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F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW NOVEMBER 18, 2020

D91 and D209 teachers working remotely PAGE 4

Financial planner releases book on retirement PAGE 6

Mayor returning to work after COVID recovery Village hall will likely reopen this week

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Mayor Rory Hoskins, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week after developing symptoms about 10 days ago, said he is recovering and planning to return to village hall this week.

Since Nov. 9, the clerk’s office in village hall has been closed to in-person service after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. Several others were also tested, and multiple employees were diagnosed with the virus, leaving the clerk’s office severely short-staffed. But some employees are returning to work this week.

On Nov. 17, Hoskins said he’s talked to staff, and they’re putting together a plan to reopen in-person service at the walk-up window in village hall.

“The most important thing is to make sure that the workplace is safe,” Hoskins said.

Phone and online services continue to be available at village hall, and the zoning/ building department and police station, accessible through village hall, both remain open. Visit forestpark.net or call 708-3662323 for assistance.

Photo provided

Batya Emunaw Walker and Daryl Satcher, who teach yoga at Urban Pioneer Group, 7503 Madison St., say they want to make sure more African Americans take advantage of yoga’s benefits.

Making yoga more inclusive Local instructors spread message that yoga’s for everyone – regardless of race

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

From the COVID-19 pandemic that has forced many people into quarantine to the country’s fraught political divide, 2020 is the year of stress. And now, perhaps more

than ever, people need to breathe.

“But most people don’t breathe properly,” said Daryl Satcher, 44, of Oak Park, who teaches a yoga class at Urban Pioneer Group, 7503 Madison St. “We’re born breathing the right way. We come into this world inhaling through our nose and exhal-

IN Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 THIS Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 ISSUE Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

ing through our diaphragm. Watch a baby breathe and you can see it clearly. It’s inhaling and exhaling through the nose.”

Eventually, however, the world changes people and they start breathing from the See YOGA on page 9

From tent to apartment in time for Thanksgiving

Rapid COVID tests available this week

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

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The birthday parade of the century

ay Bill has been a mainstay of the Forest Park community for 88 years. She still lives in her hundred-year-old house at 616 Beloit. May is turning one hundred herself. We are all invited to a birthday parade to honor her on Saturday, Nov. 28 at noon.

She may be marking a century but that hasn’t slowed her down much. No glasses or hearing aids and she gets regular dental check-ups. May stopped driving last November, after 83 years on the road — with no tickets. She lived on her own, until her daughter, Janet Fink, moved in last year. May’s mind is sharp and she still balances her checkbook to the penny.

She loves Forest Park, because of its small-town feel. May Bechel started life in the small town of Watseka, Illinois. From there, her family moved to Chicago, before settling in Oak Park. May was a student at OPRF High School, when she met the love of her life, Robert Bill.

The teenage couple was somewhat mismatched. Bob was a devout Catholic from Forest Park, while May was raised Lutheran. He also attended a rival high school, Proviso East. Somehow they overcame their differences. It probably helped that Bob taught her how to drive his Model

A. He later sold it to buy May an engagement ring.

They married in 1942. Bob had just entered the Army, while May worked at the Douglas Aircraft factory. Their only child, Janet, was born that year. She wouldn’t meet her dad until she was 4. Bob had been assigned to the 3031 Ordnance Unit and served in Okinawa until 1946.

He was a master mechanic who repaired tanks on the battlefield. The Army wanted to keep him but Bob missed his family.

When he returned to the states, housing was scarce. The young family settled above Bob’s parents at 155 Elgin. Then they moved to the close-knit 600 block of Beloit. Neighbors such as Cliff and Joanne Leber became like family. They were also friends with Review Publisher Claude Walker and Realtor Carl Schwebl.

The block remained close even after the Eisenhower Expressway came through and forced the removal of several houses.

May threw herself into village life. She attended St. Peter Lutheran Church, while Bob went to St. Bernardine. She served on the library board for 24 years. She was also very active at the VFW, where she was in charge of the send-off breakfast for soldiers leaving for Vietnam. For 22 consecutive years, May and Bob attended reunions of the 3031 Unit, which were held throughout

JOHN RICE

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the U.S. They even hosted one. When she wasn’t helping vets, she was serving a 65year stint with the Eagles.

May stayed active with local organizations, while working full time in the boys department of Marshall Field’s. She retired after 20 years. Meanwhile, Bob was a mechanic at Chevrolet dealerships in Oak Park and Forest Park.

For fun, the couple dined out at Otto’s, The Pines and, of course, Parky’s. May was also an avid bowler, who maintained a 174 average at Circle Lanes. Bob passed away in 2000. The mixed marriage had lasted only 58 years. May has two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They are all coming to the birthday celebration.

Janet organized the parade and recruited the police and fire departments to serve as escorts. Well-wishers will assemble at Lehmer and Beloit. They will parade past May’s house, either on foot, or in cars, depending on the weather.

May Bill has witnessed many changes in Forest Park over the last century. But one thing has remained the same. The natives are still friendly.

■ John Rice is a columnist/private detective, who has seen his business and family thrive in Forest Park. He thoroughly enjoys life in the village and still gets a thrill smelling Red Hots, watching softball and strolling through cemeteries. Jrice1038@aol.com

T I M E . . .

ROOSEVELT ROAD, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO

The Gardner Lumber building at 7326 Roosevelt Rd., in the 1920’s. This photo, on loan from Stephen Pedi, was originally published in the August 18, 1976 Forest Park Review.

In the 1920s, the corner of Roosevelt Road and Circle Avenue was home to Gardner & Sons Lumber and Millworks.

Behind the building was the Gardner Propellor Works and in the far background was a Kalkite plant that manufactured concrete lamp posts. William H. Gardner was the president of the Roosevelt Trust and Savings Bank at Roosevelt Road and Elgin Ave, which opened in 1926. Chairman of the Board was Albert Roos, and Theodore Lobstein was vice president.

–Jill Wagner

REVIEW Editor Maria Maxham Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporters Tom Holmes, John Rice, Bob Skolnik, Jackie Glosniak, Robert J. Lifka Columnists Alan Brouilette, Jill Wagner, Tom Holmes, John Rice Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA Board of Directors Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-366-0600 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 EMAIL forestpark@wjinc.com CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE ForestParkReview.com TWITTER @FP_Review Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Forest Park Review,141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302-2901. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No 0205-160) In-county subscriptions: $28 per year. $42 for two years, $58 for three years.

Out-of-county subscriptions: $36 per year.

Forest Park Review is published digitally and in print

by Growing Community Media NFP. © 2020 Growing Community Media NFP. F O R E S T PA R K

REVIEW Share photos on Instagram using #fpreview or email alexa@oakpark.com.

All photos become property of Forest Park Review for possible future use in print or digital capacities.

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

D209 teachers and staff return to working remotely Supt. reverses course as COVID cases rise

AS COVID spikes, D91 teachers begin working remotely Superintendent responds to rise in cases, IDPH guidelines

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Teachers and staff members in Proviso Township High Schools District 209 began working from home again on Nov. 12. The decision came about a month after D209 Superintendent James Henderson required roughly 300 teachers to return to the district’s three campuses, where they taught their students virtually on Promethean boards in empty classrooms.

“Recent data shows that all areas within the Proviso footprint are trending upward with COVID-19 cases and are currently in the red zone,” Henderson said in a video announcement of the decision released on Nov.11. “Given increase in cases, the board and I have determined that Thursday, Nov. 12, faculty will commence working remotely. Staff schedules will be modified to ensure reduced number of personnel in the building.”

Henderson’s decision comes as cases of COVID-19 surge across Proviso Township. The 7-day rolling average of positive of COVID-19 tests across nine Proviso Township suburbs as 17.27 percent, as of Nov. 7, according to Northwestern University’s online COVID-19 dashboard.

That’s higher than the 8 percent threshold that state health officials say triggers new mitigation measures to contain the spread, such as prohibiting indoor dining.

On Nov. 6, D209 confirmed that three employees who work at Proviso East had tested positive for COVID-19, but that none of those employees are teachers. A district official said that seven employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year.

After Henderson’s decision to require teachers to return to classrooms, the Proviso Teachers’ Union filed an unfair labor practices “charge and a grievance against District 209 after being forced to return to what they say are unsafe school buildings despite an agreement with Henderson to allow them to continue to teach from home,” according to previous reporting.

So far, the status of that grievance is unclear. Last week, a D209 spokesperson said that the administration did not know the status of that grievance. An attempt last week to reach Maggie Riley, the union’s president, was unsuccessful.

In his video announcement on Nov. 11, Henderson said that “we’re going to stay the course. This has been a challenging year, because of the pandemic and the situation is still very fluid … we will always follow the science.”

District 91 teachers, who had been teaching from their classrooms, began working from home starting Nov. 16, according to a memo from Superintendent Lou Cavallo on Nov. 13.

Cavallo mentioned Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) updated guidelines recommending that people work from home as COVID-19 cases rise locally and throughout the state.

At a board meeting the previous day, he said teachers would remain in school buildings because “we provide better instruction when our teachers are working from their classrooms.”

He also cited four cases of COVID among staff in the buildings being well-handled and not resulting in contagion to anyone else, though others in contact with those staff members were required to quarantine themselves.

But as new IDPH guidelines were added for suburban Cook County on Friday, he switched course, stating that teachers will instruct remotely until at least Dec. 4 “Please stay home as much as possible and stay safe and healthy,” Cavallo urged in his letter.

