Volunteers clean up Brook eld for Project NICE
‘Neighbors inv clean environme went to wor
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
Every year, volunteers in Brookfield gather one s pring Saturday ear morning to c ome to g ether and fy the town, cleaning up trash, sowing new p lants and kee ping thing name suggests, nice.
“Project NICE is a cleanup day for the whole c ommunity. It started over 30 years ago by c ommissioners looking to have more residents involved in a cleaner c ommunity,” Vi llage Trustee Katie K aluzny told the L andmark.
Planned gden Ave. dispensary moves to village board
“‘Neighbors Involved in a C lean Environment’ is wh at NICE stands for. It ’s evolved over the year s. Di ff erent sites need more maintenance than others. ” Kaluzny, who is the village board’s liaison to Brookfield’s beautification com-
mission, which hosts the annual ef fort, said the exact activities depend on the time of year Project NICE is held and the conditions day-of.
She said this year’s event, held Saturday, May 16, was the second time Brookfield had partnered with members of the
Salt Creek Watershed Network. Eight or nine volunteers cleaned up the portions of Salt Creek that run through town, she said.
“They met at Village Hall, and we used
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
The plan to open a cannabis dispensary on Ogden Avenue in Brookfield has passed through the village’s planning and zoning commission with flying colors.
The commission’s six members on Thursday, May 28, unanimously voted to advance the dispensary’s application for a special use permit to the village board at its next committee of the
TODD BANNOR A father w ith his young daughter pick up trash along the Metra platform during Brook eld’s Project Nice spring cleanup on May 16.
Brook eld bank acquires local bank in Waukegan
President Phil Richard expects to complete the merger by the year’s end
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
The First National Bank of Brookfield is getting a big sister.
The bank’s holding company, Brookfield Bancshares, is set to acquire North Shore Trust and Savings, a local bank based in Waukegan, and its own holding compan NSTS Bancor p. North Shore announced the ag reement, valued at about lion, in a press release on May 12.
“We love Brookfield. We’ve been in Brookfield since 1962. [We’re a] good, oldfashioned community bank, but finding ourselves competing throughout Chicagoland ag ainst a lot of the big banks. In banking, it helps to have a little bit more size and scale to give your customers the best products and the services they deserve,” Phil Richard, the president and CEO of the First National Bank of Brookfield, told the Landmark.
“This is our rst acquisition, so (it was) something we really thoug ht long and hard about.”
PHIL RICHARD President and CEO
“North Shore is a ve bank. T pen to be an hour the area, but a community savings i nstitution, ” he said. “Their management team is getting a little bit older, but they still wanted to keep a community bank in the Waukegan area, so we thought it was a really good fit.”
Richard said Brookfield Bancshares, while run by the same staff as the First National Bank of Brookfield, will officially operate the two “sister banks.”
North Shore, which opened in 1921, will retain its own branding and operations, Richard said. According to the press release, stockholders of NSTS Bancorp will receive $14.28 per share they own, and its shares will no longer trade on Nasdaq Richard said the deal has been in the works for “a little over a year.”
First National
Bank of Br ook eld
“Much like real estate, there are investment advisors that alert banks when other banks are for sale. It was brought to our attention that way, and we started to look into it and took our time. [We wanted] to make sure this is the right thing for us. This is our first acquisition, so [it was] something we really thought long and hard about,” he said. “Finally, with a lot of work, we made it happen; at least, we have signed a definitive ag reement to make it happen, and now we go through a few more months of procedures to make it final.”
Those procedures require Brookfield Bancshares to submit an application to acquire NSTS Bancorp and North Shore to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, an independent re gulatory body within the United States Department of the Treasury.
“We have to fill out an application and produce some projections and plans and things like that of what we’re going to do moving forward, and the regulators look at it,” Richard said. “[North Shore is] also a
public company, so they have a variety of things they need to do as a public company being sold. They need to go through some steps to get shareholder approval and all those good things.”
Richard said he expects the deal to close by the end of the year.
“You never know how long things are going to take, but that’s what we’re thinking: definitely before year end,” he said.
He said the deal should only bring positive effects to the services that local customers receive from the First National Bank of Brookfield.
“We recently launched a new website. We’ve gotten all the mobility products out there. There’s a lot happening with AI and things like that,” Richard said. “Banking is rapidly becoming much more driven by phones, tablets and computers than it is folks coming into the physical location, but we still think it’s important to have a viable physical location in these communities … The combination is very important to us, and this helps us do those things better.”
ww.RBLandmark.com
Brook eld set to increase water costs by 4%
e new rate will cover costs to replace lead lines and the water commission’s hike
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
Brookfield village trustees may approve increasing the price of water in town by 4.13%, or $0.67 per thousand gallons, for the following year at their next village board meeting
Officials discussed the water rate increase at the board’s committee of the whole meeting on May 26. Village Engineer Derek Treichel and Finance Director Doug Cooper said the proposed water rate increase is comprised of two parts: $0.12 per thousand g allons is being passed along from the Brookfield-North Riverside Water Commission while $0.55 per thousand g allons re presents the village’s ef for ts to pay for the re placement of its lead water service lines in accordance with state and federal law.
T he $0.12 increase from the water commission will cover increased operational costs as well as the increase in the price the commission must pay to the city of Chicago for water from Lake Michig an, Cooper said.
“We’ re somewhat at the mercy of the water commission but more so at the mercy of the city of Chicago. We g et our water from the lake, and when the city of Chicago has budg et problems, they know they have a captive audience,” Village President Michael Garvey said. “They can increase their water rates to the commission, which then has to pass it onto us, and then we have to pass it onto the residents.”
T he $0.55 portion of the increase is one of three that will need to be made through 2028 so Brookfield can begin to pay back the 30-year zero-interest loans it has received from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency since 2024, when it be g an re placing lead water service lines, Treichel said.
In total, Brookfield will take out $43.35 million in IEPA loans in order to finish re placing all lines by next year, Treichel said.
Unlike other municipalities, Brookfield took respon-
s lines. y, village rage s zero percent loan funding” — which does not cover lines where the homeowner pays to re place, or opts not to replace, the private portion — as possibl e, he said.
If homeowners had been required to replace their own private portions of lead water service lines, the averag e homeowner would have had to ante up about $15,000, Treichel said.
T he zero-interest loans, taken alto g ether, have a 30year re payment period, meaning Brookfield must pay back $1,445,000 per year over the term, Treichel said. With an average of 450 million g allons of water billed per year, the village must collect $3.21 per thousand g allons to pay of f the loans, he said.
In order to reach that figure, the village has a head start: In July 2022, officials approved a rate increase of $1.66 per thousand g allons to put toward re placing lead lines. That leaves a gap of $1.55 per thousand g allons.
In order to reach the full rate needed to pay back the lines, Cooper said Brookfield should increase its rate incrementally over the next three years. T he village will start with increasing the water rate by $0.55 per thousand g allons this year and then increase it by $0.50 per thousand gallons in 2027 and 2028, he said.
Treichel emphasized that the village’s costs to replace all of its lead service lines — a project officials expect to complete by the end of 2027, the same year where the state requires municipalities to start replacing the lines — is as low as it could have been. Due to early, proactive ef for ts to get the ball rolling, Brookfield secured very low bids in the first years of replacement, he said, with some bids coming in as low as 55% of the engineer’s estimate.
Additionally, the village’s initial water rate increase of $1.66 per thousand g allons “allowe d the village to ge t started and start leve raging some of the loan money ” from the IEPA, Treichel said.
He said officials o riginally expected to have to increase the water rate by about $5 per thousand g allons to pay for the lead water line re p lacements, a leap from the $3.21 per thousand g allons figure officials have n ow arrive d at
S hould the b oard approve the rate increase on Mond ay, June 8, C ooper said it will go i nto effect for bills i ssued after Ju ly 1, though the first bill will cove r water that was used in May and June.
Even with the f ull increase of $0.67 to $16.96 per thousand g allons, C ooper said Brookfield’s water rate will f all b elow those of North Rive rside, at $17.10 per thousand g allons, and L aGrange Pa rk , at $17.82 per thousand g allons, the other two municipal members of the Brookfield-North Rive rside Water C ommission. Westchester and Rive rside have even higher rates of $19.21 and $21.31 per thousand g allons, respective ly, he said.
