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RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD Also serving North Riverside

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Vol. 36, No. 5

@riversidebrookfieldlandmark

February 3, 2021

High school athletes get green light to resume sports PAGE 8

Frustration mounts amid balky vaccine rollout

Brookfield Zoo tiger undergoes hip surgery -- twice PAGE 12

TOBOGGAN TIME

Illinois shot rate improving but still lags behind most states

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Victoria Aquin saw the headlines, as did her elderly mother, a resident of Riverside for 62 years. On Jan. 25 at noon, Illinois had entered Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and some 600,000 people in suburban Cook County could begin making appointments to receive the precious shots – the way back to normal for which they’d waited nearly a year.

Like many older senior citizens, Aquin’s mom does not have home internet, nor does she own a smartphone. Her landline is her connection to the outside world. And no one was answering the phone on Jan. 25 See VACCINE on page 14

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

A strong snow storm dropped a foot of snow on the area on Jan. 30-31, bringing cooped-up kids out to the sledding hill at Swan Pond Park in Riverside. For more photos, visit online at RBLandmark.com.

Riverside police adopt NAACP/Illinois Chiefs ‘Shared Principles’ Weitzel: Important to foster culture of ‘ethical and moral policing’

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Last August, following a wave of civil unrest and peaceful demonstrations nation-

ally and locally in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others at the hands of police, Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel and President Ben Sells invited community members to an hour-long

conversation about policing, local police policies and how police can better serve citizens.

In the months that followed, Weitzel set about exploring ways to internalize what

last year’s protests against police violence and brutality and in support of Black lives sought to address.

See POLICING on page 15

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

Riverside chief calls for carjacking task force Weitzel wants multi-agency group to share intelligence, prevention strategies

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel on Jan. 29 called for a “wide-ranging task force,” ideally led by Chicago police and the FBI but including law enforcement leaders from across the region, to combat violent carjackings that have plagued Chicago and its suburbs for the past year.

While Riverside, Brookfield and North Riverside have not experienced incidents on par with nearby Oak Park and Forest Park, they aren’t unknown. In 2020, there were a pair of carjacking incidents in Riverside, one where the victim was a food delivery driver and the other a woman pumping gas at a Harlem Avenue gas station.

“We’ve seen a disturbing number of carjackings the past few months in the area surrounding Riverside,” said Weitzel in a press release. “I’m grateful for Chicago Police Department’s internal collaboration within CPD, but the crime pattern needs a full regional approach.”

In a phone interview, Weitzel said even if it was a temporary task force lasting 90 to 120 days, such a group could share intelligence on where carjackings were taking place and where vehicles were being recovered.

“Some agencies won’t be able to participate due to manpower, but at least offer it and see if there’s some kind of pattern we can interrupt,” Weitzel said.

Chicago police have reported that carjacking incidents in 2020 skyrocketed 135 percent year over year, and they reported more than 160 carjackings through the first three

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel

FILE

weeks of January.

On Jan. 29, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot convened a meeting of regional mayors and police chiefs to address the issue, though Weitzel said he was not notified of the meeting, which was closed to the press and public.

Chicago police have formed their own internal task force, but Weitzel said he’d like to see Chicago partner with suburban departments, the FBI, ATF, Cook County Sheriff ’s Police, the Cook County State’s Attorney and federal pros-

ecutors for a more comprehensive approach.

It’s difficult for police to prevent carjackings, since they take place at all hours and places. Offenders typically try to identify vulnerable victims while driving in vehicles themselves.

Once a vehicle is hijacked, the offenders often ditch the vehicle they arrived in – also typically stolen -- and speed off in the newly stolen vehicle. Offenders tend to be teenagers, and incidents unfold in just moments.

In his press release on Jan. 29, Weitzel also included several strategies for people to use to avoid becoming carjacking victims: ■ Avoid being alone in your vehicle in isolated areas and have your mobile phone handy and charged.

■ Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to people who appear to be lurking or of cars suspiciously following you into driveways. Call 911 or use your key fob or car alarm if you feel threatened.

■ Be aware of how carjackers lure victims. These include bumping your car, pretending to be a stranded motorist or flashing their headlights. Drive to the nearest police station or fire station if you feel threatened.

■ Park in well-lit areas and, if possible, find a security guard to escort you to your vehicle.

■ Don’t sit in your car with the doors unlocked or windows rolled down.

■ Don’t stop at isolated ATMs. “I don’t want our residents to think that this is just a Chicago problem, because it’s not,” Weitzel said.

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

Brookfield, Riverside village facilities reopen to the public Offices had been off limits since last November during COVID spike

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Editor

Brookfield The Brookfield Village Hall’s main lobby and Recreation Department are open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Brookfield Police Department lobby, which is also located inside the village hall and is accessible separately from the east side of the building, is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While residents and building contractors are welcome to visit the front counter, officials are still encouraging them to do as much business as possible online. Water bills can be paid online through the village’s website at bookfieldil.gov or by phone using a credit card by calling 708-485-7344 and selecting Option 1.

Payments can also be placed in one of the two drop boxes the village has placed in the parking lot of the village hall and at the Brookfield Fire Department’s main station at 9001 Shields Ave. Building permit applications and other documents can be found on the village’s website under the “Forms” tab. Those documents can be scammed and emailed to per-

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By BOB UPHUES Closed for more than two months, Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave., and the Riverside Village Office inside the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, once again opened their doors to the public Monday, Feb. 1.

Riverside’s village offices, police department lobby at 31 Riverside Road and recreation offices in the water tower at 10 Pine Ave. have been closed to the public since Nov. 18, 2020 while Brookfield Village Hall’s main lobby, police lobby and lower-level Recreation Department offices have been closed since Nov. 23.

The moves came as COVID-19 case numbers spiked and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced stricter mitigation measures, such as banning indoor dining and drinking in bars and restaurants to limit the spread of the virus.

But, with the rate of new cases slowing throughout January and the governor loosening restrictions in suburban Cook County and elsewhere, both villages’ front service counters will once again be open to the public, as will the recreation offices and police lobbies.

At North Riverside Village Commons, 2401 Desplaines Ave., the doors never closed to the public in November, so the move to Tier 1 has not impacted daily operations there.

IN THIS ISSUE

Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Brookfield Village Hall mits@brookfieldil.gov, faxed to 708-485-8090 or left in the village hall drop box.

Residents can register for recreation programs by calling 708-485-1474 or visiting online at rectrac.brookfieldil.gov.

Riverside Riverside’s village offices and the police department lobby are open to the public Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The water tower recreation office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Like Brookfield, the village is encouraging people to do as much village business online. Residents can find links to pay for water/sewer bills, police tickets, pet licenses and recreation programs under the “Pay” tab on the home page of the village’s website at riverside.il.us.

Water/sewer bills can also be paid by phone at 844-937-0132 using a checking or savings account or credit card.

To contact the Community Development Department about building permits or other related issues, you can download forms from riverside.il.us/239/Community-Development, email to permits@riverside.il.us or call 708-447-1241.

Virtual board meetings continue Despite moving into Tier 1, a majority of Riverside trustees at their meeting on Jan. 21 agreed to keep meeting virtually for the time being, even though limited in-person meetings are now allowed.

Trustee Edward Hannon suggested resuming in-person meetings, saying he pre-

FILE 2014

ferred the face-to-face interaction with residents and his fellow elected officials, who have been meeting exclusively on Zoom since last fall.

“I want to make sure we move to that as quickly as we can given everyone’s safety in mind,” Hannon said.

But the rest of trustees preferred the Zoom option in part because of continued safety concerns and partly because the meetings would have to be held in the auditorium of the Riverside Township Hall. Under the best circumstances, it’s difficult to hear what people are saying in that cavernous room, and even more so when those in it are physically distant from one another.

“That’s a really big one for me,” said Trustee Cristin Evans of the acoustical challenges in the auditorium. “I just can’t hear what everyone’s saying, so that the one reason I’d want to stick with the Zoom meetings until we can get back in the smaller room [Room 4 on the main floor of the township hall].”

The next Riverside village board meeting will be held Feb. 18.

North Riverside has chosen, for now, a slightly different tack. Members of the village board and staff will convene in person in the council chamber of the Village Commons, but the public will only be allowed to observe the proceedings via Zoom to avoid crowding the room.

