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W E D N E S D A Y

November 3, 2021 Vol. 42, No. 14 ONE DOLLAR

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of Oak Park and River Forest

F i k coachh Fenwick Dave Power retires Page 24

Unanimous OPRF board OKs end of tracking for freshmen Single curriculum in history, English, world languages

By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest District 200 Board of Education voted unanimously Oct. 28 to approve a major change to three freshman courses. Come next fall, OPRF freshmen will be placed in one rigorous,

high-level course for history, English and world languages, instead of being split up into honors or college prep tracks. The vote came after nearly three weeks of discussions among board members, district faculty and staff and families. On Oct. 26, two days before the board meeting, Superintendent Greg Johnson, Assistant Super-

intendent of Learning Laurie Fiorenza and division heads Amy Hill (history), Brain Conant (English), Claudia Sahagun (world languages) and Matt Kirkpatrick (Science) held a Zoom webinar and fielded pre-submitted queries from parents. Last year, the board moved to “detrack” – or remove a tiered system that groups stu-

dents by their academic abilities – and offer a single science class for freshmen. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are not part of these changes and maintain the option of taking honors-level or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. See D200 on page 18

Rec center bid put out to by Oak Park park district

Construction on Madison could start in spring By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

FEEL IT

SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor

Tanji Harper, the new hip-hop instructor, teaches a class at The Academy of Movement and Music, part of the Equity Initiative that seeks increased diversity in the arts. See story and more photos on page 10.

With the majority of its $22 million in construction funding secured, the Park District of Oak Park (PDOP) is moving toward the construction of its long-planned, zero-energy community recreation center at 229 Madison St. “At the earliest, we could be in the ground in March of 2022,” said Jan Arnold, PDOP executive director. See REC CENTER on page 16

OAK PARK BANK IS NOW OPEN AT 151 N. OAK PARK AVE. | OAK PARK Oak Park Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A.

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Join the Oak Park Regional Housing Center for a Pre-Broadway Show!

JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE

24 W. RANDOLPH CHICAGO

A special performance of a galvanizing story of racial harmony undone by a country at war with itself

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 DOORS OPEN: 630pm / SHOW BEGINS: 730pm THE POWER OF ENGAGEMENT In 1863, Free Blacks and Irish Immigrants came together in New York City, learning to live as one community. In 1972, Oak Park Regional Housing Center began work to build an integrated Oak Park, Illinois. In 2021, as we enter our 50th year, we are redoubling our efforts to create inclusion and equity throughout Chicago and the near western suburbs. Join us to experience the Paradise Square musical and discuss the power of engagement in breaking barriers and building bridges. REGISTER AT OPRHC.ORG/PARADISE-SQUARE FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO BECOME A SPONSOR, PLEASE CONTACT US: (708) 665-3664, OR INFO@OPRHC.ORG

Attendees must wear masks and show either proof of vaccination or a negative test at entry. Check BroadwayInChicago.com for more details.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Let’s have a deeper conversation about racism

ast week, I wrote a column about Ibram X. Kendi’s series of Stamped books in response to a reader who authored a One View in which he appeared to have misinterpreted some of Kendi’s arguments. The responses we’ve gotten to that column since then have been puzzling because they assume that Kendi isn’t doing history, that he’s pushing a political narrative — and that District 97 students are reading one man’s propaganda piece designed to make white people feel badly about themselves. As someone who was actually subjected to years of schooling that resulted in my lowered self-esteem, I can’t stress enough how insulting it is to have white people all of a sudden claiming to be victims of curriculum-induced self-hatred on the basis of a book that essentially outlines this country’s centurieslong history of victim-shaming and gaslighting Blacks. These responses also reveal a stunning lack of familiarity with just how obvious the history that Kendi outlines is to just about any professional historian. Let me be clear. As with climate change, there is a professional consensus on what sound historiography is and isn’t. As the historian Julian Hayter told NPR’s Scott Simon, in “education or the teaching of history, we’ve moved away from heritage history,” which is what most Americans conflate with actual history. Heritage history is “a romanticized version of the past, usually devoid of the darker chapters. You know, these are the feel-good stories and, in some cases, stories that don’t really deal with historical evidence, which isn’t to say, by the way, that things don’t happen in history. “Of course, there are historical facts. The interpretation of those facts, however, is precisely what historians do. And I think a lot of people aren’t necessarily familiar with that process.” What’s also interesting about those reader reactions is that I’ve been put in the awkward position of defending a body of work (Kendi’s Stamped series) about which I actually have growing reservations. For instance, I’m not mad at Kendi or anyone else for making money by helping white people work through their issues related to race and racism, but at this point my Stamped cynicism grows with every slickly marketed derivative product (the other day, I stumbled across Kendi’s Be An Antiracist journal in a bookstore that also sold copies of Stamped: For Kids, which is not to be confused with the remixed Stamped for teen students). What’s next, a Stamped for teething toddlers? There are many other valid criticisms of the Stamped series and the anti-racism cottage industry it has helped spawn. One is that, despite the growing prevalence of anti-racism, I don’t think there’s been enough public debate about a key question: Who ultimately benefits? Will the woke-ness among whites translate into less Black suffering? That question seems always and forever unanswered. So, I am not holding water for Kendi and others who are making boatloads of money from this anti-racism craze, which may or may not be effective at ameliorating the systemic racism it so slickly decries. I just think when writers go through the pain and, oftentimes, torment of publishing a book, they should be repaid by a critical reading that grapples with what they actually wrote. Our current Trumpian era notwithstanding, I still believe in something called

reading comprehension. But there’s a much deeper reservation I have with the Stamped series. Its emphasis on “anti-racism,” meaning the ways that people can actively resist racism as opposed to simply being “non-racist,” doesn’t deal directly enough with the fact that racism and prejudice are social phenomena that work largely on the level of unconscious emotions — not conscious thought. It isn’t enough to know about racism and the history of it. History is vitally important, but you can’t read your way out of being biased. We should think of systemic racism not as a liberal ideology, but as the historical accumulation of habits and patterns of group behavior that have condensed into harmful policies and practices. And we need to treat this reality with the dispassion of a clinician. Unfortunately, whites seem to be able to much more easily accept this position when it comes to non-racial biases, such as gender or class biases. But all biases operate similarly. The emphasis on unconscious bias, as opposed to conscious “anti-racist” action, also forces people — who may place ideas about race and racism on the left-right political spectrum — to think deeper about these issues. Moreover, it allows us to engage in this conversation by simply bypassing politically charged and loaded words (like racism) that have been distorted beyond recognition in favor of much more precise and targeted cognitive terminology that helps us understand how our behavior and patterns of behavior affect other people. Bias really isn’t about liberals and conservatives, because liberal whites and conservative whites have racial biases that work toward the same end of harming Black people. I’m sure I have gender biases that work to perpetuate all kinds of gender-based disparities. This isn’t an issue of who is on the right or wrong side of history. This is about how our current actions are affecting other people living in the present. To that end, I’d recommend two books published this year that examine bias, particularly racial and gender bias, in ways that are incredibly practical and that work to short-circuit the charged and overly simplified culture-war context in which we’re so often primed to think about racism. Jessica Nordell’s The End of Bias: A Beginning and Shakil Choudhury’s Deep Diversity: A Compassionate, Scientific Approach to Achieving Racial Justice are excellent starting points for thinking about racism dispassionately and scientifically (which is not to be confused with scientific racism, a long-disgraced intellectual tradition that is nonetheless making a comeback). The books follow a path blazed by pioneers like Black social psychologist Claude Steele, whose 2010 book, Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us, first opened my eyes to the fact that we can think about prejudice, bias and systemic racism as social phenomena that can be scrutinized scientifically like any other phenomena. Particularly, Nordell and Choudhury show that often what people profess (“I don’t have a racist bone in my body”) contradicts their unconscious behaviors. In the early chapters of her book, Nordell briskly covers the vast empirical terrain that convincingly demonstrates this reality over and over again.

MICHAEL ROMAIN

For instance, surveys of white and Black people’s beliefs about race — conducted by the National Opinion Research Council, Gallup and other groups from World War II to the 1980s — show an about-face in racial attitudes. By the late 1980s, after civil rights laws were passed, “most White people disapproved of housing discrimination and segregation and responded that Black people should have the same job opportunities as Whites.” But time and again, psychologists also found that the “gap between word and deed,” proved vast, with whites denying their prejudice even as they were observed “displaying all sorts of discriminatory behavior.” Racial bias isn’t exclusive to whites either. Choudhury — a well-respected anti-racism and social-justice advocate of South Asian descent — shares his own testimony in the opening of his book. He once hesitated when a local optometrist handed him a business card with an ethnic-sounding name. He hesitated because of his own biases. “I share this story to illustrate how vulnerable we all are — vulnerable to prejudice, racism and bias,” Choudhury writes. “Also, because it holds some deep lessons about discrimination and inclusion, I am certain that if the ‘plain, unimpressive’ business card had said Adam Wright or Ellen Goldstein, I would not have hesitated. And I would not have needed a referral, either, to take a chance on an unknown quantity with the ‘right’ name.” I gravitated toward Choudhury’s book particularly because of what he writes about the unconscious mind and his book’s focus on ways that we can change our behaviors by first confronting how deeply our unconscious shapes our conscious action. “Fundamental to this discussion is understanding that our unconscious mind — which is automatic, reactive, emotional, and intuitive — easily dominates the conscious mind, the realm of logic, language, reason and abstraction,” Choudhury writes. “In the words of a respected researcher, Joseph Ledoux of New York University, ‘consciousness may get all the focus … but consciousness is a small part of what the brain does and it’s a slave to everything that works beneath it.’” Unconscious biases and automatic brain processes, Choudhury writes, “frequently favor those most ‘like us,’ creating hard-to-see racial discrimination that becomes systemic against ‘them.’” Neither author demonizes bias, however, with each explaining just how essential bias is for humans operating in a complex world. They nonetheless offer practical, actionable ways that allow all of us to deal with the aspects of our biases that directly and indirectly harm others. I should add that this cuts across ideological lines. In-group bias is a blatant factor driving politics on the right, but it also operates within progressive circles, even if to a less obvious degree, Choudhury writes. Progressives can many times rely too heavily on “strategies that alienate, diminish, shame, blame, ‘call out,’ and push away potential allies. Highly academic jargon, self-righteousness, invisible codes of conduct, and the politics of purity often get pushed forward in the name of social justice, making it difficult to talk about issues for fear of ostracism and punishment.” There is room to talk about race and racism that respects the nuance, complexity and analytical rigor with which many thoughtful people have handled these issues, Kendi included. That’s the conversation I hope we can have more often.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

BIG WEEK November 3-10

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GriefShare Tuesdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Through Jan. 11, Grace Lutheran Church Attend a support group and seminar that is open to join anytime. More: 708-366-6900, gracechurch@ graceriverforest.org, griefshare.org. 7300 W. Division, River Forest.

Jeff Recommended: “The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe: A Love Story” Through Nov. 21, Wednesdays through Fridays, 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 p.m., and Sundays, 3 and 8 p.m. Pleasant Home See the play staged by Oak Park Festival Theatre, that moves from room to room as it tells the tale of Poe as he “grapples with love and madness” five years after the death of his wife Virginia, who haunts his memories and his home. $44; $35, seniors; $25, students. 217 Home Ave., Oak Park.

UTRF Chamber Music Series

Repair Cafe Saturday, Nov. 6, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Fox Center Bring broken toasters, vacuum cleaners, mixers, clocks, lamps and more for repair and a skilled crew of volunteers will work to fix the electronic items for free. The repair success rate at all the cafes worldwide is 60 percent. Volunteer for the repair crew here: mrobinet@ ameritech.net. Have an item to repair - drop in the first Saturday of the month. 624 S. Oak Park Ave., 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

Saturday, Nov 6., 9 a.m. to Noon, Roosevelt Middle School Be part of an annual effort to divert pumpkins from landfills by bringing jack-o-lanterns to be composted. District 90 Green4Good Team. 7560 Oak Ave., River Forest.

Backyard Birds & Bird Feeding Wednesday, Nov. 10, 1 p.m., Cheney Mansion Learn how to attract a variety of backyard birds with feeding stations and food plantings from David Brooks of Spring Valley Nature Center. Also hear about local birds and migratory birds of spring and fall. Brought by The Garden Club of Oak Park & River Forest. Social time begins at noon. All welcome. The club meets the second Wednesday of each month. More: gcoprf.org/events/ club-meetings. 220 N. Euclid Ave., Oak Park.

Restorative Practices & Justice

Saturday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m., Unity Temple

The Unity Temple Restoration Foundation (UTRF) presents the Grammynominated, Chicago-based trio made up of Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, David Cunliffe, cello, and Marta Aznavoorian, piano. They play well-known chamber music along with contemporary repertoire. Masks required. $30; $25, UTRF members; $10, students. Up next, Dec. 17, Cellissimo holiday concert. More/register: UTRF.org. 875 Lake

Pumpkin Smash

The Backstory Project – New Release 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. Now available: our own Growing Community Media editor Bob Uphues. View previous releases and check back for new ones. Free; donations gratefully accepted. Watch here: opendoortheater.net/backstory-project

Saturday, Nov. 6, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Virtually with the Oak Park Public Library’s Leading Edge Teen Advisory Board Be a part of the annual Restorative Justice Conference and explore themes of respect, response, and restoration through workshops, peace circles, guest speakers and more. People of all ages and from all walks of life are invited to come and experience open communication with the community. Register: oppl.org/restorative.

“Photography and Fiber Reveal God’s Beauty” Fair Trade Fair Wednesday, Nov. 10, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Parmer Hall Atrium, Dominican University Shop products created by international artisans and sold by Chicago-area organizations dedicated to sustainability, ethical production methods and fair wages for workers across the world. Items include coffee, art, purses/bags, scarves, table runners, shawls, home and garden wares, slippers and more. 7900 Division St., River Forest.

Reception Friday, Nov. 5, 11:30 a.m., The Ferguson Art Gallery, Concordia University Chicago (CUC) See an exhibit featuring works by CUC alumnae Anastasiya Camp, BA ’20, and Sara Nordling, BA ’85. During the reception, meet the artists and witness the dedication of two additional works based on the theme “Women of Faith,” in memory of Kim Loontjer, BS ’03. The exhibit is open through Dec. 18. Free. Gallery hours: Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Face coverings required. 7400 Augusta St., River Forest.

All That Jazz and More Monday, Nov. 8, 1:15 p.m., Ballroom, Nineteenth Century Club Hear Thomas Linsk (piano) and Michael Fiorino (bass) play jazz, pop, Broadway tunes 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.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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What’s NewsMatch? Why it’s so important

alloween’s over. Thanksgiving is just coming a bit into focus and it looks lovelier than last year while still a bit COVID-twisted. Launching right between these two notable holidays is something that is a big deal to us here at Growing Community Media, the nonprofit parent of its sister papers in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Austin, Riverside and Brookfield. It’s NewsMatch season. Starts now and continues through every celebration right up to and including New Year’s Eve. What’s NewsMatch, why the heck are you a nonprofit anyhow, and do I donate by check or can I do it online? Those are all legitimate questions. Thank you for asking. NewsMatch is a national effort to raise funds to support nonprofit journalism as it faces the giant challenge of growing a new and sustainable model to pay for local news. The old model — and it was a great one, of selling ads and subscriptions to pay reporters, the print bill, and the rent — got run over by Facebook and Craig’s List and Google. That our industry was slow to adapt to digital hasn’t helped. On a nationwide level, NewsMatch raises funds from foundations and wealthy donors and then spreads that out to nonprofit newsrooms. Meanwhile the local newsrooms

are expected to multiply those funds in our communities with donations from readers/members while also tapping larger matching gifts. For a second year, Growing Community Media is among 300plus newsrooms across America chosen to be part of NewsMatch. We’ll put that high on our gratitude list again this year. Our inclusion reflects two things. 1. The quality of the journalism we bring to the seven neighborhoods we cover with our four flags — Wednesday Journal, Forest Park Review, Austin Weekly News, and Riverside-Brookfield Landmark. 2. The broad support we’ve already received from more than 2,000 individuals (and climbing) who recognize that these villages and city neighborhoods need independent reporting more than ever. Like every good nonprofit, Growing Community Media is working on a strategic plan. We did a broad survey over the summer of readers, donors, advertisers, staff and our own newly formed board. There were several thousand responses to a long list of questions. Here’s what stood out to me in a moment

when misinformation is being expertly shared and trust in media has eroded. Ninety percent of those who responded said they trusted our reporting. Almost as many said that our deep roots and continued independence were compelling reasons they subscribed, and many became members. Talk about gratifying. Talk about motivating. After 39 years as a for-profit business we knew in 2019 our future was clouded by our disrupted newspaper industry. Our conclusion was that our mission wasn’t tied to an old business model. Our mission is in the reporting, the connections we foster, the voices we elevate, the conversations we create. So two years ago we took the pioneering step of becoming a nonprofit newsroom. Since then, with the money we have raised from small donors, middle- and large-sized donors, and several generous foundations, we have plowed money back into our small newsroom. We’d been hemorrhaging reporters for a decade as ad revenues slowed. In the past year we created a new post of equity editor and promoted Michael Romain to that role.

DAN HALEY

We hired Amanda Tugade as Wednesday Journal’s full-time education reporter. Now, with a grant from the Field Foundation, we are looking for a full-time reporter to add to our Austin Weekly News. That reporter will cover the “steady state” of the West Side, the genuine stories of people living their lives in Austin, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale. We’ve also expanded the role of our digital editor (newly hired Briana Higgins), promoted a development director (Mary Ellen Nelligan) and added a second person in that department (Stacy Coleman). And we remade our websites. That’s a lot. And there is much more to accomplish. We want you to join us. Become a part of this project. Own a piece of this effort in local democracy. We’ve got a NewsMatch goal. It’s $125,000. That will pay for a lot of solid reporting by our exceptionally dedicated colleagues. And right now because of generous local donors, we can double your donation when you visit oakpark.com/donate. Sign on as a member at $50 and we get $100. For new, recurring monthly donations, we’ll match it every month. Pledge $10 a month and your total $120 donation turns into $240. It’s real money. Real news. Really important.

