W E D N E S D A Y
October 14, 2026 Vol. 47, No. 16
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
The Wienermobile returns to River Forest and Oak Park Page 3
Plan Commission seeks clarity on specifics of zoning overhaul Village staff and consultants answer questions from commissioners on single-family zoning recommendations By SYDNEY LOVAN Staff Reporter
By SYDNEY LOVAN Staff Reporter
Brick by brick the Oak Park Avenue Streetscape creeps toward completion with a projected street re-opening date
by Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, local businesses continue to struggle during the disruption. The water, sewer and streetscape project, which began in early March, has been discussed in urgent tones for PAR K AK O SUPPORTS
FR E
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well over a decade, and faced delays for a start date since 2021. Redeveloping the over 100 year old water and sewer infrastructure was the main task while also See STREET PROJECT on page 21
See PLAN COMMISSION on page 19
VOTE YES! REPEAL THE ILLINOIS ANTI-BOYCOTT LAW!
Paid for by Oak Parkers for Free Speech
Businesses continue to struggle while they wait
SYDNEY LOVAN
TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN, REQUEST A SIGN, OR DONATE:
Oak Park Avenue street project moves closer to re-opening
The much anticipated Plan Commission public hearing process on the Shape Oak Park zoning recommendations finally arrived kicking off with a multiple hour meeting at the OPRF auditorium Thursday night, Oct. 8. Village Planner Michael Bruce, with assistance from representatives of project consultants, went through every proposed change to nine articles of the zoning code outlined in Opticos’ recommendation and answered questions from the commissioners. The village still has to present the feasibility study conducted by SB Friedman at the next meeting before the next phase of the process with public comment and cross-examination can begin. Plan commission Chair Michael Sturino assured
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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‘Buns of fun’ with Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in Oak Park and River Forest The famous hot dog truck celebrates 90 years
W E D N E S D A Y
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
General Manager Max Reinsdorf Editorial & Audience Strategist Matthew Schwerha Staff Reporters Sydney Lovan, Hector Cervantes, Bill Dwyer, Jackie Pisano, Bob Skolnik, Gregg Voss
By SYDNEY LOVAN
Sports Reporters Melvin Tate, Bill Stone
Staff Reporter
Decked out for Halloween and coming off of birthday celebrations this summer, the 27foot Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was on a roll with visits to Oak Park and River Forest. The giant hotdog shaped truck, 60 hot dogs long and 24 hotdogs high to be exact, parked in front of two Jewel Osco locations in Oak Park and River Forest on Oct. 7 and 8, respectively. “Ketchup Kampbell” Hemeyer and “Lunchmeat Luke” Kirchner, the two drivers of the truck, greeted people as they stopped by and handed out goodies such as coupons, a hotdog shaped whistle and stickers. They are two of 12 “hotdoggers” driving six Wienermobiles around the country for the whole year. “The purpose of the Wienermobile is to spark smiles across America. That’s the best part of the job is making people smile and really excited to see something that’s pretty awesome,” said Kirchner. The Oscar Mayer team has been “sparking smiles” for 90 years and celebrated its birth-
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Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Contributing Editor Donna Greene Columnists Marc Blesoff, Nicole Chavas, Jack Crowe, Vincent Gay, Mary Kay O’Grady, John Stanger, Josh VanderBerg Shrubtown Cartoonist Marc Stopeck Editorial & Digital Design Lead Javier Govea Design and Production Associate De Sergio Villalona Visual Designers Susan McKelvey, Darby Godman SYDNEY LOVAN
“Lunchmeat Luke” Kirchner, left, and “Ketchup Kampbell” Hemeyer pose in front of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on Oct. 8, in River Forest. day this July. “The party’s forever going, so the Wienermobile’s been around the block a couple times, and we’ve got a lot of extensive history that we’re telling folks about. We love to educate everybody about the Wienermobile
PROVIDED BY KEN TRAINOR
Ken Trainor, Viewpoints editor, gets reacquainted with the Wienermobile over three decades after driving it (briefly) and writing about it in 1993.
and how we started back in 1936,” said Hemeyer. Wednesday Journal’s own Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor actually wrote an article about the Wienermobile’s first visit to Oak Park at the Carleton Hotel in 1993 for the paper’s old Itinerant column. Then it was only 10 feet high, or 22 hotdogs, and 23 feet long, or 52 hotdogs, according to the article. The hotdoggers welcomed in visitors who were, frankly, obsessed with the truck, showing off the decorated interior and helping take photos on the exterior. Their upbeat attitudes and endless supply of hotdog puns are just as classic as the vehicle itself. “We really relish all of our puns, but I would say because I’m Ketchup Kampbell, I love to throw out a little hope to ketchup with you later,” said Hemeyer. “We do have buns and buns of puns, but I would say my favorite has to be when people ask if we sleep in it, I like saying no, it is not a wienie-bago,” said Kirchner. The truck will continue through Illinois with visits to Wheaton on Oct. 9, St. Charles’ Scarecrow Weekend on Oct. 10, and the Wilmington October Fest on Oct. 11. The Wienermobiles can be tracked on its website to see where they are at any given time.
Sports Photographer Steve Johnston Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls Marketing & Advertising Associate Emma Cullnan Legal Notices Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Operations Associate Susan Liss Babin Social Media and Digital Coordinator Maribel Barrera Senior Advisor Dan Haley
H OW TO R E ACH US P.O. Box 6670, River Forest, IL 60305 ■ PHONE (708) 613-3300 ■ EMAIL dhaley@newswellchicago.org ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com
CIRCULATION Jill Wagner • jill@oakpark.com • (708) 613-3340 PRINT/DIGITAL ADVERTISING Lourdes Nicholls • lourdes@oakpark.com • Ext. 3329 Emma Cullnan • emma@oakpark.com • Ext. 3304 CALENDAR EVENTS calendar@wjinc.com Wednesday Journal is published weekly by NEWSWELL Chicago. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS No. 10138). Wednesday Journal NEWSWELL Chicago is located at 1011 Lake Street St 307, Oak Park IL 60301. The newspaper is available at newsstands for $2. Annual subscription rate in Cook County is $65 and $105 outside of Cook County. Advertising rates available by contacting our office. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Wednesday Journal, NEWSWELL Chicago P.O. Box 6670 River Forest IL, 60305. © 2026 NEWSWELL
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Housing Forward launches $18M renovation of Write Inn Thoroughly updated, it will be home to interim housing program By LACEY SIKORA Real Estate Reporter
The past six years have been anything but routine for Housing Forward. Founded in 1992, Housing Forward’s mission is to transition people from housing crisis to housing stability. The organization was based upon the PADS model of housing clients at 7 rotating temporary shelters at a network of religious organizations and staffed primarily by volunteers, throughout Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. In 2020, the temporary shelter model was shut down due to concerns about the spread of the Covid virus. Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Lynda Schueler, Housing Forward made the first of many necessary pivots. In October 2020, the agency entered a one-year lease of the historic Write Inn Hotel at 211 N. Oak Park Ave. and began using the hotel’s 65 rooms as interim housing. Interim housing serves as a way to transition people from homelessness to stable housing. At the Write Inn, people were provided with private accommodations, daily meals and wraparound support that helped them prepare for and move into permanent housing. The site was also used to establish the RISE Medical Respite Program in connection with Cook County Health. The RISE program ensures that people who have a medical event have a stable place to recuperate, access to round-the-clock nursing care and additional supportive services that help facilitate a transition to more permanent housing. Already in their six-year history at the site, Schueler says Housing Forward has served over 800 clients and that roughly 80% of those clients have moved into permanent housing. “It speaks to the success of the model,” she says, noting that the physical environment is a key component to physical and mental health. In November 2023, with the help of grants and loans, Housing Forward was able to purchase the Write Inn to
COURTESY OF HOUSING FORWARD
Rendering of the community room make its Interim Housing and RISE programming permanent. This October work began to revitalize the outdated facilities to make them better suited for Housing Forward’s needs for the future. Schueler says, “We’re so excited to get started, to be able to transform this 100-year-old building into something new and modernized.” In September, all clients and the RISE program were moved into a temporary location at the Oak Park YMCA, ensuring no disruption of services during the duration of the renovations, which Schueler estimates will take about 13 months. Scaffolding is going up around the building and exterior renovations will proceed first to take advantage of good weather conditions. Schueler says the exterior will see tuckpointing, new windows and a new roof. The interior work will include all new mechanicals, HVAC and electrical systems. Working with LBBA Architects, Housing Forward will maintain the art deco hotel lobby area as office space. The building is within the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District but is not landmarked, and the renovation will retain exterior elements and the lobby details. On the interior, there will be no demolition of the current client rooms, but the rooms will be significantly upgraded. After the renovation, there will be 62 client rooms, and the number of handicap accessible rooms will increase to 22 from 4. Common areas and office spaces will be reworked to create more usable space for clients and staff. A prep kitchen will allow volunteers and clients to prepare fresh food instead of relying solely on pre-made items. A community room and a reimagined patio will provide more welcom-
ing spaces for clients to gather. Hemmingway’s Bistro, which is not affiliated with Housing Forward, is currently operating on the ground floor of the building. Scheuler says the renovation plans were designed to allow the restaurant to remain open during construction. Schueler estimates that all-in the project will cost about $18.5 million. “It’s a big undertaking for the agency,” she says, adding the project is being funded by five public agencies: Illinois Housing Development Authority; Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; Village of Oak Park and funding from Cook County’s American Rescue Plan Act stimulus. Private support is also a necessary part of the funds needed to support the project. The location close to transportation, the library and public services has been ideal, and Schueler is most looking forward to what the revamped, former hotel will provide for clients. “The new space will allow for predictability, privacy and a sense of community. You stay in survival mode when you don’t have a place to come back to,” she says. Before the scaffolding went up in anticipation of the project kick off, a new sign on the front of the building advertises its rebranding as the Oak Inn. Schueler says, “We renamed the building in honor of an Oak tree. It has strength and roots in the community. The branches are reaching up and growing. That’s what clients do here. They reach for the sky and are empowered to grow.” To read more about the progress of the renovation or to make a donation to the project, visit the Housing Forward campaign here: https://www.housingforward.org/ forward-campaign
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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VOTE YES!
PAR ASKUPPORTS K O
FR E
E S P E EC
on November 3rd
H
REPEAL THE ILLINOIS ANTI-BOYCOTT LAW!
Why Vote YES on the Referendum? Since 2015, Illinois law bans state pension fund investment in businesses that choose to boycott or divest from the State of Israel. •
FREE SPEECH: Politically motivated bans on boycotts violate First Amendment rights to speech, assembly, and petition. Based on
•
HUMAN RIGHTS: Israel is committing ongoing human rights violations in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet, current Illinois law protects Israel in state pensions funds by publishing a list of prohibited companies and by divesting in those companies that boycott Israel. For example, when Ben & Jerry’s stopped selling ice cream in the occupied West Bank for ethical reasons, Illinois pension funds divested from its parent company, Unilever.
•
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Illinois should remove anti-boycott investment restrictions so that state pension fund managers can pursue the strongest financial returns. Doing so will help maximize taxpayer dollars, strengthen underfunded pension funds, and ensure investment decisions are guided by fiduciary duty and financial performance.
a unanimous 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the ACLU supports repealing the state pension law. As attacks on these rights increase nationally, Illinois should strengthen its commitment to free speech.
BY VOTING YES ON NOVEMBER 3RD,
We are telling Sen. Harmon, Sen. Lightford, Rep. Lilly and Rep. Ford to vote with their colleaques to support House Bill 2723 and Senate Bill 2462 when those bills come to the floor for a vote.
REFERENDUM QUESTION
Should the State of Illinois repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott the State of Israel?
For more information: www.opfreespeech.org Paid for by Oak Parkers for Free Speech
TO JOIN THE CAMPAIGN, REQUEST A SIGN, OR DONATE:
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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River Forest establishes Madison Street improvement grant program TIF funds of $300K set aside for 7 properties adjacent to Madison Street planned development By GREGG VOSS Staff Reporter
PROVIDED
Preliminary concept drawing of 7620 W. Madison St. in River Forest.
The owners of seven properties adjacent to a planned development at 7620 Madison St. will have the opportunity through a new village of River Forest grant program to make selected improvements. An ordinance forming the Madison Street Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program was unanimously approved by the village board with amendments Sept. 28 and sets aside $300,000 in TIF district funds for those seven properties – 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18 Ashland Ave., and 12 and 14 Lathrop Ave. According to the amended ordinance obtained by Wednesday Journal on Monday: “The purpose of the program is to encourage rehabilitation and enhancement of the eligible
properties, preserve the aesthetic appearance and character of the residential neighborhood nearest to the Madison Street development, promote appropriate screening, buffering and compatibility between the Madison Street corridor and nearby residential uses, and implement the Redevelopment Plan through reimbursement of eligible redevelopment project costs.” Village Administrator Matt Walsh noted the improvement fund “will assist residents with making a variety of improvements to their home. “Ultimately the village’s goal is to improve the quality of life for residents and this program uses TIF funds to directly invest in existing residential properties,” he said. But where the idea came from and how the dollar amount of $300,000 was set isn’t clear. Both See MADISON STREET on page 20
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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OPRF students try their hand at a sweet surgical procedure (or virtual reality) video game. First high school in Illinois to a VR “It felt like everything was right there, but it wasn’t at the same time,” Steffen host Health Career Robotics said. “It felt surreal kind of, because it was in front of my face, but it wasn’t. It’s very Cooperative intricate and detailed and it’s harder than
By GREGG VOSS Staff Reporter
Anyone who has ever enjoyed a Starburst realizes that the wrapper can feel maddeningly impossible to remove. The tangy candy itself is soft, but often the wrapper seems fused. Getting to that sweet, chewy experience requires patience. And sometimes, that wrapper gets ripped. But now try opening a Starburst with a $2 million medical robotics system. That was the scene Thursday and Friday at Oak Park and River Forest High School, where about 100 students gave it their best shot with the Da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system from California-based Intuitive. This very impressive, and very expensive, piece of machinery consists of three parts – a table with a dome-like object with holes that contains the Starbursts and simulates a patient, with a series of robotic arms protruding from above; a console where students lean into a viewfinder and operate the arms remotely to unwrap a Starburst; and finally a video monitor so everyone else can see what is going on inside Perhaps best of all, students like sophomore Hector Lopez-Cano got to eat their Starburst after unwrapping it. The task took him about 30 seconds. But this isn’t supposed to be fun, per se. It’s about helping OPRF students like Lopez-Cano get a handle on a potential future career in the medical field. “You have to be very precise with what you’re doing,” Lopez-Cano said. “I play a lot of video games. If you play VR, I guess you’re precise and you know how things move.” Freshman Mimi Steffen agreed with Lopez-Cano that operating the system felt like
you really think.” One of the four Intuitive representatives said using a Starburst better simulates the dexterity of the machine, and under normal circumstances – like a real medical procedure – the da Vinci Xi would be used for thorax surgery, roughly from the neck to the belt line on a human body. There are thousands of these systems in use globally, but OPRF is the first high school in the state that was selected to host the Health Career Robotics Collaborative, in partnership with the school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Division, nursing program and Medical Club. Usually, something like this is reserved for colleges and universities. Senior Ashton Sutter is a Medical Club member and comes from a medically in-
GREGG VOSS
The Da Vinci Xi’s robotic arms are used to access the Starburst candies inside a domelike object that simulates a human body.
GREGG VOSS
OPRF students peer into viewfinders of the Da Vinci Xi robot surgical system last Thursday. clined family. His mom works for a gene therapy company, his dad is a pharmacist and his uncle is a radiologist. Is he thinking about going into surgery, thanks to the event? Well … “I don’t know, but this definitely introduces me to it,” Sutter said. “Seeing how cool this is, it’s definitely there in my mind. He assumed the system would be really complicated to use, but was delighted to realize it wasn’t. And yes, he did unwrap the Starburst without ripping the wrapper, but also didn’t eat the candy. The event was made possible through OPRF’s partnership with the Health Career Collaborative, a branch of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE). Supported by Main Line Health and the National Board of Medical Examiners, the program was provided at no cost to students. OPRF’s Medical Club has collaborated with HCC’s Chicago chapter and Loyola University medical students to mentor students on diverse health topics and career pathways since earlier this year. Allison Hennings is OPRF’s nursing teacher and the 55-member Medical Club sponsor, and she said the event was open to any student. She started coordinating it back in June, which isn’t a surprise when you consider the physical act of getting
the three bulky pieces of machinery into a second-floor room (pro tip: get the buildings and grounds team to use the freight elevator) and then the school electrician had to put in different circuits to accommodate the electrical. “There was a lot of collaboration across lots of different teams to get this in place,” Hennings said. Four months of work, but it was worth it for what the kids learned, especially related to STEAM, or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The feedback was positive. “Last session, I was talking with a couple of younger students who said, ‘Wow, now maybe I can be an actual surgeon,’” Hennings said Thursday. “I think it’s really exciting and I think being able to have these amazing opportunities, it really eliminates all barriers for kids and gives really equitable access to all our students.” Although regrettably a reporter wasn’t allowed by Intuitive policy to try the da Vinci Xi, Hennings did, and it was sweet. Like a Starburst, for example. “It’s way harder than you think it is,” she said. “I think the kids are actually really good at it. Because a lot of them play video games, they are used to this manual dexterity that is far superior to someone who doesn’t play video games.”
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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AP test scores on the rise at OPRF in 5-year trend
More students take more AP tests than ever before at the high school By BOB SKOLNIK Staff Reporter
Oak Park and River Forest High School students set school records last year for the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses and exams, the number of AP exams taken and the percentage of students getting AP exam scores of three or higher as both the number of students taking AP exams and their performance on the exams rose for the fifth consecutive year. Last spring 1,352 OPRF students took a total of 3,310 AP tests. In 2022 900 OPRF students took 1,807 AP exams. Since 2022 the number of OPRF students taking at least one AP exam has increased by 50% while the number of AP exams taken by OPRF students has increased by an impressive 83%. Despite more students taking AP exams, OPRF students are doing better on the exams than they ever have before, which is in line with a national trend. Nearly 92% of OPRF students received a score of at least 3 or better on at least one of the AP exams they took last spring. That’s a nearly one
percentage point increase over 2025. In 2022 just over 80% of OPRF students who took AP exams received a score of 3 or better. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5 with 3 typically being the minimum score that will earn college credit. “We’re delighted to see that so many of our students are not just taking on the challenge of taking the course but also succeeding in it at an incredibly high level,” said Greg Johnson, OPRF superintendent, at the Sept. 24 school board meeting. OPRF is not alone in seeing an improvement in AP exam results in recent years as AP exam scores have been rising nationwide since the scoring methodology was changed. In 2022. The College Board, which administers both AP exams and the SAT, began changing its scoring methodology for its most popular AP courses and test scores have improved markedly since then. For example the percentage of students nationwide who received a score of 3 or above on the AP U.S. History exam rose from just over 48% of the test takers in 2022 to 74% in 2026. Similar jumps in scores are seen in some other subjects. OPRF offers 29 AP courses; the three most popular are AP Language and Composition, AP Biology, AP U.S. History. OPRF students took AP exams in 34 different subject areas as some OPRF students took AP exams in classes that OPRF didn’t offer.
