W E D N E S D A Y
Historically accurate Homes, page B1
JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest
July 12, 2017 Vol. 35, No. 47 ONE DOLLAR
@oakpark @wednesdayjournal
‘Bump-andrun’ car thieves strike again Oak Park woman’s SUV recovered full of bullet holes in Chicago By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
An Oak Park woman was driving her Dodge Durango northbound on Ridgeland Avenue on July 8 at about 2 p.m., when she felt her car jolted from behind by a white truck as she turned left onto Ontario Street. She had noticed prior to the fender bender that white truck was following her closely. The woman, who requested she not be identified by name out of concern for her safety, pulled over and got out to view the damage and trade insurance information. “They parked in front of me, and I got out of the car,” she said. “Now I realize how stupid that was. At the time, I didn’t think twice about it.” She said a young man got out of the back seat of the truck and came around to look at the damage. “He looked like a teenager from Oak Park – not even 20 years old,” she said. In retrospect, the young man seemed “overly concerned” about the possible damage and seemed dramatic the way he observed the bumper. Suddenly, another young man jumped out of the truck, and before she knew it, was in the driver’s seat of the Durango. The other man ran over and also jumped into her vehicle. They began to pull away and the woman grabbed for the door handle in an effort to stop them. Both vehicles sped away. She remembered in the aftermath that she’d left the car running while she checked the bumper, making it easier for the thieves to steal the car. See BUMP-AND-RUN on page 12
Photo provided by Festival Theatre
‘Is this a dagger …’
Macbeth (Matthew Fahey), right, battles to the death with Macduff (Christopher Jones) during the climax of Oak Park Festival Theatre’s production of the Shakespeare classic in Austin Gardens. The play runs through July 22. For more photos, visit online at www.OakPark.com.
Zoning board rejects Taco Bell on Madison Proposal now heads to Oak Park Board of Trustees for consideration By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
The Oak Park Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously rejected a proposal that would allow a zoning variance for a drive-thru Taco Bell restaurant on Madison Street. The vote came after more than three hours of testimony from residents op-
posing the plan and from representatives of Bell American Group LLC, which has proposed the fast-food restaurant to be built on empty lots at the corner of Madison Street and Lyman Avenue. The zoning board was tasked with specifically considering whether Bell American should be given the variance for the drive-thru and allowances for the orientation of the parking and
setbacks from the street. Bob Lach, director of real estate for Bell American, argued that the restaurant would improve the property and adjacent residential buildings to the south because the parcels are currently empty. “I think it improves the overall look of that whole area, so I don’t think it’s See TACO BELL on page 15
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