Riverside’s farmers market centers makers and growers
‘We wanted a producer-only market says manager Amy Jacksic
By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
Most days, Riverside’s Centennial Pa is empty and free for pedestrians to enjoy. But on Wednesdays from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in June through October, vendors from near and far set up their booths the far mers market, where residents can find fresh produce and meat alongside de licious snacks and other goods.
Nearly every item up for sale at the mar ket has been crafted or prepared by the vendors selling them. That’s intentional, said Amy Jacksic, the market’s volunteer manager who helped found it in 2009 be fore the village got involved in 2016.
“There are other communities that allow multi-level marketing vendors and lots of crafts and stuf f, but we really
from June through October.
$50K each year from the expiring
By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter
Brookfield officials are considering passing a 1% tax on grocery items that the state of Illinois is set to retire on Jan. 1, 2026.
The tax, which Illinois lawmakers ag reed to eliminate last summer, has been collected by the state since 1990 and distributed to local municipalities. Each year, Brookfield earns about
Brook eld Zoo will debut 3-acre primate habitat
Bramsen
By TRENT BROWN Staff
A new three-acre primates is c oming to Brookfield Zoo Chicago next month.
T he zoo announced 18, i ts James & Elizabeth c al Fo rests habitat 11, i mmersing g uests in “lush environments” where they ter free-roaming gorillas, orangutans and multiple species of monk
T he habitat will include an indoor Gorilla C onservation ers c an learn about gorillas face. “Dynami ration stations” will let their strength to those of through tug-of-war, teach them social behaviors of gorillas and let them obser ve animals li
It will also include a sculpture depicting a 3D-scan of the zoo’s gorillas’ noses — co rrectly — to teach scientists reco gnize wild gorillas using their unique nasal patter
In addition to housing primates, the habitat will feature a pollinator garden for guests to learn about the role bees play in sustaining life and allowing the plantbased foods humans eat to re produce.
The zoo’s const ru ctio n workers put some fi ni shing touches on the Bramsen Tropical Fo re sts.
T he Bramsen Tro pical Fo rests is named for James and Elizabeth Bramsen, members of the zoo’s gove rn ing b oards, to reco gnize their “longstanding c ommitment and g enerosity” in suppo rt in g the zoo
Tickets associated with specific entr y times will be required to a ccess the habitat, but they’ll c ome free with membership to the zoo or the purchase of g eneral admission tickets
T he zoo is set to host a gr and opening c elebration Ju ly 11-13, the weekend the
habitat opens, with live musi c, f amilyfriendly activities and the o pportunity to meet animal ambassadors up close
On Ju ly 11, the zoo will also reopen i ts existing indoor primate habitat , Tro pic Wo rl d, wh ich has b een closed to a ccommodate c onstruction wo rk on the Bramsen Tro pical Fo rests. According to the zoo, pa rk -goers will enter the habitat, wh ich rece ived some renovations, through an entry point resembling a f allen log, where they will “[emerge] be -
neath a breathtaking 48-foot waterfall.”
T he new habitat “rep resents a b old step forward in how we c onnect p eople to wildlife,” said Mi ke Adkesson, presid ent and CEO of the zoo, in a w ritten statement. “This extraordinary spac e not only provides an incredibly dy nami c and enriching environment for the animals in our care but also inspires guests to understand and protect some of the most endangered species on the planet. ”
BROOKFIELD ZO O CHIC AG O
GROCERY TAX
$50,000 through the tax, said Doug Cooper, the village’s finance director. The revenue comes from sales made at Tischler Finer Foods, the village’s only grocery store.
“It’s a small amount relative to our budget, but it is a dollar value that will help as we move forward in 2026,” Cooper said at the village board’s committee of the whole meeting on June 23. “We use that money to support public safety, code enforcement and various infrastructure projects. We transfer money out of the general fund into our infrastructure fund to fund road programs, and every little bit helps at that point in time.”
The same legislation that will sunset the statewide tax allows municipalities to enact their own 1% tax to avoid the loss in revenue. Brookfield needs to pass the tax by Oct. 1 for it to go into effect on New Year’s Day, Cooper told village trustees.
“This is not going to be a new tax. The tax is already being assessed. Every time I walk into a grocery store and buy a loaf of bread,
I’m paying that 1% tax right now,” he said. “We’re not making any changes to our overall cost to the consumer. They still will be walking in on Jan. 1 of 2026 paying that tax.”
Cooper said the tax, while insignificant to individual consumers, will help Brookfield deal with other expected financial shortfalls next year.
“As we approach the budget for 2026, we know for a fact that we have been budgeting, in the past, $150,000 plus for cannabis revenues, which we don’t think will come to fruition, certainly not in 2026,” he said, in reference to a dispensary on the corner of Ogden and Prairie avenues the board had approved in 2023 that has since stalled. “Also, our local sales tax has me worried. It’s got a definite dip from where we originally budgeted for in 2025, so, already, I’m starting to figure out how I can replace some of these holes in our budget.”
Cooper said nearby municipalities like Riverside, North Riverside, LaGrange and Western Springs are all expected to discuss and likely pass a similar grocery tax in the coming months. LaGrange Park has already approved the 1% tax to start in 2026.
“Each individual board is free to do what they want, but I’m very, very confident that a lot of these towns will adopt it, if there was some worry that we would put Brook-
field grocery stores at a disadvantage,” Village President Michael Garvey said.
Village trustees are expected to vote on the tax at their July 14 meeting. While the board was not asked to take action this week, trustees seemed to have mixed opinions on implementing the tax.
“I would want to play devil’s advocate a little bit. I think grocery bills are going up for everyone, and if it’s not a huge financial burden on the village, and it’s something that can be worked out before we start working on the 2026 budget, I’m curious whether that is something we can absorb,” Trustee Julie Narimatsu said. She added the tax could affect low-income residents or families disproportionately.
Cooper said Brookfield would be able to suffer the loss of the revenue but that it may not be prudent for the village to do so.
“We’re not blessed with large reserves,”
Village Manager Tim Wiberg added. “As we’re trying to do these momentum-building things like investing in our infrastructure, investing in our facilities, this just makes it more challenging. If we don’t have money that we’ve had since 1990, that’s going to have to be made up for somewhere else. Our costs are not going down.”
Garvey compared the potential passage of the tax to Brookfield’s annual passing-on of
Chicago’s water rate increases to residents
“Some years, the board would ask that same question. Could we absorb that this year, or could we absorb the garbage increase from Groot? Doug’s always going to tell us, yes, we could, but should we, based on what’s happening and what needs to happen going forward?” he said.
Trustee Kyle Whitehead pointed out Brookfield could earn even more revenue from the tax in future years if other grocery stores come to the village.
Trustee Katie Kaluzny said she hoped Brookfield would not consider raising the grocery tax beyond 1% in future years to generate more revenue. Cooper clarified that the tax is capped at 1% for all municipalities
Trustee Jennifer Hendricks said she also took issue with the tax.
“With the water increases, that’s asking the resident to pay the real cost of the water. It’s not adding an additional cost on top of it, which is what this is. It’s a tax,” she said. “This isn’t a tax on luxuries. This is a tax on necessities, so I’m having a little bit of a hard time with that, but I do understand that we need our revenue to provide our street replacements for our residents.”
“Those are also necessities, right? Infrastructure improvements,” Kaluzny added. “It’s necessities paying for necessities.”
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Final St. Catherine-St. Lucy Mass one of hope
Austin-Oak Park parish’s legacy will continue with school, ministries
By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
Prior to Sunday’s final mass at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Catholic Church, organ music settled over dozens of cong regants as they filed in, joining their voices with hundreds more in the nave
Here stood the statue of St. Lucy, holding an olive branch and staring down at the sheer throng of people, an estimated 800 who made the trek from around the area and even across the country to partake in the Eucharist one last time at the church.
Greeter George Jones, a kindly Black man pushing 90 years, smiled brightly and shook hands with virtually everyone who entered. Rev. Carl Morello, pastor of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles, darted around, making sure final preparations
were coming to gether.
Over there was a man with his arms crossed and a somber countenance, as if in realization that the end was finally here after the announcement March 2 that the church at 27 Washington Blvd. in Oak Park would be closing.
But for the most part, this was a day of celebration, of reuniting with family and old friends and classmates from St. Catherine-St. Lucy School.
