Wednesday Journal 050124

May 1, 2024

Vol. 44, No. 44

$2.00

From polio to the pandemic

Oak Park Public Health Depar tment celebrates 75th anniversar y

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Oak Park’s Public Health Department has been a state-certified local health department for 75 years, but facets of the robust department residents know now existed long before then, too.

It’s unusual for municipalities’ public health department to have this state-certification and only a handful do, according to village officials. Some requirements of state certification include having an environmental health supervisor, creating an emergency preparedness plan, ensuring the director meets certain qualifications and implementing a board of health, said Theresa Chapple, Oak Park’s public health director Oak Park has high standards, said Frank Lipo, executive director of The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest. The “world’s largest village” as it was known for part of the

See PUBLIC HEALTH on pa ge 9

of Oak Park and River Forest

ON TRACK

OPRF High School boys track team spr inters compete in the 100 meter ce dur ing the opening meet on the school’s new running track on April 29. See more photos, page

Housing Forward opens Broadview Legacy Apartments

The complex is a permanent supportive housing development

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Housing Forward, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness, has opened a permanent supportive housing development on Roosevelt Road called Broadview Legacy Apartments.

The apar tment complex has 16 apar tments for individuals and families who were experiencing homelessness, 12 of which are one-bedroom units and four of which are two-bedroom units. The complex also has communal spaces and office space for Housing Fo r ward.

“Broadview Le ga cy Ap artments will provide stabilit y, inde p endence and suppo rt for r esidents exiting homelessness,” Housing Fo r ward officials wrote in a news r elease. “The new building embodies Housing Fo r ward’s c ommitment

to providing dignified spaces for those in need.”

T he development will have onsite sup port services to help residents live inde pendently and access health care, treatment services and employment services

T he project cost $7.8 million, accordin to the release, and was funded throug the Illinois Housing Development Author ity, Cook County De par tment of Planning and West Cook Coalition – Illinois Healthcare Transformation Collaborative

IHDA is providing ongoing rental assistance for 14 of the 16 units. The Housing Authority of Cook County is supporting the other two units, which are dedicated for veterans.

“Housing is a basic human right, and we are committed to making the investments needed to support those struggling with homelessness and housing insecurity,” said Kristin Faust, IHDA executive director, in the release.

Permanent supportive housing found at locations such as Broadview Le gacy Apartments is intended to help individuals with a history of homelessness, who have dis-

O cials cut the ribbon, opening Broadview Legacy Apartments at 1020 Roosevelt Road, on April 25.

abilities or serious health conditions, find stability, according to the release.

Housing Forward has provided permanent supportive housing since 2006. In 2023, 330 individuals were supported in this program, according to the release.

“Completing this project and welcoming 22 residents into their new home is a huge milestone for Housing Forward and for the community of Broadview,” said Lynda

Schueler, Housing Forward’s chief executive officer, in the release.

Housing Forward is also partnering with Interfaith Housing Development Corporation to open another permanent supportive housing development, Keystone Apartments, on Madison Street. The goal is to open this 36-unit complex in 2026.

Broadview Le gacy Apartments is located at 1020 Roosevelt Road.

PHOTO BY PAUL GOYETTE

PHOTO BY PAUL GOYETTE

Kitchen area in a model apar tment.

PHOTO BY PAUL GOYETTE

Ly nda Schueler, chief executive o cer at Housing Forward, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony

Beyond the Books

Monday, May 6, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Library

A Greater Good Foundation—together with the librar y—is o ering a comprehensive co - ed mentor program to inspire students 13-18 to look inward and harness their inherent capabilities and resources to realize their fullest potential. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

Oak Park Society of Model

Engineers’ Spring Open House

Saturday, May 4, 12 - 5 p.m., Dole Learning Center, Lower Level

Free admission. Door prizes. Kids of all ages welcomed. See the progress made on this three level, two state layout. Run a train on their kid friendly DC layout. Learn about model trains and the many facets of the hobby from a dedicated group of modelers. The club is always open to new members. The Oak Park Society of Model Engineers is a unique Oak Park institution in its 60th year of continuous operation. https://www.youtube. com/@oakparkmodelrrclub. 255 Augusta St., Oak Park

Choral Concert

Saturday, May 4, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 5, 3 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church and School

Chicago Choral Artists, under the direction of Michael D. Costello, presents Love for Life, highlighting music centered around the theme of love and how it permeates our lives in a variety of ways. The work that inspired the theme, “This Is How You Love,” is a multi-movement work about the depth of relationships. The libretto is a mixture of poetry and transcripts from actual couples’ therapy sessions. Tickets available in advance or at the door: Adult $45, Senior $35 (65+), Educator $20 (with teacher ID), Student $10 (with Student ID), children under 23 free with paying adult. Visit www.chicagochoralartists.org or call 773-658-9799. Lake St., Oak Park

Tech Night for Kids

Wednesday, May 8, 6-7:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Library

In this month’s program, we’ll have fun with Makey Makey kits, turning ever yd ay objec ts into touchpads. Makey Makey is an inve n tion kit that brings engineering and coding concepts to life in exciting new ways. For kids in grades 2-5. 834 Lake St., Oak Park

BIG WEEK

May 1 - May 8

Mother ’s Day Gift Making at Bead In Hand

Saturday, May 4, 1 - 4 p.m., Bead In Hand

Little birds can have an eggcelent adventure building a bird’s nest or pea-pod pendant to give this Mother’s Day (May 12). These pendants are a delightful weaving of wire around beads that evoke images of a cozy nest or pea-pod. Choose beads to represent family members or birthstones — or just pick what you think Mom would like. The cost is $10 per item which includes wire, beads, cord with clasp, and instruction. All ages are welcome, although younger kids may need some help. No reservation necessary. 145 Harrison St., Oak Park

Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School Production Beaut

y and the Beast

Friday, May 3 - Sunday, May 5, Brooks Middle School

BRAVO brings a tale as old as time with Beauty & the Beast. This spring musical will take place at Brooks Middle School in Oak Park the rst two weekends in May. Bring the entire family. Friday, May 3 – 7 p.m. , Saturday, May 4 – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, May 5 – 2 p.m.

Tickets $12 adult, $8 student/senior citizen. Purchase Ticket: https://tinyurl.com/yvpu42ju 325 S. Kenilworth Ave., Oak Park

First Friday at R Titus Designs

Friday, May 3, 6-9 p.m., R Titus Designs Studio

Every 1st Friday, join us for an open house with visiting artists, live music, and shopping. May 3 visiting artist: Jessica Bush (https://www.jessicadennisbush.com/) and Joe Hartigan. More information at: //www.rtitusdesigns. com/happenings. 143 S Oak Park Ave., Oak Park

Turning 65: An Introduction to Medicare

Thursday, May 9, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. River Forest Public Library

This presentation covers the history & basics of Medicare. Listen & learn with Annese Piazza, a local resident and resource. Brought to you in partnership with the River Forest Township. 735 Lathrop Ave., River Forest

Celebrate Free Comic Book Day in Oak Park

Saturday, May 4, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., One Stop Comics

Join us at One Stop Comics in Oak Park for Free Comic Book Da y. Explore a diverse selection of comics for ever y fan, enjoy giveaways, and meet some talented ar tists. Remember to show appreciation for the free c omics and consider supporting the store with a purchase. For more details, visit onestopcomics.net or call 708-524-2287. 111 S. Ridgeland Ave., Oak Park

Holocaust Remembrance Day Concert

Sunday, May 5 at 7 p.m., Temple Har Zion, River Forest

Please join us for a Yom HaShoah joint program between Temple Har Zion and Oak Park Temple, featuring:

- Yiddish singing group, MameLoshn, singing a selection of Yiddish songs

- Special guest per formances by Cantor Figa & Cantor Valdman, with guitarist Aaron Burnstein

- Special tapestries by Berit Engen

- Holocaust storyteller Peter LeGrand presenting, “The Missing Stories, memoirs of Elise Dubois” Temple Har Zion, 1040 N. Harlem Ave., River Forest.

Let Me Explain Black Again

Monday, May 6, 1:15 p.m., Nineteenth Century Charitable Association

Author and award-winning market researcher Pepper M iller doesn’t give a speech as much as she opens a dialogue. By blending insights, experiences, and passion, Miller o ers a deeper and more intimate look at the evolving concept of what it means to be Black in America. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park

Compiled by Brooke Duncan

Listing your event

Wednesday Jour nal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest groups and businesses are planning. We’ ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper.

■ Email details to calendar@wjinc.com

e Huskies boys track team competes in the 800 meter race (le and below).

OPRF High School’s girls track team competes in the 110 meter hurdles in the opening meet on the school’s new running track, April 29.

Courageous Bakery is now selling ice cream, New Zealand-style

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Courageous Bakery and Café is now selling New Zealand-style ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream with fruit blended into it, with ve gan and gluten-free options, called “Courageous Cones” at its Oak Park location during the summer — and maybe beyond.

The new sweet treat can be purchased through a walk-up window on Oak Park Avenue. Customers have three key choices: Whether they want re gular or non-dairy vanilla ice cream, which fruit they’d like mixed in and whether they want a vanilla or chocolate waffle cone.

Cups are available, too For the fruit? Strawberry, blueberry pineapple, orange, plantain and cherry are the options

owner of Courageous Bakery.

T he different fruit not only alters the taste, texture of the ice cream, Pekarik said. Her plantain, makes the ice cream a more she said. All of the flavors are consistency.

Courageous Bakery opened in Oak Pa Lake St. In 2010, Pekarik’s sister, Kathryn, was diagnosed with cancer. During a year of f to help take karik said she and Kathryn baked to ke it. After her sister was ready to go back decided to start a food truck. Cupcakes quickly became a popular menu item

rkers also can enjoy a myriad of Courageous Bakery including sandwiches, pastrie cupcakes and lattes. Pekarik said she’s er the years about adding ice cream to the collection, but ’t ready to consider it until recentl n’t do everything,” she said.

January, she went on a trip to Hawaii, and discovered New Zealand-style ice cream.

“We couldn’t get it of f of our minds,” she said.

Since Oberweis in Oak Park closed in December, Courageous Cones will help provide locals with a cold, treat this summer. Pekarik said she hopes that will help boost sales and that the additional delicacy will draw in new customers, too.

“With the summertime months and the activities at the hope to provide a treat that everyone can enjoy,”

It’s been available for about two weeks, Pekarik said, and she plans to keep selling the ice cream throughout the

Pekarik said she is not yet intending to bring ice cream to the Elmhurst location.

Courageous Bakery in Oak Park is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Courageous Cones ice cream is sold from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through F riday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Hours may vary de pending on weather conditions.

Sally Tyc opts for orange ice cream in a cup.

PHOTO S BY JAVIER GOVEA

Laura Pekarik, ow ner of Courageous Bakery and Café, swirls a New Zealand-style ice cream cone.

Park district seeks designs for Field Rec Center redo

Architectural competition to judge submissions

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Residents can share their feedback with a panel which will select an architect for a new or renovated Field Recreation Center

The current round will nar row the field of 26 architects or architectural firms that submitted designs to three. The competition which was announced in February. Starting April 26, those interested can visit the Community Recreation Center at 229 Madison St. to see the submitted designs. There, they can scan a QR code for each design and give the judges feedback. The deadline is May 5.

The questions ask whether the design reflects the values of Park District of Oak Park, if the design fits the environment, how innovative it is, how well it inte grates sustainability practices and how accessible and inclusive the design is. In addition to those questions, where residents will rate their answers from one to five, there will also be an opportunity to provide written overall impressions and other general feedback.

The architects in today’s competition were given two options: to build or preserve the Field Center on the existing site or rebuild it in the north corner of the park. Arnold said of the 26 submissions, 19 opted to move the building and seven created schemes to preserve it in its cur rent location.

In addition to the questions about sustainability, accessibility and historical preservation, meeting performance arts needs is another important aspect of the designs that judges will consider, Arnold said.

“We felt that this process was a great opportunity to engage rms of all sizes.”

JAN

ARNOLD

Executive director of the

PDOP

One design proposes adding a pond to the facility Another submitted the idea of constructing an outdoor screening schematic to have movie nights. Yet another suggests adding solar panels to the roof. One submission even de signed a circular building.

The top three contestants will meet with a construction manager to confirm their design could stay within the $1.8 million limit, Arnold said. That’s how much the competition winner will be awarded to construct the building. If the winner does not exceed that limit, the extra funds will go back into the PDOP’s capital improvement plan budget, Ar nold said.

The feedback will be reviewed by the panel of seven judges, composed of architects, designers and building or other experts. The judges will decide by May 11. The finalists will then present to a panel that keeps four judges and adds three new ones, including Jan Arnold, the executive director of the PDOP.

