Senior BenefitsLiving YOUR BEST LIFE withLisaCapone
Senior living communities offer a myriad of benefits that enhance the quality of life for older adults. One of the primary advantages is the opportunity for social interaction. Residents can participate in a variety of activities, from arts and crafts to group outings, fostering friendships and reducing feelings of isolation.
CTA, IDOT sign o on design prep for long-awaited Blue Line improvements
Transit board also approves Austin/Division bus facility refresh
By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
The Chicago Transit Board, the governing board for the CTA, has unanimously approved two intergover nmental agreements that have implications for the West Side and wester n suburbs.
slow zones.” She added that, as a Green Line rider, she could attest to some riders who would normally take the Blue Line taking that line instead.
CTA budgeted $28.2 million for the design phase. The latest agreement directs $18 million in federal funding IDOT secured on CTA’s behalf toward the project. CTA will cover the
ern Illinois Transit Authority (a rebranded Regional Transportation Authority) will assume more authority over infrastructure projects this fall.
In the statement to the media, Leerhsen and Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi hailed the ag reement as a major milestone.
Senior living communities also free residents from the burdens of home maintenance and chores. Housekeeping, laundry services, and meal preparation are typically included, giving residents more time to enjoy their hobbies and interests. Moreover, senior living communities often provide various levels of assistance, from independent living to full-time care, allowing residents to age in place comfortably. This flexibility ensures that as needs change, the appropriate level of care is always available.
Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708)387-1030. for friendships and reducing feelings of comfortably. This flexibility ensures
The board, at its Ju an agreement with the of Transportation (IDOT) to allocate $18 million toward the awaited improvements ofthe section ofthe Blue Line that serves North Lawndale East Garfield Park, Austin, Oak Park and is currently in the process of for federal funding to help co costs ofthe actual completed, the impr pected to significantly speed up servic which has been plagued to track conditions.
The board also appr ment with the City of improve the bus turnaround southeast corner ofDivision Street and Austin Boulevard. make the facility safer and more hospitable for passengers and bus drivers alike. Construction is expected to begin this fall.
Blue Line’s Forest Park branch is the section ofthe line that runs either in the median or alongside Eisenhower Expressway. CTA and IDOT have been working on improving the tracks and the stations as part ofthe broader Eisenhower Expressway rehab. So far, they have completed work on the section between UIC-Halsted and Illinois Medical District stations. Now, they are trying to tackle a portion between IMD station and the Forest Park ter minal.
That part ofthe line has been notorious for “slow zones,” sections where CTA has the ‘L’ trains slow down due to deteriorating track conditions. According to the transit agency, “more than 84% [of the branch] is under a slow zone.”
During the July 8 meeting, CTA acting president Nora Leerhsen acknowledged that “it is s place where we lost riders because of
The design phase would pave the way for the first complete track replacement since the Forest Park branch opened in 1958, as well as drainage systems and power upgrades
On the longer run, CTA is planning to make Western, Pulaski, Cicero, Austin, Oak Park and Harlem stations fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The project does not include any funding towards restoring the Central Blue Line ‘L’ station and the rehabbing the Cicero station’s Lavergne Avenue entrance – an unfunded mandate included in last fall’s NITA Act transit funding bill.
In a recent interview with this newspaper, Camille Lilly (D-78th), a major supporter of the two projects, didn’t rule out some state funding – but she indicated that those discussions likely won’t happen until the new transit boards are sworn in and the North-
“This agreement is a testament to what strong partnerships can accomplish,” Leerhsen said. “Thanks to IDOT securing federal unding on CTA’s behalf, we can all look forward to this project moving ahead.”
“We look forward to this next step in modernizing the Blue Line and improving the overall I-290 corridor,” Biagi said. “Reaching this stage has required tremendous teamwork and will ultimately make the corridor more accessible, safe and reliable for everyone who relies on it.”
The Austin/Division bus turnaround is a spot where, as the name suggests, CTA bus route 70/Division turns around and heads back east. Riders can transfer to CTA route 91/Austin. Work will include replacing the existing canopy used to shelter passengers, repairing concrete, sidewalks and curbs, upgrading the windbreak and gutters, and renovating the employee restroom.
The funding for the project will come from Austin Commercial TIF, the district that spans most ofthe portion of Central Avenue between Ferdinand Street and Nroth Avenue, as well as most of the Austin sections of Chicago Avenue, Division Street and North Avenue commercial corridors. It is currently scheduled to expire in 2031.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city will use the funds to reimburse the CTA for up to $1.066 million in construction expenses
The CTA Board approved the agreement without discussion. In the press release following the meeting, Leerhsen touted the project as “an investment into our employees and our riders.”
“The planned repairs and renovations will enhance accessibility, comfort and the overall rider experience while ensuring this neighborhood transit hub continues to serve the community for years to come,” she said.
JAVIER GOVEA
Get yourself in a pickle
Oppor tunity Knocks demos pickle-making with more than cukes
By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Eats Reporter
“Half a cup of vineg ar and half a cup of water,” John Asta said, as he demonstrated how to make refrigerated pickles at the Oak Park Far mers Market on Saturday, July 11. “The ratios and volumes of salt, sugar, and vinegar is going to be more concentrated than if you were doing a hot brine.”
Asta works for Opportunity Knocks, a local organization with a mission to provide innovative and collaborative programs, enterprises and partnerships for people with intellectual and developmental differences. One of their enterprises is called “Knockout Pickles.”
food to last longer throughout the year. This is a way to take what we can get during the summer and make it last throughout the year.”
“It’s new ideas of how to use produce at the market,” Ament said. “I’ve never considered pickling fruit. I’ve heard them talk about all kinds of other produce that can be pickled.”
On the demo table were onions, cucumbers, carrots, peaches, cherries and more.
As people approached the table, Asta gave them the run-down. Next to him two others from Opportunity Knocks helped prep the veggies and gave out samples from the pickles varieties that the enterprise makes and sells to local restaurants. Jars are also available in local stores Sugar Beet Co-op, Alpine Food Shop, Riverside Foods to name a few.
“Everyone has been saying how good our pickles are,” Madeleine Gancer said.
Getting this group to demonstrate how to make quick pickles at the farmers market was the brainchild of market commissioners Woody Meachum and Macaire Ament.
“A big part of the market is about sustainability,” Meachum said. “Let’s stretch our
As people watched onions were sliced, put in a mason jar with aromatics – garlic and dill.
“The versions that we sell have fresh dill from our garden, and we use dill seeds to really punch up the dill flavor,” Asta said. “Also a nice healthy amount of garlic because I love that, but not a requirement when you’re
making them at home. And then this recipe we’re doing today is just with white vinegar, but you can use any sort of vinegar, depending on what type of flavor you’re looking for. You could use an apple cider vinegar, a champagne vinegar, or rice wine vinegar. In place of the sugar, you can also use honey, maple syrup.”
A starter kit consisting of a Mason jar with sugar and salt packets were available for people to take home and give it a try on their own.
Basic pickling recipe:
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup distilled white vine gar or apple cider vine gar
• 1 Tablespoon kosher or pickling salt (not table salt)
1 teaspoon sugar (adjust more or less to your taste)
Aromatics:
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 sprigs of fresh dill (dill seed can add additional flavor boost)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seed or black peppercorns
Put the ing redients along with sliced or chopped veggies into a Mason-type jar. Put the lid on and shake gently. Pickles are ready in 24 hours after putting in the fridge, but will be at optimal flavor in about a week.