Of tears, yes. But of laughter and handshakes and hugs as well.
“The sadness we feel is real,” Morello proclaimed during his homily. “We cannot rush past it. But today, let’s honor it. Let’s also let it open up to what is next. Because God is not done with us yet. Amen?”
And in one voice, of those in the congregation and perhaps also the many who flowed through its doors since the current church building opened in 1931, everyone responded.
“Amen!”
Later, Morello asked that everyone who had been baptized at St. Catherine-St. Lucy
please stand. Dozens upon dozens did so, everyone from the young to many with nests of gray hair.
There were also plenty who had gotten married in the crowd, like Kari and John Pechous, who did so back on Dec. 15, 2007. There was a big snowstorm that day, which contrasted with Sunday’s sweltering mid90s heat.
“There are a lot more people here today than there were at our wedding,” Kari Pechous deadpanned after services were complete and dozens still milled about in front of the altar, taking final photos. In chatting with the couple and their young son, it was clear that St. Catherine-St. Lucy’s impact transcended both time and space. The Pechouses are from La Grange and made the trek over. But there was more.
“My parents actually got married here, so it had extra meaning to us,” John Pechous added.
The two who had perhaps the best view of the proceedings were the brother-and-sister
ERICA BENSON
St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church pastor Rev. Carl Morello leads the church service for the last time Sund ay June 22, 2025.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Driver with no license hits oncoming cars
Rive rside p olice ar rested a man June 14 for driving without a license after he crashed into oncoming traf fic.
Hit-and-run on a school bus
Around 12:56 p. m ., officers we re dispatched to F irst Avenue near Waubansee Road on a re po rt of a vehicle a ccid ent. Police saw a black pickup truc k with driver- s ide d amage on the s idewalk and in a gr assy area near the road , a silver Ch ev rolet with significant d amage on fire and a Tesla with de ployed a irbags. Police closed down traffic in b oth directions on First Avenue
Brookfield police responded to a report of a hit-and-run on June 10 after a car struck a school bus. No one was injured or later arrested.
Around 8:08 a.m., an officer responded to the 4500 block of Prairie Avenue and met with the bus driver, who said the bus’s right mir ror had been struck by a white truck heading south while the bus was parked. The truck continued south before turning east onto 47th Street, they said. The driver told police the bus company was already contacting the parents and guardians of the children on board.
The driver also told police a camera on the bus may have captured footage of the strike and gave the officer contact information for the company manager.
T he drive r of the Ch ev rolet told police he had b een driving south on F irs t Avenue when he “looked down for one second” before crashing i nto the black pickup truck, wh ich had b een headin g north. W hen asked for his drive r’s lic ense and proof of i nsuranc e, the man gave p olice his state ID and said hi s i nsurance info rm ation was i nside hi s car’s gl ove c ompartment. According to p olice, they c ould not reach it because the car was on fire.
Police r an the man’s info rm ation and learned he did not p ossess a valid driver ’s license, so they p laced him under ar rest inside a Rive rside squad ca r.
T he drive r of the pickup truck told p olice he was driving north when the Ch ev rolet went i nto the north traffic lane and struck his car in the left rear area, c ausing it to s pin of f the road
T he man was tr aveling with his f amily in the car; his w ife and son c omplained of head and shoulder injurie s, so they we re taken to the hospital with the man and his daughter in the ambulance.
Police also spoke with the driver of the Tesla, who said he had been driving north. After the Chevrolet struck the black pickup truck, it hit the front of the Tesla.
Police charged the drive r of the Ch evrolet for driving without a valid license, operating an uninsured ca r, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avo id an a ccident. He was released on pretrial conditions with a court date set. Police had all three cars towe d from the scene of the crash.
On June 13, the manager sent police the footage, which showed a white Dodge truck striking the bus. Police searched video surveillance footage from the area and identified the truck’s license plate number, from which they learned the re gistered owner.
Police called the owner, who answered alongside his son, who confirmed he had been driving the car when it hit the bus mir ror. He said the mirror had been protruding into the traffic lane. The officer told the son the severity of leaving a crash without trying to help or provide his information, and the truck owner ag reed to send insurance information, which police received the next day.
These items we re o btained from th e Ri ve rs ide Po lice Department re ports dated June 14-17 and the Brookfield Po lice Department re ports dated June 9-16; th ey re present a portion of the incidents to wh ich police re sponded. Anyone name d in these re ports has only been charge d with a c rime and cases ha ve not yet been adjudicated. We re port the ra ce of a suspect only wh en a s erious crime has been c ommitted, the suspect is still at la rge and police ha ve provided us with a detailed physical d escription of the suspec t as th ey seek the public’s help in makin g an ar re
Compiled by Trent Brown
CUTEST DOG
“The grooming salon of fers a one-on-one experience for your cutest hairy friend, providing a stress-free environment in the process of the grooming. We dedicate the attention needed to focus on their needs,” Diaz told the Landmark.
She said the business partners will offer haircuts, shedding reduction for dogs with two coats, flea baths, brushing, nail trimming, and ear cleaning and trimming in a “quieter and more relaxed atmosphere” to help make their clients’ dogs more comfortable while they’re being groomed
“It’s a spa-like experience for your dogs,” she said. “It’s more of a one-on-one We’re not having a bunch of dogs at once because we know that that stresses them out, and it’s harder to work in that environment.”
Mora emphasized that both women are certified in different aspects of grooming. Diaz is certified in bathing dogs with hair conditions alongside first aid and C ings. Mora has certifications in using natural
treatments and working with senior cluding dogs with hearing conditions as on the business side of things.
“We are certified groomers,” Mora said.
She acknowledged the Cutest Dog will open only blocks away from Frisky Dog 9216 W. 47th St., but said they offer kind of service.
“They have a doggy daycare, do ing services, boarding services, and private spa experience for the dog, one-on-one grooming service,” she said. “We’re We’re a different business.”
According to documents from Brookfield village board, the business will be open day through Saturday from 9 a.m. About four to seven dogs will be seen pointment each day.
Mora said the business’s lower capacity intentional to prevent overcrowding dissatisfying owners with their dog’s care based on things she’s heard in other dog grooming businesses.
“The owners’ questions are like, ‘Why are my dogs in a cage? Why do you guys have so many dogs at the same time, and why does my dog take 7 to 10 hours to get groomed?’” she said. “Our goal is to keep the grooming pros. That’s the limit, so more stress-free for the owner, too.” oved a variation from
YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone
Understanding Alzheimer’s
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.
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—
It’s also important to recognize the early signs of memory loss. These may include forgetting recently learned information 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.
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.
Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030.
MARKET
Producer-only market
from page 1
wanted to make our market a produceronly market,” she told the L andmark. “I f you sell something there, you’ve actually made it or grown it.”
This year, the market a cce p ted seve n new vendor s, Jacksic said, for a total of 27 groups expected to set up shop at least once this season.
“We g et a lot of applications, but we turn many of them down because they do n’ t meet that producer- only c riteria,” she said. “We had somebody t rying to sell C alifo rn ia gr apes, so it ’s not locally grown. We would neve r, in a million year s, allow something li ke that. People right now are wondering why we do n’ t have tomatoes; well, they ’re not locally grown yet, so we ’ ll have those in the end of June [or] Ju ly.”
While the vendors must q ualify as “local,” Jacksic said the market’s scop e includes near by states. Th at means vendors li ke Finn’s Ranch and Bailey ’s Fa rm to Home, b oth b ased in Michig an, are fair g ame.
“This was the first far mers marke t we did when we started the far m” about
nine years ag o, said A lex Finn, one of the owners of Finn’s Ranch in Buchanan, Mich. “The c ommunity here in Rive rside has b een ve ry suppo rt ive throughout the year s. It ’s been a ve ry loyal community.”
Ky lee Bailey of Bailey ’s Fa rm to Home ag reed the c ommunity is wh at ’s b een bringing her f amily ’s fa rm back to Riverside for about se ven year s.
“It’s really everyone that we see ever y year. We kind of build a b ond with everyone,” she said.
Her father, Mi ke Bailey, said his favo ri te pa rt of the far mers market is speaking with the c ustomers and ke e ping up with them year after year. Jacksic sai d the Baileys have given back to the c ommunity in recent year s, d onating leftover produce to the Rive rside Presby terian C hurch’s food p antry at the end of the day.
