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Vol. 35, No. 47

@riversidebrookfieldlandmark

November 18, 2020

Riverside woman named nation’s top Girl Scout PAGE 3

Villages mostly OK with Fair Tax, but not with Foxx PAGE 11

High schools go remote as virus cases surge Decision on returning to classrooms coming after Thanksgiving break

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

In the wake of skyrocketing COVID-19 cases in suburban Cook County, officials at Lyons Township High School announced they were shifting next week to fully remote learning for at least the next three weeks while Riverside-Brookfield High School on Nov. 16 shifted to an all-remote model for at least the next two weeks.

“The sharp increases in cases per day, positivity rates, and number of new cases per 100,000 within LT’s ZIP codes, and the impact this has caused on staffing our classrooms and cleaning our facilities is concerning,” LTHS Superintendent Tim Kilrea said in a message sent to parents on Nov. 12. “In addition, we are also extremely concerned with upcoming expected travel plans and holiday gatherings and their impact on our school environment and community metrics related to the transmission of COVID-19.”

During the week of Nov. 30, administrators at LTHS will consider whether and when to resume the hybrid schedule. The school on Oct. 19 had pivoted from remote learning to a hybrid program that had students coming to school twice a week.

See RBHS on page 16

THE SWEET LIFE: Teri and Charlie Mortel of Café Tere focus on the sweet snippets of their life that led them to café ownership after overcoming serious obstacles along the way.

Life is sweet at Café Teré

MELISSA ELSMO/Food Editor

Couple overcomes unexpected hurdles on the way to opening day

By MELISSA ELSMO

A

Food Editor

quiet ribbon-cutting announced the mid-pandemic opening of Café Teré, 8420 Brookfield Ave. in Brookfield, but owners Teri and Charlie Mortel had to contend with

far more than COVID-19 on the road to opening day.

“Our life is made up of snippets that led us here,” said Teri, who has been married to Charlie for 26 years. “We kept a little floral table in front of the picture window in our house. Years ago, Charlie started calling the table ‘Café Teré’ after I served him a lunch he considered to

be ‘pound the table good.’ The idea just grew from there.”

Since graduating from The French Pastry School more than a decade ago Teri, who is a full-time CFO for a real estate developer, has been perfecting and adapting her recipes for assorted confecSee CAFÉ TERÉ on page 13

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Why these local leaders joined the GCM board Independent, fact-based, local news is the fabric that holds our community together – we cannot take it for granted and we must support it.

Judy Greffin Board chair

AN UPDATE Growing Community Media’s Challenge We’ve met our first level challenge

$11,500 from the national NewsMatch foundation

MATCHED BY OUR READERS That’s $23,000 for our independent community newsroom.

I’ve called lots of cities home and have always turned to local news publications to help me get to know a new community. I joined the GCM board so our neighbors will always have the news and information they need to live their lives and engage in the community.

Sheila Solomon Now more than ever, I believe independent local journalism is essential to keeping us engaged in our democracy and connected to one another.

Deb Abrahamson

For far too long my West Side community and neighbors have been wrongfully disadvantaged by a narrative told about us and our home without our side being told. News media outlets have a responsibility to reflect resident experiences in the most authentic way possible but how can this be achieved without a way to hear directly from them. GCM’s focus on empowering Austin and other westside residents to take control and ownership of our own narrative by reporting the news and history from our perspective can provide us with a medium and platform to be more justly represented.

Darnell Shields

And now, our Growing Community Media

board of directors has added its own $10,000 challenge

I believe Growing Community Media is an important asset to the communities we serve.

Gary Collins

Help us reach the next level.

Every dollar you donate now will be doubled. *Make a monthly recurring donation and it will be matched 12x!

To donate,

visit www.RBLandmark.com/donate

Independent community journalism contributes to a vibrant democracy and a civil society, two things that are being threatened on a daily basis. Now more than ever, we need to ensure that GCM is able to produce trusted journalism rooted in facts, promote civic discourse and connect our diverse community.

Eric Weinheimer

With all of the changes in the media environment we must all work to keep journalism alive and thriving to offer accountability and transparency. For me, Growing Community Media represents an experiment to make it succeed at a local level.

I want to help ensure the success of this experiment for the communities that I love.

Nile Wendorf

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Riversider named nation’s top Girl Scout Karen Layng elected national board president of Girl Scouts of the USA

IN THIS ISSUE

By BOB SKOLNIK

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Contributing Reporter

Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Riverside resident Karen Layng is now the top Girl Scout in the country. Last month, Layng was selected as the national president of the Girl Scouts of the USA’s board of directors. She will serve in the unpaid position for three years.

While she was the only candidate for the position, Layng had served on the Girl Scout national board for the past three years and was selected by national delegates.

Layng told the Landmark that that she was “honored and excited” to be chosen as national president. She said that being a Girl Scout was a life-changing experience for her as a girl growing up in Lombard.

“Without Girl Scouts I have no idea where I would have ended up or what I would have done,” Layng said. “You may not think it now, but I was a very shy girl and lacked selfconfidence. My troop leader was my first female mentor, encouraging me to pursue my dreams even when my parents did not.”

Layng, 58, grew up to become became a high-powered lawyer specializing in construction law. She worked at the large Chicago law firm VedderPrice for nearly 24 years, most of that time as a partner.

She left VedderPrice in 2013 to become a vice-president, general counsel and ultimately chief strategic officer for Scheck Industries for four years. Now she runs her own consulting firm called MAIT. She also served for a time as the chairwoman of the Riverside Plan Commission.

But Layng has always made time for Girl Scouts. She co-led Girl Scout Troop 4590 for 13 years with Cathy Louthen and Deb Gardiner.

“She’s an incredible person,” Louthen said.

“Very much an advocate for girls growing up into leaders, and she shows by example. Even though she was a high-powered lawyer, still is to this day, she always thinks of others and is very caring and considerate to every girl.”

Layng said her experiences as a Girl Scout troop leader and a Girl Scout were “life affirming.”

Because Layng never does anything halfway, she wasn’t content to just be a troop leader. She also got involved in Girl Scout governance and became the chairwoman of the board of the Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Council.

There she worked on solving pension problems that were creating serious financial issues for the council.

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Editor Bob Uphues Sports Editor James Kay Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Javier Govea, Mark Moroney Debbie Becker Sales and Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com PROVIDED

PREPARED: Karen Layng, giving the Girl Scout salute, said scouting helped transform her from a shy girl into a confident, successful professional.

Layng is taking over the lead public role as the head of the Girl Scouts of the USA at a challenging time for Girl Scouts. Membership has fallen to about 1.7 million girls from 2.3 million girls just 10 years ago, a decline of more than 25 percent. And now girls can join Boy Scouts which some thought posed an existential threat to Girl Scouts.

But Layng downplayed the threat from Boy Scouts.

“Not much of a threat, they’ve actually gotten very few members,” said Layng when asked about the threat of Boy Scouts attracting girls. “The world needs Girl Scouts more than ever.”

Layng is a big believer, as you might expect, of single gender scouting.

“All the research shows that girls benefit and thrive in single-gender organizations,” Layng said. “There is absolutely no evidence to show that you’re better off having co-ed scouting, none.”

Layng said that the growth of travel sports

and the other demands on girls’ lives today is behind the decline in the numbers of girls who are joining Girl Scouts.

“There’s always competition,” Layng said. “There’s other girl affinity groups. The most competition that we have, and the difficulty, is travel sports.”

Scouting during a pandemic brings additional challenges.

“It’s even more challenging when we have virtual campsites and virtual cookie sales and the like,” Layng said.

Layng has fond memories of her time as a Girl Scout in Lombard, saying that she loved camping, sports, and outdoor activities.

“I loved campfires,” Layng recalled. “I loved tie-dyed shirts and I loved S’mores.”

But looking back, she is even more thankful for the self-confidence that grew in her as she did more and more things as a Girl Scout, and she is determined to bring that same inner sense of belief in oneself and being part of a supportive community to girls around the country.

Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich

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

HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL buphues@wjinc.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.

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

BIG WEEK

November 18-25 Make your own wreath

Brookfield Public Library invites you to learn basics, best practices, tips and tricks for making your own holiday wreaths through the special Zoom presentation “DIY Holiday Wreaths”on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.

Registration required at brookfield. evanced.info/signup or by calling 708-4856917, ext. 130.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual 1,000 Tree Planting Project in Riverside, originally scheduled for Nov. 21, has shifted gears.

RAC Artist Talk on tap

Riverside Arts Center invites you to take part in its next Artist Talk, featuring Kelly Kristin Jones, on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 2 to 3 p.m.

Jones’ site-specific installation “In Time and Paradise” is currently featured in RAC’s FlexSpace Gallery through Nov. 28. It celebrates 19 Illinois women who fought for the rights of all women at the time of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the United States.

Register to participate by visiting riversideartscenter.com/artists-talks or call 708-442-6400 for more information.

Walk on the wild side

Brookfield Public Library invites you to a special Facebook Live presentation “Amazing Animal Adaptations”on Monday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.

Discover how different animals adapt to survive in their habitats.

You’ll learn about water-resistant feathers, beak shapes, camouflage, and how blubber keeps arctic animals warm.

Tune in at facebook. com/BrookfieldPublicLibrary.

Instead of gathering at the Scout Cabin and heading out to plant tree seeds in the village’s wooded areas, residents are asked to view a pair of videos, produced by Riverside TV, which will show families how you can gather seeds from Riverside parks and plant them in your own yards.

KELLY KRISTIN JONES

One of the videos presents highlights from the 2019’s tree planting project (tinyurl.com/ y5h2qkpp) while the other is a teaching seminar from the 2019 project (tinyurl.com/y49dlhh7).

Or you can visit YouTube.com and search for “1000 Tree Planting Project 2019.”

And more Compassion Factory Art Gallery and Studio, 9210 Broadway Ave. in Brookfield, presents “Resonance,” featuring the work of Ryan Tuck, through Nov. 28. Admission is free but the space is limited to 25 people at one time, so reservations are required.The gallery is open Nov. 19, 21 and 28. Register for a time to visit at tinyurl.com/y27u9epy.

Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., presents “Humor Us,” a group show where art and humor intersect, and “In Time and Paradise,” an installation by Kelly Kristin Jones celebrating Illinois women and their fight for women’s rights around the time of the 19th Amendment. The shows run through Nov. 28 and can be seen by appointment Thursday-Saturday from 1-5 p.m. Email to info@riversideartscenter.com.

The Brookfield Chamber of Commerce continues its 60-to-Win raffle drawings every Thursday through Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. at Joe’s Saloon, 9220 47th St. in Brookfield. You can also watch a livestream on the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce Facebook page (facebook.com/ ■

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IMAGE COURTESY OF THE CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Tree planting project goes virtual

BrookfieldIllinois). Winners’names will be posted each week at brookfieldchamber.net.

