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December 17, 2025 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Skyrocketing property taxes spark West Side community meeting
Austin resident represents Illinois at International Junior Miss Pageant
Rising bills drive residents to seek guidance; taxes have come due
Mariah Robinson, a nursing aide and respiratory care student, launched Breath of Hope this year as part of her pageant platform
By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
An Austin resident is in the running to be an International Junior Miss titleholder. Mariah Robinson, a 22-year-old who lives in Austin, is travelling to Orlando, Florida later this month to represent Illinois in the International Junior Miss pageant. There, Robinson will compete with dozens of women in her age group from other states and countries. The pageant awards multiple titleholders with money and prizes for the likes of modeling, See JUNIOR MISS on page 9
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PROVIDED
Mariah Robinson is competing in the International Junior Miss Pageant from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4
A community meeting at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church on Dec.8 brought residents together for property tax information and on-site assistance. With Dec. 15 as the looming deadline to pay the second installment of the 2024 Cook County property taxes, the meeting was a way to share information on how to get help from tax assessors including obtaining further tax exemptions. According to the Chicago Tribune, this year’s median residential property tax bills reflect See PROPERTY TAXES on page 9
HappyHolidays!
2 Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
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Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
West Sub’s now shuttered residency program wins award
Illinois Academy of Family Physicians honors family medicine program By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Nearly a year ago, in Jan. 2025, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education — which monitors graduate medical education programs to make sure participants deliver safe and high-quality care — withdrew accreditation from the family medicine residency program at Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center. Among about 30 resident doctors, some completed their residency by June 30, when the program officially ended, but most are completing their education elsewhere. The future of other services at West Sub is uncertain, as the hospital continues to struggle financially. Prior to its dissolution, the family medicine residency program at West Suburban was critically acclaimed. In honor of the physicians who trained there and the educators who shaped them, this month, the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians gave the Family Medicine Residency Program at West Sub its President’s Award. The annual IAFP award is given by the organization’s outgoing president, who recognizes an impactful individual or group. IAFP President Dr. Kate Rowland awarded West Sub’s family medicine residency program for its historically wide scope of sought-after training and its service to patients, many of whom are on Medicaid or uninsured. “Particularly in the last 20 years, so many graduates have cared for underserved patients in urban settings, rural settings and international settings,” Paul Luning, chief medical officer of PCC Community Wellness Center since 2007, told Austin Weekly News. West Suburban contracts services from PCC, a Federally Qualified Health Center that hosted resident doctors at four of its sites. Ginnie Flynn, IAFP’s vice president of communication and member engagement, told Austin Weekly News that family
medicine physicians, like those who have trained at West Sub, provide a necessary continuity of care, “especially when access to high-quality care for at-risk communities is so needed.” “Not only do they help through the pregnancy process and the childbirth, then they can stay there afterwards and be that same child’s physician and that same mom’s physician. That’s so unique to family medicine,” Flynn said. “It’s a daunting process to carry a child and deliver it, and it’s nice to have someone you know with you along the entire journey.”
