Village Free Press_020321

Vol. V No. 5

FEBRUARY 3, 2021

Westchester’s next mayor outlines his vision, PAGE 6

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Vaccine appointments can be made near Proviso

SNOWBALLS: A young man takes off on his sled at Westchester Woods in Westchester on Jan. 31, the day after a major snowstorm dumped more than six inches of snow on the Chicago area. More photos on pages 8 and 10.

Anyone who qualifies for vaccination in Cook County can book an appointment at a North Riverside clinic

Shanel Romain

By BOB UPHUES Riverside-Brookfield-Landmark

On Jan. 25, the Cook County Health Clinic at 1800 Harlem Ave. in North Riverside became an important hub in the state’s campaign to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, against COVID-19 as the global pandemic enters its second year.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Jan. 25 announced that as of noon that day the state would begin Phase 1B of its vaccination program, which includes some 600,000 Cook County residents, including those 65 and older as well as a slew of essential workers, including first responders, postal service workers, grocery store employees, public transit workers, teachers and school administrators and those working in adult See VACCINE on page 9

Choose an account you can rely on.

Meet Bobby Hernandez, Stone Park comic visionary, PAGE 4

Affordable housing planned for Broadview, Maywood

Housing Forward, Access Health and Housing LLC awarded state funds to develop affordable housing developments in the two suburbs

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Nearly 40 units of affordable housing for senior citizens, disabled residents, veterans and people experiencing homelessness may be in the works in Broadview and Maywood in the coming months.

In January, the Illinois Housing

Development Authority Board of Directors announced that it had awarded funding to two entities that are working to develop affordable housing units in those two suburbs.

On Jan. 15, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that Housing Forward, a nonprofit based in Maywood that addresses homelessness,

will receive a share of roughly $40 million in funding that went to seven developers in the state that are seeking to build affordable housing.

Housing Forward is looking to build a “three-story, 16-unit development” in Broadview “that will serve individuals who are at risk of homelessness, those with a See HOUSING on page 3

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Only $100 required to open.

WHEN YOU OPEN OUR MOST POPULAR CHECKING ACCOUNT enroll in online banking, activate e-statements, and have at least monthly occurring direct deposits totaling $500 or more for the 2 consecutive calendar months following the month of account opening.2

Stop by our two Proviso Township branches, or make an appointment with a banker today at 708-483-0030.

1759 N. Mannheim Rd. | Stone Park 1111 W. Madison St. | Maywood 708-483-0030 | provisobank.com

Proviso Community Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. 1. Total Access Checking Bonus Information. This Total Access Checking account bonus offer is valid for new accounts opened January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. This Total Access Checking account bonus offer is not available to existing or closed checking account customers of WTFC and its subsidiaries or its active employees. Limit 1 bonus payment per customer, regardless of the number of accounts opened. If you qualify for this Total Access Checking account bonus offer, you are ineligible to receive this Total Access Checking account bonus offer from any other Wintrust Financial Corporation (‘WTFC’) location. If you qualify for any other WTFC savings offer it may be combined with this Total Access Checking account bonus offer. Your new account must be open, in the same product, and have a balance greater than zero to receive the bonus payment. Balance is determined as of the end of each Business Day as the funds currently in your account including deposits and withdrawals made in the Business Day. The $300.00 bonus payment is subject to IRS 1099-INT reporting and may be considered income for tax purposes for the tax year in which the bonus was paid. 2. Total Access Checking Bonus Qualifications. (i) Open a new Total Access Checking account; (ii) tell us you are aware of this Total Access Checking account bonus offer at account opening; (iii) have at least monthly occurring direct deposits totaling $500.00 or more each month made to your new account for 2 consecutive calendar months after the calendar month your new account was opened (‘Qualification Period’). For example, if you open your new account in January, you would need to have “Direct Deposits” made to your new account in February totaling $500 or more and in March totaling $500 or more; and (iv) enroll in online banking and activate e-statements within the Qualification Period.

A direct deposit is defined as any payment made by a government agency, employer, or other third-party organization that is made via an electronic deposit. A direct deposit does not include teller/ATM/mobile or remote deposits, wire transfers, online banking/telephone transfers between accounts at WTFC, external transfers from other accounts at other financial institutions or ATM/debit card transfers and deposits. After you have completed all the above bonus qualifications, we will deposit the bonus payment into your new account within 30 calendar days after the Qualification Period. BANKER INSTRUCTIONS: Enter offer code WFC00DMAP300 during account opening.

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

NEWS briefs the village free press Editor & Publisher Michael Romain Senior Sales & Strategic Consultant Kamil Brady Editorial Designer Andrew Mead Advertising Design Support Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney HOW TO REACH US Village Free Press c/o Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE: 773-626-6332 FAX: (708) 467-9066 vfpress.news Twitter: @village_free Facebook: @maywoodnews The Village Free Press is published weekly

by Michael Romain. It is distributed free of charge at locations throughout Maywood. © 2021 Village Free Press We’re proud to partner with Growing Community Media, NFP. Publisher Dan Haley

“To learn to be human is to develop through the give and take of communication an effective sense of being an individually distinctive member of a community.”

—John Dewey

Westchester changes water billing for commercial accounts

Maywood village board weighing possible ban of electronic cigarette sales

The Westchester Village Board has agreed to move forward on a new billing system for its commercial water accounts, as well as replacing every commercial account’s water meter. The new billing cycle allows customers to pay their water bills on a monthly basis, instead once every two months.

“I think it would be more beneficial to both our commercial customers as well as the village if we issue bills on a monthly basis to them,” Village Manager Paul Nosek told the board during a Jan. 12 committee of the whole meeting.

The new water meters are part of the village’s wider plan to replace every water meter. In doing so, Westchester will have the ability to electronically monitor water usage and capture all the water flowing through each meter. The change benefits the village, as it pays for the water upfront and then carries the debt for two months on top of the time in which it takes customers to pay.

