Wednesday Journal 062823

Oak Park trustees begin cultural competency training

three training sessions

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Oak Park village board members began cultural competency training Monday night during a public board meeting. This was the first of three planned sessions and was led by Danielle Walker, the village’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

The training was requested by Trustee Lucia Robinson, and seconded by Trustee Ravi Parakkat, as part

See TRAINING on pa ge 9

Sesquicentennial mural will showcase Huskie pride

OPRF students work on the legacy item through summer

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

The celebration of the 150th anniversary of Oak Park and River Forest High School is already underway for the 2023-24 school year as participating students work through the summer on a mural showcasing their Huskie pride and leaving behind their own legacy for the next 150 years.

The mosaic mural, which will be displayed on the west side of the building, was sponsored by the Oak Park and River Forest High School Huskie Booster Club, which donated $50,000 for the legacy item. The mural is being commissioned by OPRF visual art teacher Tracy Van Duinen, local Chicagoland artist Carolyn Elaine, and OPRF students through a partnership with the Oak Park Area Arts Council’s Off the Wall program.

Van Duinen, said the past few months were dedicated to the design process but now they have begun the building, which is expected to take six weeks to complete.

Composed of a big huskie along with the date the school was founded, 1873, the colorful mural will feature a massive tree and leaves appearing to be blowing in the wind.

Trying to pull students into every aspect of the project, student Kaspian Murray, 16, helped with the initial design process and presented options to the school board.

Murray said he brought the full face of the huskie into the design

“Just getting it,” Murray said. “It was

really fun, and this is something that will be going on the wall for I don’t know, a century or more. It will probably outlive me so just getting my name on that credits wall is going to be really cool.”

Murray is one of 13 students who were hired to rk on the mural through the Off all program, which teaches kids how to create public art through a paid position.

While the project has been careully and strategically planned out, Van Duinen said students ve experienced moments of improvisation and problem solvfor example if they run out of tile in a certain color, adding special touches to the mural.

auren Edwards, 18 years old and a recent graduate of OPRF, has been involved with Off the Wall for three years.

Edwards said she is excited for the legacy it leaves behind.

“I love that it is going to be on the school forever, I think that is so cool,” Edwards said. “It is going to be something that will become iconic to the school.”

According to Van Duinen, the project will cost a little over $90,000 to complete. While the Boosters had donated $50,000, Van Duinen said through the collaboration with the Arts Council, they were able to combine budgets, increasing the amount allocated for the

project.

According to an OPRF newsletter, this is the first large visible arts project the Boosters have supported for OPRF

Board of Education member Mary Anne Mohanraj had previously expressed concer n regarding the design, deeming it not “adventuresome” enough and Fred Arkin, board member, raised questions of whether the mural was the proper way to use the $50,000 grant given by the Booster Club. Both ultimately voted in favor of the project.

Elaine, who has been with the Of f the Wall summer program for 18 years, said this is one of the biggest projects the program has tackled.

“In that regard, it has been more thinking it through and making sure we can get the materials,” Elaine said, adding that thankfully through the collaboration from all parties, the program was able to hire more students this summer. “Budget dictates everything.”

Taking a step back to let the community voice speak through, Elaine said the students, Van Duinen, and the stakeholders have created a beautiful piece.

“They are very committed to this piece because it is their high school,” Elaine said. “It represents the school. It reflects community, the comradery with the students. It’s their energy, it’s their design and they are putting their heart and soul, and a little bit of blood, into this.”

e cur rent rendering might not be the nal design as students w ith the O the Wall program work through summer to build the mosaic mural, which will be installed on a west wall of the high school for at least the next 50 years.

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

OPRF students work with mosaic tiles and mirrors as they build the mural in celebration of the 150th anniversar y of the high school.

hi d

Lau gra

BIG WEEK

June 28-July 5

Hip-Hop Dance Class

Wednesday, June 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m. (ages 5-8), 4:30-5:30 p.m. (ages 8-11), Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library Glide, slide and shake it up through hip-hop rhythms with teachers from Oak Park’s own Just Cause Dancers. This blend of classroom and dance party comes courtesy of  Collections of Culture: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Inside Libraries, Museums and Archives, made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Learn more at oppl.org/ hip-hop-50. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Thursday Night Out: West End 40

Thursday, June 29, 5-9 p.m., downtown Oak Park  Another in a series of outdoor free concerts. Tonight’s show features West End 40, playing classic rock, R&B, smooth jazz and originals. Outdoors on Marion St. between Lake St. and North Blvd., Oak Park.

Concerts In The Park: Wood Street Bloodhounds

Sunday, July 2, 6-7:30 p.m., Scoville Park Live bluegrass music. 800 Lake St., Oak Park.

Intermediate Chess Class

Thursday, June 29, 3:30-5 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library This intermediate class, taught by Luis Tubens, is a prime way for kids in grades K-5 to sharpen up their chess skills. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Listing your event

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

■ Send details to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302

■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

July 4th Parade

Tuesday, July 4, 10 a.m., Longfellow Center & Park

The diversity of Oak Park will be on display during this joyous procession, which starts at Longfellow Park and marches north on Ridgeland Avenue to Augusta Boulevard and winds down at Whittier Elementary School on Harvey Avenue. The route o ers many viewing opportunities along the way. 610 S. Ridgeland, Oak Park.

Sustainabilit y at Home: Basics & Bene ts of Electric Vehicles

Thursday, June 29, 6:30-7:30 p.m., virtually through the Oak Park Public Library Learn about the bene ts of electric vehicles (EVs) and nd out how some common myths about EVs are not telling the full story. The Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability’s Community Outreach Coordinator Kate Carney will discuss the basics of electric vehicles, and a Q&A session will follow. Register now at oppl.org/calendar.

Oak Parker Nix named top aide to VP Harris’ re-election campaign

Has worked for Joe Biden and Jill Biden

By BOB SKOLNIK

Contributing Reporter

An Oak Parker will have a prominent role in the 2024 presidential campaign On June 21 the Biden-Harris campaign announced that Sheila Nix will be the campaign chief of staf mala Harris. Nix mo Park in 2003. Nix is cu the chief of staf Education Miguel was appointed to that job in 2021.

“Sheila Nix is a battle tested leader and dedicated vant and I am gr has decided to join our 2024 campaign,” said Har lease issued by the campaign. “Sheila is no stranger to campaigns or the ris team. Sheila’s to navigate challenges made her an in able advisor to me on our 2020 tion team. President Biden and I will continue to rely on Sheila’s advice and skill.”

Nix, 61, has extensive ties to the Bidens. She was a senior advisor to Harris during the 2020 Biden-Harris campaign. From 2013 until 2017, during the second term of President Barack Obama, Nix served as the chief of staff to then second lady Jill Biden. She served as Joe Biden’s campaign chief of the staff during the 2012 reelection campaign of the Obama-Biden ticket.

“I am really excited about the new position because it’s so important to get the word out about the impactful changes for families across the U.S. that the Biden/Harris administration has made through its Invest in America agenda,” Nix told Wednesday Journal. “This election is also so important in the fight for our freedoms and to protect our democracy.”

Nix, who grew up in Palatine, moved to Oak Park in 2003 after working in Washington for 14 years. She served as a deputy governor for policy in the administration of former Illinois Gover nor Rod Blagojevich, who

Welcome to Our Town Oak Park

was ultimately impeached and convicted on federal corruption charges.

“Fortunately I was not there at the beginning or end of his administration,” Nix said.

Nix graduated from Creighton University where she majored in accounting and earned a law de gree from the University of C. in the prestigious ter law firm. After rter direcf for rrey. enate in f of NelNix ear in 2008 and 2009 as a senior vice-president for the onsulting fir m nearly the

One Campaign, a non-profit co-founded by the singer Bono that focuses on fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease

From 2017 until she became the chief of staff to the Secretary of Education in 2021, Nix served as the president of Tusk Philanthropies, a non-profit focused on promoting mobile voting and developing solutions to the problem of hunger. Tusk Philanthropies was founded and funded by Bradley Tusk, who worked with Nix in the Blagojevich administration. Tusk served as the Deputy Gover nor of Illinois under Blagojevich and went on to work with then New York mayo Michael Bloomberg. Tusk has also work in finance and as a venture capitalist. Neither Nix nor Tusk were involved in Blago jevich’s wrongdoings.

Nix and her husband Jim Coughlan, an intellectual property attorney, still own home in Oak Park that they had been, until recently, renting out. Nix will start her new job next month and will be based in Washington, D.C. and Wilmington, Delaware.

“Our Town Oak Park – Walk with Me, in Search of True Community”, a new book by Wednesday Journal columnist Ken Trainor, an Oak Park native, is based on short essays, published over three decades in the local newspaper, that chronicle life in a dynamic, ever-evolving town where the unique meets the universal. The unifying thread is true community — nding it in the extraordinary ordinary, in the day-to-day, the face-to-face, the moments of beauty, and, as Thornton Wilder said of his play, Our Town, nding “a value above all price for the smallest events in our daily life.” Our Town Oak Park aims for that same “rainbow’s end,” capturing the experience of being alive — in one middle-sized, middleclass, Midwest town at the beginning of the 21st century. Join this pedestrian-friendly journey in search of true community.

The book is available at The Book Table, the Oak Park River Forest History Museum, or online via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

SHEILA NIX

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

Now safely moving new residents to our small, wooded campus.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

A safe & smart choice.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more important.

Choosing a community you can trust has never been more difficult.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

Our community has an impeccable record of safety during the COVID-19 crisis and we will stop at nothing to make sure it continues.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

We would be honored for your family to be part of ours.

Sawa’s Old Warsaw

2nd Annual Classic Car Show

bring

State Senator and Senate President Don Harmon (le ) and Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman speak at the ceremony at Triton College.

GreenTown is growing

The GreenTown Climate and Equity conference held June 20 at T riton C olle ge in Rive r Grove featured many vo ices including those of near west suburban mayo rs who joined to g ether a year ago to create the Cross-Community Climate C ollaborative (C4). It is an ef fo rt to share resources and climate solutions across c ommunities stretching from Oak Pa rk to Broadview to Rive rside and LaGrange Pa rk .

T he U. S. C onference of Mayo rs used the gathering to reco gnize the shared wo rk of Vi llage President Vi cki Scaman of

Oak Pa rk , Mayo r Katrina T hompson of Broadview and Vi llage President Cathy

A dduci of Rive r Fo rest.

So fa r, C4 has rece ived gr ants from the Mayo rs C onference for wo rk on childhood obesity and environmental health.

A $500,000 state gr ant, secured by Stat e Re p. C amille Lilly, was recently rece ived by C4 .

A lso speaking at the ceremony we re Gary C uneen, president of Seven Generations A head, and State S enate President Don Har mon.

TODD BANNOR

Home invader shows gun then ees

An Oak Park resident found an armed burglar in her apar tment in the 300 block of South Austin Boulevard on Saturday evening.

At approximately 5:50 p.m., June 24, after hearing a noise coming from her kitchen, she spotted a man standing in her living room. The man pointed a silver handgun at the resident, who fled her apar tment unit. The burglar also fled Police believe the man possibly entered through an unlocked window. The estimated loss is unknown at this time.

Burglary

■ A black purse containing a driver’s license, credit and debit cards was taken during a home burglary in the 300 block of Wesley Avenue between 10 p.m., June 21, and 5:26 a.m., June 22. Police believe the intruder and open bathroom wind loss is $100.

■ Someone shattered the glass office door

to Performance Massage Therapy, 715 Lake St., then once inside, ransacked several drawers and removed cash, between 1 p.m., June 24, and 9:27 a.m., June 25. The estimated loss is $100.

■ Someone shattered the front glass door to Service King Paint & Body, 1029 South Blvd., then ransacked a silver toolbox around 5 a.m., June 21. The estimated damage is $1,200.

Motor vehicle theft

A Hyundai Elantra was removed in the 300 block of Austin Boulevard between 5 p.m., June 19, and 11 a.m., June 20.