“We felt that this process was a great opportunity to eng age firms of all sizes,” Arnold said.

The original Field Center building was designed and constructed in 1926 after a similar design competition. Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the architects who submitted a design, but he lost to John Van Bergen.

“This isn’t just a competition to have us say ‘You did a great design,’” she said. “It is a competition to design and build.”

If all goes as planned, construction will begin in the late spring to early summer of 2025, Arnold said. The design that wins will also determine where the after-school program that is now hosted at the Field Center will be. If constructing a new building is the chosen plan, the old Field Center can serve that purpose during construction. If the old building is to be renovated, the PDOP will have to find another location for that program. Weather also plays a role in when construction can start.

“There’s so many cool concepts,” Ar nold said. “I’m excited to see what comes out.”

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MAY 4 12:01 pm to 5 pm Free admission!

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Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

4 12:01 pm to 5 pm Free admission!

Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

Dole Learning Center Lower Level 255 Augusta, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

Dole Learning Center Lower Level

Dole Learning Center Lower Level 255 Augusta, Oak Park, IL 60302

Dole Learning Center Lower Level

Dole Learning Center Lower Level 255 Augusta, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

255 Augusta, Oak Park, IL 60302

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

Dole Learning Center Lower Level 255 Augusta, Oak Park, IL 60302 Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club. New members always welcomed! youtube.com/@oakparkmodelrrclub

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MY INQUIRING MIND WANTS TO KNOW

The best adjective to describe me is curious. For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed asking questions and learning about people, places, and things. Mostly, this interest has served me well. I am an introvert, so asking questions has given me an easy way to engage with people. Plus, I have never suffered from boredom. To me everyone, everyplace, and everything has a story to tell, and I want to know it.

However, my rapid-fire questions can become tiresome to family and friends. So, I am sure they all breathed a sigh of relief when the internet came along. To me, the internet is amazing! With it, I can easily get answers to my endless questions. Smart phones and broadband internet elevated that delight. With them, I can obtain answers to my questions anytime and anywhere. Brilliant!

On the whole, I think most people would agree that we are better off with the internet than without it. However, that may not be true of adolescents. At least when it comes to smartphones. Author Jonathan Haidt, in his book The Anxious Generation, makes the case that smartphones in combination with kids reduced personal autonomy have led to the mental health crisis facing kids today. In other words, kids are overprotected in the physical world and under protected in the digital one.

According to research, 1 in 5 adolescents report symptoms of anxiety and depression. In the 10 years leading up to the pandemic, feelings of persistent sadness and

hopelessness increased by about 40% among young people. The pandemic has made it worse. Some researchers have suggested the increase is due to the willingness for young people to report and discuss mental health challenges. However, that does not account for the 57 percent increase in teen and young adult suicides in the last 10 years.

THERESA CLANCY Estate Planning Attorney

increasingly more fear based. This was due to among other things, a loss of connection to neighbors and the rise of the 24-hour news cycle. Parents began restricting kids’ autonomy and their ability to engage in free play. Consequently, kids were not experiencing the risks, conflicts, and joys needed to be able to overcome anxiety and create a mental state that chooses to discover life rather than fear it.

long hours spent on video games and watching pornography. Today, teenagers are on their phones for an average of seven hours a day. This has led to social isolation (a reduction of face-to-face interactions with friends), sleep deprivation, and attention fragmentation.

There are plenty of theories identifying the cause for this mental health crisis. Among them are the opioid-fueled destruction of families, climate change fears, political polarization, and the decline of churches and social institutions. But to me, author Jonathan Haidt’s theory is the most convincing. Haidt contends that the decline of a play-based childhood and the rise of a phonebased childhood are the root causes for the crisis.

Before the 1980s most kids over nine years old had the freedom to move about their neighborhood without many restrictions. Home for dinner or when the streetlights came on was the common limitation.

Kids were in charge of their time to mostly do as they wished. Which was great because according to child development researcher Peter Gray, kids, particularly between 9-15 years old, need a lot of play time to develop the social and physical skills they will need for adulthood.

Unfortunately, childhood freedom changed in the 1980s. Despite a reduction in crime, a decrease of sex offenders, and a decline of drunk drivers, 1980s parenting became

As parental fears began to rise so did the internet’s popularity. To many parents, the use of the internet inside the safety of their home was a better alternative than kids engaging in unsupervised free play in the scary real world.

Enter the cell phone. At first, the cellphone was harmless. It enabled calling and texting. It did not restrict free play.

Then in 2007 the iPhone was introduced, and the world quickly adapted to its use, teenagers in particular. By 2015 most American teenagers carried a smartphone in their pockets. Add into the mix; social media, front facing phone cameras, and high-speed internet. Now everyone (especially girls) can easily post selfies to social media, compare their photograph images to their peers, and determine their popularity. Couple that with a business model whose success relies on its user’s engagement. Young people were hooked.

While social media use is impacting teenage girls more than teenage boys, boys are being impacted by

Haidt argues that cell phones displace enriching activities with countless hours of chasing likes, following vapid influencers, substituting the richness of reallife friendship with shallow online communication.

So, what is the answer? Haidt has many suggestions in his book, but he highly recommends these four foundational reforms:

• No smartphones before high school

• No social media before 16 yrs.

• Phone-free schools

• Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence

Haidt predicts that if a community enacts all four reforms, they are likely to see substantial improvements in child and adolescent mental health in two years.

It is unfortunate that it took a crisis for us to recognize the negative effects of smartphone usage on teens. At least we know now and are working on doing something about it. Avoid this same pattern when it comes to estate planning. Don’t wait for a crisis, create an estate plan today!

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PUBLIC HEALTH

From polio to the pandemic

from page 1

20th century, has diverse citizens with a variety of public health needs.

“It seemed like ‘Come on, we’re really, today we’d say a progressive community, we’re a real cutting-edge type community,” Lipo said. “[And] we don’t have a full-time health commissioner. We don’t have as much professional expertise in some of these areas.”

So, Oak Park decided to change that.

Before cer ti cation

In 1905, Frank Needham was the first to lead the Oak Park Public Health Department which was established by a village ordinance. In 1907, the department dealt with one of its first serious health crises, which was likely scarlet fever, Lipo said.

“The alarming spread of contagious disease throughout the community during the week prompted the board of education, on the recommendation of the board of health, to close the high and grade schools on Friday morning for an indefinite period,” Lipo read from a 1907 Oak Leaves article.

In 1913, the public health department dealt with more than 225 cases of measles

COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIET Y OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST Oak Leaves from Aug. 26, 1943, carries news about a case of polio in Oak Park.

k Park Public Health Department workers inspect food and laundr y operations and conduct laboratory work

and nearly 100 of scarlet fever, Lipo said.

In the next few years, the department responded to typhoid in 1915, the Spanish flu in 1918 and smallpox in 1920, according to village of ficials.

In the late 1940s, there still weren’ t as many childhood vaccinations available, Lipo said, and as a result, in 1947 the department dealt with numerous cases of chicken pox, polio, pneumonia, scarlet fer and whooping cough.

When it came to sanitation inspections, the level of requirements needed today re not enforced then. Many inspectors, before the department was certified, had minimal training and little to no relevant education, Lipo said.

Today, health inspectors are required to be highly skilled professionals, Chapple said. They are required to have at least 30 credits in science in their undergraduate program, they must pass state and federal

tests to become a licensed health inspector and undergo training for up to a year. Restaurants and other places that serve food in Oak Park are inspected up to three times a year based on their risk level, she said.

1949 certi cation

The growth of the health department was gradual, Lipo said. For the public health department to adopt the structure it has today, it had to add more professional, full-time staf f with expertise in different aspects of health and maintain or increase its budget.

In addition to general improvements, the department had to make some specific improvements, too. For example, it had to develop an educational program on ice cream and other frozen desserts. It also had to eliminate duplicate inspections of ice cream and milk.

It took a couple years for all the necessary upgrades to be implemented, Lipo said. Before it was certified in 1949, the board of health and other positions in the department were not necessarily paid, or were paid little, Lipo said. After certification, more professionals in the department were upgraded to paid positions.

Now, the department has 15 full-time positions and three contracted, part-time ones, Chapple said.

Today’s department

The department has several divisions today which include epidemiolo gy, emergency preparedness, environmental health, health education and nursing, Chapple said. About 40% of the department is funded through general revenue and 60% of its

COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIET Y OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST

in the 1950s.

PUBLIC HEALTH

from page 9

funding comes from grants, Chapple said.

Some of the department’s newer programs include its opioid overdose prevention project, which includes distribution of NARCAN, an opioid-blocking, life-saving drug and its work to teach people to lock up guns safely, with the intention to prevent shootings and reducing suicide risk.

During COVID-19, the health department had to respond quickly along with the rest of the world. But the communicable disease work within the department is more than just COVID-19 response, Chapple said. It responds to other respiratory viruses like the flu, and other diseases such as measles, which is spreading in Chicago.

“When there’s national public health i ssues, Oak Pa rk ’s department adapts to it,” L ipo said. “It’s kind of j ust c onstantly evolving.”

The department has also launched an initiative with the help of its epidemiologist to examine data re garding sexually transmitted infections in Oak Park and target help toward affected populations,

Public Health Department inspector Jerry

Stephen checks the steam table temperature at Cozy Corner restaurant in the 1980s

Chapple said.

“We’ re really taking the time to look at the data and understand the spread … so that we can start to finally see a decline in

tively to dang erous situations.

For example, in the event of a community-wide blackout, individuals who use respiratory machines would have an extreme need for electricity, Chapple pointed out. The plan helps ensure the village has a list of those individuals and can inform the necessary electric company who they are, she said.

Chapple said one of the initiatives the department is working on in the future includes increasing residents’ ability to walk, bike and run without impediments or barriers. To achieve this, the health department is working with the village to implement Vision Zero, a commitment to eliminating death or injuries from traffic crashes, Chapple said.

Another new initiative is Safe2Help Illinois, which, if implemented, would allow residents to contact schools anonymously re garding the safety of another community member. This would include concer n about that person taking their own life or bringing a gun on school grounds, Chapple said.

Oour STI rates, which have been on the incline for quite some time,” she said.

The emergency preparedness plans allow Oak Park to be able to respond effec-

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“That’s really the goal of public health is to prevent the spread of disease, to promote good health and to protect the health of the community,” she said.

Introducing Oak Park’s Newest Medical Professionals: Dr. Katie Maietta and Dr. Stephen Whitfield

ak Park residents, meet your newest healthcare advocates, Dr. Katie Maietta and Dr. Stephen Whitfield! These highly skilled physicians have recently joined Lake Street Family Physicians, bringing with them a wealth of experience and a commitment to exceptional patient care.

Dr. Katie Maietta: A Local Expert in Primary Care

Originally from LaGrange Park and now residing in Oak Park, Dr. Katie Maietta has returned to her roots to serve the community she knows and loves. With a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Illinois Wesleyan University, she furthered her education at Penn State

College of Medicine, graduating with dual certifications in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics following her residency at Rush University Medical Center.

Having spent over 11 years as a primary care physician at Loyola, Dr. Maietta is well-versed in treating patients of all ages and genders. Her areas of expertise include preventative medicine, newborn care, adolescent health, and women’s health. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring Chicagoland, and immersing herself in the beauty of nature.

Dr. Stephen Whitfield: A Compassionate Advocate for Inclusive Care

Dr. Stephen Whitfield, a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and Northwestern University’s Feinberg

School of Medicine, brings a passion for community-focused healthcare to Oak Park. Completing his residency at Northwestern, he is board-certified in family medicine with a specialization in HIV treatment. Dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and promoting inclusivity, Dr. Whitfield provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages and genders. He speaks Spanish and strives to ensure that every patient receives culturally competent treatment. Outside of his medical practice, he enjoys listening to comedy podcasts, engaging in friendly games of chess, and spending quality time with his siblings.

Together, Dr. Maietta and Dr. Whitfield are committed to delivering personalized, compassionate care to the Oak Park community. Whether you’re in need of routine check-ups, specialized treatment, or simply seeking guidance on your health journey, you can trust that you’re in capable hands with these two exceptional physicians at Lake Street Family Physicians. Please call us to schedule an appointment at 708-5248600.

COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIET Y OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST

COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIET Y OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST

Kay Meason, RN, gives a u shot to Oak Parker Laura Ingalls at village hall in 1990.

D200 board of ed appoints new vice president

Tom Cofsky will continue to ser ve as president

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Following the election of officers for the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board of education, Audrey Williams-Lee has been appointed the new vice president.