“If you like a little bit of heat in your pickles, you can throw in some red pepper flakes, or you could cut open a spicy pepper and put that in the jar and that will impart the spicy
Pickled onion demonstration
flavor in there,” Asta said.
Recipes for Swedish pressed cucumbers, Vietnamese carrot and daikon pickles, Mexican pickled jalapeños and carrots, Easter n European salted gherkins, pickled red cabbage and kimchi were also available.
A curious passer-by asked if the recipe could be used with Watermelon. The answer was yes!
The goal for all was to get people excited about additional things they can do with produce from the market. For the Opportunity Knocks staff, it was also to increase awareness.
“It’s just a good opportunity to get our name and face out there,” Asta said.
RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR
Diana Ibarra, Madeleine Gancer and John Asta demonstrate pickling.
RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR
Community Geothermal could be headed to Oak Park
Oak Park Residence Corp. awarded $250,000 planning grant to explore neighborhood geothermal
By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter
The Oak Park Residence Corp. (OPRC) recently was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Illinois Climate Bank and the Illinois Finance Authority to look into how the village might create a neighborhood geothermal loop system.
Geothermal systems use a system of underground pipes to leverage the earth’s constant subsurface temperature to heat and cool homes, thereby providing a sustainable method for heating and cooling homes without the use of fossil fuels.
Neighborhood geothermal operates on a loop to provide a shared, utility-scaled underground piping network to provide heating and cooling to an entire neighborhood.
The geothermal loop being considered would serve the segment of Oak Park bordered by Washington, Austin, Madison and Harvey.
Residents of the possible geothermal neighborhood loop in Oak Park-Washington to Madison and Austin to Harvey can learn more on Thursday, July 16 in a meeting at the Infant Welfare Society, 28 Madison St. in Oak Park. The program will star t at 6 p.m.
Lindsey Roland Nieratka, chief sustainabil-
ity officer with the village, said that one of the reasons this area was chosen was a possible geothermal loop is that it has a mix of residential, municipal and not-forings that could all potentially tap into the loop David Pope, executive director of that the process began several years federal gover nment put out a request responses. At that time, OPRC reached out to several potential allies including the village tectural Consulting Engineers of Oak Engineering and Oak Park Ap artments
See GEOTHERMAL on pa
LINDSE Y ROLAND NIERATK A VOP Chief Sustainability O cer
“We started thinking, thi s c ould be exciting to be able to do this on a larger scale,” he said.
T heir first ef for ts did not win a gr ant, so they t rie d again in 2025 when the state of I llinois of fered a similar gr ant. This time, Oak Pa rk won a gr ant, along with another project in Chicago and another downstate
Po pe c alled the gr ants a way to look at different t ype s of c ommunities in wh ich a neighborhood g eothermal loop c ould be created
POPE Executive Director of Oak Park Residence Corporation
“This is a p lanning gr ant,” he said, a dding that it will enable them to look at different options to see wh at c ould wo rk in Oak Pa rk
Questions to be answe red include wh at level of pa rt icipation is needed, wh at are the economics involved and how would it be administered. T he g oal is to create a business and ad ministrat ive model to mak the neighborhood g eothermal loop sustainable in the long term.
Mark N ussbaum of Architectural C onsulting Engineer is wo rk ing with Jami l Bousaab of the civil engineering firm Te rra Engineering on the technical s ide of the gr ant.
wo rk on our small lots. A real appeal to this approach is that it would bring g eothermal to a population that c ould n’ t c ons ider it even if they wanted to.”
Fo r now with the gr ant, N ussbaum and Bousaab will be c onsidering different approaches. A hurdle in i nstalling g eothermal in Oak Pa rk is that the ve rt ical loops need to be de ep ly dug, wh ich ca n be challenging with trees and utilities on small lots. N ussb aum says they are looking at alternatives such as a newe r approach that eliminates the need for so many ve rt ic al loops and might c ut down the need to only three or four ve rt ical holes that would have a far greater capacity
T he village ’s Roland Nieratka sai d that economies of scale are a big pa rt of the neighborhood eothermal project. I nstallation for g eothermal systems is expensive when c ompared to carbon-fueled systems, and that sharing the infrastructure will make it more af fordable.
“ A real appeal to this approach is that it w ould bring geothermal to a p opulation that c ouldn’t c onsider it even if they w anted to.”
T heir firms would eventually be d esigning the horizontal pa rt of the g eothermal loop that will go around the neighborhood and the loop field, wh ich is the pa rt of the equipment that will r un ve rt ically, under ground . At this stage in the process, N ussbaum says they are wo rking with ways to ensure that every home, apar tment building or business withi n the b oundaries c ould tie i nto the loop
M ARK NUSSBAUM Architectural Consulting Engineers
A nother firm would help with the installation of the equipment that would go i nside buildings to provide heating and c ooling .
“I’ve d one a lot of g eothermal over the last 25 year s, ” N ussbaum said. “One problem is finding a drill rig that ca n
nother pa rt of the gr ant process will be figuring out the administrat ive and financial piece of the p uzzle. T he end result might involve leasebacks and will need to take i nto acc ount a changing landscape in tax breaks fo r sustainability wo rk . Cu rrently, tax breaks for g eothermal wo rk exist for c ommercial projects but not resid ential.
N ussbaum said: “Other c ommunities have d one this on the east c oast. It ’s pretty straight forward from an engineering standpoint, but every project is ve ry site specific. T he t ricky pa rt is, who r uns it? Is it a municipal utility?”
Roland Nieratka a dded that wo rk in g towards Oak Pa rk ’s first c ommunity g eothermal loop is a g ood fit for the village ’s g oals to move aw ay from carbon-based f uels and reduce emissions and said that if this project b ears fruit, it c ould be a model for expansion in the villa ge
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OA K P ARK
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Don’t Yuck My Yum
VIEWPOINTS
I’ve bought books from every local bookstore in the village, and I find the personalized customer service to be exceptional. You can wander into Dandelion Bookshop on Oak Park Avenue with only the vaguest idea of what you want to read, and Jamie will somehow have five perfect recommendations based on your interests and maybe even recalls your last visit. I’m convinced it’s a superpower, a distant cousin to psychic ability.
Having been an Oak Park resident for more than a decade, I’ve shifted during that time from intrigued to frustrated to resigned that the corner of Lake and Harlem had one massive empty storefront. It once housed Borders bookstore and, before that, Marshall Field’s department store. You can usually tell how long someone has lived here simply by how they describe that corner. While I have cheered the expanded set of retailers and food options near that intersection of Lake Street, it has been hard to emain accustomed to just nothing there.
ier this month, Barnes & Noble opened in e, finally bringing added life back to a ner that desperately needed it. As opening day pproached, you could feel the inevitable commerce debate brewing: local versus chain. The new Barnes & Noble sits less than 200 yards from a newly opened independent bookstore, and for some , that proximity is reason enough to pick a
I’m not one of those people We’ve got to get to a place where we can embrace local shops, regional chains, and national retailers. A healthy business district is built on choices. Competition can be uncomfortable, but it’s also what keeps commercial districts vibrant.