Many of the vendors who spoke to the L andmark at the June 18 market named Jacksic as a driving force b ehind it and i ts success.
“A my is somebody that I really respect. Her patience, her ability to bring p eople to g ether, I really admire,” said Sam Zeitlin of Zeitli n’s Dilicatessen, wh ich has sold bagels at the far mers market sinc e last year. “I wanted to scale my business with the far mers markets, and I’d neve r b een to Rive rside. I’m o riginally
from the east coast, and I feel at home in Rive rside … We offer a premium product that is a Chicago product, but Rive rside d eserves the love, too.”
Jacksic said the far mers market has “plateaued i ntentionally” d ue to reaching maximum capacity at C entennial Pa rk . While the market c ould grow in the number of vendors if it move d, she said i ts c entral, walkable location is more wo r thwhile.
T he timing, too, is on pu rp ose to ensure as many vendors as p ossible ca n fit the market i nto their busy schedules , especially those tr aveling from far aw ay, she said.
“We’ re purp osefully a We d nesd ay market because we know we c an neve r be a Saturday market with only 9,000 resid ents. On Saturdays, far mers want to go downtown,” she said. “There are ve ry few We d nesd ay markets, so this is a g ood filler day for almost all our vendor s. ”
Jacksic, li ke most vendor s, said her favo rite thing about the far mers marke t is how it brings the c ommunity to g ether
S he said Rive rside ’s involvement for the p ast nine years has been invaluable.
“We c ould n’ t do it without them,” she said. “They f ully b eli eve in the philosophy of, ‘Let’s provide a producer- only market to the c ommunity, and if yo u build it, they’ ll come.’”
MASS Church closing
from page 7
server team of Aaron and Ava Konecki
What was it like being on the altar and realizing this was it?
spoke at the be ginning of the service.
“I found myself having to just hold it down,” Jennings said, adding she broke down and cried at communion. “That’s why we come. We come to feast upon the table, and I look at that table one last time … I’ll never be able to eat at that table again.
“I’ll eat at the table of God, somewhere. At St. Giles and other places. But this is home. It was tough at communion.”
St. Catherine-St. Lucy Church choir leads the f ull capacity church in song and cheer during their nal mass Sunday June 22, 2025.
While the St. Catherine-St. Lucy church building is now closed, Morello pointed out to the congregation that its legacy will continue.
St. Catherine-St. Lucy School will remain open, while SisterHouse, which offers a temporary home to women seeking recovery from substance abuse, will remain in the church’s for mer convent building. The Neighborhood Bridge and the Faith and Fellowship Ministry will continue to op-
erate out of the repurposed rectory, along with Housing Forward, an emergency overnight shelter.
And as the congregation united their voices in St. Catherine-St. Lucy one last time, they sang a closing hymn of hope.
“I got a feeling, everything’s gonna be all right.
“Be all right.
“Be all right.”
ERICA BENSON
USDA cuts impacting Beyond Hunger
But potential cuts from ‘One Big Beautif ul Bill Act’ equally concerning
By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
Federal cuts to the United States Department of Agriculture are indirectly affecting Beyond Hunger, the Oak Park-based food pantry.
But c uts to Medicaid and the Supplemental N utrition A ssistance Prog ra m (S NA P) that c ould c ome in wake of p assage of some fo rm of the Trump admini stratio n’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act are equally concer ning .
According to Jennie Hull, the new Beyond Hunger executive director, about 65% of the food pantry’s food comes from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Of that, nearly 30% is considered food from USDA.
“When there are c uts to USDA, tha t impacts the f ood that f ood p antries rece ive, ” Hull said. “N ow we have to pu r-
Beyond Hunger’s Jennie Hull
c Laura Gutier re z, Beyond Hunger board president, added that USDA cuts have created a domino effect locally.
“A good portion of our food comes from GCFD, which comes from USDA,” Gutierre z said, noting that the food pantry sometimes serves 300 families on Saturdays and up to 200 families on Wednesdays.
“Since Covid, our numbers have only increased in need,” she said. “We don’t want to serve people less food. We want to provide as much nutritious food as possible.”
Hull, who has worked for a decade in food pantries, said it remains to be seen how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could create further issues for Beyond Hunger, located at 848 Lake St.
SNAP, she said, is a food stamp progr am that is d esigned, in pa rt , to wo rk with food pantries.
“When p eople use SNAP, it stretches the amount of money further,” Hull said. “Grocery stores would g et money back through SNAP and that supports the loc al economy. ”
One in four people in Illinois are on Medicaid, she added, so cuts to that program could place families in a position of deciding whether to pay for medications or food.
“If you force people to make that hard decision (it will) increase demand for Beyond
Hunger,” she said. “If they lose any of those benefits, suddenly that need goes up.
“It’s harder and harder to keep up with demands in a dignified way. We’re already seeing a giant need due to inflation.”
Gutier re z said the potential of SNAP and Medicaid cuts are “deeply concerning.
“We won’t know what affects us until something gets pushed through,” she said. “We just hear there are going to be major cuts. There’s only speculation.
“Until GCFD sees any concrete cuts, that means we’re going to have to do more purchasing power on our end.”
Both Hull and Gutierrez said community support is welcomed, and that can be achieved multiple ways beyond cash donations.
For example, residents could host a food drive and deliver the acquired items to Beyond Hunger.
“Donating is great, but dollars are hard for everyone, not only for the residents we’re serving,” Gutier re z said. “We rely a lot on volunteers. They have their children even volunteering. Also, participating in advocacy; calling your lawmakers. SNAP and Medicaid go hand in hand with getting families nutritious foods.”
Beginning Fund/ Net Position as Restated Balance at 1/1/2024
Subscribed and sworn to this 12 day of June, 2025.
I, Emily Stenzel, Village Clerk of the Village of Riverside, Cook County, Illinois, do hereby
