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Plant more native prairie now! Page 2

Tax Collection Rates Down Across Proviso Suburbs

Cook County Treasurer: County’s property tax delinquency in 2024 at highest level in more than a decade

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

One month after the 2023 Cook County property tax bills were due, just 95.1% of tax revenue was collected, a 1.3% decrease from the same point in the previous year, a recent report by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ office shows.

According to Pappas, the drop reflected $225 million in uncollected revenue from 22,500 delinquent property owners that would have paid for schools, public safety, and other critical public services.

“Two unusual circumstances likely contributed to the collection drop: the interval between final bills in 2023 and 2024 – for tax years 2022 and 2023 – was the shortest in at least 40 years, and the median residential bill in the south and southwest suburbs grew by a record 19.9%,” Pappas’ office explained in a statement.

“Economic factors, such as higher consumer prices, a financially struggling office and retail building sector and a lower interest rate on delinquent payments, may have played a role,” the treasurer’s office added.

All municipalities that collected the lowest property taxes in the county except for Maywood were in the South Suburbs, where the lowest collection rates in the county ranged from 31.38% in Ford Heights to 87.47% in Posen.

All nine Village Free Press suburbs except for

Maywood Fine Arts holds annual Pumpkin Patch Parade Page 9

People visiting the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall on display at Berkeley Park in Berkeley on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13. See more photos on page 7.

Proviso Suburbs’ Lead Water Pipes In National Focus

As Biden Sets New Federal Rules For Replacing Them

The President said utilities have 10 years to inventory and replace lead pipes while Maywood joins national Get the Lead Out Initiative

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

President Joe Biden has announced a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule requiring utilities to inventory

and replace their lead pipes over the next 10 years. The president’s plan to replace the country’s lead pipes puts Illinois, home to more lead service lines than any other state in the country, and its suburbs, particularly those in Proviso Township, into national focus.

“I’m here today to tell you that I finally insisted that it gets prioritized and I’m insisting it gets done,” the New York Times

MICHAEL ROMAIN

Forget Teslas, We Need More Prairie

BY MICHAEL ROMAIN Opinion

On Monday, Oct. 14, the New York Times reported the afternoon lift-off of the Europa Clipper, “the biggest interplanetary spacecraft that NASA has ever built.” The spacecraft is bound for Europa, one of Jupiter’s many moons and a place “where water sloshes beneath a shell of ice that could be more than 10 miles thick”— a possible sign of life.

But as the federal government spends a reported $5.2 billion on a spacecraft mission (powered, in part, by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX) to explore the potential of life beyond Earth, the physical basis for actual life on Earth (which, it must be mentioned, includes our lives), is rapidly deteriorating.

The same day the Times reported on the Europa Clipper, the Guardian newspaper published an article about the preliminary findings an international research team published this summer showing that last year, “the amount of carbon absorbed by land has temporarily collapsed. The final result was that forest, plants and soil – as a net category – absorbed almost no carbon.”

NASA’s Earth Observatory website explains

that carbon is “the backbone of life on Earth. We are made of carbon, we eat carbon, and our civilizations—our economies, our homes, our means of transport—are built on carbon.”

But for carbon to be useful to life, it has to flow between different reservoirs or “carbon sinks” (i.e., rocks, oceans, the atmosphere, plants, soil, and fossil fuels) where it’s stored. That movement between “sinks” is called the Carbon Cycle and it gets disrupted when we burn too many fossil fuels.

“Any change in the cycle that shifts carbon out of one reservoir puts more carbon in the other reservoirs,” NASA explains. “Changes that put carbon gases into the atmosphere result in warmer temperatures on Earth. Over the long term, the carbon cycle seems to maintain a balance that prevents all of Earth’s carbon from entering the atmosphere (as is the case on Venus) or from being stored entirely in rocks. This balance helps keep Earth’s temperature relatively stable, like a thermostat.”

The existence of everything that depends on carbon to survive is immediately threatened by our toxic tendency to destroy the very physical processes we rely on to grow the economy so we can comfortably watch Netflix and chill.

So far, our political system, which operates as if the economy is somehow separate from

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Earth, has responded to existential threats like the inability of carbon sinks to absorb carbon by doing nothing significant about these threats—and on a grand scale. Our politicians and businesspeople fly fashionably to fancy places like Kyoto, Paris, and Copenhagen, and stage glitzy press conferences announcing headline-grabbing international agreements for becoming carbon-neutral that they then routinely fail to execute.

