Shakespeare play dives into power structures and samesex relationships
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Every summer since 2021, the Forest Theatre Company has put on a free Shakespeare play in the open space behind the Altenheim.
This year is no different, as the group’s fifth annual Shakespeare in the Park kicks of f next month. On August 8-10 and 15-17, the Forest Theatre Company is producing “The Two Noble Kinsmen.”
Set in ancient Greece, “The Two Noble Kinsmen” follows two cousins and lifelong best friends, Arcite and Palamon, along with Emilia — a woman who was in love with her best girl friend who died. Emilia also becomes a love interest for both men.
“They’re sort of in love with each other, these two young men, then they see her and fight over her,” said Richard Corley, producing artistic director of the
See FOREST THEATRE on pa ge 14
Forest Theatre Company takes on seldom per formed ‘Two Noble Kinsmen’
Chris Ware’s new stamps
PAGE 5
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
As longtime Congressman Danny Davis decides whether he’s going to run again for the 7th district U.S. House of Representatives seat in 2026, other local politicians are throwing their hats in the ring to re present the area that covers much of Chicago’s West Side and near west suburban communities.
One such candidate is Rory Hoskins, who has been mayor of Forest Park since 2019 and works as an insurance attorney. He filed with the Federal Elections Commission to run for the seat on July 18 and already has priorities lined up for what he’d advocate for if elected.
“I want to serve the community, and I want to be a part of the ef fort to undo a lot of the
See HOSKINS on pa ge 12
PROVIDED
Marck Kiselevach as Arcite and Nathaniel Kohlmeier as Palamon
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Local luminaries
Forest Park honors 13 new Wall of Renown members
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
There’s a new set of locals who are honored in the basement of Village Hall.
Dozens of Forest Parkers, their friends and families, and public officials gathered at 517 Des Plaines Ave. on Monday evening for the unveiling of the updated Wall of Renown, including 13 new framed photos and biographies of influential locals.
The Wall of Renown — which the Historical Society of Forest Park created in 1984 but hasn’t updated since 1998 — recognizes Forest Park residents who have contributed significantly to the village.
“For over 25 years, this wall has honored the remarkable individuals who helped shape Forest Park’s identity,” said Mark Boroughf, president of the Historical Society, at the rece ption. “Today, as part of our fiftieth anniversary, we renew that commitment to remembering our roots and celebrating those who made a lasting impact on the village.”
New inductees include Isaac Beal, Joe and Sandy Byrnes, Anthony Calderone, Robert Dowd, Karen Dylewski, Edith Heilemann, Geung Goo (Michael) Lee, Pat Malone, James A. Nadeau, Dr. Phyllis M. Orland, Mark Rogovin and Jackie Schulz.
ose who attended the Historical Society of Forest Park’s unveiling of the updated Wall of Renow n look at a case of v illage artifacts and a timeline of local events.
ALEXIS ELLERS
ALEXIS ELLERS
HONOREES: Joe and Sandy By rnes, Isaac Beal and Anthony Calderone
ALEXIS ELLERS
HISTORIC AL SOCIET Y: Mark Boroug f president of the Historical Society of Forest Park with Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins
Bloc Dispensary, Heal Wellness and Longev ity, and Sploot Veterinary Care w ill all be open in August at the cor ner of Harlem and Circle.
New development of the old CVS at Harlem and Circle
Bloc Dispensary and Sploot Veterinary Care are open, and Heal Wellness and Longevity will launch in August
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
home to the CVS, now looks a little different.
The small strip mall recently underwent complete renovations and is gearing up to be fully open. Bloc Dispensary and Sploot Veterinary Care opened in June. Heal Wellness and Longevity will have a soft opening in August, offering an infrared sauna and cold plunge therapy.
Krisco said all three businesses saw full renovations and over half-a -year of construction before opening
“We gutted the CVS down to four walls,” he said. Even the east side of the property saw an update, as Dunkin’ Donuts also got a new facade, plus a small patio. And landscapers added trees, bushes and flowers throughout the newly paved parking lot.
“This concept is the first of its kind around here,” said Drew Krisco, managing broker at Bern Realty, a River Forest-based commercial real estate development and property management company. Forest Park doesn’t have any vets either, though Bloc is the second dispensary in town.
“We really brightened it up to be good neighbors to Oak Park and River Forest,” Krisco said. “It really pops as an entryway into Forest Park.”
According to Krisco, grandson of Bern Realty’s founder, the company bought the cor-
ner property in 1983 — from the space that used to house the CVS to the current Dunkin’ Donuts and Pep Boys Auto Service and Tires In the early 1980s, Krisco said the Pep Boys building was the only one that existed on the property. Then, Bern Realty constructed the building that now houses Dunkin’ Donuts and the structure that once was home to Osco Drug, which became the CVS that closed in 2021.
Krisco said that Bern Realty is enthusiastic about sharing the newly rehabilitated corner with locals and “how excited we are to keep this asset in the family after all these years.”
JESSICA MOR DACQ
The corner of Harlem Avenue and Circle Avenue in Forest Park, which used to be
USPS needed stamps for its 250th, ex-Oak Parker Chris
Ware delivered
Ware, a contributor to e New Yorker who began his career in Chicago’s alt weeklies, designed a sheet of 20 stamps that show a mail carrier’s neighborhood journey
By WEB BEHRENS Block Club Chicago
What’s older than the Declaration of Independence? Believe it or not: the United States Postal Service.
The organization now known as the USPS was established in July 1775 — one year before the 13 original colonies declared themselves to be their own nation. This week, the agency celebrates its semi quincentennial with a creative new stamp design featuring artwork by Riverside’s cartoonist extraordinaire Chris Ware
The stamps were released July 23, along with a 32-page prestige booklet to commemorate the USPS’ 250 years of service.
The postal service noted in a statement that Ware created the stamp artwork and codesigned the pane with Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS.
“I was indeed flattered and honored to be asked to do a stamp,” Ware told Block Club.
“I figured I would either scare off the Post
CHRIS WARE Stamps add
Office with my ideas and/or make something that wasn’t printable,” he said. Instead, “I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone working for the USPS was unpretentious, funny and very agreeable.”
