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ForestParkReview.com Vol. 109, No. 31

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F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW

McAdam Landscaping head is retiring PAGE 3

AUGUST 5, 2026

Forest Park police help ICE agent hide from ‘stalking’

209 Scholarship awarded for 10th year

Watchdogs say police department violated Illinois Trust Act

Nine recent graduates were newly awarded; 21 students renewed

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

On July 30, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer entered Forest Park’s Village Hall just before 10:30 a.m. He asked for help from someone allegedly stalking him — shown in a video that Sam Luhmann took of the man. The video shows village staff letting the man into the Forest Park Police Department to reportedly use the bathroom, then someone coming out of the police department to reportedly move the ICE agent’s car from the parking lot at 517 Des Plaines Ave. “We record these agents to hold them accountable, as they constantly operate illegally and hurt our community members. There must be consequences for their actions,” Ben Luhmann, Sam’s brother, told the Review.

The West Chicago siblings have documented ICE activity since September, when many federal agents were deployed to cities across the country. In this case, See ICE on page 12

By EMMA BRADFORD Intern Reporter

SCREENSHOT FROM VIDEO BY SAM LUHMANN

On July 31, 209 Scholarship invited this year’s recipients, renewal scholars and their family members for its annual awards ceremony; this year marks 10 years. Held in the Fred Hampton Social Justice Room at Proviso East High School, the event was accompanied by light jazz and a catered dinner.

Throughout the ceremony, everyone who was awarded a scholarship had the opportunity to share their educational aspirations and goals. The major theme of the night was that the road ahead won’t be easy, but the reward of continuing higher education is worth it in the end.

“Tonight is especially meaningful because we are celebrating 10 years of investing in dreams, education and futures [of] District 209 students,” said Eileen Olivier, president of 209 Scholarship.

Three recent graduates from each of the Pro-

An ICE agent covers his face inside Village Hall while asking the Forest Park Police Department for help.

See SCHOLARSHIP on page 4

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

A look back in time: High-tech shopping carts

Tom Holmes: Tattoo artist’s American Dream

Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

PAGE 15

PAGE 14

IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 THIS ISSUE Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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McAdam Landscaping co-founder retires

Scott McAdam created the company with his brother, Rob; 47 years later, their family will continue running it

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

After 47 years of growing McAdam Landscaping with his brother, Rob, Scott McAdam retired in July.

Though McAdam, 68, is still primary owner of the company and is keeping up with his landscape architecture license so he can still help out with some design plans at 2001 Des Plaines Ave., his son Scott McAdam Jr. took over as company president two years ago.

Rob McAdam will continue working at McAdam Landscaping, and his daughter, Jen, is general manager.

“We’ve got young, energetic people and fresh ideas,” Scott McAdam told the Review.

“Things change and that change is good, but the fundamentals of how we started, I believe, will never change. It was family-driven.

The first thing we thought about was we didn’t want to be exclusive.”

McAdam Landscaping has installation, maintenance and snow divisions. And though they’ve completed $10,000 projects, “If someone says they have a project for $700, which would be very small for us, or they say ‘I want one tree,’ we’re happy to come put one tree in,” McAdam said. “We’ll have people walk in here with a branch or a leaf and ask a question.”

What started in 1979 out of Rob and Scott’s parents’ basement in River Forest moved to a small office at 218 Lake St. in Oak Park the following year, then to 7313 Franklin St. in Forest Park in 1983.

“After we purchased it, we thought, ‘We will never need any more space.’ We have 6,500 feet in the warehouse. We have 15,000 feet outside,” McAdam said. But the brothers soon outgrew the Franklin Street office and bought a lot across the street, then tore down a neighboring house to build another parking lot.

“In 2001, we knew we couldn’t stay there any longer,” McAdam said, as the company outgrew its Franklin Street space. “We talked to [then-Mayor] Tony Calderone. I said, ‘I’d like to stay in Forest Park, but I need bigger

TIM LAPPE

Scott McAdam, center, with his family. space.’”

Calderone put the McAdams in touch with Woodlawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park, which sold the landscaping company four acres at its current location on Des Plaines Avenue.

Woodlawn was using the land to store the dirt and rocks leftover after digging burial plots — and the McAdams had to clear out 30,000 yards of those grave spoils. McAdam said he knew someone who worked for the Chicago Park District, which had just torn out tennis courts near Garfield Park Conservatory and was looking for 30,000 yards of dirt to fill it in. So the park district took the grave spoils, allowing McAdam Landscaping the use of all four acres.

McAdam Landscaping moved from Oak Park to Franklin Street in Forest Park, then Des Plaines Avenue, to accommodate their demand for larger commercial maintenance projects.

“We have much more equipment, so we can do much larger facilities,” McAdam said.

Though they couldn’t when they started, McAdam Landscaping now snowplows the Forest Park Plaza on Roosevelt and Cermak

Plaza at Harlem and Cermak.

The team has also grown to include more management positions, like staff in charge of maintenance, construction and design teams.

“I think our biggest success is the length of time we have employees in this business.

Our very first employee that we hired in 1979 is employed with us today,” McAdam said. He added that, in retirement, he’ll miss his staff and helping them grow. He specifically mentions an employee who now runs the yard outside and didn’t have a license when he was first hired.

“We helped him get a car loan. Now his credit’s good. …Forget the business, that’s successful, changing someone’s life for the better,” McAdam said. “That’s what I’m going to miss.”

Growing business McAdam started his landscaping career in middle school, when he made $7 from cutting his first lawn for his neighbor, Helen.

After a year or two of borrowing his dad’s

lawnmower — an exchange where McAdam had to cut his own family’s yard and stopped getting an allowance because he had a job — McAdam went to Dressel’s Hardware in Oak Park, where he got his own account and, a year later, bought his own lawnmower.

McAdam cut grass through college, when he had 40 clients over the summer. He went to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s school of agriculture, where he got a degree in ornamental horticulture.

“I came out of my senior year thinking it might not be a bad idea to start a business,” McAdam said. His older brother, Rob, was in the insurance industry, and their father suggested he join McAdam in launching their own company.

McAdam Landscaping didn’t make any money in the first three years of business “because every nickel was going back into getting it going,” McAdam said.

Before his dad died at age 69, McAdam said, “He was a driving force for me to keep doing this. He taught me long, long ago that nothSee MCADAM on page 8

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

SCHOLARSHIPS A decade of donors from page 1 viso flagships were awarded $1,000 each. The 21 renewal scholars had $10,500 in awards distributed amongst them.

“To our scholars, I just like to say tonight is about you,” Olivier said. “It’s about your hard work. It’s about your perseverance. It’s about your courage, your determination to what brought you to this moment.”

2026 scholarship recipients: Proviso Mathematics & Science Academy • Diane Arroyo - University of Michigan - Ann Arbor for Chemistry • Yesenia Calzada - Dominican University for Biology • William Womack II - DePaul University for Business Proviso East High School • Nya Postley - Southern University and A&M College for Elementary Education • Essence Neal - Northern Illinois University for Nursing • Danielle Espinoza - Triton College for Dental Hygiene Proviso West High School • Naima Turner - Alabama State University for Biology (Pre-Health) • Alexa Sibrava - University of Texas at Arlington for Nursing

•

Rafael Martinez - US Army, Studying Technical Power Generation/Electrician

Martinez was the first Proviso scholar studying a trade to be awarded the 209 Scholarship. He will be in the military for three years before pursuing a career as an electrician, according to his mother, who accepted his award in his place.

“Thank you to everyone who’s currently out in the military,” she said.

2026 renewals recognized at the ceremony: Marelin Arteaga (2025) Amya Branch (2023) Da’Miah Carter (2025) Antonio Gasse (2025) Camari Ingram (2024) Jerry Johnson (2025) Micalea Jones (2025) Daniel Moraga (2025) Shanice Nichols (2022) Maeve Schoo (2025) Cristobal Soto (2021) Favian Soto (2023)

EMMA BRADFORD

New awardees, renewal scholars and 209 Scholarship board members show off their check in the Fred Hampton Social Justice Room at Proviso East High School.

