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Riverside picks contractor for green parking lot facelift MYS, Inc. will redo Lot 8 with permeable pavers and 2 ADAcompliant parking spots

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By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Former storefront-turned-home makes history STORY BY TRENT BROWN, PAGE 7

COURTESY OF THE VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE

The house and garage at 169 Barrypoint Road comprise Riverside’s newest local landmark. The single-family home was constructed in 1897 and originally served as a neighborhood store with an upstairs residence. The house’s front windows reflect its original use.

Spring

Riverside is full steam ahead on renovating Parking Lot 8 at 44 E. Quincy Street.

At the village board’s June 6 meeting, trustees approved a contract with MYS, Incorporated, a contractor based in Palos Heights, for construction work on the parking lot, which will see it repaved with permeable pavers. The project will also involve the addition of two new accessible parking spots — to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act — and the removal of the lot’s curb peninsulas to put in two new parking spots that can be permitted to commuters.

The contract was passed as part of the board’s consent See PARKING on page 3

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We can do this. We need your help. And now.

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Emancipated TODD BANNOR

The Oak Park Regional Housing Center’s financial trouble, resulting in staff ’s pay sometimes being delayed and the village pausing its funding for the organization, will require village trustees to navigate next steps at their June 18 meeting.

The OPRHC is a nonprofit organization that offers resources to individuals seeking to locate housing and to housing providers, according to its website. It’s mission, according to the website, is “to achieve vibrant communities and promote intentional and stable residential integration throughout Oak Park and the region.”

But now, the village says the organization has been See HOUSING CENTER on page 10

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Mayor Brandon Johnson and other dignitaries break ground for the Austin Hope Center on June 10. Story on page 21.

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If the tax referendum passes in November, residents will not see property taxes go up

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Brookfield Zoo Chicago staff, volunteers and guests lined up to cheer on the cyclists. The zoo was their final stop Thursday, ending the first leg of the three-day Soldier Ride.

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people looking to buy homes in low-to-moderate income communities. Bank of America has committed $15 billion to NACA’s Best in America Mortgage program, which boasts no down payment, no closing costs, no private mortgage insurance and a below-market fixed rate to eligible individuals.

Amarilis Wise, who directs NACA’s Chicago office, spoke with Austin Weekly News about the work the organization is doing to promote economic justice and make homeownership accessible to historically marginalized groups.

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Proviso East principal pushes to add 4th year of math

Illinois Report Card shows only 1.7% of students are ‘proficient’ in math

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IN Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 THIS ISSUE Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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A GCM GUIDE TO HOMEOWNERSHIP

ounded in 1988, the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America provides more than 30% of housing counseling throughout the country. The HUD-certified nonprofit serves homebuyers and homeowners in nearly 30 states, including Illinois.

NACA provides mortgages to low-to-moderate income

Riverside is looking to change the way the village finances street improvements.

At the village board’s June 6 meeting, trustees directed staff to move forward with preparing a referendum question asking residents whether the village should institute a one-time increase to the property tax levy for 2024. That increase would be offset by savings as current street repair bonds are paid off.

If passed by voters in November, the referendum will al-

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Could requiring a fourth year of math help students increase their proficiency in the subject? Proviso East Principal Rodney Hull thinks so.

During a June 11 board of education meeting, Hull presented a “4th Year of Math Justification” to the board.

According to Hull’s presentation, East and West only require three years of math while Proviso Math and Science Academy requires five years.

The Illinois State Board of Education requires a minimum of three years of math.

The most common math courses taken at East and

By JESSICA MORDACQ The resolution is an effort to support educational equiHis latest resolution follows an ty on Chicago’s West Side, where student enrollment has been declining for years as a result of school closures and influx of state funding and would likely La Shawn Ford, who represents the 8th District in the the rise of magnet and charter schools.

“Students go outside of Austin to find schools to meet Illinois House of Representatives, filed a resolution in merge Austin’s under-enrolled May calling for immediate construction of a high school See SCHOOL PLAN on page 6 Chicago Public Schools in Austin.

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To fund street repairs, Riverside wants new method to pay the costs

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PARKING More space

IN THIS ISSUE

from page 1 agenda at that meeting, meaning trustees did not discuss the matter or vote on it individually.

Riverside staff monitored the usage of parking spots at the lot through April and May. As of May 16, village staff were preparing to survey nearby businesses to gauge how often their employees park in the lot.

MYS’s bid for the project came in at $671,112.35, beating out four other firms whose estimates for the project were more costly, ranging from about $8,000 higher up to over $280,000 higher. Still, the accepted bid was more than $125,000 higher than the estimate provided by Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd., the village’s engineering and design firm for the renovations.

Since December 2023, the village has approved $488,841 for construction on the parking lot, meaning MYS’s bid — and the project’s final price tag — is over budget by about $180,000. Adding MYS’s bid to $70,750 that the village approved last July for Burke’s work brings the project’s total cost to $741,862.35.

Luckily for Riverside, the village won’t have to bear the weight of the full price to make the parking lot more sustainable and accessible. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago pledged last June to reimburse the village for $256,000 toward the project as part of its Green Infrastructure Partnership program, meaning Riverside has agreed to pay $485,862.35. Trustees formalized the partnership with the MWRD in February.

The district will deliver its funding to Riverside in four equal disbursements of $64,000 as each quarter of the construction work is completed. The village will be on tap for any construction not finished by 2025.

Once MYS installs permeable pavement at the lot, it will be Riverside’s third green parking lot. Permeable

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Property transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 pavement promotes the absorption of rainwater and snowmelt into the ground beneath it, reducing both the amount of water that flows into sewers through storm drains or nearby bodies of water and the associated risk of flooding during heavy rain or after significant snowfall. According to Riverside’s agreement with the MWRD, the lot’s roughly 14,000 square feet of permeable pavement will be able to capture at least 72,400 gallons of stormwater at a time.

Accessible parking As part of the reconstruction, Riverside is required to designate two of the parking lot’s spaces as accessible parking spots that meet ADA standards, meaning they cannot be leased as a source of revenue for the village and must be reserved for drivers who have disabilities.

Riverside officials had thought two other permitted spots in the lot would have to be eliminated to serve as access aisles for people with disabilities to use to enter or exit their cars; however, at the village board’s April 18 meeting, Village Manager Jessica Frances said village engineers had realized they could place the two accessible spots adjacent to one another with a single access aisle in the middle, effectively saving the village one permittable parking spot.

The village expects to lose about $2,000 in annual revenue from the elimination of the three permitted spots.

At that board meeting, village staff

C O R R E C T I O N An article titled “To fund street repairs, Riverside wants new method to pay the costs” that appeared in print June 19, 2024, misstated which village paid out $532,721 in property taxes over the past decade to cover the costs of issuing bonds for street repairs. That village is Riverside. We apologize for the error.

asked trustees to approve a final design for the parking lot. Alongside the choice to simply lose the three permittable spots, Frances presented trustees with two options to add two new spots to the parking lot. The addition would mean that, overall, the village would only lose one spot’s revenue. Both options involved getting rid of two pedestrian peninsulas that jut into the parking lot from the northern sidewalk.