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Dominican’s festival of four ‘ofrendas’

Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of those who have died By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

Inside Lewis Hall, there’s a tiered ofrenda (altar), draped in blue and black cloths, each row lined with sugar skulls, prayer candles and bits of tissue paper mimicking marigolds. Faux fruits such as pears, apples and lemons, serve as “offerings” to loved ones who have died, fill the empty spaces between. Papel picados (colorful cutout pennants) hang from the ceiling, while a portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe leans against the makeshift structure, surrounded by more prayer candles, arranged in the shape of a heart. The ofrenda, one of four displayed around Dominican University’s campus, is a central part of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a two-day holiday originally celebrated in Mexico and parts of Latin America, honoring the departed. The holiday, which typically takes place Nov. 1 and 2, has made its mark on the River Forest in recent years. University minister Amirah Orozco said when people look at the campus ofrendas, what they see is the work of many hands. Orozco, whose service group Ministry en lo Cotidiano (MLC) helped orchestrate the festivities on Nov. 1 and 2, said she saw students, those familiar with as well as those new to the holiday, pitch in on decorating the makeshift altars. “Students [who] are literally just walking by are sort of being pulled into it,” said Orozco, some students demonstrating a carefree mentality, which allowed her and other MLC leaders to narrow down this year’s theme. “We’re doing it as we go along,” she explained. “In brainstorming sessions, we thought, and we wanted to, and we tried to guide the conversation toward what is actually going to be on the altar. … And a lot of people came to it with more ideas about what grief meant to them, what losses meant to them, what esperanzas — what hopes meant to them.” The COVID-19 pandemic and the high-profile cases of racial injustices and police brutality toward people of color cast a shadow over the last year and a half, which is reflected nside Lewis Hall, at the Center for Cultural Liberation, where another ofrenda features pictures of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin, and Adam Toledo, a teen who was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer, are displayed alongside other victims of gun violence, hate crimes and racial injustice. Photos of the late civil rights icon John Lewis and the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg are fixed below them. “We lost a lot of people,” said Paulina Delgadillo, a junior at DU who worked with MLC to host Día de los Muer-

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Paulina Delgadillo puts up a photo in the Dia de los Muertos ofrenda located in Parmer Hall on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, at Dominican University in River Forest. tos. “We lost friends. We lost family members, but also I think we lost a lot of things. We lost ourselves. We lost some peace. We lost hope in a sense.” But out of that darkness comes light, Delgadillo added. While Día de los Muertos focuses on remembering those who have died, she believes it’s also a time for positive self-reflection. The global pandemic changed people, and during the days leading up to Día de los Muertos, Delgadillo asked, “How can we bring our whole selves to the altar?” For university senior Linda Nevarez, Día de los Muertos is about embracing cultural ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer traditions and making new memories. One of the ofrenda displays (above and left) is seen outside the entrance of Rosary Nevarez, who also belongs Chapel in Lewis Hall at Dominican University in River Forest. to MLC and participated in past Día de los Muertos fes(All Saints Day), while Nov. 2 (All Souls Day) centered on tivities at DU, said she didn’t celebrate the holiday with the blessing of the ofrenda. A local mariachi band was set her family at home but recalled going to other places and to perform and lead a procession to the four altars. Nevaseeing the ofrendas. rez and Delgadillo said they planned on placing photos of “When I became part of the ministry,” Nevarez said, “I their own loved ones on the altars. learned what it entails. I learned everything that I know “I know it’s a place of mourning and sadness, but we’re now, and I think that instead of me bringing it to school, celebrating that and acknowledging that,” Nevarez said. I think school brought it to me [and] I brought it to my “Throughout COVID, we didn’t acknowledge our [grievhome.” ances], and we didn’t acknowledge our loss. … It’s our Nevarez and Delgadillo opened up about how excited time to actually mourn and celebrate that mourning, celthey were to see people gather this year. On Nov. 1, the ebrating the lives that were lost and acknowledging those university celebrated a Mass for Día de todos los santos lives that were lost.”

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Carjacking incidents up in Oak Park How to protect yourself By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Whether as a result of the pandemic or merely a coincidence, police data indicates that carjacking incidents have increased considerably since the onset of COVID-19. “I don’t know if we can completely explain why,” said Commander Paul Kane of the Oak Park Police Department. “This is a nationwide phenomenon and definitely a Chicago-greater-area problem.” In Oak Park, as of Oct. 26, there have been 22 carjacking incidents this year, an increase of 83 percent compared to 2019, when the village had a total of 12. Oak Park had 16 vehicular hijackings in 2020, a 33 percent increase from the previous year. Oak Park has also had four attempted vehicular hijackings in Oak Park this year. Three attempts occurred within the same weekend — Oct. 15-17. The phenomenon is also hitting River Forest, on a smaller scale. The village has had two vehicular hijackings this year as of Oct. 26, according to River Forest Police Chief James O’Shea. Last year they had a total of three. No hijackings occurred in 2019. Both of this year’s River Forest carjacking incidents were aggravated, meaning the carjacker had a weapon; only one was ag-

gravated in 2020. The majority of carjacking instances in Oak Park have been aggravated. Of the reported vehicular hijackings this year, 17 were aggravated. Whereas there were nine and seven aggravated instances in 2020 and 2019, respectively. While the numbers cause concern, Kane urged residents to keep their composure. “Don’t get paranoid,” Kane said. “What you have to do is have some common sense.” Carjacking, he explained, is a crime of opportunity and offenders look for a specific quality when choosing targets. “They’re looking for you to be distracted,” said the commander. Kane directs drivers to stay aware of their surroundings. That means not checking your cellphone while in traffic or driving with earbuds in, the latter being illegal under state law anyway. The popular bump-and-run tactic, which involves a carjacker rear-ending the victim’s vehicle, is not much of an issue in Oak Park, unlike Chicago, according to Kane. Still, it could happen. “When it happens, you can get on your phone and call 911 for the police because of the accident,” said Kane, “before you even get out of your car.” The driver can also move the car to a more populated area, such as a gas station, to observe the car for potential damage sustained

from the hit. “The other thing we tell people is pay attention when you come home,” said Kane. “Some vehicular hijackings happen while people are pulling in front of their house.” If you see an unfamiliar car or people you don’t recognize, Kane suggests not exiting your vehicle. “Don’t start pulling into your garage if there’s two or three people sitting outside of your garage that you don’t know,” he said. The same goes for the front of your home. Kane suggests circling the block and contacting the police. The department will send an officer to check out the situation. “The officers here at Oak Park, they’re very professional,” said Kane. “They will talk to them and see if there’s if there’s an issue or not.” For those who can’t park directly outside their home, the Oak Park Police Department will provide an officer escort to see you safely inside. When it’s dark out, Kane advises calling someone at home to have them wait for you at the doorway with the front porch light on. But vehicular hijackings do not exclusively happen at night. Many happen in broad daylight, so stay alert, regardless of the sun’s position in the sky. The commander noted that the Oak Park Police Department is using a variety of methods to combat carjacking, including

plain-clothes officers, as well as higher visibility and saturation of police vehicles. No one particular kind of vehicle is more likely to be taken. Make and model have no bearing generally. “We’ve seen them take old Volkswagens. We’ve seen them try to take Range Rovers,” he said. “We’ve seen them take BMWs and we’ve seen them take Toyotas.” Whatever the vehicle, there is a good chance the Oak Park Police Department will find it if it gets carjacked. Of the 22 vehicles taken this year, the police have recovered 21, according to Kane. Once the stolen vehicles are recovered, technicians sweep them for fingerprints and other evidence. “Detectives have been able to make several arrests after the fact, based on the evidence they’ve uncovered in these cars,” said Kane. Should anyone come face-to-face with a carjacker, he advises people to take note of the carjacker in as much detail possible. As one never knows what is going on in a carjacker’s mind, Kane also advises handing over the vehicle then calling the police as soon as possible afterward. The most important piece of advice Kane offers citizens is to remember that a vehicle is just a piece of property. “Don’t put your life in jeopardy for a piece of property,” he said.

Heather Mack released from prison in Bali Oak Parker will be deported from Indonesia

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Former Oak Park resident Heather Mack is on her way back to Chicago after being released last Friday from the Indonesian prison, where she was serving a term of 10 years for helping to carry out the murder of her socialite mother Sheila von Wiese Mack in 2014. Mack served seven years of the term and was released early for good behavior. The New York Post reported Tuesday that Mack was driven to the airport under tight security that morning for her deportation and would be flying from Jakarta to Chicago via Delta Airlines. According to the Post, Jamaruli Manihuruk, chief of the Bali regional office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights stated that he has requested central government to ban Mack from Indonesia for life. The gruesome murder put Mack, and by extension Oak Park, in the international spotlight after she and her then boyfriend Tommy Schaefer stuffed von Wiese Mack’s badly beaten body into a suitcase while the three were vacationing at the St. Regis resort in Bali. At the

time of her conviction, Mack was 19 years old and pregnant with Schaefer’s child. The death of her mother landed Mack the nickname “suitcase murderer.” Schaefer, then 21, received an 18-year prison sentence for his role in von Wiese Mack’s death. He testified during Mack’s trial that he had beaten her mother with a metal fruit bowl, claiming that the murdered woman had threatened to kill their unborn child. His cousin, Robert Bibbs, pleaded guilty in 2016 to helping plot the murder and was sentenced to nine years in prison. The couple’s daughter Stella lived with Mack in prison during the first year of her life before being transferred into the care of an Australian woman married to a Balinese man. The Associated Press reported that the woman, Oshar Putu Melody Suartama, was among friends seen welcoming Mack outside Kerobokan Female Prison. According to the AP, Mack made no comment to reporters other than to say, “Oh my God… you’re insane!” While she now faces deportation, it is unclear if she plans to return to Oak Park. Mack’s stateside attorney Vanessa Favia declined requests for comment.

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Heather Mack and Tommy Schaefer

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Equity prized in village manager search Differs greatly from the 2012 brochure

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

When Oak Park was last looking for a new village manager in 2012, the accompanying recruitment brochure for the position extolled the virtues of the village’s cultural achievements and citizenry. The brochure seemed meant to entice candidates to apply for the position. Who wouldn’t want to work in such an engaging environment? However, that representation of Oak Park did little to educate applicants on perhaps the village’s highest ideal: equity. In the entire 11-page document, the words “equity” and “equitable,” as well as the phrase “social justice,” were not featured once. Those terms may not have been de rigueur at the time, but almost exactly 10 years later, the current village board has prioritized them. The brochure for this year’s village manager search is permeated with the idea of equity, beginning in the very first paragraph, to make it clear that a commitment to it is required.

“There is a heightened degree by which that is a priority,” Village President Vicki Scaman told Wednesday Journal. The inclusion of equity is part of a deliberate effort by the current village board. In developing this brochure, which is now being circulated, recruitment firm GovHR independently interviewed each member of the village board for one hour to determine the list of qualities expected of the new village manager, according to Scaman, who believes the prevalence of equity within the brochure is a reflection of the board’s, and the wider community’s, dedication to upholding the value. Being a “leader in racial equity” is among the village board’s set of adopted goals. “We need the leadership to embrace the level of conversation that we hope to have at the board table,” Scaman said. The word itself is mentioned four times in the 8-page brochure. The village board is not just looking for a village manager who values equity but who comprehends it at a deeper level. The model

candidate, as listed in the brochure, must be “authentic and demonstrate a commitment to racial equity and understanding within the historical context of Oak Park.” The 2012 brochure circles the idea of equity but never commits to it, describing Oak Park as a “diverse mix of cultures, races, ethnicities, professions, generations, lifestyles, religions, ages and incomes.” Under the section “Issues and Opportunities,” the 2012 brochure states that Oak Park is “strongly committed to its very aggressive and longstanding programs to maintain neighborhood diversity and to prevent re-segregation.” In Scaman’s eyes, this backhanded approach is not useful in working to achieve true equity. “In today’s context, we have to be far more intentional of what that means,” she said. “And how to be anti-racist in our attempt to be a more equitable community.” Having not seen it prior to her interview with Wednesday Journal, the village president told the newspaper she would be “sur-

prised” and “almost disappointed” if the 2012 village manager brochure did not mention equity at all. “It’s part of the identity that we strive for, when you think of diversity and our intention to be an integrated community,” she said. While the current brochure seeks to communicate these principles to potential applicants, it does retain some of the same elements as its 2012 counterpart, namely waxing lyrical about Oak Park, albeit in a more subdued fashion. To further tempt qualified individuals to apply for village manager, the position no longer requires the person to reside in Oak Park. While it is preferred that the village manager live in the village, removing the requirement is meant to eliminate barriers that could potentially prevent candidates from applying. Such barriers, according to Scaman, could include familial and financial obligations. “Everything we did was with the goal of casting the widest net,” she said.

Schools, public health ready to vaccinate kids next week

Parent interest high, awaiting final OK from CDC By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter More than 4,000 students at Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will become eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine — if the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approves the Pfizer Covid vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 over the next few days. The CDC’s Advisory Committee was set to meet Nov. 2 and discuss a recommendation for that age group. The meeting comes just days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. Since May, the Pfizer Covid vaccine has been available for children 12 to 15 years old. “We’re anticipating the CDC will have approval for us by Nov. 3,” said Theresa Chapple-McGruder, Oak Park’s public health director, adding she and other health officials are also waiting for directives on how to administer the vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds since the dose and vaccine formula are specifically designed for that group of children. Chapple-McGruder said the public health department has already partnered with District 97 and plans to host eight vaccine clinics across a four-day span pending federal

approval. The clinics are tentatively scheduled for Nov. 9 to 12 with the second dose to be administered Nov. 30 to Dec. 3. These clinics are only open to D97 students and will be held at each of the district’s eight elementary schools, said Amanda Siegfried, D97’s senior director of communications. Families can expect a link to register once the vaccine has been approved, said Siegfried and Chapple-McGruder. “We are doing two schools a night, and we believe that we could get 600 vaccinated in a night by taking this approach,” ChappleMcGruder said, noting the department is also working on separate plans to accommodate families with children who attend private schools or go to daycare or are homeschooled. And, in order to pull this off, Chapple-McGruder is looking to the Oak Park community for some help. She said she would need about 75 volunteers a day to assist District 97’s students alone and is currently looking for medical professionals with pediatric experience to help with the upcoming vaccine clinics. Those interested can contact the public health department at covid19vaccine@oak-park.com. School officials at River Forest District 90 are also looking to host a vaccine clinic for their 5- to 11-year-old students later this month. In partnership with a local JewelOsco and the Village of River Forest, District 90 has scheduled a vaccine clinic Nov. 19 at Roosevelt Middle School, according to an email sent to families Oct. 29 by Super-

intendent Ed Condon. Since February, D90 has worked with a River Forest-based JewelOsco and the village to release a series of clinics and help get area seniors, district employees and 12- to 15-year-olds vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. The Nov. 19 date is tentative and will be confirmed in the coming days, Condon wrote in the email. Condon, who briefly outlined a plan dependent on federal approval, said children would likely receive the first dose of the two-shot Pfizer Covid vaccine on Nov. 19 and the second dose on Dec. 10. That would mean the children participating in that clinic would be fully vaccinated by Christmas Day, he said. As public health and school officials look forward to the CDC’s decision, Chapple-McGruder said she could not be more excited at the possibility that younger children would be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Last week, the Oak Park Public Health Department reported 35 new cases of COVID-19, and a majority of them were among children between the ages of 5 and 13, said Chapple-McGruder. She said most of those children had parents who were fully vaccinated against Covid but grew concerned, as vaccinated individuals can still become infected. “If we can get children vaccinated, we have now reduced the rate of Covid in our community by so much because we’re protecting our children, and we have another layer of protection for their vaccinated parents, too,” she said. “With this push, our

rates in the community will really go back to that ‘moderate and low’ that we were seeing before because we’re reducing our vulnerable population.” “The more we can continue to vaccinate our community, the better off the vulnerable people in our community will be,” she said.

90% of Oak Park parents will vaccinate kids Oak Park Elementary School District 97 recently polled families to gauge their interest in getting their 5- to 11-year-olds vaccinated against COVID-19. The district received 2,336 responses, which ultimately represented 3,458 students, Siegfried wrote in an email to the Journal. According to the survey results, a little over 90% of D97 families are planning to get their newly eligible children vaccinated, while roughly 5% were not looking to vaccinate their children and the remaining 4% have yet to decide whether they would. A majority of respondents (almost 56%) also preferred their children to be vaccinated at a clinic hosted by District 97 and/or the Oak Park public health department. Nearly 28% of families opted to get their children vaccinated by their healthcare providers. Other families (about 11%) said “they would take the first available vaccine” or expressed interest in attending a clinic held by D97 and the health department, while some 3% of families said they would like their children vaccinated at a pharmacy.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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ART BEAT

Equity Initiative hopes to increase arts diversity By MICHELLE DYBAL

Arts Editor

n 8-year-old girl from the Austin neighborhood of Chicago who started at the Academy of Movement and Music, Oak Park, seemed like most of the other dancers in her class. She had parents who believed in her and wanted her to have culture in her life. But her dad had to take two jobs and her mom worked as a maid and nanny to make such an opportunity possible, especially since the young, Black dancer stuck with it long term. “It is very, very expensive to train as a dancer,” Sarita Connelly said. Dance, like many sports, requires an available caregiver to get the student to practice at various times of day, up to multiple days a week, she explained. “And how does that play out with the family’s ability to pay for those professional-level, professional-track lessons? Even one to two lessons a week can be very difficult for families of color,” she said. Then there are the expenses of leotards, tights and shoes, with pointe shoes costing up to $120. Connelly now teaches dance at The Academy, 605 Lake St., as well as at Loyola University Chicago. She also has a consulting business following a career in finance after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College. A professional choreographer, she is also president of the Oak Park Area Arts Council Board of Directors. The first teacher of that 8-year-old whose parents worked so hard — both in dance and as a mentor in life, was Stephanie Clemens, founder of The Academy. Clemens retired this summer, handing the reins over to her son, JP Tenuta, who is now director of the school. When Connelly was in seventh grade, Clemens introduced her to another dancer’s parent who had her MBA from Harvard and had gone to Sarah Lawrence College for undergrad. That introduction paved the way for Connelly’s future. “It was that Black mother who said, ’I think you’d be perfect for Sarah Lawrence,’ and she started recruiting me in junior high,” she said.

SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor

HIP-HOP: Talia Sitismondi, 17, (center) follows her dance instructor’s lead during their class at the academy.

Being involved in dance and Clemens’ influence also shaped the young dancer’s path. “[Stephanie] has mentored me over four decades in various stages of my life — professional, dance career and as a parent of a young dancer,” Connelly said. “Everything I’ve done either artistically or even professionally has some sort of genesis from Stephanie Clemens.” Now with Clemens departure, the spirit of that mentoring along with Clemens’ and others’ strong desire to bring in more students of color to the studio, a new program is being launched: The Stephanie Clemens Equity Initiative, led by Connelly. “The Academy doors are open to all who want to experience the joys of dance and music,” Clemens said. “We want to reach out to our community through this Equity Initiative to assure people that these joys are available to families struggling to deal with tough economic times.” Connelly felt the Initiative should be named for ClemSHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor ens because “she had given Tanji Harper, the new hip-hop dance instructor at The Academy of Movement and so much to so many people Music teaches a class in the performance space. over the last 40 years” and

so it would be “a legacy that lives on” in Clemens’ name. The Academy plans to begin by awarding scholarships to its youngest students. Ideas for finding interested dancers include outreach at the Oak Park elementary schools; St. Catherine/St. Lucy Parish, located in Oak Park, which also serves the Austin neighborhood of Chicago; and possibly other surrounding neighborhoods. “You have to build that pipeline,” Connelly said. “So to have diversity in the older levels, you have to start at the younger levels. You also need to fill in the older levels as well.” COVID also affected the number of students at the beginner levels because those classes did not work as well virtually. This impacted the ability to keep the pipeline diverse, she noted. They hope to have the program in place by summer of 2022. The Academy is looking for donors and are expecting to fund half while donors provide the other half for the scholarship initiative. The Academy is looking for outside funders, such as community members who believe in equity in the arts, along with business owners. Connelly said they would especially like to create partnerships with business owners of color who can create mentoring opportunities for younger students through college age. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee at the Academy is also making efforts to attract students of color in other ways, including offering classes in Hip Hop with Tanji Harper, inviting guest artists of color to their studio and building a network of diverse parents of dancers as a resource. To learn more about the Stephanie Clemens Equity Initiative email: academyofmovementandmusic@gmail.com. Donations can be mailed to The Academy of Movement and Music, F/B/O-Stephanie Clemens Equity Initiative, 605 Lake St., Oak Park, IL 60302.