North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., is offering the following virtual programs through Facebook Live, conference calls and the teleconferencing app Zoom.

Programs include Makerspace Mondays on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. and Talented Tuesdays on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. both via Facebook Live on North Riverside Public Library’s Facebook page; and Game Night Wednesdays every Wednesday at 7 p.m. via Zoom.

For adults, there’s the Writers Group Online Meeting via Zoom on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. and Stretching and Meditation via conference call (800-747-5150, code 1453322) on Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. RSVP to bodenl@ northriversidelibrary.org or visit northriversidelibrary.org/events for adult Zoom meeting access info.

For teens, there’s Jackbox Game - Drawful on Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. via Zoom. Register for Zoom info at northriversidelibrary.org/teens.

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For kids, there are the following Zoom programs: ABCs and 123s on Mondays at 10:30, Stories and Sharing on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.; and Lego Builders Club on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.

Register by calling 708-447-0869, ext. 230 or at northriversidelibrary.org/kids/youthservices-registration.

Brookfield Public Library 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.

There’s also Chair Yoga on Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Register for Zoom access info by visiting brookfield.evanced.info/signup or calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130.

Riverside Public Library offers both inperson and virtual programs, including Sunset Meditation at the Station, at the downtown Riverside train depot, 90 Bloomingbank Road, on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. and Family Game Night starting with the Jackbox game Earwax via Zoom on Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. Register at riversidelibrary.evanced.info/signup/calendar.

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

Two boys cited for spray painting spree in Brookfield Brookfield issued local ordinance violations to a 16-year-old boy from LaGrange and a 14-year-old boy from Brookfield for criminal damage to property after they allegedly vandalized several vehicles and street signs on the south end of the village with spray paint on the night of Nov. 11.

Police responded to the area of Shields and Prairie avenues at about 7:30 p.m. in regard to a report of three people who allegedly spray painted a 911 caller’s vehicle.

Police detained the suspects, a girl and two boys, and interviewed them.

After interviewing all three, police released the girl without charges. However, police cited the LaGrange boy for spray painting “I just f---” across the entire driver’s side of a Chevy Trailblazer parked in the 4200 block of Prairie Avenue.

Meanwhile, police issued the Brookfield boy four citations for spray painting a vehicle and a speed limit sign in the 4100 block of Prairie Avenue, spray painting letters and circles on the driver’s side and windshield of a vehicle parked in the 4200 block of Prairie Avenue and spray painting the image of a penis on the rear passenger door and window of a vehicle parked in the 4100 block of Prairie Avenue.

Pre-heating oven sparks kitchen fire A pre-heating oven appears to have been the cause of a fire inside a home in the first block of Lawton Road, Riverside, on the evening of Nov. 11.

Emergency personnel responded to the residence at about 4:25 p.m. and reported seeing smoke coming from the windows of the house. The homeowner and two daughters exited the house safely, while Fire Chief Matthew Buckley went inside through the rear door and used a fire extinguisher on the fire. The flames were extinguished completely after more fire personnel arrived on the scene.

The homeowner reportedly told police he had turned on the oven to pre-heat and then left the house with his children to go to the store. When they arrived home about 30 minutes later, they encountered smoke when they entered the house and called 911.

Suspected drunken driver also hit with weapons charge A 30-year-old Berwyn woman stopped for speeding by North Riverside police late on Nov. 8 wound up in more hot water after she was also charged with drunken driving and a felony count of unlawful use of

a weapon.

An officer on patrol reported a gray Hyundai heading east on Cermak Road at 59 mph in a 35 mph zone at about 11:40 p.m.

The officer pulled the vehicle over in the 7500 block of Cermak Road and during the traffic stop reportedly observed an odor of alcohol emitting from the inside of the vehicle and a container of open alcohol in a center cup holder.

In addition, according to police, the driver’s license was suspended and, during a search of the vehicle after arresting the driver for the license infraction, an officer found a loaded .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver wrapped in a hat on the driver’s side floorboard.

The driver reportedly failed field sobriety tests.

Vehicle break-in North Riverside police responded to the 2200 block of 14th Avenue on the morning of Nov. 10 after a resident called to report that someone had entered an apparently unlocked vehicle and ransacked it, leaving some of the contents on the ground outside the car.

Police reported observing a blue bag, a road atlas, a blanket and a lug nut box on the ground. The only thing that appeared to be missing, according to the car’s owner, was an empty black backpack.

Calm down, everyone A 57-year-old LaGrange Park woman went to Brookfield police on the evening of Nov. 10 after experiencing an alleged “road rage” incident that afternoon.

The woman told police that while attempting to turn west onto Ogden Avenue from First Avenue, she beeped her horn at the vehicle in front of her. After both cars made the turn, the woman said the driver of the other vehicle would not let her pass.

When both vehicles were stopped at a red light at Ogden and Prairie, the driver of the other vehicle reported got out of his car and took a photo of the woman’s vehicle.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Nov. 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

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

‘We are in for a rough ride’ says top health official of virus Illinoisans urged to rethink holiday travel plans as hospitalizations mount

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Illinoisans should stay home as much as possible, wear face coverings and rethink their Thanksgiving plans as hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to rise, state officials reiterated Monday.

“We are in for a rough ride for the next three months or so,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a LaGrange resident, said at a COVID-19 briefing Monday.

“Just how bumpy it really gets depends on each of us. Let’s hang in there together and be all in for Illinois.”

She warned that Illinoisans should rethink Thanksgiving plans that include travel or mixing households and should consider virtual get-togethers and dropping off food at a family member’s doorstep instead of gathering in person.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned that current hospitalization trends, if left to grow at the pace they have been for several weeks, could overwhelm the hospital system.

“If we wait to take action until our hospitals are full, it will be too late, and countless patients – COVID patients as well as those with all the other ailments and injuries that bring people to the hospital – will die unnecessary deaths, because there aren’t enough beds or people to staff them,” Pritzker said.

The calls came as hospitalizations for COVID-19 increased for the 22nd straight day as of Sunday night, setting a new pandemic high with 5,581 hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients. The average daily usage from Nov. 9 to Nov. 15 was 5,268, an increase of 30 percent from the week prior.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

IT’S ALSO FLU SEASON: Patricia Parnal, a pharmacist from Osco in Oak Park, prepares to administer a flu shot to a patient during a drive-thru flu shot clinic sponsored by the Cook County Department of Public Health for residents of North Riverside, Riverside, Lyons, Brookfield and McCook at Veterans Park in North Riverside on Nov. 14.

As hospital bed usage continued to blow past previous pandemic highs, intensive care bed usage neared past highs as well, with 1,144 ICU beds in use by COVID-19 patients at the end of Sunday.

That number had increased for 11 straight days, and the 1,002 beds used on average daily from Nov. 9-15 marked an increase of 25 percent from the previous week. The one-day usage was the highest since May 16.

Ventilator usage for COVID-19 hit its highest point since June 3, up 32 percent from the week prior.

Pritzker warned that reinforcements in terms of medical professionals from other states are not likely to arrive during this wave since the COVID-19 surge appears to be nationwide.

“We can expect much worse to come if mitigation measures aren’t followed leading into Thanksgiving,” he said, noting the state con-

tinues to monitor the need for field hospitals.

From Saturday to Monday, the state reported an average of 11,097 new cases among 96,604 tests reported each day, making for a three-day positivity rate of 11.5 percent. The rolling seven-day average case positivity rate decreased to 12.5 percent over that span.

The state reported 275 deaths over the threeday period, bringing the death toll since the pandemic began to 10,779 among 585,248 confirmed and probable cases and more than 9.1 million test results reported.

Another record-setting week locally For the second consecutive week, Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside each posted record numbers of new confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19 for the seven day period ending on the morning of Nov. 17.

While there were no new deaths associated with the disease in any of the villages, one-

week totals continued to be grim, with 152 new cases reported in Brookfield, 60 in Riverside and 34 in North Riverside.

The rate of new cases in the past two months has accelerated at a pace not seen previously on the local level. For example, from March 24 to Sept. 29, a period of 27 weeks, Brookfield reported 375 cases of COVID-19.

From Sept. 29 to Nov. 17 – in just seven weeks – the village reported 384 new cases.

A similar trend can be seen in Riverside, which saw 192 cases of COVID-19 from March 24 to Sept. 29. In the seven weeks that followed, the village reported 190 cases.

In North Riverside, it took 21 weeks for the village to record its first 91 cases of COVID-19.

But, it has taken just five weeks for the village to record its most recent 94 cases.

Since the pandemic began, 759 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases have been reported for Brookfield, while Riverside has seen 382 and North Riverside 229.

Good news on vaccine front Pritzker noted there was “wonderful news on the vaccine front” Monday as pharmaceutical company Moderna announced it had a vaccine with an early success rate nearing 95 percent.

But he noted that vaccine candidate and one from Pfizer still must pass future phases relevant to their safety and efficacy before they are used. And even then, it could be well into 2021 before a vaccine becomes widely available.

“We have real hope for possible widespread distribution by early spring,” Pritzker said. “Still, that’s months away. So we have to let that inspire us not to give up, and to take more precautions for ourselves and for our health care workers. Let’s do all that we can to save lives now, so that more Illinoisans, more Americans will be here when the vaccine is here.”

Bob Uphues contributed to this report.

Brookfield poised to cut liquor license fees by half in 2021 Trustees will act to provide relief for struggling restaurant, bar owners

By BOB UPHUES Editor

As restaurants and bars struggling to survive in the face of a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic face shelling out thousands of dollars to renew liquor licenses in December, Brookfield trustees on Nov. 23 are expected to approve a plan to waive 50-percent of local liquor license fees for 2021.

In addition to reducing the cost of the licenses, trustees plan to allow bar and restaurant owners to pay liquor license fees in two installments, the first of which won’t be due until June 1, 2021.

By waiving 50-percent of all liquor license fees, the village will forego about $24,000 in revenue, according to Village Manager Timothy Wiberg, but the village’s finance director confirmed at the Brookfield Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 9 that the discount and delayed collection of the fees would not pose a particular cash flow issue next year.

The fee reduction would not be extended to liquor stores, only to businesses who pay the village a 1-percent places-for-eating-anddrinking tax.

The action comes after a very rough 2020 for restaurant and tavern owners whose dining rooms and barrooms were shut down for more than three months earlier this year during the pandemic’s first wave.

While many businesses were able to offer carryout, curbside and delivery to customers, the dining room closures led to steep revenue declines, which began to recover after

outdoor dining relaunched in late May and limited indoor dining resumed a month later.

However, with the number of new COVID-19 cases exploding in the past month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker reinstated the indoor dining and drinking ban. While most establishments have adhered to the order, others have not, with owners and managers saying their businesses can’t survive another prolonged shutdown.

