WednesdayJournal_052125 by Wednesday Journal

Are D97 middle schools safer?

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

Early June 2024 was a time of reckoning for Oak Park Elementary School District 97.

After a contentious school board meeting in late May, where parents and teach-

ers expressed concerns about a number of safety-related issues at Percy Julian and Gwendolyn Brooks middle schools, district administrators had to reassess. How could the district increase safety for everyone at those schools?

The key was not only implementing new policies and procedures, administra-

tors say, but fostering a culture change focused on connection and experience. That has led to a safer environment for learning at both schools, according to district superintendent Dr. Ushma Shah, Dr Luis De Leon, assistant superintendent of

Oak Park’s police oversight committee seeks data on Flock camera use

Committee chair says police have refused to hand over data

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park’s Citizen Police Oversight Committee submitted its semi-annual report to the village board of trustees ahead of a May 20 board meeting. Notably the committee report said it wants police department data to prove the effectiveness of Flock Automated License Plate Readers, a camera system used by police

The report revealed that the board only weighed in on two citizen complaints during the second half of 2024. The report also presented recommendations on how the committee would like to be infor med of the police department’s use of license plate reading cameras in their investigations.

Your

Your Community.

River Forest Memorial Day parade celebrates milestone anniversar y

Business Bash added to Keystone Park fun

By MICHAEL DRAKULICH Contributing Reporter

This year’s River Forest Memorial Day parade carries special significance. Besides honoring village residents who have served in the military, past and present, the village celebrates the parade’s 100th anniversary. And for this centennial anniversary, the parade brings a few changes

This year, there will be a slight change to the parade route on May 26. The route has been shortened by a block. It will start at the corner of Iowa Street and Ashland Avenue and move south on Ashland, then turn right on Lake Street, ending at Keystone Park

But the most significant change is at the end of the parade route. Parade organizers have partnered with the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce to create the River Forest Business Bash. The Business Bash will be a street fair in Keystone Park meant to highlight local businesses

The traditional community picnic will also continue post parade in the park

Karen Stille, superintendent of recreation at the River Forest park district, has served as parade director for over 15 years. She said the chamber approached the parade organizers and asked if they could be part of the festivities. So organizers and the chamber came up with the Business Bash to give local businesses exposure.

However, Stille wants to emphasize that the focus is on the veterans. “That purpose is what motivates me,” she said. “We want to make sure that all who are involved are mindful of the parade’s meaning.”

Another aspect of the parade Stille says she enjoys is the selection of the Grand Marshal. This year’s GM is Frank Bertolli, a veteran himself, and owner of Bertolli’s Pizza in River Forest.

The village will issue a brochure prior to the event that highlights 10 residents currently serving in the military, as well as over 200 for mer honorees. The brochure will be available on the village website on May 16.

Also having a significant role in parade planning is Michael Sletten, the park district’s executive director. This is Sletten’s 18th year helping organize the event, and he

is well-versed in the parade’s history. Originally, the River Forest Service Club took the lead in organizing the parade. But as the club’s membership dwindled, the park district took on more responsibility for organizing. The park district took over the main responsibilities about 15 years ago, Sletten said. The service club dissolved about three years ago, he said. Since then, the Kiwanis Club has stepped in to help provide information about veterans who live in the village

Sletten says the parade is important to him because of the rich history of residents serving in the military, during both war and peacetime.

“I have been doing this for 18 years and it’s important to me, and many in the village, to honor our veterans and all those who have given service to the country. This parade is a terrific way to celebrate and recognize such service.

Rick Gillis, treasurer for the Kiwanis Club of River Forest -- Oak Park, said Kiwanis got involved right after the River Forest Service

lub dissolved after the 2019 parade. Because no parades in 2020 or 2021. But Kiwanis became involved in the thering information about service members as needed. Kiwanis has e.

rt Zeh, a for mer memest Service Club, has nstrumental in helping the Kiwanis in hen the Service Club dissolved, Zeh joined the Kiwanis Club and rmation about service village who are active in

“It’s interesting to see all the new names that have popped up among the active service members.” Gillis said. We have a list of names from past wars and conflicts who were killed in the line of duty and we put up those names on the sides of the fire trucks in the parade to honor them.”

There is a personal element to Gillis’s involvement in the parade organization. His son, Christian, is a helicopter crew chief for the Marines. And Christian’s wife, Danielle Gillis, is an Ar my reservist.

The parade begins Monday, May 26 at 9:30 a.m. Parade lineup begins at 9 a.m. on Ashland Avenue, between Division and Iowa streets. Local Boy Scouts will have a massive flag display at the end of the route

For more information on the event, visit https://rfparks.com/memorial-day-celebration. More information on the River Forest Business Bash can be found at https://www oprfchamber.org/events/details/river-forestmemorial-day-business-bash-vendor-registration-only-42990

Oak Park marks Memorial Day

Oak Park will mark Memorial Day on Monday, May 26 at the “Peace Triumphant” monument in Oak Park’s Scoville Park at 11 a.m. The event is an annual traditional Memorial Day ceremony — dignified and reflective

This Memorial Day marks the 80th anniversary of V-E day, the end of World War II in Europe. Remarks will remember the service and sacrifices of those who made this happen, including our women.

More broadly, the ceremony will recog-

nize and honor all of our veterans, especially those who lost their lives in service to our country.

Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and Village President Vicki Scaman have been asked to give welcoming remarks. Officers from the Oak Park Police Honor Guard will post the Colors and offer a rifle salute.

The History Singers will lead patriotic singing; a bugler will play Taps as wreaths are laid. And a local pastor will deliver an invocation and benediction.

WEDNESD AY

of Oak Park and River Forest

Interim Executive Director Max Reinsdorf

Digital Manager Stac y Coleman

Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan

Sta Repor ter Brendan He ernan

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Contributing Editor Donna Greene

Columnists Marc Bleso , Jack Crowe, 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

Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls

Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Operations Associate Susan Babin

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

Senior Advisor Dan Haley

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Eric Weinheimer | Treasurer Nile Wendor f

Deb Abrahamson, Mary Cahillane, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson

Healthy Minds Matter YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a time to shed light on an important but often overlooked topic: the mental well-being of older adults. Many seniors face unique emotional challenges, including loneliness, grief, changes in health, or the stress of transitioning to a new lifestyle.

Here are some simple, effective ways seniors can support their mental health every day:

Stay Connected: Reach out to family, friends, or neighbors regularly. Even a short conversation can lift your mood.

Keep Moving: Gentle exercises like walking, stretching, or chair yoga can boost your energy and reduce stress.

Try Something New: Learning a hobby, craft, or game helps keep your mind sharp and gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Stick to a Routine: Daily structure provides a sense of stability and purpose.

Get Outside: Fresh air and sunshine can naturally improve your mood.

Rest Well: Good sleep supports emotional balance and clear thinking.

Mental health matters at every age. This May, take small steps each day to care for your mind—you deserve it.

Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030.

FLOCK Looking for da from pa

The committee gations of citizen complaints, with the department’s investi led by either a commander or partment’s internal af mittee can either vote to with the police investi taken, but the committee’s vote is not binding. Police Chief Shaton have to choose to act on the ruling.

Of the two cases CPOC mittee sustained one complaint and did not sustain the other, both rulings in line with Oak Park police’s

“The internal investi upheld by the Citizen Police Oversight Committee unanimously plaints,” the re port

The complaint the bo related to the department’s rule “courtesy to the general public,” and the committee recommended that the officer undergo “coaching, counseling and de-escalation training,” according to the report

CPOC’s re port also provided perspective on how the body views the police department’s use of F lock Automated License Plate Readers.

According to the re port, Oak Park police made two stops as result of F lock data during the second half of 2024, one stop in which a vehicle was believed to be connected to an armed robbery in Oak Park and one stop in which a vehicle was believed to be connected to an attempted murder case in Chicago.

Police made four ar rests and recove re d two firearms b etween the two F lock-aided stop s.

Oak Park police also searched the Flock database for case information related to 48 different incidents during that span, according to CPOC’s re port

In the re port, CPOC said that they want the police to provide them with infor mation describing how Flock cameras have

led to arrests before the committee will recommend the cameras’ effectiveness to the village board.

“Despite re peated requests by CPOC for evidence of ‘successful investigative outcomes’ to illustrate the value of F lock Safety ALPR for this use, OPPD remains unwilling to provide such data,” CPOC wrote in the re port.” “Consequently, there is no evidence whatsoever that Flock Safety ALPRs have played a meaningful role in any Oak Park crime investigation since their installation in 2022. With a total of two stops and approximately 2.1 investigative searches per day over this re porting period, it is clear that no statistically significant crime prevention or resolution is realized by using the Flock Safety ALPR System here in Oak Park. Because OPPD is unwilling to share downstream crime outcome data with CPOC, it is impossible to gauge any actual benefit of F lock Safety ALPRs, especially when compared to real-

Read & Support Donate at: GrowingCommunityMedia.org/donate

life evidence of ALPR system misuse and mounting privacy concer ns nationwide.”

This re po rt c omes as C POC ’s role is being reviewed by a specialized c onsultant looking to provide the village with recommendations on how it might modernize the committee

Last November, Oak Park’s village board approved $100,000 to fund consultant group Pivot Consulting Group’s study. T he group has already submitted a re port describing best practices in the oversight field to the village Citizen Police Oversight Committee Chair Kevin Barnhart said he hopes the consultant’s re port will yield suggestions that give the body more influence over police policy.

“Overall, we’re looking towards the step of the role of CPOC evolving in this community and standards changing so that we’re not doing something from 35 years ago,” Barnhart said. “It’s the updating of our processes and procedures so they have a little more board teeth and are a little more ing rained.”

Pivot staf f expect to submit their final re port reviewing the Citizen Police Oversight Committee to the village board before the end of June. T he village board will discuss the findings at a meeting soon after

Twice each year, we ask readers to invest in our newsroom

It’s our Spring Campaign and we’re looking to raise $150K

When I was a kid, going to Mass on Sunday was not the highlight of week. With all spect and affection for Pope Leo XIV, I was falling away before falling away was a thing. It just didn’t make a lot of sense to me. And the sermons. Drowsy.

Except for one Sunday each year when Monsignor Fitzgerald — I suppose he had a first name — stood up in the pulpit of Oak Park’s Ascension Church and talked money. My head would snap to attention as he talked about how much money Ascension had, what it needed from the people crowded in the pews (“more money”), how the school, which I attended, needed a new roof. He was very direct, stern but candid.

HALEY

“We need $35,000 and we need by June 30 if God’s children are going to have warm milk in little waxy cartons come fall,” he would say, in so many rds.

I sat quietly, as children did in those days, but I wanted to rise from my pew, stand on the kneeler, and exhor t my fellow Ascensionites, “Come on, people. Let’s come through for the old guy. He needs $35K. And he needs it now!”

Well now I’m the old guy and twice a year, along with all of us at Growing Community Media, we turn to our readers and make the case for why we need your direct financial support and what we’ve done to earn that support.

Right now, we’re into our Spring Campaign. And GCM, the nonprofit publisher

Iof Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and the Forest Park Review, is working to raise $150,000 by June 30. That’s what we need to invest in our newsroom in the fiscal year, starting July 1.

We’ve been around for 45 years but became a nonprofit newsroom just five years ago. Our business model had cratered just as it had for the entire print media world. To go forward, to keep publishing authentic, independent local news, we had to ask readers to start paying for our work.

And we’ve succeeded for five years. Tomor row, though, is not promised.

The good news is that GCM has a new leader in Max Reinsdorf, our executive director. After all these years, I’ve happily stepped to the side For the moment I’ve stepped into the role of interim managing editor and am excited by the work of our reporters and freelancers in crafting re porting that is fact-based, close to the ground in

Celebrating Older Americans Month

n 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated that May as “Senior Citizens Month,” at a time when only 17 million living Americans were 65 or older. In May 2025, as we celebrate “Older Americans Month” (renamed by President Jimmy Carter), over 59 million Americans are 65 and older, and this number will only continue to rise. The 2025 theme for the month is “Flip the Script on Aging,” with a focus on continuing to change how American society discusses and approaches aging as a general topic. Stereotypes regarding aging have tended to focus on decline and limitations, whereas “Flip the Script on Aging” seeks to focus on the vitality and wisdom that older adults provide society.

A fun way for individuals and communities to engage with this theme is through activities that promote intergenerational connections and lifelong learning. Community events,

focused on education, games, and music, can provide the means for older adults to share experiences and talents. Intergenerational connections, which bridge generational gaps and promote mutual understanding, can also come from pen pal initiatives and other collaborative projects.

digital inclusion enhances their quality of life, in large part because it empowers them to remain active participants in society.

Embracing technology also plays a crucial role in supporting older adults and in bridging potential gaps with other generations. Initiatives that teach older individuals to use digital tools help them stay connected with friends and family, but they also allow them to engage in online communities, as well as to access healthcare services. This

The “Flip the Script on Aging” theme also highlights the importance of challenging agerelated stereotypes in all aspects of life, including in the workplace. The promotion of age-friendly policies and practices benefits all people, regardless of age, by ensuring that older adults have equal opportunities to contribute their skills and experiences. Aside from fostering a more inclusive and diverse environment, these skills and experiences strengthen society as a whole.

Older adults absolutely face challenges that younger generations have not yet faced, but initiatives such as Older Americans Month provide an occasion to honor their resilience and determination even as they receive required support. Older Americans Month serves as a reminder to celebrate the contributions of older adults, and it also inspires us to create a society that values and supports individuals at every stage of life. By flipping the script on aging, we can build communities where the experiences, talents, and perspectives of older generations can benefit everyone.

Contact FirstLight Home Care of Oak Park at 708-665-3325 to learn more about how our caregivers can assist older Americans in our community as they seek to age in their homes and to maintain their independence.

IN MEMORIA M

Mary Anne Brown, fittingly, dies on Mother’s Day

For four decades, the former head of Hephzibah Children’s Association helped thousands of children

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Mary Anne Brown, a tireless children’s advocate and for mer executive director of Hephzibah Children’s Association, passed away on Mother’s Day, a fitting denouement for a woman who served as a maternal figure for thousands of children impacted by abuse or neglect.

She died surrounded by following a four-month She was 80 and a resident of er Forest.