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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‘OMG’: 30 years for New Rebozo

Chef Paco and family celebrate milestone anniversary on Madison By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

Since opening New Rebozo in 1991, chef and owner, Francisco Lopez, known to all as Chef Paco has been evolving with the times. The innovative chef is constantly making subtle improvements to make the most of his passion driven restaurant at 1116 Madison St. Now, 30 years later Chef Paco remains full of charisma and blurts out his “oh my god” catchphrase when he greets the loyal customers he credits with making New Rebozo an Oak Park mainstay for three decades. “Paco alone is not New Rebozo,” said the chef. “This restaurant is part of the community. My family, my staff and my cus-

tomers — oh my god, they are what make New Rebozo special.” The establishment, known for serving an arsenal of 26 different moles, has powered through a pandemic that has left little room for big celebrations. New Rebozo has been celebrating in small ways all year long and Chef Paco eagerly showed off a set of poster boards depicting New Rebozo’s timeline. They mark the restaurant’s milestones against notable moments in history. For example, the restaurant opened before the first Harry Potter book was published and before the internet was available to businesses but shows that he attended culinary school after all three of those milestones. Chef Paco had a career in banking in Mexico before coming to the United States. He was in the states to learn English and took over El Rebozo in 1991. Language, though, wasn’t his barrier. The first-time restaurant owner didn’t know how to cook. “I kept ‘Rebozo’ because they told me it

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NO LONGER ‘NEW’: Chef Paco shows off the poster celebrating New Rebozo’s 30th anniversary. was famous, but then I realized El Rebozo was famous for being terrible,” said Chef Paco laughing. “But my family taught me how to cook and we started to make New Rebozo better.” With the help of his wife, Chef Paco added mole poblano to the menu, but beyond offering the first of what would become many future moles, New Rebozo’s early dishes focused classic homestyle fare like tacos and burritos. Eight years into the endeavor, however, Chef Paco began to think there could be value in adding a fine dining twist to his restaurant. He set his sights on culinary school and applied to the now defunct Illinois Institute of Art. “I read and spoke very little English and I had to take the entrance test,” said Chef Paco. “Oh my god, I guessed my way through the whole test and thought I had failed, but I turned out to be a good guesser because I passed.” Chef Paco struggled in his academic classes and recollected “feeling stupid” most of the time, but his chef-instructors saw his potential and encouraged him to fight through the language barrier because he was a “good example” to the younger aspiring chefs in the program. When homework started to become too difficult for him to complete on his own, Chef Paco didn’t hire a tutor, but turned to his regular customers. “Oh my god, my customers would help me with the grammar in my papers and help me understand difficult math,” said Chef Paco. “They would come for dinner and stay late to help me learn. I worked hard, but it still took me four years to finish a two-year program. I could not have done it without them.” Now, 30 years into his restaurant adven-

ture, Chef Paco’s perseverance has helped transform his restaurant into a local fine dining legacy. He elevated his cuisine to focus on regional specialties and artful plating while continually expanding his collection of colorful Oaxacan art giving the restaurant its own brand of elegance. The restaurant has endured temporary closures, remodeling projects and a global pandemic. His evolution as a chef earned him regular cooking segments on Univision and Telemundo and features on Chicago’s Best and Check Please. According to Chef Paco restaurant ownership comes with “the good and the bad,” but his kitchen philosophy doubles as a philosophy for life. “Spicy, sweet, sour, salty, crunchy — you need them all, in a dish and in life,” said Paco. “Too much of one thing and everything will be out of balance. I have found my balance at New Rebozo.” The timeline posters marking the restaurant’s milestone anniversary are covered with congratulatory messages from his devoted customers saying things like “Chef Paco, always present, always kind, always great,” “and “our family has loved you and your food for all 30 years.” Chef says the restaurant has helped him “learn to feel loved” and when asked what is in store for the next 30 years he laughed and said, “In 30 years I will be 95 years old so it will probably be the same.” Though he doesn’t own the Madison Street building, he hopes to remain in the same location for years to come. “New Rebozo gives me energy and, oh my god, I forget all my problems when I see smiles on my customers’ faces,” said Chef Paco.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Spilt Milk celebrates five years as a brick-and-mortar Community love abounds for sister-run pastry shop

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

Spilt Milk Pastry, 811 South Blvd., celebrated its fifth anniversary last weekend. Sisters, Meg and Molly Svec helm the bakery that has become a beloved business in Oak Park not only for their decadent pies, cookies and pasties, but also for their commitment to having a positive impact on the community. A line snaked around the corner on South Boulevard as friends and customers gathered to celebrate the milestone for the small yet mighty business. Customers enjoyed coffee and pastries while shopping for jewelry made by Dima Ali and flowers from Pickle Hill Parties. Local photographer, Tina Harle, was on site taking portraits. “The line went down the block all morning and at one point I thought we should have made more pastries because it felt like the customers, were going to buy the sinks off the walls,” laughed Meg Svec. Well before opening the bakery, Molly was on the culinary path, but Meg had a comfortable career in software. Molly would frequently discuss wanting to open her own bakery, but after returning from a summer gig cooking on the east coast decided it was time to give it an earnest effort. “I told her I would help her figure out the business side of things. I thought I would be in the corporate world forever, but it just snowballed, and I realized we were actually

building a business together,” said Meg. “We are like peanut butter and jelly; we are best friends and have a great business partnership. She handles the culinary side and I play around with the business side.” Since starting Spilt Milk both sisters have gotten married and started families. In the early days, before they had a brick-and-mortar, Meg and Molly sold baked goods at farmers markets and events. When they first opened their brick and mortar they were often alone in the shop unless their husbands stopped by after work to help with dishes. Now the hardworking sisters have a devoted staff who keep Spilt Milk running smoothly. “Our team is 100% the reason we are here today,” said Meg, matter-of-factly. “Molly and I would never have been able to have our families and keep the business running, especially during a pandemic, without our staff.” An unplanned expansion in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be among the highlights of the bakery’s existence thus far. When an unexpected plumbing issue rendered their Oak Park Avenue storefront unusable, the duo scrambled to move into a space around the corner that was nearly triple the size of their former home. The community rallied in support of Spilt Milk by contributing more than $60,000 to an Indiegogo campaign to help cover the costs of the build-out. “We just want to reiterate how grateful we are to the community,” said Meg. “We know so many businesses didn’t make it through

PHOTO BY TINA HARLE

SISTER BAKERS: Meg (left) and Molly Svec, co-owners of Spilt Milk, celebrate five years in business under a balloon arch created by 99 Haus Balloons. the pandemic, and we know our customers are the reason we couldn’t fail. They wouldn’t let us fail.” As the Svec sisters look to the future they are excited to use their expanded space to its full production potential, but also want to be sure they are responsible with their expanded footprint. Spilt Milk became a carbon neutral business in summer of 2021 and the business owners are looking for ways to

make their business even more eco-friendly. With sustainability in mind, they look forward to introducing a community composting program in the coming year and are looking at ways to utilize solar power to run the bakery in future. In the meantime Meg and Molly Svec are readying themselves for a bustling holiday season making sweet treats for the community.

River Forest trustees to interview administrator candidates Hope is to winnow field of 6 and hire finalist by early December By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest officials are have moved into the next phase of their search for a new village administrator and a new fire chief, scheduling a series of special village board meetings to conduct interviews with candidates. Village President Cathy Adduci said officials scheduled six candidate interviews for the village administrator post. Some were conducted on Oct. 30 and more are scheduled for Nov. 8. Three candidates for the fire chief position were conducted Nov. 1. Adduci said the goal of the interviews is to whittle each group to two finalists with an overall goal of filling both positions by the end of November or beginning of December. Lisa Scheiner has served as acting village administrator since Eric Palm resigned in February after 10 years with River Forest, leaving to accept a similar position in Hoff-

man Estates. She has been the assistant village administrator since 2013. Scheiner was believed to have been one of the candidates for the permanent administrator position. However, late last week, Scheiner confirmed to Wednesday Journal that she is not a candidate for the job. The names of interviewees have not been released to the public. Robert Nortier has served as acting fire chief since Kurt Bohlmann retired in September after four years as chief. Nortier came out of retirement to serve until Bohlmann’s replacement is hired, possibly longer, to help with the transition. Nortier was deputy chief when he retired in 2015. In July, officials hired GovHR, a Northbrook-based public management consulting firm serving local government clients and other public-sector entities across the country, to conduct searches for village administrator and fire chief. The application deadline was Sept. 3. GovHR has been used by River Forest previously, most recently to fill the village finance director position, and is “very reputable,” according to Adduci. The village is paying $22,500 for the fire chief search and $20,000 for the village administrator search.

FILE

River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Ave.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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New head of mental health board brings life experience to job

Potts, longtime Oak Parker, succeeds retiring DeVivo By ISAAC STOPECK Contributing Reporter

Cheryl Potts, newly appointed chief of Oak Park Township’s Community Mental Health Board, comes to the work with a personal mental health disorder and the firsthand pain of having lost a brother to suicide at a time, 20 years back, when the stigma of mental illness was more intense than even today. A 20-plus year career in nonprofit work dating back to college at DePaul University brought Potts, a 15-year Oak Park, to the leadership of the township board. As its executive director, Potts replaces Lisa DeVivo, who held the role for 13 years and retired in October. Potts most recently served as executive director at The Kennedy Forum Illinois. She developed her interest in nonprofit work in college, where she volunteered at the Chicago Women’s AIDS Project and at Chicago House. After graduating from DePaul with a degree in non-profit business management, she started her career at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.

Her focus on mental health advocacy began her exposure to others who “told their story” with a tragedy. In 1999, her brother died by as extremely motivating her as she continued suicide after struggling with alcoholism. Ac- her career of advocacy. She also stresses the cording to Potts, his death was largely caused importance of self-care, using working out by his reticence to seek treatment out of em- and hiking to stay healthy both physically barrassment and fear of potenand mentally. tial stigma. As a result, Potts, As a long-time Oak Parker, who herself struggles with a Potts is familiar with the commental health disorder, felt community and eager to continue pelled to dedicate her career to the legacy of her predecessor. ending the stigma and discrimiOne area in particular she nation often surrounding menseeks to improve on is access tal health and substance use to mental health and substance disorders, as well as intellectual use treatment resources for and developmental disabilities. students in Oak Park public “Acts of stigma do not have schools. The Illinois Youth CHERYL POTTS to be overt or egregious; someSurvey consistently reveals OP Township Community Mental that large percentages of Oak times they are subtle.” Potts Health Board Park teenagers partake in both said. “Regardless, they are still general alcohol use and binge hurtful, and they hold us back. drinking. To address this situMental health is like physical ation, the mental health board health, we all have it. Sometimes people feel healthy and sometimes we recently partnered with Oak Park and River feel unhealthy, and some people have more se- Forest High School and River Forest Mental rious disorders that require ongoing care, but Health Services to, according to Potts, “fund in-depth substance use assessments and serregardless, we all have mental health.” Potts is a strong advocate of openly sharing vice referrals for students who demonstrate a her own mental health challenges and cites higher-level need for treatment.”

“Acts of stigma do not have to be overt or egregious; sometimes they are subtle.”

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Cheryl Potts, the newly appointed chief of Oak Park Township’s Community Mental Health Board Potts is also passionate about a partnership with DePaul University called the Mindful Middle Schoolers program. This program, which provides social emotional and behavioral healthcare resources for Oak Park’s middle schoolers, recently saw an increase in school care coordinators. The mental health board is a branch of Oak Park Township. According to a press release, its purpose is “to assist in planning, developing, coordinating, evaluating, and funding mental health services in Oak Park.”

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Using the great outdoors to connect refugee teens Oak Parker creates REACH to help young people feel at home By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

When Rasha Al Haswani came to the United States from Iraq, she braced for the long journey ahead. Haswani, a single mother, grappled with leaving her home country behind, which over time grew to become unfamiliar after the war broke out, but worried about the challenges she would soon face in a new place. She needed to rebuild and find a job, a place to live and schools for her children. Al Haswani admitted that her experience as a refugee in the U.S. may have been a tad “easier than most” because she spoke English, but she was still afraid of the change. “I [didn’t] know if I was going to be accepted in a new community,” said Al Haswani, noting she and her children first traveled to Jordan before settling in Chicago in the mid- 2010s. This interview took place over Zoom with her teenage children, Lina and Muntadher, joining the call and peering from different screens. Al Haswani said that through a resettlement agency she was able to pick up pieces of her life and create a sense of stability, and then she met Shana Wills. An Oak Park resident, Wills founded Refugee Education and Adventure Challenge (REACH), a nonprofit aimed to offer outdoor activities, experiential learning and other skills for children and teens who are refugees or asylum seekers. “As a refugee mom,” Al Haswani said, “I felt REACH [was] a safe place for my kids to learn new things because I was learning about the community by myself as an adult, and I did not let them go by themselves outside unless I’m with them. When I reached Shana, and she explained to me the program, I loved it. I thought it’s a good environment for all the kids who aren’t from the United States [and] came here as refugees or immigrants.” Even Al Haswani, who now serves on REACH’s board, remembered her first trip with the Oak Park-based organization where she learned to kayak. “Oh my goodness,” she said, laughing. “I couldn’t feel my arms.”

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

REACHING OUT: Shana Wills founded REACH to aid young refugees and asylum seekers.

It’s moments like those that Wills cherishes the most. Wills, who officially launched REACH in 2016 after decades of working with immigrant communities, said she saw a growing need to provide a safe space for families and especially, children and teens. Drawing from her own experience, Wills said she often saw immigrant youth struggle to find their place in the U.S. for various reasons, including financial struggles, language barriers or racial discrimination, and some found solace in gangs. “There wasn’t a system in place to really support these kids,” said Wills, who is also a part-time faculty member at DePaul University, about the lack of resources and support schools provided for children who are refugees and asylum seekers. “There were psychologists. There were social workers, but there was a disconnect between what they needed and what they were getting.” Wills said the death of a close friend’s son in 2013 was what pushed her to draft a blueprint for REACH and ultimately open the program. “His son was walking down the street on a Sunday morning up in Edgewater [Chicago’s North Side], and he was shot and killed,” said Wills, recalling another life lost to gang violence, and her friend’s and family’s plea to “Save our boys. We’re losing them.” From there, Wills tried to craft a platform with one speALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer cific goal in mind: She wanted to have a place for refugee NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD: Brothers Payman Rajaie, left, and Maisam Rajaie, outside youth and their families to their home in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.

feel welcome and have community. And that rang true for Payman Rajaie. Payman, who came to Chicago with his brothers Maisam and Nuraga two years ago and are originally from Afghanistan, recalled his life back home. “We didn’t do much except going swimming a couple of times,” said Payman, one of REACH’s youngest peer mentors. “It was still wartime – and it still is – and people were not in their comfort zone. People didn’t want to go to the amusement park or do something fun because they were kind of in fear. And, they are kind of also in fear now.” Payman said when he and his brothers found REACH, their lives changed. “Before joining REACH, life was [you] go to school, come back home, do your homework, and that was kind of it,” he said. “It was starting to get boring until we got introduced to REACH, and then, we joined. … We could see the light at the end of the tunnel.” Other peer mentors and participants, including Muntadher, Lina and Masooma Mohammadi, said REACH is a sanctuary, a source of relief and connection. “With REACH being here, it feels like community, feels like home,” Mohammadi said. “It feels like people sharing stories, people coming together and being accepted and stuff like that. It’s a warm feeling.” Muntadher added, “If you’re an immigrant and scared of the outdoors, scared of the world around you or the community [and] you don’t feel like you fit in, join us, and we’ll make sure you get over that fear. You’ll feel more comfortable with yourself, and you’ll get over your insecurities, and we’ll help you go and become the best version of yourself possible.”

Find out more For more information on REACH, https://www. reachinchicago.org/.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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PROVIDED

Rendering of the park district’s proposed $22M rec center.

REC CENTER

Going out to bid from page 1 While construction firm Bulley & Andrews is serving as construction manager, the project is being broken down by trade. The park district released bid specifications for 20 distinctive trade packages. In doing so, PDOP hopes to engage the services of several companies to build the recreation center. “What we’re trying to do is to break it down so that we can remove as many barriers as possible to allow all different sizes of firms to participate,” said Arnold. To further prioritize equity and inclusion, the park district has been working with the Oak Park community organization AMENS Group, a mostly African American men’s group which advocates for the welfare of children. As a result of these conversations, PDOP has promised to have 25 percent of the construction carried out by women-owned and minority-owned certified businesses. “We are very excited about this commitment and to our knowledge the Park District of Oak Park is the first Oak Park government entity to establish such a goal for a construction project,” said Arnold. Contractors have until Nov. 5 to submit their bids for consideration. Facing increasing

building supply costs, the bidding process will aim to lock in costs, according to Arnold. Fundraising has been handled entirely by the Parks Foundation of Oak Park, a nonprofit that works closely with the park district while being separate and independent of the taxing body. During a Sept. 18 event, the parks foundation reported that 75 percent of its fundraising goal had been obtained through its “A Place to Belong” capital campaign. The name of the campaign is a reference to the park district’s plans to make the community recreation center accessible for all residents, regardless of age, capability level or income. “I really think it’ll be a huge game changer for our residents,” said Arnold. The land on which the park district will build the community center was also secured through a donation made by Stephen and Mary Jo Schuler, the latter of whom serves as the co-chair of the park foundation’s capital campaign alongside Dr. David Ansel. The parks foundation is committed to raising the remaining $5 million, according to Arnold and confirmed by Edward Kerros, vice president of the parks foundation’s board of directors. “They’ve done a tremendous job,” said Arnold of the parks foundation. “The parks foundation has worked so hard to help us get to this point,” said Arnold. As part of the campaign’s public fundraising phase, community members can purchase

tribute pavers for donations ranging from $250 to $2,000. While the park district’s board of commissioners voted unanimously Oct. 14 to pass an ordinance authorizing the park district to issue general obligation debt certificates in an amount not to exceed $6 million, Arnold was adamant that money will not go toward funding the community recreation center. “Those funds go into our capital improvement plan,” she said. “The parks foundation is still out fundraising. They’re committed to raising that remaining $5 million.” Likewise, a $400,000 donation from the village of Oak Park will not go into the rec center capital campaign coffer. Instead it will help fund the building’s ambitious effort to be a zero-emission project. Last March, the former village board voted unanimously to make a $400,000 contribution from the village’s sustainability fund toward making the community recreation center a zero-emissions building. Sustainability fund revenue is accrued partially through fees paid by single-family properties for refuse collection and composting, as well as through the village’s plastic bag fees. The village receives five cents from the 10cent charge on a single-use plastic bags in local stores. That money goes directly into the fund. At the time the village board made the commitment toward the community recreation center, Cara Pavlicek, then village manager, said the village’s portion of the fee

was generating about $10,000 a month prior to COVID-19. During that March 23 village board meeting, Ansell and Schuler told the village board that the park district was in the process of applying for a $1.6 million grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation. That grant, plus the village’s contribution of $400,000, would carry the building over the financial threshold needed to obtain zero-emission status, the co-chairs said. In addition to having a neutral carbon impact on the already put-upon environment, the community recreation center’s zeroemission standing will save about $80,000 a year in energy costs, said Ansell. Arnold announced this week the park district was awarded that grant, now worth $1.78 million, in an email to Wednesday Journal sent Oct. 27. The Illinois Clean Energy Foundation will fund up to 80 percent of the cost to make the building zeroemission, which Arnold said is estimated to cost $2.2 million. The slight increase in the grant’s worth is due to anticipated price increases related to that endeavor. The next hurdle facing the park district, said Arnold, is making sure construction of the recreation center comes within budget. She’s confident that it will be able to do so, as park district personnel have been doing some pricing along the way. “We’re excited to be at this point,” said Arnold.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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C R I M E

Woman groped while walking dog A woman, out walking her dog at 10:35 p.m., Oct. 29 in the first block of Chicago Avenue, was assaulted by a man who approached her from behind and forcefully grabbed her genital area outside of her clothing. The woman screamed and ran away. The offender was last seen heading southbound on Austin Boulevard then westbound on an unknown street. Police reports describe the person as a Black male, 5-feet-8 with a skinny build, light complexion and black ear-length dreads with brown tips, wearing all black clothing and black Nike tennis shoes.

