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RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD Also serving North Riverside

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Vol. 36, No. 7

@riversidebrookfieldlandmark

February 17, 2021

Riverside police chief to retire in May PAGE 3

Diminutive drive in opens on Ogden Avenue PAGE 8

Protest follows heat outage at Riverside building

Played like a girl

Riversider’s book recounts experience as first girl on St. Mary’s football team

Tenants at Tower Apartments endured frigid temps for a week By BOB UPHUES Editor

neers assistant coaches Maral Javadifar and Lori Locust became the first female coaches to win a Super Bowl title. But two decades ago on a grassy field in Riverside, 13-year-old Laura Enriquez was ahead of her time trailblazing a path for females in football — both as the first female player with the St. Mary’s Demons football team and first girl in the area’s youth football league.

A group of about 20 people braved singledigit temperatures on Feb. 14, lining the sidewalk outside the Riverside home of Ronald Kafka, blaming him for leaving dozens of residential and commercial tenants in the cold last week and adding their voices to those demanding he improve living conditions at the Tower Apartments in downtown Riverside, where heat was out for several days last week. The protest followed in the wake of complaints to police, on social media and in the press from residents of the Tower Apartments. Tenants said the building’s property management company dragged its feet after the boiler that provides heat for the entire 44-unit building failed on Feb. 7. “It’s OK for me, we live on the top floor and it really doesn’t get below 45,” said a tenant who spoke at the protest outside Kafka’s home

See ENRIQUEZ on page 15

See PROTEST on page 19

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

HAD A BALL: Laura Enriquez has written a book about being the first girl the play football for St. Mary School in Riverside 20 years ago. By JACKIE PISANO

Contributing Reporter

n recent years, women have slowly been making their mark in the world of collegiate and professional football as coaches, trainers, officials and players — with some making a name for themselves just in the last 365 days. In February 2020, San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Katie Sowers became the first female coach on the sidelines of a Su-

per Bowl. Last November, Vanderbilt University student Sarah Fuller became the first woman to play in a Power Five matchup as a kicker during a collegiate football game. In January, Jennifer King was the first African-American woman to be named an assistant coach in the NFL following her promotion with the Washington Football Team. And, in early February, three women made football history. Sarah Thomas, a six-season NFL referee who became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl and Tampa Bay Bucca-

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Riverside police chief to retire in May Weitzel has served in the village for 37 years, 13 as top cop

IN THIS ISSUE

By BOB UPHUES

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Editor

Thomas Weitzel, who has served as a police officer in Riverside for 37 years – the last 13 as the department’s chief – will retire from the post this spring when his contract expires, he announced Monday morning. Riverside President Ben Sells said Weitzel informed village department heads at their weekly staff meeting on Feb. 15 and followed by informing his officers. His last day on the job will be May 20. “Chief Weitzel has stood for courage, compassion and decency since his first day on the beat in 1984,” said Sells in an email to the Landmark. “He has been a leader for law enforcement policies that have always put citizens first. Although he will be missed, his character and reputation will remain deeply embedded in the Riverside Police Department as an enduring reminder of what it means to serve and protect.” In a letter to Village Manager Jessica Frances and Sells last week, the 59-year-old Weitzel thanked the entire community for the support from residents and officials that he and his officers have received during his career. “The support that I have received as a member of the Riverside Police department will never be forgotten,” Weitzel wrote. “It is comforting for me to know that as I depart from my role as police chief, the community is being left with a police department that is well equipped, trained and committed to serving the needs of Riverside.” The police chief is a position hired by the village manager in Riverside, and it is unclear exactly how the search for Weitzel’s replacement might be conducted. Weitzel himself came up through the ranks in the department. He was named acting chief in October 2007 upon the retirement of former Chief Eugene Karczewski and promoted to the job permanently in January 2008. Riverside has not always hired its chief from within. Weitzel’s predecessor, Karczewski, was a retired Chicago police officer when he was hired to lead the small suburban department. Karczewski recommended Weitzel to replace him and said he was glad the village board agreed with him. “Tom clearly has the leadership, integrity and common sense for this position, and I know the men in the department are pleased with this decision,” Karczewski said in July 2007. “When you have someone come from within, that’s clearly a sign that things are going right.” A River Forest native, Weitzel graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1980 and earned an associate’s degree from Triton College before landing a job as a police officer at Brookfield Zoo in 1982. Two years later, Weitzel was hired in Riv-

Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel erside as a patrolman. He was also one of just a handful of officers to wear a bulletproof vest, and in 1987 while working the midnight shift it saved his life. That August, he approached a parked car that was parked illegally and had no license plates at around 3:15 a.m. As he got within five yards of the car, a man stepped out of the driver’s side door and fired a shotgun point blank. Although he spent a day recovering from the blast, the vest had stopped the shot. That October, Village Trustee Joseph DiNatale personally presented Weitzel with a Kevlar/ DuPont Survivors Club Award, named after the manufacturers of the vests. Weitzel was promoted to sergeant in 1997 and lieutenant in 2003. Later in 2003, Karczewski named Weitzel his assistant chief of police. Weitzel attended the FBI National Academy in 2004 and has held leadership positions in both suburban and state associations for police chiefs. He has also lobbied the state legislature on behalf of Illinois chiefs for law enforcement legislation as well as funding for early childhood education programs. While acknowledging 2020 as a particularly demanding year for police, between the COVID-19 pandemic and the national and local fallout following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last summer, he said those challenges did not influence his decision to retire now. “They were very difficult times, but I never considered leaving during that time,” Weitzel said. “I wanted to be there to lead my department.” In the midst of those challenges, Weitzel also began advocating for a change in the

FILE

way municipalities approach emergency calls, advocating for the creation of mental health professionals to respond to non-violent incidents or work in tandem with police officers on cases involving mental health issues. Since last summer, he has asked state officials to fund such policing alternatives and has also worked with Riverside Township officials and local mental health organizations to find resources for those efforts. “As law enforcement starts to change, which I am for, I think I’ve been able to lead my department into that next step,” Weitzel said. Despite the changes those in law enforcement face, Weitzel has imbued his love of policing into his family. His three sons are all police officers – two in North Riverside and one in Lockport – and he has a brother, Mike, who is a sergeant with the Grundy County Sheriff ’s Police. “We still have tremendous public support, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to change,” Weitzel said. “The last year has only reinvigorated me to get out and lead.” Weitzel said he does not have another job lined up at the moment, though he is open, to working either full time or part time in the future. He said he’s going to take a month off after retiring to reassess his options. One thing that ought not to stop, he said, was transforming police departments so they meet the needs of those they serve. “Like any profession, we need to adapt and change the way we serve,” Weitzel said. “I’ve believed in open and transparent policing and government long before it was a fashionable thing. Some agencies have found they are lacking and they need to step up.”

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. A one-year subscription costs $34 within Cook County and $44 outside the county. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2021 Growing Community Media NFP.

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

BIG WEEK

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

February 17-24

Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “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. ■

Megan Wells as Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s monster brought to life

Storyteller/actress Megan Wells brings to life the true story of the archetypal tale of a “dark and stormy night” during “Mary Shelley: Love and ‘Frankenstein’” a Zoom program presented by Brookfield Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. The world’s first science fiction novel, “Frankenstein,” was written by Shelley, who was just 19 at the time. The story of how she came to write such a novel reveals the painful struggle of a brilliant and rebellious mind. Registration required by calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or by visiting online at brookfield.evanced.info/ signup.

Chicago Zoological Society’s animal care staff 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 (facebook. com/NRPL2400), conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom. Programs include Game Night Wednesdays on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. ■

“Wolves at Play” by Mari Eastman

New group show at RAC

Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., invites you to its newest exhibition, “The Kitchen Sink,” a group show curated by Salim Moore, which runs from Feb. 21 through April 3 in the Freeark Gallery.

Learn about types of investments and their respective risks and rewards, how to research an investment or financial professional, how to prepare financially for diminished capacity and identify the red flags of investment fraud during “Investment Fraud Prevention,” a Zoom presentation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought to you by the North Riverside Public Library on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. RSVP to bodenl@northriversidelibrary.org or visit northriversidelibrary.org/events for adult Zoom meeting access info.

Curbside Cupid at Riverside Library

Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, will aim to capture your heart during a special Curbside Cupid driveby event on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Kids of all ages are invited to pull up to the curb outside the library and pick up a bag of treats during this no-contact event marking Valentine’s Day.

The exhibition is free and open to the public, but appointments are required. Masks and social distancing required. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. Email info@riversideartscenter.com to schedule an appointment.

The secret to Aaron Sorkin’s success Brookfield Public Library invites you to learn how the works of prolific screenwriter, producer and playwright Aaron Sorkin have influenced modern American culture during “The Aaron Sorkin Touch,” a special Zoom presentation on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. From “A Few Good Men” to “The Social Network” and from “The West Wing” to “The Newsroom,” Sorkin has created some of the most memorable movies and talked about television shows of the past two decades. What is the secret of his success? Barry Bradford presents a collection of film and television clips as well as his insights to explain it. Registration required by calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or by visiting online at brookfield.evanced.info/signup.

Dominick Dusseault/Wikipedia Creative Commons

Tighten up your financial future

The exhibition features the work of artists Bimbola Akinbola, Alex Bradley Cohen, Mari Eastman, Cassidy Early, Zehra Khan, Kelly Neibert and Sophie Treppendahl. The show’s title, according to Moore, “connotes something that consists of a hodgepodge, of a variety elements or ingredients. ... Following in this same spirit of making do and getting by, we invited a group of artists to present those works that are representative of the kitchen sinks of their own studios.”