Brookfield Village Board meetings have never gone completely remote. Trustees and staff attend both physically inside the council chamber and remotely via Zoom, and the room is open to the public, although attendance is monitored by a police and limited if enough people show up, which is rare.

Editor Bob Uphues Sports Editor James Kay Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Javier Govea, Mark Moroney Debbie Becker Sales and Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com 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 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL buphues@wjinc.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00.

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

BIG WEEK February 3-10

Brookfield Library takes you on a Surfin’ Safari

THE BEACH BOYS

It may be the dead of winter, but you can feel the warm breeze and hear surf-rock inflected sounds of summer during the Zoom presentation “The History of The Beach Boys,” courtesy of the Brookfield Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m.

Join music historian Gary Wenstrup for “good vibrations” and look at The Beach Boys’ sunniest years – 1962-67.

Registration is required by phone at 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or online at brookfieldlibrary.info.

Kevin Wood as Abe Lincoln

Abe Lincoln as storyteller Riverside Public Library presents Abraham Lincoln interpreter Kevin Wood in a special Zoom program “Lincoln as a Storyteller” on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.

Behind the scenes at Brookfield Zoo

Lean about the many facets of the Animal Programs Department at Brookfield Zoo, including nutrition, veterinary services, animal welfare and husbandry during “The Zoo Beyond the Exhibits: Maintaining a Leadership Role,” the latest in the zoo’s Virtual Lecture Series on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Chicago Zoological Society, will discuss how Brookfield Zoo’s 2,600 animals are cared for, from enrichment and preventative healthcare to local and international conservation efforts.

Following the presentation, there will be time for questions and answers. The lecture is free, although a $10 donation is appreciated. Online reservations are required and can be made at CZS.org/Lecture Series.

Wood, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the nation’s 16th president, will shed light on our nation’s history and Lincoln’s own personal history by way of some of the late president’s favorite stories and jokes.

Register for program access by visiting the library’s online calendar at riversidelibrary. org/calendar.html.

BILL ZEIGLER

Valentine photo contest at North Riverside Mall Enter for a chance to win $250 during a special Valentines’ Day Photo Contest at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, through Feb. 14.

Visit the Valentine’s Loveseat, which is located on the lower level next to Finish Line, and take a photo. Then post the photo to Instagram or Facebook and tag #lovenrpmall and #lovewins. The winner will be randomly selected and notified via social media on Feb. 14 at 5 p.m.

There’s no cost to participate. The mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Fast food – just healthy

North Riverside Public Library invites you to join certified sports nutritionist Stefanie Rock for “Rethinking Fast Food: Quick Tips and Recipes for Healthy Meals and Snacks,” which will be broadcast on Facebook Live (facebook.com/NRPL2400) and YouTube on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

Learn to make delicious and healthy recipes with some unexpected tips and tricks. The class will be recorded and available to watch until March 3.

And more Sarah’s Inn marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month with a two-part virtual event “Dating Download: Media’s Influence in Dating” on what dating looks like today, dating violence and how media can influence our understanding of relationships. Each session will have a panel discussion. A session for adults is Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and one for teens on Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. Find out more at sarahsinn. org/youth-committee.

Lyons Township High School invites the community to enjoy an exhibit of student artwork ■

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online at lths.net/artwork. The virtual exhibit features pieces of art in various mediums and from all levels, including drawings, paintings, photographs, jewelry, textiles, video and sculpture.

Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “Softening Space” featuring constructions, installations and paintings by Camille Silverman in the Freeark Gallery through Feb. 11 and “Invisible Visible,” a collaboration between artist Colleen Plumb and writer Katherine Kassouf Cummings in the FlexSpace Gallery through Feb. 22. The gallery is open by appointment.

Visit riversideartscenter.com for more information.

Chicago Zoological Society’s animal care staff ■

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presents “Bringing to Zoo to You” Facebook Live chats each weekday at 11 a.m. through February. If you can’t tune in at 11 a.m., you can watch the videos later on Brookfield Zoo’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.

North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., offers a number of virtual programs through Facebook Live, conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom. Programs include Game Night Wednesdays on Feb. 3 and 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

There’s also NRPL Book Club on Feb. 9 at 6:45 p.m. via conference call (800-747-5150, code 1453322). The book for February is “Today We Go Home”by Kelli Estes.

RSVP to bodenl@northriversidelibrary.org or visit northriversidelibrary.org/events for adult Zoom meeting access info.

Brookfield Public Library offers virtual classes and programs for patrons of all ages throughout the week. Most youth activities will be presented live on the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ BrookfieldPublicLibrary. For adults, there’s Chair Yoga via Zoom on Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. and Illinois Senior Medicare Patrol Series: How to Read Your MSN via Zoom on Feb. 9 in February at 11 a.m.

Visit brookfield.evanced.info/signup to register for Zoom programs.

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

Cops: Man armed with handgun rams squad with stolen car North Riverside police have charged an 18-year-old Chicago man with possessing a stolen motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest after he allegedly rammed a police squad car while trying to flee in the vehicle and then grabbed a pistol from the glove compartment and ran from the vehicle into North Riverside Park Mall to try and elude police on Jan. 29 at about 7 p.m.

An officer on patrol at the mall, 7501 Cermak Road, reported observing an unoccupied black Chrysler 300S with no rear license plate parked in the lot near Entrance 2 on the east side of the mall which leads to north end of the upper level.

The officer parked his squad car perpendicular to the Chrysler and got out to check the VIN and conduct a computer check on the vehicle.

While waiting, the officer observed someone, later identified as Keon Warmack, exit Entrance 2 and approach in a low, hunched run toward the car. Warmack reportedly got into the vehicle and closed the door while the officer exited his squad car and ordered him to get out.

Warmack then allegedly started the car, put it in reverse and struck the passenger side of the squad car, prompting the officer to draw his sidearm and order Warmack to exit the vehicle.

At that time, Warmack reportedly opened the glove box and removed an unknown item from it before getting out of the car and running south toward the food court entrance.

Mall security detained Warmack in a restroom on the lower level.

Warmack reportedly possessed a Walther PPX 9 mm handgun loaded with seven hollowpoint rounds, including one in the chamber.

The Chrysler reportedly had been stolen from a Hertz rental business in South Holland.

Stolen identity used to buy truck The finance manager at Zeigler Ford, 2100 Harlem Ave. in North Riverside, called police on Jan. 26 to report that they just learned that a vehicle purchased and driven from their lot in July 2020 had been bought using someone’s stolen identity.

According to the police report, the deal was transacted online. The dealership received an online credit application from someone claiming to be a Texas resident who wanted to buy a black 2020 Ford F-250 pickup truck.

The dealer received all of the required documents and the purchase – which totaled $80,333 – was financed through Ford Credit on July 27, 2020. About a week later, on Aug. 4, a transportation company took possession of the pickup truck to haul it away.

In late January, Zeigler’s finance manager learned that no payments had been made on the truck and that the person whose identity was used to buy the truck said he did not purchase it.

As of Jan. 26, the truck had not been registered in any state and the dealer had police enter it as stolen/purchased fraudulently.

Former resident keeps coming back Riverside police charged a 71-year-old LaGrange Highlands man with criminal trespassing after he allegedly tried to gain access to a home in the 200 block of East Quincy Street on two occasions.

Police said the man lived in Riverside about 20 years ago, and he has been warned numerous times both verbally by police and through local ordinance citations to stay away from the property.

The man reportedly attempted to enter the home through the rear door on Jan. 25 at about 2:20 p.m. The occupant of the residence called police at that time, saying someone was trying to break into the house, but the offender left before police arrived.

On Jan. 26 at about 9:05 a.m., the homeowner called police again to report an attempted break-in. Police took the 71-year-old man into custody. He was apparently wearing the same clothes as the day before.

Just grappling with nerves North Riverside police responded to the 2800 block of First Avenue at about 2 a.m. on Jan. 24 after a passerby called 911 to report two people fighting outside of a vehicle that was pulled over to the side of the road.

When police arrived, they reported observing four people inside a gray Honda that was pulling away from the curb. An officer pulled over the car to speak with those inside, and they learned that two of the passengers, who were twin brothers, had been getting on each other’s nerves during the drive and decided to pull over and wrestle out their differences.

No one was hurt and the two advised the officer that no further police action was necessary before being sent on their way.

Car wheels stolen A resident of the 2300 block of 12th Avenue, North Riverside, contacted police on the morning of Jan. 24 to report that all four wheels had been removed from her silver Nissan Altima during the overnight hours.

