Village Free Press_083023

Venerable

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Village Free Press is back under old ownership

Founding publisher takes the helm with new company

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Publisher

Last year, I relinquished Village Free Press (VFP) ownership to my former employer, Oak Park newspaper nonprofit Growing Community Media (GCM). At the time, I thought VFP could benefit from GCM’s resources. I also thought there was some synergy between VFP and the nonprofit’s four other newspapers. As part of the deal, I was named GCM’s director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

In January of this year, I was terminated as the nonprofit’s DEI director and VFP, the news outlet I founded in 2013, stayed under GCM’s ownership. Since then, thanks to widespread community support and two intrepid attorneys, Joe Ponsetto and Jordan Tarren, I’ve regained outright ownership of VFP and look forward to the newspaper’s growth.

As of Aug. 24, VFP is owned by my new company, John Wilk Communications LLC, which I started earlier this year. The name evokes Rev. John Wilk and John Brown Russworm, two of the free African Americans who launched Freedom’s Journal, the

Addison Creek Reservoir officially opens

Reservoir at 2795 Washington Blvd. in Bellwood.

According to officials with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD), the agency that guided the project, the 600-acre-foot reservoir includes control and inlet structures, a spillway and a pumping station.

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Local elected officials across Proviso Township gathered on Aug. 17 to officially open the massive Addison Creek

When they broke ground in 2019, MWRD officials said the reservoir would store close to 200 million gallons of water and connect with the Addison Creek Channel, which is scheduled to undergo a range of improvements that include vegetation clearing, the removal of three bridges and design changes.

The improvements will be constructed along the Addison Creek Channel that runs roughly three miles through Northlake, Stone Park, Melrose Park, Bellwood, Westchester and Broadview.

“This reservoir will provide a newfound sense of security for whenever it rains,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele at the Aug. 17 ribbon-cutting for the new reservoir. “It will also reduce future insurance costs for many residents.”

Steele said the ribbon-cutting event also served as a kickoff for those channel improvements, “which will be connected

Shanel Romain

Firefighters from eight suburbs and one police department joined forces to raise money for Fire Buddies at their first annual double-elimination softball tournament on Sunday, Aug. 27, at Mayfield Park in Westchester. More photos on Page 4.

The $81 million, 600-acrefoot reservoir among a rash of projects and initiatives across Proviso designed to confront the effects of climate change

At 100, ‘Ginger’ Vaitkus has more than earned her nickname

Blackowned bookstore in danger of closing Story

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first Black-owned and operated newspaper in the country. The first issue on March 16, 1827, announced these nowimmortal words: “We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us.”

John Wilk Communications carries forth this tradition of narrative agency by helping marginalized people who can’t afford massive communications resources to craft their own messages.

Through my new firm, I’ve helped a group of 13 minority, licensed cannabis transporters stage a press conference at the Thompson Center to announce their lawsuit against the state of Illinois. They sued the state for its failure to hold accountable large cannabis companies that were illegally transporting cannabis products, effectively shutting these minority business owners out of the state’s $1.6 billion cannabis industry.

Through John Wilk, I also helped bring a culturally responsive media literacy curriculum to more than 30 Broadview 5th- through 8th-graders, part of a nearly $400,000 Freedom School grant I identified last year.

And over the last few months, I’ve used John Wilk to help marginalized workers on Chicago’s Westside make their case for why Amazon owes them better working conditions,

higher wages, and transparency in the economic development process.

As the parent company of VFP, John Wilk fulfills yet another critical aspect of its mission — to help marginalized communities tell their own stories and own their narratives. That’s the same mission that compelled me to found VFP a decade ago. And just as the mission stays the same, much of what makes VFP tick will, too. We’ll serve the same eight-suburb readership, the newspapers will be delivered to the same dropoff points as before and it will still be free for readers.

