Forest Park Review 041923

Hoskins revives diversity, youth commissions

Residents’ interest in ser ving spurs decision

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

Mayor Rory Hoskins plans to revive the village government’s Diversity Commission, which has been dormant for the past few years. He also plans to resur rect the Forest Park Youth Commission, which disbanded in the early 2010s

The mayor made the announcement during the April 10 village council meeting – the first meeting since he was re-elected for a second term by a decisive margin. Hoskins said he is looking to revive them in response to interest from residents, and, in case of the youth commission, because he believed that Forest Park could do more to serve and support teens.

As mayor, Hoskins can make appointments on his own schedule, with the council voting to either confirm or deny them – though, in practice, that tended to be a for mality. Hoskins didn’t give a clear timeline for when the revived commissions might be up and running, saying only that he expects to make appointments in the next few months.

During the pandemic, many Forest Park advisory

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D209 board demands apology for public notice oversight

Board said they did not authorize the publication of public hear ing notice regarding sale of $44 million in bonds

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Amidst outcry on social media re garding a public notice seen in the Chicago Tribune in late March, Proviso Township High School District 209 school board members sought a public apolo gy from those they trust for financial guidance for the premature move

During the board meeting on Tuesday, April 11, Dr. James Cunneen, C & H Educational Consultant and representatives of Mesirow Public Finance, including managing director Todd Krzyskowski, publicly apolo gized for the premature publication of the notice of public hearing that stated D209 would be having a public meeting to receive input on a proposal to sell bonds in the amount of $44,000,000 to increase the working cash fund.

The notice, which was dated on March 14, 2023, and alle gedly signed of f on by board secretary Samuel Valtier re z, said the public hearing was to be held during the April 11 meeting at Proviso West.

“We are here today to apolo gize to you,” said Cunneen. “What happened over that publication should have never happened. I am not here to make excuses, it happened,

we take responsibility for what happened, and I apologize to you for that.”

Cunneen said the mistake was due to a communication er ror during Spring Break, a lack of email checking, and not being able to get in touch with people. He also said while they “desperately wanted” to hear from the people on how to fund potential future building renovation projects, the board was in full control over any notice that is to be made public

“I had no idea it was published in the Chicago Tribune with my name on it,” Valtier re z said, confronting Cunneen during the board meeting. “I am the person who reads the small print, so I do require some documentation stating that you retracted that.”

Valtier re z said he is still waiting for a retraction and that a public apolo gy be made to District 209 community members in the Tribune as well.

“We wanted to star t with me standing in front of you and personally apolo gizing to you,” said Cunneen.

“This is a big deal,” Valtier re z told Village Free Press re garding wanting a public acknowledgment by Cunneen and Mesirow re garding the mistake. “I don’t know how the mistake was made. Because it was a big deal and it was something that the community usually gets involved in, it was important to me.”

Valtier re z said he was notified by board member Amanda Grant of the notice around March 25 and immediately spoke with the district’s attor ney, followed by Supt. James Henderson, who alle gedly told him he was not aware of the notice.

Henderson did not respond to requests for comment.

According to Valtier re z, Cunneen said the public notice was forecasted and scheduled to be sent to the Tribune as they had anticipated the board’s approval but forgot to cancel the notice after the board remained in discussion over the item.

Valtier re z told Village Free Press he was infor med there were two notices for public hearing that were published in the Tribune, one for selling $44 million in bonds and another for selling $31 million in bonds Neither notice was approved by the board, said Valtier re z.

Board President Arbdella Patterson clarified that despite the notice saying, “by order of the President of the Board of Education,” she did not give out those orders

“I am the sitting president at this time,” Patterson said during the meeting. “At no time, at any time, have I OKd or ag reed to any public notice being put out by a directive of myself.”

“The damage at this point is done because the public is under the impression that this board, that this superintendent, gave the okay,” Patterson said.

During the Feb. 14 meeting, Cunneen presented “Proviso Township High School District 209 Financing Alter native for Capital Projects,” during open session for discussion only. The goal of the plan was to allow the district to generate $71 million for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal year’s construction projects

Grant had previously submitted an op-ed piece to Village Free Press and the Forest Park Review encouraging community response, saying the project, which was developed by an “outside party,” had no foresight and no accountability plan in place.

According to the presentation, $41,500,000

would be received through the sale of bonds and another $29,500,000 through district anticipated Evidence Based Funding (EBF.)

While EBF was expected to cover most of the amount bor rowed, as well as include a tax abatement for the next five years, the district would be left paying back approximately $4.5 million a year

Per the recommendation of Mesirow re presentatives, the district should take advantage of the current 3.5 to 4 percent interest rates on borrowing to lock in rates for bonds to avoid future inflation.

While the district has already had two discussions re garding the proposition, Patterson said, due to the incident re garding the publication of the public notice in the Tribune, she would like to start over “from be ginning to end,” in the name of transparency.

“Let the record reflect that we have only discussed, we have not ag reed to a bond,” said Patterson.

While Valtier re z said he was not at fault, as secretary of the board, he acce pts a cer tain level of responsibility as he is accountable to the community and hopes this helps them find a better process for addressing public hearing notices moving forward and work towards transparency as well as non-hostile communication with the community

“I was elected to have their [the community] interest in mind, I have lived in this community for 35 years, I have invested interest in this township, and I want the best for it,” Valtier re z said. “I want to let them know that moving forward, we want to invite the community to give us feedback, give us honest feedback.”

April 19-26

BIG WEEK

Ann Cleeves

S unday, April 23, 12-2 p.m., Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore

Author Ann Cleeves will be inter viewed by fellow wordsmith Lori Rader-Day. Cleeves has just released her newest book, The Rising Tide. 7419 Madison St., Forest Park

Laura Kina: Over The Rainbow, One More Time

Saturday, April 22, 2 p.m., Riverside Ar ts Center

The works of Laura Kina are currently on exhibit at the Riverside Ar ts Center. On April 22 she will discuss her works in person. 32 E. Quinc y, Riverside

Spring Fling! Indoor Block Part y

Friday, April 21, 6:30 p.m., Grant White Elementar y School

Join the PTO for the return of an annual event, The Spring Fling! Games and ac tivities for all ages, food from local vendors, ra e items, and a live DJ. More details to come, so save the date. 147 Circle Ave., Forest Park

Mini Creature/Fair y Homes

Monday, April 24, 4 - 5 p.m., Forest Park Public Librar y e mini -reature/fair y homes using natural materials. Ages 8 to 10.

The Forest Park Chamber Of Commerce Spring Wine Walk

Saturday, April 22, 1 - 5 p.m., Madison Street

Explore the unique shops and restaurants, taste three wines at 16 locations and enjoy locally prepared small bites at taste locations and restaurants. Cost is $50 per person and includes all tastings plus a free bottle of wine of your choice (to be picked up from Famous Liquors within 30 days). Sign up for one of two check-in times: 12:30 or 1:30. https://exploreforestpark.com/events/spring-wine -walk-shop -2

Listing your event in the calendar

Forest Park Review welcomes notices about events that Forest Park community groups and businesses are planning. We’ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a

week before your news needs to be in the newspaper

■ Send details to Wednesday Jour nal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302

■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

Dia Family Celebration and Bilingual Book Fair

El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Saturday, April 22, 2 - 4 p.m., Forest Park Public Librar y This is a celebration of Day of the Book and Day of the Children with multi-age family fun featuring crafts, a showcase of books in Spanish and English, and more. D esigned for kids of all ages and their families.

I Lif t My Lamp - Illuminations From Immigrant America: Jacqueline Schwab

Wednesday, April 26, 7:30-9 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church

You’ve probably heard Jacqueline Schwab’s piano stylings on several PBS specials, including Ken Burns’ documentaries on the Civil War and Frank Lloyd Wright. This concer t celebrates American immigrants’ sense of community through song, via vintage tunes from Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Scandinavia, and other countries. A reception will follow the concert. Proceeds to bene t the Social Justice & Mission Ministr y of Grace Episcopal Church. $15 (suggested donation), 924 Lake St., Oak Park.

District 91 asks for community feedback

Superintendent

works toward giving the community more of a voice

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Community members and parents of Forest Park’s District 91 public schools gave up a few hours of their evening on April 12 to gather around and brainstorm on their concerns, hopes, and changes they would like to see at Forest Park Middle School.

Open to all, the community meeting was part of a two-part conversation hosted by the Citizens’ Advisory Council (CAC) with a goal of collecting feedback from all of their community partners as the district moves towards making strategic changes for improvement.

Nurys Uceta-Ramos, family and community engagement manager for D91, said community meetings began last year with a model of “start, stop, continue,” as the district hopes to pinpoint what they should start implementing, what practices to stop, and what to continue to keep them moving forward.

With a group larger than last year, staf f asked participants to gather in small groups to discuss concerns they have for their middle schoolers and present their top three topics.

Topics discussed included standard-based grading, social emotional health, opportunities for professional development and additional support for teachers, streamlining communication amongst the school and with parents as well, and opportunities for extracur ricular activities.

Shannon Wood, school board member and district parent, said it was important for her to participate as a parent in the event to hear others’ experiences. Wood, whose child will be entering middle school next year, said a big concer n for her was equity.

