Village Free Press_082121

AUGUST 18, 2021

Vol. V No. 33 Susie Lewis turns 110 PAGE 2

vfpress.news

State launches site showing nursing home vaccination data

Orlando and Lashay Williams in front of their Nova at the Taste of Bellwood’s annual car show. Read more about the show on page 9.

Michael Romain

As thousands flock to festivals, joy mixes with Covid caution

According to state data, Aperion Care Westchester has highest vaccine rate among residents, staff at nursing homes in the area listed in the database

Westchester Fest, Taste of Bellwood establishes sense of normalcy, but some still anxious about Delta variant

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

State officials recently released a new website showing the percentage of residents and staffers who are vaccinated at See VACCINATIONS on page 3

Choose an account you can rely on.

See Westchester Fest photos, PAGE 13-14

Over the weekend, thousands of people gathered at numerous family-friendly outdoor events across Proviso Township, most of them drawn out of their homes by the return of the popular Westchester Fest and

the Taste of Bellwood.

Both events have been happening simultaneously since Friday and are scheduled to end today.

For the events’ many attendees, they represented a return to something resembling normalcy since the pandemic halted daily life in March 2020, resulting in the cancellation of many community gatherings, including these two major events.

“This feels great,” said Kristin Creaney, 44, on Saturday. “We’re so excited.”

Creaney walked with her young son, Memphis, on the grounds of the Westchester Fest, held in the parking lot of the newly purchased Village Hall facility at 2305 En-

terprise Drive.

“I’ve been going to this my whole life, since I was 13 years old,” said Creaney, of Westchester. “My middle child is almost 15.

He came last night with his friends and it was just like old times.”

“It’s good to be outside — it feels wonderful,” Westchester resident Debbi LaRocco said, as she watched her family rush down the giant slide at the Fest.

Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey said this year’s Taste is back stronger than ever. This year’s event, as in years past, was held on Washington Boulevard, between 25th and Eastern avenues.

“We had one of the best Stepping of the See FESTIVAL CAUTION on page 8

GET

$

300

1

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.

2

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

VILLAGE people the village free press Editor & Publisher Michael Romain Senior Sales & Strategic Consultant Kamil Brady Editorial Designer Andrew Mead Advertising Design Support Mark Moroney, Javier Govea 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

Maywood matriarch Susie Lewis turns 110 In 2019, when she turned 108, Susie Lewis was feted by about 100 family members who packed into the gymnasium at the Maywood Park District, 921 S. 9th Ave. — all of them there to honor the woman they call Grandma Sue. In 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the globe, Lewis turned 109 — meaning she’d lived to see her second pandemic.

This time, in lieu of packing a gymnasium, Lewis’ family took precautions. They masked up and threw her a car caravan as she waved from a window inside of her Maywood home.

Below the window, a large poster showed the matriarch as a slightly younger, but no less sassy and whip sharp, woman.

This year, Lewis, still around and sharp as ever, sat masked on the lawn of her home for an outdoor birthday gathering held Aug. 14.

At 110, she looks no different from two years ago, when she first appeared in our pages.

New Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker was among those paying tribute to Lewis.

Brandon Ison, a reporter for WBBM Newsradio, was also in

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY: Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker with Susie Lewis during her birthday celebration in Maywood on Aug. 14. Below left, Lewis with her great-greatgrandson in 2019. photo courtesy Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker

attendance to capture the momentous occasion.

“The fire department and police in Maywood circled a neighborhood block Saturday in a parade celebrating the birthday of Illinois’ oldest resident,” Ison reported.

Lewis had a pretty weighty conversation with Ison about the state of today’s world and spent some time with her family, “which includes ‘She also spent time with her family, which includes “5 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren and there are some great-greatgreats even after that,’ Lewis’ great-granddaughter Sarah told WBBM Newsradio.”

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.

File photo

© 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

Meet Jeff Sanders, Bellwood’s watermelon man Corporations aren’t the only ones that pivoted during the pandemic. Jeff Sanders, 75, found himself unemployed when the General Motors auto manufacturing plant he works for shut down.

