Austin Weekly News 101222

Voters will decide on ‘right to unionize’ constitutional amendment

Opponents, backers debate the measure’s warrants

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois voters will be asked in November to decide whether the right of workers to form unions and engage in collective bargaining should be enshrined in the state constitution.

The first clause of the amendment contains two sentences. The first would establish a “fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively and to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions, and to promote their economic welfare and safety at work.”

The second would prohibit the state or any local unit of gover nment from enacting “any law that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety.”

The provision is intended to prevent passage of any state or local “right to work” laws, which prohibit employers from requiring workers to be union members to keep their jobs

Austin church welcomes migrants bused from south

By SHANEL ROMAIN Community Narrative Reporter

On Wednesday afternoon, a room inside of the Revive Center, the nonprofit arm of Grace and Peace Church, 1856 N. Leclaire Ave. in Austin, hummed with activity. Volunteers org anized large boxes food and coordinated showers, among other duties.

Since August, the church and its nonprofit have welcomed dozens of

asylum-seekers who have been bused from Re publican-led states like Texas, Florida and Arizona.

According to the Chicago SunTimes, more than 1,600 asylumseeking migrants have been bused to Chicago from Texas alone since the first bus rolled into the city on Aug. 31. Last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a disaster proclamation to unlock

Grace and Peace Church and its nonpro t, the Revive Center, have been helping asylum-seekers from border states since August

SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

A mural of Mother eresa, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez painted outside of the Revive Center in Austin, the nonpro t arm of Grace and Peace Church. e facility has been a welcoming center for migrants since August

West Side writers use reading series to tell their own stories

Front Porch Ar ts Center hosts the Westside Writers series ever y third Sunday of the month

By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ AustinTalks

Every third Sunday of the month, Front Porch Arts Center invites and residents to the Westside reading series. The reading and open event “serves as a sanctuary for artists community members to share their storie said Keli Stewart, an Austin writer educator.

Stewart is the founder of Front Arts Center, an organization star 2019 to showcase the history and culture West Siders through the arts. A graduate Columbia College Chicago’s fiction program, she said there are many from the West Side who have stories that show the impact of books and the the community.

“We want to continue to create safe places to tell our stories,” she said at the end of last month’s event. “We need more spaces, we have so many West Side artists.”

The event featured authors Anita Davis, Vee L. Harrison and Orion Meadows.

The Austin branch of the Chicago Public Library, the event’s usual location, unexpectedly closed the day of the event. Instead, Harambee Community Garden opened its doors to the three creatives who shared stories rooted in their experiences on the West Side

Davis, a for mer elementary writing and social sciences teacher, read aloud from her women’s fiction book “Untold.”

Davis said she did not discover her passion as a writer until she realized how much she enjoyed creating writing samples for her students She then completed her master of fine arts in creative writing at National University.

“You can’t live in Chicago and not know someone who knows someone,” Davis said. Based on this, she said she wrote passages of this book that interconnected with her first book, “Under neath It All.”

Writers Keli Stewart and Veronica Harrison took part in the September gathering of the Westside Writers reading series.

Davis is the author of 16 titles, published in the span of 10 years. She has also written poems even though she “doesn’t claim to be a poet,” she said.

Meadows, born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, is a poet who uses spoken word and the creative arts as a means for activism in his community He is a member of the National Alliance for the Empower ment of the For merly Incarcerated and the Prisoners Neighborhood Arts + Education Project.

“So when I was 18 years old I was involved in gang-related crime, and I got out last year…” Meadows said. “The community is definitely impacted by violence in so many different ways.”

While in prison Meadows heard about community leaders who advocate for education and creative arts programs in prisons He now works with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, based on the West Side, to provide services to victims of crime or family member and prevent the involvement of youth in violence using Martin Luther King Jr’s nonviolence philosophy

recited several poems that narrated experiences in prison. One of them was nspired by a dream about Martin Luther ., another inspired by his experience at the Pontiac Correctional Center

his piece “Inmate Appreciation Day,” he riticizes the criminal justice system based wn experiences Through this poem, vered his father was also a writer mother after she heard it, she was Meadows said. “I was like, ‘Why are ou silent?’”

then basically, to make a long story she was saying that there are certain things that you just don’t lear n. There’s some things that are passed on to you.” rison, a Chicago jour nalist and author book “Hood Healing,” read from her

On the table behind, sat the photo of brother Darry Anthony Harrison Jr., ho lost his life to gun violence in 2021. one and only brother, he grew up this neighborhood and he got killed, right?” she said.

wrote Hood Healing because it was the last things my brother and I talked And I wrote it because it was a need to about what we do with trauma as Black people.”

Harrison, a graduate of the jour nalism program of Columbia College Chicago, shared some memories of growing up in Austin and her thoughts about the need to talk about the generational trauma experienced by Black people in Chicago.

Her work as a jour nalist covering community news and Black culture has further exposed her to the trauma caused by violence, food insecurity, disinvestment and police violence, among many other inequalities, in Black communities

“The pain of losing our people day after day. The pain of knowing that your family makes headlines and that the cops still don’t have answers The grief of knowing that your ancestors were in a land that don’t treat you right,” she said. “It’s traumatizing.”

“And so I lear ned by losing somebody near and dear to me that in order to heal my hood, I had to heal my own.”

To lear n more about the Front Porch Arts Collective, visit: frontporchartscenter.org/ welcome-1

STIN WEEKLY news

Editor/Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Michael Romain

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Publishing & Technology Manager Briana Higgins

Reporter Igor Studenkov

Community Narrative Repor ter Shanel Romain

Repor ting Par tners Block Club, Austin Talks

Columnist Arlene Jones

Staff Photographer Alex Rogals

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey

S ales & Marketing Representavies

Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck, Kamil Brady

Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Donor Relations Manager/Food Editor Melissa Elsmo

Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Publisher Dan Haley

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Gre n

Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Deb Abrahamson ,

Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

HOW TO REACH US

141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

PHONE 773-626-6332 • FAX 708-467-9066

CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com

ONLINE ww w.AustinWeeklyNews.com

Austin Weekly News is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP

It is distributed free of charge at locations across Austin and Gar eld Park. Our hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adver tising rates are available by calling our o ce. Printed entirely on recycled paper © 2022 Growing Community Media NFP

AustinTalks

West Side Li

John Zayas, pastor of Grace and Peace Church, is the center of a welcoming hub

By SHANEL ROMAIN Community Narrative Reporter

Senior Pastor John Zayas, of Grace and was born and raised in Chica go His chur welcoming hubs for migrants of Chica go Zayas earlier this week while he was coor efforts for asylum-seeking migrants bused go from states like Texas and Arizona.