Latoya McRae, who has a sixth grader, was glad others raised concerns re garding staf f diversity.

“To increase the workforce of diverse

staf f and faculty, it is very critical to make sure there is representation amongst a school with children of different backgrounds,” McRae said.

In its second year of implementation, the community meetings are a way for Supt. Dr. Elizabeth Alvare z, who is in her second year with the district, to gain a better understanding of the community’s, along with faculty and staff, needs and desires.

“We wanted to make sure people’s voices are being heard,” Alvare z said. “When I took my seat as superintendent one of the things, I kept hearing was ‘we feel that the district isn’t providing us a voice,’ and so we wanted to make sure this was provided for them.”

The CAC, which serves as the district’s Improvement Planning Committee, will be reviewing the feedback and providing input to the district on ways to move forward with their goals by the 2026-2027 school year. Alvare z said they hope to be able to bring something to the board for discussion around May or June

“I think our voices were heard tonight,” McRae said. “It was a melting pot of ideas, and we look forward to see what comes out of these recommendations.”

The district hosted another community meeting focused on primary and intermediate grades PK- 5 on April 17 at Betsy Ross, 1315 Marengo Ave, Forest Park.

E. RODRIGUEZ/STAFF REPORTER

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Library offers a sensory-friendly tour

Special activities for Autism Acceptance Month and services year-round

the birds

for the birds

Susan Farnum, the library’s youth services manager, said they’ve been offering special Autism-related programming in April since at least 2018.

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

On the morning of April 16, the Forest Park Public Library held a sensory-friendly library tour to give Forest Parkers with autism and other sensory issues a chance to experience the library in a calmer, less crowded environment.

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This is one of several events held throughout April, which has been designated Autism Acceptance Month. Library staff put together an Autism Acceptance Month reading list of fiction and nonfiction books and is holding a sensory-friendly screening of the DC Super Pets animated movie for kids on the autism spectrum.

The Sensory-Friendly Library Tour took place at 11 a.m., two hours before the library opens on Sundays. Adult Services Manager Skye Lavin said they wanted give interested Forest Parkers a chance to experience the library without the stress and noise of being in larger crowds. They pointed out the more active and quieter parts of the library, such as study rooms. Patrons can check out electronics such as audio recorders and WiFi hotspots, and Lavin said the tour pointed out that patrons can check out light therapy lamps and handheld magnifiers.

The tour also spotlighted the library’s collection, many of which are featured on the Autism Acceptance Month reading list.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

But this isn’t just something the library does in April. Year-round programming addresses patrons with sensory issues, offering accommodations that allow them to enjoy as much of what the library has to offer as possible.

“We’ve been intentional in building collections of resources with something for everyone, and we have several books on disability justice,” Lavin said. “A few on display in the library right now are, We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation by Eric Garcia, Disability Pride: Dispatches from a Post-ADA World by Ben Mattlin, and Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World that Wasn’t Designed for You by Jenara Nerenberg.”

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more important.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

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We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

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IS

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the Autism Spectrum Disorder as a “developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.” Some of the common symptoms include repetitive behaviors, difficulty in picking up on social cues, and sensitivity to some for ms of sensory input, such as certain sounds or smells. It is described as a spectrum because the way the symptoms present themselves, and the extent to which those symptoms create challenges, varies a great deal depending on the person.

Since the 1970s, autism support organizations and some gover nment entities have marked April as Autism Awareness Month. The past decade saw many organizations, including Forest Park Library, call it “Autism Acceptance Month” instead

According to the library’s newsletter announcing April activities, one word makes an important difference.

“The goal of Autism Acceptance Month is to be more inclusive of the very community it seeks to celebrate,” it stated. “The month is not just education about the differences of people with autism, but understanding and respecting those differences.”

Farnum said the library offers “targeted” programming year-round toward patrons on the spectrum. This includes “sensorysupported storytimes, magic, and music programs” and a regular sensory-friendly films series. They also want to make sure that individuals with autism, especially kids, can enjoy all programs, because “we don’t want anyone to feel in any way limited to just [targeted] offerings.”

“We also have a variety of offerings on request to address some common sensory needs, such as noise-muffling earphones, earplugs, a weighted blanket, fidgets, and calming tubes,” she said. “These are available for use in the Youth Services Department on demand.”

The library’s long-term plan is to set aside a Quiet Room during all large-scale programs “for people to go to for a break if they feel overstimulated or anxious.”

Farnum said the library staff regularly attends Targeting Autism forums to stay on top of best practices for serving patrons with autism.

“We know that accessibility is a yearround priority,” she said.

Full-time equity theater in Forest Park?

Could be, if Rick Corley gets his way with plays … plus the Bard

By TOM HOLMES

Contributing Reporter

Rick Corley teaches acting, Shakespeare, and the classics at the University of Illinois at Chicago and directs the UIC School of Theatre and Music. He has directed plays and opera in theaters all over the U.S. and inter nationally, including Moscow’s Sovremennik Theatre.

Soon after he and his wife moved to Forest Park eight years ago, he fell in love with the village and star ted dreaming of establishing a per manent equity theater group here, staging a play in each of the three seasons during the school year and a fourth free Shakespeare play outdoors in the summer.

One form the venue could take is what is referred to among the theater crowd as a “black box” theater, typically a square room with a flat, flexible floor that enables the director to place the stage in the middle of the room to create theater-in-the-round, or against one of the walls. All of the surfaces are painted black, so when the house lights are tur ned of f, the space becomes totally dark He is thinking about a space with seating for 40 to 60 people

Corley said he has also looked at Grant

White School, cor ner of Randolph and Circle, a building which is currently vacant and which would provide room not only for theater productions but also ar t exhibits and other ar tistic expression. If that location were to be used it could evolve into a center for all the arts in Forest Park

“I’m hoping to find a space by the spring of 2024,” he told the Review. “I would prefer that we will have a space donated rather having to rent because then we could apply our funding toward salaries, costumes and staging.”

He estimated the cost of tickets for plays in the venue would range between $30 and $35.

Corley’s vision is not “community theater” as it is known, but for a professional equity theater which strives for excellence more than community par ticipation and pays the actors a fair wage. Think of of f Broadway or of f Loop, he said.

The UIC theater prof understands you don’t jump from vision to hoped-for reality over night and therefore has be gun moving toward his dream with baby ste ps He founded an org anization called Forest Park Theatre in 2021 and became its producing ar tistic director.

That year he approached the park district about doing a free Shakespeare play outdoors in the area just nor th of Roos Center

“I honestly didn’t know how many would

show up,” he confessed, “to the six free perfor mances we had scheduled.”

He was gratified, therefore, for the thousand patrons who attended the series, including Mayor Hoskins who attended twice

Last summer the play was put on at The Altenheim on the south lawn with a painted canvas on the lawn as the stage and a combination of lawn chairs and blankets laid out on the grass for “seating,” with some in the audience bringing picnic baskets. All of which created a mini-Ravinialike experience. This summer, Forest Park Theatre will stage Measure for Measure on the Altenheim lawn with the help of a $10,000 grant from the village of Forest Park

One of the reasons theater momentum in Forest Park is growing is because, according to Corley, he has cast many people of color in leading roles, a move that allows the demo graphic diversity in this area to see people who look like them on the stage

Another reason, the producing ar tistic director explains, is that he is attracting suppor ters who, like him, believe that Forest Park needs an ar ts center.

The process of building an audience for Shak espeare in the area continues, with a fundraiser this Sunday and actors performing a “readers theater” version of a play at Exit Strate gy on April 21.

Shakespeare’s birthday & a step toward Forest Park eatre

An event called Shakespeare’s Bir thday Party will take place at the Piacere Mio Restaurant at 7636 Madison St. on Sunday, April 23, star ting at noon.

The fundraiser for Forest Park Theatre will feature homemade pasta, provided by Piacere, a cake donated by Forest Park Bakery, actors from the company doing readings, and a cash bar. Tickets are selling for $60 and will go toward funding Forest Park’s own equity theater company.

The shor t-run goal of the luncheon is to promote theater in town and raise funds for the company’s upcoming production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, to be staged in August on the south lawn of The Altenheim.

Your Patio & Utter Outdoor Enjoyment

Do you hear those sounds of birds chirping?

The long-range goal of Rick Corley, producing ar tistic director of Forest Park Theatre, founded in 2021, is to have a permanent theater venue located in Forest Park with a three-play season during the school year and a free Shakespeare play each summer.

Corley, who moved to Forest Park with his wife eight years ago, has a long resume. He teaches acting, Shakespeare, and the classics at the University of Illinois Chicago and directs the UIC School of Theatre and Music. He has directed plays and opera at theatres all over the U.S. and inter nationally, including at Moscow’s Sovremennik Theatre.

Corley describes himself as basically

a blue-collar guy who loves Shakespeare and believes that everyone can relate to the Bard’s work if the actors “make it crystal clear what they are saying.”

“I think the great thing about Shakespeare is that everyone can get Shakespeare,” he says “The reason I love it is that the stories and the characters are very contemporary.”