However, all commercial accounts are required to purchase the new meters, which will capture a much higher rate of usage starting with the first gallon, according to the staff memo included in the meeting agenda. These changes affect approximately 259 commercial water customers.

The village of Westchester, as recommended by village staff, will begin implementing the plan so that each of the affected businesses will have their new water meter installed by the end of February. Commercial accounts will pay their bill for January and February on the first of March, before switching to the monthly payment schedule.

Nosek could not be reached last week for comment.

— Stacey Sheridan

The Maywood Board of Trustees is considering whether or not to ban stores in the village from selling electronic cigarettes.

Maywood Police Chief Valdimir Talley recommended the ban.

In a letter to board members dated Nov. 10, 2020, Talley wrote that “during an investigation of suspected drug trafficking, it was learned the exchanges were actually electric cigarettes and flavors. In fact, one of Maywood’s youngest residents was playing in his yard, discovered a discarded electronic cigarette device, and placed it into his mouth.”

Talley said that “it deeply concerns the Maywood Police Department, during a global pandemic, the public health threat these devices cause and the products which makes them attractive [sic].”

Currently, businesses can sell electronic cigarettes to people over 21. Talley recommended that the village make the current ordinance governing the purchase of the devices “more restrictive and to prohibit electronic cigarettes and flavors from being sold in the village.”

He said penalties should start at $500 per occurrence, with an administrative fee of $500 “for tow services if a conveyance is utilized.”

During a regular meeting on Dec. 1, the board voted unanimously to forward the proposed ban to the village’s Economic Development Commission, so that commissioners can study the potential impact of the ban on local businesses.

So far, it’s not clear whether or not the commission has met yet to discuss the proposed ban or whether or not the proposed ban will be brought back to the board for a final vote.

Village of Weschester to get new website The village of Westchester entered into a contractual agreement with web development and hosting company MuniWeb to create the village government’s new website. The unanimous decision to use MuniWeb, which specializes in local government website design, was made during a Dec. 15 village board meeting.

“We’ve been talking with MuniWeb for quite a while now and we felt it would be best just to move forward,” said Village Manager Paul Nosek.

The new website should prove more interactive, accessible and user-friendly, according to Nosek.

“We’ll also have a phone app for your smart phones,” the village manager said.

The contract stipulates MuniWeb will receive $7,900 to develop the website, paid in three installments beginning with $2,370 at the commencement of the agreement.

Westchester will pay another $2,370 upon completion of website design and pay the remaining $3,160 upon completion of website development. Throughout the contract, Westchester will also $165 per month for hosting and software maintenance.

The contract dictates that MuniWeb’s liability for any damages sustained by any person, persons or property will be limited to 50 percent, or $3,950, of the cost of the website development project.

The village of Westchester plans to put in place new internal procedures to ensure information on the website stays up-to-date and fresh.

“When someone wants to put something on the web, they’ll fill out a form and say this is how long it needs to stay on the web for, so we’ll be able to track what’s permanent, what should come off in two weeks, et cetera,” said Nosek.

Nosek told the board they had hoped to have the website live within the end of 2020, but the entire process of developing, designing and launching the website takes around four to eight weeks.

The new website will include a page dedicated to keeping residents updated on infrastructure projects happening in Westchester.

— Stacey Sheridan

County clerk, Rotary to host Black History Month speaker series Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough and the MaywoodProviso Rotary Club will host a Black History Month Lunch & Learn, a virtual speaker series that will feature distinguished African American leaders. § Feb. 4: Dr. Lance Williams | Assistant director for the Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies at Northeastern Illinois will discuss Black History Month’s founder, Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the purpose of the annual celebration. § Feb. 11: State Sen. Kimberly Lightford | Illinois Senate Majority Leader Lightford will discuss the 2021 groundbreaking legislation awaiting the governor’s signature. The Illinois Black Caucus’ Four Pillars of Policy addresses criminal justice reform, police accountability, education, economic access and healthcare. § Feb. 18: Alexandria Sims | Political consultant and president of APS Public Affairs. Sims is a co-founder of The Black Bench, a Chicago-based training program for future Black leaders. Sims will discuss developing Black leadership for the 21st Century. § Feb. 25: Professor Stanford Lewis | Lewis, a retired professor at Rutgers University and LeMoyne Owen College, will share and discuss the life and times, along with poetic pieces, about Maywood’s favorite son, Fred Hampton, and civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis.

All Clerk’s Office attendees will receive one gift certificate for a free lunch. Limit one per employee.

Please email clerk.media@cookcountyil.gov with your name, department and let us know which Zoom session(s) you wish to attend.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

3

When COVID came calling, Loyola professor acted

Campbell quickly signed a lease, began buying equipment — including four PCR machines that cost $45,000 each — and he hired a staff that has grown to about 15 people.

“Luckily, we’ve been able to find some really good people with a lot of good lab experience,” Campbell said. “We’ve taken the model of kind of overpaying, because we realize it’s not a job with long-term security.”

In October, SafeGuard signed up its first big customer, New Trier High School.

Other contracts quickly followed and now SafeGuard performs tests for about 30 school districts.

Last week, SafeGuard ran about 25,000 tests and by next week Campbell said the company may run up to 42,000 for the school districts, which deliver the saliva samples to the Brookfield lab.

Since New Trier signed on, other large districts have followed, including Oak Park and River Forest High School, Stevenson High School, Naperville District 203 and Wheaton District 200.

“We’re very pleased to offer this weekly

screening to our students and staff,” said Niki Dizon, the director of communications at New Trier High School. “It’s an extra layer of protection and mitigation in addition to everything else we’re practicing.”

Dizon says saliva testing has identified asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus every week since testing began in November and has been important in allowing New Trier to sustain a hybrid learning model.

“It’s been very effective for us,” Dizon said.

