RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD Also serving North Riverside
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Vol. 36, No. 33
August 18, 2021
@riversidebrookfieldlandmark
Brookfield resident is village’s 14th COVID-19 victim PAGE 3
Employees stunned by sudden closure of Hines daycare PAGE 7
RBHS students return, some for the first time in 17 months Apart from masks, more lunch periods, things close to ‘normal’ By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
While the first day of school always generates feelings ranging from excitement and expectation to nervousness and fear, Aug. 16 was different at Riverside-Brookfield High School. For many students arriving Monday, it was their first day in a classroom with their peers since March 2020 when schools shut down in person learning at the start of the COVID pandemic. But things -- well not everything, since everyone was wearing a face mask -- was getting back to business as usual. “It felt pretty back to normal,” said sophomore Luke Schmitz, who stopped to talk to Landmark while walking home from school. Other students who spoke to the Landmark generally agreed, but they said that it took some time to get used to spending an entire day in the building after learning from home last year. See BACK TO SCHOOL on page 13
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
In order to control the goose population at Commons Park, North Riverside has hired a dog service that uses border collies, like Octane (above), to prevent geese from getting too comfortable congregating there.
Getting the goose out
North Riverside officials implore people to stop feeding wildlife in parks By BOB UPHUES Editor
If you’re a regular visitor to Commons Park in North Riverside, you’ve probably
noticed that there are not so many Canada geese hanging about, quite a change from the large flocks of fall and spring. And unless you’re a morning visitor, you probably also haven’t noticed a coffee-
colored border collie being walked around the pond and in other areas of the park by a woman who sometimes will let it off the See GEESE on page 10
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
D103 board gives Lyons insider’s firm $75K contract Village employee, mayor’s brother-in-law to handle district communications By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
Without any comment or discussion, the Lyons School District 103 Board of Education voted 6-0 at a special meeting on Aug. 13 to award a contract worth $75,000 annually to a company owned by an employee of the village of Lyons who also is the brother-in-law of Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty. District 103 hired City Social Marketing Solutions, which is owned by Kevin Thomas, to handle the district’s communications strategy, develop social media pages for each of the district’s schools, produce the district newsletter, distribute the superintendent’s monthly reports and handle other communications and marketing endeavors for the district. The contract calls for City Social Marketing Solutions to be paid $7,500 a month with the exception of June and December. City Social will take over and expand on the work that City Media had been doing for $2,000 a month since April of 2020. District 103 Superintendent Kristopher Rivera said that it is his understanding that City Media has merged with City Social. Like City Media, City Social Marketing Solutions does not have a company website accessible to the public nor does it have any social media presence of its own. “We’re going to expand our communication process and
BOB SKOLNIK/Contributor
Kevin Thomas chats with District 103 school board member Olivia Quintero on Aug. 13 after his company was awarded a $75,000 per year contract to manage communications for the school district. have a lot more in depth communications and publications to promote the district in a positive way, branding and communicate better with the families,” Rivera told the Landmark after the school board’s meeting last week. “Each school will have a Facebook site, we’ll have more newsletters, going to do some print.” City Social will spend a maximum of six hours per week within the district generating content. Much of their work
will be done offsite. Rivera described the relationship between the district and City Social as almost like an employee. Rivera said that the work of City Social will be more in depth compared to what the district has been doing. Thomas, who is listed in the contract with the district as the CEO/Owner of City Social Marketing Solutions, is an employee of the village of Lyons. He manages the village’s website, villageoflyons-il.net, which as of Aug. 16 was not functioning. City Social also has a contract with Lyons Township, where Chris Getty serves in the township’s highest elected post as township supervisor. Thomas’s sister is married to Chris Getty. Thomas, who attended Friday’s school board meeting, refused to confirm to the Landmark that he is Getty’s brother in law. “What difference does that make?” Thomas said when asked by a reporter if he was Chris Getty’s brother in law. “Is it relevant?” The Landmark has been able to confirm the relationship between Getty and Thomas through multiple independent sources. In the contract with District 103, the address of City Social Marketing Solutions is listed as 7674 W. 63rd Street in Summit. But in some state filings, including its incorporation record on file with the Illinois Secretary of State – which also shows the LLC was involuntarily dissolved in October 2019 -- City Social Marketing Solutions lists its address as 7710 Ogden Ave. in Lyons, which is address of the Getty Insurance Agency, the business owned by Kenneth Getty, the father of Chris Getty. Chris Getty is the president of Getty Insurance Agency. Rivera said that he didn’t know if Thomas was Getty’s brother-in-law.
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Proprty transfers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Medical examiner reports Brookfielder has died from COVID-19
14 residents have now succumbed to the disease since March 2020 By BOB UPHUES Editor
Last week, for the first time in more than four months, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reported that a resident of Brookfield had died after contracting COVID-19. The 73-year-old woman, who died Aug. 9, was the 14th resident of Brookfield to die as a result of the disease, which continues to plague the nation after 17 months despite the development of vaccines that have proven highly effective against the novel coronavirus. On Aug. 16, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that the pandemic picture in Illinois continues to worsen, with the COVID-19 delta variant impacting unvaccinated people at a greater rate. Individuals who are vaccinated make up just 2.68 percent of the 2021 COVID-19 deaths. Meanwhile, there were 423 intensive care beds in use statewide for COVID-19 as of Sunday night, Aug. 15, a high since May 13. On a
seven-day average from Aug. 9-15 there were 354 ICU beds in use daily, a 39 percent increase from a week ago and a 290 percent increase from the week ending July 11. Over the five days preceding Aug. 16, a total of 73 people have died of COVID-19, or about 15 per day on average. As news of the delta variant and its infectious nature reaches more people, the pace of vaccinations has increased, with 38,840 administered on average daily over the past seven days. That’s a 123-percent increase from July 26.
Brookfield, Riverside mark COVID milestones Closer to home, the total number of people who have contracted COVID-19 in Brookfield pushed past 2,000 last week. Matching the total from the previous week, there were 29 new COVID-19 patients in Brookfield as of the morning of Aug. 17, bringing the total number since the first cases were reported in March 2020 to 2,014. Last week’s fatality was the first in Brookfield since March 24, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. In Riverside, meanwhile, the total number of cases pushed past 1,000 to 1,005 after six new cases were reported in the week ending on
the morning of Aug. 17. That marks the third straight week where six new cases have been reported in Riverside after reporting virtually no cases during the five weeks prior. There were also six new cases of COVID-19 reported in North Riverside in the past week, bringing that village’s total to 643 since the pandemic started 17 months ago. However, there have been no fatalities from the disease in either North Riverside or Riverside for months. The Landmark has reported previously that three Riverside residents and four North Riverside residents have died from COVID-19. The most recent of those was a North Riverside resident who died Jan. 11. The seven-day rolling positivity rates in the villages remained close to where they stood a week earlier, according to the Northwestern University School of Medicine’s online COVID-19 dashboard. As of Aug. 16, the positivity rate in Brookfield was 5.77 percent. In the 60546 ZIP code, which includes both Riverside and North Riverside, it was 3.5 percent. In suburban Cook County, the seven-day rolling positivity rate was 4.8 percent, according to the Cook County Board of Public Health. Jerry Nowicki of Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.
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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 $36 within Cook County and $46 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. © 2021 Growing Community Media NFP.
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
August 18-25
BIG WEEK
Dooley Wilson and Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca.”
‘Casablanca’ at Grossdale Station
Brookfield Parks and Rec invites you to a special outdoor movie night on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Grossdale Station, 8820½ Brookfield Ave., with a screening of the 1942 wartime classic “Casablanca,” starring Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Dooley Wilson, Claude Rains and Paul Henried. Enjoy being shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on inside Rick’s Café Americain, along with live music before the movie, a tour of the Brookfield History Museum and popcorn, a treat and drink box. Tickets are $25 for residents ($35 non-residents) and can be reserved by visiting tinyurl.com/2vr4njs9.
The race is on In the 1960s, the U.S. and Soviet Union were locked in a race to send an astronaut to the moon. How did it all begin? How did the Soviets try to beat the Americans? What happened to the Soviet effort after Americans walked on the moon in 1969? Learn all about it in a special Zoom presentation “The Space Race” courtesy of the North Riverside Public Library on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. Registration is required by visiting northriversidelibrary.org/events-new.
JOLLY RINGWALDS
Riverside Movie in the Park
Riverside Parks and Recreation and state Rep. Michael Zalewski invite the community to enjoy a movie under the stars during their Movie in the Park on Friday, Aug. 20 from dusk to 9:30 p.m. at Big Ball Park, Longcommon and North Delaplaine roads. Bring a blanket and some chairs and watch Pixar’s 2015 animated film “Inside Out” featuring the voice talents of Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Bill Hader and Phyllis Smith.
And more The Riverside Farmers Market continues every Wednesday from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Park, 10 Pine Ave., in downtown Riverside. Social distancing encouraged. Face coverings are required for those who are not vaccinated and no pets are allowed. ■
The Brookfield Farmers Market continues every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave., for locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, baked goods and ■
Learn to make chocolates
Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., invites teens through adults to grab their significant other or a friend and learn how to make chocolates during “Date Night Crafts: Chocolate Making” on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live. Supplies (including chocolate melts and molds) are available at the library while they last. For more information contact Adult & Teen Services at 708-485-6917, ext. 131 or email reference@brookfieldlibrary.info.