Since then, the 30-year Bellwood resident said he’s been living on savings he accumulated and on sheer entrepreneurialism.

“You don’t go out of work when you work for yourself,” Sanders said on Aug. 14.

He was sitting in his Chevy pickup that was parked in the lot of Club 717, 717 Bellwood Ave., as his helper, Lloyd Lewis Boyd, stood outside by a mound of watermelons piled in the truck’s bed.

Sanders regularly drives to his native Mississippi, where the watermelons are grown, and brings them back to sell.

His family migrated from Yazoo County, Mississippi when he was just a teenager. He grew up on the West Side and graduated from Farragut High School.

Sanders said he’s been selling watermelons from his pickup truck for about a decade, but his passion for the fruit is much older — so old that the autoworker doesn’t need a sales pitch, because he relies on his wisdom.

“How do you know when a watermelon is ripe?” I ask him, before he cuts a side eye and a large, knowing grin.

Sanders said his technique isn’t to tap the outside or look for the color. Despite what you may have been told, there’s not much to that, he insists.

“How do you know how deep the sea is before you go in it?”

Meaning, it’s almost impossible to really tell a watermelon’s

HOMEGROWN: Jeff Sanders sits in his pickup truck in Bellwood on Aug. 14.

Michael Romain

ripeness without cracking it open, he said. And that’s what he does in Mississippi. He finds a batch he has his eye on, picks out several in the group and cracks them open. The sign is in the flesh, not the skin.

Sanders said he sells each watermelon for $8 each. He’ll typically sell the fruit all the way until around September, parking his pickup not just in Bellwood, but at other locations in Chicago and the suburbs.

In the cabin of his truck, there was a large mound of greens.

How much for those?

“Those aren’t for sale,” he said, laughing. “I’m bringing those home to my wife.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

NEWS briefs vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

VACCINATIONS Data available online from page 1 Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing homes Illinois.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which administers the online database and is one of several agencies responsible for regulating longterm care facilities in the state, let the public know about the COVID-19 database on Aug. 4.

As of Aug. 9, the data was last updated on Aug. 5, but most current data was available through July 25, IDPH officials said.

The facilities listed on the website’s database are required to report vaccinations of residents and staff to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is where the IDPH data comes from.

There are five facilities in the Village Free Press coverage area, including one in Forest Park. Data for one facility — Oakridge Health Center, 323 Oakridge Ave. in Hillside — was missing.

For the other five facilities in which vaccination data is available, percentages ranged the gamut. Ascension Casa Scalabrini, 480 N. Wolf Rd. in Northlake, had the highest rate of both residents and staffers who have been vaccinated: 92% and 94%, respectively.

Meanwhile, Aperion Forest Park, 8200 W.

Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park, had the lowest rate of residents and staffers who have been vaccinated: 55% and 40%, respectively.

At most of the facilities, the percentage of residents vaccinated vastly exceeded the percentage of staffers vaccinated.

The percentage of residents at the Pearl of Hillside, 4600 N. Frontage Rd. in Hillside, and Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, 701 W. North Ave. in Melrose Park, was 74% and 76%, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of staffers vaccinated at those facilities was 55% and 48%, respectively.

At Aperion Care Westchester, 2901 S. Wolf Rd. in Westchester, there was relative parity, with 72% of residents having been vaccinated and 76% of staffers having been vaccinated.

According to data available through the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network Long Term Care Facility COVID-19 Module, 82% of residents in regulated long-term care facilities in the United States are vaccinated while 60% of staffers in those facilities are vaccinated.

“CMS recognizes that nursing home staff are on the front lines of keeping this population safe, and that vaccination is a key component of doing so,” a CMS spokesperson said. “The agency remains dedicated to ensuring nursing home staff and residents have the information they need to improve vaccination rates.”

The new IDPH data website features an interactive map where users can view staff and resident vaccination percentages. They

3

KEEPING TRACK: The Pearl of Hillside, 4600 N. Frontage Rd. in Hillside, is among the nursing facilities listed in a new state database showing staff and resident vaccinations at nursing facilities in Illinois.