TODD BANNOR
Strand Theater seeks permanent home for fall programming
e owner of Rodr iguez Auto Repair says he plan s to buy the building he now rents
By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter
The acting troupe behind the Strand Theater project in Brookfield is planning out its fall programming now, although the company still lacks a permanent home.
John Dumas, the leader of the Brookfield Theater Corporation that is trying to build a space for community theater in Brookfield, said the group is working to get the rights to multiple shows to perform before the end of the year.
But plans to move to a location on Fairview Avenue have become dicey as the building’s current tenant, Rodriguez Auto Repair, is now trying to purchase the building it has long rented.
“[The Strand has] scheduled an origi-
Saturday,June13th
nal show that one of the members of our troop is putting together that we’ll have up in September at some point, and then we plan on squeezing another show in there, probably in mid-October,” Dumas told the Landmark. “We plan on doing a Halloween program, sort of a haunted house … That’s something that used to happen in Brookfield years and years ago when I was a kid.”
He said the group also hopes to perform a licensed show in November before inviting a traveling troupe to perform their Christmas-themed show in Brookfield in December. A summer theater program for children could even materialize in the coming months, Dumas said, though he said the group “can’t commit to that” quite yet without a location.
Rodriguez Auto Repair, 8916 Fair view Ave.
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STRAND THEATER
Auto shop upstages
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“We figure we’re going to be somewhere starting Sept. 1, whether that’s on Fairview Avenue or another location,” Dumas said. “The Fairview property is still where we would like to be, but they have a tenant in there.Rodriguez Auto Re pair is still in there, and he’s got a lease through October.”
But Adelfo Rodriguez, the owner and operator of Rodriguez Auto Repair at 8916 Fairview Ave. since 2010, told the Landmark he’s in talks to purchase the building outright from its current owner.
“October is when the lease expires, but my landlord, the one who collects the rent, mentioned to us that the theater wasn’t doing the offer anymore. I called the owner ofthe building, and I spoke to the owner, not to the real estate guys, and we ag reed on a price that we’re trying to buy the place ourselves,” Rodriguez said.
He said he’s in talks with his bank to take out a loan to finance the purchase ofthe building, which would allow Rodriguez Auto Repair to stay open indefinitely.
are you going to move?’” he said. “Hopefully, everything works out, and we can get the building.”
Back to the Strand
“We’re definitely going to start full-time production in September, re gardless of where we end up,” Dumas. “At this point, we’re booked till the end ofthe year, as far as the theater part goes.”
He said the unstable situation with finding a location “hasn’t been ideal” to facilitate the work of theatrical production.
“I’ll be out of here in
years
seven
more,
so I’m thinking about leav ing the business to my son. ”
“You don’t just start a production, and you start doing shows. It’s eight weeks of rehearsals, and before that the director had to get ready, you have to get the rights, you have to have auditions … It’s a six-, nine-month process by the time you’re going,” he said. “We started working on stuf f already, but unfortunately, the building progress has not moved as quickly as we had hoped. We’re trying to balance it.”
ADELFO RODRIQUEZ Rodriguez Auto Repair
Rodriguez said he wasn’t initially interested in buying the building when he opened shop 16 years ago.
Dumas said the theater company’s member still feels like their work is “something that Brookfield wants.”
Earlier this month, the group performed a pared down version of“Jesus Christ Superstar,” the ‘70s rock oper a that recounts the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, Dumas said.
“We had three shows. About 200 people came out and saw it over the three shows. It was at the Compassion Factor y, which was wonderful,” he said.
T he show was initially scheduled to take place outside at Eight Corners, but they moved inside due to a forecast of rain, he said.
“There’s too limited parking for the business, so that’s why I wasn’t interested in buying this building. But my son started working with me; it’s been six years already, and he likes the place. That’s why I’m trying to buy the place, for him. Me, I’m 58, I’ll be out ofhere in seven years more, so I’m thinking about leaving the business to my son,” he said.
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After news broke in February that the Strand was hoping to move into the Fairview Avenue property by the start ofthis month, Rodriguez said many ofhis re gular customers asked him to stay in the area.
“I used to have my business in Oak Park. I’ve been here since 2010, and now Brookfield notices that I was here. I’ve been having a lot of customers, a lot ofseniors that were coming into the shop, and they’re very comfortable bringing their cars here. When they heard, they were like, ‘How far
“It was not the end. It was not really a big deal, and it worked out just fine. We were calling it a staged concert. ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ has 25 people in the cast; we had, like, 12, so wewere going about halfspeed,” he said. “It’s hard to do when you don’t have a place. We were rehearsing wherever we could.”
Despite all ofthe challenges, Dumas said Brookfield’s community theater movement will persevere.
“We’re not going away. We’re going to figure this out. It hasn’t been on the timeline we originally thought it was going to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen,” he said.
4th Congressional eld now six as two more independents le
By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter
Barring any nominating petition challenges, the November general election ballot for the 4th Congressional District will have six candidates to choose from, after 25th Ward Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez and social activists Mayra Macias submitted nominating petitions to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
The other three candidates, who qualified for the ballot through the March mary election are Democrat Patty Republican Lupe Castillo and Ed Hershey of the Working Party.
Lyons Mayor Chris Getty filed mately 18,000 signatures on May 18. Macias and Sigcho-Lopez, both filed nominating petitions on May 26. Sigcho-Lopez filed as many as 22,788 signatures, while Macias filed as many as 19,570 signatures.
U.S. Navy veteran and LGBTQ activist Lindsay Church did not file, choosing in-
e to run against Democratic nominee
mum of 10,816 signatures to qualify as innely file many mor signatures in order to assure they
As of 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, the ISBE website showed no objections had been filed to any of the three independent candidates. The deadline for filing an objection is 5 p.m. June 6, after the Landmark’s press time
essional District is Democratic and majority Hisesus “Chuy” Garcia won no less than 40 points. In 2024 he gar nered astillo’s 56,323. , 5.%. our Democrats on the general election ballot plays out is the question that will keep each campaign occupied throughout the summer and fall.
after widespread criticism of cia (no relation to out of contention nouncement until after the filing deadline for nominating petitions had passed. That allowed Patty Garcia, his chief of staf f, to gather the required number of signatures and be the sole candidate on the Democratic primary ballot.
& FRESHLOCAL
Getty, Sigcho-Lopez and Macias, who are all Democrats, declared as independents
“I know that’s there’s a fight ahead,” Patty Garcia said at a political gathering in Oak Park in early May.
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Fitzgerald booming with the Boomers
RB grad is rst baseman in his fourth year with Schaumburg Frontier League team
By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
Considering his success for the past three-plus seasons with the Schaumburg Boomers, it’s hard to believe that once upon a time, Kyle Fitzgerald hated baseball.
Really. It’s true for the Brookfield native who still lives locally.
“The reason why I got into (baseball), I started practicing by myself; my dad and my brother left me out of it,” he said with a chuckle. “We got a pitchback and I got into it that way. It was a chip-on-the-shoulder-type start. My mom coached me and I played travel ball at 10 years old.”
Since then, he’s come a long way. The Landmark player of the year as a senior in 2017, the Riverside-Brookfield High School graduate went on to play two years at Northwest Florida State Colle ge, before moving on to St. Louis University, finishing with a de gree in economics in 2022.
After a hitch locally with the Lombard Orioles that summer, he realized he was at a baseball crossroads.
“I wanted to play professionally,” he said. “Once that summer cycle ended, I didn’t know what I was training for.”
But things changed the following February, when he attended a Frontier League tryout – the Boomers’ league, an independent professional circuit and an official partner of Major League Baseball.
There were 1,500 players at the tryout in St. Louis, and it was, baseball-wise, an intense experience. For a $150 entry fee, the first day you had eight swings of the bat and eight throws. The next day there were games, where he got about six at bats.
That’s a lot of work just to get the opportunity to play some more of the game he once hated.
Luck was with him. He passed the tryout and got selected by the Boomers.
Four years later, he’s their starting first baseman and as of Friday, was batting .299 with 20 hits, two home runs and 18 runs batted in. His team was leading the Midwest West Division with a 12-7 record
That is a nice carryover from the 2025 campaign, where he had 93 hits, 61 RBIs and 12 stolen bases, helping the Boomers reach the championship finals before falling to the Quebec Capitales.
Kyle Fitzgerald
There’s a lot more to Boomers baseball than stats and success, Fitzgerald is quick to point out.
“I can’t describe the camaraderie I have,” he said. “A lot of us are here four years later. The team and the core guys that are here have been special. It makes being at the field 12 hours a day easy and fun to look forward to.”