artisan ware. Live music and a picnic area. Social distancing is encouraged and face coverings are required for non-vaccinated guests. North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites adults to hone their writing chops at their Writer’s Group via Zoom on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. and play game, stay active and win prizes at Gamercize on Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. (outdoor location to TBD, weather permitting). Kids in grades 6-12 can play the Jackbox game Fakin’ It at the library on Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. Visit northriversidelibrary.org/events-new for ■
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more info. Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., offers virtual classes and programs for patrons of all ages throughout the week. Most youth activities will be presented live on the library’s Facebook page at facebook.com/BrookfieldPublicLibrary. For adults/seniors, there’s Chair Yoga via Zoom on Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. and Aging and Your Eyes presented by Prevent Blindness and the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness via Zoom on Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. Call 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or visit brookfield. ■
Brookfield concert in the park
Brookfield Parks and Rec continues its summer outdoor concert series on Friday, Aug. 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., transporting you back to the 1980s with the Jolly Ringwalds Concerts are held at the band shell in Kiwanis Park, 8820 Brookfield Ave. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Cancellations due to inclement weather will be made at 3 p.m. on concert day. evanced.info/signup to register for programs. Riverside Chess Club, open to anyone age 5 through adult, meets in person each Wednesday through Aug. 25 at 6:45 p.m. in the Community Room of the Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road. Players of all levels welcome. Children under 7 require caregiver over 13. Registration required. Visit riversidelibrary.libcal.com/calendar. ■
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. Next bingo night is Sept. 12. ■
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
P O L I C E
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R E P O R T S
Three charged in connection with Riverside car break-ins Riverside police have charged three people – an adult and two juveniles – in connection with a spree of car break-ins and the theft of a vehicle on the east side of the village over a period of three days last week. Director of Public Safety Matthew Buckley confirmed that police charged a 28-yearold Berwyn man with criminal trespass to a motor vehicle. One of the boys, whose ages were not immediately available, was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and burglary to a motor vehicle, while the other was charged with criminal trespass and burglary to a motor vehicle. At least five break-ins, all targeting unlocked vehicles, were reported as happening during the overnight hours on Aug. 9-10. In addition, a resident of the 200 block of Shenstone Road called police on the morning of Aug. 10 to report that his 2011 Kia, which was parked in the driveway behind the house, was missing. The victim told police that the vehicle was likely left unlocked and had the keys stored inside. On Aug. 11, the Illinois State Police informed Riverside police that the vehicle had been recovered on the side of the road at the I-290 off ramp just east of Harlem Avenue. Police later obtained security camera video showing two of the alleged offenders pull into the parking lot with the stolen vehicle at E-Z- Pawn, 7361 25th St. in North Riverside, at about 9:15 a.m. on Aug. 10. While there, one of the offenders allegedly pawned a stolen Canon camera in exchange for cash. Additional security camera video showed the stolen vehicle using the drive-thru at McDonald’s at 7031 Ogden Ave. in Berwyn at about 4:45 a.m. on Aug. 11. On Aug. 11 at about 10:45 p.m., police responded to the 300 block of Shenstone Road after receiving a report of three people, clad in all black, going in and out of driveways. An officer reported observing three people with a flashlight in the driveway of a home in the 400 block of Shenstone Road. As the officer exited his squad vehicle, the three ran into the backyard of a Shenstone Road home. Police formed a perimeter and located two of the alleged offenders in a backyard. The third was located in an alley between the 3200 blocks of Harlem and Maple avenues in Berwyn. Police said they believed the trio was responsible for at least six vehicle burglaries that night as well, and that the Illinois State Police Crime Lab was processing evidence collected. Additional charges may follow.
Burglary to a motor vehicle North Riverside police arrested two adults and three juveniles, charging four of them with felonies, after they reportedly broke into a pickup truck belonging to a car dealership that was parked in the remote parking structure at the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, on the night of Aug. 8. Daniel Garcia, 18, of McHenry, and Andrew Diaz, 18, of Cicero, were charged with burglary to a motor vehicle as were two juveniles. A third juvenile was charged with attempted burglary. Police reported that the alleged offenders drove in two vehicles to the upper level of the parking structure on the south end of the mall’s parking lot, which is used by Hawk Ford of Forest Park to store vehicles. Officers blocked their way out and apprehended all five at the scene. Security camera video reportedly showed four of the offenders enter a Dodge Ram pickup, which apparently was unlocked, before exiting the vehicle when police arrived.
DUI crash Riverside police charged a 47-year-old Chicago man with driving under the influence after he alleged crashed his 2003 Honda SUV into the back end of a 2017 Infiniti that was waiting to turn left from southbound Harlem Avenue onto 30th Street on Aug. 15 at about 1:45 p.m. The impact of the crash had knocked loose the rear passenger side wheel from the Infiniti’s axle, said police, but neither the driver of the Honda nor the 45-year-old Riverside woman driving the Infiniti sustained injuries. The driver of the Honda reportedly told police he had a “couple of beers” before getting behind the wheel. He also reportedly failed field sobriety tests at the scene, leading to his arrest. These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Aug. 8-15 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
• Meeting Wednesdays • New outdoor location: Guthrie Park • New time 5-7 pm • All ages are welcome • Masks are optional
By Linda Sokol Francis. E.A.
A TAX CHECK LIST FOR NEWLY MARRIED COUPLES Name and address changes Name: When a name changes through marriage, it is important to report that change to the Social Security Administration The name on a person’s tax return must match what is on file at the SSA. If it doesn’t, it could delay any tax refund. To update information, taxpayers should file Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. It is available on SSA.gov, by calling 800-772-1213 or at local SSA office. Address: If marriage means a change of address, the IRS and U.S. Postal Service need to know. To do that, people should send the IRS Form 8822, Change of Address. Taxpayers should also notify the postal service to forward their mail by going online at WSPS .com or their local post office. Withholding After getting married, couples should consider changing their withholding. Newly married couples must give their
employers a new Form W-4, Employee’s withholding Allowance within 10 days. If both spouses work, they may move into a higher tax bracket or be affected by the Additional Medicare Tax. They can use the IRS F7ithholding Estimator on IRS .gov to help complete a new Form W-4. See Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Ta for more information. Filing status Married people can choose to file their federal income taxes jointly or separately each year. While filing jointly is usually more beneficial, it’s best to figure the tax both ways to find out which works best. Remember, if a couple is married as of Dec. 31, the law says they’re married for the whole year for tax purposes.
BROOKFIELD FINANCIAL PLANS, INC. Linda Sokol Francis, E.A. 3439 Grand Boulevard • Brookfield, Illinois 60513 • 708-485-3439 Brought to you as a public service since 1975
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
North Riverside looking at $1.6M budget deficit in 2021-22 Officials tweak revenue, spending projections to cut shortfall in half
By BOB UPHUES
reduces the amount projected in police and fire department overtime, and shifts about 60 percent of public works personnel expenditures to the water enterprise fund, based on the amount of work the village intends to do in that division. Officials also eased the strain on the general fund by earmarking about $250,000 annually in motor fuel tax funds to pay the debt service on alternate revenue bonds issued in 2016 for a major road repair project. Up to now, that debt service has been paid via the general operating fund. The budget does not yet reflect any funds the village will receive from the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic to assist municipalities recover related costs. North Riverside has been allocated about $875,000, but it’s unclear what will qualify for reimbursement using relief funds. The village would like to earmark most of their funds to go toward the water fund, which ate a residential water credit totaling about $700,000 meant to give relief to homeowners. The village may also reimburse the general fund for relief it gave business owners in the form of no-cost business and liquor licenses in 2021.
eating taxes,” said Scarpiniti, referring to collects in fines issued by police by more agthe village’s most important revenue streams gressively pursuing collections with a thirdfunding operations. party company. “As a result, you adopt budgets with exWithin the past month or so the village tremely conservative levels of funding, so has also rolled out its new truck scale, which you’re in a position to be flexible as the year they’re employing to catch overweight trucks goes on. If you over-project, you wind up put- and issue fines. The fines from those violating yourself in a worse situtions is hefty depending on ation.” how overweight the trucks That said, Scarpiniti was are. Police have issued severable to close what had been al citation already, with fines projected as a roughly $3.1 totaling around $90,000 total. million general fund deficit Scarpiniti said she hopes using a combination of acafter court costs and the like, counting strategies, includthe village can realize 50 to 60 percent of those overing raising projected sales tax SUE SCARPINITI weight truck fines. revenues by about $400,000. Village administrator Village officials were also Sales tax receipts this year able to reduce general fund have been higher than anticiexpenditures by estimating pated, Scarpiniti said, and the just how long certain new povillage also now has a better idea of when a new Amazon Fresh grocery sitions -- village engineer, deputy fire chief, store, which has been under construction for assistant village administrator, finance director and two new firefighters – will be unthe better part of a year, will open. Scarpiniti said the grocery store hopes to filled. A new public works director is expected open either in time for the holidays or shortly after Jan. 1. They have already applied for a to be named in early September, but it could take some time before others, such as the sign permit and liquor licenses. The village hopes to increase the amount it deputy fire chief, are filled. The budget also
Editor
North Riverside officials whittled down a projected general operating fund deficit in its 2021-22 fiscal year budget by about half, which means the village can expect to eat into its cash reserves to the tune of about $1.6 million by the time the fiscal year ends next April 30. If that comes to pass, it will be the third straight year North Riverside has finished in a negative position, after general fund deficits of about $40,000 in 2019-20 and $1.2 million in 2020-21. On July 26, the North Riverside Village Board voted to approve its 2021-22 appropriations ordinance, setting the village’s legal spending authority, by a 4-2 vote. Voting in favor were trustees Jason Bianco, Deborah Czajka, Fernando Flores and Terri Sarro. Voting against were trustees H. Bob Demopoulos and Marybelle Mandel. The expenditures outlined in the ordinance mirror those in the budget, said Village Administrator Sue Scarpiniti. “Although we’re projecting those types of deficits, it’s really hard to predict with certainty when you have such volatile revenue streams such as sales taxes and places-for-
“If you over-project, you wind up putting yourself in a worse situation.”
