AI030923

State’s Attorney Berlin finds officer justified in Lombard shooting

On Thursday, March 2, DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin released the following report pertaining to an officer-involved shooting that took place last December:

“Every case involving the use of deadly force by a police officer must be carefully and thoroughly investigated. Such scrutiny is required to ensure the protection of the civil rights of those involved and to maintain the public’s confidence in law enforcement.

“After a thorough and extensive investigation surrounding the shooting of Pierre Thompson by a Lombard police officer, it is my determination that the officer, Detective Ryan Postal, who discharged his weapon striking Pierre Thompson in the right chest, the upper left arm and in the right back, was legally justified in his actions and that no criminal charges will be filed against Detective Postal.

“In reaching this conclusion, my staff and I carefully reviewed the applicable law and thoroughly examined all the evidence, including but not limited to:

• Police reports

• Statements from those involved

• Witness accounts

• Physical evidence

• Photographs

• Body-worn videos

• In-car squad videos

• 9-1-1 calls

• Cellular phone data

• Site visits

“On Dec. 8, 2022, at approximately 4:05 p.m., Detective Postal and his partner were among the numerous officers who responded to a call of an armed robbery in progress at a business located at 54 West Roosevelt Road. As Postal approached the scene, he pulled his vehicle next to a car suspected of being involved in the armed robbery.

“As Postal stopped his car, he observed Thompson run right next to his car at which time Postal yelled, ‘Hands!’ as an order to Thompson to show his hands. At this time, Thompson raised a pistol, fired at Postal and his partner and continued to run. Postal then opened his door and returned fire while yelling out, ‘I got shot, I got shot.’

“Postal said he felt very vulnerable lying by the driver ’s-side door and not being able to move. Postal continued to watch Thompson, who was trying to get up and go for his gun, which Postal saw on the street

right in front of Thompson. Postal then fired two more times in Thompson’s direction.

“Responding officers quickly performed life-saving measures on Thompson, but he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

“Postal was shot in the right leg, shattering his femur. He was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. When processing the scene, authorities recovered a backpack, cell phone and wallet belonging to an employee of the business as well as stolen cash from the business

next to where Thompson’s body was located.

“Investigators also recovered three Hornady 9mm fired cartridge casings, which the Illinois State Police Crime Lab determined were fired from Postal’s gun and six CCI 9mm fired cartridge casings in the area where Thompson was shooting at the police officers, which the Illinois State Police Crime Lab determined were fired from Thompson’s gun, which had an extended magazine and was equipped with a device to enable the gun to fire in fully

automatic mode. Under Illinois law Thompson’s gun falls under the definition of a machine gun (720 ILCS 5/24-1(a)(7)).

“The above facts have been evaluated in the context of Illinois law governing the justifiable use of deadly force. In accordance with Illinois law, my staff and I have reviewed the facts and circumstances of the case with special consideration given to the perspective of the officer on the scene. It is important to remember

“ There is no question that Thompson’s shooting a fully automatic handgun six times at Detective Postal created an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to both Postal and his partner. … Detective Postal was justified in using deadly force because he reasonably believed, based on the totality of the circumstances, that such force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself and his partner.” -- DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin

Pursuit of Happiness exhibit continues through May 14

Area resident helps Mattel develop Muslim ‘American Girl’ doll

To some people, it might seem to be just a doll. But to Elk Grove Village resident Yasmina Blackburn, the doll represents a quest to help her daughter feel that she is seen and represented in American culture.

Yasmina’s journey stared in 2009 when she reached out to the Mattel® Corporation about including a doll

with Muslim-inspired clothing and accessories in their popular American Girl line. As a result, in 2020 the concept was approved and Yasmina designed the Eid al-Fitr Celebration Outfit pictured here.

Yasmina was proud to be able to share this cultural connection with her daughter and young girls around

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Independent Yasmina Blackburn, a resident of Elk Grove Village, pitched the idea for this Muslim-inspired doll in its Eid al-Fitr Celebration outfit to Mattel, which included in its 2020 American Girl line. The doll can be found at the Elmhurst History Museum’s current exhibit In Pursuit of Happiness: Immigrants in Our Communities now on display through May 14.

the world. You can read about Yasmina’s story in the In Pursuit of Happiness: Immigrants in Our Communities exhibit. Sponsors of this exhibit include: Community Bank of Elmhurst; Feze Roofing; Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC; Michael V. LoCicero, Attorney at Law; Storino, Ramello & Durkin, Attorneys at Law; Superior Ambulance Service; Rotary Club of Elmhurst.

The Elmhurst History Museum is located at 120 E. Park Ave. in downtown Elmhurst. For more information, visit www.elmhursthistory.org or call 630-833-1457.

The ‘Real’

At this year’s Niebuhr Center Teach-In at Elmhurst University, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger gave the keynote address, “TOUGH Like Rudy: Teach. Overcome. Unite. Grow. Heal.”

Ruettiger gained fame as the subject of the 1993 movie Rudy, starring Sean Astin, Ned Beatty and Jon Favreau. The film showed his diligent fight to follow his dream to play football for Notre Dame. He shared his compelling story and discussed

the importance of mental self-care and the power of reframing thoughts toward positivity, inspiration and encouragement.

A broadcast of the address will be available on the Elmhurst Community Schedule of Programs on Mondays at 5 p.m., beginning Monday, March 6. Programs air on COMCAST Channel 6 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Programs may also be found at ElmhurstTV.com

At this year’s Niebuhr

The Pet Lady, Ltd.

celebrates ‘Professional

Lauren Dunkle, owner of the Pet Lady, Ltd., is urging local “pet parents” to join in a celebration of the 29th annual Professional Pet Sitters Week (PPSW) from March 5-11.

PPSW was introduced in 1995 by Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s largest educational association for professional pet sitters and represents more than 4,000 member businesses in the U.S., Canada and more than 20 other countries. The Pet Lady, Ltd. has been a member of PSI since 1994 and offers services to pet parents in Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lombard and Naperville.

PSI created PPSW to educate pet owners about the advantages of using professional pet sitters and to encourage the public to explore professional pet sitting as a viable and rewarding career opportunity.

Pet Sitters Week’

“With pet ownership at an alltime high and the need for pet-care services continuing to grow, it’s important for pet parents to understand that they don’t have to rely on friends, neighbors, or family members to care for their pets,” said PSI president Beth Stultz-Hairston. “Whether pet parents are traveling or working long hours at the office or from home, we encourage them to look for qualified, professional pet-care providers who have the business credentials and training to offer top-notch services.

“These business owners and their staff sitters truly deserve recognition for the optimal pet care they provide and the ways they’ve adjusted their services to meet the needs of today’s pet parents.”

“The Pet Lady, Ltd. is happy to join PSI and thousands of fellow

pet-care professionals around the globe in celebrating this week that recognizes professional pet-sitting businesses like mine,” said Dunkle. “It’s also an opportunity to remind pet owners that professional pet sitters like me are available and that professional pet-care businesses can provide peace of mind that other options cannot.”

This year, The Pet Lady, Ltd. is commemorating Professional Pet Sitters Week by offering pet-owner tips for selecting a professional pet sitter as well as pet care tips across its social media platforms. There will be a blog available for all pet owners on tips and questions to be asking your pet sitter on the blog page, “Asking For A Fur Friend.” For more information, visit thepetlady.com or visit the PSI website at petsit.com.

