Wednesday Journal 070523

JOURNAL

SWAMPED

Flash ooding inundates Oak Park basements and shuts down expressway

Unhoused encampment takes root near Metra station

Roughly two months old, ranging from 5 to a dozen residents

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

A group of unhoused individuals have set up camp on North Boulevard under the ramp of the Oak Park Metra station. The encampment for med roughly two months ago and has a fluctuating populace with sometimes as few as five people and other times as many as a dozen or so, depending on the time of day.

One of the camp’s residents, who goes by the name of Q, has been camping out here for a couple weeks. Q found himself in Oak Park after he was essentially evicted from his basement apar tment in Humboldt Park when his landlord sold the building, he told Wednesday Journal.

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

More than six inches of rain fell in Oak Park during Sunday’s flash flood, according to a re port from the Na-

tional Weather Service. The rainfall came after a weekslong-drought but the fast and furious precipitation led to an excess of standing water, which flowed uninvited into many basements.

The heavy rain overwhelmed the re gion’s sewer system, causing sewage and storm water to back up into basements

See FLOODING on page 9

“I guess it was decided that the new owners would like to have the basement for their apar tment,” said Q. With the rest of the building fully leased, Q said the building’s new owners did not offer to help him find new accommodations, so with nowhere else to go, he found

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First Baptist preschool parents nervous about e Children’s School moving in

Parents upset over lack of communication from First Baptist Church

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

While The Children’s School is in celebration and planning its move into facilities at First Baptist Church of Oak Park following months of searching, parents whose children attend First Baptist Preschool and Kindergarten, which currently inhabits the church’s school space, are wondering what this means for their children.

“I am concerned about this preschool moving forward, knowing the impact it has had on the community,” said Sarah Doherty, whose second child is currently enrolled at the preschool. “I am concerned it won’t exist five years from now.”

The Children’s School, a private school, is finishing up its last school year at the old St. Edmund school, 200 S. Oak Park Ave. It will be moving into the First Baptist Church building, 820 Ontario St. for the 2023-24 school year after its space in the for mer Catholic school was declared structurally unsafe.

Erika Reeder, parent of a preschooler, said finding out about the partnership through other sources was shocking

“For a lot of us what came to mind was safety and security and the lack of transparency for us, the families who are there, and also the lack of respect towards teachers and staff working there,” Reeder said, adding the existence of the preschool was left out of all announcements made. “What came to mind right away was that they were going to shut down the school.”

David John Hailey, Jr., senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Oak Park, said the conversation between the church and the Children’s School began as a way to provide economic sustainability for the church and address the

underutilization of the large building, which has been hard to maintain.

“We looked into many options including but not limited to selling the building, selling a portion of the building, or creating new covenant partnerships with other groups to create that revenue that was needed,” Hailey said. “Throughout this endeavor we have been praying that God would guide us in that. On Feb. 9 we believe God answered our prayers by introducing First Baptist to The Children’s School of Oak Park.”

Hailey said a partnership with another education group seemed like “the perfect fit.”

According to Hailey, the commencement date of the “covenant partnership,” as First Baptist does not hold leases as a 501(c)(3), would begin on Dec. 22, 2023, and run until 2033. However, the 10-year partnership might begin sooner depending on construction.

Doherty said she, along with other parents and even staff at the preschool, found out about the addition of the new school to the building through Wednesday Journal and social media outlets. Doherty said it was only after the fact that Hailey held a meeting for parents and staff to discuss the situation.

“They were experiencing and hearing about the stuff real time like we were,” Doherty said regarding the staff. According to Doherty, the meeting came after a state children’s agency and representatives from the Children’s School had begun looking at configurations for the new classrooms during school hours with teachers and children confused as to who was entering their classrooms. “The upsetting part for me is that it didn’t show care and concern for the existing community. The preschool and kindergarten has been in existence for 97 years.”

Hailey denied those claims and said all the appropriate parties were made aware.

“That was certainly shared, about when things would happen,” Hailey said.

Hailey said conversations with the new school began Feb. 10 and the board chair for the preschool was told about the possibility of

the partnership. The Children’s School representatives visited First Baptist facilities on Feb. 14 for the first time and representatives from the preschool and the church continued the conversation on Feb. 21 at the Children’s School.

“The preschool has been involved in this conversion since basically one day after the initial conversation,” Hailey said, adding this included preschool director Barbara Branch.

First Baptist Preschool did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

According to Hailey the church had not expected news to break through social media as the agreement was not signed on June 7, 2023, which is why parents were not notified.

Wednesday Journal received a news release for immediate release announcing the partnership on June 2.

“I am not fundamentally opposed to another school being there,” Doherty said. “But the fact that there was no consultation or being brought into the discussion, especially when you put a deposit down in early May, if people didn’t want to keep their children there, you are at a point where most preschools are filled already when we are finding out two months later.”

According to multiple parents, during the meeting Hailey was upfront about the reasoning behind agreeing to the partnership with the new school: First Baptist Church needed the money.

“When this opportunity arose, we saw it as an opportunity to completely fill our building and also as a way to provide financial sustainability so that we can continue to create a safe, warm environment for our church, our congregation, for our preschool and kinder-

garten and our other covenant partners like the Children’s School,” Hailey said.

Hailey declined to provide information on how much the partnership with the new school will bring in financially.

A big concern has been the restructuring of space, which has the preschool losing a few of their classrooms by next summer. According to Doherty, the Children’s School seemed to have been able to “cherry-pick” the spaces they wanted

“We talked a lot about the floor plans to make sure there was space for all of the groups involved to have spaces for their programs,” Hailey said, adding all changes were made with the unanimous vote of the preschool board, the church’s leadership team, and congregation. “We agreed that all of these changes will be appropriate.”

Hailey said space will not be an issue and by moving into their new classrooms, the preschool will have enough space for current students and have the room to grow back to pre-pandemic numbers.

Hailey said there will be some demolition of walls to create larger rooms, new plumbing, new electrical, and new flooring will also be needed alongside other things. They hope construction can begin in late July to early August. Renovations will be done in two phases and the preschool will also see the benefits of those renovations in their spaces. No changes to the preschool will be made in the first year, said Hailey

“Some of the construction done in that second phase will be renovations for the preschool and kindergarten,” Hailey said.

See FIRST BAPTIST on page 10

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

First Baptist Preschool and Kindergarten.

School Of Rock

Thursday, July 6, 5-9 p.m., downtown Oak Park Various bands from the School of Rock program will perform a special evening show. Outdoors on Marion St. between Lake St. and Nor th Blvd., Oak Park.

BIG WEEK

July 5-12

Read to the Royals!

Monday, July 10, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library

Roses From Concrete

Tuesday, July 11, 3-4 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library

In this bi-weekly program, students will explore the positive impacts rap music on the self and others. With a total of ve meetings, students will get to talk about their favorite positive rap songs, review their favorite songs, write a positive song about themselves and one about someone else, and have a compliment rap battle. Learn more at oppl.org/hip-hop-50. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Dooley Band

Wednesda July 5, 7 p.m., Dominican University Forest-based family band has been performing for decades. They specialize in what they call “good time music a mix of Irish folk, 20s and 30s jazz, 50s and 60s rock, and original compositions. 7900 W. Division St., River Forest.

Hemingway & Chicago Baseball

Sunday, July 9, 3-4:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Maze Branch Librar y Ernest Hemingway, one of Oak Park ’s native sons, is the subject of tonight’s presentation. Sharon Hamilton, Ph.D., of the Society for American Baseball Research will focus on Hemingway’s connection to the three championship-winning Chicago baseball teams of his youth: the Cubs, White Sox, and the Federal League Whales. We’ll learn about which teams he rooted for, his experience of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, his favorite baseball players, and whether he was the rst author to use the expression “o base,” meaning a mistake. The talk is co -presented by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park and Oak Park Public Library. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

This is a twist on the familiar Drag Storytime. Register and on the day of Read to the Royals, come in, and you’ll be assigned a 10-minute slot to read a story with one of the three lovely Drag per formers! You can use this time to tell a stor y, tell jokes, or talk about yourself! Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Digital Literacy:

3D Printing for Adults

Wednesday, July 12, 7-8:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Main Library Laura, from Slow re Studios, will teach the basics of using TinkerCAD to create 3D models. Learn about 3D-printing principles, design a 3D objec and submit your projec t to be printed on one of the Creative Studio’s 3D printers. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

13 Tikis/Swongos

Friday, July 7, 8 p.m., Outta Space Here it is, almost the middle of summer, and if this isn’t the right time for surf music, then no time is. Two Midwestern bands are “hanging ten” tonight — 13 Tikis are from Chicago, while the Swongos will be coming at you all the way from St. Croix River Valley, on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. $10, 6840 32nd St., Berw yn.

Listing your event in the calendar

Oak Park/River Forest Gangster Tour

Sunday, July 9, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (two di erent tours), FitzGerald’s Thirteen houses that were formerly owned by noted gangsters will be covered during this guided tour, which is hosted by John Binder. The residences of legends such as Tony Ac cardo, Paul Ricca, Sam Giancana, Tough Tony Capezio, and Machine Jack McGurn will be visited. Topics like the history of the house, the career of the mobster former owner, the family ’s time there, and related subjects will be dealt with. The tour lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours. The tour bus will depart from and return to FitzGerald’s. $40, 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berw yn.

Solar Power Hour

Wednesday, July 12, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Oak Park Public Librar y, Dole Branch

The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) will answer your questions about solar power opportunities. CUB’s Solar Programs coordinator will present information about Solar Switch Chicagoland (previously known as Grow S olar Chicagoland) and opportunities for proper ty owners to help pool their buying power and secure discounts that make the process of installing solar power more a ordable. Co -hosted by the village of Oak Park and the Oak Park Public Library. Register now at oppl.org/calendar. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

TONY ACC ARDO

Emergency preparedness position: hard to ll

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

Emergency preparedness coordinators are hard to come by, as the Oak Park public health director knows. The village of Oak Park has been accepting applications on a rolling basis since March, but the job is still very much open.

“The position is really hard to fill,” said Dr. Theresa Chapple-McGruder, Oak Park public health director

As the name suggests, emergency pre-

Chapple-McGruder’s first day.

“He was very nice, but he also infor med me that he was resigning at the end of the month,” she told Wednesday Journal.

The reason for his resignation was echoed by the two coordinators who followed: the position is difficult to sustain. The likelihood of bur nout in emergency preparedness coordinators is extremely high, according to Chapple-McGruder, as the position is very high stress. Those serving as emergency preparedness coordinator are required to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No one

gency declaration ending this past May after being in place for 1,155 days.

The world was already deep into the pandemic when Chapple-McGruder began work in Oak Park The emergency preparedness coordinator with whom she worked first had already been coordinating COVID-19 efforts for over a year before he left in May 2021.

It took six months for a replacement to be hired. That replacement was soon in need of a replacement himself, as he left the position after only seven months — just one month longer than the time it took to hire him.

and safety crises to be handled. Winds have carried smoke pollution from the Canadian wildfires south, bestowing upon Chicago the undesirable distinction, June 27, of having the worst quality air on Earth, according global air monitoring website IQAir.

Oak Park emergency response efforts continue without a dedicated emergency preparedness coordinator, but the coordination of those efforts is split between five different people in the health department, including Chapple-McGruder. This presents a logistical challenge and creates additional work for , facabout ulnerable alling day cares and summer sent out. he team s, e be

Friends of the Oak Park Public Library Book Fair

OPRF communication audit cites 7 areas to improve

Consultants see gap between community perception and reality

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Last winter two outside consultants from the National School Public Relations Association conducted a comprehensive audit of the communications functions at Oak Park and River Forest High School. The consultants prepared and presented to the school administration and the District 200 school board a 58-page report that contained its analysis and came up with seven major recommendations to improve the school’s communications and public relations ef forts. OPRF administrators have been somewhat frustrated at what they see as a perception of OPRF that they believe doesn’t jibe with reality

One takeaway from the report was that OPRF parents and staf f members have a more positive view than members of the community who do not have a direct relationship with the school. While 77 percent of OPRF parents and 61 percent of school staf f rate the school as excellent or above average, only 34 percent of the non-parent community did the same. Reaching out to non-parents will be a focus going forward.

