Issuu

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD Also serving North Riverside $1.00

Vol. 35, No. 22

May 27, 2020

Game time Arcade might be closed, but world records keep falling PAGE 10

D103 hiring former supt. as middle school principal PAGE 3

@riversidebrookfieldlandmark @riversidebrookfield_landmark

Komarek school board hires new district leader PAGE 6

Outdoor dining returns this weekend

rblandmark.com

@RBLandmark

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Riverside expanding public spaces available for tables By BOB UPHUES Editor

With Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker expected to announce that the state is ready to move into Phase 3 of his Restore Illinois plan, the Riverside Village Board on May 27 is expected to pass an ordinance that will allow local restaurants the ability to use public rights of way to maximize the amount of outdoor dining space available to local restaurants. The special meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m., will be available to the public on Riverside TV Channel 6 (Comcast), Channel 99 (U-Verse) and at riversidetv.us. See OUTDOOR DINING on page 16

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

A pedestrian checks out the high level of the swiftly moving Des Plaines River while heading over the Swinging Bridge to Riverside Lawn on May 24.

Brookfield development director out after 8 months Ross Klicker begins new job in Wheeling next month

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Just eight months into his tenure as Brookfield’s community development direc-

tor, Ross Klicker will soon be on his way out of town and heading to the northwest suburbs for a new position. Klicker, who started in Brookfield last October, was seen as just the right person to

steer real estate and economic development, a veteran planning and development professional with three decades of professional experience. Chosen from a field of 60 candidates and

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

D103 chief calls for hiring predecessor as GWMS principal Carol Baker also said to be taking on assistant superintendent role By BOB SKOLNIK

al positions at the administration building and she can help provide support in Contributing Reporter respective areas.” Baker served as superintendent of The next principal of George Washington Middle School in Lyons will appar- District 103 for two years from 2016 unently be a familiar, but not universally til 2018, when she left to take a job as an assistant superintendent for academics popular, choice. Lyons-Brookfield School District 103 Su- and chief academic officer at Hinsdale perintendent Kristopher Rivera is recom- High School District 86. In January, the District 86 mending that the Board of Edschool board voted unanimously ucation hire his predecessor, not to renew Baker’s contract afformer Superintendent Carol ter her plan to revamp the science Baker, as GWMS principal. curriculum at Hinsdale Central Baker will replace Don High School was met with vocal Jones, who is leaving the disopposition from some parents. trict on July 1 to take a new “I have worked with an expost as principal of Algontremely smart, talented group quin Middle School in Des of administrators at Hinsdale 86 Plaines. Rivera is also recomand I wish them well moving formending that Baker take on ward,” Baker said. “The science the role of assistant supersequencing that we worked on is intendent in what will be a moving forward as planned, and combined position. is (and always was) supported “I fell in love with the disby the board, the teachers and trict and the community when the administration.” I came here four years ago,” Rivera is recommending Baker wrote in an email to the that Baker be given a two-year Landmark. “I was passionate contract in what he said was a about meeting the needs of move to express a commitment the community and I only left to consistency for the staff at because the previous board GWMS, which has worked unwouldn’t extend my contract; der three principals in the last it was never my desire to five years. leave.” Rivera stated that he had The school board was planned on having a hiring scheduled to vote on Baker’s committee screen applicants hiring at its May 26 meeting, for the principal’s position, but after the Landmark’s press the opportunity to hire sometime. CAROL BAKER “Dr. Baker’s primary posi- Former D103 superintendent one of Baker’s credentials was just too good an opportunity to tion will be that of the prinpass up. cipal of George Washington “While I certainly hoped to Middle School,” Rivera wrote have had a full committee and in an email to GWMS staff, participate in a full process of which Rivera provided to the hiring, this opportunity arose Landmark after being asked and could not be passed on as about Baker’s expected hiring. “In addition, she will serve as assistant her experience, knowledge and commitsuperintendent, which will include ad- ment to the Lyons community will serve ditional duties to support central office,” as an enormous asset for the school disRivera wrote. “You can expect full com- trict,” Rivera wrote in his email. One GWMS teacher who spoke to Landmitment to the students, staff, parents, and community of George Washington mark on the condition of anonymity said she was shocked that Baker would Middle School. This is also an aspect of cost savings as we have eliminated sever- return to District 103 as a principal,

“I only left because the previous board wouldn’t extend my contract; it was never my desire to leave.”

noting that Baker was a controversial superintendent. Baker was hired at District 103 in 2016 by a school board that was controlled by a majority elected with support of Lyons Village President Christopher Getty. She left District 103 after that majority was turned out after the 2017 election. Prior to the new majority taking over, however, the lame duck Getty-aligned board controversially extended her contract. In 2019, Getty-supported candidates retook control of the school board. Baker has a strong background in science education at the high school level and once served as the president of the Illinois Science Teachers Association. Other than her two years at District 103, Baker has always worked at the high school level. She has never been a principal before. Before she was hired to be the superintendent at District 103, she had been director of curriculum for science and Music at Oak Lawn-based Community High School District 218, where she has spent the bulk of her career. Last August, the District 103 school board voted 4-3 to pay Baker about $10,700 for unused vacation time from her time in District 103, after Baker claimed she was entitled to be paid for all her vacation days of the 2018-19 fiscal year, despite working for District 103 for just one month of that year. In 2009, Baker served on the Consolidated High School District 230 school board with current state Sen. Michael Hastings, who is the son of Kyle Hastings, who was hired in 2015 by the Gettyaligned board as District 103 interim superintendent. When Baker was hired for the top spot, the school board created a part-time assistant superintendent position for Hastings, who remained in that position through this year. Baker started her career as a physics teacher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physics from Loyola University of Chicago in 1988, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Governor’s State University in 1994 and a doctorate in education from National Louis University in 2012.

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

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

HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL buphues@wjinc.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $30 within Cook County and $40 outside the county. Advertising rates may be

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

BIG WEEK

LaGrange Rocks 5K going virtual

Join The LeaderShop as it takes the annual LaGrange Rocks 5K virtual this year. For the first time, you can participate from anywhere and complete this “Any-K” your way. Participants are encouraged to run/walk/ roll a distance of their choosing between May 29 and June 26, following the most up-to-date safety guidelines for your state. Choose a location that works best for you -- your neighborhood, a local trail or even your treadmill. All registered participants will receive an event T-shirt, a curated LaGrange Rocks playlist and a virtual event goodie bag that includes special offers from local area businesses. You can also submit your running results and receive a finisher’s certificate should you choose to do so. All proceeds from this event help the LeaderShop raise crucial funding to help keep its mission alive. Visit theleadershop.org for more info and a registration link.

May 27-June 3 North Riverside summer reading program

North Riverside Public Library will kick off its “Imagine Your Story” summer reading program for all ages on June 1. The program continues through Aug. 31, and the more you read, the more opportunity there is to win fabulous prizes. More info is available at northriversidelibrary.org.

New exhibits at RAC

Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., hosts two exhibitions under the umbrella title “Towards Luminescence: Radiant Frisson | Solace Supercut” – designed to be viewable from the street at all hours -- through June 26 in its FlexSpace Gallery. The two-part exhibition features work by Chicago artists Mayumi Lake and Stacia Yeapanis. Part 1 of the exhibition focuses on the work of Mayumi Lake, whose entry “Radiant Frission” features colorful spirited photographic collage sculptures within a bedazzling installation of light. It continues through June 5. Part 2 is Stacia Yeapanis’“Solace Supercut,” which updates her 2012 collage of TV show clips “Solace Supercut,” evoking twinned experiences of isolation and empathy. The show runs from June 14-26. An artist talk with Yeapanis is scheduled for June 20. Visit riversideartscenter.com for more information. An artist talk with Lake will be held at a date to be determined.

Libraries launch curbside service Beginning Wednesday, June 3, Brookfield Public Library, 3609 Grand Blvd., and Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, begin touchless curbside pickup of library materials. At this time, items are limited to the libraries’ collections only. Brookfield cardholders can place holds on materials in the SWAN catalog as usual. When items are ready for pickup, patrons will be notified via their contact preferences. Cardholders are encouraged to use the SWAN app to manage pick-up of materials. The app offers a new curbside communicator feature which coordinates curbside pickup via chat with library staff. Or, patrons can text the library at 708-426-0041 or call the check-out desk at 708-485-6917, ext. 150.

And more North Riverside Public Library is offering the following virt ual programs through Facebook Live, conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom. Programs include Talented Tuesdays every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. via Facebook Live on North Riverside Public Library’s Facebook page; Game Night Fridays every Friday at 7 p.m. via Zoom; Cooking Demo: Slow Cooker via Facebook Premier and Instagram TV on May 30 at 10:30 a.m.; and Stretching and Meditation via conference call (800-747-5150, ■

‘Figuring’ the 2020 presidential election

code 1453322) on June 1 at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to bodenl@northriversidelibrary.org for all Zoom meeting access info. Brookfield Public Library offers virtual classes and programs for patrons of all ages throughout the week. Most youth activities will be presented live on the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ BrookfieldPublicLibrary. Events include literacy classes and Geek Labs, Zumba for Families and Mammals & More. Youth Services will also host a weekly sidewalk art challenge on Sundays. Each week’s winner will receive a gift card to a local business. ■

Brookfield Public Library invites you to join Matt Baron -- a champion of numeracy, or mathematical literacy – as he presents “Go Figure: Lies, Damn Lies & Navigating the 2020 Presidential Campaign Trail” on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The presentation equips participants to MATT BARON become more vigilant citizens, from the coming presidential election to a host of other decisions that, over time, can mean the difference between failure or success. Register for access at brookfieldlibrary.info/ virtual-events.