Piacere Mio Italian Restaurant, 7636 Madison St., Forest Park

Tickets: $60 + $2.81 Paypal service fee. Purchase online at https://bit.ly/3JSQ0V7

Questions: Email forestparktheatre1@ gmail.com

Tom Holmes

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Anastosios Doulas, Kyriacos Philippou, Elias Politis

From Greek immigran dishwashers to Forest Park restaurateurs

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

When you walk into Charlie’s, Louie’ the MP Kitchen, you’ll read pretty much same menu, hear a slight Greek accent w the owners speak, and feel the same kind family atmosphere.

Anastosios Doulas and Elias Politis both born in Greece, and Kyriacos Philippo was born in Cyprus but in the Greek speaking part of the island, so his first language is also Greek. The three not only grew up speaking the language of Homer, Plato and Socrates, their stories of how they got from the Mediterranean Sea to the shores of Lake Michigan also have a great deal in common.

IMMIGRANTS. All three came to the U.S. in search of the economic opportunity they were not finding at home. Doulas and Politis had relatives already here so that made the visa application and initial transition a bit easier.

Phillippou’s jour ney had more twists and tur ns. As a teenager, “Charlie” was a budding soccer player in Cyprus until he broke his foot which ended his path to stardom in his own country and perhaps on the international level.

But when Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, Charlie decided that his bad luck injury tur ned out to be a blessing in disguise, because he was exempt from the draft. The economy in Cyprus suffered because of the war, so he went to Athens looking for work for the short run while in the long run having the goal of someday getting to America.

Tur ned down for a visa at the U.S. embassy in Athens, he got a job on an ocean tanker, assuming that at some point he’d land in America. Sure enough, at the age of 25 he landed in San Francisco, said “antio sas” to the ship, used $104 of his $200 pay to buy a train ticket and headed east to Chicago where he had relatives with whom he could stay.

That’s where the paths of the three then young immigrants merged. All three began working as dishwashers and busboys in Chicago restaurants as they lear ned English, saved their money and lear ned the restaurant business from the bottom up.

RESTAURATEURS. Anastosios and his brother Vasilios were par tners in the restaurant business for almost 40 years until Vasilios died of COVID a year ago. They opened their first restaurant at the cor ner of Archer and Narraganset in Chicago. They then moved to a Hickory Hills location and have occupied their present space at 7525 Madison since 2013.

Philippou and Politis followed the same entrepreneurial path. Philippou opened the Cosmos Restaurant on Roosevelt Road back in 1981 and after that building bur ned down, he opened Charlie’s at 7427 Roosevelt Rd. in 1998. Politis took over what had been Pete’s Grill for 33 years in 1999.

FAMILY RUN. Anastosios’ daughter Marigo and son Nick are co-owners of MP Kitchen with him now, but he comes in almost every day. Marigo said she and her brother tried to get him to retire but he would have none it.

Maria Philippou covers Charlie’s whole dining room vir tually by herself as the only server, but Charlie is there most every day. The same is true at Louie’s.

Ellen, Louie’s wife, said he opens up in the mor ning and supervises the cooking in the kitchen, while she is up front, closes at the end of the day and handles the money She laughed and said that she was a certified CPA and had worked for some international corporations, but years back she came to “help out” with the money for just a while, and “Louie wouldn’t let me go!”

Charlie’s and Louie’s are open 365 days a year MP Kitchen will close on major holidays but is otherwise open seven days a week. All three open early in the mor ning and close mid-after noon.

FAMILY ORIENTED If you know in advance that the owners are all Greek and expect to find an all Greek menu, you’ ll be disappointed. Marigo said, “We have to of fer what people want. They come first. Our 10 employees know that.”

Menus at all three places are basically the same — eggs served many ways, French toast, waf fles, pancakes and skillets for breakfast; burgers, melts, salads, soups and wraps for lunch. Each diner, in addition, adds some unique twists of their own to the basics.

Each place promotes itself as af fordable. It won’t break the family budget to eat out, even though the three diners have had to raise prices since COVID be g an.

GREEK ORTHODOX. True to their roots the Politis, Doulas, and Philippou families all go to the Greek Or thodox Church in their area.

Marigo Doulas described a typical Holy Week which for Greek Or thodox falls a week later on the calendar than does Holy Week in the Wester n Church, with the Orthodox Easter this year falling on April 16.

She said that on Friday evening her church does what amounts to a funeral procession for Jesus, with parishioners

car rying an Epitaphios (bier of Christ) in the procession. On the eve of Easter, congreg ants gather in church and stand for the liturg y which culminates at midnight with everyone shouting, “Christ is risen!”

Then, everyone goes home and, after getting some slee p, the whole family gets to gether, puts at least one lamb on the spit and enjoys a feast of Greek food. She said that nowadays “only” 30 gather in the Doulas backyard, whereas in the days when she was growing up there might be 100. The Philippous re port pretty much the same thing while Politis family now goes out to eat, on sort of a busman’s holiday.

GREEK OR AMERICAN? When asked how she identifies in ter ms of her nationality, Marigo said she is American first and Greek second. Her father put it this way: “When I go back to Cyprus everything has changed. People there don’t know me and I don’t reco gnize them.”

When teasing her father, as she often does, Maria refers to him as Charles Kyriacos Philippou, after all, has lived in the U.S. four times as long as he lived in Cyprus. Maybe his daughter sees his evolution of identity more clearly than he does.

LONG COMMUTE Charlie lives in Wester n Springs; the Doulas patriarch lives in Palos Heights; and Louie and Ellen live in Lincolnwood, which means an hour commute for all three

Todd A. Bannor

Charlie Philippou, ow ner of Charli e’s Restaurant.

Todd A. Bannor

Louie Politis, ow ner of Loui e’s Grill.

Todd A. Bannor Tom Doulas, ow ner of Madison Park Kitchen.

Local doctor brings joint surgeries to the global poor

Just back from Vietnam, cofounder of Operation Walk trains doctors here

By JESSICA MACKINNON

Contributing Reporter

Dr. Victoria Brander has dedicated much ofher medical career to transforming the lives ofindividuals in developing countries who suffer from advanced joint disease. Cofounder of Operation Walk Chicago, Brander, a River Forest resident, recently retur ned from a weeklong medical mission in Vietnam, where she and a team of volunteers performed more than 40 free hip and knee replacement surgeries.

Since 2005, the organization has been involved in missions in Nepal, India, Brazil, Ecuador and China, as well as Vietnam, performing surgeries on roughly 1,800 patients. In recognition ofher humanitarian medi-

cal service, Brander was presented with the “Unsung Heroes of Compassion” award by the Dalai Lama.

Brander, who grew up in Oak Park and attended Trinity High School, always knew she wanted to be a physician and remembers, as a child, reading medical textbooks thrown out by a neighbor. Accepted into the six-year Honors Program in Medical Education at Northwestern University, she met an important mentor during her freshman year who inspired her decision to specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a relatively new field at the time

“Dr. Henry Betts was a leader in the disability rights movement and a strong advocate for the passage ofthe American Disabilities Act. He was on the forefront ofthinking about patients as more than just diseases. I admired the way that he saw the world as a bigger place than many ofthe other doctors that I met,” she said.

Following medical school, Brander worked with Dr. David Stulberg, a world-renowned surgeon involved in hip and knee replacement surgeries at the Rehabilitation Insti-

tute of Chicago. Brander care ofpatients before Brander, who is now a professor ofphysical medicine and rehabilitation ern University, and lievers in the benefit ofa multidisciplinar approach to patient tient education class to replacement surgerie their integrated method around the world.

Once, while trav developing country, dow oftheir taxi and saw a ple who could barely served as an epiphany spark for Operation W

“It struck me that country to teach doctors to perform ment surgeries, the who most needed the be able to afford them,” she said.

Operation Walk’s first medical humanitarian mission was in Chengdu, China, at the

SARA JANZ

BACK HOME: Dr Vicki Brander in River Forest.

DOC TOR Acting globally

from page 9

massive West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

“Frankly, we didn’t have much of a plan. We didn’t do any fundraising or marketing and had no budget. We just figured we’d work it out as we went. We sent letters to our current patients, letting them know that we would be out of the country for a week — and, surprisingly, our patients sent us money and personal notes of encouragement for our future patients in China. We received enough money to do 96 surgeries.”

Operation Walk is focused on training incountry medical professionals in the latest technologies and equipment as much as actually doing the surgeries. Each mission usually involves a team of 40-45 clinicians, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, physical therapists and support staff, none of whom are compensated and the majority of whom take vacation time to participate in the trips. Each U.S. clinician is partnered with an in-country counterpart to maximize

the educational value of the mission and to foster strong and lasting relationships. Leading medical device companies donate all of the critical supplies, such as joint implants

“Our sweet spot is to take medical staff in developing countries who know the basics and help them become as skilled as any professional at any hospital in the world. And our goal is to inspire them to provide joint replacement surgeries not for the wealthy but for the poor in their communities,” she said.

Brander and her team view hip and knee replacement surgeries as means for improving the socio-economic environment of communities without social safety nets. In developing countries, many families in a village may depend on one income-generating person. Since much of the available labor is physical, if he or she is incapacitated, the entire village will be impacted. Providing replacement surgery can help put that person back in the workforce.

