Wednesday Journal 032719

W E D N E S D A Y

March 27, 2019 Vol. 39, No. 33 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Fenwick girls hockey wins State Sports, page 60

Golub pulls plans for 28-story high-rise Decision comes months after Oak Park mayor and board voice opposition

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The developer of a controversial proposal to build a 28-story luxury apartment building half a block from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple has announced that they are withdrawing their plan.

Golub & Co., which announced last year the plans to build the new high-rise at 835 Lake St., said in a letter to Oak Park trustees and others that the company has “elected to terminate our efforts to redevelop” the site.

“We continue to believe this location is an outstanding opportunity for developing a highquality, architecturally appropriate multi-family building that could contribute to the urban fabric of the community,” Golub vice president Michael Glazier said in the email.

Glazier said that feedback from the Unity Temple community and others in Oak Park caused the company to conclude “there is not sufficient support for our plans at this time.”

“Having previously developed the Vantage project, we remain bullish on the prospects for continued demand in Oak Park for high-quality, See TOWER on page 17

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Chat room

Carol Doane, left, and Steve Quinn, talk parrot to the fine-feathered residents at the Oak Park Conservatory on Garfield Street in Oak Park. More photos on page 3.

OPRF phases out principal position Supt. Pruitt-Adams announces major administrative realignment

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Next school year, Oak Park and River Forest High School will be without a principal — for good.

Just two days after Nate Rouse, OPRF’s principal for the last 11 years, announced

his pending resignation, District 200 Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams laid out a new organizational plan for her administration that doesn’t include a principal position at all.

Pruitt-Adams presented her new organizational chart to D200 school board members during a regular meeting on

March 21. In a statement the superintendent’s office sent out to students, staff, families and community members on March 22, she explained that the new structure would be “cost neutral by not replacing [the] principal while adding exSee PRINCIPAL on page 18

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Tax appeal season begins Oak Parkers with questions about their tax appeals can find out more from Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar.

The Cook County Assessor’s Office has opened the appeals period from March 19 to April 19, the first of two periods building owners will have to appeal their tax assessment.

“All Oak Park properties were reassessed in 2017, and most of the values set in 2017 will remain unchanged until Oak Park’s next reassessment in 2020,” ElSaffar said in

a press release. “Because the 2017 reassessment was such an important part of the tax process, many people believe assessed values can only be appealed during a reassessment year.

But since property values can change from year to year, assessed values can be appealed in any year, including 2019.”

Those interested in learning more about their assessments can contact the township offices at 708-383-8005.

Timothy Inklebarger

‘This is Oak Park’

Pleasant Home seeks a director

Pleasant Home Foundation is searching for a new executive director. The vacancy follows the departure last year of Heidi Ruehle-May, who left the position to become executive director of Unity Temple Restoration Foundation.

Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave., has undergone extensive renovations over the last year in an effort to expand its programming.

The application deadline is May 5.

Timothy Inklebarger

Election Headquarters on the Web

Oak Park’s municipal election is right around the corner, and you can find out more about the candidates at our online election headquarters, https://www. oakpark.com/News/Articles/3-14-2019/ Wednesday-Journal-2019-Election-Headquarters-/ There you’ll find features, candidate profiles, endorsements and other related news about the April 2 election.

And the results of all the races will be available at oakpark.com as well, beginning on the evening of April 2.

Timothy Inklebarger

A story from a reader that is too good not to share: I would like to take this opportunity to thank the two very thoughtful people who helped me at the East Avenue Blue Line stop. I have been taking the Blue Line from the East Avenue stop daily for over four years. I have never had a problem with my Ventra Card until last week.

The first issue was that I forgot to put the Ventra card back in my purse after the last time I used it, so I didn’t have it with me when I approached the turnstile. At the East Avenue stop, there is no CTA agent present, nor a pay machine, so the only option is to walk to Oak Park Avenue which is problematic, especially if one is running late, which I was.

I must have been talking out loud, or my expression of exasperation was very obvious when I realized my mistake, because the person next to me told me not to worry, he would swipe me through the turnstile using his card. I was extremely grateful and asked if I could pay him the cost and he said no, “Just do it for someone else.”

Within the same week, I tapped my Ventra card at the entrance but was unable to get through the turnstile. When I tried my card again, it was rejected, with the message that the card had just been used. Once again, a wonderful person, said, “Here, I’ll swipe you through.” I tried to pay him the fare and he said, “Oh no, this is Oak Park, we take care of each other.”

Fellow Blue Line travelers, I hope you both see this letter and know how grateful I am to you. You are both compassionate reminders of the goodness of people.

As for me, I am double-checking my purse every day before I leave the house and I am ready to swipe the next person who needs it through the turnstile. I,

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Where it’s always springtime

Those seeking an early breath of spring headed to Oak Park Conservatory on March 23 and got to enjoy not only the lush specimens in the desert room (top and bottom) but also a jolly “hello” from Sara, the parrot (middle). like Tennessee Williams, “have always depended on the kindness of strangers,” so I will make sure and be that kind

stranger to others.

Thank you!

Molly Riley

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True Life Close Encounters Monday, April 1, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Hear from Debbie Ziegelmeyer, who has investigated over 1000 unidentified craft and entity sightings and will share eight of her most memorable through witness descriptions, sketches, pictures and videos. $15, requested donation.

178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

“Dutch Love” Thursday, March 28, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Buzz Café: Meet local author and photographer Charles Osgood and hear excerpts from the journals of three American visitors to Europe – two traveled separately in 1914 before the start of WWI; Osgood traveled in 2014. Books available for purchase and signing.

905 S Lombard Ave., Oak Park.

Brooks Jazz Night Wednesday, April 3, 7 p.m., dolyn Auditorium, Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School: Hear students from nd vocal the middle school jazz and programs along with New w York comine Davis poser/saxophonist Caroline and her group. $10; $5, students 16 and under. Tickets: oakpark. akpark. ools/BMS/ revtrak.net/Middle-Schools/BMS/ BMS-Jazz-Night/#/list. 325 S. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park. rk.

Oak Park and River Forest Great at Neighbors Partnership

Sign up now Create an inter-generational friendship through a new partnership made up of residents, Arbor West Neighbors, Little BrothersFriends of the Elderly Chicago Chapter, and Oak Park and River Forest Township’s Senior Services who are working together to help older adults stay socially connected and part of the daily activities of community life. Register: greatneighbors.org, 312-604-7234.

Are Corporations People?

Thursday, March 28, 5:30 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Attend a Happy Hour Mind Boggle and hear David Melton and Terry Grace debate this issue in an informal atmosphere. $15, requested donation. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

Gender Identity Tuesday, April 2, 7 to 8 p.m., Storytime Room, Main Library: Caregivers - learn, discuss, and discover new resources to better support trans and questioning youth at this interactive workshop that explores the spectrum of gender identity. More: oppl. org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

The No Shush Salon Open Mic with Tina L. Jens Thursday, March 28, 6:30 to 8:45 p.m., Maze Library: Hear a reading from the author of The Blues Ain’t Nothin’: Tales of the Lonesome Blues Pub, who kicks off this monthly open mic for all creative types. More: oppl.org/calendar. 845 Gunderson Ave., Oak Park.

March 27 - Apr. 3

BIG WEEK Local Art Friday, March 29, 6 to 10 p.m., Black Moon: The Poster Artist Show includes works by 12 artists and photographers, along with chocolates by 1740 Confection Lab. $8, donation includes bottomless beer. More: facebook.com/ blackmoonoakpark. 17 Harrison St., Oak Park.

Reception Saturday, March 30, 3 to 6 p.m., Compound Yellow: At 12 Openings/Part 8, see Li-Ming Hu’s Pool Party and Adrienne Elyse Meyers’ Immediate Possession. 244 Lake St., Oak Park.

Through April 7, Ferguson Art Gallery, Kretzmann Hall, Concordia University Chicago: The Student Invitational Art Show features ceramics, photography, paintings, jewelry, drawprints, sculpture and graphic arts. Many works are for sale. Open Mondays through ings, prin a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Questions: 708-209-3013.

Fridays, 9 a.

7400 Augusta St., River Forest.

Through April, Dancing Krow Studio: The Art of Water explores many aspects of water through painting, fiber art, photography, soaps, jewelry & more. Info: 708-601-7497. 43 Harrison St., Oak Park.

Chicago Latino Film FFestival: Decade of Fire Saturday, March 30, 5:30 p.m., Martin Recital Hall, Satur Dominican University: This documentary explores the aftermath of fires that, during the 1970s, consumed New York’s South Bronx, one of the most integrated neighborhoods in the country. Free. Inquire: ymarquezetxabe@dom.edu. 7900 Division St., River Forest.

Cultural Gatherings: Community Hothouse Experience Saturday, March 30, 2 to 4 p.m., Fellowship Christian Church: New: a venue for community members, especially youth, to share art, culture, politics, ideas and more through open mics. The first meeting features guest Lee Pulliam who published the poetry collection All Things in Time. Others sign up to present their own poetry, short films, storytelling, dance, singing/instrumental performance, short lecture, etc. More: www. fellowshipchristianop.org. 1106-1110 Madison St., Oak Park.

The Shem Center for Interfaith Spirituality Gala Concert Sunday March 31, 3 to 5 p.m., McDonough Hall, St. Giles Catholic Parish: To celebrate the children of the world, come to the Won’t You Be My Neighbor concert featuring the music of Fred Rogers, Faure, Chopin and more. All ages welcome. Reception follows. Goodwill donation; UNICEF receives half.

RSVP: shemcenter1993@gmail.com. 1001 Columbian Ave., Oak Park.

Money Smart Week Visit the Main Library all week to learn how to better manage finances and grow wealth.

■ Saturday, March 30, 2 p.m., Book Discussion Room: Building a Financial Foundation ■ Tuesday, April 2, 11 a.m., Community Engagement Space: Building Wealth & Asset Accumulation ■ Wednesday, April 3, 10 a.m., Small Meeting Room: Investing in Stocks & Bonds. Register: oppl.org/calendar.

■ Saturday, April 6, 11:30 a.m., Community Engagement Space: Plan for Retirement More: oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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ART BEAT

Ganey’s ‘Good Enough’ is plenty good

By DOUG DEUCHLER

I

Theater Critic

know sometimes folks feel a tiny quiver of disappointment when they discover the show they are going to see has only one performer. Perhaps such reactions have roots in those old-school advertisements for Hollywood epics in which any picture having “a cast of thousands” would be guaranteed as irresistible, monumental and unforgettable. But I find well-done, one-person shows, are often enormously entertaining, full of excitement and easy-to-connect with the actor’s focused, approachable performance.

Over the years, many one-person shows were tributes to famous personalities, like Emily Dickinson or Golda Meir. Julie Ganey, however, has written and performs her own story. Good Enough is a delightful and thought-provoking personal confrontation with some of the playwright’s own issues and values.

Ganey, who has performed at 16th Street Theater in other shows, presents her humorous and insightful autobiographical 80-minute drama at the old 16th Street performance space, not the new theater which is still being renovated in the former VFW Post 2378 at 1529 S. Harlem Avenue.

Director Megan Shuchman has effectively shaped Ganey’s work so it flows smoothly, seeming more like a conversation than a monologue.

Donna Miller is featured on the cello.

When I first learned this would be part of the performance, I worried the music might be overpowering or distracting. Not to worry. Miller is very good, amplifying and emphasizing some bits, but not playing constantly. The additional “soundtrack” by Mike Przgoda blends in other musical punctuation and sound effects. It’s quite effective.

Ganey is a middle-age white liberal mom from diverse Rogers Park on the far North Side of Chicago. She focuses her dialogue on a particular period — an in-depth look at a specific point in her recent life. Her solo drama captures events and reactions from a time not long ago. She does not attempt to portray her entire life story, although she does include a few pieces of her past, which enlighten and entertain us. When she was very young, for instance, she was fascinated by the harrowing and often gruesome biographies of martyred saints. Early on, Ganey takes note that these figures were also rebels.

In the intimate 16th Street Theater space, Ganey comes across as funny, thoughtful and chatty. Although she feels strongly about lots of stuff, she never comes across as preachy, know-it-all or annoying. She and her husband, Brad, have a teenage daughter,

✓ ✓ ✓ Photo provided

Julie Ganey’s one-person show at 16th Street Theater runs through April 20.

Dorothy, a soccer player who attends a better school that had a lot more to offer in Lincoln Park than the one where her mother gives so much of her time volunteering in theater workshops and seminars to prevent bullying. Ganey campaigned to get the girl the best that was available for her, yet now feels guilty she did. She was not bribing anyone financially to get Dorothy enrolled, but was she wrong to work the system as she did?

Ganey’s widowed father, a bright and logical man in his upper 70s, is a fiscal conservative who in recent years has had more disagreements with his daughter.

The actress has many gifts. She is able to draw her audience in so that you feel as if it’s just the two of you having a discussion. With her issues and conflicts, she reminds me of several of my Oak Park neighbors. She’s a kind and generous person, a do-gooder who nevertheless has periodic personal conflicts within her own value system. Ganey routinely helps out a homeless immigrant who “works” an intersection on Sheridan Road. She wonders if she should do more — or less.

Ganey effectively rations herself as she speaks. Periodically she turns away from us to breathe and drink some water.

Good Enough is smart and enjoyable. By the end of the play, I felt like I’d known Julie Ganey a long time, though I’d never met her before. She’s a seemingly effortless performer and a gifted writer.

See “Good Enough,” Thursdays and Fridays, 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 5 and 8 p.m.; and select Sundays, 3 p.m., through April 20. $30, reserved seating; $22, general seating; $18, military families, low-income, Berwyn residents. Tickets/more: 16thstreettheater.org/ season-twelve-2019. 6420 W. 16th St., Berwyn.

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Where is Golub planting its flag?

O

dds and ends with some a bit odder than others: ‘In the near future’: Not exactly big news that Golub & Co. last week told the faithful at Unity Temple and its architectural acolytes that it would not press ahead on its plan to build a 28-story high-rise just a Hail Mary pass, or the Unitarian equivalent, east of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece.

Even after the full village board, which includes Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb, needed smelling salts at the prospect of defending shadows from a 299-foot apartment tower at that site, Golub continued to quietly press its case, offering incentives and warm wishes to a congregation and architectural foundation which had just invested tens of millions into the Wright experience. It was a no-go, go-away response in a non-judgmental but clear congregational context.

To me, the news was in Golub’s declaration of love for Oak Park and its promise of a quick return to the high-rise competition. “We look forward to working on other potential opportunities in Oak Park and engaging with the community in the near future,” said Golub in its so-long-forjust-a-moment letter.

Get out your Google map of the Metra tracks running through Oak Park and pick your next likely location.

Meanwhile, I’d say the 28-story stunner at 835 Lake St. — currently a bank drive-thru and parking lot — has softened the turf for a 10-12 story replacement plan. Clearly the site’s owner is disposed to sell and US Bank has signed off on a plan to contract its square footage on both Lake Street and at its main building on Oak Park Avenue.

Design An Ad: Tucked into this week’s Journal is our 31st annual Design An Ad section. School kids in Oak Park and River Forest learned about how to create a persuasive ad for a local business. And thanks, as always, to our local teachers and our local businesses for supporting this project.

Just how long have we been doing this project? A few years back we had a staff

member coordinating the project who had won a prize in the contest when they were a kid.

We’re all happily older.

Click bait: On occasion we are accused of publishing crime stories at OakPark.com or on social media simply to drive up page views to our website. No doubt a good crime story attracts interest.

But if it was our strategy, you’d see a story about every stolen Amazon package and bike gone missing.

That said, it is interesting to see what stories go (our modest version of) viral. Most often they are not the stories I would have predicted. For example, last week in winter-weary Oak Park, we dropped a little item on Facebook via our OakParkEats page reporting that Hole in the Wall, the bite-sized custard shop on Oak Park Avenue just south of the Ike, was opening the following day.

Last time I checked 7,021 people had seen that breaking news.

Also on the food beat: Really sad to see Prairie Bread Kitchen getting ready to close after 24 years on Marion Street.

Doran Payne, the longtime owner, gave a candid interview to our Tim Inklebarger saying that spiking real estate taxes and two small kids at home had changed his outlook on continuing in business.

Nate Rouse’s exit: It was at a town hall meeting at OPRF after the final broadcast of America to Me that the already challenged future of Nate Rouse as principal of the high school was, to me, sealed.

Near the end of audience questions, the mother of one of the students featured in the documentary rose to ask a question of Rouse. But it wasn’t a question. It was an extended slicing and dicing of Rouse’s tenure as principal. It was calm, it was razor sharp, it was fair. Rouse’s response was grasping, blaming past superintendents.

Those superintendents did Rouse no favors, it is true. But it was when neither Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, the current superintendent, nor Jackie Moore, the sitting school board president, said a word in his defense that my countdown clock was set.

DAN HALEY

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Dinner & Dialogue forums focus on race Oak Park Community Relations Commission working to expand the conversation

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

In the era of internet trolls leaving meanspirited comments online, the concept of sitting down at a table with your neighbors to look them in the eye and discuss matters of race and equity might seem like a bygone notion.

But that’s what the village of Oak Park is doing with its longtime Dinner & Dialogue program, which brings together residents in volunteers’ homes and encourages them to discuss the topic that is still difficult to broach for many.

Those in-real-life connections are having an impact in Oak Park, according to Karin Grimes, of the Oak Park Community Relations Commission (CRC), which organizes dinners.

Grimes said in a telephone interview that the program – the CRC holds about eight to 10 of the dinners every year –is modeled after the Jane Addams Hull House Association Center for Civil Society’s Dinners Project.

Historically, the dinners have involved about a dozen people, but Grimes said the CRC is working to expand the dialogue ses-

Photo provided by the Community Relations Commission

BREAKING BREAD: Neighbors gather for a Dinner and Dialogue event put on by the Community Relations Commission. The monthly dinners are held to give Oak Parkers a place to talk about race and diversity. sions to bring in more people.

people, Grimes said.

Their upcoming event is being held at Do-

Future dinners with the larger format will

minican University and is at capacity at 64

be held at Unity Temple on Friday, April 12

and the Oak Park River Forest Museum on Thursday, May 9. All dates for future events are on the village’s website or by emailing the Community Relations Commission at community@oak-park.us.

Grimes told Wednesday Journal that the CRC has set dates through the end of the year for dinners that will be held in Oak Parkers’ homes.

“We are going to plan dinners every other month and alternate them between Friday evenings and Sunday evenings,” Grimes said in an email. The dates for those events are Sunday, May 19; Friday, July 19; Sunday, Sept. 15; and Friday, Nov. 15.

CRC members are also working to step up their social media presence to help grow the program, Grimes said.

“People say they’ve never heard of it before, so we’re trying to get [information about the dinners] out there more,” she said.

Grimes described the dinners as facilitated conversations that generally begin with attendees talking about why they moved to Oak Park.

More information about the dinners is available at www.oak-park.us/our-community/community-relations/dinner-dialogue. tim@oakpark.com

Growing community.

explore your community @ OakPark.com

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Note to criminals: You are being watched

Oak Park police establish online portal to upload video and photos

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It was only a few weeks into 2019 that Oak Park police posted a photo of a man fleeing on foot past a home in the 800 block of South Maple Avenue in Oak Park.

They later arrested two men, one of whom was in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle, but the photograph posted with the press release appeared to come from the front porch of a home in the neighborhood.

The image wasn’t taken by a neighbor’s cell phone camera, however; instead it was pulled from a surveillance video that had been posted on the website for Neighbors App, which allows those with surveillance cameras on their home to post video that is made available to other Neighbors App users.

The Oak Park Police Department is taking the concept a step further and allowing Oak Park resi-

dents to submit surveillance video directly to police through a new online portal, according to a press release.

Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds was not immediately available for comment on the new program.

Police note that they are “hoping to tap the growing number of surveillance video cameras” in the community to help solve crimes.

Residents can also submit photos they think might be relevant in criminal activity.

“The police department often gets unsolicited surveillance videos via email from residents,” the press release notes. “Officers also routinely look for nearby cameras when they canvas a neighborhood after a crime has been reported. The new image and video uploader should make it more convenient for concerned citizens to share video with police.”

All files will be used as “confidential aspects of ongoing investigations,” according to police.

The uploader is available at www.oak-park.us/ policevideo. tim@oakpark.com

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Oak Park police distributed this photo in January of a man fleeing police. The image was pulled from the private surveillance video posted on the website for Neighbors App. Police have established a portal where videos and photos can be submitted.

Family sues Oak Park police over car crash

Lawsuit claims police chased motorist who killed their son

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The family of Austin resident Pierre Shelton has filed a lawsuit against the Oak Park Police Department, claiming that a police chase of a motorist on March 9 resulted in a car crash that killed Shelton and his girlfriend, Joy Tyus.

Tyus, 28, died as a result of her injuries the night of the crash, which took place at about 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of South Boulevard and Ridgeland Avenue, and Shelton, 30, was critically injured.

Shelton subsequently died as a result of his injuries on March 17 at Loyola University Medical Center, where he’d been hospitalized since the crash.

Police had pulled Photo submitted by Gabrielle Riley over Chicago resident Kendall R. Harrison near the intersection, but Harrison reportedly fled in his vehicle and then crashing into the vehicle driven by Tyus.

Oak Park police expressly noted in a press release following the crash that the officer did not chase Harrison’s vehicle that night.

The lawsuit is exploratory in its claim that the Oak Park

Photo submitted by John Roberts

AFTERMATH: Police say Kendall Harrison drove through a red light while fleeing a traffic stop on South Boulevard, striking a car (above) that was southbound on Ridgeland Avenue. Inside that vehicle were Joy Tyus and Pierre Shelton (left).

Police Department chased Harrison, according to Tim Cavanagh of Law Group, who is representing the family.

He said in a telephone interview that the lawsuit must make allegations in order to get access to evidence such as surveillance video recorded the night of the incident.

Cavanagh filed an emergency motion to get the evidence.

Police have 14 days to comply.

“If the police truly did nothing wrong, I’m sure they’ll get us that stuff right away,” he said.

In an email, village of Oak Park spokesman David Powers said that the “village stands by the original statement of March 10 – Oak Park police did not initiate a chase.”

Cavanagh said police pursuits are inherently dangerous and put innocent bystanders’ lives in danger.

“The city [of Chicago] has changed their policies because they are so dangerous and so many innocent people have been injured and maimed that police pursuits should not be undertaken for minor traffic offenses and the like,” he said.

Harrison was charged with one count of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence.

As of press time, the Oak Park police have 12 days to release the dashcam video surveillance video. tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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Longfellow School principal leaving at school year’s end Angela Dolezal hired as curriculum director for Riverside schools

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Angela Dolezal, the principal at Longfellow School in Oak Park, is resigning at the end of the school year to take a job as the curriculum director in Riverside Elementary School District 96.

Dolezal is in her 13th year as principal at Longfellow and is in her 15th year as an employee of Oak Park School District 97. Dolezal taught for two years at Holmes School before becoming the principal at Longfellow.

Parents at Longfellow say that she will be missed.

“I have mixed feelings about Principal Dolezal leaving Longfellow,” said Marta Ikegami, the co-president of the Longfellow Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and the mother of a fifth-grader at Longfellow, in an email. “Although I am happy she is taking a well deserved better position at Riverside, I am also sad to see her leave. She is a positive influence in our students’ lives and she really looks out for each student’s best interest.”

Ikegami said that Dolezal has Dolezal said she is proud of a fostered both inclusion and stu30-minute daily reading enrichdent achievement. ment/intervention time that she “With her support, four-and-ainstituted in her second year at half years ago, the first PTO diLongfellow. versity committee was created in “We’ve seen growth in our stuD97,” Ikegami wrote. “This comdents’ abilities to read fluently mittee’s work has played an imporand comprehend what they’re tant role addressing some of the reading,” Dolezal said. most urgent issues of our times in District 97 Superintendent Oak Park, thanks to her support.

Carol Kelly called Dolezal “an inANGELA DOLEZAL Dolezal said it will be hard to credible teacher, administrator Longfellow principal leave Longfellow School, where and leader” during her 15 years her daughter is a fifth-grader in District 97. this year and her son attends kindergarten.

“Her hard work, professionalism and pasIn fact, it has been hard to explain to her son sion for learning have earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues, and why she will be leaving his school.

“He’s struggling just a little bit, but he’ll be her commitment to education and tireless good,” Dolezal said. “My daughter has told advocacy for children have helped her forge strong and lasting relationships with her him it’s actually going to be better for him.”

Dolezal said that knowing that she will re- students and families at Longfellow,” Kelley main involved with Longfellow as a parent said in a letter to parents.

Kelly said that plans to replace Dolezal makes leaving a little easier.

“I have developed so many close relation- have begun and will involve a thorough reships with families throughout our school, view of all options.

Two members of the Riverside school so it’s hard to know I’m leaving that,” Dolezal said. “I feel fortunate and blessed board, the board president and the chairwoman of the board’s education committee, voted that I don’t have to completely let go of Longfellow, so it is definitely mixed emo- against hiring Dolezal. They pointed to a tions. These next few months will be hard pattern of declining scores on the state manbut they will also be filled with a lot of joy dated PARCC exam for District 97 students in recent years compared to a steady rise in and excitement as well.”

PARCC scores in District 96, saying they were uncomfortable hiring someone coming from a district with declining test scores.

One factor in the declining test scores in District 97 could be the increasing number of Oak Park students who have opted out of taking the PARCC exam in recent years. Last year 94 percent of District 97 students took the PARCC exam, compared to 98 percent of students in District 96 who took the PARCC. PARCC scores at Longfellow School have exceeded the District 97 averages in recent years.

Dolezal will be replacing another Oak Park resident, Merryl Brownlow, who is leaving District 96 after four years as an assistant superintendent to become a superintendent in a small school district in Palos Heights.

The superintendent of District 96, Martha Ryan-Toye, who recommended hiring Dolezal, also lives in Oak Park.

Longfellow parent Kim Hefner, who happens to be principal of Hollywood School in Brookfield, which is in District 96, says that Dolezal has been an excellent principal.

“She is steadfast in putting children first,” Hefner said. “She’s been innovative in the way that she’s worked with her staff to support all learners. She has done some interesting structuring to be able to be able to challenge and support all the different abilities.”

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10

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Business assists with adopted kids’ hairstyles

Styles 4 Kidz does hairstyles, gives advice to non-black parents of black children

By WENDELL HUTSON Contributing Reporter

Nine years ago, Tamekia Swint noticed an uptick in the number of black children adopted by non-black families. The realization prompted her to start a nonprofit organization that teaches parents how to care for their children’s hair.

Today, Swint serves as the executive director of Styles 4 Kidz in Oak Park. The organization offers paid classes and workshops for parents on how to wash, comb, braid, and style their black children’s hair.

Prices for onsite services, such as parental classes and hair treatment for kids, run between $40 and $150. And appointments can be made online at styles4kidz.org. Swint said most clients are white but some are from other ethnic backgrounds too.

“I saw the need for this kind of service as more whites and other non-black families adopted black children,” said Swint, who is married with a 4-year-old son. “A big misconception a lot of blacks have about whites adopting black children is that they don’t care about these kids and that’s just not true.”

She added that besides onsite classes for parents, the organization also volunteers their services at various group homes.

“We’ll go there and give them haircuts

WENDELL HUTSON/Contributor

GENTLE TRANSFORMATION: (From left:) Styles 4 Kidz Founder and Executive Director Tamekia Swint; adopted mom Laura Basi; and hair stylist Lyneshia Franco, attend to Basi’s 3-year-old son Steven as he receives hair treatment. and braid hair. You would be amazed how much self-confidence these children gain once their hair is looking good,” said Swint.

“Seeing the smiles on their faces when we leave is a wonderful feeling.”

Austin Weekly News recently visited Styles 4 Kidz at 20 W. Lake St. and on that day Laura Basi brought her twin 3-year-old son and

daughter there for hair treatment. Her son Steven got his hair washed, cut and twisted, while her daughter Carnia got her hair braided.

“I want to learn how to care for my children’s hair and this is the best place for me to learn how to do that. I live in Batavia where there’s not any place I can take them for hair care,”

explained Basi, 39. “Adopting these two has been a positive experience for my family. We adopted them when they were five days old.”

Basi added that since the adoption she has formed friendships with other black mothers to get better educated about blacks.

“I know soon it will be time to send them to school and that is something my husband and I are discussing now,” said Basi, who also has two biological children at home.

“I know there are things I won’t be able to relate to when it comes to blacks and that’s why I am learning as much as I can, from as many people as I can.”

A lot of children who come to the organization often have gone without hair treatment for a while, and Lyneshia Franco, a stylist at the organization, said it could sometimes be challenging to service them.

