Village Free Press_030922

Vol. VI No. 10

MARCH 9, 2022

Madigan indicted, PAGE 8

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Berkeley adopts Taft corridor plan

Proviso Teachers Union members picket outside of Proviso East High School in Maywood on March 4 during the first day of a historic teachers strike.

Triton Trojans earn tourney berth, PAGE 6

Proviso teachers strike for first time in two decades

Village board adopted plan March 1, Hillside’s board could be next Alex Rogals/ Staff Photographer

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Village officials in Berkeley and Hillside are a step closer to realizing their ambitions of sprucing up a shared recreational and commercial area that’s considered vital to both suburbs.

During a regular meeting on March 1, the Berkeley village board voted unanimously to adopt the Prairie Path and Taft Avenue Corridor Plan — a document that’s been about two years in the making and that’s meant to guide future development decisions in the area and help attract funding for future projects.

The plan was produced by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), in collaboration with the villages of Berkeley and Hillside, and the Berkeley Park District.

Now that the Berkeley board has adopted See CORRIDOR PLAN on page 7

Teachers picketed outside of all three high schools on March 4 after contract talks between union and Supt.

Henderson collapsed

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

On Friday, March 4, members of the Proviso Teachers Union (PTU) Local 571, which represents 280 teachers and other staffers, including social workers and school counselors, picketed outside of all three high schools in District 209 — the first time a strike has happened in the district in 22 years.

Representatives with the PTU and the Illi-

nois Federation of Teachers, the PTU’s parent organization, said District 209 Superintendent James Henderson, the district’s lead negotiator, turned down their offer to meet.

“We had offered a session yesterday to meet before today to try to avoid the strike and he refused to meet with us,” said Rachel Esposito, the president of Local 571 West Suburban Teachers Union, which includes 18 councils across Cook County and DuPage.

Esposito, who was picketing across the street from Proviso East High School in Maywood, is among about seven members of the PTU’s negotiating team.

Supt. Henderson has declined multiple requests for comment throughout the negotiating process.

As Esposito talked, PTU members paced the sidewalks holding signs that read “Pro-

WE’RE YOUR FINANCIAL PARTNER BECAUSE

viso District 209 teachers need more than apples” and “Supporting teachers = supporting students.”

In a statement released March 4, D209 school board President Rodney Alexander said the district has increased its salary proposal, meeting the union’s demand for a three-year contract. The district has also offered annual pay raises of 3% in each year of the contract, which is up from the district’s previous offer of 2% in the first year of the contract and 2.5% in the second and third years.

The union also wants bonuses for all teachers of $1,250 in the first year and $600 in the second year, Alexander said.

“The District remains firm in our position that salary increases at the level being demanded by the union are neither sustainSee STRIKE on page 5

MEET US

YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR BANKER. Jose Villa

Vice President & Branch Manager 708-483-0030 | jvilla@hinsdalebank.com Proviso Community Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A.

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

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

the village free press Editor & Publisher Michael Romain Senior Sales & Strategic Consultant Kamil Brady

Elected officials, union leaders, police support striking teachers Local leaders across Proviso visited the picket lines on March 4

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Editorial Designer Andrew Mead HOW TO REACH US Village Free Press 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. © 2022 Village Free Press

We’re proud to partner with Growing Community Media, NFP.

“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

As they gathered at the corner of Wolf and Harrison outside of Proviso West High School in Hillside, members of the Proviso Teachers Union (PTU), who went on strike Friday, saw a few Hillside Police vehicles slow to a stop before officers exited their cars bearing donuts and coffee. The gratitude prompted a few appreciative rounds of applause from the teachers.

“Our police department is on the same page as the teachers,” said Hillside Police Chief Joseph Lukaszek. “We’re here to educate and help the kids. We have a great partnership where we all work together to help kids grow not only educationally, but socially, too.”

Lukaszek was among roughly a dozen local leaders who visited the picket lines on Friday in solidarity with the striking teachers.

“When there’s a union, you have to support unions,” said Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar (16th), who also showed up outside of Proviso West.

During a rally held later in the afternoon at Miller Meadow, the forest preserve just across the street from Proviso Math and Science Academy (PMSA) in Forest Park, several elected officials spoke in support of striking teachers.

Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, whose 4th District encompasses parts of Melrose Park, said he heard about the District 209 strike on the news early this morning after returning from Washington, D.C. last night.

“I said, ‘I gotta be on that picket line,” Garcia said. “This ain’t my first picket line. I joined a union when I was 17 years old.

Whenever there’s a picket line I make it a point to either honk if I can’t stop or get out and walk the line with my sisters and brothers — and that’s why I’m here today.”

Rep. Garcia said he’s working in Congress to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and to tie it to the rate of inflation. In addition, he said, Democrats in the Senate are trying to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. “This school district should sit down with you immediately,” Garcia said, referencing claims made by PTU members that D209 Supt. James Henderson refused to meet with PTU leaders to ne-

gotiate on Thursday and has refused to meet with them throughout the weekend. “[PTU President Maggie Riley] said she’s ready! She’ll be ready this afternoon, she’ll be ready tonight, her board will be ready all through the weekend,” Garcia said. “There’s no reason for a picket line to still be in place on Monday morning!”

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, whose 1st District includes much of Proviso Township, echoed Rep. Garcia’s message.

“Dr. Henderson, get back to work!” Johnson said, starting a refrain that the crowd chanted intermittently throughout his remarks.