This fashionable yet failed politics filters down to the local level, where talk of electric vehicles (EVs) and solar panels flow fluently from the mouths of our most innovative politicians and CEOs who announce their own headline-grabbing agreements for cutting emissions that will also probably fail. If countries can’t become carbon-neutral, there’s not much of a chance for localities.

Take the popular talk of mass EV adoption—a major part of most politicians’ and businesspeople’s savvy plans for reducing carbon emissions and fighting climate change. Cheerleaders for EV adoption, however, rarely account for the fact that EV batteries are made from minerals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese that are incredibly difficult to come across, let alone process. For starters, those minerals need to be mined and mining invariably involves using more carbon-emitting fossil fuels and exploiting poor and powerless people. EVs also need to be charged regularly, which puts a lot of stress on power grids that run on traditional carbon-emitting fossil fuels.

A more effective and immediately beneficial way to address our climate sink problem, we can do something a lot less fancy: Grow more carbon sinks. Fortunately, Illinois is home to native prairie, one of the most powerful carbon sinks in the world. According to a 2022 study in the academic journal Science, prairie grasslands store about a third of the world’s land-based carbon stock.

Wyatt Widmer, who manages the Wolf Road Prairie Nature Preserve in Westchester, showed me the power of native prairie during a discussion we had earlier this month while he tended to the prairie plants at the Illinois Prairie Path trailhead on First Avenue, between Quincy and Wilcox streets, in Maywood.

The Illinois Prairie Path nonprofit is paying Widmer’s company, Wyatt E Coyote Ecological Services, to put down more native plants in that area and to clear out non-native plants.

Widmer told me that native prairie doesn’t just make the community appear more attractive, it’s also a natural filter for pollutants and chemicals in the air, water, and soil.

“They’re even better than trees at taking out all that carbon, gaseous pollution, and all those carcinogens out of the air and storing that stuff down in their roots,” he said.

Illinois, the “Prairie State,” was once two-

thirds prairie. Now, less than 0.01% of the state’s original 21 million acres of prairie remains, the Heartland Conservancy reports. The federal and state governments should be paying municipal governments to train and employ thousands more Wyatt Widmers to convert as much acreage of land as possible back to invaluable prairie.

At the household level, homeowners can start turning their lawns into prairie gardens, which isn’t as expensive or time-intensive as it might seem. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains that installing sodded turf grasses for conventional lawns may exceed $12,000 an acre and planting turf grass seeds may cost between $4,000 to $8,000 an acre. That compares to installation costs of “$2,000 to $4,000 per acre for seeding native prairie grasses and forbs.” Once installed, prairie gardens only need to be mowed about three to four times a year.

Municipalities might even lead the way by changing their ordinances and zoning codes to make it easier for homeowners to convert their lawns from turf to prairie gardens. Greeley, Colorado provides rebates to residential and commercial property owners who switch from lawn to low-water landscaping—a program that Illinois municipalities can replicate while focusing specifically on lawn-to-native prairie conversions.

I think it’s laudable that some municipalities in Proviso Township are installing EV charging stations and encouraging residents to install solar panels. But planting more native prairies (in residential backyards, front lawns, vacant lots, parks, and alongside the span of Prairie Path that runs through the township) should be another critical component in the local political dialogue around climate change.

LEAD PIPES

Mass replacement

from page 1

reported Biden saying of the the new rule at a press conference on Oct. 8 in Milwaukee. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

According to Axios, the new EPA rule is backed by $2.6 billion from Biden’s infrastructure law that will be used to help communities replace lead drinking water pipes. That $2.6 billion follows a previous $15 billion investment “to replace lead pipes and deliver clean and safe drinking water, including nearly $241 million for Illinois just this year alone,” EPA officials explained in Sept. 19 statement.

The EPA said the infrastructure law allocated another $11.7 billion to an Illinois fund that can be used for lead pipe replacement.

Illinois passed a law in 2021 requiring the full replacement of lead water pipes. Three other states—Michigan, New Jersey, and Rhode Island—have similar policies in place, the New York Times reported.

The state’s rules have prompted some sub-

urbs with old water infrastructure to scramble to get into compliance and keep up with the pace of investment needed to meet state and federal mandates.

For example, Westchester’s village board raised water rates earlier this year to fund much-needed infrastructure improvements. The state’s mandate requires the village to remove all lead services from the water system by 2044.

