Riverside Brookfield Landmark 10/6/06/21 by Wednesday Journal

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Vol. 36, No. 40

October 6, 2021

COVID-19 takes life of beloved RBHS retiree PAGE 3

Brookfield among first to endorse regional Climate Action Plan

North Riverside Players celebrate 30 years PAGE 8

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Unveiled in July, plan developed through partnership of NOAA and Global Covenant of Mayors By BOB UPHUES Editor

Brookfield last week became one of the first municipalities in northeast Illinois to endorse the 2021 Climate Action Plan for the Chicago region, unveiled in July by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus and created in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Global Covenant of Mayors, with support from the European Union, the See CLIMATE on page 13

APRIL ALONSO/Contributor

A child gets a rudimentary lesson in construction while participating in a cup-stacking activity during the annual STEAM Fest at the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library on Oct. 2. The event, meant to introduce kids to science, teachnology, engineering, arts and math, featured students in the Intro to Education program at Triton College.

Deal on table for Classic Cinemas to run LaGrange Theater Lease dependent on village agreeing to remove lien, allow LED marquee

By BOB UPHUES Editor

Classic Cinemas, the company that operates more than a dozen movie houses in northeast Illinois, including the North Riverside Luxury 6 at North Riverside Park

Mall, has agreed in principle to take over operations and renovate the LaGrange Theater, 80 S. LaGrange Road, into a first-run movie house. LaGrange Theater owners John Rot and Dan Chopp, a Brookfield-based commercial real estate broker, pitched the deal to the La-

Grange Village Board at its Sept. 27 meeting, and while there may be some details to iron out, trustees appeared receptive, according to the Chicago Tribune. According to Rot’s written proposal to LaGrange officials, Classic Cinemas would invest about $1 million to remodel the the-

ater and turn it into a first-run cinema. The LaGrange Theater has been a second-run house under Rot, who through a corporation named Seamus Knolls LLC bought the property in 2004 for $1.5 million. See THEATER on page 13

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The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Brookfield Zoo tiger contracts COVID-19 Test results pending for a number of other cat species exhibiting symptoms By BOB UPHUES Editor

The Chicago Zoological Society announced Oct. 1 that one of the big cats in its collection has tested positive for COVID-19, the first animal at Brookfield Zoo known to have contracted the disease. Malena, an 11-year-old Amur tiger, began showing symptoms of an upper respiratory illness, “including lethargy, coughing and sneezing,” late last week, according to a press release issued by the zoo. Those symptoms were in line with those exhibited by big cats infected at other zoos, so Brookfield Zoo submitted samples to the University of Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories, which is responsible for monitoring and reporting COVID-19 cases in animals. An unspecified number of other cat species at Brookfield Zoo also have displayed similar symptoms, and the zoo’s veterinary staff has submitted additional tests to the lab. Those test results are expected back this week, but all of the animals are recovering, the press release stated. Dr. Mike Adkesson, vice president of clinical medicine for the Chicago Zoological Society, said Malena’s prospects

CZS/BROOKFIELD ZOO

Brookfield Zoo received confirmation this week that Malena, an 11-year-old Amur tiger, tested positive for COVID-19. for recovery were good, given the experience of big cats who’d contracted COVID-19 at other zoos. “Malena is an older tiger and therefore at an elevated risk,” Adkesson said in the press release. “However, she’s in good health and her symptoms have been relatively minor. We are optimistic she will make a full recovery.” In September, Brookfield Zoo veterinary staff had begun the systematic inoculation of some 300 animals in the collection, including Malena, who had received a first dose of the Zoetis COVID-19 vaccine on Sept. 16. “Having had one dose of the animal vaccine, it’s reasonable to expect that Malena’s immune system was partially

primed to combat the virus, and therefore the severity of her illness has been decreased,” said Adkesson. Malena’s bout with COVID-19 comes nine months after undergoing surgery twice in January to address a degenerative hip condition. On Jan. 27, surgeons spent six hours implanting an artificial hip, but it dislodged within a day. Malena spent two more hours in surgery on Jan. 30 to remove the implant and undergo another procedure. Brookfield Zoo has closed its Clouded Leopard Rain Forest and Desert’s Edge exhibits until further notice as a precaution, though the big cats still can roam freely in their outdoor habitats.

LTHS homecoming dance postponed after guns found in car Two charged with felonies for possessing weapons on school grounds By BOB UPHUES Editor

Western Springs police on Oct. 4 announced they had charged two men with felony weapons offenses after two handguns were found inside their vehicle, which was parked in the northwest corner of the parking lot of the Lyons Township High School South Campus, 4900 S. Willow Springs Road shortly after the Oct. 2 homecoming football game at Bennett Field between LTHS and Proviso West. Each of the 19-year-old men, Demitrus R. Ross, of Harvey, and Donny J. Starkes, of Blue Island, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/possession of a

firearm on school grounds. Police have not commented on why the men were present at the football game other than to say neither was a student at Lyons Township High School. The two appeared before Cook County Judge David Navarro, who set their bond at $10,000 cash or 10 percent with electronic monitoring on Oct. 3 during weekend bond court in Chicago. The Cook County Jail website indicated that Starkes remains in custody awaiting an Oct. 5 hearing at the Bridgeview courthouse. The arrests on Oct. 2 just a couple of hours before the school’s homecoming dance at South Campus prompted school officials to cancel the dance, saying they were working to reschedule the event for some time in the next few weeks. As of Oct. 4, no date had been set. Police initially responded to South Campus after getting a report of a fight about 4:10 p.m. An anonymous caller also called 911 to report that two people at South Cam-

pus were possibly armed with handguns. That caller gave police physical descriptions of the suspects and a description of their vehicle. Police responding to the scene identified two suspects attempting to enter a black Chrysler 200M and detained them. While neither man was armed, a police officer observed two handguns in plain view inside the Chrysler. An initial report of the incident on the day of the homecoming game stated the guns were found under the driver and front passenger seats. Police reported recovering a Glock 9 mm handgun with an extended 30-round magazine and a Glock 9 mm handgun with an extended 29-round magazine. Western Springs called out the west suburban Major Case Assistant Team (MCAT), prompting a large response of police from surrounding suburbs, including Riverside and Brookfield. Police cordoned off the area and staged an extensive search to ensure no other firearms turned up. Officers, who remained on

scene for several hours, did not report finding any other weapons. Western Springs police also stated in a press release that “visible police presence will be increased over the next week at Lyons Township High School.” Neither Western Springs Police Chief Brian Budds nor LTHS District 204 Superintendent Brian Waterman responded to phone messages seeking further information left by the Landmark. A letter to LTHS families on the school’s website praised the police investigation and also offered resources to students seeking emotional support. “LT counselors and social workers are available for students who need assistance, and resources have been shared with staff on how to recognize students who may be having difficulty and how to continue to support our students and each other,” the letter stated. Lyons Township High School serves the southern half of Brookfield.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Kimberly Hayes, who taught at RBHS 33 years, succumbs to COVID-19

IN THIS ISSUE Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Kosey Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Retired English teacher, 58, became ill this summer

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

COVID-19 has taken the life of a beloved former English teacher at Riverside-Brookfield High School. On Oct. 1, Kimberly Hayes died from complications of COVID-19 in Key West, Florida, where she had moved after retiring from RBHS in 2019. Hayes was 58. After retiring, Hayes continued to teach English in Florida at a middle school in the Florida Keys. She became sick this summer and had been on life support for about a month. Hayes was removed from life support at 4:05 p.m., which was 3:05 p.m. Central time, the very moment the final bell rang at RBHS for the week, to honor her dedication to the school. She died 13 minutes later. Hayes, who often taught freshmen, was a teacher at RBHS for 33 years. She was known as a beloved, encouraging teacher to many generations of students. “I can’t even tell you what a wonderful bright light she was to so many of us,” said Cindy Vitek, the president of the RBHS PTO who knew Hayes as the faculty advisor to the Kimberly Hayes Clarion in the late 1980s when Vitek was a beautiful if you were beautiful and that you Clarion reporter and editor. couldn’t get unless you gave. And you had to Vitek remembers that Hayes would stay late give without wanting to get.” with the student editors once a month when Assistant Superintendent Kristin Smetathe newspaper was manually laid out and na was also close to Hayes. In 2014 when never rushed the student editors or left them Smetana was promoted to alone. She would stay as long principal, Hayes replaced her as it took to complete the work. for one year as the assistant “She was an encouraging huprincipal for curriculum and man being and always looked instruction before deciding to for the good, all the time,” Vigo back to the classroom. tek said. “She was such a good “Kimberly was a dear person in so many ways.” friend, colleague, teacher, Vitek’s son, Joey, who graduand mentor to so many over ated from RBHS in 2019, also the 33 years at RB and in the was taught by Hayes. In a 2019 community,” Smetana wrote interview for a story about in an email to the Landmark. Hayes retiring, Joey Vitek “Kimberly’s compassion CINDY VITEK said that Hayes was a special and grace came through in Former student teacher. all that she did. She took on “Oh my God she was amazmany different roles at RB ing,” said Joey Vitek who was throughout the years, from Hayes’s freshman honors EngRouser sponsor, to assistant lish class. “She was enthusiastic about teaching and had an extreme enthusiasm about musical director, to assistant principal. In reading books. She was one of the first teach- each role, Kim poured her heart and soul into doing the best job she could for staff ers to make reading fun in school.” Hayes was honored on Monday at RBHS and students.” Smetana said school officials are still with a moment of silence, introduced by one of her closest friends at RBHS, English trying to figure out a way to honor Hayes Department instructional coach Wendy Cas- at RBHS. The Class of 2022, the last RBHS class whose members that Hayes taught, is sens, during morning announcements. On Friday, Cassens shared with other establishing a Kimberly Hayes RBHS Class teachers a passage from one of Hayes’ favor- of 2022 Scholarship Fund. Those seeking to donate to the scholarship fund should ite books “The Once and Future King.” contact the school as details are still being “They made me see that the world was

“She was an encouraging human being and always looked for the good, all the time.”

PROVIDED

figured out. Hayes taught a number of students who are now staff members at RBHS including counselors Mike Reingruber and Renee Thomas, Spanish teacher Jill McGrath, Assistant Director of Technology and Webmaster David Fischer, and security staffer Jeff Quintana. “She was one of most kind and caring and patient teachers I definitely had in my four years here,” Reingruber said in 2019. “Students always came first, and you could tell she was really passionate about what she did, which rubbed off on her classes.” Hayes grew up in Hinsdale and graduated from Lyons Township High School and Elmhurst College. She began teaching at RBHS in 1986. Hayes lived most of her adult life in Brookfield and for many years was the owner of the “purple house,” a Victorian on Grand Boulevard that was painted purple, her favorite color. “She was quirky, for sure,” Vitek said. Hayes is survived by her two sons, Erick and Jack Hayes, and a sister Kathleen Schwitzner. Visitation will be Oct. 7 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St. in Brookfield. A church service will be held at the Cornerstone Community Church, 9008 Fairview Ave., in Brookfield. The time of the service was not immediately available. Visit HitzemanFuneral.com for additional details.

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HOW TO REACH US ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 708-442-6739 ■ FAX 708-467-9066 E-MAIL buphues@rblandmark.com ONLINE www.RBLandmark.com The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $36 within Cook County and $46 outside the county. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2021 Growing Community Media NFP.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

BIG WEEK October 6-13 Share your Soles at LTHS

African Americans in Early LaGrange walking tour

The Lyons Township High School Share your Soles campaign, sponsored by Interact Club and Future Healthcare Professionals, runs through Oct. 13. The clubs seek donations of new or like-new shoes of most any type and size, for any type of weather. The need for athletic shoes is the greatest. Please no high-heeled shoes or boots. All shoes will be sent to those in greatest need around the world. Donation boxes are inside the main entrances at either North or South Campus. Shoes may be dropped off anytime during regular school hours, 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m.

Boo! at the Zoo returns

CommUNITY Diversity Group of LaGrange invites you explore African Americans in Early LaGrange: A Self-Guided Walking Tour, which the group has just launched. You can learn more about early LaGrange history by visiting tour sites in person or reading through the tour notes at home. Access the full walking tour electronically at tinyurl.com/AALGWalkingTour091121 where you’ll also be able to scan QR codes that will take you directly to the tour maps.

And more The Brookfield Chamber of Commerce continues its 60-to-Win raffle drawings every Thursday through Nov. 18 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/BrookfieldIllinois). Winners’ names will be posted each week at brookfieldchamber.net. Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., hosts two exhibitions through Oct. 16. In the Freeark Gallery and Sculpture Garden there’s “Coded: Coated” featuring the work of Jonathan Castillo, Hannah Givler and Paul Somers. The FlexSpace Gallery hosts “Proposals and Speculations” featuring the work of Shir Ende and Lancer Livermont. Free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Riverside Arts Center presents “Porcelain Utopia: Mid-Century Lustron Homes in Illinois and Beyond,” an exhibit of photographs by Dirk ■

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CZS/Brookfield Zoo

Families can have a howling good time at Boo! at the Zoo, the annual Halloween celebration on Oct. 9-10, 16-17, and 23-24 at Brookfield Zoo, 8400 31st St. Don your favorite costume and take memorable snapshots at the many Halloweenthemed photo frames and vignettes, including the new Howl-O-Scene. Afterwards, find your way through the Craized Maize corn maze on the zoo’s West Mall. Youngsters will receive sweet treats as they exit the park. For more information, visit CZS.org/Events.

Fletcher in the lobby of the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, through Dec. 31. Free. Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Riverside Farmers Market continues every Wednesday from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Centennial Park, 10 Pine Ave., in downtown Riverside. Social distancing encouraged. Face coverings are required for those who are not vaccinated and no pets are allowed. On Oct. 13, there will also be a Curbside Cuisine food truck event at the market. The Brookfield Farmers Market continues every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. for locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, baked goods and artisan ware. Live music and a picnic area. Social distancing is encouraged and face coverings are required for non-vaccinated guests. North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., invites you to explore your family tree by visiting their Ancestry Help Desk every Friday ■

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from 2 to 6 p.m. through November. There’s also the NRPL Book Club, where participants can attend either in-person or via conference call, on Oct. 12 at 6:45 p.m. This month’s book is “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. You can also enjoy games like Scrabble, Yahtzee and more at the in-person Classic Games Club on Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kids ages 4-up can choose either in-person or Zoom attendance for Lapsit Storytime on Oct. 7 at 10:30 a.m., After School Art Escape on Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m., Learn with Lester the Llama on Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m.; ABCs and 123s on Oct. 11 at 10:30 a.m., Pajama Storytime (Zoom only) on Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. and Story Safari on Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. Visit northriversidelibrary.org/events-new to register for all programs. Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., invites you to Chicago Movie Theaters and ■

the 1918 Flu Pandemic, a Zoom presentation by movie historian Kelli Marshall on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Visit brookfield.evanced.info/signup to register for programs. Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, invites you to Outdoor All-Ages Storytime on Oct. 8 at 10 a.m.; Friday Flix for teens in the Teen Room on Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m.; Mini-Movers Storytime on Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; and Preschool/Kindergarten Storytime on Oct. 12 at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Registration required. Visit riversidelibrary.libcal.com/calendar to register for programs. Riverside Chess Club, open to anyone age 5 through adult, meets in person each Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Guthrie Park, Riverside and Bloomingbank roads in downtown Riverside. Players of all levels welcome. Children under 7 require caregiver over 13. Email sean@riversidechessclub.org for more info. ■

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The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Finding the Sun By Edward Albee

North Riverside Players

Scheck Village Commons, 2401 S DesPlaines Ave, North Riverside

On-line Tickets/Info: www.NRPlayers.com Box office: 708-512-7015

Learn to make great cocktails

The Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library invites you to learn how to whip up fun and sophisticated cocktails during “Mixology 101,” a special Zoom program on Friday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. Professional bartender James Harren will discuss the history and traditions of cocktails, the three most asked for cocktails and interesting and relatively unknown mixers. Recipes will be included. Register by calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or visiting online at brookfield.evanced.info/signup.

Halloween decorating contest in North Riverside

North Riverside Parks & Recreation challenges all households in the village to get into the spirit of the season by entering the Halloween Decorating Competition in October. There will be awards given to the top three decorated houses and winners will receive a lawn sign declaring their triumphant status. Photos of home entries will be placed on the North Riverside Parks & Rec Facebook page at facebook.com/NRRecreation. There’s no cost to participate, but you must register to enter by Oct. 25 by calling 708-442-5515.

October 7, 8, 9, 10

inding the Sun is a one act play about 8 upper class Easterners on a beach holiday talking about relationships, friendships, face lifts and the compromises life exacts of us, speculation about the meaning of it, and then… One of Albee’s favorites, it is filled with poignancy and humor, and is a wry observation on the human condition. Tickets $15 each

ANNUAL TREASURER’S REPORT RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2021 REVENUES: Property Tax, $1,289,122; Personal Property Tax, $35,408; Interest, $3,040; Donations, $9,865; Other, $1,396. TOTAL REVENUES: $1,338,831. COMPENSATION DISBURSEMENTS: Total Gross Wages $311,685. Under $25,000,00 L. Blauw, M. Clarke, M. Dropka, T. Heilenbach, B. Legan, K. Liesse, T. Lupfer. $25,000 to $49,999.99 R. Kelly, A. Lutha, M. Miller, F. Sitkiewicz, V. Wilt. $50,000 to $74,999.99 M, Iniguez. EXPENDITURES IN EXCESS OF $2,500: Aldi, $4,782; Andersen Elevator Co, $56,462; AT&T, $2,939; API Architects, $5,050; Beds Plus Care, $5,000; Best Buddies International, Inc., $2,500; Blue Cross Btue Shield of Illinois, $9,733; Breaker Press Co, $3,752; Brookfield Tree Service, $4,850; BSA, Pathway to Adventure Council, $5,000; Business Card, $16,063; Comcast, $6,930; Costco, $2,595; Crestway Klassic Flooring, lnc.,$2,922; Emest Di Monte & Assoc., $22,400; Full Compass Systems, LTD, $3,355; Grasso Graphics, $3,562; Hollywood Citizens Association, $6,000; lllinois Municipal Retirement Fund, $29,010; Internal Revenue, $23,844; Nicor, $6,332; Jerry Owen, $3,100; PeopleCare, Inc., $12,000; Riverside Arts Center, $8,170; Riverside Foods, $4,667; Riverside Plumbing, $10,205; Selden Fox LTD., $8,600; Signal 88 Security, LLC, $12,006; Suburban Primary Care Health Care Council, $5,000; The Time Center, $2,850; U.S. Postmaster,$2,544; via Digerati Marketing, $9,490; Village of Riverside, $9,239; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., $5,000; Zoll Medical Corporation, $15,000; Flat Crant Aid, $34,700; Ernergency Assistance, 812,467; ACMI-IAI, $2,985; Aging Care Connections, $84,085; Community Support Selices, $57,250; Helping Hand Center, $190,078; J. Labak, $5,400; National Alliance on Mental lllness, $30,000; Pillars Community Health, $299,708; J. Troiani, $l1,000; UCP Sequin Inc., $31,750; Way Back Inn, $16,000. Other expenditures under $2,500: $111,429. TOTAL EXPENDITURES: $1,529,489.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Fifth-grade section at Brook Park School in quarantine Three students who tested positive for COVID, worked together on project

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

An entire fifth-grade section at Brook Park School in LaGrange Park has been placed on a 14-day quarantine after three students in the class tested positive for COVID-19 last week. “We shut down a fifth grade classroom on Friday,” said District 95 Superintendent Mark Kuzniewski, who declined to say which fifth-grade class at Brook Park was placed in quarantine. Kuzniewski said there are 24 students in the class. The three students who tested positive worked closely together on a project in their STEAM class, Kuzniewski said. “That’s where they were kind of close contacts to one another, because they were working on a project with one another,” Kuzniewski said. The class is the second class in the Landmark’ coverage area to be placed in quarantine. Two weeks ago, a second-grade section at Ames School in Riverside was quarantined after four students tested positive for COVID-19. The Ames School students are scheduled to return to their classroom on Oct. 7. Quarantined classes are taught remotely while the students are at home. The Brook Park fifth-grade section placed in quarantine will not return to their classroom until Oct 13, two weeks after the last contact with the three infected students, who were last in class on Sept. 28. So far this school year, 13 Brook Park students have tested positive for COVID-19, along with four students at S.E. Gross Middle School. No District 95 staff members have tested positive so far in the current school year. Fifteen students in Riverside Elementary School District 96 have tested positive for

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Blythe Park School student Zaire Brown (left) gets help from nurse Sadona Kinjo, a Shield Illinois staff employee responsible for collecting saliva samples weekly from students as part of District 96’s testing program. District 96 and LaGrange-Brookfield District 102 are the only local districts doing weekly saliva testing this school year. COVID-19, eight of them at Ames School, since the school year began in late August. One District 96 staff member has tested positive since school began in August. District 96 Superintendent Martha RyanToye declined to say whether the infected staff member had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or what kind of job the staff member does. The seven staff members in District 96 who are not vaccinated are required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing under a state order.

At Riverside-Brookfield High School, 15 students and three staff members, two of whom are teachers, have tested positive for COVID-19. Assistant Superintendent Kristin Smetana said all three staff members who tested positive had received the COVID-19 vaccine. District 96 and LaGrange-Brookfield Elementary School District 102 are the only area school districts conducting weekly saliva testing for COVID-19. All school districts in Illinois are eligible for weekly free saliva testing from Shield, a testing program de-

veloped by the University of Illinois. This year families of 88 percent of District 96 students have consented to have their students tested. “It’s another layer of protection,” RyanToye said. But Kuzniewski doesn’t think that the salvia testing is worth the cost of instructional time and the associated bother of the test. “We looked at the districts that did saliva testing last year and … the numbers were not, in my mind, significantly impacted by doing the salvia testing,” Kuzniewski said. “Number two, our protocols that we already had in place and the manner in which we were able to keep kids in school didn’t seem to warrant the need to do it. … It disrupts the instructional time and there’s a management piece to it and then there’s follow up to that many tests.” Unlike the testing that Districts 96 and 102 did last year, the Shield testing is done at the schools by staff who come to the schools once a week. Students trek out into a hallway and are given vials to collect salvia. It can be a challenge, especially for younger students, to get enough salvia into the vial to do the test. “Remember you want to drool into the tube, don’t spit,” Blythe Park Principal Casimira Gorman instructed second-graders recently at Blythe Park School. Gorman also instructed students to rub their cheeks to build up saliva. It takes a class about 10 to 15 minutes to collect enough salvia that is then transported for testing. “[The students] know it’s to keep them safe and healthy, they’ve been really good about it,” Gorman said. The Landmark was allowed to photograph and observe the saliva testing in District 96 but not allowed to interview students about it.