The appointment was made during the board of education meeting Thursday, April 25.

During the past year, her firs on the board, Williams-Lee sai she has been enjoying her time and is looking forward to another year of serving.

“I am looking forward c ontributing,” Wi lliams-Le said, a dding that she wants to ensure that c ommunication with the OPRF c ommunity remains at the forefront of the wo rk the b oard is doing.

“

board in 2023 with a 6-0 vote after the resignation of Kebreab Henry, who moved out of the district.

Williams-Lee will be taking over after Fred Arkin, who had been serving in that position, declined to seek reelection.

“It really is a good board and I think they focus on the right things for the school,” she said.

Williams-Lee’s term expires in the spring of 2025.

For board president, Fred Arkin was nominated by Mary Anne Mohanraj, which he “politely” declined.

Tom Cofsky, who has been serving as president of the board of education, was reelected for the position. His term is also set to expire spring of 2025.

“I appreciate that the administration has added communications to the strategic plan,” Williams-Lee said.

Williams-Lee was appointed to the school

Tim Brandhorst was also re-elected to serve as secretary for the board. His term expires spring 2027.

The next board of education meeting will be held on Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the boardroom at the high school.

AUDRE Y WILLIAMS-LEE

Park District of Oak Park explores opening indoor pool

The 5-year master plan will be adopted by board by the end of 2024

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

The Park District of Oak Park is exploring the idea of opening an indoor pool, something 69% of community survey respondents said they are willing to pay a property tax increase for. It could be included as part of the PDOP’s five-year master plan.

The new master plan for 2025-2029 will be adopted by the board by the end of 2024, said Jan Arnold, executive director of the PDOP. But that doesn’t mean an indoor pool is right around the corner, even if it is included as a project to review in the plan.

Where did this idea come from?

Community members have expressed an interest in having an indoor pool, Arnold said. Some re gular lap swimmers use the outdoor pool from Memorial Day until Labor Day, she said, and would appreciate the opportunity to swim year-round.

So, it’s the Park District’s job to ask, she said, whether those desires are widespread

The survey question read: “Oak Park residents have asked for an indoor community pool with amenities including open swim sessions, swimming lessons, 25yard lap lanes, and a separate warm-water therapy pool. The cost to add this pool (and amenities) would require a voter-approved property tax increase of (on average) about $90 per year for a median-valued home of about $400,000. Knowing it would result in higher property taxes, would you oppose or support this property tax referendum to pay for an indoor pool?”

According to PDOP’s data, 35% of respondents said they strongly supported this survey question and 34% supported it, but not strongly. Only 13% said they opposed it strongly, compared with 17% who said they opposed it, but not strongly “I actually expected the answe r to be no,” Arnold said. “We we re really kind of shocke d. ”

But the survey was only the first ste p. Next steps include having focus group meetings and a community workshop where residents can share their thoughts. A feasibility study would be required, too, Arnold said.

“If, in fact, a pool is still something that

one of the items that are put in our comprehensive master plan to review over the next five years,” she said.

Eventually, every taxpayer would get a chance to vote on the indoor pool. If the community expresses a strong interest in an indoor pool, the PDOP board would place a referendum question on a future ballot. If the community voted in favor of an indoor pool, next would come the planning process, designs and finally construction.

The survey question explained that an indoor pool could result in a property tax increase, Arnold said, because pools are expensive to operate. There’s not only the cost of building it, but to fund maintenance, utilities and staff to sustain it

The property tax increase would not cover all the costs, Arnold said. Like some other PDOP programs, there would likely need to be a membership fee or other revenue generated to help sustain an indoor pool.

How was the survey conducted?

The survey was conducted by aQity Research & Insights, Inc. The company also conducted the PDOP’s 2019 community survey, said Ann Marie Buczek, communication and community eng agement manager at the PDOP.

The survey questions were designed with input from PDOP staff and its board, said Jeff Andreasen, president of aQity Research. Some questions were similar to previous surveys, to see how residents’ opin-

The surveys were administered both by mail, through postcard invitations, and by email, he said. A third option was to complete the survey over the phone

Andreasen said the surveys were sent to random residential addresses across the Oak Park community to ensure regional re presentation. After results are collected, aQity Research used the demographic info rmation respondents re port to weigh results to match U.S. Census data for Oak Pa rk

“We weight our results to match census data so that we know that our results are reflective of the entire community both demo graphically and re gionally,” he said.

“There aren’t any se gments within those demo graphic groups, nor are there any re gions within Oak Park, that are drastically under re presented or over re presented in the survey results.”

Survey invitations were sent to about 15,000 to 18,000 households, including apar tments, Andreasen said. That includes about 8,000 postcards, 2,000 questionnaires and numerous emails

aQity Research and the PDOP were looking for a minimum of 500 respondents, Andreasen said, to have an accurate sample size. By the end of the roughly six-week survey response period, 558 responses were rece ived.

“The margin of er ror on a sample of that size is about plus or minus 4%,” he said. “It’s a reliable sample size for a community the size of Oak Park.”

The close-ended questions were counted by software, Andreasen said. Open-ended questions were analyzed individually by aQity Research staf f.

Since more residents wanted to share their thoughts and maybe didn’t receive the random survey, the PDOP allowed them to provide feedback through a separate, “non-random” survey on their website.

These open results, which included 132 responses, were not combined with the random survey data conducted by aQity Research. Those results could include responses from non-residents, or multiple responses from the same people, Andreasen said.

But even in this non-random survey, 68% of respondents said they would support paying a property tax increase for an indoor pool.

Are other options under consideration?

Yes. The PDOP is considering sharing pool responsibilities with the Oak Park and River Forest High School once a new pool is constructed, Arnold said, if the PDOP moves forward with this project. The PDOP already uses the cu rrent pool to do some swim lessons, she said.

“We have been in contact with D200 and had numerous conversations about sharing pool access,” Arnold said. “If there’s a way to make it work, both Greg [Johnson, superintendent at OPRF,] and I are committed to making that happen.”

Johnson confirmed OPRF will continue to collaborate with the PDOP to see if shared usage of their indoor pool is possible once it opens in 2026.

If the PDOP were to build a new pool, Arnold said there are two options. One is to expand the Community Recreation Center. The other would be to construct a new indoor pool at Ridgeland Common Recreation Complex.

“We want to hear from all of our residents,” she said. “Our job is to hear what the community is saying, and then try to be as responsive as possible.”

The Park District has taken on big projects before, including building the Community Recreation Center at 229 Madison St There will be a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. May 15 at Elizabeth F Cheney Mansion for residents to give the PDOP feedback about the master plan.

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OPRF’s Julie Lam hired as principal of East Leyden High School

The director of student learning will leave OPRF in the summer

By BOB SKOLNIK assistant principal of curriculum and in-

Cole, the for mer director of student OPRF, is now the assistant student services for

excited to welcome Family,” said Leyden District 212 Superintendent Nick published on

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New businesses bloom in Oak Park

3 stores have opened, and an ice cream shop will soon

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Three new businesses have recently opened in Oak Park: 2 Sistah’s Afrocentric Boutique, KB’s Retail and CIMPSAR at Home. Another one, Three Spoons, will soon be available for soft-serve ice cream lovers, too.

Every month, the Village of Oak Park issues licenses for new businesses. By the end of March, the village had issued 21 new business licenses. Out of those 21, 18 are brick-and-mortar businesses, which are located in nine business districts within Oak Park

“One of the things that just proves how vital the Village of Oak Park is right now is that we have businesses opening in every business district,” said Cameron Davis, the village’s economic vitality administrator.

2 Sistah’s Afrocentric Boutique is a shop located at 262 Chicago Ave. that sells clothing, accessories, purses and jewelry. Char-

man Dortch, who co-owns the business with her sister, Karen Quarles, said they were inspired by their mother, who sold quality merchandise to low-income neighborhoods. Dortch and Quarles each had online businesses selling similar items but decided to collaborate and open 2 Sistah’s in Oak Park. The Afrocentric collection, which includes high quality dresses, is especially popular, Dortch said.

2 Sistah’s opened in March and business has been slowly growing, Dortch said. Customers can expect a relaxing environment when shopping, she said, with hands-on customer service.

“Customers are our number one priority,” she said. “When we give good customer service, we know that our customers become our voice.”

Now, 2 Sistah’s is open by appointment only during the weekdays. On Saturday, they’ re open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The hours may change in June.

CIMPSAR at Home, another new business in Oak Park, provides home healthcare services, Davis said. Clients can sign contracts with the business and have care-

LU Z ANE DRAUGHON

Dresses are part of the collection at 2 Sistah’s Afrocentric Boutique.

takers come into their homes to help lo is located at 101 Madison St.

“We’ re glad to have them here in town,” Davis said.

KB’s Retail is a new smoke shop located Ave., where another smoke shop had been located. When businesses close and vacancies occu lage works to ensure spaces are quickly lized ag ain.

“In every community you go to, there’s always the ebb and flow of businesses opening and work with businesses to ensure their success

An asset of Oak Park is its competiti Emily Egan, the village’s The village works to talk to business owners to understand their challenges, how to help them be successful and ways to make their business ev

In addition to these new rizon is Three Spoons, a soft-ser Nicole Cahill, co-owners of will be located at 133 N. Ridgeland Ave. The name for the business was inspired by their three daughters, Nicole said.

Construction started at the end of February, she said, and they’ re hoping it will be finished within the next month. After that, a health inspection and finalizing their business license, Three Spoons will be ready to open.

Three Spoons will sell vanilla and chocolate soft-serve ice cream, but the co-owners said they may add shakes, malts and sundaes to the menu, too. Nicole said they want to explore non-dairy options as well. Quality over quantity is what’s important to them.

Shell necklaces and bracelets at 2 Sista h’s Af

Boutique.

“We’ve always been big fans of simple concept restaurants,” Jim said. “We don’t want to have an endless amount of items.”

Their hours will be noon to 9 p. m. at first, but may change depending on demand.

“Everybody in Oak Park wants ice cream in the summer,” Nicole said. “We’ re just excited for them to try it.”

There’s a wide variety of businesses in Oak Park, Egan said, which supports the village’s push for economic vitality, she said, and some even give locals more options for nightlife and entertainment.

“I like that [variety] in terms of servicing the community and having hopefully everything that you would need right in your own community, right in Oak Park.”

Last year, Oak Park issued 103 business licenses. It’s possible the village will match that number again this year, Davis said, but it’s not their goal.

“Our main goal isn’t to look at the numbers, it’s to fill ailable spaces, to match up the right business with the right space,” Davis said. “Then they’re more likely to last and to make money in that space and offer good services to the residents.”

Shopping at local, small businesses has a strong impact on the community, Egan said, and helps shape the village Local businesses also tend to employ local residents, Davis pointed out.

“That quality of life is so closely associated with economic vitality,” Egan said.

Supporting local businesses can also be more environmentally friendly and sustainable, Davis said, because residents can walk or bike to them easily rather than driving. Oak Park has businesses scattered across all its districts, rather than having one center, Davis said, which allows residents to spend their dollars locally.

New businesses also have the benefit of six months of Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce membership for free, which allows for networking and resources.

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How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Ask Maxine Gimbel

OPRF senior to per form with national youth orchestra

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

It is going to be a summer of music and tr avel for an Oak Pa rk and Rive r Fo rest High School senior who was selected to be a part of a national orchestra at Carneg ie Hall.

Maxine Gimbel, a senior at OPRF, will be taking her love of music on the road with the 2024 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America as the orchestra travels throughout the summer on its South American tour.

Gimbel, who has played the double bass for the past six years, began her music journey with the violin but switched to the bigger string instrument in middle school.

“I thought it was cool,” Gimbel said. “I thought it was interesting looking. It started as not a serious choice, but I fell in love with the bass and really got into practicing, especially during Covid.”

As the 18-year-old got better at the instrument, the fun only grew, she said.

At OPRF, Gimbel has been part of the concert orchestra and the symphony orchestra for the past three years.

“I like how in music there is always more to add on, more to explore, and more to improve on,” Gimbel said. “In any excerpt from any piece there are a million different ways to play it, a million different ways to feel the music. A lot of the technical stuf f, you can work on. I feel like it is endless in the different things you can do to make things better.”

For the NYO-USA, Gimbel sent in audition recordings of herself playing solo pieces and included an essay as part of her application. For her audition, Gimbel played the “Double Bass Concerto” by Johann Baptist Vanhal and “Cello Suite No.1” by Johann Sebastian Bach, better known as the “Prelude.”

Gimbel said she was also playing those

pieces for her colle ge admission auditions so the timing lined up very well. Gimbel said she will be pursuing a performance major in colle ge.

