Landmark_043025 by Wednesday Journal

Loving, really loving, your Frank Lloyd Wright house

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

“People always asked, ‘What is it like to live in a Wright house?’ or ‘What is it like to live in a Prairie [style] house?’ Because, in the vast compendium of books on Frank Lloyd Wright and his works, there are very few people who have written, or even talked, about what it is like to

live in one!”

T hese are the words of Maya Moran Manny, a for mer Riverside resident who lived in Wright’s F. F. Tomek House, 150 Nuttall Rd., from 1974 to 2001.

Now, Manny is the author of “Love

See WRIGHT on page 12

to Smithsonian

Hanke named to Teacher Innovator Institute 2025 Cohort in July

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

David Hanke is already more than empowered to teach his STEAM classes at Riverside’s Hauser Junior High. STEAM, by the way, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

That’s thanks to 12 years working at the Field Museum in Chicago. But he’ll be a changed man come this fall, changed for the betterment of his students, and himself

Hanke was named this spring to the Teacher Innovator Institute 2025 Cohort, one of 30 STEAM teachers throughout the county so honored, and will spend July 6-18 at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. working with mentors to develop lessons and activities he can use in the fall.

Additionally, he will return to the Smithsonian as a mentor in 2026 for STEAM teachers that are selected that year for the program.

See SMITHSONIAN on page 8

Winnie’s Playroom brings a little bit of everything to Brookﬁ

e young children’s play space will cater to older siblings and parents, to

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Calling all families in Brookfield: If you’ve been looking for a space where you can relax or get some work done while your young children play, look no further than Winnie’s Playroom, opening at 9039 Monroe Ave. near Eight Corners in June. Szewai Lee, who will run the business alongside her husband, Chris Watland, told the Landmark their idea came from their own needs as a family.

“Winnie’s Playroom is inspired by our own children, Amelia and Winnie. They 6 and 3 [years old]. As a family of young children, we’re always looking for places to bring them to play while we can sit and watch them, or maybe have a cup of coff and there are not a lot of places like that in the suburbs nearby,” she said Thursday. “We want to create a space that’s not just fun for the kids but also comfortable and fun for the adults, for the parents, and that’s how it all started.”

The business will feature an open concept play space for children ages 0-6 with “imaginative” areas like a play kitchen, grocery store and nursery. It will also feature play structures promoting gross motor skills “so the kids can get the wiggles out,” Lee said. Another area will be padded for babies and kids who crawl, while older kids can play board games.

The business will also feature a cafe where parents can order a coffee and sit and relax or bring their laptop and do some work while watching their kids, she said. A retail area will feature kids’ goodies made by local artists and small businesses.

The space will also be available for rentals on the weekends for birthday parties or other events, while Lee and Watland will host other events like story times or workshops.

“I really want to create sort of a community,” Lee said. “I want people to feel like they buy something special to bring home from the community. It’s not only a play space, but it is like a neighborhood hub, a community where people can go to for what they need. They can go to play with the kids, they can have coffee or a smooth-

ie, or they can shop.”

While Lee and Watland live in Western Springs, Lee said the lack of similar busi-

See WINNIE’S on page 8

PROVIDED BY SZEWA I LEE

Szewai Lee (le ) and her husband Chris Watland pose with their daughters, Winnie and Amelia, inside Winnie’s Play room as it undergoes renova tions.

From cozy mysteries to YA, this Forest Parker solves life’s riddles

Manansala combines food, Filipino culture, with oh-so-many murders

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Mia Manansala has gained critical acclaim and legions of fans for her series of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen cozy mysteries. Combining crime, humor, family and food — with a heavy emphasis on the joy of eating — Manansala’s books focus on amateur sleuth Lila Macapagal’s ef for ts to solve murders occurring in her small town of Shady Palms, Illinois.

Lucky for readers, folks there have been dropping like flies since 2021, when Manansala debuted the series with Arsenic and Adobo.

Like many cozy mysteries, or “Hallmark movies for dead bodies,” as she affectionately refers to them, Manansala’s books revolve around a young woman who left town to pursue her dream — and returned when that dream went awry, only to be confronted with a shocking murder she is hell-bent on solving. But unlike many authors of the cozy genre, Manansala is a woman of color.

Manansala grew up in a large multi-generational Filipino-American family on Chicago’s northwest side. Her home served as a way station for immigrants — relatives, by blood or family connection — settling in the U.S. The kitchen table was the epicenter of family gatherings, with her father serving as cook, and food provided an essential connection to her Filipino heritage. She now lives in Forest Park.

As a child, Manansala was a voracious reader —mysteries were her family’s favorites. She watched Matlock and Perry Mason and Murder She Wrote with her grandparents and was the eager recipient of her mother’s passed-down Mary Higgins Clark mysteries.

“Whatever book was in the house was fair game, not just books for kids ,” Manansala said. “My mom and I buddy-read the

F which combined our two favorite things — mystery and food.”

Manansala decided to try her hand writing mysteries in 2015, after returning home from teaching English in South rea for several years.

“I had my quarter-life crisis — I was almost 30 years old, living at home with parents again and suffering their inter gations every time I left the house,” Manansala said, laughing.

Remembering how much she lo write as a kid, she enrolled in a one-day mystery-writing workshop led by winning crime fiction author Lori Rader-Day The idea for her first book, Death Comes to Comic Con, was sparked during the workshop. And, while Rader-Day, who was president of the Midwest chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, proclaimed her a natural mystery writer, and the finished book received some positive buzz, it was ultimately rejected by publishers.

Manansala believes some of that rejection was due to racial bias and discrimination.

“One publisher said that I had a great voice but no one was going to read me. Another said that the traditional mystery was for older white women and suggested I write young adult books because there was more diversity in that genre,” Manansala said.

Manansala persevered, building a writing community by attending professional meetings and connecting with writers who had established careers and those, like her, who were just starting their writing journeys. During this process, she met Kellye Garrett, multiple award-winning writer of the Detective by Day series, co-founder of Crime Writers of Color and for mer board member for Sisters in Crime. Garrett became an invaluable mentor.

“Because I had this community behind me, I wasn’t deterred by rejections. I met people who didn’t owe me anything but took the time to cheer me on, to read and critique my work and give me advice. Their encouragement kept me going,” Manansala said. She hit it out of the ballpark with her

next book, Arsenic and Adobo, which sprang from an idea she had while riding the Blue Line to work. The book, which was published in 2021, rece ived the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Award and star red reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Perhaps most importantly, it earned her a three-book contract from Berkley/Penguin Random House and became the first of her Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series.

Four more books came in quick succession, Homicide and Halo-Halo, Blackmail and Bibingka, Murder and Mamon, and Guilt and Ginataan in 2024. Each of the books includes a glossary of Filipino words as well as recipes for delicacies mentioned in the novel.

Alas, the series is coming to an end later this year, with the publication of Death and Dinuguan in November. The book revolves around a series of attacks on women-owned businesses — this time the dead body is found inside the Choco-Noir chocolate shop However, fret not, dear readers — Manansala has tried her hand at the Young Adult (YA) genre. Death in the Cards will be released on May 13. The book focuses on a teenage tarot card reader and amateur sleuth and the impact an ominous reading may have had (or not) on a classmate who

disappears shortly after the reading.

“I want to pursue ideas other than cozy mysteries — without deadlines. I will never be like the money doesn’t matter, because I need to pay the bills like anyone else, but I want to write what I want to write,” Manansala said.

Surprisingly, the YA genre is typically darker than cozy mysteries. Think Hunger Games. Titles explore coming-of-age themes such as identity, self-discovery and intense relationships. Manansala said that she enjoyed being able to include some swear words.

“I’m not trying to sound like a teenager because, at 39, I would sound ridiculous. I don’t want to be an old person trying to sound young. Besides, the slang would be outdated by the time the book came out. But it’s important to give the reader the feeling of what it’s like to be a teen, when everything is so heightened and personal and you feel so misunderstood,” she said.

Manansala will be reading from and signing Death in the Cards on Thursday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at The Pile Bookstore, 7117 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. The event is co-sponsored by the Forest Park Public Library, where Manansala once worked in the youth services department. Word on the street is there will be Filipino snacks and tarot card reading.

Hannah Swensen series by Joanne

TODD BANNOR

Author Mia Manansala with some of her books at the Pile Bookstore on April 18.

Metra train kills pedestrian in Brookﬁeld

e crossing at Maple Avenue closed for nearly 5 hours last Wednesday

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a Metra train in Brookfield last We d nesday evening .

In a social media statement around 7:48 p.m., officials said emergency personnel had responded to the incident near the Maple Avenue railroad crossing, the crossing was closed and train traffic had stopped. On X, for merly known as Twitter, the village said at 12:37 a.m. Thursday the crossing had reopened Brookfield Deputy Police Chief Jim Mi-

halik confirmed Thursday that the pedestrian, a man, was struck by a westbound train and killed. He said Brookfield police initially responded to the incident before handing it over to Metra police, as it falls under their jurisdiction.