New COVID cases remain flat as positivity rates decline No fatal cases have been reported locally since August

By BOB UPHUES Editor

New weekly cases of COVID-19 in Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside remain roughly on par with what the area has experienced for the past nine weeks, though positivity rates remain very low and no new fatal cases have been reported in any of the three towns since August. As of Oct. 4, Brookfield reported 22 new cases during the prior week, while Riverside reported 14 and North Riverside nine. The median number of new cases over the past nine weeks in Brookfield, Riverside

and North Riverside is 24, 12 and nine, respectively. The COVID-19 delta variant has been responsible for the uptick in new cases experienced in the area beginning around midJuly, but in mid-August the number of new weekly cases started to plateau and has remained roughly constant since that time. Local vaccination rates continue to climb, albeit slowly, with the Cook County Department of Health reporting 82.7 percent of Riverside residents fully vaccinated. The county is reporting that 60.2 percent of Brookfield residents are fully vaccinated, while North Riverside has

eclipsed the 40 percent mark, but still lags far behind both neighboring towns and the state as a whole. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 62.8 percent of state residents 12 and older have been vaccinated, with 78.4 percent of the 65+ population vaccinated. The 7-day rolling number of vaccines administered in the state is also up a bit statewide at 30,177 as of Oct. 2, according to IDPH. On Sept. 16 that 7-day rolling number stood at 20,159. Increasing numbers of vaccinations, partly due to state mandates for those

working in schools and healthcare settings, may also be contributing to a fall in 7-day rolling positivity rates. In Illinois Region 10, which encompasses all of suburban Cook County, the 7-day rolling positivity rate was 2.1 percent, down from 3 percent on Sept. 21. That tracks with what is being recorded at the local level. According to the Northwestern University School of Medicine’s online COVID-19 dashboard, the 7-day rolling positivity rate in Brookfield was 2.05 percent as of Oct. 4, while the rate in the 60546 ZIP code, which includes Riverside and North Riverside, had dropped to 1.05 percent.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Faculty complain to D103 board of paycheck, other snafus Union leader says school district lacks clear COVID protocols

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Nearly 50 Lyons-Brookfield Elementary School District 103 teachers attended the Sept. 28 school board meeting and stood as their union leaders publicly vented their frustration with the way the school year has begun. The union leaders expressed concerns ranging from the district’s COVID protocols to teachers getting incorrect paychecks. “The most significant issue during this time is the lack of clarity related to COVID protocols,” teachers union President Toni Jackman told the school board. “They are vague at best despite the union repeatedly asking for more clarity and consistency.” Jackman also complained that some teachers’ paychecks were for wrong amounts for the first two pay periods of the year and that some teacher stipends had not been paid correctly or not at all. She also complained that some teachers

had not received their salary verification letters by the Sept. 15 deadline, and some who did receive letters received inaccurate letters. She also said that some health savings account contributions owed by the district were not received by teachers or went sent to the incorrect bank. “There have been many issues about the way the school year has begun,” Jackman said in a brief interview after the meeting. “There have been many issues related to the COVID protocols, to insurance payments, to salary payments.” Kristin Becker, a first-grade teacher at Lincoln School in Brookfield and the union’s building representative at Lincoln, read a number of comments from teachers saying that they do not feel cared about by the district administration. “I do not feel safe or cared for at all,” said one teacher’s comment that Becker read. Teachers also complained that the administration does not respond to their concerns. “When we ask questions, they are sel-

dom fully answered,” said another comment Becker read. “The pandemic, and someone else’s mistake, is the excuse for everything.” Another teacher complained of internal subbing wearing out teachers and subjecting some classes to having a different teacher every half hour. Another teacher complained about the management of the district’s preschool program. After the comments from the union leaders, District 103 Superintendent Kristopher Rivera took the unusual step of responding immediately. “I hear you,” Rivera told the teachers. Rivera said he recently addressed the teachers during a staff meeting and is working to make improvements. He admitted that there have been problems with payroll. “We are working on an action plan right now,” Rivera said. In an interview after the school board

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The Landmark, October 6, 2021

North Riverside Players back to celebrate 30 years Troupe returns to the stage with Edward Albee’s ‘Finding the Sun’ By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter

Each day, more and more people are resuming their normal, daily activities in person. And, despite the masks and focus on cleaning and hygiene, some days it almost seems as though life is almost back to normal. After all, as those in theater would say, the show must go on. In 1991, when a North Riverside dentist named Dr. John Strelecky envisioned a community theater troupe that would celebrate the joy of live music and spirited stagecraft, never would he have imagined that 30 years and dozens of shows later, North Riverside actors would eagerly be waiting out a global pandemic to once again wow audiences with a top-notch, professional production. Though Strelecky died in May at his home in Florida following a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his legacy lives on. The North Riverside Players will pull back the curtains this fall to celebrate both the return of live shows and three decades of entertaining local audiences. For the first time since the troupe hit the pause button in March 2020, the North Riverside Players will be back on stage this week with their production of “Finding the Sun,” a one-act play by American playwright Edward Albee (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?”). The show centers on eight upper-class East Coast residents on a beach holiday discussing relationships, friendships and the meaning of life. Filled with poignant moments and humor, the play takes a wry approach to musing on life. “The show is about life, relationships, age — and in 60 minutes, you get quite an interesting milieu of life,” says North Riversider Al Meyer, producer of “Finding the Sun” and longtime member of the North Riverside Players. The troupe chose the play for a contest this spring through the American Association of Community Theatre. While the North Riverside Players had won state and regional levels of the live-performance competition in the past, due to the pandemic this year’s format called for a 30-minute video submission of a one-hour show. With submissions from 45 theater groups from around the country, only 12 shows were selected and North Riverside Players weren’t chosen. “I think we would have fared better if we would have been

D103

Fixes in the works from page 7 meeting, Rivera said the district is revamping how it does payroll. “Our payroll department is working really hard to develop the structures that have never been really built; they were doing it

PROVIDED

Edward Albee’s “Finding the Sun,” on stage this weekend in North Riverside, features (from left) Sam Buonomo as Henden, Lili Mitchell as Gertrude, R.J. Cecott as Fergus and Linda Cunningham as Edme. allowed to show the full 60 minutes,” Meyer said. “It is what it is, but because we had done it and learned the entire show, we decided to do this for our fall show.” Aside from already having a show’s script memorized, the play itself is one the troupe felt could be safely performed in a live, in-person format. “We wanted the chance to do a show that was a little more contained, because we didn’t know what the rules with COVID-19 and live performance would be,” Meyer said. A simple play with minimal scenery and simple costumes, the eight characters in “Finding the Sun” walk on stage as though they are casually strolling along a beach, set up lawn chairs and blankets, and engage in lively conversation. With all eight cast members fully vaccinated and audience seating set up to ensure ample space between chairs, along with enforcement of mandatory masks indoors for audience members, Meyer says the troupe is confident they can put on an entertaining, safe production. And, as a way to celebrate North Riverside Players’ 30th anniversary, immediately following each show they’ll screen a 20-minute highlight video of the past musical productions. The highlight reel will include snippets of songs, photos and video (including clips of Strelecky on stage to show how far the group has come and pay tribute to its founder’s vision. “It should be a nice tribute to John. He’s our inspiration, and he’s the guy that got this thing wholly off the dime in 1991,” Meyer said.

manually,” Rivera said. “That’s been an issue for years.” Rivera told the teachers that business office workers have been regularly working past 7 p.m. to try to get things right. The district has been paying Accountemps, a temporary staffing agency focused on accounting and finance, thousands of dollars each month to handle the district’s accounting. The employee who had been doing payroll was recently let go. During the meeting, which lasted about

All these years later, what has been the North Riverside Players’ legacy? “Part of the joy of doing this is the talent,” Meyer said. “These are all amateurs, but they are talented people. They really commit to the craft. The live performance is what it’s all about.” From attracting talent from across Chicagoland to building impressively detailed sets for their plays and musicals, Meyer says every year the troupe is proves it is adept at “transforming a gym into an honest-to-goodness theater.” As for one thing that has proved more difficult for the North Riverside Players over the years? Competition. “Thirty years ago, you weren’t able to sit in front of a flatpanel TV and have hundreds of choices of entertainment at your fingertips,” Meyer said. “So, live theater was unusual and there wasn’t that much competition. But now, in the last 30 years, entertainment options in the world have simply exploded. We have to fight for our market share.” However, all things considered, he added, “We’re sure having fun and we’re sure making great theater.” “Finding the Sun” show times are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7 through Saturday, Oct 9, with a final matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 10. Performances at in the gymnasium of the North Riverside Village Commons, 2401 Desplaines Ave. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at nrplayers.com or by phone at 708-512-7015.

18 minutes, the school board approved the hiring of three custodians, including two that had been laid off in 2020 after the pandemic shut down schools. Last month, the school board heard complaints from staff about the cleanliness of the school buildings. Rivera said the district wants to hire three more custodians and that he wants to communicate better with teachers. “I’m working with the union to establish ways and systems to regularly communi-

cate,” Rivera said. In terms of COVID protocols, Rivera said some plastic partitions used to serve barriers between students sitting at the same table, and which had been on order, finally arrived the day of the school board meeting. He also said it has not been easy to deal with ever-changing COVID protocols that the district has been receiving from the state. “It’s a difficult time,” Rivera said.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

P O L I C E

R E P O R T S

Honk at car, get threatened with baseball bat

A 46-year-old Brookfield man called police on Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. to report that a motorist got out of his vehicle, brandished a baseball bat and challenged him to a fight after the victim honked his horn at the man, who was about to blow through a stop sign at Shields and Prairie avenues. The victim told police he was on his way to pick up a child from Lincoln School and was getting ready to cross the intersection when an orange hatchback came northbound on Prairie and appeared ready to go through the stop sign. After the victim honked his horn, the driver of the hatchback yelled out the window at the victim, who noticed the hatchback now traveling behind his vehicle. The victim told police he parked his car in the lot on the southwest corner of Shields and Forest and got out of his car to walk to Lincoln School. As he walked east toward the school, the driver of the hatchback got out of his car holding a black aluminum baseball bat, striking the ground with it and challenging the victim to a fight. The victim told the man he was calling police and the baseball bat wielding motorist got back in his vehicle and drove away northbound on Custer Avenue.

Gun missing from Brookfield home A resident of the 4400 block of Madison Avenue, Brookfield, called police last week to report that sometime between 11 p.m. on Sept. 26 and 11 p.m. on Sept. 27, someone entered his room and removed a silver Canik SFX 9 mm handgun from under his mattress. The man said he’d only been living in the room, which he deadbolts when he’s not home, for a few weeks. Multiple people live at the residence and even more are constantly coming and going from it, according to the police report. The victim said he questioned numerous people about the missing gun, but no one knew anything about it. Police also reported the victim’s FOID card previously had been revoked, something he said he was unaware of.

a resident called to report that two bicycles were stolen between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Both bikes were locked to a wood privacy fence north of the building. The bikes were described as a men’s black and red Schwinn Hybrid, a women’s purple Schwinn with white wall tires, along with a child carrier with a yellow top.

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the 2200 block of Burr Oak Avenue, North Riverside, called police on Sept. 27 just before 4 p.m. to report that an unknown bald man with tattoos on his neck and riding a black bicycle stole a Loyola Medicine hoodie from the clothes line outside the home. ■ North Riverside police responded to a residence in the 8600 block of 26th Street after a resident called on Sept. 27 to report the theft of an Amazon package from the front porch. The victim got an email indicating a package had been delivered, but when a child went to retrieve it, the package was not there. ■ A resident of the 300 block of Lionel Road, Riverside, contacted police on the evening of Oct. 2 to report that a lawn mower and a battery charger had been stolen from his front lawn sometime between noon and 6 p.m. that day. The resident told police a neighbor who was moving gave him the equipment and placed them on the front lawn, where the resident reported last seeing them there on the lawn at noon. These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Sept. 27-Oct. 3 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, October 6, 2021

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The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Brookfield native named village deputy police chief Terry Schreiber, a 15-year veteran of the force, gets the call By BOB UPHUES Editor

When they were sergeants in the Brookfield Police Department from 2013-19, Michael Kuruvilla and Terry Schreiber cosupervised the afternoon shift, sharing the administrative and operational responsibilities. In July, the 38-year-old Kuruvilla was named the village’s police chief and last month he appointed his old shift partner, Schreiber, as deputy chief. “Terry is one of the most committed, passionate people I know to the department and to the village,” said Kuruvilla. “He’s someone who understand that this is a position of leadership, a position that requires poise and tact and a sensitivity, frankly, to the community and to the public.” According to Kuruvilla, Schreiber was officially installed as deputy chief on Sept. 13. He was sworn in front of family, friends and colleagues during a ceremony at the Brookfield Village Board meeting on Sept. 27. Schreiber, 40, has been a Brookfield police officer for 15 years, hired in 2006 after serving four years as an auxiliary officer. He’s a Brookfield native and graduate of Riverside-Brookfield High School. He still lives in the village. As a resident, he said, he’s able to view what’s going on in Brookfield from that perspective as well as a law enforcement professional. “It’s like anything else,” Schreiber said. “When you live somewhere you work, you have an eye for things. I talk to neighbors who are affected by the decisions of the town. I understand what’s happening at the schools. It gives you an overall sense of the pulse of the community.” As deputy police chief, Schreiber is responsible for supervising the day-to-day operations of the entire department, including all three patrol shifts, the investigations division and the records division. His role, he said, is principally “inward facing” as opposed to the chief, whose job it is to be the public face of the department. Rising through the ranks, Schreiber has gained experience with just about all of the department’s roles. He’s served as a field training officer, detective, as a juvenile specialist, evidence technician and as a member of the bicycle patrol. He’s also looked to for information technology expertise and is a certified drone

TERRY SCHREIBER operator, who will be part of that team when Brookfield gets its drone program up and running. “He’s someone that doesn’t shy away from learning a little bit about everything,” Kuruvilla said of Schreiber. “He’s not someone who will ever say no to a challenge.” Since he was 18 years old, Schreiber has also been a certified commercial pilot and was also a flight instructor with his own business, Aviation Professionals Institute, out of Gary, Indiana. He caught the flying bug from his dad, Bill, whose father owns Aviation Professionals Inc., which operates out of Midway Airport. According to the company’s website, API is the only flight school in Chicago and one of the oldest pilot schools in the nation. It’s been a while since Terry Schreiber has flown a plane, he said, but he keeps his certifications current. Apart from general operational responsibilities, Schreiber said he’s working on other projects, including maintaining the flow of communication within the department, and providing clear guidance on implementing departmental priorities. He’s also working to expand the department’s surveillance camera initiative, which was rolled out in 2018 under then Chief James Episcopo. With both Kuruvilla and Schreiber essentially mid-career officers – Kuruvilla was also hired in 2006 – the department leadership should see some stability, which Kuruvilla said will provide time to develop the department’s future leaders. “It’s one of my goals that we start to identify future leaders and start working on mentoring [them],” Kuruvilla said. “It’s a young department, so we really want to start bringing up those young people.”

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The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Art project paused by pandemic finally revealed Hauser Jr. High unveils Class of 2020’s legacy mural

By BOB UPHUES Editor

When an international pandemic reached the area and schools in Illinois were ordered to shut their doors on March 13, 2020, Greta Staneviciute simply figured her colorful design for a ceramic tile mural meant as her eighth-grade class’ legacy project was toast. Classes never resumed that school year and Staneviciute, who is now a sophomore at Riverside-Brookfield High School, never set foot inside Hauser Junior High School again. “When COVID hit, I kept thinking about the piece: ‘Oh my gosh, what’s gonna happen?’” Staneviciute said. What turned out happening is that art teacher Harjit Singh, social studies teacher Matt Muto and STEAM teacher David Hanke soldiered on, enlisting the help of fellow Hauser faculty members to finish what the Class of 2020 had started. And, on the morning of Sept. 30 just before the start of classes, Staneviciute and classmate Sophia Singh, pulled back the sheet covering the roughly 5-by-3 foot work of art that now adorns a wall in the first-floor hallway near the school’s old main entrance. “I’m just stunned,” said Staneviciute, who was inside Hauser for the first time since March 13, 2020. “It looks so good, and hearing that all the teachers helped, it makes me feel amazing. I would have never thought that this would be finished, and to see all of the [Hauser] community’s help – that’s the meaning of [the mural].” For several years, Singh and Muto have partnered to create an eighth-grade legacy project using resources developed by the nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves, which according to its website “helps students connect choices made in the past to those they will confront in their own lives,” including issues such as “racism, antisemitism and prejudice at pivotal moments in history.” The Hauser legacy initiative took its inspiration from one developed at Bell Elementary School in Chicago, which also uses Facing History as a resource. “They had this legacy project that they started many years ago as a way for eighthgraders to leave something behind in the school, that would live on,” Muto said. “Typically it’s art-based but also connecting to whatever is happening in the world at that time.” Past legacy art projects at Hauser have used the style of a particular artist, such as Keith Haring, as a formal theme, but Muto and Singh went a new route for the Class of 2020. “We had a theme we wanted to follow, and we’ve been consistent with it the last two years,” Singh said. “It’s about community, about diversity. We kept with those core ideas. … [In 2020] we gave students

BOB UPHUES/Editor

Hauser Junior High faculty assembled in the school’s first-floor hallway on Sept. 30 for unveiling of a tile mural, a legacy art project of the Class of 2020, who were unable to finish it due to COVID-19. Last week, two members of that class, Greta Staneviciute (second from left), who sketched the mural’s original design, and Sophia Singh (middle) pulled back the cloth to reveal the finished product flanked by faculty members (from left) David Hanke, Harjit Singh and Matt Muto. For more photos and a video, visit online at RBLandmark.com. the opportunity to create their own design rather than basing it off of an artist.” As a result, students submitted their own designs and picked the design that would eventually be turned into the class’ legacy artwork. “They kind of gravitated toward Greta’s [design],” said Singh. “We also critiqued all of the work.” Staneviciute’s design features Riverside’s water tower, with the sun forming a halo around the peak, as a central motif. Blue and green sun rays form the sky and forming a backdrop to a landscape of trees in the shape of upraised hands, both white and brown. “The hands represented the student diversity within our community,” Singh said. In the past, Singh and Muto have relied heavily on the student art club to execute the legacy artwork, and that was the plan

in 2020 as well. They projected Staneviciute’s drawing over 130-140 tiles and outlined the design over them. The idea was to have students glaze a section of the mural before those tiles were fired in a kiln. Then the pandemic hit. Classrooms closed and the project temporarily was shelved. “You think back to the early days of the pandemic, you’re not sure what you’re allowed to touch,” said Muto. “We were thinking, should we send tiles home to kids? But we didn’t know how safe that was, so that spring it was paused.” When faculty returned to school for the start of the 2020-21 school year, the prior year’s eighth-graders were gone, so Singh and Muto went to Principal April Mahy and pitched a new approach for getting the mural finished. “That’s when staff and admin and teachers all got involved,” Muto said.

Singh, Muto and Hanke, who was new in the building last year, set about organizing the mural, numbering tiles and pairing them with specific colors of paint – essentially creating a paint-by-numbers assembly line – where teachers could paint as many tiles as they wanted during breaks or at home. Faculty started glazing the tiles, some of which required multiple layers of color, in January before bringing them back to Singh who would fire them in the kiln. Singh, Muto and Hanke then put the pieces together, with Hanke devising the final element, the hanging mechanism. “Because the last year and a half was lost, it would have been easy for the school to shelve this,” Hanke said. “It speaks volumes for the teachers and administration to keep this project going. It’s a true celebration and testament to [Mahy’s] vision of community and how Hauser fits into it.”

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

CLIMATE

‘Need to lead’ from page 1 Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Metropolitan Planning Council. The Climate Action Plan resulted from an assessment of regional climate-related risks and calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050. While the scope of the plan is regional, encompassing 280 municipalities and almost 9 million people, all of the actions called for can be scaled to the municipal level, said Edith Makra, director of environmental initiatives for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, of which Brookfield is a member. “The idea of structuring municipal support is simply a way to commit to the plan, support its goals and work toward them,” said Makra in a phone interview last week. “We do have a climate crisis on our hands. I think given the extremes we’ve seen this year across the country and globe, it does add urgency to taking climate action.” According to a press release issued in July when the Climate Action Plan was unveiled, municipal governments are a critical cog in the wheel, because they “are uniquely positioned to lead, enact policies and encourage others to take action.” According to a summary of the plan, municipalities can incorporate initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and encourage and

THEATER

Seems a good fit from page 1 The LaGrange Theater has been shut down since March 16, 2020, when the governor ordered movie theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the LaGrange remains closed even though movie theaters have been allowed to reopen. Rot’s proposal made the argument that second-run movie houses were doomed, illustrating the point through annual ticket sales, which dropped steadily from 204,746 in 20011 to 123,613 in 2019. “Given the streaming services available in-home, there is no longer a sub-run market in the industry,” Rot wrote. “It is imperative to get the [LaGrange Theater] to firstrun status.” Classic Cinemas CEO Chris Johnson said he’s gotten to know Rot over the years through trade associations, adding the two had kicked around the idea of Classic Cinemas taking over operations of the LaGrange Theater even prior to the pandemic. “It seemed to be a good fit,” said Johnson in a phone interview with the Landmark. “We’re community-oriented and have the same vision. With LaGrange, you’re talking about a community with a bustling down-

educate residents on what they can do. Some suggested actions are as simple as retrofitting municipal buildings, facilities and street lights for maximum energy efficiency, something Brookfield has already begun implementing. Other initiatives, again already in the works in Brookfield, include prioritizing transit-oriented/supportive development near train stations, planning roadways that benefit multiple modes of transportation and sustainably manage storm water runoff. More difficult to implement initiatives could include emphasizing sustainable practices in municipal purchasing and operations, engaging with residential and commercial property owners to optimize building energy efficiency and requiring high-performance or net-zero emissions in new construction. With a unanimous vote on Sept. 27 to endorse it, Brookfield was among the first five municipalities in the region to officially support the Climate Action Plan, said Makra, though the plan is receiving much favorable response since the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus began formally encouraging municipalities to adopt the plan in midSeptember. “Although we’re in the very beginning stages, we’re pleased with the breadth of the progress we’re seeing,” Makra said. Several Brookfield trustees on Sept. 27 voiced strong support for endorsing the plan, urging the village to take action though board policies. “I think it will help us prioritize future

projects, prioritize plans that the [Brookfield] Conservation Commission is making, but also ways we prioritize future purchases with staff and the board and our strategic plan,” said Trustee Katie Kaluzny, who is associate director of the Illinois Green Alliance and former member of the Conservation Commission. Trustee Brian Conroy said he wanted to see the plan put into action at the local level. “I don’t just want to pay lip service to this,” said Conroy, pointing to initiatives such as adding solar panels to the roof of the village hall, conducting an energy audit and considering purchasing electric vehicles. “We need to lead by example and show we’re willing to walk the walk,” he added. “It seems like a third of our country is either on fire or under water and we have a responsibility to do what we can to mitigate those measures and take actionable initiatives.” Trustee Jennifer Hendricks, a registered landscape designer and former member of the Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission, urged village staff to embrace the Climate Action Plan. “I would hate to see this sit on a shelf,” said Hendricks. “It would be really great to see a champion on staff of this particular plan, just to make sure it’s cohesive and brought into every part of the village business.” In a follow-up phone interview, Village Manager Timothy Wiberg told the Landmark he expects the new community development director, Emily Egan, to spearhead the village’s implementation of the plan.

