The Bensenville Park District’s 7th-8th grade girls team defeated Schaumburg 30-17 at the Deer Grove Leisure Center to win the Intervillage League championship. As a show of sportsmanship, following the game, the two teams had their picture
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced that eight individuals have been accused of stealing merchandise from DuPage County businesses in three unrelated incidents.
Defendants Jeana Ziko, 36; Debra Ziko, 56; Christopher Ziko, 55; and Mark Ziko, 53, all of Chicago, all appeared in bond court where bond was set at $25,000 for Jeana and Mark Ziko, $10,000 for Debra Ziko
and $7,500 for Christopher Ziko. All four defendants are charged with one count of burglary Class 2 (C-2) felony and one count of retail theft (C-3 felony). Ziko is additionally charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance (C-4 felony).
On Friday, March 10, defendants Dyasia Reese, 25, and Mikell Nunley, 24, both of St. Louis, had their bond set at $35,000 for Reese and $10,000 for Nunley. Both are
charged with one count of burglary (C-2 felony) and one count of retail theft (C-3 felony).
Defendants Jara Tramble, 28, of Chicago and Ashley Washington, 29, of Oak Lawn, both appeared in court on Saturday, March 11, where bond was set at $50,000 for Tramble and $10,000 for Washington. Tramble is charged with one count of burglary (C-2 felony) and two counts of retail theft (C-3 felony). Washington is charged with one count of burglary (C-2 felony) and one count of retail theft (C-3 felony).
On Thursday, March 9 at approximately 5:48 p.m., officers with the Lombard Police Department responded to a call of a retail theft in progress at the Dick’s Sporting Goods store, located at 810 E. Butterfield Road. It is alleged that officers encountered Dyasia Reese and Mikell Nunley exiting the store with multiple items of
men’s and women’s clothing they had not paid for, totaling approximately $1,800. Both defendants were taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit.
It is alleged that on Thursday, March 9 at about 5:15 p.m., Jeana, Debra and Christopher Ziko entered the Mariano’s grocery store located at 150 W. 63rd Street in Westmont, while Mark Ziko waited outside.
It is alleged that once in the store, the defendants took merchandise from the store including formula, Red Bull®, detergent, cat food and Nexium® totaling approximately $1,300 and walked past the registers with the items without paying. Authorities from the store contacted the Westmont Police Department who arrived at the store and took all four defendants into custody.
It is further alleged that Jeana Ziko was in possession of approximately 4.5 grams of fentanyl when she was taken into custody.
On Friday, March 10 at approximately 2 p.m., officers with the Oak Brook Police Department responded to a call of a retail theft at the Old Navy store located at 2155 22nd St. It is alleged that two individuals, later identified as Jara Tramble and Ashley Washington, entered the Old Navy store, removed security sensors on merchandise totaling approximately $910 and then left the store with the merchandise. Through the course of their investigation, authorities were able to locate both Tramble and Washington from a nearby store where they were taken into custody.
“According to the National Retail Foundation, in 2022, retail establishments across the county lost a combined estimated $34.96 billion due to retail theft,” Berlin said. “I thank the Oak Brook, Lombard and Westmont police departments for their work on these cases and for their continued efforts in keeping our retail establishments safe.”
Hop to it! It’s fun for the whole family when the Bensenville Park District’s annual Egg Hunt and Eggstravaganza returns Saturday, April 1, to Varble Park Hill and the Deer Grove Leisure Center (DGLC), 1000 W. Wood St. The event is free and no registration is necessary.
The event is taking place, thanks to the generous support of Grand Subaru Dealership, located on Grand Ave. in Bensenville.
The egg hunt begins at 10 a.m. for
little ones age 3 and under, with other age groups commencing at 10:10 (ages 4-5, 6-7) and 10:20 a.m. (ages 8-9 and 10 and older). Thousands of candy-filled eggs will be scattered across the hill at Varble Park, just waiting to be found. Don’t forget to bring a basket, bag or container to hold them all.
After the egg hunt, the whole family is invited into the DGLC for fun and games, crafts and inflatables. All are invited to take photos with the
Easter Bunny until the event ends at 12:30 p.m.
Yoga Bunny at 11 a.m. requires registration
Wood Street Fitness also invites families to join in Family Storytime with Yoga Bunny—a premium, interactive mind-body storytelling session in conjunction with the egg hunt—11 a.m. to noon, in the DGLC’s exercise room. After the story time, in which participants learn the
child’s pose and other basic yoga moves, kids will make a bunny craft, and the special event will end with a visit from the Easter Bunny and unique photo opportunity with farm bunnies, Patty and Lucy.
Advance registration for is required by Wednesday, March 29. Fees are just $8 ($7 for those resid-
ing within Bensenville Park District boundaries). In-person registration can be completed at the DGLC or by phone at 630-766-7015.
Information about the Egg Hunt and Eggstravaganza and Family Storytime with Yoga Bunny may be found on the park district website, BvilleParks.org.
District 88 administration is asking parents or guardians of students of D88 schools to complete the Illinois 5Essentials Survey and District 88 administration. This research-based survey helps identify strengths and areas for improvement in a school’s learning environment and provides stakeholders with a voice in improving their schools, according to school officials.
The survey provides a comprehensive picture of a school’s organizational culture in an individualized report measuring five “essentials” critical for school success. They are:
• effective leaders;
• collaborative teachers;
• involved families;
• supportive environment; and,
• ambitious instruction.
District 88 truly values receiving feedback and all responses will remain confidential and will be shared. The goal is to gather a variety of input to ensure the district continues to accomplish its mission of working for the continuous improvement of student achievement. Parent/guardian participation also will impact each school’s performance on the Illinois Report Card.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to complete the survey before the deadline of Friday, March 31
To take the survey in English or in Spanish, go to survey.5-essentials. org/Illinois.
The Willowbrook girls track and field team finished the indoor portion of its season by competing in Saturday’s West Suburban Gold Conference Indoor Meet at Proviso West High School in Hillside.
The Warriors finished third out of seven teams in the meet’s team standings with 90 points. Downers Grove South won the team title with 172 points. Hinsdale South placed second with 108 points.
Willowbrook sophomore Olivia Gwaltney won the meet’s title in the 300-meter run, which she completed in 44.36 seconds. Senior Molly Morris of the Warriors finished second to Gwaltney. Morris completed the race in 45.17 seconds.
In addition to winning the title in the 300-meter run, Gwaltney
turned in a fourth-place finish in the 400-meter run, which she completed in 1 minute, 6.58 seconds. Gwaltney added a fifth-place effort in the 200-meter run, which she finished in 28.64 seconds.
Senior Mia Barrington of the Warriors won the individual title in the high jump. She cleared a personal-best height of 5 feet, 2 inches in her best jump of the meet. Barrington added a second-place finish in the long jump. She traveled 16 feet, 5 inches in her best jump of the meet.
Willowbrook’s foursome of senior Brianna Alandy, senior Sarah Ball, Morris and sophomore Naomi Campbell raced to a victory in the 4 x 200-meter relay. The four Warriors completed the relay in a first-place time of 1 minute, 53.26 seconds.
Sophomore Amelie Ojeda provid-
STAFF REPORT
ed Willowbrook with a second-place finish in the 800-meter run, which she finished in 2 minutes, 31.97 seconds. Ojeda also delivered a third-place time of 5:40.96 in the 1,600-meter run.
