W E D N E S D A Y
December 28, 2016 Vol. 35, No. 19 ONE DOLLAR
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
2016: A year of champions Sports, page 44
@O @OakPark
Economy 2016 front and center again in 2016
Rallying cry
YEAR IN REVIEW
More than 100 people gathered in Oak Park on Nov. 10, two days after the presidential election, for a Love Trumps Hate rally to celebrate the village’s diversity and call for unity. For more photos from 2016, please turn to page 10.
Real estate, medical cannabis and higher taxes dominate headlines By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
Another year has almost passed, and over the last 12 months real estate development again dominated the news in Oak Park. This year, Oak Park got its first high-rise apartment building in decades with the opening of Vantage Oak Park, a 21-story, 270unit mixed-use apartment building at the corner of Lake Street and Forest Avenue. Vantage is the tallest new development in Oak Park and the only major structure built in the village in 2016, but it’s merely one of several major real estate deals in the works over the last year. Clark Street Real Estate broke ground this year on Elevate Oak Park just down the street, near the corner of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue. Once completed – sometime next year – Elevate will be five-stories tall with 271 luxury apartments. The project made See OP YEAR IN REVIEW on page 11
WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer
D200 hires permanent superintendent Board approves a 3-year contract for Joylynn Pruitt-Adams
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
During an emotional Dec. 22 regular meeting, the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 school board unanimously approved the hiring of Dr. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams as its permanent superintendent.
Pruitt-Adams, who had been serving as acting superintendent since July 1, replaces former D200 superintendent Steven Isoye, who left in June for a job as superintendent for Niles Township High School District 219. Pruitt-Adams, who announced recently that she’ll use her married name going forward, was selected by the board after a national search that lasted several months and
attracted 48 candidates from 12 states. That field was then narrowed to six candidates, from which two finalists emerged. Pruitt-Adams’ contract begins on Jan. 1, 2017 and lasts until June 30, 2020. Her starting salary will be $225,000. The vetting process, which was facilitated See OPRF SUPT. on page 8
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