The difference, though, is that we’ll serve much more news, incorporate more community voices, and do journalism differently than its traditionally been done. Here are some of the changes we’re working on in the coming weeks and months:

The creation of a Community Advisory Council (CAC) for VFP comprising trusted members of our nine-suburban readership that will serve as an accountability body for the newspaper.

• A digital overhaul, including a major website renovation.

• A more robust print circulation that we hope will include more dropoff points for the print newspaper.

• The introduction of a subscription model for VFP for readers willing to pay a regular fee to get local news.

I’m open to all of your ideas, so please don’t hesitate to email them to me at michael@wearejohnwilk.com. Also, please reach out if you’re interested in applying for a spot on the CAC.

CONTACT:michael@wearejohnwilk. com

Publisher/CEO

Michael Romain

Chief Operations Officer

Kamil Brady

Creative Director

Patrick Forrest

HOW TO REACH US

John Wilk Communications

3013 S. Wolf Rd. #278

Westchester, IL 60154

PHONE: (708) 359-9148

VFPress.news

TWITTER: @VILLAGE_FREE

FACEBOOK: @MAYWOODNEWS

At 100, ‘Ginger’ Vaitkus has more than earned her nickname

For Broadview’s Rachel ‘Ginger’ Vaitkus, old age runs

the genes, but walking and friendships are critical, too

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Until a few summers ago, neighbors on the 2800 block of 12th Avenue in Broadview might have been familiar with the sight of 98-year-old Rachel “Ginger” Vaitkus mowing her lawn.

“Last summer and this summer are the first two years that she didn’t cut her own grass,” said Tena Brautigam, Vaitkus’ daughter, during a birthday celebration held Aug. 27 for her mother, who turned 100 on Aug. 29. “Last year, I said, ‘No more.’”

Family, friends, and a slew of Broadview officials and first responders – including Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson and Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills –gathered outside the home that Vaitkus has lived in since 1953 to commemorate her birthday milestone. Vaitkus, the center of attention, looked like someone 20 years younger. She was still alert, too. Brautigam said the keys to her mother’s long life are her genes.

“Well, my grandma [Vaitkus’ mother] made it to 99 and 10 months, and her [Vaitkus’] baby sister is going to be 97 next month,” Brautigam said. “The ladies in our

family all live long.”

Vaitkus was born on a farm in Iowa on Aug. 29, 1923. She served in the Navy during World War II. Her late husband, Peter Vaitkus, was a Marine. They have three children, five grandchildren, four greatgrandchildren and one great-great-grandchild, according to a proclamation Mayor Thompson gave Vaitkus at her birthday party.

“One word I would use to describe her is sassy,” said family friend Amanda Fergert, 28. “A few months ago, I hadn’t seen her in five years, and I wasn’t expecting her to be just as sassy, but she is.”

At her birthday gathering, Vaitkus wore a blue shirt that matched her blue fingernail polish. Her favorite color?

“Anything bright,” Vaitkus said, staying true to her nickname.

Beyond genes, regular activities and close friendships are also key to the 100-yearold’s vitality. Brautigam said her mother, who has never had a driver’s license, is an avid walker who cooks her own meals and crochets baby blankets for a group at Brautigam’s church that takes the blankets to babies at a hospital in Waukegan.

Judy Soper, 83, said she and Vaitkus have been best friends since 1994. They met at a local McDonald’s and bonded over breakfast and coffee. At Sunday’s birthday gathering, there were glimpses of how those early morning conversations might go — that is, sprinkled with determination, grit and, of course, sass.

“Remember when you used to cut your own grass?” Soper asked Vaitkus.

“Yeah, well, I might have to yet,” Vaitkus said. “Do you think I can’t?”

in

“One word I would use to describe her is sassy. A few months ago, I hadn’t seen her in five years and I wasn’t expecting her to be just as sassy, but she is.”

AMANDA FERGERT FAMILY FRIEND

Shanel Romain

Broadview resident Rachel “Ginger” Vaitkus, 100, hugs family friend Amanda Fergert during her birthday celebration on Aug. 27 in Broadview. Below, she takes a photo with Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson.