All nine Village Free Press suburbs–Bellwood, Berkeley, Broadview, Hillside, Maywood, Melrose Park, Nortlake, Stone Park and Westchester—are considered high-risk areas for pediatric lead poisoning by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

on them into their mouths. Because their bodies are still growing, children tend to absorb more lead than adults.”

“EPA is using every tool available, including regulation [...] to get the lead out of the nation’s drinking water once and for all.”

DEBRA SHORE

Some Proviso Township suburbs have more lead service lines than others. A new map published in September by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an international environmental advocacy nonprofit, shows that Chicago tops the list of U.S. cities with service lines known to contain any lead pipe—387,095 of the state’s approximately 686,000. Around 119,000 of the city’s lead service lines and connectors are made with unknown material.

Region 5 Administrator

According to the EPA, lead can cause a variety of health complications, “from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk from exposure lead-based paint because they crawl on the floor and they put their hands and other items which can have lead-based paint dust

The NRDC’s map, based on EPA survey data, also lists suburban hotspots across the country where governments and utilities have found dangerous lead water service lines and where they still do not know the pipe materials.

The EPA data shows that Maywood has 4,420 service lines that contain lead pipe or galvanized pipe and were previously down-

stream from a lead source.

Research by the Metropolitan Planning Council, a Chicago-based planning and policy organization, shows that 65% Illinois’ Black and Latinx residents, and 42% of the state’s Asian-American and Native American populations are living with 94% of the state’s known lead service lines. Many of these suburbs are less equipped than wealthier municipalities to fund lead water pipe replacement, so the federal government has stepped in to help.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Maywood—where 60% of the village’s roughly 23,000 residents are Black and roughly 30% Hispanic—is one of approximately 200 communities in the country participating in the agency’s Get the Lead Out Initiative. The campaign will help village staffers identify the suburb’s lead pipes, increase community outreach and education efforts, and apply for funding, the EPA stated on Sept. 19.

“EPA is using every tool available, including regulation, funding, and this technical assistance initiative, to get the lead out of the nation’s drinking water once and for all,” said the EPA’s Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore in September.

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TAX COLLECTION

Delinquency rising

from page 1

Hillside experienced decreases in the percent of property tax revenue collected this year from the previous year.

In Maywood, the total property taxes billed in 2023 amounted to $57,828,489, but only $47,310,186 has been paid—an 82.24% collection rate, reflecting $10,518,303 in uncollected tax revenue.

Among the nine VFP suburbs, Stone Park experienced the biggest percent decrease in property taxes collected from the previous year. The village collected 87.96% of the $9,317,492 in property taxes billed to residents but collected $8,195,265 reflecting $1,122,227 in uncollected taxes— a 3.19% drop in the collection rate from the previous tax year.

Pappas’ office found that nearly 90% of suburban Cook County municipalities collected a smaller percentage of what they billed than the previous year.

“Many of the biggest decreases were caused by bills going unpaid on large commercial properties,” the treasurer’s office explained. “In Willow Springs, a newly built apartment and townhome complex had a nearly $7 million unpaid tax bill that almost singlehandedly drove down

A chart showing the percent of property taxes collected in the nine Village Free Press suburbs. The information is from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

the village’s collection rate by 23.8%.”

The treasurer’s office said the shortened period between the final annual tax bills likely resulted in lower collection rates this year. Typically, the county bills property owners twice a year: in early March and early August.

In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic and “software issues that stymied communication

between two key property tax offices: the Assessor and the Board of Review assessment appeal agency,” forced the county to modify that schedule, leading to delays of between two and five months from tax years 2019 to 2022.

Low household incomes also contributed to low property tax collections. The treasurer’s office said, “Median household income is directly

correlated with residential property tax delinquency across the county.”

Tax delinquency is prevalent among property owners who don’t pay their taxes through a mortgage company, the treasurer’s office said.

“The number of payments by cash, check, credit card, debit card and electronic check decreased by more than 2% in 2024, while the number of payments by mortgage companies slightly increased,” the treasurer’s office explained.

The treasurer’s office said tax delinquency also rose among “high-value properties” like office and retail buildings.

“The number of delinquent high-value properties with outstanding bills of more than $100,000 increased to 682 from 500 in 2024,” Pappas’ office explained. “More than 21% of the county’s uncollected taxes resulted from unpaid bills on those properties. That’s up from less than 18% in 2024. More than half of all delinquent taxes still owed were due on properties with unpaid amounts of more than $10,000.”

The uncollected tax rates come as residential property tax bills have risen significantly across the county, particularly in Proviso Township.