The victim told police that she parked the car on the street around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23.

The following morning at about 6:45 a.m., the victim went outside to warm up the vehicle and found that all four wheels had been removed and the car was resting on brick pavers.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Jan. 24-31 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 Bob Uphues

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

Brookfield Bucks not exactly a hit, but was a start Despite small return on investment, partnership with zoo seen as key

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Despite a less-than-stellar response to a novel Brookfield business marketing effort during the last quarter of 2020, elected officials say they’re interested in giving a Chicago-based digital marketing firm another shot at creating a program to help local businesses thrive despite a lingering pandemic.

As summer waned in Brookfield last year, officials implemented a number of initiatives to help out struggling local businesses, particularly bars and restaurants, by expanding outdoor dining and shutting down Grand Boulevard on weekends to allow for placement of more physically distant tables.

And they took something of a leap of faith by hiring the marketing company A5 Inc. to create Brookfield Bucks -- a program where visitors who spent at least $15 at Brookfield Zoo could get a $15 discount if they made a purchase of $75 or more at a Brookfield business within a week of their visit.

It was then up to businesses that gave the discounts to submit paperwork for reimbursement from the village and the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, which split the cost of the program.

Despite reservations that the $75 purchase minimum within a week’s time might be quite a hurdle, elected officials agreed to invest about $6,200 in village funds to create

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

SLOW GOING: Brookfield attempted to drum up sales for local businesses late in 2020 through a discount program called Brookfield Bucks, which was advertised on banners both on Grand Boulevard (above) and at Brookfield Zoo. While it wasn’t entirely successful, officials believe the program has laid the groundwork for future marketing efforts. and execute Brookfield Bucks.

They did so, because it was a unique opportunity for the village to partner with Brookfield Zoo, which used its own marketing reach to advertise the program to its

more than 400,000 Facebook followers and the thousands who visited the zoo during the last four months of 2020.

A5 created banners, counter cards and posters that were displayed in Brookfield

and at Brookfield Zoo to promote the program. The firm also secured a commitment from the zoo to promote the program on social media and through emails to members and non-members.

A5 also employed a digital strategy known as geofencing to push digital ads across apps and websites to zoo visitors’ cellphones.

When the figures were tallied after the program expired Dec. 31, the village handed out just five reimbursements – all to the same business, Tischler Finer Foods.

One way to look at it is that as little as $375 was spent at Brookfield businesses as a result of Brookfield Bucks. But, Assistant Village Manager George Issakoo, who administered the program for village hall, added he had heard anecdotally that there were other businesses that had given the discounts but did not follow through seeking reimbursement, because the process was too cumbersome or they didn’t feel it was worth the effort for such a small amount of money.

The lack of response, though a disappointment, was not a total loss, Brookfield officials decided.

“The biggest, most positive thing that has come out of this has been the partnership not only with our chamber of commerce and our local businesses, which we do on a consistent basis, but also with the Brookfield See BF BUCKS on page 17

After candidate drops out, it’s a shoe in for TTO seat Race now uncontested for trustee of Lyons Township School Treasurer

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The race for trustee of the Lyons Township School Treasurer’s office, commonly known as the Lyons TTO, will not be competitive. Although two candidates initially filed for the position in the April 6 election, one of those candidates, Brian Anderson, has withdrawn.

Anderson, a LaGrange Park resident, has two years remaining on his term as a member of the LaGrange-Brookfield District 102 Board of Education.

“I want to fulfill those,” Anderson said.

That leaves Shakana Kirksey-Miller, a 38-year-old resident of McCook who works as a social interventionist at Oak Park and River Forest High School as the only candidate.

Two years ago, Kirksey-Miller ran for a seat

on the school board in Lyons-Brookfield School District 103, finishing last in a nine-candidate race and receiving a little more than 1 percent of votes cast.

K i rk s e y - M i l l e r, who ran as an independent, said she SHAKANA didn’t campaign very KIRKSEY-MILLER much for the school board after she realized that she didn’t stand a chance in a race that was a battle between two competing slates of four candidates each.

“I did try, but I think people had already made their choice between the two factions,” Kirksey-Miller said.

Last fall, Kirksey-Miller applied to fill a vacancy on the Lyons Township High School District 204 Board of Education but was not chosen. She considered running for the LTHS school board this spring before deciding to run for the TTO board.

“When I weighed my options between the school treasury or LT, I felt that the township treasurer is the better fit for me,” KirkseyMiller said.

Kirksey-Miller joined the U.S. Army after graduating from high school. She served as an MP during two years of active duty and seven years in the reserves.

She went on to earn degrees from Triton College and Governors State University before going on to earn a master’s in social work from Loyola University. She is currently enrolled in a doctorate program in education at Concordia University.

After leaving the Army she worked in numerous security jobs. From 2016 until 2018 she worked as recreation supervisor for the Summit Park District.

While some see the TTO, which is the midst of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Lyons Township high School, as a useless anachronism, Kirksey-Miller said she thinks the office provides necessary services to local school districts.

“I do believe it should stay in existence,” Kirksey-Miller said. “As far as the lawsuit

that is something that was way before me.

There’s really is nothing I can say or do about it. … Eliminating the township’s role in education would severely curtail the managing and the disbursement of education funds to the community, and I think that would be disastrous to our schools.”

Established by state law, and now existing only in Cook County, TTOs invest the money held by local school districts, run payroll for local school districts and issue checks. Some believe local school districts could better handle those functions themselves. KirkseyMiller disagrees.

“I do think that the treasurer’s office does a better job of handing the funds,” KirkseyMiller said.

The TTO is governed by a board which is made up of three trustees who serve staggered six-year terms.

Anderson said he remains interested in the TTO and plans to run for the board in 2023 when TTO board Chairman Michael Thiessen’s term is up.

“I think I’m definitely going to run,” Anderson said.

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

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D96 still resists sharing cost for Hollywood crossing guard Brookfield manager says he’ll approach other districts as well

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Some members of the Riverside Elementary School District 96 Board of Education are not yet willing to split the costs of crossing guards for Hollywood School with the village of Brookfield.

At the school board’s Jan. 20 meeting, Brookfield Village Manager Timothy Wiberg appeared, via Zoom, to explain his request that the school district split the $14,000 cost of the three crossing guards that serve Hollywood School, which is part of Riverside’s school district but is located in Brookfield.

Since District 96 has split the cost of crossing guards in Riverside since 2014, Wiberg thinks it is only fair that the school district have the same arrangement with Brookfield.

But some District 96 school board members raised fairness issues of their own, wondering why Brookfield has not made the same request to Brookfield-LaGrange Park District 95 and Lyons School District 103, both of which have schools in Brookfield. Brookfield supplies crossing guards for those school districts as well.

“I feel that Brookfield is singling us out,” said school board member David Barsotti,

who lives in the Riverside portion of the Hollywood neighborhood.

School board member Shari Klyber had the same concern.

“I would like to see three agreements being pursued at the same time,” Klyber said. “It’s an equity issue.”

Wiberg said he plans to approach Districts 95 and 103 shortly, but he noted that the situation with District 95 is different because the village already has an intergovernmental agreement with District 95.

The village’s recreation department gets free use of the new gymnasium at S.E. Gross Middle School and in exchange the village waives water fees for Gross School and the District 95 office in Brookfield. The village also trims trees on school property.

“I haven’t had any meetings yet, but I’m going to start with District 95,” Wiberg said.

Wiberg told the Landmark that an agreement with District 95 could be different than the 50/50 split he sought with District 96 because of the already existing agreement.

He said he contacted District 96 before District 103 because he has a close working relationship with District 96 and talks to Superintendent Martha Ryan-Toye frequently about issues involving Hollywood School, for

example when District 96 recently sought and won village approval for some on-street parking spaces for Hollywood teachers.

Wiberg said he has not yet dealt with District 103 in the nearly two-plus years he has worked in Brookfield.

“To be honest, I have not worked cooperatively with them yet,” Wiberg said. “This conversation started with 96, because Martha and I talk all the time on the other issues.”

Wiberg had hoped to have an agreement in place with District 96 to use as a model for working out deals with the other two districts.

District 96 board President Dan Hunt and former board president Jeff Miller have philosophical objections to the district contributing to paying crossing guards, who are village employees and overseen by the police department.

