Village Free Press_092221

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Vol. V No. 38 New Proviso East stadium gets a name, PAGE 10

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Maywood eyes new homeland security department

Northlake Police Chief Norm Nissen stands in front of the memorial to late Northlake Officers Anthony P. Pereri and John J. Nagle, Jr. Nissen is retiring at the end of the year.

Read more on page 3.

MICHAEL ROMAIN

Village board may put $25K toward helping to establish new Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

The village of Maywood is planning to create its own Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The plans have been in the works since at least June, when Kendall Silas, a Maywood native who works as a captain/training officer with the Bellwood Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, presented the proposal to the board.

Latinos most populous racial group in Proviso, census shows

New 2020 census data also showed decrease in white, Black and Asian populations

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Rolando Villegas, 37, attended Proviso

See HOMELAND SECURITY on page 6

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Mexican pride spreads across Proviso, PAGE 14

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East High School. He’s old enough to remember when the school was still predominantly Black.

Now, Proviso East — and, in fact, all of District 209 — is roughly 60% Latino, according to Illinois Report Card data.

A Village Free Press analysis of 2020 census data contained in recent Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) reports, Hispanics and Latinos like Villegas are now the biggest ethnic/racial group

in this newspaper’s nine-suburb Proviso Township readership area.

Between 2000 and 2020, the Latino population grew by 77% in the VFP readership area, going from 28,360 two decades ago to 50,205.

At the same time, 2020 census data shows that the populations of the three other major ethnic/racial groups in the VFP readership area — Blacks, whites and Asians — See CENSUS on page 7

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

OUT & About the village free press

Former Maywood mayor returns from ‘honor flight’ trip to Washington D.C.

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

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

Former Maywood mayor Henderson Yarbrough was among 114 veterans who took a trip to Washington D.C., as part of the Day of Honor — an initiative sponsored by Honor Flight Chicago.

Honor Flight sponsors the trip for veterans at no cost. During the Day of Honor, the veterans visit WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War memorials.

On its website, Honor Flight explains that the trip “is intended as a heartfelt thank you for their service and sacrifice from a grateful nation.”

Yarbrough, a Vietnam War veteran, served as an E-5 special-

ist in the U.S. Army. His wife, Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, was in the crowd at Midway Airport on Sept. 16 to welcome him home.

The former mayor said he was grateful for the support from volunteers during the trip.

“The people … were welcoming and all the volunteers were there to help,” he said.

“It means a whole lot to me, because he’s a veteran, my son’s a veteran, my father’s a veteran — we have so many veterans in our family,” said Clerk Yarbrough as she waited to greet her husband.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had this opportunity, so I’m excited, he’s excited and I can’t wait to see him come through the doors.”

In a statement, the clerk’s office explained that Honor Flight resumed its Day of Honor flights last month after taking a twoyear hiatus due to the pandemic.

Yarbrough said her office recently partnered with Honor Flight Chicago to offer all veteran participants free recording of their military certificate of release from active duty (DD-214) and enrollment in the clerk’s office’s Military and Veterans Discount Program.

Through the Discount Program, the clerk’s office provides veterans with a membership card that offers discounts on a wide range of services including food, auto repair, legal aid and fitness memberships, among others.

Berkeley announces 2001 scholarship winners The Village is pleased to announce Jorge Garcia and Alia Johnson as the winners of the 2021 Village scholarship program.

Jorge plans on attending University of Illinois at Chicago and Alia, the other winner, plans on attending Purdue University.

The Village of Berkeley offers two $500 scholarships to Berkeley students accepted into an accredited college or university. Applications for the next cycle of scholarships will be released in summer 2022.

Volunteers spruce up Maywood’s Peace Garden “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

A group of Americorps volunteers were on hand to help out in Maywood’s Peace Garden at the corner of 17th and Madison on Sept. 16, said Barbara Cole. Cole, the founder and director of Maywood Youth Mentoring, founded the garden as a way to beautify the village and give young people productive activities to do in the community. Cole said the volunteers were assigned to Housing Forward, a Maywood nonprofit that works to address housing insecurity throughout the West Side of Chicago and the west suburbs.

Cole said that medical students from Loyola worked in the garden during their day of service on Sept. 11.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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Northlake Police chief to retire at end of year

Chief Norm Nissen says he’s planning on starting a nonprofit after leaving the force

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

You might say that the Northlake Police Department runs in Chief Norm Nissen’s blood. His father was a police officer and Nissen’s own tenure with the department has stretched for more than half of his life.

In a few months, however, Nissen will be embarking on another period of his life when he retires at the end of this year. In an interview on Sept. 14, Nissen, 62, said that his retirement is effective Nov. 19.

At a meeting on Sept. 13, the Northlake City Council voted to retain the Illinois Police Chief Association to conduct a search for the suburb’s next police chief.

“They’ll vet the candidate to the specifications of the city and narrow the field down to probably between five and 10 candidates,” Nissen said. “What’s really nice about it is the next chief coming in will have 100% support of the elected officials.”

Nissen joined the Northlake Police Department 38 years ago. He was deputy chief for 25 years before becoming chief seven years ago.