Attempted motor vehicle theft

■ The rear passenger side window of a 2015 Hyundai Elantra was broken, and the

of a 2014 Kia For te and peeled the vehicle’s steering wheel column between 11:30 p.m., June 23, and 7:12 a.m., June 24, in the 900 block of South Avenue.

■ A witness saw two men break the rear window of a 2015 Kia Optima, then enter the vehicle and peel its steering column, at 5 a.m., June 24, in the 300 block of Lake Street. T he two men then fled in a gray, box-shaped sports utility vehicle traveling northbound on Ridgeland Avenue from Lake Street.

■ A witness saw three men break the rear window of a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe at 9:35 a.m., June 24, in the 700 block of South Maple Avenue. T he men fled in a gold Hyundai, last seen going northbound on Wenonah Avenue from Adams Street. T he Santa Fe had its steering wheel column peeled

North Oak Park Avenue between 10 a.m. and 11:03 a.m., June 25.

Criminal proper ty damage

The glass storefront of a Shell gas station, 6129 W. North Ave., was damaged by a projectile from a shooting in Chicago at 2:29 p.m., June 25. The Chicago Police Department is currently investigating the incident.

These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports, dated June 21-26, 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 physical descripseek the public’s

A package containing a video picture frame was taken from the 100 block of

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Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

Beer Shop and Sandwich King team up for the Fourth

Making holiday prep easy with a one -stop shop for beer and burgers

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

T here won’t be any fireworks this year in Oak Park or River Forest, but you can always light up the g rill. A new collaboration between two local businesses will have you covered for the star-spangled holiday feast. Beer, burgers and hotdogs are a classic combination just like red, white and blue Food Network star and River Forest resident Jeff Mauro and Oak Park’s Beer Shop are partnering this year to offer customers a package of premium meat and a discount on beer for the Fourth of July

“We didn’t just want to provide food; we wanted to provide the best and we’re lucky that this is happening,” said Beer Shop co-owner Danielle Dengel of the partnership with Mauro, known to television audiences as the “Sandwich King.”

The Mauro Provisions package includes 16 jumbo half-pound wet-aged steak hotdogs and eight half-pound hamburgers made of Certified Angus Beef for $79.99 — that’s 30% of f the re gular retail price. The Beer Shop, 1026 North Blvd., is serving as the sole pick-up location, so

there are no shipping costs

“We really don’t want people schlepping around to all the big-box stores,” said Dengel.

To further sweeten the deal, Beer Shop is giving a 10% discount of f all packaged beer to those who order the package of meats, making it a one-stop shop for Independence Day essentials

“You need beer and meat on the Fourth,” said Mauro.

Dengel recommends pairing the meats with a lager or pilsner — lighter beers that you can drink while you’re cooking the meat or hanging outside. Her favorites come from Kinslahger Beer Company and Dovetail Brewery, both of which Beer Shop carries.

This is Mauro’s first partnership with the Beer Shop, and he hopes to build on that in the future. A self-proclaimed beer lover, Mauro is a Beer Shop customer himself and praised the shop’s “g reat vibe,” which “represents the community so well.”

Both Mauro and Dengel have already gotten their July 4th boxes. The Beer Shop celebrates Independence Day ahead of time with a staf f barbecue. Dengel told Wednesday Journal she intends to order another box to make the celebration extra special.

Grill masters have until June 29 to preorder, which can be done online through the Mauro Provisions website. Pick up is available July 1 and 2 from 12 p.m. to midnight.

Sandwich King Je Mauro says, “You need beer and meat on the Fourth.”

ks in Oak Park but parade marches on

No space or sponsors to host a display

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

dogs won’t have to cower under ourth of July as there will be no angs and pops to frighten them. The will not be hosting its fireworks diswhich will surely get some even if it may disappoint Oak esidents. There is still, how, a parade to look forward to endence Day parade begins at 10 a.m., ly 4, at Longfellow Park, march-

ing north on Ridgeland Avenue from Adams to Augusta Street. It will then disperse near Whittier Elementary School.

The Oak Park parade took place last year, but the village’s 2022 fireworks display was canceled in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting that took place during the Fourth of July Parade in north suburban Highland Park.

Historically, the Oak Park fireworks have been funded by local businesses and other community organizations. Last year, an anonymous donor footed the expense of the show, which was rescheduled for December and became a holiday-themed drone light display. It was the wish of the donor to have the funds utilized before the end of that year,

according to village officials

No such donor, anonymous or otherwise, stepped up this year to pay for a Fourth of July fireworks show, but that is not the only factor currently at play. Even if a donor should come forward, the village would likely not have enough time to coordinate such an event.

There is also not an area to safely set off fireworks this year. Traditionally, the rockets and Catherine wheels are detonated on the grounds of Oak Park and River Forest High School. Due to the ongoing renovation of the athletic fields at the school and across Lake Street at Ridgeland Common, the space normally utilized for fireworks is currently unavailable.

Public librar y and village hall join to ban book banning

Oak Park is now a book sanctuar y community

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

The number of reported attempts to ban books doubled in 2022, according to the American Library Association, which hosted its annual conference in Chicago last weekend. A large part of the conference, the Associated Press reported, was dedicated to the increasing calls to ban books and how to fight such bans

Just two days before thousands of librarians flocked to the Windy City for the six-day event, Oak Park declared itself a book sanctuary community. The Village of Oak Park, in partnership with the Oak Park Public Library, unanimously adopted the ALA’s “Freedom to Read” statement, cementing its status as a community that protects in-

TRAINING

Cultural competency

from page 1

of the board’s goal to become a leader in racial equity. Board members spent the hour-long presentation taking in infor mation and participating in individual activities. Limited discussion was had with board members mostly asking questions to better their understanding of the material presented, while complimenting Walker on her work.

Cultural competency training for elected officials is aligned with best practices on operationalizing diversity, equity and inclusion in a community, according to Walker, and can increase trust in local gover nment, especially within marginalized groups.

While Walker emphasized that training of this nature is ongoing and ever evolving, the board’s sessions will cover core topics regarding diversity, equity and inclusion using a “deconstruct, disrupt, dismantle” framework. The objective of the initial session, according to Walker, was to put the pieces of the DEI puzzle together, not necessarily remembering all of the terminology used “You each have a piece of the puzzle that contributes to the collective learning,” she said.

dividuals’ right to intellectual freedom amid increased calls for literary censorship.

“It’s to support democra and protect the freedom to read,” said Joslyn Bowling Dixon, executive director of Oak Park’s public library system, at the June 20 Oak Park village board meeting

The move comes on the heels of a state-wide ban on banning books, which was passed June 12 and goes into effect Jan. 1. The Illinois state law prohibits book banning in state-funded libraries and schools – a law Gov. J.B. Pritzker said was the first of its kind in the United States In becoming a book sanctuar the Vil-

lage of Oak Park has made a commitment to deny support, financial or otherwise, to businesses, gover nment entities or organizations that ban books or champions book bans.

And by adopting the resolution, the village board further committed to upholding Oak Park as a community where every person has access to endangered and challenged books The resolution further codifies Oak Park as a place where people can educate others on the history of banned books, as well as host book talks, story times and other such events about books without the risk of be-

While the Oak Park Public Library has not received a request in the last five years to ban books, it’s happening elsewhere. The American Library Association reported that a record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship last year, a 38% increase from 2021. The vast majority of these books are about or were by members of the LGBTQ+ community and non-white authors.

The titles at risk of banning aren’t all contemporary works either. Revered works of literature routinely get removed from school syllabi and taken of f library shelves including Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleber ry Finn” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” first published in 1970, ranked as the third most challenged book of 2022, according to the ALA.

of people, they feel like they’re being put on the spot.”

Inspiring, not shaming, someone into action creates change, according to Walker. She instructed the board to lean into any feelings of discomfort rather than avoid them, so that people undergoing training can “think through” the different emotional responses.

“DEI is an opportunity for us to learn and grow together,” said Walker.

The dates of the two other sessions will focus on the “disrupt” and “dismantle” legs of the training framework. The dates of those sessions have yet to be scheduled, but the next is expected to take place in July

Monday night’s session was dedicated to the deconstructing, with much time spent on debunking common myths associated with the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. The first of the eight myths Walker presented was the idea that diversity, equity and inclusion ef for ts were created to make white people feel bad about themselves.

“This is a big one!” said Walker.

This conviction is popular nationwide among opponents of critical race theory as

they believe teaching how public policy has been shaped by systemic racism will result in white school children feeling guilty for being white.

Walker, however, believes pointing a finger at white people, or people of other privile ged groups, creates a barrier of understanding, which prevents people from eng aging because they don’t know how to reconcile their feelings.

“That leads to a lot of uncomfortableness, uncertainty,” said Walker. “For a lot

Like the first, the second and third sessions will take place during public meetings. This is in contrast to similar training previously undertaken by village board members. Under Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb, the village board underwent racial equity training through the National League of Cities in 2020. That training was conducted privately, with the board, village staf f and citizen commissioners split into different training groups.

At the time, the board included Village Clerk Vicki Scaman, now village president, and Trustee Susan Buchanan, who was in her first term. Those two are the only board members that will have taken part in both Walker’s training and that of the National League of Cities.

JOSLYN BOWLING DIXON Library direc tor

Six semi nalists make their case to the D200 board

Finalists will be invited back to July 13 closed session

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Last winter, with three seats on the Distric 200 Board of Education up for election, onl five people filed to run for the school and one of them, then-incumbent Sara Spi quickly dropped out of the race

But now — with the school board looking to appoint a new member of the school boar to replace Kebreab Henry who resigned from the board last month because he is movin out of the district — 13 people jumped chance to get on the school board without running for election by applying to fill tha vacancy.

After looking at interest, the school point someone to ser Henry’s term, narrowed semifinalists who a in an open special meeting on June 21.

The six semifinalists teacher Nancy Alexander; physical education teacher Pete Miller; Lee, chief people officer Hospital; attorney Leslie Stephenshaw, manufacturing company; and Forest village board member Mi OPRF alumnus

Five of the six are Black, including two who are mixed Huskie Booster Club president, was the onl white person among the six semifinalists Henry had been the only Black member of the school since Gina Harris’ term ended in May, so the school board is cu a Black member. Gibb encouraged the school board to expand its definition of diversity.

“Diversity, as I define it, is diversity of thought,” Gibbs told the school board.

The six semifinalists were each given 10 minutes to make a presentation to the board, responding to the same set of questions, which all had been given in advance. There was not much difference in the way they answered those questions. One distinction was on whether they would run for a full fouryear term if appointed to the school board to replace Henry.

Miller, a longtime resident of Oak Park who teaches at the UHigh, the high school of the University of Chicago Laboratory School,

full ter m.”

The other applicants said they would likely run for a full term or haven’t made up their minds.

Clark-Keys who, like Alexander, appeared via Zoom, is an employment attorney, currently working for Allianz Global Risks, a large insurance and financial services company

“I’m also a Black mother of two Black children and this does not mean I’m more sympathetic toward one group of children over another, but it does influence the way I process information in a unique manner,” ClarkKeys said. “It empowers me to advocate for underrepresented groups.”

lexander is a bilingual for mer ESL teachiddle-school students in English and Spanish in the Evanston Comonsolidated School District for more than 20 years. Alexander, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University, is a longtime Oak Park resident who has been a substitute teacher at OPRF for the last three years. She is the mother of two Black OPRF graduates. Alexander pointed to her 32 years of public school experience in a variety of roles

“I know school systems and I know how they work,” Alexander told the school board. Being retired would also be an advantage, she said.

“I have the time to devote to being a school board member.”

earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Northwestee in organizational vior from Benedictine University.

“I want our high school to be very vibrant; I want it to be radically inclusive; I want it to lliams-Lee, the mother aduate of OPRF and one he added that the ould be the mental-health students and staff. aduate of Stanford Unimanager for Oilmerica. Her mother who worked with y and became an obnecologist in her 30s, and her he noted that she was

“I think I bring a little diversity to the ich is right now a little lacking,” she said, adding that her only child will be a at OPRF next year. “That doesn’t reflect our community well.”