“Until we pay fair wages for Black, Brown and white workers in this school district and across this country — Dr. Henderson, you need to get Clockwise, top left to right: Conyourself back to work,” the commissioner said. gressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia “Do not be afraid of the outside of PMSA on March 4; Cook County Commissioner Bran- tactics of any board member or superintendent — I don Johnson; Hillside Police Chief don’t care who they are.”

Joseph Lukaszek takes photos with Johnson’s message had teachers outside of Proviso West in a particularly rousing impact on union members.

Hillside.

Michael Romain Moments earlier, Rachel Esposito, the president of West Suburban Teachers Local 571, the PTU’s parent union, told the crowd that she and others had witnessed Henderson exit PMSA, where his office is located on the fifth floor, surrounded by security guards.

During the rally, non-union employees still inside of PMSA could be seen watching the picketing from windows. The offices of some D209 administrators overlook Forest Home Cemetery, where the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument is located.

“Right over there is a cemetery and in that cemetery are buried the Haymarket martyrs and other activists who fought for the foundation of the labor movement in this city,” Reiter said, referencing the 1886 bombing at a labor demonstration in support of an eight-hour work day at Haymarket Square in Chicago.

“What you’re doing here today is paying respect to that,” Reiter said. “But you’re not just paying respect to the people who gave their lives at Haymarket to fight for the eight-hour work day.

You’re paying respect … to the community.”

Daniel Montgomery, the president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, which encompasses the PTU, blasted district administrators.

“I heard some really disturbing things,” he said. “You need a partner to find a contract. When you have Dr. Henderson or the school board say, ‘We can’t meet,’ that’s unacceptable! They’re letting you down, but more importantly they’re letting every citizen, every child, every student, every parent in this district down!”

Other elected officials who attended Friday’s rally include D209 school board member Claudia Medina and Triton College Trustee Norma Hernandez. Kina Collins, a candidate running against Congressman Danny K. Davis (7th) in the Democratic Primary, was also at the rally.

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New Maywood restaurant seeks to entertain

Jeremiah Brownlee’s Legend’s Grill could become a burgeoning live entertainment hot spot in Proviso if the owner secures a license

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Jeremiah Brownlee, 25, would often pass by the storefront at 9 N. 5th Ave. in Maywood, his hometown. When he noticed that the space was available, he jumped at the opportunity.

Brownlee opened Legend’s Grill inside of the space — the former home of Versatile Soul Food Cafe — roughly a month ago. The restaurant serves a unique range of items.

The best sellers are the jerk chicken nachos, chicken kabobs and grilled chicken breast sandwich, among others.

But Brownlee wants to do more than serve food. He has ambitions to bring music and entertainment to the venue once he secures a live entertainment license from the vil-

lage. He said he hopes the licensing process is wrapped up within the next several weeks, so that he can start hosting live events this summer.

“My vision is to have a sit-down restaurant where Maywood residents can enjoy,” Brownlee said. “I’m from Maywood and I feel like residents shouldn’t have to leave their town to enjoy good food and entertainment.”

Brownlee, who graduated from Emerson Elementary before attending Proviso East High School for a year, already has plans to franchise Legend’s. He said he’s planning to open a second location in Chicago’s Wicker Park community, where he currently lives.

“I’ve already seen a space,” he said. “My plan is to push this Legend’s name.”

Brownlee also owns a barbershop called Legend’s Hair Studio, which he said he plans to open down the street from his restaurant in about “two or three weeks” at 1403 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood.

Brownlee said he self-finances his various businesses through savings he’s accumulated and operates his restaurant with the help of family members, including his mother, Mama Lucy, a Legend’s co-owner.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” she said, when asked how it feels to work with her son.

Brownlee said he’s hopeful that his license

Jeremiah Brownlee, right, and his mother, Mama Lucy, inside of Brownlee’s new restaurant in Maywood.

Michael Romain

will be approved. If it is, he plans on hosting a range of live entertainment, including outdoors events. In the meantime, he’s been hosting small gatherings, such as karaoke nights.

“This is considered downtown Maywood,” he said. “I’m from Maywood and it was never any place for me to go. I figured, why not provide that opportunity. I pray to God they’ll approve the live entertainment license. It’s

so much that’s needed.”

Brownlee is hosting a grand opening for Legend’s on March 18, at noon.

Legend’s Grill, 9 N. 5th Ave. in Maywood, is open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information or to order, call (708) 793-9392.

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

Explaining the historic Proviso teachers strike District 209 school board President Rodney Alexander has said that the additional salary increases will result in higher taxes.

Since January, the two sides have moved toward resolving the dispute over pay, with the district most recently increasing its offer from 7% over three years to 9% over three years, with annual pay raises of 3% in each year of the contract, according to Alexander.

The union’s most recent offer is a 13.25% increase over three years, with a 4% increase in the first year, a 4.5% increase in the second year and a 4.75% increase in the

Who, what, why, when, where and how of the first teachers strike in D209 in 22 years

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

On Friday, the 280 members of the Proviso Teachers Union went on strike for the first time in 22 years. There will be no classes at District 209’s three high schools — Proviso East in Maywood, Proviso West in Hillside and Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park — until contract negotiations between the PTU and the D209 administrators are resolved.

Meanwhile, community members across Proviso Township are wondering how we got to this point. What prompted the strike?

Who are the players? How long will it last?

Here’s an explainer that will hopefully answer many of your most pressing questions.

Who is involved?

The Proviso Teachers Union is a local council within the West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571. The PTU represents approximately 280 counselors, librarians, social workers and teachers.

Every union has what’s called a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which is the equivalent of an employment contract that governs how union members and their employers function in the workplace. All of the PTU members are referred to as “teachers” in the union’s CBA. So, “teachers” is just shorthand for a variety of employees.