The median 2023 residential tax bill increased in all nine Village Free Press (VFP) suburbs, ranging from 7% in Stone Park to 24% in Northlake.

To read the full Pappas report, visit cookcountytreasurer.com/pappasportal.aspx

VILLAGE FREE PRESS

Voters Across IL To Consider Ballot Questions On Reproductive Health, Tax Reform, Elections

Results are nonbinding, but lawmakers may consider them when proposing policy

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois

Lawmakers in Illinois are asking voters to weigh in on three hot-button issues on their ballots this year: election interference, income taxes, and reproductive health care.

Voters in Illinois are being posed three “advisory” questions that ask voters whether they support a specific policy but aren’t legally binding. Lawmakers may take the results into account when considering what policies to advocate for in future legislative sessions.

The three questions, as they appear on ballots, are:

■ Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, State, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?

■ Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?

■ Should all medically appropriate assisted

reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?

These questions are being asked because lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2412 in early May, instructing state election officials to add them to ballots.

“All three of the questions deal with issues that are top of mind for voters or are issues that have been reported on in the news media,” bill sponsor Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, said in an interview last week.

The last time advisory questions were placed on Illinois ballots statewide was in 2014. That year, three questions were posed to voters: one concerning a potential increase to the state’s minimum wage, one concerning whether insurers should be required to cover prescription birth control and one concerning a tax on income over $1 million.

While Hoffman said he has “learned not to predict” how votes like this will go or how they will be used, he said that the 2014 vote “ultimately led to the passage of increasing the minimum wage.”

That measure passed in early 2019 after

Gov. JB Pritzker made a personal appeal to lawmakers shortly after taking office.

This year’s advisory questions have generated little in the way of campaigning, but some Illinois politicians have voiced support.

Former Gov. Pat Quinn is touring the state to encourage a “Yes” vote on an increased tax for incomes over $1 million.

“It is important to let folks know that we do have a chance not only to vote for candidates, especially president, but we also have a chance in Illinois to vote on issues, issues that can make a difference in a family budget for years to come,” Quinn said.

The referendum, in addition to being similar to an advisory question in 2014, echoes parts of a constitutional amendment that was put to voters in 2020.

That amendment would have repealed the state’s constitutional requirement for a flat income tax rate – a step that would still be necessary to implement the policy described in this year’s advisory question.

When voters went to the polls in 2020, they rejected the amendment – a bruising result for Gov. JB Pritzker, who gave $58 million of his fortune to a campaign in favor of the graduated income tax.

Other attempts at ballot measures

Some groups angled to get different questions on the ballot this year to no avail. Parents Matter Coalition, a conservative group launched late last year and backed by former Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives, ran an unsuccessful signature-gathering campaign for a ballot question concerning parental disclosure for genderaffirming therapy and counseling.

That effort gathered only about 100,000 of roughly 328,000 needed signatures, according to Ives. But the group was ultimately preempted by the legislature because only three advisory questions may appear on a ballot in a given election.

Other lawmakers attempted to put constitutional amendments up for a vote, including proposals dealing with ethics reforms, guaranteeing hunting rights, voting qualifications, and abortion.

In total, 34 constitutional amendments were introduced since the start of 2023 that could have appeared on this year’s ballot. They came mostly from Republicans, although five came from Democrats and one was introduced with bipartisan sponsorship. None were considered in a legislative committee.

Fair Maps Question To Appear On Proviso Ballots Nov. 5

Proviso voters will answer whether the state should adopt an independent redistricting commission

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Voters in Proviso Township will weigh in on the redistricting debate when they go to the polls on Nov. 5 to answer the following ballot question: “Should the State of Illinois Adopt an Independent Citizens Commission for the Federal and State Redistricting Process?”

Proviso Township is just a handful of townships that voted in April to place the referendum question on the Nov. 5 ballot. Rock Island and Oak Park townships also voted in April to include the question on the ballot.

The referendum question is non-binding, meaning that even if it passes, the state isn’t required to adopt the commission. The ballot questions give lawmakers a sense of the proposal’s popularity and could influence future legislative decisions on the matter.

Lisa Van Theemsche, a representative of the Center for Science Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization, explains the redistricting process in an online fact sheet.

“States task redistricting authorities to redraw the lines of electoral district maps every 10 years based on the most recent census,” she wrote. “In most states, the legislature draws district boundaries; in others, a

special or independent commission draws the map. These maps should be drawn such that each electoral district fairly reflects and represents both all voters and also Communities of Interest (COIs), communities of people who share common interests and concerns, within that district.”