“If a kid has gone three, four or more weeks without any treatment like a haircut the child may be resistant and start crying and moving around a lot to get free,” explained Franco, one of six employees. “But after while I am able to get the kid to relax and let me make them look even more beautiful. Candy, toys and putting a cartoon on TV helps, too.”

Swint insist that all children, including those who are disabled or mentally challenged, are welcomed to styles.

“We don’t turn any child away,” said Swint, who lives in Aurora. “I have always been passionate about doing hair. Doing hair started out as a side hustle for me to help pay for college at the University of Illinois. I was able to turn that hustle into a career and I love it.”

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

Prairie Bread Kitchen to close shop

Owner says high taxes and construction projects made it difficult to continue

By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

It’s been a 24-year run for the bakery and lunch spot on North Marion Street, but the owner of Prairie Bread Kitchen said he is closing up shop sometime shortly after Easter.

Owner Doran Payne has owned the restaurant since 2009 – the business opened in 1995 and was later sold to Payne – but he said he’s shutting the place down for a number of reasons, including the skyrocketing tax rate for the location.

Payne said his tax bill has at least tripled in the last six years, but construction and streetscaping projects downtown over the last few years have also hurt his business.

“I think the construction and all that will be very good for the area and very good for Oak Park, but whether the journey through that is comfortable is another question,” he said.

Payne, a Forest Park resident, didn’t have the numbers immediately on hand but said the tax increase is “a tough pill to swallow.”

“Property taxes in Oak Park are no laughing matter,” he said.

Construction from the two high-rise developments within blocks of the restaurant over the last few years, in addition to the repaving of South Boulevard have also driven away customers.

“I don’t think people understand the type of disruption (business owners) have to deal with,” he said, noting that the street closures and construction have driven people away from his business.

He noted that when streets are closed and traffic congestion ramps up because of construction project, “customers find new places.”

Once the projects are complete, it takes time to build back that customer base, he said, adding that it takes time for large buildings to get fully occupied and also for customers to learn about his location.

“The construction is over and people say it should be easy, but it doesn’t work that way,” he said.

Having said all that Payne reiterated that he believes the

new high-rises in the area will have a positive impact on Oak Park businesses.

“Cities and villages and towns have to change,” he said.

“All of these things are good for the area.”

High taxes and disrupted patrons were only part of his decision to close up shop – Payne said he now has two small children that are taking more of his attention.

Also, he was facing a lease renewal and had to make the tough decision on whether to keep going with Prairie Bread Kitchen.

“It’s been a good run and now we move on to other things,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being on the other side, the customer side, (of the counter), and visiting fellow (business owners) around,” he said. “It’s good to be a patron.

Payne said he’s uncertain whether he will open another restaurant in the future, but for now, he’s planning on taking a trip with his family to his native Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.

“We’re going to regroup and set the reset button,” he said. tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Developers update Sears site proposal

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

It was literally standing room only at Ald. Chris Taliaferro’s (29th) March 20 community meeting on the redevelopment plans for the Chicago portion of the former North/ Harlem Sears site.

A little under a year after the initial proposal was unveiled during Taliaferro’s April 18, 2018 community meeting, the developers came back with an altered, more detailed vision. The plans call for turning the Sears store building into a mixed-use development, with branches of an unnamed “national grocery store” chain and “national health club” chain occupying the first floor and apartments on the floors above.

The developers are also planning to build apartments and townhomes on the parking lot north of the Bank of America building, with the buildings wrapping around a resident-only parking lot in the middle.

While the residents in attendance were intrigued by the grocery store, many were concerned about the development’s impact on parking and traffic, as well as the fact that most of the units will be rentals. Taliaferro and the developers emphasized that they would take resident feedback into account.

But at the same time, they made it clear that they were on the clock — the grocery store tenant was interested in moving in as quickly as possible, so they were looking to have the Chicago Plan Commission consider the necessary zoning changes early this summer.

As previously reported, the sites are owned by Seritage, the spin-off of Sears’ real estate holdings arm. Seritage contracted Highland Park-based Tucker Development to redevelop the site and manage the buildings once they’re built. The original vision called for putting retail on the first floor, converting two floors above the stores into “loft-style” apartments and building three more floors of modern apartments on top of the building.

The updated proposal drops the number of additional floors from three to two. Overall, the building would now have 161 apartments. Company CEO Richard Tucker and his son, Aaron Tucker, the company’s chief investment officer, explained that they plan to put all the resident parking underground while leaving the above-ground parking lot for grocery store and health club customers.

The building will include its own, resident-only fitness area and an “amenity deck” on the top floor with a community room that would have a kitchen, tables and chairs. As Aaron explained, the community area would function as a gathering space and a “flex workspace.”

Tucker Development is also planning to build on the parking lot portion of the block between Neva, Wabansia, Nortica and North avenues. A total of 27 three-story townhouses will be built along the Wabansia Avenue side, and the four-story apartments that contain a total of 125 units will wrap around the

11

Amanda Massie OPRF High School District 200 Board Advocate for:

Courtesy of Seritage

MODIFIED: Above, an architectural rendering of the proposed mixed-use development planned for the site of the old Sears at Harlem and North. remaining sides.

Tucker explained that the townhouses will each have two-car garages, while the courtyard parking lot will be used for the apartments, with one parking space per unit. Like the development to the west, the apartment buildings would have a fitness center.

The biggest concern was the parking and traffic. Several residents argued that most households owned two cars, and having only one parking spot per apartment wasn’t enough. The developers said that their studies suggest that is not the case, especially for the one-bedroom units they’re planning.

“We’re not seeing two-car [households] in those kinds of units,” Aaron Tucker said. “Maybe one car, but we think we’re over-parked.”

When asked whether the city pressured them to reduce parking to encourage people to take public transit or bike, Aaron replied that this wasn’t the case. In the end, it came down to capacity.

“We’re meeting the zoning requirement of being one-to-one,” he said. “We thought it was important we provide underground [parking]. And I promise you, we can’t fit any more in that basement. We tried.”

Tucker added that tenants who don’t use their parking spots would be free to lease them out to others.

The other major concern was about the increase of traffic along Wabansia Avenue, as more people try to avoid the frequently congested North Avenue. Tucker Development plans to work with the Illinois Department of Transportation, which controls North Avenue, to install a traffic signal at the North/ Neva intersection to help relieve the issue.

Another major concern was the fact that most of the units would be rental apartments. While the developers didn’t specify what the rents were, they said that they were aiming for more high-end units. But some of the residents were still concerned, saying that they were worried that, if the apartments failed to attract tenants, Tucker Development would lower rents to get some return on their investment.

They also raised concerns about City of

Chicago’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance applying to the projects. The Tuckers insisted that it doesn’t, since they are not seeking any city assistance. Furthermore, the city’s current zoning already allows residential units, so the zoning change they’re proposing wouldn’t trigger the requirement.

Chicago City Council traditionally defer to local aldermen when it comes to zoning decisions. In his newsletter and during the meeting, Taliaferro emphasized that he wouldn’t approve anything without getting resident feedback.

“I heard the comment, ‘This is a done deal, why are we meeting?’ It’s not,” Taliaferro said. “I will talk to Seritage and the developer about these concerns in hopes of building the project the community is in love with. “ At the same time, Richard Tucker said that they were hoping that the process wouldn’t be too long.

“We’re going to need to move quickly,” he said.

“Our national grocer [tenant] wants to open very quickly, as quickly as we can possibly go.”

Taliaferro said that they would be having at least one more community meeting in April, as well as a private meeting with residents on Nortica Avenue and other nearby blocks. And he said that residents would ultimately have an opportunity to vote on whether he gets behind the zoning change.

“We will hold additional community meetings, but we’re going to have to have to move quickly,” Taliaferro emphasized.

Judith Alexander, chairwoman of the North Avenue District, said that she supported more residential development on the Sears site, since it would bring in more customers for North Avenue businesses and help revitalize the entire corridor.

“Though it isn’t perfect, the proposed project is certainly well-designed and a big improvement over the existing vacant building and parking lots,” she said. “Hopefully, some fine-tuning will be possible in response to input at a community meeting like the one tonight.”

CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

• Educational excellence and equity for ALL students • Fiscal responsibility & accountability to taxpayers • Real transparency for students, their families and all community members

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12

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Gibbs touts record, village stability in re-election bid

April 1 – 1:15 UFO’s – No Longer Science Fiction

Debbie Ziegelmeyer, Missouri MUFON Star Team Investigator will present “True Life Close Encounters of the Second, Third, and Forth Kind”. She has investigated over 1000 unidentified craft and entity sighting reports and will share eight of her most memorable close encounter report investigations. Skeptics and believers are encouraged to attend.

April 22 – 1:15 Georg Jensen: Scandinavian Design for Living Jeffrey Nigro presents Danish

silversmith Georg Jensen (1866-1935) who founded the design company that bore his name in 1904. This richly illustrated lecture highlights the artistic journey of Jensen and the iconic designers who transformed contemporary life and material culture.

April 29 – 1:15 The Monster’s Mother: On Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” Celebrate the

April 8 – 1:15 Civic Orchestra of Chicago – Celebrating 100 Years of Civic Engagement Jonathan McCormick,

director of the CSO’s Negaunee Music Institute, will present the history of the Civic Orchestra and updates on new curriculum. The program includes a music performance by four orchestra members.

200th Anniversary of this classic with educator and lecturer Cynthia Rutz. 18year old Mary Shelley first wrote the tale in response to a contest with her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron to see who could write the most horrifying tale. This program examines both the tale and its young author.

COST: $15 requested donation for non-members for each program.

LUNCH: precedes Monday programs at 12:00, $25 for nonmembers, RSVP required–all are welcome!

Evening & Weekend Events Wednesday, April 17 – 7:30pm Henry Fogel Presents Adam Neiman With an established international career and an encyclopedic repertoire, pianist Nieman joined the full-time faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2015 as Assistant Professor of Piano. Doors open at 7 p.m. Members and their guests $25, Non-members $30, Students $10

Friday, April 26 - 7:30 – 10pm 6th Annual OPRFHS Swing Dance The Award-winning Jazz Ensemble offers up an electrifying and professional program. Boogie to the beat at this all ages, family friendly event. Tickets at the door. Students up to 17 – $5 / Adults 18 and over – $10 Sunday, April 28 – 3:00pm Free Readers presents Clybourne Park Set fifty years apart, CLYBOURNE PARK explodes in two outrageous acts. Freereaders.com

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301 708-386-2729 For more information: nineteenthcentury.org

Wants to see through proposed building projects, TIF success

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Michael Gibbs hopes that experience matters in the River Forest village trustee race.

Gibbs is the only incumbent running for re-election in the five-person race for three seats on the village board. He is seeking his third term on the village board and if elected would become the most senior member of the village board.

“I’ve been doing a good job, I’m just looking for a chance to continue on,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs says that he was struck by the lack of criticism of the current state of River Forest by the other candidates at a recent candidate forum.

“No one’s criticizing the current status, the current wellbeing of the village, so the current board must be doing a pretty good job if there’s no criticisms of the condition of the village right now,” Gibbs said. “Usually other people would run because they think that things need to be corrected with village government. There hasn’t been a single statement along those lines from my competition, so I guess the village is in pretty good shape.”

Gibbs was first elected to the village board in 2009. In 2013 he ran for village president but lost to Cathy Adduci.

Despite their contest in 2013, which Adduci won overwhelmingly, Gibbs says that he now has an excellent relationship with Adduci. In 2015, he was elected again to the village board.

Gibbs says that he wants to serve one more term on the village board to see through some major projects, such as the senior living facility at Chicago and Harlem and the development of a five-story mixed use building at Lake and Lathrop.

He said that he wants to stick around to make sure the new TIF districts created for North Avenue and Madison Street, which he voted for, fulfill their potential as well as promises made about the impact of the senior building at Chicago and Harlem.

“I feel it’s important that I be able to fulfill those promises,” Gibbs said. “If one board makes all these commitments to the neighborhood and then no one is around to fulfill those promises, then that’s not a good situation.”

Gibbs, 57, works as salesman and elevator inspector for the Anderson Elevator Company. He has lived in River Forest since 1989.

Gibbs believes than continued economic development is vital for River Forest.

“If a municipality is not growing, it’s dy-

Michael Gibbs ing,” Gibbs said.

He particularly wants to see the planned new building at Lake and Lathrop be built.

He hopes that a restaurant will fill the ground-floor commercial space. The upper four stories are planned to be higher-end condominiums. He is anxious to see shovels in the ground there.

“I don’t think that’s too far off,” Gibbs said. “We have the agreement in place with the developer. All the properties have been acquired, and I think people will be excited when all of sudden they see the construction equipment show up and start moving along with that.”

Gibbs said the new senior living facility planned for Chicago and Harlem will be a boon for seniors who want to sell their large homes but remain in River Forest. The development is expected to add about $600,000 in tax revenue, of which about $70,000 will go to the village, without causing much additional traffic congestion or a strain on the schools, Gibbs said.

Gibbs wants the village to maintain its strong financial position and continue to balance its budget.

“I personally will not spend a dollar that I don’t have, and any governmental agency that does that, you should replace every one of them,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs leans right politically on national issues but he says that he doesn’t think that should be a factor in a municipal race.

“Some people function with their federal politics on their sleeves,” Gibbs said. “I would prefer that people don’t think of municipal politics like that. I would prefer that people would address this race as which of the candidates is the best for the village.”

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

13

Candidate in litigation with the village makes his case

By NONA TEPPER Staff Reporter

A candidate for River Forest trustee is currently in litigation with the village — which is part of the reason he was inspired to run.

Gregg Kuenster said the case with the village is ongoing and related to the zoning of his home, which is located on the 500 block of Park Avenue.

“It’s about money and rights, it’s about civil rights, it’s about building rights, and it’s about money, and so we’re trying to negotiate that,” Kuenster said of the case.

In March 2017, a fire at Kuenster’s home resulted in the death of Elpidio Flores, 50, who was living in the property’s basement.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death accidental, saying Flores died of smoke inhalation. Kuenster was reportedly on vacation at the time of the fire.

After rebuilding the home, Kuenster said the village zoning code requires him to operate it as a single-family dwelling. But he said he wants to convert it into a two-flat. River Forest declined to give him relief, he said, forcing it to remain a single-family home.

The village has since filed a lawsuit that attempts to fine Kuenster every day his property is out of compliance with zoning. The village declined to comment on the lawsuit.

“Part of the reason I’m running is when

we rebuilt the building, we asked to have the building rebuilt as a two-flat because it would make this building more efficient if we had two units instead of one unit. It’d be more affordable,” he said.

Kuenster also said he was inspired to run — it was his “main impetus” — after learning a resident successfully lobbied the village to relax its ordinance regarding fire sprinkler regulations. “[He] had an issue with the fire alarm, I paid for it, $40,000 out of my pocket, so that is what it is. That’s part of it,” Kuenster said.

Kuenster is a longtime area resident, who attended grade school at St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park, then went on to attend Fenwick High School for two years and Oak Park and River Forest High School for two years. He said he graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a degree in business administration and then went on to become a certified public accountant through the Chicago-Kent College of Law. In March 2014, Kuenster received a felony charge for aggravated criminal sexual abuse, after a teenage employee alleged he asked her to straddle and massage him in River Forest, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. “I don’t have any comment [on that],” he said. “Obviously nothing happened or I couldn’t run for office.” The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office did

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developments behind everybody’s back,” he said — and called for greater transparency on the village’s part, saying River Forest should publish its contracts and tax increment financing (TIF) district revenue inflows and outflows in a more timely fashion.

Kuenster described himself as a political centrist who, when he was younger, worked as a precinct captain for the Oak Park Democratic Party. This is also not his first election — he said he ran for the Park District of Oak Park board in the 1980s and lost.

CONTACT: ntepper@wjinc.com

Each week Wednesday Journal covers local news, local people, local sports and the local ads you want to see. Village hall, police, OPRF, the elementary schools, business, religion, we have Oak Park and River Forest covered.

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not respond to interview requests. Kuenster pleaded guilty in January 2018 to one charge of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge, according to the Chicago Tribune.

He said he is now retired after a career working in “corporate finance for the last 25 years, dealing with the biggest companies, banks, airlines, billionaires.” He believes his active CPA license will help the village operate more efficiently, comparing River Forest operations to that of the McDonald’s Corporation.

“River Forest itself is a small business, it’s in the few millions, and they’re in financial trouble like all the towns,” he said. “Because of that, there is probably at least, somewhere between a 4 and 9 percent tax increase baked into real estate taxes. That’s my opinion.

There are people who would disagree with me, but I am a CPA, I deal with it. I am a land owner and that’s my projection.”

He said he believes the village will have to contract some of its basic services like ambulances, policing, and inner office staff to balance its budget.

“It’s going to be some hard decisions, there’s going to be a lot of unhappy people, and I’m used to that,” he said.

He also alleged the village is in negotiations with developers to build high-rise buildings in several parts of town — “They do these

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Education researcher hopes to bring insights to D97 board Jung Kim wants district to hone focus on equity and raise Asian-American awareness

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

An associate professor in literacy education is running for a seat on the District 97 Board of Education. Jung Kim, the mother of two D97 students, said she can bring a new perspective to the board, particularly as an education researcher, former teacher, and Asian-American.

Kim sees a need to make the curriculum more relevant to the cultures and sensitivities of the district’s minority students.

“There’s a lot of research that shows the ways we teach and the curriculum we use in schools aren’t really culturally relevant to large groups of kids,” she said. “So we need to make sure we bring in curriculum that’s relevant and help teachers make relevant connections.”

Kim, who has expertise in multicultural education, also argued that the district administration should improve how it incorporates teachers’ voices into decision-making.

“At the end of the day, teachers are the ones implementing these policies, so it’s important that they’re at the table and part of

the decision-making process,” she said.

But the district’s communication challenges, she added, extend beyond school buildings and into the wider community.

“There are a lot of people who feel like the district operates in a black box,” she said, arguing that the district should “go above and beyond to make sure people have access to the information they need.”

A supporter some of the measures brought up by other candidates, including the possibility of livestreaming or podcasting board meetings, she also want to evaluate whether the district is “using curriculum as well as we could.” But the board doesn’t necessarily need to bring in outside consultants to analyze the matter. Rather, she said, they should lean more on Oak Park’s rich supply of welleducated professionals.

Kim lamented that the district has no targeted outreach to Asian-American families, a demographic she said has been steadily growing in Oak Park over the last two decades. She also said the district hasn’t kept up with the needs of its growing AsianAmerican student population. “[My family has] been here since 2004 and

[the Asian-American population] has grown tremendously, but I feel like the district has not kept up in terms of what our needs are or how to deal with them,” she said. “I think people [in Oak Park] don’t think anti-Asian issues are really a thing.”

That dearth of attention has real consequences, particularly in how Asian-American students are represented in the district.

“One of the questions I’ve long had is how Asian biracial or multiracial students are getting counted,” she said. “In Oak Park, when people see biracial, they assume white and black, so Asians may get undercounted as a result of that.”

Kim said she supports the racial equity policy that the district recently approved, but cautioned it’s only a first step.

“If we pass really good policy without a plan for implementation, it’s a problem,” she said, noting that the district should be asking pointed questions about its progress, such as: “What does equity look like in D97? Is it decreasing the disciplinary disparity [between white and non-white students]? Is it increasing kids’ sense of belonging? Is it in-

Jung Kim creasing teacher retention?”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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15

Teacher pitches unique perspective in D200 bid Gina Harris, educator and union leader, says her voice is needed at the board table

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

An Oak Park teacher and leader within the country’s largest teachers union, is vying for a seat on the District 200 school board. Gina Harris said she was drawn into the race after realizing that “our students of color don’t feel like the school belongs to them.”

In 2016, Harris was elected one of seven directors who represent the 130,000 members of the Illinois Education Association — the statewide branch of the National Education Association.

Harris said her candidacy is shaped by her experience as a teacher, the fact that her own daughters once attended the high school, and her role as a member of the D200 Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee.

“I saw we were making progress with the committee, and I thought I should run to continue that progress,” said Harris, herself an Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate, during a recent interview.

“It seemed like a really good fit and really good timing because I’m a teacher and I

know there weren’t any other teachers on the board. That representation matters because the conversations we’ll have about implementing something are different when you have a teacher in the room.”

Harris, who teaches in nearby Maywood, is the only candidate for the D200 board to get endorsed by both Wednesday Journal and the OPRF Faculty Senate, which represents teachers at OPRF. The Oak Park Teachers Association, the union that represents teachers in District 97, announced their support of the Faculty Senate’s endorsements.

Harris said she has experience training educators in how institutionalized racism works.

“I’ve seen people shift their views,” she said. “When we trained the IEA’s board of directors in institutionalized racism, I had multiple people come to me and say the training has changed what they do. I know it’s possible.”

Harris said she hopes that the D200 school board can engage faculty and staff in similar training that is deep and

ongoing. Unfortunately, she said, OPRF isn’t quite where it needs to be with respect to implementing substantive professional development. Whatever training the high school has undergone so far, she said, has not seemed to translate into better experiences for the majority of students of color.

“When I came to the [Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee] meeting, I said, ‘I’m not sure what you’re doing, but I’m finding that it’s not effective.”

For starters, Harris said, her own daughter, who graduated from OPRF last year, experienced racism at the high school. Harris said she’s heartened by the progress the district has made in just a few years — including the pending decision to launch a pilot restorative justice program with a cohort of roughly two dozen faculty members and the hiring of a new HR coordinator who Harris said is focused on recruiting and retaining minority hires.

However, she hopes to see more.

“I would like to see us be a lot more aggressive with the restorative justice and equity work we’re doing,” she said,

Gina Harris while acknowledging that changing the environment at OPRF will take some time.

“Everyone is pushing for a big, quick fix, but this work doesn’t quick-fix,” Harris said. “For cultures to shift organizationally, it takes a couple of years for that to take place.”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Park district head has OPRF board on radar Victor Guarino said D200 should scale back Imagine and develop a long-term financial plan

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

The president of the Park District of Oak Park board has his sights set on a District 200 school board seat. Victor Guarino, a project manager at Argonne National Laboratory, said he’s running primarily for three reasons: racial equity, finances and facilities.

“I ran 10 years ago for the school board on a platform of equity and eliminating the achievement gap before it became a big issue,” Guarino said during a recent interview. I have a long history of working on that issue, starting with the Irving PTO back in 1999, when my oldest daughter entered kindergarten.”

Although he no longer has children in Oak Park schools, he still sees the equity gap as a problem for his eight nieces and nephews who will be entering OPRF in the months and years to come.

He was prompted to look at the achievement data after watching America to Me, the documentary about OPRF’s racial equity challenges, which aired last year on Starz.

“Looking at the numbers, I saw that the gap has actually gotten worse over the last 10 years,” he said.

Guarino believes the district “needs to have a strategic focus and clear-cut plan” about achieving equity, one that emphasizes ongoing professional development and regular data evaluation, among other qualities.

He praised the fact that the district will soon approve a racial equity policy, but “up until now [district officials have historically] been haphazard and inconsistent” in how they’ve implemented racial equity programs and procedures.

The park board president argued that the district also needs to approach how it funds and evaluates its facilities with similar rigor. Guarino has long been an advocate of a facility-sharing agreement between the park district and D200.

Even though talks had stalled due to the creation of the Imagine OPRF master facilities working group, which Guarino took part in, the D200 board and park district officials recently reignited discussions about the possibility of sharing a common recreational space.

Guarino said those talks won’t be hampered if he’s elected to the D200 school board. Meanwhile, the district could benefit from a long-term financial plan and a more substantial approach to evaluating the district’s facility needs.

Imagine, he added, “did its job” and did

“a fantastic job” assessing OPRF’s facility needs with no budget constraints.

“I’m concerned that the board is not taking the next step of any good planning process, which is defining a long-term financial plan,” he said. The full plan, which comprises many different construction projects that, when combined, could cost upwards of $200 million, “needs to be scaled back to fit within the budget.”

Unlike most board members and many community members, Guarino is deeply skeptical that the district can raise a substantial amount of private funds to help offset the costs of the facility’s upgrades, particularly upgrades to athletic facilities.

“I don’t think [going after private funding] is realistic,” he said, citing as an example the University of Illinois Chicago, which recently sold the naming rights to its UIC Pavilion for “just $9 million.”

“We’re kidding ourselves if we think we’ll sell naming rights for tens of millions of dollars,” Guarino said, arguing that a philanthropic campaign led by OPRF would likely end up competing against local nonprofits that rely more heavily on private funding to survive.

Instead, Guarino said, D200 needs “a long-term budget and finance plan for how

Victor Guarino we’ll pay for Imagine.” That could mean returning to previous facility plans that were shelved in years past or reconsidering some of the assumptions within Imagine, he said.

For instance, the district “doesn’t have to tear down the southern third of the building [where athletics is concentrated].

“I think we need to re-imagine Imagine,” he said.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

16

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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“ThomasGary Garyhas hasstrong strongexperience experienceinin “Thomas governmentboth bothelected electedand andon onstaff. staff. government “Thomas Gary has strong experience Thisgives gives him many insights worth in This him many insights worth “Thomas Gary has strong government both elected andexperience on hearing.His His nonprofit work andstaff. active in hearing. nonprofit work and active government elected and on staff.

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hearing. His nonprofit work and active special voice.”to work connection in Austin make a --Wednesday Journal, 3/20/2019 --Wednesday Journal, 3/20/2019 special voice.”

--Wednesday Journal, 3/20/2019

--Wednesday Journal, 3/20/2019

nd Punch 11 on on April April 22nd Punch nd Punch 1 on April 2 Thomas Gary for Village Trustee Thomas Gary for Village Trustee Friends, As your trustee, I will bring experience from the federal, state, and local levels of government to promote greater inclusion, innovation, and smart investment in our infrastructure.

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That is why I in aminfrastructure. running for commissions, and committees. community’s and supports deliberate investments understandingvalues and respect for the issues that are --Roberta Fruth, retired nursing Trustee, and I ask your important working familiesvote. and labor unions.”

Learnmore more at:to for executive Learn at: --Chicago Federation of Labor endorsement https://www.facebook.com/GaryWorksInProgress Oak Park deserves leaders who will be intentional about living up to our values, https://www.facebook.com/GaryWorksInProgress Learn more at: and ensure those values are reflected in our policies.

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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TOWER

Withdrawn from page 1 multi-family housing that contributes to the community’s unique character and economic growth,” Glazier said in the email. “We look forward to working on other potential opportunities in Oak Park and engaging with the community in the near future.”

Neither Glazier nor Golub principal Lee Golub could be immediately reached for comment.

Heidi Ruehle-May, executive director of the Unity Temple Restoration Foundation, said in a telephone interview that Golub representatives attempted to work with various stakeholders at Unity Temple to rework their proposal for the high-rise.

“It didn’t turn out the way they wanted, but the process went positively,” she said.

Ruehle-May said she hopes that any future proposal takes into consideration the safety and experience of those at Unity Temple and stays within the context and proportion of the neighborhood.

The proposed 299-foot building was controversial not just because of its proximity to Unity Temple but because of the shadow the statue would cast over the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy released a statement, following the announcement, noting that the tower would have cast a shadow over the sanctuary and adjacent Unity House.

“Not only did our serious concerns of how light, shadows and context would affect the integrity of the building and the experience within the space, but there is high probability that this or any development above the current underlying zoning would negatively affect the urban scale and historic streetscape of this block of Lake Street,” the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy statement noted.

The group recently nominated the building as a World Heritage site.

The announcement comes nearly four months after Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb and the board of trustees voiced their opposition to the project.

“I do not envision, nor do I support, a 28-story building on this site,” Abu-Taleb told Wednesday Journal in early December. “I have, therefore, asked Golub to revisit its plans and explore other options that would not place Oak Park’s tallest building in this location.”

Abu-Taleb said in a recent interview, “I wish we were able to find a way to say yes.”

He said the result of Golub walking away is a lost investment of $125 million in Oak Park “with zero tax-dollar subsidy.”

“We also lost the potential of creation of over 400 full-time construction jobs; we also lost the opportunity of welcoming 500 new residents to the village; and when we say no to such a development, we also have lost the potential of creating 25 units of affordable housing or $2.5 million in lieu of (in-building units),” he said. tim@oakpark.com

17

Rendering provided by Golub & Co.

TOO TALL: After widespread opposition to the proposal, Golub & Co. pulled its plans for a 28 story tower about half a block from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple.

18

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

PRINCIPAL

Duties redistributed from page 1 ecutive director of equity and student success.”