Cavallo’s words echo those of the IDPH, which recommended on Nov. 12 that people “stay home as much as possible, leaving only for necessary and essential activities, such as work if working from home

is not an option, buying groceries, and visiting the pharmacy.”

Ninety-six counties, including suburban Cook County, are at COVID-19 warning level; only six counties in the entire state are not.

At a Nov. 13 press conference, Gov. J. B. Pritzker talked about the increase in COVID-19 cases across Illinois.

“The numbers don’t lie,” Pritzker said. “If things don’t take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stayat-home order is all that will be left. With every fiber of my being, I do not want us to get there. But right now, that seems where we are headed.”

For D91, child supervision will continue at the Howard Mohr Community Center and at the Park District of Forest Park, and food service will be available for pick-up at the regular times of 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday.

Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 17, food service pickup at each school will be from 11 a.m. to noon on days when remote learning is in session. Alternate pickup arrangements can be made by contacting your school’s lunchroom supervisor.

Betsy Ross School - Carol Crotty - ccrotty@fpsd91. org Garfield School - Samantha Novak - snovak@ fpsd91.org Field-Stevenson School - Jeanette Farley - jfarley@ fpsd91.org Grant-White School - Rosey Moroni - rmoroni@ fpsd91.org Forest Park Middle School - Tracey Makaris - tmakaris@fpsd91.org

HOMEWORK: All D91 teachers will be working from home as COVID-19 cases have been rising.

File photo

D91 board to interview superintendent candidates in December Input solicited from community

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

The search for a new superintendent for D91 continues, with interviews scheduled for the first week in December.

At the Nov. 12 school board meeting, the

superintendent search committee, consisting of board president Kyra Tyler and members Monique Cotton and Mary Win Connor, provided an update on the progress of the search.

School Exec Connect, the search committee hired by the board to assist in the process, worked with the board to create an online survey, which collected community responses to questions about what people wanted to see in a new superintendent. The

purpose of the survey, said Tyler, was to “build a profile so we can make a decision that’s based on already-agreed upon metrics that we’re looking for.” The district received 195 completed surveys.

Two online forums to solicit discussion from the community, one in English and one in Spanish, were held on Nov. 11, although several community members complained that not enough notice was given and that the event was not well-publicized.

Thirty attendees participated in the English language event and one in the Spanish language option.

According to Tyler, school community focus groups have been held as well; these groups included administrators, teachers and district staff.

In the first week of December, the board will interview the final five or six candidates and hope to narrow it down to an ultimate candidate by the first week of January.

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

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How do you teach writing over Zoom?

Primary grade teachers face unique challenges

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Primary grade teachers in District 91, those instructing students in Kindergarten through second grade, are faced with unique challenges during distance learning.

For one thing, not all of the kids can read, so independent learning, part of the remote curriculum for intermediate and middle school students, isn’t an option. Additionally, crucial skills like reading and writing typically require a level of individual attention difficult to provide over Zoom.

Last week was the 12th week of school, and the Review spoke to Principal Jamie Stauder and three primary school teachers from Garfield Elementary School: Erica Whittington (kindergarten teacher), Lynda Callahan (first grade teacher) and Allyson Hirsch (second grade teacher).

“It’s a pretty packed schedule,” said Stauder. Kindergarten, first and second graders need more live Zoom classes than other grades, since not all of them can read or be expected to participate in independent lessons as intermediate and middle school students can. So teachers have a rigorous, full-day schedule teaching students.

And, said Stauder, “there is a lot of curriculum to cover in a typical first grade year.”

In the primary levels, kids are learning to read. To write. They’re covering the fundamentals, and there’s a lot of material.

The teachers said they sometimes worry that even with the amount of time spent on Zoom, it’s impossible to cover everything that needs to be taught, and the one-on-one attention normally given to students in the primary grades is impossible to provide remotely.

When kids are working on writing, for example, first grade teacher Callahan said normally she’d walk around the classroom, providing individual help to students. But on Zoom, that’s impossible.

“The writing has been the most difficult thing, because I can’t walk around and help them with anything. I can’t see what they’re doing and how to help them get better with it,” Callahan said. Thus, teaching and learning writing has been going more slowly.

“That’s been the hardest part and what I worry the most about when those kids are going on to second grade next year,” Callahan said.

For example, first grade students typically learn and practice narrative, expository

Photo provided

TEAMWORK: (from left) Lynda Callahan, Erica Whittington and Allyson Hirsch are part of the primary teaching team at Garfield Elementary School. and opinion writing. These basics need to be covered, but Callahan said she’s had to pare down the curriculum.

“We’ll focus more on what’s really, really necessary instead of things that might just be supplemental,” Callahan said. “Unfortunately, sometimes it’s the more fun things that we have to let go.” She added that what she misses most from the classroom is the in-person interactions that are so important to kids in the primary grades.

“We can’t play all these fun games together, we can’t do a lot of hands on things that we normally do in the classroom,” Callahan said.

Hirsch, who teaches second grade, agreed with Callahan that it’s hard to get to all the material over Zoom that would have been taught in a typical school setting.

“With as much time as we are on Zoom, we still don’t get to quite cover just the same amount of content as we would cover if we were in person,” Hirsch said.

And, with some of the younger primary school aged kids not being able to read yet, a lot of the guided learning and facilitation falls in the laps of the parents or guardians who are with the students during the day.

“It’s a challenge,” Stauder said. “We want to do a good job as educators and to get to every student and to meet their needs. And to do that through a screen is a challenge,”

which, she added, depends heavily on whoever’s taking care of the students during the day.

Kindergarten teacher Whittington is pleased with the progress of her students, and attributes that in large part to assistance from parents and guardians.

“I definitely didn’t expect that I would be able to do as much as I am with the students,” Whittington said. “And I think that’s a big applause to the parents, many of whom are sitting right next to the students and redirecting them when maybe they don’t understand.”

Whittington said she feels bad for the students who don’t have that one-on-one support during the day. But even the students who don’t have someone sitting next to them are doing well, Whittington said.

“They’re really where I would expect them to be,” Whittington said.

Getting into a solid routine, agreed all three teachers, has been one of the most important aspects of remote teaching.

Hirsch said that in the beginning of the school year, she’d spend a lot of time going over things that would normally take only five or 10 minutes. By now, though, the students have gotten into the swing of things quite well.

“They know what to expect,” Hirsch said.

“For the most part, a lot of my kids are bring-

ing the supplies necessary that they need to the different parts of the day.” Hirsch facilitates this by reminders in the daily morning meeting, setting up expectations for the day and going over the schedule.

Callahan agreed that routine is important. She added, though, that prep work takes a lot more time now that she’s teaching remotely. She tries to be ready for the next two weeks in advance, planning ahead because teaching via Zoom requires better preparation and new ways of doing things, especially when working with younger learners.

As for the eventual return of students to the classroom?

“We’re anxiously awaiting them to come back,” Stauder said.

Relationships built through Zoom classrooms will carry over into “real life,” the teachers agreed. And although there might be a few days of adjustment, since kids are used to getting up whenever they want to use the bathroom, for example, or walk around the house, they foresee a smooth transition.

Whittington said she’s saved a book to read to the students, a book she usually reads on the first day of school. It’s called “The Kissing Hand,” and it’s about students missing their parents when they’re at school.

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

Financial advisor publishes book on retirement ‘There is never a bad time to start’ brought to you by

Amid 2020’s Toll & Toil, Giving Thanks As we approach the holiday season, it’s safe to say that this year has brought challenging times to McAdam Landscaping. We are not alone in enduring hardships—this pandemic has been difficult on everyone.

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By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

aligns or not and how to work with both individuals on a common path going forward.

After that first step, Discover, the next three steps are Understand (including how to plug financial leaks and reduce risk), Choose (how to invest and make good financial decisions) and Implement (act on the personal solutions you’ve chosen).

Almost everyone can benefit from a financial planner or wealth manager, so what’s stopping people?

One misconception people have is that financial managers are only for the super wealthy, a necessity or luxury exclusive to those with a lot of money to manage. But Everett said that’s absolutely not the case.

“It doesn’t matter how much money you have,” she said. “And quite frankly, the less you have, the more important it is. We’ll take your bucket and plug all the holes … and if we can plug holes in your bucket, then even if you only have a small amount that you can contribute [to retirement] on a regular basis, it has a huge impact on you.”

Another reason some people shy away from financial planning, said Everett, is because they’re embarrassed. Perhaps they’ve mismanaged money in the past. Or maybe something beyond their control happened to cause money problems. She mentioned a couple in their sixties who had had medical expenses that set them back. They thought it was too late to figure out how to retire. But it’s never too late to make changes, Everett said, and she helped the couple get back on track.

“They’ll be able to retire and quite well,” she said. “But it took a whole lot of come to Jesus moments about what really needed to happen.”

And ignoring finances or financial problems won’t make them go away.

“If you’ve got a growth on your body somewhere, you need to open up your kimono and say, ‘Look what I’ve got’ in order to get it fixed. The same thing has to happen here,” said Everett. She said she herself was at a point in her life where she was going to lose everything “that had a dollar sign connected to it.”

“It was ugly,” Everett said. “Was it embarrassing? Yes. But you know what, so what? I had to deal with it, and that was thank god a million years ago, and we’ve recovered very well.”

No matter how bad things have gotten, there are ways to improve disastrous financial situations.