Are you a Roman Catholic?

7 Hours of Confession

When was the last time you received Reconciliation? Was it recently? In the past year?

The priests of Eastern DuPage County will be available to celebrate the Sacrament of Forgiveness of Sin!

Saturday, March 25, from 8am until 3pm

There will be select times when the Sacrament will be offered in Polish and Spanish.

All are invited to receive God’s grace Immaculate Conception Church

132 Arthur St. Elmhurst, IL 630-530-8515

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Independent

Center Teach-In, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger gave the keynote address, “TOUGH Like Rudy: Teach. Overcome. Unite. Grow. Heal.” Ruettiger is best known as the subject of the 1993 movie “Rudy,” starring Sean Astin, Ned Beatty and Jon Favreau.

Rudy Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger addresses Elmhurst University’s ‘Teach-In’

IndependenT

Your Hometown Newspaper

240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900

The Independent is published every Thursday by Rock Valley Publishing, LLC, 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126.

Display Advertising: 630.834-8355

Classified Advertising: 630.834-8244

News: 630.834-8244

General Information: 630.834-8244

E-mail:

Advertising Department: ads1@rvpublishing.com

News Department: Independent@rvpublishing.com

Classified Department: Classifieds@rvpublishing.com

Administration:

Dee Longfellow

News Coordinator

Debra Hamilton

Advertising Director

Pete Cruger

Publisher

Advertising: Brenda Garcia

Subscriptions:

The Independent is mailed to the 60101, 60106 and 60181 zip code areas for $15.95 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $29.95 yearly. For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

Reprints:

Content appearing in the Independent may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor. Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: THE INDEPENDENT

240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm

Fullerton kids take ‘Heart Challenge’

PHOTOS SUBMITTED Addison Independent

In February, Fullerton Elementary School took part in the Kids Heart Challenge. The Kids Heart Challenge is a program that teaches students about the heart, why it’s important to keep our hearts healthy, and also helps to raise money for the American Heart Association. Fullerton students rallied together and raised over $2,500 for this wonderful cause! Addison School District 4 is proud of the accomplishments its students are making to keep themselves and their community happy and healthy.

• Shooting

(Continued from front page)

that police officers are often forced to make split-second decisions about the appropriate amount of force necessary to bring a tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving situation under control.

“An investigation into the shooting conducted by the DuPage Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigation Team (MERIT) found that Thompson was running toward Detective Postal, armed with a gun, and that Thompson ignored Postal’s command of ‘Hands’ and instead fired the weapon at Postal at extremely close range. In addition, Thompson clearly knew that the officers were police officers based on how they were dressed in police vests with police stars identifying them. When Thompson fired upon Postal, striking him in the leg, Postal thought that Thompson was going to kill him and his partner and yelled, ‘I got shot, I got shot.’

“There is no question that Thompson’s shooting a fully automatic handgun six times at Postal created an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to both Postal and his partner. Moreover, under Illinois law, Postal was not required to retreat or desist from efforts to make a lawful arrest. Postal was justified in using deadly force because he reasonably believed, based on the totality of the circumstances, that such force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself and his partner.

“Moreover, the fact that Postal fired two additional times at Thompson after being shot in his leg does not change the analysis because Thompson was attempting to get up and retrieve the gun he had dropped, and therefore still posed a threat to Postal and his partner’s lives. The evidence shows that but for Postal shooting Thompson, it is

likely Thompson would have killed Postal and possibly his partner as well.

“Given the violent actions of Pierre Thompson, his refusal to obey police commands, along with his actions of shooting six times at Postal, striking him one time in the leg, with a handgun containing an extended magazine and a switch enabling the gun to become fully automatic, it was reasonable for Postal to believe Pierre Thompson was trying to kill him and his partner and that deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or others.

“Additionally, Postal reasonably believed, based on the totality of the circumstances, that deadly force was necessary to prevent Thompson’s arrest from being defeated by resistance or escape; that Thompson was likely to cause great bodily harm to another; and Thompson had just committed the forcible felony offense of armed robbery which involved the infliction or threatened infliction of great bodily harm, and Thompson was attempting to escape by use of a deadly weapon and had otherwise indicated by his actions and words to Postal that he would endanger human life or inflict great bodily harm unless arrested without delay.

“Therefore, under Illinois law Detective Postal was legally justified in using deadly force against Pierre Thompson.

“All of the Lombard police officers involved in this incident should be commended for their professionalism during this extremely tense incident. Their concern for the safety and well-being of Pierre Thompson, even after he shot Detective Postal, is a testament to the excellent training they receive from the Lombard Police Department.”

Police Reports

Area police departments recently reported the following arrests and citations. Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims. Juveniles age 17 or younger are not named.

Addison

Feb. 26

Edgar Yovany, 41, of Addison, was charged with DUI, illegal transportation of liquor by a driver and expired driver’s license near Fullerton and Irmen at 10:25 p.m.

A 24-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 300 block of S. Addison at 7:10 p.m.

Feb. 25

Amber M. Hicks, 38, of Streamwood, was charged with DUI and unlawful use of cannabis by a driver near Lake and Mill at 11:57 p.m.

Feb. 22

Police said Joseph R. Ortega, 42,

of Naperville, was issued a warrant for violation of an order of protection at 1:25 p.m.

Miguel O. Ramos Ramos, 22, of Addison, was charged with two counts of DUI near Addison and Fullerton at 12:50 a.m.

Feb. 21

An 18-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 1-100 block of E. Blecke at 2:40 a.m.

Feb. 20

A 19-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 100 block of E. Winthrop at 2:10 a.m.

Feb. 19

Miroslaw Marek Jastrzebski, 31, of Addison, was charged with DUI and obstruction of justice/destroying evidence near Lake and Villa at 9:49 p.m.

A 33-year-old was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 1-100 block of E. Blecke at 2:48 a.m.

Feb. 17

Frederick W. March, 22, of Itasca,

was charged with DUI near Addison and Byron at 4:36 a.m.

A 42-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 500 block of W. Moreland at 4:63 p.m.

Feb. 16

A 25-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 800 block of College at 2:54 a.m.

Villa Park

Feb. 25

A 29-year-old man from Minneapolis, Minn., was charged with two counts of domestic battery at a hotel in the 1-100 block of W. Roosevelt at 5:09 a.m.

Feb. 23

A 16-year-old male juvenile from Chicago was charged with aggravated possession of stolen vehicle, aggravated fleeing and eluding, no valid driver’s license, reckless driving, disobeyed a stop sign and speeding near W. Roosevelt and S. Michigan at 3:43 a.m.

A complainant at a fitness center in the 300 block of W. North reported they located a camera in the public restroom at 9:36 p.m.

Feb. 22

A complainant at a store in the 200 block of W. Roosevelt reported at 2:18 p.m. that an unknown suspect removed a guitar.

A complainant at a pharmacy in the 200 block of E. Roosevelt reported at 7:34 p.m. that an unknown

suspect removed two bottles of alcohol from the display shelves and left without paying.

Feb. 19

Police said Sevayon D. Barber, 22, of Villa Park, was arrested on a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County in the 700 block of N. Ardmore at 12:51 a.m.

Tyron G. Minor, 41, of Chicago, was charged with DUI and stopping, parking or standing on a roadway near W. Roosevelt and S. Ardmore at 5:43 a.m.