“I would say that, overall, I was very pleased with the results,” said Karin Sullivan, OPRF’s executive director of communications. “They were largely positive, especially from the perspective of our families and from our employees. There are always things we can improve, but on the whole those folks have very positive feelings about our communications. Where we really need to do better is communicating with the community, so that’s definitely a focus of mine for the coming year.”

The report identified many strengths at OPRF saying the school is widely viewed, especially by parents and staf f, as a highperforming school with a proud tradition. It notes that the school produces and sends out a large volume of communication materials and described Superintendent Greg Johnson as a “skilled communicator who understands the importance of public relations.” But the consultants, who were paid $20,019 to produce the report, say there is

much the school can do to make its public relations ef for ts more effective, especially by making its communications more targeted and focused.

The consultants conducted surveys and focus groups. Survey data showed that community members who are not OPRF parents or staf f are far more reliant on “local media sources,” which the report said means Wednesday Journal, for information about the school, than on parents or staf f members. Local news media was the top source of information about OPRF for community members who are not parents or staf f with 47 percent of those respondents saying that they always or often rely on the local news media for information about the high school. But local news media only ranked eighth for parents and 10th for staff members as a source of information about OPRF.

OPRF officials believe that eliance on Wednesday Journal for news about OPRF by community members contributes to a ne gative perception of OPRF by some community members. They are sometimes frustrated that what they see as the good news about OPRF is being underreported

“We need to do a better job of sharing all the positives,” Sullivan told Wednesday Journal. “People most closely connected to the school hear these things, but the broader community their biggest source of information is frankly, Wednesday Journal and you guys tend to cover the ne gative stories.”

However, the report also indicated that both parents and staf f are often frustrated by a lack of information about incidents at OPRF.

“Participants in all parent and staf f focus groups voiced concerns about communication when an incident happens during the school day,” the report said. “The consensus was that information is incomplete and that there is a lack of follow-up to let people know the situation was resolved.”

Teachers seemed especially frustrated.

“There were concerns expressed by staf f about seeing school news in the local newspaper before getting information from school leaders or supervisors,” the report states. “Teachers said they are ‘frustrated’ by ‘incomplete’ information they get about incidents in the school.”

Overall the report stresses that OPRF needs to focus on getting its message out

in a strategic manner. The seven major recommendations are that the school develop a strategic communications plan, add an issues management function to the communications office’s responsibilities, place a greater emphasis on professional development within the communications office, focus on procedures and protocols to improve communication, make communications more marketing-orientated, use social media and the revamped school website to engage stakeholders, and to implement tactics to engage stakeholders with no connection to the school.

“There are a lot of suggestions; the improvements won’t happen overnight,” Sullivan said. “There is a lot of information in there about how we can strengthen our program.”

Sullivan said her most immediate priorities are to develop a strategic communications plan and to publish and mail out a quarterly newsletter next year

“We’re going to do a quarterly, probably a four-page, print newsletter that will be mailed to all residential addresses in Oak Park and River Forest four times a year,” Sullivan said.

The report emphasizes the importance of targeted communication, branding and staying on message. It recommends providing communications training for all staf f and reminding staf f that they are ambassadors for the school.

“Staf f members should be prepared to relate one fact or story about an OPRFHS success or achievement and make it as powerful as possible, preferably something that is personal to the storyteller,” the report states, adding that staf f should be reminded to be positive and not share problems or frustrations with community members.

“It is worth having staf f members discuss how sharing personal complaints about their jobs, co-workers, or the school out in the community might ne gatively affect constituents’ overall trust and support of all OPRFHS initiatives,” the report states

The communications department, meanwhile, should identify the “brand identity” of OPRF based on the school’s core values. It recommends putting the English translation of the school’s motto below the school’s treasured logo. The motto appears in Greek, Ta’Garista on the logo. That literally translates as the best and the OPRF motto is “Those Things That Are Best.”

“This motto can be used as a tagline in conjunction with the logo to give the logo more value as a branding marketing tool,”

the report states. “With only three schools in Illinois offering Greek language studies, according to a 2017 American Councils report, this would help community members who do not read Greek know what is meant to be communicated to them by the logo.”

The report states that while most in the community have a positive impression of OPRF, believing it to be a very good school, there is a perception that the school leadership could be more cost-conscious.

The report states that many parents in focus groups expressed a desire to be more engaged with the school.

“Several suggested that OPRFHS try to revive its for mer parent-teacher organization, which is dormant due to lack of leadership,” the report states. “While most view the high level of parent involvement as a positive factor in the school’s success, some focus group participants called it a ‘curse.’ They noted that parental expectations place added stress on school administrators and teachers, which they perceive as having led to “higher-than-normal turnover of top administrators.”

The audit also noted that focus group members from what it described as “partner agencies” said they receive little or no information from OPRF

“Several said they feel ‘unappreciated,’” the re port notes

The report was presented to the school board at the June 8 Committee of the Whole Meeting. School board members seemed impressed by the audit

“This was a really good report,” said Tim Brandhorst.

But Fred Arkin was concerned to lear n that most of the people who completed surveys and participated in the focus groups were white women.

“The people we primarily need to communicate with are those that are not responding,” Arkin said.

The communications department at OPRF is a two-person department, Sullivan and a communications and community relations coordinator. The coordinator position has been held by Jackie McGoey who resigned in late May to take a communications job with a Lincolnwood elementary school district.

Sullivan is currently seeking to hire someone to replace McGoey.

“We need somebody who can do video, who can do social media, who has a good design sense and can design a lot of publications, and really help shape some of our campaigns,” Sullivan said.

K ARIN SULLIVAN

Trio will be invited back to July 13 closed session for nal inter views

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

T he Oak Park and River Forest High School Board of Education last week announced the three finalists to fill the vacancy on the OPRF school board created when Kebreab Henry resigned from the school board last month because he is moving out of state

T he three finalists are employment attor ney Patience Clark-Keys, project manager Leslie Stephenshaw and Audrey Williams-Lee, the top human resources of ficer at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

T he school board will interview the three women in closed session on July 13 and is expected to vote on the successor to Henry later that evening.

The three finalists were winnowed from an initial group of 13 applicants for the post. The board nar rowed that to six semifinalists who appeared before the board in an open special meeting on June 21.

In addition to the three named as finalists, the semifinalists included were retired school teacher Nancy Alexander; physical education teacher Pete Miller; and for mer River Forest village board member Mike Gibbs, an OPRF alumnus

Five of those six were Black, including at least two who are mixed race. Gibbs, a for mer Huskie Booster Club president, was the only 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 currently without a Black member. Gibbs, in his presentation, encouraged the school board to expand its definition of diversity.

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

Clark-Keys 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,” Clark-Keys said. “It empowers me to advocate for under re presented groups.”

Williams-Lee, earned a bachelor’s de gree in industrial engineering from Northwestern and a master’s de gree in organizational behavior from Benedictine University.

“I want our high school to be very vibrant; I want it to be radically inclusive; I want it to be equitable,” said WilliamsLee, the mother of two sons, one a graduate of OPRF and one a current OPRF student. She added that the top issue for her would be the mental health crisis face by students and staf f.

Stephenshaw, a graduate of Stanford University, works as a project manager for Oil-Dri Corporation of America. Her mother is a white Jewish woman wh worked with the Black Panther Part and became an obstetrician/gynecologist in her 30s, and her father was Black. She noted that she was raised by a single mother

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

Applicants who did not receive invitations to appear before the board were Kevin Pe ppard, 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 ter m on the D90 Board of Education; Vincent Gay, a for mer Chicago charter school principal and current Midwest Re gional director of the Relay Graduate School of Education; Colin Jamal Bird-Mar tinez, an OPRF alumnus who works as consultant for S&P Global; Misty Olson, a consultant and active OPRF volunteer; T homas Finn, chief financial officer for Rhodian Group, an IT managed services company; and Henry Sampson, a retired high school and colle ge English teacher.

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

Mulch: A Strong Drought Fighter

Even with the recent surge of rainfall, this year has seen a relative drought throughout the region. As a result, it is imperative to limit its negative effects through proper horticultural practices.

Of course, supplemental watering is integral to ensuring your landscape stays healthy. Another key component: mulch, which plays a vital role in helping your landscape thrive. What benefits does mulch provide to limit drought stress?

� It acts as an insulating layer that will keep your soils cooler. Cooler soils = happier roots and plants.

� It reduces the evaporation of moisture from the soil, thereby helping reduce your watering needs as you retain moisture.

�It helps reduce weed growth. Weeds will compete for moisture and nutrients, so anything that limits their presence is positive for the landscape.

� Mulch being a natural product helps improve the soils. As mulch breaks down, it can assist in improving soil structure and supplying essential nutrients for plant uptake.

We offer a variety of natural, shredded hardwood mulch products that not only beautify your property but protect the investment in your home’s landscape.

Tension arises from Renew My Church merger

The days of ‘pay, pray and obey ’ are over, say concerned St. Edmund parishioners

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

A group of St. Edmund Church members recently posted a petition online, introduced with the words, “We … have lasting concerns that the voices and interests of the St. Edmund faith community have not been heard or considered as decisions impacting our campus and our faith community were made, including the use of the McGivern Parish Center, the lease to the Children’s School, and the timeline of repairs to our stor m-damaged church building.”

Tom Nelson has been a member of St. Edmund, off and on, for 84 years. In the old days, he said, the attitude among the laity was “Pay, pray and obey” but “we don’t do that anymore.”

When St. Edmund and Ascension Catholic Churches were united a year ago by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Renew My Church Initiative, many members of both parishes thought of it in terms of a marriage

In most marriages there are things, times and spaces that are “mine, yours and ours.” Technically all of the property on the campus located at 188 S. Oak Park Ave. belongs to the Archdiocese of Chicago, but many St. Edmund members still consider the church building, Murphy Social Hall and McGivern Parish Center (for merly the rectory) as “mine.”

Tracy Van Duinen, for example, accompanied her signature on the petition, among 412 others, with a comment: “This church belongs to the faith community of St. Edmund’s. This church is a treasure and should have been repaired right after the stor m hit on April 4th!”

“As a homeowner,” wrote Jennifer Lambrett, “I am appalled that the Archdiocese of Chicago didn’t take quicker action to get St Edmund’s repaired.”

Others complained that Murphy Hall, which is a separate structure adjoining the church, should have been allowed to be used for things like Mass immediately after the April 4 stor m.

The loudest and most frequently voiced protest came from members who heard that plans were being made to use the for mer rectory, now called McGivern Parish Center, as

a Center for Lifelong Learning and Faith.

What angered many is their perception that the decision on the use of the old rectory had been made without their participation. In an interview with Wednesday Journal, Mari Hans, a St. Edmund member for 43 years, explained that 456 families had pledged $1.6 million over 10 years to refurbish the building which was rededicated just a year ago.

Jim Leonard, a member for 16 years, said, “Nobody consulted anyone. So many put blood, sweat, tears, and wallet into it. We should have something to say about what happens to it.”

That has been the main point of contention by many who signed the petition — that they would not care if the facility eventually became a learning center if those who invested so much into renewing the building were included in the decisionmaking process.

“The uniting of St. Edmund and Ascension,” Hans declared, “is not a unification. It’s a takeover. We [St. Edmund members] have been marginalized and treated like second-class citizens. All decision-making has taken place by ‘other people.’”