Operation Walk’s recent mission in Vietnam coincided with the 50th anniversary of the American withdrawal from Saigon. One of her patients, a man in his 80s, asked her why she came to Vietnam to do this work

“I was thinking a lot about the war during our visit. I told him that a lot of Americans suffer from guilt and shame about our

country’s actions in Vietnam and that maybe I was working off a bit of that. He reached out and took my hand and said, ‘We can’t forget but we can forgive — and you are forgiven.’ It was amazing,” she said.

Brander recalls a previous visit to Vietnam, when she treated a young man suffering from a disease that fused his hips and knees He had been unable to leave his bed for two years without the help of a pulley system rigged up by his parents. They carried him into the hospital screening room and, although he was not part of the group initially slated for surgery, his determination swayed the team. They were concerned that his extreme that he might surgery or ha ceived hip

knee replacement surgeries in 2016.

PROVIDED

“Now Tran Van Tien is walking, he’s married and has two children. He is a public speaker and has an executive coaching business. He would not be alive today without those surgeries,” she said.

ys predict that what you do outcome. But you do your ontinue doing what I can t, as best I can.”

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JOINT EFFORT: Dr Brander trains her team on addressing advanced joint disease around the world.

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committees and commissions fell by the wayside. While they were still listed as active bodies on the village website, they hadn’t met in years. Over the past year, Hoskins took steps to change that, reviving the Environmental Control Commission and revamping the Forest Park Board of Health as more of a mental health advisory board.

Similar to the Environmental Control Commission and the Board of Health, a Youth Commission is still on the books. The village code defines its duties as “cooperat[ing] with the mayor, village council and other village departments, agencies and officials in carrying out a comprehensive program of youth welfare and activities,” and developing and recommending policies that would benefit youth.

The code calls for the commission to have 14 members “together with such advisory members as shall be deemed necessary,” but doesn’t specify any qualifications or term

lengths other than the fact that they must be Forest Park residents.

Hoskins said that he intends to “revamp” the youth commission with the goal of figuring out ways to support teens ages 13-17. The issue, he said, is that they tend to age out of programs for younger kids, such as the ones run by the Mohr Community Center, and there are no age-appropriate alternatives.

A Diversity Commission was created in 2016. The village municipal code describes it as “a resource for experience and information on diversity issues” that would “facilitate awareness and promote the understanding and acceptance of all people through “educational and social programs.” The code calls for it to have nine members appointed for staggered threeyear terms.

Hoskins said the Diversity Commission’s mission would more likely see some changes as well. He said that, as with the youth commission, the major reason for reviving it was that some residents expressed interest in serving on it.

“It became sort of abandoned during the height of CO VID, but we’re seeing renewed interest in pa advisory bodies] across the board in Forest said.

CRIME

Carjacker rear-ends car, steals it after victim tries to exchange insurance information

A man who thought someone accidently rear-ended him ended up getting carjacked.

The victim was driving his black 2019 Dodge Durango on April 12 at 1:43 a.m., heading east on Harvard Street. As he approached Harlem Avenue, a dark grey sedan rear-ended his vehicle. The victim got out of his car to exchange insurance information with the other driver when a man wearing a ski mask, blue jacket and black sweatpants got out of the passenger side of the sedan and demanded the victim’s car keys.

The victim said he wasn’t sure whether the carjacker had a weapon, but he gave the masked man his keys because he believed the other man had one The carjacker got into the victim’s vehicle, made a U-tur n and drove west on Harvard Street. The sedan followed the stolen vehicle.

The victim immediately called 911. He said that his wallet was left in the car.

Theft of violin

A pair of customers stole another customer’s violin from the American Music World store, 7655 Roosevelt Rd., after trying it out. While the security camera footage showed the theft taking place on April 7 at around 2:45 p.m., the store employee didn’t discover the theft until the mor ning of April 15.

The victim dropped off the violin at the store to get a crack on the instrument’s tailpiece repaired. The security video showed two men entering the store a short time later. One of the men uses the violin to test out a few bows before buying one bow, paying in cash. The man placed the bow in the violin

case and, “when the opportunity presented itself,” picked up the case with the bow and the violin and exited the store. His companion followed. The two got into an SUV parked in front of the store and headed west on Roosevelt Road

The store employee said that he wasn’t sure how much the violin was worth, but he estimated it to be between $2,000 and $4,000.

Catalytic conver ter thefts

Forest Park saw catalytic converters stolen from two separate Mitsubishi Outlanders last week.

The first theft took place on April 12. The victim, a Proviso Mathematics & Science Academy student, drove his black 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander to school, parking it at

Woman arrested after argument at Thorntons ends in rollover crash Video goes viral

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

Forest Park police arrested a 31-year-old Chicago woman at the center of an April 16 confrontation at Thor ntons gas station, 601 S. Harlem Ave., which was partially captured on video and then went viral.

The clip, which has been widely circulated on social media throughout the Chicago area, picks up with the argument already in progress, and the man recording it wasn’t able to capture some parts of the incident. But according to the video footage and subsequent Forest Park police investigation, the confrontation started with the driver, Kendra Y. Nance, arguing with her boyfriend after they pulled into the gas station. Other customers got involved in the argument, and the situation escalated to the point where Nance hit the car of one of the customers she was arguing with, then as she was headed onto

Harlem Avenue, she hit another car which resulted in her car rolling over onto its roof.

Forest Park Police Chief Ken Gross announced on the evening of April 17 that Nance has been charged with felony Criminal Damage to Property, two counts of Aggravated Assault, Reckless Driving, Reckless Conduct, Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident and No Valid Driver’s License

He told the Review that, while Nance was detained shortly after the incident, the police held off announcing anything until they were sure the Cook County State’s Attor ney approved some of the more serious charges.

According to Gross, Nance and her boyfriend pulled into Thor ntons at around 3:10 p.m. due to car trouble The couple got into the argument, and other customers chimed in, and soon, Nance was yelling at several customers.

The video picks up mid-argument, catching the back and forth taunting and one of the customers throwing a cup at Nance’s car. Nance got into the car and drove around the gas station. As her boyfriend tried to get her

to stop driving, opening the car door, Nance slammed into one of the customer’s cars, dragging her boyfriend for a few feet before driving north on Harlem Avenue as the boyfriend picks himself up and continues arguing with the customers.

What happened next wasn’t caught on video, but according to Gross, Nance then crashed into another car, and her car rolled over The video captured the immediate after math as Nance got out of the tur ned-over car and mockingly laughed at the man recording the video before heading east.

According to Gross, the couple ran into the alley behind Thor ntons, where police officers arrested them.

None of the customers in the parking lot were injured. Both Nance and her boyfriend were treated for their injuries at Loyola University Medical Center, and Nance was arrested.

around 8:30 a.m. When he went to drive home at around 3:30 p.m., he realized that someone had removed his car’s catalytic converter.

Another theft took place on Elgin Avenue over night on April 13-14. The block where the theft took place was completely redacted from the report The victim nor mally parks her grey 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander in her garage, but on that particular night, she parked it in front of her home

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 10-15, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

Compiled by Igor Studenkov

The video was widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook, with some accounts erroneously saying that the incident happened at an Oak Park/Chicago border. Members of the Forest Park Town Hall Facebook group discussed coming to the re gularly scheduled April 18 Forest Park Neighborhood Watch meeting, which was to take place at the Forest Park village council chambers at 7 p.m. But later in the afternoon of April 17, Mayor Rory Hoskins’ office sent out a notice saying that the meeting was cancelled “due to staffing issues,” and that the next Neighborhood Watch meeting would take place on May 16 at 7 p.m. at the re gular location.

SCREEN SHOT OF VIDEO UPENDED: Having a bad day.

OPINION

OUR VIEW

D91 learns to listen

It is a welcome sign of change in Forest Park’s District 91 public schools. Active, genuine, inclusive ef for ts to eng age parents, teachers and the wider community in a conversation about these elementary and middle schools.

This district’s last and long-serving administration had its vir tues. Listening was not one of them.

Elizabeth Alvarez, the superintendent now wrapping up her second year, has made listening a primary goal. “When I took my seat as superintendent, one of the things I ke pt hearing was ‘we feel that the district isn’t providing us a voice,’ and so we wanted to make sure this was provided for them. … We wanted to make sure people’s voices are being heard,” Alvarez said last week as the district convened the first of two community meetings

Topics discussed at the meeting, held at the middle school, included grading, social and emotional care of students, more professional development for teachers, equity and how extracur riculars might be expanded. Also discussed was how to grow the diversity of the district’s staf f.

ELIZABETH ALVAREZ

These are all good topics, where ideas and solutions might come from any source. This district, which faces severe drops in enrollment, badly needs to eng age all Forest Parkers. The district needs to demonstrate it wants to listen and collaborate. It needs to show it is not operating from a defensive crouch. And most of all, it needs parents, empty-nesters, teachers, and other elected of ficials to star t talking this school district up.

D91 has to be the lure that brings young families to Forest Park and keeps them through eighth grade.

It was for many years

It can be again.

Listening well is a vital star t to that ef fort

and you’re welcome

On Election Day, Commissioner Ryan Nero added a two-word phrase to the top of many of his orange campaign signs simple, “thank you.” A nota tion, timed before the polls opened, demonstrating civility and manners

Election Day has passed, and most of the information that was shared in our community leading up to it was positive. There was only one bizar re piece that reflected a toxic point of view, which does not need any more oxygen. While any single candidate could have used their resources and time to highlight dirty laundry of any candidate, our leaders chose to be g racious.