He said he’s known that he’d retire for a while now and hopes to help the city transition to a new chief. Nissen said the city will appoint an acting chief while they’re looking for his replacement.

With Nissen’s pending retirement, Northlake becomes the third suburb in the nine-suburb Village Free Press readership area to have a vacancy at the top cop posi-

tion, joining Broadview and Maywood.

Nissen said he’s proud of his accomplishments as chief, perhaps primary among them being his push for the department to be more transparent.

“In 2015, we were one of the first in the area to have a transparency group that looked over our uses of force,” he said, adding that the group included five residents from different races and ethnicities.

“We had them look at our annual reports,” Nissen said. “It’s one thing to report to another police department or executive. In our case, we wanted to report directly to our citizens. So, they looked at use of force, pursuits, citizen complaints, racial stop data — things like that. I’m really, really proud of that.”

The Northlake Police Department is perhaps the only department in Proviso Township and one among a small number in the state that has been accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).

CALEA, a nongovernmental nonprofit organization, only gives accreditation to departments that have complied with a rigorous set of professional standards.

The Northlake Police Department has had CALEA accreditation since 2002 and has reapplied for the distinction every three or four years.

Nissen said in addition to the department’s commitment to transparency, he’s also proud of a monument to two late Northlake officers that was erected during his tenure as chief.

Both of the fallen officers — Ofc. Anthony P. Pereri and Det. Sgt. John J. Nagle, Jr. — were killed on duty during a shooting that happened on Oct. 27, 1967.

Nissen said both men served on the force back when his father was a Northlake police officer.

“I’m very proud of that monument,” Nissen said. “That was a really big deal for me.

We did a fundraiser and put that together.

We didn’t take any money from the city. We did it all grassroots.”

Chief Nissen said that, in a sense, his post-retirement will be a grassroots endeavor. Once he retires, he plans to start a nonprofit organization devoted to helping young people who have to do court-mandated community service.

“I’m gonna do stuff that will be similar to what I do now, which is try to help people,” Nissen said.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

Westchester Police on high alert after carjacking Chief assigning round-theclock patrols near Roosevelt and Westchester Boulevard

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

During a regular village board meeting on Sept. 16, Westchester Police officials outlined various strategies they’ve hatched to confront the rash of carjackings and violent crime that has taken place in the village recently.

Some of those strategies include hiring additional officers, looking to install surveillance cameras in certain criminal hotspots in town, conducting enhanced bike and ATV patrols, and perhaps the most vigilant measure of them all — assigning round-the-clock police patrol in Zone 1, near Roosevelt Road and Westchester Boulevard.

“I’m going to have an officer stationed in Zone 1, where the majority of all our attempts for carjacking or shots fired [have taken place],” said Westchester Police Chief Daniel Babich on Sept. 16. The chief added that carjackings haven’t been the only problem in the area.

Babich’s announcement came roughly a week after an aggravated carjacking took place at around 9:10 p.m. on Sept. 11, in the 900 block of Newcastle Avenue.

Police said a resident who lives on the block

was entering their vehicle, when they were approached by an unknown offender who displayed a handgun and demanded the victim turn over their automobile keys.

“The offender took the victim’s keys and entered the victim’s vehicle with two other unknown offenders,” police explained in a statement. “At this time, an acquaintance of the victim arrived on scene, observing the aggravated vehicular hijacking that was occurring. ““The acquaintance of the victim retrieved their legally possessed firearm. The acquaintance opened fire on the armed offenders, possibly striking one offender. The offenders then fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle; an unknown second vehicle also fled the scene along with the victim’s vehicle [southbound on] Newcastle [Avenue] toward Roosevelt [Road].”

Westchester Police said they discovered the stolen vehicle moments later in a nearby suburb. The vehicle was “occupied by one offender” who “appeared to have a gunshot wound.

The offender was treated on scene and then transported to the hospital.”

Babich told board members on Sept. 16 that the offender, who “was only 17 years old,” has since died.

The other gunmen involved in the carjacking “got away and left [the teenage victim] there to lay,” the chief said.

Babich said that a Westchester Police officer will be assigned to patrol the area near Roosevelt and Westchester “from dusk to

dark,” since a lot of the crime that’s reported happens from “around 8 p.m., 9 p.m. to 3 in the morning,” the chief said.

“I tell my officers to be careful out there, because if that one officer is by himself and he ends up pulling a car down with three guys in it who have guns — it could be a bad deal,” Babich said. “I advise them to try to wait until backup comes.”

Westchester Police Sgt. Michael Fellers, a supervisor in the department’s investigations unit, said that there have been seven carjackings in Westchester in the last 18 months.

That’s compared to the roughly 3,000 during that time period in the Chicago metropolitan area, he said.

Sgt. Fellers said that Westchester police often recover the stolen vehicles on Chicago’s West Side. Tracking devices installed by automakers give police the ability to pinpoint the location of the vehicles in “relatively real time.”

Fellers said Westchester Police have also been coordinating with investigative units connected to the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office.

Often, cases are complicated by the offenders’ ages, Fellers said.