“There are always solutions,” Everett said. “And so whether it’s your own fault for making the mistake, or whether outside circumstances happen, there are do overs in life, there are solutions, and there are ways out to the other side. I’m a living testimony.”

Another reason people might avoid hiring a money advisor is because they think they can’t afford it. Everett said her benchmark to decide if she’ll work with someone is whether she’s confident she can financially help that person enough that they’ll recover the fee she charges for her services.

“This way, I’m never overcharging anyone,” Everett said. “And then they’ll refer me. And so I have a good, solid reputation in the community.”

As for her book, Everett says her only regret is not writing it sooner, and she has “at least another book” she plans to write, though for now she’s staying mum on the topic.

Chris Everett, founder of Everett Wealth Solutions in Forest Park, released a book last month. “The Prescription for a Healthy Retirement” is a guide to the basics of planning for retirement, something Everett and co-author Shon Peil know a lot about. Everett has been in the business of wealth and financial management for over 30 years.

In that time, Everett said she’s helped people from all walks of life, including those who have “a ton of money” to families that aren’t sure they can afford college, and everyone in between.

And when it comes to financial planning, “there is never a bad time to start,” Everett said.

“The underlying fundamental for everyone is not really knowing what they should know about their stuff,” she said. When she began to put together her advisory process, she realized that what people need to understand before anything else are the details of where they’re starting from.

“We take a deep dive and take a look at what’s going on,” Everett said. Most of the time, she said, people are surprised at what they have.

“Getting clarity is super helpful,” Everett said, because before you can make any changes, you need to understand your baseline.

She compared it to architecture. “You can’t build a house without good architectural drawings, and you can’t have a good financial plan, or make good financial decisions, without a good blueprint in place.”

Discovering where you’re starting from is the first in the four-step process Everett uses to work with clients. In the first step, clients take a look at what they’re currently doing and where they’re leaking money, sometimes without even knowing it.

But even before that stage, Everett has clients fill out a communication profile that helps her understand how an individual processes information, manages change, faces risk and solves problems. She uses an online test that takes about 10 minutes, “as long as you don’t overthink the darn thing,” she said. If she’s working with a couple, such as a husband and wife, she’ll Photo provided have them both take the test ‘DOCTOR’ CHRIS: Forest Park fi nancial planner Chris Everett recently coauthored and released the book separately because it’s important to know if their thinking “The Prescription for a Healthy Retirement.”

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

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Aggravated vehicular hijacking in alley

A 74-year-old woman was struck from behind by an unknown assailant who then stole her car in the alley of the 600 block of Marengo on Nov. 15 around noon. The woman, who was returning home from grocery shopping and visiting a friend, had backed her car into her garage, leaving it momentarily running while she threw something away in the garbage can.

She was struck from behind by an offender who then entered her running car and drove it away. The woman’s purse and phone were inside the car when it was stolen.

The crime was caught on a neighbor’s security camera.

Car going 90 on Roosevelt Road A car was paced at a speed of approximately 90 mph on the 8400 block of Roosevelt Road, where a sign indicated the construction speed limit was 30 mph, on Nov. 9 at 1:23 a.m. When the driver was pulled over, the officer noticed a strong smell of pot coming from the vehicle. The driver had approximately $1,800 in cash in his pants pocket, and his vehicle contained two bags of suspected cannabis, which was not in approved containers for transportation.

The man said he’d been parked on the 7600 block of Roosevelt Road because he was buying pot from a friend in the area. When he saw the police car do a U-turn, he admitted driving away quickly because he believed the officer would try to pull him over. He was given citations for speeding 35+ miles over the speed limit and for unlawful possession of cannabis.

Long John Silver’s defaced The abandoned Long John Silver’s restaurant at 123 Harlem Ave. was defaced with graffiti, which was observed

by police on Nov. 10 at 6:27 a.m. Many “words,” including “sumer,” “3AM,” “dawgy” and “WOW!” were spray painted in different colors on the building.

Firearm stolen from car A loaded 9mm handgun was stolen from a car on the 1000 block of Circle Avenue during the overnight hours of Nov. 6, but not reported to police until Nov. 10, when the victim reported the burglary.

The victim stated that his car was parked in back of his residence and someone broke the rear driver window. His black Taurus G2C Luger, with 12 rounds in the magazine (but none in the chamber), was missing from where he’d kept it inside the armrest. He hadn’t reported the theft immediately because he was caring for a family member in hospice care and had been busy, he reported.

Landscaper cited for illegal dumping A landscaping service was given a citation for illegally dumping leaves into the street on the 1000 block of Dunlop Avenue on Nov. 13 at 9:45 a.m. Landscapers from the service were observed dumping leaves from their truck into the street. The owner of the company was told that his landscapers are allowed to blow leaves into the street but cannot put leaves from their truck into the street.

Party bus riders ticketed for public urination Two men were issued citations for public urination when they exited a party bus at Thornton’s, 601 Harlem Ave., and went into the alley to relieve themselves on Nov. 15 at 1:28 a.m. The reporting officer had observed a large crowd exiting a party bus at the gas station and was tipped off that the

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two men were up to something when they headed toward the alley rather than the store with the other bus riders.

The officer followed them “to investigate their suspicious behavior.”

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, Nov. 9-15, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

Compiled by Maria Maxham

Library providing only ‘essential services’ as COVID cases rise Browsing suspended temporarily, vestibule pick-up available

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

The Forest Park Public Library announced that it will move into an “essential service” model of operations, closing the building to browsing and decreasing computersession use.

The change is under the guidance of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and other agencies, according to the library. Last week, Cook County released a stay-at-home advisory

for suburban Cook County, recommending residents leave their houses only for essential needs or business.

“The closure is intended to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus to keep our community and staff safe,” reads a release from the library.

Essential services include: ■ Vestibule pick up service ■ Virtual assistance by phone or email ■ Virtual events ■ Computer use (appointments recommended) ■ Drop-in copying and scanning ■ Virtual social work appointments ■ Personalized book recommendations ■ 24-hour Wi-Fi access outside the library ■ Book drop access to return items For more information, visit fppl.org/essentialservice/.

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

Light at the end of the tunnel Couple transitions from the street to their own apartment

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

Kim and Anthony, two former Forest Park residents, will feel especially grateful this Thanksgiving Day because a year ago they were sleeping in a tent in a secluded part of the village and panhandling for money on the ramps where Harlem crosses I-290.

Two weeks ago, they moved into an apartment.

How they got off the street and into their own home is a variation on the adage, “It takes a village” to do more than raise a child.

“Kim and I got lucky,” Anthony explained, “and met some angels.”

One of those angels was a Forest Parker named Melanie who on a hot, muggy day in July 2019 felt compassion for the panhandlers sweating in the hot sun. She responded by buying some bottled water at Thornton’s and walking up to the ramps.

“I had no clue what I was doing,” she recalled. “I knew nothing about homelessness.

I just saw that they were very exposed out on the ramps, and I heard a direct message — I believe from a power higher than me — to get off my butt and do what I could.”

One of panhandlers she met was named Kim who not only accepted the gift of water but engaged in a conversation. And that was the beginning of a friendship that has lasted till this day and also the beginning of Melanie’s growing awareness of what it is like to be homeless and how hard it is to leave it behind.

“I came to know them well,” she said, “and what they faced was a living hell. You have no idea that day if you will eat or not, and you can’t always find a place to sleep.

Anthony was stabbed once, Kim regularly being asked to do sex acts she had no interest in doing.

“They were insulted on a daily basis by people driving by and saying ‘I hate homeless people. You’re all losers. Get a job.’”

Melanie bristled when she added, “I challenge anyone, myself included, to live on the street for one week with no support and then tell homeless people to get a job. How do you get a job when you have no phone, and therefore employers can’t call you back? How are you supposed to go to a job interview when you don’t have access to a shower, have no clean clothes and are exhausted because you slept literally on concrete the night before?”

She knew that homelessness was a complex issue before she met Kim and Anthony, but reading a book on the subject and knowing statistics is different than knowing people personally.

Melanie has more empathy than answers for her friends.

“I care about them,” she said, “and so it’s been very painful to watch them suffer. I don’t always agree with their decisions and, more than that, I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time in my attempts to help them.”

In addition to helping the couple out from time to time with money, a sandwich or a ride to an appointment, Melanie also encouraged them to ask for help from Housing Forward, which they did. The nonprofit responded by not only supplying them with a room at the Carleton Inn in Oak Park, but also by providing them with meals on most days, Link Cards, Ventra passes and doctor appointments.

From the Carleton they were moved into a room at the Write Inn in October and began an interim program designed to move formerly homeless people out of shelters into their own housing. Dannette, their first case worker, more or less took them by the hand and led them step by step toward the goal of moving into an apartment.

While Kim and Anthony were grateful for a comfortable place with a shower to return to every night, they also found the structure and rules that went with the program difficult to abide by. Kim admitted there is a certain freedom that goes with being homeless. You don’t have to punch a time clock, and you have don’t have to follow rules in the workplace or an apartment building.

Anthony added that even if you do not have a diagnosed mental illness when you start living on the street, that lifestyle quickly changes you.

“When you have been homeless for a while,” he explained, “it’s hard to get back into society, into a structured environment.”

“It was really tough,” he recalled. “Housing Forward required a lot out of us. Dannette told us that if we did not show evidence of accomplishing something toward the goal of becoming independent every time we met, this program wasn’t for us.”

One expectation early on was that the two get state IDs, a document necessary for jobs, opening bank accounts, and many other steps on the way to independence.