Each CBA is effective for a certain amount of time. The PTU’s most recent CBA was effective for one year and expired on June 30, 2021. Before that point, the PTU had a threeyear contract that was effective from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2020. Whenever a CBA is set to expire, the union and the district must negotiate the terms of a new CBA. The negotiations occur between the PTU’s negotiating team and the district’s negotiating team. The PTU’s team comprises seven teachers from all three high schools, including PTU President Maggie Riley, a teacher at Proviso West.

Rachel Esposito, the president of West Suburban Teachers Union, Local 571, which is the PTU’s parent union that includes about 17 local councils in Cook and DuPage counties, has also sat in during negotiations.

The district’s negotiating team mainly comprises D209 Superintendent James Henderson, D209 attorney William F. Gleason and perhaps one other administrator, according to sources.

Typically, school boards appoint at least one representative to the negotiating team.

That person usually has no role in the talks outside of observing and reporting their findings to their board colleagues, according to multiple D209 board members who

the third bargaining session.”

The superintendent and D209 administration has not directly responded to these claims. Henderson refuses to make himself or his communications director available to this publication for comment. Multiple attempts to reach the superintendent throughout the negotiations have been unsuccessful.

Board President Alexander has regularly argued that the PTU has been hostile and disrespectful at board meetings, a claim that union members have also made about the school board and administration.

What events led up to the strike? have spoken about the process. This year, the D209 school board decided not to appoint a representative to the negotiating team — a first for this current school board configuration.

It should be noted that D209 has roughly 600 employees, all of whom report to the superintendent, who in turn reports to the people who employ him, the seven-member school board.

There are two other unions in D209 that represent other kinds of employees and bargains on their behalf—one for support staff workers and one for custodial and maintenance workers.

What happened?

The PTU submitted its demand to negotiate for a new bargaining agreement to Supt.

Henderson on March 10, 2021. Both parties agreed on May 12, 2021, to a set of ground rules for negotiations and to start the bargaining process.

After that point, both sides held six bargaining sessions between May and July and negotiated for a total of roughly 12 hours.

When unions and school district officials can’t reach an agreement on their own, an impartial mediator is brought in from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which provides mediation and conflict resolution services during labor-management disputes.

There were seven federal mediation sessions between July 29, 2021 and Jan. 12, 2022, totaling roughly 15 hours. You can read the district’s full proposal submitted to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB) here. To read the union’s full proposal, click here. Note that some proposals and offers have changed since they were submitted to the IELRB in January.

The biggest conflicts between the district and the union involve compensation, class sizes and, perhaps the biggest of them all, the superintendent’s negotiating tactics.

Compensation disputes The PTU started negotiations by seeking a five-year CBA with 6% salary increases. The PTU argues that the district’s low pay contributes to high teacher vacancies and high turnover rates. According to district data, D209’s teacher retention rate is 82% — lower than the 87% state average.

third year of the contract. The union also wants the district to provide $1,250 bonuses for all teachers in the first year and $600 bonuses in the second year.

“The District remains firm in our position that salary increases at the level being demanded by the union are neither sustainable, nor in the best fiscal interest of our parents and other local resident taxpayers,” the board president has stated.

Bargaining tactics More than any specific contract issue, tension between the two sides over negotiating tactics may be the biggest factor in the current teacher strike.

Throughout the negotiations, PTU members have claimed that Supt. Henderson has regularly refused to meet for much more than two hours at a time, routinely cancels negotiating sessions and has outright refused to negotiate at points.

In addition, the PTU negotiating team members have claimed that Henderson rarely shows his face and is often silent during the sessions, which have taken place over Zoom.

The PTU has also accused Supt. Henderson of not negotiating in good faith, claiming that he has violated the negotiating ground rules. The union said that the ground rules “stated that all proposals from either party were to be submitted in writing within the first three bargaining sessions (May 26, June 2, and June 23). The Union complied with this ground rule; the Board team did not. On more than one occasion, the Board team added new proposals after

On Jan. 31, 90% of the roughly 280 PTU members voted to authorize a strike and on Feb. 12, the union announced that they would set an official strike date for Feb. 18.

During the Feb. 15 meeting, the board took an informal vote on whether to go back on their initial decision to stay out of the negotiations and, instead, appoint a representative to the negotiating team. Board members Amanda Grant, Ned Wagner and Claudia Medina supported the proposal for adding a representative while Alexander, Della Patterson, Kelly and Sam Valtierrez opposed the measure.

The next day, Feb. 16, hundreds of students marched out of all three D209 high schools in support of the teachers.

Prompted by a rare moment of hope, PTU leaders postponed the Feb. 18 strike date, but after contract talks broke down again they announced a new strike date of Friday, March 4.

What does the strike mean going forward?

The PTU’s strike is the first to happen in D209 since 2000, when teachers went on strike for 10 days. During this year’s strike, classes have been cancelled for the district’s roughly 4,200 students. Students are also affected in other ways. For instance, the Proviso East Marching Band is a staple at the Forest Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade, but the band was a no-show on March 5.

Some students interviewed by Village Free Press have said that their teachers provided them with curriculum materials for them to learn remotely and on their own.

Alexander said the district will start serving breakfast and lunch for all students on March 8. More information about pick-up locations and hours will be posted on the district’s website, he said.

And in a statement sent to district workers, Henderson has said that all non-PTU employees “should report to their assigned work sites daily to complete their scheduled shifts.” The superintendent added that teacher assistants will be able to make-up for the time they’re losing due to the strike.

