at cookcountyil.gov/ rent-help. Housing Forward Prevail Program Manager Romiesha Tucker says tenants can apply themselves but notes that many choose to reach out to agencies like Housing Forward for help with technology and uploading the necessary documents. “Tenants initiate the process, but landlords are a part ROMIESHA TUCKER of the process as well,” Tucker said. “Tenants will need to provide the landlord’s name, mailing address and email address. This is very important because it ensures the landlord gets a link that links the two parties together. The application is not complete until both the tenant and landlord submit their documents.” Tenants can receive up to 18 months of assistance and up to three months of future rent needs. Deborah Williams, program director
with the Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC) also works with renters on obtaining assistance. Williams notes that while tenants who received assistance during the first round of relief in the spring of 2020 can reapply for this round, the limit for assistance is 18 months. She says a number of criteria can help tenants qualify, but they have to be able to show that their ability to pay rent or utilities has DEBORAH WILLIAMS been impacted by COVID. She offers examples of situations that might qualify, including “if your job laid you off or cut your hours due to the pandemic, or you had to stay home and take care of a child because school was closed.”
Existing assistance programs Williams stresses that tenants should not be afraid to reach out if they are past the Oct. 29 application deadline, noting that there are other assistance programs the OPRHC can help with. She also notes that it is not too late if a landlord has begun eviction proceedings. “A landlord can start the eviction process, but we can help if it’s ongoing,” Williams said. The pandemic has increased the number of people who need help, but Williams says not all of them can tie their need directly to COVID-19. “You had to be working when COVID hit to qualify,” she said. “My concern is people who were working to find a job but they couldn’t find a job during COVID.” Housing Forward’s Tucker says the county relief programs are a good starting point, but says there are other ways that those in need can get help.
“A landlord can start the eviction process, but we can help if it’s ongoing.” DEBORAH WILLIAMS
Program director Oak Park Regional Housing Center
“Even in a non-pandemic world, there is rental, utility and mortgage assistance available,” Tucker said. She points out that suburban Cook County residents can seek help by calling 1-877426-6515, and Chicago residents can dial 311 to ask for help with rental assistance and notes that Catholic Charities mans both call centers and can direct tenants to an agency in their area. See RENTAL ASSISTANCE on page 22
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
RENTAL ASSISTANCE Difficult for tenants and landlords from page 21 Utility assistance is available from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for those whose income does not exceed 60 percent of the state median income. In addition, Nicor has a gas-sharing program which offers grants to qualified residents. Williams says the OPRHC is also available to help those who need mortgage assistance and notes that often the agency can help those who are behind on payments or who are coming out of forbearance. “A lot of times, it’s more helpful to come in here than just calling yourself because we know all the rules and regulations,” Williams said.
Long-term implications and relief programs Tucker says that when the pandemic began in the spring of 2020, the need for rent relief was great. “There was a huge need because there were a lot of unknowns,” Tucker said. “Things were happening very fast, and everything was shutting down.”
Today, she says, Housing Forward continues to work with many clients who are out of work due to the repercussions of the pandemic, but the eviction moratorium changed the response for many tenants. “A lot of people took advantage of the eviction moratorium, and a lot of people weren’t paying their landlords even when they had money from unemployment because they didn’t have to,” Tucker said. “Now that the moratorium has been lifted, there’s a mad dash for assistance.” Many clients haven’t paid rent since March 2020, and they didn’t apply for rental assistance even though assistance programs existed because they relied on the eviction
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were experiencing an unusual type of hardship -- something that was out of their control such as an unexpected expense or loss of job. Landlords could easily work with one tenant seeking help if the rest of their tenants were paying rent. This fall, she notes it’s not unusual to have all of a landlords’ tenants claiming hardship and not paying. “This has been a difficult experience on both ends,” she said. Tucker says she strongly encourages tenants to work with their landlords whenever possible and to apply for needed relief. “There is assistance available, and they should apply,” she said.
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Presented by Growing Community Media and Sponsored by the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation and Byline Bank
ANNUAL TREASURER’S REPORT Village Of River Forest • Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2021
SUMMARY STATEMENT OF CONDITION General Fund
Special Revenue
Debt Service
Capital Project
Enterprise Fund
Trust & Agency
Beginning Balance
10,204,305
584,884
226,526
5,176,708
11,923,648
38,423,023
Revenues/Trans In
16,784,539
772,953
279,344
713,457
5,415,559
13,887,486
(15,649,057)
(657,236)
(267,313)
(1,192,482)
(4,438,063)
(5,178,674)
11,339,787
700,601
238,557
4,697,683
12,901,144
47,131,835
Expenditures/Trans Out Ending Balance
REVENUES BY SOURCE
Property Taxes 7,089,739, Utility Tax 620,180, Communication Tax 206,494, Non Home Rule Sales Tax 728,784, Other Taxes 384,293, State Income Tax 1,280,728, State Sales Tax 1,866,890, Motor Fuel Tax Allotments 400,003, Motor Fuel Rebuild Bonds Fund 368,139, Personal Property Replacement Tax 192,475, Use Tax 498,945, Intergovernmental, Grants and Contributions 405,898, Licenses and Permits 1,165,069, Fines and Forfeits 419,107, Water Sales 3,313,042, Sewer Sales 2,096,578, Refuse 1,149,298, Parking Fees 101,835, Other Charges for Services 500,407, Investment Income 10,651,810, Sale of Assets 67,228, Miscellaneous 1,453,046, Employer Contributions 2,893,350, Total Revenue 37,853,338
VILLAGE VENDOR PAYMENTS
Able Printing Service Inc: 3053.45, Accurate CPR & AED Inc: 5493.00, Acoustiblok Inc: 56192.25, AEP Energy: 19886.22, Aerial Influence LLC: 4508.00, Air One Equipment Inc: 7645.49, ALamp Concrete Contractors Inc: 188659.72, Allhis Ventures I LLC: 3435.00, Anderson Elevator Co: 2850.00, Anderson, Jill: 3185.00, Andy Frain Services Inc: 38450.70, Aqua Fiori Inc: 3327.75, Arendt, Anthony: 4000.00, Arthur Clesen Inc: 2944.25, AT&T: 5382.76, AT&T Wireless: 5445.34, Avalon Petroleum Company: 90902.10, AXA Equitable Retirement: 118306.33, B&F Construction Code Services Inc: 95040.40, Bahena’s Landscaping Inc: 23375.00, Baker, John: 3560.50, Bartolucci, William: 3690.00, Baxter & Woodman: 9863.62, Bayless, David J: 2716.25, Beckett, Natalie: 4000.00, Benchmark Construction Co Inc: 153963.00, Bernard, Nona: 4000.00, Berni, Joseph: 4000.00, Bestco HARTFORD: 122119.48, BKD LLP: 35450.00, Blackboard Inc: 8400.00, Bonner, David: 4000.00, Builders Paving LLC: 766161.71, Burke Engineering Ltd, Christopher B.: 36066.28, CALL ONE: 31443.70, Calumet City Plumbing: 7148.00, CAMZ Communications Inc: 14350.00, Cargill Incorporated: 33758.45, Cassidy Tire & Service, Wm. J.: 5784.48, CDS Office Technologies Inc: 11357.92, CDW Government Inc: 3055.15, Certified Fleet Services Inc: 48390.90, Circl CM Holdings Inc: 3215.00, City of Chicago: 1761316.76, City of Chicago FMPS: 3976.00, Clark Baird Smith LLP: 117493.45, Clear View Plumbing & Sewer
Inc: 5000.00, ClientFirst Consulting Group LLC: 176873.75, College of DuPage: 4781.60, Comcast Cable: 3774.93, ComEd: 8393.90, ComEd: 39490.94, Commercial Tire Service Inc: 6974.54, Conway, Linda: 4102.50, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Training Academy: 6500.00, Cook County Treasurer: 18318.68, Cordogan Clark & Associates Inc: 4216.84, Core & Main LP: 43261.37, Cronin Enterprises LLC: 12669.50, Datasource Ink: 3181.12, Davenport Group USA Ltd, The: 83916.80, Davey Resource Group Inc: 4236.00, Davis Tree Care Inc: 13571.50, DCG Roofing Solutions Inc: 3502.50, De Lage Landen Financial Svcs Inc: 5803.30, Deep Roots Project: 10000.00, Denler Inc: 93400.00, Design by Em: 4500.00, Devlin, Kevin: 4000.00, Dibbern, Ronald: 4000.00, Dinu, Adrian: 4000.00, Director of IL State Police: 3389.65, Division XI Mutual Aid: 10000.00, Dugan, Sheila: 4000.00, Dultmeier Sales Davenport Inc: 27713.12, Eden Brothers LLC: 9646.85, Elmhurst Occupational Health: 9002.00, Energenecs Inc: 7820.89, Envirosafe: 9640.00, ESO Solutions Inc: 13944.64, Executive Distributors International: 3076.00, Fifth Third Bank: 71773.93, Fleet Safety Supply: 4115.12, Forest Park National Bank: 267313.23, Forest Preserve Distr of Cook County: 12000.00, Fredriksen Fire Equipment Co.: 4053.34, Further: 92105.74, Galls LLC: 3958.11, Gardner, Frank: 4000.00, Garland/DBS Inc: 30997.65, Gecko Robotics Inc: 4860.00, General Mechanical Services: 28142.35, Genesis Employee Benefits Inc: 154398.51, Gewalt Hamilton Assoc Inc: 41079.00, Gilbert, Eric & Laurie: 4000.00, Gingerich, Gereaux & Associates: 8500.00, Goodmark Nurseries LLC: 12117.00, GOVTEMPSUSA LLC: 10430.00, Great Lakes Concrete LLC/Susan Spriet: 2557.73, Greenwood Transfer LLC: 18772.97, Griffin, John M: 4800.00, Griffon Systems Inc: 80250.00, Growing Community Media NFP: 7042.00, Gulbrandsen Ret., Hon. Perry J: 3450.00, Hall Signs Inc: 4001.16, Harfoot, Matthew & Mary Harfoot: 4000.00, Hawkins Inc: 2548.15, Hayes Mechanical: 5662.42, Health Inspection Professionals Inc: 15450.00, Healy Asphalt Company LLC: 4635.40, Holguin, Adriana: 2534.54, Homer Tree Care Inc: 40241.50, Horwitz, Jason: 4000.00, Houseal Lavigne Associates: 31709.89, Howell, Gary: 4000.00, ICMA Membership Renewals: 2613.91, ICMA Retirement Corporation - 302614: 119279.88, Illinois Dept of Employment Security: 3335.00, Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency: 917145.80, Illinois EPA: 5000.00, Illinois ePAY: 13915.88, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council: 14208.00, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund: 441788.92, In & Out Fitness Inc: 5512.25, Integrity Environmental Services Inc: 3420.00, Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative: 1491695.24, International Code Council Inc: 3643.09, International Union of Operating Engineers: 13933.12, International Union of Operating Engineers: 2756.00, Interstate Billing Service Inc: 