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Graduation day Play at the plate at Willowbrook

Freshman Lindsey Rugg of the Willowbrook softball team is pictured while attempting to score a run during Friday’s game at Downers Grove South. Rugg tried to score from second base on a single by sophomore Katelyn Cox in the top of the second inning, the game tiedcelebrated at 2-2. Downers Grove South’swith catcher Willowbrook Highwhen School’s Class was of 2021 its commencement two tagged Rugg out at home for the third out of theon inning.

Themorning.

Mustangs separate ceremonies in theplate school’s main gymnasium Sunday Thewent enon to defeat the Warriors 7-3students. in the West Suburban Conference contest. Wiltire class includes over 470 About half ofGold those students attended the

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THURSDAY, MAY 13, 2021 THURSDAY, MAY 6,2021 2021 THURSDAY, MAY 27,

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Villa Park Review

lowbrook rebounded from Friday’s loss to post an 11-2 win in Saturday’s game at Hinsdale Central. The Warriors bashed three home runs in the second inning of SatCHRIS FOX PHOTO Villa ParkSilver Review urday’s non-conference battle against the Red Devils of the West Suburban Conference.

Senior Knudtson, freshman Isabella Dugo and that sophomore ceremony that beganAnnemarie at 9 a.m. The others participated in the ceremony started Kayleigh the home Dennison (No. 5) is pictured in the at 11 a.m. Dennison The photoprovided shows members of runs. the Willowbrook Senior Choir performing background of the above photo. more aboutsee thePage Warriors, during the day’s first service.

ForFor more photos, 4. see page 14.

Arbor Day in Villa Park

InsIde:

Reports...........6 Sports .................... 17 14 Police Reports. ..........8 16 Police .........8 Sports �������������������� Legal Notices ......... 15 Classifieds..............16 Classifieds..............13 Viewpoint Classifieds..........17-18 Viewpoint. .................6 ...............6

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SUBMITTED PHOTO Villa Park 390271 Review

The Village of Villa Park observed Arbor Day with a tree planting on Friday, April 30. Pictured (left to right) at the tree planting at the village’s Franklin Park, located at 218 N. Third Ave., are: Villa Park Village your local agent Trustee Christine Murphy, Justin Shlensky—chair of the Villa Park Environmental Concerns Commission, Margaret Schiefer—a member of the Villa Park Environmental Concerns Commission, Villa Park Village Trustee Cheryl Tucker, Contact me forVilla a Park Village President Albert Bulthuis, Villa Park Village Trustee (and Village President-Elect) Nick Cuzzone and Leslie Allison-Seei—chair of the Villa Park Community Pride 630-514-9961 complementary Commission.

Arbor Day is observed on the last Friday of each April. The National Arbor Day Foundation 630-514-9961 kdrury@atproperties.com has recognized Villaanalysis Park with Tree City USA designation for 36 straight years. To receive that recognimarket kdrury@atproperties.com tion, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, a comprehensive comof your home!! munity forestry program and an Arbor Day observance.

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2 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Softball seniors The seniors on Willowbrook High School’s softball team visited the softball field after Sunday morning’s first of two commencement services in the school’s main gymnasium. Pictured left to right are: Gwen Halik, Caroline Dooley, Annemarie Knudtson, head coach Rachel Karos, Grace Chambers and Stephanie Dasbach. One of the team’s

seniors—Natalie Krichbaum—is not pictured. While the school year is over for the seniors, the softball season continues. The regular season ends this week. The Warriors will play in an IHSA Class 4A regional next week. The Willowbrook softball team’s entire 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 3

Bond set at $3 million for Villa Park man accused of stabbing girlfriend to death

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Villa Park Chief of Police Michael Rivas announced on Friday that a Villa Park man had been charged with murder after he Marco-Antonio Rubio allegedly stabbed the mother of his three children in her Villa Park home last week.

Marco-Antonio Rubio, 25, appeared at a May 21 bond hearing, where Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh set bond at $3 million with 10 percent to apply. Rubio has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

Rubio allegedly stabbed Esmeralda DeLuna, 24, in her home on May 19.

About nine hours after responding to the residence, police located and arrest-

ed Rubio while he was walking in Villa Park, a short distance from the victim’s home.

On Wednesday, May 19, at approximately 9:25 p.m., Villa Park police officers responded to the 300 block of North Princeton Avenue for a disturbance. Upon their arrival, officers knocked on the door and heard crying coming from inside.

Officers entered the residence and located two female children between three and six years old and a male child approximately one year old. Officers also found a trail of blood in the living room that led to the victim lying in the kitchen with an eight-inch butcher knife in her leg and apparent stab wounds to her torso.

According to Rivas, police officers provided immediate medical attention until paramedics arrived. DeLuna was transported to Elmhurst Hospital. She was pronounced deceased early the fol-

lowing morning.

On May 7, Rubio was served with an order of protection against him, with Esmeralda DeLuna named as the petitioner. With the order of protection in effect, Rubio had moved out of the home on Princeton Avenue. It is alleged that Rubio violated the order of protection against him and went to the Princeton address on May 19. It is further alleged that upon his arrival, Rubio broke into the home and stabbed DeLuna multiple times in the torso and in one of her legs.

It is further alleged that after the attack, Rubio fled the scene.

An investigation into the alleged murder led authorities to Rubio, who was taken into custody at approximately 6:20 a.m. the following morning (May 20) while walking near Harvard Avenue and Elm Street in Villa Park— less than half a mile from DeLuna’s home on Princeton Avenue.

“Esmeralda DeLuna’s life was tak-

en from her, allegedly by the hands of her live-in boyfriend and father of their three children, Marco Rubio,” Berlin said. “Sadly, the charges filed against Mr. Rubio mark the second time this week my office has filed first-degree murder charges as a result of escalating domestic violence.

“I offer my sincerest condolences to Esmeralda’s family and friends as they attempt to come to terms with this senseless crime and tremendous loss. I would like to thank the Villa Park Police Department for their outstanding work in identifying and locating the defendant in this case. I would also like to thank members of DuPage MERIT [Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigation Team.]”

“Domestic violence takes a little piece away from all of us in the community”, Rivas said. “Our thoughts are with the domestic violence victim, Ms. DeLuna, her beautiful children, and

everyone dealing with this tragic loss.”

Rivas noted the extensive efforts of the authorities that responded to the scene. In addition to attempting life-saving medical techniques, those efforts included setting up a perimeter, conducting an investigation and preserving the crime scene.

“I would like to thank the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, investigators from DuPage MERIT Major Crimes and Forensic Investigations Unit, and the men and women of the Villa Park Police Department for their assistance in bringing about a successful outcome,” Rivas added. “We are also fully appreciative for the vigilance of our citizens in Villa Park. No one was going to have a moment’s rest until the suspect was taken into custody.”

Rubio’s next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, June 24, for arraignment in front of Judge O’Hallaren Walsh.

DuPage Foundation gives record number of grants Many donors stepped up, increased contributions in these trying times

With health and human services needs in DuPage County at an all-time high, DuPage Foundation is pleased to announce it has awarded a record $702,860 in grants to 37 area not-forprofit organizations through its signature Community Needs Grant Program (Community Needs or CNGP). The program awards grants each spring to not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charities in the County who apply and are working in the area of health and human services.

Not only is the amount awarded a record, but the amount contributed to the program budget by individual donors through their DuPage Foundation relationships is also a record. Donors invested an additional $307,388 increasing the Community Needs grant budget by 77 percent, said DuPage Foundation Vice President for Pro-

grams Barb Szczepaniak.

“The amount contributed by donors and donor-advisors through their DuPage Foundation funds was more than double the amount given in 2020,” she said. “It allowed the Grant Committee to fund 76 percent of the applications received, compared to 66 percent in the past, and this is on top of increasing the maximum grant award allocation to $25,000, a $5,000 increase over past limits. We are so grateful and humbled by the community’s generosity and our donors’ concern for those in our community with the fewest resources.