The program’s legacy Dr. Allison Burdick started the family medicine residency program in 1971. Luning graduated from the program in 1998. The previous year was the first that residents at West Suburban got an outpatient, three-year experience at PCC. Luning said, back then, it was uncommon to teach residents at a Federally Qualified Health Center. “At the time, we didn’t really know what kind of impact West Sub’s family medicine program would have on training future doctors with underserved populations,” Luning said. But the program had a reputation for intense, full-scope training, “which not all programs focused on to the degree West Sub did.” Luning added, “We saw lots of patients that were very complicated socially, emotionally and physically.” Luning said the same reasons he was drawn to the family medicine residency program nearly 30 years ago inspired him to recruit new attendings as PCC’s chief medical officer today. “I want people that work at PCC to be very good doctors. I want them to have breadth. I want them to have compassion. I want them to be able to withstand the pressure of the job. And I knew that hiring somebody that had done residency at West Suburban was going to be not just up to the task, but committed to the task,” Luning said. Dr. Anastasia Crihfield — a family medicine physician at PCC Salud Family Health Center in Belmont Cragin, one of the four sites where residents at West Sub worked— graduated from the family medicine residency program at West Sub in 2018 and
spoke highly of her educational clinical experience. “One of the strengths that it always had was labor and delivery, where you got a wide breadth and good volume of experience as a family physician,” Crihfield told Austin Weekly News. That included experience in complicated deliveries, newborn nurseries, the NICU and ICU “to a degree that not a lot of family physicians always get trained in.” “West Suburban shaped not only the doctor I would become, but the kind of colleague, leader and advocate I strive to be today,” Dr. Rebecca Maddrell, also a graduate of the program, said as she helped present the President’s award. Maddrell is also one of two of the family medicine residency program graduates who are IAFP board members. About 140 graduates of the program are members of IAFP. “You did not choose West Sub because it was easy — you chose it because it prepared you for anything,” Maddrell said. “We ran the ICU for six months without an in-house attending [physician]. We carried patient lists of 20 or 30. We saw exhaustion, challenge and responsibility. And somehow, I still miss those days. The confidence, resilience and clinical breadth we gained became the foundation for how we care for patients today.”
Losing the family medicine program When West Sub’s family medicine residency program lost accreditation earlier this year, about 20 residents had to find another location to continue their residency. “The loss of West Suburban’s family residency program is a significant loss, particularly in a state that already struggles to recruit and retain family physicians, especially in underserved areas,” Rowland said while presenting the President’s award. “It was one of the most sought-after programs in the country at one time,” Flynn told Austin Weekly News. “To lose a training program that was training around 10 residents a year, that’s a huge impact on our workforce. To lose 30 potential family physicians that could have stayed and trained here and practiced here, that’s a See AWARD on page 5
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4 Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
Chef Daddy’s is Austin’s 1st restaurant to accept SNAP Seniors and the unhoused or disabled can use SNAP benefits through the Illinois Restaurant Meals Program By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
There’s a new hot food option for those who use federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and are also a senior, an individual with a disability or unhoused. Chef Daddy’s Soul Food & BBQ, 5944 W. Lake St., was approved last month to accept SNAP through the Illinois Restaurant Meals Program. The program allows eligible SNAP recipients, like those who are over 60 years old, disabled or unhoused, to pay with their benefits at the restaurant — the first in the Austin neighborhood to participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. After years of trying to get the program to the West Side, Alicia Cuevas, owner of Chef Daddy’s, said accepting SNAP allows the restaurant to improve access to hot and healthy meals for locals who might not have the ability or resources to cook for themselves. Cuevas said non-fast food options in the area were sparse when Chef Daddy’s opened a decade ago on the corner of Austin Boulevard and Lake Street. And there were several nursing homes and camps of unhoused people nearby. Over the years, Chef Daddy’s has often given soul food staples — like baked chicken, fresh cabbage, collard greens, yams and
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Alicia Cuevas, owner of Chef Daddy’s
Chef Daddy's at 5944 W. Lake St. in Austin
macaroni and cheese — to homeless people who came in. “This location could definitely use a variety of fresh, nutritious meals,” Cuevas said. She added that the menu boasts “oldschool, traditional southern food that a lot of seniors here enjoy.” Cuevas has long wanted to accept SNAP benefits at her restaurant. While visiting California in 2020, she saw restaurants that took SNAP. But when she came home and called state officials to inquire about doing the same, she learned that the Restaurant Meals Program hadn’t come to Illinois yet. It did in 2022. It wasn’t until Cuevas called officials in Springfield several more times — and Bill
Hoover of Paragon Global, which invests in people and businesses with an emphasis on community engagement, came into Chef Daddy’s as a customer and offered to help contact officials — that she got an application to be a part of the Illinois Restaurant Meals Program. Chef Daddy’s was approved to accept SNAP on Nov. 20 and set up the Point of Sale system to accept benefits the same day. “The West Side of Chicago needs this,” Cuevas said of Chef Daddy’s homecooked meals. “The only options out here are a bunch of fried food and hot dogs and pizza puffs and stuff. We, the community, need this.” Cuevas said she’s already hearing how grateful eligible SNAP users are. She describes a sweet woman living in a nearby senior home, who regularly buys five hot meals at a time to microwave throughout the week. She tells the story of an unhoused woman staying at a hotel, who was so thankful for a home-cooked meal, and another woman with three wellmannered kids who had a field day choosing what food they wanted. “You would think her kids were picking steak. They were so excited,” Cuevas said. “That brought tears to my eyes.” Chef Daddy’s opened in 2015. In past years, the restaurant has had to navigate its aging equipment. Cuevas needs a new deep fryer, a warmer and oven.