A complainant near W. Stone and N. Addison reported at 12:20 p.m. that a suspect battered them.

A complainant in the 800 block of S. Euclid reported at 12:53 p.m. that two suspects were physically fighting while at an estate sale.

County launches new website

DuPageCounty.gov site streamlines searches, improves user experience

The DuPage County Board launched its new DuPageCounty. gov website, impacting more than 1.8 million users who navigate the site each year. Visitors search for property records, pay property taxes, request copies of vital records, apply for permits and licenses, watch County meetings, and even view animals up for adoption at the County animal shelter.

“Our previous website served us well, but it was more than 10 years old,” said DuPage County Technolo-

gy Committee Chair Yeena Yoo. “We are thrilled to unveil this fresh, new site which utilizes updated design and technology that is more intuitive for the user and provides us valuable data so that we can continuously improve the site.”

Improvements include:

• Streamlined content with redundant information removed, reducing the number of webpages from 1,659 to 963 pages, improving user navigation and search functionality.

• New analytics to help staff better

understand the website’s audience and traffic patterns.

• Implemented designated accessibility menus for each page of the site, allowing individuals with disabilities to navigate the site more easily. Those navigating to the site using the old URL, dupageco.org, will be automatically redirected to the new site at dupagecounty.gov.

The DuPage County Board allocated $390,000 in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to facilitate the website redesign.

Elmhurst University grant offers soft skills learning through virtual reality

Elmhurst University and assistant nursing professor Laury Westbury have been awarded a tech grant that will enable students to improve their workplace soft skills with the help of virtual reality.

Elmhurst is one of only two universities in Illinois, and 106 higher education institutions around the world, to be selected to receive the

Immersive Soft Skills Education Grant from Bodyswaps, a softskills training startup based in the United Kingdom; and tech giant Meta.

The grant includes two Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headsets and access to the Bodyswaps library of training simulations. The headsets and training modules will enable

students to experience training in topics such as conflict management and leadership; diversity, equity and inclusion; public speaking and job interviewing; and handling different workplace scenarios.

The software can assess a user’s performance by tracking eye and other movements, and provide feedback on areas for improvement (using the hands too much, not making eye contact, etc.). Users can get the training, and the feedback, in privacy and without judgment.

Westbury plans to use the equipment and software in a leadership course this term for graduate students in the Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice program. Her students likely will use training modules about breaking bad news, bias in the workplace and other situations that some of her students already have been starting to see during their clinical practice.

“I hope there is learning, and that students become more self-aware and build confidence as they’re getting feedback,” she said. “Most importantly, I hope they understand that learning with this kind of technology can allow for a safe zone where they can really be themselves.”

Art students flourish at Fenton’s AP Midterm Art Show

Student art produced in Advanced Placement (AP) art classes were on display by the main entrance in the Academic Resource Center for the whole month of January. The exhibit features artwork from AP 2D Art, AP 3D Art, and AP Photography classes. The students pictured here with their creations received high praise from their peers and Fenton staff who browsed the art show throughout the month.

Answering the call

Gael Flores created “The Ocean Calls Me,” made of pottery and shells for the Fenton Midterm Art Show. Fenton teachers and staff looked over the show, offering high praises.

All smiles

ALL PHOTOS SUBMITTED Rock Valley Publishing

Emily De La Mora produced “Smiles” (left) as well as “Memories,” that shows a cake in someone’s face! It was her photography contribution to the Fenton Midterm Art Show.

Keeping perspective

Liliana Martinez offers a background perspective of her art piece made with gouache, pens and watercolors. The Fenton Midterm Art Show included the AP 2D, 3D, and Photography classes.

A creation in contrast

Using graphite as his medium, Erick Gomez created these drawings as “Characters in Contrast.” The students’ artworks were on display in the main entrance of Fenton’s Academic Resource Center through the entire month of January.

Multiple media

Hisleny Mendoza is seated here next to her “Stages of Life” exhibit, made of clay and plaster. She also used acrylics and watercolors to create “Nature Taking Back Buildings, Making the Familiar Strange” (not pictured).

Artfully created

Showing both her camera as well as her flowers, Danna Melendez called her photo creation “Life.” All artworks from the Midterm Show remained on display through the month of January. More photos on page 14.

Waste this day

“A wasted day can be time well spent so long as it is wasted with purpose”—Anonymous

We are a culture often consumed with the material world. We assess value based on our net worth, which is often decreased by net waste.

Time spent amassing wealth is valuable; time spent wasting time is just that. And that could very well lead to a squandered life.

I beg to differ. Sometimes the best times are the ones deemed nonproductive. Those that touch our heart, but contribute little or nothing to our 401k balance. Sometimes the heart yearns for the immense potential of a wasted day—time spent doing whatever it is that feeds our soul, which is just as critical to our well-being as feeding the bank account.

Quite simply, we need both to survive. But sometimes one is sacrificed for the other because we walk (or preferably run) through life with blinders on. Tomorrow is assumed and expected, even though it is never promised. We often forget this, and in that vein, we forget to value the premise of wasted time. Time spent on just us.

“Just” us—as if we aren’t important enough to warrant squandered time. Go ahead, squander in whatever way feels best to you.

Waste this day but appreciate this moment. Go for a walk.

Train for a 5K or a marathon - both equally valuable to your psyche. Attend a yoga class or find one online.

Take more than a day and drive across the country. See the sites. Stop at small towns and chat with the locals.

Write a love letter or maybe a poem. Share them both with the person you love. Take a risk.

Go out to eat and order your favorite dish or maybe try something you’ve never eaten before. Cook in your own kitchen but do it with passion and from scratch.

Bake homemade cookies or a meal of comfort food and share

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

them with a friend. Create a new recipe and don’t worry about it failing.

Paint—a wall, a canvas, your nails or the town red.

Dance in your living room or in public. Sing karaoke.

Take a nap.

Watch a sappy movie, or an action flick. Take your pick.

Write a letter to your former or future self. Review any life regrets and tell yourself that you’ve always done the best you can with what you have, because it’s the truth.

Spend an afternoon with your dog or cat on your lap or lying at your feet.

Make something with your hands—paint, sculpt, sew, build. Don’t say, “I can’t” or “I never learned to …” Just do it.

Take time to appreciate - the air, trees, birds, wood, grass - all the world around you.

Volunteer for a charity you believe in. March for a good cause.

Get out. Do. Reach out. Make a connection. Smile. At a friend, at a stranger, at yourself in the mirror. Look inward. Reflect. Meditate. Pray. Journal. Give thanks.

Be glad that you are you.

Indulge in unencumbered time. Call it what you want: wasted time, leisure time, meditative time, a vacation from realty or just the weekend.

Do it unapologetically and with abandon, because it is time spent “just” for you.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright, author and member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

Hotel relief program seeing return on investment

The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau (DCVB) has announced that the DuPage County Hotel Relief Program is already seeing a return on investment, with hoteliers quickly investing their financial award to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program, approved last July by the DuPage County Board and administered by the DCVB, was created to infuse dollars directly to the properties at a critical time when travel had returned but hotels still faced significant headwinds. DCVB is calling this a celebratory milestone, helping hotels to stabilize operations as DuPage County prepares for a busier year in leisure and business travel.