Ball provided a fifth-place time of 7.65 seconds in the 55-meter dash.
Sophomore Emily Hogan of the Warriors finished fourth in the shot put. Her best throw of the meet traveled 28 feet, 10¾ inches.
Willowbrook senior Sara Stout finished second in the high jump. She cleared 4 feet, 10 inches in her best jump of the meet. Sophomore Malin Meeker of the Warriors placed fourth in the triple jump. Her best jump of the meet covered 30 feet, 4½ inches. Willowbrook junior Mia McBride claimed fourth in the long jump. She sailed 15 feet, 3½ inches in her best
jump of the meet.
Addison Trail
Addison Trail finished fourth in the conference meet’s team standings with its total of 46.5 points.
Junior Brooke Greaves of the Blazers won the meet’s individual title in the 55-meter hurdles, which she finished in 8.73 seconds. Greaves joined senior Lettia Hoda, senior Ingrid Balbuena and junior Jackie Tecuanhuehue to deliver a second-place finish in the 4 x 400-meter relay. The Addison Trail foursome completed the race in 4 minutes, 37.01 seconds. Greaves, Balbuena and Tecuanhuehue joined junior Natalie Lupa to earn a third-place finish in the 4 x 200-meter relay.
The four Blazers completed the relay in 1:56.96.
Addison Trail’s foursome of sophomore Sandra Olascoaga, freshman Zuzanna Kwasinewski, junior Monserrat Abarca and senior Ximena Juarez turned in a fourth-place finish in the 4 x 800-meter relay. The foursome posted a finishing time of 11 minutes, 15.49 seconds.
Hoda ran to a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter run (12:21.53). Juarez posted a fourth-place time of 5:43.97 in the 1,600-meter run. Senior Clarita Gaytan of the Blazers finished fifth in the shot put. Her best throw of the meet traveled 27 feet, 10¾ inches.
Lupa contributed a fifth-place finish in the high jump. Her best effort of the meet cleared 4 feet, 4 inches. Tecuanhuehue placed fifth in the triple jump. Her best jump of the day covered 30 feet, 3 inches.
Willowbrook’s boys track and field team earned a second-place finish in the team standings of Friday’s West Suburban Gold Conference Indoor Meet in Villa Park. Competing in their school’s field house in the seven-team conference meet, the Warriors posted a second-place team score of 116 points. Downers Grove South won the team title with 165 points.
Willowbrook junior Evan Weder won a pair of individual titles in Friday’s meet. Weder prevailed in the high jump and the triple jump. His best effort of the day in the high jump cleared 6 feet, 1½ inches. Weder traveled 40 feet 5½ inches in his best attempt of the day in the triple jump.
Senior Bernardo Alberran of the Warriors finished second in the shot put. Sophomore Jake Koterba of Wil-
lowbrook delivered a fourth-place finish in the shot put. Alberran’s best throw of the meet traveled 45 feet, 6 inches, while Koterba’s longest throw of the day covered 43 feet, 6 inches.
Junior Daeveon Madison of the Warriors earned a second-place finish in the long jump. He sailed 21 feet, 2 inches in his best jump of the day. Freshman Ottis Powell of Willowbrook claimed third in the long
jump. His best jump of the meet covered 20 feet, 2¼ inches.
Powell also contributed fourthplace finishes in both the high jump and the triple jump. He cleared 5 feet, 9¾ inches in the high jump at Friday’s meet. His best effort of the day in the triple jump covered 38 feet, 6½ inches.
Sophomore John Brisbois of he Warriors finished third in the pole vault. He cleared 7 feet, 6¼ inches in
his best effort of the meet.
Willowbrook’s foursome of senior Elijah Smith, Weder and juniors Luca Parato and Sam McNeilly won the meet’s 4 x 400-meter relay title. The four Warriors won the race in their first-place time of 3 minutes, 44.72 seconds.
McNeilly joined senior Henry Sloan, sophomore Kasen Blain and
See MEET, Page 17
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Bensenville Park District 5th-6th grade girls capped an undefeated season with a 19-17 win over Addison in the Intervillage League championship game Saturday, March 18, in Carol Stream.
Buoyed by a brand-new Fischer Farm Discovery Camp experience, Bensenville Park District summer camp programs are filling at a rapid pace. The district offers three distinct summer camps for children ages 6 to 10 in addition to a teen camp for those ages 11-15 and Tot (age 2) and Sunshine Camps (3- to 5-year-olds).
“Spring is in the air and summer camps are on everyone’s minds,” explained Bensenville Park District customer service manager Laura Borshell, telling campers to register soon. “Bensenville camps are the place to be this summer and registrations have been coming in fast and furious.”
The all-new Fischer Farm Discovery Camp allows children ages 6-10 to explore and enjoy farm life. Participants will interact with farm animals and learn about working and living on a farm. Participants also hike, churn butter, take care of goats and feed chickens.
“Participants will learn about farm animals by interacting with them and get to play with old fashioned toys and take-home crafts,” said Fischer Farm program supervisor Maris Rosenfeld. “Through farm chores, creative crafts and adventurous field trips, they’ll travel back through time and have an
amazing summer.”
Adventure Camp —based at the Deer Grove Leisure Center (DGLC), 1000 W. Wood Street— emphasizes fun, making new friends and trying new activities. Campers aged 6-10 will have a summer full of adventure, cool crafts, games, new discoveries about their surroundings, fantastic field trips, afternoon swim time and nature exploration.
Sports Camp at the DGLC welcomes kids of all skill levels. The focus of this camp for 6- to 10-year-olds is having fun, learning good sportsmanship, practicing new skills and developing athletic abilities. Participants learn the rules to a new sport each session, then compete against their friends near the end of the session. Campers will also enjoy field trips and swim time.
Teen Leadership Camp , for those aged 11-15, teaches responsibility, respect and cooperation as campers take on the role of counselors in training. Teens will enjoy interesting crafts, cool games and sports, afternoon swim time, exciting field trips and opportunities to help lead the younger campers in activities. They will also take field trips on their own.
Tot Camp offers a caring and gentle introduction to the camp experience for two-year-olds with a new and exciting theme presented each week. Campers meet in the Nursery Room from 9 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and enjoy nature exploration, vegetable gardening, water play and visits to the splash pad on hot days. They also play games, get messy with sensory craft projects and have story time.
The Sunshine Camp caters to children aged 3-5 and is designed to foster children’s growth and independence through exploration, guest speakers, sports, camp songs and playground time in addition to visits to the splash pad.
The camps run from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Tiny Tot Room. Registration for both Tot and Sunshine Camps begins Tuesday, April 4.
Camps begin Monday, June 5. Before- and after-camp experiences are also available for those ages 6 and older. Registration can be completed in person at the DGLC, and payments may be made with cash, credit card, money order or check payable to the Bensenville Park District. Save $10 per session by registering on or before May
The Bensenville Park District and Bensenville Raiders youth football program are joining forces to launch a flag football league for children between the ages of 5 and 14 in spring 2023.
“We are pleased to join with Raiders football to provide this spring flag football league,” said recreation supervisor Breana Aponte. “The program offers another chance for children to stay active outside of our soccer leagues.”