When they arrived at the DMV center, what they found was a line wrapping around the building. After three hours they finally arrived at the facility’s door where an agent told them that they did not have the correct paperwork.

“I started to panic,” said Kim, who admits to having issues with anxiety. “Dannette will have our butts. She had threatened us that this is our last chance.”

They entered the center despite what the gatekeeper had told them and were received by an employee who was more understanding and who took care of getting them the identification they needed.

In many ways, Dannette was playing the role of a parent and treating Kim and Anthony like children, which is what often happens in other recovery programs and which

File photo

HOMECOMING: With the help of Housing Forward, Kim (left) and Anthony moved from a tent near I-290 to an apartment.

Anthony later acknowledged was what they needed.

“Without Dannette being so hard on us,” he admitted, “we would not have gotten our IDs, insurance, and into counseling. Her tough love was the only reason we have made it this far. She kept us in line and gave us the structure to move forward.”

Anthony’s comment illustrates the balance Housing Forward tries to maintain in their attempt to help homeless people transition from living on the street to having their own place. Jeremiah, the couple’s present caseworker, compared the process to learning to ride a bicycle. He said Housing Forward will provide the training wheels you need as you learn how to ride but at some point the training wheels come off and you have to ride on your own.

Kim and Anthony moved into their own apartment in Northlake on Nov. 6, but that’s only halfway “home.” Jeremiah explained that Housing Forward will take care of their rent for November and December but after that, they will have to start carrying a portion of the load. Housing Forward will require them to begin contributing 30 percent of their gross income from the employment they find, and the nonprofit will assist them in finding jobs, so they can continue on the path toward independence.

Both Jeremiah and the formerly homeless couple acknowledged there have been bumps in the road. Kim and Anthony have made mistakes and have not always been disciplined. Housing Forward has limited

resources and has not always been able to give them what they hoped to provide.

On the one hand, Kim and Anthony are excited to finally be off the street and in their own home. They are immensely grateful to Housing Forward, Anthony’s mother, Melanie, and other angels who have helped them get this far. On the other hand, the two of them admit to being scared because they now have increased accountability and more responsibility for paying the bills.

Melanie, reflecting on her experience with Kim and Anthony during the last 16 months, said, “Homelessness is a confusing and difficult trap to get out of. A lot of the responsibility for doing so lies with them, but they can’t do it alone. It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to get homeless people off the street.”

Regarding how this has impacted her, she said, “I am completely convinced that I was meant to meet Kim and Anthony. Meeting them has brought out of me my need for God and my need to desperately pray for assistance that I cannot give. When I feel that what I am doing might not be what they really need, I need to stop and leave room for God to work a miracle.”

Mindful that Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner, she said, “If I am being used by God to help someone else, what a profound privilege. I am the one who has benefited from knowing them. They have given me the gift of their friendship.”

Editor’s note: Melanie is the wife of reporter Tom Holmes.

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

YOGA

It’s for everyone from page 1 chest up, in a fight-or-flight state, Satcher said.

“A lot of the violence an d anger like incidents of road rage are mini-mental breakdowns and they happen, because people don’t know how to find stillness,” he said.

Satcher teaches yoga through A Leading Man, a business he founded that merges the arts and wellness. He said he wants to persuade more African Americans to take advantage of yoga for its mental and physical benefits.

By pure serendipity, Satcher found a fellow African American yoga enthusiast to help him in that mission. After teaching on Facebook for a while, Satcher put out a call for other yoga teachers to accompany him during an outdoor class.

Batya Emunaw Walker, 41, who owns EmunawB Yoga, was the only yoga instructor who responded, he said. The two instructors gelled instantly.

“Batya’s mother was at that class and afterward, she walked up to the both of us and said, ‘You all don’t know what you just did,” Satcher recalled. “She gave us permission to keep teaching together. She said, ‘Where else can you find a Black man and Black woman working together and teach-

practiced at a known yoga studio that was ing yoga?”

In the several months since that first majority white,” she said. “Of course, I’m class, Satcher and Walker have taught to- eye-balled as soon as I walk in the door. But gether all over the west suburbs, including yoga, to me, is being able to be comfortable in Proviso Township. They now both teach in uncomfortable spaces. Allow yourself to regular classes at Urban Pioneer Group in feel whatever you feel in whatever space you’re in. Yoga is finding that stillness in Forest Park.

Walker, who lives in Bellwood, said she me. Nothing else matters outside of that. If wants to cultivate an atmoI can provide my students that stillness for sphere in her yoga classes that is more welcoming than the ones she entered when she was just getting into yoga seven years ago.

“I started back in 2013,” she said. “My employer at the time offered it up to us for a health and wellness month. At the time, I was going through a divorce, along with a whole bunch of stuff we, as humans go through, and yoga taught me how to calm my mind, because I was doing too much and carrying weight that wasn’t mine.”

Walker said it wasn’t always comfortable being a Black person in a Photo provided yoga studio.

“When I was first Walker and Satcher are spreading the message that yoga is for getting into yoga, I everyone.

9

that hour, then I’ve done my job.”

Walker said she hadn’t imagined herself becoming an instructor when she started out, but in 2018, someone suggested the possibility.

“Never in a million years did I think I’d be teaching yoga,” she said.

Now, Walker teaches yoga full-time and has even provided instruction for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Satcher, an actor with an MFA in theatre, said when he started doing yoga, he was 275 pounds “and I needed a spark, something different. I was in a stage reading and a couple of my cast members were yogis. So, I went to a class with one of my castmates and from then on yoga became something that was part of my lifestyle.”

Satcher said that his interest in yoga got more serious four years ago. He’s been teaching yoga for roughly a year, he said.

Now, his mission is to see more Black people realize the benefits of yoga.

“My vision is to see Black people practicing yoga,” Satcher said. “It’s a mental and spiritual benefit for all. So, we’d like to bring yoga to places you don’t normally see yoga, with people you don’t normally see practicing yoga. We know there’s a soccer mom stigma with yoga — this notion that it’s only for soccer moms — but it’s really for all people.”

For more information on Satcher’s A Leading Man, visit: aleadingmanproductions.com.

For more information on EmunawB Yoga, visit: emunawbyoga.com.

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

Why these local leaders joined the GCM board Independent, fact-based, local news is the fabric that holds our community together – we cannot take it for granted and we must support it.

Judy Greffin Board chair

AN UPDATE Growing Community Media’s Challenge We’ve met our first level challenge

$11,500 from the national NewsMatch foundation

MATCHED BY OUR READERS That’s $23,000 for our independent community newsroom.

I’ve called lots of cities home and have always turned to local news publications to help me get to know a new community. I joined the GCM board so our neighbors will always have the news and information they need to live their lives and engage in the community.

Sheila Solomon Now more than ever, I believe independent local journalism is essential to keeping us engaged in our democracy and connected to one another.

Deb Abrahamson

For far too long my West Side community and neighbors have been wrongfully disadvantaged by a narrative told about us and our home without our side being told. News media outlets have a responsibility to reflect resident experiences in the most authentic way possible but how can this be achieved without a way to hear directly from them. GCM’s focus on empowering Austin and other westside residents to take control and ownership of our own narrative by reporting the news and history from our perspective can provide us with a medium and platform to be more justly represented.

Darnell Shields

And now, our Growing Community Media

board of directors has added its own $10,000 challenge

I believe Growing Community Media is an important asset to the communities we serve.

Gary Collins

Help us reach the next level.

Every dollar you donate now will be doubled. *Make a monthly recurring donation and it will be matched 12x!

To donate,

visit www.forestparkreview.com/donate

Independent community journalism contributes to a vibrant democracy and a civil society, two things that are being threatened on a daily basis. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that GCM is able to produce trusted journalism rooted in facts, promote civic discourse and connect our diverse community.

Eric Weinheimer

With all of the changes in the media environment we must all work to keep journalism alive and thriving to offer accountability and transparency. For me, Growing Community Media represents an experiment to make it succeed at a local level.

I want to help ensure the success of this experiment for the communities that I love.

Nile Wendorf

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

Union employees agree to two more months with no raises Third side-letter agreement approved by village council

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Forest Park clerical union employees agreed to forgo their raises for two more months due to COVID-19 financial difficulties faced by the village.

At the Nov. 9 village council meeting, Mayor Rory Hoskins and the four commissioners voted unanimously to approve the side letter agreement between the village and AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), which includes village clerical staff.

The agreement specifies that AFSCME employees will forgo 2.5 percent raises for another two months, through Dec. 31, 2020.

The village agrees not to lay off any union employees before Jan. 1, 2021. Work hours and schedules may be changed, though a

full-time employee’s hours can’t be reduced per pay period by more than eight hours. To avoid a reduction in work hours, duties outside an employee’s normal job description may be assigned.

Since the pandemic hit, this is the third side letter agreement entered into between the village and AFSCME, which has agreed to similar terms – including a raise freeze – twice already. Raises were initially due on May 1, but AFSCME agreed to postpone them until Aug. 1. The union then agreed to a second raise freeze through Oct. 31. In total, AFSCME has put their raises on hold for eight months.

In May, the firefighters’ union, Local 2753, agreed to postpone their 2.5 percent raises due May 1, as did the automobile mechanics’ union, which only included one employee.

The police department negotiated a 1.75 percent raise effective May 1 instead of the 2.75 percent raise promised in their contract.

In August, the firefighters and AFSCME agreed to freeze raises a second time, through Oct. 31.