After hearing from the six semifinalists, oard met in closed session for an hour to pick two or three finalists second interviews, this losed session on July 13. That is also oard expects to pick a replacehe board has not told the nal who the finalists are. ho did not receive invitations the board were Kevin Peppard, a frequent critic of local school boards and a mostly self-taught specialist on school finance; for mer River Forest District 90 school board member Cal Davis, a member of OPRF’s Community Finance Committee who was defeated in April when he ran for another term on the D90 Board of Education; Vincent Gay, a for mer Chicago charter school principal and current Midwest Regional director of the Relay Graduate School of Education; Colin Jamal Bird-Martinez, an OPRF alumnus who works as consultant for S&P Global; Misty Olson, a consultant and active OPRF volunteer; Thomas Finn, chief financial officer for Rhodian Group, an IT managed services company; and Henry Sampson, a retired high school and college English teacher.

Board President Tom Cofsky described the entire applicant pool as a group of “very well qualified individuals.”

MIKE GIBBS PETE MILLER

LESLIE STEPHENSHAW

Austin activist chosen to ll county board seat

Backed by Mayor Johnson, Tara Stamps wins appointment

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

The Democratic Party selection committee chose union activist and for mer Chicago aldermanic candidate Tara Stamps to succeed Brandon Johnson on the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

The meeting, held June 20 at The Carleton Hotel in Oak Park, 1110 Pleasant St., lasted a little over three hours, with about half of it involving interviews of the six finalists chosen from among applicants. According to the committee chair, Illinois Sen. President Don Harmon (D-39th), one candidate was eliminated quickly, but it took five rounds of voting before the committee agreed to support Stamps. She was sworn in immediately and will serve until at least the end of 2024. If she wins the March 2024 Democratic primary and that year’s general election, Stamps will be able to serve out the remaining half of Johnson’s ter m.

Rory Hoskins, Forest Park’s mayor, was the only elected official to throw his hat in the ring. He said that, if selected, he would continue to serve as mayor, but would give up that office if he won the March 2024 primary. After Stamps was selected, Hoskins told this newspaper that he wished Stamps well, and that he won’t run against her in 2024.

The 1st District spans the city and the suburbs, including all of Austin, Oak Park, Forest Park, Maywood and Bellwood Stamps was born in Cabrini-Green. A daughter of civil rights activist Marion Stamps, she told the committee that taking part in protests was a formative part of her upbringing. Stamps became a Chicago Public Schools language arts teacher in 1996, and, aside from taking two years off to raise her kids, she continued teaching until 2018. Stamps told the committee that she was a “mentor-teacher” to Johnson while he was attending what was then known as the Jenner Elementary Academy of the Arts. She currently works as administrator for new teacher development at the Chicago Teachers Union.

As an adult, Stamps became an activist in her own right. She ran against Austin Ald.

Emma Mitts (37th) in 2015 and 2019.

When a Cook County board seat becomes vacant, the committee made up of ward and township committeepersons from thei political party get to choose the successor Each committeeperson’s vote was worth the equivalent of the number of votes Johnson got in their ward or township during the 2022 election. Harmon, who serves as the Oak Park Township committeeperson, and County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, the Proviso Township committeeperson, collectively held 58.72% of the vote. On the city side, 2nd Ward Committeeperson Tim Egan and Alds. Walter Burnett (27th), Jason Ervin (28th), Chris Taliaferro (29th), Scott Waguespack (32nd) and Mitts attended the committee meeting. Ald. Daniel LaSpata (1st) and 26th Ward Committeeperson Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez were absent, but they gave Harmon their proxies.

During the meeting, Mitts said she supported Stamps’ candidacy, and Stamps said she supported Mitts in retur n.

“Solidarity is our own superpower,” Stamps told Mitts. “I’m here to be in lockstep with you to create a better, stronger, safer West Side.”

Hoskins was re-elected to his second ter m as mayor this April. He had previously served as a Forest Park village commissioner. He ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois House several years ago. During the committee interview, Hoskins said that he was a social worker in the 1990s, working with organizations in Humboldt Park and Austin. Hoskins said he decided to apply for the seat at the urging of his constituents sometime in mid-May, and that he filed the application on the May 30 deadline

Aside from Stamps and Hoskins, the finalists included Rev. Ira J. Acree, co-chair of the Leaders Network, a faith-based West Side social justice group and pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church; for mer 29th Ward aldermanic candidate and Cook County president candidate Zerlina SmithMembers, Managing Deputy Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation Tommie Johnson and activist Claiborne Wade, who is originally from Aus-

tin but moved to Forest Park two years ago.

The Foxboro Room was packed with supporters for all candidates, the majority of whom came from the West Side. Acree, Smith-Members and Stamps got particularly loud applause. The candidates were interviewed one at a time. All were asked whether they felt they would be able to raise the money for their election campaign if they were selected and whether they would run against the selected candidate if they weren’t.

Johnson, Stamps and Smith-Members said that, if they weren’t selected, they would run for the seat, while Wade said that he was so confident in his chances that he wouldn’t even consider what happens if he wasn’t chosen.

“I’m absolutely going to run, because I’m uniquely qualified to continue the progressive measures that [Brandon Johnson pushed for] in the commissioner seat,” Stamps said.

She said she was able to raise nearly $250,000 during her previous campaigns and she expects to be able to sur pass that.

“I’m happy to call on the support of the mayor and labor, so that we have a competitive race” Stamps said, adding that she was confident that they’d come through.

Hoskins said that he got “funding commitments” since he expressed interest in the position to raise the necessary funds. He said that, if he wasn’t selected, he would support the appointee in the election.

All finalists were asked how they would balance the interests of Chicago and suburban portions of the district. Stamps said that she was no stranger to the suburbs, saying she volunteered at Proviso Township

and spoke at Oak Park’s 19th Century Club She said she sees herself as “bridge-builder” and she would bring it to all parts of the district.

The finalists were asked to describe their two major priorities if selected. Stamps said she would prioritize public safety – something that, based on her experience growing up in Cabrini-Green, required investment in programs. She also wanted to work toward expanding affordable housing in the city and the suburbs, something that, she believed, was especially important for seniors struggling to pay their bills.

Harmon also quizzed Stamps on her support for a commuter tax during her 2019 campaign. Stamps said she would keep an open mind.

“I’m prepared to analyze what’s in the best interest of our constituents,” she said, adding that, as a for mer teacher, she appreciated the importance of growing and lear ning After the interviews, the committee went into executive session, which lasted around 90 minutes. The staff had all the finalists lined up. As Harmon announced Stamps’ selection, a significant part of the remaining crowd erupted in cheers.

When asked what might have put her over the top, Stamps told reporters that it was her record as a “servant leader” and the service to the community Mitts told this newspaper that she was happy for her one-time opponent.

“Instead of getting the [aldermanic] seat, there’s another opportunity for her to get another seat, so everybody is happy,” she said. “We need unity in the community, and we need to fight together for the opportunities.”

IGOR STUDENKOV

Tara Stamps takes oath of o ce as Cook County commissioner.

Soup and Bread fundraisers raise money for West Side, west suburban food pantries

Fundraisers held monthly at Forest Park’s Exit Strategy Brewing

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

For Katherine Valleau, a for mer teacher and Forest Park School District 91 board member, and current co-owner of Exit Strategy Brewing, helping to reduce hunger and food insecurity is deeply personal.

“I feel very strongly about food stuff,” she said. “I taught here in town, and, like, seeing a 10-year-old coming in hungry, it would just wreck you.”

Social responsibility, Valleau said, was always an important part of Exit Strategy’s ethos. And when she was asked if she would be interested in hosting Soup and Bread fundraisers, which raise money for local food pantries by offering all-you-can-eat, home-cooked soups, Valleau embraced it with gusto

The fundraisers kicked off in March, and they have been held every third Tuesday of the month from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. So far, they’ve raised funds for Oak Park’s Beyond Hunger food pantry, 848 Lake St., Forest Park’s Mohr Community Center food pantry, 7640 Jackson Blvd., Elmwood Park Community Food Pantry, 2334 N. 75th Ave., and North Lawndale’s Stone Temple Baptist Church, 3622 W. Douglas Blvd. The July 18 event will raise money for the Westchester Food Pantry, 1938 S. Mannheim Rd.

The August event will raise money for the Food Aid Festival, which will take place on Aug. 27 at Oak Park’s Scoville Park, Lake Street and Oak Park Avenue. Beyond that, Valleau said Soup and Bread Forest Park will continue to look for opportunities to raise money for pantries on the West Side and west suburbs. After all, food insecurity exists everywhere, and opportunities to help abound

Soup and Bread launched in Chicago in 2009 amid the Great Recession. Chefs, caterers, and home cooks were invited to donate soups and bread that could be shared in a communal meal. For a donation, participants could eat as much as they wanted, and the proceeds went to Chicago food pantries.

The original Soup and Bread events were held at Chicago’s Hideout bar, and they have

since expanded to other parts of Illinois and across the country. Forest Park had its first Soup and Bread fundraiser in 2013.

Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic, which worsened food insecurity, also put a damper on the events – there was simply no way to hold them amid lockdowns, masking and social distancing.

Last winter, with the pandemic receding, a group of west suburbanites started talking about bringing it back. Valleau said that Brad Knaub, co-owner of Carnivore Oak

Park, 1042 Pleasant St., approached her to see if she would be interested in hosting the fundraisers.

“And I said – 100%, absolutely,” she recalled.

Beyond Hunger was a natural first choice, given its history in the area. Valleau was the one who suggested the Forest Park food pantry for April.

“We started with Beyond Hunger, for our first month. We raised $1,300,” she said. “It just went into a giant wad of cash for Be-

yond Hunger, and they were able to use it for hundreds and hundreds of meals. Next month, we did the Forest Park food pantry. We raised another $1,300. They were able to buy all the shelf stable products.”

Valleau said each fundraiser has an average of “8 to 14 soup makers set up a buffet of all kinds of soups.” They get support and donations from several Oak Park businesses – the aforementioned Carnivore, the Daly Bagel, 130 Chicago Ave., Karl’s Craft Zoup and Zesty Catering. Valleau said attendance fluctuates, and it’s not unusual to have repeat participants.

“I think our highest count has been 90 to 100 people,” she said. “We always clean out the soup We don’t have leftover soup, it’s always gone. It’s wonderful, we want that.”

In addition to the monthly fundraisers, Soup and Bread Forest Park did a fundraiser on May 16 for asylum-seekers who have been arriving in Chicago from Central and South American countries. This was a supply drive since many of the refugees came with little more than the clothes on their backs.

“That whole shuffleboard table,” Valleau gestured to her left, “it was full of donations for the refugees coming into the police stations, coming into the area. There were toiletries and diapers and feminine products. Someone brought a suitcase and the inside of it was full of socks and underwear. If you’re in an unsafe situation, you’re not sticking around to pack. And it took multiple trips, 2 to 3… it ended up going to different churches after police stations guided us to take it [there].”

She said the organizers will sit down and figure out what to fundraise for next. Valleau would like to keep hosting the fundraisers at least through the end of the year, and hopefully beyond. After all, she doesn’t expect the need to go away any time soon.

“The idea that oh, this is only a big city problem, or in this pocket of the city -- absolutely not,” Valleau said. “Food insecurity exists all around us, anywhere. You’re not going to find a community that doesn’t have a need. Every community has a need. And we cannot wear blinders to that. We cannot be so naive as to think that we live in X zip code and therefore we cannot have that ‘problem.’”

TODD A. BANNOR

Soup and Bread food bank fundraiser at Exit Strategy Brew ing in Forest Park.

Fenwick parts ways with boys basketball coach

Tony Young con rms he won’t return after 2 years at helm of Friars

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Things were looking up for the Fenwick High School boys basketball team after last season, during which a sophomore-laden squad went 21-13 with an appearance in the IHSA Class 3A De La Salle Sectional title game.