The audition paid of f as Gimbel was chosen to be part of the NYO-USA.

“It is really exciting, I am the only kid from Illinois, so I am excited to re present the state and meet people that play my instrument from all over the country, which I don’t get to do ever,” Gimbel said. “It is a really cool opportunity.”

Carnegie Hall announced their chosen 103 young musicians in early March. They range between the ages of 16 to 19 years old and hail from 34 states as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

In the press release from Carnegie Hall Public Relations, the young musicians “have been reco gnized by Carnegie Hall as being among the finest players in the country following a comprehensive and highly selective audition process.”

The selected musicians will travel to New York and participate in an “intensive” two-week training residency at Purchase Colle ge, State University of New York

“We are starting with a bit of a boot camp,” Gimbel said. “Where we rehearse for a couple days together, get used to the music together, and practice together.”

Gimbel said she is excited to also get to collaborate with other musicians from around the world before embarking on the tour

Tour stops will include Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro, where they will be performing Barber’s Symphony No. 1, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” and more Gimbel will also be participating in the newly announced summer concert festival World Orchestra Week, which aims to celebrate international youth orchestras and will take place Aug. 1-7. Alongside NYOUSA, the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, African United Youth Orchestra, Beijing Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Afghan Youth Orchestra will be performing, led by various talented mu-

OPRF Senior Maxine Gimbel w ill be per forming with other top young musicians from across the country as part of the 2024 National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America.

sicians including Marin Alsop, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Gustavo Dudamel, Lü Jia, Iván Fischer, Isata Kanneh-Mason, and Tiago Moreira da Silva.

The week-long festivities are set to be “one history-making week,” at Carnegie Hall where perfor mers will share the stage

with “today’s most internationally renowned conductors and soloists.”

Gimbal also has been selected as the 2024 recipient of the ISB Jane Little Scholarship, a $10,000 scholarship that is given annually to a female double bass major entering colle ge as a freshman.

PROVIDED BY MEG BOYLE, PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR CARNEGIE HALL

Parking nes going up in River Forest

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

The penalty increases to $45 from $30, e ective immediately

Parking violators in River Forest will have to dig a little deeper to pay their fines after officials voted at the April 29 village board meeting to increase parking penalties.

The board voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance to increase the general fine amount to $45 from $30. The fine increases to $75 from $50 for violators who fail to pay the initial fine amount before the initial hearing date and to $150 from $100 for those who fail to pay before the second hearing date. The ordinance was approved without discussion as part of the consent agenda.

The new fines take effect immediately.

The fines for parking in accessible spaces remain unchanged, which are $350 for each step.

In a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator, police Chief Jim O’Shea explained that River Forest fines

and penalties for parking violations have not been amended since 2011 and increasing the violation fee “should” deter violations.

“Research of fines and fees assessed by neighboring jurisdictions was conducted and revealed that the base fine is typically $50,” he said in the memo.

A survey of 20 neighboring municipalities sho we range of $25 charged by Stone Park and Hillside to $50 charged by 10 municipalities.

In other business, the board approved a balanced general fund budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Estimated total revenues for FY2025 are $20,505,784, up from $19,299,655 in FY2024. Estimated total expenditures for FY2025 are $20,922,908, up from $20,116,778 in FY2024. A deficit of $417,124 is due to $450,461 in nonrecurring expenditures that will be covered by reserves. The budg shows a surplus of $33,517.

The budget, presented at the April 8 village board meeting, was approved unanimously.

River Forest o cials, re union reach agreement

The 3-year contract provides 3.25% annual raises

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest firefighter/paramedics and lieutenants will receive 3.25% annual salary increases under three-year contracts approved by the village board April 29.

Of ficials and the union re presenting firefighter/paramedics and lieutenants ag reed on the new contracts before the current contracts expired on April 30. The contracts with the International Association

of Firefighters Local 2391 were approved without discussion as part of the consent agenda. Separate contracts re present 15 firefighter/paramedics and four lieutenants. The union members voted to ratify the contract April 23.

The ag reement keeps all three unions representing village employees under contract. Officials approved a three-year contract with the union representing public works employees in December and a threeyear contract with the union representing

police officers in April 2023.

“It’s wonderful to have all our unions under contract,” village President Cathy Adduci said. “It’s good to have a good relationship with all our unions and departments.”

In a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator, Trish Ivansek, human resources manager, said initial negotiations be gan in February. She said that a survey of 15 nearby municipalities revealed that the starting pay for a new River Forest firefighter/paramedic was lower than compa-

rable villages.

The new contract includes changing the current step 1 to the current step 2.

Walsh explained that the change allows for bargaining unit members to reach the top of their scale a year earlier

“This is an attempt to be competitive in the marketplace, as hiring for fire departments remains a challenge,” he added.

Fire Chief Tom Gaertner said the fire department is currently fully staffed.

D90 families ditch cars at drop-o to honor Earth Day

Students were encouraged to walk or bike to school during Ear th Week

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Students across River Forest School District 90 helped take a few cars off the road in honor of Earth Day by biking or walking to school.

Org anized by the district’s Green4Good C ommittee in partnership with the PTOs, Walk and Bi ke to School week celebrated the planet and motivated students to take small actions to help protect the environment.

Because f amilies g enerally live close to the schools, Ginny Sara, who leads Willard’s Green4Good, said the district doesn’t have a bus service, which makes biking and walking that much more of a great option for families

Mimi Nash, a second grader at Willard, often walks to school, but said it was cool to see more kids walking and riding their bikes to school last Wednesday mor ning.

Not only was it cool, but it is also a good way to try and help the environment, she added.

“Cars have gas and that floats into the air,” Mimi said.

Other ways Mimi said she tries: not things and avoiding plastic.

To celebrate, students also received a made from old T-shirts, which many students ue to show off on their backpacks or bikes of the year.

“It just kind of shows that they are suppo walking and biking to school and helping the Sara said, adding that having something tangible tha students could keep has been positive. “I think it encourages some kids to start participating.”

Avery Tyrrell, a fourth grader, also joined others in walking to school.

“If you go in your car to school, it has less helpful to the environment,” Avery said. “[Walking] just helps the grass, the trees, the thing grow.”

Sara said the school is always trying to find ne ways to be more environmentally friendly

The district’s Green4Good also held i munity bike exchange Saturday, April 13, once again a success.

“The more we can try not to fill the landfill or continue to fill the landfills and do as much as we can, they are small things, but these little things will make a difference overall,” Sara said.

PHOTO STEPHANIE RATH

River Forest D90 students walked or biked to school, rain or shine, in celebration of Earth Day.

CRIME

$115K worth of property, cash stolen from residence and garage

S omeone broke i nto an Oak Pa rk resid ence b etween April 26 and April 27 on the 800 block of La ke Street and stole an estimated $115,850 wo r th of money and property. T he individual stole a Goya rd wallet c ontaining credit and debit card s, a drive r’s license, other identificatio n and money. The person also stole a Cart ier money clip, a silver watch and two sets of ke ys, wh ich they used to steal the Oak Pa rk resident’s black 2024 Au di A8 from the ga rage

Retail theft

Catalytic converter theft

Someone stole the catalytic converter from an Oak Park resident’s 2005 Toyota Prius between April 24 and April 25 on the 600 block of South Austin Boulevard. The estimated loss is $3,500.

Burglary to motor vehicle

Someone broke into a Chicago resident’s 2023 Ford cargo van April 26 on the 1000 block of North Lombard Avenue. The person then stole a portable generator, saw and power drill. The estimated loss is $1,950.

Arrests

■ A 33-year-old Chicago man was arrested for disorderly conduct April 22 on the 1100 block of South Boulevard

Three men entered the Jewel-Osco at 7036 Roosevelt Road April 25 and stole six bottles of Jose Cuervo gold tequila, six bottles of Jose Cuervo silver tequila and six bottles of Ketel One vodka. The men fled in a white Jeep. The estimated loss is $360.

Battery

A man approached an Oak Park resident and asked for a drink April 25 on the 100 block of South Lombard Avenue. The resident refused, and the man threw a screwdriver at her, which hit her in the back. The man left southbound on a bike.

■ A 54-year-old Chicago man was arrested for aggravated reckless driving and retail theft April 22 on the 300 block of Washington Street.

■ A 36-year-old Oak Park man was arrested on signed complaints for domestic battery against an Oak Park resident April 23 in River Forest.

Motor vehicle theft

Someone broke the window and got into a Nicor Gas white 2022 Dodge Ram pickup truck between April 22 and April 23 on the 100 block of South Boulevard. The estimated loss was $50,000 until the truck was recovered on April 25 on the 2300 block of South Central Avenue in Chicago. No arrests were made.

Robbery

Three men struck an Oak Park resident with their fists and then got into the resident’s 2013 Chevrolet van April 22 on the 1100 block of South Taylor Avenue. The three men stole a camera, camera monitor and a locator. The men then fled in a white Dodge Caravan. The estimated loss is $15,100.

■ A 34-year-old Chicago man was arrested for criminal trespass April 25 on the 1000 block of North Lombard Avenue. He was given a citation.

■ A 25-year-old Chicago man was arrested April 27 after he was identified as the person involved in a robbery that occurred on the 100 block of North Marion Street. He was held for bond hearings.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports dated April 22-29, 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 Luzane Draughon

River Forest residents up in arms over proposed zoning changes

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

River Forest’s residents aren’t resting after the village zoning board voted against changes that would ha mitted an increase to the maximum height of buildings, decrease in parking requirements and increase in density in certain districts.

Amid residents’ vehement opposition to the changes and support for the zoning board’s 6-1 vote against posals, residents are anxiously awaiting how the full village board reacts to the zoning board’s recommendations. Zoning board decisions are recommendations and are not binding. Trustees make the final decisions.

The changes, recommended by the village’s economic development commission and proposed by Houseal Lavigne Associates — a firm that reviewed the village’s code — were intended to attract developers by changing zoning requirements in the village’s C1 (North Avenue,) C2 (Madison Street,) and C3 (Central Commercial) districts.

On April 11, more than 150 residents turned out zoning board meeting held at Concordia University and dozens more attended by video conference. Residents, who overwhelmingly are opposed to the measure, spoke there about the proposals and submitted many letters to the zoning board ahead of the meeting.

Some residents, such as Donald and Anna Straub, citing their long-time residency and opposition, questioned why the zoning board would consider changes that direct conflict with the River Forest 2019 Comprehensi Plan Core Objectives, which are designed to balance the need for commercial areas with the importance of mitigating impacts on the Village’s residential neighborhood

“Each infill redevelopment opportunity requires heightened level of sensitivity and creativity to appropriately balance the Village’s existing character with the need

See ZONING on pa ge 23

ZONING

Village preservation from page 21

and desire for economic development,” an excerpt of the plan said.

In a letter, John Conm could not attend the zoning board meeting because the Concordia location was not accessible, noted his family est ties go back to 1935. Conmy objected to the reduced parking increased building height, saying, “I wanted to live in a congested area li Park, I would move there.

Some residents said they suppo proposal, including Kristine Mac said in a letter that the increasing for District 90 was key to her suppo was “modern, state of the art, attracti walkable commercial zones” that she said could attract buyers and strengthen proper ty values for homeowner

“There’s a very strong sense that the village will never do the right thing.”

DEBORAH BORMAN Founder, LAF Neighbors group

The Lathrop, Ashland, bors group was re presented in meeting and had wo few weeks leading up to the meeting to nity support to oppose the project. Deborah Borman, who helped found the group, said that the committee was for med more than two years ago when residents were upset by the poorly managed demolition of buildings on Madison Street. She g alvanized the group again this year when she said that it became clear at the March 14 zoning meeting that officials weren’ t listening to residents

“I thought, we need signs. We need to involve the community,” she said, noting that in a few weeks, more than 300 yard signs were put in place and 947 people signed a petition opposing the changes — more than 10% of the electorate.

“We wanted the entire village involved because it’s a tiny space. This affects everyone,” Borman added.

As of April 25, the number of petition-

ers had grown to 1,000. The population of River Forest is about 11,300.

Kelly Abcairan, a member of the LAF Neighbor group, added, “the village continues to make real estate decisions with a glaring absence of evidence. The promise that these changes would have a positive economic impact lacks any data to support it.”

She questioned the suggestion that the proposed changes would help the local schools. Noting that 72% of taxes go toward local schools, she said that the official demog raphers who were hired to project school enrollment numbers had to do so using historical information rather than anticipated numbers about the numbers of households in the village, which would take into account how changed zoning might impact enrollment.

In addition, she said that the proposed zoning changes would permit studio apartments to be built, but that developers pay impact fees based on numbers of bedrooms With no bedrooms in new developments, de-

velopers would pay no impact fees.