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
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Hines V.A. daycare closure stuns employees First, the child care center shut indefinitely. A week later, it closed for good
By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter
When Eva* learned the daycare center at Edward Hines Jr. V.A. Hospital was abruptly closing, she was stunned. For many working parents at the suburban hospital, the Hines Child Care Center was a crucial resource. It was affordable compared to other daycares in the area, and it was located right on hospital grounds. Eva, who asked that her name not be used for fear of reprisal, said her children had attended the daycare for years and grown accustomed to bringing her children to work, visiting them during her lunch break and picking them up after her shift. Now, “pulling into the VA without my kids was just emotional in itself,” she said. But it wasn’t just the daycare’s sudden closure that shocked Eva and dozens of other parents who work at Hines. They also were unaware that the facility was facing structural issues and deemed unsafe for children and daycare staff. In a companywide email to employees obtained by the Landmark, hospital officials said “a piece of plaster ceiling” in one of the daycare rooms “came down” sometime during the night of July 14. “The room was empty at the time, no injuries occurred and the room was secured HINES V.A. EMPLOYEE upon discovery,” officials said in an email sent July 16, two days after the incident. Hospital officials also told employees that Hines’ occupational safety, patient safety, engineering and infection control teams conducted a “comprehensive safety review” of the daycare following the incident. A consultant from the Midwest branch of the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) also inspected the child care center. Based on their findings, they decided to close the center indefinitely, officials wrote in an email. “We were told after the inspection of the space that they couldn’t confidently say that it wouldn’t happen in any of the other rooms and that it was like a ticking time bomb,” Eva said. Hines Child Care Center was located in Building 1, a roughly mile-long structure planted on the south end of the hospital’s 174-acre campus. The daycare center, which had long been part of Hines for about 40
“You’re literally taking a part of someone’s family, and a lot of these kids have been here for years.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL ROMAIN
When the child care center at Hines V.A. Hospital (above) abruptly closed in July, the shutdown was described as temporary. A week later, it became permanent, leaving employees scrambling to find other care providers. years, was split into several different rooms to accommodate children from 6 weeks to 6 years old, said Eva and Amy, another Hines employee who requested her name not be published for privacy concerns and in fear of retaliation. It also had additional office space for staff, kid-friendly bathrooms, a large indoor playroom and an outdoor playground, Eva said. Eva, a longtime employee of Hines, said she did not know the daycare had any maintenance problems but knew other parts of that building did. In July 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development released an extensive report documenting the physical condition of 171 of its research buildings across 74 campuses. According to the report, Building 1 had numerous maintenance issues ranging from a leaky roof to vinyl asbestos floor tiles and poor heating and cooling systems. Inspectors also found a “severely aging” electrical distribution system and noted that “several ‘emergency situations,’” including a water main break, occurred during the assessment. At the time, they wrote Building 1, along with the entire Hines campus, was in need of “constant” maintenance. Though the report was published nine years ago and the building has since undergone countless repairs and renovations, Eva and other Hines employees said some of those maintenance issues have yet to be resolved. “I know that a lot of the offices in the
building had ceiling leaks and issues like that,” Eva said. “We would put in these requests for ceiling repair or like removal of dripping water from the walls and nothing happened.” Matthew Moeller, a spokesperson for Hines V.A., declined to comment on the details of the safety review or describe the damages discovered in the daycare center. In an emailed statement to Wednesday Journal, Moeller wrote that the decision to close the facility was “difficult” but necessary to repair its “long-term structural” problems. Hines VA declined to participate in a formal interview. “Currently, there are no plans for the space after repairs are completed,” he said in the email. Moeller explained the Hines Child Care Center was run by a private organization. On July 23, a week after Hines administrators announced the daycare temporarily closed, the daycare’s board of directors moved to shut it down permanently. Eva and Amy said about 17 teachers, along with a handful of daycare staff, lost their positions. After repeated requests, Moeller declined to confirm the number of daycare staff impacted by the closure but stated that the daycare operated on a “rent-free space at our hospital” and no Hines VA hospital employees were affected. Moeller said a meeting was held on the same day administrators sent out the email about the daycare’s temporary shutdown. Employees were told they could file for leave
to take time off work and find alternative care for their children, Moeller said. Eva and Amy said they were told about the daycare’s indefinite closure on a Friday afternoon. That meant they had Saturday and Sunday to figure out who could care for their children. Eva and Amy said the Hines Child Care Center was the perfect place because the rates were inexpensive and located onsite. Amy said parents paid roughly $280 weekly at the Hines Child Care, whereas other childcare centers cost double or triple that amount, and finding a new daycare center means adding more travel time for parents. Eva and Amy explained that many Hines employees are medical and healthcare professionals and unable to work from home. Some also do not have or live near other family members who can help and care for their children, they said. On top of that, searching for the right childcare provider takes time and trust. With the COVID-19 pandemic already shifting their children’s routines, Eva and Amy worried how this change would affect them too. “It was heartbreaking because you’ve formed this relationship with the staff who are taking care of your children,” Amy said. “In some cases, they see your kids more than you do just with these eight-, nine-hour days. You’re literally taking a part of someone’s family, and a lot of these kids have been here for years.” Eva and Amy said they wondered why it took hospital officials two days to notify them about the ceiling plaster falling, and yet their children still attended daycare on July 15, the day after the incident, up until the afternoon of July 16. “Here is a daycare where all of our children are, and [it’s] amazing,” Amy said. “But you’re telling me you’re only just now seeing that the ceiling is falling? You’re only just seeing that there might be an issue in this area? And, you’re only just seeing it and telling us that it’s so severe that you have to close down for good?” Nearly a month has passed since the Hines Child Care Center closed down, and Eva and Amy are still upset, devastated and angry. The two said they often receive company newsletters on how Hines is trying to help its employees achieve a “work-life balance,” and for a time, the daycare center was it – it was what they needed to help strike that balance. Now, it’s gone. “The biggest thing that runs through my mind is [Hines VA] constantly saying [they] hear me, but there are no real actions,” Amy said. “Maybe you hear me but you don’t care. Hines hears, but they don’t care.” *Editor’s Note: The Landmark has agreed to change the names of the employees in the story to protect their identities.
8
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
Riverside’s oldest home sold, getting interior rehab Wesencraft House on Pine Ave. to remain rental property By BOB UPHUES Editor
Is new life about to be breathed into Riverside’s oldest home? Whether or not we’ll be able to tell much from any improvements done to the exterior, which at this point look to be modest, the interior of the building at 78 Pine Ave. is in for a complete overhaul, ac-
cording to the architect hired by the home’s new owner. Despite its heavily altered state and the fact that it’s nearly invisible from Pine Avenue due to a tangle of overgrowth surrounding it, the home at 78 Pine Ave. is a local landmark. Built by William and Jane Wesencraft around 1855, the building predates Riverside’s founding. The Wesencrafts sold a portion of their 26.5-acre property to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1862 to allow for the railroad’s construction through the area, but their land was not part of the Riverside Improvement Company’s 1869 plan of the village.
COURTESY OF THE RIVERSIDE HISTORICAL COMMISSION
The house at 78 Pine Ave. (above) has been much altered since it was built as the Wesencraft family farm residence in 1855. Originally, the cottage was decorated in Victorian gothic gingerbread (as seen left) and stood among a stand of pine trees, planted by the family, that gave the street its name. When the Wesencraft family finally did subdivide the property bounded by the Des Plaines River, East Avenue, Forest Avenue and the railroad right-of-way in 1889, the house was moved a short distance to its present location. It remained in the Wesencraft family, according to records maintained by the Riverside Historical Commission, until 1934, when it was sold after the death of the Wesencrafts’ daughter, Charlotte, in 1933. The 1936 publication “Riverside Then and Now” states that the home was converted into four apartments in that year, and it has been a rental property ever since, substantially altered and maintaining none of the Victo-
rian gothic gingerbread that once adorned its steeply pitched gables. The building was purchased for $221,000 on June 15, according to online real estate records. Haobo Song, a suburban real estate broker, is the new owner. The prior owner, the late George Hurst, had owned the building since at least 1955, the earliest year his name appears at that address in a Riverside phone directory. Ricardo Garcia, the architect hired by Song to redesign the interior layout, said the building still retains some historic elements, like fireplaces (which will remain decorative) and a main staircase, which will be retained. See WESENCRAFT HOUSE on page 16
LTHS sees red flag as TTO withholds $6 million High school warns agency’s action could lead to more litigation
By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
Lyons Township High School District 204 officials say that the Lyons Township School Treasurer’s Office, commonly known as the TTO, is withholding $6 million as the high school breaks with the TTO following a ruling in a protracted lawsuit. By July 1, the TTO had transferred by bulk of LTHS’s reserves -- about $41.8 million -- to begin the separation process. But LTHS Superintendent Brian Waterman says the TTO still has $6 million of the high school district’s money. According to Waterman, the TTO is saying they are withholding the funds for unreconciled activity as the TTO closes out the books on LTHS. Waterman says LTHS asked the TTO on July 2 for an explanation about the withheld $6 million.
“We have communicated with them our concern about the $6 million they withheld, [and we] have not received a response yet,” Waterman said. LTHS is withdrawing from the TTO, as it allowed to do under state law, following the verdict in the TTO’s long running lawsuit against LTHS. On May 21 Cook County Judge Jerry Esrig ordered the high school district to pay about $765,000 to the TTO for withheld fees since the lawsuit was filed in 2013. The ruling denied the TTO’s major claims for nearly $6 million in unpaid and underpaid fees it claimed LTHS owed from 2000 through 2012. The TTO did not appeal the ruling, and the LTHS school board unanimously approved a resolution to withdraw from the agency, which manages money for local school districts. State law requires the separation to be completed within 90 days which would be
the end of September. Waterman said he is not sure whether LTHS is entitled to the entire $6 million that the TTO is withholding. “That’s a hard question to answer because in addition to them we’re also in the reconciliation process as well,” Waterman said. “We acknowledge that there’s going to some outstanding items to reconcile, so we think the $6 million is excessive.” Waterman is concerned that he has not received any answers from the TTO about the status of the $6 million. “We certainly understand that it might take some time to receive a response, but we would have anticipated to get a response before now,” Waterman said. Neither TTO Treasurer Ken Getty nor Mike Thiessen, the president of the agency’s board of trustees, replied to a request for comment from the Landmark.
Last week, a frustrated Waterman wrote a letter to other school superintendents in Lyons Township alerting them to the issue in what appears to be an attempt to put some pressure on the TTO. “LT is concerned that the TTO’s actions to withhold $6 million of LT’s funds, and its lack of responsiveness to LT’s request, will lead to further litigation,” Waterman wrote to his fellow superintendents. “LT is also concerned that any future litigation between the TTO and LT, involving the $6 million being withheld, could involve TTO member districts.” The TTO’s lawsuit against LTHS was very expensive. The TTO spent approximately $4 million in legal fees during the eightyear run of the lawsuit, a cost incurred by member districts, because the TTO raises no revenue on its own and its operations are funded by its members.
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
9
Brookfield firm to launch app to aid local businesses Boxless Media also shines spotlight through new podcast
By BOB UPHUES Editor
The village of Brookfield may have taken a pass on local digital marketing company Boxless Media when it came to hiring a consultant to lead a new marketing effort, but that hasn’t stopped the company’s founder, Jason Baumann, from pursuing parallel efforts in that regard. Baumann, a native of Chicago’s Southwest Side, started Boxless Media about eight years ago after years working first for Crain Communications and then nonprofits like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Easter Seals and Starlight Children’s Foundation. His move to Brookfield was an abrupt one, he said, resulting from a fire six years that destroyed his Garfield Ridge home. His fiancée’s sister lived in Brookfield, and the couple decided to move to the suburbs. Since then, he said he’s grown to love Brookfield’s penchant for rallying to support others in the community in times of need, citing the response to 11-year-old Maxx Kusper being severely injured when he was struck by a train in 2020 and local businessman Chris Borzym, who was diagnosed with cancer last December. “People here come together for good reason,” Baumann said. Another recent example of that spirit, he said, was when Make-A-Wish Foundation, to whom Boxless Media donates video production services, approached him to see about getting one of their clients a membership to Brookfield Zoo. Baumann went to a Brookfield community page on Facebook to put out the word. “Within hours there were people coming to us saying, ‘Can we drop off a $100 bill’ or ‘Can we pay for it?’ We bought [the client] a two-year super membership,” Baumann said. “It was just so cool how everyone came together. It’s that kind of community that I like.” After bouncing back and forth between
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Jason Baumann, president of Boxless Media, sits outside of the company’s office on Monroe Avenue in Brookfield’s Eight Corners business district. offices in the city and suburbs, Baumann moved Boxless Media’s operation to a small storefront at 9140 Monroe Ave. in the Eight Corners business district last September. This year he joined the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce and has since partnered with them on a couple of efforts. One, which launched in mid-June, is a podcast series called Explore Brookfield, where Baumann interviews local business owners and political figures. The other, launching as early as this week, is an app called Beyond the Zoo, which will serve as a directory for Brookfield businesses, with direct links to their websites, promotions and coupons. Businesses will also have access to analytics, showing them how
much traffic they’re getting through various aspects of their listings. “The chamber is using it as a value-added for membership,” Baumann said. The podcast, available through Spotify or at BrookfieldPodcast.com, has featured a diverse array of guests, from Brookfield Chamber of Commerce President Brian Sharenow and local restaurateur Mary Vasquez of Mary’s Morning Mix-Up to state Rep. Michael Zalewski, Brookfield Little League President Katie Nasti and Brookfield barbecue maven Meathead Goldwyn. “It’s just a way for us to help out local businesses, and I think for the businesses, it’ll give them a platform to tell people about themselves,” said Baumann, who hosts the
Olmsted Society Stewards of the land and Olmsted’s Plan
The next few weeks feature Zoom presentations, a bird walk, landscape workdays, walking tours, and another seed collection event. Details on our website. ZOOM PRESENTATIONS - 8/26 7pm “A Look into Urban Bird Migration & What Role We Play;” and 9/9 7pm “The Seeds of Riverside: Creating an Olmsted 200 Botanical Box” LANDSCAPE WORKDAYS - 8/28 9am-Noon Scottswood Commons, and 9/18 9am-Noon Indian Gardens (RSVP workdays@olmstedsociety.org) BIRD WALK - 8/29 7am with Henry Griffin, Forest Preserve (site TBD)
Announcing a new program, Tributes & Trees that allows you to honor or recognize others. All donations will be used to enhance the landscape of Riverside. Learn more at OlmstedSociety.org.