But any continued progress for the Friars will need to be made without Tony Young, who told Wednesday Journal in a phone interview last week that he will not return as head coach.

“To be honest, the administration and I saw

different directions for the program,” said Young, who went 3031 in two seasons with a regional title in each. “We had different ideas on what we wanted to do, and we just decided it wasn’t going to work.”

Young added that there were things outside of basketball he wanted to do, and he felt he wouldn’t be able to do them had he stayed at Fenwick. Still, Young thought it was tough to leave, especially coming off last year’s unexpected success, which resulted in him being named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District Seven Coach of the Year

“Fenwick gave me an opportunity, and we did some great things in two years,” he said.

“It was a fun run, but there are other things I want to do at this point with my life.”

Young said he’ll miss being around the

players, whom he gave credit to for his success

“They’re all going to do great things,” he said. “Whoever goes or stays, every one of those kids is good. It’s not like I’m leaving them. I’m just leaving the place.”

Coincidental or not, three of those players have already transferred out. Rising senior Darshan Thomas is now at Marist, rising junior J.T. Pettigrew is at Bolingbrook and rising junior Zion Young (Tony’s son) is at Schaumburg.

The unexpected losses mean the Friars, as currently set up, have a pronounced lack of size heading into next season.

For now, Fenwick’s top returnees are all rising juniors -- Caleb Burgins, Dominick Ducree, Kam Hogan, Ty Macariola and Nate Marshall. Incoming freshman Jake Thies along with rising juniors Makai Mandley and

Machi Nelson figure to play key roles

Young said he’s been approached about a few opportunities, but added he likely will take some time away from coaching. However, it doesn’t mean he won’t be around the game.

“Coaching is just another vessel to help kids with dreams,” he said. “I want to guide young men and watch them become successful. I’m cool taking a break from being a head coach, but I’ll still be around basketball. Just because I’m not at Fenwick, that doesn’t stop my mission and purpose.”

Scott Hardesty, director of marketing communications at Fenwick High School, confirmed that Young is no longer employed at the school. An announcement on Young’s replacement could come as early as this week.

David Fergerson, an assistant for the Friars’ girls team last year, has been coaching the boys on an interim basis this summer.

Oak Park Falcons 12U on a roll heading into home tourney

Team has a 14-3 record and two tournament titles this summer

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Oak Park Youth Baseball Softball 12U Falcons fastpitch softball team has had a terrific season. On the field, they’re 14-3 and have won two tournaments. Off the field, they’ve served as mentors and teachers for the program’s 8U team.

The 12U team is coached by Bianca Severino, Jonathan Strauss, and Tim Walsh.

“The girls on this team share a special bond with one another,” said Strauss. “Not only do they enjoy playing softball, but they love playing with each other. They are truly a team in every sense of the word.”

After their first tournament of the season was canceled, the Falcons finally hit the field in early May for the MinneapolisSt. Paul Flower Power tournament. They dominated in pool play, winning every game, but lost their first bracket play game 11-4 to the MP Express

With one more opportunity to stay in the tournament, the Falcons’ hitting flourished, and they battled all the way to the championship round, earning a rematch with the Express The Falcons had to beat them twice to win the title, and they

PATRICK DURGIN

e Oak Park Youth Baseball So ball 12U Falcons so ball team celebrates a recent tournament win. e Falcons are 14-3 and will host the 11th annual Falcon Fest July 7-9 in Oak Park.

did just that.

Two weeks later, the Falcons took part in the USSSA Algonquin Aces Memorial tournament. After an Oak Park victory in the first game, the Warren Wave then defeated the Falcons, 8-6. The Falcons, however, won their final pool game and advanced in the bracket.

After beating the Wheatland Spikes, they took on the host Aces, and the Falcons came through again, prevailing 11-9 to advance to the title game

In a rematch with the Wave for the title, the Falcons started slowly, but they turned the game around, closing the gap with flawless pitching and great fielding. With that, the Falcons took home their second title of the season.

“Nothing would have been possible without the girls making a commitment to working hard and improving,” he said. “They’ve done this throughout the entire year, including during the winter at indoor facilities.”

But the Falcons are more than about competing for championships. Recently, the team hosted a clinic for the younger players in their league, coaching the Oak Park Youth Baseball and Softball 8U All-Stars on hitting, fielding and sliding.

“Two of our players [Lily and Jeanette Zort] came up with the idea on their own to hold a softball clinic for the 8U all-star team as a community service project,” Strauss said. “It was wonderful to see our team take an active role in helping to develop the next generation of players.”

Strauss added that with a few weeks remaining in the season, the team’s goals haven’t changed

“We want to keep working hard, continue to improve, and share our excitement for the game with as many of the younger players as possible,” he said. “And if we win a couple of more tournaments, that would be OK too.”

The Falcons will host their 11th annual Falcon Fest tour nament July 7-9. For more information, visit www.opybs.org/ travel-teams-girls.

TONY Y OUNG

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

e almighty dollar

There is an amusing story about Abraham Lincoln hitting a man in response to being offered a bribe. Surprised by this, the would-be briber asked Lincoln why he hit him rather than just refusing his offer. Lincoln’s answer was that the amount of the bribe had almost reached his acceptance level! Although most probably a fable, this story demonstrates how hard it is for even those leaders who love democracy, like “Honest Abe,” to refuse the temptation of money and gifts.

We associate bribery with rnments and dictatorships, not with democDonald Trump admires and r and control of , such as Putin. Trump sought to attack our democracy, rnment, and cy with himat the helm. His holding of rnment documents meant to be securely stored in the U.S. Archives, is outrageous He claims them as his own.

If, as he claims, he has the right to possess the materials, then why are they hidden in various places, including his bathroom? Trump has vehemently held onto box upon box of highly sensitive, classified documents. In the past, some leaders have accidentally ke pt classified papers, which they promptly returned to the U.S. Archives, not wanting to have “hot” papers in their possession. Trump, by contrast, desires keeping papers that legally are not his. He lied to the Justice Department, claiming he returned all of the boxes, and he lied to his own attorneys too.

Why would he do this? I shudder at my conclusion … that there are millions of dollars of gain at stake for Trump. He must be licking his chops, knowing the value enemy nations place on obtaining these very sensitive documents, including military and nuclear information.

Is it possible anyone could be this corrupt or uncaring about his homeland? Mindful of the treasonous January 6th insur rection that Trump encouraged, his disdain for our democracy and his level of greed and selfishness makes my conclusion not only possible, but probable How can the lure of the almighty dollar not be Trump’s motivation to fiercely hold onto documents?

See HARRIET HAUSMAN on pa ge 20

Black Americans deserve a parade

Waiting for a parade, I hear sirens and drums far in the distance.

A helicopter is chop chop chopping overhead.

I sit alone in the shade of a tree on the parkway

On Juneteenth, No one else on the block.

Black Americans have been waiting 158 years for a parade.

Truth be told

They’ve been waiting centuries longer than that. Enduring and overcoming cruelties and hardships even animals would never encounter. Kidnapped. Shackled. Stacked in ship holds. Poked and prodded and inspected like cattle. Sold. Separated from family. Whipped. Beaten. Brutalized. Raped. Murdered. Denied literacy. Denied education. Sold and resold. After slavery, lynched. Se gregated. Forced to use different water fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, hotels, schools, seats on a bus. Denied the vote. Dis-

criminated against in employment. Paid less. Ke pt from getting loans and mortgages, and restricted on where to live and buy homes. Incarcerated in mass numbers. Forced into prison labor, the new slavery. Hosed and attacked with dogs when they protested. Tortured into confessions by police. Choked to death and riddled with bullets during arrest. Enslaved, lynched, se gregated, discriminated against, arrested.

All simply for being Black.

At the head of the Oak Park Juneteenth Parade is a horse and car riage car rying a Black Beauty Queen, Miss Windy City. Next is a classic car driven by one of the village’s Juneteenth celebration founders. Then three floats with politicians and village workers and other community members.

Black people on the floats, waving, smiling, see me, a white man, seated at the curb and instead of “Happy Juneteenth,” they greet me with “Happy Father’s Day.”

PHOTO PROVIDED

JUNETEENTH IN ST YLE: Miss Windy City (second from right) waves to spectators dur ing the Oak Park Juneteenth Parade on Ridgeland Avenue, Sunday, June 18.

HAUSMAN

Banning book bans

Oak Park is now a “book sanctuary city.” It was declared as such on Monday evening in a joint ef fort by the village board and the Oak Park Public Library board. This village has a habit of such declarations and it can lead to some mockery from those who do not see the essential virtue of small towns making plain their values. It is at the community level that change takes place, where it takes root and grows. So have fun with Oak Park’s decades old “Nuclear-Free Zone” exclamation.

But in this shaming moment where a fairly small but not to be ignored group of very scared people seek to ban books, tur n against gay and trans people, and diminish the place of immigrants in America, it is a point of pride that Oak Park intentionally speaks out.

The book-sanctuary action makes plain that our library system will not be cowed into banning books and will instead celebrate open access to all books. It will welcome everyone to participate in story hours and book discussions. Our village will not provide support to businesses or organizations that support banning books.

Practical, declarative, symbolic actions are essential in this moment. Pushing back hard against small minds with big fears is a critical step toward protecting our democratic values.

A more transparent OPRF

It is progress and we’ll take it.

Last week the school board at Oak Park and River Forest High School conducted a series of six interviews with finalists for an open board position in public. This was a suggestion made by Tim Brandhorst, recently elected to the District 200 school board, as the institution moves to fill the seat of Kebreab Henry who resigned to move out of state.

We’re always in favor of adding transparency to public bodies. The appointment of a new school board member is an obvious place to star t. Any person running for of fice is part of a fully public process. Why should seeking an appointment be any different? That is also why Wednesday Journal filed a FOIA request with the school to learn the names and see the applications of all 13 people who applied for the open seat. Those names are included in Bob Skolnik’s re port on page 10.

It is an impressive list of candidates. These villages have a wealth of talent. With Henry’s resignation and Gina Harris not seeking re-election in April, this school board is now very white and very male. Of the six finalists, five were Black and four were women. That will most certainly allow OPRF to make progress in returning some diversity to this critical board.

Recently I won Best Original Column for weekl y newspapers in the Illinois Press Association contest. It was my fifth win (but who’s counting?). The judges decide based on three submissions. To celebrate, as I have in the past, I’m re printing one of the three. The other two were “Ten years later, little has changed” (marking the 10th anni versary of the Sandy Hook School massacre) and “Good job not dying … and hopefully living.”

e god I can believe in KEN TRAINOR

Watching the midter m elections unfold … in … super … slow … motion, it’s tempting to believe in divine intervention — if you voted Democratic. Defying projections and predictions, common sense and conventional wisdom. It has all seemed a little miraculous

But I don’t believe god is a Democrat — or a Republican, Libertarian or Green.

I don’t believe in a god that takes sides.

I do believe god approves of democracy … and being green. Definitely being green. I don’t believe god intervened in the 2022 elections, of course. I believe the American people intervened … and sent a message to the anti-democracy minority in this country.

I believe in small “d” democracy and a small “g” god, the small “g” an acknowledgment that my humble guess about god isn’t any more accurate than anyone else’s — believer or non-believer.

The god I can believe in is not locked in any faith’s bible, is not held hostage by theologians, is not a security blanket in a chaotic cosmos, is not the god that atheists don’t believe in.

The god I can believe in hides in the book of poems my eye is drawn to on my bookshelf, that practically leaps into my hand though I can’t quite remember how it got there, and opens to a poem that makes me question the meaning of the word “random,” a poem that suddenly opens its door as if it were awaiting me all these years.