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Oak Park adopts police oversight framework for reviewing significant incidents
This is the first of its kind for municipalities nationwide By SYDNEY LOVAN Staff Reporter
A year ago, the infamous Halloween Takeover in downtown Oak Park and the mutual aid response from neighboring police departments sparked a realization that the village’s Citizen Police Oversight Committee had no framework to review reports on significant community impact incidents. Now they do. The village board voted 6-1 at its Oct. 6 meeting to approve a recommended procedure for CPOC to identify, evaluate and respond to “incidents, patterns, or policing practices that significantly affect community trust, public safety, or public understanding of law enforcement practices,” as written in the draft framework. Oak Park is trailblazing in yet another area as this structure is the first of its kind for any municipality, according to Luvimae Omana, a consultant with Pivot who helped create the framework. “Our goal was to create a process that is structured enough to promote consistency, but flexible enough to recognize that critical
incidents can look very different from one another,” said Omana. The process follows a three-tier structure based on the severity of the incident and the level of review and community intervention needed. Tier 1 starts with community education and outreach with no community impact assessment or report needed. Tier 2 focuses on high impact cases and the community can request that the board authorize a third-party community impact review which they can then analyze to make recommendations to the village board. Tier 3 is for critical events resulting in “death, great bodily harm, or exceptional community concern.” This requires additional time as the criminal or prosecutorial review has to be completed first, then a community impact review or sentinel event review can be requested, reviews and new recommendations can be made. A sentinel event review is under the guidance of the village board or village manager and looks at the “root causes and systemic contributing factors.” A community impact review is done externally looking at if the event was “handled according to policy, procedure and training.” As this is such a new process, there is not a timeline requirement set, although the vil-
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Kevin Barnhart, chair of the Citizen Police Oversight Committee, speaks to the Oak Park Village Board on Oct. 6. lage board discussed implementing general guidelines once the process has been utilized and a better understanding of realistic expectations is gathered. Kevin Barnhart, the chair of CPOC, said he does not expect “to see huge community impacts, especially at two or three level types of things happening on a regular basis,” but it is important to have the framework in place for when it does. Trustee Brian Straw seconded the hope that the framework does not have to be used often. “The goal of this is to ensure transparency, and that if we’re identifying any systems level issues that can be resolved, we’re resolving them, and it’s through that transparency, through that mechanism, that we can maintain public trust, and I think that’s really important and supportive of our public safety function,” said Straw. Trustee James Taglia was the one vote against the framework. He said he is concerned it moves the committee away from just civilian oversight and into areas where “substantial professional expertise” is needed and could actually create more distrust from the perspective of police officers. “We would not ask an unlicensed citizen commission to evaluate whether firefighters use the correct tactics inside a burning structure, whether paramedics followed a proper clinical protocol during a cardiac arrest, or whether an engineer selected the appropriate methodology for a structural analysis,” said Taglia. “Public participation and oversight are important, but technical judgments require technical expertise. Policing should not be treated differently simply because the
subject matter is politically sensitive.” Omana clarified that CPOC does not have authority over the police department or the village board, but their “role is to examine institutional issues and community impact, not to make determinations about criminal liability, administrative misconduct, or legal responsibility.” Barnhart also confirmed that the committee is not conducting investigations or interviewing anyone involved but feels it’s important to be able to look at what is going on. President Vicki Scaman called out any potential discomfort from village staff and the police department with the framework, wanting to address it before it could become an issue and respect perspectives from all angles. Police Chief Shatonya Johnson briefly spoke at the meeting to answer questions on feelings around the framework. “I think it’s important that we ensure that the men and women of CPOC are completely trained on evaluating things that can impact safety,” said Johsnon. “I think that we can collaborate.” Village Manager Kevin Jackson also clarified that if village staff and the police department disagreed on recommendations coming from the committee, they would be able to present their perspective to the board as well. The board has the ultimate vote over any recommended policy changes or tactics implemented, as they do with any other committee recommendations. The framework was approved, but with the expectation that clearer language on the village board and staff ’s role in the approval process be added.
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Roosevelt students gather, plant seeds to improve Thatcher Woods ecosystem In just 3 years, one-acre plot is thriving with native plants By GREGG VOSS Staff Reporter
Planting seeds for future growth benefits not only local ecosystems, but young minds as well. Case in point: On Oct. 7, students from Roosevelt Middle School traveled to Melrose Park to collect native plant seeds from a small prairie near the Silver Creek Family area alongside the Des Plaines River. The task was as challenging as it was simple for the students in Cory Kadlec’s science class. They had to use high knee walks through the tall prairie, looking for pale Indian plantain, a North American wildflower, genus name Arnoglossum atri-
pliciofolium, which grow up to 10 feet tall. That’s a mouthful, but the youngsters had to gather seeds so they can be spread in early November in Thatcher Woods near the pavilion at 8030 Chicago Ave. that was formerly covered with Eurasian grass, a non-native plant. Naturalist Maria Vujic from Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest met with the students and educated them about the plant’s unique “fluffy” areas. This means the seeds are ripe and ready to be picked and ultimately spread. Interesting fact: While the plants are tall, they stretch even deeper in the ground. The roots comprise 80% of the plants biomass and are perfect for absorbing water in the
GREGG VOSS
Roosevelt students find mountain mint.
GREGG VOSS
Roosevelt students collect seeds from native tall grass prairie. flood plains near the Des Plaines River and creating rich soil. There’s plenty of history in this area, and not exactly the best kind. Vujic and Joe Wagner, Trailside Museum naturalist assistant, showed the students maps of the area from 1839 showing how the region used to be full of tall grass, but due to farming and development, only remnants remain. According to Vujic, about 60% of Illinois was part of a prairie ecosystem … but these days only 0.01% is. Vujic and Kadlec, a seventh-grade science teacher who has taught in River Forest School District 90 for over 30 years, began working together on the prairie regeneration project three years ago. Starting in fall 2023, students first visited the prairie to collect seeds and then spread them in the open area in Thatcher Woods, focusing on a one-acre plot in the center. In just three years, Vujic said, the regenerated acre is already thriving with many native plants growing. “Thanks to our partnership with Forest Preserve naturalists and local volunteers, students are able to have a positive impact on a valuable and rare local prairie ecosystem,” Kadlec said “We are proud to increase biodiversity locally. The tangible
and visible results are encouraging and will hopefully inspire future actions.” Vujic is pleased as well. “This unique project is the only no-mow area in the Cook County Forest Preserves managed with locally collected seeds gathered by a vibrant community of students and volunteers,” she said. “Through this hands-on work, students develop a sense of ownership, belonging, responsibility and stewardship of the land in their own community.”
GREGG VOSS
Collected seeds
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
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It is Windmills vs. ACE on a Sunday all about sun, softball, memories Locals battle but fall 10-3 to White Sox-affiliated Amateur City Elite By GREGG VOSS Staff Reporter
me,” said Amy Sheridan, Windmills’ vice president and a team parent. She used to work for the Sox in game operations and helped pull together Sunday’s game with ACE coach Anthony Olivo, senior director of ACE and community baseball programs for the team. The two worked together for years for the White Sox and when it so happened Olivo launched the ACE 12U team, it only seemed appropriate that they should face off on the field. That was Sunday. (Interesting factoid: Sheridan’s husband, Trent, started his career in ticket sales for the White Sox. He was Sunday’s head coach for the Windmills. Olivo’s wife, Julianne, is the PR director at Brookfield Zoo, someone I’ve worked with plenty. She, too, used to work for the Sox.)
There may be nothing better than sitting in the bleachers on a cloudless, 80-degree COURTESY OF TALIA SHERIDAN day, watching a ballgame. A Windmills hitter takes a big swing at a pitch Sunday at VeterBut in mid-October? The day after the ans Park in North Riverside. Chicago White Sox season ended in Cleveland – a game I didn’t get to see because the she did well, but she acknowledged there doubter. wi-fi went out at my house? The Windmills clawed back, though, tal- were some nerves. Yes, Saturday night was a tough evening “I was nervous that my photos wouldn’t lying three in the bottom half. Evie Pisano for me on many levels, but the next afterand Sheridan’s daughter, Tegan, both from turn out really good or wouldn’t be good noon, I felt like I was watching two Sox Riverside, each walked and came shots,” she said. eras play each other, in softball. Let’s not forget ACE. How did Olivo get around to score, the latter on a wild On one side of the diamond at his team to play so “together” after only a pitch. North Riverside’s Veterans Park was But ACE got three insurance runs few months of existence? the Windmills 12U fastpitch squad, “We do a lot of practice,” he said with in the top of the sixth that set the made up of players primarily from a smile. “We practice three days a week.” final score. Oak Park, River Forest and Riverside. Former Fenwick girls basketball coach No matter. Again, this was more They were wearing uniforms remiDave Power was in attendance in supthan a just game of softball. niscent of the Sox’s 1983 “Winning “I felt like there was a lot less port of his friends’ daughter. The man Ugly” crew, with the bold blue horipressure,” said the Windmills’ Mae won over 1,000 girls basketball games zontal stripe with red trim across Zalewski, from Riverside. “It was as a coach, but you might not know that the white jersey. I was just a kid back kind of like a friendly game, we he’s also a member of the Illinois Softball then, but I remember well Ron Kittle, Coaches Association Hall of Fame, class were just having fun.” LaMarr Hoyt and the rest of that team Tegan Sheridan, also from Riv- of 2006. … and the disappointment I felt when How has the game changed? erside, lamented the fact that the they fell in the playoffs. A little like “Back in the day, it was methodic,” he White Sox lost to Cleveland on SatSaturday night, come to think of it. urday, but that didn’t diminish her said. “Now, you see a lot of people rolling On the other side was Amateur City the dice, a double steal, hit and run, and joy for the game. Elite, or ACE, with the current verti“It was fun,” she said. “I got to get it’s more action.” cal Sox logo on their white jerseys, apWhich brings up a good point. How out of the house and I got to play ropos because the team is sponsored the sport that I love, and it was fun many of these kids will go on to play high by Chicago White Sox Charities. This COURTESY OF TALIA SHERIDAN spending time with my team.” school softball – and maybe beyond? is a group made up of players primarPerhaps Oak Park Windmiller “That’s a tough one,” Trent Sheridan ily from Chicago’s South Side and is The Windmills 12U fastpitch team took on the Quinn Schneider said it best: “It said. “I don’t know. We’re seventh grade, in its first year of existence. Amateur City Elite (ACE) Sunday at Veterans Park. was a chill game.” so you’ve got two more years. We’ve got a If you’re sensing a theme, you’re It was an educational experience lot of girls in other sports, so they’ve got perceptive. Even though their 2026 Enough setup. There was indeed a game for some. Sheridan’s other daughter, Ta- to make some decisions.” season is over, the White Sox played the starBut that’s a discussion, and a story, for ring role in this contest, which ACE won 10- Sunday, and it was competitive. ACE lia, is a sophomore at Riverside-Brook3. But this isn’t your typical game story; it’s jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the top of the field High School. She brought her digital another day. Sunday was about sun, softball and memone about family, personal and professional. fifth inning, which included a 200-plus-foot camera and I asked her to snap photos to ories. And the White Sox – then and now. “It’s definitely a full-circle moment for home run over the left field wall. A true no- accompany this story. I think you’ll agree
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
Plymouth Place, pioneer in senior living, is building for boomers La Grange Park retirement community evolves to meet fresh take on what they want
By JACKIE PISANO Staff Reporter
For 84 years, Plymouth Place in La Grange Park has been a vibrant mainstay in the western suburbs, offering thousands of golden agers an independently minded, engaging senior living community offering everything from state-of-the-art residential villas and bustling social calendars to expert care by professionals dedicated to camaraderie and trust. Across eight decades, seniors from dozens of western suburbs have migrated to Plymouth Place, with most choosing the campus to remain close to the hometowns they’re downsizing from, relocate near adult children and grandchildren, or experience a senior living experience that breaks away from the traditional blueprint of retirement care. And this fall, Plymouth Place is continuing to make good on its promise of continuing its senior-focused, future-driven vision with the groundbreaking of its Phase Three project, introducing 38 new independent living villas focused on independence, wellness and daily fulfillment. The groundbreaking on Oct. 7, Plymouth Place, 315 N. La Grange Road, celebrated the construction kickoff of its new residential villas, with community leaders, project partners and construction teams sharing all that’s to come by this time next fall. According to Jay Biere, CEO and president of Plymouth Place since 2018, the motivation behind the campus’ newest developments was clear: to keep pace with an evolving market. Acknowledging that the market for senior living continues to evolve, Biere says the latest wave of retirees — the baby boomers — are entering senior living at a rapid pace and demanding major shifts in how the senior community market both looks and operates. “What they want — and what they want to do — is different from the existing population,” he said. “Seniors today are looking for high-end quality programming, a focus on wellness, and a strive to remain independent. At Plymouth Place, we hope to contin-
PROVIDED BY PLYMOUTH PLACE
Renderings showcase up-and-coming amenities to Plymouth Place’s La Grange Park campus — 38 new independent living villas featuring spacious residences designed for contemporary living; interior, ground-level parking for safe, year-round resident and guest access; a stateof-the-art pavilion for gathering and entertainment; and indoor access to the greater Plymouth Place campus and amenities. ue to offer a variety of choices, options, and safety and security.” Plymouth Place’s campus updates follow a market study conducted by the community, with results showing a strong need for new ways to serve aging adults. Outcomes from Plymouth Place’s research and current resident feedback gave rise to a three-phase rejuvenation project for the campus: Phase One, which consisted of renovating the existing The Landing building to honor existing residents, with a redesign of the lower-level promenade and addition of a brand-new spa, salons, marketplace and multiple dining venues; Phase Two, the creation of The Arboretum Villas — 58 new residential villas offering connected, maintenance-free living and a Center for Healthy Living surrounded by a 17-acre arboretum; and the current Phase Three, adding on 38 new independent living villas and
a multifunction performing arts hall. The development of Phase Two’s The Arboretum Villas was completed ahead of schedule and sold out seven months ahead of its projected sales timeline, something Biere says demonstrates the area’s demand for modern and distinctive independent living concepts. With the groundbreaking of Phase Three, the 38 new independent villas will feature spacious residences designed for contemporary living; interior, ground-level parking for safe, year-round resident and guest access; a state-of-the-art pavilion for gathering and entertainment; and indoor access to the greater Plymouth Place campus and amenities. Biere says that as Plymouth Place nears a century of service to the western suburbs, its community remains as aware as ever of both the growing population of seniors en-
tering the senior living market and the importance of modern life lived in true community. Currently, around 450 people call Plymouth Place home, from short-term rehab patients to full-time residents. “Here, residents are engaged in a huge way,” he said. “The commitment of the residents and employees really creates the culture of what I would call ‘service to others,’ and the thread that holds it all together really is the importance of serving. We have a term here called ‘servant leadership’ that means others first — and the other piece is we work really hard to honor older adults. Life doesn’t stop or stall when you come to community — whether you’re 62 or 92, life can be tremendous.” For more information about Plymouth Place and its expansion project, visit plymouthplace.org.
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
Oak Park honors Hispanic Heritage Month with ¡Viva! Festival Performers celebrate through music and movement
By SYDNEY LOVAN Staff Reporter
Oak Park’s village hall was all sun and smiles on Saturday with the annual ¡Viva! Festival. The diversity, equity and inclusion office of Oak Park’s village government hosted the event on the South Lawn celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with live performances, food, local businesses and fun games. The vibrant day was a stark juxtaposition to the event being cancelled last year due to the increased presence of federal immigration officers. Kellye Keyes, chief DEI officer, said this year was “extra special.” “Viva celebrates the histories, cultures, creativity, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities,” said Keyes during a speech at the event. “That includes people right here in Oak Park whose work, ideas, businesses, families, community involvement all help shape the place we call home.” She said she appreciates events such as this one because they allow people to “slow down” and connect with one another. “Today gives us an opportunity to appreciate the richness and learn something new about one another,” said Keyes. “Even when we share a language or a cultural connection, our experiences are often extremely differ-
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YOUR
BEST
LIFE with w wi itith th Li L Lisa isa is sa Ca C Capone apon ap one ne Stay Healthy This Fall As temperatures dip and the air turns crisp, seniors need to take extra steps p to stay healthy and comfortable comfo f rtab fo ble through the colder months. Fall brings beautiful beautifu f l scenery fu but also an increase in flu f u and fl seasonal illnesses. Staying g healthy during colder months is all alll about a to wellness. proactive approach p Here are a few few simple tips to help fe keep you feeling f eling your best this fe season. First, consider scheduling a flu fu fl serious vaccine. The flu f u can pose fl p health h eallth risks, rii sk k s, especially especiiall ly for f or seniors, seniiors, and getting vaccinated d reduces your chances of severe illness.
SYDNEY LOVAN
Calpulli Ocelotl-Cihuacoatl, a traditional Aztec dance group, performs at Oak Park’s ¡Viva! Festival on Oct. 10. (Bottom left) Performer blows a conch shell. ent. Make room for these differences, that will help us all grow.” Calpulli Ocelotl-Cihuacoatl, one of the performance groups at the event, highlighted Aztec culture and tradition through ceremonial dance and music. Founder Rosa Gaytán said the group is open and accepting of every-
one, and the dance is a prayer. “These ways from our ancestors are the best ways to be connected with them and receive all those messages that we need to continue with this struggling in this world,” said Gaytán. “We are proud to show that we continue with the legacy.”
Staying active is also key. While outdoor walks might g be brisk, indoor activities like lik k e stretching, g gentle yoga, or using light hand d weights w e i g ht s are a r e great g r ea t ways w a y s to t o keep keep muscles strong and joints flexible. f exib fl b le. Even 15-20 minutes a day can boost energy and mood! Finally, focus f cus on seasonal foods fo f ods fo that support pp pp immunity. Fall’s harvest —pumpkins, —pumpk pkins, squash, and apples—are packed d with vitamins that can help your body fe ffend nd off f seasonal bugs. ff Adding warm soups and stews with these ingredients provides both comfort comfo f rt and nutrition. fo By y taking these steps, p you can enjoy enj n oy nj y the th he beauty of fa ffall ll while wh hile staying welll and thriving all season long!
Visit Cantata.org fo fforr more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030. 87 030.
Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Support Short-Term Rehab • Long-Term Care • Home Care
SYDNEY LOVAN SYDNEY LOVAN
Oak Park Chief DEI Officer Kellye Keyes speaks at the festival.
16 Wednesday Journal,, October 14, 2026
S P O N S O R E D
C O N T E N T
A successful new chapter for a long-time neighborhood staple How Elmwood Park’s Old World Pizza is thriving under new ownership By JACKIE PISANO Staff Reporter
For six decades, Old World Pizza has made its home inside an Elmwood Park strip mall near the bustling crossroads of North and Harlem Avenues. While ownership has passed through a few hands since its humble 1960s beginnings, one goal remains the same, yet with deeper dedication than ever before — delivering authentic, Chicago-style Italian food that feeds both hungry appetites and satisfies neighborhood camaraderie. In September 2024, Forest Park resident Danielle Michelon and her fiancé, Patrick Sumara, jumped at the opportunity to pur-
chase the business, something Michelon says was a shared dream of taking a struggling pizzeria and rejuvenating it into a thriving and delicious community cornerstone. With Michelon’s background in sales and marketing and Sumara’s experience in the finance world, both were new to the world of restaurant ownership. But Sumara, who was a longtime patron of Old World Pizza, decided with Michelon that the time was right to take the plunge into purchasing the business and helping restore the restaurant in jeopardy of completely closing
JACKIE PISANO
The restaurant may have changed hands over the years, but one thing has remained the same: Old World Pizza’s beloved thin-crust pizza recipe with an in-house cheese blend and sauce described as “perfectly in the middle of sweetness.