“The average age of those committing vehicular hijacking is between 15 and 19 years old,” he said. “Generally, they’re almost all teens with the lower end being 12 and 13 years old.”

Babich said the carjacking suspects often

know that, due to their young ages, “the adult system is not going to do anything to them.

They also know that it’s better to [carjack] someone who isn’t expecting it, so they target females. They know they’ll get less resistance.”

The chief added that the police encounter additional obstacles trying to ensure that the offenders are prosecuted.

“In our legal system, people don’t understand the hoops we have to jump through to make a case stick,” he said. “They want everything. We go through social media, anything gang-related, anything with their past … All of this has to be researched … It takes dozens and dozens of man hours to go through all of this stuff … That’s extensive. And then, to get the State’s Attorney’s office to take your case is another set of hoops you have to jump through.”

In addition to assigning an officer to patrol Zone 1, village officials said the board has also budgeted to hire two additional police officers and are considering installing another surveillance camera in high crime areas. There’s already a surveillance camera installed in Zone 1, Westchester officials said.

Babich said Westchester isn’t alone in its fight to get a handle on rising carjackings.

“There are over 108 municipalities in Cook County alone and everybody is being affected by carjackings,” he said.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

Broadview natives star in short film shot in their hometown

Maleek Akeju and Christopher Hall star in Ian Szetho’s ‘Trash Talk’

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Ian Szetho and Maleek Akeju were really good friends while studying business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They bonded over basketball games that would many times turn into deep conversations about life.

So, it was somewhat natural for Szethko to turn to basketball when deciding the theme of his next short film.

“I really wanted to make a film about this idea of two friends reconnecting through basketball in their hometown after going their different ways in life,” Szetho said.

The problem, though, was Szetho couldn’t star in the film himself. He needed someone who could hoop and act at the same time.

Akeju, who agreed to play one of the friends, tapped his real-life buddy Christopher Hall, to play the other one.

Both Akeju and Hall graduated from Proviso Math and Science Academy in Forest Park and are Broadview natives. With actors secured, the next problem was where to film.

“I told Maleek, you live in this wonderful town that has so much texture and character to it,” Szetho said, adding that he was already familiar with Broadview due to interning at Bosch, the auto equipment company once located in the village.

So, Akeju offered the backyard of his family’s Broadview home. Szetho, 26, said the film was shot in about six hours in one day in July.

The cast and production crew included the two actors, Szetho, Matt Hebron (the director of photography) and Anna Jedralski (production assistant).

“I was like, ‘What should we cater?’ And Maleek said, ‘You gotta get Uncle Remus,” said Szetho, before heaping lavish praise on the location at 1801 Roosevelt Rd. in Broadview.

“The few times I’ve visited Malik in Broadview he’s brought me to Uncle Remus,” Szetho said. “I’ve been to other locations in the city and they do not compare.”

Akeju, 26, said that working on the short film, Szetho’s third, was his first time acting. It was also the first time for Hall, Akeju said.

“It was fun,” Akeju said. “It was a lot of nostalgia. It brought back memories of playing pickup games in my backyard as a kid. I

REPRESENTING: Akeju and Hall in the backyard of Akeju’s Broadview home, where Ian Szetho’s short film, “Trash Talk,” was shot.

Provided

went to Roosevelt school in Broadview, so it gave me a lot of flashbacks.”

Szetho said the film was inspired by Spike Lee’s “He Got Game,” a 1998 film starring Denzel Washington and NBA star Ray Allen.

“I pulled a lot of inspiration from that film,” Szetho said. “The only issue is I don’t have a moving crane to shoot the action scenes. God bless Matt Hebron, who had the cam on his shoulder and was moving with [Akeju and Hall].”

Szetho said the two friends filmed the same movement “over and over,” and rehearsed them multiple times before even filming.

“Malik and Chris were wonderful actors who had the chops to do the actions,” Szetho said.

When asked if acting is in his future, Akeju chuckled.

“If people want me, I’ll try,” he said. “I have very low expectations, though.”

In the meantime, Akeju is in Boston studying for a master’s degree in public administration at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Master of Business Administration at MIT Sloan School of Management.

He said he eventually wants to work in economic development, with a particular focus on helping low-wage workers improve their economic mobility.

Szetho, who works in sales full-time, said he hopes to be able to make films for a living. He said that he’s trying to get the short film, called “Trash Talk,” into several film festivals.

“It’s just about making time for my craft outside of work, getting better,” he said.

“Matt and I say this a lot: ‘Filmmaking is like basketball. It’s about putting in our reps.’”

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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During a Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 7, Silas said that the creation of an equivalent department in Maywood would provide reinforcements to the Maywood Police Department during emergencies and special events, such as the annual Maywood Fest.

Silas said the department also creates programs for senior citizens, adding that the department’s “ultimate goal is to make sure the village is prepared for any man-made or natural disaster.”

At that Sept. 7 meeting, the village board unanimously agreed to send the proposal to the next regular meeting for final approval.

The matter will also likely be discussed at the next Public Safety and Police Accountability Committee meeting on Sept. 22, 7 p.m., at Council Chambers, 125 S. 5th Ave. in Maywood.