On his roots in the ministr y

I’ve been in the ministry for over 35 years. I was ordained in 1997 in a Christian Refor med Church (a specific denomination) and I star ted this church in 2000 in the Hermosa community. We purchased this property in 2008.

It’s a refor med church with a charismatic swing. You know, I’m Latino and we have African Americans in our

MIGRANTS

church too, so the Holy Spirit means a lot to us. We’re word and Holy Spirit. T here’s a balance.

It ’s a family affair

I am and my son is the co-pastor, Pastor JohnEric Zayas. We have two services One service is in Spanish and the other service is in English. The Spanish service is here in the Revive Center (a facility on the campus tha t houses the church’s nonprofit ar m) and the other in the main

roughly 60,000-square-foot facility as a welcoming center due to its spaciousness and resources. In addition to operating the Revive Center, the church also holds Spanish services in the facility. The church holds food drives in the facility on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

resources for the asylum-seekers. He also activated approximately 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to “ensure all state resources are available to support asylum seekers.”

John Zayas, the senior pastor of Grace and Peace, said the church is doing its part to help the asylum-seekers, most of whom come from Latin American countries like Vene zuela.

Last month, a group of asylum-seekers who were flown into Boston by F lorida Gov. Ron DeSantis filed a federal class action lawsuit against accusing the gover nor of “orchestrating a ‘premeditated, fraudulent, and ille g al scheme’” that misled them, according to a Politico re port

“We are working tightly with the city to continue to show that Chicago is a sanctuary city that helps the most marginalized in our community and the people of Austin,” Zayas said. “We have shown love to the folks on the road to Chicago having been mistreated and mishandled and used as a pawn politically.”

Zayas said the city has used the church’s

“We’ve averaged maybe two to three buses a week and what we do here is we establish a sense of humanity,” Zayas said. “We take care of them, feed them and bathe them. They receive showers here. They stay for the night and then the city takes them to other sites and begins to find housing for them.”

Zayas said the number of asylum-seekers per bus has ranged from a low of 30 to a high of around 72. The pastor said the church and nonprofit are coordinating their efforts with the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

Earlier this month, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot proposed a $5 million contingency fund in the 2023 budget she and the City Council are working on. The fund would help with future costs associated with assisting the asylum-seekers.

In a statement last month, Mayor Lightfoot said that the city is working hard to provide a floor of relief for the asylum-seekers.

“We understand that many are fleeing violent, traumatic, or otherwise unstable environments,” the mayor said. “We will

sanctuary

I planted a church in 2000 for my parent church, which is Grace and Peace Fellowship. We star ted at the Kildare property, then we grew and expanded into this area.

On the new athletic center currently in the works

An athletic center We’re working with Donnita Travis, the executive director of By the Hand Club and Intentional Spor ts. We’re building a 150,000 square foot athletic center. It’s got two basketball cour ts and a state-of-the-art soccer field, the biggest in Chicago.

When the pandemic hit, we went into the community and asked young people what they wanted. A lot of young people said they want something for them. We made sure that we heard from those Black and Brown voices in the community. We did surveys, we walked blocks and we met a lot of kids.

After George Floyd died, I encountered a young man who was talking about the destruction of property like the community grocery store on the West Side. I told him that that behavior takes away [resources] from our [loved ones]

He said, ‘Pastor, I understand, but if this is the only way that they’ ll hear us, we’ ll burn this thing down.’ His eyes were very serious. He was only about 17. That stuck with me

e Rev ive Center in Austin has been welcoming asylum-seekers bused from Republi can-led states like Texas and Arizona since August.

respond with essential services while these individuals navigate the next steps of their jour ney and our community partners have been working diligently to provide a safety net.”

Pastor Zayas echoed the mayor’s sentiment.

“If [states like Texas and Arizona] keeps sending them, we’re going to continue doing this work,” he said. “We’ re doing exactly what the city is asking us to do We’re serving our city.”

SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

CONTAC T: shanel@growingcommunitymedia.org

SHANEL ROMAIN/Sta

Pastor John Zayas

Chicago International Film Festival kicks o Oct. 12

A suite of shor t lms will screen in Austin during the Festival on Oct. 20

By JAKE WIT TICH Block Club Chicago

The Chicago Inter national Film Festival is kicking off 12 days of film screenings across the city next week with a block party in Lakeview.

The 58th edition of the festival runs Oct. 1223 in theaters across the city.

Cinema/Chicago, the festival’s presenting organization, will roll out a red carpet outside the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., for the ChiFilmFest Opening Night Block Party. It happens 5-10 p.m. Oct. 12 along Southport between Grace and Waveland avenues.

The block party will have live music, food trucks, vendor booths and screens displaying trailers for some of the festival’s films

“This is our first block party, and it’s hopefully the first of many,” said Vivian Teng, managing director of the festival. “We really want to revolve it around cinema, Chicago and the community, so we’ll roll out the red carpet and will have all kinds of film-themed displays.”

The block party is partially funded by Special Service Area 27 as part of its

Black Perspectives –

Sudden Waves

A suite of shor t films on themes of memory, g rief and joy will screen at Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St., on Thursday, 6:30 p.m. The films feature works by Julian Tur ner, Shar rifa Ali, Alex Mallis and Titus Khapar, Shanrica Evans, Kevin Jerome Everson and Claudrena Harold, and dream hampton.

Set in the early 1960s, a budding soul music label brings in a savvy group of local teenage musicians to of fer feedback and inspiration to its early signees in “Big Three.” Other shor ts include: “You Go Girl,” “Shut Up and Paint,” “Amina,” “Tsutsue,” and “Freshwater.”

Community Event & Placemaking Grant program, which offers up to $5,000 in assistance for unique events and public programs within the SSA’s boundaries.

Businesses within the block party’s footprint will put of cinema-themed decorations, roll out their own red carpets and do more to celebrate the occasion, said Alyssa Lombardo, events and marketing director for the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, which is the SSA’s sole service provider.

“The ChiFilmFest Opening Night Block Party could be anywhere in Chicago, but they chose Lakeview, so that speaks volumes to our neighborhood and what we’re able to provide,” Lombardo said. “It’s an ideal location with the historic Music Box right there. This event is going to be so cool.”

‘Something For Ever yone’

After “decentralizing” the festival last year by hosting screenings at various theaters, the Chicago Inter national Film Festival is launching two new venues this year, Teng said.

Some films will now be screened at Englewood’s Hamilton Park Cultural Center, 513 W. 72nd St., and Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St., Teng said.

Other venues include AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St.; the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St.; and the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St

“Last year we started this by branching out into other parts of the city and we had such a great reaction to it,” Teng said. “It’s about

finding ways to connect with audiences and inviting them to participate in the festival.”

This year’s festival features 92 feature films and 56 shorts coming from countries around the world, including Ukraine, South Korea, Spain, Chile, India, France, Mexico and Japan.