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STRIKE

Resolution in sight? from page 1 able, nor in the best fiscal interest of our parents and other local resident taxpayers,” the board president stated.

Maggie Riley, the president of the PTU, picketed with her colleagues outside of Proviso West High School in Hillside, where she teaches. Riley said in addition to the bonuses, the union and district are also at odds over class sizes. The union wants smaller class sizes.

“We wanted to avoid a strike, but [the district] didn’t want to meet,” Riley said. “We stand ready to meet any day this weekend, because we want to be back in the classrooms.”

Neil Rutstein, a teacher at Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park, took a break from holding his picket sign that read “Working without a contract!”, before pointing to the high school’s parking lot.

“The superintendent is in the building right now,” Rutstein said. “You can see his BMW parked right there in the premium parking spot. We’re paying for that. He’s got a $6,000 car allowance. The kids of Proviso are paying for his 7-series BMW.” Rutstein and other teachers have regularly pointed out that while administrative salaries within District 209 are among the

highest in the region, teacher salaries in the district are among the lowest.

They’ve also pointed to the disparity in contract lengths between the teacher’s contracts and the superintendent’s contract.

Last year, the D209 school board increased Henderson’s original 3-year, $250,000 contract to a 5-year, $262,500 contract, in addition to an unspecified pension contribution paid by the district, according to previous reporting.

Proviso teachers have been working without a contract since last June. The average teacher salary in D209 is around $76,000 — nearly 30% lower than the roughly $87,000 average of high school districts in the Chicago area, according to an analysis of state data provided by teachers. The average teaching experience in the district is roughly 13 years and about three quarters of teachers in D209 have a master’s degree.

The PTU postponed its strike date of Feb. 18 after reviewing an update offer from the district. Contract talks, however, collapsed again. Rutstein said he hopes Henderson and the district negotiators meet over the weekend. There were no classes scheduled on Monday due to the Casmir Pulaski holiday and PTU members did not picket that day.

Rutstein and other union members and veteran teachers said the negotiation process and the workplace under Henderson are at the lowest point they’ve ever been.

They referenced the superintendent’s many misrepresentations, including unsubstan-

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Picketing Proviso teachers cross Madison Street in Maywood on March 4, the first day of a teacher strike.

Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer

tiated claims that union members were behind a student-led walkout held in support of teachers last month and that the district offered $60,000 starting salaries.

“This is very demoralizing,” Rutstein said. “This has become a toxic workplace.

It’s really hard to block that stuff out of your mind and still do your job effectively.

It’s really stressful and not just for us. Last [month], the kids couldn’t deal with it either

and walked out. I don’t know what they’re waiting for. You can’t have a bigger disaster than a school on strike.”

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

NEWS briefs Westchester adopts ‘Complete Streets’ policy

Despite loss, Triton Trojans going to national tournament The Triton College men’s basketball team fell 83-74 to Moberly Area Community College in the Midwest District championship game in Moberly, Missouri on Saturday. But the loss wasn’t enough to keep the Trojans from appearing in another national tournament.

The 10th-ranked Trojans (27-5) secured one of eight at-large bids to the NJCAA Division I Championship in Hutchinson, Kan. The Trojans earned the 11th seed and will face 22nd seeded Caldwell Tech from Hudson, North Carolina at noon on Tuesday, March 15.

“I am thrilled for our players, program and Triton College for earning a bid to the national tournament,” said John Clancy, the Trojans’ first-year head coach.

“None of this would be possible without (former head coach) Steve Christiansen and the years he put in to make the Triton program what it has become. I promised him I would do everything I can to get the program to ‘Hutch’ and to get there in year one is a true blessing.”

Triton moved up to NJCAA Division I after winning the Division II national title in 2018.

The team beat Kankakee Community College 92-65 on Feb. 28 in the Region 4 Division I championship — their last home game at the Collins Center in River Grove— before advancing to the District championship game against Moberly.

That was the team’s third regional title in four years, school officials said. Region 4 includes around three dozen area community colleges, including College of DuPage, Malcolm X College and Morton College.

Follow Triton Athletics on Twitter (@ TritonTrojans1), Instagram (@Triton_College_Athletics) or on their website at tritonathletics.com.

Westchester firefighters get new contract During a regular meeting on Feb. 22, the Westchester village board voted unanimously in favor of an ordinance authorizing a collective bargaining agreement between the village and the Westchester Professional

Fire Fighters Local 4851, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).

The IAFF is the union that represents all non-probationary firefighters/paramedics, lieutenants and lieutenant/paramedics in the Westchester Fire Department.

In a memo drafted Feb. 21, attorney Ryan Morton, with Montana and Welch, the village’s law firm, said the agreement was negotiated over the previous four months by the village’s attorney, IAFF members, Westchester Village Manager Paul Noseka and Westchester Fire Chief Mike Mavrogeorge.

“The focus of IAFF’s initial request was increased wages and additional benefits including stipends for certifications, increased uniform allowance, and added holidays and vacation,” Morton wrote.

“The Village was focused on bringing the contract into compliance with new laws that have been instituted since the last contract i.e. Janus and the Illinois Cannabis Act; increasing insurance contributions by fire-

fighters, as was done with the patrol contract, decreasing compensatory time and other costs, and increasing reimbursement for training if a fire fighter moves on to another position,” he added.

The new contract is effective from May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2024, with a 3.25% salary increase applied retroactively to the contract’s starting date, a 3.25% increase applied on May 1, 2022 and a 3% increase applied on May 1, 2023.

The employee contribution to insurance coverage increased by 12% this year, before increasing to 15% by May 1, 2023.

