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Vol. 35, No. 17

April 22, 2020

Mall-mentum Fitness center, retail building pitched for parking lot PAGE 2

Committeemen choose county board replacement for Tobolski PAGE 7 RAW, street dance casualties of coronavirus shutdown PAGE 11

Schools won’t reopen before classes end this spring Governor says he can’t risk spread of COVID-19

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Students and teachers will not be returning to their classrooms until at least fall. On April 17, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that all schools in Illinois would remain closed for the rest of this academic year.

Pritzker said he made his decision after consulting with public health experts. He said that allowing school kids to resume their normal routines would risk further transmission of the coronavirus, putting more lives in danger.

“The science says that students can’t go back to their normal routine,” Pritzker said.

The decision to keep schools closed for the rest of the year hits high school seniors perhaps the hardest.

“Fourth quarter is the most fun and the one everyone looks forward to,” said Riverside-Brookfield High School senior Lidia Bielobradek in a text message. “We had prom, senior prank, senior picnic, senior ditch day and so many other things we had planned, and now we really can’t do any of it. I think we are all upset with this news. The little bit of hope we all had about going back to school for even a day is now lost.”

RBHS senior Matthew Hanson, who said he hasn’t enjoyed the eLearning model necessitated by the stay-athome order, said the governor’s decision was a blow to students.

“Everyone [on April 17] was a bit awestruck,” Hanson said. “We didn’t see this coming and every time they See SCHOOLS on page 12

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

COVER UP: Shoppers line up outside of Costco in North Riverside on April 18, the first day the mayor’s emergency order requiring anyone working or shopping in village stores to wear masks to limit spread of COVID-19.

North Riverside mandates face coverings in, near local businesses Mayor declares state of emergency due to COVID-19 BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr. on April 16, exercising pow-

ers granted to him by the village board last month, declared an official state of emergency in the village in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and issued a directive requiring customers and

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

Mall unveils plans for new fitness center, retail building Two-phase proposal focuses on site south of Olive Garden

By BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside trustees on April 13 gave the OK for the owner of the North Riverside Park Mall to submit a planned unit development application to construct a two-story, 38,000-square-foot building to house a stateof-the-art, full-service health club in the east parking lot immediately behind Olive Garden restaurant.

Representatives from the Feil Organization, which owns the mall, met with village staff in late March about the plan, according to a memo to the village board from Village Administrator Sue Scarpiniti.

During that meeting, mall officials pitched constructing two buildings in the east parking lot. The other building was described as a roughly 20,000-square-foot building that would house general retail businesses.

According to Scarpiniti, The Feil Organization has a prospective tenant for the health club space – the California-based chain 24 Hour Fitness, which operates some 440 locations. Most of them west of the Mississippi River. Illinois has two locations, in Schaumburg and Carol Stream.

According to an information sheet pro-

vided by the village, the proposed North Riverside location would have group and personal training areas, an indoor lap pool, a multi-use/basketball court, locker rooms with showers, sauna, and a variety of weight-training, cycling and cardio equipment.

There are no tenants currently identified for the smaller general retail building, according to Scarpiniti. As a result, elected officials, however, agreed with Scarpiniti’s suggestion to split the plan into two phases, giving mall officials the go ahead to apply for a planned unit development (PUD) for the fitness center at this time.

“Since there is no specific use or tenant for this building in mind at this time, village Staff is recommending approval of this phase be deferred and future processing of a second preliminary/final PUD application be considered once a known use is identified,” Scarpiniti said in her memo to the village board.

She also told the village board that The Feil Organization would be following a new set of guidelines the village is presently crafting that will guide planned unit development applications in the future.

Village Planner Robert Kallien has been working to overhaul the planned unit de-

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY JAVIER GOVEA

BIG PLANS: The owners of North Riverside Park Mall pitched a plan for two outlot buildings in the east parking lot to house a fitness center and general retail. Village officials are looking for the mall to phase in the plan, with the fitness center coming first.

PROVIDED

NEW BUILD: California-based 24 Hour Fitness reportedly has signed a letter of intent to build a two-story, full-service fitness center (like the one pictured above) complete with sport court, group and individual fitness rooms, weight and fitness machines, a lap pool, pro shop and more. velopment section of the North Riverside zoning code. Those changes are expected to be submitted to the village’s Planning and Zoning Commission for review before going to the village board for final adoption.

It’s unclear exactly how long that code change will take, but Scarpiniti said she informed The Feil Organization that it would need to follow the proposed language for planned unit developments.

Getting the village board’s OK for a preliminary plan, the one presented to trustees on April 13, is part of the proposed new PUD process.

“Since submission of preliminary conceptual designs for this project would run concurrent with the village’s review of the new PUD procedural changes, village staff is recommending the mall’s formal planned development application once submitted follow these new guidelines,” Scarpiniti told trustees in her memo.

The planned unit development process

will include a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission, where officials and members of the public can offer comment and recommend changes and conditions.

The village board will have final say on whether to approve any such development.

The proposed outlot buildings behind Olive Garden are part of a larger strategy

by The Feil Organization to improve North Riverside Park Mall. Plans are still on tap to expand the mall’s theater by building an addition to the north side of the food court wing, effectively doubling the theater’s size. There’s also a plan to build a small 1,225-square-foot retail space addition onto the south side of the food court wing.

There are also plans to build a smaller 1,700-square-foot retail building in the outer parking area across the east mall ring road from Olive Garden, where Clover’s Garden Center has been located during summer months in recent years.

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

Brookfield hires human resources staffer Spent past 5 years as HR director for St. Charles Park District

By BOB UPHUES

been in human resources and risk management,” said Dumanovic in a phone interview last week.

For the past nine years, Dumanovic has Starting a new job is tough enough under the best of circumstances, but when you worked for the St. Charles Park District, and throw a pandemic into the mix – which pre- for the past five years has been that agency’s vents you from getting to personally know human resources/risk management director.

He started out in St. Charles in the the people you’re working with parks and planning department. every day – it adds another layer He holds HR certification from of challenge. the HR Certification Institute and But, such is the predicament the Society for Human Resource for Sash Dumanovic, who started Management, and a bachelor’s dein his new role as assistant to gree in business administration Brookfield Village Manager Timand management from Elmhurst othy Wiberg on April 7.

College.

“It’s a weird feeling,” said DuDumanovic serves on the Yormanovic of his introduction to kville Park Board, which serves as Brookfield during a statewide an advisory board to the Yorkville stay-at-home order. “I’m getting SASH DUMANOVIC City Council in the Kendall Counto know staff that’s still reporting ty community where he resides. to work here [at village hall], getPrior to St. Charles, Dumanovic worked for ting the lay of the land and understand the three years as an administrative manager for work flow day to day.”

While Dumanovic’s title is assistant to the Indian Prairie School District 204 in Napervillage manager, he reports directly to Assis- ville/Aurora.

Growing up in Chicago, Cicero and Bertant Village Manager George Issakoo, who at present is out on paternity leave after the wyn, Dumanovic said he’s very familiar with Brookfield and surrounding communities. birth of his second child earlier this month.

But, Dumanovic has had plenty to do in the Prior to moving to the management side of two weeks he’s been on the job, settling into public service, Dumanovic was a physics his primary role as the person overseeing hu- paraprofessional and student council advisor for nine years at Lyons Township High man resources for all village employees.

“Most of my career has been in public School.

That kind of background made Dumanovic service, and the major area of that work has Editor

something of a non-traditional candidate for his present role in Brookfield, but Wiberg said his human resources background made Dumanovic a good fit.

“He’s primarily going to be doing HR work; that’s where his experience has been,” Wiberg said. “He’ll be stepping into doing all of things [former Human Resources Director] Michelle Robbins used to do.”

Once Dumanovic gets up to speed on the HR end of things in Brookfield, said Wiberg, he’d also like Dumanovic to take on other projects, including village communications efforts on social media and other special projects.

“He’s got a really easy-going temperament, and has a passion and interest in public service, which is one of the most important traits,” said Wiberg of the decision to hire Dumanovic.

As for his move from a park district to the municipal side, Dumanovic said he was looking for a new challenge.

“On one hand, it’s professional growth,” Dumanovic said. “On the fiscal side, it’s very different on the municipal side of things.

There’s also the union experience [Brookfield has three separate unions representing police, firefighters and public works employees], and I wanted to grow that way. This position and the description also lined up very well with what I was doing with the park district.”

Dumanovic’s starting annual salary is $71,500.

New assistant principal hired at Hauser Christy Mullin leaving for church mission post

By BOB SKOLNIK

has helped keep track of tardy students and also has helped out with after school supervision.

“Chris has taken on additionThere will be a new assistant al leadership responsibilities principal at L.J. Hauser Junior as part of his teaching role at High School next fall. Hauser Hauser and he just really stood sixth-grade math and science out,” said Riverside Elementary teacher Chris Harvalis is replacSchool District 96 Superintening Christy Mullin, who is redent Martha Ryan-Toye said. “I signing at the end of the school think he is going to be a great asyear to take a job as the director CHRIS HARVALIS sistant principal at Hauser.” of global missions at her church.

Harvalis said he was interHarvalis, 33, has been a teacher for 12 years. He taught fifth grade at Ames ested in becoming an administrator so he School for five years before moving over to could have a wider impact than as a classHauser. During the past couple of years he room teacher.

Contributing Reporter

“You’re making a difference for a larger group of kids than you can as a teacher,” Harvalis said. “This has been something that I’ve been working towards.”

Harvalis, who grew up in Elmwood Park and graduated from Fenwick High School, earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Concordia University. He will be paid $77,000 next year in the 10-month position.

There were nearly 60 applicants for the position. After looking at resumes and conducting phone interviews, Hauser PrinciSee HARVALIS on page 12

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Editor Bob Uphues Sports Editor James Kay Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Javier Govea, Mark Moroney Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designer Debbie Becker Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck Sales and Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Front Desk Maria Murzyn, Carolyn Henning Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich

HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL buphues@wjinc.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00.

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

BIG WEEK April 22-29

Let’s put on a show – online 16th Street Theater in Berwyn is offering free online classes for kids and teens taught by Michele DiMaso, where kids will rehearse and perform an original play.

Participants will work on presenting an audition monologue, analyzing the script, working on relationships and character development. The class will culminate in a Zoom performance of the play.

The sessions, via Zoom, are once a week for four weeks. Kids 10-12 are on Wednesdays from April 22 to May 13. Kids 13-17 are on Thursdays from April 23-May 14.

Register at 16thstreettheater.org/ classes/kids-teens.