Curbside pickup hours will be Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info at brookfieldlibrary.info. Riverside cardholders can order materials from the online catalog using your card and PIN, by phone (708-442-6366), by emailing informationservices@riversidelibrary.org (adult materials) or youthservices@riversidelibrary.org (child/ teen) or using the new live chat option on the library website. Limit 10 items per request. Hours are Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday/Thursday from 1 to 7 p.m. Visit riversidelibrary.org for more info. Adults can participate in programs by signing up for events, including Chair Yoga via Zoom on May 28 at 11 a.m.; D&D Online on May 28 at 5 p.m.; and Meditation for Inner Peace During Turbulent Times on June 1 at 7 p.m. Register to get access info at brookfieldlibrary.info/virtual-events. Riverside Arts Center offers Boredom Buster Boxes to give the kids some hands-on fun. Each box contains 6 pounds of clay, a scoring tool, a sponge, six underglaze colors, a slip, a paintbrush and project and instruction sheets. Order online and RAC will deliver the boxes to your front porch (no contact). RAC delivers to ■

Riverside, North Riverside, Lyons, Brookfield, Berwyn, LaGrange, Oak Park, Austin and Belmont Cragin. Boxes are $36 members/$40 non-members. Order at riversideartscenter.com/ boredom-buster-boxes If you hold a Riverside Public Library card, you can delve into your family tree using Ancestry. com for free during the month of May. Get started at riversidelibrary.org/genealogy. The library also offers virtual programs for adults, kids and families, including Kids and Family Guided Meditation via Zoom on May 29 at 10 a.m. Visit riversidelibrary.org to register and get access info. ■

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

IDNR charges two whose Times are tough! kayak debacle sparked search If you can afford it...

Illinois Department of Natural Resources police have cited two Palos Hills men, ages 22 and 24, for careless operation of a watercraft after their aborted attempt at kayaking on a floodswollen Des Plaines River on May 20 sparked a two-hour search in and around Riverside that involved police and firefighters from multiple agencies, a drone and a police helicopter. The search was launched after someone flagged down a Riverside police officer to report seeing two unoccupied kayaks and oars being swept downstream by the swift moving water at about 11:40 a.m. Witnesses subsequently told police that they’d seen two men, who weren’t wearing life jackets, kayaking on the river north of Forest Avenue at around 11 a.m. One witness said he saw the two exit the river at Forest Avenue, because they couldn’t get under the bridge there, and then portage the kayaks to the other side of the bridge where they re-entered the water. One of the men reportedly contacted Riverside police at about 5 p.m. to identify himself as one of the kayakers after seeing news coverage of the search. He said that he and his friend had capsized near the BNSF railroad bridge and were able to safely exit the river. Riverside police turned the information over to the IDNR, which conducted its own investigation.

Man charged with burglary Martin Alessi, 47, of Lyons, faces two felony burglary charges after he was caught allegedly stealing items from the garage of a residence in the 200 block of 2nd Avenue, North Riverside, on May 20 at about 1:30 a.m. An officer on patrol, who noticed a rear door open on a car parked at the residence and saw a man walking out of the open garage carrying an item, stopped to investigate. The man at first tried to hide behind a red Hyundai parked in the lot outside of Sliccily Pizza Pub, to no avail. The officer noticed a number of items inside the Hyundai, including a bicycle, computer equipment, a flat-screen TV and more. A check on that vehicle revealed it had been stolen May 18 in Westmont. The owner of the garage, meanwhile, told the officer that several items inside the red Hyundai had been taken from the garage, which Alessi allegedly had opened using a remote found inside the owner’s unlocked car outside. In addition to the burglary charges, Alessi reportedly also faced possible charges related to the stolen vehicle in Westmont. ■ A resident of the 2200 block of 17th Avenue, North Riverside, called police on May 18 to report that sometime after May 16 someone had broken into and damaged his car, which was parked on 23rd Street.

Police observed damage to the driver’s side door lock and reported that the steering column had been stripped and that a blank key was left in the ignition, which was hanging from the column. ■ Three unlocked vehicles were broken into during the overnight hours of May 20-21 in the 2500 block of Forest Avenue, North Riverside. Loose change was taken from each vehicle, according to the reports. Several power tools were taken from one of the vehicles.

Overdose victim revived Riverside police and paramedics were able to revive an 18-year-old Brookfield man, who fell unconscious after allegedly overdosing on heroin inside a vehicle parked in front of the Riverside Police Department, 31 Riverside Road, on May 19 at about 4 a.m. Police found the man unresponsive in the back seat of the car and administered two doses of Narcan, an opioid antidote that police are equipped with. Paramedics continued treatment and were able to revive the man, who was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. According to Police Chief Thomas Weitzel, it’s the second time within five weeks that police have administered Narcan on the street during the state’s stay-at-home order. The last incident occurred April 14 at a crash scene at Harlem and Ogden avenues.

Catalytic converters stolen For the second straight week, Brookfield police are reporting catalytic converter thefts on the north end of the village, all of them cut from their vehicles during the overnight hours of May 17-18. The vehicles targeted were all parked on the street. Two were located in the 3100 block of Grand Boulevard, while one was parked in the 9300 block of Jefferson Avenue. Catalytic converters are stolen because they are easy and quick to remove from vehicles, using a reciprocating saw. The devices, which reduce harmful engine emissions, can be sold for scrap at a good price because they contain precious metals, such as platinum. That also makes it expensive to replace them, with a new catalytic converter costing up to $1,000 to install. These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, May 1822, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

D94 board picks former Gross School principal to lead Komarek Todd Fitzgerald takes the reins in North Riverside on July 1 By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The new superintendent at Komarek School District 94 is familiar with the area. On May 19, the Komarek Board of Education voted to hire one-time S.E. Gross Middle School Principal Todd Fitzgerald to be the district’s new superintendent during a special meeting, held virtually. He replaces Brian Ganan, who will leave Komarek on June 30 after five years at the helm to take a new job as the superintendent of LaGrange Elementary School District 105. For the past eight years Fitzgerald, 47, has been the principal of Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park. Prior to that job, he was the principal at Gross Middle School for six years from 2006 until 2012. He started his career as a social studies teacher at L.J. Hauser Junior High School in Riverside, teaching there for nine years. Fitzgerald then spent one year as an assistant principal at Westmont Junior High School before being hired at S.E. Gross in Brookfield. It was his familiarity with the area that made the Komarek job especially attractive to Fitzgerald. “When the position at Komarek posted, I

just felt like this would be a good opportunity to get back into that area of the North Riverside, Riverside, Brookfield schools where I really spent a big portion as a teacher and administrator,” Fitzgerald told the Landmark. His familiarity with the area also made Fitzgerald attractive to the school board. Fitzgerald was chosen from a field of 45 applicants in a search that was conducted by the BWP & Associates search firm. “Dr. Fitzgerald proved to be the best candidate to carry the vision of District 94 forward,” said Chris Waas, the president of the Komarek school board, in press release issued by the district. “His experience as a teacher and principal with the Riverside-Brookfield High School feeder system, as well as his tenure in districts with similar demographics, will allow him to connect with the community as a visible and approachable leader.” Fitzgerald received a three-year contract and will be paid a salary of $154,000 in his first year. He takes over on July 1 but is expected to speak at the Komarek graduation on May 30. Ganan, who was under contract with District 94 through the end of the 2020-21 school year, had to forego $10,000 in accrued vacation pay as a result of his unilateral decision to

terminate the contract, according to a settlement agreement ratified by the school board. Mark Kuzniewski, Fitzgerald’s former boss at Brookfield-LaGrange Park District 95, believes that Fitzgerald will do a very good job at Komarek. “I think that Komarek has landed a very solid, up-and-coming superintendent,” Kuzniewski said. “Todd is incredibly knowledgeable in the areas of curriculum and instruction. He understands the human resource aspect of school business.” Kuzniewski mentored and coached Fitzgerald through the process of becoming a superintendent and advised him during his job search and the interview process. “He will know how to manage and work with a school board, do what’s best for kids,” Kuzniewski said. Fitzgerald will have to oversee a major construction project at Komarek next summer as the school is modernized, renovated and expanded. In March voters approved a $20.8 million bond referendum to fund the project. “Certainly, there will be a learning curve, but whenever I’ve started a new position I’ve always met those learning curves with success,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m totally con-

fident that I’ll be able to lead this building project with the school board and have an outcome that’s going to really impact our students in District 94 and the community in positive ways.” Fitzgerald said he had the opportunity to learn about Komarek when he worked at Gross and Hauser. “I had an opportunity to work some with [former Komarek principal] Tom Criscione and [former Komarek superintendent] Neil Pellicci, both very dedicated and professional educators, so I thought potentially this would be a really good fit,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in history and secondary education. He earned two master’s degrees, one in history and one in school leadership at Northeastern Illinois University. He earned a doctoral degree and his superintendent’s endorsement from Concordia University in 2015. Fitzgerald grew up in Lemont and Joliet and went to Joliet Catholic High School where, during his senior year, he was the starting quarterback for a football team that went 10-2 and made it to the state quarterfinals.

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Two more Brookfield residents die from COVID-19 Total now up to 3, but rate of new cases declines sharply week over week

By BOB UPHUES Editor

While the rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 weekly fell to its lowest level since cases started appearing in Brookfield in late March, the Cook County Department of Public Health reported two deaths from the disease in Brookfield last week. The victims were both men, one between the ages of 60 and 69 and the other over the age of 80, according to an online dashboard tracking deaths from the disease which has taken the lives of nearly 1,400 people in Cook County, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Statewide, as of May 25, more than 112,000 people throughout the state had tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 4,800 had died from the upper respiratory disease, which results from infection by the novel coronavirus. As of the morning of March 26, the county reported that 140 people in Brookfield had tested positive for COVID-19. That was just a 7.7 percent increase in new cases week over week. In the prior seven weeks, Brookfield had not seen a rate of increase lower than 22 percent.

The two deaths reported in Brookfield last week brought the total for the village to three. The men died on May 18 and May 21, according to the county. There were no new fatal cases of COVID-19 reported in either Riverside or North Riverside in the past week, keeping the number at two each in those villages. Riverside saw the rate of new cases reported in that village fall for the second straight week. According to Cook County 80 people in Riverside have now tested positive for COVID-19, up from 68 a week ago. North Riverside, meanwhile, saw one of highest weekly increases in new reported cases since mid-April. As of the morning of May 26, there had been a 37.5 percent increase in new cases week over week, according to the county, with the total rising to 66. It was the second straight week where the rate of new cases in North Riverside had increased.