I have fond memories of spending hours in Barnes & Noble reading books and magazines, while my friend or girlfriend was engrossed in another section on another floor. Better yet, I made more than a few purchasing decisions based entirely on whatever happened to be sitting on the display table with an 80% off sticker
There are people who will never step foot inside Barnes & Noble just because it’s a national chain. That’s their choice, and I respect it. Just like there are shoppers who only buy groceries at Carnival or the far mers market and are annoyed that Pete’s is building another store on Madison (odds on whether it will be before the next presidential election?).
The beauty of Oak Park is that nobody has to choose one or the other. You can get a book delivered by the staff at The Book Loft, pick up the latest release at One Stop Comics, or get happily lost perusing inside Bar nes & Noble. You can buy your weekly groceries at Sugar Beet or Whole Foods. They’re all different experiences, and that’s exactly the point.
Not every store has to be everyone’s favorite. Supporting local businesses is important. So is filling long-vacant storefronts and encouraging foot traffic. Everyone should shop from their preferred stores and often, so we can maintain these choices and keep Oak Park’s business districts thriving. You don’t have to love what someone else loves. Just don’t yuck their yum.
Vince Gay has over 20 years of experience in education, ranging from classroom teacher to building administrator. The proud parent of two school-aged children, he has been an active member of the Oak Park community for more than a decade
Take a good look at this
face
This is Nik the Barber. He has been cutting what’s left of my hair for about seven years now.
In May of this year, federal agents descended on his small, brick home in the quiet Chicago suburb of Elmwood Park and waited for Nik to do what Nik has been doing every day for 20 years in America. They waited for him to go to work
As soon as Nik stepped out the door, he was apprehended, loaded into a van and shipped to a cooler in rural Indiana, where a federal rubber stamp cloaked in black robes declared him a “criminal illegal alien,” pounded a gavel and launched him back across the Atlantic Ocean to his native Albania.
the Atlantic are part of the reason why I am here today
I have become an old man with very few Earthly pleasures, but one indulgence was my monthly visit to Nik the Barber for a haircut. We didn’t talk much at first, but he would always have the TV tuned to sports or the stock market report, which would inevitably help small talk get bigger.
I learned that Nik had grown up in a rural mountain town in Albania and had come of age right as Communism was collapsing in the Balkans. Aside from corrupt gover nment patronage posts and the local mafia, there wasn’t much opportunity for young men, so Nik began crossing into Greece to look for whatever work might be available down there.
He told stories about mountain crossings at night in winter, almost freezing to death, getting stiffed by employers and getting kicked out of Greece multiple times because he had no legal right to work there.
Eventually Nik saved enough money to obtain a visa and come to the US, where he joined family members and other Albanians who had already immigrated and settled in Elmwood Park. There they filled in homes and storefronts that had once been the stomping ground of Italian immigrants, like the ones whose trips across
I can clearly recall childhood conversations with my own immigrant grandparents from Italy and Ireland and I remember being more or less spellbound listening to them talk about the ups and downs of life in the “old country.” At a young, impressionable age, I came to understand how their real life immigrant experiences helped forge in them an unshakable, nonnegotiable love for America. I heard something similar in Nik’s stories about leaving Albania and coming to America, so I enjoyed listening to them. At some point, Nik felt comfortable enough to break out a bottle of his homemade grappa and so my monthly haircuts became a sort of bizarre day spa ritual that included shots of grappa, some sort of snacks like peanuts or pretzels and discussions about life, work and the world.
It got to where he would always schedule my haircut for the end of the day so he could tur n off the spinning barber pole, close up shop and relax with a couple of belts of Albanian moonshine while shooting the breeze
I learned that Nik got married to an American girl, had a daughter, bought a little brick house and fixed it up. And when he wasn’t cutting whatever is left of old men’s hair, he was laboring on construction sites or driving for Uber and Lyft and DoorDash.
Much like the immigrant ancestors who deposited my bloodline on these shores in the Twentieth Century, the man was a working man, cobbling together his own version of the American Dream, one day at a time
Having willfully fled a society trampled by Communism and the chaos of its collapse, he would often say about people born here, especial-
PHOTO PROVIDED
Nik the barber
OPRF’s boondoggle
News of a boondoggle recently came to light involving OPRF Superintendent Greg Johnson and Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Tony Arbo gast. They spent nearly $5,000 taxpayer educational dollars and three paid workdays to present at a lear ning spaces industry trade show and conference in Portland, Oregon, in October 2024, according to an email from Communications Director Karin Sullivan.
At the time, OPRF already had a complete master facility plan in place and had a highly paid, presumably competent architectural fir m (FGM Architects) and construction management firm (Gilbane) under contract. Both firms were already working on Project 2 of the Imagine Plan. Gilbane was a sponsor of the conference, and FGM Architects hosted a dinner for Johnson and Arbogast, according to Sullivan.
Johnson and Arbogast were essentially consultants acting on behalf of FGM Architects and Gilbane at district taxpayers’ expense. Johnson’s and Arbogast’s participation in the panel presentation with Alyson Sternquist, FGM architect overseeing the building of the Imagine Plan, along with a leader of the Imagine Group and Foundation was of zero benefit to OPRF students and taxpayers.
Their presentation was a how-to guide, complete with propaganda messaging, on creating a master facility plan without a budget, embedding it with an influential specialinterest group’s pet project, in this case an oversized pool, and bypassing best practices and voters to build it.
Eighteen months earlier, Johnson proposed to the OPRF school board the unethical, against-best-practices, bypassof-voters issuance of debt certificates to fund Project 2, the pool/PE addition with a total price tag of $135 million (construction, geothermal and bor rowing fees). Voters defeated the board’s two previous attempts to build an oversized pool.
Based on school board President Audrey Williams-Lee’s recent email re ply, two boards (2024 and current) were/are aware of the trip and think there was nothing unethical, no breach of public trust, with Johnson and Arbogast using paid workdays and taxpayer dollars to attend a trade show and conference in Oregon to promote the Imagine Group/ Plan and its unethical funding to school construction management and architectural fir ms and any school administrators in attendance.
It was a boondo ggle, and no amount of spin or doubling down from Williams-Lee changes that. Some school boards could consider this abuse of taxpayer dollars a fireable offense.
Johnson’s and Arbogast’s time and our taxpayer dollars would have appropriately been spent attending a conference focused on improving academic outcomes for all students, as well as one reviewing best practices in public finance. The latter would serve as a reminder to them (and the board) that bypassing voters on funding major capital projects is unethical and not a best practice.
Monica Sheehan Oak Park
FTragedy tomo , comedy tonight
or its 50th season staging outdoor theatrics in Austin Gardens, Festival Theatre is trying something new: Two plays. Well, they’v that before, but never before presented in re pertory, i.e. on alternating evenings (Mondays off).
And what plays they are — Hamlet you-know-who and The Importance of Being Earnest by the almost-as-famous Oscar Wilde. Both bards were arguably at the top of their respective games — dazzling stylists of the English language Shakespeare probably coined more familiar phrases in this play alone — still in use a half-millennium later — than most writers rack up in a career:
TRAINOR
“There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy.”
“To thine own self be true; thou cannot then be false to any man.”
