ForestParkReview_051425 by Wednesday Journal

Library launched for dog park members

Forest Parkers and their pooches paraded from the library to the dog park

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Have you been to the Forest Park Dog Park and realized you forgot a tennis ball to play fetch with your pup? Or a poop bag? Sounds like a ruff day.

That’s no longer a problem for over 90

members of the Forest Park Do g Park at 632 Circle Ave., where the village’s recreation board and library collaborated to launch a dog library full of free toys, treats and dog-themed books. On Saturday, residents, public officials, Forest Park Public Library staf f and volunteers met at the library and paraded to

the dog park for a ribbon cutting.

“I know people love their dogs so much, so I thought this would be a fun way to gather people together, promote the village’s dog park and do something

By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter

McGaffer’s Saloon, a fixture in Forest Park that welcomed everyone and anyone who walked through its door for nearly half a century, didn’t get the sendoff it deserved or it’s many patrons wanted, following its sudden closing after proprietor JP Pat Malone was seriously injured in a fall last October

Plans were to re-open the business within a month or two, but it remained shuttered, and

TODD BANNOR

Dog Library builder Geo Binns-Calvey cuts the ribbon with Forest Park Library Community Engagement Manager Alicia Hammond, Commisioner Jessica Voogd and Forest Park Library Director Vicki Rakowski at the Forest Park Dog Park.

After 23 years on Madison Street, Jeanine Guncheon will regroup

Her new focus is on creating her

By MICHAEL DRAKULICH Contributing Reporter

A long-time business in Forest Park will be closing up shop soon. But owner Jeanine Guncheon says this isn’t necessarily the end of her business. It may just be time to reinvent herself and her brand.

Jeanine Guncheon Etcetera, 7349 W. Madison St., will close its doors sometime in the next few months. Guncheon says she has some inventory she would like to sell, then she will sell the space right afterward.

The shop specializes in eclectic and antique art, fashion, and home furnishings. One of her slogans is that her business is “your one-stop shop for everything eclectic,” and that she specializes in “unique and new and vintage items unlike anything you have ever seen.” The shop has a prerequisite for its antiques to be dated before 1900, or of exceptional quality from the mid-20th Century. Guncheon combines such antiques with new art and new home furnishings, including rugs, art, or furniture that customers aren’t likely to find in big-box stores

“You never know what you’ll find in my shop,” she said. “If I see something at the market I like, I’m going to buy it.” She has a variety of ethnic art as well.

While Guncheon’s shop has a group of loyal customers, she says she has noticed a change in buyers over the last 23 years she’s been in business. She says she’s observed that younger buyers have different priorities. Younger generations appear to be more focused on cars, electronics, and travel, she said.

“They seem to be far less interested in what I have to sell. People’s ideas of how they want to work and how they spend their money are changing. I have felt that coming on for quite a while. Retail is suffering as a whole. Sales are always going on. That’s an indication that money is tight,” she said.

But while this incarnation of her business is coming to an end, she isn’t quite ready to stop altogether. Guncheon has been studying art and antiques since she was in her teens

own art

and creates her own artwork. She said she wants to spend a bit more time in her own studio creating her own works.

She says she will take some time to reflect and reassess her life and business and then figure out how to move forward.

“Art and business are my whole life,” she said. “Buying and selling, and traveling to industry-related events, is a

Many coats designed by Guncheon are made with hand-loomed fabrics, patches and layers.

huge inspiration for my life. I have always been a high-energy person, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. I still have the energy and inspiration to do it all again.”

Prior to opening Jeanine Guncheon Etcetera 23 years ago, Guncheon had a shop in Oak Park, which she opened in 1989 called Beggars Market. She hasn’t ruled out a return to Oak Park. But right now, she is focused on wrapping things up in her current shop and thinking about creating her own art.

For the time being, Guncheon will focus on selling as much as she can so she can sell the space. For more information on Jeanine Guncheon Etcetera, visit jeanineetc.com

Opportunity Knocks approved to launch farm on village-owned Altenheim land

Nonpro t serving people of all abilities will plant at e Grove in mid-June

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Opportunity Knocks participants next month will plant the first cucumbers for the organization’s Knockout Pickles and other produce at The Grove, the northeast corner of the village-owned Altenheim property.

Opportunity Knocks, a nonprofit based in River Forest that teaches new skills and creates community among people of all abilities, asked the village at a January council meeting to use the land to create accessible urban ag riculture and farming programming.