Despite his penchant for self-deprecation, writer-artist Ware has managed to attain worldwide renown on the strength of his meticulously rendered, achingly moving comics. His work has been featured in multiple solo museum exhibitions, from Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006 to a current showcase in Barcelona. The first comics artist to be invited to exhibit at the Whitney Biennial, he also regularly draws covers for The New Yorker.
An Omaha native, Ware moved to Chicago in the early 1990s to pursue his master’s degree at the School ofthe Art Institute. He lived in Oak Park with his family for many years. Now 57, he lives with his wife and daughter in Riverside.
His professional career began in Chicago’s alt weeklies, starting with NewCity in 1992
and eventually The Reader. A multiyear saga originally published piecemeal in those newsprint pages became his acclaimed first book, “Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth,” still in print 25 years later
To anyone familiar with Ware’s precise sequential art — jam-packed with details yet somehow never cluttered — it comes as no surprise that he has brought that signature storytelling style to the USPS
With these stamps, he adds another “first” feather to his cap: “A very kind person at the USPS told me that, as far as their historian could determine, this was the first time anyone had ever tried to tell a story with a sheet of stamps,” Ware said.
packed with perfectly drawn buildings, geometric trees and dozens ofhumans bustling about. In inimitable Chris Ware fashion, the progression ofstamps also takes the viewer through all four seasons
The carrier strolls past coffee shops, government buildings and various public gatherings across her busy year, visiting settings that would fit into any Chicago neighborhood. Across the stamps, she waves frequently and accepts letters from neighbors, including a construction worker who pops out ofa manhole cover to give her one. The last stamp shows the carrier in her cozy home with her family, after an extremely long day.
an apartment building to the traditional blue curbside structures. There’s even a stamp collector examining his collection.
“I was hoping to make something that a letter carrier might happen to see and maybe feel some connection to,” Ware said. “Their lives seem to be a ‘Groundhog Day’ level of grind and repetition, passing through a consistent, repeating landscape that nonetheless slowly shifts and changes around them. It takes a peculiar level ofpsychological fortitude to be a mail carrier, I think, and I wanted to try to honor that.”
Beyond his current admiration for the work of postal carriers, Ware had a brief connection to the post office as a kid.
“I tried briefly to collect stamps,” he said. “For some reason, I couldn’t ever figure out why I was doing it — no pox upon philatelists, with whom I clearly share some DNA. I’d inherited a half-filled book ofstamps from my second father, but it only highlighted how ignorant I was about the world, so I stuck to collecting superhero comic books instead.
Titled “250 Years ofDelivering,” the sheet honors the post office’s milestone anniversary by documenting the quotidian life of a mail carrier making deliveries. The 20 interconnected stamps (printed in four rows of five) deliver a bird’s-eye view ofa busy city,
In a press release, the post office notes that the Ware-designed stamps contain special homages to the office’s 250-year history, including a statue ofa pony express rider and various types of post office vehicles and collection boxes, from a cluster mailbox found in
“Now I hate superheroes in all forms, so maybe I should try stamps again.”
The sheet of20 stamps costs $15.60 and will be sold online and at any U.S. post office. The price reflects a slight bump in the cost per stamp, which on July 13 increased by a nickel to 78 cents each.
Digital literacy course helps locals navigate news and life
Digital equity in action at Forest Park Public Library
By MOLLIE JAMISON Contributing Reporter
When important news breaks, many people rely on technology to gather critical information. After massive flooding took Kerrville, Texas by storm in early July, Marie Weinbrecht was desperate for updates on the town she and her husband once called home
Now a part-time desk assistant at Forest Park Public Library, Weinbrecht says a sixweek digital inclusion workshop at the library has given her the tools and knowledge she needed to follow developing stories like this one
“I was able to navigate easier where the worst parts were, what happened with my house, things like that,” said Weinbrecht. “I was able to navigate better than I would have been before.”
Weinbrecht says one of the most useful lessons of the course was learning how to make digital folders. Now, she plans to use those same skills to memorialize their time in the Central Texas town.
“I’m going to create a whole file and pictures of Kerrville and all the good times we had,” said Weinbrecht, who lived in the small
town along the Guadalupe River with her husband for five years. “I want him to be able to see that. I think that’s important for him right now.”
Not only has she found practical ways to apply the course’s content to her own life, but Weinbrecht also enjoys sharing this new knowledge with her husband. She has already been able to help set up his new computer using abilities she gained in the workshop.
“We bought the whole new computer, and nobody helped us get it together,” said Weinbrecht. “It’s been like the two of us trying to, you know, the blind, leading the blind. Actually I’m a lot better than he is now, and so I’m teaching him.”
Before the course, Weinbrecht often got nervous when using new technology and now says she is no longer afraid to try.
“I was always afraid I would lose data,” said Weinbrecht. “I was afraid of a lot of stuff and I’m not afraid like I was anymore. And I think teaching my husband, he feels a lot better about it.”
Weinbrecht is not the only workshop attendee who is already using their new skills to stay more infor med. Kathleen Ogundipe says she has begun using the laptop participants received after completing the course to follow current events.
“I’ve actually read some news on my computer,” said Ogundipe. “And I don’t really access news too well.”
The device, provided by PCs for People, has also made life a little bit easier for Ogundipe’s role as a substitute teacher
“It actually helped having the laptop given to us,” she said. “That was a real blessing because I was struggling with trying to get online for District 97 sub lessons that we had to do. I couldn’t download them on my desktop computer, so I brought my laptop in there.”
Workshop participant Mariana Cordova remembers taking her first computer class in 1966 at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Now, after completing this course at the Forest Park Public Library, she remains an advocate for using community resources like this one as an opportunity for free, continuing education and encourages other seniors to do the same
“In the community, at the library, all over the place, there’s so many resources out there,” she said. “Utilize those resources. Technology makes it easier to access resources. That’s the primary thing from technology, for me, access to resources.”
Cordova came into the class also hoping to gain a better understanding of video conferencing applications like Zoom as well as artificial intelligence, which she hopes to use for creative purposes
“I know technology is the opportunity for fun,” said Cordova. “So I want to use my laptop as more than just an e-reader. I want to explore artificial intelligence. Asking artificial
intelligence to create images for me. I’d like to do some online collages, some virtual collages, because physical collages can take up a lot of space.”