town and a historic theater. We think we’d do right by the town and the theater.” Before that can happen, however, the village of LaGrange will have to agree to a number of conditions, among them removing a $1 million lien the village has on the property. The lien is the result of a 2009 deal between the owners of the theater building and the village, which provided a $1 million loan in the form tax increment financing funds to help fund an almost $1.9 million renovation completed in 2010. It was a no-interest loan and was subject to repayment under certain conditions, one of which was the theater ceasing operations for more than 30 days. While the pandemic likely would have satisfied language allowing for acts of God, the theater has remained closed even though it is allowed to reopen. The lien also includes a façade easement, purchased with those TIF funds, which calls for the preservation of the theater’s terra cotta façade, marquee, ticket office, portico, theater entrance and window display. To make that lien forgiveness more palatable to village officials, Rot and Chopp rolled out a revenue-sharing arrangement based on revenue benchmarks tied to rent payments. In that scheme, any rent receipts above $200,000 would be split 50-50 annually between the building ownership and village for the 10-year period of the lease. “There is no financial windfall or proverbial pot of gold to be had here,” Rot wrote in

his proposal to elected officials and village management. “While we do hope that this does lead to successful, vibrant operation from Classic Cinemas, the risk that is involved with this level of investment on their part, is significant.” In addition to removing the $1 million financial liability, any lease deal with Classic Cinemas would depend on them being able to replace the existing marquee with an LED message board. The proposed 10-year lease would also be dependent on the village granting Classic Cinemas a liquor license and permitting the modification of the interior to increase the number of screens from four to five. The theaters would all have heated reclining seating, similar to the seating in North Riverside. LaGrange trustees made no decisions on Sept. 27, but trustees and Village President Mark Kuchler appeared open to exploring it as a way to bring Classic Cinemas to town, according to the Tribune, which quoted Kuchler as saying, “Everybody can agree that we want Classic Cinemas to come here.” The LaGrange Village Board meets again on Oct. 12. Johnson expressed optimism that a deal is possible. “I’m new to LaGrange, but as an observer it seems to me there’s the will to have a resolution one way or the other in short order,” Johnson told the Landmark.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1.Publication Title: Riverside-Brookfield Landmark 2. Publication no.: USPS 019-585 3. Date of filing: October 5, 2021 4. Frequency of issue: Weekly 5. No of issues published annually: 52 6. Annual subscription price: $36.00 7. Complete mailing address of known office of publication: 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302, Cook Co. 8. Complete mailing address of headquarters or general business office of publisher: (same) 9. Names and complete mailing addresses of publisher, editor and manager editor: Publisher: Dan Haley, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 Editor: Bob Uphues, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 Managing Editor: Dan Haley, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 10. The owner is: Growing Community Media, NFP 11. Known bondholders, mortgages and other security holders owning or holding one percent or more of the total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities are: None. 12. N/A 13. Publication name: Riverside Landmark 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 29, 2021 15. Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months: A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 2123 B1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 46 B2. Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated on form 3541: 1492 B3. Paid distribution outside the mails including sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other paid distribution outside USPS3: 172 B4. Paid distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS: 0 C. Total Paid distribution: 1710 D1. Free or nominal rate outside-county copies included on PS form 3541: 0 D2. Free on nominal rate in-county copies included on PS Form 3541: 141 D3. Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS: 0 D4. Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail: 150 E. Total free or nominal rate distribution: 291 F. Total distribution: 2001 G. Copies not distributed: 122 H: Total: 2123 I. Percent paid: 85.46% 15. No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date: A. Total no. copies printed (net press run): 2134 B1. Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on Form 3541: 45 B2. Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated on form 3541: 1519 B3. Paid distribution outside the mails including sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales and other paid distribution outside USPS: 181 B4. Paid distribution by other classes of mail through the USPS: 0 C. Total Paid distribution: 1745 D1. Free or nominal rate outside-county copies included on PS form 3541: 0 D2. Free on nominal rate in-county copies included on PS Form 3541: 153 D3. Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS: 0 D4. Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail: 150 E. Total free or nominal rate distribution: 303 F. Total distribution: 2048 G. Copies not distributed: 86 H: Total: 2134 I. Percent paid: 85.21% 16. Publication of statement of ownership will be printed in the Oct. 6, 2021 issue of this publication. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Jill Wagner Circulation Manager October 5, 2021

Opinion

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

KOSEY CORNER

THE LANDMARK VIEW

A big win for Growing Community Media

e have strong and positive news to share with you today. Growing Community Media, publisher of the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark, has just received a grant from the Field Foundation to hire a full-time community narrative reporter for our Austin Weekly News. As envisioned by Michael Romain, editor of the Austin Weekly and GCM’s equity editor, the new reporter will document the “steady state” of Austin, West Garfield and North Lawndale. “This reporter,” Romain wrote, “will help our publication uncover and map the strong networks of people and organizations that create a sense of place on the West Side — from block clubs, Neighborhood Watch groups, Local School Councils and churches to the wizened people on the porch, the sidewalk sages, and the amateur local historians.” The public narrative focus aligns our expanded reporting with the Quality-of-Life plan developed two years ago by the organization Austin Coming Together. That document reflects a foundational need for West Siders to see their stories genuinely told in local media. That is our determined intention. Reflecting the history of the Austin Weekly, we have named this new position the Delores McCain and Terry Dean Community Narrative Reporter. Delores McCain was a West Side activist with roots in the Civil Rights Movement. She became a contributing reporter to the Weekly in 2000 and was, in truth, the face of the paper through her weekly Street Beat column. She died in 2010. Terry Dean, who died last month at just 47, was editor of the Weekly from 2005 to 2015. A lifelong Austin resident, Terry was well-respected for his fair and empathetic coverage of the West Side. We are launching our job search now and urge you to spread the word. We are grateful to the Field Foundation for the $50,000 grant and to Lolly Bowean, the foundation’s media and storytelling program officer, for guiding us through this process as a still new nonprofit. We have other grant applications in process. Each one is focused on growing our newsroom so that we can tell more stories and tell them better. As we move toward the end of the year, we are also deep into planning for our now annual NewsMatch fundraising drive. It is our largest membership drive of the year and we will be asking for your key support to sustain our independent newsroom. If you are not already a member of our independent newsroom, please consider joining us. This is a big win for Growing Community Media. We are growing on the generous shoulders of our members. With gratitude,

Dan Haley Editor and Publisher Growing Community Media

Mater Christi convent empty as Sr. Julice departs

f you were a regular at the North Riverside VFW’s Friday night fish fry or have been ordering from Rose’s Catering and picking up a food order on Fridays, you may have become familiar with Sister Julice, who helped out there and tended the bakery table at during the Friday pickup. Sister Julice Bots is a School Sister of Notre Dame, who for a number of years called the convent at Mater Christi Parish in North Riverside her home. Originally from the Chicago area, Sister Julice served at missions in Japan and Hungary before returning to her “home” in North Riverside, where she lived with a number of nuns who worked in various locations. Over time, however, the number of nuns living at the Mater Christi convent dwindled to the point where, in the past few years, Sr. Julice was the lone resident. On the heels of the consolidation of Mater Christi, St. Mary and St. Hugh into a new parish, St. Paul VI, Sr. Julice has found a new place to call home at Marian Village in Homer Glen where she shares an independent living apartment with another nun. She recently celebrated 70 years in the Lord’s service and this past weekend returned to Mater Christi

where a Mass was celebrated in remembrance of all those Sisters of Notre Dame who had passed away. It was a bittersweet event returning to Mater Christi, but she was happy to see many of her longtime friends, including Rose Zapletal and her daughters, who catered a luncheon following the Mass. While the adjustment has been hard, Sr. Julice wants everyone to know she keeps busy and walks daily around the beautiful Marian grounds and attends daily Mass. She keeps remembering what her mother told her -- to not complain but be a good example to others. To those who got to know the little nun who moved quickly, served at the fish fry or sold the baked goods she was an example of kindness, an attribute she has brought with her to her new home. At Marian Village she is joined by a number of sisters from her congregation, but is the only one from Mater Christi. She looks forward to hearing from her friends and speaks fondly of those she came to know so well and appreciates all they did for her, especially Father Matt, former pastor at Mater Christi, now on staff at St. Paul VI Parish.

JOANNE KOSEY

LETTERS

Board choice ‘missed opportunity,’ but important work ahead First and foremost, we wish the now-complete Riverside-Brookfield High School Board of Education well as it moves into the school year and the important work facing it over the next two years. We expect great results as the board learns to collaborate, compromise, and communicate with our communities. While this appointment was a missed opportunity to reflect the changing demographics of our communities, we’re glad to see that the approved budget includes $60,000 in federal recovery money assigned to “wraparound services for vulnerable students.” As we’ve stated previously, IWSAL would like the district to create and implement an equity strategy with concrete initiatives that can deliver proven results. The ESSER money could go a long way toward putting those initiatives in place. And we expect the district to share the impact of those programs with the broader community.

Another key board task over the next two years is deciding who will lead D208 after June 2023. Indivisible West Suburban Action League does not have a position on who should lead the district after the 2022-23 school year. We want the board to include community input throughout their process, starting when it begins this year. In general we do not formally endorse local candidates; we do encourage residents to run and serve in local offices, and we work to educate the community about the needs and priorities of the district. Thank you to the board members for their service to RBHS and our communities. We look forward to working with you.

Lisa Janunas, Lindsay H. Morrison, Josie Polanek, Kendra Curry-Khanna

Co-leaders of Indivisible West Suburban Action League

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

OBITUARIES

David G. Anderson, 77 Retired salesman for candy company David G. Anderson, 73, of LaGrange Park, died Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 after a battle with cancer. Mr. Anderson was born Feb. 26, 1948 in Berwyn and was retired from a career as a salesman for a candy company. DAVID G. ANDERSON He was the son of the late Guy and the late Joyce (nee Wiest) Anderson; the brother of Susan (Gary) Price and Diane (James) Locklin; the uncle of Kimberly Price, Kelly (fiancé Joseph Mech) Price, Robert Price and Cori Locklin (Jeff) Russell; and the great-uncle of Andrew and April Price, Alyssa Gregorash and Kempton and Charlie Russell. Memorial visitation is on Monday, Oct. 18 from 9 a.m. until time of memorial service at 11 a.m. at Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home 3847 Prairie Ave., Brookfield. Online condolences, memories and photographs can be shared with the family at JohnsonNosek.com.

Joseph C. Byrne, 86 Attorney Joseph C. Byrne, 86, of Brookfield and formerly of Omaha, Nebraska, died Oct. 1, 2021. Mr. Byrne was an attorney with his own practice. He was the husband of Eleanor Byrne (nee Engle); the father of Carey (Ernest Newmann) Byrne and the late Eric Byrne; the grandfather of Andrew Newmann and Sarah Newmann; the brother of the late Jack Byrne; the uncle of Daniel, Timothy

and Kivi; and a cousin to many. A visitation will be held Wednesday, Oct. 6 from 1 p.m. to time of service at 3 p.m. at Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield. Services in Omaha are pending. InterJOSEPH C. BYRNE ment will be at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery, Omaha. Memorials are appreciated to Omaha Central High School Foundation in Memory of Joseph C. Byrne, 1111 N. 13th St., Suite 318, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102. Send sympathy cards to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Joseph Byrne family.

Mary Jo Evans, 85 Research scientist Mary Jo Evans (nee Smith), 85, of East Amherst, New York and recently a resident ay Plymouth Place in LaGrange Park, died Sept. 26, 2021. Ms. Evans was born Nov. 28, 1935 and worked as a reMARY JO EVANS search scientist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, New York, for many years. She was the wife of the late Richard Todd Evans; the mother of David (Erica Schorr-Evans) Evans and Douglas (Georgia) Evans, of Riverside; the grandmother of Abigail, Aidan and Riley; the daughter

of the late William and Lillian Smith; and the sister of the late Lester Smith. Services have been held. Interment will be at Minnesota State Veterans CemeteryLittle Falls. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute (www.roswellpark.org) are appreciated. Conboy-Westchester Funeral Home, Westchester, handled arrangements.

Kimberly A. Hayes, 58 Longtime Riverside-Brookfield High School teacher Kimberly A. Hayes, 58, of Key West, Florida, and formerly of Brookfield, died Oct. 1, 2021. Ms. Hayes was a teacher for 33 years at Riverside-Brookfield High School prior to retiring KIMBERLY A. HAYES and moving to Key West. While in Florida, she also taught in Monroe County. She was the mother of Erick (Angelica) Hayes and Jack Hayes; the grandmother of Harleigh Hayes; the sister of Kathleen (Theodore) Schwitzner; and the aunt of Renee Schwitzner. She was preceded in death by her parents, the late John Hayes and Charlotte Hayes (nee Erickson). Visitation is Thursday, Oct. 7 from 3 to 8 p.m. at Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield. Church service time will be announced by the end of the day Oct. 5, and will take place at Cornerstone Community Church, 9008 Fairview Ave., Brookfield. Per state mandate all attending indoor services are required to wear a mask. Interment is at Bronswood Cemetery, Oakbrook. Memorials are appreciated to the Kim-

berly Hayes RBHS Class of 2022 Scholarship Fund. Information on specifics to be forthcoming. Information 708-485-2000 or HitzemanFuneral.com Leave online condolences at HitzemanFuneral.com. Send sympathy cards to Hitzeman Funeral Home, 9445 31st St., Brookfield, 60513, c/o the Kimberly Hayes family.

John R. Siran, 79 Brookfield Public Works retiree John Robert Siran, 79, of Brookfield, died at his summer home in Chetek, Wisconsin, on Aug. 21, 2021. Mr. Siran was born in Chicago on Feb. 22, 1942, the son of the late Mildred and late John JOHN R. SIRAN George Siran. He was retired from the village of Brookfield Public Works Department after 25 years of service to the community. He’s just a guy who loved the great outdoors of Chetek. He was the husband of 58 years of Judy Siran (nee Czuprynski); the father of John (Kathy) Siran, Michael Siran and Daniel Siran; the grandfather of Gannon Siran and Garrett Siran; the brother of James Siran and Carl (Linda) Siran; the uncle of Carl Jr. (Amanda) Siran; and the great uncle of Carl. He is also survived by many other loving family, friends and neighbors. Memorial visitation is Saturday, Oct. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. at Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, 3847 Prairie Ave., Brookfield. Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared with the family at JohnsonNosek.com.

LETTERS

Scheck an irreplaceable leader I am so sad about Rich Scheck, especially on his birthday today [Oct. 1]. I liked that it was said in the editorial (“End of an era,” The Landmark View, Sept. 29) that he was the “village’s greatest mayor.” No one can replace him with his many phone calls to check on those he knew and his hope that all would be OK. I liked the man and was so grateful that you also did. He was the mayor with the golden heart and that cannot ever be replaced.

Carol Spale

North Riverside

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.

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Sports

@RBLandmark

BOB SKOLNIK/Contributor

Riverside-Brookfield High School sophomore Connor Marrs, at left running with the lead pack, finished third overall and the Lisle High School “Mane Event” Invite on Oct. 2 with a time of 15 minutes, 30 seconds, just 4.1 seconds behind winner Drew Rogers of Herscher High School, one of the top runners in the state. RBHS placed second in the team standings, just behind conference rival Wheaton-St. Francis.

RBHS boys cross country edged out of Lisle Invite title Cooper Marrs 3rd overall as Bulldogs fall by 2 points to conference rivals

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

The Riverside-Brookfield High School boys cross country team is going to be seeing a lot of Wheaton-St. Francis over the next five weeks. They will face each other in the conference, regional, sectional and, likely, at the IHSA State Finals. On Oct. 2, St. Francis edged RBHS by just two points at the Lisle Invitational, known as the “Mane Event” as the Bulldogs finished second in the 29-team field. RBHS coach Jack Brady was encouraged by how his team ran. “I thought today, team wise, was the best performance we’ve had all year, up and down the line, one through six was great,” Brady said. Sophomore Cooper Marrs again led the way for the Bulldogs, running with the lead

pack the entire race and finishing third overall with a time of 15 minutes, 30 seconds over the 5,000-meter course, just 4.1 seconds behind Herscher senior Drew Rogers, one of the top runners in the state, who won the race and set a course record with time of 15:25.9. Junior Daniel Winkleman of Harvest Christian finished second at 15:27.2. Marrs was happy with his race. “I thought it went really well,” Marrs said. “I thought I ran it really smart, did everything we talked about, running just like efficiently and working it in the right places. The only thing I did wrong is that I thought my finish was a little questionable, thought it could have been a little better, but overall, I would say it was a great race.” Senior Paul Proteau finished fifth with a time of 16:05.2 as the Bulldogs first two runners finished ahead of St. Francis’s top run-

ner. Sophomore Jack O’Brien finished 12th at 16:38 as the Bulldogs placed three runners ahead of St. Francis’ second runner. But St. Francis had a strong pack of five runners in the top 21 and scored 75 points to 77 for the Bulldogs (in cross country the low score wins). Hayden Marrs, Cooper’s twin brother, was the fourth finisher for the Bulldogs finishing 26th in 17:19.3 and junior Zack Gaynor was the Bulldogs final scorer finishing 35th with a time of 17:33.2. Gaynor is just rounding into form, recovering from a pulled groin muscle and shin splints. Brady singled Gaynor out for running perhaps the best race of the day. Gaynor said he was disappointed that he could not pass two runners in the final sprint, which would have allowed the Bulldogs to take the team title.

The Bulldogs are looking forward to facing St. Francis again at the conference meet on Oct. 16. “I think we can beat them,” Gaynor said. “We just need to have better finishes and then we’ll get them.” Sophomore William Kallas finished 44th with a time of 17:42.6 and Tyrike Jenkins finished 140th in 20:02.9. In the girls race the RBHS varsity team finished in 16th place. St. Francis also won the girls team title. Sophomore Maria Dalton was the Bulldogs’ top finisher, placing 30th with a time of 21:08.8 over the 5,000-meter course. Lily Kocourek finished 43rd (21:33.2), Mia Wagner was 75th (22:26.3), Joaliz Rodriguez was 125th (23:56.7) Ava Connerty finished 171st (25:12.8), and Emma Brossil was right behind Connerty in 172nd (25:13.4).

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

Growing Community Media

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

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

HELP WANTED Forest Park Public Schools District 91

Outstanding Local JOBS:

School Bus Drivers Needed

Pay Rate is $26.60 per hour, 4 hours per day guaranteed, 4-5 days per week depending on school calendar.

Cadre Substitute Teacher

Provide a stimulating teaching-learning environment, making use of a variety of instructional tools and teaching aids to deliver rigorous, relevant curriculum, facilitate student participation, and opportunity for students’ mastery of learning standards in assigned classrooms. Qualiﬁcations: Professional Educator’s License registered in Region 6. SALARY & BENEFITS - Per FY2022 New Teacher Salary Placement Schedule. Beneﬁts as provided for a new teacher.

Substitute Teacher

Starting rate of pay 110.00 per day.

Discover 20+ jobs available in Downtown Oak Park! Line cook, servers, sales, and more. Visit downtownoakpark.net/ job-listings for details. POLICE DESK CLERK FOREST PARK, IL The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Full-Time Police Desk Clerk. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include computer skills, the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines, good knowledge of English language, general office skills, including handling non-emergency calls and walk-up customer service, and good verbal and written skills. HOLIDAY, EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Starting salary $31,222 annually. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark. net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FOREST PARK, IL The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Full-Time Parking Enforcement Officer. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualifications include high school diploma (or equivalent), a valid driver’s license, knowledge of basic parking regulations, and good verbal and written skills. EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Starting salary $31,222 annually. Open until filled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. or at www.forestpark.net and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net.

SEAMSTRESS WANTED

Seamstress wanted to sew designer’s collection. Must be able to sew complete garment. Call Jeanine 708-899-8279

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Health Education Manager in the Health Department. This position will take the lead on developing the community health needs assessment; develops health education programs and health awareness campaigns; implements and coordinates these programs/campaigns etc. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Position opened until filled. The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Customer Service Representative II in the Development Customer Service Department – Parking Division. This position provides customer service to the public by providing a variety of responsible customer service and receptionist work including high volume telephone traffic; and to perform the more complex customer service duties including but not limited to service requests, permits, parking passes, block party permits, accounts payable processing and vehicle stickers. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications is October 8, 2021. The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Budget and Revenue Analyst in the Development Customer Service Department. This position will Serve the public with professional administrative and analytical duties in the areas of budget preparation, purchasing, payroll, data analysis and process improvement. Provides, prepares and maintains records, and financial and statistical reports and analysis which assist in the Village’s ability to improve business processes and gain efficiencies through better use of technology. Budget duties include assisting in the development, analysis and application of performance measures with regard to Village services and resources; preparing, modifying, tracking and monitoring Village expenses and transfers; and conducting budget-related research and analysis. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park. us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications September 24, 2021.

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Environmental Health Supervisor in the Health Department. This position will direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate assigned activities with other Village departments, divisions, and outside agencies; and to provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Public Health Director. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http:// www.oak-park.us/jobs. Position opened until filled.

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Must have own transportation. For more information

CALL 708-738-3848

The Forest Park Police Department, seeks a Part-Time Civilian Information Management Call Taker. Pay is $17.19/hr. Eligible candidates will be required to pass an aptitude test and an extensive background check. Qualiﬁcations include high school diploma (or equivalent), good verbal and written skills, working knowledge of the computer and Windows, ability to type accurately, a good working knowledge of the English language, the ability to treat customers and co-workers in a polite manner and the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Data entry skills and experience answering telephones/operating a switchboard are preferred. EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ARE MANDATORY. Open until ﬁlled. Applications are available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Ave. and should be returned Attn: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. Email: vmoritz@forestpark.net.

Top rated firm Alpina Manufacturing LLC founded in 1992, locally owned beautiful campus in Galewood, near Mars candy, 3 blocks north of Oak Park. We build and sell display framing systems to customers nationwide including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Circle K, Hospitals We are seeking to fill the following positions, all in Galewood, no travel. Full time, Part time, Flex hours for working parents or students. We train, no travel, work in Galewood. Open to any backgrounds. Excellent pay, salary, benefits, friendly caring management. National Accounts Rep, Production Manager or Trainee, Packaging Specialist trainee Display frame Production trainee, Office/Bookkeeping Assistant trainee. Visit www.fastchangeframes.com/careers for more details 6460 W Cortland St Chicago, IL 60707 Manufacturing

Village of Brookfield

Imagine being a role model to children in the local community! If you are at your best in a child and student centered environment, when promoting learning and fun, are safety minded and you aim to make a difference in the lives of kids; please take the next step and apply to one of these exciting part-time roles in the Recreation and Police Departments:

• STARS Instructor, Before & After School Program ($11-$14 per hour) • Crossing Guard ($18 per hour) Apply through the Careers link on the Village of Brookfield homepage. PAID-ON-CALL FIREFIGHTER Job Title: Paid-on-Call Firefighter Description: The Village of Riverside Fire Department is seeking applicants for the position of Paidon-Call Firefighter. Additional Status Information: This is not a full-time position. Qualifications: - In good physical condition - Reside within 1.5 miles of the boundaries of the Village of Riverside at time of appointment - Be 18 years of age at the time of application - Possess a high school diploma or GED - Possess a valid driver’s license with a good driving record Miscellaneous Applications are reviewed in October 2021. Application deadline is Friday, October 8th, 2021. The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CROSSING GUARD The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session. A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@forestpark.net.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Riverside Department of Public Works is seeking energetic and motivated applicants who enjoy working outdoors. This is a parttime, seasonal position lasting from approximately October through the end of December. Applicants will be expected to work up to 40 hrs. per week or as scheduled by staff. Primary tasks will include, but not limited to: cutting grass, general facilities maintenance, ﬂushing hydrants, reading meters, assisting full-time employees, and other duties as assigned. Applicants must be 18 years old, possess a valid Illinois driver’s license and high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants will be subject to a criminal background check, pre-employment physical and drug/ alcohol screening. Applications can be downloaded from the Village website at www. riverside.il.us or picked up at the Riverside Village Hall located at 27 Riverside Rd, Riverside, IL 60546. Completed applications should be submitted to the Riverside Village Hall or the Riverside Public Works Department, 3860 Columbus Blvd, Riverside, IL 60546. Applications will be accepted until all positions are ﬁlled. Pay rate is $15/hr. The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Hire Local.

Place an ad on GCM Classified’s Local Online Job Board. Go to RBLandmark/classified today!

Contact Stacy Coleman for more information. (708) 613-3342 scoleman@growingcommunitymedia.org

Applications accepted until position is ﬁlled. EOE.

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

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

CLASSIFIED

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

MARKETPLACE 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

R E N TA L S & R E A L E S TAT E CARS WANTED

ITEMS FOR SALE

SUBURBAN RENTALS

PIANO FOR SALE

Chickering 1938 grand piano, 5’4”. Good condition. Refurbished and restrung in the past. Buyer must move. Reasonable at $1000.

