Wednesday Journal 081920

W E D N E S D A Y

August 19, 2020 Vol. 41, No. 3 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Pavlicek a finalist for Ann Arbor position OP village manager will be interviewed on Thursday

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

JUST PEACHY: Owner Michelle Mascaro (above), of The Happy Apple on Harrison Street, is happy to be bringing her workers back to the bakery.

Recalled staff the Happiest Apples of all Pie shop relies on staff with disabilities, who are returning to work

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

Since opening in 2017, Happy Apple Pie Shop, 226 Harrison St. in Oak Park, has relied on a uniquely blended work environment where people with and without developmental and intellectual disabilities work side-by-side crafting pies every day. Owner Mi-

chelle Mascaro and the kitchen coaches find a role for everyone who wants to work at the Happy Apple. The business even shifts job descriptions to include the abilities of each individual employee.

Typically, Happy Apple’s kitchen bustles daily with 6 to 8 people working in a group with a coach overseeing their progress.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, forced Mascaro to reimagine operations at her inclusive shop in the Arts District.

“Many of our employees with developmental disabilities have immune disorders or older parents who are part of their care See HAPPY APPLE on page 15

The position of village manager may soon open up in Oak Park if Cara Pavlicek becomes the next city administrator of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pavlicek is among four final candidates vying for the Ann Arbor position, according to an Aug. 11 report from the Ann Arbor News via MLive.com.

Pavlicek declined to comment at this time, saying, “Thank you for asking. However I would prefer to hold off on any comment unless I am asked to continue in the process following this week’s interview.”

The three other finalists and Pavlicek will undergo interviews with the Ann Arbor City Council, city staff and members of the community on Thursday, Aug. 20.

Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb told Wednesday Journal in an Aug. 14 phone call that he knew Pavlicek had been interviewing for the position but said he did not want to interfere.

“I think Cara is excellent at what she does,” Abu-Taleb said. “Any city would be lucky to have Cara.”

Trustee Susan Buchanan agreed with AbuTaleb’s assessment of Pavlicek’s work performance, saying, “I think Cara does a great job in See PAVLICEK on page 15

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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What are we to do?

F

or a few hours last week, the political circus that is the party of Donald Trump and Fox News took their show to the West Side and bastardized the very notion of Black liberation.

During a “Back the Blue” rally in North Lawndale, a group of Republican Party political candidates converged on a vacant lot to unwittingly broadcast their racism to those who cared to witness the spectacle.

The lot was across the street from the Chicago Police Department’s Commentary notorious Homan Square facility, where Black and Brown residents were tortured during interrogations, according to a 2015 report by the Guardian newspaper. The police denied the allegation, but a year after the report, community activists converged on the vacant lot to protest police abuses — both alleged and quite apparent.

For 41 days in 2016, a year after the Laquan McDonald tape rocked Chicago, the activists transformed the space into what they called Freedom Square. They setup a makeshift kitchen for cooking and a small free library space for reading. Young children, yearning for direction, wandered in and out of the lot.

Freedom Square was a demonstration of the sane libertarianism and anarcho-syndicalism practiced by people like Noam Chomsky, who in a 2013 interview described anarchism primarily as “a tendency that is suspicious and skeptical of domination, authority, and hierarchy. It seeks structures of hierarchy and domination in human life over the whole range, extending from, say, patriarchal families, to, say, imperial systems, and it asks whether those systems are justified. Their authority is not self-justifying.”

Last week, those Republican politicians, most of whom came from the suburbs or other parts of the city, blasted Democratic elected officials like Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, blaming them for the recent civil unrest. The Republicans didn’t seem to understand their gathering’s underlying cruelty and fetid indifference to human suffering. They confused the anarchy of Freedom Square with the inherent chaos that is just a projection of their nihilistic political philosophy.

Theresa Raborn, a Republican running for Congress, told an Austin Weekly News reporter that “we need to back the police” because they’re the “thin blue line between the civilized society and total anarchy,” as if Donald Trump did not exist.

Yesoe Yoon, a Skokie Republican running for a seat in the Illinois House, told Austin Weekly News that Blacks needed “a little education” and that “we have to give them a better value system, so they aren’t influenced by Marxist ideas.”

That rally reflects today’s Republican Party — populated by kooks, conspiracy theorists, authoritarians, psychopaths and sycophants who are no longer the party’s fringe but its very nucleus.

But the Democratic Party, effectively the country’s last remaining governing party, is not a much better alternative for many Blacks who don’t feel included or well represented in the party’s governance.

Earlier this month, I interviewed Joshua Flynn, a Black Libertarian who lives in Austin. Flynn is running against state Rep. Camille Y. Lilly (78th). He believes government is bad and the free market is not free enough, apparently.

Flynn is a former Democrat who got fed up with the party’s corruption, pointing to Toni Preckwinkle’s soda tax (which he thinks was an undue burden on residents of the

MICHAEL ROMAIN

West Side) and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as some of the emblems of that corruption.

It’s unfortunate that so many Black leaders searching for political empowerment are so lacking in political education that might allow them to imagine more humane political alternatives to the current Red/Blue dualism. Too many fall for the Okey Doke.

“I have always found it quaint and rather touching that there is a movement in the U.S. that thinks Americans are not yet selfish enough,” Christopher Hitchens once said of American Libertarians.

The United States, Chomsky explains, is “off the spectrum of the main tradition in this respect: what’s called ‘libertarianism’ here is unbridled capitalism.”

Anthony Travis, who pays twice as much property tax on his South Suburban home because of a corrupt property tax assessment system run by Democrats, said the party’s corruption has also turned him away — but not toward another party. Not yet, at least.

He might best be considered an independent who is Democratically aligned. He’d like to see property taxes abolished in favor of a more equitable way of funding the government, which he doesn’t believe is fundamentally bad or fundamentally good. Taxation is necessary in a modern society, but the process should be fair, he believes.

“The key is you have to shift the burden,” Travis told me.

“If property taxes are destroying your community, does it make sense to have property taxes as a vehicle or do you make a shift in how you raise revenue?”

Travis, a former ComEd worker who says he was fired by the company for trying to unionize, is an organic intellectual, a natural leader searching for a constituency outside of his party.

Meanwhile, within the party, even the biggest Black powerbrokers are frustrated and believe that if change doesn’t happen now, it may never come.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford vented about this year’s $34.5 billion budget passed by a Democratic House, a Democratic Senate and a Democratic governor.

“All you hear about is the $500 million we had to fight over to make sure that the human services needs [of Blacks] were addressed, but what about the other $34 billion that went out the door, that we’re constantly being denied,” she said. “There’s no equity in anything that deals with economics.”

Larry Ivory, chairman of the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, who was appointed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner to be a member of the state’s Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force, constantly laments that the percentage of the state’s budget spent on contracts with Black-owned businesses is one-tenth of 1 percent.

But this striking racial inequity won’t change without a fight. Economic racism is bipartisan and those benefitting from the status quo will be united across party lines to try and defeat whatever measures are designed to upset it.

A case in point is the late Maynard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black mayor who was perhaps the nation’s most successful politician at radically recalibrating a government contracting system so that it tilts away from systemic racism and more toward equity.

In 1974, according to Black Enterprise, Jack-

son told the city’s business elite that he was “going to move forward with the expansion of Hartsfield Airport, transforming one of the nation’s busiest airports into an international hub. Then, he dropped the bombshell: 25 percent of all contracts would be set aside for minority firms.”

The blowback was swift, with some business people claiming that Jackson’s goal was illegal. Jackson, however, pushed back, telling the city’s white business establishment that it could have 75 percent of a $450 million expansion project or 100 percent of nothing, Black Enterprise reported.

“The result: Jackson increased the percentage of contracts to minorities from less than 1 percent in 1973 to roughly 39 percent five years later. In the process, he strengthened the black middle class [and] created scores of black millionaires.”

Jackson, an attorney by profession, was rewarded for his success by being blackballed once he left office. According to his New York Times obituary, “no local law firm offered him a job. Instead, he set up a local office as a bond lawyer for a Chicago firm.”

Jackson’s experience shows just how lonely it can get in the fight for substantive change, which is why coalitions and mature, disciplined political philosophies are so important. But when one of the major political parties is bat-shit insane and the other is unresponsive to our needs, what should Black people seeking systemic change through the political system do?

Any thoughts are welcome.

Joshua Flynn

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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ART BEAT

COVID can’t stop great writing

‘Writing Matters’ is back, this Sunday, online

By ELIZABETH BERG

W

Guest author

hen I read a book, what matters most to me is the writing, and I am dismayed by the way that stunning prose often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. So I decided to do something about it. I figured Oak Park was the perfect place to launch Writing Matters, what I believed would be the perfect author series: a great writer whom people might not have heard of, but one they would feel glad to find out about. A beautiful venue. Delicious food and wine. Books sold on site. All proceeds from ticket sales given to charity.

Well, we made it happen. Our events brought in visitors from other places to Oak Park — once people came all the way from Buffalo, New York! Writing Matters helped authors, readers, our local bookstore and the wider community. Also, it helped me because I had the satisfaction of seeing how great writing can affect people in real time. I cannot tell you what a thrill it was to look around the audience when one of our authors was reading and see so many rapt faces.

We also had some unique and fun elements: There was a kid essayist at every event who talked about the importance of reading. (Sometimes those cuties upstaged the authors, who were good sports about it!) When we had an author of Czech descent, the essayist was an elementary school student from the Czech school in Cicero, who wore a charming traditional outfit to deliver her address. We invited the Czech counsel general, who happily agreed to come, and we served homemade apple strudel made locally by a Czech woman. When we had Tony Fitzpatrick come with his book on birds, we had a guest appearance by a screech owl.

We made programs just like theaters do and hung posters all over town. We tried to tailor the food to the books

IT MATTERS: Elizabeth Berg’s series introduces readers to worthy writers, such as this Sunday’s featured author, Douglas Stuart. we were featuring — once, we had “boy food,” and another time we had a Barbie doll cake. When we had an author with a book that took place in India, we served an entire Indian meal, purchased from Khyber Pass, and Oak Park librarian Rashmi Swain’s daughter was the outstanding essayist. We always had beautiful flower arrangements, and in a gesture showcasing her usual generosity, the late Val Camilletti, owner of Val’s halla Records, made a custom CD with music

to complement the book we were featuring — and then she gave away 10 copies. (Oh, we miss you so much, Val!) For the first event, we had only three weeks’ preparation time. But we got 75 people who were treated to the lyricism of Leah Hager Cohen. The people who came had such a good time.

We had so many great authors, and word about our events was beginning to spread. But as a writer myself, I had to take a break so I could get my own work done. Recently my partner, Bill Young, and I joined the 19th Century Club, to partner with them in doing Writing Matters events. We set June 1 as the date when we would present our first author, Richard Ford.

Well. You know what happened.

But you know what? We’re back anyway, virtually. And our first event will be Sunday afternoon, Aug. 23. I’ll be interviewing a debut novelist whose book, Shuggie Bain, was just longlisted for the Booker Prize, the most prestigious literary prize in the English-speaking world. I’ll interview the author, Douglas Stuart, and I can hardly wait to ask him three questions: Did you cry, writing this book? Did you get to meet Tim Gunn in your time in the fashion industry in New York? Are you getting a swelled head now that you’ve gotten so much praise and are probably on the way to winning a Pulitzer?

Shuggie Bain is about a young boy growing up in public housing in Glasgow in the ’80s. It’s a dark book because Shuggie’s mother is an alcoholic and his life is hard. But the love, compassion and redemption shown in this book make the heartache you might feel worth it. Incidentally, you know how I heard about Shuggie Bain? In a New York Times rave … by Leah Hager Cohen.

See local author Elizabeth Berg in conversation with Douglas Stuart, author of “Shuggie Bain” on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2 p.m., by registering for the free webinar at nineteenthcentury.org and clicking on Events. Elizabeth Berg is the New York Times best-selling author of more than 30 books and founder of Writing Matters. “Shuggie Bain” is available for purchase at The Book Table.

Trivia night for a nontrivial pursuit

Housing Forward’s annual event goes virtual this year

By TOM HOLMES Contributing Reporter

The questions at Housing Forward’s 10th Annual Trivia Night tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. will, of course, be trivial but the cause of ending homelessness in West Suburban Cook County, which the event is designed to raise funds for, is anything but trifling.

Housing Forward, with annual expenditures exceeding $7 million in a “normal” year, depends on fundraising to remain alive and to carry out its mission, but now with the added expense of housing 120 homeless people in hotel rooms 24/7 during the pandemic, expenses have grown to be much larger than what was anticipated when the 2020 budget was put together.

“The main objective of Trivia Night is fundraising,”

Housing Forward’s Special Events Manager Trisha Marchand acknowledged, but “we also do it because it’s a great way to get the community together to come out for a good cause and do something fun.”

Like many other events these days, the event will be virtual. Marchand outlined the basics. “Whaddyaknow Trivia Company who was our host last year is back as our host again this year. They have been doing virtual trivia since March when they could no longer go into bars and restaurants and have it down to a science. Teams will be sent a link so they can watch the trivia questions live. Teams can then get together virtually via their own Zoom accounts or socially distanced in a backyard to talk through the answers and then they’ll be able to submit their answers to the company. The scores will be tallied and the winners will be announced that night. The top three teams will receive a trophy that will be delivered to them following the event.

Teams are up to six players and tickets can be purchased on our website: www.housingforward.org/events.”

Tickets are $45 per person and the first 125 people to sign up can pick up a free bag of Garrett’s Chicago popcorn at

the Housing Forward office, 1851 S. 9th Ave. in Maywood.

In addition, there will be a 50/50 raffle with tickets selling for a dollar for one ticket or 5 for $20. As in other splitthe-pot raffles, the winner whose ticket will be drawn after the event will receive half of the money in the pot. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased at www.housingforward.org/ events.

“We have been so humbled and amazed,” said Marchand speaking for the organization, “at how our supporters have stepped up to help. When we moved our clients from shelter into the hotels we had so many volunteers reaching out, asking how they could help. The financial undertaking of moving all of those clients into hotels was definitely an unanticipated cost but our partners and supporters have continued to amaze us by offering not only monetary donations but also donating meals, supplies, and their time.”

For more information about tomorrow’s trivia night, which is being called “Compete to Defeat,” send an email to tmarchand@housingforward.org. For more information about their mission, visit www.housingforward.org.

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Storytimes for Kids Zoom with the Oak Park Public Library Join your favorite librarians for books, songs, movement and fun. Best for kids 5 and under. Wednesdays, Aug. 19 and 26, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays, Aug. 22 and 29, 11 to 11:30 a.m.

Register: oppl.org/calendar.

Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park Tours Home & Studio guided interior tour daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Explore Wright’s home and the studio where the first uniquely American architecture, the Prairie style, was created. Length: 45 minutes. Admission: $20. Children under 8 not permitted on interior tours. Tickets/more: https://flwright.org/tours/ home-and-studio Outdoor historic neighborhood audio walking tour daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Famed homes designed in Wright’s studio in the surrounding Historic District. Tours may be taken in any order. Available in eight languages. Purchase on site only. Length: 45 minutes.

Admission: $15 Home & Studio + Outdoor audio walking tour daily, 9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Combined tour of the famed homes that were designed in Wright’s studio. Excellent value for a more comprehensive experience. 1.5 hours. Admission: $35

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

BIG WEEK

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August 19 - 26

Compete to Defeat Trivia Night Thursday, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.

Housing Forward’s 10th Annual Compete to Defeat Homelessness trivia contest has moved to a virtual format. But the trophy isn’t virtual. Grab your friends and family and form a team of up to 6 players. Don’t have a team? No problem! Let us know and we can match you with a team. The first 150 people to sign up will receive an individually packaged bag of Garrett’s Chicago Mix Popcorn. Cost is $45. For more, visit https://www.housingforward.org/events/trivia-night.

Break Free from Anxiety & Fear

Better Lake Street Reward Program

Kadampa Meditation Center, Saturday, Aug. 22: Meditation and wisdom insight offer powerful methods to break free from painful emotions and negative thinking, and retrain the mind to respond constructively to hardship. Workshop will include guided meditation, practical guidance, and time for interactive Q&A via livestream chat. Everyone is welcome, no previous experience necessary. Led by modern Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Zamling. $20. 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Check meditateinchicago.org to confirm time. 13 Harrison St., Oak Park, 708-763-0132.

Now through Sept. 15 Shop and dine in Downtown Oak Park, Hemingway District or Pleasant District and save your receipts. Receipts from online shopping and delivery purchases are accepted. Receive $25 in reward certificates by spending $20 or more at five businesses with a grand total of $200 or more. Reward certificates must be used Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 at participating businesses. Where/When to redeem your receipts and collect your $25 in reward certificates: June 1 through Oct. 15, Downtown Oak Park Office, 1010 Lake St., Suite 114, Friday & Saturday Only, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (except holidays).

Can’t make it into the office to redeem your receipts? Call 708-383-4145 to find out about mailing in your receipts. Reward books are limited. More: downtownoakpark.net/better-lake-street.

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

O

n Aug. 20, Cara Pavlicek, Oak Park’s village manager, will interview for a new job in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

She is one of four finalists for the post as city administrator.

My question is simple. Is Pavlicek looking to advance her career with a move to a larger city, a prestigious university town, maybe one with more resources? Or is she plotting her escape from a town with a dysfunctional village board, a certain to be contentious election eight months out, a budget hollowed out by COVID-19?

Some of both is an acceptable answer. But this isn’t just about Ann Arbor, as handsome a city as it is, as much a step up on the city manager ladder as it might represent.

Oak Park is becoming ungovernable. And that’s far beyond the heavy, very real challenges of this pandemic. More than likely that Ann Arbor has COVID, too.

Oak Park has gone from a town known to confront challenges to one that is hamstrung by those challenges. Top of the list is equity. While other local taxing bodies have been bold and determined in facing up to systemic racism, in building out plans

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Ann Arbor or anyplace else

to make real change on equity, the village government has been sleepwalking.

Looking back longingly to the 1970s and Fair Housing initiatives is not a substitute for waking up and seeing failings and missed opportunities to lead on this most elemental issue of our times.

That Oak Park is behind and so tentative on rethinking policing is the key indicator that we have been distracted and are now divided.

Pavlicek bears responsibility on this issue. She didn’t lead. Ultimately, though, she works for the village board and we are saddled with a group that is divided and suspicious of each other.

Village managers are expert at reading village boards. They can count votes. They can gauge winds of change. They feel the brunt of board discord as it always results in conflicted demands on staff resources, it always undermines morale when staff sees the dissension.

Currently, as the board stumbles around in equity debates, in rethinking policing, this board – and it’s made worse by Zoom meetings – has sent the manager nothing but conflicting signals which translate into potholes, confusion and more discord.

Maybe Pavlicek wants to move on as a natural career progression. Eight years in as Oak Park’s manager and she has already far exceeded the average life expectancy for a village manager. These are tough jobs in ordinary circumstances but almost impossible jobs when the politics turn treacherous as they have in Oak Park.

The last thing Pavlicek would want is to endure the dysfunction of the current board, the vicissitudes of a harsh campaign and April election and then wind up as a casualty of whatever conflicted board Oak Park voters assemble.

One of the three currently announced

DAN HALEY

candidates for village president is sitting trustee Simone Boutet. A former assistant village attorney not promoted to the lead job by Pavlicek, Boutet has always had it in for the manager. She said so. It is why she ran for trustee.

Interesting that Boutet is the only trustee contacted by the Journal for our news story this week who chose not to comment. Even trustees who have been critical of Pavlicek, including Susan Buchanan and Arti Walker-Peddakotla, gave the manager her due as a professional in a tough job.

So what happens if Pavlicek gets the Ann Arbor nod? She’ll be in good shape.

Someone on staff will get tapped as interim village manager. And a badly divided board will launch a search process that will be just as contentious and cringeworthy as many recent efforts.

What happens if Pavlicek doesn’t get the Ann Arbor gig? My, my, my. A lame duck in a pandemic with a split board, hard to resolve issues, and at the center of an unhappy election cycle. All while still looking for another job.

D97 hones transition plan ahead of fall remote learning Board OKs agreement with teachers; administration phases in Chromebooks, other changes

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

During a the school board’s Aug. 11 meeting, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 administrators presented an updated fall transition plan while the board voted unanimously to approve a resolution affirming its plan for the 2020-21 school year.

The board also unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Oak Park Teachers’ Association to “prepare and implement a rigorous curriculum of study for students in a remote learning environment,” according to the memo.

The school district, which starts classes on Sept. 1, will begin with a fully remote learning plan. Administrators initially decided on a hybrid plan before an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Cook County prompted them to reverse course.

According to the transition plan, D97 has partnered with area organizations, including Hephzibah, the Park District of Oak Park and By Discovery to support the child care needs of district families. The district will help cover the costs of child care for any student who receives free or reduced

lunch. and grading will be similar to In the plan, administrators pre-COVID-19 practices. stated that D97 has received and Lofton explained that the stustarted setting up 1,300 Chromedents’ remote learning days will books, which will be given to stufeature synchronous instruction dents in exchange for their disand asynchronous instruction. trict administered iPads starting “Synchronous instruction Aug. 19. happens in real time,” she said, Earlier this month, adminisadding that teachers will use trators shared a new Google site Zoom technology for morning with district staff that will house meetings, advisory, small group EBONEY LOFTON professional learning plans and instruction, mini lessons and D97 academic and other remote-learning resourcother types of live, real-time enaccountability officer es. Administrators are planning gagement with students. on purchasing and using three “Asynchronous instruction is online tools for monitoring students’ prog- also a key feature of a successful remote ress and mastery of benchmark standards. learning program,” Lofton said. “AsynchroIn addition, administrators said that the nous instruction allows flexibility for nondistrict’s Professional Learning Subcom- traditional learners and easily accommomittee is planning to launch “an online dates different learning styles. So examples platform to track and manage professional include videos that introduce content, class learning hours for staff.” discussions … group projects, demonstraAccording to the plan, even though the tions and learning activities.” district is starting the year fully remote, Lofton said that during asynchronous D97’s Buildings and Grounds Department learning, students will be able to access has been working on preparing school build- teachers via Zoom “to ask questions and ings for when it’s safe for students and em- seek clarity just as they would if they were on site.” ployees to return.

Lofton said younger students will expeAdministrators said that they’ve modified HVAC filters, capped water fountain spigots, rience less synchronous instruction, and ordered face masks and created floor plans by extension less screen time, than middle for socially distanced classrooms, among school students.

Michael Arensdorff, D97’s senior director other changes.

During the Aug. 11 board meeting, Eboney of technology, said a typical daily schedule Lofton, the district’s chief academic and ac- for elementary school students during recountability officer, said teacher feedback mote learning will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There will be early dismissals on Wednesdays, he said.

Middle school students can expect a remote learning day that will last from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Students will attend four of their eight classes on alternative A and B days,” Arensdorff said. “So, one week they will meet with four of their classes three times and then the other week they’ll meet two times.

So, over a two week period, they’ll have all of their classes five times.”

Donna Middleton, the district’s director of special education, told board members that families of students with IEPs have expressed the need for “predictable schedules with built-in time for interventions; a consistent learning platform; more synchronous instruction, but with options for families; better use of breakout rooms to target skills; provisions of hands-on materials to enrich instruction; and providing staff development and collaboration time.”

During the Aug. 11 meeting, D97 Superintendent Carol Kelley acknowledged the concerns, questions and “tinge of mistrust” that many families may have heading into the fall, before explaining that her administration is “working extremely hard, with a deep sense of responsibility to you and your children.”

She said the district will continue to post updates and FAQs to the website (op97.org), host webinars and host virtual town halls throughout the first trimester

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Area colleges brace for pandemic fall semester

Triton, Concordia and Dominican try different approaches

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Local colleges and universities are gearing up for a 2020-21 academic year that will be unlike any other — except, perhaps, the one rocked by the Spanish Flu pandemic a century ago. And different local institutions are each implementing different reopening models that officials say are unique to their particular circumstances.

At Triton College in River Grove, which kicks off fall classes on Aug. 24, students will take five types of courses that range from full online learning to a mixture of online and in-person instruction, a college spokesperson said.

Triton is requiring all students to have access to WiFi, a webcam and a computer. The college has also implemented a free mobile app called CampusClear that allows students and employees who are on campus to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms.

Last month, the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers — which collectively represent 238,000 employees in public and private schools and colleges in the state — issued a joint statement insisting that colleges go full remote unless adequate safety measures to protect students and instructors are in place.

“We are working to ensure that any district providing in-person instruction in Illinois is prepared and able to abide by the safety measures outlined by the state, the federal government, and medical professionals,” it stated. “If those measures are not met, we will do everything we can to protect our students and those who care for them — teachers and professors, bus drivers, classroom aides, secretaries, building janitors and everyone in between.”

The Illinois Education Association did not respond to calls and e-mails seeking comment. At Triton, full-time instructors

are represented by the Triton College Faculty Association while the Triton College Adjunct Faculty Association represents adjunct instructors.

Leslie Wester, the faculty association’s president, declined to comment specifically on how her union felt about Triton College’s reopening plans. She did point out that the union is “working with the administration during this fluid situation” to figure out the best way forward. Wester added that the union currently has no plans to strike.

Bill Justiz, who heads up the adjunct faculty union, did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, which also starts classes Aug. 24, is going full remote on Zoom in the fall after initially deciding on a hybrid of in-person and remote instruction.

Eric Matanyi, Concordia’s associate vice president for communications and marketing, said the college pivoted from the blended model after seeking input from “all members of the university community” and based on guidance from the university’s Emergency Response Team.

According to Concordia’s Return to Campus Plan available on its website, the university has established a partnership with Access Health in Melrose Park to conduct individual COVID-19 testing for students.

Dominican University in River Forest will start the fall by reopening its campus “with reduced density and more campus restriction,” said Donna M. Carroll, the university’s president.

“Having gone through all my town meetings with current students, new students, faculty and staff, I can say that is firmly our direction,” Carroll said. “We think we can do it.”

Carroll said the university’s small size and its “strong sense of community and collective responsibility gives me hope that we can implement something that is sustaining.” She added that the university Caritas Commitment, or its “pledge of solidarity” to the health and well-being of the whole campus body, gives her another layer of confidence.

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SAINTS PRESERVE US: A statue on Dominican’s campus of Father Samuel Mazzuchell, the university’s founder, dons a mask. The institution is preparing for returning students in the fall.

“I am cautiously optimistic,” she said. “I have some colleagues who think I’m nuts to expect college students to adhere to protocols around masking and social distancing, but I’ve told students that this is an important moment. You’re coming to campus and your behavior and vigilance will determine the campus experience you’re able to have.”

Dominican enrolled 3,029 students last fall, 2,151 of whom were undergraduates, according to data available on the university’s website. Jill Albin-Hill, Dominican’s vice president of operations, said administrators will reduce campus density by 50 percent when classes start on Aug. 31. The college will also utilize various forms of remote learning.

As with Triton, Dominican will use the CampusClear mobile app for students and employees to monitor and report on their status, and has partnered with Rush University Medical Center for testing. In addition, the college has implemented a range of protective measures, such as mandating face

coverings and installing thermal temperature scanning at building entrances, among other measures.

“We’ve tried to convey to people that we’ve got layers of mitigation,” Albin-Hill said, adding that the university sticking with those mitigating measures — from implementing a rule requiring the wearing of face masks and installing sneeze guards throughout campus to modifying interior spaces for optimal social distancing — “will improve our odds.”

Carroll said Dominican’s divergence from Concordia’s reopening plan reflects each institution’s uniqueness, adding that “Each campus is different.”

“Given the large number of first-generation college students and given the issues of economic and racial equity, we really believe it’s the right risk, if we want our students to persist and be successful academically,” she said.

Igor Studenkov contributed to this report.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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Area’s Black lawmakers ready for a fight Historic opening seen for passing equitable laws with teeth

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

In 1989, the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act, or BEP, was adopted into law in Illinois, intended to eliminate the barriers that had been blocking small businesses owned by historically disadvantaged minorities from receiving state contracts.

“That’s a state law, but you wouldn’t know it,” said Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (4th), who represents parts of Oak Park and River Forest. “These are some of the things that have blown my mind.”

Lightford and members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, which she chairs, believe they are governing in a uniquely unprecedented moment — when laws and policies that are as monumental as the historic challenges they seek to remedy stand a good chance of passing.

Before George Floyd’s death in May prompted a national racial reckoning, laws like the BEP Act were par for the course — big in name only, Lightford said.

Some two decades after that law passed, the percentage of the state budget spent with Black-owned businesses is one-tenth of 1 percent, according to data in a 2018 Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force report.

Even the creation of the task force, which former Gov. Bruce Rauner formed in 2016 with no power to enforce the lofty goals in the BEP Act, was largely symbolic, Lightford argues. In 2018, as Rauner was running for re-election, the senator blasted the former governor’s motivations for signing an executive order similar to the one creating the task force.

“Records show that in January 2015, Gov. Rauner announced an executive order studying barriers in contracting for minority businesses,” Lightford’s office explained in a statement released that year.

“Then in November 2015, the Rauner administration secretly waived minority participation requirements for a $94 million state contract. … In 2016, we established the Fair Practices in Contracting Task Force.

Here we are two years later, conveniently when the governor’s running for re-election, he signs another order to address the same disparities — I’m tired of the political games.”

