Seahawks’ Love excites friends with Super Bowl victory
2016 Nazareth
graduate’s interception helps Seattle secure second NFL title
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Jacob Bar tels has marveled at the athletic talents of Seattle Seahawks strong safety and Nazareth Academy graduate Julian Love for a long time
“Julian and I grew up in Westchester, playing basketball and football,” said Bartels, who then played both sports with Love at Nazareth and also graduated in 2016.
“I know, along with myself and all of my buddies, you kind of get numb to it, watching him excel at Notre Dame, (the National Football League). You shouldn’t be used to the Super Bowl but you’re used to see him do so well.”
Now an offseason LaGrange Park resident near the high school, Love was among the heroes in the Seahawks’ 29-13 Super Bowl victory over the New England
See LOVE on pa ge 8
2016 Nazareth graduate Julian Love and the Seattle Seahawks played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Angelo Sena, longtime Riverside barber, dies at 88
Sena ran the barbershop inside the train station for decades
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
The owner and operator of the barbershop inside the Riverside train station, Angelo Sena, died in January. He was 88.
A resident of Westchester and for merly Berwyn, Sena grew up in Milan, Italy. He ran his barbershop in Riverside for several decades.
“He was such a good-natured person. I regularly saw the same guys in the shop, so he had a consistent clientele that went over years and years. I think he was highly respected by every-
See ANGELO SENA on pa ge 9
YOU HAVE A PIZZA MY HEART.
SCAN TO RESERVE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Brook eld Shops vendors graduate
Photos By ERICA BENSON Contributing Photographer
On Friday, Feb. 6, Brookfield village officials hosted a graduation ceremony for the 2025 cohort of vendors at the Brookfield Shops, the village’s retail incubator program. The event took place at Brookfield Zoo Chicago.
Three of the vendors from the inaugural group — Four Star Coffee Company, the Shop Salon & Style House and New Book Joy — will remain open through December 2026 at the graduate level alongside three new vendors chosen for 2026. The other three — Rites of Wellness, Frost With Us and Organic Jewelry — will not return.
Libby Popov ic, Brook eld’s community development director, speaks at the Brook eld Shops graduation on Friday, Feb. 6. Popovic’s department has been at the head of the project since its inception toward the end of 2024.
Mandy Genge, one of two co-founders of New Book Joy, receives a ce rti cate of graduation from Popovic. New Book Joy is returning to the Brookeld Shops through December for a second year
Village Trustee Nicole Gilhooley places a cord around the neck
of Lea A a Bempah, the ow ner and operator of apothecary shop Rites of Wellness
Giselle Cortes and Nestor Valencia, the married duo behind Organic Jewelr y, receives their certi cate of graduation from the retail incubator program.
Kelly ompson and Kelly Stevens, the daughter- and mother-in-law behind the Shop Salon & Style House, speak with a representative of the First National Bank of Brook eld.
Mary Cahillane, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson, Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson
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Art studio and event space opens in Brook eld
Terri Angarone is the owner of Grey Phoenix on Prairie Avenue
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
A new home for artists of all ages has opened in Brookfield.
Grey Phoenix Art Studio opened Monday, Feb. 2, at 3730-3732 Prairie Ave. The business hosts art classes for children and adults including a for thcoming summer camp program, open workshop hours for local artists and art for sale. The studio features several different media of art, including painting, sculpting, printmaking, drawing and more
A gallery pop-up night and grand opening, which will feature “a smorgasbord of local artists,” is scheduled for March 7 at 7 p.m.
“I have always wanted to be in the arts, ever since high school,” said Terri Angarone, the owner and operator of Grey Phoenix. “I always wanted to be an art teacher.” Angarone said she earned a de gree in
painting but didn’t finish her teaching degree before her family moved to Brookfield in 2007.
“I’m a South Sider, and my husband’s a North Sider, so we found Brookfield. It was centrally located; we could get to the city,” she said. “I found that they had a great art fest. Abby [Brennan] from Brennan Spa, she started the [Brookfield Fine Arts Festival] when we moved in 2007. I was part of that from the very beginning, and I loved it I started doing more art fests and becoming more a part of the art community … I didn’t realize how many artists were in Brookfield and the surrounding areas.”
Despite finally earning her arts degree, Angarone said she mostly did office work throughout her adult life.
“I worked at a printing place, so I did typesetting. It was kind of artistic, but it was basically people telling me what they wanted, right? It was that kind of stuff; it was just to pay the bills,” she said. “My side hustle was art. It was something I enjoyed on the side.”
She said she decided to open her own art studio after she realized it was an unfilled niche in Brookfield.
“I’m taking my kids to Oak Park, to Riverside and LaGrange for art classes. I’m like, ‘I
could do this,’” she said. “‘I can open a studio and have classes all the time,’ so I started looking around, and I found this space. It was great.”
Alongside Angarone, who focuses on oil painting, printmaking and mixed media, Grey Phoenix features Ryan Bothwell as an instructor. Bothwell is the ceramicist behind Bothwell Pottery, which was operating out of his own art classroom at Forest Road Elementary School in LaGrange Park last summer
“He taught my youngest daughter pottery. He was getting moved out of the school because they were doing some renovation. I said, ‘Listen, I don’t know if you’re looking for a space, and you don’t know me from Adam, but do you want to collaborate? I’m opening a studio,’ and he goes, ‘Oh my gosh, yeah!’” Angarone said.