During a regular meeting on Feb. 22, the Westchester village board unanimously adopted a Complete Streets Policy.

According to Alex Baca of Strong Towns, a national nonprofit that promotes people-oriented (as opposed to car-oriented) local development, Complete Streets policies can be traced to Smart Growth America, a national nonprofit that advocates for healthier economic development strategies, according to its website.

Complete Streets “includes both the design of a street itself to equitably accommodate all users — pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers — as well as the implementation of policies that can compel municipalities to install Complete Streets, instead of Regular Streets,” Baca writes.

According to a general policy statement, the new Complete Streets ordinance should compel the village to establish a procedure for evaluating resurfacing projects to ensure that they’re accommodating multiple modes of transportation and transit, including cyclists and pedestrians.

During the meeting on Feb. 22, Scott Russell, the village’s public works director, said that implementing a Complete Streets ordinance will bolster the village’s chances of securing infrastructure grants.

“We follow most of the stuff that’s in here now; it’s just that we don’t have an ordinance or resolution [in place saying it], so when I apply for federal grants or stuff like that, I can’t put that I have this policy in place,” Russell said. “That’s why we need it.

You get extra points for qualifying.”

Berkeley appoints Centennial Chairperson The village of Berkeley will be 100 years old in 2024, but officials are already planning for the celebration. During a regular meeting on March 1, Berkeley Village President Robert Lee said that Kathleen Chmura will serve as Berkeley Centennial Chair.

As chairperson, Chmura will be responsible for overseeing planning for the centennial celebration, which Lee described as the “biggest community project we will take on in 50 years.”

The last major milestone Berkeley celebrated was its Golden Jubilee. Back then, the Friends of Berkeley Library published Rosemarie Johnson’s history of the village, “From Oats to Roses: The History of Berkeley.” Last year, Lee appointed Johnson the village’s official historian.

Lee referenced Chmura’s extensive volunteerism in the community, which include serving with the Berkeley Community Garden Club before touting her “leadership,

the respect she commands, her friendly demeanor […] her talent, but above all her compassion.”

Lee said two years ago, Chmura and her sister, Denice, made “thousands” of masks for community members, including police officers and other public safety workers, during the early days of the pandemic.

“I’m honored,” Chmura said at Tuesday’s meeting, before explaining that she’s excited to “showcase to people that this is a great community.”

During his state of the village address in November 2021, Lee outlined some tentative plans the village has for the centennial, which include installing a centennial mural on the exterior of LeDonne True Value Hardware, 1750 N. Taft Ave. The village president added that the village is also working on ways to incorporate the historic Old Settlers Cemetery into the Centennial commemoration. He also said that every resident of Berkeley will get a copy of Johnson’s book as a way of opening the 100th anniversary commemoration.

Lee said at the time that Johnson has insisted that all proceeds from the redistribution of her book go toward the centennial celebration.

“No community is in a greater position to celebrate its centennial,” Lee said on Tuesday. “We’re going to reach Berkeley residents all over the world … One thing I’ve heard over the years is, ‘I loved my time in Berkeley.’”

Candidate filing for 2022 Gubernatorial Primary begins Candidates filing for Cook County races in the 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Election lined up inside of the Cook County Administration Building in Chicago early Monday morning in order to secure top spots on the ballots for the June 28 Primary Election, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s office announced March 4.

“Dozens of candidates are expected to submit their nominating petitions when the Clerk’s Office officially opens the filing period at 9 a.m.,” the clerk’s office said.

Candidates running for the following offices are required to submit their paperwork to the Cook County Clerk’s office: President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners Cook County Clerk Cook County Treasurer Cook County Sheriff Cook County Assessor Cook County Commissioner (Districts 1 – 17) § Cook County Board of Review (Districts 1 – 3) § Water Reclamation District Commissioner (Three 6-year terms and one two-year) § Township Committeeperson § § § § §

All other candidates are required to file with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

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Maywood exploring moratorium on certain business licenses March 22 meeting scheduled on proposed 6-month moratorium on business licenses for barbershops, salons, banquet halls and fast food restaurants

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

The village of Maywood is exploring adopting a six-month moratorium on business licenses for barbershops, hair salons, nail shops, banquet halls/event spaces and fast-food restaurants.

During a meeting on March 1, Maywood Trustee Shabaun Reyes-Plummer, the chairwoman of the village’s Ordinance and Policy Committee, said the Planning and Zoning Commission will be evaluating the village’s commercial districts and that her committee recommends a six-month licensing freeze on the previously mentioned businesses to “ensure we are not allowing too many of the same businesses in the village.”

Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker said the village has a high concentration

CORRIDOR PLAN Berkeley’s on board from page 1 the plan, CMAP officials said they hope that Hillside’s village board adopts the plan next.

Tony Manno, a project manager and senior planner with CMAP, said the plan is only as strong as both suburbs’ mutual commitment to the document, particularly considering their shared interests in the study area.

The Prairie Path and Taft Avenue Corridor study area is bounded to the north by Burr Oak and Hawthorne avenues, to the east by Wolf Road, to the west by I-294, and to the south by Warren Avenue.

Manno said CMAP started its community outreach back in early 2020, just before the pandemic started. He said most of the planning was done remotely, with CMAP creating a project website last year. The planners conducted in-person interviews, administered online and paper surveys, facilitated virtual presentations and attended community events to gather feedback.

In addition, the planners created a 10-person steering committee comprising a range of Berkeley and Hillside stakeholders, including local business owners, elected officials and residents who live in the study area.