WALKING TOURS - 8/29 2-4pm, Riverside’s South Division, and 9/19 2-4pm North Division Tour (tours@olmstedsociety.org) SEED COLLECTION - 9/19 Noon with Scott Stewart of the Millennium Park Foundation (RSVP on our website)
Visit olmstedsociety.org or facebook.com/RiversideFLOS for details
podcast, adding that the Chamber of Commerce helps find guests and make connections. “The sole reason for doing this is to really help the small businesses in our neighborhood do a little bit better,” Baumann said. Of course, Baumann has also picked up a number of local clients, many of them restaurants, for whom he provides digital marketing and video services. During the COVID-19 shutdowns of 2020, when those clients were struggling to survive, Baumann said he kept them on for free. He was able to do that by creating an online platform allowing funeral homes to offer high-quality, professional, private livestream video for funeral services instead of those services being clumsily broadcast over platforms like Facebook Live. Hitzeman Funeral Home in Brookfield and Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home were two of his earliest clients, who now number more than 40. Although looser COVID restrictions have resulted in fewer livestream requests, they’re still popular, Baumann said. “We’re still doing it, because there are always going to be families who have family members in Ireland, or Mexico, or Guatemala,” Baumann said. “There’s always people who can’t always get there or who have aged parents.” Boxless Media also does quite a bit of marketing and advertising design and production for political candidates. In the local elections held earlier this year, Boxless Media worked with 28 candidates, producing direct mail pieces, digital ads, video and TV commercials. Another of Baumann’s business ventures – he’s a partner in a tequila company called Tequila 1455 with two others – is moving its offices next door to Boxless Media later this month. The product is manufactured in Mexico and is awaiting final approval by the Mexican government, Baumann said, before it can be distributed in the United States.
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10
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
“I know a lot of people like to connect with wildlife ... but unfortunately it’s pretty negative to the [geese] population.”
GEESE
Stop hand feeding from page 1 leash to chase off a goose that dares sail in for a bite to eat. That’s Octane, a dog handled by Lorelei Cole, field operations manager for Wild Goose Chase, the company hired by the village of North Riverside to keep away geese, which are drawn to Commons Park not only by the pond but by people who eagerly hand feed them. “Water fowl can’t break down those [foods], like if you’re giving them bread or crackers,” Cole said. “There’s proteins in those they can’t digest properly. It’s not in their natural diet. They normally feed on aquatic plants, insects and grasses. “Especially if they’re developing, when they’re young, they really can’t process that, and when they need those essential nutrients they’re not getting, they don’t develop the feathers that they need to survive.” The handfeeding is not only bad for the birds, but there’s a rolling series of consequences to attracting so many geese. The food left by people attracts other wildlife, like coyotes, and the goose droppings attract rodents, like rats. Overpopulation of geese – and the ones
LORELEI COLE
Field operations manager Wild Goose Chase
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Wild Goose Chase field operation manager Lorelei Cole uses the dog leash to discourage a flock of geese flying over Commons Park from landing there during her rounds with her dog Octane on the morning of Aug. 12. normally in North Riverside’s Commons Park are not migratory birds but yearround residents of the area – can lead to diseases being spread amongst that population and even to humans using those spaces for recreation.
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“I know a lot of people like to connect with wildlife in the sense of being at a park, but unfortunately it’s pretty negative to the [geese] population.” Despite signs urging people not to feed the geese and ducks (which are less of an issue because unlike geese, ducks aren’t usually aggressive) it continues to happen, so the geese keep coming and the village has to keep spending money to try to discourage them from returning. More recently, village officials were imploring people not to feed ducks and geese, particularly in light of an apparently injured or sick goose that had taken up residence near the pond. Ideally, the goose would find its way out
of the park, but people feeding it has provided an incentive to stay. “These guys don’t need [food],” Cole said. “They have plenty around here. They’re just becoming too dependent on people and don’t realize that they can just take care of themselves by eating natural things around them.” The village hasn’t yet decided what to do with their injured/sick goose. For the first several days, Cole indicated she never saw the goose move, but last week as the dog approached the goose waddled into the park’s pond and swam off. “Now that it actually moved it might be easier because we can actually move him off the property,” Cole said. “With injured ones, we tend to give them a bit of time before we try to figure out the plan of action. … Honestly, sometimes it’s better to let nature take its course.” Cole and Octane – and on Aug. 12 dog handler trainee Emma Gavin and her collie Cowboy – make the trip to Commons Park seven days a week as part of Wild Goose Chase’s goose-mitigation program. The schedule varies in terms of when they patrol the park, but it’s typically earlier in the day when there are fewer people and dogs. See GEESE on next page
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ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
Octane, a border collie, chases a goose away from the bank of the pond in Commons Park on Aug. 12, 2021.
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
RBHS school board still mulling choice for vacancy Nine interviewed for spot, but no decision after 2-hour discussion By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
The Riverside-Brookfield High District 208 Board of Education spent just over two hours in closed session on Aug. 10 discussing the candidates to fill the vacancy on the school board created when Tom Jacobs resigned in July. However, school board members could not settle on a candidate and adjourned the meeting without making a pick when they returned to open session. “We just didn’t make a decision,” said school board President Deanna Zalas after the meeting. “We have until the end of the month so time is not an issue yet.” Zalas said the school board must pick a replacement for Jacobs by Aug. 26. By failing to make a decision Tuesday, the board will have to call a special meeting to choose Jacobs’ replacement since their next scheduled meeting is Sept. 14. Under Illinois law, a school board has 60 days to fill a vacancy on the school board and Jacob’s resignation became effective on July 1. If the board cannot agree on a replacement by the end of the month, the Illinois State Board of Education, through its West 40 Intermediate Service Center, can pick a replacement. The school board interviewed nine candidates who applied to fill the vacancy.
Continued from previous page “Wildlife doesn’t slow down so we have to be here every day,” Cole said. It’s not cheap to control geese using trained dogs. The village pays about $7,000 per year for Wild Goose Chase’s services. North Riverside Public Works Director Tim Kutt used a dog service many years ago to control geese in the park, but the village had not done so in many years. But, last year during the COVID-19 shutdown when parks spent a good deal of time empty the goose population exploded. “We had a period there where we really didn’t have a lot of goose activity, for whatever reason,” Kutt said. “But this last year and a half it just got out of hand.” At first Kutt attempted tackling it using plastic coyotes, moving them from place to place within the park, to scare off the geese. Within a short time, it was clear that wasn’t working. “They picked up pretty quick there’s no harm there,” Kutt said of the geese. “To be
Originally 14 candidates applied, but two of them, Jose Madrigral and Tricia McVicker, quickly pulled out of contention. Interviews could not be arranged with former District 96 school board member Juliet Boyd and Annette Peterson. Anaese Vega, a Brookfield resident who teaches reading at Congress Park School in Brookfield, was among those scheduled to be interviewed Aug. 10 but was a no-show for the interview. The nine candidates who were interview are former District 208 school board President Wes Smithing; former Komarek District 94 school board member Carolyn Lach; Riverside resident Cathy Daun; Riverside resident Lisa Garay; Chloe Peterson, a Riverside resident who is an attorney in private practice; Annette Milleville, a Riverside resident and assistant Cook County state’s attorney; Riverside resident Joe Doyle; Matt Gugliciello, a resident of Riverside who is a member of the school board at St. Odilo Catholic School in Berwyn; and Loriann Duffy, a Riverside resident who is the director of property operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Board members were tight-lipped about their discussions of the candidates, referring all questions to Zalas, who also wasn’t saying much. Zalas declined to say who she supported to fill the vacancy.
honest, we had one [coyote] next to a food pile and within two weeks, the geese walked right up to it to feed.” While the park is fairly goose-free right now, Cole said she expects traffic to pick up in the fall as the migratory Canada geese start traveling and looking for places to stop. But the giant Canada geese, a species that stays in one area year-round, will return to places like Commons Park, where they’ll also nest in spring, unless there’s a deterrent. “These are resident geese, who are accustomed to people,” said Sue Hagberg, president of Wild Goose Chase, which is headquartered in Chicago Ridge. “Going into winter, they’ll be attracted to the Des Plaines River, because they need open water.” In the mornings, the geese will fan out from the river into open areas to graze – like the forest preserve meadows and Riverside Golf Club fairways along the river’s banks. Just a short flight away, if coyotes are prowling those areas, is Commons Park with its pond and people toting food for them. “It’s like jumping from one restaurant to the next,” Hagberg said.
11
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
P R O P E R T Y
Complete rehab in Brookfield sells for $550,000
T R A N S F E R S
The following property transfers were reported by the Cook County Clerk from June 2021. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk’s office.