AFSME’s raises will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally Suburban Cook County under stay-at-home advisory

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Last week, there were 53 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Forest Park, a 136 percent rise in confirmed cases in the past two weeks.

In total, there have been 540 confirmed cases among Forest Park residents since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH). The town has seen 13 resident deaths from COVID-19.

Suburban Cook County, which includes Forest Park, is part of Region 10 in Illinois’ division of the state to control COVID-19.

Region 10 has seen a steady increase in the 7-day rolling positivity rate of COVID, reaching 15.9 percent on Nov. 13. The threshold set by the state is 8 percent.

The region has experienced nine days of hospital admission increases on a 7-day rolling average, according to CCPDH. However, hospital bed capacity is still above the state-

set threshold. Medical surge bed availability is at 24 percent and ICU bed availability at 30 percent; the threshold for both is 20 percent.

Currently, Region 10 is under a stay-athome advisory under guidance put out by the CCDPH on Nov. 13. The guidance recommends the following: ■ Stay Home. Residents are encouraged to stay home except for non-essential activities, such as work, school, getting tested for COVID-19, getting a flu shot, or getting groceries. When out, wear a mask. Avoid close contact with others and stay 6 feet away from people who don’t live with you. Wash your hands often.

■ Limit gatherings. Don’t attend or host parties or gatherings with people who don’t live in your household. This includes postponing holiday gatherings or hosting virtual celebrations instead.

■ Limit travel. Don’t engage in non-essential travel.

■ Work from home. Anyone who can work from home should do so.

“Now more than ever, we must come together to stay apart,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin, CCDPH senior medical officer and co-lead.

“We know limiting gatherings with friends and family can be hard, but we also know that virtual celebrations will save lives.”

11

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Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

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13

Review editor’s swab forward report on her rapid COVID test 600 tests available, for a charge, Wednesday and Saturday in River Forest Oh, and she’s negative

By MARIA MAXHAM Editor

Details about Covid Concierge’s testing in River Forest on Nov. 18 and 21 can be found at the bottom of the article. Testing is not restricted to RF residents.

Last week, I found out that someone I’d been in “close contact” with a few days prior (talking for at least 15 minutes without masks within six feet of one another) had just tested positive for COVID-19.

Cases have been skyrocketing locally, so I immediately set up quarantine in my basement and decided to get tested.

I looked online to find somewhere to go for a test, and I was surprised at the lack of availability of testing.

Places like CVS provide COVID-19 testing at many locations, but appointments are required, and they were booked out days in advance. Same with Rush and other nearby clinics and hospital. Did I really want to wait almost a week to make an appointment for a test, the results of which I wouldn’t get for days after?

I finally settled on Loretto Hospital in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

There, the tests are free, which wasn’t necessary for me, though is a requirement for many people. The hospital is close by. And, most importantly, no appointment was required.

I showed up around 8:45 a.m. for testing that began at 9. There were probably about 100 people already in line, and it was cold outside, a chilly morning after several days of unseasonably warm weather. Over the course of about two hours, I advanced from black sidewalk marking to black sidewalk marking, each one measuring the distance I needed to stay from other people in line. We were all wearing masks.

As I rounded the corner of the hospital, I saw that the testing was taking place in a canvas tent in the parking lot. Workers coming and leaving the tent were in full protective gear, and I wanted to joke with the people near me in line that it felt like a postapocalyptic novel, but we were keeping our 6-foot distance and not talking.

Finally, I made it to the front of the line and was waved into the tent. I was ushered to a chair. My paperwork hung on a string in front of me, a detail that seemed even more dystopian, and I double-checked to make sure my name was on it. I bent back my head and had my nose swabbed. I was told to leave.

“When will I get results?” I asked. If positive, said the woman who’d swabbed me, I’d receive a call within five days. If negative, I wouldn’t get a call, but I could show up and wait in a different line in exactly a week to request a copy of my results.

I went home knowing no more than I had when I left my house that morning and unsure when I’d get an answer. Two days later, I still had no news.

And then, coincidentally, a week now since exposure, and still unsure if I’d contracted COVID, I read an email from my boss about a rapid COVID testing program coming to River Forest. I was to do a story on it.

Lee Neubecker, River Forest resident and chair of the village’s Economic Development Commission, has organized a rapid COVID-19 testing event in town on two dates, Nov. 18 and 21. Neubecker talked about his involvement with Concierge Covid, the group that’s coming to administer the tests, and about the benefits of rapid testing to help stop the spread of COVID. Neubecker said he’d organized the drive-up rapid testing in River Forest because of his own experience trying in vain to find somewhere to get tested quickly.

Neubecker’s story shared some similarities with mine. At the end of October, he spiked a fever and tried to find somewhere to get a rapid test. He wanted to know right away if he was positive. But he couldn’t find anywhere to go that didn’t require an appointment and wasn’t booked out days in advance.

That’s when he called Matt Schipper, who had recently started a business running rapid COVID tests. Schipper swabbed Neubecker that day. The result was positive, and Neubecker immediately quarantined himself.

Neubecker put me in touch with Schipper, and I drove into the city that afternoon for a test. *** “It’s kind of like waiting for a pregnancy test in high school,” said Schipper as he put three drops of a solution that my nasal swab had been swirled in into a hole on a plastic testing device.

It did resemble a pregnancy test. The control line showed up right away, an indication that the test was functioning properly, but we had to wait 15 minutes to see if a second line would appear; if it did, I had COVID. If not, I was fine.

“With some people, that second line shows up right away,” said Schipper. “You know

immediately they have it.” Some of those people, he said, reported having no symptoms. He said he always goes back and asks if they’re sure they had no signs.

“Well,” they sometimes say, “I couldn’t smell my coffee this morning. But other than that, not really.”

But loss of smell is a widely recognized symptom, said Schipper. It’s certainly on all the “common symptoms of COVID” lists.

And some of these people, who don’t have symptoms or don’t recognize their symptoms, are going about business like usual.

In other words, these people are not all quarantining, and are potentially spreading COVID wherever they go.

Schipper is young and energetic. He’s got a great sense of humor, and he’s smart. His office is in the old Jam Productions building in Old Town, and Schipper has a history in the music and entertainment arena. He’s CEO of Event Medical Solutions, a company that provides full medical teams and risk assessment at major music and sporting events. They handle Lollapalooza every year. Soldier Field. They were hired by the City of Chicago to run McCormick Place’s Special Operations Response Management Team at the onset of COVID. But with summer events being cancelled due to COVID, Schipper had to pause and rethink. The more he talked to people, the more he realized that there was a lack of availability of quick, same-day COVID testing.

And thus, he formed Covid Concierge, a business through which he provides rapid COVID testing to families and sports teams.

To businesses. To organizations – and individuals – needing quick and accurate testing.

“We want to provide same day testing with no wait,” Schipper said. More than that, he provides follow-up with the people he tests.

“We don’t just swab and let you leave,” said Schipper. Positive results are delivered along with instructions to quarantine, including how long it should be done and what to do if symptoms worsen. Positive results for a person who’s asymptomatic include a second test, this one run through the lab, to ensure that the rapid result was accurate. *** My test had been waiting 15 minutes, and there was no second line. But Schipper fed the strip into a machine.

“It leaves the guesswork out,” he said.

“Eliminates human error.” In a few seconds, my result showed on the screen.

Negative.

I knew that there was still a chance I would become positive (symptoms can show up any time between two days and two weeks), but it had been a week since my exposure, and odds were I hadn’t contracted it.

Getting quick results is essential in stopping the spread of COVID, Schipper said.

“The denial of 20-somethings about COVID blows my mind,” he added. He said he’s seen people with symptoms that think they don’t have it until they see the positive result. And that, he said, is dangerous, because they go around exposing other people.

What he likes about rapid tests, and why he’s invested in them, is because they give immediate results that kind of slap people in the face with the truth (my words, not his), that wake them up to the fact that they need to stay home. They also stop the fear; there’s no need to wait for days to find out if you have COVID or not.

The fact is that anyone exposed should quarantine regardless of whether or not they take a test. But the truth is that not everyone does. Having access to a quick test and immediate results provides a concrete answer, a definite way to let someone know they need to stay home.

This week, with kids returning from colleges and Thanksgiving approaching, Schipper wants to offer the opportunity for people locally to get rapidly tested.

It might be safer not to gather for Thanksgiving at all. Gov. J. B. Pritzker recommends smaller and virtual celebrations this year, as cases around the state spike.

So if you are going to gather with family, getting tested beforehand makes sense.

Sure, you could have contracted the illness after your test. Or tested too soon. There are no guarantees.

But if you want a test before digging into pie with your family, or want to make sure you don’t need to lock your college kid in the basement for a week, here’s how to get tested in River Forest: ■ Covid Concierge will be offering rapid COVID-19 testing at First Presbyterian Church of River Forest (7551 Quick Ave.) on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 21. On each date, 300 tests will be administered, and pre-registration is required at covidconcierge.us.

■ You do not need to be a River Forest resident to register.

■ The tests cost $175, payable by cash or credit card. Covid Concierge will provide a receipt with a CPT code that can be submitted to insurance. Check with your insurance company to see if it will be covered.

■ Test results will be emailed within two to three hours of testing.

■ Anyone can register and be tested regardless of symptoms. Tests are done via a nasal swab.

For information on other testing options, including free testing, the Village of River Forest has a list at vrf.us/news/item/389.