“Neither a bor rower nor a lender be.”
“Brevity is the soul of wit.”
“To be or not to be, that is the question.”
“The play’s the thing.”
“Hold the mirror up to nature.”
“The lady doth protest too much.”
“Get thee to a nunnery.”
“I must be cruel only to be kind.”
“Conscience doth make cowards of us all.”
“Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well.”
“The readiness is all.”
Not to mention, “There is something rotten in ____” (fill in the blank to make it timely).
Shakespeare was a veritable fountain of cliches, but they weren’ t cliches when he first penned them. They were just so good that they withstood the test of time. Hamlet is many things — a study in grief, a murder mystery, a ghost story, a coming-of-age story, and a study in revenge. It’s too superficial to reduce the play, as many do, to paralysis, passivity and indecision.
I love the fact that Hamlet dithers. His “revenge mission” requires self-questioning and demands self-examination. It’s part of his coming-of-age, evolving into a man capable of action. The one time he acts impulsively, he ends up killing the wrong person (Polonius). In the end his waiting leads to more casualties (including himself), which is the tragic nature of the story, but vengeance itself is the true villain. The Count of Monte Cristo went about revenge coldly and methodically. Not Hamlet. He takes us along on his stor my jour ney. In either case, there is no “good” way to pursue retribution (despite Hollywood’s romance with stories of “virtuous vengeance”). On the contrary, as many have
pointed out, revenge is like drinking poison and waiting for everyone else to die. But in this case, pretty much everyone does die.
grown weary of many of Shakespeare’s plays, but not this one. wever, tragedy needs comedy for balance and Festival Theatre provides ry other night — in Earnest. When the weather is lovely, as it was last week, and in spite of a swarm of curious fireflies and a giant moth who managed to strum and flit its minute upon the stage, there are few things more rewarding than sitting in the middle of a lovely park with an amphitheater of trees as your backdrop on a beautiful summer evening and savoring the outbursts of world-class wordsmiths, projecting their genius through young and talented mouthpieces. The play is, indeed, the thing.
And if tragedy isn’t your thing, Earnest is your antidote. Oscar Wilde’s satire of bad behavior, thinly disguised by excruciatingly correct manners (as etiquette expert Judith Martin used to say) is funny enough in its own right, told trippingly from the tongues of stuffed shirts and girdled aristocrats, but Festival’s troupe of talented young players takes all that well beyond the manners borne, layering Wilde’s verbal gymnastics with over-thetop, impeccably choreographed slapstick, laying it on thick.
The result is freaking hilarious. It was good to hear the audience bellowing instead of the polite chuckling of recent years. Festival has tapped into a pipeline of talent, such as Drew Bos, who found his way here from the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and is more than up to the prized role of the Danish Prince one night, followed by comic turns as two idiosyncratic butlers in Earnest the next.
But the frolicking foursome of Chad Bay, Sonia Goldberg, August Forman, and Aurora Pennepacker (brilliant in last year’s Amelie in the city) do more than steal the show, all accompanied by wellcoordinated musical stylings. This is a delightfully multi-dimensional comic production.
Taken together, this is the best season Festival has produced in years. Hamlet is always worth seeing, but with Earnest, Festival has a real hit on its hands. If you haven’t made it to Austin Gardens in recent years (the pandemic may have had something to do with that), this is the summer to get reacquainted.
Festival Theatre is back (times 2), now through Aug. 15.
SHRUB TO WN by Marc Stopeck
We’re better together on climate
When we can’t count on the federal government to tackle climate change, communities like Oak Park need to focus on what we can do locall y.
Oak Park has made considerable progress on reducing our collective burden on the environment in just the four years since the village board adopted the Climate Ready Oak Park (CROP) climate action plan. But the municipality hasn’t done it alone. From developing CROP to putting in place the policies, programs, and funding to realize its ambitious but essential goals, partnerships between the village and community groups like Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) have been key. For Chicago Climate Week, OPCAN is offering a panel discussion about how advocacy organizations and munic-
ipal governments can create successful climate actions. Featuring Oak Park Village Manager Kevin Jackson, for mer Village Trustee Susan Buchanan, and Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, this FREE event takes place on Saturday, July 18, from 3-5 p.m., in the beautiful offices of Elements Architectural Group, at 407 South Blvd. in Oak Park (close to the CTA Green Line, street parking, and bike racks!). Guests can tour this recently renovated netzero carbon vintage building and enjoy complementary refreshments. Space is limited: register at bit.ly/july18opcan.
Laura Derks Oak Park
WEDNESD AY
of Oak Park and River Forest
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Razzle-dazzle award application falls at
The Village of River Forest’s application for the All-America City Award (“River Forest wins All-America Nomination for engagement efforts,” April 28) is more of a campaign appeal than an accurate account of how our local gover nment operates
The Village stated a commitment to transparency, yet its own examples demonstrate the opposite.
The much-publicized “Neighborhood Dialogues” were not open community conversations. They were invitation-only gatherings attended by merely 63 residents, after a screening process that generated significant public controversy. The Village spent $20,000 of taxpayer’s money on these carefully curated meetings, only for the consultant’s report to reveal overwhelming opposition to
proposed density on Madison Street.
The application claims residents were “surprised” by how far development proposals had advanced because they were “unfamiliar with the review process.” The more accurate explanation is that the review itself occurred largely behind closed doors. The EDC requested a review of all developer proposals, yet was denied full access while a preferred proposal moved forward.
The application also describes three “open house forums” that supposedly connected residents with developers and financiers These gatherings consisted of poster displays and had low attendance. There was no for mal public forum, no structured presentation, no opportunity to ask ques-
Case against
The debate over eliminating Oak Park’s single family zoning ordinance has birthed another season of debate over direct vs. representative democracy – and yes, the latter is “democratic.”
Recently, I received a flyer from MIMBY Oak Park listing several concerns about the elimination of single-family zoning. The flyer posed eight questions it suggested voters should ask about the potential action, including whether it would be “implemented without allowing you to vote in a referendum.” Ironically, by demonstrating the complexity of the issue through its other questions, the flyer unwittingly answered its referendum question in the negative I first lear ned about the referendum process studying the early 20th Century Progressive movement, and back then I thought it was a neat idea. But during law school in California, I discovered its shortcomings, and even its dark side. My constitutional law professor argued that courts should give referenda closer constitutional scrutiny than laws passed by legislatures. In theory at least, elected representatives study potential legislation and engage in a deliberative process of debate and compromise that wrestles with costs and benefits, implementation issues, and other
a referendum
tions on the record, and no requirement that developers respond publicly to residents’ concerns
The application further portrays the Village President’s “Casual Conversations” as a model of civic engagement. These meetings began during an election cycle, are typically attended by a handful of residents alongside Village staff and allow discussion of Village business outside of for mal public meetings. When enough trustees attended to create a quorum, they were re portedly instructed not to participate in the discussion because it would create an official meeting and belie notice requirements
Finally, highlighting a senior Bingo event as evidence of “innovative” civic engagement should not be confused with
complexities of proposed legislation.