For more than four decade before retiring in 2017, she led Hephzibah. During her extraor dinary tenure, the nonprofit ganization grew exponentiall in budget, programming, staffing and number of children families served. Throughout her life, including during her tion, she was greeted by grown up under her care credited her with helping them stay afloat during challenging times.

looking guy came toward us. It was one of the ex-cons Mary Anne had helped. Nothing phased Mary Anne,” said her husband, laughing

Raised among five siblings in a wealthy, socially prominent family in the Bal Harbour community of Miami Beach, Brown eschewed what could have been a very comfortable life to instead dedicate herself to service to others.

“You would never know she came from wealth. My mom could have had a pretty easy life with a lot of creature comforts but she didn’t do things the easy way. She had a strong moral standard, and she did things the way she thought was right,” said Cuyler Brown, her son.

After attending Catholic high school, Mary Anne Brown decided to explore life as a nun. However, while still a novice, she left the Adrian Dominican order and pursued bachelor’s and master’s degrees in childhood psychology. While doing graduate work at the University of Iowa, she met Max Brown, her lifetime partner and husband of more than 50 years.

“I remember once we were in a campus bar and from the dark bowels of the back of the bar I heard this booming voice yelling ‘hey, Mary Anne! How are ya?’ as a huge, rough

After moving to Chicago, where Max was attending law school of DePaul University, she got a job at a daycare center on the south side, in a building that also housed members the Almighty P. Stone Nation, a notorious Chicago street ang. On her first day, the building was raided by the police. She rked as a daycare director enter in the South Austin ommunity, a tenure that ended tly after she was mugged. Mary Anne Brown joined Hephzibah in 1976, at a time when nonprofit was struggling and meager $100,000 budget. Inishe focused her attention on enhancing the organization’s amming after learning that there was a pressing need for more before care by local families with working parents

Partnering with the Oak Park school district, Hephzibah piloted on-site programming, which was unusual at the time, at Mann and Lincoln elementary schools. The program expanded to all Oak Park elementary schools, serving more than 600 children annually on a sliding scale based on families’ ability to pay.

“While the housing program gets a lot of historical accolades, what Hephzibah did with the schools truly integrated Oak Park,” said Max Brown. “There were parents who were up in arms about ‘Hephzibah kids’ coming into their school. Mary Anne got a lot of pushback and had to take on many of the parents, some of whom later joined her board.”

She also launched, in partnership with the Oak Park Police Department, the Daycare Social Services Program to provide crisis intervention services for struggling daycare families, including housing, vocational support and legal assistance as well as direct assistance such as grocery gift certificates, clothing and school supplies.

As she became more familiar with the daycare families, she realized that several were experiencing unemployment, hous-

ing insecurity, substance abuse and domestic violence and needed foster care for their children. At the time, at-risk children in the community were transported to a centralized facility managed by the Department of Children and Family Services. Brown inaugurated in 1980 one of the first communitybased foster care programs in the state to keep children close to home while protecting them from harm.

Hephzibah House offered a warm, loving haven for two dozen children with colorful bedrooms, family-style meals and a myriad of exciting programming.

“The stories of what happened to some of the kids would break anyone’s heart,” said Cuyler Brown. “But Hephzibah House was a happy place. My mom gave them so much love I used to get jealous because everyone had a piece of my mom but she proved she didn’t have a limit to her love She could keep on giving and it never seemed to empty her.”

Dennis and Bunny Murphy, co-owners of Poor Phil’s, a popular Oak Park restaurant, adopted the first child from Hephzibah’s foster program. In 1982 they welcomed Peter, 5, into their home. They subsequently adopted Peter’s three siblings, expanding their family of three previously adopted children.

“It was really unheard of at that time for a family to adopt four children,” Peter said.

“But when I got to Hephzibah House, Mary Anne told me that she was going to make sure that my siblings and I stayed together. I remember the day she packed up my things and drove me in her little yellow convertible to a new home. When we got there, a little boy popped out of the bushes and yelled, ‘I finally have a brother!’ When I became a Murphy, because of Mary Anne Brown, I knew I was home, and when my siblings joined me, I knew I had a family.”

Many years later, Peter was hired by Mary Anne and has been with Hephzibah for 30 years. “I try my best every day to mirror Mary Anne. There are a million things that I will cherish about her for the rest of my life,” he said.

During Brown’s tenure, Hephzibah also started a Summer Reading Academy, in partnership with Dominican University, to boost children’s reading and literacy skills; a summer camp to bring together siblings who had

been separated through the foster program; and Homework Helpers, a volunteer initiative to provide after-school tutoring for children at Hephzibah House

“Mary Anne was ingenious, with bold ideas and a contagious energy We collaborated on many projects over the years to the benefit of Hephziban and Dominican. Mary Anne was a great partner – demanding, but also generous and playful, said Donna Carroll, for mer president of Dominican University.

Under her leadership, Hephzibah also pioneered the foster care of HIV+ babies and was one of the first organizations to champion adoptions by gay couples.

“My mom didn’t take no for an answer, especially when she knew that what she was asking for was right. She wasn’t judgmental or like ‘my way or the highway’ but she just willed things into action and you couldn’t help going along with her. She conquered things with love,” said Cuyler

In 2002, Mary Anne was tapped to serve on a committee monitoring Maryville Academy, a center housing hundreds of juvenile wards of the state. The facility had been rocked by scandal following stories of abuse. The committee’s findings led the state to stop sending children to the academy. During the controversy, Max Brown remembers a conversation she had with Cardinal Francis George, with whom she shared a warm relationship, after Mass.

“She told him that sometimes a kick in the ass is a step in the right direction. He re plied that, while he didn’t think he could use that in his homily, he certainly wouldn’t forget it,” Max said, laughing

Often referred to as a cross between Vince Lombardi and Mother Teresa, Mary Anne Brown will be remembered by those who knew her for her tenacity, her inclusiveness, her boundless love and, perhaps most of all, her hearty laugh. She will live on in the thousands of broken children who she offered a safe harbor, took under her wing and, ultimately, encouraged to fly.

In addition to her husband Max and son Cuyler (Julie), Mary Anne is survived by her three beloved grandsons C.J., Harrison and Palmer; two sisters, Ina Broeman and Bonnie Carpenter (Jay); and three brothers, Dwight (Norma), Charles and Roland.

MARY ANNE BROWN

Marijuana dispensar y could come to North Avenue

As village awaits special-use meeting, business group is concerned about tra c impact of the dispensar y

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

A company looking to open up a recreational marijuana dispensary in Oak Pa rk is seeking a special use permit from the village

Liberator Illinois is applying for a special-use permit to operate a cannabis retail dispensary at 7045 North Ave., according to an Oak Park village manager’s re port The building, located close to the village’s northwest corner, was for merly a discount furniture store.

The process of opening recreational marijuana dispensaries has been heavily regulated in Illinois since the substance was made legal in the state in 2019. The company is now in the process of applying for the Oak Park special-use permit, a requirement of all new cannabis dispensaries since February 2020, according to the report.

The company currently operates stores in Seattle and San Francisco and is pro-

gressing on two store locations in Chicago’s Logan Square and Edgewater neighborhoods, according to the re port.

The village’s Development Services staf f anticipates the application for the proposed dispensary, which would be called

The Bakeree, will be before the village’s Zoning Board of Appeals for consideration in either July or August 2025, according to the re port.

No dispensary permit application is presently on the agenda of Oak Park’s Zoning Board of Appeals, according to village records.

Oak Park’s village board would have final say over the project if the proposal clears the zoning board, according to the report

If approved, Liberator Illinois officials have indicated their intention to purchase the property on North Avenue and invest significant resources in both interior build-out and exterior façade improvements, according to the re port

If approved, The Bakeree would become the second recreational marijuana dispensary in Oak Park, joining Dutchess Cannabis Company’s Lake Street location, which took over the location after the MedMen marijuana dispensary went bust last year.

Judith Alexander is the founder of The North Avenue District local business association, a group that advocates for responsible development in the corridor surrounding the busy street. Alexander said that while she has had a positive meeting with staff at Liberator, her organization plans to oppose the dispensary’s special use application when it comes before the zoning board.

Her opposition is based on how the business might impact traffic issues on North Avenue, which she said Oak Park and Chicago leaders have failed to address via a streetscaping project.

“I have no doubt in my mind that they’re very re putable, but my issues are traffic safety issues,” she said. “This location

only has four parking spaces in the back, so that means that customers are probably going to be parking on North Avenue and parking on side streets and that makes the whole thing worse.”

It doesn’t help that driving under the influence is already a problem on North Avenue, Alexander said.

“I completely believe that the people who would like to open this dispensary that they will do everything they can to keep people from driving under the influence of cannabis,” she said. “I just don’t think anyone can control it, who can control it? They’re going to make our problem worse and for that reason I oppose it.”

Alexander said her organization would support the dispensary moving in if safety improvements like curb bump outs and median landscaping had already been put into place on North Avenue.

“If we had our streetscape, my opinion would probably be dif ferent,” she said.

Oak Park public health sta ers contribute to West Side overdoses report

Oak Park

health sta

among authors of report on opioid exposure on West Side

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Two Oak Park public health employees helped author a study on overdoses on the city’s West Side, finding a string of cases in which people had ingested a veterinary anesthetic.

Oak Park epidemiologist Emma Betancourt and for mer Oak Park Public Health Nurse Kitty Monty contributed to a study on how medetomidine, a nonopioid sedative not approved for use in humans, was detected in illegally manufactured opioids. The study is an example of the Oak Park’s health department’s collaboration with other public health organizations to support its goals, according

to a village manager’s report.

“This case marks an important contribution to opioid research in the United States,” the village said in the report.

The study documented the first ever “cluster” of overdoses involving the veterinary anesthetic medetomidine, finding 12 confirmed cases, 26 probable cases and 140 suspected cases of medetomidine-involved overdose mostly on Chicago’s West Side between May 11 and May 17, 2024. The study found that these overdose patients suffered from dangerously low heart rates and that they did not respond as well to naloxone overdose interventions, according to the CDC.

Medetomidine had first been identified as a drug contaminant in North America in 2022, according to the CDC. It is not recognized as a controlled substance.

“This cluster is the largest re ported for confirmed medetomidine-involved overdoses,” the re port said. “Multisector surveillance, including by health care provid-

ers, toxicology laboratories, and public health personnel, was essential for quickly identifying and responding to new adulterants in the illegal drug supply. Because all specimens and samples in this investigation that contained medetomidine also contained natural or synthetic opioids, administering naloxone for all suspected opioid-involved overdoses remains crucial.”

In response to the publication, the American Animal Hospital Association issued an alert to its membership advising them to keep a close watch over medetomidine supplies.

“Medetomidine shouldn’t be located in a place that clients can access,” Lauren Forsythe, a veterinary pharmacist, said in an agency publication. “In my opinion, these concerns bump medetomidine up higher on the priority drugs to check inventory of than some other non-controlled drugs.”

In each of the overdose cases involving medetomidine covered in the CDC study,

the person who overdosed had also ingested Fentanyl.

Several Oak Park residents have died as result of opioid overdoses since last year, with the overdose deaths coming mostly as result of exposure to fentanyl, according to finalized case re ports from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Opioid overdose cases in Cook County overall are on the decline since hitting a peak in 2022, when 2,001 residents died as result of accidental opioid overdoses, according to the medical examiner. When the medical examiner published its preliminary re port on Cook County’s 2024 death statistics on Jan. 3 only 1,026 residents had been confirmed to have died from accidental opioid overdoses, but the agency expected pending cases to add at least 200 more deaths to that total. Among those 1,026 overdose cases confirmed in 2024, 87% involved fentanyl, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Dominican grad students help suppor t senior citizens

Social work students ha been helping senior citiz build connection

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

A group of students have b their education to help support the elders in their community.

Four graduate students from Dominican University’s School of Social Wo Forest created a series of senior-centered initiatives serving residents of the Oak Park Arms Senior Living Community earlier this year, the retirement community announced last week. Developed as part of a community practice course Dominican, the students created multiple programs to promote social connection, emotional well-being, and interaction for Oak Park Arms residents.

The students ran a grief support group, a book club and a twice-weekly social luncheon all to promote friendships, mutualsupport and connection among the center’s residents.

Program leaders Camille Gallo, Mayra Olivares, Jazmine Mar tinez and Samantha Deuchler are all pursuing their masters of social work at Dominican. Gallo, who’s been working as an intern at the center while pursuing her advanced de gree, led the team of students as they developed and implemented the program over the last four months.

“Our goal was to design initiatives that reflect the interests and needs of residents while strengthening the sense of community within Oak Park Arms,” Gallo said. “It’s been incredible to witness the relationships forming.”

Oak Park Arms is an independent living senior community, meaning that most residents do not need assistance with daily living activities.

The students’ work is responding to a serious public health challenge, as more than a third of older Americans re port dealing with loneliness, according to the University of Michig an. Loneliness can have a profound impact on health outcomes for seniors, as experiences of social isolation

PROVIDED

Dominican graduate stude nt and Oak Park Arms intern Camille Gallo and Oak Park Arms resident Doug Foster.

positively correlate with a 50% increased risk of dementia, according to the CDC.

Social isolation is associated with a 30% increase in risk for heart attack, stroke and premature death, according to the Journal of the American Heart Association. Low levels of social eng agement also increase seniors’ risk of suffering a fall that results in hospitalization, according to a study published in Scientific Re ports.

The team of graduate students are currently planning a collaboration with the Huskie Helpers, a volunteer group from Oak Park and River Forest High School, with the goal of fostering intergenerational connection and shared community service projects, the center said.

“The partnership between Dominican University’s School of Social Work graduate students and our residents at Oak Park Arms has been truly inspiring,” said Moses Williams, executive director of the Oak Park Arms. “The thoughtful and residentcentered initiatives developed by Camille, Mayra, Jazmine, and Samantha have already fostered deeper connections and enhanced well-being within our community.”

Oak Park OKs $5 million in water and sewer work

Oak Park will under take a set of sewer and water improvements this year

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park is prepared to spend more than $5 million on a set of sewer and water improvements over the next several months.

The Oak Park Village Board was expected to approve a contract for Kendall Countybased construction firm H. Linden & Sons Sewer and Water to oversee this round of village infrastructure improvements at its Tuesday, May 20 meeting. The project will involve a variety of construction work on both the sewer lines and the roadways as the project will re place water and sewer

mains on Forest Avenue between Division Street and Greenfield Street. There will also be sewer and water main re placement on Columbian Avenue between Augusta Street and Division Street, along with water valve replacements on Berkshire Street, according to the village

“The improvements consist of the installation of combined sewer mains including residential service lines, precast manholes, drainage structures and catch basin connections, replacement of water main and water services, water valve replacements, combined sewer spot repairs, restoration of roadway including curb and gutter, side-

walks, driveways, parkways, pavement markings, curb bump-outs, hot-mix asphalt pavement,” according to the village.