Brookfield Zoo hosts Virtu-Whirl

Brookfield Library expands online programs While in-person library services are on hold due public health orders, Brookfield Public Library is offering virtual classes and events.

Beginning the week of April 20, the library will offer both live and on-demand virtual programming for all ages.

Most youth activities will be presented live on the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ BrookfieldPublicLibrary. Events include literacy classes and Geek Labs, as well as special events like Zumba for Families and Mammals & More. Youth Services will also host a weekly sidewalk art challenge on Sundays.

And more North Riverside Public Library is offering the following virtual programs through Facebook Live, conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom.

Programs include Talented Tuesdays every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. via Facebook Live on North Riverside Public Library’s Facebook page; Whatcha Readin’ and Watchin’ Wednesday every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom; Game Night Fridays every ■

During the state’s stay-at-home time of uncertainty, the Chicago Zoological Society’s largest annual fundraising gala, the Whirl, is going virtual. The public can “attend” from the comfort of their own homes, with no need to worry about a tux or gown.

This year’s event, Rain Forests of the Virtu-Whirl presented by the Women’s Board and Board of Trustees, will consist of an online auction.

Beginning April 23, at 5 p.m. and continuing through April 25, at 9 p.m., the public can bid on a variety of auction items or contribute with a monetary donation as in a paddle raise.

Teddy Bear Hunt and Picnic

Each week’s winner will receive a gift card too a local business.

North Riverside Ri Parks and Rec invites kids to shake off cabin fever by participating in a village-wide Teddy Bear hunt through April 30. thro While you’re out taking a drive or walk around the neighborhood, keep an eye out for stuffed animals or cutouts in windows of homes and anywhere else they might be. Who knows, maybe you’ll see some on street signs.

Take photos and share them in the comments of a post that will be shared on the department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/NRRecreation.

On April 23 at 10 a.m. have a picnic at home with your favorite stuffed animals and share the photos in yo the ccomments under the department’s Teddy Bear Picnic Facebook post.

Faceboo

Adults can participate in programs by signing up for events hosted on Zoom, including Chair Yoga on Thursdays at 11 a.m.; Harnessing Instagram as a Marketing Tool on April 24 at noon; and Chicago: True Stories of the 1920s (available on Vimeo beginning April 27.

A complete listing of virtual programs, including access information, can be found at brookfieldlibrary.info/virtual-events.

Friday at 7 p.m. via Zoom; and Seated Tai Chi Moving Meditation via Zoom on April 27 at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to bodenl@northriversidelibrary.org for all Zoom meeting access info.

Riverside Arts Center offers Boredom Buster Boxes to give the kids some hands-on fun. Each box contains 6 pounds of clay, a scoring tool, a sponge, six underglaze colors, a slip, a paintbrush and project and instruction sheets. Order online and RAC will deliver the boxes to your front porch (no contact). RAC delivers to ■

Auction items range from opportunity to name and meet a 3-month-old two-toed sloth to a one-week stay in St. Lucia, tickets to Jimmy Buffet and James Taylor concerts, a Versace bag, sports tickets, dinner for 10 at Francesca’s Restaurant Group and more.

Proceeds from Rain Forests of the Virtu-Whirl support the care and welfare of the animals at Brookfield Zoo, as well as the society’s conservation, education, and research programs.

Registration, which is required to participate in the Virtu-Whirl auction, begins on April 22. To register and for further information, visit CZS.org/Whirl.

Riverside, North Riverside, Lyons, Brookfield, Berwyn, LaGrange, Oak Park, Austin and Belmont Cragin.

Boxes are $36 members/$40 non-members. Order at riversideartscenter.com/boredom-buster-boxes If you hold a Riverside Public Library card, you can delve into your family tree using Ancestry.com for free during the month of April. Get started at riversidelibrary.org/genealogy. The library also offers virtual programs for adults, including Mindful Meditation on Zoom on April 23 at 9 a.m. and Knitting Club on ■

Zoom on April 27 at 7 p.m. Visit riversidelibrary.org to register and get access info.

Lucky Plush Productions, the contemporary dance ensemble founded and directed by Riverside resident Julia Rhoads, invites you to celebrate its 20th anniversary during a virtual party planned for May 22 at 7 p.m. Tickets begin at $25 and can be purchased at luckyplush.com/calendar/2020/3/8/ plucky-lush-20. A link to the party will be sent by email prior to the event.

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

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Despite concern, Brookfield trustees OK big ticket items HVAC for police station, alley grader deemed essential

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Brookfield trustees last week approved a pair of large budgeted capital expenditures but indicated that other such purchases may have to be delayed – perhaps until 2021 – as the COVID-19 pandemic begins to have an effect on revenue.

After some debate at the village board meeting on April 13 – attended virtually by four village trustees via the teleconferencing app Zoom – trustees voted unanimously to fund the purchase and installation of a new heating and air-conditioning system for the police department.

And, by a vote of 4 to 2, trustees agreed to purchase a new alley grader and trade in one the village purchased just a couple of years ago.

Arguing against both expenditures, although later voting in favor of the police department HVAC system, was Trustee Brian Conroy.

“With the amount of uncertainty going on, we don’t know how deep this rabbit hole goes,” Conroy said. “In my mind, anything outside of health and safety would be looked at as almost like discretionary spending, and I think should be shelved in the near term.”

But trustees were convinced to approve the $48,295 expenditure, with Village Manager Timothy Wiberg cautioning that the leaky, 21-year-old rooftop HVAC unit was not reliable any longer.

The reality is, the lifespan of these things are 15 to 20 years,” Wiberg said. “The problem with it is that it leaks refrigerant. We’re worried to charge it, because when you charge it, everything is under pressure and more leaks develop.”

If the system fails in a few months, said Wiberg, “Our police station will become really unusable in the heart of summer.”

Trustee Michael Garvey also argued that the expense was necessary, and that it

BOB UPHUES/Editor

HELP ON THE WAY: Brookfield’s 2008 Champion road grader makes a pass down the east-west alley between Grant and Sheridan avenues, just east of Park Avenue, last week. However, the grader has been prone to breaking down, prompting trustees to order a new grader for use this summer. amounted to a public safety issue.

“If the heating and air-conditioning goes out in the village hall police department and makes it unusable, then we have a problem,” Garvey said. “Gross School is not a permanent solution to staffing our people there.

Police and fire is an essential service. I think this is something we have to get done.”

Trustee Nicole Gilhooley also argued for replacing the HVAC system now, saying a summer system outage would make the windowless space unusable.

“They’re essential workers and that could become a really not tenable environment to work in,” Gilhooley said. “It seems like a necessity to me.”

There were two proposals for the job, with the lower of the two coming from Countryside-based Heat Engineering Company.

New alley grader on the way Conroy, however, was not swayed by the majority’s arguments when it came to voting to spend $99,500 to purchase a 2020 Noram 65E Motor Grader, which will be used as the primary vehicle to grade the village’s 20 miles of gravel alleys.

Joining Conroy in wanting to delay the purchase was Trustee David LeClere, who said that “tough times call for tough measures.” Both voted no on buying the new grader from Livonia, Michigan-based Alta Equipment Company, which submitted the lowest of three bids.

“I’m not saying cancel it, but at least put it off until we have the visibility and have an idea of what the [COVID-19] impact is going to be to the village finances,” Conroy said.

However, with the Public Works De-

partment left with one unreliable aging grader and another too big for about half of the village’s alleys, a majority of trustees favored trading in the too-large Case 845B grader purchased in January 2017 for about $180,600 and replacing it with a smaller, more maneuverable model.

The total cost of the new Noram grader will be $169,500, but the village will realize $70,000 by trading in the larger Case grader.

Public Works Director Carl Muell said the department has a smaller Champion grader, purchased in 2008, which it can continue to use to grade alleys. However, that grader is prone to breakdowns and getting parts for it from overseas takes time.

“I’ve had it out for two weeks [grading alleys this spring] and we’ve had issues getting it started and have issues keeping it running,” Muell said. “I’m afraid it probably won’t make it through the season.”

Delaying purchase of a new grader up to 60 days could result in the village failing to grade many of its alleys in 2020, which Muell and Wiberg cautioned against.

“Out of a total of 25 miles [of alleys], 20 are gravel in this town,” Muell said. “This piece of equipment, I would say, is vital to numerous residents that are going to benefit from it.

Muell instead suggested holding off on replacing the roof at the Public Works Department headquarters or the roof of the adjacent ESDA building, which is used for storage. The estimated cost for replacing those roofs is $165,000 and $110,000, respectively.

“This is alley grading season,” said Village President Kit Ketchmark, who also argued for buying the new grader. “This is one of those things, and we certainly hear about it from our residents, that their alleys aren’t passable if we don’t keep up on this. It seems like this is one of those essential services that we provide.”

Family of four escapes Riverside fire unharmed However, four dogs perish in blaze

By BOB UPHUES Editor

A family of four escaped injury but has been displaced from their Riverside home after a fire caused serious damage to the rear of the building during the early morning hours of April 15.

Fire Chief Matthew Buckley said a neighbor called 911 at about 12:20 a.m. after seeing flames coming from the rear of the house at 281 E. Quincy St., a two-story brick Tudorstyle single-family residence on the south side of the street.

Buckley said that when he arrived on scene, both parents and their two children had been able to exit the house unharmed after being awakened, he said, by the sound of glass breaking.

“They were very lucky to get out,” Buckley said.

The fire was confined to the rear of the house, including an enclosed three-season porch and the kitchen area, said Buckley.

Firefighters doused the rear of the home with water while another team entered through the front door to battle the flames from that direction.

That team also searched for four dogs trapped in the fire, finding them in a secondfloor bedroom. None of the dogs survived, according to Buckley, despite attempts to give them oxygen using special pet masks donated in the past to the department.

Buckley said it appears that the fire started in the rear enclosed porch area, but that the source of the blaze is still under investigation. He said the fire did not appear to be suspicious.

As of April 20, said Buckley, the cause was classified as “undetermined.”

The porch and kitchen, he said, were consumed by the fire and that the entire house sustained smoke and water damage.

The fire made the house uninhabitable, said Buckley, who added the family was staying with relatives at this time.

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

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R E P O R T S

Two charged with van break-in, fleeing police Two Chicago men face felony charges after allegedly stealing several power tools out of a work van in the 4200 block of Elm Avenue and then leading police on a highspeed chase that ended in front of RiversideBrookfield High School during the early morning hours of April 14.

Police responded to the 4200 block of Elm Avenue just after 4 a.m. when a resident of the block called to report a vehicle burglary that had just taken place. Two men dressed in black had taken several tools from a white cargo van and fled in a tan Buick.