He said Metra police are still investigating but that there did not appear to be any foul play involved in the death. He said he could not yet release information on the man’s name or where he lived.

Cook County Medical Examiner Case Archive records matching the details of the incident show the man was 75 and that the death was a suicide. The archive did not name the man or say where he lived.

According to WGN, this is the second pedestrian struck and killed by a Metra train this week, after someone was killed in Westmont Tuesday evening.

Local tourism e ort moves ‘beyond’ Oak Park with new name

Visit Oak Park becomes Explore Oak Park and Beyond

Long hemmed in by its nar row name as it worked to expand its geography and become a re gional tourism brand, Visit Oak Park is rebranding itself as “Explore Oak Park and Beyond.”

A change has been long considered as the agency re presents 19 distinct communities in the near western suburbs. In addition to Oak Park, the entity works to build visitors and revenues for Riverside, Brookfield, Forest Park, LaGrange as well as more far-flung villages including Northlake, Schiller Park, Berkeley and

River Grove.

Annie Coakley, executive director of the tourism organization, said in a statement that “this name change is more than just cosmetic – it’s about inclusivity and regional storytelling. Each community offers something distinct and together they create a destination experience that’s greater than the sum of its parts.”

T he goal of growing tourism is supported by funding from both local governments and the state of Illinois. Oak Park supports its Wright- and Hemingway-centric local tourism ef forts, largely through a local tax on hotels and other overnight accommodations.

The agency said its goal is to attract more visitors and to extend their stays.

Dan Haley

Lions host Star Wars dinner, raise funds for vision work

T he Riverside Township Lions Club will hold its annual Chicken Dinner fundraiser from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday May 4 in Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside

T he Lions will celebrate Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be With You) with a special Star Wars themed event. Lions also are encouraging attendees to wear Star Wars costumes and bring light sabers.

Tickets, costing $20 per person, will be available in advance from any Riverside Township Lions Club member or at the door. In additio n to delicious fried chicken, the menu includes cole slaw, mashed potatoes and corn. Coff ee, punch and desser t also are included

Attendees are encouraged to brin g used eyeglasses to support Lions Clubs’ mission to provide re purp osed eyeglasses for those in need. T hese recycled eyeglasses are given to

people in need, with the help of ous medical missionarie s, in C and South America and around the world. When the eyeglasses arri these countries, doctors and techni cians conduct eye exams and pro a free pair of prescription eyeg that are as close as possible to tha person’s sight needs.

T he Riverside Township Li ons Club also donates to organizations that provide services to the blind and deaf, as well as to organizations that assist children and adults who are disabled or have specia needs. Financial support also is provided to a number of local charitie and org anizations.

Lions I nternational has b champion in helping c ombat impairment and blindness 1925.

T he Riverside Township Li ons Club was founded in 1948 and meets monthly.

Spring it on! New food ventures await

Ice cream, subs, chicken, falafel and dandelion wine

Were you planning to go to Egypt? Even if that’s not in your summer travel plans, you can still get a taste of Egyptian street food at North Avenue Falafel, 6814 W. North Ave., Chicag According to owner Youssef Salama and baker Amr Hassan, theirs is the first restaurant to offer these dishes in the Chicago area. Take your pick from a range of savory to sweet.

slick on the outside here’s a notice on the front window of Old , 7230 W. Nor th ood Pa rk . It reads: eat recipe, ne eat family. “When people why we bought it tell them we love so much we didn’t want to risk anybody changing the recipe,” said long-time local and store runner Danielle Michelon.

Small Bites

Bailey Sullivan, scion of Goldyburgers and executive chef at Chicago’s Monteve rd e, is still in the running for To p Chef on season 22 of Br avo’s TV show.

Ta ke home freshly made pasta from Ciro , 1048 Pleasant St., Oak Park . Owner Ciro Parl ato says his new machine, wh ich cuts dough using a bronze die, gives a pleasant roughness to the exterio r. Once cooked that surface gr ab s sauc e, unli ke commercial pasta wh ich is

Ice cream season is upon us. In Oak Pa rk Three Spoons Ice Crea m R idgeland Ave.; Hole in the Wa ll , 901 S. Oak Pa rk Ave.; and C ourag e ous Cone s , 736 La ke St.; ha all resumed soft serving. Pe tersen’s Chicago Ave., is scooping, too.

New take-out restaurant Crown and Chicke n opens its doors at 420 Austin Blvd ., Oak Pa rk , on May 1.

T he next day, May 2, is set for the opening of Brooklyn’s Berwyn Subs Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. “This is a neigh borhood deli, named after my daughter Brooklyn. We ’re trying to bring simple, ood deli sandwiches to the neighborhood,” said co-owner Samantha Munley Wise Cup’s new, expanded seating area is open at 1018 La ke St., Oak Pa rk May 3 will be a gr and opening with specials and live musi c.

A lso on May 3, Café Cubano , 113 N. Oak Pa rk Ave., celebrates its one-year annive r sary in Oak Pa rk with give aw ay s and live musi c. While you are there order a cocktail collaboration with local iquor Catan Pisco. “Catalina, the owner of Catan Pisco stopped by,” said Mayra Fe r nand ez , owner of Café Cubano. “We did a tasting and love d her product. We p ut it on the menu and there is such a demand for it!”

The Meat Counter at 7406 Madison St., Fo rest Pa rk , is open with a gr and opening set for May 8. The retail butcher shop, focusing on Mi dwest far ms and ar tisanal producers will also have a hot food menu.

Nor th Rive rside boba tea and co ff ee purveyors The Wo lf plans to open thei r

Feteer meshaltet at North Avenue Falafel

new Oak Park location, 132 N. Oak Pa rk Ave., by the middle of May.

T he Oak Pa rk Fa r mers Ma rket debuts its 50th season on May 17. Produce, meat, pastries, honey, eg gs, donuts, oh my! All in the Pilg rim Church pa rk in g lot, 460 La ke St .

T he recent opening of Dandelio n B ookshop got me thinking about the b ook Dandelion Wi ne by famed scienc e fiction writer Ray Bradbury. The 12-yearold main character is based on Bradbury’s own childhood in Waukeg an. An d that got me wondering whether anyone has actually made dandelion wine? If so, drop me a line. Or if you’ve made wine before and would li ke to collaborate on making a batch with those love /hate yellow pom-poms of spring, I’m g ame

Got news, questions or ideas for this column? Email them to us at Eats@oakparkeats.com.

RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR

Ciro Parlato showcases his fresh pasta

RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR

Catan Pisco sour at Café Cubano

RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR

SMITHSONIAN

Heading to D.C.

from page 1

“I only have the kids for one trimester,” Hanke said. “I do n’ t have the luxury to have the whole school year with the kids and I think the things I can do and lear n from this pr ogr am, I want them to have more hands-on building experienc e, bec ause it ’s so different than being b ehind the Chrome Book.”

Hanke, whose under gr aduate de gree is in biolo gy and the fine arts, spent almost 12 years at the Field Museum in Chicag o, wo rk ing in the re plication shop buildin g c ases and props to supplement the actual historical ar tifact s. After some soulsearching career-wis e, he went back to Benedictine Unive rsity in Lisle and go t his teaching ce rt ification and taught at De La S alle and Waubonsie Valley high schools before landing at Hauser.

One day, he was scrolling through social media and happened upon an advertisement for the Teacher Innovator Institute, and decided to apply, which was a task in itself. He had to create a video that talked about his teaching philosop hy and the classes he teaches, along with clips from students talking about how valuable their experience was with him.

Truth be told, he didn’t think he was going to be selected

But he was, much to his d elight and that of Dr. Martha Ryan- Toye, District 96 superintendent.

And much to the b enefit of Hauser stu-

d ents this fall.

“Our STEAM pr ogr am is unique in that (it) is ve ry student-driven, student ownership of their own learning,” she said. “David has a lot of responsibilit y for his own curriculum and strat eg ie s and big ideas, so it ’s really important fo r him to go out to the C ohort and c onnec t with other STEAM teacher s. ”

Hanke, who visited the Smithsonian National A ir and Space Museum with Hauser ’s eighth gr aders last year, sai d his teaching philosop hy is “really b ased on the engineering design process

“What I want kids to g et out of my class is failure is okay and often encouraged,” said Hanke, whose daughter, Amber, is a para-professional at Hauser. “I want them to be invested in the progr am. I’m here to guide and facilitate the progr am.

“I see myself as a guide more than a teacher.”

In a way, his ambition is a guide for other teachers, and not only in District 96. Why should they consider putting themselves out there for progr ams like the Teacher Innovator Institute 2025 Cohor t?

“I love to learn new things all the time, and for teachers to be eng aged with young p eople, they have to look fo r things that are new, c utting edge,” he said. “I want to be able to press myself i nto challenges. I think the kids appreciate that.”

So does Ryan- Toye

“It’s a big honor,” she said. “It’s national, it ’s through the Smithsonian, it ’s something he really went after and I j ust appreciate that.