The difference lies in the two sets of stairs in the middle of the parking lot near the peninsulas that grant access to the train platform. One option would have seen the stairs removed completely, costing the village about $31,00. The other, which trustees chose after about 20 minutes of discussion, will see the stairs redone to incorporate ADAcompliant handrails, running just under $47,000. The price to renovate the stairs is included in the village’s approved cost for the overall project.

Two sets of stairs at each end of the parking lot will not be touched during the renovations.

According to village estimates, the extra revenue from the two new spots will cover the added cost to eliminate the peninsulas and renovate the stairs after 35 years, a length of time that would only get shorter following any future increases to the cost of parking permits.

Frances said at the meeting that, due to the stairs’ heavy incline, it would not be possible to put in a wheelchair-accessible ramp instead. The train platform will still not be directly accessible to wheelchair users parking in the lot; they will still have to head around the corner to get to the platform via Riverside Road. She said the village suggests wheelchair users try to park in Parking Lot 1 off Bloomingbank Road, as it has better access to the platform.

Editor Erika Hobbs Staff Reporters Trent Brown, Amaris E. Rodriguez Digital Manager Stacy Coleman Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner EMAIL jill@oakpark.com Publisher Dan Haley Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

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

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The Landmark, June 26, 2024

Riverside July 4 Celebrations Community Celebration, Wednesday July 3, 5 p.m., Guthrie Park Experience an evening of music and festivities at Guthrie Park. The park opens at 5 p.m. and the opening ceremonies kick off at 5 p.m. The celebration features the national anthem by Jennifer Pollock. From 7 to 10 p.m, groove with Libido Funk Circus, who will take the stage.

June 26-July 3

BIG WEEK

Riverside Parade, Thursday, July 4, 8:45 a.m.

The Independence Day Parade kicks off early at Big Ball Park and proceeds south down Longcommon Road, concluding at Guthrie Park. It’s a can’t miss!

28 Bloomingbank Rd.

Brookfield 4th of July Parade and Celebration Thursday, July 4, 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Kiwanis Park Brookfield’s 4th of July celebration will be at Kiwanis Park next Thursday. The parade will start at 10 a.m. sharp followed by Party in the Park with live music from Redmonds at 12:30 p.m. and Whiskeyfist at 3:30 p.m. Bring your chairs, friends, and family out to the park to watch these two amazing bands. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Come one, come all! 8820 Brookfield Ave.

Music on the Grand Last Saturday of the month, June through September Grand Boulevard The concert series of the season kicks off June 29 with Maggie Speaks. Join in on the last Saturday of the month and enjoy free music in the open air. Have fun (but expect street closures)! Downtown Brookfield on Grand Boulevard

Meditation for Dealing with the Stress of Modern Life

Monday, July 1, 6:30 p.m., LSF Brookfield Library Learn a simple, time-tested meditative technique for reducing stress during this engaging workshop with long-time meditator Umesh Bhatia. As always, register for classes and events online at www.lsfbrookfieldlibrary.org, by phone at 708485-6917, or in person at the library. Walk-ins welcome, where applicable. All events held at the library unless otherwise specified. 3541 Park Ave.

Outdoor Concert Series: Alloy Horn Quartet Thursday, June 27, 7 - 8:30 p.m., River Forest Library The library is pleased to present a series of outdoor concerts in our garden on the fourth Thursday evening of June, July and August. This month, the sound of brass horns will fill the garden courtesy of the Alloy Horn Quartet, who will play a set of classical music. Alloy is a Chicago-based group whose members have played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, Chicago Philharmonic and other prestigious orchestras. Limited chairs will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket. In the event of rain, the concert will be held indoors on the second floor of the library. Brought to you in partnership with the River Forest Township. 735 Lathrop Ave.

Author Event: Echoes Across the Tracks Saturday, June 29, 1-3 p.m.

LSF Brookfield Library Western suburbs native and local author, Dave Moravec, shares highlights from his novel Echoes Across the Tracks: Life Lessons Through Unexpected Connections.

Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters, this heart-warming read explores the joys of human connection on an Amtrak journey from Chicago to New Orleans.

The discussion will be followed by an author signing, with copies available for personalization and purchase at the event. Experience Moravec’s unexpected connections by expecting yourself and your loved ones to support. 3541 Park Ave.

Green Thumb Club Thursday, June 27, 4:30 p.m., LSF Brookfield Library Do you want to be a part of the Green Thumb Club?

Do not get it confused, you won’t be leaving with an actual green thumb, unless you want to! Explore the Library’s Pollinator Garden and learn all about its insects and host plants. Participants can take home a native plant to grow in their own garden. Native plants are perfect for spicing up any garden. This event is for Grades K-5. Register online by calling 708-4856917 or visiting the front desk. 3541 Park Ave.

Fairytale Tea Party Wednesday, June 26, 2 - 3 p.m.

North Riverside Public Library Calling all mystical children of Brookfield and Riverside: Do you believe in magic? Better yet, do you believe in fairytales? If so, head over to the library for a fairytale tea party for a designated story time with music and snacks! Children younger than 2nd grade must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is required for this event so make sure to sign up online while spots are still available www.nrpl.info. 2400 Desplaines Ave.

Compiled by Grace Harty

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

5

Riverside fills second Mobile DMV before the village can announce it Representatives from the Illinois The waitlist from the first meeting.

Secretary of State’s office will be there to residents will renewing vehicle stickdate was long enough to fill help ers, applying for or renewing driver’s lior other state IDs, upgrading them a second date in December censes to Real IDs, registering to vote and register-

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

If you signed up for Riverside’s first mobile DMV date on Wednesday, June 26, but didn’t make it before registration filled up, you may have already secured yourself a spot for the village’s second date later this year.

Village President Douglas Pollock announced the second Mobile DMV’s December 4 date at the village board’s June 20

ing to be an organ donor.

Pollock said the village reached out to the Secretary of State’s office to schedule a second date after officials saw the popularity of the first one.

“We were pretty much full within two or three days of announcement, which is exciting and shows what a good service this is for our residents,” he said of the first date.

But unlike the first event, Riverside residents won’t have the opportunity to sign up for the second Mobile DMV,

FILE PHOTO

Pollock said — because they’ve already filled all the spots.

“Before we could announce the date, the waitlist from 6/26 filled the second event’s registration, so if you’re not already registered, we’ll try again next year,” he said.

The first Mobile DMV, which ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Quincy Community Center, was the first one to visit Riverside

in the village’s history. The event was a collaboration with Illinois State Senator Mike Porfirio, whose district includes Riverside.

Residents can find a list of accepted documents for either Mobile DMV event on the Illinois Secretary of State’s website.

Anyone with questions about either event should reach out to Village Clerk Ethan Sowl at esowl@riverside.il.us.