“The overall budget for the grant program comes from income generated by unrestricted and field-of-interest endowments that donors have established with the Foundation over

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“Each member of the Committee spends the time necessary to read, analyze and discuss the grant applications,” said volunteer Megan Shebik, who chairs the Committee. “The quality of the applications demonstrates the great need in our community.

We’re pleased to see those with the greatest opportunity to impact lives get the funds they need. I’m appreciative of the Committee for all their ded-

ication and hard work; they truly make a difference right where we live.”

Among the 37 agencies to receive DuPage Foundation Community Needs grants are: Bridge Communities, Inc.: $25,000; DuPage Senior Citizens Council: $19,000; Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance Network: $12,000; Metropolitan Family Services DuPage: $25,000; Ray Graham Association: $24,835.

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the past 35 years including the DuPage Forever Fund. That, coupled with the additional contributions from the Foundation’s donor-advisors, makes a bigger impact on the great need in our community for everything from housing and shelter to mental health services and more.”

Decisions are made by a volunteer Grant Committee comprised of DuPage County residents who have deep knowledge of the not-for-profit community. The Committee is charged

4VP • Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

Cullerton-sponsored measure would help long-term residents connect with loved ones

Villa Park reView Your Hometown Newspaper 240 N. West Avenue Elmhurst, IL. 60126

After seeing the stress social isolation put on residents of long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, state Sen. Tom Cullerton (D- Villa Park) has sponsored a measure to require long-term care facilities to help residents have daily communication with their family when a disaster is declared.

“I’m sure we all felt the effects of isolation during this pandemic, but for people in long-term care facili-

Main Phone 630.834-8244 Fax 630.834-0900 The Villa Park Review is published every Thursday by Rock Valley Publishing, LLC, 240 N. West Avenue, Elmhurst, IL. 60126.

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ties, those feelings were even more intense,” Cullerton said. “If anything like this happens again, ensuring residents of these homes have a connection to their loved ones must be a priority.”

According to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, more than one-third of adults aged 45 and older report feeling lonely, and nearly onefourth of adults aged 65 and older

are considered to be socially isolated. COVID-19 has only exacerbated these statistics.

House Bill 3147 would require long-term care facilities to make every reasonable effort to facilitate at least one phone or video call between a resident and a family member each day during a disaster declared by the governor, unless doing so could pose a danger to residents or staff, or redirects resources away from direct

resident care and protection.

The measure also requires hospitals to develop a contact policy to encourage patients to engage with family members during a pandemic or public health emergency.

The measure passed the Senate Health Committee and now moves to the floor for further consideration.

Editor’s note: This was submitted by the office of State Sen. Tom Cullerton.

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The Class of 2021

Brenda Garcia Marguerite Micken

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The members of Willowbrook High School’s Class of 2021 held their commencement with two ceremonies on Sunday morning. Two members of the class—Elizabeth (Lizzie) Martynenko and Sarah Fairbank—spoke during both services. Fairbank is pictured at left during Sunday’s second ceremony.

Pictured (above left) after the first service are (left to right) Tyler King and Grace Chambers. One photo (above right) from the second ceremony shows Jack Weaver bumping elbows with Willowbrook Principal Dan Krause. There were no handshakes on the stage during this year’s services. Pictured (below) after the second ceremony (left to right) are: Catherine Welnowski, Maeve Costello, Alexis Venegas, Jessica McEllin and Carson McDonnell.

Subscriptions: The Villa Park Review is mailed to the 60181 zip code areas for $45.00 yearly. Out-of-area mail subscriptions are $50.00 yearly.

For home delivery information call 630.834-8244.

Reprints: Content appearing in the Villa Park Review may not be reprinted without permission of the publisher or editor.

Requests should be directed to Independent@rvpublishing.com or 630.834-8244.

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VFW Post 2801 to conduct Memorial Day ceremony on Monday Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2801 will hold its annual Memorial Day service on Monday, May 31, at Cortesi Veterans Memorial Park, 320 E. Kenilworth Ave. The ceremony will start at 11 a.m.

In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held indoors at the post, which is located at 39 E. St. Charles Road.

If the ceremony is held indoors, it will also begin at 11 a.m.

Pritzker announces 6-year, $20.7 billion road, bridge improvement plan Amtrak to resume full passenger services starting mid-July CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

Gov. JB Pritzker announced May 19 the release of a six-year, $20.7 billion construction plan to improve roads and bridges throughout the state, an annual process which the Illinois Department of Transportation oversees to target infrastructure spending.

The Highway Improvement Program, funded through the Rebuild Illinois capital infrastructure plan passed in 2019, will reconstruct nearly 2,779 miles more miles of roads and 7.9 million square feet of bridge deck between fiscal year 2022 and 2027, according to the governor’s office.

The projects in the plan will create and support thousands of jobs, “bolstering our pandemic recovery in one more way,” Pritzker said at a news conference in Springfield.

“This past year truly has brought home how important transportation systems are in connecting the lives of our residents and our communities, delivering food products to grocery stores, getting essential workers to their jobs and transporting patients to the hospital,” Pritzker said.

The Highway Improvement Program is a part of the larger $45 billion Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan, which was a bipartisan effort to revitalize local economies that passed in the governor’s first year. The plan invests in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers and state facilities.

The projects outlined in the new multi-year plan will continue to create and support hundreds of thousands of jobs, Pritzker said.

Overall, the Rebuild Illinois capital plan is expected to support around 540,000 thousand jobs over its lifespan. But there are currently no estimates available on how many jobs the specific projects through the Highway Improvement Program will create.

About $33.2 billion was earmarked in the initial release of the capital plan for the transportation sector, with $25.3 billion specifically for roads and bridges. Most of that funding came from an increase to the state’s motor fuel tax, which was indexed for inflation each year, and increases to state licensing fees.

The Illinois Department of Transportation said the plan includes $5.79 billion for highway reconstruction and preservation, $4.82 billion for bridge improvements, $2.59 billion for strategic expansion, $1.43 billion for system support such as engineering and land acquisition, and $1.21 billion for safety and system modernizations.

Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said the projects outlined in this plan are more than just projects.

“They will be the means for us to ensure our transportation system in Illinois is reliable, safe, and provides economic opportunity for everyone in Illinois—our guiding principle,” Osman said. “We will do so in a way that provides equity, and with a workforce that reflects the diversity in our greatest state, it remains the blueprint for how we rebuild Illinois.”

For the upcoming fiscal year 2022, approximately $3.32 billion has been identified to fund highway improvement projects.

Currently, some of the projects through Rebuild Illinois include a $173 million multi-year investment in Interstate 57 which will continue next year and run in segments through 2027, over $90 million worth of improvements to Interstate 55, and $40 million into Interstate 80 in northeastern Illinois, “making the road smoother and safer amidst the region’s exploding intermodal logistical growth,” Pritzker said.

A full list of the projects can be found on IDOT’s website.

Pritzker said the multi-year plan will build on progress made over the past two years, noting Rebuild

CLUES ACROSS 1. College group 5. Small morsels of food 11. Actress Dunham 12. Puts a limit on 16. Used for baking or drying 17. Commercial 18. Zookeeper Bindi 19. Walk in one’s sleep 24. The Great Lakes State 25. Winter sport 26. A thin layer on something 27. Peacock network 28. Give birth to a lamb or kid 29. “Too Scared to Cry” author 30. Nose 31. Friend 33. Country music legend Haggard 34. Curved 38. More deformed 39. Bleated 40. Set on its end 43. An aspect of Ra 44. Releasing hormone (abbr.)

45. Harsh, grating noise 49. __ Francisco 50. Common Japanese surname 51. Punish with an arbitrary penalty 53. Football position (abbr.)

54. Not in the know 56. African antelope 58. Popular tech (abbr.)

59. Baseball teams get three of them 60. Make up one’s mind 63. __ Spumante (Italian wine) 64. Martens 65. Susan and Tom are two CLUES DOWN 1. Excessively showy 2. Put an end to 3. Blood disorder 4. Ingredient in wine 5. Shellfish 6. Made smaller 7. We 8. The Treasure State 9. __ Ekland, actress

10. Male parent 13. One hundredth of a watt (abbr.)

14. Dish of minced meat 15. Smothered laugh 20. Article 21. Atomic #12 22. Small parrot 23. Fictional “Star Wars” planet 27. French wine grape 29. Football stat (abbr.)