Most restaurants and bar owners in Brookfield pay about $3,000 annually for liquor licenses. The renewal period comes each December and fees are typically paid in full up front.

“Our budget is tight also, but we have a reason to want these places to be able to survive,” said Trustee Michael Garvey.

Trustee Brian Conroy suggested that perhaps the 50-percent reduction could be split between 2020 and 2021, with business own-

ers getting a rebate to account for this year’s shutdown. In the end, trustees decided to go with Trustee Edward Cote’s suggestion of simplifying the program by applying the savings in 2021.

“I think we all have the same thing in mind – we want to provide some relief,” said Garvey in support of Cote’s idea. “A 50-percent reduction in their liquor license fees and knowing they don’t have to make a payment until June I think is pretty substantial relief.”

Trustees did agree with another of Conroy’s suggestions, which was making the 50-percent fee waiver contingent on restaurant and bar owners being up to date in submitting the places-for-eating tax receipts to the village.

“This would just be a carrot to try to get them to come up to date with that,” Conroy said.

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

North Riverside plans COVID relief for homeowners, businesses

Village board poised to approve nearly $1 million package in December

By BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside’s village board plans to give the owners of single-family homes and business owners a Christmas gift this year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put financial pressure on residents and businesses alike.

Trustees at its meeting in December are poised to issue a $400 water credit to every one of the roughly 2,100 owner-occupied single-family properties in the village. The waiver will cost the village, which is already using cash reserves to balance its budget, an estimated $840,000.

The credit will be absorbed by the village’s water and sewer fund with all capital projects related to those systems being put off until the 2021-22 fiscal year.

“If there was a rainbow down the road I wouldn’t be doing this,” said Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr., whose proposal at a Nov. 9 meeting of the village board’s administrative committee was met with unanimous support.

“This is not getting better, it’s going to get worse,” Hermanek added, referring to the pandemic. “And it’s going to get worse faster

than people think.”

Meanwhile, the village plans to waive 2021 liquor license fees for all bars and restaurants, including the Riverside Golf Club and the North Riverside VFW hall, but excluding standalone video gambling establishments.

“They are hurting more than anybody,” Hermanek said of restaurant and bar owners whose establishments have had to close their doors to indoor service due to the virus’ resurgence. “They’re asking for help, and I think it’s not a bad idea.”

In addition, North Riverside will give business owners a 25-percent discount on their 2021 business licenses, including bars and restaurants already receiving the liquor license fee waiver.

The only business not eligible for the reduced business license fee in 2021 is Zeigler Ford, said Hermanek, pointing to the generous sales tax rebate deal the village gave the car dealership this summer.

In all, the business-related relief will cost the village about $100,000 in revenue.

“Government is here for when they need us,” Hermanek said. “There’s nothing that’s affected residents and businesses as much, since I’ve been here, as COVID.” North Riverside Village Administrator Sue Scarpiniti said the money for the business fee reductions will be paid out of the village’s general operating fund, which recently received a boost via a $186,000 CARES Act reimbursement check from Cook Coun-

ty for COVID-related expenses.

The village expects to receive another $12,000 reimbursement from the county’s CARES program. North Riverside is still working on its application for federal CARES Act reimbursement through FEMA. Trustees are expected to vote to approve the water credit and business fee reductions at their meeting scheduled for Dec. 14. The water credit should be in place shortly afterward.

Elected officials attending the Nov. 9 administrative committee meeting all agreed to support the COVID relief measures, although Trustee H. Bob Demopoulos said it was unfair to exclude businesses from the water credit.

Hermanek said his goal was to provide some sort of relief to most people and that offering a water credit to homeowners and license-related relief to businesses accomplished that.

“I’m trying to do the fairest thing possible, under the circumstances, that gives everybody something,” Hermanek said.

In the end Demopoulos, who owns a business at North Riverside Park Mall, said he’d support the plan.

Scarpiniti said that looking down the road, it would be important for the village to find a way to help jumpstart commerce once the pandemic had passed. She said plans were in the works for some sort of promotional program that would be brought to the village board early in 2021 for discussion.

Local officials urge residents to stay home Libraries temporarily closing doors to indoor visits

By BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside’s mayor issued a stay-athome advisory for all residents on Nov. 13 as new COVID-19 cases continue to proliferate throughout suburban Cook County, state and nation.

“Although these restrictions are difficult, they are necessary to keep us all healthy,” said Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr. in a mass notification email sent to residents Nov. 13.

“Hopefully, by us being proactive now, we will be able to prevent another total shutdown.”

The advisory asks residents to stay home unless engaged in an essential activity, to limit travel and avoid contact with people outside of your immediate household. It also asks residents to properly wear face coverings and maintain at least a six foot distance from others when in public.

Riverside Fire Chief Matthew Buckley issued a similar alert to residents of that village in an e-flash message Friday afternoon, pointing to Illinois Department of Public Health recommendations to work from home if possible, participate in only essential activities and limit travel and gatherings.

On Nov. 12, state officials urged Illinois residents to stay home as much as possible during the next three weeks to limit the spread of COVID -19.

“With many community leaders choosing not to listen to the doctors, we are left with not many tools left in our toolbox to fight this,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Chicago last Thursday. “The numbers don’t lie.

If things don’t take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is all that will be left.”

Libraries pivot to curbside service Riverside Public Library and Brookfield Public Library have both announced they will close their doors to patrons this week, but will offer curbside service and continue to provide online programming.

Riverside Public Library instituted the change effective Nov. 16, while Brookfield Public Library announced over the weekend that it would move to a curbside service model on Nov. 18.

More information on hours of operation and how to use curbside services are available on the libraries’ websites at riversidelibrary. org and brookfieldlibrary.info.

Brookfield Library is also offering Holiday Survival Kits and take-and-make craft activities, which can also be picked up curbside, to help families get through the next couple of months.

Capitol News Illinois contributed to this report.

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8

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Tempers flare as some at RBHS push to open classrooms School board members slam quality of in-person instruction

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, some parents and at least three school board members are pushing to increase the number of days students attend classes in person and to improve the in-person student experience.

They say the current classroom experience, with students participating via Zoom with their remote classmates is not cutting it.

“The in-person model right now is not working,” said Riverside resident Tracy Sloan, the mother of two students who added that she was speaking for a group of concerned school parents.

When RBHS switched to a hybrid learning model last month, Sloan said parents and students expected an in-school experience that would resemble a normal classroom.

That is not what they got.

Instead the few RBHS students who do come to school get a Zoom class where the teacher is sometimes not even in the same room. Even if the teacher is in the same room, instruction is delivered via Zoom and there is little to no student-teacher interaction.

“That’s not what we signed up for” Sloan told the school board. “It is not engaging, it is not enriching, it is not welcoming, it is not positive, it is not creative and it is not what these kids deserve.”

Parent Rebecca Wood also spoke, complaining that parents were expecting better in-person instruction when the school switched to a hybrid learning model last month. Wood said that what RBHS did was like a bait-and-switch.

“This wasn’t the right plan, and it was never a plan that we saw,” Wood said.

School board members Laura Hruska, Wes Smithing and Ramona Towner also expressed anger about in-person instruction at RBHS and pushed to increase student attendance and make it more engaging.

Hruska, Smithing and Towner pressed the administration to demand more interactive teaching and increase student attendance to at least two days a week. RBHS had planned to increase in person attendance to two days a week this month but did not because of rising COVID cases.

“A Zoom meeting in the class where the kids can’t talk to the teacher, can’t talk to each other, is not in person and it shouldn’t be called in person,” Hruska said. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s not in person.”

Hruska said e current setup is not acceptable and that other schools are doing better with in-person learning.

“We would never accept that in a non-pan-

COURTESY OF RBTV

CALLOUT: Riverside-Brookfield High School Board of Education member Laura Hruska gestures while criticizing the way in-person instruction has been delivered during hybrid learning at the school board meeting on Nov. 10. demic year. Why are we accepting that now?”

Hruska said. “Why is it OK to have the students in front of us and not engage them?”

Hruska: Teachers ‘bullying’ school board Hruska, Smithing and Towner blamed the teachers union for inhibiting and discouraging in-person instruction.

“We’re being bullied by our staff,” Hruska said. “I think the union needs to hear these parent comments.”

Towner said that while many teachers are doing a good job, she said the leadership of the teachers’ union, the RBEA, is not cooperating.

“There are a ton of them that are doing good things,” Towner said. “But the ones they have chosen to speak for them, their leadership, is toxic. That’s the problem. And if those other teachers knew what they were saying to us in closed meetings, they would be shocked, shocked. I don’t think they’re honest with their membership about how they are representing their membership.”

RBEA President Dan Bonarigo, a math teacher, seemed surprised by the attacks on the union leadership.

“The school board and RBEA had a meeting on October 6 that I thought was very productive,” Bonarigo said in an email the day after the meeting. “After that meeting we thought things were going in a positive

direction.”

At one point Hruska seemed to suggest that the district should pursue some sort of legal action against some teachers.

“We’re not getting what we voted for,” Hruska said. “I don’t know if we need to bring in an attorney. I don’t know what we need to do to get what we voted for, to move in that direction.”

RBHS Principal Hector Freytas said that he understood the frustration but asked for patience.

“I’m asking for your continued time and patience as we learn to teach during this global pandemic,” Freytas said. “Parents and students, I hear you guys, you want more days, you guys want more time, you guys want traditional practices. I hear you and I’m working with my instructional coaches to find out how we can do more.”

But Freytas reminded board members that COVID-19 can be a devastating illness.

“It’s a brutal illness,” Freytas said. “Picture the cold and flu times 10.”

Board member Tom Jacobs called for calm and decried the heated comments.

“I would caution us not to get too hot and heavy on pointing fingers,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs also noted that the parents who spoke at the school board meeting are not necessarily representative of the larger parent community.

“I would caution the entire board to recognize that this is an incredibly small sample size,” Jacobs said.

Skinkis reminded school board members that balancing learning and safety is difficult.

“The problem with that that is that we’re still in a pandemic,” Skinkis said, adding that he acknowledged the frustration students and parents are feeling.

“I think we’re all suffering from some COVID and Zoom fatigue,” Skinkis said.

D208 board members tune up band teacher over past comments

Officials still smarting over faculty rally that drew TV coverage

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

At last week’s District 208 school board meeting, Riverside-Brookfield High School music teacher and band director James Baum took the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of music students and praise the local arts community for keeping the arts alive and active during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the end of his comment, he asked the

board to make an exception to board policy and give a round of applause to the arts community. He got the applause, but then he got a lot more than he had expected.

Three school board members -- President Wes Smithing, Laura Hruska and Ramona Towner -- pushed Baum to say that he agreed with them about having students come back to school at least twice a week.