Rev. Carl Morello, the parish administrator, responded to these concerns in an email interview. He said he was recently appointed [by the archdiocese] as the pastor of both Oak Park Catholic parishes [i.e. St. Edmund-Ascension and St. Giles-St. Catherine/St. Lucy].

He acknowledged that the Renew My Church process has been “challenging”

and that he is “aware of the many concerns they car ry at this time.”

Maria Allori, director of development for the newly for med parishes, added more detail to Fr. Morello’s response in a letter to parishioners dated June 29.

“This is an update,” she wrote, “on the construction progress at St. Edmund Church from our parish leadership and the Archdiocese of Chicago (AOC).

“We are expecting a re port from Wiss, Janney and Elstner in mid-July which will give us a clearer picture of the necessary church repairs.

“In July, we will be taking the necessary steps to begin a phased re-opening of Murphy Hall and the McGivern Parish Center on the St Edmund campus. As part of this process, we will be consulting with our representative from the Archdiocese of Chicago, our parish staff, the facilities advisory committee and parishioners.

“Your patience is greatly appreciated. We recognize this has been a slow process but we have had to deal with time constraints and busy schedules on the part of the companies the AOC is currently working with.”

Regarding Fr. Morello’s role in the combined parishes, Hans said, “Prior to Fr. Morello becoming pastor of both parishes, he took it upon himself to take over without any consideration or communication with the people of St. Edmund’s!”

Concer ning the delay on the work on the church, she added, “When I-95 collapsed in Philadelphia recently due to a tanker catching on fire and damaging the highway, it took only 12 days for the highway to be fully repaired and opened. This shows me that the people in charge of this project cared about their residents and took care of this issue immediately!”

In marriage counseling, the two parties involved have separate perspectives on the reality of the situation.

Fr. Morello seemed more upbeat: “I feel confident and am hopeful that, guided by the Holy Spirit and the confidence and spirit of the community, together we will work through the current challenges as we lay the groundwork for an even stronger Catholic community.”

AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ

St. Edmund Church

Scott McAdam Jr.

Hemingway District will get 2025 remake

Oak Park Ave. streetscape, infrastructure to be rebuilt from Pleasant to Ontario

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

More than a decade after it was first discussed, Oak Park will be rebuilding Oak Park Avenue in 2025. The project will include replacing the more than century old underground water and sewer infrastructure, as well as then building a new streetscape from one end of the Hemingway District business area to the other

Some 45 Oak Parkers turned out June 27 for an infor mational meeting hosted by the village, its engineering staff and consultants about the streetscaping portion. The project will cover Oak Park Avenue between Ontario Street and Pleasant Streets, as well as the intersections of Oak Park Avenue and North and South Boulevards.

Still in its conceptual phase, attendees were given red and green sticky dots to put on proposed design elements to indicate whether they liked what they saw or didn’t

“We want to make something better and really bring people to this district at the end

FLOODING

from page 1

The Village of Oak Park received “a couple dozen” reports from residents of flooded basements, but the number is likely higher, according to Oak Park spokesperson Erik

of the day,” said Bill McKenna, Oak Park’s village engineer.

A steering committee of area business stakeholders co-chaired by the village’s for mer mayor, Anan Abu-Taleb, has been working with the village on the project. AbuTaleb’s restaurant Maya Del Sol sits on the avenue, while the committee’s other co-chair, Mike Fox, is a commercial landlord with notable holdings in both the Hemingway District and Downtown Oak Park.

McKenna led the meeting presentation, later handing the metaphorical microphone over to Manisha Kaul and Sara Egan of Design Workshop, the Chicago-based landscape architecture fir m working with the village on the project.

TERRA Engineering is also on the project team, although none of the firm’s representatives spoke during the presentation.

The goals of the project, as Kaul shared during the presentation, include choosing a design that fits in with the neighborhood, while being fiscally responsible and choosing materials with long lifecycles

The streetscaping will likewise increase safety and accessibility in the district by putting in better viaduct lighting, signage and shortened sidewalks, among other improvements. Signage will use the same color palette and typography to reinforce the district’s identity. There will also be more signs

Jacobsen. No damage to public property has been reported at this time

Flood cleanup is underway with LRS Waste Management Services picking up flood-damaged bulk items with no pink stickers required. Those items should be put in the regular collection area. A return to regular collection will be delayed by one day due to the Fourth of July holiday.

“Garbage trucks will make the pickups on the regularly scheduled trash and recycling

directing people to public parking garages.

In creating more comfortable “people space,” another project goal, the design team intends to reclaim as much pedestrian space as possible by leveraging alleys for gathering and increasing bicycle parking. Lighting will play a role in achieving this atmosphere, with the design team proposing overhead festoon lights, like Marion Street has, and “illuminated art,” such as a fire feature of some kind.

The last goal of the project, “resiliency,” aligns with the Village of Oak Park’s wider climate action goal. The streetscaping will inte grate green infrastructure and increase the tree canopy in the area by 20%. The Bradford pear trees, an invasive species, that currently line the 100 block of South Oak Park Avenue will be removed and re placed with native plants, which will reduce water consumption.

When taken all together, the project’s five goals serve the wider objective of establishing the Hemingway District as an Instagram-worthy “signature destination” for

residents and visitors alike, but there are could be some potential drawbacks such as limited room for outdoor dining and reduced driving lane widths.

The input gathered at the meeting will be reviewed by the design team, the village and the steering committee. Final design development will begin in fall of 2023, with a recommendation made to the village board likely in October.

No cost estimates have been developed this early in the process, but McKenna said the project will be “locally funded.” The board will weigh in on how the project is ultimately paid for by the village

In 2024, the village will begin communicating heavily with businesses in the district to determine how to keep the street accessible throughout construction. Local communications agency A5 Branding & Digital is handling the project’s business support campaign. A website, www. renewtheavenue.com, has been created to keep the public updated throughout the project.

collection day over the next few weeks,” said Jacobsen.

In an emergency press release related to the flash flood warning issued just before noon July 2, it was reported that up to three inches of rain had already accumulated at a rate of two inches per hour.

Only one to three inches of rain was expected, far less than what actually fell during the flash flood. Flooding at Des Plaines Avenue prompted Illinois State Police to

close the Eisenhower Expressway westbound at Harlem Avenue. Oak Park Public Works staff was on call Sunday afternoon and evening to investigate instances of standing water on streets.

Instructions to protect basements from future flooding are available on the village’s website and include such tips as limiting the use of washing machines, dishwashers, sinks and toilets during heavy rainfall as all f eed into the sewe r system.

JAVIER GOVEA

e Heming way District along Oak Park Avenue.

VILLAGE OF OAK PARK

atcher Woods su ers 5 small wild res in two weeks

Dr y conditions feed the ames

By STACEY SHERIDAN Senior Reporter

River Forest firefighters were dispatched five times in two weeks to put out small wildfires in Thatcher Woods. The fires, the latest of which happened June 5, are believed to have been caused by discarded, not fully extinguished cigars or cigarettes. The drought conditions led to flames

“People walk into the woods, accidentally thinking they stamped out a cigarette or whatever, but they didn’t and then the breeze that we were getting was carrying the embers around,” said River Forest Fire Chief Thomas Gaertner. “And everything was so brutally dry that it would start these small little spot fires throughout Thatcher Woods.”

Spot fires, as Gaertner explained, are small wildfire blazes ignited by windborne embers dropped on dry brush and leaves. No living trees were set aflame, just parched vegetation.

“Small dead branches and leaves and the grass were all so dry that the slightest little ember would get them burning and smoldering in a lot of places,” the chief said. These firebrands can be carried by the wind miles away from their original source and the unpredictability of wind patterns

makes spotting difficult for wildfire management.

The Thatcher Woods wildfires, which have all been snuffed, are not nearly on the same scale as those currently blazing across Canada, the smoke from which engulfed the Chicago area this week in a hazy smog of smoky air, unhealthy for breathing.

Gaertner does not believe the local miniinfernos contributed to the poor air quality, nor did they cause any injuries or property damage, but uncontrolled fire is still dangerous. This should be kept in mind when enjoying the woods, according to the chief. It is also illegal to start any kind of fire in Thatcher Woods.

“People need to be more vigilant and aware,” he said.

Two of the fires only took a half-hour to extinguish, but three of them took two hours. All five fires required the entire force of the River Forest Fire Department and, in one case, the assistance of the Forest Park Fire Department.

While Thatcher Woods is a part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County and not technically a part of River Forest, the Forest Preserve District relies on local fire departments as it does not have one of its own. The preserves do have two brush trucks, used to put out grass fires, but they were unavailable at the time of the Thatcher Woods fires. Those trucks can be anywhere in Cook County at any given moment.

still get energy out when the weather is not good,” Doherty said. “That is a space they will want to utilize as well.”

from page 3

Reeder said Hailey announced that two of the biggest rooms currently used by the preschool will be allocated to the new school.

“It is not very clear where the five rooms First Baptist will keep or how they are going to be conditioned for the students and teachers,” Reeder said.

While the two schools will need to be kept separate to follow state regulations, there will be an overlap of shared spaces, including the gymnasium, but with the Children’s School having a larger number of students, parents of the preschool are concerned their children will now have their time in those areas significantly reduced.

“It was a really attractive gym and when you have very active boy toddlers who can

According to Doherty, Hailey said there will be a person in charge of scheduling the building, but that person is a current employee of the new school. According to Doherty, the preschool will now be paying half of their salary.

“What is to say that the preschool will not continue to be edged out from the footprint we are already in,” Doherty said.

The Children’s School was not able to be reached for comment.

With First Baptist being one of the most affordable preschools in the area, Ivan Da Silva, whose three children attended the preschool, said he is nervous this is the first step in the gentrification of the preschool as the school currently has a very diverse student body, which he said can be rare to find in Oak Park.

“They are probably the last affordable preschool in Oak Park.” Da Silva said. “99 percent of the parents and the kids are im-

migrants, people of color, minorities. A lot of the kids come from neighboring cities, from Maywood, it is a high-quality school with affordable tuition. The church has to be careful. We have seen this in Oak Park, schools being kicked out, being gentrified, and that is my biggest fear.”

The Da Silva family said, as immigrants from South America, they felt unwelcomed at many preschools in the area.

“They have their arms open all the time,” Da Silva said, adding his kids were accepted to the preschool with no questions asked while other preschools wanted to test the children before allowing enrollment.

Hailey said he is thankful for the rich diversity seen through the church’s congregation as well as the students at the preschool.

“Our congregation is comprised of a large number of minorities and people of color in our church,” Hailey said. “That has always been a big part of who we have been. It is something that we value very much. I am saddened to hear that people would think

that this new partnership would in any way tarnish that, but I know that in our hearts and in our conversations, the success of our preschool and our students there has always been on the forefront of our minds and these discussions.”

While parents have expressed their concerns that the ultimate end game is the closing, or at least the relocation of the preschool, Hailey said that is simply not true, as the preschool is not a separate entity from the church.

“We are very excited about this opportunity because it will allow us to maintain the preschool into the future,” Hailey said. “The reality is that if we were not able to bring in a new partner like this, we could not guarantee that First Baptist Preschool and Kindergarten would be around in 10 years or that First Baptist as a congregation would be around in 10 years. We really believe this has given us a new opportunity to build upon what good we have done so far and expand that with new partners, like The Children’s School.

Transforming retirement: rewire your legacy

By JANIS CLARK JOHNSTON Artbeat Contributor

What words do you use to describe retirement? The words we use to tell ourselves about this aging adventure are telling.

■ How do you describe your present environment?

■ How do you describe yourself at your

for an unknown amount of time. Money is an important topic

Time feels slippery with a scarcity factor. There are unknown health factors ahead, with death as everyone’s endgame. Few books had as much focus on the d-word as on dying memory — for car keys, and more. However, there is much more to one’s so-called golden years than monetary old, olden

difficulty filling their time to others who loved their “free” time.