Lightford may be at the peak of her powers heading into the November veto session, which marks a sudden turn of the tide. In May, not long after she narrowly lost a historic bid to become Senate President to

File photo

UNIFIED, REINVIGORATED: State Sen. Kimberly Lightford speaks at a Juneteenth rally in Broadview earlier this year. Lightford, Welch (pictured in the Black Lives Matter T-shirt) and other members of the Black Caucus say they’re going to November’s veto session in Springfield prepared to fight for a range of equity-related proposals.

Oak Park Sen. Don Harmon (38th), Lightford resigned as chairperson of the Black Caucus — only to be reinstated in July.

“Since I initially offered my resignation as chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, the world has changed,” Lightford said at the time. “And here in Illinois we too have a historic opportunity before us to bring about change, but it will not last forever.”

“I think the George Floyd murder has brought the caucus, and Black people in general, together,” said state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch (7th), who was influential in persuading Lightford to continue as chairperson of the caucus.

“I think Leader Lightford’s returning as our chair is an indication of that,” Welch added. “This is not a time to be divided. It’s a time to be united.”

In July, Lightford stated that the caucus was firmly united behind addressing “four pillars of issues where change is desperately needed: Criminal justice reform; violence reduction and police accountability; health care and human services; economic access, equity and opportunity; and education and workforce development.”

Last week, Lightford said the caucus

is preparing to file the first of a series of bills meant to fundamentally address those issues. The bills will be heard in joint committee hearings in November, she said.

One of the most significant proposals the caucus is working on is the creation of an oversight body that can actually enforce legislation like the BEP Act, Lightford said.

“We’re in a moment in time where we can use our leverage to ensure we do everything we can to remove systemic racism and oppression,” she said. “There has been quite a bit of legislation, that the Black Caucus has pushed for, that has never been implemented. We have to have accountability and there has to be that hammer, that oversight, ensuring that if you don’t follow the law, this happens to you.”

In the last several months, Welch has introduced a flurry of proposals designed to push the state to take more seriously its ostensible goals of addressing systemic racism.

Earlier this month, he wrote an open letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, urging him to take enforcement action against Medicaid providers that fail

to meet contracting goals for minority- and women-owned business.

Welch sent the letter to Raul a month after he sent Gov. J.B. Pritzker an open letter, “imploring the governor’s administration to prevent social equity licenses from being awarded to companies with straw ownership schemes,” according to a statement Welch’s office released in July.

Welch referenced a Cincinnati Enquirer report showing that the state of Ohio had busted a number of straw ownership schemes in which companies posed as Black-owned businesses to try to secure marijuana dispensary licenses.

Welch has also been vocal about racial inequities in the banking industries and college athletics. Earlier this month, he sent letters to executives at some of the largest banks in the Chicago area, urging them to release data on their contracts with Black-owned businesses. And last year, he sponsored a bill that would allow studentathletes in Illinois, many of whom are Black, to earn compensation from the use of their name, image or likeness.

Last week, Welch said that Blacks are “just being left out across the board,” adding that a recent retreat of Black Caucus members “recognized what our power is.”

“They’re going to learn very quickly that things won’t make it out of committee if the dollars aren’t flowing into our communities,” he said. “They can doubt us if they want to, but we’re more invigorated than ever.”

State Representatives La Shawn K. Ford (8th) and Camille Y. Lilly (78th), both of whom are also members of the Black Caucus, struck a similar note of resolve during a press conference, Aug. 12, in the wake of the looting that broke out on the Magnificent Mile on Aug. 10.

“Our social polices don’t take into account human rights,” Lilly said. “Those issues are not being taken into account, which our young people are looking at. … We have failed generations for decades.”

“After that last round of looting last week in Chicago, I believe now more than ever that Black people are hurting and we need to help,” Ford said, before calling for more resources in Black communities to deal with issues like mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse disorder.

Last week, Lightford was not understated in describing just how monumental an opportunity Black lawmakers have in the months ahead.

“This chance we have, everybody is watching,” she said. “This is biblical. This is it. I saw every nationality on those [marches] with signs saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ or ‘Enough is Enough’ or ‘I can’t breathe’ or no ‘Justice, No Peace’. … We have a charge.

We have to develop a strong pathway toward transforming our community.”

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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LemonAid goes virtual Donations to COVID response matched by OP philanthropists

By MARIA MAXHAM Contributing Reporter

It’s LemonAid’s 19th year of raising money for local charities. But this year the event, hosted annually by the 700 block of Bonnie Brae in River Forest, will be different. COVID-19 is preventing the “kids helping kids” Sept. 11 fundraiser from holding its in-person block-party celebration, which typically draws a huge crowd.

This year’s event cochairs, OPRF High School students Sam Keidan, a senior, and Kate Sturgeon, a sophomore, said planning the 2020 LemonAid fundraiser was different from what they thought it would be.

“It’s been a lot of improv this year,” said Keidan. “A lot of curveballs thrown at us.”

Sturgeon said it was definitely not what she was expecting. In April, she said, the group was wondering if having an event at all was even a possibility.

They decided to hold a virtual event with the possibility of a drive-through donation event on Sept. 11. But a large gathering as seen in the other years since the 2001 terrorist attack launched this impromptu fundraiser isn’t possible because of the pandemic.

COVID-19 not only changed plans for how this year’s event will be held, but determined what charity the block selected as a recipient of fundraising. This year, all funds raised will go to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, which has a COVID-related Rapid Response and Recovery Fund.

According to LemonAid organizer Chris Hauri, the fund supports a lot of the organi-

zations that have benefited from LemonAid in the past, “and they know where the money needs to go better than we do.”

All donations will be matched by Oak Park residents and philanthropists Ken and Patty Hunt, who pledged $250,000 in a matching challenge to support the COVID relief fund.

Since there won’t be an actual block party event this year, the “center of the donation,” said Hauri, is this year’s special souvenir yard sign. Anyone who donates at least $25 will receive a yard sign, which will be placed in the donor’s yard by a team of families from the 700 block of Bonnie Brae.

Yard signs aren’t new to LemonAid; the yellow signs have been a visual reminder of the event for at least 10 years, said Hauri.

Unlike other years when the signs are collected after the event, though, this year the recipients can keep them.

As for swag? Nothing says 2020 better than a face mask, and this year yellow LemonAid masks can be purchased. Available in children’s and adult sizes, they can be ordered at https://www.9-11lemonaid.com/merchandise.

Both Sturgeon and Keidan said working on this year’s event gave them a new appreciation for how much goes into the annual fundraiser.

“I think it’s amazing to see how much works goes into it,” said Sturgeon. “As a kid, you show up and maybe run the popcorn machine.” But actually planning and organizing gave her an appreciation for the work it takes, but also the generosity of the community.

Keidan said, “We’re doing all the planning, and it’s a lot harder but feels more rewarding to know there are this many helpful people willing to give their time and effort to a charity.”

For more information on this year’s fundraiser, visit https://www.9-11lemonaid. com/.

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S P O N S O R E D

C O N T E N T

Donny G’s is Alive Again Donny Greco, welcomes customers back with a song

D

onny Greco, owner of Donny G’s Ristorante and Bar, at 7308 W. North Ave., is a self-proclaimed social butterfly. He greets customers by name at the door and personally checks on every table— he is even known to offer his own musical stylings to entertain guests.

Located on the threshold of Restaurant Row in Elmwood Park, the mainstay restaurant has made a name for itself by serving simple Italian home-style fare with considerable musical flair.

In mid-March Greco made his dream of having a dedicated lounge associated with his namesake restaurant come true.

Housed in the neighboring building, Donny G’s Lounge and Event Space, went through an extensive renovation to create the comfortably modern entertaining area. A large bar, featuring high-end finishes and a rich blue color palate, anchors the lounge designed to host Food Writer an array of private events like baby showers, birthday parties and business meetings. Addition-

MELISSA ELSMO

Lunch offerings at Donny G’s: Greek salad with grilled chicken, feta, tomato, cucumber, and pepperoncini (half order pictured) ally, the versatile space doubles as an annex where customers can enjoy live music performances and a post-meal cocktail.

When the pandemic forced Greco to close his dining room, bar and lounge, the gregarious owner went into “survival mode.” Even with 35 years of industry experience Greco could not have conceived of a scenario like the one he has endured over the past several months.

“Without people coming to my little restaurant the whole happiness element was gone. I gained 18-pounds waiting for carryout orders in an empty restaurant,” said Greco. “I feel alive again now that we’ve reopened.”

Today, every guest entering Donny G’s is temperature checked using a hands-free infrared heat sensor. The hefty investment gives owner, Donny Greco, peace of mind.

“At the very least we know every guest and employee is fever free when they are

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Donny Greco stands behind the bar in Donny G’s Lounge and Event Space.

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Lunch Offerings at Donny G’s” White Fish with lemon butter, sautéed spinach and potato (half order pictured) here,” said Greco, “We also have dispensers for hand sanitizer attached to the wall and tables with red coverings are there to create proper social distancing.”

Greco’s primary goal is to keep customers safe during these unprecedented times.

His business partner, Dan Grammatis, notes their compliance focused approach allows both first time and longtime customers to have a good meal in a safe and clean environment.

“Do you know why I come here three times per week?” asked Donny G’s regular, Rick Bono. “Because I know it is safe. Donny makes people feel like family and the food is good.”

Since reopening regular customers have been eager to return to the restaurant, small private events have picked up and live music has returned to the lounge on Friday and Saturday evenings. Greco has a full entertainment line-up for the remainder of August and into September. Daniela Crocco, a “singer for all occasions,” will grace the stage on September 11 and Ollie Bolds, will bring his Motown, jazz and blues stylings to Donny G’s Lounge on September 18. Greco will perform his own lounge act on September 26. The space can hold more than 30 guests while maintaining proper social distancing.

The neighborhood has been supportive throughout the crisis. While the restaurant was closed, loyal customers helped Donny G’s build a first-time carryout business to supplement lost revenue. Since reopening, in-person dining is steadily picking up.

Even as his dining room begins to bustle again, Greco is pleased Donny G’s newfound carry-out business has remained robust.

“Elmwood Park is home to iconic restaurants like New Star, Johnny’s, Alpine, Jim and Pete’s and Massa--these places have a solid reputation. We’re all waiting for a vaccine to curtail this terrible virus,” said Greco. “Like Donny G’s, all of these restaurants are adapting, and the community is fighting for all of us.”

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Oak Park pulls ‘Guide to the Suspicious’ from website

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

At the direction of Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds, the Oak Park Police Department’s “Guide to the Suspicious” was removed from the village of Oak Park website last week, following criticism that it encouraged members of the community to engage in racial profiling.

“There’s a potential for it to be misinterpreted,” Reynolds told Wednesday Journal.

According to Reynolds, the “Guide to the Suspicious” has been in circulation for at least five years.

He requested the guide be taken down for further review in a memo sent Aug. 11 to Village Manager Cara Pavlicek.

“In light of the local and nation conversations on police reform, we recognize the potential for this information to be misinterpreted to the detriment of some of our citizenry,” Reynolds wrote in the memo.

In an email sent that same day to Reynolds and Pavlicek, Trustee Dan Moroney requested the chief reevaluate the guide and the message it sends to the community.

Moroney also copied the other village board members on the email.

“It seems that there is room to reduce the instances of people calling the police for erroneous reasons,” Moroney’s email reads.

Moroney wrote that the “Guide to the Sus-

picious” exemplified the mantra that “the citizens are the eyes and ears of the community” and directs the community to call the police on people they believe look or act suspiciously.

“Residents are calling the cops disproportionately on Black residents for actions that might be 100 percent within the law,” Moroney told Wednesday Journal.

The guide’s removal marks part of the initial response to concerns about policing in Oak Park and across Cook County.

“Removing the Guide to the Suspicious is the first step, but it is absolutely not enough,” said Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla. “We need to know what is the environment that allowed that guide to be created in the first place.”

Understanding how the guide came into existence and why, she said, “is really getting to the root of the problem.”

Trustee Susan Buchanan believes that the guide’s removal and revision marked positive progress but does not think it will prevent people from calling the police based on a person’s appearance.

“I think it’s more of a symbolic move to recognize that we have a problem with people calling the police for activities which in fact are not suspicious, but just Black people living their lives,” said Buchanan.

Reynolds and Moroney’s requests to remove the guide occurred almost simultaneously,

which Pavlicek called a “coincidence” during an interview with Wednesday Journal.

The guide was taken down just a week after the village of Oak Park hosted two “police listening sessions,” during which citizens shared their experiences with police.

“When it’s the right thing to do, things happen very quickly,” said Trustee Deno Andrews, who seconded Moroney’s request in an emailed reply.

The two listening sessions are part of a larger effort to address systemic racism in the community.

“I think as a result of the listening sessions, some of the overwhelming feedback was that people call the police in matters that just aren’t police matters,” said Andrews.

Following the sessions, Moroney expressed a desire to reevaluate the guide.

Pavlicek said removing the guide was an “appropriate action to take.”

“I think it’s absolutely appropriate sometimes that we put a fresh set of eyes on something and say, ‘Wow, this might not be the right communication anymore,’” she said.

Reynolds agrees with Pavlicek regarding the benefits of periodic re-evaluation.

“One of the things I think is important to do is re-examine things,” he said. “We have information that needs to be updated and that is one of those things that needed to be updated.”

The police department is currently reviewing the guide, he added.

“We’re looking at it and trying to determine how we can provide information that is appropriate and isn’t misinterpreted,” said Reynolds.

The village of Oak Park will continue to examine and address such issues. According to Pavlicek, village staff will present its review of the Citizen Police Oversight Committee, as well as a Request for Proposal to conduct an audit of the police department.

The village also plans to hold additional meetings. Members of the community activist group Freedom to Thrive Oak Park may make an appearance before the village board to answer questions about the group’s policing report.

“I think the chief also needs to give an update on where he is in regard to the update to policies and procedures,” said Pavlicek.

While Moroney is on board with making changes to police policies to address racism, he does not believe in defunding the Oak Park Police Department.

“I have no interest in abolishing the police; I have no interest in vilifying the police,” he said.

Moroney views Oak Park police officers as members of the community committed to serve.

“I will treat them with respect as partners in creating a better community.”

From Oak Park BLM street mural to T-shirts and masks ShabbyFly markets local mural design

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park-based online retailer ShabbyFly has taken the design of the Oak Park Black Lives Matter street mural and transformed it into a wearable statement of support for the local community and the wider social justice movement.

“It’s a great way of keeping the movement going, especially in Oak Park,” said Cullen Benson, one of the artists behind the mural.

ShabbyFly has an array of merchandise for men, women and children that prominently displays “BLACK LIVES MATTER” using the same coloration as that of the Scoville Avenue mural. The Black Lives Matter design features T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, face masks and yard signs.