An officer spotted the vehicle near Burlington and Prairie, but it sped off at a high rate of speed across the tracks and then east down Brookfield Avenue to McCormick, speeding north before turning west on Washington Avenue.

At Golf Road, the Buick reportedly crossed the centerline and then jumped the east curb heading through the lawn in front of Riverside-Brookfield High School. The impact with the curb damaged the wheels of the Buick and the two occupants bailed out, running south across Ridgewood Road into the back yards of the residential properties to the south.

Police located the driver, later identified as 29-year-old Robert A. Williams hiding in a shed in the yard of a home in the 100 block of Parkview Avenue, Riverside.

The passenger, identified as 20-year-old Tashawn Booker, was found hiding under an outdoor pool deck in the backyard of a home in the 100 block of Parkview Avenue.

Police reported recovering several items taken from the while cargo van in Brookfield in addition to other items. The total value of the recovered items was estimated at a little less than $2,000.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charging Williams with felony counts of theft and aggravated fleeing and eluding. He was also cited for numerous traffic offenses. At the time of his arrest, Williams was on parole after serving part of a two-year sentence on a 2018 conviction for resisting a police officer, causing injury.

Booker was charged with felony theft.

■ Brookfield police responded to the 4000 block of Park Avenue on the morning of April 16 after a resident called to report that someone had rummaged through his unlocked vehicle sometime between April 13-15 and removed a USB cord and a Sony Xplod stereo receiver face plate from the dashboard.

Riverside burglaries reported At least two garage burglaries, an attempted garage burglary and a vehicle break-in

were reported to Riverside police last week.

All of the incidents appear to have taken place during the overnight hours of April 13-14 on the east side of the village, south of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad tracks.

Police on April 14 responded to a residence in the 200 block of Lawton Road for a garage burglary. The offender entered the garage through a side service door, which was not locked.

Missing from the garage were a black Gary Fisher mountain bike, a Burley child carriage, which was attached to the bike, as well as a Stihl chainsaw, a Rigid drain cleaner and a Honda gas generator.

The total value of the items was estimated at about $3,200.

A resident of the 100 block of Lawton Road, not too far away, told police that someone had entered his vehicle, which was parked outside of the detached garage in the rear of the property.

The owner determined nothing was missing from the vehicle, but papers inside had been moved around.

On the evening of April 14, a resident of South Cowley Road informed police he had video of someone trying to enter his garage and vehicle at about 4:25 a.m. After seeing both were locked, the person left the area.

A resident of the 200 block of Gage Road, Riverside, called police on the morning of April 19 to report that within the past several days, someone had entered his unlocked garage and removed a black Trek mountain bike. No other items were missing.

Police reported that the bicycle had been turned in to police on April 14 by someone who lived in the 100 block of Lawton Road.

The bike was returned to its owner.

A/C unit lifted The owner of a residence in the 3200 block of Sunnyside Avenue, Brookfield, contacted police on April 18 to report that within the past few weeks, someone had removed the air-conditioning unit from the backyard of the property. The unit had been cut from the electric service and copper water lines and carried away.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, April 1319, 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

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

7

Dems pick former GOP state rep for county board seat Frank Aguilar chosen to succeed Jeffrey Tobolski in 16th District

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Democratic committeemen representing Cook County’s 16th District met in Berwyn on April 15 to choose a candidate to fill the vacancy created March 31 with the resignation of Jeffrey Tobolski.

In the end, they chose Frank Aguilar, a former Republican state representative who has close ties to Cicero President Larry Dominic, works as the director of community affairs for the Town of Cicero and is a member and former chairman of the Morton College Board of Trustees.

Aguilar, who did not respond an email from the Landmark seeking comment, was chosen from a field of at least six candidates who presented themselves to the committee, which met to select replacement at the Italian-American Civic Organization in Berwyn.

Aguilar will serve the remainder of Tobolski’s term, which expires in 2022. Tobolski resigned as both Cook County Commissioner and McCook mayor six months after his offices and home were raided by federal agents as part of a wide-ranging probe into corruption in the Chicago suburbs.

Tobolski has not been charged with any crime. Two of his close allies, former Chicago aviation official William Helm and his county chief-of-staff Patrick Doherty, have been indicted as a result of that federal investigation.

Each candidate to replace Tobolski was given a chance to make a brief personal pitch before the committee. Due to social distancing requirements as a result of the governor’s order prohibiting gathering of more than 10 people, the candidates waited in their cars to be called in and escorted into the building.

A small group from a Cicero/Berwyn political action committee called Rizoma Collective gathered outside the Italian-American Civic Organization building to protest

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Aguilar’s selection, focusing on his performance as Morton College Board chairman.

“Under Aguilar’s tenure as chair of the Morton College Board of Trustees, Morton College was put on notice by the Higher Learning Commission for concerns about governance and the ‘operation and behavior of its board members,’” the group said in an emailed statement to the Landmark. “Aguilar failed Morton College, and we believe he will also fail Cook County.”

In addition to Aguilar, the candidates included Lyons Township Clerk Michael Porfirio, Franklin Park Trustee Andy Ybarra, Berwyn/Cicero realtor Eduardo Garcia and Melrose Park attorney Tony Favela, who served as treasurer of Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s campaign committee in his successful run to represent the 4th Congressional District in 2018.

A sixth candidate was Phil Huckleberry, a software engineer and a relatively new resident of Brookfield, who moved with his family from Chicago less than two years ago. Though he’s new to the political scene in the suburbs, Huckleberry said he served on his Local School Council in the city and in 2004 and 2006 ran for state representative in Normal.

Township committeemen present at the April 15 meeting included the committee chairman, Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero, as well as Steve Landek of Lyons Township, Vince Cainkar of Stickney Township, Blanca Vargas of Cicero Township and state

Rep. Aaron Ortiz, committeeman for Chica- “The complexity of the district -- a majorgo’s 14th Ward. Barrett Pederson of Leyden ity of voters of Latino descent -- produced a Township reportedly attended the meeting complicated process that resulted in a conby teleconference before arriving late to the sensus candidate.”

Porfirio, a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Nameeting. val Academy spent 6.5 years on active duty It’s unclear whether Karen Yarbrough of Proviso Township attended in person. Huck- and is now a commander in the Navy Releberry said Yarbrough, who is also Cook serve. He got his start in local politics under County Clerk, was “definitely” not present Landek in his hometown of Bridgeview, and has held a number of jobs as a public serwhen he was interviewed.

Ortiz, in an emailed statement to the vant in the southwest suburbs.

He was a park district commissioner in Landmark, said he did not vote for Aguilar’s Bedford Park, public works appointment.

“I considered Mr. Aguilar’s superintendent in Bridgeview record as a state legislator, and part-time administrator his relationships with other in Summit before being electofficials, and his time as a Reed clerk of Lyons Township. publican – all of these were a In a phone interview with concern,” Ortiz said. “There the Landmark, Porfirio said were questions coming from he was “gearing up” to make district constituents, which I a run for a seat on the county took very seriously. For those board in 2022. Exactly which reasons, I was unable to offer district he might run to repremy vote to Mr. Aguilar.” sent may depend on how disState Rep. Mike Zalewski, trict boundaries are set after the Democratic committeeredistricting, which occurs man for Riverside Township, every decade. did not attend the meeting “It’s an interesting choice,” but confirmed that he gave Porfirio said of Aguilar’s his proxy to Lovero. selection as county commisMICHAEL ZALEWSKI Reportedly the committee sioner. “I don’t know him and Riverside Township committeeman took several straw votes beI personally wish him the best. fore settling on Aguilar as the I also know there were multiconsensus candidate. ple candidates who were well“Given the complexity of qualified and also would have the COVID-19 dynamic, I thought Mayor been a better fit. It was disappointing to a Lovero did the best he could under difficult lot of people.” circumstances,” said Zalewski in an email.

As a Republican, Aguilar served as a state “I look forward to working with Commis- representative for the 24th District from sioner Aguilar.”

2002-04. He was famously defeated in the Asked who he supported for the position, 2004 general election by a Democrat who Zalewski responded that he felt Porfirio was did not campaign and was widely believed a string candidate. to have been a ghost candidate sponsored by “As for who I backed, I have strong feel- Aguilar himself. ings that Mike Porfirio is a rising star in the Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez won election party and if not today, then soon deserves a to the position at the next election in 2006 seat at the table very soon,” Zalewski said. and has held the post since.

“The complexity of the district ... produced a complicated process that resulted in a consensus candidate.”

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

Selborne Road reconstruction project under way Work also includes resurfacing Parkway Road

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Road construction season was slated to begin in Riverside this week, with mobilization and preliminary groundwork for a full reconstruction of the entire length of Selborne Road, which arcs for about a mile across the north end of Riverside, from York Road to Nuttall Road.

The project also includes resurfacing of Parkway Road, a much shorter semicircular street that connects on both ends with Selborne Road.

On April 16, Riverside trustees voted to award a $1.24 million design-build contract to its engineering firm, Burke LLC, to complete the work, which is expected to wrap up by early July, weather permitting.

The project is being funded principally through a $1,114,498 bond issue, which was conducted in February. The rest of the funds will come through the village’s nonhome rule sales tax proceeds.

Construction notices were to have been delivered to residents along the construction route on April 17, with preliminary work kicking off Monday. Because the work on Selborne Road will involve completely excavating the roadway down to bare earth, it’s likely to cause some headaches for homeowners there.

“People should certainly plan for sig-

BOB UPHUES/Editor

GEARING UP: Workers began marking the pavement and putting up barricades along the western arc of Selborne Road on April 20, in anticipation of a months’ long construction project along that street and Parkway Road in Riverside. nificant disruption and inconvenience,” said Public Works Director Edward Bailey. “But people will be notified. Certainly there will be dust and noise.”

The first phase of work will involve sawcutting surfaces and concrete work. On

Selborne Road, that will mean some sidewalk work, complete curb and gutter removal and the removal of many driveway aprons.

Crews will remove and replace curbs, gutter and driveway aprons on one side of

the street at a time to allow for parking on the opposite side of the street. Bailey said that if residents want to ensure free movement of their vehicles, they’ll be notified to move them onto the street when there won’t be access to driveways.

Homeowners could lose access to their driveways for as many as 10 days, after that work starts.

Excavation of Selborne Road won’t begin until the concrete work is complete, but it will involve digging out the existing asphalt roadway and the concrete base underneath it, to a depth of “several feet,” according to Bailey.