14

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

OPINION O U R

V I E W

The ‘make-sense test’

W

e should all aspire to actions that pass the “make-sense test.” And last week Forest Park’s village council and the park board aced that exam by formalizing a lease — 99 years for a buck — that turns over the operation and maintenance of four village-owned pocket parks to the park district.

This is one of those small, obvious moves that somehow never got made until now. The Review has been asking for decades why the village government was operating tiny little neighborhood parks in a small town with a park district.

Tim Gillian, Forest park native, former village commissioner, and longtime village administrator, said last week as the deal got done, “For the life of me, as someone who’s been around a long time, I can’t tell you exactly why the village didn’t do this before.”

Ultimately, Gillian gets credit from all sides for smoothing this move. And Jackie Iovinelli, executive director at the park district, gets props for bringing a sense of possibility and ambition to a park district toolong bound by the borders of “The Park” on Harrison.

The pocket park transfer, and there may still be a parcel or two added to the pact, will allow these odd corner patches to be gradually upgraded and given more purpose. Adding these potential gems in a town lacking park space is encouraging on all fronts here.

And we lay down this challenge: Eventually there will be movement on the 11 acres the village owns adjacent to the Altenheim. We expect there will be some development on the site. We fully expect the majority of the land will be maintained as open space for public use. Consider the pocket parks a warmup for a fully collaborative effort between the village and parks and interested citizens on the future of the Altenheim space.

Teaching from home There’s no normal right now. COVID-19 does not allow normal. And so despite the impulses of educators and parents to somehow reopen classrooms part time, or at least to have teachers in their classrooms not their spare bedrooms, our local school districts have made the right choice, the only choice, and have sent teachers home to Zoom to our kids.

District 91 elementary schools made the choice — which was a sharp U-turn — last week. District 209 Proviso High Schools took the same action after thoroughly angering their teachers by forcing them back into the schools a few weeks earlier.

The pandemic calls for many virtues at a time when we are all more fried than virtuous. We need to stay nimble because we’re not in control. We need to stay kind and generous toward others because none of us are in control. We need to stay determined while allowing some simmering frustration and anger because right now and for some time ahead this virus is in control.

I

Speaking truth to those who only hear fake news

keep thinking about the former subscriber who called to cancel her subscription in Riverside, after fuming for a week about the article, “Pandemic forces campaigners to get creative: Local residents writing postcards, phone banking in swing state races.”

See, she explained that this article only featured creative campaigns of Democrats.

The Landmark even had a photo that had a Biden-Harris campaign sign in the background. She made her voice heard by cancelling the Riverside Brookfield Landmark.

I immediately spoke to the editor, Bob Uphues, about the published column. He said they had reached out to several local Republicans, but there was no creative campaigning locally that he could find.

The story’s “news” was about campaigning in a pandemic. If COVID-19 is a wellcoordinated, political plot by Democrats, then yes, I could see why she saw the story could be a reflection of “fake news media.”

I respectfully called her back, not to convince her to resubscribe, just to let her know that in doing the story, local Republicans were contacted but were not campaigning creatively; some were not campaigning at all, which was why it was not included in the creative campaign article. I hoped it would help her understand that it was not an attempt to usurp her candidate.

Instead, it validated her. At her Riverside home, she couldn’t even put a Trump sign in her yard, because her “Biden-Harris, Black-Lives-Matter, socialist neighbors,” would burn her house down.

While overwhelmingly, block by block, the majority of homes in the area do not have campaign signs, those that do paint the area blue. There was one condo balcony in Forest Park that proudly supported Trump and there is a house in River Forest with multiple Trump flags hanging high from their wide lawn’s hundredyear-old oak trees, but by far the “Bye, Don,” or “BidenHarris” signs were (and still are) all over our area. As of today, those proud Republican homes are still standing, no sparks flying, no black-lives-matter-socialist-neighbors out demanding their neighbors be silent or their homes will burn.

In case you were wondering, a house was burned in

Idaho, she said.

Empathy. I know I should empathize and try to understand her fear. I am stuck. The casual erosion of confidence in American systems, the breakdown of trust that has infected our whole American democracy. The trust that mail delivery occurs, to our door, six days a week; that leaf pickup will happen on Sunday night; that garbage will be taken away every Thursday; that clean drinking water will run in our home; and, yes, a small local media company will have a 700-word story about creative campaigning by local people and their 15-year-old child in a national presidential election. In addition, this media offers space for everyone to voice their opinions, and they are not limited to 280 characters.

The morning of Election Day, I went to Betsy Ross and saw Susan and Jim, people I know because they have been poll workers there as long as I can remember. Civil servants, dedicated to democracy. That morning I received a text from Officer O’Connor to let me know the Historical Society Little Free Library in honor of 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote was damaged overnight. He even offered to fix the box after he got off work. Civil servant, dedicated to community well-being. I believe in my neighbors, I trust my community, I have faith in democracy.

I cannot change the former subscriber’s point of view, and now she isn’t even open to reading anything marked with the scarlet letter of the “Landmark.” As I listen to the NPR podcast, “No Compromise,” I wonder how we Americans can find common ground and what our local media can do to help bridge that gap. Our country is flawed, our communities are flawed, always have been, and as humans, we are also flawed, always have been, and will continue to be.

As Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Democracy is dirty and messy and requires so much listening and adjusting; I hope we can have conversations, and can do the work.

It starts right here, across our alleys, on our own blocks, in our own neighborhoods.

JILL WAGNER

L E T T E R S

T O

Letters to the editor should include the author’s first and last name, town of residence and phone number for authorization purposes only. The Review will not publish phone numbers. All letters are subject to editing for space and content purposes and typically will be printed in the order they are

T H E

E D I T O R

received. While the Review does not impose a word limit, we encourage comments be held to 300 words.

Letters to the editor can be received by e-mail at ktrainor@wjinc.com, or by mail to Forest Park Review, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, Ill., 60302.

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

The rewards of shopping local are many

T

he holidays will certainly look different this year. In normal times, some 50 million Americans typically travel at least 50 miles for Thanksgiving dinner, according to AAA. That number soars to about 115 million during the December holidays. For most of us, large family gatherings for the holidays will be replaced by celebrations of a smaller nature, involving loved ones we currently spend time with because we occupy the same home.

There’s plenty of research and speculation on holiday shopping trends for 2020, but recent spikes of the virus make it difficult for anyone to predict. I don’t have stats but it’s no secret that consumers are shopping online in greater numbers.

Shopping online was offered by many of our local businesses long before March, while others quickly pivoted to get online stores up and running — and that’s a really good thing. E-commerce is growing for many reasons, not least of which is the current pandemic, and with more small businesses offering online shopping, consumers can easily support them.

And that’s what we must do.

Helping small business is good for everyone always … and the benefits of shopping small extend far beyond times of crisis. Supporting a small business helps secure the future of other local small businesses. A local insurance broker, for instance, hires a local design firm. Inde-

pendent businesses return more money to the community. A local small business owner donates to the Forest Park Food Pantry or sponsors a Little League team. Small business owners give back to the community in countless ways.

From retail shops, restaurants and professional services, small businesses lend character and individuality to our town.

Their products are unique, customer service is exceptional, and we’re largely on a first-name basis with many of the owners.

At this very moment, many of us are thinking about what we’re going to do for dinner. Grab the phone and call a local restaurant directly — even if you have to pick up your order. Making your holiday shopping list? Think local first. Don’t care to shop online or not comfortable shopping in person? Just call. They’ll help you get what you’re looking for. That’s the beauty of buying from a small business.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to do business with someone I know. A person I can actually speak with. A family that is passionate about their business. There’s nothing more frustrating than automated “service” when you need something from a business you’re patronizing.

We have choices … and good ones! We can support small businesses even while we’re socially distanced.

As often as you can, make the choice to shop local and support our small businesses. The rewards are substantial.

LAURIE KOKENES

O B I T U A R Y

Flora Martini, 96 Forest Park resident Flora Martini (nee Fasano), 96, of Forest Park, died on Nov. 13, 2020. Born on Feb. 21, 1924, she was the wife of the late Albert G.; the mother of Jean (the late Art) Schmidt, Carlotta Martini, and George (the late Charisse) Martini; grandmother of Gina (James) Swan, Victoria (Mark) Hofstetter, and Dean (Amelia) Martini; great-grandmother of Michael and Matthew Swan, Andrew, Ava and Aaron Hofstetter, and Baby-to-Be Martini; and sister of Gloria (the late William) Schweinher and Jean (Carl) Tristano.

She was preceded in death by her siblings, John (the late Rose) Fasano, Loretta (the late Ray) Freda, Philip (the late Rose) Fasano, Edward (the late Mary) Fasano and Eleanor (the late George) Becker.

Services were held on Nov. 16 at St. Bernardine Church, followed by interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the family would be appreciated.

Arrangements were handled by Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home.

FLORA MARTINI

Sponsored Content

Nathaniel Rateliff Featured Artist in Concert to Help End Hunger NATHANIEL RATELIFF

B

eyond Hunger is thrilled to announce Nathaniel Rateliff as the featured talent for this year’s Virtual Benefit Concert to help end hunger. On Saturday November 21st Rateliff will spotlight works from his new critically acclaimed album “And It’s Still All Right” a very personal musical journey about hardship and finding joy through life’s struggles.

Opening for Rateliff is Chicago favorite and vocal powerhouse Shemekia Copeland accompanied

by Ronnie Baker Brooks. Copeland will highlight new works from her October 23rd release of “Uncivil War”,

an album already receiving critical acclaim.