“What is it that you do with your time?”

Lin-Manuel Miranda told his interviewer, Willie Geist, that his synopsis of his Broadway hit, Hamilton, revolved around this question. Transforming Retirement covers this topic with many possible answers. Participant aspirations for present time and

but others find the changes in their daily life difficult. Retirement signals a “loss” for them. People are naturally worried about transitions at any stage of their lives, and retirement transitioning presents unique challenges because you realize that your life clock is ticking faster with each passing year.

Transforming Retirement encourages retirees to rewire their brains in a psychological reboot, applying to both work and rk scenario Each chapter presents

UNHOUSED A small encampment

from page 1

his way to Oak Park. And since coming to the village, he has “nothing ne gative to say” about the area, although he wishes to soon be housed again.

“Sometimes it can be, I guess, a little bit hectic from the citizens of the area because of the situation,” he said. “You know, residents don’t necessarily want to see a group of individuals sleeping right outside their front door or back door.”

Residents have not been hostile, according to Q, who said they mostly avert their eyes when walking past the encampment, not making contact, verbal or otherwise, with the unhoused people living there. He said he gives back to the community by being respectful. Just one person has complained about the encampment to the Downtown Oak Park Business Association, according to Shanon Williams, executive director.

“We live in a very compassionate community,” Williams said.

Only once has Q experienced antagonizing behavior by a resident, whom Q said was either taking pictures or filming the encampment with his phone. Members of the encampment asked what the pedestrian was doing.

“And he re plied, ‘You animals have made this a campg round,’” recalled Q.

Leadership within the village of Oak Park are aware of the encampment, according to Oak Park spokesperson Dan Yopchick, and are working with the other member organizations of the Oak Park Homelessness Coalition to see the unhoused people are supported and the Metra station cleaned. The area’s resident beat officer and other Oak Park police officers re gularly speak with those living at the encampment. The beat officer stopped by the encampment while Wednesday Journal was interviewing Q.

“They assist in whatever way they can,” said Q. “So I give a thumbs up to the coppers.”

Another member of the homeless coalition, Live4Lali, stations its mobile outreach vehicle near the Metra every Wednesday afternoon, passing out food, toiletries, unused hypodermic needles and fentanyl testing strips.

Maywood-based Housing Forward has been sending re presentatives to the Oak Park encampment every weekday. The non-

profit, also a part of the coalition, works to solve homelessness by offering case management, temporary and permanent housing, and other support. The team is currently working to get the individuals at the encampment into housing, but it isn’t always a quick process.

“We are working within an imperfect system,” said Kadima Palles, Housing Forward outreach manager, refer ring to the country’s historical treatment of homelessness.

“We’re constantly putting Band-Aids on bullet holes and we’re constantly trying to fill in where we’re not getting the financial and human support of the bigger system.”

Palles tells her clients to be patient but being patient is difficult when living on the street. Many unhoused individuals have been abused or let down in the past, according to Palles, and if no one is offering an immediate hand, declarations of support can be hard to trust.

“In this world, unless you see it manifest before your eyes, nothing is real,” said Q.

Several factors have contributed to the increase in Oak Park’s unhoused popula-

tion in recent months, including the expiration of pandemic-era support measures and the federal moratorium on evictions and financial assistance.

Unhoused people taking up shelter in O’Hare International Airport have been sent back onto the streets in the months since Lori Lightfoot, then mayor of Chicago, pledged in February to crack down on non-travelers sleeping in the baggage claim area.

Plus, an influx of refug ees and migrants have flocked to Chicago shelters, leaving limited space for the city’s own unhoused. Q has experienced this himself, although he does not blame immigrants for utilizing the shelter system.

“I’m not a hater; I’m saying more power to you, but something needs to be done for the people that is here,” he said.

Lynda Schuler, Housing Forward executive director, understands this as well.

“There’s just simply not enough beds, and it forces people outside into dangerous situations,” said Schuler.

Housing Forward, which ended its rotating nightly shelter model when COVID-19

struck, recently opened a temporary shelter at St. Catherine-St. Lucy on Austin Boulevard with 15 beds. Its lease with the Write Inn, which has been lodging Housing Forward clients, ends in September.

Schuler is in the process of determining what the future of that partnership will look like come this fall, but it’s been a major success for the nonprofit. Living in stable housing at the Write Inn boosts client participation in Housing Forward programming with 83% of clients in the temporary housing program moving on to permanent housing.

The hope is that the people currently living at the encampment will become a part of that percentage of for mer Housing Forward clients now permanently housed. In the meantime, Schuler of fered some advice for those who look down on the people whose only possessions are the clothes on their back and the blanket that separates their body from cold concrete: Be kind.

“It’s really easy when you’re walking by to make judgments,” she said. “Everybody is a human being and deserves to be treated with dignity.”

TODD A. BANNOR

Homeless encampment under Metra station ramp in Oak Park.

Adduci among C4 mayors winning national honor

River Forest, Oak Park, Broadview founded regional e ort

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci and the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4) were named this year’s recipients of the 2023 Small City Mayors’ Climate Protection Award by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Adduci accepted the award at the conference’s 91st annual meeting in Columbus, OH, last month.

“I am proud and honored to accept this award on behalf of the Village of River Forest and the C4 communities,” she said.

River Forest, along with Oak Park and Broadview, Seven Generations Ahead and Urban Efficiency Group, launched C4 in June 2022. A partnership between

the municipalities and other near west suburbs to tackle the challenges of climate change and achieve equity outcomes, C4 now includes 14 communities and is designed to bring together Black, Indigenous and people of color and nonminority (BIPOC) communities across income lines to share ideas, secure resources and drive large-scale projects within and across communities that achieve agreed upon greenhouse gas emissions reductions, equity and sustainability goals

According to a press release from the mayors group, Adduci was one of 11 mayors recognized for their “distinguished leadership” in addressing threats tied to the effects of climate change that continue to impact cities across the country by taking local actions that reduce carbon use and emissions in their cities

C4 projects include community solar through Illinois’ “Solar for All” program that provides reduced-rate electricity for low-to-moderate income residents, electric vehicle (EV) Infrastructure plans and funding for C4 communities, work-

force development training and jobs

BIPOC residents related to solar and EV project development, residential curbside food scrap collection and schoolbased Zero Waste Schools programs Sustainability working groups/commissions in C4 communities were also created to ensure community engagement.

“It has always been our goal to seek private funding and state grants to f these initiatives,” Adduci said. “It takes this type of local and state leadership to ensure that we don’t rely on municipa property taxes to fund regional projects That is why our vision for Cross C munity Climate Collaborative is so im portant.”

This year’s winners represent the 17th class of mayors to be honored by the group for local actions that reduce carbon use and emissions in their cities. These annual mayoral awards are supported through a partnership between the mayors’ conference and Walmart, specifically recognizing innovative local climate action by mayors throughout the United States

President Vicki Scaman, hold the silver bowl awarded to C4 at the United States Conference of Mayors’ Childhood Obesity Prevention/Environmental Health & Sustainability C4 Grant ceremony at Triton College on June 22.

River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci, Broadview Mayor Katrina ompson, and Oak Park Village

Tommy Schaefer could return to U.S. by 2026

By BILL DWYER Courtesy of Chronicle Media

Tommy Schaefer, currently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Bali for the murder of Sheila von Wiese, could be released from Indonesian custody and return to the United States as early as spring of 2026.

In a recent interview with Australian journalist Dave Smith on the news.com website, Schaefer acknowledged his part in von Wiese’s brutal murder in 2014, but called his federal indictment for conspiracy to murder von Wiese “vengeful.” He also reiterated his contention that he never meant to kill her until a heated argument took place in her hotel room.

Schaefer said von Wiese’s brother and sister, Bill Wiese and Debbi Curran, had “unsettled business” re garding their sister’s murder, calling it “an itch to scratch.”

“That is why they pushed so hard with the FBI to have [von Wiese’s daughter Heather Mack] charged with conspiracy in the U.S.,” he said.

Heather Mack is in federal custody, hav-

ing recently pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill her mother; her sentencing is set for Dec. 18. Bibbs is serving a 9-year prison sentence for his part in the conspiracy.

Schaefer’s claim he had no intention of harming von Wiese is rebutted by text evidence between him, his for mer girlfriend, Mack, and his cousin, Robert Bibbs, showing clear intent to kill von Wiese for weeks

before the murder, right up to the moment he entered her hotel room.

Prosecutors alle ge that, rather than being killed during an argument, von Wiese was viciously ambushed by Schaefer and Mack as she lay in her bed.

Texts between Mack and Schaefer just before 9 a.m. contradict any suggestion of a lack of intent. Mack texted Schaefer, “Yeah she’s still turned away G don’t hit her … Are you sure … What if she doesnt (knock out)”

Schaefer texted back: “Let me just creep up … And wack her … Once I do it (our story will be) She was drunk slipped and fell” Mack texted: “Okay g … Okay just knock her out … It’ll be so much easier … Is the door closed[?]”

Schaefer did his best to paint himself as a victim of Mack’s scheming, telling Smith, “slowly and surely then she started convincing me how rich we’d be if her mother died and telling me that if she was rich, I’d be rich too,” Schaefer said. “So, I stopped trying to convince her not to do it and even played along.”

But again, a daunting array of texts and other evidence strongly indicates Schaefer was a willing participant in the conspiracy, and relished the prospect of a rich payoff for killing von Wiese.

Schaefer. Those inmates, she said, “sing a similar tune.”

“Tommy is delusional. He thinks he is a prophet of God one minute and the next minute he is deeply paranoid and hides in his cell,” Dixon said. Schaefer’s fellow inmates also told Dixon that, in recent months, he appears to have come into money.

“During a visit to the prison a few months ago, I was told that Tommy is wearing new clothes and is spending money on food and other items,” Dixon said. “He previously lived very modestly with help coming from charities and from his mother, Kia Walker.” She added, “Other prisoners believe he might have a woman in his life.”

Schaefer likely has less than three years remaining to enjoy the relative freedom of prison life on Bali to which he has grown accustomed. The Indonesian government routinely issues annual sentence “remissions” to most prisoners for good behavior. They usually are granted on Indonesian Independence Day in August. Additional remissions can be granted on other significant days, such as the end of the observance of Ramadan.

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

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A safe & smart choice.

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Elliott Jacobsen, an old friend of von Wiese who remains close to her brother and sister, called Schaefer “an intricate part of the murder,” and expressed disdain at his alle gations. “I would not rely on Tommy as an authority,” he said. “He’s still looking for an avenue that absolves him of guilt.”

Smith noted, “Schaefer has already had four years and two months shaved off his sentence, and in August he will receive another six-month reduction.” With effectively 18 months off his sentence annually, Schaefer can expect release as early as April of 2026, and possibly earlier.

Schaefer characterized his looming U.S. prosecution as “a case of David versus Goliath,” and reiterated his allegation that “revenge” is the primary motive for his prosecution and the prospect of decades more imprisonment in the U.S.

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

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

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.

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Jacobsen also scoffed at the idea that von Wiese’s family had anything to do with Mack or Schaefer’s legal troubles, saying, “Bill and Debbi had nothing to do with [Heather] being tried. Bill and Debbi did not arrest, did not try and did not convict Heather.”

As he has done before, Schaefer said he has experienced personal growth that mitigates against further punishment, telling Smith, “I feel the indictment is vengeful because of the man I have become.” God, he said, “has made me shar p and stable.”

But others say Schaefer is anything but stable. Veteran journalist Andrea Dixon has traveled the world researching a book on the Bali murder and Mack, Schaefer and von Wiese. She has visited Kerobokan Prison numerous times, and while Schaefer has re peatedly refused to speak with her, other inmates have spoken with her about

“Revenge,” he told Smith. “That is for the Lord.” And his return to the U.S. may well feel like a sort of revenge to him; Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he will be held awaiting trial, has no large sunny courtyard to wander, and in fact has no direct sunlight.