The god I can believe in looks like the outline of leafless trees against the afterglow of a November sunset; lives in the moment before I realize it’s a moment, just

before it is eng raved forever in the soft stone of memory; lives in the metaphors that exceed our grasp (Browning) and beckon us to keep reaching

The god I can believe in is alive in the “enor mous littleness” of the ordinary (Patchen); in what draws the falcon to the dawn (Hopkins); is alive in the mysterious alchemy of meaning; in the tingle left behind by an idea that inspires; in what is wondrous, before we clothe it in ill-fitting words; in the contentment of companionship, the thirst that drives the search, the finding beyond the seeking; alive in leaves scattered in peaceful repose, aglow in the late fall twilight; alive in the order that undergirds disorder, in the calm following the storm, in the still life after the living, the origin of desire, the saga behind the siren in the night; alive in the landscape’s silent witness as a train glides beneath the stars; alive in the now/then/to be and the fine threads connecting all three; in everywhere and nowhere; in contradiction and benediction; in the soft steps above, where my ceiling is someone’s floor; in sympathy that salves the ache; in grace that follows loss; in sense that pursues the senseless; is alive in the endings that birth beginnings; in the love that is tested.

God votes for democracy

The god I can believe in cannot be tamed or contained, reckoned or recognized; cannot be owned or disowned, honored or dishonored, voted out or voted in, comprehended or apprehended, defined or refined; and can never be leashed, only unleashed.

The god I can believe in lives at the end of my rope, when I am most vulnerable and therefore most human.

The god I can believe in is more verb than noun, slips through my fingers when I try to hold on, can only be spied out of the corner of the soul’s eye, in the flutter of leaves as the trees let go, in the snow as it falls, but not after it has fallen.

The god I can believe in exists between the glance and the double-take, the glimmer and the afterthought. The Nazarene knew it all along: god is yeast; god is living water

The god I can believe in makes the living come to life

Important steps forward on local sustainability

On May 24, I shared my reasons for voting against the Styrofoam ban ordinance in an article titled, “Why I voted against the Styrofoam ban” [Viewpoints]. This ill-conceived local ordinance passed 6-1 at our village board meeting that week, with mine being the only dissenting vote. Today I am happy to report that since then I have worked with staf f on an amended ordinance that rectifies the concerns I raised. In doing so, we ■ validated our community engagement process that hinged on Jan. 1, 2025 by aligning enforcement to that date instead of Jan. 1, 2024 ■ avoided premature and punitive enforcement of our willing local restaurants.

PARAKK AT One View

This week, the board approved this amended ordinance.

In my previous ar ticle, I had proposed, “If we instituted the ban in 2024 but delayed the enforcement to 2025, we could have maintained the integrity of our community eng agement process while leading other communities on this topic and bringing more people along willingly. We could have managed this transition at a lower cost to local businesses and residents alike.”

This is where we landed with the amended ordinance. Citations for violations will star t in January 2025 after warnings and a cure period.

I want to acknowledge Trustee Lucia Robinson’s support in getting this back on the agenda quickly, the staf f’s work to modify the ordinance, and other board members for changing their vote to support this ef fort.

As a long-term advocate for reducing plastic

and Styrofoam use in society, I am proud to be able to help usher in these changes to our community. I am also relieved that, while we are able to lead other communities on this topic, managed to do that in a balanced y. We now have the opportunity to bring our small businesses and community members along on the journey willingly. Let us do this with our people rather than to them. This week we also approved a practical building code in favor of electricity over g as for new constructions/developments. The code we ag reed on is made practical by specific exceptions for the option to use g aspowered g enerators (for example, for emergency health and safety requirements). It is a small but significant step in our energy transition.

Much suppor t and education will still be required to make this transition as pain- and anxiety-free as feasible for our residents. I want to remind my fellow electrification advocates that we will enable this important transition, but that we have to be patient. This area needs thoughtful and balanced leadership and action. I want to acknowledge the work of village staf f and the Building Codes Advisory Commission (I’m the trustee liaison to this commission) for their diligent work on this over the past two years.

Overall, the board decisions this week re present a big win for our community, and I’m happy that these wins prioritize the benefits of many over the demands of a few.

Ravi Parakkat is an Oak Park villa ge trustee.

Wright-Sized vs. Wright-Height

I don’t necessarily ag ree with Lisa Hoelscher [Wright-Sized? Ironies abound, Viewpoints, June 21] that there is anything ironic about me ga-homes sporting Wright-Sized signs — Mr. Wright certainly designed some quite capacious homes for the wealthy — but I do think it

would be in the Prairie-style spirit to advocate for Wright-Height structures, which the proposed Chicago/Ridgeland structure surely is not.

Bob Stigger Oak Park

WEDNESD AY

JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

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About Viewpoints

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

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A one-year subscription costs $48 within Cook County and $60 outside of Cook County Adver tising rates may be obtained by calling our o ce. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 10138). Postmaster, send address corrections to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2023 Growing Community Media, NFP.

Rally to preser ve Illinois’ assault weapons ban

Please join us at the rally on Thursday, June 29 at 9:30 a.m. in Federal Plaza in support of the Illinois assault weapons ban, aka “Protect Illinois Communities Act.” Meet up at the Green Line Ridgeland platfor m at 8:30 a.m. We’ll take a train around 8:45.

Let’s join with March for Our Lives, the youth-led movement against gun violence after the Parkland/Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School mass shooting (2018). They are supporting the Illinois Assault Weapon Ban bill as it is challeng ed in court. The bill has numerous safety components that are critical for reducing violence. The results of this court case have implications nationally. Showing support for the bill and opposing those challenging the law is very important.

Sign up at the link below to be on the

email list for March for Our Lives. March for Our Lives is mobilizing around the Protect Illinois Communities Act against the pro-gun groups and lawyers who want to dismantle it. We are both submitting an amicus brief to the 7th Circuit and working on the ground, holding an in-person activation at the cour thouse during oral arguments. The rally will be held on June 29 at 219 S. Dearbor n St, Chicago at 9:30 a.m .

Pro-gun groups and their lawyers are asking the 7th Circuit to strike down the Protect Illinois Communities Act. The bill bans not only assault rifles, but also largecapacity magazines, switches, and the deadliest for ms of semi-automatic pistols.

This case is the first challenge to Illinois’ state assault weapons ban to hit the federal appellate court, and an adverse rul-

Preparing for Plastic-Free July

Plastic-Free July is upon us. This is a time to be ever more mindful of caring for our common home in all the ways — often easy ways — we can. So how can we? Practice refusing or reusing plastic, which are always preferable to recycling. Some ideas are: n water bottle and ha than one (we lea by (rec Support “Green” restaurants and thank them. Tell others to go “Green.”

kitchen glov

4. Buy in bulk so you don’t bring home more plastic containers.

5. Use quick-dissolving laundry sheets instead of liquid laundry detergent.

ing would have devastating consequences for both our state and nationwide.

Decisions from federal appellate courts hold substantial authority. If the 7th Circuit strikes down this law, it could fundamentally hamper Illinois’ ability to re gulate and defend against these weapons and modifiers in the future.

But it will not just harm our state. An adverse decision could provide ammunition to every pro-assault weapons group in the country, who could and would weaponize this decision ag ainst similar assault weapons bans in other states. Challenges to state assault weapons bans would become much likelier to succeed. States that do not have assault weapons bans already could think twice about trying to pass their own. And it could help the NRA and pro-gun federal politicians stymie every

ef fort for a federal assault weapons ban. Should pro-gun groups win this case, it would be so much harder for Illinois and every other state to re gulate the weapons of war and protect our communities and families from gun violence.

Sign up at the link below to be on the email list for March for Our Lives and to let them know you’ re coming.

https://secure.everyaction.com/nGHOhrX8qka27b-y7vbmSg2?eType=EmailB lastContent&eId=50264aa6-beeb-42c8-99325038cb74d8b3&emci=7b2b73d1-4910-ee11907c-00224832eb73&emdi=1bc8b635-4c10ee11-907c-00224832eb73&ceid=29062336

Lois Thiessen Love Oak Park

anks for human rights petition support

6. Bring your own bags to the Far mers Market and bring plastic clamshells from storebought fruits for crushables like blueberrie

The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine (CJPIP) would like to thank U.S. Re presentative Danny Davis for his support, and the community of Oak Park for their enthusiasm, in helping us forward the cause of human rights in Israel/

Israeli military occupation,” and he has ag reed.

CJPIP is a diverse, communitybased group in Oak Park dedicated to organizing activities and educational events that advance the cause of peace and justice for both t el

PARADE

An evolving tradition from page 15

Next, a pick-up truck drives by with kids tossing out little frisbees, the truck’s radio loudly playing “Fight the Power.”

Twenty more people have now gathered on the block. A white woman comes out of her house and jokes, “Look, a parade for Father’s Day!”

Next comes a truck promoting Stride Fitness, a large black, red, and green American flag hanging from its back,

There is curiosity, patienc longing … but the tail of the parade is faint, far, and slow in coming.

Black Americans are waiting for a parade.

How do we celebrate Juneteenth? How do we make it ours, a moment for all of us to learn and grow and own as our white, Latino, Asian, ev properly honor all the pain and ugliness of slavery and the century and a half of abuse inflicted on Black people in America since slavery, without alienating from the event or failing to attract to the those who are not Black?

The descendants of ensla Americans deserve a parade. A parade

unadorned people walking behind it.

Now the drumbeat that was faint and far away is upon us. A Black trumpet player and three drummers loudly, boldly, proudly, musically proclaiming, Juneteenth!

Juneteenth! Freedom! Freedom!

Followed not by a great procession of everyday people waving freedom banners and Juneteenth flags, but a grey SUV with a politician’s name on it, lightly tapping its car horn.

The trumpet and the drums fade, and the parade seems over, only minutes after it started.

We walk two blocks toward the after-parade community picnic. We hear rumors that more parade is yet to come so we wait at the end of the parade route for another float to catch up with us, if there is one. Time passes. Kids ride their bikes in the empty street. More people — Black and white — have now coalesced on the curbs like bees on the edge of a birdbath.

that recognizes all that their generations have endured and overcome and are still facing.

A parade on a street lined with Juneteenth flags. People singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Marchers car rying banners with the words of both Black and white Americans, who over the centuries have devoted their lives to fighting racial injustice.

Is this that parade?

Maybe 20 minutes later, the tail of the parade finally catches up to us. The Jesse White Tumblers perfor m flying flips in the street. Black women agilely jump double ropes. The Oak Park Área Lesbian & Gay Association Plus hands out plastic rainbow-colored OPALGA+ bracelets.

A pickup truck encourages attendees to support local Black beer brewers. The Oak Park Public Library hands out Juneteenth booklets. Other community organizations

Black cowboys on horseback, three police cars, and the Oak Park Juneteenth Parade is over.

I’m a white man at a parade honoring the horrible history to which white people have subjected generations of Black people over centuries. I don’t know my place, or how I’m to be seated. And when Black people in the parade wish me Happy Father’s Day, instead of Happy Juneteenth, I know they’ re not quite sure how to seat me either. Do I clap and shout hur rah, or hang my head and stay away?

A new holiday requires new traditions. This parade was a first effort, and it should be forgiven its shortcomings. But I want it to be more than it wa s. I want it to reach for more than it seems to be reach-

More than anything, more than jumping acrobatics and politicians in cars and on podiums, more than publicity for local organizations, more than free food at a post-parade picnic in the park, I want the Juneteenth events to educate and illuminate us about our country’s slaveholding and Jim Crow past. I want them to show both Blacks and whites how we can come together to more fully remember and understand this horrible history.

Too much of it is too abstract, too long too disconnected to too many of us. Only in understanding it more fully, in detail, in the stories of real individuals who experienced it, and the descendants who apple with it, can we ever come to terms with it and move forward to gether.

“The history of slavery is the history of the United States,” says poet and writer Clint Smith. We need to make Juneteenth an American holiday, not just a Black holiday.

Maybe a white man has no right, no standing, to say how Juneteenth should be observed. But to grow closer together, I believe we need to find a way that brings us together in the public square in a meaningful remembrance and observance of the hor ror that was slavery and Jim Crow We need to tell the stories out loud, unvarnished, together. Black Americans deserve nothing less. We all deserve nothing less.

Black Americans deserve a parade.