COMPENSATION SUMMARY
Revenues/ Additions
$ 25,205,192 TOTAL
Expenditures/ Expenses/Deductions
Financing Sources/(Uses)
Fund/Net Position Balance at 12/31/2024
15,312,461
Under $25,000.00 ANGEL, ABIGAIL; APHAY, ELLEANOR; BARAJAS, ALEJANDRO; BARTIK, MICHAEL; BIRCH, RICHARD; BOYLE, AIDEN; BUCKLEY, RYAN; BUOSCIO, BENJAMIN; BURNS, WALKER; BUSEGHIN, SOPHIA; BYRNE, LIAM; CABALLERO, ANGEL; CALAMIA, HENRY; CAMERON, ZACH; CASTILLO, DIEGO; CLARKSON, VICTORIA; CLARKSON, EMILY; COLLINS, AIDAN; CONNERTY, AVA; CONTRERAS, ALIYAH; CONTRERAS, BRIANNA; CORDOVA, LORENZO; DALY, KEEGAN; DEASON, WESLEY; DELILLO, MICHAEL; DESPE, JADEN; DIAZ, MIA; DIAZ, YESENIA; DIXON, THOMAS; DORIA, JOSEPH; DUBANOWICH, JAMES; DURAN, NALLELY; DURKIN, JOSEPH; DURSO, GARY; DUZEK, MICHAEL; ENRIQUEZ, ANDREA; EVANS, ZONA; FAHEY, BRIAN; FALETTI, JAMES; FERRARO, CARLO; FLORES, EDWIN; GALAS, NAOMI; GALSIM, REY; GARCIA, AVAH; GEORGOPOULOS, JETTE; GONZALEZ, LAURA, GOO, JASON; GRYCZAN, TATIANA; GUZMAN, JAIME; HAGINS, ISABELLA; HERNANDEZ, ISAIAH; HERNANDEZ, ROBERTO; HICKEY, LIAM; HILERIO, JANELLIE; HILL, NATHAN; JAFFE, COLLIN; JASSO, EVENY; JUAREZ, CLAUDIA; JUSTUS, LAUREN; KENNA, JAKE; KLASEK, LUKAS; KOLAR, PHILLIP; KOTOR, LEO; KOWALSKI, ROBERT; KRAUS, KEVIN; KUYKENDALL, TRACY; LATIMER, FREDRICK; LUNA DEL CASTILLO, DELILAH; MACIAS, BRANDY; MACIAS, JANITZA; MADDEN, DANIEL; MARRELLO, ISABEL; MAYERHOFER, JOSEPHINE; MCKENNA, KEVIN; MERAZ, CARMEN; MIDONA, DANIEL; MUDD, ALEXANDER; NAFF, COLIN; NAVARRO, GORETTI; NIESLUCHOWSKI, WILLIAM; NIEVES, SAVANAH; NIKISCHER, MICHAEL; O’BRIEN, BENJAMIN; OWANO, JEANNETTE; OWENS, SOFIA; PALKA, DIANE; PATT, DANIEL; PEREZ, SAMANTHA; PEREZ, MELISSA; PIERDINOCK,DAVID; PINEDA, JESUS; PTAK, PAWEL; RANGEL, ANTHONY; RENDA, MARIA; RENDON, XAVIER; REVELES, MONIC; RODRIGUEZ, NOLA; ROHNER, ROBERT; RYZEWSKI, ZACHARY; SCHEIDLER, JOSEPH; SCHLESSER, OLIVER; SELOVER, SHANNON; SERGE, JACKSON; SHELDON, DAIVA; SHINE, ASHLEY; SIMS, LLENEFFER; SMIGEL, DANIEL; SMITH, TENEISHA; SMITH, ETHAN; SPANSAIL, JEFFREY; SPRINGER, SADIE; TITZER, MARY; TRAN, ZOE; TURNER, NATASHA; VACEK, SARA; VAIA, BRADY; VARGAS-CALDERON, ANEL; VELEZ, GABRIEL; VILLARDITO, MARCO; WILCOX, DELANO; WILLIS, LLEYTON; WUNDERLICH, TIMOTHY; YACHNIN, JOSHUA; YACHNIN, LUKE; YAGER, CHARLES; ZABAWA, SOFIA. $25,000.00 to $49,999.99
BURSTEIN, LAURA; CARRERA, JEREMIAS; D’ALTORIO, GIANNI; GALVAN, VINCENT; GARDNER, MICHAEL; GOTAY, GENEVIEVE; GRESIK, HENRY; HAWK, ELIZABETH; JOHNS, KARIN; KRUPA, FRANK; L’ODENSE, AMY; MCMAHON, KEVIN; MUNOZ, ENRIQUE; O’HARE, AIDAN; RILEY, JACK; ROMAN, GRACE; RUSKA, ANTON; SANDUSKI, LINDA; SCHAER, CHARLES; TROPEA, GIUSEPPE; TULIK, THOMAS.
$50,000.00 to $74,999.99
BILOTTO, MARIA; CHOATE, CARL; DECOSOLA, HANNAH; MCMAHON, KEVIN; MULLIGAN, JAMES; NELSON-SIFUENTES, ELIZABETH; REIMER, MARIBETH; SCHULTZ, DANYEL; SISKA, MEGAN; SPLITT, IAN; STENZEL, EMLY.
$75,000.00 to $99,999.99
COLLINS, MICHAEL; CYRAN, ANNE; DIONISIO, REINA; FERANEC, JOHN; JURCZEWSKI, MICHAEL; KONCIUS, ROBERT; MANGANIELLO, JOSEPH; MORAN, JESUS; NORMAN, JERRY; SEGURA, JORGE SIMPSON, JEFFREY; SOWL, ETHAN.
$100,000.00 to $124,999.99
DELGADO, KEVIN; KATZIN, ERIC; MALCHIODI, RONALD; MARRELLO, JR., DANIEL; PEREZ-SALDANA, JONHY; RAMOS, ZENNA; ROBERSON, TAMMY; SPEAR, RYAN; TEUNE, JOSHUA; WILLIAMS, DANIEL.
$125,000.00 and over
BUCKLEY, MATTHEW; FRANCES, JESSICA; GREENENWALD, BRIAN; HAMILTON, ISAAC; JOHNSON, DECARLO; KOTOR, LEO; LAZANSKY, JAMES; MILLER, JEFFREY; MONROE, ASHLEY; NAVARRO, FABIAN; PANEK, JOHN; SIMENTAL, BRIAN; TABB, DANIEL; ZAVALA, YVETTE.
TOTAL COMPENSATION $6,746,278.08
DISBURSEMENTS BY VENDOR IN EXCESS OF $2,500.00
1ST IN EMERGENCY PRODUCTS 15,537; ABC PLUMBING, HEATING & COOLING 2,500; ACCELA, INC. 4,537; ADMINISTRATIVE CONSULTING SPECIALIS 7,083; AFTERSCHOOL ENRICHMENT SOLUTIONS 5,520; AIR ONE EQUIPMENT, INC. 17,763; ALPHA PRIME COMMUNICATIONS 8,037; ALTEC, INC 176,188; AMERICAN LEGAL PUBLISHING 5,423; ANIMAL CARE LEAGUE 5,100; APPLIED CONCEPTS, INC. 11,037; ARCHIVE SOCIAL INC. 6,287; AVALON PETROLEUM COMPANY 74,764; AXON ENTERPRISE, INC 76,583; AYRE PRODUCTIONS 2,500; B & H PHOTO AND VIDEO 4,958; BENISTAR- BESTCO 14,617; BERRYDUNN 81,435; BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD 415,502; BLUESTONE ENVIRONMENTAL 48,500; BOLDER CONTRACTORS INC 2,500; BOUND TREE MEDICAL LLC 6,226; BS&A 18,451; BUCKEYE POWER SALES CO 2,835; BURKE LLC 754,608; CAR REFLECTIONS 13,782; CARGILL INC. SALT DIVISION 33,903; CASE LOTS, INC. 10,253; CDS OFFICE TECHNOLOGIES 25,915; CDW GOVERNMENT, INC. 7,358; CENTER FOR INTERNET SECURITY, INC 7,123; CHESS SCHOLARS 10,229; CHICAGO COMMUNICATIONS 4,425; CHRISTOPHER B. BURKE 404,073; CHRISTY WEBBER LANDSCAPES 29,231; CINTAS #769 5,220; CIVIC PLUS 6,601; CLARK HILL PLC 33,704; CLIENTFIRST CONSULTING GROUP, LLC 107,788; CLS BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS 8,145; COMCAST CABLE 24,909; COMED 32,144; CONSTELLATION NEW ENERGY, INC 11,845; COOK COUNTY ETSB 119,646; COOK COUNTY TREASURER 4,540; CORE CONSTRUCTION 187,716; CROWN TROPHY 3,144; DACRA-MSI LLC 16,365; DATA CENTER WAREHOUSE 13,862; DELL MARKETING 40,589; DELTA DENTAL OF ILLINOIS - VISION 6,119; DINGES FIRE COMPANY 6,255; DREAMSEATS LLC 4,558; EAGLE UNIFORM CO 2,626; ECKERT ENTERPRISES 8,073; ELMHURST OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 7,103; EVERETT J PRESCOTT 13,800; FILIPPINI LAW FIRM LLP 246,743; FIRST BANKCARD 178,425; FIRST STUDENT 9,813; FISHER GARAGES, LLC 4,500; FLOCK SAFETY 7,300; FOSTER COACH SALES, INC. 296,290; FOX VALLEY FIRE & SAFETY 9,479; FREEDOM CHEVROLET 171,945; FULLER’S AUTO BODY 13,999; FULLMER LOCKSMITH SERVICE 3,461; GARVEY’S OFFICE PRODUCTS 7,836; GORDON FLESCH CO., INC. 5,900; GREAT LAKES DISTRIBUTING INC 14,419; GRIFFON SYSTEMS INC 26,240; PLUS 9,983; TKB ASSOCIATES, INC 4,043; TOTAL PARKING SOLUTIONS 5,316; TREASURER, STATE OF IL. 21,833; TROOP CONTRACTING INC 3,000; TWILIGHT PORTABLE GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA NFP 5,270; GUARDIAN PEST CONTROL 5,293; HALLORAN POWER EQUIPMENT INC 57,334; HASTINGS AIR ENERGY 5,182; HEALTH ENDEAVORS, S.C. 14,590; HEALTH INSPECTION PROFESSIONALS INC 6,750; HEARTH AND HOME, INC 12,199; HENDRICKSON FLYING SERVICE 13,966; HFS BUREAU OF FISCAL OPERATIONS 58,301; HIGH STAR TRAFFIC 45,690; HINSDALE BANK & TRUST COMPANY, N.A. 57,542; HOMER TREE CARE INC 198,772; HRP CHICAGO LLC 4,000; ICOOK INC 4,706; IL DEPT TRANSPORTATION 5,660; IL ENVIRONMENTAL 100,006; ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF 3,034; ILLINOIS STATE TREASURER 6,022; IMAGETREND LLC 15,659; INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION SOLUTIONS 5,435; INFINITY ENTERTAINEMENT LLC 3,500; INFRASEARCH, INC. 5,750; INNOVATIVE GARAGE DOOR 3,116; INTEGRATED LAKES MANAGEMENT INC 13,915; INTERDEV LLC 23,668; IRENT PROJECTORS 2,991; IRMA 550,825; J. ANDERSEN CONSTRUCTION 15,260; J. ANDERSEN CONSTRUCTION, INC. 6,708; JAMAR TECHNOLOGIES INC 4,999; JAMES COWELL 5,475; JAMES LAZANSKY 4,182; JLT PHOTOGRAPHY 3,695; KAMSTRUP WATER METERING, LLC 8,209; K-FIVE HODGKINS LLC 6,422; KIESLER’S 12,695; KOZIOL REPORTING SERVICE 4,701; LAKESHORE ATHLETIC SERV. 4,434; LAKESIDE CONSULTANTS 49,333; LAUTERBACH & AMEN LLP 29,020; LEGACY SPORTS CAMP LLC 37,568; LEXIPOL LLC 10,438; LINEAGE MAILING SERVICES LLC 27,107; LOWER DESPLAINES WATERSHED GROUP 2,503; LYONS-PINNER ELECTRIC, INC. 4,335; M.A.B.A.S. DIVISION 10 7,426; MACQUEEN EQUIPMENT, LLC 724,472; MADISON NATIONAL LIFE INS. CO. 4,328; MARATHON SPORTSWEAR, INC. 12,063; MEADE ELECTRIC CO INC. 4,210; MEADE ELECTRIC CO, INC 3,276; MENARDS 3,565; METROPOLITAN INDUSTRIES, INC. 14,550; MICHAEL ADELSBACH 5,000; MIDCO ELECTRIC 7,120; MINUTEMAN PRESS OF LYONS 4,768; MISSIONSQUARE RETIREMENT 47,860; MITI MANUFACTURING INC 3,319; MONROE TRUCK EQUIPMENT 78,415; MORNING NOON & NIGHT PLUMBING 68,350; MORNING NOON NIGHT PLUMBING & SEWER 15,000; MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC 4,425; MPC COMMUNICATIONS 73,361; MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES- ILLIN 5,592; MUNICIPAL GIS PARTNERS INC 45,938; MYS, INCORPORATED 549,599; NAPA AUTO PARTS 3,113; NAPLETON FORD OF OAK LAWN 7,043; NELSON SYSTEMS INC 2,596; NICOR GAS 52,469; NORTHEAST MULTI 3,695; NORTH SUBURBAN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COO 557,790; NORTHERN ILLINOIS POLICE 7,305; NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 5,500; NUTOYS LEISURE PRODUCTS 6,195; NUTTER CONSULTING LLC 17,821; OZINGA CONCRETE INC 10,940; PARAMEDIC SERVICES OF ILLINOIS 695,472; PEERLESS NETWORK INC 16,207; PETER’S HIGHLINE AUTOMOTIVE 10,367; PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGIES EQUIPMENT 10,189; PITNEY BOWES, INC. 3,248; POMP’S TIRE SERVICE 2,877; POSSIBILITY PLACE NURSERY 7,275; POSTAL SERVICE, U.S. 3,910; PRECISION TODAY HEATING & COOLING 3,500; PREMISTAR-NORTH 55,423; PRESENCE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 11,632; PURCHASE POWER 15,752; QUADIENT, INC 5,129; QUALITY INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS INC. 3,458; RANGO SEWER & WATER 52,650; RANGO SEWER AND WATER, INC 3,000; RAY O’HERRON CO., INC. 24,451; RES PUBLICA GROUP 15,000; RESTORE RESTORATION 15,771; RICCIO CONSTRUCTION 11,223; RIVERSIDE GARAGE 25,965; RIVERSIDE PRESBYTERIAN 4,350; RIVERSIDE PUBLIC LIBRARY 23,598; RIVERSIDE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 16,238; ROBERT ANDREAS & SONS INC. 4,500; ROMEOVILLE FIRE ACADEMY 4,010; ROVELOCITY 15,636; RUSH TRUCK CENTERS OF ILLINOIS 4,395; RYDIN DECAL 3,370; SCHAEFFER MANUFACTURING CO 3,463; SCOTT KOPACH 4,591; SEAGRAVE FIRE APPARATUS LLC 235,170; SERGIO BALDERAS 2,500; SESCO, LLC 36,342; SHERWIN INDUSTRIES INC 4,189; SHI INTERNATIONAL 7,295; SOUND WORKS PRODUCTIONS 7,175; STENSTROM PETROLEUM SERVICES GROUP 3,651; STEPHEN A. LASER ASSOC. 4,100; TAMMY ROBERSON 3,970; TARGET SOLUTIONS, INC 5,395;TELECOM INNOVATIONS GROUP 7,507; THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON 585,996; THE STEVENS GROUP 6,991; THOMAS AND SUSAN ZIDLICKY 5,500; THOMAS J. BRESCIA 26,640; TIME CLOCK RESTROOMS 11,060; U.S. ARBOR PRODUCTS 3,950; UNIFIRST GROUP 3,544; UNIFORMS DIRECT LLC 14,673; UNITED RADIO COMM, INC. 2,622; UNITED STATES CYLINDER GAS 3,069; VELOCITY EHS 2,945; VERIZON WIRELESS 46,887;VICTOR STANLEY INC 3,014; VILLAGE OF MC COOK 1,313,555; VILLAGE OF NORTH RIVERSIDE 25,576; VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE 2,673;VISIT OAK PARK 5,000; W.S. DARLEY & COMPANY 25,738; WALTER E SMITHE FURNITURE
Opinion
LETTERS
Cover all the schools
Why do we only talk about the public school athletes?
I love Riverside, I love Hauser, and I now love RB. My daughter Catie, who is autistic, is an incoming freshman at RB. District 96 has been phenomenal in working with her and us, and the children of Riverside have been amazing in helping her as Hauser basketball teammates, Special Olympics supports, participating in Best Buddies, etc
And a lot of those kids who have played a
big role in my daughter’s development are athletes at Fenwick and Nazareth, and they barely get a mention in our “community” paper. We have a lot of children at those two schools and we barely get a mention about their achievements! It’s shameful. Landmark, cover all of our area schools, and especially our kids from Riverside and Brookfield, re gardless of which school they go to.
Anthony Dolezal Riverside
Send letters to the editor
Dan Haley, Ri verside-Brookfield Landmark
141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302
E-mail: dhaley@wjinc.com
Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.
based on things she’s heard in other dog grooming businesses.
spa from page 9
She acknowledged the Cutest Dog will open only blocks away from Frisky Dog Daycare, 9216 W. 47th St., but said they offer another kind of service.
“They have a doggy daycare, dog grooming services, boarding services, and we’re a private spa experience for the dog, one-on-one grooming service,” she said. “We’re different. We’re a different business.”
According to documents from Brookfield’s village board, the business will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. About four to seven dogs will be seen by ap pointment each day.
Mora said the business’s lo intentional to prevent overcr dissatisfying owners with their dog’s care
“The owners’ questions are like, ‘Why are my dogs in a cage? Why do you guys have so many dogs at the same time, and why does my dog take 7 to 10 hours to get groomed?’” she said. “Our goal is to keep the grooming process to two to four hours. That’s the limit, so it’s more stress-free for the owner, too.”
Village trustees approved a variation from the zoning code to permit a dog grooming business at the planned location, which used to be a barber shop, as part of the consent agenda at their June 23 meeting
Diaz said Mora was the one who first taught her the skills of dog grooming. For the moment, they both work full-time as groomers elsewhere, but they said they can’t wait to jump into The Cutest Dog.