At the April 28 council meeting, commissioners unanimously approved the use of a public way for Opportunity Knocks to move into a 75-by-55-foot space on the western part of the Altenheim’s Grove site. The approved public way grants a 180-day permit starting May 15.

Opportunity Knocks President Phil Carmody told the Review the organization is working with the village to draw up a longter m lease for the farm

“While that process runs its course, the opportunity to utilize this spring, summer and fall growing season was to apply for the use of the public way,” Carmody said. At his January presentation to the village council, Carmody suggested a 50-year land lease with rent of $1 per year.

“That was us making a statement, more than anything, that we’re very serious about this partnership and see it as a longterm, forever home for this part of our organization and community,” Carmody said.

The 180-day permit will cover the growing season, which starts after the last frost of winter. Opportunity Knocks has been growing indoors – where vocational program employees care for the plants and growing systems – and will move small plants to the ground, hopefully by midJune, once preliminary landscaping ef for ts are complete.

“Our approach to urban ag riculture includes an accessibility component that requires some extra landscape investment,” Carmody said. That includes re-g rading the area, framing pathways that are an accessible distance from garden beds, and using a certain type of gravel, since it’s too expensive for all pathways to be paved. Opportunity Knocks is financing landscaping ef forts.

Carmody said Opportunity Knocks is currently coordinating with landscapers on their timelines and project estimates. They plan to work around German Fest on June 6 and Groovin’ in the Grove, which starts next month.

“We’re trying to work either in front of or on the other side of those so that we don’t disturb them,” Carmody said of when landscaping ef for ts will take place. “I think, if it’s done right, what we put there will enhance those,” he added, like a place to sit and enjoy the new garden.

Knockout Enterprises

Much of the produce that Opportunity Knocks grows at its farm will be used for Knockout Enterprises, a business that the nonprofit launched in 2014. The following year, participants started growing cucumbers to later sell as Knockout Pickles at popups and farmers markets.

This year, Knockout Enterprises will be at the Riverside Far mers’ Market, which starts June 4. They will be selling Knockout Pickles and various types of produce after the Grove garden yields it. New market offerings include plants and re purposed planters made from buckets that once held pickles.

Currently based out of the River Forest Community Center, across Madison Street from the Altenheim, Knockout Enterprises’ participants used to grow produce on a small plot on Madison Street in Maywood – 1,085 pounds of it last year alone.

But when AV Chicago bought 50 Madison St. last year, Opportunity Knocks was left

Opportunity Knocks participants at Knockout Farm in Maywood before the site was bought last year. Now they will be mov ing to Forest Park.

without a place to grow the produce for Knockout Pickles or Knockout Catering –food they prepare for Events By Cibula.

Now with a new location for Knockout Enterprises, Opportunity Knocks is looking forward to how to collaborate with locals – something that was ingrained in its original pitch to the village for the farm

At the April 28 village council meeting, Gene Armstrong, who lives in the Residences at the Grove on Van Buren St., asked the village if the Grove Midrise Condominium Association could be a part of the new garden space.

“Condo owners who have been following the leasing of property at the Grove for a private cucumber garden have asked me to inquire if the village might lease plots south of the Altenheim building to condo owners for their private ve getable gardens and flower gardens,” Ar mstrong said.

Commissioner Jessica Voogd, during her commissioner’s comment at the coun-

cil meeting, said she and Village Administrator Rachell Entler have discussed the Grove condo residents planting gardens in conjunction with Opportunity Knocks.

“We know a lot of people at the Grove would like to have a place to potentially grow some things and do some planting nearby. We said that we’d like to see some partnership there with other folks in the community,” Voogd said. She added that, if the Grove Midrise Condominium Association is interested in that, the village can put them in touch with Opportunity Knocks.

Carmody said there’s absolutely room for par tnerships throughout the village.

“There’s probably six different ways that could occur,” he said, including with residents at the Grove condos and the Altenheim. “Once dirt fills the beds, then we figured some of those things would evolve and develop. If those conversations take another step forward, we’re ready to talk.”

OB ITUAR Y

Pat Brani , 59

Avid gardener, worked for Public Works

Patrick “Swoope” Braniff, 59, died of pancreatic cancer in his Blandinsville home on May 5, 2025 surrounded by family. Born in 1965 in Carbondale to Beverly Braniff and Larry Braniff, his family d in Macomb for several years and moved to Forest Park later in childhood where he lived into his adult life. He worked for the Works Department of Forest Park for 33 years. retired and returned to western Illinois in 2022 to purchase his mother’s property in Blandinsville, where he lived until his death. A caring father, friend, and partner, he had a passion for gardening and took great pride in making an area look its best, both personally and professionally in his work in Forest Park. He enjoyed hunting on his family property in Blandinsville. Another passion was slow-pitch softball and he spent many summer days out on the field. He was an Eagle Scout, Boy Scout troop leader, and coached for all of his children’s sports.