“The scholarships they provided for our students speak for themselves,” Randall McFarland, the master of ceremonies, told the Review before the presentations. “These are brilliant, brilliant human beings, and we’re looking forward to them going out and doing great things in the world.”

When looking to the community for allies, 209 Scholarship is one of the greatest,

EMMA BRADFORD

Eileen Olivier, president of 209 Scholarship, gives opening remarks for this year’s award ceremony.

McFarland, who is also the president of the community group Best of Proviso Township, said 209 Scholarship is one of the greatest when it comes to their students and families’ participation in the community.

“It’s very important that they understand that we have their back, no matter where they are at. They can always call us, and we’ll be there for them,” McFarland said.

Dulce Rivera, a 2022 scholarship recipient who recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in recreation, sport and tourism management, was asked to give a scholar recognition at the ceremony. She provided the new recipients with knowledge and encouragement to keep advancing their education.

“It’s definitely been a great extra resource to have,” Rivera told the Review before the ceremony. Knowing you have something to rely on within a community has been a great resource, she added.

While Rivera was offered a full ride at U of I, expenses like food and groceries were still something she needed to worry about.

Even with the relief of not having to pay for attendance, “every little penny counts with this scholarship, especially after renewing it time after time,” she said. “Those small expenses do add up as time goes on, and not everything is as cheap as you want it to be.”

When asked what advice she has for anyone who is thinking about applying for this scholarship, Rivera said, “Just do it.”

“Even if it seems like it’s a really big risk, do it,” Rivera said. “You never know what’ll come out of it, whether that is good or bad –

and something always leads to something.”

In her speech, Rivera talked about how her initial path to a degree looked a lot different than what ended up happening.

“When I tell you it did not go that way, it surely did not, which is completely normal and totally OK,” she said in her speech.

The majority of the renewal scholars who were recognized shared the same sentiment.

Many of them thought they knew what their higher-education experience would be like before starting; however, that is not how it turned out.

But they all persevered through the challenges they faced, with the help of the 209 Scholarship.

“One of the themes of this evening: a lot of people talked about the road is not always easy,” said Ken Snyder, Vice President of 209 Scholarship. “Things are not always easy, but we have opened ourselves to succeed, and that’s really the story of 209 Scholarship.

We’ve been here for 10 years, which is pretty incredible. Every dime that we raise for these scholarships for the last 10 years comes from this community.”

Over the last decade, 209 Scholarship has awarded 96 Proviso Township High Schools District 209 students.

“Whether you’re continuing your education at a college or university, pursuing vocational training or preparing to serve our country, we want you to know that your community believes in you,” Olivier said.

Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

5

Feds make Medicaid harder, so local nonprofits jump in More paperwork, more often will impact those at greatest risk

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

sage from the federal government, repeal the benefits low-income people should be entitled to,” Schueler said, “then adding the extra layer of having to reapply.

“They want to kick people off by creating this additional layer of administrative burden, so there is a level of savings that comes out of this.”

ed newsletters and direct “You miss a piece of mail outreach to senior-centric or lose a piece of mail bebuildings and events to help cause you lost your housthat population understand ing,” she said. “You have the coming changes and to no way of getting access to pay attention to their mail. that mail. The burden and Ojeda is also a member of hardship this is going to the Rush Oak Park Commucause for people who are nity Engagement Council, unhoused is going to wreak which is working with many havoc on our population beMarkedly more paperwork cause of having to refile and partners, including Thrive, to plan Medicaid redetermiFor Jennie Hull, CEO of Oak Park’s Be- that missed first or second LYNDA SCHUELER nation events this fall. yond Hunger, the changes are eerily simi- follow up.

“If you miss that notifica“Any resident, really, they lar to those of Supplemental Nutrition to check their mail regularly,” she need tion or an email or what have you, you’re Assistance Program (SNAP) said.

“Just make sure they have read every going to lose your benefits if benefits through the U.S. Deyou’re not submitting your notification thoroughly and if they don’t partment of Agriculture. understand, go to a place that you can get paperwork in a timely way.”

As of May 1, any ablehelp, at the township or someplace else.”

Schueler said Housing bodied adult without depenSchueler said Housing Forward’s case Forward is taking steps dents had to start logging 80 right now to help mitigate managers can help, but she also pointed to hours of work per month, or the Cook County’s GetMedicaidFacts.com that eventuality for many. they would lose their SNAP and ABEIllinois.com, the state’s website “We’re preparing our case benefits. SNAP is a program where one can apply for benefits. Beyond managers,” she said.

“We that is designed to work are updating our own case Hunger has dedicated a page on its website with food pantries like Bemanagement system to be as well. yond Hunger.

“Our population is experiencing housing able to put reminders in for Every six months, resiinsecurity and the last thing on their mind our clients so then we can JENNIE HULL dents on SNAP must renew anticipate when a client is is gathering paperwork and they don’t their benefits by reporting up for renewal so we can have a mailing address,” she said. their working status. help them get that filed in a timely way.”

“It’s the same people getting hit again,”

Bureaucratic changes built into the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act will, starting in January, make it harder for people to keep their Medicaid coverage in tact. Local nonprofits working with clients with mental health issues, housing and food insecurity are busy now to keep marginalized neighbors covered.

The Medicaid changes will place more onus on local residents to demonstrate they are meeting new requirements and will create more paperwork to process, not only for the state but organizations like Oak Park’s Thrive Counseling Center.

“We’re preparing and anticipating what’s to come,” said Jenni Rook, Thrive’s president, noting that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a subset of Medicaid, is going to require a six-month renewal, not annual as in the past.

“It’s twice as frequent as before, which unfortunately allows an opportunity for Hull said of the Medicaid greater loss of coverage,” changes. “I think there are added Rook’s colleague, people who are still reelTyler Alvarez, Thrive’s asing from SNAP. Some people sistant director of referrals give up on these benefits proand coordination. grams. I can see that locally “With the changes for happening.”

2027, there is a subset in the Alvarez said that MedicMedicaid population that is aid’s ACA expansion plan has being impacted,” Alvarez that 80-hour monthly work said. That’s those who berequirement, which could incame eligible for Medicaid clude a combination of school under the ACA, also known enrollment or volunteering. as the “ACA expansion JENNI ROOK Someone with a chronic illplan.” ness or a mental health im“For those clients there will be additional items that will be re- pairment would hypothetically be exempt quired to provide that eligibility piece,” but must be able to prove that they qualify Alvarez said. for an exemption, which would include a docThat’s the whole point of the changes tor’s diagnosis, for example. that were part of the One Big Beautiful Bill That means more paperwork and legAct that became law last year, according to work, which is a major burden for those Lynda Schueler, CEO of Housing Forward. whose health is compromised.

“That seems to be the undergirding mesOr, Schueler said, are housing insecure.

Communications crucial Thrive’s Rook said a major issue is people who don’t realize they have Medicaid.

“They have a plan that says Blue Cross Blue Shield and they don’t realize it’s a Blue Cross Blue Shield community plan, which is a Medicaid managed care plan,” she said.

“There’s all this education that needs to happen … what insurance (do) they have, and what are they going to have to do.”

To that end, Thrive is distributing flyers in waiting rooms and lobbies, using social media and other communications levers to let people know the reality of the situation.

Rook credited Oak Park Township and its communications strategy to get the word out in the community. Mary Anne Ojeda, the township’s assistant director for senior and disability services, said it is using its website and social media accounts to that end, along with e-newsletters and print-

Changes galvanizing community Rook said that Medicaid is Thrive’s biggest source of funding, “so there is a lot of risk to Thrive if people lose their healthcare.” That’s why her organization is placing even greater emphasis on their population.