30. Sound unit 31. Where you sleep 32. University of Dayton 33. Miller beer offering 34. Feel embarrassed 35. Able to be estimated 36. Commune in NW France 37. Adult female chicken

See PLAN, Page 8

38. Intergovernmental organization 40. Archaic term for until 41. That which is not sacred 42. Sound made in speech 44. Handgun (slang) 45. Fill up again 46. Evoke or awaken 47. Beam Me Up, __!

48. Spider wasp genus 50. Headdress 51. Exclamation of surprise 52. Of I 54. Figures 55. Men’s fashion accessories 57. Indicates position 61. Megabyte 62. The Prairie State

Answers on page 18

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6 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

Rock Valley Publishing

Viewpoint May 27, 2021 • 6

Slices of life

There’s always a reason for gratitude My husband left this world in November. I miss him every day, in every way. Of course I do. I had someone tell me it would be weird if I wasn’t sad right now. She was right.

It’s hard to understand why it has to be this way. Why my future has changed suddenly and inexplicably.

Why he is there and I am here, when all we ever knew was us together.

Grief is very lonely. You want to be part of this world, but the person you long for most is part of another and no one really understands, although they want to and try.

Despite the grief, I am becoming grateful. I am leaning into it more and more every day. Or at least I am trying. I am filled with gratitude for the love we shared. For the love we share. Present tense.

Gratitude is a gift. It fills your heart and feeds your soul at the deepest of levels. It enhances life.

I am filled with gratitude for so many things. I guess it’s the whole glass half-full or half-empty concept.

Which do I choose? Because it is my choice. We all have the choice, and we all know the answer. Hard as it is, sometimes, it’s obvious.

At first I lamented, in the true sense of the word. We had 33 years together.

I lamented we didn’t get 50. I still do, sometimes, but mostly I try to give thanks for the 33.

We may have missed out on the 17 years between 33 and 50, but we could have had less. Much less. He got to see our children grow from babies to adulthood. We got to do this together. It was our life project. I’m grateful for that.

We grew together, for each other, with each other over the years. Many couples don’t get this chance, others grow apart instead of together. I’m grateful for our growth — together. It was fabulous.

We had a lasting and enduring love for one another. Still do. Not everyone can say that. How can I not be filled

to the brim with gratitude for a love so pure and strong and absolutely lifechanging? I am filled.

I’ve always been a proponent of gratitude, but lately I’ve come to believe it is life-changing. Finding gratitude in whatever circumstance you are in is key to growth and joy.

And there is always something to be grateful for. Always. If you are still alive and breathing, then each breath is cause for gratitude.

Gratitude is a blessing. My husband is a blessing. And the bigger the blessing — the more blessings you have —the more there is to lose.

That’s how I saw it at first, when I found myself in the eye of the hurricane of grief.

Seeing the loss is not the best way to perceive it, though. Not really. We can’t or shouldn’t live life afraid of loss. We can’t deny blessings because losing them will be hard. We can’t live life cautiously or safely. Or at least we shouldn’t.

Life is meant to be lived fully and deeply. It is meant to be filled with gifts and gratitude. It’s also filled with hard times, sometimes.

But the hard times can and will pass — if you are willing to see the gifts in front of you right now, in the present moment. All that takes is opening your eyes, your heart and your mind to the possibilities. Accept your gifts. Pull off the bows.

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

Letter to the editor Wagner thanks Villa Park voters

To the voters of Villa Park: It is hard to express how thankful I am for all the help that I received from neighbors and friends during last month’s election. To everyone that put up a yard sign, distributed literature, made a donation or just offered a word of encouragement,

I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks. I also wanted to give a special thanks to the key people in our campaign that kept me on track with their wise counsel and special talents. You are all remarkable people that want the best for our village.

Though the outcome of our election was not what we hoped for, we can take some solace in the fact that some talented and diverse new

Cullerton: County to receive nearly $6M for infrastructure improvement State Sen. Tom Cullerton (D- Villa Park) announced that DuPage County is set to receive nearly $6 million in grant money from the Rebuild Illinois plan.

“As the summer construction season gets underway, I am excited to see that our community will be receiving more funding to improve our roads and bridges,” Cullerton said.

“Modernizing our state’s infrastructure is vital to bringing travelers from near and far to Illinois.”

This round of Rebuild Illinois grants is the fourth of six rounds to be distributed to advance municipal, township and county projects across the state. The grants are overseen by the Illinois Department of Transportation and will total $1.5 billion when all rounds of grants are distributed.

“As more funding is secured, the projects in DuPage County will bring in good-paying jobs to the community,” Cullerton said. “Investments in

members were elected to the village board.

I am grateful for the eight years during which Vila Park voters allowed me to serve the community. In the years to come, I intend to continue advocating and working for issues that I feel will improve the quality of life in our village.

Robert “Bob” Wagner Villa Park

our infrastructure has countless payoffs, from shortening people’s commute to drawing visitors to the area.”

Through these grants, Illinois has already seen the improvement of 3,000 miles of highway, completed over 180 bridges and launched hun-

dreds of other infrastructure projects across the state. It is the fourth installment of funding allocated under the plan.

(This was submitted by the office of State Sen. Tom Cullerton.)

Glowiak Hilton plan would require insurance coverage for COVID-19 vaccines To ensure cost is not the deciding factor for residents thinking about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, State Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) introduced legislation requiring insurance companies to cover the full cost of the vaccination.

“Getting vaccinated is the right thing to do for the safety of your loved ones and neighbors,” Glowiak Hilton said. “Not being able to afford the COVID-19 vaccine should not stop anyone from receiving it.”

Under the proposal, the coverage requirement would apply to individual and group health insurance policies and managed care plans under

Medicaid in effect since March 9, 2020. Companies would not be allowed to impose cost-sharing measures on patients.

“Some residents have chosen not to get the vaccine for health or personal reasons, but the cost should not be a deciding factor,” Glowiak Hilton said. “The sooner our state’s population is vaccinated, the sooner we can get our economy moving, build up our damaged industries and regain some sense of normalcy.”

House Bill 2406 awaits action by the Senate Insurance Committee.

(This was received from the office of State Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton.)

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Going to be interesting to see how this drama unfolds for Villa Park with a business owner trying to get on the village board and still keep his liquor license in his name. All kinds of state rules against it. Plenty of villages and towns that have ordinances against it.

Your comments were forwarded to Villa Park officials for a response, which is as follows: “The Village of Villa Park is adhering to all state and local laws pertaining to holding a liquor license and holding a seat on the board.”

–JAC *** The current state of the Republican party where so many are doing nothing but making themselves look good in Trump’s eyes, even though they know he lost, reminds me of a why surgeons prefer operating on politicians. Why is that? Well, there are a lot of them you can’t hurt. They are brainless, spineless and gutless, have no vision, morals, ethics or guilt; and, their heads and rear ends are interchangeable. *** Chief Executive Magazine published their annual survey that ranked the best states to locate a business.

Guess where Illinois ranks? 48th out of 50 states. The top five best states to locate a business were Texas #1, Flor-

ida #2, Tennessee #3, North Carolina #4 and our next-door neighbor, Indiana #5. The bottom five are California (50th), New York (49th), Illinois (48th), New Jersey (47th) and Washington (46th). But look at the bright side—at least Illinois has the highest gas prices in the U.S. east of Utah and that meanie Donald Trump isn’t posting tweets anymore. *** I get a good laugh whenever I see one of these silly “In Our America” signs in someone’s yard. There are seven or eight slogans on the sign.

Each slogan might as well be a slogan for the regressive left. (They are regressive; certainly not progressive.)

