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Vol. 38, No. 31

@riversidebrookfield_landmark

August 2, 2023

‘Vulgar Vegan’ vying to win chef competition PAGE 7

Also serving North Riverside

D103 superintendent gets contract extension PAGE 14

Riverside disc golf plan tees off neighbors Advisory group formed to finalize Indian Gardens layout

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Plans for a nine-hole disc golf course set in the wooded area between the Scout Cabin and the Indian Gardens ballfield parking lot, which have been progressing slowly and without much comment for more than a year, are suddenly receiving pushback from those who live close to the site.

The volume of that opposition increased, July 18, after Riverside Parks & Recreation Board member John McGlennon published a post on a local Facebook community page. While the post was mainly a call for volunteers to serve on an advisory committee for the initiative, what raised eyebrows was a statement that both the park board

Speed demons HHundreds undreds of racers converge in Brookfield Brookfield for the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium SEE STORY ON PAGE 12 STEVE JOHNSTON

Danielle Morshead wins the Women’s Pro/1/2 race during the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium on July 26 in Brookfield.

See DISC GOLF on page 20

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

107 TH ANNUAL

PICNIC WHEN?

Saturday, August 5, 2023 11am – 3pm

Join us for a summer celebration of family & community!

Live Music • Food • Highland Dancing • Facepainting • Balloon Artist

WHERE? 2800 Des Plaines Avenue North Riverside, IL. 60546

Admission is FREE! Donations are welcome.

For more information call: 708-447-5092 CaledoniaSeniorLiving.org

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Ball field behind RBHS a hot topic at zoo town hall

New master plan could influence fate of land leased by high school

By CLAIRE HARRISON Contributing Reporter

Around 20 community members and zoo officials joined together at Riverside Brookfield High School on July 25 to discuss what is in store for the next decades at the Brookfield Zoo. Although the master plan will include new exhibits and the potential of new species, animals were not the central topic of the event.

Since December 2022, the Chicago Zoological Society, the nonprofit that operates the Brookfield Zoo, has been undergoing a master planning process to create a vision for the next few decades.

By resurveying land and hosting both internal staff and community town hall meetings, CZS is gathering feedback and information to consider what comes next for the Brookfield Zoo as it approaches its 1934 centennial.

The July 25 event included a recap of what happened at the zoo in 2022, what to expect for the rest of 2023, updates about the master planning process and an openmic community forum.

Jennifer Baader, senior vice president of government affairs, hosted the event, and Mary Ann Cronin, a consultant for CZS, provided updates on the master planning process.

During the Q&A section of the town hall, audience members had the chance to share ideas, experiences and concerns relating to the future of the zoo. Participants offered suggestions about topics ranging from maintaining biodiversity to improving visitors’ connections with animals.

However, the majority of the open forum was not focused on animals.

Several community members spoke about the fields between RBHS and the

southern perimeter of the zoo, and how they believe they should be turned into permanent ballfields for use by RBHS athletics.

The high school currently leases the fields for use from the zoo, but the area is used for overflow parking, meaning the fields are at times filled with tire ruts and are not always available for use by the high school Doug Schultz, math teacher and head coach of softball at RBHS, said it is challenging to maintain his players’ safety in the current situation in which several sports teams — including softball, baseball and lacrosse — are forced to practice and host games off site.

“My number one job is making sure that my players are safe, and traveling to different fields … is tough. I’m concerned when I’m away from the building where my trainers and support staff are, and I’m trying to conduct a softball game where injuries can occur,” Schultz said.

Schultz also asked where negotiations currently stand, as a land-sharing agreement that would have granted RBHS exclusive use to the property fell through in March 2021.

In response, Baader said that the master planning process involves a study of the zoo’s traffic flow and that the zoo is trying to be a good community partner by improving the parking and traffic situation.

Cronin added that no stone is being left unturned during this extensive process.

In a separate interview, Baader said that as the zoo focuses on creating a great guest experience at the North Gate, it looks to move more traffic away from the South Gate where the ballfields are located.

“We are still waiting to see what the final master plan brings up in terms of opportunities for all the land across the zoo, but with a focus on moving that parking to the north, it’s our hope that we can reduce the parking needs on the south side,” Baader told The Landmark.

In addition to comments from RBHS staff and community members about the

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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Jennifer Baader ballfields, multiple audience members, one representing Cycle Brookfield, expressed their wishes for a sidewalk along zoo property on 31st Street between Prairie and First avenues.

An official from the village of Brookfield also offered context about the partnership behind the pedestrian and bike pathway.

After the comments, Baader expressed that the sidewalk is likely to move forward.

“We have been in discussions with the village for years about transportation across 31st Street … but we’re at a point where both the village, the zoo and the forest preserves are eager to have a path along 31st. We are at the point where we need to figure out exactly where the path goes, but there’s a lot of enthusiasm for all three groups to get something done,” Baader told The Landmark.

In hearing community feedback, the master planning team is looking for common issues brought up by all groups that bubble to the surface as top priorities.

Many of the ideas brought up on July 25 echoed and put an emphasis on previously mentioned issues so that the master planning team can make sure to address them through the master plan, Baader told The Landmark.

Moving forward, there will be another town hall meeting, likely in a virtual format, before the master plan is completed.

Baader hopes that this next town hall will include the public’s reaction to initial master plan ideas before the draft is finalized in the fall and rolled out to the public sometime in the winter.

To share your feedback and ideas about the future of the zoo, email planyourzoo@ czs.org.

Editor Bob Uphues Staff Reporters Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez Digital Manager Stacy Coleman Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady, 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 buphues@rblandmark.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00.

A one-year subscription costs $41 within Cook County and $51 outside the county. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2023 Growing Community Media NFP.

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

BIG WEEK

Blue hue to Brookfield outdoor concert

August 2-9

THE VAUGHN BUILDING

Brookfield continues its Friday Night Concert Series on July 28 at 7 p.m. at the bandshell in Kiwanis Park, Arden and Brookfield avenues.

This week, groove to the bluesy garage rock sounds of The Vaughn Building. Bring your coolers, blankets and chairs.

Seed collection tutorial

Join the Brookfield Native Plants Group on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. for “Seed Collection Tutorial: How to Harvest,” a beginner-friendly program at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave. Learn how to harvest seeds from your garden and learn how to get some hands-on experience at a seed collection field trip later this fall.

Register to attend at brookfield.evanced.info/ signup.

Kids can cook

Bagpipes, Highland dancers and more

It’s never too early to learn how to cook. If you are a kid between the ages of 8 of 12, channel your inner chef and learn how to make delicious treats during Kids’ Kitchen on Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. at the North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave. This guided cooking class will help introduce kids to tools and methods in the kitchen and to fun, new foods.

Register at the library by calling 708-447-0869 or at northriversidelibrary.org/events-new.

Channel your inner Scot, don your tartan and head over to the beautiful, wooded campus of Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, 2800 Desplaines Ave. in North Riverside, for their 107th Annual Picnic on Aug. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The public is invited to attend, and admission is free (donations welcome). Celebrate high summer with live music, food, a balloon artist, face painting and, of course, bagpipes and some authentic, traditional Scottish Highland dancing.

And more Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “Summer, Joy and Harmony,” featuring paintings by Joe Fournier, at the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, through Sept. 29. Viewing hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

The Riverside Chess Club invites players of all skills and ages to meet for casual games at the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, on Mondays from 5 to 7 p.m. Open to anyone. For more info email TheRiversideChessClub@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/TheRiversideChessClub.

The Riverside Farmers Market operates each ■

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Wednesday through Oct. 4 from 2:30 to 7 p.m. in Centennial Park, at Forest Avenue and Longcommon Road. The Brookfield Farmers Market returns every Saturday through Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites you to take part in Make Your Own Soap on Aug. 3 at 6 p.m., Baby and Me (4-24 months w/adult) on Aug. 4 at 10:30 a.m., Lego Club on Aug. 4 at 4 p.m., Big and Little Storytime (children w/adult) on Aug. 7 at 10:30 a.m., Science Explorers (all ages) on Aug. 7 at 4:30 p.m., My First Storytime (ages 4-24 months w/adult) on Aug. 8 at 11 a.m., Safari ABCs (child w/adult, ■

every other week in Spanish) on Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. and DIY Shiny Cars or Bookmarks (grades 6-12) on Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. Register for programs online at northriversidelibrary.org/events-new.

Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., presents Fairytale Storytime (all ages w/caregiver) on Aug. 3 at 10:30 a.m., Craft Craze: Shadow Puppets (grades 1-5) on Aug. 3 at 4 p.m., Chair Zumba on Aug. 4 at 1:30 p.m.., Legotastic Saturday on Aug. 5 at 10:30 a.m., Chair Yoga (virtual) on Aug. 7 at 11 a.m., Storytime Stars (ages 2-3 w/caregiver) on Aug. 8 at 10:30 a.m., a Film Discussion Series screening of the Japanese film “Still the Waters” on Aug. 8 at 6:30 p.m. and Stories Galore on Aug. 9 at 10:30 a.m. Call 708-485-6917 ■

or visit online at brookfield.evanced.info/signup to register for programs.

Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, presents Mindful Chair Yoga on Aug. 3 at 11 a.m., Friday Outside Storytime on Aug. 4 at 10 a.m., Legopalooza Movie Day on Aug. 5 at 10 a.m., At the Spot: Create with Cricut Mini-Camp (teen/ adult) on Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. and Storytime at the Community Garden (400 Nuttall Road) on Aug. 8 at 9 a.m. To register for programs, visit online at riversidelibrary.org/events.

The Brookfield Elks Lodge, 9022 31st St., hosts bingo the second Sunday of every month. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games start at 2 p.m. with cash payouts.

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P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

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North Riverside 7-Eleven clerk robbed at gunpoint A man armed with a handgun robbed a convenience store clerk early on July 28, taking money from the cash register before exiting and leaving in a vehicle.

North Riverside police responded to 7-Eleven, 9205 Cermak Road, at about 2:20 a.m. after an employee called to report the robbery. The victim, who was uninjured, said the offender came into the store and grabbed a soft drink from the cooler before approaching the counter as if to pay.

Instead, the offender reportedly pushed the clerk, produced a handgun and reached over the counter, grabbing about $50 from the register. Police described the offender as a Black man, about 6-feet tall with facial hair and wearing a gray hoodie, black shorts and black shoes with white tips and white laces.

The offender was seen on video leaving the store and walking across 17th Avenue to a vehicle, which did a U-turn and headed south on 17th Avenue. A Brookfield police camera last recorded the vehicle heading eastbound on 31st Street.

Felony fleeing/eluding Mark J. Phillips, 31, of Riverside faces two felony counts of fleeing/eluding police after he reportedly led North Riverside officers on a pursuit that started in the 8300 block of Cermak Road and wound through Broadview, Westchester and Hillside before speeding east on I-290 and north on I-90/94 and then into Chicago’s Loop and onto Du Sable Lakeshore Drive before being blocked into a parking lot near McCormick Place early in the afternoon on July.