But referenda boil complex issues down to bumper sticker size questions that obscure more than they reveal. They ask voters for a YES or NO without requiring them to engage and deliberate with their fellow citizens. And while voter education may be offered, voters are not required to avail themselves of it, and most will not. Even worse, the referenda process can be hijacked. Famously, in the 1970s California voters recalled Supreme Court Justice Rose Bird because of her unwillingness to enforce the death penalty. But the campaign against her death penalty jurisprudence was paid for by an insurance industry that did not like her rulings on insurance coverage issues. Voters were deceived
I agree with Josh Vandenberg -- Oak Park voters elected their trustees to take up complex issues like single family zoning, study them hard, deliberate in good faith, and make a decision. That’s how representative democracy is supposed to work, and it can work on this issue as well as any.
Edward Malone Oak Park
Library book sale ‘warms my heart’
I would like to thank everyone who donated books to the Oak Park Public Library Book Sale. It is such a joy to see so many happy shoppers walking around the library, many car rying large totes filled with books.
I spent a fun hour browsing the tables and combing through the piles of books and came home with
a wonderful haul. The book sale is a reminder of what a special community we have. Thank you to the dedicated volunteers who make this event possible. I can attest that book lovers abound in Oak Park, and that truly warms my heart.
Melanie Weiss Oak Park
meaningful public participation in government.
River Forest deserves genuine transparency and resident engagement. Unfortunately, this award application described an idealized version of Village gover nment that many residents do not recognize. It is not surprising that River Forest did not make the final cut for the award theme of “Strengthening Civic Health and Building Trust.”
Source: https://www.nationalcivicleague. org/2026-all-america-city-finalist-riv erforest-il/
RF development meeting was ‘surreal’
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, I witnessed a four-hour Development Review meeting that was staged by the Village of River Forest. Surreal would describe it best.
Despite the fact that no aspect of the application to build an apar tment complex at Madison and Ashland complied with a single review standard, the board voted a unanimous yes, without deliberation. Each board member received a clear and concise handout listing the multiple noncompliances.
We can only assume from this that these board members would gladly have an unsightly apartment complex of this magnitude in their own back yards, because that’s how close this development would sit next to lovely older RF homes. This begs the question, what are the board members qualifications to serve on a board meant to protect the quiet enjoyment, beauty, and privacy of our homes?
anks for your help
I would like to thank the two ladies and two gentlemen and the paramedics who helped me when I tripped and fell on the sidewalk outside Chase Bank on Wednesday, June 24.
I was bleeding profusely and
had sustained many injuries on my hand, shoulder, knee and ribs. Because of their thoughtfulness and quick action, I received immediate medical care. Thanks ag ain.
Surinder Nand
Deborah Borman River Forest
Jayne Gould River Forest
Don’t eliminate sing le-family zoning
Elimination of single-family zoning would:
1. Destroy uniqueness of neighborhoods
2. Reduce community stability
3. Reduce property values
4. Reduce safety and privacy
5. Reduce green space
6. Increase density
7. Increase costs to single-family owners
8. Cause unexpected development
Because of these and a lot of other issues, the elimination should be a referendum that’s voted on by the people, not just a few who may/may not have a stake in the outcome of such a change.
The elimination of single-family zoning has been tried in other states/cities and the outcome was not as expected
We saw what happened to the change in
leaf removal [with no input by the people who were effected] and the havoc it has caused and extra costs to home owners.
We, as a community, should make this type of decision as to what would actually be best for Oak Parkers.
Annette Hughes Oak Park 30+ year resident
Slow down zoning change
We are writing as Oak Park residents to express serious concerns about the proposed elimination of single-family zoning throughout the village. While we understand the intent, we believe this proposal raises significant questions that deserve careful reconsideration before any final action.
Increased density in an already dense community
Eliminating single-family zoning would allow duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment buildings to replace single-family homes across Oak Park. This adds density to a community already the 6th densest in Illinois. Most neighborhoods, with homes built close together, cannot reasonably absorb more density. Our schools and services are already stretched. Adding residents without a plan to expand infrastructure does not build a better quality of life for anyone
Unclear connection to affordability and equity goals
Though framed as a remedy for discrimi-
natory zoning, this proposal includes no mechanism ensuring new development results in affordable housing. Without safeguards, the main effect may simply be more market-rate density, not meaningful progress on equity
Notably, Oak Park’s high property taxes likely limit housing access more than current zoning does. If equity is the goal, the village should pursue policies that directly address affordability.
Legal risk seen in other communities
Communities in Minnesota, Oregon, and California that adopted similar changes now face lawsuits. Oak Park should weigh this risk carefully before proceeding.
Loss of g reen space and neighborhood character
Replacing single-family homes with multifamily buildings will likely reduce green space and tree canopy, affecting stor mwater management, cooling, and the character that draws people to Oak Park. A significant shift here could push residents toward other com-
munities
Insufficient process and community input
This process appears to limit meaningful neighborhood input, both on individual projects and the policy itself. A change this per manent, reshaping every residential block, should not rest solely with the board but should be decided by the residents who will live with its consequences
Request for a referendum
Given the scale and permanence of this change, we urge the board to put this question to a public referendum rather than deciding it alone. Residents deserve a direct voice in a decision that will fundamentally alter our neighborhoods for generations.
We hope the board will slow this process, address these concerns, and give residents a direct voice through a referendum.
Jennifer and Ken GoodSmith Oak Park
Shaky ground for free speech group
The June 23, Wednesday Jour nal printed my letter taking local leadership to task for not condemning an anti-Jewish act on Home Avenue. They have another opportunity. (“Stories, poetry and calls for boycott law repeal” Wednesday Journal July 7, 2026).
The WJ story reports on a fundraiser for Oak Parkers for Free Speech (OPFS), a sister organization of CJPIP, after the recent township vote about BDS was resoundingly defeated
An organizer talked about a very small, very active, very organized group in our community that worked to deny the Oak Park electorate a vote. He never said “Jews.” He didn’t have to, sounding like something from Nazi Germany, Communist USSR, or groups built on antiJewish hate
The problem is OPFS and CJPIP. After 25 years of organizing, they only received 134 votes. Rather than taking responsibility, they resorted to blaming Jews, using coded language.
Their basic cause rests on shaky ground. OPFS claims “free speech,” yet you and I have the right to boycott, divest or sanction anything we want. Don’t want ketchup on your hot dog? No one can force you. What OPFS is doing is using the voters of Oak Park to try to force the State of Illinois to invest in 27 large foreign corporations with ar mies of lawyers and lobbyists. They don’t want to free all corporations on a “prohibited list,” just those allied with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanction” (BDS) campaign against Israel. Free speech for
me but not for thee?
Ending the investment prohibition will not help Palestinians. No jobs will be created by these companies in the West Bank or Gaza. In fact, the BDS movement destroys jobs. In 2015, Sodastream, an Israeli company, closed its West Bank plant under BDS pressure. Some 400-500 Palestinians lost well paying jobs. The BDS community cheered, even though Palestinians lost dearly. They cheered because they thought they hurt Israelis.
I ask that you carefully consider, and reject what OPFS is asking, even if you signed their petition. And condemn bigoted speech, when you hear it, whether clear or coded.
Alan Peres Oak Park
BILL WARD
Nik is no fraud from page 21
ly young people, “they have no idea how great this place is.”