“So, you’re in favor of coming back to school then, because that was a powerful

statement about you’re really here for the kids,” Smithing said.

Before Baum could answer, Towner also jumped in.

“We want the kids here to make art, for you to teach them how to make art, and how do you feel about that?” Towner said with emphasis on the word “that.”

Baum didn’t give the answer the board members wanted.

See D208 on page 16

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

9

Riverside D96 schools going remote for December Brookfield-LaGrange Park D95 to take 1-week ‘pause’ after Thanksgiving

Park staff members have also tested positive.

“We’ve seen, obviously, an uptick in cases which is a concern,” Kuzniewski said. “We certainly saw an uptick in our numbers after Halloween. That’s on my mind as we’re approaching Thanksgiving.”

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Riverside Elementary School District 96 students will not attend school in person for the entire month of December after Superintendent Martha Ryan-Toye announced an “adaptive pause” of in-person instruction in an email to parents sent late Friday morning.

The hybrid model will remain in effect during the week of Nov. 16, but when kids leave school on Nov. 20 for their Thanksgiving break, they won’t return to their classrooms until Jan. 4 at the earliest.

From the day students return from Thanksgiving break on Nov. 30 until school begins again after winter break on Jan. 4 all instruction will be delivered remotely.

Ryan-Toye said the decision to suspend inperson attendance was not linked to specific COVID-19 cases or metrics. Since the school year began, 24 students and four District 96 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Cases have increased rapidly in suburban Cook County during November.

“Our Return to Learn plan was not linked to a specific virus metric, but we do feel that this is a preventative and proactive approach, particularly post-Thanksgiving and certainly understanding that the virus is surging right now,” Ryan-Toye told the Landmark.

Students will attend school remotely during December until winter break. Since the school year started, District 96 students have had the opportunity to attend school in person part-time or remotely from home.

Seventy percent of District 96 students have attended in-person classes.

Ryan-Toye informed teachers of the decision to switch to remote learning for December in a webinar Friday morning. RyanToye said the reaction from the staff to the decision was positive.

“I know the staff has been feeling increasingly anxious,” Ryan-Toye said. “I know our teachers prefer in-person learning and remote learning is a challenge for our staff.

There’s a lot more preparation to it, in a lot of ways.”

Ryan-Toye said teachers will have the option of teaching remotely from their homes or from their classrooms during December.

Remote instruction is now better than it was earlier in 2020, Ryan-Toye said in her email to parents.

“While we have prioritized in-person learning, we are proud of our remote learning, and we know that it is much better than last spring,” Ryan-Toye wrote. “With this adaptive pause, we are our confident that

Komarek, D102 schools to stick with hybrid

FILE

SEE YOU IN JANUARY: After welcoming back students to classes at Ames School in Riverside (above) and the rest of its buildings in September, District 96 will switch to remote learning as COVID-19 cases surge in the area. we will continue to provide high-quality instruction for all of our students in the weeks ahead and always.”

D95 taking 1-week hybrid pause after Thanksgiving The leadership of Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95 after indicating earlier on Friday that they did not intend to pause their hybrid model anytime soon changed course Friday evening.

Superintendent Mark Kuzniewski sent a letter to parents on the evening of Nov. 13 announcing an “adaptive pause” in the hybrid program for one week following the Thanksgiving break.

“In order to be the most prepared for any changes beyond our control, I believe it makes sense to use an adaptive pause for the five days of school immediately following our normally scheduled Thanksgiving break’” Kuzniewski wrote. “This means ALL students will be working in a remote setting during the adaptive pause.”

Kuzniewski said he fully intends to allow students back into classrooms to restart the district’s hybrid learning model after the one-week of remote learning, but he said that could change if the data and guidance from the state recommended a different path.

“I will certainly review our current realities and make adjustments as necessary,” Kuzniewski wrote..

The Brook Park students who tested positive this week reportedly all had participated in a program run by the Brookfield Recreation Department.

“All six of them are related to the same incident and kids at the Brookfield Rec. program,” said District 95 Superintendent Mark Kuzniewski said. “It appears like it’s a lot there, not six isolated incidents. We know where that one transmission occurred.”

Kuzniewski said he remains confident that there has been no in-school transmission of the virus in District 95.

“That is the first time that we’ve seen a major spread. Although it wasn’t in our school, it’s still a spread among kids,” Kuzniewski said.

So far this year, 22 students in District 95 -- 11 each at Brook Park Elementary School, and S.E. Gross Middle School -- have tested positive for COVID-19 with most of those cases coming in recent weeks. Two Brook

Komarek School in North Riverside also does not currently plan to suspend its inperson school attendance, which began last month.

“It does not appear that any type of mandatory closure is coming from the state,” Komarek Superintendent Todd Fitzgerald said in a letter sent to parents on Nov. 12. “Until such time the state mandates D94 to close, we will continue to evaluate our ability to effectively operate with the goal to remain in the hybrid model, allowing continued choice for parents/students to participate in a fullremote setting or in-person learning.”

Fitzgerald said in the letter that no Komarek students who have attended school in person have tested positive for COVID-19 although one staff member has.

This week both District 96 and District 95 have added COVID-19 case dashboards showing the number of cases in the district to their websites. The District 95 dashboard will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

LaGrange-Brookfield District 102 schools, including Congress Park School in Brookfield, are also sticking with hybrid learning, for now.

“We are staying open,” Superintendent Kyle Schumacher in a text message. “We are not looking at an adaptive pause at this time.”

Lyons-Brookfield School District 103, which includes Lincoln School in Brookfield, has since the beginning of the school year delivered instruction remotely and will continue to hold off on switching to any sort of in-person instruction.

Olmsted Society

Congratulations to Ken Circo (Mighty Oaks Adult Category) and the Hill Family (Young Saplings Family Category), the winners of the Riverside Trivia Night! All contestants wowed the judges with their knowledge of Riverside’s history. Awesome job everyone!

Stewards of the land and Olmsted’s Plan

The Riverside Library’s Olmsted Collection has two new acquisitions. The first is the long-awaited final volume of the Papers — Supplementary Edition Volume 3, Frederick Law Olmsted: Plans and Views of Communities and Private Estates (Riverside is prominently featured). The second is the new book “Modern in the Middle: Chicago Houses 19291975” authored by Susan S. Benjamin and Riverside resident Michelangelo Sabatino. Two Riverside homes are featured in the book, the Freeark House and Valha/Benda House.

When the Library is once again open to the public, you may like to peruse these interesting books.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Visit olmstedsociety.org or facebook.com/RiversideFLOS for details

10

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Carry out cuisine crafted to eat with your hands

MELISSA ELSMO Food Writer

According to history.com, folks in this country eat a whopping 300 million sandwiches every day. Anxious to do our part to contribute to that staggering statistic, we went in search of some of the best bites between bread Berwyn has to offer.

Of course, we had to snag an iconic Chicago sandwich, but also discovered a two-hand worthy Po’Boy, a beautifully simplistic bohemian sandwich, and a tried and true diner classic. At a time when conscientious people everywhere are prioritizing carry-out fare it stands to reason the most portable of foods should have a moment in the

spotlight.

So, keep calm and carry out the food you can carry in your hands!

The humble sandwich has been around since the Earl of Sandwich requested a hand-held meal in 1762. Since then they have evolved considerably, but if you have a hankering for an old school sandwich Czech Plaza, 7016 Cermak Rd., has just the offering.

Look for their roast pork sandwich to arrive

on freshly baked rye bread and garnished with pickles, onion, green pepper and tomato — this unfussy creation has retro vibes and all the hallmarks of an ideal sandwich.

Big Guys Sausage Stand, 7021 Roosevelt Rd., knows how to build a proper grab-and-go sandwich. Whether you are looking for a patty melt, turkey club or big A** ham sandwich, this counter service joint has you covered. Their two-hands required grilled shrimp po’boy brings a taste of NOLA to The Veltway. The sandwich features a ½ pound of grilled shrimp and “Burlesque sauce” to give every bite a signature tang.

If you are looking for a proper chicken Parm sandwich visit Paisans Pizza, 6226 Ogden Ave. Crispy breaded chicken breast is lightly doused in marinara sauce and nestled on a fluff y tomato focaccia round. Textural juxtaposition makes this classic combo a marvel, but it has just enough mozzarella cheese to hold all that goodness in place.

Rachel’s Deli, 7001 Roosevelt Rd., is a relative newcomer to the Berwyn restaurant scene.

The Italian joint boasts a colorful exterior and serves an array of gourmet sandwiches. The Italian sandwich brims with capicola, salami, mortadella and provolone cheese, while vegetarians will appreciate Rachel’s caprese sandwich. No matter what sandwich you order plan to have it passed through the door in lieu of entering the restaurant for maximum safety.

There are multiple origin stories for Chicago’s Italian Beef sandwich, but Novi’s Beef, 6746 Ogden Ave., has been putting beef on bread since the early 1960s. Customers can opt to snag their classic sammys through a quaint drive-thru window making them perfect pandemic fare.

And sometimes you just crave a classic diner sandwich. Thankfully, Connie’s Family

ORDER IT WET: The combo (left) and the original Novi’s beef with sweet peppers

Paisans chicken Parmesan sandwich is hand-held comfort food.

Melissa Elsmo

Melissa Elsmo

Restaurant, 3271 S. Harlem Ave., has all the standards covered. The triple decker turkey club comes with fries, coleslaw and a cup of soup to bring the taste of tradition to your next lunch. *All of these sandwiches were ordered for carry-out and plated at home.

The Italian Sandwich from Rachel’s Deli on Roosevelt Rd.

Melissa Elsmo

The grilled shrimp po’boy from Big Guys Sausage Stand.

CLASSIC DINER FARE: Turkey club, a cup of soup and fries from Connie’s Family Restaurant.

Melissa Elsmo

Melissa Elsmo

Looking for retro vibes? Check out the roast pork sandwich from Czech Plaza.

Melissa Elsmo

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Mixed result locally on Fair Tax question

11

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Local voters favor O’Brien over Foxx

By BOB UPHUES Editor

While the race for U.S. president pretty much took up – and continues to take up – most of the oxygen on Election Day earlier this month, local voters had a couple of other hot races on their ballots, including a referendum question asking them to approve a socalled “Fair Tax” amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would have introduced a graduated income tax, requiring those making above $250,000 to pay a greater percentage.

The measure could have passed one of two ways -- either 60 percent of those casting ballots on the referendum question needed to vote yes or there needed to be a majority of yes votes among all ballots cast in the election.

It didn’t work out for Gov. J.B Pritzker, who made the referendum a signature issue, saying it needed to pass to help balance the state’s budget.

Statewide, roughly 55 percent of voters rejected the question. In suburban Cook County, however, the numbers were essentially flipped, unofficially, with 54.5 percent voting in favor of the Fair Tax Amendment.