“Having that message on Oak Parkers and on residents’ lawns is a great thing for our community,” Benson said. “It adds to the permanence of the mural.”

Available for purchase on the ShabbyFly

website, 75 percent of the proceeds from Black Lives Matter merchandise sales goes directly to the Black Lives Matter Foundation Inc. Spilt Red Collective, the group of artists behind the mural, receives 15 percent of the proceeds.

“It’s just a way to help continue to support the efforts of the BLM organization movements needing funding,” said Kareem Price, ShabbyFly owner and Oak Park resident. “It won’t have felt right to me not to donate back to these organizations to help them with future endeavors.”

Benson agreed, saying, “I think it was very important for him, especially as a Black man, to get this money going back towards something.”

The Spilt Red Collective team also felt it very important to give back to the Black Lives Matter Foundation.

“I don’t think we would have done the deal if it weren’t for that,” said Benson.

“We didn’t want it to seem like we were profiting off the movement.”

Spilt Red Collective’s 15 percent goes towards funding other public art projects that support social causes and positive messages in other communities.

Multiple people reached out to Price requesting he use the design on ShabbyFly

products after Price shared on social media a photo of the mural taken at its unveiling. Shortly after, Price reached out to Spilt Red Collective through Instagram and got the group’s permission.

“We were excited about the fact that our design was so loved throughout the Oak Park community that people wanted to use an Oak Park design to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Benson.

The majority of the Oak Park-inspired Black Lives items have a price tag in the range of $20 to $25, while men’s sweatshirts go for $40 and masks for $8. The ShabbyFly Black Lives Matter collection has generated healthy sales.

“We’ve had to reorder sweatshirts and T-shirts. We’re going to reorder masks coming up soon,” said Price. “They’ve been selling pretty good.”

While Benson has not yet purchased anything from the collection, his friends have told him great things about their ShabbyFly Black Lives Matter wares.

“A couple of my friends who are not Oak Parkers have purchased the shirts and they send me photos, saying, “I love this shirt. It looks so great.”

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Kareem Price, owner of ShabbyFly

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Biden appoints Oak Parker to Harris’ senior staff

Sheila Nix named senior advisor to Kamala Harris

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Sheila Nix, an Oak Parker and veteran of the Obama White House, has been named a senior advisor to Sen. Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for vice president. The appointment was made by the campaign of Joe Biden.

Nix has lived on and off in Oak Park since 2004. In an interview with Wednesday Journal, Nix said she is “very excited” to be part of the Biden-Harris team.

“You can see in the situation that we’re in right now that there’s a real need for leadership to solve problems around Coronavirus and the economy and doing the right thing,” said Nix. Biden, Nix thinks, will be the one to get the United States “back on the right track.”

“Vice President Biden has a lot of experience. He’s been doing this for a long time,” said Nix. “He believes in science. He listens to experts.”

No stranger to the White House, Nix served as deputy assistant to President Barack Obama, as well as being Biden’s campaign chief of staff during the 2012 campaign to

reelect Obama and Biden. Nix also served as chief of staff to Dr. Jill Biden, Biden’s wife, during her time as Second Lady.

While Nix was not on the team vetting potential vice president candidates, she believes Harris is a great pick to serve in the nation’s number two leadership role.

“She’s amazing,” said Nix. “She’s bringing her energy to the campaign.”

Harris joined Biden’s ticket only days ago on Aug. 11, but work has already begun.

“We’re just starting to get organized,” said Nix, who was appointed a few weeks prior to Harris. “The rollout happened this week and it went really well.”

Past clashes between Biden and Harris dur-

ing the Democratic presidential primaries will not present major problems for the running mates, said Nix, because they have similar policy positions in matters such as healthcare and climate change, among others.

“They might have slightly different ways of going about it, but they share the same goals,” said Nix. During her career, Nix has worked to tackle a range of complex issues, advocating and growing programs battling poverty, preventable diseases and food insecurity – issues compounded by COVID-19, which Nix believes the Trump administration has bungled.

“They’ve really kind of run away from taking responsibility for fixing it and actually sometimes advocated against plans that we know would work,” said Nix. Nix called the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic “irresponsible,” especially the early stages when Trump likened COVID-19 to a hoax perpetuated by the Democratic Party.

“Now we have people dying and very sick because they didn’t take the precautions they needed to,” said Nix. “That’s really not the way to govern.”

Nix worked as president of philanthropy for Tusk Strategies, a political consulting firm.

There she spearheaded efforts to increase voter participation through mobile means.

Voter participation has become an especially timely concern as the pandemic has

caused worries over the safety of voting in person, while President Donald Trump has widely and publicly opposed mail-in ballots.

“It’s really important over the next four years to really develop these options, because now we see what might happen in a pandemic and with a president who’s trying to suppress traditional ways to vote,” said Nix. Nix will draw on her wealth of past working experiences, especially those spent in the White House, in her new role as senior advisor to Harris.

“It’s kind of helping to anticipate what’s coming down the road because I’ve been through it before,” Nix said.

She will also help to blend Biden’s and Harris’s teams to work together effectively going into November.

With the VP announcement made, Harris, Biden and campaign staff have turned their attention to next week’s 2020 Democratic National Convention, said Nix. “We’ll focus on the convention,” said Nix. “And then implement [Harris] and her team into the work the vice president’s been doing.”

Harris’s appointment has made the 2020 Biden presidential campaign feel “more real” to Nix. “We have the ticket; we have the convention coming up,” said Nix. “We have our game plan and we’re going to run it between now and November. Hopefully we’ll be successful.”

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Oak Park suffragist honored by Pomeroy Foundation Grace Wilbur Trout’s Oak Park property added to Votes for Women Trail

Grace Wilbur Trout

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Oak Park suffragist Grace Wilbur Trout is being honored for her contributions to the women’s suffrage movement in the state of Illinois by the Pomeroy Foundation.

“She was a driving force,” said Oak Parker Mary Ann Poruczik, who co-authored a book about Trout, The Woman Who Never Fails [see more in Viewpoints, p. 23].

In collaboration with the National Votes for Women Trail, the foundation has included Trout in its Women’s Suffrage Marker program for her work as a statewide leader in the fight to gain women the right to vote. Trout ranks high among other influential women throughout the country who strove to achieve voting rights in the face of major adversity.

“People should be proud because Grace lived here in Oak Park,” said Poruczik.

The honor was secured through the joint efforts of the League of Women Voters, the Historical Society of Oak Park-River Forest and the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association, of which Trout was a member during her life.

Trout had an active presence in numerous Illinois suffrage clubs and groups, including serving for two years as president of the Chicago Political Equality League, starting in 1910. In 1912, she was elected president of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association. Trout held the position of president for almost a decade.

“Oh my goodness, what this woman did was amazing,” said Marge Massarello, who helped secure the honor as part of the League of Women Voters team.

Trout indefatigably traveled all over the state, gaining

supporters and spreading the gospel of equal voting rights for women. Inexperienced but highly strategic, Trout successfully organized public campaigns and lobbied state legislators.

“She knew what they liked, what they didn’t like, what their wife liked, what their wife didn’t, where they lived, how they voted in the past,” said Poruczik, who is also a member of both the League of Women Voters as well as the historical society.

Trout was nonpartisan in her approach to campaigning for women’s suffrage, going after the support of all people and legislators, regardless of political party affiliation.

“She didn’t care who you were or which party you were with,” said Massarello. “She just wanted to convince you that women’s suffrage was really important.”

Her efforts, with those of other suffragists, helped secure Illinois’ status as the first state east of the Mississippi River to grant women the right to vote in presidential elections in 1913 and arguably the first state to ratify the 19th Amendment. Trout died in 1955 at age 91, after a long career campaigning for women’s rights.

Trout’s marker will be unveiled Aug. 20 at the Oak Park River Forest History Museum, 129 Lake St., in a small, socially-distanced celebration held on the museum’s front lawn.

The marker will then go to its permanent place outside 414 Forest Ave., where Trout’s Oak Park residence once stood. The original home has since been torn down, but coincidentally, the woman who now lives on the property is both a member of the League of Women Voters and the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association.

COVID-19 permitting, the parties involved plan to have a larger gathering in celebration of the Trout Pomeroy marker next spring.

Triton’s kitchens re-open for face-to-face cooking

Hospitality suffering but hopes for post-COVID bounce

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats

Denise Smith-Gaborit, coordinator of hospitality at Triton College, is anxious to welcome students back to the kitchens and bistro housed on the River Grove campus on Aug. 24.

“We moved to an emergency online curriculum in the spring and continued it into the summer,” said SmithGaborit. “With the summer semester offering online lecture-only options we saw a 50 percent decrease in enrollment. Now that we have in person options, we are seeing numbers go up.”

Triton’s hospitality program is running a full schedule of baking and pastry, culinary, and restaurant management classes in the fall. Lectures will be held virtually, but labs and blended classes will be held in-person with modified class sizes and safety measures put in place.

“Our kitchens are large at Triton,” said Smith-Gaborit.

“There is plenty of room for each student to have their own station and we will take turns in the sanitation area.”

To accommodate social distancing requirements, class sizes have dropped from 15 students to between five and eight per class. Classes will have an instructor and tutor on

site ensuring no more than 10 people will be in the kitchens at once. All staff and students will be required to wear personal protective equipment including both masks and face shields -- Triton is in the process of designing and producing custom face shields for use in the hospitality department.

Smith-Gaborit knows the value of Triton’s hospitality curriculum firsthand. She earned both a certificate and associates degree at Triton before pursuing her bachelor’s degree at another institution. She became a part time faculty member in 1996 and has served as chief of hospitality for seven years. Additionally, she will be on the frontlines in the Triton kitchens this semester teaching four classes including introductory and advanced baking and pastry classes.

“The whole campus has a COVID-19 response plan,” said Smith-Gaborit. “We all want to keep the doors open but want to be as safe as possible. I am excited for the semester to start.”

The hospitality industry is still out there, but SmithGaborit admits things are not the same since COVID-19 took hold in the country. Ever the optimist, she is eager to remind students that bakeries have stayed open, cooks are still needed, and restaurant dining will come right back specifically because people crave social outings.

“The culinary industry is taking a hit now. That makes this the perfect time to get trained or retrained,” said Smith-Gaborit. “Eventually the pandemic will come to an end and when that happens people who have invested in their education will be ready to go.”

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

WELCOME BACK: Chef Denise Smith-Gaborit, coordinator of the hospitality program at Triton College.

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

15

Siblings raise more than $53K to help area businesses

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

In June, as businesses across the Chicago area reeled from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest following the death of George Floyd, two West Side siblings took matters into their own hands and started a GoFundMe campaign.

A couple months and more than 700 donors later, the campaign created by Charles Pickett and his sister, Mercedes Pickett, has generated more than $53,000, which the siblings distributed to 26 small businesses in the Chicago area -- including one in Oak Park.

The Picketts gave small businesses operating within the city $1,700 each and $500 each to small businesses outside of Chicago, such as Dream Body LLC, a licensed massage therapy company located at 816 S. Oak Park Ave. in Oak Park, according to its website.

The owners of the company could not be

PAVLICEK

Ann Arbor candidate from page 1 running the village.”

Buchanan also said she has respect for “anybody who wants to continue their career by taking on bigger challenges.”

The Ann Arbor City Council will determine the next steps in the hiring process on Aug. 24, based on feedback provided by the community through a survey released the day of the interviews, the Ann Arbor News reported.

Regardless of how the situation plays out, Abu-Taleb will support Pavlicek.

“I wish for Cara the best,” Abu-Taleb said.

“In whatever she decides to do, I’ll be 100 percent supportive.”

Trustee Deno Andrews said he would be sad to see Pavlicek go but understood that

HAPPY APPLE

Personal experiences from page 1 plan,” said Mascaro. “We are in a situation where no-one can get sick. The risks are too great.”

Furloughing her dedicated staff proved to be the safest option for all involved. Passion for their mission and a PPP loan kept all furloughed employees on the payroll while they were kept out of the kitchens.

contacted for comment on Monday.

Eleven businesses in Austin and 15 businesses in the Garfield Park and Humboldt Park communities received $1,700 grants, the Picketts said.

“We were pushing so hard and requesting donations to make sure that every business that sought help was able to get a grant, and we also followed up with each business and gave them a mini brochure of available resources,” said Charles, 25.

“Save the West Side started on June 1 with the GoFundMe campaign, but it hasn’t ended,” said Mercedes, 28. “We received so much support in and out of the city.”

The Picketts said that their movement differs from other government and private assistance initiatives in that what they’re doing is powered by grassroots organizations and community members who “are on the ground not just leading the charge, but doing the work … We want to be a bridge to connect organizations that are doing the work with the people seeking help.”

CLEANING UP: Mercedes Pickett, far left, and her brother Charles (pictured in the Nike tshirt), pose with volunteers after a West Side cleanup. The siblings have raised thousands of dollars to give to small businesses, including one in Oak Park.

“she has to do what she has to do for her personal development and make decisions that are best for her family.”

Andrews called her an “outstanding public servant.”

A brief biography and headshot of Pavlicek was included in the Ann Arbor News report. The biography states she has been village manager of Oak Park since 2012, when she was first appointed to the position in an interim capacity.

It is unclear if Pavlicek was recruited to apply for the city administrator position.

According to the Ann Arbor News, the Ann Arbor City Council launched a national search for candidates.

According to the job description, preferred candidates have the “the skills and experience to guide Ann Arbor with an appropriate combination of leadership, municipal expertise, community orientation and operational skills.”

Pavlicek would surely get a great letter of recommendation from Abu-Taleb, who sang her praises during a Wednesday Journal in-

terview.

“Cara has been a great leader for us, especially during this pandemic,” said AbuTaleb. “She has been a hard worker, ethical, knowledgeable and just a great person all around.”

The trustees were informed by Pavlicek of her decision to pursue the Ann Arbor opportunity. Those who commented told Wednesday Journal they do not anticipate any changes to the working relationship between Pavlicek and the village board as a result of her decision to seek employment elsewhere.

“We all make changes in our careers for various reasons,” said Buchanan. “People interview for jobs to see what else is out there, to get practice interviewing, to see what kind of salaries are offered.”

Trustee Arti Walker-Peddakotla said she did not have a lot to say regarding the situation but wished Pavlicek well.

“Everybody just has their reasons for looking for new opportunities,” said Walker-Peddakotla. “I really and truly do wish

her the best of luck.”

She said the village manager position is a very difficult public service job to hold.

“The manager role is very, very difficult because you are the only person that the board controls the hiring and the firing of,” said Walker-Peddakotla. “There’s a lot of responsibility on that person’s shoulders.”

Andrews called Pavlicek a “consummate professional” and said her decision to seek new employment will not impact his ability to work with her.

“Even if she were to secure another job, I believe that her work performance would be at 100 percent up until, you know, the last minute of her last day,” Andrews said.