“It was i nnovative of him to go out and professionally learn and grow.”

A place to play

from page 3

nesses in the area drew them to Brookfield, as did the people.

“I’ve met so many great business owners in the downtown area, on Prairie Street. They’re so supportive. It’s just amazing, because you don’t see that a lot,” she said. “It’s rare when people are supportive of the small businesses, but also, the business owners are supportive of each other, which is really cool.”

Lee said they were originally looking to open another location of her other business, Duet Dance Studio in Chicago, when they found the 2,400-square-foot vacant space. Watland is also an entrepreneur, she said.

T he couple now owns the entire building, which is also home to teen mental health clinic T he Loft at Eight Corners and architecture firm 3si, Inc. While she said she’d never been a landlord before, Lee said she was proud to be the other businesses’ neighbor.

“It has so, so much potential,” she said of the space. “We were like, how cool if we could renovate it, make it really cool, but keep the charm, because we love old buildings.”

Since purchasing the space last year, the couple has knocked down three internal walls to create the open-concept area. Lee said they’ve brought in “new HVAC, plumbing and electrical” and redid the windows and doors to bring more natural light into the space.

“Luckily, my husband’s very handy, so there are things that, if he can do it himself, he’ll do it himself,” she said. “This year, we feel like, ‘OK, we finally are in the tunnel and starting to see the light.’”

Lee said the name for the business came from her younger daughter, Winnie.

“Naturally, I thought it would be cool to incorporate one of their names for the business because they are the inspiration.

I talked to my older kid, Amelia, first. I was like, ‘So, Amelia, would you like to be named with this business? Can we call it Amelia’s Playroom or Mimi’s Playroom?’

That’s her nickname, which I think is really cute,” she said. “She said, ‘No, I don’t want a playroom. I want to be selling shaved ice.’ … She was like, ‘I need a logo. I need to sell shaved ice,’ so we might need another permit for a shaved ice stand.” Lee added Amelia was completely OK with them naming the business after Winnie. She said they may incorporate their older daughter’s love of shaved ice, which developed over a family trip to Hawaii, into the cafe’s menu over the summer.

WINNIE’S

PROVIDED

David Hanke teaches the STEAM program at Hauser Junior High.

is aerial shot shows the size of the crowd at a sold-out concert last year.

Brookﬁeld Zoo drops second annual summer concert lineup

Tonic, +LIVE+, ird Eye Blind, and Better an Ezra are set to perform

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

After debuting its Roaring Nights summer concert series last year, Brookfield Zoo Chicago is going even bigger this year.

The zoo announced Wednesday that ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s rock bands Better Than Ezra, Tonic, Third Eye Blind and +LIVE+ will headline this year’s concerts, spaced out from June through August.

+LIVE+ will kick of f the series June 21 while Third Eye Blind will take the stage July 18, both at 7:30 p.m. On August 16, an extended show will feature Tonic at 6 p.m. and Better Than Ezra at 8 p.m. to cap of f the summer shows.

Attendees can also meet the zoo’s “animal ambassadors” and ride its Ferris Wheel, back this year after debuting last year for the zoo’s 90th anniversary.

Tickets went on sale Thursday, April 24

at 10 a.m. on the zoo’s website. General admission tickets start at $70 each, wh passes for all three shows will be available for $175. Tickets for children aged 11 and under will be available for $15 with the pu chase of an adult ticket.

Last year, with tickets starting at $45 and children coming free, The Fray, Barenaked Ladies and Gin Blossoms were the headliners. The zoo said in the announcement that last year’s shows all sold out and reached nearly 13,000 attendees alto gether.

According to the announcement, the c oncerts are f unded in pa rt by a Preser Route 66 gr ant and through sponsorshi by supermarket chain Meije r. Ogden Av enue carried U. S. Route 66 from 1926 to 1976, a ccording to the Route 66 A ssocia tion of Illinoi s.

“Roaring Nights is a c oncert experience unli ke any other in the city,” sai Andrea Ro dger s, the zoo’s senior vic president of g uest experience and op erations, in a w ritten statement. “Thi year ’s lineup is packed with talent, and we ’re excited to welcome guests back for another unforgettable season of summer evenings at the zoo.”

BROOKFIELD ZO O CHIC

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Riverside Forester Michael Collins tamps dir t around the bald cypress he planted on Friday, April 25, while A. F. Ames Elementary students help shovel dir t.

870031stStreet•Brookfield,IL60513

THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!

& HERB PLANT SALE!

The available supply of this delicious seasonal commodity is usually sold out within days of its arrival. Be sure you get your fair share of this year’s crop! For more information, contact the Onion Sale Committee at 708-447-9628

May 2nd (9:30am to 5:30pm) Saturday, May 3rd (9:30am to 5:30pm) Sunday, May 4th (9:30am to 3pm)

Riverside and Brookﬁeld mark Arbor Day with tree plantings

‘

is is for the future,’ an o cial told Ames Elementary students Friday

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

You know spring has sprung by the time municipalities celebrate Arbor Day, the national holiday dedicated to planting trees. Riverside and Brookfield each did their part Friday, April 25, with village foresters planting a tree in recognition of the day after each village’s president read an Arbor Day proclamation at a village board meeting this month.

In Riverside, fourth and fifth graders at A. F. Ames Elementary School spent about half an hour outdoors that sunny morning discussing and learning about trees at the triangle park between Repton and South-

cote roads just east of the school.

The event at 9:20 a.m. was led by Riverside Village Forester Michael Collins as well as David Kusnierz, a certified arborist with SavATree, a nationwide tree care business, and Tom Guardi, a member of the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside, which donated the tree.

Assisted by Ames students, Collins planted a bald cypress tree. The men estimated it would take three or four decades for the tree to reach the height of the other trees in the park.

“This is for the future,” Kusnierz said. He told the students the planting of the tree wouldn’t benefit them but would benefit their children down the line.

Collins, Kusnierz and Guardi led the students in singing “Know Your Oaks,” a song about oak trees, to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” The song, encouraging students to “know, know, know [their] oaks” and “watch them as they grow,”

TRENT BROWN

From le : Brook eld Forester Victor Janusz, fellow forestr y employee Vincent Fraga and resident Elaine Jans shovel dirt onto a galaxy magnolia in the rain at Candy Cane Park on Friday, April 25, while other village employees watch.

continued from page 10

named “red oaks, white oaks, bur oaks, pin oaks” and the “acorns down below.” Collins said the song originated with the Morton Arboretum.

Kusnierz handed out three varieties of oak saplings to the students and their teachers. Fifth-grade teacher Ryan Bookler, whom the village reco gnized “for his ongoing effor ts to engage his students in meaningful educational activities” on April 3 as part of its Arbor Day proclamation, reached out to Collins to organize the event.

“I think it’s important that the kids connect with the village gover nment and good role models such as Michael Collins and David [Kusnierz] that are doing things that are excellent for the community,” he told the Landmark. “On Arbor Day, we want to tie to the curriculum that they’ve had, not only in fifth grade but all the grades, where they can appreciate nature, appreciate trees and understand a little bit about why trees are important. This is just another reminder, and it shows them that those trees that are up there, it’s a long process for them to get where they are.”

Bookler said he’s been partnering with Collins on Arbor Day tree plantings for his students for the last 12 years, since he started working at Ames

“We’ve gone to the arboretum after school, across from the library. We’ve done those tree tags, where the kids had to research the benefits of having trees and how [they] can have money and improve our environment,” he said. “I’ve partnered

Cantata/The British Home Celebrates its 100th Anniversary!

Cantata/The British Home Celebrates its 100th Anniversary! Cantata/The British Home Celebrates its 100th Anniversary!

Cantata/The British Home Celebrates its 100th Anniversary!

This year marks the 100th year of Cantata Adult Life Services (formerly, The British Home) providing campus living and at home services for local seniors and their families in Brookfield and the surrounding area. Cantata’s founders were the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE), a group of women dedicated to honoring their British heritage and traditions in the United States.

a lot with my town. I’m involved with the local government, and I think it’s important to involve the school. Talking with my colleagues, when we’re able to bring it to the school, they are also on board with it. It’s a good experience for the kids, and they like it as well. The kids having that tree from David, they can extend what they’ve learned, take it home, and share that knowledge with their parents so it can be a family event.”

In Brookfield, Village Forester Victor Janusz led a planting of a pink-leafed galaxy magnolia tree at Candy Cane Park at 1 p.m. While heavy rain washed out the sun from the morning, Janusz was still full steam ahead. Resident Elaine Jans and Vincent Fraga, a member of Brookfield’s forestry division, helped Janusz plant the tree.

Resident Javier Rayes, who told the Landmark he moved to Brookfield for the forestry, watched the planting from under a canopy with his dog, Olive, who wore her own parka.