During a meeting on Feb. 28, the D200 board unanimously voted to approve the creation of an executive director of equity and student success — a position that comes with a salary range between $114,130 and $152,173, according to the job posting. The district is planning to fill the post before the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

At the time the position was approved, Pruitt-Adams said that person would be responsible “for ensuring that all of the work throughout the district supports our commitment to racial equity.”

As part of the new administrative restructuring, Pruitt-Adams said, Greg Johnson, the district’s current assistant superintendent, will be promoted to the role of associate superintendent.

“Some of his current duties will be reassigned because he will be assuming many of the responsibilities traditionally held by the principal,” D200 officials said in the statement. “Additionally, the titles of assistant principals are being changed to director positions, and these positions also will take on some of the principal responsibilities.”

In addition to Johnson’s new role, PruittAdams explained that she’s assigning each

Supt. Pruitt-Adams recently announced massive changes to her administration. of the goals contained in the district’s strategic plan, which the board revised in 2017, to a “specific administrator.” Previously, oversight of the goals had been “more diffuse,” with their implementation left up to various committees.

Nate Rouse announced on March 19 that he plans on leaving his position by June 30 in order to take a school program director position. He didn’t give any more details about the new job beyond that information.

“This structure is, admittedly, somewhat unconventional,” said Pruitt-Adams, who shared the proposed restructuring at an all-staff meeting on Wednesday. “But OPRF

is not a conventional district. This is a forward-thinking structure that will allow us to transform the way we do teaching and learning in this school.”

During last week’s board meeting, Johnson conceded “there’s anxiety, no doubt,” related to the administrative changes, “but we’re up to the task.”

Some D200 board members, such as Tom Cofsky, expressed concern that the changes would create even more distance between teachers and top administrators.

“The number of layers to get from the front-line worker to the top in the structure — for the majority of our front-line work force, it’s increased a layer,” Cofsky said.

“Any concerns with that?”

Pruitt-Adams said that, in practice, there will be no additional bureaucratic layering “if we continue as we have now,” adding that she has an “open-door policy and I don’t see that changing.”

She conceded that a common question asked by students and staff related to the changes is “Who will be the face of the district” when Rouse leaves.

“We have to take that question very seriously,” the superintendent said. “That’s why we need to get all the feedback we can.”

The superintendent said the administrative changes will help break down barriers between the administration and the school building. She added that the district is currently developing an FAQ about the changes for students, staff, parents and community members.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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Join these community members who are endorsing

Susan Buchanan, MD for Village of Oak Park Trustee Ann and Gene Armstrong Marcia and Rick Ashton Jim Babcock Michelle Barnes, MD Lynn Barrier Tom Bassett-Dilley Leah and Paul Beckwith Barbara Brotman Steve Brown Judy Carter, MD Laurie Casey Cathy and Gary Cerniglia Karen Christopher Pauline M. Coffman Allison Cowett, MD Brian Crawford Brit Creelman Gary Cuneen Robert Cullen, MD Mary Puccio Cullen Christopher Damon The Reverend Stan and Christine Davis Joan Davis and David Jacobs Tom and Carolyn Decoursey Trudy and Mike Doyle Jane Driscoll Jackie Eckholm Craig Endicott and Hugh Halverstadt Victoria Engelhardt Kristina Entner Marge Epstein and Colette Lueck Linda Forst, MD Lucy Fox, MD Leslie Fulton Marge and Barry Greenwald Ma Janet Guevara

Janet and Bob Haisman Jon Hale Michele Haptonstahl Harriet Hawkins Jenna Holzberg Marsha and John Hubbuch Norma and Lewis Jenkins Laurie Jolicoeur Hector Jose Lynn Kamenitsa Dave Kay James Kay James Kelly and Bruce Broerman Julia Knier Mary Rose Lambke Megan and Justin Lewis Janet Larson and Maryanne Meyer Lois Thiessen Love Peggy McGrath Debbie Mercer Barbara and Jeb Metric The Reverend Charles D. Morris Beth and Steve Mrkvicka Jill Niewoehner Sherry Nordstrom, MD Hannah and Jim O’Connor Teri Omert Julie O’Shea Diana Ostreko Marilyn Palmer Allen and Georga Parchem Marge Patner Kathy Pederson Bill and Jean Peterman Jim Peterson Rick and Kelly Pollock

C R I M E

Oak Parker carjacked at gunpoint on S. Humphrey Lynn Raducha Naa Marteki Reed Nina Ricci Gina Lee Robbins Meg Ross Trish Ryan Joanna Skubish Sara Spivey Sher Watts Spooner Deborah Stracco Peter and Audrey Todd Matthew Udelson Warren Udelson John and Lucinda Vriner Joannie Wei and Michael Czerniawski Jeff Weissglass Cassandra West Lisa Wilkinson David Wilson Michele and Tom Wolford Brad and Michele Wolter Doug Wyman Kathy Wyman Charlie Yingling Caitlin Zinsser

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An Oak Park resident was carjacked at gunpoint in the 600 block of South Humphrey at 6:18 a.m. on March 24.

A man in his 20s exited a white SUV with a broken rear window, opened the door to the victim’s blue 2018 Kia Forte, displayed a firearm and demanded the victim’s property.

The victim exited the vehicle and the offender entered and drove off along with the SUV. The estimated loss is $20,000.

Aggravated discharge of firearm A man in his 20s fired a bullet into an oncoming vehicle in the 700 block of North Harlem at 11:40 p.m. on March 23.

The offender was in the front passenger seat of a dark blue compact vehicle, possibly a Kia, when he fired the gun into the victim’s silver 2007 Nissan sedan, which was driving northbound on Harlem.

The victim apparently was not struck by the gunfire. The loss due to damage is unknown.

Burglary ■ A 2015 blue Hyundai Accent was burglarized in the 100 block of South Harvey, sometime between 11:30 p.m. on March 20 and 9:10 a.m. on March 21. The offender gained entry through unknown means, ransacked the interior and took a silver Macbook Pro. The estimated loss is $1,599.

■ A residential garage was burglarized by two men in the 1200 block of North Ridgeland at 11:15 a.m. on March 20. The offenders entered through an open overhead garage door and took an orange and gray Stihl hedge trimmer. The two fled in an older black Jeep Grand Cherokee. The estimated loss is $35.

■ A residential garage was burglarized in the 200 block of North Elmwood, sometime between 2 p.m. on March 19 and 7:36 p.m. on March 21. The offender entered by unknown

means and stole a set of black Porsche rims with tires and a set of silver BMW rims with tires.

Theft ■ Someone stole a white 2006 Infinity FX35 that was parked on the street in the 900 block of North Humphrey, sometime between 4 p.m. on March 19 and 9 a.m. on March 20.

The victim was identified as a resident of Portage, Indiana.

■ A 49-year-old Oak Park man was arrested for a theft that took place on Sept. 15, 2018, in the 6300 block of North Avenue. Brumfield was taken into custody in the 100 block of Madison Street at 10:05 a.m. on March 20.

No other details regarding the theft were included in the police summary.

■ A gray 2013 Toyota Camry that was stolen out of Oak Park on March 16 from the 1000 block of South Humphrey, was recovered by Chicago police in the 5500 block of West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, at 3:44 p.m. on March 20. No apprehensions were made.

■ A 2000 Honda Civic that was stolen from the 500 block of South Scoville on March 15 was recovered by Chicago police in the 600 block of North Homan, Chicago, at 2:07 p.m. on March 18. No apprehensions were made.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports, March 18-25, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Timothy Inklebarger

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Tickets $20 Ages 17 and under: $10 Call 708-366-9000 or go to www.wsthz.org

22

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O N S O R E D

OLD WORLD PIZZA

7230 W. NORTH AVENUE (708) 456-3000 OriginalOldWorldPizza.com

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Courtesy Old World Pizza

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C O N T E N T

U

pon entering The Original Old World Pizza (7230 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park) a simple message scrolled on a wooden sign greets customers declaring, “This place never runs out of pizza. Can I get you one?”

And they've been filling orders at this counter service establishment since 1963.

Shop manager, Jen Wolski, has been greeting customers by name at Old World Pizza for more than five years. She atFood Writer tributes her loyal pizza enthusiasts to the consistent flavor of Old World Pizza, a personal touch and quick and reliable delivery.

"I know most of my customers by name," says Wolski matter-of-factly, "and they all love that our pizza recipe has been passed down through generations."

The bare-bones establishment, focused primarily on delivery and carry-out orders,

MELISSA ELSMO

Call 708-613-3329 to advertise.

has been serving up awardwinning pizza from the same 56 year old recipe since opening.

Old World Pizza has also had the same cook in the kitchen for more than twenty years.

Head pizza cook, Amadeo Montalvo, has been ensuring Old World pizzas, whether thin crust or deep dish, are made of fresh ingredients yielding top quality pies. Everything Montalvo uses Continued on page 23

Courtesy Old World Pizza

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Spring Fling Photo by Photo by Melissa Elsmo

Amadeo Montalvo slices up pizza at Old World Pizza in Elmwood Park.

Continued from page 22 in the kitchen, from the four tomato sauces used in their array of recipes to their signature crust, is made from scratch on-site.

Even the meatballs used in Old World Pizza's gourmet pasta dishes are made by hand.

"Our chicken parmesan is also really special;" says Wolski, "it tastes like Grandma has been in the kitchen cooking for you!"

Old World Pizza is an Elmwood Park mainstay and they've built a successful business on a foundation of loyal customers, but offer several daily specials to attract new patrons.

Check 'em out and become a part of pizza history in Elmwood Park!

Early Bird Special Tues thru Friday 4-6pm

Old World Pizza Daily Specials ■ Monday: X-large thin crust cheese pizza for $11.99 ■ Two for Tuesday: Two medium Thin Crust Pizzas with 1 Topping each for $20.99 ■ Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan with a side of pasta and fresh bread for $6.99 ■ Thick Crust Thursday: Large 1 topping pan pizza for $14.99 or homemade lasagna or mostaccioli for $7.05.

■ Call 708.456.3000 to place an order.

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23

24

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

NEED TO REACH US?

oakpark.com/real-estate email: buphues@wjinc.com

25

Homes

New Moms ready to open its doors in Oak Park Nonprofit provides homes and opportunities for homeless mothers

By LACEY SIKORA

L

Contributing Reporter

ess than a year after breaking ground in April 2018, the Oak Park location for local non-profit New Moms is complete.

On time and on budget are not usually phrases that come to mind when talking about large-scale construction projects, but New Moms President and CEO Laura Zumdahl says this project was remarkable from start to finish.

She credits a hardworking team who worked well together to provide a home for 18 families, as well as office space for sup-

port services for New Moms programming.

Zumdahl acknowledges that getting to the ground-breaking last spring took almost a year of preparation from coming up with to finding the site and funding, and says New Moms began that process in early 2017.

“We wanted to expand our housing component from what we offered at our Chicago location,” Zumdahl said. “The need in the community is huge.”

New Moms was founded in 1983 and is dedicated to supporting life transformation for young mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness. New Moms See NEW MOMS on page 27

PHOTOS BY ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

READY: New Moms President Laura Zumdahl (far left) was joined by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, state Sen. Don Harmon and Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb at a ribbon-cutting from the organization’s new Oak Park facility on Chicago Avenue on March 15.

26

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

1202 William St., River Forest

538 Monroe Ave, River Forest

$1,245,000

$650,000

Spectacular French Provincial is in the heart of beautiful central River Forest. Every bedroom with its own luxurious bath!

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949 N Taylor Ave, Oak Park

226 S Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park

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Fantastic Craftsman Bungalow with so much space and charm!

Amazing Greystone is an elegant and beautiful single-family home in the heart of downtown Oak Park.

OPEN HOUSE | Sunday 3/31 | 11am–1pm

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15 Thatcher Ave, River Forest $550,000 Beautifully renovated River Forest ranch is a MUST SEE!

Steve Scheuring is a real estate agent affiliated with Compass Real Estate. Compass Real Estate is a licensed real estate broker and abides by federal, state and local equal housing opportunity laws.

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

27

NEW MOMS 18 units

from page 25 works with young mothers to find a path to employment and to provide the tools young mothers need to learn and develop strong parenting skills, helping to break the poverty cycle for two generations.

The Chicago-based location of New Moms, which opened in 2013, provides 40 units of housing for up to 40 moms and up to 50 children at a time. Called the Transformation Center, it provides a two-year transitional housing program for homeless adolescent mothers ages 18 to 24.

The Oak Park location, at 206 Chicago Ave., while smaller with 18 apartments, will offer permanent supportive housing; there is no time limit on the amount of time residents can stay.

The four-story building has six apartments on each of the three top floors. Units range LAURA ZUMDAHL from one to two bedNew Moms president and CEO rooms, and come furnished as the majority of residents come to New Moms experiencing homelessness. From a table and chairs in the eating area to beds and cribs, the apartments are set up to create a warm feeling of home.

“When people think about affordable housing, they don’t thing about quality,” Zumdahl said. “The finishes should be nice and should last and be durable. We believe in housing with dignity. Everyone deserves that. The aim was to not look institutional.

It really looks like a home.”

“When people think about affordable housing, they don’t thing about quality.”

PHOTOS BY ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

A LOOK INSIDE: After cutting the paper chain to christen the new facility, guests toured the New Moms building, which will house 18 moms and their children. There is no limit on the amount of time residents can stay.

While the aim of the project was to add much needed housing stock for the population of young moms in need, Zumdahl says an added bonus was the ability to add more office space. Since acquiring Oak Parkbased parent support organization Parenthesis in 2016, New Moms quickly outgrew the office space and meeting space available in Oak Park.

“The staff serves Chicago and eight communities in the near west suburbs. The

suburban team was growing and we needed more space,” Zumdahl said.

She said that donations helped make the office and support space a reality. Now, the first floor opens with a welcoming lobby that includes space to display wares from Bright Endeavors, the social enterprise candle company that provides job training skills to young mothers.

There is a multi-purpose meeting room for support groups, parenting education

workshops and morning meetups. Zumdahl states that two of New Moms’ substantial programs, the doula program and the parental home visit program, can also utilize the site as needed.

A bright and colorful playroom houses childcare for workshops and support groups.

In April, a playground will be installed in the backyard.

See NEW MOMS on page 29

28

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEN SUN 122

OPEN SUN 122

1147 FOREST AVE, RIVER FOREST

1227 JACKSON AVE, RIVER FOREST

1434 JACKSON AVE, RIVER FOREST

234 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

1224 N KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

6 br, 4.1 ba $1,400,000

4 br, 3.1 ba $1,075,000

5 br, 3.1 ba $899,000

5 br, 2.1 ba $799,000

4 br, 3.1 ba $625,000

Pauline Sharpe 708.848.5550

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Kelly Fondow 708.848.5550

Cara Carriveau (Busch) 708.848.5550

NEW LISTING

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818 N RIDGELAND AVE, OAK PARK

612 THOMAS AVE, FOREST PARK

325 N GROVE AVE, OAK PARK

1021 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

1024 PLEASANT ST 6, OAK PARK

4 br, 3 ba $519,000

4 br, 2.1 ba $509,000

5 br, 1.1 ba $495,000

3 br, 2 ba $479,900

3 br, 2 ba $475,000

Dale Anderson 708.848.5550

Dorothy Gillian 708.848.5550

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Victoria Witt 708.848.5550

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1116 HAYES AVE, OAK PARK

300 N MAPLE AVE 16, OAK PARK

1230 N EUCLID AVE, OAK PARK

934 THOMAS AVE, FOREST PARK

1170 S HUMPHREY AVE, OAK PARK

5 br, 2 ba $475,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $450,000

3 br, 1.1 ba $429,900

4 br, 2 ba $418,000

4 br, 2 ba $399,000

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Susan Abbott 708.848.5550

Robert Hann 708.848.5550

NEW LISTING

NEW PRICE

NEW LISTING

812 FERDINAND AVE, FOREST PARK

1135 SCHNEIDER AVE 2A, OAK PARK

302 N OAK PARK AVE 3, OAK PARK

1118 N HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK

1120 HARRISON ST 5, OAK PARK

4 br, 2 ba $339,900

2 br, 2 ba $280,000

3 br, 2 ba $279,900

2 br, 1 ba $260,000

1 br, 1 ba $109,000

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Janet Rouse 708.848.5550

Trevor Good 708.848.5550

Michael Dmyterko 708.848.5550

|

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

29

NEW LISTING

LUXURY 510 KEYSTONE, RIVER FOREST $1,395,000 :: 7+ BED :: 7.5 BATH

1122 FOREST AVE, RIVER FOREST $1,299,000 :: 6 BED :: 5.5 BATH

Gourmet kitchen opens to family room.

Attached 3 car garage. Walk to train.

Gorgeous kitchen/family room beautiful 1/2 acre lot.

NEW PRICE

UNDER CONTRACT

132 S GROVE, OAK PARK $519,000 :: 3 BED :: 3 BATH

1024 SUPERIOR, OAK PARK $739,000 :: 4 BED :: 2.5 BATH

7310 HOLLY , RIVER FOREST $985,000 :: 6 BED :: 5.5+ BATH

NEW PRICE

Beautiful kitchen & baths. In the heart of Oak Park, walk to everything.

Classic Victorian in the heart of Oak Park.

Great newer family home in awesome location. Walk to everything!

KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com

PHOTOS BY ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

ON A MISSION: New Moms Chief Program Officer Melanie Garrett (top, right) talks with a guest touring one of the 18 affordable apartments at New Moms in Oak Park, which provides housing for new mothers experiencing homelessness.

NEW MOMS from page 27 While providing housing was key, Zumdahl says that many other young mothers will receive support in the new facility.

“Certainly not all the families we work with live in our buildings,” she said.

New Moms worked with McBride Kelley Baurer Architects to design the building and with McShane Construction Company as general contractors. Local design duo, Kim Daunis and Natalie Papier of Home Ec, consulted on the design choices.

“We ended up with an all-female team from architect to project manager for the construction company,” Zumdahl said. “We’re a female-led organization. It was pretty power-

ful to have an organization aimed at helping women guided by the skills of these wonderful women.”

New Moms Oak Park was made possible with donations and partnerships with the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, the James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation and many others who donated to ensure that more families could find housing and access to high quality family support services.

The organization held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, March 15 and will hold a community open house on Saturday, April 6. Zumdahl expects to welcome the first residents later this spring.

“We are anxious to get those families moving in,” Zumdahl said. “We’re excited to bring life to this stretch of Chicago Avenue.”

Road Trip on the Horizon?

Let us know we’ll hold your paper!

Email: circulation@oakpark.com

30

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

COLDWELL BANKER Oak Park | 6/5 | $1,595,000 422 Forest Avenue

River Forest | 6/6 | $1,449,000 823 Jackson Avenue

River Forest | 6/5 | $1,199,500 632 Lathrop Avenue

Oak Park | 5/4 | $899,000 423 N Kenilworth Avenue

Oak Park | 6/5 | $875,000 415 Forest Avenue

Updated & stylish 6 br, 4.5 ba home.

Architecturally significant!

Stunning 6 br, 5.5 ba home w/gracious floor plan. Sun rm. Lush yard.

Beaut 6 br, 4.5 ba Victorian. New floors thruout. Spa-like master ba.

5 br, 3.5 ba home w/fabulous historical details. Near schools, shops.

6 br, 4.5 ba home in heart of the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic Dist.

Beautifully renovated 3 br, 2+ ba TH in the heart of town! 2-car gar.

Monica Klinke 708.612.3031

Kirstin Gloor 708.351.8977

John Haagenson 773.230.6995

Stephanie Eiger 708.557.0779

Monica Klinke 708.612.3031

Michelle Miller 708.334.5833

Oak Park | 3/2 | $525,000 819 Linden Avenue

Riverside | 4/3 | $499,000 20 S Cowley Road

River Forest | 3/4 | $489,000 12 Park Avenue

Oak Park | 5/2 | $399,900 1153 Clarence Ave

Oak Park | 3/4 | $365,000 601 South Boulevard F

Elmwood Park | 3/2 | $349,000 1629 N 77th Court

3 br, 1.5 ba home w/huge yard.

Remod ba. Orig hdwd flrs.

4 br, 3 ba 2-story home in historic Riverside. Priv yard. 2-car gar.

Spacious 3 br, 2+ ba end unit TH w/ an innovative & modern design.

Well-maintained 5 br, 2 ba home w/ updated electric & new paint.

Sunny 3 br, 3.5 ba end-unit TH. Fresh paint, refin hdwd flrs, patio.

3 br, 1.5 ba 2-story brick home in River Forest Manor. 2.5-car gar.

Michelle Miller 708.334.5833

Sheila Gentile 708.352.4840

Lisa Andreoli 708.524.1100

Deborah Wess 708.212.1122

Deborah Wess 708.212.1122

Anne DuBray 847.657.3747

Berwyn | 4/2 | $340,000 3523 Highland Avenue

Oak Park | 3/2 | $325,000 1046 N Austin Boulevard

Berwyn | 3/2 | $311,000 6953 Riverside Drive

Westchester | 3/2 | $269,900 1540 Manchester Avenue

Berwyn | 2/1 | $139,900 1503 Elmwood Avenue

Oak Park | 1/1 | $115,000 1118 Harrison Street 3

South Berwyn 4 br, 2 ba tri-level near schools & transportation!

Rehabbed 3 br, 1.5 ba brick Georgian. Fresh paint. Bsmt w/high ceil.

3 br, 2 ba all-brick bungalow w/vintage charm in Gold Coast of Berwyn.

Beautifully updated 3 br, 1.5 ba Georgian with an all-brick addition.

2 br brick home w/full basement has loads of potential! New roof.

Top-floor corner unit w/lots of space, lots of sun and lots of extras.

Celine Heraty 708.352.4840

Stephanie Eiger 708.557.0779

Manuela Papazisi 773.576.2381

Julie White 708.352.4840

Andrea Bonnie Routen 708.544.8440

Sue Canepa 708.524.1100

Oak Park | 6/7 | $1,650,000 509 N Oak Park Avenue

Elmwood Park | 3/2 | $419,900 7960 W Country Club Lane

Riverside | 3/3 | $369,000 523 Longcommon Road

Westchester | 3/2 | $229,000 1414 Gardner Road

River Forest | 2/2 | $144,900 1531 William Street 2W

Elmwood Park | 2/1 | $144,900 2128 N Harlem Avenue 2W

Prestigious 6 br, 5+ ba designed by H.G. Fiddelke! 170x237 lot.

2,463 sq ft brick & cedar home on corner lot! 3 br, 1.5 ba. Loft area.

Nice 3 br, 2.5 ba brick home w/hdwd flrs throughout & att 2-car gar.

3 br, 1.5 ba w/so much character!

Updated kit. 2-car garage.

2 br, 1.5 ba 2nd flr corner unit overlooking courtyard. Great street!

Nice, bright & spacious 2 br condo located on the 2nd floor. Balcony.

Jennifer Vande Lune 312.593.8707

John Bowler 773.718.3701

Sheila Gentile 708.352.4840

Jen Cavanaugh 630.954.4600

John Nugent 708.424.4000

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE? CALL ME TODAY.

Lewis R. Jones, Managing Broker Oak Park Office (Formerly Gloor Realty) 708.524.1100 | lewis.jones@cbexchange.com

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Any affiliation by you with the Company is intended to be that of an independent contractor sales associate, not an employee. Š2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Oak Park | 3/4 | $575,000 225 N Kenilworth Avenue F

The Mika Real Estate Team 773.641.6122

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest Donna Barnhisel Cibula 7375 West North AvenueJoe Dan Bogojevich Don Citrano MANAGING Anne Brennan Alisa River Forest, Illinois 60305 Coghill BROKER/OWNERS Karen Byrne Kay Costello 708.771.8040 Kevin Calkins JoLyn Crawford Andy Gagliardo Tom Carraher Pat Cesario

Tom Poulos

1435 WILLIAM • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

Maria Cullerton Julie Downey

Kurt Fielder Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox Laura Gancer Chris Garvey Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin

727 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 1:30-3:30

Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Sherree Krisco Jack Lattner Charlotte Messina

Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney Colleen Navigato John Pappas Sue Ponzio-Pappas Rosa Pitassi Caroline Rauch

Michael Roche Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

627 BELLEFORT • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 1:30-3

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

1140 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

NE W LISTI NG!

P R IC E R E DU C E D!

BEAUTIFUL, BRIGHT, METICULOUSLYMAINTAINED north RF home on a generous lot. Rich hardwood floors, crisp white molding, wood burning fireplace, French doors, expansive yard.

Lower level has newly finished rec room and tons of storage. Rare attached garage!! ..............................................................$650,000

438 LENOX • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

EXCEPTIONAL RENOVATION in the heart of RF presents unparalleled quality and design. The quality construction continues into the rehab where not a detail has been missed throughout this thoughtfully proportioned home with 6 BRs and 5 full and 1 half bath. ............................................................................... $1,695,000

CLASSIC QUEEN ANNE HOME with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths includes LR with gas FP and attached Sun room. 1st FL family room, updated kitchen with attached breakfast room. Great closet space. Finished rec room in basement. Custom deck. Great house for entertaining! ......................................................$519,000

ADDITIONAL OPEN HOUSE • SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 2019

OAK PARK

SETTING A NEW STANDARD in approachable elegance, this five bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home will exceed your expectations with wide plank hardwood floors, striking lighting and custom millwork throughout. One of a kind floor plan, and three fully finished levels. ...............................................................$1,200,000

106 ROCKFORD • FOREST PARK OPEN SUNDAY 1-3

638 N. KENILWORTH OPEN SUNDAY 13

UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home! .......$1,545,000

CLASSIC NORTH OP HOME with impeccable curb appeal. Three bedroom, one and a half bath home includes a wood burning fireplace, stained glass, family room, eat in kitchen, ample closet space, expansive deck overlooking a beautiful yard. Discover the best of Oak Park! ...............................................................$469,000

RIVER FOREST HOMES STATELY BRICK/STONE ENGLISHSTYLE HOME with 6 bedrooms and 7-1/2 baths. Features include a formal living room with limestone wood burning fireplace, dream kitchen, sun-soaked breakfast room, Smart Home ready, white oak floors, mud room, 10 ft ceilings. ......................................................$2,490,000 BUURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. ......................................................$2,399,000 BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC HOME offers everything for today’s modern living.

Custom-built home has the highest quality finishes. No detail was missed.

Brick and stone exterior, wrap around porch, eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows. LL has 2,000 feet of living area. .............................................$1,595,000 SPECTACULAR HOME offers modern/elegant architectural design, tasteful decor and impeccable attention to detail throughout, featuring 4 bedrooms and 5 full baths. Music room, private office, butler’s pantry, family room. Full basement w/wet bar, game room and rec room. ................................$1,550,000 BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN VILLA combines wonderful upgrades and finishes in a comfortable family home. New kitchen and four full floors of elegant living. All the rooms are spacious and sunny. Situated on a large corner lot in a quiet area but close enough to walk to the train! ....................................................$1,375,000

LOVINGLY MAINTAINED AND UPDATED, move-in ready, 6 BR, 3-1/2 BA Burma Brothers Home. Tall ceilings, original woodwork, oak floors, art glass, wood burning frpl, fam room/sun porch, den/lib with built-in bookshelves, mudroom. Fenced yard, 2 car gar & 2 add’l spaces. ............................$1,250,000 THIS LOVELY HOME, found in premier RF location, offers wonderful space for family and entertaining, along with 2 fireplaces and hardwood floors. This elegant home is beautifully constructed and large enough to accommodate family and friends for years to come. ......................................................$1,225,000 PRICE REDUCED! SETTING A NEW STANDARD in approachable elegance, this five bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home will exceed your expectations with wide plank hardwood floors, striking lighting and custom millwork throughout. One of a kind floor plan, and three fully finished levels. $1,200,000 HISTORIC PRAIRIE is believed to have been built around 1891 and remodeled by William Drummond in 1916. It has all of the classic features: Incredible natural woodwork and phenomenal art glass windows. Elaborate pool and pool house in back yard. Too much to list. A Must See!! ............................... $1,199,000 STATELY LANNON STONE GEORGIAN is move in ready with five large BRs, and three full BAs. Large room sizes, remodeled gourmet kitchen, family room, three fireplaces , full finished basement, walk up third floor storage with 10 foot ceiling. Slate roof. Attd 2 car garage........................................................$1,095,000 THE ONE YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR! Everything you want…pristine hardwood floors, wood trim throughout, expansive windows, custom kitchen, family room, expansive master suite, third floor with many options, redone basement. This house will not disappoint!................................................$989,000 LOVELY BRICK GEORGIAN with elegance, modern day conveniences, and space. Features include hardwood floors, 3 fireplaces, family room, doublesided fireplace, sunroom with heated floors, beautifully paved patio. Lower Level rec room w fireplace and heated floors. ....................................................$875,000 UNIQUE QUALITY BUURMA BUILT HOME with 5 bedrooms and 3 full, 2 half baths. House has many wonderful features; 2 separate office areas, hardwood floors, kitchen with all newer appliances, adjoining eating area-family room. Finished basement. Three car garage.............................................$845,000 MOVEIN READY home within walking distance to train and schools with everything you need and want. Wood burning fireplace, library, extra large designer eat in kitchen, family room, 3 bedrooms, two full baths, living space in basement, brick paver patio, 2 car garage. ...............................................$720,000

GREAT LOCATION & EASY LIVING in this single family Tri-level home on a quiet Cul-De-Sac street. Great flow for entertaining, complete with family room.