3BR APT FOR RENT 3br 2bth. Hardwood ﬂoors, new carpeting in bedroom. Freshly painted. Located near Fenwick High School, public transit, and entertainment. No evictions. $1,750/month. Realtor owned.Call 773-807-8729

Call 312-339-2370

CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS Restored or Restored or Unrestored Unrestored

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

Collector James Collector James 630-201-8122 630-201-8122

CLASSICS WANTED

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

HOME Restored SERVICES or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles HAULING PLASTERING Domestic / Import Cars: BASEMENT CLEANING

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

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood ﬂooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-ﬁnishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

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

708-296-2060

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

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

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

ANYTIME

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

BRUCE LAWN SERVICE

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

773-637-0692

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

Collector James PLUMBING

Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com

630-201-8122

708-243-0571

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP

Evergreen trimming & more. Clean-ups. Garden weed removal. Storm Branch Tree Removal.

708-447-1762

708-488-9411

HANDYMAN

McNulty Plastering

& Stucco Co. Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Small & big work. Free estimates. Complete Plaster, Stucco Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, & Re-Coating Services • 708/386-2951 Mustang & Mopars Work Guaranteed LANDSCAPING

Supreme Plumbing & Sewer Services

Installation: kitchens, baths, showers •Sewer Systems Piping Clogged drains •Water heaters

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Quality workmanship & service 20+ years’ experience Locally owned & operated

2BR APT 2BR, 1BTH apartment for rent. Hardwood ﬂoors. Renovated and freshly painted. Small, vintage building. No smoking. No pets. $1500/ mo, utilities included. 708-657-4226

ROOMS FOR RENT Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt. 312-212-1212

WOOD

FIREWOOD UNLIMITED

Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH

SUBURBAN RENTALS STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service

OAK PARK & FOREST PARK

708-386-7355

MMpropMgmt.com

CITY RENTALS AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS

A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.

Town Center Realty Group LLC

OFFICE /RETAIL FOR RENT

CHURCH FOR RENT

RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft. OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available

847-888-9999 Order online:

www. suregreen landscape.com

Credit Cards Accepted

Free Estimates!

708-955-7844

johnlavin530@gmail.com License #PR-1234

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

Ask for John

708.749.0011

Reach the people making the decisions. Place an ad in GCM Classified! Call 773/626-6332

YOUR WEEKLY AD

REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST,FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

CLASSIFIED

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

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 LEGAL NOTICE VILLAGE OF RIVER FOREST DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 21, 2021 for Project: 211, LeMoyne Relief Sewer. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of the installation of pvc sewer mains, a pre-cast junction chamber approximately 31 feet deep, precast manholes, drainage structures, removal and installation HMA pavements, pavement patches, curb and gutter, sidewalks, pavement markings, and restoration of landscaped parkway areas; and all appurtenant work thereto. Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on October 7, at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/budgetpurchasing/requests-proposals or at www.questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8044477 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening. The bidder is specifically advised that the Village is a Subgrantee of a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC) grant, pursuant to an agreement entered into and between the MWRDGC and the Village. Each bidder is required to comply with the MWRDGC’s Affirmative Action Requirements and Affirmative Action Ordinance, of which are as follows: The proposal shall include a minimum of $100,000 in work

performed by Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE); $50,000 for Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE); $50,000 for Small Business Enterprises (SBE); and should include $15,000 in work performed by Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (VBE). The DBE requirements listed within these Contracts are requirements, not goals. The MWRDGC requires that contractors entering into contracts shall have a performance bond and a payment bond. The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory performance bond in the sum of the amount of the contract in dollars guaranteeing the proper completion of the work. The Contractor shall furnish a satisfactory payment bond in the full amount of the Contract guaranteeing payment of all material used and for all labor performed. The Contract will be subject to the requirements of the Multi-Project Labor Agreement. A copy is on file at the offices of the Engineer and may be requested from the Engineer. The Contractor shall execute the form entitled “Certificate of Compliance with Multi Project Labor Agreement (MPLA), as found in the Bid Proposal Submittal Packet. All prospective bidders must prove they are pre-qualified by the Illinois Department of Transportation, or other approved Federal agency, by providing a certificate of eligibility to the Engineering Division at which time a password will be issued for access to the online bid documents. The work to be performed pursuant to this proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq. THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal October 6, 2021

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination. The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777. Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review

Public notice is hereby given that on October 21, 2021 in the First Floor Community Room at the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, the Village of River Forest Development Review Board (DRB) will hold a public hearing on the following matter: Application #22-008: The River Forest Public Library intends to install a HVAC unit on the north exterior of the Library building that will be enclosed by a masonry wall Address: 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305 (River Forest Public Library) Applicant: River Forest Public Library All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing, the purpose of which is to take evidence on the Application for the Development Review Board and Village Board to consider. A copy of the application and meeting agenda will be available to the public at the Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, or at http://

www.vrf.us/DevelopmentGuide.

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: THE SOUTH 57.50 FEET OF LOT 74 AND THE NORTH 42.50 FEET OF LOT 75 IN RIVER FOREST LAND ASSOCIATION’S ADDITION TO RIVER FOREST, IN THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN RIVER FOREST, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.THAT PART OF LOT 74 IN RIVER FOREST LAND ASSOCIATION’S ADDITION TO RIVER FOREST, IN THE NORTHEAST 1/4 OF SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN RIVER FOREST, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS; BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SAID LOT 74; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREES 48 MINUTES 27 SECONDS WEST, ALONG THE WEST LINE OF SAID LOT 74 57.50 FEET, TO THE NORTH LINE OF THE SOUTH 57.50 FEET OF SAID LOT 74; THENCE NORTH 88 DEGREES 03 MINUTES 19 SECONDS EAST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE SOUTH 57.50 FEET OF SAID LOT 74, 153.35 FEET, TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREES 54 MINUTES 49 SECONDS WEST, 10.41 FEET; THENCE NORTH 88 DEGREES 05 MINUTES 11 SECONDS EAST, 25.00 FEET; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEGREES 54 SECONDS 49 MINUTES EAST, 10.39 FEET TO SAID NORTH LINE OF THE SOUTH 57.50 FEET OF SAID LOT 74; THENCE SOUTH 88 DEGREES 03 MINUTES 19 SECONDS EAST, ALONG SAID NORTH LINE OF THE SOUTH 57.50 FEET OF SAID LOT 74, 25.00 FEET, TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, ALL IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. THE PARCEL OF LAND DESCRIBED HEREIN CONTAINS 260.07 SQUARE FEET MORE OR LESS. Published in Wednesday Journal October 6, 2021

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE

PUBLIC NOTICE RESOLUTION NO. R-80-21

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of Panipak Bumrungkwaen Case Number 2021CONC000986 .

Request of Jose Luis Rodriguez Case Number 2021CONC001466.

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Panipak Bumrungkwaen to the new name of: Modear Bumrungkwaen LeClair

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: Jose Luis Rodriguez to the new name of: Jose Luis Flores

The court date will be held: On November 18 at 10:30am at 50 W Washington St, Chicago, Cook County in Courtroom # 1707

The court date will be held: On December 27 at 1:30pm at Via Zoom: Meeting ID: 914 0410 9299/ Password:407193 Cook County in Courtroom #1702

Published in the Wednesday Journal September 29, October 6, 13, 2021

Published in Wednesday Journal October 6, 13, 20, 2021

LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss

Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of Arturo Montalvo Muro, Petitioner and Arcelli Landeros Sanchez, Respondent, Case No. 2021D006937.

In re the marriage of MARIA GUADALUPE SOTO GUZMAN, Petitioner and MANUEL LEMA, Respondent, Case No. 2020 D 007780.

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 October 26, 2021, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

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 November 5, 2021, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal September 22, 29, October 6 2021

Published in the Wednesday Journal October 6, 13, 20, 2021

A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY OF AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY TAX FOR BUILDING AND MAINTENANCE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, as follows: Section 1. The Board of Library Trustees of the Village of Forest Park, by Resolution dated August 16, 2021, has requested the corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park to levy an additional 0.02% tax for the maintenance, repairs and alterations of library buildings and equipment, pursuant to 75 ILCS 5/3-4, in order to include the sum of $71,168.00 in the Village’s 2021 tax levy ordinance as the 0.02% Library Building and Maintenance levy.

• In print • Online • Available to you 24/7/365

PublicNoticeIllinois.com

Starting a New Business?

Section 2. The corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park hereby determine and propose to levy such additional 0.02% tax for the year 2021, subject to the provisions of 75 ILCS 5/3-4. Section 3. The Village Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish a copy of this Resolution in the Forest Park Review, a newspaper with a general circulation within the Village of Forest Park, said publication to occur within fifteen (15) days of the adoption of this Resolution. Section 4. Pursuant to 75 ILCS 5/3-4, notice is hereby given that if a petition requesting a referendum signed by 1,050 or more electors of the Village of Forest Park is filed with the corporate authorities of the Village of Forest Park on or before November 5, 2021, which is thirty (30) days after the date of publication of this Resolution, then the question whether this Resolution shall become effective and said tax imposed shall be submitted to the electors of the Village of Forest Park at a general or special election to be held in accordance with the election laws of the State of Illinois in force at the time of such election. The Village Clerk is hereby directed to provide a petition form to any individual requesting one. Section 5. In the event no petition is filed with the corporate authorities within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this Resolution, then this Resolution shall be effective and the additional library tax shall be levied accordingly, and included in the Village’s levy ordinance for library purposes. ADOPTED by the Council of the Village of Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois this 27th day of September, 2021. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 APPROVED by me this 27th day of September, 2021. /s/ Rory E. Hoskins, Mayor ATTESTED: /s/Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk

Public Notice: Your right to know

PUBLIC NOTICES

Published in Forest Park Review October 6, 2021

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark

Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Call Stacy for details:

773-626-6332

The Landmark, October 6, 2021

N W CTIO E N RU ST N CO

W NE

G TIN S I L

337 Longcommon Rd, Riverside $975,000

324 Blackhawk Rd, Riverside $599,000

3125 Madison Ave, Brookfield $322,900

7401 N Sheridan Rd, #401, Chicago $279,000

231 S Maple Ave #C, Oak Park $260,000

84 Riverside Rd, Riverside $2,100,000

3137 Kenilworth Ave, Berwyn $329,000

10710 Central Ave, #3D, Chicago Ridge $169,000

152 E Burlington Rd, Riverside $339,900

9841 S Hoyne Ave, Chicago $510,000

CH TE / E FIC OF

415 S Maple Ave, #103, Oak Park $175,000

282 Maplewood Rd, Riverside $940,000

817 Lake St, #1S, Oak Park $155,000

7722 Madison St, River Forest $18/sq ft

AL NT E R

11 Walker Ave #1, Clarendon Hills $3,550/mo

When it comes to selling and buying homes... experience, results and ties to the community make all the difference. Curious about the current real estate market and the impact on your home’s value? Thinking about selling, but need to find your next home first? Can’t find your dream home in this competitive market? Contact one of our local market experts for a free, confidential consultation.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Visit us at www.atproperties.com/agents/Burlington to view all of our properties and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and updates on the local real estate market.

Present

Fall 2021

A guide to local dining by Melissa Elsmo, EATS Editor

Sponsored by

Oak Park Economic Development Corporation

Mama De Luca

◆ Celebrating our 17th year on Madison Street

◆ Direct online ordering is available ◆ Sunday brunch (10am-2pm) ◆ Catering (please give 48 hours notice) ◆ Private parties on our 2nd floor

(bridal, wedding, and baby showers, birthdays, meetings)

◆ 2nd floor outdoor patio dining

(subject to private party schedule)

7427 Madison Street www.caffedeluca.com 708-366-9200

EATS

Special Advertising Section

presented by

October 6, 2021

Welcome to our table

orn in 2018 and served fresh by Growing Community Media, Eats gives you a taste of everything dining-related in Oak Park and its surrounding communities. Berwyn, Austin, Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Riverside, Brookfield and Elmwood Park are home to a rich collection of established and emerging eateries. Known for serving up healthy portions of food and restaurant news, Eats exists to connect you to the people and stories behind the dishes you love to eat. All of us at Growing Community Media are exceptionally grateful for the support Byline Bank has shown to local restaurants and the commitment they have made to help us tell their important stories through the Eats brand—this special section would not have been possible without their support. Not only is Byline Bank a generous sponsor of the Eats Dining Guide, Alberto Paracchini, CEO of Byline Bank, and Susie Goldschmidt, Oak Park and River Forest Market President for Byline Bank, recognize that local businesses and restaurants form the backbone of communities. Last winter Byline partnered with the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce as well as the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce to help Goldschmidt spread the love between communities. Of course, Eats covered this effort and shared

the story of Goldschmidt’s visits to breweries, restaurants and diners including One Lake Brewing, Robinson’s Ribs, and George’s Family Restaurant. She also stopped by coffee shops, bakeries and sweet shops including Wise Cup in Oak Park, River Forest Chocolates, and Twisted Cookie in Forest Park. In the end they purchased $15,000 worth of gift cards from more than 65 restaurants in Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. No matter where you look in the Eats communities, you’ll find inspirational stories of collaboration and support, but at the heart of it all there are countless delicious dishes to celebrate in the seven communities we cover. We’ve been inspired by the arrival of Oak Park’s first community “Unity” fridge at Carnival Grocery, we clamor for Popify pops crafted at River Forest Kitchens using products from Rare Bird Preserves and don’t get us started on the fried chicken sandwiches at Chubby’s Char House. We are counting the days until the arrival of Fritzi’s Delicatessen and Table and Lain all while celebrating the enduring legacy of places like Autre Monde, The Golden Steer, Chef Shangri-la, Cucina Paradiso, and Jim and Pete’s. Enjoy this celebration of all things Eats!

Eats Editor Melissa Elsmo Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Designer Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Sales and Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich HOW TO REACH US 141 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Pak, IL 60302 Phone 708 524 8300 Fax 708 467 9066 Online OakPark.com. RiverForest.com @OakPark • ForestParkReview.com

Happy reading & eating.

Melissa Elsmo Eats Editor Edito

October 6, 2021

EATS

presented by

Special Advertising Section

Give thanks for Spilt Milk

ince opening in 2018, Meg and Molly Svec, sisters and co-owners of Spilt Milk Pastry, 811 South Blvd., have navigated the bakery business with grace and humility. When the pandemic and civil unrest caused job and business losses in 2020, Spilt Milk enacted a program designed to support and serve vulnerable community members. When a flood capsized operations at their original Oak Park Avenue location in the same year

they took the opportunity to expand their bakery and increase their local reach. Even as the Svec sisters work tirelessly to care for our community their pies, cookies, breads and biscuits remain unwavering in their quality and flavor — the dynamic duo is already preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Heirloom Apple Pie is sure to remain Spilt Milk’s number one best seller on the 2021 Thanksgiving menu. In 2018, former Chicago Tribune dining critic, Phil Vettel, called this pie “a work of art.” It features a timeless mixture of several rotating varieties of heirloom apples from Ellis Family Farms, baked in an all-butter double pie crust. Georgia Pecan pie joins traditional pumpkin, apple cranberry, chocolate chess and pumpkin pecan praline to round out Spilt Milk’s Thanksgiving pie selections. Homemade whipped cream in classic vanilla and chai vanilla varieties can be added to any order as well.

Pumpkin pecan praline pie from Spilt Milk.

In addition, the Svec sisters plan

Heirloom apple pie from Spilt Milk in Oak Park. | Photos courtesy of Spilt Milk to offer pumpkin and banana breads and packs of frozen “bake-at-home” Spilt Milk buttermilk biscuits. Publican Quality Breads will also be on sale. Pre-orders begin on Oct. 10 and can be placed in-store, over the phone or online. Plan to order early. In years past, Spilt Milk has typically recached production capacity around Halloween. If you are looking for some sips to enjoy with your sweets Spilt Milk Wine is

featuring half cases and full cases of wines specially sourced just for the Thanksgiving holiday from independent, family-owned vineyards in the U.S., South America, and Europe. Selections will be published Oct. 15 and Spilt Milk plans to host a tasting event.

Spilt Milk

811 South Blvd., Oak Park 708-613-4403 • spiltmilkpastry.com

Fresh, healthy, delicious: Inari Sushi

hen it comes to sushi, Inari owner, Sara Kate, learned from the best. The enthusiastic restaurateur has owned Inari Sushi, 7428 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park, for a decade, but had a wealth of valuable experience prior to opening the Restaurant Row sushi bar. Kate spent years in management at Tank Sushi in Lincoln Square and maintains industry ties to the folks behind Sushi Wabi — the standard-setting sushi bar located on Randolph Street in Chicago that closed in 2012.

The S.T.A.Y Rolling roll (left) and the X’mas roll are among the many colorful specialty maki offerings at Inari Sushi. to sushi for novice diners, the baked roll is stuffed with shrimp tempura and topped with delicate slices of salmon and super white tuna. The roll is garnished with black tobiko and served on a flaming platter.

Relying on the wisdom of chefs from some of the great Chicago sushi houses helped Kate establish quality ingredient sourcing practices. This attention to detail has helped distinguish the North Avenue restaurant from others of its kind in the western suburbs. Kate credits Inari’s enduring success to a steady stream of longtime and loyal customers. As word started to spread about Inari’s “sushi first” approach to Japanese fare Kate saw customers coming into the restaurant from neighboring communities. The Sushi bar lunch entrée features a chef’s selection of five assorted pieces of nigiri sushi and spicy tuna maki. On the day we visited we were offed dressed albacore tuna,

Tempura vegetables, California roll and salad make up an indulgent lunch option at Inari. | Photos by Melissa Elsmo yellow tail, tuna, salmon and snapper. The colorful array of fresh fish came garnished with a whimsical carved butterfly made from a carrot and a vibrant edible orchid. Kate also encourages patrons to try their trendy Poke Bowls. Protein like sashimi tuna

and salmon or tempura tofu combined with

rice, assorted vegetables and sweet soy

sauce offers guests the refreshing fare Inari is known for. Dine-in guests looking for a

little excitement would do well to order the flaming dragon roll. A good introduction

While Inari’s sleek interior welcomes guests from near and far, Kate is thrilled with her restaurant’s Elmwood Park location. She enjoys local customers and relishes in the Village of Elmwood Park’s ongoing support of all restaurants in the area. “This is a lovely community to be a part of,” says Kate, “we’re like family on Restaurant Row.”

Inari Sushi

7428 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park 708-583-2300 • inarisushielmwoodpark.com

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Discovering Anfora and all that wine offers

nfora Wine Merchants, 128 S. Marion St., is a combination retail shop and wine education center, named after a two-handled terracotta vessel used in Ancient Rome to store or transport wine. Shop owner, Adrian Weisell, was born in Italy and even attended elementary school in a working vineyard. Ultimately, through mentorship, exposure, and education he achieved sommelier status at Il Buco in New York. Il Buco, was (and remains) a notable wine destination and carried a great selection of Italian wines. “My approach to wine is not how a standard sommelier would approach it,”

said Weisell. “Wine is about more than taste to me. I look at wine drinking through a cultural and historical lens.” The Marion Street shop recaptures the feeling of his childhood, honors old world traditions and celebrates Italian wines. A welcoming retail space engages customers upon entry, floral murals cover walls and terracotta pendant fixtures hang from the ceiling. Wooden shelves house bottles of wine and a set of double doors give way to a tasting room with a counter suitable for hosting small classes. Weisell wants the shop to be a festive gathering space where people come to select a bottle to open at home or enjoy a bottle of wine on the patio with friends. Anfora has limited number of wines available by the glass, but Weisell is quick to point out the entire shop is available to be enjoyed for a very modest corkage fee. He also considers the close bond between Anfora and Carnivore, the artisan butcher shop located around the corner at 1042 Pleasant St., to be

Jassem el Mahmoud looks at a bottle of wine on at Anfora Wine Merchants on Marion Street in downtown Oak Park. | Photos by Alex Rogals one of the best kept secrets in Oak Park.

tasting experience.

“People don’t realize they can get a chefdriven steak prepared at Carnivore while they are drinking wine at Anfora,” said Weisell. “We have a few bar snacks here, but the entire Carnivore menu is available to our customers.”

“I am looking to build relationships with my customers,” said Weisell. “Ultimately we’re asking that you trust me. Let go a little and let me pick the wine for you.”

Anfora Wine Merchants is a social destination where people embrace the thoughtful approach Weisell takes to curate a wine

Anfora Wine Merchants

128 S. Marion, Oak Park 708-613-5388 • anforawinemerchants.com

October 6, 2021

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Celebrating Kribi Coffee’s hyper local coffee roasting revolution

ince opening in January 2019, Jacques Shalo has been working diligently to carve out a unique identity for his independent coffee roastery in the congested and competitive coffee shop business. Shalo credits Kribi’s Coffee’s “four tenets,” freshness, method, sourcing, and giving back, for the brand’s quick rise in popularity.

Kribi Coffee is located at 7324 W. Madison, Forest Park and is expected to open a second location later this month. The new location will be housed at Cross Function, a flexible workspace in the Boulevard Arcade building, at 1033 South Blvd., Oak Park. “My wife Cindy was driving down South Boulevard and saw the available café space,” said Shalo, owner of Kribi Coffee. “It seemed like a great opportunity for Kribi to enter Oak Park.”

Kribi’s Cross Function location will capitalize on the recognizable design elements popularized at the Forest Park location. The colorful palette, conceptualized by Shalo’s son Jeremiah, is a nod to the family’s Cameroonian heritage and regional coffee sourcing practices. Earlier this year, Kribi Coffee accepted a prestigious Illinois Made Award from the Illinois Department of Tourism – Explore Illinois. Inclusion in the Illinois Makers program is highly competitive, and honorees must meet detailed criteria and are celebrated for having a compelling origin story, rich business history, and making an impact in their home community. Kribi Coffee sources historically significant coffees with a growing focus on beans grown in Cameroon. In addition to sourcing with regional specificity in mind, Kribi is dedicated to putting more money into the pockets of coffee farmers by

disrupting the value chain of coffee and donates to local social justice causes — a portion of every bag of Kribi’s Black Lives Matter blend is donated to Tutoring Chicago. In May 2021 Kribi was also named among the 10 best coffee shops in Chicago by food and drink editors at Chicago Social. Though Kribi Coffee is less than three years old, the fastgrowing business joined notable Chicago coffee shops including Intelligentsia, Dark Matter and Metropolis on the tight list of 10. Kribi will continue to serve quality coffee in their flagship Forest Park location and envisions the new Oak Park location will serve as a precursor to a larger Kribi expansion in Oak Park sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.

Kribi Coffee

7324 Madison St., Forest Park 708-689-8896 • kribicoffee.com

Jacques Shalo standing outside his Kribi Coffee location in Forest Park.

7324 w. madison street forest park, il 60130 7324 w. madison street forest park, il 60130

kribicoffee.com 708 689 8896

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La Lupita celebrates a mother’s touch in every dish

or 16 years La Lupita, 6539 W. Cermak Rd., has been a celebration of the hard work and grit it takes to succeed in the restaurant industry. “The restaurant is named after my mother, Lupita Figueroa, and you can still find her in the kitchen,” said Salvador “Sal” Figueroa, the manager. “Our dishes are all homemade with her recipes, her seasonings, and her special touch.”

The origin-story of the Cermak Road mainstay, however, takes us far from the Berwyn thoroughfare. Though Sal is

American born, he and his family returned to Cuernavaca in Morelos, Mexico when he was just two years old. As a boy, Sal watched his mother set up a dining table in their front yard. Friends and strangers would take a seat and Lupita would bring out an array of homemade dishes like pozole blanco and a deep dark mole with origins in her hometown located in the Guerrero region of Mexico. The money she earned helped the family, but more importantly she was honing the recipes that would eventually form the spine of La Lupita’s menu.