In the early 1920’s, DBE members established a not-for-profit nursing home on Cantata’s current campus in Brookfield, after receiving a donation of land from Samuel Insull, the CEO of Commonwealth Edison at the time. They welcomed their first residents in 1925, and named their endeavor “The British Old People’s Home”. This name was subsequently changed to “The British Home for Retired Men and Women” in the 1950’s, and then to the more contemporary “Cantata Adult Life Services” in 2012. In the early 1970’s, The British Home broadened its mission to serve people of all nationalities and ethnicities.

JoinCantataforourCentennial Celebration!Enjoyexclusive, limited-timeoffersandtakepart inanexcitingevents—youwon’t wanttomissit!

Since its establishment 100 years ago, Cantata/The British Home has served tens of thousands of seniors and their families in the Chicago area, largely in the western suburbs of Chicago. In 2025, Cantata/The British Home will host and sponsor many activities and events throughout the year to commemorate and celebrate its century of exceptional service to seniors, their families, and our local community.

Janusz, as the foreman of forestry, said he tries to spread out the plantings over time between the different areas of Brookfield. He chooses the tree’s spot each year for Arbor Day based on where they could use some shade from the sun in the future and where Brookfield could stand to have a larger diversity of trees. Janusz said there were no other magnolia trees in Candy Cane Park, and the park may have lost some trees when it was redone in recent years, so he felt it was a prime candidate this year.

“I’m looking around for areas that need colors,” he said.

(708)387-1030 info@cantata.org

Senior Living: The Sooner, The Better YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone

Moving to a senior living community may not be your first choice, but delaying the decision has drawbacks. Your well-being is at stake—senior communities provide essential services that enhance physical, emotional, and social health. Waiting too long could mean missing out on support that improves your quality of life.

Additionally, postponing the move can make the transition more difficult. Moving is a big step, and delaying it may lead to unexpected challenges. By making the move earlier, you can adjust at your own pace and fully enjoy the community’s amenities.

Social connections are vital at any age, and senior living offers a built-in network of friendships. Procrastination could mean missing out on meaningful relationships that bring joy and companionship.

Ultimately, moving sooner allows you to embrace a more comfortable, engaging, and fulfilling lifestyle—why wait to enjoy all that senior living has to offer?

Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030.

WRIGHT

Book of memories

from page 1

Letters to a Frank Lloyd Wright House,” a book assembled from her memories of and dia ries from the quarter century she lived in the house with her first and then second husband and her four sons.

T he book, which is available for purchase online at Lulu.com for $24.95, was written and edited over the span of a decade with the help of her son Michael Moran as Manny recalled life in the home and the never-ending restoration work her family did to maintain it .

“Twenty-seven years, and it was continuous, because one thing led to another,” she said of the restorations. “If you redid the stairs, you had to do the stucco, or if you had to do the stucco, you had to do the pillars and remove them. It was just a continuous thing. It did not end.”

T he book is printed on-demand and priced at-cost plus shipping, as Manny “is just eager to share her experiences,” Moran said. A copy of the book, which

features photos by Manny and her son Tom Moran alongside Manny’s paintings, is also available at the Riverside Public Library, they said.

Throughout the book, readers may notice the word “love” is printed in the same scarlet as the design on the front cover. T he author said the project is a lesson on the different kinds of love — romantic love, f amilial love, and even the love one has for their home.

“I wanted to teach people to wait a bit [before] you g et married, and I described how I had to g et married if I wanted to stay in the [United] States because of the immigration laws, and I thought, later, ‘I don’ t really know this man,’” said Manny, who was born in the Netherlands as a Belgian national due to her father’s heritag e.

“I was talking about lo ve, also, and all it s facets. … I felt I loved this house, and I loved it because I could make things for it, and I did things for it, like the sculpture I made of Frank [Lloyd Wright].”

Moran said he f elt e diting and layin g out the b ook brought him closer to hi s mother

“It’s been a fun project, working with my mom on this project, back and for th. We have a new layer to our relationship,

kind of a professional layer,” he said. “It’s also been a pleasure to read my mom’s recollections of the whole [of] our time there. If you g et the time to read the whole thing, there’s some really good writing; really eloquent passages that capture, though the beauty of the writing, the beauty of the experience of living in the house.”

Manny said the f amily who bought the house from her and her second husband still lives there, and the parents raised their sons there just as she did.

“When they saw the house, they fell in love with it, too,” she said.

She said she and her husband decided to move away as they approached old ag e and felt they couldn’ t continue the restorative work needed for the home in addition to its being too large for them.

“Eve ry time I walk down my hall, I see my morning glory painting, which is in the book, and then I remember very well how nice it was to sit on that little balcony,” Manny said. “The light coming in from the … ceiling in the little balcony is such a pleasure to see in the dining room. You see, there is light everywhere [in the home]. It lifts you up, and if you sit in the dark, you don’ t feel so good.”

Riverside police arrest sleeping drunk driver with shredded tire

Riverside police arrested a woman April 20 for driving drunk.

Around 2:30 a.m., a Brookfield police officer reported to Riverside police that he was behind a car with a shredded frontright tire and a driver who appeared to be sleeping at the intersection of Forest and First avenues. A Riverside officer arrived and observed the driver, a woman, appeared awake but disoriented with the car in drive. Police asked the woman to open the car door and put the vehicle into park before turning it of f.

According to police, there was “an overwhelming odor” of alcohol inside the car. The Brookfield officer asked the woman to step out of her car, at which time she turned the car back on. When police did get the woman to step to the back of her car, they saw she had urinated on herself.

The Riverside officer asked the woman to take field sobriety testing. While the officer administered a test of the woman’s eye movements, the woman did not follow the stimulus and “was visibly swaying to and fro,” police said, while the officer could smell alcohol on her breath. When the officer asked the woman to take the walk-and-turn test, placing one foot after another heel-to-toe, the woman nearly fell over while trying to get into position. The officer determined the woman was too intoxicated to complete the tests and arrested her for driving drunk based on the other indicators.

Police transported the woman to central lockup in Berwyn, where they charged her for driving under the influence, use of an

unsafe tire and improperly parking on the roadway. While in route, the woman repeatedly said she was “so drunk” and that she needed to use the bathroom; when they arrived, an officer noticed a puddle of urine on the floor of the squad car. The woman slur red her words when asked identifying questions. When taking a chemical breath test, the woman made six attempts but did not blow correctly to give a sample; police said she was “sucking in like she was drinking out of a straw” rather than blowing out into the breathalyzer.

After processing the woman on her charges, police returned her items to her and advised her to call someone to pick her up The woman struggled to order an Uber and repeatedly tried to launch a FaceTime video call to her son despite the police telling her to make a voice call. The woman eventually called her son, who ordered her a ride share home. Police released the woman on pretrial conditions with a June 6 court date.

These items were obtained from the Ri verside Police Department reports dated April 20 and the Brookfield Police Department reports dated April 21-28 they represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Trent Brown

You de ned our name as ‘bad’

THE L ANDMARK VIEW

Trees are the future

On Arbor Day in Brookfield, Javier Rayes told a Landmark re por ter that he had moved to the village because of its trees. He made that statement as he stood under a canopy on a rainy Friday with his dog, Olive. They were watching as Village Forester Victor Janusz, a colleague Vincent Frag a and resident Elaine Jans were busy planting a pink-leafed g alaxy magnoli a in Candy Cane Pa rk

Janusz said he chose the tree and the location as he does each Arbor Day by considering spots in town that need more shade and more color. T he park has no other magnolias and, he said, the pa rk lost a few trees in recent years as areas of the park were up graded

This is the thoughtful way that an urban forest is built and nur tured over decades.

Over in Riverside, Arbor Day was celebrated at Ames Elementary School. It is there that Ryan Bookler, a fifth-grade teacher, worked ag ain with Village Forester Michael Collins to plant a tree near the school. This year, it was a bald cypress tree, and it was planted in the triangle park at Re pton and Southcote roads.

Collins, David Kusnierz from SavATree and Tom Guardi of the Frederick Law Olmsted Society also sang with Ames schoolkids. It was a song, “Know Your Oaks,” which you may never have heard before, though you would have reco gnized the melody, which was hauntingly similar to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

T hese are simple and worthy ef for ts to reco gnize the role of trees in these two lovely towns. And credit to Bookler for his work over 12 years at Ames to involve his students in understanding the power and beauty of nature.

Full STEAM ahead

Credit also to David Hanke, an instructor at Hauser Junior High in Riverside. He is a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) teacher there. This means he has every Hauser student for just one trimester. It means he has a short time to expose these kids to the wonders of this broad-based approach to science.

He says he will be better at accomplishing that goal by fall after he has spent two weeks this July at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. as part of a nationwide cohort of 30 STEAM teachers.

Hanke, says District 96 Supt. Martha Ryan-Toye, found this program entirely on his own and went through a rigorous application process to be included Because, she said, Hanke creates much of the curriculum himself, “It’s really important for him to connect with other STEAM teachers.”

