Big Week

April 27 - May 4 BIG WEEK

Arbor Day Tree Planting

Friday, April 29 at 9 a.m., Garfield School, Hannah & Jackson Blvd. Join us for the National Arbor Day ceremony. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the tree planter’s holiday. Public Works will plant an Autumn Blaze Maple tree along the playground on Hannah Avenue. The village of Forest Park will be on hand to pass out informational pamphlets, gifts for participating students and milkweed packets.

Forest Park Community Cleanup

Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m., Roos Center Hosted by the village of Forest Park, the Forest Park Recreation Board, the Park District of Forest Park, and Forest Park Public Works. Check in at 9 a.m. behind the Roos Center in The Park. Ages 16+ (15 and below must be accompanied by an adult). Ice cream treats around noon after the cleanup.

7th District Candidate Forum

Virtually, Wednesday, May 4 at 7 p.m. Seventh Illinois Congressional District candidates will make brief presentations on their backgrounds, quali cations, and interest in running for o ce, followed by questions submitted from constituents in advance of the forum and asked by a LWV trained moderator. Register at https:// us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3E3doTx8SQCrR6fZFdfodg. To submit questions, send an email (and include CD7 in the Subject Box) to: league@lagrangearealwv.org. Registrants will receive a con rmation email containing information about joining the webinar after registering. Sponsored by the Leagues of LaGrange Area, Oak Park & River Forest, and Chicago.

May Day

Sunday, May 1, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Haymarket Martyrs

Monument, Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines In celebration and remembrance of May Day, the Historical Society of Forest Park will have biographies about residents of Radical Row at various graves as well as other information about the Haymarket A air and monument. We will be honoring our Mark Rogovin Award recipient at noon. Join us in celebrating their contribution to labor history. At 4 p.m., McGa er’s Saloon, 7737 Roosevelt Road, for Haymarket Trivia. Can’t make it in person? Take our virtual tour.

Li’l Ed & the Blues Imperials

Tuesday, May 3, FitzGerald’s Slashing West Side-derived blues from a longtime blues veteran who has managed to retain the same band since the 1980s, which is a world record any way you view it! Part of WDCB’s Bluesday Tuesday, hosted by Tom Marker. Free with patio reservation., 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Champion Organ Combo

Saturday, April 30, FitzGerald’s Nothing sounds as perfect on a lazy midday Saturday like bluesy organ jazz. The Champion Organ Combo is here to ll that need. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Je Tweedy and Nick O erman

Illinois Libraries Present is proudly bringing together legendary musician Je Tweedy along with humorist and author Nick O erman for a virtual event hosted by the Forest Park Public Library on Wednesday, April 27 from 7 to

8 p.m.

Tweedy is the man behind the Grammy Award winning rock band Wilco and has recently released three solo albums along with two books: Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back) and How to Write One Song. O erman, a who grew up in Minooka, is the bestselling author of three books of his own and one of the breakout stars of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, where he played the inimitable Ron Swanson. In addition to writing and acting, O erman is also an accomplished woodworker. Pre-registration is required and open now. Visit fppl.org for a link to the registration page hosted by Illinois Libraries Present.

Kiwanis Bowl-A-Thon

Sunday, May 1, 1-4 p.m., Circle Lanes Come join local Kiwanis clubs to bowl a few games and buy ra e tickets. Pizza will be included. The Kiwanis Bowl-A-Thon bene ts kids with developmental disabilities via the Kiwanis Neuroscience Research Foundation and YMCA Camp Independence. $20, 7244 Circle Ave., Forest Park.

Forest Park to repave, replace lead pipes on Jackson Blvd.

Some infrastructure work pushed to 2023 as outside funds sought

By IGOR STUDENKOV

Contributing Reporter

The Village of Forest Park will use the upcoming resurfacing of the section of Jackson Boulevard between Des Plaines Avenue and Madison Street to do water main replacement, while pushing back the planned water main replacement along the 800-900 blocks of Ferdinand Avenue until 2023.

During the April 25 meeting of the Forest Park Village Council, Village Administrator Moses Amidei updated commissioners on the status of the infrastructure projects planned for 2022 and 2023. He recommended holding off on water main projects because, while the state law passed last year requires Forest Park to replace lead pipes within the next 20 years, the village is trying to figure out how much state and federal funding it would be able to get to offset some of the costs.

Amidei did recommend going ahead with replacing the lead lines on Jackson Boulevard, since the conditions of the federal grant that is partially funding it requires the village to complete it this year, and it made more sense to take care of the pipes while the street was already being repaired.

Other major projects in the plan include repaving two alleys, developing the design for new bike racks at Harlem and Forest Park Blue Line el stations, improving the Van Buren Street Multi-Use Path, which connects the Illinois Prairie Path to the Forest Park el station, painting the North water tower and repaving work at the north and south towers.

The one project those fate remains up in the air is the proposal to repave a village parking lot at 510 Des Plaines Ave. with permeable pavement. Amidei told the Review that that village is still looking for funding to cover the higher-than-expected bids, and if it can’t find funding by the end of May, the project will most likely be cancelled.