JACKIE PISANO
Fan-favorite pasta dinners include homemade lasagna, which can be ordered either with meat or meatless.
Wednesday Journal,, October 14, 2026 17
S P O N S O R E D
C O N T E N T
OLD WORLD PIZZA Chicago’s No.1 Pizza! Take a journey back to the Old World with us. JACKIE PISANO
One of the only double deck pizzas available locally — a pie featuring two thin-crust pizzas stacked atop each other and finished with a braided crust. its doors into a classically-driven village staple with some modern marketing. “Patrick’s dream was always to find a business that was failing and get into the restoration of it,” Michelon said. “It’s been awesome taking this restaurant that was about to close and bring it back to being a profitable business and restoring it.” With cosmetic interior updates and upgrades to the quality of ingredients purchased for its homemade menu items, Michelon says she’s proud of two things that have remained the same after so many years: staying true to the restaurant’s original thin-crust pizza recipe, and the kitchen leadership of Amadeo Montalvo, who has worked in the kitchen at Old World Pizza for more than 30 years. “I would say what makes our pizza so special is our blend of cheese, which we mix ourselves,” she said. “It’s a housecheese blend, and our sauce is perfectly in the middle — it’s not too sweet, it’s not too acidic, it’s not too tomato-ey. Our dough is simple and made in-house, and people rave about it.” In addition to delivering the same tavernstyle thin crust the restaurant was always known for, Michelon says Montalvo helps guide the couple with ensuring all menu items are fresh and cooked to perfection. As homage to the restaurant’s long-time chef, Michelon and Sumara have added a new fan-favorite to the menu — the Amadeo sub.
“The sandwich is his invention, like a kitchen-sink of Italian sandwiches,” she said. Crafted with cuts of ham, pepperoni and Italian beef, the Amadeo is generously loaded with toppings including lettuce, tomatoes, onions, American and mozzarella cheeses, and the customer’s choice of hot giardiniera or jalapeños. Another new menu item Michelon says quickly rose to fan-favorite is the double deck pie pizza — a thin-crust pizza layer with toppings and cheese stacked with another thin-crust pizza on top and the two crusts braided together. “The double deck pizza definitely makes us stand out,” she said. Other hot dishes include pasta dinners, like the lasagna (fresh pasta stuffed with imported cheeses, blended with fresh spinach and herbs, and draped with their homemade marinara sauce) and chicken wings (available in a variety of flavors including barbecue, lemon pepper, hot Buffalo sauce, garlic parmesan, mango habanero and citrus explosion). Despite the dozens of pizzerias scattered across Elmwood Park and the surrounding area, Michelon says Old World Pizza isn’t in the business of competition, but being a friendly neighbor. “I love having other pizza spots in the neighborhood that we can play off of, and other businesses and the Village of Elmwood Park have been awesome,” she said.
FREE Pizza Bag
with a $50 Delivery Order (before taxes and fees) Cannot be combined with any other offer. Use code: FREEBAG to redeem online. Not valid with 3rd Party Ordering. While supplies last.
7230 W. NORTH AVENUE (708) 456-3000 OriginalOldWorldPizza.com “What makes us unique is that even though Old World Pizza has been around here forever, we are a new kid on the block. This is not a family business that’s been passed down from generation to generation, and it wasn’t necessarily our brainchild to start, but we were consumers who fell in love with it so much and didn’t want anything to happen to it, so we wanted to be sure to preserve it.” With the introduction of Instagram and TikTok accounts for Old World Pizza and a brand-new YouTube channel on the horizon, Michelon is excited for what the future holds as they focus on delivering delectable dishes and propelling the pizzeria into the modern world of food and content creation. Two years after buying the business, Michelon says she and her fiancé are glad they made the decision, welcoming patrons both new and old — many of whom were glad to return to their formerly beloved pizza joint after years away. “There have been so many people who came back after not being here for a while and saying, ‘Oh my God, I stopped coming here because of X, Y, Z, but everything
tastes better,” she said. Throughout the month of October, Old World Pizza will be featuring specialty menu items for National Pizza Month, including their invention of a “witches brew pizza,” made with hot giardiniera, mushrooms, garlic, spinach and ricotta cheese. Be on the lookout for additional fun menu items celebrating National Sausage Day, National Pasta Day and National Dessert Day. Old World Pizza, 7230 W. North Ave., is open seven days a week. For more information including hours, the full menu and catering options, visit originaloldworldpizza. brygid.online.
Old World Pizza 7230 W. North Ave. 708-456-3000
Online: originaloldworldpizza.brygid.online
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
Eisenhower Expressway shut down after alleged road rage shootings hours apart Police arrest separate suspects in the two shootings By SYDNEY LOVAN Staff Reporter
Illinois State Police made two arrests following separate road rage shootings on the Eisenhower Expressway in or near Oak Park last week. Mario Lyons, 45-year-old from Burnham, was taken into custody after allegedly firing at another vehicle on eastbound Interstate 290 near Central Avenue around 10:37 a.m. on Oct. 8, according to Illinois State Police. Chicago Police Department officers quickly followed and located the vehicle where they took Lyons into custody. Almost exactly 12 hours later, around 10:48 p.m., 33-year-old Chicago resident David Andujar allegedly fired a weapon mul-
tiple times at another vehicle near Austin Boulevard on westbound Interstate 290. According to state police, the victim’s vehicle was not hit and no one was injured. A few hours later, around 2:37 a.m., on Friday Oct. 9, all lanes on westbound Interstate 290 were closed to investigate. Illinois State Police requested assistance from the Oak Park Police Department in shutting down the ramp, and local officers left shortly after according to the OPPD spokesperson. The expressway lanes reopened around 5:50 a.m. Lyons was charged with Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon and Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon. Andujar was charged with two counts of Aggravated Discharge of a Fire-
JAVIER GOVEA
Facing east from the Oak Park Avenue bridge. arm and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon. Both remain in custody until their first, separate, court appearances.
“ISP reminds the public that when it comes to aggressive driving, don’t lose your temper or your life,” wrote the state police in a press release.
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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PLAN COMMISSION
Questions answered and not from page 1 attendees multiple times that they want to hear from everyone who has something to say, when it is the appropriate time, and are committed to doing a thorough job in their review and recommendations to the village board . “We want to be fair about this process. We can’t learn if there’s any disruption from the audience. Everyone who wants to be heard, ultimately, I can’t promise tonight, will be heard. We will listen to you too, but I’m going to ask for, you know, some civility and respect,” said Sturino. “We love Oak Park just like all of you do, and I just want us to be proud of this community from this public hearing.” In between fast-paced back-and-forth discussion on intricate details of site development and design standards, property lot coverage and hypothetical compositions of total units versus primary dwellings, the audience would occasionally perk up with claps of support or heckles of disapproval. Sturino held no space for disruptions, quickly setting boundaries and expectations for not tolerating outbursts from the crowd. The commissioners did not hold back with their questions, some showing obvious trepidation over what is being proposed and information that is still lacking. Commissioner Jon Hale shared his discomfort with the very first recommendation of changing the term “family” to “unit” to align with more inclusionary terminology. Commissioner Frank Sullivan later shared his unease with not having impact studies and feasibility strategy recommendations that will be discussed by the Ad Hoc Advisory Task Force separately. “Coming down the pipe is okay if it is part of the decision process and integral to what we do, but at this point in time, to be having it in front of the planning commission without that identified, I find is somewhat problematic,” said Sullivan. The public hearing will continue Thursday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m. in the OPRF auditorium, and the plan commission website has more information on how to participate. Outlined below are the highlights from the meeting with snapshots of key explanations, clarifications and questions left unanswered:
SYDNEY LOVAN
Jennifer Settle, a principal at Opticos, answers questions about proposed zoning changes during the Plan Commission meeting on Oct. 8, at the OPRF
Explanations and clarifications ■ What does affordability mean in the context of these recommendations? There are two “Affordable Housing” types circulating in these discussions and often getting confused or adding to the confusion of the purpose of the proposed changes. In the context of middle housing types, “affordable” is being less expensive than the current predominant housing types. It is referring to middle housing that is affordable to those with middle to high incomes, not what would be reasonable for lower incomes. Current single-family homes can require up to 300% of the median income of Oak Park to afford, but the middle housing types would be affordable for those with closer to 80%. Affordable housing developments that target low-income individuals, like the Grove Apartments which set a limit of 50% of the median income, are not what is addressed specifically in the recommendation. ■ Why is the focus on just “middle” housing types and what exactly does that mean? Middle housing types include duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, sixplexes, and small multi-unit buildings up to five stories. This
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is what is between the single-family homes and large apartment structures like the Emerson or Albion in downtown Oak Park. Whether these housing types are “missing” is something that is still debated. The consultant’s recommendations focus on the middle housing because the land-locked, already highly developed nature of the village make them some of the only options for new housing development while protecting the character of neighborhoods. The village and consultants explained that if nothing is done to try to create more middle housing options, single-family homes will only continue to get more expensive and unattainable for those making even slightly above the median income. In theory, middle housing allows residents to have the neighborhood feel, without the extremely high neighborhood prices.
of concern for many residents and some of the commissioners. Village Planner Michael Bruce said the village hopes additional information and strategies being discussed by the ad hoc advisory task force are going to be presented to the board at the same time as plan commission recommendations, but Sturino, who also sits on the task force, did not seem to think the timelines would match up.
■ What are the differences in Historic Preservation Districts? Added restrictions currently in place in the Historic Preservation Districts and zoning codes exist in tandem as two layers. Protected homes, landmarks and contributing buildings, in these districts could not be torn down or externally modified without going through the review process and getting special approval from the historic preservation commission or a direct intervention from the village board. The same review does not apply for internal changes.
■ What percentage of all of Oak Park’s housing is non-single family? Commissioner Juan Betancur repeatedly asked for the percent of housing units across the entire village which are not single-family. This information was not readily available from the consultants or village, and it was explained that the data in Opticos’ recommendations mainly looks at middle housing across neighborhoods, not accounting for the large highrise developments. According to Oak Park’s Strategic Vision for Housing, the breakdown for village housing types is as follows: 41% single-family, 26% 20 or more unit multifamily, 11% 5 to 9 unit, 10% 2 to 4 unit, 9% 10 to 19 unit, and 3% townhome. It is also of note that the majority of 2-4 unit buildings in Oak Park were built before 1940. Opticos did clarify that the recommendations do not set a goal or threshold for increasing the middle housing types.
■ What about parking?
The village has its metaphorical hands tied when it comes to changing the parking requirements in the zoning code as it has to be updated to comply with Illinois’ new People Over Parking Act. Village staff have previously confirmed changes to parking permits and overnight restrictions are not on the table at this time. Jennifer Settle, project consultant with Opticos, said that neighborhood lot sizes and average alleys in Oak Park are able to accommodate up to four car stalls, and developers of new housing are likely to include parking on the property.
Unanswered Questions ■ How will new development of middle housing types in residential neighborhoods impact surrounding property values? Impact studies on property values are not available at this time which is a point
■ How will, or can, affordability be regulated? There are other tools that the village can use outside of zoning to regulate or encourage affordable units such as subsidies and strengthening the inclusionary housing ordinance. Those fall outside of the purview of zoning and the plan commission and have not been discussed in any decision-making capacities at the village board thus far.
■ Will a pilot program of the changes happen? Commissioner Holly Bruce asked about implementing a pilot program where specific areas of the village would have the zoning changed to see what would happen on a smaller-scale. A direct answer on whether this is up for consideration was not given. However, Fran Lefor Rood, a managing partner with SB Friedman, said the feasibility study will explain why rapid change and development is not expected from zoning changes, so one specific area in a pilot program would not experience much change.
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
State court upholds Oak Park electoral board decision on advisory referendum Question asks if Illinois should repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott Israel
By GREGG VOSS Staff Reporter
A state appellate court ruled Thursday to uphold an Oak Park electoral board decision regarding an advisory referendum question for the Nov. 3 village ballot. The objection to the question, “Should the state of Illinois repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott the state of Israel?” was overruled in August by a local electoral board consisting of Village President Vicki Scaman and Trustees James Taglia and Chibuike Enyia. That decision was upheld last month by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Viviana Martinez. Thursday’s decision from the First Judicial District of the Appellate Court of Illinois said that the petition for public question substantially complied with the requirements of Section 28-3 of the Illinois Election Code. Two justices supported the decision; another dissented.
MADISON STREET
River Forest development from page 6
Walsh and Village President Cathy Adduci sidestepped those questions. Adduci said in a written statement the ordinance concept “builds on our previous efforts to support neighbors impacted by major construction projects, such as the Sheridan (now Sunrise) project. “The proposed development will significantly increase our tax base, generating additional resources for our school districts and other taxing bodies,” Adduci wrote. “Both the new development and the Neighborhood Fund represents meaningful steps forward in improving the Madison Street corridor and supporting our residents.” After more than five hours of public comment and discussion, the village board on Aug. 17 approved an ordinance to grant
A brief released Thursday said: “On appeal, we must first determine whether the Code requires strict compliance with respect to the certification that signatures ‘are genuine,’ or whether the petitions are reviewed for substantial compliance with the Code. We find that the substantial compliance standard applies. We proceed to determine that the petition sheets, when read as a whole, substantially comply with the requirements of the Code. We therefore uphold the validity of the petition. The decision of the electoral board is affirmed.” Attorney Michael Kasper of the Chicago government-relations law firm Kasper, Holmes & Dring, representing referendum question objectors Alan H. Peres and Piergiorgio Uslenghi, appealed Martinez’s decision Sept. 25. With Thursday’s appellate court decision, Kasper said Thursday that a potential next step for his clients would be to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court.
When asked if he would pursue that, he said, “(I) don’t know yet.” Jesse Bauer of Oak Parkers for Free Speech, which brought forth the referendum question originally, said, “we were extremely confident in the legal argument we had. “It’s been a hard road, but you expect that when you’re fighting for human rights and Palestinian issues,” Bauer said. “That’s typical. (But) you’re always a little nervous when it’s out of your control. There’s excitement and momentum and we’re moving into the campaign phase.” Added Caren Van Slyke of Oak Parkers for Free Speech: “We’re just gratified the voters of Oak Park will be able to vote yes to support free speech, human rights and fiscal responsibility.” With election day less than a month away, Bauer said work is going into Oak Parkers for Free Speech educational events, including a viewing of the documentary “Boycott” at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Veterans
Room of the Main Library along with remarks from speaker Dima Khalidi, founder of Palestine Legal. Oak Park Neighbors United, a new group that has formed to provide arguments why Oak Park village community members should vote no to the referendum question, provided a statement Thursday through spokesman Mark Segal. “We have been and remain fully focused every day on defeating this discriminatory and divisive referendum at the ballot box,” he said. “We urge voters who value Oak Park’s decades-long commitment to being a diverse and welcoming village to send a message of inclusion and vote no.” Oak Parkers for Free Speech recently launched a Facebook page and a video regarding the referendum question and the issues surrounding it. Oak Park Neighbors United launched a website, oakparkneighborsunited.org, that discusses its views on the matter.
a planned development permit for a fivestory residential and commercial building at 7620 Madison St. to be developed by Chicago-based Five Thirty-One Partners. The development would include construction of a mixed-use building with 69 high-end apartments and first-floor retail space. The five-story building would be 87 feet at its tallest point with the majority of the building just under 73 feet. The land sale price for the property is $10, with an incentive of up to $2 million in TIF-eligible reimbursement, with $1 million payable to the developer at certificate of occupancy. The $300,000 allotted to the Madison Street Neighborhood Improvement Grant Program will be split equally among the seven properties, at a maximum of $42,857, one amendment requested by the village board Sept. 28. Eligible improvement projects under the grant program include: ■ Exterior building and building envelope improvements;
■ Porches and existing site improvements; ■ Garages and accessory structures, though the construction of a new privately owned building is not eligible; ■ Landscaping, screening and buffering; ■ Exterior lighting, privacy and security fixtures; ■ Sustainability and energy efficiency improvements; ■ Design and professional costs; and, ■ Other rehabilitation, reconstruction, repair or remodeling of an existing building that is substantially similar to those categories. The amended ordinance also notes that ineligible projects include “new privately owned principal or accessory buildings; additions that constitute new private building construction; movable personal property; furniture, appliances or decorative items; routine cleaning or ordinary maintenance that does not constitute rehabilitation, reconstruction, repair or
remodeling; an applicant’s own labor; interest, financing charges, taxes, fines or penalties; costs reimbursed from insurance or another grant or funding source; and any cost that is not eligible under the TIF Act or is inconsistent with the Redevelopment Plan.” The amended ordinance also says that Walsh will create an application form and may establish “reasonable application deadlines and administrative procedures.” The application itself will include a description of the proposed work, plans or photos that identify the work, contractor estimates or bids, evidence of ownership, the amount of funds requested and a proposed project completion schedule. “The top-line changes from the board included splitting the $300,000 evenly among the seven eligible properties and the creation of an appeals process if the village administrator were to deny an application or reimbursement,” Walsh wrote. “The appeal would be review an application’s program availability.”
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
SYDNEY LOVAN
SYDNEY LOVAN
View of Oak Park Avenue construction from Grape Leaves, a Moroccan restaurant.