OBITUARIES
John Uhlir, 75 Brook eld resident
John Joseph Uhli r, 75, of Brookfield, died on April 23, 2025, leaving b ehind a le ga cy of hard wo rk and de ep love fo r his family
He dedicated his l ife to taking care of those he love d and he b eli eved strongly in doin g the right thing — even when it was hard. He was a lovin g father, husband and — in hi s later years — a devoted and proud gr andfather whose gr andchildren brought hi m i mmeasurable joy. His f amily will remember his shar p wit, his strong opinions about healthy eating, as well as hi s fondness for long sw im s, historical documentarie s, classi c westerns, and Trader Joe’s.
T hough his p assing was sudden and heartbreaking, he will be remembered for the c onstancy of his presence, the strength of his convictions, and the de p th of his love. He was a c omplex, caring, and unforgettable man.
John is preceded in death by his mother, Kathleen Donahue Uhlir; his father, Daniel Donovan Uhlir; and his sister, N ancy Uhli r. He is survive d by his w ife, Pamela Uhlir; his children, Jessica Craig and Matthew Uhlir; his siblings, Diane Jastre, Kathleen Gerhardt, M idge Bar rett Van L ent, Daniel (Sharon) Uhlir Jr.; and many nieces and ne phew s.
Memorial services will be held at Rive rside Presby teria n C hurch, 116 Barrypoint Road, Rive rside, on Mond ay, June 30 at 10 a.m.
Leonard Sasak, 92 Retired Wester n Electric employee
L eonard S. S asak, 92 of Rive rside, died in his home on June 15, 2025. A U. S. Ar my veteran, he was a retired employee of Wester n Electric.
Leonard was the husband of the late Gloria; the father of Kimberly (Richard) Rodriguez, Ro zanne, Anthony (Tina), Patrick (Heike) Sasak and the late Angela (Carl) Dolman; grandfather of 11; great-grandpa of 1; and the brother and uncle of many.
“We’re so excited. We’re so scared, but I’m let’s do it!” Mora said. “I love working with animals, so I think it’s meant to be. She has four years of experience. I have five years of and I’m like, ‘Why not right now? Let’s just do it!’ It’s our moment.”
Vi sitation was held on June 19 and 20 at I vins/Mor avecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St., Rive rsid e, followe d by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary C hurch, with i nternment at Resur rection Cemeter y.
Funeral info 708-447-2261 or www. mor avecek.com.
Sports
High-scoring RBFC Soccer Club 2013 girls take Puma Cup title
By BILL STONE
Contributing Reporter
T he RBFC Soccer C lub ’s 2013 girls team achieved a big g oal by finding the back of the net seve r al times. T he 2013 gi rl s captured the Puma Generations Cup U12 White Division championship with a 5- 2 victory over the Chicago Soccer Academy, May 18, at the S tuart Sports C omplex in Au rora . 2013 girls team members we re Luciana Acosta, Francesca Foushi, Cece Geletka, L eonora Guardi, Haley Halmon, June Hof f mann, E mma Rose In gr am, Emmy Johnson, Ada Ku ykendall, Sophie L esni ak, Marian Machak, L ola Madonia, Raeg an Muirheid, CeCe Ri o, Mia Schwartz and Kira Sieve rt
T he RBFC Soccer C lub is a youth progr am that wo rks with athletes from around the Rive rside and Brookfield c ommunities
T he 2013 girls defeated the M idStat e Soccer C lub 4-1 in the Puma Generations
e RBFC Soccer Club 2013 girls team was U12 White Div ision
Puma Generations Cup
Cup semifinals earlier on May 18 after going 3-0 in p ool pl ay and outscorin g C ampton United SC, Lyons Township SC and Hawthorn Woods Elite SC by a c ombined 15-2.
Meanwhile, the RBFC 2015 boys and 2013 boys teams joined the 2013 girls in winning their respective divisions.
Members of the 2015 boys team we re E mmett Bischof, E mmet Bloom, Lu ke Bowen, Miller C hobot, Liam Co over, Joey Dvorak, Kiaan Hala, Wi lliam Iwersen, Max Mannix, Crew Mantei, Sebastian Pe dersen and Blake Sieve rt .
Members of the 2013 boys team we re Rhydian A lexander, Nathan Bass, Everett Cervantes, L eonora Guardi, Joey Halic, Haley Halmon, June Hof f mann, A idan Kaczmarczyk, James K alfas- Ryan, Jaxon L esniak, Grady McCoy, Patric k Me g all, David Ro driguez, John Schrier and Matt Wolf C oaches Mad dy Georgopolous, James Unger and Danny Pena wo rked with the three group s.
Lions’ Mortonson receives all-state soccer for third time
Bulldogs’ Caputo, Lions’ Capizzi, Nazareth’s Strnic and Moore all-sectional
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Senior Caroline Mortonson, one of most prolific scorers in Lyons Township High School girls soccer history, finished with quite a hat trick of honors. For the third straight year, Mortonson was named allstate by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association. The four-year varsity starter will play at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio).
“[All-state] makes me so happy. I love playing on this team and they’ve supported
me so much, so I’m really going to miss it,” said Mortonson during Senior Day, May 10.
“[I hope to be remembered as] a good team player, someone who works hard on the field and also of f the field to include everyone. A good soccer player.”
Mortonson had her best overall of fensive totals this past season for the Lions, scoring a single-season best and teamhigh 15 goals along with a team-high 12 assists. T he Lions captured their 12th consecutive re gional championship. She finishes with four-year totals of 45 goals and 44 assists. That included 11 goals as a junior and freshman and 15 assists as a sophomore.
All-sectional honors went to Riverside Brookfield High School senior Ella Caputo (team-high 7 goals, co-team-high 7 assists), Lyons Township junior Carolina Capizzi
(9 goals, 8 assists) and Nazareth Academy senior defender Izzy Strnic (3 goals, assist) and sophomore Molly Moore (team highs of 16 goals, 11 assists).
Caputo will play at Drury University (Springfield, Missouri). Strnic was honorable mention all-sectional in 2024. Receiving honorable mention all-sectional were RBHS junior Michelle Panduro (4 goals, 3 assists) and Nazareth junior Olivia O’Neill (8 goals, 2 assists).
All-sectional academic recipients were RBHS senior Raleigh Jesswein, LTHS senior Sofia D’Antonio and Nazareth senior Isabel Cervantes. All-sectional sportsmanship recipients were RBHS senior Lucy Drenth, LTHS senior Grace Lanspeary and Nazareth senior Annie Trayser.
Caputo and defensive midfielder Jesswein were named to the All- Upstate Eight
Conference East Division Team. Caputo was All-Metro Suburban Conference in 2024 and All-MSC Blue as a sophomore. Mortonson, Capizzi and juniors Anna Bigenwald (133 saves as goalie) and Avery Lusk (3 goals, 3 assists) were named to the All-West Suburban Conference Silver Division Team. Mortonson also was all-conference last season.
Strnic, Moore, O’Neill (8 goals, 2 assists), defender Trayser (goal, 4 assists) and junior Esme Bleskin (assist) were named to the All-East Suburban Catholic Conference Team for the first time
Boys tennis
Nazareth seniors Jack Nisivaco and Martin Passino were named to the All-East Suburban Catholic Conference Team.
COURTESY OF THE ACOSTA FAMILY
champions at the
Brook eld’s Hillmann again an NCSA softball champion
LTHS graduate contributes to Wisconsin-Whitewater’s club title repeat
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Noli Hillmann transfer red last year to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for its strong business school in pursuit for a de gree in accounting. T he move also paid big dividends for her love of softball. T he Brookfield resident and 2022 Lyons Township High School graduate joined the school’s club softball team and now has been part of back-to-back National Club Softball Association Division II national champions.
T he Wa rhawks re peated by beatin g High Po i nt Unive rsity 5-1 in the winner- take-all final, May 11, in Cranberry Townshi p, Pennsylvania.
“I think everyone who returned just had that drive to win that championship again. After even pre-season, we saw how good we played together and how everyone got along as a team,” Hillmann said.
“I want to say it feels better [winning club titles] because, in a sense, we did this all on our own. We’re coaching ourselves. We’re doing our schedule ourselves. We have the [UW-W] heads of club sports but at the end the team is doing it together and getting it done. It definitely makes it more special when we win these.”