North Riverside police received a call at 12:24 p.m. of a blue minivan driving into on-

coming traffic while westbound on Cermak Road from Desplaines Avenue. An officer located the van stopped at a traffic light at First Avenue and attempted to pull the driver over.

Instead, the driver, whom the responding officer knew had a revoked driver’s license from prior contacts, sped west on Cermak and then north on Mannheim Road, disobeying two stop signs and a red light while reaching speeds up to 61 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Police terminated the active pursuit on I-290 around Desplaines Avenue, but a police officer in an unmarked squad continued to follow at a distance. Phillips was reportedly forced to exit Lake Shore Drive due to a police blockade due to Vice President Kamala Harris’ appearance at McCormick Place. He cut through a parking lot, where police were able to block him in.

After reportedly refusing commands to get on the ground after exiting his vehicle, Phillips reportedly was tackled from behind by a North Riverside police officer. In addition to the two felony counts, Phillips was charged with reckless driving and driving while revoked.

Brookfield vehicle/garage break-ins ■ A resident of the 8900 block of South-

view Avenue, Brookfield, called police on July 25 to report that during the overnight hours, someone entered her vehicle, which was possibly unlocked, and removed a set of Apple ear pods.

■ Brookfield police responded to a resi-

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dence in the 3500 block of Prairie Avenue on the morning of July 30 after a resident called to report that someone smashed out a window on her vehicle, which was parked on the street overnight, and removed the garage door remote.

The offender then used that remote to open the garage door and steal a 2016 BMW X6 parked inside.

■ A resident of the 3900 block of Vernon Avenue, Brookfield, called police on July 30 to report that during the overnight hours, someone entered his unlocked garage and attempted to disassemble the ignition of his vehicle, which was parked inside, in an attempt to steal it.

The offender was not successful, and police recovered a screwdriver, which did not belong to the victim, from inside the vehicle.

■ The owner of a landscaping company called Brookfield police on July 31 at about 1:15 p.m. to report that someone had stolen a backpack-style leaf blower, valued at about $350, from a work trailer that had been parked during a job in the 4400 block of Sunnyside Avenue.

The victim said he was mowing the lawn at the residence and left the trailer parked out of sight. When he returned, the leaf blower was missing.

Theft North Riverside police responded to the 2200 block of Park Avenue on the afternoon of July 25 after a resident called to report that someone stole eight outdoor solarpowered lights from the front of his property.

The victim told police he last saw the lights on July 24 at 9 p.m. The lights were valued at about $200.

■ A woman called North Riverside police on July 25 to report that someone had stolen two planters from the bottom of the front staircase of a home in the 2300 block of 14th Avenue. It was unclear if the planters had been taken that day or the day before. The planters and the flowers in them were valued at about $110.

■ Brookfield police are investigating the theft of multiple items from a business’ storage yard in the 3400 block of Maple Avenue on July 26 around noon.

The witness told police that the items had been taken by someone driving a maroon pickup truck, which was last seen southbound on Maple Avenue. According to the victim, 11 manhole covers, two manhole framers and an unknown number of manhole couplings were taken. The value of the items was estimated at possibly more than $1,000.

■ Police responded to the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road on July 29 after a man reported that someone had removed a backpack containing paperwork, financial documents and a pair of shoes from the rear seat of his vehicle.

The victim reportedly told police he’d locked the vehicle before entering the mall, but police reported no signs of forced entry.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, July 2130, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

— Compiled by Bob Uphues

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

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Get your cupcakes with a side of profanity Brookfield woman behind The Vulgar Vegan in quarterfinals of online contest

By JACKIE PISANO

restaurant or bakery to highlight vegan food, but never really did anything with it,” she said.

When most people bake cupcakes, they do Vedral’s journey started one of two things — either throw a boxed a few years ago during mix together with eggs and water or Google the pandemic, at a time a recipe, blending butter, flour, baking pow- when many people der, eggs, butter, salt, oil and milk in a mix- were reevaluating their ing bowl and hoping for the best. lives, including jobs But for Brookfield resident Valerie Ve- and passion projects. dral, perfecting the art of cupcake making When she couldn’t is something she’s approached in anything stop thinking about how but the conventional way. much she wanted to creWith heaping cups of vegan ingredients, ate a vegan food business, tablespoons of tenacity and a dash of sass, Vedral figured there was no betthe Brookfield resident has whipped up The ter time to get the wheels turning on Vulgar Vegan — a one-of-a-kind business making her dream a reality. dedicated to creating vegan cupcakes made While Vedral had publicly served her cupfrom the highest-quality ingredients and cakes several years ago at a wedding, she packed with a punch of personality. never had an official business. With a backAnd right now, Vedral finds herself in ground in journalism and communications, the quarterfinals of Carla Hall’s pivoting into the culinary world Favorite Chef competition — a would be a complete 180. nationwide online contest sponIn July 2021, she created The sored by celebrity chef Carla Vulgar Vegan, baking cupcakes Hall in which one chef will win out of her home while research$25,000 and appear in a two-page ing a location where she could advertorial in Taste of Home have access to a licensed commagazine. mercial kitchen, offering her In the contest, everyone from an opportunity to yield dozens sous chefs to hobbyists is judged more of her goods. based on public voting. The After establishing her busiquarterfinals voting ends Aug. ness as an LLC and securing VALERIE VEDRAL 3. If she makes it into the semibaking space at The Hatchery finals, voting will take place — a 67,000-square-foot production facilthrough Aug. 17 before a national winner is ity for food entrepreneurs in Chicago’s East named.

Garfield Park neighborhood —The Vulgar Wherever Vedral sets up shop, she in- Vegan took off. cludes a voting QR code at her table and asks Last year, Vedral earned a space inside if people wouldn’t mind casting their vote the inaugural Berwyn Shops small-business for her. You can do that at favchef.com/2023/ incubator program in the city’s Roosevelt valerie-vedral.

Road corridor — a venture which helped her In her specific contest bracket, Vedral is gain experience with having a storefront, the only vegan chef, and if she wins, Vedral business education, promotion and future said she’s putting the prize money toward business building resources. opening her own storefront.

“One of the things that was nice about be“I’ve always loved cooking, and for years ing a part of the Berwyn Shops was it really and years, I talked about wanting to open up gave me that experience of having a mini my own restaurant one day or have a vegan storefront,” she said. “Even though it was Contributing Reporter

PROVIDED

Valerie Vedral has been selling her Vulgar Vegan sweet treats as a pop-up vendor at markets in Brookfield, Riverside, Oak Brook and Chicago. on a small scale, you got a good sense of what it would really be like and if it’s really for you or not.”

This year, The Vulgar Vegan has operated as a pop-up at the Riverside Farmers Market, Brookfield Farmers Market, Oak Brook Artisan Market, Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen’s markets and Austin Town Hall City Market.

The first question Vedral usually gets from customers is the story behind her business’ peculiar name.

“Vulgar Vegan came about because my initials are V.V. and I also do have a potty mouth,” she said. “It just kind of made sense and is catchy and funny. The marketing behind the business really does embrace an upscale experience, but the vulgarity is still there — and it really makes people laugh.

“When I’m out in public and people see my logo or they read the menu — like the Lemon Twist being ‘f*cking refreshing’ — people tell me, ‘Well, I have to get this cupcake now.’”

With recipes created on the fly, Vedral first comes up with a cupcake’s name and then reverse engineers a recipe.

“The Vulgar Vegan is for people who really want that experience of having this cupcake that’s got some crazy name but will make you feel good and put a smile on your face,” she said.

A vegan for the past decade and a longtime vegetarian prior, for Vedral, creating a business incorporating organic ingredients and environmentally conscious sourcing was a

huge priority.

“I walk the walk and talk the talk for sure,” she said. “It’s really important to limit our exposure to so many chemicals, and I think we really have a responsibility to make some better choices with products. For a lot of my customers, especially those who are vegan, it’s important to find things that have organic ingredients and companies that are eco-friendly.”

In addition to cupcakes, Vedral also offers a line of premium roasted coffees, partnering with a local coffee roaster who helps her create her private label line of coffees.

Though running a one-woman business has its challenges, Vedral credits her husband, Brian Moore, and her kids, Elliot, Elise and Mira Moore, for their help and love along the way.

And while she’s loved meeting so many different people at popup events, her ultimate goal for The Vulgar Vegan is for the business to become brick-and-mortar.

To any budding bakers and chefs in the area, Vedral has a simple message: just go for it.

“Don’t wait until your idea is perfect, because if you wait, your idea will never be perfect,” she said. “You’ll always find a reason to talk yourself out of it. I think of how many years I finally waited to start this business, and sometimes it makes me sad that I didn’t go for it a lot sooner, because I truly love this.”

To learn more about The Vulgar Vegan, visit thevulgarvegancupcakes.com.

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Brookfi eld to buy bus for THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE RECENTLY ISSUED GUIDANCE ADDRESSING IMPROPER FORGIVENESS OF A PAYCHECK recreation department use PROTECTION PROGRAM LOAN: PART II Purchasing vehicle will cut down on rentals, U expand programming

By Linda Sokol Francis. E.A.

nder the terms of the PPP loan program, lenders can forgive the full amount of the loan if the loan recipient meets three conditions.

• The loan recipient was eligible to receive the PPP loan. (An eligible loan recipient is a small business concern, independent contractor, eligible self-employed individual, sole proprietor, business concern, or a certain type of true-exempt entity); • was in business on or before February 15, 2020; and • had employees or independent contractors who were paid for their services, or was a selfemployed individual, sole proprietor or independent contractor.

The loan proceeds had to be used to pay eligible expenses, such as payroll costs, rent, interest on the

business’ mortgage, and utilities.

The loan recipient had to apply for loan forgiveness. The loan forgiveness application required a loan recipient to attest to eligibility, verify certain financial information, and meet other legal qualifications.

If the three conditions above are met, then under the PPP loan program the forgiven portion is excluded from income. If the conditions are not met, then the amount of the loan proceeds that were forgiven but do not meet the conditions must be included in income and any additional income tax must be paid.

Linda Sokol Francis, E.A.

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By BOB UPHUES Editor

Brookfield trustees on July 24 gave their blessing for the Department of Parks and Recreation to purchase a 2014 Chevy Elkhart Coach bus from the South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation, the organization the provides special recreation programming in the village.

Parks and Rec has never had a bus of its own, and SEASPAR recently offered its 2014 bus, which has a wheelchair lift, to the village for $12,000. The bus has 61,000 miles on it, but it reportedly was given once over from both mechanics in the Department of Public Works, who “believe this is a great deal for the price and the bus is in good condition,” according to a memo to the village board from Recreation Director Luke Gundersen.

During a discussion of the purchase during the village board’s committee of the whole meeting on July 24, Assistant Village Manager Stevie Ferrari said the bus, which seats 15, including the driver, would not only cut down on what the recreation department spends to rent buses, it will streamline transportation of kids in the before- and after-school STARS program.

