EI080323

VOL. 21• NO. 33

Elmhurst Fire Deptartment responds to house fire

Occupants safely evacuate building, one firefighter injured

At 1:13 a.m. on the morning of Friday, July 28, Elmhurst firefighters were called to the scene of a residential house fire on the 100 block of East Crescent Avenue, according to a release from Interim Fire Chief Dick Dufort.

Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the home. Mutual Aid companies from Villa Park, Addison, Lombard, York Center, Oakbrook,

Hillside, Franklin Park, Westchester, Northlake, and Oakbrook Terrace were called to assist. Firefighters were informed that all residents had safely evacuated the home.

One firefighter was injured and taken to Edward-Elmhurst Hospital where he was treated and released. Firefighters extinguished the fire in approximately one hour.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Woman charged with leading police on high-speed chase Berlin praises Elmhurst police for assistance in apprehension

DuPage County State’s Attorney

Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Bri-

an Strockis have announced that bond was set for a woman accused of leading police on a high-speed chase after two individuals in her vehicle had allegedly stolen merchandise from an Oak Brook store.

Chrischauna Smith, 22, of Peoria, appeared in bond court where Judge George Ford set bond at $100,000. Smith is charged with one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, a Class 4 felony.

On July 21 at approximately 5:02 p.m., while on routine patrol at the

Shops of Oak Brook, an officer with the Oak Brook Police Department reportedly observed two individuals wearing hoodies and surgical masks, enter a car that was reverse parked in the parking lot approximately 100 yards from the entrance of the Nordstrom Rack store on 22nd Street. It is alleged that once the individuals, later identified as Jajuan Jarmon, 18, of Chicago, and a juvenile, entered the car, the car quickly left the area. The officer followed the vehicle onto eastbound 22nd Street at which time

See CHASE, Page 7

12U Little League wins state championship; Saturday’s regional game to appear on ESPN+

The Elmhurst 12U Little League team won the Illinois State Championship game on Tuesday night in Hinsdale, the first-ever at its level. This Saturday, Aug. 5, the boys Regional game will be played in Indiana, but the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. (CT) Players include: Patrick Boeh, Liam Campbell, Xander Escarpita, Reid Gabuzda, Liam Larma, Caleb Leynes, Dominic Martinello, Joey Pointon, Dominic Ramos, Charlie Rawleigh, Tanner Telford, Emmett Thompson, and Micheal Wente. Story and another photo inside.

Chrischauna Smith Jajuan Jarmon

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

holiday tree sale keeps

Elmhurst tradition bright

Foundation 205 has launched its annual outdoor tree sale benefiting Elmhurst District 205 Schools. Trees are on sale now with early bird pricing of $30 at the Foundation website: Foundation205.org.

A long-standing Elmhurst tradition, the tree sale provides high quality evergreens from Michigan farms to adorn the front yards of our community. Residents may pick up their trees or have them delivered directly to their doorstep. Last year more than 2,600 trees were sold to make Elmhurst shine during the holiday season!

“We are again partnering with presenting sponsor Elmhurst Bank to expand our sale this year,” said Kate Knicker, executive director of Foundation 205. “We’re grateful for their support as we continue this unique Elmhurst tradition.”

Trees will remain on sale through the end of September, but early-bird pricing ends Aug. 31.

Foundation 205 is a private notfor-profit organization dedicated to

We want to print your news!

with you and

supporting innovative educational opportunities in Elmhurst Public Schools. This year the Foundation will reinvest more than $340,000 to directly support students and teachers in our district.

Info: Foundation205.org.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent Volunteers from York High School take a break after loading a truckload of trees that were delivered to the Elmhurst community during last year’s Foundation 205’s annual Holiday Tree Sale in 2022. Trees will be on sale through September, but early-bird prices end Aug. 31. To order, visit Foundation205.org.

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12U Little League wins first state championship

Regional game this Saturday to appear on ESPN+

For the first time ever at this level, the Elmhurst 12U Little League won the Illinois State Championship game on Tuesday, July 25, beating Hinsdale 6-1.

The victory allowed Elmhurst 12U Little League to advance to the Regional Tournament in Whitestown, Ind., on Saturday, Aug. 5. The Regional Tournament game will broadcast live on ESPN+ beginning at 6 p.m.

Dominic Ramos shut down the Hinsdale offense by throwing 5.2 innings and striking out 12 batters. The game was scoreless in the top of the 2nd when Caleb Leynes drove in Reid Gabuzda to score the first run of the game.

The game remained 1-0 until the 4th when Elmhurst scored 3 more runs with offense coming from Xander Escarpita, Michael Wente, Dominic Martinello, Reid Gabuzda and Liam Larma. Elmhurst added two more runs, one in each of the 5th and 6th inning with one coming from a big solo shot from Liam Campbell.

Elmhurst residents came out in full force to support and cheer on the boys and celebrate Elmhurst Youth Baseball (EYB) first-ever state championship at this level. Dominance on the mound, stellar defense and timely hitting has been the story for Elmhurst throughout the Little League District, Sectional and State games. The boys from Elmhurst will now showcase their talent on a national stage, playing Indiana on Saturday, Aug. 5.

You can follow the 2023 Little League Baseball Great Lakes Region Tournament at littleleague. org. To cheer the boys on live, all Regional games will be played at the Little League Headquarters Complex, 7185 S. Indianapolis Rd., Whitestown, Ind. Players include Patrick Boeh, Liam Campbell, Xander Escarpita, Reid Gabuzda, Liam Larma, Caleb Leynes, Dominic Martinello, Joey Pointon, Dominic Ramos, Charlie Rawleigh, Tanner Telford, Emmett Thompson, and Micheal Wente.

Good luck at Regionals, Elmhurst Little League! Your hometown is pulling for you.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

The Elmhurst 12U Little League team gathered under the scoreboard that shows its winning score after they triumphed over Hinsdale to win the Illinois State Championship game for the first time ever at its level. This Saturday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m., the boys will play in Regionals which are held in Indiana, but the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

School Board capsules

Here’s what’s going on at District 205

By Chris Fox

FOR THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a regular meeting on July 25 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven board members attended the meeting.

Students, teams honored for achievements

• The meeting’s spotlights and recognitions segment noted the recent athletic achievements of several district students. The board recognized

Obituaries

Marilyn Stuhl, 94 Marilyn Stuhl, age 94, an Elmhurst resident for 50 years, passed away July 26, 2023. Marilyn was born March 19, 1929, and grew up in Bellwood, IL, where she met her life’s love, John Stuhl, after he returned from serving in WWII, Naval Division. They were happily married for 62 years before his passing. Marilyn was devoted to her family and actively enjoyed PTA memberships, Elmhurst Garden Club, Welcome Wagon and participating in park district activities.

She leaves behind her devoted daughter, Janet; beloved grandson,

the York badminton program’s doubles team of senior (Class of 2023) Sasha Neidigh and junior Lindsey White. The duo earned a third-place finish in the doubles portion of the IHSA state badminton tournament in May. The board also recognized the York baseball team, which won the fourth-place trophy in the IHSA Class 4A state tournament. That tournament ended in June.

• The board also honored York senior Bria Bennis, who earned AllState recognition at the IHSA Class 3A girls state track and field meet in May. Bennis secured All-State honors with her third-place finish in the

3,200-meter run. She also earned All-State recognition with her ninthplace finish in the 1,600-meter run. In November 2022, Bennis ran to a third-place finish at the IHSA Class 3A girls state cross-country meet. She led the Dukes to the second-place trophy in the team competition at the state cross-country meet.

• The board also recognized three district students for their achievements in the Special Olympics’ softball throw competition. Peter Hickey earned the Bronze Medal in the event. Arri Villatoro Nevarez won the Silver Medal in the softball throw, while Jack Rychley achieved

the highest honor in the event by winning the Gold Medal.

Public forum

• There were eight speakers during the July 25 meeting’s public comments segment. The first speaker was Daniel Hall, a York math teacher and the president of the Elmhurst Teachers’ Council (Local 571, IFT/ AFT). Hall noted there were over 50 teachers present at the meeting. He said the board does a great job, and that teachers are the fabric of the community. He said teachers have a challenging job. Hall said that teachers expect the board to speak up for them when they are attacked.

2023-24 budget. Christopher Whelton, the district’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, said that the previous year’s budget (2022-23) included using $10.7 million in reserves to invest in the district’s facilities and new curriculum resources at the K-5 level.

According to Whelton, the district’s revenues exceeded the budgeted amount, while revenues were slightly less than the budgeted amount for the 2023-23 period. Whelton said those factors required the district to use only $4.8 million from its reserves, instead of the previously projected amount of $10.7 million.

Jason (Jen); loving sister, Lois; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Mary; and many nephews and nieces – especially her favorite nephew, Jerry.

“...that whoever sees the son and believes in him shall have eternal life.” John 6:40.

Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, Walter, Clara and Hannah; and her sister, Myrna.

Services are private.

Arrangements in care of Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – THE AHLGRIM CHAPEL. For information (630) 834-3515 or www.elmhurstfh.com.