Hunt admitted that many other school districts do contribute to paying crossing guards, but he said that it didn’t seem like a cost a school district should assume.

“It still bothers me somewhat,” Hunt said adding that he would have voted against the cost-sharing agreement with Riverside had he been on the school board in 2014. “In

my mind this is a public safety issue, not anything to do with education. It is for the benefit for students on the way to school. I do have some reservations with it.”

Miller noted that traditionally public safety is an issue for village government, not school districts.

“It’s not a huge amount of money but it is money being transferred from education to public safety, so I have some qualms about it as well,” Miller said.

District 96 board members Lynda Murphy and Joel Marhoul were amenable to cost sharing.

Murphy noted that the crossing guards serve the district’s schoolchildren and only work when school is in session.

“I fully support this cost-sharing agreement,” Murphy said. “We do have it with Riverside. I just want Brookfield to start discussions [with the other districts].”

District 96 board member Joel Marhoul was willing to approve a cost-sharing agreement with Brookfield even if the village did not have other cost-sharing agreements in place.

“If we have to take the first step, I’m OK with that,” Marhoul said. “I think this is a fair request.”

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

High school athletes, coaches eye sports restart Winter sports begin workouts to prepare for March competitions

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

High school sports in Illinois are slowly emerging from a pandemic that caused a winter slumber. Last week the Illinois High School Association allowed interscholastic competition to begin in what are classified as low-risk sports and allowed some moderate and high-risk sports teams to begin practicing.

Interscholastic competition is now permitted in badminton, boys swimming, girls gymnastics, competitive cheerleading and poms.

Boys and girls basketball teams are allowed to practice but cannot yet play games. Basketball tryouts commenced Monday at RiversideBrookfield High School.

“We can practice right now; we can go full contact, but we can’t play games,” said RBHS varsity boys basketball coach Mike Reingruber.

The RBHS badminton team will start the resumption of sports with a match against Timothy Christian in Riverside on Wednesday afternoon. It is not yet clear if any fans will be allowed to attend the match or other sporting events.

“We are currently working through that,” said Assistant Principal for Athletics Brendan Curtin in a text message on Monday. “It is unlikely we’ll have spectators. Numerous factors at play.”

The state rules currently allow 25 spectators to attend sporting

events in areas under Tier 1 mitigations, which is where suburban Cook County found itself on Feb. 1.

If suburban Cook County is able to move to Phase 4 of the governor’s Reopen Illinois plan – which was expected to happen as early as Feb. 2 -- 50 spectators would be allowed.

All athletes, except for gymnasts and swimmers, will have to wear face masks while competing, something basketball players trying to adapt to. Reingruber said that there wasn’t much complaining about masks last week when unofficial workouts were allowed to resume.

“Although not ideal, they’re willing to deal with it,” Reingruber said. “Once they’re out there competing that’s all they’re thinking about.”

Teams are required to have seven days of practice before competition. Interscholastic competition in higher risk sports such as basketball will not be allowed until suburban Cook County moves to Phase 4. The basketball season, once it starts, will be a short one ending on March 24. There will be no state tournament in basketball or other winter sports.

Spring sports, however, might have state championship tournaments.

“It appears that the IHSA is trying to explore those opportunities for the spring sports that did not get to participate in that last year,” Curtin said.

Football, which was scrapped

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

BOUNCING BACK: Masked athletes hit the hardwood on Feb. 1 for varsity basketball tryouts at RiversideBrookfield High School. If suburban Cook County moves into Phase 4 of the Reopen Illinois plan, games for the pandemic-shortened season would begin next month. last fall, will be a spring sport this year, if it is played at all. Football teams are allowed, pandemic conditions permitting, to begin practicing on March 3 and games could begin on March 19.

Contact days -- unofficial voluntary workouts for football -- can start this week. The football season would be six weeks long and end April 24 with no state playoffs.

RBHS would only play conference opponents in football.

Most traditional spring sports would start in March or April and end in May or June. Sports such as baseball, track, lacrosse, girls soccer, boys tennis and boys volleyball are scheduled to start April 5 and the season would end on June 19, a few weeks later than normal.

Wrestling, another winter sport that had been postponed, could begin on April 19 and end on June 12. Girls volleyball, which was not allowed in the fall, would shift to spring this year starting on March 8 and ending on April 24 without a state tournament.

With some sports, such as football and baseball, having overlapping schedules, it is not yet clear if athletes will be able to compete in two sports at the same time.

“Multisport athletes will be en-

couraged to participate in as many activities as the IHSA will allow,” Curtin said. “Everybody within the athletic department here at RBHS understands that there’s value in having multisport athletes.

“We certainly want them to have that opportunity. There is some carryover or overlap within the athletic seasons and I would hope that the IHSA will allow schools to navigate that to the best of their abilities and allow those students to participate in as many athletics as they wish.”

There have been no high school sports in Illinois since the beginning of November, although many other states have allowed high school sports to be played. Last fall only a few lower risk sports, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls golf, and girls swimming were allowed to have limited seasons without state tournaments.

Curtin, who is also head football coach at RBHS, is happy that sports are getting the go ahead to start up again.

“We’re certainly excited,” said Curtin, who described himself as cautiously optimistic that sports seasons will last. “We feel like we’re trending in the right direction. We have some sports that up

and running, and hopefully we can use that for momentum and move forward and get all of our student athletes an opportunity to participate and compete.”

For Reingruber, a hard-core basketball junkie who has coached or played basketball every winter for more than 30 years, it was strange to spend those months away from the hardwood.

“I’m not a person that sits around. I’m always on the go, so it’s been tough,” Reingruber said.

“I’m glad to finally get out there.”

Reingruber said he is hoping that the rate of coronavirus infections continues to fall and allow basketball to have a season this year.

“I just hope by opening restaurants and opening things back up it doesn’t make things spike,” Reingruber said.

During the cold, dark days and nights of December and January without basketball Reingruber said he was on an emotional rollercoaster.

“I always thought at some point there would be a season,” Reingruber said. “Quite honestly, I thought it was going to be moved to May and June. I’m happy they’re giving the kids an opportunity now and we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

So much to

at RSC

FILE

GOING UP: Later this spring or in early summer, the village of Riverside will erect a 100-foot tower at its public works site in Riverside Lawn (above) to provide a better communication link with village hall and serve as the perch for a new water meter reading antenna.

Riverside trustees approve 100-foot communication tower Structure will feature antenna to read new water meters

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Riverside trustees on Jan. 21 voted unanimously to approve the construction of a 100foot tall communications tower at the Riverside Public Works Department property in Riverside Lawn.

On the drawing board for almost a full year, erecting the tower will be the first step in Riverside initiating a multiyear, villagewide water meter replacement program and implementing a fixed-point meter reading system that will help residents more closely monitor their water usage and spot leaks quickly.

The tower itself won’t be installed until late spring or early summer, and the water meter program won’t begin rolling out until 2022, said Public Works Director Dan Tabb.

Now that the village board has approved the special use permit needed to build the tower, Tabb will ask the village board later this month to waive competitive bidding and enter into a contract with Oak Forestbased Urban Communications to shepherd the tower through the proper channels, obtaining FCC licensing and constructing it.

In time, the tower will be equipped with two antennae, one to provide point-to-point communication across the river between the Public Works Department and village hall and the other to read water meters.

The last time the village upgraded its

water meter reading system and replaced meters was between 2004 and 2006. That initiative replaced manual meter reads with a radio unit that was placed in a vehicle and driven past properties, digitally reading individual meters along the way.

A Riverside public works employee to this day drives through the village monthly getting readings for half the town’s water meters on each trip. While it’s a definite improvement over manual readings, it still takes three hours to read the meters and up to a week to complete the follow-up reports, said Tabb.

The new fixed-point system will allow the village to read all water meters in Riverside up to four times a day and generate daily reports that can flag abnormal water usage.

The village can then immediately reach out to customers to let them know about unusual usage and give them an opportunity to quickly fix any problems.

Because meters in each half of the village are now read every other month, said Tabb, costly leaks can go undetected for up to two months before they’re caught.

Tabb said he did not know exactly what the final cost to replace all of the village’s water meters will be. When Riverside implemented its initiative in 2004, the cost ran to about $800,000. That was without a tower and meter-reading antenna.