Jacobsen insisted it is Schaefer’s guilt, not a desire for revenge, that will be the primary motivation in his prosecution. He also expressed frustration at attempts by defense attorneys to use von Wiese’s alleged personal shortcomings as a defense for those who murdered her.

“Everyone’s trying to find something about Sheila that serves as a defense for a capital crime,” Jacobsen said. “[Schaefer’s] lawyer won’t be able to provide a defense because there is no defense.”

INSTAG RAM PHOTO

Tommy Schaefer with Heather Mack.

Oak Park pup victim of package the

Taking packages that don’t belong to you sometimes affects more than just the people to whom they were delivered. Such was the case for an Oak Park canine, whose medicine and Purina dog chow didn’t make it indoors after being delivered.

The two boxes were taken from the front porch of the dog’s residence in the 1100 block of South Harvey Avenue during the short window of 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., June 21. The loss of the packages is estimated at $300, but police did not provide information re garding the emotional toll on the dog.

Burglary

■ Someone broke into a home, entering through an unlocked window, then stole a red leather wallet, with identification, credit cards and a key fob to the victim’s gray 2016 Mazda 6, between 3 p.m., June 27, and 2 p.m., June 28, in the 500 block of Washington Boulevard. The offender drove away in the victim’s vehicle, which was parked on the street.

■ Two 14-inch concrete saws and one laser level were taken during a garage burglary in the 1100 block of North Hayes Avenue between 10:45 a.m. and 11:18 a.m., June 26.

The estimated loss is $5,100.

■ An Apple iPhone charger, two iPads, cash and identification cards were taken from an unlocked red Chrysler Pacifica between 10 p.m., June 26, and 9:30 a.m., June 27, in the 1000 block of South Harvey Avenue. The estimated loss is $800.

Motor vehicle theft

A 2015 BMW X5 was removed between 9 p.m., June 27, and 7 a.m., June 28, in the 1000 block of South Austin Boulevard

Theft

The catalytic converter of a 2007 Toyota Prius was cut between 9 p.m., June 27, and 7 a.m., June 28, in 1000 block of South Austin Boulevard

The catalytic converter of a 2005 Honda CR-V was cut between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., June 27, in the parking lot of Rush Oak Park Hospital, 520 S. Maple Ave.

The catalytic converter of a 1999 Honda Accord was cut between 8:37 a.m. and 8:40 p.m., June 27, in the 1100 block of Ontario Street.

The catalytic converter of a Toyota Prius was cut be-

tween 8:45 a.m. and 1:19 p.m., June 27, in the 1000 block of South Highland Avenue.

These items, obtained from Oak Park Police Department re ports, June 29-July 3, 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 description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

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Too hot to handle?

Local exper ts say summer real estate market is unlike anything they’ve seen

By LACEY SIKORA Contributing Reporter

This summer, it’s not just the temperatures that are steamy; the local real estate market is so hot that many local experts say they’ve never seen anything like it.

Elissa Palermo, president of the Oak Park Area Association of Realtors, calls the market “very interesting, to say the least,” while Baird and War ner’s Swati Saxena and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ Zak Knebel both point to statistics showing that the market is very active for sellers and challenging for buyers

All of the agents point to a clear factor in the busy local market -- there are simply more buyers than there are homes for sale.

ELISSA PALERMO

“It’s really all based on supply and demand,” said Palermo, who added that attending meetings on behalf of the OPAAR gives her insight into the factors driving the low inventory of homes available for sale.

“Twenty to 30% of inventory is being purchased by large investment groups,” she said. “They took their money out of the stock market and put it in real estate. Couple that with people who bought their homes with great interest rates, and they don’t want to sell to have to buy something new with a higher rate Steve Scheuring of Compass also sees interest rates at play, pointing out that a family who bought a starter home with a low interest rate years ago might be ready to move up to a bigger home. Even though they could get a great price for their home, their interest

rate on a new home, if more than double “There are

et. On listing a house, he will schedule two days of showings, followed by an open house. After collecting all offers on a Sund ay night, he will respond to interested sellers on Tuesday. He says that 48 hours ensures that buyers who have offered more than the asking price are comfortable with their of fer.

With one recent sale on Mapleton Avenue in Oak Park, he had 15 scheduled showings on F riday, 15 on Saturday and an open house on Sunday. He received 11 offers on the house, three from people

is home on Mapleton Avenue in Oak Park got 26 indiv idual showings over two days plus a Sunday open house that resulted in 11 o ers – three from people who had not seen the house in person. It sold for more than the asking price.

ho had not seen the house in person, and the house sold for above asking price. nother trend Scheuring sees is the wth of the high-end market in Oak

“Oak Park has never really been a strong million-plus market,” he said. pandemic has really changed that. Everyone wants more space, yard and When has a pool ever been a thing in Oak Pa rk?”

Tips of the trade

Realtors are g etting creative with their clients on both the selling and the buying side. Saxena notes that her buyers want a house that’s move-in ready.

“Even with higher interest rate, people are willing to pay more money for something that’s already updated,” she said.

Saxena is seeing buyers compromis-

ing in other areas, though. After one client could not find a move-in ready house in River Forest without a multiple-offer situation, they bought a home in Hinsdale instead.

Palermo says buyers are making other concessions, often offering appraisal-gap waivers, in which the buyers ag ree to make up the difference if the house does not appraise as high as the contract price.

Scheuring says that with clients who are frustrated at losing out to buyers making all-cash offers, he’ll ask if they have relatives who have cash for the purchase That allows them to make a cash offer with the

option to get a mortgage still getting a loan, but you’re promising to the seller that if you don’t a mortgage, you can pay in cash,” Scheuring said. “Sellers are treating this like a cash offer.”

On the selling side, Scheuring notes that Listing Network is “all the rage ” The PLN is a network visible s, where they can share some aspects of a property prior to listing it publicly on the Multiple Listing Service.

Palermo has seen an uptick in brokers using the PLN and says the practice of listing a house there can make sense in certain circumstances, such as the recent case when she had a house that was being It wasn’t quite ready for photos and the Multiple Listing Service, but she listed it on the PLN and found a buyer.

Saxena says that the PLN can be house that needs a and is quite photo-read though that’s not always the case.

“For almost eryone else, if want to get the most money, the wisdom is to go on the standard market,” Saxena said. “More people will see it that way.”

Knebel ag maximizing exposure provides sellers with the best opportunity to profit.”

All of the is the cause of some of the --people still want work from home and suburban homes with more outdoor space

Whether it’s a new jo a growing family, the motivation for a move is also as old as the real estate industry itself, they say.

“It’s important to remember that, much like sellers, buyers are likely seeking a new home due to significant life changes,” Knebel said.

While buyers’ motivation is obvious, what’s not as clear is when the market will cool. Scheuring says he no longer makes long-term predictions about the market.

“My ask is, ‘When is this going to stop?’” he said. “Every house that comes on the market sets a new benchmark.”

PROVIDED

SWAT I SA XENA

ZA K KNEBEL

STEVE SCHEURING

SPORTS

OPRF taps veteran coach to helm girls basketball pr ogram

George Shimko led St. Laurence to 94-80 record over six years

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

At its meeting June 22, the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education approved the hiring of George Shimko as the new school’s new varsity girls basketball head coach. He re places Carlton Rosemond, who stepped down in April after two seasons at the Huskies’ helm.

Shimko comes from St. Laurence High School, where he established the girls basketball progr am after the school turned coed in 2017. In six seasons, he guided the Vikings to a 94-80 record and an IHSA Class 3A re gional title in 2018.

Prior to St. Laurence, Shimko coached for four years and was athletic director at the now-closed Queen of Peace High

School. In the 2016-17 season, the school’s last, the Pride wo a school-record 28 g ames, whic led to Shimko be ing named Daily Southtown’s Girl Basketball Coac of the Year.

Shimko, who has 27 years of coaching experience, is also the founder and owner of the George Shimko Basketball School. Created in 1994, more than 1,500 players at all levels have attended the school. He has also served as a g eneral manager with both the Chicago Bulls/ White Sox Training Academy and the Il-

linois Basketball Academy

A 1974 alumnus of St. Rita High School, Shimko played collegiately at St. Xavier University in Chicago. Afterwards, he embarked on a lengthy overseas career, and now in his 60s, still plays to this day.

Last year at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, Shimko was a member of Total Pack ag e, which won the silver medal in the 5-on-5 basketball competition in the 65-70 age group. He had 18 points and 10 assists in the championship g ame, a 75-73 loss to a Lancaster, Pennsylvania, team. He also tallied 23 points and 12 assists in the semifinal.

Girls soccer coach resigns

At the same school board meeting, it was announced that OPRF varsity girls

soccer coach Christie Johnston has ste pped down from her position.

In a text message to Wednesday Journal, Johnston said that her decision to resign was for personal reasons She added tha she would remain at the school as a teacher and head coach of the freshman girls volley ball team.

In six seasons leading the Huskies, Johnston compiled a 32-51-2 record, winning an IHSA Class 3A re gional title in 2021, the progr am’s first in a decade.

Fenwick names new boys basketball coach

David Fergerson takes reins after serving last years as an assistant with the girls team

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Fenwick High School announced on June 30 that David Fe rgerson has b een named i nterim varsity boys b asketball head c oach for this c oming season. He re p laces To ny Young , who recently stepped down after two seasons

Fergerson

“I am blessed and honored for the o pportunity to become the next boys varsity head c oach at Fenwick,” sai d Fe rgerson in a press release i ssued by the school. “Like many c oaches before me, I will make it my mission to

provide our students with the skills required to succeed academically, athletically and personally. I am excited about this j ourney and look forward to a great year filled with success.”

Fenwick A thletic Director Scott Thies said, “For the last two year s [at Fenwick], C oach Fe rg has d emonstrated a great ability to c onnec t with our k ids and g et the most out of them. C oach has b een a great asset to Fenwick, and our boys b asketball progr am will b enefit greatly from hi s leadershi p. ”

Fe rgerson is ve ry f amiliar with Fenwick, having ser ve d as assistant

c oach last season for the girls va rsity b asketball team, led by his w ife L enae, who guided the F riars to the IHSA Class 3A Trinity Sectional title. P rior to Fenwick, Fe rgerson was an assistant boys b asketball c oach at Wi llowbrook High School in Vi lla Pa rk for four seasons. A native of Sa n

Francisco, he also had an extensive playing career.

Fe rgerson pl ayed c ollegiately at S an Jose City C olle ge in C alifo rn ia before earning an NCAA Division I scholarship to St. L ouis Unive rsit y for the 1998-99 season.

He spent two years with the Billikens, g etting voted co-Most Valuable Playe r during his first season and being the starting point g uard in his second, wh ich saw SLU win four g ames in four days at the 2000 Conference USA Tournament to q ualify fo r the NCAA tournament, becoming j ust the fifth team in NCAA history to acc omplish thi s.

After SLU, Fe rgerson pl ayed 12 seasons in Europe, mostly in France and Switzerland. He was captain of hi s team in seve r al seasons, and won a scoring title in Switzerland in 2004-05, averaging 26.8 points per g ame for the Lug ano Tiger s.

David

GEORGE SHIMKO

CHRISTIE JOHNSON

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At L’Arche, community is numero Uno

Rose Mattax wanted a Catholic Church nearby but discovered a dif ferent kind of spiritual home when L’Arche purchased the house across the street. L’Arche is a nonprofit org anization that provides homes for adults with intellectual disabilities (known as “Core members”). Their local office is at 7313 Madison St. and they own two houses on Ferdinand.