This 13-person workshop was the first of two that the Forest Park Public Library will host to promote ‘digital equity’ and make technology comprehensible to all residents who need it. Course instructor Xandi Wright, founder of Wright to Learn, said learner feedback from the first cohort was overall positive.
“It’s always rewarding to see learners developing their confidence,” said Wright. “But also this class is a bit unusual because part of the goal was for learners to recognize just how much there is that they could learn – and start choosing where their own priorities lie.”
A second digital equity workshop will start this September. To learn more about digital literacy resources like one-on-one tech appointments and more at Forest Park Public Library, visit www fppl.org
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories about the Forest Park Public Library’s digital inclusion efforts. The series is underwritten by a grant from the Cook County Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants program. The grant is a shared effort between Wright to Learn, the library and Growing Community Media, publisher of the Forest Park Review
ALEX ROGALS
Mariana Cordova, course participant
ALEX ROGALS
Shelia Harris and Mariana Cordova learn about digital resources
Season of Stars
October 26 JAY FRIEDMAN, conductor
HEROIC BEETHOVEN
BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto
Michelle Wynton, violin; William Cernota, cello; David Leehey, piano
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3, Eroica
December 14 MAURICE BOYER, conductor
HOLIDAY HAPPENING
RAVEL Valses nobles et sentimentales
TCHAIKOVSKYNutcracker Suite
BIZET L’Arlésienne: Suites I + II
Holiday Sing a-long
February 15 MAURICE BOYER, conductor CHORAL CONCERT
BRAHMS Tragic Overture
BRAHMS Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
Featuring The S/OP&RF Chorus, William Chin, director
MAHLER Songs from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The boy’s magic horn) Nathalie Colas, soprano
COPLAND Quiet City
COPLAND An Outdoor Overture
April 19 JAY FRIEDMAN, conductor TROMBONE TREAT
MOZART Symphony No. 35 (Haeffner)
HIGGINS Trombone Concerto (Midwest Première)
Timothy Higgins, soloist
CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNER TBD
BERNSTEIN West Side Story Symphonic Dances
June 14 JAY FRIEDMAN, conductor SUPERB STARS
SUK Märchen (Fairytale)
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1, Nikki Chooi, soloist
GROESCH Piano Concerto No. 1 (World Première)
Mio Nakamura, soloist
Concert underwritten by S/OP&RF violinist
Dr. Marylaw Witt & Emerging Artists Chicago
All five of our 2025-2026 concerts start at 4PM on Sundays at Concordia University in River Forest. Free parking at 1124 Bonnie Brae Place.
Drunk driver crashes into Madison storefront
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
Police responded to My Best Friend Groom & Board on July 26 after a car crashed into the front of the business at 7626 Madison St. Police re ported that the driver had slur red speech, smelled of alcohol, and that there was damage to the village’s concrete median on the 7600 block of Madison Street. The woman initially denied drinking but later told police she had two mixed drinks at her friend’s house, and police found an open bottle of Tito’s vodka in the car. She completed several standardized field sobriety tests, showing clues of impairment, so officers took her to the police department, where she provided a breath sample of .195 blood alcohol content. She was charged with driving under the influence, having a BAC above .08, illegal transportation of alcohol, operating a car that was uninsured and with suspended re gistration, a village ordinance violation and failure to reduce speed.
Battery
On July 23, police responded to 1300 Des Plaines Ave. after a man in a ski mask came up to another man and started hitting him before driving of f in a car. The victim and his friend said they were shopping at Walmart when a man who looked familiar to the victim started following them. When the two left the store, a man in a ski mask attacked, hitting the victim several times in the face before getting in a car and driving away. Police checked license plate cameras and located the car before it headed eastbound on the Eisenhower. They went to the home of the offending car owner, who told police he hit the man at Walmart because he made a disrespectful social media post about his family. He was charged with battery.
Burglary
Police were dispatched to USA Beverage at 7200 Madison Street on July 23 for a bu rglar alarm going of f. The business owner
also called the police and told them he saw two men in the store on the security camera. Police saw on nearby street cameras that the offenders drove of f in a red SUV. At the store, police reported that two windows were broken and there were liquor bottles on the sidewalk. At the time of the police re port, officials said it was unclear what the cost of stolen goods was. The business owner said they wanted to press charges if the offenders were located.
Also on July 23, police were dispatched to the U-Haul storage facility for a burglary. There, a man told police that he left the site the day before and locked both the storage container and trailer. That morning, he saw that both of the locks were cut of f. The man re ported that his power tools, estimated to cost $1,000, were missing.
Robbery
Police were dispatched to Harlem and Jackson on July 24 for a fight. There, a man said he was waiting at the bus stop at 701 S. Harlem Ave. when an unknown man stopped to ask him for money or food. The men walked together to True Discount Food Mart. Upon leaving, the man held $140 in his hand that the offender tried to grab while the victim ran away. The offender caught the man in the 600 block of Harlem Avenue and hit him several times before taking the money and fleeing. According to the police re port, the victim had a red and swollen face with cuts on his arms and hands. The offender had not been identified at the time that the police re port was created.
These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department re ports dated July 21 - 27 and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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.
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100 Years in, Pompei expands to Elmwood Park
The full menu Italian spot opens in September
FBy RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Contributing Reporter
or more than 110 years Pompei has been a family-run, Taylor Street icon in Chicago. Now, a new generation is stepping up to help open a location in Elmwood Park at 22 Conti Pkwy. in the Conti Circle. They expect to open the dining room doors in early September.
Owner Ralph Davino grew up above the original Taylor Street location with his parents and grandparents.
“Our building was a six flat. They had a bakery on one side and a tavern on the other. I used to come down at midnight with my uncles and make the dough. I remember when the machine broke and me and another guy had to kneed 100 pounds of dough, so we could open,” Davino said.
Until that point Pompei bakery only sold bread and cheese pizza. Pastries were eventually added. Then in 1984 when his uncle became ill, Davino took over operations.
“When I got it, we started sausage, pepperoni pizza. And I started making sand-
wiches,” Davino said. Soon he created what he called strudels, based off the sweet version, but filled with savory flavor and with more filling to dough ratio than a calzone. Today there are 12 varieties on the menu including eggplant parmesan, poor boy with ham, turkey stuffing and BBQ.
