Wednesday Journal 042220

FITZGERALD’S STILL LIVE

KAEGI ASSESSES HIS EFFORTS

Artbeat page 5

Homes, page 21

W E D N E S D A Y

April 22, 2020 Vol. 40, No. 39 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Losing Tom and Leslie

Sons, friends, colleagues mourn deaths of couple

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The profound sadness over the loss of Leslie Ann Jones and Thomas E. Johnson reaches far beyond Oak Park, just as their contributions to the greater good extended far beyond their legal work.

A married couple, both accomplished lawyers and activists, Jones, 67, and Johnson, 69, are the subject of a double homicide investigation after Oak Park police found them murdered in their Oak Park home at 7:30 p.m., April 13. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, Jones and Johnson had sustained “multiple sharp force injuries.”

“They had such vitality and generosity. The world is a lot poorer place for their absence,” said Bob Burns, Northwestern law professor and longtime friend.

Burns gave the sermon at the couMORE INSIDE ple’s wedding in the early 1980s.

Neighbors and friends hold vigil for couple. Page 10 “They had the same commitment The latest from police. Page 11 to social justice and helping disadvantaged people in all kinds of ways on the personal level as well as on the professional level,” Burns said.

Burns met Johnson in 1975, while working together at the Legal Assistance Foundation (LAF), a non-profit providing free legal services for impoverished people. The foundation has since changed its name to Legal Aid Chicago.

Johnson left the foundation after many years to start his own firm, now called Johnson, Jones, Snelling, Gilbert & Davis.

See JONES/JOHNSON on page 10

Courtesy Ben Johnson

FAMILY WEDDING: Leslie Jones and Tom Johnson dance at the July 2018 wedding of their son Ben in Maryland.

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

THANK YOU

MEMBERS STAYING WITH US

FOR

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For 118 years, the Y has been here for you, and during our time of need, you have been here for us and for your community. When you chose to stay with the Y by donating your membership fees, you allowed us to shift our focus and respond quickly to the needs of our community.

Thanks to you, we are ensuring a safe and healthy place for our residents and providing emergency childcare for our essential workers including our doctors, nurses, and first responders. THANK YOU. WEST COOK YMCA | WWW.WESTCOOKYMCA.ORG/STAYWITHUS

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Pandemic prompts a racial reckoning

OPRF is infected with the n-word and it’s not funny, says soccer player

By MICHAEL ROMAIN & JAMES KAY Staff Reporters

“It wasn’t one day I was in that school that I didn’t hear white kids say the n-word,” said Zaahir Hall, the 17-year-old Oak Park and River Forest High School graduating senior and captain of the varsity soccer team, during a phone interview last week.

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled the remainder of his academic year, a formative part of his life (there will be no prom or graduation ceremony), and forced Hall, along with millions of other students across the world, into relative seclusion.

During the days he spent away from normal school life, Hall realized that hearing white students casually and cavalierly use the n-word should not be normal. And he felt ashamed, as if an accomplice, because he never said anything about it when he could have and so aided and abetted the normality.

“I laughed it off like nothing,” Hall said. “I gave them that power over me. They are entirely too comfortable and they’ve forgotten the hatred tied to that word and what our ancestors went through. To say that word to a person of color resonated with me and always has, so I’m really tired of it and I know there are a lot of other kids who have felt like me.”

Liberated enough to speak his truth, Hall posted a message on April 9 to his Instagram page detailing some of his experiences at OPRF. The post has since garnered more than 2,100 likes.

When he spoke (with the permission of his mother) to Wednesday Journal on April 11, Hall said that, in addition to the solitude brought on by the pandemic, other factors prompting him to speak out were the surge of AfricanAmerican players who have joined OPRF’s soccer program — some two dozen within the span of a year. Hall said that when he joined the program as a freshman, he could count the number of black and biracial players in the program on one hand.

He also thought about his younger brother, a track-andfield athlete, and the young African-American players he mentors and trains as a coach with the Chicago Edge Soccer Club. Hall said he wants to be an example to the younger athletes of how they should respond to a disturbing reality at OPRF — one that many whites in the building don’t want to accept, he added.

Hall said he would hear the word constantly from his white teammates on the soccer team.

“They would say, ‘What up my n—a,’ and then laugh,” Hall recalled. “It was horrendous. There was zero fear. It was as if it was one big joke to them. That was partly on me for never saying anything. I was afraid to lose the core players on our squad.”

Hall recalled an incident during his sophomore year when an opposing player called him the n-word “all game.”

“My teammate goes up to the ref and says, ‘Did you just hear what he called my player? He called him the n-word,’” Hall recalled. “The rest of my team just laughed at [the teammate who was defending Hall]. And they still joke about it to this day because he stood up for me.”

Hall said he’d also hear the word in the hallways, in the cafeteria — reinforcing the treatment Hall said he got from teachers, students and security guards.

“There are countless times at lunch throughout my four years when I’m sitting down eating lunch in the hallway because the cafeteria is too loud and I get told to move by

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

ON FURTHER REFLECTION: Zaahir Hall, an OPRF senior and captain of the varsity soccer team, has spent time during the COVID-19 shutdown thinking about the rampant and casual use of the n-word at OPRF. Used routinely by white teammates and classmates,he says, Hall now wishes he had pushed back. white teachers while multiple white students are sitting down eating their lunch and nothing is said to them,” Hall said. “The times when white students are talking completely over the teacher and the teacher says nothing, but the second I laugh or say two words, the teacher is on me.

“There hasn’t been one Martin Luther King assembly where I haven’t seen a white kid mocking students of color, Black Leaders Union students, who are sharing their poems and stories on the stage,” Hall said. “Not one year have I not seen a group of white kids laughing and mocking them, like their reality is a joke.”

Hall also felt compelled to share the experiences of a biracial teammate who wasn’t comfortable opening up about an incident that happened during the teammate’s sophomore year, when a white player called him a “coon.”

Most of the reactions to Hall’s Instagram post are positive, with people thanking him for sharing his story and many African-American OPRF alum praising him for speaking out. But there has been pushback, Hall said. He shared one Snapchat message from a student who called Hall racist for “generalizing a whole race because of their skin color.”

“I want to make this clear,” Hall said. “It’s not like the whole program is like this, but sometimes the bad just outweighs the good, mentally. There was so much good in the Huskie soccer program, but those little bad things mean a lot to players of color and white players just don’t understand what that means.”

Hall said that he didn’t tell his soccer coaches about his experiences and none could be reached for comment.

Karin Sullivan, D200’s communications director, released a statement when Wednesday Journal contacted her last week about Hall’s post.

“While we can’t comment on incidents involving individual students, we want to acknowledge that extremely hurtful incidents of racism do happen at OPRF High School and that they are absolutely unacceptable,” she stated.

“When we learn about these incidents, we work with the persons involved to create understanding of the harm that has been done and encourage efforts to repair the damage.

This is ongoing work that requires the support of everyone to ensure that we can achieve our goal of being an equitable, racially just community.”

“When I first read the post, I was a bit shocked,” said one of Hall’s teammates, who requested anonymity. “I never knew that’s how he felt about our team. It felt like it came out of nowhere because he never said anything to me about not really feeling accepted or anything like that.”

The student, however, said he would take Hall at his word.

“He said what he said and that is his experience,” the student said. “You can’t take that away from him. Some people were saying, ‘No, he’s wrong,’ but you can’t say that because you never walked a day in his shoes. I think the best thing is accept other people’s experiences and do your best to not be a part of the problem.”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

BIGAprilWEEK 22 - 29

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Stay Fit Oak Park/River Forest Mondays, 4 p.m., Zoom Oak Park’s RC Training & Fitness studio is hosting free athlete training sessions for athletes 12 and up, parents and coaches. Sessions focus on developing strength, speed, power and recovery strategies with little to no equipment. To access a weekly Zoom invitation, email: james@rc-fit.com Daily, Noon and 6 p.m., Facebook Live Ahimsa Yoga has an active yoga class every day at noon and a restorative class at 6 p.m. There are also a wide variety of prerecorded free yoga classes, including YogaKids. On Sundays, 7:30 to 8:45 p.m., is a live Gong Healing with Chuck Merydith. Recorded sessions: ahimsayogastudios.com/online-classes.

Join live: facebook.com/ahimsafamily. Donations to support teachers accepted.

Community of Congregations Service of Comfort and Memory Thursday, April 30, 7:30 p.m., Zoom Join in a virtual multifaith liturgy and prayer to honor the memories and hold the grief over all who have died of any cause during this period of distance and isolation. To request password, email: oprfcoc@gmail.com. Zoom Meeting ID 863 707 515.

Virtual Mini Film Fest To continue celebrating Earth Day, view a selection of films brought by One Earth Film Festival and the City of Chicago.

Thursday, April 23 - Wasted! The Story of Food Waste Friday, April 24 - Why We Cycle Saturday, April 25 - Young Filmmakers Contest Honorable Mention Winners Sunday, April 26 - The Biggest Little Farm Events include additional programming, such as live Q&As on Zoom with filmmakers. Free; $8, per person suggested donation. Register: oneearthfilmfest.org/earth-day-virtual-mini-film-fest

Time for Family Art Wednesdays, 4 to 6 p.m., Facebook Live Studio 928, in the Oak Park Arts District, hosts a free activity using recycled materials, such as cardboard and empty water bottles, to help families fill the hours after e-learning and before dinner. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Details: facebook.com/ events/215808163180719. Then Like the Facebook page to access the live feed: facebook.com/studio928c. Questions, text: 630-240-9092.

Commit to Sit Through May 20, with Zen Life and Meditation Centerr Meet virtually every day to encourage one another’s meditation practice. Mondays through Fridays, 7 to 7:45 a.m.; Saturdays, 8 to 9 a.m. with 30-minute check in after meditation; Sundays, 9:30 a.m., before Sunday Morning Zen talk at 10 a.m. Free; donations accepted. Too receive the link with instructions to join, daily thoughts on practice and reminders, register: zlmc.org/committo-sit.

Opportunity Knocks Making the Best of It Friday, April 17, noon, through Monday, April 20, 9 p.m.

Opportunity Knock’s (OK) gala was cancelled. Instead, help out virtually — bid on auction items, buy raffle tickets, or donate directly. Featured items include a catered dinner, signed Blackhawk Jonathan Toews jersey, Caribbean getaway and more. OK supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as they live, work, learn, grow and connect within their community. More: one.bidpal.net/ okgala2020/welcome. Sign in from there or text: Okgala2020 to 243725.

Got the Creative Bug? For those itching to learn how to do something new, try a new hobby or craft, or hone a skill started years ago, the Oak Park Public Library has unlimited access for card holders to Creativebug. The website offers easy-to-follow video classes on baking, painting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, drawing, jewelry making, paper crafts and more. The site also features downloadable patterns, templates and recipes. To access: oppl.org/online-resources-create/creativebug/

“The Sisters Chase” The River Forest Library is hosting a book club for the Sarah rah Healy novel about the Chase women. The title is available Hea ble as aan eBook on Hoopla with a library card. A group discusussion will take place Wednesday, May 13, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., m., on Zoom. Register: riverforestlibrary.librarymarket.com/ m/ events/month/2020/05 eve

“I am Drums” Oa Park Author Mike Grosso, who is also an educaOak tor and musician, has recorded himself reading his to middle-grade chapter book about Sam, who dreams m oof being a drummer, but encounters obstacles along tthe way. Free. More: mikegrossoauthor.com/p/iaam-drums.html. The book is also available for ppurchase at The Book Table: booktable.net

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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ART BEAT

Live music from a pickup truck, on your block

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

HAVE MUSIC, WILL TRAVEL: Cathy Richardson performs in the back of a pickup truck during FitzGerald’s Stay-at-Home Concert series.

Nothing can stop live music, says FitzGerald’s new owner

By MICHELLE DYBAL

I

Contributing Reporter

n ordinary times, a pickup truck with balloons slowly driving down your street with a musician playing from the bed and a guy on a bicycle following along filming would sound like some weird dream. But, this is entertainment FitzGerald’s style during the pandemic and it is bringing smiles to the faces and rhythms to the feet of socially distanced neighbors in north Berwyn, south Oak Park and beyond.

With places like music venues and bars deemed nonessential by the state, the doors at FitzGerald’s Nightclub in Berwyn are closed. Will Duncan, owner and operator of FitzGerald’s since purchasing it in early March, said the idea for the club’s Stay at Home Concert Series came out of solving the problem of how to go on while staying at home.

It was his wife, Jess King, who came up with the idea when she read about food trucks driving around like ice cream trucks.

King is an assistant principal at Association House of Chicago, an alternative school in Humboldt Park.

“She turned to me and said, ‘This is pretty cool, but what if with FitzGerald’s Nightclub you did the same thing like an ice cream truck, but with live music?’ Duncan said.

Springing into action, Duncan and his team spent only one week between idea and execution.

“We didn’t think much about should we try to do this; we just immediately thought

about how to do it,” he said.

That first concert, on April 4, brought Jon Langford (The Mekons, The Waco Brothers) into the back of Duncan’s pickup. Duncan drives while Donnie Biggins, FitzGerald’s head of music, rides his bicycle filming with his phone for the livestream shown on FitzGerald’s Facebook page.

The route is plotted based on nearby residents filling out a request form on the FitzGerald’s website. The first concert received 30 requests. The second concert, held the next Saturday with Dag Juhlin (Sunshine Boys, Expo 76, Poi Dog Pondering), brought in 300 requests.

Grammy nominated Cathy Richardson was the musician on Saturday, April 18, and FitzGerald’s has musicians planned out for three weeks beyond that.

“We’ll keep doing it as long as we find artists adventurous enough to perform from the back of a moving pickup truck and as long as no one stops us,” Duncan said.

Duncan has been “shocked by the scope” of people viewing the livestream. For the first concert there were people from Australia, Brazil, Norway and Canada. While live, they are getting 500 unique views and 30,000 to 40,000 views afterwards for the concerts.

The livestream is also being used interactively. Grace Jackson, FitzGerald’s marketing manager, posts comments and starts conversations from home during the concerts. She also asks for song requests, then passes them on through text to Duncan who shouts them back, through his mask, to the musician behind him.