Programmers reviewed more than 6,000 films to curate the festival, Teng said.

“There’s something for everyone,” Teng said. “We have the awards contenders and then these really amazing local gems that have been submitted.”

The festival opens 7 p.m. at the Music Box with a screening of “A Compassionate Spy,” a documentary by local filmmaker Steve James about University of Chicago graduate Theodore Hall’s involvement with the Manhattan Project and how he passed crucial military secrets to Soviet intelligence about the United States’ efforts to build

nuclear weapons.

The festival’s centerpiece is Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” a sequel to “Knives Out,” which screened at a previous year’s festival, Teng said. It stars Kathryn Hahn, who will be on hand to accept a Career Achievement Award. “Glass Onion” screens 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Music Box.

The festival closes 6 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Music Box with a screening of “White Noise,” a “hilarious and horrifying, lyrical and absurd, ordinary and apocalyptic dramatization” by Noah Baumbach about an American family’s attempts to deal with mundane conflicts of everyday life in an uncer tain world.

The festival will also have a mix of local local stories:

■ “Art and Pe p,” a documentary about the couple behind Chicago’s LGBTQ bar Sidetrack, directed by Mercedes Kane

■ “Rounding,” the latest drama and psychological thriller from Alex Thompson, director of “Saint Francis.”

■ “King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones,” a portrait of director Har riet Marin Jones’ grandfather, a g ambling entrepreneur who was one of the most powerful and richest Black men in America in the ’30s and ’40s who went head-to-head with the Chicago mob.

Twenty of the festival’s films will be available for streaming in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana through the festival’s online streaming platform and apps for Roku and Apple TV Virtual screenings are ticketed and viewable from noon Oct. 13 through 11:59 Oct. 23.

For more info, visit the Chicago Film Festival’s website at: https://www chicagofilmfestival.com/

Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor

JOIN US FOR ONLINE SERVICES

JAKE WIT TICH/Block Club Chicago

City could buy part of old bank building for new Galewood librar y

Chicago hired appraiser to assess the value of the old U.S. Bank building, could make a decision by early winter

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

The city of Chicago and the Chicago Public Library system are looking to buy a por tion of the for mer U.S. Bank building at 6700 W. Nor th Ave., where Ald. Chris Taliafer ro (29th) hopes to move the Galewood branch library

Since 2010, the cur rent Galewood-Mont Clare branch library has been confined to a single room at Rutherford Sayre Park Fieldhouse, 6871 W. Belden Ave. Many Galewood residents, including Taliafer ro, have pushed for a larger space.

When developers announced plans to renovate the old bank building, Taliafer ro urged them to set aside some first-floor commercial space for a new Galewood library While the developer, Five Thirty One Par tners, has been rece ptive to the idea, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) system has said the site is just one of nu merous possible locations.

During his Se pt 21 ward meeting, Taliaferro said that the city is now looking into buying the space, comparing the ar rangement to buying a condominium in side a building. Owner Viktor Jakovljevic would retain the ownership of the rest of the proper ty

Taliafer ro said that, in early Se ptember, the city contracted with an appraiser to deter mine the value of the space and how much it would cost to build out and furnish it. While he didn’t have a concrete timeline, he said in a follow-up interview that he expects the city to decide w hether to move ahead with the purchase by “late f all/early winter.”

The current Galewood-Montclare library hasn’t been open since the star t of the CO VID-19 pandemic. When most city libraries reopened on June 8, 2020, it was among the three that stayed closed because its small size made social distancing dif ficult. The library remained closed even as most CO VID-19 restrictions were lifted

T he plans for the redevelopment of the U.S. Bank site went through multiple iterations since they were first presented to the community in 2019. T he current visio n

calls for the bank building to have commercial tenants on the first floor and apar tments on the first and second floors.

Five Thirty One Par tners and Jakovljevic have remained open to setting aside around 11,000 to 12,000 square feet for the Galewood branch library but the lease ter ms and a funding source for the rental payments have been unresolved issues

Jakovljevic previously indicated that the development would open in early 2023. He declined to comment on the library

T he city’s library system doesn’t have its own capital budg et, so it must rely on other sources to cover the costs of g etting a new branch up and r unning. In 2019,

State Re p. Camille Lilly (78th) and Senate President Don Har mon (39th) included a $600,0 00 appropriation for a new Galewood library in the Rebuild Illinois capital bill. The two le gislators subsequently secured another $7 million. The money isn’t tied to any specific location and Lilly said that the funding can be used to either build a new library from scratch or build within a larger space, but not to pay rent.

Tom Drebenstedt, a member of the Rutherford Sayre Park Advisory Council who has been co-leading the push for a larger Galewood library for over a decade, said that he suggested something similar in 2019, but “the developer wasn’t interested.”

“[I suggested] that, since the library was interested in ownership rather than renting, why don’t we explore splitting the building, as you would in the condo?” he said.

CPL spokesperson Patrick Molloy didn’t respond to a request for comment by dead line.

Drebenstedt said he was skeptical that the latest development would move the needle

“That building is so far behind schedule,” he said. “When I see it, I’ ll believe it. My ca reer was in commercial construction and I told the alder men, ‘We put up high-rises in half the time of this project.’”

IGOR STUDENKOV/Sta

e city is looking to buy part of the rst oor of the U.S. Bank building to use as the new Galewood br anch librar y.

How ‘woke’ is Black America?

The future of Black America in my opinion, is teetering on the edge of disaster. At one time wewere considered the largest minority group in this country. But because this country has established a culture of minority groups, Hispanics, around 2003, became the largest minorit y group and their numbers currently are triple that of Black people

JONES

T he history of discrimination ag ainst Black people does not have to be pointed out. Following the Civil War, which gave us our freedom, we had an additional perio d of 100 years of Jim Crow laws that held back our pr ogress tremendously. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was meant to ad dress the issue. But just because that act was put in place, it did not automatically mean that people abided by it. One part of the Civil Rights Act is Af firmative Action.

According to the U.S. De par tment of Labor, “Af firmative action is also a remedy, under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, where a court finds that an employer has intentionally eng aged in discriminatory practices.”

For many years now, when it came to being a minorit y, the term “Blacks and Hispanics” fl owed from the mouths of predominantly Black people, and especially Black politicians. My question is this: Since the majority of Hispanics in this country were not historically dis criminated against by this country, why are they being included in any progr ams that are designed to rectify the problem?

From housing set-asides to employment set-asides, we cannot have millions and millions of people come into thi s country, a lot of them here il le g ally, who are then granted access to progr ams that were designed to address the prob lems suf fered by minorit y citizens. I recently rece ived a flyer about LIHEA P. I didn’t save it, but it said people who were here without documentation could apply for help Why are citizens who are taxed to the hilt being asked to help suppo rt those who are here ille g ally? Why is even the new Cook County guaranteed income progr am saying that it doesn’t care about the person’s immigration status?