Work will take place on one side of the road in order to make the roadway passable to residents. Even when one side is excavated, Bailey said the plan is for residents to maintain access to their driveways by backfilling excavated areas in front of them.

Prior to work commencing this week, the village had hired a company to televise sewers along the route, and recently public works crews repaired two sections of sewer that were identified as in poor condition.

The roadwork will also include reconstructing a few manhole structures, said Bailey.

Work along Parkway Road will be less involved, consisting of milling off the top three inches of asphalt and resurfacing the roadway. There will also be some spot curb and gutter removal and replacement.

First responders hopeful county will share COVID-19 info Local nursing homes still report no cases of the disease

By BOB UPHUES Editor

As the number of people who test positive for COVID-19 continues to rise in Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside, including the number of fatalities, local officials remain hopeful that Cook County might soon begin to share information with first responders to help safeguard them as they respond to medical calls.

Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said an intergovernmental agreement, based on one recently adopted by the McHenry County Board, is expected to be discussed by the Cook County Board at its meeting scheduled for April 23.

The agreement would allow for the county to temporarily share the addresses of people known to have tested positive for COVID-19 in order for police and paramedics to take necessary precautions when responding to those addresses.

On April 17, Forest Park Police Chief Tom Aftanas, who is president of the West Suburban Chiefs of Police Association, sent a

letter to the Cook County Board on behalf of the 35 municipalities represented by the group, urging county commissioners to share address information with first responders.

“Having knowledge that there is a citizen infected with COVID-19 at an address will ensure that our first responders are wearing additional [personal protective equipment] such as face shields, shoe covers and gowns when dispatched to that address,” Aftanas wrote.

As of the morning of April 21, the Cook County Department of Public Health had reported more than 1,000 deaths countywide from COVID-19, with 343 in the suburbs.

By Tuesday morning, cases in North Riverside had more than doubled since April 14 to 29, including two fatalities. The most recent person to succumb to the disease was a 73-year-old man who died at Hines V.A. Hospital on April 15.

North Riverside’s rate of infection also jumped to 435 per 100,000 people, more in line with towns like Berwyn, Cicero and Broadview. A week ago, North Riverside’s rate was 195 per 100,000 people.

The county still reported no COVID-19 deaths in Riverside and Brookfield, even though Riverside’s fire chief has confirmed at least fatality in that village, a 58-year-old man who died on April 11.

Cook County reported that as of the morning of April 21, Riverside had 30 people who’d tested positive for COVID-19, while Brookfield had 53.

The rates of infection in both of those village’s also increased week over week, with Riverside going from 248 to 338 per 100,000.

Brookfield’s rate of infection increased from 195 to 279 per 100,000.

It is unclear exactly where the county is pulling its data for the sources it provides online, how much of a delay there might be in reporting fatalities or how many are not being counted at all.

An email from the Landmark seeking that information from the county has not been answered. Buckley said that in conference calls with county officials, local fire and police chiefs also can’t get that information.

“They don’t have an answer for us,” Buckley said.

Focus on nursing homes At the same time, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced the state is ramping up COVID-19 testing for both residents and staff at nursing homes, veterans’ homes and other long-term care facilities, including those where no cases of the disease have yet been reported.

Illinois Department of Public Health also is now making public detailed information about long-term care facilities where outbreaks of the disease have been reported.

Pritzker said the state is prioritizing testing at long-term care facilities because they house populations among whom an outbreak is more likely to result in serious complications, or even death.

He said the Illinois National Guard and the Department of Transportation began delivering testing supplies to facilities without any known cases over the weekend and that those efforts will continue until all such facilities have been supplied.

See COVID-19 on page 12

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

9

RBHS student collects unclaimed lunches for the homeless S.E. Gross STEAM Lab produces face shields for first responders

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Lidia Bielobradek, a Riverside-Brookfield High School senior from North Riverside, had some time on her hands after the school shifted to remote learning last month in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

She and her mother volunteer for Housing Forward, an agency based in Maywood that helps the homeless, so Bielobradek wanted to see if there was something she could do to help.

Bielobradek reached out to her computer science teacher, Sandy Czajka, and RBHS Principal Hector Freytas searching for possibilities. Freytas forwarded the email to Assistant Principal for Student Affairs Dave Mannon, who came up with the idea of donating unclaimed lunches to Housing Forward.

So twice a week Bielobradek, usually aided by her brother Iggy, a freshman at RBHS, drives over to RBHS and takes lunches unclaimed by school families and brings them to Housing Forward.

On April 20, Bielobradek delivered 42 lunches to Housing Forward. In the three weeks since she started delivering lunches, she has delivered more than 150 lunches.

“I love doing this,” Bielobradek said. “I’ve always wanted to help others.”

RBHS, like other schools, must still provide free lunches to those students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. And like many other schools, RBHS is now providing sack lunches to any student who wants to pick up a lunch Last week Bielobradek started also picking up extra lunches from Komarek School after her mother, Viola, contacted the school to see if they had any lunches to donate.

Bielobradek also put a notice on the North Riverside Open Forum Facebook page asking if people had anything they could donate to Housing Forward. She got a number of responses, and drove around North Riverside picking up toiletries and other items that people put out for her. She stopped at around 10 homes and picked up more than 300 items.

“It also helps me still feel like I have a purpose, because a lot of people I know are just sitting at home, don’t really know what to do with themselves,” Bielobradek said. “Even just driving is awesome.”

S.E. Gross Middle School is sending the lunches that are not picked up by Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95 families to the needy in Hodgkins through a connection with a member of the community who works in that town, S.E. Gross Principal Ryan Evans said.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Lidia Bielobradek, left, loads unclaimed lunches from RiversideBrookfield High School and loads them in her van to bring to Housing Forward, an agency serving the homeless in the west suburbs, on April 20.

Gross School churning out face shields The seven new 3D printers in the new STEAM classroom at S.E. Gross Middle School have been put to work churning out face shields for first responders and medical workers.

In about 10 days, the lab has produced and donated 275 face shields to police and fire departments in a number of local communities including Brookfield, Riverside, LaGrange Park and LaGrange in addition to sending 100 to Hines V.A. Hospital.

“The 3D printer produces the part that goes around the head and goes on the bottom and holds it,” Evans said.

The actual shield is just a plastic transparency.

A core team of about four district staff,

including Director of Teaching and Learning Cathy Cannon, monitor the printers and use a laser cutter to trim the materials and attach the transparencies to the headbands.

Evans reached out the regional office of the Illinois State Board of Education asking schools to donate transparencies for the face shields, and many have responded with donations, including Hollywood School in Brookfield.

“I’ve had schools donating to us, so we haven’t had to purchase anything,” Evans said. “Everybody kind of pitched in to help us out.”

The idea of using the 3D printers to make face shields came from Anu Mahajan, the founder of TinkRworks, the Hinsdale based company that was hired by District 95 to provide STEAM education.

Brookfield yoga studio delivers meals to medical workers Pair raising funds to buy from local eateries, grocer and feed Loyola staff

By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter

A few months ago, Charlene Vickery and Kendell Sullivan were gearing up for the grand reopening of FocusOm, their Brookfield yoga studio which underwent months and thousands of dollars’ worth of renovations.

The April celebration was slated to be the owners’ way of reintroducing local residents to the mind and body benefits of yoga — a happy, peaceful way to start spring.

Instead, the universe had other plans in store, unleashing a global coronavirus pandemic that upended everyday life for bil-

lions around the globe.

At first, early warnings about public gatherings led Vickery, of LaGrange, and Sullivan, of Willow Springs to clean their studio more often and restrict class sizes. Then, as the statewide stay-at-home order took effect in mid-March, the owners had to shift their entire business model to virtual classes.

However, the short and long-term effects of the pandemic on their yoga business was not the only things on Vickery and Sullivan’s minds.

Sullivan is also an essential worker, an anesthesiology nurse at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. She also happens to be married to an anesthesiologist at

Loyola, so she is seeing firsthand the effects of COVID-19 and the toll it’s taken on the medical field.

Vickery wondered how she could take the principles of what they teach at FocusOm and engage in something positive, both for the greater community and local essential workers.

“How do we bring peace into our lives?

How do we take this practice of staying calm into our everyday lives? This is why we practice yoga,” Vickery said. “This is a time to know who your neighbors are and know the people who might need help on your block.”

Vickery recruited her daughter, Morgan; her daughter’s boyfriend, Rye Decker; and

several of FocusOm’s students to make masks.

Sullivan was able to supply repurposed surgical-grade materials from the hospital to make the masks, and the group has been able to make more than 200 masks. While not N95-certified, the goal is for the masks to serve as extras for the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff at Loyola to wear when they need them around the hospital and for going to grocery stores and to run other errands in public.

But, Vickery wanted to find another way to help.

See YOGA on page 13

10

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

D95 schools chief gets new 5-year deal

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Encher elected school board president as Maggos bids farewell

By BOB SKOLNIK

in 2013. She resigned from the board with one year left on her second term to devote more time to her work with the South Berwyn EduThere will be a lot of continuity and some cation Foundation. She is a first-grade teachchange at the top of Brookfield-LaGrange er in South Berwyn School District 100.

District 95 accomplished a lot during MagPark School District 95. Last week the District 95 Board of Education voted 6-0 to ap- gos’ time as school board president. In 2017, prove a new five-year contract for Superin- voters approved a building bond referendum that financed major renovations tendent Mark Kuzniewski, who and expansion at the district’s two has held that post for the past 11 schools. years.

Full-day kindergarten was “I’m ecstatic to have another implemented this year, and durfive years to work in District 95,” ing the past couple of years new Kuzniewski said. “It’s a phenomcontracts were signed with all the enal place to be. The community district’s union employees. With is amazing, particularly we see Kuzniewski’s new contract comhow amazing they are in crisis pleted, Maggos felt that she was times like this and how we all pull together. … I have a great adminleaving the board with major projistrative team. We have phenomects completed and the district in enal teachers and non-certified a good and stable place. staff.”

Encher, who served as the leadKuzniewski salary next year er of the referendum campaign will be $216,000, about a 5-percent as the chairperson of Citizens for increase from his current salD95 advocacy group, said Magary. The contract calls for 3-pergos will be a hard act to follow as cent raises in subsequent years, board president.

Kuzniewski said.

“Giant shoes to fill, to say the The school board also selectvery, very least,” said Encher, ed a new board president last who was elected to the school week, choosing attorney Scott board in 2017.