As for the meters themselves, it’s likely the cost will be passed along to water customers as a line item on their bills. In 2004, a meter cost customers $234, which they could either pay for at once or in installments.

Public works hired special crews on a temporary basis to handle meter replacements specifically during the three-year rollout.

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

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Riverside trustees say no to 2nd story garage offices However, officials open to making it easier to allow them elsewhere on properties

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Riverside officials say they accept that working from home may, in fact, be the new reality for many residents – even after we’re past the present pandemic. They also don’t have a problem with encouraging those who aren’t making a daily commute converting an accessory structure or altering one to create office space away from a property’s primary dwelling.

But, they’re not going to allow it by simply allowing people to add a story onto their detached garages.

“I agree that the way we work has been changed forever, and these small offices in people’s backyards are going to become more and more needed,” said Village President Ben Sells during a discussion of the subject at the Riverside Village Board’s virtual meeting on Jan. 21.

“What I’m hearing is that there’s no appetite for taller, two-story garages, but that people are sensitive to the need of having some way for folks to have office space,” he added.

The issue was brought to the table last September by Trustee Wendell Jisa, who has a home office above his garage as well

as separate office space in a Riverside condo vious surface coverage on residential lots. space. Jisa said that he was lucky to have He also said he didn’t get the argument that such options, but that many more people building upwards would impair aesthetics. forced to work from home don’t.

“Frankly, the aesthetics of Building a home office above someone’s house or garage, a garage would allow those resiin my opinion, should be dents a place to work without their own prerogative,” Jisa being in the bustle of a home said. “I have a lot of friends where children may also be atwho don’t have the financial tending school remotely. Such means to go out and rent an addition might also increase an office for three grand a the value of a property, he armonth or have the opportunigued. ty to stop working in a dualHowever, the Riverside Planincome family.” ning and Zoning Commission, Sells and Village Attorney Michael Marrs also believed which considered Jisa’s idea a homeowner would have a at meetings last September BEN SELLS hard time obtaining a zoning and November, was skeptical Riverside president variance to add another story of allowing homeowners carte to a garage, saying it would blanche to begin building secbe virtually impossible to ond stories on their garages. claim a hardship.

In addition to being con“Trying to get a variation cerned about the aesthetic impact of oversize garages, commissioners for the personal reason of wanting an ofalso pointed to existing allowances for build- fice would be an uphill battle,” Marrs said.

But Jisa’s fellow trustees put his mind ing garage additions as well as the zoning at ease, proposing that the matter be sent variation process as alternative remedies.

Jisa disagreed with that assessment, say- back to the Planning and Zoning Commising he was trying to avoid increasing imper- sion to consider amending the zoning code

“I agree that the way we work has been changed forever.”

to make it easier to for homeowners to create a detached home office without adding height.

One key change may be eliminating a provision in the code that limits accessory structures to 800 square feet or 12 percent of the property, whichever is less. Sells suggested that as long as accessory structures don’t exceed lot coverage limits in the code, they should be allowed for use as home offices.

Trustee Doug Pollock also suggested having the Planning and Zoning Commission explore allowing bathrooms to be built inside accessory structures, which would be a convenient amenity for a home office.

“I believe that expanding the footprint of accessory structures and allowing a bathroom will allow professionals to achieve what I envisioned and needed,” said Jisa in an email to the Landmark last week.

“I also believe that allowing the separate work space with a bathroom in Riverside will mitigate the risk of fewer commuters finding value in the close proximity to Chicago, offer dual income families more convenience, increase home values and differentiate ourselves from other counties and suburbs with lower taxes.”

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

Second surgery after tiger dislodges hip replacement Brookfield Zoo veterinarians hopeful for animal’s pain-free full recovery

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Malena, a 10-year-old Amur tiger at Brookfield Zoo appears to be recovering after a second surgical procedure within a week to help relieve pain caused by an arthritic hip, the Chicago Zoological Society announced in a press release on Feb. 1.

The second operation, performed Jan. 30 by a team of veterinary specialists at Brookfield Zoo’s animal hospital, was made necessary after Malena dislodged the custom-designed hip implant she received during the initial surgery on Jan. 27.

“We feel hopeful [and] optimistic about the procedure and Malena’s recovery from the second surgery,” said Dr. Mike Adkesson, vice president of clinic medicine for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, in a press release. “We have seen her rolling on her back, pawing at things and making other movements that are all normal behaviors for a content,

CATHY BAZZONI/ CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Malena, Brookfield Zoo’s 10-year-old Amur tiger resting cat.”

On Jan. 27, the Chicago Zoological Society announced that veterinarians had performed what was believed to be the first-ever total hip replacement surgery on a tiger in North America.

Malena, who arrived at Brookfield Zoo from another zoo last June, had already been diagnosed

with hip arthritis and was receiving pain medication to keep her comfortable. Brookfield Zoo vets got a clearer picture of Malena’s degenerative hip condition after performing a CT scan – Brookfield Zoo is one of the very few zoos in the world to have an onsite CT scanner.

After consulting with Dr. James Cook, the director of the Mizzou

BioJoint Center at the University of Missouri and a veterinary surgeon who has assisted on other orthopedic cases at Brookfield Zoo, it was determined that a full hip joint replacement, or total hip arthroplasty, was the solution.

While hip replacements are common for human beings, standard implants don’t fit animals like tigers, so zoo veterinary staff ordered a custom replacement joint from a company called Arthex, which is based in Naples, Florida.

The Jan. 27 hip replacement surgery lasted six hours and zoo officials declared it a success.

“This implant will restore Malena’s normal hip movement and alleviate her discomfort,” Adkesson said following the implant surgery.

“It will allow her the ability to navigate around her outdoor habitat without difficulty and lead a normal life for a tiger.”

The euphoria was short-lived.

The following day, zoo officials announced Malena would have to undergo a second surgical procedure

after a portion of the implant in the tiger’s femur dislodged as Malena began moving around after the operation.

On Jan. 30, veterinary surgeons spent a little more than two hours removing the hip implant and performing something called a femoral head and neck excision. According to a press release announcing the surgery, the procedure involved the removal of the arthritic head and neck of the femur (the tiger’s thigh bone). A fibrous joint should form in its place to provide joint stability.

While the procedure should alleviate the arthritic plain and restore mobility, Malena won’t be able to get around like a normal tiger.

“We anticipate Malena will have better use and mobility of her leg than she did before surgery and most importantly, her hip will be free of pain,” Adkesson said.

The day following the second surgery, Malena was reported to be walking, standing up and sitting.

By Feb. 1, she was eating and drinking water, the zoo reported.

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COVID positivity rates continue to decline No new fatalities locally as suburbs anticipate Phase 4 move

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

COVID-19 hospitalizations and positivity rates continued on a steady decline in Illinois on Feb. 1 as the state reported just 16 virus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours.

Daily death counts fluctuate significantly and are generally lower on Mondays than the rest of the week, but the 16 deaths – recorded in people from their 40s to their 90s – marked the lowest one-day total since Nov. 9, 2020. It followed death counts of 40 and 65 the previous two days.

The state’s rolling seven-day average case positivity rate also dipped below 4 percent over the weekend for the first time since Oct. 9, sitting at 3.9 percent as of Monday.

It has been declining steadily since hitting 8.6 percent on Jan. 4.

Locally, the rate of new COVID-19 cases has also continued to ebb, particularly in Brookfield. According to the Cook County Department of Public Health, the “recent percent change” in new cases reported

Feb. 1 for the most recent two-week period fell by 47 percent compared to the preceding 14-day period.

As of the morning of Feb. 2, there were just 34 new confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 reported for the prior week in Brookfield. As recently as Jan. 11, the weekly total reached 82 new cases.

The Cook County Medical Examiner did not report any more Brookfield residents as having died from COVID-19 in the past week. The village’s total since the medical examiner started tracking those records last March remains at 12.

New cases of COVID-19 also remained low in Riverside and North Riverside for the week-long period ending on the morning of Feb. 2, with 16 and 13 new cases reported, respectively, and no additional deaths. Three Riverside and three North Riverside residents have succumbed to COVID-19.

Since the pandemic swept into the rear last March, a total of 1,556 residents of Brookfield had contracted COVID-19 as of the morning of Feb. 2, along with 782 Riv-

erside residents and 479 North Riverside residents.