Mark Wallace is a resident of Oak Park

PHOTO S PROVIDED

I DEFINITELY DIDN’T DO IT

HARRIET HAUSMAN

Lowest moral denominator

from page 15

As troubling as this is, I am also appalled by other recent occurrences in our nation. I feel betrayed by the greed so many of our leaders have displayed, especially on our Supreme Court. I’m deeply disturbed by the “friendship” between Justice Thomas and billionaire Harlan Crow Revelations about other justices, like Samuel Alito, having troubling “friendships” and benefitting from “gifts” have also come to light. It should surprise no one that the Re publican-appointed members of the court recently refused to adopt a code of ethics, even though all justices must swear to abide by the nonpartisan oaths of office and make rulings based on the Constitution. That some of our justices are willing to dishonor themselves by taking obscene bribes is outrageous. How can we respect or honor our Supreme Court with this level of corruption?

The seductive power of money is everywhere. For example, the sports world projects the image of being a realm of fair ness and sportsmanship, and its players as positive influences and role models for our young people. Sadly, some of our sports heroes have fallen prey to the temptation of the almighty dollar. I was upset to read that the prominent PGA will join forces with the Saudi Arabian LIV golf league in what will be a very lucrative endeavor for those involved. Serious situation aside, the phrase “golf ‘green’” takes on new meaning. Has the PGA disreg arded the horrendous 9/11 bombings, for which the Saudis are deemed responsible? Did the PGA forgive and forget the Saudi’s murderous butchering of our Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khasho ggi? Saudi Arabia has one of the most demonic human rights records of any nation in the world. Is this the ally we want to participate with … in any activity?

Tolerating the lowest common denominator for morality, it’s no wonder that hate and violence are increasing. Yet I choose to focus on ours being a nation of fair ness and justice, and most polls show that 65% of us support our laws and our Constitution, and are proud of our democracy.

When voting, let us choose leaders with integrity, honor, civility, and truthfulness. Let us voice our disdain for greed, and while we’re at it, let’s voice disdain against racism and hate.

The pursuit of the almighty dollar should never “trump” morality.

If you’re thinking of finishing your high school diploma, you have more support than you realize. Find teachers and free adult education classes near you at FinishYourDiploma.org.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator in the Health Department/Village Manager’s Office. This position will coordinate disaster response, crisis management and medical countermeasure dispensing/ distribution activities for the Village of Oak Park, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies, hazardous materials spills, biological releases) or disasters. This single class position is also responsible for the complex administrative duties required for state, federal and local response processes and grant management. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https:// www.oak-park.us/your-government/ human-resources-department.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications will be June 19, 2023.

SYSTEMS ANALYST

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Systems Analyst in the Information Technology Department. The ideal candidate will perform a variety of complex technical duties in design, application programming and development, PC configuration and support, testing and maintenance of the Village’s computer application systems and perform a variety of technical duties as required. Knowledge of a wide variety of computer programming languages and systems, such as, City View Permit, License & Inspection Suite, Laserfiche, ESRI ArcGIS, MS-SQL, Reporting Tools, Java and HTML is wanted. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application by visiting the website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. This position is open until filled.

Supervisor Account Management to work in Chicago, IL to supv team of 10+ Acct Mgrs, build reimbursement strategy, drive operations & track analytics, & work w/ CEO to guide client relations, outreach & prgm initiatives in dental healthcare across the US. Associates in Bus Admin + 5 yrs exp as Project Coordinator. Exp must incl 2 yrs of (a) working w/ dental insurance companies; (b) acting as liaison between dental providers, their practice & insurance payers; (c) negotiating & optimizing insurance contracts for dentists; (d) knowl of the interconnections between the different dental insurance companies, shared networks, & umbrella networks; & the following s/wares: Asana Project Management, Trainual & Google Sheets. Send resumes to PPO Profits LLC, 5122 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641, Attn: V. Kinra

HELP WANTED

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN II

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Engineering Technician II in the Public Works Department. The employee performs layout, draft and design drawings from field survey information and field notes for various engineering and planning projects including existing improvements, right-of-way and various utilities and performs a variety of field inspections. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

IT OFFICE COORDINATOR

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Office Coordinator in Information Technology. This position will perform a variety of responsible and complex administrative duties for the IT Department; provide information and assistance to Village staff regarding requests for service; and provide administrative support to the IT Director and the IT staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications will be June 21, 2023.

PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Call for more info. 708-738-3848

NOVENAS

General Manager sought by Little Caesars to wk in Chgo, IL to monitor food prep’n methods, portion sizes, & garnishing as well as presentation of food. Hire, train, & supv food & beverage staff. BS in Health Administration or rltd & 6 mo exp as Restaurant Manager Send resume to LCPizza95th, 2024 E. 95th St, Chgo, IL, 60617, Attn: F. Fatehally.

PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website https://www.oakpark.us/your-government/human-resources-department. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN

(NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL)

Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to suc cor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS:

Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

River Forest Public Schools, District 90, to not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment.

HOME SERVICES FLOORS

KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 • www. klisflooring.com

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS

Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, July 13, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:

The ZBA will consider an application for a major zoning variation submitted by Alfredo Moreno, owner of the property at 7821 Thomas Street, who is proposing to construct a one story addition onto the existing home.

Section 4-8-5 of the Village Code provides the Zoning Board jurisdiction to hold public hearings and offer recommendations to the Village Board concerning variations to Zoning Ordinance.

The applicant is requesting a major variation to Section 10-9-7 of the Zoning Ordinance.

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 17 July 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow the replacement of an existing billboard with a digital billboard in the I-1 Light Industrial District on the following described property:

LOT 1 IN COMMONWEALTH EDISON – FOREST PARK SUBSTATION 57 BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THAT PART OF THE EAST HALF OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, IL. Commonly known as 723 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL PIN: 15-13-112-016-0000

The applicant is Thomas S. Moore

Signed:

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Section 10-9-7 of the Zoning Ordinance (10-8-7-B) requires the primary building to maintain a setback from the rear property line not less than fifteen percent of the depth of the lot or twenty six feet two inches, whichever is greater The proposed addition to the house will have a setback of 5 feet to the western portion of the rear lot line and the roof eave will have a 3 foot setback.

The legal description of the property at 7821 Thomas Street is as follows:

THE EAST 60 FEET OF LOT 22 AND EAST 60 FEET OF THE SOUTH 20 FEET OF LOT 23, THE EAST 80 FEET OF THAT PART OF LOT 23 LYING NORTH OF SOUTH 20 FEET THEREOF AND EAST 80 FEET OF LOT 24 ALL IN HENRY E. GRAVES SUBDIVISION OF BLOCK 10 IN SNOW AND DICKINSON’S ADDITION TO RIVER FOREST BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PARTS OF SECTIONS 1 AND 2, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS.

A copy of the application will be available to the public at Village Hall and on the Village’s website at www. vrf.us/zoningvariation no less than 15 days prior to the public hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals meeting packet will also be available at www.vrf.us/meetings no less than 48 hours prior to the public hearing.

All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record. Interested persons can learn more about how to participate in the hearing by visiting www. vrf.us/zoningvariation.

Sincerely, Clifford Radatz

Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, 2023

EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Commonly known as 1525 Circle Ave., Forest Park, IL PIN: 15-24-213-008-0000

The applicant is Michael Hart Cardozo VI.

Signed:

Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review June 28, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss

Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division.

In re the marriage of Aisha T. Oliver, Petitioner and Terrell Hollins, Respondent, Case No. 2021D002298.

Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review June 28, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 17 July 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow the replacement of an existing billboard with a digital billboard in the I-1 Light Industrial District on the following described property:

LOT 1 IN COMMONWEALTH EDISON – FOREST PARK SUBSTATION 57 BEING A SUBDIVISION OF THAT PART OF THE EAST HALF OF THE NORTHWEST QUARTER OF SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, IL.

Commonly known as 723 Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, IL PIN: 15-13-112-016-0000

The applicant is Thomas S. Moore

Signed:

Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review

June 28, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 17 July 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow a cannabis infuser in the I-1 Light Industrial District on the following described property: LOT 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 AND 16 AND ALL OF VACATED ALLEY WEST AND ADJOINING SAID LOTS IN BLOCK 13 IN BRADISH MIZNER’S ADDITION TO RIVERSIDE, A SUBDIVISION OF THE EAST ½ OF THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF SECTION 24, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12,

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 17 July 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a text amendment to Title 9: Zoning Regulations of the Forest Park Code of Ordinances to add performance venue to the list of definitions and to add performance venue as a conditional use in the Downtown Business District (DBD).

The applicant for this petition is the Village of Forest Park, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois.

Signed:

Marsha East, Chair Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review

June 28, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on 17 July 2023, at 7:00 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider a conditional use permit to allow a performance venue in the DBD Downtown Business District on the following described property:

THE EAST HALF OF LOT 4 IN BLOCK 3 IN CARNEY’S ADDITION TO HARLEM IN SECTION 13, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED MARCH

16, 1889 IN BOOK 33 OF PLATS, PAGE 43, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 1073277, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

Commonly known as 7316 Madison Ave., Forest Park, IL PIN: 15-13-205-003-0000

The applicant is Emily Ramirez

Signed:

Marsha East, Chair

Planning and Zoning Commission

Published in Forest Park Review June 28, 2023

The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for Dissolution of Marriage and for other relief; and that said suit is now pending.

Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before May 24, 2023, default may be entered against you at any time after that day, and a judgment for Dissolution of Marriage entered in accordance with the prayer of said Petition.

IRIS Y MARTINEZ, Clerk.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, July 5, July 12, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Mon thru Fri, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time until 11:00 am on Friday, Aug 4, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park Main Fire Station Bunk Room Renovations

Proposal Number: 23-124

Issuance Date: June 28th, 2023

There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting at the Main Fire Station, 100 N. Euclid, Oak Park, IL on Thurs, July 13, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. Bid documents may be obtained from the Village website at http:// www.oak-park.us/bid. Design drawings and specifications will be available after July 6th. For questions please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 for Project: 23-6, Pavement Preservation. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements consist of various sized asphalt patches; cleaning and sealing of any cracks, voids, or joints less than 2” inches in width with asphalt cement reinforced by polypropylene or polyester fibers; micro-surfacing application; petroleum maltene‐based rejuvenator application; thermoplastic pavement marking removal & installation; and all appurtenant work thereto. The work will take place in various locations throughout the Village of Oak Park. Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic

service starting on Thursday, June 29th, at 4:00 p.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8567476 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

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

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

Published in Wednesday Journal, June 28,

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Mon thru Fri, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time until 11:00 am on Friday, July 28, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park Central Pumping Station Structural Repairs

Proposal Number: 23-122

Issuance Date: June 28th, 2023

There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting at the Central Pump Station, 102 N. Lombard, Oak Park, IL on Mon., July 17, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. Bid documents may be obtained from the Village website at http://www.oak-park.us/bid

For questions please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Mon thru Fri, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time until 11:00 am on Friday, Aug 4, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park North Fire Station Emergency Egress

Construction

Proposal Number: 23-125

Issuance Date: June 28th, 2023

There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting at the North Fire Station, 212 Augusta, Oak Park, IL on Thurs, July 13, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Bid documents may be obtained from the Village website at http:// www.oak-park.us/bid. Design drawings and specifications will be available after July 6th. For questions please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE

The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL 60302 Mon thru Fri, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time until 11:00 am on Friday, July 28, 2023 for the following:

Village of Oak Park Public Works Center Exterior Door Replacement

Proposal Number: 23-123

Issuance Date: June 28th, 2023

There will be a mandatory pre-bid meeting at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd., Oak Park, IL on Fri., July 14, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. Bid documents may be obtained from the Village website at http:// www.oak-park.us/bid. For questions please call Public Works at (708) 358-5700.