Theemsche said when lawmakers draw maps unfairly and deny representation to communities, the affected residents’ “concerns and voices at local, state, and federal levels of government may not be heard or addressed. Democracy and science-based policymaking throughout the country are threatened when redistricting does not reflect or is unfair to COIs, polarizes voting

patterns, violates the Voting Rights Act, and/or gerrymanders (cuts electoral district lines to advantage one party or candidate).”

The referendum question that will appear in Proviso Township was pushed by Change Illinois, a nonpartisan government reform nonprofit.

“We are very encouraged by the amount of volunteers and organizers from local communities that want their friends, family, and neighbors to vote on Fair Maps this November,” DuShaun Branch Pollard, CHANGE Illinois’ community organizing director, stated in April. “Voters remain committed to ending gerrymandering and putting residents in control of the remap process.”

Early Voting Kicks Off Oct. 21

Cook County Clerk seeking bilingual election judges, mail ballot applications available

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Early voting for suburban Cook County residents has expanded to more than 50 polling locations, the Cook County Clerk’s Office announced on Oct. 15. Limited early voting started on Oct. 9 at five suburban courthouses and the clerk’s office in Downtown Chicago.

Starting Oct. 21, suburban voters will be able to vote early at 53 polling sites before the Nov. 5 Presidential Election. That’s also when the county will start accepting mail ballots at drop boxes located at early voting locations.

“The 53 Early Voting sites are open to any suburban Cook County voter, whereas on Election Day voters must cast their ballot at their home precinct,” the clerk’s office said.

Voters can find the full list of early voting locations at cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/ways-to-vote/early-voting/early-voting-locations

Suburban residents can check their voter registration status, view a sample ballot, find their polling place, and more through cookcountyclerk.com/VoterInfo

Bilingual Election Judges Sought

“The Cook County Clerk’s Office is seeking bilingual election judges to work in the upcoming November Presidential Election to support democracy and earn some cash in the process by assisting voters who will be casting ballots in their native language,” the clerk’s office recently announced.

“The Clerk’s Office offers ballot access to registered suburban voters in 12 languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian and Urdu.”

Cook County Clerk Cedric Giles said election judges who speak those languages can help people navigate the voting process and feel supported.

“Ensuring that every voter can access the ballot in the language they are most familiar with is a cornerstone of a truly inclusive democracy,” Giles said.

Election judges are paid $250 while polling place technicians are paid $400. The clerk’s office said technicians are paid more because of “additional responsibilities related to voting equipment operations and set up.”

New applicants must complete a free training course conducted by the clerk’s office before Election Day.

Qualified election judges must be U.S. citizens, registered voters, and reside in Cook County. Those interested in serving on Election Day can complete an online application at cookcountyclerk.com/work or call (312) 603-0970.

Mail Ballot Applications Available

Suburban Cook County voters can apply for a mail ballot to cast their vote in the Nov. 5, Presidential General Election through the Cook County Clerk’s Office website, said Clerk Cedric Giles.

Any registered suburban Cook County voter may request a mail ballot using the online application at cookcountyclerk.com/VoteByMail. The county began mailing ballots to applicants in September.

Voters can also request a mail ballot using a paper application obtained on the Clerk’s website at the same address. To do so, the voter must select their ballot language, and download, print, and sign the paper application before mailing it to: Cook County Clerk’s Office, Mail Voting Unit, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60602.

The Clerk’s Office can also register voters for permanent vote-by-mail status, which places residents on a list to vote by mail in all subsequent elections held in Cook County. Voters who register for permanent vote-bymail status will automatically have a ballot mailed to their residence for every election.

The deadline to apply for a Mail Ballot is Oct. 31. Ballots must be postmarked no later than Election Day, Nov. 5, and be received at the Cook County Clerk’s office within 14 days of Election Day.

The mail ballot application can be completed on computers, smartphones, or tablets. Visit cookcountyclerk.com/VotemByMail.

TRAVELING VIETNAM WALL

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL ROMAIN

“On Veterans Day 1996,” the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) website explains, the VVMF “unveiled a replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., designed to travel to communities throughout the United States. Since its dedication, The Wall That Heals has been displayed at nearly 700 communities throughout the nation, spreading the Memorial’s healing legacy to millions.” The Wall That Heals made a stop in Berkeley Park in Berkeley over the weekend.

NEWS briefs

Margo Rainey, second from right, receives a $5,000 check on Oct. 5, as David Scott (seen seated), Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey and Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker look on.