Suburban Cook looks to Phase 4 As of Feb. 1, seven of the state’s 11 COVID-19 mitigation regions – Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 11 – had moved into Phase 4 restrictions, meaning indoor dining and competitive high school sports are allowed.

Region 10, which includes all of suburban Cook County, expected to join them on Feb. 2 after the Landmark’s press time, if all trends continued in the region, according to the state.

Regions 8 and 9, which include Kane and DuPage counties and Lake and McHenry counties, respectively, remained in Tier 1 restrictions as of Monday, meaning indoor dining was allowed in a limited capacity.

Both saw their first day of positivity rates at 6.5 percent or below – a metric that would allow them to move to Phase 4 in two more days if they meet the three consecutive day threshold.

Bob Uphues contributed to this report.

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

VACCINE

‘Tough situation’ from page 1 when Aquin repeatedly called Cook County’s vaccine hotline number.

“I finally got put on hold at 7:01 p.m.,” Aquin said. “When I was able to talk to someone they told me there were no more appointments and that if I called tomorrow maybe they might have something.”

Aquin’s experience was a common one.

Martha Almgauer, who works as a customer service relations clerk for the village of North Riverside was seeing the situation from both sides of the coin.

Along with her fellow employees at the North Riverside Village Commons, she has been fielding dozens of calls from senior citizens and caregivers looking for advice on how they might score a vaccine appointment while simultaneously trying to nail appointments down for her two elderly parents.

“It’s been a tough situation,” said Almgauer, who registered her parents through the county’s vaccine appointment website at vaccine.cookcountyil.gov and awaits further notification from the county on when new appointments will come available.

“You wish you could do more,” said Almgauer, who advises callers to check with their physicians to see if perhaps they might be able to receive vaccines that way. “Right now everybody is trying to get it.”

Riverside Township Supervisor Vera Wilt

has also been fielding calls from township residents, and she’s also been trying to get a vaccine appointment for herself, since she qualifies for one as someone who is at least 65 years old.

“I am seeing a lot of frustration,” Wilt said.

“I personally did register with the county, but I haven’t had any luck myself.”

Illinois ranked 47th nationally Those frustrations played out amid continued criticism late last week of the slow rollout of the state’s vaccine effort.

The state on Jan. 29 reported 58,357 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered over the previous 24 hours, setting a one-day high mark for the third straight day.

Still, only 26.4 percent of the 496,100 doses distributed to the federal Pharmacy Partnership Program have been administered to residents of long-term care facilities through nationwide pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has faced criticism for the slow rollout of the vaccine to long-term care residents. Pritzker said Thursday that he had spoken to leaders from Walgreens and CVS, and said the companies plan to have the first round of vaccinations at assisted living and long-term care facilities complete by Feb. 15.

Employees and residents at both long-term care facilities in the Landmark’s coverage area, Cantata Adult Life Services in Brookfield and Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside, have already been administered both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

On Jan. 28, Illinois Senate Republicans sent

a letter to the governor requesting a “clear explanation” as to why Illinois ranked near the bottom of states – as of Friday it was 47th of 50 – in percentage of population that has received at least one dose of the vaccine. That was according to the New York Times, which showed only 5.1 percent of Illinoisans had received one dose of the vaccine as of Friday.

Pritzker responded to the lawmakers in a letter, noting his administration made $25 million in grants available to beef up staff, training and rental space at the state’s 97 local health departments through which it is coordinating the vaccination plan.

“In fact, as we have helped local health departments overcome their challenges, the state of Illinois is administering more doses a week than it is receiving from the federal government,” Pritzker wrote in his response letter.

Pritzker said the New York Times showed Illinois was seventh in the nation for total number of doses distributed, which was right beside California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania – states cited in the GOP letter.

“All but one of those states has received more vaccine on a per capita basis than Illinois has at the CDC’s last count – and yet, we have kept up with them despite having less to work with,” he said.

National supply ‘completely inadequate’

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

GOT SHOT? A patient receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the Cook County Health Clinic in North Riverside on Jan. 22, just a few days before the state moved to Phase 1B, which opened appointments to all senior citizens and many essential workers.

While the Republican lawmakers criticized Pritzker for “blaming the previous president, the federal government and CVS/ Walgreens,” Pritzker said “having a partner” in the Biden administration will ensure a quicker rollout.

He pointed to an announcement Jan. 28 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide Illinois with an additional $43 million to “expand our mobile vaccination operations and offer more easyaccess locations for our residents as the national vaccine supply increases.” He also cited President Joe Biden’s plan to secure 200 million additional vaccine doses.

“Of course, as I and governors across the political spectrum have made clear, the current national vaccine supply pipeline is completely inadequate for national demand – a product of the previous presidential administration, whether or not you’d like to name it as such,” the governor wrote to the GOP lawmakers. “In a country of 330 mil-

lion, the CDC estimates that only enough doses to fully vaccinate about 23 million people have even gone out the door – and that doesn’t count delays in administration or reporting.”

In total, the state has received slightly more than 1.8 million doses of the vaccines manufactured by either Pfizer or Moderna, with about 1.3 million distributed outside of the long-term care partnership program.

Of those outside of the partnership program, 59 percent, or 756,444, have been reported administered. Vaccine administrators have three days from when the shot is given to report it.

The vaccination rollout continues amid falling positivity rates. On Jan. 29, the state’s rolling seven-day average case positivity rate was 4.3 percent, marking the 21st straight day it had decreased and the lowest it has been since Oct. 12.

But, that has not made the difficulty of obtaining appointments for vaccines any less frustrating for local senior citizens and their family members and caregivers, on whom they rely to navigate the process.

“The frustration is that they’re letting elderly people know they’re going to get this, but everyone makes it seem like it’s going to be this week,” Aquin said. “What do elderly people have to do if they don’t have someone to call for them?”

Cook County officials renewed their calls for patience with the rollout, saying the vaccine supply is simply not enough to meet the immediate demand.

“As the governor, [Cook County Board] President Preckwinkle and others have explained, vaccination appointments will become available as additional doses are received,” said Kate Hedlin, communications manager for Cook County Health, said in an email. “In suburban Cook County, there are approximately 600,000 residents and essential workers eligible to be vaccinated in Phase 1B of the vaccination plan, which means not everyone will be able to get vaccinated immediately.

“We ask for patience and please know that we are committed to getting residents vaccinated. In addition, Walgreens, Mariano’s and Jewel-Osco are also offering vaccinations.”

An updated list of COVID-19 vaccination sites can be found at coronavirus.illinois. gov/s/vaccination-location.

Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

POLICING

Culture a big deal from page 1 Late last year, the Riverside Police Department formally adopted the NAACP and Illinois Chiefs of Police 10 Shared Principles for police reform and the U.S. Department of Justice formally certified that Riverside’s police department’s use of force policy was in full compliance with federal regulations.

Weitzel himself, meanwhile, has continued to seek state and township partners to create and fund mental health resources that can be called upon as an alternative to police in some situations.

“I didn’t want the conversation we had in August to look like it was just rhetoric,” Weitzel said. “I wanted to prove that our department was following up.”

The NAACP/Illinois Chiefs 10 Shared Principles affirms foundational values, like respect for all persons, rejection of discrimination, supporting diversity in police staffing, reinforcing de-escalation training and tactics and developing police relationships with communities of color.

The 10 Shared Principles also seek to build trust “through procedural justice, transparency, accountability and honest recognition of past and present obstacles.” The principles define “procedural justice” as “fairness, voice (i.e., an opportunity for citizens

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

NEW ERA: A Riverside police offi cer keeps his distance while performing traffic control in the village’s downtown during a peaceful Black LIves Matter demonstration on June 19, 2020, one of many that followed the death of George Floyd in May. and police to believe they are heard), transparency and impartiality.”

While he believes Riverside police already adhered to those principles, Weitzel said it was important to formally adopt them. Moreover, he said those principles will be printed on posters which will placed in high visibility areas inside the police station and the principles will also become part of the depart-

ment’s field training manual for new officers.

“New officers have to swear to that and we’ll share them with our civilian employees as well,” Weitzel said. “At first glance this looks basic, but intent is to reaffirm these principles publicly and internally.”

Weitzel said there’s no excuse for a department to argue against adopting the 10 Shared Principles, even if police leaders be-

lieve their officers already adhere to those principles.

“I don’t think that answer is good enough,” Weitzel said. “The climate is different in America now. Every chief knows that. To say they are already incorporated falls short. They need to back it up.