Armed Robbery Amstar gas station, 622 Madison St. in Oak Park, was robbed at 7:09 a.m., Oct. 27, by a man in a ski mask, who walked behind the counter and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at the gas station clerk and demanded money. The victim handed over cash from the register and the man also took money from a red tray beneath the counter. He then exited the store and was last seen heading westbound. The estimated loss is $364. Police reports describe the offender as a Black male, about 6 feet in height with a heavy build. He was last seen wearing a black ski mask, black pants, white shoes and a black Pelle Pelle jacket with a fur-lined hood and a gold “PP” on the left breast.

Motor vehicle theft ■ A white 2020 Toyota Camry, rented by an Uber Eats driver, was taken after the driver left the vehicle running with keys in the car while dropping off a delivery between 8 and 8:13 p.m., Oct 25 in the 1100 block of Lake Street. According to police reports, the driver saw three men on Divvy bikes nearby when he exited the vehicle and a witness reported seeing the three men enter and drive off in the Camry, leaving the bicycles behind. The estimated loss is $24,000. ■ A gray 2019 Chrysler 300, parked in the 900 block of Ontario Street, was taken at 5:50 a.m., Oct. 26. The estimated loss is $30,000. ■ A gray 2015 Infiniti Q50, parked in the 200 block of North Grove Avenue, was taken between 10 a.m., Oct. 24 and 6:30 p.m., Oct. 26. The estimated loss is $20,000.

Burglary ■ Someone removed a white 5-gallon bucket, two cordless drills and miscellaneous hand tools from a gray Dodge Cara-

van with an unlocked passenger’s side door between 6 p.m., Oct. 25 and 7 a.m., Oct. 26 in the 100 block of South Taylor Avenue. ■ Someone broke the passenger’s side window of a silver 2006 Scion XB and took the vehicle’s radio between midnight, Oct. 15 and 6:31 p.m., Oct. 28 in the 400 block of South Boulevard. Loss unknown at time of reporting.

Theft ■ A Ruger 3758 compact handgun was taken from an Oak Park resident’s possession between 9 a.m., Sept. 21 and 9 a.m., Oct. 21 in the 400 block of South Humphrey Avenue. The estimated loss is $509. ■ Someone cut the catalytic converter off a black 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander while the vehicle was parked in the West Suburban Hospital parking lot, 3 Erie Ct., between 8:20 a.m. and noon, Oct. 26. ■ The catalytic converter of a Mitsubishi Highlander Sport was removed between 11 p.m., Oct. 25 and 8 a.m., Oct. 26 in the 1500 block of North Austin Boulevard. ■ Someone cut the catalytic converter from a 2009 Honda CR-V between 4:30 p.m., Oct. 27 and 7:35 a.m., Oct. 28 in the first block of Washington Boulevard.

Criminal damage to property ■ A witness observed a man throw a brick at the front window of a business in the 100 block of Madison Street at 8:50 p.m., Oct. 28. The estimated damage is $3,000. ■ Four male teenagers sneaked through the security fence and were observed by a witness spray painting a Chicago Transit Authority train car at the station at 1116 South Blvd. between 3:30 a.m. and 3:34 a.m., Oct. 29. The teenagers ran down the stairs of the platform and exited on North Boulevard. The estimated damage is $10,000. ■ Someone threw a pumpkin at the rear driver’s side door of a silver Honda CR-V between midnight and noon, Oct. 31 in the 300 block of South Kenilworth Avenue.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Oct. 27-Nov. 1 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

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OPRF students banned from attending soccer playoff against Evanston Action taken after unsportsmanlike conduct by fans during Oct. 26 win at New Trier By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest High School students were banned from attending the IHSA Class 3A soccer sectional final game on Oct. 30 against Evanston Township High School at New Trier High School, according to a message sent last week to families by OPRF Athletic Director Nicole Ebsen and obtained by Wednesday Journal. Ebsen wrote that the decision came after OPRF school officials became aware of a “pattern of unsportsmanlike behavior” and “extreme disrespect” displayed by their students at the conclusion of the sectional semifinal game played Oct. 26 against New Trier in Winnetka. The Huskies won the sectional against Evanston and moved on to the super sectional on Nov. 2 after the Journal’s print deadline. “Unfortunately, after discussion with the host school and the Illinois High School Association, we will not be allowing Oak Park and River Forest High School students to at-

D200

Single-tier frosh curriculum from page 1 During the Oct. 28 meeting, board member Ralph Martire asked Fiorenza a string of questions, spotlighting repeated concerns from parents on the district’s plans to restructure its freshman curriculum. Martire said one question that pops up often is whether changes to the freshman curriculum would “reduce the rigor” for “top-scoring students” to which Fiorenza responded “absolutely not.” Martire also confirmed with Fiorenza that recent school data has shown students, honors and college prep alike, have a wide range of learning abilities. In previous presentations, Fiorenza specifically cited results from a 2019 PSAT 8/9 exam which revealed that 80% of students in a college prep English course scored in the 50th percentile. That meant, students were “capable of honors-level work,” Fiorenza previously told Wednesday Journal. “You see that the one distinguishing factor

tend the game,” Ebsen wrote in the email. “We were notified that any such further behavior would come with severe consequences to our team, including the possibility of the IHSA removing the Huskies from the remainder of the soccer post season. Our student athletes have worked very hard, and it is important that we allow them the opportunity to continue their journey through the post season without interruption.” Lynda Parker, OPRF assistant superintendent and principal, told Wednesday Journal Monday that the high school has “excited fans” who have attended various sporting events this past season, including the Oct. 26 soccer match, and at times “have had choice words” for the opposing team. Those words, she said, could include OPRF fans’ reactions over plays or referee calls. On Twitter, a livestream video of the Oct. 26 game posted by an account called NT Boys Soccer Fans showed a group of OPRF students rushing onto the field after the final whistle, with a few running over to the New Trier fan section where one fan waved an OPRF flag while others appeared to taunt and direct gestures to New Trier fans in the stands. Parker said she received reports that some OPRF fans exchanged words with New Trier fans. “It was very discouraging, and so we felt that there needed to be a response from that,” she said, adding that the Oct. 26 incident was not an isolated one.

Parker confirmed that student behavior was an issue during OPRF’s IHSA regional final win over Niles West on Oct. 21 and briefly explained OPRF fans, adults and students alike, exchanged words with Niles West fans. One person who attended the game said the referee had to stop play twice to have Jason Fried, head coach of the Huskies boys soccer team, “address/reprimand the student fans.” Attempts to reach a spokesperson at New Trier High School for comment were unsuccessful. New Trier Athletic Director Augie Fontanetta, who also serves on the IHSA Board of Directors, could not be immediately reached for comment. Parker said the ban is not permanent, and she and other school officials are actively “monitoring the situation.” Students were allowed to attend the super-sectionals game on Nov. 2 at Barrington High School against Fremd High School, but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who will be “responsible for them throughout the entire

game,” she said. As Parker reflected on these recent events, she hopes families will focus on “what’s happening at sporting events in a larger context.” Parker said she and many other school administrators outside OPRF are experiencing various issues with student behavior, and in this day and age, it’s not uncommon to see adults display “unbecoming” conduct. With that, Parker is calling for parents and guardians to help. “I would ask parents to just be mindful of the fact that this needs to be done whether we believe it’s our child or not,” she said. “All our students could benefit from the reinforcement – that there’s a way that we act when we go to sporting events, and we want to be good fans, and we want to be good spectators, so that everybody wins in the end. And there’s a way to enjoy these events without antagonizing other attendees.”

happens to be that most of the students – the vast majority of the students – tracked into honors happen to be white and a disproportionate number of students tracked into the lower courses happen to be minorities?” Martire, who serves as the board secretary, asked Fiorenza. “Absolutely,” Fiorenza told Martire. “The data is very clear about that.” Martire concluded his comments by saying that it seemed this approach – restructuring the freshman curriculum – is “the best practice that’s in the interest of all our children.” Other board members, including Gina Harris and Kebreab Henry, echoed Martire’s sentiments. The two talked about an “inherent” idea or fear caught up in the concept of restructuring the freshman curriculum. “There is an inherent idea that because we are making it available to everyone that it has to be ‘dumbed down,’ and that idea comes from an idea of supremacy,” Harris said. “That it can only come from one place.” Henry said he had looked over the emails families have sent to the board and seen at least three common viewpoints. There were some parents who were worried about how the district will implement a new curriculum

plan, while others saw the restructured freshman curriculum as a step toward addressing the district’s academic inequities. “The third viewpoint I’ve been seeing is rather disappointing,” Henry said. “It’s disappointing because it involves statements such as ‘elite, high-performing students will suffer academically because we’re trying to help a certain group of students.’” “There’s [an] inherent fear of having more children of color in classes with white students who are deemed as high-performing,” he said. “One thing I’ve learned throughout my life is that racism doesn’t go away. … Failed racism is still racism – even if the intent is not especially stated. The result is the same: It’s inflicted harm, pain and trauma.” Before the vote, several parents and community members weighed in on whether the board should update three more freshman courses and continue D200’s efforts to restructure the freshman curriculum. OPRF parent Meg Lewis, who spoke during public comment, said she supported the district’s proposed plans and wished her daughters could be part of those new courses. “My own experience with my daughters

who are both Black and both in the honors track is that it’s an extremely isolating experience for them,” she said. “When I looked at the memo that was put out along with this agenda, and it noted that in honors English classes, 7% of students are Black, what that means in a class of 28 students, I believe is, is about two Black students.” “That’s pretty much what my children’s experience was in taking honors classes,” Lewis added. “I think they lost out because of that. I think that the message was sent to them and to other students.” Other speakers, including OPRF parent Ross Lissuzzo and former D200 school board president John Phelan, remained unconvinced that the district’s restructured freshman curriculum would have such an impact on students. They also voiced concerns over the board members’ and district administrators’ lack of robust discussions with the community. “The worst part is that there’s struggling students who need our help,” Phelan said, adding the cause of academic disparities has yet to be uncovered and the board’s vote that night was a “symbolic gesture” and “distraction from real solutions.”

TWITTER

Oak Park and River Forest High School students appear to taunt the New Trier fan section after the final whistle of the Huskies’ 1-0 win over the Trevians in the IHSA Class 3A sectional semifinal on Oct. 26 in Winnetka. Other OPRF fans also ran out onto the field in celebration.

Melvin Tate contributed to this report.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Dear Readers, This week we kick off our annual NewsMatch campaign. It is our most important fundraising campaign of the year. Between now and Dec. 31, we will be reaching out to you somewhat incessantly asking you to support our independent nonprofit newsroom. Over the past year our small team of reporters have filed hundreds of stories across our seven neighborhoods. It is why I believe you have come to rely on Wednesday Journal. For over 40 years, Wednesday Journal has produced journalism you can trust. Journalism that holds local leaders and institutions accountable and records and celebrates everyday life in our communities. To ensure the survival of this vital reporting, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Growing Community Media took over ownership and publication of Wednesday Journal and its sister publications in 2019. We are proud to be one of only 300 nonprofit newsrooms again selected to participate in the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) annual NewsMatch campaign. Our affiliation with the nationwide NewsMatch campaign draws in funding from individuals and organizations around the country who might not otherwise be aware of the essential community journalism our newsroom continues to produce across these neighborhoods. With the support of this national campaign, we have developed funds that will match your new monthly donation 12 times or double your one-time gift, up to $1,000 starting now and through New Year’s Eve. These are dollars that go directly into our newsroom. Building on the success of last year’s NewsMatch campaign, we were able to add an education reporter and are currently hiring an additional reporter to cover the West Side of Chicago. We plan to continue that growth into 2022. Our communities grow stronger with a vital and independent local news presence. Your support will help us continue to produce this kind of public-service journalism that you can’t find anywhere else. If you value the critical work we do, please give today! www.oakpark.com/donate or make your check payable to Growing Community Media at 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 With deep thanks for your ongoing support, Dan Haley Editor and Publisher Growing Community Media

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave.

Pleasant Home goes green Geothermal system will help cool building during summer, reduce energy costs

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

ne of Oak Park’s most notable homes is getting an upgrade -- one that involves a bit more than a coat of new paint. People passing by Pleasant Home at the corner of Pleasant Street and Home Avenue in the past few weeks might have noticed some large equipment in Mills Park behind the house. A much-needed upgrade to the home’s climate control has Pleasant Home going green with a new geothermal heating and cooling system. Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave., is owned and

operated by the Park District of Oak Park and Chris Lindgren, superintendent of parks and planning says that the new system has been a long time coming. A 2002 historic structural support survey identified upgrading the heating and adding air conditioning to the 1897-designed house as a way to make the home more enjoyable while protecting the historical elements and finishes. Geothermal systems work by moving temperature-conducting fluid through an underground system of pipes. The fluid uses the thermal energy of the sun deposited in the earth to heat and cool a home, as temperatures deeper in the earth are a steady 55 degrees Fahrenheit all year. A system of

more traditional-style ductwork in the home distributes the heated or cooled air. In recent weeks, workers with AMS Mechanical have been installing 12 wells in Mills Park -- each roughly 500 feet deep. Lindgren says these geothermal wells should last about 80 to 100 years. The equipment inside the house has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, akin to that of a more traditional HVAC system. Design engineer Mark Nussbaum of Architectural Consulting Engineers helped design an interior system to minimize impact on the historic home. Lindgren notes that Nussbaum is an Oak Parker with a professional history of working on historic buildings, including the recent upgrade of Unity Temple.

While the plan is for the exterior work to wrap up before winter weather impedes construction, Lindgren says the entire project should be completed by early April. “It’s exciting marrying this great technology with a historic landmark,” Lindgren said.

Comfort and preservation are key Lindgren says the new geothermal system will allow greater use of the house, which for years also housed the Oak Park River Forest History Museum before that entity moved into a new home in 2017. See PLEASANT HOME on page 22

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Crews from AMS Mechanical are busy drilling 12 wells, each about 500 feet deep, in Mills Park for the new geothermal heating and cooling system for Pleasant Home, which is owned and operated by the Park District of Oak Park.

PLEASANT HOME Sustainability lens from page 21 “The park district recently took over programming of the facility, and we were really limited with what we could do in the summer months,” Lindgren said. “With the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park, we are able to share and offer programming for adults that was lacking in the community. We wanted to bring that to Pleasant Home.” Lindgren adds that maintaining large, historic homes is expensive and notes that hosting events and weddings generates much-needed revenue. “Historic homes are so expensive to maintain,” he said. “These activities help us generate money to put money back into the homes so they last. The Pleasant Home is a National Historic Landmark, so we can’t just do what’s easiest and cheapest for maintenance.” Kevin Brown, director of programming and marketing for Pleasant Home says controlling the climate inside the building, especially during the summer, should boost attendance for programs. “This will definitely affect attendance in a positive way,” Brown said. “During the warmer months, there were plenty of people who probably did not take advantage of all that we have to offer because of the lack of air conditioning.” Brown says that the better temperature and humidity control will help with preservation of all of the house’s finishes. Woodwork, plaster and paint can deteriorate in high humidity, and the home has many painted murals.

“The house came with an important collection of original furnishings that will be better protected,” he said. Beyond furniture, Brown says that Pleasant Home displays many items manufactured by Mills Novelty Company, owned by the second family to live in the house. The Violano Virtuoso, a rare and intricate player piano-violin music machine manufactured by the company, for example, will benefit from better temperature control.

Environmental benefits Lindgren says a big driver in choosing a geothermal system was the environmental impact of the system, since “all of our decisions are made through a sustainability lens.” It won’t be the first geothermal system employed by the park district. There are similar systems in place for Austin Gardens’ Environmental Education Center and the Carroll Center in Carroll Park. When the state of Illinois came up with a grant to help offset costs, Lindgren says the move became more affordable. Of the $695,000 contract awarded for the project, he says that the grant covers $421,500. According to Lindgren, energy calculations show that with the geothermal system in place, costs to heat and cool the house year-round will be lower than what is currently spent on heating alone. The new system will be upwards of 50 percent more efficient than the current system. Brown says the environmental factor is going to be helpful. “To be able to heat and cool the house for less than it used to cost just to heat the house is pretty cool,” Brown said. “The fact that we get all of the benefits to the house and the collections, and it’s a lot greener, makes this a great upgrade.”