WAGNER

So thank you to the candidates who found the power of diplomacy and chose to focus on their own accomplishments and promises. An unseen bond is built that creates trust in the community that binds us together. There were excellent candidates, all of whom can hold their heads high in town, all of whom are loved and appreciated for their gifts and skills, all of whom I hope will still find value in being a good neighbor and friend moving forward.

As a response to “thank you,” we politely say, “you’ re welcome,” as an acknowledgement of their thanks and an expression of our willingness to provide needed assistance in the future.

“You’ re welcome” is an interesting phrase. It is incomplete, not specifying where or to what one is welcome. You’ re welcome to my home? You’ re welcome to ask again for help? You’ re welcome to be my friend? It is a common expression of cour tesy

Hang in Fothere rest Park

and manners that is used to maintain a relationship with others. While y that the person’s atitude is appreciated and accepted, hospitality and

It is a phrase that symbolizes a bond a respected trust in the This unseen bond is also shown ace in concession speeches after an election. Because that comes with being a ho is not selected to serve, it requires incredible courage and raceful and find a place to be kindhear ted, as those g raceful moments shed light on the true nature of a person, and brings a hear tfelt rebirth to the election outcome.

I appreciate that our local elections are timed with the rebirth of spring just as the flowerbeds along Harvard Street pop with their vibrant colors — a reliable showcase of stunning displays, created by ordinary people who share their extraordinary gifts of creativity and hope through bursts of joyful planters.

Along with the ar rival of the delicacy and beauty of spring, I thank the people who were willing to put themselves out there as candidates to serve our community. I want to say thank you to our community for being so welcoming and positive in a mostly graceful election.

May we continue to face challenges and disag reements with poise, dignity, and openness when emotions are high. Our bonds of civility might come in handy as we face the uncer tainty of the future.

DR.

Staff Repor ter Igor Studenkov, Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Contributing Repor ters Tom Holmes, John Rice, Bob Skolnik, Jackie Glosniak, Robert J. Li a

Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes, John Rice

Big Week Editor James Porter

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designer Susan McKelvey

S ales and Marketing Representatives

Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck, Kamil Brady

Business & Development Manager

Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

What you don’t want to see on Facebook

We tend to put our best foot forward on Facebook. But here are some things you shouldn’t post:

■ Our mugshot, after we’ve been ar rested for running naked around our ex’s condo.

■ High school yearbook picture where we showed of f our killer sidebur ns

■ Photos from our second week at the Motel 6 in Muncie, Indiana.

■ Any photos of us taken before we’ve had our mor ning cof fee

■ Video of us literally crying over spilled milk.

■ Written instructions for stealing our catalytic conver ter.

■ Pictures of us standing in front of our workplace (in case process servers are having trouble finding us).

■ The blog we wrote describing our colonoscopy.

Board of Directors

Chair Judy Gre n

Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

HOW TO REACH US

ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066

EMAIL forestpark@wjinc.com

CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com

ONLINE ForestParkReview.com

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Forest Park Review,141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No 0205-160)

In- county subscriptions: $34 per year. $55 for two years, $69 for three years

Out- of-county subscriptions: $42 per year.

Forest Park Review is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP.

© 2023 Growing Community Media NFP

In 1918, the son was home He proudly las Brewing along the Lathrop The Atlas Brewing Ave. in Chicago) Beer as “The Snap and Delica day.” Magnet and Most Healthful Buf fet would pool tables and which no doubt with Magnet Beer patrons

■ Nostalgic photo of what an of fice used to look like.

■ All the photos from our trip to Branson, Missouri, where we were shocked by the perfor mers who are still alive.

■ Video of us texting while we take tight tur ns on Lower Wacker Drive.

■ Video of us drinking directly from the milk container

■ Photo of our cellphone at the bottom of the bathtub we just filled.

■ Nostalgic photo of what a classroom used to look like.

■ Photo of the coffee stain that looks like the Virgin Mary, crying.

■ Our annual family portrait taken at Thor nton’s g as station.

■ Photo of the time we snuck our garbage into our neighbor’s container

■ Video of us dropping an entire Happy Meal on someone’s front lawn

■ Our date of bir th, Social Security

number and PIN numbers after betting that no one will actually steal our identity.

■ That selfie we took in the holding cell.

■ Any video of me swinging a golf club

■ Any footage of us dancing at a wedding reception.

■ Our third-g rade re port card with all of those “Unsatisfactory” check marks.

■ Any photos taken of us during the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s — especially the ’80s.

■ Video of our failure to touch our nose during the field sobriety test.

■ Group photo of our family ’s Easter brunch at White Castle.

■ Video of our rant at the T-ball g ame insisting our 5-year-old g randson was safe at first.

■ Photo showing the bottle of hair dye we’re planning to use in faking our death.

■ Photo of us wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe because we got dressed in the dark.

■ Our rap sheet, which includes a murder conviction for beating this joke to death.

A L OOK BA CK IN TIME

Historical Society of Forest Park Archives Edwin H. Gaden’s Bu et at 7607 Madison in 1918 was at the corner of Lathrop Avenue and Madison Street.

LICENSED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner in the Health Department. This position will perform a variety of duties including education and enforcement activities for the promotion and protection of the public health environment. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https:// www.oakpark.us/your-government/ human-resources-departments

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

SEASONAL FARMER’S MARKET ASSISTANT

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmer’s Market Assistant in the Health Department. This position will provide administrative support to the Farmer’s Market Manager to allow growers and producers of food to sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This position requires work in inclement weather conditions; some heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds; walking or standing for sustained periods of time. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

HIRING CLEANING TECHNICIANS FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN WESTCHESTER!

Awesome Cleaning & Janitorial Services is looking for experienced cleaning technicians that are energetic, hospitable, ready to work and AWESOME!

Pay starts at $20/hr. Must be available for weekends also. Ready to work? Contact us by email at info@awesomecjs.com.

Sr Marketing Data Engineer sought by Chowbus, Inc. in Chicago, IL to research, gather info, create, & implmt big data solutions incl data collection, transformation, & analysis on large d/bases for mktg purposes.

Reqs: Master’s Deg in Mktg Analysis or rltd field & 1 yr exp in job offd, in Business Intelligence Analyst role, or rltd role. Must possess coursework or work exp w/ SQL; Tableau; Data warehousing & data mining; & etc. Apply online at: https://www.chowbus.com/careers

GARAGE SALE

FREE Spring Clean Give Away

You see it, you like it, you take it!

Saturday April 22nd. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Judson Baptist Church

1252 N. Austin Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302

FREE FOOD

CARS WANTED

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Call for more info. 708-738-3848

POLICE RECORDS SUPERVISOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Police Records Supervisor in the Police Department. This position will manage, supervise, plan and coordinate the activities and operations of the Police Records Division Support Services Bureau, within the Police Department including records maintenance and management services; and coordinate assigned activities with other divisions, outside agencies and the general public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be April 21, 2023.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Customer Service Representative II in the Public Works Department. This position provides customer service to the public by providing a variety of responsible and difficult customer service and receptionist work including high volume telephone traffic; and to perform the more difficult and complex customer service duties depending on the department including but not limited to service requests, permits, parking passes, block party permits, accounts payable processing and vehicle stickers. This position is cross-trained with the other Customer Service Representative IIs in the Village. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is posted until filled with first review April 20, 2023.

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOREST PARK, IL

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking Part-Time Parking Enforcement Officer(s); Shifts to be filled are 8:00pm – Midnight or Midnight – 6:00am. The position is a rotating schedule assigned by the Supervisor – 4 days on and 4 days off which includes weekends and some holidays. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license, knowledge of basic parking regulations, and good verbal and written skills. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Customer Service Representative II in the Public Works Department. This position provides customer service to the public by providing a variety of responsible and difficult customer service and receptionist work including high volume telephone traffic; and to perform the more difficult and complex customer service duties depending on the department including but not limited to service requests, permits, parking passes, block party permits, accounts payable processing and vehicle stickers.

This position is cross-trained with the other Customer Service Representative IIs in the Village. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is posted until filled with first review April 20, 2023.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will be accepting applications for the following classification(s):

Associate Electrical Engineer (Original)

Plumber (Original)

Additional information regarding salary, job description, requirements, etc. can be found on the District’s website at www.districtjobs.org or call 312-751-5100.

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE CLERK

The Village of Forest Park is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Accounts Receivable Clerk. Duties for this position include, but are not limited to; billing, collections, customer service, answering telephones, cashier duties, data entry and general office functions.

Qualified applicants should have a good working knowledge of computers, accurate typing skills, customer service skills and solid organizational skills. Experience with Springbrook municipal software a plus. A background investigation will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.

CLASSICS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Collector James • 630-201-8122

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

CLASSICS WANTED

Collector James 630-201-8122

Restored or Unrestored

Cars & Vintage Motorcycles

Domestic / Import Cars:

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars

RENTALS

SALON CHAIR RENTAL

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

OFFICE/RETAIL FOR RENT BEAUTIFUL 1BD, 1BA

Oak park salon, chair, rental, full-time and part-time. Contact Tony for details 847-732-2595.