Linden & Sons bid of $5,788,807 came in over the village’s budget of $5,018,70, so village staff has recommended reigning in the project’s scope, according to village board documents

Bidding on the project was open from April 10 to May 1. The village also received a bid from Chicago based contractor MQ Construction that topped out at over $5.9 million.

The Linden firm is presently working on projects worth more than $6 million in con-

tracts with other Illinois municipalities.

The repairs will take place primarily along Forest Avenue, Columbian Avenue and Iowa Street in the village, according to proposal documents

The project will require nearly 3,000 feet of new sewer pipes, with those materials comprising the largest portion of the project’s expense, according to proposal documents.

All work on the project must be completed by Nov. 15, according to the contract.

Oak Park’s village board was also expected to approve a one-year contract for towing services with O’Hare Towing Service via its consent agenda Tuesday night.

No demolition ordered by judge at Lake and Lathrop Village loses

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest officials were recently dealt a setback by a Cook County Circuit Court judge in their ongoing legal battle over the stalled Lake and Lathrop development.

C ook C ounty Ju dge A nthony C. Kyria ko p oulos r uled May 2 that the cu rrent c ondition of the La ke and Lathrop site on the southwest corner of La ke Street and Lathrop Avenue d oes not war r ant d emolition. He d enied the village ’s ability to pursue restoration of the vacant project site.

In April, officials filed a brief that reiterated their argument that the “incomplete, dangerous nuisance structures” on the site should be removed “as soon as possible” by Wintrust Bank, the property owner.

“Restoring the site to a vacant lot with grass will help prepare it for future development,” officials said in the village ’s April 4 e-newsletter. “The village ’s priority for this property continues to be to attract an appropriate and viable development that will provide many community benefits.”

Vi llage Administrator Matt Walsh said he was disc ouraged by the latest court ruling

“The village and i ts residents are disappointed in Ju dge Kyria ko p oulos’ decision to not demand that Wi ntrust and La ke Lathrop Par tners remove the unsightly and unsafe structures that have b een in p lace for over two year s, ” he said. “S ep arately, the village c ontinues to encourage the resolution of the ongoing foreclosure c ase b etween Wi ntrust and La ke Lathrop Par tners LLC , with the ultimate g oal of bringing an exciting, appro-

request to clear long-stalled development site

priate new development to the site as soon as possible. ”

Beverly Bank and Trust is a Wintrust-affiliated bank that was financing the development and Lake Lathrop Par tners LLC is the developer of the stalled project to construct a mixed-use building on the site.

The now failed four-story development was to contain 22 condominium units with 14,000 square feet of retail space. The project had been on the drawing board since before the

village board approved Lake Lathrop’s proposal in 2016. River Forest pulled the plug on the development over a year ago, but Lake Lathrop officials in May 2024 countered by applying for a new building permit for the development. This too was denied by the village

Lake Lathrop Par tners appealed a ruling in February by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Joel Chupack granting the village’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed in July by the developers against the village that claimed River Forest had acted illegally in its denial of the new building permit

“We do not expect a ruling for six months,” Walsh said. “The village is extremely confident in its position and expect Judge Chupack’s decison in favor of the village to be upheld.”

In September 2023 officials repealed the building permit for Sedgwick Properties, an authorized agent acting on behalf of Lake Lathrop Partners LLC, and issued a stop work order. They said those steps were taken because Sedgwick failed to meet the requirements and conditions of the village’s 18-month building permit, which was originally issued in February 2022.

The long-delayed project had been on life support since April 2023, when Beverly Bank and Trust, a Wintrust-affiliated bank that was financing the development, filed suit against Sedgwick Properties in Cook County court, looking to claw back $4.2 million from the $20 million line of credit it issued in 2022. In the lawsuit, the lender has reportedly cited several provisions in its loan agreement with Sedgwick affiliates that were violated, including that the contract required the borrower to stay in compliance with local regulations and to stick to a tighter construction timeline.

The next hearing for the foreclosure case is set for July 14.

PROVIDED BY ED MCDEVIT T

Lake and Lathrop site

Moore takes president’s chair at District 97 school board

Maximizing Flowering Shrub Impact

As we move through spring to the start of summer, the landscape has come alive with colorful blooms of flowering trees and shrubs. When it comes to flowering shrubs, not all are created equal, and to maximize flowering through this season, and especially for next, proper timing of pruning is crucial.

A few examples:

� For plants such as lilac, viburnum, bigleaf hydrangea or azalea, prune immediately after flowering in late spring to early summer. Since these plants bloom from old wood (previous season’s growth), they will begin to set their flower buds for next season by mid-summer. Pruning these plants in late summer or fall will remove the flower buds and significantly decrease flower production for next spring.

� For plants such as panicle and smooth hydrangea (think Annabelle!�, Knockout Roses and butterfly bush, prune any time with only short-term reductions in blooms if pruned while in flower. By blooming from new wood (current season growth), if they are pruned back to reduce size in spring, you will not impact the upcoming season’s bloom. If pruned after flowering, no worries: you will not be removing flower buds for next season.

By understanding flowering on new vs. old wood, you can ensure your shrubs remain bright and colorful each growing season!

2001 Des Plaines Ave. Forest Park • 708-771-2299

www.mcadamlandscape.com

Former president Kim begins second stint as board vice president

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

For Cheree Moore, being voted president of the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 board of education means her life has come full circle.

Moore is a District 97 alumnus, havin graduated from Ralph Waldo Emerson nior High in 1997. She joined the board in 2019 and was re-elected four years later and be came board president at its May 13 meeting

Plus, she currently has an eighthand two sixth-grade daughters at Gw Brooks Middle School. Brooks Middle School was built on the site of the old Emerson Junior High

Thus, her life has been intertwined with the district. Now she will lead the board into its next phase, with new vice president Jung Kim, who was also elected in 2019 and has served as both board vice president and president in her tenure.

“I think there is going to be a lot of collaboration with community members,” Moore said of her vision for both the board and the district going forward. “When I initially ran, I was like, ‘We’re going to involve the community and make them proud of D97’ … and then the pandemic happened.”

But the job is a lot more than increasing community involvement and collaboration, she said. There is obvious fiscal responsibility, for one, especially with the potential for federal or state funding cuts

Improving district structures – essentialhow it operates, processes, procedures and protocols – is also important to her. ing with superintendent Dr. Ushma Shah to support teachers and administrators to ensure ef for ts are not duplicated.

“No one should go to work feeling unsafe; students shouldn’t go to school unsafe. (But) we’re talking about people ages 11 to 13 and what are our actual expectations for them? Some things they are going to do because they just don’t know.”

CHEREE MOORE President, Elementary School

District

97 Board of Education

“A lot of families are really struggling and they are worried about their jobs and prices going up,” she said. “So how can we be better stewards of taxpayer dollars? Making sure we’re asking the tough questions and making the tough decisions. Is it a must-have, a nice-to-have, and how much is it going to cost?”

Middle school safety for both students and teachers, an important issue for the district since the end of the 2023-24 school year, is also on her radar.

“No one should go to work feeling unsafe; students shouldn’ t go to school unsafe,” she said. “(But) we’re talking about people ages 11 to 13 and what are our actual expectations for them? Some things they are going to do because they just don’ t know.”

She’ll rely on the insights of Kim in her new role, as she is one of her best friends.

“Cheree hadn’t been in a leadership position before, and I felt like I could support the transition and support what she wants to do,” said Kim, who has an eighth-grader at Brooks and a freshman at Oak Pa rk and River Forest High School. “I think there is always a big balance. Everything comes to the board president and I think sometimes you have to know (when) the board has to be looped in.

“I think just being that triage point, so to speak, it’s a tricky point.”

Gavin Kearney stepped down as board president May 13 and became a board member with Nancy Ross Dribin, Venus Hurd ohnson, Holly Spurlock and newcomer Dr. Becky Perez, elected April 1.

“We joined the board together six years ago, we were re-elected together,” Kearney said of Moore and Kim. “They are experienced and know how things function. I think that it will be a smooth transition. They’ve been around to see what it looks like when we do it well.”

Kearney was particularly impressed with Perez and what she will bring to the board, especially in the way of experience. Perez has a PhD in school psychology from Indiana University, and a master’s degree in educational psychology from the same institution. She is also the parent of two District 97 students.

“I have always been interested in educational policy and I think folks don’t know as much about my training at Indiana University,” Pere z said. “My hope is that I can bring some connection between community and educators to everyday conversations around policy. As an educator and a parent, asking critical questions about how decisions are made and inviting the right people to the table.

“I don’t want to create something new, I want to build on what we have.”

Kearney also said the May 13 meeting was a bit surreal, as he was board president for the first half of the meeting, and after the new board was installed, he became a regular board member

“There are points where the president says, ‘Next agenda item,’ and you think reflexively but you think, ‘I can’t do that anymore,’” he said. “I am eager to support Cheree and Jung, but I am looking forward to having some of my time back each week.”

CHEREE MOORE JUNG KIM GAVIN KEARNEY BECKY PÉREZ

Scott McAdam Jr.

SCHOOL

SAFET

Y

Changes implemented from page 1

middle schools, and district chief safety officer Dr. Felicia Starks.

Wednesday Journal met with those administrators to talk about how the changes have impacted the 2024-25 school year.

A focus on connection

Imagine a triangle, with teachers and staf f at the base, angling upward toward administrators at the fulcrum .

“It’s really about establishing the base of that triangle,” Shah said, “Tier 1 core systems around safety and connection and academic learning and meaningful kinds of experiences and a sense of belonging. These are the things we’ve been focused on, and those aren’t tactical things, they are adaptive culture change things.”

For example, the district implemented the Middle School Connection program, which is a dedicated program for incoming sixth graders, to emulate the connections those students experienced at the elementary school level.

The program “has been an opportunity to review expectations with our students, but also to address the social-emotional needs of the students,” De Leon said, adding “going from one school setting (to) where you have four different elementaries coming into one new system” creates plenty of uncertainty and anxiety.

For three half-days before school started last August, he said, new sixth graders met with teachers and administrators to accomplish everything from understanding expectations to figuring out their locker combination. They were also able to meet each other, thus reducing the number of unfamiliar faces on the first day of school.

Schedule change plays role

Another change has been a redesign of the school day, incorporating insights from not only teachers and administrators, but parents and even students, with the intention of creating better connection between students and their teachers.

English/language arts (ELA), math, science and social science get an additional hour of instruction per week, by shifting the previous A-day/B-day rotation to daily instruction. Students also choose electives that they are in-

terested in, both yearlong and trimester-based courses.

Additionally, lunch periods now include a What I Need (WIN) block, a dedicated time for students to receive targeted enrichment or intervention support. Both middle schools also follow the same bell schedule and offer the same courses, which leads to easier staf f collaboration.

There are also five schoolwide behavior expectations for both middle schools:

■ Cellphones are not allowed in class, reducing distractions.

■ Backpacks belong in lockers.

■ Mandating visible student identification badges.

■ Establishing clear rules for movement and behavior in hallways and bathrooms.

■ Structured expectations during lunch prevents conflicts.

D97 relationship with Oak Park police

District 97 decided to discontinue policeprovided school resource officers (SROs) during the Covid-19 pandemic, which Shah said led to a strained relationship with the Oak Park Police Department. Many school districts removed SRO’s after the police murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

Back in 2003, District 97 entered an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 and the police department focused on school safety.

“Part of what came out of the IGA was that we would have these Monday safety meetings, between (me), one of the deputy chiefs and director of campus safety at OPRF,” Starks said of the virtual meetings. She said they are effective because they often discuss how the three entities can collaborate and generally keep each informed about what is happening on the ground

The Handle with Care initiative is another partnership with the police department, which is leveraged if there is a traumatic event in the community which impacts a student. Police will send an email to dedicated addresses with the subject line Handle with Care

“They share with us the student name, the

date and the parent name, and then we create a t of what happens from there,” tarks said. “It may be, just keep an extra eye on this student. If they see the student is in disbring our social workers in and and maybe partner with outside

nother area is an increased focus on restore disciplinary practices, Shah said. requirement of us not to be puni,” she said, “because the research is clear et to the root causes and changing behavior, so really thinking about how do we operationalize that and how do we make sure that’s how we’re training our staff, to slow down and look at all the options and how we’re changing behavior.”

Another change has been the implementation of the Raptor Technologies’ VisitorSafe Visitor Management System, where anyone from outside of school, including parents, contractors and others, must sign in

Have changes been e ective?

Joel Blecha, a kindergarten teacher at Irving elementary school also has a seventh grader at Julian. Blecha spoke at that May 2024 board meeting. He said that things apparently have changed.

“We are not getting those kinds of emails,” Blecha said. “My son supported that; there are fights, but nowhere near the number of fights from last year.”

He added that he believes the disbanding of the block schedule played a role in that.

“From folks I know that work at Julian, they said that the block schedules were linked to student misbehavior, because the kids couldn’t stand being in a class that long.”

But two other staf f members at Brooks who spoke at the May 2024 school board meeting –a teacher and a social worker – declined comment for this story.

The Oak Park Teachers Association also declined an interview request and referred Wednesday Journal to a media relations spokesperson at the Illinois Education Association in Springfield, which declined to provide a statement regarding the matter

And at the May 13 board of education meeting, parent Jacqueline Stinson spoke during the public comment period about her sixthgrader’s experience at Brooks, where he was allegedly surrounded by self-described gang members and threatened with a shooting. (See sidebar.)

When asked if Brooks and Julian middle schools are safe places for students and teachers, the answer from all three administrators was unambiguous and unanimous Yes.

One mom says her child faced gang threats at Brooks

On March 20, shortly before spring break, Brooks Middle School parent Jacqueline Stinson alleges that her sixth-grade son was surrounded by other students purported to be gang members, threatening to “Swiss-cheese” him. Stinson knows what that means

“You are going to use an automatic weapon with a switch, to allow you to shoot faster,” she said. “Saying you’ re going to Swiss cheese somebody, that’s a threat. That’s saying I’m going to kill you.”

Stinson said she brought her concerns to Brooks administration, and was told that it was just talk. She begs to differ.

“My son has been physically attacked by these gang members,” she said. “He was chased down one day with a belt. It was caught on camera. They threw a ball, hit him in his head. There was another time, an attack with pushing and shoving.”

Has student discipline changed over the last year?