MBR has an en-suite European bath. Finished lower level has a 1/2 bath, study and exercise room. Growth to make it your own. ....................................$585,000 PRICE REDUCED! VINTAGE CHARMER on tree lined cobblestone street.

Warm, inviting home with lots of potential! Living room is centered with a cozy fireplace, separate dining room, bright kitchen and spacious family room. 2nd floor has 3 BRs and 1 full BA. Large deck overlooking backyard. ..........$475,000

OAK PARK HOMES HANDSOME PRAIRIEINFLUENCED HOME, evident in gorgeous original wood and beautiful art glass windows throughout. Beautiful entryway, classic wood mantle, French doors, built- ins. Charming coach house. Special home much loved by same family for two generations..........................$899,000 BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONAL BRICK HOME with four large bedrooms and two and a half baths offers a wood burning fireplace, high ceilings, leaded glass windows and beautiful architectural details. The sun room has French doors leading to a paved patio. A must see property! ....................................... $749,500 MOVE FAST! Lovely 4 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath Tudor home with beautiful original woodwork, windows with built –in screens, wood burning stone fireplace, built-in shelving, family room with surround sound system. Two car garage w/2 extra spaces. Meticulously maintained! ...................................................$669,000 CENTEROFTOWN VICTORIAN with high ceilings, four spacious levels of living in beautiful Oak Park. This 5 BR, 3-12 BA home offers a formal entry, wood burning FP, sun room, family room, eat-in kitchen. Great flow, tons of natural light & storage throughout this beauty! ....................................................$639,000 MOVEIN READY with space for everyone! Enjoy the well thought out design of this 5 BR, 4 bath home! 1st FL includes open floor plan, kitchen/family room combo, BR, full bath. 2nd FL features 4 BRs, 2 full baths, laundry. Finished basement with additional BR and 4th full BA. .................................................$584,900 WELLMAINTAINED 1894 FARMHOUSE that is ready to move in to. 4 BRs, 2 full BAs. First floor features a LR/DR combo, kitchen with Island and a full bath. Basement is semi finished with laundry rm, TV area. Hardwood floors. Cen Air. New back porch. Great street in NW OP. .............................................$479,000

AWARDWINNING RENOVATION of this impressive 4 bedroom, 3 full bath luxury home! Large open floor plan, designer kitchen, mud room with built-ins, huge pantry, finished basement rec room, loads of storage and three separate porches.

Architect designed landscaping. .....................................$629,000

FOREST PARK HOMES

ENJOY LUXURY LIVING in this masterfully renovated home on an extra wide lot. Gutted down to the studs, this Impressive open concept home features wood floors, natural light and high-style designer finishes. 1st FL office, finished LL family room and easy access to a large deck. .....................................$449,000 RARE BRICK FOURSQUARE HOME in a much sought after area. Features include 4 bedrooms, 2 full and 2 half baths, large foyer, hardwood floors, recently remodeled kitchen with attached family room, loft storage space in garage, small deck with private fenced yard. ..........................................$429,000 A GREAT HOME for your finishing touches to make it your own! Sunny LR with bay window. Separate dining area with attached family room leading out to deck. Stainless steel kitchen. 2nd floor has 2 BRs and full BA. Two and a half car garage and parking on side apron. ......................................................$245,000

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS

RIVER FOREST Duplex ............................................................................$419,000 RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Top floor, corner unit. ................................$250,000 RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. Newly updated. .......................................... $114,500 NEW LISTING OAK PARK 2BR, 2BA.................................................$224,900 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Vintage bldg, natural light. ................................$218,000 FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA. Neat, tidy unit. ................................................$95,000 Contact a Gagliardo Realty Associates

The Spring Market is Here! Agent for a free market analysis

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

In The Village, Realtors®

Oak Park • $579,900 3BR, 3.1BA Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $499,000 5BR, 3BA Call Joe x117

Oak Park • $449,000 3BR, 1.1BA Call Elissa x192

Oak Park • $449,000 3BR, 2.1BA Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $440,000 4BR, 1.1BA Call Elissa x192

Home of the Week

ReMax in the Village is proud to introduce its newest broker, Kari Chronopoulos.

Kari brings her wide smile and delightful presence to our Oak Park office along with over 20 years of professional customer service experience from varied industries. Kari’s dedication to exceptional client care is her driving force and measure of success in all she does. The proud mother of a seven-year-old 2nd grader at Willard Elementary in River Forest, Kari says the best move she ever made was to Oak Park in 2005 where she found a beautiful home overlooking Mills Park. Her roots have grown deep since then in our dynamic community.

Kari is deeply committed to guiding her clients through the buying and selling process with grace and gumption, carefully tending to their needs and desires, and nurturing relationships built on the common core values of this community.

If you wish to contact Kari about your real estate needs, she looks forward to hearing from you at 323-304-5274 or kchronopoulos@remax.net.

Harry Walsh, Managing Broker

Mike Becker

Roz Byrne

Tom Byrne

Joe Langley

Jane McClelland

Keri Meacham

Mary Murphy

1635 N 78th Ave Open Sun 12-2 pm Elmwood Park • $420,000 4BR, 2.1BA Call Roz x112

Laurie Christofano

Marion Digre

Elissa Palermo

Kyra Pych

Morgan Digre

Linda Rooney

Ed Goodwin

Kris Sagan

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

33

No. 1 Oak Park Office in 2018!

4BR, Porch & Hammock Trees

837 N Kenilworth | Oak Park $735,000

Lakebreeze

Quiet

street

Cool & shady

Big Yard

1435 Clinton Pl | River Forest $779,000

1018 Baldwin Ln | Oak Park $459,900

Kara Keller

Maya Puentes

Victoria Atkins

1848 Maple Ave | Berwyn $259,000

711 N Taylor Ave | Oak Park $489,000

1621 N 74th | Elmwood Park $324,900

822 Forest Ave | River Forest $465,000

1032 Superior St | Oak Park $534,000

(We get you.)

And your Baird & Warner Oak Park agent knows the home that’s just right.

Roomfor firepit

1015 S Elmwood | Oak Park $415,000

Sandra Dita Lopez

Vanessa Willey

Swati Saxena

2346 S 1st| North Riverside $259,900

738 N Marion St | Oak Park $729,000

721 Ontario #106 | Oak Park $495,000

Patricia McGowan

Arrick Pelton

Near bikelanes

Moe Pacheco

Catherine Simon-Vobornik

1037 Chicago Ave. Oak Park, IL | 708.697.5900

Bethanny Alexander

Lois Bonaccorsi

Source: BrokerMetrics® Detached and Attached only. 1/1/2018 - 12/ 31/2018

GET TO KNOW US BETTER IN 2019!

LEAD . LEARN . PROMOTE

Look for these icons to guide you through our Chamber. All are invited.

No time?

Do one thing this week to help your business.

Info & direction about Chamber & community resources.

Info about opportunities to grow your business & participate in professional development.

Info & activity about affinity groups to get involved with.

learn more at oprfchamber.org

News & activity in the districts around the Village.

Learn about most relevant biz news & be in the "conversations that matter most."

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Sunday, March 31, 2019 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

921 Lathrop Ave, Forest Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $250,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1519 cuyler Ave, Berwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $269,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:30-1:30 1188 Home Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $349,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2 638 N. Taylor Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $384,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1043 Clarence Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $399,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1635 N. 78th Ave, Elmwood Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $420,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

438 Lenox St, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $469,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1116 Hayes Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $475,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1217 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $485,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 711 N. Taylor Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $489,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:15-4 627 Belleforte Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $519,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3 842 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $537,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 842 N. Elmwood Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $537,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1 106 Rockford Ave, Forest Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $639,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3:30 1435 William St, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $650,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 325 S. Scoville Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $799,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4 1434 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. . . . . $899,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1140 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,200,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1147 Forest Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . $1,400,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 638 N. Kenilworth Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,545,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 727 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,695,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3:30

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

CONDOS

415 S. Ridgeland Ave. UNIT 2, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $243,500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 395 N. Delaplaine Rd. UNIT 1W, Riverside. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $245,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 302 N. Oak Park Ave. UNIT 3, Oak Park . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $279,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 110 S. Marion St. UNIT 308, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 174 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $669,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3

TOWNHOMES

34

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1 15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

This Directory brought to you by mrgloans.com

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

35

3.9.19 Apartment living with congregate services

114 South Humphrey Oak Park, IL 60302

T

Saturday, March 9, 2019 // 5:00 p.m.

39TH ANNUAL TRUSTEE BENEFIT CONCERT & GALA Concert tickets starting at $48

Under the Streetlamp

Founded by leading cast members of the Tony Award-winning sensation Jersey Boys, Under the Streetlamp delivers an electrifying evening of classic hits from the American Radio Songbook.

7900 WEST DIVISION STREET RIVER FOREST, IL 60305 FREE PARKING

dom.edu/benefit BOX OFFICE (708) 488-5000

Premier Presenting Sponsor

Presenting Sponsor

his property with its architecturally award-winning atrium, provides seniors and persons with disabilities with parking, library, laundry room, wellness center and other conveniences. A service coordinator is on staff to assist tenants who may need additional services. The units are studio and one bedroom, each with electric appliances, tile bath, and wall to wall carpeting. Modern fire and safety systems are installed in each apartment and common areas of the building. There are 8 accessible one bedroom units for the mobility impaired.

The Oaks is owned and operated by the Oak Park Residence Corporation and is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the 202/section 8 Program. Residents pay approximately 30% of their monthly income for rent.

For additional information, please visit our web site at www.oakparkha.org or contact us at 708-386-5812.

Cami can tell you the names of all of Mary’s grandchildren — in order, from youngest to oldest. As a Belmont Village caregiver, she’s passionate about enriching the lives of our residents through personal, skillful and thoughtful attention to every detail. From daily care to choosing the perfect birthday gift for the littlest grandchild, we’re there for our residents whenever — and however — they need us.

To us, they’re family.

Distinctive Residential Settings | Chef-Prepared Dining and Bistro Premier Health and Wellness Programs | Award-Winning Memory Care Professionally Supervised Therapy and Rehabilitation Services

The Community Built for Life.® 708-848-7200 belmontvillage.com/oakpark

© 2019 Belmont Village, L.P. | SC 52076

OP_WedJournal_staff_GPTW_3_2019.indd 1

3/4/19 2:25 PM

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

CLASSIFIED

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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

Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION OCWEN LOAN SERVICING, LLC Plaintiff, -v.CHICAGO TITLE LAND TRUST COMPANY, AS TRUSTEE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A TRUST AGREEMENT DATED THE 17TH DAY OF OCTOBER, 1997 KNOWN AS TRUST NUMBER 1104974, MARY JANE SCHENN, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ACTING BY AND THROUGH THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Defendants 18 CH 02340 1140 WESLEY AVE. OAK PARK, IL 60304 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 22, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 23, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1140 WESLEY AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60304 Property Index No. 16-18-416-0140000.

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $282,590.46.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

The property will NOT be open for

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact Plaintiff’s attorney: HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC, 111 East Main Street, DECATUR, IL 62523, (217) 422-1719 Please refer to file number 2120-14605.

If the sale is not confirmed for any reason, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the purchase price paid. The Purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Mortgagor, the Mortgagee or the Mortgagee’s attorney.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

HEAVNER, BEYERS & MIHLAR, LLC 111 East Main Street DECATUR, IL 62523 (217) 422-1719 Fax #: (217) 422-1754 CookPleadings@hsbattys.com Attorney File No. 2120-14605 Attorney Code. 40387 Case Number: 18 CH 02340 TJSC#: 39-470 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3111906

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 12-31-207-007-0000.

Commonly known as 506 JEROME DRIVE, NORTHLAKE, IL 60164.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 17-038322 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3115030

BARTHOLOMEW WOODS, STATE OF ILLINOIS–DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE Defendants 17 CH 004465 817 BELOIT AVENUE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 17, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 22, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 817 BELOIT AVENUE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-13-401-019.

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identifi-

cation for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-17-03859.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-17-03859 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 17 CH 004465 TJSC#: 39-491 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3114373

to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-04360.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-04360 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 18 CH 05417 TJSC#: 39-187 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3112799

DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 ABFC ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005WMC1 Plaintiff, -v.DARYL SATCHER, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., OAK PARK TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2018 CH 08851 914 NORTH AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8 OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on February 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 9, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 914 NORTH AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-320-0401025.

The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION Plaintiff, vs.

LAURA SALGADO; WILLIAM DURAN Defendants, 17 CH 15294 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC DBA MR. COOPER; Plaintiff, vs.

DANIEL RILEY; ACCUBANC MORTGAGE CORPORATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 18 CH 10533 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-13-429-024-0000.

Commonly known as 1125 Marengo Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-037762 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3115051 IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION MTGLQ INVESTORS, L.P. Plaintiff, -v.ANGELA FOSTER–WOODS,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO BANK SOUTHWEST, N.A. F/K/A WACHOVIA MORTGAGE, FSB F/K/A WORLD SAVINGS BANK, FSB Plaintiff, -v.JOHN E. STROTH, VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Defendants 18 CH 05417 520 N. OAK PARK AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on January 3, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 5, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 520 N. OAK PARK AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-06-419-006.

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT

P

PB

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

PUBLIC REAL ESTATE NOTICES FOR SALE

PUBLIC REAL ESTATE NOTICES FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE PUBLIC NOTICES FOR SALE

POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-07459.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-07459 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 08851 TJSC#: 39-1009 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3116286

which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-12446.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-12446 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 14590 TJSC#: 39-1658 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is

deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3115890

ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-10679.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-10679 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002

Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 12339 TJSC#: 39-71 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

I3115517

West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: Commonly known as 1076 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130.

P.I.N. 15-13-311-041-0000.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g) (1) and (g)(4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection For information call Ms. Michelle Breitzman at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Shapiro Kreisman & Associates, LLC, 2121 Waukegan Road, Bannockburn, Illinois 60015. (847) 291-1717. 18-088570 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3116009

CLAIMANTS Defendants, 18 CH 10503 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 15-09-102-032-0000.

Commonly known as 128 MORRIS AVENUE, BELLWOOD, IL 60104.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-023878 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3116473

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, D/B/A CHRISTIANA TRUST, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE OF CITIGROUP MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2015RP2 Plaintiff, -v.KELLY NEAL, SAMUEL LEWIS JR., 116-22 NORTH AUSTIN CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. Defendants 2018 CH 14590 116 N AUSTIN BLVD 1S OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on March 11, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 23, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 116 N AUSTIN BLVD 1S, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-317-0251001; 16-08-317-025-1024.

The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO USA HOLDINGS, INC. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO FINANCIAL ILLINOIS, INC. Plaintiff, -v.EDWARD BRINK, FRANCES W. BRINK Defendants 2018 CH 12339 1043 ELGIN AVE FOREST PARK, IL 60130 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on December 31, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 6, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 1043 ELGIN AVE, FOREST PARK, IL 60130 Property Index No. 15-13-422-0320000.

The real estate is improved with a residence.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale.

The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court.

Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale.

The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information.

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required

by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4).

If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.; Plaintiff, vs.

UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF SHAROL D. UNGER AKA SHAROL UNGER AKA SHAROL DENISE UNGER AKA SHAROL D. UNGERSTEWART; LILLIE UNGER AKA LILLIE M. UNGER; PAMELA DAVIS; COLETTE UNGERTEASLEY; JOSEPHINE UNGER; GERALD NORDGREN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SHAROL D. UNGER- STEWART, DECEASED; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 17 CH 9905 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Friday, May 3, 2019 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Plaintiff, vs.

JOETTA WILLIS; MORRIS WILLIS; STATE OF ILLINOIS; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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From left to right; Dr. Kristen Huffman-Gottschling, Executive Director of PACTT- Dr. Temple Grandin, 2019 Work of Heart Awardee- Terry Herbstritt, Development Director of PACTT

PACTT Learning Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary

P

ACTT Learning Center celebrated its 25th Anniversary on March 16th at their Annual Work of Heart Dinner at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago. Over 350 attendees helped to honor prominent author and autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin and were excited to hear her first person perspective on individuals with autism and their potential for a rich, meaningful life. Dr. Grandin’s many accomplishments inspires the work at PACTT in providing greater access and choice for people on the autism spectrum. PACTT serves the communities of Oak Park and

Dr. Kristen Huffman-Gottschling, Executive Director of PACTT

Rogers Park and offers programs that include a therapeutic day school for children, a transition program for teens, residences for children and adults, and adult vocational and job placement services. From its founding, the agency has established itself as a leader in providing evidence-based programs for young people with autism. Supported by a 25-year history of innovation, PACTT is inspired by a vision to fundamentally change the way people think about autism and community.

Dr. Temple Grandin, 2019 Work of Heart Awardee

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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Early Childhood Resources

West Suburban Temple Har Zion Presents

6539 Cermak Rd., Berwyn Early Childhood Center and Camp

West Suburban Temple Har Zion 1040 N. Harlem Ave. River Forest, IL 60305 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org 2-5 years old 7:30 am–6:00 pm M-Th 7:30 am–3:30 pm on Fri.

Pilgrim Community Nursery School Celebrating 50 years.

460 W. Lake St. Oak Park IL, 60302 Phone: 708-848-5869 www.pilgrimschool.net Accepting students ages 2–5 years old.

Preschool and kindergarten programs for three, four, and five-year-olds Call for an appointment.

7300 Division St. River Forest 708-366-6900 graceriverforest.org

First United Church Nursery School More than Just a School 848 W. Lake St. 708-848-4910 Find us on Facebook and at www.firstunited school.com Call for a tour and info about summer camp.

708.788.TACO • LaLupitaBerwyn.com Pick up • Order Online

Helping parents be successful since 1980 New Moms (Oak Park) contact@newmoms.org Find us on Facebook.

Early Childhood Education at

The Day Nursery

1139 Randolph Street Oak Park, IL 60302 708.383.8211 Call to Schedule a Tour! oakparkdn@att.net www.oprfdaynursery.org

• Open 7 am–6 pm • Serving children 2½–6 years old • NAEYC Accredited

Raise your profile in the community.

Check the early childhood directory on oakpark.com for updated listings, maps, & current open house information.

Call Mary Ellen Nelligan for details: 708-613-3342

Collaboration for Early Childhood Strong Start, Bright Future

39

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40

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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JOURNAL

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

VIEWPOINTS

41

Candidates respond to endorsements p. 44-47

Parenting sinks to a new low

‘W

hy are you here?” she asked. Pressed for more, I explained: “Because students where I live can afford to pay coaches to perfect their essays. I want to help level an unfair playing field,” I responded. “You have really great stories, too, and I want to make sure that they are told well.”

Somehow my answer built a bridge of trust, encouraging even the most skeptical among the students — a tall, thin, 17-year-old boy who hadn’t yet made eye contact with me.

With that, he looked up and shared his essay, telling how the violent death of a family member led to his newfound resolve to attend school and work on time, despite a move requiring a two-hour, four-bus commute.

As we reviewed his essay for flow, consistency, grammar, and spelling, he made it absolutely clear that he wanted no pity — none from me and none from the college admissions folks who would be reading this. His point was gratitude: navigating the death of his mother helped him become the man he wants to be.

I love guiding teenagers to discover their unique voices, empowering them to tell their stories while staying sane throughout the college application process. After learning how stressful the process is with my oldest, I became determined to create a more meaningful, mindful process that was child-focused.

That’s how I came to support the writing of thousands of beautiful, authentic, college essays. I begin posing the big questions of life and having the students create an idea bank from which to tell their stories. The first required pivot is to move away from the third person, three-paragraph, mechanically-outlined essay they are so used to writing.

The next is to explore writing from their own voice, claiming their unique perspective on life. Interestingly, this feels foreign to most, yet once they are given permission, the process becomes enjoyable, even satisfying. The essay is the singular place that does not box them in — by test scores or grades — where they can express their creative selves and make their applications personal.

Having a mindful reflection process, supported by caring mentors, that leads to increased self-awareness is a critical part of the rite of passage transitioning our children into adulthood.

Helicopter and lawnmower parents, you’ve been outdone

by Learjet parents blinded by affluenza and utterly desperate to place their children in pristine places that they will pay millions to influence an already rigged — and clearly broken — system. In addition to the illegality, immorality and inequality of this accidentally discovered fraudulent scheme, the adults involved in Operation Varsity Blues have robbed their children of a critical rite of passage. I hope their punishment includes financial contributions to level the playing field, supporting those who have far less materially but, in my experience, have far more, morally.

Susan Lucci is a longtime River Forest resident and a former village trustee.

SUSAN LUCCI

One View

Attribution: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Stanford University

R

Students talk about the scandal

ecently, I asked the 12 students in my upper-level journalism course at Columbia College what they thought about the college admissions scandal playing out in California and elsewhere. My students come from as far as away as Miami and as close as Humboldt Park. Some attended selectiveenrollment high schools, others public or private schools in their neighborhoods. They identify as Flilpinx, Latinx, Asian, white, queer and straight. (It’s an unusual semester in which I have no African-American students in this class.) They have been following the news, and weren’t shy about sharing their opinions.

“I knew it!” one declared. “When the stakes are that high and people have that much money, there’s too much opportunity for those people to play the system.”

“Those people.” As opposed to my students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.

SHARON BLOYDPESHKIN One View

And the college they’ve chosen isn’t Ivy League or even particularly selective. It’s a place that promises to help students “find out who they are and discover their own voices” and “discover alterative opportunities to employ their talents in settings other than customary marketplaces.” In other words, a college for creatives, not

climbers.

“I had a suspicion when I was growing up,” said one student, whose parents are from Cuba and who was one of only two Latinx students selected for her high school’s predominately white pre-International Baccalaureate program. “How did everyone who looks like that get into the Scholars Academy?” Like “that,” and not like her.

Others spoke of the advantages certain students had that were visible when they were in earlier grades. “The See SCANDAL on page 47

Shame on cheaters who jumped the line Kudos to the judicial authorities who charged college testing officials, several athletic college coaches and over 33 affluent and celebrity parents for attempting to bribe the way for their children to gain entry into various prestigious universities.

Shame on you all! You shouldn’t be able to jump the “college admissions line” (ahead of truly hard-working youngsters) just because they are the children of affluent and famous parents.

These folks need to read the mission statement from my high school alma mater, Providence St. Mel (PSM) on the West Side of Chicago. “At PSM, we believe. We believe in the transformation of lives through the miracle of hard

work. Our talent, discipline and integrity will be our contribution to a new time, a new place, and a new world!”

This is the statement that we recited every morning before we began classes — with many of us doing homework by candlelight and/or having to wear our winter coats because our minimum-wage-earning parents had to constantly choose between food & utilities! We earned our place at the Ivy League universities that we attended.

Shame on you!

Janice Rasheed

#PSM PROUD (1971), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (MSW, 1977), Columbia University-NYC (PhD, 1987) Oak Park

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

O U R

V I E W P O I N T S

V I E W S

Bold risks on equity

A

n organizational chart has value. Job titles are important. We are not dismissive of the complex and bold changes in those areas just now recommended by the superintendent and approved by the school board at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

Over the course of the past few weeks, in what has certainly been a well orchestrated process, the new position of “equity and student success” director was created, the sitting principal announced his end-ofschool year resignation to accept an “exciting” but unspecified new post elsewhere, and then the superintendent announced a series of changes, including the elimination of the position of principal.

We’ve seen a lot of changes to OPRF’s organizational chart over the decades. What we haven’t seen is nearly enough change. Especially when it comes to the educational culture within the building, any sense of urgency in attacking built-in racism and inequity. There have been superintendent and principal pairings. There has been a superintendent/ principal. And now we have a superintendent, associate superintendent and equity director.

There is no magic in any of these structures. The juice will come when the culture of the organization radically shifts and the right people are installed in the jobs within that organizational chart.

On that front we have great confidence in Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams.

Over her three years at OPRF she has driven more substantive change than any superintendent in memory. She’s had strong support from a school board intently focused on equity. And the entire institution has been prodded by internal and external forces demanding genuine impact on equity.

While we are appreciative of the efforts and the often difficult circumstances in which longtime Principal Nathaniel Rouse worked, it was well past time for him to depart. We wish him the best in his next career steps.

The change ahead recognizes Pruitt-Adams as the hands-on leader of this high school. No more artificial divide between the superintendent running “the district” while the principal runs “the building.” This is a single entity, housed in a single building that needs explicit leadership from the top. No more confusion. No more excuses.

Greg Johnson, now completing his second year at OPRF, has gotten high marks as assistant superintendent. His promotion will include some duties previously assigned to Rouse.

Next up, the critical hiring of the executive director of equity and student success.

A lengthy job description and employment application has already been posted. Maybe there are more educationally experienced “equity and student success executive directors” in the pool than we might expect. The deadline for applicants is short (early April); the start date is soon (July 1).

Pruitt-Adams has, largely to entirely, remade her administrative team over her three-year tenure. This will be the most critical hire yet.

Toughness, empathy, creativity, charisma and smarts in five directions will be required for this person to succeed with the varied and somewhat conflicted stakeholders they will need to engage.

It’s a risk. But this school is long overdue for taking risks on equity.

Endorsement recap Election Day is coming. Early voting is well underway.

Here’s a recap of the Journal’s endorsements for Oak Park and River Forest: Oak Park village board: Susan Buchanan, Jim Taglia, Cory Wesley District 97 Oak Park elementary schools: Gavin Kearney, Jung Kim, Cheree Moore, Holly Spurlock River Forest village board: Erika Bachner, Katie Brennan, Robert O’Connell District 90 River Forest elementary schools: 4-year terms – Calvin Davis, Barbara Hickey, Richard Moore 2-year term – Kathleen Avalos District 200 Oak Park and River Forest High School: Sara Dixon Spivy, Gina Harris, Ralph Martire

U

@ @OakParkSports

Spring’s first stirring

p early and heading to the lakefront on the first Saturday morning of spring. Primavera, Printemps, first season, my favorite. The field at Columbus Park is silver with frost, but the March sun, climbing the blue, cloud-free vault, will soon coax that glaze into dew. For now, though, the sun is a challenge to eastbound drivers and cannot be ignored as it assaults eyes not yet fully awake.

Downtown, sunlight squeezes through high-rise canyon crevices and shines selectively on walls and windows, showoffing art deco adornment and terra cotta flourish. Full-length buildings reflect off the rippled mirrors of glass towers. Streets animate lightly with trucks delivering, dollies weaving ’round morning people, who extend coffee cups before them like torches, searching for an honest man. Early walkers, slow and shedding drowsiness, work their way into busyness and toward businesses. Joggers glide past, frozen torsos riding rhythmic legs, arms pumping in synchronized sympathy.

One delighted street solicitant loves me after I tender a Lincoln from my temporarily Washington-less wallet. One vested litter sweeper invests remnants of yesterday’s carelessness in his hinged dust pail with its endlessly hungry maw.

Back home, the mid-morning sun gathers strength and becomes a riveting floodlight, bathing every crevice of tree bark, every street imperfection, every grain of every brick, turning eyes into super-organs, seeing with an intensity forgotten since childhood, catching the flaming plume of a cardinal, whose sharp, clear, clarion call sounds increasingly desperate. Someone? Anyone? It’s spring! Richness of red proliferates. Lots of cardinals. Lots of cardinals about to be born.

Grass is still mostly wheat-chaff beige, but green shoots multiply, soon to overwhelm, a tsunami of growing.

By early afternoon, a parade prevails on the sidewalks of Oak Park Avenue, cabin fever driving inmates out of doors, blinking in disbelief, breaking out shorts, even while donning a parka with fur-lined hood protecting features from a breeze that lacerates.

The chronically underdressed shiver in short sleeves, wishfully willing the season further along.

Owners walk their dogs; smartphones walk their owners. A woman sits on a bench in Mills Park reading, sight unseen for many a month. Recreants bask on blankets, the sun high overhead, no more of this tilting to the southern hemisphere, creeping north of due west as it sets, beyond equinox, more daylight now than night.