“On behalf of the DCVB Board of Directors and our many partners, I want to thank the DuPage County Board, as distribution of these ARPA dollars to our hard-hit hotels would not have been possible without their support,” said DCVB Executive Director Beth Marchetti, who has advocated for the industry throughout the pandemic. “This year, leisure visitation is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels and business travel reach 90 percent of 2019 levels. Our hotel partners are now in a better position to capitalize on this business.”

At DCVB’s 2022 annual meeting on Oct. 26, Marchetti discussed the

state of the industry, noting areas of resilience, yet the significant need to support hotels as they rally to meet demand amidst a historic employment gap and host of other challenges caused by COVID-19.

“As one of the largest suburban hotel markets in the United States, there is a direct correlation between the health of our hotels and the health of our economy,” said Marchetti. “It is essential our hotels are on strong footing.”

Different from federal programs that required repayment or a matching grant, the county’s program was created as a onetime distribution of ARPA funds to be used for qualified expenses to assist in recovering transient, business, and group travel or guest experience. Many important needs expressed by hoteliers fell under qualified expenses, including audio/visual equipment costs; technology to deliver hybrid meetings; hosting and incentive fees to recover or rebook transient and group rooms; programs for guest transportation; reinstatement of amenities, and more.

“Hotels have had to make difficult financial decisions so what a great moment to receive our program award and immediately check several needs off our list,” said General Manager Max Schultz, who oversees two hotels in Warrenville: Hyatt Place Chicago/Naperville/Warrenville

and its sister property Hyatt House. “Now we can operate two shuttles, which means we can win corporate business and weekend wedding business—both of which require the shuttling of guests. Our meeting spaces are being updated to provide new table dimensions, state-of-the-art audio/ visual equipment, and catering and reception supplies. These are just two examples out of five immediate investments already making a difference at our two properties.”

The Hotel Relief Program was funded through the Federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The DuPage County Board allocated up to two million dollars to ensure aid for every DuPage hotel that could meet eligibility requirements. The payment was based on total number of hotel rooms, at $112 per room for each eligible hotel. A total of 85 hotels applied with nearly $1.5 million appropriated.

The Hotel Relief Program is one of three components of DCVB’s relief plan focused on revitalizing the area’s hospitality community which relies on meetings, events, and leisure visitors. $750,000 is allocated for a joint business attraction and marketing program through DCVB and Choose DuPage, and $50,000 for a sevencounty regional tourism program.

Elmhurst University bands to perform late-winter concert

The Elmhurst University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are excited to perform their first formal concert of the spring semester on Sunday, March 12, at 2 p.m. in Hammerschmidt Chapel. In addition, the concert will feature the University’s new Professor of Clarinet, Andrea DiOrio.

The Symphonic Band will open the concert with a classic standard of the wind band repertoire, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Folk Dances. A gorgeous setting of the American folk spiritual Wayfaring Stranger will be followed by a transcription of Florence Price’s Juba Dance, the name she gave for the third movement of

her first symphony. Exciting rhythms and outbursts of instrumental colors transport us to Spain in Danza Sinfonica by James Barnes. The Symphonic Band will conclude with John Philip Sousa’s rousing Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in its 100th year.

The Wind Ensemble will open the second half of the program with a short Celebration from Das Klagende Lied by the then 18-year-old composer Gustav Mahler. Professor Andrea DiOrio will bring her first performance with the Wind Ensemble featured on Scott McAllister’s Black Dog, inspired by the classic hard rock song by Led Zepplin with the same ti-

DuPage Senior Council seeks volunteers to deliver shelf-stable meals

DuPage Senior Citizens Council (DSCC) needs volunteers to help deliver shelf-stable meals to seniors in DuPage and Kane Counties. During the months of March-October, volunteers are needed.

Volunteers will be picking up shelf-stable (non-perishable) meals from the main office located at 1990 Springer Drive Lombard, IL 60148, where they will then receive delivery instructions. Volunteers can stay in their cars while meals are loaded into their vehicles from the side doors.

For the month of March, pickup dates and times are as follows:

• Wednesday, March 29 from 10 – 11 a.m.

• Friday, March 31 from 10 – 11 a.m.

• Friday, March 31 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Pickup dates for the upcoming months will be announced at a later date.

To sign up to volunteer, visit www.dupageseniorcouncil.org/volunteering/ and fill out the Volunteer Interest Form.

The DuPage Senior Citizens Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3), volunteer-driven organization, dedicated to helping seniors live with dignity.

The DuPage Senior Citizens Council provides a variety of services for seniors, including Meals on Wheels, Community Dining, Health and Wellness Education, Well-Being Checks, Pet Care & Food Assistance, Yard Clean Ups, Friendly Visits and Phone Calls, and Intergenerational Activities.

tle. Sacred Spaces will be performed as one of the newest compositions written for the US Army Field band by composer John Mackey. For the finale, the Wind Ensemble will perform Armenian Dances Parts I and II as a complete symphony, displaying the infectious melodies and dance music of Armenian folk songs. More about Andrea DiOrio

Guest artist DiOrio is among Chi-

cago’s most sought-after clarinetists. DiOrio has performed in more than 15 operas with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Additionally, she has performed with numerous local orchestras, including the Grant Park, Elgin, Quad Cities, Illinois Philharmonic, Elmhurst and South Bend Symphony Orchestras. DiOrio earned a master’s degree in performance from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s

in performance, with honors, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. DiOrio studied with J. David Harris, Charlene Zimmerman, Russell Dagon and John Bruce Yeh.

Admission to the concert is free. For information on future performances, a map of the campus and more, visit www.elmhurst.edu/music.

Pritzker launches children’s behavioral health initiative

Goal is to expand services to address youth mental health crisis

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Citing what he called a nationwide crisis in children’s mental health, Gov. JB Pritzker recently unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul and expand the availability of children’s behavioral health services in Illinois.

“Long before COVID-19 turned our world upside down, our nation was facing a mental health crisis,” Pritzker said at an event at the West40 Regional Safe School in the west Chicago suburb of Maywood.

“Nearly one in five children experienced a mental health disorder, from depression to anxiety to ADHD. But only 20 percent of them received the behavioral health care that they needed.”

In March of last year, Pritzker launched what was called the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, a project that involved six state agencies and other outside entities that deal with children’s mental health. Its task was to build a coordinated, interagency approach to ensuring young people with significant behavioral health needs receive the community and residential services they need.

The results of that effort were released in a recent report that examined data from multiple state agencies to assess the need for services, determine which populations are most affected by the crisis and come up with a plan for coordinating state resources to meet those needs.

“It’s a blueprint for transformation of the behavioral health system for Illinois’ youth,” Pritzker said. “This is an unprecedented interagency effort that will provide more and better treatment and save lives.”

Although a recent study by Mental Health America found Illinois ranks 13th-best overall on a set of factors related to youth mental health care, the Transformation Initiative analysis found that 40 percent of young people in Illinois who experienced major depressive episodes were unable to receive mental health care.

Youth in care of the Department of Children and Family Services who need inpatient residential treatment

See BEHAVIORAL , Page 11

House Dems’ cannabis working group will engage industry, equity advocates

By Nika Schoonover CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Illinois House Democrats have announced the formation of a cannabis working group that will aim to steer the burgeoning industry’s expansion in a business-friendly way while still satisfying the equity goals of the landmark 2019 legalization law.