“To me, it’s more of a culture. Culture is a big deal and you have to foster a culture of training and ethical and moral policing.”

Weitzel briefed elected officials on the department’s adoption of the 10 Shared Principles, use of force certification and other matters at the Jan. 21 meeting of the Riverside Village Board.

In a follow-up interview, Weitzel said the Ten Shared Principles will be reinforced by incorporating them into routine training for both sworn and non-sworn members of the department.

Asked what he thought of the fact that more than two dozen sworn police officers from other agencies have been identified, so far, as having either attended or participated in the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S Capitol in an attempt to halt the transition of presidential power, Weitzel said if a Riverside officer had been identified as having participated, that officer would have faced consequences.

“That officer would have been immediately placed on administrative leave and I would seek their termination,” Weitzel said.

“They took an oath. From officers in the smallest agency to those working in the biggest cities, everybody swears an oath, and defending the Constitution is in that oath.”

By Linda Sokol Francis. E.A.

RENTAL INCOME AND EXPENSES -REAL ESTATE TAX TIPS PART III Security Deposits Do not include a security deposit in your income when you receive it if you plan to return it to your tenant at the end of the lease. But if you keep part or all of the security deposit during any year because your tenant does not live up to the terms of the lease, include the amount you keep in your income in that year.

If an amount called a security deposit is to be used as a final payment of rent, it is advance rent. Include it in you income when you receive it.

Expenses Paid by Tenant If your tenant pays any of your expenses, the payments are rental income. You must include them in your income. You can deduct the expenses if they are deductible rental expenses.

See Rental Expenses in Publication 527, for more information.

Example One: Your tenant pays the water and sewage bill for your rental property and deducts it from the monthly rent payment. Under the terms of the lease, your tenant does not have to pay this bill.

Example Two: While you are out of town, the furnace in your rental property stops working. Your tenant pays for the necessary repairs and deducts the repair bill from the rent payment.

Based on the facts in each example, include in your rental income both the net amount of the rent payment and the amount the tenant paid for the utility bills and the repairs. You can deduct the cost of the utility bills and repairs as a rental expense.

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

L

Time to meet the moment

ast week’s exhilaration at the news that suburban Cook County senior citizens and essential workers could begin making appointments at county health clinics and local pharmacies morphed into almost immediate frustration as it quickly became apparent that the system set up to begin this effort was not up to the task.

Senior citizens, many of whom depend on a traditional telephone land line to communicate with the outside world during this pandemic, especially felt betrayed by what appeared to be a hopeless effort to land an appointment.

Cook County Health officials and Gov. J.B. Pritzker continued to call for patience as vaccine supplies slowly come in from the federal government, but on Monday the state also reported some vaccine numbers that were troubling.

This particular angle had to do with the percentage of vaccine doses delivered to the state’s pharmacy partners to vaccinate the state’s long-term care home residents. As of Feb. 1, the pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens had delivered just one-third of the doses they had received.

It’s not clear at what rate selected CVS and Walgreens stores are vaccinating the Phase 1B population, but anecdotally it’s been very difficult to find appointments – apps and special websites quickly developed to help people locate pharmacy appointment slots were so overwhelmed they crashed due to the traffic. If you are lucky enough to find an open appointment, you’re lucky not to be sent miles and miles away from home.

Walgreens and CVS need to step it up. On Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reported that Walgreens was paying its brand new CEO a $1.5 annual salary and also gifted her with a signing bonus totaling nearly $25 million.

So, we really don’t want to hear about any hurdles with respect to the cost for ramping up vaccine distribution along the Walgreens chain. And we don’t want to see local staff pharmacists simply given orders to step up the pace of vaccinating people to the detriment of their regular duties making sure people have the medications they need.

Hire, train and mobilize teams that can be deployed at pharmacies around the region and state, and make it easier for people to move through the process. If executive bonuses need to suffer as a result, well, we’re fine with that outcome.

Another thing that has been mentioned by some local officials, is that the state could see vaccination rates increase if only they would reach out to municipalities, many of which employ paramedics and emergency medical technicians 24 hours a day, to help roll out the vaccines on a hyper-local level.

Municipal leaders are simply waiting for the call. They are eager to be part of this effort.

Big moments require big action. If there was ever a moment for federal, state and local governments and for the nation’s largest pharmacy chains to rise to the occasion you’d think a global pandemic would be that moment.

T

Homemade or store-bought, it’s time for Valentines

he remaining holiday sale items were still on the shelves when Valentine’s Day cards and gifts made their way into the stores.

Creeping their way in were spring and Easter decorations. This is all too fast for me, who still is putting away the last of my favorite Christmas holiday things.

When I was a child, Valentine’s Day was always fun, and back then we made our own Valentine’s. I would assemble red and pink construction paper with paper doilies, using glue -- usually the stick-to-you white paste in a jar glue. Thank goodness now for glue sticks; they certainly make things easier.

The creativity continued by decorating a shoe box to hold all the Valentines we would receive. We did not have to give a Valentine to everyone in the class, which sometimes meant hurt feelings. At some point, someone decided you had to give one to everyone, like them or not.

When I was teaching, I tried the shoebox route as a Valentine receptacle that would double as an art project. As fate would have it, not everyone had a shoebox which led me to Plan B. I went to the bakery and pur-

chased white bakery bags for the children to decorate -- good idea Mrs. Kosey.

The fun of children exchanging Valentines has certainly changed. No longer are the cards homemade and you can choose from ones decorated with every theme you can imagine from cartoons to animals to super heroes.

One thing I’ve noticed is that there never seems to be enough cards one a package for an entire class, which means you must purchase at least one more box. You can even purchase something to collect the cards in, so no more hand-decorated shoe boxes or bags -- no more fun.

Valentine’s Day candy has also changed.

The one and only kid candy used to be the little sugar hearts with messages printed on them, and for adults there were always heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and chocolate roses. Those are still available, but now there is almost as big a candy selection as Halloween.

Valentine’s Day isn’t until Feb. 14, so there is plenty of time to pick out a card and maybe some candy for your favorite person or persons. Hearts to you, my faithful readers. Yes, an old-fashioned pun intended.

JOANNE KOSEY

LETTERS

‘About time’ for education reform in Illinois On reading “Education bill to revamp social studies classes” (News, Jan. 27), my reaction was: “Finally, it’s about time the true history of our great nation, America, is taught to future generations.”

I am so hopeful this will move our country to a better place than we are now, evolving towards a “more perfect union.”

Send letters to the Editor Bob Uphues, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 include name, address and daytime phone number for verification

It is a good beginning. Let’s keep moving forward. We have the opportunity to show the world how a democracy truly works and includes many cultures and beliefs.

We can live together peacefully and still keep our own identity. How richer our lives can be going forward.

Carlene M. O’Brien North Riverside

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

17

OBITUARIES

Mary Pat Duff, 77 Owned janitorial company Mary Pat Duff, 77, of Riverside, died Jan. 30, 2021 in Riverside. Ms. Duff was born Aug. 23, 1943 in Chicago and was the owner of a janitorial company.

Ms. Duff was the mother of Ann Marie Tzoumas, Michael Borem, Mary Eileen Brooks, the late James Borem and the late Patrick Borem; the grandmother of Danielle Bode, Nicole Tzoumas and Ariel Tzoumas; and the greatMARY PAT DUFF grandmother of Breanna Kissick, Olivia Bode, Xavion Grant and Yalani Grant.

Visitation Tuesday, Feb. 2 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Kuratko-Nosek Funeral Home, 2447 Desplaines Ave., North Riverside. Funeral on Wednesday, Feb. 3 with prayers 10 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment is at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, Naperville.

Memorial donations to American Society (cancer.org) or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org) would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be offered at KuratkoNosek.com.

Arthur F. Flowers Sr., 80 Longtime Brookfield volunteer firefighter Arthur F. Flowers Sr., 80, of McNabb, Illinois, and formerly of Brookfield, died Jan. 11, 2021 at Illinois Valley Community Hospi-

BF BUCKS

Make it simple from page 6 Zoo,” said Village President Kit Ketchmark during a discussion wrapping up the Brookfield Bucks program at the village board’s Jan. 25 committee of the whole meeting.

Ketchmark noted that the village has found it difficult to partner with the zoo, since officials there are keen to have visitors stay and spend their money inside the park, and are less interested in sending them elsewhere.

tal in Peru.