My name is John J. Gross, and I am proud of my American heritage and my family. You don’t represent America well, putting a founder down because of his name. What a shame, children attending a school with a name “Gross” [S.E. Gross Middle School, Brookfield]. I can only hope and pray that the people involved with changing the name experience the same kind of disgrace. Good thing I never did anything historical for my country because you would change my name to make you feel better. You keep feeding the

abuse of someone that earned reco gnition in their life because you don’t feel it’s fair to go to a school with that name. America is for the few to get anywhere, when the masses allow. I hope you all suffer injustice in your life of achievements.

John Joseph Gross An American

Editor’s note: Brookfield was founded by Samuel E. Gross and the town was originally called Grossdale. (https:// www.rblandmark.com/2008/02/19/grossno-more/)

Ken Trainor, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark

141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com

Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

Hall of Fame honor worth the wait for Zubor

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Former Riverside resident starred at Gordon Tech, Wisconsin

Because of misdirected mail, Mark Zubor waited extra weeks to find out he had been inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) Hall of Fame. Considering it’s been nearly 60 years since Zubor last played competitively, the for mer longtime Riverside resident was ecstatic to finally receive the much-deserved honor.

“Absolutely. It’s almost more surprising the older you are, something like this happening,” Zubor said. “[You think], ‘Oh my God, there are people who remember.’ It’s very nice. That’s all I can say.”

Zubor and wife Cheryl initially lived in Evanston and then moved to Riverside, where they stayed for roughly 25 years while raising four children. Laura graduated from St. Ignatius, Kevin from Riverside Brookfield, and Brian and Scott from Fenwick

He was a mainstay in area recreational basketball leagues into his 50s with the likes of John Egan and longtime Riverside Brookfield boys varsity coach Tom McCloskey, another IBCA inductee who retired in 2017. Egan attended St Rita and was a starter on Loyola University’s 1963 NCAA national championship team.

Zubor will be among the oldest in the Class of 2025 Saturday in Normal. He had a remarkable, record-setting career at the for mer Gordon Tech High School (now DePaul College Prep since 2014) followed by three varsity seasons for the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1966 with a degree in business administration.

Now living in Florida, Zubor said he returns annually to the Chicago area during the summer to visit family. He’s not sure who he will see at the ceremony. Zubor jokes about how, with age, autographs and photos from his playing days continue appreciating in value on eBay.

“Probably not many of my contemporaries are still around,” he said. “I tell the story that when you’re 16, 30 is old. When you’re 30, 65 is old but when you’re 80 years old like I am, everybody says you’re old.”

Zubor’s last playing days were in a 40-years-and-over recreational league.

“After a while, that was it. Other people out there were getting too young,” he said. “If I could just stand some place and shoot, fine, but they expect you to run up and down the court and play defense. My knees started to hurt.”

At Gordon Tech, Zubor was quite the shooter and scorer. The 1962 graduate was all-state as a senior, a two-time Catholic League Player of the Year and the Rams’ all-time career leader all the way until he was passed by 1991 graduate Tom Kleinschmidt, who is now the coach at DePaul College Prep, which has won three straight IHSA state titles

He attended the game where Kleinschmidt became Gordon Tech’s all-time career leading scorer. Zubor simply came to watch Brian play for Fenwick.

“I didn’t even know anything about [the scoring record] until I read about day,” he said. “I was shocked that I still had

the record for points and that I was at the gym and saw it and didn’t realize it. Now all of the Gordon Tech records are locked forever.”

Zubor was raised in Cicero and recalls playing basketball on an auditorium stage with netting “so we didn’t fall off.” He would have attended Morton but was noticed by Gordon Tech coach Bob Luksta, who arranged a meeting with Zubor and his parents

“Any success I had in basketball, he had a huge part of it,” he said.

In Zubor’s senior year, Gordon Tech finished 27-5. The Rams lost the Chicago city championship title to Carver (led by future NBA standout Cazzie Russell) but beat Loyola Academy for the Catholic League championship after losing to the Ramblers twice during the season.

At that time, Catholic schools were not allowed to play in the IHSA state tournament. However, Gordon Tech did earn a trip to the national Catholic championships in Washington D.C. and finished third. One of their opponents was an all-black team from Louisiana.

“I believe we were the first all-white team they ever played. That’s what we were told,” he said. “That was a heck of an experience because I had never really been away from home.”

Zubor earned 1962 all-state honors and traveled to Champaign for the banquet. The University of Illinois player who hosted him was future Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo

From August 1962, there’s an online photo of Zubor and three other Chicago-area athletes at the Wisconsin Alumni Club of Chi-

right-handed Zubor takes a half-hook shot left-handed.

“[Luksta] wanted to show off that you could shoot with either hand so they wouldn’t overplay you,” Zubor said. “Somebody showed me that photo. I looked at it and said, ‘That’s me.’ I knew the guys in the caption, but I had no idea where that was.”

In the 1960s, freshmen were not allowed to play varsity college basketball. In his three varsity seasons at Wisconsin, the 6-foot-6 Zubor averaged 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in 70 games and was a team captain senior year. He graduated as the program’s No. 9 career scorer. His single-game 26 rebounds in the 115-71 victory over Gonzaga, Dec. 17, 1963, still ranks No. 3 all-time

“The ball bounces the right way and good things happen or there were a lot of missed shots by them or us. You don’t rebound made shots,” he said.

Zubor recalled one tournament as a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, then coached by the legendary Adolph Rupp. The Badgers lost 90-87 to Princeton with future NBA Hall of Famer and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley

“I always joke that I guarded Bill Bradley to 26 points,” Zubor said. “He actually scored 52 points, but we were double-teaming him, me and Bobbie Johnson. I only take credit for 26.”

The Zubors moved to Carmel, Ind. to be near Laura and planned to eventually continue to Florida. He moved shortly after Cheryl died in 2016. In Florida, Zubor recently moved within his complex and the congratulatory letter from the IBCA was delivered to ddress. The new residents were wn and the letter sat unopened.

MARK ZUBOR

Nazareth grad West drafted by San Francisco 49ers

Roadrunners retire No. 10 baseball jersey of 2000 graduate Spidale

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Nazareth Academy head football coach

Tim Racki gladly attended another special NFL draft party this past weekend. Chaddrian “CJ” West, a 2020 Nazareth graduate, was selected in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers with the 113th overall pick Saturday. The 49ers were 6-11 in 2024 after losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII the previous season.

West, a 6-foot-1, 316-pound defensive tackle, is coming of f an outstanding season for Indiana University.

West continues the Nazareth tradition of NFL selections. In 2024, quarterback JJ McCarthy was the No. 10 first-round selection by the Minnesota Vikings. In 2019, Julian Love, a 2016 graduate, was selected in the fourth round by the New York Giants and currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks.

going to be coming.”

This year, Racki attended the draft party in Lemont at the home of a friend of West.

The party continued Friday and Saturday because there was speculation West might go as early as the third round

“He’s a great kid, very kind. Teammates loved him. Very grounded because of his mother,” Racki said.

“You see him on the football field and he’s this imposing physical monster with a high motor, but once he takes that helmet off, he’s a kind person, the best smile you’ve ever seen.”

As a senior transfer for Indiana, West tied his career-best with 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He’s the highest-drafted Indiana defensive player since 2008.

pionship team. West was a three-year starter who was all-conference as a senior and honorable mention as a junior.

“He always had the mindset. What really helped was when he got to Kent State, the colleges have much more specialized nutrition, speed training and weight training. He embraced that tenfold,” Racki said.

“The first time he came back [and visited], he was chiseled, an adonis, and kept putting in the time. He put in the physical traits because he always had the mental attributes.”

Nazareth baseball

Mike Spidale, a 2000 Nazareth graduate, became the program’s first baseball player to have his uniform number (No. 10) retired during ceremonies, April 8.

for Penn State Schuylkill Baseball (ECAC).

“I was a firstyear head coach in 2000 when Michael was a senior. Besides the obvious baseball talent that Michael showed on a daily basis, his work ethic was elite for a high school student-athlete,” said current Nazareth coach Lee Milano in a statement.

“Oh yeah, it’s special. They’re not only obviously great football players but great people,” said Racki of the trio.

“[West] knew from his agent [about being drafted]. I knew from the year he had and from the [NFL] combine he had that it was

West played at Kent State (Ohio) his first three colle ge seasons and started 35 games. For his colle ge career, he had 150 tackles (68 solos) with 27 for loss and nine sacks plus two forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.

The Hoosiers (11-2, 8-1 in Big Ten) made their first Colle ge Football Playoff, losing their first-round game at Notre Dame 27-17.

West and McCarthy were teammates on the Roadrunners’ 2018 Class 7A state cham-

The 2000 All-Midwest and All-State Spidale was drafted in the 12th round by the Chicago White Sox in 2000. He played 13 seasons with the White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies’ Class AAA and AA affiliates.

For Nazareth, Spidale had career totals of 497 batting average (.548 senior year), 19 home runs, 13 triples, 19 home runs and 47 steals in 48 attempts.