AARON SORKIN

There’s also Writers Group Online Meeting via Zoom on Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. and DIY Décor Tuesdays on Facebook Live (facebook.com/ NRPL2400) and YouTube (youtube.com and type in “North Riverside Library” in search field) on Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. 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. 18 at 11 a.m. and Illinois Senior Medicare Patrol Series: Tips to Prevent Medicare Fraud via Zoom on Feb. 23 at 11 a.m.; and Lunch and Learn: Customer Gold with business consultant Julia Kreier via Zoom on Feb. 19 at noon. Visit brookfield.evanced.info/ signup to register for Zoom programs. ■

Riverside Public Library presents Melting Pot Recipe Club: Meatless Mondays on Zoom on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and Family Game Night (need mobile device) on Zoom on Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. To obtain Zoom access info, visit the library’s online calendar at riversidelibrary.org/ calendar.html. ■

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

Brookfield man charged after barricade incident

Brookfield police have charged a 61-yearold man with two counts of misdemeanor aggravated assault and other offenses after he allegedly pointed a shotgun and a knife at a 58-year-old woman and then barricaded himself inside his home in the 9000 block of Bartlett Avenue for about four hours on Feb. 9 as police urged him to surrender. According to the police report, the Cook County State’s Attorney declined to charge the man with any felonies. After the man surrendered to police, he was taken by paramedics to LaGrange Hospital for evaluation and was later released. He was also charged with domestic battery, resisting arrest and interfering with reporting a domestic violence incident. Police responded to the home at 10:35 a.m. after receiving a 911 call from the female victim, who had sustained a laceration to her elbow after reportedly trying to prevent the man from destroying a grandfather clock inside the house. The man allegedly threatened to shoot the clock through the woman, but he didn’t fire the weapon. Instead, he allegedly grabbed a knife and attempted to stab the clock. When police arrived at the scene, the victim reportedly opened the door twice and the man shut it. The third time, the victim exited the home and the man remained inside, refusing to come out. For the next four hours, police cordoned off the block and called in the Cook County Hostage Barricade Team, whose negotiators communicated with the man via loud speaker. After talking to a relative, the man agreed to surrender to police at about 2:25 p.m., exiting through the front door and walking to waiting officers without further incident. Police obtained a search warrant and reported recovering three firearms inside the home, including two loaded shotguns, one of them hidden between a mattress and box spring in an upstairs bedroom. They also recovered a loaded 9 mm handgun from under a bed in the master bedroom. The man reportedly had been arrested three times previously for domestic battery in the 1990s, twice in Countryside and once in Lyons, and twice for battery in the 1980s. It does not appear that he was convicted of any of those charges.

Felony DUI for man driving on revoked license A Chicago man with a lengthy criminal history that includes nearly 70 prior arrests and whose driver’s license has been revoked since a 1995 drunken driving conviction, faces felony drunken driving charges after being stopped in Riverside on Feb. 13. Police pulled over William R. Walters, 46, at about 2:20 a.m. after an officer reported seeing a 2011 Chevy Impala without headlights

traveling eastbound in the 7200 block of Ogden Avenue. According to police, Walters appeared intoxicated and failed sobriety tests. They also reported recovering an open bottle of beer on the passenger side floor and other beer bottles on the front seat. Walters was charged with felony DUI, felony driving while revoked and other offenses.

Text message fraud A 38-year-old Brookfield woman contacted police on Feb. 13 to report she was the victim of fraud. According to the police report, the victim received a text message from someone purporting to be a good friend of hers. In the text, the person asked for $470, saying they would pay it back the next day. Because the victim recognized the phone number and believed her friend was texting, she sent the money using the app Zelle to an email address provided by the texter. A short time later, the victim received another text message asking for $1,000. At that time, the victim reached out to her friend, who said she did not send any text messages requesting money. The victim notified her bank of the incident and filed a claim to get her money back. She also notified credit bureaus to make a record of the incident and make sure there is no other unusual activity.

DUI suspect allegedly offered cop bribe A 23-year-old Harvey woman charged with drunken driving in Riverside was also charged with attempting to bribe a police officer after she allegedly offered a cop $5,000 to let her go after fleeing the scene of a crash in the 3000 block of Harlem Avenue on Feb. 14 at about 11:50 p.m. No injuries were sustained in the rear-end crash, and the victim told police that the driver had also offered him $5,000 not to call police before fleeing the scene. Police observed the offending Jeep, whose bumper fell off into the roadway, backing into a private driveway in the 300 block of East Burlington Street. Police reported that the woman driving the Jeep appeared very intoxicated, failed sobriety tests and allegedly attempted to bribe the arresting officer on multiple occasions. These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Feb. 8-14 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 17, 2021

RBHS mulls in-person classes 4 days a week As COVID cases decline, officials look to expand classroom days in 4th quarter

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Students at Riverside-Brookfield High School are likely to have the option of attending class in person more often beginning March 15. The administration told the school board last week that they are making plans to allow students to come to the building four days a week during the fourth quarter as the rate of new COVID-19 cases continues to drop throughout the state and suburban Cook County. “The numbers are going in the right direction,” said District 208 Superintendent Kevin Skinkis. As of Feb. 11, the rolling average COVID positivity rate for the RBHS area was down to 3.54 percent. Since the beginning of January, students have had the option of going to school in person two days a week. In-person attendance at RBHS has averaged slightly more than 200 students or a week or just over 25 percent of the enrollment as most students have chosen to attend school remotely from home. RBHS is preparing classrooms to accom-

modate the increased student presence that could occur if more students choose to attend school in person in the fourth quarter. The school day for in-person learning would still run from 8 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. “Currently we’re working with maintenance and staff to set up over 51 classrooms to ensure desks are socially distanced when possible,” Principal Hector Freytas told the school board that their Feb. 9 meeting. Freytas said that all classrooms might not be able to space students six feet apart, noting the recommendation is a guideline, not a mandate. Overflow classrooms will also be set up if more students appear for a class than can safely fit into one classroom. The school is sending out a survey to families this month to get an idea of how many students would come to school in person in the fourth quarter if they are allowed classroom attendance four days a week. Students carrying grades of D or F, as well as many special needs students, can already attend class four days a week. Freytas said that even if RBHS moves

to a four day a week in-person option, students can still attend classes remotely. “Remote learning has been very successful for many,” Freytas said.

LTHS sticking with current hybrid plan Officials at Lyons Township High School, which serves the southern half of Brookfield, will reconvene a committee to look at how best to deliver instruction, but they have no current plans to change their current twice-aweek, half-day, in-person hybrid option. About 54 percent of LTHS students have been attending classes in person, about double the number of the RBHS students doing so. LTHS uses a block schedule where only four class periods meet each day, while at RBHS all seven class periods meet daily, typically for only 35 minutes. Scott Eggerding, the LTHS director of curriculum and instruction, said it would be difficult to move to full-day or every day school attendance for the remainder of the current school year. Full-day instruction would be difficult because the state recommends that no more than 50 people gather in one space, making lunch service very difficult.

Eggerding said the school is focusing on how to accommodate state-mandated SAT testing for juniors and seniors in April as well as Advanced Placement exams in May. He questioned how many more students would attend class in person if given the option. “Compared to other high schools, we’ve had fairly good turnout, more than 50 percent of our students coming, but there’s a large number that aren’t,” Eggerding said. “If you’re not willing to come two days a week, I’m wondering why you might change your mind and come four days a week instead.”

RBHS teachers receive vaccines Fifty teachers at RBHS got their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last week as a number of spots quickly became available through the Pillars Community Health social service agency in LaGrange. Skinkis said he got a call at about 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 9 that 20 doses of the vaccine were available and word quickly went out to RBHS staff. Twenty rushed over to LaGrange to get their shots and 30 more did so the next day. “We’re on pace, hopefully, to get all staff first doses by the end of the month,” Skinkis said.

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Brookfield looks to give landlords near tracks flexibility As written, zoning code prohibits logical tenants at some properties

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission has been asked to consider amending the village’s Station Area Zoning Code in order to allow uses that the code now prohibits, even though existing properties might be good fits for those uses. The Station Area Zoning Code was passed by the village board in 2017 and was the first major rewrite of that code in decades. It specifically addressed the residential and commercial districts that line the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad from DuBois Boulevard to Woodside Avenue in an attempt to encourage developments appropriate for each area. While looking toward the future, the code also ended up restricting what property owners can do with buildings that already exist – and are likely to remain for many more years – by outlawing certain uses, even if they make sense for the existing buildings. On Feb. 8, village trustees directed the Planning and Zoning Commission to consider tweaking the code to eliminate the roadblocks to new tenants in the SA-2 district, which is essentially four buildings in the 8400 and 8500 blocks of Brookfield Avenue near the Hollywood Metra stop, and a portion of the SA-6 district, a larger area that spans both sides of the tracks between Sunnyside and Maple avenues. Trustees want the commission to concentrate on the part of the SA-6 district

along Brookfield Avenue from Sunnyside to Park, a roughly block-long stretch of small industrial buildings set in what is otherwise a residential district. The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a pair of public hearings on the possible code amendments at the meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave.