Brookfield ADDRESS
PRICE
SALE DATE
4248 Park Ave. 9225 Monroe Ave. 9034 Southview Ave. 4209 Eberly Ave. 3216 Elm Ave. 4223 Grove Ave. 4532 Elm Ave. 4237 Blanchan Ave. 9017 Southview Ave. 4142 Forest Ave. 8617 Rockefeller Ave. 3523 Hollywood Ave. 2944 Prairie Ave. 3727 Cleveland Ave. 3706 Rosemear Ave. 4604 Maple Ave. 3922 Sunnyside Ave. 4223 Elm Ave. 4418 Vernon Ave. 3142 Park Ave. 4111 Madison Ave. 4408 Madison Ave. 4138 Grove Ave. 3723 Forest Ave. 4603 Vernon Ave. 9424 Jackson Ave. 3221 Madison Ave. 3830 Arthur Ave. 3136 Vernon Ave. 4525 Sunnyside Ave. 4439 Deyo Ave. 3310 Arthur Ave. 9520 47th St. 4136 Deyo Ave. 4203 Park Ave. 3725 McCormick Ave. 3340 Maple Ave. 8915 Southview Ave. 3444 Sunnyside Ave.
$335,000 $240,000 $201,000 $315,000 $333,000 $477,000 $543,000 $329,000 $302,000 $244,000 $365,000 $350,000 $325,000 $340,000 $393,000 $570,000 $214,000 $278,000 $350,000 $480,000 $170,000 Unknown $445,000 $129,000 $305,000 $550,000 $395,000 $316,000 $378,000 $715,000 $265,000 $300,000 $115,000 $360,000 $355,000 $380,500 Unknown $316,000 $375,000
5/08/2021 5/21/2021 5/20/2021 4/26/2021 2/16/2021 5/13/2021 4/15/2021 5/27/2021 5/21/2021 5/27/2021 4/15/2021 5/26/2021 5/11/2021 3/05/2021 3/05/2021 5/20/2021 5/26/2021 5/18/2021 4/12/2021 5/26/2021 6/07/2021 6/01/2021 5/14/2021 9/02/2020 6/14/2021 6/07/2021 4/26/2021 6/10/2021 5/25/2021 6/04/2021 5/26/2021 6/07/2021 4/14/2021 3/19/2021 5/21/2021 6/14/2021 6/01/2021 6/04/2021 6/21/2021
2219 3rd Ave. 2329 Westover Ave. 2310 Westover Ave. 2434 Park Ave.
$295,000 $299,000 $300,000 $295,000
SELLER Halperin-Lausch, Jacob Russo, Michael J Martinez, Elizabeth Ryla, Juozas GS Prop Preservation LLC Thill, Matthew A Devdiya LLC Remkus, Kari Fischer, Steven A Jr Spoeri, Elizabeth TR Vlahos, Judy TR Waspi, Taylor B Pozesky, Kenneth M TR Burke, William D II Boorazanes, Geoffrey Fulgencio, Jose L Crivellone, Nancy Voss, Gregory A Rothaupt, Laura P TR Velasquez, Michelle J Johnston, Kenneth The Judicial Sales Corp Neal, Bernadette Barrett, John P Benke, Jeffrey B Silver Creek Real Estate Dev LLC Armstrong, Kathleen Kepley, Angela D Monaghan, Christopher M Chicago Title Land Trust Co TR 910049 Anderson, John M Bluder, Herbert Tibensky, Arlaina Extr Medders, Carolyn Lopardo, Matthew M Sauer, Mark K Intercounty Judicial Sales Corp Fitzpatrick, Anthony A Digilio, Christine
North Riverside
11/23/2020 3/12/2021 5/25/2021 5/26/2021
PKE Consult LLC KD Grp Enterprises LLC Janopoulos, Joan Plaza, Walter E TR Jr
BUYER Czewinski, Kate E Arredondo, Evelio Angeloni, Louis A Chen, Chang Fu Montalvo, Maura L Yogerst, Nicholas Magnum Holding LLC Ugolini, John Smith, Esther R Devos, Jessica Scott, Jason Rogers, Maree Wind, Christian Rivera, Jesse Hamilton, David L Marquette Bk TR 30657 Bland, Cary Sanchez, Vincent Zaukas, Aidanas Mirza, Michael J ABS Building Mgmt LLC Pennymac Loan Services LLC Thorp, Tyler Marquette Bk TR 30525 Thezan, Tracie Marie Wolber, Ryan Godoy, Benjamin Laaislao Waterloo, Rebecca Lee, Raymond 4525 Sunnyside LLC Hernandez, Paul Jaber, Kaylie M 9520 47th St LLC Nied, Matthew J Funk, Jacob Serivano, Katherine R Federal Home Loans Mtg Corp Conway, Joseph Miller, Marc R
Massey, Kameron Crane, Joseph Yang, Yu-Lin Janik, Peter
9424 Jackson Ave., Brookfield 2433 7th Ave. 2559 5th Ave. 7812 26th St 8936 Forestview Ave. 2216 Westover Ave. 2233 Forest Ave. 8100 30th St.
$400,000 $377,000 $750,000 $292,500 $273,000 $220,000 $415,000
4/20/2021 4/28/2021 5/03/2021 5/18/2021 5/26/2021 6/14/2021 4/16/2021
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
BACK TO SCHOOL Glad to be back from page 1 “It’s definitely invigorating but at the same time it’s tiring, because we’re not used to it,” said a junior who asked to be identified as Karl. He did remote learning all of last year, so Monday was his first time in a classroom in 17 months. “It was pretty nice most of all, seeing more of my friends again, also just seeing the teachers, too,” Karl said. “Overall, it doesn’t feel new but at the same time it just does. I’m not used to it. It was scary at first, but overall it feels great to be back.” Face masks were required to be worn by students and staff indoors, except while eating lunch. But in some classrooms the mask requirement was not strictly enforced. “There are some teachers who are a bit more lenient on the mask thing, and there are some people who just don’t like the masking at all and just take them off and that’s a bit of a health concern for me,” Karl said. A junior named Michael said classrooms and the school seemed a little more crowded than he remembered two years ago. “For some reason it feels like there’s a lot more people than there was during freshman year,” Michael said. Students said wearing a face mask was kind of annoying, but they got used to it. “It was kind of tiring,” said sophomore Mia Mendoza. “It was a little hard to understand people sometimes.” Michael said he had some problems, especially in a couple of classrooms that were hotter than others. “It felt hard to breathe a little bit,” Michael said. The main accommodation to the pandemic, other than the mask wearing, was that the school tweaked its schedule to add two additional lunch periods to make the cafeteria less crowded. This year RBHS has five lunch periods instead of the usual three. A canopy-style tent was also placed on the front lawn of the
COURTESY OF RBHS
Students work on a project in Michele Koehler’s anatomy/physiology class at RiversideBrookfield High School, where the academic year began Aug. 16. All students are back in school full-time for the first time since March 2020.
school to allow students to eat lunch outside if they wished. “Lunch was pretty much normal; you could just sit with your friends and eat,” Schmitz said. Class seats were assigned so contact tracing can be easily done, if necessary. Students who are in close proximity to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 will only have to quarantine this year if they have not been vaccinated. At the Aug. 10 school board meeting, Superintendent Kevin Skinkis said that approximately 52 percent of students and 82 percent of staff have submitted proof of vaccination although those numbers have increased in recent days as more families submit proof of vaccination to the school. Sophomores Jazmine Castro and Mia Mendoza both did remote learning all of last year, so Monday felt a little bit like their first day of high school. It was the first time spending a school day in the building. They had some concerns that freshmen typically have, like worrying about getting lost in the building and not being able to find their classrooms. But they managed to navigate the building without any major problems. “I thought it would be harder,” Castro said. “I found all my classes easily and I didn’t get lost at all.” They said that they are looking forward to the full high school experience after their remote freshman year. “We didn’t really exCOURTESY OF RBHS perience your freshman experience like everyone Masked students cross Golf Road and head toward the main else does,” Castro said. entrance of Riverside-Brookfield High School as classes begin Teachers were excited
for the 2021-22 school year.
to have their classrooms full of students and to be teaching to a full classroom instead of to a computer screen. “People were really happy to see each other,” said RBHS social studies teacher John Beasley, who is beginning his 26th year at RBHS. “Even though you were looking over the masks you could still see that people
were just really eager.” Beasley wore a navy blue pinstripe suit to school on Monday, continuing his tradition of wearing a suit on the first day of school. “I always tell them I want them to know how important I think our time together is,” Beasley said. Marty Sloan, who teaches math and economics and who is serving as president of the RBEA, the RBHS teachers union, said the day felt pretty typical to him. “Other than kids wearing masks, everything seems sort of back to normal,” Sloan said in a text message. The first day of school at Lyons Township High School, which serves the southern half of Brookfield, will be Aug. 19. Things will also be pretty much back to normal as well at LTHS, except that one section of the cafeteria will be set aside for students who want to remain socially distanced during lunch. “We can’t have all students three feet apart for lunch,” said LTHS Superintendent Brian Waterman. “What we’re going to do instead is we’re going to have special seating areas for those who do want to remain socially distant. It won’t be available to everyone but if a student does want to be socially distant they can. “We’re also expanding our ability to have kids eat outside, at least while the weather cooperates. We’re still feeding 4,000 students; we’re just having a few more options for students.” But other than that and the state requirement to wear masks, said Waterman, “It’s going to look just like 2019.”
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
Opinion KOSEY CORNER
THE LANDMARK VIEW
Paying as you go
A
couple of weeks ago, Riverside Trustee Doug Pollock floated a trial balloon for funding street improvements on an ongoing basis, namely, a dedicated tax levy for that purpose. Local politicians suggesting a permanent tax increase for any purpose is risky, especially if that person has future ambitions in an uncertain political climate that could see his words thrown right back at him the next time he runs for office. Of course, Pollock is in his third and final consecutive term as a trustee, so perhaps that makes such a suggestion easier – though if he harbors aspirations to be president in the future, it might be a liability. There’s always an anti-tax population that will automatically oppose any suggested increases, and depending on the political climate locally and nationally, that might have an impact. You never know. That said, when local side streets start falling apart, as they inevitably do, you’ll also hear the chorus of “why won’t anyone do anything to fix the streets.” Riverside has approached this subject in different ways at different times. Not so long ago, the village created special service areas where the cost for paying for street repairs was a line item on the tax bills of property owners who directly benefitted from having the streets in front of their homes improved. Of course, that ignored the fact that all of the village’s streets are a public benefit generally. So, close to 20 years ago, elected officials decided on a new tack. In 2004, Riverside went to voters, asking them to approve a bond referendum. The funds would go toward a three-year road improvement project and the debt would be paid off in 10 years. Residents solidly supported the idea and passed the 2004 referendum, and then repeated that level of support when the village sought another referendum in 2014. You can see where this is going. The most recent bond issue will be paid off in 2024, and the village would be on track to ask for another referendum that year. However, as Pollock has pointed out, paying off those debts have resulted in the village also shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest, money which might have been better spent fixing roads. So, in order to eliminate costly interest payments, Pollock has suggested a permanent tax levy to fund street improvements. It’s an interesting proposal and one that merits more research. It will be a challenge for the village to set the levy amount at a level that won’t raise the burden on taxpayers once the 2014 bonds are paid off and also take into account the natural cost of inflation on road construction projects in future years. Whether there’s a magic formula that can satisfy both those parts of the equation remains to be seen, but at least the village has three years to figure it out. If not, Riverside can move forward, likely with confidence, that another road bond referendum would succeed in 2024. But if there’s a way to solve the universal conundrum of how to best fund municipal street improvements, Riverside may as well give it a hard look.