Both featured acts strike an emotional cord in relation to our community’s recent challenges related to the Pandemic and civil unrest.

Following the show, VIP Backstage Pass ticket holders have exclusive entry into a special, live, question and answer session with Rateliff, moderated by esteemed radio blues icon Tom Marker.

The entire night will be broadcast for ticketholders so that they may enjoy the rocking and poignantly moving

15

Blues and Americana performances all from the comfort of their own homes.

Proceeds from the virtual concert event directly benefit the hunger relief efforts of Beyond Hunger. Located in the near-west suburbs of Chicago, Beyond Hunger provides nutritious groceries and social services support to sustain struggling families, serving more than 40,000 individuals each year.

This special benefit concert to end hunger is made possible special thanks to sponsors The Moller Family Foundation, The Reedy Family Foundation, and WXRT.

SHEMEKIA COPELAND

To purchase tickets and help put food on families’ tables this holiday season visit gobeyondhunger.org/ events.

16

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM New local ads this week

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Place your ad online anytime at: www.ForestParkReview.com/Classified/

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REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST, FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO

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BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM HELP WANTED

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River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking a Part-time School Social Worker (One Day a Week) Qualifications: a) Valid State of Illinois Professional Educator License b) Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) preferred Job Duties: The School Social Worker provides needs-based behavioral and social-emotional services to the students, parents, and faculty/staff of a school. The role includes, but is not limited to, individual and group counseling with students; direct and indirect consultation with students and teachers; assessment, behavior planning and intervention implementation and monitoring; and universal screening/prevention of behavioral & social-emotional concerns. The individual hired for this position will be required to develop ISP goals, monitor progress towards goals and participate in annual reviews and re-evaluations as needed.

The School Social Worker hired for this position will work with D90’s team and provide services at one of the private and parochial schools located in River Forest. The social worker will collaborate with parents, faculty and administration at the private and parochial school to meet the needs of students. This individual fulfills the requirements of the role as stated in Rules and Regulations for Special Education. Apply online at district90.org ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER PART-TIME Part-time Electrician’s Helper.

Must have own transportation.

Call for more info.

708-738-3848 PART TIME DRIVER Local Co looking for Part time Driver.

Must be able to lift 75lbs, Valid Drivers License.

Hours 6 am til 12 pm.

Email HR@sievertelectric.com PERSONAL ASSISTANTS TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Progress Center is hosting five personal assistant orientations in November. Personal Assistants earn $13.48 an hour to support people with disabilities so that they may live independently in their own homes, instead of institutions. Duties may include dressing, bathing, cooking, toileting, and cleaning. The orientations will be over zoom on November 13 (9:30 a.m.), 17 (9:30 a.m.), 21 (10 a.m.), 24 (9:30 a.m.), and 30 (9:30 a.m.). For information, contact garnold@progresscil or 708-2091500.

TEACHER AND TEACHER AIDE MINI ME BUNCH seeks teacher and teacher aide to enhance and expand daycare serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Teacher must have at least Associates’ degree in Early Childhood Education. Minimum 1 year experience preferred in each position. Must love children and be outgoing, patient, flexible.

Contact 773-521-9499.

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK 2BR 2BA CONDO Condo for rent on a great location near downtown oak park: 2 bedroom 2 bath condo, only electric bill not included. $1400 a month, $1400 deposit. For more information please call 224-475-7929.

OAK PARK: ROOSEVELT/ OAK PARK AVE. CORRIDOR 2BR 4RMS close to blue line. On site laundry, parking, heat & water incl. $1200/ month 708-383-9223

SUBURBAN RENTALS

COMMERCIAL/ RETAIL SPACE

COMMERCIAL/ RETAIL SPACE

A RETAIL SPACE FOR RENT–

1635 Sq Ft. IN SHOPPING CENTER: 315–325 S. Harlem Ave., Forest Park, IL.

• Very Good Condition–Recent Updates: NEW: Ceiling/floor tiles, basebrds, HVAC Unit, bath lav & sink/faucet, drywall. White primed walls throughout. • Suitable for almost ANY business type.

• Heavy traffic area; Across: Rush-Oak Park Hosp.

No Agents, pls. CALL: Jim (708) 828-6491

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. *1116 sq. ft. suite *569 sq. ft. with patio OAK PARK–1053 Lake St. *Entire 3rd Floor, 1275 sq. ft.

OAK PARK– 6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. *3 and 5 room office suites Strand& & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011 www.ForestParkReview.com

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

ITEMS FOR SALE BENCH PRESS WITH WEIGHTS York set includes (4) 3 lb weights; (9) 5 lb weights; (7) 10 lb weights; (2) 50 lb weights together with poles. $79.00 708-488-8755 SMALL CHEST Small plastic chest with six dustproof drawers. Pretty burnt orange color, like new. 33”h x 12”d x 15”w.

708-488-8755 SMALL METAL FILE CABINET 13”w x 30”h x 10”d. 6 skinny drawers.

708-488-8755

CEMETERY PLOTS TWO BURIAL PLOTS WOODLAWN (2) burial plots at Woodlawn Cemetery side by side. Located in Birchwood Section. $5000 for both 847-858-7726 Andytarnoff@comcast.net

ITEMS TO BE GIVEN AWAY FREE SPINET PIANO You arrange and pay for mover.

708-383-7993

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

You have jobs. We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified! Call 708-613-3342.

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

FIREWOOD

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Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available

HANDYMAN HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

www. suregreen landscape.com

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING

Credit Cards Accepted

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

HANDYMAN

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers

Mike’s Home Repair

Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

PUBLIC NOTICES

P

Ask for John

847-888-9999 Order online:

PAINTING & DECORATING

773-637-0692

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

708-296-2060

Lost & Found, Items for Sale, and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

ELECTRICAL

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive Bids from experienced vendors for auto/truck transmission repairs during the calendar year 2021 pursuant to the Request for Bids.

Sealed Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2021 Auto/Truck Transmission Repair Bid Number: 21-104 Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oakpark.us/bid or at the Public Works Center at the address listed above.

Due to COVID-19 separation protocols, the Oak Park Public Works Center is closed to the public. To hand deliver proposals, proposers may leave their proposals in the Public Works mailbox or call 708.358.5700 and a representative will accept the bid package at the door. There will not be a formal “bid opening” for the contract. Electronic signatures will be accepted on all documents.

Information is also available from the contact person, Fleet Services Superintendent, Ken Crowley CAFM, CPFP, at 708-358-5700 or kcrowley@oak-park.us.

The deadline for questions is 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 25 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 3:00 P.M. Monday, November 30, 2020.

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified.

708-488-9411

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

Attention! Homeimprovement pros!

Reach the people making decisions - your target demographic.

Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

PB

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

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In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year ForestParkReview.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive Bids from experienced vendors for auto/truck body and collision repairs during the calendar year 2021 pursuant to the Request for Bids.

Sealed Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2021 Auto/Truck Body and Collision Repair Bid Number: 21-103 Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oakpark.us/bid or at the Public Works Center at the address listed above.

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

Due to COVID-19 separation protocols, the Oak Park Public Works Center is closed to the public. To hand deliver proposals, proposers may leave their proposals in the Public Works mailbox or call 708.358.5700 and a representative will accept the bid package at the door. There will not be a formal “bid opening” for the contract. Electronic signatures will be accepted on all documents.

Information is also available from the contact person, Fleet Services Superintendent, Ken Crowley CAFM, CPFP, at 708-358-5700 or kcrowley@oak-park.us.

The deadline for questions is 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 25 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 3:00 P.M. Monday, November 30, 2020.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified.

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005049 on October 27, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of HAMM FAM ELITE APPAREL with the business located at: 1020 WASHINGTON BLVD UNIT 1B, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ANTONIA HAMMOND, 7720 S YATES BLVD, CHICAGO, IL 60649, USA, FRANK HAMMOND, 1020 WASHINGTON BLVD #1B, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA, ROBERT HAMMOND 4907 W PATTERSON AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60641, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 11/4, 11/11, 11/18/2020

Sealed separate bids will be received by the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (the “Board”) for the following project: OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 97 SD97 - SUMMER 2021 ADDITION & RENOVATIONS BEYE, LINCOLN, LONGFELLOW, WHITTIER OAK PARK, IL 60302 BID GROUP 1 – DEMOLITION, EXCAVATION, CONCRETE, MASONRY, STEEL, GENERAL TRADES, MILLWORK/ CASEWORK, ROOFING, METAL PANELS, DOORS FRAMES & HARDWARE, GLAZING, DRYWALL & ACT, FLOORING, PAINTING, SPECIALTIES, ELEVATOR, WHEELCHAIR LIFT, PLUMBING, HVAC, and ELECTRICAL Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m.

CST on Friday, December 11, 2020 at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Administrative offices, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 2:30 p.m. CST on that date. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked: Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: SD97 SUMMER 2021 ADDITION & RENOVATIONS

Scope of work for Bid Group 1 generally includes, but is not limited to: Demolition, excavation, concrete, masonry, steel, general trades, millwork/ casework, roofing, metal panels, doors frames & hardware, glazing, drywall & ACT, flooring, painting, specialties, elevator, wheelchair lift, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted.

No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available Wednesday November 25, 2020 and are available for viewing/ download online without cost or purchase on the Bulley & Andrews, LLC One Drive, located at the fol-

lowing link. No username or password is required. https://bulleyandrews-my. sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/amantel_bulley_com/ EnFU50U2lZJHvgH8M5EOgUsB37AO8_Gejp_4_ry47Ql0mQ?e=AyfkWu The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District.