The proposal has the backing of former Maywood Police chief Valdimir Talley, current Acting Police Chief Elijah Willis, Maywood Fire Chief Craig Bronaugh and sitting Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Booker.

“We’re looking forward to working with him,” Acting Chief Willis said of Silas.

Maywood Village Manager Chasity Wells-Armstrong also expressed her support for the proposal, explaining that a homeland security department would free up Maywood police officers to do more critical functions during emergencies and special events.

“If there’s a violent issue, instead of someone patrolling Maywood Fest, we can have Homeland Security do that,” Wells-Armstrong said, adding that the new department would free police personnel “to handle more complex and serious issues.”

The manager said the addition of the new department, however, should not be considered a cure-all.

Silas requested that the board authorize an initial $25,000 in expenses for department personnel, tools and gear, and training, Chasity-Wells said.

Mayor Booker said the new department would be on the hook to retrieve funding from various grants and get to the point where it is self-sustaining.

Wells-Armstrong said the village has identified $25,000 in its budget due to the fact that several administrative positions that it had been hoping to fill are still open.

She said the unspent money, which would

have gone to salaries and benefits, can go to standing up the new homeland security department.

In a statement he authored before resigning earlier this year, Talley said that a Maywood homeland security division would “not only help enhance the well-being of our residents in times of emergency by promoting broader community engagement in preparedness.”

Talley explained that both Bellwood and Melrose Park have homeland security departments that help during emergencies, disasters and special events.

Maywood’s ordinances already establish an Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) “‘to prevent, minimize, repair, and alleviate injury or damage’ due to an emergency or hazard or actions against the country or state.”

Talley, however, said there is no ESDA coordinator to manage village interests and the position has been vacant since 2013. The village’s last emergency plan was approved in 2014 and needs to be updated, he added.

Currently, if there’s an emergency, Maywood police and firefighters would have to manage it, Talley said. The addition of a homeland security division would enhance the village’s emergency disaster preparedness, the former chief said.

At the time, Talley recommended that the village board authorize $25,000, $15,000 of which would go toward compensating the head of the proposed homeland security department and another $10,000 toward other startup expenses that were outlined by Wells-Armstrong.

The personnel in the homeland security department would serve voluntarily, with the assistance of auxiliary police officers.

The latter aren’t sworn police officers, but they are authorized to do things like direct traffic and assist first responders in emergency situations.

Although the proposal had the backing of village administrators and department heads, there was some opposition to the proposal on the board from Trustee Isiah Brandon. ““I don’t think that this is … the solution for the violence that’s happening in Maywood,” said Brandon on Sept. 7. “I just don’t believe this is a solution.”

“The village of Maywood just last month had three homicides,” said Mayor Booker.

“When you think of how many things homeland security can help relieve — identifying $25,000 to have representatives who currently serve on homeland security in Bellwood and Melrose Park is a way we can bring our people home to service the village of Maywood.”

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

CENSUS

have all declined over the last 20 years.

From 2000 to 2020, the population of Blacks, whites and Asians in the VFP readership area dipped by 12%, 59% and 35%, respectively.

Meanwhile, the total population of the from page 1 VFP readership area — which includes the Proviso Township suburbs of Bellwood, sus figures, Illinois has nearly 700,000 fewer Berkeley, Broadview, Hillside, Maywood, white residents in 2020 than in 2010.

Melrose Park, Northlake, Stone Park and That’s exactly the opposite of what hapWestchester — has remained pretty steady pened with the Latino population in the over the last two decades, going from 126,290 VFP readership over the last 20 years, with in 2000 to 123,061 in 2020. the population of Latinos and Hispanics inLatinos now comprise 41% of the 123,061 creasing in all nine VFP suburbs, ranging people who live in the VFP readership area from a 9% increase in Stone Park (where while Blacks, whites and Asians each comthey’re 90% of the population) to a 260% prise 37%, 19% and 1%, respectively. increase in Westchester (where they’re now Among the nine VFP suburbs, Stone Park 21% of the suburb’s population). experienced a 7% population loss over 10 years, going from 4,946 residents in 2010 to 4,576 residents in 2020 — the steepest percentage decrease of the nine suburbs.

And Northlake experienced the sharpest percentage increase in residents, growing by 4% in a decade — from 12,323 residents in 2010 to 12,840 in 2020.

Ironically, the suburbs in the VFP readership area with the steepest 20-year declines in their Black populations are all places that are predominantly Black.

From 2000 to 2020, Bellwood’s Black population dipped by 16%, going from 16,798 in 2000 to 14,070 in 2020.

Broadview’s Black population dipped by just 2% during that period, going from 6,043 to 5,939. Maywood’s Black population dipped by 29% during that period, going from NEW COUNTS: The top chart illustrates the racial/ethnic 22,308 to 15,887. demographic changes in the nine VFP suburbs between 2000 Blacks still make up and 2010. The lower chart shows total population changes in 74%, 77% and 67% of these suburbs during those years. the total populations of Bellwood, Broadview Village Free Press and Maywood, respectively.