“No, absolutely not,” she said. “What’s conveyed is, if my name was O’Malley or any other Caucasian name, I would be taken more seriously. Because I’m not viewed as an equal counterpart, I’m not taken seriously. Our cries fall on deaf ears.”

District 97’s provided a statement on the incident.

“While we cannot comment on specific student matters to ensure privacy and confidentiality, we want to emphasize that student safety and well-being are top priorities for District 97.

“We care deeply about parent feedback and experiences, and we are committed to fostering safe, supportive environments where all students feel valued and all families feel heard. When concerns are brought to us, we follow established protocols to investigate and take appropriate action.”

— Gregg Voss

Goudie overcomes patchy documentation to deliver the verdict on Accardo

Two mobsters: River Forest’s Accardo vs. Oak Park’s Giancana

By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter

Any critique of the two-part NBC 5 expose, “Who Killed Momo?” must come with a caveat

The criminal case into the murder of deposed Chicago mob leader Sam “Momo” Giancana is technically an open case. So both Oak Park and federal law enforcement will not officially release any documentation related to it.

But for years there has been a slowly growing body of public facing documentation released through official and unofficial channels. Veteran investigative reporter Chuck Goudie took all that and added a small cache of documentation he gleaned from outside sources and interviews with mob insiders, to reach a strong, if not legally definitive conclusion on the murder.

T he two-part special was a mixed bag, with Wednesday’s offering largely re-plated leftovers. T hursday night, however, Goudie served up a genuine market special for the entree.

Like any good reporter — or criminal investigator — Goudie went where the facts led, and when he had pieced all the documentation and interviews to g ether, he concluded those facts led not to decades long prime suspect Dominic “Butch” Blasi, Giancana’s chauf feur and gopher, but to none other than the Boss of Bosses, Anthony “Big Tuna” Accard o.

Accardo, a River Forest resident who routinely had people killed with a nod or wave of his hand, apparently had decided he wanted to handle the recalcitrant and unstable Giancana himself. T hough 69 years old then, Accardo was just two years older than Giancana, who was recovering from a blood clot after g all bladder removal surgery. He was also one of the few people Giancana would allow inside his home

Giancana was brutally murdered in the basement of his southwest Oak Park home He was shot seven times in the head.

Goudie’s presentation wasn’t proof beyond a reasonable doubt, but it was proof by a preponderance of the evidence. On

Bob Sirott’s WGN Radio show Wednesday, Goudie acknowledged as much, saying the planned se gment was originally intended to be a “review” of the Giancana case on the 50th anniversary of his murder.

But he quickly realized that the feds had “buried the lead,” as the journalistic ter m goes — or more li kely, intentionally hid it — when they announced 20 years ago during the watershed Family Secrets trials that they’d solved 18 mob murders

“What they didn’t say is that they’d actually solved many more murders … and one of them was the Giancana murder,” Goudie told Sirott.

Goudie’s re porting is an important reminder of what org anized crime is really about. T he history of org anized crime, which benefitted a tiny minority of people of whatever race and ethnicity, was and still is, underneath all the glitz (“bling” in modern terminolo gy) a dreary tale of greed and cruelty. It is the story of people willing to kill and corr upt to maintain the power to generate massive profits.

“There’s nobody to prosecute,” Goudie

said of Giancana’s killer. But the criminal behavior shown and often glorified in film and song lyrics persists to this day. From the roaring twenties that saw Italian, Irish and Jewish thugs battle viciously for control of bootleg booz e, g ambling and labor unions, through the rise of African American street g angs in the 1960s that controlled the urban retail distribution of deadly drug s, to the equally violent and greedy Hispanic g angs that continue to make urban streets their battle ground for control of lucrative robber y, theft, burglar y, extortion and drug trafficking, the core reality has always been that money is all that matters, and might makes right.

Goudie’s re porting makes it reasonably clear, if not beyond a reasonable doubt, that 50 years after he started making his street re putation as a violent and merciless teenage killer, Tony Accardo, wealthy, well dressed and polished, was still, under it all, like every other g angster, a thug willing to kill anyone who displeased him or threatened his interests.

GCM spells victory at adult spelling bee

Rober t’s Westside hosts charity event to bene t the Imagine Foundation

By TRENT BROWN Staff Reporter

As a newspaper re porter — that is, someone who writes for a living — I like to pride myself on my command of the English language. Spelling, grammar, syntax; you name it, I love it.

I had the opportunity to put my spelling knowledge to the test last Thursday at the first-ever “Spell Yeah!” adult spelling bee at Robert’s Westside in Forest Park

As part of the team re presenting Growing Community Media, NFP, the nonprofit parent of the Wednesday

Journal, I was joined by two members of our board of directors, Charlie Meyerson and Deb Abrahamson, as well as Oak Parker Ginger Yarrow

Proceeds from the event benefitted the Imagine Foundation, a nonprofit working to fundraise for capital projects at Oak Pa rk and River Forest High School. T he event operated like a mix between your middle school spelling bee and a night of bar trivia. As the rounds progressed, each team of four was given a word to spell, with 20 seconds to discuss among themselves and come to a consensus. In a philanthropic twist, teams that got their word wrong were given one chance to donate $100 and buy their way back into the competition.

TODD BANNOR

Trent Brown of Growing Community Media’s team gives an answer at Imagine Foundation’s Adult Spelling Bee at Rober ts Westside on May 15.

CRIME

Oak Park police arrest man for unlawful weapon charge

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Oak Pa rk p olice ar rested a 21-year- old man last week on charges related to unlawful p ossession of a firearm, a ccording to police

Police arrested the Maywood man on one count of unlawful use of a weapon and gave him a notice to appear in cour t before releasing him from the station on May 14, according to police.

The man had been stopped by Oak Park police for not having a front license plate on his vehicle while travelling in the 1600 block of Narragansett Avenue. During the stop, police discovered the man had a Glock 19 handgun in his possession, to which the felony charge is directly related to, according to police.

Battery investigation

Oak Park police are investigating a battery incident that re por tedly occurred on Lake Street in Oak Park last week.

He was also issued a traffic citation for the missing front re gistration plate, according to police.

Tool theft

Oak Park police investigated multiple incidents of high value tool theft over the last week.

At 11:45 Wednesday, May 14, police responded to a re port of a man entering a Chicago resident’s trailer parked in the 1100 block of Columbian Avenue and stealing two weedwhackers, according to police. The stolen tools are valued at $750, according to police.

At 3:46 Thursday, May 15, police responded to a re port of a man stealing two leaf blowers from a Cicero resident’s vehicle while it was parked in the 1000 block of North Humphrey Avenue, according to police. The stolen tools are valued at more than $900, according to police.

Police believe that a man approached an Oak Park resident who was walking on the sidewalk in the 700 block of Lake Street and asked him “what are you following me like that for” before slapping the victim across his face, striking him with a closed fist on the right side of his face and fleeing the scene southbound on Oak Park Avenue. T he victim suf fere d swelling to his face but refused medical treatment, according to police

These items were obtained from Oak Park’s Police Department re ports dated May 5-9 and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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 a description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an ar rest

Artists to start a new life in Panama

Mother and daughter share stories about their lives in Forest Park

By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Etta Worthington, writer/director/producer, and her daughter, Ashley Simone, actress/ dancer/chef, have very intentionally crafted successful lives in the arts, although their definition of success may not be the nor m.

For more than four decades, Etta has cobbled together a series of odd jobs in an effort to pay the bills while pursuing her passion for storytelling. As such, she has served as a role model for Ashley, who is equally adept at juggling jobs while pursuing her love of performing

“We’re hustlers,” said Ashley. “The typical 9-to-5 schedule is scary to me. I only know how to be creative and to pursue my creativity in art. That’s what really seems safe to me.”

“We both have a fear of being trapped in something that is soul-crushing,” said Etta.

That in part explains their planned departure from the area. At the end of this month, Ashley and Etta will start new life chapters when they pull up long-time roots in Oak Park and Forest Park and replant themselves in Boquete, Panama.

The move will mark significant personal milestones – Etta’s 75th birthday and Ashley’s 50th. While their reasons for moving were initially spurred by the political situation in the U.S., they both express great excitement about their new home

“I was inconsolable after the [presidential] election – I just broke down—and I decided that I just couldn’t stay in the country,” said Ashley

“Panama seemed like a safe place. We both need to recover. When Trump was elected the first time, I devoted five years of my life to activism. I got bur ned out. I just didn’t think I could do it again,” said Etta.

Their life as artists

Both have encountered speedbumps along the road to realizing their dreams. Etta, the rare artist who has developed

both hemispheres of her brain (and has the MBA to prove it), briefly put aside her artistic aspirations following a divo ly 30’s. As a single mother, she took seriousl her responsibility to provide daughter. She held management medical and educational textbook publishing and lucked into a job as a print brok

But her need to express herself whelming and she eventually started waking at 4:30 a.m. to carve out time to write and ru before getting Ashley up for school and head ing off to work

With a desire to create a community of cal writers, Etta in 1993 founded the regarded River Oak Arts literary organization. ROA offered an interdisciplinary lectur series, writing workshops and such notables as U.S. Poet Laureate Billy lins and novelists Rick Moody and Richar Ford. The nonprofit organization also published River Oak Review, a literary that showcased the work of established and emerging writers.

At the height of its run, ROA was offering programs in Chicago and Evanston as well as Oak Park Etta was tapping both hemispheres of her brain to keep the organization alive by managing its finances while editing the journal, planning special events and preparing newsletters – all while maintaining teaching gigs at Triton College and Columbia College Chicago. But funding issues forced the organization to shut down in 2003.

Etta pivoted to filmmaking, a medium she had been passionate about in her 20s. She wrote, directed and produced several short films. She commemorated a mid-life crisis by producing her first feature length documentary, “50 at 50,” a compilation of 50 things she had never tried before the age of 50. The film included scenes of her rollerblading, salsa dancing, jet skiing, getting tattooed and shaving her head.

“My mom has always done so much. It’s inspiring –and daunting,” said Ashley.

Ashley, who inherited her mother’s boundless energy, spent much of her childhood dancing and performing at the Academy of Music and Movement in Oak Park She discovered that she came alive when on camera.

“I was allowed to be creative and felt very supported by my parents, both of whom are artists,” said Ashley

NEX T STOP, PANAMA: Etta Worthing ton and her daughter, Ashley Simone, in the garden outside their Forest Park home, are prepar ing to relocate

That support was tested when, the day after her 22nd birthday, Ashley ran off and joined the circus, literally. After touring with Ringling Brothers and Bar num and Bailey for two years, she returned home and applied her abundant chutzpah to finding acting jobs.

She racked up a few small roles in short films and had a bit part as a dancer in Johnny Depp’s “Public Enemies.” Appearing next to Depp and Marion Cotillard in a scene filmed at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, she had to dye her flaming red hair brown to ensure she didn’t upstage the stars.

Like her mother, Ashley has taken on sometimes mundane jobs, including bartending, waitressing, serving as a barista, modeling at trade shows and catering special events, to support her creative endeavors.

After several years of trial and error, Ashley realized that her true calling was cooking and sharing her love of food and hospitality Combining her interests in performing and cooking, she created in 2010 an online cooking show called Foodgasm, produced by Etta, for which she dressed in her signature 1940’s pin-up themed attire. The show includes 15 short episodes and is still available on AFoodgasm.com and YouTube.

She also launched a catering business and graduated from culinary school. During COVID, she baked for neighbors and friends, coining the endeavor “Ashley’s Daily Breads and Sunday Suppers.”

The mother/daughter duo have lived together since COVID. In conversation, they finish each other’s sentences

“We find each other entertaining. She laughs at my jokes. And we respect each other’s talents,” said Etta.

The Panama move

In Panama, both plan to explore creative opportunities in Panama and enjoy Boquete’s thriving arts scene—and its eter nal spring. Ashley hopes to pursue culinary opportunities and perhaps resur rect her cooking show. Etta, for whom storytelling is at the root of everything she does, plans to take time to figure out how to share some of her personal history, through writing and film. She’s exploring podcast possibilities and a stop- animation project.

Needless to say, Etta and Ashley will continue juggling – they’re experts by now –to support their insatiable creativity.

TODD BANNOR

FULLY RESTORED: Repairs a er a re two years ago revealed structural issues in the 127-year-old home.

Fire sparks restoration of E.E. Roberts home

Sanford and Grace Vaughan House built in 1898 featured on this year’s Wright Plus

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

The Sanford S. and Grace Vaughan House was featured on May 17 in this year’s Wright Plus architectural housewalk in Oak Park

The 1898 Colonial Revival-style home, designed by Oak Park architect E.E. Roberts, weathered some substantial setbacks in its past, including a fire two years ago. A lot of construction was needed to make it showhouse-ready.

The original owner, Sanford Vaughan, was a member of the family who founded Vaughan and Bushnell Manufacturing Co. in Chicago in 1869. The company had several patents for tools, with Sanford Vaughan patenting a hammer part that is still in use today. It’s possible his hammer made an impact on the home’s recent history.

Current owners Michelle Zavislak and S ven Barry recently completed a top-to-bottom restoration of the home. When the couple purchased the home out of foreclosure 2008, they knew they had bit of work to do eventually. The house had a lot of its original plumbing and wiring, and they thought the kitchen could be more family-friendly

See RESTORATION on pa ge 19

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT TRUST/JAMES CAULFIELD

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ZAVISLAK

Sanford and Grace Vaughan House (E.E. Roberts, 1898)

SPELLING BEE

from page 13

We started with so-called intermediate words — those used every day, but with spellings that could trip up an unobservant speaker or a speller who relies on phonetics. Our team was asked to spell words like “leopard,” “stethoscope,” “debauchery,” “plaintiff ” and “mnemonic.”

As the rounds went on, the words became longer, more obscure and much trickier. Our team was asked to spell words I had never encountered before, like “xerophyte,” “ebullience,” “absquatulate” and “sesquipedalian.”

That last one means, “characterized by the use of long words,” according to Merriam-Webster: a fitting choice for the event.

Many of the words given had French origins, and having minored in French in colle ge, I thought I would be la creme de la creme in spelling those words. I was sorely disappointed when I learned from another group that “connoisseur” is spelled differently in English than in French, and again when I realized I wasn’t sure how to spell “hors d’oeuvres.” A big “Merci” to my team for filling in the gaps!

As teams started to drop like flies, after a tense three-way standof f, we found ourselves as one of the top two teams and the only team that hadn’t bought back into the competition — we hadn’t made a single mistake on the way.