E. Irene Osladil

E. Irene Osladil, born March 21, 1919 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Mandus H. and Esther O. Nyberg,

passed peacefully at her home in Elmhurst, Illinois on July 26, 2023, at the age of 104 years. Loving Wife of the late William A. Osladil (d.2009). Mother to Sharen I. (Donald) Linder, William G. (Beverly) Osladil and Robert J. Osladil. Grandmother to Donald C. Linder, Andrew J. (Kristen) Linder, Julie A. (Jarvis) Smallfield, Sandra L. (Frank) Cho and Kristine M. Osladil. Great Grandmother to Amelia, Stefan, Linnea, Vanessa, Gabriel and Eleanor. Preceded in death by her brother, Mandus Nyberg.

Visitation was held July 289 at the Pedersen Ryberg Funeral Home, 435 N. York St., Elmhurst.

Private Family Graveside Service followed at Mt. Emblem Cemetery with the Rev. David Brummer officiating.

• Other speakers referred to the board’s decision to include excerpts of the fiction novel “American Street” in the English curriculum for York freshmen. Some members of the district community, including Tom Chavez, have spoken at previous board meetings, reading graphic passages from the book and stating it should not be included in the curriculum.

• Some of the speakers referred to a faculty member, who they claimed was subject to bullying. They also referred to that faculty member facing disciplinary action for apparently making comments in a closed forum. As one teacher who spoke stated, “Don’t discipline someone for engaging in free speech.”

Tentative budget for 2023-24 presented

The meeting also included a presentation about the district’s tentative

He further noted that almost 91 percent of the district’s revenues come from local sources. He said property taxes provide about 83 percent of the district’s revenues. Whelton’s presentation included a graph that showed about 67 percent of the district’s expenditures would go toward salaries and benefits. According to the presentation, the 2023-24 tentative budget indicated about $133 million in revenues for the district’s education fund. About $90.2 million of expenditures will go toward salaries and benefits. The district is projected to have 1,189.57 full-time equivalent positions in the 2023-24 school year, up from 1,174 full-time equivalent positions in the 2022-23 school year.

According to Whelton, the district ended its 2022-23 fiscal year with about $63.4 million in reserves. The

See

CAPSULES,

Page 7

Police beat

The Elmhurst Police Department recently reported the following arrests and citations. Persons charged with domestic battery are not named in order to protect the privacy of victims.

Readers are reminded that an arrest does not constitute a conviction, and that subjects are considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Juveniles age 17-or-younger are not named.

Assault, battery

July 25

Police said officers responded to the 100 block of Schiller for the report of a fight in progress. Upon arrival, both parties were found separated and uncooperative stating nothing happened. Due to the lack of cooperation of both parties, no arrests were made.

July 24

Jasha Taylor, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla., was issued citations for assault and disorderly conduct, while Milenko Kremic, 39, of Chicago, was issued a citation for battery at a business in the 600 block of N. Larch at 8:10 p.m. Police said that subsequent to a report of a disturbance at the above location, both parties were found to have made physical contact with one another.

DUI, DUI-drugs, transportation of open alcohol, possession of open alcohol, consumption of alcohol by a minor

July 25

Fred Gianneschi, 68, of Elmhurst, was charged with DUI, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage near Park and Boyd at 8:29 p.m.

July 24

Brian Murphy, 51, of Oak Brook, was charged with DUI, improper lane usage and speeding subsequent to a traffic stop near Jackson and Spring at 11:10 p.m.

July 21

Police said officers located Lance Alexander, 61 (homeless), sleeping outside of the police station. According to police, Alexander was intoxicated and in possession of open liquor. Alexander was issued a citation for possession of liquor on public property

Police said a complainant in the 400 block of N. York reported a subject was laying on the ground outside of the above location. Officers made contact with the suspect, who allegedly was found to be intoxicated and in possession of open liquor. Thomas Turretine, 46, of Chatham, was issued a citation for possession of liquor on public property.

Domestic battery, domestic incident, disorderly conduct, disturbance

July 23

A 22-year-old Elmhurst man was charged with domestic battery in the 300 block of Scott at 11:21 p.m. A victim told police the suspect pushed her and was found to be intoxicated. There were no signs of injury.

CALL 800-222-TIPS

July 21

James Grissem, 44, of Arlington Heights, was charged with disorderly conduct and prowling in the 200 block of N. Highland at 1:44 p.m. Police said a victim reviewed doorbell video footage of Grissem looking through the victim’s mailbox and looking in the home’s window.

A 22-year-old Niles woman was charged with domestic battery in the 100 block of N. Addison at 7 p.m. Police said it was discovered the suspect pushed the victim.

Fleeing, eluding

According to information provided last week by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported two incidents of fleeing and eluding during which the driver of a vehicle fled the scene after being stopped for a traffic stop by police.

Identity theft, fraud

According to information provided by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported four incidents of identity theft or fraud.

Possession of cannabis in a vehicle

According to information provided last week by the Elmhurst Police Department, police reported no incidents of possession of cannabis by either the driver of a vehicle or a passenger.

Suspicious incident

July 21

A victim near Kenilworth and Crestview told police at 8:48 a.m. that a white medium-sized dog bit him on the right thigh while he was walking near the above location. The victim sustained a single puncture wound but refused any medical treatment. Officers checked the area for the loose dog but didn’t locate it.

Theft or burglary /retail theft/forgery/deceptive practice/obstruction/ robbery

July 24

Silver Ayodele Edosio Jr., 23, of Villa Park, was charged with conspire to possess with intent to deliver any document known to be altered or forged, DUI, driving while license suspended and unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver near York and Crescent at 3:47 a.m. While on patrol, the officer observed a vehicle stopped, running, with the suspect slumped over the wheel, according to police. Police said the suspect was found to be DUI and taken into custody and transported to the station. During an inventory of the suspect’s

personal belongings six forged $20 bills and four forged $10 bills were found, according to police.

July 17-July 22

While on vacation, a victim was notified by USPS of his individual mail that was being held upon his return at the U.S. Post Office. Upon returning, the victim received all but one piece of mail, an envelope containing a check. The Postal Inspector has been advised of the suspected theft.

July 5-July 19

A complainant at an auto dealership in the 500 block of W. Lake told police that an unknown suspect(s) removed the front dealer license plate of a loaner vehicle that was returned. The plate was later located on a suspect vehicle in Elmwood Park that fled from officers. An investigation is pending.

Retail theft

July 26

Police said a complainant related an unknown suspect(s) took bottles of liquor and a box of diapers from a pharmacy in the 100 block of N. Robert Palmer at 4:27 p.m. The suspect exited the store without paying and fled the area in an unknown vehicle last seen heading northbound on Palmer.

July 25

A complainant was shopping at a store in the 300 block of S. Route 83 at 11:17 a.m. and observed a suspect put a large number of clothing items into a cart, walk past the cash register without paying for the items, put all the items into her vehicle and leave the parking lot. Investigation pending.

July 24

A complainant at a wireless store in the 300 block of S. Route 83 reported at the end of the shift, a silver, ultra 49mm Apple Watch which was on display was missing. Investigation pending.

July 22

Nancy Henry, 74, and Willie J. Winder, 67, both of Elmhurst, were issued citations for retail theft at a store in the 100 block of E. Schiller and issued no-trespass notices. Police said the suspects took several items and exited the store without paying.

Violation of bail bond

July 26

Miles Henry, 28, of Elmhurst, was charged with violation of bail bond at an apartment complex in the 800 block of N. York at 12:48 p.m. Police said Henry violated his bail bond conditions by entering the victim’s home and consuming alcohol.

Warrant arrest

July 26

Police said that subsequent to a previous traffic arrest in the 100 block of E. First at 10:46 a.m., Juan Diego Gaitan-Hernandez, 21, of Villa Park, arrived on scene as a valid driver to retrieve the vehicle, and was found to be wanted out of The Lisle Police Department.

July 24

Police said that subsequent to a traffic stop near Villa and North at 11:21 p.m., Javonte Brown, 27, of Westmont, was found to have a valid warrant out of DuPage County. Brown was processed on the warrant, charged with driving while license suspended, expired registration and failure to signal when changing lanes.

Police said Steve McCarthy, 59, of Elmhurst, turned himself in on a warrant out of Will County.

July 21

Police said officers made contact with Meagan Carter, 26 (homeless), in the 200 block of E. Crestview, who was found to have a valid failure to appear warrant out of the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

July 20

Police in the 600 block of W. Fay said that a reporting officer was made aware Christopher J. Dwyer, 36, of Elmhurst, had an active warrant out of DuPage County. Police said Dwyer was located at his residence, taken into custody and transported to the police station. Police said that subsequent to a traffic stop near I-290 and York at 11:13 a.m., Rocio Garza, 34, of Cicero, was found to have a valid warrant out of DuPage County.

Man found guilty of aggravated sexual abuse of 13-year-old girl

Berlin praises young victim for speaking up

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has announced that a jury has found James Nead, 30, formerly of Naperville, guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he met on the internet.