Prospective tenants stymied by code Michael Schwarz, the village’s director of community and economic development, brought the matter to trustees’ attention at their Feb. 8 meeting after receiving inquiries from two prospective tenants who had identified properties for the businesses, but were prohibited from locating them there. Schwarz told trustees he’d been approached by the owner of the building at 8500 Brookfield Avenue, a two-story brick building on the northwest corner of Brookfield and Hollywood avenues in the SA-2 district. A code violation nightmare for years, the ground-floor storefront has sat vacant for decades. The owner told Schwarz that a law firm wants to enter into a long-term lease for that space, but only retail uses are allowed on the ground floor of buildings in the SA-2 district. Offices are fine, but only above the ground floor. In this case, the second floor is a residence that is already occupied. While the goal of the Station Area Zon-

BOB UPHUES/Editor

8500 Brookfield Ave ing Code was to promote retail uses in the area near the Hollywood Metra station, there have been none since Norm and Evelyn Scaman’s Olde Country Store at 8420 Brookfield Ave. closed back in 1999. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and a volatile market for brick-and-mortar retail outfits, local officials now wonder if promoting that use even makes sense anymore. “2017 [when the code was passed] is kind of a lifetime ago in current events, in how things have changed and what we envisioned and what has happened since then, the nature of retail and other things,” said Trustee Michael Garvey. “Some boards might say, ‘We did this three years ago, give it a chance,’ but I think we need to be flexible.” Trustee Brian Conroy wondered why Brookfield would hold fast to its hope for retail when that hasn’t been a viable option more than 20 years. “It’s been sitting vacant for years,” Conroy said of the building at 8500 Brookfield Ave. “We can have eight attorneys and support staff there that eat lunch every day, probably need coffee. Why would we turn that away?”

Code renders industrial buildings obsolete

BOB UPHUES/Editor

9030 Brookfield Ave

The issues are different in the SA-6 area along Brookfield Avenue between Sunnyside and Park avenues, because that district calls for any future uses in that district to be multi-unit residential.

That’s despite the presence of what, over the years, has evolved into block or so of light industry. Such businesses still inhabit the line of warehouse-style buildings. The owner of the building at 9030 Brookfield Ave. recently approached the village about a prospective tenant interested in operating an industrial kitchen/warehouse distribution business there. Because the code designates that property as residential, Schwarz said he had to tell the building owner it wasn’t allowed. Trustees were not in favor of a blanket waiver of the residential designation to allow light industry anywhere in the SA-6 district. But they were in favor of allowing existing industrial uses to continue in those specific buildings, while targeting them for residential if they were to be redeveloped in the future. “When we did this, it was done in the spirit of, ‘If they were torn down and they put something in it would become residential,” said Trustee Ed Cote. “We didn’t want to inhibit or prohibit them from being able to still use the space.” Conroy added that stripping property owners of the ability to use their buildings as intended was not a desirable outcome for the village. “You’re going to do considerable harm to all the owners of those properties if the only the only option for prospective buyer is to tear it down and put a house there,” Conroy said. “The buildings are there, the buildings are sound. Let’s make easiest and best use.”

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

A fresh spin on tradition at Tom-n-Lou’s Drive In Diminutive diner opens on Ogden Avenue in Brookfield

By MELISSA ELSMO Food Editor

Tom-n-Lou’s Drive In, which opened Feb. 4, at 8819 Ogden Ave. in Brookfield, is bringing vintage charm and affordable fare to hungry community members. Burgers and sandwiches are offered via counter service, can be ordered for pick up via Toast, or through the drive-thru window. Although the property has seen a great deal of restaurant turnover in recent years, Tom-n-Lou’s owner Lacey Mizell believes past establishments struggled because the property was offered as a rental. Rates would increase regularly, making it challenging for restaurants to survive. Mizell, who is a project manager with a construction company, bought the property and sees controlled costs as a distinct advantage. “Purchasing the building was an investment opportunity,” said Mizell. “The pandemic created favorable conditions to purchase the property, and Brookfield is a growing community. Twenty-five thousand cars pass this restaurant every day.” In fact, purchasing the building preceded the menu concept behind Tom-n-Lou’s

Drive In. Mizell, who has restaurant experience, intentionally designed the tightly edited menu to be easy to execute in a limited amount of available space. Tom-n-Lou’s is housed in just 700 square feet and Mizell thought elevated American fare would be easy to execute in the compact space and remain appealing to residents. Just because the building came first and the menu came second doesn’t mean the food isn’t a top priority at the diminutive drive in. All menu items are cooked to order at Tom-n- Lou’s and boast a thoughtful retro flair. Fresh beef burgers are hand-packed before being griddle cooked and smashed. All burgers are customizable and cooked to a customer’s desired degree of doneness before being topped with choice of cheese and assorted garnishes. “The fried chicken sandwich is my pride and joy,” said Mizell. “And the pulled pork sandwich is really special, too.” The boneless chicken is buttermilk brined, double breaded and fried to golden brown. Topped with mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce and onion, this sandwich is more

Owner Lacey Mizell (left) is committed to hiring high school students like junior, Autumn Bittourna (right) at Tom-n-Lou’s Drive In.

Melissa Elsmo

See TOM-N-LOU’S on page 23

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Parents press for full-day, in-person school in D95

Officials express wariness about fully opening classrooms By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Nearly 100 parents in Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95 are advocating for a return to full-day, in-person instruction as soon as possible. Four of those parents spoke to the school board during the public comment portion of the board’s Feb. 11 meeting. “Our students need more,” said Kate Perek the mother of a third-, sixth- and eighth- grader. “We are nearing a year without regular instruction, and these kids are at incredible risk of falling behind socially, emotionally and academically.” Under District 95’s hybrid option, students attend school in person for 2.5 hours a day five days a week. That’s not enough, Perek said. “My third-grader is dismissed at 10:30 and has zero academic accountability for the rest of the day,” said Perek, who added she was dismayed that enrichment math was confined to watching videos. Perek said that if full-day instruction was not possible right away, the district should consider lengthening the school day, combining some full days and half days or having a five-hour school day without lunch. “There will always be risks, but let’s plan based on facts and not fear,” Perek said. “COVID is expected to be part of our lives for years

at minimum, and our kids don’t have years.” Melissa Bisleupic, the president of the S.E. Gross Middle School Parent Teacher Organization, is a nurse who works as an infection preventionist and is responsible for 40 longterm care and assistant living facilities across four states. She, too, pushed for a return to full-day instruction when possible. Bisleupic said more is known about COVID than was known last summer, when the hybrid plan was developed. “Schools have not been shown to be superspreader locations and they mirror community spread,” Bisleupic said. “Together we can develop a comprehensive plan that uses science and mitigation strategy to transition our staff and children to an in-person, full-time model.” Bisleupic and the other parents advocating for more in-person instruction called upon district officials to survey families about their wishes and risk tolerance and to form a committee to study how best to return to something like a normal school day. Bisleupic also called for more testing. “COVID testing is so vital for surveillance, for being able to get these children back into school,” Bisleupic said. “Testing resources must be accessible and we have to have a plan for access and implementation.” Megan Wojtulewicz, a parent and high school teacher, also called for a return to full day instruction as soon as possible. “Our students’ mental health is suffering,” Wojtulewicz said. “Kids who typically excel in school are missing out on enrichment opportunities; kids who require additional support are falling even further behind. We’re simply

surviving, not thriving.” Wojtulewicz said hybrid learning favors those with in-home family or economic resources and that District 95’s model is broadening the achievement gap between students. “We cannot wait for our state guidelines to shift” Wojtulewicz said. “We need a plan based on our local metrics and the needs of our specific community.” Another parent who spoke, Kristin Reingruber, is the principal of an elementary school in Hinsdale that is returning to fullday school in April. Reingruber called for creative thinking and problem solving and called for more formalized solicitation of parent feedback. Not every parent who spoke at the meeting was pushing for a quick return to full day school attendance. “The logistics of a full day of school, given the current restrictions, are nearly impossible,” said Michael Graham who said that he hopes that a return to full-day instruction will happen next fall. Brook Park teacher Lynda Nadkarni, who is the president of the District 95 teachers union, also addressed the school board, noting that Brook Park is a very large school where it would be impossible to maintain social distancing if all students attended at the same time. “What is the impact of having a thousand students in a building that encompasses a square block?” Nadkarni asked, adding that she thought the hybrid model was working well with small classes. After the public comment portion of the meeting school board President Scott Ench-

er read a prepared statement in response to the comments. “As we move forward through this year and into next know that we will continue to evaluate our options while giving consideration to community input, recommendations of health officials, status of current efforts, and our ability to operate effectively with any given instructional model,” Encher said. After the meeting, District 95 Superintendent Mark Kuzniewski said he heard the parents’ voices but cautioned that it was unlikely that the district would return to full-day instruction this year. “What I heard tonight was that maybe they want that to start with a parent survey,” Kuzniewski said. “But I’m not certain that having the conversation means we’re coming back after spring break or we’re coming back in May. … “It’s not as easy as just opening the doors. There’s scheduling components to that. We’re going to have to offer a remote option even if we open our doors to all students, that’s a mandate of the state still.” Seventy-two percent of District 95 students have been attending school under the hybrid option. Kuzniewski noted that while some school districts are instituting full-day, in-person instruction in March, that’s not where District 95 is at. “That doesn’t mean we can’t start talking about how to do it,” Kuzniewski said. “I’m hopeful for the fall, I really am. That has been our goal is to get kids back in. We’ve got to do it safely and we’ve got to continue to do it in a manner in which we can operate.”