While Andrews said he couldn’t speak for his fellow board members, he mentioned Pavlicek’s “strained relationships with other people on the board.”

Trustee Simone Boutet, who has frequently sparred with Pavlicek at the board table, did not respond to requests for comment.

The continued pay helped staff members understand they still had a job despite the unusual circumstances.

Mascaro said being away from Happy Apple “represented a huge loss for employees,” but they understood the seriousness of the situation and wanted to do their part to keep themselves, their family and their community safe.

“We never closed,” said Mascaro. “Even with all the changes, we just kept moving forward.”

Happy Apple, once teaming with enthusiastic pie bakers, had suddenly become quiet and walk-in traffic was non-existent. A reduction in shop hours and closing Sunday

through Tuesday, however, allowed Mascaro to regroup and figure out how to keep the business going with just four employees.

Gina Ribera continued managing the front of the house, while Mascaro and the kitchen coaches turned into bakers to keep pies flowing out of the shop.

“Pies have been flying out of here,” said Mascaro. “Many of our customers are supporting the Happy Apple in creative ways.

We have a customer who buys a pie for herself and then orders a ‘surprise pie’ to be delivered to a friend every week.”

With business stable, Mascaro and her team reorganized the baking process for safety and compliance. Two longtime em-

ployees, who knew the previous system of production well, returned to work for two hours last week. The experiment was a success.

Now, in between making popular seasonal peach pies, Mascaro is dividing her staff into teams of two based on personality and skill. Happy Apple employees have a range of abilities and it is essential everyone has a feeling of accomplishment when they come to work.

“Everybody wants to come back,” said Mascaro. “I am really happy about that. We want people who want to work.”

With staff numbers increasing Happy Apple is preparing to open on Tuesdays again.

COURTESY CHARLES PICKETT/FACEBOOK

16

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

Oak Park woman missing offenders in tow in the victim’s car. The loss is estimated at $15,000.

■ Two male juveniles from Chicago were arrested in the 700 block of Austin Boulevard at 11:28 a.m., Aug. 11 for aggravated battery to a senior citizen, mob action and aggravated vehicular hijacking, all of which took place in the 800 block of South Wesley Avenue. Police recovered the vehicle.

Man arrested for May 11 Clinton Ave. shooting

An Oak Park woman with dementia was reported missing Saturday, Aug. 15.

Mary Windham, 65, has dementia and “other conditions that place her in danger,” police Mary Windham say. She was last seen around 3 a.m., Saturday at Berkeley Nursing and Rehab Center, 6909 W. North Ave., according to reports.

Police describe Windham as 5-foot-2-inches tall. She has black hair and brown eyes and may possibly be wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. She may also be carrying a floral reusable shopping bag.

Anyone who has seen Windham or who has any information regarding her whereabouts should call the Oak Park Police Department at 708-358-3800.

Burglary

Staff Reporter

residence was broken into and appears to have had some one living in it for an extended period of time between 12 p.m., July 24 and 1:53 p.m., Aug. 12 in the 900 block of South Humphrey Avenue. Loss unknown at time of report.

■ Someone broke into a vehicle and removed an Apple laptop computer, a pair of Bose wireless headphones and a Canon EOS M5 camera between 9 p.m., Aug 12 and 6:30 p.m., 13 in the 800 block of Hayes Avenue.

Armed robbery

Motor vehicle theft

■ A man exited the passenger side of a white vehicle, showed a firearm and demanded the victim’s property; the victim handed over a North Face bag containing a pair of black jogging pants, earbuds, a white shirt, a Michael Kors wallet with ID and credit cards and a red Apple iPhone 10R at 10:10 a.m., Aug. 15 in the 1000 block of South Euclid Avenue. The man fled in the vehicle. Estimated loss is $2,103.

Police describe the offender as Black, 18 to 22 years old, 5-feet-7-inches, cleanshaven with short black hair and wearing a white T-shirt, shorts and black baseball cap.

■ Two men exited a red four-door sedan vehicle and approached the victim with firearms drawn then demanded the victim’s property; the offenders removed a studded belt, cash and a pair of Apple EarPods at 3:05 p.m., Aug 16 in the 1100 block of South Maple Avenue. The estimated loss is $228.

Police describe the first offender as Black, 18 to 22 years old, 6-feet to 6-feet-2-inches tall, wearing a white T-shirt and having face tattoos. The second man is described as Black, 18 to 22 years old, 6-feet to 6-feet2-inches tall, wearing all black with a colorful scarf over his face.

■ A maroon 2004 Chevy Impala was removed, possibly using a key, from the 900 block of North Humphrey Avenue between 4:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., Aug. 10. The estimated loss is $3,000.

■ The victim was driving in his 2018 Chevrolet Malibu when the vehicle was hit from behind by another vehicle, when the victim exited his vehicle, a man came out of the passenger seat of the striking vehicle and drove off in the victim’s Chevrolet Malibu at 11:18 p.m., Aug. 14 in the 100 block of North Kenilworth Avenue.

Cicero police recovered the vehicle in the 2300 block of Cicero Avenue, Cicero at 2:45 a.m., Aug. 15.

Oak Park police have arrested a Chicago man for the May 11 non-fatal shooting of a father and son in the 200 block of Clinton Avenue. Tarik Page, 44, was arrested for two counts of attempted murder at 10:29 a.m., Aug. 10 in the 7100 block of Cermak Road in Berwyn.

The shooting took place at 1:30 a.m., May 11 when an intruder smashed the glass window of a door to the victims’ home and fired, waking a father, 58, and his son, 20.

Upon hearing the father say he intended to call the police, the intruder fired several rounds through the door’s broken window, striking the father in his shoulder and the son in his buttocks.

The father and son were subsequently transported to Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 S. 1st Ave., Maywood, where they received treatment for their injuries.

Neither the son nor the father sustained life-threatening injuries.

Aggravated vehicular hijacking ■ Three

men, one armed, carjacked a male Berwyn resident after he exited his gray 2015 Ford Edge in the 500 block of Wesley Avenue at 10:05 p.m., Aug. 10; the first offender approached the resident, pointed a handgun at him and demanded his property. The second offender struck the victim while the first offender removed the victim’s wallet and cell phone. A third offender drove away northbound with the two other

■A

Charged with two counts attempted murder

By STACEY SHERIDAN

Tarik Page At the time of the shooting, police believed the incident was an attempted home invasion and had no descriptions of the shooter.

DNA evidence taken from blood on the broken window glass connected Page to the crime. An off-duty duty Oak Park police detective saw Page in Berwyn, where Berwyn police arrested Page without incident then turned him over to the Oak Park Police Department. Page’s bond is set at $2 million.

Theft ■ A man met up with the victim under the pretense of buying a pair of Nike Air Jordan “Tokyo” shoes, then gave the victim counterfeit money and drove off with the shoes Aug. 13 at 12:10 p.m. in the 500 block of South Lombard Avenue. Estimated loss is $320.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports Aug. 10 - Aug. 17 and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded.

Anyone named in these reports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We report the race of a suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large, and police have provided us with a detailed physical description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stacey Sheridan

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

200 block of South Clinton Avenue in Oak Park, where the May 11 shooting took place

Tip hotline Anyone with information regarding the cases mentioned in this report, or on another matter, is encouraged to contact the Oak Park police department’s hotline at 708-434-1636. Information may be left anonymously.

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

17

Homes

NEED TO REACH US?

oakpark.com/real-estate email: buphues@wjinc.com

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

Grandeur on Grove

Oak Parker’s interior design website born during the pandemic

By LACEY SIKORA

W

Contributing Reporter

hen Kristi Kebinger and her family moved to Oak Park from Massachusetts in 2017, they were excited by the village’s historic architecture. Their previous home was a new construction townhouse that was low-maintenance but failed to capture the traditional feel that Kebinger prefers.

She loved that the older homes in Oak Park had history on the inside and the outside. After spending a few years making their new Oak Park home their own, Kebinger realized the experience was leading her to a new career and a new creative outlet.

Long intrigued by the world of interior design, Kebinger immersed herself in the field and researched ways that she could

learn more about the area and share her interests with others.

Just as the world came to halt when the pandemic hit, she was finally ready to share her love of traditional décor via a website, Grandeur on Grove (grandeurongrove.com). Though publishing during a pandemic was not something she ever anticipated, she knew that, like her, many others were taking refuge in their homes and seeking new ways of forging a community.

Drawn to design Even while she pursued other subjects in school, Kebinger says she was always interested in home design and a little envious of friends who went into the field as a career.

“I went a different path -- working in law See GRANDEUR on page 21

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

DESIGNING WOMAN: Kristi Kebinger (above) shares her love for traditional decor, like the decor she designed for her own Oak Park home (top), via a new website called Grandeur on Grove.

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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STUNNING FRENCH NORMANDY house that has been remodeled and refinished from top to bottom. New wiring, plumbing, hvac, all floors, generator, roof work, and more. Just drop in your furniture and enjoy, from the fantastic front entrance all the way to the basement. .............................................................................................$1,398,000 LOVELY BRICK HOME offers wonderful space with beautiful views of the spectacular lot! Original details with two story foyer and hardwood floors throughout. This elegant home is beautifully constructed and large enough to accommodate family and friends for years to come..............................................................................................$1,299,000 PRICE REDUCED BEAUTIFUL, CLASSIC HOME offers everything for today’s modern living. Custom-built home has the highest quality finishes. No detail was missed. Brick and stone exterior, wraparound porch, eleven-foot ceilings and oversized windows. LL has 2,000 feet of living area..............................................................$1,295,000 STUNNING BURMABUILT HOME is an absolute must-see property. You will appreciate the high-quality craftsmanship and sophisticated details throughout, including art glass doors, elegant Palladian Windows, a custom milled cherry mantel, and custom kitchen cabinetry. .........................................................................$1,275,000 ELEGANT CRAFTSMANSHIP can be found throughout this 5 BR French Normandy home. Sophistication is evident from the moment you walk in the door. Impressive foyer, formal LR with fireplace and built-in benches, family room, separate formal DR, updated kitchen, home office. ..................................................................................$1,100,000 ELEGANT HOME located on a picturesque River Forest block!

This stately 5 BR, 3 full/2 half bath home includes four floors of living with two finished family rooms, a large study and three fireplaces.

Large sun-drenched rooms with elegant cove molding and windows.

In-ground outdoor pool. ............................................................... $879,000 GRAND SPRAWLING HOME with an abundance of interior and exterior living areas. 5 BRs, upstairs laundry, 3 full & 1 half BAs, 3 fireplaces, full basement with recreation room. Grand two story family room incorporated into an open plan kitchen. Hardwood floors throughout main level. ..................................................................$845,000 CONTEMPORARY HOME with 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths. 1st floor features include an expansive foyer, unique bamboo floors, multi-faced gas fireplace, office, updated kitchen & family room. 2nd FL includes a laundry and office/or nursery. Finished basement. In-ground pool.

Great updates.................................................................................. $789,000

BEAUTIFUL BURMA with all the space you need and more!

Gracious foyer, separate dining room and living room both with French doors and hardwood floors, sun room, large window lined kitchen, back deck and big yard. 4 large bedrooms, 2 full & 1 half bath, and bonus office space. .........................................................................$629,000 LOVELY SPLITLEVEL HOME offers newly refreshed contemporary style and wonderful space. Home offers three bedrooms, three brand new bathrooms, beautiful front entryway, vaulted ceiling family room, sunroom, game room, deck, spectacular backyard, attached two-car garage............................................................................... $599,000 CITY LIVING CONVENIENCE in a charming village atmosphere.

This large Cape Cod is not a drive-by. Ten large rooms with four bedrooms, four full baths, and a huge 1st-floor family room with a wet bar.

Three-season room, and a kitchen with 42” oak cabinets. ..... $575,000 PRICE REDUCED LOVELY BUNGALOW offers wonderful space for family and entertaining. Original details blend seamlessly with all the current updates. Four BRs and 3 updated full baths on each level.

Kitchen opens to family room. Full finished bsmt offers rec room, laundry area, bar & wine storage................................................. $569,000

1403 FOREST • RIVER FOREST

NE W LIS TING! BEAUTIFUL, MOVEIN READY 3 bedroom, 2 bath Craftsman bungalow. Freshly painted inside and out, enclosed front porch, foyer with glass doors to open, breezy living and dining room and basement family room. Oversized lot with new landscaping, paver brick patio &2.5 car garage. ............................................... $459,900

RIVER FOREST HOMES

STUNNING CUSTOM BUILT HOME on a corner lot. The elegant interior offers fine detail and wonderful space throughout. Impressive foyer, beautiful staircase, serene master suite, two laundry rooms, fully finished impressive LL. Offers incredible value and luxury from top to bottom! .........................................................................................$1,895,000 BURMABUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. ................................................................................................ $1,795,000 FRENCH COUNTRY ESTATE built for flexible living. Fully renovated and expanded to preserve the feel and charm of a 1946 home, with all the conveniences of modern amenities and finishes. Sits on a private, double lot. Large pool, 5 BRs w/BAs, 2nd Fl laundry, private office, finished basement. ...........................................................$1,749,950 STATELY SOUTHERN COLONIAL blends old world craftsmanship with elegant modern updates ideally located. Grand foyer, elegant LR with fireplace, recently remodeled gourmet kitchen, mudroom, family room, large basement with den/office. Meticulously maintained and ready to move in..........................................................................$1,650,000

OAK PARK HOMES

THREE STORY GRAND VICTORIAN on 100 x 218 lot in the heart of the Frank Lloyd Wright district. This estate features 6 Bedrooms, 2 Full baths, 3 fireplaces, many historic details including double front entry doors sourced from the Historic Pullman Estates section of Chicago. ...........................................................................................$650,000 BEAUTIFUL SIDE ENTRANCE COLONIAL with 4 BRs, 2 full & 1 half baths features a spacious center family room, cooks’ kitchen with mud room, gas fireplace, built-in shelving & art glass windows.