La Lupita serves a mole popularized in the Guerrero region of Mexico shown here over chicken enchiladas.

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In 1992 the Figueroa family returned to the United States and settled in Chicago. While Lupita took factory jobs to support her family, she proved to be an insatiable cook and began offering her culinary services to local businesses and neighbors. Sal would come home to find strangers eating in their apartment kitchen. Before long Lupita’s casual cooking turned into a vibrant catering business. Then, in 2004 Sal drove past a

Cazuela de Pozole Blanco Estilo Guerrero from La Lupita. all three of her children.”

vacant restaurant on Cermak Road. More kitchen than dining room, the diminutive space held just for tables and offered the perfect steppingstone for Lupita to take her culinary career to the next level. Thanks to her loyal customer base the transition to restaurant ownership went smoothly for the scrappy cook.

Today La Lupita is going strong and keeps home-style Mexican food front and center on Cermak. The restaurant continues to offer Lupita’s complex mole and three variations of pozole daily.

“Looking back, now I can see my mother is a true example of an entrepreneur,” said Sal proudly. “She passed along that mindset to

6539 Cermak Rd., Berwyn

La Lupita

708-788-8226 • lalupitaberwyn.com

History, burgers and brews at One Lake Brewing

ne Lake Brewing, 1 Lake Street, Oak Park, is housed on three levels in the former First National Bank of Oak Park, built in 1920. The finished gut-rehab pays special attention to the historic aspects of the one-of-a-kind building. The first floor features a beer hall inspired bar and dining room, while the second level celebrates the history of the building with preserved original dentil molding and large historical photos. A large beer-bottle chandelier anchors the space while large windows offer guests a glimpse into the working brewery. The third floor features a popular roof top dining area and outdoor bar.

also be open for lunch both days.” The One Lake menu offers a thoughtful combination of elevated bar fare like crispy chicken wings and complete entrees including the popular stuff in pepper made with local barley, roasted seasonal vegetables, caramelized goat cheese,

roasted piquillo pepper sauce, fried shallot and herb oil. The One Lake Burger, however, has proven to be a top seller. It features two patties of local beef on a corn dusted bun topped with tomato jam, house aioli, fried pickled onions, arugula and butterkase cheese.

Shawn Stevens, head brewer at One Lake, is also excited for the upcoming release of the Been Czar, Done That stout. The beer, set to be bottled in mid--November, has been aging for a year in two 55 gallon barrels from Quincy Street Distillery, 38 E Quincy Street in Riverside. Stevens says “aging and conditioning has added a depth of flavor and complexity” he would not have been able to achieve in other ways, and turned out to be an “excellent collaboration between two local craft makers.”

The brewery is set to be featured on the Open House Chicago (OPC) tour on October 16 and 17. OHC 2021 ( https://openhousechicago.org) includes more than 100 sites in more than 30 neighborhoods across Chicago and nearby suburbs--One Lake will offer attendees a self-guided tour of their historic building. “We want people to come in, order a beer if they want and explore the space,” said Kristen Alfonsi, co-owner. “We will

Nothing goes better with a thoughtfully crafted burger than a cold beer. Behind the bar, One Lake’s staff pour house-brewed beers including, Lando, an American IPA with a juicy fruit-forward flavor and a notable hop burst--the beer has a generous 7.4% abv and a full finish. For beer-lovers looking for a lower abv One Lake’s easy drinking, “toasty-roasty” Oscar Milde English mild ale. The beer with a grain forward profile has a manageable 4.4% abv.

The One Lake Burger features tomato jam, house aioli and butterkase cheese. Bacon can be added to make this an even bolder bite. | Provided by One Lake

One Lake Brewing

1 Lake St., Oak Park 708-434-5232 • onelakebrewing.com

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Jewish delicatessen dreams do come true

raving kreplach, pastrami, or knish? Paul Stern, a longtime Oak Park resident with nearly four decades of restaurant experience, is bringing a menu filled with Jewish fare to 113 N. Oak Park Ave.

Stern is planning for both corned tofu and beet and labneh sandwiches to appear on the menu. To cultivate interaction and communal feelings, customers will place orders “dim sum style” by checking off menu items on a card placed on the table. Menu items will come in a variety of sizes and Stern hopes inexpensive tasting portions will entice hesitant diners to try menu items they may be unfamiliar with.

“It has always been a dream of mine to open a Jewish deli,” said Stern. Stern fondly remembers eating at Lou Mitchell’s with his father in the restaurant’s heyday. There were bananas for the children and Milk Duds for the ladies — every meal at the family-owned diner, complete with prune and orange slice, felt like a special occasion. Stern hopes his forthcoming deli will bring back that same sense of personalization and attention to detail while honoring his father’s memory. “My dad, Fritz, fled Austria when they started rounding up Jews,” said Stern. “He went to Switzerland, then London and eventually emigrated through Ellis Island where he was re-named Fredrick. He never spoke German to anyone but his mother -- she always called him Fritzi.” Stern is clear Fritzi’s Delicatessen will be a

Paul Stern and Lisa Stern stand together outside of the storefront that will soon be Fritzi’s, their new Jewish deli, on Oak Park Avenue | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer “Kosher-style deli” meaning they will serve Ashkenazi Jewish fare like corned beef, matzoh ball soup, kishke, brisket, chopped liver and lox. While both pork and shellfish will not be served at Fritzi’s, it will not be a kosher establishment as evidenced by the inclusion of a Reuben sandwich on the menu.

Stern has proudly spent 10 years developing his pastrami recipe. A traditional dry cure with a blend of spices including black pepper, coriander, and cloves precedes soaking, cold smoking, and steaming. The finished pastrami will be hand sliced for sandwiches. Vegetarians will also have a place at Fritzi’s.

“I want Fritzi’s to be a place where people put down their phones and actually dine with each other,” said Stern. “I want the place to have a buzz where people talk politics and share a bowl of something. If someone hears the person at the next table say they are an orthopedist, I want that person to ask them why their knee hurts. That is the heart of deli for me.” Serving up “good food for the soul,” Fritzi’s Delicatessen, is expected to open this fall.

Fritzi’s Delicatessen

113 N Oak Park Ave., Oak Park

The Daly Bagel hits its stride – and then some

hen Amanda Daly opened the doors to The Daly Bagel in April 2020, she greeted waiting customers for the first time exclaiming, “We’re open!” Production in the kitchen came to an organic halt and everyone inside the shop began to clap. It was a fleeting moment, but one not easily forgotten.

The tight-knit crew baked out of River Forest Kitchen, hosting popular weekend popups at Urban Pioneer Group in Forest Park and offering Daly Bagels at area farmers markets. Daly then set her sights on a brick-andmortar location and embarked on a buildout expected to take just months, but which in reality, took more than a year to complete.

“Everything came alive in that moment,” said Daly, shop owner. “We opened the doors and life flooded in. Since then, The Daly Bagel has been a living thing.”

Over the past year Daly and her team of baker-employees have embraced their new reality. The first employee arrives at the shop at 4 a.m. to prepare for the 7 a.m. opening. It takes an And now the hour for the revolving boutique bagel shop tray oven, capable of has hit its stride. A bevy of bagels from The Daly Bagel in baking 500 bagels The Daly Bagel was Oak Park. at time, to come to recently named by temperature and WBEZ’s Curious City nearly as long for the adjacent bagel boiling as one of the best bagels in Chicagoland. kettle to fill with water. With their retail space housed in the old Zephyr building, 130 Chicago Ave., the Daly Daly, Guldin and Garcia have settled into Bagel has hit its stride. distinct roles. Daly, who remains hands on in the kitchen, handles operations, scheduling, Daly whipped up her first batch of “East social media and general catch all duties. Coast bagels with a Midwest twist” in 2018 Guldin oversees doughs and recipe before officially teaming up with her “bagel development. Garcia is regularly in charge of partners” Adrienne Guldin and Leah Garcia.

Amanda Daly, owner of the Daly Bagel, has navigated the challenges of starting a boutique bagel business. | Photos by Alex Rogals opening the shop. Today, a total of 32 parttime employees keep the bagel boutique in business. The shop benefits from excellent foot traffic despite their “off the beaten path location” and continues to cater to their passionate group of regular customers. Positive press and word-of-mouth have drummed up additional business. As a result, The Daly Bagel is known to have a line out the door with the most dramatic “socially distant”

queue extending more than two blocks. “We constantly remind ourselves we need to go at a pace the preserves quality,” said Daly. “Because, let me tell you, it is almost impossible to fight the instinct to rush when you see a line around the block.”

Daly Bagel

130 Chicago Ave., Oak Park 708-613-5263 • thedalybagel.com

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(from left) Student leaders Kyndra Washington, 14, Neveah Hester, 16, and Azariah Baker show off an assortment of cut flowers and house plants available at Austin Harvest.

Austin Harvest a student-led produce market

n June 2020, Rodney Williams, director of entrepreneurship and development at By the Hand Club for Kids, 415 N. Laramie, was sitting in a peace circle with a group of frustrated youth. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder area protests led to some violent unrest in Austin and left participants in By the Hand’s afterschool program concerned for their community. In fact, a liquor store located directly across the street from By the Hand had been looted and burned during a night of rioting. By the Hand purchased the property and tore down the building within six weeks of taking ownership. The frustrated students saw this as an opportunity to change their community from within and raised the idea of hosting a pop-up produce market on the vacant lot left behind after the liquor store was demolished.

“Austin has a population of 97,000,” said Williams. “We had 17 liquor stores and just 3 grocery stores. This is a food desert and the kids wanted to do something about that.” Initially the entrepreneurial experiment was supposed to last just 12 weeks, but the community responded favorably to Austin Harvest, 423 N. Laramie, and plans for a second season evolved naturally. And then in June 2021, Austin Harvest, with support from Sam Acho, a former Chicago Bear, and Athletes for Justice, received word that a WSCR-AM radiothon hosted by talk

host Danny Parkins, generated more than $670,000 in donations to help build a permanent home for the pop-up market. “We are not going anywhere,” said Azariah Baker, Austin Harvest student-employee. “A roof is the best way to show that.” They may be peddling produce at affordable prices, but Williams is clear the primary focus of the program is developing entrepreneurs. Students earn a stipend for their work at Austin Harvest and oversee everything from bookkeeping and purchasing to uniform design and furniture construction. They manage partnerships to keep the market stocked and worked closely with contractors to design the forthcoming brick and mortar. The building should be completed by the end of 2021 and has been designed to maintain an open-air market feel. “You can only dream what you see,” said Williams. “This market shows them what is possible in their own community. The best thing people can do is come out to shop and encourage the kids.” Austin Harvest is open to the public Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Austin Harvest

423 N. Laramie Chicago

October 6, 2021

Cookies Soft Serve Ice Cream Dipped & Stuffed Brownies Milkshakes Coffees Gift Boxes & Baskets

7401 Madison St, Forest Park (708) 689-8029 TwistedCookie.com

October 6, 2021

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The evolution of Takeout 25

akeout 25 started as an online initiative dedicated to supporting restaurants through the COVID pandemic and recently marked its transition to an official non-profit organization.

made a difference during the pandemic — some establishments were able to rehire furloughed employees while others created special offers and discounts specifically geared toward the Takeout 25 community.

“We are very confident in our ability to provide value to restaurants” said Ravi Parakkat, Takeout 25 founder and now an Oak Park village trustee. “Everything y g we are hoping to do will enhance the top-line for member restaurants.”

Takeout 25 went on to host a trio of Taste the Town fundraising events that benefitted multiple restaurants and non-profits like Beyond Hunger, y g The Day Nursery and New Moms. The Takeout 25 model has been replicated on a national scale with similar efforts popping up from California to New York and the initiative is currently being turned in to a business school case study.

When Takeout 25 started, Parakkat, a 14-year Oak Park resident, was a candidate for the village board. He teamed up with local leaders to inspire residents to spend $25 per week on carryout fare in Oak Park and the surrounding communities. And Takeout 25 was born. Today, the Takeout 25 Facebook page boasts more than 9,000 members who share photos of takeout fare, ask for dinner recommendations, and interact with restaurant owners. Restaurant owners made it clear the Takeout 25 Oak Park initiative

Ravi Parakkat, Village Trustee and founder of Takeout 25. | Alex Rogals/Staff Photographer

And now the organization has achieved official 501c6 status.

As Takeout 25 grows, programs will be staffed by paid interns or part-time paid staff members as needed. Parakkat will stay on as founder and board president and will not be paid for his ongoing efforts.

In addition to increasing revenue and lowering costs for restaurants, the non-profit model aims to facilitate relationships with local delivery services, introduce collaborative initiatives to aid restaurants in bulk ordering eco-friendly take-out packaging and reduce retail food waste by marketing local food overages in inventive ways.

While all local restaurants will continue to have universal access to the free marketing engine Takeout 25 has become, the new 501c6 is designed to outlive the pandemic and will rely on a membership model to help support dining establishments and enrich the local economy in a variety of ways.

Parakkat acknowledges the not-for-profit is in its infancy but envisions the Takeout 25 membership cost being $25 per month or $300 per year for participating restaurants. The fees will give members the “right of first refusal” on future Takeout 25 events and access to cross community collaborations designed to strengthen the local economy.

Takeout 25 takeout25.org

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Taco Mucho brings chef driven tacos to Harrison Street

ouse-made tortillas, salsas, tacos and tortas as well as a thoughtfully curated cocktail menu featuring seasonal margaritas have arrived in the Oak Park Arts District. Ron Aleman, owner of Taco Mucho, 220 Harrison St., was drawn to the district because of its “cool feeling and walkability.” “I love Val’s, Buzz and Happy Apple,” said Aleman. “I think Taco Mucho will fit right in with all the great things already happening on Harrison.”

Taco Mucho existed as a pop-up in the Fulton Gallery in Chicago for six months in 2019. The successful stint left Aleman ready to transition to restaurant ownership, but the pandemic delayed his dream. The south Oak Park resident and father of two spent quarantine cooking for neighbors, family and friends to hone his skills in anticipation of opening Taco Mucho when the time was right.

Mucho inspired mural announcing “share your tortillas” draws focus in the second dining room.

Aleman was drawn to the building on Harrison because it was already a functional restaurant. He completed significant cosmetic updates to “brighten and freshen” the dining room. Warm string lights hang in the first of two dining rooms and a galvanized metal bar grounds the space. A vibrant Taco

Aleman, who had a hand in opening seven restaurants over the years, brings 20-years of culinary experience to his first ever solo restaurant venture. He also benefits from a formal culinary school education and uses his knowledge of French cooking techniques to enhance his Mexican fare rooted in family

Ron Aleman, owner of Taco Mucho, is ready to welcome guests to his arts district taqueria.

A colorful mural welcomes guests and urges them to “share your tortillas” at Taco Mucho at 220 Harrison St.

recipes from Guadalajara, Jalisco.

also attracts customers.

Taco Mucho’s menu features a rotating array of tacos and tortas with fillings like ribeye steak with house made asada seasoning, chicken al pastor or vegetarian poblano con queso. Aleman has given serious consideration to making vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options standouts on the Taco Mucho menu. A beverage menu highlighting classic and creative margaritas

“No matter what I am cooking, ingredients will always get the best respect from my hands,” said Aleman. “I want to help every ingredient meet its full potential.”

Taco Mucho

220 Harrison St., Oak Park tacomucho.net

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Decades of dedication: Take a stroll down Restaurant Row

Armand’s Pizza:

lmwood Park’s beloved “Restaurant Row” boasts a vibrant and bustling collection of eateries that lure customers with a diversity of cuisines, ample parking, and an honest sense of camaraderie. The Village of Elmwood Park tirelessly supports the restaurants lined up on North Avenue—that ongoing commitment is one of the reasons why many Restaurant Row establishments have endured for decades.

Any Armand’s pizza can be customized, but the restaurant offers some approved “classic” combinations like one especially devoted to the Village of Elmwood Park. The Elmwood Park combo suggests topping your pie with Italian beef, Armand’s signature sausage, and giardiniera. Armand’s has been serving up pies for more than 60 years. Located at 7650 W. North Ave.

A fresh hot pizza from Armand’s in Elmwood Park

Chef’s choice: an assortment of nigri sushi and spicy tuna maki from Inari Sushi.

Alpine Food Shop:

An assortment of gelato from Massa Café Italiano.

Massa Café Italiano: Angelo and Giovanna Lollino prioritize sourcing the freshest ingredients available to craft a variety of authentic house-made Italian dishes at Massa, 7434 W. North Ave.—including colorful salads, Sicilian pizza, and decadent pastas. The quaint eatery entices guests to indulge in dessert-Massa’s award-winning gelato and fresh sorbettos are made fresh daily using timehonored Italian techniques.

Spizzico/Senor Jefe:

“It’s not just a sub—it’s an Alpine.” Few places have a truer tag line than Alpine Food Shop—the sandwich shop has been a part of the Elmwood Park neighborhood since 1955. Perennially popular, The Alpine” is a sub with a loyal following and features ham, salami, capicollo and Provolone cheese. Located at 7538 W. North Ave.

Johnnie’s Beef: A counter-service force of nature, Johnnie’s Beef, 7500 W. North Ave., is a standard setting joint for blissful beef in Elmwood Park, the western suburbs and beyond. Our very own David Hammond said, “I ate the Johnnie’s beef (sandwich) in one continuous gobble” of the sandwiches first served in 1961.

New Star: New Star, 7444 W. North Ave., had been serving up Cantonese cuisine since 1954, but Jinny Zhao’s ownership has brought fresh life to the North Avenue mainstay. Zhao is proud to carry on the New Star traditions started by the Moy family, but she has expanded the menu to offer Thai, Japanese and Hibachi dishes.

Gringo and Blondie offers a colorful assortment of Mexican dishes

For 25 years the Spizzirri family has been offering baked clams and crispy calamari to set the stage for an array of entrees including pastas, sandwiches and pizza at Spizzico, 7446 W. North Ave. Right around the corner, Senor Jefe, offers Mexican favorites like hand-made pork tamales, fajitas and flautas. Senor Jefe opened nearly six years ago and the model makes is simple to have tacos with your next pizza!

Gringo and Blondie: An assortment of tacos, cemitas, and burritos await at Gringo and Blondie, located 7514 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park. The Mexican street-food spot is brought to Restaurant Row by Massa Café Italiano owner, Angelo Lollino and his wife and business partner Giovanna Lollino.

The Alpine is the quintessential sandwich from the food shop of the same name. Johnnie’s has been a restaurant row mainstay for decades.

Fried rice at New-Star

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A steak jibarito from Café Cubano has been a restaurant row favorite for years.

The 8am burger from Burger Moovment.

Café Cubano:

Inari:

For 20 years owners of Cafe Cubano, Mayra and Javier Fernandez Jr., have been honoring Javier Fernandez Sr. by bringing authentic Cuban fare to Restaurant Row. Located at 7426 W. North Ave., Café Cubano uses nostalgia and comfort as key ingredients in every dish pushed out of their kitchen—including lechon, oxtails, jibaritos and empanadas.

Sara Kate has owned Inari Sushi, 7428 W. North Ave., for a decade, but had a wealth of valuable experience prior to opening the restaurant row sushi bar. She takes a “sushi first” approach to turn out a creative assortment of maki, nigiri and poke. Bento boxes, ramen and kitchen entrees complement an array of cocktails and sake options.

Jim and Pete’s: Since 1941 this Restaurant Row outlier has been serving up old world favorites with a modern twist. The well-appointed North Ave. location, 7806 W. North Ave., is the second home for the restaurant known for serving reliable arsenal of traditional Italian dishes like bruschetta, chicken Parmigiano, and linguini with clam sauce. Specialty menu items like giant house-made rigatoni with pinenuts, spinach and ricotta and Italian Pork Chops with peppers and potatoes make a unique splash on the thoughtful menu.

Baked clams set the tone for any meal at Spizzico.

Burger Moovment: This quick-service establishment flips every patty to order using locally sourced bakery buns, 100-percent Angus beef and locally grown produce. For the past decade, Burger Moovment, 7512 W. North Ave., has been setting the burger standard in Elmwood Park. Owner Anthony Gambino has helmed Oak Park’s Italian mainstay, Cucina Paradiso, for more than 25 years and has found the balance between fine dining and casual fare at his Elmwood Park burger joint.

Jim and Pete’s can be found of the far west end of Elmwood Park’s Restaurant Row.

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#Berwynstyle wings and turkey at Babygold Barbecue: Elmwood Park has a long standing reputation for being home to outstanding restaurants. As a Village we are proud to share this reputation and work hard to promote it.

Alpine

Donny G’s

McDonalds

7538 W North Ave

7308 W North Ave

7217 W Grand Ave

Armand’s Pizzeria

Eggsperience

New Star Restaurant

7650 W North Ave

16 Conti Pkwy

7444 W North Ave

Ashleys Café & Tap

Great American Bagel

Old World Pizza

7500 W Grand Ave

7230 W North Ave

Bon Vivant Juice & Smoothie Bar

Gringo & Blondie

Panera

7514 W North Ave

7400 North Ave

7334 W. Diversey Ave

Happy Wok

Russell’s Barbecue

1742 N Harlem Ave

1621 Thatcher Ave

Inari Sushi

Slice Factory

7428 W North Ave

1732 N Harlem Ave

Jim & Pete’s

Spizzico& Senor Jefe

7806 W North Ave

7446 W North Ave

Burger King 1750 Harlem Ave

Burger Moovement 7512 W North Ave

Café Cubano 7426 W North Ave

Caputo’s Fresh Markets 2400 N Harlem Ave

Chi Taco 7530 W. Grand Ave

Circle Tavern 18 Conti Pkwy

Culvers 7542 W Grand Ave

Jimmy John’s 1702 N Harlem Ave

Johnnie’s 7500 W North Ave

Subway

2836 N. Harlem Ave 7230 W. North Ave

Trattoria Peppino’s

Lotus

7440 W North Ave

7230 W North Ave #210

Union Tap 7707 Westwood #1A

Massa Café

Wing Stop

7434 W North Ave

1740 N Harlem Ave

Chef John Manion considers Babygold’s thick-sliced smoked turkey to be a “menu workhorse.” Diners will appreciate its subtle smoke and Thanksgiving vibe. My fellow food writer, David Hammond believes the deliciousness of the turkey was “slightly eclipsed by the uber-deliciousness of the chicken wings.” And Hammond was clear he almost never orders wings but would gladly order them at Babygold again and again. 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn.

A Mangonada from Neveria Naranja Dulce: Adventurous sorbet lovers should check out a mangonada. This sweet and sour dessert treat is made from mango sorbet, Tajín, and piquant chamoy. Fresh mango and a tamarind coated straw finish this memorable Berwyn dessert. 6252 Ogden Ave., Berwyn.

The Midland from Burger Antics: Fresh steak burgers cooked to your desired degree of doneness star at Burger Antics. Here The Midland, topped with house made Dijon, house made pickles, English cheddar and caramelized onions is served up in the family friendly joint. 3740 Grand Blvd., Brookfield.

The Obvious from the Daly Bagel: Obviously, we made room for “The Obvious” from The Daly Bagel. Folks line up daily for these East Coast style beauties, and bagel maven, Amanda Daly, clearly knows how to pile lox, cream cheese, onions and capers to make a perfect sandwich. 130 Chicago Ave, Oak Park.