Pat is survived by his mother, Beverly Braniff; his children, Cassie Braniff, Liz (Austin) Hale, and Evan Braniff; his brother, Shawn Braniff; his half-sister, Erin Rehm; his step-sister, Jacque Wilson; his step-brother, Darren Wilson; and his partner, Michelle Beckmann. He was preceded in death by his father, Larry Braniff, and his maternal and paternal grandparents.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday, June 14 at the Forest Park Community Center from 12 to 8 p.m. For more information, please email his daughter Liz, l.braniff@ yahoo.com.

MCGAFFER’S

Malone said the building has been mostly cleared out. The building went on the market several months ago.

But while folks won’t be able to hoist one last toast to the village’s favorite saloonkeeper, they can still express their appreciation for McGaffer’s and Malone on May 31.

People around Forest Park and numerous surrounding towns will be circling the date on their calendar. That Saturday morning at 11:30, the village will unveil an honorary street sign for Malone and McGaffer’s, just a couple hundred feet east of the business, at the corner of Troost Avenue and Roosevelt Road

Village Administrator Rachel Entler, who usually handles media inquiries, was out of town last week. But the village issued a brief, unattributed release on the planned honorary street naming. It echoed the comments and sentiments of all those who’ve spoken about Malone and his saloon the past six months

“For nearly 50 years, Pat Malone has been a familiar part of life in Forest Park as the longtime owner of McGaffer’s,” the release read. “His bar wasn’t just a place to grab a drink — it was a gathering place where friendships were made, teams were sponsored, and neighbors gathered

“Naming a street in his honor is a small way to recognize the big impact he’s had on generations of residents. We’re proud to celebrate someone who gives so much to the village.”

McGaffer’s wasn’t just a bar; it was a “saloon.” And Malone wasn’t just a bar owner; he was its “proprietor.”

Rich “Chubbs” Polfus, who’s known Malone for decades, started coming to the saloon with his softball teams in the 1970s. In

recent years he’s even filled in bartending a night or two during the week. He says there won’t be another place like McGaffer’s.

“It was a place you could relax and be yourself,” Polfus said. “It’s gonna be missed.” He had a better late than never attitude about the honor for Malone, saying it was overdue.

“I put in for it five years ago,” Polfus said of the application for an honorary street designation. “It’s good to see them get this done.”

Sal Stella, head of public works for the village, has a unique perspective on Malone and McGaffer’s. His workers will install the sign on the pole at Troost and Roosevelt that will be unveiled at the end of the month. He’s also a big fan of the venerable watering hole, which he said holds a special place in a lot of people’s hearts and memories.

He called McGaffer’s a “low key, off-Madison Street bar” that was a place to just relax and be with friends.

“It’s been a staple in this town for many, many years,” Stella said. “After softball games, I went to McGaffer’s. When guys from public works wanted to have a beer on Friday after work, that’s where we went.”

“It’s sad to see the place go,” he said.

Stella said he expects a very large turnout for the May 31 ceremony that is effectively a public goodbye and farewell to Malone. “Between family, friends, co-workers, I think it’s going to be a big turnout,” he said.

The one person everyone wants to see, of course, is Malone. Reached by phone last week, Malone said he’s still in the process of recovering from the head injury he suffered back in October. He expressed appreciation for all the goodwill.

“It feels good,” he said of the honor and so many people’s interest. “It’s very nice of them.”

Malone said he has good days and not so good days. “I don’t get out too much because of the injury,” he said, adding, “People stop by the house.” But he’s planning on being at the corner of Troost and Roosevelt on May 31.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I’ll be there.”

us for our upcoming Thrive Talk focused on Veteran mental health. Through this presentation, individuals will become empowered with the knowledge and tools needed to support Veterans and potentially save lives.

Walmart shopper threatens to shoot woman over parking space

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

Police were dispatched to Walmart on Roosevelt Road, May 6, around 8 p.m. after someone called to re port someone with a gun. A woman told police that, after she parked, a woman in a gray Dodge Durango parked a few spots away, got out of the car and said she had a gun and threatened to shoot her. The woman went into Walmart, but said she had a gun in her car again on the way out, then circled the parking lot. The woman said she’d sign complaints if the offender was identified.