“We need to study: Does more rental housing put more stress on infrastructure, schools, parking, sewers?” she says.

Overall, Abcairan said she thinks that bringing in more commercial development through restaurants and commercial spaces would have a better economic impact than adding more residential units without long-term planning.

“It goes back to where’s the data? Taking current commercial districts that today don’t allow residential use and now letting them be used for residential. What is the benefit?” she asked.

Borman pointed to the village’s lack of attention to the demolition of the Lutheran Children and Family Services building on Madison Street as evidence that officials don’t heed residents’ needs first.

“There’s a very strong sense that the village will never do the right thing,” she said.

Former Village Trustee Patty Henek also questioned the village’s decisions in the

wake of the Lake and Lathrop development debacle. She said the timeline and lack of resident input so far is a problem. She added that it is common for a recommendation to be made with the intention that a fuller discussion happens later. That often never occurs, she said.

Borman, Abcairan and Henek each questioned the village’s public outreach efforts. They said officials have made no ef for ts other than posting agendas on the village’s website or publishing required legal notices in Wednesday Journal.

Henek suggested that trustees use the village’s official newsletter to alert all residents about proposals such as these.

“It’s hard to have robustly attended meetings if you don’t advertise it widely. How was the broader community supposed to know? The fact that the last meeting was so robustly attended is because of Debbie [Borman] and her group.”

“In terms of this topic, I do think the community needs to stay eng aged.”

PHOTO BY DEBORAH BORMAN

River Forest residents at the proposed zoning meeting April 11 at Concordia University.

Don’t miss the award-winning documentary ...

Last Flight Home

Thursday, May 9th; 1:30 pm

Oak Park Public Library; 834 Lake Street, Oak Park

Free admission

Discussion will immediately follow including an update on the Illinois movement to authorize medical aid in dying.

Last Flight Home, which premiered at the Sundance and Telluride film festivals, chronicles the remarkable life of Eli Timoner and his decision to use the California End of Life Option Act to peacefully end his life with grace and dignity surrounded by his family including his daughter, internationally acclaimed documentary director Ondi.

Lucky enough to live in one of the few states that allow medical aid in dying, the Timoner family embarks on

a mission to help their beloved patriarch exit the world with the same dignity with which he lived. As the family opens up to provide an enlightening, often humorous, view of a universal experience, this intensely intimate film also offers a lasting legacy of one man’s extraordinary life and his commitment to both living — and dying — with agency and grace.

Join Us for Other Upcoming Events:

Visit our Oak Park End-of-Life Options booth at A Day In Our Village on June 2nd!

Come talk to us at The Farmer’s Market on Saturdays!

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

C ONSCIOUS A GING

How we ‘other’

other people

My friend Al called me a few weeks ago. He said he wanted to tell me about something. He spoke with a self-deprecatory chuckle in his voice. The way Al told me the story on the phone, he’d been at a public meeting at the library, seated at a table with three chairs.

He was sitting in the chair on the left, a woman was in the right hair at the other end of the table and the middle chair was empty He nodded a friendly greeting to that woman and, shortly thereafter, he said hello to another oman as she sat in the middle hair, next to him. He told me that d guessed the woman sitting wn next to him was about 85 ears old

BLESOFF

After the meeting presentations concluded, there was time for small-group discussions at each table. The woman next to Al went out to the bathroom, and he started talking with the other woman at the table, who countered, “Let’s wait until your wife gets back from the bathroom.”

On the phone, Al laughed sheepishly. He admitted to being shocked that the woman at the end of the table could even think he was married to their table mate. He confided that his first thought was, “Do I really look that old?” At the time, he felt embarrassed. And in that moment on the phone with me, he was embarrassed but not ashamed. He had realized his unconscious ageist bias quickly. When he got home he told his wife all about it. He wasn’t proud of it. After he and I talked about it some more, I called him an ageist A-hole, we laughed, and hung up I was glad he’d called me, but the story isn’t over. A week or so later we had lunch together, during which we had our usual wide-ranging conversation, and of course we revisited our previous phone call. We talked about judging other people based on assumptions, the nature of relationships, and how one person’s appearance can reflect something about the other person. And during that lunch conversation, Al realized something. It was an “a-ha” moment for him.

In our first phone conversation, he told me that, when he first saw the woman sitting down next to him, he’d thought

Police should lead response to potential school site threat

Most Oak Park and River Forest residents, students, staff, and parents are undoubtedly aware of the details surrounding the response to a school shooting threat in February of this year. I have closely followed the Oak Park Police Department’s response and the interference placed on them. It is clear that school administrators tried to steer the police response in a particular manner and succeeded

The police response to the February incident was confusing and a failure at its worst. Undoubtedly, the school superintendent had policies to obstruct the police response. While certain response levels were reported in previous stories in Wednesday Jour nal, many details put out by the school are gibberish. The school safety protocols are just rhetoric, whose purpose is to please some parents, citizens, and other board members and to ensure that OPRF minimizes student contact with police. It is one of the most inefficient policies and procedures ever

In January, the Department of Justice (DOJ) came out with its final report on the police response to the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas. I have written extensively on this topic and openly criticized the

Uvalde police for their response. Quite frankly, it was the worst police response to a school shooting in our nation’s history. In contrast to this tragedy, if you wanted to look at what would be considered the “gold standard” in police response to an actual shooting, look at the shooting at the Covenant School in Tennessee. In that instance, police responded and acted immediately, saving countless lives.

Let me explain why these details are so important.

While the OPRF incident did not involve an active shooter — the student did not have a gun — it was initially reported that there was a student with a gun on campus and an imminent threat of a school shooting. Oak Park police responded differently (the first time) than any other police agency, not following any of the response protocols that would generally be in place. Instead, they followed the school’s bizarre procedures that prevented police from setting foot on their campus. These procedures have been designed by those who fail to understand that the police department in any jurisdiction must lead the police school response, which includes training, tabletop exercises, and

JAVIER GOVEA

Hands-on climate advice

Most of us want to do right by the environment. We recognize that while climate change is a global issue, the choices we make as individuals and as small towns factor into needed solutions

Oak Park has set ambitious targets to reduce its collective contribution to greenhouse gas emissions — a 60% reduction by 2030. That can’t be accomplished just by Oak Park and River Forest High School shifting significantly to geothermal heating and cooling resources. Or the park district constructing a remarkably efficient new community rec center. Or the village mandating electric appliances in new construction.

Those are great steps that provide real leadership. But it is going to be in the choices thousands of homeowners and apartment owners make as they replace HVAC systems and appliances, as they consider solar options for their homes, new windows, and better insulation that necessary progress will be made.

Those choices are complicated. And expensive. And sometimes made in a rush when the water heater goes bust.

That’s the moment when good intentions get lost and bad climate decisions get made.

In one of the most practical, common-sense solutions we’ve heard in a long while, members of the Oak Park Climate Action Network, a volunteer group of climate activists, have partnered with the village to offer hands-on advice to individuals on how to navigate these many decisions.

So simple. So helpful. What are the climate-affir ming choices for AC? How much more expensive will it be? How long to recover those costs? Are there vendors that can be recommended? Any gover nment subsidies that might help?

This is a collaboration we love

One pool, many uses?

It is gratifying to hear that the leaders of Oak Park’s park district and high school have been actively discussing ways the full community might share use of the about-to-be-constructed new indoor pool facility at Oak Park and River Forest High School.

With demolition about to start of the indoor athletic facilities on the Scoville Avenue campus, there will be a new and expansive pool facility at OPRF by 2026.

Simultaneously, the Park District of Oak Park is working on its fiveyear capital plan and has conducted polling of local residents about their willingness to take a hike in their property taxes to pay for an indoor pool. To our surprise, and to the park district’s surprise, not quite 70% of those responding to the scientifically valid poll strongly or casually support that idea.

We’ve lobbied on this page for the two entities to seriously discuss how a pool collaboration can work. We are heartened to hear both Jan Ar nold and Greg Johnson, parks and school respectively, say they have already talked and will continue to talk.

Now let’s up the “ask.” We want more people at the table for these discussions. The pros and cons need to be discussed transparently. And it needs to be accepted that a shared pool facility will require each entity to get less access than ideal. In other words, some compromise for the shared good

Finding an antidote to the din of doom

The new film, Civil War is not light viewing, but it’s a film every American (and all Americans are the right “kind of American”) should see — in the same way most Americans watched the TV film The Day After in 1983, which changed attitudes about nuclear brinkmanship.

Civil War portrays a near-future apocalyptic meltdown of American democracy and the inevitable, violent, secessionist nightmare that ensues. But it’s not red states vs. blue states as you might expect. It’s less predictable, less specific about the causes, although there are clues and you can fill in the blanks for yourself.

KEN

TRAINOR

The ending is powerful and disturbing — and strangely moving. I won’t spoil it, but I will say that the writer/director (Alex Garland, from Great Britain) offers it as a cautionary warning, “This is what your current state of disunion leads to,” it seems to say. “Is this really what you want?” Every kind of American would do well to heed and answer that question.

I sure hope this isn’t what we choose. But the state of the world and the nation are undeniably troubling at the moment. What with the Murderous Mess in the Mideast, the Tribulations and Trials of Trump, the Cauldron of Chaos on Campuses, and Supreme Court Subversives pretzelbending principle to immunize their patron against standing trial for sedition before the next election — I needed an antidote to the doom and gloom.

Reading Brian Doyle provided it.

Doyle, who died way too young in 2017, saw hints of the divine everywhere, mostly in the smallness of the everyday, even, maybe especially, in the painfulness of life. He made redemption sound plausible and accessible. His humanity and humor shine through everything he wrote.

And he wrote with a furious purpose, or a purposeful fury, or both. He wrote as if he could hear the music that swirls all around us, every day, everywhere, which the rest of us can’t tune into most of the time, surrounded as we are by the din of cacophonous downerism that af flicts us 24/7.

Reading Brian Doyle is a tonic. It’s like reading (as the title of his posthumous collection of essays puts it) “one long river of song.”

Here’s a sample, speaking of campuses. After the death of his older brother Kevin, he took a trip back to their mutual alma mater, Notre Dame, to revisit his brother’s dorm rooms, looking for traces of his life there in a piece titled, “The country of who he used to be”:

“I grope after something else about those

rooms, about my brother’s life in those rooms, about the 700 days and nights that he lived there, some 50 feet in the air above the sandy soil of northern Indiana.”

What follows is one long river of a sentence: “The silent dawns, when he awoke in the top bunk, above a snoring roommate, and for a moment was back in his childhood bed, in the dapple of tall sweetgum trees outside his window, his mother’s silvery laugh in the kitchen as faint as yesterday’s hymn; the long winter nights, as he sat at his ancient desk, staring at the runes cut by a dozen previous denizens; the thump of basketballs and ricochet of footballs in the hallway, and the deep barking laughs of the burly neighbors who hammer and fling them; the autumnal smell of sawn wood as students edit their rooms, and the vernal smells of mothers in the hall, reclaiming their sons for the summer; the stammer of greetings to a friend’s girlfriend, the cheerful roars at a friend’s kid brother visiting in awe; the shouldery tumult and reek and jest of roommates, and the snarl of shoes and jackets by the door; the annual drawing of straws or cutting of cards for who gets which room; the wry notes left for each other, the casual generosity, the thicket of toothbrushes, the dank of towels and socks, the scrawl of numbers and names written on the yellow wall by the phone against all rules and re gulations; and the way those names and numbers will be painted out, at the last moment, with paint of a wholly different color than the paint originally applied by the university when Indiana was young and dinosaurs strolled the earth.”

Life being reclaimed from death.

He concludes with this:

“We thrash after ways to say what we know to be true, that the breath and laughter and tears and furies and despairs and thrills and epiphanies of long children on a campus, season the very air, coat the walls, soak into the soil just as dying birds and leaves do, in ways we can never quite measure or articulate; so that while my brother’s ashes now rest in another soil, something of him, something of who he was, something of who he became, swirls still in the rooms where he lived for three years when he was young.”

Death in life leads to life in death if you look hard enough. A metaphorical resur rection. So when you feel the world is gloomier than you can bear, look for an antidote. Look for the life in it. Look harder. Find, as Brian Doyle did, “the thor ny grace of it.”