The group is led by Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, who has sponsored numerous cannabis-related bills and is an outspoken advocate for racial equity.

The working group’s main priority, according to Ford, is to make sure individuals who have invested in the newly-created industry are successful. A part of that is to address the disproportionate impact the war on drugs had on communities of color, particularly when it comes to cannabis-related arrests.

According to the ACLU, Black people in Illinois were 7.5 times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses prior to the state’s decriminalization of the drug in 2016.

The same law that legalized recreational cannabis use in 2019 also made individuals previously charged with minor cannabis offenses eligible to have their records expunged. At the end of 2020, Gov. Pritzker

announced 492,129 cannabis-related convictions had been expunged and 9,219 low-level cannabis convictions had been pardoned.

The recreational cannabis law was also designed to give “social equity” applicants—or those whose ownership consists of minorities, people with drug convictions or individuals hailing from disproportionately impacted areas—easier access to new dispensary licenses.

“Our goal was to make sure that those communities that were hardest hit by the war on drugs actually were able to benefit from this industry by having the ability to open up in those communities and hire people from those communities,” Ford said in an interview.

Ford was the sponsor of House Bill 1443 in the previous General Assembly, a measure that created 110 additional “social equity” dispensary licenses beyond the initial 75 created by the original legalization law.

Over 30 cannabis-related bills have already been filed in the current General Assembly which began in January, addressing areas including licensing, distribution of cannabis tax revenue and the expungement of past offenses. The working group will comb through these measures to

(Continued from page 9)

for their condition are disproportionately Black, the report found.

As well, the report found a quarter of all the beds at residential treatment facilities are unavailable due to understaffing.

It also found that the state has a fragmented system of delivering mental and behavioral health services, with different state agencies providing services under different standards and often paying different reimbursement rates for similar services.

“Multiple state agencies operate programs that provide services to support children’s behavioral health, but there is minimal systematic coordination and no holistic, developmentally informed approach to meeting youth needs,” the report stated. “With no central point of entry to help families navigate, children and families must access services differently across agencies, meet agency-specific eligibility requirements, and maintain access to services with minimal supports.”

To address that issue, Pritzker

said, the Transformation Initiative developed and pilot tested a new online portal where people seeking assistance for youth could connect with the services they need. He described it as “a kind of a front door for stakeholders seeking assistance for youth with the greatest needs.”

As of Jan. 30, after only a few months of operation, Pritzker said, 41 percent of the cases that came through that portal had already been connected with interventions, placements and services.

“So with a successful pilot underway and under our belt, we are now going to build out this more robust care portal for children and families seeking behavioral health services,” he said. “And we’re adding to it a hotline for assistance and specialized guidance for those beginning the process of accessing care.”

The Transformation Initiative report also spells several other recommendations for improving services. Those include standardizing reimbursement rates for services so providers are compensated consis-

more effectively address the industry’s most pertinent issues.

Illinois recorded a record-high $1.5 billion of recreational cannabis sales in Fiscal Year 2022, generating about $445 million in tax revenue.

Under law, 25 percent of the taxes collected from recreational cannabis sales are to go to economically distressed communities or those impacted by the war on drugs. In Fiscal Year 2022, about $115 million in tax revenue went to the state’s General Revenue Fund.

Beyond an equity focus, Ford said the working group will also aim to make state policy more accommodating to the industry from a business perspective.

“We have to make sure that we legislate with the industry because they are the investors,” Ford said.

“If we could empower the businesses, it’s going to mean more revenue, and we’re going to realize what we intended for the [cannabis legalization] law to do. And that is increase employment, develop communities, reduce crime in the state.”

Ford is joined on the working group by Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans, D-Chicago; Assistant Majority Leader Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora; Assistant Majority Leader Bob Rita, D-Blue Island;

tently; offering universal screening in schools and health care settings for behavioral health problems so they are detected early; and expanding eligibility for current programs and developing new service types.

“Our ability to provide the behavioral health support that we desperately need for our kids and adults hinges on growing our behavioral healthcare workforce. We have to do it,” state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, a former social worker, said during the event.

As part of his budget proposal, Pritzker asked for $22.8 million to begin to fund and implement the Transformation Initiative’s recommendations.

Pritzker also signed an executive order establishing a new office of Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative Chief to lead the interagency effort to implement that plan. At the event in Maywood, he announced that Dana Weiner, a child welfare expert at the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall who chaired the Transformation Initiative, would fill that role.

Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview; Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago; and Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield.

They’ll work with other lawmakers, state agencies, businesses and associations that work directly with the cannabis industry.

One of the involved organizations is the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, a statewide trade association for cannabis businesses.

The association’s legislative priorities include re-implementing curbside pickup and drive-thru services after pandemic-era measures expired, decoupling Illinois’ cannabis tax code from the federal tax code, and extending the right to work in the medical cannabis industry for those who have previous cannabis-related convictions.

“Currently, the recreational statute allows individuals with previous drug convictions to gain access to the cannabis industry,” Pamela Althoff, executive director at the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said in an interview. “That is prohibited in the compassionate and medical statute. We’d like to see both of them mirrored.”

The Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition, a grassroots nonprofit that advocates for cannabis-related reform,

has their own priorities for the legislative session, including expanding support for the craft grow industry, creating a singular cannabis oversight commission to streamline cannabis programs, and creating licenses for clubs and lounges so people other than homeowners are able to legally consume cannabis.

“The goal is moving away from having 13-plus state agencies who are not talking to each other,” Peter Contos, deputy director of the coalition, said in an interview. “We need one cannabis body who just does all the work, similar to what the state did with the liquor commission.”

Evans and Ford have both introduced bills—House Bills 1436 and 1498—to create a cannabis oversight commission. Contos said the coalition is currently trying to work with both lawmakers to reach an agreement on the legislation.

Contos added they’re excited to be involved with the working group because it shows there’s a concerted effort to continue cannabis-related reforms.

“We have a long way to go in Illinois to get back to the goals we set a few years ago when we legalized [cannabis] but this is definitely the first step we need to take,” Contos said.

DuPAGE DESTINATIONS

Your Dining & Entertainment Guide to the Western Suburbs

Can’t-miss events throughout DuPage County

Editor’s note: Our next DuPage Destinations section will be published Thursday, March 23. If you have information on an event in DuPage County taking place after March 23 that you would like us to consider listing here, please email that information to: news1@rvpublishing.com

Ongoing

North Suburban Carvers meetings

The North Suburban Carvers meet on the first and third Mondays of each month at the Wood Dale Public Library from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Anyone interested in carving, power carving, wood burning or special finishing techniques is welcome. North Suburban Carvers is a non-profit organization that promotes carving in the Chicago area. For more information, visit: www.northsurburbancarvers.com

Registration for Forest Preserve summer camps open for DuPage residents

The Forest Preserve District’s popular lineup of summer camps will return for the summer of 2023 Registration is now open for DuPage County residents and for nonresidents starting March 1. Kids entering first through eighth grades can connect to nature with more than a dozen camps, many focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math. Most camps are five days, Monday through Friday and run from 9 a.m. to noon or 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Half-day camps are $150 for DuPage residents and $175 for nonresidents, and full-day camps are $250 for DuPage residents and $290 for nonresidents. For more information, visit: dupageforest.org or call 630-933-7200.