Pedestrian Fatally Hit By Car On Eisenhower Near 17th Avenue

[CBS Chicag0] Eisenhower Expressway lanes were closed in both directions after a fatal crash in Maywood early Monday morning.

Just before 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 14, Illinois State Police said a car hit a man standing in the roadway near 17th Avenue. Police confirmed the pedestrian was pronounced dead. No other injuries were reported.

Lanes were shut down for an extended period. All lanes reopened around 9 a.m.

Local Businessman Gives

Mourning

Mother $5,000 He Donated

In 2022 As A Reward For Her Daughter’s Killer

Dyanla Rainey, 22, was fatally shot on July 24, 2022, while in the driveway of her home on the 700 block of South 6th Avenue in Maywood. Rainey was a high school basketball standout who played for legendary Marshall High School coach and Maywood resident Dorothy Gaters.

When David Scott, the owner of Peoples Cab Co. in Bellwood along with other businesses, learned about the Rainey’s murder, he offered a $5,000 reward for anyone with in-

Hribal was the top vote-getter among the five Westchester village president candidates whose names appeared on the ballot on April 4, 2023. The candidates were campaigning to complete the remaining term of former Westchester Village President Frank Perry, who died from cancer on Dec. 22. 2021. Perry was still in his first term in office.

Hribal—a longtime Westchester employee, and the village’s former acting manager— beat the runner-up, former District 209 school board member Kevin McDermott by a few hundred votes. McDermott got the most votes among candidates whose names were on the ballot.

Hribal announced that he’ll run for his first complete term as village president in an Oct. 8 Facebook post. His slate, the Westchester Progress Party, includes trustee candidates Brian Cross, Terrance Jones, and Evie Slavic. Slavic is an incumbent trustee up for reelection. Cross once sat on the District 209 school board while Jones, a former Maywood resident, once sat on the Maywood Park District board. The party doesn’t appear to have a candidate for clerk.

the “Syphilis Stops with Me” campaign on Oct. 8, to arm women of childbearing age with the knowledge they can protect their unborn babies from congenital (newborn) syphilis by getting regular prenatal care, including testing and treatment for syphilis, a common sexually transmitted infection (STI).

“Syphilis during pregnancy can cause tragic outcomes – including stillbirths, miscarriages, premature birth or low birthweight – but the good news is, 90 percent of congenital syphilis cases could be prevented with timely testing and treatment during pregnancy,” said Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.

Congenital syphilis cases are on the rise in suburban Cook County and nationally. In suburban Cook County, congenital syphilis cases almost tripled from four cases in 2020 to 11 cases in 2021. There were 10 cases in 2022. Nationally, there was a ten-fold increase in congenital syphilis cases from 2012 to 2022, when more than 3,700 babies were born with syphilis, according to new CDC data.

formation leading to the suspect’s arrest. After two years, that information hasn’t materialized, leaving the reward money untouched.

That is, until now. Scott gave the money directly to Rainey’s mother, Margo Rainey, during a 30th birthday party for his daughter, Kelvina, held Oct. 5 at the View 1701, a restaurant and lounge at 1701 Roosevelt Rd. in Broadview.

Scott said he learned that Kelvina was his daughter roughly six months ago. It turns out, she was connected to Margo Rainey.

“Ms. Rainey has been knowing my daughter and I didn’t know her,” Scott said. “People in this room that I’ve been around all my life, she’s been around them.”

Mayor Booker said he spoke with Scott about what to do with the money since a few years has gone by since the award was issued.

“God bless you and use that for you,” Mayor Harvey told Margo. “We know you do so much for everybody else, but do something for you.”

Westchester Village President Race Pits Incumbent Against Sitting Trustee

Nominating petitions are still circulating, but the race for village president in Westchester so far seems poised to pit the incumbent President Greg Hribal against Trustee Gia

Benline, an incumbent trustee elected to her first term in 2023, formally announced her candidacy for village president on Oct. 2. Her Westchester Community First slate includes trustee candidates Kevin McDermott, Edward S. Lezza Jr., and Kevin Canfield.

Along with McDermott, Lezza Jr. also ran for village president last year, garnering roughly 23% of the vote. Canfield unsuccessfully ran for trustee last year, coming in fourth place. The slate doesn’t have a candidate for clerk.

At an Oct. 9 fundraiser, McDermott said despite his strong showing in last year’s race for village president, he’s comfortable with running on Benline’s slate.