The jury returned their verdict last week following a three-day-long trial and approximately three hours of deliberations. In all, the jury found Nead guilty of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse (Class 2 felony), one count of solicitation to meet a child (Class 4 felony) and one count of traveling to meet a child (Class 3 felony).

James Nead

The trial was in front of Judge Brian Telander. On June 23, 2020, a $150,000 arrest warrant was issued for Nead. He was taken into custody on June 29, 2020, and appeared in bond court where bond was set at $150,000 with 10 percent to apply in accordance with the previously issued arrest warrant. He has remained in custody at the DuPage County Jail since that time.

In June 2019, the victim, a 13-year-old girl received a message on Snapchat from an account belonging to Nead. Nead and the victim exchanged photographs through Snapchat, and several days later, Nead convinced the girl to meet with him by threatening to release the photographs she had sent to him if she did not meet him.

On June 28, the victim met Nead at a strip mall near her house and got into his car. While in his car, Nead sexually abused the victim. After abusing the girl, Nead dropped her off at the strip mall where they met.

Later that day, the victim blocked Nead from her Snapchat account. Nead again contacted the victim through another account he created and again threatened the victim with releasing the photographs if she did not meet him again. The victim’s father contacted authorities later that day.

“It is my hope that this very disturbing case will serve as a reminder to parents to monitor

Page 7

New partnership in AI collaborative for health care NorthShore-EE Health joins new health care consortium

NorthShore-Edward-Elmhurst Health (NS-EEH) has announced a partnership with AVIA, the nation’s leading healthcare digital transformation partner, to research and develop a comprehensive, actionable strategy for the adoption of generative AI capabilities in health care.

NS-EEH joins a collaborative of health systems, key industry organizations, and government leaders that are working to identify risks, opportunities and meaningful guidelines for effective and ethical AI adoption for the healthcare industry.

“The systematic evaluation and implementation of Generative AI and other new technologies presents significant potential for better under-

• Chase

the vehicle, later determined to be driven by Smith, allegedly made an illegal U-turn against a red light and sped away from the officer.

The officer activated his emergency lights and sirens and began pursuit of the vehicle. It is alleged that Smith continued to flee the officer ultimately reaching speeds in excess of 115 mph. It is alleged that Smith entered I-294 with the officer in pursuit.

standing and uniquely meeting the needs of our patients and communities,” said Kristen Murtos, chief innovation and transformation officer, NS-EEH. “We are taking a proactive approach to understand and implement AI and are already seeing the promise it holds to help improve care in areas like addressing social determinants of health, remote monitoring and even in how we best deploy our team members.”

Generative AI is poised to transform the delivery of health care, lower costs, and revolutionize the patient and provider experience. However, the health care industry has only barely set foot on the path toward unlocking AI’s potential, hospital of-

(Continued from front page) count of retail theft (Class 3 felony) and one count of burglary (Class 2 felony). He appeared at a detention hearing July 23 where Judge Ford ordered he be released to the custody of his parents on GPS monitoring.

“This alleged fleeing and eluding is very concerning as it allegedly occurred in a very busy shopping district during rush hour,” Berlin said.

ficials said.

NS-EEH’s participation makes it among the first to perform serious

and thorough research into the practical side of AI adoption, supported by leading experts in healthcare AI,

ethics, and regulatory oversight. To learn more, contact AVIA at genai@avia.health.

Elmhurst Hospital president to chair ADA’s ‘Tour de Cure’

Cycling event on Aug. 12 offers several distance options

Edward-Elmhurst Health is a sponsor and Kimberley Darey M.D., president of Elmhurst Hospital, is chair of the American Diabetes Association’s® (ADA) 2023 Chicagoland Tour de Cure® on Saturday, Aug. 12 at Pottawattamie Park, 8 North St. in St. Charles. The event is being held in support of more than 37 million Americans living with diabetes. The nationwide

• Capsules

movement promotes diabetes awareness, healthy living and fundraising for those living with diabetes.

The 2023 Tour de Cure features cycling routes through some of Chicago’s western suburbs’ most scenic locations. Distance options for cyclists include 5, 12, 30 or 63 miles. For details or to sign up, visit diabetes.org/ chicagotour.

(Continued from page 5)

district is projected to end its 202324 fiscal year with about $57.1 million in reserves, which he described as “an adequate amount.”

Field School poised to open in fall

The officer lost sight of the vehicle near Mannheim Road. A short time later, officers with the Oak Brook Police Department were driving on the shoulder of I-290 in stopped traffic when they observed the vehicle in the right lane. It is alleged that Smith’s vehicle cut off the officers and struck a squad car, causing both vehicles to go off the road. Smith and Jarmon were taken into custody at this time.

The juvenile fled on foot but was taken into custody after a brief pursuit.

Following an investigation, it is alleged that Jarmon and the juvenile entered the Nordstrom Rack with empty bags in their possession. It is further alleged that the pair placed about $378 worth of fragrances in the bags and then left the store without paying for the merchandise.

Jarmon is charged with one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (Class 1 felony), one count of burglary (Class 2 felony) and one count of retail theft (Class 3 felony). His bond was set at $30,000.

The juvenile is charged with one

• Abuse

(Continued from page 6)

their children’s internet usage and be aware of whom their children are communicating with on social media,” Berlin said. “I commend the young victim in this case for bringing this matter to the attention of adults and for her strength and courage in confronting the man who sexually abused her.”

Nead’s next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 31, for post-trial motions. He faces a penalty of up to seven years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

“Once again, I fear we are pressing our luck and it is only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed. Thankfully, no one was injured in this incident.”

Both Smith’s and Jarmon’s next court appearance is scheduled Monday, Aug. 14 for arraignment in front of Judge Margaret O’Connell.

Whelton also noted that the new Field Elementary School is ready to open at the start of the upcoming 2023-24 school year. He also mentioned that the district has completed all of the bond issues from the $168.5 million referendum that voters approved in 2018.

Enrollment discussed

Board member Jim Collins stated that the district’s enrollment has been flat since the 2011-12 school year. He said the district’s enrollment in 2011-12 was 8,283. He said the dis-

trict’s current enrollment of 8,293 is almost identical to what it was more than 10 years ago. He said the district had 615 certified staff members in the 2011-12 school year, and noted that those staff members included teachers, as well as counselors and psychologists. Collins said the district now has 715 certified staff members, an increase of 100 since the 2011-12 school year. Stating that the board’s role is to provide oversight, he asked for an accounting in where the additional staff members had been deployed. District 205 Superintendent Keisha Campbell said she would provide Collins with additional information.

Board president Athena Arvanitis responded to Collins’ comments by saying that students’ needs are expanding and changing, and that

she was cautious in tying school enrollment to staffing. Collins said the board should be aware of where resources are going. He said the district received about $119 million in property taxes in 2022-23 and expect to receive about $129 million in property taxes in 2023-24.

Donation to Foundation 205 approved Board members voted unanimously during the meeting to approve a donation of an amount not to exceed $96,000 from Foundation 205 to be used to purchase 1,800 Logitech Crayon digital pencils (styluses) and charging accessories for use with Apple iPads for the district’s K-2 students.

The district will hold its next regular meeting on Aug. 22.

Kimberley Darey

Viewpoint

Slices of life

Not everyone can be a rose

Roses are often thought of as the epitome of floral perfection. The allure of their blooms is undeniable. They grow on long stems – perfect for vases and display. They are fragrant and come in a variety of colors.

Roses can stand on their own, looking glorious as a single bloom in a bud vase. Their brilliance is multiplied in big bouquets. They are a symbol for love and the favorite floral gift to give by the dozens. They even have a whole parade named after them.

Certainly all the other flowers must envy the rose for her many, many favorable traits.

Perhaps.

But I hope not.

Because not every flower can be a rose.

There are tulips and marigolds, lilies and peonies, iris and pansies, lilacs and hydrangea, sunflowers and dandelions. Yes, dandelions. Even dandelions.

All grow and bloom, just like the rose.

Except they aren’t a rose. They never will be.

That is the truth of life.

But here’s another truth. The world needs a variety of blooms. Think how boring it would be if every flower was a rose – if every one of us was a rose.

We wouldn’t know the fragrance of lilacs or carnations. The spring delight of tulips and daffodils. Seeds eaten from sunflowers and wine made from a flower labeled as a weed commonly known as the dandelion.

Not everyone can be a rose. Because that’s how it was designed to be. Because we all have important roles to fulfill.

Some plants are the stars in the garden. Others are ground cover. Some are tall and provide a backdrop. Some are medicinal or herbal. Some provide food. Others fragrance.

There are plants that attract pollinators and end up benefitting other plants and the world. Some grow anywhere and everywhere and are so prolific they are deemed weeds.

And some plants produce flowers that are simply fragrant, long-stemmed and beautiful.

Roses have a certain charm - a certain status – that many other flowers don’t have.