Encher to replace Michelle MagLast week’s meeting was mostgos, whose resignation from the ly held virtually. Kuzniewski and school board became effective at Maggos were present physically the close of the April 16 meeting. at Brook Park School, while othEncher said the board is er board members participated SCOTT ENCHER thrilled to keep Kuzniewski.

by Zoom video conference.

D95 school board president “Mark has done an amazing job Encher was the only person with our district,” Encher said. nominated – Maggos made the “The amount of work that was motion -- for the post of board done behind the scenes in dealing president. Jacqueline Jordan, with our referendum … to manwho was elected to the school age a multimillion construction project, to board last year, was chosen vice president have added to that project air conditioning in of the board, while Rebecca Zoltoski was seboth schools and still come in under budget, lected as board secretary.

Mark gets a significant amount of credit for Encher, 49, is a personal injury lawyer that.” who works for a small downtown Chicago Encher also praised Kuzniewski for manag- law firm. He has lived in Brookfield for the ing the district’s abrupt transition to remote past 19 years and has three children, a selearning during the current pandemic. nior and a freshman at Riverside-Brookfield “Mark goes above and beyond every single High School and a fourth-grader at Brook time,” Encher said. “If you look at how the Park School. Encher is the only man on the eLearning situation has rolled out, Mark has school board. been on top of every single aspect of it, has Next month, the school board hopes to been beyond exemplary in his communica- appoint someone to fill the vacancy on the tion with the board, the parents, the commu- board left by Maggos’ resignation. nity itself. To a person, as we discussed with Those interested in replacing Maggos on the board, I don’t know that we could find the school board should send a letter of insomebody better than who we have.” terest to the school board at the district’s Maggos had been school board president administrative offices at 3724 Prairie Ave, since 2016 and was first elected to the board Brookfield, 60513-1612 by May 1.

Contributing Reporter

“If you look at how the eLearning situation has rolled out, Mark has been on top of every single aspect of it.”

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

11

Riverside Arts Weekend postponed until 2021 Brookfield Chamber Street Dance to be held at a later date

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Riverside Arts Weekend – the juried art fair in Guthrie Park which for the past 12 years has heralded the summer event season – is being postponed until 2021 in anticipation of prolonged fallout as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of the future length of the statewide stay-athome order.

The decision was made, said Jill Mateo, president of Riverside Arts Weekend’s board of directors, “out of an abundance of caution for our artists, patrons and volunteers” as well as the village employees who facilitate set up, take down, traffic control and cleanup.

“We like to think of RAW as kicking off the summer season, but this year we just don’t see it as worth the risk,” Mateo said. “This is the best thing to do for everyone involved, and we’ll be back next year.”

This year the decision had been made to move the event to mid-June after a couple of recent rain-soaked years in May. It’s expected that the 2021 event

will also be scheduled for June.

The pandemic has also led to the delay of at least one popular event in Brookfield. The Brookfield Chamber of Commerce announced earlier this month that it would be postponing its annual Street Dance at Eight Corners to a date to be determined.

The event had been scheduled for May 30, which is also still the tentative date for the annual Bike Brookfield cycling tour event, which begins and ends at Kiwanis Park and snakes through Brookfield and the Salt Creek Trail.

Ross Klicker, the village of Brookfield’s community and economic development director, said it’s likely that event may be canceled or postponed if the state’s stay-at-home order is extended into May. For now, however, it hasn’t been scrapped outright.

“We all agree it will be extremely difficult to do it on this date,” Klicker told the Landmark. “Official decision will be made soon after we get further direction from the governor regarding stay-at-home order.”

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

ON HOLD: People check out Chris Neumer’s breathtaking photos of Riverside and nearby environs at he 12th Annual Riverside Arts Weekend last year.

12

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

COVID19

Stringent steps taken from page 8 So far, no residents or employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at Cantata Adult Health Services in Brookfield or at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside.

Both long-term care facilities, however, have taken stringent steps to limit the spread. On April 18, Caledonia Senior Living officials announced they had decided to begin sheltering residents in their rooms for all meals and activities. A month ago, Caledonia began limiting visitor access to the facility and taking other precautions to safeguard employees and residents.

“The fact is, we have to do all we can to preserve [their safety],” said Gus Noble, president of Caledonia Senior Living. “I’ll do anything to protect the lives of the people living and working here. It’s not what we want for our residents, and this isn’t the promise we made to them. But we have to see what our first and highest priority is.”

At Cantata, resident mobility within the campus has also been restricted, said Kevin Heraty, Cantata’s chief development officer.

“Resident mobility in all of our buildings is restricted such that residents spend most of their time in their rooms,” Heraty

said in an email. “In the limited time that residents may be outside of their rooms, they should be wearing masks, as all employees are required to do. Residents are monitored by our staff members, and are required to stay in the general area where they live. When the weather is nice, we allow residents to go outside with strict limitations, and social distancing is enforced at all times.”

Caledonia Senior Living is attempting to break the monotony by offering activities that residents can participate in while in their rooms. Last week, they hosted a celebrity bingo tournament featuring actor Nick Gehlfuss of the TV show “Chicago Med” as the caller. Residents can also step outside their rooms into the hallway for socially distanced exercise classes, which are also livestreamed in their rooms.

Other cultural programs, including a livestreamed performance by violinist Rachel Barton Pine and visits to the Caledonia outdoor courtyards by the Highland Dancers and pipers are also planned.

Noble, a musician, says he now keeps a guitar in his office permanently “in case we’re in need of some comic relief.”

Pritzker said that so far, long-term care facilities in Illinois have complied with IDPH guidance and he praised the staff at those facilities as “front-line workers” who dedicate their lives to caring for the state’s seniors.

Peter Hancock of Capitol News Illinois also contributed to this report.

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SCHOOLS

‘Devastated for seniors’ from page 1 pushed back the date, we were optimistic about coming back to school on the day they said we could potentially return. Now that it is officially closed, everyone is realizing that high school is over.”

While not unexpected for administrators, the decision hit RBHS Principal Hector Freytas hard.

“I’m devastated for seniors, for all the students,” Freytas said. “We’re not going to be able to come back to our building to reconnect physically.”

But local school administrators were not surprised by Pritzker’s decision.

“This is anticipated,” said Martha RyanToye, the superintendent of Riverside Elementary School District 96. “We were assuming that this message would be coming from the governor. We were just wondering when.”

Still school officials are saddened that students won’t be returning to their schools this year.

“We’re greatly disappointed that our students won’t be able to be back together in large group settings this school year, but we understand the need for it,” Ryan-Toye said.

Whether to and how to have eighth-grade and high school graduations is now an issue that school administrators must decide.

Freytas said no decision has been made about RBHS’ graduation, which is scheduled for May 22.

“That’s kind of still open ended,” Freytas said. “As of right now graduation is still scheduled for May 22, but in a day or two it could change. At the next board meeting it could change. I’m kind of just waiting, but if we can’t get together May 22 physically maybe we do virtual graduation or we do

HARVALIS ‘Natural fit’ from page 3 pal April Mahy narrowed the field to four finalists who were then interviewed, via Zoom, by a 12-person interview committee.

The committee recommended Harvalis who then clinched the job with a final interview with Ryan-Toye.

“Chris went up against some pretty tough candidates,” said Mullin. “All of the other candidates had experience.”

Harvalis’ experience at Hauser, where he has impressed his bosses, gave him an edge.

“The relationships that he has cultivated with students and families and staff members over the 12 years really made him a natural fit to move into the position,” Mahy said.

Mahy has had a close working relation-

a car drive-by graduation. Somehow, we do something safe, whatever is safe.”

RBHS District 208 Superintendent Kevin Skinkis said the school administration would be working on a plan and a formal announcement of what that will be next week.

“Our priority will be to provide a proper send-off to the class of 2020,” Skinkis said in an email. “The sacrifices these seniors have made during the final quarter of their senior year are unparalleled, and we will do our best to provide them the recognition they deserve.”

No official decisions have been made yet at Lyons Township High School about its graduation ceremony, which is scheduled for May 31 or about the school’s prom, which is scheduled for May 28 at Navy Pier.

“We’ve not made any final decisions on that,” said Jennifer Bialobok, the community relations coordinator for Lyons Township High School. “We’re trying to figure out the best way to do that.”

Ryan-Toye said that District 96 will likely hold some kind of special, but virtual, event for eighth-graders.

Brookfield-LaGrange Park District 95 Superintendent Mark Kuzniewski said that while no decision had been made, there is a chance that there will not be a graduation ceremony for eighth-graders at S.E. Gross Middle School.

“I think we have to take a realistic look that some things are just not going to be available to kids, and it’s incredibly unfortunate,” Kuzniewski said.

Remote learning in all schools will continue through the scheduled end of the school year.

LTHS is making some changes to its remote learning procedures. Classes that had met in odd-numbered periods will now have remote learning on Mondays and Wednesdays, while classes that had met in evennumbered periods will have remote learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students will have Fridays off.

ship with Mullin and said that she will be missed.

“Her passion for learning coupled with her genuine care for students has been a winning combination,” Mahy said in an email. “She will carry this passion and dedication into her next stage of her career as she works with her church as the missions’ director.”

Last summer, Mullin led a mission trip to Malawi, an impoverished country is East Africa. She had always been passionate about mission work and planned to do that work in retirement.

When her church, Parkview Christian Church, created a new position with her in mind, she could not turn down the opportunity to follow her passion.

“It was a difficult decision,” said Mullin.

Mullin said that she is disappointed that the she won’t be able to say goodbyes to Hauser staff and students in person due to the COVID 19 pandemic shutdown.

“This wasn’t the goodbye I was hoping for,” Mullin said.

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

13

EMERGENCY

Any covering OK from page 1 The state of emergency went into effect immediately, according to the declaration, while the requirement for face coverings became effective at 12:01 a.m. on April 18.

The move follows in the wake of news that three other suburban towns -- Glenview, Cicero and Skokie – had enacted similar orders. Unlike North Riverside, those suburban orders also extend to anyone using public transportation, taxis or rideshares.

“It made a lot of sense to me,” said Hermanek.

“We have a large Costco, Jewel, Binny’s and restaurants.

It’s not only my obligation to protect residents, but also the people who come to the village and the employees HUBERT HERMANEK JR. who work here.”

The executive orNorth Riverside mayor der states that the face coverings do not need to be medical-grade masks, but can be any covering that provides some level of protection, including cloth masks, plastics, scarves, bandannas and handkerchiefs.

The order extends to customers and employees alike, and anyone not wearing a mask in or near a business can be denied service. Failure to comply with the order could also result in the scofflaw being ticketed and fined, although the order does not specify how much.

“This isn’t being done to penalize anyone.”