Friday, March 10 Casino Night, Wheaton

From 7-11 p.m. presented by the DuPage County Historical Museum at Arrowhead Golf Club, enjoy an evening of popular casino games: blackjack, craps, roulette, Texas Hold’em, and a money wheel. The evening includes an open bar, appetizers, raffle, and silent auction. Casino Night is a 21+ event. Proceeds support the DuPage County Historical Museum. Ticket prices: $125 per person. Group of 10: $1,000. For more information, visit: https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/ events/casino-night

Children’s Playhouse Presents Matilda Jr., Wheaton

From 10 a.m.-noon, 2-4 p.m. or 7-9 p.m. presented by the Wheaton Park District, 1777 S. Blanchard St., rebellion is nigh in Matilda Jr., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination. Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda Jr. is a joyous girl-power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination. Performance will be in the Memorial Room auditorium. Ticket price: $10. For more information, visit: https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/events/3-10-3-12-matildajr-performances

Saturday, March 11

2023 Polar Plunge, Oak Brook

Presented by Special Olympics Illinois at 1 p.m. and held at the Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club, 800 Oak Brook Road, Take the Oak Brook Plunge and you will be supporting Special Olympics Illinois athletes across the state, helping to provide them with life-changing programming.

For more information, call 630-545-3402 or visit: https://soill.donordrive.com/index. cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=1050

Buzz for a Cure, Roselle

From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Pollyanna Brewing Company, 245 E. Main St., Pollyanna is once again teaming up with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to raise money and awareness for Childhood Cancer. Come and join the fifth annual Pollyanna Brewing Company Buzz for a Cure. Be a hero for a child with cancer. For more information, visit: https://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/13336/2023

Sunday, March 12

Brews for a Cure, Naperville

From noon-3 p.m. at Noon Whistle Brewing, 1748 W. Jefferson Ave., be a hero for kids with cancer. This event will speed the search for cures, supporting the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants. Sign up to shave your head or to raise money another way. Hair-cutting will

be from 2-3 p.m. For more information, visit: https://www.noonwhistlebrewing.com/ st-baldricks-charity-event-at-nwb-napervilleThursday, March 16

Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian, Naperville

From 6-7 p.m. at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., learn about fascinating topics in history and hear museum staff and occasional guest historians debate challenging questions at Your Friendly Neighborhood Historian. Each program date has a different theme. Admission: $10 per person. For more information, visit: https://napersettlement.org

Saturday, March 18

Easter bunny at Yorktown Center, Lombard

The Easter bunny will begin residence at Yorktown Center at 11 a.m.

Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt, Lisle

Presented by the Lisle Park District at the Lisle Community Park Bandshell, 1825 Short St., from 7:30-8 p.m., bring your flashlight and basket to search for candy-filled eggs in the dark. For ages 10-14. Admission: $10 for residents, $15 for nonresidents. For more information, visit: www.lisleparkdistrict.org/flashlighteasteregghunt.html

Sunday, March 19

Dog Admission Day, Lisle

Presented by the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, beginning at 7 a.m., bring the entire family, including your four-legged friend, for a winter excursion on tree-lined trails during The Morton Arboretum’s Dog Admission Day. Pets are only admitted to the Arboretum on specific days. “Dog Admission Days” simply offers members and guests the opportunity to visit the Arboretum with their dogs, without the vendors and other Pet Expo attractions. Admission: $5 per dog plus Arboretum admission. For more information, visit: https://mortonarb.org/explore/activities/events/dog-admission-days/#dog-admission-days

St. Patrick’s Day family fun bash, Naperville

From 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at WhirlyBall Naperville, 3103 Odyssey Court, the event includes: lunch buffet, endless WhirlyBall, bowling, laser tag, and pop up games. In order to play WhirlyBall you must be 54 inches tall or taller. Laser tag is available for those that are 7 years and up. Price: $20 per child, $30 per adult. For more information, visit: www.whirlyball.com/naperville

Half marathon and quarter marathon, Lemont

Starting at 7 a.m. at The Forge, 1001 Main

See EVENTS, Page 13

• Events

(Continued from page 12)

St., The Forge Trail Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon is one of the few long-distance races run on trails in the Chicago area. The race will take place on the gravel/crushed limestone and single-track mountain bike trails throughout The Forge. Price $35-$75 depending on the length of the race. For more information, visit: https://forgeparks.com/ events-races/races/half-marathon/

Spring Palette Art Show, Westmont

From 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Westmont Community Center, 75 E. Richmond St., the Community Center gym will be transformed into an art gallery filled with color, texture, imagination, and inspiration. Experience a palette of unique oil paintings, watercolor paintings, prints, pencil drawings, glass, sculptures, and much more. For more information, call 630-969-8080 or visit: www.facebook.com/ events/702088184813876

The Complete Wedding Expo, Roselle

From 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Pearl Banquets and Conference Center, 1490 W. Lake St., over 60 wedding specialists will be on hand to offer you unique, creative ideas to help

make your wedding day the most magical day of your life. Admission: Free. For more information, call 847-466-5777.

March 21 and March 28

Pet photos with the Easter bunny, Yorktown Center, Lombard Pet photos with the Easter bunny will be available for two days on Tuesday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 28.

March 22-March 25 USA Artistic Swimming U.S. Collegiate Championships, Westmont

Each day at FMC Natatorium at Ty Warner Park, 275 Plaza Drive, artistic swimming requires a unique combination of overall body strength and agility, grace and beauty, split-second timing, musical interpretation, stamina, and dramatic flair. Many have described the sport as a mixture of swimming, dance and gymnastics. For more information and tickets, visit: www.universe.com/events/2023-collegiate-championship-tickets-P6VS20

Friday, March 24-Saturday, March 25 Naperville Bluegrass Festival

Starting at 6 p.m. both days at the Sheraton Lisle-Naper-

ville, 3000 Warrenville Road (there’s also a 3 p.m. Saturday show), the weekend features seven bluegrass bands. Admission is $90 general seating, $95 reserved seating for all Friday and Saturday shows; and $70 general admission, $75 reserved for the Friday night, Saturday night or Saturday afternoon shows. For tickets and more information, visit: www.napervillebluegrassfestival.org/ticket-info

Saturday, March 25

Easter bunny visits

Yorktown Center, Lombard

From 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Yorktown Center is celebrating with a Bunny Bash, Easter Bunny visits, and pet photos with the Easter bunny. It’s a free event that will include a live DJ, magic show, balloon artists, face painting, crafts, and more. The magic show will take place from 10:15-11 a.m.

Divine Beauty Women’s Retreat, Lisle

From 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4105 Naperville Road, join the eighth annual women’s retreat where we explore the divine beauty in all women and how empowerment, transformation, and meaningful changes come

from within. Admission: Free. For more information, visit: www.sos.org/programs/women-retreat-divine-beauty

Forest therapy walk, Lisle

From 9-11 a.m. at the Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during these mindful walks with a certified forest therapy guide. Afterward, warm up by the fire with a closing ceremony. For ages 16-and-over. Price: $36. For more information, call 630-719-2468 or visit: mortonarb.org/explore/activities/ adult-programs/forest-therapy-walks/#overview

Saturday, March 25Sunday, March 26

Easter Egg Geocache Hunt, Wheaton

From 1-2:30 p.m. or 3-4:30 p.m. both days at the Wheaton Park District, Harrison Street and Pierce Avenue, hunt for Easter eggs using Lincoln Marsh GPS units. Find them all to get a prize. For children ages 6 and up. Children must be accompanied by a non-paying adult. Admission: $20 for residents, $25 for nonresidents. For more information, visit: https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/

March 25-April 30

Illinois State Bowling

Lilac Heritage Tours begin May 2

The Lombard Historical Society is pleased to announce that it will again be offering Lilac Heritage Tours this year as part of Lilac Time, with tour dates from May 2 through May 20—three whole weeks.