The flag football league will be broken into four distinct age groups, and teams will be determined based on skill level. Teams are now being formed for players aged 5-7, 8-9, 10-11 and 12-14. A skills assessment clinic will be held Saturday, April 15.
“Spring flag football is a chance for players to develop their skills outside of the regular football season and also serves as an entry to the sport,” said Raiders president Tye Brooks. “We are looking forward to growing the sport of football in Bensenville through our partnership with the park district.”
The Raiders’ mission is to teach football and to help youth on and off the football field. Teams will practice once per week with Sunday games, which take place April 23 - May 14. Practices will take place at locations, days and times determined by the coaches, and game times and locations will be determined later based on the number of players and teams.
The fee is $100 and includes player jerseys. Register at the Deer Grove Leisure Center, 1000 W. Wood Street from March 18 - April 14.
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
March 14
Candido Rosales, 34, of Carol Stream, was charged with DUI, improper turn at an intersection, improper turn signal and being on the wrong side of a way-divided road in the 1700 block of W. Army Trail at 1:40 a.m.
March 13
A 31-year-old Glendale Heights woman was charged with two counts of domestic battery in the 100 block of S. Waters Edge at 9 p.m.
March 12
Alfredo Benitez, 43, of Northlake, was charged with DUI, speeding and two counts of endangering the life of a child near Lake and Friendship at 1:47 a.m.
A 52-year-old Northlake man was charged with two counts of domestic battery near Swift and Corporate at 11:40 a.m.
March 11
Emmanuel T. Beard, 26, of Chicago, was charged with DUI, criminal trespassing and obstructing justice in the 100 block of W. Byron at 1:37 a.m.
Alexander M. Duenas, 29, of Westmont, was charged with two counts of DUI at 11:55 p.m.
Eduardo Garcia Garcia, 29, of Stone Park, was charged with two counts of DUI and improper lane usage near Iowa and Lake at 2:14 a.m.
March 10
Gerald Leland Doran, 77, of Lombard, was charged with sex predator in a public park in the 100 block of E. Oak at 2:15 p.m.
A 41-year-old Addison man was charged with two counts of domestic
battery in the 100 block of N. Prairie at 9:30 a.m.
March 9
Juan Arturo Balderas-Marquez, 42, of Chicago, was charged with DUI, driving while license expired, improper stop or turn signal and no insurance in the 200 block of W. Factory at 11:07 p.m.
March 8
Marcin Kwiatkowski, 42, of Plainfield, was charged with theft by deception at 3:15 p.m.
Villa Park
March 11
Mauro Cuazitl-Tlahuetl, 37, of Addison, was arrested on the above date for battery causing bodily harm and battery making physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature that was reported Feb. 28.
Carrie L. Rodriguez, 48, of Lombard, was charged with DUI, driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in the 1500 block of S. Euclid at 2:58 a.m.
A complainant in the 300 block of E. Roosevelt reported at 9:10 p.m. that a suspect removed a vehicle that was parked in the parking lot.
March 9
A complainant in the 1100 block of S. Euclid reported at 9:43 a.m. that an unknown suspect removed signs from multiple properties.
March 8
Police said Patrick D. Johnson, 44, of Lombard, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant on the above date for an incident that was reported on Feb. 27, 2018.
A complainant at a store in the 200 block of W. Roosevelt reported at 2:20 p.m. that an unknown suspect removed a guitar from a display shelf and left the store without paying.
March 7
Police said Blayre A. Nash, 31, of Batavia, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant in the 900 block of S. Route 83 on the above date for an incident that was reported March 6.
March 6
A complainant at a restaurant in the 300 block of E. Kenilworth reported at 1:05 a.m. that subjects were causing a disturbance. Officers spoke with the subjects, who were issued no-trespass notices.
March 5
Alejandro Delgado, 53, of Franklin Park, was charged with DUI and improper lane usage near N. Princeton and W. St. Charles at 2:08 a.m. Police said Marvin Young, 32, of Chicago, was arrested on an original complaint and warrant on the above date in the 400 block of W. Division for an incident that was reported Nov. 30, 2021.
A complainant near S. Summit and E. Highland reported at 2:09 p.m. that a subject was harassing them while they were walking around town.
According to information provided last week by the Villa Park Police Department, police reported four incidents of residents being a victim of fraud or identity theft.
Bensenville
The Bensenville Police Department recently reported the following arrests and citations. Persons who are charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the victim’s privacy. Readers are remind-
ed that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that suspects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Juveniles age 17-or-younger are not named.
March 15, 5:12 p.m., a complainant reported a known suspect conducted a scam and, in the process, took a vehicle in the amount of $19,200. BEPC2300238
March 15, 12:20 a.m. in the 400 block of Supreme Drive, a complainant reported an employee made verbal threats at work.
BEPC2300237
March 14, 7:26 a.m. in the 200 block of Williams Street, a complainant reported tools to be missing out of his trailer. BEPC2300236
March 14, 11:07 p.m. near Devon Avenue and Busse Road, a Bensenville police officer assisted the Elk Grove Police Department with a crash in their area. BEP23002947
March 13, 6:28 p.m., Bensenville Tac officers assisted the Willowbrook Police Department in attempt to recover a stolen Mercedes Benz that was taken from a dealership. The car was recovered in Chicago.
BEP23002906
March 12, 12:13 a.m. in the 1000 block of Argyle Street, a 36-year-old Bensenville man was arrested for battery, attempted battery and assault. BEPC2300227
March 12, 1:35 a.m. in the 200 block of S. Barron St., Sildi Drabo,
30, of Bensenville, was arrested on March 13 for violation of order of protection. BEPC2300228
March 12, 3:08 a.m. in the 100 block of Bridget Court, a complainant reported criminal damage to vehicle by an unknown suspect.
BEPC2300229
March 12, 9:14 a.m. in the 1000 block of Argyle Street, a 41-year-old Bensenville man was arrested for domestic battery. BEPC2300230
March 12, 11:05 a.m. in the 800 block of E. Grand Ave., a complainant reported a large gathering of adults and juveniles in the front lobby, who appeared to be starting a fight. This case is under investigation. BEPC2300321
March 11, 11:35 p.m. in the 200 block of S. Addison St., a complainant reported a domestic situation. BEPC2300226
March 10, 4:10 p.m. in the 100 block of Grand Avenue, a complainant reported check fraud by a known suspect. BEPC2300222
March 10, 10:33 p.m. in the 200 block of Miner Street, Pablo Castro, 19, of Hanover Park, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. BEPC2300224
March 9, 9:16 p.m. in the 100 block of Gerry Steven Court, a 31-year-old was arrested for domestic battery. He was processed and transported to the DuPage County Jail. BEPC2300221
The state’s highest court heard arguments March 14 in a case that could drastically alter the legal landscape for criminal defendants who are incarcerated as they await trial.
It’s the latest development in the ongoing legal challenge to the pretrial detention provisions of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform – short for Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today—which the high court put on hold in December just hours before it was scheduled to take effect.
The case pits Illinois’ attorney general, legislative leaders and the governor, who wish to uphold the pretrial detention overhaul, against state’s attorneys and sheriffs representing 64 counties who say the legislature should have put a constitutional amendment to voters if they wanted to make such a change.