Venerable Blackowned bookstore in danger of closing

The

owner of Afriware Books in Maywood says business is in financial trouble, launches $30,000 GoFundMe campaign

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

One of the oldest and most prominent Black-owned bookstores in Illinois is in danger of closing if critical funding isn’t secured soon, its owner says.

In an open letter published Aug. 26, Nzingha Nommo, the founder of Afriware Books, located in Eisenhower Tower, 1701 S. 1st Ave. (Suite 400) in Maywood, wrote the bookstore “has done all we can do at this point. Our expenses have long overrun our income. While I’m trying to remain hopeful, I will need your help.”

Nommo also created a GoFundMe campaign and is seeking to raise $30,000. As of Sunday evening, she had raised nearly $6,000 from roughly 70 donations.

Nommo confirmed on Aug. 27 that she created the campaign.

“Before the book bans, we always carried Black books,” Nommo wrote. “Before the African History cancellations, we’ve preserved it. But unfortunately, we’ve gotten to the point that we are unable to carry this load much further without a strong showing of immediate financial support.

“Our rent has not been paid for this month. We are actrively considering scaling down dramatically by moving from in-person to on-

line-only operations. We are also considering your suggestions for strategic parnterships.”

Nommo started Afriware Books 30 years ago. Formerly located in Oak Park, the bookstore moved to its Eisenhower Tower location in Maywood roughly a decade ago. Five years ago, the bookstore expanded its fourthfloor footprint, adding a children’s room and a Black comics section. Nommo also partnered with AKIBA Bookstore to add a satellite location inside Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago’s Southside.

But since then, Nommo said that her business has lacked the support of institutional clients like local school districts and libraries.

“In the last few months, we’ve approached several school districts asking if we could supply books for them, and most have not responded,” Nommo wrote. “In spite of the largely African American student make-up, we were urging administrators to decide to reflect this same demographic in their vendor contracts for book orders. This is not a charity request. We are a high-quality business willing and able to fulfill these contracts. However, the overwhelming majority have not been forthcoming.”

Nommo said while she’s planning some fundraising activities in “a month or two … we no longer have the luxury of time,” adding that the store’s current financial crisis “is serious, and close to final … to avoid a potential sale or closure of the business.”

According to the African American Literature Book Club, there are fewer than 200 Black-owned bookstores in the United States.

To donate to Nommo’s GoFundMe campaign, visit: https://rb.gy/67irq

“

Our expenses have long overrun our income. While I’m trying to remain hopeful, I will need your help.”

NZIGHA NOMMO AFRIWARE BOOKSTORE FOUNDER

We should see Addison Creek not as a nuisance but as a natural asset

Addison Creek is one of the most overengineered, modified, and abused urban waterways in the Chicago metropolitan area. For years, most communities have viewed the creek as a nuisance, little more than an open storm sewer, which caused area-wide flooding.

Starting in the late 1990s, the City of Northlake started to take a different view of the creek, looking to restore its natural functions as well as improve stormwater management. The first phase was at the south end of town where the City, with a grant from the State, purchased 10 floodprone homes, removed them and expanded the wetlands along the creek and naturalized the creekbank. This restored the ecosystem while providing more areas for stormwater management.

The biggest change to the creek took place a few years ago when the City partnered with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Addison Creek River Conservancy District to remove 2 low flow dams, restore the natural flow of the creek and create several acres of wetland from Palmer Avenue to Wolf Road, again while providing additional capacity for stormwater management.

A separate project undertaken by the City was this year’s streambank stabilization project at Creekside Park and Apartments where over 500 feet of creek bank was stabilized, which improved water quality by reducing erosion that caused

National Library Card Sign Up Month!

silt to flow into the creek. The city was fortunate to obtain a state grant for this project as well.

Later this year and into next year, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District will begin to construct additional wetlands and naturalization of the stream banks at the southernmost portion of the creek in Northlake. The city, using funding from the MWRD, has purchased and removed several flood-prone homes in this area which will be converted into wetlands to improve water quality, provide a natural habitat and also provide additional areas for stormwater management.