Marion Street sidewalk chalkboard announces “Spring Arrivals” at Sugarcup Trading in pastel

chalk, just across the street bricks from Sugar Fixe. Sweet Street. The Munch board urges passersby to “Eat Love,” perhaps a tad too metaphorical, especially for passing shoppers babbling in Russian. Matter of Style announces, “Now booking for Prom and Graduation,” not that far off. Three months past Christmas, the year is turning. A chalked Easter Rabbit perches above “Scratch ’n’ Sniff is for everybunny.” The smell of BBQ wafts from Q’s, as it does all year, but now portending summery savories.

Outside more than in today, I stick to the sunny side of the street, shade being winter’s accomplice still. Soon enough, shade will be summer’s sanctuary and sun the accomplice. For now, sunshine draws and shade repels. Sitting on a bench in front of Wise Cup, a woman tilts her face to the sun, eyes closed, recklessly soaking up the abundance.

The Austin Gardens ice rink lies in tattered ruins, testament to evaporation. Vehicle sounds recede and bird chatter moves forefront in this urban oasis.

Charred ground covers forested floor and burnt-leaf aroma hangs in the air. Winged revelers celebrate the passing frigidity and arrival of healing humidity. Earth awakens, too, unstoppable daffodil spears piercing the softening crust, eager to join the party started by snow drops and crocus petals in the parade of blossoming.

As temps flower into the 50s, Scoville Park’s playground reaches full capacity, accompanied by the sour song of swing sets and bellowings of liberated delight. One girl high-fives mom with every upswing. The park becomes a giant recess after being cooped in class all winter. Bikes glide the downslope sidewalk; a brilliantly colored kite with graceful tail ascends, then crashes unceremoniously to earth.

Dad and wheelchair-bound daughter survey the surroundings, as girls turn cartwheels on the turf.

Spring’s verdant prime is still a month away, but this is better, the frozen months finally, finally, finally surrendering its nightlike monopoly, giving way so stingily to first, very first stirrings of what must unfold in its own deliberate, undeniably undeniable time. The time for vigilant watchers to walk, hands held behind, driving nothing forward except their un-frenzied feet. Nothing rushed or over-desired or hoped for. All fulfilled before our eyes and nose and ears and tender touch.

From deep despair of ceaseless winter, we are granted yet another spring, one in a long line of marvels, chastising our every doubt, more miraculous with every year.

Tomorrow will be raw and rainy again because spring favors the plants.

It doesn’t aim to please.

Though, sometimes, it does.

KEN

TRAINOR

We need Pete’s at Oak Park & Madison

I live near Madison Street and do not own a car. We really need Pete’s Fresh Market in the area as there are many people living and moving to Oak Park who do not own cars. The Jewel is small and has limited selection. The Sugar Beet is nice but pricey for many of us.

I hope the injection of historical value does not sink

this much-needed development. Madison Street is a pit and could have new condos and apartments instead of decaying. I also agree with the young person asking for fast food options near Lake and the high school.

Kathleen Schulz

Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

I

Is it too late to run for office?

would like to announce my candidacy for village office. It appears I have missed the filing date for being listed on the ballot. So my only recourse is to run as a write-in candidate. I’m running for any office for which voters might believe I am qualified — village board, District 97, District 200, parks or library. I feel my credentials qualify me for any of these jobs.

Here are my qualifications: I have tremendous executive experience — former president of both the West Cook YMCA board and the Huskie Booster Club. Never mind that no one else really wanted these jobs. I was elected to the D97 school board in 1987, and tried to do a good job for the first two years of my four-year term. For 34 years I was a marginally successful lawyer who never fixed a case or acted as a bag man. I have lived in four different homes in the village since 1976, and have never missed a mortgage payment. I am a good dad — and an OK husband.

My real strength is my platform. I have followed the campaigns of my opponents closely by carefully reading the blizzard of flyers that have come to my mailbox and porch steps. I’m up on the issues.

Transparency seems to be a big concern, and I am for it … unless there is important secret information or juicy salacious gossip. Then I’m for comforting translucence, even the opaqueness of executive session, or drinks in a poorly lit bar. Like the making of hot dogs, legislating is a messy business and people don’t need to see it.

I support fiscal responsibility. We are spending a lot

W E D N E S D A Y

of money on fire and police protection, snow removal, providing quality education to a very diverse population of a growing number of students, and great libraries and parks. If we can make significant cuts in these services, the quality of life will erode, and fewer people will want to move here. Prices will drop and houses and apartments will be more affordable. Lower taxes. More affordable housing. What could possibly go wrong?

I think we should focus on closing the achievement gap at the high school. To be honest I have no idea how to do that, but then nobody does. Hopefully, if you wish hard enough and long enough, dreams can come true. Hope springs eternal.

Now in the interest of the aforementioned transparency, I do babysit on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and I go to bed at 8:30 p.m. most nights. I don’t want to serve on any sub-committees because nothing ever is accomplished in them. My computer skills are limited.

I am a big-picture guy. Details bore me. But I am committed to giving back to my community.

I believe Oak Park is a great place, and if elected I vow to keep doing what we have been doing. I am for gradual change. Perfect is the enemy of good.

Oh, I almost forgot. It takes money to run a write-in campaign for five different offices. If you wish to join me in my campaign to Keep Oak Park Good (KOPG), please call me, and I will arrange a meeting in a Cook County Forest Preserve District parking lot to personally thank you for your support.

Cash only please.

JOHN

HUBBUCH

Development with preservation We are writing to second the sentiments expressed in Ken Trainor’s column, “Moving ahead, honoring the past” in the March 20 Wednesday Journal [Viewpoints], and are grateful he pointed out that development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive undertakings, as so many seem to think.

As residents of the 500 block of Wesley Avenue, less than a block from the Hill Motor Sales Building at 644 Madison St. and the location of the new Pete’s Fresh Market, we welcome a new Pete’s to our neighborhood and urge Pete’s owners, the developer, and the architect to incorporate as much of the Hill building into Pete’s as is possible, for several reasons: 1) The Hill Motor Sales Building was deemed landmark-worthy by every member of Oak Park’s Historic Preservation Commission and has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

As Frank Heitzman and Frank Lipo have written, the Hill Building “is the best preserved and most striking architectural design left from the time when Madison Street was the west suburban capital of auto sales.”

In a village known above all for its historic architecture, preserving and repurposing the Hill Building is the right thing to do.

2) Reusing and repurposing the Hill Building is better for the environment than tearing it down and building something new. In the words of Oak Park’s Stephen J. Kelly, a historic preservation specialist, “Will we continue to watch as pollution-spouting

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

equipment turns usable buildings to rubble; more polluting equipment hauls away discarded building materials — concrete, brick, metal and glass — into a landfill to be abandoned? Or can we try a new way that is gentler on the environment?”

3) Since this redevelopment is being subsidized by $8 million in TIF district funds and other taxes, taxpaying citizens should have a say in how the money is spent. We do not want our tax dollars spent on a generic grocery store with a long, blank, undistinguished façade stretching for two blocks along Madison Street. Instead, we imagine a unique, inviting store incorporating, and inspired by, the beauty of the old building. That is how to responsibly use our tax money.

In a Sept. 1, 2015 article in the Tribune about Pete’s first Oak Park store, Vanessa Dremonas, executive officer of Pete’s Fresh Market, said this: “Every single Pete’s Fresh Market is custom-designed to their community. We do our homework before we open. We want residents to know we don’t just turn the key and let them in.”

This statement gives us hope that those involved with this development, in Mr. Trainor’s words, “can do development and preservation and do both of them well.”

Debbie Mercer, Dave Mercer, Kathy Wyman, Lisa Wilkinson, Doug Waco, Sandy Pedersen, Scott Pedersen, Karen Mullarkey Kerrins, David Ubogy, Beth Dowell, and Lisa Hoelscher Oak Park

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Timothy Inklebarger, Nona Tepper Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter Marty Farmer Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, Cassandra West, Doris Davenport Staff Photographer Alexa Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Jacquinete Baldwin, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck, Bill Wossow Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan Event Coordinator Carmen Rivera Client Engagement Natalie Johnson Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action.

In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing.

Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay.

If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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A vision for education in D90

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lementary School District 90 is among the gems that draw new residents to River Forest, the reason parents of school-age children become embedded in the community, and the primary factor why property values remain strong over time, essential when the time comes to sell one’s home!

D90 school board service, then, is critical to the entire spectrum of village residents. What should voters look for in a crowded field of candidates?

A vision for education, historical community and board perspective, a deep understanding of the board’s responsibilities and processes, a strong familiarity with, and commitment to, D90 schools, and fluency in the impact of fiscal policy on school decisions and community finances.

As an incumbent candidate, I believe I possess these qualities and ask for your support.

Community perspective and commitment to schools: As a 30year resident and parent of five D90 graduates, I volunteered actively at our schools, extensively outside of the schools, and consequently have a keen grasp of the community culture and history.

Board perspective: As an incumbent board member, I have developed a rich understanding of the process that goes into board decision-making and have used my grasp of the community to ensure my vote balances both the needs of the district and the broader village.

Vision for education: Our five children, age 23-32, are successfully “launched” and this perspective has allowed me to evaluate D90 curricular issues in the arc of an overall educational journey and not merely the first nine years of that road.

Board responsibilities and processes: The board has one employee and holds the superintendent to a high standard, expecting him, in turn, to hold his administrators to the same standard. Community input, however, is also essential to our decision-making and I believe strongly in bringing divergent perspectives to the table. The board has worked to improve outreach over the past four years, recognizing improvements can always be made, but we are proud of our increased engagement.

Financial impact: As the only board member without children in the schools, I especially appreciate that the schools belong to our whole community, not just the 22% who presently have children in D90 schools. The entire board works to hold the line on cost so that the 78% of residents without kids in D90 can afford to stay in the community they love.

Understanding process and thoughtfully incorporating lessons of the past are valuable traits in a board member.

Curiosity about unknown, future educational challenges our children face is critical. I have demonstrated commitment to our school children, community and my board obligations in each action taken in my first term. I hope the voters will support me on April 2, so I can once again deploy my experience for the benefit of D90 schools in a second term.

BARBARA HICKEY

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Importance of strategic development

want to thank the editor(s) of Wednesday Journal for your endorsement of my candidacy for the River Forest Board of Trustees. I would like to share my perspective on why I feel that I would be an important addition to the board.

After growing up in Oak Park and graduating from Fenwick, my mother realized a dream that she and my father had worked hard for all their lives: building the home of their dreams. They were very lucky to find a vacant lot on Keystone Avenue. My mother lived in that home until the early 2000s.

My return to River Forest occurred a few years ago when I met and married my wife, Holly Economos. With her two great kids, I returned to Keystone Avenue.

Three years ago, I was approached by Village President Cathy Adduci to join the Economic Development Commission. I jumped at the opportunity, believing that my experience in the commercial real estate field could benefit the village and its residents. Eighteen months ago, I was asked to lead the commission, which has actively been involved in several of the development

projects that have been initiated over the past few months and plays a vital role in ensuring that the properties that are available for development within the village provide the best opportunity to fit into the character of the community.

I believe economic development is one of the key initiatives our village board needs to address at this time. As I have visited with neighbors and friends, and attended forums and coffees, a couple of recurring themes come up: stabilizing taxes and the dreaded TIF. Let’s be clear what a TIF is and what it is not. TIFs are a financing tool. TIFs were not created to take people’s homes through eminent domain. TIFs are financing tools that encourage developers to come to town and develop properties that otherwise might not be developed.

If the village takes a strategic approach, we can control the development that comes to town with uses that will provide retail sales tax, which helps all of us while minimizing the effect on services and schools.

I believe my experience and commitment to the entire community makes me qualified to join the River Forest Village Board.

Please come out and vote on April 2.

BOB

O’CONNELL One View

One View

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Equity and fact-based governance

love Oak Park! Like many young families, my wife and I moved here 14 years ago when our children were ages 2 and 5. We sought out Oak Park for its great public education and shared values of equity, inclusion, and diversity. As an ethnically mixed family, this was particularly important for us. Diversity in all of its forms — racial, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic, and age — is essential to our community.

In fact, when we moved here so, too, did my mother, which meant we brought a multi-ethnic and multi-generational family to Oak Park. It has been a great success, and I am running for village trustee to help ensure that individuals and families from all walks of life have the same opportunity to enjoy Oak Park’s values, benefits, and quality of life.

When it comes to public service, I am anchored to two guiding principles: One is always taking a factand data-based approach to public policy that benefits the greatest number of people. Sound, evidencedriven governance is particularly important due to the complexity and interconnectedness of the issues confronting our village. My other guiding principle is the advancement of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

How we address the major challenges facing Oak Park, including housing, affordability, and development, should connect back to the values we believe in as a community.

I also bring a strong personal approach to board service of collaboration, consensus-building, listening widely and carefully, and helping a board focus its efforts on the 20% of issues that have 80% of the impact.

I had the opportunity to apply those principles and approach during my service on the District 97 school board, 2013-17. Over those four years, my colleagues and I were able to successfully benchmark and stabilize district finances, negotiate a transformative and sustainable teacher contract, conduct a national superintendent search, and cost-efficiently provide for the needs of over 6,000 children and their families in the face of diminished state funding and surging enrollment. Solving these “needle mover” issues was essential not only for the long-term sustainability of the district, but also to provide the foundation for diversity, equity and inclusion in our schools.

As village trustee I will apply these principles, approach, and proven track record to the many challenges now facing both village government and our community at large. We must get better data to help address affordable housing and village-wide budgeting. I will leverage my extensive relationships with other taxing bodies to improve collaboration and help Oak Park advocate with one voice at the state level for fair taxation and school funding.

We need a smarter approach to development that helps mitigate the tax burden by expanding our commercial tax base and supporting growth in all areas of the village, not just downtown. These foundationbuilding efforts will help enable inclusionary housing strategies, funding for the Collaboration for Early Childhood, and other critical initiatives that advance Oak Park values.

I humbly ask for your vote on April 2.

GRAHAM BRISBEN One View

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Fighting for equity and tax accountability

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am disappointed with Wednesday Journal’s decision not to endorse my re-election bid for the OPRF District 200 Board of Education. Four years ago, my candidacy was endorsed based on my calls for racial equity, tax accountability, and a balanced approach to facilities issues. These three positions have guided my board service and I have delivered measurable results on each.

The first paragraph of your recent endorsement article makes the case for my re-election: I have been decisive and thoughtful on all decisions I have made, especially in my fierce advocacy for racial equity, a battle I have been fighting in my sphere of the world for over 40 years; I have been a dutiful steward of our resources, overseeing over $35 million in real estate tax abatements and never voting to impose a maximum tax levy on our property owners; Years ago I stated the importance of a community consensus around facility matters and now we have that in the first upgrade to our building in over 50 years; I advocated for a progressive contract with our faculty senate which provides competitive

compensation and long-term cost containment to relieve the burden on our taxpayers.

What differentiates me from the newcomer candidates is that I have delivered on those commitments that you endorsed four years ago. I have been a consistent voice of balance on the board. I have no conflict when it comes to considering what is best for our students, taxpayers, and staff.

Four years ago I pledged to listen, to learn, not to react, and I have done that. As a native son I have done my best to represent the interest of citizens of River Forest in the absence of a River Forest resident on the board.

My track record is aligned with my promises and your 2015 endorsement, so I have to ask myself at this critical time when transition and change are occurring at a record pace in D200 and there is a real need to re-elect a board member whose performance and leadership are exactly what the WJ editors have desired for a very long time, why you would neglect to endorse me for re-election?

Fortunately, I have faith in the voters of Oak Park & River Forest. Please vote for Fred Arkin for the board of education of OPRF District 200.

FRED ARKIN

One View

We need civil, sensible leadership

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ongratulations to the three village trustee candidates who were endorsed by Wednesday Journal last week. I also appreciate the Journal’s assessment of me: “Bridgett Baron is an invaluable asset to everyone who cares about Oak Park government. Her steady presence, detailed research [and] fair-minded presentation have often offered clarity and direction.”

In our community, there is a pressing need for courageous, civil, sensible leadership across a gamut of issues.

Over the past six years, I have paid close attention to the workings of local government, particularly the Village Board of Trustees. In that same time, I have sought to gain further context by reaching out to past elected officials and other longtime community members who have played instrumental roles in shaping our community over the past 50 years.

More than ever before, Oak Park needs to elect leaders who are committed to having an

honest dialogue, backed by action, about how to slow the rate of levy growth.

We need leaders who are willing to ask tough questions in order to understand the full, often-complicated picture. We need leaders who exercise flexibility and courage in decision-making.

Our economic and cultural diversity, our affordability, the rich heritage that Oak Parkers have labored to create for decades — it’s all at stake.

If elected, I would earnestly seek to help Oak Park chart a creative, fiscally responsible course for the future that honors and builds on our past.

In my 25 years as an Oak Parker, I have grown to love this community’s people, history, and vibrant civic engagement. Over the next four years, it would be my honor to serve as a trustee.

I respectfully ask for your vote on (or before) April 2. Learn more about me and what sets me apart at www.BridgettBaron.com.

BRIDGETT BARON One View

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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V I E W S

Getting it right and getting it done

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’m running for the twoyear term on District 90 Board of Education. I’m a PhD scientist; gaining understanding is in my DNA. I enjoy tackling big problems that benefit others and have success. The village recently approved a safer routes plan with more crossing guards. I’ve chaired PTO committees for years and now nearly one quarter of Lincoln Elementary participates in the Science Expo.

Community participation in school dialog increased dramatically through my questions. I believe in working harder to improve the social and emotional health of students.

A five-year plan should telegraph strong goals to the community, and teachers need greater voice. I don’t have all the answers; however, I’m willing to ask tough questions and do the hard work.

During my involvement with crossing guards I learned D90 had adopted a new instructional philosophy aimed at eliminating the achievement gap. Changes in curriculum, instruction, scheduling and

STEVE LEFKO

One View

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assessments are well underway. For over a year, I’ve been gaining understanding at board meetings with administrators, principals and teachers. They have been patient with answers.

I believe in closing the gap by investing to raise the bottom without lowering the ceiling; all children can soar in River Forest. My expertise is in complex problem-solving and policy. Seeking explanation for philosophical change and how change will better serve all children is important

to me.

As a candidate, I’m hearing how important this understanding is to a community that prides itself on being an education destination. My unique skill set, proven history and balanced approach is a unique asset to moving forward.

Wednesday Journal endorsed my opponent and said, “Delays are a distraction.”

I’m encouraged the current board listened to the community and echoed the sentiment: let’s get it right over just getting it done. Vote Lefko on April 2.

Committed to collaboration

hank you for the opportunity to speak to the critical qualities I will bring to the District 200 school board: a diversity of professional and volunteer leadership experience, paired with a lifetime of service to my hometown.

I believe board members need to engage the community; the success of our students is not solely the work of teachers and administrators. And taxpayers need to know we are spending their dollars wisely and to directly impact academic achievement for every student.

I believe in STEM learning for all, backed up with the experience of a 25-year career at Argonne National Laboratory, where I have managed large budgets and complex projects all over the nation and world.

I am committed to collaboration.

Through decades of serving the community — on the Irving School PTO, Plan Commission, Park District of Oak Park board, IHSA track official, and youth basketball and softball coach — I have the

temperament to build bridges among families, schools, and governments.

Every candidate has talked of closing the achievement gap. But I will focus on developing flexible programs that blend academics with the active engagement of students. I believe we need a coordinated, consistent effort with benchmarks and accountability for the entire school community, including board members.

I was proud to serve on the IMAGINE team to develop a much-needed facilities blueprint at OPRF High School, but the board needs to take the next step and develop a long-term financial and facility plan that balances what we can afford as a community with the most critical needs identified by IMAGINE. Any solution should include collaboration with the park district.

I believe I can help OPRF meet its challenges and continue its tradition of excellence: graduating the thinkers, leaders, and dreamers of tomorrow. For more information, please visit my website: https://vicguarinod200.com.

VIC

GUARINO One View

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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Let’s keep D90 going strong

am running for re-election to the River Forest District 90 school board because I want continue to add my expertise and passion for education as well as further our collective mission: “to inspire a love of learning and ensure educational excellence for every child.” I am grateful to serve my community in this capacity and I am honored that my commitment and leadership have been acknowledged with endorsements by both the River Forest Community Caucus and Wednesday Journal in 2015 and this 2019 election.

My work over the past four years on the board demonstrates I am committed to our mission. We have made substantial physical improvements to all three of our schools in order to improve the learning environment for our children. D90 has done this without increasing the tax burden for our community members, and adherence to my fiduciary responsibilities is evident.

Work toward improving curriculum and instruction — with more rigorous English language arts and mathematics instruction — correlates with continued growth in student achievement as measured by standardized and non-standardized assessments. By incorporating student-centered and problem-based learning in science, math and technology, students are mastering the most rigorous standards for learning while also seeing the relevance and real world application of their learning.

As safety is our number one priority, D90 has worked with the village of River Forest to increase the safety of our students and the adults in and around our buildings. New and improved

surveillance and communication systems, along with increased traffic controls are just some of the examples of this work.

With concern for the physical safety of our children, we are also focused on improving our children’s mental health and fostering a resiliency to stress that comes with growing up. Over the past 10 years, we have seen a rise in anxiety that, among other factors, is related to the advent and rise in the use of social media by our kids. By being proactive, District 90 has increased our focus on social and emotional learning through universal and targeted interventions by social workers, teachers, administrators, and our amazing PTOs. This issue can only be addressed by harnessing the strength of our entire community. I have worked, and will continue to seek, avenues to collaborate with other community organizations to serve this need.

Our accomplishments and vision for improvements are strong and will continue to progress. I am confident our administrators, teachers, families and especially our students, will remain focused on being the best we can be. As a parent of three D90 students, a lifelong educator, and a member of this board, I am devoted to giving back to the community that has served me and my family so well.

I ask for your continued support and your vote on April 2.

Go District 90 and Go Kids!

RICH MOORE One View

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Village board needs progress and productivity

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ow that the celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day are over, the citizens of River Forest cannot rely on “the luck of the Irish” to continue the village board’s success of recent years.

The village board and village staff have worked very hard to achieve an outstanding level of progress and productivity during my time as trustee. I would like to think that you all would consider my contributions to be an integral component to that team.

The village board will be losing two fine trustees in Carmella Corsini and Susan Conti. The citizens of River Forest will miss their insight and expertise. I am the only incumbent seeking re-election. No other candidate offers the institutional knowledge and historical background of the village board that I will offer.

The last year has been very exciting with regard to development in River Forest. Promises were made during the TIF discussions and development approvals. I am asking for the opportunity to fulfill those promises by exercising the leader-

ship I have provided the board for two terms.

During this campaign I have not heard a single criticism of the state of the village. I feel we have acted as fine stewards of the tax dollars entrusted to the board’s care. Other candidates have entered this campaign with personal agendas they hope to instill into the board’s decisions.

The first question I always ask myself before a vote at the board table is very simple. Is this vote in the best interest of the entire village of River Forest? I have maintained one goal with regard to being a village trustee: to serve the residents of River Forest with leadership that will promote our village’s prosperity while maintaining our historic sense of community. As our village motto states, “Proud Heritage, Bright Future.” It is important to celebrate our past but more important to plan for our future.

Public safety, financial security, superior infrastructure and being proud to call River Forest home are what I strive to provide the villagers as a trustee. Please help me continue my efforts on your behalf.

MIKE GIBBS

One View

Why I’m running for D90 school board

ear River Forest, I am running for the District 90 Board of Education.

I’ve been an attorney for over 20 years, run my own law firm, and have educated myself over the last three months on the issues affecting our school district.

The D90 school board spends roughly $24 million in tax revenue a year. And in directing our children’s educations, the BOE affects both our children’s futures and our own. No doubt our home’s values — likely the largest investment for each of us — are inherently tied to future home buyers’ perceptions of our schools. So among local governing bodies, D90 is one of the most important.

Yet how many of us even know who sits on

the board? How many of us know what they stand for, what they have done, or what they want to do over the next four years?

I’ve been transparent about my positions, my beliefs, and where I’d like to take our district. You can find these at www.d90heffner. com and d90schools.blogspot.com.

Board/teacher interaction: D90’s teachers are our most important resource and know firsthand about every issue affecting our children’s education. The board should talk to them more. Leaders seek boots-on-theground feedback, but our board members have a “stay-in-your-lane” mentality. I want to change this and pledge to routinely visit classrooms and discuss issues face-to-face

with teachers.

Academic excellence: I want our schools to be among the most challenging and highest achieving in Illinois. I want to see more academic enrichment opportunities, to maintain fullyear foreign language instruction along with music and the arts, and to offer more advanced learning opportunities throughout our schools. River Forest should be the #1 destination in the Chicago area for education-minded parents.

Student mental health: I am a proponent of social and emotional learning in our schools. In December, the board received the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey results for our eighth graders. It showed a shockingly high

MATT HEFNER One View

Visit us online at www.OakPark.com

percentage of those students — 28% — had tell-tale symptoms of depression in the preceding year. That’s over double the national average. We should investigate whether our schools are a contributing factor to this serious problem.

Full-day kindergarten: Early childhood education is important for achievement and equity. D90 should offer a full-day kindergarten option to parents — even if parents pay for it — to allow children an opportunity to cover the entire kindergarten curriculum within our district.

In closing, I’d ask my fellow villagers to please challenge your elected officials and candidates. Ask questions and demand transparency. In short, please treat the vote on April 2 seriously.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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A handle on the major issues

n its D200 school board endorsements, Wednesday Journal alleged that I have a “less holistic understanding” of the issues facing OPRF High School. That is not true. Here are the major issues: Academic Outcomes Only 62 percent of students met or exceeded English standards and 56 percent met or exceeded math standards on the 2018 SAT. Yet we spend $23,000 per student annually. Improving academic outcomes for all students is a priority.

Educational Equity America to Me was the catalyst for my candidacy. I mistakenly thought that OPRF offered all students an equitable and excellent education. My husband and I have two African-American sons who have experienced racial bias. I have faced racial bias and fought against it. The Racial Equity Policy must be implemented in an accountable way.

Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency D200’s cash reserve, resulting from overtaxing our community for nearly a decade, enabled the board to deficit-spend and make poor financial decisions. First, they tried to push through an Olympic-size pool and garage teardown without voter approval. It failed. Second, they put a slightly smaller pool and garage teardown plus a few add-ons to referendum, and it failed. Many taxpayers have lost trust in the board because of these kinds of actions.

The board oath states, “I shall respect taxpayers’ interests by serving as a faithful protector of the school district’s assets.” I will honor the oath.

Facility Investments For the past three years I have actively advocated for needs-based facility improvements. I have attended and spoken out at many meetings on behalf of students and the community. Our facility’s needs must be prioritized while maintaining a balanced budget.

If you want an honest, transparent, competent, committed candidate, who is running for the right reasons, cast your vote for me, Amanda Massie. www.AmandaMassieD200.com.

AMANDA MASSIE One View

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

Buchanan stands out

Congratulations on your endorsement of Susan Buchanan for election to the Oak Park Board of Trustees. Susan is an exceptionally high-quality candidate who stands out from a crowded field in this election.

Her participation in the January 2017 Women’s March and its aftermath prompted her (as it did many women) to ask what she is doing for her community and decided to run for local office.

She came to this decision out of a desire to serve and give back to the community.

Susan represents no special interests, is not promoted by any outside organization, and is not running to push a particular point of view.

She is a medical doctor with a current focus on the effects of environmental pollutants on health, especially on children’s health, and serves on the Oak Park Board of Health. As a research

scientist, she has made a career of approaching difficult problems with an open mind, collecting and digesting masses of information, and coming to an informed decision. This is what we ask of our trustees — to study issues with an open mind and come to an informed decision.

While my husband, Gene, and I downsized a couple of years ago to a condo in Forest Park, my heart belongs to Oak Park, and it pains me that I cannot vote for Susan. I know her from First United Church of Oak Park, where she has held leadership positions, and am delighted she has put herself forward as a candidate in this election. She will make an excellent trustee.

I urge Oak Park voters to elect her to the village board.

Ann Armstrong Forest Park

We need progressive trustees

I support Tim Thomas in his quest for a role as Oak Park village trustee. In your paper, you noted clearly that Mr. Thomas was the only candidate absent from the small business forum held on March 15.

Yes, he was absent from that meeting because he had to be at work and could not afford to miss the income. He notified the organizers two weeks before the meeting that he would not be able to attend. It seems the least that could have been done was to acknowledge why Mr. Thomas was unable to attend and to ask for his comments on the subject of the forum. He doesn’t have the luxury of simultaneously running for village trustee and taking time off from his job. For that very reason he will add a different viewpoint to the village board.