9946.76, IRMA: 322272.86, Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications: 3000.00, Jenn Sales Corp: 7320.50, JG Uniforms Inc: 4422.70, Kane, McKenna & Assoc Inc: 3325.00, Kankakee Nursery Co: 8375.00, Kelty Lawn Care: 9978.25, Klein Thorpe and Jenkins Ltd: 179757.85, KLOA Inc: 10892.81, LRS Holdings LLC: 193506.06, Lyons & Pinner Electric Companies: 124848.26, Manola, Brian: 4000.00, Martire, Ralph: 4000.00, McCann Industries Inc: 8905.73, McGill Construction LLC: 90617.09, Menards: 3523.29, Metro Mortuary Transport Inc: 2780.00, MGP Inc: 35559.84, Michaud, David: 4000.00, Midwest Operating Eng-Pension Trust Fund: 22032.00, Milad, Ellen: 3300.00, Minuteman Security Technologies Inc: 19589.00, MOE Funds: 183824.00, Motorola Solutions Inc: 157962.79, Municipal Systems LLC: 11400.00, Murphy’s Contractors Equipment Inc: 2689.02, Myers, Rick: 4000.00, NetMotion Software Inc: 2600.40, NG Plumbing Inc: 62500.00, Nick’s Emergency Lighting & More Inc: 3197.25, North East Multi-Regional Training Inc: 3810.00, NorthShore University HealthSystem: 2879.00, O’Herron Co. Inc, Ray: 42965.54, Oswalt, Michael: 3500.00, Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete Inc: 6405.50, Patten Industries Inc: 11485.58, Patzik, Frank & Samotny Ltd: 15404.06, Pete’s Automotive Service Inc: 42425.60, Pizzo & Associates Ltd: 8988.75, Printing Store Inc, The: 2702.00, R1 RCM Inc: 12000.00, Regal Business Machines Inc: 4464.05, Regional Truck Equipment Co: 26049.58, Resource Management Associates Inc: 9205.71, Response Graphics & Embroidery LLC: 15006.11, Restore Restoration Inc: 6075.00, Restore Restoration Inc: 3590.00, River Forest Public Library: 11360.95, Rothkopf, David: 3644.50, Russo Power Equipment Inc: 4767.11, Safespeed: 3813.10, Samore, Betsy: 4000.00, SBRK Finance Holdings Inc: 28677.40, Schneider, Richard: 3655.75, Sebis Direct (Postage): 6539.29, Seeco Consultants Inc: 3669.00, Seven Brothers Painting Inc: 274914.84, Sicalco Ltd: 4630.72, Skincare-SC Inc: 9062.50, St. Aubin & Bros Inc, Eugene A. de: 13819.00, Standard Equipment Company: 6954.69, State Disbursement Unit: 10428.00, State Treasurer: 335987.14, Sterling Codifiers Inc: 3218.00, Strada Construction Company: 65578.61, Strom Refuse Removal Inc, Roy: 1072375.51, Stryker Sales Corp: 3917.19, Suburban General Construction Inc: 77992.73, Suburban Laboratories Inc: 4020.00, Superior Road Striping Inc: 9915.19, Swallow Construction Corp: 582629.65, Third Millennium: 15884.71, Thomas Dodge: 20079.00, Thomas Engineering Group LLC: 85912.94, Thompson, Randy: 4020.00, Thrive Counseling Center: 9500.00, TKB Associates Inc: 10099.00, Total Administrative Services Corp: 8753.60, Tower Works: 3545.00, TriTech Forensics Inc: 5289.07, True North Consultants Inc: 5965.00, Tyrrell, Tim: 4000.00, Unique Products & Service Corp: 4252.61, United States Treasury: 1425192.34,
US Postal Service: 3240.00, Verizon Wireless: 4266.57, Vicarious Productions Inc: 15500.00, Village of Romeoville Fire Academy: 2950.00, Vogt, Susan: 6150.00, Vulcan Construction Materials LLC: 3780.10, Walsh, Barry: 4000.00, Warehouse Direct Inc: 6867.74, WEBITECTS: 4355.00, West Central Municipal Conference: 14401.49, West Cook County Solid Waste Agency: 4900.00, West Suburban Consolidated: 138982.00, Western Linoleum & Carpet Co: 2963.00, Wigit’s Truck Center: 16464.63, Wojack, Kimberly: 2831.25, Wolf, Linda: 3287.50, Yard Crew, The: 13725.00, Yates Enterprises LLC: 2700.00, Ziebell Water Service Products Inc: 2579.08, VENDORS PAID UNDER $2,500: 242187.80, TOTAL: 14941091.40 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PENSION FUND VENDOR PAYMENTS AndCo: 37378, Bolingbrook Police Pension Fund: 198784, Chicago Ridge Police Pension Fund: 77700, Cook Castle: 9984, First Midwest Bank: 7835, Garcia Hamilton & Associates, L.P.: 16723, Glenview Police Pension Fund: 232527, Illinois Department of Insurance: 7930, IPPEA: 3885, IRS: 511388, Karlson Garza, LLC: 8852, Lauterbach & Amen: 63375, Segall Bryant & Hamill: 14348, Wells Fargo: 10625, VENDORS PAID UNDER $2,500: 832, TOTAL: 1202166 VILLAGE PAYROLL Under 25,000: Bradley, Cortes, Cromley, Drake, Kasprzyk, Kwan, Niemann, Petrillo, Pisciotto, Sousanes, Spence; 25,00049,999.99: Eberling, Ercoli, Foytik, Franco, Holguin, Kryder, Liebig, Monterubio, Morris, Ostrowski; 50,000-74,999.99; Bajak, Buckner, Caballero, Carlini, Colon, Espana, Montiel, Phyfer, Pickens, Pluto, Raymond, Sabia; 75,000-99,999.99: Balaguer, Basa, Buchholz, Cassidy, Cepak, Decosola, Heneghan, Howe A, McKenna, Palm L, Pape, Petrulis, Pusavc, Radatz, Raddatz, Rouse, Schwarz, Seablom, Sheehan, Skoczek, Spears, Thomasino, Wiley, Zermeno; 100,000.00-124,999.99: Bencik, Bowman, Boyd, Boyer, Casey, Doran, Fields, Finfrock, Fischer, Fries, Grill, Janopoulos, Krall, Landini, Ransom, Tagle, Viera, Zipperich; 125,000.00 and over: Anderson, Bochenek, Bohlmann, Carter, Czernik, Greenwood, Howe E, Humphreys, Labriola, Loster, McAdams, Murillo, O’Shea, Palm E, Scheiner, Smith, Swierczynski. POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PENSION FUND PAYROLLS Under 25,000: Bauer, Daudelin, Gerard P, Marrocco, Petrulis, Riley L, Strauch; 25,000-49,999: Anstrand, Barth, Fahy, Gerard B, Hlavaty, Law D, Neault, O’Brien, O’Loughlin, Schejbal, Shustar R; 50,000-74,999: Bernahl, Blasco, Blesy, Caroll, Diebold, Ford, Galassi, Gray, Katsantones, Lahey, Law M, Linden, Lombardi, Newberry, Novak, Rausch P, Riley T, Schauer, Smith, Victor M, Warnock, Weiglein; 75,000-99,999: Barstatis, Bentel L, Bentel R, Daugherty, Dhooghe, Higgins, Jandrisits, Maher, Powell, Rann, Rose, Samuel, Sullivan, Telkamp, Victor R, Vondracek, Witken, Zawacki; 100,000-124,999: Finnegan, Lidinsky, Ludvik, Nortier, Nummer, Rutz, Schoff, Stamm, Weiss.
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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SPORTS Fenwick flying into state playoffs after St. Ignatius win Friars are No. 2 seed heading into IHSA Class 5A tourney By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter
One of Chicago Bulls television color commentator Stacey King’s favorite on-air exclamations is that big-time players make big-time plays. That described the performance of Fenwick High School quarterback Kaden Cobb Oct. 22 at St. Ignatius. The Ball State commit accounted for three touchdowns as the Friars prevailed 28-20 to clinch the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference White Division title, while also handing the host Wolfpack its’ first loss of the season. “Kaden did everything we asked him to do tonight,” said Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia. “He made great reads and operated the offense. It was a beautiful thing to see. Our main goal entering the season was to win conference.” The win sends the Friars (7-2, 3-0) into the IHSA state playoffs as the No. 2 seed in Class 5A. Fenwick will open the playoffs at home at Triton College on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. against No. 15 Kaneland. Fenwick enters the playoffs with lots of momentum, having won four consecutive games to end the regular season. The Friars will once again attempt to win the school’s first IHSA state football championship. “There’s a big box on our goal list. But we can only achieve that goal if we win each day,” Battaglia said. “We want to look ahead, but we’ve got to win each day first.” Against St. Ignatius, with the Wolfpack’s ball-control style on offense, possessions were going to be at a premium for the Friars, and it was imperative to maximize those opportunities. After Martin Paris stuffed St. Ignatius running back Tommy Bloss on a fourthand-2 at the Fenwick 29 on the game’s opening possession, the Friars (7-2, 3-0) responded with a six-play scoring drive that ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Cobb to Danny Kent and a 7-0 lead at the 5:29 mark of the first quarter. The Wolfpack (8-1, 2-1) countered as Vinny Rugai broke free for a 54-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter. However, Fenwick marched right back down the field, covering 65 yards in 9 plays. Bryan Hunt Jr (3 receptions, 71 yards), Eian Pugh (3 receptions, 37 yards) and Max Reese (4 receptions, 53 yards) each had key catches
VICTOR GUARINO/Contributor
Fenwick lineman Pat Durkin (13) leads the way for running back Danny Kent (11) during the Friars’ 28-20 victory over St. Ignatius on Oct. 22, handing the Wolfpack their only defeat of the regular season. on the drive. Pugh’s came on a fourth-and-8 play from the St. Ignatius 29. Two plays later, Cobb found Pat Durkin open for an 8-yard score and a 14-7 lead. St. Ignatius responded with an almost eight-minute, 54-yard drive that ended with Jake Petrow scoring on a quarterback sneak from the 1. However, the PAT was missed, leaving the score 14-13 Fenwick at halftime. Rugai intercepted Cobb to start the second half, but the Friars’ defense then came up with a momentum-changing play as Denium Juette picked off Petrow and returned it to midfield. A 26-yard catch-and-run by Reese set up Fenwick’s third touchdown of the evening, a 1-yard plunge by Kent. Then after getting a three-and-out defensively, the Friars found the house again, Cobb himself doing the honors with a 24yard run off a read-option. “Kaden is Mr. Excitement. You never know what’s going to go on when he’s on the
field,” said Fenwick center Jimmy Liston. “He’s a great player.” St. Ignatius’ Jack Molloy scored on a 7-yard jet sweep to cut Fenwick’s lead to 2820 with 6:50 left in regulation. Then after getting a three-and-out, the Wolfpack moved deep into Friars’ territory in the final minutes. St. Ignatius received a break when an interception by Aidan Vargas was overturned by the officials, who ruled the play had been blown dead before the snap. On fourth-and-goal from the Fenwick 7-yard line with 29 seconds remaining, Molloy swept to the right, but a host of Friars stopped him two yards short of the end zone, resulting in a turnover on downs. Cobb then knelt to secure the victory. “It was hard-fought; we came together as a team,” Liston said. “St. Ignatius is a great opponent and rival, and you have to give credit to them. They played their tails off and it was a great game.”
OPRF falls to York to end season Matt Vezza’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Specht with 22 seconds left gave York (8-1, 5-1) a 36-33 victory over visiting Oak Park and River Forest High School Oct. 22 in West Suburban Silver football action. The loss eliminated the Huskies (4-5, 2-4) from IHSA state football playoff consideration. Against York, OPRF quarterback Jack Gooch went 21-of-39 passing for 268 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kelby Gray rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown while Demetrius Dortch amassed 142 all-purpose yards and added two touchdowns. Defensively for OPRF, Jackson-Hughes Ambrose N’Cho-Allepot had a fumble recovery, Anthony Brown an interception, and Sam Gray a sack.