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Cuevas said she hopes additional, consistent revenue from eligible SNAP customers will allow her to invest in new equipment. Despite that, some things at Chef Daddy’s haven’t changed in the last decade. Much of the same staff works there, and the restaurant is frequently visited for its chitterlings. “I’m known for chitlins, which is a delicacy. It’s expensive,” Cuevas said. “You have to clean them, cook them for hours at a time. It’s just a lot of work.” She added that she’s the only restaurant in Chicago that serves chitlins every day. To strengthen her leadership skills and sustainably grow her business, Cuevas completed Entrepreneurs Academy’s Fast Launch Educational Entrepreneurship Training program. As a part of creating a business plan with the program, she included her dream of expanding Chef Daddy’s to the South Side, across the city, and possibly to other states. “I want a Chef Daddy’s to be in every area,” Cuevas said. “When people travel here, they’re like, ‘You need one of these in Iowa. You need one of these in California. In Michigan, we don’t have nothing like this.’” Chef Daddy’s Soul Food & BBQ is open at 5944 W. Lake St. Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
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Territory NFP receives $250,000 grant to launch Creating Space in Austin Community meeting at Austin Branch of the Chicago Public Library explores stewardship and placemaking plans By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter
Territory NFP has been awarded a $250,000 grant to develop a youth-driven project that will transform a long-vacant lot at 557 N. Central in Austin into a community hub focused on design, public safety and intergenerational engagement. Territory NFP, a place-based design studio for young people, owns the property for the project it has dubbed Creating Space. The grant came from the Chicago Community Trust. The funding comes after years of youth involvement and community input and will support environmental remediation, creative installations and programs that allow local teens to shape the space and gain hands-on experience in design and urban planning. The site was previously a multifamily home before demolition and much of the structure remains buried underground. The news was discussed at a meeting at the Austin Branch of the Chicago Public Library on Wednesday, where attendees explored community stewardship and placemaking plans.
AWARD from page 3 loss for family medicine, and that’s a loss for communities.” And PCC had to find replacements for the nearly 30 resident doctors who were once assigned to four of its sites and made
“It’s a huge honor for the young people here who have been putting forward their ideas, but also for all of you who have attended these meetings, advocated and shared your input because we could only accomplish this with everyone’s involvement,” said Helen Slade, executive director of Territory NFP. The effort to shape plans will begin in 2026.The team plans to test prototypes, install and finish modified containers and work closely with youth and neighbors to prioritize the most needed elements. By the summer of 2027, the site is expected to transition toward community ownership, giving youth and neighbors a central role in shaping and caring for the space. During the meeting, participants broke up into groups to discuss what community stewardship could look like and how youth and neighbors might care for the space. At the meeting, Ryan Barrett, senior commercial account manager for Christy Webber Landscapes, discussed his visit to the site to assess construction costs and limitations for the placemaking project, while also getting to know the youth team. “As a father of three daughters myself, seeing children engaged in the design process, I recognize that you all are the next generation who will carry this work forward. You are going to help shape the world we live in and it will benefit us all,” Barrett said. The vision for Creating Space is to build a gathering space, a welcoming community area where people can socialize and foster intergenerational connection and understanding.