Our has an an Our community community has impeccable record of safety impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis during the COVID-19 crisis and we at nothing to make andwill we stop will stop at nothing sure it continues. to make sure it continues. We would be honored for your

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

We from wouldAMS be honored for your Crews Mechanical are busy drilling 12 wells, each about 500 feet deep, in family ours. family to to be be part part of of ours. Mills Park for the new geothermal heating and cooling system for Pleasant Home, which is owned and operatedImmediate by the Park Districtinofour Oak Park. Care Assisted Living Small House availability Memory

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PLEASANT HOME

“The house came with an important collection of original furnishings that will be better protected,” he said. 2800 Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, IL 60546 Beyond furniture, Brown says that PleasLimited availability! (708) 447-5092 | CaledoniaSeniorLiving.organt Home displays many items manufacfrom page 21 tured by Mills Novelty Company, owned by the second family to live in the house. “The park district recently took over pro- The Violano Virtuoso, a rare and intricate UNDER gramming of theCONTRACT facility, and we were re- player piano-violin music machine manually limited with what we could do in the factured by the company, for example, will summer months,” Lindgren said. “With the benefit from better temperature control. Cheney Mansion in Oak Park, we are able to share and offer programming for adults that Environmental benefits was lacking in the community. We wanted to bring that to Pleasant Home.” Lindgren says a big driver in choosing a Lindgren adds that maintaining large, geothermal system was the environmental historic homes is expensive and notes that impact of the system, since “all of our decihosting events and weddings generates sions are made through a sustainability lens.” much-needed revenue. It won’t be the first geothermal system “Historic homes are so expensive to main- employed by the park district. There are tain,” he said. “These activities help us similar systems in place for Austin Gar946 JACKSON, RIVER FOREST $834,000 :: 4 BED, 2.5Education BATH generate money to put money back into the ::dens’ Environmental Center and Buurma-built home. Great location. homes so they last. The Pleasant Home is the Carroll Center in Carroll Park. a National Historic Landmark, so we can’t When theCONTRACT state of Illinois came up with NEW PRICE UNDER just do what’s easiest and cheapest for main- a grant to help offset costs, Lindgren says tenance.” the move became more affordable. Of the Kevin Brown, director of programming $695,000 contract awarded for the project, he and marketing for Pleasant Home says con- says that the grant covers $421,500. trolling the climate inside the building, esAccording to Lindgren, energy calculapecially during the summer, should boost tions show that with the geothermal system attendance for programs. in place, costs to heat and cool the house “This will definitely affect attendance in year-round will be lower than what is cura positive way,” Brown said. “During the rently spent on heating alone. The new syswarmer months, there were plenty of peo- tem will be upwards of 50 percent more ef139 S GROVE, OAK PARK 646 N GROVE, OAK PARK ple who probably did not take advantage of ficient than the current $1,179,000 :: 6 BED :: 4.5 BATH $349,000 :: 2 BED ::system. 2 BATH all that we have to in offer because of theDistrict. lack Majestic Victorian central Oak Park Historic Bungalow great location. Brown says thein environmental factor is of air conditioning.” going to be helpful. Brown says that theKATHY better temperature “To be able to heat and cool the house & TONY IWERSEN and humidity control will help with preser- for less than it used to cost just to heat the 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 vation of all of the house’s finishes. Wood- house is pretty cool,” Brown said. “The fact tonyiwersen@atproperties.com work, plaster and paint can deteriorate that we get all of the benefits to the house in high humidity, and the home has many and the collections, and it’s a lot greener, painted murals. makes this a great upgrade.”

Sustainability lens

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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SPORTS Fenwick girls hoops coach Power to retire at season’s end

Friars legend who notched three state titles closing in on 1,000 wins By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Fenwick High School girls basketball head coach Dave Power announced Nov. 1 that he will retire from coaching after this upcoming season. He will remain on the faculty in the physical education/health department, according to Fenwick Principal Peter Groom in a press release from the school. Power says he doesn’t want his impending retirement to become a distraction for the Friars. “We need to remain focused on our goals for the up and coming season,” he stated in the press release. “During [state] tournament time, I always tell my seniors to play every game as if it’s their last -- because it very well may be. Well, that’s my approach for this ‘farewell’ season. I promise that I’m going to coach every game, including the state playoffs, like it could be my very last one.” Groom said Power’s hiring was one of the best decisions ever made by the school. He lauded Power for not only his athletic success -- he also coached the 1998 softball team to a third-place finish in the AA state tournament -- but also for making sure his student-athletes did their job in the classroom.

“While Dave had tremendous success on the court and the diamond, he was most passionate about the success of our girls academically while in a safe environment,” Groom stated in the release. “While many in our community played an enormous role in our successful transition to co-education, no one was as impactful as Dave.” Fenwick Athletic Director Scott Thies had Power as his physical education teacher while he was a student and saw why he was successful. “Coach Power was invested in all of his kids in wanting them to be successful beyond basketball,” said Thies in the release. “He built strong relationships with his athletes and in doing so, they responded to his coaching. He is a great example to all coaches, and I’m honored to call Coach Power a friend.” Power has coached high school basketball for 45 years, and has served as Fenwick’s coach for the last 29. Before arriving at the school, he spent 10 seasons at now-closed Immaculate Heart of Mary in Westchester and five seasons at Proviso West. Power has 997 career victories as a basketball coach. Only the late Gene Pingatore, who coached boys basketball at St. Joseph High School for 50 years, and Dorothy Gaters, who last week announced her retirement as Marshall High School’s girls basketball coach after 45 years, notched more wins. His teams have won three state championships, one at IHM in 1987 and two at Fenwick in 2001 and 2007. Both of the Friars’ championship teams were ranked second in the na-

FILE

Fenwick girls basketball coach Dave Power will retire from the bench next year after a career boasting more than 900 wins, three state titles and induction into three halls of fame. tion by USA Today. Power also coached the Friars to a state runner-up finish in 2003 and third-place finishes in 2000 and 2010. He has amassed nine trips to the Elite Eight, 12 sectional titles, 31 regional titles, and has won 16 consecutive East Subur-

ban Catholic Conference championships. He has also coached in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game and is inducted in the halls of fame of the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association, the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference and the ESCC.

Welin wins sectional race as Huskies place 3rd Top 10 rated OPRF heads to cross country state meet Nov. 6

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

JOSEPHINE WELIN

Oak Park and River Forest senior Josephine Welin not only continued her winning ways at the state’s toughest girls cross country sectional Saturday. She’s continuing to improve heading to the IHSA Class 3A state meet Nov. 6 at Peoria’s Det-

weiller Park. “I’m hoping to win, obviously, and run a good, fast time,” Welin said. “I’m very excited (for state), feeling more and more ready every single day. I’m happy to have some solid training, finally. I’ve been kind of busy and then my injury over the summer, but now I’ve had a good five weeks of training so I definitely

feel more fit and ready.” Welin and the third-place Huskies impressively qualified at the Hinsdale Central Sectional, which featured eight of the top 11 teams ranked in Class 3A by ILXCTF or MileSplitIL. Welin (17 minutes, 31.90 seconds) won the 3-mile race by 4.14 seconds over charging Downers Grove South senior Sophia McNerney at an always chal-

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S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

Friars cruise past Kaneland to take playoff opener Fenwick rallies from early deficit to topple Knights 50-14

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

In Illinois, the weather for high school playoff football can be less than optimal, with the distinct possibilities of cold, wind, rain and snow. The first three graced Fenwick High School’s first-round IHSA Class 5A playoff game against Kaneland on Oct. 29 at Triton College in River Grove. But, after a sluggish start due to penalties and turnovers, the Friars pulled away for a 50-14 victory. “It’s horrible for a quarterback. It’s like a monsoon out here,” said Fenwick quarterback Kaden Cobb. “You’ve got to fight through conditions sometimes.” Ball security is important when playing in the rain, and Fenwick (8-2) began the evening on a sour note with Cobb intercepted by Kaneland’s Alex Panico on the opening possession near his own 30. Gifted a short field, the Knights (5-5) cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown run by Anthony Urban. However, Kaneland’s kicker missed the point after, leaving Knights with a 6-0 advantage. The Friars responded with a quick scoring drive as Cobb found wide receiver Eian Pugh for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Iain Ramage’s extra point gave Fenwick a 7-6 lead at the 5:05 mark of the opening quarter. “We stayed composed,” Cobb said. “We could’ve easily crumbled after the interception, but we bounced back and did our jobs.” Later in the quarter, Fenwick defensive lineman Quin Wieties strip-sacked Knights quarterback Troyer Carlson, and Conor Paris recovered the ball at his 45. A 32-yard reception by Bryan Hunt Jr. got the Friars deep into Kaneland territory, but on the first play of the second quarter, Cobb couldn’t hold on to a snap, and Kaneland’s Jackson Marler recovered the ball on the Knights’ 7. But, the Friars’ defense immediately picked up the offense as Carlson fumbled on the next play and Conor Paris picked up his second recovery of the night at the Kaneland 13. It took Fenwick two plays to

find the end zone as Cobb scored on a 7-yard keeper. The Friars then tacked on two more scores -- a 1-yard run by Cobb and a 6-yard run by Jacque Walls (filling in for running back Danny Kent ) -- to raise their advantage to 29-6 with 6:04 remaining in the half. “Protecting the ball was key for us,” Cobb said. “We fumbled [in the red zone], but we got it right back from our great defense and scored.” Carlson’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Dom DeBlasio, followed by a two-point conversion, made the score 29-14 with 3:06 left be-

fore halftime. But Martin Paris’ subsequent 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was a backbreaker, and Cobb’s third touchdown run (9 yards) gave Fenwick a commanding 43-14 lead at intermission. Later, Max Reese scored on a 20-yard run to account for the final score. “Jacque has been telling me since Week 2 that he’s ready to go [at running back],” said Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia of Walls, who ran for 110 yards on 12 carries. “I told him his time was going to come, and he stepped up big time for us.” The Friars also got good efforts from two

players promoted from the program’s lower levels -- sophomore running back Will Gladden and freshman defensive end Nate Marshall. “Will was playing quarterback for the sophomores, and we called him up to play running back. He pounced at his opportunity,” Battaglia said. “Going into Week 10, we’re a little banged up, and adding these extra guys really helps protect the team and also gives us a spark.” Fenwick will travel to Rockford-Boylan for their second-round playoffs game. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 6.

lenging and weather-beaten Katherine Legge Memorial Park course. “I ran I think the best I could on the day in these conditions,” Welin said. “I feel like this course was a good challenge I needed to conquer, and the hills and the mud kind of kept me engaged in the race. I really like this course.” The Huskies (131 points), ranked No. 5 and 9 in the state polls, only finished behind Hinsdale Central (104) and Naperville North (111). Sophomore Katie Stabb (17th, 18:34.20), juniors Avery Minnis (30th, 18:53.97) and Natalie Quinn (43rd, 19:28.80) and senior Samantha Duwe (53rd, 19:40.00) rounded out the Huskies’ top five finishers, followed by

sophomore Lenny Sterritt (99th, 21:00.56) and junior Anne Stine (103rd, 21:19.03). Duwe and Stine had sat out regionals to help heal injuries. In the boys race, OPRF junior Liam Newhart (26th, 15:58.39) qualified individually as one of the top 10 finishers not among the seven advancing teams. As a team, OPRF was 10th (249) in a field with seven top-nine rated teams. Newhart’s mother, Colleen (Bolin), was an all-state 10th for the OPRF girls in 1994. “Her picture is on the wall in the school (for all-state). Hopefully mine will be too,” Newhart said. The Huskies’ other finishers were junior

Owen Augustine (51st, 16:16.50), senior Lou Delano (56th, 16:20.61), junior Nick Parrell (70th, 16:35.44), sophomore Michael Michelotti (73rd, 16:37.50), senior Adam Weiss (82nd, 16:47.06) and sophomore Daniel Johnson (118th, 17:41.10).

nior Grayden Rill (5th, 16:43.4) and senior Zac Daley (7th, 16:44.7) were top-10, all-sectional, followed by seniors Carl Lukas (21st, 17:30.5) and Lee O’Bryan (26th, 17:37.9) and sophomores Dean O’Bryan (30th, 17:44.7) and Christopher Kline (44th, 18:00.8). The Fenwick girls were ninth (199), 30 points from seventh, but all-sectional junior Bella Daley (3rd, 19:25.7) and junior Ava Martinez (26th, 21:16.4) advanced to state individually. The Friars’ other finishers were senior Mia Scharpf (57th, 22:29.8), sophomore Maddie Rogowski (62nd, 22:39.0), freshman Tatum Olson (67th, 22:56.3) and Francesca Reale (69th, 23:08.1) and junior Molly Weber (80th, 23:29.8).

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Fenwick running back Jacque Walls (1) made the most of his opportunity filling in for usual starter Danny Kent against Kaneland in the IHSA state playoff opener on Oct. 29. Walls scored a touchdown on a 6-yard run (above) and finished with 110 yards rushing on 12 carries.

Fenwick boys take sectional title In Class 2A, Fenwick has high state hopes after its boys cross country team won the Fenton Sectional 59-98 over Kaneland. The Friars, who have never won a state trophy in the sport, are ranked No. 2 to downstate Morton in both final regular-season polls. Sophomore Nate McKillop (4th, 16:43.3), ju-

S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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Whitney Young ousts OPRF from volleyball state playoffs Huskies’ finish year with 24 wins, return several key players By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Two of Illinois’ top girls volleyball teams met Oct. 28 at Oak Park and River Forest High School as the Huskies squared off against Whitney Young in an IHSA Class 4A regional final, and the match lived up to the hype, going three sets. But the visiting Dolphins gradually pulled away from OPRF and won the match 23-25, 25-23 and 25-14 to end the Huskies’ season. “Definitely not the outcome we wanted,” said OPRF coach Kelly Collins. “But it was a great match. Credit Whitney Young, they played a heck of a game.” OPRF started well, scoring 12 of the first 18 points. Young made a rally at the end of the opening set, but the Huskies’ Grace Nelson closed it out with a kill to give OPRF a 25-23 win.

The Huskies (24-14) led late in the second 21-20, but Young rallied to win the set. The Dolphins then scored the first six points of the final set to put OPRF in a hole from which it wouldn’t escape. “In the third set, our serve-receive fell apart,” Collins said. “That meant we couldn’t run our systems like we had the first two sets. We gave them too much of a lead.” The Huskies went on a 7-3 run to cut Young’s lead to 9-7, but after a timeout the Dolphins responded by scoring the next four points as they closed out the match with a 16-7 spurt. “This team is the queen of the comebacks. They’ve been doing that all season,” Collins said. “We made a game of it, but it wasn’t enough.” Concluding her sophomore season, Nelson led OPRF with 19 kills, three blocks and three digs. Other top contributors for the Huskies were junior Reese Garland (6 blocks, 2 kills), junior Maeve Moran (8 assists), sophomore Hannah Phelan (6 assists and an ace), and senior Cate Wollmuth (6 digs, 3 kills). With only four seniors graduat-

ing, there is potential for OPRF to field another high-quality team in 2022. The 24 wins are the most the program has had in Collins’ six-year tenure, and she’s already looking forward to the future. “Considering how young we were, we had a great season,” she said. “Our kids showed tremendous growth throughout the season and improved daily. I couldn’t be more proud of them, and we’ll be back stronger than ever next year.”

Fenwick falls at sectionals to St. Ignatius Having defeated St. Ignatius during the regular season, Fenwick had every reason to feel confident entering the rematch Nov. 1 at the IHSA Class 3A Nazareth Sectional. The Friars (22-13) came from behind to win the opening set 25-23, but then dropped the next two sets 22-25, 21-25 to the top-seeded Wolfpack, ending the Friars’ season. “I was so proud of how our girls played tonight. St. Ignatius had a little bit extra at the end,” said Fenwick coach Kathleen O’Laughlin. “That’s how a state playoff match

should be.” Fenwick was led by juniors Shannon O’Laughlin (9 kills, 3 digs, ace) and Maeve Welsh (7 kills, 23 assists). “Shannon and Maeve played great matches,” O’Laughlin said. “And I thought our seniors [Elise Heneghan, 16 kills, ace and Audrey Hinrichs, 5 kills] did a nice job leading us and helping us stay focused as a team.” O’Laughlin deemed the season a success, saying that this team was one of her favorites to coach because of how well the players worked together. And with Shannon O’Laughlin and Welsh returning next year, the Friars should field another good team. “We have some nice juniors, and they’re going to provide good leadership next year,” Kathleen O’Laughlin said.

Roadrunners’ size too tall an order for Trinity Trinity High School’s volleyball team overcame its lack of size to win its first regional title since 2018. But against host Nazareth in the IHSA

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Class 3A sectional semifinal round, it proved problematic as the Roadrunners’ Kathryn Hurta and Katherine Sandt -- who each are 6-foot-1 -- had big games to help end the Blazers’ season 11-25, 13-25. “Their size helped them,” said Trinity coach Ken Uhlir. “Nazareth is a great team and they brought it tonight. In order to beat a team like that, you’ve got to be perfect, and we were far from that.” After the opening set started tied 2-2, Nazareth took control by going on an 11-2 burst, putting Trinity (2512) in a hole. “I’ve got a young team with very limited experience, so the big stage affected them a little bit,” Uhlir said. “We had a game plan, but didn’t hit the mark on what we were trying to do.” Still, Uhlir was proud of the Blazers’ season, especially considering the youth of his squad. “We didn’t know what to expect, and for them to put together 25 wins it’s a great year,” he said. With 12 returning players, look for Trinity to have another strong season next year.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

VIEWPOINTS

Gentle on his mind p. 31

So what if I’m old?

very so often I have a flash of insight about my own internalized ageism. When it happens, I am both disappointed and pleased. To set the stage, I am driving to a doctor’s appointment at a major downtown medical center. (In case you’re wondering what the appointment is for, be patient, that might be the topic for a future column.) I’ve not been to this doctor before. I am rushing not to be late, and just a tad anxious about finding the correct office. Valet or self-park? A crowded parking garage, and now waiting for a god-awful-slow driver to back out of a parking space. (And no, the god-awful-slow driver is not an older person!) Following my hand-scribbled notes, I eventually arrive at the correct office and receive terrific care. I re-trace my steps back to the parking garage, walk to the level where I parked, but my car is not where I’d left it. I quickly recognize that I’m not on the correct parking level, and I can picture clearly what that level looks like. Not certain of the best route to my car, I walk up the ramp hesitatingly, about 5 or 6 steps, just to get my bearings and re-think the correct location. I smile to myself as I confidently turn and walk slowly to retrieve my vehicle. That’s when I notice her. A woman, standing in the middle of the pedestrian walkway on the parking garage ramp, watching me. I think to myself, “What’s wrong with her? She might get run over.” Then she approaches and asks if I need any help. What? Me? Need help? I smile and say “no” and “thank you.” That’s when I start seething inside. I am not the disoriented old guy who needs some pity help! How (bleep) condescending of her! I judge her ageism — that she assumes because of my appearance that I probably need some help. I am personally offended. Bruised ego. A bit outraged. And that’s when I catch myself with just a flicker of humility. Perhaps she just thinks I might need help, no matter what my age, and inquired. What’s so wrong with that? And besides, so what if I’d been a bit disoriented?! That’s my own internalized ageism. So what if I have a skin-flap under my chin? So what if I’m slower in line? So what if I’m old? And that’s when I am both disappointed and pleased. Disappointed in myself that I have once again reacted out of the deep habit of old is bad, young is good. And pleased with myself not just that I realize it, but also that I realized it so quickly this time. Marc Blesoff is a former Oak Park village trustee, co-founder of the Windmills softball organization, co-creator of Sunday Night Dinner, a retired criminal defense attorney, and a novice beekeeper. He currently facilitates Conscious Aging Workshops and Wise Aging Workshops in the Chicago area.

MARC BLESOFF

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Proposed new development at 7 Van Buren St. at Austin Boulevard.