Fast forward two generations to Davino’s grandchildren lending a hand too:
“When we were younger, we would always work the festivals. We would come down and work the Taylor Street fest,” grandson Lucian DiPofi said. “That was some of the best times I can remember, just running around, probably eating him out of all the inventory.”
Pompei manager Lucian DiPo and owner Ralph Davino.
Over the years Pompei expanded to six locations, but through changes and then Covid, the number was back down to one – on Taylor Street. Then an opportunity arose in Elmwood Park. It was a great fit, according to Davino, because of the deep connection between the two areas. When the University of Illinois’s Chicago campus expanded in the 1960s, it forced many Italians to leave Taylor Street’s Little Italy neighborhood. Many settled in the Elmwood Park area.
“Elmwood Park has been great. They’re very oriented to business. They want us here,” Davino said.
The new location was formerly a Jewel grocery store, then a convenience store. It has been gut-rehabbed. Though it’s new inside, the menu and the heart of Pompei restaurant will remain the same, according to DiPofi, who is the next generation to manage a Pompei location.
“We are consistent. Over time people
come back for the same product that we’ve had. Our pizzas – it’s on the same dough that we’ve been making forever,” DiPofi said.
“All our stuff is homemade. I can stand behind anything I make,” Davino said. “The only thing I don’t make is the ice cream.”
“But even that is made locally,” said DiPofi.
Gnocchi with vodka sauce is one of those house-made highlights. And so is the item that started it all – cheese pizza.
“Still my best!” said Davino.
“What I tell people, if they’re coming in for the first time, I say you can’t go wrong with those two,” DiPofi said. “They are classics that you just can’t get rid of or else it wouldn’t be a Pompei.”
That being said, there is an expansive menu of southern Italian favorites and weekly specials. But there are surprises.
“Wednesday is our American Day. We have a Sloppy Joe special. We have a meatloaf, a special beef stew, cream soup,” DiPo-
RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR
SANDERS-WEIR
Jumbo cheese pizza at Pompei.
Tomato cream gnochi at Pompei.
fi said. “It showcases that we are American too. We love our Italian heritage and our American culture.”
When they open, Pompei will serve beer, wine and a few pre-mixed cocktails. A party room will be available, starting a few weeks later. And true to the family-centric vibe, Davino is going to help a convenience store open next door, so that the community doesn’t lose that resource.
While you wait for the opening, you can fill up on Pompei at the Taste of Elmwood Park, Aug 7-10.
Know before you go:
Opening: September 2025
Website: pompeiusa.com
Address: 22 Conti Pkwy, Elmwood Park
RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR
Fresh greens at Pompei.
HOSKINS
You can relax knowing we care.
Receive $500 off sheltered care & memory care every month for 12 months.
Call us at 708-447-5092 to learn more about sheltered care and memory care at Caledonia Senior Living. CaledoniaSeniorLiving.org
Hopes to succeed Davis
from page 1
harm currently being done in Washington D.C.,” Hoskins told Growing Community Media on why he’s running for Congress. He mentions wanting to restore safety net programs and veteran benefits, maintain the Department ofEducation, plus protect social security, Medicaid and Medicare.
While Davis has advocated to support health care and education ef forts, both throughout his district and the country, Hoskins said Davis has also accomplished quite a bit in Hoskins’ own neighborhood.
“Congressman Davis has been a great re presentative for Forest Park. He’s helped us with infrastructure programs, so I’m going to continue in that tradition,” Hoskins said.
For example, this year, Davis submitted a project request to the Appropriations Committee for the Forest Park Water System Improvements Project. The $2 million request would help fund replacements to failing sections ofthe village’s water
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Omains, improving water quality and availability for residents. And when Forest Park discussed options for building new water reservoirs earlier this year, Village Administrator Rachell Entler said Forest Park could receive up to $15 million in funding to cover them and was meeting with Congressman Davis’ office to discuss how to access such finances.
Hoskins said, ifelected to the U.S. House, he would focus more on transportation, since the whole ofthe Eisenhower Expressway runs through the 7th congressional district, along with several CTA and Metra train lines. Hoskins has been a staunch advocate for the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act, filed with the Illinois House of Representatives last year, which would merge the CTA, Metra and Pace into one entity.
“Part of my work in advocating for transit governance reform and transit agency consolidation would factor into my work in Congress, if I were to serve,” Hoskins said, adding that he’d seek appointment to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
“I would also work on returning the fed-
See HOSKINS on pa ge 13
Generations Connect Through Film Screenings
n July 14th, the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association in Oak Park held a showing of the 1953 movie From Here to Eternity. This movie follows the lives of three soldiers and the people they meet in the months leading up to the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. This movie won 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and both Supporting Actor (Frank Sinatra) and Supporting Actress (Donna Reed). In 2002, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
In a demanding world like ours, leisure time becomes a luxury, and it’s easier to consume media alone through streaming services than to
watch something in a community (and if one goes to the theater, it’s usually to watch something contemporary).
For parents, their time is largely tied to the needs of their children, and what free time they have left is often tied to the desires of their children, in entertainment choices and otherwise.
In this world, leisure itself has largely become bound to the same clock that drives our obligations; if we’re not careful, leisure becomes something we must consume in tight windows prescribed by somebody else, a product that always finds us snacking
but never leaves us full. For the elderly, these conditions can leave them feeling the world is passing them by, and for younger generations, the long-term effects are just as debilitating.
It becomes all the more important, in this environment, for people of all ages to mindfully carve out some time for leisure that removes them from the strongest forces of contemporary culture, in both time and locale. For younger generations, this may mean spending time with the elderly watching a movie that, many decades ago, was once the
contemporary culture of their youth. For all ages, it may mean doing activities from outside American or Western culture. Mostly, it means purposefully spending time building connections, not just with those immediately around them, but with the world and across generations. Mindfully building these connections improves the lives of the elderly, the young, and everyone in between.
Join FirstLight Home Care for the classic film noir The Man with the Golden Arm starring Frank Sinatra on Monday, August 11th at 1:30pm at The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave #1, Oak Park, IL . This Oscarnominated film examines still relevant social issues through the lens of one man’s struggles. $5 suggested donation.
HOSKINS from page 12
eral government to a place that really works to combat and prevent extremism and violent extremism,” Hoskins said. “I think if state, local and federal governments work together, they can come up with ways to address the rise that we’ve seen in extremism and polarization.”