CVS opens North Riverside testing site On May 22, the CVS pharmacy chain opened a number of new drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites

140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

NUMBER OF COVID-19 CASES

Brookfield Riverside North Riverside

March 17 March 24 March 31 April 7 April 14 April 21 April 28 May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26

at pharmacies in 14 states, including Illinois. Among those sites were a pair that opened May 22 in the near west suburbs of Chicago, including the CVS at 7200 Cermak Road in North Riverside and the one at 345 Madison St. in Oak Park. According to information provided by CVS, each testing site has the

capacity to conduct about 50 tests per day. Health insurance is accepted at the sites and the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act states that there should be no out-of-pocket cost to anyone tested. People wishing to be tested must pre-register online at CVS.com. Patients will be directed to use the drive-thru and must stay in their

vehicles. An employee will provide the patient a test kit and the patient will conduct a self-swab, as directed by the CVS employee, who will observe and make sure it’s performed properly. The tests are collected and sent to a third-party lab. Results are available in about three days, according to CVS.

Rookie state representative sidelined by COVID-19 Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-21st) tested positive for the disease May 18 By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Newly appointed Illinois state Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-Chicago) had to miss last week’s session of the Illinois General Assembly, because he has tested positive for COVID 19. All legislators got tested before returning to Springfield to resume their session last week, and Gonzalez received word of his positive test result on May 18, just two days

before the General Assembly rethe most that’s been pretty much convened. it,” Gonzalez said. “Thankfully, “I was very surprised,” said this hasn’t hit me too hard, so Gonzalez, who was selected in I’m hoping it stays like that.” January to represent the 21st The 23-year-old Gonzalez, who District, which includes the porgraduated from Harvard a year tion of Riverside south of the ago, said he has been staying in Burlington Northern-Santa Fe his room in the attic of his parRailroad tracks. ent’s Little Village home so as Gonzalez succeeded Celina not to infect his parents or his Villanueva, who left the Illinois younger sister. EDGAR GONZALEZ House of Representatives when “I’m staying at home, staying she was selected to fill out the in my attic, so it’s a lot easier to term of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, isolate myself from the rest of my family,” who resigned his Senate seat last year and Gonzalez said. subsequently pleaded guilty to bribery and Gonzalez said he is disappointed about tax evasion. having to miss the legislative session. “I’ve had sore throats, intermittent head“I was pretty bummed out,” Gonzalez aches, just little bouts of tiredness, but for said. “I really wanted to work with my col-

leagues and make sure that we pass the best package for all of Illinois, because we have a lot of working families who are really hurting.” Gonzalez said he wishes he could vote remotely, but that is not allowed under House rules. “I know we have the technology to do so in some way or another, but that’s up to them to say,” Gonzalez said. The rookie state rep said that he knows of no other COVID-19 cases on his block in Chicago, but added that his Little Village neighborhood has been hit hard by the virus. According to a database maintained by the Chicago Reporter, as of late last week nearly 2,500 people had tested positive for COVID-19 within the Chicago ZIP code where Gonzalez lives.

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

D96 sets maximum price for Construction projects Works at four elementary schools will be capped at about $16.25 million

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The 15,000-square-foot, two-story addition to Ames School and other construction projects at the three elementary schools in Riverside Elementary School District 96 won’t cost the district more than $16,257,543. That’s the amount of a guaranteed maximum-price contract that the District 96 Board of Education unanimously approved with the Berglund Construction Company at a virtual school board meeting held May 21. By waiting to award the contract until well into construction, uncertainties were limited and allowed Berglund to agree to a lower price. Under the guaranteed maximum-price contract, Berglund bears the risk of significant cost overruns. District 96 will not have to pay more than the set amount no matter what the ultimate cost ends up being and could pay less. “It’s a huge win for us,” said Ramesh Nair, who is serving as District 96’s owner’s representative for its construction projects, at the school board’s committee of the whole meeting on May 6. “It’s a win for both the school district and Berglund.” Nair said that the district saved at least $500,000 by not entering into a contract in January before construction started. Once Berglund opened up walls and excavated ground they were of any complications that could result in additional costs. As a result, they were willing to agree to a lower price in May than they would have accepted in January, Nair said. Under the guaranteed maximum-price con-

BOB UPHUES/Editor

GOING UP: Construction crews have erected the steel framing for the rear two-story addition at Ames School. Weather has put the project behind about 10 days, but officials say the work will still complete by mid-August. tract, District 96 will get most of the savings if the final price turns out to be less than the contracted amount. The contract allows for $373,414 to be spent on overtime, primarily Saturday work. If less than that is spent on overtime, the balance will return to the district. If subcontractor allowances of $355,000, designed to cover unforeseen costs, are not used up, the remainder will also be fully returned to

the district. Any money left unspent in a separate contingency fund of nearly $303,000 will be split equally by the district and Berglund. “This guaranteed maximum price is very fair to the district,” said school board member Joel Marhoul, a civil engineer by profession. Construction is already well along at Ames School, where the steel structure of

the addition has already been erected. Nair told the school board on May 20 that, partially because of a lot of rain this spring, Berglund is about 10 days behind schedule at Ames, but he believes the addition can still be completed by the target date of Aug. 14. “We are still looking at finishing the project in the middle of August,” Nair said. As part of the guaranteed maximum contract, the school board approved spending $162,723 to build a new playground at Ames School. It will include a zip line and eight pieces of handicapped-accessible playground equipment. It will also feature conga drums and a cabasa, and it can accommodate 51 children at the same time. The company Imagine Nation will supply the playground equipment. “I think the kids are going to be just blown away when they are able to get back into the school,” said school board member Wesley Muirheid, who was the board liaison to a playground committee, which included parents and school staff. “I’m tremendously pleased with the final product that we put together.” Construction work has also begun at Central, Blythe Park, and Hollywood Schools. An elevator is being installed at Central School, where a new multipurpose room is being built in the lower level where the district’s administrative offices used to be. At Blythe Park School, a new secure entrance vestibule is being built and a new classroom is being added. At Hollywood School, the location of principal’s office will be moved closer to the entrance and a secure entrance vestibule will be added.

So long, Central School swimming pool As construction progresses at Central School in Riverside, one of the results of converting the old District 96 offices in the lower level into a new multipurpose room with new classrooms above it is the loss of an often talked about but rarely seen Central School legend. The swimming pool is officially history. Long hidden from public view, the pool had stood empty of water for nearly 100 years after it was shut down for good in the early 1920s. A spectacular boondoggle almost from the start, the pool was part of a classroom/athletic facilities addition, funded partially by a $55,000 bond issue, built onto Central School in 1914. The funds to build the pool itself were a gift to the school district in memory of the late Riverside resident Abraham Mitchell. The trouble was, the district didn’t have any money to fund the pool’s operation, and by 1915 the school board was threatening to close it and asking for donations. The public scraped together all of $150 to bail out the pool’s operating deficit and by 1918, as coal prices skyrocketed with the

country’s entry into World War I, the pool was closed. Another fundraising campaign after the war was successful enough to reopen the pool in 1921, but water filtration problems ensured it never made it through the decade. Around 1927, according to news reports of the time, the pool was converted into a gymnasium for lower grades, though it had been drained and used for storage several years before that. In 1968, the school district’s central offices were built above the pool, shielding it from view. Since then, access to the abandoned pool had been via a rickety metal ladder reached via a trap door in a boiler room. Ramesh Nair, who is serving as District 96’s owner’s rep for the construction project, said it will take 37 truckloads of gravel to fill in the pool. It has to be filled in to support the multipurpose room. “The easiest way to do it is to fill it,” Nair said. “They’re not going to bring the pool back.” — Bob Uphues and Bob Skolnik

PROVIDED

SUNK: The old Central School swimming pool, built in 1914 and shut down for good in the early 1920s will be filled in as part of the renovation of the school’s lower level this summer.

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Celebrating 35 years as Your Neighborhood Realtor!

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COURTESY OF CAITLIN STAIB

WE HAVE A WINNER: Ellen DeGeneres announces the winners of $250 Visa gift cards, including Hauser Junior High teacher Caitlin Staib, during her television show on May 14. Staib says she’s using the money to buy year-end gifts for her special education students.

TV show host gifts teacher $250 for remote learning efforts TV show host Ellen DeGeneres recognizes Hauser’s Caitlin Staib

erately fell off her bicycle in a video shot by her fiancé to demonstrate how gravity works to her students. Staib is using money to buy end of the school year gifts for her students, something that she was going to do anyway. Staib, who is finishing up her sixth year teaching at HausBy BOB SKOLNIK er, is known for going the extra mile for her Contributing Reporter students. She has a Zoom meeting with her stuAn L.J. Hauser Junior High School special dents every morning and is in contact with education teacher got a big surprise recently her students remotely every day. when she turned on the “Ellen” She will even call her students to show on the afternoon of May 14. check in with them, making sure Caitlin Staib saw her name on they are doing their work and the screen when Ellen DeGeneres checking to see if they need any listed the 100 teachers in the extra help. United States she had chosen to “Caitlin Staib is an extraordireceive $250 Visa gift cards in recnary teacher who goes the extra ognition of the extra work they mile for her kids,” said Hauser Juhave done during the coronavirus nior High Principal April Mahy in pandemic. an email. “She is an advocate for “I was sobbing because I love students and helps students gain CAITLIN STAIB Ellen, and I just think she is so independence. … Our students kind and she loves teachers,” said are so lucky to have Ms. Staib in Staib, describing her reaction to seeing her their corner and working with them.” name on her television screen. Staib had to record the “Ellen” show on DeGeneres had asked people to nominate May 14, because she was helping a student teachers who have gone the extra mile and with homework at 3 p.m., when the show airs. invited teachers to write in and describe the She watched it an hour later and got the surwork that they had been doing during the re- prise of her life. mote learning resulting from the pandemic She has been a fan of Ellen for nearly 20 response nationwide. years. Staib, 31, wrote in describing her work with “She’s like my favorite person ever,” Staib eighth-graders who are testing below grade said. “She could have given me a penny and level and struggling to learn. She even delib- I would have been happy.”