LaGrange man launches write-in for TTO board Jim Boo advocates abolishing little-known finance office By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

There will be a contested race, technically, after all in the race for a position on the board of the Lyons Township School Treasurer’s Office, commonly known as the TTO. After Brian Anderson dropped out of the race two weeks ago, it looked as if McCook resident Shakana Kirksey-Miller had an unobstructed path to victory. But when LaGrange resident James Boo found out that Anderson had withdrawn from the race, he decided to mount a writein campaign for a six-year term on the threeperson TTO Board of Trustees. “I was going to support Brian Anderson,” Boo told the Landmark last week. Boo filed his write-in candidacy with the

dents to learn about the TTO and Cook County Clerk on Feb. 2, how it functions. making him an official candiCritics of TTOs say the office date. Any write-in votes for him is a patronage haven that is outin the April 6 election will be dated and unnecessary. Critics counted. Boo is an unabashed critic of say that local school districts the TTO, which handles investcan invest their reserves on their ments and accounting functions own and can handle their own acfor all the school districts in Lycounting and payroll functions. ons Township. He thinks the ofSupporters of the TTO says fice, which only exists in Cook the office pools school districts’ JIM BOO County, should be abolished. money and get a higher return “A vote for me is basically a on investment than the districts chance for the people to say that the TTO could get on their own. Supporters also should go away,” Boo said. “I support the say the TTO can save money by efficiently abolishment of the TTO.” handling school districts’ financial and acIt takes action by the Illinois General As- counting functions. sembly to abolish a TTO, but Boo said he The TTO is in the midst of a trial regardwants to make a point. He said he will cam- ing a multimillion lawsuit it filed against paign by seeking endorsements from local Lyons Township High School, claiming the school boards. high school did not pay all of its required Boo has worked with the LaGrange Area fees or more than a decade, beginning in the League of Women Voters, which supports early 2000s. the elimination of the TTO, to educate votThe trial began in November and is coners about the agency. He was part of a group tinuing in fits and starts on Zoom. A verdict who interviewed local school superinten- is expected before the April 6 election.

Boo, 60, is a chemical engineer who describes himself as a taxpayer advocate. He has twice run unsuccessfully for a spot on the park board in LaGrange. “I would describe myself as fiscal conservative who believes in spending taxpayer money the same way I would spend my own money,” Boo said. Boo said he has been attending TTO board meetings since 2013, shortly after former Treasurer Robert Healy was charged embezzling approximately $1.5 million from the TTO in 2013. In 2015, Healy pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to nine years in prison. Healy is now out of prison and he recently testified in the TTO-LTHS trial. “[TTO board President] Michael Thiessen told me that I was the first citizen that didn’t want something or didn’t have any business with the board to ever appear at a meeting,” Boo said. Boo said that he knows he faces an uphill battle as a write-in candidate, but said he believes he has a chance to win if voters learn about the TTO.

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Brookfielders spreading love, and sustenance, via lasagna

Couple joins national organization created during pandemic to help the food insecure By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Once a month Brookfield resident Martha Kasten and her husband, Joe Fosselman, cook lasagna and deliver it to a food-insecure family as part of a growing nationwide organization called Lasagna Love. Lasagna Love was started nearly a year ago by San Diego resident Rhiannon Menn, who last March was looking for a way to help out during the pandemic and cooked a lasagna and took it to a neighbor. Menn, the founder of the Good to Mama website, wanted to spread love and kindness and founded the Lasagna Love organization. The movement has spread nationwide and now has grown to about 15,000 volunteers who cook and deliver upwards of 4,000 meals a week. Kasten found about Lasagna Love in November after reading a story about the organization in the Chicago Tribune. “I jumped on it right away, because I thought it was a really great idea,” Kasten said. Kasten and her husband are both opera singers. Fosselman is part of Lyric Opera of Chicago chorus and is also a voice coach, so the couple has had a lot of free time during the pandemic. Lasagna Love works by matching up volunteers with families in need. “They match you up with a local family and you contact them and then find out when they would like a delivery and take it

PHOTOS PROVIDED

DELIVERING THE GOODS: Brookfield resident Martha Kasten (above) and her husband, Joe Fosselman, have been cooking and delivering lasagna about once a month since November to food-insecure families as part of a nationwide organization called Lasagna Love.

to them,” Kasten said. “I try to do one once a month.” Kasten says she likes the personal connection she gets by knowing whom she is making the lasagna for and delivering it, usually in a contactless method, to their door. “It feels homey,” Kasten said. “It feels like

it’s a connection one to one. Even if the only connection you have is making something for someone who’s a stranger, it just feels like there’s this actual personal connection in a way, because I take it right to their home.” Most of the families she has been cooking for have lived in Berwyn. Kasten and Fosselman typically team up with the cooking and the delivery. Kasten said that she is no great cook and, until now, usually only made lasagna once a year on Christmas when she popped a Stouffers lasagna in the oven, because she and her husband were usually busy singing at Christmas church services. “I have to have a goal, a reason to cook, beyond it’s just dinner time,” Kasten said. “It’s kind of nice to know you have this goal, of this family that needs your help and really will appreciate it. It’s just some-

thing I can do. I’ve got the time and I’ve got the love.” Having a family to cook for has motivated Kasten. While cooking for a family in need she also makes a lasagna for herself, her husband and her 19-year-old son, a college student living at home this year. She also makes a lasagna her 22-year-old daughter, a college student who lives in in Chicago. “To be honest, I thought it would get me to make some meals,” Kasten said. When delivering her lasagnas, Kasten likes to add a little something extra, maybe a toy or a dish towel. She said that she feels that she gets as much out of it as the family that receives the food. “It makes you feel so good to do it,” Kasten said. Those who wish to get involved with Lasagna Love can get more information and sign up at www.lasagnalove.org.

League of Women Voters hosts school board candidate forums The League of Women Voters of the LaGrange Area will host candidate forums for contested school board elections in Lyons Township in the run up to the April 6 Consolidate Election. In each forum, candidates will make brief presentations on their personal backgrounds and qualifications, and then they will answer questions submitted to the League by constituents.

Anyone who would like to submit a question in advance can do so by emailing league@lagrangearealwv.org. Identify the forum your question related to in the subject line of your email. The forums are being held via Zoom, they are free to attend and open to the public. Registration information for the forums can be found on the organization’s Facebook page at facebook.com/TheLeagueofWomen-

VotersoftheLaGrangeArea. Here’s are the forums being held by the League for school board races pertaining to the Landmark’s coverage area: ■ LaGrange-Brookfield School District 102, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. ■ Lyons Township High School District 204, Feb. 24 at 7p.m. More information can be found at lagrangearealwv.org.

We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

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Welcome to Our House

uring the civil rights movement, the Village of Oak Park initiated a concerted approach to improve racial integration and break the pattern of block-by-block segregation. In 1972, the Oak Park Housing Center opened its doors to address fair housing concerns and to promote affirmative racial integration of renters in Oak Park. Twenty years later, the housing center expanded its services to surrounding communities and changed its name to Oak Park Regional Housing Center (OPRHC). Still occurring today, OPRHC Rental Counselors meet with potential renters to find apartments through one-on-one counseling and guided/ virtual apartment visits. Participating building owners list their units for rent with us, receive education on fair housing requirements, and ways to enhance their units. All services of OPRHC are provided free to renters and owners. Within the area served, 41 percent of housing are rentals and one-third of renters move each year, thus OPRHC continues to sustain this successful integrated housing program. In Oak Park, OPRHC serves an average of 2,000 clients annually and work with 1,300 building owners/managers amassing 7,500 units. To improve upward mobility, the OPRHC develops and initiates programs to connect residents and promote dialogue

Meet our staff:

Going on 50 years, the OPRHC has transformed from a rental integration agency to all-encompassing, regional housing agency providing advocacy on the premise of creating integrated communities and building wealth for people of color.

Moving Forward Acknowledging the agency’s growth, the OPRHC worked with a consulting agency to develop a strategic plan. At the top of the list was strong recommendations to undergo rebranding initiatives and upgrading technology. The goal over the next three years is to better define our purpose and mission, to increase our outreach to serve a growing targeted population, and to efficiently serve our clients with technology that meets today’s standards.

Athena Williams, Oak Park Regional Housing Center, Executive Director

within neighborhoods. Neighbors Knowing Neighbors events are held throughout the year and attracts over 150 residents from the near west suburbs and our Chicago neighbors to the east of the Austin Community. Planned for Spring 2021 is a Neighbors Knowing Neighbors event and a spring forum focusing on healing racial transformation in an effort to furthering equity and inclusion. In 2006, the OPRHC opened the West Cook Homeowner

Athena Williams, Executive Director

Center (WCHC), a HUD-approved homeownership program providing home buyer and financial empowerment counseling and education. In 2020, at the West Cook Home-ownership Center, 403 clients received after received home-ownership and financial empowerment education. 53 households received assistance in foreclosure avoidance, and more than 50 families purchased homes.

Michael Stewart, Associate Director

Deborah Williams, Program Director, Housing

Michael has been with OPRHC for more than 25 years. He works directly with Property Owners. He also provides Human Resource and Operational oversight for the agency.

Athena Williams has been with the agency in multiple capacities since 2015.

Lisa Zeigler, Strategic Initiatives Director

Gretchen Worley, Residential Housing Coordinator

Lisa oversees grant management and special project implementations.

Gretchen has been with OPRHC for more than 20 years. She performs all duties from intake, to client advising, to client apartment marketing.

Deborah has been with the agency for 3 years. She manages programs associated with Homebuyer Education and Counseling, Financial Education, Foreclosure Prevention, Rental Counseling and Assistance

Natasha Escobedo, CPA Natasha is our agency’s full-time Accounting Manager. She oversees all of the OPRHC finances.

Jerry Ehernberger, Senior Residential Coordinator Jerry has been with OPRHC for more than 15 years. He specializes in data collection and client advising.

1041 South Boulevard, Oak Park, IL 60302 • 708-848-7150 5934 W. Lake St., Chicago, IL 60644 • 773-887-5187 • www.oprhc.org Hours vary by location and season, please call ahead before you plan your visit! The Oak Park Regional Housing Center is a 501c3 nonprofit, HUD approved agency. OPRHC is the home of: the Live in Oak Park Program, providing rental matching to affirmatively further fair housing; and the West Cook Homeownership Program, providing homebuyer education, all areas of housing counseling, and a financial education initiative to help people enhance their financial skills and create positive banking relationships The opinions and views presented in this section are not the opinions or views of any of our sponsors or funders.