T he only power we as Black people currently have is our vote. And that power is diminishing daily because our voting numbers are smaller as other populations age into the right to vote.

So come Nov. 8, what are you asking of all, but especially Black politicians, who want to be returned to of fice, be it local or in Washington? What are they doin g to address our needs? What is the safety net for Black citizens as this country is allowing millions of people in who automatically fall into the minority status of Hispanic?

As Black people, we are being wronged right before our eyes as this country attempts to help others at our expense

And the reason for “helping” is politics

It’s not about compassion but looking fo r people who will one day get the right to vote and thus re place Black people. Wake up, Black America!

Circlesong Bob Chilcott

of

Sheena Phillips

Light to Light

J. Aaron McDermid

Songs Judith Cloud

Two Sisters closes Austin restaurant and eyes e-commerce

Owner Veah Larde will continue catering out of The Hatchery

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

The restaurant associated with Two Sis ters Catering, 4800 W. Chicago Ave. in Chicago, quietly closed for business this summer.

As she clears out the restaurant her business called home for more than a year, owner Veah Larde is reflecting on the reasons behind the decision to shutter her carryout restaurant and contemplating plans for the future.

The cost of doing business in the current climate proved to be too great a burden for the establishment known for churning out healthy versions of soul food classics on the Soul City Corridor. Larde found herself “pil fering her own finances” to make ends meet and decided in August that she would need to close the restaurant.

“This situation is not unique to me,” said

Larde. “I was facing the same issues that ery restaurant and every catering c have been facing for the last few year

Rising food costs played a key Larde’s decision to close the restaurant. Sh tinkered with the menu trying to figure out what she could offer that would be appealing to her customers without bankrupting the business. She reduced the amount of she offered, turned her focus to ve entrees and eliminated her fish offerings altogether.

“I used to offer fish twice a week, price got so high that I took it off,” said “I had to lose my fish crowd. That was a bit ter pill to swallow because I had customer that like to eat certain foods on certain days.”

When soaring prices of butter and began impacting the baking side of her ness and slow foot traffic at the restaurant forced her to reduce her staff, Larde to re-evaluate her business model. She ed Two Sisters in 2012 as a catering c and never intended to have a restaurant. Sh grew into a confident business owner after finding her way to the West Side’s Hatcher

Ow ner Veah Larde makes cakes in the former home of Two Sisters Catering in 2021. e business is headed back to e Hatchery, and Larde is explor ing an e-commerce

option for her popluar cakes and sweet treats.

food incubator in 2018 and gained the respect of her community when she became a vendor at Austin’s weekly farmers market. The storefront fell into her lap and as hard as she tried to make the brick-and-mortar thrive she had to admit, after looking at the numbers, that catering orders and her savings were kee ping the doors open. The restaurant couldn’t sustain itself and something had to change.

“My heart hurts for my elderly customers who would come in and buy three meals at a time from me,” said Larde. “They know they can still find me at the farmers market, but that part of closing was sad. They are like family to me.”

Larde opted to close the restaurant in fa vor of making catering her top priority once again and will return her homebase to The Hatchery. She has established a relationship with Marla’s Lunch which works to part ner up with small businesses to provide hot lunches in schools without cafeteria staf f. Two Sisters is currently assigned to Provi-

dence St. Mel’s in East Garfield Park and St. Vincent Ferrer in River Forest. Larde is eager to expand this sort of consistent catering and will consider small to mid-sized private events for clients that understand the Two Sisters culture.

“Two Sisters has always been about offering amazing health-conscious food for the southern food enthusiast,” said Larde. “And it still is. Southern food can be healthy, and you can still have room for that snack or treat.”

Additionally, the entrepreneur is exploring an e-commerce option for her popular baked and expansion oppor tunities for her savory menu offerings into commercial grocery stores as part her participation in 37 Oaks University, a commerce development and learning lab for entrepreneurs.

“I am not sad,” said Larde. “I am in a good place. You have to keep your head on a swivel in this business but I think pauses like this happen so you can get things right.”

MELISSA ELSMO/Food Editor

Loans available for Austin residents displaced in

Homeowners and renters can apply for loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate and belongings

By BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO STAFF Editorial Partner

Dozens of families displaced after a natural gas explosion in Austin last month can seek up to $200,000 in low-interest loans to pay for damages not covered by insurance, local officials announced this week.

The U.S. Small Business Association approved a disaster declaration for the explosion that occurred at 5601 W. West End Ave. on Sept. 20, Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday.

One man was killed and seven injured after the blast shattered the roofofthe 35-unit building, and left bricks and other debris strewn across the ground. The explosion was caused by “the ignition of natural gas,” fire officials said.

A temporary Disaster Loan Outreach Center is being set up at Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. Displaced residents can come to the center starting 11 a.m. Thursday to get help filling out loan applications, officials said.

The center will be open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays.

It will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 10.

The center closes permanently at 4 p.m. Oct. 20th.

Homeowners can apply for up to $200,000 in low-interest loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate Homeowners or renters can apply for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses and not-for-profits can borrow up to $2 million for physical damages.

More details on the loans are available at: https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/

“Illinois is very grateful to the SBA because it will help these families rebuild their lives,” said Alicia Tate-Nadeau, director ofthe Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

“Some ofthese residents lost not just the structure oftheir home, but everything they owned. I encourage every resident affected by the explosion to apply for one ofthese loans.”

“We are grateful to the Illinois Emergenc Management Agency for their continued efforts in assisting Chicago residents wh have been impacted by this explosion, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “Increased availability ofloans will give residents ye another option to consider in their collecti road to recovery.”

COLIN BOYLE/Block Club Chicago

First responders respond to an explosion in a 35-unit apar tment building that injured eight people in Austin on Sept. 20, 2022.

Cops shoot man pointing gun inside West Side station

The shooting is the second time in two weeks Chicago o cers have shot someone aiming a gun at them in a police facility, CPD says

By BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO STAFF Editorial Partner

For the second time in less than two weeks, Chicago officers shot someone who aimed a gun at them inside a police facility, police said.

The shooting occurred around 12:52 p.m. on Oct. 5, inside the Ogden (10th) Police District station, 3315 W. Ogden Ave., Police Supt. David Brown said at a press conference, citing preliminary information.

A man walked into the station’s lobby, “mumbling and ranting,” Brown said. The man was holding a plastic bag wrapped in his hand and an officer spotted something that

appeared to be the barrel of a gun protruding from the bag, Brown said.

The man “shouts and rants anti-police sentiment” then pointed the gun at the officers at the front desk, Brown said.