By JILL PERTLER Columnist

But roses need a specific amount of sunlight and water and fertilizer and air flow and the correct soil conditions. Roses need to be pruned - in a specific manner - to ensure proper growth and desired long-stemmed blooms. They may be susceptible to disease.

In short, roses are high maintenance.

Dandelions, on the other hand, grow anywhere and everywhere. Dandelions are the opposite of high maintenance. They grow in the cracks in the sidewalk. They are prolific, and weedy.

But dandelions produce pretty yellow blooms. They can be used to make wine and tea. The entire plant (sans stem) is edible. They have medicinal uses that treat a plethora of skin, infection, liver and digestive problems. They are a great source of nectar for spring pollinators.

Dandelions may not have the allure of a rose. They may not be as fancy or fanciful, but they are useful. They are easy. They are non-demanding. They are even pretty, when viewed through the right lens.

As a bonus, once it goes to seed, the dandelion is a source of wishes fulfilled.

Not everyone can be a rose.

Some of us are born daisies, dahlias, delphiniums, daffodils, dianthus and even dandelions. And, while perhaps not as flashy as a rose, dandelions grow where roses never could. Dandelions make tea and wine. They are prolific in ways a rose could never hope to be. Dandelions and simple and upfront. They are unassuming and humble. They give more than they take.

Not everyone can be a rose.

I, for one, am happy to be a dandelion. Wish on that, please do.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a

follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.

Citizen’s Police Academy seeks enrollees

Next 12-week course begins Aug. 30

The Elmhurst Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy is a 12week program designed to give Elmhurst residents a general overview of law enforcement practices and a behind-the-scenes look at their police department. The program provides participants with a better understanding of challenges faced by police officers in the field along with insight into the handling of certain types of incidents. Many of the classes offer opportunities for hands-on participation with actual police equipment and training procedures.

Topics covered include:

• Laws of Arrest

• Defensive Tactics

• Crime Scene Analysis

• Interviewing and Interrogation

• Investigations

• TPO

• Traffic Stops

• K-9

• DARE

• Internet Investigations

• Firearms

Classes are held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on consecutive Wednesday evenings for 12 weeks. The next session will run from Aug. 30 through Nov. 15. The program is free of charge but is limited to 25 students per session.

Participants must be over the age of 21 and must live or work in the City of Elmhurst. A background check may be conducted on each applicant. The Elmhurst Police Department re-

serves the right to deny admission to the Academy based on the information found as a result of the background check.

Applications can be found at elmhurstpolicedepartment.org/programs_services/community_programs_events/ citizens_police_ academy. They may be submitted via mail or hand-delivered to the Police Department Front Desk, or contact Administration at (630) 5303061 or via email to: policeinfo@elmhurst.org.

All release forms must be delivered to: Administrative Asst. J. Carrington, Citizen Police Academy, Elmhurst Police Dept., 125 E. 1st St., Elmhurst, IL 60126-2818.

Legion hosts ‘community appreciation’ night

Pictured is the popular local band Lake Effect, which will perform on Saturday, Aug. 12 when the Elmhurst American Legion Post THB #187 hosts a Community Appreciation Event from 6-10 p.m. Several individuals will be honored for their contributions to the Post. Tickets are $20 each, many sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds benefit the Legion’s ongoing charitable efforts. Tickets and info: 630-833-7800.

Elmhurst

Public Library programs

Saturday, Aug. 5 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Canasta

Join us for a friendly game of Canasta every week. Prior experience is required. Live in-person. No registration.

Saturday, Aug. 5 from 2-3:30 p.m.

Open LEGO Building

Drop in and build something awesome with our many LEGO bricks. Live in-person. Drop-in. No registration.

Monday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Scrabble

Play a friendly game of Scrabble. All skill levels welcome. Live in-person. No registration required.

Tuesday, Aug. 8 from 12-2 p.m. In Stitches Needleworkers

Knitters, crocheters, and needleworkers of all skill levels: bring a project on which to work, share knowledge with others, and have fun! Live in-person. No registration required.

SHOP Local FOR SUMMER

Under a well lit canopyConveniently located on Lake Street / just west of Addison Road

Tuesday, Aug. 8 from 1-3 p.m. Bridge and Pinochle

Enjoy an afternoon of card games every week. Prior experience is required. Live in-person. No registration required.

Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. American Mah Jongg: Open Play

Gather every Wednesday for American Mah Jongg, a game of skill, strategy, calculation, and a certain amount of chance. Live in-person. No registration required.

Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 7-8 p.m. Marvel Movie Trivia

Test your knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and compete for prizes. Live in-person. Registration required.

Thursday, Aug. 10 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Culture Club: Door County

Join us for a tour of historic lighthouses, picturesque communities, Midwestern wineries, and the beautiful natural scenery of Door County. Live in-person and on Zoom. Registration required.

Friday, Aug. 11 from 2-4 p.m. Friday Features: The Philadelphia Story

Enjoy an afternoon at the movies. Find each week’s featured film at elmlib.org/Friday. No registration required.

For more information about any of the above programs, call (630) 2798696 or visit elmlib.org/events.

CHEMICAL CONJUNCTIVITIS

Chemical conjunctivitis is a form of pinkeye caused by irritants such as chlorine in swimming pools, air pollution, and smoke and fumes from chemicals. Chlorine may cause mild symptoms that can usually be managed by flushing out the irritant with running water or saline and applying artificial tears and eye ointment to help manage irritation. Toxic substances, however, can cause serious symptoms including severe pain, redness, swelling and vision loss. Pinkeye from a toxic substance should be evaluated by an eye doctor. Severe chemical eye injuries, such as an alkali burn, are considered medical emergencies and can lead to scarring, loss of eyesight, and even loss of the eye. Begin flushing the eye with water and seek medical attention immediately. Eye emergencies cover a range of incidents and conditions such as; chemical exposure, trauma, cuts, scratches, foreign objects in the eye, burns, photic retinopathy, and blunt injuries to the eye or eyelid. Since the eye is easily damaged, serious complications can occur from an eye injury thus, any of these conditions without proper treatment can lead to a partial loss of vision or even permanent blindness. To schedule an appointment, please call SKOWRON EYE CARE. At Skowron Eye Care, our mission is your vision.

P.S. Chemical pinkeye is not contagious.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

AFSCME ratifies new 4-year contract with the state

Agreement provides 4 percent pay raise this year; nearly 18 percent over 4 years

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker and the state’s largest public employee union announced last week that they have agreed on a new contract that will

provide a nearly 18 percent pay raise over four years, including a 4 percent raise this year.

The contract also expands parental leave to 12 weeks and calls for new joint efforts to improve workplace

safety.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said in an email that the contract is projected to cost an additional $204 million in the first year and $625 million over four years.

Forest district earns recognition for use of green power District joins EPA’s Green Power Partnership

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has announced it has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program designed to reduce the environmental impact of conventional electricity.

According to its most recent calculations, the Forest Preserve District uses more than 3.7 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is enough to meet 105 percent of the organization’s electricity use. It accomplishes this by buying renewable energy credits, which it uses to purchase 100 percent wind-generated energy to offset its conventional energy use. According to the U.S. EPA, the Forest Preserve District’s green-power use is equivalent to the electricity use of 400 average American homes annually.

The Forest Preserve District also offsets its traditional energy consumption by using solar technology at several locations.

• 603.2 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop under construction at the new net-zero-designed visitor center and rehabilitation clinic at Willowbrook Wildlife Center and a 72.2 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop on the center’s species recovery building.

• 262.2 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop on the District’s fleet building at Blackwell Forest Preserve.

• 41 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop at The Preserve at Oak Meadows, which powers the course’s electric golf cart fleet.

• 18.8 kW solar photovoltaic rooftop on the Danada Farm barn at Danada Equestrian Center.

The district has a variety of other environmentally friendly initiatives in place as well.

• Solar thermal hot water systems at the Forest Preserve District’s headquarters (Danada) and facilities management building (Blackwell) and the restrooms at Hidden Lake, Springbrook Prairie, and Spring Creek Reservoir forest preserves.

• Renewable energy from gas collected at the former landfill at Greene Valley Forest Preserve.

• An alternative-fuel and electric vehicle fleet, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 213.3 tons.

By moving the needle in the green power market, the Forest Preserve District and other Green Power partners are helping to reduce the negative health impacts of air emissions, including those related to ozone, fine particles, acid rain, and regional haze.

“We’re thrilled to accept this EPA recognition,” said Forest Preserve District President Daniel Hebreard.

“We take great pride in being at the forefront of embracing green energy technology and hope that this most recent partnership helps send the message that green power is not only economically viable but also readily accessible.”

In addition, the Forest Preserve District’s land management practices result in carbon sequestration

equivalent to its operations plus an additional 50 DuPage households. Its ecosystem restoration efforts increase climate resiliency and biodiversity, reduce stormwater runoff, clean air and water, and preserve scenic viewsheds.

The Forest Preserve District’s green energy efforts have been supported in part by donations to its 501(c)(3) partner Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. The Friends is currently raising funds to help offset the cost of the new net-zero-designed building at Willowbrook, and donors may always choose to direct their gifts to future green energy projects at dupageforest.org/friends.