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The lobster roll at Poor Phil’s is a sidewalk sandwich favorite. | Photos by Melissa Elsmo

A seafood lovers paradise at Poor Phil’s

ince 1985 the Murphy family has been offering the “ultimate neighborhood pub experience” at Poor Phil’s, 139 S. Marion St. Savvy locals know the mainstay establishment offers more than 30 beers on tap and a wide array of American, Cajun and seafood dishes. The family friendly establishment boasts an idyllic sidewalk patio suitable for a date night, quick weeknight meal or workday lunch. After entering a temporary closure known as a hibernation in January 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Poor Phil’s reopened in spring to the delight of longtime regulars.

happy to enjoy Poor Phil’s unpretentious fare once again. As snow melted patrons could be seen savoring fish and chips with an ice cold beer, weekday “two buck shucks” and a bloody mary, or a “barroom” pickle burger with piles of crispy tots. Other notable menu items include Poor Phil’s Maine lobster roll featuring chilled lobster salad brimming with celery, onion, pepper, fresh dill, mild wasabi mayonnaise and butter served on a toasted bun. The Fishn-Cheddar is a refined version of a fast-food classic featuring beer batter fried Atlantic cold-water cod — the shatteringly crisp fish served in a brioche bun is thoughtfully dressed with cheddar, lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.

Hibernating restaurants like Poor Phil’s, consciously The Poor Phil’s bloody mary. chose to close at the height of the pandemic winter with the intention of It is the goal of every member of Poor reopening when the weather was warm Phil’s cheerful and dedicated staff to enough for patio dining, or as soon as ensure patrons experience “the comfort pandemic related restrictions lifted. of enjoying a day with fresh food, rejuvenating beer at an exciting location Though it was a difficult decision to with family and friends.” hibernate, Poor Phil’s customers celebrated their reopening by expressing joy on Poor Phil’s social media and flocking to the restaurant. 139 S. Marion St., Oak Park Hungry locals came clamoring back to 708-848-0871 • poorphils.com the outdoor patio in the spring and were

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Learn, sample and socialize at Kinslahger tirelessly to train their taste buds to recognize subtle flavors and differences between beers. The goal of any beer judge is to support and inform other homebrewers on how to brew better beer.

large wall clock freezes time at 3:11 p.m. in the well-appointed Kinslahger Taproom, 6806 Roosevelt Rd., in Oak Park. The hands stand still to honor the production brewery’s opening day in 2016 and the exact moment Keith Huizinga’s dreams of brewing beer for a living came true.

The Home-brewers Club of Oak Park introduced Huizinga to Steve Loranz River Forest resident and and Neal Armstrong. Michigan native, Huizinga traveled Friendships emerged to the Netherlands during his and the three passionate college years. While there he lived brewers began to with Dutch students who exposed discuss making their him to a new world of beer. A Keith Huizinga, owner of Kinslahger Brewing, walks through the back shared hobby their fulltypical college student, Huizinga, and shows the beer-making process in the brewery. | Alex Rogals time life. Dreams turned to drank whatever was cheap and conversations and those of variety in the available beer had Huizinga available when he was state side, but conversations morphed into concrete feeling a beer void of sorts. He knew what exposure to artfully crafted beer proved to plans. Armed with a strong collective was out there but couldn’t get his hands be transformative for the young man. knowledge and clearly defined roles, the on it. To combat this longing, the curious “We are living in a completely different beer student began brewing his own beer. trio opened Kinslahger Brewing Company world today,” says the brewery-owner. “There on March 3, 2016. Loranz serves as chief A career in finance supported Huizinga’s is an amazing array of beer styles just lining brewer, Armstrong handles the finances, brewing hobby for years. His passion even grocery store shelves today. That was not the and Huizinga spreads the word about led him to become a certified beer judge. case in 1991.” Kinslahger’s unique products. These devoted beer-aficionados are the In today’s market, logic dictates producing Upon returning to the United States the lack sommeliers of the beer world and work

IPA’s or stout beers would lead to success, but Kinslahger runs counterculture by solely producing lager-fermented beers. Kinslahger beers balance tradition and creativity by relying on a slower fermentation process. The resulting beers have a less yeast-forward flavor profile. Lagers are prized for their fresh flavor and appreciated for bringing malt and hops to the forefront on the palate. Today, despite Kinslahger’s limited footprint, the production brewery sells the bulk of their product through wholesale distribution and hopes to have an even broader reach in the future. The Kinslahger tasting room, however, is reserved for our local community where beer lovers can stop in to savor a thoughtfully crafted beer and some lively conversation. It is clear, Huizinga and his partners bring unique passion to Kinslahger and have managed to establish the spot as both a business and great local gathering place where beer lovers can learn, sample, and socialize.

Kinslagher

6806 Roosevelt Rd., Oak Park 844-552-4437 • kinslagher.com

CELEBRATING 45 YEARS!

Chef Shangri-la Tuesday – Thursday Save 15% dine in only Excluding holidays Expires 12/31/21

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1/2 gallon $49.99 Gallon $89.99

Chef Shangri-la

7930 W. 26th Street • North Riverside • (708) 442-7080 • Chefshangri-la.com

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Jim & Pete’s always new even after 80 years

ince 1941, Jim & Pete’s, 7806 W. North Ave. in Elmwood Park, has been serving up old-world favorites with a modern twist. Jim & Pete’s stands as one of oldest Italian restaurants in Chicagoland. Originally located at Chicago Avenue and Pulaski in Chicago, the eatery moved River Forest before landing at its current location in Elmwood Park.

Current owner, Michael Bucchianeri, worked as a busboy at Jim & Pete’s as a teenager and subsequently filled every role imaginable at

the restaurant before taking an ownership role in 1999. Since then Bucchianeri has been fiercely committed to honoring the legacy of the nearly 80-year-old restaurant. Expanding on the shared vision of former owners Jim Sorce Jr. and Vito Brunetti, the enthusiastic Bucchianeri completed an extensive remodel of Jim & Pete’s in 2017 making the well-appointed restaurant a stand-out on Restaurant Row in Elmwood Park.

Jim & Pete’s has a warm ambience and fine finishes including exposed brick walls and a covered multi-season patio and state-of-the-art party room suitable for hosting an array of special occasion events. The flexible indoor/outdoor space is well-loved under normal circumstances but has become especially valuable since outdoor dining space is at a premium in Chicagoland. Thanks to thoughtful design choices, Jim & Pete’s is suitable for both casual family dinners and special occasion celebrations — the restaurant appeals to couples Salmon Salad from Jim & Pete’s in Elmwood Park. looking for a date night, businesses

Mixed seafood from Jim & Pete’s in Elmwood Park | Photos provided looking to host a meeting, and people looking to host baby showers and birthday celebrations.

and ricotta, and Italian Pork Chops with peppers and potatoes make a unique splash on the thoughtful menu.

Every dish served at Jim & Pete’s is designed to honor the legacy of the mainstay restaurant. A reliable arsenal of traditional Italian dishes like bruschetta, chicken Parmigiano, and linguini with clam sauce keep regulars coming back to Jim & Pete’s, while specialty menu items like giant house-made rigatoni with pine nuts, spinach

Hot Holiday Tip: Jim & Pete’s offers fullservice catering for on-site or off-site events of any size in Elmwood Park and the surrounding communities. Book early!

Jim and Pete’s

7806 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park 708-453-5204 • jimandpetes.com

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Autre Monde celebrates a decade of neighborhood dining

fter a 7-month pandemic related closure, Autre Monde, 6727 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn, reopened in time to mark a milestone anniversary and introduce a menu designed to honor a decade serving their unique brand of approachable Mediterranean fare.

and has executed myriad pop-up events over the years including an elaborate ode to the foodie film “Big Night.”

Autre Monde aims to transport diners, and the perfect storm of dining room closures and delayed PPP loans forced the owners to pause and reassess a path forward. Closing Collage of dishes from Autre Monde. | Provided the “experienced based restaurant” was a calculated Autre Monde opened 10 years ago to decision for the veteran ownership team — immediate accolades including a notable they closed to control their future. three-star rating from the Chicago Tribune. Chef Pancake earned a coveted Jean Chefs Dan Pancake and Beth Partridge Banchet nomination for Chef of the Year along with Christine Tully, general manager in 2013 and the restaurant has achieved and John Aranza, sommelier who met in Green Seal Certification. They recovered the early 90s, took the time off to reflect on all the years the business has been on from a significant fire in 2012, hosted a Roosevelt Road in Berwyn. James Beard Foundation dinner in 2015,

The team settled on a slimmed down menu designed to capture Autre Monde’s spirit by honoring the past while allowing room for bold specials. Classic Autre Monde dishes like fried oyster salad, pork belly pintxos and Tunisian chicken thighs appear alongside new offerings like Chef Pancake’s reimagined octopus a la plancha. And now the enduring Berwyn restaurant is updating their seasonally driven offerings for autumn. Customers will find Chef Dan’s “legendary pappardelle Bolognese,” a new “amped up” mezze platter, and eggplant Parmesan with whipped ricotta on the fall menu. Specials like seared black bass with burnt orange buerre blanc should keep menu offerings fresh. Aranza, a level two sommelier, has tightened up the wine program to

complement the menu offerings suitable for enjoying on Autre Monde’s heated patio. The quartet behind Autre Monde set out 10 years ago with the intention of building a restaurant they would want to visit. Today, despite having more than 120 years of combined restaurant experience between them, their simple objective remains the same. “Going back to where we started has helped us figure out where we want to be now,” said Tully. “We want to be an approachable and comfortable neighborhood restaurant where everyone feels welcome.”

Autre Monde

6727 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn 708-775-8122 • autremondecafe.net

Sips of significance at Quincy Street Distillery

he cozy tasting room housed inside Quincy Street Distillery, 39 E. Quincy St., Riverside, boasts a bold black and white checkered floor and bottle-afterbottle of artisanal spirits. Speakeasy visitors would do well to order a classic prohibition cocktail called the Bees Knees — a tart and satisfying combination of Old #176 Railroad gin, lemon juice and honey syrup. Derrick Mancini, owner-distiller at Quincy Street Distillery, is quick to share the gin in his Bees Knees cocktail was distilled off the same corn mash used to produce Quincy Street whisky based on a method dating

back to the 1800s. Old #176 Railroad Gin, is single distilled in a copper pot and has dominant juniper flavors, but additional botanical elements including both coriander seed and licorice root add to the spirit’s complexity. To make matters more interesting, “#176” honors the first custom designed engine to roll through Riverside on the tracks located within view of the establishment. It is clear Quincy Street Distillery serves sips of significance.

Cocktails, including the Bees Knees, from Quincy Street Distillery in Riverside.

Mancini earned a PhD The Bees Knees from Quincy Street Distillery in Riverside. | in Physics and worked at Photos Provided Argonne Laboratory when dreams of opening a winery morphed into developing a hyper-local, lead him down a new career path, but a spirit-focused operation honoring the series of serendipitous events brought history of his hometown. As a scientist, him to the front door of a 1912 Arts and Mancini, considered himself a creative Crafts influenced space in the middle of and his career change allows him to marry Riverside, Illinois. his love of science with his interest in food and drink, history, and his beloved A 20-year resident of the OlmsteadRiverside community. designed community, Mancini’s dreams

Mancini acknowledges the artistry behind their approach to craft spirits lies in looking to the past to drive the process. Quincy Street Distillery honors classic formulas, from as far back as the 17th century, to coax their historically significant gin, vodka, and whiskey assortment into existence. In the speakeasy, the bar-manager turns out a balanced array of retro and innovative highend cocktails using their array of grainforward, small batch spirits. Wednesday: 5 to 7 p.m. (retail shop only, no cocktails) Friday: 4-10 p.m. Saturday: 3-10 p.m. Tours: Wed., Sat., Sun., reservation required

Quincy Street Distillery 39 E. Quincy St., Riverside

708-357-7414 • quincystreetdistillery.com

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Melissa Elsmo

Veah Larde garnishes Two Sisters crunch cake with coconut and pecans.

An Austin homecoming for Two Sisters Catering and Restaurant

eah Larde, owner of Two Sisters Catering and Restaurant, proudly celebrated the opening of her first brick and mortar establishment, 4800 W. Chicago Ave., earlier this year. The counter service restaurant dishes up comfort foods with a healthy twist. Larde grew up just six blocks from Two Sisters new home and fondly remembers the walkable shopping district formerly seen on Chicago Avenue. “This is an Austin girl comes home story and I am excited to be part of a revitalization effort,” said Larde. “As a business owner I want to speak to the community that I sit in and be an example of what can exist in the Soul City Corridor.”

Two Sisters Catering started in 2012 after Larde’s husband, Johnny Larde Jr., recognized “a light” in his wife whenever she helped people plan parties. Larde began taking on small to medium sized catering events and never looked back. Today, Two Sisters Catering and Restaurant, keeps caloric value down and prioritizes healthier eating. The business is located in the same building as a dialysis center and Larde’s husband is a dialysis patient himself. After his treatment began, Larde focused on taking meat out of her recipes and opted

to focus on lean proteins and creating vegetarian versions of popular soul food dishes. Two Sisters is known for their ground turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn — a slimmed down version of Johnny’s favorite meal. “He was mad until he tasted it,” laughed Larde who also makes her well-loved collard greens without meat or vinegar. Despite a series of healthconscious twists, there is still plenty of room for indulgence at Two Sisters. Fans clamor for classic banana pudding, crowd pleasing caramel apple cheesecake and lesser-known treats like Louisiana Crunch Cake. “We understand the community we serve, and we’ve got a little something for everybody,” said Larde. “We invite everyone to come and discover a new food memory.” Two Sisters Catering and Restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and will be open on certain Sundays for special pop-up events. Follow Two Sisters on Facebook and Instagram for menu and event details.

Two Sisters

4800 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago

773-887-5625 • twosisterscatering.com

$25 Adults

Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy $10 Children $12 Children Full Salad Bar Seating reservations every 1/2 hour 11am to 7pm Seating reservations every 1 hour Dessert Table Sawa’s Old Warsaw ~ 9200 W. Cermak Road ~ Broadview, IL ~ 708.343.9040 Sawa’s Old Warsaw ~ 9200 W. Cermak Road Broadview, ILRd ~ 708.343.9040 Sawa’s OldParking WarsawAvailable ~Pie 9200~W. ~ Broadview, 708.343.9040 Ample ~Cermak Large Families WelcomeIL ~~Video Poker Pumpkin Ample Parking Available ~ Large Families Welcome ~ Video Poker Sign-up for the Polonia Gazeta (Email Newsletter) for~upcoming events Parking Available ~ Large Families Welcome Video Poker Sign-up for Ample the Polonia Gazeta (Email Newsletter) for upcoming events Kolaczki

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Sawa’s Old Warsaw ~ 9200 W. Cermak Road ~ Broadview, IL ~ 708.343.9040 Ample Parking Available ~ Large Families Welcome ~ Video Poker Sign-up for the Polonia Gazeta (Email Newsletter) for upcoming events

Mickey’s is the place!

Mickey’s Rib Special 1/2 Slab Dinner Full Slab Dinner

B.B.Q. RIBS & CHICKEN BURGERS & HOT DOGS

$11.99

$17.99

includes fries or baked potato, coleslaw and garlic bread

525 N Harlem Ave, Oak Park (708) 848-3333 11am - 9pm Daily

3 Vienna Hot Dogs w/ Fries $ .49

Italian Beef Sandwich w/ Fries $ .49

Wednesday

Gyros Plate Dinner 1 lb meat, 2 pita breads, fries & 3 cups sauce $10.99

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Gyros with fries $7.99

1/4 Lb Double Cheeseburger

Big Mickey! $ .99

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The Depot District Feel at home at Connie’s Family Restaurant: Breakfast is always a good idea and always available at Connie’s Family Restaurant, 3271 S. Harlem Ave. The home-style restaurant serves up steak and eggs, benedicts and pancakes. Don’t worry; you can also get delicious lunch and dinner at this casual and family-friendly spot known for a daily menu of homemade soups and diner sandwiches. The triple decker turkey club comes with fries, coleslaw and a cup of soup and will bring the taste of tradition to your next lunch.

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

Local love at Lavergne’s Tavern: Lavergne’s Tavern, 6546 Windsor Ave., opened in 2016 and has grown to be a favorite destination for a fine meal in Berwyn and beyond. Known for serving up some serious burgers, street food inspired tacos and a mighty fine brunch-worthy bloody mary. And people should believe the hype behind the Italian beef eggrolls served at Lavergne’s Tavern — the appetizer has a near cultlike following for good reason. Brimming with beef, giardiniera, and cheese, these crispy rolls are sliced on an extreme bias and served with au jus for dipping. Grab a napkin and indulge!

Lavergne’s Bloody Mary: Looking for a delightful way to stary the day? Try coffee and bloody mary from Lavergne’s Tavern

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Discover a perfect pairing at Flapjack Brewery: If you are looking for a perfect pairing check out the wood-fired pizza and small-batch beers at Flapjack Brewery, 6833 Stanley Ave. The Depot District hot spot is owned by brothers Paul and James Macchione who were raised in Berwyn. The duo keeps eight beers on tap including the Fantasmo Vanilla Cream Ale -- Flapjack’s flagship offering made with Mexican vanilla beans. Flapjack’s also serves up both Neapolitan and tavern style pizzas. The thin Neapolitan pies cook in a 750-800 degree wood-fired oven for just two minutes. The resulting pizza has a raised airy rim, is thin in the center and light on toppings. Two tavern style pizzas also grace the menu. They bake slightly longer, are rolled flat across, and topped generously to the edge of the pie. The “Beerwyn Supreme” is a notable offering featuring San Marzano tomato sauce, sausage, cremini mushrooms, shallots, and green peppers.

Fantasmo Vanilla Cream Ale and Hugo Luh-Layn Juicy IPA Citra & Mosaic Edition as poured at Flapjacks are also available in 16-ounce cans and 32-ounce crowlers.

The Depot District Connie’s Family Restaurant & Cocktails 3271 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 484-3447 • conniesberwyn.com

Familia Fresh Market & Danesi Caffe 3308 S Oak Park Ave Berwyn (708) 956-7026 • familiafreshmarket.com

La Borra del Café Berwyn 6801 W Stanley Ave Berwyn (708) 317-5629 • laborra.us

N-Joy II Asian Cuisine 7140 W Windsor Ave Berwyn (708) 484-5310 • njoy2.com/

El Fogon Restaurant 3244 S Oak Park Ave Berwyn (708) 317-5760

Gaia Italiano

Lavergne’s Tavern 6546 W Windsor Ave Berwyn (708) 956-7405 • lavergnes.com

Taz Deli 6932 W Windsor Ave Berwyn (708) 956-7583

Flapjack Brewery 6833 W Stanley Ave Berwyn (708) 637-4030 • flapjackbrewery.com

6822 Windsor Ave Berwyn (206) 234-9239

The Garage Smokehouse & Bar 3202 S Grove Ave Berwyn (708) 956-7274 • facebook.com/Thegarageberwyn

Media Noche Berwyn Cafe 6836 W Windsor Ave Berwyn (708) 317-5093 • medianochecafe.com

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Happy Apple serves top pie in Illinois

he Happy Apple, 226 Harrison St., focuses on crafting meticulous apple pies. In fact, workers in the shop have been known to peel more than 150 pounds of apples each week. This “apple first” establishment does feature an assortment of fruit pies in addition to their signature apple pies and relies on seasonal produce to drive their rotating menu. Savvy pie-

lovers know the Happy Apple makes a wicked chocolate pie, too.

earned top honors among Illinois pie offerings.

The Happy Apple was recently singled out by “Eat this, not that” as having the best pie in Illinois. The website partnered with Yelp to name the best pie in every state based on user rankings and reviews mentioning pie. The Happy Apple’s chocolate chess pie

Michelle Mascaro, owner of the Happy Apple, was “stunned by the honor and found it refreshing to be honored for something other than apple — their chocolate chess pie had a fan club right from the start, so bakers make it every day. The pie is prized for its dense fudgy filling with a cracked crispy top layer. The Happy Apple’s Chocolate Chess pies are on the daily menu at the signature flakey crust makes the Happy Apple. | Photos by Melissa Elsmo simple pie deceptively complex.

Happy Apple staff shows off their pies: (From left) Gina Rivera, front of house manager, Michelle Mascaro, owner, and Renner Eschenroder, pie maker pose with a trio of pies.

The honor is particularly sweet given the pandemic forced the shop to put their staff on paid leave from March to September of 2020. The shop relies on a unique blended work environment where people with and without intellectual and development disabilities work together, but Mascaro could not risk keeping her staff in the shop at the height of the pandemic. Once the vaccine became readily available, Mascaro was able to bring her eager pie-bakers back to the shop in smaller groups and delighted in seeing friendships renewed between staff members.

This is the second time the Happy Apple has been surprised by national recognition for their pies. In 2019, USA Today named Happy Apple Pie Shop the top place to get pie in the state of Illinois in its “Road Trip Guide: The best pie shop in every state.” “My goal is to make excellent pie and serve it with kindness,” said Mascaro.

Happy Apple Pie Shop 226 Harrison St., Oak Park

708-606-0037 • happyapplepie.com

Cracking the egg code at Michael’s Pancake House

ichael’s Pancake House, opened during the pandemic at 25 E. Burlington St. in downtown Riverside. The unassuming restaurant proudly serves breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

23 E Burlington St, Riverside 7am - 4pm (708) 442-1251 • michaelspancakehouse.com

Breakfast, Lunch and Early Dinner

“When we finally got the green light, we were ready to go,” said co-manager Edgardo Guadalupe. The owners are not strangers to the restaurant business – the Guadalupe family are also owners of the original A family affair: (Left to right) Chef Michael Guadalupe helms Michael’s Pancake House—the restaurant the kitchen at the Riverside location. His wife Clara, and has been thriving in south suburban children, Edgardo and Sandra are the management team behind the pancake house on East Burlington Street in Worth for nearly 20 years. The Brookfield Riverside. residents had been looking to expand for some time and settled on Riverside everything is made fresh at Michael’s Pancake as it became clear there was no other House. The expansive menu includes classic breakfast-focused restaurant in the community. breakfasts, creative crepes, diner sandwiches, Michael’s Pancake House is known for their soups and evening specials like pork chops, generous portions including “football sized liver and onions and roast pork with sauerkraut. omelets” and fluffy plate-sized pancakes. They The space is humble and unassuming, but also have a curious egg-doubling policy. Michael’s Pancake House offers high value “Eggs are always doubled at Michael’s meals served with a smile. Pop by for an egg or Pancake House,” said co-manager Sandra eight. Guadalupe. “If the menu says two eggs, you’ll get four. If you order three eggs, you’ll get six.” Despite the potential for an egg overload,

Michael’s Pancake House

Lunch items like the Patty Melt, shown here served with seasoned fries, come with a choice of soup or salad.

10% off

dine in customers only Expires 12/31/21 Cracking the egg code: The Popeye Skillet, brimming with bacon, spinach and mushrooms came topped with a whopping four eggs despite the fact the menu says it is served with two eggs.

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Carnival Grocery delivers

descendant of Italian grocers, Arthur Paris has worked in the grocery business for nearly 25 years. After purchasing Carnival Grocery in 2014, he has been busy building up a positive reputation in Oak Park. Now Paris hopes his thoughtful approach to ordering, re-stocking and customer service is setting the standard for grocery stores in the Oak Park vicinity. Today, Carnival, 824 S. Oak Park Ave., offers an intimate in-person shopping experience, personal shopping services and reliable delivery options.