Financial records obtained by the Landmark from the village indicate that in 2022, Brookfield spent about $26,000 in bus rental fees, much of that for day trips to museums, sporting events and other attractions. Year to date through June 2023, the village had spent about $8,000 on bus rentals.

The Parks and Recreation Department does have regular access to another SEASPAR bus, which is housed in Brookfield and which it uses to transport STARS and summer camp participants.

But the village’s access to that bus is limited, since SEASPAR uses the bus Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Perhaps as important, having its own bus will allow the department to increase enrollment in the STARS program and expand programming in the form of weekday trips for kids, teens and seniors.

“If we were to provide one bus trip [for senior citizens] per month, I project an additional $7,000 in revenue per year,” Gundersen wrote in his memo to the board.

Senior trips are in high demand, said Gundersen, and because the cost to rent a bus can be $500 per trip, that cost has to be rolled into the cost of the trip for the participants.

“At times, the extra cost to residents discourages them from signing up for the trip,” Gundersen said.

According to Gundersen, those additional program offerings – expanding enrollment and increasing day trip opportunities -- could result in around $42,000 annually in revenue.

While the bus purchase, wrapping it in Brookfield Parks & Rec graphics, fuel and vehicle maintenance will cost Brookfield about $18,000 in the first year, it would cost about $3,000 annually in fuel and maintenance costs in the future.

Staff will be able to drive the bus, since a commercial driver’s license is not required for its operation.

While village trustees questioned how much life a 9-year-old bus with 61,000 miles on it had left in it, they agreed that Village Manager Timothy Wiberg should move ahead with a purchase agreement, which was for an amount below the level triggering village board approval.

“If you’re showing the revenue it can create even if it only lasted for two years, it would pay for itself and maybe another new bus,” said Trustee Katie Kaluzny, which she suggested might even be an electric-powered vehicle.

Trustee Nicole Gilhooley pointed out that owning a bus with a chair lift would allow the department to accommodate people with a wide range of abilities or mobility issues.

“It really looks like it could support a diverse group of participants who would be using it, and I think that’s really important,” Gilhooley said.

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

9

Fewer lead water lines in Brookfield than expected As village primes for water main/lead line replacement, eyes turn toward funding

By BOB UPHUES Editor

As Brookfield begins in earnest the task of replacing all lead water service lines in the village, officials got a bit of good news recently.

As crews changing out water meter transmission units have taken inventory of the number of lead service lines they’re encountering, they are reporting far fewer lead lines than expected.

Village Engineer Derek Treichel told elected officials during an update at the village board’s July 24 committee of the whole meeting that instead of an estimated 5,500 lead service lines, Brookfield had closer to 3,100.

With the cost of swapping out one lead service line hovering at around $10,000, that means a savings to the village – and, by extension, residents -- of about $24 million when the state-mandated changeover

is complete.

That said, the village’s two-pronged plan to replace the oldest water mains in the village and all of the lead water service lines will still end up costing tens of millions of dollars.

Previously, the village had hoped that it would qualify for up to $4 million in loans from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency each year – loans that would eventually be forgiven – to fund much of the work. However, the IEPA has told Brookfield it is no longer forgiving the lowinterest loans.

In March, Brookfield submitted a project plan for the first two phases of its water main replacement program, which included replacing all of the lead service lines connected to those mains.

The project plan also included a program to replace 1,200 lead service lines connected to mains that are not scheduled to be replaced in the near future.

The total estimated cost of all of those projects was about $31 million, although due to fewer than expected lead service lines being encountered that figure will likely come down by several million dollars.

The IEPA has reportedly accepted the project plan in its entirety, and it appears likely that Brookfield will be able to obtain low-interest loans from the IEPA to fund the Phase I water main/lead service line replacement, which is expected to cost roughly $5.3 million and replace some 8,200 feet of water main in various spots around the village.

If IEPA funding is approved for those projects, the Phase I work will take place in 2024.

In addition, Brookfield plans to apply for up to $3 million annually to fund replacement of lead water services that are not part of water main replacement projects.

If successful, that amount of money could

Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight

pay for the replacement of 250 lead water services each year, putting the village on a path to complete the lead water service changeout in 10 years.

In 2021, village officials raised water rates 18.5% to service any debt the village would have to incur to pay for the water main replacement and then raised rates another 14% in 2022 to fund lead service line replacement.

The IEPA loans will spread the cost over 20 years, and village officials may need to adjust water rates in the future to pay for whatever debt Brookfield ends up taking on. Based on current prices and interest rates, according to Treichel, the village may need to again look at adjusting water rates in 2027.

But, with about $800,000 in revenue already generated by the 2021 and 2022 water rate increases, the village this year will begin replacing about 60 lead service lines that have been identified as leaking.

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

North Riverside celebrates its centennial with parade, festival incorporated, setting the trajectory toward New time capsule a century of life in the suburb.

One hundred years later, North Riverside placement, historical village officials and residents from across generations on July 30 for the vilsociety gala, original lage’s officialgathered centennial celebration.

The afternoon kicked off with a parade musical on tap in coming from the west end of town at 9th Avenue months heading eastbound along 26th Street to-

By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter

In 1923, The Walt Disney Company was founded, the New York Yankees won their first World Series title, the inaugural issue of Time magazine was published and the original Hollywood sign was unveiled in Los Angeles.

That same year, in a small, quiet corner of the Midwest nestled between the City of the Big Shoulders and vast forest preserves, the village of North Riverside was

ward Veterans Park.

Parade participants included not only North Riverside village officials, but an array of local politicians across Riverside and Proviso townships and Cook County, first responders from the near west suburbs, Komarek School staff and local business owners.

The fun then shifted to the Village Commons, 2401 Desplaines Ave., where young festival goers enjoyed carnival rides and games and guests of all ages enjoyed an abundance of food, fellowship and live music. The evening capped off in true North

JACKIE PISANO

Kids enjoyed carnival rides and games at the centennial festival outside the North Riverside Village Commons on July 30. The event, which featured live music, food and beverages, was capped by a fireworks display.

JACKIE PISANO

North Riverside Parks and Recreation employees wave to spectators during the North Riverside 100 parade, which kicked off the village’s centennial festival on July 30.

Riverside fashion — with a fireworks display.

Though North Riverside was long known in the area for many years as the home of Melody Mill Ballroom — one of the nation’s largest, which entertained thousands with music and dancing from 1930 through 1984 — residents today proudly reflect on the village as a place that cherishes family values and lasting friendships with neighbors.

“I know people that grew up here, got married and bought homes here themselves and are now raising their families here,” said Donna Landa, a 24-year resident of North Riverside. “Raising my own family in North Riverside, I loved the down-home feel. We have restaurants and stores and all that stuff, but it still feels like a small town where so many people know each other.”

Debbie Czajka, a lifelong resident and village trustee now serving her third term in office, agrees.

“The people of North Riverside have made the village so great,” she said. “Being the small community with the big heart, I think that when times are tough, we all band together and look toward the future.”

Mayor Joseph Mengoni, who has lived

in North Riverside for more than 20 years, says that whether he meets with other local government leaders or makes small talk with people, he’s always proud to say he’s helping North Riverside not just remain a quaint village of under 7,000 residents — but move toward a promising future.

With new plans on the horizon for North Riverside, including revitalization of vacant property at North Riverside Park Mall, Mengoni says he hopes residents always feel they are made a priority.

“In North Riverside, we’re always looking forward,” he said. “We want to continue to provide the same quality services that we’ve always provided from kids to seniors, change as the times change, and continually improve the village. I want to help keep North Riverside beautiful, just as it’s always been. We’re a small town, where everybody knows everybody — it’s family.”

As for other centennial events planned this year, North Riverside has a few things in the works.

At the upcoming annual Autumn Fest & Chili Cookoff in September, a new time capsule is set to be buried at the Village Commons.

The village’s 75th anniversary time capsule, which was buried during celebrations

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Garcia fetes North Riverside’s Let it centennial in U.S. House speech Shine!

Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, the Democrat whose 4th District includes North Riverside east of 9th Avenue, took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on the afternoon of July 27 to enter into the record his congratulations to North Riverside for reaching the centennial of its incorporation as an Illinois municipality.

His brief floor speech follows: “I rise to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Village of North Riverside, Illinois.

“The area now known as North Riverside sits on Potawatomi land that was purchased by a real estate and fur trading company in 1835.

“By 1900, onion farmers had begun to move to the area and the Village grew from there.

“The bright neon lights and blaring brass sounds of the legendary Melody Mill Ballroom – a mainstay of the Big Band era – attracted people from all over who were looking for a lindy-hopping night of jazz and swing music.

“North Riverside continues to be a thriving place, with a vibrant theater scene, sports, scouting, and even a quilting club. Every street has a block captain who helps neighbors and seniors with errands and much more.

“Here’s to the next 100 years, North Riverside!”

Garcia, a resident of Chicago’s Little

Village neighborhood, has been the 4th District’s congressman since 2019, when he replaced Luis Gutierrez. The 4th District, an amoebic area that stretches as far northwest as Franklin Park, as far west as Oak Brook, as far east as Bridgeport and as far south as Oak Lawn, also includes all of Riverside and all but one property in Brookfield.

— Bob Uphues

in the summer of 1998, was recently unearthed by village officials. Unfortunately, father time and mother nature were not kind to the contents of the capsule.

Mold and water destroyed many of the capsule’s artifacts. However, items that were salvageable, including historical village photographs, village building sketches, a menu from Mother’s Day Restaurant and letters from residents at the time are now displayed inside a small glass case located inside the Village Commons.

On Friday, Oct. 20, the North Riverside Historical Society will host a centennial gala at Riverside Golf Club, promising guests an evening of dinner, drinks and lively music.

In November, the North Riverside Players will produce a special centennial show. Though details are yet to be unveiled, the theater troupe says the production will be an upbeat musical review of the past 100 years.

In addition, visitors to the Village Commons can now check out a visual timeline of North Riverside’s history on the wall next to the Council Chambers, with photos and years marking major events, people and places from throughout the years.

For more information on North Riverside’s celebrations and events throughout the end of the year, visit the Village’s website at northriverside-il.org or check out the village and Parks and Recreation Department’s Facebook pages.

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12

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Brookfield inaugural bike race brings thrills, spills Crowds thronged to downtown area for Intelligentsia Cup Criterium

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Professional bicycle racing came to Brookfield last week when the village hosted the Cycle Brookfield Criterium, which was part of the 10-day Intelligentsia Cup series in the Chicago area.

Hundreds of bike racers, ranging from novices to experienced pros, raced around a nearly one-mile, zigzagging course, which started and ended in downtown Brookfield.

The day featured nine races in various categories and a family fun ride of a couple laps for recreational cyclists.

Crowds grew throughout the day. Spectators were sparse when the first races began after a morning thunderstorm, but spectators gathered as evening approached, especially along the 3700 block of Grand Boulevard.

There, the sidewalks were packed, especially by the start/finish line, by the time the professional women and men raced in the evening.