At that point, officers drew their weapons and shot at the man, wounding him at least once in his shoulder, Brown said. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with nonlife-threatening wounds, Brown said. No officers were hurt.

Three officers shot at the man, according to preliminary information, but investigators need to confirm that by examining their guns, Brown said.

The man has not been identified yet, Brown said. He was not cooperating with police to provide information on who he is, so investigators are working to identify him through fingerprints and any criminal records, Brown said.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating, as is standard in police shootings. The of ficers involved will be put on administrative duties for 30 days.

Asked if the man may have been attempting

to turn the gun in to police, Brown said his behavior did not suggest that. Officers ordered the man repeatedly to drop the gun, Brown said. Instead, he raised the gun and pointed it back and for th at the officers “as if you had a gun,” Brown said.

Civilian employees also were at the front desk when the shooting occurred, Brown said.

“Officers … this is the job they face, they’re always worried about their lives being at risk protecting the people of Chicago, but civilians don’t necessarily sign up for this,” Brown said. “They’re really shook up from this.”

Officers also shot someone inside a different West Side police station late last month.

In that case, prosecutors said Donald Patrick of suburban Waukegan broke into the Homan Square police facility, 1101 S. Homan Ave., by climbing up a rear fire escape and entering the building through a proppedopen door on the fifth floor.

Once there, he grabbed three, automatic pistols officers had left on a desk while

conducting a SWAT training exercise, prosecutors said. The guns were not loaded and the ammunition had been put in storage, prosecutors said.

Patrick then walked toward the training area and aimed the weapons at four officers on the catwalk, prosecutors said. One officer eventually confronted Patrick in a stairwell and shot him, prosecutors said.

Patrick was charged with three counts of burglary and five counts of aggravated assault on a police officer

In the wake of the two incidents and the “anti-police sentiment expressed by this particular offender,” Brown said police leadership are in talks about how to better secure police stations.

“We did discuss that after the Homan Square incident but we’re also obviously taking a look at all our police facilities,” Brown said. Police leaders are concerned about “access to our police facilities where officers are, but again we have to balance that with being open to the community to make report and engage with our officers.”

Referendum to ask voters to pay for Forest Preser ve

If ballot measure passes, the Forest Preser ve Distric t could see extra $43.5M in additional funding for preser vation e orts

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

A referendum question will appear on the ballot in November that is as unassuming as the wetlands and prairies and woodlands many commuters pass by without so much as a nod.

The Nov. 8 ballot measure will ask voters if they’d be willing to increase their property taxes so that the Forest Preserve District of Cook County — which is tasked with protecting nearly 70,000 acres of natural and recreational land across the county — might bring in another $43.5 million a year in revenue.

More than 300 miles of trail, 40 lakes and ponds, 274 picnic groves, 10 golf courses, the Chicago Botanic Garden and Brookfield Zoo are located on the district’s property.

If the referendum passes, the average homeowner would pay an additional $1.50 per month toward the Forest Preserve, according to infor mational material the district has created ahead of the referendum.

Homeowners already pay an average of $3 to $4 a month toward the district. According to the Forest Preserve’s 2021

budget documents, the owner of a medianpriced home pays $35 to $45 a year toward the Forest Preserve, de pending on the municipality they live in. Less than 1% of a homeowner’s property tax bill goes to the Forest Preserve District.

The referendum question comes as the district’s staffers have noticed an unprecedented number of visitors to their various properties, mostly due to COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders implemented in 2020 that made access to the outdoors much more critical.

“Trail Watch volunteers reported nearly twice as many trail users in 2020 from March through August than in 2019,” according to Forest Preserve District budget documents

The increased demand for the outdoors is also happening as the Forest Preserve shoulders a heavy pension obligation and a laundry list of deferred maintenance projects

If the referendum passes, about 21% of the anticipated $43.5 million of additional revenue would go toward paying pension obligations, 17% will go toward acquiring new natural open land to protect and 14% will go toward ecological restoration, among other areas.

Brookfield Zoo will get 9%, or an extra $4

million a year, to fund urgent capital work, such as building and stor mwater repairs.

Benjamin Cox, the executive director of the Friends of the Forest Preserves, a nonprofit that advocates for forest preserves in Cook County, said there’s a coalition of roughly 170 institutions, including museums and nonprofits like his, that are educating the public about the referendum, which could be the most significant since the one in 1914 that created the Forest Preserve District.

“If these lands are to survive we’ve got to make them as healthy as possible,” Cox said. “The more we can do to get invasive species out and native species in and ecosystems thriving the better And when they’re healthier they do a better job of cooling and cleaning the air, cooling and cleaning water, and slowing water down.”

Cox said the additional funds will be a serious shot in the ar m for the Forest Preserve District, whose total budget last year was about $130 million, with about $63 million going toward general operating expenses

Cox said the coalition and other referendum advocates have bought ad spots on TV and radio. The Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune have endorsed

the ballot measure, which has gar nered largely bipartisan support. The Cook County Board of Commissioners, which also comprises the Forest Preserve District board, voted unanimously last year to place the referendum on the ballot.

But despite the publicity, the forest preserves’ growing popularity and the largely uncontroversial nature of the proposal, the referendum question has still managed to escape the awareness of even frequent forest preserve visitors like Shelley K. (who requested that we not use her last name).

Shelley and her husband Dan strolled through Thatcher Woods in River Forest on Saturday with their 5-year old daughter

The couple said they were not aware of the referendum until asked about it that day, but would likely support it.

“It takes a lot of money to keep these kinds of things going,” Shelley said, referencing the nearby Trailside Museum of Natural History, which the Forest Preserves also operates

“My daughter says, ‘This is my forest,’” Shelley said. “You gotta have a forest growing up. You gotta have woods.”

CONTAC T: michael@austinweeklynews.com

The proposal is supported by several large labor unions, but it has drawn opposition from groups such as the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.

collectively with your coworkers to negotiate for things like better pay, safer working conditions, and crucially, it will also protect Illinois voters from politicians who try to take away their rights in the future,” Bowen said.

only the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively in the workplace.

The second clause states that the amendment would be controlling over another part of the constitution that spells out the powers of home rule units of local gover nment, meaning those units of gover nment would still be subject to the amendment.

Lawmakers approved putting the measure on the ballot during the 2021 spring session. The resolution passed both chambers with bipartisan support: 49-7 in the Senate and 8030 in the House

Like any constitutional issue, however, there is considerable disagreement over what those words mean and what effects they would have if the amendment is adopted

To gather a sense of the arguments for and against the measure, the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors convened an online forum with Joe Bowen, communications director for a Vote Yes for Workers Rights, the only organized political committee campaigning on the issue They also spoke with Mailee Smith, director of labor policy and a staff attor ney with the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that opposes the measure.