Keep your humanity alive and we will keep our country alive

Marc Stopeck

WEDNESD AY

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer SHRUB TO WN by

Make a call for free school meals

In Illinois, 315,000 children experience food insecurity. In a state that champions human rights and robust support systems, this should be unacce ptable. We should be doing everything we can to ensure that kids have enough food, and there are practical, ef fective ways to make this happen. One of those ways is to provide free, healthy, nutritious meals at our schools

I’m a re gistered dietitian and team manager working at Beyond Hunger, a nonprofit org anization in Oak Park and the Austin neighborhood of Chicago that provides hunger relief through food pantry and other services. Every day, I see families struggling with food insecurity. The rising cost of living and decades-high rent burdens contribute to this need. These families are doing everything they can to feed their kids, and so are we. But we can only do so much. Our resources, like theirs, are constrained. But we all know no child should go hungry.

That’s where healthy school meals can help. Not

only has this model proven to have tremendous positive results for children — including better physical health and the ability to lear n at school — but it also helps their families, who can save between $640 and $1,200 per child each year. This will alleviate burdens on countless families and contribute to a brighter future for our children. In 2023, Illinois took a significant step forward with the Healthy School Meals for All Bill, a testament to the strong, bipartisan support it garnered. However, this legislation has yet to receive the necessary funding to make it a reality.

Now more than ever, we need to unite and call on our legislators to include funding for this crucial work in this year’s budget. Contact our le gislators and encourage them to support SB3247 and HB4785 to fully reimburse school lunches in Illinois.

Let’s show our children that we stand with them. Bri Kellogg

Re gistered Dietitian Nutritionist, LDN, DCN Oak Park

JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor Erika Hobbs

Digital Manager Stacy Coleman

Sta Repor ter Amaris Rodriguez, Luzane Draughon

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan

Columnists Marc Bleso , Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger

Shrubtown Cartoonist Marc Stopeck

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza

Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe

Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

Publisher Dan Haley

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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, re 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 ling.

Please understand our veri cation 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 veri cation, 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 con rm 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

■ 250-word limit

■ Must include rst and last names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for veri cation only)

VIEW’ ESSAY

■ 500-word limit

■ One-sentence footnote about yourself, 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.

Rezoning’s promised school bene ts are doubtful

Analyzing the proposed River Forest zoning plan, the lack of data-supported projections raises concerns about its economic viability and infrastructure impact. Converting commercial districts into residential high-rises could strain infrastructure and services. Despite recognizing the need for a “what if” analysis, the ZBA committee failed to provide substantive data at the April 11 meeting. Additionally, [Village Administrator Matt] Walsh’s memo ignored key points from the River Forest Public Schools School District 90 Demographic Trends and Enrollment Projections study, commissioned October 2022 (Village board packet on the River Forest website, D90 study, p. 80-108, memo, p. 9-28, https:// www.vrf.us/uploads/cms/documents/ events/04-11-24_ZBA_Packet.final_.pdf)

Several key factors challenge the assumptions of the proposed zoning changes: the influx of new families, housing stagnation, and the aging population. Without precise population estimates and understanding household dynamics, the plan risks worsening existing infrastructure strains without commensurate benefits.

First, concer ns arise about impact fees required by village code today to be paid to

the school system for any new residential developments, deter mined by expected student count based on bedrooms per residential unit. With the zoning changes eliminating the minimum bedroom requirement, the impact fees could potentially be reduced to zero, undermining benefits to the school system. Moreover, Mr. Walsh’s assertion that developers will allocate around 70% of their property tax bill toward school funding lacks specificity on how this tax bill is calculated, whether it includes rental or owned units. Understanding which property type generates more tax revenue for schools is crucial for infor med decision-making on school funding and population dynamics

Second, Mr. Walsh’s assertion about district-wide enrollment projections requires scrutiny. The demographer’s choice of using more conservative estimates over CMAP projections, which predict an increase of over 1,200 households in the next 35 years for River Forest, raises questions regarding the impact of the proposed zoning changes. This underscores the necessity for a “what if” scenario assessment before approving any zoning changes affecting household sizes and population densities. Fortunately, our school district

has a robust model for such assessments (https://campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws. com/prod/898838/03afb8bb-09b2-11e7b6d9-22000bd8490f/2548841/0580157ea804-11ed-911c-0e0ad5e4b86d/file/Recommendation%20for%20Kindergarten%20 Program%20Model.FINAL.pdf).

Essentially, Mr. Walsh’s memo, which lacks supportive facts, underscores the necessity for an unbiased analysis of all data, avoiding selective interpretation to fit specific narratives. Assessing the complete dataset is crucial for making well-infor med

Problems with a permanent cease re

Ken Trainor’s permanent ceasefire resolution is kind-hearted, well-meaning, and naïve [A different ceasefire resolution to consider, Viewpoints, April 24].

It’s an improvement over the resolution previously submitted to the Oak Park Village Board, particularly because it acknowledges that Hamas uses civilians as human shields.

But there are two main problems: First, a permanent ceasefire at this point leaves Hamas in power, terrorists whose charter calls for the obliteration of Israel and who cannot be trusted. (Remember that it broke the ceasefire in place until Oct. 7.) Ken’s idea that it would then voluntarily surrender following a permanent ceasefire is unrealistic because it gives the advantage to Hamas No wonder it insists on a per manent ceasefire as a condition of releasing all hostages. They are a key bargaining chip We all want to see a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages, but both can only be achieved through negotiations, which are taking place now. (1) An immediate tempo-

rary ceasefire to allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance is different, and something I support

Second, a village ceasefire resolution would be divisive and unnecessary. It’s true that Oak Parkers pay income taxes that fund federal expenditures of all kinds, including assistance to Israel. But the village itself is not funding such assistance. The taxpayers of Oak Park who are so inclined can best call for a per manent ceasefire in a petition, as they are doing. Ken is certainly correct that our gover nment should condition military assistance on its responsible use. It is doing just that with an Israeli unit operating in the West Bank, and I hope this continues. (2)

Ceasefire resolution supporters are fond of citing how many towns have passed such resolutions. But the vast majority of municipalities have not passed ceasefire resolutions, often withstanding considerable pressure to do so. This includes our neighbor, Evanston. (3) As one letter writer put it last week, that

deserves a profile in courage

Ceasefire resolution supporters often say that they’re Jewish. But it is important to remember that some 80% of Jewish-Americans care deeply about Israel as it is now, a Jewish state. (4) I believe almost all of us also care deeply about the welfare of civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. We join all of good will in hoping a sustainable way is found to peace and found soon. (1) https://www.aljazeera.com/ news/2024/4/27/hamas-receives-latest-israeliproposal-amid-efforts-to-revive-gaza-talks (2) https://apnews.com/article/ israel-us-military-aid-west-bank-abuses515acf20ddfffd1b2838bcf55c9a7c73 (3) https://dailynorthwestern. com/2023/12/02/lateststories/equity-andempowerment-commission-withdraws-resolution-calling-for-ceasefire-in-gaza/ (4) https://www.pewresearch.org/shortreads/2021/05/21/u-s-jews-have-widely-differing-views-on-israel/

Judith Alexander Oak Park

decisions moving forward.

Updating zoning regulations where necessary may be a positive step, but data-driven decisions are essential to safeguard the community’s long-term well-being amid urban development. Opposing rezoning until reliable data confirms tax stability helps prioritize public schools and community welfare, ensuring all village decisions rely on solid data, not hope.

Kelly Abcarian Ri ver Forest

With bagging leaves should come a tax cut

Along with all the fire under cars, etc issues that have been the report, there is the cost for the current collection process now in place. Go to bagging? Great! With that line item off the budget I would expect to see my taxes reduced respectively. Now I can track the cost of bagging, labor costs, etc. for the future leaf removal and if that is greater than my tax reduction, then I am sure it would be correct for me to submit to the village for a return of the difference as well.

There are other budget items that could be removed to cover this added return of funds to leaf-cleaning homeowners in the village

Michael Papierniak Oak Park

Be on the right side of history

The trouble is that once you see it, you ca n’ t unsee it. And once you’ ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There’s no innocence. Either way, you’ re accountable.

Arundhati Roy Indian writer and activist

And what do we see?

■ According Doctors Without Borders, since Oct. 7, 34,000 Palestinians have died, almost 500 of them health care workers. UNICEF documents more than 13,000, or 44%, are children. (https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gaza-medical-staff-we-arealive-we-arenot-ok)

■ Oxfam is re porting that Palestinian children are already dying of malnutrition and starvation. Over 1.8 million people are surviving without potable water, electricity, shelter. Famine is imminent in Palestine. (https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/ stories/six-months-into-gaza-conflictmalnutrition-and-famine-emerging/)

■ NPR re ports that 95 journalists have been killed since the war began. (https://www.npr. org/2024/03/15/1221513717/gaza-journalistsisrael-hamas)

■ Amnesty International has assessed human rights in their annual report, their investigations concluding that global international law is “on the brink of collapse,” highlighting evidence of war crimes by Israel ag ainst Gaza. Amnesty International

identifies the U.S. failure to denounce these violations and reign in these unprecedented assaults on Gaza, as being complicit. (https://www.amnesty.org/en/, “Amnesty International sounds alarm on a watershed moment for international law amid flagrant rule-breaking by governments and corporate actors”)

I encourage your own due diligence to gather facts.

The facts are clear and what I see is the killing of innocent children, women and men, displaced families whose homes and communities have been destroyed, causing famine and homelessness.

When you connect the dots and conclude that genocide is happening in Gaza, as Americans, we are complicit, morally and economically. You can’t un-see what we see in the news every day. Do something, speak out, even if your only voice is a signature on a petition.

Please support the resolution being put before the Village of Oak Park Board of Trustees and ask them to vote for this document and be on the right side of history.

https://www.change.org/p/pass-an-oakpark-permanent-ceasefire-resolution-tosave-lives- utm_medium=custom_url&utm_ source=share_petition&recruited_by_ id=22909f20-6a22-0130-defa-3c764e04e8e5

Charlene Cli Oak Park

Bee pollinator-friendly planting

Walking home from the YMCA up South Marion, I had a couple of observations:

1. The plot at the cor ner of Marion and Pleasant across from the real estate office has a ground bee nest at the base of one of the shrubs. I look for it every time I go by. Today the entrance was blocked by a layer of heavy mulch.

Is there any way to identify critical habitats like that so people notice them and landscapers don’t put down mulch? I swept away a lot of the mulch off the spot, and I hope they didn’t die

2. The Bagging Leaves Battle - Might it be cheaper for the village to still collect the leaves and shred them, then use them as mulch instead of that mulch that smothers everything? Maybe the village has a shredder that could handle it.

3. Over next winter, could we develop a Best

Methods Landscaping and Planting for Cities to Combat Global Warming — a new approach of tur ning to native plants to support pollinators?

4. Next year, start a contest for local native gardeners to plant in a container and then award prizes for the ones residents like the most — $500, $250 and $125. The village would then send out an email to all residents with photos of the different plantings and tally votes Best of all, the village wouldn’t have to pay for the plants and just do the watering.

5. And please, no more begonias. Plants with several rows of petals are a challenge for most pollinators, who struggle to get to the center for pollen and nectar. https://www. gfloutdoors.com/do-bees-like-begonias-aguide-to-pollinators/

Dimitra Lavrakas Oak Park

All new, Trump TV!

A grumpy Trump sits at the defendant’s table, watching. I can’t help but think he’s smirking behind the glower, laughing to himself because he won the news cycle … again … for free. As P.T. Bar num once said, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.”

It’s the new Trump TV starring The Candidate! Biden and Harris may be campaigning their hearts out, but Trump is reaching millions just sitting still.

Ironic.

Most news programs appear downright captivated with Trump. Each TV news cycle begins fresh on the hour, new teaser, new lead, new headline, new story.

Donald has an unwitting advantage for eyeballs: he’s a traffic accident we can’t help but slow down to see. The more notorious his actions, the greater

Be the proud parent of 300

monarchs!

It’s easy. This summer, as the mother butterfly flies over Oak Park looking for a leaf to lay her eggs on, welcome her. In our area, there are two plants she can use: native milkweed and butterfly weed. No other leaf will do, and that is a problem. You can be the solution! Please, when planning your garden, make room for one or both of these plants

A single monarch butterfly can lay 300-400 eggs

Mother Nature may be the greatest magician and the creation of the butterfly her greatest trick. We all love the butterfly, not so much the caterpillar, but you can’t have one without the other and the caterpillar comes first.

The monarch will lay her eggs only on a native milkweed or butterfly weed leaf because these are the only leaves its caterpillar will eat! It should be easy but the milkweed and butterfly weed that were once common plants in the

the outrage, the more his story leads the hour. Biden being Biden is thoroughly competent and refreshingly boring.

Dang it.

In my humble opinion, many in the media have fallen into Trump’s trap of sticky, galling behavior. In trying to show us just how awful he is, the fourth estate gives him greater power. In fact our fascination with him might be toxic. We should all be more aware of the consequences of these editorial choices.