The U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that helps increase green power use among U.S. organizations.

It advances the market for green power and the development of green resources as a way to reduce air pollution and other environmental impacts associated with electricity use.

In 2021, the partnership had more than 700 partners voluntarily using more than 85 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include Fortune 500 companies; smalland medium-sized businesses; local, state, and federal governments; and colleges and universities.

Additional information is available on the EPA’s website at epa.gov/ greenpower.

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents about 35,000 state employees, voted in local union meetings over the last two weeks to ratify the contract, which negotiators had tentatively agreed to on July 1.

The announcement came on the same day Pritzker, leaders of the Democratic National Committee, and Chicago labor leaders announced they had reached a “labor peace agreement” covering the 2024 Democratic National Convention to ensure there will be no labor disruptions during that event.

“Illinois is a pro-worker state— and when it comes to workers’ rights, my administration is committed to ensuring that every Illinoisan has access to good-paying opportunities,” Pritzker said in a joint statement with AFSCME Council 31 announcing the state contract.

“This contract represents a partnership that won’t just expand our pool of state employees—it will strengthen our state’s workforce and

provide opportunity for employees and their families.”

AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said the contract “helps to address the toll that inflation has taken on state employee incomes and keeps health care affordable.”

The joint statement said the agreement contains other provisions intended to streamline the filling of vacancies and to help recruit, hire and retain workers.

That includes new contract language “to reflect the state’s transition to an electronic hiring process,” forming a joint labor-management committee that will meet to identify roadblocks to hiring, establishing a pilot program for recruitment bonuses for positions with high vacancy rates, and ensuring employees who are on parental leave can still bid on vacancies during their leave.

Negotiations over a new contract were taking place at the same time state lawmakers were negotiating a $50.4 billion budget package for fiscal year 2024, which began July 1.

The third “signature” event of Cantigny’s funpacked 65th summer is GLOW in the Park, a firsttime, 21-and-over event set for Saturday, Aug. 12, from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Guests will experience a bit of 1990s nostalgia with a twist of grown-up fun, surrounded by dazzling neon colors and glow-in-the-dark decorations and games. Music, dancing, food and drinks under the glow of black lights will make it a night to remember.

“The idea is to give young-at-heart adults a chance to play like kids again, at least for a night,” said Matt LaFond, Cantigny executive director. “We’re excited to offer a fun, original, and afterdark experience at Cantigny that will leave a lasting impression.”

DJ Lori Branch will spin a playlist of top hits from the 90s and early-2000s to set the tone, and All American Throwbacks, a high-energy pop punk/emo party band, will perform live. White clothing on the black light dance floor—yes!

Glow-in-the-dark cocktails will add to the color, with a full bar offered along with meal and snack options from popular food trucks.

Guests can play mini-golf, LED cornhole and bocce, plus giant versions of Jenga, Twister and Connect 4.

The truly adventurous can try their skill at axe throwing or visit a glow-in-the-dark tattoo artist. Tickets for GLOW in the Park are on sale now at Cantigny.org. The $30 per person cost includes parking.

Guests can book a limited-edition VIP Experience ($100 additional) for a super-premium version of GLOW.

Benefits include a four-hour open bar and all-you-can-eat nostalgic bites in a private tent overlooking the action.

A dedicated concierge will ensure first-class service for all VIP patrons.

Only GLOW ticketholders may enter Cantigny Park on August 12 after 4 p.m.

who have sent a donation to help underwrite The Elmhurst Independent. For those of you who haven’t done so in the past year, but enjoy this newspaper and would like to help us pay for its operation, please send a donation in any amount to:

You won’t get an Elmhurst Independent tote bag, an Apple gift card, or a discount on an extended car warranty. But you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to support your favorite newspaper. Name______________________________

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‘GLOW in the Park’ at Cantigny Aug. 12

Neon-themed adult night will mix music, games, cocktails

Entrepreneurs invited to pitch to Walmart

‘Open Call’ initiative open to businesses, local manufacturers

On Tuesday, July 18, Walmart began accepting applications for its tenth annual Open Call event, inviting small business owners and entrepreneurs everywhere to apply for the opportunity to pitch their products to be sold on Walmart or Sam’s Club shelves or on Walmart.com. Applications are open until Friday, Aug. 18.

Open Call is at the heart of Walmart’s 10-year, $350 billion commitment to strengthening U.S. manufacturing by sourcing products that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S., and it was instrumental to Walmart achieving its previous $250 billion commitment. Open Call will take place on Oct. 24 and 25 this year, during Manufacturing Month 2023.

This year’s application period is a special one as Walmart approaches a decade of providing Open Call op-

portunities.

Open Call began back in 2014, when Walmart first opened its doors to more than 500 businesses with dreams of selling their U.S.-made products to millions of Walmart customers.

Since then, Open Call has provided more and more opportunities, with more than 1,100 small and medium businesses participating last year–making Open Call 2022 Walmart’s biggest one yet. Today, Open Call is the largest sourcing event for Walmart and Sam’s Club.

Open Call presents a good opportunity for small and medium businesses to grow their businesses. Entrepreneurs who earn a “golden ticket”–signifying a deal for Walmart to sell their products on its shelves or online–reach new customers, enabling them to grow. Through Open

Call, Walmart has helped thousands of small and medium businesses thrive, with many expanding their U.S. manufacturing footprints and creating new manufacturing jobs in the communities they call home.

In fact, over the course of Walmart’s 10-year commitment to U.S. manufacturing, Open Call will have provided more than 9,000 opportunities for small and medium businesses to grow with Walmart.

Entrepreneurs who walk away with a golden ticket aren’t the only ones who enjoy Open Call opportunities. All Open Call finalists will have access to mentoring sessions with Walmart leaders and special guests, where they can gain valuable business insights and resources. Plus, each finalist will have a one-on-one pitch meeting with Walmart and/or Sam’s Club merchants.

‘Walmart Made Local’ on trailer tour

To discover new Open Call entrepreneurs, Walmart is taking its U.S. manufacturing initiative on the road with the first-ever “Walmart: Made Local” trailer tour. The tour kicked off on July 10 in Frederick, Md., with additional stops in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Chicago. Entrepreneurs who visit the trailer can record a video to apply for Open Call 2023 and meet local Walmart suppliers who earned deals at previous Open Calls.

‘Lead with Local’ snacks initiative

Walmart also launched its Lead with Local snacks initiative earlier this year, boosting U.S. manufacturing even more. Through this initiative, Walmart sells

locally made snacks prominently in stores, connecting customers to products from businesses in their hometowns. More than 130 Walmart stores are participating so far, with more to come.

Investing in local, U.S.-made products isn’t just an opportunity for Walmart’s suppliers. It also matters to Walmart’s customers.

What customers say

More than 85% of Walmart shoppers have said it is important for retailers to carry goods made in the U.S. Already, more than two-thirds of Walmart’s annual product spend is on goods made, grown or assembled in the U.S. Thanks in part to Open Call, Walmart is taking this investment even further.

Applications to Open Call are available through Aug. 18.

Public sector workers, retirees, advocates launch statewide nonprofit Will focus on securing public pension system in Illinois

On Wednesday, July 26, public-sector workers, retirees, and advocates from across the state announced Secure Illinois Retirements (SIR), an independent, nonprofit organization committed to finding sustainable solutions for a fully funded pension system. Secure Illinois Retirements aims to foster dialogue and educate public-sector employees, unions, elected officials, legislators, and people across Illinois about the public pension system in Illinois.

“As a member of a proud union family, I know firsthand the sacrifices and commitment public-sector

workers make every day of their careers,” said Katie Dunne, executive director of Secure Illinois Retirements. “I had the honor of working with so many incredible people during my time in public service, who work tirelessly for the people of their communities. I have lost friends in the line of duty and others to the stressors of these professions. Public-sector workers and their families deserve safe and secure retirements. We have to come together to ensure that pensions remain a promise fulfilled.”

SIR’s board is composed of public-sector workers, union members,

and retirees from across Illinois who share our commitment to retirement security.

Recognizing that different communities and stakeholders call for different solutions, Secure Illinois Retirements’ leadership plans to convene discussions across the state to hear directly from interested residents and those most impacted.

“Misinformation and the underfunding of the public pension system has put retirement security of our public-sector workers at risk,” said Patricia Woods, longtime Petersburg teacher and Secure Illinois Retirement’s board member. “As a

retired educator, I am proud to be on the Board of Directors at Secure Illinois Retirements, where we are committed to correcting the record, fostering productive dialogue, and bringing people together to achieve long-term solutions,”

New doctor joins EdwardElmhurst Medical Group

Rishi Zaveri Malhotra, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist with a certificate in advanced otology, has joined Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group and is currently accepting new patients at 1200 York St., Ste. 4180 in Elmhurst. For an appointment, visit EEHealth.org/ find-a-doctor or call (331) 221-9004.