One of the slogans is “All people are equal.” Yeah, right. All people except conservatives. Then you’re persona non grata. *** So I heard Lori Lightfoot is granting one-on-one interviews about her mid-term anniversary as mayor to journalists of color only. Imagine the uproar if a white mayor of a major city announced that he or she was only going to give one-on-one interviews to white journalists. Lori Lightfoot is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the City of Chicago. Between her

CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

Young graduates

The Villa Park Parks and Recreation Department’s 4-year-old preschool class held its graduation ceremony last week at the Iowa Community Center. The class includes 12 children. The preschoolers’ parents attended the May 19 ceremony in the community center’s gymnasium. Shortly before receiving their diplomas from teachers Jo McCarthy and Lynn Dion, the children sang some of the songs they learned during their classes. The preschool graduates will attend kindergarten in the fall. The Villa Park Parks and Recreation Department’s 4-year-old preschool program ran without interruption during the 2020-21 school year, which began in September. Children attended classes at the community center three mornings (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) each week. Last week’s graduates included Ryan Stone (above left) and Mady Ricchetti (above right). Both Ryan and Mady are now 5 years old. The parks and recreation department is now accepting registrations for its 4-year-old preschool program for the 2021-22 school year. For more information, call 630-834-8970.

overreaching executive orders during COVID-19, all the rioting, looting and murders in the city on her watch, and now this, she needs to go. *** It’s comical to listen to the leftist control freaks, who have been demanding that we “follow the science,” trying to pivot with the CDC’s latest flip-flop on masks. A lot of these control freaks will continue to wear masks, and insist that people around them wear masks. What happened to following the science? *** It is rare to hear the question, “What about black-on-black crime,” apart from criticizing Black Lives Matter. People who are concerned about crime in Black communities are aware that Black people, including members of the Black Lives Matter movement, lead community-based anti-violence movements. Poverty in Black communities, a major factor in crime, is due to systemic racism in housing, employment and criminal justice. The Black Lives Matter movement addresses is all these issues. Black lives matter. *** We’re already hearing people whine about seeing others mask-less in public. How will we know for sure, the whiners say, that these individuals have been vaccinated? What if they are lying about their vaccination status? How can they be trusted? It’s amusing because a lot of these same people are probably opposed to voter ID. *** This is Villa Park. For over 200 years we have had presidents with the admirable traits of humility, generosity, patience, curiosity, compassion, fairness, grace, resolve and self-control. Donald Trump had none of these: He is relentlessly dishonest disloyal, vein in the extreme and cruel. He is intellectually and physically lazy, impulsive and hypocritical. He is a cold,

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 6, 2021 • 7VP

humorless blunt bully who is utterly unmoved by the deaths of more than 350,000 Americans due to the fact of coronavirus. Thank God this horrible excuse for a human is on the way into history. Thank you. *** Do you believe that masks suddenly became unnecessary from one day to the next? Or do you believe the Biden administration made a political move to distract the public from its ineptitude related to inflation, high gas prices and violence in the Middle East? *** Joe’s got to go, and his motley crew, too. Joe’s got to go. *** I see that the mayor of the big city to our east will only talk to black or brown reporters. She put it in writing.

Politicians can now pick who gets the news from them? *** Is anyone paying attention to the word police at the Associated Press (AP)? The AP was once known as an objective news source, but it’s now a leftist organization. The AP discourages the use of the word “riot.” The AP also won’t use the words “crisis” or “surge” to describe the flood of illegal immigrants at our southern border.

AP also won’t use the term “illegal immigrants.” The front pages of the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald are filled with national and international stories from the AP. Hopefully more and more people are aware of the AP’s leftist bias. *** Congress wants to “investigate” what happened on Jan. 6. Fine. When will Congress examine the coordinated riots that took place in Democrat-run cities throughout the U.S. during the summer of 2020? Last summer’s riots caused a lot more death and destruction than the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6. ***

Illinois and the country are in trouble, not because Republicans fail to work in a bipartisan manner, but because they are too bipartisan.

It seems that virtually every Democrat policy put forward passes in one form or another. Maybe they don’t get all they want at once, but they certainly end up with more than they lose, and then they continue to push for what they didn’t get the first time; the politics of incrementalism. The only difference between a Democrat and a Republican in this state is the color of their tie. Bipartisanship only works when both sides are working toward a common goal.

What we have now is one party that wants to destroy the country and another party that doesn’t want to stop it from happening.

One dead in officer-involved shooting in Villa Park

According to Villa Park police, at around 2:06 a.m. on Monday, officers responded to a call of a person with a gun in the 200 block of E. Kenilworth.

Upon arrival, police said officers encountered a person with a gun which led to an officer-involved shooting.

Life-saving measures began immediately at the scene. The person was transferred to a hospital but did not survive their wounds.

The DuPage County M.E.R.I.T. Public Integrity Unit is currently investigating the incident. No other details were available at press time.

8 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

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

Addison Editor’s note: No police reports were submitted by the Addison Police Department last week.

Villa Park May 15 Jacqueline Contreras, 23, of Joliet, was charged with two counts of DUI and disobeying a traffic control device used for designated lanes in the 900 block of S. Route 83 at 1:27 a.m.

Theft was reported at a lounge in the 300 block of S. Ardmore at noon.

A complainant told police that an unknown suspect stole the complainant’s wallet while the complainant was working at the lounge.

May 14 A 27-year-old Villa Park man was charged with two counts of domestic battery, interfering with the reporting of domestic violence and criminal damage to property in the 300 block of St. Charles at 5:38 a.m.

Fraud was reported in the 700 block of S. Princeton at 10:43 a.m. A complainant told police that they were scammed out of money by an unknown suspect.

Two incidents of retail theft were reported at a store in the 900 block of S. Route 83. In the first incident at 8:05 p.m., a complainant told police that a suspect attempted to leave the store with items they removed from display shelves. In the second incident at 10:57 p.m., a complainant told po-

lice that a suspect was under-ringing ucts in the 400 block of W. Division items while in the self-checkout lane. at 11:30 p.m.

Both suspects were trespassed.

Mariah L. Menges, 30, of Trevor, Wis., was arrested on an original May 13 complaint and warrant for fleeing or Armed robbery was reported at a attempting to elude a police officer in store in the 500 block of N. Addison at a vehicle and improper lane usage near 10:57 p.m. A complainant told police North and West at 5:58 p.m. that two unknown suspects entered A complainant at a store in the the store. One, armed with a handgun, 1-100 block of S. Villa told police at forced the complainant to open the 7:45 a.m. that a suspect punched a cash registers. The suspects stole cash display case and it broke. The comfrom the register and left on foot. plainant wanted the suspect trespassed A Parks and Recreation employee from the store, and the suspect was reported at 6:58 p.m. that an unknown trespassed. suspect spray-painted the concrete at Skate Park in the 300 block of N. May 10 Iowa.

Police said a Parks and Recreation A complainant reported that an un- employee reported at 11:56 a.m. that known suspect spray-painted the stop an unknown suspect spray-painted sign at an intersection near Lincoln three picnic tables in the 300 block of and Plymouth at 7:43 p.m.

N. Westmore.

May 12 Police said David Solis, 32, of Stone Park, was arrested for a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County at 6:45 a.m.

May 11 Roberto Alcala, 199, of Villa Park, was charged with unlawful possession of cannabis in the 400 block of W. Division at 11:30 p.m. Police said Alcala also was processed for a failure to appear warrant out of DuPage County and a Chicago Police Department warrant.

Michael Martin, 20, of Chicago, was charged with resisting or obstructing a police officer, possession of cannabis and a violation of “no person under the age of 21 shall purchase, accept or have possession of alcoholic liquor” in the 300 block of N. Ardmore at 8:21 p.m. Later that night, police said Martin was charged with unlawful possession of alcohol by a minor, unlawful possession of cannabis and unlawful possession of tobacco prod-

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May 9 Police said officers responded to a call of two parties fighting in the 600 block of N. Westmore at 11:29 a.m.

Due to conflicting stories, no charges were filed.