“We’re not just going to discharge them from services because they no longer have Medicaid,” she said. “We’re going to dramatically reduce the sliding-scale fees in January, the same time this rolls out, because we want to be able to continue their coverage.” That, she said, will likely involve more fundraising and philanthropy.

Ojeda said the changes are in a way galvanizing community services to help its most vulnerable.

“I would say yes, we’re working really closely together to help educate people to get the assistance they need,” she said. “It takes a village to navigate.”

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

For Chris Welch, is past prologue?

would close for good on Sept. in bonds to purchase Facing ethical questions, 27,Kiddieland 2009, and be demolished in 2010 to make and renovate a vathe new Costco. cant medical office house speaker has history wayTheforCostco has been an unqualified suc- building in Forest cess. Nearly 17 years later, the former golf Park as the new Proin Proviso driving range to the west remains a fallow viso Math and Sci-

By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter

On Nov. 12, 2001, young Hillside attorney Emanuel “Chris” Welch was sworn in as a new member of the Proviso District 209 high school board.

The week before, the D209 board had signed an agreement to purchase a 9-acre parcel of open land in Melrose Park for $2.8 million, with plans to build a magnet high school on the site.

Following the new board’s organizational meeting, Welch and another newly elected board member joined two sitting board members in voting Mike Manzo out as D209 board president and installing Teresa Kelly as president and Welch as vice president.

The new board then voted to fire D209 lawyer Stanley Kusper and replace him with attorney Burt Odelson’s firm, Odelson and Sterk.

It then voted to void the prior board’s agreement to buy the 9-acre property, a golf driving range on 5th Avenue, immediately west of the Kiddieland Amusement Park.

Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, a mentor and key Welch political supporter, had adamantly opposed a school on the property.

“Whatever we have to do on the village level, we’re not going to let this happen,” Serpico said in an October 2001 news article. “We’re not going to let them rob the village of Melrose Park of a valuable piece of property.”

In a 2011 interview, Manzo, a staunch political opponent of Serpico, said that Welch opposed the magnet school in Melrose Park because Serpico didn’t want it interfering with plans for a Costco store that was eventually built nearby.

The motion to rescind the purchase agreement was voted on despite being placed on the agenda as “new business,” which Manzo angrily pointed out could not, under Illinois law, be acted upon at the same meeting at which it was introduced.

Welch brushed aside that inconvenient fact, saying, “You cannot take away the power of the majority.”

field, fronted by a decaying building along 5th Avenue.

The issue of a magnet school open to district students who met high academic testing standards would roil Proviso Township politics over the next several years, with Welch in the middle of it all.

In June 2001, D209 had released poll results from McKeon & Associates showing a majority of the 600 respondents – 61% – deemed a magnet school “a necessary step” for the district, with another 28% agreeing a magnet school was “very necessary.”

Almost 9 out of 10 people thought a magnet school was necessary or very necessary, and 80% said they believed it would enrich the learning experience throughout the district.

That July Welch opined that while the magnet school concept was a good idea, building a separate school building “is not a wise decision at this time.”

“Do the majority of the voters in Proviso Township support building a magnet school?” Welch asked rhetorically in a letter to the editor. He noted that Melrose Park voters had rejected a third high school by a 2-1 margin in November 2000, and Maywood voters said the same in April 2001, by the same margin.

“We also know that only 28% of the respondents in Mike Manzo’s poll say that a magnet school is very necessary,” Welch said, conveniently ignoring the other 61% who stated they believed a magnet school was “necessary.”

Manzo said the price tag for both the land acquisition and a newly constructed school would have been “about $18 million.” He said those figures were far more certain than renovating an existing building.

“With a new building, the costs are pretty predictable. There’s few surprises,” Manzo said. “With renovation of an old building, there are all sorts of surprises.

$18 million to $50 million Eighteen months after scuttling the purchase of the Melrose Park property, Welch, now board president, pivoted 180 degrees and led the charge for issuing $40 million

ence Academy.

The D209 board passed a resolution approving a $40 million bond issue to purchase the building at Roosevelt Road and First Avenue.

Opponents mounted a referendum campaign and gathered more than 7,500 signatures to place the issue before Proviso township vot- Chris Welch ers. Welch fought the referendum, arguing that it would cause a delay in the purchase of the building and effectively kill the purchase contract.

In December 2003, the D209 electoral board, chaired by Welch, threw out 3,000 of the 7,500 signatures. Some signers, Welch ruled, were not registered voters, other signatures were ruled forgeries, and several hundred were rejected due to “invalid notary signatures.”

That left bond issue opponents 2,000 signatures short of qualifying for the ballot.

Welch accused the leaders of the referendum drive of sour grapes and contended Manzo and others “would like to be back in office and have their friends and cronies build this school.”

Instead, Welch and his allies purchased and renovated the former Loyola Medicine office building. Along the way there were, as Manzo had predicted, numerous additional costs, which added up to millions of additional public dollars spent.

In September 2005 the new Proviso Math and Science Academy, at least $10 million over its initial $40 million budget, opened its doors to 126 freshman students.

Welch had also done Serpico’s bidding when, in 2004, a federal civil jury found Serpico liable for $1 million in punitive damages and the D209 board liable for $140,000 in the firing of D209 janitor Gino Trombetta. He sued after being terminated, claiming it was the result of his political opposition to Serpico.

The school district had absolutely no le-

FILE PHOTO

gal obligation to pay Serpico’s settlement, since he was neither an elected D209 official nor an employee. But Welch forced through a $1 million taxpayer-funded payment for his political patron.

‘That’s my recollection’ In August 2005, a local blogger and newspaper columnist, Carl Nyberg, posted that Welch’s brother, Billy Welch, had been arrested with a drug dealer and then was indicted.

Welch filed a lawsuit against Nyberg, alleging defamation, accusing Nyberg of “insinuation and conjecture and guilt-by association type tactics.”

A 2006 deposition documented how Chris Welch handled his brother’s criminal arraignment. Welch’s testimony raises questions, depending on how one reads the deposition, about either his legal competence or his honesty. “(Billy) Welch had never been indicted for the crime of drug dealing and had Nyberg checked the accuracy of his statements, this information would have been readily discoverable,” Welch’s lawsuit argued. “… my brother is not a hoodlum; he does not hang around with drug dealers,” Welch insisted in his deposition.

But Nyberg had checked the record, which showed that Billy Welch was with a drug dealer on Sept. 3, was arrested, and

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026 was later indicted on drug charges.

On Sept. 3, agents of a joint DEA/Chicago police task force observed an alleged cocaine dealer in the River Forest Town Center, handing a duffel full of money – as much as $140,000 – to an alleged wholesale coke supplier.

Law enforcement followed dealer and another man in a Cadillac Escalade to an apartment building on the 5500 block of W. Gladys on the West Side of Chicago and watched as the dealer took 22 pounds of cocaine from the trunk of the wholesaler’s car.

Agents stopped the dealer’s car on the 3800 block of Harrison, and when the two men were removed from the car, they discovered his passenger was Billy Welch.

The DEA affidavit stated that Billy Welch was within arm’s reach of a loaded .40 caliber handgun, two baggies containing 240 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of $29,766, and $23,500 in cash.

Chris Welch was his brother’s attorney at his Sept. 4 arraignment. The record shows Judge Kevin M. Sheehan found probable cause to detain Billy, set a $30,000 bond and continued his case to Oct. 14.

On Sept. 26, Welch and the dealer were indicted by a Cook County Grand Jury, Welch for felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Chris Welch recalled those events quite differently when deposed, when he could recall anything at all.

“You were Billy Welch’s attorney beginning Sept. 3, 2003, right?” Chris Welch was asked under oath. “Beginning and ending Sept. 3, 2003,” Welch answered.

“You were his attorney for one day?” he was asked.

“Yes, I stepped up, the case was dismissed Sept. 3, 2003 against Billy Welch,” Welch answered.

Welch was shown Exhibit 6 from the lawsuit and asked if it was a Grand Jury indictment of Billy Welch and the dealer, dated Sept. 26, 2003.