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We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Reducing the Cost ofthe Homeownership Reducing Cost

of Homeownership Huntington is passionate about the growth of our communities as well as doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting our lender closing costs

Huntington is passionate about1 for the borrowers growth of our communities as well as a home in a low- to purchasing or refi nancing to $500 doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting moderate-income area2. our lender closing costs to $5001 for borrowers purchasing or refinancing a home in a low- to 2 . REVERSE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION moderate-income areaSEE SEE REVERSE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Meet our staff:

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Wilane Boone,

Anita Bailey,

Senior Counselor, Financial Coach

Counselor, Rental and Housing

Reducing the Cost of Homeownership Kamau “Maui” Jones,

Community Engagement Specialist about the growth

Jacqueline Mota, Communications Coordinator

Huntington is passionate of our communities as well as doing the right thing. This is why we are limiting our lender closing costs to $5001 for borrowers purchasing or refinancing a home in a low- to moderate-income area2. Sharon

SEE REVERSE FOR ADDITIONALEckhoff INFORMATION , Intake Manager Sharon has been with OPRHC in multiple capacities over the past 12 years. Currently she oversees all reception area and intake processes.

Karen Barragen, Intake Coordinator Karen works alongside Sharon answering phones, following up with clients, etc.

We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Special Advertising Section

How the OPRHC has Helped Client: Marcia The Oak Regional Housing Center is a life-saver for single moms. Shortly after my son was born, I found out the condo I was renting would be going on the market. A friend recommended OPRHC. A Guide provided me with listings to match exactly what I was looking for and I found my new place the same week. It saved me time apartment hunting with a newborn and allowed me to stay close to the downtown Oak Park area I love. I can’t wait to move in to our new place. A million thanks!

Client: Javairia When Javairia came to the Oak Park Regional Housing Center for the first time, she was in desperate need of help. She loved her current apartment, but her lease was set to expire in just over a month and she was not able to renew it. To make matters worse, the pandemic was only making it more difficult to find a new apartment. She was living in South Oak Park, knew she wanted to stay in the Village and was looking for quality assistance that wouldn’t cost her much. When she reached out to the Live in Oak Park program, she was relieved to learn that she was going to receive free assistance. She started touring studio apartments with Gretchen, the Housing Center’s Guide, who introduced Javairia to different neighborhoods of Oak Park and explained the benefits of each of them. Within the week, Javairia found a great new studio apartment in a neighborhood she found charming and felt safe in, and she was able to avoid the stress she expected from having to find a new home on short notice.

LENDER CLOSING COSTS Any Huntington mortgage product can qualify for this offer, but standard borrower qualifications, financing guidelines, and property type eligibility guidelines will apply.

Reducing the cost of homeownership is one way we are making a difference in our communities.

Ready to learn more? Let's talk.

Ahkeem Henderson Mortgage Loan Officer NMLS# 224387 5310 W Cermak Rd Cicero, IL 60804 o: (708) 466-2017 e: ahkeem.k.henderson@huntington.com www-auth.hban.us/mortgage/henderson-ahkeem 1

Applies to Huntington closing costs. Customer must still pay certain customary expenses at closing, such as charges by other parties, including but not limited to those for property taxes, transfer taxes, property insurance, flood insurance, mortgage insurance, owner’s title insurance, guarantee fees, bond fees, state revenue stamps, city revenue stamps, seller concessions or cash back to the borrower. Example loan payment calculation: $150,000 loan amount at a fixed rate of 4.99% (5.081% APR) with 0.00 rate buy-down points, 360-month term, 80% loan to value, and customer-paid closing costs of $500 results in $804.32 P&I monthly payment (payment amount does not include amounts for escrow of taxes or insurance so actual payment obligation will be greater). 2 The property must be located in one of Huntington’s assessment areas and designated as a low- or moderate-income census tract by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

All loans are subject to application and credit approval, satisfactory appraisal, and title insurance. Terms, conditions, and loan programs are subject to change without notice. Other terms, conditions, and restrictions may apply. The Huntington National Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. a®, Huntington® and aHuntington.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. Welcome.℠ is a service mark of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2021 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. NMLS ID #402436 (01/20)

It is all about the intention

“T

hat is just how Oak Park is. Diversity is a way of being here. It’s who we are as a community.”

My friend said this after I expressed my admiration for the continued work of the Oak Park Regional Housing Center. I was taken aback by her comment, as I know this is not just how Oak Park is. Who we are as a community has always been reliant upon people who work tirelessly to create diversity as a way of being. Since the 1970s, the Oak Park Regional Housing center has been largely responsible for proactive strategies and programs that undo discriminatory practices and actively resist the ongoing cycle of segregation. A long-term supporter of the Housing Center, my friend identifies as a progressive. I share these details about her to highlight a common dilemma; Whether on film or in Not-For-Profit organizations, superheroes always struggle to gain recognition, even from the people who appreciate and benefit from the results of their superheroism. Until we understand that segregation is created and undone by continual, intentional policies and decisions, this invisibility problem will remain. Well before COVID-19 caused service delivery interruptions, we failed to honor the Housing Center staff, volunteers and stakeholders for the difference they make in our communities every single day. Their intentional, well-executed undoing is what makes Oak Park “who we are as a community”, and this undoing is far from finished. Diversity, inclusion and equity within our communities did not, does not, and will not ever happen “naturally”. This is why I think my friend’s declaration tells an incomplete story, a common mistake of privilege. We simply do not see the people who create and implement policies

Tracey Wik, OPRHC past Board President and current Board Member which enhance our quality of life daily because they are hiding in plain sight. The monumental struggle to maintain a new and improved status quo is rarely recognized or appreciated. Even stay-at-home orders did not thwart staff from their important mission. Led by the talented and indefatigable Executive Director Athena Williams, the organization was unstoppable. Seeing their work as more vital than ever, the staff enthusiastically executed strategic plans developed pre-Covid-19. These efforts paid off – more than 1000 new renters moved to Oak Park, sustaining integration through the Neighbors knowing Neighbors Program and “Affirmative Moves*”. In addition, Ms. Williams hired new talent to fill key positions, including grant manager, community engagement specialist and finance director. She worked tirelessly to procure resources which enabled each and every staff member to do their work remotely and safely. Like other superheroes whose true identities are unknown, Housing Center staff and volunteers quietly went about their day-to-day business, positively influencing people’s lives one decision at a time. These efforts deserve more than a shout out – these community members have earned far more than our gratitude. While recognition is important to continue staff engagement, what would have the greatest impact is to continue to do our part with financial contributions, participatory citizenship and more. What difference can you make to continue this important work? * Affirmative moves occur when a person moves to a building where their race is underrepresented. Tracey Wik, OPRHC past Board President and current Board Member

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We l c o m e t o O u r H o u s e | O a k Pa r k R e g i o n a l H o u s i n g C e n t e r

February 17, 2021

Oak Park Regional Housing Center...By the Numbers! The OPRHC and its two programs: Live in Oak Park and the West Cook Homeownership Center, have worked diligently throughout 2020 to meet our

community’s evolving housing needs. While 2020 presented many challenges, we met them head-on with determination and compassion to ensure the necessary

housing services and resources to all the communities we serve.

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

ENRIQUEZ

“When you are the first female to play in a male-dominated sport, there’s added pressure.”

Overcame skepticism from page 1 Twenty years later, Enriquez has published her first novel, “Demons,” a sports fiction book based on her story as the lone girl player on a suburban youth football team. A self-described tomboy, Enriquez was no stranger to football prior to trying out for the all-boys team. On the days when she wasn’t playing twohand touch football in the village’s parks, she was watching football at home with her family — particularly with her mother, a die-hard Chicago Bears fan who made sure the family never missed watching a game. One day, Enriquez’s friend suggested she try out for St. Mary’s football program. Fortunately for Enriquez, it didn’t take much to convince her parents to go for it. “Initially, I [tried out] because I just loved the sport,” she said. “It was something new for me to explore and learn the more technical aspects and unique intricacies. I also loved the physical challenges that came along with playing football.” But for Enriquez, the first sign of obstacles as a girl in the world of football showed up on signup day for tryouts. At first, she says, Demons head coach Frank Volpe (who ended up becoming one of her fiercest supporters) pointed her in the direction of the cheerleading table, not real-

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

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LAURA ENRIQUEZ Author of ‘Demons’

PHOTOS PROVIDED

TAKING THE CHALLENGE: Young Laura Enriquez (above) played both offense and defense during her first year, led the team in tackles and was named captain of a 9-1 conference championship squad in 2001. An injury sidelined her in 2002. izing she actually showed up to play football. However, making the cut ended up being the easy part. While she loved the physical challenges of football, what Enriquez wasn’t as prepared for were the emotional challenges that would come with being the only girl on an all-boys football team, including skepticism from some teammates and parents. “In my mind, I was just playing a game, where others looked at it as ‘a girl playing the game,’” she said. “It, therefore, became a bigger deal than I thought it would be.” Luckily for Enriquez, in due time, her skills and hard work during that first season were enough to prove herself to her coaches. She credits the combination of her grit, competitive nature and the naysayers with motivating her to persevere through the challenges that came with being a female football player. “When you are the first female to play in a male-dominated sport, there’s added pressure to not just do well, but do better than

Olmsted Society Stewards of the land and Olmsted’s Plan

anyone else,” she said. “You can make 99 good plays and one poor one, and the haters will only remember that bad one. So, I knew I had to give it 100 percent all the time in order to prove to others who doubted me that not just I could do it, but I could open the door for other girls who were interested in playing football, too.’ During the season, she played both offense and defense, led the team with the most tackles, was chosen to lead as team captain and guided the team to a 9-1 conference record and championship. After playing for the Demons widget football team that first season, she came back for a second season in 2002. Unfortunately, three weeks in, she broke her wrist during a tackling drill and was sidelined for the season. But, Enriquez continued to show up for every practice and game to support her team from the sidelines. The following season, she returned as a line coach for the pee-wee division, coaching the team for four years.