“We are identifying a handful of students every week. It definitely adds to our level of confidence that we are able to keep our school buildings safe. It’s one more metric we can look at and not just have to be reliant on external metrics like what’s happening in our township and our county.”

The contract with New Trier could be worth up to $1.3 million and newly inked contract with OPRF could be worth up to $413,000. SafeGuard charges $11 per test, less than some competitors.

Campbell said that only about 0.2 percent of the samples tested by his company come back positive. When that happens the lab notifies the school district, which then contacts the student/family or staff member, and asks that the person get a diagnostic COVID test. The saliva test is considered a screening test, not an approved diagnostic test.

Campbell partners in the business are LaGrange District 105 school board member Elyse Hoffenberg and her husband, Jeff Hoffenberg, as well as Campbell’s best friend from high school, John Carroll. They put in approximately $300,000 of their own money to get the business off the ground.

“We had a little bit of risk tolerance in the group that allowed us to do it,” Campbell said. “Luckily, we were able to scrounge up enough cash just laying around. We have talked our clients into paying in advance for our tests, which allowed us to monetize pretty quickly.”

Campbell went to LTHS with Carroll and Elyse Hoffenberg. They graduated in 1993.

“I’ve been friends with both of them for 20 years, and when you pop something like this

up you need to have people that you know and trust,” Campbell said. “It just seemed like it was meant to be.”

Elyse and Jeff Hoffenberg are both lawyers, so they handle that aspect of the business. Carroll, who has a background in computer programming and information technology, handles much of the logistics and scheduling, leaving Campbell to focus on the science.

Campbell has kept his day job of teaching and doing research at Stritch, so he now essentially has two full-time jobs.

“The thing I’m not doing as much is sleeping,” Campbell said. “I figure I have five months of this in me. … For the time being I’ll do what needs to be done.”

Campbell said SafeGuard is going to be profitable, but he doesn’t expect to get rich and didn’t start the company primarily to make money.

“Really our goal is to keep schools safe,” Campbell said. “If schools need us the entire semester, I think it’ll be a profitable company. If vaccines get rolled out and people don’t need us, maybe we don’t make too much money but don’t lose money. That would be fine with me.”

He’s looking forward to pandemic being brought under control and hopefully shutting down the business this summer.

“The plan is in June or July we can go out of business and return to our daily lives,” said Campbell, who was recently voted faculty member of the year for outstanding teaching and mentorship at the Stritch School of Medicine. “I’m happy to do it because I know it’s helping people, but I can’t wait to quit my job and go back to my regular day job.”

Campbell is still getting regular inquiries from school districts about having SafeGuard do saliva testing for them, but he’s not sure how many more customers the company can take on.

“At this point we’re needing to put people on a waitlist, because we are worried about our bandwidth and capacity,” Campbell said.

entities across the state to receive a portion of the funding.

On Jan. 17, the Illinois Housing Development Authority announced that its board had approved $42.3 million in funding “to create or restore 172 units of permanent supportive housing in nine communities across Illinois.”

Access Health and Housing LLC was among the entities selected to receive a share of the funding. Access is looking to construct “20 units in nine new buildings on vacant land acquired from the Village of Maywood and the Cook County Land Bank,” according to the statement.

“The development will serve residents transitioning out of nursing care facilities

into community-based housing,” the statement read.

During a regular meeting on Dec. 1, the Maywood Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution that allowed Access to perform an on-site environmental assessment of a vacant lot at 1002 S. 6th Ave. in Maywood.

According to public documents, Access wants to construct a mixed-use development consisting of at least two ground-floor commercial units on the lot.

The developer also wants to build two multi-family residential buildings with four units each on the slots to the south of the corner. The housing would be for veterans and residents with disabilities.

“Everyone deserves equitable access to housing, healthcare and the support networks they need to live successful lives that are integrated in the community,” IHDA Executive Director Kristin Faust said in a statement.

“Supportive housing is a proven, costeffective solution that ensures our most vulnerable residents live with stability and autonomy, and this investment will make important headway to provide a wider range of community-based housing options for Illinoisans to choose from,” she said.

Ed Campbell, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Loyola Stritch in Maywood, founded COVID surveillance testing firm

By BOB SKOLNIK Riverside-Brookfield Landmark

After Brookfield resident Ed Campbell started a COVID-19 saliva screening program for LaGrange-Brookfield District 102 – where he’s also on the school board — at the start in August, the professor of microbiology and immunology at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood began getting a lot of phone calls.

At first it was news outlets, but then other school districts began calling and emailing wanting to know they could participate in the testing program.

However, the small lab set up inside Barnsdale Road School in LaGrange Park quickly reached capacity after taking on Riverside Elementary School District 96 and LaGrange District 105.

With interest in saliva tests mounting, Campbell decided to take the plunge and create a company to do tests for other school districts.

Campbell turned to two friends from his high school days at Lyons Township High School, and they formed a company they named SafeGuard Surveillance.

“These schools were calling us up asking for a solution, and this was really the only way,” Campbell said.

Campbell found a building at 9300 Ogden Ave. in Brookfield that had housed a precision parts company that had operated a lab in the building.

“They had just ideally suited lab space, some rooms on their own ventilation systems and other things,” Campbell said. “We were able to slide in there and start going in a way that was a small miracle.”

HOUSING

Developer plans from page 1 long-term disabling condition, veterans and youth aging out of DCFS care,” according to Pritzker’s statement.

“On-site staff will provide personalized services to help residents achieve greater self-determination including case management, life skills training, transportation and assistance applying for benefits,” the statement read.

Housing Forward was among seven

THE FOUNDER: Ed Campbell, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, co-founded SafeGuard Surveillance.

Provided

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

VILLAGE people Bobby Hernandez, 31, on balancing comics and career amid a pandemic

Tune into Cuentos Y Comics Hernandez hosts Saturday night discussions with various Latinx creatives called #CuentosYComics.