Beautiful woodwork & hardwood floors throughout. Finished LL. Front & back heated walkway. ............................................................... $639,000 CLASSIC OAK PARK HOME on a large corner lot in the Harrison Arts district. This four BR, three BA home boasts four levels of living space. Tall ceilings, hardwood floors, vintage leaded glass windows, updated kitchen with breakfast bar. Finished 3rd floor, newly finished basement......................................................................................... $549,000 MEDITERRANEAN INFLUENCE HOME offers 5 BR’s/2BA’s, 2 story LR with WBFP, beamed ceiling, French doors and original 1920’s terra cotta tiled floor. Dramatic staircase leads upstairs. New finished bsmt. The yard has patio and charming pergola. Tasteful decor found thru-out the house..........................................................................$519,000

Shop for homes online at GagliardoRealty.com

MAGNIFICENT CERNY ENGLISH TUDOR is a spacious home that offers quality and stunning details throughout. Bright and open floor plan with great flow of grand sized rooms. Offers 5 bedrooms, 3 full/1 half baths. This home is a rare gem --- vintage flair with exceptional upgrades. ......................................$1,249,000

BEAUTIFULLY UPDATED 3 BR American Four Square located in the heart of the Arts District in Historic OP! Vintage features include arched entryways, hardwood flooring, art glass windows, sunroom, kit/breakfast rm combo, mud room, refinished backyard deck, fenced yard and two-car garage. .............................................................$417,900 CLASSIC AMERICAN 4 SQUARE offers a sunroom, art glass windows, built-in bookshelves that surround a decorative fireplace, beamed ceilings and built-in hutch in DR, kitchen with breakfast bar and family room, hardwood floors on both levels. Come make this home your own! ..............................................................................$347,000

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2 FLATS RIVER FOREST 3BR, 2-1/2 BA. The Valencia! ......................$455,000 RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Open concept floor plan.............$269,000 PRICE REDUCED OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full/2 half BA.........$434,000 OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full/1 half BA. Vintage beauty..................$285,000 PRICE REDUCED OAK PARK 3BR, 2 full/1 half BA. .........$269,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Parking space included. .......................$129,000 OAK PARK 1BR, 1BA. Well maintained building. ...................$119,000 PRICE REDUCED FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA..................... $100,000

20

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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No access policy.

Parents: When it comes to alcohol and our underage kids, no access is the best policy.

78% of 8-12th graders report that their family has clear rules about alcohol & drug use. You can start now.

For more information and to discover local resources: www.OakParkTownship.org/PYD This campaign is supported by the Strategic Prevention FrameworkPartnerships for Success Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.243 funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration through a grant administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services.

Supporting youth in Oak Park and River Forest Townships.

Oak Park & River Forest Townships

@Positive Youth Development

(68% 12th graders, & 80%10th graders)

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

GRANDEUR

Exciting project from page 17 and politics, and I crafted in my free time,” Kebinger said.

Her love of design took off when she met her husband, who hails from England. She says that travelling Europe with him and visiting castles and grand country homes piqued her interest in traditional furnishings and fabrics.

When the couple was house hunting in Oak Park, the home they saw on Grove Avenue checked all the necessary boxes with a modern kitchen and update baths, but it also grabbed them with their historic charm. After viewing 30 houses in one weekend visit, Kebinger said of their choice, “When you know, you know.”

The couple was eager to make the home fit their style, but first, they wanted to make it comfortable. With plans to insulate the attic, they tore off energy-inefficient drywall in the attic to make a fun discovery.

What appeared to be one stained-glass window on the third floor was originally three windows. Two of the original windows had been boarded up and drywalled over. They restored the windows and continued to look for ways to highlight the 1906 home’s past.

In the dining room, a blank wall seemed

to be missing a focal point, and Kebinger’s stained-glass specialist determined there had once been a window on the wall that had been removed. She had him create a stained-glass window with a tree motif for that wall.

That new stained-glass window became an integral part of the design of Kebinger’s dining room. She commissioned custom wallpaper from artist Susan Harter in a pastoral scene and then painted the ceiling a soft blue to mimic the sky.

She furnished the room with a dining set she inherited from her great grandmother and reupholstered the chairs with the help of her mother. An antique Italian sideboard rounds out the space that she calls her favorite room.

“It’s very calming,” Kebinger said. “You feel like you’re in the English countryside.”

Another point of pride is her upstairs bathroom, in which she combined florals and geometrics and added some wainscot in a nod to the home’s history.

Along with public spaces, she’s also tackled her son’s room and added European flair to other rooms in the house.

“I’ve always been hugely interested in fabrics and patterns,” Kebinger said. “It’s fun having the space to this with this house.”

Going public Now a stay-at-home mother with her special-needs son, Kebinger says she found the

time to work on her house in between taking him to various therapies. She became frustrated with the lack of inspiration on the internet for a style like hers.

“I couldn’t find what I was looking for on blogs or Pinterest,” she said.

She decided to create her own website to serve as a portfolio and share with people

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

BIG REVEAL: While renovating her Grove Avenue home, Kristi Kebinger made some surprising discoveries. In the dining room (top right), a long-covered window wall has been reclaimed, using a new stained-glass window as a focal point. That room, like the living room (above), exudes an English country home charm.

21

who might share her style.

“I love European style, but how do you make it work in a more modern home with a dog and a kid and a husband who likes modern things?” Kebinger asked.

For two years, she worked on getting photos of her project just right. She says her perfectionism was keeping her from ever reaching the goal post of publishing the website, so she gave herself a goal of spring 2020.

Then, the pandemic hit. She wasn’t sure if it would be callous or frivolous to go forward with a home design website during such a serious time.

“I asked friends and family, and their feedback was that people were looking for distraction,” Kebinger said.

She initially geared the website to family and friends and realized that others who were in their homes all the time might be seeking inspiration as well.

Kebinger had planned to work on her website regularly while starting classes in interior design at the College of DuPage this fall. The pandemic has slowed but not halted her timeline.

With her son home from school for the foreseeable future, she plans to continue to post on the website, but perhaps at a slower pace. She also plans to take classes online, and she’s seeking a designer to work with in order to learn the ins and outs of an interior design business.

“It’s disappointing to have my plans derailed a bit, but I’m definitely going to keep up with the trajectory, just on a modified scale,” Kebinger said.

She adds that the pandemic is also making a lot of people take renewed interest in home design and says a lot of time at home is fueling an increased interest in projects at home.

“It’s my passion, but it’s also a time a lot of people are in their homes more and using their homes in different ways,” she said.

22

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Work From Home!

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ADDRESS

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922 N. Harlem Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$448,800. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 838 N. Taylor Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$465,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:30-3:30 1224 N. Euclid Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$495,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1201 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$545,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1201 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$545,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 1-3 143 Franklin Ave, River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$569,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 401 N. Cuyler Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$725,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2

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4126 N. Kevdale Ave. UNIT 203, Chicago. . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $145,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 337 S. Maple Ave. UNIT 32, Oak Park. . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149,900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat. 12-1:30 1040 Ontario UNIT 3I, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1 166 N. Humphrey Ave. UNIT 1N, Oak Park. . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$224,900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1 7350 Lake St. UNIT 2W, River Forest . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$229,900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 1:30-3:30 2521 W. North Ave. UNIT A, Chicago. . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$409,900. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 101 N. Euclid Ave. UNIT 28, Oak Park . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$549,000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

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Truth or Dare: Embracing discomfort

T

here is a game many a young person has played over the years that requires you to choose between telling the truth in response to a question or completing a dare. Which you chose often depended on what you felt would be the least uncomfortable. Sometimes it gave you the opportunity to do something you really wanted to do, but needed permission. You had to kiss that boy you liked — it was the dare.

There are some who continue this practice into adulthood; seeking group permission, or at least confirmation, that what they have chosen to think or do is right. But what I find most interesting is the belief that those who have a different position are adversarial or creating conflict. I frequently find myself in this position on local social media since it’s inevitable when you’re in the minority.

It is often seen as subversive to mention that my experience may be different. Now you might have assumed that by “minority” I merely mean racial minority. Not necessarily. I’m not always able to detangle the multiple identities that put me at odds with some local culture. Is it because I’m Black, a woman, not a Midwesterner, not traditional, or just my mother’s child?

Oak Parkers tend to see ourselves as more evolved. We value diversity and do not embrace the material and social homogeneity so often associated with the suburbs. Or do we? I recently participated in a couple of social media discussion threads about choosing a diverse place to live and Oak Park’s inclusion in one of the “best places to live” lists. In the former, I asked if diversity was a need or a want. In the latter, I mentioned that I found these lists rather pointless since this decision to include is so subjective.

You would have thought I had called someone’s baby “ugly.” Why was I making everything about race? Couldn’t we just agree that all of these places were good? The subtext: stop disrupting our ignorant bliss. I wonder if different perspectives make it harder to secure that permission or confirmation that one’s thoughts are the “right” ones.

But how can there be a “right” answer to a question of personal experience or opinion?

By asking whether diversity was a want or need, I was trying to ascertain its level of importance to the home seeker. Most discussions about desirability center on the wants of white families, which often include desires to raise children a certain way, the opportunity to live out certain values, or the opportunity to expand social circles — all “wants.” A person or family of color, not Christian, multiracial or with LGBTQ+ family members may be looking for a safe place to live and practice their culture and/ or religion. These are issues that get to the core of one’s identity and are more serious “needs.”

It is also the difference between seeming diverse and

LINDA FRANCIS

See FRANCIS on page 30

VIEWPOINTS

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

23

Remembering when Human Relations was taken seriously p. 29

Remembering Grace Wilbur Trout To honor the centennial of women’s right to vote, we thought it would be a good time to recall the efforts of one of the suffrage movement’s prominent advocates: race Wilbur Trout (1864-1955) was an Oak Park heroine and suffrage leader. Elected president of the Chicago Political Equality League in May 1910, she became a state board member of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association (IESA) and was elected its president two years later, with Jane Addams as her vice president.

Trout excelled at the use of persuasion and diplomacy in presenting the suffrage agenda. She organized the first suffrage automobile tour in Illinois, using a car borrowed from her neighbor, Charles Stiger, of the Winton Motor Company. Along with other suffrage leaders, Trout visited 16 towns in five days, giving speeches urging support for women’s suffrage and explaining why women needed the right to vote.

As IESA president, Trout launched a statewide campaign to pass a bill in the Illinois State Legislature granting women the right to vote in presidential and municipal elections. She took a nonpartisan approach to gain support for the suffrage bill. She studied the interests and needs of each legislator and figured out ways to avoid having the bill killed in committee. She also lobbied Gov. Edward Dunne. According to one account, “For 14 weeks, Mrs. Trout gave of her time and energy unstintingly, working practically day and night.” The bill was finally passed on June 11, 1913, making Illinois the first state east of the Mississippi River in which women could vote for the U.S. President.

Trout spent the next two years successfully defending the new voting rights law from attempts by opponents to

G

MARY ANN PORUCZIK One View

The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest

Grace Wilbur Trout repeal it or have it declared unconstitutional. She published a suffrage edition of the Chicago Examiner in August 1913 and helped register more than 200,000 women to vote. She also pushed for suffrage at the national level, raising $40,000 to support the cause in Illinois. She was reelected president of the IESA in 1916 and successfully fought for a constitutional convention resolution providing for full suffrage for Illinois women.

In 1916, she organized a suffrage parade in Chicago for the National American Woman Suffrage Association. More than 5,000 women marched down Michigan Avenue to the Republican National Convention to press for a woman suffrage plank in the party platform, a measure that was adopted. She later met with President Wilson seeking his support for a constitutional amendment. When Congress finally passed the Nineteenth Amendment, she ensured that Illinois was the first state to ratify it, on June 10, 1919. When the amendment was fully ratified, the IESA decided that its work was finished; it was succeeded by the Illinois League of Women Voters. Trout retired to Florida, where she continued her activism.

For all of these reasons, the League of Women Voters of Oak Park-River Forest, the Oak Park River Forest Museum and the Nineteenth Century Charitable Association have lobbied to have her recognized on the National Votes for Women Trail. A marker will be dedicated to her on the site of her Oak Park home next spring.

Mary Ann Poruczik is a member of the League of Women Voters Oak Park-River Forest and the Collections Committee chair for the Oak Park River Forest Museum/ Historical Society.

24

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

O U R

Y

V I E W P O I N T S

V I E W S

Suspicious = Black

ou listen and you hear things.

Oak Park’s village government held two “listening sessions” recently with the intent of hearing from residents about their experiences with Oak Park police. This was a start, but there are many more voices to hear, a wider invitation to be offered. We’re waiting to see how soon and how open that invitation will be.

Still, among the handful of people who took part, there was a common concern over their fellow citizens who call 911 to report “suspicious” activity. Too often those callers are white and the activity is “being Black.” A recent One View recounted a group of Black children playing ball at Euclid Park. Police officers arrived in response to a complaint and found kids in the park doing what kids do — playing.

No suggestion of inappropriate action by Oak Park officers in these cases. But legitimate concerns that official Oak Park and its police department has drummed home the notion for years that attentive citizens are the “eyes and ears” of the department and that all calls to 911 are welcome.

It has been spelled out on Oak Park’s website under the curious heading of “Guide to the Suspicious.” Now that tab on the website has been pulled down at the simultaneous request of the police chief and two village trustees.

That’s good. Most innocently you can chalk this up to the law of unintended consequences. Urge citizens to call and they do. If Oak Park wants to live an examined life, we need to understand how we didn’t anticipate, how we didn’t recognize the consequences of that policy, the racism it promoted, the pain it caused Black citizens.

The village manager, Cara Pavlicek, said removing the guide was an “appropriate action to take.” She’s right. The police chief, LaDon Reynolds, says the department is now reviewing the policy.

“We’re looking at it and trying to determine how we can provide information that is appropriate and isn’t misinterpreted.”

There’s the rub.

Do we believe Oak Park village government and its police department should be the entities reviewing the policy? Not on their own.

Pavlicek told the Journal last week that the staff review of the Citizen Police Oversight Committee will be presented soon. Again, maybe a staff review could be a starting point. But surely there are citizens who ought to have a voice in reviewing the Citizen Police Oversight Committee, its work, its role.

It’s good that the Guide to the Suspicious has been scrubbed from the village website. It is good that CPOC is under review.

But these are only first steps. The real question is whether village government is ready for the discomfort that will inevitably be part of a genuine, open, honest review of policing in this village.

We’ve said many times that Oak Park has a good to better-thangood police department. Do we have the will to make it a great and modern police department? The first steps are still too timid and too inward looking.

Black leaders in Springfield Our villages are largely represented in Springfield by a group of Black legislators who are organizing and demanding that state government finally become an engine of reform on issues of equity and systemic racism.

This is the moment. State Senator Kimberly Lightford (chair of the Black Caucus and Senate Majority Leader), Rep. LaShawn Ford, Rep. Chris Welch and Rep. Camille Lilly have joined forces to deliver a package of bills this fall that target the many ways government has failed to lead.

This is a remarkable nexus of power and determination and we look for action.

P

America unmasked

umping gas at the Thornton’s station in Villa Park last Saturday morning, I missed the altercation inside the mini-mart as a young man protested having to wear a mask.

My companion filled me in when she returned. The women at the counter were having none of his guff. They might have to pay a stiff fine if they served him. He gave in but was still jawing at my friend as he returned to his vehicle.

I thought about my experience over the years jawing with gun rights advocates, who essentially believe they have God-given rights to do pretty much whatever they feel like when it comes to firearms, including shooting someone when they feel threatened and calling it “self-defense,” like George Zimmerman pulling the trigger on Trayvon Martin.