Mr. Flowers was born Dec. 1, 1940 in Chicago and was a retired manager for AT&T. He was also a longtime volunteer firefighter for the village of Brookfield.

He was the husband of Louise (nee Janota); the father of Arthur Jr. (Drusilla), Donna Hirsch-Flowers, Deanne Getchman, Derrick Hirsch, the late Edward Flowers and the late David Hirsch; the grandfather of 11; the great-grandfather of one; the brother of Paul, Barbara (David) Lacy and the late Thomas Flowers; and the uncle of many.

Private cremation services have been held. A memorial service for Mr. Flowers will be announced at a later date.

Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Online condolences may be offered at JohnsonNosek.com.

Due to COVID and variants, a Mass will be held in the future. Interment is private at Resurrection Cemetery, Justice.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, memorials in her honor are appreciated to St. Isaac Jogues Parish, 8149 W. Golf Road, Niles, 60714.

Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Jessie Ramirez Jr., 47 Recycling manager

Carol A. Kowalczyk, 69, of Niles and formerly of North Riverside, died Jan. 30, 2021. Ms. Kowalczyk was a registered nurse.

She was the sister of Janet Porcelius and Mark (Diane) Kowalczyk; the aunt CAROL KOWALCZYK of Elizabeth (Anthony) Holtz, Denise, Matthew, Zachary and Nicole; the daughter of the late Aloysius L. Kowalczyk and Florence A. Kowalczyk (nee Dudzik); and a niece and cousin to many.

Jessie Ramirez Jr., 47 of Chicago and known to his family as “Our King,” died Jan. 23, 2021. Mr. Ramirez worked as a recycling manager.

He was the son of Maria Ramirez and the late Jessie Ramirez; the brother of Tomas (Adriana) Ramirez, Patricia (Eduardo) RamirezFlores, Sandra (John) Shaughnessy, Kristina Ramirez Lugo and the late JESSIE RAMIREZ JR. Marco Ramirez; the uncle of Stefano Ramirez, Christopher Flores, Liam Shaughnessy, Luciano Ramirez and Avery Shaughnessy; the nephew of “Chila” Ramirez and “Pancho” Ramirez; and a cousin and friend to many.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 29 at St. Louise de Marillac Church, LaGrange Park. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.

Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

“This I believe was the first time we have partnered in something like this,” Ketchmark said. “Maybe there’s an opportunity separate from a particular program where we’re offering discounts that we’re able to partner with the zoo. Maybe there’s a way to market Brookfield within the zoo separate from a Brookfield Bucks-type program.”

John Harris, principal of A5 Inc., admitted to trustees on Jan. 25 that the Brookfield Bucks program had its challenges. First, launching a marketing campaign during a pandemic when crowd sizes at the zoo were limited was not ideal.

The company also learned through the experience that 80 percent of zoo visitors were members who paid nothing for admis-

sion and little to nothing for parking. That meant the $15 spend to trigger the offer had to be made elsewhere in a zoo where retail shops and restaurants were closed due to the pandemic.

Harris also suggested simplifying any program in the future to make it more attractive to customers and local businesses.

“With more of a one-step/two-step offer, it would probably yield stronger redemptions,” Harris said.

While it’s not clear just what kind of a marketing program the village might employ as the weather improves in 2021, trustees appeared eager to give it another shot.

“I don’t want to bail on this, nor do I want to wait until the winter to do anything ei-

Carol A. Kowalczyk, 69 Registered nurse

If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o Jessie Ramirez Jr. family.

Marco A. Ramirez, 49 Mechanic Marco A. Ramirez, 49, of Chicago and known to his family as “Our Captain,” died Jan. 15, 2021. Mr. Ramirez worked as a mechanic.

He was the son of Maria Ramirez and the late Jessie Ramirez; the brother of Tomas (Adriana) Ramirez, Patricia (Eduardo) Ramirez-Flores, Jessie Ramirez Jr., Sandra (John) Shaughnessy and Kristina Ramirez Lugo; the uncle of Stefano Ramirez, Christopher Flores, Liam Shaughnessy, Luciano Ramirez, Avery Shaughnessy; the nephew of “Chila” Ramirez and “Pancho” Ramirez; and a cousin and friend to many.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Louise de Marillac Church in LaGrange Park.

Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.

Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o Marco Ramirez family.

To run an obituary Please contact Bob Uphues by e-mail: buphues@rblandmark.com, before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

ther,” said Trustee Edward Cote. “People maybe will be out in May, June and maybe that’s when we start targeting for the summer months. … I think there’s still opportunity here.

Harris said making a program simple and engaging local businesses to participate would be important for success. He also encouraged the village to look at marketing as a long-term strategy.

“One of the things we know is that marketing is successful when it’s consistent and over time,” he said. “This was in our view a good first step and start and provides a foundation for you to move forward with some type of program sometime in the future.”

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

18

The Landmark, February 3, 2021 New local ads this week

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PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is 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: Y21005627 on January 14, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of CHAD KEAST HAIR with the business located at: 31 G HARRISON ST, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: CHAD KEAST 1028 RANDOLPH ST 1NW OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

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 LAURA VALDEZ, Petitioner and LINO CHIMALPOPOCA-ABARCA, Respondent, Case No. 2021D430022 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 February 19, 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 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

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In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year RBLandmark.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLIONIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of JULIAN RICHARD ANDREOTTI Case Number 2020CONC000961 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Julian Richard Andreotti to the new name of: Julian Richard Topete-Andreotti The court date will be held: On February 17, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom Video-conference. Please use the information below to access the hearing.

ZOOM MEETING ID:970 3250 0245 ZOOM PASSSWORD: 895226 CALL IN: 3126266799 Published in Wednesday Journal 1/20, 1/27, 2/3/2021

The Landmark, February 3, 2021

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NOTICE OF DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Oak Park Draft Program Year 2019 Comprehensive Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (Draft CAPER) will be available for public review and comment during business hours from February 4-18, 2021 on the Village’s website on the HousingGrants webpage and at Village Hall, 123 Madison Street. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed. Program Year 2019 ran from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020.

As a recipient of federal funding under the Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant and Section 108 Loan Guarantee Programs, the Village is required to submit annual performance reports to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Any comments concerning the Draft CAPER should be submitted in writing to grants@oak-park.us by 5 p.m., February 18, 2021.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project: 2021 STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS This project will include the replacement of concrete curb and gutter, sidewalks, driveway aprons, and drainage structures, pavement widening, installation of 1,750’ of 8” DIP water main, replacement of certain sections of combined sewers, milling and resurfacing certain pavements, landscaping disturbed areas, and performing other related work.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 24th day of February, 2021, in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 24th day of February, 2021, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154.

Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Wednesday, the 17th day of February, 2021.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. All bidders must provide proof that they are prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform at least 40% of the value of the work before being issued bidding documents. A non-refundable fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents

from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not be less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village.

The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be mailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-3, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-3 Plaintiff, -v.CHARLES T. GRANT, JUANITA J. GRANT, THE PRAIRIE PLACE AT 6436 ROOSEVELT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2019CH14912 6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413 OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 5, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 11, 2021, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 6436 ROOSEVELT RD, 413, OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-428-0431030, Property Index No. 16-18428-043-1054

The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real

estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county

venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-11626 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH14912 TJSC#: 40-2378 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2019CH14912 I3163568

local employees... happy employees!

BY ORDER THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark 02/03/2021

Published in Wednesday Journal February 3, 2021

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The Landmark, February 3, 2021

NG MI O C

ON SO

442 Kent Rd, Riverside

112.5 Lincoln Ave, 2H, Riverside $109,900

2024 S Wabash #305, Chicago $200,000

621 S Plymouth Ct, #207, Chicago $200,000

3608 Wenonah Ave, Berwyn $289,900

2034 73rd Ct, Elmwood Park $374,900

873 N Larabee St, #701, Chicago $415,000

192 Waubansee Rd, Riverside $539,000

178 Maplewood Rd, Riverside $625,000

144 Scottswood Rd, Riverside $799,000

AL NT E R

293 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

45 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

38 S Kensington Ave #6, LaGrange $2,850/mo

L TA N RE

8613 Rockefeller Ave, Brookfield $1,800/mo.

L TA N RE

622 Robinhood Ln, LaGrange Park $2,200/mo

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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