Tune into the discussions on his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ bobby.hernandez.5205.

By SHANEL ROMAIN Community Correspondent

With so many people having to learn how to pivot during this pandemic, I asked local resident Bobby Hernandez, a millennial, how he’s been able to navigate his career during this time.

Hernandez, grew up and still lives in Stone Park, graduated from Proviso West High School and completed his liberal arts degree at Triton College.

On his transition out of the hospitality industry For over fourteen years I worked in the hospitality industry at a highly recognized conference center in DuPage County. With the industry in disarray due to the pandemic, I had to make a transition.

Thanks to my long history of community involvement, I was able to join the Progressive Turnout Project’s 2020 Fellows Program to work on the Chuy for Congress campaign throughout the IL-04 Congressional District.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been part of a historic campaign in which

the candidate also led a diverse coalition of young progressives and served as a surrogate to Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. My fellowship successfully completed with Congressman Jesús Chuy García’s re-election.

Now that your fellowship is over, what are you currently working on?

In 2015, I had the grand opportunity of showcasing my comic book project, The Millennials, at Ohio State University as part of the inaugural conference of Black and Latino comic book creators featured at SólCon, which was founded by Dr. Frederick Luis Aldama.

For years, I have been developing the

COMIC BUFFS: Bobby Hernandez, center, with Ricardo Padilla, left, the co-founder and executive director of the Latino Comics Expo, and Javier Hernandez, the co-founder and creative art director of the Latino Comics Expo.

Provided

project that features a young ensemble of Latinx Superheroes called The Millennials, named after Chicago’s Millennium Park, where the group’s secret headquarters is located.

The superhero team consists of Agent Nitefire, Paula Knightro, Mister Soul, The Shadoplayer, Gangreen, Solgirl and Sapo Azul. After years of world-building and

plotting storylines, I’m pleased to announce that the first comic in the series is not too far away.

I am extremely blessed to have the legendary comic book creator Javier Hernandez enlisted to illustrate my first comic book starring one of the Millennials.

Javier is one of the LCX co-founders but is mostly known as the creator of the comic book superhero El Muerto, which was adapted into a feature film starring Wilmer Valderrama in 2007.

My upcoming self-published comic book will be titled “Tales of the Intangible Mister Soul”. The story’s premise is about an accursed young man with gifted abilities who must confront death to save his deceased mother’s lost soul. The projected release date is scheduled for late 2021.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

5

With $160K grant, a social enterprise blooms in Maywood Maywood Social Enterprise, recipient of state grant from cannabis revenue, seeks to focus on job training, community building

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Last month, the Illinois Criminal Justice Informational Authority announced that it was awarding 80 grants totaling $31.5 million to “help the communities hardest hit by the failed war on drugs,” according to the Jan. 21 release.

One of those grants was awarded to an entity called Maywood Social Enterprise, which will get $157,595 to focus on youth and economic development in Maywood.

Ginny McCarthy, the director of health sciences ministry at Loyola University Chicago, said that Maywood Social Enterprise is the result of a collaboration between Loyola; Proviso Partners for Health, a coalition of organizations in the Proviso area, particularly Maywood; Cielito Lindo

ENTERPRISING: Ginny McCarthy, the director of health sciences ministry at Loyola.

Provided

Café in Maywood; Proviso East High School; and the Loyola-School Based Health Center, which serves students at Proviso East.

McCarthy was among a group of stakeholders who visited Homeboy Industries in 2019. Homeboy Industries is a social enterprise in Los Angeles that

rehabilitates former gang members by providing them with a range of social services, such as tattoo removal and healthcare, along with employment opportunities in local businesses.

After that visit, McCarthy said, “we talked about what our hopes and dreams would be if we could do something like that in Maywood.”

McCarthy said the groups hope to roll out the enterprise model in three phases, with the first phase consisting of various community outreach initiatives, such as focus groups and listening sessions.

The second phase would consist of exploring ways of implementing the social enterprise model. McCarthy said the owners of Cielito Lindo Café have agreed to provide technical training to area young people.

The third phase would include the implementation of a pilot social enterprise initiative.

“A social enterprise has a few different goals,” McCarthy said. “One is to contribute to the growth of the community through physical space, the built environment.”

The other goals are to help community members develop technical training to join the workforce or become entrepreneurs, and to cultivate soft skills among community

members that are critical to successful community and professional interactions, McCarthy said.

She said the Maywood Social Enterprise technically doesn’t have a name yet, adding that stakeholders will come up with a formal name for the local enterprise model during the community outreach process.

Maywood residents interested in becoming involved with Maywood’s burgeoning social enterprise should visit the websites and/or Facebook pages of the five partner entities listed above.

The state grants are funded through the Restore, Reinvest and Renew (R3) Program, which was created as part of the Cannabis regulation and Tax Act that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed in 2019.

According to the law, 25 percent of the state’s cannabis revenue must go toward supporting communities “impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the severe and disproportionate damage caused by the war on drugs.”

In a statement, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said “by awarding this first round of R3 grants, we are taking another important step toward undoing the harms of the past.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

CDL Driver/Class A Full-Time, year-round Maywood, IL

Trustee Frank Perry running uncontested to succeed Mayor Paul Gattuso LOCAL DRIVING, YOU WILL BE HOME EVERY NIGHT, EVERY WEEKEND AND HOLIDAYS!

CDL Driver/Class A Full-Time, year-round Maywood, IL

Westchester’s next mayorCLEAN, says development top of mind WELL AINTAINED TRUCKS!

LOCAL DRIVING, YOU WILLsuccess BE HOME EVERY on business development, fiscal responsibilthat’s happened underNIGHT, Gattuso, before Editor Aetna is one of the largest wholesale wood, wood-related, solid ity and communication.

