Melrose Park DMV Reopens As One-Of-ItsKind ‘DMV+’
The renovated DMV+ has a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ design featuring new services and faster wait times, Sec. of State says
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
The Melrose Park DMV facility at 1903 N. Mannheim Rd. in Melrose Park has reopened as a unique DMV+ — what Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office is calling a “oneStop-Shop” facility that offers faster wait times and “services that have never been accessible at an Illinois DMV location.”
Secretary Giannoulias and Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico joined other local officials at the Melrose Park office on Aug. 15 to announce the changes at the location. The DMV had temporarily relocated to the Melrose Park Civic Center while the Mannheim facility underwent renovations.
The new services at the DMV+ facility include “specialized services from its Business, Index, and Personnel Departments that would otherwise require an in-person visit to a Secretary of State’s office located in downtown Chicago or Springfield,” Secretary of State officials explained.
“In addition, the DMV+ also includes a OneStop-Shop design that combines both driver and vehicle services, allowing customers to access service at a single customer service counter
Old Timers remember 1968
Young people play in the cooling mist provided by open fire hydrants during block party organized by a new block club on the 500 block of S. 7th Avenue in Maywood on Aug. 17. See more photos on pages 6 and 7.
Maywoodians To Vote On Dissolving Park District In November
The board at the mayor’s urging voted on three nonbinding referenda as some trustees say mayor may have violated ethics act
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
The political feud between Maywood’s mayor and park district reached a new fever pitch on Aug. 12, when the village board, at the mayor’s insistence, voted to place three non-binding referenda on the
Nov. 5 ballot asking voters if they’d like to dissolve the park district. Some trustees and park district officials believe Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker is driving the effort, possibly in violation of state ethics laws.
The three non-binding ballot questions
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What’s Left Unsaid At The Democratic National Convention
BY MICHAEL ROMAIN Opinion
On Monday, day one of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Jesse Jackson, wheelchair-bound, was rolled onto stage to a standing ovation. Jackson’s transformative 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns helped diversify the Democratic Party, perhaps unlike any force since Fannie Lou Hamer crashed the party’s 1964 Atlantic City convention and argued for racial integration within the party and Black voting rights.
‘and in creating a much less bigoted society,’” Sanders said, according to reporting on the speech by TruthOut, a progressive publication.
“But there was one issue that progressives weren’t only ‘not gaining ground,’ Sanders said, but also ‘losing, and that is the economic struggle.’ The great ‘crisis facing our country is that we don’t discuss the great crises facing our country,’ Sanders said, adding that ‘just forcing discussion on certain issues is enormously important.’”
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A day after Jackson was honored at the DNC, Atlantic City officials unveiled a plaque honoring the moment Hamer delivered her iconic DNC testimony on Aug. 22, 1964. Hamer co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) and was at the convention to demand that the party’s multiracial group of delegates be seated in the convention instead of the all-white Mississippi Democratic Party delegates. Hamer shared her story of being jailed and beaten senseless by two Black prisoners ordered to brutalize her by police, among other atrocities.
“All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America, is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave where we have to sleep with our telephones off of the hooks because our lives be threatened daily because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?”
Because of people like Jackson and Hamer, the Democratic Party has a Black man as its chairman, and a Black woman is chairing the party’s convention in a city run by a Black mayor—a convention held to elect a Black woman as its presidential nominee.
And yet, as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders observed at a DNC event in Chicago hosted by Progressive Democrats of America on Sunday, the Democratic Party is still captured by economic elites whose advantages increasingly come at the expense of those of us not important and/or wealthy enough to land a presence inside the heavily guarded and surveilled convention premises in and around the United Center and McCormick Place.
“‘If you think back over the last number of decades, we as a nation have made good progress, significant progress in breaking down racial barriers…in breaking down sexism in this country,’ in addressing marriage equality and other LGBTQ issues,
“Over the last 50 years,” the senator continued, “there’s been a radical increase in worker productivity. Guess what? Today, the average American worker in inflation adjusted for income is earning less than he or she did years ago. Have you ever heard that discussion on television?”
“We have more income and wealth inequality today in America than we have ever had. Did you all know that? Not discussed, no one talks about it,” he said.
Sen. Sanders is right. I remember watching the 2012 DNC in Charlotte, where the party nominated President Barack Obama for a second time. I remember the term “middle class” throughout political speeches. I don’t recall the words “poor,” “poverty,” or “broke,” or the terms “paycheck-to-paycheck” mentioned.
The economic ideals, policies, and programs that Jackson and Hamer preached were about lifting people from the bottom up regardless of color, culture, or place. Jackson’s rhetoric and proposals in his two presidential primary bids attracted Blacks on the West Side and struggling whites on the farm. They explicitly called for universal economic justice and fairness — not simply representation.
“President Reagan says the nation is in recovery,” Jackson said in his 1984 DNC speech. “Those 90,000 corporations that made a profit last year but paid no Federal taxes are recovering. The 37,000 military contractors who have benefited from Reagan’s more than doubling of the military budget in peacetime surely they are recovering.
“The big corporations and rich individuals who received the bulk of a three-year, multibillion tax cut from Mr. Reagan are recovering. But no such recovery is underway for the least of these. Rising tides don’t lift all boats, particularly those stuck at the bottom.”
Historian Michael Kazin notes in “What
As DNC Opens In Chicago, State Leaders Tout Illinois As A ‘Model Of Democratic Success’
Speaker Welch, channeling Jesse Jackson, also highlighted the legacy of Black political power in the state
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois
CHICAGO – In announcing Chicago would host of the 2024 Democratic National Convention more than a year ago, national party leaders referred to Illinois as a key part of the “blue wall” of Midwestern states crucial to President Joe Biden’s 2020 election.