In the top two, the rules got more complicated. To win, one team would have to cor rectly spell a word the other team misspelled before spelling a new word. After three rounds, the rules called for a tie, but both teams asked for one more round to determine the victors.

We were first given the word “xanthosis” — an abnor mal yellow discoloration of the skin, distinct from jaundice — which, while tricky, we managed to guess correctly. After a long streak of success, the other team was tripped up by the word “myrmecolo gy,” meaning the study of ants.

After three hours, several drinks and a pizza delivered to the bar, we were declared the winners and given spelling bee medals to mark our victory.

It was a fun night of community benefitting an important local charity. I’ll never forget the rush of spelling a word from memory — fittingly, the one that sticks out to me is “mnemonic” — and hearing the judge declare we were correct and had thwarted elimination for another round.

“Quality, A ordable, Independent Housing for Seniors”

Our beautiful 6-story building provides quality, a ordable, independent housing for seniors. We o er 75 studio and onebedroom apartments. Amenities include an award winning interior landscaped atrium, central meeting room, library, laundry facilities, computer learning center, internet access, electronic key entry system, parking, onsite management, and 24/7 emergency maintenance service. e Oaks is funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development through HUD’s Multifamily Housing Program. Monthly rent is based on the resident’s income, with individuals paying approximately 30% of their monthly income toward rent.

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For more information, please visit us at www.oakparkha.org or contact us at 708-386-5812.

RESTORATION

from page 17

About two years ago, the project became a bit more urgent. T he f amily had enjoyed a fire in the front parlor’s original fireplace before extinguishing it and heading out to a late breakfast. When they returned a few hours later, the house was full of the smell of smoke.

Barry ran to the basement and identified the fireplace’s ashpit as the source of the fire, but he was unable to douse the flames that were coming up behind the water proofing system and up into the rafters between the basement and first floor. The fire department put out the fire, but the home suffered extensive smoke damage T he couple decided to redo the home to their preferences during the necessary restoration. Along the way, they found out they had to address structural issues that had nothing to do with the fire. Over its 127-year history, the home had begun to sag and the fire remediation work made clear the home needed to be shored up. Out came the original floors and most of the smoke damaged walls. With the house opened up, their contractor, Loop Construction and Remodeling, found evidence of another significant fire that most likely took place in the 1950s. Luckily, the couple was armed with architect E. E. Roberts’ original blueprints

oors and most walls, the work turned to restoring E.E.

for the home that a previous owner had given to the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society. The blueprints detailed every inch of the house, down to the paint colors.

The couple decided to follow the blueprints during their restoration, and they credit Loop with saving everything original in the house that could be salvaged. They ke pt most of the floor plan intact, save for the remodeled kitchen and family room at the back of the house.

Zavislak noted that the restoration took over two years, primarily because of the added requirements of working with their insurance company, village permitting and the restraints of the historic district guidelines.

Barry said that it was worth the process and “now, we have the confidence everything is new.”

In addition to an open kitchen designed by River Forest designer Mark Menna, the family also redid the basement. The highceilinged space now hosts a mudroom, laundry room, full bathroom and family room as well as updated mechanicals for the entire home.

In spite of the construction, the home’s entry looks much as it might have in 1898 with the original staircase, wainscot, leaded glass windows and leaded glass front door.

Up on the second floor, the primary suite got a new walk-in closet, and the primary bath was also remodeled to showcase an original E. E. Roberts art glass window.

The third-floor rec room was reworked,

Brand new kitchen.

and Barry has plans to use a new ladder to access the home’s original widow’s walk. Next up on his agenda is to restore the original second floor balcony that the blueprints indicate the house originally spor ted.

Zavislak and Barry recently moved back into the home with their f amily and pets, and are enjoying both the historic char m

and the modern amenities that the home now af fords. Both point out that their contractors and kitchen workers were craftsmen and carpenters who took the utmost care to make the home safe, livable and comfortable – something Sanford S. Vaughan might have been proud to be a part of

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHELLE ZAVISLAK

Roberts original design.

COURTESY OF MICHELLE ZAVISLAK

Oak Park home sells for $1,450,000

The following property transfers were re ported by the Cook County Cler February 2025. Where addresses appear

for instance wh appears missing, that information was not provided by the

159 N. Elmwood Ave., Oak Park

GAY

VIEWPOINTS

in a debate over leaf-collection policies. We are that couple

As someone who has spent most of my professional life as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, I’ll use this column to share thoughts on education, though I’ve got opinions on plenty other things too

This spring, I ran for a seat on the District 97 school board. I came in fourth, and while that meant I didn’t win, I was genuinely excited for the three candidates who did. Running gave me the chance to meet so many incredible people (I’m a huge extrovert) and hear firsthand about the wide range of experiences families are having in our schools. My consolation prize? A chance to share my reflections here in Wednesday Journal.

A question I was recently asked stuck with me: “What’s one thing you’d change in District 97 to improve the student and family experience that wouldn’t cost any money?”

Here’s my answer: Create clear, district-wide expectations for how often middle-school teachers update grades and how they handle late work

One of the most noticeable shifts my family felt moving from elementary to middle school was the lack of clarity around grading. In elementary school, you get re gular updates every trimester — Excels (E), Meets (M), and Progressing (P) — and teachers often reach out if your child is excelling or struggling. Middle school, however, feels much less consistent. Some classes update grades weekly; others might have only three grades posted across a 13-week trimester

Grading practices are complex, and I won’t pretend that one column can untangle the debate over what grades really mean. But at the most basic level, grades are a tool for communicating progress. Without regular updates, families are left guessing how their child is doing. That uncertainty doesn’t help anyone

So here’s a simple proposal: require middle-school teachers to enter at least two grades per student per month and create a consistent policy across grade levels for submitting late work.

This isn’t about blaming individual teachers or schools. In fact, I think most teachers are already doing this. But for the sake of families and students, we need to make these expectations explicit and consistent. This is a no-cost, high-impact improvement that would bring more clarity, reduce frustration, and help everyone stay on the same page.

It’s a small change, but in education, sometimes the small things make the biggest difference.

Vince Gay has over 20 years of experience in education, ranging from classroom teacher to building administrator. The proud parent of two school-aged children, he has been an active member of the Oak Park community for more than a decade

Greatness from a coaching du o

My old softball coaches were recently invited back to the high school’s new field for a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the first team they led to the state championship.

(They’d coached seven others downstate before, but 2005 was the first win).

Women in their mid- to late-30s lined up on the field with kids on their hips and at their sides. Mr. Kolbusz and my dad, both in their 70s and not keen for attention, followed, each accepting a longstemmed rose and awkward hugs from the women whose names they mostly remembered.

Standing in the bleachers beside my daughter and son, I was unexpectedly emotional. Attention was on the women, rightfully. But my thoughts were on my dad and coach Kolbusz.

Kolbusz calls my dad his co-head coach, and that’s how they operated. He hit grounders and ran situations with infielders. My dad hit fly balls and practiced cutoffs with outfielders. Kolbusz called pitches from his perch on a bucket of balls in the doorway of the dugout. My dad practiced footwork and blocks with catchers. Kolbusz worked the room. My dad hid in the back of it

Even with full-time jobs and four kids apiece, they

showed up every day, never calling in sick or taking a mental-health day. They expected the same from their players: that those of us offered a spot on the team would show up every day and play our hardest. When I couldn’t catch popups that dropped behind first base, Kolbusz stayed late to practice with me

My dad took me to the batting cages in the high school basement on weekends to get extra cuts in. They coached and treated us like athletes, not like girls. This is exactly what many of us needed and wanted, on and off the field.

Last summer when I saw that the athletic wing of the high school had been demolished, I remembered how during tryouts, decades earlier, I’d sprinted down a dimly lit second-floor hallway in that building toward Kolbusz with his stopwatch. I remembered fielding ground balls off the basketball court in the south gym, the crack of the ball against the wooden floor, the brush of my glove against it — and I remembered lingering after practice one May after noon in the classroom where we stored our gear, listening with Kolbusz and my dad as Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood clinched his 20-strikeout

PROVIDED

Le : Retired OPRF so ball coaches Mel Kolbusz and Jim Dagostino, who coached and taught together for decades at OPRF and Clemente High School, watch the current Huskies play Downers North on May 9, a er a ceremony honoring the 2005 state championship team. Right: Dagostino’s granddaughter Magnolia Flynn.

OUR VIEWS

Citizens and police review

Oak Park was early on the idea that there should be a for mal review of citizen complaints about police of ficers. And that those reviews should be undertaken by a committee of citizens.

That was accomplished 35 years ago when the Citizen Police Oversight Committee was crafted. Back then it was pioneering. But like a few bold Oak Park initiatives around matters of social justice, the structure and limits set for that committee got stuck in time.

As a nationwide movement around police accountability has taken hold, Oak Park was still operating with a hamstrung police oversight commission, which most often appeared to be a rubber stamp for the police department and its leaders.

Full stop. Oak Park has a good police department. There are not signs of rampant disregard for citizen rights.

That said, it is time for Oak Park to pioneer again. In her first ter m, Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman set the stage for “moder nizing” – that seems to be the code for reforming – police oversight in the village. A consultant has been at work studying the current situation since last year and is getting ready to make recommendations that will expand the authority of the committee and give it access to greater amounts of data.

Not coincidentally, we imagine, the current incarnation of the oversight committee just made its semi-annual report to the village board. In that report, the committee makes its case for why it should be given access to data related to the department’s use of the Flock license-plate reading technology. And it details “repeated requests” to the police department for that data, which have so far been rebuffed

Our expectation is that the consultant’s report will be progressive in its recommendations for change, that it will call for a wider mandate for the committee and that it will suggest to the village board that the committee be given a role where it has an actual capacity to investigate complaints by citizens rather than fully rely on the department’s own inter nal review of those complaints.

And we look for a police department with enough confidence in its own culture and policies that it will welcome this added scrutiny

Memorial Day notes

In a troubled America where traditions are diminished or knocked cock-eyed for spor t, Memorial Day feels more meaningful this year.

Three things:

River Forest will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its Memorial Day Parade on Monday. This is an outstanding event which is full of fun and patriotism and kids and dogs. Don’t miss it. Parade star ts at 9:30 a.m.

Oak Park will have its more reserved and sober Memorial Day recollection on Monday at 11 a.m. in Scoville Park. Is there a more sacred place to honor our heroes than at the foot of the Peace Triumphant statue at the crest of the park? Maybe Arlington.

Finally, this holiday weekend, the elves from Growing Community Media will be making the donuts at the Far mers Market on Saturday. It’s a modest fundraiser for our nonprofit newsroom, a chance to meet our public and an opportunity not to burn our fingers in boiling oil.

Baseball and nest-watching

Youth baseball season is in full swing (so to speak), and for grandparents, that means sitting for hours on the sidelines, huddling in our winter parkas on 50-degree days or sweltering under the hot sun, monitoring the weather report for tornado warnings — and even dust stor ms!

I’m a devoted fan, but watching a baseball game played by 11- and 12-yearolds sometimes feels like purgatory. After enduring the vagaries and furies of a Midwest spring with my son, and now my grandsons, when I get to the pearly gates, I fully expect whatever demerits I have accrued in my life will be absolv along with countless other long-suffering sideline grandparents.

To maintain my equilibrium, I keep repeating my mantra: “They’re just 11 years old. They’re still learning the game.” And they are learning it The games used to last three hours or more. Now they’re done in two. Infield ers make plays on ground balls and actually throw runners out at first. Pitchers throw more strikes and walk fewer batters. That’s the upside

KEN TRAINOR

deck of their house. It didn’t fall out of a tree; it was painstakingly constructed there by a robin (or robins), violating the most basic rule of nest-building: keep it hidden from prying, preying eyes! This one sits on the railing up against the side of the house, out in the open, hiding in plain sight, fully exposed to any and all predators who happen by: three tiny, oh-so-fragile, yet delectable, pretty pastelblue eggs.

Against all odds, the eggs hatched and the chicks now crane their necks, beaks open to the generous heavens, waiting for Mama robin to deposit scrounged nourishment.

The downside is that league organizers decided to include the dropped-third-strike rule that allows a batter, after striking out, to reach first base if the catcher fails to retrieve the ball and throw him out. The problem is young catchers almost never catch the third strike. In fact, they seem to have misinterpreted the rule, assuming they “must” drop the third strike.

Our team lost one game in the final inning on a bases-loaded, two-out strikeout that instead led to all three runs scoring. I’ll spare you the details. What the players lear ned that night is the agony of defeat. They now understand what the late baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti meant when he said, “Baseball will break your heart. It is designed to break your heart.”

On the plus side, when I asked Bryce what he likes best about baseball, he said, “Running the bases!” So maybe the dropped-strike thing isn’t all bad. Anyway, to compensate for the tragic nature of watching baseball, the boys and I have discovered a much more thrilling and fulfilling spectacle: nestwatching

Several weeks back, a nest appeared on the back

The predators must be thinking, “Oh come on, who would build a nest on a back deck right next to the humans’ back door?! It must be some kind of decoy decoration. We’re not falling for that trick!”

So the nest and its inhabitants appear to be flourishing, with Mama robin alter nately providing and protecting. I’m sure she is an imposing adversary, which I almost found out the hard way. Watching from behind the screen door last week, I saw two starlings fly by dangerously close to the nest. I don’t trust starlings, so when I spotted a third bird swooping toward the nest, I leaped out to save the day! But it turned out to be Mama herself with a sizable bit of bug remains locked in her beak. Startled, she detoured to a nearby tree branch until I, shamefaced, retreated back inside. Eventually she returned and fed her hungry brood

The boys know not to touch the birds and they seem blissfully oblivious to the dangers — as are the rapidly progressing fledglings. But Mama and I know how unforgiving the food chain can be. We’re all waiting in suspense to see if the robinettes survive. May they beat the odds, strike out on their own, and someday build their own nests, preferably camouflaged — and if they can manage the improbability of all that, maybe Bryce and Tyler will come to believe that pretty much anything is possible for them as well.

And may my fledgling grandsons also thrive until they, too, are ready to leave their nest — to forge a life of their own, a life that will be worthy of them and make them glad to be alive

A life that may or may not involve baseball.

One of those who perished

Another Memorial Day is upon us We give thanks to the fallen of wars writ recent or of the distant past. All gave some, some gave all, as that expression goes. Memorials to various wars in which U.S. military personnel perished inscribe their names. How, exactly, they died is not inscribed. Only the family and closest friends of those named on the memorial may understand the how, where and when they perished. But each name does have that detail somewhere.