Perry distributors said he prides of touting aHOLIDAYS! range of measures he saidlaminate, were maEVERY WEEKEND AND SHARING HIS VISION: Westchester Trustee himself on being products accessible andinfollowing up jor accomplishments that happened in the lastdistributor with surface, and other industrial the country.

We are a premier Midwest Westchester Trustee Frank Perry, who is Frank Perry is running uncontested for with people. two years. running uncontested in over the upcoming April 6 in the industry. CLEAN, 85+ years .

We are seeking an experienced A truck driver for a full-time WELLPerAINTAINED TRUCKS! in April.

“I’ve always been fiscally responsible,” He said the village hired a new manager; mayor election to succeed current Mayor Paul GattuProvided ry said. “AndIL I’velocation. always insisted that things brought code enforcement back in-house, position in our Maywood, so, who has announced that he plans on retirbalance the right way. They have to make com- which Perry said, saved the village money; Aetna one ing, had a quick response when asked is what he of the largest wholesale distributors of wood, wood-related, laminate, solid mon sense, as well as fiscal sense. And it’s al- re-evaluated vendors and renegotiated con- Westchester is in the process of moving its muplans to do once he’s in office. and industrial products country.

We premier Midwest distributor with starting with its Village Hall Thissurface, position willother focus mainly oninClass truck driving.

Ifare youa are a hardworking individual nicipal facilities, ways with the residents mind.”inAthe tracts; significantly increased pension contri“Economic development is tops on my list,” over 85+ years in thereached industry. . We are seeking experienced A truck for a full-time at 10300 Roosevelt Rd., from a prime piece of When for comment on Jan. 27, Gat- an butions; and hired new fire anddriver police chiefs who istolooking Perry said, who was first elected the board for a career in a stable and dynamic company, we'd love for you to join our tuso said he’s only retiring from local govern- (“residents have really taken to both,” he said). land on Roosevelt and Mannheim, before colposition in our Maywood, IL location. in 2011. “Over the last two years, we’ve estabteam. ment — not his business.

Perry said he has thoughts on Westches- laborating with developers on ways to bring lished two TIF [tax increment financing] ar“I’m going to be 60 years old and I want to ter’s status as a bedroom community — which national retailers to the site. Some that Perry eas. Before that, there were This no TIFposition areas in will focus mainly on Class A truck driving. If you are a hardworking individual means much more land is devoted to residen- have in mind include Starbucks and Chipotle. down ratherDRIVER than speed up,” he said.

Qualifications ofslow the CDL Westchester.” who is looking for a career in a stable and dynamic for you toorjoin our development we'd rather love than commercial Perry is running on the Westchester Resi- tialcompany, “In a perfect world, my goal is to keep WestPerry, a longtime entrepreneur, talks from dents First ticket, which includes incumbent industrial development. chester the bedroom community that everyteam. personal business experience.

HeA once owned Class w/3 years’ experience “We were built to be a bedroom community, body who lives here wants it to be, nice and Trustees Robert Morales and Nick Steker, the popular Joe’s Place, a restaurant that was so all of our open spaces were built with res- quiet; but on the outskirts and near major along with challenger Evie Slovik. a Westchester institution when it was open Clean driving record Qualifications of theFree CDL DRIVER CDL Driver/Class APress idents in mind,” Perry said. “That’s great in roads, I would like to see those businesses Village has not yet confirmed if and that garnered Perry an outsized nameFull-Time, in year-round come in that will provide tax relief and reveother candidates are running for trustee seats. the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but now, in a time of the village.

Maywood, IL Class A w/3 years’ experience Must pass a background check, assessment, test stores,drug you have no room to put the big nue for funding infrastructure and pensions, The Westchester clerk’sphysical office referred ques- big box and Perry said roughly a decade ago, he was tions about candidates to the Cook County box retailers. So, those are some obstacles, but so that the tax burden isn’t all on the back of LOCAL DRIVING, YOU WILL BE HOME EVERY NIGHT, asked to run for trustee by Mayor Gattuso, Clean driving record we’re getting around them.” residents.”

Clerk’s office. A representative withWEEKEND the clerk’s AND Flatbed Experience preferred EVERY HOLIDAYS! himself the well-known owner of a local food One primary way around that obstacle is office said they’ll disclose all municipal candiCONTACT: info@vfpress.news institution, Paul’s Pizza, 3044 S. Wolf Rd. by focusing the test margins of town, Perry dates in theweather county sometime in February.

Must pass a background check, physical assessment, and on drug Able to work in extreme conditions Since then, Perry said, his focus has been CLEAN, WELL AINTAINED TRUCKS! Perry said he hopes to build on some of the said. That philosophy is currently playing out.

By MICHAEL ROMAIN

Flatbed Experience Aetna is one preferred of largest wholesale distributors of wood, wood-related, laminate, solid Able to work overtime astheneeded

surface, and other industrial products in the country. We are a premier Midwest distributor with

Able to work extreme weather overin85+ years in the industry.conditions . We are seeking an experienced A truck driver for a full-time

Results-driven communication skills, Strong customer service EVERY skills, basic reading CDL Driver/Class A LOCAL DRIVING, YOU WILL BE HOME NIGHT, position in our Maywood, IL location.

Full-Time, year-round Able to work overtime as needed EVERY WEEKEND AND HOLIDAYS! Maywood, IL This position will focus mainly on Class A truck driving.

If you are a hardworking individual

and math skills

who iscommunication looking for a career in a stable and dynamic company, we'd love forthat you toincludes joinreading our Results-driven skills, Strong customer service skills, basic and math skills Aetna Plywood offers a comprehensive benefits package Major Medical,

CLEAN, WELL MAINTAINED TRUCKS! LOCAL DRIVING, WILL BE HOME EVERY NIGHT, team. YOU Dental, Vision, Life Insurance 401(k) and Profit Sharing.