Comic book fans may appreciate the stu-
dio’s name, which Angarone said was a nod to her favorite mutant superhero from “XMen.”
“There’s the Phoenix, and her human name is Jean Grey. I took her last name and Phoenix because I relate to her a lot, and I love the color grey. I feel like there’s so much grey in the world — not as a bad thing, but everything is not black and white, right? There’s so much grey area,” she said.
Opening Grey Phoenix has meant reclaiming her pride and passion for art, Angarone said.
“When I turned 50, this was when I started really thinking about opening a studio, so I changed my whole life,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’m not going to work for anyone anymore. Instead of doing this as a side project or a side hustle, I want to make this my fulltime gig.”
Half of rentals in Riverside now comply with code
Village’s goal is 60% compliance by the end of 2027
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
According to village statistics, only about half of rental buildings and units in Riverside comply with the village’s building code five years after the start of its rental re gistration program.
At the village board’s meeting on Feb. 5, Community Development Director Anne Cyran shared stats on the program’s progress from 2025. Of the village’s 57 rental buildings, 30 are fully compliant with village code, Cyran said. In terms of discrete rental units, 224 of Riverside’s 485 apar tments are compliant, about 46%.
Those figures represent a marked improvement from 2024, when just 15 buildings and 174 units were compliant, Cyran said. She said village staffers completed 411 inspections in 2024 and only 288 in 2025, but Riverside still earned more revenue from fees last year than the year before, from $14,836 in 2024 to $17,215 in 2025.
“Inspection fees increased last year due to improvements in inspection tracking and invoicing despite the reduced number of inspections,” Cyran told village trustees. “We don’t anticipate inspection fees increasing in future years. We anticipate we’ll remain consistent with the number of inspections we conduct.”
Despite the reduced number of inspections, Cyran said staf f issued 15 citations in 2025, up from nine in 2024.
According to Riverside’s rental re gistration webpage, the program costs rental property owners $15 to register each building with three or more units every year.
Self-certified inspections cost $15 while village inspections and re-inspections cost $55 for one unit or $100 for the building, which includes the exterior and common areas. According to village documents, building inspections are required every year. Each individual unit must be inspected every three years, meaning about one-third of units are inspected each year.
Cyran said her department’s goal for 2026 and 2027 is to increase the number of compliant buildings and units each to 60%. That means four more buildings, for a total of 34, and 67 more units, for a total of 291, must comply.
Cyran said the buildings that remain non-compliant tend to need more investment from their owners to meet the village’s standards “due to deferred maintenance.”
“These are the folks who we’ve been out to the property a few times, and we’ve had the same comments. We’re getting to the point where we’re going to need to start issuing citations when we’ve reached the end of our term of voluntary compliance,” she said. “We always strive for voluntary compliance; however, if someone doesn’t comply, we do need to issue citations. That is not a hugely involved process, but it does require more staf f time to go through adjudication.”
Village President Doug Pollock lauded Cyran and her staf f for ing more rental buildings compliance.
“This program is geared to ensure safe housing for all Rive said.
Healthy Heart, Happy Life YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone
February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on cardiovascular health and the steps we can take to maintain a strong heart. At Cantata Senior Living, we recognize the importance of heart health, especially for older adults. Here are some easy ways to prioritize cardiovascular wellness:
Stay Active – Engage in light exercise like walking, chair yoga, or stretching to keep your heart strong.
Eat Heart-Healthy Foods – Enjoy meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while limiting sodium and processed foods.
Manage Stress – Practice deep breathing, meditation, or social activities to reduce stress and support heart health.
Monitor Your Health – Keep up with regular check-ups, blood pressure screenings, and medications as prescribed.
Stay Hydrated – Drink plenty of water to help maintain circulation and overall health.
Stay Connected – Engage in social activities to boost mental and emotional well-being, which benefits the heart.
This February, take simple steps toward a healthier heart. Let’s embrace wellness together— because a healthy heart is a happy heart!
For more info, visit Cantata.org or call (708) 387-1030
D96 planning Family Math Night
Event to feature district curriculum, i-Ready resource … and board games
By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
For some parents, math was their favorite subject in school. For others, it was a bear
Re gardless, though, helping your children excel in the subject is more important than ever.
That’s why Riverside School District 96’s Family Math Night from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 25 at Hauser Junior High School will help parents and students learn about not only the curriculum, but ways to find math outside of class – and just maybe find it fun.
“Families have a chance to really lear n how their students are going to eng age in mathematical thinking and then re plicate those conversations at home by noticing math around them,” said Sara Hickey, who is a district instructional coach across all elementary schools
Families don’ t have to sign up ahead of time for the event. T hey are encouraged to simply ar rive ready to lear n.
Now, if you think the event will be a mish-mash of math problems on a whiteboard for 90 minutes, you’ re wrong, Hickey said. Core will be math g ames, including time-honored favorites like Battleship, Monopoly and Uno – all of which will be raffled of f at the end of the evening
“Math g ames encourage kids to slow down, consider the problem and devise a
PreK students play ing a board game last year
ing board g ames that support those same concepts of problem solving.”