“Exhibit 6 says what it says,” Welch answered.

“You said that the case was dismissed on that day?” Welch was asked. “That’s my recollection,” Welch answered.

“Why is there an indictment naming Billy Welch?” he was asked.

“I don’t know,” Welch answered.

“You have no idea why there would be an indictment against him if the case was dismissed?” Welch was asked.

“I don’t know,” Welch answered.

Asked if he’d talked to anyone in the State’s Attorney’s office other than at the hearing, Welch answered, “No.”

Asked if he’d ever inquired “with any government agency to determine whether or not Bill Welch had been indicted” Welch answered, “No.” Did you ask Bill Welch whether he had ever been indicted?” Welch was asked.

“Yes.” He answered.

“What did he tell you?” He was asked.

“He said no,” Welch answered.

Welch quietly dropped his lawsuit against Nyberg.

‘Without factual basis’ Sometime around 2006, a new blog called the “Proviso Insider” went online. It called itself “A beacon of light in the Proviso darkness.”

The majority of posts either lambasted Chris Welch’s critics or praised his allies.

The blog posts would put a positive spin on D209 news, however negative the actual situation might be. In March 2010, Welch posted “Proviso High Schools Removed From Financial Watch List!!!”

“This feat is especially remarkable considering the financial crisis many schools are facing in the state of Illinois,” Welch stated, ignoring the fact that less than 1% of all high schools in Illinois were under state supervision.

Welch went on touting his successes and taking shots at his political enemies. On July 19, 2007 the Proviso Insider accused two lawyers who previously worked for D209 of having suborned perjury.

Melrose Park police commander Ric Cervone had been named in a federal indictment. The Insider posted, “Sources tell the Insider that Burt Odelson and Mark Sterk …. will be indicted next by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. Sources tell the Insider that Mark Sterk was the attorney advising SD89 Board member Ric Cervone on how to lie to a grand jury.”

“Are Burt Odelson and Mark Sterk crooks?” The Proviso Insider asked. “Will they be indicted next?”

On Aug. 21, 2007 Odelson and Sterk filed a libel/slander suit in Cook County Circuit Court.

The Insider hadn’t always been so hard on Odelson and Sterk. In December 2006 an Insider headline trumpeted, “D209 Lawyer Burton Odelson Respected By All.” “The Insider has learned that Proviso School District 209’s lawyer, Burton S. Odelson, is also the lawyer for the stars,” the website fawned. “Many think, without Odelson, Proviso would not have been able to secure and negotiate a deal for the Proviso Math and Science Academy.”

Welch denied any involvement or responsibility for the posts. That is, until a forensic examination determined the posts had been made from a computer at his law firm.

Odelson’s attorney, Michael Wall, said Welch had attempted to avoid liability for the Proviso Insider posts by alleging they were done by his law clerk Emily Robinson.

“She was told by Mr. Welch that he would take care of everything,” Wall was quoted in a March 18, 2012 news article. Robinson denied posting the defamatory comments, saying, “I didn’t do it at all.” She was not found liable for any actions.

Welch filed for summary judgment, but Judge Eileen Mary Brewer denied his motion, and ruled he had committed “defamation per se.”

Welch faced with paying a $400,000 settlement demand, did for himself what he’d done for Serpico; used his role as D209 board president to successfully pry around $50,000 from taxpayers to cover his ongoing legal bills.

But when he later attempted to have D209 foot another $40,000, as well as the $400,000 settlement, the state appointed Financial Oversight Panel blocked him, and he was forced to negotiate a new settlement using his own money.

Welch also had to admit publicly that he had lied. Or in his lawyerly wording, that he had made “statements … which were made without factual basis.”

“The Subject Statements made on the Proviso Insider … are hereby unconditionally and unequivocally retracted and the Proviso Insider regrets the publication of those statements on the blog which were made without factual basis.”

‘The Prince of Proviso’ By law, members of school boards do not have any direct authority over district employees or the daily operations of the schools outside of their authority to cast votes at board meetings.

But by August 2010, Welch saw himself, according to numerous people associated with D209 or Proviso Township politics, as a major authority figure in and of himself, to be respected and obeyed.

“He wants to be the Prince of Proviso,” one source told this reporter at the time.

Welch reportedly became angry after two sisters who worked in senior positions at Proviso West high school rebuffed his attempts to hug them at a football game. He responded with an angry text.

Alexis Wallace, the former principal at Proviso West before Welch had her trans-

7

ferred, sat down with the Forest Leaves in March 2012 to discuss her experience with Welch as D209 board president and a threatening text she’d received from him.

Wallace said she saved the text, making certain her phone was charged even after she got a new phone. The saved text confirms allegations made by Wallace’s sister, Dylester Palm, a dean at Proviso West, in her federal lawsuit against Welch for complaints similar to Wallace’s. (Palm later dropped the lawsuit, citing her inability to pay for the cost of legal representation.)

Wallace held out her old Blackberry for the reporter to photograph. The phone number on the text was the same cell number that Welch had listed on his campaign filing documents.

“I allowed them to be employed!” Welch’s text read. “And I’m the board president!

Period! End of conversation. Things better change now. I won’t tolerate disresepect.”

Welch then left no doubt that he saw himself as the primary authority at D209.

“I had a direct hand in helping them b here including u. No one else,” he said. “At the minimum, I deserve respect.”

FOIA denial helps Welch avoid accountability In 2012 a FOIA was filed with the Hillside Police Department seeking any reports related to Welch’s alleged arrest in 2002 for an oft-rumored domestic battery.

That FOIA was denied by Hillside officials, who claimed that Welch, who’d been handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a squad car, had nonetheless not been placed under arrest.

A subsequent appeal was successful, and Hillside was ordered to release the documents. But the release arrived 90 minutes too late, after the primary election issue of a local newspaper had gone to print.

In that moment, Welch was working to move up oliticallys and was in a contested race for the Democratic nomination in the 7th Illinois House District. On election day Welch led Forest Park Commissioner Rory Hoskins by just 36 votes out of more than 40,000 cast in the 7th Illinois House Democratic primary. That narrow margin held.

As has happened in numerous cases related to allegations concerning questionable behavior by Welch, the story made a splash – nearly 10 years later as Welch was seeking to replace Mike Madigan as the Speaker of the House. A handful of people expressed concern and vowed to get answers and hold people accountable.

The splash was followed by silence.

8

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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McAdam scaled back his role at his landscaping company from 80 hours a week to about 15 hours in 2017, when he became a district governor for Rotary. He led clubs throughout Chicago, where Rotary was founded in 1905, and its surrounding suburbs, visiting and supporting clubs with whatever they needed and helping connect them to resources.

McAdam is also a trustee and lead landscape architect of the Paul and Jean Harris Home Foundation, which preserves the home of Paul Harris, who founded Rotary.

Though the house has been restored to its state in 1947, when Harris died, the Foundation is now working to rehab the surrounding gardens where Harris planted greenery that Rotary members brought him from

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McAdam Landscaping’s first year of operation. Since, the McAdams have donated landscaping projects to Opportunity Knocks, Sarah’s Inn, and most recently, a Make a Wish participant for an area surrounding a wheelchair swing.

“We want to give back to the community who supported us from the beginning,” McAdam said. “There’s not a year we don’t do that.”

In retirement, McAdam aims to do more volunteer work. He plans to spend half the year in Sarasota, Florida, where he owns property, and volunteer at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He also hopes to spend more time volunteering for Rotary International.

around the world.

“We’re rebuilding all the terraces. We’re going to restore the gardens back to what it would have been with material that only would have been available up through 1947,” McAdam said of the historic house for Rotary members — whom he hopes to meet more of in retirement by traveling to international Rotary Club locations.

“There’s 38,000 clubs in 220 countries, so I’m going to do some research in the next few months, figure out where I want to go for a trip and help out on a service project,” McAdam said. “I’ve been fortunate in my life.