Require adequate parking for 7 Van Buren

egarding planned parking for the 7 Van Buren building [Plan Commission hears 7 Van Buren proposal, News, Oct. 13]: Seventeen parking spaces for 45 housing units is epically inadequate. If the property can accommodate only 17 parking spaces, no matter how hard they try, then the building is too large for the space under consideration. Inadequate parking for planned housing should be a deal breaker in this village, right from the start. Don’t bring anything else up. Come back when you have appropriate parking plans. The proposed solution to inadequate parking? Adding a clause to the leases, prohibiting tenants from applying for overnight street-parking. This “solution” is a might ham-handed at best, turning a blind eye to reality in the world as we know it. Look at Evanston, Hyde Park, Lakeview, Logan Square: communities having a plethora of cars to park, despite the convenience of the el and other public transportation. Similarly, the Van Buren tenants will have cars that need to be parked. Count on it. Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’ or failing to provide adequate parking won’t make that reality go away. Two possible outcomes are anticipated: 1) Inadequate parking impeding the mix of middle-class and low-income residents, defeating the development’s primary objective. Few of the “typical” middle-class families I know, have one car. Most have a car for each adult in the household. Why? Their lives do not begin and end within walking distance

of an el stop, a bus stop, or their home. Oak Parkers have things to do, people to see, places to go outside of Oak Park. They go to places like Lemont, Oak Brook, Buffalo Grove, Olympia Fields: destinations where taking public transportation is inconvenient and use of drive services too expensive. (Uber to Olympia Fields? $50+ one way!) They use their cars to get there. Under the plan’s best possible scenario, 17 spaces give 17 units parking for one car each: none can have two cars without depriving a neighbor of parking. This plan presumes at least 28 units, i.e. 62% of the units, will have no vehicle. Ever. Is that reasonable? Those folks who realize they cannot rely on parking lot availability and that they cannot apply for overnight street parking, will not to move to that building. 2) Folks unfamiliar with the continuing “parking problem” in Oak Park will not expect that brand-new housing was constructed without sufficient parking, and that their “standard lease” contains a prohibition against applying for a street parking permit. Folks may discover the unusual prohibition when they start receiving parking violation tickets for overnight street parking and go to the village hall to find that they are prohibited from even applying for a parking permit. Why are Oak Park residents being put in such a foreseeable, untenable position? The commission is respectfully and urgently requested to prioritize and ensure appropriate parking when considering variances for new housing construction. Let’s start with 7 Van Buren. Joanne W. Schochat is an Oak Park resident and vehicle owner.

JOANNE SCHOCHAT One View

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

O U R

V I E W P O I N T S

V I E W S

OPRF focuses on every student

n decisive fashion last week the school board at Oak Park and River Forest High School unanimously and with enthusiasm approved the end of academic tracking for the school’s next class of freshmen. This action means that, by next fall, curriculum for English, history and world languages will join science as classes offering a single rigorous course for every student. Honors and AP classes will be folded into the single curriculum with the purpose of launching a new wave of freshmen students — yes, including students of color — into advanced courses in their next three years at the school. Math courses will be the only notable exception and will remain on a tracking system. While there are concerns among some in our community that this decision is somehow premature or needs more study or more input, our view is that the high school’s administration has moved steadily toward a necessary goal of bringing more students into advanced work while raising the bar for all students. This revision has been years in the making. It is the result of intense collaborative effort within the school and reflects the efforts of division chairs and faculty as well as top administrators. It was delayed once by a year for more scrutiny and planning time. It is not a panacea. There is no panacea. We would be disappointed if the project isn’t tweaked in multiple ways before its expansion next fall and improved annually thereafter. At this point the only failure for this district would have been inaction. Listening to critics is important, but slowing progress is unnecessary. Kebreab Henry, a District 200 board member, expressed at the board table a view that we fully endorse. He has heard the worries and the hopes of Oak Park and River Forest families about this major change. All valid, he said. What isn’t worthy of these equity-focused villages is the smokescreen puffed up that says the school’s “elite, high-performing students will suffer academically because we’re trying to help a certain group of students.” That’s thinly coded racism at work and it is unacceptable. Elite, highperforming white students will be just fine. They always are. The system, to date, was built for them. It is past time to at least tilt the system to the conscious benefit of other students, some of them white kids, who need a welcome and a hand and higher expectations set for them. This initiative is a decided step toward that.

Final chance at Lake and Lathrop It is described as the prime development site in River Forest. It has been described that way for a decade. And yet, the parcel at Lake and Lathrop remains undeveloped. A frustrated, trending toward angry, River Forest Village Board last week provided the developer an additional 90-day extension before it has to have a shovel in the ground. It is just the latest in an innumerable string of extensions given to Lake Lathrop Partners LLC and to the failed developer which preceded them. It is easy to make excuses. We’ve made them. We’ve reported them. The serious soil contamination of this site has made progress slow. Two real estate recessions have hampered financing. Now, though, the site has been scrubbed. Demolition is complete. The market for financing and selling units is good though not great. The project is right-sized, it is handsome, and the units are either priced and designed right for the market or they are not. This has to be the final extension. If this developer cannot meet the multiple precise markers the village has set in this agreement, then they will have had their chance. It will, painfully but properly, be time to start over.

Give us a break: Ban leaf blowers

t’s time to ban leaf blowers. Long past time actually. Not all leaf blowers, just the gas-powered kind. They’re a health hazard. They’re a hearing hazard. Most of all, they are an environmental hazard. And worst of all, there are viable alternatives: electric- and battery-powered leaf blowers that will do the job. Banning gas-powered leaf blowers is building momentum. More than 100 U.S. municipalities have banned or restricted them or are in the process of doing so. California is about to implement a statewide ban. Oak Park and River Forest should join this groundswell. Oak Park, in fact, already did. They passed a leaf blower ban back in 2003, then backed off when lawn-service companies came caterwauling. The village adjusted the ordinance to make it decibel-based, which is basically unenforceable — even if the village had the will to enforce it, which they don’t. Anyone who walks the streets of our town from spring through fall knows that whatever decibel level was set, it is easily being exceeded by these dinosaur jetpacks roaring away on almost every block, three seasons out of every year. They make as much noise as a plane taking off (more than 100 decibels), according to Monica Cardoza, who writes for Audubon Magazine, quoted by Margaret Renkl, a N.Y. Times opinion writer in her Oct. 26 column. What rankles Renkl, one of my favorite nature writers, is that “the gasoline-powered leaf blower exists in a category of environmental hell all its own, spewing pollutants — carbon monoxide, smog-forming nitrous oxides, carcinogenic hydrocarbons — into the atmosphere at a literally breathtaking rate. “This particular environmental catastrophe is not news. A 2011 study by Edmunds found that a two-stroke gasoline-powered leaf blower spewed out more pollution than a 6,200-pound Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck. Jason Kavanagh, the engineering editor at Edmunds at the time, noted that ‘hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a Raptor.’ “The two-stroke engine found in most consumer gas-powered leaf blowers is an outmoded technology,” Renkl writes. “Unlike larger, heavier engines, a two-stroke engine combines oil and gas in a single chamber, which gives the machine more power while remaining light enough to carry. That design also means that it is very loud, and that as much as a third of the fuel is spewed into the air as unburned aerosol. … “In his Oct. 2 newsletter, James Fallows

[longtime writer/editor for Atlantic Magazine] summarized the emissions problem this way: ‘Using a two-stroke engine is like heating your house with an open pit fire in the living room — and chopping down your trees to keep it going, and trying to whoosh away the fetid black smoke before your children are poisoned by it.’” If leaf blowers have a negative impact on the rest of us, imagine the impact it’s having on the lawn-service workers who wield them all day long. I hope they’re using ear protectors, but if they are, that’s a clear admission of the dangers of this particularly obnoxious technology. All of this is entirely avoidable. Viable alternatives are available. “For people committed to their manicured lawns,” writes Renkl, “the good news is that powerful electric and battery-operated leaf blowers now exist, and they are quieter and greener and healthier than gasoline-powered blowers. Their market share is also growing rapidly; electric equipment now represents roughly 44 percent of lawn-care machinery sales.” There is no longer any excuse for us to put up with these bloviating abominations. Banning them would significantly raise the quality of our lives and the quality of the environment. Our village trustees have been talking about increasing Oak Park’s commitment to environmental issues. Trustee Ravi Parakkat has proposed a “sustainability incubator” to help turn ideas into reality. Legislation banning gas-powered leaf blowers would be the perfect place to start if we’re genuinely serious about improving the local environment. No lip service, no back burners, pass it now. The lawn service companies will squawk, but they no longer have a viable counterargument. Last Saturday I passed someone using an electric leaf blower in the Hemingway Business District on Lake Street, the cord trailing out from one of the storefronts. This isn’t rocket science. It is perfectly do-able and not a burdensome investment. This isn’t too much to ask. But asking lawn services to voluntarily comply won’t work. They’ve proven that since 2003. They have inflicted their auditory assault on us (and their own workers) for 18 years longer than should have been allowed. I’ve been on this crusade a long time. I wrote my first leaf blower column exactly 20 years ago. It’s long past time for both Oak Park and River Forest to take this step. It will improve the environment, save our hearing and raise our quality of life. It’s time to ban gas-powered leaf blowers.

KEN

TRAINOR

V I E W P O I N T S D O O P E R ’ S

W E D N E S D A Y

M E M O R I E S

When order was the rule(r)

hen I was in elementary school, my teachers were dedicated not only to making certain that the students were well educated, but that we displayed good conduct. We were taught to have respect for others and also to understand what politeness meant and that poor conduct did not pay off. The code of conduct applied to the classroom, the playground, our homes, and to the community. The teachers were expected to maintain order because it is impossible to teach if the classroom is chaotic. At the beginning of each school day, we had to quietly line up for class in single file and no talking was the rule. Punishment for violations varied from teacher to teacher. My fourth-grade teacher had few occasions to administer punishment, but when it became necessary, she would make up a list of words related to the negative action and give the list to the offender. The offender would sit in a desk next to the teacher’s desk, and, using a dictionary, would write out the meaning of each word and tell what his/her actions should have been. Another penalty for poor conduct was having the fourth-grader stand outside of the classroom door for 15 minutes. While standing in the hall, I am certain that the student prayed the principal didn’t appear and direct the student to his office. One teacher took a drastic step with any student who uttered a disparaging word about a fellow student. The teacher would take the offending student to the principal’s office, and the principal would call the student’s home and request a parent conference.

If no one was home, the principal would keep calling until he received a response. In the meantime, the offender would sit in the principal’s office and work on class assignments. This same teacher would put a student in the open closet if he/she talked to another student while the teacher was giving instruction. It was almost unheard of for a student to utter a swear word in the building, but I once did. I had a part in the eighth-grade play, and I believed that I had my lines down perfectly, but when the moment came for me to speak, my mind went blank, and I said, “Oh, hell.” I could almost hear the shock waves go through the audience, and I knew I was in deep trouble. That afternoon the principal summoned me to his office. He was planning to suspend me for three days, which was the punishment for cursing, but I was able to convince him that my slip of the tongue was completely involuntary. If I had been suspended, I knew I would not escape punishment at home. My eighth-grade history teacher walked up and down the aisles in the classroom when she taught a lesson, and this, of course, killed any horseplay, especially since she carried a metal ruler. Once when a girl was giving a report on the Civil War, Jimmy Adams made a wise crack about the girl’s hair. Without hesitation, and with great speed, our teacher reached Jimmy’s desk and smashed the ruler down on his desk, which caused Jimmy to jump upward from his seat. Whatever their method, our teachers were no nonsense people, and a student quickly got the message that poor conduct would bring swift reprisal.

JOHN

STANGER

Writing your final chapter Life is a book. There are good chapters and bad chapters. When facing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, the last chapter can often be the most challenging. November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, a designation aimed at making the general public more aware of the disease and to help with knowledge of potential care options. My mother died of advanced Alzheimer’s and my sister currently has dementia. So I unfortunately do not need to be reminded that end-of-life planning with these conditions offers a specific set of difficulties and is best begun early. Even if dementia never touches you or your senior loved one, many of the steps taken to deal with it are beneficial for anyone facing advancing age. I belong to the Oak Park End-of-Life Options Coali-

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

tion which is the local group affiliated with Compassion & Choices. We are presenting a webinar you may find very helpful, “Preparing for a Dementia Diagnosis Now.” It will be on Zoom on Thursday, Nov. 18 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. You are invited to register at: //candc.link/ dementiatools. The tools to be discussed will give those planning care for themselves or loved ones the ability to ask questions and advocate for themselves in the event of a current or future dementia diagnosis. Information about these resources and other toolkits (in English and in Spanish) can be found at www.compassionandchoices.org.

Jane Llewellyn, RN, PhD

Oak Park

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

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■ Signature details as at left

your connection to the topic

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

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U S

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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‘Paris promised. Glasgow must deliver’

he UN Climate Summit, COP26, officially opened Sunday, Oct. 31, with delegates from close to 200 countries and NGO observer organizations, including Seven Generations Ahead, braving the Glasgow, Scotland rain early morning to make their entrance. Pre-COP 26 commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions put the planet on track for an average 2.7 degrees Celsius temperature rise this century, a United Nations report said last Tuesday. The core task at hand for COP 26 is for governments to make more ambitious pledges that put the world on track to limiting warming to below 2C above pre-industrial levels and ideally to 1.5C (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres called the current pledge gap a “leadership gap” that needs to be addressed at this summit. Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of UN Climate Change, in her address stated: “The devastating loss of lives and livelihoods this year due to extreme weather events clarifies how important it is to convene COP26 despite the impacts of the pandemic still being felt. Clearly, we are in a climate emergency. Clearly, we need to address it. Clearly, we need to support the most vulnerable to cope. To do so successfully, greater ambition is now critical,” she underlined. In addition to emphasizing that “Glasgow must deliver,” COP 26 President Alok Sharma, originally from Agra, India, highlighted four elements for COP26 to deliver the level of ambition required: ■ climate action plans to significantly reduce emissions

GARY

CUNEEN One View

PROVIDED

COP president, Alok Sharma, addresses delegates. by 2030 and reach net zero by mid-century, and to support adaptation to tackle climate threats ■ concrete action to deliver these plans, including agreements on reducing coal, electric cars, protecting trees and reducing methane emissions ■ to honor the 100 billion dollar pledge to fund climate action and adaptation in developing states, and ■ a negotiated outcome that paves the way for a decade of ever-increasing ambition. Heads of state arrive Monday and Tuesday. Stay tuned. Gary Cuneen is the founder of the environmental group Seven Generations Ahead, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. He is attending COP26 in Glasgow.

Wealth distribution reality

An Oak Parker told me it would be best to take money from rich people and give it to everybody else. Would it? If Robin Hood took one million dollars from each of the 614 American billionaires and distributed the money equally among the 258 million adult Americans, how much money would each person get? Two dollars and thirty-seven cents, according to my calculator app. Carter G. Woodson warned: “If no one is to enjoy the fruits of his exceptional labor any more than the individual who is not prepared to render such extraordinary service, not one of a thousand will be sufficiently humanitarian to bestir himself to achieve much of importance, and force applied in this case to stimulate such action has always broken down” (The Mis-Education of the American Negro, 1933). After the 1989 Tiananmen Square slaughter, Communist China tried capitalism. The result: they recently bragged of lifting 100 million citizens out of poverty. They also created income inequality and 389 billionaires by 2020. Under Mao’s equity redistribution economy, over 30 million people starved to death. This may be why people in China greet or greeted each other by saying, “Ni chi le ma?” meaning, “Have you eaten?”

Robert Sullivan Oak Park

Blackout Baking Co. 210 S Marion, Oak Park, IL (708) 948-7405

Congratulations to Blackout Baking Co. on their new store! blackoutbakingco.com

Among the Celebrants: Shana Taveras, Blackout Baking Co.; Dr. Mary Ann Bender, Weil Foot & Ankle Clinic; Michael Glab, Nutriquity; Chris Griffith, Oak Park Bank; Sam Yousif, Fuller Health Group; David Bores, Vintage Home Restoration; Rich Taveras, Blackout Baking Co.; Melissa Keshen, Nichole Hoppe, & Maria Jamroz, Forest Insurance; Carla Taylor, Baird & Warner; Susie Goldschmidt, Byline Bank; Jonathan Biag, Escape Factor; Trent Stoner, CrossFunction; Brian Dubina, OPRF High School; Sarah Abboreno Corbin, Beyond Hunger; Steve Cutaia, Village of Oak Park; Peg Dowling, Our Planet Automotive; Eleonore Weber, Your Life Security; Heidi Ruehle, UTRF; Darien Marion Burton, D M Burton; Jake Bucher, Dominican University; Greg Kolar, GATX; Dave Murphy, Kadampa Meditation; Mickey Agney, Kneaded Work; John Lynch & Eric Mazelis, OPEDC; Sharon Halperin, OP Assn of Realtors. Photos by Tina Harle

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

The friends who are gentle on your mind It’s knowing that your door is always open And your path is free to walk That makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag Rolled up and stashed behind your couch … That keeps you ever gentle on my mind.

“Gentle on My Mind” by John Hartford, sung by Glen Campbell

he lyrics came softly from the truck radio as I drove home from work. Having heard them a hundred times, it finally dawned on me that this was the best definition of friendship I have ever heard. Four things struck me in the lyrics. I am always welcome: “your door is always open”; anytime: “And your path is free to walk” for a long visit; and conversation: “that makes me tend to leave my sleeping bag rolled up and stashed behind your couch”; with unconditional openness: “that keeps you ever gentle on my mind.” “Friend” is priceless in its rarity and cheapened by its ubiquity. If someone tells you they have “739 Facebook friends,” that has about as much value as 739 Monopoly dollars. So how many friends can you really have? Anthropological research by Robin Dunbar, based on the size of animal brains and confirmed almost exactly by UK researcher Padraig Mac Carron, based on telephone records, tells us that we really have four “circles” or layers friends. Up to five very close friends, another 10 one circle removed, 30 more in the third circle, and 100 in the final group. Get two index cards and two 8½ x 11 sheets of paper. On the first card, write down the names of the five people to whom you feel closest. On the second card, write down the next 10. On the first sheet of paper, list the next 30. The last page, with 100 (really?) names of people you know, is the least important. Some thoughts on eligibility. Your spouse or life partner may well be in the first group,

BILL SIECK

One View

but even in a great lifelong relationship, not necessarily so. Family members? Not all necessarily in either the first or second circle. My list of 100 certainly includes the two women at different Dunkin’ Donuts who know my order so well, they pour it when they see my truck pull into the parking lot. A few weeks ago, I was having lunch with someone who before our lunch was in my group of 100 but who, given the honesty of our conversation, I would like to move to the group of 10. He made an interesting point that I’ve heard before from one of my brothers. “I reach out to someone and treat them as a good friend. They are always happy to hear from me and we have a great conversation. But then we don’t talk again unless I make another call.” The soft hurt in his voice over the absence of reciprocity spilled out onto the table between the remnants of our lunch. So I shared the obvious. The friendship was more important to him than it was to the other person. Turns out, this is not a rarity. As many as half of the people we consider our close friends do not consider us theirs. And that’s a two-way street. Half the people who consider us their close friend eventually realize we do not share the same sentiment. I found an interesting line in a poem (“Will You Ever” by Kaitlyn M. Lawn) that might ease some of the hurt: “I don’t think you will Ever fully understand How you’ve touched my life And made me who I am.” Perfect examples? Teachers, mentors, neighbors, caregivers, and even perfect strangers who were angels when we needed an angel but whom we never thanked. There is an epidemic of loneliness sweeping across our country today, especially among the young. Recent research by Cigna finds that fully 60% of us report feeling lonely. Robinson Crusoe, living on an island with a population of exactly 1, could reasonably say he was lonely. But with nearly 8 billion people on Earth and almost 334 million people in America, how is it that we’re lonely? Friends require effort, trust, and a shared vulnerability. Effort requires time, in short supply in our

Glen Campbell hectic workaday, high-achieving world. Trust requires even more time for repeated interactions for it to develop and grow. Vulnerability, while momentarily putting us in a weakened position, leads in the hands of a true friend to affirmation, strength and confidence. Meanwhile, the loneliness epidemic worsens. To complicate matters, friendships do not last forever, but the work of developing and keeping them does. We move. We change jobs. People die. Old friendships slowly evaporate; new ones sprout and grow. But sometimes, just sometimes, the afterglow of a great friendship warms us completely: “Though the wheat fields and the clotheslines And the junkyards and the highways come between us …

But not to where I cannot see you walkin’ on the backroads By the rivers flowing gentle on my mind.” It takes less than a handful of really close friends to both lengthen and enrich our time here on Earth. But that very small number takes effort, trust and vulnerability. Go back and look over the names on those two index cards. The secret to a long and rich life is written in “the ink stains that have dried upon (those) lines.” As I look over my lists, know that many of you are on them. I only hope my writings lie as gently on your minds as your responses do on mine. P.S. The song is really a thank-you to his ex, who both understood enough to let him go and cared enough to remain his best and perhaps only friend.