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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Fenwick girls tennis nets 3rd place state meet finish Doubles teams score 14 of Friars’ 18 total points By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter
Buoyed by a strong showing in doubles, the Fenwick High School girls tennis team capped a successful season with a third-place finish in the Illinois High School Association Class 1A state tournament held Oct. 21-23 at Buffalo Grove High School. The Friars tied Timothy Christian with 18 points, good enough for the program’s firstever state trophy. “It was a team effort. We got 12 wins in three different positions,” said Fenwick coach Gerard Sullivan. “Everyone won big matches that they weren’t supposed to.” Fenwick’s doubles team of sophomore Trinity Hardin and freshman Megan Trifilio reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual champions Alyssa Batcheler and Lucy Mitchell of Latin 3-6, 3-6. But the duo bounced back in the consolation bracket and made it to the final, where it lost to Macy Probst and Isabelle Hemmen of Teutopolis 1-6, 4-6 for a sixth-place finish overall. “Megan and Trinity were not rolling over to anybody,” Sullivan said. “It was a great confidence builder for a young pair. What a great experience.” The Friars’ other doubles team of freshman Rachel Abraham and junior Maeve Paris lost in the second round, but then ran off four consecutive victories in the consolation bracket before falling in the quarterfinals to Probst and Hemmen in straight sets. Altogether, Fenwick’s doubles teams compiled 14 points. “Maeve was a huge factor in our team results,” said Sullivan. “Rachel had played a ton of doubles this season and came in calm and confident, but Maeve takes confidence to a different level. She just goes out there with an air about her that tells the other team “we’re not backing down from anybody.” She knows how to hang on to momentum once she gets it and works in lockstep with her partner.” The Friars’ other points came in singles from junior Kate Trifilio. She won her first
two matches before losing in the third round to Brooklyn Siegel of Wolcott in straight sets, then losing her first match in the consolation bracket in three sets to Monica Wendle of Alton Marquette. “Kate had a great effort and a good season,” Sullivan said. “She finished in the state’s top 24, and that’s great for her.” All five of Fenwick’s state participants return next fall, so Sullivan expects to have another strong team. He believes this experience can only help Fenwick. “They’re not going to be going in wideeyed [in 2022]. They’re going to know how it works,” he said. “They’ve seen the snags and bumps you’ve got to get over and they’ve learned how to get out of slumps. Next year, they need to remember the things they figured out this year and draw upon it.”
OPRF girls tennis The Huskies’ doubles team of junior Martha Brennan and senior Raja Basma won a match and lost two at the IHSA state meet Oct. 21. After losing their opening match in straight sets, Brennan and Basma defeated Sandburg’s Jocelyn Canellis and Neela Browne in the consolation bracket before losing their next match to Kate Herlihy and Thea Surya of Stevenson in straight sets.
Fenwick, OPRF win regional soccer titles In the IHSA Class 3A boys soccer tournament, Oak Park and River Forest High School won a regional title Oct. 21, shutting out visiting Niles West 2-0. Two days earlier in a regional semifinal, the Huskies knocked off Maine West 5-1. OPRF (17-3) faced host New Trier in a sectional semifinal on Oct. 26, post-press time. In Class 2A, Fenwick won its regional title Oct. 22 with a 5-1 victory over visiting Pritzker. Jack Powers had two goals and an assist while Ryan Bero added a goal and an assist
PROVIDED
The Fenwick High School girls tennis team scored 18 points to tie for third place at the IHSA Class 1A state tournament on Oct. 23. The team included (top row, from left) assistant coach Lauren Trifilio, Trinity Hardin, Megan Trifilio, Kate Trifilio and head coach Gerard Sullivan, (bottom row from left) Maeve Paris and Rachel Abraham. to lead the Friars. Fenwick (9-10-4) began the state tournament Oct. 19 with a 7-0 shutout of Schurz. The Friars were scheduled to face Fenton in a sectional semifinal at ITW/Speer in Chicago on Oct. 26, post-press time.
Welin wins cross country regional title OPRF senior Josephine Welin began her quest for a state title in good fashion with a victory at the IHSA Class 3A Lyons Township Regional. Welin’s winning time was 17 minutes, 34 seconds and helped the Huskies advance as a team to the Hinsdale Central sectional Oct. 30. OPRF finished third as a team at the regional meet with 81 points. In the boys Class 2A Kaneland regional, three Fenwick runners placed in the top
10 as the Friars won the team title with 44 points. Junior Grayden Rill finished third in a time of 15:28.72, sophomore Nathaniel McKillop fourth in 15:33.22 and senior Zac Daley eighth in 15:59.06. The victory continues an impressive stretch for Fenwick, which won the Chicago Catholic League championship Oct. 16. Bella Daley of Fenwick won the girls race in 18:06.21 with the Friars’ 117 points were good enough to advance as a team to the sectional meet. Both Friars’ teams will participate in the 2A Fenton Sectional on Oct.30. Trinity will also advance, qualifying for the Class 2A Woodstock North Sectional. Junior Ella Miller’s seventh-place finish (19:37.31) helped the Blazers to a fourthplace finish at the Burlington Central Regional with 79 points.
OPRF, Fenwick hockey team up for Hruby Cup series Proceeds will benefit Beyond Hunger’s efforts in battling food insecurity
By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter
The hockey clubs at Oak Park and River Forest and Fenwick high schools will team up to fight hunger in the community
through the Paul Hruby Cup Series, a threegame competition between the two teams spread over three months beginning Oct. 29 at Franklin Park Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. “It was a collaboration between the Hus-
kies and Fenwick,” said Chad Layton, who is a volunteer with the OPRF hockey club. “There’s been a friendly rivalry between the two clubs for some time, and we usually get good fan participation in these games. It just made sense to parlay that energy into some-
thing that raises awareness and money for a good cause.” Hunger has become an issue for many families and individuals as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Layton believes that the timing is good for this endeavor, and
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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OPRF’s Welin commits to run at University of Washington Senior cross country and track standout is West Coast school’s only Midwest recruit
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Oak Park and River Forest High School senior Josephine Welin says she often can be indecisive. The University of Washington helped to make her college running decision a little easier. On Oct. 24, Welin publicly announced her verbal commitment to the NCAA Division I school in Seattle for women’s cross country and track and field. She confirmed her choice last weekend with Maurica Powell, the director of both programs. “Just the environment and campus, team and coach, everything I’m looking for. It still was a really hard decision, but I felt like I made the right choice,” Welin said. “A couple of weeks ago, I narrowed it down to my top three schools. I needed to sit down and see where I could see myself be happy and successful.” Welin’s options increased significantly after her breakthrough junior year. She improved from an all-state 16th in cross country in 2019 to the state’s top girls runner in 2020, winning her IHSA sectional and the non-sanctioned statewide ShaZam Championships with course-record times. At the IHSA state track meet in June, Welin won the 3,200-meter run and was second in the 1,600 with the No. 2 time in state finals history. Washington women’s cross country is ranked No. 18 nationally and No. 1 in the West Region. Powell, who runs the program with husband Andy, is in her fourth season at Washington after 12 at Oregon. Welin was encouraged by her mother, Tracy, to contact Powell. OPRF girls cross country coach Ashley Raymond had been impressed after seeing Powell as a presentation speaker. “The first time I talked to Maurica on the phone, I really felt a connection to her and just the way she runs the program, I feel like that really works well with me,” Welin said. “It’s very individualized. There’s a lot of girls where running isn’t their only sport or the only one they did. They did a lot of biking and cross training and still are able to run at a very high level. At practice, they’re really focused and work hard, but they’re also able to be silly with each other and relaxed. Everything there felt close, like a family.” Welin made all five official college visits and considered them all seriously. Washington was Welin’s third overall visit in early October. She first narrowed her large group of interest to about 12 schools. Another plus for the OPRF senior was Washington’s location and environmental studies and biology programs, which Welin plans to study. Welin loves the outdoors, camping and hiking and visited Seattle about three or four years ago on a family trip.
it’s a cause that’s close to the players’ hearts. “We’re really excited about it,” he said. “We’re working with the players themselves; they’re going to help distribute flyers around the community and to their friends and families to get as much support as we can for Beyond Hunger.” Beyond Hunger is an Oak Park-based organization whose mission as stated on its website is “harnessing the power of communities to end hunger.” It provides hungerrelief programming and services not just to
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
OPRF senior Josephine Welin announced on Oct. 24 that she has committed to run cross country and track at the University of Washington next fall. One of her favorite science experiments was freshman year, when she studied the effects of extreme temperatures on bacteria growth. “I had some petri dishes in the fridge and the basement under a heat lamp. I’m sure my parents loved having bacteria in the fridge,” Welin said. “I’ve always been a science and math person. I guess I see myself doing some sort of research in the lab or in the field.” Welin is the only Midwest recruit for Washington, whose cross country roster is mainly West Coast athletes along with five from Australia or New Zealand.
residents of Oak Park and River Forest, but also to several of Chicago’s West Side communities and other nearby suburbs. The goal of Beyond Hunger is to not only provide groceries and cooking assistance, but also foster support for programs that can effectively provide help to those who are struggling in this economy. “In these times, where there are a lot of challenges, to the extent that we can support this cause, we’re excited,” Layton said.
It’s quite a change from Welin hardly thinking she’d be a Division I runner as a freshman. “I would say learning to kind of just believe in myself and trust my training and trust my coach and kind of just see the power of what hard work can do has really been a good thing I’ve learned,” Welin said. “I definitely credit my coach and parents and family and teammates for supporting me along the way. Having all of this time to dedicate to something I’m passionate about, I’m really grateful I found running and I’m able to enjoy it and work hard every day.”
Named after Paul Hruby, who is considered a pioneer of Oak Park hockey and a member of the Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame, the best-of-three series will also have games Dec. 20 and Feb. 3 (if necessary) at The Edge in Bensenville, with the winner being awarded the cup. Proceeds from the series will go towards Beyond Hunger. Tickets are $5 for the opening game at Franklin Park. Also, a percentage of orders at Kettlestrings Tavern or One Lake Brewing --
both in Oak Park -- goes towards the series and Beyond Hunger if OPRF or Fenwick hockey is mentioned at the time of the order. Ferrara Pan Fitness Factory, Reeg Plumbing and Segal McCambridge are the event sponsors. For more information about Beyond Hunger, go to gobeyondhunger.org. Additional information on the Paul Hruby Cup can be found at oprfhockey.com/hrubycup. Donations may be made at app.mobilecause.com/ vf/HrubyCup.
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
More support for OPRF’s Freshman Curriculm Restructuring p. 31-33
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This is the moment for OPRF
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or too long, Oak Park and River Forest High School, like secondary schools across the country, has restricted access to advanced courses to a select group of students. This has led Black and Latinx students to be underrepresented in advanced coursework at OPRF, which in turn denies them high-level preparation for their lives after high school. This initial decision is made when a student is 14 years old, in their freshman year of high school. And this decision — whether a student enrolls in honors or not — affects their access to educational opportunities throughout their lives. The OPRF school board is about to vote on whether to allow all freshman students access to the honors curriculum by detracking most freshman classes. This is not a rushed decision. It is the culmination of four years of work by OPRF staff and community groups to review research, investigate how that research connects to the conditions at OPRF, and plan and deliver professional learning to teachers. They are now ready to implement, which requires only this final vote. Unfortunately, there are still those in our community who believe that not all freshmen can learn at an honors level. They believe we should continue the system of tracking that results in unequal opportunities for students. They believe that nothing better is possible. This is not true. Research, teacher professional organizations, and local teacher experience affirm it: OPRF’s freshman restructuring will benefit the students of our community. Research across a range of years has demonstrated that detracking supports students and that tracking is rife with equity issues: Researchers from Northwestern and Duke find that tracking shows no academic benefits for students at any performance level. (Steenbergen-Hu et. al. 2016) “Tracking has minimal effects on learning outcomes and profound negative effects on equity outcomes,” says renowned education researcher John Hattie (2008). “There is a pedagogical value inherent in having multiple vantage points represented in classrooms,” researchers from Teachers College Columbia declare. “It allows for positive academic outcomes for all students exposed to these diverse viewpoints.” (Wells, Fox & Cordova-Cobo 2016) Numerous teacher professional organizations and education experts emphasize the need to abandon tracking: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics asserts that “traditional tracking practices have consistently disadvantaged groups of students by relegating them to low-level mathematics classes.” The National Council of Teachers of English declares: “We believe that students must be granted equitable access to educational settings that build on the strengths of students [and] expand the capacity of learners.” The Civil Rights Framework from the NAACP and other civil rights organizations states that “the practice of tracking students by perceived ability is a major civil rights obstacle.”