I don’t know if it was the haircut or the booze or all the philosophizing, but there was never a time I left that weird little temple not feeling better than when I walked in
I suppose I always assumed Nik had gone through the legal steps to secure U.S. citizenship, or at least legal residence.
He has family members here who did.
But in fact, he did not.
As it turns out, the visa that granted Nik entry into the country in 2005 was fraudulent. He was essentially labor-trafficked into the U.S. by Albanian hustlers who took his money and vanished. All of this finally came out at his rubber stamp hearing in Indiana.
He had been ordered to leave the country before, but never complied, and thus the men who sit in judgment of all wrong chose to declare him a “criminal illegal alien” and eject him from the Land of the Free
Despite the official gover nment label, there is no evidence of any behavioral demerit, not even so much as a traffic ticket to weigh on the scales against Nik’s 20-year contribution of labor and tax revenue to the great American enterprise.
But in the end, the legality of this particular expulsion is not in question.
There is however, the fact that much of history and the drama that erupts from it, is about the yawning, eternal gap between what is legal and what is just.
My own Catholic education informs me and anyone else who didn’t sleep through Catechism that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was put to death by a completely legal “judicial” process.
So take one last good look at this face
This is not, in any meaningful way, a “criminal.”
This is Nik the Barber. Albanian by birth, American in spirit.
Carol Gaebler, 88
School social worker
key with Bob.
OBITUARIES
volunteering at Oak Park Library’s Book Fair, and playing the accordion for friends and family. He would challenge anyone to a game of cribbage.
Carol Gaebler (née Armin), 88, died peacefully on June 19, 2026, at her home in Oak Park, surrounded by family. Born in Chicago in 1937, she was a brainy South Side redhead who attended Hyde Park High School and earned a de gree in History and English, with honors, from the University of Wisconsin in 1959. After colle ge, her adventurous spirit led her to work on a kibbutz in Israel, briefly as an au pair in France, and as a volunteer for an international nonprofit in England
Upon retur ning to Chicago, she met Robert “Bob” Gaebler, who worked as a volunteer organizer for the same international nonprofit. Their shared idealism, humor, and commitment to family and community sparked an immediate connection, leading to a short courtship and a 58-year mar riage. They raised three sons — David, Kenny, and Michael — first in Hyde Park and, star ting in 1969, in Oak Park
While parenting, she earned her Master of Social Work de gree from the University of Illinois in 1971. She dedicated her career to helping others, working in crisis intervention initially, as a school social worker in Berwyn from 1973 to 1994, at Oak Park and River Forest High School subsequently, and through her own private psychotherapy practice. She took great pride in supporting adults, children, and families
In retirement, she remained active as a docent at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, a member of the League of Women Voters, and a longtime cong re gant of Oak Park Temple. She maintained a vibrant social life, including decades-long friendships and involvement in the Lowell Society and various book clubs.
She found joy in meaningful conversation, good books, and her family. A deeply attentive grandmother, she built strong bonds with her grandchildren. She was an avid traveler, exploring countries, including France, India, Russia, Israel, and Tur-
She was preceded in death by her husband and is survived by her three sons, six grandchildren, and many extended family members, all of whom were shaped by her intelligence, compassion, and love.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the League of Women Voters Education Fund or a charity of your choice.
John Wellen, 85 Lutheran educator and musician
John B. Wellen is survived by his wife, Lauren (Clark), whom he married in 1970. They were blessed with two sons, John (Laurel) and Robert (Amorie). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Molly, Mason, Carter, Beau, and Mae, and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Alvin.
20 years at the Ogden 6 Theater in Naperville. Dedicated to his work, he almost never missed a day and took pride in the technical expertise and practical know-how he brought to the job. Upon retirement, he devoted many years to caring for Susan during her long illness. She preceded him in death in 2008.
John Bernard Wellen, a longtime resident of Oak Park, died peacefully on June 25, 2026. Born in Chicago on Dec. 18, 1940, to Mary (Dyak) and Alvin Wellen, he attended St. Matthew Lutheran School and graduated from Luther North High School in 1957. He enlisted in the U.S. Ar my and served from 1960-1962 as a teletype operator in Thailand. After his discharge, he enrolled in colle ge and was a 1967 graduate of Concordia Teachers Colle ge (Concordia University Chicago) in River Forest, where he earned his B.A. in Education.
John served several cong re gations and schools in Chicago. At Jehovah Lutheran School he taught fifth and sixth grade. Upon completing his master’s de gree in church music, he was First Bethlehem Lutheran Church’s organist and choir director, and third and fourth grade teacher in the school. In 1975, he received his Master of Church Music de gree from Concordia University Chicago. In 1977, he became director of music for St. John Lutheran Church and eighth grade homeroom teacher for the school. He remained at St. John for 20 years until 1997, when he was called as Minister of Music for St. Philip Lutheran church, parish school, and preschool/ childcare center. In 2003, he retired as an educator but continued to play the organ for Resur rection Lutheran Church in River Forest.
John loved playing the organ and directing choirs and handbells. He was passionate about the Chicago Cubs, jazz music,
Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m., followed by a Celebration of Life at 11 a.m. at Concordia University Chicago Chapel, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the John B. Wellen Music Scholarship, St. John Lutheran Church and School, 4939 W. Montrose, Chicago, IL 60641, 773-736-1112, https://JohnBWellenMusicScholarship.
David Stone, 86 Film projectionist
David Le ett Stone, 86, of Oak Park, died peacefully in his home on June 15, 2026. Born in Chicago on 19, 1940, to Leverett and ginia Stone, he spent nearly entire life in and around the city he called home. He also treasured time spent in Indiana with cousins and extended family during his childhood and young adulthood.
Dave is survived by his sons, David Jr. (Wendy) and Michael (Christine), and by his grandchildren, Claire, Charlie, and Griffin. Known to them as the selfproclaimed “GPD” (Grandpa Dave), he loved hearing about their lives, greatly appreciated their help with navig ating his iPhone, and took quiet pride in the admirable people they were becoming. He was also preceded in death by Dude, the dachshund who was his constant companion in later years.
He will be remembered for his everyday decency, his love of a good joke, and his delight in his pet dogs throughout his life. Whether talking with neighbors, fellow dog walkers, store employees, or the many people he met along the way, he rarely left a conversation without sharing a story or a laugh. He was a good man.
Dave graduated from Lane Tech High School in 1958 and then the DeVry Institute of Technology in 1961 before serving in the U.S. Ar my from 1963 to 1965, which included a posting in Hawaii that remained one of his favorite memories.
He met his wife, Susan (née Gordon), in 1967 while working at WGN-TV. To gether, they raised two sons, David Jr. and Michael. His values of dependability, loyalty, and hard work continue to shape their lives.
A longtime member of IATSE Local 110 and worked as a motion picture projectionist for more than three decades, including
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the International Myeloma Foundation in his memory.
Memorial Service
Mary Kathleen Egan Schmuttenmaer, 91, died on May 18, 2026, after a few weeks’ illness. Please join us at Ascension Church in Oak Park on Wednesday, July 15 at 9:30 for visitation, and 10:30 for Mass.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the service agency that supported Marty during the latter years of his life: Garden Center Services, 10444 S. Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL 60655.
Mary was a fervent supporter of the Constitution. So much so that she had a couple copies on her coffee table for easy reference. Donations to the ACLU would also be appropriate.