Hoskins and his family have lived in Forest Park since 1999. He has twice been elected to serve as a dele gate to the Democratic National Convention, meaning he cast a vote for the Democratic party’s presidential nominee.
In 2023, he was appointed to the Inter-Governmental Policy Advisory Committee that assists the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Before becoming mayor, Hoskins served as a Forest Park village commissioner from 2007 to 2015. He said the village of Forest Park has similar demog raphics to the 7th congressional district.
According to Data USA, in 2023, the 7th congressional district had over 737,000 residents with a median household income of more than $80,000 and a poverty rate of over 18%. The median age was 35 and about 41% of the district was Black, 30% white, nearly 9% Asian and 7% Hispanic. In 2023, Forest Park had about 14,000 residents with a median household income over $81,000 and a poverty rate of over 10%. With a median age of 40, about 53% of the population was white, nearly 25% Black, about 7% Asian and 6% Hispanic.
As Davis contemplates running for reelection, there’s the opportunity for someone who grew up in a different era to take his place. Hoskins is in his early 50s, and Davis is 83.
“There is a generational shift that is occurring,” Hoskins said. “I believe I have a broad set of relationships and experiences that would allow me to effectively engage and re present the entire district.”
With a potentially open seat in a highly Democratic district, the line is lengthening to run in the 7th district primary if Davis retires. So far, the list includes State Representative La Shawn Ford, Chicago attorney Jason Friedman, for mer Marine John McCombs, pastor Jerico J. Brown, and Richard Boykin — for mer member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners for the 1st district. Tekita Martinez and Danica David Leigh are also running as Democrats, and Emelia Rosie filed with no political party affiliation.
Marine turned stand-up comic launches campaign for Congress
Political unknown John McCombs is running to replace Danny Davis in the 7th District
By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter
John McCombs hasn’t spent much of any time around the political punchbowl — he’s been out on the road working on punchlines
McCombs, a Joliet native and Marine Corps veteran turned Chicago stand-up comedian, has filed to r un to re present Illinois’ 7th District in the U.S. House of Re presentatives. McCombs has never r un for any public of fice before, but he’s starting big r unning for a seat held by Re p. Danny Davis for three decades.
He also works as a sexual assault prevention educator for service members.
T he drive to r un came in the wake of President Donald Trump’s victory over Democrat Kamala Harris last November. Democrats at the federal level must do a better job at connecting with people and fighting the president’s agenda, McCombs said.
“I’m a communicator, a fighter, a leader, that’s what I’ve got to lean on,” he said.
T he Democrats need house re ps who are sharp and capable of communicating their message with all g enerations and walks of life Kind of li ke an experienced touring comedia n can, McCombs said.
JOHN4THEPEOPLE.COM
LINCOLNESQUE: Candidate McCombs poses with Honest Abe.
justice reform, universal healthcare via a Medicare for all model and raising the federal minimum wage to $20. T hese are policies that reflect problems that most Americans struggle with, he said.
McCombs knows that in part because his dentist bill joke gets the same laughs in red states and blue states
“You have to try and nd that common ground, you have to nd the humanity in people.”
JOHN MCCOMBS Stand-up comedian
“This is the mindset of every comedian, you have to walk into a room full of people and you have no idea what happened five minutes before you got there, you have no idea these people’s backgrounds and you have to try and make them laugh,” he said. “You have to try and find that common ground, you have to find the humanity in people.”
“When you do that, you find that we ag ree on 95% of stuf f, we g et so caught up on the 5% that we miss the 95%.”
McCombs’ campaign’s core issues include criminal
“The joke goes ‘I had a filling in my tooth f all out on tour and I didn’t know what I was going to do, everybody in Europe was like well why don’ t you see the public dentist,” he said. “I’m like, ‘what the f%#k is a public dentist?’ T hey’re like oh it’s a gover nment subsidized dentist that provides services to the public, you don’ t have this in the U.S.’ and I said ‘oh, no we just chew on the other side of our mouths until the GoFundMe kicks in.’”
In an ef fort to g et his message out, McCombs has been tr aveling the 7th District on foot from his Wicker Park home through Chicago’s South and West sides and the district’s suburban communities.
Wherever the campaign goes, he wants to make sure that it stays grounded in actively serving people as a candidate, and that he stays grounded in himself. He held to that goal with his recent launch party which was a comedy show benefiting Housing Forward, bringing in do z ens of donations of f the housing support agency’s wish list.
“If I have the ability to help people today, then let’s help them today,” he said.
RORY HOSKINS
FOREST THEATRE
A rare Shakespeare from page 1
Forest Theatre Company.
In addition to the obvious themes of friendship and love, the play explores the power structure of society and same-sex relationships.
As with previous Shakespeare in the Park productions, this one won’t use microphones or lights. Amos Gillespie is composing the play’s score, as he has for past performances.
But there are a few new elements to this year’s Shakespeare in the Park.
30-second intervals and had actors walk through it.
From there, the rehearsal process has been synergistic. In the first few table reads of the script, the actors said they discussed the characters’ possible motivations, and how they’re affected by the play’s setting.
“It’s very lovely to be in a room where somebody will say something and that sends me on this whole other train [of thought]” Kiselevach said.
“It’s really about the question of whether men and women can have relationships with each other that are just as strong as mar riage or relationships with someone of the opposite sex,” Corley said.
“We talked a lot about the queerness in the play and this idea of, back in the day when this was written, there was less of a stigma for men to be with other men if it didn’t impact their property rights,” said Nathaniel Kohlmeier, who plays Palamon.
Part of the reason Corley chose to put on “The Two Noble Kinsmen” for Shakespeare in the Park is because of how relevant the story remains today
“There’s no reason to do a play if it doesn’t speak to the moment,” Corley said. He added that he also picked it because it’s not a re gularly performed Shakespeare play. He said a self-proclaimed “Shakespeare completist” from England emailed him to say she’s flying in just to see the play, since she hasn’t yet. “I have not talked to a single person who’s seen it before.”
“Every year, I try to make the physical stage different, so the audience’s physical experience is different,” Corley said. While last year’s Shakespeare in the Park production of “Pericles” had a stage in an avenue setting, with an audience on both sides of it, this summer’s stage is in a thrust setting, extending out into the audience.