Rose is a retired energy-medicine psychotherapist and a longtime resident of Forest Park. She discovered L’Arche when she was in her 20s, living on the East Coast. She read the book The Road to Daybreak – A Spiritual Journey by Henry Nouwen. The renowned theologian spent the final 10 years of his life living in the L’Arche Daybreak home near Toronto.

The book recounts Nouwen’s nine-month stay at the L’Arche home in Trosly, France. This is where his friend, Jean Vanier, started the movement in 1964. Vanier’s vision was to create small homes for Core members and their “assistants.”

Forest Park is perfect for L’Arche. It’s a walkable community, close to public transportation. It also has plenty of small houses. These houses must have plenty of outdoor space and the one on Ferdinand has an outdoor deck and a sizable backyard patio.

Rose has admired the L’Arche movement for years. But the organization’s director of development, Vicki Watts, is relatively new. She started her position only a few months ago and is involved with fundraising and marketing. L’Arche receives some governmental funding but they must raise 28% of their $2.4 million annual budget.

This money is used to purchase and renovate properties. It is also needed to furnish homes, pay staf f and provide necessities. L’Arche also maintains a community vehicle for transportation needs. When they requested handicap pa rking for this vehicle, the village immediately put up signs and painted the curb blue.

Iwant to commend Louise Mezzatesta of River Forest for being an early adopter of the heat pump technology that promises to drastically improve the efficiency of heating our buildings [Electrify buildings? Maybe not quite yet, Viewpoints, June 7].

In her response to previous letter writer Jim Schwartz [Electrify buildings to reduce climate change , Viewpoints, May 31], Ms. Mezzatesta cautions that we aren’t yet ready to electrify our buildings because of insufficient capacity in the electrical grid. Perhaps we can’t electrify them all immediately, but I think his point was that a huge part (70%) of our carbon footprint in Oak Park (and River Forest) is from heating and cooling our buildings and that we need to start changing that now. And, in fact, the village of Oak Park’s Building Code Advisory Commission is moving toward recommending that all new construction in the village be all-electric, starting next year. So where would the energy for these new buildings come from? Probably a combination of places. As Mr. Schwartz points out, the state’s recent Clean Energy Jobs Act mandates a conversion of our electrical power

Defending against unsafe gun storage

p.

to fossil-fuel-free sources by 2045. This involves both federal and state subsidies for new renewable energy. It also means that some of the electrical demand for new structures in the village is met through solar installations, as in the case of the new Pete’s Fresh Market on Madison Street just east of Oak Park Avenue.

Ms. Mezzatesta raises the specter of rolling brownouts as occur red in California in 2020 (the first in 20 years). According to the Los Angeles Times of Oct. 6, 2020, those brownouts occurred because of poor planning by state energy planners in the face of a record heat wave and power lines downed by forest fires. California, our most populous state, is one of largest consumers of electricty, but not nearly as large a producer. They buy energy from other states to complement that produced by a wide variety of sources in-state.

Ms. Mezzatesta also states that “electricity is not cleaner than gas.” But how can it not be cleaner if her heat pump is more than twice as efficient as a gas furnace, which most are? Further more, with approxi-

How OPRF responds

OPRF recently commissioned a study of its communications strategy. A perfectly reasonable project at a modest cost for a key institution with a complex story to tell to a variety of stakeholders.

The good news is that parents of current students are well pleased with their perception of the school with 77% seeing it as excellent or above average. A still healthy 61% of faculty and staf f ag ree with that assessment. The genuine challenge is that only one-third of Oak Park and River Forest residents who do not have a student in the school rank it so highly

The report notes that most in that group rely on Wednesday Jour nal for their news of the school and come away with a more critical view. We’ll stand by our news coverage with both its hard news aspects and our frequent features on successes at OPRF

The most complex finding to us — and we imagine to school officials — is the frustration of both parents and staff (and the wider community) at the lack of immediate and full information from the school when a troubling incident occurs at the school. Could be a fight in the hallway that turns up almost instantly on social media. Could be concer ns over allegations of sexual harassment between students or, rarely, involving faculty.

The school rightly has a responsibility to protect the privacy of its students. But worried parents and faculty frustrated that they lear n details of incidents from either an online Jour nal report or on social media have valid concerns.

Threading the needle of being intentionally more timely and forthcoming when trouble happens while protecting both privacy and potential police efforts to sort out events, is a true challenge. But in this sped-up cycle of social media chatter and online news reporting, the plan has to change, the mindset needs to be updated

Good for OPRF for acknowledging these communications challenges. They are real, they have impact, and the solutions, while imperfect, need to be taken on with enthusiasm.

Focus on DEI training

Good for Oak Park’s village board for beginning its threepart training in cultural competency during a public meeting on June 26. And, positively, the training sessions will be led by Danielle Walker, the village government’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

After many years when the leadership of the village — both elected and appointed — was content offering lip service toward vague notions of equity, the current board, under the leadership of Village President Vicki Scaman, has made this ef fort far more genuine. The cultural competency training reflects that, as does Walker’s hiring into this key post.

The serious work underway related to policing and safety reflected in a serious consultant’s re port, expanded authority for a citiz en commission, the hiring of Chief Shatonya Johnson and the recent focus by a task force on mental health and policing, all indicate a sincere and determined ef fort to move forward.

We’ ll be watching and reporting on the next two installments of the board’s training.

Recently I won Best Original Column for weekly 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, I re printed “The god I can belie ve in” last week. This week I’m rerunning, “Good job not dying … and hopefully living.”

Good job not dying … and hopefully living KEN TRAINOR

Last week, one of those enormous celebratory lawn signs appeared for a few days in front of the building across the street. Extremely large letters, colorful, decorated with exploding firework imagery. The message, in two lines, was: “Good Job — Not Dying!”

Not a sign you see every day. Looking out my bedroom window in the mor ning, I imagined the message was for me. My first thought: “I is sending a message a bit higher?”

It reminded me of a line from a Mary Oliver poem: “Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?”

There is more in her poem “Have You Ever Tried to Enter the Long Black Branches?”

Well, there is time left — fields ev erywhe invite you into them. And who will care, who will chide you if you wander away from wherev er you are, to look for your soul?

Quickly, then, get up, put on your coat, leave your desk!

To put one’s foot into the door of the grass, which is the myster y, which is death as well as life, and not be afraid!

To set one’s foot in the door of death, and be overcome with amazement! …

For how long will you continue to listen to those dark shouters, caution and prudence?

A worthwhile reminder, but I don’t think that’s

what this sign was about. More likely it was for someone who was expected to die, or at dee p risk of it, and somehow, against all odds, pulled through. Cause for celebration.

But maybe the message was still applicable to me. Maybe to all of us. Good job – not dying: a message for every single morning. For some, a major achievement, worthy of the biggest sign you can find.

I remember author Joyce Carol Oates talking about Ernest Hemingway’s famous flaws, his stor my life and relationships, and his suicide, for which so many judge him harshly:

“I think we are expecting something of him that he was not able to provide,” she said. “His father had committed suicide. He was deeply insecure. He made out of the material of his life ry beautiful and lasting monument to just d to be about 62 and then he killed himself. But he might have died ounger. here is something heroic in these people enduring as long as they did — especially Hemingway, who was haunted by the ossibility of dying suicide all through

ome of us fight eat battle just to living. Some fight that battle their s. In the final analysis, most us probably live as long as we can.

T here’s a new book out I’d like to read, Life is Hard , by philosophy professor Kieran Setiya, who has suf fered from chronic pain for many years, yet argues that living well and hardship are not incompatible. According to the reviewer: “T here is no single good life for everyone, [the author] argues at the be ginning. Such lives can include — but do not require — feeling happy. They involve the well-being of others, not just your own. … A good life also need not require you to define, let alone pursue, an ideal one. ‘The best is often out of reach.’ … Attentive readers of this humane, intelligent book will

PHOTO BY LOURDES NICHOLLS

Free to roam, we found history

When we were kids, how were we entertained during the summer months? Mothers were probably asking this question even during pre-historic times when danger was

In the mid-20th century, though, the area where we lived was a peaceful plac

Of course, there were no org sports for young guys, no television, no video games, and no malls, to name a few “necessary” things that could ha our lives complete.

However, our mothers had no problem with “What do you do with 11- to 12-yearold boys?” The answer, simply, was: Turn ’em loose.

With that kind of free-wheeling mandate, there was little chance of complaint about kids being bored and unable to come up with anything on their own.

My buddies and I were constantly on the move, not only with re gular chores, but with the entertainment we created for ourselves.

If the group I hung around with was not playing sandlot baseball, doing our daily chores, or mowing lawns in our neighborhoods for spending money, we walked around Oak Park and River Forest at least once a week.

We walked around the campuses of both Rosary and Concordia just to see what a colle ge campus looked like. It was a look into my future, I thought — and as it turned out, I thought cor rectly.

We walked east and west on Chicago Avenue and Lake Street and north and south on Oak Park Avenue, and each time we walked, we saw different things, truly an educational experienc e.

There was an area in River Forest we walked to because it was a place of historical significance, ac-

come away with a fir mer grasp and better descriptions of whatever it is that ails them or those they cherish.”

I’ve been attending numerous funerals and memorial services lately. One friend, who had everything to live fo r, died suddenly at the age of 70. Another, who died at 75, was de eply afraid of death his entire adult life, but possibly even more afraid of life

Most of us would say he was undone by his fears, yet he found his niche in a nursing home, a place most of us would fear to tread, much less make our residence for decade s. Two other Oak Parkers, Frank Muriello and Ginie Cassin, lived long, full lives into their 90s and served this village with great distinction. They deserve the respect they earned

T here are many reasons people live into their 90s, which can’ t be easy, no matter how good your circumstances are. But I’m pretty sure one of the

cording to our social studies teacher. The area was on Thatcher Road and and it was the site of a Potawatomi village that extended, she said, on the west to the Des Plaines River and on the at is now the area around Washington Boulevard/Madison Street.

The Potawatomi were allied with the British during the War of 1812 and, thus, an enemy of the United States. In August 1812, war drums sounded along the Des Plaines, and 500 Potawatomi warriors d east on the trail [Lake Street]. Their destination was Fort Dearborn, a U.S. fort near the mouth of the Chicago River.

A garrison of soldiers at the fort protected the few Americans on the frontier from hostile Native Americans. The troops and settlers were ordered to move to Fort Wayne for greater safety. Soldiers feared an attack by the Potawatomi and urged their commanding officer to stay within the fort, but the commanding officer was determined to obey orders, so he destroyed all the ammunition that could not be carried, and left the post on that fateful August morning with about 100 soldiers and settlers.

The Potawatomi and allied Native Americans attacked the Americans on the shore of Lake Michig an a few miles south of the fort

The attackers killed more than half of the Americans, captured the rest, and returned to the fort and bur ned it.

Given the clarity of our vision of the hikes we took, it would appear that we traversed Oak Park and River Forest continuously, but in reality we took the hikes eight or nine times a summer, and we stopped altogether the summer after eighth grade.

reasons they live that long is because they want to. Good job — not dying.

Last week I had my annual wellness exam (Medicare ter minolo gy) and I’m in reasonably good health. I’m also, finally, getting around to ar ranging for my “Durable Power of Attor ney for Healthcare,” naming an “agent” and choosing one of three options to guide that person in making decisions about my care in the ev ent that I’m unable to I chose not to have my life prolonged, “nor do I want life-sustaining treatment to be provided or continued if my agent beli eves the burdens of the treatment outweigh the expected benefits.” Sobering language

In the meantime, I hope to keep doing a good job of not dying, but I also don’ t want to end up “breathing a little and calling it a life.”

While I’m not dying, I want to do a good job of living.

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley

Senior Editor Bob Uphues

Digital Manager Stac y Coleman

Senior Repor ter Stacey Sheridan

Sta Reporters Francia Garcia Hernandez, Amaris Rodriguez

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Big Week Editor James Porter

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

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designer Susan McKelvey

Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls, Kamil Brady

Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

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

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Gre n Treasurer Nile Wendor f Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards

Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

About Viewpoints

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

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

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

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

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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.