Assisting other police

Around 11 p.m. on May 14, Addison police informed village police of a high-risk missing person who was last seen in Forest Park. After referencing a photo, a police officer remembered seeing the man earlier that day. He returned to that area and

found the man around 400 Desplaines Ave. The man refused medical assistance, and his brother came to pick him up.

Criminal damage to property

According to a police report, just after midnight on May 6, a man came up to a CTA employee stationed at 701 Harlem Ave. and told her, “You better go check your car.” The employee parked her car in the 800 block of Elgin Avenue and has been having trouble with a different man who frequents the area and has tried to belligerently enter her booth. The woman found her car with one of its locks broken and tires punctured, an estimated $440 worth of damage. The woman said she’d call the police if the man came back and asked for an extra officer to survey 701 Harlem overnight.

Battery

While on patrol May 6 around 5 p.m., po-

lice were stationed at Walgreens on Roosevelt Road when a man approached the car and said an Uber passenger had punched him. The man told police he tried to get in a car he thought was his Uber after the offender got out of the car and went inside Walgreens. When the offender came out, he put his items in the Uber and approached the man to punch him in the side of the head. Police apprehended the offender, who said he didn’t do anything before confessing he hit the man. He was charged with battery.

Possession of cannabis

On May 7, police saw a car traveling west on Harrison Avenue run the stop sign at Lathrop Avenue. Police pulled the car over and detected a strong smell of cannabis and saw a rolling tray on the center console. The man driving said he didn’t have any cannabis in the car and that he didn’t know there was a stop sign. Officers asked

for the man and the car’s passenger to step out of the vehicle before searching it and finding two bags of suspected marijuana in the trunk. The passenger told police the marijuana was hers. Because the car was re gistered to the driver and he acknowledged the presence of cannabis and stated its approximate weight, he was charged with possession of cannabis over 30 grams, failure to yield at a stop sign and having unlawful tinted windows.

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated May 14 through May 7 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

You know you want a dog. Animal Care League needs your help right now

Oak Park shelter is overcapacity with 65 pups available

By LEAH SCHROEDER Contributing Reporter

With 65 dogs on site and an ideal capacity of 41, the Animal Care League in Oak is operating at more than 50% over capacity

Adoptions fell 30 percent in April due prob ably to economic uncertainty, according to Renee Harlor, executive director of the shelter. Harlor said she has seen an increase in community members tapping into pet and other supplies offered by the leagu

“We’re seeing an increase in that, with ris ing costs of things,” she said. As far as adop tions, “people either can’t care for them or aren’t able to add another expense to their already maxed out lives,” she said.

While the shelter typically operates right at capacity, and never under capacity, Harlor said this is the highest capacity she’s seen since starting at the Animal Care League last October.

If you’d like to learn more about the newly expanded ACL here are two upcom-

ing opportunities.

On May 17 there will be a speed dating event where you can meet with a series of adoptable dogs. It begins at noon at the shelter and signup is required. Staff will be on hand to help make connections.

The first ACL Open House of the summer will be on June 21.

The Animal Care League is at 1013 Garfield St. in Oak Park

The shelter is still able to accommodate all of the dogs and allocate them their own space while operating over capacity, but the decline in adoptions has placed a strain on the team of Animal Care League employees and the shelter’s finances.

To compensate for the surplus of adoptable dogs, employees have been picking up extra shifts and working longer hours while the Animal Care League continues looking to fill three additional positions

But the team has taken on these responsibilities without hesitation, Harlor said. And she can “tell you for certain” that they are motivated by their love for animals

“Even though we are over capacity, and even though that makes the team have to work harder, we are very, very, very fortunate to have a team that will work extra, stay lon-

Chubbs

ger, work extra days to make sure that the animals all get the proper care,” Harlor said.

Because of the Animal Care League staff’s willingness to step up in the wake of unprecedented times, Harlor said, the dogs and their care have not been affected by the high capacity of the shelter

“The strain is on us. We absorb the challenge by having higher payroll and hired staf f and things like that,” Harlor said. “It’s a lot on the team… but they do it, and they do it happily because they know it

helps the animals.”

To guide her team out of this time of stress Harlor has turned to the local community in hopes of becoming a “household name.”

By offering free courses about pet o ership, offering shelter tours and hosting events, Harlor hopes to spread the word about all of the “great dogs available.”