Of course, the district’s core math resource, i-Ready, will be front and center, but so will as many as 15 teachers along with a group of Hauser students to help out. The latter of which will be a big help at the BINGO game at the end of the evening.
an-
Toye will also be there to greet families as they arrive.
This is the second time the district has hosted a Family Math Night, part of the Family Learning Night series. The first was in 2023, and last year’s was Family Reading Night. Each event, including a Family Science Night in 2024, draws between 50 and 100 families.
Hickey said other districts host learning nights, but they are typically focused on adults
Family Math Night is different. There will be brief parent information sessions, including one in Spanish, to share about the district’s math curriculum. Childcare will also be provided.
“This is really more about families and students learning together and doing that kind of thinking at home,” she said. “This brings community together around learning.”
That said, how can parents make math more approachable for their student, especially if that student doesn’t care for math?
“You can simply ask students questions when they are doing their homework,” Hickey suggested. “The more you can get kids talking about what they are doing, the more families can support them at home.”
COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE D96/HAUSER JR HIGH
L.J. Hauser Junior High School
COURTESY OF RIVERSIDE D96
Riverside will cover some costs of early lead line replacement
e village will reimburse homeowners for the public side of the line
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
Homeowners in Riverside who wish to replace the leaded water service line that connects their home to the public water main ahead of the village’s schedule can now be reimbursed for the cost of the public portion of the line, up to a cap.
Village trustees on Feb. 5 approved a resolution authorizing the reimbursements. For properties where the water main is located on the same side of the street, homeowners can receive up to $5,000; for those on the other side of the street from the water main, the cap is $7,500.
While Riverside has been issued at least $4 million for the replacements and applied
for $12 million more, all in the form of zero-interest loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, that money cannot be used to reimburse residents for their early line replacements, according to village documents.
Instead, reimbursements will come from Riverside’s water and sewer fund’s allocation for emergency repairs, which is worth around $178,000.
According to a memo from the meeting, the move will save Riverside money in the long-term while decreasing the risk of exposing residents to “the risk of ele lead levels” that arises when a leaded service line is only partially replaced.
Residents who wish to seek ear ment and reimbursement will ha
the full cost of the project upfront and later be reimbursed the applicable amount by the village
Trustees did not discuss the resolution at their Feb. 5 meeting, as it was approved as part of the consent agenda, though they were supportive when it was first discussed at their Jan. 15 committee of the whole meeting, according to the memo.
Riverside’s project to replace lead service lines in town stems from the Lead Service
Line Replacement and Notification Act, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and mandated that municipalities are responsible for re placing those leaded service lines. Riverside began re gularly replacing its lines in 2025, two years ahead of schedule, after replacing them in case of emergencies since 2022. The act says all municipalities in Illinois must replace at least 6% of leaded lines each year starting in 2027 in order to have fully re placed them by 2044.
is illustration lays out the public/private nature of the lead service line replacement mandate ever y community in the state faces following action by Illinois General Assembly, which became e ective Jan. 1, 2022. Replacing lead water services in even small communities w ill cost tens of millions of dollars.
CHRISTOPHER
COURTESY OF THE VILL AG E OF BROOKFIELD is illustration shows how a home’s water ser vice line connects to the village’s water mains.
Patriots to add to their first championship following the 2013 season.
Love is the first Nazareth graduate to play in, much less win, a Super Bowl.
“It’s just funny. You’re watching on TV and oh, look, there’s Julian,” said Matt Prendergast, another 2016 Nazareth Academy graduate and for mer teammate. “Super happy for him and his family. It’s extremely well deserved, too.”
With the Seahawks (17-3) leading 19-7 but the Patriots driving in the fourth quarter, Love delivered more excitement.
Love had an interception and 35-yard return to the Patriots’ 36-yard line. The Seahawks converted the possession into another of a Super Bowl record five field goals for a 22-7 lead with 5:35 left.
Seattle’s Uchenna Nwoski then made a 45yard pick-six interception before New England (17-4) scored a TD with 2:21 left.
“It was so cool (for Love). He’s accomplished so much in his career and that pick in the Super Bowl, that’s some legendary status right there. So few people have been able to do that,” Prendergast said.
“When he got that interception, my phone was blowing off the hook so that was cool,” Bartels said. “I don’t think he knows how many people he impacts. People who don’t know him but know that I know him were texting me.”
The three have remained friends and are part of a group chat with other for mer Nazareth players. Yet neither Bartels nor Prendergast has seen Love play an NFL game
When Bartels played baseball at St. John’s University, Love got tickets for him and
Fighting Irish against Syracuse at Yankee Stadium. During those colle ge football days, Prendergast was busy playing for Lehigh
The group of Love’s friends gathered Saturday for simulated golf but had separate Super Bowl plans. They look forward to congratulating Love personally for his latest football accomplishment.
“I’m sure I’ll reach out some point this week but I’m sure his phone is blowing up,” said Prendergast, who texted Love after the NFC Championship victory. is in his seventh NFL season and
fourth with the Seahawks. A 2023 Pro Bowl selection, Love began this season in the starting lineup and returned Dec. 18 after missing nine games on injured reserve
Love was the Seahawks’ 2025 Steve Largent Award winner and nominee for the NFL’s annual Walter Payton Man of the Year award, both based on dedication and character on and off the field.
“Julian is a guy that you can tell nothing’s changed,” Bartels said. “He’s always checking in when something’s going well (for you).”