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The Landmark, June 26, 2024

Advocates say SCOTUS paves way to ensuring abusers Open July 4th! have guns confiscated

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orders of protection.

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After the U.S. Supreme Court last week upheld a federal law that bars those under domestic violence-related restraining orders from owning guns, victim advocates say Illinois lawmakers should pass a measure to ensure firearms are actually confiscated in those situations.

The legislation has been stalled for more than a year, despite efforts this spring and fall to resurrect it after the high-profile murder of Chicago resident Karina Gonzalez. She and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela were allegedly shot to death by her estranged husband less than two weeks after a judge issued an order of protection against him. Jose Alvarez remains in Cook County Jail and is next due in court.

But after last week’s high court ruling, advocates say there is nothing else standing in the way of lawmakers taking up the bill, which last summer was rebranded “Karina’s Bill” after Gonzalez’s murder.

The bill would clarify existing state law and require law enforcement to take guns from those subject to certain domestic vio-

year anniversary of Gonzalez’s order of protection against her husband.

“I think it says a lot about our state that it took this long and we hope it will say something different about our state if we get it passed in [the General Assembly’s fall] veto session,” Pyron said of lawmaker inaction on Karina’s bill during a call with reporters on Monday.

State Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, a chief sponsor of Karina’s Bill, said in a statement Friday that while the high court’s ruling is “a great relief for survivors of gender-based violence,” the decision “merely preserve(s) the status quo.”

“Here in Illinois, we should move forward by enacting Karina’s Bill, which will provide clear guidance for getting guns out of the hands of abusers, and ensure those weapons are removed sooner – all within a framework that justices have now overwhelmingly endorsed,” she said.

Hirschauer pushed an earlier, broader version of the bill through the Illinois House in May 2023, but it failed to advance in the Senate. Gonzalez and her daughter were killed two months later.

See DOMESTIC VIOLENCE on page 17

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The Landmark, June 26, 2024

7

Riverside home becomes latest local landmark The Barrypoint Road property was once a neighborhood store

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Riverside has named its latest local historical landmark and the first since 2021.

The village board on June 6 unanimously approved designating the singlefamily home at 169 Barrypoint Rd. as a local landmark, capping off nearly four months during which the home’s application was reviewed by the village’s historical, planning and zoning, and preservation commissions.

Errol Kirsch, proprietor of Errol Jay Kirsch Architects in Oak Park, filed the application on behalf of the home’s owners, Sonia Lin and Matthew Kerkhof. The home is the first house to be designated a local landmark in Riverside since 2021.

According to village documents, Riverside’s commissions determined that the property on Barrypoint, which began as a first-floor neighborhood storefront with

a residence upstairs and a barn out back, met four of the village’s six criteria to be considered for local landmark status.

The first criterion, of being a part of the village’s, state’s or nation’s cultural, historical, social or other kind of heritage, is satisfied by the mercantile origin of the two buildings. They represent “an area of development and design of early American architecture,” according to Riverside’s ordinance that marked the property as a landmark.

The second criterion that the property meets is its representation of distinguishing architectural characteristics. The house, which was built in 1897 according to Kirsch’s application to the village, displays an “early American vernacular form building style with Queen Anne details,” the ordinance reads; it also says the homeowners plan to add glass windows above the house’s storefront windows to restore the home’s style.

The third criterion is whether the property is considered an “established and familiar visual feature” in town. Due to the house’s original use as a store in an otherwise residential neighborhood and its location on a major road, the planning and zoning commission found that it satisfied this step.

The fourth and final criterion that the property met to become a local landmark is its architectural identity and its influence on other construction of the time period within Riverside, which it meets due to being “one of the simplest examples of a vernacular form of building” — that is, a building constructed without professional guidance. According to the village’s ordinance, the historic use of the front building to provide shelter and a commercial space and of the back building to store animals, qualifies it for this criterion.

There is a fifth criterion that River-

side’s historical commission found the house might have qualified for, although it ultimately did not, according to village documents. Homes in Riverside can be landmarked if they are associated with an important person or event to the history of the village, the state, or the country.

According to minutes from the commission’s March 18 meeting, Commissioner James Petrzilka found that the home had once belonged to Joseph Proska. According to a Berwyn Life obituary from 1972, Proska served as Berwyn’s park superintendent from 1928-1958 and later served as the city’s park supervisor after a stint at the Brookfield Zoological Society. He is also the namesake of Berwyn’s Proska Park.

“It’s a unique house for sure,” Village President Douglas Pollock said at the meeting. “I love the old pictures of when it was a storefront.”

Otmanski holds court again at annual RBHS tennis tourney Fundraiser returns in July with action in doubles, mixed doubles, singles

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

The tennis courts at Riverside Brookfield High School bring back many memories for 2010 graduate Michael Otmanski.

“I met my now wife on the RB tennis courts. We both took part in the summer tennis camp of 2008,” he recalled. “I played on the tennis team all four years and as a senior played No. 1 doubles. We regularly won our conference tournament and made it to the second round of sectionals senior year.”

Otmanski returns to the courts every summer to participate in the annual RBHS Tennis Tournament fundraiser for the program.

This year’s event is July 12-13 and 14 (if needed) for doubles, including mixed doubles, and July 26-27 and 28 (if needed) for singles, which initially had been scheduled for June.

Registration information is available at

keep my game sharp. [Coach https://tinyurl.com/RBTenWeiss] has done a great job nisFundraiser. For more information, contact RBHS boys creating, organizing and and girls tennis coach Sam running this event.”

Weiss, weisss@rbhs208.net.

The tournament is open to Otmanski has participated all community players with every year. One of his favorite a double-elimination, bestmoments was reaching the douof-three-sets match format bles final with his father in 2021. and 1-AD scoring. Prizes will “That’s been a special kind be awarded for first through of full-circle experience. Even third place. though we can both be hotFees are $35 for singles and heads on the court, we work $30 per doubles player. ParMICHAEL OTMANSKI well together and it’s a lot of ticipants who sign up for both fun,” he said. “I’ve had great singles and doubles receive a times playing in the invite. The bracket $15 discount. Students (age 8-18) receive a always has a fun mix of current students $10 discount ($25 for singles and doubles). on the team, school alumni, and friends “Tennis is right up there with the most and family who have become regulars technically difficult sports to play,” Otmanat the tournament. This competition is ski said. “Couple that with the fitness renow a staple of my whole family’s sum- quired and the mental chess match against mer, a fun event and great motivation to your opponent, and that’s what makes it so

rewarding when you perfectly execute a shot to win a point.”

Otmanski began playing tennis around age 10 after his father introduced him to the sport and encouraged his interest. After RBHS, he played with the club team at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“Though I didn’t care much for [tennis] at first, I did end up falling in love with the sport at my own pace,” he said.

In addition to playing, Otmanski loves watching matches. He’s been known to wake up at 2 a.m. with a full breakfast to follow live coverage of the Australian Open.

He enjoys playing both singles and doubles.