The whole production has guidelines that keep everyone safe. To prevent gathering, no one knows the route except the FitzGerald team. About five or ten minutes before

arriving at the destination, people who requested a visit are notified by text so they can go outside and enjoy the music, each family from their own front yards.

“We drive down their block and they’re hanging out dancing on their porch and just smiling ear to ear,” Duncan said. “Of course their neighbors hear and step out onto their porch so what you get are entire blocks of people who are standing on their porches or in their front yards, all properly spaced out and socially distanced, just listening to music roll down their block.”

The concert lasts two hours as it winds through the streets making 10 stops. A virtual tip jar is set up through PayPal and Venmo. Donations go toward supporting each musician, the club and a fund for staff that relies on FitzGerald’s for their income.

The club is also selling gift cards and merchandise, which further helps staff and FitzGerald’s.

Duncan said the management and marketing team are working on other options to offer during quarantine.

“You can tell people need that live music experience,” he said.

The next Stay-at-Home Concert features Phil Angotti on Saturday, April 25, 4 p.m., coming to a street or screen near you.

More: fitzgeraldsnightclub.com

We will be opening on April 23rd for pick up and carry out!

Give us a call!

George’s

Restaurant & Pancake House

145 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park

Phone 708.848.4949

Delivery by DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats & Postmates 8am - 3pm every day

Thank you for your support

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O

dds and ends with some a bit odder than others: Barbara Mullarkey died last week. In her home on Elmwood with her family around her. She was a great and remarkable person.

A pistol. A pip. A pain. A prognosticator. And so kind. You’d have to be a longtime Journal reader to remember Barbara’s columns which were titled, “Nutrition and You.” Sounds generic enough. Eat your vegetables. Drink milk. Be healthy.

But no, it wasn’t that.

Nutrition and You, which ran from our start in 1980 and well into the 1990s, was more a chemistry lesson, a class in physiology. And, by the way, don’t drink milk.

Dairy is bad for you.

That was one of the times when my innocent jaw dropped. Milk. Eggs. Not good?

Can’t be right. Well, OK, maybe there are issues. Barbara wrote for years — that would be twice a month for years — about Aspertame, the stuff that made Diet Coke not taste bad but didn’t have calories. It was a crusade against chemicals in food and drink. It was a crusade against corporate titans and greed. I finally told her she had to write about something other than Aspertame at least once in a while. Her columns

No one like Barbara Mullarkey were giving me a headache, just like Diet Coke did.

So that was the beginning of pesticides in the parks.

I thought, come on, maybe pesticides aren’t great but what about all those dandelions in the outfield? Unsightly and a tripping hazard, in my mind.

But the park district was no match for Barbara’s relentlessness, and over time much of the rest of the world sided with her, and pesticides were banned in the parks.

When FitzGerald’s changed owners recently, I recalled in this space that in the spring of 1980 a small crew of us boldly left the failing Oak Park News with the dream of starting our own local paper. We had our first planning meeting at the Deer Lodge, a lost-in-time bar on Roosevelt Road which, unbeknownst to us, was about to be sold to the FitzGerald family. Among the handful of us at the corner table that night, along with my two co-founders, Anne Duggan and Sharon Britton, was Barbara.

This woman had a love-but-I’m-veryannoyed-with-you relationship to “OakyParky.” But she was pure-hearted and, damned if she wasn’t almost always right.

How are you doing?: It has been in-

DAN HALEY

tensely busy around here. How about with you? No matter how early I start working, whether it is a Monday or Tuesday in our offices on Oak Park Avenue, or the other five days at my dining room table, every time I look up it is 4:30 and my list is still overlong.

The days and weeks are shapeless. Too cold (snowy!) to work in the garden. Zoom meetings are great but they’re also wearing me out. Intermittent crabbiness is seeping in. On the fourth email exchange today about a minor copy-saving housekeeping issue my phone rang and a colleague said, “I thought if I sent you one more email your head would explode. Let’s just talk about this.” I really miss “just talking about this” with a person leaning against my office doorway. Solving the problem. Moving on.

I’m supposed to be the happy guy whistling in the hallway. Now I’ve got people worrying my head is going to explode. And I’m doing personal therapy in a newspaper column.

Might need to take a full day off a n d … no, I don’t know what I’d do.

With many thanks: Growing Community Media, our nonprofit entity, was one of 11 local nonprofits that received grants last week from the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s Rapid Response and Recovery Fund for COVID-19. We are in remarkable company. Also being supported

Barbara Mullarkey are the African-American Christian Foundation, Beyond Hunger, Housing Forward, Leyden Family Services, New Moms, Oak Leyden Developmental Services, Sarah’s Inn, SisterHouse, Thrive Counseling Center, and the West Cook YMCA. Our deep thanks for this support and recognition of the importance of our efforts in these hard days.

You are a great provider.

April is Alcohol-Awareness Month

Food, shelter, education, unconditional love.

Just not alcohol.

78% of 8-12th graders report that their family has clear rules about alcohol & drug use. You can start now.

(68% 12th graders, & 80%10th graders)

For more information and to discover local resources: www.OakParkTownship.org/PYD This campaign is supported by the Strategic Prevention FrameworkPartnerships for Success Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.243 funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through a grant administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Supporting youth in Oak Park and River Forest Townships.

Oak Park & River Forest Townships

@Positive Youth Development

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Daily runs are good, wearing costumes makes it great ‘If you can’t be goofy now, I don’t know when you can be.’

By JAMES KAY and ANN RYAN Sports Editor and Contributor

If you see Spider Man, Cat in the Hat, an Elf, or a Bee Keeper running in the middle of the street, don’t panic. It’s just Oak Park runner Rainer Schochat keeping things interesting during his daily runs through the village.

During this time in which he can’t meet up with the tightly knit running communities he has immersed himself with in recent years, the 64-year-old, former math professor has been dressing up in various costumes before conducting his cardio workouts. Since starting this routine, Schochat has caught the support and attention of the community.

“To stay safe, I have been running in the middle of the street, and cars have been very accommodating,” said Schochat. “I think it puts people sort of in a good mood.

People, including the Oak Park police, do give double-takes, applaud, or shout out. It’s been fun and something I can do at a safe distance.”

Schochat, who is part of various running groups in Oak Park, decided to make the most out of a poor situation by rotating costumes every day before his runs. So far, he has taken on the roles of Green Man, Bumble Bee, Bee Keeper, Spider Man, The Red Baron, The Cat in the Hat, Parisian Man, Renaissance Man, and the Snorkeler (keeping a dolphin’s length distance, as recommended by the Shedd Aquarium’s social distancing guide.)

To the delight of peers, Schochat has shared photos of his inspired characters on his running clubs’ social media pages. That led to him coordinating his costume themes with carefully mapped routes, which, when completed, created shareable “GPS pictures” in his Strava running app. For example, when he went out into the world as a guitar player, his running route was in the

Photos provided by Rainer Schochat

WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?: Or Goggled Man or Spider-Man. They’re all Rainer Schochat, an Oak Park, about to be Berwyn, resident who has taken to wearing costumes on his frequent runs through the village. It amuses him as well as all the people he encounters. He also matches his routes to his costume as evidenced by his “Solo Flight” mapped out on his phone. shape of an electric guitar.

“Running for me is a social event anyway and, since all of the joining is now on social media, it keeps me connected and it gets me out there,” said Schochat. “[the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA)] has a small staff so they actively post virtual runs and upload your runs and pictures. I’ve done that and I’ve received a nice response

on Facebook from my other groups as well.”

Even before the pandemic put Schochat in a position of running solo, he had participated in “in-costume” running events.

With the friends he met through Lively Running’s Wednesday evening craft beer run in Oak Park, Schochat signed up for the inaugural Hemingway eight-kilometer race in July 2015. Since he took up running that

year, it was his first official race and, consequently, his first “in-costume” event. All of the participants were encouraged to dress as if they were running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain.

From that event onward, Schochat’s love for running grew to the point where he joined the Oak Park Runners Club. Since 2015, he has attended their weekly Monday night fun runs as well as road trips and race events. In 2017, he joined CARA and trained for the Chicago Marathon. After successfully completing his first marathon, Schochat has gone on to run 3 or 4 marathons per year and ran about 30 other races of various distances in 2019 alone.

“My body seems to cooperate,” said Schochat. “Other people can sing or play instruments. I can’t do that. But I can throw myself into running.”

Before he began his costume bonanza, Schochat had 11 events and trips planned for this spring and summer. Having completed the Napa Valley Marathon in March, he was set to fly to France for the Paris Marathon on April 5. However, due to safety concerns around COVID-19, he has postponed his trip.

However, he isn’t wasting time on self-pity over his lost races or trips. Well aware of the struggles and losses of others impacted by the pandemic, he is just grateful he can keep running, and stay connected to his community in a manner that is fun and heart-felt.

“If you can’t be goofy now, I don’t know when you can be,” he said laughing.

Now, having taken a week or two off in order to move into a new home in Berwyn, Schochat suggests he still has a few ideas up his sleeve for future themed runs. And while he acknowledges that we are living through very sobering times, he’s enjoyed virtually lifting the spirits of some of his fellow runners, and running the relatively vehicle-free streets of his town, bringing smiles to the faces of children and families out filling the sidewalks.

“I certainly will [consider doing themed runs into the future],” said Schochat. “I might not do them like I was every day but I’ve had a lot of fun so far.”

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

COVID-19 WATCH

State cancels in-person classes for rest of school year D200 and D97 officials working to adapt to new normal during pandemic

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

School districts across the state, including in Districts 97 and 200 in Oak Park, are scrambling in response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s announcement last week that the physical campuses of schools in Illinois will remain closed for the rest of the academic year.

The governor announced the decision at a press conference on April 17.

Follow our tweets @OakPark

“I’ve said time and time The announcement means again, our decisions must folthat prom and graduation as low the science and the science those key events have been says our students can’t go back known to OPRF students for to their normal routine this decades will not take place this school year,” said Pritzker. year, but Pruitt-Adams said “Over the last month, Illithat the district’s planning on nois’ schools have stepped up alternatives to those events and faced the many challenges “will kick into high gear.” of COVID-19 with generosity, “To the Class of 2020, I am creativity, and a resolute focus so very sorry about this news. on caring for students, parents JOYLYNN PRUITTADAMS This is not the way your senior D200 Supt. year was supposed to end, and I and communities,” he said. “I know you are hurting,” the suam confident that our schools perintendent said, adding “we will manage and expand the will find a meaningful way to learning opportunities for all celebrate you.” our children who will be workRemote learning for students in both D200 ing from home over the coming weeks.”

In response to the governor’s announce- and D97 will continue as it has since Pritzment, D200 Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams cre- ker announced on March 20 that all schools ated an emotional video address that was in the state would close in conjunction with uploaded to Oak Park and River Forest High a shelter-in-place order suspending all nonessential activity in the state.

School’s YouTube page the same day.

No final exams will be administered at “The news, while important, struck me hard and I can’t even imagine how it must OPRF. The last day of remote learning for have impacted our faculty and staff, our par- all students except seniors will be on May ents and, most importantly, our students,” 22, district officials said. The last day for Pruitt-Adams said. “If you’re feeling emo- seniors has not yet been established. The tional right now, some anxiety, that’s OK. last day of remote learn for D97 students is scheduled for June 5, D97 officials said.

This is new to all of us.”

“This is not the way your senior year was supposed to end, and I know you are hurting.”

In a statement released on the day of Pritzker’s announcement, D97 Supt. Carol Kelley said the district is “currently working through the logistics for” addressing concerns about, and planning alternatives to, “end-of-year celebrations, transitioning students to new schools, retrieving personal items for our buildings, etc.”

Kelley urged parents to fill out the district’s Remote Learning Family Survey, “which will inform our plans moving forward,” she said.

District 200 officials have established a virtual group hangout called “quaranTEENed” for students who may be “feeling bored, lonely, or stressed,” according to a statement in the district’s email newsletter.

Pruitt-Adams said in her video statement that the group chat allows students “to participate in a discussion with your counselor’s and social workers about how you’re feeling at this time.”

More information about the districts’ COVID-19 responses, including remote learning updates, can be found at oprfhs.org/ about/covid-19-info-center (for OPRF) and op97.org/updatecenter (for D97).

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

COVID-19 finds way into Oak Park senior care facilities Oak Park has 131 total cases since first diagnosis on March 18

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Highly contagious and especially dangerous for older adults, COVID-19 has infiltrated Oak Park long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Oak Park Village Manager Cara Pavlicek stated in her April 20 village manager report that one resident and two members of staff at Belmont Village, 1035 Madison St., have tested positive for the virus. Oasis, 625 N. Harlem Ave., has had 11 residents test positive and no staff with zero reported deaths.

Berkeley Nursing & Rehab, 6909 W. North Ave., has had one resident test positive; that resident has since died. Five residents and three staff members have tested positive at Brookdale Oak Park, 1111 Ontario St.; Brookdale Oak Park has had one resident death related to COVID-19. Meanwhile, Oak Park Arms, 408 S. Oak Park Ave., has had zero resident or staff cases.

Oak Park Public Health Director Mike Charley announced April 20 three more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of Oak Park residents with the virus to 131, according to a report released April 20.

The three newest cases range in age from 40s to 60s.

The village of Oak Park announced its very first case of

COVID-19 March 18. Leading up to Monday, four Oak Park residents are believed to have died as a result of contracting COVID-19.

The most recent fatality, announced by Charley April 15, was a woman in her 80s. As in the other three cases, Cook County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.

However, according to Oak Park spokesman David Powers, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office does not share the cause of death determinations with the Oak Park government.

The village of Oak Park reported its first likely COVID19-related fatality April 1 when a man in his 60s died after previously testing positive for the virus.

The second likely fatality was announced April 9; in that case, the victim was a man in his 50s.

The death of a woman in her 90s marked Oak Park’s third likely fatality, according to an April 13 village announcement. Privacy laws prohibit the village from releasing further information regarding the individuals.

According to Charley’s announcements, “Anyone who has had close, direct contact with any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 is notified by the local public health authority as part of standard patient tracking and case follow-up procedures.”

The Oak Park Police Department has also been hit, as three officers have tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

Pavlicek announced the third officer’s diagnosis in an April 9 village manager report.

Per the report, “The employee chose to self-quarantine

upon exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 and has remained out of the workplace since late-March.”

The report also stated that “there were no contacts with staff or the public that required notice of quarantine.”