Closer to home, the Fair Tax Amendment fared a little worse than it did in the rest of suburban Cook County, with Brookfield and North Riverside narrowly voting in favor and Riverside rejecting it.

Among the three towns, the Fair Tax amendment fared best in Brookfield, where 52.9 percent voted in favor.

The most enthusiastic support for the proposed amendment came from the Lyons Township portion of Brookfield, where it received 54 percent support.

Kaitlynn Tagney, a 33-year-old Biden supporter was not one of those Lyons Township voters. She voted against the Fair Tax at Congress Park School, she said, “because when I looked at the provisions they could still increase it for everyone else.”

The vote was closest in the village’s lone Riverside Township precinct – the Hollywood section – where yesses outpaced nos by just two votes.

In North Riverside, the Fair Tax Amendment was supported by 50.9 percent of those casting ballots. It fared best in Riverside Township Precinct 12 (everything south of 26th Street along with the 2500 blocks of Keystone, Forest and Desplaines) where support ran at 56.2 percent.

Riverside was another story. No votes ran at 49.5 percent of all ballots cast, compared to 47.4 percent yes votes, although the village’s eight precincts split the decision equally, with four supporting and four opposing.

The amendment did worst in Riverside

Precinct 1, which includes Maplewood Road, all of East Burlington Street and one block east and west either side of the Long Common from downtown to Delaplaine. There, 55.6 percent of those casting ballots opposed the question.

Voters south of the tracks, except in the small Lyons Township Precinct 1 at the southern tip of the First Division, supported the amendment. And, the question fared best in Riverside Township Precinct 5 – a largely multifamily area of the village west of Longcommon between Park Place and Pine Avenue – where it had the support of 57.5 percent of all ballots cast.

Eva Harvin, 21, of Riverside voted for the Fair Tax. “I think people at higher income levels should be taxed a little more heavily than low income levels,” Harvin said.

Foxx drubbed locally in state’s attorney race While the Democratic Party’s nominees for office general did very well locally, one race where that was not the case was the race for Cook County State’s Attorney, which pitted incumbent Democrat KIM FOXX Kim Foxx against Republican Pat O’Brien and Libertarian candidate Brian Dennehy.

While Foxx was able to win the race by claiming a whopping 63.72 percent of the vote in Chicago, she did not win a single prePAT O’BRIEN cinct in Brookfield, Riverside or North Riverside.

In both Riverside and North Riverside, O’Brien won a clear majority of ballots cast, at 53.9 percent and 51.3 percent, respectively.

In Brookfield, O’Brien won a plurality of the votes cast, at 49.6 percent.

While Dennehy was an afterthought in most of suburban Cook County, where he received 6.6 percent of the vote, he overperformed locally. He came away with 9.6 percent of the ballots cast in Brookfield, 9.2 percent in North Riverside and 7.6 percent in Riverside.

Bob Skolnik contributed to this report.

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

J.C. Penney to exit bankruptcy after sale approved North Riverside store expected to keep operating

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Retail giant J.C. Penney is expected to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by the end of the month after a U.S. District Court judge in Texas on Nov. 9 approved the sale of the company to a pair of shopping mall operators and a group of creditors.

Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management will acquire J.C. Penney’s retail and operating assets for a reported $1.75 billion. The sale will be accomplished through a combination of cash and new term loan debt, according to a press release issued by J.C. Penney last week.

“Our goal from the beginning of this process has been to ensure J.C. Penney will continue to serve customers for decades to come and this court approval accomplishes that objective,” said Jill Soltau, chief

master lease agreement with 12 of executive officer of J.C. Penney in its 17 Sears tenants, including the the press release. one in North Riverside, which closed Once the sale is finalized, Simon its doors for good in September.

Property Group and Brookfield AsAfter seeking bankruptcy protecset Management will begin the protion in May, J.C. Penney announced cess of transferring 160 properties it would be closing 160 of its 840 rein addition to all of J.C. Penney’s tail stores. More stores are expected distribution centers to a newly to close following the sale of the formed real estate investment trust company, but it is unclear just how owned by J.C. Penney’s creditors. many or where.

J.C. Penney owns many retail For now, the J.C. Penney store at stores that serve as anchor retailers North Riverside Park Mall has been at shopping malls throughout the spared and looks like it will contincountry, including its anchor propBOB UPHUES/Editor ue to operate moving forward. erty at North Riverside Park Mall. J.C. Penney at North Riverside Mall J.C. Penney is the only remaining The property assets to be folded into anchor tenant at North Riverside the real estate investment trust have not yet been publicly identified.

Seritage in order to obtain cash and then Mall. The 181,000-square-foot former Carson Pirie Scott property on the malls west Once the property transfer is complete, leased back the retail spaces. the real estate trust and Simon/Brookfield But such lease arrangements aren’t side remains vacant after that retailed liqretail operation will enter into a master guarantees for the future. Less than two uidated in 2019.

While more than half of the lower-level lease agreement, with the retail stores rent- years after Seritage acquired the Sears property in North Riverside, the retailer of the former Sears space has been leased ing space from the trust.

The arrangement recalls the one created consolidated its operations onto one level to the entertainment venue Round One when Sears spun off its real estate assets while Seritage sought other tenants for the and Amita Health, about 25,500 square feet by forming Seritage Growth Properties lower level. remains vacant. The entire 94,537-squareEarlier this year, Seritage terminated its foot upper floor also remains vacant. in 2015. Sears sold its real estate assets to

Aldi coming to North Riverside Mall? Mum’s the word Marketing materials say store ‘coming soon,’ but no one will confirm plans

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Is the grocery chain Aldi planning to build a new freestanding store at North Riverside Park Mall, in the parking lot in front of the former Sears lower level along Cermak Road?

According to a site plan included in online marketing materials for the former Sears property – which includes vacant portions of the retail anchor space, the former auto center and two large parking lots flanking the building to the north and west – an Aldi store is “coming soon!”

The site plan on the website of the commercial real estate brokerage firm CBRE, which formerly designated the north parking lot as a potential development site, now includes the outline of a building emblazoned with an Aldi logo.

An Aldi logo with the words “coming soon” are part of other online marketing materials for the former Sears property, which is owned by Seritage Growth Properties, a real estate investment trust.

But, the mall’s own general manager says that while he welcomes development at the shopping center, he has not been told of any

COURTESY OF CBRE

ON THE WAY? Marketing materials online from the real estate brokerage firm CBRE (above) indicate that Aldi is “coming soon” to an outlot at North Riverside Park Mall, but village officials have been unable to confirm the project (we’ve highlighted the proposed location with an arrow to make it clear on the map). plan to build an Aldi store in the north parking lot.

“That’d be the first look I’ve had on that,” said Glenn Lindholm, general manager of North Riverside Park Mall after the Landmark sent him a link to CRBE’s marketing site plan.

North Riverside Village Administrator

Sue Scarpiniti said that while she has understood Seritage to be interested in developing the outlot, she has been able to get no confirmation from Seritage, the listing agent from CBRE or Aldi’s corporate office about a grocery store being planned there.

But, something is afoot.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation Dis-

trict of Greater Chicago recently notified the village of North Riverside that Seritage Growth Properties had submitted an application for a permit to construct a flood-control system at the site.

The application, a copy of which was shared with the village, did not detail what the project was. Last month, a crew was seen by the Landmark taking soil borings at the site.

According to Scarpiniti, Seritage has not approached the village for permission to redevelop the outlot, which would be required before anything can move forward.

“It’s not zoned for an outlot, so if they want to do that, they should get in here sooner than later,” Scarpiniti said, adding that while allowing such a development likely wouldn’t be a problem, the village would want to discuss traffic and aesthetics for the site.

There is an existing Aldi store less than one mile away in North Riverside, in a strip mall at 2000 Harlem Ave. It would seem likely that if the company built a new standalone store at North Riverside Park Mall that it would close the Harlem Avenue store.

It’s likely that a store at the mall would be similar to the one recently built at Harlem and Archer avenues in Chicago. In fact, the outline of that store in an aerial photo on Google Maps appears to be identical to the line drawing of the building shown on CBRE’s online marketing materials for the mall development site.

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

CAFÉ TERÉ

13

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Battling back from page 1

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tions in anticipation of one day opening a bakery-café.

The couple found the “sad building with loads of potential” on Brookfield Avenue in 2018. They embarked on a year-long renovation to bring their café vison to life. They refurbished the original tin ceiling, replaced the floors and installed board-and-batten wainscot to give the vintage space a bright and homey feel.

“This was always going to be Teri’s endeavor, but I was planning to support her in any way possible,” said Charlie.

And then the space sat dormant for more than a year.

Charlie had been battling chronic kidney disease for many years and figured he would use medication and “coast through” the rest of his life with compromised kidneys.

In 2017, while vacationing with Teri in Bulgaria, he found himself exhausted in a whole new way.

Upon returning he followed up with his nephrologist and received the unfortunate news his kidney function had drastically decreased. Following emergency surgery, Charlie embarked on a time-consuming dialysis treatment journey to keep him as healthy as possible.

Long travel times for treatments delayed Café Teré’s opening.

Teri was willing to donate a kidney to Charlie. Despite their harmonious mar-

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HOME-LIKE SETTING: Expect the curtains to be open when Café Tere is open for business at 8420 Brookfield Ave. (above) in Brookfield. Looking for a perfect slice of cake? Teri whips up a memorable Russian Honey Cake (left). The layered confection has caramel notes and a surprisingly subtle sweetness. riage, she proved to be a less than ideal donor for her ill husband. But a willing donor is a powerful thing.

In time they became part of the kidney pair donation program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Ultimately, the program included the couple in a group of eight people —four pairs each with a recipient and willing donor.

On March 12, 2020, just days before the COVID-19 shutdowns started, the two-day surgical procedure commenced, with Teri donating her kidney to an unknown recipient in the swap. The following day Charlie

MELISSA ELSMO/Food Editor

AUTUMN SPICE: Light and airy pumpkin dark chocolate cookies are a seasonal specialty at Café Tere.

received a healthy kidney from another anonymous donor.

Facing extended recoveries, the couple further delayed their bakery opening.

The road was long, but both Charlie and Teri battled back from the surgeries. In July, the couple appeared via Zoom on the “Today Show” in an emotional segment introducing the donors and recipients to each other for the first time.

“Everyone is healthy and doing well,” said Teri. “We even hosted some of the group right here in the café before we opened.”

Today, Café Teré is open for business and boasts artistic touches in the form of Teri’s murals and Charlie’s photography. Popular menu items include hand-rolled croissants, opera cake, pumpkin cheesecake and Russian honey cake, as well as everything bagel-seasoned focaccia, breakfast sandwiches and sweet and savory scones.