It’s time to really focus on giving back. It’s time for me to feed Scott McAdam, and that’s what drives me.”

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

C R I M E

Woman’s car hijacked at gunpoint in forest preserve

By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter

On July 30 around 10 a.m., police responded to the 8400 block of Roosevelt Road after dispatch reported that a man stole a gray Toyota RAV4 at gunpoint. The victim told police she parked at Miller Meadows Forest Preserve and got out of her car with her two dogs when a man approached her and demanded the car keys. He pointed a gun at the woman’s head and threatened to shoot her, according to the police report. She gave him the keys, and the man drove her car east down Roosevelt. Police received a hit on a license plate reader for the stolen car and notification that North Riverside and Riverside police located the car at Harlem and Cermak. Three police departments pursued the hijacker, who threw the gun out of the car before police stopped the car in the 1700 block of Monitor in Chicago. Forest Park police took the offending man back to the police station, where Cook County Forest Preserve police took control of the scene.

Motor vehicle theft Police were dispatched to the 1500 block of Elgin on July 30 before 8 a.m., when a woman reported her car stolen. She told police she parked her car the evening before and locked it, but that morning it was missing. Police found a detached door handle on the ground. Security footage from a nearby business showed a sedan approaching the woman’s vehicle at 11:13 p.m. the night before. Footage showed two men get out of the sedan, gain access to the woman’s car and drive away. Her car, estimated to cost $5,000, was entered into the police’s system as stolen, and the woman said she’d sign complaints if the offender was located.

Aggravated unlawful use of weapon While patrolling the 7400 block of Randolph on July 27 just after midnight, police saw a car parked outside Pioneer Tap. According to the police report, the registered

owner of the car had a revoked driver’s license for a DUI. Police watched a man come out of the bar, get in the car’s driver’s seat, and turn onto Harlem in the far left lane, not the closest one. Police pulled over the man, who gave them the wrong driver’s license before providing correct identification, which confirmed he had a revoked license for a DUI. Police handcuffed the man and, upon seeing an open bottle of tequila inside the car, searched the vehicle. They found a gun under the driver’s seat, where a passenger was sitting who didn’t have a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card. He was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. The driver was charged with an improper turn at an intersection, having a suspended license, obstructing his identification, and having open alcohol in the car.

Possession of controlled substance While doing a premise check on July 27 of the CTA Blue Line terminal, police saw a man in the alcove area of the train. When the man saw police, he left the alcove and appeared nervous, according to the police report. Police asked the man to exit the train, which he did, and if he had any narcotics, and he said he didn’t. Police asked to search his persona and backpack, and the man complied. Police found bags of heroin and syringes and took the man to the police station. There, he gave them an incorrect name and birthday, so police took his fingerprint to confirm his identity. He was charged with a warrant, possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and obstructing identification.

These items were obtained from Forest Park Police Department reports dated July 27 - 30 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.

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

O U R

Q U I E T E S T

N E I G H B O R S

Belle Gunness, serial killer in an unmarked grave

A Midwest ‘black widow’

By AMY BINNS-CALVEY Contributing Columnist

A

Warning: Not for the faint of heart or those prone to nightmares n unmarked grave in Forest Home Cemetery holds the remains of one of America’s most devious seria killers … or does it?

Belle Gunness was born in 1859 under the name Brynhil Paulsdatter Storseth. A local rumor claimed that when she was a young woman, a rich man jilted her and beat her, causing her to lose a baby. In 1881, Brynhild left Norway for America, changing her name to Belle along the way in order to sound less foreign. Belle was a tall, strong woman who was not afraid of work.

Her many jobs included one in a butcher’s shop, a skill that would later prove useful.

Three years after arriving in the U.S., Belle married Mads Sorenson. The marriage was not blessed with children – some speculated that the beating in Norway had left Belle infertile.

In 1891, Mads and Belle adopted baby Jennie whose mother, a neighbor, had died. Three years after adopting Jennie, a candy store that Belle and Mads owned in Chicago at Grand and Elizabeth Street burned to the ground. Jennie and Belle were the only two in the store at the time of the fire. It wasn’t a total loss, as the store was insured. Belle collected the insurance money.

Belle bought a house in Austin on Alma Street (now North Latrobe Ave.) with the money from the store. She also welcomed four more children into the home, even though no one saw her pregnant. (In the late 1800s, it wasn’t uncommon for people to abandon or give away unwanted babies.) Sadly, two of the babies in Belle’s care were soon dead. Serendipitously, both children had life insurance policies. Belle collected the money.

In April of 1900, the house in Austin caught fire. Belle collected the insurance money.

Later that year, Mads purchased a new life insurance policy. There was one day when his new policy and his old policy overlapped. On that day, July 30, Mads died after Belle gave

AMY BINNS-CALVEY

him headache powder. An inquest was held, but no one was found responsible. Belle collected the insurance money … from both policies.

With this insurance money, Belle bought a farm in La Porte, Indiana, where she relocated with Jennie and the two other remaining children, Myrtle and Lucy. Within a year, Belle married the recently widowed Peter Gunness who had two children of his own, a 4-year-old and a 7-month-old. Five days after the wedding, the 7-month-old died while in Belle’s care.

Seven months after the wedding, Peter Gunness was found dead in the La Porte farmhouse. Belle said that a meat grinder and a pot of boiling brine had landed on his head. During the inquest, the death was ruled an accident. Belle collected the insurance money.

Peter’s 4-year-old was lucky. Her uncle, who distrusted Belle, came to the farm and took the little girl home with him.

She was the only child to survive living with Belle.

Within a year of Peter’s death, another baby, Philip, showed up in Belle’s life. She was 43 and had been working in the field on the day she supposedly gave birth to the baby whom all the neighbors said did not look like a newborn. (Once again, no one remembered her showing any signs of being pregnant.)

Around this time, notices started appearing in Norwegianlanguage newspapers advertising a comely widow with her own farm in Indiana looking to meet a gentleman with whom to join fortunes. Naturally, men started showing up at the farm in Indiana, but no one saw them leave. Belle soon had a room full of trunks with men’s clothing that had been left behind. Belle said that the men had gone “out West.” Another person no one saw leave the farm was Jennie. Belle told everyone that Jennie had gone off to college in California.

One of the men who answered Belle’s ad was Andrew Helgeline. Andrew didn’t follow all of Belle’s instructions – not only did he tell his brother, Asle, about the rich widow he was going to meet in Indiana, he also saved all the love letters she had sent him. After two years of correspondence, Andrew Helgelien arrived in La Porte in January of 1908. One of Belle’s instructions that Andrew did follow was to bring lots of money. Belle rushed him to the bank to make the deposit – three thousand dollars (over one hundred thousand in today’s money). After the money was safely in the account, Andrew also disappeared.

After several months of not hearing from his brother, Asle wrote to Belle asking where Andrew was. Belle told Asle his brother had gone out of the country to see family. Asle didn’t believe Belle and wrote to the sheriff in La Porte who was unable to help find Andrew. In March, a frustrated Asle informed Belle that he was traveling to Indiana to search for himself.

On April 27, Belle went to the general store and bought two gallons of kerosene and toys for the three children. She visited a lawyer and made out a will.

On April 28, the farmhouse caught on fire. A hired hand

Belle Gunness with her three children.

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026 and neighbors tried to get Belle and the children out of their bedroom, but no one opened the door when they pounded on it. Rescuers leaned a ladder against the upstairs bedroom window, but they couldn’t see anyone in the room. The fire was so intense, that it was hours before anyone could search the rubble.

Finally, four bodies were found in the basement three young children and the corpse of woman with its head missing. Searchers looked and looked, but the woman’s head was never found.

Asle arrived to find everything in ashes.

Undeterred, he combed through the wreck-

the corpse was too small. Others said that dental bridgework found in the ashes proved it was Belle. Still others speculated that it wouldn’t have been beyond Belle to plant her bridgework in the debris.