Pavers can be savers

Ihave never been afraid to take on any home improvement project. Over the past couple of years, my back yard has suffered as I’ve worked on projects while using it as a storage area. I recently decided to extend the patio out 40 inches x 20 feet.

My initial plan was to use ce ment paver molds. I diligently dug up and removed all the grass from the area, but upon doing my detailed research, one bag of concrete mix would fill up two molds. My basic estimate would be that I would need at least 10 bags of concrete mix. I quickly lost the desire to have to mix up that much concrete, even if I was doing it one bag at a time.

My next idea was to get a contractor to pour the concrete. I reached out to a couple of different people and they pretty much both gave me the same price. Around $1,700. In my mind since the area had already been dug up, I thought I would have seen something a little cheaper. But their price is their price. Plus the concrete would need to be cured and that would delay my being able to move furniture on it. So I went down my checklist to my next option.

JONES

recycling building materials. Thankfully I found a lady online who had about 200 paver bricks and she was offering them at 3 for a dollar. It took me two trips over two days, but I got the 200 bricks moved from her backyard to mine Although I had removed all the grass from the area, I now had to dig down several inches. I ended up moving all the extra dirt to different areas of my backyard. I needed 12 fifty-pound bags of paver base and 12 bags of sand Thankfully, people at the store helped load the stuff into my car. But I had to unload it by myself. I began working on it last Tuesday, and by Wednesday I was laying down bricks. As the pile of stored bricks got smaller, I noticed I was barely halfway done with the area. Oh snap, I was short about a hundred bricks.

Defending against unsafe gun storage

Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. As a parent, this tragic reality is unacceptable to me.

There are various contexts in which our kids are killed and injured by guns, but we know that 4.6 million children live in a household with at least one unsecured firearm, and nearly a quarter of all gun owners keep their firearms unlocked. This accounts for the nearly 350 children under 18 who unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else

Unsecured firearms also contribute to the more than 700 children who die by firearm suicide every year. In fact, several studies have shown that the risk of suicide and unintentional shootings among youth increases in homes where guns are kept unsecured. Over three-quarters of school shooters obtain a gun from the home of a parent or relative Safety advocates, educators, and health professionals must continue to build awareness about the importance of secure firearm stor-

age practices. But our village board can also help by amending the village code to require the secure storage of firear ms in homes in Oak Park. Research suggests that child access protection laws effectively increase secure storage behavior, and that even modest increases in the number of U.S. households securely storing firearms could prevent almost a third of youth gun deaths.

Such an ordinance is on the agenda for the village board’s July 5 meeting. Support this common-sense policy by letting Village President Vicki Scaman and the trustees know that they should enact a local secure firearm storage ordinance.

If our local gover nment can do anything to prevent even one death or injury by firearm, it is their responsibility to do so. And we can all use our voices to advocate in support of this secure storage ordinance.

Jenna Leving Jacobson Oak Park

Two years ago, I got tired of mowing the little grassy area between my front sidewalk and my neighbor’s gangway. I had some free paver bricks and decided to put them down. It worked out well, even though the number of pavers I had wasn’t enough for that small area. But I managed to use regular solid bricks to supplement the pavers.

My next decision was what kind of pavers to use. The bigger 18 x 18-inch pavers weigh about 40 pounds. Plus they were pricy. I’ve been a major advocate of

I began to scour the inter net for people selling bricks who were not too far away. Finally I found someone in Romeoville who had about a hundred bricks for the best price of all — free. Although the bricks were green, they were the exact same as the ones I was using. Plus he had a bunch of scalloped cement-edgers. Once home, I began a process of switching out some of the lighter bricks with the green ones.

My goal was to be completely done on Friday. But because of the delay in my running out of bricks, I ended up finishing on Saturday.

Here’s a photo of the finished project. Arlene Jones, a resident of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, writes a weekly column for the Austin Weekly News, a Growing Community Media publication

We need a village ordinance on safe gun storage

The signs in our yards state “Imagine a world without gun violence.” This is what we all want! To achieve this, we must commit to taking whatever steps we can to make our lives safer. Risks we can address are guns in private homes. Unsecured, unwanted, and accessible guns are used by toddlers, by curious children, angry or insecure teens, and individuals facing a crisis. They are vulnerable to theft and ending up in the hands of violent people. We can do something about unsecured, unwanted and accessible guns in our homes.

Trustee Brian Straw is taking action. He has two motions: an ordinance on secure safe gun storage and an amendment to the village code to allow Oak Park gun buybacks.

Both create the opportunity to make our homes safer

Gun buybacks prompt individuals to surrender unwanted guns. People bring guns to a buyback for many reasons. Perhaps parents want to be sure their gun can never be misused and harm their child. Perhaps their gun was inherited, and it was never wanted. Perhaps a gun is received after a family member died by suicide

and the new owner wants to ensure the gun is never used for har m.

Although Oak Park police can receive unwanted guns, a gun buyback event can create the nudge to actually take action to surrender the gun. Amending the village code to create the opportunity for a gun buyback gives the village of Oak Park Police one more tool to increase safety and reduce gun violence.

Oak Park gun owners may be mistakenly confident that their gun is unlikely to be in a child’s hands or misused. For gun owners, each should follow the practices of secure storage spelled out explicitly by the Be Smart campaign. Passing a secure gun storage ordinance in Oak Park will prompt gun owners to secure their gun and, thereby, create a much safer home.

Help us support these initiatives to increase gun safety in our homes. One day we may not need to imagine a world without gun violence. We may experience it!

Join us at Village Hall on Wednesday, July 5 at 7 p.m.

Lois Thiessen Love and Sandy Je erson Oak Park

Congratulations to Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman, River Forest Village President Cathy Adduci, and Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson on the $125,000 grants each received for her work on the Cross Community Climate Collaborative (C4), co-led by

JOHN RICE

from page 19

L’Arche has encountered considerably more red tape while constructing a new home in Oak Park. The two-story house has a modern design and open floor plan. It has a spacious courtyard and deck. It will also have ground floor access for Core members who use wheelchairs and is scheduled to be completed in fall 2024.

Meanwhile, the L’Arche movement continues to grow. They maintain homes in 37 countries and attract assistants from all over the world. It’s an attractive position for many young people. The pay isn’t great but the work is heart-centered and beneficial

Assistance with medication safety

Oak Park and River Forest offer locals two simple programs for those with prescription medicines:

■ HomeMeds – an evidence-based medication safety program designed to screen for potential drug interaction problems. This is especially important if you are experiencing dizziness or having balance issues, take blood thinners or diabetes medication, and/ or had a recent Emergency Room or hospital visit. Contact Township Senior Services @ 708-383-8060 or email homemedsreferrals@oakparktownship.org

■ Safely dispose of unused or expired medications in secure collection boxes in River Forest and Oak Park:

* Basement of River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Ave.

* Lobby of Oak Park Police Dept. at Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St

gran

Seven Generations Ahead and the Urban Efficiency Group.

The grants were awarded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and other partners. In collaboration, communities can make more progress addressing climate change than possible working

to Core members and assistants alike Plus, L’Arche provides them with housing.

Rose and her husband John have welcomed several assistants to Forest Park. They share meals and act as tour guides of the Chicago area. She has also been a good friend and neighbor to a Core member named Noah. For over a year, Rose has crossed Ferdinand every Wednesday afternoon to play Uno with Noah.

I was invited to a recent game and found the house filled with four Core members and their assistants. There were also inter ns and part-time staff members. Rose and I were among the volunteers playing Uno at the dining room table. Fortunately, we weren’t playing for money. I may know my colors, but I wasn’t accustomed to cards

alone. I wish President Scaman every success in bringing more communities into the collaboration, and feel sure that all three grant recipients will keep up the good work.

Judith Alexander Oak Park

that skip your turn and make you pick up more cards.

It reminded me of living with a big family and for Core members it’s a family for life.

If you’re interested in donating your time or money to L’Arche, you can call Vicki at 708-660-1600, ext. 102. You can also email her at vicki.watts@ larchechicago.org. The organization’s website is www larchechicago.org

You can receive the spiritual gifts that Rose Mattax and Henry Nouwen found.

Making friends at L’Arche homes can be incredibly rewarding.

John Rice lives in Forest Park and grew up in Oak Park. He writes a weekly column in the Forest Park Re view, a Growing Community Media publication.

* Oak Park Township Senior Services – drop box is in the parking lot of 105 S. Oak Park Ave. (SW corner). Prescription or over-the-counter pills or tablets only (No liquids, creams, loose items, needles or other medical waste). Please dispose of pills/tablets in bulk in re-closable plastic bags.

Township Senior Ser vices Committee Oak Park & Ri ver Forest

NICK BRIDGE

from page 19

mately half of our electricity being produced by nuclear power — with zero emissions — I would say that electrical energy is certainly cleaner than that generated through burning gas in our boilers and furnaces.

How long the nukes will last is anyone’s guess. Several are on their way out as plants. They will be re placed, however, by wind or solar, which is now cheaper to produce than coal-generated electricity. Where to place that solar is another problem. Rooftops, when available, are a great option because they don’t require transmission through the grid.

We all need to work together to convert to an all-electric economy, which means converting our devices, our heating, our transportation, and also adding solar and wind to the grid when we can.

Nick Bridge, an Oak Park resident, is a local artist, a member of the Plan Commission for the Village of Oak Park, and acti ve with the Oak Park Climate Action Network. He is also a former park commissioner and former chair of the villa ge’s En vironmental and Energy Commission as well as the Public Arts Commission (now defunct).

Bill Troyer, 89

Physician and OP Township trustee

Dr. William Gail Troyer Jr., 89, known to most as “Bill,” an Oak Park resident since 1974, died on June 20, 2023. Born on Jan. 16, 1934, to William Sr. and Jane Guynn Troyer in South Bend, Indiana. Though proud of his Hoosier roots, he was destined for life beyond Indiana. One of his high school teachers spotted potential in him and suggested he “go east” for colle ge. He was awarded full scholarships at a number of colle ges in Indiana as well, as a partial scholarship to Harvard, but it was Williams Colle ge in Massachusetts that he chose and met many lifelong friends. He majored in economics, wrote for the newspaper and was active in Psi Upsilon fraternity

After graduating in 1956, he enrolled in medical school at the University of Pittsburgh. During this time, he was set up on a blind date with Loretta Edwards, a nursing student from a nearby colle ge, and they married in 1959. He is remembered as a very serious but caring and kind person.

After medical school, he pursued a career in academic medicine and administration, starting with fellowships at the University of Oklahoma and Duke University. His research on beta blockers, which control high blood pressure, contributed to medical advances that millions have enjoyed since the 1960s. He paused his career ambitions to serve in the U.S. Ar my during the Vietnam War and spent his service

conducting medical research at Walter Reed in Washington D.C. After completing his service, the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin, for a position at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, and by 1974, they put down permanent roots in Oak Park, which of fered proximity to the University of Illinois Chicago where he served as an administrator and clinical professor, ultimately becoming chief of staf f of the hospital for more than a decade. He retired in the late 1990s but practiced medicine part time there for many years. He once told his daughter that seeing patients made him a better administrator because he knew more about their experience at the clinic s. When asked why he was seeing patients well into his retirement, he explained that he still had some patients he had first seen in 1974 and did not want them to have to find a new doctor He was an “old school” doctor who ke pt a black bag to hold his examination gear, occasionally made house calls, and even provided his home phone number

He served on various committees for the Illinois State Medical Society, the Economic Club of Chicago, West Suburban Hospital Colle ge of Nursing, and Oak Park Township. He also served in various fundraising roles for his alma mater and felt strongly that it was an honor to serve the community.