Collector James 630-201-8122

APARTMENT TO RENT

All brand new in 2022; 700 sq ft; lots of storage; stainless steel appliances with dishwasher; quartz countertop; 2 car parking; $1300/mo; 3705 Forest Avenue Bkfield; need income 4 x rent; we follow 2-step Cook Co. leasing process; call Rich at 630272-0086

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Office space (2-3 office rooms,1 bathroom, 700-900 sq ft,$1650/monthly)

Please call 708-485-9224 ask for Linda Sokol-Francis

ROOFING

JOE ROOFING

Roofing repair, tuckpointing, gutters and painting--- bonded, insured For free estimate call 773 297-1121

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE

STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss

Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of JORGE PENA, Petitioner and BEYERLY MOORE PENA, Respondent, Case No. 2023D002416.

The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, Beverly Moore Pena the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, Jorge Pena for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your Appearance and Response electronically to said Petition with the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, on or before May 3, 2023, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a Judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

IRIS Y. MARTINEZ, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal April 5, 12, 19, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

Attention VICTOR SOTELO & SANTANDER CONSUMER USA, NOTICE IS HEREBYGIVEN that on 5/22/23, a sale will be held at 1510 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130 to sellthe following articles to enforce a lien existing under the laws of the State of Illinois against such articles for labor, services, skill or material expended upon a storage furnished for such articles at the request of the following designated persons, unless such articles are redeemed within thirty days of the publication of this notice. Our records show, your 2017, Chevy, Traverse with the following VIN 1GNKRFED5HJ144475 was towed to our facility per police ordinance. Our records show that the current amount due and owing is $2000.00. If payment is not received within 30 days Nobs Towing Inc. will enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3.

Published in Forest Park Review April 19, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE

Attention CASMIERA SMITH & EXETER FINANCE, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 5/22/23, a sale will be held at 1510 Hannah Ave, Forest Park, IL, 60130 to sell the following articles to enforce a lien existing under the laws of the State of Illinois against such articles for labor, services, skill or material expended upon a storage furnished for such articles at the request of the following designated persons, unless such articles are redeemed within thirty days of the publication of this notice. Our records show, your 2015, Dodge, Dart with the following VIN 1C3CDFBB9FD241810 was towed to our facility per police ordinance. Our records show that the current amount due and owing is $2000.00. If payment is not received within 30 days Nobs Towing Inc. will enforce a mechanic’s lien pursuant to Chapter 770 ILCS 50/3.

Published in Forest Park Review April 19, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE

Invitation to Bid

The Park District of Oak Park will accept sealed bids for Apparel Services. The bid specifications will be available on the Park District’s website as of 10:00AM CST on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Copies of the bidding specifications are available via the Park District of Oak Park website at: http://www.pdop.org/bids-and-rfps/ Bids must be placed in a sealed envelope marked “Apparel Services” and must be delivered on or before 2:30PM CST on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 to the John Hedges Administrative Center. Immediately thereafter, bids will be opened and read.

For further information, contact Maureen McCarthy at Maureen.McCarthy@pdop.org

By: Maureen McCarthy Park District of Oak Park, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL, 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal April 19, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES

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.

e 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.

is 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, call HUD toll free at: 1-800669-9777.

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION

TRINITY FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC

Plaintiff, -v.DANIEL V. GALARDE, LAVITTA M. GALARDE, 720 N. AUSTIN CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD

CLAIMANTS

Defendants

21 CH 4185 720 N. AUSTIN BLVD, UNIT 2-SW OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 11, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 15, 2023, 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 720 N. AUSTIN BLVD, UNIT 2-SW, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-08-105-0211009

The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $17,234.13.

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

Let

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 Noah Weininger, THE WEININGER LAW FIRM LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 161 North Clark St., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL, 60601 (312) 796-8850.

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. Noah Weininger THE WEININGER LAW FIRM LLC 161 North Clark St., Suite 1600 Chicago IL, 60601 312-796-8850

Fax #: 312-248-2550

E-Mail: nweininger@weiningerlawfirm.com

Attorney Code. 63307

Case Number: 21 CH 4185

TJSC#: 43-1440

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 21 CH 4185 I3217776

Kris Sagan Linda Rooney

Kyra Pych

Patti Sprafka-Wagner Harry Walsh

Erika Villegas, Managing Broker/Owner Mike Becker Laurie Christofano Marion Digre Morgan Digre Leticia Cruz

A health fair welcoming all neighbors and friends

“O

What I have witnessed over the past six months has been nothing short of astonishing. A collective group of local and regional health care providers, ranging from our largest hospitals to individual therapists coming together to offer and showcase their resources to both our local and regional communities. These services will be complementary to the youngest

Sam Yousif, Event chair

ur stated goal for this year’s Health and Wellness Fair was to expand our reach on a regional level to benefit both our surrounding communities as well as our participating vendors.and oldest among us and most importantly to those who are underserved and those without resources. We will see visitors coming from all of our surrounding communities including Chicago, Berwyn, Cicero, Forest Park, River Forest, Maywood, Elmwood Park, Oak Park, and Broadview. Notably, there has been the coming together of our regional stakeholders that include health care institutions, municipal government leaders, community leaders, political leaders, and education leaders to create collaborative partnerships to address the specific needs of our communities.”

“The largest annual Chamber event is around the corner, and we are excited to have you join us. Mark your calendar for Sunday, April 23 and be prepared for an amazing day! Our Planning Committee has arranged for a record number of free health screenings, and who can pass up a free massage, mixing your own smoothie or spinning a raffle

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

wheel for fabulous prizes. Your registration will also get you exclusive offers to local Downtown Oak Park businesses. So come and spend the day with us. We look forward to seeing you!”

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness. Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

BELMONT VILLAGE IS OUTSMARTING MEMORY LOSS

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness.

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness. Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

Award-winning Circle of Friends® delivers positive results for Assisted Living residents with mild to moderate memory loss

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness. Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

A word from the OPRF Chamber Executive Director, Liz Holt Learn

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness. Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

Available only at Belmont Village, Circle of Friends® was pioneered to curb the effects of cognitive decline through a unique program that builds brain fitness. Developed by a nationally recognized gerontologist, Circle of Friends® is rooted in evidence-based research in collaboration with UCLA and Vanderbilt University. And it works. Residents enjoy a rich, therapeutic program of physical and mental activities designed to maintain brain function and build self-esteem.

about how

tackle memory loss at

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/ OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/ OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/ OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/OAKPARK

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/ OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/ OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn more about how we tackle memory loss at BELMONTVILLAGE.COM/OAKPARK Call 708-848-7200 to schedule a virtual tour today.

to schedule a virtual tour today.

Learn about our community response to COVID-19. Visit belmontvillage.com/corona-virus-preparation

O AK P ARK

Learn about our community response to COVID-19. Visit belmontvillage.com/corona-virus-preparation

O AK P ARK

O

Learn about our community response to COVID-19. Visit belmontvillage.com/corona-virus-preparation

to COVID-19. Visit belmontvillage.com/corona-virus-preparation

Learn about our community response to COVID-19. Visit belmontvillage.com/corona-virus-preparation

OP_WednesdayJournal_CoF_7-8-2020.indd 1 7/2/20 10:00

SENIOR SERVICES

Helps support seniors with programs and tools to be as healthy, active, and independent in the home and throughout the community as possible, including transportation services, home-based assessments, financial assistance, home repair services, abuse preventions, socialization & more.

YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES

Offers a network of resources, services, and programs that enhance the social and emotional development of youth and their families through outreach and engagement programs, mental health and wellness, youth counseling, financial aid, socialization & more.

GENERAL ASSISTANCE

General Assistance is a locally administered program that provides financial assistance to eligible Oak Park residents in accordance with the Department of Human Services. Energy Assistance and Emergency Assistance programs are also available for qualified residents.

RESIDENTS SERVICES

Provides help with a variety of resident services, including free notary services, voter registration, free medical equipment lending, and transportation assistance for seniors and people with disabilities including RTA passes, taxicab coupons, and parking placards.

ASSESSOR SERVICES

The Township Assessor and staff offer expertise in Cook County property assessments and related taxes, as well as helping residents file an appeal at no cost. In addition, staff can assist residents with exemptions and standard tax filing questions.

A HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE sponsored by

Chamber’s Health & Wellness Fair returns this weekend

80+ health vendors at FFC in downtown Oak Park

The Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce will present the 7th Annual Community Health & Wellness Fair hosted by Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC) of Oak Park on April 23. Featuring more than 80 local service providers and vendors, health screenings, activities and more. This event is free to the public. It is open to anyone in Oak Park, River Forest and all surrounding communities.

This will be the third time in 7 years that the Chamber has hosted its Community Health & Wellness Fair at FFC. The downtown Oak Park location offers plenty of space for vendors, engaging kids activities, elevator access and nearby free parking (in the Holley Court Parking Garage directly behind FFC).