A complainant reported that two subjects were causing a disturbance at a bar in the 300 block of N. Kenilworth at 10:06 p.m. The complainant wanted both served with no-trespass orders from the bar. Officers located the subjects and they were served.

• Plan

(Continued from page 5) Illinois has already improved over 2,700 miles of state and local roadways and 290 bridges since its 2019 passage.

“In every project we’ve made hundreds of safety improvements along the way, enhancing right of way accessibility, funding railroad crossing safety improvements and targeting locations tied to crashes, to keep everyone as safe as possible along their travels,” Pritzker said.

While the state’s gas tax is a major contributor to road and bridge projects, it has seen a “significant” reduction in revenue because of decreased consumption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to IDOT. IDOT said in its Highway Improvement Program report that the decrease was somewhat offset by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, one of the federal COVID relief packages passed in 2021, which allocated $353 million to IDOT. Of the federal COVID-19 relief funds that went to IDOT, $227 million is included in the state highway program, the IDOT report stated. The remaining COVID relief funds will go toward the multi-year program for additional road and bridge projects.

IDOT officials said that while the past year has been a challenge, projects stayed on schedule and they did not have to make any pandemic-related cuts.

Pritzker also announced that Amtrak will resume full passenger rail service starting July 19.

The Chicago-Milwaukee partnership with Wisconsin will resume next week, while the routes connecting Chicago to Quincy, Carbondale and St. Louis will operate at full capacity by the mid-July date.

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!

Answers on page 18

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 9

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256 Niagara, Elmhurst

256 Niagara, Elmhurst

Sharp 4 bed / 3 bath Home situated in coveted Tuxedo Park, just blocks from Jefferson Elementary & Prairie Path. The spacious & flexible floor plan has 2 beds on the main level & 2 beds up w/ a bathroom on each level of the Home. Large $454,900 OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 1-3PM

Sharp 4 bed / 3 bath Home situated in coveted Tuxedo Park, just blocks from Jefferson Elementary & Prairie Path. The spacious & flexible floor plan has 2 beds on the main level & 2 beds up w/ a bathroom on each level of the Home. Large living room w/ adjoining sun room each w/ their own gas fireplace. Separate formal Dining Room. Brand new SS refrigerator & new electric range top. Almost 2,000 square feet of living space on the 1st & 2nd floors plus an additional 1,264 sf in the fin basement. Classic knotty pine basement w/ kitchenette, service bar, full updated bathroom & laundry hook up.

Enclosed front porch w/ two guest closets. $454,900

Rarely Available Atrium 3BR

Rarely Available Atrium 3BR

Rarely available 3 bed, 2 bath spacious condo w/ private balcony overlooking the pool & sunrise. Can’t beat the views from this unit! Large master bedroom suite with brand new carpeting, adjoining bathroom and walk-in closet. 2 additional

Rarely available 3 bed, 2 bath spacious condo w/ private balcony overlooking the pool & sunrise. Can’t beat the views from this unit! Large master bedroom suite with brand new carpeting, adjoining bathroom and walk-in closet. 2 additional spacious bedrooms, new dishwasher, furnace, & HWH. In-unit laundry, individual storage rooms, remodeled clubhouse with fitness center - indoor & outdoor pools, changing room with sauna, tennis courts, & dog park.

Indoor parking for 1 car steps to elevator. $309,900

$309,900 FIRST OFFERING!

Walk to School/Path

Originally built as builder’s own home, this home spares no detail or upgrade. Four finished floors with nearly 6,000sf of finished living space, exquisite millwork, 2-story foyer, open floor plan, coffered ceilings, chef’s kitchen with elevated $999,800

NEW PRICE! Walk to School/Path Originally built as builder’s own home, this home spares no detail or upgrade. Four finished floors with nearly 6,000sf of finished living space, exquisite millwork, 2-story foyer, open floor plan, coffered ceilings, chef’s kitchen with elevated seating island, beautiful hardwood flooring, walk-in food pantry, 1st floor office and 3 car heated garage. Upstairs offers a huge master suite with luxurious master spa bath with steam shower and custom-built walk-in changing room, 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, laundry, and a finished 3rd level with skylights (playroom, golf simulator, yoga study). The basement has a 6th bedroom, full bathroom, workout area, media room, and full wet bar. Radiant heat in the basement and garage floors. Irrigation system and backup generator. Fully fenced backyard with mature, professional landscaping and paver brick patio. Walkable to Jefferson Elementary, Sandburg JRHS, parks, and the IL Prairie Path. $999,800

Walk to Berens Park

You can stop your search here on this 2015 custom built farmhouse. The current owners hate to leave this home they poured their hearts into designing every little detail. Custom, white kitchen with large island, prep sink and seating for $1,039,900

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You can stop your search here on this 2015 custom built farmhouse. The current owners hate to leave this home they poured their hearts into designing every little detail. Custom, white kitchen with large island, prep sink and seating for entertaining or eating. Equipped with high end appliance package, and large eating area opened to beamed ceiling family room with gas fireplace flanked by built ins. Formal dining room, 1st floor office, mudroom with bench and cubbies off 2.5 car heated garage with epoxy floors and custom shelving. Upstairs offers 5 beds & 3 baths, luxurious master spa bath with huge walk-in closet, soaking tub & separate shower, & laundry. Basement with large garden window and is ready to make into something special.

Huge fenced yard with large patio, gas line to grill, shed, and Generac transfer switch making it backup generator ready. $1,039,900

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Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 11

Crecent Park Split Level

Crecent Park Split Level

Rare opportunity with this large 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath all brick home on park-like double lot on a lightly traveled street in Crescent Park. Centrally located with easy access to downtown Elmhurst, parks, schools, and transportation. The

Rare opportunity with this large 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath all brick home on park-like double lot on a lightly traveled street in Crescent Park. Centrally located with easy access to downtown Elmhurst, parks, schools, and transportation. The 171 foot frontage provides room to expand or enjoy plenty of outdoor space. This home has over 3100 feet of living space, featuring spacious rooms, eat-in kitchen with fireplace, granite counter tops, and brand new stainless steel appliances. Separate dining room, upper level bonus room, all new baths and all refinished hardwood floors. $615,000

Sharp All Brick 2 Story

Sharp All Brick 2 Story

At over 5500 finished square feet this 5 bedroom, 5 full bathroom home offers a flexible floor plan that checks all the boxes for even the most discerning buyer! Upon entering you are immediately greeted with the large 2-story foyer and grand

$615,000 FIRST OFFERING!

$779,000 FIRST OFFERING!

Wise Builders

Wise Builders

Amazing opportunity to work with one of Elmhurst’s top custom home builders. Steps from award winning Jefferson Elementary and the IL Prairie Path, in one of Elmhurst’s hottest neighborhoods. This generous plan offers ceiling detail

Amazing opportunity to work with one of Elmhurst’s top custom home builders. Steps from award winning Jefferson Elementary and the IL Prairie Path, in one of Elmhurst’s hottest neighborhoods. This generous plan offers ceiling detail throughout, exquisite millwork, a large mudroom, 1st floor office, huge kitchen with 2-tier island for prep sink/area and separate eating space. Open family room with gas fireplace overlooks 160’ deep yard. Superb from the curb with covered front porch and patio in the rear. Too many other details to list! Builder is also willing to build to suit at different price points. $1,250,000

1S075 Spring Road

1S075 Spring Road

Breathtaking Views and Single Floor Living in this 3 bed/2 bathroom Condo! It was a 2 bedroom but the Den was converted into a 3rd bedroom. The Large Primary Bedroom includes a spacious walk in closet, Dressing Area with

$1,250,000 WISE INVESTMENT BUILDERS

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Center of Town

Center of Town

Being built by a well respected, long-time Elmhurst builder working alongside an interior designer set to help pick out all of your finishes & fixtures. Offering over 4,800 sf of finished living space with its fully finished basement - exercise room, 1,295,000

At over 5500 finished square feet this 5 bedroom, 5 full bathroom home offers a flexible floor plan that checks all the boxes for even the most discerning buyer! Upon entering you are immediately greeted with the large 2-story foyer and grand staircase. The living room leads to the office where french doors provide a quiet working environment with floor to ceiling custom built-ins.