Springtime in Lombard means Lilac Time, and for those of you new to Lombard, it also means guided tours of Lilacia Park by experienced Lombard Historical Society staff and docents. This is an annual event for many Lombardians who enjoy pairing it with lunch at one of Lombard’s

many eateries, some newly opened. This season, tours will run with one 11 a.m. tour on Mother’s Day. All tours are 45 to 60 minutes and start at 11 a.m. at the Lombard Historical Society, 23 W. Maple St., across from Lilacia Park. Ticket holders should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their tour time and gather outside the Lilac Emporium Gift Shop. Convenient parking is available in the lot just west of the Historical Society.

Carriage House exhibits will be open for

Tournament, Addison

Recurring weekly on Saturday, Sunday at the Stardust Bowl, 37 e. Lorraine Ave., test your skills against other bowlers. The USBC Open will be coming to Stardust Bowl at the end of March and will be held on weekends throughout the entire month of April. For more information, visit: https://illinoisstateusbc.org/ tournaments/

Sunday, March 26

Brews and Yoga, Downers Grove

From 11 a.m.-noon at Alter Brewing Company, 2300 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 213, come to the Alter Barrel Room and get together with fellow beer lovers for an invigorating one- hour yoga session. Please bring your own yoga mat if you have one. Price: $20. For more information, visit: www. eventbrite.com/e/brews-yoga-at-alter-brewing-co-tickets-546241873147

Friday, March 31

Adults-only egg hunt, Glen Ellyn

From 8:30-9:30 p.m. at the Lake Ellyn Boathouse, 645 Lenox Road, for ages 21-andup, partake in an egg hunt with prizes fit for ages 21 and up.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own baskets and flashlights for this nighttime outdoor event. Hundreds of eggs will be cleverly hidden throughout the park. Eggs contain coupons, gift cards, candy, and other special treats. Light snacks and beverages will be provided before the hunt begins. Registration fee: $15 for residents, $30 for nonresidents. For more information, visit: https://gepark.org/ gepdevent/adults-only-egghunt

Saturday, April 22

Paper shred event, Lisle From 8-11 a.m. at the Sea Lion Aquatic Park parking lot, 1825 Short St., The Lisle Park District will host its annual shred event where you can drive-up and drop-off documents while an on-site industrial shredder destroys the documents into high-security confetti-size pieces. Event staff will help remove the bags from your vehicles and load them into the shredding truck where they will be destroyed. All shredded material is recycled and you save 17 trees for every ton of paper recycled. For more information, visit: https://www.lisleparkdistrict. org/shredevent.html

visitors to learn more about Lombard’s history, Lilac Time pageants, princesses and queens. The Lilac Emporium Gift Shop will be open for visitors to take home a Lombard or Lilac Time memento.

Registration is required prior to attending. Group tours will be 15 guests per group–with two groups per day. Tickets are $7 each and are available at lombardhistory.org/lilac-time. For more information, please email info@lombardhistory.org, or call 630-629-1885.

We want to print your news! What’s going on at your club or organization? Seeking new members? Hosting a fundraiser?

Pritzker announces $60 million park grants

Allotments place emphasis on ‘distressed’ communities; Addison earmarked for $600,000

By Jerry Nowicki CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker last week announced the release of nearly $60 million in grant funding to help local governments develop public parks and open spaces, over 20 percent of which will go to “distressed” communities.

The money through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants was distributed to 118 projects, all but one ranging from $102,800 to $600,000 per grant, per a news release. The allotment to “distressed” communities—which are determined by an area’s poverty level and land value—is a roughly

Drelicharz named CTE Instructor of the Year

Congratulations to Fenton’s very own Mark Drelicharz, who was recently recognized as a Career & Technical Education (CTE) Instructor of the Year by the DuPage Area Occupational Education System (DAOES) as well as College of DuPage. Fenton operates its CTE classes under the guidance of DAOES, an Illinois Education for Employment (EFE) system responsible for planning for the delivery of CTE in this area. A leader as an instructional coach, Drelicharz, pictured here with a student, is a strong influence in the classroom who inspires Fenton students. He is also outstanding at developing industry partnerships that bring new and innovative learning opportunities to Fenton’s students.

(Continued from page 7)

Cultural awareness

five-fold increase from the previous fiscal year.

The governor made the announcement at a park in Springfield that will receive $600,000 through the Springfield Park District to demolish an outdoor pool and build a modern splash pad and pool facility.

Pritzker noted that the current fiscal year marks the first time that 100 percent of costs in distressed communities will be covered, as lawmakers waived the cost-sharing requirement for projects in those communities that would normally apply to grantees.

“This means that places needing renewal and restoration like the city of Cairo, which is a recipient of their first ever OSLAD grant will be able to improve their parks and their green space,” Pritzker said.

Cairo was slated to receive $599,500 in grant funding. Approximately 59 percent of the grants are directed to the Chicagoland area, including Cook and its five surrounding counties. A total of 46 counties will see new projects.

At least $12.5 million of the more than $59 million in funding will go to distressed communities.

Among the other projects, the city of Benld in Macoupin County will receive $600,000 at the site of its former elementary school that was destroyed by underground mine subsidence in 2009. Peoria Park District will receive $255,000 to acquire 40 acres along the Illinois River Bluff to extend a hiking trail and conduct conservation work. It will also receive $600,000 to replace an outdoor swimming pool at its Lakeview Park with a modern splash pad and pool facility. Another $600,000 would go to the Chicago Heights Park

District to build three soccer fields, new lighting and spectator seating at Commissioners Park.

This year, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the grants, contracted with the Northern Illinois University Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy. Through that partnership, 15 undergraduate and graduate NIU students served as supervised grant reviewers.

“One of our students shared that she and her family had enjoyed access to a brand-new neighborhood park, in her small village in Illinois,” said Thomas Skuzinski, director of the institute at NIU. “And knowing that she had played a role in helping to bring that kind of opportunity to families and communities statewide, was in her words, truly life changing, and easily the most important thing that she had ever done in her life.”

The OSLAD grant program has been in place in Illinois since 1986, and the Fiscal Year 2023 allotment is the largest in its history. Pritzker’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2024 includes $56 million for OSLAD grants.

Chicago mayor race

The governor’s announcement came one day after a mayoral election in Chicago that saw incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot fail to earn a spot in the April runoff election.

Instead, former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas will face Cook County Commissioner and Chicago Teachers Union organizer Brandon Johnson in the April 4 runoff. Vallas had success in more conservative areas of the city and garnered 34 percent of the vote, while Johnson was more successful with

liberal voters and carried 20 percent. Lightfoot came in third with just 17 percent, failing to make the runoff.

Pritzker said he would not be endorsing a candidate in the runoff—at least not yet.