Spectators and racers came from all over, including -for the racers at least -- from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.

Many of the spectators had never seen a bike race in person before and they were impressed as bikers whizzed raced by in tight groups. In the final sprint to the finish line, the men’s pro division winner, 32-year-old Robin Carpenter, of Philadelphia, hit 45 mph as he overtook second-place finisher Hugo Scala.

“It’s exhilarating,” said Joe Remiasz, of Brookfield. “I just think the atmosphere is cool, the sound’s cool, the place is cool, I like everything about it. I just think it’s a pretty cool little experience in our little village here.”

“It’s just impressive to see how fast these guys are,” added Brookfield resident Wally Ottenhoff.

STEVE JOHNSTON

Men’s professional racers make their way back onto Grand Boulevard past the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library during the Cycle Brookfield/ Intelligentsia Cup Criterium on July 26 in Brookfield.

Both the men’s and women’s pro races lasted 70 minutes, with the men riding about 32 miles and the women doing a little less.

Danielle Morshead of California, a 26-year-old graduate of Brown University, won the women’s race with a powerful sprint, edging fellow Californian Kendall Ryan and picking up the first place prize money of $500.

Morshead, who works part time as a marketing manager for the National Eczema Association in addition to being a profes-

sional bike racer, said that she liked the Brookfield course.

“This course was really technical and it had a long sprint, which is pretty unique,” Morshead said. “Not too many courses are both technical and STEVE JOHNSTON long sprint. Usually, it’s one or the other.”

The day of racing was sponsored by Cycle Brookfield, which worked with the village to put to event on. Chris Valadez, the president of Cycle Brookfield, said that a number of people told him that they had never seen a bike race before but now wanted to see more.

“People were really jazzed about seeing more of this,” Valadez said. “It was really cool to kind introduce my community to crit racing, but also to see the reactions from people who had never seen it before.”

The event also brought local restaurants

and bars some new business.

Dan Velcich, a co-owner with his wife, Brenna, of Burger Antics on Grand Boulevard, said that the event brought new diners to his gourmet burger restaurant saying that he was doing more business than a normal Wednesday.

“And regardless of what happens today when it comes to our final checkout, it’s an amazing event and it’s going to be really awesome to have all this exposure,” Velcich said. “We have so many new people.”

Down the block at Paisan’s, business was slow in the afternoon. One cashier said that a number of people had cancelled lunch orders because there was no place to park since Grand Boulevard was closed to car traffic for the day of bike racing.

Village President Mike Garvey said that he thought the day was a success.

“This is our first time doing this and I’ve got to tell you I want to do it again,” Garvey

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

13

STEVE JOHNSTON

STEVE JOHNSTON

People of all ages ride down Grand Boulevard during Family Fun Ride, which took place in between the women’s and men’s pro races at the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium on July 26 in Brookfield.

Ada Kuykendall, of Brookfield, pins on her mother Amy’s Family Fun Ride tag during the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium on July 26. told the crowd from the awards stage before handing out awards to the top three finishers.

Garvey said the event exposed many to downtown Brookfield for the first time.

“I think it will make an economic impact today, but also when people come and see Brookfield, they’ll want to come back,” Garvey said.

Village Manager Tim Wiberg said it probably cost the village approximately $20,000 to put on the event, mostly for overtime costs and traffic control measures. Wiberg said

that the village viewed the cost as an investment in economic development.

“It seemed like the businesses were enjoying a strong customer base, which was kind of one of the goals of this and I think it achieved that,” Wiberg said. “It was great to see our bars and restaurants doing special things to take advantage of the fact that were some people right outside their doors, at least on Grand Boulevard.”

Approximately 80 volunteers, including about a dozen from the Brookfield Women’s Club, helped put on the event and kept

PROVIDED

Eddie Rivera, 56, of Brookfield, competed in the Novice division of the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium, his first-ever race, on July 26 in Brookfield.

JEFF BOROWIAK

Women’s professional racers spin out of the first, tight turn from Grand Boulevard onto Prairie Avenue during the Cycle Brookfield/Intelligentsia Cup Criterium on July 26 in Brookfield.

things running smoothy.

Only a couple of local riders participated in the competitive races. One was 56-yearold Eddie Rivera of Brookfield, who was competing in his first bike race. He’s a former runner who got more into cycling when he had his left knee replaced a few years ago.

Rivera rode in the first race of the day, the men’s novice race, which lasted for about 30 minutes. Although he finished 15th in the field of 16 who finished the race, Rivera said that he had fun.

“I thought I would represent the town,” said Rivera, an active member of Cycle

Brookfield. “I thought it would be kind of neat to have somebody in the race.”

Former Brookfield resident Robert Sedivy, 33, finished sixth in the men’s novice race.

The woman’s pro race was marred by a nasty crash coming out of the turn by the library. The cyclist was seriously injured, and the race was stopped as paramedics treated her and eventually transported her to a hospital.

The delay, which came with six laps to go, was difficult for the lead group.

“We don’t like to stop, especially within the last 10 laps,” Morshead said after the race.

“Our engines are hot and we’re cruising and we’re in the flow and in the zone and when you stop, it breaks all of that.”

Carpenter finished third overall in the men’s pro division of the Intelligentsia Cup, which is based on results in all 10 races. The men’s overall winner was Ben Oliver of New Zealand. Oliver finished ninth in the Brookfield race.

Morshead finished 10th overall in the women’s professional standings. The women’s overall winner was Samantha Schneider, who finished seventh in the Brookfield race.

The race in Brookfield was a homecoming for Todd Busteed, the lead announcer for the Intelligentsia Cup. Busteed grew up in Brookfield and graduated from RiversideBrookfield High School in 1978. Busteed now lives in Winfield. He said he hadn’t been back in Brookfield for decades.

On the morning of the race, he rode the course and also to his alma maters S.E. Gross and RBHS. As a kid he rode around Brookfield delivering newspapers on his bike.

“It was surreal experience to see all those places after 45 years,” Busteed said.

14

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

D103 school board extends superintendent’s contract

New deal keeps Rivera at helm through 2025-26 school year

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

For the second consecutive year, Lyons School District 103 Superintendent Kristopher Rivera has received a contract extension.

On July 25, the District 103 school board voted 5-0 to extend Rivera’s contract two additional years so that it now runs through the end of the 2025-26 school year. Under a contract extension approved last year, Rivera’s contract would have expired at the end of the upcoming school year.

If a school board wants to keep a superintendent, they are generally loath to enter the final year of a superintendent’s contract without giving the superintendent an extension.

“I’m happy with it,” Rivera said after the July 25 school

board meeting, which lasted for approximately seven minutes.

“I’m glad to continue in the district, continue the work we’re doing,” he added. “We’ve got some growth, hopefully, coming in the test scores. We’ve gone from, prior to me, having some struggling schools and now we’ve got two exemplary schools and four commendable and, hopefully, come this October we’re going to find out we have four exemplary.”

Edison and Home elementary schools, both located in Stickney, were rated as exemplary, the highest rating, on the most recent school report card issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. The district’s other four schools were all rated as commendable.

District 103 serves Lyons, Stickney, McCook, Forest View and the southeast quarter of Brookfield.

The school report focuses on student growth and progress.

Students in District 103, 75% of whom are considered low income by the state, continue to lag state averages in absolute academic performance as measured by performance on state-mandated standardized tests.

In the district as a whole, only 18.6% of District 103 stu-

KRISTOPHER RIVERA dents met or exceeded state standards in English and language arts as measured in the spring of 2022 compared to 30.1 percent of students statewide.

In math only 12.1% of District 103 students met or exceeded state standards compared to 25.5% of students statewide.

Rivera is beginning his fourth full year at the helm in District 103 after being hired in 2019. His salary this year will be $176,130.

In the final two years of his contract, he will receive the same percentage raise as teachers, 4% for the 2024-25 fiscal year and 3.75% for the 2025-26 school year.

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

15

RBHS hires first-ever, full-time public relations staffer Recent college graduate will handle all aspects of communication, social media

By BOB SKOLNIK

salary of $65,000.

Fletcher, who grew up in Palatine and graduated from Palatine High School, is excited to For what is believed to the first time in the begin work at RBHS. school’s history Riverside Brookfield High “I just kind of want to set a high standard School now has a full-time public relations for this position because I’m the first one in person. this role,” Fletcher said.”

On July 11, the RBHS District 208 The genesis for creating the Board of Education voted 6-0 to apposition came from a consulprove hiring Kiley Fletcher to the tant’s community survey and newly created position of coordireport done last year by the nator of public relations and comWisconsin-based School Percepmunity engagement. tions consulting firm. The firm evaluated RBHS communicaFletcher, 21, began working at tions efforts and saw room for RBHS on Aug. 1. She is a recent improvement. graduate of the University of IlliOne finding that concerned nois with a degree in advertising school officials was that 58% and a minor in public relations.

KILEY FLETCHER of respondents to a survey, who “I started to minor in PR and were not RBHS parents or staff then I kind of realized that I wanted to take more of the PR route than traditional members, said that their preferred method of advertising,” Fletcher told the Landmark in a receiving information about the school was telephone interview last week before starting from the Landmark newspaper. Only 24% of staff and just 8% of RBHS parents said the work at RBHS. Fletcher had been working since January same thing.

“I think that we can do a better job of getas a public affairs account associate at wellknown Chicago public relations firm Jascul- ting information out and advertising all the ca Terman. Fletcher was chosen from a field good things that are going at the high school,” of 20 applicants. She will be paid an annual said RBHS Superintendent Kevin Skinkis.

Contributing Reporter

While Skinkis said he thought the Landmark’s coverage was fair, he said there are other things going on at the school worthy of attention that don’t make it into the newspaper.

That will be one of Fletcher’s main jobs.

“I think Dr. Skinkis and everyone else on the team kind of wants to have those positive stories, and part of my job is to find what those stories are and put them out into the community,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher will supervise the school’s social media accounts and the school’s communication with parents. She will work to develop relationships with involved parents.

“They are a big stakeholder when it comes to making sure everyone can access information easily and everyone can be on the same page,” Fletcher said.

She will also work to improve the school’s website and boost its social media accounts.

“We want to grow our presence on social media and we want to improve the overall functionality of our website,” Skinkis said.

It is not unusual for high schools these days to have a communications professional on staff. Lyons Township High School and Oak Park and River Forest High School have long had such positions.

Some schools like to funnel all communication with the news media through their PR person while others permit school staff to talk with reporters unsupervised. Skinkis told the Landmark that school administrators will still be able to talk to the news media.

“You can still contact the administrators you’re looking for,” Skinkis told the Landmark. “Whether or not they call you back or they work with her to get you a response, I don’t want you to think that you cannot contact us because there should be opportunities for us to provide a direct quote to you or answer to you.”

One of Fletcher’s responsibilities at Jasculca Terman was to help put together the firm’s FYI School News newsletter to clients.

While doing that Fletcher became very interested in school news and started thinking about eventually working for a school district.