I am sorely disappointed in Wednesday Journal. Your endorsement of three candidates for village trustee leaves me cold. None of those candidates holds progressive views and progressive views are what we need. These candidates will just be yes-men and -women for the village president. We need people who are ready to deal with the issues of inequity this villages faces — inequity in housing and in education. We need more than token diversity among our trustees so that all of Oak Park is represented. I am ashamed of the choices made by the Wednesday Journal. You are not upholding the values we strive for in this village.

SCANDAL

Sad, but no surprise from page 41 wealthier kids had higher GPAs because they had tutors and took courses at the community college,” one said. “I went to a college-prep school, and even there you had students who had more money and could pay for ACT prep outside of school,” added another. “If you have money, you have that advantage in education.”

“I guess I always had the belief that if you had a lot of money, you would go to the best schools,” one student said. “I knew there had to be some of this going on,” said another, recalling students with lower GPAs than hers who got into Harvard.

The current scandal came as no surprise to them, in other words. It just affirmed their

Carrol Smith

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In a league of their own

While there are many candidates running for the River Forest District 90 school board, Rich Moore, Cal Davis, Barb Hickey and Katie Avalos are clear standouts for those who best exemplify integrity, genuine dedication, and a collective resume of experience that put them in a league of their own.

We have come to know both Rich and Cal as neighbors and friends over the years we have lived in River Forest. These devoted dads are coaches and PTO volunteers who are willing to roll up their sleeves for any job. Rich has more than 25 years of service in public education with assorted degrees to match, making him a wealth of knowledge on all things related to education.

Cal brings experience in the financial sector and has been assigned to the D90 Finance Committee, a perfect place for someone who insists on serving as a fiscal conservative and ensuring we do not ever go to referendum.

Barb brings the perspective of residents who make up the vast majority of stakeholders in River Forest. She is the only candidate who does not have children in the district and is a voice for those roughly 78 percent of residents who do not have children in the district and want to stay in town long after their own kids have graduated from college. Barb was an active member of the PTO and even founded Heartworks, a service effort that reminds children of the importance of giving to others. Like Barb, Katie also found her community voice serving in a variety of roles on the PTO. Most recently, she has been the PTO liaison to the BOE for the past four years, making her acutely informed on the issues and needs of our district.

It is no surprise that all four of these candidates were endorsed by Wednesday Journal.

We strongly encourage you to cast your vote for these passionate and dedicated candidates for the D90 school board on April 2.

Oak Park

suspicions and observations going back to elementary school.

My non-white students noted that this incident flips the script. One recalled her peers’ beliefs that she was benefitting from affirmative action when she was accepted at Brown. “You don’t know how hard I worked to get in,” she said. She chose not to go there because it didn’t have the combination of majors she was interested in, and she’s glad she made that choice.

My students were less angry than they were philosophical. “I think it shows a flaw in how we admit people into college,” one said. “I think it’s good that it’s coming to light, but unfortunately, not shocking.”

I asked them what they think should happen to the students who were admitted on false pretenses or through bribes. Nobody thought the students should be kicked out of the schools, but several felt they should have to reapply for the next year.

Annette and Mike Madden

River Forest More important, they felt, was that the students realize that what their parents had done on their behalf was wrong.

“I’m willing to believe they didn’t know” about the cheating, one of my students said, adding that this could hardly have been the first time their parents took unfair and possibly illegal measures to provide them with advantages in life.

In the end, my students felt that kind of parenting wouldn’t serve these kids well.

“They need to learn to have enough selfesteem and not worry so much about titles and money,” said another.

“But even if they were kicked out, they are still going to be fine,” she added. “That’s just the reality of it, given their network and their safety net.”

Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, an Oak Park resident, is an associate professor of journalism in the Communication Department at Columbia College Chicago.

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

Thompson knows government

Wednesday Journal’s Oak Park trustee endorsements are the candidates they argue are the top three individuals. But they don’t consider which set of candidates would make the best team. By way of comparison, a coach putting together a basketball team would not select the five best athletes, but that combination of players whose combined skills are most likely to win games.

One of the things that the board would still lack is anyone with professional expertise in managing local governments.

The new board would remain a group of bright and dedicated amateurs. If we want a board that makes the optimal decisions for effective and efficient governance, it needs someone who has the knowledge and experience to assist it in doing so. That person is undoubtedly James Thompson.

I know and have worked with James Thompson for many years. At present, he is a professor in the Public Administration Department of the UIC College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, and served as department head for five years. Jim has extensive practical experience, having worked for 15 years in city and county government before returning to earn a PhD in public administration at Syracuse University (which has the top program in the nation). His practical experience and education make him unmatched in his ability to analyze local government revenues, costs and budgets, as well as how to make local services as productive as possible.

In addition, he would be unmatched in his skill in analyzing our community and surrounding areas to inform trustee decisions about business development and how to optimize revenue from it. He’s very familiar with the types of problems and successful solutions employed by other local communities, since he teaches the capstone Master of Public Administration course in which the students consult with Chicago area governments.

I personally feel that James Thompson is head and shoulders above all other Oak Park trustee candidates.

But even if you don’t agree that he is the very best, I do hope you will agree that as part of the trustee team he will help the trustees deal with the myriad of problems they will face in coming years. So I sincerely hope whoever else you vote for, one of your three votes will go to James Thompson.

Darold Barnum Oak Park

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Gates promotes intergovernmental approach Fellow Oak Parkers, I ask you to vote for Jim Gates for park district commissioner in the upcoming election. I have known Jim for 13 years, as a friend and a colleague. I first met him when I served as co-president of the League of Women Voters with his wife, Louise. From 2011 to 2015, I served with him on the District 97 school board.

I know Jim to be a person of integrity, sensitivity, and strong principles. He has always been interested and knowledgeable about village government, but his expertise and experience grew tremendously during his service on the D97 board.

During that time, he strongly favored intergovernmental activities and was very active in promoting the benefits of I-GOV, the body made up of representatives of the taxing bodies. Jim has firsthand expe-

throughout his high school years. This is a man who understands the workings and people of the school because he is always there! After high school, Fred has remained a close friend to my son and a wonderful role model.

Fred is a humble man without a hint of narcissism who imparts his core values of gratitude and humility to all he encounters. It is ridiculous that you would endorse two newcomers to the board who have no apparent nexus or familiarity with the district and each has an unaddressed apparent conflict of interest over an incumbent whom you endorsed four years ago and has fulfilled those promises to act in the best interests of our students, taxpayers, and faculty and staff.

We urge all citizens in Oak Park and River Forest to vote for Fred Arkin for the D200 Board of Education.

As a lifelong resident of this village, I have witnessed many changes, from our home being bombed in 1951 to Oak Park adopting a Fair Housing Ordinance in 1968, to naming a school after my dad [Percy Julian Middle School] in 1985.

Change is now coming to the Village Board of Trustees, with so many candidates vying for three board positions.

One candidate, however, who doesn’t need to be changed is the incumbent, Jim Taglia. Jim is my friend and neighbor.

He is a person of strong character and determination, a warm, kind, generous and compassionate man. He is a humanitarian, having deep, genuine concern for others and a willingness to help in any way possible.

Jim is a leader. He brings to the voting table a wealth of governing experience, as he served as an Oak Park Township Trustee for six years, prior to his stint as a village trustee since 2017. As a CPA, he has certainly been fiscally responsible in his government service.

He has contributed to making racial diversity a reality in our community through his unswerving dedication to the principle that people of all races can learn to live and work together. He supports the need for racial equity training for the personnel who staff our educational system, as well as all elected officials and village staff. He has an unshakeable commitment to the welfare, upbringing and early education of our children to ensure their future growth and development. He is not afraid to speak up for his beliefs and ideals and was a proponent for raising the age to 21 to purchase cigarettes. He has also been vocal about the regulation of electronic cigarettes.

He aggressively pursued the initiative for police to carry the antidote, Narcan, to administer to those suffering from an opioid overdose. He has been extremely vocal about not raising property taxes above 3 percent. He believes in affordable housing, as well as funding general assistance for the homeless. Jim advocates easing the overnight parking ban in congested areas, extending the time limit to pay a parking fine, and eliminating the boot on vehicles for non-payment of tickets.

He is a mediator. Often board members do not agree. Jim seeks to resolve conflicting views by establishing mutual understanding. He believes we make progress by listening to others.

If elected, he will continue to work for the betterment of Oak Park. I hope you will vote for this dedicated and deserving man to continue to serve on the village board.

Oak Park

Oak Park

riencing working with other taxing bodies to improve our community and find ways to do so more efficiently.

I am not surprised that Jim has chosen to run for the park district board. His many experiences as a longtime member of this community, a middle school teacher in D97, a school board member, and a promoter of intergovernmental initiatives make him an excellent candidate.

He will make every effort to represent everyone in the community and will work diligently with other elected officials to maintain the high standards we expect in Oak Park as efficiently as possible.

Please remember to vote on April 2, and I ask you to vote for James Gates, an experienced leader in our community.

Denise Sacks Oak Park

Taglia is a consensus-builder I can’t think of a more thoughtful, professional, reasonable, or hard-working public servant than Jim Taglia. We have disagreed on a few issues that were important to me, but I would not trade him as a colleague for anyone.

I believe that having differing viewpoints makes for a strong board. Being a trustee can be challenging. Certain decisions you are forced to make inevitably disappoint some residents or stakeholders, no matter how you vote. Jim under-

stands the nuance and complexity, not only of how government works, but also consensus building and relationships.

Wednesday Journal’s editorial endorsement perfectly stated that Jim is “necessary glue. Steady. Well studied.

Without ego.” It has been an honor and privilege working with Jim Taglia these last two years. I hope to continue working with him.

Deno Andrews

Trustee, village of Oak Park

Arkin for D200, simply the best WJ editors, boy did you get it wrong!

Fred Arkin has been the most effective member of the D200 school board in our lifetimes and our community needs to re-elect him to the board. Fred has delivered on the promises he made four years ago. He has been a driver of change (see all the new faces in the D200 administration). He has been an advocate for fiscal responsibility, supporting tens of millions of dollars of tax abatements and never voting for a full property tax levy.

He has not shied away from the difficult debate around facility issues, and when he saw how divided the community was, he supported a process that has resulted in community consensus for the critical first project.

We have known Fred since childhood.

He is a man whose passion for his community has benefited thousands of our youth. Our son, who was a wrestler at OPRF, had Fred as a coach and mentor

Taglia for continuity

Ginny Beacom

Faith R. Julian

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

Teardown vs. rehab buyers in River Forest

t’s unquestionable that the generous inventory of distinctive architecture in River Forest lends character and beauty and tradition to this village.

So I am thankful that the River Forest trustees have made efforts to preserve that tradition by creating and steering a Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). As with any initiative though, revisions become necessary. It seems preservation efforts could be more proactive and realistic in the village, particularly regarding the efforts made to save “significant properties” from demolition.

In terms of being realistic, it needs to be considered that if the village is getting applications to demolish a property, that means buyers see demolition as the highest and best use for the property, or that there is a lack of buyers interested in taking on the effort and work required to rehab the property. The first step is to see this and be realistic about the market and what type of buyers you are getting. The wish may be for rehab buyers, but if the reality is teardown buyers, then

you have to face the reality.

In terms of being proactive, if the village sees lots of these scenarios, a proactive approach might be to put together incentive programs that help buyers who are willing to rehab vs. raze, financially or otherwise, to navigate the process of restoring the home. If so, they would need to have these programs in place before the property is on the market, as well as maybe some ways to attract those buyers to these properties.

Maybe this includes a combination of grant money, tax incentives, etc. Maybe there would be programs to work with the sellers of these homes to encourage the marketing to include information about the property’s designation as significant. The idea is that the village proactively finds ways to save the property.

If those or other efforts on behalf of the village turn out to be unrealistic or unworkable, then we may need to accept the fact that a “teardown” buyer is all we have for a certain property and live with it.

JOHN GRANT

One View

One clear choice: Taglia At a time when there are a number of good candidates running for Oak Park village trustee, in my mind there is one clear choice — Jim Tagalia. Jim has the qualities that I look for when trying to decide who will represent me.

He is open-minded and thoughtful. He is a consensus builder. In my experience with Jim, he was always prepared to listen to all sides of an issue and based his decisions on facts without preconceived notions or viewpoints. Facts do matter, and I want someone with Jim’s mind and ability to come to a conclusion on issues based on facts and reasoned analysis.

He may not be a person of many words, but when he does speak, he speaks with the compassion and conviction of one who has done his homework and carefully considered the impact and outcomes. His final decisions are based on thorough, extensive fact-based examination and scrutiny, so he reaches a conclusion that will be in the best interest of all Oak Parkers.

Jim is a small business owner and I think that gives him insight into issues faced by other business owners in the village. I believe he understands that while a strong downtown

is good for Oak Park, we have many other business districts and areas of the village that need the focus a determined village board can bring.

I believe he will continue to be a valuable asset to the board by using his training as an accountant/CPA to drive budget discipline, keeping the village living within its means while balancing the need to meet the village’s responsibilities to residents and employees.

I believe him when he says he is committed to diversity, social justice and equity. As a lifelong resident of Oak Park he has seen the changes and growth and development this village has undergone over the last several decades. I know he is committed to viewing policy making through an equity lens to help more people experience all that makes Oak Park unique.

Like a lot of other voters, I will struggle with my second and third choices. Not merely because there are so many candidates but because so many are qualified. However, when looking for someone I can count on to be the voice of reason, my first choice is Jim Taglia.

Glenn Brewer

Former trustee, village of Oak Park

Keep Taglia on the board I’m writing in support of Jim Taglia who is seeking re-election as a village trustee. While serving as the chief of police, it was reassuring to have Trustee Taglia supporting the police department’s policy of treating every individual with dignity and respect. While remaining fiscally responsible, Jim ensured

that the police department had budgeted for sufficient personnel to effectively serve the community. It will be beneficial for the community to re-elect this experienced leader.

Anthony Ambrose

Retired chief of police Village of Oak Park

One thing is for sure, that if you have a “teardown” buyer and you try to force them through an HPC application to magically become a “rehab” buyer, you are set up for failure and disappointment. That is the unrealistic and non-proactive system we have in place now. The reality is that the owner has come in as a “teardown” buyer and has already made those plans and isn’t going to change them, and the relationship of HPC to the owner, who may be a village resident, is fated to be uncomfortable and unproductive, especially for the owner, who has to be dragged through applications, meetings, hearings, and unwanted publicity and attention.

This makes for a juicy article or two in the newspaper but accomplishes nothing. The process is guaranteed to make everybody at least a little unhappy. Let’s be more realistic.

Let’s either figure out more proactive solutions to find other buyers or let’s accept the buyer we get without putting them through the wringer for exercise, especially when the buyer is a village resident.

John Grant is a resident of River Forest.

Re-elect Spivy for D200

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Arkin to carry on D200’s hard work

While there are many fine choices for the D200 school board, Fred Arkin has my vote. He should have yours, too. For eight years, I have known Fred first as a dedicated wrestling coach and mentor to my son and other young people, and then a friend.

Four years ago, when he was elected to D200, I could not have imagined a more dedicated servant to our youth and community.

Fred has not disappointed. He has been unconditionally committed to the hard work demanded of this board. He brings a deep investment in our community and a strong sense of integrity to this role.

Elect Fred for four more years. He is the best person to carry forward the work of D200.

Sally Lemke Oak Park

Jack: a passionate advocate for D90

I strongly support Sara Spivy for re-election to the District 200 school board. When she told me she was running for D200 in 2015, she said, if elected, her focus would be on equity.

In Sara’s first term on the D200 board, she was instrumental in the following: ■ passed one of the most progressive gender equity policies in the nation to protect transgender and gender non-binary kids ■ created the Culture, Climate and Behavior Committee to address disproportionate discipline of African American students ■ began restorative justice training at all levels, including the school board ■ created the first director of equity position this winter.

Sara kept her promise to the voters that she would make her focus working for equity at OPRF. Now we, the voters, must vote for Sara and return her to the D200 board so she can continue the crucial equity work at OPRF in drafting and passing the district’s racial equity policy.

As a school board member in District 97 for the last eight years, I know what it takes to be a strong board member. I know that having a deep understanding of education issues is critical. You don’t want a school board to be made up entirely of educators but a few with classroom experience and expertise in public education are critical.

For these reasons, I’m endorsing Allison Jack for the River Forest District 90 school board. I’ve known Allison for over 20 years.

She is an energetic, passionate advocate for both equity and excellence in our public school systems.

She started as a classroom teacher and, since leaving the classroom, she has worked in public education locally, at the state level, and nationally for 28 years. Allison has a commitment to equity and ensuring that schools work for every child. She knows curriculum issues, finance issues, and special education issues. She would be an incredible asset to D90 and a great partner for equity efforts in D97 and District 200.

Allison’s experience, enthusiasm and commitment set her apart as an outstanding candidate for the D90 school board. She deserves your vote.

Oak Park

Oak Park

Ms. Jerry Delaney

Jim O’Connor

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Village needs bold, progressive trustees

Voting for Lefko for D90 school board I am a 40-year resident of River Forest. I grew up in River Forest and moved back to town in 2000. My youngest child attended Roosevelt for two years. My children are adults now, and my wife and I still enjoy living here because River Forest is exceptional in size, services, diversity and proximity.

It’s important to understand that the financial engine humming beneath these things we enjoy is our exceptional public schools. It’s an education destination for families. High performance fuels desirability and protects our investments. Supporting the schools is also a large part of what we are about as a community. In part, we live in a place like River Forest to ensure that all of the children of our community,

irrespective of their economic situation, receive the same excellent education our public schools have always offered.

I’ve been paying attention to the topic of change in River Forest schools. I’ve engaged with candidates, done my homework and understand what’s at risk. For the families expecting exceptional education, the magnitude of change will take highly qualified leadership at the board level so that education remains the hallmark of River Forest.

People like me need assurance that dollars spent will translate to student achievement, preservation of exceptional status, and continued desirability for new families. I understand my role as a homeowner and resident.

In researching candidates, I understand

which ones will upkeep River Forest values on exceptional education, the top priority of the new school board.

I’m voting for Steve Lefko because I believe he brings unique expertise that will serve the board, serve families expecting exceptional education, and serve to protect my investment in River Forest. He supports, for example, moving toward full-day kindergarten, closing the achievement gap with investments that bring up the bottom, and changes to the curriculum and scheduling, based on measured outcomes.

I strongly encourage you to vote the same this April 2.

Jim Lynch

River Forest

Incumbents and Avalos for D90

I write in enthusiastic support of the incumbents, Cal Davis, Barb Hickey, and Rich Moore, for four-year terms, along with Katie Avalos for the two-year term to the D90 school board.

Cal, Barb, and Rich have demonstrated a strong commitment to the concurrent principles of educational equity and excellence. They recognize that even though our D90 schools perform at extremely high levels, there is still work to do to address the performance gap at the lower end. Our schools must work for all of our students, and I believe this slate is the most qualified to close that gap while sacrificing none of the overall quality of education we demand for our children.

In close cooperation with our outstanding educational experts in the adminis-

tration, they have developed and communicated clear plans for curricula and instructional philosophy based on the most current peer-reviewed and field-tested research. The essentially flat operating budget over their term demonstrates their careful eye on fiscal responsibility. We get good value for our tax dollars here.

These board members have worked tirelessly, delivered results, and deserve the chance to realize their in-progress vision over their next term.

For the two-year term, Katie is the clear choice to join the incumbents. She shares their goal of closing the performance gap without making sacrifices to the rest of the student population, and has worked especially hard (and patiently!) to communicate her vision for doing so.

Her experience supporting the schools in various roles over the last few years gives her a unique insight into the workings of the district and the needs of all of our students, and her endorsements by so many past PTO officers speak volumes to that.

Beyond her work with the district, Katie has been a participant in the Community of Congregations, highlighting her exposure to diverse viewpoints and backgrounds across the villages. I’m excited to see what perspectives and ideas she will bring to an already strong team. She’s the right choice for D90, and I look forward to watching the schools continue to grow and improve over her term.

Vote for principled, pragmatic candidates For the last 12 years, I’ve been involved in efforts to achieve Oak Park’s promise of a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community, and I’ve also had the privilege to serve in government. I’ve been able to see the challenges and inherent tensions that are part of building community. I’ve also had the good fortune to meet and get to know many of the candidates running for office in 2019. Through these experiences I would like to encourage you to vote for the following candidates for re-election: For village trustee, I recommend Thomas Gary, Arti Walker-Peddakotla, and Jim Taglia.

All three have demonstrated a commitment to Oak Park’s diversity strategies. Thomas has abundant experience in government and understands how to navigate bureaucracy to achieve results. Arti is a clear progressive who will hold our government to our community’s

John Scholvin

River Forest

This is Oak Park. We built a reputation on our schools, our diversity and our progressive values. Nearly half our votes went to Bernie in 2016 and then we turned out for Hillary with 85.6% of the vote. We voted for Daniel Biss in 2018 and then supported J.B. Let’s not be the progressive community that votes to the left in national elections and then votes in the middle when it’s closer to home.

We need to support bold, progressive candidates for our village board.

We implore voters to research Arti Walker-Peddakotla, Susan Buchanan, Tim Thomas and Christian Harris as the most progressive options on our ballot this election.

This is Oak Park! Let’s show up to the polls and reclaim our progressive values.

Laura and Scott Sakiyama, Sarah Miyata, Mony Ruiz-Velasco, Jennifer Gnolfo, Teresa Powell, Elle Morton, Meagan Luhrs and Ryan Thompson, Paul Goyette, Jodi Walker, Jessica Daly, Eulàlia P. Abril, Amy and Brett Butler, Steve Krasinsky, Donna and Rick Villa, Sue Humphreys, Rachel Wright, Maya Puentes, Cate and Chip Readling, Anne McNamee-Keels, Michele and Jim Haptonstahl, Krissy and Andy Baker, Erin and Brian Sowers, Brynne and Matt Hovde, Carolina Fenske, Stephanie Bailey and Jordan Rash, Harmony Hermann and Steven McCanless, Cassandra West, Diana Shea, James Pfluecke, Sally A Wallace, Kelly Benkert and Ginger Colamussi, Charity Anne Caldwell, and Nicole and Jon Isca Oak Park

Buchanan for village trustee

core values. Jim is a thoughtful leader who approaches his job as service to community, not as self-promotion.

For District 97, I urge you to vote for Holly Spurlock, Cheree Moore, Jung Kim, and Gavin Kearney. Holly is critical to the district, both a strategic and hard-working board member. We need her leadership. Cheree, Jung, and Gavin have all proven themselves to be thoughtful advocates in the community.

For District 200, I recommend Ralph Martire and Sara Dixon Spivy. I have worked with them on Tri-Board activities and have appreciated their commitment to finding new ways to collaborate in ways that could make our schools districts more efficient, effective, and equitable.

Rob Breymaier Oak Park

The recent endorsement of Susan Buchanan by Wednesday Journal was very strong in terms of her gifts: “When she discusses local issues … she acknowledges that the choices ahead aren’t simple … and she is so right. This doesn’t make her wishywashy. … But those answers reflect nuance, and openness to listen, to learn, to persuade and be persuaded.

Those are fantastic and often rare qualities on an elected board.”

Adding to this positive endorsement, I am delighted that someone with the environmental medical background concerning toxic chemicals’ impact on communities could be on our board of trustees. With the decision of a judicial court declar-

ing that Monsanto/Bayer is responsible for the medical condition of a second cancer victim’s exposure to Glyphosate/Roundup, our opportunity to vote for a trustee with this background is very timely. We have been pre-empted from regulating toxic chemicals in our own communities — in Illinois as in 43 other states.

We have to be creative in what we can do to protect our children, our most vulnerable, precious citizens.

Susan’s medical background gives her the expertise to assist in making this concern a village priority.

Please give her your vote on April 2.

Peggy McGrath

GoGreen Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Return talented, passionate Arkin to D200

In its District 200 school board endorsement editorial, Wednesday Journal writes of my colleague Fred Arkin: “Not endorsing Fred Arkin is a hard choice. This is more like leaving a talented player off the playoff roster than in any way diminishing his talent or passion for the work of the high school.”

With all due respect to the prospective newcomers to the school board, I want to vouch for the accurate appraisal of Fred’s talent and passion. Beyond that, in my two years on the board, Fred has demonstrated an unsurpassed level of historical perspective and insight, analytical acumen, and compassion and heart that have been invaluable guides to me, the board, and the entire Oak Park and River Forest High School community.

To extend the newspaper’s athletic metaphor, this curious non-endorsement is like a grizzled manager who should know better benching a tested-andtrue clutch performer just when he is needed most.

The D200 board is in the midst of tremendous transition, on many fronts, and I am grateful that Fred is willing to continue the stellar, selfless work that has marked his first term.

I urge Oak Park and River Forest voters to reelect Fred Arkin.

Matt Baron

District 200 school board member

Why so few north side Little Libraries?

My friend Bob and I continue to take our weekly walks in Oak Park. A few months ago, I submitted a list of all the Little Free Libraries we found south of the Lake Street el. This time we covered all the streets north of the Lake Street el, noting all the Little Free Libraries we found there.

Alas, there were only 15 in comparison to the 37 south of the tracks. Quite a difference. I won’t hazard a guess what causes it, but the difference is striking. At any rate, the weather is warming up again, so it’s time to get out for a walk or a bike ride and perhaps visit a Little Free Library while you’re at it. Maybe you’ll find a treasure along the way, and maybe you can drop off a few books you’re done with and pay it forward.

Here’s the north side list: Austin Gardens, 633 Belleforte, 827 Columbia, 907 Elmwood, 536 N. Grove, 1105 Greenfield, 1201 N. Kenilworth, 19 LeMoyne Parkway, Lindbergh Park tennis courts, 6445 W. North Ave. (WonderWorks back entrance), 702 N. Oak Park Ave., 901 N. Oak Park Ave., 1141 N. Oak Park Ave., 216 N. Ridgeland, 630 N. Ridgeland.

Steven Olderr Oak Park

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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Wollmuth: Great for Oak Park’s parks

We are supporting Chris Wollmuth’s candidacy for commissioner of the Park District of Oak Park, and hope you will too, because we know he has the skills, experience, and ideas to be an excellent board member.

We have known Chris and his family for many years, and during this time we have found him to be good listener, collaborative, and very knowledgeable in areas that are core to the park district’s operations and success. As a parent of two active OPRF students, an active volunteer, an architect whose designs emphasize sustainability, and a frequent user of park district amenities, he has made numerous contributions to the vitality and sustainability of Oak Park.

Examples of his contributions include: seven years (four as leader) of the park district’s Green Advisory Committee (GAC), three years leading the Hatch School after-school/preschool program, coach of numerous OPAYSO Soccer and OPYBS Softball teams, and member of the St. Giles Sports Trivia organizing committee.

During his time on the GAC, he worked closely and effectively with park district staff and supported initiatives such as Zero Waste campaigns, energy/sustainability audits at park district facilities, and the utilization of native species in park designs and plantings.

Finally, I have played on several

Three for economic equity It is disappointing to see that Wednesday Journal has chosen to endorse candidates that do not adequately represent Oak Park values. Oak Park is special because of its tradition of prioritizing diversity, inclusion and equity. Historically, the village has taken radical action to promote racial and economic inclusion. We are in danger of ending that legacy.

In this era of growing xenophobia and racism, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. We must elect people who will be leaders on issues of equity and inclusion. Diversity is about real representation, not tokenism, like adding one person of color to the board who may or may not represent the interests of their community, for example. The costs of tokenism are high and include the perpetuation of racism and bias.

The affordability of living in Oak Park is also a concern. It is becoming increasingly difficult for low- and middle-income families to remain in the village. If this trend continues, we will lose our diversity and our identity as a supportive and welcoming community for all people.

The only candidates who are centering racial and economic equity in their campaigns are Arti Walker-Peddakotla, Tim Thomas and Christian Harris. All three are people of color with progressive values, and all have experience being a renter or low-income in Oak Park. All three also have records of leading on equity and inclusion.

Arti is a national leader on veterans’ issues and a local leader on equity, well-known in that circle of families and advocates. Christian is already a leader on youth equity issues and at the homeless coalition and other issues, and we don’t need to wait to watch him grow because he certainly has not waited. Tim has led local justice work, such as organizing an event to help low-income Oak Parkers fix their taillights to avoid tickets, and has a long history of working with elected officials like Don Harmon to pass legislation.

Other candidates may make the promise of leading on equity, but these three candidates are way out in front and already leading the way toward an Oak Park that works for all of us.

For too long our board has been majority white, businessfocused men who have put the interests of corporations, big developers and other elites over the needs of the village. We need leadership that reflects the values and the people of Oak Park, not more of the same.