2332 LATHROP AVE, NORTH RIVERSIDE WELL-BUILT and “good bones” brick raised ranch with new renovations! Just installed new kitchen counter tops, faucets, flooring and cabinets; New opening between the kitchen and living rm; carpet removed; BA has NEW shower enclosure, vanity sink and faucet! 2 BRs, hardwood flooring; semi-finished basement with separate exercise room/laundry area and recreational space. Newer windows and roof last year! CA and forced air heat. 1-car detached garage with the fenced backyard. Quiet tree-lined street near Cermak Rd trans, shopping and dining districts, Loyola and MacNeal Hospitals, I290 and I55 access, blue line and Metra is a 5 minute car ride close. Sold As-Is ........................................................................ $228,000

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Arcade’s not open, but world records keep falling Galloping Ghost livestreams keep gamers connected during shutdown

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The months of March and April are the busiest time of the year for Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, says owner Doc Mack, and the business was in the midst of an expansion – “We were literally burning cash off with a focus of trying to get to August,” he said – when he had to shut the doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the arcade looks forward to its 10th anniversary in October, Mack had just begun putting new games in the newest wing of the business, was gearing up for another expansion to the east into a former Chinese restaurant space and was in the process of moving equipment across the street to launch the new location of Galloping Ghost Garage, just down the block. And, finally -- after 26 years in development – Mack was about to place his very own combat-style game Dark Presence on the arcade game floor to great fanfare. Now that’s going to have to wait. “Like, every possible pitfall, we hit them all,” Mack said. But, Mack said he has kept all 18 of his employees on board during the shutdown and has turned his attention to maintaining “every joystick and every button” of each of the nearly 760 games in the arcade. In the meantime, he is trying to stay connected to the network

COURTESY OF DOC MACK

TOP SPOT: Danielle Robbins, blew away the world record for the 1984 arcade game Flicky at Galloping Ghost Arcade earlier this month, rolling up 24.1 million points and playing through 701 levels during a five-hour livestream. of gamers – both local and international – by livestreaming video from the arcade almost daily. In addition to continuing his Monday tradition of unveiling a new game for the arcade’s collection, he has

given tours of the business and has even invited people to witness top gamers set world records on machines at Galloping Ghost. So far, Mack has had three gamers shoot for world records, with

sessions going for hours at Twitch. tv (shorter videos are done as Facebook Live sessions) as the players keep rolling up the scores. Fellow International Video Game Hall of Fame inductee Pete Hahn, holder of 100 arcade game world records, according to Mack, has been invited in twice, once in March and once in May. Most recently he was in to play a game called Type-R Leo, “a pretty obscure” game that Hahn was able to vanquish using just one credit. Jeremiah Smith, a Brookfield resident, Galloping Ghost game designer and the company’s longest-tenured employee, set a new world record playing Contra Evolution, completing every level twice and playing into a third loop before bowing out. “We’re the only arcade in the world to have the game,” Mack said. “It’s considered a Holy Grail of the arcade community.” And then there was the livestream of the world recordshattering performance on May 12 of Danielle Robbins, who obliterated the former record on the 1984 Sega classic Flicky. The game features 256 levels and if you complete all 256, the game repeats them. For five hours, Robbins blew through a total of 701 levels and racked up a score of 24.1 million. The prior record was about 14 million, Mack said. “The idea is just to stay out there in front of people,” said Mack, who began his livestreams almost immediately following the state’s

shutdown order. “The support has been tremendous, and we’ve really built up our streaming community,” Mack said. “People are excited to come back out and be playing again.” It’s been tough for many people not to be able to blow off some steam by playing arcade games, Mack said. “We’re the place where people go when they’re having hard times,” he said. Mack said he wasn’t sure exactly when the doors would reopen, but said he was working on establishing protocols for social distancing. “Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we open,” Mack said. While the arcade has had some donations from the gaming community during the shutdown, Mack credited his landlord, Steven Campbell, for making it possible to weather the storm. When the shutdown hit, Campbell suspended rent collection, Mack said. “Steve has been unbelievable with his support,” Mack said. “He’s been so helpful behind the scenes. Campbell told the Landmark that he did the same for all of his commercial tenants. “I realized that they were not going to be able to pay rent for April and May, at a minimum,” said Campbell, a Riverside resident who owns several commercial properties along the length of Ogden Avenue in Brookfield. “They shouldn’t have to worry about what they couldn’t pay. It’ll all work out in the future.”

Local schools named top Best Buddies chapters in state

RBHS wins honor for second time, Central School wins in first year By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The Best Buddies clubs at two Riverside schools were named as the top Best Buddies chapters in the state of Illinois in their respective classifications this year. The Riverside-Brookfield High School Best Buddies club won the high school Chapter of the Year award for the second

time, while the Central School Best Buddies club, in its first year of existence, was named Chapter of the Year in the elementary school category. “Winning the Best Buddies Illinois Chapter of the Year Award is an incredible honor,” said RBHS Best Buddies Club sponsor Dawn Soprych in an email. “The reality is that our passion and commitment to the club is evident with or without the recogni-

tion. Our mission at RB is to create a community that encourages friendships among students of all intellectual and social ability levels.” Best Buddies is global organization that promotes friendships and connections between students with special needs and the general student population. See BEST BUDDIES on page 16

PROVIDED

Central School Best Buddies friendship bracelets.

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Preckwinkle vetoes sharing addresses of COVID households

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Decision overturns a 9-7 vote by commissioners last week By BOB UPHUES Editor

Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle has vetoed a resolution narrowly passed last week by county commissioners that directed the Cook County Department of Public Health to share with suburban first responders the address information of people known to have tested positive for COVID-19. Preckwinkle, who said after the vote on May 21 that she was “profoundly disappointed,” used her veto power for the first time since becoming county board president in 2010. In her veto message, issued May 26, Preckwinkle said the commissioners’ action “discredits the guidance provided by both IDPH and CCDPH, puts COVID-19 patients and county residents at risk and provides our first responders with a false sense of security. I cannot support the release of this information and am wholly disappointed in the decision to dispute the opinions of our public health experts, including the advice provided by CCDPH’s medical expert, Dr. Rachel Rubin.” Commissioners voted 9 to 7, with one commissioner voting present, to pass the resolution, which suburban police and fire chiefs as well as elected officials have been pushing for since the pandemic began its spread in midMarch. “I don’t see how anyone who understands the endemic nature of racism in this country and the discrimination that black and brown people have experienced will assure them that this resolution will somehow make them immune from that discrimination and endemic racism,” Preckwinkle said on May 21. Preckwinkle also said she disagreed with the resolution given the assessment of its suitability from Dr. Rachel Rubin, senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health and one of the department’s top leaders. Rubin addressed the county board at their meeting, held via the teleconferencing app Zoom, on May 21, calling the resolution “not a good practice.” “Pushing out addresses to first responders does not help maintain the safety of the first responder or the individual they are trying to respond to for aid,” Rubin said. “In addition, it can also create negative impacts on various communities that have had unfortunate encounters with law enforcement due to the structural racism in our society.” But, the resolution’s sponsor, Commissioner Scott Britton, a Democrat whose 14th District covers north and northwest suburbs, said it was crafted to ensure as much as possible that personal medical information would remain confidential, saying that the resolution will expire in 60 days. He pointed to opinions by both the Illinois Attorney General and Cook County State’s Attorney that sharing such information was

legal, adding that 35 states allow address information to be shared with first responders. “I think we have to defer at some point to first responders who are on the front line, responding to these calls,” Britton said. “They feel it’s vital for their work.” Even though a Cook County Circuit Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a northwest suburban emergency dispatch center seeking access to that information indefinitely, Britton noted the judge in that case said health departments had discretion to use such information in a different way. Britton acknowledged the privacy and civil rights concerns expressed by Preckwinkle, Rubin and other commissioners, but said the limitations the resolution puts on how and what information can be shared gave him confidence it will be used properly. “Can I tell you there’s never a risk? No. But because of the limits that’s not going to happen,” Britton said. Commissioners Frank Aguilar (D-16th), whose district includes almost all of North Riverside and parts of Riverside and Brookfield, voted against the resolution citing privacy concerns and fears expressed to him by people in his district who are immigrants. Those concerns were shared by Commissioner Brandon Johnson (D-1st), whose district includes a commercial sector of North Riverside north of Cermak Road. “History tells us an accurate story of how these kinds of records are used for demonizing [people of color],” Johnson said. Commissioner Sean Morrison, a Republican whose district includes most of Riverside and central Brookfield, was an enthusiastic supporter of the resolution, saying even knowing just the addresses of known COVID-19 patients would serve to “remove the mental burden” of first responders answering calls. All three local police chiefs expressed gratitude to the county board for passing the resolution, with Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel calling Preckwinkle’s statement “a swipe against all law enforcement.” “I would encourage Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and all elected officials throughout Cook County to work with police executives on the continued progress toward community policing and transparent policing,” Weitzel said in an email. “Hurling ‘shots’ at one another is not productive for anyone, especially, the public we serve.” North Riverside Police Chief Carlos Garcia said the info provided to departments like his would not have been shared and would have eliminated guesswork for first responders. “At the end of the day we want to keep first responders and the community healthy to further flatten/decrease the spread of the virus,” Garcia said in an email. “The information that would be provided is treated as confidential and for official use only.”

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Riverside crime numbers fall for 6th straight year Property crimes continue to be the most persistent serious offenses

By BOB UPHUES

Riverside crime through the years

Editor

Riverside police saw the total number of major crimes it was called upon to investigate in 2019 drop for the sixth consecutive year. According to the village’s Uniform Crime Report issued last week by Police Chief Thomas Weitzel, the total number of reportable incidents was down 4.8 percent, from 104 to 99. The FBI mandates law enforcement agencies from around the nation submit a Uniform Crime Report annually to their state police agency. The FBI then compiles the data to track crime trends over time. It requires that agencies submit how many times it investigated crimes in eight categories, including murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault/ battery, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. The report does not track misdemeanor offenses, including minor weapons and drug offenses, impaired driving arrests and many other categories. “I’m always happy when it’s down,” said Weitzel, who credited residents for their vigilance in helping deter crime by reporting suspicious activity. “We had 456 phone calls in 2019 from Riverside residents reporting suspicious people, cars and activity,” Weitzel said. “I always think that goes a long way toward reducing crime. I know it’s anecdotal and you can’t say how many crimes they may have prevented, but that’s a high number of calls for suspicious activity.” But Weitzel also noted, that in some cases the number of incidents is lower because re-

The following table represents crime statistics for the village of Riverside, 2006-19 from the Uniform Crime Reporting program, which municipalities file with the Illinois State Police on an annual basis. The following eight categories are considered to be major crimes:

Murder Criminal sexual assault Robbery Agg. assault/battery Burglary Theft Vehicle theft Arson Total

2006 2007 2008

2009

2010 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

0 0 3 57 29 76 6 1 172

0 2 6 3 16 167 7 0 201

0 0 0 8 15 169 4 0 196

0 1 0 1 20 116 3 0 141

0 2 1 15 33 118 4 1 174

0 0 2 52 19 83 0 1 157

0 1 0 57 11 71 1 0 141

0 2 0 12 24 90 2 2 132

0 2 0 5 4 94 3 2 110

0 5 4 3 11 77 4 0 104

0 5 3 1 19 70 3 0 99

0 1 0 20 32 64 6 0 114

0 1 1 12 34 114 7 0 175

Source: Riverside Police Department porting protocols change over time. For example, not too many years ago 17 year olds were considered adults for reporting purposes. Any teenagers 17 or older charged with battery at Riverside-Brookfield High School, for example, was charged criminally and the incident was included in the Uniform Crime Report. Now 17 year olds are considered juveniles and battery incidents at the high school often are handled through local adjudication or other means of resolution. “In the past, those students would have been brought in for mugshots and fingerprinting,” Weitzel said. “That rarely happens now.”