Manno said more than 150 people gave their feedback about what they want in the study area. More than half of the respondents said they would like to see a coffee shop along Taft

of barbershops, hair salons, banquet halls and fast-food restaurants. He said the moratorium is meant to acknowledge that the village has “more than enough of these types of businesses” and to explore how the village can attract a more diverse array of businesses.

Trustee Isiah Brandon pushed back against the proposed moratorium, arguing that it might harm business owners who have already been struggling because of the pandemic. He said the measure represents an additional “layer of red tape” for local business owners in Maywood.

“I’m thinking of those individuals who own storefront properties and are trying to pay [high property taxes],” Brandon said during Tuesday’s meeting. “This makes it more difficult for them to find a tenant for their locations.”

Booker pointed to Trustee Reyes-Plummer’s memo indicating that special consideration might be given to fast-food restaurants during the six-month moratorium.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Joe Wilson, the owner of T&JJ’s Supreme Steaks and Catering Maywood, told board members that he felt they were acting without considering the voices of local businesspeople.

“Is there anybody from the business committee on this committee? I’d like to know

that,” Wilson said. “Because what I’m hearing is you’re blocking the business committee out.”

Trustee Antonio Sanchez, who co-chairs the ordinance committee alongside Reyes-Plummer and whose family owns Mariella’s Banquets in Maywood, said the village’s current ordinances don’t have effective regulations that would prevent hair salons, barbershops and similar businesses from clustering in certain areas.

The village of Maywood is exploring the possibility of “Our goal is not to not issuing a six-month moratorium on the issuance of have development continue, our goal is to rectify ordi- business licenses for barbershops, hair and nail salons, nances so we have a better banquet halls and fast-food restaurants. comprehensive plan in the File future,” Sanchez said.

Michael Jurusik, the village’s attorney, said that before a moratori- of Class M liquor licenses, which are given um can be implemented, the village must exclusively to video gaming establishments. hold a public hearing and adopt an ordi- That moratorium lasted for more than a nance. Jurusik said the proposed morato- year, with the board lifting it in August 2018.

The village board plans to hold a public rium, if it’s implemented, would not be the hearing on the proposed moratorium during first such measure in the village.

For instance, in December 2016, the vil- a meeting on March 22. lage imposed a moratorium on the issuance CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

Avenue. About 27 percent said they would like to see a fast casual restaurant on Taft.

Sixty percent of respondents said they use the Prairie Path for running and walking, 25% said they use the path for cycling. Meanwhile, around 80% said they would like to see a farmers market in the study area.

Most survey respondents said they would like to see better lighting and trail maintenance in the area for cyclists and pedestrians, with respondents indicating that more benches and landscape improvements were their most important streetscape priorities for the area.

During her presentation before the Berkeley board on March 1, Katie Piotrowska, an associate planner with CMAP who along with Manno drafted the plan, said that the plan focuses on four main areas: economic development, transportation, placemaking and natural resources.

According to 2020 data analyzed by CMAP, there are about 2,500 residents living in the corridor area, with an unemployment rate of about 11%, a per capita income of around $29,300 and a median household income of about $62,400. There are 23 total businesses in the area employing 214 people.

“In order to prosper economically, the Taft Avenue corridor needs a mix of housing, offices, shops and restaurants,” the plan states.

Manno and Piotrowska said it’s important the villages figure out ways of enhancing the corridor without depending on conventional, car-oriented development measures; instead, development should be focused on increased

foot and bike traffic.

Some of their recommendations include installing a sidewalk on both sides of Coolidge Avenue and on Electric Avenue east of Coolidge in order to improve pedestrian access to the corridor area.

They also recommended engaging the Berkeley Community Garden Club and members of the Illinois Prairie Path as part of an initiative to plant more deep-rooted native plants in the corridor area, which would help mitigate flooding. Deep-root native plants help water filter into the ground slowly and minimize stormwater runoff, the plan states.

The planners also recommended that village officials prioritize planting oak trees, which comprise the majority of the region’s tree canopy and provide important habitats for a diverse population of animals and pollinators.

Overall, the planners provided 16 recommendations in the four focus areas, which can be implemented over a range of time periods: near term (one year), mid-term (two to five years) and long-term (ongoing).

While the draft plan was met with enthusiasm by the Berkeley board, about a dozen community members gathered for an informational session about an hour before the March 1 board meeting to express their dissatisfaction with how the plan was communicated.

The majority of those residents at the meeting said they hadn’t heard much about the plan before the board was set to vote on its adoption. Some residents expressed par-

ticular concern about some of the concrete recommendations in the plan, such as the sidewalk installation. The concerned residents wanted to make sure that people within the study area who might be affected by future projects are informed about them and have the opportunity to provide feedback.

Manno said that the pandemic presented some unique challenges during the community outreach process, which was largely done remotely. Meanwhile, Tim Chmura, a member of the steering committee, said during the informational session that even relatively robust communications initiatives, such as a survey administered by the Berkeley Park District and delivered to every household in the village, can only go so far.

He said that survey only yielded, at most, a few hundred responses.

“We felt we did what we could, but if it wasn’t enough, we have to acknowledge that,” Manno said.

During their presentation before the board, Manno and Piotrowska assured community members that the plan up for adoption is only meant to be a launching pad for future development measures. Any projects that may emanate from the plan’s recommendations, such as installing sidewalks, would be subject to additional community outreach, village board vetting, zoning and other processes.