Ask Fitzgerald if he feels like he’s playing the best ball of his life, and he’ll tell you no. But there’s a good reason.
“I’m playing a different kind of game,” he said. “I’m playing the game and having fun. In colle ge, it’s all next step, next step.
I’ve had better years performance-wise, but I didn’t enjoy them.”
Thus, the next step can be overrated.
The team Fitzgerald is on now is a powerpacked bunch, with about 150 RBIs and 50 homers on the bench alone, he estimated.
Now that he’s a veteran, there is the expectation of leadership, and he’s got a refreshing philosophy in that area.
“I always try to lead by example, and if there is an issue, confront it,” he said. “I was a young guy before. I want to give them tough love, but I want them to know I’m always in their corner.”
That said, there are a lot of high school players at his high school alma mater and other area schools that want to be him someday – a major contributor to a good team. His advice?
Be ready, because you never know when your opportunity will arise.
“It took me in the weight room and the cage every day since I was a sophomore in high school,” he said. “Trusting the process is a cliché, but it is a process. Get your body as physically fit and when it’s time for you to perform, you keep performing on the field, you keep moving up.”
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DISPENSARY
Ogden Avenue site from page 1
whole meeting on Monday, June 8.
The case is expected to gar ner discussion from trustees before possibly being put up for a vote at their second meeting this month on Monday, June 22. The vote will determine whether the applicants — Water + Trees CEO Tanya Griffin and Illinois cannabis grower IC Collective — receive a special use permit, which is required to open a dispensary in Brookfield.
This is Griffin’s second effort to bring a dispensary to Brookfield. Her application for a special use permit to open Prolific Dispensary at 9046 31st St. was approved 4-3 by the planning and zoning commission in December 2025 before the village board voted it down 4-3 in February.
At the meeting, Griffin presented preliminary renderings of the dispensary, which would take the place of dilapidated and unused office space at 9500-08 Ogden Ave. She shared initial projections of the revenue the village would receive from sales tax on items sold by the dispensary. Griffin said the village could net $151,120 in 2027, $248,544 in 2028 and $297,398 in 2029 based on plans to open shop by November or December of this year
“That could indeed be a very conservative [tax revenue] estimate,” Griffin said. “The neighboring dispensary, the closest one to here, does about a million dollars a month [in sales], and we projected a considerably lower number.”
Griffin again boasted the new dispensary, operated by and vertically integrated with IC Collective, would offer products at “a consistently low price” in comparison to other dispensaries in Chicagoland, which she said may sell cannabis at higher regular prices with shifting sales prices.
After the commission’s unanimous vote, Libby Popovic, Brookfield’s community development director, told the Landmark she believes the Ogden Avenue property will be a better fit for Brookfield’s first dispensary than the location at 31st Street and Park Avenue that was shot down.
“That wasn’t the right and appropriate space for it, but Tanya and her group were still interested in Brookfield for all the obvious reasons: They love the area, she has family that lives here, Brookfield had already passed an ordinance in 2019 to bring a cannabis dispensary, and the one that was going to go on Ogden was not moving forward,” Popovic said.
After establishing zoning rules for canna-
bis sellers in 2019, Brookfield trustees unanimously approved a dispensary, which would have been operated by The 1937 Group at 8863 Ogden Ave., in May 2023. The project stalled during construction, and village officials revoked its special use permit earlier this year.
Popovic said the unoccupied parcel on Ogden Avenue is “more appropriate” due to the higher volume of traffic, increased access to parking and adjacency to other commercial properties, as IC plans to redevelop the entire cor ner at Dubois Boulevard.
“As we were looking for the site for 9500 [Ogden Ave.], the developer specifically was interested in knowing what was going behind there. That opened up a conversation on future development, because the village is interested in doing other development there at the Congress Park site,” Popovic said.
Despite the apparent excitement of village officials, one public commenter — resident Manni Carathanassis, who said he lives just down the block on Dubois Boulevard — expressed his distaste for the proposal.
“I don’t want this here. Not at all, not even a little bit. I already have a massive nuisance from people coming from the currency exchange throwing their blunt wrappers on my lawn,” Carathanassis said. “With the train there, I think it’s going to bring more nuisance people throwing garbage in my lawn. I don’t want a dispensary that I can see right from my window.
“When I drive past dispensaries on Ogden further down — I believe it’s Westmont, by the Tesla dealership — I’ve often driven behind cars that smell like weed. I don’t want people smoking weed driving up and down my street. I don’t want people smoking weed in my lawn. I don’t want this in my neighborhood, on my block, literally two houses from my house,” Carathanassis added. “My family’s been here 10 years. Everyone who lives on my block, I love them. I love my neighborhood; I love my village This feels like it’s infringing on my happiness, on my life.”
Carathanassis told officials he planned to “launch a campaign online with multiple petitions” to try to stop the development of the dispensary if the village approves it. He shared the first of any such petitions with the Landmark over email on Sunday, May 31. It has 41 signatures as of Tuesday, June 2.
“If the dispensary does open in my neighborhood, I intend to start a local political party and run for public office in Brookfield in the next election,” Carathanassis wrote in his email. “I also intend to do as much as I can within the law to hurt the dispensary’s business if they do open near my home … The Greek blood that runs in my veins will not allow me to sit back and not protect the people and the land that are important to me.”
Endinghungerbyconnectingthefourcornersofourcommunity...
It 'ssummertime ...
MayisNationalWomen’sHealthMonth.
Andformany, thelivingisn' teasy.
Here'swhatthatmeansformanyofour neighborsinneed...
Atourfoodpantry, womenregistrantsoutnumbermenbya 2:1 ratio
Thismonth, womenhereandacrossthenationarestrugglingtoput foodonthetableformillionsoffamiliesthatarefoodinsecure.
Summertimeisforgrilling, picnics , andoutdoorfamilyliving. Butas thebittersweetsongofthesamenameconveys , summertimebrings anironicsetofchallengesforsomefamilies . Theaddedcostof childcare , compoundedbyhighercostsforfoodandotherneeds , canmakethelivinganythingbuteasy.
Historically, twofederalprogramshavehelped.
ThefederalSupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgram (SNAP), is thenation’slargestandmosteffectiveanti-hungerprogram. Studies showSNAPreducesfoodinsecurityamonghouseholdsbyupto 30%. Helping 42 millionAmericansbuyfoodeachmonth. That ’sone ineightAmericans , and 70% ofthoseparticipantsaretheelderly, disabled, orchildren.
“Summertime” isalullabythatwascomposedin 1934 byGeorge Gershwinfortheopera PorgyandBess. Theoperaandthesong depictedthehardshipsandhopesofanimpoverishedsouthernBlack communityatatimewhennationwideunemploymentwasfargreater thanitistoday andwhentherewerenofederally-fundedsafetynets likeSNAPorWIC. Yethereweare ,92 yearslater, andthesameroot causesofhungercontinue evenasfederalfundingforSNAPand WIChavebeenslashed, withmorecutsontheway
TheSpecialSupplementalNutritionProgramforWomen, Infants , andChildren ( WIC), providescriticalnutritionalsupportto 6.8 millioninfants , youngchildren, andtheirmothers .
" Summertime" hasbecomeanAmericanclassic. Expressingthe hopefuloutlookofgenerations , especiallythosewhocontinueto struggletoovercomesystemicinequalities , whileexperiencingfood insecurity. Whichmakesthissummer, markingAmerica’s 250th anniversary, allthemoremeaningful.
Now, bothprogramsarebeingcut .
Asournationofficiallycelebrates “America’sBlockParty ”, weare remindedofhowfarwehaveyettogoasanationthatwas foundedtosupportthecommongood.
Lastyear, federallegislationreducedSNAPfundingbyabout $186 billionoverthenext 10 years . Foodbanksexperiencedanimmediate reductionof $1 billion. Andnow, asofMay 1, anestimated 150,000 IllinoishouseholdswillbedeniedcontinuedfederalSNAPsupport .
Downloadour FacingUptoHunger factsheet ...
Youcanhelp ...
Presently, theHouseAppropriationsCommitteehasproposedan additional $6.2 billioncuttothe 2027 SNAPprogram. TheCommittee hasalsoproposeda $200 millioncuttothe 2027 WICprogram.
sharefoodsharelove .org We' reallneighborshere . Todossomosvecinosaqui .
with t Lisa Capone
Understanding Alzheimer’s YOUR BEST LIFE withLisaCapone
JunemarksAlzheimer’s&Brain AwarenessMonth—atimetoraise awarenessabouttheimportanceof brainhealthandsupportthose impactedbyAlzheimer’sandother formsofdementia.