Give The Gift of Membership!

Olmsted Society memberships are a great way to acknowledge friends, family and neighbors, while also making a tax-deductible contribution that supports our efforts in protecting, preserving, and promoting the National Historic Village of Riverside, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Memberships start at $35 and include electronic communications and participation in Society functions free of charge or at discounted prices. Membership dollars help us to promote the preservation and progress of Riverside, educate residents and visitors about the history and significance of the Village, as well as active involvement to support the Village. Your gift membership recipient will receive a special notice announcing your gift. Show someone you care today! Please email membership@olmstedsociety.org for details. Visit olmstedsociety.org or facebook.com/RiversideFLOS for details

Following her graduation from St. Mary School, Enriquez attended Fenwick High School, where she shifted her athletic focus to softball. But she never forgot both the athletic and life lessons she learned from those years of involvement with football. Now, in both her career as a teacher and an assistant girls varsity softball coach at Nazareth Academy, Enriquez has taken those lessons learned as a teenager and used them as teaching tools to demonstrate the importance of perseverance and not letting doubters get in the way of following your passion. In addition, she decided to write “Demons” not only to show the conflicts females often endure in male-dominated sports, but also inspire young women and men to accomplish goals they thought were unthinkable. “I knew that this story needed to be told to a wider audience, especially in today’s time,” she said. “In today’s society, we need more empathy and in order to get there, we need to educate others about various experiences so, even if they do not have these experiences themselves, they can have a better understanding of what others have gone through.” Currently, “Demons” is trending at No. 1 as a new release for children’s sports fiction on Amazon. Now back living in her hometown, Enriquez also hopes to be able to share her message, and book, with local audiences through public speaking engagements, especially in schools and with sports programs. For more information on Enriquez and “Demons” visit lauraenriquez.com or follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/LawsEnriquez.

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Get ready for spring with West Cook Wild Ones Group to present virtual lecture series on native gardening

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

e have been stuck in our houses for months on end -- with a few breaks for shoveling snow -- but it is the perfect time to think about getting outside. The West Cook chapter of Wild Ones, whose mission is to educate residents of Cook County and beyond about the value and beauty of native ecosystems and native gardening, is bringing a three-part online lecture series right into your home to help you start planning for the spring and summer planting season. Adrian Ayres Fisher, co-chair of programming for West Cook Wild Ones, says the beginning of the pandemic led the organization to scramble a bit as in-person meeting was not permitted. Now, they have mastered the art of the online meeting, and Fisher says that the virtual talks have the added bonus of having a wider reach. “We’ve always had a very dedicated audience coming to the library for our events, but we are now reaching new people, and even people from out of state for our talks,” Fisher said. Last spring, the organization first got a hint that the pandemic was changing the way people thought about their yards and gardens. At the annual native plant sale, orders were way up, and over 50 percent of customers were first-timers. Fisher calls these numbers surprising and impressive. “This upcoming, three-part series is really aimed at these new gardeners, although experienced gardeners will find a lot to enjoy, too,” Fisher said. The series features four noted gardeners who will share their knowledge and answer questions about native plants. The speakers will cover soil, sun and water needs, drought tolerance and sustainability and the many benefits of gardening with native plants. First up on Feb. 21 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Chicago-based horticulturalist Ken Williams will share “Top 10 Things Native Gardeners Need to Know.” Williams, who says his interest in botany began when he was a college student studying engineering in Colorado, first started working with native plants in the Chicago area as a vegetable gardener. He later landed a job as a horticulturalist and has been working with native plants ever since. Inspired by the books of Doug Tallamy, Williams says he has learned about how much of the natural world depends upon native plants. He says that native plants provide food for specific caterpillars, which are food for specific songbirds. “By our landscape choices, we’re choosing to starve baby birds,” Williams said. “Bird

HOW TO ATTEND Register for “Midwest Native Gardening Basics,” a free, online garden lecture series at westcook.wildones.org All programs will use Zoom video conferencing, and participants need to have access to high-speed internet to participate.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

GREEN THUMBS: Presenters include Denise Sandoval (top), Ken Williams (above left) and Sarah Michehl, who will explain the benefits of gardening with native plant species. populations are declining fast.” While there is a lot to be worried about, he cites Tallamy’s latest book “Nature’s Best Hope,” and says that his work is to help get the point of the book across. “You don’t need a government program to fix this,” Williams said. “You just need people taking responsibility for their own piece of earth. The hope is you, the individual homeowner.” Williams says he replaced his own lawn with a garden that is beautiful and tough. He hasn’t had to water it in three years “What you can do is limitless,” Williams said. “Get a native plant and put it in the ground.” On March 21 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., Denise Sandoval of Good Natured Landscapes in Naperville will speak about “Native Plants through the Season.” Sandoval says her aim is to cover plants

that will do well in most people’s gardens in a variety of soil and light conditions. Sandoval has been landscaping with native plants for over 16 years, and says more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of native plants. She hopes to make the use of native plants more accessible to home gardeners. One way to do this is to share readily accessible native plants that can be found here in local garden centers and big plant sales. Sandoval will also share information on the wildlife that each plant supports, so gardeners can foster an appreciation and connection to the insects and birds that benefit from native plantings. “Everyone knows about monarch butterflies and milkweed, but we’re discovering more and more that other insects have that same relationship with certain plants,” Sandoval said.

She plans to include design tips for local gardeners too, noting that many native plants are good spreaders. She will tell people how to use them in large and small spaces, and plans to include a handout so people will have an easy point of reference to plan their gardens. The third talk of the series takes place April 18 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The “Native Plant Q&A” will feature experts Monica Buckley of Red Stem Native Landscapes in Chicago and Sarah Michehl with The Land Conservancy of McHenry County. Michehl says it’s part of her job to support all kinds of landowners from private homeowners to municipalities and park districts on how to preserve land. She notes that one key way to do that is to plant native species, and she gives advice on plant choice, design and plant care. She notes that interest in native gardening “blew up” during the pandemic. “Everybody’s home, and people feel like they’re doing something good by planting native plants,” Michehl said. “It’s good to feel that you are helping.”

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Illinois positivity rate below 3% for first time since July Local COVID rates hovering at about 3.5% through Feb. 14

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

The state’s COVID-19 case positivity rate is below 3 percent for the first time since July and hospitalizations for the disease continued on a steady decline Monday as confirmed deaths topped 20,000 since the pandemic began. Meanwhile, in Region 10, which includes all of suburban Cook County, the positivity rate as of Feb. 12 had fallen a full percentage point – to 4.3 percent – since the beginning of February. Locally, the positivity rates are lower than the rest of suburban Cook County, with Brookfield’s at 3.6 percent as of Feb. 14, according to the online dashboard maintained by the Northwestern University School of Medicine. That’s actually up slightly from Feb. 8, when the positivity rate was 2.08 percent. However, in the 60546 ZIP code, which includes both Riverside and North Riverside, the positivity rate dropped to 3.52 percent as of Feb. 14, compared to 4.59 percent on Feb. 8. Due to the Presidents Day holiday, updated COVID case numbers for each community through Feb. 15 were not available prior to the

Landmark’s press time. As of Sunday night, there were 1,789 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Illinois, including 389 in intensive care unit beds and 184 on ventilators. Those numbers were all major decreases from second-wave peaks seen at the end of November. The 41 virus-related deaths reported in Illinois over the previous 24 hours drove the death toll to 20,002 as the state reported 1,420 new cases amid 52,389 tests conducted. The state has reported more than 17 million test results and 1.1 million confirmed or probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

The vaccination effort continues as well, with more than 1.8 million doses administered out of more than 2.4 million doses received from the federal government, which means 74 percent of doses received by the state or providers have been administered. Approximately 56 percent, or 248,925, of the 445,200 distributed to Walgreens and CVS pharmacies as part of the federal Pharmacy Partnership program for long-term care residents have been distributed. While 11 percent of the state’s population has received a first dose of the vaccine, moving Illinois into 24th on the New York Times’

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per-capita vaccine distribution database, the state announced Monday that second doses will become a larger share of those distributed in the coming days. Thus far, just 3.3 percent of the state’s residents have received both doses, a requirement for both the Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines to be effective. The second vaccine dose is scheduled three to four weeks after the first, depending on which vaccine is received. “Beginning the week of February 15, local health departments and other COVID-19 vaccine providers will begin to receive a larger share of second doses to accommodate a greater number of second doses coming due,” according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health. “With federal shipments of the vaccine to Illinois remaining limited, this will mean providers will receive a smaller share of first doses. Based on federal projections of vaccine shipments, (IDPH) anticipates these allocations will hold steady for the next several weeks, before allocations of first doses can once again increase in March.” Information on COVID-19 vaccines and how to make an appointment is available at coronavirus.illinois.gov. Bob Uphues contributed to this report.