“Primaries are messy,” Pritzker said. “And they don’t usually illustrate the candidates’ positions on the issues all that well. And so, I think it’ll be important for the candidates that made it through that primary process and now in the runoff, to articulate their positions and the contrast between their views.”

As a Chicago voter, Pritzker said, he’d be “listening and watching intently,” although he would not say who he voted for on Tuesday. He also said he had not spoken to Vallas, Johnson or Lightfoot since election night.

“The governor and the mayor of the city of Chicago have to be able to work together,” Pritzker said when asked about potential endorsements. “We saw for years, I think, under (Democratic Chicago Mayor) Rahm Emanuel and (Republican Gov.) Bruce Rauner, where they didn’t, and that wasn’t good for the state or for the city of Chicago.”

He added, “I keep that in mind every day when I think about what I say, what I do, who I endorse—how is that relationship affected by the things that I do? And I hope they’ll keep that in mind as well.”

Park grants for DuPage County

Addison Park District—$600,000

Elmhurst Park District—$340,300

Wood Dale Park District—$600,000

Lombard Park District—$600,000

Pearly whites

Solomia Prokulevich is pictured here with artwork created with colored pencil, graphic pencil and oil painting, titled “Preserving My Culture.” Solomia was one of eight students to display their creations for the school.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

This beautiful creation made of pearls was made by Vidhi Vyas with the theme of mythology and religion. It was just one of the many pieces to grace the main entrance of Fenton’s Academic Resource in January.

Puzzle page

BEGINNING CHAIN

CLUSTER CROCHET DECREASE

DOUBLE HOOK INCREASE

LOOP

OUNCES PLACE REPEAT REVERSE RIGHT ROUNDS ROW SIDE

SINGLE SKIP SPACES

SUDOKU

Fun by the Numbers

Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

CLUES ACROSS

1. Half-conscious states

8. Unnatural

13. Deep regret

14. Rogue

15. Taken without permission

19. An alternative

20. After B

21. Partner to flowed

22. Weekday

23. Body part

24. World’s longest river

25. One of the Greats

26. Make clean

30. C. Canada indigenous peoples

31. Japanese seaport

32. Most unclothed

33. Small grouper fish

34. Soluble ribonucleic acid

35. Distinguishing sound

38. French realist painter

39. Popular beer brand

40. Views

44. God depicted as a bull

45. Relieve

46. Residue after burning

47. Habitation

48. Poe’s middle name

49. Japanese title

50. TV series installation (abbr.)

51. Beloved country singer

55. Single unit

57. Genuine

58. Develop

59. Traveled through the snow

CLUES DOWN

1. Clues

2. Do again

3. Current unit

4. Neither

5. Corporate exec (abbr.)

6. Second sight

7. The absence of mental stress

8. Supplemented with difficulty

9. Stop for good

10. College dorm worker

11. Bones

12. Most supernatural

16. Spanish island

17. Unlimited

18. Where golfers begin

22. No charge

25. Print errors

27. Professional drivers

28. Kiss box set

29. Short, fine fibers

30. Administers punishment

32. Czech city

34. Normal or sound powers of mind

35. The academic world

36. Crustacean

37. Currency

38. Pastoral people of Tanzania or Kenya

40. Cloth spread over a coffin

41. Grouped together

42. On land

43. Glistened

45. A type of extension

48. One who assists

51. College sports conference

52. Zero

53. Midway between northeast and east

54. Type of screen

56. The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet

TREBLE WRONG YARN OVER Answers

I BUY OLD TOYS American Flyer, Lionel trains, Barbie and other dolls; G.I. Joe, Tonka, Matchbox, Hot Wheels cars, slot cars &

GARAGE SALES

Estate Sales

680 W. LAKE PARK DR., ADDISON, Saturday, 3/11 & Sunday, 3/12, 10am-4pm. Beer items, cedar chest, desk, kitchen set, etc.

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familiar/ status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-900669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Mount Carmel Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven. Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity, Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (say three times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (say three times). Amen. Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you.

I am confident my prayers will be answered. Thank You Mother of God!!! JC 349866

CLASSIFIED

Automobiles

2014 CHEVY EQUINOX, all wheel drive, 163,000 miles, new engine, new brakes, runs great, $14,500. 630-222-3140.

This publication does not knowingly accept fraudulent or deceptive advertising. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all ads, especially those asking for money in advance.

FIREWOOD

PAINTERS. FULL-SERVICE. INSIDE. OUTSIDE.

HOME.

425020 411647

PAUL BUNYON & SONS • Seasoned Hardwoods • • Stacking Available • (Cell) 708-328-0709 (Office) 708-681-9031 Ask for Christian (4th Generation) 429049 395580 CONCRETE RESTORATION Overlay - Epoxy - Repair RESTORE/REPLACE CONCRETE Stoop - Steps - Drives Garage Floors & More! * Licensed/Bonded/Insured * mynorconcrete.com Bobby 630.520.5812 Mynor 630.631.3073 431425 HANDYMAN 35+ years in trades Painting & drywall repairs, tile, flooring, etc. Dave 630.796.9296 Firewood CURT’S HANDYMAN SERVICE No job too small EXCELLENT REFERENCES • Gutter Cleaning • Painting • Plumbing • Electric • Drywall Repair • Carpentry Trim • Siding Repair • Doors Installed • Roofing 630-747-3244 FREE ESTIMATES • curtwex1@gmail.com 370024 MIDWEST HAULING *Contractors *Homeowners *Residential Clean-outs, Furniture, Appliances All Debris 630-873-9884 411005 421176 AL’S DECORATING SERVICE • Interior & Exterior Painting • Power Washing Anything The Home Repair & Improvement Company No job is too small! Free Estimates ~ Call 630-853-3059 393528 Thomas-Vil Painting • Interior Painting • Small Exterior • Wallpaper Removal • Drywall Repair Fully insured; Free estimates 630-941-1893 425230

T

MOVING BENSENVILLE FORWARD

Early Voting March 20th - April 3rd at 345 E. Green St. Bensenville ote Tues, April 4th

Longtime Bensenville Resident

Active Member of Bensenville Neighborhood Watch Program

Zion Lutheran Church Ladies Aide and Member, Church Fellowship

Past Treasurer for Bensenville Community Foundation 2017- 2018

Volunteer Distributing Toys for the Village’s Annual Toy Drive

Contributed to the Success of Car Seat Giveaway Events

Campaign Office: 114 Green St. Bensenville | 224.661.0897

Longtime Bensenville Resident

Member, DuPage Mayor’s and Manager’s Caucus Legislative Committee

Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Elmhurst University

Assistant Vice President of Loan Operations for Millenium Bank

Volunteer for Toy Drive Distribution, Coffee with the Village President, Music in the Park and Holiday Magic

Advocate for the Bensenville Senior Community

50 Year Wood Dale/Bensenville Resident

Longtime Senior Luncheon Attendee

Volunteer at Bensenville Food Distribution Events During the Pandemic

Volunteer for Music in the Park, Liberty Fest, and Holiday Magic

Rosa, Nick, and Marie are passionate, independent leaders who put the best interests of Bensenville residents first. They will continue to protect taxpayers, preserve senior services, fight for government tranparency, and keep our neighborhoods safe.

Frank DeSimone, Village President

ROSA CARMONA Village Trustee NICHOLAS PANICOLA JR. Village Trustee

MARIE T. FREY Village Trustee