Charlie is more hands-on in the business than he intended to be. He crafts all the bread served in the café, including naturally leavened sourdough and their house bread—an enriched bread akin to a brioche.

“People in the Brookfield community are so nice,” said Teri. “We keep selling out of everything, so we feel like we are playing catch up a lot. But three months ago I couldn’t have rolled out croissant dough, so that puts things in perspective.”

They plan to gradually expand the menu and eventually introduce lunch service, but for now Café Teré is open Friday through Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The ‘Café Teré’ table the Mortels had in their home now sits in their Brookfield shop. It offers a proper place for guests to pound the table when they taste a bite of Teri’s Russian honey cake.

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14

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Opinion KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

Take it down a notch Riverside’s Ballerine gets his close up on ‘Fargo’

L

ate last week, a number of local school districts – Riverside Elementary School District 96, Brookfield-LaGrange Park District 95, Lyons Township High School and Riverside-Brookfield High School – announced that due to the exploding number of new COVID-19 cases, they were going to take an “adaptive pause” in their hybrid learning models, which had students reporting to classrooms one or more times a week.

In the case of the grade school districts, those pauses would come after the Thanksgiving break to give time to see just how those choosing to gather as extended families for the holiday impact the spread of the disease.

If it’s anything like Canada, which celebrated its Thanksgiving on Oct. 12, we’re likely in for another spike on top of the one we’re all already experiencing. We’ll see.

What was perhaps more interesting last week was the announcements by high school officials that their adaptive pause would be effective more or less immediately, and that they’d update families on the situation as the month drew to a close.

So, if there’s any sign of a post-Thanksgiving spike, the all-remote learning model could be extended, perhaps for the rest of the first semester. While that would be unfortunate, it’s a possibility.

That RBHS would announce that pause just three days after a school board meeting where some members of the board argued in favor of bringing back students to classroom two or more days a week underscores the frustration that we’re all feeling right now with the oppressive pall of COVID-19.

It underscored a couple of other things specifically related to RBHS, which need to be addressed now.

First, there is a clear disenchantment with the way the in-person classroom experience is being delivered. With the in-person experience essentially replicating the remote experience for students sitting in the classroom, it’s no wonder that students are simply staying home. What’s the point?

If the school is going to bring students back into the classroom, it needs to make that in-person experience engaging. Perhaps the answer is as simple as teachers providing in-person instruction the way they always have, directly engaging students in the classroom while those attending remotely can watch.

That may have the added benefit, from some school board members’ perspective, of getting more students in the classroom when it is their day(s) to attend.

Is that a perfect solution? Of course not. There are no perfect solutions right now. We’re winging it, people.

Because there’s no perfect solution, no one specifically is to blame for this situation, and school board members need to tone down the rhetoric regarding the faculty, who are trying to navigate a lose-lose situation -- one school board member suggested they call in the lawyers for some sort of legal action. For what? You want to start a blacklist?

The pandemic calls for many virtues at a time when we are all more fried than virtuous. We need to stay nimble because we’re not in control. We need to stay kind and generous toward others because none of us are in control.

We need to stay determined while allowing some simmering frustration and anger, because right now and for some time ahead this virus is in control.

A

re you ready for your close up, Mr. Ballerine? Well, not exactly, but if you watched closely during the Nov. 8 broadcast of the TV show “Fargo,” you would have seen Riverside’s own Joe Ballerine.

He was leaning against the bar, smoking a cigarette during a fight scene, something we non-smokers teased him about. But he had the last laugh, stating he got paid for each puff he took.

His very retro attire, particularly the suspenders, is not something we will see him wear in public, particularly when he is navigating Riverside’s streets on his daily run. He also stated the clothes were very expensive.

Ballerine has been an extra in a few shows, including “Chicago Fire,” “Chicago P.D.” and “Chicago Med,” getting his first offer in 2019 after responding to a call from “Chicago Fire” for people who’d look like authentic marathon runners.

Being an avid runner himself, Ballerine fit the bill, and he occasionally has been asked to do others. As for “Fargo,” he said, “I have no idea how I was able to get lucky enough to be one of the core extras.”

As a core extra, Ballerine is part of a small ensemble who received sort of star treatment. He said he had his

own closet for his wardrobe. What’s next, your own trailer?

Because the show is set in 1950s Kansas City and a lot of attention is paid to period details, Joe Ballerine was given a new haircut. The way he felt was, “Let them cut it as it needs to be cut, it will grow back.” So far, Ballerine has been in two episodes, six and seven.

Spending time with others in the cast, particularly during lunch, gave him a chance to know them and learn their personalities. The production company would also “feed us like mad,” said Ballerine, comparing his treatment on the set of “Fargo” as a far cry from his experiences working with dozens of other extras on other shows.

“You’d have a busload of people and they’d throw you a pizza,” he said. “It was like a feeding frenzy.”

Although the show is meant to be set in Kansas City, you will no doubt recognize that many scenes were shot in Riverside. You knew the days on which they were shooting scenes, because classic cars lined Riverside’s streets on those occasions.

You can catch “Fargo” on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on FX, and you can get the episodes on demand afterward on Hulu.

JOANNE KOSEY

LETTERS

Let Springfield fix real problems first After reading Jan Goldberg’s letter in the Nov. 11 Landmark (“Voters blew it on Fair Tax question”), I just had to respond. She stated that the taxpayers blew it by not passing the “Fair Tax “amendment.

In polling my golf buddies, friends and family, not a one of them voted for the amendment. None of the reasons were based on the incredibly false advertising put out by the well-funded amendment opposition groups.

Rather there were two main reasons this group, and I suspect many others, voted against the amendment. First is that rich people have mobility. They can escape the Illinois tax with ease – just buy a shack in Indiana and change your residency – poof, gone!

On the other hand, the small business owners and middle-class family who have income enough to be taxed do not have such financially supported mobility. How do you replicate your small business out of state with ease?

How do you sell your home, the only one you have, take your kids out of school and find a job elsewhere with ease? You are stuck here holding the ever-increasing bag of taxes. The middle class does not have mobility, but we have the income so we are the “stuckee.”

The second reason for the “no” vote and the most predominant one ties into what Jan said. Jan listed the many

problems Springfield has. To quote her, it’s the “lack of pension reform, 7,000 plus units of redundant local government, a gerrymandered map that allows many representatives to have no competition and the massive debt.”

Fixing all these problems would put the Springfield gang at risk for re-election. They might have some competition in the next election. They would certainly lose all the support from the public employees and pensioners and their friends and families and that could cost them their Springfield “job.”

Remembering that the primary objective of most politicians is to get re-elected, these massive and perpetual problems will just keep getting kicked down the road until the politician can safely join the ranks of the state pensioners.

So, the “no” vote was a referendum on telling Springfield to start fixing the real problems. Get an amendment on the ballot to eliminate gerrymandering, get an amendment on the ballot to allow pensions to be reduced.

Then, after these pass, get an amendment on the ballot for a graduated state income tax and, as Jan said, “get us into the 20th century”

Ed Mantel

Riverside

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Brookfield village board meetings to be televised

OBITUARIES

Diane Repp, 83 Brookfield resident Diane Repp (nee Suich), 83, of Brookfield and formerly of North Riverside, died Nov. 15, 2020.

She was the wife of Walter J. Repp and the mother of Walter Repp and David Repp.

Services and interment are private. Hitzeman Funeral Home, Brookfield, handled arrangements.

If you wish to send a sympathy card to the Family, send it to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o Diane Repp family.

To run an obituary Please contact Bob Uphues by e-mail: buphues@rblandmark.com, or fax: 708/524-9066 before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

LETTERS

Are you up to it?

While the cancer on our society – party over country -- is metastasizing, it is important to remember that the very large majority of citizens who voted for Donald Trump are not in favor of lying, homophobia, and separating children from their parents.

Other forces are at play, linked to the kind of information we are exposed to and the ways are brains process it. We are facing a reckoning for an over reliance on rational thinking while underestimating the impact of emotions in decision making.

At this critical juncture in the great American experiment, the main question all of us have to ask ourselves is this: Do we choose to try to be part of the solution, or do we choose to pour more gasoline on the fire.

The same question is most relevant locally.

In our efforts to steer the Riverside-Brookfield High School ship through the rough waters of COVID-19, one thing stands out.

The feedback from stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, taxpayers - is easily discernable as either genuinely helpful data gathering or primarily an expression of frustration linked to blaming the other side.

There is no other side. There is only us.

And there is a better way forward.

Please take 30 minutes and watch two talks, “The Walk from No to Yes” by William Ury and “The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives” by Jonathan Haidt, both on TED.com.

If you like them, consider sharing them with extended family members who you disagree with politically, whether on the national stage or right here at home. And if you do that this coming week, you may even have a more enjoyable holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thomas Jacobs

Riverside Thomas Jacobs serves on the Board of Education of Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208.

15

Wide support locally to address climate change As the recent election votes have been counted and reported, there is one local result that did not get much attention. Voters in Lyons Township approved ballot referendum to advocate for a carbon fee and dividend plan at the federal level to address climate change.

It was favored by 63 percent of the voters, which suggests broad and bipartisan support. HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is before the current U.S. House and was sponsored by three of our local representatives, Dan Lipinski, Danny Davis and Jesus Garcia.

This bill proposes an increasing fee on fossil fuels and distribution of the proceeds to people, helping especially those of middle and low income. This is an important aspect of the effort, to reduce carbon emissions without hurting those who are now struggling financially.

I hope the incoming legislators will take note of the popularity of this approach and renew the efforts behind this program in the next Congress.

Senator Dick Durbin has also written and sponsored the America’s Clean Future Fund Act in the Senate. This bill would impose a delayed fee on fossil fuels, promote clean energy jobs and advance research and development of alternative energy sources. This bill would also include rebates to individuals and farmers who can help eliminate carbon pollution.

These two approaches differ in their details, but the aims are similar – to alleviate the future effects on global climate change.

This local election as well as previous studies by Yale University among other organizations demonstrate widespread public support for climate action.

Richard Swanson

Brookfield

By spring, residents should be able to livestream video, watch recordings

By BOB UPHUES Editor

The village of Brookfield is expected to roll out new computer software that will enable to it to provide the public and elected officials with village board meeting agendas and packets sooner and eventually allow for televising and archiving videos of municipal meetings.

While the agenda management software will make village staff ’s jobs easier, a real benefit to the public will be the software’s ability to integrate video, which will allow the village board and any advisory commission to livestream and record their meetings.

It has been perhaps a decade or more since the village of Brookfield has televised its Board of Trustees meetings in any capacity.

In the early 2000s, a simple camera mounted to the ceiling of the council chamber recorded meetings, which were broadcast at a later time on a cable access channel.

Video technology since then has made it easier than ever for local governments to increase transparency by livestreaming and archiving village board and commission meetings.