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Aetna Plywood aWe comprehensive benefits package that includes Major Medical, industrial products in theoffers country. are year-round a premier Midwest distributor with over 85+ years in the industry.

Full-Time, CLEAN, AINTAINED TRUCKS! Class w/3 Dental, years’ experience We are seeking anAWELL experienced A truck driver for a full-time position in our Maywood, IL location.

Maywood, Vision,ILLife Insurance 401(k) and Profit Sharing.

This positionClean will focus truck driving.

If you are a hardworking individual who is looking for on www.indeed.com drivingmainly recordon Class AApply Aetna is one of the largest wholesale distributors of wood, wood-related, laminate, solid YOU WILL BE HOME EVERY NIGHT, LOCAL a career in a stable and dynamic company, we'd love for you DRIVING, to join our team.

Residents send resumes to MustMaywood pass a background check, assessment, and drugjobs@aetnplywood.com test surface, and other industrial products in the country.

We are physical a premier Midwest distributor with EVERY WEEKEND AND HOLIDAYS! over 85+ years in the industry. . We are seeking an experienced A truck driver for a full-time Apply on www.indeed.com Flatbed Experience preferred Qualifications of the CDL DRIVER position in our Maywood, IL location. Maywood Residents send resumes to jobs@aetnplywood.com

WELL AINTAINED TRUCKS! • Able CLEAN, to work in extreme weather conditions • Class w/3 years’ experience Able toAwork in extreme weather conditions • Able to work overtime as needed • Clean driving record This position will focus mainly onAble Class A truck driving.

If you are a hardworking individual to work overtime as needed Aetna one of the largest wholesale distributors wood, wood-related, laminate, solid Results-driven skills,ofStrong • Must pass a background check,isphysical assessment, who is looking for a career in a stable and dynamic company, we'd love for•you to join communication our customer service skills, basic reading andWe mathmath skillsaskills and drug test communication Results-driven skills, Strong customer service skills, basic reading and surface, and other industrial products in the country. are premier Midwest distributor with team.

• Flatbed Experience preferred over 85+ years in the industry. . We are seeking an experienced A truck driver for a full-time position our Maywood, IL location. offers a in comprehensive benefits package that includes Major Medical, Qualifications of the CDL DRIVERAetna Plywood Aetna Plywood offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes Class A w/3 years’ experience

Dental, Vision, Life Insurance 401(k) and Profit Sharing.

Major Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance 401(k) and Profit Sharing.

This position will focus mainly on Class A truck driving. If you are a hardworking individual who is looking for a career in a stable and dynamic company, we'd love for you to join our Clean driving record Apply on www.indeed.com team.

Maywood Residents send resumes to jobs@aetnplywood.com Must pass a background check, physical assessment, and drug test Qualifications of the CDL DRIVER Flatbed Experience preferred Able to work in extreme weather conditions

Class A w/3 years’ experience

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Must pass a background check, and physical and drug test Results-driven communication skills, Strong customer service skills, basic reading mathassessment, skills Flatbed Experience preferred

Aetna Plywood offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes Major Medical, Able to work extreme weather conditions Dental, Vision, Life Insurance 401(k) andinProfit Sharing.

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

7

Amazon Fresh may replace Jewel-Osco near N. Riverside mall Officials mum on new tenant, but plans for 40K-square-foot store signal that Amazon Fresh is likely

By BOB UPHUES Riverside-Brookfield Landmark

No one will say just who the new tenant for the former Jewel/Osco store at 7401 24th St. in North Riverside will be, but new architectural plans submitted to the village’s Community Development Department in the past couple of weeks paint a pretty clear picture.

The plans submitted for the interior buildout of the new 39,698-square-foot grocery store include a detailed floor plan showing where grocery aisles and various departments like produce, meat, dairy and prepared foods will be located.

They also include illustrations of distinctive wall signage and the location of a checkout area that includes six “optical speed lanes” – both pointing to Amazon Fresh as the new tenant.

The firm serving as the tenant’s architect is NORR Architects, an international architectural firm headquartered in Canada with offices in the UK, United Arab Emirates and the United States, including Chicago.

The firm’s portfolio includes significant experience with grocery stores, with Fresh Thyme Market, in particular.

of foods being served –”pizza/carvery/sushi/ sandwiches/deli” – terms identical to the prepared foods department signage in other Amazon Fresh stores.

A large wall sign depicted in the plans as “Welcome to _____ North Riverside” is otherwise identical to the one that welcomes shoppers in Woodland Hills and Naperville, except that GOING UP: An Amazon Fresh is likely the new tenant poised to the blank space spells out “Fresh” in larger all-caps replace the old Jewel/Osco in North Riverside. letters.

The steel frame of the Bob Uphues/Riverside-Brookfield Landmark façade now being erected at the North Riverside However, the design of the wall signage for store also points to Amazon Fresh as the the North Riverside store and the “optical tenant, with a large rectangle protruding speed lanes” – a term used on earlier Amazon upward in the center of the façade. planning documents — leave little doubt The store’s entrance will be at the west end that the village will be one of a handful of of the new retail space. The store will also Chicago-area locations for Amazon’s new include a modest seating area at the front high-tech grocery store concept. of the building, near the prepared foods The interior wall signage includes area on the east side. The proposed layout distinctive all-caps block lettering that of the North Riverside store is virtually appears to be identical in style to wall signs identical to the one that recently opened inside Amazon Fresh stores that have opened in Naperville, which a Landmark reporter recently in Woodland Hills, California, and visited Saturday. southwest suburban Naperville.

While it appears the store will have a The store’s prepared foods area, identified handful of traditional checkout lanes, by a sign that says “FRESH KITCHEN” Amazon Fresh’s concept relies on shoppers includes smaller signs below for the types taking advantage of its high-tech “dash

carts,” which are equipped with scanners and cameras.

Shoppers place bags in the carts, which are meant to hold just modest loads of items.