Misdemeanor, DUI arrests up; police issue more tickets While the number of serious crimes reported by Riverside police continued to decline in 2019, its officers remained busy making slightly more arrests year over year for misdemeanor offenses and making more arrests for impaired driving. Misdemeanor arrests were up nearly 5 percent in 2019 compared to the previous year, with a total of 220. Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and/ or drugs, meanwhile rose by 17 percent in 2019, with police writing up 89 such of-

0 3 4 1 31 110 5 0 154

fenses. Where police were especially busy, particularly the department’s two part-time community service officers, were in issuing tickets. Total citations for parking, compliance and traffic offenses rose 32.6 percent in 2019 compared to the prior year, with officers writing more than 3,100 traffic tickets, more than 2,360 parking tickets and 454 compliance tickets. — Bob Uphues

As a result, the number of aggravated asBurglary and theft continue to drive sault/battery cases in Riverside has fallen crime numbers in Riverside, with burglary dramatically in recent years. In 2019, there reports up almost 73 percent (from 11 to 19 was just one such incident reported in the incidents) in 2019. Theft reports fell 9 percent, from 77 in 2018 to 70 last year. village. As recently as 2015, police had reported more than 50 such inSurveillance cameras an cidents. important tool Riverside traditionally sees Weitzel for the first time in a very little in the way of violent year-end crime report made a crime, although serious crimes point to highlight the role surare not unknown. Early last year, veillance cameras, including within the span of a week in ones the village installed last January, Riverside experienced year in the downtown area, a shooting in the downtown area played in helping police solve and a home invasion/kidnapcrimes. ping in a residential neighbor“I want the public to know it hood west of First Avenue. was a wise investment that has Police charged a man for the paid off,” Weitzel said. shooting, and he is presently Among the crimes police used serving time in state prison. Incameras to assist them were vestigators continue to work on bike thefts at the downtown the home invasion/kidnapping, train station, a DUI crash that said Weitzel. began with the vehicle driving Investigators worked on five along sidewalks in Riverside, criminal sexual assault cases a battery on Burling Road and in 2019, according to the Unidamage to village property. form Crime Report, but none of Cameras at Riverside-Brookthose cases has resulted so far field High School were also used in felony charges, Weitzel said. to investigate several crashes on Riverside police made arrests First Avenue. in two of the three robberies THOMAS WEITZEL Last week, new village-owned reported in Riverside in 2019. Riverside police chief cameras were installed at the A man convicted of armed robintersection of Harlem Avbery for a March 31 incident in enue and East Quincy Street the 500 block of Longcommon in partnership with Amstar, Road is serving a two-year senthe gas station located there. tence in state prison. Police now have cameras with Meanwhile, a 57-year-old man charged a direct internet connection to the police with robbing First American Bank in Riverside and another bank in Berwyn in department that monitor eastbound and March 2019 pleaded guilty last December westbound East Quincy Street and northand still awaits sentencing while being bound and southbound Harlem Avenue at that location. held in federal prison in Chicago.

“I want the public to know [cameras were] a wise investment that has paid off.”

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

Brookfield Farmers Market unveils changes for 2020 Pedestrian traffic and entry will be tightly monitored

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats

The COVID-19 pandemic will influence the operation of the Brookfield Farmers Market, which is set to open on Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Market Manager Sarah Thomas has overseen the market for three years and says she’s looking forward to bringing a safe and robust market to the community. “The village of Brookfield has been wonderful,” said Thomas. “They are supportive of the farmers market and have reviewed and approved our planned adjustments.” Modifications are designed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus and may make the market seem less social, but Thomas’ goal is to support local farmers and artisans while keeping the community safe. She anticipates the strictest regulations will affect early markets and hopes to ease restrictions over the course of the summer as allowed by state government. Barricades will be put in place to remind shoppers to use the main entrance as the single point of entry for the market and vendors and customers must wear face coverings to gain entry.

See what all the buzz is about.

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NEW LAYOUT: The Brookfield Farmers Market will be in a new location this year, in front of the village hall, where market officials will strictly monitor traffic within the market and the number of people shopping at any one time. The market this year will take place in the parking lot directly in front of the Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. People are encouraged to line up at the entrance near Brookfield Avenue. The number of customers allowed to enter the market will be

limited, and if a line forms at the entrance, it will extend down the sidewalk to the west towards the Prairie Avenue. Seventeen vendors are expected to attend the June 6 market. This represents a decline as compared to past years, but some vendors

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have opted not to participate because of COVID-19 concerns. “COVID has complicated things, but Hardin Family Farm and Rose’s Catering are among our really popular vendors who will be part of the market this year,” said Thomas. “We also have smattering of new vendors we’re excited about coming in as well.” All items sold by vendors will be prepackaged and patrons will not be allowed to touch produce prior to purchase. All sampling at the market will be curtailed and vendors will have hand-sanitizing stations. Three-sided tents will be kept six feet apart and patrons will be required to maintain a safe social distance from other marketgoers and vendors. Some vendors will be taking online preorders. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the Brookfield Farmers Market website (brookfieldfarmers.org) to learn more about vendors offering this service and to stay informed about what vendors will attend the market from week to week. “We appreciate and respect the relationship farmers and artisans have with their patrons,” said Thomas. “We are proud to host a vibrant in-person market that fosters those valuable connections.”

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

THE LANDMARK VIEW

You can’t make this stuff up

n the years this newspaper has been covering school governance – that’s more than 23 years under the current leadership – we’ve seen some remarkable things – good, bad and just plain weird. But when it comes to forehead-slapping moments, no one can touch those currently behind the wheel in Lyons-Brookfield School District 103. The latest is an announcement by the superintendent late last week that he was recommending hiring the person he replaced – a person essentially forced out by the school board that hired him – to come back as combo middle school principal/ assistant superintendent. Does anyone over there really think anyone is actually buying that story? What school district superintendent would think, “We can’t let this career high school teacher and administrator, who has never served in any capacity as a principal, slip through our fingers. “We need to make this person, who until only recently had my job, our middle school principal and we need her to figure out how to be a principal while serving as my subordinate in the central office.” Anybody who thinks this arrangement is going to last is out of their minds. It’s our educated guess that Carol Baker is being brought back to resume her old job, when Supt. Kristopher Rivera’s contract expires or sooner. We say sooner, because we also have an educated guess that any other superintendent faced with such a predicament would be looking for the nearest exit. But, this is the kind of situation we’ve come to expect from a politically controlled school board that has so little regard for the public that it will hire the first pal it can find rather than conduct a bona fide search for what would appear to be a critical administrative position. It’s going to take a very special kind of person, indeed, to learn how to be a middle school principal – at a school that has seen a parade of principals in recent years – while also overseeing important central office matters. In fact, we can’t ever recall seeing such a Frankenstein’s monster of a job in all our years covering schools. Add to it all the fact that this administrator was hired for District 103’s top job by an earlier version of this politically controlled school board, shown the door when that majority was tossed out and then rehired when political control was restored and you have a genuinely dismal situation. District 103 voters, this is what you said you wanted, and brother are you getting it.

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

Pro baseball hopeful trying to stay sharp at home

‘T

ake me out to the ballgame!” If you only could. While most of us baseball fans are moaning that we can’t see our favorite teams in action live or on TV, we must remember the players themselves who are not working right now. I don’t refer to the big leaguers, who are hunkering down in comfort, but those minor league players who were looking forward to this season to show their stuff. Take, for example, Riverside resident Will Kincanon, who played baseball at RiversideBrookfield High School where his skills were recognized by pro scouts and colleges alike. Choosing to attend college, he played at Indiana State University, leaving in his junior year to enter the Major League draft. In 2017, in the 11th round, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox. The rookie was sent to Great Falls, Montana, and worked his way up in 2019 to the roster of the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Sound familiar? They once had a man named Michael Jordan on their roster. Kincanon was looking forward to this season after having a successful 2019. The right-handed pitcher (he

bats left-handed) was throwing balls clocked at 97 mph. So what does a player do as he waits for his season starts up? He maintains a strict schedule of training six days a week, including cardio and whatever else works for him. While there are not many options for him to do formal training, but he keeps in touch with the team, particularly his pitching coach, and looks forward to what’s coming next. Being home, he realizes how much he appreciates the training and support he received while in high school. Kincanon says he is thankful for his family and friends for all their support and everything that is Riverside. In the meantime, he will wait to see what happens next, and when the call comes he will be ready. He hopes to hear something in mid-June and may be going back to Arizona for training camp. I saw Will tossing the ball with his dad, Bill, in the park when he was a little boy, and I watched him pitch some good games while at RB. I look forward to continue following his career with the Sox. I may even switch, when Will is playing, to being a Sox fan, although I bleed Cubbie blue. Let’s play ball! Nothing but strikes, Will.