Even more special is these are the first two NCSA Division II club championships, which were added to nationals in 2024. Last year, the Warhawks won the championship game over Salisbury 14-4 in Cranberry Township after losing their game in roundrobin pool play
“[That] felt really special just with it being the first year,” Hillmann said. “It was my first
year also playing on the team and some of the other girls so it was really nice to win.”
This season, UW-Whitewater (20-4) was even more impressive at nationals, going 3-0 in pool play among the four district qualifiers that seeded the single-elimination playoffs. The Warhawks beat Quinnipac 8-3 in the semifinals after pool victories over Salisbury 4-3, High Point 11-2 and Quinnipac 10-3.
Mostly a designated hitter, Hillmann played in three games at nationals. For the season, she was 9-for-18 hitting with three
doubles and eight runs batted in and 1-1 as a pitcher in three appearances. The Warhawks emphasized playing everybody at nationals. The roster has grown to 18 after adding eight players as freshmen or students who were already at the school.
“Whether it was pinch-hitting, running for someone, everyone got to play at least some part,” Hillmann said.
At LT HS, Hillmann pl ayed varsity her senior year mostly as a first b aseman. In 2023, Hillmann pl ayed at Wi sconsi n
L utheran C olle ge (Milwaukee) mostly on the j unior varsity with one varsit y appearanc e. W hen she was looking to transfer, a friend also transferring sugg ested Wi sconsin-Whitewater, another NCAA Division III school about 54 miles southwest of Milwaukee. Wi sconsinWhitewater has strong i ntercolle giat e progr ams, including softball, but also extensive and org anized club spor ts Hillmann’s mom mentioned that and upon her visit, Hillmann inquired. If she was an enrolled student, she could play. In 2024, Hillmann was 3-for-10 with four RBIs as a hitter and 2-1 in four pitching appearances
While she may not have all of the obligations of scholarship athletes, she’s coming of f an extremely busy year with school and jobs on and of f campus. Because all of her credits did not transfer, she’s taking classes this summer.
“I mainly decided to transfer due to my education more than softball itself,” Hillmann said. “Doing club softball, it’s definitely more relaxed. There’s not as much high pressure. If you have suggestions, you c an give that to our club president.”
Hillmann said team d ues are $150 pe r pl ayer per semester. T he Pennsylvania t rip for nationals was an a dditional $100 and that was with welcome financial assistance from the club b oard for the second straight year
“We were just lucky they were able to fund us. Normally they don’t fund clubs like that back to back,” she said.
Hillmann especially was grateful because she was the club team’s treasurer and will be again this coming season. She ran unopposed. Hoping the team can play more re gular-season games, she wants to expand fundraising, which last season included having an online team store.
“I actually enjoyed [being treasurer],” Hillmann said. “My major is accounting and I like dealing with numbers and all of that stuff and coming up with ideas for fundraising, just to help the team the best I can.”
COURTESY OF KATHERIN HILLMANN
Brook eld’s Noli Hillmann with the NSCA Division II championship trophy.
Success, lessons for Bulldogs, Lions at Summer Shootout
Teams post 3-1 records at 22nd annual RBHS event with 84 teams
By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter
Riverside Brookfield High School rising senior Ben Biskupic made a game-winning play at the 22nd annual Summer Shootout Saturday and didn’t realize it.
His basket, following an offensive rebound on the first possession of the sudden-death second overtime, gave the Bulldogs a 72-70 victory over St. Ignatius in their fourth and final game at the threeday premier summer boys basketball event hosted by RBHS.
“I didn’t really know it was sudden death, so I was getting ready to run back on defense,” said Biskupic, who rebounded and then converted of f the inside pass from senior Liam Enright.
“Beating St. Ignatius is big for us because it’s kind of a rivalry game. We know guys on their team. It’s my last time playing in this event so just to go out with a nice shot and help the team win games is a big deal.”
Once again, 84 teams participated with more than 200 college coaches as observers for the live event. Both the Bulldogs and Lyons Township had 3-1 Shootout records after losing their opening games.
RBHS lost to Thornwood 62-59 but then defeated Fenwick 50-40 later Friday and Rock Island 85-79 in Saturday’s first game. On Saturday, LTHS lost to Lincoln Park 41-36 and then edged Lake Forest 48-45 followed by Sunday victories over Rolling Meadows 49-45 and Schaumburg 69-53.
“I love playing all different kinds of teams. That’s what the summer’s all about. And just grinding,” said RBHS coach and Shootout organizer Mike Reingruber. “You want to be in close games. That is what’s going to make you better come November through March. All four of our games were close where we had to figure out game-situation stuf f and for tunately we came out on top in three of them.”
RBHS players who saw action included rising seniors Cameron Mercer, Colin Cimino, Walker Burns, Aaron Guzman, Biskupic and Enright; juniors Evan Elzy, Jacob Gonzalez, Philip Hilgenberg and
either way.”
LTHS players who saw action included rising seniors Owen Carroll, Tommy Blyth, Dylan Holcer Grant Pinta and Braden Sullivan; juniors Timmy Sloan, Ty Smith, BJ Walton and Nate Woods and sophomore Grant Smith.
“[Our focus is on] details, just getting the offensive system in our head s,” Sloan said. “Building chemistry with your teammates is the biggest thing over the summer. And skill development, too.”
Like last year, the Lions have only a couple of players with significant varsity experience in Carroll and Sloan, the son of LTHS coach Tom Sloan. Last year’s team peaked at the end, battling Curie on its home floor until the final minutes before losing in the Class 4A re gionals.
“Summer is all about getting experience for [varsity newcomers], getting varsity-level minutes, playing varsity-level competition. It’s been a good summer so far,” Carroll said.
“[Timmy Sloan and I] make everyone follow what coach wants. If you make a mistake, we want to build you up, make sure you’re part of the team. We want people to take open shots, feel confident. Have fun, have some camaraderie with the team.”
Already emerging was 6-foot-5 leading cumulative scorer Grant Smith (74 points), followed by Carroll (33 points), Blyth (25) and Sloan (24). Grant Smith is the younger brother of for mer standout Graham Smith, now playing football at Yale. Ty Smith is not related.
Riverside-Brook eld’s Cameron Mercer (5) comes down with a rebound against Lyons Township dur ing a nonconference game Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 in Riverside.
Hunter Twitty; and sophomores Noah Van Tholen and Anthony Tyler.
Mercer, entering his third varsity season, Cimino and Biskupic all had significant varsity minutes last season. Mercer was credited with a team-high 78 cumulative Shootout points, followed by 6-foot-3 rising star Van Tholen (51 points), Cimino (38), Enright (27) and Biskupic (26).
“It’s really my first time playing with a bunch of [non-seniors] and I love them all,” Cimino said.
“[The Shootout helps] with experience in the younger guys. It’s really going to help us throughout the season as we do play some pretty tough games.”
Besides their event, the Bulld og s have attended shootouts at Loyola Academy, Hillcrest, A ddison Trail and Batavia ’s Hoop Mountain p lus a structured practice at De La S alle. T he Bulld og s still have the Romeoville Live S ummer S hootout and team c amp at the Unive rsity of I llinois Chicag o.
“What I enjoy about [our home Shootout] is not so much the scoreboard part but going against all of the other teams that we don’t play against during the season,” Mercer said. “Even if we lose close games, we know how to clean up those mistakes. If we win, we can figure out what we did good on our part, what did we do bad. It’s beneficial
The Lions were coming of f winning the three-week Downers Grove South summer league, beating the host Mustangs in the tournament final after sharing first during league play.
“It’s a learning process, guys learning what the intensity and skill level is, the speed and all of that stuf f at the varsity level,” Tom Sloan said. “The guys play well together. They play pretty hard, share the ball so it’s been a fun group. If they keep working hard between now and November, I think we’ll have some success.”
At the Summer Shootout, 14 teams had 4-0 records — Benet, Curie, DePaul Prep, East St. Louis, Fremd, Glenbard East, Hyde Park, Kenwood, Lincoln Park, Loyola Academy, Mt. Carmel, St. Laurence, St. Patrick and Warren.