The suburbs of Westchester and Melrose Villegas said he’s seen the proliferation of Park experienced the greatest percentage Latinos across Proviso over the years since increase of Black residents in 20 years. moving into Maywood.

During the time period, Westchester’s and “Historically, at least for the last 20 years, Melrose Park’s Black populations grew by the Hispanic community has been known 151% and 116%, respectively. to move to the north end of Maywood,” The population of whites has declined Villegas said. “When I moved to Maywood significantly over the last 20 years in every in 2015, one reason was because I noticed a suburb in the VFP coverage area. large Hispanic community that was growing The sharp decline of whites in the Proviso in south Maywood. Now, we’re everywhere.” suburbs is consistent with the white popuCONTACT: info@vfpress.news lation loss that’s happened across the state.

According to a WBEZ analysis of 2020 cen-

Demographic changes

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

Melrose Park business sells benefits of CBD oil

Maria Ruiz, who owns Ruiz Fashion and Fragrancias, said she benefitted from the oil herself

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

Profiles in Profit: This is a series that profiles how small businesses in Proviso Township have been coping since the pandemic.

On Sept. 3, the Wall Street Journal reported that products containing chemical compounds derived from cannabis have been increasingly prevalent over the last five years.

Those compounds include not only marijuana (the most active ingredient of cannabis), but also cannabidiol (CBD), which is the second most prevalent active ingredient of cannabis, according to Harvard researchers.

The Wall Street Journal explained that analysts with Raymond James, an investment bank, predict that the “cannabinoid industry will be worth $10 billion globally by 2025.”

And Maria Ruiz, a Melrose Park entrepreneur, is looking to secure her own small profit from the growth industry.

On a recent hot Saturday afternoon, Ruiz, 53, was standing in front of a table she’d prepared outside of her Ruiz Fashion and Fragrancias, 137 N. Broadway in Melrose Park.

Ruiz has owned the store, which sells general merchandise (everything from jewelry to perfume and cosmetics) for the last four years.

The businesswoman said she started selling the CBD products after experiencing them in her own life.

“I was suffering with pain in my right

DIVERSIFYING: Maria Ruiz, the owner of Ruiz Fashion and Fragrancias, outside of her Melrose Park store on Saturday afternoon.

Michael Romain

arm and I couldn’t move it,” she said. “People started asking me, ‘Why don’t you have CBD? It will help you with pain and swelling.’ I tried it and I liked it. So, I found this company that sells it wholesale. A lot of people like it.”

Ruiz said she offers samples and buy-oneget-one-free specials.

The products, she said, have helped her business ride the rough patch brought on by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Ruiz said she’s also benefited from federal pandemic relief that was given to businesses across the country.

So far, the strategy of diversifying her offerings and leveraging external support like Paycheck Protection Program funding has worked.

“We’ve increased sales by more than half over last year,” she said, which has allowed her to retain key workers like her son, Carlos Ruiz, 23.

“It’s basically the same,” Ruiz said when explaining the difference he’s experienced since the pandemic’s onset.

“It’s just a little harder to hear people with masks,” he said.

Ruiz Fashion and Fragrancias, 137 N. Broadway in Melrose Park, is open seven days a week: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to. 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, contact Ruiz at (773) 206-5100.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

East to name new football stadium after board member Once reconstructed stadium opens, it will be named after longtime member Theresa Kelly

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

The newly renovated Proviso East football and track stadium that is due to reopen in October will be named after a sitting District 209 school board member. The decision prompted some pushback from board members who wanted more public input into the renaming process.

The D209 board voted 4-2 on Sept. 14 to accept Supt. James Henderson’s recommendation to name the stadium in honor of Theresa L. Kelly, the longest-serving school board member in the district’s history. Kelly has been on the board for 22 years.

“We’re sitting here, because [Kelly] brought us all together,” said board member Sam Valtierrez who along with D209 board President Rodney Alexander, Della Patterson and Kelly herself voted in favor of the motion.

School board members Ned Wagner and Amanda Grant voted against the measure

while board member Claudia Medina was not present for the vote.

“I would like to ask anybody under the sound of my voice who has volunteered 22 years of anything for free,” said Alexander on Sept. 14. “I’ll wait … She stayed the course for 22 years while we were off doing whatever we were doing … We want people to look at that stadium and see what a life of service and dedication looks like.”

Patterson addressed possible pushback from some who might wonder why the board didn’t rename the stadium after an athlete, particularly a successful football player.

“What about all the NFL players? What about them? We’ve had some NFL players come back and do a few football camps for some of our students,” Patterson said. “I can’t recall where there’s been this huge donation from a professional football player.”

But Wagner and Grant said that they would have liked to have seen more participation from the public before the board made any decision on renaming the stadium.

“I like the idea of putting it out to the community,” Wagner said.

“I really don’t like the idea of naming the stadium after one person when there have been so many people over the years who have had an impact — on the field, off the field,” said Grant.

“The better idea would be putting it out to

RARE HONOR: Once it opens in October, the new Proviso East football stadium, shown right, will bear the name of longtime District 209 board member Theresa Kelly.

File photos

the community and taxpayers and alumni to see what they would [like the stadium to be named],” Grant added, before noting that she would have preferred they simply avoid renaming the stadium.