Now living in Reading, Pennsylvania, Spidale is owner/coach of the Berks County Bulls baseball program and a hitting coach

“Michael strived for perfection. He carried that same work ethic into professional baseball where he was known as a grinder and blue-collar player. We have had many talented individuals in the program over the last 30 years, none more accomplished during their high school and pro careers than Michael. He is very deserving of this honor and a great representative to be the first individual to have his number retired in the program.”

Spidale was inducted into the Nazareth Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. He joins boys basketball’s Sean Pearson (No. 21) and football’s Julian Love (No. 20) in having their numbers retired by the school.

Energy, fun a winning combo for RB girls lacrosse seniors

New coach Husemann hopes enthusiasm sets tone for promising future

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Senior Samantha Gibbs currently can count the Riverside Brookfield High School girls lacrosse team victories over four varsity seasons on one hand. What she and a huge senior class continues to receive from each other, however, is priceless.

“We’ve always had fun playing lacrosse.

It’s never been about the winning for us,” Gibbs said. “We’ve always had fun during practice and that carries on to the games. It makes it better and makes us want to join, keep going.”

The Bulldogs honored 11 seniors and had their closest game so far this season in losing to Resur rection 5-3, April 22, on Senior Night.

Seniors Nia Banks, Ele Caballero, Kaitlyn

Cline, Olivia Denson, Gibbs, Ava Gomez, Salma Gonzalez, Senia Johnson, Aaliyah Ross, Lucy Storandt and Zoe Tran make up more than one-third of the varsity roster under first-year coach Elise Husemann, a 2020 Lyons Township graduate who played lacrosse and tennis in high school.

Caballero, Denson, Johnson and Storandt join Gibbs as four-year program members. She and Cline are tri-captains with ju-

nior Maggie Porter, a varsity standout since she was a freshman. Cline joined as a sophomore.

“We play with our friends. We make friends with the girls we weren’ t with before We’re always having fun out there. It doesn’t matter what the score is,” Cline said after the game.

Continued on next pa ge

MIKE SPIDALE

CHADDRIAN “C J” WEST

Longtime coach Heidkamp nets state title, Hall of Fame

Former Nazareth head coach guides Benet Academy to rst state title

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

An already incredible coaching resume for Gene Heidkamp reached a high point this boys basketball season. Heidkamp not only was the head coach for the storied Benet Academy program’s first state championship, March 15, but earlier this season he found out he would be inducted into the Illinois Boys Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame Saturday in Normal.

Heidkamp has been Benet’s head coach since 2008-09 and just completed his 20th season as a head coach and 32nd in high school boys basketball. Heidkamp’s first head coaching opportunity was at Nazareth Academy for three seasons (2002-05).

“I do consider [IBCA Hall of Fame] to be quite an honor. I’m very appreciative of all of the players that I’ve coached and obviously the assistant coaches I’ve worked with,” Heidkamp said. “When you receive an honor like this it’s really an honor that reco gnizes everybody involved with the program. You would not be in this point without so many great players and assis-

“Of course I want to win, but I don’t think that’s the basis of whether we have a good season. I don’t think there’s much value in obsessing over a scoreboard or record. I think it’s a lot more important to just have a good time playing with the other girls on the field and really enjoying my last year.”

RBHS (0-9) didn’t look like a team that was trailing the Bandits 5-0 entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs controlled play and got goals from Porter with 9:37 left, moments after freshman Cora Rosenfeld’s 8-meter free shot was thwarted, and Storandt with 4:19 remaining when she used her stick to deflect the ball from the goalie’s clear-out into the net.

“Something that’s really, really special about this team is no matter what the score is, they do not stop fighting the entire game,” Husemann said. “It is truly high energy and so joyful. They all want to be on that field and really enjoy the time they are. I’ve had fans and officials and other coaches comment on that as well, re gardless of what is happening on the field.”

tant coaches that I’ve been so lucky to work with.”

Nazareth was the start for Heidkamp as a head coach after nine seasons on various levels at St. Patrick, his alma mater.

The Roadrunners were a combined 24-56 (11-17 his final season) as they transitioned into the tougher East Suburban Catholic Conference.

“I worked with great kids [at Nazareth]. That experience was a tremendous one for me. It helped me develop as a coach,” he said.

“We didn’t always have the biggest or the most athletic kids, but we had the kids who were committed and worked hard. We played a tremendous schedule. That experience shaped me for what I was fortunate enough to be a part of in the future. [Those players] set the table for me to have success in the future.”

At Benet, Heidkamp’s record of 421-108 has included 10 seasons of at least 25 victories and two with at least 30 – this year’s 33-5 Class 4A champions and the program-

Of f the field, the seniors weren’ t disappointed either. Underclassmen decorated lockers and provided gift baskets and sashes for the ceremonies. For Gibbs and Cline, it’s one of their favorite lacrosse memories. This also is the largest senior class in Gibbs’ four seasons.

“Every year we’ve decorated, lined up posters, so I was really excited to see what they did this year. They did good,” Gibbs said.

“Every Senior Night, just getting to celebrate the seniors is special,” Cline said.

“Moving forward with the program, I think they’re setting a good precedent,” Husemann added.

Porter and third-year varsity junior Tali Schultz are the Bulldogs’ leading scorers along with freshman Mia Wichmanowski. Husemann said Porter showed leadership even during pre-season workouts. She also is impressed by the selflessness of defenders Banks and freshman Cece Mooney, who have ste pped in cold at goalie with the veteran Johnson injured. They split time against Resur rection.

best record 35-2 team that lost in the 2023 state final to Moline 59-42.

Last month’s 55-54 state title victory truly was a crowning moment.

“For our program, I think it was a milestone. It kind of captured 50 years of Benet basketball,” he said.

The Redwings had lost two other times in the 4A state championship in 2016 and 2014 with Heidkamp coaching. Even with two great preceding longtime coaches Marty Gaughan and Bill Geist, the Redwings’ only other state trophy has been third in Class AA in 1979. The 1982 and 1983 teams lost in the AA downstate quarterfinals. Geist coached all three teams. Past players, many from the 1970s, were among those at the school’s official celebration. Benet still holds a remarkable 102-match winning streak on its home cour t from Nov. 26, 1975 to Jan. 24, 1987.

“I don’ t know if that record will ever be broken or touched, at least in my life-

“[Porter is] a big leader. She’s very vocal. She’s not scared to step in and take that role,” Husemann said. “[Schultz is] fast as lightning, comes out of nowhere. Both [Schultz and Wichmanowski], the second they’re on that field, something just shifts. They fight for that ball every single time.”

Husemann hopes the Bulldogs can translate their enthusiasm into victories.

“I’m definitely putting a big emphasis on shifting the culture. We are here to have fun but we’re also here to play a varsity-level sport and to compete with other varsitylevel teams,” she said. “That precedent of positive energy is good. I’m trying to drive that competitive spirit at practice. That’s locked in during games. During practice, every so often we have a little bit too much fun. Our freshman class is really, really good and that bodes well for the future.”

Boys volleyball

Riverside Brookfield (10-6) moved to 2-0 in the Upstate Eight Conference East Division by beating West Chicago 25-21,

time,” Heidkamp said. “To finally win the state championship, I think it was a great feeling, not only for our players now but all of the players who have played in the past. It wasn’t just about this group. It’s really a representation of all 50 years and for me personally, the great players and teams that have come before when I was here. A lot of different emotions, all really good.”

After Nazareth, Heidkamp returned to St. Patrick for three seasons as a varsity assistant under le g endary coach Mike Bailey, head coach since 1994.

In his previous five seasons with the Shamrocks, he was the varsity assistant and sophomore or freshman head coach. Heidkamp played for the school’s previous legend, Max Kurland, head coach from 1969-94, and coached under him one season.

“Both of those guys are IBCA Hall of Famers. Very for tunate to learn under some of the best coaches in the history of the state,” he said. “They ’re the only two coaches in the last 60 years at St. Pat’s Two of the best ever. That’s the upbringing I had.”

25-18 April 22. Senior Alec Oltrogge was all-tournament at Marist March 28-29. The Bulldogs finished 11th at the Warren Invite April 11-12.

Lyons Township (15-4, 1-2 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division) finished third at Downers Grove South’s 32-team Rich Greishem Invitational by beating New Trier 25-23, 20-25, 25-21 Saturday. The Lions lost to champion Downers Grove North 25-18, 25-21 in the semifinals.

Junior Brady Lee-Caracci was named alltournament. The Lions were No. 14 in the April 21 Michio Chicago VBA/Illpre pvb. com state rankings.

“We are playing good volleyball but are still developing our situational game play and consistency,” LTHS coach Brad Skendzel responded.

“We have had multiple line ups over the first half of the season and players have been able to excel in new roles and different positions. Our depth as a program and team has allowed us to compete at a high level and we look forward to continuing to improve.”