Bowen and Smith were asked at the outset what they believe the amendment would mean and the implications of adopting it

“The workers’ rights amendment will guarantee your fundamental rights in the workplace to organize and bargain

He said it gives Illinois workers an opportunity “to vote for themselves on Nov. 8.”

Smith, on the other hand, asserted that the amendment would apply only to public-sector workers because private-sector workers are already covered by the National Labor Relations Act, which would supersede any state law or state constitutional provision.

As a result, she argued that it would drive up local property taxes by giving public employee unions power to negotiate a broader range of issues, including “economic welfare,” which isn’t defined in the amendment or other state law.

Bowen countered that the amendment has nothing to do with taxes but, instead, protects

If it were adopted, he said, it would apply uniformly statewide to all workers in both the public and private sectors. He also said it would protect workers from politicians who attempt to enact right-to-work laws, a reference to for mer Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who tried unsuccessfully to push such legislation through the General Assembly.

Constitutional amendments have two paths to passage in Illinois. If the measure receives 60 percent of the vote from those voting on the question, it passes. But if it fails to reach the 60 percent threshold on the question but still musters “yes” votes from more than half of those voting in the election, it would still pass

Election Day is Nov. 8, but early voting has already begun.

Teaching white supremacy

n his first week of school as the new principal at Hinsdale South High School, Patrick Hardy was called the N-word and characterized as a pedophile twice, according to a recent Patch re port, which referenced an email message Hardy sent to the high school community in September

I

“When I introduced myself and asked him to pull his pants up or shirt down to cover his undergar ments, he responded by stating, ‘You’re a grown man. Why are you looking at my a**?’ Another student yelled from the crowd, ‘He a gay a** n*****! (n-word),’” Hardy said.

ROMAIN

educator pipeline was purposely decimated after Brown.”

Fenwick argues that, prior to 1954, Black educators comprised 35 percent to 50 percent of the educator workforce in the 17 states that, by law and custom, operated racially segregated schools.

These Black educators were taught at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and, in many cases, master’s and doctoral degree programs in norther n institutions like Ohio State University, the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.

in the position to possibly teach their white children.

“What is clear by the historical record is that on a nearly one-to-one basis in the 17 [states with legal school segregation before Brown], exceptionally credentialed and effective Black educators were replaced by less credentialed whites,” Fenwick said. “Some were educators, others were not. ”

I remember Hardy from his days as the beloved principal at Proviso East High School in Maywood and the for mer equity director at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

This story is on the surface shocking and infuriating but two new books published this year put Hardy’s experiences in historical context. And reading about the real history of America and particularly American schooling dulls the shock and even makes the students’ behavior rather predictable.

Jim Crow’s Pink Slip: The Untold Story of Black Principal and Teacher Leadership by Leslie Fenwick, dean emerita of the Howard University School of Education, led me to think differently about the Black educator.

Dr. Hardy, who holds two master’s degrees from Harvard and Cambridge and two doctorates, is part of a lineage of highly credentialed Black educators whose careers and contributions to American classrooms were conspiratorially and systematically covered up in the wake of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended legal segregation in schooling.

Today, Hardy is a rarity. About 7 percent of America’s 3.2 million teachers are Black and about 11 percent of the 93,000 principals are Black, Fenwick says. Meanwhile, less than 3 percent of the nation’s 14,000 superintendents are Black.

“But we’ve never talked about the history about why this is so,” Fenwick told NPR earlier this year. “And one of the things I was trying to do in the book was push against the myth that after Brown and desegregation, Blacks pursued careers en masse in other fields outside of education. Well, the historical record shows that the Black

In an interview with Howard Professor Gregg Carr last month, Fenwick said these Black educators “did an academic migration” by going “north or Midwest or slightly west, ear ning their master’s and doctoral degrees and returning to the segregated south to teach in all-Black segregated schools.”

As early as 1926, Fenwick said, 41 percent of the all-Black faculty at her mother’s racially segregated high school had master’s and doctoral degrees and “about three from the University of Chicago and Harvard combined.

“And that was not a fact that was only true of my mother’s school. This was broadly true of segregated all-Black schools. Despite sometimes dilapidated buildings, despite certain underfunding, despite used books and other curricular materials [that were] many times defaced with racial epithets … the teacher and principal workforce was exceptionally credentialed and [these educators] had also experienced learning in a desegregated or integrated environment in their graduate school education.

“So they returned to the south after this academic migration having not only superior academic credentials compared to their white peers but also a social experience that their white peers had not had or experienced,” Fenwick said.

She argues that, starting in 1952 (two years before Brown) and continuing into the 1970s, those highly credentialed Black teachers and principals were systematically “fired, demoted and dismissed and replaced by lesser qualified whites.” And this was all because white adults did not want these highly qualified Black educators to even be

The problem was so bad that Thurgood Marshall, then an attorney with the NAACP, led a team across the south to document the conspiracy. In one case, Marshall’s team identified the Black principal of a one-room, dirt-floor schoolhouse who had ear ned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Columbia University. After Brown, the Black principal was replaced by a white milkman.

Much of the material that informs Fenwick’s book comes from a Senate hearing on the displacement of Black principals across the south, which Dr. Carr, paraphrasing Fenwick, called perhaps the “the largest brain drain in the history of American education and maybe education anywhere.”

Fenwick estimates that, from roughly 1952 to the 1970s, around 100,000 Black principals and teachers were forcibly removed from public schools, resulting in the loss of about $2.2 billion worth of income in today’s money.

If Jim Crow’s Pink Slip tells the awful reality of American education, Donald Yacovone’s new book, Teaching White Supremacy: America’s Democratic Ordeal and the Forging of our National Identity spells out how this country has historically utilized history textbooks published in the North to perpetuate national mythology grounded in racism and white supremacy.

If you wonder why kids in Hinsdale can so easily call their Black principal the N-word or, closer to home, how white parents can so easily and blithely trample on the authority of Black women superintendents in Oak Park, consider Yacovone’s argument.

“Surveying American history school textbooks from the early nineteenth century to the present day will provide a more profound insight into the full depth of the national commitment to white supremacy,” he writes. “It also allows us to trace exactly how white supremacy and Black inferiority have been […] drilled into student minds generation after generation.”

The history is long and ever-present.

Charles Goodrich, brother of the popular textbook writer Samuel Griswold Goodrich, published The First Book of History for Children and Youth in the 1800s. Although he hoped, Yacovone writes, “slavery would end, he instructed young students that ‘slaves are generally well treated, that is they have enough to eat [and drink], and are not often required to labor beyond their strength.’ He stressed that slaves were ‘the property of their masters who have a right to punish them for bad conduct, and to sell them.’”

George Bancroft’s 10-volume History of the United States, originally published in 1834, described slavery as “the mercantile avarice of a foreign nation” to divert attention from America’s responsibility for its development. And history textbooks published in the 21st century have described enslaved Blacks as “indentured servants” and essentially happy workers.