JOANNE KOSEY

LETTERS

Did D103 actually ask for Lyons’ help? Just out of curiosity, when did Elementary School District 103 request the village of Lyons for improvements on Joliet Avenue, including planters, which the district will have to maintain forever, and which will cost the District $45,000 per the intergovernmental agreement? Given their proximity to the street, does the location and design of those planters on the parkway (over which the district has no input or control per the agreement) pose a potential hazard to traffic on Joliet Avenue and subsequent liability for the district? Are the addition of those planters and the associated costs of purchasing and replacing plants, plus ongoing maintenance including water, labor and plant care products, a defensible expenditure of funds at a time when the district is cutting personnel to save money? Who made this request to the village and what was the scope of the request? The superintendent? The board? And, if so, where is the record of a roll call vote in the board’s meeting minutes where this request (not the resultant agreement) was initially discussed and approved to go forward to the village by the board? Or did one or more board members act in violation of the School Code and their oath of office as “lone wolves” in pursuing this matter? Normally, a project costing $45,000 would trigger School Code bidding requirements, which this agreement boot

scoots around. In addition, this agreement does not allow the district to ascertain whether the cost of the improvements is reasonable or not, nor to verify that the contractors hired by the village are not debarred and have the requisite insurance and bonding. The agreement also does not provide the district with any means to ensure that agreement project-associated contractor and vendor employees onsite on district property have met the requirements of the School Code pertaining to background checks. Finally, giving the village sole discretion over the satisfactory completion of the work as the agreement does, implies that the final inspection and approval of the work will be performed and granted by village of Lyons Building Department inspectors. According to the 2020 Village of Lyons PA 097-0609, two of the three building inspectors employed by Lyons may have the potential for conflicts of interest, one being a District 103 board member and the other, the spouse of a district board member. Given that the board member just mentioned is alleged to have violated board policies related to meeting procedures and the district is currently the subject of two separate Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor Requests For Review regarding possible Open Meetings Act violations, concern over a possible breach of fiduciary duty to the district arising from a conflict of interest is not unreasonable.

Toni Parker

Casselberry, Florida Toni Parker is a former longtime Lyons resident.

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

OBITUARIES

Paul E. Bednarz, 74

Had long a career in public safety Former longtime Riverside resident Paul E. Bednarz, 74, died peacefully at his home in Kennesaw, Georgia, on May 15, 2020. Mr. Bednarz was born Nov.2, 1945 at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. He spent the majority of his working career in public service. Mr. Bednarz also helped run the family business, Bednarz Ace Hardware in Riverside. Mr. Bednarz started his public safety career as a dispatcher with the Riverside Police Department and later became a police officer in North Riverside, where he retired a detective. He was also a member of the Riverside Fire Department, earning the rank of lieutenant. After retiring, he moved to Kennesaw, Georgia. At the age of 58, he joined the Mountain Park Georgia Volunteer Fire Department with his son, Paul A. Bednarz. Mr. Bednarz again earned the rank of lieutenant with that department and later began working for First Responder for Events EMS, a company in Atlanta providing emergency medical care to every major sports venue. He worked there with his son, Paul, often riding in the back of the ambulance with his son, a paramedic, when he had to transport a patient to the hospital. He thoroughly enjoyed working to help people. He was always willing to do what he could to help. Mr. Bednarz enjoyed vacationing in south Florida at the family’s villa. He loved to fish and ride in his convertible. Mr. Bednarz is survived by his wife, Maryann Bednarz; his sons Paul A. Bednarz, John Bednarz, and David Bednarz; three grandchildren; one great grandchild; his brother, Anthony L. (Marianne) Bednarz; and three nieces and one nephew; Krista Varady, Lisa Gentile, Charles Bednarz and Paula Savino. He was cremated at Lakeside Funeral Home in Woodstock, Georgia. There will be a memorial service at a later date.

Eleanor L. Carroll, 97 Retired accountant

Eleanor L. Carroll (nee Goetz), 97, of Brookfield, died May 18, 2020 in Lombard. Born Jan. 21, 1923 in Chicago, Ms. Carroll was a retired accountant for an insurance company. She enjoyed crafting, sewing, crosswords, gardening and baking. She was a parishioner of St. Barbara Church and was a former Girl Scout and Boy Scout leader. Ms. Carroll was the wife of the late Edward R. Carroll; the mother of Edward “Bud” Carroll of Brookfield, Mike (Julie) Carroll of East Moline and Eileen (Larry) Wojcik of Darien; Grandma of Amy (James) Wescom, Daniel (Erin) Carroll, Michelle Wojcik, Jacqueline Wojcik; great grandma of Molly, Henry and Abby; and the sister of the late Frank (Lu) Goetz, Elizabeth (Leonard) Zeck and William Goetz. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, friends and caregivers.

Due to COVID-19 regulations, all funeral services will be private. Private entombment is at Queen of Heaven Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations would be appreciated to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org). A celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. Online condolences may be offered to the family at JohnsonNosek.com.

David P. Gentile Sr., 75

belle May and Frankie May; and the sister of the late John J. Chyna, Jr. and Joseph Chyna. Due to COVID-19 regulations, services and interment are private for immediate family only. Interment is at Woodlawn Cemetery, Forest Park. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Elsie L. Konoff family.

Certified public accountant

Kathleen E. Lewis, 73

David P. Gentile Sr., 75, of Riverside, died May 22, 2020 in LaGrange Park. Mr. Gentile was born Dec. 11, 1944 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was retired from a career as a certified public accountant. He was the husband of Dolores (nee Rabner); the father of David (Sheila) Gentile and Debra Kummer; the grandfather of Sarah Gentile, Emily Gentile, David Kummer and Kyle Kummer; and the brother of Michael (Celeste) Gentile and Steve (Sue) Ciullo. Private cremation services have been held. A memorial service will be announced in December. Memorials to Next Steps Chicago would be appreciated. Kuratko-Nosek Funeral Home, North Riverside, handled arrangements. Online condolences may be offered to the family at KuratkoNosek.com.

Kathleen E. Lewis (nee Yagnisis), 73, of North Riverside, died May 16, 2020. Ms. Lewis was born May 14, 1947 in Chicago and worked as a check printer for company called Deluxe. She was the mother of Shawn (Linda) Lewis and Kelly (Ryan) Monahan; the grandmother of Bridget (Matt), Tyler, Mackenzie, Aidan, Andrew, Colette and Daniel; the sister of James (Mary) Yagnisis, Tom (late Jean) Yagnisis, Ted (Wendy) Yagnisis and Stella (Jeff) Ashen; and the aunt of numerous nieces and nephews. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, all services are private. Memorial donations to Harmony House for Cats www.hhforcats.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital www.stjude.org are appreciated. Kuratko-Nosek Funeral Home, North Riverside, handled arrangements.

Leslie Hyerdall, 92

Harold Lindberg, 81

Leslie Hyerdall, 92, of Brookfield, died May 18, 2020. He was the husband of Carol Hyerdall (nee Nesbitt); the father of Wendy (Jeff) Koller, Lisa (Charles) Vance and Brad (Linda) Hyerdall; the grandfather of Jason Koller, Anthony Koller, Chris (Amanda) Hyerdall, Ryan Hyerdall, Zachary Hyerdall, Kylie Hyerdall, Andrew Vance; and the great grandfather of four. Services and Interment are private. Memorials appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Leslie Hyerdall Family.

Harold Lindberg, 81, a longtime resident of Brookfield, died peacefully on May 14, 2020 of natural causes. Mr. Lindberg was born May 27, 1938. He received degrees from Carthage College, Chicago Theological Seminary and Andrews University and was a scholar of world religions. He was a devoted member of the Chicago Branch of Tensho-Kotai-Jingu-Kyo. He was retired after spending over 25 years teaching in Chicago Public Schools. Mr. Lindberg was the brother of Sandra (Frank) Lovisa and the late James L Lindberg; brother-in-law to Beverly Lindberg; and uncle to Steve Lovisa, Laura Lovisa Gallagher, Randy Lindberg and Lisa Lindberg, and devoted friend to many. Services and interment were private at Woodlawn Cemetery, Forest Park. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Harold Lindberg Family.

Brookfield resident

Elsie L. Konoff, 85 Accounting clerk

Elsie L. Konoff (nee Chyna), 85, of Cicero, died May 18, 2020. Ms. Konoff was born April 20, 1935 and worked as an accounting clerk. She was the wife of the late Alexander Konoff; the mother of Susan Lewandowski, Sally (Timothy) Kelly, Sandra (Dale) Wallner and Michael (DonnaMarie) Konoff; the grandmother of Krista (Matthew) Peacock, Kurt Lewandowski, Karl Lewandowski, Kara Lewandowski, Alyssa Kelly, Molly (Ryan) May, Rachel (fiancé Keegan Buttimer) Kelly, Katie Wallner, Kelly Wallner, Alexander Konoff and Niko Konoff; the great grandmother of Isa-

Check printer

Scholar of world religions

Ethel Marousek, 96

Won Boy Scouts’ Silver Beaver Award Ethel L. Marousek (nee Carlson), 96, of North Riverside, died May 21, 2020. Ms. Marousek was born Aug. 18, 1923. She worked as a customer service representative for a retail sales company and was a longtime member of Pathway to Adventure Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The council also

bestowed on her the Silver Beaver Award, given to those “of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service within a council.” She was the wife of the late James “Jim” F. Marousek Jr.; the mother of Gregg J. (Karen Domenico) Marousek and the late Janet L. (James) Fredenburg; the grandmother of Robert Renzas II; the great grandma of Thomas and Genevieve; and the sister of the late Beatrice Spillane and Edwin E. Carlson. Due to COVID-19 regulations, the family has elected to keep all services and interment private. Interment is at Mt. Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst. In lieu of flowers, memorials appreciated to Unity Lutheran Church of Berwyn or charity of your choice. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Ethel Marousek Family.

Mary G. Mathews, 89 Brookfield Zoo tour guide

Mary G. Mathews (nee McLoughlin), 89, of North Riverside, died May 15, 2020. Born October 9, 1930, in Dublin, Ireland, Mrs. Mathews worked at a number of jobs in Ireland, England and the United States, most memorably at a theater in the West End of London and at Brookfield Zoo, where her soft Irish accent charmed customers as she narrated the motor safari ride. She was an avid reader, an indefatigable walker and a great friend to many. Her greatest pride were her grandchildren, and she rarely missed a game, concert or other event in which they participated. Ms. Mathews was the wife of the late Arthur Mathews; the mother of John (Meaghan) Mathews and Brian Mathews; the grandmother of Liam, Ciaran and Finbar Mathews; the sister of Noeleen (the late Martin) O’Flaherty, the late Lilian (the late Roy) Benson, the late Joan (the late Alex) Staerck, and the late William (the late Eileen) McLoughlin; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews. There will be a memorial service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to Building Blocks Preschool (c/o St. Paul’s Parish in Riverside) or to the North Riverside Public Library would be greatly appreciated.