Research and analysis were among his core competencies, and he enjoyed conducting research on his favorite military and political hero, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Lo gging many hours in the archives of the Eisenhower Presidential Library as well as places where Eisenhower and his associates had lived, studied, worked or fought, he discovered some connections even professional historians had not considered. An avid reader, he also enjoyed spy novels, historical bio graphies and medical jour nals over the years.

Bill Troyer is survived by his sons, William III, and Stephen; his daughter, Judy (Richard) Deo gracias; his grandchildren, Wade, Amelia (William O’Leary), and George Troyer, and Raymond and Lourdes Deo gracias; and his great-granddaughter Seraphina Loretta O’Leary. He was preceded in death by his wife, Lorrie, and his sister, Portia Kelley.

An early fall memorial service in Chicago is planned. The Troyer family would like to thank the extraordinary care team at Journeycare Hospice as well as his physicians at Rush University Hospitals in Chicago and Oak Park and the University of Illinois, many of whom are his for mer students

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Thresholds at www. thresholds.org, a nonprofit provider of mental health services and programming in Chicago, which Bill and Lorrie supported over the years.

Je rey Peters, 70 Manager for Fleet Services

Jeffrey S. Peters, 70, of Peotone, Illinois, died on June 21, 2023. He was a manager for Fleet Services in Oak Park

Jeffrey was the husband of Patricia (nee Pearson); the father of Stacy (Michael) Ruckle and Scott (Ambruss) Peters; the grandfather of Zachary, Kyle, Brandon, Tristen, Tyler, Maxwell and Abree; great-grandfather of Sedona, Finlee and Sway; and the brother of Don Peters, Judy (John) Vonda

and the late Gary Peters.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Lung Association.

A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, July 1 from 1 p.m. until the time of service, 4 p.m., at Monee Funeral Home, 5450 Wilson (at Governors Highway), Monee, Illinois. For more information, call 708-534-0016.

omas Krenek, 82 Antique store owner

Thomas Krenek, 82, of Berwyn, a longtime Forest Park antique store owner, died on June 23, 2023. Bor n on Aug. 24, 1940, he was an elementary school teacher at District 62 for more than 30 years. After retirement, he owned Krenek’s Antiques in Forest Park, where he dealt in many treasures and stories he brought home from his world travels.

Thomas was the father of Laura (William) Nutini, Andrew (Kirsten) Krenek, and Allyson (James) Vallely; the grandfather of Samantha and Cassandra Nutini, Hunter and Miranda Krenek, and Katherine Vallely; the brother of Kathleen (Paul) Vitaioli; and the uncle of Julie (Mark) Vague.

A memorial gathering will be held on Thursday, July 6, from 1 from 6 p.m., with a time of remembrance service at 5 p.m., at Knollcrest Funeral Home, 1500 S. Meyers Road (3 blocks south of Roosevelt Road) in Lombard. Interment will be private

PART-TIME

ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER

Experience or not.

Call for more information.

708-738-3848

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.

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.

Veterinarian sought by Companion Animal Hospital of River North, a Mission Veterinary Partners company, in Chicago, IL to diagnose and treat various medical conditions of client-owned animals including, but not limited to, involving physical exams, sample collection, and performing laboratory tests to achieve a diagnosis. 20% of travel btw Chicago-based MVP veterinary hospitals req’d. Requires ability to obtain IL Veterinarian License. Related degree and/or experience required. Multiple openings. To apply, send resume and cover letter to Companion Animal Hospital of River North via email at mvpcareers@mvetpartners.com and reference company name, job title and job location.

Qualifications:

Community Relations Coordinator

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing, or other related areas

• Three to five years of experience in a school district setting or public sector agency is preferred

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal), including editing, layout & design, desktop publishing, and the maintenance and use of social media platforms and website for communications

Job Duties:

• Develop and implement strategic communication goals and plans

• Serve as information liaison between the District and community at large

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.

• Serve as public relations counsel to the Superintendent

• Create, produce, ensure accuracy and distribute regular communications

• Manage the District website and social media accounts

Please apply at: https://www.district90.org/about/employment

District 90 values a talented and diverse workforce. As an equal opportunity employer, it is the policy of the River Forest Public Schools, District 90, to not discriminate against any employee or any applicant for employment.

CROSSING GUARD

The Forest Park Police Department is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Crossing Guard. This position requires flexible hours during days when schools are in session. A background investigation and drug screening will be conducted prior to consideration for the position. Applications available at Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue or on-line at www.forestpark.net and should be returned to Vanessa Moritz, HR Director, at Village Hall. For additional information, contact Dora Murphy at 708-615-6223 or write dmurphy@ forestpark.net.

Applications accepted until position is filled. EOE.

Data Engineer wanted by Egencia LLC in Chicago, IL. Writing code utilizing Python, Java, Spark, & SQL; Working w/ data & delivering good-quality code. Fostering & strengthening a deep understanding of vast data sources in the cloud & know precisely how, when, & which data to use to solve particular business problems. Must have a Bach deg in Comp Sci, Electrical Engg or rltd field + 5 yrs of relavent exp. Salary range $122,470 - $184,000. Add’l reqmts for the position may be found on our career website through the link: Apply online: https://www.egencia.com/en/careers Req#J-61578.

Logistics Manager sought by Amazing Trucking & Logistics in Chicago Heights, IL to dir actvts rltd to dsptchng, rting or trckng transport vhcls. Reqs BS in Finance, Business or rltd field & 1 yr exp in rltd occptn.

Mst hv perm auth to wrk in US. Snd rsm & cvr lttr to 3025 E End Ave, Chicago Heights, IL 60411

Principal Software Engineer sought by Enova Financial Holdings, LLC. in Chicago, IL. Apply at www.jobpostingtoday.com Ref # 91408.

WANTED

Senior Associate (Chicago, IL) for Adams Street Partners, LLC to dvlp web applics focused on data capture & mgmt, reporting, & integrations w/ 3rd party systems for investment acctg & treasury operations. Reqs Bach deg in Comp Sci, Data Analytics or rltd field of study, & 5 yrs exp in any job title/occupation/position involving full-stack dvlpmt. Exp specified must incl 5 yrs exp w/ each of the following: fin’l services domain working in Asset/Investment Mgmt or Private Equity industry; ASP.Net, C# & SQL Server; interfacing w/ the business directly & performing Business Analytics duties; bldg & consuming RESTful APIs; & automated unit testing. Telecommuting permitted up to 3 days/wk. Salary: $108,576 - $143,400/yr. To apply visit https:// uscareers-asp.icims.com/jobs/1453/ it-software-developer-%28senior-associate%29/job?mobile=false&width=1510&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-300&jun1offset=-240

Sport Performance Operations Manager/Lead. Chicago, IL. Using sports performance mgmt & business dvlpmt background in sports performance/wearables industry, dvlp sales & performance strategy & expand US client base. Gather mkt & customer info & qualify prospects. Provide data analytics, reporting & troubleshooting to elite, high-performance sports teams. Assist w/ onboarding of new sales team members & provide continual coaching (pricing, quoting, contracts & addendums) to ensure max margins. Deliver & lead team meetings, in-services & events. Supv 4 business dvlpmt team members. Travel 10-15% (Domestic). Bachelor’s in Sports Science, closely rltd field, or foreign equiv + 2 yrs exp as Sr.-level Sports Scientist or Sports Performance Mgr in a sports performance/ wearables sales role working w/ elite sports teams. 2 yrs exp must incl negotiating pricing, delivery & customer mgmt, organizing & conducting product demos, providing training, & implmtg systems, performing checkups, on-field performance analysis & rltd sports science consultancy. Mail resume to: Paul McAfee, STATSports North America Inc., 332 S. Michigan Ave, 9th FL, Chicago, IL 60604. No calls.

CLASSIFIED BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX:

HOME SERVICES FLOORS

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WOODWORK

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PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE State of Illinois County of Cook

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIV-

PUBLIC NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS

Property Index No. 16-05-319-0080000

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

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.

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

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice to Bidders Village of Forest Park

Time and Place of Opening of Bids: Sealed proposals for the improvement described below will be received at the office of the Village Clerk, Village Hall, 517 Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois 60130, until 10:00 o’clock A.M., July 27, 2023.

Proposals will be opened and read publicly at 10:00 o’clock A.M., July 27, 2023.

Description of Work: Name: Ferdinand Ave. and Wilcox St. Resurfacing Location: Ferdinand Ave. Roosevelt to Harrison, Wilcox St. Des Plaines to Railroad

Proposed Improvement: Curb and sidewalk removal and replacement, ADA improvements, HMA surface removal, HMA leveling binder, HMA surface course, parkway restoration.

Bidders Instructions: Plans and proposal forms will be available in the office of http://cbbel. com/bidding-info/ or at www.questcdn.com. Under login using Quest CDN #8545791 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. A login will be required.

By Order of: Vanessa Moritz, Village Clerk, Village of Forest Park, (Awarding Authority)

Published in Forest Park Review July 5, 2023

EN that a public hearing on the adoption of the proposed Annual Budget and Appropriations Ordinance of the Park District of Forest Park, County of Cook, Illinois for the fiscal year beginning May 1, 2023 and ending April 30, 2024 will be held at the Administration Building, 7501 Harrison Street, Forest Park, IL 60130 on July 20, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.

Jackie

Iovinelli

Park District Board Secretary

Dated this June 26, 2023

Published in Forest Park Review July 5th, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Villages of River Forest and Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, that sealed bids will be accepted for:

2023 Permeable Paver Maintenance (Joint Bid)

This project consists of varying degrees of maintenance to be performed on permeable pavers as well as a small amount of paver removal and replacement in order to restore the stormwater conveyance and filtering capability of the pavement cross-section. The work is expected to include more than 30,000 sf of permeable paver restorative maintenance, more than 31,000 sf of permeable paver preventative maintenance and 10 sy of permeable paver removal and replacement.

The bidding documents are available for download starting Friday, June 30, 2023 at: www.vrf.us/bids

Bids must be submitted by Friday, July 21, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at:

Public Works Department, 2nd Floor Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305

The bid proposals will be publicly opened and read at that time. Proposals will be considered not only on the basis of cost, but also on past performance, experience and ability to perform the work.

No bid shall be withdrawn after the opening of the Proposals, without the consent of the ruling body from each participating Village, for a period of thirty (30) days after the scheduled time of the bid opening.

Each participating Village reserves the right in receiving these bids to waive technicalities and reject any or all bids.

Published in Wednesday Journal July 5, 2023

APPLICATION FOR DEMOLITION PERMIT

Public notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held by the Historic Preservation Commission of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois on Thursday, July 20th, 2023 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:

Application #24-01: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the DEMOLITION of the GARAGE at 553 Thatcher Avenue, River Forest, IL, a structure listed on the Village survey of architecturally or historically significant properties.

The applicant is: Jon Olof Bergstrom, Sher-Bergstrom Architects, Inc.

Residents are welcome to attend the July 20th, 2023 Historic Preservation Commission meeting and will be provided an opportunity to address the Historic Preservation Commission regarding the proposed project. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the Public Hearing. A copy of the application and meeting agenda can be found at Village Hall and on the Village website at www.vrf.us. If you cannot attend the Historic Preservation Commission meeting but would like to provide comments to the Historic Preservation Commission, you may submit comments in writing, via letter or email. Comments and can be sent to lmasella@vrf.us or 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois 60305. Please call 708-366-8500 with questions.

Luke Masella Staff Liaison

Historic Preservation Commission.

Published in Wednesday Journal July 5, 2023

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 PASSTHROUGH 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 GIVEN

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

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 conducts foreclosure sales.

For information, contact The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 2911717 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) 236SALE

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

“Early detection gave us time to adapt together, as a family.”

If you’re noticing changes, it Alzheimer’s. Talk about visiting a doctor together.