As part of the launch, Secure Illinois Retirements offers an interactive ‘Find Your Fund’ tool on its website, SecureIllinoisRetirements. org. This tool provides access to resources and the ability to learn about the pension funds across Illinois.

Rishi Zaveri Malhotra, MD

SUBMITTED PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

Puzzle Page

A-FRAME BILLY CAN BLAZE

CAMPER

CAMPFIRE

CAMPGROUND

CANOPY

CARABINER COWBOY CAMPING

DAYPACK

DOME

FLY

GROUND COVER GUYLINES HIKE

KINDLING

PAD

POTABLE

SLEEPING BAG SMORES

SNOWBIRD STAKES

TENT

TINDER

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. Midway between east and southeast

4. At right angles to a ship’s length

9. William Penn’s business partner

14. __ de plume

15. Accomplished soccer coach

16. Bone cavities

17. __ juris: independent

18. Popular Philly sandwich

20. Northern Ireland county

22. Performing artist

23. S S S

24. Lacks flavor

28. Commercials

29. Anno Domini (in the year of Our Lord)

30. Qatar’s capital

31. Indigenous peoples of Alberta

33. Popular footwear

37. Indicates position

38. Anglican cathedral

39. Aircraft part

41. Before 42. Blood group 43. Secretory organ 44 .Fencing swords

46. The small projection of a mammary gland

49. Technological advancement

50. Male parent

51. Dissociable

55. More cold

58. Cape Verde Islands capital

59. Blood disorder

60. Creative

64. Sun up in New York

65. Made angry

66. Relieves

67. Brooklyn hoopster

68. Seasonsings

69. Movable barriers

70. Attempt

CLUES DOWN

1. Occur as a result of

2. Spiritual essences

3. Representative

4. Entering

5. Nobel Prize-winning physicist

6. Midway between northeast and east

7. Consumed

8. Tablelands

9. Kids’ craft accessory

10. Not known

11. Sound directed through two or more speakers

12. A major division of geological time

13. Wild ox

19. Shock treatment

21. Turner and Lasso are two

24. Genus of flowering plants

25. Relating to ductless glands

26. Stock certificate

27. Satisfies

31. Places to enjoy a rest

32. Edward __, author and writer

34. “__ but goodie”

35. One hundredth of a liter

36. Shabbiness

40. TV personality Roker

41. Triangular upper part of a building

45. Speed at which you move

47. Offend

48. A reference point to shoot at

52. Forays

53. Biblical city

54. Blatted

56. Northern sea duck

57. Shabby (slang)

59. Allege

60. Tax collector

61. Whereabouts unknown

62. Chinese philosophical principle

Painting

Painting

Announcements

CLASSIFIED IN-COLUMN ADS cannot be credited or refunded after the ad has been placed. Ads canceled before deadline will be removed from the paper as a service to our customers, but no credit or refund will be issued to your account.

DISCLAIMER NOTICE 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.

Burial Needs

7 CEMETERY PLOTS Willing to sell as a group or individually. Located at Roselawn Memory Gardens 3045 WI-67, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. This is a private sale. Contact Randy, the seller at randy@slpublishers.com.

Lombard

FAITH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (FUMC) OUTDOOR

815 S. Finley Rd., Saturday, 8/5, 9am-3pm. H’hold items, clothes, shoes, jewelry, books, toys, lawn chairs, games, etc. CASH ONLY. Refreshments available for purchase.

Windows

APARTMENT FOR RENT

Other For Rent

Faith United Methodist Church (FUMC) Lombard is Renting Tables for Community Outdoor Garage Sale, Saturday, August 5, 2023

Cost per table is $30. Hours of operation will be 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location of sale will be at 815 South Finley Rd., Lombard 60148. First come, first serve table location on the very spacious lawn. All items must be removed at the end of the sale. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Interested sellers contact Jean at 630-877-6011 for further details.

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 1-900-669-9777. The toll-free tele phone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-9279275.

Motorcycles

Pick of the Week

Friday, Aug. 4 Summer Music at Bethel

Summer Music at Bethel presents 18-year-old oboist Zachary Allen performing in concert at 7 p.m. at Bethel United Church of Christ, 315 E. St. Charles Rd. He will be accompanied by artistic director Jeffrey Panko. No tickets necessary, free will offering. The church is accessible and parking is free. Enter through Sandburg Middle School from St. Chas. Rd. or from Huntington off Poplar.

Monday, Aug. 7

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Elmhurst History Museum invites families to Museum Maker Monday for a free drop-in family-friendly event. Kids and caregivers can explore exhibits on a day reserved just for families, plus play games and make a travel-themed craft (while supplies last). Bring a picnic to enjoy outdoors on the museum grounds (weather permitting). Appropriate for elementary age children accompanied by an adult, no registration required. Craft project changes each

month. Info: elmhursthistory.org.

Saturday, Aug. 12

• From 1-4 p.m., the Elmhurst Art Museum is presenting Family Day: Marvel-ous Comic Creations. Kids are invited to discover the power of storytelling at the museum through storyboard character design and illustration. Draw and write a story like Alex Ross to discover your own voice through comic book creations. EAM members are free. Advance admission ticket required for non-members, timed tickets will be issued for entry. Info: elmhurstartmuseum.org or 630-834-0202.

• From 6-10 p.m., the Elmhurst American Legion Post THB #187 will host a Community Appreciation Event, where several individuals will honored for their contributions to the Post. Tickets are $20 each, many sponsorship opportunities are available. Proceeds benefit the Legion’s ongoing charitable efforts. Tickets and info: 630-833-7800.

Sunday, Aug. 13

At 2 p.m., the Elmhurst History Museum presents The World’s Most Traveled Man: Elmhurst’s Own J. Hart Rosdail. Join EHM Curator of Collections Dan Lund for a lecture about long-time Elmhurst resident and educator J. Hart Rosdail and his quest to become the “World’s Most Traveled Man.” Over the span of four decades, Rosdail’s frequent travels spanned the globe as he collected souvenirs and passport stamps on the way to a Guinness Book of World Records title for the most countries ever visited, many via his trusted bicycle named Jacqueline. FREE to Members, $5 non-Members. Reservations required. Info: elmhursthistory.org.

Sunday, Aug. 20

Beginning at 11 a.m., the Elmhurst

History Museum presents the History of Wheels Bike Tour. Bicyclists are invited to join a two-wheeled tour of Elmhurst led by members of the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. Visit local historical spots of interest while pedaling Elmhurst’s streets and learn about local history from the Elmhurst History Museum staff. Approximately 1.5 hours duration. Appropriate for ages 10+ accompanied by an adult. Helmets and reservations are required. Fee: $5 per person. Info: elmhursthistory.org.

Thursday, Aug. 31

This is the last day of early-bird pricing ($30) for ordering an outdoor holiday tree from Foundation 205. Visit Foundation205.org. Proceeds benefit District 205 Schools.

Elmhurst Farmers Market

Every Wednesday from now through October, the Elmhurst Farmers Market will be open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the municipal lot on Vallette St., one half block east of York St. Fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, honey, cheese, bread, hummus, much more. Info: elmhurstfarmersmarket. com.

Elmhurst History Museum

A new exhibit, The Bicycle: Two Wheels to Adventure, is currently on display through Sept. 17. Learn about the many ways this 19th-century invention significantly impacted Chicagoland manufacturing, transportation, and infrastructure, and how the bicycle redefined an era of new-found leisure and independence. Info: elmhursthistory.org or call 630-833-1457.

Elmhurst Art Museum

Open now and remaining through Sunday, Aug. 20, Marvelocity; The Art of Alex Ross is on display at the Elmhurst Art Museum. Info: elmhurstartmuseum.org or 630-834-0202.

Pritzker signs bill aimed at ending homelessness

Task

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

force brings multiple agencies together to focus resources

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation last week that seeks to effectively end homelessness in Illinois by marshalling the resources of multiple agencies into one effort.

House Bill 2831 codifies an executive order Pritzker signed in 2021 that established the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness. It centralizes programs across 17 state departments and agencies to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to combat homelessness.

At a bill-signing ceremony at Featherfist, a homeless services organization in Chicago, Pritzker said

the goal of the initiative is to bring homelessness in Illinois to “functional zero.”

“For those who don’t know and who may be listening, it’s a measurable metric of success that reduces homelessness to something that’s brief and rare and nonrecurring,” Pritzker said.

The Chicago Coalition for the Homeless estimates that more than 100,000 people in Illinois experienced homelessness for all or part of 2020. That included people who were temporarily staying in someone else’s home, or “doubling up.”

Christine Haley, the state’s current chief homelessness officer and chair of the interagency task force, said black people and other people

of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness.

“We stand here in one of the few black-led homeless services organizations in our state. And as we stand here, we know that this housing crisis before us is rooted in housing injustice, is rooted in segregation, is rooted in racism,” she said.

“We know this because in our city of Chicago, where now less than a third of its residents are black, 73 percent of individuals and 90 percent of children and their parents who are experiencing homelessness are Black.”