up over a quarter of PCC’s entire medical provider workforce. One site, the PCC Dr. Burdick Family Health Center located inside West Suburban, was entirely staffed by resident doctors. While PCC has since recruited new providers to fill the gap, Luning said it’s been hard on PCC’s prenatal care services. While prenatal care is still a large focus for PCC, Luning said there aren’t as many
HECTOR CERVANTES
Concept design of Creating Space. The design team, led by Nicole Castro, the lead studio facilitator for Territory NFP, introduced her team and shared their experiences in the Territory youth program, highlighting how it nurtures creativity, collaboration, and community engagement. Both the intro team (ages 14–16) and advanced team (ages 16–17) presented projects they had developed, including ideas for modified shipping containers, community spaces and design concepts aimed at making Austin a more connected and welcoming neighborhood. Team members emphasized the program’s focus on learning, providing feedback and contributing to a communitydriven, creative space. Ashanti Leach, who heads Territory NFP’s AmeriCorps VISTA in Community Development and Facilities Planning, said that over the past four years the team activated the space with events, design iterations, and community feedback, addressing issues like trash, safety, and public use. They also collaborated with local districts and reopened a woodshop to provide resources and
opportunities for youth engagement, while considering broader community challenges like drug use and food access. Dr. L. David Stewart, director of Design Practice, outlined the Creating Space project and emphasized the community’s priorities: public safety, collective care and gathering space. He noted that ensuring safe, inclusive public areas was a key focus in the initial student-designed iteration and stressed that collective care and community input would guide the project moving forward. He said: “Earlier this summer, we held what we call ‘space conversations.’ In those discussions, we learned a lot about what everyone needed to hear. One of the great things about that process is that sometimes tension is necessary to grow and move forward. The community got to hear the youth and the youth got to hear the community. Through that dialogue, we all agreed that this is our space. We are the owners in the legal sense, but we also own it metaphorically in Austin. We all have a responsibility to contribute to the care of the space.”
doctors who specialize in it as there used to be. At the Dr. Burdick Family Health Center, PCC hired four newly graduated physician assistants. Those PAs now work alongside a veteran family doctor who previously taught residents. PCC is hoping to pick up the legacy of West Sub’s family medicine residency program by sponsoring the residency it-
self, becoming a teaching health center through a federally funded program. “We’ve got all these faculty who taught at West Sub, and we know that there are residents and Chicago med students that want to do training and serve this population,” Luning said. “We were so sad about the program closing, but we want to be able to look forward and not just look back. We want to continue doing this kind of work.”
6 December 17, 2025
CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE
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CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE
Christmas SERVICES
CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES OF OAK PARK AND NEIGHBORS Ascension and St. Edmund Parish St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish
SOLEMNITY of the NATIVITY of the LORD Christmas Eve, Wednesday 12/24
Our Savior is Born !