Read the full article online at vfpress.news.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

Former House Speaker Michael Madigan indicted

Madigan says government is ‘attempting to criminalize’ job recommendations

By BETH HUNSDORFER & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – In a 106-page, 22-count indictment, federal prosecutors painted a picture of former House Speaker Michael Madigan as the leader, along with a longtime confidante, of a sweeping criminal enterprise that influenced legislation for personal power and financial gain.

“The Madigan Enterprise,” as prosecutors called it in the document filed Wednesday, March 2, benefitted from Madigan’s position as a Democratic ward committeeman, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois and law partner at Madigan & Getzendanner.

In those capacities, Madigan, either personally or through confidante Michael McClain, is accused of guiding the enterprise’s illegal activities to punish opponents and reward loyalists, all while generating money for him and other members of the criminal enterprise, according to the indictment and comments from U.S. Attorney John Lausch Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois.

The feds accused Madigan of using intermediaries, falsifying documents, meeting in-person and using third-party phones to avoid detection by federal agents, as well as speaking in coded language to protect the conspiracy.

But the former speaker still vehemently denied wrongdoing in a statement distributed by his lawyers, Sheldon Zenner and Gil

Soffer of the Katten law firm.

“I was never involved in any criminal activity,” Madigan said in a statement distributed by the law firm. “The government is attempting to criminalize a routine constituent service: job recommendations. That is not illegal, and these other charges are equally unfounded.”

The statement directly contradicted claims made publicly in the indictment and

by Lausch at a news conference announcing the charges on March 2.

Madigan and the enterprise are accused of receiving bribes and “unlawful personal financial advantage(s)” from parties that had business with the state and city of Chicago. Madigan’s power to pass or kill legislation in the General Assembly, along with his control over resources through his various positions of power, were used to entice financial rewards from third parties, according to the allegations.

In that effort, the enterprise used “threats, intimidation, and extortion to solicit benefits from private parties,” and used facilities of interstate commerce to further the goals of the enterprise, another federal crime, according to the indictment.

Madigan, 79, and McClain, 74, both face charges of racketeering, conspiracy, bribery

and wire fraud. Madigan faces additional charges for attempted extortion.

While the sprawling indictment outlines wire taps and email conversations and even directly quotes the former speaker, Madigan’s lawyers said in a statement, “neither the law nor the facts support these baseless charges, and the evidence will prove it.”

“Throughout my 50 years as a public servant, I worked to address the needs of my constituents, always keeping in mind the high standards required and the trust the public placed in me,” Madigan said, according to the statement. “I adamantly deny these accusations and look back proudly on my time as an elected official, serving the people of Illinois.”

The indictment detailed several schemes attributed to the Madigan Enterprise.

The first involved Chicago-based electric company Commonwealth Edison, or ComEd. Many of those details had already been made public in a deferred prosecution agreement the company entered into in July 2020.

In another scheme detailed in the indictment, Madigan sought an introduction from Chicago Alderman Danny Solis to a multiunit apartment developer that was seeking a favorable zoning decision from Solis’ committee. Madigan was allegedly seeking business for his private law firm from the developer identified only as Company C. The feds alleged that on June 23, 2017, Solis told Madigan, “I think they understand how this works, you know, the quid pro quo, the quid pro quo,” in reference to the apartment developer. Madigan allegedly responded, “Okay…Very good.”

On July 18, 2017, Madigan allegedly told Solis privately not to use the term “quid pro quo.”

“You’re just recommending … because if they don’t get a good result on their real estate taxes, the whole project will be in trouble… Which is not good for your ward.

So you want high quality representation,” Madigan is quoted as saying in the indictment.

Then there was the parking lot in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood.

In 2017, a group of real estate developers, identified only as Group A in the indictment, was involved in the development of a large commercial development that would include a hotel in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. But the development group needed a parking lot that was owned by the state.

Madigan agreed to use his position as speaker of the House to assist with the transfer of the Chinatown parcel, according to the indictment. In exchange, legal work would be steered to his private law firm, Madigan & Getzendanner, which would generate legal fees that personally benefitted Madigan.

When two legislators opposed the transfer of the Chinatown parcel, Madigan suggested sending a delegation from Chinatown to visit two state senators to persuade them to remove their opposition, according to the indictment.

In November, Secretary of State Jesse White’s Office received letters from business owners in Chinatown, opposing the transfer.

Madigan advised that the bill to transfer the land would not go forward during the veto session, but he would attempt to try to get it through the legislature in May 2019.

Madigan’s arraignment is scheduled for March 9.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

State health director Ezike to step down March 14 Pritzker declares March 1 ‘Dr. Ngozi Ezike Day’ in Illinois

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans.

Ezike, who was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became a widely recognized public figure in the state as the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life across the globe.

“There is something particularly heroic about the service of an extraordinary individual who did not seek greatness, but found it anyway,” Gov. JB Pritzker said, proclaiming March 1 “Dr. Ngozi Ezike Day” in

Illinois.

Beginning with daily updates in March 2020, Ezike appeared at more than 160 COVID-19-related news conferences alongside the governor, putting a public face on the medical side of the state’s executive branch-driven pandemic response.

“IDPH consists of a team of unsung heroes, that by nature and definition works behind the scenes, who’s committed to public health. And that commitment gave me strength every day,” she said.

Pritzker said the department will be led in the interim by Dr. Amaal Tokars, an IDPH top deputy who has at times appeared next to the governor at his news conferences as well.

Ezike thanked her family for “tolerating the absences” over the past two years.

“You have stood by and you have supported me and you’ve not complained and you have made dinners and you’ve done all the

pickups and the drop-offs,” Ezike said. “But now it’s time for me to make you my priority.