Instead of choosing a venue in a swing state, as they had done for the last two decades, Democrats selected a city and state long dominated by Democratic politics and policies. And while Illinois and Chicago in particular have become conservative media shorthand for out-of-control progressive government, Illinois Democrats on Aug. 19 sought to cast their brand of politics as an exemplar for the nation.
Gov. JB Pritzker, who was instrumental in landing the DNC in Chicago, kicked off the Illinois delegation’s Monday breakfast at a
It Took To Win,” his 2022 history of the Democratic Party, that, since the party’s establishment in the 1820s, Democrats’ practice of “moral capitalism” helped propel them to national victory. “Only programs designed to make life more prosperous, or at least more secure, for ordinary people proved capable of uniting Democrats and winning over enough voters to enable the party to create a governing majority that could last for more than one or two election cycles.”
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party leader Bob Moses exposed the party’s tendency to promote one segment of its large base (whether white men back then or the wealthy, well-educated now) over another.
“We’re not here to bring politics to our morality but to bring morality to our politics,” Moses said.
I wonder whether we’ll hear more discussion about wealth inequality or real people’s struggles at the DNC. I’m not interested in hearing six-figure-salaried, comfortably pensioned, and/or 401K-endowed people paint this mythic landscape of a nation of would-be sixfigure-salaried, comfortably pensioned,
downtown hotel by thanking elected Democrats in the room “for the work that you’ve done to make this the greatest Democratic Party that Illinois has ever had and in the entire country.”
The governor acknowledged the Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly that helped pass items ranging from a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour starting next year to a $10 million state investment to pay off a projected $1 billion in medical debt for low-income Illinoisans. Republicans, he reminded the group, “voted against all of that.”
On the heels of former President Donald Trump nominating his first U.S. Supreme Court justice weeks into his first term in early 2017, Democrats in the General Assembly began pushing for abortion protections in the event that a conservative majority on the court might someday overturn Roe v. Wade.
and/or 401K-endowed people. That’s not the country that exists. Most of us are closer to the bottom 10% than the top 10%.
As New York Times columnist Thomas Byrne Edsall writes, this economic tension within the Democratic coalition
“is exemplified in, of all places, a 2012 poll of students and faculty at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, a prestigious private boarding school … As Democrats have entered the ranks of the top quintile, their children have effectively realigned the student bodies of prep schools in New England and other northeastern states.”
A decisive majority of the students supported Obama over Mitt Romney in 2012, and nine out of 10 identified as liberal on social issues. Economically, however, around a third identified as economic conservatives, roughly onethird as economic liberals, and the rest as “moderate or unwilling to say.”
“‘Morally, I am a Democrat,’ one of the participants commented, ‘but my wallet says I am a Republican.’”
That may help answer Senator Sanders’ question.
By the time that happened five years later, Illinois Democrats had approved a series of laws shoring up reproductive rights just as surrounding states began banning or severely restricting abortion access.
While Illinois is among a mix of Midwestern states that have not adopted “right to work” laws that bar employers from requiring workers to be union members to keep their jobs.
But Illinois Democrats went a step further, putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot that bans the state from adopting right-to-work laws in the future. Illinois voters approved the “Workers Rights Amendment” in 2022.
And in a move that continues to generate attacks from conservatives, Illinois became the first state to completely eliminate its cash bail system last year. Abolishing cash bail was just one part of a wide-ranging 2021 criminal justice reform law pushed by the Il-
Updated services from page 1
and reducing the number of steps to create a more intuitive flow. It also frees up space for additional service stations and appointments to accommodate more customers.”
Giannoulias said the changes are part of the Secretary of State’s wider effort to modernize the office and create efficiencies while reimagining “services we can provide and [coming] up with innovative ways to meet customer’s needs.”
“This upgraded DMV will help our community get the services they need without wasting their time waiting in line,” Mayor Serpico said. “The impact will be significant and noticeable for not only Melrose Park residents and families who have busy schedules, but for those living in nearby communities.”
Secretary of State officials said before the redesign, the Melrose Park DMV “was already one of 44 designated facilities statewide that were part of the Secretary of State’s Skip-theLine Program introduced last fall, which requires residents to schedule an appointment
linois Legislative Black Caucus in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020 and a summer of protests that followed.
The law went unmentioned during the Illinois delegation’s official breakfast Monday morning, but House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, highlighted the legacy of Black political power in Illinois, stretching back to the founding of the NAACP in Springfield following the 1908 race riots in the city.
Welch traced the trajectories of major Black activists and elected officials with ties to Illinois through time, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who he said inspired generations of young Black Americans to get involved in politics with his oft-recited speech adapted from an earlier poem that featured the phrase “I am somebody.”
“I believed I was somebody, and I stand before you today as the first Black speaker of the Illinois House,” he said.
for in-person visits at its busiest DMVs.” They said the Melrose Park DMV is the fifth Secretary of State facility in the state to complete the One-Stop-Shop upgrade. Officials added that “driver services and vehicle services employees at ‘One-Stop-Shop’ DMVs are now cross-trained to provide both sets of services.”
Officials explained that at single-service counters, customers will be allowed the following services:
■ Renew a driver’s license or state ID.
■ Apply for a REAL ID.
■ Register or renew a vehicle registration/ obtain vehicle stickers.
■ Convert a Temporary Visitor Driver’s License (TVDL) to a Standard DL.
■ Order a new license plate.
■ Register to vote.
■ Join the Illinois Organ and Tissue Donor Registry.