The preliminary 2021 village operating budget includes a $50,000 line item to purchase software and install cameras in the council chamber to allow meetings to be livestreamed and archived.

Trustees are expected to approve the expense and Village Manager Timothy Wiberg told the Landmark he would soon seek requests for proposals for the camera system and installation.

The system should be operational, Wiberg said, by the end of March 2021.

Brookfield Village Hall’s council chamber already has received a sound system upgrade and would be integrated into the video system. Wiberg said four small highdefinition video cameras with pan/tilt/ zoom capability will be mounted to the ceiling of the council chamber.

During meetings, the system will be operated by someone via a touchscreen. People will be able to watch the meeting live on the village’s website or watch a recording later.

The video will be synched up to the village board meeting packet, allowing people to click on an agenda item and link directly to the board’s discussion of that item.

Software eases agenda assembly Assistant Village Manager George Issakoo told the Landmark that the hope is to

have the new agenda management software up and running prior to the village board’s next meeting on Nov. 23, though it’s possible the launch could be delayed until December.

While the public won’t notice too much of a difference when it comes to accessing and paging through an online village board meeting packet. But, the software, produced by a firm called iCompass, will noticeably improve staff ’s ability to prepare meeting packets.

“It’s much more streamlined,” Issakoo said of the software’s capabilities for creating meeting packets.

The software allows agenda memos and documents to be managed in one location and accessed by department heads and village administrators, who can enter notes and questions electronically, replacing the current cumbersome system of multiple emails and phone calls.

Issakoo said the village purchased the iCompass software in August for $9,250 after reviewing proposals from a handful of firms. That annual fee included implementation this year and in future years will include unlimited technical support and access to training videos and documents as well as software updates. Staff began implementing the software package in September and in October trained staff on how to use it.

The next step is training elected officials how to use the back-end of the agenda software, which is where confidential documents, such as those related to executive session, will be stored. The public will not have access to that end of the system.

Because of the effort it takes to produce a village board meeting packet, they are typically not available to anyone, including elected officials, until the end of business on the Friday before meetings.

By streamlining the process, said Issakoo, both the village board and the public, should be able to access packets sooner.

The public got its first glimpse of the new software system during a presentation by Management Analyst Kathryn Angell at the village board’s Nov. 9 committee of the whole meeting.

In addition to the agenda management software, the village purchased a Public Request Tracker module for an annual fee of $400.

According to Angell, “This tracker allows residents to submit their FOIA requests and staff can reply with the request material through the portal.”

16

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

Despite revenue crunch, North Riverside will freeze tax levy Trustees brush aside 2.5% increase recommended by administrator, mayor

By BOB UPHUES Editor

North Riverside trustees have agreed to freeze the village’s tax levy for the second consecutive year, brushing aside the village administrator’s recommendation to extend the levy by 2.5 percent in order to capture a modest amount of property value growth due to new construction.

Administrator Sue Scarpiniti urged trustees to capture as much revenue as possible through the annual property tax levy in the wake of a year during which a pandemic wreaked havoc on critical sales tax revenues.

“We have a very limited ability to raise additional dollars,” Scarpiniti told trustees at a meeting of the village board’s administrative committee on Nov. 9.

Non-home rule municipalities, like North Riverside, are limited by state tax cap laws on how much they can increase property taxes annually. State law allows a non-home rule village to extend their tax

RBHS

Update after Thanksgiving from page 1 Approximately 74 percent of LTHS students had been attending the in-person classes, a far greater percentage than at in RBHS, where less than half of students have for their one day of in-person learning each week.

“Our plan is to resume in-person learning as soon as it is safe to do so,” Kilrea

D208

‘You opened the door’ from page 8 “Well, I’m going to disappoint you. I’m in favor of full remote, because that’s where my students can actually participate in rehearsal,” Baum said. “When they’re in person they can’t.”

Baum noted that because of social distancing requirements he cannot fit all his band students in the music room.

Smithing noted that during band camp this summer he had seen Baum on the

levies by 5 percent or the level of the consumer price index (CPI), whichever is less.

For 2020, the CPI is 2.3 percent. Scarpiniti recommended the 2.5-percent extension in order to capture about $20,000 in property tax revenue that would result from levying the full amount on newly improved properties. Tax caps do not count against new property growth.

Compounding the financial predicament for North Riverside, said Scarpiniti, was the village police and fire pension obligations, which she predicted in the 2021-22 fiscal year to top $4 million.

Because village board’s for more than an entire generation chose to freeze property tax levies, it forever prevented North Riverside from collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from both residential and, perhaps more critically, commercial properties.

In the past couple of years, with retail operations like Sears and Carson Pirie Scott disappearing, the equalized assessed value of all property in North Riverside

has actually declined, making the village more dependent than ever on revenue streams like sales taxes and taxes on the sale of food and beverage at restaurants and bars.

Those revenues, already under pressure due to the changing face of brick-and-mortar retail sales, have been hammered during the pandemic. Due to decades of freezing property tax levies, North Riverside collects less than $600,000 in total property taxes. The average homeowner, according to an analysis by Scarpiniti, pays roughly $110 in property taxes annually to fund village operations.

“I know $20,000 doesn’t sound like a lot, but given the fact that we’re really struggling as a non-home rule community to raise additional revenue, we don’t have sufficient reserves to meet those kinds of increases [to pensions].”

But trustees pointed to the pandemic as a reason to freeze the property tax levy.

“I don’t see how this can be an advantage to us [to extend the tax levy],” said Trust-

ee H. Bob Demopoulos. “I’m usually all in favor of capturing the county’s incentive when there’s new construction, but at this point everything is so upside down with COVID, and we don’t know where it’s going and [$20,000] is rather minuscule.”

Other trustees present at the committee meeting – Terri Sarro, Fernando Flores, Marybelle Mandel and Joseph Mengoni – all agreed with Demopoulos. Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr. said he supported extending the levy by 2.5 percent per Scarpiniti’s recommendation.

“One of the reasons we get such a small amount [in property taxes] is because prior boards, prior to 2008, had a freeze on property taxes and it kind of caught up to us and bit because we were so far behind,” Hermanek said. “[A freeze] sounds nice but the reality is that every penny that this village can come up with, including property taxes which is such a small amount compared to other villages, is necessary.

Trustees will vote on the 2020 tax levy ordinance at their meeting on Dec. 14.

said. “The week of Nov. 30, 2020, we will update staff and families as to the status of our learning plan for the remainder of first semester.”

Riverside-Brookfield High School District 208 Superintendent Kevin Skinkis said in an email to families on Nov. 13 that a decision on whether to return to a hybrid learning model that blends both in-person and remote learning for the week of Nov. 30, immediately following Thanksgiving break, will be communicated to families on Nov. 27.

“Please note that all plans are subject to change in response to new or revised re-

quirements from the Illinois State Board of Education or the Illinois Department of Public Health,” Skinkis wrote. “Please continue to wear your mask, practice social distancing, and practice proper hand hygiene.”

In his email, Skinkis noted that the school would continue to follow its second quarter schedule and times “to provide consistency and fluidity in the decisionmaking process.”

“Virtual instruction on Mondays may be synchronous or asynchronous based on the individual teacher and that specific class period,” Skinkis wrote. “Teachers

have been encouraged to use synchronous instruction as much as possible during remote learning; however, if a lesson is asynchronous, the teacher will be available to answer questions and provide support to students during the class period.”

So far, 19 RBHS students have tested positive for the coronavirus since the school year began, nine since Nov. 1. Three staff members -- two teachers and one support staff employee -- have also tested positive since Nov. 1. In all, six staff members have contracted the disease since the beginning of the school year.

Bob Uphues contributed to this report.

football field with the band.

Baum replied that was when the students were just practicing their halftime marching routine without instruments.

Many are worried that blowing on brass instruments, as well as singing, transmit the novel coronavirus.

“I think that you’re asking me to respond for the whole faculty and I’m not prepared to do that,” Baum said. “I can only talk about the music department and the music department. We’ve done the math on our rooms, we know that playing inside would be not safe.”

That really set Smithing and Towner off, as they noted that Baum was featured in a WBBM-TV News report in August, when

teachers held a rally in front of the school protesting a hybrid plan to start the school year.

A few days later, after the teachers deliberately staged a slow entry to the school during an Institute Day, Superintendent Kevin Skinkis changed course and started the school year remotely, a move that Smithing, Hruska, and Towner are still unhappy about.

Smithing and Towner let Baum have it.

“So, you can speak on Channel 2 News for the entire staff, but you can’t speak here at the board meeting for the entire staff, is that what you’re telling me?”

Smithing asked.

“I spoke out of turn for Channel 2

News,” replied Baum, who is not part the teacher union leadership.

Towner had a quick response.

“But we all heard it and the last thing that anybody wants is for their school to be on the 5 o’clock news, because their teachers called for some big rally because they don’t want kids around,” Towner said.

Baum noted that it was board policy not to respond to public comment. But both Superintendent Kevin Skinkis and Towner noted that Baum had just asked for an exception to that rule to applaud the arts community.

“You opened up the door, and here you sit,” Towner said.

Read it online at www.rblandmark.com

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

RBLANDMARK.COM New local ads this week

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• Very Good Condition–Recent Updates: NEW: Ceiling/floor tiles, basebrds, HVAC Unit, bath lav & sink/faucet, drywall. White primed walls throughout. • Suitable for almost ANY business type.

• Heavy traffic area; Across: Rush-Oak Park Hosp.

No Agents, pls. CALL: Jim (708) 828-6491

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. *1116 sq. ft. suite *569 sq. ft. with patio OAK PARK–1053 Lake St. *Entire 3rd Floor, 1275 sq. ft.

OAK PARK– 6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. *3 and 5 room office suites Strand& & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011 www.RBLandmark.com

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

ITEMS FOR SALE BENCH PRESS WITH WEIGHTS York set includes (4) 3 lb weights; (9) 5 lb weights; (7) 10 lb weights; (2) 50 lb weights together with poles. $79.00 708-488-8755 SMALL CHEST Small plastic chest with six dustproof drawers. Pretty burnt orange color, like new. 33”h x 12”d x 15”w.

708-488-8755 SMALL METAL FILE CABINET 13”w x 30”h x 10”d. 6 skinny drawers.

708-488-8755

CEMETERY PLOTS TWO BURIAL PLOTS WOODLAWN (2) burial plots at Woodlawn Cemetery side by side. Located in Birchwood Section. $5000 for both 847-858-7726 Andytarnoff@comcast.net

ITEMS TO BE GIVEN AWAY FREE SPINET PIANO You arrange and pay for mover.

708-383-7993

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

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.

You have jobs. We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified! Call 708-613-3342.