“When we don’t name it after one person, it continues to belong to everyone,” she said.

“The stadium will still belong to everyone,” Patterson said. “Her name only recognizes her sweat, tears, time, talent and her treasure. I watched the lady buy kids clothes, give kids money and nobody knew about it.”

“We don’t have to honor people who throw a football for a living,” said Alexander. “That’s a sport. Its entertainment … We want to applaud moving forward commu-

nity service. We want people to look at that stadium and see what a life of service and dedication looks like.”

The old Proviso East football stadium was demolished late last year as part of the district’s facilities master plan process, which was launched under former D209 superintendent Jesse Rodriguez.

The stadium renovation is part of the first phase of master plan projects, which also included the construction of new parking lots at district schools, and the installation of air conditioning on some floors at Proviso East and West, among other extensive construction work.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

sponsored content

Suicide does not discriminate, and to prevent it, neither can we. #BeThere.

September marks Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and it provides us with an opportunity to rally around the common goal of preventing suicide in our communities. The issues that divide us have received national headlines, but the issues that lead to death by suicide are ones that we must all face equally. No one is immune from depression, PTSD, substance use disorder, illness, job loss, or any of the myriad risk factors that can lead someone to considering suicide. To help end this epidemic, we must put aside our preconceived assumptions and biases about suicide and the people who may be at risk.

Help is available.

As a trusted local behavioral healthcare provider, our team at Riveredge Hospital is dedicated to changing the national narrative about suicide in a manner that promotes hope, resiliency, equality and recovery. Mental health services that utilize proven evidence-based treatments and support are available.

If you or someone you know is experiencing an emotional crisis or thoughts of suicide, no-cost 24/7 confidential support and crisis resources are available from the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention: • National Suicide Prevention lifeline 1-800-273-TALK or via Chat from www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

• Crisis Text line - text HELLO to 741741 to connect with a Crisis Counselor Additional resources to utilize: • Trevor Lifeline, the only national 24/7 lifeline for LGBTQ youth: call 1-866-488-7386.

• Veterans Crisis Line, for U.S. Military Veterans: call 1-800-273-8255, press 1.

Recent events demonstrate that no one is beyond the reach of mental health struggles. Olympic athletes, musicians and fashion designers are not immune, and neither are you, your friends or your family members.

It’s time that we stop assuming who is and is not at risk, as these assumptions can cause us to disregard warning signs.

Just because someone seems to be doing well at their new job, we should not ignore the fact that they have stopped communicating with friends and pursuing their hobbies. Just because someone appears happy/content in their social media photos, let’s not ignore their increased substance use and social isolation.

A simple conversation can save a life.

It’s time to stop thinking certain people in our lives are above this epidemic, and time to start seeing everyone around us for what they are - humans. Humans with complex lives, potentially unknown traumas, and an equally important worth and value to the world. Stop assuming, and start asking, “Is everything ok?” A simple question and conversation can save a life.

Effective treatments and compassionate and knowledgeable mental health professionals are ready and waiting to help.

We all need to join together to educate ourselves, #BeThere for our loved ones, and take the suicide prevention fight beyond September and into our everyday lives.

Sincerely,

Kurt Gunther, MBA, MHA Interim Chief Executive Officer Riveredge Hospital

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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Massive energy bill becomes law

Unions, environmentalists call it a win for climate, job creation in state

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker was joined by environmental and social justice activists, union representatives, and lawmakers from both parties Wednesday, Sept.

15, as he signed into law a sweeping energy regulation overhaul that aims to phase out carbon emissions from the energy sector by 2045 while diversifying the renewable energy workforce.

His signature marked a celebratory end to negotiations that began shortly after he took office in 2019, ended as he seeks a second term, and were feared permanently derailed on numerous occasions in between.

“We’ve seen the effects of climate change, right here in Illinois, repeatedly in the last two-and-a-half years alone,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. “A polar vortex, devastating floods, microbursts that destroy buildings, record lake levels, extreme heat and emergency declarations in more than a third of Illinois counties.”

The governor mentioned Hurricane Ida’s

destruction to the South and fires at the Boundary Waters wilderness area in Minnesota, describing the energy bill, Senate Bill 2408, as “the most significant step Illinois has taken in a generation toward a reliable, renewable, affordable and clean energy future.”

Specifically, the bill forces fossil fuel plants offline between 2030 and 2045, depending on the source and carbon emissions level, although the Illinois Commerce Commission, Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency would have the authority to alter plant closure timelines in order to ensure energy grid reliability.

It subsidizes three nuclear plants with $694 million paid over a period of five years, and increases subsidies for renewable energy by more than $350 million annually.

The latter is the driving piece in an effort to increase state’s renewables output from 7-8 percent of the energy mix currently to 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

Another goal aims for 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050, elevating the importance of the nuclear plants, which will continue to operate as a result of the massive subsidy.

Estimates for the cost of the bill have ranged from $3 to $4 monthly added to ratepayer bills according to the Citizens Utility Board, to $15 according to the senior advocacy group AARP. In terms of percentages, bill sponsor Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frank-

NOW LAW: Gov. JB Pritzker signs Senate Bill 2408, a sweeping energy regulation overhaul, into law at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on Sept. 15.