The village of Oak Park continues to evaluate safety measures for its staff and is using enhanced cleaning protocols; first responders have their temperatures taken prior to working as an additional precaution, according to Pavlicek’s report.

River Forest has a total of 17 cases as of April 20, according to the Cook County Department of Public Health.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is likely to increase in both villages by the time Wednesday Journal has printed. Please check www.oakpark.com (or www.riverforest.com) for further case updates.

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

In dark days, Daly Bagel about to, finally, bloom

Long anticipated Chicago Avenue bagel boutique days away

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

Not even a pandemic can tamp down the enthusiasm surrounding the highly anticipated opening of Amanda Daly’s boutique bagel shop. Barring more unforeseen circumstances The Daly Bagel, 130 Chicago Ave. in Oak Park, will be open by April 26.

When open, the shop will offer a limited menu of assorted “East-coast bagels with a Midwest twist,” multiple cream cheese varieties, and drip coffee between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. or until sold out. Pre-orders through The Daly Bagel website are encouraged, and the menu will be updated on the site regularly.

The coronavirus curve ball has forced Daly to adapt operations at the shop before opening for the first time. Daly was pleased, however, to discover her shop is well suited to operating with social distancing in mind.

Customers visiting the shop should expect to see Daly and her team wearing homemade masks and gloves. They will find the doors to the shop propped open and the floor marked to keep guests at a safe distance while they wait to place their order. To avoid cross traffic, patrons will enter through the front door facing Chicago Avenue and exit through the back door onto Lombard.

“We will manage the line outside as best we can,” said

Photo courtesy The Daly Bagel

THIS IS IT: Amanda Daly is excited to announce everything is in its place for The Daly Bagel to open in days.

Daly. “The most important thing is that people, including our staff, feel comfortable. We are prepared to adjust on the fly and will listen to advice as we go.”

Daly had hired a staff of 14, but now plans to operate with a tight team of six employees. The Daly Bagel will not

contract with third party delivery partners like GrubHub or DoorDash but intends to offer independent delivery with advance notice and during limited hours. The shop will offer curbside pickup by making use of three parking spots flanking the shop on Lombard Avenue.

According to Daly, the village of Oak Park “has been wonderful” despite working at diminished capacity due to the COVID-19 slow down. In fact, village hall closed its offices in response to the shelter-in-place order the day before Daly’s final inspection. Despite the closure the inspections went through, but the punch list, while relatively minor, required workmen to return to the small bagel shop. Social distancing and furloughed workers made scheduling the repairs more complicated than they would have been in simpler times.

Daly is sorting out a final issue with venting ducts—a single duct needs to be enclosed in an upstairs hallway - -but once the fixes earn village approval The Daly Bagel will be up and running.

While waiting to open, Daly has been working on new recipes to satisfy her bagel-loving customers. She has been clamoring to make a noteworthy whole wheat bagel for years and the vista of time created by COVID-19 has brought forth a sourdough sprouted wheat bagel worthy of The Daly Bagel moniker.

“I miss people and I know everyone has been waiting patiently for us to open,” said Daly. “I went down the line at my last pop up event and hugged and kissed everyone waiting for a bagel. Knowing I can’t do that now is going to be hard, but we feel the love and will make it work.”

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

LOSING TOM AND LESLIE

JONES/JOHNSON

Active and involved couple from page 1 Jones later joined the firm, after leaving her post as a clinical professor at Northwestern School of Law, where she taught trial practice and ethics.

Brilliant individuals, Johnson and Jones both graduated from Harvard Law School.

Jones earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University, while Johnson earned his from American University.

Throughout his career, Johnson helped to establish affordable housing in Chicago, as well as worked to reform the city’s voter registration and electoral system.

He represented numerous elected officials, including serving as campaign lawyer for Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and U.S. Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.

“I think Tom may have been the most decent person I’ve come to know,” Garcia told Wednesday Journal. “Tom was someone you could lean on during difficult times.”

Johnson served as a hearing officer for the Chicago Police Board, presiding over many high-profile police misconduct cases.

“He helped us understand how the inequity in society plays out in the criminal justice system as well,” Garcia said.

Beyond his work in politics, Johnson also represented many people within the labor movement and secured restitution for many coal miners who suffered from black lung

disease.

“It’s indescribable how great he was. I almost think he’s like Abraham Lincoln because he was such a humble and yet brilliant person,” said former LAF colleague and neighbor Diane Redleaf. A lawyer herself, Redleaf credits Johnson as one of her earliest mentors.

His dedication to helping others was rooted in his faith, to which he was deeply committed.

“He lived by his faith in terms of making a difference with the poor and identifying with the least among us in our society,” Garcia said.

Jones also had an expansive legal career, specializing in zoning, federal litigation, real estate and corporate transactions. During Washington’s mayoral run, she helped his campaign organize in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

Outside of work, Jones was devoted to the Oak Park community and making it equitable, diverse and inclusive. She dedicated much of her personal time to making Oak Park a more beautiful place, advocating for public art accessible to and enjoyed by all people.

“She developed a strong and resilient art center in Oak Park,” said Margot McMahon, an Oak Park artist.

For many years, Jones was active both as a board member and as president of the Oak Park Area Arts Council, championing the work of multicultural artists. The council has established a memorial fund in her name.

In her personal life, Jones enjoyed such

Courtesy Ben Johnson

Courtesy Ben Johnson

creative pursuits as screen printing, knitting and weaving. She was also a voracious reader.

“She was so well read and so thoughtful and so insightful,” said Redleaf.

Jones and her husband were both extremely passionate about finding secure, loving homes for children in need. Jones spent many years on the board of Hephzibah Children’s Association, while Johnson coached dozens of Oak Park children in T-ball. Together, they welcomed numerous foster children into their family and opened their home to many of those who needed one most.

“They were amazing parents,” said Redleaf. “And their children are amazing people.”

They are survived in life by their four sons, three of whom are biological, and two godsons. Their eldest son, Ben Johnson, is a principal at an elementary school in southeast Washington, D.C. Charlie Johnson lives in Denver and works as a biological engineer. Their youngest son, Jake Johnson is a law student at the University of Chicago.

Chris Hampton, whom they considered a son, recently had a child of his own.

“My brothers and I are beyond grateful for the support we’ve received from our family’s neighbors and close friends in Oak Park,” said Ben Johnson. “My parents always said that Oak Park was a unique place and seeing how the members of this village have come together to help our family during this horrendous time just serves as another example of the deep sense of caring and unwavering positivity of this community. We’ve never been more proud to call ourselves Oak Parkers.”

An outpouring of love and support has come from the community for Jones and Johnson. Longtime friend and Legal Aid Chicago CEO John Gallo organized a socially distanced candlelight vigil Wednesday evening to remember the couple, who lived in the house across from Gallo’s.

According to Gallo, about 200 people, many of whom wore masks, came to light candles and pay their respects from a safe distance to Jones and Johnson.

“They made you feel like you were so spe-

cial,” said Jeanne Gallo, Gallo’s wife. “I felt that night, ‘Oh gosh, the way they made me feel was the way they made everybody feel.’”

The neighbors have united in support of each other and the couple’s family, despite being unable to spend time together in close proximity, due to COVID-19.

“We feel very connected, we feel very supported by each other and we’re going to continue to support the boys,” Gallo said.

“We’re going to make sure the spirit of Leslie and Tom continues.”

Friends and colleagues have expressed their shock at the nature of Jones and Johnson’s deaths.

“Who would want to harm some of the loveliest and most decent people – people who have dedicated so much of their lives to the public good,” Garcia said.

Oak Park police have yet to release information as to whether they have suspects in the case or if they have found the murder weapon. West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force is assisting the department in the investigation.

According to the Gallos, officers have been “wonderful and respectful and nothing but professional.”

Social isolation and COVID-19 has made the loss of Jones and Johnson even harder on those who loved them, who cannot gather in the traditional sense.

“The first thing you want to do is embrace everybody else and the second thing you want to do is talk with everybody else in a way that’s very personal,” said Gallo.

Unable at this time to have an in-person memorial service, the family of Jones and Johnson organized a virtual memorial service the afternoon of April 19 via Zoom, a video-teleconference outlet.

The family plans to hold an in-person service in celebration of the very full lives Jones and Johnson lived once the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, according to Ben Johnson.

Despite their tremendous list of accomplishments, Jones and Johnson will be best remembered for their compassion and generosity, their wonderful senses of humor, for the good they did and the love they had for their community and all of its people.

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

11

LOSING TOM AND LESLIE

Neighbors, friends honor deceased Oak Park couple

COMMUNITY GATHERS: Residents gather outside of the home of Leslie Jones and Tom Johnson.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Gathering paid their respects in a candlelight vigil

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Neighbors and friends gathered at 7 p.m.

April 14 for a candlelight vigil in honor of Thomas Johnson and Leslie Ann Jones, a married couple, both highly accomplished lawyers, whom police found dead in their Fair Oaks Avenue home late April 13.

Together in grief but removed in proxim-

ity, those who attended brought candles and special mementos symbolic of the deeply loved Jones and Johnson, whose deaths have come as a major shock and devastated many in Oak Park and the wider community.

“Leslie and Tom made people feel seen, heard and valued,” said Donna Peel, a friend and neighbor of Jones and Johnson.

“Their kindness, daily acts and participation on our block and in our community added up to the extraordinary result of changing many lives. They remain my role models,” she said.

Those in attendance were encouraged to

speak a sentence or two about the couple and what they meant to those who knew them.

“When people had to pick one sentence to share, it was about something that truly mattered,” said Peel. “It was a memory, reflection, or personal outcome that only gets shared about those who live their lives right.”

More than 50 people, many of whom wore masks, showed up to pay their respects.

People placed candles outside the home of Jones and Johnson, whose deaths police are investigating as a double homicide.

Many people brought baseballs and White Sox gear for Johnson, who coached many

Oak Park kids in T-ball. For Jones, people brought books she had recommended to them and knitting needles.

During the vigil, Oak Park police cordoned off Fair Oaks Avenue between Iowa Street and Chicago Avenue to allow people to stand at least six feet apart from each other in the yard and on the street.

Along with sharing heartfelt words and lighting candles, neighbors and friends played music and sang songs. Some played guitars. The group concluded the vigil by playing Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’.”

Police ask FBI, other agencies to join investigation Oak Park Police have brought in the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), to assist in the double homicide investigation of Oak Park married couple Thomas E. Johnson and Leslie Ann Jones, Oak Park Director of Communications David Powers confirmed.

“Chief [LaDon] Reynolds reached out to every resource available shortly after the investigation began. The West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force, Illinois State Police and FBI are involved in the investigation at his specific request,” Powers said.

“The FBI was asked for support because of the organization’s resources and expertise.”

The Chicago Police Department has also

offered assistance as well.

“The chief has long maintained active communications with each of the organizations as a matter of course,” Powers said.

“He is a modern law enforcement professional who recognizes the value of strong collaborative relationships among peers.”

During an April 20 press conference, Charlie Meyerson, an Oak Park journalist, asked Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot what she knew about the investigation.

“I don’t know much. I think the investigation is still very much ongoing and I don’t want to get ahead of the Oak Park police or the mayor of Oak Park, who I’ve been in con-

tact with. But it was a horrific thing. No one deserves to die in the way that they died,” Lightfoot said. “And I am hopeful that those individual – or individuals, plural – who are responsible for taking the lives of these people in such a violent way are brought to justice as soon as possible.”

After hearing of their deaths, Lightfoot said she was “deeply shaken.”

“Tom Johnson was a really good man, a very smart lawyer, very able, took on a lot of important work over the arc of his career,” Lightfoot said. “I didn’t know his wife as well, but everything I’ve heard about her says that she was the same kind of incred-

ible, dynamic, giving and gifted lawyer.”

Police found the bodies of Johnson and Jones in the couple’s Fair Oaks Avenue home around 7:30 p.m., April 13. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled their deaths as homicide by “multiple sharp force injuries.”

“While there is no new information available to share at this time, resources remain laser focused on solving the incident,” Powers said. “It may be difficult for some to understand why more information can’t be released but ensuring the integrity and thoroughness of the investigation is critical.”

Stacey Sheridan

12

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

COVID-19 WATCH

Westlake Hospital poised to re-open as COVID back-up

Construction crews showered with appreciation

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

News that a nearby hospital that closed last year could reopen temporarily to treat COVID-19 patients called for a bit of pomp and circumstance on Friday — a week before construction is scheduled to end.

During the April 17 parade, cars and fire trucks drove by Westlake Hospital in Melrose Park as construction workers looked on in appreciation. The parade was planned by state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (7th) and local officials like Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico.

“I am so grateful for the round the clock work that the Army Corps of Engineers and local construction workers have put in to reopen Westlake,” Welch said. He added that the parade was also to “show support for the folks working to reopen Westlake as well as all health care workers, first responders, and essential personnel working during this time of crisis.”

During Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s daily COVID-19 press briefing in Chicago on April 10, Dr. Su-

zet McKinney, the CEO and executive director of the Illinois Medical District, said that the officials plan on completing updating Westlake Hospital by April 24.

The Melrose Park hospital, which was closed last year, is one of five alternate care sites that the state will temporarily repurpose to treat COVID-19 patients, in case existing medical facilities run out of capacity to treat those patients. McKinney is responsible for overseeing operations for those sites.

The other four are McCormick Place in Chicago, Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island, Advocate Sherman in Elgin and Vibra Hospital in Springfield. The latter site likely won’t open until May 9, McKinney said.

“Once construction is complete, we’ll need about two days to train all the staff,” McKinney said, adding that the sites are only intended to “supplement, not replace our acute care hospitals,” in order to open up bed space at those existing hospitals “for the most critically ill.”

Pritzker, who first announced on April 2 that Westlake was among those five alternate care sites, said during his briefing on April 10 that he hopes none of the sites have to be utilized.

DRIVE-BY GRATITUDE: Passersby show their appreciation as Westlake Hospital prepares to reopen.

“We are all praying that we don’t need any of these alternate care facilities,” Pritzker said. “We’re building them out to make sure there is nobody who does not have a hospital bed, an ICU bed, or a ventilator that they may need one.”

Westlake, which was purchased by Pipeline Health last year along with West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park and Weiss

Memorial in Chicago, could help alleviate the burden on hospitals in Oak Park if the COVID-19 pandemic causes them to reach capacity.