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

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

FIREWOOD

FIREWOOD UNLIMITED

Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available

HANDYMAN HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

www. suregreen landscape.com

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING

Credit Cards Accepted

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

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

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

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

HANDYMAN

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers

Mike’s Home Repair

Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

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

PUBLIC NOTICES

Ask for John

847-888-9999 Order online:

PAINTING & DECORATING

773-637-0692

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

708-296-2060

Lost & Found, Items for Sale, and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

ELECTRICAL

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive Bids from experienced vendors for auto/truck transmission repairs during the calendar year 2021 pursuant to the Request for Bids.

Sealed Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2021 Auto/Truck Transmission Repair Bid Number: 21-104 Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oakpark.us/bid or at the Public Works Center at the address listed above.

Due to COVID-19 separation protocols, the Oak Park Public Works Center is closed to the public. To hand deliver proposals, proposers may leave their proposals in the Public Works mailbox or call 708.358.5700 and a representative will accept the bid package at the door. There will not be a formal “bid opening” for the contract. Electronic signatures will be accepted on all documents.

Information is also available from the contact person, Fleet Services Superintendent, Ken Crowley CAFM, CPFP, at 708-358-5700 or kcrowley@oak-park.us.

The deadline for questions is 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 25 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 3:00 P.M. Monday, November 30, 2020.

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified.

708-488-9411

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

Attention! Homeimprovement pros!

Reach the people making decisions - your target demographic.

Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

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CLASSIFIED

(708) 613-3333 • FAX: (708) 467-9066 • E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@RBLANDMARK.COM

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year RBLandmark.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive Bids from experienced vendors for auto/truck body and collision repairs during the calendar year 2021 pursuant to the Request for Bids.

Sealed Bids will be accepted at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park 2021 Auto/Truck Body and Collision Repair Bid Number: 21-103 Specifications and bid forms may be obtained at http://www.oakpark.us/bid or at the Public Works Center at the address listed above.

Due to COVID-19 separation protocols, the Oak Park Public Works Center is closed to the public. To hand deliver proposals, proposers may leave their proposals in the Public Works mailbox or call 708.358.5700 and a representative will accept the bid package at the door. There will not be a formal “bid opening” for the contract. Electronic signatures will be accepted on all documents.

Information is also available from the contact person, Fleet Services Superintendent, Ken Crowley CAFM, CPFP, at 708-358-5700 or kcrowley@oak-park.us.

The deadline for questions is 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 25 2020. Any addenda for this bid will be issued by 3:00 P.M. Monday, November 30, 2020.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified.

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

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: Y20005049 on October 27, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of HAMM FAM ELITE APPAREL with the business located at: 1020 WASHINGTON BLVD UNIT 1B, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ANTONIA HAMMOND, 7720 S YATES BLVD, CHICAGO, IL 60649, USA, FRANK HAMMOND, 1020 WASHINGTON BLVD #1B, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA, ROBERT HAMMOND 4907 W PATTERSON AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60641, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal 11/4, 11/11, 11/18/2020

Sealed separate bids will be received by the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (the “Board”) for the following project: OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 97 SD97 - SUMMER 2021 ADDITION & RENOVATIONS BEYE, LINCOLN, LONGFELLOW, WHITTIER OAK PARK, IL 60302 BID GROUP 1 – DEMOLITION, EXCAVATION, CONCRETE, MASONRY, STEEL, GENERAL TRADES, MILLWORK/ CASEWORK, ROOFING, METAL PANELS, DOORS FRAMES & HARDWARE, GLAZING, DRYWALL & ACT, FLOORING, PAINTING, SPECIALTIES, ELEVATOR, WHEELCHAIR LIFT, PLUMBING, HVAC, and ELECTRICAL Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m.

CST on Friday, December 11, 2020 at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Administrative offices, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 2:30 p.m. CST on that date. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked: Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: SD97 SUMMER 2021 ADDITION & RENOVATIONS

Scope of work for Bid Group 1 generally includes, but is not limited to: Demolition, excavation, concrete, masonry, steel, general trades, millwork/ casework, roofing, metal panels, doors frames & hardware, glazing, drywall & ACT, flooring, painting, specialties, elevator, wheelchair lift, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted.

No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available Wednesday November 25, 2020 and are available for viewing/ download online without cost or purchase on the Bulley & Andrews, LLC One Drive, located at the fol-

lowing link. No username or password is required. https://bulleyandrews-my. sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/amantel_bulley_com/ EnFU50U2lZJHvgH8M5EOgUsB37AO8_Gejp_4_ry47Ql0mQ?e=AyfkWu The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District.

The site will be available for visits by appointment to be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions. Schedule an appointment with Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews in advance if you wish to visit the sites.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at amantel@ bulley.com or 219-678-8383.

Dated: 11/5/20 Alex Mantel Bulley & Andrews, LLC

Published in Wednesday Journal November 11 & 18, 2020

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: Y20005127 on November 9, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of FOODIE AND FABULOUS with the business located at: 728 N AUSTIN, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: SHERRIE GREEN 728 N AUSTIN OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA Published in Wednesday Journal 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/20

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: Y20005108 on November 5, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of LA CUCINA DI SCUDIERO with the business located at: 2113 W LAKE STREET, MELROSE PARK, IL 60160. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ALEX A SCUDIERO 2113 W. LAKE STREET MELROSE PARK, IL 60160, USA Published in Forest Park Review 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/20

Selling your home by owner? Make it stand out!

Advertise here. Call 708-613-3342 to place your ad.

LEGAL NOTICE SERRANO LEGAL SOLUTIONS, LLC Attorney for Petitioner P. O. Box 3581 Oak Park, IL 60303 Attorney for Petitioner STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of MARIA ESPARZA, Petitioner and BRADLEY HILLERVIK, Respondent, Case No. 2020D007886 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 December 11, 2020, 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 11/11, 11/18, 11/25/2020

LEGAL NOTICE LAW OFFICE OF LINDA EPSTEIN Attorney for Petitioner 722 W. Diversey Parkway, Ste. 101B Chicago, iL 60614 STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of NELLY R. COLON, Petitioner and KAJ PER WILLIAM PERSSON, Respondent, Case No. 2020 D 006163 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 Appearance and Response electronically to said Petition in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, on or before December 4, 2020, 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 11/4, 11/11, 11/18/2020

Buying? Selling? Renting?

Hiring?

Wednesday Classified 708-613-3333

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 20-05 HEARING DATE: December 3, 2020 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 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 December 3, 2020. 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 must contact the Village Planner at planning@oak-park.us for instructions on attending the hearing live via Zoom 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 a

completed 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 hearing online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. Questions regarding written testimony, comment or cross examination may be directed by phone to 708-358.5420 or email to planning@oak-park.us.

SUBJECT PROPERTY ADDRESSES: 261-267 Washington Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 LEGAL DESCRIPTION: THE WEST 35 FEET OF LOT 3 AND ALL OF LOT 4 IN BLOCK 8 IN CLOSE’S SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 WITH RESUBDIVISION IN THE VILLAGE OF RIDGELAND OF LOTS 16 TO 23 INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 45, LOTS 1 TO 11 INCLUSIVE IN BLOCK 48, LOTS 1 TO 13 INCLUSIVE AND THE SOUTH 25 FEET OF LOT 14 IN BLOCK 55 AND LOT 23 IN THE RESUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 58 IN THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE WEST 1/2 OF THE SOUTHWEST 1/4 OF SECTION 8, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT OF SAID CLOSE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED MAY 19,1892 IN BOOK 52 OF PLATS, PAGE 37, AS DOCUMENT 1668566, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. P.I.N.s: 16-08-319-001-0000 PROPERTY OWNER: IL Prado LLC, c/o Dennis Marani, PO Box 1040, Oak Park, IL 60302 PETITIONER(S): 261 Washington LLC, c/o Ambrosia Homes Development, Inc. (Tim Pomaville), 5401 W Lawrence #30137, Chicago, IL 60630 REQUEST: The Plan Commission will conduct a public hearing on a planned development application for a five (5) story 28-unit multiple

family building in the R-7 MultiFamily Residential Zoning District.

The Petitioner seeks the following allowances from the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance associated with the Planned Development application, found in Article 4 Table 4-1 Residential Districts Dimensional Standards: an increase in density from an allowed 11 dwelling units to 28 dwelling units; an increase in height from the allowed 45 feet to 56 feet measured at the flat roof line; and a reduction in the required rear yard setback of 25 feet to 18 feet; a reduction in the front yard setback from 15 feet to 0.5 feet; an increase in maximum impervious surface lot coverage from a required 80% to 82%; and found in Article 11.6 Required Parking Lot Landscape Abutting a Street: a reduction in the required landscaping along a parking area from 5 feet of landscaping to zero landscaping.

A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on the Village Website at www.oak-park.us and also 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 Thursday, 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. Anyone with questions about the application may contact the Village by phone at 708358.5420 or by email at planning@ oak-park.us.

ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD

OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal November 18, 2020

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: Y20005148 on November 12, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of FREELAND & THATCHER with the business located at: 805 LAKE ST UNIT 429, OAK PARK, IL 60301.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: HAWANYA BLAKELY 479 N HARLEM AVE UNIT 501 OAK PARK, IL 60301, USA

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: Y20005178 on November 12, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of INCLINE REAL ESTATE ADVISORS with the business located at: 319 UVEDALE ROAD, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JEFFREY K. CERMAK, 319 UVEDALE ROAD, RIVERSIDE, IL, 60546, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal 11/18, 11/25, 12/2/2020

Published in RB Landmark 11/18, 11/25, 12/2/2020

Selling your condo by owner?

Advertise here!

Call Mary Ellen for details 708-613-3342:

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Publish your assumed name legal notice in • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark • Austin Weekly News Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

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The Landmark, November 18, 2020

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live local?

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

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Find your local job here!

On the Landmark’s Local Online Job Board.

Search our ads today at RBLandmark.com/classified

To place an ad, contact Mary Ellen Nelligan (708) 613-3342 • maryellen@oakpark.com

19

20

The Landmark, November 18, 2020

W NE

G TIN LIS

W NE

G TIN LIS

178 Maplewood Rd, Riverside $645,000

7240 Ogden Ave, Riverside $485,000

112.5 Lincoln Ave, 2H, Riverside $109,900

1128 Washington Blvd, 3A, Oak Park $147,500

3303 S Grove Ave South #603, Berwyn $159,900

444 Washington Blvd, #204, Oak Park $195,000

3608 Wenonah Ave, Berwyn $289,900

56 N Cowley Rd, Riverside $399,000

192 Waubansee Rd, Riverside $539,000

293 Gage Rd, Riverside $548,000

399 Audubon Rd, Riverside $635,000

4441 Wolf Rd, #401, Western Springs $699,000

321 Delaplaine Rd, Riverside $790,000

144 Scottswood Rd, Riverside $799,000

45 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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