How much of Stor my’s trial is enough? Did we need to watch his limo ride to the courthouse? What else is happening in the world?

Coverage is not passive. Coverage is a political act, no matter how fair and balanced we try to be. Let’s not lead with outrage.

Karen Morris Muriello Oak Park

Midwest are no longer easy to find. You can help by including milkweed or butterfly weed in your garden. The plants are perennials and beautiful and can be found in most garden shops. Your family will enjoy watching the caterpillar munch on the leaves and in time you’ll have a monarch you can call your own.

Sylvia Christmas Oak Park

MARC

BLESOFF

Rooting out bias

from page 30

she was about 85. But as he re-told the story at lunch, Al realized that he had not consciously thought about her age until she’d been referred to as his wife In other words, his first impression of her age had been totally unconscious. Al’s ageist assumptions about, and judgments of, the woman sitting next to him were totally unconscious until their “relationship” was mentioned. He had judged her appearance instantly, but not consciously. That judgment didn’t rise to the level of consciousness until he felt personally insulted. Al was amazed by this realization.

This is a clear and fascinating example of how deep and common our unconscious bias runs. Because of a variety of reasons, including socialization, cognitive development, cultural influences, fear and stereotyping, we lear n at early ages to “other” other people. We do it without thinking and even without realizing it. And the effects of this othering differ, given power and privilege and resources.

Al and I both learned something from his a-ha moment.

David Valdez, 65

Longtime OPRF employee

POLICE RESPONSE

Let police lead

from page 25

the actual response. They overlook the invaluable role of law enforcement in taking the lead in a potential school shooting event.

OPRF, like many other communities, listens to the antipolice rhetoric and supports the pipeline-to-prison activism in believing the police are not wanted on campus. Well, if you are a parent of a District 200 student, you should always want your police agency to be prepared and ready to respond and lead the response

Oak Park police should have responded with their patrol officers, supervisors, and commanders immediately. They should have predesignated positions, both inside and outside the school. The first officers must team up and go into the school and either conduct a search or start their investigation, depending on what is stated in the initial call. The police should never treat a report of a school shooting or a student armed with a weapon as a possibility — it needs to be treated as accurate all the time. If you do not train and respond like that, students and staff will die when the situation unfolds in real time

This did not happen at the OPRF incident in February. Allowing the school administrators to lead the police response, guide the police response, and write policies and procedures on

OBITUARIES

David Lee Valdez, 65, of Lampasas, Texas, died peacefully on April 8, 2024 with family at his side. Bor n on Dec. 18, 1958, in Harlingen, Texas to Ignacio C. and Andrea Valdez, he was the third child in a family of 10 children. The family moved to Chicago when he was young. He graduated from Holy Trinity High School in 1977, from Goshen College in Indiana in 1981, with a degree in , and he also attended Associated Mennonite Biblid sports and had a passion for baseball, oth high school and college. He passed assion to his grandson, Magglio, along with his rite phrase, “It’s a can of corn.”

eticia Hernandez in 1984 and had Timothy, Ashley Mandujano. He married Maria ined a step-daughter, Erica Tirado. He and River Forest High School in various s. The family moved to Texas at the end

d studying the Bible and writing. He loved to share d ones and others he came in contact with.

David was preceded in death by his father, Ignacio Sr.; two infant brothers, Ricky and Ricky; and his sister, Josie. He is survived by his wife, Maria; his son, Timothy Valdez; his daughter, Stephanie Valdez (Alex Gutierrez); his grandchildren, Magglio and Danielle Gutierrez; his step-daughter, Erica Tirado; his mother, Andrea Valdez; his brothers, Ignacio Valdez Jr. and Moses Valdez; and his sisters, Cindy Litwiller (Richard), Nora Umlor (Paul), Diane Ciancanelli (John), and Joy Pappas (Dean). He had 11 nieces and nephews.

Services were held on April 17 at Casey and Rios Funeral Home, 4540-50 W. Diversey Ave., Chicago, and April 18, followed by a procession to Elm Lawn and Arlington Cemetery. Memorial donations can be made to the family for expenses

evin Williams, 33 inancial analyst

Kevin Charles Williams, 33, of River Forest, died on April 28, 2024. Bor n on June 4, 1990, he was a graduate of St. Luke Parish School in River Forest, St. Ignatius High School in Chicago, and Dominican University in River Forest. He was a financial analyst for The Bradford Group in Niles Kevin was the son of Charles and Lynne; the brother of Laura (Frank

how the police respond to their campus situations is ridiculous and frankly unsafe. I agree that the school runs administrative processes for day-to-day student activities, but when the police are needed in a school-violence incident, the police need to be in charge of the scene and respond the way they are trained.

This requires strong leadership from the chief of police and their staff. It requires the chief to communicate with the superintendent how they will respond. I can assure you that if there were a violent school act on the campus or, God forbid, a shooting, the superintendent and her staff would immediately refer all questions about the response to the police chief. Strong leadership for standardized and proper police procedures for responding to campus incidents is necessary.

To every student, parent, and staff member at OPRF, once you start allowing or accepting that the police will respond to school incidents in a “toned-down manner,” that is how they will react every time they come to the school. Think about this: do you want that?

Finally, OPRF has had four directors of Campus Safety in five years. When you see a tur nover like this from professionals the school has recruited for their expertise, you know something is wrong. Allowing the security director to run safety operations at the high school will have severe flaws. The school board should think long and hard about their decisions; they will undoubtedly impact student and staff safety

Tom Weitzel, a graduate of OPRF High School, retired from the Riverside Police Department in May 2021 after 37 years in law enforcement and 13 years as chief of police. His opinions are his own.

Brownfield) and Jack; the companion of Karen Davidson; the nephew and cousin of many, including his best friend, Ed (Laura) Marciniak.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. at G.L. Hills Funeral Home, 745 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. Family and friends will meet at St. Luke Church, 7600 Lake St., River Forest for Mass on Friday, May 3 at 10 a.m., followed by inter ment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to: PAWS Chicago, 1997 N. Clybourn, Chicago, IL 60614.

Carl Reisig, 93 Foster parent, sailor

Carl Reisig, 93, of Oak Park, died on Feb. 27, 2024 due to complications rising from a stroke he suffered in December. Born on Dec. 12, 1930 in Niagara Falls, New York, he was a man of diverse interests and passions. His love for sailing, books, tennis and fly fishing/tying flies were vident to all who knew him. He ound solace and joy in the serenity of the open waters, the knowledge within the pages of a good book, and the camaraderie of “hit-

ting balls” with friends, since he didn’t care for competitive games

Throughout the late 1980s and ’90s, Carl and his wife Anne demonstrated extraordinary compassion by opening their hearts and home as short-term foster parents for newborn babies, often from drug-addicted moms. Their dedication and love provided a nurturing environment for over 100 children, leaving a lasting impact on their lives.

Carl is survived by his two sons, Tim (Jeana) and Tyler and was preceded in death by his daughter, Laurie Riss (Terry) and his wife, Anne. He had four grandsons and will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who were fortunate enough to have known him.

Rest in peace, Carl Your memory will forever live in our hearts

George ompson, 74 Scout leader, Grace Lutheran member

George Thompson, 74, died on Dec. 8, 2023. Bor n on Sept. 23, 1949, in uscola, Illinois, he was raised in Newman by his parents Wilbur and Virginia Sibley) Thompson ho ran the local variety store. He had an identical twin, hompson, and an older sister, Carol V. Sheldon. As a youth, he was a Boy Scout, achieving Life Scout rank, became a member of the Order of the Arrow, and later served as an adult leader, guiding his son to become an Eagle Scout.

He pursued a degree in Mathematics at Eastern Illinois University in 1971, earned a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1973, and later an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1983. He moved to Chicago in February 1973, where he met and married Debra (Hayes) Thompson in 1978. He had a successful IT career with companies like Allstate, Kraft Foods, and IBM. After semi-retiring in 2011, he taught mathematics part-time at DeVry University. Married for over 45 years, they lived in Oak Park since 1980, raising their son, Paul Matthew Thompson, before relocating to Westfield, Indiana in 2021. Known for walking his dog, Gabby, George was also active in the Computer Measurement Group, published papers on capacity planning, and was a community political activist advocating for

OBITUARIES

non-punitive approaches to teenage drug issues. He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, enjoyed traveling, dancing, photography, tennis, and hiking. Highlights include a mule ride into the Grand Canyon, a transatlantic trip on the Queen Mary 2, and a 7-week visit to Australia, New Zealand, and the Fiji Islands in 2022.

George is survived by his wife, Debra; his son, Paul; his sister, Carol Sheldon; his brother, Robert Thompson; and several nieces and nephews.

James Corbett, 83 Neuro-ophthalmologist, sherman

Dr. James John Corbett, 83, died in Evanston on April 2, 2024. Born into a amily of physicians (father Dr. Maxwell Corbett, grandfather Dr. Mitchell S. Corbett) in Chicago in 1940, he grew up in River Forest and graduated from Oak Park and River Forest High School.

Dr. Corbett earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from Chicago Medical School in 1966. He completed residencies in internal medicine and neurology at Rhode Island Hospital and Case Western Reserve University, respectively, before his fellowship in neuroophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco. He served as an officer in the Navy in Portsmouth, Virginia (1971-1973) and practiced medicine at Jefferson Medical College and Will’s Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, where he was chair of Neurology for 17 years. He was inducted into the UMMC Medical Alumni Hall of Fame in 2023.

By the time he retired in 2015, he had authored more than 200 manuscripts and books and trained an array of neurology and ophthalmology residents, along with more than 22 fellows, many of whom became leaders and chairs in neurology and ophthalmology He was known for his pioneering work studying idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a research topic he pursued throughout his career, as well as optic nerve disease. Ceaselessly curious about many fields outside medicine and a merciless teller of jokes, he was known for his warmth, his wisdom, and

his attentive mentorship. He was deeply committed to the idea of well-rounded, ethical, empathetic practitioners.

One of his primary extracurricular activities was fly-fishing. He traveled extensively looking for a perfect spot to cast, often in the company of his colleagues and family. An Eagle Scout and a lifelong birder, in his retirement he enjoyed expanding his knowledge of ornithology. An exceptional draftsman with a rich understanding of art history, he instilled in his children a love of art, literature, and music, as well as a respect for world history and fascination with and respect for other people.

James Corbett is survived by Joyce Roberta Zymali Corbett, his wife of 61 years; his children, John Corbett (Terri Kapsalis), Jack Corbett (Emily Corbett), and Jennifer Gorman (Jason Gorman); his grandchildren, Vivvien Gorman and Sophia Gorman; his brother, Michael Corbett (Pat Corbett) and sister Patricia Corbett; his sister-in-law, Jayne Zymali Hyland; and his brother-in-law Tim Zymali (Marge Zymali).

A memorial is planned for 10 a.m., June 29, at Christ Church in Winnetka. Donations in honor of Dr. James Corbett MD can be made in his name to the Parkinson’s Foundation.

David Holmes, 61

Attorney, community and parish volunteer

David Michael Holmes, 61, of Oak rk, died peacefully on April 25, 2024 from cardiac arrest. Born on Oct. 30, 1962 in Utica, New York, the oldest of four brothers, he graduated from Wheaton Central High School, attended the University of Iowa, and earned his bachelor’s and JD de grees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He was a dedicated partner at the law firm of Wilson Elser, where he made many lifelong friends over his 30-year career. He served as a member of Wilson Elser’s executive committee and chair of the London Practice. He was the firm’s Midwest Re gion managing partner, with responsibility for overseeing offices in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin. He also dedicated many hours to serving

his local community, coaching numerous seasons of baseball, basketball, and softball in Oak Park and serving as a tutor for youth at Learning Edge Tutoring for over 15 years. He was also an active member of Ascension Parish, serving as a mar riage mentor and as a leader on Appalachian Service Project trips. He also devoted his time to St. Catherine/St. Lucy School, organizing barbeques, fundraisers, and helping to start a tutoring program. Beyond his career and volunteer work, he loved perfecting his golf swing at the range, running and biking, playing his favorite tunes too loud in the house while cooking, practicing early morning meditation, reading the New York Times, and bringing his whole family together for cherished meals at the dinner table.

David will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His warmth, faith, generosity, tenacity for life, and love for all will be remembered forever. The family extends their deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and support.

David was the husband of Suzanne Holmes; the father of Katie (Stephen) and Robby (Isabel), and the brother of John (Lauren), Tim (Colleen), and Tom (Laura). He was preceded in death by his parents, Judy and Don Holmes.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to two programs Dave loved dearly: Learning Edge Tutoring, 535 N. Parkside Ave., Chicago, IL 60644, c/o The Field School, https://learningedgetutoring.org/ donate/.