Blueroomstream.com

fort, said residential electric bills would increase by about 3-4 percent, commercial bills by about 5-6 percent, and industrial bills by about 7-8 percent.

Large business and industry groups such as the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and Illinois Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill due to its effects on businesses. But advocates argue the advent of more renewables will lower residential bills over time, creating savings for ratepayers as the cheap-

er renewables become more widely available.

While critics have also said the bill could cause grid reliability issues downstate, creating a need to import more expensive carbon-emitting power from neighboring states, supporters pointed to the five-year review by ICC, IPA and IEPA as a safeguard against such a reality.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

NEWS briefs Riveredge Hospital hires new CEO

ing the facility’s services and delivery systems,” Riveredge Hospital officials stated.

Before joining Riveredge, Davenport served as CEO of Brynn Marr Hospital in Jacksonville, North Carolina for nearly two years. Prior to that, she was Riveredge’s chief operating officer.

Melrose Park, Northlake parishes to ‘remain in their current structures,’ Chicago archdiocese announces

Riveredge Hospital, 8311 Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park, has a new CEO, hospital officials recently announced.

Allison M. Davenport replaced Carey Carlock as CEO, effective Sept. 14. Carlock stepped down this summer after 13 years in the role to start her own private therapy practice in Oak Park.

“In this role, Davenport is responsible to direct day-to-day operations, manage and develop staff, assure the delivery of high-quality patient care, deliver sound fiscal operations, maintain a strong referral base and compliance with The Joint Commission and CMS regulations while continually monitor-

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced on Sept. 16 that the three churches in the Melrose Park-Northlake Renew My Church grouping will remain in their current facilities.

Renew My Church is the Archdiocese’s initiative to address some of the current challenges confronting the Catholic church, including low church attendance, dwindling membership and financial strain.

Archdiocese officials said in a Sept. 16 statement that after several months of deliberations, they determined that the three parishes — St. Charles Borromeo Parish, 1637 N. 37th Ave. in Melrose Park; St. John Vianney Parish and School, 46 N. Wolf Rd. in Northlake; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish-Shrine, 1101 N. 23rd Ave. in Melrose Park — will “remain in their current structures.”

Officials said St. John Vianey School will

also remain in its current structure, “subject to maintaining future financial and enrollment viability.”

Work underway to stabilize Silver Creek in Melrose Park The village of Melrose Park announced last month that work on Phase Five of the Silver Creek Stabilization and Concrete Removal Project is currently underway on the west side of Winston Plaza up to 15th Avenue.

On Sept. 16, earthmovers were removing concrete blocks in the creek, which is a roughly 11-mile watershed that runs through parts of Cook and DuPage counties.

According to the website of the Silver Creek Watershed Committee, eight municipalities and townships in Illinois are within the Silver Creek Watershed, including Maywood and Melrose Park. The creek starts in Maywood and goes all the way to Wood Dale.

“In the past, bank erosion was impacting the roadway and guard rails along Winston Plaza,” Melrose Park village officials explained in a statement. “Streambank erosion along residential areas was also occurring. The plans include [improving] water quality by protecting the banks with rock toe, re-grading the banks to a stable slope, and installing desirable deep-rooted native vegetation.”

Officials said the improvement project, which is partially funded by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, is required “in order “to stabilize steeply eroding banks in a narrow corridor.

“Removal of shallow-rooted and invasive shrubs and trees is required in part because they prevent regrading of the banks to a stable slope, they form dense shade that prevents native deep-rooted vegetation from holding the steep bank slopes and soils in place.”

The Silver Creek Watershed Committee is asking residents in the affected area to participate in an online survey to provide their feedback on the Phase Five project.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

Viva Mexico!

Signs of Mexican Independence (which is celebrated on Sept. 16 each year) were prevalent across Proviso Township on Sept. 18, especially on Broadway in Melrose Park. There, businesses prominently displayed “Viva Mexico” window signs.

Lovely Girl Jeans, 141 N. Broadway, radiated the colors of the Mexican flag in products such as fiesta dresses the colors of the Mexican flag (seen below left). Show below right, a dollar store on Broadway selling Mexican flag balloons. Top left, a Mexican flag flaps on a side street in Melrose Park.

Illinois eviction moratorium set to expire Oct. 3 Court-based program aims to distribute $60 million to renters facing eviction due to COVID-19

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – The state’s moratorium on enforcement of residential evictions will expire on Oct. 3, according to Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest COVID-19 executive order issued Friday, Sept. 17.

Pritzker had extended the order each month with minor to substantial revisions since March 2020. The extensions have come in 30-day windows, coinciding with his monthly reissuance of a disaster proclamation in response to the pandemic.

While most of the provisions in Pritzker’s latest executive order were extended through Oct. 16, the section providing for the eviction moratorium is scheduled to be rescinded just two weeks into the 30-day order which was issued Friday.