STREET PROJECT
Businesses eager for November from page 1 sprucing up the above-ground areas. “People shouldn’t have to think about how their water is delivered and their sewer, where their sewers goes,” said Bill McKenna, Oak Park’s village engineer. “Everything should hopefully work well for our lifetimes.” Renew the Avenue Project Manager Brian Racine, Sally Prescott with Prescott Group LLC, and McKenna took Wednesday Journal through the area to take a closer look at the project and their “sprint” to the finish line. McKenna and Racine confirmed that “substantial completion” of the project, streets and sidewalks, will be done by Thanksgiving just at or under a budget of around $18 million. However, some components of the work will continue into the new year such as landscaping that will require spring plantings and pavement markings may need to be touched up as the paint does not stick as well in cold weather. There is still quite a bit of work to be done to make it to the deadline such as finishing electrical work for light poles and traffic signals, irrigation, cement work, and one of the village’s most anticipated new features, two large art instillations. Crews have recently been, and will continue, to work on weekends to get the work done on time and make sure the different groups of workers can plan around each other since many different pieces are being completed all on top of each other in what Racine called a “well-orchestrated dance.” Although people strolling the avenue may only see the
21
People walk through construction on Oak Park Avenue on Oct. 12.
half-done brick laid street and caution tape above ground, Racine said a lot of the work completed happened underground and out-of-sight. “There’s a lot of stuff going on below our feet that people tend to not think about, and that takes time and money,” said Racine. As residents anxiously await the re-opening, many nearby businesses are just barely holding on. In May, George Konstantos of George’s Family Restaurant, reported that business was down about 30% because of construction. Three months later, he said business is still down the same amount, some days dropping closer to 50%, a low he has not reached since the pandemic. One of
SYDNEY LOVAN
George Konstantos, owner of George’s Pancake House, has seen it all.
his only beacons of hope through the past year was the community support to help keep the business running. “I grew up with this place, so it means a lot to me,” said Konstantos. “I don’t want to just close it and walk away. It would have killed me,” he said of the restaurant at 145 S. Oak Park Ave. Konstantos said he has been “frustrated” with the village throughout the process with a lack of financial support and parking struggles for people trying to get to the businesses. The village offered grant programs for businesses, but only to upgrade exteriors, interior spaces and to assist with social media marketing. Just a couple of doors down, Grape Leaves manager Estefania Berroteran echoed Konstantos’ struggles. Berroteran said it has been especially hard on older customers because of longer walking distances and difficulty navigating the sidewalks. She said she saw a couple of people fall just outside of the restaurant. The Moroccan restaurant was supposed to move into a larger space next door to their current location, but the relocation has been postponed and some staff has been let go because of the financial struggles. She said the goal is to move to the larger space as soon as the avenue is open again. Grape Leaves current location is at 129 S. Oak Park Ave. “We’re just trying to be optimistic about it overall,” said Berroteran. “It’s looking great now and we’re glad that at least people can walk through, and we definitely noticed the change because our other regular customers, older customers coming in which was something that was a little bit more important for us, but we just hope that they finish on time and that we can move forward with advertising how nice it looks outside.” There will be an early celebration for the Hemingway District before the official opening with a “block party” on Nov. 14 called “On the Road Again” from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
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River Forest Fire Department and other area departments responded to a fatal fire in River Forest early Tuesday morning. Around 12:45 a.m. on Oct. 13, fire crews noticed “thick black smoke and flames” coming from the basement and first floor of the townhome at 1430 N. Harlem Ave. where there were two residents at the time, according to a statement from Fire Chief Thomas Gaertner. Police officers tried to go into the building but were unable to because of intense heat and smoke. One resident jumped from the second story of the building to escape the fire, was treated
and released on the scene. The other resident was “overcome by the intense heat and smoke from the fire” wrote Gaertner in the statement. The statement also notes two families are displaced due to the fire. Several neighboring departments helped suppress the fire and the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marchal was on the scene to assist in the investigation. More information will be available once the investigation is complete. The victim has not been identified at this time. “Please send thoughts and prayers to the victim and their family, and please allow for privacy in this trying time,” wrote Gaertner.
New transit agency open house Wednesday The newly formed Northern Illinois Transit Agency, NITA, is hosting an open house to gather input from interested citizens and answer their questions. The open house will be from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14 in the Burlington Room at Union Station, 225 S. Canal St. Officials say the event is designed for citizens to explore and walk through the rider journey on the regional transit system, discuss pain points and future improvements, and learn more about what the Northern Illinois Transit Authority will do. “This open house is the start of a broader series of public engagement opportunities, including additional inperson and virtual events,” the agency said in a press release. “Tell us what’s working, where you see opportunities for improvement and what matters most as NITA plans for the years ahead.” Feedback gathered throughout the public meetings series will inform NI-
TA’s budget, service planning, capital, and rider-experience work. There will also be tables on doing business with the regional transit system and applying to work at the agencies. NITA is developing its first-ever regional budget for fiscal year 2027 for operations of the CTA, Metra and Pace. Survey responses will help NITA better understand public priorities as it develops the 2027 Regional Transit Budget and plans for future transit improvements. Officials will review the results alongside other public input and consider them as part of the broader budget development process. NITA will release its proposed 2027 Regional Transit Budget on Nov. 3. Riders and residents will have additional opportunities to review the proposed budget and provide feedback during the formal public comment period before the NITA Board considers its adoption in December.
— Bill Dwyer
Homes
NEED TO REACH US?
email: dhaley@newswellchicago.org
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Oak Park area Realtors host home improvement fair Free event takes place Sunday, Oct. 18 at Oak Park Main Library By LACEY SIKORA Real Estate Reporter
The Oak Park Area Association of Realtors (OPRAAR) has long been involved in supporting and educating residents and real estate professionals in the Oak Park area on all things real estate. This fall, the professional group is supporting locals beyond the closing table. On Oct. 18, they are hosting a Home Improvement Fair at the Main Library. Board Member Kris Sagan of REMAX Elevated in Oak Park saw that many of her real estate clients were looking for referrals for professionals who could help out with renovation needs after a home purchase or before listing a home for sale Sagan says, “We know that home improvement can feel overwhelming, especially with an older home. We wanted to create an easy way for homeowners to connect with trade professionals who are ac-
tive in the community.” architect, interior designer, landscape deNewly installed OPAAR Board Presi- signer, plumber, painter, and hardwood floor dent Linda Rooney of Berkshire Hathaway specialist are just a few of the professionals HomeServices says that Oak Park and its who will be in attendance. In building their roster of surrounding communities are tradespeople for the event, unique in that much of their Rooney and Sagan turned to housing stock is older. Choosing other OPAAR board members the tradespeople to do important and trusted colleagues in the real jobs on a house is not as easy as estate community. Rooney says, searching online. “People all have someone they’re Rooney says, “This is a big part super connected with. This is a of my job. People asking for refergood mix of group recommendaences.” tions.” “It is current clients, past cliSagan says the event is meant ents, friends and neighbors,” Sato aid homeowners who might gan says, stating that many peoLINDA ROONEY be anticipating a large project or ple turn to local real estate agents just someone who needs a small for trusted referrals. The two-hour Home Improvement Fair job taken off their to-do list. “You can come will be an open house setting with roughly thinking about a major project, like an addia dozen trade representatives on hand ready tion or a coach house, or a small project, like to talk shop. A general contractor, residential you need a new ceiling fan installed.”
While the event is geared to local homeowners, Rooney and Sagan point out that it’s also a great event for local Realtors. It’s not uncommon for issues to come up during the inspection leading up to a home sale. Having a local roster of professionals is something they say every Realtor needs. Rooney says, “The people participating are all local contractors who are already working in the area and who understand our older homes. It’s really good to have these people on your bench.”
Before you go The OPAAR Home Improvement Fair is Sunday, Oct. 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Veteran’s Room of the Main Branch of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. There is no cost to attend and no registration required.
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
P R O P E R T Y
The following property transfers were reported by the Cook County Clerk from June 2026. Where addresses appear incomplete, for instance where a unit number appears missing, that information was not provided by the clerk.
OAK PARK ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
601 S Kenilworth Ave 515 S Highland Ave 820 N Grove Ave 617 S Lombard Ave 1111 Woodbine Ave 110 S Marion St 635 N Euclid Ave 922 N Humphrey Ave 1103 Holley Ct 306 Chicago Ave 417 Wisconsin Ave 415 Wesley Ave 242 S Maple Ave 340 S Kenilworth Ave 842 S Wesley Ave 219 W Chicago Ave 1127 Erie St 433 N Lombard Ave 1126 W Washington Blvd 443 N Lombard Ave 1025 Randolph St 6436 Roosevelt Rd 1014 Gunderson Ave 1033 Ontario St 403 N Marion St 230 N Oak Park Ave 436 N Harvey Ave 224 S Oak Park Ave 530 Washington Blvd 407 S Oak Park Ave 1112 Lake St 434 S Lombard Ave 125 N Euclid Ave 222 N Marion St 1118 W Washington Blvd 222 Le Moyne Pky 1106 Clarence Ave 616 S Cuyler Ave 304 N Grove Ave 512 S Grove Ave 828 S Taylor Ave 110 Bishop Quarter Ln 1192 Clarence Ave 821 N Grove Ave 1033 Lincoln Trl 839 N Harvey Ave 1026 Baldwin Ln 944 N Humphrey Ave
$1,001,500 $1,049,000 $1,275,000 $1,310,000 $1,360,000 $1,455,000 $1,800,000 $107,000 $115,000 $140,000 $160,000 $160,000 $166,000 $170,000 $173,000 $175,000 $176,000 $183,000 $188,500 $190,000 $200,000 $205,500 $221,000 $242,500 $249,000 $250,000 $275,000 $305,000 $315,000 $330,000 $340,000 $343,000 $350,000 $352,500 $375,000 $405,000 $425,000 $465,000 $490,000 $510,000 $575,000 $600,000 $610,000 $617,000 $620,000 $642,000 $645,000 $677,000
Lorraine C Mccarthy Trust Ceceu Daniel A Sturtevant Albert D Lakefront Inv Grp Llc Obrien Daniel E Bower William B Tr Thibodeau Matthew R Scott Mattie B Jjir Oak Pk Llc Us Bk Trust Natl Assn Tr Medina William Jackson La Torsha Shanae Spear Julia Collins Vander Meulen Kyle F Ekpenyong John E Parenti-White Patricia Maxwell Matthew Moore Michael C Rani Assoc Llc Series 112226 Byrne Alyssa B Rodriguez-Anglero Dianisa M Ocasek Thomas Thomas Judy K Salah Lynn Z Gifford Carol Tr Brose Parker Werblo Tracy M Haley Mary Pat Patner Margaret R Tr Lehrer Nancy J Kek Llc Spell Ashley W Saint Martin Michelle Petersen Janet S Trust Rini Christine M Anderson Jacqueline Short James D Kurek Sherry Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Woods Bernard J Tr Carr Sandra Schaub David E Francis Alicia Tierney Bryann L Tr Mcdonnell Vera Tr Lucci Ashley Sade Kells Stephen Ehmke Coraline Ada
Morris Jordan Harper Eric Long Aaron Chala Abraham Snow Christopher Conway Linda J Tr Dormeier Joshua Logan Mattie B Scott Trust Utd 05202026 Navarro Jose Ivan Aguilar Hollar Llc Pickett Stephen Tlacuatl Jacinto Ocotoxtle Flammersfeld Abigail Ptack Joseph Carrasco Karen Lozano Kassandra L Wheatley Mary Moy Martin Davis Corliss Kislowski Iii Joseph Stanley Cortes Rafael Orlin Caroline Sara Terra Home Const Llc Tonelli Alvise Fort Cheryl Wratten William B Wrobel Nicole E Aigner Elena Collado Melissa Tr Scarola Patricia 1112 Oak Pk Llc Reese Cameron Michael Trinh Hong Voss Melissa Rhodes Sharon Bey Valencia Scott Johnston Joanne L Tr Vanek Tess Callaghan Lotti Samantha Alexis Ellis Lisandra Vila Sturm Hans Tr Ciacciarelli Michael P Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Hoge Jonathan Forde John Carrillo Anette Paola Elena Bravo Prescott Kathryn E Soviero Jacob
T R A N S F E R S
OAKPARK.COM
601 S. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park
OAK PARK ADDRESS
PRICE
SELLER
BUYER
1042 S Kenilworth Ave 1125 Erie St 632 N Ridgeland Ave 833 S Scoville Ave 1135 Clarence Ave 424 N Harvey Ave 733 S Oak Park Ave 934 N Kenilworth Ave 908 Wenonah Ave 410 Berkshire St 732 S Kenilworth Ave 803 S Maple Ave 909 Linden Ave 186 N Marion St 147 N Euclid Ave 217 Harrison St 639 N Ridgeland Ave 305 N Ridgeland Ave
$680,000 $700,000 $708,000 $715,000 $725,000 $735,000 $750,000 $750,000 $750,000 $750,000 $775,000 $827,000 $860,000 $922,500 $945,000 $950,000 $975,000 $995,000
Czerwinski Janet Tr 1125 Erie Llc Mangan Edward L Tr Decoursey Carolyn G Tr Wouters Hub Conley Volz Andrew Thomas Roby Tr Ciacciarelli Trust Gee Richard Clark Patrick John Cohen Kevin B Schmidt Jennifer L Hildebrand Katharine Plancon Amanda Louise Jardine William Scott Harrison St Ventures Llc Berg Emily Schwartz Lisa
Boyle Nicholas 1125 Erie Dev Llc Khin Julia Ridley Chelsea Craney Danice Kudlacz Christopher Haynes Robert Haughey Mark Abbas Shuja Liu Kevin K Williamson Kurt D Drake Tyler Phillip Mark A Lds Family Holdings Llc Rottenberg Lori Salvage Haus Oak Pk Llc Gairo Sophie Lizzio Giovanna
711 Jackson Ave 7208 Oak Ave 7210 Oak Ave 7200 Oak Ave 1100 N Harlem Ave 1535 Monroe Ave 7705 North Ave 7919 North Ave 7348 Lake St 424 Park Ave 1535 Forest Ave 1020 N Harlem Ave 102 Keystone Ave 1422 Franklin Ave 1434 William St
$1,000,000 $118,500 $137,000 $140,000 $175,000 $189,000 $190,000 $258,000 $260,000 $317,500 $401,500 $412,500 $720,000 $775,000 $899,000
RIVER FOREST Dahlstrom Patrick Sapphire Cl Llc Wojciechowska Beata Marroquin Norma Home Myrtle Llc Reisman Kimberly Foltin Geoff A Obrien Mary E Magee Jeffrey P Banas-Zadlo Kinga L King Trust Anderson Ronald E Eggerding Kathleen H Devon Bk Tr Taglia Mary Tr
Khan Mohammed Talha Ali Rodriguez Priscilla Ann Castellucci Alexander Guzman-Franco Oscar Snyder Matthew S Chicago Title Land Trust Co Tr Stallard Jr Wayne B Worsham Alishia Hershey Erica Faith Knutson Lori Page Cynthia F Stevens Dominique Ellison Joseph Al-Mashhandani Arshad Bower William B Tr
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 Email: ktrainor@newswellchicago.org
VIEWPOINTS
Why not run for school board?
C
andidates for Oak Park Village Board often claim they will cut the waste at village hall and control our spiraling property taxes. Yet over the last five years the village has kept its tax increases well below inflation, including a 0% increase in 2023. What did that do for your tax bill? If you are like me, almost nothing. I pay more than ever, and it goes up with every reassessment. A fact that most people don’t know, apparently including many village board candidates, is that the village levy is only 15% of your tax bill. And much of that is nondiscretionary stuff like firefighter pensions. The discretionary portion of the village levy amounts to less than 10% of your tax bill. So I ask all of the candidates, what amount do you think you can realistically decrease of that 10%? If you can find $2 million in waste, that’s less than 1% off of our tax bill. That amount would be offset by increases in the school district levies within a year. Which brings me to the school districts. Together, D97 (elementary) and D200 (high school) comprise almost two-thirds of our tax bill. D200 is in the midst of a projected $250 million+ renovation plan. D97 has been raising its levy at close to the max allowable rate even as enrollment falls. If you want to save taxpayers money, the school budgets are a much better target than the village budget. Their portion of your tax bill is seven times larger than the discretionary part of the village levy, and growing much faster. So why don’t these folks run for school board on an austerity platform? My guess is that many of them have kids in the schools. Well, that’s inconvenient. It’s easier to run for village board on a cost-cutting platform because many voters don’t understand how our taxes work. They think the village board controls everything. If you are reading this, you now understand, and won’t be fooled. The village board controls less than 10% of property taxes, and that amount pays for things like police, street resurfacing, and sewer overhauls. It will be hard to meaningfully decrease it and, over the last five years, the village board has had the slowest levy increases of any local taxing body. Relative to inflation, the village board actually gave you a tax cut. If a candidate tells you otherwise, you should now be able to ask them some hard questions. I’d start with, “Do you really care about our taxes? If so, why aren’t you running for school board?” The thing is, most Oak Parkers, myself included, really like the schools, and school board candidates who run to control school spending historically have a very bad go of it. I bet most of the fiscally conservative candidates for village board wouldn’t do a thing to change our school funding. So are their fiscal positions genuine, or just branding? Sources: Tax growth comparison 2020-2025: https://jvanderberg.github.io/oak_park_ tax_history/?c=g&y=2020-2025 Tax comparison 2025: https://jvanderberg.github.io/oak_park_tax_ history/?c=p&y=2020-2025 Village tax breakdown: https://www.oak-park.us/files/assets/oakpark/v/1/ finance/2025-budget-graphic.jpg
JOSH VANDERBERG
25
Shrubtown
p. 27
Lies, fear-mongering, and zoning
W
because rules about setback and e are Frank Lloyd the envelope of the structure Wright homeownwould remain largely unchanged. ers; we have been Oak Park’s historic character recognized by the has always included a mix of Historic Preservation density (single-family homes, Commission for our stewardship. 2- and 3-flats, and apartment Recently, we saw a viral video buildings). The push to limit asserting that our house and zoning to single-family homes all of the other Wright houses came later in Oak Park’s in the village face history and has racist imminent demoliunderpinnings. When tion, to be replaced by the Supreme Court apartment buildings. banned explicitly racial The video isn’t simply housing covenants, an exaggeration; it’s a communities across the wholesale fabrication country (including Oak from start (“immiPark), rushed to enact nent demolition”) to single-family zoning, finish (“demolition complying with the by neglect”). And the JAMES CAULFIELD/FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUSTE letter of the Supreme content creator has Court decision while doubled down on his Emma and Peter A. Beachy House defying its spirit. spurious claims. (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1906) And when Oak Park No, our house will elected officials passed not be torn down. Even if we (or future owners) harbored such an the Fair Housing Ordinance in 1968 (which banned using race as a factor against anyone impulse, the village of Oak Park would never seeking to rent or buy property in Oak Park), allow such a thing. The Historic Preservation the prospect was met with fear-mongering and Code forbids it. hyperbolic opposition. It sounded a lot like It’s critically important to note (as village the rhetoric we are hearing now. Today we Historic Preservation staffer Brenton Boitse has had to point out to callers from near and far celebrate and congratulate ourselves for living – including Georgia, Canada, and the UK) – zon- in a community that passed a fair housing ordinance. ing and historic preservation are two entirely Nothing in these proposed zoning changes different ordinances and processes. They are will by itself magically make Oak Park more separate conversations. affordable. That said, there is a lot of data And what does it say about the underlying showing that increasing the supply of housing, arguments when opponents of Shape Oak Park even at the upper end, does in fact mitigate zoning reform feel the need to deploy such price pressure on lower-end housing. blatant lies and fearmongering? The proposed zoning change would leave We support the attempt to end exclusionary the boundaries of Oak Park’s historic districts zoning. The older, more modest starter family entirely untouched. Any house in a historic home in Oak Park is already nearly extinct. district that is deemed a contributing structure The current trend is clearly toward McMan(built before 1945) cannot be visibly changed sions. from the street (let alone demolished) unless The proposed revision of the zoning codes the Historic Preservation Commission issues a would allow people whose houses are not Certificate of Appropriateness. considered contributing structures in one of As homeowners who have devoted an the historic districts, or on lots outside those districts, the option to build a 2- or 3-flat. enormous amount of energy and resources to It would allow the possibility of “missing historic preservation, we are truly dismayed to middle” housing, while also making sure that whatever might be built “looks like a house” See HARRIS & SONG on page 34
ALEC HARRIS & CAROLLINA SONG One View
26
V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
Primacy of the popular vote
Let’s not be whisper quiet!