Harlor said she wants the community to know that Animal Care League is more than just an adoption center; they are a “resource for the community.”

“We’re just looking to be part of the community,” Harlor said. “I still think we have

The One Lake burger

Reader-suggested recommendation of favorite dish, with ‘all the right avors’

By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Contributing Reporter

Reader Laura Milewski wrote in with a suggestion for her favorite dish, asking whether a beloved burg er would qualify for this series. Yes! is the answer. Any food that inspires love, appreciation, passion is welcome whether it’s high-falutin or down-home.

What gets Milewski and her family’s stomachs growling is the pub burger at One Lake Brewing, One Lake St. in Oak Park

“It’s a great flavor to it,” Milewski said. “I also appreciate eating it here. This is one of my favorite spots in town. But the burger itself – it’s got all the right flavors. It’s very balanced.”

“That burger has not really changed since we opened almost six years ago,” said

Shawn Stevens, co-owner of One Lake Brewing. “It’s been our most popular seller from the beginning. And we just try and complement the menu around it.”

Line cook Michael Hase gawa and the burger share the same start date at the restaurant. When first asked, Hase gawa didn’t know what to showcase about what makes this version of an American standard special, but he quickly warmed to the task.

“Burgers are gonna be beef on a bun,” he said. “But we do use Slagel Far ms beef which is a local farm. It’s a good quality beef, no hormones. They grow the beef, but they also grow the feed for the beef. We get the patties once a week. They’re never frozen, they’re fresh and the bread is also a local product.”

A standard order gets two 4 oz patties, though Milewski orders a Beyond Meat patty for hers. Her husband orders and enjoys the beef version.

What else cozies up between the buns? Not commercial ketchup. One Lake’s chefs make theirs in house.

“Tomato jam. Yeah, well, it is kind of a fancy ketchup,” Hase gawa said. “We takeonions, caramelize those good. We add in roasted red bell peppers and crushed tomatoes and let that cook. It kind of thickens up a bit and then blend it.”

Other standard ingredients get upgrades too: house-made aioli, local white cheddar,

arugula, fried shallots and pickles from Opportunity Knocks (a local non-profit that makes pickles as a part of its work to enrich and empower people with intellectual and developmental differences).

“I personally make a lot of modifications to my food. I’m one of those people,” Milewski said. “With this burger, there’s not really a whole lot I need to change about it. It’s that good and I don’t say that about a lot of items.”

Her one modification is an egg that puts this burger over the top.

“Yeah, I love the added egg. The egg just kind of tops it of f perfectly. It’s juicy. It kind of falls out of the burger. It’s messy like a burger should be.”

Milewski says she and her family come to the restaurant sometimes twice a week.

“It’s not only the burger; it’s ambiance,” she said. “It’s a local place. I like to support local.”

If you have a favorite dish that you’d like to see featured, drop us a line at eats@oakparkeats.com.

RISÉ SANDERS WEIR

Laura Milewski and her egg-topped burger

RISÉ SANDERS WEIR

Line cook Michael Hasegawa.

DOG LIBRARY

Well-read K9s

from page 1

fun and cute,” Alicia Hammond, the library’s community engagement manager who thought of the dog library, told the Review. “It’s a fun way to bring the community together and something a little unexpected for the library. We like to figure out new ways to keep people interested in the community.”

The dog library houses items for dogs, like poop bags, new and unopened treats, toys and clothes that are new or used and cleaned, and clean, unused collars and leashes that aren’t retractable. For hu-

ation board. Her husband, Geof f BinnsCalvey, built the structure. He added a tube on the side of it that drops a tennis ball after a dog takes one.

Also on the side of the dog library, Geof f affixed the profile of a dog that resembles the Binns-Calvey’s 17-year-old mutt Greg who died a few years ago.

Amy said the library will enhance the dog park a bit, “the same way that the agility equipment in the park adds a little. It’s not just a big empty lot. It’s nice to see some more interactive elements to that little dog park.”

Pet programming

Last summer, the library launched a pet bandana giveaway, where they passed out bandanas with the library’s logo on it to

Commissioners Jesica Voogt, Michelle Melin-Rogovin and others check out the new Dog Library.

mans, the library has dog-related books. It will be re plenished by donations, so village and library re presentatives ask that dog park members only take an item or two, and leave items that are clean and in good condition.

The dog library looks like a free little library box that would normally hold books, but it’s closer to the ground.