SPORTS
Kusevskis settles in at Fenwick
By MELVIN TATE
Contributing Reporter
Fenwick High School’s Donald O’Brien Natatorium wasn’t around when new aquatics director B rigitte Kusev ski s c ompeted in the F riars’ girls sw i mming and water p olo progr ams. Besides that, the p lace has not changed much in the eyes of the C lass of 1996 gr aduate.
Kusev ski s, who on Ju ly officially became not onl aquatics director, but also assistant athletic director of girls sports, expressed excitement about being back at her alma mater.
“It’s ve ry g ood. Definitel f eels li ke a homecoming,” she said.
Kusev ski s, whose last name was Bay ster as a stud ent, was pa rt of Fenwick first- ever class of girls to enroll at the school in the f all of 1992. S he made her mark on the Friars in the pool, becoming a standout in b oth sw i mming and water p olo
Alum is Friars’ new aquatics director, assisting other spor ts
freestyle relay, winning a sectional title in the 100 backstroke in 1993 and g etting A ll-State Honorable Mention that same year.
In water p olo, under the guidance of head c oach Jack Wa g ner – who returned to Fenwick himself two years ago after retiring in 2020, Kusev skis became a fourtime F irst Team A ll-Stater. S he was also llinois Playe r of the Year in 1996, and was a three-time irst Team A ll-American. Such a ccomplishments led to her being inducted i nto the I llinois Water Polo Hall Fame in 2011. After an outstanding c ollegiate water p olo career at llanova Unive rsit y, Kuv skis went i nto c oaching he be g an at St evenson in 2001, then went to Palatine the following year, leadin g the P irates’ boys water p olo team to three c onsecutive sectional titles.
“There was a lot of success when I was there, b oth as a sw i mmer and c oach,” Kusev skis said.
In 2015, Kusev skis returned to St evenson, becoming assistant boys water p olo c oach. In her 11 seasons, she helped lead the Patriots to two state titles and four state r unner-up showing s. Kusev ski s said p lenty of bu y-in from the school and c ommunity has b een important over the years in establishing a c ulture of excellence at St evenson.
“E ve ryone was on b oard,” she said. “We also had strong club sw i mming and water p olo progr ams, they we re definitely great f eeders that became the foundation, not only for my own children (Elsa and Olin), but all the athletes.
about being able to help out not j ust one progr am, but all the progr ams,” she said.
Fenwick has b een perennially g ood in water sports, b ut recent years have seen a bit of a drop-o ff. Kusev skis says her g oal as aquatics director is to g et the F riars back to being c onsistently strong in the p ool. In her vie w, creating ne w b onds b etween the school and the succ essful c lub/feeder pr ogr ams in the area will go a long way in a ccomplishing thi s o bject ive.
“We want to re-establish the successful progr ams of the p ast and look to the future, ” she said. “We want to make sure they ’re strong. Just li ke at St evenson, having g ood f eeder progr ams is going to be impor tant. ”
In sw i mming, Kusev skis q ualified fo r the IHSA state meet all four years in the 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay, and 400
Kusev skis returned to Fenwick in 2005. As an assistant to Wa g ner, she helped the F riars win six state championships b etween 2006 and 2014. S he also assisted boys sw i mming to a third-place state fini sh in 2006, and girls’ sw i mming to third p lace in 2009 and runner-up in 2011.
N ot only has Kusev skis enjoyed a stellar c oaching career, she’s also held mult iple teaching and leadership p ositions Previously at Fenwick, she was a socia l studies teacher, department chai r, assistant dean, and Dean of Students. In 2021, she became Dean of S tudents at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Hear t.
Wi th all the success, it would n’ t have b een surprising for Kusev skis to stay at St evenson. But she said the o pportunity to have an impact on multiple sports influenced her decision to come home.
“It wasn’t j ust about c oaching, it was
As Kusev skis sets out to restore Fenwick ’s tradition of excellence in water sports, she has a c ouple of open c oaching p ositions – the girls and boys varsit y sw i mming head c oaching jobs. Kusevskis is wo rk ing on filling those spots as soon as possibl e.
“(Michael Burke, girls sw i mming c oach) filled in last year and wanted to step back i nto an assistant role, wh ich he prefers, ” Kusev skis said. “Our head boys c oach (Justin Jo rn d) resigned, so we ’re looking to fill those p ositions. We expec t to have an announcement soon on them.”
OPRF’s Smith sets sights on football season
He and his teammates are ready to turn around the Huskies
By MELVIN Contributing
The past several years have Park and River Forest High School gram. The Huskies have not qualified playoffs since 2018, enduring six consecuti sons – excluding the 2020 season, spring of 2021 due to COVID-19 and saw OPRF go 3-3.
Rising senior running back/linebac who is about to begin his third varsity aware of the program’s recent school-record seven consecuti he’s optimistic about a turnaround fall.
“Summer’s going good,” Smith told “There’s a lot of optimism, we of youth on the team, and being one of the older guys, it my job as a leader to guide them.
Smith adds that while becoming one of the team’s leaders adds plenty of responsibilitie ishes. He’s especially looking er brother, Timmy, on the team this year.
“We’ve never been on the same team. It ing,” he said.
Last season, Smith, who made All-Conference in the West Suburban Conference Sil yards and nine touchdowns, and added 196 touchdown receiving. Afterward, he had a spleen laceration that caused him to miss basketball season, but he’s fully healthy now. In fact, he’s been inspired ery process.
“It serves as motivation,” he said. “I’m coming grier.”
OPRF coach John Hoerster the influx of new talent has vigorated the progr this summer.
“It’s good to have a guy like Liam. It seems like he’s been playing with us forever,” Hoerster said. “He’s had so much experience and success with us, and we’re excited about having him in a leadership role.
“Liam’s right, we have a bunch of young guys really stepping up and coming along quicker than we thought they would. They’re playing like veteran players with a lot of poise and it’s fun to watch. The seniors are doing a great job welcoming them and encouraging them. They know our success is going to have a lot to do with how quickly the younger guys are able to mature.”
While Smith states his goal is to make All-Conference again, he’s more focused on helping to change the trajectory of OPRF football.
“100 percent,” he said. “We’ re all playing with a chip on our shoulder. No one really expects us to be good, but we’re really excited to turn things around this year, and I’m confident we’ ll be able to do that.”
OPRF running back Liam Smith (#3) turns up eld against Fenwick. Smith had 77 yards rushing, but the Huskies were shut out by the Friars 35-0.
Smith adds that OPRF wants to make Oak Park Stadium an uncomfortable place for opponents to play once again. The Huskies went winless at home last season and have been victorious on their turf just once in the past three years.
“All our friends in the student section (Dog Pound), we feel like we’re letting them down when we lose,” Smith said. “This year, we want to have a fun atmosphere and some wins. We want to play some fun football that everyone’s going to be able to watch.”
OPRF has its first three – and four of its first five –games at home this fall. East Avenue neighbor, and defending Class 6A champion, Fenwick comes calling on Aug. 28, and it’s a game Smith has circled on his calendar.
“I’ve never won against them in my career,” he said. “Senior year, I want to beat those guys. It’s always good competition. We don’t necessarily hate those guys, but it’s not
a friendly game either.”