Mary Dungy-Akenji

Member of the People’s Lobby Oak Park

teams with Chris and he is the ultimate team player, constantly encouraging his teammates and raising the level of play of the entire team. As a park district commissioner, we believe Chris will leverage his diverse experiences to ensure that the highest quality programs, facilities, fields and natural areas are available to all residents, visitors, and park district affiliate organizations.

Please join us in voting for Christopher R. Wollmuth on April 2.

Paul Aeschleman

Park board, 2011-2019

Tricia Feeley Matthew Aeschleman First-time voter

These 3 will help ‘Reclaim Oak Park’

I have been arguing with myself about whether to send this email. Last summer I was reaching out to people I knew to run for local office, and I have been delighted with the many choices we have available in this election — possibly more than ever before and certainly more than any election since I moved to Oak Park over 40 years ago.

Local elections matter, and those you elect are your neighbors, more accessible than any other level of government.

They affect your daily life in tangible ways and have, at some important points in the past, helped to point Oak Park in a more inclusive direction.

Over the past few years I have noticed increasing dissatisfaction with the direction of local government. This election is an important moment to make a positive change in direction, as voters did at the state and national level last fall.

After talking with many of the candidates for local office over the past few months, I support the “Reclaim Oak Park” candidates: Tim Thomas, Arti Walker-Peddakotla, and Christian Harris. These candidates bring new and refreshing perspectives to the election and are not afraid to speak the truth rather than making empty promises as some prior candidates did. The candidates I support are honest and open about making government responsive to the needs and concerns of all of our residents, not just the well-connected. They address the root problem of high property taxes, rather than making empty promises about “cutting taxes.”

In the past few days, Tim and Arti actually took the time to go to Springfield to lobby for the Fair Tax, which would go a long way toward addressing state budget problems and could make a real impact on our property taxes by funding schools at the levels they did in past decades.

After serving eight years with as village clerk through some very tough financial times, I know that neither the village nor the schools alone can “cut taxes.” The state cuts to education funding over the past several decades (now worst in the nation) are the source of our tax burden. Oak Parkers know that good schools are not only good for our kids but how we maintain our property values — and we voted over the years to keep supporting our schools despite these cuts.

For these reasons and others, I invite you to join me in supporting Tim, Arti and Christian when you vote for village trustees.

Teresa Powell

Former village clerk

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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An excellent choice for trustee

I have known James Thompson over 20 years and respect his wisdom tackling large budget projects at our church, studying all angles. At Village Transportation and Environmental Advisory Commission meetings, James posed detailed questions, made astute observations regarding options, and proposed best solutions. I observed him helping committees reach equitable compromises and solutions regarding numerous environmental and transportation issues that all parties could accept.

Knowing how complex our village issues are, I would expect him to thoroughly research all options presented for consideration, listen to all viewpoints, and ask every hard question he had. Then after all the discussion and bargaining, he would thoughtfully propose solutions and contribute to

compromises.

James is one of the most active, environmentally-conscious members of our church congregation, and has many environmental issues on his platform to continue to move Oak Park forward. He will fight for those on a fixed income who are struggling to continue to live in our village due to increasing property taxes, by examining all expenses and finding new revenue streams. He is very approachable, and I know he will welcome questions and issues from his whole constituency during his term.

Please join me in voting for Thompson for trustee to represent us and our issues on the Oak Park Village Board. I wholeheartedly recommend James!

Mary Rinder

Oak Park resident since 1987

Race is core to our complex issues I watched as 11 candidates for three open village trustee positions presented their views at the Buzz Café forum.

These Oak Park citizens were personable, poised, and prepared for the daunting challenges of Oak Park governance.

They answered audience questions without worn clichés and policy wonkiness.

Their sincerity, sophistication, and commitment was evident and on full display.

As the evening concluded, it was a difficult but rewarding challenge to decide on my support for the April 2 election.

The village’s perennial complex issues — taxes, development, and inclusiveness — all have a single core element: Race.

Thus my unwavering support for Artie Walker-Peddadkotla, Susan Buchanan, and Thomas Gary. These candidates project a unique understanding of the complex nuances and intersections of policy, laws, technology and social conformity.

Our village is indeed the beneficiary of their remarkable talents and passion should they succeed in their quest to become Oak Park trustees.

Also kudos to the Buzz Café and staff for sponsoring and accommodating this civic gathering.

Vote for Arti and racial justice

While it’s great to see so many Oak Park village trustee candidates addressing equity in their platforms, one candidate stands out in making racial equity the centerpiece of her campaign — Arti Walker-Peddakotla. For Arti, racial equity isn’t simply a campaign priority; it’s a lifelong commitment.

It’s enough of an uphill climb to be a woman of color candidate in our white and male-dominated political arena. It’s even more courageous to boldly stand for racial justice when laying low on race would be far more palatable to many voters. But race issues are staring us in the face, and Arti isn’t one to sidestep real issues. She may be the underdog but rising to this challenge makes her an over-achiever.

For Arti, like many, the election of Trump was a wake-up call, bringing clarity and urgency to what’s at stake, both locally and nationally. The federal government can’t be counted on to protect us, so local government must step up for the most vulnerable. She has marched, organized, canvassed, and worked on electoral campaigns.

Arti’s blend of skills and life experiences will be a valuable asset to our village board. Born to Indian immigrants, she served in the U.S. Army and is now a senior product manager at a nonprofit tech company. She came to Oak Park as a single mother with a low income, renting a small studio apartment. Thanks to a VA loan, she now lives in a home with her husband and three children.

Re-elect Barbara Hickey

She has faced economic hardship, racism and sexism, which gives her an important perspective to bring to our board. She looks deeply and holistically at our key issues, making connections between our school districts and village government, and local and state tax policy.

She’s genuine, humble, passionate, and will fight for the underdog, the working class, and those struggling economically.

Arti founded OPRF for Racial Equity, a new organization supporting women of color candidates running for local office. Currently, there are seven women of color candidates affiliated with this new formation, including Arti for Oak Park trustee; Erika Bachner for River Forest trustee; Gina Harris for District 200 school board; Jung King, Cheree Moore, and Barika Grant-Kirzan for District 97 school board; and Virginia Bloom-Scheirer for Oak Park Library Board.

Woman of color are the most consistent progressive voters and they’re now running for office across the country. They’re shaking up Congress and the Democratic Party, while advancing some of the most progressive policy in this country. For real change, this is your ticket.

I especially want to appeal to my fellow white voters to support Arti’s leadership. If you’re serious about racial justice and progressive change, it’s woman of color who will lead the way.

Terry Keleher Oak Park

Who you gonna trust?

Unity Temple.

He cares about people. Jim serves on the governing board of the Collaboration for Early Childhood, advancing one of the village’s most important equity initiatives.

Early on, he worked with staff to shut down illegal massage parlors that enslave women who are sex-trafficked. He voted for Inclusionary Zoning and he supports equity initiatives such as Governing for Racial Equity.

During his prior service on the Township Board, he was awarded Elected Official of the Year by the Illinois Township Association for an initiative he created to help seniors in need of emergency services.

Jim operates outside “politics” and without ego. He does not grandstand to make headlines. In him, you will find a call to duty, a high level of integrity and selfless service to the community. He is truly independent and votes his conscious on every issue.

Some people are just plain good. Vote for Jim Taglia for Trustee.

Barbara Hickey is an engaged member of the D90 School Board. I urge you to vote for her re-election.

I have had the opportunity to work with her on several communitydriven initiatives for positive change. She strives to ensure that River Forest schools prepare all youth for a bright future. Barbara takes her role seriously and goes above and beyond to understand the needs of students and families. She volunteers in the community and serves on several committees: River Forest subcommittee on collaboration, Oak Park Township Workgroup for Positive Youth Development (+PYD), Oak Park-River Forest Food Pantry, and longtime board member for PING! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation).

Barbara Hickey is a leader who values data-driven decision-making with community buy-in for maximum effectiveness. She is an invaluable member of D90’s board. I urge you to vote for Barbara Hickey for D90 school board on April 2nd.

The very welcome retreat of Golub & Co’s unthinkable proposal for a high-rise at 835 Lake St. is curiously timed. It seems to take the issue of inappropriate development off the table for the upcoming election. Those who have watched in dismay as Downtown Oak Park has suffered the arrival of one after another monstrously oversized building know better than to relax, however. The recent record of village government is littered with broken promises of transparency and accountability. Most recently, the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance pushed through by the village board was designed to divide and conquer. By giving developers “automatic” height variances in exchange for including affordable units, the current IZO pits advocates of affordable housing against opponents of inappropriate development.

Those of us who voted in the last election for independent and progressive new voices on the board have good reason to now wonder, “Who you gonna trust?” Only three candidates in the current race — Tim Thomas, Christian Harris, and Joshua Klayman — have signed pledges of principle, to build transparent government, to fulfill Oak Park’s promise as a community of equity, to advance policies that support economic diversity, and to advocate appropriate development that enhances both architecturally and economically. Tim Thomas, Christian Harris, and Joshua Klayman bring not only the experience needed to serve effectively but also a dedicated commitment to serve independently.

You can count on that.

Village trustee

Oak Park village clerk

Oak Park

Robert Sherrell

Former Oak Park trustee

Taglia works for the community

Jim Taglia is a man of service and integrity. He deserves your vote on April 2.

A lifelong Oak Parker, he understands the importance of our intentional efforts to be an integrated community, our world class architecture and even the value of our tree canopy.

As a village trustee, Jim is a responsive problem-solver. He will listen to your concerns, and he will find a solution. He worked with staff to solve the village clerk FOIA issue and the overcharging for special events.

He led the charge to limit our levy growth to 3% last year. He stepped up code enforcement on North Avenue and is working to promote improvements to that district. He addressed the concerns of southeast Oak Park families about a business that created a nuisance and diminished their quality of life.

He led the board to reject a proposal to tear down a historic house abutting Mills Park. On the issues before us, Jim supports budget reform and rejects the proposal to build a 28-story high-rise that would shadow

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Simone Boutet

Vicki Scaman

Wendy Greenhouse

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

53

O B I T U A R I E S

Lee Waldron, 94

Christine Long, 87

Lee Waldron, 94, a World War II Army veteran, devoted husband, father and grandfather, died on March 16, 2019 after an extended illness. Born in Boston, Mass., on Dec. 12, 1924, he grew up in Bow Lake, N.H., where his family had been settled since the early 18th century. He enlisted in the Army at 18 and attended basic training in Massachusetts before setting off for the European Theater.

He was among the troops that landed on the beaches of Normandy in June 1944 and served in the Battle of the Bulge. A graduate of Northeastern University, he held LEE WALDRON a master’s degree from Central Michigan University, and worked as a contracting officer for the U.S. Department of Defense. As a young man, he was active in community theater.

Lee was the beloved son of the late Murray and Ruth (Liptzer) Waldron, and cherished brother of James Waldron and the late George Waldron. He is mourned by his wife of 60 years, Paula (Nachman); his children Richard Waldron, Deborah Waldron, and Stacey Moncrieff; his daughterin-law Shea Waldron and son-in-law Bruce Moncrieff; and eight grandchildren, Jonathan and Alex Waldron, David, Gabriel, and Myriam Ries, and Nathan, Celeste, and Adam Moncrieff. Lee and Paula have been residents of Oak Park for the past eight years. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

A memorial service will be held on April 22 at 1 p.m. at Oak Park Temple, 1235 Harlem Ave. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Salvation Army or to the Masonic Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, Morrison Lodge, 158 First NH Turnpike, Northwood, NH 03261-0090. Info: The Goldman Funeral Group, www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com 847-478-1600.

Christine Long (nee Przybyla), 87, died on March 10, 2019 in Chicago. A graduate of Alverno College, her passions included politics, the nuts and bolts of the democratic process, immigrant and civil rights issues, and Polish culture and politics. She worked for many political campaigns and causes and was known as an expert in ballot access and coordinating with ethnic coalitions. She reportedly helped 4,000 people become U.S. citizens and worked for the Polish congress during that country’s transition from communism to democracy. She conducted political training for their first presidential election. Her activity in civic groups included the City Club of Chicago, Illinois Ethnic Coalition, National Polish American-Jewish American Council, Polish American Economic Forum, U.S. Poland Chamber of Commerce, and Warsaw Committee of Chicago Sister Cities International.

Christine Long is survived by her husband, Jerome; her children, Genia, Martin and Stephen; and her grandchildren, Max, Marina, Alec, Jacob (Jaffe) and Hannah.

She donated her brain as part of a study of the Cognitive Neurological and Alzheimer’s Disease Center, and her body went to the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois. A commemorative event will be organized by her family. Donations may be made to Planned Parenthood, Feeding America, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Alverno College, her favorite causes.

World War II vet

Send letters Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

Activist and volunteer

James Gery, 51

Lived, laughed and loved deeply James Kurtz Gery, 51, died in a snowmobile accident on March 15, 2019. Born on Feb. 20, 1968 in Indianapolis, he went to North Central High School, graduated from the University of Michigan, and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago. He had a bunch of great jobs, none of which defined him. He lived for his family and friends. Lori is his true love and his perfect person. He loved and respected her with every ounce of his being.

His son Will (aka “Willie”) was his utter pride, his mini-me, “exactly like me,” he would say with a smile, and Jim met his match with his best girl, Lilah, his “Hootie Hoo,” his sports star and TV watching pal.

His band of brothers is vast — Mike, Kip, Ted, Thad, his River Forest posse, his college crew and countless more. He had an unparalleled level of acceptance of others. He did not allow complaining and freely shared gratitude for his life.

“Truly blessed” he would say, with an element of sarcasm. Walloon Lake was his happy place. He loved nothing more than his new “little house,” his snowmobiles, a boat cruise to the Barrel Back and golf at the WLCC. James Gery is survived by his parents, Lee and Ellis Gery; his sister, Shawn (Dave) Trippel; his aunts, Marilyn (Phil) Parker, Diann (Bobby) Walker, and Carolyn Kurtz; his in-laws, Pat (Harriet) Brazil; his sister-in-law Maria (Bruce) Ianni; and his beloved Isabelle, Mack and Matia.

Be “Jim Gery-like” (pronounced Jim Gerry-like): live, laugh and love deeply. Be grateful. Be kind.

A memorial service is being held at First Presbyterian Church of River Forest, 7551 Quick Ave. on Friday, April 5 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Walloon Lake Association, www.walloon.org.

Family and friends wishing to share a thought or memory of Jim are encouraged to do so online at www.stonefuneralhomeinc.com.

Richard Canapary, 65

TV co-host, animal lover Richard Canapary, 65, of Pahrump, Nevada and a former Oak Park resident, died suddenly on Oct. 10, 2018. Born in Brooklyn, New York to Robert and Anne on Sept. 19, 1953, the family moved to Oak Park when he 3. He graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School. He attended Triton College before heading out to the University of Arizona.

While in Tucson, he joined the Pima County Sheriff ’s Department, then enlisted in and proudly served in the Marine Corps Reserve where he earned the rank

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/467-9066 before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

of sergeant. After receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Illinois and got a broker’s license and began working for Inland Real Estate. On weekends, he served with the Illinois Auxiliary Police.

At Inland, he met Sandra Weyenberg, the girl he would marry. They did so in 1985 and shared life together for 33 years. After Inland, he attended Heating and Air Conditioning School and opened his own company. However, his time spent in the Southwest was always on his mind; he loved the weather and the desert. In 1999, Sandee and Rich moved to Pahrump, Nevada, where he worked along with Sandee at TV Channels 30 and 62. He loved being a television co-host on the morning show and filling in on Swap Shop. A real ham in front of the camera, in 2006, he, Sandee and others formed RICHARD a group called the CANAPARY “Nye County Gold Seekers.” On Saturdays, they would travel to the old mining town of Johnny and pan for gold. Fun times except for the snakes.

Everyone who remembers him is asked to celebrate Rich’s life in their own way.

Raising a glass of their favorite drink in his memory would be quite appropriate.

Rich Canapary is survived by his wife, Sandee; his mother, Anne; his siblings, Mary Anne Manley, Sue (Michael) Flanagan, Jim (Linda) and Joanne (Greg) Stopka; his brother-in-law, Greg (Gloria) Weyenberg; his nieces and nephews, Brock (Kara), Jackie, Sean (Katie), Heather (Rev. Catherine), Bob, Jenny, Karen; and his grandniece, Clare. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert, and his nephew, Lucas.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 23 from 9:30 a.m. until Mass, 10:30 a.m., at River Forest’s St. Luke Church, 7600 Lake St., followed by private interment.

In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates memorial donations to Friends of Strays Inc., P.O. Box 315, Princeton, IL 61356 or www.friendsofstraysshelter.org.

Family Law Donald B. Boyd Jr. • Divorce/Wills/Trusts • Real Estate Closings • Civil Unions • LGBT Issues • Custody Visitation • Child Support Free Initial Consultation

708-848-1005

402 Lake Street #200, Oak Park 60302 Evening & Weekend Appointments Available Major Credit Cards Accepted DonBoydLaw@yahoo.com.

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Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM New local ads this week

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED Deadline is Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

Place your ad online anytime at: www.OakPark.com/Classified/

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM HELP WANTED 2019 SUMMER STUDENT EMPLOYMENT The Village of Oak Park has openings for the 2019 Summer Seasonal Student Employment. Opportunities are in the Engineering, Water & Sewer, Streets Division, and Fleet & Forestry Divisions. Interested applicants must be 18 years old and actively enrolled in a post-secondary academic program. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

BI Developer sought by Coyote Logistics LLC in Chicago, IL. Dlvr fnctnl & actnbl BI cntnt rngng frm ETL pckgs to Tableau Dshbrds.

Apply @ www.JobPostingToday. com, REF# 59254.

EDUCATION/OFFICE /PT TIME Skills Tutoring Center in Riverside is looking for part time help. This position would include light office work and occasional tutoring. Background check required. Schedules are flexible /afternoons and evenings. Call 708-447-8200. Email: skillstutoringcenter@gmail.com

You have jobs.

We have readers!

Find the best employees with Wednesday Classified!

Call 708/613-3333

HELP WANTED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INTERN The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Environmental Health Intern in the Health Department. This fulltime seasonal position will provide assistance to the Environmental Health Practitioners in the inspection and local businesses, homes and other establishments to enforce state and local laws and ordinances related to public Health safety; to respond and resolve citizen complaints regarding nuisances and reported epidemics. . Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than April 5, 2019.

HUMAN RESOURCES REP The Royal Group is a 95-year-old, Midwest manufacturer located in Cicero, IL. This position reports to the Human Resources Manager and is responsible for actively managing all day-to-day divisional H.R. processes, programs and procedures.

The candidate must be a strategic thinker, with strong organizational skills, strong attention to detail, ability to work with a unionized workforce and ideally someone with previous H.R. experience and Spanish communications skills.

LANDSCAPE/LABORER Independent landscaper looking for landscape laborers for Oak Park area. 30-40 hrs a week. Mon-Fri. 708-547-9121

ACCOUNTING CLERK Responsibilities: Qualifications: • Accounting duties • Previous experience in accounting, finance, or other related fields • Process invoices accurately and timely • High level of accuracy in data entry skills • Check the accuracy of business transactions • Ability to prioritize and multitask • Perform data entry and adminis• Strong organizational skills trative duties • Deadline and detail-oriented • Preparation of payable checks • Proficient in Microsoft Excel • Posting of checks and ACH • Proficient in QuickBooks payments Benefits: • Create, edit and update spreadMedical, Vision, Dental, Life Insursheets in excel ance, Short-term and Long-term • Daily, weekly and monthly disability and retirement plans. reporting Candidates will be tested on all skillset. Qualified Candidates should send their resumes and salary requirements to humanresources@icl-na.com BOOKKEEPER Responsibilities: Qualifications: • Bookkeeping duties • 2+ years Previous experience in accounting, finance, or other • Obtain primary financial data for related fields accounting records • Fundamental knowledge of • Process invoices accurately and GAAP timely • High level of accuracy in data • Check the accuracy of business entry skills transactions • Ability to prioritize and multitask • Perform data entry and administrative duties • Strong organizational skills • Preparation of payable checks • Deadline and detail-oriented • Auditing as needed • Proficient in Microsoft Excel • Posting of checks • Proficient in QuickBooks • Create, edit and update spreadBenefits: sheets in excel Medical, Vision, Dental, Life Insur• Create and manage Purchase ance, Short-term and Long-term Orders disability and retirement plans.

• Daily, weekly and monthly reporting Candidates will be tested on all skillset. Qualified Candidates should send their resumes and salary requirements to humanresources@icl-na.com

HELP WANTED Montessori Elementary Teacher– Park View Montessori School, III, Inc. Job Loc.: 640 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60613. Job Reqmts: Bachelor’s Deg or equiv; Teaching diploma from an accredited Montessori Teacher Education Program; & Spoken & written proficiency in Spanish lang. reqd; Salary $54,300. Duties: Spend approx.

90% of the time teaching elementary students in accordance w/ the Montessori Methods (ages 6-12); Prep a weekly & monthly presentation plan for review & supervision by the level coordinator to fulfill educational areas, such as: lang., geography, art & culture, geology, geometry, algebra, & history; Create & maintain records, reports, evaluations, inventories, student records & testing in a timely manner; Provide and coord parent conferences, meetings & other communications throughout the school yr; Attendance at school functions & parent association functions in support of the school community; Meet w/ level coordinators to discuss, plan & implmt curriculum & attend faculty meetings & in-srvcs; Identify & call to the attention of the administrator any students w/ special difficulties or learning disabilities that need to be addressed & discussed w/ parents; & Coord class field trips.

Applicants send CV via fax at 773477-3725 or by mail.

PROGRAM COORDINATOR Oak Park (IL) Residence Corporation, a community based, non-profit housing development corporation is seeking an experienced Program Coordinator to manage The Oaks, a 76-unit congregate apartment building for seniors and non-senior persons with disabilities, and the Farrelly-Muriello Apartments, a 21-unit apartment building for persons with disabilities.

The qualified candidate will have previous experience in managing housing for seniors and persons with disabilities and a strong knowledge of HUD and Public Housing Programs, policies, regulations, and reporting requirements. EIV experience as it relates to tenant income and reporting and a working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, YARDI Voyager as it relates to Affordable Housing and Public Housing programs, and HUD program software is required. This is a full-time, exempt position.

The Oak Park Residence Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

To view a complete position description and learn more about our organization, please visit our website at www.oakparkrc.com/work-oprc If interested, please forward a cover letter and resume to Beth Swaggerty, at bswaggerty@oakparkrc.com.

Starting A New Business?

Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in Journal/Review/ Landmark/Austin CLASSIFIED! Call 708/613-3342

HELP WANTED

CITY RENTALS

SEASONAL FARMERS’ MARKET ASSISTANT The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Assistant in the Health Department.

This position will provide administrative support to the Farmers’ Market Manager to allow growers and producers of food to sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This position requires work in inclement weather conditions; some heavy lifting of up to 50 pounds; walking or standing for sustained periods of time. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

Open until filled

AUSTIN VILLAGE APARTMENT 5937 W MIDWAY PKWY Clean 1BR apt, 1/2 blk from OP Green Line & shops. 3rd flr. $785/ mo. Heat not included.

708-383-9223

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

The Village of Oak Park has openings for the 2019 Summer Planning and/or Historic Preservation Internship, in the Development Customer Services department.

Interested applicants must be current students in an undergraduate or graduate program in urban planning, historic preservation or related field. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http:// www.oak-park.us/.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

Lost & Found and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

REMODELED 2BR & 3BR Beautifully remodeled 2 & 3 bdrm apts in quiet, clean & maintained bldgs. 933 N. Leamington St., & 5256 W. Fulton: $825-$1200 (Sect 8 welcome!). Apts. incld hrdwod, ceramic & new carpet. On-site laundry appliances incld. Credit/bkgrnd ck req’d. Call 708-307-8178 for a private showing.

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro.

Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up.

773-637-5957 Large Sunny Room with fridge & microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101.00 week & up. New Mgmt.

773-378-8888

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M property management, inc.

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

Apartment listings updated daily at:

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Forest Park

7740 Madison Street 1200 sq. ft. of built-out office space with parking in front. $1,750 per month

Strand & Browne 708-488-0011 THERAPY OFFICES FOR RENT Therapy offices for rent in north Oak Park. Rehabbed building. Nicely furnished. Flexible leasing. Free parking; Free wifi; Secure building; Friendly colleagues providing referrals. Shared Waiting room; optional Conference room. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays.

Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

GARAGE/YARD SALES OakPark

HUGE SPRING GARAGE SALE! OAK PARK ARMS PATIO ROOM 408 S. OAK PARK AVE SUN 3/31 12PM to 4PM

Adult and kids clothing, toys, games, household and sports items, jewelry and more! All proceeds benefit the Jack and Jill of America Foundation.

ITEMS FOR SALE CERTIFIED WIND SURFER Full Size, with cover and sail $125.00 WATER SKIS $25.00 708-488-8755 HEAVY WROUGHT IRON OUTDOOR BENCH WITH BACK White. $25.00 OUTDOOR METAL CHAIR Cream. $25.00 Call 708-488-8755.

MUSIC Musical scores, piano trios, concertos, violin, cello and flute music. All 1/2 price or less.

708-488-8755 PILATES EQUIPMENT AeroPilates 5-Cord Reformer with Rounder and 2 DVDs. Hardly used.

Asking $65.00. 773 577-7675

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

PIANO SALES STEINWAY 5-foot Grand. Mahogany finish.

Case and ivories in excellent condition. Action needs adjustment $2500. Oak Park. 708-386-8318.

AUTO FOR SALE PORSCHE CAYENNE S 4-SALE 2004 Porsche Cayenne S for sale. $6000. Looks beautiful and runs well. 184k miles. Heated front and rear seats. Black exterior with black leather interior. Bose sound system sounds great. AWD. All weather floor mats. Clean title; my family has owned this car since we bought it brand new.

Call or text with questions: 773-412-4640. In Oak Park.

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers-lead plastic-other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

NOVENA NOVENA PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL) OH, MOST BEAUTIFUL flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor ofheaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. RB.

CHILDREN’S DENTAL BRACES BOUTIQUE

Our orthodontic practice is now open with a convenient location in downtown oak park. Call us at 708-613-5023 for a Complimentary consult for braces or Invisalign. We provide orthodontic services for kids and adults using the newest available technology. www.OakParkOrtho.com

Selling your home by owner?

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email us: classifieds@oakpark.com | classifieds@riverforest.com

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CLASSIFIED

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

CEMENT

PLUMBING

Residential Commercial Industrial Licensed Bonded Insured Free Estimates ¡ Veteran Owned

Drives Walks Patios Stamped Concrete Curbs/Gutters Garage Floors Foundations Water Control / Management

devegaconcrete.com ¡ 708-945-9001

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We make service calls!

We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 PUBLIC NOTICES Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

CLEANING

HANDYMAN

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%,%#42)#!, (!.$9-!. 3%26)#%3

Jump into spring! Everything we touch turns to clean! For a detailed cleaning please call 708-937-9110

ELECTRICAL ++++++++++++++ + + + HUGHS + + ELECTRIC + + + Appliance lines + Lighting + —services + Furnace repair & tune-ups + + + Trouble calls Free Estimates + + 10% Senior Discount + + Lic & Insured Since 1986 + + Good References + + + 708-612-4803 + ++++++++++++++

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

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

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

GARAGE/GARAGE DOOR

!LL 4YPES OF (OME 2EPAIRS 2EPAIRS )NSTALLATIONS 0ROFESSIONAL 1UALITY 7ORK !T 2EASONABLE 0RICES 0ROMPT 3ERVICE 3MALL *OBS A 3PECIALTY

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

708-296-2060

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

773-732-2263 Ask for John

HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

Smart Door Openers

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

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Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

Our 73rd Year

Garage Doors & Sales & Service

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

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

55

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

ď šď Żď šď Żď šď Ż ď Żď šď Żď šď Ż

PLUMBING

A-All American

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t Lic. #0967

HAULING

WINDOWS

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Public Notice: Your right to know PUBLIC NOTICES The Park District of Forest Park (“Park District� or “Owner�) will receive bids for the Aquatic Facility Bathhouse Flooring Project, located at the 7501 West Harrison Street, Forest Park, Illinois 60130. Bid Documents, including Instructions to Bidders, Drawings, Technical Specifications, General and any Special Conditions, and Bid Forms, including required Contractor Certifications and Prevailing Wage Determination and Supersedes Notice, are available at Park District of Forest Park Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois 60130 commencing on March 27, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

A Pre-bid Meeting will be held at Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois, at 10:00 a.m. on April 3, 2019.

This meeting will be used to review the Specifications and give any Bidders the opportunity to discuss any concerns with the Owner and Architect. Attendance at this meeting by all persons desiring to bid on this Project is highly recommended.