Published in Wednesday Journal June 28, 2023

The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 14, 2023 for Project: 23-3, 2023 Sidewalk Improvements Program. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, this contract includes sidewalk angle-cutting, removal and replacement of public sidewalk, parkway and carrage walks, combination curb and gutter, driveways, and PCC basecourse; pavement adjacent to curbs, adjustment of drainage structures, buffalo boxes and all appurtenant work thereto. Sidewalk sequencing during the work and adherence to the completion date is of emphasis for this project as outlined in the plans and proposal forms. Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday

Published

June 29th, at 4:00 p.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 8385070 for a non-refundable charge of $64.00. The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

This project is financed with local Village funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and thus is subject to all federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Section 3, and Equal Opportunity requirements.

Bill McKenna Village Engineer

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS, INC., MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, MANA SERIES 2007-OAR4

Plaintiff, -v.ELLEN C. SCHNACK, RANDALL C. SCHNACK Defendants 19 CH 14891 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302

NOTICE OF SALE

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

EN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 4, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on July 31, 2023, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 35R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302

Property Index No. 16-05-319-008-

0000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $417,344.71.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, in certified funds/or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours.

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

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

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

If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g) (1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g-1).

IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW.

You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation con-

ducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm.. Please refer to file number 19-092500.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION

One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-

SALE

You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717

E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com

Attorney File No. 19-092500

Attorney Code. 42168

Case Number: 19 CH 14891

TJSC#: 43-2421

NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 19 CH 14891

I3223066

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: 1-800-669-9777.

GROWING COMMUNITY MEDIA

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

OPALGA+ scholarship fund recognizes student leaders

Group honored 8 scholars in program’s most generous year to date

By ELIZABETH SHORT Contributing Reporter

Every spring the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association (OPALGA+) grants scholarships to local student leaders. In the program’s 10-year history, its board has allocated more than $170,000 to student scholarships.

This year, the board awarded the largest cumulative amount of money yet in one year: $40,000 in scholarships in all, or $5,000 to 8 different students. Seven of the recipi-

throughout the year, with its Annual Scholarship Gala held in October. As in this year’s program book, scholarship “amazing student leaders (who) ha commitment to service and a BTQ+ community through the lens of equal opportunity for all.”

One of this year’s scholarship Montes-Williams, a prominent local acti and River Forest High School tivist was more of a necessity than a choice

Student Taylor Montes-Williams led a student walk out at OPRF last year follow ing inappropriate social media post, which students say showcased a toxic culture at the high school that permits sexual harassment.

Taylor Montes

During her time at OPRF, Montes-Williams led and organized protests in response to police violence and racism, gun violence, and sexual harassment and assault. She was a prominent member of the Revolutionary Youth Action League (ROYAL) and Students Advocating for Equity (S.A.F.E.). In the fall, Montes-Williams will be studying Political Science at the University of New Mexico.

In a video released by OPALGA+, Montes-Williams said she chose New Mexico “to further my education and my experience and be able to advocate for people of color, queer people, other people with marginalized identities across the country. … The scholarship means a lot to me because it can help further my education so I can help protect queer people, not just in my community, but those nationwide and those globally.”

Annie Larson, a 2023 Fenwick graduate and scholarship recipient, said she approached her activism in a different y. As a student at the Oak Park-based Catholic school, Larson said she has tried to be a role model for fellow students in the community.

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

SARA JANZ

“

Growing up, it was impossible to see the injustice in the world and towards my communities without wanting to change it.”

TAYLO R MONTES-WILLIAMS

Ac tivist and OPRF graduate

“I didn’t experience a lot of outward homophobia, but there’s plenty of little comments,” said Larson. In her activism, she said she focuses on creating a “safe space for others.”

Larson said she makes sure that “if I hear something problematic, I don’t just ignore it and I make sure I say something. Not just because it’s making me uncomfortable, but so that if there’s other people, especially people in the closet, that they know that not everyone is ag reeing with the problematic statement and that there are people on their side defending them.”

Larson came out as bisexual in eighth grade, she said. “I was definitely the only one of my close friends to come out at that time. I think a big role that I’ve played in supporting my community is being that person that it’s easier to come out to.”

As an active member of the Fenwick Pride Alliance, Larson helped to push

the school to relax its dress code with regard to gender lines. She independently organized an annual Easter egg hunt that raised over $20,000 for He pzibah Children’s Association. In the fall, she will be attending Georgetown University. After receiving the scholarship, Larson said she was able to learn about and talk to the other recipients. Larson said she was impressed with her peers’ activism and mentioned Montes-Williams. “She is leading protests and giving speeches and she is amazing,” said Larson.

Larson said she was grateful the OPALGA board reco gnized the importance of “day-to-day” activism as well. To the students, receiving the scholarship was more than a reco gnition of their achievements. It made way for new possibilities and opportunities. “The scholarship opened doors for me,” said Montes-Williams.

“Queer futures matter.”

Forest Park Bank Makes it Possible.

Annie Larson

“If I hear something problematic, I don’t just ignore it and I make sure I say something.”

ANNIE LARSON Fenwick graduate

At Forest Park Bank, we believe that serving the community means giving the best customer service, providing the latest in banking products, and most of all, helping our customers reach their full potential. Whether opening a small business, buying a home, or planning for the future, we’ve been making the journey with customers since 1943.

to march proudly into 26th year

ching band will be back in Oak Park’s 4th of July parade

By ELIZABETH SHORT ontributing Reporter

n the late 1970s, gay pride marching bands emerged across the United States ands that for med during this Chicago Gay Pride Band, ich performed in the 1979 Chicago anizer Jon Dallas officialnsembles riginally under the name esbian and Gay Band and later La ide Pride Freedom Band past decade, the Lakeside

marching band has been a memorable feature of Oak Park’s annual 4th of July parade. Lakeside Pride Music Ensembles, now in its 26th year, boasts over 400 members including members of nity as well as allies

C ally to the occasional Timejardine-Zomeño said that when he firs he was struck vironment.

fort to show that they’re welcome,” he said. “We’re happy to have you.”

The ensembles have no audition process, which means members range in ability from upcoming professionals to “people who haven’t touched their instruments since high school,” said Timejardine-Zomeño.

At the time of its founding in 1997, the organization included only 25 members. In its short history, the organization has grown dramatically. Timejardine-Zomeño said he has seen further growth during his time with the organization. “I think a lot of it had to do with the passing of marriage equality in 2015,” he said. “People are seeing that LGBT people exist and keep our society moving.”

The four most prominent ensembles are the Marching Band, Jazz Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Pops Ensemble (conducted by drag queen Manic Maxxie). The organization also lists 10 smaller ensembles on its website, ranging from a Latin band to the “Tiny Bubbles ‘Ukulele’ Ensemble.”

Timejardine-Zomeño said the organization offers a sense of belonging to people who might not otherwise find a supportive community. “People, like me, who don’t belong and people who are in the (LGBTQ+) community have found a place where they can be themselves and play music.”

“I hear from a lot of people that (Lakeside Pride) is their safe space,” said Jordan Francisco, Lakeside Pride’s marketing officer.

book out of fear of retaliation from their employers. It’s nice to know that we’re able to provide the space for them and be their friends.”

As states pass legislation attacking LGBTQ+ rights, Lakeside Pride continues to flourish as a safe space for creative expression and marginalized communities. In March, the group’s board released a letter about these laws and included local resources for community members. Lakeside Pride is a member of the Pride Bands Alliance, a network connecting pride bands across the nation and the world. Through this network, musicians in the LGBTQ+ community are able to connect and play with bands and finda supportive community, wherever they may be.

“Especially for those who live in Texas and Florida and places like that, that’s a way for us to say, ‘You can march with us. You have a place,’” said Timejardine-Zomeño Lakeside Pride “is my chosen family,” said Francisco. The organization does more than play music. The musicians “come together to … cause a positive impact to our community,” said Francisco. “It brings me great joy.”

The ensembles’ performances slow after the busy month of June but interested readers should be sure to check out the marching band’s performance in the Village of Oak Park’s annual Fourth of July parade.

“I hear from a lot of people that (Lakeside Pride) is their safe space. It’s nice to know that we’re able to provide the space for them and be their friends.”

JORDAN FRANCISCO

Lakeside Pride’s marketing o cer

Drag story hour welcomes Coco Sho-nell back to RF church

Urban Village hosts

Pride event on church lawn

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Urban Village Church West had a special guest at its family Pride celebration this past Saturday. Chicago drag performer Coco Sho-nell, in full glam, read stories to the children at the event. Her choice in storybooks share central themes: embrace individuality and diversity.

“Love the skin that you’re in and find the beauty within yourself,” Sho-nell explained.

The church invited Sho-nell to read at the Pride celebration through the Drag Story Hour, a movement begun in 2015 with drag queens reading to children in San Francisco It is now a re gistered 501c3 non-profit. Sho-nell performed at the church once before in 2021 and Rev. Christian Coons was happy to welcome her back again.

“She’s a great performer and she loves children,” said Coons.

Drag Story Hour provides kids an introduction to the LGBTQ+ community to build understanding and acceptance of diversity. Sho-nell’s choice in reading materials reflects that. One of her favorite books is “There’s Only

One You” by Kathryn Helling and Deborah Hembrook, which teaches children that no one person is exactly the same as another

“You may have straight hair. You may need glasses to see or you need to maybe use a wheelchair,” she explained. “It’s OK. That’s just who you are.”

Her other favorite book is Academy Award-winning actor Lupita N’yongo’s “Sulwe,” which tells the story about a little girl whose skin is darker than anyone else’s she knows, including that of her mother. The book explores colorism and self-worth, ultimately leading its young protagonist to embrace and be proud of what makes her unique.

“It’s OK if you don’ t look like everybody else. That’s what makes you, you,” she said. No protestors showed up to the River Forest event, except some uninvited deer that brazenly grazed near the bounce castle Saturday afternoon, but that has not been the case at similar events outside the Chicago area. NBC News reported that a group of masked neo-Nazis disrupted a drag storybook reading two eekends in New Hampshire by chanting homophobic slurs.

Those who purport drag to be an act of the nefarious and im moral lack an understanding of the world and an openness to learn, according to Sho-nell.

“Humans fear what they don’t understand,” she said. “We’re trying to break that stigma.”

Coons echoed her sentiment, adding that he believes many people who oppose drag have never had meaningful re-

lationships or even a conversation with someone who does not fit the mold of being cisgender and heterosexual.

“Once you do, you begin to see the fruit of their lives,” he said. “I just can’t see how you can, in good conscience say, that this is not a child of God.”

Legislation to criminalize drag and reduce the rights of the wider LGBTQ+ community is being pushed – and hallenged – across the country as well, with the most notable ef for ts coming from presidential hopeful and govF lorida, Ron DeSantis. assed in April, the sweeping “Let Kids be Kids” bill prohibits the discussion of gender identity in schools and bars transgender minors from receiving gender affirming medical care. The legislation also makes it ille gal for minors to attend drag performances. F lorida State Rep. Randy Fine, who sponsored the bill, said the law will “protect

PHOTO S BY TODD A. BANNOR

Pastor Christian Coon rallies people for a parade at the Urban Village Church West’s Family Pride Fest on Saturday June 24.

COCO SHO-NELL

our children by ending the gateway propaganda to this evil – ‘Drag Queen Story Time.’”

A Central F lorida federal judge has temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the age restriction at drag performances, ruling June 23 that a drag performer reading to children does not constitute an obscene performance. Within the conservative Christian community, drag performers and their storybook reading have come under fire. Evangelical leader Franklin Graham was quoted in a September issue of “Christianity Today” encouraging parents and grandparents to quit patronizing libraries in protest.

This stance is actively opposed by Coons and Urban Village, which Coons said has always been welcoming of LGBTQ+ worshippers and other groups “pushed to the margins.” Nor does he believe it should be scandalous to invite drag performers to read books with positive messaging to kids

“We are for them; we love them; we believe they are created in the image of God just as anyone else is,” Coons said.

TODD A. BANNOR

Mom’s Demand Action for Gun Sense in America table at the Urban Village Church West’s Family Pride Fest

“

We are for them; we love them; we believe they are created in the image of God just as anyone else is.”