State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, who was the lead sponsor of the bill in the House, said that on any given night, an estimated

4,500 people in Illinois are without shelter and the average wait time for someone to receive housing services is 802 days. She also noted that in Fiscal Year 2022, 9,800 people were turned away from emergency shelters.

“Ending homelessness and ensuring every neighbor has access to shelter and supportive services has long been possible in Illinois and across the nation, but we haven’t had the collective political, economic—and I say this with love— bureaucratic will to make it happen until now,” she said.

In his State of the State address in February, Pritzker highlighted the state’s “Home Illinois” plan, which calls for increased spending for

homelessness prevention, crisis response, housing units, and staffing.

Last week, he noted that the budget lawmakers eventually passed this year includes more than $350 million for homeless services, an $85.3 million increase over last year.

That includes, among other things, $50 million in rapid rehousing services for 2,000 households; $40 million to develop more than 90 Permanent Supportive Housing units that provide long-term rental assistance and case management; and $37 million in Emergency Shelter capital funds to create more than 460 non congregate shelter units.

“No stone is going to be unturned in this endeavor,” Pritzker said.

COVID unemployment surge led to $5.2 billion in overpaid benefits in Illinois, including fraud

By Hannah Meisel

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Illinois overpaid unemployment benefits to the tune of $5.2 billion during the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with much of it paid to fraudulent claimants, according to a comprehensive new audit.

Included in that sum was $6 million paid to 481 dead people and $40.5 million in unemployment checks written to incarcerated individuals. And, the audit warned, those numbers could be a significant undercount.

The audit, published Wednesday by the state’s auditor general, hearkens back to the chaotic early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Illinois Department of Employment Security phone lines and the agency’s website couldn’t handle the sudden spike of individuals trying to file for unemployment benefits. To respond to the unprecedented demand, state officials scrambled to contract with outside entities to both increase staff and stand up a new federally funded program for people traditionally inel-

igible for unemployment insurance.

But it was this rush that created weaknesses that fraudsters and identity thieves would go on to exploit, the audit noted.

“Timely payment of benefits and preventing fraud are competing concepts,” the audit said. “Preventing fraud, especially in new programs with evolving guidance and guidelines, likely would require additional processing time and a possible delay in benefit distribution to claimants. Conversely, paying claims quickly, especially when certain crossmatches and controls were suspended, increased IDES’ risk of making improper payments.”

Before COVID hit, IDES crossmatched active unemployment insurance claimants against five other databases to verify eligibility for benefits. Those included state prison and county jail registries, the Social Security Administration and the State and National Directory of New Hires. However, the crossmatching process takes time and “constricted the processing system severely,” the audit said.

So in March 2020, IDES temporarily suspended some of that crossmatching in favor of getting benefits out the door more quickly.

“This allowed IDES to better handle the increase in claims processing traffic; however, this left the unemployment programs more susceptible to fraud,” the audit said.

The audit noted that Illinois failed to follow federal recommendations issued in May 2020 to prevent some of the fraud. It wasn’t until September 2021 that IDES implemented the use of a multi-state crossmatching tool called the Integrity Data Hub, according to the audit.

Illinois is far from alone in its experience of massive unemployment fraud, though it’s difficult to compare the extent of the fraud among states due to a lack of comprehensive federal data.

At an unrelated news conference in southern Illinois on July 27, Gov. JB Pritzker acknowledged the findings of the audit, but pointed to other large states that saw even bigger COVID-era unemployment fraud, like $20 billion in California and $8

billion in New York.

“I think we all would say that we would have preferred if we didn’t see that kind of fraud,” Pritzker said.

“But remember, the moment that this happened in, it was a global emergency. We were trying to get money out the door to people who had lost their jobs because, frankly, people were getting sick and dying. We wanted to make sure they could survive so we could have jobs for them at the end of the pandemic.”

Republicans, who have been beating the drum on pandemic-era unemployment fraud for the better part of three years, took the opportunity to renew their criticism of Pritzker’s administration.

“The people who were supposed to serve as stewards of their resources completely failed [Illinoisans], and their ineptitude served to embolden and help criminals to abuse the system and steal benefits,” state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, said in a statement. “I have constituents who were lawfully entitled to benefits that they never received, and then now they have to read about billions that

are missing.”

PUA uniquely vulnerable

The majority of overpayments stemmed from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, which was set up federally to support people who are traditionally ineligible for unemployment benefits, like freelance or “gig” workers. While overpayments in “regular” unemployment insurance accounted for a little over $2 billion, overpayments in the PUA program amounted to $3.2 billion, according to the audit.

“Considering gross benefits associated with regular UI claims were 2.5 times higher than gross benefits associated with PUA claims, it shows the magnitude of fraud experienced in the PUA program,” the audit said. Identity theft accounted for nearly $511 million—roughly a quarter—of the $2 billion in overpayments within Illinois’ regular unemployment benefits system. In contrast, identity theft accounted for the majority of overpayments in the PUA system; $2.3

See COVID, Page 19

Two women charged with robbing Verizon store Juvenile allegedly involved to be detained

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Bloomingdale Director of Public Safety Frank Giammarese have announced that bond has been set for two women accused of robbing a Bloomingdale Verizon Wireless store.

Alisa Velcu, 32, of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., and Mariana Iordache, 47, of Schaumburg, each appeared at a bond hearing where Judge Margaret O’Connell set bond at $100,000 with 10 percent to apply for both suspects.

A third individual allegedly involved, a male juvenile, appeared at a detention

hearing where Judge Chantelle Porter ordered that he be detained until at least his next court appearance.

All three defendants are charged with one count of burglary (Class 2 felony) and one count of theft (Class 2 felony). Additionally, Iordache and the juvenile are charged with one count of possession of burglary tools, a Class 4 felony.

On July 25, at approximately 4:10 p.m., the Bloomingdale Police Department received a call regarding a theft of cellular telephones from the Verizon Wireless store located in the 300 block of W. Army Trail

Road.

It is alleged that prior to the officers’ arrival, three individuals, later identified as Velcu, Iordache and the juvenile, entered the Verizon Wireless store. It is further alleged that once inside the store, the trio broke into a locked drawer and stole 45 Apple iPhones before fleeing. Approximately 11 minutes later, officers with the Bloomingdale Police Department pulled over the vehicle in which the three defendants were allegedly traveling.

All three defendants were taken into custody at this time. It is alleged that both

Iordache and the juvenile were in possession of burglary tools when authorities took them into custody. It is alleged that the value of the merchandise taken from the store is between $40,000 - $45,000.

The next court appearance for Iordache is scheduled Aug. 23 for arraignment. The next court date for Velcu is scheduled Aug. 24 for arraignment. Both Iordache’s and Velcu’s cases will be in front of Judge O’Connell.

The next court appearance for the juvenile was scheduled to take place this past Monday.

Sport S

Summer season treats IC Catholic Prep boys basketball team well

Knights successful in Ridgewood league;

By Mike Miazga CORRESPONDENT

IC Catholic Prep boys basketball coach TJ Tyrrell knew this summer would be a pivotal one. And it was. In a good way. “It was an interesting start to the summer,” he said.

“We graduated a lot of key pieces from last year. We lost four very strong senior staples in the program in AJ Walsh, Dom Ciegotura, Dean O’Brien and Kal Kilgast. They were vocal leaders for us, too. When guys like that leave, we need others to step up and fill those roles.”

Tyrrell said he couldn’t have been more pleased with what he saw in June. “Coming together like they did, it’s definitely a new team compared to last year,” he said. “We brought up a lot of sophomores from last year who are now juniors. It was a new dynamic early-on in terms of what do we have here. We knew we would not have a lot of size outside of 6-5 junior Andrew Hill, who was up with us all last year and came up for the playoffs as a freshman. He gives us good experience and is one of our

key returners. But the team was feeling each other out to start and we became very close together. It was an extremely productive summer for us.”

Tyrrell watched the tide turn quickly with his new group. “The team built a ton of chemistry and got closer together,” he explained. “It was everything you can ask for as a coach. We put new systems both offensively and defensively and the kids bought into it and took to it. They worked to build off each one of their strengths. We are very optimistic heading into the fall and our season.”

U12 baseball action

In addition to Hill, senior Jake Gallagher is back. “Jack is a critical returner,” Tyrrell said. “He’s a senior who has been up with us since he was a sophomore. He was one of the key guys this summer both offensively and defensively. We’re looking forward to Jake’s leadership.” Senior Aidan Johnson, like Gallagher, has been with the varsity since his sophomore season. “He’s another key returner,” Tyrrell noted. “He’s another

Community Bank

Fleming and Sloan were recently named to the Class 4A Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state team. Fleming and Sloan helped the Dukes finish fourth in Class 4A this past season.

Barr was the recipient of the 2019-2020 York Val Cothern junior female athlete of the year award. Barr went over the 1,000-career kill threshold last fall for the Dukes girls volleyball team and still has a season to add to that total.

Leadership

levels high guy who brings experience and leadership. He’s done an awesome job stepping into that vocal leader role we lost when guys like Dean and Kal graduated. I’m also very happy with Aidan’s ability to set up the offense and getting us to execute.”