When reflecting on Nazareth sports memo-
ries with Love, Bartels and Prendergast pondered before mentioning his performance – both offense and defense – in the Roadrunners’ 35-21 Class 5A state quarterfinal victory over Joliet Catholic to avenge a regular-season loss. Nazareth eventually beat LincolnWay West 42-21 for the program’s second state football championship.
“There’s so many (moments), right? Basketball, (besides) football, he did something extraordinary,” Bartels said. “You’d get used to it because you’d see him do great things for so long.”
Julian Love (le ) with Nazareth Academy head football coach Tim Racki and his retired No. 20 jersey
COURTESY OF LEGACY.COM AND DUPAG E FUNER AL CHAPEL
Angelo Sena, the ow ner of the barbershop inside the Riverside train station, died in Januar y. He was 88.
ANGELO SENA
A sense of comfort
from page 1
body,” said Dan Nemec, a longtime customer of Sena’s.
The Landmark was unable to get in contact with Sena’s son, John Sena, to request an interview about his father
Nemec said he first walked into the barbershop after he moved to Riverside around 20 years ago, and Sena quickly became his go-to barber.
“Anybody who takes Metra would have passed the shop and seen there’s a barber there. Of course, when I moved here, I said, ‘Barber’s right there. You get off the train and go to the barber. It’s so convenient,’” he said. “After going to him for about 20 years, I got to know him as a friend, as a person, and I really liked the guy.”
Over time, Nemec said he got to know Sena’s family, including his son, who also works at the barbershop
“My son went to school with Angelo’s granddaughter, and he played high school hockey with his grandson,” he said in an email.
Nemec said he was drawn in as a repeat customer due to the no-nonsense attitude Sena brought to his haircuts and the shop.
“There was a sense of comfort in there. There was nothing at all fancy. Throughout the years, a lot of men’s barbers turned into
stylist shops, and it was a different aura in there. This felt like an old-time barbershop,” he said. “You know, I don’t want anything fancy. I don’t want my hair shampooed and styled and things like that. I just wanted a basic haircut, and that’s what he gave.”
He said Sena made going to get a haircut every month an enjoyable routine that he started to look forward to due to Sena’s kind and friendly nature.
“A lot of barbers like to talk and go on and on about themselves, but Angelo was a good listener,” Nemec said.
He said Sena often told stories of his life, including of the Italian American community in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood, to which he said Sena belonged before moving out to the suburbs.
“He still stayed close to the Italian American community. I’m not Italian, but I love Italian restaurants and Italian food, and he would tell me where to go to get good Italian groceries, to get prosciutto and good parmesan cheese,” Nemec said. “My daughter did study abroad in Italy, so he shared a lot of experiences of what she should do.”
Nemec said he will miss Sena, not just as his barber but as his friend.
“I could find another barber, but [I’ll miss] the comfort of knowing I can go to him and feel that sense of comfort being in his shop,” he said.
According to Sena’s obituary, he is survived by his wife Beatrice, his son John, and his grandchildren Gianna, Marisa and Giovanni. Services were held at St. Odilo Church in Berwyn on Jan. 31.
Salerno’s Pizza turns 60
It takes generations of good Italian food to hit that milestone
By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Eats Reporter
This year Salerno’s Pizza is celebrating its sixth decade, serving the best of foods from southern Italy and modern favorites. For the Salerno family, it’s been about treating diners like extended family all along.
To mark the occasion, you can get a slice and soda for the throw-back price of $6, among other deals.
The full Salerno’s experience requires you to take a seat, relax and soak in all the history that built the local chain that currently extends to four locations. The Oak Park location is at 7128 Roosevelt Road.
Back in 1957, the Salerno family reunited in Chicago. Brothers Vincenzo and Arnaldo had left Calabria, Italy a few years earlier. Now that the family was back together, the food traditions flowed again.
In 1966 Vincenzo, Arnaldo and their brother Joeseph purchased Berwyn Tavern on 16th Street in Berwyn. Shortly afterwards they began to dabble with serving food.
“We became known for pizza,” Maria Salerno, Joseph’s wife, said.
“You had such an influx of Italians in the 1900s,” Emilio Morrone, manager of the Oak Park location said. “Most of Italian cuisine and culture you think of is from Rome south. That’s where there was no economy and people were poor. So when you think pizza and pasta and things like that, it’s actually southern Italian cuisine is what we know as Italian cuisine.”
Tavern customers were soon asking the brothers to offer even more tastes of home.
“Back in the day, my mom [Maria Salerno] and my aunts, they were the ones who actually made all the pasta, the lasagna, the ravioli, the cavatelli, the gnocchi,” Connie Zotta, restaurant co-owner, said. “Those are all recipes that they brought from their hometown in Calabria.”
Later the flagship restaurant moved from 16th Street to Roosevelt Avenue, then in 2007 it moved again to its current location on the Oak Park side of Roosevelt.
While the menu has grown, it has also kept its roots according to Emilio Morrone, whose father joined the Salernos in the restaurant business in the late 1990s.
“Our lasagna sheets are still made from scratch. Our manicotti, same thing, we
PROVIDED/SALERNO’S PIZZ A
PROVIDED/SALERNO’S PIZZ A
make those from scratch. Ravioli made from scratch,” Morrone said. “There’s not too many places that maintain those traditions. Nothing’s brought in frozen.”