RE V. CHRISTIAN COONS

River Forest struts with Pride during district event

The second annual Pride Walk kicked o the month’s celebrations

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Acceptance, love, and equality was the message shared by those attending River Forest District 90’s Pride Walk, which was held on Thursday, June 1 in partnership with the River Forest community.

Attendees gathered at Village Hall, 400 Park Ave., to enjoy the flag raising. In attendance was Ken Johnson, River Forest trustee and co-chair of the village’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory group, who expressed the importance of the day and the ef for ts to create an inclusive community for everyone to feel accepted and safe.

“Diversity and gay pride are important because they re present the progress we have made as a society of reco gnizing and celebrating the rights of all people re gardless of their sexual orientation,” said Johnson. “We have come a long way in reco gnizing the rights of LGBTQ+ communities.”

Me g an Keskitalo, PTO member who worked on developing the Pride Walk for Lincoln Elementary School, 511 Park Ave., led the cheering crowd in the flag raising, which was followed by the Pride Walk around the block, led by Principal Casey Godfrey

“I am so proud to work in a community, in a district that is so inclusive of everyone,” Godfrey said. “To carry the flag and to re present our district and all of our kids was a special moment.”

While the event was to celebrate Pride, with the message of equality and inclusion, the walk reached out to broader communities in River Forest.

For Britt Gentile, of Rive r Forest, who is on Lincoln’s Belongingness and Inclusion Committee, the event was a way to support and foster inclusion and accep tance for everyone

“It was important for me to pa rt icipate bec ause I have sons who have disabilities and I j ust f eel that there should be inclusion of all levels of all p eople,” Gentile said. “Whatever someone d etermines is their sexuality or their pronouns, they have every right in the wo rl d to do that and who are we to ta ke that aw ay.”

T he walk ended at the Franklin playground where the celebration continued with free Kona Shaved Ice and music as River Forest kicked of f Pride Month.

PHOTO S BY AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

Principal Casey Godfrey (top) leads the walk wav ing the Pride ag during D90’s event. Residents (le and right) gathered at the River Forest Village Hall to celebrate Pride Month and raise the ag together.

Forest Park’s colorful celebration of Pride

Walk & Roll brings out the best in the community

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Residents of Forest Park who wanted an extra colorful way to celebrate Pride month attended the Rainbow Walk & Roll event on Sat., June 3 to get an early start on the month’s festivities.

The Walk & Roll event was a partnership between the Forest Park Public Library, 7555 Jackson Blvd., and Forest Park School District 91.

“The partnership was fairly simple,” said Nurys Uceta-Ramos, family and community engagement manager for District 91. “The library reached out to us with the idea, and we were excited to be a part of it.”

The event started at Garfield Elementary School, 543 Hannah Ave., at 8 a.m.

Shannon Wood, District 91 school board president, attended the event and said it was great to see so many supportive members of the Forest Park community come together to celebrate Pride month.

“There were so many smiles -- families and community members,” Wood said. “This was an event that reminds me how our community can and does come together for one another.”

Woods said the library provided flags and ribbons for participants to carry during the walk and at the end those who wanted to participate could throw colorful powder up in the air, which was a big hit with children.

“It was very exciting to see our community come and support the event in a safe and respectful manner,” UcetaRamos said.

Children celebrated the Walk & Roll and created fun memories throwing color ful powder into the air to celebrate the beginning of Pr ide month.

Prioritizing Inclusion: Girl Scout focuses on LGBTQ+ sex ed in service project

OPRF senior’s website aimed at middle school students

By ELIZABETH SHORT Contributing Re

Fewer than six percent Girl Scouts successfully earn the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement a scout can complete.

The 80-hour service project high school scouts to complete a “longterm project with sustainable and ongoing impact that addresses a r sue.” One scout who is determined to be pa of this six percent is rising OPRF senior Emma Costello-Wollwage.

As part of her project, “Prioritizing In clusion,” Costello-Wollwage comprehensive guide to sex middle schoolers. Her we com/view/prioritizinginclusion) offers in formation on LGBTQ+ issues and histor as well as her “amended lesson ing LGBTQ+ inclusion for programs in middle schools.” Accompanying her website is an Insta prioritizinginclusion.

In creating the website and page, Costello-Wollwage school students and spent hours ing and writing for the we

“As a queer student, I was ne how to protect myself sexually sexual relationship with another non man, writes Costello-Wollwage

“Since I came out/disco identity in the sixth grade, I was only taught straight sex and viewed a single five-minute video regarding LGBTQ+ sex in my sex ed classroom. This was not enough.”

Lee Chaloemtiarana, Costello-Wollwage’s partner, witnessed similar problems in health class. “We didn’t know how to navigate a queer relationship,” said Chaloemtiarana. “It went by different rules than heterosexual relationships -- and that’s all we learned about in health class. We didn’t know how to be safe (or) how to maintain a healthy relationship.”

According to Chaloemtiarana, the sex education they received in middle school barely covered LGBTQ+ issues, “which is

really ironic considering middle school is a time where a lot of people find out about being gay (and begin that) self-exploration journey.”

Witnessing this imbalance in education, along with peers’ ignorance and hatred toward members of the LGBTQ+ community and in particular toward transgender people, Costello-Wollwage grew more aware of her privilege as well as her duty to fight for herself and others within the community

“We are the ones who have to make chang-

es,” she said.

TODD A. BANNOR

After coming out in sixth grade, CostelloWollwage said her sexuality became an important part of her identity. “I was really happy that I had taken the time and found something that special,” she said. Over the next few years, she participated in Percy Julian Middle School’s Rainbow Tribe and was “very, very out.”

While researching the project, CostelloWollwage went back to Rainbow Tribe to speak with current middle school students

Incoming OPRF freshman Shay Sokolowski, icipated in Rainbow Tribe, deostello-Wollwage as being “highly ” Similarly, Costello-Wollwage said ould see herself in the Rainbow Tribe

he students she spoke to in Rainbow “so, so out,” said Costello-Wolle under the impression that OPRF and Oak Park are going to be as accepting as their peers, their friends, and

But that’s just not true.”

(virtual) freshman year at ostello-Wollwage experienced cyberbullying directed at her sexuality. “We prejudice embedded in us,” said wage. “It’s our responsibility to reteach ourselves.”

wage successfully completed service. As she waits for the ouncil to approve her project, she said she hopes the website reaches a broader I’m hoping it can become a really ccessible education tool.” esearching and compiling the webostello-Wollwage said she was able to expand her knowledge on these issues “I learned a lot during that process,” she said. “It was really enjoyable for me because about stuff that I missed out on. Creating that website, everything’s gowith me. … I really liked learnommunity and helping other kids. It means a lot to me.”

OPRF

Emma Costello-Wollwage working toward top Girl S cout honor.

“

W

e all have prejudice embedded in us. It’s our responsibility to reteach ourselves.”

EMMA COSTELLO-WOLLWAGE

senior

HAIR

Before and after 3 treatments

Courtesy of Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal

HAIR REMOVAL

INJECTABLES:

Before and after 3 treatments Courtesy of R. Saluja, MD

Courtesy of E. Lach, MD

Forest Park Pride celebration notes challenges, draws crowd

Event returns after successful 2022 debut

By IGOR STUDENKOV Staff Reporter

owd, many clad in “Pride Forest Park” T-shirts, gathForest Park’s Constitution Court on Madison Street the eveune 23 to watch the centervillage’s second annual Pride

ent featured 8 drag performers, ineturning performers Angel LeBare, lor and Fox E. Kim. Keri Traid, Mariela Duarte, Moana Lotte and Dymond C. Calloway made their Forest Park Pride debut this year.

As happened last year, the drag queens walked to several Madison Street businesses

beforehand, chatting with customers and posing for pictures. This year’s participants included Brown Cow, Twisted Cookie, Fiore, Team Blonde, Play it Again Sports, MacDaddy Salon, Schauer’s Hardware, NOLA Louisiana Kitchen and Kribi Coffee Air Roastery.

PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), OPALGA+ (Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association), the Howard Brown Health Center and Ener gy Tees custom apparel company set up tables at Constitution Court.

“This is perfect for us [as a business],” said Energy Tees owner Eric Priceman. “Why wouldn’t we be here? We’re part of this village.”

Mayor Rory Hoskins, village commissioners Maria Maxham and Michelle MelinRogovin, Village Clerk Vanessa Moritz and

TODD A. BANNOR

Drag queen Angel Lebare per forms at the Pride event in Constitution Cour t on Friday June 23, 2023.

TODD A. BANNOR

Drag queen Fox E. Kim per forms at the Pride event in Constitution Cour t on Friday June 23, 2023.

TODD A. BANNOR

Drag queen Dymond C. Calloway per forms at the Pride event.

several members of the Forest Park School District 91 Board of Education attended the drag show.

“We’re a very progressive community, and we have a very equitable school board, and we value openness and inclusion,” Hoskins said.

Erich Krumrei, owner of Play it Again Sports, organized the Forest Park Pride Celebration. In his speech before the show, he touched on the challenges the LGBT community, especially the trans community, continues to face

A preservation icon passes on

Remembering Donald Kalec, a founding member of the Wright Home & Studio Foundation

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

Historic preservation in Oak Park lost one of its stalwart supporters in May when Donald Kalec died at the age of 87. One of the founding members of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio Foundation (now the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust), Kalec devoted his life to architecture and historic preservation.

Kalec received his B.A. from Auburn University and his B.Arch. from the University of F lorida. From 1965-69, he apprenticed with the Taliesin Fellowship at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Spring

Green, Wisconsin.

He began teaching at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1969 and in the early 1970s was one of a group of preservationists dedicated to saving and restoring Wright’s Home & Studio in Oak Park.

“I met Don the first day I ever got involved with the Home & Studio,” said Jack Lesniak, architect and longtime FLW Trust volunteer. “Don was already involved. He knew a lot about Frank Lloyd Wright, and when he approached the first group of volunteers, they grabbed him with open ar ms.”

Working alongside architects John Thorpe, Bill Dring and Carl Hunter, Kalec developed a master plan that was used as a guide to restore the Home & Studio. The book was adopted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a model for other restoration programs across the country.

In an email recalling his time working alongside Kalec, Dring called him a quiet and modest man, who had “a strong determination to get the project finished and finish it right.”

Dring recounts a moment in the restoration when they were focused on the dining room -- the first major restoration project, which would set a precedent for the rest of their work. The Wright-designed furniture was a key part of the room’s design, and the group considered having reproductions of the high-backed chairs commissioned Kalec remembered that the original chairs were stored in an outbuilding at Taliesin in Wisconsin and suggested contacting Wright’s widow, Olgivanna, about them. Dring says Kalec drafted a letter to the architect’s widow, and to their surprise, she ag reed to donate the chairs.

“She was jealous of any group that tried to take part of FLW’s le gacy,” Dring wrote “Plus, the value of the chairs was very high -- possibly $500,000. The gift was unprecedented. This could not have happened without Don.”

Lesniak states that after much deliberation, Kalec and the early founders decided to return the Home & Studio to what it looked like in 1909, the last year that Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked in there.

While Kalec was one of the major players involved in making decisions and drafting drawings of the restoration, Lesniak says the quiet man who smiled a lot wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and do dirty

work either

“There was a group of volunteers called the Saturday Strippers, who would go in on weekends and touch up the walls and try to determine the original paint colors. Don was often part of that group doing the hands-on demolition or investigation,” Lesniak recalled.

Kalec became the director of research and restoration for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and worked to undo many of the changes that had been made be later owners to Wright’s early design.

Several small apar tments were deconverted to accurately recreate Wright’s studio. The studio restoration gar nered a National Merit Award in 1987 from the American Institute of Architects

At the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Kalec helped develop the interior architecture program and also developed a graduate curriculum for the Master of Science de gree in historic preservation.

Although he retired from the School of the Art Institute in 2012 and assumed professor emeritus status, Kalec continued to teach through the 2018-19 academic year Kalec lived much of his adult life in Chicago, just over the border from Oak Park He died near his family in F lorida on May 26, 2023.

Lloyd Wright Trust, the ‘originals,’ pictured above in 1974.

Donald Kalec