St. Catherine/St. Lucy School, 27 Washington Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 (bloomerang.co), checks payable to SCSL School, filling in the memo line with “Scholarship Assistance Program” and mailing it to the address above.

Craig Montgomery Memorial Service

A memorial service for Craig W. Montgomery, of Oak Park, will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 4, at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 545 S. East Ave. in Oak Park

SPORTS

Fenwick girls soccer in GCAC Red title chase

Victor y over DeP keeps Friars’ hopes aliv

By MELVIN TA Contributing Reporter

Trailing Red Division leader Loyola Academy by a game in the Girls Catholic Conference loss column, the soccer team faced a crucial match, against visiting DePaul Prep

Despite being contained the majority of the time by the Rams, the F generate enough offense to secure a 2-0 vic tory at the Fenwick Priory in Ri

“We didn’t do anything special,” said wick coach Craig Blazer. “We out. I’m very proud of the gi

“We needed it to have a c ference title,” added Fenwick Grace Kapsch. “We all play we played smart and aggressi

The unpredictable weather was a the match, with a steady bree apart briefly to allow the sun to shine, then became overcast again. And for much of the second half, there were occasional showers, accompanied by sunshine.

Fenw ick’s Grace Kapsch heads the ball past an LTHS defender in rst half action at the Fenw ick Priory on April 20.

teams traded solid scoring chances for the next 50 minutes. But both Stecz (five saves) enwick freshman goalkeeper Mimi Caralho (eight saves) were up to the task, not wing anything to get past. th 3:26 left in the match, Kapsch was ouled inside the box after breaking free thanks to a great goal kick by Carvalho on a restart. The penalty kick beat Stecz to the right, giving her the brace (two goals) and essentially sealing the win for the Friars. ouldn’t have gotten that opportunity it wasn’t for Mimi,” Kapsch said. “She’s been playing super-well, and we’re really lucky to have her in goal.”

t took us a little while to figure it out, ut once we did, our seniors did a great settling us down and working to our strengths,” Blazer said. “Our group has shown maturity, and it’s a step in the right direction. T he girls are very coachand motivated, and the journey’s een a lot of fun.”

On April 25, Henige and Kapsch each had a goal and Carvalho nine saves in a 2-2 draw against Oswe go East in a Naperville Invitational match. Two days later, Carvalho made 10 saves, but Fenwick fell to Neuqua Valley 1-0.

“It was challenging,” Kapsch said. “On the flip of the coin, we wanted to defend the south first, but we didn’t win it and had to go into the wind in the first half.”

The first 25 minutes of the match were scoreless as neither Fenwick (8-4-3) nor De-

Paul generated much offensively. But in the 27th minute, Fenwick senior midfielder Caroline Henige sent a deep pass down the left side to Kapsch. With Rams’ goalkeeper Reagan Stecz out to challenge and a defender closing in fast, Kapsch booted the ball into

the net for a 1-0 Friars lead at the 13:37 mark of the half

“Caroline had a really good pass,” Kapsch said. “I couldn’t see the girl coming from my outside, so I knew I had to get it off.” Kapsch’s goal opened things up as the two

Up next for the Friars, who are seeded fourth in the upcoming IHSA Class 3A Hinsdale Central sectional, are matches at IC Catholic Prep, May 1, and Loyola, May 2. Fenwick returns to the Priory on May 7 to host Riverside-Brookfield

axpayers should punt on new Bears, White Sox stadiums

We shouldn’t nance billionaires for stu they can create on their own

oday, I’m taking a brief break from writing about local high school athletics

Instead, I’m going to use this Tate’s Take column to write about the stadium situations of two of Chicago’s professional ts franchises

Let’s begin with the National Football League’s Chicago Bears. It’s important to note that I am

a passionate Bears fan, growing up watching Walter Payton dominate at running back and the team winning Super Bowl XX in January 1986, thanks to an overpowering defense. Since then, with the exception of the special 2006 season, which ended in Super Bowl XLI (that Devin Hester kickoff retur n for a touchdown to start the game was — and still is — one of my favorite

sports moments; just wish the Bears had won), things have been largely mediocre at best. Make no mistake, the Bears need a new stadium. Soldier Field turns 100 this year, and it was renovated after the 2001 season. But the way it was done was pitiful to say the least. The structure looks like a spaceship jammed into historical colonnades, and it’s just not a good place to

IAN MCLEOD

STUDENT ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Balance is key for Kle

OPRF volleyball/soccer star juggles classwork and spor

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest High School senior Keira Kleidon has been successful both in the classroom and in athletics, despite the challenge of balancing her time.

“Before I started high school, I sat down with my parents and we cussed that it would be wise if I took a study hall my freshman and sophomore years,” Kleidon said. “I knew ear my career that sports were going to take up all my time after school, so every day I was sure to get as much work done as I could in my study halls.”

The strategy worked as Kleidon has fared very well in her classes while pl ing multiple sports. She has been on the varsity girls soccer and volleyball teams the last three seasons and also play sity girls basketball her first two year “Honestly, my whole sophomore was great,” said Kleidon, who will pl volleyball collegiately at the Unive of Buffalo. “At that point I was a pa three varsity sports and each and program was so different. I loved being with the older gi on every team, and I got especially played two of the three sports I was a pa

Here’s what else Kleidon, one of Jour nal Spotlight Student-Athletes

How soccer is faring this year with new coach Lauren Zallis: “As a team, we started the season off losing a couple of

winnable matches, and everyone was kind of After some adjustments and ing to transform our season. … Playing been great — she knows so much importantly she cares so much about us at OPRF every single pr of, there’s hether it was a problem with the coaches, teammates, or through.”

Favorite and Italian food.”

Favorite Wallen, and Tame Impala. In her free time: free time hanging out with friends.”

Famous person she’d like to meet: “Jennifer Lawrence because she’s funny and nice

Biggest issue teens face: “I think a lot of pressure is put on kids at such a young age and this can ruin their love sports. Coaches have a bigger impact than they might think, and even one thing they say or do will have a deep impact on their rs. Coaches want kids who play multiple sports to always choose their sport, but for me and many other kids, ry opportunity we can get because we’re trying to get recruited for our main sport.

ing big decisions. I struggle a lot with mental health, and always expect more from myself. … My mental health was always put second; I’m needed on my teams for success. But I do find that on the weekends [when] I don’t have sports, I like to relax at home, and this really helps me reset and settle down.”

watch a game.

That said, I wasn’t thrilled with the plan Bears President Kevin Warren unveiled last week. The new stadium would be built just south of Soldier Field and would be domed, with the intention of attracting both a Super Bowl and an NCAA men’s basketball Final Four. The proposed cost is $4.7 billion, with the Bears contributing $2 billion.

The problem I have is that there’s a funding gap of $900 million, which would have to be covered by the taxpayers. What could $900 million do for Chicagoland and the entire state of Illinois? It could create early childhood education pr ograms, job development programs, and many other

“This causes stress because our teammates and coaches on both teams need us and that leads to young kids mak-

educational opportunities — all of which are sorely needed.

You mean to tell me the NFL, an entity whose yearly revenues are more than healthy, can’t chip in more than $300 million to help the Bears? Why should taxpayers, many of whom are under financial pressure thanks to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, be asked to dig deeper into our pockets to subsidize a spor ts stadium for billionaires’ benefit?

Especially when there are more urgent issues facing us: Our public transportation systems need help and we need more job creation that ultimately helps reduce crime in the Chicago area. That’s what I would rather spend $900 million on.

Three words that describe her: “Loyal, hardworking, and driven.”

The same goes for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, who are also looking for a new stadium. Is Guaranteed Rate Field perfect? No, but it is only 33 years old and has already been renovated. Plus, they want the new stadium to be in the South Loop, not far from Soldier Field. Such a move would bid farewell to the South Side, the Sox’s ancestral home.

I have seen re ports that Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf wants the cost to be $1 billion. He did offer last week to contribute, but it’s unclear how much. Moreover, taxpayers would have to subsidize the majority of the remaining costs.

I am opposed to taxpayers supporting private entities in their ef for ts to build

new sports venues. Pro sports is big business these days, and surely the owners of these teams can af ford to build such facilities out of their own pockets. But the city of Chicago and state of Illinois simply cannot af ford to subsidiz e them, not when there are more pressing needs facing citizens

It’s all about priorities, and using public money to build sports venues — instead of schools, early childhood facilities, educational centers, and af fordable housing — should not be a priority. If these greedy owners want new venues, let them pay for it themselves. Or better yet, sell the teams to someone who will build their own arenas and stadiums.

PROVIDED BY KEIRA KLEIDON Keira Kleidon

PROVIDED BY KEIRA KLEIDON

Keira Kleidon

PUBLIC NOTICE

On Monday, May 06, 2024 at 8:30 a.m., Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will be conducting a “timely and meaningful consultation” meeting to discuss plans for providing special education services to students with disabilities who attend private/parochial schools and who are home-schooled within the district for the 2024-2025 school year. The meeting will be held at our Central Office located at 260 Madison Street.

If you are a parent/guardian of a home-schooled student who has been or may be identified with a disability, and you reside within the boundaries of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, you are urged to attend. If you have further questions about this meeting, please contact District 97’s Department of Student Services at 708-524-3030.

Published in Wednesday Journal

April 17, 24, May 1, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 20 May 2024, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow a drive thru facility for a muffler shop.

LOT 5 AND THE SOUTH 28 FEET OF LOT 4 IN BLOCK 18 OF THE RAILROAD ADDITION TO HARLEM IN THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER ODF SET/ON 12, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. Commonly known as 157 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL PIN# 15-12-415-015-0000 The applicant is Joe Salem.

Signed: Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 for the following: Village of Oak Park Variable Frequency Drive Installation Project Number: 24-124

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oakpark.us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700 during the above hours.

Published in Wednesday Journal May 1, 2024

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2024 for Project: 24-12, North Pumping Station Generator Addition. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. This project consists of the addition of an exterior standby natural gas generator on top of a concrete equipment pad, new natural gas service to the North Pump Station, as well as various site improvements consisting of a new privacy fence, sidewalk, concrete retaining wall, and hardscaping.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8997091 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

The work to be performed pursuant to this proposal is subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal May 1, 2024

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 08-24-Z

HEARING DATE: May 22, 2024

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60304

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicants, Mirth Hoyt and Andres Padua, seeking a variance requests for an increase in the maximum impervious surface area of the lot to 62%, where the maximum impervious surface area allowed is 60% per Section 4.3 (Table 4-1: Residential Districts Dimensional Standards) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance to permit a two-story addition to the singlefamily residence located at the premises commonly known as 246 Iowa Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-05-316-028-0000 (“Subject

Property”), in the R-3-50 SingleFamily Zoning District.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@ oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER: 07-24-Z

HEARING DATE: May 22, 2024

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, Catherine Bendowitz, seeking a variance from Section 9.3 (A)(5)(c) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance requiring a four (4) foot setback from the rear lot line to construct a new two-car, 20’ x 20’ garage featuring a rear yard setback of 2.5 feet at the northeast corner of the structure. The variance would permit the demolition of the existing one-car garage featuring a 1.57-foot rear yard setback at the northeast corner of the structure and replaced with a standard two-car garage at the premises commonly known as 1018 N. Harvey Avenue,

CALENDAR NUMBER: 06-24-Z

HEARING DATE: May 22, 2024

TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits

LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302

APPLICATION: The Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on a special use permit application filed by the Applicant, Mastec, Mathew Fitzgibbon, on behalf of AT&T Mobility, to install wireless telecommunications antennas pursuant to Section 8.3 (Table 8-1: Use Matrix) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance at the property located at 408 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-07-418-0010000 and 16-07-418-005 (“Subject Property”) in the NC Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District. In addition, the Applicant seeks a variance from Section 8.4 (V) (Wireless Telecommunications Antennas and Towers) (3) (Height) (b) of the Oak Park Zoning Ordinance (“Zoning Ordinance”), which prohibits antennas from increasing the overall existing height of the structure by more than seven feet above the roof, to authorize the installa-

Published in

tion of 12 antennas, four (4) antennas per sector (typical of three (3) sectors) at a height of sixty-five feet (65’) to the top of antennas located on the 56 foot tall roof of 408 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Numbers 1607-418-001-0000 and 16-07-418005-0000 (“Subject Property”) in the NC Neighborhood Commercial Zoning District.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a crossexamination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing. The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16-05-115-004-0000.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. Interested persons may also sign up to participate in-person in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a crossexamination form or by emailing Zoning@oak-park.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the Board to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal, May 1, 2024