Donna J. Topczewski, 81 Cicero resident

Donna Jean Topczewski, 81, of Cicero, died May 17, 2020. She was the wife of James; the mother of Deborah, Kim (John) MacDonald, James and Bridget Topczewski; the grandmother of Daniel, Robert, Lena, and Taylor; the great grandmother of Isaac; and the sister of Robert, Margaret and the late Phillip Caruso. Private services have been held at Ivins/ Moravecek Funeral Home, Riverside. If you wish to send a sympathy card to the family, send to Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., Riverside, 60546, c/o the Topczewski Family.

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

KLICKER

Interim likely from page 1 trying to build around here,” said Village Manager Timothy Wiberg at the time of his hiring. On June 8, Klicker begins his new job as community development director for the village of Wheeling, a town of roughly 38,000 people that spans Cook and Lake counties in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. “It wasn’t something I was seeking; I was recruited for it,” said Klicker of the new job. “But, quite honestly, with its proximity to my residence and family factors, it was something I needed to do at this time.” Klicker was born and raised in the northwest suburbs, and for the seven years prior to coming to Brookfield, he was the economic development coordinator for the village of Niles, about 12 miles down Milwaukee Avenue from Wheeling. “I’ve grown up seeing the changes there,”

OUTDOOR DINING Plans in the works from page 1 According to Village President Ben Sells, so far two Riverside restaurants – The Chew Chew, 33 E. Burlington St., and La Barra, 2 E. Burlington St. -- have indicated they will be opening tables for outdoor dining as early as Friday, May 29. While restaurants in North Riverside and Brookfield also will gain the ability to serve diners in outdoor settings, Riverside is the first to establish a way for areas such as on-street parking spaces to be used for such a purpose. “We’re drafting this kind of loose to give as much empowering authority to staff so they don’t have to run back to the board for every plan,” said Ben Sells. “We’re saying to the restaurants, we’re doing everything we can within the parameters set by the governor to give you as many tables as possible.”

BEST BUDDIES ‘Such an honor’ from page 10 The RBHS Best Buddies Club also won Chapter of the Year in Illinois in 2009 and was recognized as an outstanding chapter in 2008. The RBHS chapter was founded in 2005 by former RBHS social worker Mari Mortensen. Approximately 130 students at RBHS were members of the Best Buddies club this year, making it the largest club at the high school.

line for the position, Wheeling’s Klicker said. “My whole life community development director is in the northwest suburbs. oversees a staff of about dozen I want to keep the ball rolling employees and a $1.8 million deand make it better for those partmental budget. At the low end, coming after me in the norththe advertised starting pay was west suburbs.” about $150,000. Klicker said he knew next to In Brookfield, Klicker oversees nothing about Brookfield bea handful of staff and was paid fore arriving last fall, but added $112,500. He was involved in a that he quickly recognized its number of important initiatives potential and grew very fond of ROSS KLICKER during his short time in Brookthe village. The village, he said, field, the most high-profile of needs to reach people like him, members of Brookfield Zoo from other parts which was winning village board approval of the metro area who otherwise don’t real- to fund a redevelopment study for Ogden Avenue. ize what the village has to offer visitors. Earlier this year, Klicker issued a request “We’d visit the zoo and either picnic in the car or drive to the closest place we ran into, for proposals from firms to lead that planwhich was always the McDonald’s at 31st ning effort. The village received 16 responsand Wolf Road, never knowing what was ad- es, but the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed jacent to the zoo,” Klicker said. “Brookfield the effort. A decision on who will lead the is a great little town with great restaurants, Ogden Avenue study will now fall to Wiberg, an arts community and people. I’ve been Village Planner Elyse Vukelich and perhaps blown away by its architectural variety and a consultant who will oversee day-to-day operations of the department during a search community engagement. The message of for Klicker’s replacement. Brookfield needs to be brought out there.” Vukelich will also lead a newer initiative According to a job description posted on-

to examine Brookfield zoning code to modernize it and bring it in line with the village’s development goals. A new initiative to establish a marketing plan and shopper rewards program to help stimulate local commerce as it emerges from the COVID-19 shutdown will also need attention. Wiberg said he planned to reach out to Martin Bourke, who served as the interim community development director last summer during the search that resulted in Klicker’s appointment, to see if he was interested in working again as a consultant. A search for a new community development director is likely to take at least three months. Wiberg said he was disappointed by Klicker’s decision, particularly given his short tenure in Brookfield. “Wheeling has things going on that make it attractive, but I expressed disappointment he’d accept another job and leave so quickly,” Wiberg said. “When you have good people, you know this can happen, but you don’t expect it to happen so quickly. “My job now is to get the right chef in the kitchen.”

Scott Zimmer, owner of The Chew Chew, told the Landmark on Tuesday morning that he hoped to begin setting up 12 tables outside of the restaurant, both on the sidewalk next to the restaurant and in the parking spaces on East Burlington Street immediately in front of the business. He and his staff met on Memorial Day to hammer out plans and procedures for outdoor dining after getting guidelines from the governor on Sunday. “At this time, every table we can use is a win,” said Zimmer, whose restaurants, The Chew and Sawmilly, located next door, have been serving customers via carryout and delivery since Pritzker prohibited indoor dining on March 17. “We’re doing our best to adjust on short notice and do it safely.” Zimmer said The Chew Chew is getting outdoor dining tables donated to the restaurant temporarily by Morton College, which has also offered to transport them to the site and set them up. The restaurant and Morton College have a relationship going back years, said Zimmer, and that when officials heard Zimmer

was looking to open for outdoor dining, they offered to let him use furniture not in use at the college, whose campus is closed at this time due to the pandemic. In addition to the tables outdoors, Zimmer said The Chew Chew will also be able to serve diners at five tables inside the restaurant, since the governor’s guidelines allow indoor spaces to be used if they are located next to an exterior wall where at least 50 percent of window coverings can be removed. “We have five indoor tables that can be used even in a downpour,” Zimmer said. Zimmer has also submitted building permits for a new outdoor dining area on a brick paver patio immediately east of the building where The Chew Chew is located. That dining area has been in the works for about a year, and the village board earlier this month approved design changes for the space, which will incorporate requirements for social distancing. “We’re going to start with the 12 outdoor tables and five interior ones,” Zimmer said. “Once we have that working, we’ll be able to expand [with the new patio seating]

and get even more dining space.” Sells said the village would seek to close the sidewalk on the south side of East Burlington Street in front of The Chew Chew/ Sawmilly during dinner hours. “We don’t want people walking back and forth through the dining area,” Sells said. Caesar Melidis, general manager of La Barra Ristorante, said final details were still being worked out for that restaurant, which fronts both East Burlington Street and Longcommon Road. Sell said the village would be open to La Barra putting some tables on the sidewalk area closer to Longcommon Road in addition to the outdoor tables the restaurant has under cover next to the building along Longcommon Road. The village also likely would allow tables on the sidewalk along East Burlington Street, said Sells, although that might require removing some benches in the public right of way temporarily. According to Sells, La Barra was not considering using parking spaces on East Burlington Street as those are used by carryout customers.

The club normally hosts an event every month. They had a picnic mixer to start the school year, a fieldhouse event, made a World Smile Day video, hosted a Pack the Place Special Olympics basketball game between teams from RBHS at Lyons Township High School, and took a trip to Enchanted Castle in Lombard in January. Security guard Rich Polfus has been a special friend of the Best Buddies club since he began working at RBHS in 2017. “A special shout out to Rich Polfus for his amazing fundraising events and continuous support,” Soprych wrote. “This money has helped us with various events and, most importantly, has allowed us to offer a Best Bud-

dies scholarship for students who are going into special education of disability rights.” The Central School Best Buddies Club just got started this year. Its lead sponsor is fourth-grade teacher Kelly Lyson, who was the co-president of the RBHS Best Buddies club at RBHS during the 2009-10 school year when her name was Kelly Sherman. Lyson was thrilled when she got word on May 14 that the Central club was named the best elementary school chapter in Illinois. “It’s crazy,” Lyson said of being named best elementary school chapter in the state in the clubs first year of existence. “It’s such an honor and it was such an honor to hear about it.”

There are only 29 elementary schools in Illinois with Best Buddies clubs, said Adam Wilt, the director of Best Buddies Illinois. Wilt is a resident of Riverside and is the son of Riverside Township Supervisor Vera Wilt. The Best Buddies Club at Central was popular right away, with 88 students joining the club this year. “Our biggest issue was trying to find a big enough space to house all of the club members,” Lyson said. Last year, the Best Buddies club at L.J. Hauser Junior High School won the best middle school Best Buddies chapter in Illinois award.

Sports

@RBLandmark

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

With help from Fenwick, military family reunites Girls soccer honors Military Appreciation Month By JAMES KAY Sports Editor

When he heard his doorbell ring early in the morning on May 19, 6-year-old Marlin Grant Jr. had no idea of the surprise he was about to receive. Greeted by members of Fenwick and Solorio high schools’ girls soccer teams, multiple media members and cameras outside in front of his home, Grant Jr. (nicknamed “MJ”) heard a countdown from the small crowd. “Three! Two! One!” Pealing around the corner of his house was MJ’s father and U.S. Marine, Marlin Sr. on the bike the soccer players assembled for MJ. Even with the excitement in receiving a new bike, MJ ran over to get a hug from dad, whom he hadn’t seen with Marlin Sr.’s travel-heavy schedule. “If you haven’t been in a military family, you don’t think about what a military kid goes through,” said Joe Trost, the founder of PepsiCo Showdown which helped organize the event. “You hear stories where dad couldn’t make graduation because he had to spend it at base or the family has to move six times in nine years. We wanted to do something for those kids.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOE TROST

TOGETHER AGAIN: U.S. Marine Marlin Grant Sr. surprised his son on May 19 when he returned to the Grant family residence.