‘W
Navarros marked 70 years of marriage last month
e go through life making many decisions, some are good and some are not so good, but for me the best was marrying my wife, Lupe, 70 years ago.” That is a true story of love and commitment when it comes to the Riverside residents Rey and Lupe Navarro. Residents of Riverside over 50 years, the couple raised six children: Reynaldo, Carlos, Louis, Cecilia, David and the late Marco. They now count in their family 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, who are definitely the blessings of a long life of living and loving. To celebrate their 70th anniversary the couple were surprised with a luncheon at La Barra Ristorante attended by their many family members and friends, including members of the MG Club, made up of enthusiasts of the tiny British automobiles you see every year in the Riverside July 4 parade. Family members came in from as far as California, with Kathy and Carlos Navarro of Lemont and Kelly and David Navarro of Riverside doing most of the planning. Rey and Lupe’s actual wedding date is July 28, and
they celebrated it with Mass at St. Mary Church where they have been parishioners for many years, Rey serving as an usher. They have served the church in many ways, taking a large part in the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration where Lupe makes and serves some of her specialties. Riversiders know Rey best as one of the Friends of the Fourth. He also was honored as grand marshal of the parade one year. Rey Navarro credits his wife with doing most of the work with the family, though they share many things together and feel fortunate to live in such a friendly community that provides so much. They realized that over the years you tend to overlook some things and maybe that is part of their secret to a long and happy marriage. According to Rey, “I want to enjoy life,” and I’m sure they will continue to do so together for many more years. I guess they could say of Rey and Lupe: It is how much life they put into their love and how much love they put into their lives. Congratulations as we all continue to share in your happiness.
JOANNE KOSEY
LETTERS
Editorial citing Florida governor was ‘politically biased’ I have written the Landmark several times in the past to recognize and credit the quality of its writing — bringing interest and exposition to subjects that are historical, current, and important to our communities. … So it is with dismay that it now appears that the Landmark is engaging that skilled storytelling talent within the paragraphs of its (08-11-2021) “Landmark View” editorial column, succumbing to the current media narrative with these words: “Florida, where its governor seems intent on sending people to their deaths to satisfy his political principles.” We now know that many variables animate the ebb and flow of COVID-19 infections and deaths. Population density, age, weakened immune systems, obesity, personal behavior, lockdowns, mask wearing and many more known or currently unknown factors could all be responsible causing the tragedies that have affected many. However, injecting a biased political attribution like the one editorialized just doesn’t agree with the record
of total deaths per 100,000 people as presented on the CDC’s website. From the period between Jan. 21, 2020, through noon on August 13, 2021, Florida has recorded 188 deaths per 100,000 population and Illinois is at 205 which are certainly comparable. Illinois has about the 16th highest death rate whereas Florida is lower at around number 25, again according to the CDC. Although neither record is something to be proud of, they are similar. So why criticize Florida’s governor and not ours? That’s the political storytelling in your editorial. … Illinois residents have an average age of 38.6, Florida is older at 42.4 according to statista.com. Age is an almost universally agreed upon contributor to the probability of death from the virus. A bit cloudier comparison: In Illinois we had a deep lockdown which gravely damaged our economy, Florida didn’t “close down” to anywhere near the same degree which had far less economic impact and has oddly experienced a smaller percentage of deaths? But if the last year and a half has taught us any-
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
15
OBITUARIES
Maria A. Giron, 73 Brookfield resident Maria A. Giron (nee Galicia), 73, of Brookfield, died Aug. 9, 2021. Ms. Giron worked in the kitchen of a grocery store. She was the wife of the late Faustino Giron; the mother of Cesar Giron, MARIA GIRON Michael Giron, Oscar Giron, Kenia (Miguel) Izquierdo, Faustino (Erin) Giron, Jr. and Calvin Giron; the mother-in-law of Katie and Laurie; the mama of Alex Giron, Austin Giron, Christian Izquierdo, Kayla Izquierdo, Tyler Giron, Mariana Giron, Maya Giron, Salma Giron, Lucia Giron and Faustino Giron III; the sister of Estela, Marcos, Rolando, Luis, Sofia, Antonia, Ruty, Norberto, Deyanira, Lesvia, Miguel Angel; and the aunt of many nieces and nephews. Services are private. Interment is at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. Sympathy cards can be mailed to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Maria Giron family.
Charles A. Labotka Jr., 68 Worked in sales, journalism Charles A. Labotka Jr., 68, of Riverside, died August, 14, 2021 at Hinsdale Hospital. Mr. Labotka worked in the sales industry and was a journalist for various companies and served on the board at his condominium association for over 30 years where he
helped oversee a major window renovation project and created a budget surplus that kept association assessments from needing to be increased for a number of years. He was a standout in cross country and CHARLES A LABOTKA JR track at RiversideBrookfield High School and went on to receive a scholarship at Northern Illinois University, where Mr. Labotka fondly remembered training in the harsh winds of the campus’ North 40 section. At RBHS, he was part of a two-mile relay team that turned in the nation’s fourth-best time during his senior year in 1971. Charles helped set then meet records in impressive fashion in the two-mile relay at the RB and Naperville Relays, eclipsing the previous meet record bests by 12 and seven seconds. He is a member of the Chicago Tribune’s All-Star Track Team, also had one of the state’s top times in the 880-yard run that year. During his senior year at Northern Illinois, he had the team’s best time in the 1,000yard run during the indoor track season. He also was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Mr. Labotka maintained a lifelong commitment to physical fitness, belonging to the health club at Loyola and riding his bicycle around the village and along the Bemis Woods Path. He enjoyed socializing with friends, reliving high school and college times. Mr. Labotka was a 1967 graduate of St. Mary School in Riverside, 1971 graduate of RBHS and 1975 graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he later earned a master’s degree in journalism.
He was the son of the late Dr. Charles A. Labotka and late Katherine (nee Krauss); the brother of Theodore (Dana), Richard (Virginia), Margaret Labotka, Mary Anne (Larry) Paradise, David (Alma), Ellen, Thomas (Barbara) Labotka, the late Katherine (Richard) Hrdina and late Robert Labotka; and the uncle and great uncle of many. Mr. Family and friends to gather Friday, Aug. 20 from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at Ivins/Moravecek Funeral Home, 80 E. Burlington St. in Riverside. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. at St. Mary Church in Riverside. Inurnment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.
Visitation and celebration of life have been held. A private funeral Mass will be held at a future date at St. Louise de Marillac Church, LaGrange Park. Interment was at Resurrection Cemetery, Justice. Memorials are appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105. Sympathy cards can be mailed to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Lorraine Kokoszka family.
Lorraine D. Kokoszka, 94
Accountant
Executive secretary Lorraine D. Kokoszka (nee Wisniewski), 94, of LaGrange Park, died Aug. 10, 2021. Ms. Kokoszka was retired from a job as an executive secretary for a utility company. Lorraine enjoyed her coffee like her neighborhood gos- LORRAINE KOKOSZKA sip, scalding hot. She had a dark sense of humor with a giant heart. Most of all, she was always generous and deeply loved by her family and friends. She will be greatly missed. She was the wife of the late Bruno Kokoszka; the sister of the late Edward Wisniewski and Emilie (the late Casimer) Lesniak; the aunt of Diane Borek, Patricia (John) Trakselis, Patty Kokoszka, Carol Trotter, Christine (Charlie) Dahlenberg; and the great aunt of Karen (Nicholas) Hoffman, Katharine (Robert) Avery and Christina (Timothy) Albores.
Fred R. Marek, 84 Fred R. Marek, age 84, of Brookfield, died Aug. 12, 2021. Mr. Marek served in the U.S. Army and worked as an accountant for a manufacturing company. He was a member of American Legion Post #1028 of ChiFRED MAREK cago. He was also involved in the Let’s Polka U.S.A. Club of Chicago Ridge. He was the father of Jennifer Marek and Julie Marek; the grandfather of Alantria and Mahala; the brother of Frank (Elizabeth) Marek; and the uncle of Elizabeth. Involved in the Let’s Polka U.S.A. Club of Chicago Ridge. Services are private. Interment will be held at a later date at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements. Express condolences online at HitzemanFuneral.com. Sympathy cards can be mailed to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Fred Marek family.
LETTERS thing, it’s that we “may” believe the science and myth that we are either exposed or pre-disposed to, but at least the numbers presented by the CDC should be recognized without a blatant political bias … well maybe?
Jim Skvaril Riverside
Editor’s note: The Landmark has treated the COVID-19 pandemic for what it is — a national and international public health crisis, the response to which should be driven by science. The development of vaccines to prevent COVID-19 are a miracle of science, and the Landmark pointing out that the misinformation being spread about them and their effectiveness by politicians in some parts of this nation, which is resulting
in the needless illnesses and deaths of the citizens they represent, is not “political bias.” It is exactly the opposite. It is telling the truth. The letter writer cites data from the CDC from Jan. 21, 2020 to Aug. 13, 2021 to make his argument that places like Florida and Illinois are faring about the same when it comes to the spread of COVID-19. Of course, it would be a year, starting from Jan. 21, 2020, before COVID-19 vaccines would become available to the public anywhere. Now that a vaccine has been available for months, one would think the spread of COVID-19 would have been virtually eliminated. It has not because of people like Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who have cynically and maliciously downplayed both the disease and the effectiveness of vaccines.
In mid-July, DeSantis made news by promoting — on his campaign website — the sale of merchandise ridiculing maskwearing and items bearing the phrase, “Don’t Fauci My Florida,” rejecting the medical judgment of the nation’s foremost infectious disease expert. DeSantis did this as the delta variant was about to explode, and Florida has suffered the consequences of DeSantis’ malicious political ambitions. On July 14, according to the CDC website, the seven-day rolling number of cases in Florida was 5,594. Mind you, on the same date in Illinois, the rolling average number of cases was 596 – about 10 times fewer than Florida. Also on July 14, the seven-day rolling number of COVID-19 fatalities in Florida was 35, compared to nine in Illinois. By Aug. 5, about three weeks after
DeSantis decided to make light of the continuing danger the disease presented, the rolling number of deaths from COVID-19 in Florida skyrocketed to 114. In Illinois, that number remained at nine. As of Aug. 15, in response to the havoc wreaked on the state by COVID-19, Florida’s seven-day rolling number of deaths had fallen to 31. Illinois’ rolling number of deaths as of Aug. 15 had increased to 13. No increase is good news, but it is still not at all “similar” to Florida, where by the way, the seven-day rolling number of total cases stood at 21,664 on Aug. 15, compared to the 2,299 rolling number in Illinois on that date. “Political storytelling” is actual politicians putting their constituents’ lives in danger by willfully misinforming them, not the Landmark calling it out.