I want to provide such detail for one of the 58,281 names on the Vietnam Memorial. This person was unknown to me but was mentioned in an on-line posting that did provide the how, when and where, and the particulars of this person who “gave all” has a uniqueness that I feel deserves writing about. This person’s name is on panel 23W, line 112 of the Vietnam Memorial: First Lieutenant Sharon Ann Lane. She was an Ar my nurse. She is the only American service woman killed as a direct result of enemy fire during that war. She was less than a month away from her 27th birthday Nurse Lane died on June 8, 1969. She was part of 312th Evacuation Hospital, located in

Chu Lai Province, which came under a barrage of rocket attacks. Sharon’s nursing skills had already been evident during her tour of duty. She had always applied “rare foresight and sound principles of management.” Her deter mination was to be the best nurse possible, providing excellent medical support in a combat environment. When the rocket attack started, she rushed to her ward in an effort protect more harm coming to her patients (har m that had already brought them to the 312th) — the very definition of “selflessness.”

When one of the 122 mm rockets made a direct hit on the hospital, the explosion produced metal fragments that struck and killed nurse Lane

Her courageous actions in the face of that attack saved other’s lives. She was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism. There were many other female nurses serving in that war. Their willingness to apply their training and skills in such a context bespeaks an incredible sense of compassionate caring and, sadly, in Sharon Ann Lane’s case, an incredible sacrifice.

Joseph Harrington Oak Park

Considering River Forest development

Continually enhancing quality of life in River Forest is one of the village’s main priorities, and this happens, in part, through new development that attracts businesses, services and amenities.

At the most recent “Casual Conversation with the Village President” event, economic development was the conversation’s focus, as we consider many possibilities for new development on open commercial properties in River Forest.

An overview of the village’s development approval process was shared at this event, which includes many steps required of developers to be able to build in River Forest, such as traffic and school impact studies, an economic analysis of the proposal, and other important vetting information. Extensive community engagement opportunities are also provided so our residents can share input prior to any project being considered by the village board.

Earlier this year, the village hired Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to broker the open

Madison Street properties and market them to attract a variety of builders and concepts. The overarching goal is to provide the village with a variety of options to consider so the best fit for the community can be selected. We anticipate receiving proposals over the next two months, and will review options this summer, with the goal of making a selection this fall. In addition to enhancing quality of life, new development also funds critical village services such as public safety, infrastructure maintenance, storm water management and traffic calming. It also supports our other gover nment entities such as our schools and park and library

Economic development is one of the many important conversations in River Forest. I invite all residents to be as engaged as possible! Please subscribe to the Village Enewsletter at https://www.vrf.us/E-News.html to stay up to date on news and events, including any new development proposals or possibilities.

Cathy Adduci River Forest village president

Singing to honor those who fought

As a member of the Michael Teolis Singers, I would like to thank all of you who came on Saturday, May 10 to our Concert “Peace Triumphant – 1945,” which commemorated the end of World War II and celebrated the accomplishment of our veterans. The music we presented included not only classical works highlighting the importance of peace, but also songs that were popular at the time of the war

We especially want to thank the Pritzker Military Foundation for sponsoring this event, the Hines VA Hospital for helping us to bring veterans of the U.S. Ar med Forces as our guests to the concert, and American Legion Post 36

in Des Plaines for providing the Color Guard that joined us as we musically saluted Illinois and the United States We are also grateful to the First United Church of Oak Park, and to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi for his remarks about eliminating property taxes for WWII vets.

On behalf of our organization, I would like to thank our singers, our soloist Josefien Stoppelenburg, and our instrumentalists. But most of all, thank you. Our Holiday concert will be on Dec. 6, and we hope you will join us

Marcia Edison

Michael Teolis Singers board member, singer

Scaman’s appointment process

I saw that Village President Vickie Scaman said she “won’t hur ry through the process of appointing Susan Buchanan’s successor, and that it’s important to her that all the sitting trustees get to provide feedback and that the person who takes over Buchanan’s seat has similar legislative priorities.” [Buchanan resigns from Oak Park Village Board, WJ News, May 14]

I would like to point out to President Scaman that she has already set a precedent for re placing a trustee who resigns. According to the October 7, 2022, Wednesday Journal, “The Oak Park village board will vote Monday to appoint Cory Wesley to the trustee seat left vacant by Arti Walker-Peddakotla’s resignation. If the board votes in his favor, as Village President Vicki Scaman expects it to, Wesley will finish the remainder of Walker-Peddakotla’s

term.”

Oak Park residents may remember Wesley from his 2019 run for village trustee, where he landed fourth out of 10 candidates and placed just behind the person he will likely replace.

Based on President Scaman’s prior precedent of selecting as a re placement trustee the person who finished with the next highest vote total in the prior election, that would mean that Lucia Robinson with 4,452 votes in the most recent election would be appointed to the board.

Of course who is to say that President Scaman, like President Trump, has any concern for precedent following re-election? We can all wait for her revisionist history “process” in selecting our next trustee.

Alan Krause Oak Park

Getting into trouble with pronouns

Ah, rhetoric? As much as I ag ree with Greg Pulliam’s commentary, “Those pesky pronouns” [Viewpoints, May 14], maybe I’ll lean in a little fur-

ther and read John McWhorter’s latest, “Pronoun Trouble.”

Chris Donovan Oak Park

SHRUB TO WN by Marc Stopeck

Foster families nd resources through Facebook

May is National Foster Care Month — a time to recognize the thousands of children in the foster care system across Chicago and Cook County, as well as the families who open their homes and hearts to them.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to help children in need. As the youngest of four children, I fell in love with babysitting early on. That passion followed me into adulthood, where I worked as a nanny in college and, eventually, became a foster parent myself. Over the past decade, I’ve fostered multiple children, adopted one, and raised four biological kids

I know firsthand how joyful — and how challenging — the jour ney of parenting (traditional and nontraditional) can be

That’s why I created Chicago Area Foster Parents, a Facebook Group for foster families in Oak Park and surrounding areas. What started as a way to build our local community, quickly revealed a broader need: a space where foster parents, social workers, and even youth in foster homes could connect, ask questions, share resources, and support one another

Fostering can be overwhelming — especially for first-time foster families. Questions come up at all hours, and needs can change over night. Our group has become a place to

source insights and answers, borrow baby carriers and cribs, and speak candidly about what it means to navigate this system. From sharing legislative updates to helping with logistics — like where to get fingerprinted or how to request a new car seat — this group helps lighten the mental load for local families who are carrying so much already.

For many families, our Facebook community is a welcomed supplement to the steadfast efforts of local agencies and professionals who work tirelessly to match Chicago-area youth with foster families. Between the gaps of official meetings, midnight emergencies, and the everyday uncertainties of parenting children in care, our community reminds us that we’re not alone, even when the work feels isolating In Cook County, more than 4,000 youth are in foster care Every one of them deserves a safe, stable place to land — and every foster parent deserves a community that’s just a click away.

In the spirit of National Foster Care Month, I encourage you to share the Chicago Area Foster Parents Facebook group with a family you know who has said yes to the most challenging and rewarding role there is: foster parent.

Kelly Curry Oak Park

WEDNESD AY

JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Viewpoints Guidelines

e goal of the Viewpoints section is to foster and facilitate a community conversation and respectful dialogue. Responsible community voices are vital to community journalism and we welcome them. Space is at a premium and readers’ attention is also limited, so we ask that Viewpoints submissions be brief. Our limit for letters to the editor is 350 words. For One View essays, the limit is 500 words. Shorter is better. If and when we have su cient space, we print longer submissions, but when space is limited — as it o en is — we may ask you to submit a shorter version or hold the piece until space allows us to print it.

We reser ve the right to edit submissions. We do not have time to allow the writer to review changes before publication. We also do not have time to do more than super cial fact-checking, and because of our national epidemic of misinformation and conspiracy theories, when writers include statistical evidence to support their opinions, we require them to include the source of that information, such as credible websites, print publications, titles of articles and dates published, etc. Be as speci c as possible so that we and our readers have some way of assessing the credibility of your claims. Links may also be included for the online version. We follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics: seek the truth and report it and minimize harm. As a result, we will do our best not to publish pieces that espouse doubtful or debunked theories, demonstrate harmful bias, or cross the line into incivility. While we will do our best not to engage in censorship, we also do not intend to be used as a platform for misinformation. Your sources for fact-checking are a critical step in keeping the discourse honest, decent and respectful.

All submissions must include your rst and last name and the municipality in which you live, plus a phone number (for veri cation only). We do not publish anonymous letters. One View essays should include a sentence at the end about who you are.

If we receive your submission by 5 p.m. on Sunday, you can expect your opinion to be included in that week’s paper (and online), space permitting.

Pieces can be submitted through our online form at oakpark.com or directly to Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor, ktrainor@wjinc.com. For the latter, we prefer attached Word les or plain tex t included in the email.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

■ 350-word limit

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

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY

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Native plants are better for pollinators

All around Oak Park, I see signs of No Mow May in full swing. While I applaud the intention, I hope you’ll consider a different and more effective way to help pollinators next spring:

• While dandelions provide some resources to pollinators, native plants that insects have co-evolved with are far better at supporting their needs.

• If you go back to mowing on June 1st, the pollinators you’ve been supporting are destroyed or displaced

• This highly visible tradition gives our

friends and neighbors the impression that the only way to help pollinators is to have an unkempt yard. Not only is this ineffective advertising for the cause, it is just false!

The good news is you can help wildlife far more by creating a beautiful native garden and employing ecological maintenance practices year-round. And yes, you could even keep your lawn, though hopefully it shrinks as you make room for native habitat

So keep mowing, but also pick a patch of lawn to convert to natives. It doesn’t have to be much to start, just a few plants! You can

get them at the West Cook Wild Ones’ spring or fall plant sale (and their website is an invaluable resource for anyone getting started with natives).

Christy Webber Farm and Garden is another great local source of plants. You can also get plants and seeds online — Prairie Nursery and Prairie Moon Nursery are two great options

Happy spring! Here’s to less lawn and more pollinators next year

Beth Fioritto Oak Park

Don’t play down negatives at OPRF

I join Wednesday Jour nal in “Thanking Tom Cofsky” [Our Views, Viewpoints, May 7] for his 12 years of service on the OPRF High School board and for changing District 200’s policy of always taxing to the max. But I disagree that the high school changed its “free-spending ways” during his tenure. For example, the administrative staff grew more than 50% since 2020 [1] though enrollment fell over the same period [2]. And OPRF continues to run up surpluses, as Monica Sheehan documented in her May 14 One View [3]. Nor is it the case that D200 is no longer arrogant, as WJ implies. What else can we call its decision to avoid a referendum on the $100 million+ Project 2?

WJ also tends to play down or omit negatives in its OPRF news coverage. Take the May 14 story on the departure of Assistant

EMILY DAGOSTINO

Coaching legends

from page 22

game — a feat achieved at that time by only one other MLB pitcher

What was special and memorable wasn’t just what Wood accomplished that day, but also that when it happened, I was with two coaches I respected and admired, who loved sports, who loved coaching, who’d given me a shot to play varsity softball two years running, and who above all knew — through and through — what they were doing.

That classroom, and the building it was in, are gone now. The south gym and hallway above it, all gone. Both coaches have retired

Superintendent Fiorenza, who oversees D200 academic matters. It fails to mention low marks in state-mandated Five Essentials surveys of teachers, including most recently poor marks in instructional leadership, professional development, innovation, and program coherence [4]. Or consider last week’s story on a new app-based emergency system for teachers and staff to initiate lockdowns or shelter-in-place directives [OPRF rolls out new tech safety measures, WJ News, May 14]. It doesn’t mention that this was an issue in the 2025 high school board election. Candidates Gertz and Mellman proposed a timesaving badge-based panic-button system that avoids fumbling for a phone in an emergency [5].

Public institutions like OPRF make progress in response to thoughtful criticism and

after decades of working together

I don’t coach softball. I don’t play anymore. But I carry with me every day what I lear ned from Mr. Kolbusz and my dad about how to coach, how to play, how to deal with defeat and victory, how to strive for excellence — even when you may not be the tallest, fastest, most athletic or talented person in the room.

You have to show up every day, do your job, and consistently put in the effort. You have to shut up and listen to people who know more than you, do what they tell you to do, and absorb every possible learning they offer.

You have to figure out what you care about, what you want to do and can do, who you want to be. And then you have to do it, over and over again, even when tired, sad, even when you’d rather not. For as long as you possibly can.

Win, lose, the outcome is what it always is:

Save public transit funding

Every day we hear about new federal spending cuts, sunsetted policies, or threats to public infrastructure. One that hits particularly close to home is the looming fiscal cliff facing the Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Starting in 2026, the Chicago area transit system is facing a $771 million fiscal cliff (budget gap). This means state legislators must pass transit funding legislation by the end of the current legislative session in May, or CTA, Metra, and Pace will all start preparing for cuts.

balanced reporting. The opposite is also true. Judith Alexander Oak Park

Sources:

[1] https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/ District.aspx?source=admins&source2=total adminfte&Districtid=06016200013

[2] https://www.illinoisreportcard. com/District.aspx?source=studentchara cteristics&source2=enrollment&District id=06016200013

[3] https://www.oakpark.com/2025/05/13/ tom-cofskys-d200-legacy

[4] https://www.chicagotribune com/2025/05/06/oprf-administrator-fiorenzaresigns

[5] https://www.gertzmellmand200.com/ priority-1-keep-our-kids-safe. “II. Be better prepared for worst-case scenarios”

The season ends. Mine. Theirs Kerry Wood’s New coaches take the helm. New pitchers take the mound. New girls run on and off a new field, and soon there will be a new building to practice in during the winter and store gear in each spring.

I cried that day, watching my dad accept a rose and listening to Kolbusz describe the turning points of that 2005 state final, because I know now what a privilege it was to play for them. What they did and how they did it was on a different scale than Kerry Wood’s 20K game. But it was greatness, nonetheless, delivered from a couple of unlikely sources — two gruff but dedicated 5-foot-something, inner-city public-school gym teachers, one Polish, one Italian. And it continues to resonate in the lives of hundreds of women they coached — or at a minimum, in mine.

Think about how the pandemic changed public transit consumption; today we might ride less often due to hybrid or remote work, but we still need safe, reliable transit. Unfortunately, that availability is at stake today with up to 40% proposed service cuts

As a regular rider of the CTA Green Line, my 30-minute, door-to-door commute to work is not only efficient — it’s something I truly appreciate because of time, value and reliability.