If entertaining is your thing you will appreciate the large Great Room with stone fireplace that flows into the gourmet kitchen with loads of cabinets and counter space, an island, double ovens, new convection microwave and 5 burner cooktop. $779,000

Being built by a well respected, long-time Elmhurst builder working alongside an interior designer set to help pick out all of your finishes & fixtures. Offering over 4,800 sf of finished living space with its fully finished basement - exercise room, rec room, custom bar and wine room!

Gracious 10 ft first floor ceilings welcome you to this impressive home with HWF’s & extensive trim & ceiling detail throughout, 5 beds, 4.5 baths, a 2.5 car garage, custom kitchen w/ huge island, high-end SS appliances (Wolf & Sub-Zero) & eating area open to family rm w/ fireplace, master suite w/ spa bath, designer plumbing/lighting fixtures, surround sound + more! .

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le Da od Wo

Breathtaking Views and Single Floor Living in this 3 bed/2 bathroom Condo! It was a 2 bedroom but the Den was converted into a 3rd bedroom. The Large Primary Bedroom includes a spacious walk in closet, Dressing Area with additional vanity space and separate Bathroom. Brand New Quartz Countertops just installed and New Stainless Steel Appliances. Washer/Dryer in unit.

HOA includes Gas/Water/Exterior Landscaping.

Pool is just steps away from this unit. Detached 1 Car Garage and 1 Exterior Space included. You can’t beat the location! Close proximity to Drury Lane, Oak Brook Shopping/Restaurants, Lifetime Fitness, Movie Theater, and much more $269,900

Perfect Starter Home!

Perfect Starter Home!

This spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is situated on an oversized (75 x 150) lot on a quiet street. Close to train, shopping, and expressways. The enclosed 3 season front porch leads you to the living room with tons of natural light.

This spacious 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is situated on an oversized (75 x 150) lot on a quiet street. Close to train, shopping, and expressways. The enclosed 3 season front porch leads you to the living room with tons of natural light. 3rd bedroom/office on main level next to full bathroom.

Updated island kitchen with stainless steel appliances. Newer HWH and Washer/Dryer. $269,900

$269,900

Wise Investment Builders

Proposed Modern Farmhouse by one of Elmhurst’s most reputable builders – Wise Investment Builders. Set on an oversized 64’ wide lot on one of Lincoln school’s best streets.

Over 5,300 sf of finished living space with 3 car heated $1,599,900

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Wise Investment Builders Proposed Modern Farmhouse by one of Elmhurst’s most reputable builders – Wise Investment Builders. Set on an oversized 64’ wide lot on one of Lincoln school’s best streets. Over 5,300 sf of finished living space with 3 car heated garage. Open and airy 1st floor with 2-story foyer, 10 ft ceilings, hardwood floors throughout, private 1st floor study or in-law suite, custom kitchen with large island & prep sink, high end SS appliance package, breakfast nook & family room open to backyard, walk-in pantry + butler pantry with wine fridge, mudroom, and full bath. 4 large upstairs bedrooms with hardwood floors, volume ceilings, laundry, and super luxurious primary suite with spa bath & large walk-in closet. Fully finished lower level with garden window, media room, 5th bedroom, full bath, wet bar, and storage. Smart home wired for all of today’s technology - alarm, whole home backup generator, Ring, internet, and surround sound. $1,599,900

12 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

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City of Elmhurst

MEMORIAL DAY

CONVOY

Monday, May 31, 2021 Start time: 9:30 a.m.

Convoy begins and ends at Veterans Memorial at Wilder Park Convoy will include first responder emergency vehicles and preselected special service and military vehicles only.

The route will cover 16 miles of Elmhurst, with vehicles passing through each ward.

Route is within 1/4 mile of most homes and several public parking lots if you are unable to walk to the route.

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

The Villa Park Parks and Recreation Department’s 4-year-old preschool class held its graduation ceremony last week at the Iowa Community Center. The class includes 12 children. The preschoolers’ parents attended the May 19 ceremony in the community center’s gymnasium. Shortly before receiving their diplomas from teachers Jo McCarthy and Lynn Dion, the children sang some of the songs they learned during their classes. The preschool graduates will attend kindergarten in the fall. The Villa Park Parks and Recreation Department’s 4-year-old preschool program ran without interruption during the 2020-21 school year, which began in September. Children attended classes at the community center three mornings (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) each week.

Convoy will be followed by a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at 11:00 a.m.

More information and route map available at www.elmhurst.org

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14 • Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

State Board of Education calls for in-person learning next school year ISBE unanimously passes resolution supporting upcoming decision by the state superintendent

By Raymon Troncoso

to return to in-person learning during the upcoming school year.

The Illinois State Board of EducaThe resolution doesn’t institute tion unanimously passed a resolution any mandates or requirements for May 19 calling on all public schools Illinois schools to follow, but shows

unified support from ISBE for an upcoming decision by State Superintendent Carmen Ayala.

In a weekly blog posted to the ISBE website, Ayala said she plans

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Conroy advocates for behavioral health care coverage right thing. That’s why I’m prioritizing the mental healthcare of Illinoisans and codifying it in law.”

Conroy’s House Bill 2595 requires insurers and Medicaid-managed care organizations to provide coverage for medically necessary treatment of mental, emotional, nervous or substance use disorders or conditions.

The bill also prohibits insurers from limiting benefits or coverage for mental, emotional, nervous or substance use disorders or conditions to short-term or acute treatment at any level of placement.

“Recognizing the significance and importance of real mental healthcare

coverage is more vital now than ever before,” said Conroy. “This measure brings together both political parties to fight against the greed of healthcare companies who would rather find loopholes in the law to save a few dollars than to properly care for Illinoisans who are struggling through these unprecedented times.”

House Bill 2595 passed the House on a bipartisan roll call and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

Editor’s note: This was submitted by the office of State Rep. Deb Conroy.

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Understanding that large inequities still exist in how health plans cover behavioral health care, state Rep. Deb Conroy, D-Villa Park, supported legislation in the House which makes it more difficult for health insurance companies to avoid covering sick Illinoisans.

“Healthcare coverage should not be limited to just physical wounds and scars,” said Conroy, chair of the House Mental Health Committee.

“Unfortunately, big healthcare companies often choose to avoid covering people with less obvious health needs. We cannot depend on giant corporations to eventually do the

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to make the mandate official “at the conclusion of the current academic year,” meaning the change will not take effect until next school year.

Once Ayala issues an official declaration, all public schools will be required to return to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 academic year with no exceptions. Only students who are both unvaccinated and under a quarantine order from the Illinois Department of Health will be eligible to continue remote learning.

A spokeswoman for ISBE said they expect the bulk of the population eligible for remote learning at the start of the school year to be under 12 years old.

“We encourage families to use the summer months to ensure that eligible children get vaccinated,” she said. “The vaccines are safe, effective, and proven to protect you from getting sick.”

Students who do not qualify for remote learning may seek home or hospital instruction if a doctor determines they will miss at least 10 days of school due to a medical condition.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine is safe for children 12 and over, while everyone aged 16 and over is eligible to receive any U.S. approved vaccine.

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Local residents named to Phi Kappa Phi The following students recently were initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Hayden Dudek at Illinois Wesleyan University; and Taurus Scurlock at Northern Illinois University; Scott Thesen at Northern Illinois University, both from Villa Park.

Dean’s List • The following student was named to the Knox College Dean’s List for the 2021 Winter Term: Maureen Schmid of Villa Park; who is majoring in Elementary Education studies.

• Villa Park resident Shanti M. Lindberg has made the Scholastic Honor Roll Winter 2021 at Oregon State University. Lindberg is a senior, majoring in Fisheries & Wildlife Sciences.

• Wheaton College has named the following students to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2020 semester: Gavin Boyle and Elizabeth Romero of Villa Park.

• Millikin University has announced the names of the outstanding undergraduates who have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2020 semester. John DeAngelo of Villa Park.