Chicken Francaise is a house specialty. Battered and fried chicken breast paired with a tangy lemon sauce and served with pasta tossed in the same sauce.
Some dishes have faded from current cravings, but they come back as specials.
“There’s certain things that we’ve phased out of the menu, but that people still come looking for like tripe,” Morrone said. “My generation, we’re not going out for tripe, but people of an older generation that are like, do you guys have tripe back? So, we’ll bring it back to keep our tried-and-true customers happy. That’s our dedication of food quality and service.”
Though the brothers who started the restaurant have passed away, the business is still family owned and operated. For them,
PROVIDED/SALERNO’S PIZZ A
pasta & red sauce
the family-feeling extends to the customers as well.
“You get like grandma and grandpa come in and they had their first date at Saler no’s on 16th Street,” Morrone said. “And then mom and dad are there. And then the grandkids are there. So, you see what this place means to people, bringing everybody together over a good meal.”
Generations at Salerno’s
Chicken Francaise
Bulldogs’ Bejarano, Lions’ Wickert-Harris go to sectional
ird-place nishers become third sectional quali ers in teams’ histories
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Riverside Brookfield High School senior Estefany Bejarano was concerned when the start of her girls wrestling season began with a patella injury to her right knee.
“That injury made me lose a little bit of time so I was like, ‘This isn’t going to be my season,’” Bejarano said. When she had to confront a slightly sprained right ankle after a match during the East Aurora Regional Saturday, nothing was going to stop her best season. She achieved two more victories to finish third at 170 pounds and advance to the Schaumburg Individual Sectional Friday and Saturday with a top-four finish.
“I was scared [about the ankle]. I tried my best,” said Bejarano (28-4). “I’ve never made it past regionals so it’s amazing. I cried when I realized I was getting there and now I’m third and it’s awesome. [The ankle is] a little swollen but I got it taped up and I got an ankle brace.”
Lyons Township sophomore Jhania Wickert-Harris (21-5) also earned her first sectional berth with third at 105 after beating the No. 1 seed in her previous match to secure her spot.
“It’s my second year of wrestling and I put a lot of effort into it. [Teammates and I] really tried our hardest and put in the work so I think I deserve it,” Wickert-Harris said. “I don’t think I could have done this freshman year. It’s definitely a reflection (of my improvement).”
Both became the third sectional qualifiers in their team’s respective histories at the largest wrestling regional in IHSA history (30 teams) and a talented field including seven state champions. Top-four sectional finishers advance to the state meet.
The Bulldogs’ first two sectional qualifiers were senior and fellow four-year wrestler Danely Villagomez and 2024 graduate Eleanor Aphay, also the two state qualifiers in program history.
Wickert-Harris joins current junior Zoe Connelly and 2025 graduate Avi Gonzalez. The Lions have never had a state qualifier.
“It’s a tough, tough [regional] tournament. There’s people who might not make it out of here that deserve to at least be at sectionals,” LTHS coach Darwin DePina said. Bejarano, Villagomez and junior Emily Anaya are the Bulldogs’ captains. Villagomez (22-6 at 155) and Anaya (22-11 at 145) each came one backdraw victory from qualifying for
RBHS’s Estefany Bejarano w restles Elgin’s Esperanza Morales at 190 pounds dur ing a Upstate 8 Conference match, Dec. 17, 2025 in Riverside.
sectionals, Saturday, as well as LTHS senior Ashley Uhler (11-8 at 115). Senior Sofia Turek (22-8 at 135), the first fouryear wrestler in LTHS girls wrestling history, came two backdraw victories from advancing.
“Pound for pound, Estefany’s the strongest wrestler on our team,” RBHS coach Dan Verr said. “It just hurts to see two girls (Villagomez and Anaya), who had the capability to do that and more, fall just short. But this is a record-breaking re gional.”
Bejarano was 4-1 at sectionals and captured third with a pin in 1:55.
As the No. 6 seed, Wickert-Harris was 5-1 and gained third with a pin in 1:27 after her 9-5 victory over top-seeded senior Alisa Carter of Joliet Central (24-4). Wickert-Harris used a first-period takedown to lead 3-2 entering the third period.
“I felt like I was going to lose right away but (teammate Mariah Zalapa) told me don’t get discouraged. You can do anything you put your mind to,” Wickert-Harris said.
“I didn’t talk to her (before) because she was focused,” DePina said. “She’s always been athletic but her abilities have grown more as a wrestler this year.”
In their matches to reach the final four, Villagomez lost
4-2 and Anaya and Uhler were pinned in 3:30 and 5:26, respectively, after Uhler led 9-7.
Depending on her college wrestling choice, Villagome z may help coach the Bulldogs next season.
“I’m most proud of always trying my best during my matches and giving it my all every time,” Villagomez said. “Toward the end of my freshman year, I knew I wanted to keep wrestling after high school.”
Turek laughed when she recalled as a freshman that the LTHS girls team only had boys’ singlets.
“There wasn’t even a [girls] re gional,” Turek said. “It’s cool to look back and see how much [girls wrestling] has grown. We ended with five girls and now we have such a good team.”
RBHS boys wrestling
The Bulldogs lost to Oak Forest 57-11 Thursday at the Class 2A Evergreen Park Dual Wrestling Sectional with a state quarterfinal berth on the line.