For years, people reported seeing Belle all across the country. These sightings routinely turned out to be false alarms, but, in 1931, a woman in San Francisco, Esther Carlson, seemed to be a feasible candidate. Esther was accused of killing Scandinavian men (and a woman) using some of the same techniques that Belle had used. Some say Esther bore a strong resemblance to Belle (including how

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Crowded grave age looking for any evidence of his brother.

As he was searching, he noticed piles of fresh dirt near the hog pen. He, and the others in the search party, started digging. Asle made a horrifying discovery – his brother’s body.

The searchers didn’t stop there. As more and more of the piles were unearthed, dozens of dismembered bodies, horribly hacked apart, were extracted. Sadly, in one of these lonely piles, the remains of Jennie were found.

Some estimate that Belle slaughtered 20 to 40 people.

News of the “murder farm” and the “female Blue Beard” reached papers nationwide. The Indiana farm was mobbed with curiosity seekers. Thousands of people came out to gawk as the property was methodically excavated. Some even picnicked on “Gunness stew” which was sold by vendors.

Without a head, the woman’s body in the basement could not be definitively identified.

Many believed it couldn’t be Belle because

she wore her hair) and she reportedly had a photo of three children who looked like Belle’s children. Frustratingly, Esther died before the theory could be either proven or disproven.

The mystery continues to fascinate people to this day. In 2008, Belle’s body was exhumed to see if DNA from the remains matched DNA on the letters she had sent or was a match to Esther. Sadly, the DNA from the remains was too deteriorated to make any final conclusions.

Here in Forest Park, lying in an unmarked grave, are Mads, Caroline, Axel, Myrtle, Lucy, Philip and the headless corpse of a woman who may or may not have been one of the most prolific female serial killers in the U.S. References: Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men, Burlington Daily News, New York Herald, The Indianapolis News, PBS, Chicago Tribune, Forest Park Review

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

I C E

ICE

Hiding out from page 1 16-year-old Sam Luhmann recognized that the license plate of the Chevy Tahoe the ICE agent was driving as the same one present at multiple ICE arrests in the Chicago suburbs that have been made without warrants.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to a request for comment about the situation.

“They will often claim that they are being followed or harassed, but all we do is film them and give them space to operate.

Everything we do is totally within our First Amendment rights,” Ben Luhmann told the Review.

While the Luhmanns are within their rights, according to the Illinois Trust Act, municipal police are restricted from helping with federal immigration enforcement efforts. That includes “transporting any individuals, establishing a security or traffic perimeter, or providing other on-site support.” And municipal police “May not permit immigration agents’ use of agency facilities or equipment,” according to the act.

“From the perspective of our police personnel, the primary goal was to promptly resolve the situation and remove the ICE officer from the premises to de-escalate a scenario that could have otherwise become disruptive,” Mayor Rory Hoskins wrote in a July 31 statement.

After Hoskins released his statement, Ben and Sam’s mom, Audrey Roberts Luhmann, posted a response to the mayor on Facebook: “The Forest Park Police Department violated the Illinois Trust Act on July

I N

F O R E S T

30 by assisting a federal ICE agent and preventing civilians from legally recording his actions. I am asking for your support to assist the state of Illinois in holding them publicly accountable.”

“Nothing my son was doing was causing escalation. He was not threatening the agent nor anyone on the premises. In fact, Mr. Mayor, my son never spoke to the agent at all; he was simply exercising his First Amendment right to record a member of a government agency whose agents continue to operate unlawfully and violently, and whose leadership repeatedly issues false statements of ‘fact.’”

According to Ben Luhmann, on July 30, his brother was recording the ICE agent as he drove the car alone around Village Hall before parking in a handicapped spot and walking inside.

Hoskins said the ICE agent was granted entry into the police department by police personnel at 10:26 a.m. Five minutes later, “a civilian employee of the police department moved the officer’s vehicle to the rear of Village Hall. Our surveillance system shows the vehicle departed village property at 10:33 a.m.,” Hoskins said in the statement.

While Forest Park police helped the ICE agent get away from Luhmann, “Under no circumstances will Forest Park personnel share information with ICE or other federal agencies for purposes that include immigration enforcement or monitoring status or whereabouts of anyone who resides in Forest Park, works here or obtains services in our community,” Hoskins said in the statement. “Maintaining the public’s trust is essential to our legitimacy as elected public servants. My colleagues and I strongly believe that Village Hall should be a safe place for all.”

After ICE arrested two workers at Con-

PA R K

SCREENSHOT FROM VIDEO BY SAM LUHMANN

An ICE agent covers his face inside Forest Park Village Hall. cordia Cemetery last October, Hoskins denounced the presence of ICE in the village.

Months later, Hoskins emphasized the safety of the village, while supporting the police department.

“I ask for your continued support of Forest Park’s first responders,” Hoskins wrote in the July 31 statement. “Right now, our society is polarized. Residents and observers offer a variety of opinions about how things should be done. While acknowledging the varied opinions and values held by Forest Park’s residents, we are committed to providing a safe environment where the members of our wonderfully diverse community can participate and thrive with dignity intact.”

You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box. Sign up for FREE at ForestParkReview.com

NEWS FLASH!

“Your words and actions matter, Mr. Mayor,” Audrey Roberts Luhmann wrote on Facebook. “You may have ‘expressed strong concerns’ about activity and law enforcement tactics during last year’s Midway Blitz immigration operations, but your statement in response to your police department’s actions on July 30 demonstrates your unwillingness to use state law to hold your own civil servants accountable and to actually protect Illinois civilians from a federal agency that has wreaked havoc on our city, state, and nation. The preservation of truth by legal documentation of ICE’s actions is one of the only forms of accountability left to American citizens.”

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

FILE

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins speaks with Concordia Cemetery workers Darren Eichler, Cordell Walls, and Danny Greer

Cemetery workers join ACLU lawsuit to hold DHS accountable

Concordia employees were taken into ICE custody last October

By EMMA BRADFORD Intern Reporter

Two of the Concordia Cemetery workers who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last October joined a nationwide effort by the American Civil Liberties Union to hold the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accountable.

The Chicago Sun-Times first reported last week that the two Forest Park cemetery workers had joined 54 other individuals nationwide who are filing claims against the federal government through the ACLU. According to the complaints found by the Chicago Sun Times, Darren Eichler and Daniel Greer, along with the other two employees arrested that day, were working when they spotted ICE agents pursuing a man who was in the adjacent Des Plaines River. The four men told immigration officers to leave and to stop harassing people.

That is when the agents approached the men and demanded to be let into the cemetery. However, when the workers refused to

let them in, immigration officers bolt-cut the lock, pepper-sprayed and tackled them to the ground, Eichler told WGN9 in October.

Once the men were in the hands of ICE agents, they were detained with zip ties for hours. After that, three of the workers were taken to a Homeland Security Investigations facility in Lombard; the other was taken to the hospital.

While detained, Eichler began complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath when he reportedly demanded to be taken to a hospital multiple times. It wasn’t until an hour later that agents took him to nearby Rush Oak Park Hospital. Greer experienced chemical burns on his face, but was never offered medical help, according to the complaints reported in the Sun-Times.

Eichler and Greer, both U.S. citizens, allege they were maced and wrongly arrested by immigration agents. They filed their claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act in March; this allows people to seek financial compensation for federal government employees’ wrongdoings.

The two men join 54 other individuals who are filing claims against the federal government with the ACLU. Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.

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Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

OPINION

L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R

Chipotle needs to clean up The landscape area (if you can call it that) around the Chipotle drive-in at Harlem and Madison is nothing but weeds and some dislocated fencing.

Compare to the Wendy’s across the street where the landscape is very nice. I think the village of Forest Park should demand that Chipotle clean up the area and keep it well maintained.