A lifeline for prisoners The Social Action Committee of Oak Park Temple hosted a book drive for Midwest Books for Prisoners the last week in October. This is half the amount of books that were collected. A car load has already been picked up and delivered to this amazing nonprofit organization.

Mel Weiss

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

Einstein, Chappelle and the First Amendment

have a poster in my basement with a quote from Albert Einstein, which states, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” I’m not going to lie. Those words weighed heavily on my mind as I purposely tuned into Netflix to watch Dave Chappelle’s The Closer special. I have never really been a fan of Chappelle because I didn’t have cable, so I never saw any of his shows. Then this latest special came out and caused such outrage from a certain segment of our society that my curiosity was piqued. Unlike many folks who profess to not be judgmental, I was in that mindset. I wanted to see and judge for myself the basis for all the hoopla being raised. One hour and 12 minutes later, I can affirm with 100% certainty that I stand with Dave, even though I personally didn’t care for the way Chappelle tossed the word “nigga” about. In the Ivory soap reality (99.9% pure), the words “fool,” “idiot,” “moron” or “brother” could have easily replaced his usage of the n-word at various times and not lost any of the effects of his commentary. However, what Chappelle did in that special was to juxtapose certain realities that we are not supposed to think about next to the propaganda we are being fed! His special was educating us in the most kiss (keep it simple stupid) method there is. I found myself nodding my head in agreement while also experiencing several light-bulb moments. I even laughed at some of the stuff. What Chappelle had masterfully accomplished was to educate us so that we gave deep thought to certain realities.

Thinking, as the great Einstein once stated, makes us more educated on the subject so that the wool can’t be pulled over our eyes. Thinking also gives us the opportunity to judge the different sides of a controversy. The ironies that Chappelle set forth also triggered my indignation buttons. As an example, rapper DaBaby kills a man in Walmart, and it’s really no big deal. His career continues without missing a beat. But DaBaby expresses musings that offend the gay community, and he is immediately shut down, his appearance at concerts cancelled, and made to apologize. Is that not a situation that should be pondered? At whose feet should the responsibility for becoming indignant be placed in the former? It’s the age-old battle of tolerant versus non-tolerant and where one falls in between the two. If the current cancel culture continues to thrive, why do we have a First Amendment that gives us freedom of speech? And if the current Chappelle controversy is about anything, it’s the ability of a comedian to offer humor, ponderings and musings without the swift sword of the cancel culture shutting them down. The presumed power of cancel culture may be at a crossroads — finding out just how far it can go or if it has met its limit from those with education who take offense at its burgeoning display of power. And that is good. Because any power that goes unchecked can become the exact monster it was created to prevent. Arlene Jones is an Austin resident and writes a weekly column in our sister publication, the Austin Weekly News.

ARLENE JONES

OPRF students need to curb the nonsense

Sweat every nickel

I just wanted to share my thoughts on the article that was written on the OPRF students [OPRF students banned from attending soccer playoff against Evanston, OakPark.com, Oct. 29]. My son plays soccer at Fenwick. On September 25, we played OPRF at the Priory Field in River Forest. The OPRF students were out of control using profanity toward our players and the ref. The ref stopped the game and had their coach speak to the students about their behavior. After the game was over the OPRF students walked to the Fenwick side and started chanting, “F*** you, Fenwick” and “Catholic pussies.” We, the Fenwick parents, were appalled by their behavior. A number of small children attended the game and were subjected to this nonsense. It was nice to see your article in hopes that the administration will take the necessary action to curtail the nonsense.

I am pleased to see that the Oak Park Village Board isn’t amused by the idea of spending $10,000 of taxpayer money for an ill-defined “sustainability incubator feasibility study.” A board should sweat every nickel of taxpayer money. While the Wednesday Journal editorially characterized $10,000 as “peanuts,” Oak Park has proven that they can fritter away millions of dollars’ worth of peanuts, a few peanuts at a time. There’s no point in incubating sustainability when the citizenry won’t buy into shackling the sustainability elephant in the room, namely autos. You’ll know the community is getting serious when slow streets are embraced rather than quietly disappearing, when segregated bike lanes a la Madison Street replace painted icons on the pavement, when we celebrate rather than bemoan the paucity of parking spaces, and when drivers yield the right of way to pedestrians even when a patrol car is not visible. As far as hiring a consultant, I suspect $10K will barely be enough to help you figure out what you even mean by the term “sustainability incubator.”

Chicago

Oak Park

Rigo Montes

Bob Stigger

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Defining and redefining ‘racist’

In regards to Michael Romain’s editorial on Stamped [Reading ‘Stamped’ accurately, News Commentary, Oct. 27], I find it difficult to believe that Adrian Johnson [Middle-school anti-racism curriculum bears reading, Viewpoints, Oct. 27] has not read the book “correctly,” when most of Johnson’s letter cites directly from the book itself. Nonetheless, Romain’s analysis of Stamped underscore some of the problems with Kendi’s views and with District 97’s new “anti-racist” curriculum. Almost no one would think that a conservative or liberal belief is in itself good or bad. Although we might take one side or another, we nonetheless admit the possibility of reasonable disagreement. The word “racist,” however, has a much different meaning. To most everyone, racism or racist beliefs are outside the bounds of reasonable discussion; they are inherently wrong and have no place in a decent society. The trick Kendi employs in his book is to define racism in a way that suits his own political beliefs, and to thus categorize any viewpoint that differs from his as racist. In this way, he frees himself from the burden of defending his ideology against reasonable critiques. So even though a majority of Americans might agree with Obama’s “Father’s Day speech,” or find Rev. Wright’s “God Damn America” speech excessively cynical, Kendi can simply label the former as racist, the latter as antiracist, and end all reasonable debate. While it is true that Kendi does not necessarily label people as such, the question is not who are the “bad guys” and “good guys,” but what are the “good beliefs” and “bad beliefs”? Is Kendi’s hierarchy of segregationist, assimilationist, and anti-racist beliefs accurate, consistent, or even useful? What policies should be considered “anti-racist,” and is opposition to or disagreement with an “anti-racist” policy a “racist” belief in and of itself ? Are disproportionate outcomes always evidence of racism, and when is it racist to believe they are not? Romain argues in his editorial that Obama’s speech was “flat-out” racist. If true, then it must follow that no child in our schools should be allowed to voice agreement with the President, because even though “lauded by people across the ideological spectrum,” Obama’s views are racist, and racist beliefs have no place in our schools. Although it is reasonable to expose our students to scholars such as Kendi, the new curriculum makes his views on anti-racism the new standard, which, by definition, labels any dissent as racist. However “correctly” one reads it, Kendi’s Stamped is overtly biased, and is riddled with conjecture, inaccuracy, and missing context. Our schools and parents need to recognize this, and make sure our students understand that the ideology of anti-racism is one among many other reasonable viewpoints concerning what racism is, where it is manifest, and how we combat it. To do otherwise will only encourage the cynical, narcissistic and tribal thought that continues to fester in the political climate of our times.

Doran Swan

Oak Park resident and D97 parent

Michael Romain’s uncomfortable truths

Mr. Romain: Every week as I turn the front page of the Wednesday Journal, I’m eager to focus intently in the graduate-level political science seminar you lay out in just one page. You get so much into so little space! Every time I do, I marvel at your keen insight, penetrating analysis, lucidbut-concise explication, and, above all, your tough-but-tender way of relating to us, your readers. You respect us enough to tell us often uncomfortable truths. And you introduce us to other essential voices that are unknown, at least to me.

Fred Reklau Oak Park

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

Tacos al Pastor at Tacos 76

you can still find many Frenchn a 2019 trip to Mexico inspired pastries in Mexico City City, we went to some bakeries. Pigs arrived in the new fancy restaurants — like world with the Spanish, and taQuintonil and Contracos al pastor use the indigenous mar — but the best food tortilla to enfold pork, cooked on we had, the food that delivered a spit. Spit-roasting is a cooking the most joy and by far the best technique brought to Mexico value for the peso, was purby the Lebanese, who are also chased from street vendors. Of responsible for the taco el arabe, all the street food we’ve enjoyed which is lamb (usually unmariin Mexico, a personal and perennated), cooked shawarma-style nial favorite is tacos al pastor. and sliced onto a pita. Tacos al pastor — or tacos In Mexico City and elsewhere “in the style of shepherds” — throughout the country, tacos al are simply tortillas filled with Local Dining pastor are filled with meat cut marinated spit-roasted pork, & Food Blogger off the trompo, the cone of spitwith tender pieces of cooked ted meat, crowned with a chunk pineapple, and sometimes onion, of pineapple, which is traditioncilantro, or salsa. ally mounted on top and grilled along with Tacos al pastor originated in the Mexican the marinated pork. Accomplished street state of Puebla, a region rich in culinary vendors demonstrate their remarkable dexhistory that also gave the world mole pobterity and knife-craft by skillfully slicing off lano, the dark red-brown sauce containing chunks of meat from the trompo and then dozens of ingredients, as well as chalupas, delicately flipping little pieces of pineapple the small tortillas, fried and topped with and sometimes onion onto the meat in the meat and salsa. tortilla. Many Mexican foods reflect foreign Grilling meat on the trompo maximizes influences. Tortas ahogadas, the crusty flavor by allowing the delicious meat and bread rolls filled with meat and “drowned” pineapple juices to drain down, adding to the in tomato sauce, reflect the influence of flavor of the meat all along the way. Pineapthe bread-loving French who occupied the ple is an excellent accompaniment, not only country under Emperor Maximillian — and

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Tacos al pastor for its sweet acidity, which complements the pork, but because it contains bromelain, a protein-digestive enzyme, which tenderizes the meat and helps us digest it. At Oak Park’s recently opened Tacos 76 (838 Madison St.) I ordered a lunch of two tacos al pastor. The meat was crisp, which is a major plus, but the pineapple was barely warm. Now I’m no stickler for authenticity, but I would argue that the deliciousness quotient of pineapple — a traditional accompaniment to pork — is enhanced by letting it cook and caramelize just a little bit. A few

slivers of the pineapple are best on tacos al pastor, so that the flavors don’t overwhelm the marinated pork, the star of the show. November is Native American Heritage Month, and food like tacos al pastor is just one of the very many culinary gifts of the indigenous people from the far southern edge of North America. To honor the many contributions of indigenous cooks, have a taco al pastor from Tacos 76 (which, alas, does not yet have a website), Tacos el Tio #4, or Taco Mucho, which offers a chicken al pastor, suitable for those avoiding pork.

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

Dick Snyder, 92

Barbara Carlson, 88

Richard “Dick” Snyder, 92, an Oak Park resident since 1960, died on Oct. 26, 2021. Born on Aug. 13, 1929 in Chicago, at the age of 9 he learned to play a bugle in the George Bell Drum & Bugle Corps. He taught himself to play trumpet and music became his passion. After graduating from Austin High School, he was drafted into the Army. At Fort Eustis, he helped start a drum corps. He taught and marched with them through his tour of duty. Upon discharge he went to work at Automatic Electric, and marched with the Skokie Indians Drum & Bugle Corps which won three national championships. He taught Drum and Bugle Corps skills to many youngsters through the years, including the newly formed Chicago Cavaliers. His love of music led him to play with the Concordia University Concert Band and to sing in the shows at Ascension Parish, which led to his joining the Schola Choir at the church. Dick met his wife, Louise Bardos, at practices for the Cavaliers, where she was on the staff. They married in 1955 and raised five children. In 1960 they moved to Oak Park and never left. They moved from their home on Scoville to a condo on Kenilworth, and finally retired to the Oak Park Arms, where he became very ill from Alzheimer’s and had to be transferred to Memory Care at Belmont Village in Oak Park, where he died peacefully. He is survived by his wife Louise and their sons, John and Jim, and daughters Cathi and Mary. He was preceded in death by his son Joe. A memorial mass will be celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. at Ascension Church, 808 S. East Ave, Oak Park. In lieu of flowers, donations to Ascension School would be appreciated.

Barbara J. Carlson (nee Gehrke), 88, a longtime resident of Oak Park, died on Oct. 4, 2021. A graduate of Proviso High School and Concordia College, with an associate degree at Triton College, she was a dedicated employee for 50 years at First Bank of Oak Park. A committed volunteer for many years with the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, she was also a choir member at Grace Lutheran Church of River Forest. Barbara was the wife of the late Gene M. Carlson, the aunt of Robert (Mary) Clauss, Douglas (Rebecca) Clauss and Nancy (Bob) Firth, the kind sister-in law to Ellen (John) Welk, and the aunt and great aunt to many. Memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 10 a.m. until the time of service, 11 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 Division St., River Forest 60305. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Grace Lutheran Church at www.graceriverforest.org are appreciated.

Musician, Drum & Bugle Corps leader

Worked at First Bank of Oak Park

Joe McCormick, 76

Golfer, bowler and longtime Oak Parker Joseph C. McCormick of Oak Park, 76, died on Oct. 26, 2021. Born on Feb. 15, 1945 and raised in Hanover, Illinois, he graduated from Loras College in 1967, where he became known as “Poker Joe”. He married in 1970 and moved to Oak Park where he raised his family. An avid golfer and bowler, he loved the Cubs and Bears. To know Joe was to love him. Joes was the husband of Mary Beth (nee Bailey); the father of Edward “Ted” McCor-

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mick, Kate (late Donard) Lucey, Theresa (Ken) Callero, Molly (Jeremiah) Sullivan, and the late Martin; grandfather of Ciara, Paddy and Liam Lucey and Charlie, Ella, Jocelyn and Joe Callero; brother of Louise McCormick and the late Dennis (Elizabeth) McCormick; and son of the late James and Helen (nee Sullivan) McCormick. Services were held on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Hanover, followed by interment at Evergreen Cemetery in Hanover. Arrangements were handled by Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home.

Rev. William Kenneally, 85

Former associate pastor at St. Edmund Rev. William G. Kenneally, 85, pastor emeritus of St. Gertrude Parish on Glenwood Avenue in Chicago, died on Oct. 28, 2021. Born on Nov. 20, 1935, in Chicago, he attended Maternity BVM School and Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago, and the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein. Ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1961, by Cardinal Albert Meyer, he celebrated his first solemn Mass on May 7 at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Chicago. He served the Archdiocese of Chicago as assistant pastor at St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Park Ridge, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish on Wood Street in Chicago and Immaculate Conception Parish on North Park Avenue, also in Chicago. Kenneally later served as associate pastor at St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park and St. Nicholas Parish in Evanston. In 1984, he served as pastor at St. Gertrude Parish until he became pastor emeritus in 2006. Visitation was held on Nov. 1, 2021, followed by a prayer service at 8 p.m. led by Rev. Dominic Grassi. The funeral Mass took place at 10 a.m. Nov. 2 at St. Gertrude Parish, 1420 W. Granville Avenue in Chicago. Rev. Gerald Joyce, a retired classmate of Kenneally, was the main celebrant and homilist of the funeral Mass. Interment will be held at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines.

Bill Leavy, 75

Founded Greater West Town William (Bill) Leavy, of Oak Park, a lifelong advocate for economic and social justice, and the founder of the Greater West Town Community Development Project on Chicago’s West Side, died on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. Born on Nov. 13, 1945, he studied at the University of Chicago Divinity School and Loyola University Chicago. He began his career of community service by teaching world religions in Chicago Catholic high schools. He was a mentor to scores of young social service professionals

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM and educators seeking to make a difference in the city, and an irrepressible and unpretentious spirit who loved life. He was an innovator in creating and delivering highly effective anti-poverty and workforce development programs to serve the unemployed and under-employed residents of West Town, East and West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and North Lawndale. He was among the first to draw attention to a long-ignored dropout crisis affecting the city’s African-American and Latino youth. He worked with Chicago Tribune journalists to publish a ground-breaking series of investigative reports on the scale and severity of the CPS dropout crisis, and called on Chicago Public Schools to address it. He founded the Greater West Town Community Development Project in 1988, after several years’ experience working for other nonprofit agencies, including Association House of Chicago, where he created a program to re-enroll high school dropouts. He also helped to design a plan for local community economic development. When he set out to follow his own vision for expanding educational and economic opportunities for low-income adults and youth, he created industrial skills-training programs for adults in close partnership with local employers and small- to mid-sized manufacturing companies. The Greater West Town “Community Business Partnership” became a model for other agencies, and was the basis of a highly effective state-funded program, the Job Training & Economic Development (JTED) program. After founding Greater West Town, he designed another alternative high school, the West Town Academy, to address the needs of high school dropout youth, one accredited to grant high school diplomas. Greater West Town is housed today in a former manufacturing building, for which he spearheaded a unique funding partnership utilizing Tax Increment Financing and state and federal New Market Tax Credits to renovate the structure. He was always challenging and encouraging local, state and federal policy makers to provide more targeted resources and flexible programs to address the needs of communities whose residents have multiple barriers to educational and employment opportunities. He testified before Congress and engaged key decision makers in contemporary debates over government spending priorities. Greater West Town has frequently hosted state and federal officials, including members of President Obama’s Administration, who wanted to see successful job training programs in action. Bill Leavy is survived by Jacqueline (Jackie) Leavy, his wife of 43 years; his three children, Norah Leavy-Jarczak (Chris Jarczak), Patrick Leavy, and Clare Leavy; two grandsons, Ryan and Evan Jarczak; two brothers, Michael (Patricia) Leavy and Jack (Nancy) Leavy; his sister, Mary Leavy-Reeves (Tom Reeves); and 16 nieces and nephews, their spouses and children. Visitation will be 3-9 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Peterson-Bassi Chapels 6938 W. North Ave., Chicago, with the funeral at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4 at First Baptist Congregational Church, 1613 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago. In lieu of flowers memorials to Greater West Town Community Project, 500 N. Sacramento Blvd., Chicago, IL 60612, www.gwtp.org, are appreciated.