As items are placed into bags, the scanners and cameras identify them, weigh produce and tally up the bill on a screen. Shoppers can scan coupons as they shop.

When it’s time to check out, shoppers simply wheel through one of the optical speed lanes, which automatically process the transactions using customers’ credit card info linked to their Amazon accounts.

Receipts are emailed to shoppers.

Alan Saposnik, president of Tower Real Estate Services, who manages the North Riverside Plaza shopping center on behalf of its owner, Federal Construction Inc., said he expects the tenant, “whoever that may be,” to take possession of the premises in mid-April to begin the interior build out.

He said he had no idea when the tenant planned to open, and North Riverside Village Administrator Sue Scarpiniti said no one else had yet submitted applications for a business permit or liquor license.

Those applications, which would necessarily identify the tenant by name, don’t need to be processed until much closer to the opening date.

Saposnik also said he had no tenant lined up yet for a new 14,196-square-foot retail space being created immediately west of the new grocery store. That space had previously been where Osco was located, but was not needed by the new grocery store tenant.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

State warns residents to be alert for Real ID scam

Text messages urging recipients to clink on link to update driver’s license or state ID are scams — ‘do not click,’ AG says

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

In a statement released on Jan. 27, Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Secretary of State Jesse White warned Illinois residents “to be on alert for text message scams related to upcoming federal Real ID requirements.

“Raoul and White are warning the public of scammers who are sending unsolicited text messages claiming to be from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). The text message urges the recipient to click on a link to update their driver’s license or state ID to comport with upcoming federal Real ID requirements.”

Raoul warned that the text is a scam and that recipients should avoid clicking the link or providing any information, since visiting the website “could place malware on the recipient’s device or trick them into disclosing sensitive personal information.

The IDES never will request personal

information via text message and will not contact Illinois residents about updating their driver’s licenses or state IDs.” Raoul said he’s even experienced some of the recent scams. White explained that the Secretary of State Police will be launching an investigation into the matter.

“I have zero tolerance for scammers, especially those who would prey on people in desperate times,” said White. “I have instructed my Secretary of State Police to investigate this scam and to work with other law enforcement authorities to identify and arrest the fraudsters. In addition, my office has been in contact with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, as well as the Illinois Department of Employment Security.”

The Real ID Act, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report, “aims to provide ‘minimum security standards’ for the issuance of identification nationwide. It requires Americans to have a compliant ID to board U.S. domestic flights. (A passport has and will continue to be required for

international flights.)”

According to the statement released by White and Raoul, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended Real ID requirements to Oct. 1, 2021. Current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities until that date.”

According to Raoul, residents can take the following steps to protect their personal information: § Delete emails and texts that promise or offer access to Real ID driver’s licenses or state IDs, and do not click on any links contained in such emails or text messages, as they may place malware on your devices. § Hang up on any calls, including robocalls, which direct you to take immediate action or provide personally-identifiable information, such as your Social Security number or bank account number. § Ask to use other types of identifiers besides your Social Security number. Give your

Social Security number out only when absolutely necessary. § Keep your software up-to date, including your phone and computer operating systems and antivirus protection programs. Most phones, computers and antivirus software can be set to update automatically when new software versions are released.

For more information on the Real ID Act, visit the Illinois Secretary of State’s office at realid.ilsos.gov.

“Individuals who have questions about text message scams or identity theft should call the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438 (Chicago), 1-800-243-0618 (Springfield) or 1-800-243-0607 (Carbondale), or file an online complaint.

Individuals also are encouraged to visit the IDES website for more information about unemployment fraud,” the statement read.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

OUT and ABOUT

SNOW SCENES: Clockwise from far left: The statue outside of St. Simeon Parish in Bellwood; a man in Broadview reminisces on the Great Blizzard of 1978, when snow piled up to his doorbell; a statute outside of Sacred Heart School in Melrose Park; two young men reveling in a snowball fight in Broadview on Sunday.

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

9

Primary care practice opens on Madison Street in Forest Park Dr. Natasha Diaz opened Roots Health DPC in Forest Park last year

By MARIA MAXHAM Forest Park Review

When Dr. Natasha Diaz, who opened Roots Health DPC on Madison Street in Forest Park in August, went to medical school at the University of Illinois, she did it to fix what she saw as a broken medical system.

She envisioned a system with transparent pricing that patients knew about before they received services, a system in which people had direct access to their doctors, not just the front desk.

She imagined patients creating a relationship with their primary care physicians, establishing trust over years, and doctors who could see patients for sameday visits, so rushing to an urgent care center where you might see a doctor you’ve never met before wouldn’t be necessary.

She didn’t want to see waiting rooms filled with patients flipping through magazines, checking the time every five minutes. In fact, she didn’t want patients to have to wait at all.

Mostly, Diaz wanted personalized, affordable care for patients with no hidden prices.

“There should never be the incentive not to get the care you need because it costs too much,” she said.

Consumers often don’t make informed decisions when it comes to medical care, said Diaz, because they don’t have all the

VACCINE

Registration now open from page 1 daycare settings.

Anyone who qualifies for a vaccination in Cook County under Phase 1B can now make an appointment through a special website that went live Jan. 25 at vaccine. cookcountyil.gov. You can also make an appointment by phone by dialing the county’s vaccination appointment hotline at 1-833-308-1988.

The website also includes a list of FAQs, reason why you should get vaccinated and information on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines themselves.

But it appears people are going to have to patient. Less than 24 hours after the county’s new website began booking appointments for its 13 vaccination sites, every available spot was filled.

“The rollout of Phase 1B is truly an exciting development, but I want to remind everyone that there are only about 120,000

available) has natural light and a gigantic rainbow mural on the wall. There are toys for kids — in fact, you can bring your whole family to your appointment, if you wish.