If the Supreme Court allows the pretrial detention changes to take effect, judges would no longer be able to incarcerate a defendant who is awaiting trial solely because they cannot afford to post bail. The system replacing cash bail would allow a judge to order pretrial detention based on an accused person’s level of risk of reoffending or fleeing prosecution.
But the law would also create a list of lower-level nonviolent offenses for which a defendant cannot be held pretrial if they are not already out on pretrial release when committing the alleged offense or proven to be a
“willful flight” risk.
The case was appealed to the Supreme Court by the state after a Kankakee County circuit court judge ruled in December that parts of the law were unconstitutional. The court must decide whether the state’s constitution gives the judiciary a “right” to assess cash bail and whether lawmakers overstepped their bounds by passing a law that infringes on such a “right.”
The law’s opponents based their claims of unconstitutionality on two references to “bail” in the state’s constitution. Section 9 states that “all persons” accused of crimes “shall be bailable by sufficient sureties” except in certain specified circumstances. And Section 8.1, the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, notes a crime victim’s right to safety must be considered “in denying or fixing the amount of bail.”
In oral arguments before the high court March 14, Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer with the attorney general’s office argued that if the circuit court’s ruling is allowed to stand it would severely limit the future authority of the General Assembly.
The high court, Hemmer argued, has consistently allowed the General Assembly to regulate pretrial practices, including by setting sentencing requirements, prohibiting the use of unsecured commercial bail bonds and prohibiting detention in certain circumstances.
“We’re talking about six decades of legislative regulation of pretrial
practices that are all called into question by plaintiffs’ expansive reading of judicial power and their narrow reading of legislative power in this area,” Hemmer said.
The constitution’s mention of bail and “sufficient sureties” don’t imply a monetary nature, he argued. He said that language was derived from the state’s 1818 constitution which passed at a time when the modern monetary bail system was “all but unknown.”
“Bailable just meant eligible for release on those conditions imposed by a court,” he said.
Judges maintain the authority to impose conditions of release under the new law, he added.
But opponents argued the constitution’s mentions of “bail” essentially serve as a requirement that the state maintains a system of monetary bail.
In particular, the prosecutors argued that the Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights was brought to voters as a constitutional amendment in 2014, which was the proper avenue for such a change.
Kankakee County State’s Attorney James Rowe argued that lawmakers put amendments to the voters in the 1980s when looking to expand the list of nonbailable offenses in the constitution. He contrasted that effort with the January 2021 passage of the SAFE-T Act which moved quickly through the legislature and came for a vote in the middle of the night.
Hemmer countered that the constitution has multiple references to institutions that no longer exist.
Following is the beginning of the Addison Independent’s coverage of the candidates in the race for District 88 Board of Education who will appear on the ballot in the Consolidated Election to be held April 4.
Five candidates (vote for four) are running to serve a four-year term on the District 88 Board of Education. District 88 is comprised of two high schools: Addison Trail and Willowbrook. Willowbrook draws its students from Villa Park, Oakbrook Terrace and portions of Lombard, Oak Brook and Elmhurst.
Here are the candidate profiles listed in alphabetical order. The Independent will not be endorsing candidates in this race, or any of the other races in in the April 4 election.
Mubasher Max Ashrafi
Office sought: District 88 school board member
Family: Jennifer Ashrafi (wife), Michaela Phelps (daughter), Raina Ashrafi (daughter).
Social media addresses: https://www.facebook.com/ mubasher.ashrafi
https://twitter.com/mash1074
Occupation: I am a senior marketing and graphic design consultant for a Chicago-based insurance company.
Education: Triton College, River Grove (1997). AS degree in in advertising computer design; Illinois Institute of Art, Schaumburg (2002). Certificate in multi-media design.
Community/civic involvement: Serve on the Addison Trail High School Theatre Board and volunteer to support the Addison Trail music and athletic boosters. I am also a member of the 46th District of Illinois Immigration Advisory Committee.
Why are you running to serve as a member of the District 88 Board of Education?
To ensure the district keeps academic standards high and challenge our students to reach their full potential. District 88 must continue to assist students who are headed to junior college, trade school, military, or directly into the workforce. I hope to continue to build relationships with the College of DuPage, industry workforces, and trade leaders to help our students plan for their futures. Our community is a true melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. I want to continue to celebrate our diversity by embracing our differences. The combination of our unique characteristics, values, and beliefs makes District 88 schools special.
What do you see as a major challenge, or challenges, facing the district, and what do you think needs to be done to meet that challenge, or challenges?
We must make sure our children are prepared for life after high school, providing students with several pathway options including college and career development. Continue to offer AP classes that will challenge them and offer dual credit opportunities. Also, develop classes that help provide technical skills for the new modern workforce. We must be ready to address any mental health issues our children may be suffering from. Continue providing a safe environment to learn and grow, and have the ability to apply critical-thinking strategies in everyday life once they graduate from our high schools.
What is your philosophy on balancing spending and maintaining a quality education with taxpayer concerns over rising property taxes?
I have been a homeowner in District 88 for over 18 years and understand the concern of property taxes increasing due to funding
our schools. I look at it as an investment in the community and the lives of our children. Also, schools that test well are schools that are usually funded well by their local property taxes. In return, schools that are well-ranked in achievements will increase the value of our homes and enrich the lives of our communities.
Donna Craft Cain
Office sought: District 88 school board member
Family: M. David Cain, Jr. (spouse); Theresa, Rachel and Deborah
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Willowbrook High School (1981); University of Illinois, B.S. Accountancy (1985); C.P.A. (1985); Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law J.D. (1988)
Community/civic involvement: Partnership for Inspired Education (PIE) Foundation, 2009; Villa Park Chamber of Commerce, member, president, 1993; DuPage County Bar Foundation member of the board of directors; various other volunteer positions including Girl Scout Leader, 4-H leader; Destination Imagination coach.
Awards:
Illinois Association of School Boards, Master Board member; Illinois State Board of Education “Those Who Excel” Meritorious Service Award; INSPRA Award.
Previous elected offices held: DuPage High School District 88: appointment ‘04, elected ‘05, ‘09, ‘13, ‘17 and ‘19; secretary 2009-11; president from 2011 to present.
Why are you running?
I have served on the board since 2004. I have always wanted to make sure that every child has the opportunities available to them so that they can pursue their dreams. For some students that may be college, for some it may be trade schools and others may want to enter into a career. I have enjoyed being able to support the district’s initiatives to help our students and would like to continue to work towards those goals.
Major challenges:
Finances will always be a challenge for school boards. District 88 has always been one of the most diverse districts in the state of Illinois so we always need to be prepared to meet the needs of our students. Education is always evolving and districts need to prepare for the future. We are currently focusing on pathways for students to transition to college and careers. Social/emotional needs of students are also important.
Philosophy on balancing spending, maintaining quality, taxpayer concerns.
I understand the concerns, however, it is important to understand that property taxes are 80 percent of school funding. I believe in developing balanced budgets within the PTELL limits. To control costs, we have worked on developing a five-year plan for building maintenance so that we obtain the best bids. We have worked with our unions to develop contracts tied to CPI that are sustainable within our current financial limits. We need to pursue grants to offset costs of programs and initiatives. I have encouraged state legislators to not pass unfunded mandates and for the state to pay their share.