• About 1,600 students were honored on the Lewis University Dean’s List for the 2020 Fall Semester, including the following students: From Villa Park, Jacy Campobasso is studying Forensic Criminal Investigation; Jasmine Davis, Criminal Justice; Steven Huizenga, Aviation

“

We encourage families to use the summer months to ensure that eligible children get vaccinated.

The vaccines are safe, effective and proven to protect you from getting sick.”

– Spokeswoman for ISBE

U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in children aged 2 to 11 in September, according to news reports.

“As always, our top priority is our students, and we know that in most cases, in-person learning is in their best interest,” Ayala said in her blog post. “Now that we have every indication that the pandemic will soon be behind us, we can prepare to return fully to the physical spaces that best provide these conditions.”

Maintenance; Jithin Mathew, Aviation Maintenance Technology; Mohammed Osman, Computer Science; Mia Pillar, Nursing BAC to BSN; and, Alexis Simmons, Middle Level Education.

From Oakbrook Terrace, Owais Ahmed is studying Computer Science and Joseph Beckwith is studying Professional Studies.

• More than 1,000 students have been named to the Carthage College dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester.

Among them are the following Villa Park residents: Pearl Hosman, Tyler Meder, Samuel Bruns and Nicholas Cookingham.

• Nearly 6,800 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have been named to the Deans’ List for the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year. They include Dalia Cruz, senior, Dean’s List, College of Business, marketing, from Villa Park.

• The following student was named to the Dean’s list at Miami University: from Villa Park, Kate Gargano.

• The following Villa Park residents were inducted into Phi Kappa Phi at Elmhurst University: Khalilah Brooks and Stephanie Quaiver.

• Augustana College announced more than 1,100 students were named to the Dean’s List for the 2020-21 fall semester. Among them were the following Villa Park residents: Amy Bussa, who is majoring in Comm.

Sci. & Disord.; Sydney Keehner, English Education; Kelli McNeice, Business Administration-Marketing; Scott Tumilty in Accounting; Erika Dahlstrand, whose major is undecided; and, Samuel Tumilty, also undecided.

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 15

Care Care For ForYour YourSmile Smile

and andLet LetItItBrighten BrightenYour YourDay! Day! Our COMFORT CARE DENTISTRY makes going to the dentist an unexpected pleasure.

• Gentle dental care for adults and children.

• Knowledgeable staff using the latest technology.

• Convenient location and appointment times.

• Watch movies or listen to music while you have your • No shot laser fillings available. New technology allows for teeth fixed. smaller, faster fillings without discomfort.

• Whitening, implants, and smile makeovers.

H No Shot Dentistry H Implants H Veneers H Whitening

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Cosmetic & Family Dentistry

16 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

Serving Addison, Bensenville, Elmhurst, Lombard & Villa Park

Classifieds

Call Classifieds at

Lombard Office (630) 627-7010 In-Print and Onlne at www.Lombardian.info

BUSINESS & SERVICE Blacktop/Paving/Dirt

EMPLOYMENT Painting

Handyman

Fahey & Son Asphalt Paving

$100 Off Asphalt Work 00

AL’S DECORATING SERVICE

Electrical

Gutters

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GREG STEBEN CARPENTRY Small Home Repairs and Remodeling

MIDWEST GUTTER CLEANING

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FOR SALE

RICE MACHIING

Announcements

small shop office help wanted. Must have QuickBooks experience.

630-543-7220

PERSONALS Never Known to Fail

Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, blessed mother of the Son of God. Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother.

Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth! I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to answer me in this necessity. There are none that can withstand your power.

Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3x). Holy Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3xs). Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (3x). Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, light all roads so that I can attain my goal, you who gave me divine gift to forgive to forgive and forget all evil against me, and that in all instances in my life you are with me. I want in this short prayer to thank you for all things as you confirm once again that I never want to be separated from you in eternal glory.

Thank you for your mercy towards me and mine.

The person must say this prayer 3 consecutive days, after 3 days the request will be granted.

This prayer must be published after the favor is granted. M.P. 351091

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CALL Elmhurst (630) 834-8244 or Lombard (630) 627-7010

We are looking for servers and drivers. Drivers must have their own vehicles. For more information call 630-458-0044 Ask for Jean or Jonathan.

Office/Clerical

Available Services • Commercial & Residential Affordable Weekly Mowing • Aeration Spring & Fall clean up • Power Raking Fertilizing and/or Seeding • Sidewalk edging Black dirt/Mulch/Stone • Driveway Bush trimming sealcoating Call for Free Estimate • Villa Park

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• Interlocking Flooring •Kitchen/Bathroom Remodeling • Tile Installation & Painting - Guaranteed Workmanship For a fair quote & prompt service call 630-220-8138(cell) or 630-627-7844

• Interior & Exterior Painting • Power Washing Anything • Wallpapering • Kitchen & Bathroom Floor/Wall Tiles • Tuck Pointing

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Restaurant/Hospitality

looking for reliable people to do basic lawn care maintenance.

Some experience needed.

If interested, call Jim at 630-461-2280

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Elmhurst Office (630) 834-8244

In-Print and Onlne at www.TheIndependentNewspapers.com

GARAGE SALES Bensenville 330 BARRON ST., BENSENVILLE, Sat., 5/29, Sun., 5/30 & Mon., 5/31, 8am-5pm. Furniture, power equipment, appliances & DJ gear.

IT’S GARAGE SALE TIME AGAIN!

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.

Misc. For Sale

TOM SEAVER AUTOGRAPH baseball official MLB, inscribed NLCY’69-73-75, baseball is authenticated $700. Mark McGwire autograph baseball official major league ball $200. Call Jim 630935-1364

Automobiles

2002 LEXUS ES 300 black- tan, leather 154K miles. Call Darlene 630-404-1034

REAL ESTATE

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

FIND YOUR NEXT HOME IN THE CLASSIFIEDS!

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 17

Rock Valley Publishing

Sports

Warriors beat Addison Trail

May 27, 2021 • 17

CHRIS FOX PHOTOS Rock Valley Publishing

The Willowbrook boys volleyball team rallied to beat Addison Trail in last week’s West Suburban Gold Conference match in Villa Park. Addison Trail won the opening game of the May 20 contest, but the Warriors rallied to defeat the Blazers 18-25, 25-17, 25-16. Willowbrook improved its season record to 4-5 with the victory. Senior Jack Walsh (No. 42 - above left) provided 14 kills, 16 digs and three aces for the Warriors.

Winning Warrior

Senior John Donovan (No. 37 - above middle) supplied 20 assists and a pair of aces for Willowbrook. Donovan is pictured while hitting an ace late in the second game. Senior Josh Chavez contributed six kills and seven blocks for the Warriors, while junior Franky Goles made 16 digs. Another photo from the match shows Addison Trail junior Vince Calzante (No. 7 - above right).

Warriors win again

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

Junior Jacob Skinner of the Willowbrook baseball team is pictured while delivering a pitch during last week’s West Suburban Gold Conference game against Morton. Skinner fired a complete game to lead the Warriors to a 6-2 victory on May 20 in Villa Park. Skinner threw 89 pitches over seven innings in his winning performance. He allowed five hits and one earned run. He recorded eight strikeouts and didn’t give up any walks. Sophomore Isaac Sobieszczyk went 1-for-3 and drove in three runs for the Warriors. Junior Bennett Fleming went 1-for-2 with two runs batted in. Willowbrook began last week with a 4-3 win at Morton on May 17. The Warriors tried to complete a sweep of their three-game series against the Mustangs on Saturday, but Morton earned a 3-1 win. Saturday’s loss dropped Willowbrook to 12-5 overall and 11-4 in conference play. The Warriors’ schedule this week includes a three-game conference series against Addison Trail.

The Willowbrook girls soccer team extended its winning streak to seven matches with last week’s 1-0 West Suburban Gold Conference victory over Morton.

The May 20 victory in Villa Park gave the Warriors an overall season record of 9-2. Willowbrook suffered a 3-1 loss at Morton when the two teams squared off on April 27. Last week’s rematch was scoreless at halftime.