JIM
SCHWARTZ One View
See SCHWARTZ on page 31
FILE 2014
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Diversity in the classroom benefits all studnets
am writing to voice my unequivocal support for the Freshman Curriculum Restructuring plan at OPRF High School. Speaking as an Oak Park resident, and as a parent with three District 97 and District 200 children, I am glad we are finally moving in the right direction, almost a decade behind the movement for educational equity. As a professor of education, I know the research says it is important to detrack in the first years of high school and provide a rich, interdisciplinary curriculum for everyone. In the real world, we all must learn to work with people who come from backgrounds different from ours, and we must be open to hearing from those who have different views, allowing us to think critically about what we hold to be true. Heterogeneity allows us to think better and create better. We also need to train our teachers to use methods and techniques that are inclusive, meet the diverse needs of the individual students, and provide scaffolds for those students who need support. I teach in classrooms with students who come in with varying levels of reading and writing proficiency. We provide support outside of class on closing those gaps — from how to annotate a text to how to counterargue with the author. Perhaps we can create online modules developed by our own teachers and alums on how and what students need to know to be successful when engaging with dense, content area knowledge. At the same time, they will do better when they learn from
someone they know, such as a devoted tutor, and not solely from Salman Khan and the Academy. We must spend funding on building those academic supports for the struggling students who may need more guidance and tutoring, as we monitor their progress. Lastly, my daughter graduated last year from OPRF from the advanced AP track, in which she was one of the few students of color. We both agreed that she was receiving an unequaled education when she sat in an AP U.S. History class with mostly privileged white peers. She was not hearing from students of color, nor from students who did not benefit from American history. It is an unequal education for all of our children when they do not get to hear from each other. Let’s create curriculum units that integrate texts that combine the classical, such as The Tempest, with the contemporary, such as The Hate U Give, to discuss “big ideas” and concepts such as oppression, ideology, freedom and marginalization, along with musical scores, speeches, and paintings that address these very same big ideas — along with the lived and shared experiences of the diverse students in the room. But we must invest in this restructuring — economically, socially and psychologically. We must commit to heterogeneity and difference, rather than homogeneity and sameness. We must commit to a multiethnic democracy in which no one group is in power. Samina Hadi-Tabassum, Ed.D., is an Oak Park resident and a professor of education.
SAMINA HADITABASSUM One View
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Leave the leaves, turn out the lights
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ost people are aware of the global biodiversity crisis, the shocking declines of insects, birds, and other animals, yet many don’t connect it with life in our comfortable suburbs. Because everything is connected, what we do at home is more important than you might think. Anyone with a house and yard can take two actions that will immediately increase biodiversity by helping the creatures that share our neighborhoods: Leave the leaves and turn out the lights. I’ve never understood why sensible people would remove autumn leaves from under their trees and bushes, only to then pay good money to add mulch and fertilizer. Fallen leaves are nature’s combination fertilizer and mulch, full of exactly the nutrients trees and shrubs need. And regarding “messiness,” nobody walks through the forest preserves in autumn wishing someone would clear out all those darn fallen leaves. Those leaves are what make the outdoors comfortable for many animals, providing shelter, food, and habitat. Fireflies don’t go away with the summer. Their larvae spend late summer through spring among fallen leaves, hunting pest insects and waiting to emerge next year as flashing adults. Similarly, many species of butterfly and moth overwinter there. And in spring if you’ve ever watched a robin or cardinal rummaging among last year’s leaves, you’ve seen how our backyard birds need that habitat, too. It’s where they hunt the insects that both give them energy and help feed their voracious chicks. Your yard can be naturally beautiful and biodiverse
by just letting the leaves stay where they fall. Those on your grass can be raked back under bushes or into flowerbeds. And don’t forget to give instructions to your landscapers, too. As for lights, night-time light is a boon to human civilization, but we choose darkness when it’s bedtime. Our circadian rhythms, and our physical and mental health, depend on this. Animals also need a clear distinction between day and night. Lit-up yards, with always-on security lights or party lights strung over the deck, disrupt animals’ lives in a variety of ways. In spring and fall, migrating songbirds that depend on the stars for navigation, get confused not only by the lights in tall buildings, but across residential areas as well. Plus, resident birds — and their chicks — need to sleep at night, just as we do. Or consider the poor fireflies, just trying to mate and reproduce during their short adult lives. One reason they’re in decline is that outdoor lighting overwhelms the light pulses they use to attract mates. Taking these easy steps will immediately help backyard biodiversity recover: Turn out the lights, backyard and front, when you go in for the night; set a timer for the holiday lights to go off at 10 p.m.; evaluate how many security lights you actually need and put those on motion sensors. If even a few folks reading this made these changes, biodiversity on their block would surge. If everyone did, we’d be amazed at how many more birds, butterflies and fireflies would grace our neighborhoods. Adrian Ayres Fisher is on the board of West Cook Wild Ones and serves as volunteer steward of National Grove Forest Preserve in Riverside.
ADRIAN AYRES FISHER One View
The eyes of the future are watching us On a recent Saturday (Oct. 16) the Collaboration for Early Childhood held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new office space on South Oak Park Avenue. What a happy, creative, colorful space, beckoning all bystanders to stop and take a peek in the windows. There are lots of pictures of children inside the windows, which of course makes sense given the purpose of the Collaboration. What struck me that sunny morning were the eyes of the children in those photographs eagerly peering through the glass window. What do those eyes see? What do those eyes of the future see when they watch us? On the left wall of the Collaboration’s new space is a quote from the late Nelson Mandela: There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. This quote and the eyes of children will be foremost on my mind as the upcoming COP26 begins in Glasgow, Scotland. COP (Conference of the Parties) is the nickname for the United Nations Climate Change Conference. COP26 will be the 26th such conference. COP26 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12. Many say this is the last time world leaders will be able
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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 Equity Editor/Ombudsman Michael Romain Digital Publishing and Technology Manager Briana Higgins Staff Reporters Stacey Sheridan, F. Amanda Tugade Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Arts Editor Michelle Dybal Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Business Manager Joyce Minich Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer
About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, 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
Source: The Collaboration for Early Childhood
to turn the tide from utter catastrophe for our home planet Earth. (For more information go to “What is COP?” at UN Climate Change Conference COP26) The adults who have shown up for the past 26 COPs have continually kicked the can down the road. Leaders need to leave platitudes and rhetoric at the door and focus instead on action because the children of all species need immediate action that will keep the Earth’s temperature below 1.5 celsius.
Anne White Oak Park
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ADDRESS 141 S Oak Park Ave., Oak ParkIL 60302 ■ PHONE 708-5248300 EMAIL Dan@OakPark.com ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com Wednesday Journal is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $43 within Cook County and $53 outside of Cook County. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 10138). Postmaster, send address corrections to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, Il 60302. © 2021 Growing Community Media, NFP.
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A necessary antidote
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his week, our F. Amanda Tugade reported on District 97’s anti-racism curriculum, which leverages popular material like the New York Times’ “1619 Project” and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, in order to finally teach students the reality of race in America — as opposed to the fictionalized (or at best lazy) account that so many of us have been taught in classrooms for generations. It’s ironic that some white parents across the country who now feel that their kids are being indoctrinated into “self-hatred” or “PC culture” by this new and improved style of teaching history, didn’t register this kind of outrage about generations of Black students having to sit in classrooms reading history textbooks with captions like this: “The Atlantic Slave Trade between the 1500s and 1800s brought millions of workers from Africa to the southern United States to work on agricultural plantations.” A Black Texas student took the photo of the caption, which appeared in a McGraw Hill textbook, according to Alia Wong’s 2015 article in the Atlantic. The student, “named Coby Burren,” also texted the photo to his mom, Roni-Dean Burren: “Was real hard workers, wasn’t we?” Burren wrote, sarcastically. McGraw Hill, a history textbook, literally got history wrong. And that’s not even the most egregious example. We’re reminded of a 1993 article we published, “Boys in the Hoods” by Doug Deuchler, in which a longtime Oak Parker said that when it was released back in 1915, the film Birth of a Nation was shown to students in Oak Park schools. “One former student remembered that he was influenced by the way the KKK came across as superheroes,” wrote Sarah Elizabeth Doherty in her 2012 dissertation: “Aliens Found in Waiting: Women of the Ku Klux Klan in Suburban Chicago, 1870-1930.” “For Halloween that year,” Doherty wrote, the former Oak Park student said “he created a hooded Klansman costume from an old white sheet.” This new anti-racism curriculum at D97 is needed precisely because of that old, ugly history, which should be learned, confronted and overcome — not censored.
Sustainability incubator is a start We like Oak Park Trustee Ravi Parakkat’s idea for a sustainability incubator, although we’re not tethered to this precise proposal. What we know is that something needs to be done to slow emissions and it needs to be done fast in order to avoid even more damaging climate catastrophe, scientists say. As it has been in the area of racial integration, Oak Park can be a national leader in environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, the village of late has not shown the kind of urgency and seriousness required to really get in front of this issue. That much was proven during an Oct. 21 Oak Park Village Board Finance Committee, as reported by our Stacey Sheridan. The trustees went back and forth about the specific details of the incubator and a proposed $10,000 for conducting a feasibility study. Some trustees seemed surprised by the very idea, even though it was apparently included in the board’s goals, which were adopted last summer. We’re not taking sides. Suffice it say, though, that if this board can’t be of one accord about a sustainability incubator (peanuts in the grand scheme of things), how can they possibly pull off much bigger feats of legislative imagination in the area of climate change? We’ll see. In the meantime, let’s hope they can marshal some consensus around the issue at an upcoming study session.
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The foul dust of inequality
n Friday, I hiked around Chicago’s Gold Coast — Rush Street, State Parkway, Astor Street and Inner Lake Shore Drive. I was in no hurry, so I had plenty of time to think about inequality. Extreme inequality, which this neighborhood represents, has been with us since the beginning of “civilization.” What’s surprising in this case is that there’s no special effort to keep people out, unlike the gated and guarded complexes where many of the rich huddle. In fact, I wasn’t the only “tourist” on these sidewalks, admiring the lovely Old-Chicago grey- and brownstones. This elite alcove begins at Division Street (how appropriate) and ends at North Boulevard, marked by the Cardinal’s elegant mansion, which the Chicago Archdiocese has been trying to sell, because it’s an awkward inconsistency to explain for a religious institution ostensibly dedicated to serving the poor. Practically everyone in this neighborhood is a millionaire (at least), and they all seem to have dogs. And here’s an odd but telling detail: I have never, in all my walking days, seen sidewalks with so much dog poop or residue of dog poop. Not by a longshot. Not even close. I attribute this to the lack of grassy parkways, so the critters have nowhere else to … go. But the attempt to eliminate their … leavings … has only been semi-successful. Rather than put their hands in a plastic glove and pick up their beloved’s defecations (the preferred technique in Oak Park), they use a tool of some sort, which leaves a swipe on the cement with the aforementioned residue. Or maybe they hire someone to come along and do it for them. Either way, the system lacks, let’s just say, efficiency. It seems like poetic justice that, even in this sanctuary of high opulence, they have plenty of crap to contend with. And it reminded me of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous line about Gatsby: “what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams.” Dreams of fame and fortune are not new either and many Americans are still driven to accumulate enough wealth to live in enclaves like this. But for those who succeed, an inherent flaw, a foul dust — or dog crap if you will — follows in the wake of their American Dream: It’s virtually impossible to be “successful” without also believing you are “better” than anyone who isn’t. Which is, of course, not true. They are only financially successful, which has little to do with being a successful human being. And to be fair, there may be many successful human beings among these residents. But economic inequality creates a deeper “division.” It sets up a superior/inferior dichotomy that contradicts and undermines the true American Dream, which is egalitarianism (all created equal). The more extreme our inequality, the further we stray from our highest ideal — and the more we attempt to justify that inequality, to the point where we learn to live far too comfortably with the suffering of our fellow human beings — which perpetuates that suffering. Abraham Lincoln put it this way: “As I would
not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This is my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.” When the European migration to these shores began, there was an opportunity to create a less hierarchical civilization than the one they were fleeing. When they arrived, they found egalitarian societies already established here and flourishing. But the window on reinvention closed quickly because old habits die hard. The European Americans, thinking themselves superior to Native Americans, dominated and exterminated them as “manifest destiny” pushed westward. Extreme inequality is the sin that caused a chronic disease known as “supremacy.” American society is rife with it. We are a pathologically competitive culture. Winners are always few, losers always many. If necessary, we cheat to win. And when we win, we believe we deserved to, because we are better than those who lost. Not just a better skill set or a better performance or better sheer dumb luck, but better inherently, personally. We say we’re “fortunate,” and those who aren’t, we term “less fortunate,” but that’s just a euphemism. We climb the “ladder of success” and on each rung, we think we’re “better” than those on the rungs below. Inequality takes many forms: the two-sided coin of wealth/poverty, misogynistic patriarchy, racism. All are predicated on superiority and inferiority. Inequality is the illness that leads to all other societal ills — a hierarchical society where we’re driven to win and make others lose. Not all of us are so intensely driven, but all of us are under the influence. I don’t know what the solution is. We can’t change it through violent overthrow and terror. The French Revolution tried and failed. Communism failed. Al Qaeda failed. They brought down the World Trade towers, the symbols of global economic inequality, but only made our sickness worse. You can’t force or enforce equality. We can only live by a different mantra: No one is better than I. I am no better than anyone. All are created equal. All deserve to be treated with dignity. That night, as I walked past the Lake Theatre marquee, a panhandler asked me for some change. I said no with only a peripheral glance, thinking, no doubt, about something that was far more “important.” Maybe I was thinking about inequality. As I walked away, he said, “Aren’t you that guy in the Journal? Ken Trainor, right? I read your column.” The foul dust of superiority catches up when you least expect it. In that moment, we were equals, and what’s more, we both knew it. For human beings like this fellow, we use the biblical term “the least of these,” but why? Least may be what he has, but it’s not who he is. I was so pleasantly surprised that he reads Wednesday Journal, I didn’t even ask his name. But why was I surprised? Maybe he’s reading this now. And having a good laugh.