Fletcher thinks that her youth, she is only four years removed from high school herself, will help her relate to students at RBHS. She has been researching RBHS and will continue to learn more about it as she starts her new job.

“It’s exciting but it can be a little nervewracking,” Fletcher said.

Apparent settlement in lawsuits between former cop, North Riverside Agreement in principle expected to get village board approval

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Back in May, a federal jury found former North Riverside Mayor Kenneth Krochmal liable for defaming former police officer Frank Schmalz outside the Village Common polling place on election day in 2013 and cleared former Police Chief Lane Niemann of retaliating against Schmalz, who was taken off a plum task force, passed over for promotion and eventually sent home for good following that election.

The jury awarded Schmalz $600,000 in

damages for statements made in public by Krochmal on that day in 2013.

But that wasn’t the end of the case.

Schmalz had a second retaliation case, filed in 2021, pending against the village of North Riverside and Administrator Sue Scarpiniti related to $60,000 in courtordered benefit payments that the village was withholding.

Now, however, Schmalz, the village, Krochmal and Niemann have apparently come to a settlement that will resolve both cases once and for all, according to documents filed recently in U.S. District Court.

On July 12, the village of North Riverside filed a motion to dismiss the 2021 case and on July 19, Krochmal filed a motion for a new trial, claiming the court improperly prejudiced the jury against him and that the damages awarded to Schmalz were excessive.

Two days later, on July 21, Schmalz and the various defendants filed motions to stay hearing the new trial and dismissal requests.

According to both motions to stay, all sides have “reached an agreement in principle to resolve the disputes between them.” That agreement, as of July 21, was being drafted in preparation for approval by the North Riverside Board of Trustees.

“Barring something unexpected,” the motion states, that agreement is expected to be approved no later than Sept. 30.

The unexpected has been part and parcel of Schmalz’s pursuit of his 2013 case against the village. In 2014, Schmalz amended his complaint to zero in on his theory that local officials conspired to retaliate against him for backing Rocco DeSantis, another former police officer, for mayor against Hubert Hermanek Jr.

The outgoing mayor, Krochmal, who did not run for a second term, backed Hermanek and engaged in a heated verbal exchange outside the North Riverside Village Commons on election day 2013 with Schmalz, publicly accusing him of committing crimes.

In 2016, court documents showed that Schmalz appeared to have accepted a $60,000 settlement, but a judge ruled that Schmalz never gave his explicit consent to accept the settlement.

The case would drag on another seven years, with multiple attempts at reaching a settlement coming to nought.

It finally went to trial on May 5 and lasted 11 days before the jury returned a split decision, awarding damages on the defamation claim but exonerating Niemann of retaliation.

16

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

Park use in crosshairs

I

n years gone by, if there was a public fight to be waged in Riverside, it’d often be fought over exactly how park land should be used.

Green spaces are treasured in Riverside, since their broad expanses are the legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted’s general plan for the village. It’s understandable that those who love those green spaces feel possessive of them.

But we’d remind everyone of what Olmsted himself thought of those green spaces. Writing in 1868 in his preliminary report to the Riverside Improvement Company, he put it this way: “We should recommend the appropriation of some of the best of your property for public grounds, and that most of these should have the character of informal village-greens, commons and play-grounds, rather than of enclosed and defended parks or gardens.”

Those green spaces should, Olmsted wrote, “often provide at such points, croquet or ball grounds, sheltered seats and drinking fountains, or some other objects which would be of general interest or convenience to passers-by.”

In other words, Olmsted viewed parks as active spaces to be used by the community, not passive sanctuaries to be, in his words, “defended.”

So, the prospect of disc golf – not a thing back in 1868, but in concept along the lines of croquet – would appear to fit in with Olmsted’s vision for what purpose Riverside’s parks should serve.

And while the Parks and Recreation Department might have moved more quickly to reach out to residents near Indiana Gardens, where a disc golf course is being proposed, we’re not sure it would have made much of a difference to at least some neighbors, who want no part of it for that location, Olmsted be damned.

What’s most disappointing is an apparent scare campaign underway implying that the Scout Cabin will disappear and stating, recklessly, that “random strangers” will be ordering Riverside residents out of their park in order to play a round of disc golf, presumably with their dirty, outsider hands and shoes.

That’s some old-school Riverside parochialism right there, and it’s as ugly now as it was in 1893, when Riverside went to court to try and stop the construction of a bridge connecting Riverside with Riverside Lawn. That bid failed and the Swinging Bridge has long been seen as an amenity.

There are some details to work out with regard to disc golf in Indian Gardens – where exactly the holes will be, how the hole structures will be anchored, whether they can be removed in winter and how to make them as inobtrusive as possible.

We are certain that, with an advisory committee of 25 people, work can be done in good faith and without the need for anyone to push self-serving false narratives impugning the motives of their fellow Riverside residents.

L

Barbie not just for kids anymore

ittle did I expect at this stage of my column career the Barbie doll would be my subject. I was not one who would have played with Barbie dolls, since I was past the stage and had preferred baby dolls anyway.

I will admit to having an original Ken doll in the box. It was a gift from my mom, who felt sorry for me because that Christmas I didn’t have a boyfriend. Needless to say, the following year I did have a boyfriend, who coincidentally wound up to be Husband Joe. So, Barbie the doll took off and many little girls had not just one Barbie, but a collection of clothes for everyday wear as well as professional wear. It was the intent that Barbie could teach what little girls could be in today’s world.

Barbie dolls also became collectibles, issued in costumes that are affixed to historical personalities. Often these dolls were kept in their original boxes to keep or increase their values. It was apparent those dolls were not meant to be played with and often were collected by adults.

So now we come to today’s Barbie and a new era.

I naively believed the new blockbuster movie was geared toward the young Barbie aficionados of today. Evidently, it is a movie geared towards adults and enjoyed by a number of people, breaking box office records over the weekend.

I guess it really is a good movie, and Ryan Gosling is even mentioned as an Oscar candidate. I don’t know if he would be my character choice; obviously it’s a good thing they didn’t ask me.

Helping the box office high was the soaring heat. What better way to cool off by checking out a flick and getting a big box of popcorn.

Speaking about weather, everybody is talking about it but can’t do a thing about.

I think the person who invented air conditioning was a man named Carrier. Luckily, the air conditioning at Cantata has remained good, even the other night during the storm. There were a few blips, but the service was good. TV was off, so I said my rosary hoping all would be helped and fell asleep.

Stay cool everyone, although we will be talking about this heatwave for quite a while.

LETTERS

ly proposed is both narrow and only 350-400 yards in length. This would accommodate three to four holes of disc golf. To wedge in nine holes means that on the second half of the course, the players are playing against the direction of players coming the other direction.

They would, in effect, be sharing the same fairways, but in opposite directions. Second, players using the course pose a danger for pedestrians walking in this area, as well as a conflict for people using the Scout Cabin.

Third, many holes of the proposed course are sited very close to Fairbank Road. Even for expert players, it is reasonable to expect that discs will end up in the road, creating a huge risk for motorists or cyclists and the individual retrieving the disc.

All of these safety issues could easily be avoided by locating the proposed course 100 yards to the east and situate the holes around the baseball fields in Indian Gardens Park. This would provide a safer, more interesting and longer one-way course.

JOANNE KOSEY

Disc golf course needs to be moved east We support our Parks and Recreation Department, enjoy and volunteer for their programs, and recognize their value to village residents. Nevertheless, parks and rec are proposing to install a nine-hole disc golf course in the natural parkway between the Scout Cabin and Indian Gardens, and we most strongly object to their proposal to site this activity in this space.

The proposed location poses safety issues, either for the participants or the general public; the proposed location would be so short as to be a “putt putt” version of a normal course; and the proposed location is protected by village statute as open space for the enjoyment of all citizens.

Here we will focus on safety. First, the area current-

Melinda Pruett-Jones Riverside

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

17

OBITUARIES

Eugene Koszala, 88 Retired union machinist Eugene Koszala, 88, of North Riverside, died July 30, 2023.

Born Jan. 3, 1935, Mr. Koszala was a union trustee for Machinist Local 126. He was a longtime parishioner of Mater Christi EUGENE KOSZALA Church, where he was an usher, a member of the Holy Name Society and a SPREAD Gold Member. Eugene’s pride and joy were his grandchildren.

He was the husband of the late Joanne S. Koszala (nee Cossa); the father of Sharon (Steven) Rodriguez, Kevin (Helene), Jonathan (Dawn) and Brian (Emily) Koszala; the grandfather of Gianna (Estaban) Reyes, Nicholas Pollastrini, Margaret, Joseph, Anthony Koszala and Carter and Aubrey Koszala; and the great-grandfather of Natalie, Olivia, Luka and Eli. Family and friends will be received at the Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home, 10501 W. Cermak Road, Westchester, on Thursday, Aug. 3 from 3 to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. at Mater Christi Church, North Riverside.

Interment is at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to SPREAD Center or the Prostate Cancer Foundation (pcf.org) are appreciated.

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

Margaret Mikel, 92 LaGrange Park homemaker

MARGARET MIKEL

M a r g a r e t “Marge” Mikel (nee Pulec), 92, of LaGrange Park, died July 27, 2023.

Ms. Mikel was a homemaker.

She was the wife of 57 years to the late John A. Mikel; the mother of Susan Lally,

John R. (Julie) Mikel, the late Robert J. (Kathy) Mikel and the late Thomas Lally; the grandmother of Pam (Brian) Bilek, Amanda (Keith) Ryan, Crissy (Jay) Hansen, Cindy (Wes) Devries and Nicholas Nolan; the great grandmother of Logan and Peyton Bilek, William Nolan, Dylan, Delaney, Sadie and Shane Ryan, Annabelle, Lucy and Magnolia Devries, Gage and Callie Hansen; the daughter of the late Stephen Pulec and the late Anna Pulec (nee Janosik); the sister of the late Ann (the late Laddie) Vavra, the late Milan (the late Lil) Pulec and the late Elsie (the late Ed) Fields; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass was celebrated July 31 at St. Louise de Marillac Church, LaGrange Park. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside.

Express condolences online at HitzemanFuneral.com. Send sympathy cards to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Marge Mikel family.

Mary E. Rooney, 84 Former Riverside resident Mary E. Rooney (nee Madden), 84, of LaGrange and formerly of Riverside, died July 27, 2023.

She was the wife of the late John G. Rooney; the mother of Terrence Rooney, Jay (Tara) MARY E. ROONEY Rooney, Beth (Ray) Poczekaj and Tim (Colleen) Rooney; the grandmother of Ellie, Carolina, Peter, Isadora, McKenna, Jack, Kayla, Kate, Joe, Timothy and Patrick; and the sister of Maggie O’Connor, John (Sophie) Madden, the late Joseph (late Kathy) Madden and the late James (Leslye) Madden.

A funeral Mass was celebrated July 31 at St. Mary Church in Riverside. Interment was at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Misericordia Home (misericordia.com) are appreciated.