Roger Wilson Forest Park

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S

A bi-cultural American dream

going ahead with their plans in spite of the famihalom Borrallo grew up speaking Spanlies’ worries and that the pair seemed to know ish at home and speaking English when she was in school. Same for Hugo Rodriwhat they were doing, they got behind them 100%. guez, her business partner. At the ribbon Not only did family pitch in to help redecorate cutting ceremony and grand opening the studio, they provided all of the capital needed held at their business, Khrusallis Tattoo Studio to start the business. All of it! on June 27, both languages were spoken by famWhen Shalom and Hugo were asked about their ily and well-wishers who crowded into the store, sense of identity — what percent are you Mexican located at 7512 Madison St. here in Forest Park, and what percent American — they both respondto celebrate. ed with “50/50.” Both got post-high school educaTheir story is the latest local version of the tions and speak English without an accent, but narrative we refer to as the American Dream. hold many traditional values.

Shalom grew up in Berwyn, the daughter of Tattooing, they said, is going through a lot of parents who emigrated from Mexico to give changes. It used to be a counterculture and biker their children a better life. statement, but for some reaShe was the first person in son COVID opened the door her family to go to college, to “ink” becoming more graduating from Dominican mainstream. Instead of beUniversity with a degree ing a rebellious statement, it Robert Shoemaker, a professor of 18th-century British in graphic arts in 2024, an is now seen as wearable art. history at the University of Sheffield and Zoe Alker, a lecaccomplishment made posSome people get a tattoo turer in 19th-century history and digital humanities at sible by large amounts of to memorialize a loved one. the University of Liverpool, report that tattooing has takfinancial aid.

Others to mark an achieveen place throughout human history. Evidence from bodWhen the two told their ment or to picture a favorite ies preserved in ice indicates the existence of the pracparents in the spring this place like the Eiffel Tower. tice as early as 4,000 BC. There is evidence of tattooing in year that they were planning Shalom noted that tattoos most cultures, sometimes forced on slaves and criminals on opening their own busihave gone from shades of in the Greek and Roman empires but in many cases as a ness, the whole family was black and gray to more colvoluntary practice used to express identity shocked. “Are you crazy?” orful, more artistic Early Christians, in fact, acquired religious tattoos as they asked the couple.

Partly because getting a a sign of devotion, and to commemorate pilgrimages.

None of these working tattoo can require several Banned by Pope Hadrian in 787, tattooing largely disapclass immigrants thought hours, clients get into conpeared from recorded history in the medieval West, of themselves, or apparently versations with their artists In 1881, the Queen’s grandson and the future King their adult children, as enor other clients. Hugo comGeorge V, then just 16, received what’s been a rite of pastrepreneurs. sage for many teenagers ever since: a tattoo of a blue and pared the exchange to conHugo believed, “They were red dragon on his arm, done by an artist in Yokohama. versations that sometimes scared for us. They worried This craze was facilitated by the invention of an elechappen with barbers or barthat we were taking a big tric tattooing machine in 1891 by an American, Samuel tenders. risk. None of them had exO’Reilly.

“Clients,” said Hugo, perience with anything like Nevertheless in the early 20th century tattooing lost “know that a tattoo is perthis.” some popularity. Then in the 1950s, tattooing started to manent, will be there for the Shalom said she is an inderegain popularity, first among marginal groups, includrest of a client’s life, so getpendent person who always ing gang members, bikers and punks and rockers, as ting one is a consequential knew she wanted to work for symbols of both group allegiance and defiance of condecision.” herself. Their primary moventional society.

The couple work as a tivation is not getting rich.

It was with the recent tattoo renaissance, dating from team. Shalom is the artist Sure, they want Khrusallis the 1970s, that the practice started to become mainand Hugo the business manto succeed financially, but stream, permeating consumer culture through the meager, utilizing experience he their main motivation is art dia and the exposure of tattooed celebrities. gained working as the manfor art’s sake. Truly.

It was eventually recognized as an art form. ager of a Mexican restauWhen the families saw rant in Chicago. that Shalom and Hugo were

TOM HOLMES

A brief history of tatooing

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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L O O K

B A C K

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The revolution that disappeared

From the Forest Park Review, July 28, 1966: hey call it “cart-a-motion.” The shopper wheels her groceries to the checkout counter, then stands by as the cart automatically unloads its contents. Unarco Industries’ Folding Carrier Division, manufacturer of the automated carts says the work is done by a wide belt on the bottom of the basket. A motorized mechanism in the checkout counter draws the belt forward and upward, lifting the groceries within reach of the checker. These carts, first put into use in the Chicago area, are at the new White Way Food store at 5th and Walnut in Maywood.”

Evidently, the new technology didn’t last.

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F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW General Manager Max Reinsdorf Staff Reporter Jessica Mordacq News Intern Emma Bradford Senior Audience Manager Stacy Coleman Contributing Editor Donna Greene Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, Robert J. Lifka Columnists Alan Brouilette, Tom Holmes

Jill Wagner

Editorial & Digital Design Lead Javier Govea Design and Production Associate De Sergio Villalona Designer Susan McKelvey

O B I T U A R I E S

Marilyn McKenzie, 98 Longtime Forest Park resident

Marilyn C. McKenzie (nee Meyer), 98, a longtime resident of Forest Park, died on July 26, 2026. Born on Dec. 24, 1927, she graduated from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, worked as a retail manager for Montgomery Ward, and was an accountant at North American Federal Savings & Loan. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Bernardine Church.

Marilyn was the wife of the late William R. McKenzie; the mother of Karen A. (late Carl) Schwebl, Jennifer (late John) Stange, William R. (Lorinda) McKenzie Jr., Dr. Teresa S. (Dr. Jeffrey A. Leef) McKenzie, and the late Kathleen M. (Louis Frankiewicz) Stack; grandmother of Carrie (Ryan) Gosniak, Elisabeth (William) Hough and Carl Alex (Courtney) Schwebl, John A. Stange Jr., James A. (Alejandra) Stange, William MacKenzie Stange and Mylinda C. (John Viola) Stange, Victoria E. Ellickson, James W. (Lucy Mejia) McKenzie, Michael R. Mohr and Brian H. Mohr, Ellen T. (Anuj Aggarwal) Landgren, Connor W. Leef and Dr. Mae A. (Will Halleran) Leef, and Jessica Stack; and great-grandmother of Ella Mae, Cleo Belle and Marli Grace, Lilliana and Michaela, Lucas, Jack, Beck and Lexi, Luke and Logan, James Jr. and Anthony, and Ada and Lily. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert M. and Frieda Meyer, and her brother, Robert M. Meyer Jr. Visitation was held at Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home, 10501 W. Cermak Road, Westchester on July 31. Chapel Service on Aug. 1. Interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Memorials are appreciated to St. Bernardine Church.

Sharon Jacknow, 81 Animal welfare advocate

Sharon Lee Jacknow (née Barilla), 81, died peacefully on July 17, 2026. Born on Dec. 15, 1944, in Holland, Michigan, she was a longtime resident of Forest Park and will be remembered with enduring respect and affection.

She dedicated her professional life to the administrative offices of Northwestern University, Department of Material Science and Engineering, where her reliability and commitment were evident in the work she carried out day after day.

Beyond her career, her passions shaped the rhythm of her home and the warmth of her presence — especially her love of cooking and gardening, and the joy she found in time spent with family.

Above all, she will be best remembered for her love for her children and grandchildren, and her devotion to her pets. Her compassion extended naturally into a lifelong concern for animal welfare, and she was passionate about animal rescue. She also delighted in her grandchildren and grandpets, holding close the everyday moments that become a family’s most lasting memories.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Jerry G. Jacknow, with whom she shared 52 years of marriage; her children Jessica (Saúl) Pérez, Amy Jacknow, Patrick (Aubrey) Jacknow, Matthew (Pamela) Jacknow; and her grandchildren Emma, Giuseppe, Alessandro, Mackenna, Savannah, Aurora, Lilliah, Lincoln, and Warren.