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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
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‘Later’ almost always means ‘never’
s a resident of Oak Park for nearly 30 years, I am writing in support of the District 200 Freshman Curriculum Restructuring proposal for Fall 2022. Oak Park and River Forest are villages in which we wear our commitment to equity and diversity on our lawn signs. I ask our community to embrace in practice the beliefs that we set forth on our lawns:
MARY BIRD
One View
Black Lives Matter We must recognize and reject negative assumptions made about Black students who enter our high school. We can no longer be comfortable with a tracking system where race is a significant predictor of placement. If we believe that Black Lives Matter, we must commit to ensuring that every Black student has equitable opportunities and resources.
Science is real The data is clear both nationally and in D200: Black and Brown students’ opportunities are limited by tracking. Conversely, data shows that when Black and Brown students — indeed all students — are provided access to high level, engaging coursework and teaching, they benefit greatly. More Black and Brown students exposed to honor courses during their freshman year results in their increased enrollment in honors and advanced placement later, and also to expanded college and life opportunities.
Kindness is everything If we are serious about doing the right thing for all students, we must make changes that have shown promise in reducing persistent achievement gaps. We must abandon the idea that courses only have value if they exclude many of our students.
Hope over fear D200 administrators, teachers, community members, and students have recognized that a true commitment to equity requires changing classroom structures. They have worked for four years to develop a restructured freshman curriculum. As with any change, we can choose to search for information that reinforces our worst fears. The students of OPRF High School, however, deserve better. They deserve our hope and our work on behalf of all of them. Some critics of the freshman restructuring proposal have suggested that this campaign is untimely and that we should wait for further refinement of the proposal. Martin Luther King observed that campaigns for equity are never considered timely by those who enjoy the advantages of the status quo. Additionally, Dr. King noted that “wait,” for those seeking expanded, equitable opportunities almost always means “never.” Now is the time for our community to live by the words on our lawn signs and to champion a more just educational system, beginning with the freshman restructured curriculum. Mary Bird is an educator and longtime Oak Park resident.
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
SCHWARTZ
Tracking doesn’t work from page 28 Local experience confirms that tracking does not work for students at OPRF: Teacher equity evaluations of freshman courses found major inequities in opportunity to learn for students in the college prep track, even though the students in college prep and honors tracks had comparable achievement on the PSAT 8-9 and the OPRFHS Star assessment data. Based on teacher analysis of these same assessments, college prep and honors courses actually contain mixes of student achievement and preparation, contrary to the assumption that the student groups demonstrate widely different performance. We cannot afford to sideline large numbers of students from the next generation. And we adults should not be deciding which students are capable of academic achievement and which are not when they are only 14 years old. This is the moment for our school board to uphold their espoused commitment to equity. This is the moment for the board to approve freshman restructuring for the students of Oak Park and River Forest. Jim Schwartz is an Oak Park resident, an educator, and a blogger at Entwining.org.
Oak Park Dental Studio 6630 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park, IL (708) 386-2233
Congratulations to Dr. Chelsea Jones on her new ownership of Oak Park Dental Studio! oakparkdentist.com
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Among the Celebrants: Dr. Chelsea Jones and the staff, family, and friends of Oak Park Dental Studio; Dr. Mary Ann Bender, Weil Foot & Ankle Clinic; Bob Stelletello, Right at Home Oak Park / Hinsdale / Chicago; David Bores, David Bores Vintage Home Restoration; Michael Glab, Nutriquity; Liz Holt & Mark Walden, OPRF Chamber of Commerce.
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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Middle-school antiracist curriculum bears reading
arack Obama is a racist. Specifically, he’s an assimilationist, which is a cowardly type of racist. This is not my view; rather, it is written directly in Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, a key part of the new antiracist curriculum used in Oak Park’s middle schools. Parents should know what our schools are teaching. Below are some other notable parts of this book; some of the views it expresses are so extraordinary that you may want to review the page in the book. The authors walk readers through their view of American history, judging the racial views and implications of various people, institutions, events, and cultural practices. It characterizes these into three categories: Segregationist: Those truly hating Black people and believing they are inferior. They are racists. (p. xii-xiii, 3). Assimilationist: Those who believe that
Black people can be on-par with white people, but to do so, Black people must play a role in the process by changing in some way (p. xii-xiii). The book says this is a cowardly form of racism (p. xii, 247, and many other spots). Antiracist: Those who believe that whenever there are unequal outcomes by race, it is because “racism is the problem in need of changing, not Black people” (p. xiii). The interesting part is how these concepts are applied to real people and situations. As an example, civil rights leader W.E.B. DuBois, a co-founder of the NAACP who was widely popular among Black people during his life (1868-1963), is characterized as the “king of assimilation” (p. 118, 143) for much of his life because he advocated for things like Black people getting more education as a way to improve their
situation. That is, until around 1933 when, “inspired by Karl Marx, DuBois broke ground on a new idea — antiracist socialism” (p. 151). The book describes Martin Luther King Jr. as an assimilationist for most of this life, but says he later changed toward antiracist. “That’s right, even Dr. King, in 1967, was turning away from assimilationist thought in the same way W.E. B. DuBois had later in his life. Dr. King had now realized that desegregation was good only for elite Black people.” (p. 185). Barack Obama had “flashes — true moments — of antiracist thought, but always seemed to assimilate under pressure” (p. 241). The book discusses some antiracists, but none get more coverage than Angela Davis (pp. 169-71, 184-197, 203-204, 214-215, 247). As the book describes, she spent “twenty-three
ADRIAN JOHNSON One View
There are no losers here
We are very supportive of, and energized by, the District 200 Freshman Curriculum Restructuring at OPRF High School. As parents of younger children who won’t be in high school for years to come, changes like the one proposed give us hope and energy for when our children do enter OPRF. We embrace the idea of instilling academic agency within our children — allowing them space and self-determination in place of rote data and test scores. We are delighted to think that our children might not enter a learning environment where de facto segregation is at play — where they, as racially privileged children, are not being further socialized around narratives of white excellence and superiority, which are foundless and based in nothing but legacy and present-day racism. When we think about what is “best for” our children in their high school arc, it is easy to think only about scholastic achievement and getting into the right college with the right scholarships. And we are confident our children will continue to have ample opportunities to demonstrate any academic aptitude and excellence within a “detracked model.” Our children will be no worse off. They will be “losing” nothing. There are no losers here. On the contrary, we only have gains. What is “best for” our children is only as good as what is “best for” anyone’s child. What is “best for” our children is to learn to build relationships and community within an equitable environment that challenges all of our young people, and allows space for more “gifts and talents” to emerge. Our children deserve this shift, and we wholeheartedly support this new curriculum — with appreciation and admiration for the faculty and staff who have so thoughtfully created this new curriculum — and so much gratitude and honor to the decades of work from APPLE, CEEE and other advocates that have poured into this conversation.
Brynne Hovde, Elle Morton, Laura Sakiyama, Amy Butler, Erin Hutto Sowers, Suzanne Feeney Oak Park
Support businesses that keep us safe
years as the most recognizable Communist in America” (p. 214), including running for U.S. vice president on the Communist Party ticket in 1980 and 1984. The book recounts her views on Communism and racial issues as coming from the same philosophical source, and she is framed as one of the purest antiracists, basically an American social and political hero. Whether you agree or disagree with the book’s characterizations of the “good guys” and “bad guys” in racial issues through history, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what our schools are teaching and how our school administration thinks about racial issues. Adrian Johnson is a resident of Oak Park. Editor’s note: See Michael Romain’s Commentary on page 2 for a fuller discussion of this topic, as well as Amanda Tugade’s page 1 story on D97’s anti-racism curriculum.
Restaurants, let us do the salting
Bruce McNulty, MD
To all Oak Park/Forest Park restaurateurs who adapted to the vagaries of the pandemic, we happy diners say thank you and well done. We know it must have been (and continues to be) an extremely challenging time — to open, close, open again, gear up for take-out, find help, find ingredients, and never really know what the next week will bring. For my husband and me, it was great to know that the exhausted home chef could find varied alternatives to home-prepared food. One favor to ask: Please slow down on the salt. We have noticed an increase in saltiness in restaurant food to the point where it often no longer tastes good or is healthy to eat. Let those diners who love over-salted food pass the shaker.
Chief Medical Officer, Swedish Hospital Oak Park resident
Oak Park
As a physician who has helped navigate a hospital through the COVID pandemic, I would like to commend the local business Exit Strategy in Forest Park for being the first local restaurant that my wife and I have visited that is requiring proof of COVID vaccination to enter. As we continue to navigate the unknown, it is so reassuring to see a local business do everything they can to keep their customers and employees safe. I would add that on our several recent visits to Exit Strategy, they have been busy — with no pushback from those entering. I am hoping that other local restaurants and other businesses consider following their lead, and that Wednesday Journal and others in local media publicize these businesses, and that local citizens then patronize those businesses to show our appreciation for taking this step to help keep us safe. Bravo and thank you, Exit Strategy.
Karen Heller
What is there for the equity director to do? Egad! The library is cutting programs? Were these programs identified as having become racist in their attitudes, opinions or behavior? I joke, of course. Or do I? If there has been any clear and substantial WJ documentation of the library’s racist offenses, I must have missed them. As I noted in an earlier letter, on my experience as a regular library-goer for years, it had become a rather unquiet atmosphere. Teens of all skin colors instinctively acted their age. Homeless people of mixed-raced campers could get rowdy, and at times even threatening. Staff had to intervene at times. These behavioral flare-ups involved mixed races, gender, ages. Thus my curiosity about the library hiring an equity director. How about a behavioral director/conflict de-escalator? What do I know, though? If one was deemed needed, at
the very least it addressed the library’s implied culpability in the current confrontation with our historically, systemically, racist country. Equity is the word of the day, week, month and counting. Fine. Not to mention it is a job creator. That equity director is hauling down what, 80K? 90K? Regardless of the actual need for this hire, my visits to that same library this season strongly suggests it’s an easy gig. By that I mean, the place is rarely busy with bookworms or boorish patrons. In fact, the place is dead. The problems I saw back when are gone. If racism lingers there, however, it must be very, very subtle. But that’s what that E.D. hire is being paid well to identify and eradicate. I’ll count on WJ to keep me posted.