As of April 19, Oak Park had 128 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the Oak Park Public Health Department.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Hines employees protest working conditions

Workers call for hazard pay, protection, at VA hospital

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Health-care workers at five hospitals in the Chicago area, including Edward Hines VA Hospital, 5000 S. 5th Ave., stood in the cold during shift change on April 17 to protest working conditions at those facilities.

The coordinated action took place moments after state lawmakers, activists and health-care workers hosted a video press conference to highlight their needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are asking for personal protective equipment (PPE), a wider availability of testing, and hazard pay.

Roughly a half-dozen Hines workers stood wearing masks outside the hospital’s gated entrance on Fifth and Roosevelt. Standing 6 feet apart, they held up signs to drivers passing by that read: “Health-care Heroes Need: PPE, Testing for Hazard Pay to Keep Us Alive.”

As of April 18, there have been 5,261 confirmed cases of COVID-19 diagnosed and treated at Veterans Affairs facilities across the country. Those facilities have had 315 COVID-19 inpatient deaths, according to publicly available data provided by the De-

WORKPLACE WORRIES: Health-care workers at Hines VA Hospital want more than appreciation for working in harm’s way. partment of Veteran Affairs. At Hines, there have been 45 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three inpatient deaths.

Greg Kelley, president of the SEIU Healthcare Illinois union, has said in the past that hospital workers should at least be paid time and a half while working during the pandemic and should also be eligible for two weeks of paid sick leave.

“It’s important that we hear from them, protect them and give them what they need, as they all take care of us,” Kelley said during the April 18 video conference.

The volume of COVID-19 patients along with inadequate safety conditions at the hospital has even non-frontline employees at Hines concerned about coming into work when they can telework from home instead.

Earlier this month, a range of Hines employees — including social workers, dietitians and psychiatrists — spoke out when James Doelling, Hines’ new director, sent them an email asking them to return to work “as the center prepared for a surge of veterans in needs of services,” according to an April 5 Chicago Sun-Times report.

”I’m concerned as a clinical provider that we’re going to be risking the lives of veterans and employees as they create this COVID-19 petri dish at the hospital for no reason,” one social worker, who requested anonymity, told the Sun-Times.

Germaine Clarno, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 781, told the Sun-Times that Doelling’s order “is bringing employees in ‘unnecessarily’ and putting everyone at the hospital at risk.”

“They’re being told to come into Hines, sit all together in one office all day, and they can’t even go see the patients in the wards because of precautionary measures,” Clarno told the Sun-Times.

Doelling did not respond to the SunTimes’ requests for comment and could not be reached by phone on April 18.

A Moveon.org petition urging Doelling not to ban telework at Hines had garnered 816 signatures by April 18.

“If you do not allow telework, veterans, staff, and their families will be negatively impacted,” the petition states. “Other VA’s have implemented telework and California is a clear demonstration of how this will backfire. You already have the evidence of this.”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

13

Crews cut down trees in Lake Street streetscape project Shadier, greener trees will replace old, stunted trees

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Construction crews have started the streetscaping phase of Oak Park’s Lake Street improvement project by removing the roughly 40 trees that lined the street. Fortyeight new trees of various varieties will replace them later in the process.

“We made a conscious decision to remove those trees in order to provide a much better built environment moving forward, as opposed to just cutting them down for no reason,” said Robert Sproule, Oak Park forestry superintendent and assistant public works director.

The trees, primarily of the honey locust variety, have outgrown their too small pits, which has impeded their overall growth.

Over the years, some trees have been hit by cars. When originally planted, streetscape planners did not have as wide an understanding of how trees exist in built environments.

The trees were planted on Lake Street in the late 1980s when a failed pedestrian mall was removed and Lake Street was restored as a vehicular route.

“They’re just kind of stunted in a lot of

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

CLEAR CUT: Construction being done on Lake Street, just East of Harlem Avenue where trees used to line the North and South sides of the street. different ways and a lot of that has to do just with the environment in which they’re growing,” Sproule said. “There were no steps taken to prepare underneath the sidewalk for them. They just cut the hole in the sidewalk, maybe they dug out the soil and they plunked in the tree and left it to survive on its own.”

The limestone subbase in which the trees were planted made the soil highly alkaline – something the trees don’t grow as well in, according to Sproule.

Trees growing in poor conditions may start to suffer structurally; the trees on Lake Street have been constrained by their planted environment, growing over the tree

grates surrounding them.

“When they were planted, they started to grow right over those grates,” said Sproule.

“And that actually starts to kill the trees.”

While aesthetically attractive, the older style metal tree grates were not designed to be pulled back or removed easily, making them difficult to manage.

Grates, however, are considered walkable surfaces if the openings in them are small enough under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Soil and mulch are not approved by the ADA. Due to the narrowness of Lake Street, crews will still install tree grates, but the updated design of the grates make them safer for trees.

The new grates are larger than what was used in the past with wider openings, but not so wide that they are non-compliant with ADA standards. The new grates were designed to open easily, making maintenance simpler. Along with the updated grates, the new trees will sit in larger plots.

Unfortunately, the village can’t replant the old trees in a different location, due to their condition and size.

“They’re too big,” said Sproule. “When you would try to do a large-scale tree transplant, you would need to be able to access a lot of root system which is just really difficult to do in a built environment like that.”

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OakParkEats.com

14

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

W H A T ’ S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C L O S E D ?

W H A T ’ S

N O T ?

W H A T ’ S

C H A N G E D ?

Please, we need the Farmers Market Oak Park officials are reportedly working to figure out how to hold the Farmers Market this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “The availability of fresh produce in the community is important,” said a village statement. How to do it while observing proper social distancing and meeting other public health concerns will be the task of village staffer Cam Davis who will work with the Farmers Market Commission and the part-time market manager. It will be a few weeks before details are announced. No mention of donuts was included in the announcement.

No Memorial Day Parade in River Forest

Well, the traditional launch party for summer in River Forest and Oak Park — the Memorial Day Parade and Celebration — is off the calendar for this year. On April 9, the River Forest Park District made the sad announcement. The villain, of course: COVID-19.

This was to be the 95th annual parade, an event that turns out a huge crowd. The Keystone Park party that follows the parade has also been cancelled.

What about Day in Our Village, 4th of July parade and fireworks?

Good news! They haven’t been cancelled … yet. Oak Park village officials said last week that decisions would be announced by the end of this week.

Also on the bubble is the Summer Youth Employment program.

Block parties? Maybe, but no bounce houses

Oak Park early birds will not be having block parties in April 2020. May? We’ll hear more soon on that. If block parties do return this summer, they will come with social-distancing requirements, no fire truck visits, and likely a ban on bounce houses.

We’re just starting a rumor here that COVID-19 actually started in a bounce house ball pit.

Been missing George’s, Poke Burrito?

Well apparently they’ve missed you, too.

Poke Burrito, 1025 Lake St., reopened for pickup and delivery on April 15.

George’s Family Restaurant and Pancake House, 145 S. Oak Park Ave. will reopen for pick-up and delivery starting April 23.

Need to talk? Thrive can help Thrive Counseling Center, previously on Marion Street but temporarily relocated to Zoom, continues its weekly Community Town Hall Meetings, a platform for residents to “share your stories, concerns and questions and to offer strategies that are helping in these challenging times.”

The virtual gatherings are Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. All the details on how to join in on Zoom are at thrivecc.org.

Love your Oak Park vehicle sticker?

Then here’s good news. Your current sticker will be good for an additional two months. Oak Park has announced it is pushing back deadlines for renewing vehicle stickers from July 14 to September 14.

The renewal process would typically be starting shortly but with the focus on public health, that process has been delayed.

Census count still droopy Among the many things you don’t want to undertake in the midst of a global pandemic, we’d list the decennial U.S.

Census. But what are you going to do? This the launch of a new decade. It’s time to count.

Oak Park, like every city and burg in America, wants to make sure every person gets counted since accurate counts translate for the next 10 years into federal dollars across dozens of programs and determines how many seats Illinois keeps or loses in Congress.

So how is Oak Park doing as the census starts to get serious? Well, according to the Oak Park Complete Count Committee (OPCCC, as they like to be called) it could be better.

As of Monday, the completed census form count in Oak Park is at 59.6 percent. Better than the state (55.4 percent) or nation (50.7 percent) but when has Oak Park settled for being just marginally better than Illinois or the United State of America?

Way back in 2010, Oak Park’s final count rate landed at 74.6 percent.

In a note to the village board, Village Manager Cara Pavlicek worried about “significant undercounting of our rental population.” In the high apartment census tracts, counts are running low. So Oak Park is currently reaching out to landlords to implore their tenants. The village is talking to other taxing bodies, too. And if all else fails, the village will roll out yard signs in lower-response census tracts.

And here’s a word to the wise: Census tract 8128.01 is Oak Park’s slacking-est tract at just 48.7 percent counted.

If we don’t see improvement, next week we’ll tell you where 8128.01 is located … if we can figure out how to read the map.

Bad news, OPRF campers The athletic department at OPRF announced Monday it was cancelling all the summer swim and sports camps for local kids through incoming 8th graders.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision to make, as this type of community activity is important to us as a school district,” read the announcement as it made clear COVID-19 would preclude the programs.

The camps, always popular with local children, were cancelled early so families can make alternative plans. The swim camps include children from age 4-10.

Still to be decided is whether summer camps for OPRF students will be held. “We are still reviewing plans for our High School Camp Program (incoming 9-12th grade students) and final decisions have yet to be determined.”

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

COVID-conscious man robs 7-Eleven

A man wearing a white surgical face mask and light blue surgical gloves walked into 7-Eleven, 661 S. Blvd., at 3:09 p.m. April 15, with his right hand in his jacket pocket implying he had a weapon and demanded cash from the register.

Upon receiving about $60 in cash from the register, the man fled 7-Eleven on foot and was last seen traveling eastbound on South Boulevard.

Aggravated robbery

*A man with his hand in his pants, implying a weapon, approached the victim and took the victim’s green Apple iPhone 11 Plus and black leather wallet at 5:23 p.m., April 16 in the 100 block of South Humphrey Avenue; the man then fled eastbound on South Boulevard.

Police describe the man as being black, in his early 20s, 6 feet 1 inch tall, 160 lbs. with a star-shaped face tattoo on his left cheek and multiple facial tattoos below his right eye.

He was last seen wearing a black face mask, black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and white shoes. The estimated loss is $1,225.

Robbery

*A man in his late teens forcibly removed cash from the victim’s hand after meeting on the pretense of carrying out a transaction at 1:15 p.m., April 16 in the 300 block of South Humphrey Avenue; the man then fled on foot traveling eastbound in the alley behind Washington Boulevard. The estimated loss is $220.

Motor vehicle theft

*The owner of a 2007 AudiA4 was sitting in the car when an unknown offender grabbed the owner’s Apple iPhone. The unknown offender ran away while the victim gave chase, leaving the car running with the keys in the ignition; the victim returned to find the car missing between 1:05 a.m. and 1:12 a.m., April 16 in the 200 block of South Maple Avenue.

The vehicle was found a short time later in a nearby parking lot in the same block. The estimated loss of the cellphone is

unknown. *A blue 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer was removed from the 200 block of Lake Street between 12:50 p.m. and 9:17 p.m., April 14.

Estimated loss is $1,900.

Theft *A silver-colored Microsoft Surface Pen was taken out of a package that had been delivered to a residence in the 200 block of Chicago Avenue between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., April 14. Estimated loss is $120. *Someone cut the catalytic convertor and the oxygen sensor from a silver Honda Accord parked in the 1000 block of South Grove Avenue between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., April 16. Estimated loss is $1,100.

Burglary

*Someone removed a black Columbia parka jacket, a black Nike jacket, a driver’s license, a Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card and two Lululemon gift cards out of a vehicle with an unlocked door and ransacked the vehicle’s interior between 11:15 a.m., April 14 and 11:15 a.m., April 15 in the 1100 block of South Grove Avenue. Total estimated loss is $400. *An unknown man was observed via video surveillance entering an unlocked vehicle, ransacking its center console and glove box, and removing an estimated $70 in cash at 10:40 a.m., April 15 in the 1000 block of South Lombard Avenue.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports April 14-20 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 Stacey Sheridan

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O N S O R E D

R Thanks to Melissa’s passion and experiencing our coffee first-hand by “cupping”, we thank Oak Park Eats for the positive exposure!

Restaurant Row at the ready

estaurant Row in Elmwood Park is a dining hub, and food lovers typically flock to their popular sidewalk patios as the weather warms. Statewide stay-at-home orders may have changed plans but have not dampened the fighting spirit among owners on Restaurant Row. During these challenging times, it has become all the more important to support the vibrant collection of eateries situated on North Avenue.

Thankfully, your favorite Restaurant Row establishments have cooked up strategies and deals to get through the coronavirus crisis.

“If you enjoy our restaurants and want us to be around when the dust settles, you have to support us now or we’re not going to make it,” said Donny Greco of Food Writer Donny G’s, located at 7308 W. North

MELISSA ELSMO

C O N T E N T

CHEF’S SELECTION: Owner Sara Kate has relied on a steady stream of loyal customers to keep Irnari Sushi, located at 7428 W. North Ave, in business for 9 years. The diminutive shop is still rolling maki and serving up sushi for carry-out and delivery.

Ave. Greco pointed out Donny G’s is doing a quarter of their regular business but can stay afloat thanks to breaks in restaurant licensing fees authorized by Village President Skip Saviano. Additionally, Greco’s landlord was amenable to adjusting the rent on his restaurant property and helped connect him to large-scale catering orders through Catholic Charities.

Greco is committed to paying that goodwill forward by offering a Spring into Recovery promo giving patrons a 20% discount

- Jacques, Counter Coffee, Forest Park

Photos by Melissa Elsmo

Enjoy a cup at CounterCoffee.com Jacques Shalo, Counter Coffee

CLASSIC MOOV: Throw some love toward Burger Moovment by ordering a Classic Moov, featuring American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise on a brioche bun.

Photos by Melissa Elsmo

Keep up with Melissa Elsmo and what she’s cooking up at:

OakParkEats.com

CUBAN: In addition to offering their full menu for carry-out and delivery, including their signature Cuban sandwiches, Café Cubano is offering make-your-own Mojito kits..