Responding to customer desires, the fiercely independent grocery store successfully introduced a new way to shop last winter. After working out some kinks over the summer, Carnival is proud to offer a userfriendly website and personal shopping to get groceries to residents as efficiently as possible. Carnival’s new e-commerce services are designed to be more affordable than Instacart. Carnival’s staff will personally fill orders meeting a $35 minimum and local delivery via Door Dash is available for $8. (The app is available via Google Play and the App Store) “The Carnival team and I are really excited to be launching the app and new website. We

try to always listen to our customers, and felt this was needed, especially considering how shopping for groceries has changed over the last year,” said Paris. “These additions are also part of our efforts to ensure Carnival is as strong and stable as possible in anticipation of a second Pete’s Fresh Market opening in Oak Park.” Users of the app and delivery service have made virtual shopping a habit and more than half of the customers using the online ordering service select the in store pick up option. The most frequent user of the service just placed their 53rd order and the largest order placed to date rang up at $1,500. All users can expect Carnival to begin offering online specials including winter squash for $0.59/pound, organic milk for $5.99/gallon and ground beef for just $2.99/pound. People utilizing the delivery service during October should put “Oak Park Eats” in the delivery instructions to have fees waived for the entire month.

Carnival Grocery

824 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park

708-848-1340 • carnivalgrocery.store

Arthur Paris, owner of Carnival Grocery, is taking steps to make it even easier to support his independent market with a new app. | Melissa Elsmo

CELEBRATE FALL WITH EVERYDAY LOW PRICES! Carnival is offering great prices on seasonal items to make your autumn special. With free off-street parking, hassel-free in-and-out shopping, and every day low prices, we’re proud to be your convenient locally-owned neighborhood grocery.

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A bevy of burgers at Burger Moovment

or 10 years Burger Moovment, 7512 W. North Ave., has stayed true to their brand. For a solid decade they have been slinging top quality burgers, fresh cut fries and milk shakes in an unpretentious fast casual environment. Owner Anthony Gambino has helmed Oak Park’s Italian mainstay, Cucina Paradiso, for more than 20 years and has found the balance between

fine dining and casual fare. “Besides fine dining Italian, I have loved pizza and burgers my entire life,” says Gambino. “I’ve done pizza for many years, so when the time and location was right, it was natural to do a burger joint.” In fact, the Classic Moov, featuring American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on a brioche bun, was recently named among the top 20 suburban burgers by the Chicago Tribune. Earlier in 2019, their fries were named among the top 20 in Chicagoland by the same publication.

Anthony Gambino credits quality, value and service for the long-term success of his quick service restaurant. | Photos by Melissa Elsmo

Gambino and the Burger Moovment team focus on using quality ingredients to

build a better burger. The quick-service establishment flips every patty to order using locally sourced bakery buns, 100-percent Angus beef and locally grown produce. In addition to serving up 3-ounce griddle-smashed beef patties (think single, double or triple depending The Classic Moov, shown here, has had top billing on on your appetite), the Burger Moovment’s menu for a full decade. Elmwood Park shop offers black bean veggie burgers, is the most popular menu item because healthy turkey burgers and an all-natural its covers everything a burger aficionado chicken option. longs for: meat, cheese, pickles, grilled With four fresh buns to choose from, onions and bacon with special Moov including a gluten free option, 20 topping sauce. and sauce options, five cheeses to choose “We hope to be an institution to the from and four premium toppings like fried neighborhood for many years to come, egg or applewood smoked bacon, the where families can always come and enjoy menu at Burger Moovment holds limitless great American fare,” says Gambino. possibilities. For burger lovers looking for a more complex offering, Burger Moovment has more than a few menu options to choose from. The Elmwood Park Burger

Burger Moovment

7512 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park 708-452-7288 • burgermoovment.com

Hungry for Breakfast?

7426 W North Ave., Elmwood Park, IL 60707 Mon-Thu: 11am - 9pm • Fri-Sat: 11am - 10pm • Sun: 12 - 9pm

Call 708-456-6100 to make a reservation.

Follow @forestparkeats on Instagram for more tasty morsels!

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A whirlwind of emotion behind Oak Park roastery

hirlwind Coffee, 513 Madison St., is up and running in the old Gilchrist Hardware building and donating a portion of profits to local organizations. The craft roastery was designed to honor the memory of David Silverstein’s late wife with a philanthropic twist.

beans before the roasting for efficiency purposes. The resulting blend boasts dark chocolate, almond, citrus and floral notes and comes in a bag featuring whimsical images of fruits dressed as showgirls created by Elana Ernst Silverstein. Trained as a roaster in Minneapolis, Silverstein fell in love with the chemistry of roasting coffee. A refurbished Sanfransican Roaster, designed for artisan coffee roasters, is at the heart of Silverstein’s business. The environmentally friendly small batch roaster has the capacity to roast 25 pounds of green coffee beans every 15 minutes.

Silverstein has spent the last several years primarily focused on stabilizing his family. Silverstein and his elementary school aged daughter Maya have been constant companions since Elana Ernst Silverstein died tragically in 2012 due to a medical error. “My wife was an amazing artist. She was an actor, singer, and voiceover talent with a heart of gold. She was always helping everyone she met,” said Silverstein. “After such a horrible and tragic loss, I wanted my work to reflect her values, celebrate the way she lived her life and surround my daughter with an example of her kindness.” Whirlwind Coffee, structured like Newman’s Own, is technically a for-profit business. After covering expenses and salaries, however, all net-profits will be

David Silverstein, owner of Whirlwind Coffee, is ready to roast and serve your next cup of coffee. | Provided donated to local charitable organizations. Silverstein, who is a fan of salvaging and revitalizing, was excited to purchase the former home of Gilchrist Hardware because of its rich history as a communityfocused business. The former plumbing and hardware store has been remodeled to include a roastery as well as a café.

Whirlwind offers single origin beans and three signature coffee blends. The signature blends, High Kick, Shake a Leg and Killer Diller, aim to capture the spirit, moxie, and energy of the Whirlwind Brand. High Kick features a custom blend of Guatemalan, Brazilian, Columbian and Ethiopian beans. Silverstein combines the

Jerusalem Cafe

Award winning and Voted best Middle Eastern restaurant in west suburbs. We are open for business and continue to take orders for pick up and delivery. We are taking steps to follow the latest CDC guidance to help minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus for our staff and guests.

1030 Lake St. Oak Park, IL 60301 (708) 848-7734 11:00 am – 9 pm JerusalemCafe-OakPark.com

“M

Silverstein says the act of roasting puts him at peace. He is confident Whirlwind Coffee will bring him closer to his daughter and the community all while generating ways to give back in thoughtful ways. “Coffee is an emotional elixir,” said Silverstein. “A frequent companion throughout the highs and lows of life, it can be a kick in the ass when you need it most.”

Whirlwind Coffee Co 513 Madison St., Oak Park

708-613-8448 • whirlwindcoffee.com

Vision-impaired baker loves selling sweets

y goal is to help others conquer the kitchen with poise, patience and perseverance,” said Keelie Banks, 35, owner of Suga Bakers, talking about her blog and her love for inspiring others. But that statement takes on extra meaning when you learn about what Banks refers to as “a unique set of challenges.” Eight years ago, she was diagnosed with retinal pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that causes vision loss. “With the help of God and my amazing support system, I remain committed to making my dreams a reality,” said Banks. Banks started baking 14 years ago. “What started out as a way to make extra money during my college years turned into a full-fledged passion,”

Banks said. But she’s always enjoyed creative endeavors and hobbies, like sewing, decorating and entertaining. She lives nearby in Bellwood, so she’s familiar with Forest Park, where she frequents restaurants, including Shanahan’s and Scratch Kitchen. Creativita is another favorite: “Painting and wine have become one of my new birthday traditions,” Banks said. In her blog The Sweet Life, at sugabakers.com, she talks about her love of baking and shares recipes, like Ultimate Pumpkin Muffins and Pumpkin Praline Pie. Decadent desserts, including German chocolate cake, red velvet cake, and a variety of cookies are for sale at sugabakers.com

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Victory Italian brings comforting fare to the Pleasant District

n array of classic Italian dishes made a mid-pandemic arrival in the Pleasant District when Chef Joe Farina opened Victory Italian at 100 S. Marion St. in Oak Park in April 2021. Farina brought the next establishment in the Victory brand to Oak Park in hopes his special brand of Chicago-Italian fare would complement the robust mix of culinary venues within the community. It was a dream come true for Farina to be able to open a location alongside local favorites such as Poor Phil’s and Peterson’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream. Chef Farina and his team are serving confident, flavorful, and familiar fare in a well-appointed space with a generously sized, dog-friendly outdoor patio. The interior embraces a sleek, yet welcoming black and white color palette that gives Victory Italian its distinctive throwback charm. A soundtrack including old-timey

favorites like “Fly Me to the Moon” enhance the retro vibe. Kind service and generous portions are standard fare at the family friendly restaurant. Farina is committed to keeping Italian food simple by letting the flavors of local and seasonal ingredients shine through. In addition to offering an array of signature dishes like burrata salad and crispy brick chicken, Victory Italian is known for serving up Italian inspired menu items with distinctly American origins, like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan. Cheesy garlic bread and a Caesar salad provide a reliable start to any meal at Victory Italian. Expect them to deliver a bright, lemon-forward Caesar salad dressing with a few anchovy notes. “Joe’s Mama’s Meatballs” served with marinara sauce and whipped ricotta are also a popular menu selection. If meatballs are your kryptonite, you’ll be pleased with these.

Joe’s Mama’s Meatballs | Melissa Elsmo Chef Farina also delivers a noteworthy house-made ravioli -- the unassuming cheese-filled parcel packs bold flavor and comforting texture. Diners are advised not to skip the pork chop Calabrese; the dish will make you a Victory regular. Pounded thin and lightly breaded, the uncomplicated entrée is enhanced by the addition of whole Calabrese peppers, pepperoncini, white

So glad to be here...

wine, sage and lemon. Victory’s Wine Spectator Award winning wine list and classic cocktail assortment round out the menu offerings.

Victory Italian

100 S. Marion St., Oak Park

708-434-5766 • victoryitalianoakpark.com

THANK YOU,

OAK PARK! IT’S BEEN A GREAT HALF A YEAR, YOU DESERVE HALF OFF ON AN ORDER OF JOE’S MAMA’S MEATBALLS AS OUR THANKS! JUST MENTION THIS AD. THROUGH 10.14.2021

WWW.VICTORYITALIANOAKPARK.COM 100 S. MARION STREET • 708.434.5766

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Delivery First offers on-demand drivers

he pandemic pitted many restaurants against third party delivery services, but now Delivery First, a restaurant focused food delivery start-up, has entered the Oak Park market and aims to disrupt the gig economy and do away with percentage-based fees. Delivery First was started by restaurant owners who were trying to win the delivery battle, but they could not make the math work. Anthony Gambino, CEO of Delivery First, tried to find a reliable thirdparty delivery service for his restaurants well before the pandemic hit. “All the services compromised our cashflow. Even though we were doing more deliveries our profits were down overall,” said Gambino. “It was clear we needed to get out of the delivery business or get way more in.” Disillusioned with the expensive, ordergenerating, mark-up machines delivery services had become, Gambino chose to dive into the business with a solution-

oriented approach. Delivery First is structured more like a courier service than food delivery services like Grub Hub or Door Dash charging a flat fee per order. The newcomer aims to be a breath of fresh air to restaurant owners who have been at the mercy of companies like Grubhub and DoorDash who take more than 30% of every delivery order in fees. Unlike the independent contractors affiliated with some services, Delivery First is employee based. Drivers are paid an hourly wage plus tips with a guaranteed threshold. Drivers can contribute to a 401K and are eligible for workman’s compensation should they be injured on the job.

the Delivery First app in 2017 and took on their first client in Elmhurst in 2019. Though small, the company is now in a growth phase and actively expanding into what Gambino refers to as the “parks region.” The area includes Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest.

Gambino and his team began building

The Oak Park area is an emerging hub

with a current team of 10 “on demand” drivers. As more restaurants join the program Delivery First is committed to hiring drivers from inside the community.

Delivery First deliveryfirst.com

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Celebrating Cermak Hungry folks can curb just about any craving on Cermak Road in Berwyn.

Old Fashioned Candies Sisters Lynn White, Sandra Figatner and Donna Greenwald are carrying on their parents’ legacy at Old Fashioned Candies, 6210 Cermak Rd. Established in 1969 by George and Theresa Brunslik, their daughters now keep the 50-yearold business going strong. Assorted nut clusters, cordials and cream filled candies await at the shop that is also part museum — Old Fashioned Candies has their original cash register on display — it maxes out at a sale of $3.99.

An assortment of filled chocolates and nut clusters from Old Fashioned Candies in Berwyn

Anthony’s Pizza Looking for an Italian treat? Anthony’s Pizza, 6237 Cermak Rd., has been serving up pizza slices and other Italian fare for 34 years. The unassuming shop relies on foot traffic and top pizzas with quality ingredients like Grande cheese and house made red sauce to keep pies flying out the door. Pizza may be the star of the show, but according to Anthony’s manager and co-owner Anthony Cosmano, the Italian beef sandwich is one of the best things on the menu.

Owner manager, Anthony Cosmano, is all smiles as he welcomes customers to his Cermak Road Pizza shop.

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October 6, 2021

Las Islas Cermak Road is no stranger to its fair share of wellloved Mexican restaurants, but folks looking for a seafood fix should swing by Las Islas, 6516 Cermak Rd. Guests are quick to order a refreshing michelada to enjoy alongside tilapia ceviche and serrano chili salsa. The spicy tomato juice-based beer cocktail spiked with lime and rimmed with tamarind paste is Las Islas’ signature drink. Just like the michelada, people eagerly order langostinos. The small crustaceans — much smaller than a lobster and larger than a crawfish – are served in the shell for an indulgent hands-on eating experience.

Langostinos are a signature dish at Las Islas in Berwyn

The Cermak District Anthony’s Pizza 6237 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 749-1100 • anthonyspizzaplace.com

Home Run Inn Pizzeria 6825 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 317-8877 • homeruninnpizza.com

El Nuevo Vallarta Sports Bar and Grill 6801 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 317-5929 • elnuevovallarta.com

Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar #330 7130 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 749-2319 • buffalowildwings.com

Jelly Jam Pancake House 6300 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 484-9840 • facebook.com/jellyjam02

Canton8 Sport Bar & Grill 6312-14 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (312) 208-6270 • canton8sportbarandgrill.com

La Lupita Restaurant 6539 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 788-8226 • lalupitaberwyn.com

Las Quecas Berwyn 6311 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 956-7371 • facebook.com/pages/Las-QuecasBerwyn/107897849595109?fref=ts

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins 6601 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 749-0906

La Michoacana Prime 6224 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 956-7697

Flight 22 Wine Bar 6518 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 956-7648 • flight22winebar.com

La Michoacana Classic 6533 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 637-4075 • lamichoacanapremium.com

Guadalajara Grill & Bar 6814 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 788-2600 Herbalife Happy and Healthy 6628 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 473-4492

La Parra Restaurant - Bar 6710 W Cermak Ave Berwyn (708) 317-5339 • laparrarestaurantandbar.com

La Quinta de los Reyes Restaurant #2 6431 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 484-4689 Los Tarritos Restaurante 6241 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 317-5842 • facebook.com/lostarrito LongHorn Steakhouse 7115 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 484-6350 • longhornsteakhouse.com Old Fashioned Candies 6210 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 788-6669 • oldfashionedcandiesinc.com

Overseas China Restaurant 6846 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 484-5447 Starbucks 7124 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (312) 877-0464 • starbucks.com

Vesecky’s Bakery 6634 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 788-4144 • facebook.com/VeseckysBakery Waldo Cooney’s Pizza 6733 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 749-7997 • waldocooneyspizza.com Wanda’s Chinese Kitchen 6301 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 788-2868 Zacatacos - Cermak 6212 W Cermak Rd Berwyn (708) 484-8460 • zacatacos.net

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Boutique meal service at Angie’s Pantry

ttention to detail, determination, and adaptability are just a few of the key ingredients that helped Angie Montroy, chef-owner of Angie’s Pantry, build a thriving business. She credits a steady, but manageable growth trajectory for the long-term success of the food-focused business she officially started in 2011. Thanks

to perseverance, creativity, positive word-ofmouth, business is booming at Angie’s Pantry, 809 South Blvd. Angie’s Pantry started when Montroy offered her personal-chef services to four clients in the mid-nineties and grew to include small catered events. In time she started operating out of The Nineteenth Century Club before moving into the brick-and-mortar on South Boulevard where the bulk of her business now revolves around providing a vast array of heat-and-eat meals for individuals and families.

Angie Montroy owner of Angie’s Pantry, 809 South Blvd. in Oak Park. | Photos provided

Montroy has spent nearly a decade building her recipe repertory while steadily increasing her customer base. Today, Angie’s Pantry has a client list of more than 1,200 people and offers a weekly menu of healthy ala carte meals and devilish desserts for pre-order and pick up.

Special Advertising Section baker at heart and lets her “devil horns” show when she makes dessert. Massaged kale salads and “creamless” cream soups are an easy way to justify enjoying a slice of Montroy’s decadent streusel-topped apple bars or signature “baby cakes.” The three-layer cakes are just six inches in diameter, serve eight and come in festive flavors like mint, Oreo, and peanut butter. An insatiable love of flavor, respect for global Signature dishes at Angie’s Pantry include parmesan crusted cuisine and curiosity about chicken and light tomato cheese pasta. cooking methods form the foundation for the Angie’s Angie’s Pantry prepares 200-300 meals a Pantry menu, but the diversity of dishes has week featuring signature dishes like parmesan aided Montroy in keeping her customers crusted chicken and light tomato cheese satisfied. pasta, spicy basil chicken with veggie fried “I have spoiled my customers because I do rice and roasted salmon salad. everything I can to make them happy,” said In the kitchen Montroy sticks to an 80/20 Montroy. philosophy--80% of Angie’s Pantry offerings are prepared with health and wellness in Angie’s Pantry mind while 20% are designed to be a true 809 South Blvd. Oak Park indulgence. All dishes at Angie’s Pantry are free of preservatives, artificial ingredients 708-434-5742 • angiespantry.com and trans fats, but Montroy admits she is a

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10 Things Going Right with Food in Oak Park The Oak Park Economic Development Corp. is a quasi-government organization funded by Oak Park’s village government. It focuses on driving investment and development activity in Oak Park.

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Fresh Oak Park Dining Options:

Despite an unprecedented pandemic the Oak Park community is welcoming new restaurant into its diverse and delicious fold. Notable newcomers include La Borra del Cafe, a chain of coffee shops with roots in Guadalajara and more than 70 locations in Mexico. The burgeoning chain opened its third US location on Lake and Marion in July. Brewpoint Craft, a womanowned purveyor of coffee, cocktails and charcuterie, debuted on Oak Park Ave. this summer. Housed in the former home of L!VE Café, the transition happened with the full support Reesheda Graham Washington who trusts Melissa Villanueva, Brewpoint owner, will continue use the shop to address issues of community development, equity and antiracism started at L!VE. Blackout Baking Co. and its arsenal of tiny cookies are making their way to the pleasant district and the highly anticipated Kyuramen is expected to start serving slurp-worthy noodles in Downtown Oak Park in the coming months.

Takeout 25 transitions to a Non-Profit:

In a show of support of local restaurants Takeout 25 called on the community to spend $25 a week on carryout to ensure no Oak Park restaurant would close because of COVID 19. The relentlessly positive online community of more than 9,000 members rose to the challenge and now Ravi Parakkat, founder and Village Trustee has transitioned the group to a non-profit designed to out live the pandemic. In addition to increasing revenue and lowering costs for restaurants, Parakkat aims to facilitate relationships with local delivery services, introduce collaborative initiatives to aid restaurants in bulk ordering eco-friendly take-out packaging and reduce retail food waste by marketing local food overages in inventive ways. What started as reaction to an industry crisis is now a permanent part of the Oak Park restaurant community.

Oak Park Economic Development Corporation

Unity Fridge opens outside Carnival Grocery:

Oak Park’s first Community fridge arrived in Oak Park last May and continues to offer 24/7 access to free food including perishables and canned goods. Residents and political candidates, Anthony Clark, Chibuike Enyia (current village trustee) and Juanta Griffin joined Arthur Paris, Carnival Grocery owner, and representatives from the Oak Park Chamber of Commerce to unveil the refrigerator nestled against the grocery store’s exterior. The initiative outlives the elections and promotes a “take what you need, leave what you can” philosophy. Differing from a charity, the “unity fridge” operates as a mutual aid system where members of the community work together to support the needs of people living in the community. The public refrigerator, with a clear glass door, roof and walls protecting it, is powered by Carnival Grocery and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A return to normalcy for the Oak Park Farmers Market:

The Oak Park Farmers Market was radically changed by the pandemic in 2020 with weekly producer-only market being fully relocated to allow for proper social distancing; strict capacity limits and a U-shaped footprint also impacted the market feel. Though traffic still flows in a single direction at the weekly market, a laid-back atmosphere and return to the Pilgrim Church parking brought a sense of normalcy back in 2021. Shoppers are pleased the farmers market band is back together, doughnuts are being sold inside the market once again and the popular corn roast event returned as well. On opening day of the 2021 market, village staff and volunteers welcomed 3,239 shoppers over the six hours the market was open. This represents an 85% increase in attendance over the first market last year.

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Restaurants make good neighbors:

Chefs and restaurateurs are known to be generous and kind people. Despite myriad industry-wide struggles that giving spirit is alive and well in the Oak Park food community. Jimmy Chen, owner of Poke Burrito, struggled to keep his business afloat during the pandemic, but Takeout 25 helped buoy his business enough that he was not only profitable, but also able to rehire furloughed workers. When Chen, his wife, and son each received $600 stimulus checks from the federal government they all agreed to use the money to purchase $1,800 worth of gift cards from The Book Table. Chen opted to buy 180 $10-dollar gift cards to give away to customers in hopes of driving business to the struggling shop.

When Kristen and Jason Alfonsi, co-owners of One Lake Brewing accidentally over ordered outdoor heaters in anticipation of winter outdoor dining they turned their unintentional hoarding into an act of goodwill by sharing the hard-to-find equipment with at cost to Exit Strategy in Forest Park, Flapjack Brewing in Berwyn, Kinslahgher in Oak Park, Armand’s Pizza in Elmhurst and George Street Pub in Chicago.

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Great Beer for Great Causes:

Both Kinslahger Brewing Company and One Lake Brewing joined more than 1,000 breweries worldwide to brew a beer under the Black is Beautiful label and donate the proceeds to a social justice cause of their choosing. Kinslahger’s lead brewer, Russhane Dawkins, created a tropical stout with sales benefitting The Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights while Shawn Stevens of One Lake Brewing crafted a black German lager whose sales benefitted Chicago non-profit, My Block My Hood My City. During mental health awareness month last May, Jim Cozzens, owner of Oak Park Brewing company joined forces with Kinslahger and One Lake to collaboratively brew a beer under the Things We Don’t Say IPA label. a beer crafted to aid in smashing the stigma around mental health struggles--100% of profits went to Hope for the Day, a Chicago based non-profit focused on suicide prevention.

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Beyond Hunger Delivers:

Under Michele Zurakowski’s leadership in 2020 Beyond Hunger shifted its in-person shopping experience to a drive-thru/ walk-up model designed to mitigate health risks while still getting healthy food into the hands of people who needed it most. Additionally, Beyond Hunger tripled the size of its home delivery program dedicated to providing food to people who could not otherwise get to the pantry. Creative thinking in the face of increasing need led to a collaboration with Oak Park Township. The expansion of Beyond Hunger’s delivery program was hampered by driving needs, but the township allowed the pantry to utilize its vehicles and drivers to deliver food to those in need.