GENE HEIDKAMP

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JOSE G. ROMERO, GEMA A. ROMERO, BYLINE BANK, SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO COMMUNITY BANK OF OAK PARK RIVER FOREST, CROWN ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, LVNV FUNDING, LLC Defendants 2023 CH 02946

812 HUGH MUIR LN MAYWOOD, IL 60153

NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 10, 2024, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 13, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 812 HUGH MUIR LN, MAYWOOD, IL 60153 Property Index No. 15-02-322016-0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $183,864.65.

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, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

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 POSSES-

SION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ

SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810, CHICAGO, IL, 60601 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 22-087686. 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.

CHAD LEWIS

ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ

SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC

205 N. MICHIGAN SUITE 810 CHICAGO IL, 60601 561-241-6901

E-Mail: ILMAIL@RASLG.COM

Attorney File No. 22-087686

Attorney ARDC No. 6306439

Attorney Code. 65582

Case Number: 2023 CH 02946

TJSC#: 45-910

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 # 2023 CH 02946 I3264296

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: 1-800-669-9777. GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2025 CATCH BASIN CLEANING PROJECT

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project includes removing debris and cleaning drainage structures at various locations within the Village of Brookfield.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 14th day of May, 2025, in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 14th day of May, 2025, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Thursday, the 8th day of May, 2025. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15 00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

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

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

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

PUBLIC NOTICES

of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards. The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark April 30, 2025

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

2025 SIDEWALK IMPROVE MENTS PROJECT

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project will include the removal and replacement of sidewalks and other related work.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 14th day of May, 2025, in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 14th day of May, 2025, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal and project specifications are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Thursday, the 8th day of May, 2025.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. All bidders must provide proof that they are prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform 100% of the value of the work before being issued bidding documents. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards. The Village of Brookfield reserves the right to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER

THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark April 30, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICES RIVERSIDE BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 208 TIMELY AND MEANINGFUL CONSULTATION FOR PARENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF PRIVATE AND HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

In accordance with the requirements of Section 612(a) (10) of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act of 2004 (“DEA 2004”), Riverside Brookfield High School will conduct a Timely and Meaningful Consultation on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Riverside Brookfield High School, 160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside, Il 60546 The purpose of this meeting is to discuss how students with disabilities, who attend private schools or are homeschooled within the district boundaries, will be served by District 208 during the 2024-25 school year.

Parents and private school administrators who would like to attend should contact Kevin Baldus, Director of Special Education, at baldusk@rbhs208.net

Published in RB Landmark April 30, May 7, 2025

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday 19 May 2025, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit and site plan review to allow the construction of a self-serve vacuum facility in the B-2 Community Shopping District on the following described properties(s):

Parcel 1:

Lot 15 (except that part described as follows: beginning at the Southeast corner of said Lot; thence South 89 Degrees 11 Minutes 56 Seconds West (assumed) 5.00 feet along the Southerly line of said Lot; thence North 44 Degrees 11 Minutes 47 Seconds East 7.07 feet to the Easterly line of said Lot, said Easterly line being also the Westerly right of way of Harlem Avenue; thence South 00 Degrees 48 Minutes 23 Seconds East 5.00 Feet along said right of way to the point of beginning) in Block 1 in South Addition to Harlem, being a Subdivision of the East 1/2 of the West 1/2 of the South East 1/4 of Section 13, Township 39 North, Range 12 East of the Third Principal Meridian, in Cook County, Illinois.

Parcel 2:

Lot 16 in Block 1 in South Addition to Harlem in Section 13, Township 39 North, Range 12 East of the Third Principal Meridian, in Cook County, Illinois.

Commonly known as 7201 Lexington Street, Forest Park, IL

PINs: 15-13-407-026-0000, 1513-407-034-0000

The applicant is Lex 7201, LLC dba Crystal Car Wash

Signed: Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review April 30, 2025

Notice of Public Meeting Proviso Township High School (PTHS) District 209, located at 8601 N. Roosevelt Rd, Forest Park, IL, will hold a “timely and meaningful consultation” virtual public meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the district’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private or parochial schools or are homeschooled within the district for the 2025-2026 school year. Parents of homeschooled students residing within the boundaries of PTHS District 209 who have been or may be identified with a disability are encouraged to attend. This meeting is being conducted in compliance with Illinois State Board of Education regulations. To receive a Microsoft TEAMS invitation to participate in the meeting, please email rfleming@ pths209.org. For questions or additional information, please contact: Ms. Ramonda Fleming, Ed.S District Coordinator (708) 497-4650

Published in Forest Park Review April 9, 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 2025

Advertisement for Bid 2024 or 2025 Pick Up Truck

Forest Park Schools District #91 will be accepting sealed bids for a 2024 or 2025 Pick-Up Truck with a plow.

Sealed bids will be publicly opened and read at 12:00 P.M., on May 14, 2025 (Wednesday), at the District Office, 424 DesPlaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL in the Board Room. Bids received after this time and date will not be considered. Specifications can be obtained by contacting Mr. Bob Laudadio, Supt. of Buildings and Grounds at 708-366-5700 x3313 or at blaudadio@fpsd91.org.

Published in Forest Park Review April 30, 2025

Submit events and see full calendar at rblandmark.com/events

Growing Green

Want to play to your strengths? Get composting

Oak Park’s composting e or ts reach new heights

By MARTHA BRENNAN Contributing Reporter

The sun is shining, birds are singing, and the warmth is upon us, which means one thing: it’s composting season. Well, this may be the case in any other town. But in Oak Park, it’s always composting season.

In 2024, the village won the Pathfinder Award from the Illinois Recycling Foundation. Erica Helms, environmental services manager in Oak Park’s public works department, said the award praised Oak Park’s “successful year-round residential food scrap collection.”

T he award noted Oak Park’s ef for ts provide “excellent guidance for other communities.”

But how does Oak Park do it? It goes back 12 years.

The village has demonstrated its ability to unite in protecting the Earth since 2013, when Oak Park implemented a “villagewide” composting ef fort, according to the Chicago Tribune The program provided participants – who pay a monthly fee that be gan at $14 and now sits at $16.31 in 2025 – with a 96-gallon container to be placed adjacent to trash and recycling bins.

Twelve years later, the program still stands. Only now, in 2025, there are fewer obstacles than in previous years, making the composting process easier than ever

This is thanks to the construction of Whole Earth Compost, a facility whose existence allows for certainty that all of Oak Park’s compost has a final destination, where it can then be tur ned into soil.

The facility is located on Chicago’s

COMPOSTING on page B4

Organic Lawn Care Since 2007

Compost tea soil feedings

Natural techniques for pest control

Biochar & microbiological soil amendments

Yard Drainage Solutions

Sustainable Landscaping

Native Pollinator Gardens

Vegetable Gardens

We are the ONLY Green Shield Certified

Growing Green 2025

OPRF’s geothermal system to be completed this summer

$12.5 million heating and cooling system, under the football eld, expected to save the distric and reduce carbon emissions

By HOPE BAKER Contributing Reporter

The installation of a geothermal heating system under the football field at Oak Pa Forest High School is expected to be c summer, in advance of the start of football practic

“The status of the project is actually going considering the cold winter that we had,” said mann, OPRF’s director of construction.

Geother mal heating and cooling systems earth’s stable temperature to ef ficiently heat buildings. The system will provide 100% of cooling, and ventilation for the high school’s education facilities, known as Imagine OPRF new facilities are currently being built in wing of the building.

An analysis comparing the geother mal system to a more traditional boiler-and-chiller system found that geothermal will save the district roughly $385,000 per year while reducing CO2 emissions by an amount equivalent to driving an average passenger car 504,984 miles

“There are big savings in the utility costs,” Bergmann said.

The $12.5 million geother mal project began in November 2024, with the removal of the turf. Since then, the instillation of 240 geother mal wells, each descending 500 feet into the earth, has been underway.

There are only 25 wells left to drill, according to Bergmann, so that portion of the project will be completed by the first week of May, with expectations that the system will be

UNDERGROUND: e geothermal system draws energy from 500 feet below ground.

fully installed in July.

The system is being installed by Veregy, a self-described provider of energy-efficient solutions Once the wells are complete, the contractors will start working on horizonal piping that will connect the wells.

Once the project is completed, the 240 geother mal wells will all contain fluid. Electric pumps will circulate that fluid in and out of the school. In the summer, heat from the

school will be transferred into the ground. During the winter, heat will be extracted from the ground and transferred nto school.

Project 2, which is part of a long-ter m capital projects lan, includes a new pool, multi-use gyms, locker rooms, PE classrooms and a weight room. The expected completion date of Project 2 is summer 2026.

“The geother mal field that we’re installing now is only designed to heat and cool Project 2,” Bergmann said.

Of the $12.5 million cost of the project, approximately $10.5 million is being spent on the actual installation, while the remaining $2 million will go toward replacing the drainage and the turf on the field. However, this cost does not inlude what are expected to be significant federal rebates.