The effect of this centuries-long assault on the public mind, Yacovone argues, is apparent in the present data. As a 2018 report by the Souther n Poverty Law Center notes, only 8 percent of the roughly thousand high school students the SPLC surveyed could identify slavery as the central cause of the Civil War. Half of the survey respondents said the war was caused by “tax strife.”

“In Florida, a teacher assured his students that the N-word ‘just means ignorant,’” Yacovone writes. “Minnesota fifth graders, in a lesson plan right out the 1920s, lear ned that African Americans regretted the end of slavery because ‘the enslavers took care of them and gave them food and clothing.’”

In 2020, the author adds, the New York Times reported that “the medical students and residents in a Duke University survey remained convinced that African Americans have thicker skin and less sensitive nerve endings — the same vile garbage spewed across the United States by Harvard University’s biologist and ethnologist Louis Agassiz in the nineteenth century.”

James Baldwin wrote in 1965 that history, “as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.”

No matter how much we want to deny it.

HELP WANTED

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COORDINATOR

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class.

Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

DEFINITION

To perform various network/system administration, computer support, and operational activities for the Village including computer system setup, configuration, and testing.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Reports directly to the Information Technology Services Director.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES:

Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential duties and responsibilities

1. Ensure that best in class customer service is provided to both internal and external customers and also embrace, support, and promote the Village’s core values, beliefs and culture.

2. Configure, test, and deploy network systems, such as, firewalls, routers, switches, wireless equipment, network servers and storage arrays.

3. Configure, test, and deploy system servers, such as, file, print, Internet, e-mail, database, and application servers.

4. Configure, test, and monitor server and end-user systems for security, such as, user accounts, login scripts, file access privileges, and group policy management.

5. Configure, test, and deploy end-user systems, such as, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software.

6. Test, configure, deploy, and support security systems, such as, facility access system, video & audio system.

7. Monitor and auditing of networks, systems, and user activities to ensure security and efficiency of systems. Create scripts and reports of detail activities for regular review.

8. Perform and participate in disaster recovery activities, such as, backup procedures, data recovery, and system recovery planning.

9. Assist end-users with computer problems or queries. Troubleshoot systems as needed and meet with users to analyze specific system needs.

10. Ensure the uniformity, reliability and security of system resources including network, hardware,

software and other forms of systems and data.

11. Prepare, create and update user/technical procedure documentations and provide computer training.

12. Assemble, test, and install network, telecommunication and data equipment and cabling.

13. Participate in research and recommendation of technology solutions.

Other important responsibilities and duties

1. Train users in the area of existing, new or modified computer systems and procedures.

2. Participate in the preparation of various activity reports.

3. Travel and support remote facilities and partner agencies.

4. Operate, administer and manage the Village and Public Safety computer systems, including E-911 center, in-vehicle computer systems.

5. Prepare clear and logical reports and program documentation of procedures, processes, and configurations.

6. Complete projects on a timely and efficient manner.

7. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

9. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

Principals and procedures of computer systems, such as, data communication, hierarchical structure, backups, testing and critical analysis.

Hardware and software configuration of. computers, servers and mobile devices, including computing environment of Windows Server and Desktop OS and applications, Unix/Linux OS, VMware, iOS/Android.

Network protocols, security, configuration and administration, including firewalls, routers, switches and wireless technology.

Cabling and wiring, including CAT5/6, fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down.

Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, analog, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant.

Principles and methods of computer programming, coding and testing, including power shell, command scripting, macros, and

VB scripts.

Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.

Technical writing, office productivity tools and database packages.

Ability to:

Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following:

- Walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time - Operating assigned equipment - Lift 50 pounds of equipment, supplies, and materials without assistance

- Working in and around computer equipped vehicles

Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for:

- Making observations - Communicating with others - Reading and writing - Operating assigned equipment and vehicles

Maintain mental capacity allowing for effective interaction and communication with others.

Maintain reasonable and predictable attendance. Work overtime as operations require.

Experience and Training Guidelines

Experience: Three years of network/system administration in the public or private sector, maintaining a minimum of 75 Client Workstation computers. AND Training: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in computer science or a related field. Certifications in Microsoft Server Administration, Networking, Applications and Cisco Networking.

Possession of a valid Illinois Driver License is required at the time of appointment.

Vaccination against COVID-19 strongly preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work in a computer environment; sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time; continuous exposure to computer screens; work in and around computerized vehicles outdoor and garage facility; lifting heavy equipment, communication cabling and wiring into walls and ceilings.

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator in the Health Department/Village Manager’s Office. This position will coordinate disaster response, crisis manage ment and medical countermeasure dispensing/ distribution activities for the Village of Oak Park, pro vide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technolog ical (e.g., nuclear power plant emer gencies, hazardous materials spills, biological releases) or disasters. This single class position is also respon sible for the complex administrative duties required for state, federal and local response processes and grant management. Applicants are encour aged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applica tions will be August 5, 2022.

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

The Village of Oak Park is seek ing qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This posi tion will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regu lations; and to provide general infor mation and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must com plete a Village of Oak Park appli cation.

GRANTS COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the posi tion of Grants Coordinator in the Development Customer Service Department. This position assists the Village’s Grant Supervisor in de veloping, coordinating, and admin istering various grants programs for the Village of Oak Park. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

FIRE INSPECTOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking a qualified candidate for the posi tion of Fire Inspector Part-Time in the Fire Department. This serves the public through enforcement of Village fire & life safety codes and ordinances; through inspections of residential, commercial and industri al properties; and provides consul tation and information to residents, architects, attorneys, fire services personnel and builders regarding laws, rules, regulations and policies relating to fire and life safety. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s web site http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is looking for a part time Office Assistant. The Office Assistant plays a key role in contrib uting to the Congregation’s mission through the smooth and effective running of Unity Temple’s adminis trative and office needs. Working with the Director of Finance & Administration, sitting at the front desk and welcoming visitors, man aging the congregational calendar, ensuring the procurement of sup plies and supporting the rental pro gram of our historic and culturally renowned buildings is the focus for this position.

Core Competencies

-Organization and Planning: Organizes people, funding, mate rials, and support to accomplish multiple, concurrent goals and activities. -Vision and Purpose: Commitment to and knowledge of Unitarian Universalist Principles and values (see Support for the Mission and Values of the Congregation below) -Trust and Integrity: Is widely trusted to keep confidences, admit errors, and adhere to a transparent set of personal and professional values

Custom

HELP WANTED

that are congruent with the ministry of the congregation.

Proficiencies: Google Workspace, specifically Google Drive, organi zational skills with a strong detail orientation, ability to communicate with a variety of different people, familiarity with CRM software is a plus (UTUUC uses Realm).