3:00 PM Mass at St. Giles with the Children’s Presentation of the Gospel 3:30 PM Mass at Ascension with Ascension Schola 4:30 PM Mass at St. Edmund with St. Edmund Choir 5:00 PM Mass at St. Giles with Young Adult Choir 5:30 PM Family-focused Mass at Ascension with Ascension Choristers & String Ensemble 7:30 PM Family Mass Community Mass in the St. Giles School Gym Carols begin at 7 PM Adult and Children’s Choir; Children’s Presentation of the Gospel
10:30 PM Mass at St. Giles Carols begin at 10:00 PM with St Catherine of Siena-St Lucy and St. Giles Choir 11:00 PM Mass at Ascension Carols begin at 10:30 PM with Ascension Choir
Christmas Day, Thursday 12/25 8:30 AM Mass at St. Giles
9:00 AM Mass at Ascension with organ, instruments and cantor
10:30 AM Mass at St. Giles
11:00 AM Mass at St. Edmund with organ, instruments and cantor
SOLEMNITY of MARY, MOTHER of GOD World Day of Prayer for Peace Wednesday 12/31 5:00 PM Mass at St. Edmund (Mass of anticipation) Thursday 1/1 9:00 AM Mass at Ascension 10:00 AM Mass at St. Giles 7:30 PM Taizé Prayer for Peace at Ascension
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Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
JUNIOR MISS Breath of Hope from page 1 public speaking and academic achievement. Robinson has participated in National American Miss pageants since she started in the circuit about five years ago, but this is her first time competing on a global scale. “I always did the state pageant, but this year, I took a break from competing just at state. I want something bigger for myself,” Robinson said, adding that she often places in the top five contestants at statewide pageants. Robinson has a general studies degree from Malcolm X College, where she graduated with honors. This year, she started as a respiratory care student at St. Augustine College in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. She also works up to 70 hours a week as a nursing aide. “I get up every day and I push myself. I’m coming to work to help people that I can help, even though I wasn’t able to help my
PROPERTY TAXES A surprising spike from page 1 last year’s citywide reassessment, which saw sharp increases on the South and West sides amid rising real estate investment. Homeowners in neighborhoods such as Englewood, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale are facing bills that have doubled or more, while wealthier areas of the city saw much smaller increases. City officials and community leaders met with residents to explain property tax exemptions, how to apply for them and the certificate of error process for missed exemptions or property evaluations. They provided guidance on eligibility, walked residents through their bills and set up tables where people could apply or correct their exemptions on the spot. Dorothy Rosenthal, a West Garfield Park resident, said she was assessed at 133% like many others and with half the neighborhood still recovering from a flood in 2023, she questioned how property values could be raised so drastically. “How can you assess property with a 133% increase in value? Here’s the issue: the certif-
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mom,” Robinson said. Her mother died at age 25 from a collapsed lung, due to complications from multiple sclerosis. Inspired by her mother, Robinson launched Breath of Hope earlier this year as part of her pageant platform. In addition to feeding people with her church, donating clothes and raising health awareness on the South and West Side of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, Robinson is involved in her community through Breath of Hope, which aims to inspire young women to find hope in hopeless places. “Before I entered the [pageant] industry, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to be perfect.’ But I quickly realized it’s OK not to be OK. Whether I win the crown or not, I just want people to know you don’t have to be perfect to get to your destination because it’s not so much about the destination. It’s more about the journey,” Robinson said. “I live by ‘Letting go and letting God.’ You can control what you can control and, if you can’t, you have to let it go because you don’t want it to ruin you.” Today, Robinson studies the system that once failed her mother, aiming to help others breathe easier — both emotionally, through Breath of Hope, and medically.
Robinson originally wanted to explore a career in radiology, but because the specialty is highly competitive, she instead chose to study respiratory care. “I felt like that was the call for me when I learned about it. I didn’t know that the respiratory system was in tune with multiple sclerosis in certain ways,” Robinson said. Though she’s come a long way in her schooling and the pageant circuit, Robinson said she was more hesitant when she first started competing. “Honestly, I was so against pageants because I was like, ‘I got to be a size two,’” Robinson said. “And being African American, I didn’t really see too many people like me, so I was like, ‘I’m never going to get this. I’m never going to do this.’” But when a family friend who did pageants suggested that Robinson try it, and Robinson saw Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa, a Black woman, win Miss Universe in 2019, she decided to give it a go. For her first pageant, Robinson competed statewide and went to nationals. She said she was initially there just to have fun, but toward the end of the evening, found herself anxious to place. “In that moment, it made me realize
this is something more than a pageant. In general, people think you’re supposed to be pretty — not smart, not getting an education — when it comes to the pageant system. And it’s so much more than that,” Robinson said. “I always say, ‘The pageant system is like my home away from home.’ I’m in a very serious field. My career is very serious. With pageants, it’s stressful sometimes, but when I get there, I just feel so much adrenaline.” Still, Robinson said that self-doubt has been the most challenging part of her pageant career. She pays for everything by herself and travels to compete alone, though many women have their mothers with them. But when it comes to what she’s looking forward to most about the International Junior Miss competition, Robinson said it’s sharing her message with the world. “I was bullied because of the color of my skin [and because] I’m not a size two. And I want other people to realize the very thing that you hate is what makes you unique,” Robinson said. “I don’t think that I will win the crown, and that’s okay. But my main goal is to [place in the] top 12.”
