W E D N E S D A Y
December 4, 2019 Vol. 39, No. 18 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
IWS Holiday Housewalk Page 27
RF forming advisory task force to settle deer issue Residents debate health worries vs. ‘barbarity’ of sharpshooters By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
River Forest’s plan to pay the Cook County forest preserve district to hire sharpshooters to cull a growing deer population were put on hold pending creation of a task force to study all aspects of the complex issue. Residents arguing both for and against the culling solution turned out Nov. 25 at a village board meeting. A number of residents came out to strongly oppose the idea -- while a smaller, but just as vocal contingent urged the village to go through with it. Opponents said having wildlife walk through their backyards was part of River Forest’s charm, and said they were horrified at the idea of their tax dollars being used to kill deer. But proponents argued that it was a matter of public health -- their loved ones were hurt by Lyme disease. After a long discussion, the village board See DEER on page 11
ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer
POINT OF VIEW: John Putnam looks through a glass kaleidoscope for sale at the Out of the Box Art Market, a holiday popup shop at 133 S. Oak Park Ave., featuring handcrafted wares from area artisans. The shop will be open on weekends until Christmas.
Pop-up shop offers out-of-the-box gift ideas Art market provides non-commercial alternative to holiday shopping
By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter
The holiday shopping season is officially here — the trifecta of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday providing the fanfare. If the cacophony of mass consumption is too loud, though, there are places of respite.
At the Out of the Box Art Market, 133 S. Oak Park Ave., the gifts are all handmade — from ceramic coffee mugs to kaleidoscopes made of fused glass — and all have their own backstories. “My wife had taken some classes and I thought she did real well, so I bought her a pottery wheel for Christmas,” said Oak Parker John Putnam, one of the organiz-
ers of the market, describing his entry into pottery roughly 15 years ago. “It was a kick wheel. You had to cut out the base of the plywood. I was cutting out the base and she puts her head in the door and says, ‘You know I’m not going to touch that.’ So I finished cutting it out, put it together and I See POP-UP on page 14
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