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Photos by Melissa Elsmo

ARMANDS: Armand’s Pizza, located at 7650 W. North Ave., is offering a 10% discount on all carry-out and delivery orders placed online.

Photos by Melissa Elsmo

CANE ASADA AND AL PASTOR: Gringo and Blondie two taco dinner, shown here with Carne Asada and Al Pastor tacos, comes with beans and rice. on all carry-out orders through the end of April. He is also encouraging customers to help him give back to front-line medical workers. Customers purchasing two $50 gift cards and opting to donate one or both to feed doctors and nurses will receive a $20 gift card free at Donny G’s. Greco will deliver accumulated gift cards for distribution at local hospital.

“Health-care workers are making the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good,” said Greco. “I want to reward them with a night out at Donny G’s when our dining room is open again.”

Burger Moovment, located at 7512 W. North Ave., has been dedicated to building a better burger for nine years. Though it hasn’t been easy, the fast-casual joint has remained open to sate cravings during quarantine.

“It’s been extremely difficult, but I think we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Burger Moovment owner, Anthony Gambino. “Order directly from the restaurant whenever possible, so we aren’t forced to pay service fees to the delivery

companies.”

In addition to offering their Classic Moov, named among the top 20 suburban burgers by the Chicago Tribune, and their perennially popular Elmwood Park-inspired burger for carry-out and delivery, Burger Moovment is offering a Jucy Lucy as their signature April burger. Gambino encourages fans to purchase restaurant gift cards and merchandise to show support.

Gringo and Blondie, located at 7514 W. North Ave., has a family meal deal to make the most of meals at home. Ten tacos in assorted varieties, a cheese quesadilla, chips and guac, rice and beans and churros will feed a family of 4-6 for under $60 dollars. A similar deal is attracting diners at Massa Café Italiano, featuring pasta, pizza, salad and fried dough. Customers can add a pint of homemade vanilla or chocolate ice cream or gelato for just $5 at either location.

Reach out to Restaurant Row to show your support for the dynamic array of restaurants working to stay open another day.

We ARE LIVE ONLINE! Your Table is READY For sponsorships or advertising call lourdes at 708-381-1123 lourdes@oakpark.com Served fresh by

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

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19

Homes

Reassessments will account for pandemic’s impact For townships already reassessed, adjustment will come after appeals

By LACEY SIKORA

W

Contributing Reporter

hen Fritz Kaegi won the election for Cook County Assessor in November 2018, he pledged to change the way the office did business. As he works his way through his agenda, his second year has been marked by an unprecedented shutdown due to COVID-19. And, that has necessitated a pivot in how the office handles reassessments.

Kaegi says that with the economic shutdown because of the pandemic, it rapidly became apparent that his office needed to make changes. His office recently issued a press release regarding the decision to reassess all properties in the county later in the year.

“We’re already seeing the effects of this global health crisis on hiring, income, and construction -- all of which dovetail with real estate values,” Kaegi said in the release.

“Property owners should know we’re taking these circumstances into account. It’s the right thing to do.”

During a Zoom interview with Wednesday Journal last week, Kaegi cited the recession of 2008 as a period in which then-Assessor James Houlihan made a downward adjustment in assessment for the entire county.

Kaegi says the details of the downward

adjustment are still being determined, but he said the adjustment will be based on data, including pricing and numbers of transactions for local property sales, as well as models of unemployment and how that relates to those categories. Kaegi says they will also look at how municipalities were impacted by previous crises, such as 9/11 and the recession 10 years ago.

Oak Park Township Assessor Ali ElSaffar noted the assessor’s COVID-19 changes will affect Oak Park, Riverside, River Forest, Calumet and Palos Townships differently than other municipalities.

Cook County reassesses properties on a triennial basis, and those townships were reassessed in January 2020 and were in the midst of the appeals process when the virus hit.

Other townships in the west and south of Cook County, including Proviso and Lyons

townships, will be reassessed later this year.

ElSaffar, who noted that his office has already processed more than 2,000 appeals for Oak Park’s roughly 15,000 residential property owners, said that it did not make sense to go through the appeals process now only to have properties reassessed in the late fall or winter.

“They will work on our appeals, which are now due May 1, as normal and then apply the adjustment factor to those post-appeal values,” ElSaffar said.

ElSaffar said that in 2009, Oak Park’s residential properties saw a downward adjustment of 7 percent, but that did not apply to other property classes, and other municipalities saw different adjustments.

He also cautioned that any downward adSee REASSESSMENT on page 22

20

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

REASSESSMENT Levies won’t change from page 19

FRITZ KAEGI

Cook County Assessor justment will have little effect on tax bills.

“This is more of a sound bite than a change in reality,” ElSaffar said.

Municipal governments, school districts and other agencies determine how much money they need to fund their operations, and those tax levies will not change.

Kaegi confirmed that the levies set by lo-

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM cal taxing bodies will be the same in spite of his COVID-19-based adjustment and that the adjustment is trying to make sure that the levies are divided up in the fairest way.

In Riverside Township, Assessor Fran Sitkiewicz said that the township’s appeals process has been very robust in spite of COVID-19. As in Oak Park, the Riverside Township assessor pivoted after the shutdown to assist residents with appeals over the phone. As of April 15, Sitkiewicz says her office has worked with roughly 1,500 of Riverside Township’s more than 5,000 residential property owners in Riverside, Brookfield and North Riverside.

She says that because of changes made in the county assessor’s office under Kaegi, it has been easier for her office to help the ever-increasing numbers of residents seeking to appeal, since the process can now be completed online.

“We do appreciate the changes Kaegi is making to make the process accessible and to help us do things online,” Sitkiewicz said.

“At least we’ve now gotten through the process and gotten our appeals filed. Now, we’ll have to see what the answer is to those appeals.”

Ripe for reform After his primary victory in spring of 2018, Kaegi says he had 10 months to prepare for the job as county assessor, during which he spoke to people around the country who are involved in property assessment.

“What we were doing is not what they do in other places,” Kaegi said. “We have a lot to learn from other places. Some of our peers had problems like ours and they’ve fixed them.”

When he started his job in 2019, updates were sorely needed.

“There was one whole city block [in the county building] from Randolph to Washington full of boxes with no filing system other than date received,” Kaegi said. “It symbolized a system that was dysfunctional.”

He appointed 25 new senior executives, including people with expertise in assessments from other parts of the country. He set about automating an outdated system, implementing many technological innovations.

Appeals and exemptions can be filed online, and the office also instituted a new call system, new Freedom of Information Act process and a new website. In addition, the office put in place an online RPIE (Real Property Income and Expense) form, which allows commercial property owners to submit rent and income information before the assessment process.

A legislative change, making the senior exemption renew automatically each year, will also ease the process for seniors.

When asked about the perception that the assessment process was rife with corruption, Kaegi says that perception reflects the point of view of many in Cook County.

“By design or by accident, our system has

been extremely regressive,” he said. “It’s done great damage economically and politically to our community.”

Kaegi says it’s part of his job to upend that perception of corruption, noting the reforms he has already put in place that include an ethics ordinance, which prohibits contributions to the assessor from Cook County Assessor Office employees, a published visitor log and an outside auditor.

Kaegi also expressed an interest in making the typical triennial reassessments more transparent.

“The assessment process has been difficult,” he said. “A lot of key numbers have been hidden. We want to show them and be accountable.”

To that end, the office is now publishing township-level reports on its website for each reassessed township to help property owners understand its methodology, and also created “explainers” online so that people can gain a better understanding of the property tax system.

They also redesigned assessment notices and other communications from the office to make them easier to read.

Kaegi acknowledged that Cook County property taxes are some of the highest in the nation and advocates a two-pronged approach to relief.

“We need more federal support of K through 12 education, and we need to bring back the SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction,” he said.

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Which track would you choose?

N

ow that our President has been persuaded that, unlike Louis XIV, he is not the state, the heavy burden of deciding just how and when to take the first steps toward a modicum of normalcy falls upon the shoulders of the nation’s governors. They will each have to steer the ship of state between the shoals of recklessness and hysteria, or as Governor Pritzker has framed it, between lives and livelihood. Those of us with secure jobs or pensions forget that millions of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and will have to choose between medicine, rent or groceries if they don’t go back to work soon.

Gov. Pritzker will consult with epidemiologists, doctors and nurses, police and fire officials, educators and the business community. I would suggest he add a philosopher to the group.

A philosopher would tell him about a thought experiment in ethics known as the Trolley Problem. It involves a fictional situation in which a runaway train is barreling down a train track, and five people are tied up on the track ahead. You control a lever that can divert the train to a side track, but one person is tied up on the side track. Do you switch tracks? You can of course change the number of people and their bios in this scenario. Does it make a difference if there are just two people — a criminal and a geriatric? What if the one on the side track is a scientist close to the discovery of a COVID vaccine or a toddler?

Generally speaking, there are two ways to look at the problem. Many would say that killing one to save five is the right way to go. This utilitarian approach focuses on the greatest good for the greatest number. Another school of thought, deontological ethics, argues that an action is either right or wrong regardless of the consequences.

Never kill a human being.

The ethics presented by the Trolley Problem is not so academic as it might seem. Whenever a country goes to war, it has to decide how many soldiers can die to achieve victory. The United States eventually decided that the number of young men dying in that war was not worth the price of preventing Communism in Southeast Asia.

Increasing the speed limit to 70 almost certainly increases highway crash deaths. Similar tradeoffs are presented with respect to drugs, alcohol, obesity and guns. Our society is obviously willing to accept an increased loss of life for a greater economic or political benefit. COVID-19 will likely be no exception.

The Trolley Problem suggests that there is no easy solution to the question of how and when to begin reopening the country. Not everyone looks at the world the same. The deep political divisions and media exploitation of those divisions doesn’t make things any easier. I have great sympathy for all of the governors tasked with deciding which track we should take. May they choose well.

JOHN

HUBBUCH

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

VIEWPOINTS

23

The case for canceling spring sports p. 27

Remembering Rachel on Earth Day 50

A

s I reflect on Earth Day in this 50th anniversary year, I cannot help but remember and honor Rachel Carson. She was its impetus. In the imaginative and poetic prose of Silent Spring, she articulated the danger we would be facing with the indiscriminate use of pesticides.

If one is unaware of her personal story, it is one of love of family and the natural world.

Carson was raised during the time of the “nature study” movement, which believed that, by studying nature, “the intricate design of the Creator would become visible.” The adherents believed nature was holy.

Carson’s mother was involved in the movement and as an avid lover of nature, taught her daughter to experience and identify with that world. Rachel also loved writing about it.

At the age of 10, she was published in a prestigious children’s magazine.

She always thought of herself as a writer. However, while taking a biology class in college with a beloved teacher, she switched her major to biology and later earned a master’s in marine biology. Her two loves would complement each other when she became editor-in-chief of U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Publications. With the encouragement of her supervisor, she sent an essay to the Atlantic magazine. This was the beginning of her influence on a much larger readership.

RACHEL CARSON She became a well-known and respected author prior to Silent Spring.

Her three previous books were award winners acknowledging her integration of scientific knowledge and imaginative storytelling.

The devastation of song birds was the reason she began doing the research for Silent Spring.

As she struggled to finish her book, she kept secret the fact that she was dying of cancer. Her struggle with cancer demonstrated her self-sacrifice and determination to get the message out about the dangers of

pesticides.

Rachel’s books always framed the creativity and beauty she found in nature. She uses the words “wonder” and “awe” to describe what she saw and felt. They are the same words Thomas Berry and others have used to describe their experience of the sacred.

And what about our present reality?

As we struggle with the crisis caused by the coronavirus, I am grateful for Rachel Carson’s lessons, which teach us to live within the rules of nature and not against them. We must learn to value nature’s wisdom and make policies that are written with this wisdom in mind.

Some scientists believe, as we venture into uninhabited areas of the world, that disrupting the ecosystems there will continue to bring forth unknown viruses. Rachel saw that the integration of all living things needed to be understood as a whole system. If we do so, perhaps we will no longer blindly make decisions in disparate ways, with monetary profits being the primary value.

Let us remember everything is interrelated. Everything fits into the mysterious whole that is still unfolding. This energy of life, this energy of the Cosmic Christ, this evolving movement of existence is always evolving.

Living in a democratic society, let us be reminded of the courage and persistence of Rachel Carson. She lived out her convictions despite attacks attempting to discredit her.

She defended her research in the world of politics where she spoke at Senate hearings and other political events.

It is in the political arena where we have a voice in prioritizing what values we wish all levels of our government to represent. We vote so they will act on those values and pass laws that execute those values. We cannot be bystanders in this process.

So as we celebrate this special Earth Day, may we remember and be inspired by the spirituality of Rachel Carson — her awe and wonder of the natural world and the active role she took in protecting it.

Peggy McGrath is a longtime Oak Park resident and Founder of Go Green Oak Park (peggy@gogreenoakpark. org). This piece originally ran in The Well, a blog for The Well Spirituality Center, LaGrange.

PEGGY MCGRATH One View

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

O U R

V I E W S

Lessons from school interrupted

W

V I E W P O I N T S

e are rightly focusing attention on the unfair circumstance that our high school seniors face as the final third of their final year of school was abruptly lopped off by COVID-19. The mid-March email announcing school would be temporarily shuttered did not lead to immediate worries about prom, graduation and the tender transition to life after OPRF, Trinity, and Fenwick being axed. But that realization has gradually taken hold as virtually everyone has accepted that the only way through this pandemic is to deny it the transmission that comes when we move about and gather up.

The news last week that Gov. J.B. Pritzker had taken the prudent step — really the only acceptable step — and closed all Illinois schools for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year makes our predicament very real.

But it is not just the seniors who are being deprived. This wrenching change has profound impact on all students, on all parents, on all teachers. And during what is formally recognized as Teacher Appreciation Week, we’d like to shout out not just to teachers but to the fundamental place of schools in our individual and collective lives.

It is the ultimate taking for granted that, with all their strengths and many imperfections, we don’t actively appreciate that five days a week, 10 months a year children from age 3 to 19 are taught, fed, socialized, loved and disciplined in a communal setting, hewing in evolving ways to our shared values.