icate does not pay your tax bill. When taxes go up, if you don’t own your home outright, your estimate goes up,” Rosenthal said. North Lawndale resident Abraham HouseEL explained that his own tax bills have skyrocketed despite living on a block with roughly 15 vacant lots, which makes the rising assessments feel unjust. At 70 years old and hoping to retire, he says all he wants is for officials to “make it make sense.” “I’ve got two tax bills over a 48-month period. One of them is $1,324 for a single installment and this year, the installment is $5,053. I’m at a point in my life when I should be retiring. Why are my property taxes going up? How can the taxes on my block increase when there are nearly 15 vacant lots,” HouseEL said. For House-EL, when he entered the room and saw the large gathering of community members, it was clear that change was possible, as their presence on a Monday night demonstrated a strong commitment to fighting for fair property taxes. Ald. Jason Ervin of the 28th Ward highlighted a past situation on the North Shore where a certificate of error was issued due to a significant mistake and emphasized that the assessor has the authority to issue similar certificates in West Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Englewood to correct errors in those communities.
“We need the same treatment they received up north, right here on the West Side of Chicago. I don’t say this lightly, especially since we’ve just been told to deal with this,” Ervin said. Ervin emphasized that the mistakes made by the assessor’s office were unfairly targeting their community and insisted that they are prepared to take whatever action, including going to court, is necessary to secure a certificate of error. Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who was elected to address disparities in property taxes and ensure large property owners pay their fair share, spoke at the meeting about the unfair increases in residential tax bills despite reductions for wealthy corporations and downtown properties. “One out of every three homeowners doesn’t have a homeowner exemption yet. That’s $600 right off your bill. If you haven’t claimed your homeowner exemption in the last few years, you can look back up to four years, and our office can get that refunded to you. That could be thousands of dollars,” Kaegi said. Kelwin Johnson, chief of Civic Engagement for the assessor’s office, spoke about the resources available to homeowners to help lower their property tax bills. He emphasized that his team can assist with exemptions such as the homeowner’s exemp-
tion, senior freeze and disability-related exemptions, even going back several years for potential refunds. “We understand that a lot has changed in terms of values and other aspects of the community. People want answers, but we’re here to provide resources,” Johnson said. Ald. Monique Scott of the 24th Ward expressed frustration over rising property taxes and the state of her community during a recent meeting. She noted the challenges in her ward, including thousands of vacant lots and dilapidated buildings and criticized the steep tax increases as unfair and harmful to residents. Scott also emphasized the need to collaborate with local senators, saying the city’s approach “doesn’t measure up” to the needs of her constituents. “No taxes should exceed 99% or even 130%. There should be a cap on other taxes, too. Different municipalities can’t just keep taxing us until we can’t afford to live in our homes. Many of you here could possibly lose your homes in the next year or two, and I can’t stand for that,” Scott said. Scott criticized the city for raising taxes in lower-income areas, saying it’s unfair to increase bills up to 99% in neighborhoods where the median income is just $30,000. She emphasized the need to make their voices heard and continue advocating for legislative changes to protect residents.
10 Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025 Let the sun shine in...