Public transit is a social driver of health and equity. It gets people to work, to medical appointments, to connect with friends and family, and — thanks to the new Damen stop on the Green Line — an easier jaunt to the United Center. Every community deserves access to reliable, affordable, and safe transit options that enable full participation in society

Think this won’t affect you because you drive? Think again. Reduced transit means more cars, more congestion, more pollution, and longer commutes for everyone. A 40% cut would mean slashing service on four of the eight train lines, fewer buses, and longer wait times

As a member of the RTA Citizens Advisory Board, I’m asking you to speak up. Whether it’s getting to a Cubs game, a concert at Soldier Field, or the of fice, public transit needs to be there for you. Legislators must enable new transit funding by May 31 or riders will suffer the consequences of devastating cuts. Tell your story. Demand reform. Sign the call to action at SaveTransitNow.org It takes less time than your daily commute — and it could help save it

Ayesha Akhtar Oak Park

OBITUARIES

Jordan Ri s, 79 Lawyer for the underdog

Jordan B. Rifis, Esq., 79, died on Feb. 20, 2025. Born in Chicago on March 26, 1945 to Albert and Edith Rifis, he was educated at Austin High School, and attended Roosevelt University for his undergraduate studies, focusing on literature, writing, and law, receiving his Bachelor of Arts de gree in 1968. He then went on to attend DePaul University for Law School, earning his Juris Doctorate in 1971. His legal career beg an in insurance for 10 years; then he found his true passion, fighting for the underdog. He did this largely in family law, workers’ compensation and personal injury matter never retired, working until the ve totaling over 50 years. He frequently took clients who had been rejected by other at torneys, and found great pride in le ing the power of the law and legal system on their behalf. As he once wrote, laws are the rules established and acce society for the benefit of the people. He will be remembered as an advocate for the underprivile ged and every person who found themselves battling against insurance companies, fighting for custody of their children, or needing to ensure the financial security of their families or businesses.

Justin (wife Elizabeth and granddaughters Quinn and Zoe); and his son Jared (wife Morgan and grandson Hudson).

A ceremonial service will be held on Saturday, June 21 at 2 p.m. at Elizabeth F. Cheney Mansion, 220 N. Euclid Ave. in Oak Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of your choice. One of Jordan’s favorites was Parenthesis, an org anization that is now a part of New Moms, which provides housing, paid job training, colle ge success, and family suppo rt for young moms and their children.

Lillian Vail, 89

Worked for Shaker Advertising

He will be dearly missed by many friends, including the Tuesday Golf Club, monthly poker night, and the Unitarian Universalist Cong re gation in Oak Park. These groups were full of friends who brought him great joy.

He ag reed with his favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart, who said, “When you’ re dead that’s it, you’ve got to press on because life is for the living.” But he also believed, more emblematically, “Love is the one emotion which can relieve, as is ever possible, the essential loneliness of it all.” He loved his family, friends, clients and most others with all his heart.

He spent his last weeks enjoying the company of his wife of 37 years, Paula Cox; his sister and brother-in-law, Lana and Al Kushinsky; his daughter, Jennifer Meng (and her family, husband Mark and grandchildren Jordyn and Nicholas); his son,

later years was traveling to the Czech Re public with her oldest grandchildren. A devoted Chicago Cubs fan and enthusiastic supporter of sports, she once earned a perfect score in a Danbury bowling league.

Lil is survived by her children, Kathleen Vail (Bob Boster), Nancy Vail (Paul Dinsmore), Lucy Vail (Chris Brown), and Patrick Vail (Jennifer); her grandchildren, Peter, Carolyn, Ellen, Grac e, Vinh, Hien, and Stella; her sister, Lucy Goetz (Ken); her brother Chuck Kalat (Janet); and many nieces and ne phews.

The family extends hear tfelt thanks to Mom’s angel, Lori Stroili, and the compassionate caregivers at Monarch in Southbury, Connecticut and Silverbell Homestead in Fletcher, North Carolina.

A celebration of life will be held later this year.

Lillian “Lil” Vail, 89, died on May 9, 2025, in Asheville, North Carolina. Born and raised in the Chicago area, ved to Newtown, Connecticut in 1961 with her husband, Tom, and their young daughters. There, she life as a mother of four and immersed herself in the community. She r and crafter, a passionand a dedicated member of the Newtown Garden Club and Jaycees. She also served as a 4H leader and generous volunteer. As her children grew older, she returned to the workforce part-time roles at the local phar macy and the Newtown Bee before becoming a full-time biller at Danbury Hospital.

Following her divorce, she returned to the Chicago area to help care for her parents. She settled in Oak Park and began a second career at Shaker Advertising, where she worked until retiring at age 73. During this time, she became an active member of the Women’s Cooperative and contributed lovingly to Project Linus by making blankets for children.

She cherished her role as a grandmother, traveling across the country to spend time with her grandchildren. Known affectionately as “Gram,” she shared her love through endless crafts, handmade Halloween costumes, babysitting, and bowls of ice cream.

Proud of her Czech heritage, she enjoyed family dinners at Czech restaurants and baking kolachkes. A highlight of her

Richard Hamersma, 82

Psychologist, songwriter

Dr. Richard J Hamersma, 82, a longtime Oak Pa esident, died on April 17, 2025. A distinguished psychologist, educator and award-winning songwriter, he ear ned his master de gree and PhD in psychology from Michigan State University and served as an assistant professor at DePaul Unive before dedicating much of his career to private practice as a clinical psychologist and director of the Growth Process Center

Beyond his academic and clinical wo he had a lifelong passion for songwriting. His lyrics ear ned reco gnition in inter national competitions, including the United Kingdom Songwriting Contest, where his work was frequently named a finalist. He believed deeply in the emotional power of words — whether in therapy, poetry, or music.

He lived in Oak Park for more than 40 years and was an active and creative presence in the community.

Richard is survived by his four children, John Hamersma, David Hamersma, Amelia Contolini, and Ana-Sage Hartu; and his two grandchildren, Marisol Hartu and Edward Hartu Jr., who car ry forward his legacy of curiosity, compassion, and creativity.

A private memorial will be held by the family

SPORTS

OPRF sends 11 quali ers, Fenwick 6, to girls state track

McGreal is a third-time quali er for Trinity

By BILL STONE and MELVIN TATE

Contributing Reporters

Seniors and varsity veterans Julia Brown and Bella Brauc lead top-nine, all-state expectations for the Oak Park and River Forest girls track and field team at the Class 3A state meet.

For seniors Blaire Brown and Alana Gerona, this will be their first time competing, Friday and Saturday, at Eastern Illinois University.

“It’s super-rewarding to see all of the hard work pay off,” Blaire Brown said. “We had long, long practices where we’d feel like it would never end. I’m glad that I sought payoff somehow and it contributed to this greater goal of qualifying for state.”

The Huskies bring 11 entries to state after easily winning the program’s historic first sectional at its new facility , which played host to the boys conference on Thursday.

Julia Brown, who swept the 400-meter dash (55.58 seconds) and 200 (25.06), and junior Oliwia Slezak (36.29 meters/119 feet in discus) were sectional champions along with three relays — the 4 x 400 with Brauc, Julia Brown, junior Chloe Kozicki and senior Amelia Ham-

mersley (4:00.97), the 4 x 100 with Brauc, Julia Brown, Blaire Brown and Hammersley (47.83), and the 4 x 800 with sophomore Lucy Stein, junior Violet Schnizlein, sophomore Lillian Harmon, and senior Nora Butterly (9:39.20).

Also advancing were second-place Brauc in the 400 (57.81) and high jump (1.57m/5-2), Hammersley in the 100 (12.34) and 200 (25.88) and Gerona (3,200 in 11:37.37).

“Going 4-for-4, I’m going to be super-busy but I’m just really excited,” said Brauc about her fourth state trip. “I love competing.”

In cross country, Gerona was part of sectional teams that missed state by one place last season and eight points in 2023.

“Making track my senior season, it’s unbelievable. I’m so excited,” Gerona said. “Last year I was dealing with some lowiron issues, but this season I felt really strong and really ready.”

In 2024, Brauc was an all-state ninth in the 400 (58.83) and high jump (1.60m/5-3). Julia Brown’s personal-best 400 was the No. 4 fastest sectional time. Her 55.96 at the conference meet May 9 shattered the 57.17 meet record from 2011.

“I’ve kind of put a lot of pressure on myself but I’m trying to use that to run faster,” said Julia Brown, 20th in 2024. “These last few meets I’ve had Bella as my competition. I’m excited for state to have some very neck-andneck competition.”

To return to state in high jump, Brauc had to clear the 5-2 state-qualifying standard to share second. She did so on her last attempt.

“That was so scary,” Brauc said.

Slezak, 19th at state in 2024, has improved to 128-0. Kozicki, Schnizlein, Stein and Butterly return with their respective relays

Hammersley competed at 2023 state but missed 2024 to attend the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles

OPRF’s Julia Brow n reaches back, waiting for the hando of the baton in the 4 x 100 relay during the WSC Silver Girls Outdoor Championship, May 9, in Dow ners Grove

These are her first individual berths. From Lane 1, her second-place, personal-best 100 beat the 12.42 state cut.

“I’ve improved a lot and worked really hard in the offseason. It’s really nice to see that come to fruition,” she said. “Especially our 4 x 100 is all seniors. We’ve all been here since freshman year working hard together. We’re super-excited to see what we can do.”

At the Class 2A Glenbard South Sectional, May 16, Fenwick finished third with 77.5 points. The Friars qualified six individuals, along with one relay, for the state finals.

“I could not be more proud,” said Fenwick coach Latoya Zubowicz-Hill. “We had so many personal records, a lot of freshmen stepped up, and it was a win across the board.”

Fenwick sophomore Maeve Bonakdar was victorious in both the discus (30.46 meters) and the shot put (10.23). Freshman Avani Williams won the high jump with a height of 1.57 meters, while classmate Molly Madden was second in the discus with a toss of 27.72 meters.

Sophomore Juliana Gamboa and senior Mia Menendez, a Santa Clara University commit, each clinched return trips downstate. Menendez took third in the 800 meters

with a school-record time of 2:18.60, while Gamboa was fifth in the 3200 in a personalbest 11:37.54. Gamboa, Menendez, and Williams combined with junior Teresa Urso on the Friars’ 4 x 400 relay, which advanced with a time of 4:18.44, good for second place.

Williams, one of the state’s top girls basketball prospects in the Class of 2028, nearly qualified for a third event as she finished fourth in the 400 in 1:01.19, missing the advancing standard by .44 seconds.

“Avani is also playing AAU basketball and hasn’t been at many meets, so we didn’t have a 400 time to slate her in for sectionals,” Zubowicz-Hill said. “We knew what she was capable of, but they didn’t allow me to put a hand time and she was placed in the slow heat. Just imagine if she’d been put into the fast heat. “Overall, I’m pleased with where we are. I love this group, and Mia is the only senior qualifier, so our future is bright.”

Trinity junior Molly McGreal is heading downstate for the third consecutive season. She placed third in both the 1600 (5:20.96) and 3200 (11:32.88).

McGreal is Trinity’s sole state qualifier as the Blazers placed ninth at Glenbard South with 45 points

BILL STONE

e all-senior OPRF 4 x 100 relay : Bella Brauc (le ), Amelia Hammersley, Julia Brow n and Blaire Brown.

STEVE JOHNSTON

OPRF boys lacrosse holds o Fenwick

Friars have late surge but run out of time

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The latest version of Oak Park’s East Avenue Showdown had a twist as head coach Dan Ganschow of Oak Park and River Forest High School boys lacrosse met one of his for mer players, Connor Lamb, of Fenwick High School. On a windy night at Triton College, May 16, the Huskies scored five of the first six goals of the match to take control. But the Friars ran off four straight goals of their own late to make things interesting Fenwick had an opportunity to tie the match. But a turnover essentially ended things as OPRF prevailed 9-8.

“We started off fast,” Ganschow said. “But through a lot of the game, we just didn’t hold the momentum. It was hard to communicate through the wind.”

“It was a hard-fought game on both sides. That’s what this rivalry is all about,” Lamb said.

OPRF (6-10) led 3-0 after a quarter, with two goals, courtesy of junior Jake Chapleau, and the other from sophomore Connor Ganschow. Fenwick (7-11) got on the board early in the second on a goal by senior Jack Hardy, but the Huskies responded with goals by Connor Ganschow and junior Dylan Clark.

Junior Marco Litton’s goal with about a minute left before halftime cut Fenwick’s deficit to three. The Friars started to build momentum in the third quarter as sophomore Danny O’Donoghue scored to pull within two. Then they had several chances to draw even closer, but OPRF sophomore goalkeeper Charlie Dawson made several big saves, including a stop on Hardy’s breakaway shot.

“Charlie had some great saves,” Dan Ganschow said. “He had some shots that the defense let to his doorstep, but I’m proud of him. He stayed big and played a good game.”

“[Dawson] was amazing,” Lamb said. “He kept OPRF in the game. He’s a big-time player.”

Dawson’s save on Hardy swung the momentum back to the Huskies. Senior Thomas Suddes scored off an assist from Clark with

19.2 left in the third to give OPRF a 6-3 lead. Then Clark notched his second goal just 21 seconds into the fourth quarter, followed by Suddes’ second of f an assist from junior Raj Mitra about a minute later, and the Huskies seemed to be in control, leading 8-3.

O’Donoghue notched his second goal with 5:45 to play, but OPRF senior Sheriff Kratz countered just 15 seconds later to restore the Huskies’ five-goal lead

Fenwick refused to fold, however, and the Friars ran off three consecutive goals, including two from senior Ninos Ameer, to pull to 9-7 with 2:13 remaining. But a dust stor m came into the area, causing a short delay.

“I don’t think the delay hurt us,” Lamb said. “We came out with momentum afterward.”

Indeed, Ameer notched his third goal with 54.8 seconds left to make it a one-score game

The Friars then stole the ball and called timeout with 42.8 to go in order to set up an attempt at the potential g ame-tying goal.

After the restart, Litton got the ball about 10 yards from the OPRF net, but he couldn’t hold on and OPRF scooped up the loose ball. The Huskies melted away the majority of the remaining time, and a long desperation

shot from Fenwick was tipped harmlessly away at midfield as the clock expired.

“It was a good game and I’m not beating myself up about it,” Lamb said. “The boys played hard, and that’s all that matters.”

Both OPRF and Fenwick are preparing for the IHSA state tournament. The Huskies are seeded fifth at the New Trier Sectional while the Friars are sixth.