YOGA

Twice-weekly delivery from page 9 After learning from Sullivan that Loyola’s cafeteria was closed and that medical staff often do not have time to pack meals or go out to get food during their long shifts, Vickery came up with the idea of soliciting donations, buying food from local restaurants facing slow business due to the pandemic and donating those meals to Loyola medical staff.

Vickery connected with Tischler Finer Foods in Brookfield, along with Brookfield restaurants Mary’s Morning Mix-Up, Brookfield Breakfast and Irish Times and LaGrange restaurants Palmer Place and FourteenSixteen, who were all open to participating in the project.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

MASKING UP: Customers don masks before entering Aldi in North Riverside on April 18, the first day the mayor’s emergency order requiring face coverings went into effect.

“I can’t imagine someone not complying with it,” Hermanek said. “This isn’t being done to penalize anyone. It’s for your own benefit and health. I think a friendly reminder should take care of [any scofflaws].”

The law extends to grocery stores, liquor stores, retail stores, hardware and build-

ing supplies businesses, banks, gas stations and any restaurant open for takeout and delivery service.

It also extends to parking lots adjacent to the businesses, lines where people are waiting to enter, lobbies and other common areas.

“I don’t see why this can’t be adhered to,”

said Hermanek. “If it prevents one person from getting [COVID-19], it’d be worth it.”

The order will remain in effect through at least April 30, but can be extended by Hermanek under the powers granted him by the emergency declaration until the next village board meeting, which is scheduled for May 11.

Now, Vickery has created a business Innovative Counselschedule where, twice a week, ing Partners, with offices in Loyola staff in the anesthesiOak Park and North Riverology department, operating side), heard about the project room, nursing staff and surand joined in donating and gery technicians, are delivraising money. ered lunch or dinner.

As of press time, Vickery Meals are individually packsays nearly $3,000 has been aged at the restaurants, and raised from locals and the volunteer drivers pick up group now has a GoFundMe the food and drop them off at page set up to solicit more doLoyola’s main entrance, where nations online. a hospital employee distribLinda Tischler, owner of utes the grab-and-go meals.

Tischler Finer Foods, said for LINDA TISCHLER The restaurants charge a the grocer’s first meal delivTischler Finer Foods discounted rate of between ery, they served deli sandwich$10 and $12 per meal, and es, a side salad, an apple and a some of the restaurants have bag of chips. Their next meal, even been able to chip in some of their own she said, will be a hot meal, like chicken or money to help fund the meals. lasagna.

Tischler Finer Foods offered to donate its “It’s nice to see how everyone is uniting first meals for free, and Brookfield resident to get through this uncomfortable time,” Jennifer Froemel (who owns mental health she said. “We’re all important, and we all

play important roles to help get through this time.”

Sullivan’s wife, Dr. Lisa Gramlich, says the Brookfield and LaGrange communities’ kindness has been very appreciated by the staff at Loyola.

“I think people are hugely grateful,” Gramlich said. “It’s just nice to know that people think enough of you to donate these things.”

At FocusOm, Vickery and Sullivan are also offering discounted classes for all first responders and for first-time students looking for a healthy way to recharge.

“We are providing a healthy opportunity for connection,” Vickery said. “In some ways, we have taken this pandemic to create more intimacy and stronger bonds with members and students.”

To donate money to go toward local restaurant meals for Loyola medical staff, visit the group’s GoFundMe page at bit. ly/2VJnNXN

“We’re all important, and we all play important roles to help get through this time.”

14

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

The long haul

W

hile all of our personal lives have been upended as the state of Illinois and the nation have come to grips with the rapid spread COVID-19 pandemic, municipal services continue to be delivered, albeit under some odd circumstances – like virtual recreation programs, certain police shifts operating out of a Brookfield middle school and almost all village business being handled over the phone or through email.

Village boards continue to meet virtually – Brookfield and North Riverside met again Monday night and Riverside is slated to meet for the first time since last month on Thursday – and get business done.

While the COVID-19 shutdown made almost an immediate impact on personal financial situations, its impact at the municipal level has yet to be felt in any significant way.

But, that’s going to change by the time we hit summer if the stay-at-home order remains in place.

While officials in Riverside and North Riverside did not share any firm financial projections for the summer months with respect to impact on revenues, Brookfield officials have been taking a close look at what any prolonged shutdown might mean, and the picture isn’t pretty.

All three villages are in somewhat different situation with respect to revenue sources, so it’s hard to draw any general conclusion about how each would fare during a prolonged shutdown.

Riverside is the least dependent on things like sales taxes, and more dependent on property tax revenue, which appears to be the most stable revenue source for the time being.

While North Riverside depends heavily on sales taxes and lost a large sales tax producer when the North Riverside Park Mall shut down, other sales tax producers in the village – Costco, Jewel, Aldi, CVS -- saw their sales go through the roof in March and early April.

Brookfield’s revenue streams are more diverse. If the shutdown lasts into the summer, Brookfield will lose sales tax revenue from its largest producer, Brookfield Zoo. The village estimates the total sales tax hit monthly would be about $27,000.

If the state of Illinois begins slowing down its monthly installment of income taxes it shares with municipalities, that could amount to another $35,000 per month. All revenue streams combined – from taxes on gasoline to video gambling taxes, the places for eating tax, commuter parking fees, lost recreation program revenue – Brookfield is looking potentially at $110,000 a month in lost revenues.

While officials will try to protect as many municipal jobs as possible, that revenue interruption could result in delayed or canceled capital purchases and projects, like sidewalk replacement, scheduled improvements to municipal buildings and the like.

What we’re saying here is that, while the villages appear to be handling this shutdown so far, it could get dicey once we hit June and beyond.

We don’t know what this is going to look like on the other side of the pandemic. We don’t even know when that will happen – probably not until there’s a vaccine. If we can sustain the spirit of everyone working toward and acting in the interest of public health and the common good, we’ll get through this, despite facing hardships we haven’t even imagined yet.

I

The summer polio came calling

t was the early 1950s and my summers centered around playing and having fun. We were too young to be aware of the fear of polio that was gripping the world.

There were not many children in the neighborhood, and my best friend was Susie Kessler, who lived next door. Susie is three years older than I, but we got along fine, playing games, making ice cream, going to the library and generally keeping occupied.

Polio was the “scare” at that time. It seemed to attack children more, causing paralysis, or the bulbar form which was more lethal. The only one I had ever heard of as having polio was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Mrs. Kessler, Susie’s mom, was a teacher and had us doing creative and educational things, but one summer there was a change in what we were doing.

Caution was the key word. We no longer went to the swimming pool or drank from public drinking fountains, and each day we took a nap, even though we thought we were past the nap stage.

One day I went to see if Susie could play. Her grandmother was at the house, and she told me Susie was at the hospital. That was all I was told.

My mother called the Kesslers only to find out

Susie had polio. From then on I was watched closely to see if I exhibited any of the signs of the disease. Fortunately I didn’t, but didn’t understand how my friend got sick and we were always together.

Susie’s recuperation from polio was long and I missed the times we had in the past, when we could play together. It was a long road for her, but she grew up, went to college, got married and raised her family. She lives in Michigan and we communicate at Christmas.

Those years had people changing their lives and living in a degree of fear. Help came through.

Dr. Jonas Salk from the University of Pittsburgh had been researching polio and in 1952 primary testing began. Today there are few cases of the disease with vaccinations administered at an early age.

Right now there is someone working on a vaccine to attack the coronavirus, and for that we need to hope and believe and have faith over fear.

Thanks … to Glenn Klecka for reminding me to have readers check out the Czech Plaza restaurant on Cermak Road for carryout. Nothing like comfort food, Czech style.

Stay well.

JOANNE KOSEY

LETTERS

Physicians laud governor’s COVID-19 efforts Illinois physicians and hospitals commend Governor J.B. Pritzker for his steadfast leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every day he faces tough choices and he is clearly making decisions with the interests of Illinoisans in mind. Our Governor is also taking the time to listen to the experts. A good example was his recent executive order extending civil liability protection to health professionals and hospitals during this crisis.

The Illinois State Medical Society and the Illinois Health and Hospital Association jointly asked his office to issue this order. It did not take long for our conversations with the governor’s office to lead to much-needed protections for frontline health care workers. We thank the governor for his leadership.

Increasing COVID-19 testing statewide, the incredible momentum to turn McCormick Place into an alternative care site and engaging the Army Corps of Engineers to open shuttered facilities are significant accomplishments.

The executive order from a few weeks ago requiring health insurer payment of telemedicine is another decisive action that cleared the way for non-COVID-19 patients to maintain treatment with physicians and health systems.

Governor Pritzker’s daily battles to obtain personal protective equipment, ventilators and other critical resources are very much appreciated as we near a surge of expected COVID-19 hospitalizations.

The days and weeks ahead will be difficult, but decisiveness and ability to make hard choices is critical right now. Thank you, Governor Pritzker, for doing what is right to protect the wellness and safety of us all.

Paul E. Pedersen, M.D., president Illinois State Medical Society

A.J. Wilhelmi, president and CEO Illinois Health and Hospital Association

O P I N I O N

F

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

15

Our journey home: An Earth Day 2020 challenge

ifty years ago today, unbeknownst to me at the tender age of 22 months, the first Earth Day gave voice to an emerging public consciousness about the state of our

planet.

Initiated by Gaylord Nelson, the twoterm “conservation governor” of Wisconsin who was later elected to the U.S. Senate, the first Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans – 10 percent of the total U.S. population at the time -- who took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment. Thousands of colleges and universities joined them in organizing protests against environmental deterioration.

Five decades later, as we mark this milestone, it’s a fitting time to ask: Have we made enough progress?

The indefatigable Ed Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030 and one of my climate action heroes, offered an insightful answer to this question at the recent CarbonPositive Conference and Expo in downtown Los Angeles, which I attended just before most of us came under stay-at-home orders.

In his keynote address, Ed eloquently summarized the climate crisis state of affairs. The good news: following a historic

decoupling of GDP growth and emissions in the U.S., greenhouse gas emissions have plateaued despite significant economic growth between 2005 and 2019 -- and we are now at the beginning of the same decoupling globally. The bad news: we are at the center of the climate crisis and no longer just anticipating it. As Greta Thunberg has so aptly stated, “Our house is on fire.”

How we should react to this crisis is both simple and complex. Just as if we were in an actual burning house, we would escape first, and with the help of the fire department and other trained resources, save others, while letting go of everything else.

Crises bring clarity about what matters most.