Most of the cast is also new this year, both to Shakespeare in the Park and Forest Theatre Company.
With a recent partnership with Madison Street Theater in Oak Park, Corley said he hopes to increase Shakespeare in the Park’s reach by bringing future productions to parks in other villages.
“As we expand our programming yearround, it’s really great that we’re having new actors and meeting new people,” he said.
Ac ting Shakespeare
The Forest Park Review sat down with the three leads of “The Two Noble Kinsmen” to hear about what they considered to be the most interesting and challenging parts of the play.
Sania Henry, who plays Emilia, said she’s eager to star in a Shakespeare play, since she won’t get the chance to while finishing up her undergraduate theater de gree at Northern Illinois University. Henry said she’s also excited to act as a love interest, as she hasn’t yet done any onstage romantic work in colle ge
“The desperation and the juggling Emilia has to go through, as well as her in herent indecisiveness and her being so open about that, is really appealing to me. As in decisive as women can be, I feel like society looks down upon women for being so,” Henry said. “But I think that the compassion presented when toggling between two choice only shows how much more human a person is, and so I’m really looking forward to bein able to display that for people.”
Other actors said they’ve been inspired by Forest Theatre Company’s production process.
Part of the reason Marck Kiselevach who plays Arcite and has a theater de gree from Wayne State University in Detroit — said he wanted to be in this play is because of what he calls a unique audition process, where Corley roughly staged the play in
“It’s very collaborative, which is really nice,” Kohlmeier said. He’s been doing theater since he was a child and says that some productions he’s star red in have been stricter. “It’s nice when a director is like, ‘We have an open stage. Let’s play, let’s try things.’”
“Every person’s piece in the story is affected by the other people in the room and welcomed for dissection by all. I think that gives every person in the room a richer understanding of where we want to go and what our foundation is,” Henry said. While her theater education has given her helpful groundwork into script and character analysis, Henry also has a background in social work and psychology. “I’m always thinking about people and what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. That is one of my favorite parts of this process,” Henry said. It’s a collaboration that Corley says is “one of the great joys of being a director.”
“When you can get this group of collaborators in the room and you, thank God, don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, you can really learn from people,”
Corley said. “The process is one of opening up your mind to all these people who can tell you much more, especially about the characters and the relationships, than you could possibly know.”
The actors say that among the most difficult parts was the text itself, how modern speech is different from that of Shakespeare’s time.
For Kiselevach, one of the harder parts of the production is “learning to give more respect to the text and to let the text work on me,” he said. “If I’m not careful or intentioned, what happens is I just lay a wash about specificity to be cognizant of, especially with Shakespeare, what the ving. Because if everything’s important, nothing’s important.”
ohlmeier said this is one of the meatier oles he’s had in a Shakespeare production.
“When you carry a certain amount of there’s an imporlarity and making sure, not only understanding what you’re feeling the right emotions ying those emotions as a characc, but also that you’re saying,” Kohlmeier said. He added that the actors are “really making sure that [they’re] hity points in [their] lines, especially lot within your lines that the audience has to understand.”
The actors also share what they hope the audience takes away from the play For Kohlmeier, the lesson is twofold. Partially, he wants viewers to notice the impact of
PHOTO PROVIDED
Marck Kiselevach
PHOTO PROVIDED
Sania Henr y
PHOTO PROVIDED
Nathaniel Kohlmeier
war and imprisonment on a community.
“Especially with everything happening right now, audiences should see an analog of the broad, sweeping consequences that happen when your country or nation chooses to go to war. Who benefits from that and who loses?” Kohlmeier said. He added that another lesson is not to take anything for granted. “Sometimes we let responsibilities, societal expectations, maybe even a vision that we have of ourselves, get in the way of love, relationships, and important things,” Kohlmeier said.
Henry has a similar takeaway, that there is love in all kinds of places.
“It can still grow in spaces in which it may not be expected or in spaces in which there are obstacles preventing it from being shown,” Henry said. She added that the actors are “able to depict love re gardless of the words coming out of our mouths because it’s written in the entirety of the story. I feel like it’ll lay warmly upon our audience members.”
Henry said that she hopes the audience takes away how to express love to their friends, neighbors and partners in the way they did in the time Shakespeare lived.
“Now we’re taught to bottle things up or [that love] has to look a certain way,”
Henry said. “But if we allowed ourselves to be as dramatic as the Noble Kinsmen, I think we would reco gnize love in our lives so much more frequently, often hiding in little corners.”
OUR VIEW
Opportunity on Harlem
Congratulations to Bern Realty. It is the longtime and family-owned development company that owns the commercial corner of Harlem and Circle.
That’s right, the old CVS store.
They’ve done a good job resurrecting the big box that was CVS and now attracting three new businesses to the site. A cannabis dispensary is already open, as is a veterinarian. Rounding out the trio is a wellness venture that features an infrared sauna and cold plunge therapy.
The property owner has also spruced up the Dunkin’ on the corner and remade the parking lot this time with some decent landscaping and a reasonably handsome sign board.
All good.
But it does put us in mind of the possibilities missed, and still being missed, on the stretch of Harlem from north of the Baptist church all the way to the Green Line. At one point Forest Park had ambitions to redevelop this strip of high-octane Harlem auto traffic into some mix of new commercial and apar tment housing. More sales tax, more property tax, a small population boost and some minor upgrade from the ugliness of the old Long John Silvers-turned-Mr. Beef turned into whatever exactly is still trying to open in that newly groovy building. An upgrade from the old Sizzler Steakhouse-turned-Blockbuster turned into just another physical therapy joint with way too much parking.
The worthy daydream also included something better than an Osco-tur ned-CVS and a car re pair shop.
We know these things are complex, require just the right economic conditions and a developer willing to take some risk. But they always require a village government with a vision for growth in the right places. And Forest Park has few locations riper for development than this stretch of Harlem. Major auto traffic, adjacent to the Green Line and Metra. And one could always stop in for some cold plunge therapy on your way to the Loop.
The physical therapy parcel is still a candidate for redevelopment. And Original Pretty Thing, the pot-infused bakery/restaurant, likely becomes more available every month the state health department prevents it from opening. It needs leadership.