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

Michael A. Sabella, 79 Accountant was LaGrange Park trustee Michael Albert Sabella, 79, died peacefully on July 26, 2023 after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer.

Mike grew up on the South Side of Chicago and later in suburban La Grange. He was a MICHAEL A. SABELLA graduate of Lyons Township High School and later Central Missouri State University where he met the one true love of his life, Marilyn.

He had the desire to be an accountant since the age of 14 as “numbers always made sense” to him. After his service in the Army National Guard, when he was repeatedly deployed to ensure public safety during the tumultuous events of the late 1960s, he worked to become a CPA and started his first practice in Zion.

He spent the bulk of his career acting as a trusted advisor to many people in La Grange Park and the surrounding communities as well as partnering with the several small business clients whose companies he helped to grow with his strategic acumen, expertise and sage counsel.

His attempt at official retirement happened a few years ago when he sold his last business Sabella & Graham after a long and successful practice in Park Ridge. He was well-known for his thoroughness and integrity.

Public service and community support were always important passions of Mike’s and he donated his time in a variety of different capacities throughout his lifetime. He found his work as a trustee of the village of LaGrange Park to be among his most rewarding and followed that up as a Member of the La Grange Park Police Pension Board.

He truly loved his time serving on the board of Single Source, a local food distribution company, during which he met several of his closest confidants. Other meaningful leadership roles include treasurers of the Lake Ripley Management Board, Zion-Benton Township High School and the Italian-American War

Veterans of Illinois.

Mike will be remembered as a warm and loyal soul, generous with his smile, his jokes, his time and his affable nature. He was dependable and strong, a loyal friend, brother, brother-in-law, devoted husband, father, PopPop, uncle, great-uncle and a trusted colleague and advisor to so many people in his life.

He loved playing golf, watching the White Sox and the Bears, being at Lake Ripley with his friends and family and tinkering in one of his garages. There was nothing he wouldn’t at least try to repair on his own.

Mike and Marilyn were to have celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary next week. His daughters have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness and stories from so many people about what Mike meant to them. He will be sorely missed and leaves behind a legacy of warmth and generosity.

He was the husband of Marilyn Sue Sabella (nee Detweiler); a father to Susan (Jason) Kling and Elizabeth (Michael) Patti; grandfather of Jessica, Charles and Griffen Kling and Hudson, Makenna and Brooklyn Patti; brother of Albert (Marcia) Sabella, John (Susan) Sabella, Jane (Randy) Walkwitz and the late Patrick (the late Joan) Sabella; and an uncle to many nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 1 St. Francis Xavier Church in LaGrange, followed by interment at Bronswood Cemetery in Oak Brook.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Mike’s name to either The American Cancer Society, 1 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago, 60601 or The Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60603.

Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

Send sympathy cards to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Michael A. Sabella family.

To run an obituary Please contact Bob Uphues by e-mail: buphues@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

18

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Estimated cost for new Brookfield ambulance jumps 30% in the vicinity of $356,000 – about 30% Village moves to lock in lage more than the $275,000 Adams originally estimated. quotes for components as hadWhen Brookfield last purchased an ambulance – also a Ford 550 Life Line Superliner vehicle price spikes through the Houston-Galveston Area Coun-

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The village probably won’t take possession of it until 2025, but Brookfield trustees on July 24 voted unanimously to lock in some aspects of the cost of a buying a new Ford F550 Life Line Superliner ambulance through the Houston-Galveston Area Council Consortium, a purchasing cooperative the village has been using in recent years to obtain big-ticket capital items.

According to Fire Chief James Adams, it may take up to 24 months from the date the ambulance is ordered to receive it, so the expenditure likely won’t need to be budgeted until the 2025 fiscal year.

That will give the village more time to determine exactly how to fund the purchase, since the new ambulance will cost the vil-

cil Consortium – in 2017 it cost the village $250,000. It also only took between four to six months to take delivery. The village took out a bank loan to make that purchase.

The formal purchase order will need village board action in the coming months, said Adams, and it’s still unknown exactly what the vehicle will end up costing, since the manufacturer has not yet provided the cost of a 2024 chassis.

By acting now, however, Brookfield can lock in the cost of other components needed to outfit the ambulance. Adams said that component costs are expected to rise by $1,500 to $2,000 per month.

In a memo to the village board, Adams noted the village owns three ambulances, the 2017 Ford 550 and a 2013 Ford F450, which serve as front-line vehicles, and a 2006 Ford that serves as the department’s reserve and

PROVIDED

Ford F550 Life Line Superliner ambulance is used when one of the front-line ambulances is out of service for repairs.

The average life span for an ambulance is seven to eight years, according to Adams.

It’s unclear what will become of the 2006 am-

bulance when the new one arrives. It could be repurposed for another municipal use – Brookfield has one old ambulance that is used by the Public Works Department – or sold as surplus property.

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023

DISC GOLF

Layout pending from page 1 and village board “have approved provisions” for the course.

That appeared to be at odds with a letter from Recreation Director Ron Malchiodi, sent at the end of June to neighborhood residents. The letter indicated the layout of the course had not yet been confirmed, but it included a preliminary map for the nine-hole course.

Malchiodi had given village trustees a brief update on the disc golf initiative in April, at which time then-Trustee Edward Hannon urged him to solicit feedback from residents of the neighborhood, but there was no comment one way or another from other trustees.

The village board has not approved any aspect of the proposal. While the board won’t be involved in any plan approval, the expenditure for it will need its approval, but that has not come before trustees yet.

Melinda Pruett-Jones, who lives across the street from the site, said she had drafted a letter following Malchiodi’s update in April, but held off sending it because she believed she and her neighbors would be hearing from the park board.

Their first contact was via Malchiodi’s letter at the end of June, and then came the July 18 Facebook post. Neighbors, seeing McGlennon’s post about the course having been “approved,” got the impression that the preliminary map was a done deal.

That Facebook post generated more than 100 comments and another post by PruettJones’ husband, Steve, which contained the preliminary course map sent to residents by Malchiodi in June.

Two days later, Pruett-Jones, who said she also represented many of her neighbors, argued against the disc golf course at the July 20 meeting of the Riverside Board of Trustees, saying the plan presented “areas of serious concern.”

Chief among those concerns was safety, since the preliminary course layout showed hole locations not too far from Fairbank Road.

“It would have been really great if parks and rec had actually reached out to the residents while they were planning because then we would have been able to provide a lot of really valuable, real-life experience living across this very busy place,” PruettJones said, “and to really understand the increasing negative interactions between

vehicles, park users, pedestrians, cyclists, skiiers and dog owners that are constantly using this space throughout the year.”

Pruett-Jones also questioned how the installation of the disc golf holes, which are metal posts draped with chains to catch discs, would impact the natural setting of the wooded area.

“Based on the plan, they would be very visible from many houses,” Pruett-Jones said. “And for about seven months of the year when there are not leaves covering the deciduous trees, these structures would be visible completely to the residents during a time when the golf course likely would not be used.”

On the heels of all that, someone also began circulating a flyer to those living around Indian Gardens intended to whip up fear and opposition to disc golf.

“Enjoy the natural beauty of the Scout Cabin … while you still can,” the flyer stated. “The deer, the Scouts and the school kids … they’re going away.”

The flyer warned residents to “be prepared to be kicked out of your park when random strangers show up to play” and invited them to voice their displeasure to their “local trustee.” That trustee, Megan Claucherty, is referred to only by her first name, but the flyer also published her address.

Claucherty did not respond to an email from the Landmark asking for comment.

Village President Joseph Ballerine, who told the Landmark he believes the disc golf proposal is an “exciting opportunity,” said singling out Claucherty and including her address was “just not right.”

“That’s bordering on intimidating an elected official,” Ballerine said. “We’ve debated a lot bigger things in this town than disc golf. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail, and we can move forward with something.”

As for the general message that a disc golf course would result in “random strangers” visiting Indian Gardens, Ballerine expressed disappointment.

“One of the things that bothers me is we’re back to the old stuff we’ve heard in Riverside — that the ‘other’ is going to be in our parks,” Ballerine said. “I thought we were beyond that stuff.”

By July 31, Save the Scout Cabin signs, implying that the village is contemplating the landmark’s removal, began popping up in the First Division. Meanwhile, the village of Riverside sought to head off the disinformation by publishing a disc golf FAQ on its website.

The disc golf advisory committee created to lay out a course has 25 members, and it met last week for the first time to go over the site.

The committee includes recreation officials, residents of Riverside’s First Division where the course would be located,

and disc golf enthusiasts from other communities. At least one of the residents who lives across from the Indian Gardens site is part of the committee.

Elizabeth Kos, the chairwoman of the Riverside Parks and Recreation Board, said she hadn’t seen the “scare” flyer that was circulated late last month, but said part of the group’s mission was to increase parks programming and usage.

“We’re trying to get more people in the parks, and I think people confuse Olmsted’s design with having pristine parks that don’t get used and are there just to look at,” said Kos, noting that the park board welcomes the public feedback, which has led them to research whether the disc golf hole structures can be removed during the winter and see what options there are for their construction, since most disc golf courses have hole structures embedded in concrete pads.

“We try to look for the least amount of impact on the area, and because [Indian Gardens] is in a floodway, we have to be careful about pouring concrete anywhere,” she said.

While she acknowledges there is some opposition from some neighbors, Kos said the park board’s duty is to weigh those concerns against residents voicing support for more recreation programming, especially for initiatives like disc golf, which appeals to teenagers.

“It’s a demographic that we’re really trying to serve because it’s a tough demographic to reach,” Kos said. “It seemed like a win all the way around.”

The size of the advisory commission, she said, was a good indication that the disc golf idea has pretty solid community support. However, she said, the park board has not been rushing this initiative through.

The board has been talking about disc golf since at least early 2022.

It’s unlikely that the committee will be able to put together a final plan for review by the Riverside Parks and Recreation Board and for the village board to approve the expenditure in time for any disc golf course to be built this year.

A more likely scenario would be for the course to be built in spring 2024. As for locating such a course elsewhere in Riverside, that seems unlikely.

The Indian Gardens location, said Kos, is the only area with enough space for disc golf without impacting ball field use, where the holes can be set back far enough from the roadway and where there’s offstreet parking.

“It really does check all the boxes,” she said.

Sports

21

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

Brookfield 12U softball World Series run ends at regionals

All-stars knocked out by eventual Central Region champs from Ohio

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Amanda Krueger has seen and played plenty of Brookfield Little League softball as the youngest of four sisters.

During her historic games with the Brookfield 12-Under all-stars last week at the Central Region in Whitestown, Indiana, Krueger’s sisters Allie, Annabel and Abby came to cheer on the team and their father, Kevin, an assistant coach.

“Just walking out on the field for the first regional game, it’s great standing with these girls you’ve been with your entire life and knowing you’re going to be proud knowing how far you’ve come,” Krueger said. “This is definitely the biggest thing so far [for me in softball]. This year I was really excited, because my dad has been coaching my sisters in allstars for a really long time. I’m really glad he got to be a coach and go to regionals with us.”