File

can also view weekly confirmed cases, total confirmed cases and weekly COVID-19 deaths on the site, among other features.

“To help keep long-term care residents as safe and healthy as possible, we want to make sure residents and their loved ones know the vaccination rates where they reside so they can make the best decision on where to live, and also advocate for increased vaccination rates,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

“Some of our most vulnerable residents live in long-term care facilities and in order to better protect them, COVID-19 vaccination rates in many facilities, especially among staff, need to increase,” she added.

“The vaccine is the primary way to get to the other side of this pandemic. We need to continue to reduce the spread of the virus by wearing a mask and getting as many residents and staff vaccinated as soon as possible.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

PLCCA AND FREE COVID CARE GIVING FREE RAPID TESTING Free Rapid Testing will be given daily at PLCCA, 411 West Madison Street in Maywood Monday thru Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM. No insurance or appointments needed.

PLCCA Y COVID CARE GRATIS DANDO PRUEBAS RÁPIDAS GRATIS Los exámenes rápidos gratuitos se realizarán todos los días en PLCCA, 411 West Madison Street en Maywood, de lunes a viernes de 8 A.M. A 6 P.M. No se necesita seguro ni citas.

4

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

D209 supt.’s former district dismantled, taken over by state Holmes County district, where Dr. James Henderson served, suing state over takeover attempt

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

The Mississippi school district that District 209 Supt. James Henderson led just before coming to Proviso has been dismantled and taken over by the state, according to a report by nonprofit outlet Mississippi Today.

The news coming out of Mississippi, while distant, resonates within D209, which itself is only a few years removed from partial state oversight. D209 Board President Rodney Alexander, however, lambasted any connection between Holmes County and Proviso as overdrawn and simplistic.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, signed the declaration allowing the district to be dismantled and taken over on Aug. 5, Mississippi Today reported.

“Interim superintendent Jennifer Wilson will take over, and the local school board will be disbanded,” the outlet reported. “The State Board of Education will act as the district’s governing body.”

Reeves’ decision comes months after the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor, Shad White, released an audit of the Holmes County district that examined practices and policies in place while Henderson was superintendent. Henderson was at Holmes from June 2018 to July 2020.

In a statement released in December, White said that the audit “reveals widespread problems.”

For instance, on page 33 of the nearly 400page audit report, state officials said Henderson failed to submit the fiscal year 2018 audit report by deadline and “failed to have a sound system of internal controls in place to ensure all assets were properly recorded according to the Financial Accounting Manual for Mississippi Public School Districts.”

The audit also found that the Holmes school district paid $4,200 for a party to celebrate a bond issue that didn’t pass and paid $14,000 to companies owned by Henderson’s relatives without proper disclosure to the board.

In December, Henderson disputed the auditors’ report with documentation of his own, explaining that some situations were exaggerated and mischaracterized.

For instance, Henderson said half of the $4,200 “was paid with funds raised by the community and half was paid for by the district,” according to previous Review reporting.

And addressing the contracts given to family members, Henderson said that since Holmes

County is small, there are only two restaurants in town, one of which is owned by his sister.

Henderson said, despite the auditor’s reporting that the board didn’t know it was his sister’s business. “The president of the board told the auditors, ‘Oh no, we all know this family. We know his parents and his siblings.’ Yet, [the auditors] published what they published,” Henderson said.

According to Mississippi Today, the dismantling of the Holmes County school district means that the district is now a “District of Transformation,” and “stands to lose its accreditation.

“School districts that lose accreditation are limited to participation in no more than half of the regular season of any athletic and extracurricular activities,” the outlet reported. “The activities’ schedule will also not include the opening day of the season or any type of post-season participation, according to the Mississippi Department of Education.”

Extracurricular groups like cheerleading, drill and dance teams can participate in district and state competitions, but aren’t eligible to receive ratings, Mississippi Today explained.

State oversight in Proviso wasn’t nearly as drastic, but the state’s influence was real. For 10 years, the D209 school board had to share authority with a Financial Oversight Panel.