Credit to the valiant efforts of teachers and administrators who have willed eLearning into something of genuine, if uneven, purpose. Credit to parents who have taken work/life balance into new realms as they work with their children to sustain learning while also working from home, or more remarkably, working outside the home on the frontlines and still somehow, some damned way, holding life together.

There are heroes among us.

Whether a child is small or is on the verge of adulthood, preschool, middle school, high school or homebound college kid, we have lost the rhythm of school. We have lost the one, sometimes two meals, necessary for sustenance.

We have lost access to Spring Sings, the spring sports season, casual conversations in the hallway, human connections to adults other than parents, profound special ed services not replicated at home, ready access to physical and mental health care.

And with those losses and so many others, we may not immediately recognize that we have brought unknown stresses to children, families and institutions.

Also though, in this crucible we’ve invented teaching and learning approaches — many involving technology — that will serve us well and be incorporated into curricula going forward. We’ve come to appreciate the importance of the bond between teachers, parents and children.

Finally, since every crisis offers opportunity, perhaps we can learn a lesson with school as we know it having been ripped away. Here are two. In education, as in every aspect of our lives, there are profound inequities at work every day. Those are laid bare in this circumstance, whether it is access to meals, to technology, to hours of support from parents able to work from home. Finally, perversely, life interrupted should also make us think, especially as kids grow older, about the intense pressures we bring to education. The standardized testing, the tracking, social cliques, the right college, the right clothes. It’s really too much.

This enforced absence is a moment to rethink priorities.

S

Settling in with Joe

o after all that, we ended up with Joe. I’m disappointed about Elizabeth and Pete. Not so disappointed about Bernie, though I admire him and wish President Joe would appoint him America’s first Prophet Laureate.

Joe was well down my list, but he’s a hard man not to like. Never, ever underestimate the importance of likeability when it comes to the American electorate. An easy candidate to like is now running against the easiest one to dislike. That’s a big advantage this year.

But Joe got off to that rough start.

He’s an old white guy who kept stumbling over his words. I was afraid he was in decline and no longer had what it takes. Then I learned he suffered from a stutter, exacerbated no doubt by the pressure of competing against so many other good and sharp candidates. I would have stumbled, too, if the debate moderators gave me one minute to sum up my position on extremely complex issues. Mass debates are insane.

I hope we stop holding them. So I stopped holding it against Joe. Politics, they say, is the “art of the possible,” and Joe is looking more and more possible — even likely. I hope and pray he’s up to the task. Then again, that task has changed, dramatically, thanks partly to the pandemic.

But not entirely. Most of us don’t need or want a cult of personality anymore. I’m not looking for another Obama or FDR or Lincoln to sweep me away. I’m looking for a different kind of leader altogether, certainly different from the Great Macy’s Bombast Balloon currently expelling hot air from the Oval Office. Joe Biden may just fit the bill.

We don’t need another Nuremberg-rally cheerleader. We don’t need adrenaline-rush oratory. We don’t need pontificating salesmanship. We don’t need a fearless fuehrer carrying us into the future on brawny, buff shoulders. It’s pretty clear to most of us now, clarified by this pandemic, how much progress this country needs. Better to have someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously, someone who isn’t always trying to prove something or work out his psychological issues. Someone who wasn’t necessarily our first choice.

Instead of a “savior,” we need “safer.” We need “saner.” We don’t want Superman. We want someone with a functioning Superego — and a realitybased ego.

Joe Biden isn’t larger than life. He’s as large as life. Bush wasn’t as large as life. Trump is too large — excess in all its ugliness. Too hot, too cold, but Joe’s porridge might be just about right. He may not be a great president. But he’ll be a goodenough president. Right now that sounds pretty damn good.

Are we settling for Joe? Maybe, but maybe that’s just what the doctor ordered after the disruption of the last four years. With Joe, nobody loses and maybe we all win. Not settling so much as settling down, a nation badly in need of healing after COVID-2016.

Democrats settled on Joe with surprising speed.

Maybe we’re smarter than we realize. We’ve spent four years with an ugly American who cares

about nobody but himself. Now he’s up against someone who has made a career of caring about other people.

That’s like a choice between the desert and the oasis. Is it a mirage? Only one way to find out. Go there.

Will he do enough to advance a more progressive agenda? That’s the big question. We’re facing two huge challenges right now — health care and climate change — that urgently need to be addressed. Plenty of other issues right behind those, but the only way to push a progressive agenda is to give Joe and the Democrats a governing majority — a veto-proof majority. That’s not up to Joe. It’s up to us.

Joe Biden may be our surprise choice, but he’s got two big things going for him: First is empathy. He has genuine feeling for people because he’s suffered major losses in his life.

And most Americans have also suffered losses. He’s not going to ignite great passion, but people can feel him. He’s at the mensch end of the humanity spectrum, as opposed to the deranged, damaged mess who barely registers at the other end.

Someone with warmth and feeling is especially welcome right now. He’s a little too old to be too full of himself. That’s a good thing. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with overinflated ego.

The second thing he’s got going for him — the most important thing to me — is that the vast majority of African Americans want him to be president. I trust their instincts. I suspect most black voters can spot a phony white politician a mile away.

From a purely political angle, Democrats need the “black vote,” but we also need the “women’s vote,” the “immigrant vote,” the “Latinx vote,” and the “millennial vote.” We need the “independent vote,” the “moderate vote,” the “center-right vote” and the “progressive vote.” Every one of these groups is important. We need the broadest coalition this country has ever seen. And Joe may be the only one that coalition is willing to unite behind.

This is a referendum on the Colossus of Incompetence, but we’ll need every vote we can get to fire him because we’re mired in a corrupt, rigged electoral system, and Republicans will pull out every trick in their playbook to tilt the results. We’ll need a tidal wave of votes to cleanse ourselves of these extremists once and, hopefully, forever.

But I’m not speaking politically when it comes to African Americans. From what I’ve read, most want Joe because he faithfully served Barack Obama as vice president, emphasis on “faithfully” and “served,” and I’m guessing they didn’t believe any white politician was capable of that. He didn’t attempt to undercut or undermine or work around his boss. He kept his ego in check and became Barack’s willing partner. And because of that, they trust him. They like him for plenty of other reasons, but that one is significant.

If African Americans trust Joe Biden, so do I. If African Americans want him as president, then for once, God damn it, the rest of America should follow suit instead of expecting them to follow us.

This election, I’m happy to be guided by their preference.

KEN

TRAINOR

V I E W P O I N T S S H R U B T O W N

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan, Maria Maxham Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Linda Francis Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Mark Moroney, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck

A small nudge ...

Approximately 17 percent of single-family homes compost in Oak Park. The good news is that this number has been growing at a faster rate since 2018. The not-so-good news is that this number just feels too low for our community.

I asked a friend and neighbor who recently signed up to compost, what motivated her to do it? She said she has been thinking about it for years, has heard and read from experts about its benefits, knew that it was the right thing to do and at the end, it took a small nudge, a simple direct question from a friend: “Have you considered composting?”

The answer was yes, she had and she realized she was ready to act. I think that there is guilt around the topic of being green, taking care of Mother Earth. All the “you should be doing this,” “you should be doing that” doesn’t put most of us in a good frame of mind.

So I am going to turn that guilt on its head. Don’t feel bad for what you aren’t doing; feel good about what you

Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

are already doing. Maybe it’s using a reusable water bottle instead of plastic, maybe it is using reusable bags when shopping, maybe it is breaking down that box and recycling it, maybe it is not using straws, or maybe it is using glass milk bottles instead of plastic. Whatever it is, hold onto that feeling and try to build on it.

I am confident that one day (maybe sooner than you think), you will have worked up to composting. Change is incremental. Let’s incrementally get there. I know we can bump that 17 percent up. Let’s feel good about being green.

And if you are more of a numbers person, consider that it only costs about $15/month, you get an initial 3 months free if you sign up for a year (about a $46 savings), and you could split the service with a neighbor and only pay around $7.50 a month.

Consider this your nudge.

Sharon Hermanns Oak Park

Thrive’s weekly town hall is helpful In these days of uncertainty, efforts to be productive, and taking a day at a time, we found it interesting and helpful to join the Weekly Community Town Hall Meeting offered by the Thrive Counseling Center, Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m. https://zoom.us/j/259788564 We experienced this “meeting” via the Zoom Virtual Platform and had the opportunity to share ideas and inspiration to help us navigate the COVID-19 crisis. We

viewed this as an important offering that others may benefit from as well. It’s all about helping each other stay emotionally healthy, share stories, concerns, ask questions (or not) and listen.

We truly had the opportunity to give and receive in the call.

Kathy and Tom Haney Oak Park

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

■ 250-word limit

■ 500-word limit

■ Must include first and last names,

■ One-sentence footnote about yourself,

municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)

your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 708 613 3300

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

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Coronavirus can’t take the memories and friendships

t our freshman orientation, Fenwick Principal Peter Groom promised the class of 2020 that the next four years would fly by. I do not think anyone anticipated that not only would this be true, but also our time together would be dramatically cut short.

As the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic has become more clear, our final months of senior year disappeared. Classes, extracurricular activities and competitions are canceled. Spring sports and performances have been put off. Now prom is canceled and graduation is in question.

We have had no choice but to settle into a new normal of eLearning and social distancing.

Having these final milestones put to the side is a loss we are still grappling with. Senior year is supposed to be the culmination of our high school journey; a time to celebrate how far we have come, recognize all we have accomplished, and look forward to the adventure ahead. Even more difficult is the fact that we must reconcile our grief with the understanding that our problems are insignificant compared to the overwhelming fear, loss and tragedy sweeping across the globe.

A month ago, as my expectations for senior year began to crumble around me, I could not begin to comprehend how surreal my life felt. Since when did I live in a teen dystopian novel? Adjusting was, and is, difficult. However, as much as it hurts, I am trying to focus on the positives.

In an unexpected way, I have been blessed with extra time with my family, which is even more meaningful right before I leave for college. Instead of racing to keep up with my busy schedule, I now can enjoy family dinners every night.

I can call my grandma without being pressed for time, and I have reconnected with people I have not spoken to in years.

I have garnered a greater appreciation for the little things, like reading a book with a cup of tea and sitting outside on a warm afternoon. The situation is certainly not all sunshine

and rainbows, but focusing on the simple pleasures helps me stay positive.

Moreover, quarantine has strengthened my appreciation for my friends, my classmates and my school. Between the FaceTime catch-ups, motivational videos sent by faculty and students, and endless messages of encouragement, I am overcome with gratitude for the communities to which I belong.

Although COVID-19 has separated the class of 2020 physically, I believe it has also brought us together. We appreciate each other even more now that we are apart — we certainly are not taking anything for granted and we will not allow this pandemic to derail our senior year. Using technology, we stay in touch. We help each other with eLearning struggles, share random videos to brighten our days, and are always ready to talk. Our four years together has defined our bond, and our continued support for each other during these months is only strengthening it.

At our freshman orientation, Mr. Groom told us to look to our left and to our right: These would be the people we would spend the next four years of our lives with, all the way up to graduation. Next month, I may not have the opportunity to sit among my classmates one final time at commencement. I may not have the chance to look to my left and to my right and see the faces of friends who were once strangers. But it will be OK. We, as a class and as a society, will pull through this trying time with hope and mutual support.

Our class will celebrate together as soon as we can. In the meantime, we can take comfort in the memories we have made, the friendships we have formed, and the lasting legacy of the class of 2020 that we have built together.

Eva Homberger, a senior at Fenwick High School, resides in Oak Park.

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Saying farewell Dr. Wayne Lucht [Obituaries, April 15] was my psychology professor for two courses at Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University). He was also a fellow parishioner at Grace Lutheran Church.

A finer person, teacher and friend would be difficult to find.

John Stanger

Oak Park

The over and under of it

EVA

HOMBERGER One View

E

I understand the point of ubiquitous reminder notices to “Maintain Social Distance,” but it sounds so dreary, like something written by a 1930s-era Soviet bureaucrat. We need a Trader Joe’s-worthy slogan. May I suggest “6 Feet Over - Not 6 Feet Under”?

Bob Stigger

Oak Park

Paying attention to details

As I drive around Oak Park doing my chores, or better yet when I am a passenger, I notice the wonderful decorations on Oak Park houses especially the stucco ones which have stained glass on the doors and curvy detailing on the house fronts. Very beautiful.

Joanne Selden

Oak Park

The media is complicit in Trump’s festival of lies

very sentient American knew in February that COVID-19 was an incredibly dangerous threat. We had seen how China, South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan controlled the spread of the disease by acting decisively.

We then saw the counterexamples: first Italy, then Spain cavalierly failed to heed the warnings and ignored social distancing.

Finally, after thousands of deaths, Italy imposed a draconian shutdown, and they are now beginning to reap the benefits. Meanwhile the Trump Administration was busy lying to the public, saying there were only a few deaths, and soon the disease would magically disappear.

Last Sunday, the New York Times simply retold and documented the story every one of us had already lived through — of Trump blustering and lying and refusing to do anything to abate the virus. To this day, he has refused any national stay-at-home advisory.

He refuses to use his war powers to direct U.S. industries to make masks or test kits.

Trump’s failure to respond in any construc-

tive way to this crisis, when the correct response was clear to everyone else in the world, has turned the U.S. into the hotbed of the worst pandemic in a century.

Our sick and our dead now far outnumber any other country. Yet this disaster was preventable.

Trump is simply incapable of responding to this crisis. He refuses to listen to experts, preferring to fire them and replace them with sycophants. He refuses to learn from the experiences of other countries who have tried a variety of approaches. A competent CEO listens to experts who present options and discuss the ramifications of each choice. The best option is usually obvious.

Trump cannot function this way — he extracts decisions from his “gut” which typically means the last pundit he heard on Fox News. He has no coherent strategy, and no one knows what he will decide next.

Trump now is itching to “open up the economy” because his only claim to success was to ride the upward slope of the stock

market from Obama’s last seven years in office. Every rational view of how we might return to normal involves extensive testing for COVID-19. But Trump never wanted testing, and stymied efforts to carry it out, mainly because when you test there are many positive results, and this makes Trump look bad. He does not care that people are sick and dying, but he does care that he might be blamed for it.

So, ostrich-like, he prefers to avoid testing altogether. The very thing that must happen before we can reopen our country is the thing he does not want to happen. While his tiny brain struggles with this dilemma, hundreds of thousands of Americans have become sick and tens of thousands have died.