This is the second major DMV facility announcement in the nine-suburb Village Free Press readership area. Last year, Secretary Giannoulias was in Westchester to announce the opening of the state’s third senior-only driver services location in the Community Room at Village Hall, 10300 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Westchester To Expand Senior Snow Removal Program
The village board agreed to open program to disabled residents
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
Westchester is expanding its annual Senior Snow Removal Program to include disabled residents. During a Committee of the Whole meeting on Aug. 13, the village board also directed staff to double their recommended allocation of $20,000 for the program, increase the reimbursable amount for each snowfall event from $25 to $35, and increase the total number of participants from the recommended 80 to 150.
This year, the registration deadline for the program will be Nov. 15. The program will kick in once three inches of snowfall. Participating residents will be reimbursed $35 for up to seven snowfalls.
Eligible participants must reside in Westchester and prove their low-income status by
providing a copy of a Medicaid card, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) card, or proof of enrollment in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) program. Participants must also prove that they’re 65 or older or meet certain disability criteria under state law. Also, no person capable of removing snow can reside in the household.
Once enrolled, participants will need to submit receipts to Village Hall once a month, by the last Wednesday of the month. Reimbursement payments will then be sent by check and mailed to participants. Village Manager Barry Krumstock explained in an Aug. 13 staff memo that all receipts must be submitted within 30 days of the final snowfall event of the season.
Trustee Peter Marzano was the most vocal board member in favor of changing the program. He said budgeting $20,000 for the annual program was “unacceptable” and argued for doubling the total amount allocated to $40,000, increasing the amount per snowfall from $25 to $35, and increasing the number of eligible participants.
He also said the village should make it easier
for participants to submit their receipts, such as by phone, mail, or email, rather than having to walk to Village Hall. He said the requirement might place undue burdens on residents with disabilities.
“There are three food pantries in this town,” Marzano said. “The average senior citizen’s social security check is $1,600. This is a big deal for them. So, I would like to stick to the $40,000 and $35 per occurrence would be my two sticking points.”
Marzano said only four residents participated in the program last year. He said last year’s light snowfall may have contributed to the low participation. Village officials also said the village was late getting the word out about the program because of the lengthy board approval process.
The board did not take a binding vote on the matter at the Aug. 13 meeting. Village officials anticipate the registration window for the program opening immediately after the board takes a binding vote on the program’s new requirements, which is expected to happen in the next several weeks.
Westchester Seeking 100th Anniversary Commitee Members
Westchester is seeking residents to join its 100th Anniversary Committee, as it prepares to celebrate the village’s centennial next year.
“The committee will assist in coordinating a variety of acitivites related to the Village’s upcoming centennial celebration,” village officials said. “If you have a passion for Westchester history, event planning, or community service, we invite you to be part of this exciting milestone.”
Residents can submit letters of interest to info@westchester-il.gov.
Judge Orders Prison Officials To Relocate Stateville Population By Sept. 30
Department
of Corrections had already been planning to close
dilapidated facility
BY HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois
A federal judge is ordering Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration to move the vast majority of those incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet out of the aging prison by the end of September, citing health and safety concerns posed by the facility.
The Illinois Department of Corrections had previously stated its intention to close Stateville as early as September as part of a larger plan to rebuild it along with another prison. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood’s edict puts a Sept. 30 deadline on those efforts.
The judge’s order, filed on Aug. 9, is the latest in an 11-year-old legal battle over dirty and dangerous conditions at Stateville. While settlement talks have been ongoing since 2015, Pritzker in March announced a plan to rebuild Stateville, along with closing and rebuilding Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln. The decision was sparked by a state-commissioned report published last year identified them – along
with Pontiac Correctional Center – as nearly “inoperable.”
But in June, 51-year-old Michael Broadway died inside Stateville on a day inmates “reported excessive heat and poor ventilation,” according to attorneys representing those incarcerated in the nearly 100-year-old prison. And late last month, those attorneys filed a motion asking Wood to intervene in the efforts to move the inmates.
“Right now, there’s over 420 residents at Stateville who are at risk of dire injury due to the structural vulnerabilities, degradation and deterioration of those buildings that put them at risk of serious physical injury or even death,” attorney Heather Lewis Donnell of Chicagobased firm Loevy & Loevy said at a news conference announcing the motion last month.
“We also know that every condition at Stateville – the water, the excessive temperatures, heat and cold, the vermin, the birds – are all exacerbated and compounded when the structure is not secure and when it is vulnerable,” she added
In her order on Aug. 9, Wood agreed to the motion and noted that IDOC officials “do not dispute that those who are incarcerated at Stateville face a risk of harm from falling concrete as a result of the deteriorated masonry walls,
ceilings, steel beams, and window lintels” in the prison’s general housing units.
Those conditions, she wrote in her order, “will remain unrepaired for the foreseeable future because the State has determined that its resources would be better spent on building a new facility rather than attempting to repair Stateville’s outdated facilities.” The order does not apply to the roughly two-dozen residents of the facility’s medical ward.
The state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 included $900 million for the plan to close and rebuild Stateville and Logan.
In an emailed statement, IDOC spokesperson Naomi Puzzello reiterated that prison officials would not begin to wind down operations at Stateville until at least mid-September. Though IDOC has not yet provided details on the plan to transfer the roughly 550 men currently incarcerated at Stateville, Puzzello noted the department’s “anticipated timeline for transfers is in line with the order issued by the court.”
Pritzker’s plans to demolish and rebuild Stateville and Logan are hotly contested by AFSCME Council 31, the state’s largest public employee union, which represents most prison workers in Illinois. In a series of public hearings on the proposed closures this spring, AFSCME members and community leaders objected to IDOC’s
blueprint – particularly balking at the lack of details in the administration’s plans.