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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE FREDDIE MAC SEASONED LOANS STRUCTURED TRANSACTION TRUST, SERIES 2020-2 Plaintiff, -v.LINDA L SCOTT BROWN, WINNFIELD BROWN, JR., CITY OF CHICAGO Defendants 2021CH02252 2225 S. KENNETH AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60623 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on September 24, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 5, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 2225 S. KENNETH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60623 Property Index No. 16-27-102008-0000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. The judgment amount was $194,440.78. Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. 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, contact JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650, Chicago, IL, 60602 (312) 541-9710. Please refer to file number 21 8348. 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. JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650 Chicago IL, 60602 312-541-9710 E-Mail: ilpleadings@johnsonblumberg.com Attorney File No. 21 8348 Attorney Code. 40342 Case Number: 2021CH02252 TJSC#: 45-2519 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 # 2021CH02252 I3277190
(1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than the mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Diaz Anselmo & Associates P.A., 1771 West Diehl Road, Suite 120, Naperville, IL 60563. (630) 4536960. 1463-201589 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3277269
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC Plaintiff vs. THELMA L. JACKSON; THESECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; MERRICK PARK CONDOMINIUM APARTMENTS ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendant 24 CH 4019 CALENDAR 58 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on January 7, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-09-118-040-1023, 16-09-118-013-0000. Commonly known as 5424 W. Ferdinand St., Apt 424 , Chicago, IL 60644. The real estate is: condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF AND WITH RESPECT TO AJAX MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2021-A, MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES, SERIES 2021-A Plaintiff, -v.REBECCA FIELDS, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF PHYLLIS M. FIELDS, CITY OF CHICAGO, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, THOMAS P. QUINN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR PHYLLIS M. FIELDS (DECEASED) Defendants 2025CH04021 414 S KILBOURN AVE CHICAGO, IL 60624 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 3, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 7, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 414 S KILBOURN AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60624 Property Index No. 16-15-128024-0000, 16-15-128-023-0000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
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) 236-SALE 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. 14-24-06612 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2025CH04021 TJSC#: 45-2934 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 # 2025CH04021 I3277730
630 N. FRANKLIN ST., UNIT 911 AND P-36, CHICAGO, IL 60654 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 10/6/2025, an agent of Auction.com, LLC will conduct the Online Only auction at www.auction.com, with the bidding window opening on January 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM CDT and closing on 1/7/2026 at 10:00 AM subject to extension, and will sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate. Commonly known as 630 N. FRANKLIN ST., UNIT 911 AND P-36, CHICAGO, IL 60654 Property Index No. 17-09-222020-1116 AND 17-09-222-0201205 The real estate is improved with a Condominium. The judgment amount was $369,642.23 Sale Terms: Full Sale Terms are available on the property page at www.auction.com by entering 630 N. FRANKLIN ST., UNIT 911 AND P-36 into the search bar. If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, the winning bidder must pay the full bid amount within twenty-four (24) hours of the auction’s end. All payments must be certified funds. No third-party checks will be accepted. All bidders will need to register at www. auction.com prior to placing a bid. 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)(l) 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. For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel LLC. (312) 357-1125 please refer to file number 25-00293. Auction.com, LLC 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60602 - 872-225-4985 You can also visit www.auction.com. Attorney File No. 25-00293 Case Number: 25 CH 1913 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. I3277809
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC, Plaintiff, -v.MICHAEL J. SERBIN, 630 N. FRANKLIN CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, Defendants. 25 CH 1913
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M25001107 on November 25, 2025 Under the Assumed Business Name of MAKING MOMENTS MATTER NOTARY AND COURIER SERVICES with the business located at: 5053 W. AUGUSTA, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: SALEEMA MUHAMMAD 5053 W. AUGUSTA CHICAGO, IL 60651, USA Published in Austin Weekly News December 3, 10, 17, 2025
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.
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The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals. To complain of discrimination,
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12 Austin Weekly News, December 17, 2025
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