16
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
WESENCRAFT HOUSE Pandora’s Box? from page 8 “We’re going to gut it, but cautiously, because it’s kind of like Pandora’s Box,” said Garcia of renovating buildings more than a century old. “They’re not always built in the way houses are built now. There are a lot of unknowns because they’re covered with lath and plaster.” As reconfigured, the main floor will house two threebedroom, one-bathroom apartments with open living/ dining/kitchen plans. Upstairs will be three smaller units, two one-bedroom, one bathroom apartments and one two-bedroom, one bathroom apartment. In addition, Song intends to replace the building’s me-
chanical systems, installing zoned central heating and air conditioning and replacing the radiant heat that exists in the building now. The building is currently vacant, Garcia said, and the hope is for the interior renovation to be wrapped up and the units ready for occupancy in early spring 2022. As for the exterior, which is clad in siding that dates probably to the mid-20th century, not much will be done at this time apart from some cosmetic repairs and painting. “Maybe there will be a phase two, where also something can be done to the exterior,” Garcia said. It does appear that some of the heavy overgrowth that obscures the property will be removed or cut back. Garcia said the plan does call for cleaning up the landscape and planting some perennial borders. “The shrubbery is being taken down,” Garcia said. “That’ll be a plus for anyone living there.”
The Wesencraft House as photographed for the 1912 publication “Book of the Western Suburbs” by Marian Ainsworth White.
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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 21-08 (Zoning Ordinance Text AmendmentAccessory Dwelling Units) HEARING DATE: 2021
September 2,
TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the agenda permits. LOCATION OF HEARING: The Plan Commission will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video. The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/ commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7 (e) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an in-person public hearing is not practical or prudent due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Written testimony or comments regarding the application may be provided prior to the public hearing by email to planning@oak-park. us. The individual’s name and a reasonable part of their testimony or comment will be read aloud into PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21007478 on August 2, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of HUFF RESOLUTION SERVICES with the business located at: 4909 W THOMAS ST, CHICAGO, IL 60651. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: DINAH HUFF 4909 W THOMAS ST, CHICAGO, IL 60651, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal August 4, 11 and 18, 2021
the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. If email is not an option, written testimony or comment can be dropped off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the south entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, to be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 2, 2021. All written testimony and comments will be distributed to the Plan Commission and made a part of the official hearing record. Those wishing to provide public testimony at the hearing shall contact the Village Planner at planning@oakpark.us for instructions on attending the live Zoom meeting by 5:00 PM the day of the hearing. Interested persons may also participate in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by emailing the cross-examination form to clerk@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing to sign up. Individuals who sign up to participate in this manner will receive an email from Village staff with information about how to join the meeting online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. Questions regarding written testimony or comment can be directed to 708-358.5420 or email to planning@oak-park.us. PETITIONER: Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302
REQUEST: The Petitioner requests text amendments to the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance as follows: Article 2 (Definitions & Rules of Measurement) by adding a definition of an “accessory dwelling unit,” and Article 9 (“Site Development Standards”), Subsection 9.3A(3) by exempting attic, basement and attached accessory dwelling units from accessory structure setback regulations, and adding a new Subsection 9.3B (“Accessory Dwelling Units”) to allow attic and basement conversions with separate entrances and attached accessory dwelling units with separate entrances. A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during current business hours, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.
The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending. Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before September 20, 2021, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition. DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk. Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 25, September 1, 2021
LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2021 for the following: Village of Oak Park
Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday August 19th, at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/your-government/budgetpurchasing/requests-proposals or at www.questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 7992342 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening. All prospective bidders must prove they are pre-qualified by the Illinois Department of Transportation by providing a certificate of eligibility to the Engineering Division at which time a password will be issued for access to the online bid documents. This project is financed with local Village funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and thus is subject to all federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including DavisBacon and Related Acts, Section 3, and Equal Opportunity requirements.
OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21007583 on August 11, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of BILL & GILL’S PROPERTY MAINTENANCE with the business located at: 4112 SUNNYSIDE AVE, BROOKFIELD, IL 60513. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: MATTHEW DAVID GILL 4112 SUNNYSIDE AVE, BROOKFIELD, IL 60513, USA WILLIAM JOSEPH PRASCH, 2240 TERRY LN W, BROADVIEW, IL 60155, USA. Published in RB Landmark August 18, 25, September 1, 2021
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Control Cabinet Replacement Project Number: 21-134
Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours. Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 2021
Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review
THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer
LEGAL NOTICE Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 2021
ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD
Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 2021
LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re the marriage of ADEKUNLE AYANNEYE, Petitioner and KOWAII MATTHEW Respondent, Case No. 21D630026.
LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday September 2, 2021 for Project: 21-2, Resurfacing of Various Streets. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, this contract includes removal and replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveways, drainage structure adjustments, pavement patching, cold-milling of bituminous concrete, installation of hot-mix asphalt binder and surface courses, pavement striping, parkway restoration, and all appurtenant work thereto.
PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of STEFAN WLADYSLAW SUCHAN Case Number 2021 CONC 001009 There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: STEFAN W SUCHAN to the new name of: STEVE W SUCHAN The court date will be held: On November 5, 2020 at 1:30 p.m. at Daley Center in Courtroom # 2503 via Zoom. Published in RB Landmark August 18, 25, September 1, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y21007543 on August 5, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of TOBY ZUCKER JEWELRY DESIGN with the business located at: 202 N KENILWORTH AVE STE 2, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: TOBY SHORE 202 N KENILWORTH AVE STE 2, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 25, September 1, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on August 10, 2021, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village of Riverside, Cook County, Illinois, adopted amendments to Chapter III, “Examinations – Original Appointments” of their Rules and Regulations, which amendments generally pertain to Lateral Appointment of Sworn Police Officer Candidates. Copies of the amendments are available at the Village of Riverside office, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL, and on the Village of Riverside website. These amendments will be effective August 29, 2021, and thereafter. /s Kelly Navarro Kelly Navarro, Secretary of the Riverside, IL, Board of Fire & Police Commissioners Published in RB Landmark August 18, 2021
All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.
The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1st, 2021 for the following: BID 21-135 VILLAGE OF OAK PARK EMERGENCY FIBER OPTIC CABLE REPAIR RATES REQUEST FOR BIDS Bid forms may be obtained from the Public Works Customer Service Center by calling 708358-5700 or by stopping by the office located at 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Information is also available from the Streets & Street lighting Superintendent, Scott Brinkman, sbrinkman@ oak-park.us or on the Village’s website http://www.oak-park. us/your-government/financedepartment. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700. THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Published in Wednesday Journal August 18, 2021
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NOVENAS PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL) Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to suc cor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. L.M.
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
CLASSIFIED
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG HELP WANTED
River Forest Public Schools District 90
District 90 is seeking qualified and experienced applicants for the following positions:
Hephzibah Children’s Association
• English Language Learners Teacher (Part-time FTE 0.50 at Lincoln Elementary School)
Hephzibah Children’s Association is a social service agency in Oak Park, IL with a variety of programs including Residential Group Homes. Our mission is “To help children thrive and families flourish through innovative community-based programs”.
• Physical Education Teacher ( Part-time FTE 0.60 at Lincoln Elementary School)
Join our team now and you will be eligible for a signing bonus paid in installments (must be active at time of payout).
For detailed qualifications requirements and job duties, please visit our website at https://www.district90.org/about/ employment for our complete list of employment opportunities. Interested candidates should complete the online application available at www.district90.org. Please do not send hard copies of supporting documentation, i.e. cover letters, resumes, licensure, etc. to River Forest Schools District 90; instead, upload these materials onto the online job application system for proper processing.
Village of Brookfield
Imagine being a role model to children in the local community! If you are at your best in a child and student centered environment, when promoting learning and fun, are safety minded and you aim to make a difference in the lives of kids; please take the next step and apply to one of these exciting part-time roles in the Recreation Department:
• STARS Instructor, Before & After School Program ($11-$14 per hour) • Lead Teacher, Tots Prep Program ($12-$14 per hour) • Assistant Teacher, Tots Prep Program ($11-$12 per hour) Apply through the Careers link on the Village of Brookfield homepage. PART TIME DRIVER ASAP
Local company looking for part time driver/warehouse. Must be drug free & have valid IL DL. Must be able to lift 75lb. $13/hr Email resume to HR@sievertelectric.com
ASSISTANT VILLAGE ENGINEER
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Village Engineer in the Public Works Department. This position will be responsible for participating in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies and priorities for assigned programs including design, mapping, field survey, private development, real estate and program planning for future public works and capital needs and also recommend, within Village policy, appropriate service and staffing levels while administering departmental policies and procedures. The ideal applicant will have extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of civil engineering, applicable laws and regulatory codes relevant to assigned area of responsibility, prepare understand and interpret engineering construction plans, specifications and other contract documents. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications August 26, 2021.
BUDGET & REVENUE ANALYST
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Budget and Revenue Analyst in the Finance Department. This position will Serve the public with professional administrative and analytical duties in the areas of budget preparation, purchasing, payroll, data analysis and process improvement. Provides, prepares and maintains records, and financial and statistical reports and analysis which assist in the Village’s ability to improve business processes and gain efficiencies through better use of technology. Budget duties include assisting in the development, analysis and application of performance measures with regard to Village services and resources; preparing, modifying, tracking and monitoring Village expenses and transfers; grants, and conducting budget-related research and analysis. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications August 27, 2021.
HORTICULTURE SUPERVISOR – PARK DISTRICT OF OAK PARK
The Park District is actively looking for a Full-Time Horticulture Supervisor. We offer a competitive compensation package with a starting salary of $49,513.00 + based on experience and qualifications. Our benefit package includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending account, IMRF Pension, $300 reimbursement for wellness related activities, vacation, holidays, sick time and personal days. The Horticulture Supervisor oversees the daily maintenance of the Park Districts landscape beds and natural areas. Landscape operations include: performing maintenance such as weeding, mulching, planting, pruning, watering, and fall and spring cleanup. The Horticulture Supervisor assists in the design, organization, and scheduling of landscape area plantings to create healthy habitats. Additionally, operations include: hiring, training, scheduling, and leading the horticulture team in proper horticulture maintenance practices. Review the complete job description and apply online –https:// www.pdop.org/jobs h t t p s : / / w w w. p a y c o m o n l i n e . n e t / v 4 / a t s / w e b . p h p / jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=38634&clientkey=41D8300184906117978771C10E755DC6 The Park District of Oak Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer!