You can find more information about the position at https://unitytemple. org/job-postings/. To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to jobs@ unitytemple.org indicating “Office Assistant” in the subject line.

BOOKKEEPER

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is looking for a part time Bookkeeper.

Hours: 15 hours/week Sept –December 2022, then 10 hours/ week as of 1/1/2023

The Bookkeeper plays a key role in contributing to the Congregation’s mission through the smooth and effective accounting of Unity Temple’s financial ledgers and is responsible for journal entries and balance sheets. Working with the Director of Finance & Administration, the Bookkeeper will prepare state ments, investigate and clear dis crepancies, compile reports and analyses of accounts and update congregational pledge data.

Core Competencies - Accounting principles - Bookkeeping procedures - Vision and Purpose: Commitment to and knowledge of Unitarian Universalist Principles and values (see Support for the Mission and Values of the Congregation below) -Trust and Integrity: Is widely trusted to keep confidences, admit errors, and adhere to a transparent set of personal and professional values that are congruent with the ministry of the congregation.

Proficiencies: Quickbooks Online (certification is a plus but not required), Google Workspace (spe cifically Google Drive), organization al skills with a strong detail orienta tion, ability to communicate with a variety of different people, familiarity with CRM software is a plus.

You can find more information about the position at https://unity temple.org/job-postings/. To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to jobs@unitytemple.org indicating “Bookkeeper” in the subject line.

NURSERY SUPERVISOR AND CHILDCARE COORDINATOR

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation is looking for a warm, welcoming and experienced Nursery Supervisor and Childcare Coordinator to work with the young est among us on Sunday mornings in the nursery as well as coordi nate babysitting for congregational events outside of Sunday mornings. This is one job with two different roles. As Nursery Supervisor, this person will provide a compassionate and consistent presence in caring for our babies and toddlers during the Sunday morning worship service times, supervise, train and schedule other nursery staff, maintain the nursery as a safe and clean envi ronment, welcome and orient new families to the nursery, and build relationships with and communi cate effectively with parents. The nursery hours are Sundays from 9:30–11:30am, and approximately one hour outside of Sunday morning worship service.

You can find more information about the position at https://unitytemple. org/job -postings/. To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to jobs@ unitytemple.org indicating “Nursery Supervisor / Childcare Coordinator” in the subject line.

Frame Company

frames

you’ll

Wal-Marts, Verizon

MARKETPLACERENTALS & REAL ESTATE

CITY RENTALS

OFFICE

FOR

GARAGE SALES GARAGE SALES

PUBLIC NOTICES REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

NOTICE INVITATION TO BID TO METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO

Sealed proposals, endorsed as above, will be submitted back to the District via an electronic upload to the Bonfire Portal only, from the date of the Invitation to Bid, up to 11:00 A.M. (Chicago time), on the bid opening date, and will be opened publicly as described in the Invitation to Bid by the Director of Procurement and Materials Management or desig nee at 11:00 AM on the stated bid opening date below for:

CONTRACT 22 801 22

REHABILITATE OVERHEAD AIR MAIN AT THE CALUMET WATER RECLAMATION PLANT (REBID)

Estimated Cost: $420,000.00

Bid Deposit: NONE

MARKETPLACE

WANTED TO BUY

HOME SERVICES

CLASSICS

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS

Voluntary Technical Pre Bid Conference: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 10:30 am CST, via ZOOM Link Bid Opening: November 15, 2022 Compliance with the District’s Affirmative Action Ordinance Revised Appendix D and V and the Multi Project Labor Agreement are required on this Contract.

The above is an abbreviated ver sion of the Notice Invitation to Bid. A full version which includes a brief description of the project and/or service can be found on the District’s website, www.mwrd. org; the path is as follows: Doing Business > Procurement and Materials Management > Contract Announcements.

Specifications, proposal forms and/ or plans may be obtained from the Department of Procurement and Materials Management by down loading online from the District’s website at www.mwrd.org (Doing Business > Procurement & Materials Management > Contract Announcements). No fee is required for the Contract Documents. Any questions regarding the download ing of the Contract Document should be directed to the following email: contractdesk@mwrd.org or call 312 751 6643.

All Contracts for the Construction of Public Works are subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130/1 et.seq.), where it is stat ed in the Invitation to Bid Page.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals if deemed in the public’s best inter est.

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago By Darlene A. LoCascio Director of Procurement and Materials Management Chicago, Illinois October 12, 2022

2022

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2018 G-CTT

Plaintiff, -v.-

MICHAEL D. BETTS, ADAMS PLACE TOWNHOME CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS

Defendants

2022 CH 02182 2340 WEST ADAMS STREET UNIT 35 CHICAGO, IL 60612

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on August 1, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 3, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 2340 WEST ADAMS STREET UNIT 35, CHICAGO, IL 60612 Property Index No. 17-18-106-0301035

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the high est 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 twen ty-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 mort gagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the res idential 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 mort gagee, 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 fore closure 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 (driv er’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 7949876

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-22-01801 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2022 CH 02182 TJSC#: 42-3012

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 # 2022 CH 02182 I3203698

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF STANWICH MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST I

Plaintiff, -v.-

CURTISS BELL, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2022 CH 00669 5512 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD CHICAGO, IL 60644

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on July 27, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 14, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 5512 WEST JACKSON BOULEVARD, CHICAGO, IL 60644

Property Index No. 16-16-109-0400000

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the high est bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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, 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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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. 14-22-06175 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 2022 CH 00669 TJSC#: 42-3564

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 # 2022 CH 00669 I3204265

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR INDYMAC INDX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2007-AR5, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-AR5 Plaintiff, -v.-

JOANN JOHNSON, CACH, LLC, CAVALRY PORTFOLIO SERVICES, LLC, CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A. Defendants 16 CH 012994

906 N. LAVERGNE AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60651

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 9, 2017, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 21, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 906 N. LAVERGNE AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60651

Property Index No. 16-04-418-036 The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not

to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

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

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

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 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.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100

BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300

E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-16-11573

Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762

Case Number: 16 CH 012994

TJSC#: 42-3711

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 # 16 CH 012994 I3204833

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTCHANCERY DIVISION

U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE FOR THE RMAC TRUST, SERIES 2018 G-CTT

Plaintiff, -v.-

JEREMY BETTS, AUSHANTI BENDFORD, ASSOCIATES FINANCE, INC., CITY OF CHICAGO Defendants 2022 CH 01883 4855 W IOWA ST CHICAGO, IL 60651

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY

GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on August 19, 2022, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on November 21, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 4855 W IOWA ST, CHICAGO, IL 60651

Property Index No. 16-04-428-0020000

The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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, 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

File No. 14-22-01594

ARDC

We’ve got

00468002