“You can open up the door and your pup could put their paws on the bottom, if they want to pick out something,” said Amy Binns-Calvey, chair of the village’s recre-

A dog parade from the Forest Park Library to the Dog Park and the new Dog Library.

sources. The village had dog park permit applications available for those who want access to the park. At the end of last year, the park had 102 members. Park permits expire annually on April 30. For Forest Park residents, permits cost $20 for the first dog and $5 for each addi-

tional dog. For senior residents ages 65 and older, permits cost $10 for the first dog and $5 for each additional dog. For nonresidents, park membership is $60 for the first dog and $10 for each additional dog. Park members can acquire permits for up to three dogs.

pet owners. Forest Parkers then submitted photos of their accessorized cats, dogs – and even a tortoise and a guinea pig – to the library, where they were displayed and uploaded onto Facebook.

After the giveaway’s success, Hammond said she started looking for other ways that library programming can serve residents with dogs.

At the dog library’s launch, the library passed out its pet bandanas, and Animal Care League re presentatives of fered re-

A collie gets attention at the unveiling.

TODD BANNOR

William Maynor, 87

Owned Bill’s Catering food truck

With heavy hearts and deep love, we announce the passing of William (Bill) Roosevelt Maynor, 87, of Crystal Lake, for merly of Forest Park, who died on May 9, 2025. Born on April 5, 1938, in Roadbranch, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Margaret Kennedy and William Burtie Maynor. He had an extensive career at M&M/Mars, spanning over 20 years. He enjoyed sharing his chocolate creations with friends and family, especially during Christmas while dressed as Santa and while traveling home to West Virginia to vacation with his family. Toward the end of his career with M&M/ Mars, he opened a food truck, Bill’s Catering, and enjoyed serving individuals across northern Chicago, as well as sharing his treats with his daughters and grandchildren.

To know William was to know kindness, humility, and the gentle strength of a man who put his family above all else. Whether sitting in the garage with a story to tell or offering a helping hand

without being asked, he gave of himself fully and quietly, never seeking praise. His warmth, humor, and unwavering presence will be missed beyond measure. He enjoyed gardening, listening to the news, and tending flowers.

Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Florence Maynor Blankenship; his son, William Roosevelt Maynor Jr.; his brothers, Uliss Maynor (Charlotte), Floyd Maynor, and David Maynor; and his sisters, Retha Maynor Vance and Nellie Maynor.

He is survived by his brothers, Buren Maynor (Linda) and Elvis John Walker; his sister, Christine Tammy Maynor; his daughters, Re gina Torian (Garbis), Sherry Grigsby (Scott), and Melissa Michor (Mike); his grandchildren, Crystal Osadzinski (Edward), Anthony Torian (Luciek), Christopher Torian, Tess Grigsby, Scott Grigsby Jr., Edwin Valentin III, Sebastian Valentin, Isabella Valentin, and Mason Michor; his great-grandchildren, Olivia Osadzinski, Nicholas Osadzinski, and Gabrielle Torian; and nieces, nephews and extended family.

Services will be held on May 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home, 7319 Madison St., Forest Park. Immediately following, a procession will drive to Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines Ave., Forest Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The Bittels were a sharpshooting couple

Featured on the cover of the April 13, 1917 Forest Leaves are Major and Mrs. Edward Bittel, 804 Elgin. Edward was called for service to guard government property, “somewhere in the state.” He won the national championship in rifle shooting and five medals for rifle and revolver shooting in state and national contests. Mrs. Bittel, shown lighting his cigar, was also an expert shooter, with several gold and silver medals, which she proudly ear ned defeating male riflemen.

Edward Bittel would go on to serve in World War I in France as a colonel and be honored by General Pershing with a silver star for his distinguished gallantry in action while serving with the 130th Infantry Re giment, American Expeditionary Forces, in action in Bois Plat Chene, France, Oct. 10, 1918, and for his brilliant leadership. In that battle the 33rd Division, primarily composed of Illinois National Guard Units, saw intense fighting, including heavy artillery, machine gun fire, gas attacks and air attacks.

Jill Wagner

Interim

Executive Director Max Reinsdorf

Sta Repor ter Jessica Mordacq

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan

Contributing Editor Donna Greene

Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, Robert J. Li a

Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza

Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls

Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Operations Associate Susan Babin

Special Projec ts Manager Susan Walker

Senior Advisor Dan Haley

Board of Directors

Chair Eric Weinheimer

Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Deb Abrahamson, Mary Cahillane Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson, Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson

forestpark@wjinc.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)