Unfortunately, the TV networks are pathetically suckered into airing Trump’s daily “briefings,” which are undisguised political re-election ads. Trump cannot open his mouth without lying, so nothing he says

TOM DECOURSEY One View

WAYNE LUCHT

can be taken at face value. Each declaration must be corrected by his staff.

By spreading myths, phony cures, and lies about the COVID-19 crisis, these briefings seriously damage America’s safety. If these propaganda-fests must be broadcast, there should be equal time for a Democratic response. But there is absolutely no reason this garbage should be aired at all.

Instead, the media should ask actual experts and knowledgeable people (e.g., the team at Johns Hopkins and Anthony Fauci) to give daily updates on the spread of the disease, the status of treatment or immunization efforts, and recommendations about social distancing, etc.

Truthful, well-intentioned information is desperately needed, but instead we are insulted by a daily barrage of lies and narcissism. When their laziness and fear of being attacked by a psychotic President cause the news media to morph into mouthpieces for Sauron/Voldemort/Trump, it is time they reconsider their responsibility to humanity.

Tom DeCoursey is a resident of Oak Park.

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Coronavirus: A silver lining?

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s bad as this is, the coronavirus pandemic embodies a silver lining — the opportunity for a global self-correction. The correction has lessons related to our pace of life, our short-sighted “self-interests” that are blind to long-term self-interests, the reality that we are all connected, and the fact that facts and science must trump politics and ego.

The World Health Organization had/has a plan for a pandemic virus. The legally binding revision, signed by 196 countries including the U.S., stipulated that the WHO would serve as a central coordinating body, but many countries did not follow the plan and did not heed the warnings of the WHO. Rather than understand our connectedness, countries chose to do as they pleased.

On another level, this virus has given us the opportunity to live at a different pace — not only for our health and sanity, but for our survival as a species. We all have been guilty of sacrificing our ability to enjoy life’s simple pleasures in the midst of our busy-ness, which this virus is re-teaching us to appreciate with long walks, cooking, conversations and appreciation of each other.

Perhaps this is also our opportunity to take a step back, understand the global predicament that we are in with COVID-19 and the climate crisis, and create the mental, emotional and spiritual space to think about the world beyond self and make our collective future a priority.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated in a recent landmark report that we are setting ourselves up for a world of worsening food shortages, droughts, extreme weather events, wildfires, related human suffering and death, and $54 trillion in economic damage if global temperatures surpass

a 1.5 degree Celsius increase above preindustrial levels by 2040. To prevent a 1.5 degree Celsius increase in warming, greenhouse pollution must be reduced by 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050. We’re not even close.

The coronavirus pandemic may likely be a dress rehearsal for future climate crisis consequences that will make this current pandemic seem like child’s play in retrospect. We need to get through this current pandemic, support our businesses and institutions, honor our frontline workers, grieve our losses, and pull together to solve the immediate crisis at hand.

But make no mistake, if we don’t learn to collaborate on pressing global issues, make adjustments in how we are using Earth’s resources, and take the time to do so now, then we simply are rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic as we go about our daily to-do lists.

Our businesses and institutions must make commitments and plans now — as some are — to develop timelines and strategies for reaching net zero energy within our buildings; achieving zero emissions related to all energy, transportation, and waste in advance of the recommended science-based timelines; and shift rapidly toward a 100 percent renewable energy economy.

If we allow the coronavirus pandemic’s silver lining to wake us up toward planning and action now for the future, then this episode will have taught us valuable lessons that give us the chance to position ourselves for a more hopeful future for our children and the next generations.

Gary Cuneen is the founder and executive director of Seven Generations Ahead, a 19-year-old sustainable communities nonprofit based in Oak Park, working to combat the climate crisis.

GARY

CUNEEN One View

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for

M

ost of us have done lots of waiting during COVID-19. We’re waiting for shelter-in-place to end. We’re waiting for the schools to reopen, to travel again, for a vaccine. Maybe we’ve even waited for a truck with toilet paper to arrive at Jewel.

“Waiting” is not a particularly active verb — it implies the absence of something rather than the thing itself. It’s also a breeding ground for anxiety, as many of us have experienced.

There’s plenty of ways to distract yourself while waiting: watching TV, reading, doing home workouts. These distractions can certainly be restorative. But if you’re like me, anxiety and helplessness are often waiting to pounce right after that Schitt’s Creek episode is over. I might not be good at waiting, but my anxiety sure is.

Unlike waiting, volunteering is inherently active. It can also be healing. Irvin Yalom cites altruism as one of 11 factors that makes group therapy so effective. Helping others helps us because, as Yalom puts it, “people need to feel they are needed and useful.” Helping others — whether it be friends, family, or our community — is also a value most people hold. Acting according to our values challenges the notion that we’re helpless.

Below are some ways to help. A caveat: Doing more of these activities isn’t necessarily better. Ask yourself what you have the capacity for — in terms of infection risk, other obligations, and comfort level. Getting outside of your comfort zone can be great, but keep in mind that we’re spending a lot of time there already.

Ways to Help During COVID-19: ■ Oak Park Community Response needs volunteers to help meet essential needs for seniors. The volunteer interest survey can be found at https://bit.ly/399p9zW.

■ Greater Chicago Food Depository is in urgent need of volunteers between the ages of 18 and 60 to pack food at their warehouse, https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/volunteer.

■ Chicago Mask Makers is organizing an effort to sew masks for health-care professionals, https:// www.chicagomaskmakers.org.

■ Catch a Fire matches professionals looking to volunteer with nonprofits. Many virtual volunteer opportunities exist, www.catchafire.org.

■ Write someone a letter! Writing by hand can be therapeutic and receiving something unexpected in the mail could make a friend or relative’s day.

■ Scroll through your contacts. Is there someone you’ve been meaning to reach out to? Someone who may be having an especially hard time right now? If you’re craving a little more structure before picking up the phone, check out 1:1 Connect’s guide, including some questions to get you started, http://bit. ly/39UneAv. I tried my best to figure out who first said, “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” Obama said it in 2008. It appears in a June Jordan poem from 1978. Other sources say it originated further back than that. No matter who first coined the phrase, it feels visceral now. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the ones who will get ourselves through this.

Laura Nessler is a therapist at Thrive Counseling Center in Oak Park. Thrive Counseling Services is offering phone-based counseling and medication management to address our community’s needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crisis Intervention Services are still available by dialing 708-383-7500. The Front Desk team is ready to assist you as well, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with requests for referrals or new services and to reschedule or cancel an appointment. Call 708-383-7500.

LAURA NESSLER One View

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

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The case for canceling spring sports

W

hen Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced on April 17 that public schools will remain closed for the rest of the academic year, it was likely the final nail in the coffin of this year’s spring sports season. The IHSA met last night to explore all possibilities of salvaging spring sports, but in all likelihood those efforts will result in a lost season.

Adding to the litany of vanished end-of-the-year festivities, senior athletes won’t get a chance to write the final chapter of their high school careers. From non-traditional workouts at home to playful team-wide TikToks that kept players engaged, senior team leaders should be applauded for their efforts to be ready in the event this season would pick back up.

However, a month has passed since the IHSA suspended the spring season. They waited as long as they could to figure out alternative paths to make this work. The reality is it would be irresponsible to rush these athletes back on the field with little time to return to the shape they were in before COVID-19 upended our daily lives.

Judging by the conversations I’ve had with area coaches, if the season were reinstated, the IHSA planned to grant a two-week window for teams to practice before playing games. That would be a reckless proposition for some sports.

In the age where travel teams dictate the fates of those who want to move on to the collegiate level, high school athletes work all year to build up to their seasons. Daily workouts involve equipment not readily available during shelter-in-place protocols. Drills are conducted to improve performance and build strength for months of physically demanding competition.

While athletes can replicate their workouts from home, others don’t have that same privilege. As a result, a month of deconditioning would be difficult to overcome in a twoweek stretch of relentless practices.

Even if an abbreviated version of the season were approved and safety concerns were addressed, figuring out the schedule would be the next hurdle to overcome.

A few weeks ago, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson floated the idea of having the season extend into June and July. While Anderson’s commitment to trying to pull this off should be commended, a trail of flaws follow this hypothetical scenario.

If athletes were allowed to resume their high school seasons, then travel teams would get the same OK. At this point, sizeable deposits made to travel teams have been paid by families. The choice of swallowing that financial hit and having their children miss out on an opportunity to showcase their abilities to college scouts instead of playing out the high school season would be an easy one for those parents.

This isn’t meant to demean the value of high school sports. Especially in the areas that Wednesday Journal covers, amateur sports provide opportunities that most people never get a chance to experience. In fact, that substantial value is why the lost season is so heartbreaking.

As we carry on through these dire circumstances, our unrelenting love for sports has to be set aside for what is best for these athletes. Unfortunately for everyone involved in this situation, the IHSA should provide closure to the athletes who, sadly, won’t be able to take the field this season.

JAMES KAY

WJ Sports Editor

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Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

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Read Step 1. le . Recyc Step 2

G

English Proverb

iven the chilling effectiveness of the COVID-19 virus to hunt down and sicken or kill human beings, we are all a bit skittish.

Hell, forget skittish, the fact is we’re all scared. It is not just this killer virus that frightens us. The uncertainty is equally menacing and foreboding.

We keep asking ourselves and others, “When will this end?” So far, our best and supposedly most brilliant minds are stumped. Every day, we are deluged with theories and so-called potential cures, as we sit in quarantined homes and apartments. Still, the body counts keep ticking up. Anxiety is rampant. Political rhetoric is more divisive than unifying.

Finger-pointing has replaced collaboration. Suffice it to say there is enough blame to go around when it comes to the delay in government response to this killer. It is sort of like watching a thief rob your neighbor’s home and your response being, “Too bad for them.”

Because of the nature of the world today, our global neighbors are much closer than we imagine. Distance is no longer the protective barrier it once was before jet planes reduced it. One week a person is on the ground in some foreign land doing business and the next week back at home in the U.S. Upon return to our home country, we bring back not only pictures of exotic landmarks but also whatever germs are resident to that country. Today’s world is one big petri dish full of nasty microorganisms.

Money, goods and germs move swiftly across the world. The pandemic is here, like it or not. So, what can be done as we

Growing community.

watch our relatives, friends and fellow countrymen die and suffer?

Well first, de-politicize this scourge. At this point, trying to pin the blame on some country or some other political party is a waste of time, energy and effort that could be used to curtail or stop the carnage. Once we, as a planet, get a grip on how to slow down and eventually stop this insidious killer, we can and should get to the bottom of its origin. Secondly, quit monetizing this tragedy by treating it like a ratings sweep for the media. We the people, for sure, are watching and reading about the devastation. However, what is needed is not sensationalism but useful and applicable information.

Please stop with the celebrity talking heads. The media has been helpful in keeping us abreast of whatever progress is being made, but they could do a better job of sorting through the B.S. that only drives ratings, increases fear/ anxiety and further division among us.

We now realize that COVID-19 was not a hoax perpetrated to gain a political advantage.

If we are to survive and arrest this killer (and we will), we must suspend our inclination to politicize everything.

I truly believe Americans have both the will and skill to blunt this cursed virus.

If we don’t stop our nefarious in-fighting, not only will our economy continue its downward spiral, but also our way of life will be irreparably altered for the worst.

If there is a silver lining in all of this it is that we are being forced to slow down, reflect and re-order our priorities.

We have to come to grips with the fact that while humans may have dominion over the planet, nature or a higher force has the ultimate power.

KWAME SALTER

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

29

paid advertisement

These local restaurants are all OPEN during the current shelter-in-place order Check out their menus online, call them for delivery, carry-out, or curbside pick-up.

Now is the time to support local business!

Blackout Baking Co. (office) 842 N Harlem Ave, River Forest Bite-size gourmet cookies Our Menu: Blackoutbakingco.com Order from our website for FREE local delivery or nationwide shipping. Always accepting orders.

Delivery and ship day every Tuesday.

Call 872-222-9519 Local PERK! 20% OFF our new DIY Cookie Box with code ‘FOOD2GO’

Buzz Café 905 S. Lombard Ave, Oak Park Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner + Sweets, Snacks & Desserts served ALL DAY! Our Menu: Thebuzzcafe.com For Carry Out, Curbside Pick-up or FREE Delivery call 708-524-2899 Deliver also available with Uber Eats 7am - 7pm, 7 days a week

Counter Coffee Air Roasters

7324 Madison Street, Forest Park countercoffee.com FRESH Coffee, Eco-Friendly, Air Roasted each day in store, hand crafted beverages, and pastries (gluten free & vegan options available). Whole bean coffee and single use pods roasted for you when you order!

Mobile order online at Countercoffee.com, call ahead, and walk-in available. We can ship coffee to all 50 states. 708-689-8896 Open daily from 7am - 4pm

Cucina Paradiso 814 North Blvd, Oak Park Italian Menus: Cucinaoakpark.com For Pickup, call 708-848-3434, curbside pickup is available For Delivery go to DoorDash or Grubhub Every night 4pm – 9pm

Eastgate Café 102 Harrison, Oak Park American Comfort Our Menu: Eastgatecafe.net For Curbside Pick-up and Delivery,

call 708-660-9091 Delivery is also available on Grubhub 12pm - 8pm; closed Monday

George’s Restaurant

145 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Our Menu: Georgesoakpark.com/menu Serving breakfast and lunch for pick-up. One soup per day. All items won’t be available. Call ahead for availability.

For Pick-up call 708-848-4949; Delivery available through Door Dash and Postmates 8am - 3pm Monday - Sunday

Grape Leaves Restaurant 129 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park Mediterranean, Moroccan and Lebanese cuisine Our Menu : Grapeleaves.us For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-848-5555 We also partner with Grubhub, UberEats, Postmate.

Sunday - Thursday 12-8pm Friday and Saturday 12-9pm

Happy Apple Pie Shop

226 Harrison, Oak Park happyapplepie.com Sweet and savory pies, special orders Our menu is posted on our Facebook page and Instagram, or call us.

Call 708-606-0037 to arrange for No touch take-out, Curbside Pick-up, and Free Delivery Wednesday-Friday 11:30am to 6pm, Saturday Noon5pm.