Amy
FinneganOffice sought: District 88 school board member
Family: Daughter Abbigail attends Willowbrook High School
Social media addresses: https://www. facebook.com/amyfinneganfor88
Occupation: Realtor
Education: Bachelor’s degree
Community/civic involvement: Over the years, I have been a Girl Scout leader, Girls on the Run coach, a booster member at Ardmore, Jackson, and Willowbrook, and a member of the Villa Park Jr. Women’s Club.
Awards: As a board, we earned the School Board Governance Recognition designation from the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB).
Why are you running?
I value public education and want to ensure that our schools continue to offer the best education possible to all students, regardless of whether they are college bound, looking for a career right out of high school, have special needs or are a combination of those things.
Major challenges:
Helping students to bridge any learning gaps that resulted from the pandemic is a priority of the district, and it is currently being addressed. I believe that another challenge facing the district is continuing to meet the social-emotional needs of students. As more teens face mental health challenges, it is imperative that our schools work to meet their needs. We have added additional counselors and created new pathways for students and families to access care, but we need to monitor the situation to ensure that it is enough.
Philosophy on balancing spending, maintaining quality, taxpayer concerns.
As a homeowner in the district, I fully understand the importance of fiscal responsibility when managing the budget. As prices increase for homeowners, the same is true for expenses within the schools. In order to maintain a quality education and properly care for our facilities, increases correlated to the consumer price index are hard to avoid, but we continue to look for additional sources of revenue to fund the needs of the district.
Gail Galivan Office sought: District 88 school board member Family: I have enjoyed the gift of raising five children who are now thriving adults.
Occupation: Holistic healthcare professional; community college continuing education instructor; business owner.
Education: Holistic medicine certifications and associations.
Community/civic involvement: I served on the board of a nonprofit annual film festival held at the Chicago Cultural Center. The associated youth program, Dialogues for Peace, provided opportunities for film showings and film festival award ceremonies for productions created by youth. In-school programs and field trips were organized with partner schools for conversations around films approved for viewing by school administrators. I have been involved in community conversations around equity and diversity and have volunteered for conflict resolution programming at a high school and library.
Why are you running?
Our youth are the future. The 2022 $68 million public schools Illinois Children’s Mental Health Plan will utilize the “whole child” approach. I bring to the board the experience of the “whole child” holistic approach after doing research in the intensive care unit at Children’s Memorial Hospital.
We treated the child, their family and hospital staff. I have been involved in curriculum and equity discussions in education and at a local municipality. I helped children reintegrate socially and learn online at a nonprofit “essential business.”
Major challenges:
There seems to be a growing divide in many nearby communities. This can be prevented by staying focused on education and learning non-judgment. It is necessary to meet each child where they are in order to build confidence and a strong desire for learning. It is important to identify and close knowledge gaps as a foundation for success, avoiding distractions. With a “one-pointed focus” one can achieve goals much quicker and with less stress.
Philosophy on balancing spending, maintaining quality, taxpayer concerns. Reduce spending by consolidating resources and purchasing in-bulk across districts. Exorbitant consultant fees must be examined closely, and any costly outsourced curriculum programs must be scrutinized. Local business partnerships may reduce budgetary spending. Develop whole family curriculum for property tax assessment appeals. LEND representatives might help accomplish allocation of a portion of income tax and sales tax toward schools, reducing the burden placed upon property taxes. These savings adjustments would enhance the quality of education.
Daniel Olson
Office sought: District 88 school board member
Family: Three sons: Tyler, Lucas and Sean. All have reached the rank of Eagle Scout.
Social media addresses: https://www.facebook. com/Daniel582/ https://www.facebook. com/DanOforDistrict88/ https://twitter.com/Daniel582Olson https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieljolson/
Occupation: Information systems
Education: Bachelors: Northern Illinois University; MBA: Aurora University
Community/civic involvement: Scout leader Scouts BSA – 29+ years; work with Troop 417B in Elmhurst; work with Three Fires Council in leader training, Advancement Committee Awards: Lifetime Achievement from Willowbrook Athletic Boosters; District Award of Merit; Silver Beaver Award; Wood Badge.
Previous elected offices held: Currently in first term with DuPage High School District 88; currently board vice president.
Why are you running?
Serving on the board is another step in my commitment to service. Others before me gave their time to be on the school board while my sons attended Willowbrook. By attending sporting events, award ceremonies and music concerts, I am showing support for those activities. Then participating and reviewing in the decisions related to finances, safety and the curriculum, I can speak for students, parents and staff that may not be speak to the district.
Major challenges:
There is not just one challenge facing the district. They face many challenges to keep the curriculum as rigorous to help the students meet the demands ahead of them after graduation. There are challenges related to the ever-changing social and emotional issues facing the students. Then, the neverending financial challenges to providing
In the last two years I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone.
Then again, I’ve stepped right into it.
There’s both, and it’s all mostly good.
In stepping out, I’ve sold and bought houses and cars. I’ve negotiated with air conditioner technicians and auto mechanics. I’ve tackled home improvement projects that would have been in my husband’s realm, not mine.
I’ve had to pay attention to things that never, ever, would have warranted my attention in the past.
In stepping in, I’ve explored interests I never realized were interests before. I’ve discovered I love creating something out of nothing and the bigger the nothing the better. I’ve built lighting fixtures and tables. I’ve attempted free-flow
abstract painting. I’ve sculpted and worked with rocks and wood and tile and resin. Most lately I’ve poured artistic-themed geodes, sparkly resin earrings and grown borax crystals.
I like to share my work with friends. I guess because it gives me joy and joy doesn’t work well in isolation. I don’t purport that any of my projects are art-worthy or even good, but they bring me fulfillment and that is something. They also help to fill an empty house - and that’s another.
I realize my projects are all over the place - from furniture to lamps to planters to decorative items to art to jewelry and so on. Sometimes I wish I could focus on just one thing. To specialize. But that isn’t me. I’m a squirrel - all over the place. I like to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
A Jill of all trades, if you will.
I’m decorating my house with my projects-slash-art. It really doesn’t matter if they are beautiful (although I think they are). I like looking at them and seeing what my hands created. People see my work and often have the same question: “How do you dare try that? Aren’t you afraid you’ll mess up?”
The answer is a quick, “No.”
I’m not afraid I’ll mess up because I already have. I mess up nearly every day. It’s happened many, many times
so there’s nothing to fear in that. It’s already been done.
Mistakes are part of the process. Part of learning.
The items I display in my home are the end result. They aren’t necessarily the first attempt; they most often are the fourth, fifth or 13th attempt.
Hardly any of us get it right on the first try.
But if the first try ends in failure and you stop there, how will you ever succeed? Worse yet, what if something looks so complicated that you never try at all?
I don’t know of one baby - in the history of humankind - who learned to walk on the first try.
I don’t think even Michelangelo, Curie, Mozart, Angelou, da Vinci, Einstein or Dickinson got it right on the first draft.
And look at where their third,
fourth and fifth tries took them. (Insert awe-inspired sigh here.)
I don’t claim to be Amadeus Mozart or Emily Dickinson. Not even close. But I can aspire. I can try. I can create and I can allow that to bring me joy.
I don’t have to get it right the first time, or even expect that, because we all learn as we go.
It doesn’t have to be perfect, because life never is.
But perseverance? Continuing? Trying, and finally, in the end, succeeding at some level?
That, my friends, is what it is all about.