“One of the most unique aspects of singles is the isolation,” he noted. “There are no timeouts or opportunities to strategize with coaches and teammates. In doubles, it’s nice to have someone to bounce ideas off and provide a mental lift at times.”

8

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

Riverside trustees stop monitoring Berkeley Road traffic Efforts to slow traffic appear to have worked

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

Riverside is concluding its quarterly village board updates surrounding the issue of traffic near Berkeley Road.

At the board’s June 20 meeting, Director of Public Safety Matthew Buckley gave the last traffic update to trustees before the board agreed to stop receiving updates each quarter, as they had for the past year.

Buckley said that village staff ’s recommendation to end the updates is a result of measures Riverside has taken since 2020 to slow traffic speeds in the area and push drivers from Berkeley Road east onto Harlem Avenue rather than having them head west toward Byrd Road.

“This will still be an area that we are always keeping an eye on,” Buckley said.

“We do regular monitoring there, especially because of the Star Buds business that’s on that corner. We make routine passes through that parking lot, checking on the business, making sure everything’s fine in that area.”

During his presentation, Buckley told trustees about the village’s latest traffic counts on Berkeley Road, during which police staff monitored the number of vehicles using the street as well as their speeds from May 13 to May 22.

Over this period, 1,164 vehicles traveled down Berkeley Road; according to village documents, the average speed on Berkeley Road was 17 mph, which is under the street’s 25-mph speed limit. Only three vehicles traveled over 30 mph over those nine days, and no cars went higher than

FILE

Riverside Township Hall 32 mph, which is the fastest a car can travel over the speed limit on the road before police will enforce a speeding violation.

A similar traffic count over six days in October 2018 showed that 29 vehicles drove faster than 31 mph, village documents show.

“We’ve done these quarterly traffic counts, which have shown that a lot of our improvements that we have done have worked,” Buckley said. “They have reduced the number of vehicles on that street and definitely have shown that [they have] reduced the speed of vehicles travelling on

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that street.”

Traffic on Berkeley Road has concerned residents who live there since 2018, when one of the homes on the street was broken into. While the village refused to close down access to Berkeley Road from Harlem Avenue in 2019, it agreed to install signs in February 2020, discouraging drivers from turning onto the road from Harlem. According to village documents, in August 2020, former Police Chief Thomas Weitzel told the village board that the ‘Do Not Enter’ signs had reduced the amount of traffic cutting through Berkeley Road by 60-70%.

Then, the issue of traffic lay dormant until January 2022, when village trustees directed staff to look into further measures that could be taken to calm traffic on Berkeley Road. Village documents say the village manager, Jessica Frances, then created a plan with resident feedback to address their concerns, though it was not implemented until work on Star Buds “was underway.”

Since then, other village measures to reduce traffic on Berkeley Road have included adding ‘Right Turn Only’ and ‘No Left Turn’ signs near the Star Buds parking lot exit onto Berkeley and the end of the alleyway just west of Star Buds. The village has also installed signage in the area to alert drivers that they are under video surveillance.

At a board meeting in February this year, Buckley told trustees he had heard from residents that there was a “noticeable decrease in traffic” turning west onto Berkeley Road from Harlem Avenue.

Buckley said Riverside’s department of public works is now working on adding another sign at the end of the alleyway to push traffic toward Harlem Avenue.

“Between myself, Manager Frances and Director [of Public Works Dan] Tabb, we’ve spent a lot of time standing on Berkeley, a lot of times right at Harlem Avenue, just watching traffic, coming up with different ideas of how we could approach this and different things we could do,” Buckley told trustees on June 20. “As things come up and we find stuff like [new signage], if we can do something small that helps alleviate other issues, we’re going to stay on top of that and do it also.”

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10

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

The Forest Avenue bridge is closing until August Detour signs will direct drivers to 31st Street

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

If you frequently take the bridge on Forest Avenue over the Des Plaines River to travel between Riverside and Brookfield, get ready to take an alternate route this summer.

Following an announcement from Riverside last week, the Illinois Department of Transportation closed the bridge Monday to begin resurfacing work. According to the village, IDOT has said the work should be done by August 9, weather permitting.

“Many may not be aware of this, but the bridge is actually IDOT’s jurisdiction and is owned and maintained by them,” Village Manager Jessica Frances said at the village board’s June 20 meeting.

While the bridge is closed, IDOT signage in the area will direct vehicle traf-

fic to take a detour to 31st Street. Those approaching from Riverside will have to make their way to Woodside Road, likely via Park Place, to turn left onto 31st Street. Those coming from the Brookfield side of the river will make their way north on First Avenue before turning right onto 31st Street.

Frances said the bridge’s sidewalks will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists during construction.

“The village did make a request to keep the bridge open to limited traffic; however, due to the width of the bridge, that request could not be accommodated, as it would be unsafe for those completing the work on the bridge,” she said.

“The village engineer will do periodic visits and report any issues to the site manager,” she added. “There will be additional traffic enforcement in the areas of the traffic detour.”

Riverside will announce updates on the bridge’s closure as it receives them from IDOT, Frances said.

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

North Riverside native is the voice of the Burlington Bees a point, according to the judges,” he said. season to start on the prep work — nameSam Egan, who “We just made little adjustments to our ly, getting to know the 38 college students and replays, and Gary Prokes who make up the team’s 2024 roster as graduated from RB in graphics helped me out a bunch with that, and it well as the many players on other teams in the Bees’ Prospect League. really elevate our production.”

2023, is a sportscaster for helped “Some of their colleges will give you After graduating from RB last year, a bio of information. You just find out a Egan said he began studying sports methe Iowa collegiate team dia at Ball State University in Muncie, bunch about the guys under ‘college bio

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

When North Riverside native Sam Egan, was just a toddler, he taught himself how to turn on his family’s television. It wasn’t because he wanted to watch the Saturday morning cartoons — his dad had turned off the TV at the last inning of a heavy loss for the White Sox, but he needed to know how the game ended.

Since then, Egan, 19, said he has known that he loves baseball and that he wanted to be a baseball sportscaster when he grew up. Now, he’s living the dream, so to speak, as the voice of the Burlington Bees, a summer collegiate baseball team from Burlington, Iowa.

This summer, Egan is interning as a sportscaster with the team, traveling with them from game-to-game to call out every pitch, ball, strike or home run and fill the air alongside another caster. Whenever the team gets one of the latter, Egan calls out his catchphrase — “That baby will go!”

Egan first dipped his toes into sports broadcasting as a student at Riverside Brookfield High School. There, he joined RBTV, a student group — part after-school club, part daytime class — focused on learning how to broadcast for television.

In his four years at RB, Egan won three Cristal Pillar awards, including one for best sports program another for best live sports coverage in his senior year. The awards are given out by the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the same organization that awards college Emmys. He said his peers at RBTV and their instructor, Gary Prokes, who retired last year after 37 years at RB, helped him improve his craft to win those awards.