Westchester’s incumbent clerk, Sophia Collins, is said to be running for her first full term as an independent. Collins was also elected in 2023. She could not be reached on Tuesday evening for comment.

According to the Illinois State Board of Elections Candidates Guide, the filing period for most candidates seeking local offices in the April 1, 2025, Consolidated Election is from Nov. 12 through Nov. 18.

County Health Department Launches Syphilis Awareness Campaign

[Press Release] The Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) launched

People from racial and ethnic minority groups are experiencing the brunt of the congenital syphilis epidemic. While congenital syphilis cases are increasing overall, babies born to Black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native mothers were up to 8 times more likely to have newborn syphilis in 2021, than babies born to White mothers.

In suburban Cook County, nearly 90% of congenital syphilis cases occur in babies born to persons of color. Of the 21 suburban Cook County congenital syphilis cases between 2021-2022, 13 (62%) were born to non-Hispanic Black/African American mothers, and 6 (29%) were born to Hispanic/Latinx mothers.

While rates of primary and secondary syphilis have remained stable locally, the rates have been increasing nationally. In 2022, over 52,000 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were reported in the U.S. – the highest number in more than two decades.

The “Syphilis Stops with Me” campaign runs through Nov. 24, 2024, and is attempting to reach and engage Black and Latinx women and birthing persons ages 18 to 44 years old who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

To learn more about syphilis, congenital syphilis, prenatal care, testing and treatment, visit the Syphilis Stops with Me website, which can be accessed at cookcountypublichealth.org.

Marie Benline.

MICHAEL ROMAIN

PUMPKIN PATCH PARADE

Maywood Fine Arts’ annual Pumpkin Patch Parade in Maywood on Oct. 12 was a success and put a spotlight on arts funding and arts equity.

PHOTOS COURTESY MAYWOOD FINE ARTS & SPEAKER EMANUEL “CHRIS” WELCH VIA FACEBOOK

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

24-14065 SHARP PARK

Notice is hereby given to potential Bidders that the Memorial Park District will be receiving sealed bids for the Site Improvements at Sharp Park located on 1609 36th Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160. IDNR Project # OS 24-2521.

The Project is being financed, in part, with funds from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, “Open Space Lands Acquisition & Development” (OSLAD) grant program.

The scope of this project is as follows and identified in the document. 1. Demolition/Removal

bid proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud at 3101 Washington Blvd, Bellwood, IL 60104. 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 Memorial 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 Memorial Park District, which is the same as that determined by the Illinois Department of Labor for public works projects in Cook County.

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/FBE PARTICIPATION

The Memorial Park District encourages minority contractors to submit bids for this project. The successful contractor is encouraged to utilize minority businesses as sub-contractors for supplies, equipment, services, etc.

Questions will be answered in the form of written addenda and provided to all Bidders, as per State of Illinois statutes. Submit questions regarding the bid in writing to lori.vierow@jsdinc.com, no later than 3:00 p.m. on October 29, 2024.

Published in Village Free Press October 16, 23, 2024

& Restoration

Specifications may be obtained beginning at 10:00 AM on October 17, 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 nonrefundable 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 $65.00 for only a PDF download.

Each bid must be placed in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Sealed Bid: Sharp Park” and addressed to the Memorial Park District, 3101 Washington Blvd, Bellwood, IL 60104, Attention: Mark Flores, Executive Director of Parks & Recreation. Bids will be received until 2:00 P.M. on November 5, 2024, at which time the

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION

PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Plaintiff, -v.-

CHASTITY C WILLIAMS A/K/A

CC WILLIAMS A/K/A C WILLIAMS

A/K/A CHASTITY A WILLIAMS

A/K/A CHASTITY WILLIAMS; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, Defendants. 24 CH 03274

3912 JACKSON STREET, BELLWOOD, IL 60104

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on

7/29/2024, an agent of Auction.com

LLC will at 12:00 PM on November 27, 2024 located at Auction.com 100 N LaSalle St, 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 3912 JACKSON STREET, BELLWOOD, IL 60104

Property Index No. 15-16-114-0100000

The real estate is improved with a Single Family Residence. The judgment amount was $159,627.42 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 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)(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: McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (312) 346-9088 please refer to file number 22-10521IL. Auction.com LLC 100 N LaSalle Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60606 - 872-2254985 You can also visit www.auction. com.

Attorney File No. 22-10521IL Case Number: 24 CH 03274

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.