The Lead Service Line Replacement and Notification Act, which took effect at the start of 2022, requires all Illinois municipalities to develop a plan on how to remove lead water lines by April 15, 2024, and act on the plan within the time limit set based on how many lead pipes a municipality has. And while before, municipalities only had to replace the lead lines up to the shutoff valve at the property line, they now have to replace the pipes all the way up to the building itself. According to a 2020 village report, the most recent data available on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency website, as of 2019 Forest Park had 1,849 lead lines. Amidei told the commissioners that Forest Park applied for $4 million in state funding to help with the lead line replacement, but he expected “at least $20 million of work between now and the next 22 years.” On April 15, the village went to bid for a stormwater and wastewater separation project on the section of 15th Street between Circle and Marengo avenues. Amidei said that, while that project will proceed, he recommended pushing the Ferdinand service line replacement project, which doesn’t have a cost estimate yet, back to 2023, when the village has a better understanding of how much state and federal funding it might get.

The resurfacing portion of the Jackson Boulevard project will cost $568,000, with $418,000 of it coming from a federal Surface Transportation Program grant. The lead service replacement portion will be funded with $80,000 from the village water fund.

Amidei said there are four alleys that are in particularly dire condition. He proposed taking on two this year – an east-west alley directly south of Madison Street, between Elgin and Harlem avenues, and a northsouth north of Roosevelt Road, between Elgin, Harlem and Filmore.

Other projects face jurisdictional issues. Amidei said the $1.5 million north water tower repainting project is still awaiting CTA approval. The $540,000 worth of Van Buren Street Multi-Use Path improvements, $247,500 of which come from the Invest in Cook Grant, will require the village to negotiate with the Altenheim retirement community, since the path crosses a portion of its property.

Forest Park also planned to repave the village owned-parking lot at 510 Des Plaines Ave. The project was originally estimated to cost $288,000, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) previously agreed to cover $201,600 of that cost. But the lowest bid came in at $345,000, and MWRD declined to increase its share. During the Feb. 14 meeting, the council tabled the issue as the village looks at whether it can get funding through the federal Water Resources Development Act.

Amidei said that, while the project is currently part of the plan, the council will vote on whether to proceed at either May 9 or May 23 meeting. Jackson Boulevard, west of Desplaines.

Spring Wine Walk & Shop

Photos by Shanel Romain/Contributor

Tom Santucci, 30, of Oak Park at Accents by Fred.

Tricia Romano Barry, owner of Romano Imports pours some of her own imported Bariano wine for a wine walk participant. Bonnie Doolin and Barbara Hosty both of Forest Park, enjoy the Spring Wine Walk & Shop. Lorie Godding of Minnesota.

Sign for Haymarket Martyrs’ monument added to highway

I-290 signs atHarlem Avenue direct drivers to labor attraction

By ANDY VIANO

Editor

Drivers on the Eisenhower Expressway are getting some help to find the iconic Haymarket Martyrs’ monument thanks to new highway signs installed earlier this year near the Harlem Avenue exit.

The attraction signs can be seen by eastbound and westbound travelers on Interstate 290. The signs were installed after a push by the Historical Society of Forest Park (HSFP) and Illinois Labor History Society (ILHS). According to the HSFP, Forest Park Village Commissioner Jessica Voogd, Public Works Director Sal Stella and Mayor Rory Hoskins all aided in the effort.

The Haymarket Martyrs’ monument was sculpted by Albert Weinert and dedicated in 1893. It was designated a National Historical Landmark in 1997. The monument recognizes the four labor leaders who were arrested and executed under dubious circumstances following the violent Haymarket Affair in Chicago in 1886. The incident became a rallying point for labor leaders at the time.

The HSFP and ILHS are holding a joint event on May 1 at the Haymarket Martyrs’ monument inside Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines Ave. This year’s event includes an outdoor exhibit and runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information on the May Day event, visit forestparkhistory.org.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS

Declining enrollment

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Review in an interview that she doesn’t see “many downsides” to the closure or closures, she also acknowledged that the idea of closing some buildings’ doors could be difficult to accept for some in the community.

“One hundred percent there was trepidation,” Tyler said of the decision. “It’s an incredibly emotional decision — I have a kid in the schools — and I didn’t want that to get lost in the conversation.”

Tyler said there are no immediate plans to demolish or sell any closed buildings, and that alternative uses could be floated if the buildings are no longer used as traditional school settings. She also echoed comments from fellow board member Monique Cotton-Yancy that the district is not in a “crisis” that necessitates closing buildings down but rather being proactive in tackling multi-pronged problems.

Enrollment at Grant-White has been plummeting and this school year only 74 total students take classes at the building. Meanwhile, Betsy Ross was described as overcrowded, with some learning taking place in building hallways because the existing layout does not accommodate the district’s needs.

Pulling students into other buildings, where space is available, would not only rectify the undercrowding and overcrowding issues at the two schools being considered for closure, it would also consolidate teaching efforts into a single building.