In their first regional berth since 2006, the Brookfield 12Us tied for fifth in the nine-state, double-elimination bracket with a 1-2 record, beating Crestwood, Kentucky, 7-4 on July 23 and losing to nearby Zionsville, Indiana, 12-4 on July 25 and Austintown, Ohio, 4-3 on July 26 – all broadcast live on ESPN+.

Team members are Hannah Buscemi, Quinley Costello, Cam Fox, Sienna Giampietro, Kate Hamilton, Aurea Hilgenberg, Elly Kowynia, Krueger, Bella Nasti, Brailyn Naylor, Alyssa Norman, Amelia Pytel and McKenna Toland. The manager is Lisa Hilgenberg-Buhle with coaches Angelo Nasti and Krueger.

“A little over a year ago, they made a declaration of a goal to play on TV, to win state and they did every single thing they could to get there as a team,” Hilgenberg-Buhle said. “It seemed like a very lofty goal at the time, and they made it happen.”

Brookfield finished 10-2 this postseason and was undefeated in capturing District 9 and state championships. Brookfield needed to beat Ohio and two more opponents to reach

PROVIDED

The Brookfield 12U softball team included (front row, from left) McKenna Toland, Amanda Krueger, Sienna Giampietro, Aurea Hilgenberg, Cam Fox, Kate Hamilton, Brailyn Naylor, Elly Kowynia, Hannah Buscemi, Bella Nasti, Quinley Costello (on teammates’ backs) Amelia Pytel and Alyssa Norman. the winner-take-all regional championship on July 28.

Against Indiana, Brookfield cut deficits of 3-0 and 5-2 to 5-4 before Indiana scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Ohio led 4-0 but Brookfield scored once in the third, fourth and fifth. Krueger opened the sixth reaching on an error, but three straight strikeouts ended the game. Ohio would go on to win the Central region tournament and secure a spot in the Little League Softball World Series, which is being held Aug. 6-13 at Greenville, North Carolina.

“Getting the opportunity to play in regionals, I think that’s super cool and just staying in the hotel with some of my best friends,” Norman said.

“It’s definitely the coolest experience I’ve ever had with softball, being able to play on such a cool field, playing on TV, just everything,” Giampietro said.

Naylor fondly remembers recording the final out of the Kentucky victory in center field.

The day before, Pytel’s grandmother had died. Pytel not only stayed but chose to be the starting pitcher. Fox relieved in the fourth.

“I overall supported whatever decision [Pytel] made,” Hilgenberg-Buhle said. “She came out and did really well, but she knew when she was up and passed the reins to Cam.” Costello balanced softball with her dancing and returned in time for her recital on July 27. Giampietro, who balanced

softball with club gymnastics, will remember scoring Brookfield’s first run against Ohio with her third-inning triple followed by an error.

Eleven girls also played travel softball, nine with the BRW Blast and Pytel and Naylor with the Blazers.

“With travel softball, Little League softball, that equaled for most of these girls about 90 games. And that excludes winter tournaments,” Kevin Krueger said.

Hilgenberg-Buhle, whose daughter is Aurea, and Krueger are finishing coaching together about six years and Krueger for 13 years overall.

Krueger’s been to state three times each with Amanda and oldest daughters, Allie and Annabel. Abby’s all-star seasons were affected by COVID-19.

“We usually played on three different Little League teams.

We’d have games at 4, 6 and 8 so you’d pretty much be there all day,” Amanda Krueger said.

During time off at regionals, Brookfield players enjoyed Wiffle Ball games in the grassy field by their hotel.

When they noticed girls waving from hotel windows, they invited them down for a pickup game.

That hastened their friendship with the Ohio players, who beat Johnston, Iowa 4-0 for the championship. “[Regionals] was really fun and we got to make new friends,” Naylor said. “We told them they better win, because they won against us.”

22 The Landmark, August 2, 2023 R E N TA L S

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

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Experience or not.

Call for more information.

708-738-3848

COVID-19 EPIDEMIOLOGIST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Covid-19 Epidemiologist in the Public Health Department. This is a One-Year, Full Time Temporary position as of date of hire. This position will serve as a subject matter expert on communicable diseases of public health concern, including COVID-19.

This position will work on the surveillance and investigation of infectious diseases and other public health threats; rapid response to disease outbreaks including assisting the community’s emergency preparedness and response team. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. This position is open until filled.

IT OFFICE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Office Coordinator in Information Technology. This position will perform a variety of responsible and complex administrative duties for the IT Department; provide information and assistance to Village staff regarding requests for service; and provide administrative support to the IT Director and the IT staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

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OAK PARK POLICE DEPARTMENTACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!

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• Possess a valid driver’s license.

• Possess a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card at the time of hire Written Exam Information: A mandatory written exam will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023. Testing will take place at Oak Park Village Hall (room# 101) located at 123 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302. Sign-in will held from 8:30a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Additional details will be provided to eligible candidates approximately one week prior to the exam.

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Reqs 3 yrs exp in all the follwng: identity + access mgmt using Forgerock OpenAM + OpenIG, + Java devt of web authen moduls; Data cntr archit, dlvry + ops svcs in at least 1 Cloud IaaS environ (AWS, Azure, + GCP); Wrkng w/ common scrptng lnguages incl Shell or Python; Exp automtng IT Ops prcs via automatd pipelns using Jenkins + Ansible; Containr orchstrtion w/ Docker, Kubernetes + Helm pckge mgr. Reqs 2 yrs exp w/ LDAP DBs + Cassandra CQL DB. May trvl to unanticipated locs in U.S. Telecommutng permitted. Apply at www. kinandcarta.com/en-us/careers/ Full Stack Engineer sought by Solstice Consulting LLC dba Kin + Carta (Chicago, IL). Resp: Utilize modrn frmwks, pattrns, + data models to build web apps using React, JavaScript, JavaSpring frmwk, + SQL/NoSQL DBs. Anlyze info to det, recom + plan instal of new sys or modif exist sys using CI/CD tools on cloud platfrms; Dev reusable cmponents; Confer w/ mgrs on limits/ capablties for data proc projs; Prtnr

HELP WANTED w/ designrs + stakehldrs to create modrn user exp + layout reqs for sprints; Mentor less exp’d engrs; Gain knwldge of sw, hw, + open-srce tech stacks. Reqs: Bach’s Deg or foreign equiv in Comp Sci or rel, + 3 yrs exp as SWDev or rel occup. Must have exp w/ the follwng: RDBMS + NoSQL DBs such as Oracle (PL/ SQL) or SQL Server (MySQL) + MongoDB or Cassandra; Buildng sw using modrn prctces such as Agile dev methdlgy, XP, BDD + TDD, Cloud Native tools + princpls + CI/ CD tools (Jenkins or CircleCI); Using cloud native tools such as Docker, Kubernetes, + Ansible; Dev UI using frnt end frmwks such as ReactJS, React Router DOM, Jest for testing + Redux for state mgmt; Using frnt end tools, bundlrs + cmpilers such as ECMAScript 6 JS, Nodejs, Sass, Webpack, + Babel; Deploying apps into cloud platfrms such as GCP + AWS; Using CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, Harness, + CircleCI; Buildng bckend REST microsvcs using SpringBoot, SpringCloud, Spring GraphQL; Testng bckend apps using JUnit, Mockito, Serenity, Selenium, + Sprint Test; and Buildng evnt-drvn microsvcs w/ RabbitMQ + Apache Kafka using Spring AMQP + Spring Apache Kafka. Option to WFH is avail. Apply at www.kinandcarta.com/ en-us/careers/

Data AI Engineer sought by Solstice Consulting LLC dba Kin + Carta (Chicago, IL). Resp: Help clients implmnt ways to imprv data, buildng solutions that lvrge data. Asst biz’s data-infrmd decisions by enhancng data-infra.

Undrstnd biz metrics, define objctvs, + collab for growth w/ data insights.

Use SQL for data retrievl + build python modules; Archit big data apps + build streamng ETL pipelines; Setup views for Data Sci teams; Ensure data security + Idntity Access Mgmt; Provide data models; Build Entity Relations Models; Data Engr pipelines to fuel data into schemas + cloud modrnizatn. Suprvise Anlyst Engrs.

Reqs: Bach’s deg or foreign equiv in Comp Engr or rel, + 5 yrs exp as Big Data/Cloud Data Engr, ETL Data warehouse specialist, or rel occup.

Must have exp w/ the follwng: Data clean + explore prior to feature engr in ML space; Undrstnd client reqs, data modlng, + buildng ETL pipelns on Azure Cloud platfrm to facilitate the reqd dwnstrm procsses; Undrstnd ovrlppng biz scenarios across silos + build centrl data repsitries w/ well-mntaind sec + access; Undrstnd biz reqs by intrvwng biz users + app end usrs such as data sci + engr; Dev algrthms rel to Machine Lrning in Python + lvrging various libraries; Exp w/ 1 or more of the cloud techs Azure Data Anlytics or Google Cloud Platfrm Anlytics; in advncd SQL + reltionl DBs like SQL Srvr + NoSQL DBs like Cassandra; Hadoop, Spark, + Kafka; ETL Design + End-to-End Devt work. Option to WFH is avail.

Apply at www.kinandcarta.com/enus/careers/ IT Professionals: Multiple openings available for following positions in Chicago, IL & unanticipated client locs throughout the US: Technical Lead: Oversee technical implmtn of RPA projects. Build RPA capabilities in project teams. Lead & manage technology roadmap, architecture &

FOREST PARK

Best Selection & Service

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

plans for technical team members.

Dvlp new ideas & evaluate new RPA products & features. Suggest optimal combination of RPA products & features to business partners. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated client locs throughout the U.S.; Application Programmer Analyst: Modify existing computer applics s/ ware to correct errors, to adapt it to new h/ware or to upgrade interfaces & improve performance. Dsgn & dvlp computer applics, using scientific analysis & mathematical models to predict & measure outcome & consequences of dsgn. Coord installation of s/ware system. Monitor functioning of eqpmt to ensure the system operates in conformance w/ specs. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated client locs throughout the U.S.; Director - Product Engineering: Perform strategic planning for all product dvlpmt efforts to incl the subsequent testing, release & production envrmt needs. Provide technical inputs to Sr. mgmt & team & be identified clearly as a technology leader. Oversee all activities of the dvlpmt groups (product dvlpmt, QA & applic release). Collaborate w/ Info Security, & Cloud Infrastructure teams for Cloud Security compliance & scalable Infrastructure enablement of the products. Travel & relocation possible to unanticipated client locs throughout the U.S. To apply: Please e-mail resume & position applied for to: Asha Shivaraman, Deputy Manager, Human Resources at HR_HGSDigital@teamhgs.com or mail to HGS Digital LLC, Attn: HR Department, 651 W. Washington Blvd., Ste 206, Chicago, IL 60661 Full Stack Engineer sought by Solstice Consulting LLC dba Kin + Carta (Chicago, IL). Resp: Partner w/ clients to build ent-grade cloud native apps w/ modrn Spring frmwks (Spring Boot, Spring Cloud Svcs) + cloud platforms. Support team to deliv products by high qlty code for full tech stack. Partnr w/ designrs to create user exp that uses modrn web app frmwks. Bridge elegant frntend + existng ent backend archit.