“My junior year, we had come in second in that category [of best live sporting event], and we had lost within a tenth of

Indiana, as a member of its “immensely competitive” Sports Link concentration, where students learn about video and audio broadcast production for sports through hands-on experience.

In just his freshman year, Egan has had the opportunity to call games over the radio and operate broadcast cameras — for ESPN. While he hasn’t gone in front of ESPN’s cameras quite yet, he said he’s hopeful that’s a checkbox he’ll be able to tick after another year in t he program.

Buzz, buzz Egan’s internship with the Bees came about last fall after the baseball team was one of 20 to 25 that he said he applied to call games for.

“I heard back from probably seven or eight, but the one that stuck out the most to me was the team I’m with now, the Bees,” he said. “I filled out my application probably at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and they emailed me back asking for an interview within two hours of me applying.”

At the time of speaking with the Landmark, Egan said he had called about 15 of the team’s games and had about 30 left in the season. Still, he said he was already loving the job, even the late nights getting back into town after away games.

“We travel, sometimes, on the road, if it’s within a day’s trip, and we’re not staying at a hotel. We’re with the team on the bus, and we’re calling the game for radio, and then taking the bus back and getting back into Burlington at 12:30, 1 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “It really gives you the full baseball field [experience], the full grind of what it’s going to be like for a broadcaster, and I’m just falling in love with it.”

While Egan is in it for the love of the game, calling the hits as they come in isn’t where the job starts. He said he headed out to Burlington about a week and a half before the start of the Bees’

information,’ and you have all the stats.

Other guys won’t have college stats, won’t have a college bio, so you’ll have to look in their social medias,” he said.

Luckily for Egan, the sportscaster said the Bees don’t play against new teams very often, so he doesn’t have to keep track of new players’ stats at every game.

But once he has the stats down, Egan said the hardest part of the job is finding fun facts about the players to share on the air, thought getting the Bees themselves to open up isn’t too difficult.

“We travel with the guys. We talk with them a lot at the ballpark. I mean, these guys are college-aged as well, so we’re all kind of the same age, kind of in the same boat,” he said.

“You just talk with them, whether during batting practice or whenever you have an opportunity to talk with them, and they’re usually very open about telling you stuff about them, whether it’s something cool they’ve done in their baseball career or something about their hometown or a relative.”

Now that Egan has been sportscasting for years, he said the pre-game nerves don’t get to him as much anymore as they used to. Instead, he’s more focused on how he can improve his craft, taking the time to review his own calls when he gets the chance.

“It’s just about getting better, for me, every day, just experimenting with new stuff,” he said. “There’s no reason to be nervous if this is an everyday thing. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing, dayin and day-out.”

While Egan is still at the beginning of his career, he said his goal is to make the “big-time” as a sportscaster after completing more internships and graduating from Ball State, where he’ll begin his sophomore year in the fall. In the words of Egan’s own catchphrase, with his passion for baseball and experience calling games for the Bees, all the audience can do is see just how far “That baby will go!”

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The Landmark, June 26, 2024

State highway shootings decline as critics sue over ‘dragnet surveillance’ The same group that successfully blocked election ‘slating’ law takes aim at highway cameras

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 % of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death.

But as the state looks to further expand its network of more than 400 cameras this year, it faces a lawsuit accusing ISP of op-

erating “a system of dragnet surveillance” by using the cameras to monitor all traffic that passes them.

The fiscal year 2025 state budget that lawmakers approved last month includes $7 million in new funding for the technology, as well as $2.5 million reappropriated from a previous year.

The cameras are constantly monitoring the highways where they are installed, collecting images, time and location data on hundreds of millions of vehicles each year. In May alone, the cameras captured 1.4 million “hits,” or instances in which a pictured license plate matched one in a law enforcement database for “hot” vehicles – such as stolen cars or those connected to a crime. That was out of 215 million recorded “detections” in May, which includes any instance of a vehicle image being stored with date and time data.

The libertarian legal group Liberty Justice Center contends the constant nature of that surveillance violates the rights of two Cook County residents named as plaintiffs in their lawsuit filed May 30.

The group is the same one that successfully sued to block implementation of a state law that would have prevented certain General Assembly candidates who didn’t run in the March primary from getting on the November ballot. It was also behind the lawsuit that ultimately resulted in the U.S. Supreme Court striking down “fair share” union dues in 2018.

“Defendants are tracking anyone who drives to work in Cook County – or to school, or a grocery store, or a doctor’s office, or a pharmacy, or a political rally, or a romantic encounter, or family gathering – every day, without any reason to suspect anyone of anything, and are holding onto

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those whereabouts just in case they decide in the future that some citizen might be an appropriate target of law enforcement,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit contends the program violates the plaintiffs’ search, seizure and due process rights under the 4th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution. It seeks to end the state’s operation of the license plate reader program and to provide specific protections for the two named plaintiffs.

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13

Advocacy work for Fenwick alum is ‘about life’ Maeve White combines her passions for communication and social reform in her work

By EJ HAAS Contributing Reporter

Riverside’s Maeve White loves helping people.

It’s more than words – it’s her actions, too.

Whether it’s spending time with kids without stable homes or advocating for mental health care, White is there. She’s even keen to assist her sister.

“Maeve loves helping people,” her sister, Ciara, said. “She helps me study for all my schoolwork and helps me with my homework and helps me pick out clothes – we have very different styles.”

So, it’s no surprise to those who know her that the Fenwick graduate is now lobbying for the implementation of a proposed bill that was introduced to the House in 2023: The Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings Act, or the MINDS Act. It would require American humanitarian assistance efforts and programs to integrate “mental health and psychosocial support” measures into their overseas operations for people living in poverty.

She does this as part of her internship with The Borgen Project, founded by Clint Borgen over 20 years ago. It aims to make global poverty relief a greater priority in foreign policy and legislation worldwide.

The nonprofit has been heralded as “incredible” by The Huffington Post.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, elevated collective stress levels and school closures have allowed for greater vulnerability worldwide to food insecurity, abuse and neglect, and symptoms of loneliness and depression.

“Factors that increase susceptibility to mental health and substance abuse disorders include poverty, hunger, chronic and untreated health conditions, trauma and maltreatment, social exclusion and discrimination, and exposure to and displacement by war or conflict,” authors of The Borgen Project’s summary of the MINDS Act wrote.

“Further, depression and anxiety dis-

orders alone cost the global economy $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Investments in mental health programs, including those focused on the wellbeing of children, can help break the cycle of poverty abroad. Childhood poverty causes lower school achievement; worse cognitive and related acuteness; and higher rates of delinquency, anxiety and depression, leading to higher rates of psychiatric disorders later in adulthood.”

White’s lobbying work consists of calling and emailing legislators like Tammy Duckworth, Chuy Garcia, and Dick Durbin on a weekly basis. She encourages them to support developments like the MINDS Act and make themselves aware of the Borgen Project’s work — which, she said, “does a lot more than you think.”

“I didn’t really know I would be doing this exact sort of thing when I started working. I knew it was a nonprofit; I knew I’d be doing something with marketing and PR for this nonprofit, and it was way more hands-on than I expected.”