By now, you likely have heard how a developer wants to run a high-speed train that will whip through River Forest, Melrose Park, Forest Park, and 11 other communities on its 80+ mph journey from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago. Dave Lundy, the developer, brags that it will run every 15 minutes from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. [1] Counting trains in both directions, it’s actually every 7.5 minutes, and 144 times per day. That doesn’t include possible nightly freight trains that could be in play. The developer also claims that the O’Hare Flyer is “whisper quiet,” [2] referencing that the engine is battery electric. While the motor itself may be relatively quiet, significant noise is generated from noise from the wheels and tracks, plus aerodynamic noise, that increase with speed. A battery electric train has an average sound level of 70-78 decibel (dB) [3] vs. 80-85 dB for a diesel freight train. Note a whisper is between 20 and 30 dB [4]. We also have to consider that a train horn is required by law and blasts between 96 and 110 dB [5] when approaching public grade crossings, regardless of how quiet the train’s engine is. The train horn makes two long blasts, one short blast, and one long blast, and sounds off 15-20 seconds before reaching a crossing. This is definitely not whisper quiet. Additionally, this project will take at least two years of major construction time to modify the existing rail system [6], including installing several berms and new bridges that would run through our residential neighborhoods. This would be 6 days a week of not-so-whisper-quiet construction … for years! Ironically, Dave Lundy, a Wilmette resident, successfully campaigned to stop Northwestern’s Ryan Field from allowing six concerts per year [7]. Concerts at this field, located over two miles from Lundy’s home, would have meant noise levels above 70 decibels. I guess Dave doesn’t like noise in his own neighborhood, but is perfectly OK with noise in other communities. No sound, light or vibration studies for the proposed project have been disclosed, and many believe that the public health and wildlife impact is being minimized, even ignored. Studies show that anything at or above 65 dB can trigger an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones in the blood [8/9]. If a train is built, it will negatively impact our sleep and our health. That whisper in your ear while you are in bed may just be the 4 a.m. train. Let’s not be whisper quiet on this project. What you can do to help: 1) Write letters to our officials (Gov. Pritzker, state Sen. Harmon, U.S. Sen. Duckworth, etc.), the railroads, Cook County Forest Preserve, and others 2) Attend town hall meetings, including neighboring communities, and speak out 3) Voice your opinion in your local paper and social media 4) Volunteer by visiting the website below Visit www.stoptheohareflyer.org for more info, who to write to, sample letters, how to volunteer, and other actions. References can be found in the online version at oakpark. com.
Steve Metro
River Forest
P
olitics is a means to some end. Democracy, if we do it well. One group believes the end justifies the means. The other group believes the means justify the end. I belong to the latter. One group thinks it’s almost always better to do something than to do nothing. The other group believes it’s always better to do nothing. I belong to the former. One group wants fewer people to vote. The other group wants more people to vote. The more voters the better, I say. One group regards reform with dread. The other says our nation is always in need of reform. Guess which side I come down on. Reform is a long-haul overhaul, so I take the long view. Paradoxically, we are forced to use the political system to reform politics, which as many have noted is like redesigning the plane while you’re flying it. We pursue reform to avoid crash landing the plane. Consider the daunting array of reforms needed in order to get our current political system airborne again: ■ The Electoral College (majority rule must prevail, never minority rule) ■ The Imperial Presidency (limit the number of executive orders, create stronger checks, impose enforceable penalties on abuse of power) ■ The Supreme Court (term limits, a genuine code of ethics, institute impeachment procedures, expand the court as a last resort) ■ The Filibuster (harder to use, easier to override) ■ Gerrymandering/Redistricting (put the process in the hands of nonpartisan commissions) ■ Campaign Financing (more transparency, limit corporate donations, stricter controls on PACs) ■ Elections (make it easier to vote, outlaw voter suppression efforts) ■ Impeachment (reduce the number of Senate votes needed to convict) ■ Congress (failing to serve as a check on presidential overreach, they have become abuse of power’s primary enablers) There’s more, of course, but until the American electorate grants a supermajority to the only party that has shown itself capable of, and committed to, reform, we’ll remain stuck in the muck. We won’t reach that end in the Nov. 3 midterm election, but it could be the beginning if we elect enough transformational leaders to move us beyond our current paralyzed politics. In the long view, our biggest obstacle is the Electoral College, which renders the popular vote
irrelevant in the minds of most Americans and undermines the electorate’s faith in the political system, which in turn suppresses voter turnout. That inevitably produces minority rule, the first step toward authoritarianism. The minority has used the Electoral College twice in just the last 25 years to defeat the popular vote winner. Our founders chose this poorlythought-out scheme because they didn’t have enough faith in we the people. They feared “mob rule.” They feared our heads would be too easily turned by demagogues. Swayed by elitist bias, they thought they were protecting us. Ha! The Electoral College delivered us the most dangerous demagogue in our history. Polling has long indicated that Americans support more progressive attitudes and legislation, but that is not reflected in our political representation, where minority opinions and policies too often rule, to our detriment. That must change. If political representation is not in line with political opinion, then we are not a free people. When it comes to electing our presidents, the popular vote has to win twice. The Electoral College only has to win once, reducing the popular vote to second-class citizenship. It should be the other way around. If you win the popular vote and lose the Electoral College, it may be an indication of geographical weakness in your support, but the popular vote winner should still prevail. Otherwise the system favors minority rule, which denies the intent and consent of the governed. In our current system of twisted logic, it is acceptable to lose the popular vote and still win. Democratically speaking, it makes far more sense to lose the Electoral College vote and still win. That affirms the primacy of the popular vote, where our priority should have been all along. We don’t even have to get rid of the Electoral College. Just demote it. If only one indicator prevails in a presidential election, it must be the popular vote. Anything else is anti-democratic. Eliminating the Electoral College — or at least rendering it secondary in presidential elections — is the first and most important reform. The rest will follow from it. A long road, perhaps, but let’s start the movement to switch to a popular-vote mindset. We may have begun as a republic, but we have always been evolving toward our desired end — a progressive democracy, what we should have been all along. It is what we will become, what we must become. No matter how long it takes.
KEN
TRAINOR
V I E W P O I N T S S H R U B T O W N
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
by Marc Stopeck
W E D N E S D A Y
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
Viewpoints Guidelines
What can we do that matters?
Some of you know me, even if you don’t know my name. Every school day morning since February 2025 some of you see me, walking with my middle-schooler and his friends on the way to Julian. You see us because we’re the ones carrying the Ukrainian flag, the sign that says “Honk for Ukraine” and the other that says “ICE OUT/ICE Belongs in Glaciers, Not in Neighborhoods.” Yup, I can feel some of you mouthing “oh …” right now. Why do we do it? With the many frightening changes in the world, my 12-year-old wanted to know: What can a middle-schooler do that matters? This is one of the things he came up with. And I must say, I’ve learned a lot from these many months of experience since. First, I know that only a small portion of you will honk, even if you agree. I know that you’ll honk more if it’s nice outside, more if there are more kids in the mix, and more if you’ve seen us a number of days in a row. I know you’ll honk less if you haven’t seen us before – a lot of people just stare. I also know that fewer of you honk today than honked last spring.
How do I know this? We count every honk, and we compare our numbers over time. Our high-water mark was 115 honks in the 18 minutes it takes to walk to Julian. That was toward the end of last school year, with great weather and the unforgettable local experience of ICE. In the depths of winter, when it’s coldest and grayest, we tend to get honks in the 30s. This fall our honks have been middling – 40s to 60s. I sure hope it doesn’t mean we’re wearying at the moment when our nation – and the world – needs us most. Thanks to the many of you who honk, buoying these 12- to 13-year-olds, showing them that they can do things that matter in the world. To those of you who maybe think it doesn’t matter, please know that your solidarity, community support and engagement *do* matter. In fact, we literally count on it, every single day. If you see us, I hope you’ll honk; and even if you don’t, I hope you’ll vote (early) and make it count.
Amy Rosenthal Oak Park
The goal of the Viewpoints section is to foster and facilitate a community conversation and respectful dialogue. Responsible community voices are vital to community journalism and we welcome them. Space is at a premium and readers’ attention is also limited, so we ask that Viewpoints submissions be brief. Our limit for letters to the editor is 350 words. For One View essays, the limit is 500 words. Shorter is better. If and when we have sufficient space, we print longer submissions, but when space is limited — as it often is — we may ask you to submit a shorter version or hold the piece until space allows us to print it. We reserve the right to edit submissions. We do not have time to allow the writer to review changes before publication. We also do not have time to do more than superficial fact-checking, and because of our national epidemic of misinformation and conspiracy theories, when writers include statistical evidence to support their opinions, we require them to include the source of that information, such as credible websites, print publications, titles of articles and dates published, etc. Be as specific as possible so that we and our readers have some way of assessing the credibility of your claims. Links may also be included for the online version. We follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics: seek the truth and report it and minimize harm. As a result, we will do our best not to publish pieces that espouse doubtful or debunked theories, demonstrate harmful bias, or cross the line into incivility. While we will do our best not to engage in censorship, we also do not intend to be used as a platform for misinformation. Your sources for fact-checking are a critical step in keeping the discourse honest, decent and respectful. All submissions must include your first and last name and the municipality in which you live, plus a phone number (for verification only). We do not publish anonymous letters. One View essays should include a sentence at the end about who you are. If we receive your submission by 5 p.m. on Sunday, you can expect your opinion to be included in that week’s paper (and online), space permitting.
Pieces can be submitted through our online form at oakpark.com or directly to Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor, ktrainor@newswellchicago.org. For the latter, we prefer attached Word files or plain text included in the email. LETTER TO THE EDITOR ■ 350-word limit ■ Must include first and last
names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)
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about yourself and/or your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left
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V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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What this referendum is about
he Journal recently reported (Sept. 2) that a newly-minted organization, Oak Park Neighbors United (OPNU), is urging “No” votes in the Nov. 3 referendum. The referendum asks whether Illinois should repeal statutes banning certain state pension investments in, and state contracts with, economic boycotters of the Israeli state. The OPNU spokesperson complains that the referendum is a distraction from other issues, but OPNU’s claims are the distraction. None address the substance of the referendum. People and their businesses boycott the state of Israel because of its heinous campaign of (pick one or more) genocide, mass killing, ethnic cleansing, land theft, occupation, war crimes, crimes against humanity and/or utter disregard of human rights and UN resolutions, in (pick one or more) Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and/or Iran. But Illinois, through two statutes*, currently penalizes those boycotters by refusing to invest in their enterprises or contract
for their services. Should our state end those policies? Or should it continue punishing people hoping to stop Israel’s years-long brutality by withholding their economic support? That’s what this referendum is about. OPNU’s spokesperson says it’s just about “the Middle East” and federal policy and not something for our community to address. But state of Illinois’ current law actively and expressly picks a side in the Middle East, with laws and investigation and enforcement mechanisms funded by Oak Park taxpayers. So by OPNU’s own logic, since our state has no formal control over federal foreign policy, shouldn’t it repeal the laws addressed by the referendum? That’s precisely what the referendum’s supporters are asking, not because Oak Parkers can directly constrain Israel’s wanton behavior, but because we want our state to stop supporting that dreadful behavior through its
laws. The OPNU spokesperson also laments that this is “a very divisive issue.” Aren’t all issues “divisive” inherently? People have different opinions, just as we have in Oak Park regarding the very issues OPNU says we’re distracted from by the referendum (zoning, housing affordability, etc.). OPNU’s spokesperson additionally charges that the referendum is discriminatory and “calls out Oak Park Jewish neighbors.” Huh? The referendum “calls out” no one. It’s a single sentence challenging state laws designed to discourage economic pressure on a rogue nation. OPNU even asserts that the referendum contravenes Oak Park’s “welcoming village ordinance that rejects discrimination based on national origin.” Again, huh? Our family is Jewish and our “national origin” is the U.S. By erroneously placing the “national origin” of American Jews in Israel, OPNU regrettably gives life
DAVID GILBERT One View
This referendum is discriminatory
Oak Parkers will soon vote on an advisory referendum that “Yes” advocates say is about Free Speech. What they won’t tell you is that the referendum serves the global BDS movement, which for 20 years has discriminated against Jews and Israelis. Oak Parkers should reject BDS and the referendum that supports it, so Oak Park remains welcoming to all. BDS’ tactics and goals are designed to prevent the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on any two-state model. BDS’ founder has said the movement’s goal is one state – Palestine – ensuring no remaining political entity called Israel, a U.N. member state. (1) Its “anti-normalization” guidelines call for a boycott of Israeli institutions and Israelis themselves unless they declare “co-resistance” against Israel. (2) Because 46 percent of the global Jewish population lives in Israel, BDS is, in effect, discriminatory not only against Israelis but against half of the world’s Jews. The guidelines define the Israeli side as only “JewishIsraelis” and “Jewish-Israeli institutions,” and require a boycott of most joint Israeli-Palestinian co-existence and peace initiatives, ensuring no open dialogue. The movement has encouraged boycotts of Israeli professors and students and of activist organizations like Peace Now and Standing Together. This closed loop prohibits dialogue across the divide, a goal shared with Israel’s ultra-right parties, which prefer endless war to a negotiated resolution. As a former participant in a joint Israeli-Palestinian co-existence program, I know such connections are precisely how Israelis and Pales-
to the antisemitic canard of Jewish “dual loyalty.” Ironic, since the likely reason OPNU name-calls the referendum “discriminatory” is to exploit voters’ fears of appearing antisemitic. Don’t be fooled. Oak Park taxpayers are currently required to fund the policy, investigation and enforcement provisions in those laws, effectively abetting the victimizer instead of helping the victims. A “No” vote will suggest that’s just fine with us. A “Yes” vote will tell our Springfield representatives that Oak Park has had enough of that. Footnote: *40 ILCS 5/1-110.16 (pension investments) and 30 ILCS 582/1 (state contracts). The first of these establishes the Illinois Investment Policy Board and imposes a host of duties on that board and the state’s multiple retirement systems. The second law concerns state contracts with parties who contravene particular federal anti-boycott law and regulation. David Gilbert is an Oak Park resident.
Defiance as a reason to vote
tinians learn to recognize “the Other,” mourn together, and see a path forward. (3) BDS doesn’t want that. Nor has it altered its approach – this past year it prioritized a boycott of Disney simply because it made films with Israeli actresses Gal Gadot and Shira Hass. (4) Oak Parkers know better. In 2017, our village passed a Welcoming Village Ordinance that “discourages unlawful discrimination and strongly supports the equal treatment of all individuals regardless of national origin.” My wife and I moved to Oak Park months later that year with our infant daughter, drawn by that promise. I hope voters live up to Oak Park’s reputation and reject the discriminatory BDS Movement by voting No. Sources: (1) See “BDS opposes the two state solution of the Arab-Israeli Conflict,” Jerusalem Post, at https://www. jpost.com/blogs/2nd-thoughts/bds-opposes-the-twostate-solution-of-the-arab-israel-conflict-364648 (2) The BDS Movement’s Anti-Normalization Guidelines Explained, at https://www.bdsmovement.net/ news/bds-movement-anti-normalization-guidelines (3) Lou Kanavati, “Organized by a group of Hamline professors, educators work to build hope,” The Pioneer Press, (June 23, 2007), at https://www.twincities. com/2007/06/23/organized-by-a-group-of-hamlineprofessors-educators-work-to-build-hope (4) See https://bdsmovement.net/news/black-fridaydon%E2%80%99t-buy-genocide
This is in response to a recent column by Ken Trainor titled, “Why Americans don’t vote,” [Viewpoints, Oct. 7, where he asked the question: What can be done to light a fire under the electorate? Coercion was one of his suggestions. I suggest defiance. My husband and I have two favorite bumper stickers for our car. One reads: “If you aren’t outraged you aren’t paying attention.” The other states: “Vote while it is still legal.” Trainor mentioned several reasons why people don’t vote: lack of time, a scheduling conflict, lack of interest, not liking the candidates, forgetting to vote or wondering what’s the point of voting at all. How would non-voters feel if they no longer have the choice to vote? Their rights are gone. Their voices won’t be heard at all. Voting impacts all aspects of our lives. Every American citizen needs to wake up to the reality that an authoritarian regime wants to keep us from voting. Or, if we vote, they want to sabotage our elections by blocking eligible voters from counting. So for me, outrage is the appropriate response to reality. I am guided by a sense of defiance. Voting is an act of resistance. That’s why I aim to vote early (starting Oct. 19), take family and friends with me, and vote for democracy. And I dare anyone to try and take this away from me. Why? I vote as though democracy depends upon it. Because it does.
Oak Park
Oak Park
Michael Zamora
Anne White
V I E W P O I N T S
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Block parties instead of litmus tests
I was the president of Oak Park Temple during COVID, from 2020 to 2022. With our congregation virtual and our physical doors closed, we took the opportunity to improve our building space, and one of the projects we embarked on was replacing the aged windows in the religious school wing. In addition to aesthetics and practical issues, however, we also had to take security concerns into account. Jewish institutions have to plan like this so every child, both Jewish and non-Jewish, can feel safe and welcome in the physical spaces where we congregate. This is the reality that Jewish leaders and clergy regularly have to confront. We have armed guards in the building for all our temple’s functions. We have a security system that rivals some banks. Our staff regularly participate in training exercises with the local police as well as national organizations. By singling out Israel, the Nov. 3 ballot referendum directly impacts the Jews
and Jewish institutions of Oak Park, making us into proxies for a conflict taking place somewhere else. People understandably have very strong views about Israel and Gaza, but voting for the referendum will not make people’s lives in the Middle East easier. What it will do is distract us from addressing the pressing problems our village faces. And by singling out our community, the referendum’s effective, if unintended, message is that some of us don’t belong here. Beyond the obvious consequences for my religious and ethnic community, this makes our entire village less welcoming. We should be building ways to live together in Oak Park – I would rather we focus more on block parties than litmus tests. I urge you to vote “No” on the Nov. 3 referendum.
Eddie Pont
Past president, Oak Park Temple Treasurer, Oak Park Neighbors United
Where we stand
As a Jewish Oak Park resident, I will vote “Yes” on Nov. 3 to the referendum question “Should the State of Illinois repeal laws that ban state investment in businesses that boycott the State of Israel?” My “Yes” sends a clear message to my state representatives about where I stand: eliminate the unconstitutional 2015 Illinois law restricting the right of companies to boycott the state of Israel. I encourage all voters of conscience to vote “Yes.” Due to this law, there is only one country currently protected from economic sanctions as a tool to press for change-Israel. Referendum opponents perplex me. Many claim to be concerned over Israeli behavior (mass slaughter of civilians in Gaza, destruction of its economy, settler violence and land grabs in the West Bank, growing authoritarianism and fanaticism of the Netanyahu government, etc.) yet they oppose a time-tested, non-violent tool used in this country and internationally to effect change from countries engaging in human rights violations. What else do they suggest if not economic sanctions? I am profoundly offended by the claims that the referendum is somehow discriminatory to Jewish Oak Parkers. This is bla-
tantly false and dangerous. Jewish people have widely differing perspectives on the state of Israel and, increasingly, oppose its actions. Many of us claim no ties to Israel. Our Jewish youth are abandoning the allegiance to Israel professed by many of my generation. It is antisemitic to paint Jewish people with broad brushstrokes. We are a diverse group of people in every way. As for divisiveness, it is OK to have robust conversations over issues people are passionate about. That is democracy. That is community. 74, 000 dead in Gaza. 20,000 children among them. 175,000 injured. Journalists killed while reporting. Medics targeted and killed while serving the injured. Hospitals and universities razed. A boycott seems like small potatoes in the face of this reality. Ending U.S. military support to Israel would be more effective. I can’t sleep at night. Yes, Oak Park voters do have to figure out, in times like these, where we stand. *Statistics from https://gazacasualties. org, widely available from many sources.