Cremation will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Best Friends-Utah, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741 https://bestfriends.org; or to Animal Care League - Oak Park, 1011 Garfield St, Oak Park, Illinois 60304, https://animalcareleague.org.

Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls Marketing & Advertising Associate Emma Cullnan Legal Notices Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Operations Associate Susan Liss Babin Social Media and Digital Coordinator Maribel Barrera Senior Advisor Dan Haley HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS: P.O. Box 6670, River Forest, IL 60305 PHONE: (708) 613-3300 EMAIL: dhaley@newswellchicago.org CIRCULATION: Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE: ForestParkReview.com Forest Park Review is published weekly by NEWSWELL Chicago. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No 0205-160).

Forest Park Review NEWSWELL Chicago is located at 1011 Lake Street St 307, Oak Park IL 60301.

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POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Forest Park Review, NEWSWELL Chicago P.O. Box 6670 River Forest IL, 60305. © 2026 NEWSWELL

16

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

P R O P E R T Y

T R A N S F E R S

The following property transfers were reported by the Cook County Clerk from April 2026. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk.

305 Marengo Ave., Forest Park

FOREST PARK ADDRESS

PRICE

SELLER

BUYER

315 Des Plaines Ave 310 Lathrop Ave 314 Lathrop Ave 1223 Elgin Ave 300 Circle Ave 917 Harlem Ave 824 Lathrop Ave 917 Harlem Ave 140 Marengo Ave 1042 Circle Ave 140 Marengo Ave 7753 Van Buren St 1007 Ferdinand Ave 914 Hannah Ave 443 Ferdinand Ave 7521 Brown Ave 210 Des Plaines Ave 442 Hannah Ave 424 Beloit Ave 7353 Madison St 440 Elgin Ave 1501 Elgin Ave 305 Marengo Ave 7449 Washington St

$128,000 $135,000 $155,000 $160,000 $165,000 $165,000 $185,000 $190,000 $250,000 $265,000 $285,000 $288,000 $313,500 $375,000 $390,000 $400,000 $415,000 $417,000 $425,000 $455,000 $465,000 $699,000 $755,000 $96,000

Catherine Mcmahon Trust Valdivia Kathy Miriam Salazar Jr Jose Kotapka Matt Adaza Cristie Grayson Cecelia William Schuler Ir Grantor Trust Second City Renewal Llc Kays Patrick Chicago Title Land Trust Co Fuller Delvin D Ward Matthew S Williams Kenyatte N Kirby Dani Leon Grandview Cap Llc Sanford Jordan Alexander Dale Zurek Marcin Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Burjan Lauren E Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Pfeffer Michael Vanderbilt Grp Llc Hammer Philip W Tr Darden-Mills Duane

Slusher Jacqueline E Serrano Maria Fleege Michael Santillan Ruth Toquero Santoyo Mariana Magana Second City Renewal Llc Kelty Mark Tel Men Bb Llc Puglia Vanessa V Vigueras Eric M Bartholomew Mary Jane Chan Lynx Nall Jerene Elise A Stratton Quinn G Stevens Phillip Rosenkranz Jennifer M Martinez Jeanne Hayes Devin Heitzman Frank E Dos Mares Llc Renshaw Anna Erfani Sara Boutsicaris Andrew Roman Martha U

17 Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026 HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI • Deadline: Monday at 5 p.m.

Let the sun shine in...

Your right to know...In print • Online

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3360 | BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION MATRIX FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION Plaintiff vs.

GINA M. BRADEN Defendant 20 CH 3059 CALENDAR 60 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 1, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-19-101-065-0000.

Commonly known as 1207 DEGENER AVE., ELMHURST, IL 60126.

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% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding. IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. 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. 20-00801 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3291248

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC, PLAINTIFF, VS. JOSE M. AVILA; SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS, DEFENDANTS. CASE NO.: 2025CH09175 41 N LIND AVE HILLSIDE, IL 60162 CALENDAR: 57 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on May 22, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 26, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 41 N LIND AVE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162 Property Index No. 15-18-231-0020000 The real estate is improved with a single-family residence.

The judgment amount was $140,255.78.

Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 100% of the bid amount shall be paid in certified funds immediately by the highest and best bidder at the conclusion of the sale. The certified check must be made payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. 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 (driv-

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE er’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 Johnny Dale Frevert, Jr., KELLEY KRONENBERG, P.A. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 20 N CLARK STREET SUITE 1150, CHICAGO, IL, 60602 (312) 2168828. Please refer to file number 3549.001029.

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.

Johnny Dale Frevert, Jr., Kelley Kronenberg, P.A. 20 N Clark Street Suite 1150 Chicago IL, 60602 312-216-8828 E-Mail: jfrevert@kelleykronenberg. com Attorney File No. 3549.001029 Attorney ARDC No. 6305960 Attorney Code. 49848 TJSC#: 46-1635 I3291281 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION COMPUTERSHARE DELAWARE TRUST COMPANY, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE OF PRET 2025-RPL3 TRUST Plaintiff, -v.DEQUINCY L. HAMLET, LAURA HARRISON-HAMLET, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2025CH10615 1501 NORTH WOLF ROAD 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 April 24, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 31, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1501 NORTH WOLF ROAD, BERKELEY, IL 60163 Property Index No. 15-08-111-0460000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of thehighest 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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

‘’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) 7949876 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. 14-25-06128 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2025CH10615 TJSC#: 46-1033 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 # 2025CH10615 I3291353

est bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-20-405-028-0000.

Commonly known as 1636 Stratford Avenue, Westchester, IL 60154.

The real estate is: single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a common interest community unit, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection(g-1) of Section 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding.

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Suite 1250, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 25013866 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3291229

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.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

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. 14-25-04952 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2025CH08378 TJSC#: 46-1726 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

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION New American Funding, LLC Plaintiff vs.

Elena Korkuchanskiy; Leonid Korkuchanskiy; The United States of America, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Defendant 25 CH 6701 CALENDAR 60 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 1, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the high-

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION SUN WEST MORTGAGE COMPANY, INC. Plaintiff, -v.ERICA DIAZ, MARCOS DIAZ, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Defendants 2025CH08378 409 ENGLEWOOD AVE HILLSIDE, IL 60162 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 3, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 2, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 409 ENGLEWOOD AVE, HILLSIDE, IL 60162 Property Index No. 15-08-435019-0000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation.

No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

The subject property is subject to 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.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2025CH08378 I3291701 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC Plaintiff, -v.BRANDI CELEBRE MEANY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Defendants 2023CH08406 2236 S 22ND AVE BROADVIEW, IL 60155 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 15, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on August 24, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 2236 S 22ND AVE, BROADVIEW, IL 60155 Property Index No. 15-22-102084-0000 The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation.

No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

The subject property is subject to 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.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

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

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026 18

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3360 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNIT YMEDIA.ORG REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR 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. 14-23-03478 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2023CH08406 TJSC#: 46-1601 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 # 2023CH08406 I3291134

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 189.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: At sale, the bidder must have 10% (or 25% if so ordered in the Judgment of Foreclosure) down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds.

The property is sold AS IS subject to all liens or encumbrances. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the circuit court case record, property tax record and the title record to verify all information before bidding.

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER THE ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(c) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Ghidotti Berger LLP, 2700 Patriot Boulevard, Suite 250, Glenview, Illinois 60026. 949-427-2010. 25006400-3 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3291130

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE OF LBFLAT SERIES VI TRUST Plaintiff vs.

CHICAGO TITLE LAND TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE UNDER TRUST AGREEMENT DATED MAY 18, 1972 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 59930; UNKNOWN TRUSTEES OF TRUST AGREEMENT DATED MAY 18, 1972 AND KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 59930; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendant 26 CH 2559 CALENDAR 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 August 31, 2026, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell, in person, to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-22-115-010-0000; 15-22115-011-0000.

Commonly known as 2341 South 18th Avenue, Broadview, IL 60155.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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19

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20

Forest Park Review, August 5, 2026

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