But White’s advocacy started long before the internship.

For example, in her preteen years, she said, a school she attended hosted refugee children for a recreational day. She remembers that while she didn’t understand “the gravity of the situation,” she loved connecting with and comforting the kids, understanding they had come from “a tough situation.”

And as part of her culture and health class at Marquette University, White volunteered at a Milwaukee homeless shelter.

“At their childcare center … I’d babysit [the kids], basically, after school,” she said. “We’d give them after-school snacks and play with them and help them do homework. I really got to know them: these were homeless kids, and that just really broke my heart.

“Since then, I’ve been even more inclined to help people and take opportunities like the Borgen Project — where I know I could be someone helping someone.”

White found the Borgen Project while seeking a summer communications internship during a semester in Rome. “[Rome was] just epic: the food, the culture, Europe… I went all over; I didn’t just stay in Rome, so it was definitely the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’m really grateful that I was able to have that opportunity.”

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Riverside’s Maeve White is on a mission to improve global health.

Rome, which White called “beautiful,” was her first time outside the United States. While abroad, she called her search for work “extremely competitive.”

“I was racing to find a communications internship.” As a journalism major, she cited wanting to give herself the advantage of prior work experience in a postgraduate career search. “And that’s how I found the Borgen Project.”

White now does her advocacy work between hours interning for Illinois mesothelioma attorneys Cooney & Conway.

Her cousin, Jacqueline Hart, noted that White’s energetic nature helps her balance time between her close family and work,

saying “Maeve’s, like, really personable and she can kind of just talk to anyone…

She’s just very outgoing.”

White insists the case for the MINDS Act reaches beyond the political.

“I think we all have the duty to be good people, and think about people who are in these awful scenarios and have less than us; I think as good people we should… have open minds to someone else’s experience,” she said. “[Mental welfare is] a globalized thing…you’re doing something to help someone stay alive…[that] is extremely profound.”

At the end of the day, in White’s eyes, “It’s saving lives. It’s about life.”

C O R R E C T I O N An article titled “Brookfield trucks along on Ogden Avenue improvements” that appeared in print June 19, 2024, misnamed the street marking the western bound of the improvements in Brookfield. That street is Eberly Avenue, not East Avenue, as it is named in La Grange. We apologize for the error.

14

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The Landmark, June 26, 2024

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Man, mother arrested after crash into a tree

A 29-year-old Brookfield man and his mother, a 53-year-old Brookfield woman, were arrested June 20 in Brookfield after the man drove under the influence and his car struck a tree.

Brookfield officers first responded to the 4600 block of Raymond Avenue around 12:45 a.m. that morning after receiving a report of a crash involving a vehicle and a tree. After arriving, the officers saw two people, later identified as mother and son, standing next to the crashed car, police said. When police asked who was driving, the woman said she had been driving and the man said he had not been inside the car. During the conversation, officers noticed the woman wearing a bathrobe and slippers while the man had watery eyes and the scent of alcohol on his breath. An officer told the woman it appeared she had stayed in while her son was out and that they would arrest her for obstructing the investigation if she was lying.

When Brookfield paramedics arrived, they examined the man and his mother, separating the two of them. As they conversed with different officers while apart, a third officer checked the inside of the vehicle, where they found a loaded Glock handgun alongside “male style” pants on the driver’s side of the car. When asked, the woman told police that the pants were her son’s, but she continued to claim she was driving. At the same time, her son told an officer that he had been driving the car, so police placed the woman under arrest.

After arresting the woman, police detained her son in handcuffs to investigate whether he had been driving drunk. At some point during conversation, the officers learned the man had a concealed carry license. According to police, an officer ran the handgun’s serial number through the police database, and it came back with no record.

While police spoke to the man, he said he had been coming home from a bar and had drunk alcohol before driving home and hitting the tree.

An officer transported the man to the North Riverside Police Department to have him complete standardized field testing. The officer asked the man to take a preliminary breath test, but he declined, so they arrested him for driving drunk.

The man received misdemeanor charges for his DUI and for carrying a concealed weapon while drunk. He also received cita-

tions for driving an uninsured car and failing to slow down to avoid the tree. The man’s mother was charged for obstructing police’s investigation. A July 23 court date was set for both of them.

Caught asleep at the wheel A man was arrested early the morning of June 16 after Riverside police responded to a call of a vehicle stopped in the roadway.

Around 12:30 a.m., two Riverside officers were dispatched to Forest Avenue near Parkview Road in response to the report of the stopped car. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers found the driver of the car was asleep at the wheel, police said. After the officers made “several attempts” to wake the driver, the man woke up and unlocked the doors.

According to police, the man moved slowly and had bloodshot, glassy eyes. His breath also smelled of alcohol while speaking with an officer. When asked, the man told the officers he had consumed one mixed drink about two hours prior.

After agreeing to take field sobriety tests, the man struggled with his balance and walked the wrong number of steps. The man also agreed to take a preliminary breath test, but he made several insufficient tries.

Based on the man’s behavior, the officers arrested him for driving under the influence and took him to the Berwyn police department for processing. While there, the man once again agreed to take a breath test but was unable to provide a sample that would work. The man was charged with the DUI as well as for parking improperly on the roadway. He was later released and a July 18 court date was set.

These items were obtained from the Riverside Police Department reports dated June 16-17 and the Brookfield Police Department reports dated June 17-24; they represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Trent Brown

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16

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

Opinion

THE LANDMARK VIEW

A landmark store

W

hen you think of a landmark home in Riverside, your mind goes to a magnificent Victorian on a large lot along Longcommon Road. And they are beauties.

However, early this month one of the village’s more modest and most unique homes was designated a local historical landmark. Situated at the front of the property line on Barrypoint Road, the white clapboard home with the angled display windows and just a bit of Queen Anne detail was built as a neighborhood retail store, a use that would certainly not be allowed in the middle of a residential neighborhood these days but was common in many communities for decades.

The home at 169 Barrypoint Road has an apartment upstairs, from the living-above-the-store era, and also a barn out back. That mix of factors was enough to satisfy the necessary four-of-six criteria required for landmark status in Riverside. The home, and its owners Sonia Lin and Matthew Kerkhof, spent the past four months working through the village’s many boards and commissions, including historical, planning and zoning, and preservation. The final OK came June 6 when the village board unanimously approved the designation.

Riverside Village President Doug Pollack touted the home at the meeting saying, “I love the old pictures of when it was a storefront.” We fully agree and applaud the village for honoring this modest, handsome and historical structure from a bygone era.

Ogden’s slow roll

Brookfield has rightly had its mind on Ogden Avenue for a long while now. A mixed bag of ill-defined commercial and residential uses, a road designed with the sole purpose of moving auto traffic fast, not a thought for pedestrians or cyclists, a gigantic missed opportunity for growing retail, property taxes and a sense of community.

That is Ogden Avenue’s history.