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

Just unacceptable

e get it. When things go wrong with old buildings like the Tower Apartments, a 93-year-old structure in downtown Riverside, fixes can be expensive. Heck, buying any apartment building is a huge expense, both when you buy it and all the time you own it. So, if you have little regard for a building’s maintenance, please don’t buy it or do everyone a favor, and sell it. What transpired at the Tower Apartments last week was outrageous and absolutely preventable. There is no reason residential and commercial tenants should have had to either flee their homes or suffer through the coldest temperatures of the winter after the one boiler that controls heat to the entire building failed. How old was the boiler? We don’t know. The company that manages the property doesn’t like to return calls from the press – although they’ve had many occasions to do so over the years as problems with the Tower Apartments have surfaced. We hear from tenants, however, that heat in the building had been an inconsistent proposition for some time. If that’s the case, the boiler suffering an irreversible failure last week should not have come as a surprise to the people responsible for maintaining the physical plant. That the building then didn’t summarily burn to the ground last week is something of a miracle as tenants were forced to heat their units by running their ovens for hours or deploying space heaters, in at least one instance shorting out an electric circuit that left black residue on the outlet. But that’s only the beginning of the story. Tenants complained to the Landmark of water leaks, broken appliances and toilets and mice. Back in 2006, the village sued the property management company of the Tower Apartments after a second-floor toilet overflowed into a ground-floor antiques store and then delayed doing anything about it for months, threatening instead to evict the commercial tenant. In 2018, a 70-year-old man who was a tenant of the building and was hired to paint a rear wooden stairwell fell to his death when a railing gave way. The village subsequently ordered the entire stairwell replaced and the man’s family sued the building’s owner and property management company, who settled the suit, without admitting any liability, for $950,000. The attorney hired by the defendants to handle the case? A northwest suburban man removed from the job after being accused—and later convicted – along with his wife of killing their young child. So, in the past few years, people at the Tower Apartments have died and have been forced to endure sub-zero temperatures because the owner and property management company haven’t been able to maintain the building’s infrastructure. That’s an absolute disgrace, and we urge the village and whoever else has the power to ensure the rights of tenants to live in safe housing to pursue to the fullest extent whatever compliance measure they need to pursue. These conditions are simply unacceptable in Riverside or anywhere where these folks operate. It’s long past time to compel them to provide acceptable standards of maintenance and living conditions.

It’s no 1967, but enough is enough

et it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Not! As I write this column it is snowing. Again. Is it pretty? Yes, but enough is enough. So far the record snowfall dates back to Jan. 26-27, 1967 when in one day 23 inches fell. I remember it well and am content to let that record stay. We got through it; we always seem to. We were living with my parents in Riverside with our son, Michael. My dad made it out the driveway to go to work, but Husband Joe did not. So he stayed home and got to shovel. Now as I recall we had enough food in the house and my mom was creative with what was on the shelves. For some reason or another, she always had cans of tuna fish and for that same reason, whatever it is, I always have tuna fish in the house. It is one of the essentials. It is good cold or hot, particularly in a tuna casserole, which is another reason to have cans of cream of mushroom soup on hand. So here we are in 2021, looking at snow and at the mercy

of a pandemic -- not a good combination. So I am contemplating some of the positives: we can stay home, we have tuna fish and toilet paper. Having toilet paper and tuna are what I am calling the essential “Ts.” The daily newspaper has made it, so I can read it cover to cover, as I do the Landmark, our garage is attached, and we can enjoy the beautiful look of our backyard through the windows in our TV room. We are enjoying the birds who are thankful we have plenty of seed; the squirrels are also grateful. We are watching lots of old-time TV (in black and white) – “Gunsmoke,” “Columbo,” “Starsky and Hutch” to name a few. They are corny but relaxing. While I’m at the computer I’m going to look up more tuna recipes, Lent starts Wednesday, which means more fish. We celebrated Mardi Gras at The Chew Chew and it was great, as was the Hurricane I drank. Actually I have been busy, but I can be busy without all this snow. Enough already!

JOANNE KOSEY

OBITUARIES

Ema Hurley, 96 Brookfield homemaker Ema Hurley (nee Dobersek), 96, of Brookfield, died Feb. 14, 2021. Ms. Hurley was the wife of the late Joseph Hurley; the mother of Lydia (Lou) Cebular, the late Ema (Al) Trevino and Alenka (August) Battaglia; the grandmother of John Trevino and Alojs “Louie” Cebular, Lauren (Ben) Kostelny, Dana (Josh) Beattie and Alex (Victoria) Cebular; the great grandmother of 12; the sister of the late Milena Soukal, Marija Dobersek and Ivan Dobersek; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews. There will be a memorial gathering on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. (service at 4 p.m.) at Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield. Due to COVID regulations, a maximum of 50 people are allowed in the funeral home at a time. Face coverings are required, the lounge facilities are closed, food and beverages are not allowed at this time. All are asked to pay their respects/ condolences to Ema and her family and be cognizant of others waiting to do the same. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o Ema Hurley family.

Lorraine B. Schmidt, 90

Blanche M. Scodius, 95

Riverside resident

Brookfield resident

Lorraine B. Schmidt (nee Hlavin), 90, of Riverside, died Feb. 8, 2021. Born May 5, 1930, Ms. Schmidt was a homemaker and also worked as a manager at retail stores. She was LORRAINE B. the wife SCHMIDT of the late George, Sr.; the mother of George Jr. (Connie) Schmidt, Susan (David) Strickert, Gerald (Reinette), Glenn (Lauren), Gary (Kanaee) Schmidt and Sandra (Steve) Miller; the grandmother of eight, great grandmother of two; and the sister of Miles (Rafala) and the late Raymond Hlavin. Services have been held. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside. Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, Riverside, handled arrangements.

Blanche M. Scodius (nee Naiser), 95, of Brookfield and formerly of Forest Park and Melrose Park, died Feb. 8, 2021. She was the wife of the late Victor; the mother of Victor (Janet), Joseph (MarBLANCHE M. tha Ann), SCODIUS and Michael (Sharon); the grandmother of Brandon, Evan, Sara (Nicholas Brown), Rachel, Jack, Maxmilian and Alexandria; and a friend to many. A funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 13 at St. Bernardine Church, Forest Park, followed by interment at Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation are appreciated. Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home, Forest Park, handled arrangements.

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

PROTEST

‘We’ve been allowing it’ from page 1 on Northwood Road at about 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 14. “But the people below me, I feel bad or them. There’s elders, there’s children, pregnant women. Some people can’t stay. My neighbors are staying with friends, with family.” The tenant, who asked not to be identified fearing retaliation – a common request from those whom the Landmark spoke to over the past week – said the property management company didn’t communicate with tenants about what they were doing to fix the heat after the boiler went out. “We were left in the dark for basically over 24 hours, maybe 36,” the tenant said. “Instead of us having to tell them that the boiler’s broken, it’s their prerogative to let us know and not turn their phone off when we have an issue.” It took more than 24 hours for the company to take any corrective action, according to village officials, and heat wasn’t fully restored to the apartment building until sometime on the afternoon of Feb. 14. The new boiler wasn’t working properly until Feb. 15 when additional work was done to prevent the unit from automatically switching off because the water supply to the boiler wasn’t adequate, according to Riverside Community Development Director Sonya Abt. “It does appear to be in working order now,” said Abt on Feb. 15. “They got it back on this afternoon. Hopefully, they should have no further problems.” The Tower Building at 22-42 East Ave. and 25-39 Forest Ave., was built around 1928 and is designated a local landmark. It’s a prominent downtown building with nine commercial storefronts in addition to 35 residential apartments. It’s owned by a real estate trust and is managed by a company called Property Rental Inc. Tenants and village officials for years have identified Kafka as the landlord of the property, although he has denied owning the building or any company associated with it. The Feb. 14 protest outside Kafka’s home was organized by Indivisible West Suburban Action League, one of the many Indivisible groups that sprouted nationwide in response to the election of Donald Trump as president in 2016, and History Never Taught, an organization started by local college students last summer in response to the death of George Floyd, which sparked demonstrations across the country, including Riverside. “He’s been living here comfortably, because we’ve been allowing it,” said Audrey Pekny, one of the founders of History Never Taught, who stood for an hour outside Kafka’s home as the temperature topped out at 7 degrees. “But the second that we make our presence known and make it known that we’re not going to let this continue to happen is the second that we might see a change.” Many tenants sought shelter elsewhere while the temperature inside their apartments dropped below 50 degrees for days, but there were some who had no place to go. The apartment building houses a variety of

BOB UPHUES/Editor

FED UP: Protestors (top) hold signs outside the Riverside home of Ronald Kafka, who tenants of the Tower Apartments (above) in the village’s downtown blame for the building losing heat for a week after the boiler failed. Tenants identified Kafka as their landlord, although he has consistently denied owning the building, which is held in a real estate trust. people, from senior citizens to children, who are attending school remotely because of the pandemic. “These apartments are right by an elementary and middle school and high school, so there’s obviously students that are trying to learn and are trying to sleep and be safe, so it’s a very wide range of people that are being deeply affected,” Pekny said. Lindsay Morrison, of Indivisible West Suburban Action League, said she was protesting because the conditions at the Tower Apartments hurt not just the tenants, but the village as a whole. “We want to show that this behavior by Kafka and his companies is not acceptable in our community here and we condemn it,” Morrison said. “It’s a drain and he has been for decades, because he owns so many buildings here.” On Feb. 10, the village of Riverside filed a

complaint and an emergency motion for an injunction in Cook County Circuit Court against the owners of the Tower Apartments after receiving calls from tenants that they had been without heat since late on Feb. 7. “The village has told them they needed to move quickly,” said Riverside Village Manager Jessica Frances last week. “It’s unacceptable and illegal to have a multifamily building without heat.” In addition to filing the complaint, the village issued four building code violation notices, which will be pursued for the maximum fine allowed for each violation, said Frances, which is $750. Those citations will be considered at a village adjudication hearing scheduled for March 25. The Landmark left a phone message seeking comment with a woman who answered the phone at the property management com-