June marks Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month a time to raise awareness about the importance of brain health and support those impacted by Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia
Maintainingbrainhealthstartsearly. Belowtipsarealllinkedtoreduced riskofcognitivedeclineandcan helpkeepthebrainsharp regularphysicalactivity abalanceddiet socialengagement mentalstimulation simplehabits—likewalkingdaily, reading,orlearninganewskill—
Maintaining brain health starts early. Below tips are all linked to reduced risk of cognitive decline and can help keep the brain sharp regular physical activity a balanced diet social engagement mental stimulation simple habits like walking daily, reading, or learning a new skill
PROJEC T NICE
It’salsoimportanttorecognizethe earlysignsofmemoryloss.These mayinclude forgettingrecentlylearned information repeatingquestions difficultymanagingfinances strugglingtofollowconversations misplacingitems experiencingchangesinmood, personality,orjudgment. Whileoccasionalforgetfulnessis normalwithaging,consistent patternsofthesesymptomsmay indicatesomethingmoreserious.
It’s also important to recognize the early signs of memory loss These may include forgetting recently learned repeating questions difficulty managing finances struggling to follow conversations misplacing items experiencing changes in mood, personality, or judgment While occasional forgetfulness is normal with aging, consistent patterns of these symptoms may indicate something more serious.
Everybody, clean up
from page 1
one ofthe village buses to help them go up to the 26th Street Woods launch point from LaGrange Park, so when they got back, their car would be at Village Hall,” she said.
Kaluzny gave flowers to one Brookfield resident for making the partnership happen.
Ifyouoralovedoneareexperiencing anyofthesesigns,consulta healthcareprofessional.Early detectioncanleadtobetterplanning andimprovedqualityoflife.
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these signs, consult a healthcare professional Early detection can lead to better planning and improved quality of life
VisitCantata.orgformore seniorlivingadviceorcall (708)387-1030.
Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030
“Rebecca Siala is a member ofthe Salt Creek Watershed Network, and she’s been attending all ofthe commission meetings as a member of the public,” she said. “She’s really wanted to get this section ofthe creek having a regular cleanup day. Other areas ofthe creek have that going, so she’s been a great advocate to get this happening in Brookfield.”
In addition to three large tires, orange traffic cones and an old rocking chair, Kaluzny said the coolest find in the Creek was a “full deer skull with antlers.”
Noah Rife, a management analyst with the village, said work typically begins in the fall on the village’s side ofthings to bring Project NICE to life.
“We work with departments to figure out what are some priority areas, whether it’s a park, whether it’s certain green space,” he said. “It’s multiple months [of work]. We work with the commission, figuring
out how many sign-ups, and they reach out to their partners and different organizations.”
Rife said about 60 people came out in total this year, with most ofthem mulching and weeding. He said the volunteers put emphasis to improve the Brookfield gateway sign at the intersection of31st Street,
Grand Boulevard and
where the village borders
Kaluzny said she was part ofthe group working near the sign.
“It’s a site that the beautification commission has had their eye on for a couple of years. It’s a really nice sight and a greeter into Brookfield, but it’s kind ofan under-
Kemman Avenue,
LaGrange Pa rk.
TODD BANNOR
A volunteer shovels mulch at Grossdale Station.
Volunteers do gardening work at Grossdale Station at Brook eld’s Project Nice spring cleanup on May 16.
TODD BANNOR
Volunteers do gardening work at Brook eld Village Hall
utilized space,” she said. “We ordered new plants. We ordered two trees, a Douglas fir and a redbud. We were able to work with some great students from S.E. Gross, students from Congress Park, folks from the community, from the board. We all took out some of the older, scraggly stuf f and put in some nice, new plants at that cor ner.” Rife and Kaluzny ag reed it was a fun day where people were excited to get their hands dirty.
“It gives a sense of community. You want to make your front yard, which is the village itself, look as nice as possible,” Rife said. “You’re always able to find something
HOW TO NOTIFY THE IRS OF A CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Tax return: Use your new address when you file.
Written statement: Send the IRS a signed written statement with your full name; old and new addresses; and Social Security number (SSN), ITIN, or EIN and mail your signed statement to the address where you filed your last return.
new to beautify and make the village of Brookfield look even better than it already does.”
“People were really excited to be getting to plant things. I think everyone likes to see something that they’ve done and be able to go past it, so they were excited to take out some of the older stuf f,” she said.
“It’s an important event for Brookfield because it brings the community together to take care of our spaces. Obviously, we have an amazing public works department that takes care of things all year long, but I think it helps us feel more invested in different pieces of our community.”
Oral notification: Tell the IRS in person or by telephone. Have ready your full name; old and new addresses; and (SSN), ITIN, or EIN.
If you filed a joint return and are still residing with the same spouse, both you and your spouse should provide your names, SSNs, new address and signatures on the form or statement. If you filed a joint return and you now have separate addresses, each of you should notify us of your new, separate addresses.
Authorized representatives filing a form or written statement to change an address for a taxpayer must attach a copy of their power of attorney or Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative. Unauthorized third parties can’t change a taxpayer’s address.
Changes of address through the U.S. Postal Service: (USPS) may update your address of record on file with us based on what they retain in their National Change of Address (NCOA) database. However, even when you notify the USPS, not all post offices forward government checks, so you should still notify the IRS. It can generally take four to six weeks after receipt for a change of address request to fully process.
TODD BANNOR
Volunteers in a canoe pick up tr ash on the banks of Salt Creek.
TODD BANNOR
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REAL ESTATE TAX REDUCTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
INCREASED ASSESSMENTS = INCREASE TAXES
Forest Theatre Company adds executive director
Lisa Green will help with administ ration, fundraising and growing the organization in its upcoming season
By JESSICA MORDACQ Staff Reporter
As Forest Theatre Company wraps up this season in August with free outdoor Shakespeare at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Nathan G. Moore House in Oak Park, next season the theater group is expanding by adding Executive Director Lisa Green.
Formerly managing director at Oak Park’s Madison Street Theater, Green will help Forest Theatre Company with its bookkeeping, administration, fundraising and local partnerships, “really trying to build our presence in this community,” Green said.
have a lot more work to make connections with significant artists in the Chicagoland community,” Corley said.
After hiring Green, Corley is looking to further expand Forest Theatre Company with a new director this season, so that actors get to experience working with someone besides himself.
Green decided to take the parttime executive director role since she’s nearing retirement but still wants to be a pa rt of developing a sustainable foundation for the company to grow as the only year-round professional theater in the wester n suburbs
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“They’ve got the production part down, but we’re really building the organization itself from the ground up,” Green said of Forest Theatre Company. Being a part of something that’s for malizing is one of the things she’s most excited about in this new role
Forest Theatre Company started as Forest Park Theatre, under the umbrella of the Forest Park Arts Alliance. Last year, the company achieved nonprofit status, and with it, created a board of directors. Green has been tasked with much of the administrative work that comes with establishing a nonprofit
Richard Corley founded Forest Theatre Company in 2021 and has grown it from an annual free outdoor Shakespeare performance to, last year, its first year-round indoor season of three plays at Madison Street Theater. With Green’s addition to the team, Corley can put more time into developing the company’s artistic direction.
“I can really focus on growing the art. We
“Any kind of an arts organization is a three-legged stool. You’ve got to have great art, great management, and community buy-in,” Corley said. As he works to develop the art and management, Corley said Green will move the company forward when it comes to gar nering more of an audience.
“We have a huge arts audience here, but let’s get them trained to stay here. Your community becomes what you invest in,” Green said. The company’s annual free outdoor Shakespeare performance is positioned to lower barriers to entry for people to come see local theater. “Come take a chance on experiencing professional theater right here, and it’s free, and it’s in this stunning location.”
Green, along with Corley, also aims to grow relationships with other community organizations
“There’s a lot of things that I need to be doing as an artist in terms of connecting to people and widening our reach into the community,” Corley said. “I would like to see Lisa focus her attention on building relationships within the community that can be, not only financially beneficial to the company, but also that can deepen our roots in the community.”
In her new role, Green is excited to find other local organizations which might be able to share staff, ideas and assets, or collaborate on a project so they can apply for grants together.