While the goal of the fair has always been to provide opportunities for local businesses to feature their services, an additional focus for this year’s event is to expand the event’s reach on a regional level to the benefit of surrounding municipalities. The theme of providing access to quality health services as well as education on wellness has resonated

This year’s fair will include a record number of free health screenings and services from participants that include RUSH Oak Park Hospital, Riveredge Hospital, West Suburban Medical Center, the University of Illinois Cancer Center, B-Health, and many more. It is anticipated that visitors will come from surrounding cities and villages including Chicago, Berwyn, Cicero, Forest Park, River Forest, Maywood, Elmwood Park, Broadview and more.

“RUSH Oak Park Hospital is proud to once again be the exclusive Presenting Sponsor for the 7th Oak Park River Forest Chamber’s Annual Community Health

& Wellness Fair,” says Caroline Heskett, program manager for the Office of Community Health Equity & Engagement at RUSH Oak Park Hospital. “We look forward to this event every year to connect with the communities we serve and to provide health education and screenings.” This year RUSH will be offering the following screenings: blood pressure, glucose, A1C, DEXA Scan and comprehensive cardiac screening. Doctors will also be on-site to explain test results. The fair is the perfect place to come as a family, and take

event and encouraging their families to participate. The Chamber is also working closely with the Townships in both Oak Park and River Forest to engage older adults and to provide transportation to the event. “Battling isolation and staying

continued on B7

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LASER SKIN TREATMENTS

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INJECTABLES:

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part of an active community can often be difficult for our senior community” said Liz Holt, the Chamber’s Executive Director. “We are committed to offering opportunities for everyone to join us for the day and just enjoy themselves. And if you can strike a few to-do items off your stay-healthy list, well then that’s a bonus!” For the first time the event will also be partnering with Downtown Oak Park to bring every attendee a DTOP Passport that they can use after the event to get food and drink specials at surrounding local eateries. Darien Marion Burton, the Chamber’s President, said “It is part of our Chamber mission to work for the wellbeing of the entire business community, and this partnership is a perfect way of guiding our guests from the fair to stay in the surrounding area.”

“What I have been able to witness over the past two months has been nothing short of astonishing” said B-Health’s

A HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE sponsored by

Sam Yousif, also the chair of the Health & Wellness Fair “A collective group of local and regional health care providers, ranging from our largest hospitals to individual therapists coming together to offer and showcase their resources to both our local and regional communities. These services will be complementary to the youngest and oldest among us and most importantly to those who are underserved and those without resources.”

Community members who would like to attend the fair are invited to pre-register for the event by visiting the Eventbrite page. The FREE advance registration includes:

• Admission to the 7th Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair and opportunity to interact and consult with 80+ health & wellness providers

• Complimentary screenings

• Fun family activities

• Healthy snacks

Presenting Sponsor

Diamond Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Riveredge Hospital

American House Oak Park

Gold Sponsors

The Sheridan at River Forest West Suburban Medical Center

4th Trimester Baby, Lactation and Parent Support

AgeOptions

All Dry Services of Chicago

Allied Therapy Partners, PLLC.

Athletico Physical Therapy

Behavioral Learning

Beyond Hunger

Boatwright Financial, LLC

Brookdale Oak Park

Celebrating Seniors Coalition

Chiro One Wellness Centers

Collaboration for Early Childhood

Cook County Meds

Dar Counseling, PLLC

Diamond Gastroenterology

Dominican University

Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital

Empower Family Therapy

Folded Leaf School Of Yoga

Grachan Agency Grow Collective

HealthMarkets

Housing Forward

In Touch Pediatrics and Lactation, PLLC

Individual & Family Connection

Silver Sponsors

Right At Home

The Way Back Inn

Centre Physical Therapy

Mosiac Counseling & Wellness

Nutriquity

Belmont Village

Park District of Oak Park

Village of Oak Park

Village of Broadview

KidsConnect Pediatric Therapy

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

Venue Sponsor

FFC Oak Park

Vendors

Inner Spring Wellness

Irene Bean Wellness

Ivory Wellness

JenCare Senior Medical Center

Kadampa Meditation

Center Chicago

Keller Williams Realty Partners

Kneaded Work

Lake Street Family Physicians

LifeSpan Counseling & Psychological Services LLP

Live4Lali

Loyola Medicine

Mathnasium of Oak Park/River Forest

MED AESTHETICS, LLC

Midwest Alternative Treatment Clinic, PC

Mindful TMS Neurocare & Psychiatric Services

Moments at Home Respite Care and Home Services, LLC.

NAMI Metro Suburban

Oak Park Laser and Skin Clinic

Oak Park Public Library

Oak Park Township

Oak Street Health

PCC Community Wellness Center

Progressive Psychiatry

Prudential Insurance Company - Terry Zachata

Rejuvae Aesthetics & Wellness, PLLC

Roots Health DPC

Royal Health Care

RUSH Physical Therapy

Sarah’s Inn

Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio

Serenity Holistic Health, Inc

Smart Love Family Services

Smoothie King Stride

Theresa Clancy Law

Thrive Counseling Center

West Suburban Special Recreation Association-WSSRA

Westside Heroin Taskforce

convened by Representative

La Shawn Ford

Wildflower Center for Emotional Health PLLC

ZENB/Agency H5

Liz Holt & Darien Marion Burton of the Oak ParkRiver Forest Chamber of Commerce.

A HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE sponsored by

The Way Back Inn: Rebuilding & Healing Lives

Since 1974, Way Back Inn has successfully provided long-term residential and outpatient treatment for substance and gambling use disorders. Our mission is to rebuild lives damaged by addiction in a personalized healing environment. Our vision is to create a world where lives are transformed one day at a time. We help guide families and friends into recovery alongside their loved ones in our family program. We provide temporary housing and treatment for undomiciled Chicagoland veterans.

We also provide early intervention and prevention education to the Oak Park-River Forest community surrounding substance and gambling use disorders and recovery, partnering with the Village of Oak Park Positive Youth Development Coalition (+PYD) for a variety of community outreach events and initiatives.

Head on over to www.oakparktownship. org/prevention-services/ to see a calendar of upcoming events!

Join the +PYD Addiction Recovery Team

Committee (ART) to help educate and raise awareness around addiction recovery in the OPRF community. The Addiction Recovery Team (ART) is committed to helping those in the recovering community—and those seeking recovery—to find prevention, early intervention and treatment options with community support. The Addiction Recovery Team helps people in Oak Park and River Forest get treatment and support services for addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling.

Recently, Way Back Inn has partnered with a5 Branding & Digital and the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS-SUPR) for a statewide gambling disorder awareness campaign to ask the question—are you really winning?

Betting, gaming, wagering–gambling can take many forms. And for some people, gambling can lead to financial problems, relationship problems, depression, and anxiety. Gambling and sports betting are becoming more popular than ever with an estimated 15% of Americans gambling at least once per week. In Illinois, nearly another 700,000 people are at risk for developing a gambling disorder. You may know someone struggling with a gambling problem.

But not all hope is lost—we’re here to help. If you or a loved one is experiencing emotional, physical, or interpersonal hardship as a result

of gambling or gaming, call Way Back Inn today at 1-833-DONTBET for a free, confidential assessment with one of our counselors.

Unsure if gambling or gaming is affecting your life? Head over to www. AreYouReallyWinning.com or call 1-800-GAMBLER to see if you’re really winning–or if gambling is causing difficulties for you.

For more information or to make a donation to Way Back Inn programs, go to: www. waybackinn.org or call us at 708-345-8422 ext. 22. Together, we can help people rebuild their lives.

FREE Screenings & Tests available at the Health & Wellness Fair

RUSH Oak Park

• Comprehensive cardiac screening

• Blood pressure/glucose

• Diabetes A1C

• Dexa Scans

RUSH CDS Scope

• Hearing & Vision Screenings University of Illinois Cancer Center

• Breast cancer and cancer genetic risk assessments

• Cancer survivorship program

• Onsite programming with Wellness House

• Resources for sexual health after cancer

B-Health

• Manual Based Orthopedic Doctors of Physical Therapy: Sports Performance, Balance, Scoliosis, and more

• Chiropractor

• Health and Nutritional Counselor

• Massage Therapist

West Suburban Medical Center

• Sports Medicine/Orthopedic screenings

• Peripheral Artery (Vascular) Disease screenings

• Pain Clinic -- Pain assessments

• Village of Oak Park - Public Health Department

• COVID testing van (outside)

• Blood Pressure checks (inside)

Centre Physical Therapy

• Injury Screenings

Thrive Counseling Center

• Mental Health Self-Screenings

PCC Wellness

• Blood Pressure Checks

…eighteen hospitals and almost twenty-five immediate care/ urgent care facilities reside within a seven-mile radius of the Health & Wellness Fair?

…60 counseling, individual and family therapy, licensed clinical social workers, psychiatry and psychological support facilities are within 2 miles of the Health & Wellness Fair?

…more than 25 sit-down restaurants in the immediate Downtown Oak Park you and your family can dine in after attending the H&W Fair?

…a record number of complementary tests and screenings (over 20!) are being offered at this year’s H&W Fair? Get ready to get healthy!

…a funeral home was among the 50 vendors at the first H&W Fair in 2015?!

…the H&W Fair used to be held in the Ridgeland Commons?

…the H&W Fair is the largest health and wellness fair in the state of Illinois?

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6 reasons your family should attend the Health & Wellness Fair!