pany on Feb. 11. No one from the company responded. Riverside moved to file the complaint in court, because they believed they needed to force compliance. According to the village’s complaint, Property Rental Inc. was informed about the boiler failure by tenants on the morning of Feb. 8 but failed to take any action to repair the problem until Feb. 9, after village officials began making inquiries based on resident complaints. A police report obtained through a Freedom of Information request states a police officer went to the property management company just after 9 a.m. on Feb. 9 to inform them of a tenant complaint. At that time, according to the police report, someone at the office told police they “are aware of the problem and it is being worked on now.” However, the village’s circuit court complaint states that the property management company “did not call [the boiler repair company] until late on Tuesday morning.” The delay, according to the village’s complaint, “is evidence that Property Rental is not acting in good faith to make the repairs in a timely fashion.” It was not until sometime on Feb. 10, according to the court record, that the company called in to assess the problem and determined the boiler needed to be replaced. More than one tenant told the Landmark that after a new boiler was installed on Feb. 12, it was on for about two hours from 7 to 9 p.m. before switching off for the rest of the night. The heat went on again briefly on Saturday morning before switching off again. “By Sunday morning it was freezing cold,” said one tenant, who is eight months pregnant. With her apartment at just 49 degrees, the tenant said she grabbed some items and left to stay at a family member’s house Sunday night. She had still not returned to the building as of mid-morning on Feb. 15. That tenant also complained the power to her stove and refrigerator was still out, a full week after she blew a circuit trying to warm her apartment with a space heater. Multiple tenants told the Landmark they were doing everything from running their ovens to boiling water on top of the stove to generate heat. Another tenant turned on the stove to heat the apartment, setting off the unit’s carbon monoxide detector and resulting in a response from the Riverside Fire Department and Nicor. According to the tenant, a rusty stove valve was the reason for the problem. “I don’t feel safe using the oven,” the tenant said. The boiler failure is just the latest in a series of maintenance issues at the Tower Apartments dating back more than a decade. In 2006, the village sued the building’s property management company after a secondfloor toilet flooded a ground-floor commercial space, driving out a longtime business. The village dropped the suit after it was satisfied environmental remediation had taken place. In 2018, the building management was forced to replace a three-story wooden rear staircase after a man hired to paint the old one fell to his death when a railing gave way. The victim’s family sued the owners and won a $950,000 settlement.

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

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New hardwood ﬂooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-ﬁnishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

FOUND PET BLACK CAT Black cat in River Forest, along Chicago Ave, between Ashland and Park. Please contact 708-366-8880

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HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

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PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

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REFINISHING Terry's

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and fiberglass since 1977. Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty! References available. Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE Cellco Partnership and its controlled afﬁliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) is proposing to build an approximately 33foot replacement light pole telecommunications facility in the vicinity of 7234 Circle Avenue, Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois 60130. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Project 6121000731 - JR c/o EBI Consulting, 6876 Susquehanna Trail South, York, PA 17403, jrobinson@ ebiconsulting.com, or via telephone at (240) 357-0091 Published in Forest Park Review 2/17/2021

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

Wednesday Classified 3 Great Papers, 6 Communities To Place Your Ad, Call: 708/613-3333

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE INVITATION TO BID ASBESTOS CONSULTING SERVICES The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District #97 will receive sealed Asbestos Consulting Service bids at the Administrative Office located at 260 West Madison Street – Oak Park, IL, (60302), until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 3rd, 2021. At this time sealed bids will be publicly opened and read. Copies of specifications may be secured at the Oak Park Elementary School District #97 District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. Cut-off date for picking up scope of services is 4:00 pm, February 24th, 2021. Bids mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of: Ms. Jeanne Keane Oak Park School District 97 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302 The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “ASBESTOS CONSULTING SERVICES”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Ms. Keane at (708)524-3125 or jkeane@op97.org Bid Due Date: Wednesday March 3rd, 2021 at 1:00 P.M. Only those bids complying with the provision and specification of the bid will be considered. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualification or irregularities and/or reject any or all bids, when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97. Sheryl Marinier Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journal Februaryv 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certiﬁcation was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21005947 on February 8, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of GUERRERO DESIGN with the business located at 1 E. ERIE STREET SUITE 525-2263, CHICAGO, IL 60611. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JULIO C GUERRERO JR. 2322 LARKIN STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 2/10, 2/17, 2/24/2021

Attention! Homeimprovement pros! Reach the people making the decisions – your target demographic. Place an ad in Wednesday Classifieds! Call 708/613-3342

Starting a New Business? Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice here! Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

RBLANDMARK.COM

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

CLASSIFIED

23 22

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@RBLANDMARK.COM

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

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 NOTICES

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

RBLANDMARK.COM

DOCKET NUMBER: PC 21-02 & 21-03 (Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment and Special Use Permit) HEARING DATE: March 4, 2021 TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits. LOCATION OF HEARING: The Plan Commission will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video. The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an inperson public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Written testimony or comments regarding the application may be provided prior to the public hearing by email to planning@oak-park.us. The individual’s name and a reasonable part of their testimony or comment will be read aloud into the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. If email is not an option, written testimony or comment can be dropped off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the south entrance to Village Hall,

123 Madison Street, to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 4, 2021. All written testimony and comments will be distributed to the Plan Commission and made a part of the official hearing record. Those wishing to provide public testimony at the hearing shall contact the Village Planner at planning@oak-park.us for instructions on attending the live Zoom meeting by 5:00 PM the day of the hearing. Interested persons may also participate in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by emailing the crossexamination form to clerk@oak-park. us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing to sign up. Individuals who sign up to participate in this manner will receive an email from Village staff with information about how to join the meeting online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. Questions regarding written testimony or comment can be directed to 708-358.5420 or email to planning@oak-park.us. SUBJECT PROPERTY ADDRESS: 1114 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 ZONING DISTRICT: MS – Madison Street Zoning District LEGAL DESCRIPTION: LOT 7 IN SUBDIVISION OF LOTS 65 TO 68 AND 71 AND 72 AND ALLEY BETWEEN SAID LOTS IN SCOVILLE AND NILES SUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 5 IN SCOVILLE AND NILES ADDITION TO OAK PARK, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THE WEST 40 ACRES OF THE SOUTHWEST ¼ OF SECTION 7, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN

A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on the Village Website at www. oak-park.us and also on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during current business hours, Monday through Thursday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof. ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal February 17, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of KEVIN KHANG DINH Case Number 20214000570

Request of WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE Case Number 20214000561

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: KEVIN KHANG DINH to the new name of: KEVIN KHANG LEODINH

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEONE to the new name of: WILLIAM DEWAYNE LEODINH

The court date will be held: On APRIL 13, 2021 at 9:30AM at DISTRICT 4 COURT MAYWOOD, COOK COUNTY in Courtroom # 0112

Published in RBLandmark 2/17, 2/24, 3/3/2021

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COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. P.I.N.: 16-07-322-022-0000 PETITIONER: Kim Rasmussen, 133 S. Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 PROPERTY OWNER: Timothy Rasmussen, 133 S. Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60302 REQUEST: The Petitioner is requesting 1.) a text amendment to Article 8 (“Uses”), Section 8.3 (“Use Restrictions”), Table 8-1 (“Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, by adding “Live/Work Dwelling” as a Special Use (“S”) within the “Use” column for the MS – Madison Street Zoning District, and 2.) a Special Use Permit to allow live/work dwelling within the MS-Madison Street Zoning District at 1114 Madison Street (P.I.N. 1607-322-022-0000).

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 high-

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

est 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

in the above cause on December 17, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 25, 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 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0270000 The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, 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. 14-19-06429 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019CH08452 TJSC#: 41-167 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 # 2019CH08452 I3164170

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION QUICKEN LOANS INC. Plaintiff, -v.DRIKO DUCASSE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2019CH08452 1226 N AUSTIN BLVD OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered

The Landmark, February 17, 2021

TOMNLOU’S Drive-thru lane from page 8 than a notch above most chicken sandwich offerings. Tom-n- Lou’s pulled pork is slow roasted for 10 hours with aromatics including fennel seeds and bay leaves. Arranged on a bun and served with a side of barbecue sauce, the succulent pork over delivers on flavor. Additionally, Mizell received village approval for a new curb cut on the Grove Avenue side of the property, allowing for the creation of a dedicated drive-thru lane with a second entry for parking. Plans are in motion to add a beer garden on the property when the weather warms.

Mizell says she is also dedicated to hiring high school students to work at Tom-nLou’s Drive In. She views younger employees as an untapped and valuable resource. The business owner is eager to give driven students their first job opportunities. In time, she hopes Tom and Lou’s will become more than a drive in and wants to use the restaurant to engage with residents and give back to the community. “I would love to work with a Girl Scout troop to organize a free food pantry on the property.” said Mizell. “I would also love to sponsor a local Little League team. I want Tom-n-Lou’s to be part of the Brookfield community.”

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The Landmark, February 17, 2021

NG MI O C

ON SO

442 Kent Rd, Riverside

2024 S Wabash #305, Chicago $200,000

621 S Plymouth Ct, #207, Chicago $249,000

3608 Wenonah Ave, Berwyn $289,900

2034 73rd Ct, Elmwood Park $374,900

192 Waubansee Rd, Riverside $539,000

4441 Wolf Rd, #210, Western Springs $759,400

144 Scottswood Rd, Riverside $799,000

293 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

45 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

AL NT E R

229 Park #301, Clarendon Hills $2,500/mo

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

AL NT E R

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

58 Lincoln #3, Riverside $1,700/mo

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

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Visit us at www.atproperties.com/agents/Burlington to view all of our properties and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and updates on the local real estate market.