“We’re all small, we’re all understaffed,
See LISA GREEN on page 14
LISA GREEN
PO LICE REPO RT S
Brook eld man arrested for domestic battery
Brookfield police arrested a 44-year-old Brookfield man on May 19 for d omesti battery.
Around 4 a.m., p olice responded to the 4400 block of Ray mond Avenue on the po rt , in wh ich a woman c alled and stated the man was i ntoxicated, had p ushed her and was ve rbally abusing her. One officer met with the man after asking him to ste outside of the residence wh i le other officers met with the woman inside
T he man told the officer he had b slee ping in his bed with his son when the woman entered the room and be g an recording him. He said he pushed the woman aw ay and didn’t know if she fell or hi t the wall as a result. He said she scratched him, beat him up and s pit on him in response and that he sw atted at her p hone to stop her from recording him.
ed the squad car’s emergency lights and pulled the Nissan over on the 9100 block of Ogden.
ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL
ELECTRIC
T he officer noted that they did not obser ve any “obvious” signs of injury on the man’s person and that his breath smelled of alcohol. T he man declined medical assistance and said he had drunk “enough [ alcohol] to go to slee p, ” a ccording to police
Police redacted the portion of the report describing the woman’s statements. After taking both statements and watching the video footage captured by the woman, police arrested the man for domestic battery and transported him to the lockup facility in Berwyn. Police read the man his Miranda warnings, and he declined to answer any further questions.
Expired registration, suspended license
Brookfield police on May 21 arrested a 22-year-old Chicago man after discovering the car he was driving did not have required re gistration.
Around 8:38 p.m., an officer was on patrol in an unmarked vehicle when they observed a Nissan heading west on the 9000 block of Ogden Avenue that did not appear to have re gistration. The officer activat-
T here, the officer approached the car and saw it had temporary re gistratio n plates that had expired in 2024. T he officer spoke with the driver, who “immediately” said his driver’s license had been suspended, according to police. T he officer confirmed the suspension through the police database
T he officer infor med the man his car would need to be towed and that he would be issued citations. Police cited the man for improper display of re gistration, driving on a suspended license and driving a vehicle with expired re gistration. The officer set a June 9 court date and confiscated the man’s suspended license to mail back to the Secretary of State before he was sent on his way.
These items were obtained from the Brookfield Police Department reports dated May 18-26; they represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.
— Compiled by Stella Brown
FLOORS
OBITUARIES
Jane Kasal, 91 Homemake
Jane Frances Kasal (nee Burns), 91, of North Riverside, for merly of Brookfield, died on May 23, 2026 in Brookfield. Bor n on Feb. 4, 1935 in Brookfield, she was a homemaker and enjoyed playing cards.
Jane was the wife of h J. Kasal; the mother of ) Kasal, Jennifer (Dan) rian (Tripti) Kasal, Steve (Marilyn) Kasal and Mike (Vivian) Kasal; the grandmother of Caleb, Mary, Yosman, Luis, Cassie (Danny), Sarah (Scot), Dana (Carson), Lindsay, Evan (Mireya), Quinn (Ayesha), Connor (Jordan), Taylor (Cameron), Grant (Emily), Riley (Llewyn), Autumn, and Christian (Grace); great-grandmother of Danny, Grayson, Oliver, London, Foster, Jude, Chase and Miles; sister of the late Dorothy (late Paul) Lapp; and the aunt of Kristine, Kathy, Renee, Pam, Unalee and many great-nieces and great-nephews.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 3 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home 3847 Prairie Ave., Brookfield. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on June 4 at Mater Christi Church, North Riverside, at 10 a.m., with interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside
Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared with the family at www.JohnsonNosek.com.
Robert Peterson, 82
Worked for Nor thern Trust
Robert Arthur Peterson, 82, of Brookfield, died on May 31, 2026. A systems devel-
LISA GREEN
from page 12
we’re all underfunded. How do we work together in helping each other build audiences?” Green said. “Each of us are doing a lot of the same things, so how do we make each one of our organizations sustainable without
oper in the financial field, he retired from The Northern Trust Company in 2007. He was a member of Western Springs Baptist Church and the Illinois St. Andrew Society and also enjoyed photography as a hobby after his retirement.
Robert was the husband of Mary Jean Peterson (nee Larsen), the father of Katelyn Peterson, the brother of John (Sharon) Peterson and the friend of many. Services and interment private Arrangements were handled by Hitzeman Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, IL 60513. Information 708-485-2000 or www.HitzemanFuneral.com.
Joseph Starosta, 80
Captain with Brook eld
Fire Dept.
Joseph J. Starosta, 80, of Elgin, for merly of Brookfield, died peacefully on May 28, 2026. Born in Chicago, where his remarkable journey began on a summer’s day in July, he dedicated his life to public service, working as a firefighter, always ready to put others before himself. He served in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. He graduated from Riverside Brookfield High School.
Joe was a devoted family man. He and his wife, Vickie, just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Together, they built a life full of love and laughter.
Otherwise he spent his entire life living in Brookfield, working in Berwyn in a butcher shop and then in Brookfield protecting those who lived and worked in the Brookfield-Riverside area. He was a captain of the Brookfield Fire Dept. where he worked for 46 years. He also worked at Brookfield Zoo for 30+ years in life safety.
He had an innate curiosity and a steady hand, both valuable traits that he applied as a skilled mechanic. He found tranquility in fishing and a delight in model trains — pastimes that filled his days with happiness. Joe was also an animal lover and had many pets who adored him.
He moved to Elgin seven years ago due to health issues.
burning people out?”
As a lifelong Oak Park resident, Green is eager to “continue to build relationships from my lifetime experience in this community and pull people into something that I’m really excited about.”
As the next season of Forest Theatre Company starts in October, Corley is looking back on the last year of plays — the company’s first full indoor season and first offering
Joe was the father of James (Natalie) Starosta and Robyn (Jeffrey) Pearson; and the grandfather (Grampie) of Abigail, Emersyn, Alexander, Christopher and William. He is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Sherlag and was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Helen Starosta.
Visitation was held at Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory, 95 S. Gilbert St. South Elgin, on June 1. Funeral Mass was celebrated on June 2 at St. Peter Damian Catholic Church, 131 S. Crest Ave., Bartlett. Inter ment will be private.
Sheila Hooper, 86
Developed a model workfare program
Sheila (Bach) Hooper, 86, of Riverside and Freeport died on May 22, 2026. Born in Freeport on Sept. 27, 1939, to Joseph and Alfreda Bach, she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 1974. In 1960, she marrie Robert Hooper and they had Mark, Victoria, Lance, and Patricia She served as Freeport Township Supervisor for 39 years, from 1977 until her retirement in 2013. During her tenure, she became widely known and respected for developing and implementing an early workfare program that gained reco gnition across Illinois for its focus on restoring dignity through meaningful work, job placement, and community support services. She traveled throughout Illinois sharing the program model and helping train and advised other townships interested in developing similar initiatives.
She dedicated many years to education as a teacher at both Aquin Catholic High School and Freeport High School. She inspired in many a lifelong commitment to social justice, education, equality, public service, and lifelong lear ning.
season subscriptions to locals. He said he’s proud of producing three “vastly different kinds of plays with really unique challenges, and we were able to pull them off, not only artistically, but we were able to pay our bills. All of that’s really quite an extraordinary feat.”
Corley previously told the Forest Park Review that each play that Forest Theatre Company produces costs about $30,000, including funds to pay all actors and crew
Early in her life, she worked for Dr. Felix J. Lownik, a respected otolaryngologist at Freeport Ear, Nose & Throat, who became an important mentor and influence in her life. She loved the water and swimming and helped establish the Freeport Aquatic Swim Team (FAST). She was also a certified Water Safety Instructor and dedicated Red Cross volunteer
She loved Sunday dinners, always served on paper plates, and family gatherings filled with laughter, storytelling, card games, and friendly competition around the table.
She will be remembered for her keen intellect, sharp wit, strong sense of purpose, unwavering compassion, and deep devotion to her family and friends.
Sheila is survived by her children, Mark Hooper, Victoria (John Webb) Hooper, and Patricia (Cyril) Friend; her grandchildren, Trisha (Eric Slater) Hooper, Nicholas (Lacretia) Webb, Maggie Hooper, Jacob Hooper, Katie Hooper, Kip Friend, Calvin Friend, and Cade Friend; her seven great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and -nephews. Her love and devotion extended to many step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren, each of whom she embraced and loved as her own.
