the village free press Vol. III No. 33
In Maywood, Sen. Durbin, Loyola unite against gun violence, PAGE 8
D209 admin’s salary bump prompts backlash Union workers, board members lambaste $24K pay raise By MICHAEL ROMAIN
AUGUST 14, 2019
theVillageFreePress.org
Taste of Bellwood a hit, PAGE 6
HOLDING COURT: Susie Lewis, seen with her great-greatgreat grandson, 2-year-old Isaiah Jackson, of Dolton, during a birthday bash in Maywood on Aug. 10, turned 108 the next day. Lewis is Maywood’s oldest resident. Read more on page 3. SHANEL ROMAIN
Editor
During a July 16 regular meeting, the Proviso Township High Schools District 209 Board of Education approved raises and promotions for three high-level administrators, each of whom will assume additional responsibilities. But the raise of one administrator struck a chord with some dissenting board members and lower paid workers. The three raises also generated considerable back-and-forth between some board members about the appropriateness of administrative pay, with claims of board micromanagement reminiscent of those made back in April 2018 — the last time D209 Superintendent Jesse Rodriguez proposed substantial staff restructuring See PAY RAISE on page 4
Westlake poised to close after bankruptcy filing Pipeline Health says hospital is 80% underutilized
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
A bankruptcy filing on Aug. 6 and a Crain’s report on Aug. 7 about an internal memo from hospital executives ordering
the facility to be emptied of admitted patients, has Westlake Hospital, 1225 W. Lake St. in Melrose Park, on the verge of permanently closing. As of Saturday afternoon, however,
the hospital was still open — a steady stream of patients flowing in and out of the professional building. An ambulance was parked outside of the building. And a See WESTLAKE BANKRUPTCY on page 3
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PROVISO TOWNSHIP’S COMMUNITY BANK 1759 N. Mannheim Rd. | Stone Park, IL 60165 708-483-0030 | www.provisobank.com Proviso Community Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company.