Deborah Adelman
Oak Park Professor Emerita, College of DuPage
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Protect the right to boycott
Oak Park’s Nov. 3 ballot asks whether Illinois should repeal its 2015 ban on state pension investment in companies that boycott Israel. This Illinois law singles out Israel for protection from boycott. A Yes vote on this advisory referendum tells our local legislators we want them to stand up for the right to boycott. Boycotts are core to America’s civil rights history: the Montgomery bus boycott that helped end Jim Crow, the grape boycott that won farmworkers a union, and the global fight against Apartheid. In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that a boycott of whiteowned businesses by Black residents of Claiborne County, Mississippi, organized with the NAACP to challenge the systemic racism directed at them, was protected free speech. After Illinois acted, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the corporate-backed engine behind “show me your papers” immigration laws, voter ID laws and “Stand Your Ground,” circulated a model bill … and more than 35 states followed. Texas then copied the model to punish firms that boycott fossil fuel companies or shun gun makers. Attorney Richard Goldwasser, who clerked for the Israeli Supreme Court, told an April 30 hearing in Chicago on the proposed repeal bill that punishing the protected right to boycott “is of a piece with the growing fascism in our country.” We never should have surrendered this nonviolent democratic tool. Congressional candidate and Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who voted for the law as a state senator, now says he would not cast that vote today and supports its repeal. Such laws, he wrote, “feed into the framework” that the Trump
administration uses to attack free speech. As a scholar, I’ve studied authoritarian movements for two decades, and my research has found some consistent patterns. Autocrats rarely ban dissent outright; they punish it through money and contracts. Once rights are seized or surrendered, they are rarely won back. Last fall, Oak Parkers stood up to ICE because we recognized it as an authoritarian assault. We are called upon to do the same here. Illinois handed the country this cudgel against democracy a decade ago, and it is our responsibility to take it back. Vote Yes on Nov. 3. Sources NAACP v. Claiborne Hardware Co., 458 U.S. 886 (1982) Coalition for Illinois Divestment from South Africa: https://news.wttw. com/2021/02/11/new-film-highlights-chicago-efforts-end-south-africa-s-apartheid ALEC model legislation and state adoption: https://justvision.org/node/322 Libertarian policy shop outlines how Texas fossil fuel law modeled on Israel antiboycott laws: https://www.texaspolicy.com/ press/tppf-bill-to-end-energy-discrimination-sent-to-governors-desk Richard Goldwasser testimony, Illinois House hearing on HB2723, April 30, 2026: https://youtu.be/9z9Op0WJ268?is=pdDx Q14ikGcIfmP5 Daniel Biss statement, April 30, 2026: Substack post, “A note on Illinois’ antiBDS law repeal effort,” https://danielbiss. substack.com/p/a-note-on-illinois-anti-bdslaw-repeal
Annie Wilkinson, PhD
Oak Park Public Library trustee
Pushing their agenda
I attended the meeting (Oct. 8) on the drastic and misguided proposal to eliminate single-family housing. My takeaway was that both the village planner and the consultants from Opticos were unable to answer direct questions regarding its impact on basic issues, such as parking, property values, and infrastructure. They also couldn’t answer this question from a commissioner: “What problem is the proposed rezoning attempting to solve?” The high cost of housing is a problem that is
endemic nationwide, not just in Oak Park. I finally left at 8:30 p.m. At that time, the meeting still had not gotten to the public comments, which should have been the most important part of the agenda. Why have we allowed a vocal minority of people to push their agenda over the wishes of the vast majority of Oak Parkers? We need a change in village trustees, starting with the next election.
Jean Guarino Oak Park
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
Clean Energy Open House wrap-up
Curious and enthusiastic attendees at OPCAN’s 2026 Clean Energy Open Houses on Oct. 4 reflected growing public interest in making homes cleaner, safer, more efficient, and cheaper by switching from fossil fuels to electricity. Visitors toured our two typical vintage Oak Park homes to learn about induction stoves, heat pump heating and cooling systems, heat pump hot water heaters, rooftop solar arrays, geothermal systems, and EV home charging. Homeowners and contractors were on hand to answer questions. We’re grateful to generous homeowners Derek Eder and Aya O’Connor, and Macey and Lee Majkrzak; volunteers Bill Arnold, Daniel Becker, Nick Bridge, Laura Derks, Cindy Klein-Banai, Ben Levine, CJ Melodia, Amy Rosenthal, and Phyllis Rubin; and
Matt and Mike Nickels of Energy Matters, Joe Konopacki of Insight Property Services, and Dirk Dypold of Advanced Geothermal. Additional thanks to Laura and Aya and to Claudia Doyle for their help. If you missed the open houses, remember that OPCAN’s Climate Coaches program can connect you with a homeowner who can share experience in a specific sustainable home upgrade or help you prioritize as you consider the process of home electrification. Sign up for a free coaching session at https://opcan.org/climate-coaches and start making your home more sustainable, enhancing its value, and fighting climate change — all at the same time.
Wendy Greenhouse Oak Park
Voting is a source of pride
Several friends and I have worked Early Voting at Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison. Here are a few tips to consider: Check your registration online at the Cook County website to change your address or make any corrections. Online registration ends Sunday, Oct. 18. If you still need to register to vote, bring 2 forms of identification, one with your address, to Early Voting. Early Voting is Oct. 19 through Nov. 2. Village hall will be open 9-5 weekdays and Sundays 10-4. The first few days will be crowded and so will the last couple of days. Plan to avoid the longer lines. Enter through the courtyard on Madison Street. If you are a person with a disability, enter from the Lombard Accessible
Entrance off the parking lot and use the elevator to the first floor. Go along the partitioned corridor to an election judge. Caregivers may accompany you. If you have a Mail-In Ballot, you may go to the front of the line and deposit it in the Dropbox throughout the Early Voting period. Make sure you sign the outside of the envelope with the same name on your registration. There has always been a source of pride that America has “free and fair elections.” We can be grateful that our state and county are organized so that elections go smoothly. Let’s do our part to promote voting and exercise our right to vote in the Midterms.
Cynthia Breunlin Oak Park
Time for a change on many levels
Support our police, and hold them accountable
In the book On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder lists the 20 personal strategies we must all display in order to fight dictatorship and save democracy. Professor Snyder’s 7th Rule directly pertains to police. He states, “Be reflective if you must be armed. If you carry a weapon in public service, may God bless you and keep you. But know the evils that have involved policemen finding themselves, one day, doing irregular things. Be ready to say No.” Police are essential in society to maintain order, to protect each of us from those who would do us wrongly, to respond to the situation that nobody else will, to investigate crimes, and at times to act as mediators between citizens in a conflict, educators own society’s rules and the rules of the road, and sometimes even social workers as well as guardians. But having these heavy roles do not excuse police misconduct, individual errors in judgment, misuse of
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the powers implicit to law enforcement and armed authority. A police officer is a “sworn officer,” which means that they have sworn to uphold laws, protect citizens without fear or favor, follow the laws of our state and our country, and ultimately to the Constitution. We must respect our police, follow their direction, appreciate their role in our community, and appreciate the sacrifices that they make to carry out their roles. But we must never excuse or ignore police misconduct. Individual officers and their police departments can and do make mistakes which our local governments must confront, remediate, and rectify. Please appreciate and support the Oak Park Police Department and its officers. We need them to ensure a safe and orderly village … but also always be ready to hold our police to account for their errors in a manner that is fair, equitable and just.
Frank Vozak
Send letters to the Editor Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal E-mail: ktrainor@newswellchicago.org Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.
Oak Park
The midterm election moment is fast approaching. While the catchy bromide of “All politics is local” makes sense, every national election can potentially impact every city, village or far-flung rural outpost. Local public policy might shift with national outcomes. Local races are likely to address the perceived benefit or harm produced by the most recent national electoral results. This midterm will almost certainly create seismic shifts that reshape political landscapes, here, there and everywhere. Oak Park is now wrestling with an advisory referendum related to boycotting the state of Israel, a “traffic diverter” controversy, policing of “teen takeovers,” and resolving the West Suburban Hospital situation, among other very local matters. But for the past 21 months, local politics has operated under a dark cloud of national uncertainty. Will Nov. 3 at least begin to stop the bleeding? Best local case scenario: the midterm outcome could eventually result in Nik, the barber taken by ICE months ago, returning to his job at the Oak Park Arms and to his home in Elmwood Park. Nationally, it could result in some measure of attaining accountability for a renegade, virtually lawless Republican Party. The radical recklessness of the GOP is embodied by Nik’s being snatched by gestapo-like ICE thugs that every Oak
Parker knows about and with whom some may have had close encounters themselves. On even the most tranquil, soft and sunny day in our village, brutal national policy is capable of shattering any such serenity. It must be stopped. Will there be a “Blue Wave”? We shall see. Will the Democrat Party come through? Well, since it’s either Red or Blue on the ballot (with some rare exceptions) the 21st-century version of the Party of Clinton, Obama and Biden is our best hope. The Donkeys owe many, many millions of us a change of strategies. That is, a winning strategy. In the March, 2026, issue of the Atlantic an article titled, “Why Do Democrats Hate Winning?” answers that question with many examples of ill-conceived messaging on the campaign trail. The perception of the Democratic Party needing young, fresh leadership is summed up in the article by quoting David Hogg, the 25-yearold gun-regulation advocate (and survivor of the February 2018 Marjorie Stoneman High School shooting in Florida): “You cannot tell the American people that democracy is in danger and the world is ending, and the people you are putting on the front lines of fighting back against that genuinely belong in a nursing home.” Time for a change. On so many levels.
Joseph Harrington Oak Park
V I E W P O I N T S
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In favor of rezoning
As Oak Park prepares to vote on its rezoning plan, I’d like to make the case for supporting it, and I hope even those with skepticism will consider it in good faith. We can start with what makes Oak Park distinctive. Our blocks hold 2-flats, courtyard buildings, townhomes, and apartments alongside single-family houses. This mix of “middle housing” isn’t a departure from our village’s character. It *is* our character. Rules that restrict it would prevent us from building more of what made this community so appealing and unique in the first place. Zoning influences affordability. When a village limits the kinds of homes that can be built, it limits choice, and this tends to push prices and rents up. First-time homebuyers feel this most: A modest condo or townhome can be a first step toward ownership, but only if the village allows it to exist. There is the fiscal side too. Compact, multifamily housing generally adds
more taxable value per acre than singlefamily-only development. A broader tax base spreads the cost of schools, roads, and services across more properties and allows public services to realize economies of scale. Without that growth, the burden falls on homeowners and local businesses. Finally, housing is tied to our local economy. Businesses need workers, and families need places to live. Restrictive zoning can constrain a community’s growth, and with it the customers, employers, and jobs that keep our commercial districts thriving. None of this means change should happen dramatically. Reasonable people can differ on design standards, scale, etc., and those conversations are important. But the plan before us is a measured and incremental way to keep Oak Park inclusive, diverse, and financially sustainable while deliberately aiming to preserve the village’s character.
Jacob Kauppila Oak Park
A Yes vote is action for change
Like many Oak Parkers, I have been devastated by the news from Gaza and now the West Bank, for the past three years. I have attended vigils, contacted Congressman Davis and our two senators, and helped raise money for humanitarian aid to Gaza. So when I was asked to support the November referendum to repeal Illinois’ anti-boycott law, I initially wondered: Why is this an effective idea? What is the point of voting on something that isn’t a candidate and isn’t binding on our elected officials? I want to do something concrete — something that opposes the systematic destruction in Palestine and the laws in this country that help sustain it. Like other residents, the more I learned about Illinois’ anti-boycott law and how it is used to protect Israel from accountability, the more I saw this as something my neighbors and I could work together to change. I have learned that an advisory referendum, if supported by a large number of voters, creates a collective voice to our elected representatives. Our collective
Yes vote in November would send a clear message to state Senators Harmon and Lightford and Representatives Lilly and Ford: We believe the First Amendment applies to everyone, without fear or favor, and we expect you to act on that principle. We don’t believe singling out one country — Israel — for protection from boycott is consistent with our Constitution or our commitment to human rights. We expect our representatives to join the 37 legislators who have already cosponsored the bill to repeal the law — and to vote for repeal when it reaches the floor of the Illinois House and Senate. Oak Parkers are used to acting on our values in our day-to-day decisions and as a community — whether marching on No Kings Days or gathering in our neighborhoods with our whistles. If Oak Park votes Yes, our elected representatives will know that this is something we expect them to act on. Vote Yes, so that our representatives will vote Yes in Springfield to repeal the antiboycott law.
Nicole Lombardi Oak Park
T
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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Put a stake in it, it’s done
he financial feasibility report from the village’s own consultant screams that the proposed zoning changes will never — ever — succeed in its stated goal of “affordable” housing. The report should have been the death knell of the whole project. What is most surprising is what the report did not do: induce a single proponent on the board to move to withdraw the entire program. But we live in a new era of politics: never admit a mistake. Keep plowing right down the same ineffective or harmful path. By FOIA request I obtained 324 emails to the board from June 26 to July 26. I tallied them on two issues: a referendum, and whether to eliminate single-family zoning. Though the referendum was rejected by the board, the letters are still a gauge of public sentiment. That is because nobody urges a referendum in order to vote for something that is already going to happen anyway; it’s in order to vote “no.” Of the 271 emails addressing a referendum, 98% were in favor. That it represented their opposition to elimination of single-family zoning was confirmed by the 186 that expressed a view: 94% opposed. The people are never going to stand for this. In what world does government enact laws that almost the whole community opposes, and that are designed to fail? Yet the board has plowed ahead. The most telling tale on its designs involve “stealth 6-flats everywhere.” The theory of the case was: increased density is the key to affordable housing. And the most dense option is replacing houses with 6-flats. The first consultant’s recommendation was for 6-flats “of right” on virtually all lots with houses as the salvation of Oak Park. But even pro-
ponents on the board seemed shell shocked, asking how many lots were affected, and for a map showing it (which they never got). But they voted in favor anyway. Instead, its consultant divined that the board did not want what it had just voted for, and soon issued new recommendations deleting the whole provision. So what was the original? Gaslighting? A snowjob? We don’t really need 6-flats everywhere? The consultant even published handouts claiming it was all about 4-flats, except near major transit stops, but with an obscure reference: “or providing affordable units.” That was a nod to a new stealth provision in the fine print. It allows 6-flats everywhere now zoned as single-family, on condition an owner keep two units at rents well below market. But the financial consultant never accounted for that, its study having assumed market rate rentals, and it had concluded that 6-flats were not financially feasible even then. So reducing rents for two units by, say, 40%, could only make matters worse. That missing money would obviously come from somewhere: the village of Oak Park. A subsidy forever? Where would it get the money? A plan commissioner astutely asked the same question. What’s more, the latest recommendation expands the transit zone for 6-flats to include all houses within 1/8 mile of a bus line. The chairman rightfully commented: that’s the whole village (more or less). It is now up to the Plan Commission, to the extent it can, to put a stake in the heart of this vampire. Frank Stachyra is an Oak Park resident and a retired attorney.
FRANK STACHYRA One View
Density and overstepping trustees The re-zoning proposal is just incredibly stupid. Oak Park is an extremely small and overcrowded suburb already. Population density is about 11,600 persons per square mile. This is more (according to AI) comparable to the density of large and crowded U.S. cities like Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Jose (California), Minneapolis. Yet the median density of the average
suburb in the U.S. is 1,800-2,000 persons per square mile. Oak Park is already 5-6 times denser than that. Where do we think we’re going to put everyone to please our overstepping village trustees? The density already overwhelms the parking capacity, narrow streets and sewer system.
Margaret Reynolds Oak Park
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
V I E W P O I N T S
The cart before the horse
The Oct. 7 Wednesday Journal article “Feasibility study says new multi-unit development is unlikely” contains an indictment of Village Manager Kevin Jackson and Village President Vickie Scaman. “The report does explain that changing the zoning to allow the multi-unit developments ‘by-right’ instead of through specific approvals, does streamline the process, which directly relates to lower design, holding and other soft costs. A longer approval process under current zoning would increase the feasibility gap.” Why have Jackson and Scaman not focused on streamlining the current zoningapproval process to eliminate the additional costs associated with the current system, thus removing the need for elimination of single-family zoning? I attended a Plan Commission meeting on Sept. 19, and I can report that this meeting had nothing to do with listening to citizen concerns or alternative suggestions. It was simply a sales pitch for the Shape Oak Park’s plan to eliminate single-family zoning to allow multi-unit developments. With the release of the Feasibility Study we now know that such a plan is not feasible. The board has certainly put the cart before the horse. I believe each trustee owes every resident in Oak Park a “One View” in Viewpoints to answer a simple question: Now that we know that it is not feasible to build 2-, 4-, and 6-flats on every residential block, what is the point of eliminating single-family zoning? This is especially pertinent for those current trustees running for re-election in
April. For an unknown number of us, the sheer gross incompetence of the current board in the handling of this zoning issue has turned us into single-issue voters. Another question that might be very pertinent to Oak Park’s Black community is an Oct. 26, 2025, Wednesday Journal article titled, “Oak Park board looks for insight on barriers to homeownership.” It was reported, “Increasing opportunities for affordable homeownership across the board and addressing historic barriers to home ownership faced by racial minorities were both among the goals included in Oak Park’s “Strategic Vision for Housing.” What happened to these goals? Led by President Vicki Scaman and Trustees Cory Wesley and Chibuike Enyia, the goal of having Black Oak Parkers creating generational wealth through home ownership has apparently been usurped by tearing down affordable single-family homes and replacing them with 2-, 4-, and 6-flats in single-family neighborhoods. Our current board has seemingly chosen renting over home ownership for our Black residents. At the Plan Commission I attended, President Scaman stated that the board has not yet determined a definition for “affordable” (subsidized?) housing. After months of discussion and debate, nobody on the village board knows what we are talking about. Shouldn’t adopting a definition of “affordable” housing have been the first thing the village board did? There are a lot of definitions out there; couldn’t they have just picked one?
Alan Krause
Oak Park
OAKPARK.COM
Zoning permission does not finance housing
Oak Park’s Shape Oak Park debate must confront an unavoidable fact: The economics do not work as presently proposed. The village’s financial feasibility study concludes that the proposed zoning changes are unlikely to produce near-term development without incentives or reduced costs. It estimates financing gaps of $110,000 to $220,000 for neighborhood multifamily projects, $90,000 for an accessory dwelling unit and $3.5 million for a 24-unit corridor building. At typical acquisition prices, the neighborhood gaps rise from $460,000 to $570,000. Changing the zoning map does not erase those gaps. Nor does it transform expensive market-rate construction into affordable housing. The projected units require household incomes of approximately $108,000 to $166,000. They may expand choices for some households, but they do not establish that lower-income affordability or racial and economic integration will result. Future economic conditions cannot be predicted. However, if development begins under conditions resembling today’s — elevated construction costs, expensive borrowing, costly land and substantial Oak Park property taxes — the financial problems identified by the village will remain. Legal permission does not supply construction capital. San Francisco’s egress reform makes the same point indirectly. It is changing
stairway requirements for certain 4- to 6-story buildings to reduce costs. Results do not yet exist, but San Francisco recognizes that zoning alone cannot solve a construction-cost problem. Oak Park should consider housing types, but it should not confuse legal capacity with completed housing. Before voting, the village board must identify the subsidies, financing assistance, cost reforms and developer support needed to make its proposal work. It must estimate the number of units, probable rents and prices, likely occupants, public costs and displacement. Without those answers, trustees are not voting on an affordable-housing or integration program. They are voting on permission and hoping the promised results somehow follow. They will not. Good intentions cannot close a financing gap. Works cited: “Exclusive: This Change to Obscure S.F. Building Rules Could Unlock ‘Missing Middle’ Housing.” San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Oct. 2026. Federal Reserve Board. “Federal Reserve Issues FOMC Statement.” Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 16 Sept. 2026. SB Friedman Development Advisors. Shape Oak Park Financial Feasibility Study. Village of Oak Park, 18 Sept. 2026.