Through a combination of smart zoning changes and thoughtful property assemblage, with some good fortune courtesy of private owners such as Doc Mack and his Galloping Ghost empire, Brookfield is making headway along Ogden.

But the wholesale physical remaking of the stretch — underground infrastructure, streetscaping, parking changes — is on a long calendar. That became clear recently when a village-hired engineering consultant laid out the long-term plan for the design phase, approvals on multiple levels of government, funding solutions and, finally, possibly in 2029, actual construction.

This is the definition of the bureaucratic long game. We are not complaining. We get the complexities of this project and the many hands with a role in the game. We credit the village government for a purposeful and patient effort to make Ogden Avenue a valued and productive destination in Brookfield.

OBITUARIES

Carol Jaeky, 82 Homemaker Carol Ann Jaeky (nee Bostedo), 82, of Indian Head Park, formerly of Brookfield, died on June 19, 2024 in Wheaton. Born November 16, 1941 in Chicago, she was a homemaker.

Carol was the wife of the late Edward J. Jaeky Sr.; the mother of Laura (Mark) Glaser, Ed (William O’Brien) Jaeky Jr., and Matt (Brooke) Jaeky; the grandmother of Madeline and Julia Glaser and Liam Jaeky; the sister of Patricia (Richard) Caffarelli, Richard (Margaret) Bostedo, Barbara (Keith) Johnson, the late Charles (Georgina) Bostedo; the sister-in-law of the late Mary Lou Chisholm; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 29, from 10:30 a.m. until the memorial Mass, 11:30 a.m. at St. Barbara Church, 4008 Prairie Ave., Brookfield.

Funeral arrangements were handled by JohnsonNosek Funeral Home, Brookfield. Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared with the family at www.JohnsonNosek.com.

Jean Moffitt, 90 Zookeeper at Brookfield Zoo Jean A. Moffitt, 90, of LaGrange Park, formerly of North Riverside, died on June 18, 2024. Born on June 13, 1934, she was a zookeeper at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, and a former member of the board of directors for the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club.

Jean was the cousin of Edward (the late Dorothy) Kuehl and Thomas (Mary Jo) Kuehl and the best friend of Marlene Jansky, Dolores “Dee” Rojek and Lida Portschy.

At Jean’s request, all services and interment will be private.

Arrangements were handled by the Original Kuratko Family, Brian D. Kuratko, director.

To run an obituary Please contact Erika Hobbs by e-mail: erika@growingcommunitymedia.org, before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE New push on ‘Karina’s Bill’ from page 6 Under existing state law, when petitioning a court for a domestic violence order of protection, a victim can ask for 18 specific “remedies,” including the confiscation of the alleged abuser’s firearms. But state law is less than clear on how firearms should be surrendered – or forcibly taken by law enforcement if need be.

Karina’s Bill would clarify that firearms must be surrendered or confiscated within four days of a victim being granted a domestic violence order of protection against their abuser – a change from an earlier version of the bill that stipulated a 48-hour timeline. It would also explicitly allow a judge to issue a search warrant for those weapons when law enforcement goes to serve the order of protection.

Although advocates had been waiting for Friday’s Supreme Court decision, they say lawmakers could have taken up Karina’s Bill this spring during the General Assembly’s regular legislative session.

But the pending high court case wasn’t the only barrier; law enforcement groups like the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police have expressed concerns about smaller, more rural police departments’ abilities to follow the law’s directive to confiscate weapons within four days of an or-

SHOOTINGS from page 12 a temporary injunction against the surveillance program as the full case progresses.

About three weeks after the lawsuit was filed in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois, ISP sent a news release touting the efficacy of the program.

Highway shootings had been on the rise before the legislature authorized and provided funding for automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, in Cook County. There were 51 such shootings in 2019, 147 in 2020 and 310 in 2021, according to Illinois State Police data. That dropped to 189 in 2022 and 129 in 2023, with 42 recorded through midJune in 2024 – a 42 % decline through the same period last year. The cameras were used in at least 260 investigations this year,

CREDIT: MORGUEFILE.COM

U.S. Supreme Court building der of protection being issued.

Even Gov. JB Pritzker, while generally supportive of the bill, pointed out last month that law enforcement officers could be going into volatile situations when serving a search warrant for firearms.

“In the instance where you’ve got to go confiscate the firearm, literally you have to bring sometimes four officers to one situ-

ation in order to remove the weapon,” he said. “And if somebody doesn’t want to give it to you, it becomes quite complicated and maybe dangerous.”

The latest version of the legislation would allow federally licensed gun dealers to store any guns seized or surrendered by someone under a domestic violence order of protection with the firearm remedy – a

according to ISP. “The use of automated license plate readers has been a game changer in investigating interstate shootings, as well as vehicular hijackings and thefts,” ISP Director Brendan Kelly said in a news release.

“They provide us vital leads for our investigation, allowing us to track the events immediately leading up to and following the shootings to identify the vehicle involved.”

State police can review images instantly upon report of a shooting or other incident, and once a suspect vehicle is identified, law enforcement can set the system to alert them if that vehicle is spotted on an ALPR. Under law, the cameras can be used in the investigations of offenses involving vehicular hijackings, terrorism, motor vehicle theft, or any forcible felony, which includes such crimes as murder and firearms offenses. Cameras can also be used for monitoring roadway conditions for safety purposes.

The law, however, prohibits officers from using footage to enforce “petty offenses,” such as speeding.

ISP said their policy is to keep data collected by the cameras for 90 days.

“That’s kind of our big concern is the historical collection and aggregation of all the data,” Reilly Stephens, a Liberty Justice Center attorney, told Capitol News Illinois. “If you only have 24 hours of data, maybe it’s a different case.”

There’s 430 such cameras throughout the state, including 340 in Cook County.

Later this year, ISP plans to add cameras in Macon, Madison, Peoria, Bureau, Lake and Winnebago counties. ISP said it could also “potentially” add cameras in Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, McHenry, Rock Island, Sangamon, and Will counties, as well as on DuSable-Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

The law creating the camera program

17

change made after smaller police departments said they wouldn’t be able to store all of those guns themselves.

Pyron and other advocates said the bill has been tweaked and is ready for lawmakers to take it up again when they return to Springfield in November. She also warned that the General Assembly’s consideration of Karina’s Bill is made even more urgent by a recent “upward trend” in domestic violence-related gun homicides in Illinois.

According to The Network’s analysis of statistics compiled by the Gun Violence Archive, Illinois saw a near-doubling of domestic violence shooting deaths from 2020 to 2023. Four years ago, 37 such victims died of gunshot wounds, compared with 70 last year. Pyron said that as of April 30, 34 people had died in domestic violence-related shootings in 2024 – a 55 percent increase from the previous year.

The number of domestic violence victims injured, but not killed, in shootings is also increasing, she said. The Network’s latest annual report containing 2023 data has not yet been published.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

passed in 2020 with a focus on Chicago, but a 2022 expansion covered another 6,000plus miles of roadway outside of Cook County. That move was widely supported in the legislature, although some raised civil liberty concerns about broad definitions in the law.