She was preceded in death by her son, Lance Hooper; her parents, Joseph and Alfreda Bach; her siblings, Theodore Bach, Nicholas Bach, Michael Bach and Patricia Steele; her brother-in-law, Robert Steele; her sister-in-law, Kay Bach; her nephew, Dan Steele; and one great-nephew, Preston Steele-Alston.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the compassionate staff at Caledonia Senior Living, where Sheila resided since October 2020. The kindness, compassion, and exceptional care, especially during the final months of her life, brought Sheila comfort, dignity, laughter, and love
A Funeral Mass was celebrated on June 1 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Freeport Interment at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Freeport. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church. Assisting the family in services: Ivins/ Moravecek Funeral Home.
members. He’s hoping that, in the upcoming season, the company can sell more subscriptions to help pay for the productions “It’s so helpful to have subscribers because you have a base of support on which to build, an understanding of who’s coming and who’s going to be there for you,” Corley said. “That’s a really great thing for a company to have. It builds trust between you and the audience and emphasizes a foundation of solidarity.”
Sports
RBHS boys volleyball nets rst regional title since 2019
Bulldogs excel as No. 15 seed; RBHS boys lacrosse gets playo win
By BILL STONE
Contributing Reporter
Senior Noah Beals and his Riverside Brookfield High School boys volleyball teammates worked all season to earn believers. Winning the Morton Regional as a No. 15 sectional seed for the Bulldogs’ first regional title since 2019 – and beating No. 2 sectional seed Shepard in the process – finally might have done so.
“I feel like we go under the radar a lot compared to other teams but I think this proved we’re not an under-the-radar team. We can compete,” Beals said. “This season really created a spark for our future. Most of our squad is really young. I think winning regionals really sparked us.”
The season ended Saturday with a 25-12, 25-18 loss to No. 3 Brother Rice in the Argo Sectional semifinals but the Bulldogs (20-18) played well to get there.
They surprised Shepard 25-23, 25-22 in the regional semifinals, May 26, and then beat Morton 25-23, 25-23 for the regional title Thursday
The Bulldogs shared the Upstate Eight Conference East Division title with Glenbard East – their fourth straight conference title. Austin was named the division’s Player of the Year. Beals, junior setter Gianfranco Crancich and sophomore middle Aiden Darrah also were all-conference.
“We saw how much we could do this year. Next year we’ve just got to build on it and hopefully take it to the next level,” Novak said.
Austin (15 kills, 7 digs, 10 service recep-
tions, 2 blocks), setter Crancich (18 assists, digs) juniors Brandon Ruiz (10 assists) and Mateo Garcia (10 service receptions), sophomore Kyle Kummer (10 kills) and senior Beals (4 kills) and libero Gavin Sharenow (7 digs, 5 assists, 17 service receptions) led the victory over Shepard.
The Astros (33-4) had won 27 straight matches, including a three-setter over Brother Rice (28-11). RBHS hit .321 as a team against 33 kills and just eight attack errors.
“That’s a good team and they’ve had a great season,” RBHS coach Dan Bonarigo said. “When it came down to it, our outsides were good.”
“For me personally, maybe a top five (victory),” said Shipley, who had a key kill and block down the stretch. “We kind of came together and fought for that win.”
The Bulldogs’ victory over Morton (2215) in their third meeting was a full-circle moment. The Bulldogs won the second encounter 25-18, 25-14 to conclude the LincolnWay East Invitational May 2 after losing the March 25 season opener at Morton 21-25, 2523, 25-20 after leading late in the second set.
Austin and Kummerer each had seven kills, Crancich had 15 assists and Sharenow had 13 digs.
Against Brother Rice (28-11), RBHS quickly fell behind 11-4. The Bulldogs took a 9-5 lead in the second set but then a sideout and ninepoint service steak led to a 15-9 deficit. The Bulldogs never again got closer than four points
“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs,” Bonarigo said. “I would have liked to compete a little bit better (Saturday) but even at our best it would have been a tough game to win.”
Lacrosse
Xavier Mrozik-DeJesus and his fellow Riverside Brookfield boys lacrosse seniors won’t soon forget their final home game May
STEVE JOHNSTON
Riverside-Brook eld’s Michael Austin (5) holds up the championship plaque a er defeating Morton dur ing the Morton Regional nal, May 28, in Cicero.
19. The Bulldogs’ Oak Forest Sectional opener against Whitney Young went into sudden-victory overtime. RBHS controlled the faceoff, called a timeout and seconds later MrzoikDeJesus scored for an 8-7 triumph – the second playoff victory in program history.
“That’s got to go in the No. 1 (slot),” said Mrozik-DeJesus, who will play Division I lacrosse at Mercyhurst (Erie, Pa.) “Just based off the environment, how crazy the guys were after, the playoff-game atmosphere, the stakes of it, the goal really did have a lot of meaning. Maybe it wasn’t the coolest goal or most flashy but the meaning and purpose of it was truly unforgettable.”
In 2025, RBHS won its first playoff game over Brother Rice 19-0. This season, the No. 8-seeded Bulldogs (8-8) achieved at least a .500 overall record under first-year head coach Justin Headley, losing their next game May 23 to No. 1 St. Ignatius 27-1 in the sectional quarterfinals. Mrozik-DeJesus finished this season with 62 goals and 18 assists and earned second-team all-state honors.
Whitney Young (8-10) was the Bulldogs’ second one-goal victory this season. Junior Gavin Keohane controlled the overtime faceoff and senior Eddie Schook moved the ball upfield before the timeout. Mrozik-DeJesus
restarted along the left sideline 16 yards from the goal. He ran behind freshman Tre Wyskiel’s screen to create an open shot from the 11.
“The play was for me to sweep over the top I had a good look at the net. Gripped it and ripped it. It was an unbelievable experience,” Mrozik-DeJesus said. “A lot of guys that started this year were seniors but one thing we want to carry on is to show the younger guys we can win. We can compete. If we get the right people, decisions, solid coaching culture, we can shake the state.”
No. 2 Lyons Township (13-4) suffered a disappointing 8-7 sectional quarterfinal loss to No. 7 Oak Forest May 22 after reaching last year’s super-sectional. The Lions were riding a four-game winning streak after three straight losses, two by one goal.
The RBHS girls (2-13) won two of their final four games. The No. 8 seed in the Marist Sectional lost 21-0 to No. 1 St. Ignatius in the May 23 quarterfinals after winning their sectional opener over No. 9 Kenwood 24-6 May 18. RBHS also defeated Streamwood 6-5 May 12. In the Maine South Sectional, the No. 6 LTHS girls (6-13) lost to No. 3 Nazareth 14-5 in the May 21 quarterfinals after opening with a 17-2 victory over No. 11 Elk Grove May 19.
Lions’ Bockwell captures 3A shot put state championship
LTHS girls soccer loses to rival Hinsdale Central in sectional nal
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Lyons Township High School senior Joey Bockwell not only won sectionals in shot put but set a school record in the process. In some ways, Bockwell was even more excited about a warmup throw that would have been a scratch but was significantly further.
“That just means the ceiling is higher. That’s what I like to think about,” Bockwell said. “Make a couple of technique changes and stay in the circle That makes a big difference.”
After his second Class 3A boys track and field state meet, Bockwell is already ahead of schedule. He was a somewhat surprised state champion with another school record of 19.27 meters/63 feet-2 3/4 inches that came on his first throw in Friday’s preliminaries.
The Lions’ first state shot champion since Mike Fairbair n in 2005, Bockwell’s previous school-record 18.84m/61-9 3/4 was the No. 4 best sectional throw in 3A.
“A part of me wanted to gun for first place (at state) but it wasn’t a realistic goal with the competition. But the way things shook out, I ended up winning,” Bockwell said. “Of course winning a state meet is awesome but as usual I had my biggest marks in practice and warmups. So I’m looking for more but a win is still a win so I can’t complain.”
Shot and discus throws in Friday’s preliminaries carry over to Saturday’s finals. While he tried to improve, the rest of the 12-finalist field had three chances each to catch him. The closest was Dunlap senior Patrick Peterson by two inches (19.22m/19-0 3/4).
“I was a little nervous obviously. Most of the guys I expected were going to beat me so if one did beat me and I couldn’t catch them with three throws, I could live with that,” Bockwell said. “I was also lucky that no one caught one past 63-0.”