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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HELP WANTED • NETWORK SPECIALIST Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job. DEFINITION To perform various network/system administration, computer support, and operational activities for the Village including computer system setup, configuration, and testing. SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED Reports directly to the Information Technology Services Director. EXAMPLE OF DUTIES: Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: Essential duties and responsibilities 1. Ensure that best in class customer service is provided to both internal and external customers and also embrace, support, and promote the Village’s core values, beliefs and culture. 2. Configure, test, and deploy network systems, such as, firewalls, routers, switches, wireless equipment, network servers and storage arrays. 3. Configure, test, and deploy system servers, such as, file, print, Internet, e-mail, database, and application servers. 4. Configure, test, and monitor server and end-user systems for security, such as, user accounts, login scripts, file access privileges, and group policy management. 5. Configure, test, and deploy end-user systems, such as, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software. 6. Test, configure, deploy, and support security systems, such as, facility access system, video & audio system. 7. Monitor and auditing of networks, systems, and user activities to ensure security and efficiency of systems. Create scripts and reports of detail activities for regular review. 8. Perform and participate in disaster recovery activities, such as, backup procedures, data recovery, and system recovery planning. 9. Assist end-users with computer problems or queries. Troubleshoot systems as needed and meet with users to analyze specific system needs. 10. Ensure the uniformity, reliability and security of system resources including network, hardware,

software and other forms of systems and data. 11. Prepare, create and update user/technical procedure documentations and provide computer training. 12. Assemble, test, and install network, telecommunication and data equipment and cabling. 13. Participate in research and recommendation of technology solutions. Other important responsibilities and duties 1. Train users in the area of existing, new or modified computer systems and procedures. 2. Participate in the preparation of various activity reports. 3. Travel and support remote facilities and partner agencies. 4. Operate, administer and manage the Village and Public Safety computer systems, including E-911 center, in-vehicle computer systems. 5. Prepare clear and logical reports and program documentation of procedures, processes, and configurations. 6. Complete projects on a timely and efficient manner. 7. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing. 8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. 9. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required. QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of: Principals and procedures of computer systems, such as, data communication, hierarchical structure, backups, testing and critical analysis. Hardware and software configuration of. computers, servers and mobile devices, including computing environment of Windows Server and Desktop OS and applications, Unix/Linux OS, VMware, iOS/Android. Network protocols, security, configuration and administration, including firewalls, routers, switches and wireless technology. Cabling and wiring, including CAT5/6, fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down. Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, analog, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant. Principles and methods of computer programming, coding and testing, including power shell, command scripting, macros, and

VB scripts. Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment. Technical writing, office productivity tools and database packages. Ability to: Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following: - Walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time - Operating assigned equipment - Lift 50 pounds of equipment, supplies, and materials without assistance - Working in and around computer equipped vehicles Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for: - Making observations - Communicating with others - Reading and writing - Operating assigned equipment and vehicles Maintain mental capacity allowing for effective interaction and communication with others. Maintain reasonable and predictable attendance. Work overtime as operations require. Experience and Training Guidelines Experience: Three years of network/system administration in the public or private sector, maintaining a minimum of 75 Client Workstation computers. AND Training: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in computer science or a related field. Certifications in Microsoft Server Administration, Networking, Applications and Cisco Networking. Possession of a valid Illinois Driver License is required at the time of appointment. Vaccination against COVID-19 strongly preferred. WORKING CONDITIONS Work in a computer environment; sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time; continuous exposure to computer screens; work in and around computerized vehicles outdoor and garage facility; lifting heavy equipment, communication cabling and wiring into walls and ceilings.

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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 Seasonal Farmers’ Market Manager The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Manager in the Health Department. This position manages the Oak Park Farmer’s Market including the vendors that sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This is a part-time seasonal position with work from January-mid November and work required on Saturday’s from May through October. 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. Open until filled.

LEARN TO SWIM CORRDINATOR PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK The Learn to Swim Coordinator is responsible for the implementation, administration, and day to day operations of the swim lessons at the Park District of Oak Park, as well as assisting in the training of the lifeguard staff. This position will act as a mentor to instructors and substitute teach as needed. Extensive swimming background and experience instructing all levels of swimmers required. Hours: This is a part-time, year round position. Not to exceed 999 hours. Fall/Winter - Tuesday & Wednesday evenings & Sunday morning-afternoon, 10-15 hours per week. Summer - weekday mornings and afternoons & weekends, 40 hours per week. Salary: $17.50/hour To view full job description and to apply, go to www.pdop.org/jobs https://www.paycomonline.net/ v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails? job=41591&clientkey= 41D8300184906117978771C10E 755DC6 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.

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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. Resident Services Specialist The Village of Riverside (pop. 9,298) is just 9 miles from downtown Chicago and is a National Historic Landmark Community designed by visionary landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The Village is seeking applicants for a full-time Resident Services Specialist. The position reports to the Assistant Village Manager and is responsible for assisting residents with bill payment, building permit submissions and resident inquiries. The Resident Services Specialist enters and monitors all cash receipts and building permit processing. This position regularly interacts with residents in person and over the phone. Riverside is looking for an individual with excellent customer service skills and who is quick to learn new processes and systems. The successful individual will have an excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills and be comfortable using computers including utilizing a building permit and cash receipting software, Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.

Minimum requirements: • High School Diploma or equivalent; • Previous municipal experience preferred. Hourly Pay range: $15.36 to $24.82 per hour with expected starting salary $20+/- per hour ($41,600 estimated annual income). The Village of Riverside offers a generous beneﬁt plan including medical, dental, vision, life insurance and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension; paid vacation, personal, sick and holiday time. Application review starts Thursday November 11, 2021. Apply Today! Send cover letter, resume, application and three work related references by e-mail to Ian Splitt at isplitt@riverside.il.us. Resident Services Specialist The Village of Riverside (pop. 9,298) is just 9 miles from downtown Chicago and is a National Historic Landmark Community designed by visionary landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The Village is seeking applicants for a full-time Resident Services Specialist. The position reports to the Assistant Village Manager and is responsible for assisting residents with bill payment, building permit submissions and resident inquiries. The Resident Services Specialist enters and monitors all cash receipts and building permit processing. This position regularly interacts with residents in person and over the phone. Riverside is looking for an individual with excellent customer service skills and who is quick to learn new processes and systems. The successful individual will have an excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills and be comfortable using computers including utilizing a building permit and cash receipting software, Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. Minimum requirements: • High School Diploma or equivalent; • Previous municipal experience preferred. Hourly Pay range: $15.36 to $24.82 per hour with expected starting salary $20+/- per hour. Anticipated schedule of 20-25 hours per week. The Village of Riverside will also be offering generous Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pension beneﬁts. Application review starts Thursday November 11, 2021. Apply Today! Send cover letter, resume, application and three work related references by e-mail to Ian Splitt at isplitt@ riverside.il.us.

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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

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Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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HELP WANTED

Building Inspector The Village of Riverside (pop. 8,900) is located just 9 miles from downtown Chicago and is a National Historic Landmark Community designed by visionary landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The Village is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer. The position reports to the Assistant Village Manager and is responsible for compliance with Village ordinances dealing with zoning, property maintenance, building, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work and related codes to ensure successful development and building efforts. The inspector coordinates all activities for the issuance of building permits, interacts with residents, consultants and staff, with an emphasis on providing equitable and respectful service while fostering fair outcomes. Riverside is starting several exciting initiatives, including launching a rental inspection and registration program and integrating the permitting system with GIS, enhancing opportunities for streamlined operations. The Village is supportive of professional and personal development and encourages staff to approach problems with innovation, creativity, and compassion. This Inspector will guide installation of effective programs, set professional expectations for themselves and others, and will be an authority in Riverside’s building and code enforcement operations, providing technical recommendations to Village staff, elected officials, and the public.

The successful individual will have a thorough knowledge of ICC Building and Mechanical Codes, National Electric Code and State Plumbing Code, and a comprehensive understanding of zoning principles, excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills and be comfortable using computers including utilizing a building permit software, Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. The minimum preferred requirements for this position are: • Two years of course work in building technology or an Associate’s degree in a related field such as Architectural, Civil or Structural Construction Science, or any combination of education, training and experience; • Must have ICC Residential Building Inspector and Property Maintenance certifications; • Residential Building Plan review certification preferred or must be obtained within one year of employment; and • Previous municipal experience preferred. • A driver’s license, valid in permanent place of residence, is required. Range for annual income is $52,000 – $83,200. Hourly pay range $25 to $40 with expected starting salary $30+/-. The Village of Riverside offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit plan which includes generous contributions to medical, dental, vision, life insurance and the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund, optional 457 plans, and paid vacation, personal, sick and holiday time.

Application review starts Thursday November 11, 2021. Apply Today! Send cover letter, resume, application and three work related references by e-mail to Ian Splitt at isplitt@ riverside.il.us. HOME HEALTH ASSISTANCE River Forest family seeking overnight in-home healthcare assistance. Nursing students, Respiratory Therapists, CNAs, LPNs, RNs, etc. welcome. For more information, contact kpatterson10@gmail.com.

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PLASTERING ALL NEW KITCHEN Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, STUFF: McNulty Plastering 432 CIRCLE AVENUE Muscle Cars, &Ferrari’s, Stucco Co.Jaguars,SAT 11/06 & SUN 11/07 Small & big work. Free estimates. Mustang & Mopars 9AM – 4PM Complete Plaster, Stucco

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.

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

& Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Collector James

PLUMBING 630-201-8122 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

Free Estimates!

708-955-7844

johnlavin530@gmail.com License #PR-1234

WOOD

FIREWOOD UNLIMITED

Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH

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.

Call 312-339-2370

Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available

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

SUBURBAN RENTALS 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. 708-657-4226

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.

CICERO 3724 S 53RD CT

A beautiful 2 ﬂat in South Cicero off 35th st. Features include 3 bedrooms, central air, garage parking. Modern appliances include dishwasher. Utilities separate. $1,700 per month plus security. Lease with option to buy possible. 708-383-8223 or 773-676-6805

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 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

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

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICES

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK COMMUNITY DESIGN COMMISSION HEARING DATE: November 18, 2021 TIME: 6:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits CALENDAR NUMBER: 03-21-DRC APPLICANT: GW Oak Park LLC ADDRESS: 6831 North Avenue, Oak Park, IL REQUEST: The Applicant, GW Oak Park, LLC, is seeking a variation from Section 7-7-15 (D) (1) (b) of the Village of Oak Park Sign Code, which requires that walls signs for a corner lot shall only be located along the front or corner side lot line of the building, in order to install a “Physicians Immediate Care” sign on the west elevation of the building, a location where there is not street frontage at the premises commonly known as 6831 North Avenue. A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Community Design Commission will conduct a remote meeting with live audio available and optional video. The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/ commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which

is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT U-Verse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7(e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an in-person meeting is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the meeting due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Public statements of up to five minutes may be made during the meeting. A limited number of written comments will be read into the record at the meeting, all will be placed on the record. To provide public comment at the meeting, you must email a request to zoning@oak-park.us, indicating an intent to speak at the meeting. Requests must be received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. If email is not an option, you can drop comments off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, to be received no later than the day prior to the meeting. The public hearing may be adjourned by the Commission to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

PUBLIC NOTICES

A public hearing of the President and Board of Trustees (“Board”) of the Village of Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois, regarding the Village of Oak Park tentative annual budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2022 and ending December 31, 2022 will take place on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. remotely. The public hearing also will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www. oak-park.us/boardtv, as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT U-verse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is being conducted pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an in-person public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Written comments may be provided no later than 6:00 p.m. on November 15, 2021 by email to

PublicComment@oak-park.us. The individual’s name and comment will be read into the record at the public hearing. If email is not an option, a written comment may be placed in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box by the south entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 15, 2021. An individual also may request to make a comment by telephone during the meeting by emailing the request to PublicComment@oak-park.us. Questions regarding public comments may be directed to 708.358.5672 or sent by email to clerk@oak-park.us. The tentative annual budget is available for public inspection prior to the public hearing at the Office of the Village Clerk, Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, during regular business hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The hearing may be continued by the Board to another date at the public hearing by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof. The tentative annual budget may be revised and adopted by the Board without further notice or hearing.

Published in Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

LEGAL NOTICE 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

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

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 16th, 2021 for the following BID 21-138 VILLAGE OF OAK PARK 2021-22 Calcium Chloride & Salt Brine Purchase REQUEST FOR PRICES Bid forms may be obtained from the Public Works Customer Service Center by calling 708-358-5700 or by stopping by the office located at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30

Your right to know

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

a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the Streets Superintendent, Scott Brinkman, sbrinkman@oak-park.us or on the Village’s website http://www. oak-park.us/your-government/ finance-department. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700. THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Published in Wednesday Journal November 3, 2021

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: Y21008001 on October 18, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of LEE REALTY CONSULTANTS with the business located at: 1137 HIGHLAND AVE APT 2, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: AUDREY LEE-MCCLENTON 1137 HIGHLAND AVE APT 2 OAK PARK, IL 60304, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal November 3, 10, 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS CHANCERY DIVISION IN THE INTEREST OF Case No. 2021CH02999 NOTICE BY PUBLICATION

Let the sun shine in...Public Notice:

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 TENTATIVE ANNUAL BUDGET OF THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Published in Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

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

NOTICE IS GIVEN TO YOU, Unknown Heirs of Joseph Wilbourn aka Joe E. Wilbourn, respondents, and to all whom it may concern, that on 10/28/2021 a petition was ﬁled by Emilia Merchen & Jason York in this court and that in the courtroom of Judge Myerson in Chicago, Illinois. On 11/29/21 at 10:15am this case may be heard regarding the abandoned vehicle at 516 Washington Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60302. Court will be held over Zoom.

UNLESS YOU APPEAR AT THE HEARING AND SHOW CAUSE TO THE CONTRARY, AN ORDER OF JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT MAY BE ENTERED AGAINST YOU FOR THE TITLE REQUESTED IN THE PETITION. Published in Wednesday Journal November 3, 10, 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE Attention Mylan Ellison, you are the last indicated owner or lienholder on ﬁle with Illinois Secretary Of State. Our records show, your 2009, Audi, A4 with the following VIN WAUMF78KX9N035768 was towed to our facility. The current amount due & owing is $1965.00. If payment is not received within 30 days, Nobs Towing Inc. will intent to enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3. Sale of the aforementioned vehicle will take place at 1510 Hannah, Forest Park, IL, 60130 on 12/6/2021. Published in Forest Park Review November 3, 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 VAR-

GAS 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. 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. IRIS MARTINEZ, Clerk of the Circuit Court

PUBLIC NOTICES 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 Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE ADVERTISEMENT OF BIDDING For: HVAC service contract for various buildings for the Park District of Oak Park. Owner: Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison St., Oak Park, IL 60302 The Park District of Oak Park seeks bids for a service contract for the HVAC of our various buildings. The Park District of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids until 2:00 pm (Chicago time) on Friday, November 19th, 2021 at 218 Madison St., Oak Park, Illinois. The bidding documents and requirements will be available on the Park District’s website as of 12:00pm on Wednesday, November 3 rd . A pre- bid walk-thru of the facilities will be held on Thursday and Friday, November 11 th and 12 th at 9:00am starting at the John Hedges Administration Building, 218 Madison St., Oak Park. Copies of the bidding speciﬁcations are\ available via the Park District of OakPark website at: http://www.pdop.org/bids-andrfps/ For additional information, contact Chris Lindgren at chris.lindgren@pdop.org or 708-725- 2053. This service contract must adhere to the Prevailing Wage Act of 2021. Only the bids in compliance with the provisions of the bidding speciﬁcations will be considered. Minority and Women Owned businesses are strongly encouraged. Park District of Oak Park By: Chris Wollmuth, Secretary Park District of Oak Park 415 Lake Street Oak Park, IL 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3, 2021

Published in Wednesday Journal November 3, 2021

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS The Northern Illinois Independent Purchasing Cooperative will be receiving Offers on its further processed USDA Commodity Foods and Selected Commercial Foods and for provision of Commercial Equivalents when USDA Entitlement is exhausted. RFP’s must be received by Thursday, December 9, 2021, by 9:00 a.m. All RFP’s must be delivered to Oak Park and River Forest High School, 201 North Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. RFP’s should be placed in a sealed envelope marked with the type of RFP and ATTENTION: Micheline Piekarski, Food Service Director. If you have any questions, please contact Micheline Piekarski at (708) 434-3142. These institutions are an equal opportunity provider.

STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. 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. 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. Published in Wednesday Journal October 20, 27, November 3 2021

Published in Wednesday Journal November 3, 2021

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

CLASSIFIED

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON SUCCESSOR TO THE BANK OF NEW YORK NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE CIT MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-1 ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-1; Plaintiff, vs. JOYCE PILLOW; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 18 CH 6228 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-05-307-028-0000. Commonly known as 1118 N. Austin Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Matthew C. Abad at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Kluever Law Group, 225 West Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 236-0077. SPS000616-20FC1 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3179623

428-043-1064. Commonly known as 6436 Roosevelt Road, Unit 311, Oak Park, IL 60304. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certiﬁed funds, balance, by certiﬁed funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 3609455. W18-0641 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3179556

Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on December 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 1028 S AUSTIN BLVD, OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-17-331-015 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. 14-19-08871 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH11236 TJSC#: 41-2318 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 # 2019CH11236 I3179810

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

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 DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR HIS ASSET SECURITIZATION CORPORATION TRUST 2007OPT1, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-OPT1; Plaintiff, vs. CHARLES T. GRANT; JUANITA J. GRANT AKA JUANITA LACOURT; PRAIRIE PLACE AT 6436 ROOSEVELT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 14415 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, December 6, 2021 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their ofﬁce at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-18-428-043-1019 & 16-18-

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION BAXTER CREDIT UNION Plaintiff, vs. JOSHUA T. STEGMEYER, WENDY E. JARVIS, NILES ON MARION CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants, 19 CH 4010 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-07-301-021-1004. Commonly known as 1101 SOUTH BLVD., UNIT 204, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Ira T. Nevel at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 19-01329 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3179601 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff, -v.MARY WOLFE, CITY OF CHICAGO Defendants 2019CH11236 1028 S AUSTIN BLVD 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 January 14, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales

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 inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court

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 on December 1, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest

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 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

Wednesday Journal, November 3, 2021

CLASSIFIED

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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

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

tate 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

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 $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

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 es-

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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