Unlike with the Holmes County school district, which was taken over involuntarily and

whose board is currently suing the state to block the takeover, D209 invited state oversight after years of deficits, questionable contracts and uncontrolled spending, according to the description of a board member who served in the years just before 2009, when the oversight panel was established.

Last week, Alexander pushed back against claims that Holmes County has any relevance to Proviso, emphasizing that the state financial oversight is now a thing of the past.

“The FOP left in 2019, because it was time for them to go,” Alexander said. “They wanted a 5-year funded master facilities plan. We gave them that. They wanted a 5-year funded budget.

We gave them that. This board ran on financial transparency and getting them out of here.”

Alexander dismissed the Mississippi audit report, saying that it doesn’t prove Henderson did anything illegal, only covers part of his time as superintendent in Holmes and speaks more to the school board’s actions than to the superintendent’s.

“I could care less what goes on in Holmes County,” Alexander said. “Henderson’s gotten us a $10 million surplus in under a year … Financially, we’re fine. We’re at an all-time high.

Look at the man’s record since he’s been here.

Let’s judge him on what he’s done here. We didn’t pay him in Holmes County.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

OUT & About Bellwood designates honorary street signs for late officers On Aug. 9, the village of Bellwood held ceremonies for the dedication of two honorary street signs named after two late Bellwood Police officers.

A street sign for Officer James Davis was placed at the corner of 23rd Avenue and Randolph Street in the village.

Davis, a part-time member of the force, and his wife, Diva, were both fatally shot by their son, James Davis Jr., while visiting the 19-year-old at Central Michigan University.

Davis was a native of Bellwood who, along with serving as a part-time officer, also served in the U.S. military and the Illinois National Guard. He was also a

police officer at Hines V.A. Hospital.

An honorary street sign for veteran Bellwood Police Officer Joseph “Kenny” Beard went up at the corner of Grant and Zuelke.

Beard was a 15-year veteran of the Bellwood force who died suddenly in 2017.

Bellwood Police Chief Jiminiz Allen said on Aug. 11 that the honorary signs were in the works for a while.

“This was a collaborative effort between me and [Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey],” the chief said.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

HONORARY SIGNS: Loved ones of Joseph Beard (shown bottom right) and James Davis (bottom left) gathered with Bellwood Police officers and Mayor Andre Harvey, during an honorary street sign dedication on Aug. 9.

Village of Bellwood/Facebook

5

6

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

paid advertisement

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

7

State announces $250M business grant program

The ‘Back to Business’ grant application period opened Aug. 18

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

SPRINGFIELD – The state announced a $250 million “Back to Business” grant program aimed at assisting small businesses in the recovery from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic shutdowns.

The program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Joe Biden, and it includes specific set-aside amounts for certain uses. Those include $100 million for businesses in areas disproportionately impacted by the pandemic; $30 million for arts and entertainment businesses that haven’t received previous aid; $25 million for restaurants and taverns that didn’t receive money from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund; $25 million for hotels; and another $25 million for businesses that didn’t receive Business Interruption Grant funding.

The Business Interruption Grant program was funded through previous rounds of federal aid, distributing $580 million to

businesses and day cares. Gov. JB Pritzker said those grants helped more than 9,000 small businesses in 600 communities.

A statement from the governor’s office said the Back to Business, or B2B, program, is the “first in a series of economic recovery programs set to launch by the administration.” The program aims to allow companies to offset losses due to COVID-19 and bring back workers through grant funding that does not have to be repaid.

Pritzker also noted the state approved another $9 million investment in the Community Navigator program, helping to connect “underserved businesses” with the resources available.

“This localized personalized assistance will make this program more accessible for entrepreneurs who are eligible, yet may not know just where to get started or how to get started, whether it’s due to language or to staffing or any number of other reasons that shouldn’t be a barrier to receiving this kind of support,” Pritzker said.

The B2B funding will be administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which has a map of disproportionately impacted

areas and a list of other requirements on its website, //Illinois.gov/dceo.

The application period opens Aug. 18.

The grants are available to businesses with revenues of $20 million or less in 2019 that saw a reduction in revenue in 2020 due to COVID-19. Hotels with $35 million or less in revenue are eligible.

Grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 will be distributed on a rolling basis, based on the losses sustained, by DCEO through its grant administrator, Allies for Community Business.

Sylvia Garcia, acting director at DCEO, said at a news conference the state was

announcing the program a week early to “make sure everyone has time to ask questions and get their application materials in order.”

“It’s really important that this accessibility of the program and making sure businesses that have been most vulnerable have the time and space to gather the information that they need,” she said.

The Community Navigator program has 13 hubs across the state and more than 100 community partners, Garcia said.

“These folks are really going to be the boots on the ground working directly in communities and making sure that they’re reducing barriers for folks, whether it’s a language barrier, assistance with banks and tax documents or other technical assistance that’s needed as they prepare and submit their grant application for the Back to Business Program and hopefully other programs as they roll out,” she said.

Along with the Community Navigator program, DCEO said it will reach out to “anyone and everyone” to raise awareness for the grants, including “chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, legislators and many other partners from around the state.”

Loyola School Based Health Center at Proviso East

Are you up to date on your vaccinations?

Did you complete your school physical for the school year?

Come Get Your School Physical and Vaccines at Loyola School Based Health Center Call 708.499.9522 to register

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

8

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

FESTIVAL CAUTION

Delta variant on the mind from page 1 Stars we’ve ever had on Friday,” Mayor Harvey said during an interview on Saturday.

“There were maybe 8,000 to 10,000 people out last night. That’s the biggest Friday night crowd we’ve ever had,” the mayor added. “There are more food vendors than we’ve ever had, too. We’ve gotten nothing but rave reviews.”

For Westchester Village Manager Paul Nosek, the return of Westchester Fest this year was also a triumph. In years past, Nosek said, the event was held on the campus of St. Joseph High School in Westchester, which closed permanently earlier this year.

“With that being sold and getting developed, having the Fest there wasn’t an option,” Nosek said. “But I’ve heard people like the fact that the Fest is now on concrete and it’s easier to walk on. It provides a slightly better atmosphere. So far, we haven’t had any complaints.”

Amid the crowded jubilance, there was, however, a bit of anxiety about the resurgence of COVID-19 in the form of the Delta variant.

LaRocco said because of the uptick in Delta variant cases, she and her family have been “a little leery” of throwing caution to the wind.

FUN AND GAMES AND CONCERN: Community members at the Taste of Bellwood, left, and Westchester Fest on Aug. 14. Attendees expressed both relief to be out again and caution about the Delta variant.

Michael Romain

LaRocco’s concerns were also felt in the cautious optimism of some of the Fest’s vendors, who said that they were experiencing a resurgence in sales, but were a little anxious about how the Delta variant may affect their business in the weeks and months to come.

“People are spending more money than they’ve ever spent,” said William Melvin, who owns Oak Lawn-based Jump Start Novelties.

Melvin, who is semi-retired, sells his novelties, which include glow-in-the-dark wands and fidget spinners, at events across

the Chicago area.

“I was doing a fest that I’ve done in previous years and it did double,” Melvin said.

“Every fest I’ve been doing has doubled the revenue of [festivals] I’ve done in previous years. People are spending money.

“But I’m afraid now with the Delta variant that they might shut things down in the fall,” Melvin said. “We do a lot of fall festivals, so we’re a little worried about stocking inventory.”

Jeff and Kathy Nowicki, the married co-owners of J 4 Jumping Beans Party

and Event Rentals in Westchester, literally helped build out this year’s Westchester Fest. Their company provides things like tents, inflatable bounce houses, carnival games and slides.

The Nowickis said last year, they pivoted to providing materials for much smaller gatherings, such as backyard weddings and baby showers. They also benefited from increased demand for rentals related to drive-thru funerals.

“Those became commonplace,” said Jeff.

“We’d get hired to bring the tents, tables and chairs — same products, but for a whole different kind of event. It’s been a moment of reinventing every day.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

9

At Tastes of Bellwood, the car show takes the cake

Bellwood Mayor says annual show bigger and better than last year

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

This year’s Taste of Bellwood may have been the biggest one yet, said Bellwood Mayor Andre Harvey.