The complexity arises whenever we ask about the root causes instead of just treating symptoms. The current global COVID-19 outbreak is a stark case in point.

Considering that many of the essential workers who are caring for the infected do not have health insurance themselves and lack basic protections to do their job, we might question whether the system itself is working. This is especially apparent

TOM

JACOBS One View

LETTERS

How long will this moment last?

Only God knows I often ask myself the question, “I wonder what God thinks about this?”

The “this” is in reference to whatever daily dilemma comes my way. Most people say they believe in God and most people own a Bible. My question is: Do they believe God; do they take Him at His word?

My mother called me from her home in Seattle and shared this scripture: “Come my people; enter into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be past.”

(Isaiah 26:20) How long is a little moment? God only knows. It’s enough time to make me press on and keep believing.

Pam Uhlir

Brookfield

when considering recent data that reveals a person’s chances of survival depends largely on the color of their skin.

With devastating clarity, COVID-19 is illuminating the perils of ignoring known threats and exposing the human cost of having allowed inequity and inequality to rise to current levels.

The serenity prayer, the oft-quoted insight by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, offers helpful direction: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Environmentalist Paul Hawken, author of the 2017 book “Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming,” has lived according to this guidance all along.

Speaking at IIT in Chicago last September, he suggested we view our role in addressing the climate crisis as “coming home.” The atmosphere, much like the virus, does not just cooperate with our wishes.

It does not care what we think or do. Once we realize this, a binary choice is entirely ours: do we let the crisis-induced threats

O

define us by allowing fear and anxiety to paralyze us, or do we get to work by acting on the opportunities directly in front of us, in the present moment? Only by doing the latter can we begin the journey home.

To collectively address the climate crisis, we need all the technological solutions we can imagine, combined with bold government action. But what we also need, in equal measure, is a shift toward social innovation: the realization that in the end, the only thing we have direct control over is ourselves.

We must become comfortable with mental and emotional surrender -- away from any regret or anxiety -- in order to find the place of calm and clarity that will show us how to proceed with energy and joy.

As I consider my own path forward, I’m inspired by Hawken’s observation that we can think of the climate crisis as happening to us, or we can think that it is happening for us.

Climate action starts with attitude. Our move.

Tom Jacobs is co-founder of Architects Advocate for Action on Climate Change and a Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208 Board of Education member.

A cold April night in Berwyn

n the night of Wednesday, April 14, the Cook County 16th District Democratic Committee convened in Berwyn. The committee consists of the eight Democratic committeepersons from the seven townships and one ward of Chicago which overlap the 16th District. The purpose of the meeting was to interview candidates and select one of them to replace Jeff Tobolski on the Cook County Board.

I was one of those candidates. I knew such a meeting would be held at some point, so I had reached out to the Cook County Democratic Party to find the details. I received information, followed up, and was invited to submit a resume, show up that night promptly at 7, and wait in my car until someone came to get me.

I arrived at 6:45 to find a protest underway.

There were about 20-25 protesters, plus a few Berwyn police officers. Everyone was wearing masks. I’ve seen a lot of protests, but never one like this. They were there to protest one particular candidate.

That candidate wasn’t me.

The protesters had no idea who I was. Neither did the committee. I’m a software engineer. I moved to Brookfield last April. I served two terms on a Local School Council in Chicago.

All that doesn’t add up to much name recognition around here. I was the classic nobody that nobody sent. Even so, after 70 minutes in my car, it was my turn. I went in and made my case to the committee.

What I was doing that night was participating in an important democratic process.

Democracy in America -- and especially in Illinois -- can be very weird, and could use a lot of improvement.

But what any healthy democracy needs is greater participation, even in the midst of a pandemic. Gigantic questions today confront all levels of government. Cook County, for example, faces a major revenue shortfall and higher expenses all at once.

We need bold, innovative thinking to tackle all of the problems the pandemic and ensuing shutdown are creating. Some

PHIL

HUCKLEBERRY One View

of those innovative ideas will come from people cooped up at home. We need to ensure everyone is able to participate.

Alas, the committee did not choose me.

Their choice was Frank Aguilar, Morton College trustee, former Republican state representative, and the candidate who had inspired the protest.

Was his selection the result of a small group of people behind closed doors selecting an insider? Or was it the result of an open process where average people had an opportunity to present their case and share their ideas? Well, it was both. Like I said, democracy can be very weird.

My brief candidacy for the county board was truly a surreal experience. I am thankful to the committee though for the opportunity to participate. I hope that the committeepersons, and our new county commissioner, will look for ways to encourage and expand participation. Especially now, our democracy and our country depend on it.

Phil Huckleberry is a Brookfield resident.

For a more detailed story about that night, see his full blog post at metaspiel.substack. com/p/a-cold-april-night-in-berwyn

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

16

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

OBITUARIES

Irene Falout, 99 Retired private secretary Irene Falout, 99, of Palos Park and formerly of Brookfield, died April 16, 2020 at Holy Family Villa in Palos Park.

Born Jan. 7, 1921 in Brookfield, Ms. Falout was retired from her job as a private secretary at Merrill Lynch Corporate Investments.

Ms. Falout was the daughter of the late Anton and the late Rosalie (nee Tyk) FaIRENE FALOUT lout; the sister of the late George, Clara, William and Helen Falout and the late Sylvia Gross; and an aunt to many nieces and nephews.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions all funeral services are private.

Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at JohnsonNosek.com.

Robert ‘Scott’ Brower, 71 Owned Brookfield advertising agency Robert (Scott) Brower, a former Brookfield resident, died peacefully due to COVID-19 complications on April 13, 2020 in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, at 71.

Mr. Brower was born in Chicago on Aug. 12, 1948 to Shirley and Glen Brower.

He graduated from Lyons Township High School in 1966 and studied music, art and philosophy ROBERT ‘SCOTT’ at the University of BROWER Denver.

He married Nancy Vickers on June 7, 1969 and had two daughters, Shawn Brower Holzman and Gena Brower Richardson.

Mr. Brower was a longtime resident of Brookfield, raising both of his daughters on Hollywood Avenue. He was very proud of both, having coached them in softball for the Brookfield National Little League.

He was a passionate musician, having his own studio to create his music with some of his best friends, David Margheim, Jim Vlna and Dave Bruce. He owned his own advertising agency, RSB Communications, also located in Brookfield.

His most recent place of residence was in Menomonee Falls, closer to both of his daughters Mr. Brower was a gentle giant at 6-foot-4, who was happy to let others shine.

The Molnar cousins described him as the

“epitome of cool.” His daughters would describe him as someone who was always there for them, and someone who always made sure they knew he loved them.

He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched.

Mr. Brower was preceded in death by both his parents, Shirley and Glen Brower. He is survived by his children, Shawn (Mark) Holzman of Howards Grove, Wisconsin and Gena (Ryan) Richardson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin; and his grandchildren, Ashton Holzman, Caleb Holzman, Jordan Richardson, Noah Richardson and Abbie Stigler.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions there will be no visitation at this time. The family will have a private celebration of life at a later date.

The family has designated St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for memorial contributions and would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to all the doctors and nurses at Froedtert hospital for their care and compassion in caring for their father.

Irene Houda Riverside resident Irene Houda (nee Cibulka), of Riverside, has died.

She was the wife of the late Dr. Allan Houda; the mother of Russell Houda and Susan Bolls; and the sister of Viola (Lester) Krasnowski and the late Raymond Cibulka.

Private funeral services have been held. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. (Barbara Marik Baken, director) handled arrangements.

Manda M. Klancir, 90 Former Brookfield resident Manda Magdalena Klancir (nee Fajdich), 90, of Countryside and formerly of Brookfield, died April 15, 2020 in LaGrange.

Born in Brookfield on July 25, 1929, Ms. Klancir worked as a dental assistant. She was a member of the St. Barbara Women’s Club and bingo group. She enjoyed gardening, ceramics and bingo.

Ms. Klancir was MANDA M. KLANCIR the mother of Lawrence J. (Jennifer), Dennis M. (Patricia) and the late Janice M. (Marty Victor) Kloog; the grandmother of Holly (Colton) Parchem, Derek Kloog; the great grandmother of Felicity Klancir and Jaxon and Kimber Parchem; the sister of the late Eva “Dolly” Cvitanovich, late Michael Fajdich, late Rose Saban and the late John Fajdich Jr.; and an aunt of many.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, all funeral

services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Young at Heart, 6504 Joliet Road, Countryside, 60525 are appreciated.

Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Online condolences may be offered to the family at JohnsonNosek.com.

Mary A. Michaliska, 92 Active St. Mary’s parishioner Mary Amoroso Michaliska, 92, of Riverside, died peacefully in her sleep on April 17, 2020.

Ms. Michaliska was born to the late Cuono and Vincenza Amoroso on Aug. 13, 1927. She graduated from Marshall High School in Chicago in 1947 and was an active member of Saint Odilo Church in Berwyn and Saint Mary’s MARY A. MICHALISKA Church in Riverside.

Called to spiritual service, she was on the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC), a group devoted to strengthening the communication between parish groups and the universal church, and the Council of Catholic Women (CCW), an organization that empowers and educates women in spirituality and leadership.

Ms. Michaliska was also compelled to serve those in need. She was a lay minister who brought fellowship and communion to homebound parishioners, as well as a volunteer for PeopleCare.

She believed in the language of fashion.

She took pride in coordinating tasteful and attractive ensembles for every occasion and she never left her house without her lipstick on.

She worked in the women’s wear department of multiple Chicagoland stores and had a flair for helping customers select the perfect article of clothing to help them feel beautiful and confident. Mary also worked as the administrative assistant to the director of nursing for the Cook County Department of Health.

An evocative storyteller, she could disarm anyone with her laugh. She supported her children and grandchildren in all of their endeavors, marking every milestone with an exceptional home cooked meal.

She was strong, vivacious, and devoted to her family, leading them through difficult times with grace and compassion. Her fam-

ily grieves her loss, but they take comfort in knowing that she and her husband Ernie are jitterbugging together again.

She was preceded in death by her husband and dance partner of 66 years, Ernest Michaliska. She was the mother of Judy (Jay) Sandy-Howk, Gary (Nancy) Michaliska, Jane (David) Fremgen, and Donna (Jim) Galt; the grandmother of Jessica (Sean) Sandy-Bober, Jonathan Sandy, Jacob (Brittany) Michaliska, Rachel (Anthony) Mercado, Zachary Michaliska, Caleb Michaliska, Sheryl Galt, Matthew Galt, and Erin Galt; and great-grandmother (GiGi) of Camden Galt, Ernie Bober, Ezrael Mercado and Zariah Mercado.