1 2 3

Free childcare at the FFC Kids Club.

Take a stop motion family selfie with Bespoke Flipbooks and get it sent right to your phone.

FREE parking all afternoon at Holley Court.

4 5

One stop to get every family member’s needs met - braces, sport injury screenings, mental health counseling options. Connect with over 80 local providers all in one location.

Get your FREE ticket to specials at participating Downtown Oak Park businesses.

6 It’s FREE and a great way to spend the afternoon!

Making a Difference: The University of Illinois Cancer Center

while ensuring that our scientific advances in care are consistently accessible to communities.

Research

Community outreach and engagement are the heart of our mission and science at the University of Illinois Cancer Center.

We’re located on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) but our science is rooted in erasing cancer health disparities in the diverse communities we serve throughout Cook County and in the state. The impact of our research in preventing, screening and treating cancer leads to lifesaving, equitable precision cancer care at UI

Health and scientific discoveries that benefit all Illinois communities and beyond.

Community Outreach and Engagement

Our Office of Community Engagement and Health Equity works to foster strong partnerships between communities and our scientists, who are committed to addressing the cancer burden in communities based on local needs and priorities,

Under the auspices of our Community Advisory Board and senior leadership, this vibrant, deeply experienced team works to build the capacity of community agencies and under-resourced health clinics, as well as partner in delivering comprehensive access to high-quality care at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and safety-net hospitals. The team also leverages data to advocate for policies that addresses structural drivers of health disparities.

Our more than 250 Cancer Center members hold academic appointments throughout UIC and at regional campuses in Rockford and Peoria. With interdisciplinary collaboration across the basic sciences, translational and population research, they create better, more equitable cancer care and access to novel treatments as a result of the diversity of our clinical trial participants – 79% of whom are African American or Latino.

Robust community outreach and engagement programs with racial and ethnic minority and other marginalized populations inform the work of our three

Take a tour of our giant inflatable colon CECIL aka Colon Cancer Education in the Community to Improve Learning

research programs – Cancer Biology, Translational Research, and Cancer Prevention and Control – by learning and understanding community needs that then become research projects to discover and deliver equitable solutions.

Screening to Survivorship

The partners vital to a patient’s cancer journey connect through the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Many of our members are physician-scientists who provide cancer care at UI Health, the academic health enterprise at UIC that includes a 445-bed hospital, more than 20 outpatient and specialty clinics plus the Mile Square Health Center network of 14 FQHC sites.

As part of the broad continuum of cancer care, our University of Illinois Cancer Center members conduct research and run clinic programs to increase access and use of cancer

A HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE sponsored by

genetic services and to enhance family history documentation to aid in cancer risk assessment. They also partner with UI Health, Mile Square FQHCs, Wellness House and others to provide survivorship services, programs, clinics and research for people navigating life with cancer.

Training and Workforce Development

Our Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination team ensures equity and diversity are at the forefront of designing and building pipeline programs to train diverse cancer researchers, from elementary school to early-stage investigators. Their goal is to educate, support and retain trainees from underrepresented minority groups to address the needs of our patient population.

navigation services to local events.

Philanthropy

Philanthropic donations help us address access barriers by centering the community voice and lived experiences in our outreach, screening and treatment programs. Support from donors helps enable us to conduct communityinformed research programs to drive equity in precision cancer care. And, it helps us to innovate workforce training and education, thereby assuring career pathways for all so that future scientists and clinicians reflect our national diversity.

Policy and Advocacy

The University of Illinois Cancer Center had a leadership role in collaborating with the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop and implement an engagement strategy for community and legislative members in support of the Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Control Program’s development of the 2022-2027 Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. The plan is meant to serve as a “roadmap to guide cancer prevention, screening, treatment and survivorship activities throughout Illinois.” Our advocacy work has included funding for cancer prevention programs such as the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP), which provides free breast and cervical cancer screenings to uninsured and underinsured people in Illinois.

Our diverse researchers use state of the art technology to collaborate on cancer issues facing our patient population.

Cancer Center team members engage with community members by bringing education and patient

The Proviso Township Mental Health CommissionServing Your Community

Since 1976, the Proviso Mental Health Commission (PTMHC) has helped provide myriad mental health care services to tens of thousands of people throughout Proviso Township. We know that during these times mental health care services are needed more than ever. In addition to traditional therapies for behavioral care, the commission funds services for substance abuse, developmental disabilities, domestic violence, and crisis intervention. All critical areas of need in our community.

Following the Pandemic, we found a growing demand for virtually all of the services we offer. The stress of daily life in our current environment can sometimes be too much to bear but the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission has always been a beacon of hope.

“For nearly 50 years, The Proviso Township Mental Health Commission has stood ready to extend a helping hand when needed,” said Jesse Rosas, Executive Director of the Commission. “We are in the business of saving lives and restoring people to be productive members of society.”

It is worth noting, that while countless units of local government have taken steps recently to address what many believe is a crisis in mental health in the U.S., Proviso Township has been doing it for more than 40 years making it a recognized leader in the getting local residents the mental health care services they need.

For decades mental health professionals have worked to educate the public that mental health is as important and vital as physical health.

better society based on strong families and sound relationships that foster respect, care, and love.

It has not been an easy task with the stigma attached to it. Today that stigma is largely gone and mental health is finally beginning to receive the attention it deserves. This leads to a

Mental health issues strike their victims in countless ways, ranging from depression to stress, anxiety, and other emotional factors. They can be caused by an actual chemical imbalance in the brain, by trauma, family or job strife, violence, domestic abuse, substance abuse or countless other factors. Regardless of their origin, one thing is certain; mental health problems lead to physical problems. Did you know that even some cancer and heart disease are believed to be caused by mental health issues? And that’s just the beginning. Mental Health conditions also cause physical maladies such as high blood pressure, lowered immunity, diabetes, fatigue,

Proviso Township has been doing it for more than 40 years making it a recognized leader in the getting local residents the mental health care services they need.

Don’t miss the 2023 OPRF Chamber Health & Wellness Fair!

Over 20 FREE physical and mental health screenings & Tests available on-site!

Doctors will be available to discuss test & screening results with you on the same day!

Tight shoulders? Get a message!

Curious about what your colon looks like? Walk through a giant inflatable colon!

Try out rock climbing with an FFC certified climbing instructors!

Get that old (or not so old!) injury looked at by a professional!

Get health & nutrition counseling from B-Health!

Get a free Covid test from the Village of Oak Park Health Department!

We all know someone in our lives who has been stricken with cancer. Did you know there are cancer policies that can give you a lump sum payout of $50,000?

In some cases the amount could be as much as $100,000. Statistics show that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will receive a cancer scare in their lifetime. Let me tell you how to protect your out of pocket expenses.

Barry Schumann

708.370.2183

Healthmarkets.com/local-health-insurance-agent/bschumann

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5 things your kids can do for FREE at the Health & Wellness Fair!

1

Rig up and get on the climbing wall with FFC certified climbing instructors.

2

4

Spin raffle wheels at vendor tables and win BIG!

3

Mix your own smoothie on a Smoothie Bike from Smoothie King.

5

Tell fart jokes as you walk through a giant inflatable colon. Find the free food samples throughout the event.

A HEALTH & WELLNESS GUIDE sponsored by

Strong Starts Lead to Bright Futures!

Did you know that 90% of brain development happens before age five? That means that the foundation for all our future learning and lifelong habits happen during these amazing early years.

Here’s something else that is important to know. All the things that help our young children grow strong and get ready for school – responsive relationships, healthy meals, safe spaces to play, explore, and learn – also improve their lifelong health. That’s right. Young children who have high quality early care and education experiences are not only better prepared for school socially and academically, they will experience fewer physical and mental health challenges throughout their lives. And they are more likely to graduate from college, hold down jobs, and have meaningful relationships with their families. A strong start really does lead to a bright future.

A child’s early years are magical. Let’s

make the most of them! As a parent, you are doing that every day when you read, play, and sing with your child. You are modeling important skills for them when you navigate difficult situations or talk through what made you feel sad and why. High quality early learning programs build on what you are already doing to support your child’s development with the added benefit of providing built-in socialization opportunities with other young children. Early learning environments help children learn to share, play with others, and wait their turn, and let’s be honest, even some adults could brush up on these important skills, too.

Another benefit of being part of an early learning program is that early learning professionals are especially attuned to young children’s key stages of development. They are sometimes the first to notice developmental delays in children and alert caregivers to follow up with their pediatricians, early intervention, school districts and specialists for additional

potential support. There are many different types of early childhood care and education programs out there with different philosophies and learning environments. Look for a place where your child is warmly welcomed. Where safety and health are priorities, and where learning happens through play. Choose a program where children experience language and words through books, songs, and meaningful conversations with their caregivers.

Early learning programs can be expensive, and quality early care and education might strain a family’s resources. Quality care should not be out of reach for any family.

We know that caring for young children is a community-wide effort, and we are here to help connect parents and caregivers to the resources and programs that are the right fit for them so that our children can take flight!

Please contact the Collaboration for Early Childhood at parents@ collab4kids.org or by calling 708613-6122 ext 8 to learn more about early learning program options and affordability.

6 Health Screenings from RUSH Oak Park Hospital for