Tyrrell also is high on the potential of senior Adrian Tapia. “Adrian is another senior for us. He didn’t get a lot of minutes last year,” the coach said. “He gained a lot of confidence as the summer went on. He has a very high basketball IQ. I am very happy with his progress.”

Hill was cited for his strong summer play on both ends of the court. “Andrew was one of our leading scorers this summer,” he said. “We’re going to be relatively undersized. He did a lot offensively, defensively and with his rebounding.”

Seniors Matthew Karsten and JP Schmidt missed time during the summer due to injury. “We had a couple key returners out with injuries, seniors that got significant minutes last year,” Tyrrell said. “Matthew has been up since he was a sophomore and is one of our leaders. In our first summer practice he hurt his ankle and missed the whole month of June. That was unfortunate, but he was there every day and got to observe from a different perspective and play a different role. He will be a boost when he returns. JP missed the

beginning of summer with an injury and then had football. He did a lot of football camps and is doing really well with that and got some college offers. He’s a gritty, tough player who will be with us in the winter.”

Junior newcomer Danny Fromelt also excelled this summer. “Danny had an outstanding summer,” Tyrrell said. “He has a high ability to finish at the rim. He has a very nice tough around the basket. We’re excited for his progress and the steps he’s made to become a varsity basketball player and a leader for us in terms of his ability to score.”

The Knights finished among the final four teams this summer in the

Ridgewood summer league. In the 12-team league, the top eight made the playoffs and ICCP advanced to the semifinals before losing to Chicago Taft. ICCP went 2-2 at the Hoops Mountain Shootout at Batavia. “We were able to play some bigger competition there, which is always nice to see,” Tyrrell said.

The Knights started their summer schedule at a shootout at Addison Trail. “That first tournament is always a good benchmark to see where we are starting at. We beat Glenbard South and then lost to Fenton in a close game and lost to Lake Park. To see how far we have come after that was pretty remarkable.”

The Knights also did an overnight trip to Rockford to play in one of the NCAA live period events. “That’s where we saw the team come even closer together,” Tyrrell said. “The kids stayed in a hotel and we mixed up rooms so players were staying with guys they didn’t know as well. We went 2-2 there. It was a very productive trip.”

Tyrrell noted the Knights are ready to tackle the challenge of the Chicago Catholic League. This is ICCP’s first year in the expanded conference.

“It’s a new challenge with new teams, new rivalries and some familiar faces,” he said. “We played Montini non-conference and in the playoffs the last few years. They are in our division. We’ll have two divisions in the Catholic League. We are in the lower division and will play everybody in the lower division once and then the top six teams in the upper division. We will be playing some of the best teams in Illinois. I think it’s the best private school conference in the state. It will prepare us for the playoffs. I have always believed we want to play the best competition. It’s how you get better.”

Tyrrell can’t wait to see how his team will fare when everything counts in November. “As a coach, I feel very good about how far we came and how much we grew this summer,” he said. “We all grew together. It was very rewarding and a lot of fun. We won 23 games last year and graduated a lot of those guys. Coming into the summer, I wasn’t really sure what we had yet. The guys proved they are ready to compete and that they are capable of doing some good things in Class 2A.”

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Elmhurst Independent

Anthony Bucolo fires a pitch during a recent U12 baseball game.

“ Coming into the summer, I wasn’t really sure what we had yet. The guys proved they are ready to compete and that they are capable of doing some good things in Class 2A.”

– TJ Tyrrell, IC Catholic Prep boys basketball coach

billion in PUA benefits were paid out in this manner.

The remainder of overpayments are due to what the audit narrowly defines as “fraud”—overpayments resulting from unemployment recipients filing knowingly false information—and “non-fraud,” which is the result of genuine mistakes. IDES has taken steps to stop or claw back these sorts of overpayments, though there are hardship waivers available.

But recovery of that money is only possible because those overpayments were sent to the true claimants of unemployment insurance, the audit notes. Illinois is out of luck on the $2.8 billion in overpayments IDES paid out to those using stolen identities.

“Overpayments due to identity theft are not considered recoverable because they cannot be col -

Answers

lected from the real owner of the identity/Social Security number,” the audit said.

IDES generally agreed with the recommendations of the audit, but agency spokesperson Rebecca Cisco also directed some of the blame to former President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The audit continues to underscore the challenge brought on when the previous federal administration required each state to implement a poorly designed and brandnew unemployment insurance program on their own in record time with continuously changing federal guidance,” Cisco said in an email.

“This is a crucial distinction from the state’s regular unemployment insurance program because the state’s system is designed and integrated with vital crossmatching and identity-proofing capabilities.”

Illinois contracted with management consultant Deloitte to build the technology to stand up its PUA program, as IDES didn’t have the capacity to build out the program from its existing infrastructure. Deloitte’s “uFACTS” system debuted in May 2020—two months into the pandemic—but it would be another two months until that system even began interacting with IDES’ “regular” unemployment insurance system, according to the audit.

That was a problem because PUA applicants were supposed to have first been denied traditional unemployment benefits; the siloing of the two systems meant that uFACTS didn’t check with IDES to verify that an applicant had already filed a claim for regular unemployment insurance.

The PUA program officially ended Sept. 4, 2021.

FALL BASEBALL - and - SOFTBALL REGISTRATIONS

Elmhurst Youth Baseball & EYB Cougars Softball House League registration is NOW OPEN! Register NOW to be a part of the fastest growing baseball & softball program in the Western Suburbs!

The Fall Baseball and Softball Leagues are a non-competitive league focused on training and player development. It is a 5 or 6 week program scheduled to start in September and conclude in October with all practices and games taking place on the weekends.

Games are scheduled for each Saturday with practice prior to each game. If there is a rain-out then the game/practice may be rescheduled for Sunday.

Elmhurst Youth Baseball is open to boys and girls ages 4 to 19.

The EYB Cougars softball program is open to girls ages 4 to 14.

Fall ball allows for players to begin practicing and playing in divisions that they may qualify for in the following Spring season or to continue their development in the divisions they currently compete.

REGISTRATION FOR THE FALL BALL SEASON IS OPEN!

Register at eybaseball.org

Play

PRIVATE GAMING ROOM

HDAILY DINE IN ONLY SPECIALS H

SUNDAYS

50¢ Boneless Wings LIMIT 12 (with side purchase)

$5 Sausage & Peppers ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$9 Pasta Marinara (add $2 for Vodka, Meat, Carbonara or Alfredo)

$10 Bacon Wrapped Pickle Spears

$10 Vegan Pasta Marinara

$4 Mimosa - $6 Tito’s Bloody Mary

$4.50 Miller Lite or $6 Import 22 oz. Drafts

$17 Bottles of Woodbridge House Wine

TUESDAYS

$2 Beef/Pulled Pork Taco

$3 Chicken - Fish - Pork Belly - Steak

$4 Vegan Tacos - Impossible Meat - Chicken - Pork

$4 Cilantro Lime Rice or Seasoned Black Beans

$10 BACON Nachos

$4 Modelo Draft

$6 Don Julio Margaritas

$7 Don Julio Frozen Margaritas

$20 Any Mexican Beer Buckets

WEDNESDAYS

FREE Bar Bingo/Kids eat free

10 and Under - Ask server for more details

$5 Gourmet Cheeseburger (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Wrapped Mushrooms

$8 Impossible Burger (with side purchase)

$5 U Call Its $8 and Under Wine/Liquor ONLY

THURSDAYS

$5 Pulled Pork ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks

$8 Vegan Chicken Parmesan ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$4 Drafts $8 and Under

Half Price Bottles of Wine $25 or More

1/2 Off any $20 or More Bourbon, Scotch or Whiskey

FRIDAYS

$5 Pepper & Egg ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$15 Fish & Chips (1/2 Pound Alaskan White Fish)

$10 Bacon Stuffed Avocado

$8 Vegan Burrito (with side purchase)

$5 Stella Draft

$5 Crown or Titos

$25 High Noon Buckets

SATURDAYS/UFC

$5 1/2 Lb BLT ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$10 BACON Croquettes

$8 Vegan Buffalo Chicken ‘Wich (with side purchase)

$5 Sam Seasonal Draft

$5 Proper Twelve Shot

$5 Absolut or Jameson

$22 Modelo Buckets

CLOSED - MONDAYS

99¢ Chicken Tenders ~ SLIDERS ~

$2 Grilled Chicken - Meatball - Pulled Pork

$3 Burger - Fish - Pork Belly

$4 Vegan Chicken or Impossible Slider

$5 Italian Beef ‘Wich

$8 Medium Cheese Pizza - $3 Full Toppings

$12 XL Cheese Pizza - $4 Full Toppings

$4 Well Gin, Rum, Tequila, Vodka & Whiskey

$4 House Wine (Woodbridge)

$5 Blue Moon Drafts

$15 Domestic Buckets - $20 Import Buckets

$8 Jefferson Old Fashioned

$5