Where will that come from?
OPINION
The magic of nally growing up
While Tom Holmes continues to convalesce, we are re printing one of John Rice’s golden oldies from August of 2023.
Last Monday was magical. I had an emotional breakthrough. It surprised me like the waves of joy I experienced in Ireland. My self-image improved in an instant and I’ve been enjoying the benefits ever since.
The magic began in the morning. Mondays are my deadline day and I had to write a feature story and come up with a column. Normally, I would feel the pressure of the “dreadline,” but I thought to myself: Why should I feel stressed out? I love writing and spent the whole day playing with words, while listening to classical music.
shake.
I’ve tried shaking other people out of their ne gative self-image. I told an employee, “You’re the only person in the world who doesn’t know how great you are.” My words didn’t immediately help. She continued to set impossibly high standards and feel bad about not achieving them.
It helped me, though, when I received encouraging words from readers. Most columnists get little feedback. Writing is a solitary exercise and we don’t know if anyone is reading it. When someone would tell me they read my column, my standard re ply was, “That makes two of us.”
When I was finished, I was pleased with the two pieces. I also barely made the deadline for the St. Ignatius Alumni Newsletter. I submitted an article about my classmate, Mike Brady, being inducted into the 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame. It would run the next day.
That evening, I was reflecting on the trifecta of articles I submitted and suddenly I was filled with a sense of well-being. I was in such a good mood when I went to bed that I couldn’t fall aslee p. That had never happened to me before. Insomnia caused by happiness. For the first time, I had a positive self-image Later, I consulted the ultimate authority about everything — my phone — and lear ned we form our self-image around the age of 5. That was a particularly bad year for me, getting expelled from Kindergarten. Plus, I was one of the few Irish Catholics who developed a poor self-image from my treatment at home, at school and in church.
Many of us grew up in chaotic families, were educated by ne gative critical teachers and shamed by priests. As a result, I always felt bad, re gardless of what I accomplished. This did not match reality but it’s a tough feeling to
That was no longer funny when the pandemic hit. Like everyone else, my life was in disarray. At the newspaper, we felt disconnected from our colleagues and it was impossible to interview people in person. Then, during the depths of the plague, I met a masked woman at Ed’s Way. She told me I was respected in the community and should keep writing despite the pandemic.
I’ve been living of f her words ever since. I also received positive feedback from others. I even welcomed ne gative feedback. It showed me that someone cared enough to read the column and made the ef fort to respond to it.
Living in the close-knit community of Forest Park also helped. I cannot believe how many community-building events we have here. Gatherings that are fun and life-affirming. It’s great for connecting with neighbors and making new friends.
When I finally woke up on Tuesday, the euphoria was gone but the new self-image remained. When adversity came, in the form of ne gative or toxic people, I was much better at handling it. I shared the news about my emotional breakthrough with my wife.
She was happy that after all these years my 5-year-old finally grew up
A LOOK BACK IN TIME
Summer fun in Harlem in 1899
The Harlem Post was a local weekly newspaper printed in Ge rman for the local German population. Its first edition was published on Sept. 12, 1895. The paper’s July 1, 1899 edition contained the following ne ws about ev ents happening in Harlem:
On July 10, the Harlem Männerchor (men’s choir) had arranged an excursion to and picnic at the beautiful Pottowattomie Park, which was blessed by wonderful weather. It was so well attended that baskets in the entire town of Harlem were sold out.
The Harlem Turnverein (g ymnastics club) was planning their annual picnic for Sunday, July 30 at Gaden’s Grove. The cover charge was 25 cents. In addition, they of fered a free membership through Sept. 1 to all men “of good standing.”
And John Ackermann, proprietor, advertised an outdoor concert at his summer garden as follows:
“PAY ATTENTION! On Sund ay, July 16, a big Garden Concert along with dancing for your pleasure will take place at John Ackermann’s Summer Garden at 2 PM. Admission free!”
Translated by Uli Leib
OB ITUAR Y
Annie Harnett, 95 Nurse with Medical Missionaries of Mary
Annie Harnett (née Healy), 95, of River Forest, died on July 17, 2025. Born in Killacloran, Aughrim, County Wicklow, Ireland, on Jan. 13, 1930. Annie was a Re gistered Nurse who worked in Ireland, the U.S., and with the Medical Missionaries of Mary in Nigeria . She was the wife of the late Timothy for 51 years; the mother of Kevin Patrick (Maureen) and Helen Marie; Nana to Corina Ann and Michael Kevin; and the aunt of 31 in Ireland and England.
Family and friends will meet on Saturday Aug. 2, 2025 at St. Luke Catholic Church, 7600 W. Lake St., River Forest, where a visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., followed by Mass at 11 a.m., with interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to the IrishAmerican Heritage Center (irish-american.org) or the Medical Missionaries of Mary (mmmworldwide.org) are appreciated.
Arrangements were handled by Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home in Forest Park
Interim
Executive Director Max Reinsdorf Sta Repor ter Jessica Mordacq
Senior Audience Manager Stacy Coleman
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
Marketing & Adver tising Associate Emma Cullnan
Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan
Circulation Manager Jill Wagner
Operations Associate Susan Babin
Special Projects 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
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)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of School District No. 91, in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, the tentative budget for said School District for the Fiscal Year 2026 will be available for public inspection at the District Office, 424 DesPlaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, after 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. Notice is hereby given that a public hearing on said budget will be held at 6:30 p.m. on the 11th day of September, 2025, at Grant-White School, 147 Circle Avenue, Forest Park, in this School District No. 91.