Anti-mask advocates, meanwhile, many of whom are God-fearing firearms enthusiasts, judging by their gun-toting presence in public protests, have been making a case for their right to inflict harm on others and even themselves in order to protect their God-given freedom, common good be damned. What many have dubbed “toxic individualism.”

My response to this unmasked man would be the same response I give the perpetually petulant gun rights advocates when they venture into “sacred and inviolable rights” territory: With rights come responsibilities, the motto of Gun Responsibility Advocates, the group I co-founded with nine other Oak Park and River Forest residents seven years ago.

Gun advocates hate being told they need to accept the responsibilities that go with their rights. They have an answer for every argument except that one.

None of us get to enjoy inalienable rights unless and until we accept the inalienable responsibilities that accompany those rights. No responsibility, no rights.

What responsibilities must gun advocates accept … and support … and promote? Common-sense gun regulation to keep firearms out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them. Help us pass common-sense, common-good legislation and we’ll recognize your rights. That’s fair.

Gun advocates at least have the excuse of the Second Amendment to misinterpret and hide behind.

Mask scofflaws have no case at all. Their resistance pales next to public health concerns during a dangerous pandemic — when responsibility gets prior-

ity, overruling poorly conceived “rights” that the majority of Americans do not even recognize. When the common good butts up against toxic individualism, the common good must prevail.

Because rights are inseparable from responsibility.

The right to protest comes with a responsibility to refrain from violence and looting.

Police officers’ authority comes with a responsibility to be transparent and accountable to the public they serve.

Election to office comes with an oath to uphold the Constitution and a commitment to serve, not rule.

Political power, granted by the consent of the governed, comes with the obligation not to abuse and misuse that power.

Americans cherish their rights. But not enough accept the responsibilities that accompany them.

Accepting those responsibilities is at the heart of governing ourselves, politically and personally. Without that, there is no democracy, only toxic libertarianism. Or anarchy.

Rights minus responsibilities cause great harm because unfettered freedom isn’t freedom at all, merely license.

We can’t withhold civil liberties from some (people of color) while claiming unrestricted freedom for others (the white elite). America is the land of opportunity, but not the opportunity to be socially irresponsible.

Truth always involves more than “me.” Rights begin where you and me intersect, leading to “we.”

Those who don’t trust government are part of the problem, rarely part of the solution. Too many Americans these days do not consent to be governed.

They make lousy citizens. They don’t vote at all or they vote for people who can’t run a respectable election that isn’t rigged in favor of the guy who claims it’s rigged against him. Our current problem.

But our most immediate problem is Americans who won’t put on a mask to help get this pandemic under control.

There’s an old saying that Americans are better at dealing with the wolf at the door than the termites in the basement. That used to be true. Now it seems we’re no good at either.

Because, you know, it might restrict our freedom.

KEN

TRAINOR

V I E W P O I N T S S H R U B T O W N

by Marc Stopeck

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Stacey Sheridan, Maria Maxham Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Arts Editor Michelle Dybal Sports/Staff reporter James Kay Columnists Marc Blessoff, Jack Crow, Doug Deuchler, Linda Francis, John Hubbuch, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Designers Mark Moroney, Javier Govea, Debbie Becker Business Manager Joyce Minich Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

Growing Community Media BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf

Vote, before they come for you First they came for the Communists, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, And there was no one left to speak for me.

This confessional poem written by Rev. Martin Niemoller of Lippstadt, Germany, who did not oppose Hitler until the dictator tried to suppress the clergyman’s expression of his religious views. Rev. Niemoller survived captivity in the Dachau camp, after which he penned this poem.

Here’s my 2020 version: President Trump first attacked the Muslims, And I did nothing Because I am not a Muslim.

Then he came after the Mexican and Central Americans, And I did nothing Because I am neither.

Then he came after immigrants from South America Using his “zero tolerance” policy, separating families, resulting in over 2,500 children, ages 3-16,

being orphaned And I did nothing Because I am not an immigrant.

Then he came after black and brown families Demonstrating his racist white supremacy And I did nothing Because I am not black or brown.

Then he came after the protestors Who were legally marching for civil rights, equal justice for all, and against authoritative and police brutality.

He deployed his armed mystery “troopers” to terrorize protestors, even using tear gas against them, which incited even more problems for our cities.

And, finally, I tried to do something.

Folks, including me, were frightened and intimidated.

Even though I was not deserving of any help, there seemed to be no one willing to help — me or themselves — because they weren’t yet personally affected.

There is, however, a method by which we can defeat this power-mad, greedy, and cruel dictator-inthe-making. We must join together to do something before Trump gets another four years to further destroy our democracy.

We need to vote!

Together, we can vote him out of office.

Harriet Hausman River Forest

Gary Collins, 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, fire 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 filing.

Please understand our verification 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 verification, 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 confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay.

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ■ 250-word limit ■ Must include first and last names, municipality in which you live, phone number (for verification only)

‘ONE VIEW’ ESSAY ■ 500-word limit ■ One-sentence footnote about yourself, your connection to the topic ■ Signature details as at left

Email Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com or mail to Wednesday Journal, Viewpoints, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

H O W

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R E A C H

U S

ADDRESS 141 S Oak Park Ave., Oak ParkIL 60302 ■ PHONE 708-5248300 EMAIL Dan@OakPark.com ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com Wednesday Journal is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00.

A one-year subscription costs $38 within Cook County and $45 outside of Cook County.

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Sloppy process, sloppy results

t was troubling to watch the Oak Park Village Board discuss the proposed apartment building at 435 Madison St. last week. Trustees seemed confused about the details of the proposal and the changes made since the Plan Commission unanimously rejected it in March.

The meeting hit its low point when the developer showed an inaccurate rendering of what could be built according to zoning, and trustees didn’t know enough to question its accuracy.

Such confusion is an advertisement for listening to citizen commissions, who are deeply familiar with the details, arguments, and counter-arguments of each issue. If the board had sent this proposal back to the Plan Commission, they would have gotten accurate information and made an informed decision. The vote might have been the same (it passed), but the standards for governance would have been much higher, and that’s what matters in the long haul.

Developers controlled the floor and the narrative, touting their recent changes to the southern setback as an adequate response to the Plan Commission’s findings. That setback is an improvement, but it addressed only one of four problems the Plan Commission had identified. (The others were height,

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density, and the proximity to properties to the east.) Trustees were either unaware of these other concerns or unwilling to question the developer’s assertions.

The debate about this project should have focused on whether it meets the standards for Planned Developments as laid out in the Zoning Ordinance.

But there was zero discussion of those standards, much less their purposes, benefits, and limits. Instead, trustees discussed their own, subjective standards for new development and asked the developer non-questions like, “So how you are going to be a good neighbor?” (Anan), and “Does it really have to be this big to be financially feasible?”

(Deno).

Bizarrely, the board discussion then turned toward affordable housing in Oak Park — bizarre because these are luxury apartments with no affordable units.

Neighbors had advocated for the inclusion of affordable units, instead of the in-lieu payment allowed by Oak Park’s new Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, but the developer opted for the in-lieu payment. That didn’t stop the developer from stating, “We’re in favor of affordable housing.” Huh? The developer did offer a $50,000 “voluntary” contribution to the Affordable

ANNA

JOHNSON One View

Housing Fund, a concession made after the Plan Commission said they needed to provide a compensating public benefit for the four zoning variances requested. While welcome, the monetary contribution seems less a commitment to affordable housing and more a desperate attempt to claim a public benefit for this building.

The telling moment came when several trustees agreed that residents’ concerns were really just NIMBY arguments dressed up in the language of the zoning ordinance. It was a rare moment of unity on this board, but one gained by throwing all nuance under the bus. Neighbors in this case advocated for increased environmental standards and improved pedestrian safety on Madison, and did I mention we fought for on-site affordable housing? Pretty community-minded for a bunch of NIMBYs! Development is a wonky arena of governance, but residents should expect public officials to engage its complicated details and to ask good questions at the board table. I am disappointed this building was approved, but I’m even more disappointed by the board’s apathy toward due diligence.

Sloppy processes beget sloppy results.

Anna Johnson is a 14-year resident of Oak Park and a 9-year resident of the Gunderson Historic District, which borders this development.

Trump’s malice

n March 27, President Trump signed the $2.3 trillion relief bill to aid workers who lost their jobs in the economic crash related to the virus pandemic. The U.S. Treasury promptly mailed out the checks.

On April 26, a small note flashed in the news that an Illinois man had filed suit against President Trump and his administration for withholding his relief check because he was married to an immigrant.

I cringed and was outraged by the injustice against a fellow citizen. The offense was perpetrated at our President’s directive. No one else could authorize such action. A recollection from my childhood flashed in my mind. Hitler massacred German nationals in death camps along with their Jewish spouses and families. The similarity between Hitler’s despotism and Trump’s malice shook me to the core of my foundation.

The man in Illinois is not the only one Trumped. Other citizens have come forward to report that they also had their economic benefits denied. They too are suing Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Steve Mnuchin in a class action suit.

Plaintiffs of the lawsuit feel they cannot seek recompense through our Justice Department. The Attorney General of the United States is a Trump appointee. Any reports of injustice are likely to become lost in a shuffle of papers. The plaintiffs can only rely on a civil suit in the courts.

The President has a documented long-standing grudge against immigrants. He slandered, defamed, and characterized them as criminals and murderers in his 2016 campaign.

He deported American-born children to Mexico, and deployed ICE agents, nationwide, to threaten mass arrests and mass deportations of the migrants.

FRED NATKEVI One View

The mayors of sanctuary cities thwarted the onslaught, but they risked loss of government funding for their cities, as Trump’s retaliation.

The other two co-conspirators do not have authority to initiate such a selective scheme. Their complicity, however, enables Trump to circumvent our Constitution, trample the protection afforded by sanctuary cities, and launch his insidious

campaign.

There must have been a nationwide screening of marriage records to select the names of U.S. citizens married to immigrants. The search was likely carried out by personnel on government payroll. For reasons of secrecy, commercial organizations could not be utilized. As expected, there were no whistleblowers.

Trump’s transgression is multifaceted. It is an abuse of power. It’s a form of ethnic and racial profiling. I think it’s an infringement of the constitutionally granted right to pursue happiness. If not confronted, the abuse could spill over into all marriages and life partnerships.

The LGBT community is especially vulnerable to prejudicial abuses. Could the ban of biracial marriages be reinstated? After all, the powers of the executive order have been redefined by the farce of the impeachment trial. Now the President can act with impunity and with no accountability.

He foments neo-nationalism, and with rhetoric he can direct a mob’s anger toward his perceived opposition.

The most sinister of Trump’s actions, however, has not been confronted. His selection of the names of U.S. citizens with immigrant spouses, targeted for some perverted retribution, has not been exposed to daylight.

Fred Natkevi is a longtime Oak Park resident.

Is the assessment system unfair to Black homeowners?

The letter from Fritz Kaegi, Cook County Assessor, began: “Our appeals department has analyzed your assessment appeal and supporting documentation. Our analysis indicates the assessed valuation should remain as originally proposed for the following reason: The result is based on consideration of submitted appraisal and also an analysis of comparable properties.”

Black Lives Matter.

My appeal was filed through the Oak Park Township. These are the most knowledgeable staff of comparable values in the community. The rejection, after approval of their assessment, is a slap in the face by Kaegi, an Oak Parker!

I have maintained for many years that the system was corrupt. I would like an assessment of all Black homeowners in Oak Park who have felt the same. I would also like Oak Park to conduct a survey of Black homeowners who have fled the village because of excessive taxes.

Ozzie Bruno Oak Park

The key to our climate conundrum

Although COVID-19 continues to ravage our country, another crisis is looming. While Al Gore and others have been publicly fighting against climate change as early as the 1970s (more than two decades before I was born), it seems as though we are just beginning to take this fight for the wellbeing of our community, and all humanity, seriously.

Several weeks ago Congress released a new report, “Solving the Climate Crisis,” detailing hundreds of policy recommendations focused on a clean energy economy that values workers, strengthens the economy, and promotes environmental justice. However, this 500+ page report is completely useless if Congress doesn’t act on it.

The effects of climate change aren’t always immediate or obvious, but learning about the thousands of preventable deaths from the coronavirus has illuminated the deaths we can prevent caused by climate change, which will ultimately impact everyone, regardless of class, political party, place of residence, or one’s belief in this issue.

Small individual efforts can certainly make some impact, but a larger focus that targets the major sources of pollution will create substantial and lasting change. Call your representative and senator and tell them to support and act on this report. Show them we must take a stand against climate change and the companies profiting off the things that exacerbate it.

When this climate disaster inevitably strikes our own community and we finally realize what we’ve all taken part in, I want to know that I’ve done everything I can. Do you?

Natasia Preys Oak Park

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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presents

A Wednesday Journal & A Tribe Called Aging Production

wabi sabi F I L M F E S T I V A L

Our Covid-19 free gift to the community - watch it free on ZOOM in your own home

Appreciating the beauty of impermanence, a quarterly Film Series encouraging everyone to embrace and respect our aging population and the transformation of our society.

Gen

Silent

Friday, August 21 • 10am Gen Silent asks six LGBT seniors if they will hide their lives to survive. They put a face on what experts in the film call an epidemic: gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender seniors so afraid of discrimination, or worse, in long-term/health care that many go back into the closet. And, their decisions are captured through intimate access to their day-to-day lives over the course of a year in Boston, Massachusetts. The film shows the wide range in quality of paid caregivers --from those who are specifically trained to make LGBT seniors feel safe, to the other end of the spectrum, where LGBT elders face discrimination, neglect or abuse. As the film chronicles the challenges that these men and women face, each subject crosses paths with a small but growing group of impassioned professionals trying to wake up the long-term and healthcare industries to their plight.

WE WILL BE JOINED BY DIRECTOR STU MADDUX AND PRODUCER JOE APPLEBAUM FOR Q+A AND DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE MOVIE.

Signature Sponsors

Non Profit Patron Sponsors

Oak Park Township/River Forest Township

Learn more and register at: wabi-sabi-GenSilent.eventbrite.com

V I E W P O I N T S

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Remembering when Human Relations was taken seriously

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elieve it or not, there was a time when the role of the Oak Park Community Relations Commission was valued and supported by the village board and staff. However, it was a long time ago ... try the early 1970s.

In those days, this volunteer commission had 15 members (not the current nine).

Those serving came from many areas of expertise — a medical doctor, an OPRF dean, an executive of a national real estate organization, the owner of a local real estate company, a lawyer or two, and a few of us who were part of the Chicago civil rights struggle.