Senior Gracie Tumilty (No. 13) of the Warriors scored the lone goal of the match in the second half. That goal gave Tumilty 23 goals this season. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Aderholt delivered a shutout performance with support from Willowbrook’s defense. Two days before beating Morton, the Warriors earned a 5-0 conference win at Addison Trail.

Tumilty scored three goals in that match. Junior Erin Fitzgibbon provided two goals. The Warriors are finishing their regular season with this week’s matches against Downers Grove South, Proviso West and Proviso East. The Warriors will open the IHSA Class 3A post-season with a match against Glenbard East on June 2 in Lombard.

CHRIS FOX PHOTO Rock Valley Publishing

18 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

State’s revenue picture improves as economy recovers

Answers PUZZLE 1

PUZZLE 2

New numbers come as lawmakers try to finalize new budget

By Peter Hancock CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS

395538

Illinois budget officials said May 13 that revenues are flowing into state coffers at a faster pace than previously estimated, meaning lawmakers will have more money to work with as they try to finalize a new budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget officially raised its revenue estimate for the current fiscal year by more than $1.4 billion and by $842 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

Those figures are similar to the latest revised estimates from the General Assembly’s budget monitoring agency, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, which said last week that revenues for the current year would go up about $2 billion while next year’s revenues would be $792 million more than previously forecasted.

That came as good news to state lawmakers who are trying to finalize the next fiscal year’s budget before their scheduled adjournment day on May 31, but it still was not enough to completely close the looming deficit in next year’s budget, which House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, estimated at around $1.3 billion.

“The choices are really clear,” Harris said during a news conference.

“We’re either going to have to find ways to cut to fill that hole, or we’re going to have to review the proposals that the governor made to close corporate tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and corporations. Some mix of those will be required.”

In February, Pritzker proposed filling the budget hole with about $1.5 billion in revenue enhancements that included closing what he called “corporate tax loopholes,” but which Republicans prefer to call “business incentives.”

So far, however, lawmakers have not appeared anxious to take up Pritzker’s tax proposals, at least until they have a clearer idea of how big of a budget hole needs to be filled.

“I think there’s a number of things that the governor has proposed that we’ve asked members to take a deep dive and to be mindful of to think about how it would affect their constituents vis-à-vis the overall state budget…We remain very, very invested in trying to get a responsible budget to the governor’s desk,” said Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, who chairs the House Revenue Committee.

Pritzker’s budget plan was drafted before Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which will send about $8.1 billion in fiscal relief to the state. But the U.S. Treasury De-

“

We’re either going to have to find ways to cut to fill that hole, or we’re going to have to review the proposals that the governor made to close corporate tax loopholes on wealthy individuals and corporations. Some mix of those will be required.”

–Greg Harris, House Majority Leader

partment is still in the process of finalizing rules for how that money can be spent, and on May 13, Harris cautioned against trying to use it to fill the state’s ongoing structural budget deficit.

“We know that this is an amount of money that can be spent over the course of four years, so we have to be very thoughtful as how we spend it over a period of time,” he said.

“We know it’s largely one-time money. So I think we’re all going to want to look at it really carefully to be sure that we’re not building this into a base that then there would be a cliff when this money expired.”

State and local governments also stand to receive significant federal aid. According to Harris, the federal law will send about $5.9 billion to Illinois cities and towns, $5 billion to public schools, $1.3 billion to colleges and universities, $1.7 billion for public health programs, and $1.35 billion for child care and Head Start programs.

The Treasury Department has published interim rules that outline general categories of spending that qualify under the law. They include responding to the public health emergency or its negative economic impacts; providing premium pay to essential workers during the pandemic; making up for revenue lost due to the pandemic; and investing in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.

The interim rules also say the funds may not be used for funding pension plans or paying down debt.

Pritzker and Comptroller Susana Mendoza have said Illinois should be allowed to use the money to repay short-term loans the state took out from the Federal Reserve during the pandemic, and they have urged federal officials to make that change when the final rules are published in July.

Rock Valley Publishing - Thursday, May 27, 2021 • 19

E VE RYW H E R E E L S E I T ’ S H E A LT H C A R E

HERE, IT’S PERSONAL MARIA HUERTA, RN - ONCOLOGY Maria Huerta, RN, likes to say she didn’t pick oncology, but rather, it picked her. It’s here in the Cancer Center, where she gets to use her talent and passion for creating bonds with patients and their families that last for months, and sometimes years, going beyond their treatment. She’s mastered the art of treating everyone who walks in the door like family.

Because that’s what it takes to make someone feel truly cared for. For all of us at Edward-Elmhurst Health, THIS IS PERSONAL. ThisIsPersonalEEH.org

396438

20 • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - Rock Valley Publishing

Try Our

Enjoy Our Outdoor Dining Area

483 SPRING ROAD ELMHURST

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the Finest Selection of Italian Cuisine. Roberto’s Ristorante Features One-of-a-Kind Gourmet Specialities Custom Created by Experienced Chefs Inquire about our private party luncheons for Let our Family cater DOWNLOAD THE Memorials, Corporate Meetings, Graduations, to your Family!!

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CATERING MENU

Please Give 24 hour Notice • Taxes Not Included with All Pricing • Prices Subject to Change Without Notice APPETIZERS 1/2 Pan Serves 8-10 • Full Pan Serves 16-20 All Trays Do Not Come with Bread

1/2 Pan Full Pan Bruschetta ............................. 14.00 28.00 Fior di Latte .......................... 28.00 56.00 Fried Calamari ..................... 39.00 78.00 Funghi Ripieni ...................... 32.00 64.00 Baked Clams ......................... 37.00 74.00

PASTAS 1/2 Pan Serves 8-10 • Full Pan Serves 16-20 All Trays Do Not Come with Bread

1/2 Pan Full Pan Spaghetti or Mostaccioli ...... 32.00 64.00

Baked Mostaccioli ................ 36.00 Ravioli ................................... 41.00 Tortellini ................................ 41.00 Gnocchi ................................. 41.00 Cavatelli ................................ 41.00 Raviolini Salvia e Basilico.... 44.00 Lasagna ................................. 44.00 Vegetable Lasagna................ 46.00 Rigatoni Pomodoro/ Salsiccia/Piselli...................... 44.00 Add Alfredo or Vodka Sauce .................... 8.00 Add Chicken .................... 8.00 Add Broccoli .................... 6.00

72.00 82.00 82.00 82.00 82.00 88.00 88.00 92.00 88.00 16.00 16.00 12.00

MEATS 1/2 Pan Serves 8-10 • Full Pan Serves 16-20 All Trays Do Not Come with Bread

1/2 Pan Full Pan Italian Sausage & Peppers .. 36.00 72.00 104.00 Chicken Vesuvio Bone-In ....... 52.00 Veal Parmigiana ................... 60.00 120.00 Pollo Parmigiana .................. 39.00 78.00 Eggplant Parmigiana ........... 48.00 96.00 Boneless Chicken Breast...... 49.00 98.00 ..........................................................(10 pcs.)

(20 pcs)

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Open 7 Days A Week M-Th. 11am-10pm • Fri. 11am-11pm • Sat. 12pm-11pm • Sun. 12pm-10pm

On Full Slab of Ribs

Pick Up or Delivery Only One Coupon Per Visit Please Mention Coupon When Ordering Not Valid in Dining Room Expires June 3, 2021

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2 Liter of Soda 16” or 18” Pizza On 14”, 16” or 18” Pizza with $15 Purchase or More On 14”, Pick Up or Delivery Only Pick Up or Delivery Only One Coupon Per Visit Please Mention Coupon When Ordering Not Valid in Dining Room Expires June 3, 2021

Pick Up or Delivery Only One Coupon Per Visit Please Mention Coupon When Ordering Not Valid in Dining Room Expires June 3, 2021

One Coupon Per Visit Please Mention Coupon When Ordering Not Valid in Dining Room Expires June 3, 2021

Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria Roberto’s Ristorante & Pizzeria

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