After dealing with the critical needs brought on rapidly by the pandemic, Beyond Hunger worked swiftly to formalize its expanded home delivery program. A grant from the Greater Chicago Food Depository specifically targeted toward addressing food insecurity on Chicago’s south and west sides, helped Beyond Hunger open a permanent home for their home delivery program in the Soul City Corridor. Expanding services beyond the Oak Park pantry and headquarters permanently solidifies Beyond Hunger’s ability to deliver wholesome groceries and pantry staples to housebound people in Oak Park and Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Oak Park Economic Development Corporation

Iconic Turano lands HQ in Oak Park:

While the smell of baking bread still comes wafting into Oak Park from Turano Baking Company’s expansive Berwyn baking facilities, Oak Park is now home to Turano’s headquarters. The $10 million, 25,000 square foot, two story building covering the 6500 block of Roosevelt Road is now open and operating. It includes both office space and an expansive test kitchen for new products. “It is such a well-known and wellrespected brand. Turano has a lot of cachet in the food industry,” said John Lynch, executive director of the Oak Park Economic Development Corp. “This is a big deal. When you can replace underutilized real estate with a gleaming new building, it is a feather in Oak Park’s cap to be headquarters for such an iconic brand,” said Lynch. Turano recently purchased the former Salvation Army resale store on Roosevelt Road and is expanding its parking on that site.

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October 6, 2021

People love outdoor dining:

As the weather turns toward fall and winter, Oak Park restaurants will need to move back indoors after a second COVID summer of improvised outdoor seating across the village.

John Lynch, executive director of the Oak Park Economic Development Corp., credits village hall with being flexible and innovative in finding ways to support outdoor dining as many consumers were reluctant to dine indoors. “All of our restaurants did a phenomenal job during the pandemic,” said Lynch. “OPEDC was only in support of the work of the village. We’re fans of it.” Lynch, who follows dining trends carefully, believes demand for outdoor dining will outlast the pandemic and more permanent options will need to be explored.

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Pete’s great for food and for commerce:

Pete’s Fresh Market II is coming. John Lynch, executive director of the Oak Park Economic Development Corp., says the preliminary work continues on such largely invisible projects as rearranging utility lines while Pete’s works to wrap up construction of an other new store in the Chicago area.

The second Pete’s – the original is on Lake and Harvey – will be built on long vacant land on Madison Street and Oak Park Avenue. Lynch says the fullservice grocery store will generate more commerce off of Madison Street than any other possible use. “The Pete’s plan is already responsible for the new senior housing project coming across the street and for other commercial interest along Madison,” said Lynch. “Pete’s is going to be the catalyst for growth in the center section of Madison in Oak Park,” said Lynch, “just as the new community rec center will be the catalyst for the eastern stretch of Madison Street.”

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A vacation feel at New Rebozo

s much as fans crave New Rebozo’s Fiesta Mole dish — a whopping six enchiladas individually topped with six unique Moles — they also visit the 30-year-old Oak Park restaurant to interact with chef and owner, Francisco Lopez, known to all as Chef Paco. The effervescent chef is known to exclaim “oh my god” when greeting customers or describing his authentic Mexican fare. The veteran chef aims to highlight sweet, spicy, and sour flavors through complex and creative menu offerings. Paco’s aims to stay innovative while honoring his traditional roots, seasonal ingredients and old family recipes that have made New Rebozo, 1116 Madison St., an Oak Park destination for three decades. And now he uses his catchphrase to express gratitude for support during a global pandemic. “I love my customers — they are my family,” said Chef Paco. “Oh my god, my customers have helped me through this terrible situation.”

Chef Paco took time to establish a plan to give more control over the dining experience to his customers and create a sense of calm in the restaurant during the global pandemic. He replaced the flooring and ceiling in the entire establishment to give it a fresh look and a new level of cleanliness.

The back patio was also freshened up and reorganized to ensure proper spacing between tables, but the vacation feel is alive and well at New Rebozo. Red umbrellas cover well-spaced tables. Plants and art hang on the colorful walls enclosing the space. Originally the patio had a capacity of 50, but now holds 20. Positive word of mouth about New Rebozo’s thoughtful modifications began bringing more people to the restaurant. Chef Paco is honest that most customers still prefer to dine outside, but more are opting to utilize the dining room to enjoy dishes from all regions of Mexico. No matter if customers dine indoors or out, Chef Paco’s 26 moles and New

Chef Paco stands proudly on the patio of New Rebozo. | Alex Rogals Rebozo’s Chile Nogada have drawn a loyal following. The Chile Nogada has roots in Puebla, Mexico and is traditionally available between September and January. The seasonal dish features a poblano chile stuffed with beef, dried fruits and nuts and covered with decadent walnut cream sauce before being garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds. Paco recommends pairing the noteworthy dish with a delicious

New Rebozo margarita. “Visiting New Rebozo means you can forget your problems, put this situation out of your mind, relax and enjoy my food.” said Chef Paco.

New Rebozo

1116 Madison St. Oak Park

708-445-0370 • newrebozos.com

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Try a new restaurant this week!

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Lechon from Pig and Fire: Chef Roel Estanilla of Pig and Fire slices up decadent Filipino lechon at private events and pop ups across various communities. The crispy roasted pork belly is stuffed with aromatics before being rolled and roasted until it is crispy and tender. Visit their website to learn how to get your hands on some. Oak Park and Chicago.

The Fog Horn Leg Horn from Chubby’s Char House:

d ea u r S! yo EAT m he in ll t m te t the d an ou ab

Slap two perfectly Nashville hot chicken tenders on a bun and top it with jalapeno slaw, dill pickles and “sauce sauce” and you are in for a treat at Chubby’s Char House. The Foghorn Leg Horn is a spicy delight, but folks looking for a milder meal can order the Fog Horn. 5963 W. Madison, Chicago.

Maki for Mora Asian Kitchen: A slice of “Let it Rain” maki from Mora Asian Kitchen in the Harrison Street Arts District is as colorful as it is delicious. Filled with snow crab, the roll is topped with rosy-hued fish, avocado and poke sauce. Oishi! 201 Harrison St, Oak Park.

Chicken Shawerma Sandwich from Petra Falafal: Head to Forest Park where Petra Falafel takes pride in serving authentic Mediterranean fare like Kebabs, hummus and Lebanese salads. The Chicken Shawerma sandwich comes tightly wrapped in flatbread filled with charbroiled chicken breast, garlic sauce and pickles. 7314 Madison St, Forest Park.

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Memorable Mexican Savor a Side of Sparkle at Crepas Culichi: As soon as a customer takes a seat at Crepas Culichi in the delightfully decorated diminutive space, a glass of pink lemonade and chocolate dipped marshmallows magically appear on the table. What follows is a dining experience worthy of such a sweet start. Sisters and co-owners, Yency and Estefany Garcia, who are also in business with their mother, took inspiration from coffee shops and crepe stands located in their hometown in Mexico when they opened Crepas Culichi in April 2019. Hand-milled flours form the base for an array of crepes served at Crepas Culichi. Special flavorings are added to the flour that result in colorful batters. Elaborately decorated shakes are also stand-outs at Crepas Culichi. A glittergarnished churro shake or whipped-cream topped cake shake are sure to make any day feel like a special occasion. No sweet tooth? Savory poblano crepes are festive and filling.

Confident cooking at Tacos Y Salsa The Caldo de Cameron offered by Tacos Y Salsa, at 6346 W. 26th St., is an enchanting shrimp soup made with a mother’s touch — it was love at first spoonful. Ms. Laura Guerrero, mother of six and owner of Tacos y Salsa honors her ancestors by preparing her family’s traditional home-style recipes. A single bowl of this deceptively complex and highly satisfying soup includes a dozen shrimp. Special spices like bay leaves and oregano help elevate the warming tomato-based soup, while a garnish tray filled with onion, cilantro, avocado and lime allow diners to customize their meal.

The flautas de pollo from Tacos Y Salsa are crispy and delicious. The mild dish can handle a little heat from their house-made salsas.

Tacos y Salsa is a local favorite for authentic Mexican fare and their piping hot Flautas de pollo come four to an order with rice, beans, guacamole, and sour cream while the chicken soup, served with warm corn tortillas, features bone-in chicken in a broth brimming with chunks of zucchini and carrot.

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Takeout fare from Torres Fresh Market: No exploration of Mexican fare in Berwyn would be complete without a visit to Torres Fresh Market, 6227 W. 26th St. While grocery shopping, you’ll discover gorditas and fajitas and tacos (oh my). In addition to serving up memorable tacos Torres also offers a chicken fajita plate, steak tortas and house-made beef gorditas. Every dish remained piping hot while we traveled home and the fajita plate may have looked unassuming, but the boldly flavored meat was a 26th St. standout. Each taco is more satisfying than the next and the gordita — a thick corn tortilla pocket filled with beef — proved to be a filling and tasty lunch selection. Torres Fresh Market is a notable place to source a memorable meal and you can do some grocery shopping, too. A quartet of Torres tacos—chicken, steak, beef and pork—each as flavorful as the next.

Misc. Districts Avito Caffe 6510 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (312) 388-8486 • avitofilm.com/caffe

Crepas Culichi 2713 S Ridgeland Ave Berwyn (708) 637-4998 • crepas-culichi.com

Lalo’s Restaurant 3011 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 484-9311 • lalos.com

Baby BBQ Fire 6715 26th St Berwyn (708) 637-4236

Dolci ChoccoLatte Caffe 6508 16th Street Berwyn (708) 691-6265

Benny’s Pizza 6806 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 749-1771 • bennyspizzaberwyn.com

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins 2945 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 749-0689

Jelly Jam Restaurant and Pancake House 3205 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 777-1967

Berwyn Tap Room 6330 W 16th St Berwyn (708) 317-5067 • facebook.com/Berwyntaproom Bob’s Belgian Hot Chocolate 6412 W 27th St Berwyn (630) 430-4730 • bobsbelgianhotchocolate.com Cake Bros Bakery 6737 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 749-2504 • cakebros.com Cien 100% Naturalisimo 2709 S Ridgeland Ave Berwyn (708) 317-5679 • 100naturalisimo.com Cigars and Stripes BBQ Lounge 6715 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-1043 • stripesbbq.com

Harlem Ave Lounge 3701 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 484-3610 • harlemavenuelounge.com The Healthy Spot 2211 S Highland Ave Berwyn (708) 315-1349 Juice Vibe Bar Berwyn LLC 2137 S Oak Park Ave Berwyn (708) 232-3385 • juicevibeco.com La Flor de Michoacan 6316 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 317-5052 La Michoacana & More 2707 S Ridgeland Ave Berwyn (708) 477-8117 • lamichoacanamenu.com

Junior’s Bar and Grill 7011 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-9465 Las Delicias De Michoacan 6807 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-5357 Los Corrales Taqueria & Restaurant 6713 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 484-9063 • loscorralesberwyn.com Lucky Dog III 7151 W 16th St Berwyn (708) 749-0330 Michael Anthony’s Pizzeria & Bar 6434 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-2222 • michaelanthonyspizzeria.com My Uncle’s Place 2615 S Ridgeland Ave Berwyn (239) 777-5382

Nuevo Poncitlan Inc. 6322 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 484-5944 Nicco’s Bar and Grill 6300 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 670-2042 Neveria Naranja Dulce, Inc 6252 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 714-0074 Novi’s Beef 6746 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 749-0895 Nonno’s Pizza 6969 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 788-1100 • nonnospizza.com Paisans Pizzeria & Bar 6226 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-5325 • paisanspizza.com Parrilla Express 6401 W 34th St Berwyn (708) 637-4799 • parrillaexpress.com Primos Lounge 6510 16th St Berwyn (708) 317-4442 Skyview Restaurant 6334 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 795-0088

Slice Factory 6900 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 788-1700 • theslicefactory.com/berwyn Tacos Y Salsa 6346 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 749-3581 • tacosysalsarestaurant.com Taqueria El Meson Express 6831 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 484-1470 • elmesonexpress.com Tastee Freeze 6621 W 26th St Berwyn (708) 749-7377 Viva La Frida 7117 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 788-4333 • palace regency.com Wok N Roll Express 6969 W Ogden Ave Berwyn (708) 788-0088 • woknrollberwyn.com Zacatacos - Harlem 3837 S Harlem Ave Berwyn (708) 484-1300

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Yaya’s yogurt at Eggsperience: Served on its own or as part of Yia Yia’s Waffles, Yaya’s yogurt is a standout at Eggsperience. The flavorful homestyle Greek yogurt is airy and tart and pairs beautifully with assorted berries, oat granola, and a drizzle of local honey. 16 Conti Parkway, Elmwood Park.

The Dr. Fong at Chef Shangrila: Chef Shangri-la remains one of the few Tiki bars that also offers a full menu and no meal is complete at the 45-year-old restaurant without Dr. Fong by your side. The recipe for the family namesake cocktail is a closely guarded secret, but it is considered a “safe” choice because of its lower alcohol content. A whimsical ceramic glass can be purchased to hold the rum-based umbrella drink prized for its citrus and peach flavor. 7930 W. 26th St., North Riverside.

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Crudo at White Crane Creative Thai and Sushi: Subtle twists on tradition are at the heart of White Crane’s menu. A vibrantly colored crudo featuring an assortment of sashimi grade fish also includes the additions of both crunchy black salt and bright green edible seaweed called wakame. 819 S. Harlem Ave, Forest Park.

Fried shrimp po’boy at Surf’s Up: Lovingly toasted bread and piping hot cornmeal coated fried shrimp in this near perfect sandwich. The generously sized sandwich served in the North Avenue District comes dressed with house-made remoulade sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion. Cut it in half and share it with a friend. 6427 W. North Ave, Oak Park.

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A culinary passage through India The Back That Thang Up Omelette with a side of cheesy grits. | Photos by Alex Rogals

All day breakfast and a few surprises at Butter and Brown Bistro

he Brown family has resided in Austin for a decade and Lanell and Tiffany Brown proudly opened Butter and Brown Bistro, at 420 Austin Blvd., earlier this year. Located in the heart of the Lake and Austin business district, Butter and Brown Bistro was built to be a hands-on, family-run enterprise.

We specialize in Dumbuc Khana (cooking in pot with steam) and Tandoori Khana (roasting over charcoal in a clay oven). We offer a variety of vegetarian options.

Come and experience this exotic and unforgettable cuisine.

Both children and adults will appreciate the customizable sandwiches featuring a choice of meat and come on a unique jam-filled bread making the offering an unexpected sweet and savory delight. Most breakfast dishes come with a side of Butter and Brown’s signature “pimpin’ potatoes” and grits. The fresh spuds are cube cut and cooked with onions, red and green peppers, and are topped with cheddar, while the well-seasoned grits are served plain or with cheese in generous portions.

The welcoming eatery offers all-day breakfast, but the expansive menu covers lunch and dinner as well. Full of fun touches, the menu, is designed to appeal to the masses and provides niche Customers clearly selections found clamor for Butter on few, if any, local and Brown’s grits menus. Every menu making them item is cooked to An order of the apple cinnamon pancakes. popular at breakfast order at Butter and and at other times Brown. A sign clearly of the day. Shrimp and grits have proven to states customers should expect to wait be the single most popular offering on the 15-20 minutes to receive their order to broad menu. allow for proper cooking time. Since opening, the Browns learned from Expect to find a vast array of classic locals that 30 years ago the very same breakfast fare like biscuits and gravy, chicken store front operated as a neighborhood and waffles, and egg dishes to appeal to restaurant. Now, in addition to welcoming breakfast purists. Butter and Brown’s “Back first-time patrons, Butter and Brown Bistro that Thang Up” omelet comes brimming is serving up a sense of nostalgia to with bacon, sausage, ham, sauteed peppers longtime residents with every meal. and cheese while more innovative offerings like sweet potato infused waffles spiked Butter and Brown Bistro with coconut, cinnamon and vanilla and an 420 N. Austin Blvd. Oak Park assortment of “OMG Buss it Baby Butter Sandwiches” keep things creative in the diminutive restaurant.

The Khyber Pass is a mountainous region peopled by hardy nomadic Pathans. In keeping with their nomadic lifestyle, simplicity is the essence of their cuisine. The secret of Pathan cooking lies in the excellent quality of the meat and the chicken, and just a light touch of spices. The food is cooked in a “tandoor,” a hollow, barrel-shaped clay oven.

708-928-8837 • butterbb.com

Celebrating 26 Years in our Current Location!

Dine-in, Take out, Delivery, Catering 1031 Lake St, Oak Park • (708) 445-9032 • khyberpassoakpark.com Mon - Thurs: 3:00 pm - 9:30 pm; Fri - Sun: 12:00 pm - 9:30 pm

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Take a ride on the Veltway Time for freestyle Thai: Bodhi Thai Bistro, 6211 W. Roosevelt Road, is a quaint eatery that flies low under the radar of the local restaurant scene, but food-lovers in the know are regulars at this affordablypriced gem on the “Veltway.” Since opening in 2009, Bodhi Thai has been turning out reliable Thai dishes using passion-driven freestyle cooking techniques. This in-the-moment cooking style makes use of seasonal ingredients and ensures quickthinking cooks can create all dishes to order. As a result, most of Bodhi’s dishes are easily adaptable to vegan, vegetarian and glutenfree diets. The well-appointed dining room offers a tranquil setting to explore an array of Thai specialties. Steamed and pan-fried Gui-Chai dumpling, colorful tofu salad and indulgent chicken satay are menu standouts. Diners can round out their meal with an array of curries, noodles, or rice-based dishes. Classics like Pad Thai are complemented by a secret menu, rotating specials, healthy salads, and warming soups. Pad Thai is a renowned Thai dish. Stir-fried thin rice noodles are served in Bodhi’s unique tamarind sauce with choice of protein and bean sprouts, scrambled egg and ground peanuts.

More than fast food at Big Guys Sausage Stand Carryout-focused Big Guys Sausage Stand, at 7021 W. Roosevelt Road, serves up more than sausages—in addition to churning out a creative array of sandwiches the dimuitive restaurant offers robust family-style meals, slow cooked soups and hearty fare to welcome autumn. Brendan O’Connor and his cooks are known for turning out creative sandwiches like a bone in shortrib sandwich called the Fred Flintstone, mile high patty melts, and $5 burgers every Monday. Folks in the know also turn to Big Guys for award-winning chili, full Thanksgiving meals and special event catering

Big Guys Patty Melt is griddle cooked on marble rye with Swiss and American cheese, grilled onions, and side of Dijonaise.

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Feeding generations at DiNico’s For more than 35 years, DiNico’s Pizza, at 6627 W. Roosevelt Road, has been serving up giant pizza slices and assorted Italian fare. A mainstay in the Berwyn culinary community, the pizza-focused establishment has cultivated generational loyalty. Cooks at DiNico’s turn out more than 500 pizzas every day brimming with freshly shredded cheese and both house-made crust and sauce — portions sold by the slice are equivalent to one quarter of an extra-large pizza. Stuffed pizzas and specialty pies like taco and BBQ chicken pizzas complement newer menu items like gluten-free and cauliflower crust.

Pad Thai is a renowned Thai dish. Stir-fried thin rice noodles are served in Bodhi’s unique tamarind sauce with choice of protein and bean sprouts, scrambled egg and ground peanuts.

The Veltway District Autre Monde Cafe & Spirits 6727 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 775-8122 • autremondecafe.net

Berwyn’s Culver’s 6943 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 788-8000 • culvers.com

Rachel’s Café 7001 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 317-5852 • rachelsdeli.net/

Turano Baking Company 6501 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 788-9220 • turano.com

Babygold Barbecue 6613 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 637-4364 •babygoldbbq.com

DiNico’s 6627 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 749-9900

Sushi Junki 6639 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 788-3888 • sushijunki.com

Vinny’s Cafe 7005 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 317-5833 • facebook.com/pg/VinnysGamingCafe

Big Guys Sausage Stand 7021 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 317-5213 • bigguyssausage.com Bodhi Thai Bistro 6211 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 484-9250 • bodhithaibistro.business.site/?m=true Buona Restaurant 6745 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 749-2555 • buona.com

Gina’s Italian Ice 6737 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 484-0944 • ginasitalianice.com J Wok See Thru Chinese Kitchen 6641 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 788-3888 Pasquale’s My Way Cafe 6905 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 743-9006

Taco Yo Inc. 6629 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 749-2300 Tasty House Restaurant 7101 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 788-1800 • tastyhouseberwyn.com Travy’s Tavern 6907 W Roosevelt Rd Berwyn (708) 317-4118

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Byline Bank surprises restaurants with gift card purchases $15,000 in spending a welcome surprise for local eateries by Melissa Elsmo

Goldschmidt, who has more than 40 years of experience in the banking industry, also understands the struggles restaurants are facing firsthand. She and her late husband owned and operated the now closed China Night Restaurant in Forest Park for 15 years.

ecognizing that local businesses and restaurants form the backbone of communities, Alberto Paracchini, CEO of Byline Bank, tasked Susie Goldschmidt, Oak Park and River Forest Market President for Byline Bank, with purchasing $15,000 in gift cards from local restaurants.

“I know about the plight of restaurants after running China Night on my own for seven years,” said Goldschmidt. “It is great Byline wants to make a difference locally and preserve the feeling of a true community bank.”

Byline Bank committed the funds in hopes of making a difference at a critical time for many restaurants struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hope is this effort, and similar ones in Evanston and Lakeview, will gain momentum and inspire others to participate in showing support for local establishments. In December, Goldschmidt operated like a jolly elf paying surprise visits to 68 Oak Park, River Forest, and Forest Park restaurants to purchase gift certificates on behalf of the bank. “I had my fill of lunch, coffee, dinner and desserts over the five days spent buying the gift cards than I have had in quite a while. It was a great change up to my week,” said Goldschmidt. “One restaurant said they were wondering and waiting to see if I would end up at their business.”

Byline Bank has accumulated a collection of hundreds of gift cards and the impact of the considerable spend has not gone unnoticed. Byline Bank’s Susie Goldschmidt bought $15,000 in gift cards from local restaurants including this purchase from Charlie Robinson at Robinson’s #1 Ribs on Madison Street.

Byline partnered with the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce as well as the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Oak Park to help Goldschmidt spread the love between communities. She visited breweries, restaurants and diners including One Lake Brewing, Robinson’s Ribs, and Georges’ Family Restaurant. She also stopped by coffee shops, bakeries and sweet shops

including Wise Cup in Oak Park, River Forest Chocolates, Twisted Cookie in Forest Park as well as Oak Park’s, Spilt Milk. “I think this program is so amazing, and as a small business owner I cannot tell you what an impact that makes and how truly grateful we are for the support.” said Meg Svec, co-owner of Spilt Milk Pastry of the Byline Bank effort.

Courageous Bakery in Oak Park donates a portion of their proceeds to cancer research and sent an appreciative email to Goldschmidt stating the following: “Every purchase makes a difference in these difficult times. We are so grateful we have been able to stay open, both to be here for our community and also give back to a good cause.”

Donna Fantetti-Slepicka. owner of River Forest Chocolates, is all smiles under her mask after a gift card purchase made by Susie Goldschmidt. Donna Fantetti-Slepicka. owner of River Forest Chocolates, is all smiles under her mask after a gift card purchase made by Susie Goldschmidt.

William Quick, owner of Trattoria 225, poses with Susie Goldschmidt after a purchase on behalf of Byline Bank.William Quick, owner of Trattoria 225, poses with Susie Goldschmidt after a purchase on behalf of Byline Bank.

Shivangi Khetarpal, co-owner of Wise Cup, give a thumbs up alongside Susie Goldschmidt of Byline Bank.Shivangi Khetarpal, co-owner of Wise Cup, give a thumbs up alongside Susie Goldschmidt of Byline Bank.

Hungry for more?

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Committed to Oak Park and River Forest Byline is privileged to be a part of the Oak Park River Forest community for more than 20 years and since 2020 has committed over $65,000 to organizations in Oak Park and River Forest. Our team looks forward to continuing our commitment to customers and businesses in the Oak Park and River Forest community. To learn more about our commitment to Oak Park and River Forest, visit bylinebank.com/oprf