Keep at it. I’ll be doing the same.
Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.
As president of the Illinois State Dental Society and a pediatric dentist, I am thrilled to see that dental insurance reform legislation is gaining traction in Illinois. With key reforms passing Illinois House and Senate committees in recent weeks, we are one
step closer to providing our patients and their families with the dental coverage they need and deserve.
One of the most frustrating challenges our patients and families face is limited and sporadic dental insurance coverage. Many are often surprised at the amount they are required to pay out of pocket, and this can be especially true for children with various oral health treatment needs. We often see insurance simply will not cover services that are widely
accepted as the standard of care.
I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of limited dental insurance coverage on our patients and their families. Recently, I had a young patient who required work on 12 teeth, but his insurance would not cover general anesthesia. As a result, he had to endure four visits, and each time both the boy and his mom struggled in tears. It was heartwrenching for him, his family, and our staff, who could see the emotional toll it was taking
on everyone involved.
Dental insurance barriers like this are not just an issue of inconvenience; they can have a real and lasting impact on our patients’ health and quality of life.
Limited dental insurance coverage has had a detrimental impact on patients and their families for far too long, especially for those who cannot afford high out-of-pocket
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from page 8)
costs. Necessary procedures are often not covered or are severely restricted, leaving patients to shoulder the burden of costly outof-pocket expenses or delay critical oral care. All the while, dental insurance companies continue to go unchecked, with up to 40 percent of patient premiums going toward administrative costs that include extravagant marketing and executive bonuses.
This is why the Illinois State Dental Society has launched the More for Your Smile campaign, which advocates for reforms that remove barriers to care and ensure that patients and employers get better value for their money. The legislation removes barriers to care by requiring dental insurance companies to direct at least 80 percent of patient premiums toward patient care, ensuring patients and employers will get better value for their money, and that out-ofpocket costs are reduced. It also puts an end to schemes used by big insurance companies to gain
additional revenue streams that hurt dentists’ abilities to maintain financially healthy practices and ultimately impact patient access to care.
The solution is clear: More patient premium dollars should go toward patient care, not insurance companies. I am encouraged that lawmakers in Springfield are considering reforms that could make a real difference in the lives of patients across our state.
Patients can join these efforts to help give children and families better access to the dental care they need and deserve by contacting their lawmakers and urging them to support More for Your Smile legislation.
Help us send the right message to big dental insurance executives: It’s time to put patients first and ensure that dental insurance coverage meets their needs, not the needs of insurance company profits.
Editor’s note: Our next DuPage Destinations section will be published Thursday, April 13. If you have information on an event in DuPage County taking place after April 13 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: northsurburbancarvers.com .org/calendar.aspx
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.
Now through 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/2023collegiate-championship-ticketsP6VS20
Now through March 26
Maple Sugaring, West Chicago
From 1-4 p.m. at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road, recurring weekly on Sunday, Saturday, discover how sap becomes syrup as you try tapping with tools from the 1890s, check the collection buckets, watch sap thicken over a fire, and try a taste of real maple syrup. The program is free, for all ages, but but there’s a suggested admission donation of $5/person for ages 3 and up. For more information, visit: www. dupageforest.org/calendar-ofevents
Now through March 28
Joe Naper’s Discovery Play, Naperville
From 10:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 28, March 14 and March 28, children ages 3-5 and their adults are invited to join Naper Settlement for Joe Naper’s Discovery Play. Each session engages curious preschool aged children through social engagement and learning. Naper Settlement’s learning experiences team will guide children and their caregivers through fun activities and explorations. Pre-registration is required to attend. Price $15 per child (ages 3-5); $12 per adult. For more information, visit: https:// napersettlement
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Friday, March 24-
(Continued from page 10)
Saturday, March 25
Naperville Bluegrass Festival
Starting at 6 p.m. both days at the Sheraton Lisle-Naperville, 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-divinebeauty
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/foresttherapy-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 nonpaying adult. Admission: $20 for residents, $25 for nonresidents. For more information, visit: https:// wheatonparkdistrict.com/
March 25-April 30
Illinois State Bowling 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-brewingco-tickets-546241873147
Tuesday, March 28
Pet photos with the Easter bunny, Yorktown Center, Lombard
Pet photos with the Easter bunny will be available on the above date.
Wednesday, March 29
Seinfeld Trivia Night, Roselle
From 7-9 p.m. at the Pollyanna Brewing Company, 245 E. Main St.,
“Yada yada yada ...” Come show off your knowledge of the “show about nothing” at our Seinfeld trivia night! Sean with Baig of Tricks Entertainment will be quizzing you over every season of the hit show. Admission: Free. For more information, visit: www.facebook. com/events/1375051990001454
Friday, March 31
Egg-citing Family Night, Wheaton
From 4-5:30 p.m. at Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., tour the zoo while completing a scavenger hunt, play games, make a craft (or take it to go), meet the Easter Bunny and live animals too! Children ages 2-12 will receive eggs and other goodies throughout the event. Preregistration required. There will be no walk-up registration. Fees: $12 for ages 2-12, $10 ages 13-17, $10 ages 18-and-over. For more information, visit: https://cosleyzoo. org/3-31-eggciting-family-night
Adults-only egg hunt, Glen Ellyn
From 8:30-9:30 p.m. at the Lake Ellyn Boathouse, 645 Lenox Road, for ages 21-and-up, 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-egg-hunt
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 dropoff 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
At last year’s College Fair, a representative from the University of St. Francis shared information about the campus with two visitors. Addison Trail will be hosting a College Fair on Thursday, April 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the high school, 213 N. Lombard Rd. Nearly 80 colleges and universities are expected. Admission is free. Students and families from Addison Trail, Fenton, IC Catholic Prep, Montini Catholic, Willowbrook and York are urged to attend. Talk to your guidance counselor for more information.
Moody’s Investors Service announced last week that it has upgraded Illinois’ bond rating to A3, up from Baa1, marking the eighth credit upgrade the state has received in less than two years.
Moody’s is now the second major rating agency to put Illinois in the ‘A’ category following S&P’s decision on Feb. 23 to upgrade the state to A- on its scale.
“This credit upgrade, our second
one this year, is the result of the steps we’ve taken in Illinois to put ourselves on firm fiscal footing,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.
“We have balanced our budget, paid our bills on time, cleared out decades of debt, made extra pension payments, and saved billions for a rainy day.”
In its announcement, Moody’s cited the state’s “improving governance” as a key factor in its decision. Moody’s is one of many
firms that now assesses companies and governments on an “environmental, social and governance,” or ESG, framework.
The rating agency said it had updated the state’s “issuer profile score” in the governance category to 2 from 3.
“Like other states, Illinois enjoyed solid tax revenue growth over the past couple years, expanding its capacity to build financial reserves and increase payments towards outstanding liabilities,” Moody’s said
in its announcement. “The state is on track to close fiscal 2023, which ends June 30, with further growth in reserves that are already at their strongest level in over a decade.”
Illinois’ “rainy day” fund is slated to reach its highest-ever balance of more than $1.9 billion by the end of the fiscal year.
The new rating applies to the state’s general obligation, or GO, bonds and its Build Illinois sales tax bonds. Illinois currently has approximately $26 billion in out -
standing GO bonds and $2 billion in outstanding sales tax bonds.