The proposal being currently discussed would keep the grade-level center model the district has operated under in recent years but create a single building where a grade is taught at each level. For example, all first graders would attend the same school building as opposed to the current setup that has two schools splitting first-grade students, creating what Tyler called “north side” and “south side” students.

“We believe that clustering grades together makes sense,” Tyler said. “We just don’t see the value anymore, necessarily, of it happening in two separate places for such a small pocket of kids. This is also what our community has been telling us and, quite frankly, showing us in enrollment.”

Board members stressed during the April 14 meeting that bringing cohorts (grade levels) together would not mean increasing class sizes, which are already small. They argued that bringing cohorts together would also benefit teachers, who could collaborate as a district-wide unit without having to leave their building and that, in turn, would benefit students.

“We don’t see our kids as numbers. This is all about community minded, unified schools,” Tyler said. “We have great teachers, but this is also about more consistent instruction and we believe that can be accomplished with more collaboration.”

Tyler also believes the new makeup of the district’s schools could happen quickly. It’s possible that if the board decides to move forward, one or both Grant-White and Betsy Ross could be closed before the start of the 2022-2023 school year, and the board was clear that the changes should be made no later than the 2023-2024 school year.

“Our community has been a little bit dormant around innovation and change in our educational system,” Tyler said. “[This is] just getting people used to the idea that we’re trying something different.”

Grant-White School, 147 Circle Ave.

Betsy Ross School, 1315 Marengo Ave.

CRIME

Forest Park masseuse charged with battery

An employee of Forest Park’s Happy Feet Massage Parlor, 7610 Madison St., who allegedly assaulted a customer in late January, turned himself in on April 19. He was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and released on bond. The initial court date set for May 17 at Maybrook courthouse.

According to a partially redacted police report, the alleged victim, a 23-year-old woman, made an appointment at Happy Feet on Jan. 29, and after being told female massage therapists weren’t available, she made an appointment, but she felt apprehensive, so she kept her mother on speakerphone during the appointment.

The suspect allegedly groped the victim’s private parts about 45 minutes into the session. The victim rolled over and demanded that he leave. According to the police report, the employee initially tried to push the victim onto the bed, but after the victim told the suspect she’d hurt him and her mother said she’d call the police, he left. The victim reported the incident to a female employee and left.

Forest Park police interviewed the suspect on Feb. 8, and determined the suspect also didn’t have an Illinois massage therapist license. Initially reported as a sexual assault, the case eventually was classified as a battery. Due to redactions of the police report, it is unclear what led investigators to that conclusion.

Woman armed with pepper spray robs liquor store

A sales clerk at Forest Park Liquors, 7429 Madison St., got pepper-sprayed during a robbery in the early afternoon of April 21, with a woman snatching away two tequila bottles and running off.

The store surveillance cameras reportedly captured the suspect entering the store at 1:39 p.m. She asked the clerk to get her two bottles of tequila from behind the counter. After the clerk set the bottles down, she asked the clerk for the price. As he turned back around, the suspect allegedly sprayed him with pepper spray, snatched the bottles and ran.

Video also showed the woman getting into a gray 2008 Nissan Altima and driving off. The suspect was last seen driving northbound on Burkhardt Court. Subsequent investigation revealed that the car belonged to the suspect, and that the suspect was previously arrested on Nov. 1, 2019.

The clerk declined medical attention. Police continue to search for the robbery suspect.

Catalytic converter thefts

Forest Park saw multiple catalytic converter thefts in the middle of April.

Four were stolen from the four buses owned by REM employment agency, 7239 Roosevelt Road. REM parks its buses in the spaces it rents at parking lot of the nearby McGaffers Tavern, 7737 Roosevelt Road. The owner discovered the thefts in the early morning of April 18, but the theft could have happened at any point after the afternoon of April 8.

Another catalytic converter was stolen from a vehicle parked at St. Bernadine Catholic Church parking lot, in the 800 block of Elgin Ave. The owner parked the car on April 13 and discovered the theft when he returned on the morning of April 18.

Police recover lost phones, credit cards

A call about a suspicious person led to a recovery of multiple stolen phones, credit cards and other property.

On April 24 at around 9:05 p.m., police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person carrying a suitcase and a bag in the 600 block of Ferdinand Avenue, “walking around slowly and looking at houses.”

After stopping the man, they found him carrying multiple phones, gift cards, medical insurance cards, hotel cards, IDs and keys that didn’t belong to him in his suitcase and inside his jacket.

The man said that he found those items “while riding the train in the city” and that he would turn the items over to the officers. When the officers tried to return his IDs and other belongings, he walked away, saying that he didn’t want his property.

The officers were able to return a phone and two credit cards to their owners. The owner of the phone said he lost it, while the owner of the credit cards believed that they were stolen when her car was broken into. The rest of the items remain inventoried at the station because the officers were either unable to reach the owners or couldn’t identify the owners.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, April 18-24, 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

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