After a state oversight panel skipped an advisory vote on the prison closure plans in June, Pritzker indicated more specific plans would be made public in the future, though that still hasn’t happened.
It’s still unknown whether Logan Correctional Center will be rebuilt on its current grounds in Lincoln, between Springfield and Bloomington-Normal – or if, as the governor has floated, it will ultimately move 141 miles northeast to Stateville’s campus in Crest Hill near Joliet. Either way, IDOC officials say Logan will remain open as long as possible during the roughly three years it will take to rebuild the facility, no matter where that may be.
But any efforts on AFSCME’s part to slow to Stateville’s closure are now weakened by the judge’s order with just seven weeks until Sept. 30. Still, the union indicated it wasn’t done fighting the plan.
“The closure of Stateville would cause immense disruption to the state prison system, its employees, individuals in custody and their families,” AFSCME Council 31 said in a statement. “We are examining all options to prevent that disruption in response to this precipitous ruling.”
PARK DISTRICT Existence challenged?
from page 1
ask voters if they’d like the village to resume responsibility for parks and recreation, if they’d like to increase the homeowner’s property tax exemption, and if they’d like to dissolve the Maywood Park District. Unlike binding referenda, which have the force of law, non-binding referenda don’t legally require village officials to act as the voters directed.
The Maywood village board voted 4-3 on the non-binding questions at a special meeting on Aug. 12. Trustees Isiah Brandon, Miguel Jones, and Aaron Peppers voted against the three ballot questions. Trustees Melvin Lightford, Antonio Sanchez, and Ray Williams joined Mayor Nathaniel George Booker to vote to support the questions.
Mayor Booker called the special meeting after learning that a petition drive to place a binding referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot had garnered over 2,500 signatures. Despite the number of signatures, however, the people behind the effort failed to meet the requirements for placing it on the next election’s ballot. Booker said the three non-binding ballot measures are responses to residents’ overwhelming interest in improving the village’s parks and recreation.
But some trustees and community leaders, including Maywood Park District President Dawn Williams, don’t believe that the campaign to place a binding referendum on the next election’s ballot was entirely citizen-led and pointed to evidence suggesting Mayor Booker may have had a direct or indirect role in influencing the petition drive, in potential violation of state law.
Most trustees said they did not see the petition signatures and were informed of the special meeting to vote on the nonbinding referenda at the last minute.
“This wasn’t recognized, vetted, and didn’t go through the board,” said Trustee Peppers. “There was no communication, but we’re here.”
Peppers called for a forensic investigation into emails, finances, and other documents “of anyone who had anything to do with” the referendum effort. Peppers, also the head varsity football coach at Proviso East High School, said one of his 16-year-old players approached him with petitions. In Illinois, only people who are “18 years of age or older (or 17 years of age and qualified to vote in Illinois),” and who are citizens of the United States, can circulate petitions.
Peppers said the teenager told him he was told to circulate the petitions by a village employee.
“I’m talking about a kid with his mom talking to me directly, giving me names,” Peppers said at the Aug. 12 meeting. “Village employees got children out here doing our day job. That is so wrong.”
Maywood Park District President Dawn Williams said she encountered a well-known Melrose Park political operative named Guillermo Martinez passing out petitions for a binding referendum to dissolve the park district on July 31. Williams said when she encountered Martinez, he told her he “was doing a favor for the mayor.” He didn’t say whether or not he was getting paid to circulate the petitions. When reached on Aug. 19, Martinez declined to comment but acknowledged that he had been circulating the petitions and has since stopped. He didn’t say if he’d been paid to do so.
The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act prohibits
The Maywood Park District headquarters at 921 S. 9th Ave.
using public funds to advocate for or against a referendum. However, it allows using public funds to disseminate factual data about a referendum.
The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act also prohibits public employees from circulating petitions, requiring other employees to perform political activities, distributing campaign literature, and participating in public opinion polls for or against any referendum question, among other banned activities.
At the Aug. 12 meeting, Mayor Booker denied paying anyone to circulate petitions and denied signing any petitions himself.
“I haven’t paid anybody for a signature,” he said. “I have not paid anybody to do the petitions.”
In a series of Facebook posts, however, Williams produced screenshots of an informal survey in the Facebook group “I Love Maywood!!!” that asked the question: “Do you think Maywood Park District should consolidate into the village of Maywood to eliminate a taxing body that will help reduce the tax burden [sic].”
Screenshots show Mayor Booker among 32 people who voted “Yes.” On Aug. 20, he could not be reached to comment on his vote in the Facebook survey.
“The mayor is leading the charge to put this on the ballot for the upcoming election,” Brandon said on Aug. 12. “I believe this is political, petty, and it’s giving personal to me at this time.”
The ballot measures are the latest development in a tense feud between Mayor Booker and the Maywood Park District. In October 2023, the mayor called a special meeting to signal that he and most trustees had lost faith in the park district to operate, maintain, and manage three village-owned properties as the park district had done since the two taxing bodies signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) in 2022.
The mayor cited a series of managerial problems at the
park district, including bounced checks, inadequately maintained facilities, and a lack of financial audits. These and many other problems led the board to place Lonette Hall, the park district’s executive director, on administrative leave in March, pending the results of an investigation. Hall has since filed a lawsuit accusing the park district board of disabilitybased discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
In 2006, Maywood voters overwhelmingly approved a binding referendum that required the transfer of village-owned parks to the park district. Still, the change of ownership has taken nearly 20 years and counting. Before the public spat last year, the mayor had been a vocal proponent of the park district, vowing to turn over the remaining village-owned parks to the park district and supporting an agreement that allowed the park district to assume responsibility for village-owned facilities like the Maywood Multipurpose Building at 200 S. 5th Ave.
