10 Village Free Press | June 2017
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Montego Bay brings the Caribbean islands to Bellwood
Owner Kertis Willie, a native of St. Lucia, treats his customers like family By MARSHELLE SANDERS Village Free Press Intern
Kertis “Luchie” Willie (his middle name is pronounced loo-chee), never really imagined that he would own a restaurant. A native of the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Willie migrated to the United States in 2004 to pursue a career as a biomedical technician. Nearly 20 years later, Willie owns Montego Bay Restaurant & Grill, located at 700 Bellwood Ave. in Bellwood. When took over the restaurant in 2011, he didn’t expect that he would be responsible for a business that had fallen on hard times. “The place was literally shut down but that’s not what the previous owner told me,” Willie said during a recent interview inside of the colorful establishment, which is festooned with the flags of various island nations. “I ended up having to buy him off and that’s how I ended up with the place,” he said. “I kept the name because it had been here for over five years before I bought it and it had an established clientele.” Along with the restaurant’s distressed condition, Willie also had to contend with the many young people who would sometimes crowd within proximity of his store. “When I started the place, I wanted to transform it and embrace the youth and at-risk teenagers,” he said. “Sometimes when you ignore them it makes the situation worse. I try to be a father figure to them. I talk to them. They’re easy to talk to. People think they’re bad but they’re not bad.” By embracing the young people, Willie gained strong bonds and lifetime relationships. Recently, he said, a former Bellwood resident stopped by the restaurant to let Willie
know about her graduation from Illinois State University and is looking to complete her master’s degree at DePaul University next semester. “A lot of young people who have graduated from college come back to say hello,” he said. “They were kids coming in to buy fries and would get off the school bus. The police didn’t want them hanging around and fighting. I used to make them come inside and hang out for a little bit and then I would send them straight home.” Over the years, Willie said, Montego Bay has become a community hub, attracting people of diverse personal backgrounds and cultures. At the center of everything, of course, is the food — jerk wings, jerk catfish, oxtail, grilled red snapper, curry goat and jerk ribs cooked in an authentic Caribbean style that is both unique and inviting. “We have people from Belize, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Trinidad, you know, so we bring those food cultures together,” Willie said, adding that the restaurant will soon start serving jerk salads. “Some countries prepare their food differently but they have a taste from each island blended in one plate,” Willie said. “It’s a taste of the Caribbean and it’s authentic. We come in the morning and prepare the food fresh every day. We want to make our customers happy with their food. We want to prepare it the way they’re used to eating it.” To create a lively and welcoming atmosphere for his customers, Willie hosts a Domino Hang Out night on Friday and Saturday nights. The wholesomeness works to crowd out any negative elements that may ward off business. It also helps that the Bellwood police are fans of the restaurant. “Bellwood police officers come in on the regular,” Willie said. “They’re the best thing you can find around a business because if someone is up to something, that person will think twice before they do anything. It’s not bad when you see the police. It’s a good thing. We make everybody feel safe and comfortable.” Willie said he has a few words of advice for anyone who wants
ST. LUCIA PROUD: Kertis Willie inside of Montego Bay Restaurant & Grill in Bellwood.
MARSHELLE SANDERS/VFP
to open a restaurant of his or her own: Do your homework. “You have to do your research on where you want to open the restaurant,” he said. “Make sure all of your legal stuff is together. It will cost you a little money but it will save you in the end.” Montego Bay Restaurant & Grill is open Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information about prices and the menu, call (708) 547-4625. Michael Romain contributed to this report. CONTACT: thevillagefreepress@gmail.com
SCHOOLS roundup Proviso West gets new ‘turnaround principal’ During a June 13 regular meeting, the Proviso Township High Schools District 209 school board unanimously approved the hiring of Nia Abdullah as the principal at Proviso West High School in Hillside. Abdullah will replace the school’s outgoing principal, Oscar Hawthorne, starting June 19. Her starting salary is $156,960. Abullah is currently the principal of Bowen High School, a 4-year public school within the Chicago Public Schools system. Abdullah is a 1998 graduate of Howard, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also has a Doctor of Education in Urban Education Leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education.
Bellwood D88 fires HR director Last month, the newly configured Bellwood District 88 school board voted 6 to 1 to place Supt. Rosemary Hendricks on paid administrative leave “pending investigation.” Former board president Marilyn Thurmond was the only dissenting vote. This month, the district’s human resources director, Dr. Kisha McCaskill, got the axe. In addition to her HR job McCaskill had also held down a full-time job as executive director of the Harvey Park District. Her husband, Anthony McCaskill, was the park district board president. McCaskill is also a member of the Harvey School District 152 school board. As with the Hendricks vote, Thurmond was the only member to vote against McCaskill’s termination. Board member Annie Copeland wasn’t present for the vote.
Roosevelt Elementary in Broadview gets new principal
Proviso’s Class of 2017 graduates, earns over $30M in scholarships
During a June 8 regular meeting, the Maywood-Melrose Park-Broadview District 89 school board voted to approve the hiring of Kimberly Wright as the new principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Broadview. Wright will replace Patrick Keller by the fall 2017-18 school year. Wright has taught for 23 years, including nine years at the preschool level, during which she served as director of the Lutheran Day Nursery in Chicago, according to a recent statement released by the district. Wright spent another 14 years teaching at the Kindergarten, first-, second-, third- and fourth-grade levels at numerous schools in the Chicago Public Schools system and UNO charter school network.
On May 20, the Proviso Township High School District 209’s Class of 2017 strolled across the stage at the University of IllinoisChicago Pavilion and into a world of opportunity. The more than 800 graduates, from Proviso East High School, Proviso West High School and Proviso Math and Science Academy graduates, accepted their diplomas in front of a crowd of over 7,000 supporters. Collectively, they earned over $30 million in scholarships and have accumulated acceptance letters to over 100 different universities, school officials said. The ceremony featured keynote addresses given by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Bridget Lewis, a business strategist and Proviso East graduate. CONTACT: thevillagefreepress@gmail.com