Collab w/ client devt team. Mentor less exp’d engrs. Reqs: Bach’s deg (or foreign educ equiv) in Comp Sci + 5 yrs work exp in Comp Engr; Or, altrntivly, Mastrs (or foreign educ equiv) in Comp Sci + 3 yrs work exp in Comp Engr. Reqs 3 yrs exp w/ the follwng: Gather biz reqs, coord testng, anlyzng + design dscssions + defining sys probs; Conceptualize, design + dev Client/Server sys, Web Apps, Windows Svcs, Web Svcs, + Dsktp sw solutions; Anlyz + doc sw reqs + specs, UML + ER Modelng; Anlyz currnt apps + recomm proactive changes to meet biz goals; Undrstnd proj expctations + effctvly comm when evnts may affect delivrbles of proj; Coord w/ biz anlysts + progrmrs to assist in rsolvng probs w/ sw sys; Prform Unit + Integ testing on apps using various testing methodlgies. May trvl to unanticipated locs in US. Telecommutng permitted. Apply at www.kinandcarta.com/en-us/careers/ Full Stack Engineer sought by Solstice Consulting LLC dba Kin + Carta (Chicago, IL). Resp: Dev enterprise mobl web + native iOS, Android, + Windws Ph mobl apps. Work w/ pattrns, frmwks, DBs, sw, hw, open-srce

tech stacks, sys, data proc. Mentor less exp’d engrs. Reqs: Bach’s deg (or foreign educ equiv) in Applied Comp Sci + 3 yrs work exp devlpng ent mobl web or native iOS, Android, + Windws Ph mobl apps; or, altrntivly, Mastrs (or foreign educ equiv) in Applied Comp Sci + 1 yr work exp devlpng ent mobl web or native iOS, Android, + Windws Ph mobl apps.

Reqs 12 mos exp in all the follwng: Devlpng frnt-end ent apps using .Net Frmwk, Bootstrap CSS + knockout. js; Implmnting loggng functnlity using Log4Net, user auth, + sngl sign-on featrs w/ help of SiteMinder (3rd pty plugin); Wrkng w/ Github + Jenkins to automate builds + deploymnt of fll stck apps; Designing + buildng apps for iOS platfrms; and Comp Interaction user exp + design. May work in various unanticipated locs in U.S. Telecommutng is permitted. Apply at www.kinandcarta.com/en-us/careers/ Solutions Architect sought by Solstice Consulting LLC dba Kin + Carta (Chicago, IL). Resp: Partner w/ clients to build ent-grade cloud native apps by anlyzng user needs + sw reqs to detrmin feasblty of design w/in time+cost cnstraints. Bridge elegant frnt-end + existng ent backend archit. Confer w/ mgrs on limits/capablties for data proc projs. Apply tech vision w/ sw design pattrns to create solution archits. Navigate cmplx data footprnts, intro modrn data mgmt + integ tech. Provide tech dir + encourg innovatn. Mng + suprvise Tech Anlysts. Reqs: Bach’s deg (or foreign educ equiv) in Comp Sci, + 5 yrs work exp as backend engr/API devlpr, incl exp in design, implem + maint ent lvl prodct; Or, altrntivly, Mastrs (or foreign educ equiv) in Comp Sci + 3 yrs work exp as backend engr/ API devlpr, incl exp in design, implem + maint ent lvl prodct. Reqs 3 yrs exp w/ the follwng: workng w/ Java/ J2EE tech incl Spring frmwk, REST frmwk for API devt + Hibrnate usng SQL basd DB Oracle; workng w/ Ent lvl Archtcts to design + dev POC for various tech probs + lead team of sw engrs to implmnt backend solutions + REST based API for various sw reqs + doing code rvws. Reqs 2 yrs exp workng w/ Big data tech like Apache Spark, Elastic Search + Apache NIFI usng Hortonworks Platform + NoSQL DB MongoDB. Telecommutng permitted. Trvl is req’d to unanticipated locs in US. Apply at www.kinandcarta. com/en-us/careers/

CROSSING GUARD

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session.

A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@ forestpark.net.

Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.

MMpropMgmt.com

MARKETPLACE

CARS WANTED

CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS WANTED Restored or Unrestored

or Unrestored Cars &Restored Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Import Cars: Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette,Cars: Ferrari’s, Domestic / Import Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, $$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Ferrari’s, James Jaguars,• 630-201-8122 Muscle Cars, Collector Mustang & Mopars

$$ Top $$ allWANTED makes, Etc. CLASSICS WANTED TO BUY Collector James Restored or Unrestored WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Cars630-201-8122 & Vintage Motorcycles Call Uncle Gary Domestic / Import Cars: 708-522-3400

Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette,

GARAGECars, SALE LOST & FOUND Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle SALE Mustang &GARAGE Mopars

FERRET LOST A ferret named Nero was last seen on July 10 at midnight between Madison & Washington. Nero’s very friendly, brown, with a white face, black stripe across his eyes (like a burglar’s mask), and about 15 inches long.

AUGUST $$ Top $$ allSATURDAY, makes, Etc. 5 8 AM – 2 PM 843 CLINTON, OAK Collector James PARK

630-201-8122

AWARD AVAILABLE IF FOUND. If found call David 872-273-8452.

Years of accumulation must go.

AUTO SERVICES

TOWING

TOWING

First Class Towing CASH FOR JUNK CARS!

NO TIRES - NO TITLE - NO PROBLEM! Keep this number & pass the buck for a blessing

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The Landmark, August 2, 2023 23

CLASSIFIED BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG HOME SERVICES

CEMENT

CEMENT

MAGANA

PUBLIC NOTICES

BRICKWORK RITEWAY BRICK RESTORATION

Residential & Commercial

C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N

Tuckpointing / Masonry Work

COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL

~ Specializing in Chimneys - Rebuild - Repaired New Liner Installation Lintel Repairs & Stone Veneer

“QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATION” ESTABLISHED IN 1987

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 )281'$7,216 3$7,26 67(36 &85% *877(56 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

ELECTRICAL

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A&A ELECTRIC

Ceiling Fans Let an American Veteran do your work Installed We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

PAINTING

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CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost • 708.749.0011

Woodwork Restoration On-site refinishing of wood

YARD SERVICES FAST DELIVERY

Mulch & Topsoil

Premium Shredded Hardwood �������������������������$28/yd Dyed Red���������������������������$35/yd Dyed Brown �����������������������$35/yd Playmat ������������������������������$35/yd Premium Blend Dark ������$38/yd Blonde Cedar ������������������� $54/yd

• Spreading Available! • Topsoil, Garden Mix, Mushroom, Firewood, Compost, Gravel, Sand

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Terry's

and fiberglass since 1977.

Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty!

References available.

Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

PETS While you’re away, your pets are okay . . . at home

cat calls

Oak Park’s Original Pet Care Service – Since 1986

Daily dog exercising Complete pet care in your home House sitting • Plant care Bonded References

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(including Workmans Comp)

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PUBLIC NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Riverside Brookfield High School District 208, Cook County, Illinois, that a tentative budget for said school district for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, will be on file and conveniently available at the school district’s administrative offices at Riverside Brookfield High School District 208, 160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside, Illinois, from and after 8:00 a.m. on July 1, 2023.

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing on said tentative budget will be held at 7:00 p.m. on September 12, 2023, at Riverside Brookfield High School District 208, 160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside, Illinois.

Ritewaybrickglobal.net

Published in RB Landmark August 2, 2023

CONSTRUCTION

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

Construction & Roofing Business Locally Owned & Operated • 25 years + Roofing • Pella • Windows • Doors Siding • Fences • Gutters • Decks Soffits • Finished Basements Kitchens • Baths

Get a free estimate

Call Don • 708-622-8041 donjhuber@outlook.com

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 • www. klisflooring.com

HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

708-296-2060 ROOFING JOE ROOFING

Roofing repair, tuckpointing, gutters and painting--- bonded, insured For free estimate call 773 297-1121

2023 WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT This project includes the construction of water main improvements at the following locations.

1. DuBois Boulevard from Ogden Avenue to Burlington Avenue 2. Burlington Avenue from DuBois Boulevard to Deyo Avenue 3. Intersection of Prairie Avenue and Brookfield Avenue These improvements will include the installation of Ductile Iron Pipe water main, valves, fire hydrants, water services, and restoration of disturbed areas.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, the 16th day of August, 2023, in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:00 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 16th day of August, 2023, at the Village Hall.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ehancock.com and a non-refundable fee of Thirty dollars ($30.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents.

Proposals must be submitted on the forms provided and will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 11th day of August, 2023.

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into, and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield.

No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

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

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders.

The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS Published in RB Landmark August 2, 2023

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC D/B/A MR. COOPER Plaintiff, -v.PATRICE HOUSTON A/K/A PATRICE CAREY, PARRIS HOUSTON, OAK PARK PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 22 CH 8975 420 HOME AVENUE #208 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on May 31, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 1, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 420 HOME AVENUE #208, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-324-033-1017 The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $104,989.28.

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.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 2911717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 22-096854.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717 E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 22-096854 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 22 CH 8975 TJSC#: 43-2298 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 # 22 CH 8975 I3225644

highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 227 W CHICAGO #3, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-102-0211009 The real estate is improved with a residence.

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 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-22-09619 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2023 CH 00031 TJSC#: 43-2462 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2023 CH 00031 I3226051

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION Plaintiff, -v.ANTONIO A. BRAVO, THE TREMONT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2023 CH 00031 227 W CHICAGO #3 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on June 6, 2023, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 8, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the

24

The Landmark, August 2, 2023

2 1 E . B U R L I N GTO N R OA D, R I V E R S I D E | 70 8 . 4 47.72 07

W NE

E IC PR

W NE

1425 Ashland Ave, River Forest $1,265,000

G TIN LIS

717 S 6th Ave, LaGrange $720,000

380 Herrick Rd, Riverside $424,900

1247 S Plymouth Ct, Chicago $1,225,000 AL CI R E MM O C

1650 Riverwoods Dr, #507, Melrose Park • $210,507

125 Woodside Rd, Riverside $625,000

404 N LaGrange Rd, LaGrange Park $2,200/mo

7722 Madison St, River Forest $18/sq ft

860 W Lakeside Pl, #C Chicago $405,000 OT TL N CA VA

4534 Arthur Ave, Brookfield $169,900

When it comes to selling and buying homes... experience, results and ties to the community make all the difference.

Curious about the current real estate market and the impact on your home’s value? Thinking about selling, but need to find your next home first? Can’t find your dream home in this competitive market? Contact one of our local market experts for a free, confidential consultation.

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