After learning of the park district’s problems, including the dilapidated state of some parks and the fact that the district allowed community organizations to utilize the Multipurpose building for programming without requiring insurance, the board took back control of village-owned properties and facilities.
Booker said a binding referendum asking voters to dissolve the park district could still make the ballot in the April 1, 2025, mayoral election. He said if it passes, the village would have 12 to 24 months to complete the dissolution. If it doesn’t, “the park district would remain the same,” and the village would have to decide on what the state of parks and recreation looks like.
The mayor said the non-binding referenda would help clarify the village’s budget for next year.
“All we’d be doing from a budgetary standpoint for next year [is mapping] out what it would look like for the village to fully take over control of the full park and recreation entities throughout Maywood,” Booker said. “We already own seven of the 11 parks and some of our recreational facilities.”
Kids play in a bounce house during a block party organized by residents of the 1800 and 1900 blocks of South 6th Avenue in Maywood on Aug. 17.
Allison Cruz, Sarah, Maywood Board of Police and Fire Commissioner Gloria Clay, Dianna Gunn, and Alistyr James enjoy a block club party on the 1800 block of South 6th Avenue. Residents on the 1800 and 1900 blocks will soon form a new block club. Clay, who helped organize Saturday’s block club party, will have a leading role in the new club, her neighbors said.
Young people have fun during a block club party organized by the 500 Block of South 7th Avenue Block Club on Aug. 17. The club was revived a few months ago. Residents said it had been defunct since 2018.
Trustee Ray Williams, Alante Watts and Diontae Myles on the 500 block of South 7th Avenue in Maywood. Williams said he and his wife, Shakeesta Williams, a member of the Maywood Library Board, helped revive the club after it had been dormant for years. Williams said the club meets twice a month and it’s already helped neighbors advocate for themselves. “Since we started the block club, people have been getting trees trimmed and stop signs fixed,” said Williams, a labor organizer.
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ROMAIN
Gordon, Barbara Hubbard, Rosie Johnson, and Janice Johnson helped organize a block party on the 1800 and 1900 blocks of South 6th Avenue in Maywood on Aug. 17. Gordon said she wants to organize even more blocks along South 6th Avenue, and in the immediate vicinity. She founded an organization called Fresh Start Intervention that helps make residents aware about important issues in the village.
Residents said Thelma Smith founded the
in 1975 and was president until 2018. She passed a year later, they said.
Young people play in the cooling mist provided by open fire hydrants during block party organized by a new block club on the 500 block of S. 7th Avenue in Maywood on Aug. 17.
Faye
Ruthie Dunlop, Shirley Reed, and Patricia Woodfork are members of the 500 block of South 7th Avenue Block Club. Woodfork said she’s lived on the block since 1990.
block club
Maywood
Christian Carter, Germaine Porter, Maywood Trustee Isiah Brandon, and Giovanni Montalvo receive free book bags and school supplies during the trustees supply giveaway held during the Annual Maywood Old Timers’ Picnic in Maywood on Aug. 17.
Maywood Old Timers Remember 1968
Chicago’s 1968 Democratic National Convention and King’s assassination were on senior Maywoodians’ minds during the annual Aug. 17 Old Timers’ Picnic
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
On the Saturday before the start of the Democratic National Convention, past and present Maywood residents gathered at the park behind the Maywood Police Station, 125 S. 5th Ave., to reminisce. One thing, in particular, was on their minds — 1968, the year Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, prompting urban riots across the country, and the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago.
King’s assassination on April 4, 1968, was felt in Maywood, a suburb in Proviso Township whose Black population was relatively robust and growing. Fearing that the riots happening on Chicago’s West Side might happen in Maywood, Cook County Sheriff
Maywood Old Timers’ Picnic organizers prepare plates of food during the annual event in Maywood on Aug. 17.
Joseph Woods deputized all suburban police chiefs as members of his department.
“I have no intention of tolerating insurrection,” he declared to the Maywood Herald.
“My men have orders to fight force with absolute force–and the rioters know it.”
The newspaper reported that “wherever a tense gathering was reported, Woods said, he deployed 20 to 30 men — ‘and the rioters dispersed fast.’”
Several months later, in August, Chicago police carried out what government officials would later call a police riot, violently attacking anti-Vietnam War protestors in the streets. The following year, the famous Trial of the Chicago Seven happened and was affected by the Dec. 4, 1969, assassination of Maywood native son Fred Hampton.
Charlena Grimes, 83, witnessed that pivotal history. She lived on the corner of Madison Street and 11th Avenue in Maywood. She said King’s and Hampton’s assassinations exacerbated the racial strife at Proviso East High School.
“When they won the state basketball championship in 1969, they forgot all about the riots,” she said. “They came together.”
Willa Horn, 83, said she watched the events of 1968 unfold on TV. They were partly what motivated her and her husband to move to Maywood in 1971.
Longtime Maywood Loretta resident Robinson, 89, talks with her fellow longtime Maywoodians Charlena Grimes, 83, and Willa Horn, 83, during the Annual Maywood Old Timers’ Picnic on Aug. 17. Sue Henry, one of the picnic’s organizers, looks on.
“My husband decided this is where we’ll go,” she said. “He wanted the kids to be able to meet Black people. He wanted them to be exposed to Black people, so that’s why we moved here. And then, we were really exposed!”