The annual event attracted “maybe 8,000 to 10,000 people” during the first day on Aug. 13, the mayor said.

Of course, there was food, which is always the main event at the Taste, where every dish is $3.

But this year’s Car and Bike Show was perhaps the event’s signature enhancement, with car enthusiasts coming from all over the Chicago area to participate.

Laura Lange, of Maywood, was out with her coral 1954 Nash Metropolitan.

“Think of this as the smart car from the 1950s,” she said. “They’re really tiny cars.

Most of the 1950s cars are huge, really large cars. I wanted a 1950s car that had all of the curves, but something that wasn’t too big. I

found this and said, ‘That’s my size. I want to get one.’”

Orlando and Lashay Williams, married car enthusiasts who also live in Maywood, were out showing off their classic Impala and Chevy Nova cars.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 14 or 15 years old,” said Orlando, 40.

He said the first classic car he refurbished was a 1985 Chevy Caprice.

“I guess you can say it was classic even back then,” he said.

The couple said they also own a stable of

Corvettes and even more Impalas, which they park at multiple properties they own.

If Mayor Harvey has his way, they may be able to bring even more cars next year.

“Today is the biggest car show we’ve ever had,” Harvey said on Saturday. “We have all types of cars — young, old, low-riders, classics, antiques — and all kinds of ethnicities of people and all ages.

Next year, the mayor said, he’s hoping it gets even bigger and even better.

“We want to cover all of this,” he said, pointing to the horizon. “We’re trying to go

TALK OF THE TOWN: A man on a bike inspects a classic car. Right, Laura Rogers in front of her 1954 Nash Metropolitan during the Bellwood Car and Bike Show on Aug. 14.

Michael Romain

all the way to 25th Avenue [the village limits].”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

Global Business Center has the solution for your business needs: When life throws you a financial challenge, you’ve proven you have what it takes to ace it.

Now it’s time to tackle your retirement savings at AceYourRetirement.org

• Coworking spaces • Conference room • Wi-fi, and more!

We’re located at 840 S 17th Avenue Maywood, IL 60153 For more information, go to www.globalbizctr.com

10

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

August 18-24

Big Week Back 2 School Bash

There’s a lot happening in Proviso Township this week. Here’s a small list of family friendly events taking place near you. If you’d like to add an event to Big Week, email us at: info@vfpress.news.

Create your own roller perfume On Thursday, Aug. 19, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Maywood Public Library, 121 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood, create your own roller perfume outside of the library. The activity may be canceled due to inclement weather. Registration is required. Register at: maywoodlibrary.org/happeningnow.

On Friday, Aug. 20, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the football stadium of Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St. in Hillside, District 209 will host its annual Back 2 School Bash. There will be food, book bags, haircuts, school supplies, COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 vaccinations, a live DJ, a gaming truck, dunk tank, face painting and more.

Coffee for Champions

District 89 Back to School Picnic On Saturday, Aug. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at

the Van Buren Family Education Center, 1204 Van Buren St. in Maywood, join District 89 for its 7th Annual Back to School Picnic. For more information, visit: maywood89.org.

Back 2 School Pull-Up Service On Sunday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m., in the parking lot of Proviso West High School, 4701 Harrison St. in Hillside, Pastor Teddy Matthews and Empowerment Church will host a Back 2 School Pull-up Service complete with live outdoor worship from your car or bring your own chair. There will also be a party in the parking lot after service featuring a live DJ, food, ice cream trucks, giveaways and more. For more information, visit empowerment.church.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

On Friday, Aug. 20, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., police officers from throughout the area will be posted on the rooftops of various Dunkin Donuts for the annual Coffee for Champions (formerly Cop on a Rooftop) fundraiser benefiting the Law Enforcement Torch Run — an event designed to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois. Check the Facebook page or website of your local police department to see if they’re participating.