He wasn’t as for tunate in discus (31st, 44.82m/147-0) but said having the event following shot often doesn’t work out. Shot swells his hand and affects his gripping the discus. Bockwell’s distance wouldn’t have won 3A shot the last two years but would have the previous four.
“You can’t express how surprised I am (to win shot). I don’t know. Maybe the starts aligned for me this year and I got lucky,” he
Lyons Tow nship’s Joey Bockwell par ticipates in discuss during the meet held at Prov iso East, May 14.
said. “I am actually happy with my series. Very respectable, all throws were above 60 feet, no fouls. Great consistency there but no the big jump like I was looking for.”
The Lions’ other state competitors were seniors Tyler Gantt (23rd in 1,600, 4:26.72) and Anthony Pearson of Brookfield (36th in 300 intermediate hurdles, personal-best 40.94), junior Mateo Cue (110 high hurdles in 16.82), the 4 x 800 relay of Gantt, seniors Patrick Collins and Parker Robinson and sophomore Brennan Monohan (21st, season-best 7:57.73) and the 4 x 200 relay of
sophomores Lincoln DeMauro and Tremario Roberts and juniors Anthony Bonilla of Brookfield and Owen Bloem (45th, 1:33.20). Sophomore pole vaulter Sterling White missed the opening height of 3.80m/12-5 1/2.
LTHS girls soccer
The Lyons Township girls soccer team’s great season ended in frustrating fashion Friday. The Lions (17-3-3) lost to rival Hinsdale Central 1-0 in the Class 3A Downers Grove South Sectional final by losing 3-2 on four rounds of penalty kicks to settle the
scoreless tie.
“I feel like the only way they could have won was penalty kicks because we were getting so many more opportunities,” LTHS senior midfielder Avery Lusk said. “Even when the ball was on our side, I knew they wouldn’t score because I felt like our defense was good enough and (goalie Anna Bigenwald) was having an amazing game as she always has. We were doing a good job controlling the ball, amazing passes. It was super unfortunate that we lost.”
The Lions beat Hinsdale Central 1-0 May 5 when Bigenwald stopped a penalty kick that Lusk cleared. In penalty kick s, Friday, the Red Devils gave Bigenwald no chance with three well-placed conversions and one shot that was over the goal.
LTHS shot first. Senior Carolina Capizzi and Lusk converted penalty kicks for the Lions but Hinsdale Central goalie Gabby Gjeldum stopped the two others.
“Their goalie was tough and their backs are tough too. It’s just two good teams battling. We thought we were going to finish an opportunity here and there and come out on the other end,” said LTHS coach Bill Lanspeary, who graduates a large senior class. “Their leadership on and of f the field has been tremendous. This has been a group that’s been as close of f the field as on the field and that makes us better on the field. They’ve had a great run and great memories together.”
LTHS led 15-10 in shots while the Red Devils (17-6-1) led 7-5 in corner kicks. During play, Gjeldum also made a solid save on a shot by freshman forward Abby McKenna. Lusk had another attempt after a scramble in the crease of f a corner kick but a defender blocked that shot.
The Lions, who lost in the sectional semifinals last year, did win their first West Suburban Conference Silver Division since 2023 with a 6-0 record.
“I feel like out of the all of the years I’ve been on varsity this definitely has been my favorite. Maybe it’s because I’m a senior and I get to do a lot of the bringing people together,” Lusk said. “Even during practice, everything was so close. Everybody wanted to be with everybody and the same with bus rides. We always want to be with each other and that’s the saddest part about the season ending.”
ERICA BENSON
Bulldogs’ great softball season ends in 4A sectional nal
By BILL STONE
Contributing Reporter
Riverside Brookfield High School softball seniors Trinity Stevenson and Abby Weinert composed their first TikTok video Friday by taking off their spikes one last time and then running onto the outfield grass. The two are pretty much finished with the sport competitively after being softball teammates since fifth grade when Stevenson moved to the area.
“We’re not playing in the summer so we knew we wanted to make this,” Weinert said.
“We started together. We have to end it together,” Stevenson said.
The 10-0, five-inning loss to state-title favorite Marist in the Class 4A Marist Sectional final ended the Bulldogs’ best overall season in years – a 27-5 record, their second straight regional title and an Upstate Eight Conference
East Division title
“We knew our goal was honestly just to make it to this game. We’ve worked all season for this game,” Stevenson said. “No matter what the outcome was, we had so much fun over the season and we just grew together.”
The sectional’s No. 2 seed reached the finals with a 14-4 five-inning victory over No 3 Downers Grove South (24-7), which scored double-digit runs 17 times this season and took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Against Marist (36-1), sophomore Mia Melendez hit a changeup for a two-out single in the first inning, but that was the only RBHS baserunner against senior pitcher and Wisconsin recruit Soleil Tate, who struck out six.
The RedHawks advanced to the state semifinals by beating St. Charles East 10-1 Monday.
“It’s really hard to get to a 4A sectional final game especially when you run into a team like (Marist),” RBHS coach Emma Jarrell
said. “Super-proud of the girls. This was a goal of ours and hopefully next year we can push through and get further.”
Marist collected seven hits, including four home runs against pitchers Reese Milchhoefer (1 strikeout, 1 walk) and Amelia Pytel, who was relieved after walking the first three batters in a six-run first. Junior center fielder Sophia Runquist caught another potential home run in the fourth before a double and back-to-back homers for the RedHawks last three runs
Against Downers South, Milchhoefer again relieved Pytel in the first and allowed just one run and five hits over her 4.2 innings.
“It was a really difficult situation and I was a little frazzled at first but I just clamed myself down and pitched and my defense had my back,” Milchhoefer said. “From that point, I kind of knew I just to be calm and do
RBHS, LTHS baseball seasons end in 4A regionals
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Seniors Eli Costello and Marco Villardito were among the most improved returnees this season for the Riverside Brookfield High School baseball team. The pair joined senior Damian Noa and junior Nick Baca on the All-Upstate Eight Conference East Division Team.
“I just came in more open-minded, tried new things with my batting stance. Some things worked. Some things didn’t,” said Costello, who improved his batting average to .389 with a team-best 24 walks. “I really focused on two-strike hitting. I had a decent amount of two-strike hits, which led me to get more walks. I think the zone that I painted in my eye was a lot better at the plate.”
Once ag ain, the Bulldogs suf fered a tight and tough Class 4A Re gional semifinal loss, this time 6-2 to Whitney Young in the Young Re gional semis on the Dolphins’ home field after taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. RBHS (20-12), the sectional’s No. 7 seed, beat No. 11 Whitney Young 4-2 back on March 20.
“It’s a tough sectional. We knew this was going to be a good game. We had the momentum early,” RBHS coach Mark Ori said. “We didn’t do anything to lose that game. They just did a few more things ting to win
it. It was a great baseball game, high energy all the way on both strikes. Pitchers threw strikes and competed.”
Besides reaching 20 wins, the Bulldogs finished second in the UEC East to Glenbard East. Season highlights included beating Montini after a 2025 loss, Lyons Township and Maine South.
“We had a solid year, successful season. We had some big wins,” Ori said. “We surprised a lot of people. Some people thought it was going to be a down year. We battled through some injuries and had a great season,” said Villardito, who hopes to walk on at Illinois Chicago. “I couldn’t have asked for a better year. I felt like I made an impact on every game.”
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead with one out as Costello walked, Baca doubled and Connor Dominick had an RBI single. Michael Kallas walked and Braeden Novak had an RBI single to load the bases, but a double play ended the threat.
RBHS had one runner reach second over the next three innings. The game ended with two strikeouts after the Bulldogs loaded the bases.
Whitney Young tied the game with runs in the fourth and fifth innings followed by two runs in the sixth and seventh. Noa (4 strikeouts) pitched the first 5.2 innings before being relieved by senior Ronnie Murray (2 strikeouts).
what I’ve always done.”
RBHS pulled ahead 11-4 with a five-run third that included Melendez hitting her 15th home run to tie the single-season school record by Jessie Hutchens in 2010.
“I didn’t realize it as soon as I hit it but as I was rounding second I was like, ‘Oh my God. I tied (the record).’ That’s why I got more excited when I was rounding third,” she said.
Melendez also was named the UEC East Player of the Year, finishing with a .447 batting average and 44 runs batted in. Stevenson, junior Alexis Busse, and sophomores Pytel and Brailyn Naylor also were allconference and Milchhoefer was honorable mention all-conference.