Fred Keys, 88, graduated from Proviso Township High School in 1955, three years before the school’s name changed to Proviso East. He said he doubts what happened at the 1968 Democratic National Convention will happen this year, when Chicago will host the convention starting Aug. 19.
“I don’t think [protestors] have a reason now since Harris is the presidential nominee,” he said. “They were a little mad at President Biden because of Palestine.”
Keys, Horn, and Grimes said they plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
“Trump is a danger to democracy,” Keys said. “This guy’s a fool! He doesn’t care about people of color.”
Grimes said she didn’t think she’d live to see not only a Black man elected president but also a Black woman seriously considered for the presidency.
“I figured Obama, we got that one, but for a woman and a Black woman? I didn’t think I’d be here to see that. I think she’s very wellqualified and beautiful. I keep telling my grandkids, they’ve got to get out and vote. Everybody, when they got 18, went out and voted for Obama. Some haven’t voted since.”
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Maywood Faces Stark Choice: Save A Lot Or Lawsuit?
The nonprofit owner of an apartment complex says it will sue if the village blocks it from opening a Save A Lot inside first-floor commercial space
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
The owners of an apartment complex in Maywood who want to lease a first-floor commercial space to a controversial grocery company are poised to sue the village if the mayor and his staff continue to block construction.
Interfaith Housing Development Corporation of Chicago, a nonprofit that owns and manages Fifth Avenue Apartments, 800 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood, wants to lease 4,500 square feet of first-floor commercial space to Yellow Banana, the company that Chicago selected last year to open six Save A Lot locations on the city’s South and West Sides.
On July 1, Interfaith’s attorney, Nat Piggee, sent a letter to Michael Jurusik, the village’s attorney, explaining that Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker and village staffers have not permitted them to start construction even after they secured a valid building permit, contractors, a tenant, and an architect. The space is zoned for commercial use, so Interfaith doesn’t need to go to the village board for any zoning changes.
When Interfaith began planning construction on the 72-unit affordable residential rental complex in 2015, the nonprofit entered into a redevelopment agreement with the village that directed it to find a tenant for the first-floor commercial space similar to the Sugar Beet Food Store Cooperative—a roughly 5,200-square-foot food retailer located under the Grove Apartments, another Interfaith property in Oak Park.
In his letter, Piggee wrote: “At Mayor Booker’s invitation, Interfaith and [real estate broker Jason Schulz] met with Mayor Booker, Sara Lira from Proviso Partners for Health, Real Food Collective, and Mary Mora from Loyola University Medical [Center] on November 9, 2021, but ultimately received expression of interest from only one group that was prepared to move forward — Yellow Banana, LLC.”
Piggee wrote that, in 2021, Interfaith was awarded a $1 million grant from the Chicago Community Foundation that “funded the cost of work required to design, finish and equip
Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker, Trustee Isiah Brandon, Interfaith Housing Development Corporation President Perry Vietti at a meeting at the Fifth Avenue Apartments complex in Maywood on Aug. 19.
the space” and retained a construction contractor. In 2023, Yellow Banana signed a lease to operate a Save A Lot on the site.
“We found a grocery tenant for the commercial space; signed a 10-year lease with grocery company; we obtained funding to finance the build out of the commercial space; our architect completed architectural drawings of the build out; our general contractor bid out the work; we were approved for building permit by Village staff; and, we paid and picked up the building permit earlier this year,” wrote Perry B. Vietti, Interfaith’s president, in an email to Jurusik, on July 1.
Pigee said village staffers told Interfaith representatives that a “preconstruction meeting with village staff was required before any work could commence, and it made several unsuccessful attempts to schedule that meeting over the following weeks.”
At a meeting on May 22, Mayor Booker told Vietti and Interfaith’s construction team that the “village will not permit operation of a grocery store in the commercial space because it would conflict with the Living Fresh Market that he wants to open at the former Maywood Market site (615 S. 5th Avenue).”
Maywood Trustee Isiah Brandon hosted a contentious public meeting about Interfaith’s plans on Aug. 19 in a community space inside Fifth Avenue Apartments. Brandon said he and other board members did not know Interfaith had identified a tenant until they saw
to any litigation that may arise if Interfaith attempts to do so.”
Many of the roughly 60 people in attendance at the Aug. 19 meeting expressed displeasure that they were just now hearing about Interfaith’s attempts to bring a Save A Lot to town. Some people brought up the Yellow Banana received $13 million in subsidies from Chicago to renovate and open six Save A Lot stores within two years on the city’s South and West sides, mainly in urban food deserts.
According to Supermarket News, Yellow Banana got more than $26 million in tax increment financing, loans and federal grants. But as of May 30, “none of the locations are open as Yellow Banana reaches the halfway mark of the deal. Projects have started, but there have been excessive delays filling the construction timeline.”
Pigee’s letter to Jurusik.
“I was alarmed when I saw the letter from their attorney,” Brandon said. “We didn’t even know about this. That’s a disservice to me … The village board was not informed about this. That’s why I convened this meeting. We’re just finding out about it, because [Mayor Booker] has been sitting on the information.”
Mayor Booker, who attended the Aug. 19 meeting, said the Real Food Collective, a local initiative that operates a weekly farmers’ market in Maywood, expressed interest in opening a fresh market, cafe, and community space inside the Interfaith commercial space. He also said Living Fresh Market representatives told him a nearby Save A Lot would hurt them.
“If you open a Yellow Banana or Save A Lot, all you will do is hurt the grocery store two blocks up,” Booker said, adding that Vietti told him at a meeting a few months ago that Interfaith would be interested in having a conversation with Living Fresh Market.
“The next thing we got was a letter from their attorney asking for $500,000 to walk away from the bid,” Booker said.