As you can see, the city of Northlake has taken its stewardship of the Northlake portion of Addison Creek seriously, no longer looking at the creek as a nuisance, but as a natural asset that can benefit the community in our efforts to manage stormwater more effectively.

I encourage downstream communities, as well as communities throughout the region, to take another look at their creeks and streams to figure out how to turn them from stormwater conveyances to naturalized assets which will enhance their communities.

— Jeff Sherwin Mayor of Northlake

This piece originally appeared on Northlake’s Facebook page. To submit a Perspective, email michael@ wearejohnwilk.com

1.Get a NEW library card at your home library, along with your library passport.

2.Take your passport to each library & get a stamp.

3.Turn in your passport at your home library to be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Amazon gift card.

Thank you to PROVISO TOWNSHIP for sponsoring the 2023 Passport to Proviso challenge.

“As you can see, the city of Northlake has taken its stewardship of the Northlake portion of Addison Creek seriously.”

JEFF SHERWIN MAYOR OF NORTHLAKE

RESERVOIR

Officially Opens

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to the reservoir by 2026. So, this is a ribboncutting and a groundbreaking wrapped in one.”

Steele said the reservoir would reduce overbank flooding for approximately 2,200 properties in those six Proviso suburbs and that approximately 1,700 properties would be removed from the floodplain.

MWRD officials said the reservoir cost $81 million to build and will provide $116 million in flood benefits. The project was partially funded through $5 million in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Cook County.

“There is nothing better than being in my hometown in Bellwood where we have been talking about flooding since I was a little kid,” said Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (7th) at the Aug. 17 ribbon-cutting. “I am so proud of the commissioners at the MWRD for listening and acting. This reservoir will ensure that our communities are safe and help mitigate the risk of floods; it will also help erosion and benefit our local ecosystems, which means we are doing our part to take care of the planet. These projects will help replenish groundwater, create habitats for wildlife, improve agricultural productivity and improve water quality.”

Climate change prompted municipalities to act

The Bellwood reservoir and Addison Creek Channel improvements are among a series of flood mitigation projects - large and small - happening across Proviso Township as severe weather events caused by climate change become increasingly more common.

For instance, representatives from Maywood, Cook County, the Illinois Depart-

ment of Transportation (IDOT) and MWRD embarked last year on the first phase of the I-290 Corridor Storm Sewer Separation Project, which will involve the construction of separate storm sewers in the area designed to prevent basement backups and provide relief to more than 336 residential structures in Maywood that are near the Eisenhower Expressway, officials said. And in Broadview, workers are wrapping up construction on a new permeable paver surface that will replace the old asphalt parking lot. Village Free Press previously reported that the pavers “are designed to allow water to drain into the soil beneath the lot instead of going into the sewer system.

With the replacement of a 2,000-square-foot surface, the village expects approximately 60,000 gallons of stormwater will be diverted from the village’s combined sewer system during rain events.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), climate change is “expected to intensify storms and lead to greater precipitation across the entire [Midwest] region during this century.

“Annual precipitation has already risen by as much as 20% in some areas. Projections of future precipitation indicate that heavy downpours are likely to occur primarily in winter and spring months while summers will become drier, especially in the southern portion of the region.”

Most recently, much of Chicago and the suburbs experienced record-setting rain that devastated basements across Cook County, particularly those in predominantly Black communities such as the city’s Westside. Two days before the reservoir ribbon-cutting, on Aug. 15, President Joe Biden officially approved a disaster declaration for Cook County, making residents affected by flooding eligible for a range of federal resources.

The extreme weather is forcing many Proviso Township suburbs to devise longterm strategies for confronting the climate. Last year, dozens of west suburban mayors signed a memorandum of understanding that signals their commitment to joining the Cross-Community Climate Collaborative (C4), an initiative that puts participating suburbs on the hook for achieving a

Local and state elected officials cut the ribbon on the new Addison Creek Reservoir in Bellwood on Aug. 17. The $81 million project can store 200 million gallons of water and is estimated to remove approximately 1,700 nearby properties from the floodplain.