Joe Harrington Oak Park
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
Justices must be loyal to only one master
T
o the honorable justices and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America: You have the most awesome of responsibilities: considering extremely important issues and making final judgments. You are required to shed any political leanings and religious loyalties you may hold when becoming a judge. As a justice, you are obliged, by oath, to be loyal to only one master, that being the Constitution of the United States of America. I am 97+ years old, and I have attentively followed the activities and decisions of the Supreme Court for over 60 years. I find that some of the judicial commentaries are surprising. However, I feel assured that most of the issues before the court have been thoroughly and seriously discussed, using the Constitution as their guide. I must admit, I do not agree with all of the judgments, but responsible and lawful reasons were presented for the rulings. I must also note there have been a few hasty and rare decisions wrongfully interpreted to reach a desired result. We all want to support and preserve our democracy and be assured that our Supreme Court justices are unbiased and forceful proponents of equal justice under the law. Otherwise the rule of law and the Constitution become meaningless. Three of you have been maligned as “Trump judges” who will follow only Trump’s will. The oath of loyalty to our Constitution (regardless of the political party of the President who appointed you) is mandated. We, the people, can then depend on your rulings being lawful, truthful and just. Further, we can be assured your decisions are in keeping with the precedents from previously established rulings. This week we Americans lost an extraordinary leader, former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Although not a Supreme Court justice, he role-modeled what it means to set one’s background and political leanings aside, and be a devoted servant of our democracy and the Constitution. One of the media reporters described Powell as, “The last moral compass in American political life.” I agree that he was both honorable and remarkable, and that there is every reason to believe our Supreme Court justices can rise to this standard. The purpose of this letter is to thank all of the justices for your willingness to leave predilection behind you and be the lifetime, honest, Constitutional representatives to which you have pledged. Note: This letter will undoubtedly be opened by one of the clerks of the court. My hope is that they bring it to the attention of at least one of the justices, if only to show them that there is a 97-year-old woman who has been a stalwart follower of our Supreme Court, fascinated by its work for over 60 years. Harriet Hausman is a longtime River Forest resident and member of the ACLU.
HARRIET HAUSMAN One View
V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
33
OPRF freshman detracking is the right move I read the recent Wednesday Journal article about OPRF High School’s Freshman Curriculum Restructuring [Switch to ‘honors for all’ OPRF freshmen, coming up for vote, News, Oct. 13] with great interest. As a parent of OPRF graduates, grandmother of future students, and an educator, I believe our high school needs to fulfill community aspirations for equity and excellence for all students. For many years, I have followed research that shows that tracking systems, at OPRF and nationwide, are linked to lower overall performance and achievement for students of color. This new plan looks to be a course correction in keeping with both the research and real-world experiences in racially diverse communities. The assumption of freshman tracking was that that it “met students where they are at,” but both student outcomes and alternative approaches show this system has been a roadblock and not a path forward for our freshmen. The proposed system provides honors-level classes for all freshmen. With small class sizes (max. 24), students will begin high school with a clean slate, high expectations, honors credit, based on students exceeding expectations on core
Trees make Oak Park liveable
competencies, and necessary supports as needed. This approach provides the opportunity for students to develop as high school learners in that first critical year. Then families and the teachers who have gotten to know them can make informed decisions going forward. Don’t take my or anyone else’s word on this. As I did, you can review the district’s webpage at bit.ly/AccessOPRF to see the research and the years of work that have gone into the plan. Concerns that I have heard — including watereddown curriculum or, conversely, students being left behind — are addressed. There is also documentation of beneficial outcomes for all racial groups of students in pilot efforts at OPRF and in established programs in other communities. I am encouraged that a key component of the school’s plan is ongoing evaluation as it is implemented — so that further changes can be made going forward. This approach to learning and growing is what we expect of our young people and is what we need to do as a community to provide the best possible educational opportunity for every one of them.
Caren Van Slyke Oak Park
Unvaccinated police commit reckless endangerment
I would like to express my opinion about the state of trees in Oak Park. The vast number of trees in Oak Park is one of the biggest reasons why Oak Park is so great. When there are no trees, a landscape is created that resembles a desert. This is because shade is limited, and there is less oxygen. There is less oxygen because trees absorb the carbon dioxide we breathe out and transform it into breathable oxygen. This results in Oak Park having lots of high-quality air and shade. On top of this, green is one of the best colors to have in a landscape. It is, of course, a natural color, the color of grass and leaves. But green is also a subtle and calm color, leading to lowered stress levels. Put simply, trees result in a bettered environment due to their calming qualities.
“Do the crime, do the time.” I would think police officers would be the first to agree. But only if it applies to others, it seems. It can be argued that cops who refuse the COVID vaccine should be charged with a crime: “Reckless endangerment is a crime consisting of acts that create a substantial risk of serious physical injury to another person. The accused person isn’t required to intend the resulting or potential harm, but must have acted in a way that showed a disregard for the foreseeable consequences of the actions.” (Bing online) They justify themselves with a cry of “freedom.” But that can’t include being a clear and present danger to others.
Oak Park
Oak Park
Oliver Liebhaber
Hurray for the River Forest Fire Department
Fred Reklau
This could be you
At dinner time last week, I had a fall in my home. I was shaken and couldn’t get up, so my husband called 911. The River Forest Fire Department responded quickly. They questioned me, ran several tests, and got me up off the floor. They were very efficient and oh so nice! There seemed to be no serious damage, but on their recommendation, I did go to Rush Oak Park to get checked out. Lights and sirens all the way! The ER nurses were equally solicitous. Final verdict: I received a tetanus shot for a scrape on my elbow and they sent me on my way. Thanks, guys, you were great!
Studies have shown, the stress of living in certain neighborhoods, can result in elevated blood pressure and higher risk for a stroke. This could be you, without a good night’s sleep in months, and twitching at every loud sound. This could be you, if police and ambulance sirens blare at all hours, and the house next door is used for God knows what. This could be you, having to travel miles to find a decent grocery or drug store, while being afraid of an assault or a carjacking. This could be you, if the alley behind your house is a drug mall and youngsters are shot at the nearby school. If every day, this is your life, this could be you.
River Forest
Oak Park Writers Group
Gail Popowits
Gary Mark Belenke
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM
O B I T U A R I E S
Katie Perry, 85 Teacher
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Katherine A. “Katie” Perry, 85, longtime resident of Oak Park and Oak Brook, died on Oct. 23, 2021. Born in Chicago on Jan. 31, 1936, the daughter of the late Charles “Chick” Perry and Katherine “Kate” (O’Brien) Perry, she attended St. Giles and Trinity High School and graduated from St. Mary’s of Notre Dame in 1957. She taught elementary school for District 83 (Westdale School). Upon her retirement from teaching, she became a “snowbird” in Largo, Florida. For 83 years, she spent her summers at her family’s home on Dewey Lake. A voracious reader, she loved to travel the world with her dear friends. Family and friends meant the world to her. Katie was the sister of the late Charles “Buster” O’Brien, and she is survived by many cousins. A special heartfelt appreciation to Katie’s Palliative & Hospice Team (Emily, Brian & Holly). A very special thank you to her caregivers, Renita and Valerie. Lying-in-state will take place on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021 at Ascension of Our Lord Church, 1S314 Summit Ave., Oak Brook Terrace from 9 a.m. until time of funeral Mass, 10 a.m. Interment at All Saints Cemetery is private.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.st.jude. org) or Misericordia Home (www.misericordia.com) are appreciated. Arrangements were handled by ConboyWestchester Funeral Home.
STRIVE 4 FITNESS
CELEBRATING
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
Growing Community Media
35
HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
Discover 20+ jobs available in Downtown Oak Park! Line cook, servers, sales, and more. Visit downtownoakpark.net/ job-listings for details.
PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER
Must have own transportation. For more information
CALL 708-738-3848
Budget and Revenue Analyst The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Budget and Revenue Analyst. This position will Serve the public with professional administrative and analytical duties in the areas of budget preparation, purchasing, payroll, data analysis and process improvement. Provides, prepares and maintains records, and financial and statistical reports and analysis which assist in the Village’s ability to improve business processes and gain efficiencies through better use of technology. Budget duties include assisting in the development, analysis and application of performance measures with regard to Village services and resources; preparing, modifying, tracking and monitoring Village expenses and transfers; and conducting budget-related research and analysis. 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. First review of applications November 1,2021. PART-TIME WAREHOUSE Local company looking for part time driver/warehouse. Must be drug free & have valid IL DL. Must be able to lift 75lb. $14/hr Email resume to HR@sievertelectric.com 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.oakpark.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 29, 2021.
LEGAL SECRETARY The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Legal Secretary in the Law Department. This position will perform a variety of responsible and advanced legal secretarial and clerical duties in support of the Law Department; perform complex clerical duties within the assigned work unit; and provide secretarial and administrative support to Law Department staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 22, 2021. CHILDCARE WORKER The Village of Forest Park has immediate openings for before and after school program. Part-time hours are M-F 2-6 p.m. Must be at least 18 years old, have a driver’s license and pass drug screening and background check. $11.00/Hour. Apply in person at Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park. 708-771-7737. FULL-TIME BUS DRIVER The Village of Forest Park has immediate opening for a responsible full-time PACE Bus Driver to transport senior citizens, disabled residents and school children. Must have a valid Illinois C Class CDL license and attend PACE training. In addition, must be physically fit and submit to criminal background check, annual physical exam and drug and alcohol testing. M-F Days Full Benefits. Apply in person at Howard Mohr Community Center, 7640 Jackson Blvd., Forest Park. 708-771-7737. POLICE DESK CLERK FOREST PARK, IL The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Full-Time Police Desk Clerk. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include computer skills, the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, good knowledge of English language, general office skills, including handling non-emergency calls and walk-up customer service, and good verbal and written skills. HOLIDAY, EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Starting salary $31,222 annually. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net
HELP WANTED
PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOREST PARK, IL The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Full-Time Parking Enforcement Officer. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license, knowledge of basic parking regulations, and good verbal and written skills.
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Starting salary $31,222 annually. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark.net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net. Parking Enforcement Officer The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Part-Time Civilian Information Management Call Taker The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Part-Time Civilian Information Management Call Taker. Pay is $17.19/hr. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), good verbal and written skills, working knowledge of the computer and Windows, ability to type accurately, a good working knowledge of the English language, the ability to treat customers and co-workers in a polite manner and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Data entry skills and experience answering telephones/operating a switchboard are preferred. EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net. CROSSING GUARD The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session. A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@forestpark.net. Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.
Outstanding Local JOBS: Top rated firm Alpina Manufacturing LLC founded in 1992, locally owned beautiful campus in Galewood, near Mars candy, 3 blocks north of Oak Park. We build and sell display framing systems to customers nationwide including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Circle K, Hospitals We are seeking to fill the following positions, all in Galewood, no travel. Full time, Part time, Flex hours for working parents or students. We train, no travel, work in Galewood. Open to any backgrounds. Excellent pay, salary, benefits, friendly caring management. National Accounts Rep, Production Manager or Trainee, Packaging Specialist trainee Display frame Production trainee, Office/Bookkeeping Assistant trainee. Visit www.fastchangeframes.com/careers for more details 6460 W Cortland St Chicago, IL 60707 Manufacturing
Starting a New Business?
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 informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.
Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review
Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark
Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Call Stacy for details:
773-626-6332
In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | AustinWeeklyNews.com | RBLandmark.com | ForestParkReview.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
CLASSIFIED
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
MARKETPLACE
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
ITEMS FOR SALE PIANO FOR SALE
Chickering 1938 grand piano, 5’4”. Good condition. Refurbished and restrung in the past. Buyer must move. Reasonable at $1000.
GARAGE/YARD SALES YARD SALE ALL NEW KITCHEN STUFF: 432 CIRCLE AVENUE SAT 10/30 & SUN 10/31 9AM – 4PM
All new kitchenware from Restaurant Supply. Wine glasses/hi-ball glasses/shot glasses/etc./coffee mugs White Bone China serving plates/platters all new. Chafing dishes/large, mop heads, large strainers with wooden handles. Come see lots of stuff.
GARAGE/YARD SALES
Restored or Unrestored HOME SERVICES Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars: HAULING PLASTERING ELECTRICAL
Let an American Veteran do your work
We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.
708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area
KLIS FLOORING INC.
New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com
HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do
708-296-2060
Restored or Restored or Unrestored Unrestored
Cars Motorcycles Cars & & Vintage Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Import Cars: Cars: Mercedes, Corvette, Mercedes,Porsche, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, MuscleCars, Cars, Ferrari’s,Jaguars, Jaguars, Muscle Mustang & Mopars Mustang & Mopars
CLASSICS WANTED
A&A ELECTRIC
FLOORS
CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS
Collector James Collector James 630-201-8122 630-201-8122
GARAGE SALE 1010 THOMAS SAT 10/30 9AM-4PM
Ceiling Fans Installed
DOWNTOWN OAK PARK 2BR APT 2BR, 1BTH apartment for rent. Hardwood floors. Renovated and freshly painted. Small, vintage building. No smoking. No pets. Parking included.
Top $$ Etc. $$$$Top $$allallmakes, makes, Etc.
Forest Park
ELECTRICAL
SUBURBAN RENTALS
CARS WANTED
Forest Park
Call 312-339-2370
2 TVs, 21” monitor, mirror 36X64, butcher block 36X25, 36 lb trolling motor, hardware, home goods, CDs, books, ladies M-XXL, Men’s M-XXL shirts, coats, and so much more. Must wear a mask!
R E N TA L S & R E A L E S TAT E
HANDYMAN CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair
FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small
708-488-9411
HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates
773-637-0692 Ask for John
Reach the people making the decisions. Place an ad in GCM Classified! Call 773/626-6332
YOUR WEEKLY AD
Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Plastering Ferrari’s, Jaguars,McNulty Muscle Cars, & Stucco Co. Small & big work. Free estimates. Mustang & Mopars Complete Plaster, Stucco
BASEMENT CLEANING
Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404
• $$ Top $$ all 708/386-2951 makes, Etc. LANDSCAPING
& Re-Coating Services
ANYTIME
Work Guaranteed
Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years
Collector James
BRUCE LAWN SERVICE
PLUMBING 630-201-8122
Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com
708-243-0571
NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP
Evergreen trimming & more. Clean-ups. Garden weed removal. Storm Branch Tree Removal.
708-447-1762
PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING
Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost
708.749.0011
Supreme Plumbing & Sewer Services Installation: kitchens, baths, showers •Sewer Systems Piping Clogged drains •Water heaters
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Quality workmanship & service 20+ years’ experience Locally owned & operated
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WOOD
FIREWOOD UNLIMITED
Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available
STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service
2BR APT FOR RENT
2 BR, 1 BA, 2nd floor unit of 2-story house. $1350/mo., 2 occ. max. 2 blocks to downtown Forest Park and downtown Oak Park; 1 block to Green Line Harlem stop and Oak Park Metra stop. Hardwood floors, bright and spacious rooms, storage and coin-op laundry in basement, parking space for one vehicle included. 1 year lease required. Tenant pays electric, gas, water. No smoking. No pets allowed. $40 non refundable application fee with a min 690 credit score. Last month’s rent due at signing. Inquire by email at voyageursllc@gmail.com.
ROOMS FOR RENT
Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt. 312-212-1212
OFFICE /RETAIL FOR RENT A 1,635 Sq. Ft. Retail Space for Lease (END CAP) Recently Updated/remodeled. Heavy traffic area. **Discounted Rate-Limited Time! If Leave message, Include: Your Name, Number & Type of Business. TEXT or CALL: (708)828-6491
RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft. OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011
ROOMMATE WANTED ROOMMATE WANTED FOR N OAK PARK TOWNHOUSE ISO roommate for 3 floor townhouse. Interested parties will need to submit to a background check and show last 2 months’ paystubs. Smoking allowed. Rent $850/month plus half of utilities. Parking can be purchased for approx. $600/yr. First and last months’ rent due when approved. Call 708-214-1141
847-888-9999 Order online:
www. suregreen landscape.com
Credit Cards Accepted
REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST,FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO
OAK PARK & FOREST PARK
708-386-7355
MMpropMgmt.com
708-657-4226
johnlavin530@gmail.com License #PR-1234
SUBURBAN RENTALS
CITY RENTALS AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS
A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.
Town Center Realty Group LLC
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS Date of Publication: 10/27/2021 Village of Oak Park 123 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-6400 On or about November 5, 2021 the Village of Oak Park (Village) will request the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release federal funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-383), as amended, for various activities pursuant to the Program Year (PY) 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The following activities will take place within the Village of Oak Park, Illinois utilizing a total of $38,862 in 2021 CDBG Funds. Public Facilities Improvements Projects: UCP Sequin’s “You Hold the Key” project which includes replacing a portion of the vinyl siding, repairing the foundation, shoring up the front porch roof line, and constructing a new porch with treated lumber and synthetic decking at the Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) Group Home at 1045 Highland, Oak Park, IL will be funded with $33,000 of 2021 CDBG funds with a total project cost of $36,750 and Way Back Inn’s “Window Replacement” project which includes replacing 14 windows and screens at the Oak Park Grateful House Recovery Home at 412 S. Wesley, Oak Park, IL will be funded with $5862 of 2021 CDBG funds with a total project cost of $7328. The activities proposed are categorically excluded under HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58.35(a) from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for these activities is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 and is available for public examination and copying weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST from October 28, 2021 to November 4, 2021. The ERR is also available on the HUD Environmental Review Online System (HEROS) at: https:// www.onecpd.info/environmentalreview/environmental-review-records PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Village of Oak Park,
123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 or via: email at grants@oakpark.us All comments received by November 4, 2021 will be considered by the Village of Oak Park prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The Village of Oak Park certifies to HUD that Lisa Shelley, in her official capacity as Interim Village Manager, and Tammie Grossman, in her official capacity as Development Customer Services Director, consent to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Village of Oak Park to use HUD program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the Village of Oak Park’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Village of Oak Park; (b) the Village of Oak Park has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD at CPD_COVID-19OEE-CHI@ hud.gov. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period. Lisa Shelley, Interim Village Manager, and Tammie Grossman, Development Customer Services Director, Certifying Officers
Published in Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICES
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
PUBLIC NOTICES
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NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS Date of Publication: 10/27/2021 Village of Oak Park 123 Madison Street Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 383-6400 On or about November 5, 2021 the Village of Oak Park (Village) will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of federal funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL 93383), as amended, to undertake the following activities pursuant to the Program Year (PY) 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Tier 1 Broad Review Program Title: Lead Hazard Reduction Program Purpose: This Program will reduce lead-based paint hazards in low to moderate income, single-family residences. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This program provides lead containment activities related to approved rehab projects for income eligible singlefamily homeowners. Tier 2 sitespecific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Rehabilitation Program of homeowner occupied single-family homes - 24 CFR Part 58.5(a)(3)(i). Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): Lead abatement will be handled in accordance with all Federal, State and Local Regulations. All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $99,150 of the project costs which are estimated to total $99,150. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: Single Family Rehab Loan Program Purpose: This Program will provide housing rehabilitation in low to moderate income, single-family residences. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program provides zero percent loans deferred for 20 years for eligible low to moderate income single-family homeowners for approved rehab projects to correct code violations, health and safety issues and other housing conditions. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Rehabilitation Program of
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homeowner occupied single-family homes - 24 CFR Part 58.5(a)(3)(i). Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): Housing constructed prior to 1978 will be tested for Lead. Should testing reveal elements present require abatement, it will be handled in accordance with all Federal, State and Local Regulations. All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $175,000 to the revolving loan fund for the project costs which are estimated to total $175,000. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: Small Rental Rehab Program Purpose: This program will rehab rental-buildings with 1-7 units to primarily benefit and improve affordability for Low to Moderate Income renters. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program provides grants to homeowners of affordable rental units occupied by Low to Moderate Income tenants to correct code violations, health and safety issues and other housing conditions. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Rehabilitation Program of homeowner occupied single-family homes - 24 CFR Part 58.5(a)(3)(i) and 24 CFR Part 58.5 (a)(3)(ii). Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $90,950 of the project costs which are estimated to total $90,950. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: ADA Sidewalk Improvements Purpose: This program will make Sidewalk Improvements to improve the mobility of persons with disabilities. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program will eliminate trip hazards throughout the Village of Oak Park
as defined by the parameters of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Acquisition, repair, improvement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of public facilities and improvements (other than buildings) 24 CFR Part 58.35 (a)(1) Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $365,609 of the project costs which are estimated to total $365,609. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: Street/Sidewalk Ramp Improvements Purpose: This program will make Street Improvements in low and moderate income (LMI) areas to replace deteriorated infrastructure and Sidewalk Ramp Improvements to improve the mobility of persons with disabilities. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program will resurface deteriorated streets and replace sidewalk ramps when needed to eliminate hazards that create barriers to persons with disabilities and to comply with ADA guidelines. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Acquisition, repair, improvement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of public facilities and improvements (other than buildings) 24 CFR Part 58.35 (a)(1) Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $400,000 of the project costs which are estimated to total $400,000. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: Water Line Lead Improvements Purpose: This program will upgrade water service for low to moderate income home-owners who still have a lead water service on the private side.
Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program will eliminate water main lead-based paint hazards by offering a solution to upgrade the water service to eligible lowmoderate income home-owners. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Acquisition, repair, improvement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of public facilities and improvements (other than buildings) 24 CFR Part 58.35 (a)(1) Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $50,000 of the project costs which are estimated to total $50,000. Tier 1 Broad Review Project/ Program Title: Alley Improvements Purpose: This program will make alley improvements in low to moderate income (LMI) areas to replace deteriorated infrastructure. Program Location: Various addresses within the Village of Oak Park. The specific addresses will be assessed in the site-specific reviews. Project/Program Description: This Program will replace deteriorated public alleys within Low/Mod income areas. Tier 2 site-specific reviews will be completed for those laws and authorities not addressed in the tier 1 broad review for each address under this program when addresses become known. Level of Environmental Review Citation: Acquisition, repair, improvement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of public facilities and improvements (other than buildings) 24 CFR Part 58.35 (a)(1) Tier 2 Site Specific Review: The site-specific reviews will cover the following laws and authorities not addressed in the Tier 1 broad review: Contamination and Toxic Substances, Endangered Species, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Farmlands Protection, Historic Preservation, Noise Abatement and Control, Wetlands Protection and Environmental Justice. Mitigation Measures/Conditions/ Permits (if any): All required permits will be obtained prior to work commencing on a project. Estimated Project Cost: HUD 2021 CDBG funds will provide $400,000 of the project costs which are estimated to total $400,000. The activities proposed are categorically excluded under HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements per 24 CFR Part 58.35(a)(3)(i), 24 CFR Part 58.35 (a) (3) (ii) and 24 CFR Part 58.35
(a)(1). An Environmental Review Record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for these activities is on file at the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 and is available for public examination and copying weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST from October 28, 2021 to November 4, 2021. The ERR is also available on the HUD Environmental Review Online System (HEROS) at: https://www. onecpd.info/environmental-review/ environmental-review-records PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 or via: email at grants@oak-park.us All comments received by November 4, 2021 will be considered by the Village of Oak Park prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The Village of Oak Park certifies to HUD that Lisa Shelley, in her official capacity as Interim Village Manager, and Tammie Grossman, in her official capacity as Development Customer Services Director, consent to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Village of Oak Park to use HUD program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the Village of Oak Park’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Village of Oak Park; (b) the Village of Oak Park has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD at CPD_COVID19OEE-CHI@hud.gov. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period. Lisa Shelley, Interim Village Manager, and Tammie Grossman, Development Customer Services Director, Certifying Officers
Published in Wednesday, Journal October 27, 2021
YOUR WEEKLY AD
REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST,FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO
PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE
STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss
STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss
Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.
Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.
In re the marriage of Maria E. Corbbins, Petitioner and Christian Ivan Corbbins, Respondent, Case No. 2021D008641.
In re the marriage of Sara Quiceno Bunch, Petitioner and Christopher Lee Bunch, Respondent, Case No. 2020D008446.
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.
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 November 12, 2021, 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.
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 November 19, 2021, 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.
DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.
Published in Wednesday Journal October 13, 20, 27 2021
Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21007952 on October 6, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of NANNY TEACH with the business located at: 1054 N KARLOV AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JESSICA J CAMPBELL 1054 N KARLOV AVE CHICAGO, IL 60651, USA
STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of Nga-Ting Sin Case Number 2021CONC001430. There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Nga-Ting Sin to the new name of: Wendy Nga-Ting Sin The court date will be held: On 12/27/2021 at 9am Via Zoom: Meeting ID: 965 2561 6475/ Password: 553663 at 50 W. Washington, Chicago, Cook County in Courtroom # 1704 Published in Wednesday Journal October 13, 20, 27 2021
PUBLIC NOTICES SCOTT J. LEVY (32596) Attorney for Petitioner 1340 West 18th Street Chicago, Illinois 60608 STATE OF ILLINOIS ) ) §§ COUNTY OF COOK ) Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re the Marriage of GUADALUPE ELIZABETH CUELLAR, Petitioner and MARCELINO VARGAS DIAZ, Respondent, Case Number 2021D-007893. 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.
Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday 15 November 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Zoning Board of Appeals will conduct a public hearing to consider a text amendment to Title 9 of the Forest Park Zoning Ordinance to clarify the use regulations and district restrictions related to restaurants and liquor licensees in the Neighborhood Business District (B-1). The applicant for this petition is the Village of Forest Park, 517 Desplaines, Forest Park, Illinois. Signed: Kerry McBride Zoning Board of Appeals Chairperson Published in the Forest Park Review October 27, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice of Public Hearing Park District of Oak Park November 4, 2021, 7:30 p.m. 2021 Tax Levy
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 November 18, 2021, 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.
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Commissioners of the Park District of Oak Park will conduct a public hearing concerning the adoption of the Park District’s 2021 Property Tax Levy on November 4, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hedges Administration Center, 218 Madison St, Oak Park, IL, during the Board of Commissioners’ committee of the whole meeting.
IRIS MARTINEZ, Clerk of the Circuit Court
Published in Wednesday Journal October 27, 2021
Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3, 2021
By: Commissioner Chris Wollmuth Secretary, Board of Commissioners Park District of Oak Park
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
CLASSIFIED
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In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES
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PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received by the Park District of Oak Park for the following project: OAK PARK COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER GROUND UP CONSTRUCTION, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Bid Group 1: 1A – Concrete, Bid Group 1B – Masonry & Air Barriers, Bid Group 1C – Structural Steel & Misc. Metals, Bid Group 1D – General Trades, Bid Group 1E – Spray Insulation, Drywall & Acoustical Ceilings, Bid Group 1F – Metal Panels, Bid Group 1G – Membrane Roofing, Bid Group 1H –Glazing, Bid Group 1I – Ceramic Tile & Flooring, Bid Group 1J – Wood & Athletic Flooring, Bid Group 1K – Polished Concrete, Bid Group 1L – Painting, Bid Group 1M – Elevators, Bid Group 1N – Fire Suppression, Bid Group 1O – Plumbing, Bid Group 1P – HVAC, Bid Group 1Q – Electrical & Audio Video Systems, Bid Group 1R – Excavation, Bid Group 1S – Site Utilities Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. prevailing time on November 5, 2021 at the Park District of Oak Park Administrative offices, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 2:15 p.m. prevailing time on that date. Virtual bid opening via zoom https://us02web. zoom.us/j/84605230188?pwd=a1 FrVmpuSFhmdnVxMXV1WVh0Sm pXdz09. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked: Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: PDOP COMMUNITY RECREATION CENTER BID GROUP 1 – Package 1 (trade submitting)
Scope of work for Bid Package 1 generally includes, but is not limited to: Concrete, Masonry & Air Barriers, Steel, General Trades, Millwork, Drywall & Acoustical Ceilings, Spray Insulation, Metal Panels, Roofing, Glazing, Ceramic Tile & Flooring, Wood & Athletic Flooring, Polished Concrete, Painting, Elevators, Fire Suppression, Plumbing, HVAC, Electrical & Audio Video Systems, Excavation and Site Utilities All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Park District of Oak Park, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or nonconforming bids may not be accepted. No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening. The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available October 15, 2021 and may be purchased from Springer
Blueprint Services – 1640 S. Western Ave. Chicago, IL 60643 – 773-238-6340. The Bidding Documents are available for viewing/download online without cost or purchase at the link below. Please copy and paste the URL: https://www.pdop.org/bids-andrfps/ The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District. A non-mandatory site visit will be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions and site logistics. Site visit will be held on October 20, 2021 at 11am. All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws. For additional information on the project, contact Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at amantel@ bulley.com or 219-678-8383.
Published in Wednesday Journal, October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE’S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to all interested parties that the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Riverside, Illinois will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. in Riverside Township Hall Room 4, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois, 60546 on the Tentative Annual Budget for the 2022 fiscal year of the Village of Riverside, Illinois, commencing January 1, 2022, and ending December 31, 2022. Public comments on the Proposed Annual Budget are welcome at the public hearing. Emailed comments may be sent to Village Clerk Cathy Haley at chaley@riverside.il.us. Written comments may be submitted to the attention of the Village Clerk at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois. Emailed or written comments should be submitted prior to 5:00 on November 4, 2021. While emailed or written comments are strongly encouraged, comments may also be made in person. Physical spacing will be observed, and public access to the physical meeting site may be limited due to the ongoing public health emergency, but public commenters will be accommodated. The Proposed Annual Budget will be available for public inspection on and after, October 15, 2021 at the Finance Department of the Village of Riverside, Illinois, 27 Riverside
Road, Riverside, Illinois, 60546 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for any day being a legal holiday. Disabled persons needing assistance to attend said hearing should contact the Office of the Village Clerk before the hearing by calling (708) 447-2700. Said hearing may be continued without further notice except as required by the Illinois Open Meeting Act. The tentative annual budget may be further revised and passed without any further notice or hearing. PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS By: Cathy Haley Village Clerk Published in RB Landmark October 27, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter: The ZBA will consider an application for major zoning variations submitted by Shantanu Kamra, owner of the property at 1111 Bonnie Brae Place, who is proposing to demolish the existing detached garage and to
construct a surface parking lot for seven automobiles in the rear yard. Section 4-8-5 of the Village Code provides the Zoning Board jurisdiction to hold public hearings and offer recommendations to the Village Board concerning variations to Zoning Ordinance. The applicant is requesting two major variations. The first variation is to section 10-11-8, to allow the provision of 7 parking spaces in lieu of the 15½ required off-street parking spaces. The second variation is to section 10- 11-8-E which requires a minimum of 75% of all required parking spaces to be enclosed. The applicant proposes to remove the existing garage which provides four enclosed parking spaces and provide none. The legal description of the property at 1111 Bonnie Brae Place is as follows: LOT 14 IN GREY AND BRAESE’S RESUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 1 IN THE SUDIVISION OF BLOCKS 1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 AND 16 IN BOGU’S ADDITION TO OAK PARK BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHEAST ¼ AND THE EAST ONE THIRD OF THE WEST 1/2 OF SAID SOUTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. A copy of the application will be available to the public at Village Hall and on the Village’s website at www. vrf.us/zoningvariation no less than 15 days prior to the public hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals meet-
PUBLIC NOTICES ing packet will also be available at www.vrf.us/meetings no less than 48 hours prior to the public hearing. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record. Interested persons can learn more about how to participation in the hearing by visiting www.vrf.us/ zoningvariation. Sincerely, Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Wednesday Journal October 27, 2021
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR REO TRUST 2017-RPL1 Plaintiff, -v.SHARON DESHAZER Defendants 2020CH06405 1409 N HARLEM AVE UNIT A OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 8, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 29, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1409 N HARLEM AVE UNIT A, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-06-107-0730000 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 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. 14-20-04854 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2020CH06405 TJSC#: 41-1786 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2020CH06405 I3178750
on December 1, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1161 S. RIDGELAND AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-429-0200000 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES 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. 14-21-01929 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 17CH02438 TJSC#: 41-2203 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 17CH02438 I3179523
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSF10 MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST Plaintiff, -v.HEATHER JOHNSON, BENEFICIAL ILLINOIS I, INC. AS SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO BENEFICIAL ILLINOIS INC., DELL FINANCIAL SERVICES L.L.C., UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 17CH02438 1161 S. RIDGELAND AVE. OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 17, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 ABFC ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-WMC1 Plaintiff, -v.DARYL SATCHER, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., OAK PARK TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2018CH08851 914 NORTH AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8 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 February 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on December 6, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 914 NORTH AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-320-0401025 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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
Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
CLASSIFIED
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES 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. 14-18-07459 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018CH08851 TJSC#: 41-1999 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2018CH08851 I3179367
$153,280.44. 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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, The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19091229. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717 E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 19-091229 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 19 CH 9209 TJSC#: 41-1763 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 19 CH 9209 I3178685
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR RENAISSANCE HOME EQUITY LOAN ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-3 Plaintiff, -v.DOROTHY MCGLORY Defendants 17 CH 13885 114 WASHINGTON 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 February 17, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 16, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 114 WASHINGTON BLVD , OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-315-0290000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. The judgment amount was $284,060.04. 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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, Alexander Potesti-
vo, POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610, Chicago, IL, 60606 (312) 263-0003. Please refer to file number 100948. 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. POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610 Chicago IL, 60606 312-263-0003 E-Mail: ilpleadings@potestivolaw. com Attorney File No. 100948 Attorney Code. 43932 Case Number: 17 CH 13885 TJSC#: 41-1690 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 17 CH 13885 I3178387
the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 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. 14-19-02481 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH09264 TJSC#: 41-1675 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2019CH09264 I3178399
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION MIDFIRST BANK Plaintiff, -v.TAKYRICA Q. STYLES A/K/A TAKYRICA STYLES, TAYLOR LAKE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION INC. A/K/A TAYLOR-LAKE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 19 CH 9209 118 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE UNIT 1 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 November 22, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 18, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 118 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE UNIT 1, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-122-0381005 The real estate is improved with a condominium. The judgment amount was
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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING Plaintiff, -v.AMIN SAHTOUT, SCOVILLE COURT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2019CH09264 500 WASHINGTON BLVD, UNIT 107 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 November 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 19, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 500 WASHINGTON BLVD, UNIT 107, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-415-0271007 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-3 Plaintiff, -v.CHARLES T. GRANT, JUANITA J. GRANT, THE PRAIRIE PLACE AT 6436 ROOSEVELT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2019CH14912 6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413 OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 5, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 15, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413, OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-428-0431030, Property Index No. 16-18428-043-1054 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES 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. 14-19-11626 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH14912 TJSC#: 41-1728 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 2019CH14912 I3178416
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
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Wednesday Journal, October 27, 2021
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