In Piggee’s letter, Interfaith requests that the village provide written confirmation “as to whether the Village (1) wants Interfaith to pursue abandoning the Lease and (2) is willing to pay all of Interfaith’s costs, and indemnify and defend Interfaith with respect
Last year, city residents protested when they learned that Yellow Banana would open a Save A Lot in Englewood inside of a Whole Foods Market that closed last year, Block Club Chicago reported. Community members expressed frustration about Save A Lot’s reputation for spoiled food, expired products, and the generally bad conditions of their stores. At the meeting on Aug. 19, some Maywood residents voiced the same complaints about Save A Lot.
“Save A Lot had a bad reputation for selling bad meat to people,” said Maywood resident Moon Hrobowski. “We want quality. Save A Lot is cheap. We want prime meat.”
The Aug. 19 meeting foreshadowed what could be a tense mayoral election next year between Mayor Booker and Trustee Brandon, whom the mayor defeated in 2021. Although they have not officially announced it, Brandon and Booker have indicated that they plan on running again.
Booker argued that Interfaith should find a new tenant and avoid bringing in Save A Lot, which might compete with a second Living Fresh Market location.
Brandon said the village doesn’t have the right to dictate to Interfaith which tenant it can lease to, considering the space is zoned commercial and the nonprofit has already secured a valid building permit. The outspoken trustee also said the mayor should have let the board and community know about Interfaith’s plans earlier and that he called the meeting to inform community members about a possible lawsuit that could cost taxpayers money.
“Where we are right now in the conversation is, we either start construction after not having the village staff mess with us any further, or we go to court,” said Piggee.
MICHAEL ROMAIN
West40 officials said the demolished buildings could house green space and other community amenities.
The St. Joe’s gymnasium in June, a few months before it was torn down.
A hallway in one of the demolished south-side buildings on campus. When we visited in June, the walls were covered in graffiti.
Going, going, gone
Earlier this month, West40 — a government entity that provides the 40 school districts in western Cook County with professional development and support for at-risk students — took a stepl closer to building an alternative school on the site of old St. Joe’s High School, 10900 W. Cermak Rd. in Westchester.
Crews demolished two buildings on the north side of the campus that could possibly become green space. West40 will
turn the south building into a residential school for about 40 foster children under 18 years old.
In June, West40 invited Village Free Press to tour the two north side buildings before their demolition. The facilities once housed the high school’s historic gymnasium, where basketball legend Isiah Thomas and the late legendary Coach Gene Pingatore created years of sports memories.
PHOTOS COURTESY WEST40
Since St. Joe’s closed in 2021, residents complained that the abandoned buildings attracted numerous nuisances, including teen loiterers and rodents.
Two buildings on the south side of the old St. Joe’s High School campus are demolished to make way for West40’s new residential school.
CRAFT SALE
WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY
CHURCH is seeking crafters and/ or vendors for the CRAFTERS / VENDORS / TREASURES AND TRINKETS SALE, Saturday, November 16th, 2024 from 9:00 a.m.
– 2:00 p.m. This established 20 year Church Craft Sale includes homemade crafts made by the church members, Treasures and Trinkets tables, and a Raffle. We are selling a space with a table for $30.00. (If you wish to have two tables the cost is $50.00.) The table(s) is 2 1/2 ft. by 8 ft. and includes 2 chairs. Limited electrical outlets on a first come first serve basis. Contact Westchester Community Church, 1-708-865-1282, if interested or have any questions. To reserve a space, a non-refundable fee of $30.00 ($50.00 for two tables) needs to be paid by Monday, October 28th. If reserving a space on or after Tuesday, October 29th the cost of the table will be $35.00 ($55.00 for two tables).
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
24-14116 STONE PARK TOT LOT
Notice is hereby given to potential Bidders that the Memorial Park District will be receiving sealed bids for the Site Improvements at the Stone Park Tot Lot located at 36th Avenue and Le Moyne Street, Stone Park, IL 60165.
The scope of this project is as follows and identified in the document: Demolition/Removal, Grading/ Drainage/Water Service, Concrete Work, Play Area Development, Synthetic Turf Surfacing, Site Furnishings, Shelter, Fencing, Landscape Plantings & Restoration
Specifications may be obtained beginning at 10:00 AM on August 21, 2024 through the BHFX planroom, https://www.bhfxplanroom.com between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. A non-refundable fee will be charged for each requested bid package. See BHFX’s planroom for the cost of both a printed copy and PDF download, or $60.00 for only a PDF download.
Each bid must be placed in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Sealed Bid: Stone Park Tot Lot” and addressed to the Memorial Park District, 3101 Washington Boulevard, Bellwood, IL 60104, Attention: Mark Flores, Executive Director. Bids will be received until 2:00 P.M. on September 6, 2024 at which time the bid proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud at 3501 Washington Boulevard, Bellwood, IL 60104.
The Park Board of Commissioners reserves the right to waive all technicalities, to accept or reject any or all bids, to accept only portions of a proposal and reject the remainder. Failure to make such a disclosure
will not result in accrual of any right, claim or cause of action by any Bidder against the Memorial Park District. Bids shall not include federal excise tax or state sales tax for materials and equipment to be incorporated in, or fully consumed in the performance of, the Work. An Exemption Certificate will be furnished by the Park District on request of the Bidder, for use in connection with this Project only.
The Work of this Project is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq. A prevailing wage determination has been made by the Park District, which is the same as that determined by the Illinois Department of Labor for public works projects in Cook County. The Contract entered for the Work will be drawn in compliance with said law and proposals should be prepared accordingly and provide for payment of all laborers, workers, and mechanics needed to perform the Work at no less than the prevailing rate of wages (or the prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work) for each craft, type of worker, or mechanic.