Members of both parties expressed concern that the cameras could be used to profile drivers and that individuals were not allowed to request their own data through the Freedom of Information Act. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

18

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

Sports

Bulldogs beat Lions to highlight RBHS Summer Shootout 21st edition is still among top offseason boys basketball events in Illinois

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

For Riverside Brookfield High School rising senior boys basketball players Vince Dockendorf and Danny Loftus, the 21st annual RBHS Summer Shootout brought all of the heat and enthusiasm of the regular season.

The Bulldogs’ third game Saturday not only was against rival Lyons Township but in the packed east gym.

“The atmosphere was great. Being in the east gym, you could just feel the crowd,” Dockendorf said. “It was something I was looking forward to for weeks now. It’s a rival and one that you always want to win.”

The Bulldogs prevailed 52-43 for their one victory at the premier three-day event that provided 84 Illinois teams four games (two 20-minute halves with running clocks) and attracted approximately 200 college coaches.

The Bulldogs lost their final game Saturday to Peoria Manual 70-63 and to Neuqua Valley 64-35 and Maine South 68-61 Friday.

The Lions went 0-4, losing to Niles Notre Dame, 52-40 in Saturday’s finale, and to Joliet West 54-38 and Mt. Carmel 66-55 on Friday.

Most important, both teams gained experience after several key graduations.

“One of the great things about this tournament is you get to play all different styles. I thought we did a really good job of handling the ball versus pressure and coming together through the good and the bad,” RBHS boys basketball coach Mike Reingruber said. “When some plays weren’t going our way [Friday], we started to feel sorry for ourselves. [Saturday] we played through mistakes and stayed really locked in. We pulled for each other a little bit more.”

Even with the Bulldogs’ busy summer, Reingruber continues organizing one of the state’s top summer basketball events.

The long list of helpers includes his wife and father.

“This whole tournament starts with the administration. And great staff — coaches,

IAN MCLEOD

Cameron Mercer of RBHS drives past two LT defenders during game action on Saturday June 22. volunteers, former players, parents,” Reingruber said. “Our RB basketball community is something special. I’m really glad to be a part of it. It can’t be done without them.”

Rising junior guard Cam Mercer, the Bulldogs’ top returnee, had a team-best 67 points for the Shootout, including 28 against Maine South and 16 in one half against Manual.

Other top scorers were Loftus (50 points), Dockendorf (20) and rising seniors Mo Turner (21) and Mantas Sleinys (18) from last season’s varsity, and rising junior Colin Cimino (24) who played last season with the sophomores. Other players included rising seniors Brycen Grove and Noah Wzorek and rising juniors Walker Burns, Ben Biskupic,

Liam Enright, Aaron Guzman, Max Perez, Niko Bruno and Blake Wilson.

Mercer (16 points with 2 three-pointers), Loftus (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals) and Turner (11 points with 2 threes) led the victory over LTHS. The game was tied 34-34 with 10:42 left, but the Bulldogs scored the next 13 points starting with back-to-back threes by Turner.

“The RB tournament is always superfun. This year, we made a lot of improvements,” Loftus said. “It’s always great to play LT. During the season, that’s something you kind of mark on the calendar as a big game. It’s even better to beat them.”

LTHS rising senior Ian Polonowski, a

key reserve for the Lions’ all-senior starting lineup last season, had 44 points, including 19 against Mt. Carmel.

Other top scorers were rising seniors Josh Gutierrez (22), Bobby Vespa (21), Marshaun Russell (17), Dylan Hall (13), Luca Bade (12) and Andrew Carlisle (11). Also playing were rising seniors Julian Padilla and Danny Janiszewski and rising junior Owen Carroll (11 points) from last season’s sophomore team.

The Lions previously played three weeks in the Downers Grove South summer league.

“We’ve seen a bunch of improvement,” Polonowski said. “Everyone here was on [varsity and mostly junior varsity], except for Owen, and part of the culture last year. It’s different roles for everybody, but through those three weeks to now, we’ve kind of figured stuff out.”

Gutierrez (12 points with 2 threes, 6 rebounds), Polonowski (8 points with 2 threes, 5 rebounds) and Russell (8 points) were top performers against RBHS. “It’s always fun to play them,” Polonowski said. “The energy in that gym. It’s loud in there. I think it was just really fun for the experience.”

The Lions generally have been subbing five players at a time. Against Notre Dame, the Lions led 32-29 until the Dons scored the next 12 points to initiate a 20-2 run.

“For the most part, this is new territory playing against varsity-level athletes, competition,” LTHS coach Tom Sloan said.

“What I told the guys [Saturday] is we did a lot of good things but not enough to win. The things we did well we need to do throughout the entire game and then we need to eliminate some of the mistakes that we made in the middle of the second half and beyond. That’s all part of the learning process.”

The Bulldogs and Lions are at Ridgewood’s live event Friday through Sunday, June 28-30.

The Landmark, June 26, 2024 19

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PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: G24000214 on June 11, 2024 Under the Assumed Business Name of KEVIN M SHORT PUBLISHING & CONSULTING with the business located at: 1919 MAIN ST #6, MELROSE PARK, IL 60160. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: KEVIN MICHAEL SHORT 1919 MAIN ST #6, MELROSE PARK, IL 60160, USA.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday 15 July 2024 at 7:00 on in the Council Chambers of Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Ave, Forest Park Il. the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a request for conditional use approval to open an adult cannabis dispensary at the following described property:

Published in Forest Park Review June 19, 26, July 3, 2024

Commonly know as 7200-7216 Circle Ave & 25 South Harlem Ave. Forest Park Il. 60305

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

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

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

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

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

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

CIRCLE PLAZA II LEGAL DESCRIPTION

LOTS 1,2,3,4 AND 5 IN BLOCK 1 IN RAILROD ADDITION TO HARLEM IN THE SOUTHEST QUARTER OF SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY ILLINOIS

The applicant is Ed Warpinski of TC Applico LLC dba BLOC DISPENSARY. The property is owned by Bern Real Estate Circle Plaza II LLC. Further information can be obtained by calling the Department of Public Health and Safety at 708-615-6284 Marsha East, Chair Published in Forest Park Review June 26, 2024

NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for: 2024 Fenwick Priory Watermain Loop Installation Project – Design Engineering Services This project includes design engineering services of a watermain loop project at Fenwick Priory.

The bidding documents are available for download starting Friday, June 21, 2024 at: www.vrf.us/bids Bids must be submitted by Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at: Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305

Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.

No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.

The Village of River Forest reserves the right in receiving these bids to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 26, 2024

20

The Landmark, June 26, 2024

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2321 Scoville Ave, Berwyn $380,000

6148 S Woodlawn Ave, 3A, Chicago $245,000

2621 W Chicago Ave. #4, Chicago $450,000

7410 W Dixon St, #203, Forest Park $168,000

8223 30th St, North Riverside $395,000

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