Each bid shall be placed in an opaque sealed envelope and clearly marked “Park District of Forest Park, Aquatic Facility Bathhouse Flooring Project.� The envelope shall be addressed and delivered to and received by the Park District at the following location: Administration Building, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park, Illinois 60130. No responsibility shall be attached to any person

PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given by the Board of Education of Oak Park District 97 in the County of Cook, State of Illinois, that its Estimated 20182019 Amended Budget, approved the March 12, 2019 meeting, will be on public display until Tuesday, April 30, 2019, when a Public Hearing will be conducted on said budget. This Estimated 2018-2019 Amended Budget will be on file and conveniently available for public inspection in the office of the Secretary of the Board of Education–260 Madison Street–Oak Park, IL (60302) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. commencing Wednesday, March 27, 2019 through Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

A Public Hearing on the budget will be conducted on April 30, 2019 prior to final adoption of said 2018-2019 Amended Budget at its April 30, 2019 meeting–held at 7:00 p.m. in the Board of Education Meeting Room–260 Madison Street–Oak Park, IL (60302).

Dated this 27th day of March, 2019 Sheryl Mariner Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

Attention! Home-improvement pros!

Don’t be caught short‌ reach the people making the decisions‌ Advertise your home improvement business in Wednesday Classified.

Call 708/613-3342

PUBLIC NOTICE Invitation to Bid for premature opening of a bid not properly identified.

Bids will be received until 10:00 a.m.

April 10, 2019. Immediately thereafter, the bids will be publicly opened and read aloud. Bids received after that time or at a different location will be rejected and returned to the Bidder unopened.

The Park District of Forest Park reserves the right to waive technicalities, to accept or reject any or all bids, and/or to accept only portions of a bid and reject the remainder.

Owner will award the Contract to the lowest most responsible and responsive Bidder, as determined by Owner. In considering the Bidder’s responsibility, the Owner may evaluate, among other factors, the ability of the Bidder to provide experienced labor sufficient in numbers to timely and properly complete the services, the financial capability of the Bidder, and the performance of the Bidder on other projects.

Bids shall not include federal excise tax or state sales tax for materials to be incorporated in, or totally consumed in the prosecution of the Work. A tax exemption certificate will be furnished by the Park District at the request of the Bidder. The Park District’s tax exemption number shall only be used by the successful Bidder for the Work of this Project.

After the bid opening time, no bid shall be withdrawn or canceled for a period of sixty (60) calendar days.

PUBLIC NOTICES The Work of this Project is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq. A prevailing wage determination has been made by the Park District, which is the same as that determined by the Illinois Department of Labor for public works projects in Cook County. The Contract entered into for the Work will be drawn in compliance with said law and proposals should be prepared accordingly and provide for payment of all laborers, workmen, and mechanics needed to perform the Work at no less than the prevailing rate of wages (or the prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work) for each craft, type of worker, or mechanic.

The Contractor(s) selected will also be required to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and executive orders, including but not limited to those pertaining to equal employment opportunity.

All bids must be accompanied by cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the order of the Park District of Forest Park for ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bid as provided in the Instructions to Bidders. No proposals or bids will be considered unless accompanied by such bond or check.

Direct questions to Jackie Iovinelli, Executive Director, Park District of Forest Park, jiovinelli@pdofp.org, 708-366-7500.

Published in Forest Park Review 3/27/2019

Insured

Ralph Grande Elmwood Park 708-452-8929

Serving Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park & Riverside Since 1974

PUBLIC NOTICES

Sealed bids will be received by the Board of Library Trustees of the Forest Park Public Library for the Interior Renovations of the Forest Park Public Library, 7555 Jackson Blvd, Forest Park, IL 60130. Sealed bids will be received on or before 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at the Administrative Office of the Forest Park Public Library, 7555 Jackson Blvd, Forest Park, IL 60130. Bids received after that time will not be considered.

All bids shall be submitted on or before the specified closing time in an opaque sealed envelope marked “Forest Park Public Library, Interior Renovations–, Bid Package #______________________� on the outside.

The bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Meeting Room of the Forest Park Public Library at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Bids shall be submitted in the form and manner contained in the Bidding Requirements.

Bid Documents will be available after 4:00PM on April 2, 2019.

Contractors may obtain electronic copies of the Bidding Documents at no cost from Shales McNutt Construction through the Shales McNutt PROCORE Electronic plan room. Please contact Nicole Frohling at 847.622.1214, nicolefrohling@shalesmcnutt.com to make arrangements to obtain a set of Bidding Documents. Hard copies of the documents will not be provided.

Pre-bid contractor walk-through meetings will be held Wednesday April 10th at 2:00 pm in Meeting Room in the library. Attendance at one of these meeting is not mandatory however is the best opportunity to see non-public spaces if needed.

The Library will be open for prospective bidders to tour, on their own,

LEGAL NOTICE FOREST PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS during normal hours of operation. All questions are to be directed to either Nicole Frohling or Jason Perkunas at Shales McNutt Construction at nicolefrohling@shalesmcnutt.com or jasonperkunas@shalesmcnutt. com The work consists of the following Bid Packages: BP-06A–General Trades Work BP-09A–Drywall and Acoustical Ceiling Work BP-09B–Painting Work BP-09C–Flooring Work BP-21A–Sprinkler Work BP-22A–Plumbing Work BP-23A–HVAC Work BP-26A–Electrical Work Each bid must be accompanied by a bid bond or a cashier’s check in the amount of 10% of the total bid, made payable to Forest Park Public Library, as a guarantee that the successful bidder will promptly execute a satisfactory contract, will furnish a satisfactory performance bond and payment bond and proceed with the work. Upon failure to do so, the bidder shall forfeit the amount deposited as liquidated damages and no mistakes or errors on the part of the bidder shall excuse the bidder or entitle the bidder to a return of the aforementioned amount.

No bid will be considered unless the bidder shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the Board of Library Trustees that the bidder has the necessary facilities, abilities, experience, equipment, financial and physical resources available to fulfill the conditions of the Contract and execute the work, should the Contract be awarded such bidder.

Bidders will examine the Bid Documents, the existing conditions and location in which said work is to be done, and judge for themselves all the circumstances and surrounding conditions affecting the Published in Forest Park Review 3/27/2019

cost and nature of the work. All bids will be presumed to be based on such examination, familiarity and judgment.

The successful bidder shall be required to provide a Performance Bond and a Material and Labor Payment Bond in the amount of 100% of the Contract Amount, as well as liability and property insurance as required within the Bidding Documents before commencing work. The successful bidder shall enter into a formal contract based on the conditions and requirements in the Bidding Documents which will be incorporated into the contract.

Not less than the prevailing wage shall be paid for labor on the work to be done as required by law.

The successful bidder will be required to comply with the provisions of all State of Illinois and federal laws concerning public works projects as well as the State of Illinois Human Rights Act and the regulations of the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids, and to waive any technicalities and irregularities in the bidding and to hold the bid proposals for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of opening set forth above.

Questions about the Bid Documents should be submitted, in writing, to Nicole Frohling, Shales McNutt Construction at nicolefrohling@ shalesmcnutt.com or via facsimile at: 847-622-1224.

By order of the Board of Library Trustees of the Forest Park Public Library, Cook, Illinois.

Dated at Forest Park, Illinois, this 25th day of March 2019.

56

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

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

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Public Notice: Your right to know

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

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE Kindness Creators Intergenerational Program, NFP will be opening in the fall of 2019. We will provide preschool within Oak Park Arms, located at 408 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302

PUBLIC NOTICE Annual Town Meeting

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: Y19000779 on March 8, 2019. Under the Assumed Business Name of LIFE IS AN OCCASION EVENTS with the business located at: PO BOX 220856, CHICAGO, IL 60622. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: MELISSA KIRK 1029 N KEYSTONE AVENUE CHICAGO, IL 60651

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

www.kindnesscreators.org The Kindness Creators Intergenerational Program, NFP admits to its preschool students of any race, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges and programs generally made available to students at the school. The school does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational and employment policies, admission policies, athletic, and other school-administered programs. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for any qualified child or staff member, upon request, in accordance with the ADA. Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

LEGAL NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Room of the Municipal Complex, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter: The Zoning Board of Appeals will consider a zoning variation application submitted by Lydia Manning, owner of the property at 755 William Street, who is proposing to construct a two story addition on the existing residence.

The applicant is requesting a variation to Section 10-9-7 that would allow the north wall of the addition to continue the line of an existing wall which maintains a non-conforming setback in the Secondary Front Yard of 7.67 feet, and to reconstruct the roof overhang at the second floor level with the same dimensions as the existing roof overhang at the present First Floor level which maintains a non-conforming setback of 5 feet.

The Zoning Code requires a minimum 13-foot setback for the Secondary Front Yard of corner lots.

The legal description of the property at 755 William Street is as follows: THE NORTH HALF OF LOT 36 IN RIVER FOREST LAND ASSOCIATION’S ADDITION TO RIVER FOREST, A SUBDIVISION IN THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. A copy of the meeting agenda will be available to the public at the Village Hall.

Clifford Radatz Secretary Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2018

Notice Is Hereby Given To the legal voters of The Town of Riverside in the County of Cook and the State of Illinois, that the Annual Town Meeting of said town will take place on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 Being the second Tuesday of the month At the hour of 6:01 P.M. at 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL for the transaction of miscellaneous business of the said town; and after a Moderator having been elected, will proceed to hear and consider reports of the officers, and decide on such measures as may, in the pursuance of the law, come before the meeting; and especially to consider and decide on the following: Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Election of The Moderator, Approval of the Minutes from the Last Annual Town Meeting, New Business, Setting the date for the next Annual Town Meeting, and Adjournment.

Liane J. Blauw, Clerk Riverside Township Dated: March 18, 2019 Published in RB Landmark 3/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for: 2019 Pavement Preservation Project The Work consists of the application of High Density Mineral Bond (HA5) to approximately 14,500 square yards of public roadways within the Village of River Forest.

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/13, 3/20, 3/27/2019

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CONCERNING THE INTENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 97, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS TO EFFECT INTERFUND TRANSFERS

www.vrf.us/bids

DATED the 12th day of March, 2019.

The bid proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time.

Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.

No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.

The Village of River Forest reserves the right in receiving these bids to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

Sheryl Marinier Secretary Board of Education Oak Park Elementary District No. 97 Cook County, Illinois

School

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

local employees, happy employees!

The bidding documents are available for download starting Monday, March 25, 2019 at: www.vrf.us/bids

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District No. 97, Cook County, Illinois (the “District”) will hold a public hearing on the 9th day of April, 2019 at 7:00 o’clock P.M. in the Board Room located in the Administration Building at 260 W. Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois in the District.

The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comments on the proposal to transfer, pursuant to Section 17-2A of the Illinois School Code, the amounts of $6,500,000 from the District’s Educational Fund and $4,000,000 from its Transportation Fund to the District’s Operations and Maintenance Fund, to be used thereafter to eliminate the deficit in the District’s Capital Projects Fund resulting from expenditures for capital projects at the Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School, recent capital improvements at various of the District’s other attendance centers, and expenses related thereto.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

The Work consists of the application of approximately 29,500 pounds of Fiber-Modified Crack Sealing to various asphalt public roadways as well as within two Village-owned parking lots.

Bids must be submitted by Friday, April 12, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at:

By order of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District No. 97, Cook County, Illinois.

Public Works Department, 2nd Floor Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305

2019 Pavement Crack Sealing Project

PUBLIC NOTICE

The bidding documents are available for download starting Monday, March 25, 2019 at:

Bids must be submitted by Friday, April 12, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at:

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for:

PUBLIC NOTICES

Public Works Department, 2nd Floor Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305 The bid proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time.

Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.

P

No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals without the consent of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.

The Village of River Forest reserves the right in receiving these bids to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET The Village of River Forest will hold a public hearing on Monday, April 8, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the 1st floor Community Room of the Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois concerning the Village of River Forest proposed budget for the fiscal period starting May 1, 2019 and ending April 30, 2020.

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public inspection at the Village Hall during regular business hours or on the Village’s website at www.vrf.us. For more information, please contact Finance Director Rosemary McAdams at 708-3668500.

Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE Website Redesign pm.

Request for Qualifications for the River Forest Park District’s The Board of Commissioners of the 2019 Website Redesign shall be River Forest Park District reserves received until 4:30 pm local time, the right to reject any or all proposMay 2, 2019, at the River Forest als and to waive any technicalities Park District offices, 401 Thatcher or formalities which it deems to be Avenue, River Forest. in the best interest of the District.

Beginning March 29, 2019, RFQ Any questions regarding this information may be obtained elecbid should be directed to tronically from the River Forest Park Maureen O’Brochta, Marketing & District website at www.rfparks.com Communications Supervisor, at or at the River Forest Park District (708) 366-6660 x106 or mobrochoffices, 401 Thatcher Avenue, River ta@rfparks.com Forest, between 8:30 pm and 4:30 Published in Wednesday Journal 3/27/2019

Hire Local. Place an ad on the Journal’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to OakPark.com/classified today!

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information.

(708) 613-3342 classifieds@OakPark.com | classifieds@RiverForest.com

S P O R T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

57

Huskies ready for all comers Senior-laden squad has the talent, confidence to win big this spring

By MARTY FARMER Sports Editor

Other than a disappointing loss to Maine West in a Class 4A regional final, the Oak Park and River Forest High School baseball team had a solid season in 2018. The Huskies went 21-8 and finished second behind perennial conference rival Lyons Township in the West Suburban Silver.

This spring, the Huskies and Lions are the top contenders again to win conference, with York and Hinsdale Central in the mix.

“We have a great group of seniors who understand the tradition of Oak Park Baseball,” coach Joe Parenti said. “They want to make their mark on this program.”

Returning all-conference players Griffin Holderfield and Nathan Diamond are elite pitchers who will share time at first base as well. Holderfield and Diamond have committed to Creighton and Pepperdine, respectively.

“Griffin is a power pitcher (88-92 miles per hour fastball) with good command of his pitches,” Parenti said. “Nathan is a reliable starter with good command as well. Both guys are strong hitters in the

middle of the order.”

The impact seniors make will extend well beyond the mound for the Huskies. Catcher Luke Fitzgerald, first baseman/designated hitter Tom Cronin, outfielder Ethan Reinhardt and third baseman Jake Adams are notable returners with good hitting and defensive skills. Junior shortstop Dylan Whitney had a breakout season in 2018. He’s the Huskies’ leadoff hitter and best athlete on the team. Senior utility player Adams Landsman, a St. Thomas commit, provides Parenti with options in the lineup.

“I would say we look pretty solid all around,” Fitzgerald said. “We need to manufacture runs each game and continue to hit.

If we can do that, I am confident that our pitchers will do their jobs and hold the opposing teams to limited runs.”

The Huskies opened the season by winning two of three games in Edwardsville.

OPRF beat Mater Dei 8-2 and Mount Carmel 10-3 but lost to Benet 13-6. Standout performances included: Whitney (5-for-11, 4 RBIs), Cronin (4-for-9, 5 RBIs), Alan Brown (3-for-6, 4 RBIs) and Holderfield (4 IP, 8 K; 3-for-8).

“I think that this group has a chance to do something special this year,” Diamond said.

S P O R T S

File photo

OPRF senior catcher Luke Fitzgerald has committed to Creighton.

“We have an amazing group of pitchers and our bats have started the season off well.

“There is an intangible energy this year that we hope to build on and use to create a winning season. Many of the seniors have played together for 10 years or more so we want to end our time at OPRF by bringing home another championship title.”

OPRF Huskies

Head coach: Joe Parenti Top players: Griffin Holderfield (Sr.), P/1B; Nathan Diamond (Sr.), P/1B; Luke Fitzgerald (Sr.), C; Tom Cronin (Sr.) 1B/DH; Dylan Whitney (Jr.), SS Outlook: OPRF looks good in all three phases of the game: pitching, defense and offense.

However, the Huskies will need to execute well and have timely hits in the most significant regular-season games and postseason.

R O U N D U P

OPRF softball stymies St. Charles East Divello tosses complete-game gem, while Tucci goes yard twice for Huskies

By MARTY FARMER Sports Editor

Although it’s early in the season, perhaps Oak Park and River Forest senior Taylor Divello is the Huskies’ next great pitcher. Divello, who had a 12-3 record last season, threw a complete-game five-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 4-1 win over host St. Charles East on Saturday.

“Taylor pitched a great game, holding a potent St. Charles East offense to one run,” OPRF coach Mel Kolbusz said.

Carli Tucci also led OPRF with a pair of home runs and three RBIs. Nellie Kamenitsa-Hale (2-for-4), Jacky Neuman (1-for-1, RBI) and Sydney Ross (1-for-3, double) contributed offensively.

Fenwick boys water polo The Friars remain on a roll with a 17-14 win over visiting Winter Park, Florida. Fenwick led 6-1 after one quarter and held on the rest of the way against the Wildcats.

Fenwick senior Payton Comstock scored five goals and Nate Fisher added four, while Dan Bajda and Alex Figus netted three goals apiece. Fisher also dished out five assists.

“We were looking good but got a bit complacent as the game wore on,” Fenwick coach Kyle Perry said. “We are now 2-0 versus Florida teams this season. We’re looking forward to the week ahead of us.”

Fenwick (9-0, 4-0 MCAC) takes on host York, Friday, March 29 at 3:30 p.m.

The junior varsity team won its own invite with victories over Oak Park and River Forest, Von Steuben, De La Salle and Loyola over the weekend.

OPRF girls water polo After a sluggish start, the Huskies have won three matches in a row to even their record at 3-3. OPRF edged York 7-6 on March 20 as senior Bennett Gloor had four goals and three assists. Mary Vanek finished with three goals, while Lizzy Silber had three assists and three steals. Goalie Sydney Mosher tallied three saves against the Dukes.

In another close game, OPRF defeated Whitney Young 6-5. Nell Behr and Vanek paced the Huskies with two goals apiece. Natalia Nikolic and Gloor each contributed a goal.

Mosher had nine saves against the invitational host Dolphins OPRF, which notched its third win via forfeit against Kelly, will get in plenty of practice time during spring break. The Huskies return to action against visiting Hinsdale South on Monday, April 1. The game starts at 6 p.m.

OPRF also hosts its invitational on Saturday, April 6, with games starting at 8 a.m.

Fenwick girls soccer The Friars went 3-2 at the Windy City to place sixth out of 32 teams. Fenwick defeated Thornwood, Argo and Homewood-Flossmoor.

File photo

OPRF senior Taylor Divello is the Huskies’ top returning pitcher.

Senior midfielder Anissa Nourse, who had 16 goals and 11 assists last season, led the offense, with support from junior Lily Reardon and senior Regan Hultquist. Underclassmen goalkeepers Audrey Hinrichs and Elise Heneghan, who both starred on the basketball team, also played well for the Friars.

58

S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HISTORY

State Champs from page 60 on an assist from Proctor.

“Winning state feels amazing. There’s nothing like it,” Kaiser said. “Our fans and the Blackhawks made it an unbelievable experience that I don’t think any of us will forget. It is truly one for the books.”

Teammate Emily Franciszkowicz added: “Winning the state championship is what I have been dreaming about the last four years. I am filled with joy being able to accomplish this with such a skilled team. It was the perfect way to end our phenomenal season.”

Excellent defense and solid net play from senior goalie Lena Flores also contributed to the tide turning in Fenwick’s favor against New Trier late in the first period through the rest of the game.

The victory was particularly sweet considering the opponent. While New Trier is regarded as the standard in Illinois girls high school hockey, the Friars took exception to the TrevELLIE KAISER ians’ bravado before Fenwick forward the championship game, according to Franciszkowicz.

“After we beat them in our league championship game (March 18), several of their girls acted disrespectfully and said they ‘threw the game,’” Franciszkowicz said. “They came into the state final overconfident, wearing T-shirts that said ‘2-peat.’ They truly believed they had already won the game before it started, and that’s what gave us the edge over them.

“We walked into the United Center focused and ready to represent. New Trier won state last year, but as much as they wanted a ‘2peat,’ we wanted to win a hundred times more. They put up a hard fight, but with our grit and grind we were able to beat them.”

Fenwick also won the season series 3-1-1 against the Trevians.

“I also want to point out that our team had way more fans than New Trier,” senior defenseman Sarah Steadman said. “I am a little biased to the large show of support from Trinity, but there were so many fans from Fenwick who came decked out in white, to support their school. You can’t diminish the importance of fan support.”

In addition to winning state, the Friars notched the Metro League title.

In terms of the entire season, the Friars excelled with a litany of talented players who all bought into the team’s selfless culture.

“Winning state feels amazing.”

Photos by scotchindian

Fenwick celebrates its first state championship. (Left) Fenwick sophomore Simone Bednarik pursues the puck.

Talent plus teamwork = title Senior forwards Kelly Millins, Cecilia Jenkins, Katie Gobber, Steadman, Kaiser, Proctor, Franciszkowicz, and senior defenseman Caroline Jenkins, plus Flores were selected as all-state players. Seven of them will play college hockey next season.

“On the surface, we have a very talented group of players and a pretty deep bench,” Steadman said. “Our team is about more than just talent. We are a very close-knit group that gets along really well. You have to play a team-first game to be successful.”

The team’s chemistry is unique, considering the roster includes players from five high schools: Fenwick, OPRF, Trinity, Guerin and York. Three of the team’s captains are local.

River Forest residents Proctor and Steadman attend OPRF and Trinity, respectively,

while Franciszkowicz is an Oak Parker who goes to Fenwick. Caroline Jenkins is the Friars’ fourth captain.

“There’s honestly no challenge to having players from multiple high schools,” Proctor said earlier this season. “I feel the same amount of loyalty to my Fenwick teammates as I do my OPRF friends. It’s a little annoying not being able to wear my hockey jersey or Fenwick apparel to school since we are rivals, but I’m still proud to be part of the Fenwick hockey team nonetheless.”

The Friars also have enviable balance.

No team in the state can match the team’s impressive combination of offense, defense and goaltending.

Offensively, Kaiser (43 goals, 15 assists) and Proctor (34 goals, 24 assists) both finished with a team-high 58 points, while Millins (19 goals, 35 assists) and Cecilia Jenkins

(19 goals, 18 assists) also put up big numbers.

Steadman and Caroline Jenkins anchored the defense.

In goal, Flores had another stellar season.

The Chicago Blackhawk Alumni All-Star team member had 473 saves on 509 shots on goal (93%) and allowed only 36 goals over 30 games for a 1.2 goals allowed average.

“Lena is an amazing goalie,” Steadman said. “She has held us in so many games.

She is the rock on which our team stands.

I’d put her up against any other goalie in the league and they won’t stand a chance.”

With the exception of Kaiser, the Friars will lose all of their notable contributors to graduation. However, a winning tradition has been firmly established and several promising underclassmen are poised to step in as replacements.

Fenwick also benefits from having one of the best coaching staffs in the state, led by head coach Mason Strom.

“Having Mason as a steady presence in the program has really helped,” Steadman said. “He is a great coach and a standout guy who cares so much about our team. His enthusiasm and positive approach have not only made Fenwick a welcoming environment that girls want to be a part of, but also a strong hockey team.”

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

RELIGION GUIDE Presbyterian

Check First.

First Congregational Church of Maywood

400 N. Fifth Avenue (1 block north of Lake St.) Come join us for Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am Pastor Elliot Wimbush will be preaching the message.

Refreshments and fellowship follow the service.

708-344-6150 firstchurchofmaywood.org When you're looking for a place to worship the Lord, Check First.

You’re Invited to A Church for All Nations A Church Without Walls SERVICE LOCATION Forest Park Plaza 7600 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, IL 60130

William S. Winston Pastor

ELCA, Lutheran

Good Shepherd

Worshiping at 820 Ontario, Oak Park IL (First Baptist Church) 9:00 a.m.—Education Hour 10:30 a.m.—Worship

All are welcome. goodshepherdlc.org 708-848-4741

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

409 Greenfield Street (at Ridgeland Avenue) Oak Park Holy Communion with nursery care and children’s chapel each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM Believer’s Walk of Faith Broadcast Schedule (Times in Central Standard Time) Television DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest Meet our Rabbi, Adir Glick Pray, learn, and celebrate with our caring, progressive, egalitarian community.

Interfaith families are welcome.

Accredited Early Childhood Program Religious School for K thru 12 Daily Morning Minyan Weekly Shabbat Services Friday 6:30pm & Saturday 10:00am Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

744 Fair Oaks Ave. Oak Park 386-4920 Sunday Schedule Christian Education for All Ages 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am

Child care available 9-11am

fairoakspres.org OAK PARK MEETING OF FRIENDS (Quakers) Meeting For Worship Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Park Art League 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park Please call 708-445-8201 www.oakparkfriends.org

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

(708) 697-5000 LIVE Webcast - 11:15AM Service

Fair Oaks

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor David W. Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School/Adult Ed. 9:45 a.m.

Childcare Available

Grace Lutheran School

Preschool - 8th Grade Bill Koehne, Principal 366-6900, graceriverforest.org Lutheran-Missouri Synod

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

305 Circle Ave, Forest Park Sunday Worship, 9:30am Christian Education Hour 8:30am Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary Leonard Payton, Pastor Roney Riley, Assistant Pastor 708-366-3226 www.stjohnforestpark.org Methodist

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

324 N. Oak Park Avenue 708-383-4983 www.firstUMCoakpark.org Sunday School for all Ages, 9am Sunday Worship, 10am Children’s Chapel during Worship Rev. Katherine Thomas Paisley, Pastor Professionally Staffed Nursery Fellowship Time after Worship

808 S. East Ave. 708/848-2703 www.ascensionoakpark.com Worship: Saturday Mass 5:00 pm Sunday Masses 7:30, 9:00, 11 am, 5:00 pm Sacrament of Reconciliation 4 pm Saturday Taize Prayer 7:30 pm First Fridays Feb.– Dec. & Jan. 1

Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

188 South Oak Park Ave. Saturday Mass: 5:30 p.m.

Sunday Masses: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m., 5:30 p.m.

Weekday Mass: 8:30 a.m. M–F Holy Day Masses: As Announced Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 p.m.

Parish Office: 708-848-4417 Religious Ed Phone: 708-848-7220

St. Giles Family Mass Community

We welcome all to attend Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. on the St. Giles Parish campus on the second floor of the school gym, the southernmost building in the school complex at 1034 North Linden Avenue.

Established in 1970, we are a laybased community within St. Giles Roman Catholic Parish.

Our Mass is family-friendly.

We encourage liturgically active toddlers. Children from 3 to 13 and young adults play meaningful parts in each Sunday liturgy.

Together with the parish, we offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based religious education program for children in grades K-8.

For more information, go to http://www.stgilesparish.org/ family-mass-community or call Bob Wielgos at 708-288-2196.

Third Unitarian Church 10AM Sunday Forum 11AM Service Rev. Colleen Vahey thirdunitarianchurch.org (773) 626-9385 301 N. Mayfield, Chicago Committed to justice, not to a creed

Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 107TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca

Upcoming Religious Holidays

Apr 8 Vesak (Buddha Day) Buddhism 13-14 Ram Navami

14 Palm Sunday

16-17 Mahavir Jayanti 19-27 Pesach

20-21 Ridván (1st day) 21 Easter

Hinduism

Christianity) Jainism

Judaism Bahá’í

Christianity

To place a listing in the Religion Guide, call Mary Ellen: 708/613-3342

59

60

Wednesday Journal, March 27, 2019

@ @OakPark

SPORTS

Roundup: OPRF softball stymies St. Charles East 57

Huskies ready for all comers 57

Senior forward Kelly Millins breaks free of a New Trier player during Fenwick’s 3-2 win in the State Final.

Photo by @scotchindian

Friars take state in girls hockey Kaiser, Proctor spark comeback win against New Trier in state final

By MARTY FARMER

L

Sports Editor

osing in the semifinals of the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois girls state playoffs last year, the Fenwick hockey team approached this season with a sense of unfinished business.

The Friars capped off their dream season with a 3-2

win over defending state champion New Trier 3-2 in the state final at the United Center on March 22.

Fenwick (24-1-5) earned its first state title in program history by scoring three unanswered goals against New Trier.

After the Trevians took a 2-0 lead about 10 minutes into the first period, senior forward Erin Proctor scored the Friars’ first goal to make the score 2-1 late in the first.

Then Ellie Kaiser took over. The high-scoring junior tied

the game at 2-all on a penalty shot in the second period. Kaiser, who missed a costly penalty shot against Loyola during the regular season, cashed in her second and more meaningful opportunity.

With momentum clearly on their side, the Friars took the lead for good in the third period when Kaiser scored again See HISTORY on page 58

Chicago Parent needs a few good moms and dads.

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