Bob Milstein Oak Park
Multifamily projects on commercial streets
To the Plan Commission: I agree with the village consultant’s recent report that eliminating singlefamily zoning won’t provide more affordable housing in Oak Park. Acquisition and construction costs are simply too high. Although increasing supply ordinarily reduces prices, Oak Park is just a small slice of a large metro market with a housing shortage. Subsidies will be required to add affordable housing in Oak Park. Property taxes are already a barrier to affordable home ownership. If subsidies result in higher taxes, they could make housing less affordable. Abolishing single-family zoning will make housing less affordable for another
reason. To maximize profit, developers will tear down the lowest cost homes and replace them with more costly multi-family units. Consultant Opticos says if we do nothing, we’ll continue to see lower-cost homes replaced by costly ones, so Oak Park will become increasingly less affordable. Surely there are options other than eliminating single-family zoning. For example, could zoning restrict how much the new construction/remodel’s square footage exceeds the existing home? To increase housing supply, focus multifamily development on commercial streets instead. This development will be maximized if you eliminate the requirement for ground floor commercial space,
as proposed. Right now, developers either struggle to rent these spaces or undergo a time-consuming — and therefore costly — special-use process to build ground floor residential. I specifically urge focus on North Avenue. On the Oak Park side, we have three vacant lots and several vacant or highvacancy commercial buildings that can be repurposed. More multifamily housing will accelerate the gradual revitalization already underway. In the Urban Land Institute’s revitalization plan for the North Avenue District, the chief overall recommendation is more multifamily projects. So more multifamily housing in our
district will not only provide additional housing but also stimulate business with more customers and foot traffic. I believe the same is true for Oak Park’s other commercial streets, especially Roosevelt Road. Affordable housing could perhaps be subsidized with TIFs. Source: Urban Land Institute, Revitalization Strategies for the North Avenue Corridor, Oak Park and Chicago, Dec. 12-13, 2018. See page 9: https://ulidigitalmarketing. blob.core.windows.net/ulidcnc/2019/05/ NorthAv_FinalReport_reduced.pdf
Judith Alexander
Oak Park resident North Avenue District founder
V I E W P O I N T S
OAKPARK.COM
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
Slow down, study, set goals
I am writing to share my concerns regarding the proposed Shape Oak Park zoning changes. While my husband and I appreciate the village’s effort to address housing availability, affordability, and housing choice, and we understand the importance of planning thoughtfully for Oak Park’s future; we have several concerns with the existing proposal. We have been homeowners in Oak Park for more than 20 years and have had the privilege of raising our two children here. We chose Oak Park in large part because of the qualities that make it such a special community — including its neighborhoods, schools, walkability, and the sense that it is a safe and welcoming place to raise a family. We respectfully ask the village board and Plan Commission to take the following approach:
-Do not adopt the proposed zoning changes in their current form. -Allow the Housing Advisory Task Force to complete its work and incorporate its recommendations into the broader housing strategy. -Use the new feasibility study as a starting point for determining what policies and financial tools are actually necessary to create attainable housing. -Establish measurable affordability goals so the village can determine whether the policy is actually producing attainable housing. -Study the possible impact of increased residential density on schools, traffic, parking, infrastructure, storm water, trees, public services, and neighborhood character. -Evaluate potential pedestrian and child safety impacts, particularly around schools, parks, sidewalks, and other areas where in-
creased traffic and construction activity could affect children and families. We want to emphasize that we are not opposed to thoughtful housing development or to providing Oak Park residents with more housing choices. We are asking the village to make sure that the solution matches the problem. We want Oak Park to remain a place where people at different stages of life can find a home, while also preserving the neighborhood qualities that have made it such a desirable place to live and raise a family. We are asking the village to slow down, study the potential impacts, establish clear goals, and fully analyze the approach before making a significant and potentially irreversible change to residential zoning.
Sarah Roberts Oak Park
Focus on lowering housing costs
On Sept. 15, the Oak Park Village Board unanimously voted to approve an ad-hoc Housing Advisory task force assembled to focus on zoning and affordable housing goals. A quote from a Sept. 23 issue of the Wednesday Journal [Oak Park appointing task force on zoning and affordable housing goals] states: “As we have continued to evaluate the needs of that committee and the things we’d be working on, we thought that it made the most sense to beef up the amount of real estate and development expertise on it, particularly given the work that will be happening around subsidies and support activities related to housing development,” said Jonathan Burch, Oak Park neighborhood services director. The question Oak Park residents/taxpay-
ers must ask is: What subsidies and support activities related to housing development is Mr. Burch speaking of ? Who will pay for those costs and who will this actually lower housing costs for? The village has stated Oak Park’s housing costs are rising. A very large component of these costs are property taxes. Let’s be honest, items such as a referendum to issue a $40 million bond for an indoor pool, seeking additional funding to extravagantly rebuild a pedestrian bridge over the Eisenhower Expressway billed as a “forever statement” at the cost of $15 million, creating a two-tiered water-billing system that will increase multi-unit building water bills by an extra 5-7%, and increasing the local plastic bag fee is not exactly going to bring down the hous-
ing costs in Oak Park. Why not concentrate on bringing costs down, and instituting true property tax reform which would benefit everyone, not just those individuals looking to move to Oak Park. Why don’t you take care of the people who currently live and vote in Oak Park? Simply put, we need a competent government accountable to the current residents of this village, not trustees who paint their constituents as racists because they may not agree with their agenda, which is extremely offensive and greatly resented by this community. Is this what democracy looks like in Oak Park in 2026?
Thomas Collis
Oak Park resident for 62 years
On bridges and e-motos
I wholeheartedly agree with the Oct. 7 Viewpoints letter from Jane Driscoll, “Practical, not prideful” regarding the proposed Home Avenue bridge project. This bridge is a piece of infrastructure that allows access across an ugly, loud, and smelly expressway, The additional cost for this bridge to the village over what IDOT will be funding will be $5-9 million. That’s a per capita cost of $100 to $180, an amount that we would all consider long and hard before spending. While it may be true that if money were no object it would be nice to have a stunning architectural land-
mark, the sad truth is that money is an object, and village trustees need to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, by not overspending on projects that do not deserve it. On another issue, electric bikes, e-motos and electric mobility devices (EMDs) have exploded in popularity in Oak Park, but too many riders, particularly teens, fail to recognize the danger they pose to pedestrians. My wife was recently knocked to the ground by an electric scooter (one type of EMD) driver going the wrong way down a one-way street. The law is clear: these vehicles belong in
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Respect those you represent
President and Trustees of the Oak Park Village Board: I have read the Shape Oak Park’s proposal and joined the presentation at the CRC. I have spoken with many of my neighbors and understand that, in its current form, some 90-95% of the voters are against moving forward with this plan. Yet I believe the majority of the board still supports it. If you cannot follow the will of the people, perhaps your service to the community should come in the form of advocacy or consulting not representation of the voters. I realize that change is hard but change without the benefit of an explicit cost/benefit/feasibility plan is irresponsible. Perhaps you do have a good idea and plan, but you have not convinced the community and after all it is our community (not the consultants’, not the village staff ’s and not the village board’s. Since you voted down a referendum on this issue, I guess our only recourse as voters is at the ballot box. And yes, our community is smart enough to vote on an issue that has many “nuances.” Please respect the will of the people you represent. Thank you for your service.
Steven Kastenholz Oak Park
You can’t have everything
the street, not on sidewalks, and riders must obey the same rules as drivers, including full stops at stop signs and traffic lights and oneway restrictions. Without enforcement, those rules mean little. Because these vehicles threaten pedestrians as cars do, I urge the village board to direct the Oak Park police to enforce traffic laws on e-bikes, e-motos and EMDs as strictly as on cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses, before more people are seriously hurt.
The village of Oak Park has added “bike boulevards” to our streets in an effort to make biking safer. I am in favor of safer biking. The village seems to be advocating to rezone single-family housing neighborhoods as well. The latter would bring more cars and parked cars to our streets. Bike lanes only work when cars can neither drive nor park in them. Today, we have no such bike lanes — whether you call them “bike boulevards” or not. Rezoning is going to make actual bike lanes less possible. It seems you can’t have everything.
Oak Park
Oak Park
Kevin Shalla
Max Guenthner
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V I E W P O I N T S
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
O
Election time is here again
nce again it’s time to get your “I VOTED” stickers! Early Voting (EV) in Oak Park starts Monday, Oct. 19 for 15 days through Monday, Nov. 2, at Oak Park Village Hall, followed by Election Day on Nov. 3 at the Oak Park precinct sites. Oak Parkers and any registered suburban EV voters can vote at the Oak Park site, 123 Madison St. or any other suburban early voting location. Chicago residents must use Chicago-based voting sites. Mondays through Saturdays, EV polls open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. On Sundays they open at 10 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. Once again this year I completed my training as an Election Judge and Polling Place Technician Judge. Having served in many past elections, I am again looking forward to serve this vitally important November 2026 election with fellow judges from different ethnicities, backgrounds and political parties. Many of us have worked together for years at the Oak Park site in handling the daily crowds in an efficient, correct and timely manner. In my effort to be a responsible citizen, I am proud to serve our democracy this way and I am extremely proud as an Oak Park citizen that we are in the top tier of voting suburbs with an 80% or higher voter turnout in recent presidential elections, which affirms my belief in our democracy. I still marvel at the devotion of election judges in helping voters. We anticipate issues such as wheelchair voters in the registration line and prepare for their entry to use the touch screens. We loudly cheer the registration of new voters. Judges continue to service voters in line at closing hour, sometimes adding two hours more to their long day. And I recall with a chill one Presidential election when extra voting stations inside required manning the Mail Ballot Drop Box outside in the snow, freezing temperatures and the dark
One View
Tax-dollar diverters?
According to an Oct. 7 article in the Journal, the village wants to know who likes the traffic diverters. Based on my conversations with others, my guess would be very few residents indeed. Whether I am right or wrong about that is beside the point, compared to a major issue: If village government really wants to know what we think, and is actually willing to listen, why are they going ahead and implementing these measures all over before the results are in? One oft-repeated refrain in recent Viewpoints letters about affordability is the high rate of taxes in Oak Park, so it is frustrating to see our government potentially wasting what could be a significant amount of money. We are told these measures can be reversed,
HARRIS & SONG
nighttime courtyard. Or the opportunity that I had to work at the Cook County Board of Elections Regional Distribution Center for several weeks, witnessing the many steps that go into delivering and protecting the integrity of our voting process. As your Oak Park early voting judges, we gather on the Friday before the start to set up your Oak Park site. We arrive an hour before the start of each day to be ready at the opening and we stay till the last person in line as of closing time is served. On the Monday before Election Day, we close the Oak Park site at the end of the day and ship the equipment downtown, go to our precinct site to help set up, and then get up at 5 a.m. Tuesday to be ready for the official 6 a.m. Election Day Opening through closing at 7 p.m. that night. Many of us then transmit the results and take the ballots, tapes and forms to the Cook County Regional Distribution Center (RDC) office after closing the precinct site. We’ll be ready. All we need is You! Voter registration and Mail-In ballots: Suburbanites can register to vote at the suburban Early Voting sites if they are U.S. born or a naturalized citizen, at least 18 years old on or before the General Election, reside in suburban Cook County, and bring two forms of identification. One must be a photo ID and the other must show their current address (see Cook County Clerk’s Office for details). We can also re-register inactive voters and do name and address changes with proper IDs at the early voting sites. Suburban voters with completed mail ballots can drop them off at the Oak Park site (Chicago ballots must go to Chicago sites or in the mailbox). Voters can surrender them on site to vote in person. Mail ballots are not accepted at the precinct sites on Election Day. All mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3.
SCOTT SCHWAR
but if they are, think how much money will have been spent putting in those diverters, speed bumps and other measures, only to spend more money removing them and repaving where they were when they may find out that snow plows and emergency vehicles can’t navigate them or that people want them out. The sensible thing to do would be to try them in a small test area, see what input is received and what problems occur over the winter, and then if all goes well, continue the process next year. However, that is a far cry from the hurried, intense project happening now. A potential big waste of our tax dollars.
Joyce Porter Oak Park
OAKPARK.COM
Historic innovation from page 25
see the issue of historic preservation misappropriated as a cheap talking point and political tactic. We are concerned that the fearmongering about historic preservation, combined with what some might consider an overly expansive notion of the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission (to curtail private property rights even for changes that would not be visible from the street), could ultimately create a backlash and erode community support for historic preservation. And for what it’s worth, we also don’t support stifling all architectural change on the notion that everything old is ipso facto more valuable than what is new. After all, if that mindset were in place at the turn of the century, Wright, whose architecture was a radical departure from the prevailing Victorian architecture of the time, probably wouldn’t have been allowed to innovate. Our Wright house may not have been allowed to be built at all. *The Pew Research Center has a good explainer and links to one of the academic studies (https://www.pew. org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2025/07/31/newhousing-slows-rent-growth-most-for-older-more-affordableunits?) “When not enough homes are built in high-income neighborhoods, people who would have lived in those neighborhoods can usually afford to move into middleincome neighborhoods, and middle-income residents can usually afford to move into low-income neighborhoods, but residents of low-income neighborhoods have nowhere to turn.” Longtime Oak Park residents, Alec Harris & Carollina Song, live in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Beachy House.
Traffic and beauty
I have lived in Oak Park for almost 60 years and I have two concerns: traffic and beauty. Traffic: Living on the 1000 block of North Marion puts the “missing middle” right across the alley from my backyard. First, rents are not cheap, as a quick Google search will reveal. Second, even with the alley and multiple homeowners providing space, parking is still at a premium. If the goals are to provide affordable housing, while keeping parking off the street and controlled, this is not the way to do it. Others have commented on this before, so I will move on to the second concern.
Beauty: Some property owners may need to tear down one of our older homes for various reasons. Sometimes they are replaced with a structure that harmonizes with the surrounding area (thank you to those owners). But sometimes they are not. Anyone who has lived here longer than three months has seen the “box” that jumps out. Given the cost of building a 2-flat (or more), I am concerned that the number of these “boxes” will only grow. Oak Park is a beautiful area with tree-lined streets and beautiful architecture. Don’t ruin it.
Carolyn Righeimer
Oak Park
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
OAKPARK.COM
V I E W P O I N T S
Little, consequential things
Last week, the garbage service dumped one of our trash containers into the alley and drove away. It took four phone calls to the village before it was addressed three days later. We did our part with the leaves last fall only to have street cleaners blow leaves in the street back onto our lawn. Leaves stayed on the street through the winter. Despite repeated requests to the village, in May we cleaned our littered street of decaying leaves mixed with trash, shoveling the noxious amalgam into our trash bin. Is it asking too much of village government to clean the streets of fallen leaves so that the streets won’t flood in the winter? Monday morning a crew was in front of Pleasant Home painting more confusing lines onto the pavement. White and yellow plastic tubes continue to pop up at intersections. I am for safety, but I am starting to feel like we are living in a nanny state. Soon we will be able to vote on a referendum regarding foreign policy. However, we are not allowed to have a referendum on a change in zoning that directly affects us – a change that is overwhelmingly opposed by Oak Parkers. We know the cost of these changes as our block lost many singlefamily homes more than 50 years ago, replaced by apartment buildings. We don’t have block parties because there are few single-family residences and renters rarely show up at these events even though they are invited. This village culture, little villages defined by summer block parties, is at stake and may be lost by the zoning change. Village government has lost the plot on their responsibilities – health, safety and welfare. The little but consequential things, garbage pickup, clean streets, Police and Fire protection, parking, they neglect. This should be forefront in our minds during the next village trustee election.
Stephen Kelley Oak Park
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O B I T U A R I E S
Katie Corrigan, 52 Who loved fiercely
Mary Kathleen (McNulty) Corrigan, 52, died peacefully, surrounded by friends and family, on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. “Katie,” as her late husband Kevin adoringly called her, fought bravely through multiple strokes and cancer. After showing exemplary strength for the couple’s three children, she was welcomed home and reunited with Kevin. Born on Feb. 20, 1974 to Thomas C. McNulty and Mary Jane (Scanlon) McNulty in Des Plaines at Holy Family Hospital, she attended Hatch Elementary, Emerson Middle School and OPRF High School in Oak Park. She worked as an endodontic assistant and office manager at Cameo Endodontics and as a preschool aide teacher at Garfield Elementary in Forest Park. Her biggest accomplishment, however, was marrying the love of her life, Kevin Corrigan (who preceded her in death in 2021), and fiercely loving their three children, Molly, Maeve and James Thomas “JT” Corrigan. She rarely minced words, was assertive, clever and hilarious, and as loyal as she was loving. She was that friend — the one with whom you laughed until you cried or ran out of breath. She is deeply missed and leaves an unfillable void. Mary Kate is survived by her three children, Maeve, Molly and JT; her mother, Mary Jane (Scanlon) McNulty; her brother, Sean P. McNulty; her mother-in-law, Kay (Mannell) Corrigan; her brother-in-law, James B. Corrigan; her sisters-in-law, Carol (Corrigan) Falasz and her companion, EJ Stern, Mary Kay (Corrigan) Ross and her husband, John, Beth (Corrigan) Peloquin and her husband, Mark, and Ann (Corrigan) Bath and her husband, Jamey; her four nieces and three nephews: Lauren (Falasz) Laughlin (Aaron), Ashley (Falasz) Carpenter (Alex), Katie Ross, Alice Bath, Brian Falasz, Charlie Bath and Jeremiah Peloquin; and her dear friends, Chris and Erin Leahy and their daughters, Maeve and Kendall and a whole “village” of extended family, neighbors, co-workers and friends near and far who will forever feel her absence. She was predeceased by her husband,
Kevin S. Corrigan; her father, Thomas C. McNulty of Oak Park; and her father-in-law, James B. Corrigan. Memorial visitation will be held at Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home in Forest Park on Oct. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at St. Odilo Catholic Church, 2244 East Ave., Berwyn on Oct. 15, at 9:30 a.m., interment private. Kate’s family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and medical staff at Lutheran General Hospital and Loyola Medical Center for their care and expertise and Trinity High School and St. Pat’s High School for their unending love and support. In lieu of flowers, please email anncorriganbath@gmail.com to learn about ways to assist with the creation and funding of a health and education trust for the benefit of the children.