I3250414

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST

Plaintiff vs. THERESA JOHNSON AKA THERESA WEBSTER-JOHNSON; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY; THE VILLAGE OF MAYWOOD; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendant 23 CH 5173 CALENDAR 57

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 20, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-14-149-013-0000. Commonly known as 1618 South 7th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153.

The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 453-6960. 1491-193178

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com

I3253552

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION FLA MORTGAGE CAPITAL I, LLC

Plaintiff vs. FRANK MCDONALD

Defendant 22 CH 1150

CALENDAR 62

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 19, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-08-119-007-0000. Commonly known as 78 51ST AVE.,

BELLWOOD, IL 60104. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 453-6960. 1446-198142 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3253578

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, as trustee for Freddie Mac Seasoned Credit Risk Transfer Trust, Series 2017-3, as owner of the Related Mortgage Loan Plaintiff vs. Unknown Beneficiaries of Henry Ison, Jr. Living Trust; Village of Bellwood; Wells Fargo Bank, National Association as s/i/i to Wells Fargo Bank Minnesota, National Association, as Trustee for Soundview Home Equity Loan Trust 2001-1; Lucinda Hughes, as Trustee of the Lucinda Hughes Living Trust, u/a dated April 5, 2018; Unknown Beneficiaries of Lucinda Hughes Living Trust, u/a dated April 5,2018; Unknown Successor Trustee of Henry Ison, Jr. Living Trust; Unknown Successor Tustee of Lucinda Hughes Living Trust, u/a dated April 5, 2018; Henry Ison, Jr, Living Trust; Lucinda Hughes Living Trust, u/a dated April 5, 2018; Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants Defendant 23 CH 1966 CALENDAR 60 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 25, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-10-123-006-0000. Commonly known as 2204 Saint Charles Road, Bellwood, IL 60104. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have

10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group LLC, 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1540, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455. W22-0504 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3253853

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION

Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for GSAMP Trust 2007-FM2, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2007-FM2; Plaintiff vs. Frank Mohorn; Unknown Owners and Non Record Claimants Defendant 23 CH 1467 CALENDAR 60 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 12, 2024, at the hour 11:00 A.M., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: LOTS 8 AND 9 IN BLOCK 1 IN JOHN GLOS ADDITION TO MELROSE, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE SOUTH EAST 1/4 OF THE NORTH EAST 1/4 OF SECTION 9, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED DECEMBER 15, 1892, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 1786194 IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

P.I.N. 15-09-209-019-0000, 15-09209-020-0000. Commonly known as 214 25th Avenue, Bellwood, IL 60104. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group LLC, 33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1540, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455. W22-0592 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3253088

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC Plaintiff vs. SEBASTIAN I. GAWROWNSKI; ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; JACQUELINE BENLINE; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendant 23 CH 4261

CALENDAR 59

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 18, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-21-215-031-0000. Commonly known as 1501 Manchester Avenue, Westchester, IL 60154. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Marinosci Law Group, PC, 2215 Enterprise Drive, Suite 1512, Westchester, Illinois 60154. (312) 940-8580. 23-01722 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3253438 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION COMMUNITY LOAN SERVICING, LLC Plaintiff, -v.VINCENT J TREIBACHS, BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, JANET LEE TREIBACHS Defendants 2017 CH 16901 1434 CIRCLE AVENUE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 14, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 14, 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 1434 CIRCLE AVENUE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130

Property Index No. 15-24-210-0180000

The real estate is improved with a two story multi family residence.

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.

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).

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys,

One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC

One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602

312-346-9088

E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 20-06556IL

Attorney Code. 61256

Case Number: 2017 CH 16901

TJSC#: 44-2703

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 # 2017 CH 16901

I3253413

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION

FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2020-3

Plaintiff vs. ERIC BLAKE, CLARA D IVY

Defendant 24 CH 178 CALENDAR 57 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause

Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on November 6, 2024, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-15-124-043-0000. Commonly known as 1612 S. 19 Ave., Maywood, IL 60153.

INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3252614

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION PHH MORTGAGE CORPORATION

Plaintiff, -v.-

ODESSA M. HAMPTON, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, WEST SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION

AGENCY

Defendants 2023 CH 05230 1408 SOUTH 9TH AVENUE MAYWOOD, IL 60153 NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 24, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 28, 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 1408 SOUTH 9TH AVENUE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-15-225-0090000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence. 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.

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).

(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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 7949876 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. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-23-03414 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2023 CH 05230 TJSC#: 44-2165