Dated this 30tht day of July, 2025 Board of Education School District No. 91 County of Cook State of Illinois
Monica Angelo Secretary
Published in Forest Park Review June 30, 2025
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE FOR SOUNDVIEW HOME LOAN TRUST 2005-OPT4, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-OPT4 Plaintiff, -v.CHARLES E. SILMON, CASSANDRA SILMON, DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE OF HSI ASSET SECURITIZATION CORPORATION TRUST 2006-OPT2, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OPT2, STATE OF ILLINOIS - DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendants 2020CH05803 529 49TH AVE BELLWOOD, IL 60104
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 16, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 20, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 529 49TH AVE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104
Property Index No. 15-08-408-0510000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100
BURR RIDGE IL, 60527
630-794-5300
E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com
Attorney File No. 14-20-05247
Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762
Case Number: 2020CH05803
TJSC#: 45-1755
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 # 2020CH05803 I3270109
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC., Plaintiff, -v.-
AMALEK V. SMITH; FELICIA SMITH; ADMINISTRATOR OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, AN AGENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; Defendants. 2024CH00915 915 Ferdinand Ave., Forest Park, IL 60130
NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 2/4/2025, an agent of Auction.com, LLC will conduct the auction in person at 12:00 PM on August 20, 2025 located at 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60602, and will sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate. Commonly known as 915 Ferdinand Ave., Forest Park, IL 60130
Property Index No. 15-13-408-0240000
The real estate is improved with a Single Family Residence. The judgment amount was $236,725.20 Sale Terms: 20% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to Auction.com, LLC, No third party checks will be accepted. All registered bidders need to provide a photo ID in order to bid. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. (relief fee not required)
The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a certificate of sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property, prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9 (g)(l) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701 (C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: Diaz Anselmo & Associates,
LLC (630) 453-6960 please refer to file number 6706-196067.
Auction.com, LLC 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60602 - 872225-4985 You can also visit www. auction.com.
Attorney File No. 6706-196067 Case Number: 2024CH00915
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. I3269944
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
CITIMORTGAGE, INC. Plaintiff, -v.-
FELICIA DEGRAFFENREID, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, ILLINOIS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Defendants 20 CH 01174
1540 N. ROHDE AVE. BERKELEY, IL 60163
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 6, 2023 and amended on June 12, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 11, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1540 N. ROHDE AVE., BERKELEY, IL 60163
Property Index No. 15-08-113-0500000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $137,055.10.
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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.
The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1).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 HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 601 E. William St., DECATUR, IL, 62523 (217) 422-1719. Please refer to file number 403024. 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. HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC 601 E. William St. DECATUR IL, 62523 217-422-1719
Fax #: 217-422-1754
E-Mail: CookPleadings@hsbattys. com
Attorney File No. 403024
Attorney Code. 40387
Case Number: 20 CH 01174
TJSC#: 45-1639
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. I3269617
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE, FOR THE FBR SECURITIZATION TRUST 2005-2 CALLABLE MORTGAGE-BACKED NOTES, SERIES 2005-2, Plaintiff, -v.-
THOMAS QUINN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ESSIE L GEE, DECEASED; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS; AL JAMES GEE; MIESHA GEE; ALBERT J GEE A/K/A RICO GEE; JOYCE A JACKSON; BIRDIE MAY WILLIAMS; ELAINE GEE MORGAN A/K/A ELIZABETH E MORGAN; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF ESSIE L GEE, Defendants. 2022CH08893 2001 South 11th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on 5/30/2025, an agent of Auction. com, LLC will conduct the auction in person at 12:00 PM on September 3, 2025 located at 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400, Chicago, IL 60602, and will sell at public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate.
Commonly known as 2001 South 11th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-15-422001-0000
The real estate is improved with a Single Family Residence. The judgment amount was $166,637.11 Sale Terms: 20% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to Auction. com, LLC, No third party checks will be accepted. All registered bidders need to provide a photo ID in order to bid. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. (relief fee not required) The subject property is subject to general real
estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a certificate of sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property, prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by the Condominium property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9 (g)(l) and (g)(4).
If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by the Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701 (C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.
For information, contact Plaintiffs attorney: McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC (312) 346-9088 please refer to file number 20-03640IL. Auction.com, LLC 100 N LaSalle St., Suite 1400 Chicago, IL 60602 - 872-225-4985 You can also visit www.auction.com.
Attorney File No. 20-03640IL Case Number: 2022CH08893 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.
I3270557
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR RCAF ACQUISITION TRUST Plaintiff, -v.-
SANDRA MATTHEWS, STATE OF ILLINOIS - DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF CLEO MATTHEWS, SHAKIRA JADE MATTHEWS, KIMBERLY JOYCE MATTHEWS, NICOLE DENISE ROSS A/K/A NICOLE MATTHEWS, DIAMANTE DAVIS, DESTINY DAVIS, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS, JOHN LYDON, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CLEO MATTHEWS (DECEASED), PARADISE MARIE MATTHEWS Defendants 2024CH05104 1831 S 8TH AVE
MAYWOOD, IL 60153
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 28, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 27, 2025, at The Judi-
cial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1831 S 8TH AVE, MAYWOOD, IL 60153
Property Index No. 15-14-301008-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300
E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com
Attorney File No. 14-24-02921
Attorney ARDC No. 00468002
Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2024CH05104
TJSC#: 45-1852
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 # 2024CH05104
I3270508
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND
SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF CSMC
2020-RPL4 TRUST
Plaintiff,
-v.-
JOHN P. BAJKOWSKI, POINT TITLING TRUST, A DELAWARE STATUTORY TRUST
Defendants
2024 CH 03887
1509 MORRIS AVENUE
BERKELEY, IL 60163
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-
EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on May 27, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 28, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1509 MORRIS AVENUE, BERKELEY, IL 60163
Property Index No. 15-08-113031-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $128,701.97.
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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.
The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition.
The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.
Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE
(708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY
RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(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 CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 6400 SHAFER CT, STE 325, ROSEMONT, IL, 60018 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 24-199534. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION
One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
CHAD LEWIS ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC
6400 SHAFER CT, STE 325 ROSEMONT IL, 60018
561-241-6901
E-Mail: ILMAIL@RASLG.COM
Attorney File No. 24-199534
Attorney ARDC No. 6306439
Attorney Code. 65582
Case Number: 2024 CH 03887
TJSC#: 45-1412
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 # 2024 CH 03887 I3270435
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
FEDERAL HOME LOAN MORTGAGE CORPORATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR FREDDIE MAC SEASONED CREDIT RISK TRANSFER TRUST, SERIES 2017-2, AS OWNER OF THE RELATED MORTGAGE LOAN
Plaintiff vs. FRANKLIN D. HEPBURN, KINA
LOVING Defendant 24 CH 6623
CALENDAR 57 NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on September 3, 2025, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-08-221-023-0000. Commonly known as 241 48TH AVE., BELLWOOD, IL 60104. The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10%
down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 2401903