Diaz’s practice follows the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model, a growing trend in the medical field. In the DPC model, there’s a flat membership fee. At Roots, it’s $78 per person, and there are family and children’s rates available. That membership includes no-fee services and visits, plus being able to contact Diaz directly Labs and some procedures come at additional expense, but since there is no thirdparty billing, the costs are HEALTHCARE BEFORE PROFITS: Dr. Natasha Diaz, the low. At Roots, a thyroid blood owner of Roots Health DPC in Forest Park, said she test will run you only $5.75, as wants to fix what she considers to be a broken medical opposed to the retail cost of system. $65. To test your cholesterol, Alex Rogals it’s $3.50.

Diaz prescribes and dispenses medication too, and information. They don’t have access to the cost is low. Ninety tabs of Wellbutrin, pricing, for example. And oftentimes, many for example, only costs $15 at her office, as large medical corporations are managed by opposed to the retail price of $123.37 businesspeople who might have MBAs but It might seem like an ideal service for don’t have medical degrees. someone without insurance. But Diaz said “They didn’t take the oath I took when many of her patients have insurance. They I became a physician,” she said. “They are see her because they like the personal care trained to care about profit most of all. But she provides, the same-day appointments, in medicine, profit can’t come before patient the fact that they can call her directly and care.” don’t have to wait.

Her office at 7314 Madison St. (accessible “Health-related questions should be through the back, where parking is answered right away,” she said.

Patients are never scheduled to overlap, so a patient or family will be the only ones in the office at one time.

Diaz likes to know her patients well because a strong relationship between doctor and patient is at the very heart of good medicine.

“It improves the quality of care and changes and alters the course of treatment and, ultimately, health,” she said.

While she is a general practitioner and sees men and women of all ages, she considers women’s health her specialization, and she loves families.

“I like to see people grow up,” Diaz said.

As a mother herself — she has three sons — she understands the demands placed on working parents, which is another motivation to make health care as stress-free as possible.

“I get how busy people are,” she said.

Diaz lived in Forest Park while she attended medical school at the U. of I. She moved to California for her residency and worked there for a few years before returning to Forest Park, where she and her husband bought a two-flat they still own, though her family now resides in River Forest.

She opened her practice in August, and it felt, she said, like “coming full circle.” She’d gone into medical school wanting to fix a broken system. She worked in that system for years, and finally was ready to open a practice based on a model she believes in.

“My individual actions can make a difference in people’s lives,” she said. “It feels like this is my purpose.”

And when it comes to making change, she said, “Let it begin with me.”

first doses arriving in Illinois – outside of Chicago, that is – this week,” Pritzker said.

“Because of the federal supply limitations, I want to emphasize that vaccinations are being given by appointment only. I’ve said that before, but I want to make it clear so people don’t go line up at their local pharmacy or line up at their local health department.”

Health officials expect the limited number of appointments available at the North Riverside site and at other clinics will be booked quickly. However, said Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha Jr., that should not dissuade people from visiting the new appointment website and registering their information.

According to Rocha, whether you are someone who qualifies for Phase 1B or not, “you should register your information so that as you become eligible for a vaccine, you will receive updates.”

“We are anxious to vaccinate all the people that are able to receive the shot, but patience is needed as the federal government works to ramp up production,” Rocha said.

“When you visit our microsite at vaccine. cookcountyil.gov it is critical to remember

The troops were assigned to the site during Phase 1A to administer vaccinations to frontline healthcare workers.

“We’re here to help out the nurses with administering the vaccinations, so between civilian nurses and combat medics that are here, we have about five people giving the COVID vaccinations,” Villafuerte said.

“At this location we’re averaging about 150 vaccinations per day.”

Dr. Daniel Vittum, lead physician and medical director of the Cook County Health Clinic in North Riverside, said the National Guard troops will help dramatically increase the number of vaccine doses it would otherwise be able to provide.

“The 1B pool of people is much larger, so we’re going to need more vaccine, more vaccinators, more people to register and that’s why [the National Guard troops] are here,” Vittum said, adding that with the added help they should be able to push to 275 doses daily. “It’s a massive operation, so we want to do it right and we want to do it equitably and we want to do it quickly, but we want to do it correctly.”

that all sites share appointments at this one time.”

The website only reflects appointments for which a vaccine is guaranteed, said Rocha.

North Riverside clinic is one of just four operated by Cook County Health taking appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations, but there are more than 90 other locations at Walgreens, CVS and Jewel-Osco pharmacies.

Hundreds more sites will open as vaccine supplies ramp up, Pritzker said during his Monday press conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center, which has been chosen as a large-scale vaccination site capable of delivering up to 18,000 doses a week when at capacity.

“As more vaccine comes available from the federal government, additional mass vaccination sites are slated to begin operations, built on existing community vaccination efforts,” Pritzker said.

Cook County is being aided in its efforts to ramp up vaccine distribution by partnering with the Illinois National Guard. About a dozen National Guard troops were assigned to the North Riverside clinic on Jan. 19 and will be assisting there through at least March 31, according to 2nd Lt. Alex Villafuerte.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

10

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

OUT and ABOUT

UNDETERRED: Clockwise from top right: Rufus the dog walks near his family on the hill at Westchester Woods in Westchester on Sunday. An angelic statue in Maywood covered in snow. A young man shoveling the snow outside of his home in Maywood. A young man sleds down a homemade snow hill he and some friends made in Melrose Park. A young woman walks up the hill at Westchester Woods before sledding down.

Photos by Shanel Romain and Michael Romain

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Village Free Press | February 3 , 2021

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

11

REAL ESTATE PUBLIC FOR SALE 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: Y21005727 on January 21, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of FILOCALI with the business located at: 510 N 2ND AVE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: MARICELA ARECHIGA 510 N 2ND AVE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153, USA. Published in Village Free Press 01/27, 2/3, 2/10/2020

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law.

All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800669-9777.

Village Free Press

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Village Free Press | February 3, 2021

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