RBHS victories were a technical fall by Izaiah Gonzalez (15-0 at 132) and decisions for Tony Lombardo (5-2 at 138) and Nick O’Connor (5-4 at 175). The Bulldogs qualified by winning the Glenbard South Re gional.
ESTEFANY BE JARANO
JHANIA WICKER T HARRIS
STEVE JOHNSTON
Riverside trio helps wick cheerleaders return to state
Friars nish
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
For juniors Simone Black and Giada DeCola and freshman Penelope Black, reaching the Class 2A state meet with the Fenwick competitive cheerleading team was twice as nice The Riverside residents helped the Friars finish 23rd in F day’s preliminaries (85.50 points) with Black and DeCola making their second appearances as third-year varsity member Simone and Penelope Black also are sisters.
“The team is my second family. We came from different backgrounds of gymnastics, dance and cheer. I love how we able to use everyone’s talents to maximize the team,” Simone Black said. “It’s been a great year for Fenwick in athletics [Class 6A state football] was a huge win for Fenwick. Then to qualify for cheer state again made for so many memorable l experiences for mine and Giada’s junior year.”
The Friars improved on last year’s state score when they finished 20th in the Medium Division (84.88). Head coac Carlotta F leming competed for Fenwick in cheerleading state in 2013.
“We are very grateful for our coaches. They are so suppo ive and believe in us,” DeCola said. “Making state again was so amazing. We are so grateful. We put in a lot of time and effort and some tears. We came together as a team, pushing through struggles to make each other better athletes.”
The trio were assistant coaches this past season for Hauser Junior High School and trained and choreographed the St. Mary School cheerleading team. The juniors also were Hauser assistant coaches the previous year and encouraged Penelope Black to try out for Fenwick’s team.
has so much fun with my teammates.”
“Though Fenwick cheer requires a lot of hard work, it is all worth it,” Penelope said. “I was so grateful to make varsity as freshman. Then to make IHSA state made it that much better The bonds I created on the cheer team are like no other. I have
In the Coed Division, Lyons Township finished 16th (89.20) in the preliminaries.
Team members are seniors Abril Aguilar, Erin Gugliuzza, Sophia Horwath, Aracely McNamara, Ryan Renderman,
h straight trip
Maggie Sammon and Bridget Waight, juniors Averie Gris, Brandon Harris, Hayden Livingston, Ashlynn Monckton, Gloria Podolner, Annika Rebolledo, Kennedi Ross, Olivia an Wyck, Audreya Wilkins and Aleigh Zeman, sophomores Nicky Gatto Aylee Holguin, and Madison Southfield, and freshmen Ava Malinowski, Caley Spain and Alyse Strayerr he Lions are coached by Sharon Lupo and Ana Lepacek. Holguin, Malinowski and Rebolledo are Brookfield resients.
While disappointed, the Lions equaled their second-best state finish after finishing a program-best 10th in 2025 – their first time advancing to Saturday’s 10-team finals. They also on a third straight West Suburban Conference title (Silver Division).
“There were definitely bright spots [at state]. Our standing tumbling looked incredible and was executed really well. Unfortunately, we ran into some stunting issues,” Urso said. “No matter what happened at state, they have so much to be proud of. Finishing 16th is an amazing accomplishment and a true reflection of their hard work all season long.”
Riverside Brookfield team members were seniors Sam Bohrer, Mariella Hutar and Tali Schultz, juniors Samantha Daun, Nora Evans, Averie Gizewski, Chloe Gonzalez, Jonathan Gutierrez, Alexa Maciejewski, Olivia Madera and JuniWendel, and sophomores Sienna Giampietro, Alyssa Norman, Avery Strobel, Isabella Taliferro and Anabel Wzorek. Coaches were head coach Laruen Vara and assistant coach McKenzie Rosenbusch.
The Bulldogs did not qualify for IHSA state but finished second at the ICCA Championships and fifth at the Upstate Eight Conference Meet. Fifteen Bulldogs competed at IHSA sectionals.
“Collectively, these accomplishments reflect the continued progress of the RBHS cheer program and the foundation being built for future success,” Vara said.
Torres becomes Bulldogs’ rst sectional girls bowler Smith, Woods help LTHS
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Sophomore Mia Torres carried early-season high hopes all the way to making Riverside Brookfield High School bowling history Friday. Torres became the first individual sectional qualifier in the school’s two-year girls or boys bowling history after finishing 10th at the Morton Sectional at Bowlero in River Grove. Torres’ 1,017 six-game series (169.5 average) with
a 197 high game was the fourth of the 10 highestscoring advancing individuals not among the four advancing teams.
“I honestly can’t believe it. I’m still in shock and can’t get it out of my head,” she said. “I was given a goal at the beginning of the season that’s been keeping me determined by one of my coaches (assistant Paul Jarrell). He said he was going to try his best to get me past re gionals and it worked. I’m looking forward to what sectionals has in store, although I do admit I am quite nervous.”
The Bulldogs were seventh (4,256) and Nazareth 11th (3,230). Also competing for RBHS were senior Abby Ford (25th, 843), sophomore Amira Glenn (29th, 831), senior Alyssa Sanchez (684 for 5 games), junior Alyssa Petrucci (678 for 5 games) and senior Audrey Raymond (203 for 2 games).