Over the last year, PepsiCo Showdown, which brings high school sports teams together from different areas for tournaments and charitable off-the-field events, has been planning out a campaign to honor military families for Military Appreciation Month. For last year’s PepsiCo Showdown tournament, Trost and company brought bike parts and manuals for the teams to assemble bikes for the children of the military families. The Grants were obvious candidates to be recipients of the campaign. Marlin Sr. has been a Marine for the last 12 years, including a tour of duty in Afghanistan. During his time of service, he received the Presidential Service Badge and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. For a time, Marlin Sr. was assigned to the White House, where he would meet his wife Shela, who is also a Marine. She now works as a police officer at the Department of Veteran Affairs after working as part of the Presidential Helicopter Squadron for four years. On top of the service provided by Shela and Marlin Sr., MJ and his cousin, Victor, didn’t own bikes, making the Grant family a perfect match for the campaign. The event’s press release stated that they wanted to give Victor a bike as well so that “they can ride together.” On the day of the event, members Fenwick and Solorio’s socPHOTO PROVIDED BY JOE TROST cer teams talked with MJ about FRESH WHEELS: Fenwick’s girls soccer team and Marlin Grant Jr. pose with his new his dad right before the grand bike that the Friars assembled last April. reveal.

“MJ and his cousin [Victor] were so funny,” said Fenwick junior Anna Mulcahy. “We asked him what his dad was like and he said that his dad wears a uniform and a lot of buttons. He made sure to tell us [Marlin Sr.] wears a belt which we all laughed at.” While Trost and Mulcahy said that MJ has a big personality, he was a little camera-wary with all the media members pointing their lenses at him. Still, he shook off his timidity and went for a ride on his new bike. “He was very sweet and polite,” said Mulcahy. “It was a great moment to be a part of.”

Fenwick players also reunite The Grant family wasn’t the only group that reconvened after time apart. While the whole team wasn’t there due to scheduling conflicts with AP testing, seven Friars showed up to support the cause. It was the first time the team members had seen each other since their season was suspended four days before the first game. “It went from hard practices and going 100 miles per hour to the season being canceled and stopping at zero miles per hour,” said assistant coach Dan Hussey. “I felt so bad for the seniors and everyone on this team because they put a lot of time in to prepare for this season. But you have to give them credit. They understood the situation and took the right attitude. I also think it says a lot about them to show up early in the morning and come through for this [event]. They are still have class and AP testing. Even if we didn’t have the entire team there, I think it meant something to them to do this.” Mulcahy echoed a similar sentiment. “We’ve gotten to see each other over some [Zoom video conferencing calls], but it’s not the same,” said Mulcahy. “With social distancing too, we wanted to give [MJ] a hug and give each other hugs. But when we saw each other yesterday, we were super happy. Our team is really close.”

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

RBLANDMARK.COM New local ads this week

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River Forest Public Schools District 90 Student Support Services - Vacancies for the 2020-2021 School Year District 90 is seeking qualified and experienced student support educators for the following positions: â€˘ Special Education Multi Needs Instructional Teacher (Roosevelt Middle School) â€˘ Special Education Support Teacher (Willard Elementary School) â€˘ Special Education Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Coordinator (All D90 Schools) â€˘ English Language Learners Teacher â€“ Part-time (Roosevelt Middle School) â€˘ Speech and Language Pathologist (Roosevelt Middle School) â€˘ Social Worker - Part-time (Willard Elementary School) For detailed qualifications requirements and job duties, please visit our website at https://www.district90.org/about/ employment for our complete list of employment opportunities.

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The Landmark, May 27, 2020

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PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, on Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. by telephone audio conference and / or in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois. Pursuant to the Illinois Governor’s Executive Orders and disaster declarations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, physical attendance at the public hearing may not be available, or may be limited to no more than 10 individuals, with Zoning Board of Appeals members, staff and consultants having priority over members of the public. Public testimony and comments regarding the subjects of the public hearing may be made by telephone during the hearing, and written public testimony and comments submitted to the Zoning Board of Appeals before the hearing will be entered into the public hearing record. You may submit your public testimony and comments via email in advance of the public hearing by 12:00 pm on Thursday June 11, 2020 to Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at lscheiner@vrf.us. You may listen to the hearing and participate by a telephone conference call as follows, dial-in number: 1-312626-6799 with meeting id: 861 1999 2667. If you would like to participate over the phone, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner by telephone at (708) 7143554 or by email at lscheiner@vrf. us by 12:00 pm on Thursday, June 11, 2020. The purpose of the public hearing is to consider the following text amendments to the Village’s Zoning Ordinance: Additions and amendments to the definition of “home occupations” in Section 10-3-1 regarding “home kitchen operations,” as defined in Section 3.6 of the Illinois Food Handling Regula-

tion Enforcement Act, 410 ILCS 625/3.6. Additions and amendments under consideration include whether to heighten, or lessen, the requirements for a home kitchen operation to operate as a home occupation, including whether a special use permit must first be obtained and whether performance standards for this use will be modified and / or added. The additions and amendments to the Village of River Forest Zoning Ordinance include, but are not be limited to, those described above, and such other regulations as the Zoning Board of Appeals and/or Village President and Board of Trustees may determine are appropriate. The petitioner for the Text Amendments is the Village President and Board of Trustees. This public hearing is being held pursuant to direction given by the Village President and Board of Trustees for the Zoning Board of Appeals to consider these amendments, for additional information visit www.vrf.us. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record at the hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeals. For further information or for a copy of the proposed text amendments, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at (708) 714-3554 or at lscheiner@vrf.us or visit www.vrf.us. Sincerely, Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals

Published in Wednesday Journal 5/27/2020

Starting a New Business?

Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

Notice is hereby given by the Village of Oak Park of the availability of an estimated $162,107 in Program Year 2019 Community Development Block Grant-Corona Virus (CDBG-CV) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. To non-profit agencies serving primarily low- and moderate-income Oak Park residents (at least 51% of the total proposed project clientele), the Village is calling for CDBG-CV Public Services applications. Each proposed project must be an eligible CDBG project. The application period is from May 27 to 5 p.m., June 10, 2020. No late submittals will be accepted. To obtain application materials or for more information, send a message to Mark Dwyer, Grants Supervisor, at grants@ oak-park.us. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed. Published in Wednesday Journal May 27, 2020

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Thursday 11 June 2020, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Zoning Board of Appeals will conduct a public hearing to consider a request for an amendment to the Special Use granted by Ordinance No. O-24-04, as amended, to allow for certain site improvements, including but not limited to a reduction in onsite parking and traffic circulation, construction of an outdoor recreational field, and reconfiguration of stormwater management in the Community Business District 2 (B-2) on the following described property: LOT 1 IN CHICAGO GUARANTEE SURVEY COMPANY THE PROVISO MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE ACADEMY PLAT OF SUBDIVISION, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED MARCH 19, 2009 AS DOCUMENT NO. 090718040, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 8601 W. Roosevelt Road, Forest Park, Illinois. PIN(s):

15-14-400-013-000

The applicant is Township High Schools District 209 Due to COVID-19, limits on group assembly and social distancing requirements are being utilized. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals will be conducting the hearing via Zoom and a limited amount of people will be allowed to physically attend the hearing. In light of recent changes to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, alternative public testimony options have also been instituted. Information regarding these options and how to access the hearing via Zoom can be obtained at http://www. forestpark.net/dfp/. If you have any questions please contact the Director of Health and Safety, Steve Glinke at sglinke@forestpark.net. Signed: Kerry McBride, Acting Chair Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Forest Park Review 5/27/2020

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2020 Lead Water Service Replacement Program Bid Number: 20-127

Bid forms may be obtained from the Village of Oak Park website, http://www.oak-park.us/bid. Bid documents may be viewed at the Public Works Customer Service Center at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the contact person, Water and Sewer Superintendent, James Eggen, jeggen@oak-park.us . The deadline for questions is 8:00 A.M. on Friday, June 12, 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 1:00 P.M. on Monday, June 15, 2020. All bidders will be required to submit Bid Security in the form of a Certified Check, Cashier’s Check or a Bid Bond in the amount of Ten percent (10%) of the Base Bid, payable to the Village of Oak Park. The successful bidder will be required to post performance security and to provide a certificate of insurance as set forth in the bid package. This contract shall be subject to the provisions of the Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS130/1 et seq.) to the extent required by law.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700. Published in Wednesday Journal May 27, 2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST; Plaintiff, vs. LORNA J. RANKER; CHARLES K. RANKER; CITIZENS BANK NA; Defendants, 18 CH 2459 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-17-327-034-0000. Commonly known as 1185 S. LOMBARD AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60304. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Mr. Ira T. Nevel at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 18-04613 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150861

Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-034750 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150870

out recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Case # 18 CH 12736 I3150458

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION AM SOLUTIONS LLC; Plaintiff, vs. ARIEL CHAPMON; TAJ CHAPMON; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 7196 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-10-431-012-0000. Commonly known as 830 South 16th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 3609455. W19-0247 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3150866 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS TRUSTEE FOR TOWD POINT MASTER FUNDING TRUST 2018-PM16 Plaintiff, vs. GRADY RIVERS AKA GRADY A. RIVERS, JR.; GLENDA L. RIVERS AKA GLENDA RIVERS; Defendants, 18 CH 11332 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-11-317-010-0000. Commonly known as 406 South 7th Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. The successful purchaser is entitled to possession of the property only. The purchaser may only obtain possession of units within the multi-unit property occupied by individuals named in the order of possession.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 9, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car garage. Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and with-

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. Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review

The Landmark, May 27, 2020

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

2341 Hainsworth, North Riverside $219,000

3517 Hollywood Ave, Brookfield $349,000

1618 Forest Rd, LaGrange Park $374,900

276 Lionel Rd, Riverside $375,000

539 Selborne Rd, Riverside $419,000

428 Loudon Rd, Riverside $425,000

330 Northwood Rd, Riverside $529,000

192 Waubansee Rd, Riverside $549,900

100 Fairbank Rd, Riverside $599,995

74 Woodside, Riverside $599,999

465 Uvedale Rd, Riverside $645,000

82 Lawton Rd, Riverside $710,000

321 Delaplaine Rd, Riverside $825,000

329 Scottswood Rd, Riverside $1,059,000

151 Bloomingbank Rd, Riverside $1,200,000

WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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