Jerusalem Café

1030 Lake St., Oak Park Our Menu: Jerusalemcafeoakpark.com/menu Middle Eastern cuisine For Pick-up and Deliver call 708-848-7734 Delivery is also available through Uber Eats and DoorDas. 11am – 9pm Daily

Kettlestrings Tavern

800 S. Oak Park Ave Contemporary American Our Menu: Kettlestringstavern.com/eat For Curbside Pick-up, call 708-613-5044 Delivery is available through GrubHub Mon 3pm - 8pm; Tues - Thurs 3pm-8pm; Fri - Sat 11am–8pm; Sunday 10am-8pm

La Notte Ristorante Italiano 118 N Marion St, Oak Park Fine Authentic Italian Our Menu: LaNotte-op.com For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-948-7576, or text 773-817-2858 or order online Delivery also available on UberEats and Doordash 2pm - 9pm daily Limited time offer -$100 Gift Certificates for just $80

Old World Pizza 7230 W North Ave, Elmwood Park Pizza, Burgers, Pasta Our Menu: Originaloldworldpizza.com For Pick-up, Curbside Pick-up, Delivery and Contact-less Delivery call 708-456-3000, or fax 708-456-4580 Mon 3:30pm – 9pm; Tues – Thurs 11am –9pm; Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm; Sun 11am – 9pm

O’Sullivan’s Public House 7244 W. Madison Street, Forest Park Modern American/Pub Food Our Menu: Osullivanspublichouse.net Call 708-366-6667 to order Carry-Out and Local Delivery (No Delivery Fee) Daily Specials posted on Facebook @osullivanspublichouseFP Delivery also available on GrubHub Available Daily 11am – 10pm

Puree’s Pizza & Pasta 1023 Lake St, Oak Park Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, panini, wraps Our Menu: Pureespizzaandpasta.com/ For Curbside Pick-up, take-out and Delivery, call 708-386-4949 Available Daily 11am – 9pm

Q-BBQ 124 N. Marion St, Oak Park BBQ Our menu: Q-bbq.com For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-628-3421 or order online Open every day 11am - 8pm Delivery available with ChowNow and DoorDash

NOW OFFERING FAMILY PACK SPECIALS! Go online or call for more info

Scratch Restaurants Scratch Kitchen & Lounge 733 Lake Street • 708-434-5643

District Kitchen & Tap 220 Harrison • 708-434-5289 American/burger/sandwich/salad/mac n cheese Our Menu: Scratchfp.com For Pick up/curbside (rear entrance), call 708-434-5643 Sun - Thurs 11am - 12am; Fri - Sat 11am - 1am

The Little Gem Café 189 N Marion St. Oak Park American Bistro Our Menu: Thelittlegemcafe.com/menu For Pick-up and Delivery, call 708-613-5491 Tues - Sun 3pm - 9pm (closed Mon)

Trattoria 225

225 Harrison Street Our Menu: trattoria225.com Italian/ Vegetarian/ Seafood For Pick-up and Delivery call 708-358-8555 or use Grubhub 5pm – 8pm Monday- Saturday

Tre Sorelle Ristorante 1111 Lake St., Oak Park Homemade Pizza, Italian cuisine Our Menu: Tresorelleoakpark.com For Curbside Pick-up and Delivery call 708-445-9700 Delivery also available with Grubhub, Uber Eats Mon - Thu 11am - 9pm; Fri 11am - 10pm; Sat 3pm - 10pm; Sun 3pm - 9pm

Starship Restaurant 7618 Madison St., Forest Park Gourmet sub sandwiches, homemade soups, catering and individually wrapped items for safe distribution Our Menu: Starshiprestaurant.com For pick-up and delivery, call 708-771-3016 or order online Mon thru Sat. 8am - 9pm, Sunday 11am - 6pm

Each of these restaurants paid a very nominal fee to participate in this ad. Thank you for supporting these local businesses!

30

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM New local ads this week

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Place your ad online anytime at: www.OakPark.com/ClassiďŹ ed/

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 Lead Data Scientist sought by Gogo LLC in Chicago, IL to utilize advanced data blending, data analytics, and visualization tools to provide easy to understand and actionable data insights. Req Master’s in Biz Anlytcs, CS, Engg, or rltd + 3yrs data analytcs exp.

Req exp w/ Spark, Java, VBA, Hadoop, & Hive. Apply @ www.jobpostingtoday.com #99861

SUBURBAN RENTALS OAK PARK 1ST FLOOR 2BR 1185 S OAK PARK AVE $1300/mo plus security deposit. Incl. garage parking. You control heat/ac.

Available May 1. No pets.

708-246-2579

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 OakPark.com | RiverForest.com

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT DOWNTOWN OAK PARK SUBLEASE We are looking to sublease our beautiful, spa-like ofďŹ ce. Our ofďŹ ce is already set up and is available for sublease in downtown Oak Park.

This ofďŹ ce is perfect for a physician, anesthetist, masseuse, and/or acupuncturist. Space is available immediately. Please contact us for pricing and to schedule a tour of the ofďŹ ce.

Ask for NikI. 708-613-4417 Nikimoreno33@gmail.com THERAPY OFFICES FOR RENT Therapy ofďŹ ces for rent in north Oak Park. Rehabbed building. Nicely furnished. Flexible leasing. Free parking. Free wiďŹ ; Secure building; Friendly colleagues providing referrals. Shared waiting room; optional Conference. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays.

Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

ITEMS FOR SALE LENOX CHINA 5 piece place settings Lenox china, Tuxedo pattern IRISH CARDIGAN Men’s size large.

WATERFORD GLASSES Colleen pattern, 2 water goblets, 2 wine glasses, 5 double old fashioned glasses 708-386-6160

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:

TRUCKS FOR SALE

WANTED TO BUY

2000 VOLVO VNL 670 Ready to work semi, good brakes 75% tires, new air compressor, only 400 K on overhaul.

Asking price $ 7500 708-267-4579

WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, ags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

CEMENT Residential Commercial Industrial Licensed Bonded Insured Free Estimates ¡ Veteran Owned

Drives Walks Patios Stamped Concrete Curbs/Gutters Garage Floors Foundations Parking Lots Water Control

devegaconcrete.com ¡ 708-945-9001

MAGANA

C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N

Ceiling Fans Installed

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

FLOORS

HANDYMAN

KLIS FLOORING INC.

HANDYMAN

New hardwood ooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-ďŹ nishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

HANDYMAN

“QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATION� ESTABLISHED IN 1987

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE

COMMERCIAL ˜ INDUSTRIAL ˜ RESIDENTIAL

Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 Â&#x2021; )281'$7,216 Â&#x2021; 3$7,26 67(36 Â&#x2021; &85% *877(56 Â&#x2021; 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* Â&#x2021; 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7(

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

GARAGE DOORS

FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

Our 73rd Year

CUSTOM ACRYLIC

Smart Door Openers

Garage Doors & Sales & Service Free Estimates

(708) 652-9415 www.forestdoor.com

HANDYMAN Mikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Repair Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

Lost & Found, Items for Sale and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. Call 708-613-3342 to place an ad.

LANDSCAPING

ELECTRICAL

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Do

708-296-2060

Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs â&#x20AC;˘ Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HEATING / AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges â&#x20AC;˘ Ovens Washer â&#x20AC;˘ Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

FAST DELIVERY

Mulch & Topsoil

Premium Shredded Hardwood ���������������$20/yd Dyed Red/Brown �������$28/yd Playmat��������������������$28/yd Triple Brown �������������$28/yd Premium Blend Dark ďż˝$34/yd Premium Bark Fines��$42/yd Blonde Cedar ������������$48/yd â&#x20AC;˘ Spreading Available! â&#x20AC;˘ Topsoil, Garden Mix, Mushroom, Super Mix, Compost, Gravel, Sand

SureGreenLandscape�com

847-888-9999 847-888-9999 â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ 630-876-0111 630-876-0111

PAINTING & DECORATING

P

CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 â&#x20AC;˘ ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

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

PETS While youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re away, your pets are okay . . . at home

cat calls

Oak Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Original Pet Care Service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Since 1986

Daily dog exercising Complete pet care in your home )PVTF TJUUJOH t 1MBOU DBSF Bonded References

524-1030

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

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

Attention!

Home-improvement pros!

Reach the people making decisionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;your target market.

Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

PB

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CLASSIFIED

31

(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 PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE Invitation to Bid Asbestos Consulting Services The Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District #97 will receive sealed Asbestos and LeadBased Paint Consulting Service bids at the Administrative Office located at 260 West Madison Street – Oak Park, IL, (60302), until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday May 6th, 2020. At this time sealed bids will be publicly opened and read.

Copies of specifications may be secured at the Oak Park Elementary School District #97 District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 or a by emailing jkeane@ op97.org. Cut-off date for picking up or emailing scope of services is 4:00 pm, April 29th, 2020.

Bids mailed or delivered shall be marked to the attention of: Ms. Jeanne Keane Oak Park School District 97 260 Madison Street Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

The front of the envelope should be clearly marked “ASBESTOS/LBP CONSULTING SERVICES”. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Ms. Keane at (708) 524-3125 or jkeane@op97. org Bid Due Date: Wednesday May 6th, 2020 at 1:00 P.M. Only those bids complying with the provision and specification of the bid will be considered. The Board of Education reserves the right to waive any informalities, qualification or irregularities and/or reject any or all bids, when in its opinion, such action will serve the best interest of the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed proposals via email at development@oak-park.us, until 4:00pm on Monday, May 11, 2020 for the following project: Village of Oak Park 2020 Security & Support Staffing Services for Village Parking Structures and Security Services at Village Hall Detailed specifications for this project may be obtained from the Development Customer Services Department via email at development@oak-park.us, or on the Village’s website www.oak-park.us.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities, or to accept any item of a proposal. The original RFP and any subsequent Addendum will be posted to the Village’s website. It will be the Contractor’s responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

Award of a contract shall not be final until a written contract has been approved by the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees and entered into between the Parties.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals or to waive technicalities, or to accept any item of any proposal.

The Village of Oak Park Development Customer Services Department 123 Madison St., Oak Park, IL, 60302 Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

Sheryl Marinier Board Secretary Published in Wednesday Journa 4/22/2020

OakPark.com | RiverForest.com

Illinois Classified Advertising Network TRAINING/EDUCATION

AIRLINE CAREERS FOR NEW YEAR - BECOME AN AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECH. FAA APPROVED TRAINING. FINANCIAL AID IF QUALIFIED - JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. CALL AIM 800-481-8312

WANTED TO BUY FREON WANTED: We pay CA$H for cylinders and cans.

R12 R500 R11 R113 R114. Convenient. Certified Professionals.

Call 312-598-1758 or visit RefrigerantFinders.com

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given of a proposed amendment to the Village of Oak Park Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), which addresses participation; access to meetings, information and records; publishing the plan; public hearings, notice and comments; technical assistance; complaints; and amendments, all with regard to federallyfunded programs through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Changes to the document include the addition of new process information relating to COVID-19 and any other crisis that disrupts the normal, daily business of Village staff and citizens.

The Village of Oak Park is also proposing a substantial amendment to the Program Year 2019 Action Plan to enable the Village to receive and administer $980,107 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Additional CDBG funding made available to the Village by HUD through the CARES Act is unknown as this time but will be used for the same purpose of the initial allocation indicated above, which is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and facilitate assistance to eligible persons economically impacted by COVID-19. Eligible CDBG activities include, but are not limited to, assisting low- and moderate-income (LMI) households with rent, mortgage and utility assistance for no more than three months; business assistance to create and retain jobs for employees that are LMI; and assisting LMI persons with Public Services, including persons experiencing homelessness who need emergency shelter and support services.

The proposed CPP amendment and the proposed Action Plan substantial amendment are listed on the Oak Park website under Housing-Grants and are available for public review and comment during business hours MondayFriday, effective April 23-27, 2020.

Any comments can be submitted in writing by 5 p.m., April 27, 2020 to Mark Dwyer, Grants Supervisor, at grants@oak-park.us. Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking persons, as needed.

Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

STARTING A NEW BUSINESS?

Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad! Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice Here. LOWEST RATE AROUND! Call for details: 708/613-3342

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids at the Public Works Service Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, until 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, May 15th, 2020 for the following: Village of Oak Park Floor Mat Services

Bid forms may only be obtained electronically at this time by submitting an e-mail request to Building Maintenance Contract Coordinator, Fred Gutierrez at fgutierrez@oak-park.us . The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue proposal documents and specifications only to those vendors deemed qualified. No proposal documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of proposal opening. For more information call the Public Works Service Center at 708.358.5700.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Published in Wednesday Journal 4/22/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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 December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on May 20, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car garage.

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

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com

Attorney File No. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 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.

Case # 18 CH 12736 I3149364

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

All real estate advertising in this

newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-6699777.

Wednesday Journal Forest Park Review Riverside Brookfield Landmark

local employees, happy employees!

Hire Local.

Place an ad on Wednesday Classified’s Local Online Job Board.

Go to OakPark.com | RiverForest. com/classified today!

Contact Mary Ellen Nelligan for more information.

(708) 613-3342 classifieds@ OakPark.com | RiverForest.com

32

Wednesday Journal, April 22, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Enjoy our FREE Online Workout at www.TENandFiT.com Greetings from Your Tennis and Fitness Centre Fitness Department!

We hope this finds you doing well and staying healthy, as you experience this period of shelter in place. Thank you for your patience. Everyone appreciates your role in supporting a more positive outcome to a difficult situation.

We miss you, our entire community at-large, and the vibrant atmosphere created by all.

Although we have faith in getting back to some level of normalcy, although, it may not be soon enough for your active needs. To help you stay fit weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to share trainer-led exercise demonstrations as they are made available to us.

Ellen Petrick presents Strength Workout - Kickboxing New! Strength Workout - Foam Roller

Tennis Pro Tip Our Head Tennis Pro:

John Morlidge

The Yoga Centre Presents Meg Barber - Parivrtta Trikonasana Meg Barber - Samavritti Breath Practice Meg Barber - 1 Hour Yang Yoga Hatha - Teresa Heit-Murray

Visit Facebook.com/TenandFitOakPark and Facebook.com/TheYogaCentreOakPark for more info!

We know that you will enjoy these class offerings. More to come!

301 Lake St., Oak Park (708) 386-2175

Stay Healthy at www.TENandFiT.com

266 Lake Street, Oak Park (708) 524-YOGA