At the 2025 re gional, Torres was 30th (815). This season, she received a boost late in the re gular season with personal bests of a 594 three-game series and 250 high game.
“It’s only my second year of competitive bowling
PROVIDED
Juniors Giada DiCola (le ), Simone Black and freshman Penelope Black, all from Riverside
MIA TORRES
Bulldogs’ Rosenfeld joins Phelan as sectional quali er
LTHS gymnasts advance Santos-Morales, Martinez and Trolley
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Sophomore Cora Rosenfeld and her Riverside Brookfield High School girls gymnastics teammates emphasized the little things in preparation for the Lincoln-Way East Re gional Feb. 2.
“(At practice) we worked a lot on cleaning up (routines), just sweeping around for regionals,” Rosenfeld said.
“This meet I was feeling ready. I felt ready for (balance) beam.”
Rosenfeld’s 8.3 on beam helped her advance in that event and all-around for the Oswe go Sectional Wednesday to join junior and threetime sectional qualifier Paig e Phelan, who advanced in all-around, the uneven parallel bars and floor exercise
competing
“Paige’s bars and floor (were highlights). And bars as a whole,” RBHS coach Karyn Domzalski said. “Cora’s beam was hug e. That’s one of her better scores. She was very confident and solid.”
Phelan tied for third on uneven bars (8.55), was fourth in all-around (33.75) and tied for fifth on floor (8.7). Gymnasts advance to sectionals automatically with top-five re gional finishes or at-large by being among the top 12 remaining scores from the four feed-in re gionals.
T he Bulldogs were third (126.95 points) with sophomores Aaliyah Noel, Elly Dickerson and Ana Bacik and freshmen Brooklyn Tabb and Greta Zhukova also
and I can’t believe how much my skills have improved thanks to the help of my awesome coaches,” Torres said. “My goal for sectionals is to get at least a 170-180 average.”
LTHS boys basketball
Lyons Township sophomore Grant Smith made his first four three-point attempts Friday and never looked back. By the end, Smith had delivered his varsity personalbest 32 points with 11 rebounds and the Lions had their seventh straight victory with a 63-59 home triumph over Glenbard West in La Grange in West Suburban Conference Silver Division action.
“(The keys were) just to keep shooting, really, just keep attacking the defense be-
Last season, Phelan was the Bulldogs’ lone individual qualifier.
Rosenfeld remembered just missing advancing at-large in all-around. This time, Rosenfeld received a big boost from her beam routine that edged the 8.25 at-large cut.
“I think it was my best (perfor mance). It felt really solid,” Rosenfeld said. “Sometimes I wobble, but today it felt like a good, solid stick.”
Phelan has now qualified for sectionals in all-around three times, uneven bars for the first time and floor twice
For all-around in 2025, she attempted a Tsukahara vault for the first time in competition. This year’s 8.45 re gional vault just missed the 8.475 at-large cut.
“I’m happy with my consistency throughout the season. I’m really happy about the team as a whole, just g etting a lot better,” Phelan said. “I’m going to know what to expect this year (for sectionals) and hopefully be cleaner and tighter.”
Domzalski entered four all-arounders
cause when we were, we were able to get open shots and we were able to hit them,” said Smith, who previously scored in the mid-20s multiple times this season. “I wasn’t really worried about (the points) but I knew I was just going to keep attacking and scoring and doing what we needed to win.”
The Lions (18-6, 8-1 in Silver) also received contributions from Nate Woods (14 points, 9 rebounds), Owen Carroll (10 points, 4 assists), Tommy Blyth (4 points, 4 rebounds) and Timmy Sloan (3, points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds).
The victory also followed moving into a tie with York (24-4, 9-1) for first in the Silver by beating the Dukes 56-49, Feb. 3, in
with hopes of advancing more individuals in the least-populated event.
It nearly worked. Freshmen Brooklyn Tabb (30.575) and Margaret Zhukova (30.525) just missed the 30.725 at-large cut as the No. 13 and 14 candidates. Zhukova (7.95 on uneven bars) also just missed that 8.05 at-large cut.
Domzalski said Phelan and the team have improved on bars thanks for more training
“We worked a lot more high bars this season. I think that was the difference,” Domzalski said.
LTHS girls gymnastics
Lyons Township sophomore Jomy Santos Morales often wasn’t part of last season’s senior-dominated varsity lineup Her third-place 9.0 on floor at the Lincoln-Way East Re gional is a testament to her significant improvements.
“That’s my second 9.0 (on floor) so I’m very happy,” said Santos Morales, who competed on three events.
“(I’ve improved) a lot. A lot. A bunch. And I’m very proud of myself for doing that floor, to have the mental (fortitude) to do the skills that I need to do.”
Freshman Emily Martinez of Brookfield and junior Katherine Trolley also advanced individually for the second-place Lions (131.425).
Martinez won uneven bars (8.75), was
Elmhurst behind Woods’ 26 points with a program-record 8 threes
The current winning streak follows a 1-3 stretch that included a 40-23 home loss to York, Jan. 9.
“I think we’ve really come together and just been able to improve,” Smith said. “We’ve just kind of been sticking together, coming to practice each day ready to work and getting better through the ups and downs.”