SHAKESPEARE General Contracting

FALL ROOFING SALE: 30% OFF ALL SHINGLED ROOFS

enochshakespeare.es@gmail.com

ROOFING // SIDING // GUTTERS // TUCK-POINTING // DRYWALL & PAINTING // HARDWOOD FLOORS // SANDING & VARNISHING SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS // CONCRETE & ASPHALT TREE REMOVAL // SNOW PLOWING

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

11

12

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

vfpress.news

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

OUT & About TASTY: The annual Taste of Bellwood featured (clockwise from top right) carnival games, rides for kids, a bike show and dancers, among many others.

13

14

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

vfpress.news

HAVING A BLAST: Community members enjoyed themselves at Westchester Fest on Aug. 14. They included (clockwise from top right) Lorenzo Webber and family, Westchester Village President Frank Perry and family, residents going down a giant slide, Memphis Creaney and Westchester Boy Scouts.

OUT & About

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

15

Hunger strike for reparations ends, but not the journey

40 days on liquid diet raises awareness about H.R. 40

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

A woman who completed a hunger strike to help mobilize attention on reparations now has her sights set on the American South.

Rachelle Zola, 72, started her hunger strike on May 16 to raise awareness about and support for H.R. 40, a federal bill that’s been languishing in Congress for decades.

The bill, if it became law, would establish a commission to study reparations for Blacks.

Zola set up inside of Cosmopolitan United Church in Melrose Park for the duration of her fast, but she had spiritual and emotional support from many institutions in Oak Park and River Forest, including Dominican University.

In May, Amy Omi, the university minister for Liturgy and the Arts at Dominican, said Zola was “committed to the hunger strike for as long as her body can sustain it.”

Zola’s strike lasted 40 days.

“My liquid diet was water, about 40 to 50 ounces a day; a liter’s worth of Pedialyte; and bone broth,” Zola said. “I lost 23 pounds in 40 days, which was a lot less than I was

expecting to lose.”

She could have gone longer but said she made a conscious decision to end at 40 days in recognition of H.R. 40.

“I have this slogan: ‘Our mission is the commission,’” Zola said. “I want the commission established because I want one history and it needs to be told in its totality.

That’s my main focus as a white person. I want to give a national platform to African Americans, so they can share their full story.

“As far as reparations go, whatever they

Rachelle Zola, 72, went on a hunger strike to support the federal bill H.R. 40 Provided

tell us, I’ll support,” she said. “African Americans know what they need — I don’t.”

Juan Pablo Herrara, the pastor of Cosmopolitan United Church, said he hopes Zola’s efforts lead to more understanding of reparations.

SHE SNORES MORE THAN I DO, MORE BUTSHE I STILL SHE SNORES SNORES MORE LOVEI DO, MY BUT HUMAN. THAN ITHAN STILLI DO, BUT I STILL — BANDIT LOVE MY HUMAN.LOVE MY HUMAN. adopted 11-26-09 — BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

— BANDIT adopted 11-26-09

“What I’m hearing from people is they don’t understand what reparations mean,” he said. “They think it’s free handouts; it’s not. It’s talking about taking a look at America’s sin. We haven’t asked for forgiveness.”

Zola said she has now set her sights on traveling to Georgia and Alabama this month in order to learn about the experiences of white Evangelicals.

“I know I’m supposed to go there for the same reason I was supposed to come here,” said Zola, a native of New York who moved to Chicago in 2019.

“I want to hear their stories because I want to know what it will take for them to embrace reparations for African Americans and what that will look like for them. I’ll probably be there for a couple of months.

I want to go to churches to listen because there are a lot of churches grappling with this. They enslaved people and spread white supremacy and they are coming to terms with that.”

To her critics, particularly those who may have questioned her hunger strike, Zola said the mission is larger than her.

“People would tell me I’m crazy, but the world is crazy, I’m not,” she said. “I’m not the first one to do it and I won’t be the last.”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

16

vfpress.news

Village Free Press | August 18, 2021

There is still time to register for fall!

No matter who you are or what you aspire to be ...

There’s a place for you. triton.edu/fall

Trito n College is an E qua l Opp ortunity/A rma tive Ac tio n ins titu tion.

triton.edu

2000 Fifth Ave. River Grove, IL 60171 (708) 456-0300