The geother mal system aligns with District 200’s ambitious Sustainability Policy, which includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 45% of 2012 levels by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Geother mal is more ef ficient than gas or electric heat and emits no greenhouse gases.

“Hopefully we’ll be able to do another project like this in the future for a different part of the building,” Bergmann said.

The final part of the system’s installation will entail putting the turf back on the field, which Bergmann said will take three or four weeks.

“That’s anticipated to be a big project,” Bergmann said. Since the football team begins practice at the beginning of August, Bergmann said it’s important that construction of the geother mal system is complete by the July deadline.

“We should be in great shape at the end of July for when the kids come back and football practices start,” he said. CO

Growing Green 2025

COMPOSTING

southeast side and is built on top of a for mer landfill. conclude the composting process, the facility processes composted items that have been collected by Lakeshor Recycling Systems and transfer red to a transfer station in Maywood.

Once compost arrives at the facility, it gets divided i two categories: “green” and “brown.” The “brown” category includes yard waste and “dry material”, while “green” primarily includes “wet” items, such as food scraps Helms explained the positive impact this facility on Oak Pa rk’s composting ventures

“In the past, it has been that there weren’ t that many places to take composting, but now there’s been a lot of funding and legislation that supports that,” she said.

This bodes well for the future of Oak Park’s composting ef forts.

“We’ re able to expand our progr ams and then make sure it gets composted,” said Helms.

Oak Park’s compost successes owe to the village’s multiple drop-off sites. These sites allow residents to avoid paying the $16.31 compost pick-up fee and still take part in the community’s composting ef forts.

Currently, there are five drop-off locations, but Helms is

optimistic about adding more. They are located at 1010 N. Ridgeland Ave., 1125 Ontario St., 720 North Blvd., 102 N. Lombard Ave., and 207 Garfield St.

Helms said the village is also working on holding future partnerships with the two school districts, D97 and D200, to encourage students to collaborate in an ef fort to “beautify” the drop-off sites in order to increase composting participation.

It ’s compost awareness week

Oak Park will celebrate International Compost Awareness Week, which runs from May 4-10. This will most likely be highlighted the following week at the village’s board meeting on Tuesday, May 13, according to the village clerk’s office.

Composting harvests tremendous environmental benefits, such as its contribution to reducing methane emissions, one of the most harmful greenhouse gases.

“When your trash goes to the landfill, it all just gets, like, compacted down and into an anaerobic environment that causes more methane to be released,” said Helms. “If you divert your compost to a facility that aerates it, it breaks down properly. There is much, much, much less methane coming of f of it.”

Helms made a call to action.

“The more people we get signed up and the more compost we divert from the landfill, the less methane will be released,” she said.

For information on how to get involved, and updates on Oak Park’s composting journey, visit https://www oak-park us/ Services-Parking/Waste-Recycling/Compostable-Program

Earth Day,

more than a day but a way of life

Re ections on protecting our world all year round, and advice to check out OP’s many sustainability events

ell before most scientists about climom was onserving water, ring the thermostat, the amount of plastic rything from her make-

he was a registered nurse and an avid , but in another life, she could have ved lear n-

ry episode of the PBS documentary with the intensity of a bio major cramming

PROVIDED

Germaine Caprio’s mom understood the fragility of the earth well before others paid attention. She’s seen here with Germaine’s brothers.

sneak into the kitchen to remind us not to run the water. “Kids, don’t use clean water to rinse dirty dishes,” she’d say. “Someday water will be a pricey commodity and we’ ll be fighting to save it.” Then she’d grab one of the dirty pots, place it in the sink, fill it with water and swish the dirty dishes and silverware through it before loading them into the dishwasher.

Running the faucet was no longer an option, and it still isn’t in my house

I am too young to remember the first Earth Day in 1970, but as the years went on, I remember my mom saying, “It’s great they created one day to honor our Earth, but we need to take care of it every day. They should declare an Earth Month and take more time to educate people on what’s happenrld.”

Spring Prep Alert

she was stealthily schooling us on preserving ecosystems and saving endangered species before we even knew what Earth Day was

“Kids,” she always started that way, “did you know they’re leveling a beautiful prairie just west of the city to build some awful strip mall?” We’d shrug our shoulders and scoop another spoonful of Cheerios. “Where will all the creatures tha live there go? All the butterflies, bumble bees and frogs, not to mention the birds, foxes and other wildlife that called that field home?”

We’d never thought about them before...but to this day, I can’t pass a construction site without thinking the same thing. After dinner, we’d stack the dishes in the sink when she’d

I’m pretty sure my mom would be thrilled to w that’s exactly what the Village of Oak ’s Sustainability Office and its local tners are doing. Over this month and in celebration of Earth Month, there have been at least nine nearby events to teach and inspire all of us to take care of our planet.

They have included an Eco-Extravaganza at the Oak Park Public Library to a Clean Energy Open House. The Trailside Museum showed people how to create pollinator pockets in their own yard by making a seed bomb. Currently, the One Ear th Film Festival is underway with films on how to reform school lunches and many other topics. w my mom would have been at every one of these events, urging us to go with her, because she knew by protecting our planet, she protected the ones she loved.

Come join us, bring your kids and become their stealthy science teacher, because these are the lessons that will stay with them forever.

As you are well aware, we experienced a very unseasonable winter: total snowfall of 16 inches, coupled with large variations in warm and cold temperatures.

To add insult to injury, spring has gotten off to a cold start. Because of this, here are some things to be on the lookout for:

Perennials – the cold start has delayed emergence of many perennials and ornamental grasses. It will take time and warmth to encourage them to begin their spring growth. Be patient before assuming they did not survive the winter.

Groundcover – we have seen significant dieback to groundcover, especially those that are evergreen/semi-evergreen, due to the lack of snow cover and multiple freeze/thaw events.

Turf – even with little snow cover, there has been evidence to suggest that winter fungal diseases have caused damage, dependent on conditions. Shady, less-ventilated areas may be showing more signs of damage. Insects – we anticipate more insect pests for the upcoming growing season due to lack of extended cold and longduration freeze. Be on the lookout for pest damage on plants and turf.

Unfortunately, we are at the weather’s mercy, so paying close attention to your landscape will help ensure you recognize problems early and take proper action so your landscape can thrive in 2025.

Scott McAdam Jr.

ese pins show gardens/landscapes that feature native plants and suppor t w ildlife on the West Side and near west suburbs.

Wildlife corridor stretches from the Des Plaines to West Side

Native plants bring bees and butter ies, woodpeckers and warblers

wildlife corridor is a strip of habitat that wildlife can use to get from one natural area to annonprofit West Cook Wild Ones decided to create a wildlife corridor bes West Side and the Des Plaines

A decade later, more than 200 people throughout rest and Forest Park have gardens as part of that

in a heavily urban environment with a lot of ildings and roads, so it would a continuous strip of green ve steppingstones,” said Laura Hartwell-Berlin, president of the group. “It’s like bitat patches between the West Side of r.”

is one composed of plants which are raphic re gion. These plants

have evolved to thrive in the local climate, soil, and wildlife interactions, creating a diverse and self-sustaining ecosystem. Locally, West Cook Wild Ones promotes native gardening through education and advocacy

According to Hartwell-Berlin, the reason it’s important to plant native plants as opposed to non-native plants is because native plants and native insects have evolved together for thousands of years. As a result, they have a close relationship. In many instances, native insects that eat plants can only use native species as their host plants.

“Most insects that eat plants don’t reco gnize non-native plants as a food source, which I know seems bizar re, but it’s true,” said Hartwell-Berlin. “So native plants help feed the native insects and then the native insects feed the rest of wildlife, like birds, small mammals and amphibians.”

Hartwell-Berlin said the Wildlife Corridor project is mainly focused on flying creatures, since they need to be able to get from one patch to the next.

“Unfortunately, this is not a very friendly environment for amphibians,” she said.

Examples of plants that are native to the area and help wild-

CREDIT: WILD ONES WEST COOK

Growing

WALK THIS WAY: A front yard native garden in Oak Park attracts bees and butte

life thrive are Purple Coneflowers, Browneyed Susans, Wild Bergamots, Milkweed and Prairie Dropseed. A native tree, the Bur Oak, is a great start for providing a

Stephanie Walquist, a founding member of West Cook Wild Ones, didn bees or butterflies when she first mo Oak Park in 2011, so she set out to do somewildlife corridors so decided to create this corridor linking oods to Columbus Pa

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Wild Ones adds the addresses of the new participant to the organization’s Wildlife Corridor map.

“Our mission as an organization is to have thriving native plant communities surrounding us,” Hartwell-Berlin said.

A decade later, Walquist oflant gardens and parkways that een turned into refuges throughout the com-

I see lots of different kinds

Walquist said. “Over seemed to be a

Specific creatures she has of since the project monarch butterfl

vity and making a difference,” Walquist said “You can see, on the map, how your individual patch makes an impact. It’s kind of empowe

To learn more about the Wildlife Corridors project and to view their map, westcook.wildones.org/wildlife-corridor/

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