Moody’s also rated the state’s financial outlook as “stable,” saying that such an outlook “balances the financial progress being made by the state with the uncertainty of the present economic climate.”
“The state’s lean financial reserves and heavy long-term liability and fixed cost burdens make it more vulnerable than other states to a negative shift in the national or global economy,” it said.
Food costs will continue to eat away at consumers’ pocketbooks this year.
USDA estimates food price inflation could increase another 8 percent this year after racing to its highest level last year (9.9 percent) since 1979.
“In the next year, we expect prices to continue to increase, although substantial uncertainty exists,” said Matthew MacLachlan, economist at USDA’s Food Economics Division.
Grocery purchases, or food at home, could experience the highest inflation this year at 8.6 percent,
down from 11.4 percent in 2022. Meanwhile, prices of food away from home could increase 8.3 percent in 2023, up from 7.7 percent last year.
“We’re predicting food-at-home prices will continue to increase, albeit at a slower rate than last year. Food-at-home prices at this level (in 2022) had not been observed since 1974,” MacLachlan said at USDA’s 99th annual Ag Outlook Forum.
The higher prices will continue to affect pretty much anything shoppers put in their carts or order out. No segment of the food market will be spared from historically high inflation again this year, according to
Early voting and mail-in votes are already available and underway for the upcoming Consolidated Election on Tuesday, April 4.
Some key dates coming up for voters include:
Thursday, March 30 – This is the last day the DuPage County Election Division will receive Vote-By-Mail requests.
Monday, April 3 – This is the last day of early voting. (Early voting began Monday, March 20.)
Tuesday, April 4 – Election Day. Vote in person from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at your polling location.
Also, all “Vote-By-Mail” ballots must be postmarked on April 4. Ballots must be received by the Election Commission by Tuesday, April 18.
If you do not know your polling location, go to dupagecounty.gov and click on “Voter Lookup Tool.” There you will find sample ballots, precinct maps, polling places and directions to get there, and much more.
The deadline to register to vote in the April 4 election has already passed. If you are not registered, have moved, or have changed your name, please contact the Registration Division at (630) 407-5600 before the next election.
quality education, retaining staff and teachers, and keeping the building and grounds in quality conditions that are safe for the students. To meet those challenges, it takes a gigantic cooperation effort between staff, the school board, and the community.
Philosophy on balancing spending, maintaining quality, taxpayer concerns.
Balancing spending and offering a quality education has been, and
always will be, a major function of the school boards across the country. Not a unique issue to just District 88. The board works with the District 88 staff on planning a budget and following that budget. As a board member, asking questions when the monthly information pertaining to the budget is presented is key. The district’s financial staff works daily to track and monitor income and expenses to keep the budget on track.
USDA.
“This is a very high level of inflation. It isn’t attributable to any category, but rather it’s driven by higher prices across the board,” MacLachlan said. “Prices for all food categories increased at least 5 percent in 2022.”
After posting some of the highest price increases in 2020-21, inflation for beef/veal and pork eased to 5.3 percent last year. Egg prices posted the highest gain at 32 percent in 2022.
Even with the higher costs, food expenditures remain about the same portion of spending (12 percent) for U.S. consumers compared to other years when food prices increased closer to the historical rate around 2 percent.
“This roughly aligns with past expenditures,” MacLachlan said. “But this represents the ‘average’ household and not necessarily those with low income, which food is a much larger share of their expenditures.”
The higher prices reflect the increasing cost of inputs along the entire food chain, MacLachlan noted.
Along with higher costs for ev-
erything from transportation to packaging, the food sector continues to struggle with labor issues, according to Andrew Harig, vice president of tax, trade, sustainability and policy development for FMI—the Food Industry Association.
Annual employee turnover at grocery stores averaged about 50 percent pre-COVID but currently remains above 60 percent.
“It looks like a year in flux. Challenges will persist,” Harig said. “These (food) prices don’t look like they’ll come down any time soon.”
The average weekly grocery scan of food purchases increased from an average of $121 in February 2020 to $151 last month. The average grocery purchase peaked at $161 per week at the beginning of the pandemic as many consumers went through a “stockpile” phase, Harig noted.
But the higher cost of the average grocery purchases doesn’t reflect the whole story. Consumers are also cutting back on total purchases to deal with inflation.
“Consumer worries continue to rise,” Harig said. “What we’ve seen in the past year is volumes are
down.”
A recent survey found 59 percent of consumers are currently shopping for more deals, 45 percent are buying more store brands and 41 percent are buying fewer items overall, according to FMI.
“Consumers are feeling this more than estimates show,” said Harig, who noted grocers and retailers have been caught in the crosshairs. “Your last trip to the store often shapes how you feel about the food industry.”
While some consumers often blame the point of purchase for high costs, Harig noted high food prices are the result of inflation across all sectors. Higher prices actually erode margins for food retailers, whose profit margins hover around 2-3 percent.
“People really don’t know where their food comes from or how it’s produced, so when the price changes, it’s a bit of a mystery,” he added. “We’ve seen the supply chain already stretched, and it would normally bounce back. But, it hasn’t and a lot of it still traces back to COVID. We’re still feeling the effects today.”
DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek announces 20 Early Voting locations for the 2023 Consolidated Election will open in DuPage County starting Monday, March 20th.
“This is the first consolidated election in DuPage County where ballots will be 100 percent paper,” Kaczmarek said. “We’re providing optimum access to DuPage’s 610,000 voters, including Vote-byMail, Permanent Vote-by-Mail, more Early Voting locations, and 273 polling places on Election Day, Tuesday, Apr. 4, with the option to vote anywhere. Mayors, city councils, and school boards are among the significant local offices on the ballot in the
consolidated election.
“I encourage voters to make their voices heard in how their own communities are governed.”
Among DuPage County’s 20 Early Voting locations are:
Addison Township Office: 401
N. Addison Rd, Addison Bensenville Police Department: 345 E. Green St, Bensenville DuPage County Fairgrounds:
2015 W. Manchester Rd, Wheaton
Elmhurst City Hall: 209 N. York Rd, Elmhurst
Oak Brook Village Hall: 1200 Oak Brook Rd, Oak Brook
Yorktown Center: 330 Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard
Specific days and hours of Early
Voting locations can be found at dupagecounty.gov/Election/Voting/Early Voting/.
As Election Day nears, Kaczmarek suggests those voters who have put off applying for a mail ballot should consider voting in-person during Early Voting or on Election Day. Voters who have received mail ballots are urged to complete them and return them as soon as possible.
Kaczmarek encourages anyone who is uncertain of their voter registration status, including those voters who may have moved or changed their name since the last time they voted, to confirm their registration and view their sample ballot at dupagecounty.gov/VoterLookup.