Margaret O’Brien
Thomas (Carol) Holden. She was the mother of David (Joanne), Teresa, Kathryn, Michael (Cecilia), and Thomas (Nancy); the grandmother of Brendan O’Brien-Keith, Jerrilyn (Jay) Berger, Daniel (Angie) O’Brien, Timothy (Alyssa) O’Brien, Brian (Nikki) Cota, Natalie (Brian) Bettin, Petra (Juan Trevino) O’Brien, Natasha O’Brien, David O’Brien, and Karly O’Brien; the great-grandmother of Edison, Delaney, and Finneas Berger, Audrey Bettin, and Alayna O’Brien, as well as two greatgrandsons on their way; aunt of many nieces, nephews and cousins, and a friend to countless people wherever she went. In lieu of flowers, consider donations to Beyond Hunger of Oak Park or Housing Forward of Oak Park. A Celebration of Life will take place at Ascension Catholic Church, 808 S. East Ave., Oak Park, on Saturday, Nov. 7, with visitation at 9 a.m., followed by Mass at 10.
A woman of faith and artistry
Mary Lynn Dietsche
Margaret Mary (known by all as Marc) O’Brien, 96, died on Oct. 3, 2026 in Oak Park. Born on Feb. 20, 1930 in Berwyn, Marc was a member of Ascension Parish and Extending the Word in Oak Park, Wells Spirituality Center in LaGrange Park, Eco-Spirituality Group, Delta Kappa Gamma, Christian Family Movement, Chicago Call to Action, and the Foundation for International Cooperation. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Xavier College, her Master of Arts from Northern Illinois University, and Certificate of Advanced Studies from National Lewis University. A retired Chicago Public School Teacher, she loved to travel around the world, was an avid reader and member of multiple book clubs, and an artist of beautiful calligraphy, quilting and especially watercolor painting. Every year she spent months at her O’Brien Jubilee Farm, in rural Argyle, Wisconsin enjoying the beauty and entertaining friends. Marc was the wife of Donald O’Brien for 73 years to the day of her death; daughter of the late Theodore and Margaret (Biggy) Holden; sister of the late Ellen Clark, Theodore Holden Jr., Patricia LeBeau, Sr. Alice Holden CCVI, Sr. Joan Holden CCVI, and John Holden; and is survived by her brother,
Mary Lynn Dietsche, 80, of Oak Park, died peacefully at her home in Belmont Village on Oct. 11, 2026, after a day filled with family, friends, and sewing. She was in good spirits, surrounded by the familiar comforts of home and the creative pursuits that brought her so much joy. Born on July 10, 1946, she had a gift for imagining what could be made from a collection of fabrics, always dreaming up the next quilt she would create. Her mind was continually alive with new ideas, colors, patterns, and possibilities. A longtime member of the Oak Park community, she was connected to St. Edmund Parish and remained part of the extended community of friends and classmates from St. Thomas Aquinas. Her final day offers a fitting reflection of the life she lived: connected to the people she loved, engaged in the work that inspired her, and in good spirits at home. She leaves behind the quilts she created, the quilts she dreamed of making, and the lasting memories she made with family and friends. Mary Lynn is survived by her siblings, Nora Abboreno (Tony), Frank McGuff (Sam), and Luke McGuff (Julie); her nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends whose lives were enriched by knowing her. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Beyond Hunger, an organization she supported throughout her life in Oak Park.
Lifelong quilter
36
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
SPORTS OPRF girls volleyball nets victory over Fenwick Huskies are top seed in 4A sectional, Friars 8th in 3A sectional
By MELVIN TATE Staff Reporter
After a somewhat slow start to the season, the Oak Park and River Forest High School girls volleyball team has hit its stride, having won eight consecutive matches. The latest victory for the Huskies occurred Oct. 8 at East Avenue rival Fenwick, 25-11, 25-15. Afterward, both OPRF coach Symone Speech and Fenwick coach Tee Pimsarn were impressed by the fan enthusiasm and turnout. “It’s always fun having the community rally around something like this,” Speech said. “That’s why we do this every year. It’s about the community,” Pimsarn said. “These kids are friends, neighbors, and whatnot. They grew up together and that’s why we keep doing this. It was a great environment.” After Fenwick (11-17) got the first point of the match, OPRF (16-6) ran off seven unanswered points to take control and win the set. Then the Huskies put the Friars in an early hole to start the second set, scoring the first six points. “We just talked a lot about discipline in our gym and knowing that we are working for more than just this single game,” Speech said. “Just remember all the things we work on in practice and play hard.” To their credit, Fenwick rallied several times. But each time the Friars felt momentum building, the Huskies snatched it back. “Youth got us. Maggie (Hiller) had an injury early on and (we) had to shift stuff,” Pimsarn said. “But I liked our fight.” In her return to Fenwick, where she was a three-year varsity player, Bella Gray led OPRF with eight kills. “It was really surreal playing against them. It was a fun game,” she said. Gray wasn’t the only player to shine for the Huskies. Aniyah Scott had five kills and six blocks. Emmi Bozarth had four kills, four aces, and two blocks. Devyn Kleidon had six aces and 13 digs; Eva Truss five blocks; Jaida Garland four blocks; Edie Carroll nine assists; and Lura Weiner nine assists and two aces. “Playing Fenwick every year is one of the best games of the year,” Kleidon said. “The fans go crazy and it’s a crosstown rivalry. We’ve beaten them every year; I’m 4-for-4.” Emily Drumm led Fenwick with three kills and five digs. Sofia Grossman had two kills, and Carolina Herrera had an ace and 10 digs. Last week, the IHSA released the brackets for the upcom-
CAROL DUNNING
OPRF’s Edie Carroll sets up a teammate for a spike attempt during a crosstown volleyball match against Fenwick, Oct. 8. ing state tournaments. OPRF is the top seed at the Class 4A Jones Sectional and is also hosting a regional, Oct. 27. The Huskies will meet either Simeon or ITW Speer in a semifinal that evening. “We have a really clear shot to state this year,” Kleidon said, “and we have to make the most of it. We want to play strong, play our game, and hopefully the outcome will be good.” But before then, the Huskies have a challenging regularseason finish. OPRF visited Lyons Township on Oct. 11, after press time, with the West Suburban Conference Silver Division title up for grabs. That’s followed by the Glenbard East AutumnFest, Oct. 16-17, where several of the area’s top programs will compete. “We’re feeling great. I feel like we’ve been working all season and we’re going to peak soon,” Bozarth said. “But it’s great that we haven’t really peaked yet; we’re still getting better every day.” Last week she recorded both her 500th career dig and
500th career kill in OPRF’s victory at Downers Grove North, Oct. 13. Bozarth, who has committed to the University of Rhode Island, also got her 100th career ace vs. Fenwick. She’s the third Huskies player to get 100 career aces, joining Grace Nelson and Samantha Shelton. In Class 3A, Fenwick is the eighth seed at the Wheaton St. Francis Sectional. The Friars, who like OPRF, won a sectional championship last year, face host Trinity in a regional semifinal, Oct. 27. Pimsarn hopes his team will continue to improve daily in order to be at its best for the postseason. “We just need to keep playing volleyball at this point,” he said. “We’ve played some hard (matches) and next week’s not going to be any easier. We just need to keep building against good competition.” Following a match at Carmel that took place on Oct. 13, after press time, Fenwick closes the regular season with a three-game homestand against Riverside-Brookfield (Oct. 15, 5:30 p.m.), Resurrection (Oct. 20), and Latin (Oct. 22).
S P O R T S
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
37
OPRF’s Vattana gets top 25 showing at IHSA tourney Fenwick’s Sweeney misses cut
“I thought she played really smart and tough golf,” said OPRF coach Matt McMurray. “She didn’t have her best stuff over the weekend but she played through it like a veteran. By MELVIN TATE She’s got tons of experience down there, knows that course Staff Reporter very well, and I thought she played excellent golf. It was a very gritty performance.” One of Oak Park and River Forest High School The state tournament was a satisfying conclusenior Nadia Vattana’s goals this season was sion to Vattana’s four-year varsity career at OPRF. to secure a top 25 showing in the IHSA Class 2A “I had fun every single year,” said Vattana, girls golf state finals, held at Hickory Point Golf who will play collegiately at Denison UniverCourse in Decatur, Oct. 9-10. sity. “I was definitely sad as (Saturday’s) round She accomplished her goal by shooting a twowas coming to an end, thinking about the past day total of 151 strokes (+7 over par), which was st four years on varsity and how I’ve had different good enough to secure a tie for 21 , her best showteams every year and how I’ve made so many ing in her three trips to state. friendships with some of these girls. Every“There were definitely some ups and downs,” thing coming to an end made me appreciate evVattana said, “but it was my best score for 36 NADIA VATTANA ery year I’ve had on the golf team.” holes. I’d never played that well in a 36-hole event. McMurray says her presence will be missed. I’m happy with how I placed; I wanted to get top “She’s been the best player on the team and I always 10 (which would have meant All-State honors), but I’m happy tell her she’s probably the best female golfer in school with how I finished.” In Friday’s first round, she shot a 2-over 74, including three history,” he said. “She’s been an anchor for us and she’ll be sorely missed. It’s been quite a ride watching her debirdies, to tie for 16th and advance to Saturday. Saturday began rough for Vattana, who started on the back velop over the last four years.” He adds that her steadiness and determination will nine both days. She bogeyed 12 and double-bogeyed 16, then after making the turn, she had bogeys on holes one and three. have a lasting influence on the Huskies’ returning golfBut she steadied herself and made par on each of her final ers, including junior Maeve Gibbs. six holes. “I’ve got Maeve coming next year, hopefully following
in her footsteps and trying to reach that level,” he said. “Nadia has shown it’s possible. Coaching her has been my honor.”
Fenwick Fenwick High School senior Mairin Sweeney, competing in her fourth consecutive state finals, was hoping to attain her best-ever showing and possibly place in the top 25. However, a triple-bogey on her first hole, the 10th, set the tone on Friday. She bogeyed holes 11, 12, and 14, and doublebogeyed 13 and 15, to put her in a difficult position to rally from, especially given that she was battling the flu. “Unfortunately, she didn’t play any of the practice rounds. And she got IV fluids the morning of the Friday round,” said Fenwick coach Mike Trankina. Sweeney steadied herself and got pars on the next five holes. She still had an opportunity to advance to Saturday’s final with a par on the final hole, the ninth, but her approach shot went into the bunker and ultimately resulted in a double bogey that sealed her fate. Sweeney shot an 87, 15-over par, to miss the cut at state for the first time. Even so, Trankina was proud of Sweeney’s effort given the circumstances. “I told her it was truly the most impressive of her rounds downstate,” he said. “She dug in and played some inspiring golf.”
OPRF flag football done in by St. Ignatius in sectional
Pick-six near the end seals Huskies’ fate By MELVIN TATE Staff Reporter
The Oak Park and River Forest High School flag football team, seeded second in its own sectional, had started the state playoffs in impressive fashion, outscoring Collins and Jones by a combined 85-0 margin to win a regional title. However, the Huskies knew that the competition would get progressively tougher in the sectional, and this proved prescient when they hosted third-seeded St. Ignatius in a semifinal, Oct. 10. After leading at halftime, OPRF surrendered three second-half touchdowns to the Wolfpack, and the season came to an end with an 18-6 defeat. “It could’ve gone either way,” said OPRF coach Jim Geovanes. “The game was played
between the 40s. No one could move the ball; it was a tough game.” An interception by OPRF’s Isabel ShoWen Yu set up OPRF (13-6) for the game’s first score. On the first play of the second quarter, Anna Dore connected with receiver Lucy Avrut for a 13-yard touchdown. The conversion failed, but the Huskies led 6-0. Naomi Reed ensured OPRF would maintain its advantage as the half ended with an interception. Yu came up with her second interception at the St. Ignatius 23 to begin the second half, providing OPRF a chance to break the game open. But the Huskies couldn’t move the ball and turned it over on downs. Following a series of punts, Dore threw an interception. On the ensuing drive, St. Ignatius lost 27 yards on its first three plays, but on fourth down, the Wolfpack stunned OPRF with a 78-yard touchdown run that tied the game 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Dore threw her second interception at midfield, and St. Ignatius went ahead on a 1-yard
touchdown run. On the Huskies’ next possession, Dore connected with Avrut for a first down to keep the game alive. But it was also nearly a game-breaking play. “We’d drawn up a hook-and-ladder. Unfortunately, (Avrut) got her flag pulled before we got the ladder off. If we would’ve hit it, it would have been a tie game,” Geovanes said. The near-miss proved costly for on the next play, the Wolfpack intercepted Dore for the third time and returned it to the house for the game-clinching score. Dore completed 13 of 34 passes for 67 yards. Ionna Griffin led OPRF in rushing with 28 yards on five carries and completed one of her two passes for 13 yards. Avrut had 45 yards on six receptions. Defensively, Kynnedi Alawode had seven flag pulls, including a sack. Yu and Maya Davis each had six pulls, and Reed and KaiLee Robinson four apiece. Geovanes felt that the season went well overall, especially given the heavy gradua-
tion losses from the previous season. “I don’t think it could’ve gone any better. It was much better than we expected,” he said. “Our measuring stick is last year; we thought we had a great team but we graduated so many seniors, we didn’t know what to expect. (But) we beat every measure in terms of wins, seeding, and points scored. We blew our expectations out of the water.” OPRF graduates 14 seniors, including Griffin and Yu. Geovanes thanked them for buying into the program’s philosophy and culture. “They’ve set the standard for others to follow,” he said. “They’ve planted the seed for the growth of our game.” Next year, the Huskies will return several experienced players, such as sophomores Davis, Dore, and Reed, and juniors Alawode, Avrut, and Robinson. “We had 105 players in our program this year,” Geovanes said. “We are loaded, not just for next year but the next several years. The future’s very bright.”
38 Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026 HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI • Deadline: Monday at 5 p.m.
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PUBLIC NOTICES
Your right to know...In print • Online NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
BY PHONE: (708) 613-3360 | BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
CALENDAR NUMBER: 25-26-Z HEARING DATE: November 4, 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, Aaron Vanderbilt (30 N Menard LLC), seeking a variance from Section 4.3 (Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance to reduce the required minimum lot width from 30 feet to 28.125 feet, in order to build two single-family homes on individual zoning lots at 721 S Harvey Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-17-118-028-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-4 Single-Family Residential Zoning District.
CALENDAR NUMBER: 24-26-Z HEARING DATE: November 4, 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, John Schiess, on behalf of 329 Home, LLC, seeking a variance from Section 4.3 (Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance to reduce the required interior side setback along the south property line from 10 feet to 8 feet 8 1/6 inches, at 329 Home Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-316-031-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-6 Multi-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.
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@oakpark.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.
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@oakpark.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.
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.
CALENDAR NUMBER: 26-26-Z HEARING DATE: November 4, 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, Christopher Verdugo and Samantha Siers, seeking a variance from Section 9.3(B)(5) (d)(ii) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance, in order to build a new coach house structure that exceeds the height of the singlefamily dwelling on the property, at 944 S Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-18-306-016-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-4 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@oakpark.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 October 14, 2026
Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 2026
Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 2026
VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CALENDAR NUMBER: 23-26-Z HEARING DATE: November 4, 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, Fred Karam (DuPage Remodelers LLC), seeking a variance from Section 9.3(N)(2)(c) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance in order to build a new detached garage that is accessed from the adjacent street, rather than the adjacent alley, at 645 Highland Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-17-109-040-0000 (“Subject Property”), in the R-4 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@oakpark.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 October 14, 2026
LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed proposals from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 for the following: Village of Oak Park SCADA Integration Services Project Number: 26-127 Proposal documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park. us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours. Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICES RIVER FOREST PUBLIC LIBRARY EMILY COMPTON LIBRARY DIRECTOR RIVER FOREST PUBLIC LIBRARY 735 LATHROP AVE. RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 NOTICE By authority of the Board of Library Trustees, sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, on November 3, 2026, by the Board of Library Trustees of the River Forest Public Library for the renovation of the existing mechanical system. Any bids received after 2:00 p.m. will not be accepted. The project is a single-prime agreement consisting of HVAC work, electrical work, and minor finishes. Responses shall be submitted in duplicate on or before the specified closing time in an opaque sealed envelope marked as noted within the Bidding Documents on the outside and addressed to: Emily Compton, Library Director, 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305. Responses are to be mailed or hand delivered to the River Forest Public Library. A mandatory pre-bid site conference and walk-through for contractors will be held on October 21, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305. Bid security in the form of a bid bond or certified check made payable to the Board of Library Trustees, of River Forest Public Library equal to 10% of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Performance and Labor and Material Payment Bonds, and Certificate of Insurance will be required from the successful bidder. The Board of Library Trustees of the River Forest Public Library, the Owner, reserves the right to reject any and all bids or parts thereof, or waive any technicalities and irregularities in the bidding, and to disregard all nonconforming or conditional Bids or counterproposals that are in the opinion of the Owner, to be in the best interest of the Owner. All bidders must comply with the applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages, and bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor and bidding, including Equal Opportunity Laws. Bidding documents which include Project Manual and Project Plans will be on file and may be obtained by bidders on October 13, 2026 for electronic distribution through BHFX Planroom website: http:// www.bhfxplanroom.com. All communication should be directed to Shaun Kelly, Engberg Anderson, 8618 W. Catalpa Avenue, Chicago, IL 60656. (PH: 312-846-7646; EM: shaunk@engberganderson.com). Hard copies are available through BHFX and all costs associated with the printing will be borne by the bidding contractor or vendor. Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 2026
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES
PUBLIC NOTICES STATE OF INDIANA ) SS: COUNTY OF LAKE IN THE LAKE SUPERIOR COURT JUVENILE DIVISION IN THE MATTER OF GUARDIANSHIP OF: KENOSHA M STAMPLEY, A Minor Child. CAUSE NO.: GU-000094
THE
45D06-2603-
NOTICE OF FILING OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT GUARDIAN AND HEARING THEREON To: Tamara Webb On the 15th day of October, 2026 at 8;30 AM, the Lake County Juvenile Justice Complex, 3000 West 93rd Avenue, Crown Pint, IN the Court will hold a hearing determine whether a guardian should be appointed for Kenosha M. Stampley. This proceeding may substantially affect the rights of Kenosha M. Stampley. The Court, at the hearing, shall consider if Vanessa D. Spencer should be appointed as permanent guardian of Kenosha M. Stampley. The Court may, in its discretion, appoint some other qualified person as guardian. The Court may also, in its discretion, limit the powers and duties of the guardian to allow Kenosha M. Stampley to retain control over certain property and activities. The may also determine whether a protective order should be entered on behalf of Kenosha M. Stampley. Kenosha M. Stampley may attend the hearing and be represented by an attorney. The petition may be heard and determined in the absence of Kenosha M. Stampley if the Court determines that the presence of Kenosha M. Stampley is not required. If Kenosha M. Stampley attends the hearing, opposes the petition, and is not represented by an attorney, the Court may appoint an attorney to represent Kenosha M. Stampley. The Court may, where required, appoint a guardian ad litem to Kenosha M. Stampley at the hearing. The Court may, on its own motion or on request of any interested person, postpone the hearing to another date and time. Auguast 14, 2026 Michael A. Brown Juvenile Court Clerk
Public Notice:
Your right to know... In print • Online
Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 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: M26002078 on October 9, 2026 Under the Assumed Business Name of GATED MERITOCRACY with the business located at: 201 LE MOYNE PKWY, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: FELIPE REYES 201 LE MOYNE PKWY OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA Published in Wednesday Journal October 14, 21, 28, 2026
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Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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40
Wednesday Journal, October 14, 2026
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