OPRF hosts St. Patrick in a first-round game at the track and field stadium, May 21. Fenwick also hosts a first-round game that evening against Taft at Triton.

“This was a tough game going into the playoffs. I would’ve liked to work through our offense a little more, settle down and control the ball a bit,” Dan Ganschow said. “But we’re going to watch film and get ready for Wednesday.”

Meantime, Fenwick is still optimistic despite no longer having the services of senior co-captain Sam Guercio. The Marist commit is out for the season with an injury.

“Sam was our key facilitator on offense,” Lamb said. “But we’ve got other guys that are stepping up; it’s a next-manup mentality.”

OPRF baseball wins, more ways than one, on Hagins Day

By MELVIN Contributing

“For the love of the game.” has been the theme of Andr the past two seasons as the Oak River Forest High School baseball pr continues to honor his memory.

Hagins, who died in December of 2023, surely would have kies’ 11-5 home victory which took place on the second annual Andrew Hagins Day, May 17.

“It’s always a day have on our field,” said OPRF coach Campbell. “Our guys take this game superseriously; it’s got a little bit more meaning than your average g

OPRF senior catcher Joseph Leshnock, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, said it honor to represent Hagins and his family

“It’s good to get a

ANDREW HAGINS

ame ceremo, Holland was announced as Andrew Holland, ver-

sity (Ohio) this fall, was thrilled

“I’m super-honored,” he said. nothing else to say but family eat to honor them with an-

OPRF is in a good position in Silfinal week.

The Huskies lead second-place Downers third-place a full game, and fourth-

“We’ve got to take care of business against LT,” Campbell said. “We’ve put ourselves in the best possible position this late in the season. We’re happy with the competition we’ve faced the last 10 games or so; you want competitive g ames so you’ re not thrown of f when the playoffs start.”

“We’ re ready for this last stretch to take home conference,” Leshnock said. “We’ re just playing one game at a time, looking for the next win.”

“I feel if we win those games against LT,” Holland said, “we’ll just keep rolling into the playoffs and I’ll feel we can’t be stopped.”

The Huskies’ games with LT took place after press time, May 19-20. The re gularseason finale is a WSC crossover at Addison Trail, May 28.

OPRF is seeded fourth in the upcoming avis Sectional and also gional. But both Campbell and the players say their focus is on winning the WSC Silver crown, with two games against LT this week looming large.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M25000461 on April 30, 2025 Under the Assumed Business Name of SHANA’S NAME BANNERS with the business located at: 2500 S. 12TH AVE, BROADVIEW, IL 60155. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: SHANA LYNN EVERAGE 2500 S. 12TH AVE, BROADVIEW, IL 60155, USA.

Published in Forest Park Review

May 7, 14, 21, 2025

OF MINOR CHILD

STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY.

Request of Laura Cadden to change the name of Minor Child Case Number 20254000863

There will be a court date on a Request to change the name of the minor child from: Aisha Omar to the new name of: Aisha Mairead Cadden-Ocampi.

The court date will be held:

On June 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Maywood Courthouse, 1500 Maybrook Drive, Maywood, Illinois 60153 in Courtroom # 0111

Published in Forest Park Review May 7, 14, 21, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE

In accordance with the Open Meetings Act, this is to advise you that the next Riverside Township Mental Health Board meeting will be held on May 21, 2025, at the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, Illinois at the hour of 6:30 p.m.

Accordingly, the following future monthly meeting dates for 2025/2026 are as follows:

May 21, 2025

June 18, 2025

July 2025 - no meeting

August 2025 – no meeting

September 17, 2025

October 15, 2025

November 19, 2025

December 2025 – no meeting

January 21, 2026

February 18, 2026

March 18, 2026

April 15, 2026

May 20, 2026

June 17, 2026

Published in RB Landmark May 21, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICES

Advertisement for Bids

Sealed bids will be received on or before 2:00 pm prevailing time on Tuesday May 27, 2025 by Bellwood School District #187 for the following bid package: Asbestos Abatement Work for Summer 2025 Renovations Marshall Elementary School

Bid proposals received for this project at the scheduled time of receipt of bids will be publicly opened at that time.

A pre-bid meeting and walkthrough of the project work will be held on Thursday May 22, 2025 at 3:30 pm, prevailing time, at Marshall Elementary School 2501 Oak Street, Bellwood, Illinois 60104.

All bidders shall attend this meeting which will also be attended by the Owner and the Project Consultant.

Bid security in the form of a bid bond, certified check or cash in an amount equal to 5 percent of the total bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. The successful Contractor shall include payment and performance bonds for the work.

Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope addressed to:

Bellwood School District #88 640 Eastern Avenue Bellwood, Illinois 60104

SEALED BID – ASBESTOS ABATEMENT AT MARSHALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUMMER 2025 RENOVATIONS

Bellwood School District #88 reserves the right to reject any or all bids, or parts thereof, or any irregularities or informalities.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all contractors working on public works.

Bidding documents and specifications may be obtained any time on or after May 19, 2025, by contacting TEM Environmental, Inc. representative Daniel Juneau (djuneau@tem-inc.com) or may be obtained from TEM Environmental, Inc.’s office located at 174 N. Brandon Drive, Glendale Heights, Illinois 60139.

Published in Forest Park Review May 21, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICES

BID NOTICEINVITATION TO BID

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board Members of L’Arche Chicago, Cook County, Illinois that sealed bids will be received for the following improvements: Solar Panels Installation at 541 Ferdinand Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130. A walk-through for prospective bidders will be held on May 30, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. CST.

Bids will be received up to the hour of 2:00 p.m. CST, on June 5, 2025, at L’Arche Chicago, located at 7313 Madison Street, Forest Park, IL, 60130 and will be publicly opened and read at that time. All bids must be submitted by U.S. mail or hand delivered. No bids that are emailed, texted or provided by other methods will be accepted.

L’Arche Chicago’s Executive Director has been authorized to refuse to issue plans, specifications and proposals to any person, firm or corporation that he considers to be unqualified. Proposals must be submitted by bidders in their entirety.

Bidders are specifically advised that L’Arche Chicago is a Subrecipient of the County of Cook of a grant pursuant to the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, pursuant to an agreement entered into between the County of Cook and L’Arche Chicago. Payments to the contractor will be made by L’Arche Chicago and reimbursed by Cook County’s CDBG Program in accordance with the terms of the aforesaid agreement.

For additional information regarding this project and Bid Notice contact Mic Altena, Executive Director, at property@ larchechicago.org.

Published in Forest Park Review May 21, 2025

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

On Thursday, May 29th at 12:00p.m.-2:00p.m. a meeting conducted by Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District 95 will be taking place at S.E. Gross Middle School, 3524 Maple Ave. in Brookfield, in the 2nd Floor Conference room.

The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the District’s plans for providing special education services to students (who reside within the boundaries of Brookfield-LaGrange Park School District #95), with disabilities who attend private and home-schools for the 2025-2026 school year.

If you have further questions pertaining to this meeting, please contact Dean Pappas, Director of Student Services, at 708-5888863 or dpappas@district95.org

Published in RB Landmark May 21, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD

Notice of Public Hearing

Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission

June 5, 2025, at 7:00 PM NOTICE is hereby given that the Village of Brookfield Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. in the Edward Barcal Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois for the purpose of considering a request from by the Village of Brookfield, as petitioner, to Amend the text of the Village of Brookfield Zoning Ordinance Chapter 62 Zoning, to include Electric Vehicle Charging.

The public is invited to attend the public hearing and present oral and/ or written comments. Written comments may be provided prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the public hearing to: Village of Brookfield, Planning and Zoning Commission c/o Libby Popovic, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, IL 60513, lpopovic@brookfieldil.gov, or 708485-1113. Oral or written testimony may be given during the public hearing. The application may be viewed at the Village of Brookfield Village Hall during normal business hours. Please reference PZC Case 25-10. Public hearings may be continued from time to time without further notice except as otherwise required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Individuals with disabilities requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in any meeting should contact the Village of Brookfield (708) 4857344 prior to the meeting. Wheelchair access is available through the front (South) entrance of Village Hall. By the Order of Chuck Grund, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman.

Published in RB Landmark May 21, 2025

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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

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

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

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

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be received by the Park District of Oak Park for the following project:

The New Field Center GROUND UP CONSTRUCTION OAK PARK, IL 60302

Bids will be received until 11 AM Central Time on June 20, 2025 at the Park District of Oak Park Administrative offices, 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 11:15 AM Central Time on that date. There will be no virtual opening of the bids. Contractors are welcome to be present for the bid opening.

Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked:

Park District of Oak Park 218 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302

Attention: Bulley & Andrews

Project: PDOP The New Field Center

Trade Package # Name of Submitting Contractor

Scope of work for Bid Package generally includes, but is not limited to: Site and selective demolition; cast-in-place concrete; metal fabrications; cross laminated and glue laminated timber; rough carpentry; architectural woodwork and plastic laminated cabinetry; roofing; insulation; doors/frames/ hardware; structural sealant glazed curtainwall; drywall installations; flooring installations; bathroom specialties; fabric curtains; roller shades; stabilized rammed earth construction; fire suppression; plumbing; HVAC; electrical installations; fire alarm installations; earthwork; concrete paving; permeable pavers; stabilized aggregate paving; decorative metal fences & gates; site utilities

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount must be submitted with the bid, payable to the Park District of Oak Park, 218 Madison Street,

Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted.

No bids shall be withdrawn, cancelled or modified after the time for opening of bids without the Board’s consent for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of bid opening.

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available May 27, 2025 on Bulley & Andrews Building Connected Website. Contractors wishing to gain access to the bid documents can email Tom Sampey (Tsampey@bulley.com) or Mike Cottick (Mcottick@bulley. com) and you will be invited to the project website to download the bid documents.

The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District.

A non-mandatory site will be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions and site logistics. Site visit will be held on June 12, 2025 at 2pm.

All bidders must comply with applicable Illinois Law requiring the payment of prevailing wages by all Contractors working on public works. If during the time period of work, the prevailing wage rates change, the contractor shall be responsible for additional costs without any change to the contract amount. All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Tom Sampey (@ 312.610.3637) or Michael Cottick (@ 847.989.9650).

Published in Wednesday Journal May 21, 2025

Submit events and see full calendar at oakpark.com/events

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH

Whether you are struggling with a temporary challenge or if you are living with a chronic condition, your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

50%

More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

GROWING CRISIS AMONG YOUTH

America’s youth mental health crisis is been worse since the COVID�19 pandemic.

1/3rd

of OPRF High School students reported feeling so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing some usual/regular activities.

Source: 2024 Illinois Youth Survey

INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE

The Community Mental Health Board of Oak Park Township �CMHB� and the River Forest Township Mental Health Committee invest in a continuum of mental health care that is responsive to our unique and evolving community needs. Together, we provided over $1.6M last year to help local organizations and schools offer prevention, early intervention, treatment, and quality-of-life services to Oak Park and River Forest residents. Our grants resulted in:

COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH BOARD OF OAK PARK TOWNSHIP

� Over 7,900 Oak Park residents accessing services

� Nearly 10,000 units of mental health treatment for Oak Park residents

� Over 270 Oak Park residents living with an intellectual or developmental disability recieved services.

� Over 750 Oak Park high school students trained in suicide prevention

In fiscal year 2025, CMHB provided over $1.4M in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit oakparktownship.org/CMHB.

RIVER FOREST TOWNSHIP MENTAL HEALTH COMMITTEE

� Over 17,000 hours of services provided to River Forest residents

� Nearly 500 hours of educational presentations on mental health to River Forest residents

� Over 900 River Forest high school students trained in suicide prevention

In fiscal year 2025, RFT provided over $225,000 in funding for mental health, substance use, and intellectual/developmental disability services. To learn more about our work in this area, visit www.riverforesttownship.org/mental-health.

WednesdayJournal_052125

Are D97 middle schools safer?

Oak Park’s police oversight committee seeks data on Flock camera use

Committee chair says police have refused to hand over data

Your

Your Community.

River Forest Memorial Day parade celebrates milestone anniversar y

Business Bash added to Keystone Park fun

Oak Park marks Memorial Day

WEDNESD AY

Healthy Minds Matter YOUR BEST LIFE with Lisa Capone

FLOCK Looking for da from pa

Twice each year, we ask readers to invest in our newsroom

HALEY

Sponsored Content

Celebrating Older Americans Month

IN MEMORIA M

Mary Anne Brown, fittingly, dies on Mother’s Day

Marijuana dispensar y could come to North Avenue

As village awaits special-use meeting, business group is concerned about tra c impact of the dispensar y

Oak Park public health sta ers contribute to West Side overdoses report

Oak Park

among authors of report on opioid exposure on West Side

Dominican grad students help suppor t senior citizens

Social work students ha been helping senior citiz build connection

Oak Park OKs $5 million in water and sewer work

Oak Park will under take a set of sewer and water improvements this year

No demolition ordered by judge at Lake and Lathrop Village loses

request to clear long-stalled development site

Moore takes president’s chair at District 97 school board

Maximizing Flowering Shrub Impact

Former president Kim begins second stint as board vice president

SCHOOL

Y

A focus on connection

Schedule change plays role

D97 relationship with Oak Park police

Have changes been e ective?

One mom says her child faced gang threats at Brooks

Goudie overcomes patchy documentation to deliver the verdict on Accardo

Two mobsters: River Forest’s Accardo vs. Oak Park’s Giancana

GCM spells victory at adult spelling bee

CRIME

Oak Park police arrest man for unlawful weapon charge

Battery investigation

Tool theft

Artists to start a new life in Panama

Mother and daughter share stories about their lives in Forest Park

Their life as artists

The Panama move

Fire sparks restoration of E.E. Roberts home

SPELLING BEE

“Quality, A ordable, Independent Housing for Seniors”

RESTORATION

Oak Park home sells for $1,450,000

GAY

VIEWPOINTS

Greatness from a coaching du o

OUR VIEWS

Citizens and police review

Memorial Day notes

Baseball and nest-watching

KEN TRAINOR

One of those who perished

Considering River Forest development

Singing to honor those who fought

Scaman’s appointment process

Getting into trouble with pronouns

Foster families nd resources through Facebook

WEDNESD AY

JOURNAL

Viewpoints Guidelines

Native plants are better for pollinators

Don’t play down negatives at OPRF

EMILY DAGOSTINO

Save public transit funding

OBITUARIES

Jordan Ri s, 79 Lawyer for the underdog

Lillian Vail, 89

Worked for Shaker Advertising