CLOUDY
DEW
GALOSHES
GUSTS
HUMIDITY
INDOORS
JACKET
PUDDLES
RAINFALL
SLIPPERY
SLUGGISH
SOGGY
UMBRELLA
WET
WINDY
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. Influential American political family
5. __ Chantilly, __ de Menthe
11. Within
12. Pleasure seekers
16. Computer manufacturer
17. Home to college sports’
Flyers
18. Fungal disease
19. Sleepwalk
24. Spielberg sci-fi film
25. Seasonable
26. Taxis
27. Radio direction finder (abbr.)
28. Thin, narrow piece of wood
29. “Mystic River” actor Sean
30. Ingenuous
31. Musical composition
33. Turkish surname
34. High or hilly area
38. Wilco frontman
39. Pour it on pasta
40. Electric car company
43. Sea eagle 44. Walk with difficulty 45. Sign of healing 49. Boy
50. Protein-rich liquid
51. Washington city
53. Individual portion of TV series (abbr.)
54. Thought over 56. Scads
58. News agency 59. Standard
Deadlock 63. Pre-Columbian empire 64. Removed 65. French commune
CLUES DOWN
1. Large, dangerous animals
2. Straighten out
3. Family tree
4. Large stinging paper wasp
5. European river fish
6. Cut down in size
7. Denotes past
8. Larry and Curly’s partner
9. Samoyedic ethnic group
10. Male parent
13. Specific gravity
14. Demeaned oneself to
15. Rigidly
20. Yankovic is a “weird” one
21. Belonging to me
22. Path
23. Airborne (abbr.)
27. Level
29. Atomic #94
30. Born of
31. Midway between northeast and east
32. Northeastern bank
33. Defunct airline
34. Having no purpose
35. A low wall
36. Swedish city
37. Earn a perfect score
38. Atomic #81
40. Beginner
41. Give off
42. Incorrect letters
44. Telecommunication service provider (abbr.)
45. Idyllic
46. Popular beer
47. A way to fine
48. Evildoer
50. More withered
51. Seventh note of a major scale
52. Commercial
54. Abnormal breathing
55. Moved more quickly
57. City of Angels
61. Partner to Pa
62. Equally
https://homepaintingillino.wixsite.com/website
https://homepaintingillino.wixsite.com/website
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE
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
(Continued from page 3)
senior Charlie Hayes to finish third in the 4 x 800-meter relay. The foursome finished the race in 8:48.1.
Sloan finished second in the 600-meter run, which he completed in 1:31.22. Elijah Smith posted a second-place time of 55.59 seconds in the 400-meter run.
Sophomore Jaylin Miller of the Warriors contributed a fourth-place finish in the 55-meter dash, which he completed in 6.8 seconds.
Willowbrook senior Kevin Diederich ran to a third-place finish in the 3,200-meter run, which he covered in 10 minutes, 16.67 seconds. Diederich finished fifth in the 1,600-meter run, which he completed in 4 min-
NOTICE
CERTIFICATE NO. 78989 was filed in the office of the County Clerk of DuPage County on FEBRUARY 28, 2023, wherein the business firm of MC DESIGNS, 250 N. WESLEY DRIVE, ADDISON, IL 60101 was registered; that the true or real name or names of the person or persons owning the business, with their respective post office address(es), is/are as follows:
Alvaro D. Mercado Delgado, 250 N. Wesley Drive, Addison, IL 60101.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and Official Seal at my office in Wheaton, Illinois, this 28TH day of FEBRUARY, A.D. 2023.
Jean Kaczmarek
DuPage County Clerk
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review March 9, 16 & 23, 2023) 433787
NOTICE
To the legal voters, residents of the TOWNSHIP OF YORK in the County of DuPage and the State of Illinois, that the ANNUAL TOWN MEETING of said Township will take place on:
TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2023 being the second Tuesday of said month at the hour of 7:00 O’clock P.M. at York Township Hall
1502 S. Meyers Road, Lombard for the transaction of the miscellaneous business of the said town; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of officers, and decide on such measures as may, in pursuance of law, come before the meeting; and especially to consider and decide the following:
THE ANNUAL TOWN MEETING OF THE TOWN OF YORK APRIL 11, 2023
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Invocation
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Welcome and Introduction by Anthony Cuzzone, Town Clerk
5. Call for Nomination of Moderator
a. Closing of Nominations
b. Election of Moderator
c. Oath of Moderator
6. Approval of Minutes of the
a. Annual Town Meeting of April 12, 2022
7. Supervisor’s Statement of Financial Affairs
a. Fiscal Year 2022/2023
8. Resolution of Electors: Authority to Sell or Lease Property
9. Public Comment (limit to 3 minutes)
10. Announcement of Next Annual Town Meeting on April 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
11. Benediction
12. Adjournment
utes, 58 seconds. Junior Cody Wenkus of the Warriors contributed a top-five finish by placing fourth in the 50-meter hurdles. He completed the race in 8.36 seconds.
Willowbrook’s 4 x 160-meter relay foursome of freshman Maxi-
milian Wilkison, Miller, Parato and junior Jadin Harris turned in a fifthplace finish, completing the race in 1 minute, 21 seconds.
Addison Trail
Addison Trail finished sixth in the team standings of Friday’s con-
ference meet. The Blazers posted a team total of 26 points.
Senior Damarius Allen of the Blazers finished second in the 200-meter run, which he finished in 24.22 seconds.
Allen added a fifth-place finish in the 55-meter dash, which he com-
Anthony Cuzzone Town Clerk
(Published in the Addison Independent, Bensenville Independent & Villa Park Review, Elmhurst Independent & Lombardian March 23, 2023) 434601
pleted in 6.86 seconds.
Addison Trail sophomore Daniel Lupa ran to a second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles, which he completed in 8.74 seconds.
Lupa delivered a third-place time of 8.30 seconds in the 50-meter hurdles.
St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church
547 N. Main St., Lombard, IL 60148 630-627-2435
Lent and Easter Services at 7 p.m.
Sunday Worship at 10:15 am Sunday School & Bible Study 9am
“The Crucial Hours”
Second Lenten Service March 9, 2022
Rev. David Ernest “Satan Has Asked to Sift All of You” Jerusalem Lutheran, Morton Grove Matthew 27:15-26
at 7 pm
Third Lenten Service March 16, 2022
Fifth Lenten Service March 22, 2023
Rev. Paul Spaude “What to Remember When Your are St. Matthews, Niles Seized with Remorse” Matthew 27:3-4
Rev. Caleb Klatt “Led to His Father’s House” St. Matthews, Niles Matthew 27:3-4
Fourth Lenten Service March 23, 2022
Rev. Jonathan Bergemann “I Will Keep the Passover” Good Shepherd, Downers Grove Matthew 26:18
Sixth Lenten Service March 29, 2023
Rev. Tom Nicholson “Led to His Enemies” Resurrection, Aurora Luke 20:9-19
Fifth Lenten Service March 30, 2022
Rev. Tom Nicholson “They Bound Him” Resurrection, Aurora John 18:12
Sixth Lenten Service April 6, 2022
Maundy Thursday Communion 7:00 pm, April 6
Good Friday Tenebrae 7:00 pm, April 7
Rev. Phil Schupmann “The Semblance of Legality” Resurrection, Aurora Luke 22:66
Easter Sunrise 6:30 am, April 9
Maundy Thursday Communion 7 p.m., April 14
Easter Breakfast 8:00 am, April 9
Easter Festival 10:15 am, April 9
Good Friday Tenebrae 7 p.m., April 15
Easter Sunrise 6:30 a.m., April 17
Everyone is Welcome!
Easter Breakfast 8 a.m., April 17
All services are live streamed. SaintTimothy.org
Easter Festival 10:15 a.m., April 17
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 PresidentROSA CARMONA Village Trustee NICHOLAS PANICOLA JR. Village Trustee MARIE T. FREY Village Trustee