A Certified or Cashier’s check payable to the Owner, or a Bid Bond in an amount equal to Ten Percent (10%) of the total bid amount must accompany each bid. In addition, each Bidder shall submit a proof of insurance demonstrating the Bidders insurability. Failure to provide a Bid Bond or proof of insurance shall render the bid incomplete and rejected. The Owner will require the successful bidder to furnish a satisfactory Performance and Materials Bond for the total contract amount. Once submitted, no bids will be withdrawn without written consent from the Owner’s Attorney.
MBE/WBE PARTICIPATION
To submit a response to this DCEO grant funded solicitation of construction of the Stone Park Tot Lot bidders must adhere to the overall Business Enterprise Program (BEP) goal of 28% which has been established with 18% of funding going to minority owned business enterprises (MBEs or MWBEs) and 10% of funding going to womenowned enterprises (WBE or MWBE). Only contractors/suppliers certified through the State of Illinois’ Commission on Equity and Inclusion (CEI) Business Enterprise Program will count towards meeting the BEP goal. Each MBE and WBE letter of certification contains a description of the firm’s Area of Specialty. Credit toward the BEP Goals is limited to the participation of MBE/WBE/MWBE firms performing within their Area of Specialty. The State does not make any representation concerning the ability of any MBE, WBE or MWBE to perform work within its Area of Specialty. It is the responsibility of the Bidder to determine the capability and capacity of MBEs, WBEs and MWBEs to perform the work proposed.
Published in Village Free Press August 21, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: G24000353 on July 25, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of JEM LAW ADVOCATES, P.C. with the business located at: 2620 WELLINGTON AVENUE, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: TISHAUNDA MCPHERSON 2620 WELLINGTON AVENUE WESTCHESTER, IL 60154.
Published in August 21, 28, September 4, 2024
PUBLIC NOTICE
PUBLIC NOTICE
A meeting will take place, conducted by Lindop School District 92 on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:00 PM at Lindop School, 2400 South 18th Avenue., Broadview, IL. 60155. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the Cook County School District 92 (Lindop School District) plans for providing lowincome title services, special education services to students with disabilities who will attend private schools and/or homeschooled within the district boundaries for the 2024-2025 school year. If you are the parent of a home-schooled student who has been or maybe identified as a low-income title student or a student with a disability and you reside within the boundaries of Cook County District 92 (Lindop School District) you are urged to attend.
If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting please contact Mrs. Roshune Pechacek, Special Services Coordinator at 708-786-6492.
Published in Village Free Press August 21, 2024
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Plaintiff, -v.-
CHRISTINE C LOUGHRAN
Defendants 2023 CH 01986
853 N PRATER AVE
MELROSE PARK, IL 60164
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 4, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 5, 2024, at The
Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:
Commonly known as 853 N PRATER AVE, MELROSE PARK, IL 60164
Property Index No. 12-29-319-0010000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $144,900.66.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.
The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810, CHICAGO, IL, 60601 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 23-093789. THE JUDICIAL SALES
CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CHAD LEWIS ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC 205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810 CHICAGO IL, 60601 561-241-6901
E-Mail: ILMAIL@RASLG.COM
Attorney File No. 23-093789
Attorney ARDC No. 6306439
Attorney Code. 65582 Case Number: 2023 CH 01986
TJSC#: 44-1516
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2023 CH 01986 I3249354
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE, IN TRUST FOR REGISTERED HOLDERS OF LONG BEACH MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-WL1, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-WL1 Plaintiff, -v.RAFAEL RODRIGUEZ, RELIANT LOAN SERVICING, LLC, CITY OF NORTHLAKE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Defendants 2023 CH 04546 553 N. WOLF ROAD NORTHLAKE, IL 60164
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 18, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 20, 2024, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 553 N. WOLF ROAD, NORTHLAKE, IL 60164
Property Index No. 12-32-100-0060000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence. The judgment amount was $249,016.33.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied
against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC
Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650, Chicago, IL, 60602 (312) 541-9710. Please refer to file number 23 0326. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC
30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650 Chicago IL, 60602 312-541-9710
E-Mail: ilpleadings@ johnsonblumberg.com
Attorney File No. 23 0326
Attorney Code. 40342
Case Number: 2023 CH 04546
TJSC#: 44-1696
NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Case # 2023 CH 04546 I3249603
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff, -v.ELIDIA R MARTINEZ AND RICARDO MARTINEZ, Defendants. 23-CH-03024
413 N. EAST END AVE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162
NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 5/3/2024, an agent of Auction.com LLC will at 12:00 PM on September 25, 2024 located at Auction.com 100 N LaSalle Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60606, sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate.
Commonly known as 413 N. EAST END AVE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162 Property Index No. 15-07-413-009-0000
The real estate is improved with a Single Family Residence. The judgment amount was $224,690.70 Sale Terms: 20% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to Auction.com LLC, No third party checks will be accepted. All registered bidders need to provide a photo ID in order to bid. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. (relief fee not required) The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a certificate of sale that will entitle the purch aser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property, prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9 (g)(l) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701 (C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: Heavner, Beyers & Mihlar, LLC please refer to file number 1674389. Auction.com LLC 100 N LaSalle Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60606 - 872-225-4985 You can also visit www.auction.com. Attorney File No. 1674389 Case Number: 23-CH-03024
NOTE: PURSUANT TO THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT, YOU ARE ADVISED THAT PLAINTIFF’S ATTORNEY IS DEEMED TO BE A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. I3247104