“(Player of the Year) meant a lot to me and that my hard work has paid off but really none of that would have happened if my team hadn’t done so well in conference so it’s really a team effort, too,” Melendez said.
towards the end of the season we won some tough games and we lost some tough games. I give a ton of credit to (Reavis). They played good defense and got the hits when they needed to.”
LTHS baseball
Lyons Township outfielder Tommy Georgelos was grateful for a healthy senior season, especially after missing the end of the 2025 regular season and state playoffs with a hamstring injury
“Injuries are always frustrating and annoying, staying there watching,” Georgelos said. “That definitely drove and motivated me this season. It was nice to make it through the whole season and being there with all of my teammates.”
Georgelos provided a spark Saturday with a run-scoring triple in the bottom of the first inning of the Class 4A Reavis Regional final, but the No. 3-seeded Lions finished with just four hits and lost to the host Rams 4-1.
No. 6 Reavis (24-12) went ahead in the top of the second with three runs helped by two errors and added a run in the fourth. Pitcher
Jim Avila won his 11th game with five strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter
This was only the third time the Lions scored one or no runs, the previous two also losses in West Suburban Conference Silver Division play.
“I thought we were off to a good start and we only got four hits. You’re not going to win many games by not hitting and not scoring runs,” LTHS coach Kevin Diete said. “I know people are going to be looking at who we should have thrown but it could go either way. I’m proud of our guys for fighting. Especially
Leadoff hitter Parker Zasada’s apparent deep fly out to right-center field ended up dropping and brought in two runs to give the Rams a 3-1 lead. The inning began with a walk by starting pitcher Charlie Danaher, followed by a single, infield throwing error that scored the first run and first baseman Lou Ratcliffe throwing out a runner at the plate.
Owen Cypress relieved in the fourth, striking out three of the four hitters he faced. Standout senior Jack Slightom pitched the sixth and the seventh with two strikeouts and a bad-hop single. In the fourth, Georgelos hit a leadoff double and Brady Koren walked but Georgelos was stranded at third. The Rams also pulled off two double plays.
“Our sectional is definitely the hardest in the state. That’s how you want it to be. You want to play and beat the best,” Georegelos said. “Reavis is good and played well and that’s baseball but we definitely feel like we had more in us. We wanted to go farther and make the best run we could.”
The Lions shared their first Silver title since 2019 with seniors Slightom and Lon Roberts, junior Blake Ragsdale and freshman pitcher Tommy Cavaliere earning All-WSC Silver honors.
“That was a big goal we had going into the season,” Georgelos said. “Everyone was happy after that Downers North win (9-4 in 8 innings to tie). That was the best moment of the season.”
LEGAL NOTICE
The Village and Park District of Oak Park will receive sealed Bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL
60302 Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:30 am to 12:00 p.m. local time until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 for the following:
Village and Park District of Oak Park
2027 Comprehensive Tree Maintenance
Bid Number: 26-111
Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park. us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 3585700 during the above hours.
A mandatory pre-bid meeting shall be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the Public Works Center in Oak Park. Bids received from bidders who do not send a representative to the pre-bid meeting shall not be considered.
The Village and Park District of Oak Park reserve the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2026.
Published in Wednesday Journal June 3, 2026
LEGAL NOTICE
The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2026 Village of Oak Park Traffic Signal Cabinet Controller Replacement Project
Bid Number: 26 -116
Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours.
Published in Wednesday Journal
June 3, 2026
Public Information Meeting
Scheduled by Village of Oak Park
The Village of Oak Park (“Village”) will hold a public information meeting concerning the proposed improvement of Ridgeland Avenue between Augusta Street and North Avenue. The public information meeting will be held on June 9, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park Illinois, 60302. The meeting will be held in Room 101. All persons interested in this project are invited to attend this meeting. Persons with a disability desiring to participate in this meeting should contact the person listed in this Notice prior to June 4, 2026 to make arrangements for participating. The contact may be by telephone, in writing, by fax or by telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY).
This is a federally-funded project, the public information meeting is being held in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s public involvement policy.
The proposed improvements are primarily to resurface the pavement throughout the project area. In addition, varying combinations of medians, curb bump-outs, and left-turn restrictions will be implemented at Ridgeland Avenue’s intersections with Thomas Street, Berkshire Street, Lenox Street, Greenfield Street, and LeMoyne Parkway to increase pedestrian safety. Some street parking will be removed to enable these intersection improvements. The existing traffic signals at Division Street and Lenox Street will be upgraded.
The Village is seeking public comments on the effects that the proposed improvements to Ridgeland Avenue between Augusta Street and North Avenue will have on Taylor Park. Taylor Park, which is under the jurisdiction of the Park District of Oak Park, is a significant, publicly owned park. As such, it is subject to protection under Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966. For the proposed improvement of Ridgeland Avenue between Augusta Street and North Avenue project, the Village intends to seek a finding from the Federal Highway
Administration that these effects constitute a Temporary Occupancy and therefore do not constitute a Section 4(f) use based on a determination that the project will not adversely affect the features, attributes, or activities that qualify Taylor Park for protection under Section 4(f).
Effects of the proposed improvement of Ridgeland Avenue between Augusta Street and North Avenue project on Taylor Park will include temporary disruptions to pedestrian access routes in Ridgeland Avenue right-of-way that connect to internal sidewalks within the park. Mitigation will include ensuring Taylor Park remains accessible through other entrances. Detailed documentation describing the impacts and mitigation associated with the effects of the proposed improvement of Ridgeland Avenue between Augusta Street and North Avenue project on Taylor Park will be available for review at the public information meeting, or prior to the meeting via the contact information at the bottom of this notice.
The meeting will be conducted on an informal basis. Representatives of the Village will be available from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Representatives will answer individual questions and record comments for those in attendance. Verbatim comments will not be recorded. The Village representatives will address topics such as the need for the project, the design alternatives under consideration, roadway system changes, pedestrian safety improvements, and the tentative construction schedule. Preliminary reports, including environmental documents and an engineering analysis with drawings, maps, and aerial photography, will be available for inspection and viewing during the entire public information meeting time. The same material is currently available for review and inspection at the Oak Park Public Works Center at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302.
For more information, contact Abby Spentzouris, Village of Oak Park at 708-358-5700, publicworks@oakpark.us, or 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302.
Published in Wednesday Journal, June 3, 2026
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
On Friday, June 5th at 12:00p.m.2:00 p.m. a meeting conducted by Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95 will be taking place at S.E. Gross Middle School, 3524 Maple Ave. in Brookfield, in 2nd Floor Conference room. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the District’s plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private and home-schools within the District for the 2026-2027 school year. If you are the parent of a home-schooled student who may have or has been identified with a disability and you reside within the boundaries of Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District #95, you are urged to attend. If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting, please contact Mr. Dean Pappas, Director of Student Services, at 708-588-8863 or dpappas@district95.org
Published in RB Landmark June 3, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICE
The River Forest Park District has placed its 2026-2027 Combined Budget and Appropriation Ordinance on file for public inspection. Said Ordinance may be examined on the River Forest Park District website. A public hearing on said Ordinance will be held at 6:30pm on Monday, June 15, 2026, at the Depot, 401 Thatcher Avenue, River Forest, Illinois.
Published in Wednesday Journal June 3, 2026
REAL ESTATE FOR SALE
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION CHARLES SCHWAB BANK, SSB Plaintiff, -v.-
EMILY RENO, BRIAN RENO, HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK S/B/M TO TCF NATIONAL BANK
Defendants
2025 CH 09450
718 N. RIDGELAND AVE. 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 March 31, 2026, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 6, 2026, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 718 N. RIDGELAND AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60302
Property Index No. 16-05-308009-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence. The judgment amount was $108,824.02. Sale terms: If sold to anyone other than the Plaintiff, 25% down of
the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in ‘’AS IS’’ condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).
IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 151701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.
For information, contact JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650, Chicago, IL, 60602 (312) 5419710. Please refer to file number 25 1660. 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.
JOHNSON, BLUMBERG & ASSOCIATES, LLC 30 N. LASALLE STREET, SUITE 3650 Chicago IL, 60602 312-541-9710
E-Mail: ilpleadings@johnsonblumberg.com
Attorney File No. 25 1660
Attorney Code. 40342
Case Number: 2025 CH 09450 TJSC#: 46-842 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 # 2025 CH 09450 I3287974
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