The site will be available for visits by appointment to be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions. Schedule an appointment with Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews in advance if you wish to visit the sites.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at amantel@ bulley.com or 219-678-8383.

Dated: 11/5/20 Alex Mantel Bulley & Andrews, LLC

Published in Wednesday Journal November 11 & 18, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005127 on November 9, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of FOODIE AND FABULOUS with the business located at: 728 N AUSTIN, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: SHERRIE GREEN 728 N AUSTIN OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA Published in Wednesday Journal 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/20

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005108 on November 5, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of LA CUCINA DI SCUDIERO with the business located at: 2113 W LAKE STREET, MELROSE PARK, IL 60160. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ALEX A SCUDIERO 2113 W. LAKE STREET MELROSE PARK, IL 60160, USA Published in Forest Park Review 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/20

Selling your home by owner? Make it stand out!

Advertise here. Call 708-613-3342 to place your ad.

LEGAL NOTICE SERRANO LEGAL SOLUTIONS, LLC Attorney for Petitioner P. O. Box 3581 Oak Park, IL 60303 Attorney for Petitioner STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of MARIA ESPARZA, Petitioner and BRADLEY HILLERVIK, Respondent, Case No. 2020D007886 The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before December 11, 2020, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/2020

LEGAL NOTICE LAW OFFICE OF LINDA EPSTEIN Attorney for Petitioner 722 W. Diversey Parkway, Ste. 101B Chicago, iL 60614 STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of NELLY R. COLON, Petitioner and KAJ PER WILLIAM PERSSON, Respondent, Case No. 2020 D 006163 The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your Appearance and Response electronically to said Petition in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, on or before December 4, 2020, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal 11/4, 11/11, 11/18/2020

Buying? Selling? Renting?

Hiring?

Wednesday Classified 708-613-3333

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 20-05 HEARING DATE: December 3, 2020 TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits LOCATION OF HEARING: The Plan Commission will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video.

The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/ commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an in-person public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Written testimony or comments regarding the application may be provided prior to the public hearing by email to planning@oak-park. us. The individual’s name and a reasonable part of their testimony or comment will be read aloud into the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. If email is not an option, written testimony or comment can be dropped off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the south entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 3, 2020. All written testimony and comments will be distributed to the Plan Commission and made a part of the official hearing record. Those wishing to provide public testimony at the hearing must contact the Village Planner at planning@oak-park.us for instructions on attending the hearing live via Zoom by 5:00 PM the day of the hearing. Interested persons may also participate in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by emailing a

completed cross-examination form to clerk@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing to sign up. Individuals who sign up to participate in this manner will receive an email from Village staff with information about how to join the hearing online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. Questions regarding written testimony, comment or cross examination may be directed by phone to 708-358.5420 or email to planning@oak-park.us.

SUBJECT PROPERTY ADDRESSES: 261-267 Washington Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 LEGAL DESCRIPTION: THE WEST 35 FEET OF LOT 3 AND ALL OF LOT 4 IN BLOCK 8 IN CLOSE’S SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 WITH RESUBDIVISION IN THE VILLAGE OF RIDGELAND OF LOTS 16 TO 23 INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 45, LOTS 1 TO 11 INCLUSIVE IN BLOCK 48, LOTS 1 TO 13 INCLUSIVE AND THE SOUTH 25 FEET OF LOT 14 IN BLOCK 55 AND LOT 23 IN THE RESUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 58 IN THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF SAID CLOSE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED MAY 19,1892 IN BOOK 52 OF PLATS, PAGE 37, AS DOCUMENT 1668566, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. P.I.N.s: 16-08-319-001-0000 PROPERTY OWNER: IL Prado LLC, c/o Dennis Marani, PO Box 1040, Oak Park, IL 60302 PETITIONER(S): 261 Washington LLC, c/o Ambrosia Homes Development, Inc. (Tim Pomaville), 5401 W Lawrence #30137, Chicago, IL 60630 REQUEST: The Plan Commission will conduct a public hearing on a planned development application for a five (5) story 28-unit multiple

family building in the R-7 MultiFamily Residential Zoning District.

The Petitioner seeks the following allowances from the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance associated with the Planned Development application, found in Article 4 Table 4-1 Residential Districts Dimensional Standards: an increase in density from an allowed 11 dwelling units to 28 dwelling units; an increase in height from the allowed 45 feet to 56 feet measured at the flat roof line; and a reduction in the required rear yard setback of 25 feet to 18 feet; a reduction in the front yard setback from 15 feet to 0.5 feet; an increase in maximum impervious surface lot coverage from a required 80% to 82%; and found in Article 11.6 Required Parking Lot Landscape Abutting a Street: a reduction in the required landscaping along a parking area from 5 feet of landscaping to zero landscaping.

A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on the Village Website at www.oak-park.us and also on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during current business hours, Monday through Thursday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof. Anyone with questions about the application may contact the Village by phone at 708358.5420 or by email at planning@ oak-park.us.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD

OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005148 on November 12, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of FREELAND & THATCHER with the business located at: 805 LAKE ST UNIT 429, OAK PARK, IL 60301.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: HAWANYA BLAKELY 479 N HARLEM AVE UNIT 501 OAK PARK, IL 60301, USA

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20005178 on November 12, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of INCLINE REAL ESTATE ADVISORS with the business located at: 319 UVEDALE ROAD, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JEFFREY K. CERMAK, 319 UVEDALE ROAD, RIVERSIDE, IL, 60546, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal 11/18, 11/25, 12/2/2020

Published in RB Landmark 11/18, 11/25, 12/2/2020

Selling your condo by owner?

Advertise here!

Call Mary Ellen for details 708-613-3342:

Starting a New Business next Year?

Call the experts before you place your legal ad!

Publish your assumed name legal notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

18

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

live local? work local.

Find your local job here!

On Forest Park Review’s Local Online Job Board.

Search our ads today at ForestParkReview.com/classified

To place an ad, contact Mary Ellen Nelligan (708) 613-3342 • maryellen@oakpark.com

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

INC., REALTOR

19

(708) 366-8989 7342 MADISON ST, FOREST PARK, ILLINOIS 60130

928 S. KENILWORTH AVE...$299,000 OAK PARK

324 ELGIN AVE.....$459,000 FOREST PARK

Property has been owner occupied by the same family for 50+ years. 1st fl has spacious living rm and dining rm, kitchen and 1/2 bath. 2nd floor has three bedrooms and full bath. Stucco exterior and 2 car detached garage. Great location in south west Oak Park. Needs some updating but livable as-is.

This is a beautiful two flat updated several years ago with many new upgrades. Plain and simple, the numbers work. Check it out and do the math

935 Elgin Avenue, Forest Park UNDER CONTRACT ........................$489,000 This is a money maker! This early 1970s brick four flat houses two one bedroom apartments on the top floor, a large three bedroom two bath apartment on the first floor, and a large two bedroom two bathroom apartment in the lower level. Tandem parking for 8 cars.

Meticulously maintained by the current owner for several decades.

The numbers work! This one really won't last long.

2020

1117 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park UNDER CONTRACT .......................$263,500 What a great opportunity to get into Forest Park at an affordable price! This home offers four total bedrooms, two on the second floor and two on the first floor. The home is in perfect condition!

Living room, dining room, and eat in kitchen, plus a finished basement. Huge deck off the back of the house and a very large two car garage!

Holiday

In Person & Online Shopping!

bazaar

NEW LISTING

Holiday items • Pet Items • Gift Baskets

We’ve made adjustments to keep everyone safe while still bringing you all the joy of the holiday season

Friday , Dec. 4 • 3-9pm Saturday, Dec. 5 • 9am-4pm

337 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park UNDER CONTRACT ......................$275,000 Fantastic location alert!! Just a stones throw from Madison Street shopping, restaurants, and night life makes this a very desirable piece of real estate! This is two flat is ready for some love and attention. Just stuck in time is all. Or a fantastic de-conversion to single family! So bring your decorating ideas, and be prepared to fall in love!

ASSISTED LIVING • SHELTERED CARE • MEMORY CARE • SKILLED NURSING

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

A safe & smart choice.

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

Online Bake Sale & Raffle Pictures with cardboard Santaby appointment 12/2 & 12/3

All proceeds benefit our shelter and are needed this year more than ever!

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

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

Please note that in person shopping capacity will be limited to ensure proper social distancing.

Shoppers should be prepared to wait in line. All shoppers will be required to wear a mask.

1003 Garfield., Oak Park (Just East of Volvo dealership at Harlem)

Visit animalcareleague.org for full event details!

CONTACT US FOR AN OUTDOOR VISIT 2800 Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, IL 60546 (708) 477-5092 | CaledoniaSeniorLiving.org

Limited availability!

Forest Park Review, November 18, 2020

189 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 (708) 386-1400

HomesInTheVillage.com

Featured Listings for This Week Oak Park $850,000 5BR, 2.1 BA Patti x124

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1046 Home Ave Oak Park 5BR, 3.1BA ...$789,000 Elissa x192

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19

Oak Park $158,800 2BR, 1BA Kyra x145

Oak Park $88,900 1BR, 1BA Maria x117

1001 Clinton Ave Oak Park 3BR, 1.1BA ...$417,500 Kris x101

Managing Broker/Owner

Mike Becker

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