100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Broadview has updated its ordinances and implemented a range of initiatives to encourage residents and businesses to install solar panels and drive electric vehicles, among other green activities. Last year, Westchester created an Ecological Commission to address environmental concerns.

More recently, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that Bellwood was one of five suburbs selected to participate in the Climate Resiliency Planning for Communities Program spearheaded by the County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES). Franklin Park, Justice, Lynwood, and

Markham were also selected.

The $16 million program provides technical assistance, funding and staff resources for communities that don’t have an updated Climate Resiliency Plan.

“Recent extreme weather events have again reminded us that the climate is changing quickly and communities must act now to be prepared. Resiliency plans help ensure residents and businesses can thrive in the face of these changes,” President Preckwinkle explained in an Aug. 15 statement.

“The plans will be developed through engagement with residents and community leaders and designed with an equity lens to ensure the most vulnerable populations are not left behind,” she said.

“I am so proud of the commissioners at the MWRD for listening and acting.”

ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER EMANUEL “CHRIS” WELCH

MWRD

WHAT’S HAPPENING

AUG. 30 - SEPT. 10

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Mayfair Park, 10835 Wakefield, Westchester

The Westchester Park District will host a Back to School Celebration featuring music, jumping beans, picnic games, a raffle, Duncan’s Pizza and Wings for purchase and more. For more info, visit: westchester-il. org/

Friday, Sept. 1 to Sunday, Sept. 3, 1000 North 25th Ave., Melrose Park

Enjoy the 41st Annual Taste of Melrose Park, which will feature live music acts including The Rat Pack and the Tony Ocean Show, entertainment including the Jesse White Tumblers, carnival rides, lots of food and more. For more info, visit: melrosepark. org/

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 6 p.m., Westchester Village Hall, 10300 W. Roosevelt Rd., Westchester

The Westchester Fire and Police Commission will meet. To see the agenda once its posted, visit: westchester-il.org/

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 7:50 a.m. to 7:50 p.m., Various Locations in Maywood and Chicago

Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. will host the annual Chairman Fred Hampton Streetz Party at locations in Chicago, where the human rights icon was assassinated in 1968, and in Maywood, where he grew up. For more info and to see a full itinerary, visit: savethehamptonhouse. org/singleproject-1

Thursday, Sept. 7, 6:30 p.m., Westchester Village Hall, 10300 W. Roosevelt Rd., Westchester

Green Residents of Westchester, GROW (also known as the Westchester Ecological Commission), will meet. To see the agenda once it’s posted, visit: westchester-il.org/

Thursday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m., Maywood Chamber Councils, 125 S. 5th Ave., Maywood

The Maywood Historic Preservation Commission will meet. To see the full agenda, visit: maywood-il.gov

Friday, Sept. 8 to Sunday, Sept. 10, Maywood Veterans’ Park, corner of 5th and Oak Street in Maywood

The annual Maywood Fest will feature daily live performances from artists like KeKe Wyatt and Kevin Ross, a House music night, Church Revival Sunday, a car show, food vendors and more. For more info, visit: maywood-il.gov/_T10_R56.php

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 10 a.m. to noon, The Living Room, 1915-17 W. Roosevelt Rd., Broadview

Learn more about the program offerings at the Living Room, a place where you can talk with a trained peer recovery support specialist if you are experiencing life’s emotional stresses. The Open House will feature a scavenger hunt, prizes and more. Kids are encouraged to come for superhero positive affirmations and other activities. For more info, call (708) 498-0200.

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Maywood Park District, 921 S. 9th Ave., Maywood

Maywood seniors will celebrate the end of summer with music and food at the Maywood Seniors End of Summer Concert and Picnic. For more info, call: (708) 344-4740.