Girls basketball
Elizabeth Ryzewski (18 points with 4 threes) and Kate Hamilton (13 points, 7 rebounds) reached double figures as Riverside Brookfield (8-17, 5-6 in Upstate Eight East Division) beat Fenton 64-27 Thursday
second in allaround (34.65), fifth on vault (8.75), tied for fifth on floor (8.7) and advanced atlarge on beam (8.45).
Trolley was fifth in all-around (32.95) and uneven bars (8.425).
In winning bars, Martinez stuck the doubleback flip dismount that she didn’t in its competition debut at the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Meet.
“Landing it was pretty cool,” Martinez said. “(My sectional goals are) probably to stay on beam and and try to get my scores up on everything.”
Trolley persevered after spraining an elbow ligament falling of f bars during warmups for the Silver Meet and missing that competition. She remained questionable after limited practice before re gionals.
“Definitely not my best (meet),” Trolley said. “I guess I’m happy that I was at least able to do everything.”
Seniors Clare Byrne and Maggie Denja and sophomores Mia Kosensky and Lily Proctor also competed. On vault, Trolley (8.425) and Byrne (8.4) just missed the 8.475 at-large cut.
Lyons Township (19-9) finished third in the WSC Silver with an 8-4 record after beating second-place Glenbard West 65-47 Friday and York 52-30 Feb. 3. The Lions lost to Fremd 44-41 Saturday.
Gwen Smith had 26 points with two threes and eight rebounds in the game against Glenbard West (25-4, 9-3), which also included the return of senior starter Anna Bigenwald to the lineup from an ankle injury. Other standouts included Munson (15 points, 6 rebounds), Sinclair Zieba (10 points), Avery Mezan (9 points) and Kennedy Moore (6 points), Smith (20 points, 8 rebounds), Moore (12 points, 8.rebounds), Munson (10 points) led the victory over York
CORA ROSENFELD
JOMY SANTOS MORALES
Landmark, February 11, 2026
NOTICE SECTION 00 11 13
Sealed bids for the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library (Library)
Partial Reclad will be received by the Library located at 3541 Park Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 until 2:00 p.m. prevailing time on Tuesday March 17, 2026. Lump sum bid proposals will be received for this project at the scheduled time of receipt of bids and will be publicly opened and read aloud at the above stated time and place.
Each bid must be accompanied by a Bid Guarantee in the form of a Bid Bond, Certified Check or Bank Draft in an amount equal to and not less than ten percent (10%) of the bid and made payable to the Board of Trustees, Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days after bid opening date without the consent of the Owner. Checks or drafts of unsuccessful Bidders will be returned as soon as practical, after opening and checking the bids. Successful Bidder must provide a Performance Bond and a Labor and Material Payment Bond in the full amount of the Contract, acceptable to the Owner.
Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked as SEALED BID and addressed to:
Ms. Kimberly Coughran, Executive Director Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library 3541 Park Avenue Brookfield, Illinois 60513
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities in bidding, that are in the opinion of the Owner, to be in the best interest of the Library.
This Contract is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130/1 et seq.). The Contract entered into or the work will be drawn in compliance with said law and proposals should be prepared accordingly and provide for payment of all laborers, workmen, and mechanics needed to perform the work at no less than the prevailing rate of wages (or the prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work) for each craft, type of worker, or mechanic.
QUALIFICATION: Each Bidder must satisfactorily complete the qualifications process described in Section 00 43 95 – General Requirements of the Project Manual, by providing the required Qualifications Documents. The required Qualifications Documents must be delivered along with the Bidder’s sealed bid at the same place and time required for the bid. Contents of each Bidder’s Qualification Documents will be available for public review. The Qualification Documents will be reviewed by the Owner and Architect to determine the lowest responsible Bidder.
Bidding documents are on file and are available on Wednesday February 11, 2026. Bid documents
can be obtained electronically and reproduced at the contractor’s expense from the following: Cross Rhodes Reprographics, 30 Eisenhower Lane North, Lombard, IL 60148; Phone: 630-963-4700.
All communication should be directed to:
Heidi Mase
Wiss Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
330 Pfingsten Rd Northbrook, IL 60062
Phone 847-753-6424
HMase@wje.com
A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. prevailing time, on Tuesday March 3, 2026 at the Library. Bidders should thoroughly review the bid documents before the pre-bid meeting. Attendees are invited to review the site conditions to gather information and ask further questions.
Bidder agrees to commence work immediately upon receipt of the Notice to Proceed and to substantially complete the project by the dates set forth in the Bid documents.
The Library makes reasonable accommodations for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant’s ability to compete in the bidding and/or selection process. In order for the library to make such accommodations, applicants must make known any needed accommodation to the individual project managers or agency contacts listed in the contract documents.
Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library Board of Trustees Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois
Published in RB Landmark February 11, 2026
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:
2026 SEWER LINING IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS
This project will consist of work necessary to improve and rehabilitate portions of the combination sewer system on Maple Avenue and Madison Avenue using inversion lining and all other appurtenant work to properly complete this project in accordance with the specifications and bidding documents.
Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, the 24th day of February, 2026, 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, Tuesday, the 24th day of February, 2026, at the Village Hall.
Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and sewer tapes 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 Friday, the 20th day of February, 2026.
All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining 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 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.
BY ORDER THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS
Published in RB Landmark February 11, 2026