With the IHSA increasing the number of playof f spots in each of the eight classes from 32 to 48 schools, a team no longer is required to get five victories for eligibility. That should allow more teams with four victories to qualify, which would be beneficial for OPRF, which plays in one of the state’s toughest football leagues, the West Suburban Conference Silver Division.
Smith doesn’t hesitate when he expresses his desire to help the Huskies return to the postseason.
“We’ re playing in the hardest conference in the state and we’ve got a tough schedule. But I feel (at least) four wins is possible with this group,” he said. “I’ve never played in the playoffs and that’s been a goal since I started playing high school football. I’m really hoping I can experience that my senior year.”
COURTESY OF CAROL DUNNING
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M26001773 on June 24, 2026 Under the Assumed Business Name of GREEK CONNECTIONS with the business located at: 1122 NORTH HAYES AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: BEVERLY SINGLETON 1122 NORTH HAYES AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA
Published in Wednesday Journal July 1, 8 15, 2026
NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS
Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for:
FY 2027 Tree Trimming Program
This project consists of the trimming of designated parkway trees throughout the Village.
The bidding documents are available for download starting Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at: www.vrf.us/bids
Bids must be submitted by Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at:
Public Works Department, 2nd Floor Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305
The bid proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time. Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.
No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.
The Village of River Forest reserves the right, in receiving these bids, to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.
Published in Wednesday Journal July 15, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
CALENDAR NUMBER : 18-26-Z
HEARING DATE: August 5, 2026
TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits
LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302
APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicants, Chicago Title Land Trust Co., Trust No. 8002347847 & 529 Beloit LLC, seeking a variance from Section 9.3(N) (2)(a) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, in order to allow two detached garages on a proposed consolidated zoning lot comprised of the parcels located at 315 N Euclid Street & 714 Erie Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Numbers 16-07-206-020-0000 & 16-07206-014-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-1 Single-Family Residential Zoning District.
A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.
The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.
Published in Wednesday Journal July 15, 2026
RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP MENTAL HEALTH BOARD
In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, this is to advise you that the Riverside Township Mental Health Board will hold the meetings below at the listed locations:
Formation of a Grant Process Committee Meetings
Wednesday, July 22nd @ 5:30p.m.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
CALENDAR NUMBER: 17-26-Z
HEARING DATE: August 5, 2026
TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits
LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302
APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, RZMZ Family Trust, seeking a variance from Section 9.3(L)(1)(a) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, in order to build a six-foot tall closed fence in the front yard of the property located at 652 Erie Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-207017-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-1 Single-Family Residential Zoning District.
A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.
The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.
Published in Wednesday Journal July 15, 2026
Riverside Township Hall, Community Resource Center, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois
Wednesday, August 19 @ 5:30 PM
Riverside Township Hall, Community Resource Center, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois
Tuesday, September 8 @ 5:30 PM
Riverside Township Hall, Community Resource Center, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois
If you have any questions, please contact Board President, Adam Wilt, at awilt.rtmhb@gmail.com or call Adam at 708-804-4400.
Published in RB Landmark July 15, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M26001814 on July 8, 2026 Under the Assumed Business Name of JAMIE JONES PAINTING with the business located at: 4132 ELM AVE, BROOKFIELD, IL 60513. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: JAMIE MOCK JONES 4132 ELM AVE BROOKFIELD, IL 60513, USA
Published in RB Landmark July 15, 2026
RESOLUTION NO. R-2016-26
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE LEVY OF ADDITIONAL TAX FOR LIBRARY PURPOSES IN THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS
WHEREAS, the Board of Library Trustees of the Village of Brookfield has requested the corporate authorities of the Village of Brookfield to levy an additional tax of 0.02% for certain library purposes, pursuant to Article 3 of the Illinois Local Library Act [75 ILCS 5/1-0.1 et seq. (2016)]; and
WHEREAS, this 0.02% additional tax shall be in addition to the annual levy of .35% allowed for the establishment and maintenance of the library.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, as follows:
Section 1: The corporate authorities of the Village of Brookfield herewith determine to levy an additional 0.02% tax for library purposes for the tax year commencing January 1, 2026.
Section 2: Such 0.02% additional tax shall be levied on the value of all taxable property in the Village of Brookfield, as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue, and shall be used for the purpose of sites and buildings, for the construction and equipment of buildings, for the rental of buildings required for library purposes, and for maintenance, repairs and alterations of library buildings and equipment.
petition form to any individual requesting one.
Section 6: This Resolution shall be in full force and effect immediately upon its adoption.
ADOPTED this 13th day of July 2026 pursuant to a roll call vote as follows:
AYES: Trustees Narimatsu, Ketchmark, Gilhooley, Whitehead, Hendricks
NAYS:
ABSENT: Trustee Kaluzny
ABSTENTION:
APPROVED by me this 13th day of July 2026.
____________/s/____________________
Michael J. Garvey, President of the Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois
ATTESTED and filed in my office, this 13th day of July 2026.
____________/s/____________________
Michael G. Melendez, Clerk of the Village of Brookfield, Cook County, Illinois
“EXHIBIT A”
PUBLIC NOTICE
Section 3: The levy of said additional 0.02% tax shall be effected by the adoption of an appropriate levy ordinance by the corporate authorities pursuant to statutory requirements, which ordinance shall be filed in the office of the Cook County Clerk.
Section 4: The Village Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to publish a copy of this Resolution at least once in the Riverside/Brookfield Landmark, a newspaper with a general circulation in the Village of Brookfield, within fifteen (15) days after its adoption, and also the “Public Notice” attached hereto as “Exhibit A” hereof, shall be included with such publication or posting.
Section 5: If no petition is filed with the corporate authorities of the Village of Brookfield within thirty (30) days after publication of this resolution, requesting that the question of the adoption of this resolution be submitted to the electors of the Village of Brookfield, or if all petitions so filed are determined to be invalid and nsufficient, the Village shall then be authorized to levy the tax. However, if a petition is filed with the corporate authorities within said thirty (30) day period, which petition is signed by electors of the Village of Brookfield equal in number to 10% of the total number of registered voters in the Village of Brookfield and which asks that the question of levying such a 0.02% tax be submitted to the electors of the Village, then the question shall be submitted at the next applicable election, or at any special election called in accordance with law. The Village Clerk shall provide a
The public is hereby notified regarding the above “Resolution authorizing the levy of additional tax for library purposes in the Village of Brookfield, Illinois” determining to Levy for the tax year beginning January 1, 2026 an Additional Tax of up to 0.02 Percent of Equalized or Assessed Value of Taxable Property for Particular Building and Equipment Purposes in accordance with Article 3 of the Illinois Local Library Act [75 ILCS 5/1-0.1 et seq. (2016)] that:
1. The specific number of voters required to sign a petition requesting that the question of adoption of the Resolution be submitted to the electors of the Village is 1,428 voters.
2. The time in which the petition must be filed is from the date of publication of this Resolution until 30 days hereof, being the 14th day of August 2026.
3. The date of the prospective referendum, if one should be called pursuant to such petition, is the Consolidated General Election, held Tuesday the 6th of April, 2027.
4. The Village Clerk shall provide a petition form to any individual requesting one.
Published in RB Landmark July 15, 2026
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