The most recent iteration of the moratorium, which will expire Oct. 3, allows for court proceedings but prevents law enforcement from carrying out an eviction. It also allows for evictions in health and safety cir-

cumstances, and for “uncovered persons,” which include those who refuse to fill out paperwork for assistance, who can’t prove loss of income from COVID-19 or who earn more than $99,000 individually or $198,000 as a joint-filing household.

A state Supreme Court order preventing certain judgments in covered eviction cases expired on Sept. 18 and had not been extended as of Monday, Sept. 20.

Last week, the Supreme Court announced a court-based rental relief program received $60 million in funding to provide a “safety net for litigants who are on the brink of eviction,” according to the court.

That program is available outside of Cook County, which is expected to launch its own court-based assistance program sometime in October.

Per the latest Supreme Court order, any summons in an eviction case must be accompanied by a form informing the tenant and landlord of the court-based program. It includes information on the program, what documentation is needed and the web address for the court-based aid, ilrpp.ihda.org.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority call center can be reached at 866-454-3571.

Those who have lost income due to COVID-19 may be eligible for up to 12 months of past due rent and three months of future rent to prevent eviction, per the

program. The check would be paid directly to the landlord, who would be required to agree not to evict the tenant for nonpayment of the rent that is repaid.

The funds come from the federal government, which means applicants must be under certain income limits as defined by the U.S. Treasury. Those earning 80 percent of the area median income or less are eligible.

That threshold differs based on the county, ranging from $35,700 in Alexander County to $52,200 in Cook County. It goes up about $5,000-$6,000 for each additional person in

the household.

Assistance may also still be available in certain areas through the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the two state agencies overseeing disbursement of federal funding, at www.illinoisrentalassistance.org/providers.

Free legal assistance may be accessed through Eviction Help Illinois by visiting evictionhelpillinois.org or calling 855-6310811.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

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Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A MR. COOPER Plaintiff, -v.MARCIA MOORE A/K/A MARCIA S. MOORE Defendants 19 CH 3136 1928 STRATFORD AVENUE 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 September 2, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 14, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1928 STRATFORD AVENUE, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154 Property Index No. 15-20-413-0370000 and 15-20-413-047-0000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $287,121.06.

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.

For information, The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19-089813.

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.

LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717 E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 19-089813 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 19 CH 3136 TJSC#: 41-1440 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 # 19 CH 3136 I3176159

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST Plaintiff, -v.BRADLEY A WAHL, FOREST PARK NATIONAL BANK AND TRUST CO Defendants 19 CH 09129 945 ELGIN AVENUE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 26, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 28, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 945 ELGIN AVENUE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-13-414-0320000 The real estate is improved with a red brick, two story multi unit 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 identifica-

tion 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) 236-SALE 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. 2004314IL_610322 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 19 CH 09129 TJSC#: 41-1136 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 # 19 CH 09129 I3176665

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. 20-03101IL_604018 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 2020 CH 01751 TJSC#: 41-1155 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 # 2020 CH 01751 I3176669

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. 14-19-09058 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH11561 TJSC#: 41-1458 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 # 2019CH11561 I3176855

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY FSB AS TRUSTEE OF STANWICH MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST A; Plaintiff, vs.

EDDIE COX; LATONYA COX; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; WEST SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD PRESERVATION AGENCY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 17 CH 12794 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, October 25, 2021 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: Commonly known as 514 South 23rd Avenue, Bellwood, IL 60104.

P.I.N. 15-10-309-015-0000.

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 Ms. Edyta Kania at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Di Monte & Lizak, 216 West Higgins Road, Park Ridge, Illinois 60068-5736. (847) 698-9600. Cox INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3176322

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION MIDFIRST BANK Plaintiff, -v.DAVID T MCDANIEL, GALE HALL, SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, FATHER & SONS HOME IMPROVEMENT II, INCORPORATED Defendants 2020 CH 01751 27 48TH 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 July 28, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 2, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 27 48TH AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-08-202-0050000 The real estate is improved with a single family house.

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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR RESIDENTIAL ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION, HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-KS5 Plaintiff, -v.KORTNI FAYETTA MCCRAY, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF HERMAN MCCRAY III, THOMAS P. QUINN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR HERMAN MCCRAY III (DECEASED) Defendants 2019CH11561 301 BOHLAND 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 March 5, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on October 26, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 301 BOHLAND AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104 Property Index No. 15-09-113-0120000 The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

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

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vfpress.news

Village Free Press | September 22, 2021

September is

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Suicide was the 10th-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. in 2019.

Suicide was the second-leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34.

Know the facts*: There were nearly two and a half times as many suicides (47,511) in the U.S. as there were homicides (19,141). About half of those suicides (23,914) involved a firearm.

If you suspect someone is contemplating suicide, don’t wait.

Getting help immediately is crucial and can help save a life.

We offer no-cost assessments, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call us today at 708-209-4181. *Sources: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

8311 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, Illinois 60130 riveredgehospital.com

For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website. Physicians are on the medical staff of Riveredge Hospital, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Riveredge Hospital. The facility shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. Model representations of real patients are shown. Actual patients cannot be divulged due to HIPAA regulations. 211538-2477 9/21