Services are private. Inurnment is at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

Donations are appreciated to Alexian Brothers Hospice Program and Residence at amitahealth.org.

Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, Riverside, handled arrangements.

Margaret J. Neiweem, 93 LaGrange Park resident Margaret J. Neiweem (nee Beck), 93, of LaGrange Park, died April 13, 2020 at Harvester Place in Burr Ridge.

Ms. Neiweem was born March 8, 1927 and raised in her beloved Cincinnati, Ohio. A homemaker, she was a longtime resident of Wheeling and LaGrange Park.

She was the wife of the late Bernard; MARGARET J. NEIWEEM the mother of Bern (Deby), John (Annette), Peggy Jean, the late Jane Ann and the late Mark (Sally); the grandmother of Christopher, Jessica, Mark, Eric, Charlie and Kyle; the sister of the late William, Helen, Mary, Rita, Virginia and Jane; and an aunt to dozens of nieces and nephews.

Private inurnment was at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.

Memorials are appreciated to the Peggy Jean Neiweem Fund, c/o John Neiweem, Legal Guardian, 1825 San Trovaso, Venice, Florida, 34285.

Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Online condolences and memories can be shared with the family at JohnsonNosek. com.

To run an obituary

Please contact Bob Uphues by e-mail: buphues@wjinc.com, before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

Sports

@RBLandmark

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

17

RBHS senior athletes respond to season’s end ‘We are all in the same position’

By JAMES KAY

Taylor Jurgens since she was 6 years old.

“It’s extremely tough because we all wanted to have that last goodbye and be able to play our last games,” said Jurgens. “Working with [Halic] for a bunch of years makes it even harder to lose this season.”

Sports Editor

*Note: the IHSA held a meeting on April 22 to determine the fate of the 2020 spring sports season.

However, it announced that the likelihood of being able to bring back high school athletics this season would be “difficult” since the logistics around planning a state series are complicated. This article was written before that meeting.

When Gov. Pritzker announced on April 17 that schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, high school athletes across the area where devastated.

With prom and graduation postponed (and likely to be canceled soon), the IHSA’s announcement piled on to the litany of lost endof-the-year festivities for the class of 2020.

For senior athletes looking to close their final chapter at RBHS with a shot at a deep postseason run, this news stings just a little bit more. The Landmark caught up with a few seniors from various teams to see how they have handled the situation. Here’s what they said:

Baseball The Bulldogs’ baseball team was preparing for a season in which they had 10 seniors returning, including three-year varsity starter Michael Schicker. With a deep pitching staff and high-quality top-of-the-order lumber, the team felt like it had a chance to be one of the best teams the program has ever had. However, the team has cleaned out its lockers before it even had a chance to get started.

“I was definitely look forward to this season more than the first three I played at RB because of how good we were supposed to be,” said Schicker. “But also because, for some of us, this was our senior season. We wanted to go out with a bang and have a good time with each other.”

His teammate Daniel Kawiecki felt the same optimism around his team’s chances to be special this year.

Girls water polo

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

LUMBER: Three-year varsity catcher Michael Schicker takes a hack during the 2019 season.

“We had pretty high expectations going into this season,” said Kawiecki. “Our staff was great, we had a lot of returning players and the juniors we had coming up this year improved a lot since last year.

I thought we could go far.”

Schicker and his cousin Owen Murphy, who is also on the varsity team and is committed to play baseball for Notre Dame after he graduates in 2022, have been playing catch and staying in shape in case the season were to resume.

Schicker also set up a net in his garage for hitting drills and has used armbands to build up the strength around his rotator cuff.

While he will continue to do that during quarantine to prepare to play college baseball next year (he is still deciding where he wants to go after decommitting from Purdue University), Schicker and co. are trying to figure out a way to play in the summer.

“When it’s OK to go outside, we are definitely going to try doing something [like a pickup game],” said Schicker. “I think we all just want to play with each other again.”

Girls soccer Along the same lines as the baseball team, RBHS girls soccer has tried to find ways to stay positive during quarantine. One fun thing they did was create a video called, “pass the ball challenge” which had quick cuts of the players at their respective homes juggling before “passing” to another teammate in a different cut.

Even with these efforts, the team was crestfallen after hearing the IHSA’s announcement.

“We are all in the same position,” said Riordan. “We are very upset and were all very excited for this year. We have been keeping in touch a lot and have tried to make

the most out of the situation.”

Before extreme measures taken to stunt the spread of COVID-19, the team tried to set up practices to stay in shape in case the season resumed. However, after one or two of informal practices, they were cut off by stay-at-home protocols.

“Us seniors were really upset about this so, at the beginning, we got together and shot some balls on the field,” said Riordan. “We wanted to stay together but that only lasted a couple practices.

Right now, we wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that but since we could play soccer with our feet, we were privileged to be able to play before things escalated.”

A lot of the team’s players have been playing for RBHS head coach Ivek Halic since before they were in high school which makes the cancelation of the season harder to grasp. He ran his own soccer club (RBFC) and coached senior

RBHS’ girls water polo team was ready to play its first game of the season when Gov. Pritzker announced that schools were going to be shut down. That game was canceled and, weeks later, there are some players who haven’t cleared out their sports lockers.

While accepting that they won’t be able to play out their final year of high school athletics is difficult, the outcome of the IHSA’s announcement wasn’t necessarily shocking for some members of the girls water polo team.

“This definitely wasn’t a surprise, unfortunately,” said RBHS senior captain Claire Kawiecki. “I knew this was going to come. It is very sad that we worked so hard, not only since this past September through the preseason, but these last three years.”

Since pools aren’t readily available in time of quarantine, the team found it difficult to stay in the same shape they were in before the start of the season. However, Kawiecki and some of her teammates had one week before stayat-home protocols were placed to practice at Max Aquatics.

When that option was no longer on the table, the players had to do their own conditioning. For senior goalie Lynna Leimberer, the loss of the season was a letdown due to all of the offseason work she put in. She played club water polo at Lyons Township High School and worked with the goalie coach to ramp up for the 2020 season.

“I conditioned a lot during the offseason because I wanted to be really good for this year,” said Leimberer. “Now, that isn’t going to happen. I felt like I improved with all the work I put in. I am definitely bummed.”

18

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

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The Landmark, April 22, 2020

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19

(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

PUBLIC NOTICES

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 and LeadBased Paint Consulting Service bids at the Administrative Office located at 260 West Madison Street – Oak Park, IL, (60302), until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday May 6th, 2020. 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 or a by emailing jkeane@ op97.org. Cut-off date for picking up or emailing scope of services is 4:00 pm, April 29th, 2020.

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 Landmark, April 22, 2020

RBLANDMARK.COM

The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “ASBESTOS/LBP CONSULTING SERVICES”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Ms. Keane at (708) 524-3125 or jkeane@op97. org Bid Due Date: Wednesday May 6th, 2020 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.

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed proposals via email at development@oak-park.us, until 4:00pm on Monday, May 11, 2020 for the following project: Village of Oak Park 2020 Security & Support Staffing Services for Village Parking Structures and Security Services at Village Hall Detailed specifications for this project may be obtained from the Development Customer Services Department via email at development@oak-park.us, or on the Village’s website www.oak-park.us.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities, or to accept any item of a proposal. The original RFP and any subsequent Addendum will be posted to the Village’s website. It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

Award of a contract shall not be final until a written contract has been approved by the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees and entered into between the Parties.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities, or to accept any item of any proposal.

The Village of Oak Park Development Customer Services Department 123 Madison St., Oak Park, IL, 60302 Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

Sheryl Marinier Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journa 4/22/2020

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Illinois Classified Advertising Network TRAINING/EDUCATION

AIRLINE CAREERS FOR NEW YEAR - BECOME AN AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECH. FAA APPROVED TRAINING. FINANCIAL AID IF QUALIFIED - JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. CALL AIM 800-481-8312

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Call 312-598-1758 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given of a proposed amendment to the Village of Oak Park Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), which addresses participation; access to meetings, information and records; publishing the plan; public hearings, notice and comments; technical assistance; complaints; and amendments, all with regard to federallyfunded programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Changes to the document include the addition of new process information relating to COVID-19 and any other crisis that disrupts the normal, daily business of Village staff and citizens.

The Village of Oak Park is also proposing a substantial amendment to the Program Year 2019 Action Plan to enable the Village to receive and administer $980,107 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additional CDBG funding made available to the Village by HUD through the CARES Act is unknown as this time but will be used for the same purpose of the initial allocation indicated above, which is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and facilitate assistance to eligible persons economically impacted by COVID-19. Eligible CDBG activities include, but are not limited to, assisting low- and moderate-income (LMI) households with rent, mortgage and utility assistance for no more than three months; business assistance to create and retain jobs for employees that are LMI; and assisting LMI persons with Public Services, including persons experiencing homelessness who need emergency shelter and support services.

The proposed CPP amendment and the proposed Action Plan substantial amendment are listed on the Oak Park website under Housing-Grants and are available for public review and comment during business hours MondayFriday, effective April 23-27, 2020.

Any comments can be submitted in writing by 5 p.m., April 27, 2020 to Mark Dwyer, Grants Supervisor, at grants@oak-park.us. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed.

Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

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LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, May 15th, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park Floor Mat Services

Bid forms may only be obtained electronically at this time by submitting an e-mail request to Building Maintenance Contract Coordinator, Fred Gutierrez at fgutierrez@oak-park.us . The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 20, 2020, 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 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car garage.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 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 # 18 CH 12736 I3149364

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this

newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-6699777.

Wednesday Journal Forest Park Review Riverside Brookfield Landmark

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20

The Landmark, April 22, 2020

21 E. BURLINGTON ROAD, RIVERSIDE | MYBURLINGTONREALTY.COM | 708.447.7207

330 Northwood Rd, Riverside $529,000

186 Akenside Rd, Riverside $399,000

2500 Keystone Ave, North Riverside $275,000

3517 Hollywood Ave, Brookfield $365,000

276 Lionel Rd, Riverside $375,000

539 Selborne Rd, Riverside $439,000

256 Shenstone Rd, Riverside $465,000

316 Nuttall, Riverside $539,900

465 Uvedale Rd, Riverside $645,000

172 Maplewood Rd, Riverside $649,900

82 Lawton Rd, Riverside $745,000

321 Delaplaine Rd, Riverside $825,000

181 N Delaplaine Rd, Riverside $949,995

329 Scottswood Rd, Riverside $1,059,000

151 Bloomingbank Rd, Riverside $1,200,000

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. 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.