STEVE JOHNSTON
NOTICE OF OPEN HOUSE AND PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK BIKE PLAN UPDATE
OPEN HOUSE AND PUBLIC HEARING DATES, TIMES, AND LOCATIONS�
� July 14, 2025, 6�00 p.m. to 8�00 p.m. at Carroll Center, 1125 S. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park, Illinois 60304
� July 16, 2025, 6�00 p.m. to 8�00 p.m. at the Park District of Oak Park’s Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St., Oak Park, Illinois 60302
PURPOSE� The Village of Oak Park (“Village”) will conduct two open houses and public hearings on the Bike Plan Update which is a Village-wide transportation planning study that includes recommendations for the installation of on-street bicycle accommodations which may require the removal of on-street parking at multiple locations. A copy of the draft Bike Plan Update document is on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Village Manager’s Office, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8�30 a.m. and 5�00 p.m., or can be
found on the Village’s website https://engageoakpark.com/ bike-plan. Information will be shared at the open house regarding the Bike Plan Update. Additionally, all interested persons will be given an opportunity to make comments of up to three minutes each at the public hearing, which will be recorded by Village staff by audio or video. Interested persons may also submit public comment by emailing transportation@oak-park.us or submitting the comments in writing to: Village of Oak Park, Attention: Village Engineer, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302. Comments made at the public hearing and received via email or in writing will be shared with the Village Board for their review.
If you require assistance to participate in any Village program or activity, contact the ADA Coordinator at 708.358.5430 or email ADACoordinator@oakpark.us at least 48 hours before the scheduled activity.
Published in Wednesday Journal, June 25, 2025
Legal Notice for River Forest Public Library Community Room
By authority of the Board of Library Trustees, sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, on July 15, 2025, by the Board of Library Trustees of the River Forest Public Library for the Community Room. Any bids received after 2:00 p.m. will not be accepted. The project consists of the renovation of the existing community room and workroom and the creation of a new family restroom in the youth department. The work includes but is not limited to: demolition, millwork, doors, partitions, interior finishes, fire protection, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, low-voltage systems, and Audio Visual.
Responses shall be submitted in duplicate on or before the specified closing time in an opaque sealed envelope marked as noted within the Bidding Documents on the outside and addressed to: Emily Compton, Library Director, River Forest Public Library. Responses are to be mailed or hand delivered to the River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305
A mandatory pre-bid site conference and walk-through for contractors will be held on July 1, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305.
Bid security in the form of a bid bond or certified check made payable to the River Forest Public Library equal to 10% of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, and Certificate of Insurance will be required from the successful bidder.
The River Forest Public Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any or all documents submitted or parts thereof, to waive any irregularities or informalities in the prequalification procedures and to approve trade contractors and vendors to bid in a manner serving the interest of the River Forest Public Library.
All bidders must comply with the applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages, and bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor and bidding, including Equal Opportunity Laws. All bidders must comply with requirements listed in the documents.
Bidding documents which include Project Manual and Project Plans will be on file and may be obtained by bidders on June 23, 2025, after 12:00 p.m., for electronic distribution through BHFX Planroom website: http://www.bhfxplanroom.com. All communication should be directed to Shaun Kelly, Engberg Anderson, 8618 W. Catalpa Avenue, Chicago, IL 60656. (PH: 312-846-7646; EM: shaunk@engberganderson. com). Hard copies are available for purchase through the BHFX Planroom. All costs associated with printing will be borne by the bidding contractor or vendor.
Published in Wednesday Journal June 25, 2025
Legal Notice Village of River Forest Development Review Board River Forest, Illinois
Public notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held by the Development Review Board of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, July 10th, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:
Application # 26-0001: Amending Planned Development Ordinance No. 2643 Regarding Priory Park: Application to construct a splash pad, expand the south end of the Priory Center, and construct a picnic shelter.
The address of the property is as follows: 7354 Division Street, River Forest, IL 60305.
The applicant is: River Forest Park District
Legal Description:
Park District Property –Sub Parcel “E”
The easterly 200.00 feet of the westerly 505.00 feet of the following described tract: Of that part of the south half of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 1, Township 39 North, Range 12, east of the third principal meridian, in Cook County, Illinois, described as follows: Commencing at the southwest corner of the south half of the east half of the northeast quarter of said Section 1; thence south 90 degrees east along the south line of said northeast quarter of Section 1, a distance of 221.12 feet; thence North 00 degrees east at right angles to the last described line a distance of 40.00 feet to the point of beginning, said point also being on the northerly right-ofway line of Division Street, as per document No. 8265055; thence north 00 degrees 10’ 00” east parallel with the west line of the east half of said northeast quarter of said Section 1, a distance of 661.14 feet; thence south 89 degrees 50’ 00” east a distance of 381.00 feet; thence south 00 degrees 23’ 06” west a distance of 105.71 feet; thence south 08 degrees 45’ 24” east a distance of 129.68 feet to a point of curvature, thence along a curve to the left having a radius of 150.00 feet, an arc length of 212.70 feet, thence south 75 degrees 14’ 32” east, a distance of 82.05 feet; thence south 00 degrees west, a distance of 22.50 feet; thence south 90 degrees east, a distance of 68.00 feet; thence south 00 degrees west, a distance of 255.60 feet to the northerly right-of-way line of said Division Street; thence north 90 degrees west along the northerly right-of-way line of said Division Street, a distance of 607.54 feet to the point of beginning.
All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing, the purpose of which is to take evidence on the Application for the Development Review Board and Village Board to consider. A copy of the application and meeting agenda will be available to the public at the Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, or at www.vrf.us.
Clifford Radatz Secretary Development Review
Board
Published in Wednesday Journal June 25, 2025
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. UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF WILLIE G. HENRY; FLORENCETTA HENRY; TCF NATIONAL BANK; ANITA HENRY; COURTNEY HENRY; EBONEE HENRY; MERCEDES HENRY; TIARA HENRY; JACK LYDON, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF WILLIE G. HENRY; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF FLORENCETTA HENRY, IF ANY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendant 17 CH 13529 CALENDAR 61 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on July 21, 2025, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-09-315-063-0000. Commonly known as 635 Rice Avenue, Bellwood, IL 60104. The real estate is: 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: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Codilis & Associates, P.C., 15W030 North Frontage Road. Suite 100, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. (630) 794-5300. 14-23-01315
INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3267950
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION
ATHENE ANNUITY & LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY Plaintiff vs. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF JOYCE A. ROBINSON, CITY OF CHICAGO, CAPITAL ONE, N.A. SUCCESSOR IN INTEREST TO CAPITAL ONE BANK (USA), N.A., MIDLAND FUNDING LLC, RONALD ROBINSON, JUVONA ROBINSON, AMIR MOHABBAT AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS
Defendant 23 CH 1793
CALENDAR 59
NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on July 21, 2025, at the hour 11:00 a.m., Intercounty’s office, 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, IL 60602, sell to the highest bidder for cash, the following described mortgaged real estate:
P.I.N. 15-17-113-013-0000. Commonly known as 236 N. FOREST AVE., HILLSIDE, IL 60162. The real estate is: 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: At sale, the bidder must have 10% down by certified funds, balance within 24 hours, by certified funds. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Suite 201, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 2300555
INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3267963
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION PARAMOUNT RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE GROUP, INC. Plaintiff, -v.-
SABRINA MCDADE Defendants 2024 CH 06544 1014 GARDNER ROAD WESTCHESTER, IL 60154 NOTICE OF SALE
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on April 22, 2025, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 24, 2025, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at public in-person sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:
Commonly known as 1014 GARDNER ROAD, WESTCHESTER, IL 60154
Property Index No. 15-16-416058-0000
The real estate is improved with a single family residence.
The judgment amount was $258,302.82.
Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.
The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.
Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.
The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.
If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a
mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g) (4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN 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 CHAD LEWIS, ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 6400 SHAFER CT, STE 325, ROSEMONT, IL, 60018 (561) 241-6901. Please refer to file number 24-224197. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE
You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc. com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.
CHAD LEWIS ROBERTSON ANSCHUTZ SCHNEID CRANE & PARTNERS, PLLC 6400 SHAFER CT, STE 325 ROSEMONT IL, 60018 561-241-6901
E-Mail: ILMAIL@RASLG.COM
Attorney File No. 24-224197
Attorney ARDC No. 6306439 Attorney Code. 65582 Case Number: 2024 CH 06544 TJSC#: 45-1129
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 # 2024 CH 06544 I3268586
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