And give back a portion of the attention and the encouragement and the support that you lavished on me.”

An emotional Ezike thanked the governor and the people of Illinois for giving her strength in a difficult time.

“I acknowledge and mourn with the families of all the lives lost not just to COVID, but to gun violence, to suicide, to drug overdose, to racism, to cancer, and all the other diseases and ills that public health officials and all of our partners work tirelessly to curb,” she said.

Ezike also said that while the statewide indoor mask mandate was lifted as of Monday, it’s important to be respectful of Illinoisans who still choose to wear face coverings for medical or other reasons.

“We have embarked on a new chapter in our COVID journey, and I just want to high-

light that as the mask requirement has been lifted it does not mean that it’s not recommended,” she said. “And as we think about our individual situations…It may absolutely be the case that you are an individual either because of your own self-assessment… or because of those that you live with, that you will continue to wear a mask.”

Ezike said declining COVID-19 transmission rates and hospitalizations, as well as increasing vaccination rates, are leading to a lull in the pandemic that created a window for her to step down.

“I’m hoping that with all the vaccinations and the therapeutics that are available that we will have, you know, a quiet spring.

Spring and summer have typically been stable times. So this is my chance,” she said.

She said IDPH will continue to monitor for future surges and adapt accordingly.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

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Pay range $13-$20 per hour MEMORIAL PARK DISTRICT EISENHOWER COMMUNITY CENTER, HILLSIDE 60162

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC DBA CHAMPION MORTGAGE COMPANY; Plaintiff, vs.

UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF CLOTILDE PAGAN, DECEASED; MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS MORTGAGEE AS NOMINEE FOR GN MORTGAGE CORPORATION A WISCONSIN CORPORATION ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS; THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; CHARLENE PAGAN; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF ANTONIO N. PAGAN, JR., DECEASED; GERALD NORDGREN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF CLOTILDE PAGAN, DECEASED; Defendants, 21 CH 2486 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 12-33-103-030-0000.

Commonly known as 10016 West Medill Avenue, Melrose Park, IL 60164.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a 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: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 21-006582 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3188800 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC Plaintiff, -v.JARRETT ARTIS, JASMINE ARTIS, SHAWN ARTIS, DE’VANCE ARTIS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF JEREMIAH ARTIS, IF ANY, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, JULIE FOX, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF JEREMIAH ARTIS, DECEASED Defendants 20 CH 01316 612 FREDERICK AVENUE 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 February 7, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 11, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 612 FREDERICK AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-09-304-0500000 The real estate is improved with a red brick, one story single family home, detached two car garage.

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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition.

The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

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. 20-03098IL_604015 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 20 CH 01316 TJSC#: 42-723 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 # 20 CH 01316 I3188855

605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 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. 14-20-04587 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2020CH05250 TJSC#: 42-409 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 # 2020CH05250 I3189278

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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, 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. 14-20-06225 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2021CH03858 TJSC#: 41-3453 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 # 2021CH03858 I3187908

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION CITIBANK, N.A., NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF THE NEW RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2019-6 Plaintiff, -v.LOUIS SIPP, VILLAGE OF BELLWOOD, STATE OF ILLINOIS - DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, COOK COUNTY ASSESSOR’S OFFICE Defendants 2020CH05250 3521 ADAMS 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 January 7, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 11, 2022, 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 3521 ADAMS STREET, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-16-110-0260000 The real estate is improved with a 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST Plaintiff, -v.LINDA FITZGERALD, AS INDEPENDENT EXECUTOR OF THE ESTATE OF ELAINE E. KOVESKI, LINDA FITZGERALD, GENE A. KOVESKI, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF ELAINE E. KOVESKI, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2021CH03858 1332 HAASE AVE WESTCHESTER, IL 60154 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 9, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 28, 2022, 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 1332 HAASE AVE, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154 Property Index No. 15-20-111-0490000

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR LSRMF MH MASTER PARTICIPATION TRUST II Plaintiff, -v.REMIRRA JACKSON, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF REGINA L. JACKSON, DAMON RITENHOUSE, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR REGINA L. JACKSON (DECEASED) Defendants 2019CH01782 2006 SOUTH 1ST 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 January 3, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 5, 2022, 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 2006 SOUTH 1ST AVENUE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-14-323-0380000 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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real es-

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE tate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition.

The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 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. 14-19-01081 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH01782 TJSC#: 42-197 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 # 2019CH01782 I3188238

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION COMMUNITY LOAN SERVICING, LLC; Plaintiff, vs.

UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF DOLORES H. SIMON; HARVARD HOUSE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; PORTFOLIO RECOVERY ASSOCIATES, LLC; JOSEPH FRANK SIMON; JULIE FOX, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF DOLORES H. SIMON; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 15020 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, March 28, 2022 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-12-434-046-1003.

Commonly known as 300 Circle Avenue, Unit 2A, Forest Park, IL 60130.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455.

W19-1100 ADC INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3187570

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION BAYVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC; Plaintiff, vs.

UNKOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF WILLIE G. HENRY; FLORENCETTA HENRY; TCF NATIONAL BANK; ANITA HENRY; COURTNEY HENRY; EBONEE HENRY; MERCEDES HENRY; TIARA HENRY; JACK LYDON, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF WILLIE G. HENRY; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF FLORENCETTA HENRY, IF ANY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 17 CH 13529 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, March 28, 2022 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-09-315-063-0000.

Commonly known as 635 Rice Avenue, Bellwood, IL 60104.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a 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: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 360-9455.

W17-0871 ADC INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3187561

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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Village Free Press | March 9, 2022

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