PAID-ON-CALL FIREFIGHTER Job Title: Paid-on-Call Firefighter Description: The Village of Riverside Fire Department is seeking applicants for the position of Paid-on-Call Firefighter. Additional Status Information: This is not a full-time position. Qualifications: - In good physical condition - Reside within 1.5 miles of the boundaries of the Village of Riverside at time of appointment - Be 18 years of age at the time of application - Possess a high school diploma or GED - Possess a valid driver’s license with a good driving record Miscellaneous Applications are reviewed in October 2021. Application deadline is Friday, October 8th, 2021. The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
GRANTS SUPERVISOR
The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Grants Supervisor in the Development Customer Services Department. This position will perform a variety of responsible for developing. Administering and coordinating activities related to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other grant-funded programs for the Village. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/ jobs. Position opened until filled.
HIRING BONUS! HEPHZIBAH DAY CARE PROGRAM SITE SUPERVISOR
Hephzibah Children’s Association offers after school day care on site at each of the Oak Park elementary schools. The Day Care Program is accepting applications for a Site Supervisor for the 2021-2022 school year to provide supervision to childcare staff as well as care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children. Regular days and hours are Monday through Friday from 2:30 6:00 PM, Wednesday 1:30 – 6:00 PM. Additional hours on school closing days, in coordination with the school district calendar. May work other hours during school holidays and for staff meetings.
Residential Counselor - full time and part time positions - Signing Bonus
Residential Supervisor - full time and part time - Signing Bonus
We are currently seeking candidates to work in our residential Group Homes program. You will provide physically and emotionally nurturing care to children who have trauma histories in a structured therapeutic environment that provides consistency and predictability in a community-based setting. We have a several part time and full time shifts available including, overnight, mornings, afternoons/evenings and weekend shifts. Shifts include: • Full time weekdays -4-10 hours shifts: Noon-10:00 pm and every third weekend • Full time overnights - Saturday-Tuesday 9:00pm-7:00 am • Part time weekends - flexible, but includes morning & evening shifts on Saturdays & Sundays • Part time: Friday and Saturday, noon-10pm and Sunday, 7:00am-noon Flexibility to work additional shifts if needed, is desired. Requirements include: • Bachelor’s degree • Must be at least 21 years old • Experience working with special needs children • Experience writing Medicaid notes a plus • Valid IL drivers license • Sensitivity and responsiveness to the cultural differences in the staff and client populations
We are currently seeking supervisor candidates to work in our residential Group Homes program. You will provide supervision to the staff and physically and emotionally nurturing care to children with trauma history in a structured therapeutic environment that provides consistency and predictability in a community-based setting. We have a several part time and full time shifts available including, overnight, mornings, afternoons/ evenings and weekend shifts. Shifts include: • Full time overnight – Wed-Saturday 9:00pm-7:00am • Part time – weekends Friday, Saturday, Sunday days • Part time – various days/times Flexibility to work additional shifts if needed, is desired.
Equal Opportunity Employer Hephzibah Children’s Association is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We value, advocate for and support an inclusive, respectful, multicultural, environment for employees and the clients we serve.
HIRING BONUS!
Part Time Positions Available for 2021-22 school year
AFTER-SCHOOL RECREATION / DAY CARE WORKER YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST ON SITE AT OAK PARK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The Day Care Program of Hephzibah Children’s Association is accepting applications for nurturing individuals to provide care and supervision of 5-11-year-old children in the After School Day Care program on site at Oak Park public schools. The days and hours are Mon – Fri from 2:30-6:00 PM and 2:00-6:00 PM on Wednesdays. Plan and supervise arts and crafts, indoor & outdoor play, games, sports, homework help and more. Requirements include: -previous experience working with children -6 semester hours in education, recreation, social work or related college courses desired Program starts mid-August and runs through the 2021-22 school year.
WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys. Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400 Lost & Found, Items for Sale, and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-334
CARS WANTED
Equal Opportunity Employer We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all backgrounds to apply
PART TIME HELP WANTED SPOTLESS CARWASH at 7343 Roosevelt and 7802 Madison St in Forest Park is in need of an attendant. We are looking for someone who likes to be outside and is friendly and likes people.
Program starts mid-August and runs through the school year. Additional hours for staff meetings and on school closing days in coordination with the school district calendar.
The duties are to meet and greet customers, spray their wheels and perimeter of the car with soap, wipe the windshield with the sponge on a handle to prep a car before entering the automatic bay. Make change, sell tokens, automatic and self serve wash instructions, keep the lot, equipment room, and perimeter clean, and empty garbage cans.
Equal Opportunity Employer We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all backgrounds to apply
MARKETPLACE
Contact MJ Joyce at mjjoyce@hephzibahhome.org
Associate degree in child development or early childhood education, or the equivalent in child development or education desired. Previous experience working with children required.
Contact MJ Joyce at: mjjoyce@hephzibahhome.org
Requirements include: • Bachelor’s degree • Must be at least 21 years old • Supervisory experience • Experience working with special needs children • Experience writing Medicaid notes a plus • Valid IL driver’s license • Sensitivity and responsiveness to the cultural differences in the staff and client populations
Pay is $11.00 per hour. The hours an attendant is on duty are 9-5 on weekdays 9-4 on Saturday and Sunday. If you can fit any of these hours on a part time basis we can work with you. Please come to 7343 Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park to pick up anapplication. 708-771-2945. Thank you
CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS Restored or Restored or Unrestored Unrestored
Cars Motorcycles Cars & & Vintage Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Import Cars: Cars: Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, MuscleCars, Cars, Ferrari’s,Jaguars, Jaguars, Muscle Mustang && Mopars Mopars Mustang Top $$ Etc. $$$$Top $$allallmakes, makes, Etc.
Collector James Collector James 630-201-8122 630-201-8122
CLASSICS WANTED
The Landmark, August 18, 2021
CLASSIFIED
19
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG MARKETPLACE
ITEMS TO BE GIVEN AWAY FREE TO ANY PERSON WITH A NEED
Oak Park
Quantum QJ6 Power Wheel Chair 2018 J6 Jazzy Model 260 lbs l40” w28” h54” left hand drive (708) 848-4611
GARAGE/YARD SALES
GARAGE/YARD SALES
RUMMAGE SALE HUGE RUMMAGE SALE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF OAK PARK 820 ONTARIO FRI 8/20 7PM TO 9PM SAT 8/21 8AM TO 3PM SUN 8/22 11AM TO 1PM
Forest Park
Forest Park
GARAGE SALE 908 & 914 BELOIT SAT 8/21 8AM TO 1PM
Furniture, tools, eclectic goodies. Mix of household items, and much more! Oak Park
Artwork, jewelry, collectables, toys, books clothes for all ages, housewares, furniture, and “Make Me an Offer”, plus more! Mask required.
COMMUNITY YARD SALE 19th CENTURY CLUB 178 FOREST AVE SATURDAY 8/21 9AM TO 1PM MORE THAN 15 SELLERS! (RAIN DATE SAT. 8/28)
HUGE ANNUAL DOWNSIZING SALE! DON’T MISS THIS SALE: PART 1 - AUGUST 6/7/8 PART 2 AUGUST 20/21/22 9AM - 5PM 547 MARENGO AVE
Many quality items at reasonable prices. Much kitchen miscellaneous: gadgets and small appliances; much silver in excellent condition; fine crystal, especially stemware; several small area rugs and runners; small wool rug with appraisal; a few tools and garden items including vintage sprinklers; two snow plows several nice pieces of furniture, including glass cabinet; white porcelain cookware (unchipped); too much to list; must see to appreciate. No early birds.
R E N TA L S & R E A L E S TAT E SUBURBAN RENTALS Apartment listings updated daily at:
ROOMS FOR RENT Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt. 312-212-1212
OFFICE /RETAIL FOR RENT OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT THERAPY OFFICE OAK PARK
Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.
STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service
708-386-7355
MMpropMgmt.com BERWYN DELUXE 5 RMS
Deluxe 5 RMS, 2 BDRMS, close to train and hospital. Includes heat, water, all appliances, laundry facility, parking. Just painted, new blinds. $1200/mo. Sec. dep. 1 mo. Credit Check. BROKER
708-347-2500
CITY RENTALS AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS
A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.
Town Center Realty Group LLC
Free wifi; flexible leasing, and offices nicely furnished right down to the Kleenex. Secure building & friendly colleagues, often giving referrals to other office mates. Shared Waiting room, Conference room & option to join Peer Supervision Group. Ideal for new practice or 2nd location.
RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft. OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & Browne Strand & Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011
FOREST PARK TOWNHOUSE FSBOPRINCIPALS ONLY
3BR, 3 BA Desirable townhouse in Forest Park. 2 car heated garage. Many upgrades. $419,000.
708-712-8933
708-383-0729
HOME SERVICES CEMENT
OAK PARK & FOREST PARK
SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE
OFFICE /RETAIL FOR RENT
CEMENT
MAGANA
C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N
FLOORS
LANDSCAPING
KLIS FLOORING INC.
BRUCE LAWN SERVICE
New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com
“QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATION” ESTABLISHED IN 1987
HANDYMAN
COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL
Mike’s Home Repair
708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<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 Ceiling Fans Installed
ELECTRICAL
A&A ELECTRIC
Let an American Veteran do your work
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
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
CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair
FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small
708-488-9411
HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING
Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404
Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com
708-243-0571
NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP
Evergreen trimming & more. Clean-ups. Garden weed removal. Storm Branch Tree Removal.
708-447-1762
PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING
Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost
708.749.0011
PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.
Small & big work. Free estimates. Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services
708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed
Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years
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 )PVTF TJUUJOH t 1MBOU DBSF Bonded References
524-1030
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The Landmark, August 18, 2021
G IN M CO
ON SO W NE
G TIN S I L
W NE
E! IC R P
W NE
E! IC PR
205 E Quincy St, Riverside $290,000
84 Riverside Rd, Riverside $2,100,000
152 E Burlington Rd, Riverside $349,900
312 Downing Rd, Riverside $899,000
290 Lawton Rd, Riverside $949,000
2037 W Iowa St, Chicago $369,000
3125 Madison Ave, Brookfield $334,900
841 Robinhood Ln, LaGrange Park $899,000
9841 S Hoyne Ave, Chicago $529,000
3137 Kenilworth Ave, Berwyn $345,000 AL NT E R
7549 Wilson Terrace, Morton Grove $384,900
7001 W 71st Pl, Burbank $249,000
11 Walker Ave #1, Clarendon Hills $3,550/mo
655 W Irving Park Rd, #1813, Chicago $1,825/mo
300 Madison St,#433-1, Oak Park $1,625/mo
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.
EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
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