Our job was to advise the board on matters related to implementing the May 1968 Fair Housing Ordinance. And so it did. The commission was staffed by the creative and courageous Kris Ronnow and Sherlynn Reid. Training of local real estate agents and lending institutions began on how to stop red-lining practices of limiting Afri-

can Americans and whites from living together. The Leadership Council of Metropolitan Chicago was brought in by the village to train commission members and staff on testing real estate agents in surrounding suburbs on “steering” African-American families or racially mixed couples to Oak Park, while saying they had little, if any, housing available. The commission also worked with the Leadership Council to get the Illinois General Assembly to strengthen real estate laws throughout the state.

To address white fears of African Americans moving into all-white areas, in 1974 an ordinance was proposed by the village board. It was called “The Oak Park Ordinance Establishing Procedures for Achieving Stable Integrated Housing Patterns.”

To quote the Jan. 9, 1974 Oak Leaves: “This ordinance established a quota system, limiting the black population of the east cen-

tral portion of the village to 30 percent and prohibiting owners and landlords on any block or in any building with a 30 percent black population from renting or selling to blacks. Those who ignored the ordinance would face a maximum fine of $1,000.”

This set off a firestorm of controversy.

The village board sent this very hot potato to the Human Relations Commission for our recommendation. We discussed and argued the merits of the proposed ordinance, both very pro and very con. By this time, the ordinance had the interest of the national press. The final vote was taken at Stevenson Park Field House under TV lights.

The Human Relations Commission’s final vote was 8 against the proposal and 7 for its passage. Our vote was passed on to the village board.

To quote the Oak Leaves again: “Even-

STANLEY DAVIS One View

Saving democracy by saving the postal service

Elections are conducted within each sovereign state. The president at the federal level has no legal power over elections within sovereign states.

The USPS is a federal agency subject to the president by appointing the Postmaster General.

No matter what funding the USPS gets, the loyal appointee to the Postmaster General job controls all operations of the USPS. The Board of Governors are also appointed by the president. They currently are all old white corporate males like the

current president.

Although the USPS has the capability to distribute, collect, and deliver absentee and mail-in applications and live ballots, the individual sovereign states must no longer allow ballot applications and actual ballots to be in the unaccountable custody of this federal agency subject to the influence of a president.

This is especially true and dangerous to democracy when a man on the ballot is dishonorable and desperate to win, with intentions to manipulate the USPS for his own benefit, with no

respect for law.

Therefore, each sovereign state and territory must quickly devise a plan for distributing, collecting and delivering ballot applications and ballots. We must avoid using the USPS to avoid federal influence on the ballots for sovereign state elections.

This is a war to save democracy like we have never seen here previously and we must quickly adapt as we would in any other wartime situation.

Leslie Roberts Oak Park

tually, village trustees voted to postpone taking any action on the proposed quota ordinance. Alternative proposals, including development of a master plan and implementation of an equity assurance program, were considered instead.”

Yes, there was a time when commissions were viewed as a valuable asset to village government. With the recent resignations of six Human Relations commissioners, time seems to have eroded such confidence.

To answer my friend Janet Haisman’s question in a recent Wednesday Journal, “Why would anyone in his/her right mind want to give of his/her time to not even be consulted on something they had been studying?”

Excellent question, Janet. My answer is “never.” I have been there when commissioners’ input was valued and respected.

But that was 46 years ago!

Rev. Stanley Davis is a longtime Oak Park resident.

Make Lake Street great again

The re-do of Lake Street from Forest to Harlem about 20 years ago was a marvelous improvement. Finally, the north sidewalk was smooth and wide enough for my wife and me to stroll past another couple without either couple having to do the sidestep. How glorious it was while it lasted. But then hazards in the form of trees and grates and sandwich boards and dining areas started appearing, ruining the ambiance for all.

Here’s hoping this new iteration will Make Lake Street Great Again!

Steve Harris Oak Park

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‘Would you like a side of implicit bias with your drink?’

n the eve of July 4, 2020, my husband and I decided to venture to Holland, Michigan, since states were at Level 4. We visited the lovely Windmill restaurant. Later, we had some coffee at the amazing Lemonjello’s and then decided to have lunch at a brewery.

After being seated and reviewing the menu for the fourth time, I asked the hostess if we could move. We were greeted with a cold shoulder at the empty bar. The bartender took our drinks (never asking if we were ready to order), but there was a show of us being ignored. Eventually, a couple and three separate individuals sat at the bar, while we still waited. I said, as sweetly as I could muster: “Excuse me, we are ready to order.”

As if waiting for me to say something, he yelled a callous and indignant response: “I know, I’ll get to you. I’m going in line, all

around to all these people. I’m the only one here.” Expanding his arms, he repeated, “It’s just me back here.” My husband asked for the check and we got in our car, where I broke down in private. I wondered: “What did I do wrong?” and “Why did that happen?” My husband was shocked and the “R” word rose to his lips. I knew this was also a case of implicit bias.

Key signs of this particular racial animus: ■ We were blatantly ignored.

■ The bartender never made eye contact with me.

■ He visited a nearby couple three times before approaching us.

■ The stools were 6 feet apart; another white man (the bartender’s friend) moved his chair closer to me, without a mask.

■ The bartender was polite to my hus-

BERONICA GARCIAPUHR One View

Why not a communal composting program?

To continue the discussion about Oak Park’s composting program [Why composting is so important, Viewpoints, Aug. 5]: Household participation is only about 20 percent? If based only on those who sign up for compost bins, that may understate participation, as neighbors do dump their compostables in others’ bins. I myself use a neighbor’s compost bin with their permission. (They declined my offer of some money to defray fees but I give them a year-end thank-you gift.)

The benefits of composting are communal, so why not have 2 or 3 public 96-gallon bins in each alley, or have a program to promote sharing bins? The latter also could be an informal way to teach about correct composting practices. When I asked my neighbors what were the guidelines, they directed me to the Oak Park Public Works website (https://www.

FRANCIS

Being truly inclusive from page 23 actually being diverse, answering the question: “Does the community actually include the people who help to make up its diversity?”

When I looked at schools, starting with preschool, I was concerned whether my daughter would be the only or one of only a couple of Black children in her class.

This would lead to major issues of identity,

band and others, calling some “brother” and taking time to chat.

■ I was the only person of color.

■ He yelled just at me.

Perhaps the bartender didn’t appreciate serving an interracial couple or was having a bad day.

Regardless, he let his emotions explode. One never yells at their customer. Every server/ bartender knows that. I did research and asked acquaintances (in similar fields) what their response would’ve been. Each one had similar answers: a respectful “I’ll be right with you.” A colleague named Marcellis listened to my predicament and said, “In no arena should a bartender or server raise their voice … people’s prejudices cloud their judgement.” A sibling of mine went as far as to say, “That’s not how customer service works.”

As a first generation Mexican-American, I am familiar with implicit bias from nonminorities. I’m also familiar with the art of customer service and was disgusted by his lack of etiquette. Some people will deem my emotions sensitive and nitpicky; however, if it’s acceptable to complain about a hair in your meal or a plate being too hot, then yes, I will be “nitpicky” about bigotry. I’d leave you with a yelp review of the meal, but my appetite waned as soon as he spoke to me.

References Behmen-Milicevic, A. Server’s Bible: 101 Tips How to Be a Good Restaurant Waiter.

Retrieved from https://possector.com/staff/ waiter Cantu-Pawlik, S. (2019, April 1). What is Implicit Bias and Why Should You Care?

Retrieved from https://salud-america.org/ what-is-implicit-bias-and-why-should-youcare Beronica Garcia-Puhr works in River Forest.

Keep Lake Michigan safe for swimming

oak-park.us/village-services/refuse-recycling/compostable-program).

I’ve observed loose waste thrown into bins, or much worse — bagged in ordinary plastic bags, which defeats the purpose of composting. Composting proponents must educate users on proper protocol as part of their efforts.

An expanded compost program would mean spending more money; it’s a matter of how and how much. Prominent proponent Mac Robinet seems to be hedging his bets from a slick opt-out program to traditional fee imposition, that “for a small fee” we can have a “compost for all” program. So just how “small” would this small fee be?

If we’re to encourage and expand composting, let’s do it effectively and in a costconscious manner.

Claire Dolinar

Oak Park culture and self-worth that we were looking to avoid. It would be valuable to have exposure to kids and adults of other races and cultures, but it was paramount that she see herself reflected in significant numbers of the people around her. It was helpful to have real examples of classmates with two dads or two moms to reinforce the inclusiveness we wanted our daughter to embrace. But it was probably immeasurable for those parents to have a place where they knew their children would not be teased or made to feel less than, and could see other similar families.

Wants v. Needs. I know that whenever I see a “best of ” list, they were not thinking

In these stressful times, is there anything more relieving and refreshing than going for a swim? I think not. Our waterways provide us with a vital outlet for recreation. In Illinois, Lake Michigan provides so many, young and old alike, with an essential opportunity for enjoyment.

Much of my family is based in Oak Park, and some of my fondest memories with them are afternoons spent on the beaches off of Lake Shore Drive. Yet safe swimming in Lake Michigan and across the U.S. is under threat.

In 2018, half of American beaches registered at least one day in which their water reached unsafe levels of pollution. Sewer overflows and industrial runoff add harmful toxins into American waterways, resulting in approximately 57 million annual cases of illness in swimmers.

Out of 19 beaches tested throughout Illinois for unsafe levels of water pollution in 2018, all 19 were found to have at least one unsafe day.

South Shore Beach in Chicago had an alarming 38 unsafe swimming days. The last thing you or I want to be worried about while swimming is raw sewage and chemical exposure.

All of this goes to show that we need increased federal funding for water infrastructure. Congress needs to protect our beaches from pollution, and our loved ones from illness. Last month, the House Appropriations Committee approved over $10 billion in funding for clean water nationwide, much of which will help reduce pollutants in our waterways.

Now it’s time for the Senate to do the same.

Here in Illinois, Senator [Dick] Durbin serves on the Appropriations Committee, and he has a chance to champion this movement, and continue his strong environmental record by ensuring Lake Michigan is safe for swimming.

about me. So often the communities listed are actually dangerous for Black males or would require I drive into the nearest big city just to get my hair done. But most folks are uncomfortable truthfully stating they are “great places for traditional white families.” People who have historically been marginalized should not be seen as community adornments or merely folks who add to a community’s progressive creds. Recognizing their needs doesn’t erase the existing community benefits.

To truly be an inclusive place to live, Oak Park also needs to be a place where residents with different needs can express

them, have them addressed, and not be made to feel that those needs are outside of what any other resident should expect.

Remaining ignorant about the breadth and depth of our great community is only blissful in the short term. Although consistent with our country’s approach toward diversity, it too results in an eventual reckoning that is often more painful than just addressing things up front.

It’s important to recognize how our experiences may be different instead of pretending that we are all the same. It’s the truth. And the dare to take this on may actually get us what we claim to want — a truly inclusive community.

Simon Horowitz

Global Warming Solutions Fellow Environment America Brooklyn, New York

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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Answer Book 2020

ONLINE & IN PRINT

OPRF Chamber of Commerce Community Guide & Membership Directory

Everything Oak Park & River Forest Read and referenced by thousands of local residents throughout the year, the Answer Book is filled with a host of useful listings and phone numbers, including the full Chamber of Commerce membership directory.

It also comes with loads of unusual, un-Googleable local factoids, photos and info-graphics.

Buying an ad in Answer Book will give year-round exposure to your business, heighten your name awareness and build your local brand.

PUBLICATION DATE: Wednesday, October 28

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Call 708.524.8300

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Laverne Tomaso, 84

O B I T U A R I E S

Zuhair ElSaffar, 85

Longtime member of St. Giles Mass Community

Physics professor, real estate investor

Dr. Zuhair M. ElSaffar, 85, a longtime resident of River Forest, died on Aug. 15, 2020. Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1935, he won a scholarship to study in Britain at the age of 17, and while there obtained a PhD in Physics from University College of North Wales in Bangor.

In the early 1960s he began teaching university-level physics, first at Michigan State University and then at the University of Baghdad. In 1965 he became a researcher in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, but a year Zuhair ElSaffar with his five children, (from left) Dena, Ali, Nadia, Amir, and Azhaar, at a later returned to Iraq to run the coun- family reunion in 2013. try’s civilian nuclear energy program. est Park. After suffering a stroke and retir- daughter Nadia is a makeup artist for BritIn 1968, he moved to Chicago to take a job as a physics professor at De- ing from DePaul in 1987, most of his efforts ish television and movies, and his son Ali is a lawyer who also serves as the Oak Park Paul University and conducted research were devoted to his business activities.

Township Assessor.

He is survived by his wife, Bushra, five at Argonne National Lab. Two years later children and two grandchildren.

Four of ElSaffar also had two grandchildren, he moved to River Forest with his family his five children attended Oak Park and Jamil Moore and Layla Moore. and remained a River Forest resident for River Forest High School. Three of those Burial took place at Valley of Peace, a the rest of his life.

In 1977, ElSaffar began investing in real children — Azhaar, Dena and Amir — Muslim cemetery within Arlington/Elm estate in Oak Park, River Forest and For- grew up to be professional musicians. His Lawn Cemetery in Elmhurst.

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, before Monday at noon.

Please include a photo if possible.

Robert P. Gamboney Funeral Director I am there for you in your time of need.

All services handled with dignity and personalized care.

Cell: 708.420.5108 • Res: 708.848.5667 I am affiliated with Peterson-Bassi Chapels at 6938 W. North Ave, as well as other chapels throughout Chicagoland.

Send letters to the Editor Ken Trainor, Wednesday Journal 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 E-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com Please include name, address and daytime phone number for verification.

LaVerne Katherine Tomaso (nee Blake), 84, died on Aug. 13, 2020. Born in Chicago on June 5, 1936, she spent the majority of her life in Oak Park, where she was an integral member of the Saint Giles Family Mass Community for LAVERNE TOMASO nearly 50 years. A lover of music, babies, gardens, all things sweet — especially chocolate — sun-drenched days, and most of all, her dear family, she will be missed beyond measure and always cherished.

LaVerne was the wife of the late Richard G. Tomaso; the mother of Rick Tomaso, Carla (Ronald) Weil, Jon (Amy) Tomaso, Suzy (William) Bradford, and the late Katherine Tomaso; the sister of Marion Blake, Geri (Tom) Flynn, Maureen and Michael Blake; Gramma to Maddy and Ellie Weil, Jennifer, Luke and Benjamin Bradford, and Michael, Ryan and Ava Tomaso; and friend to so many.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to JourneyCare Hospice (JourneyCare.org/donate/).

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM New local ads this week

YOUR WEEKLY AD

REACHES SIX SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES: OAK PARK, RIVER FOREST, FOREST PARK, BROOKFIELD, RIVERSIDE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, AND PARTS OF CHICAGO

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED

33

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI

Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion.

Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion.

The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

Place your ad online anytime at: www.RiverForest.com/ClassiďŹ ed/

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 | BY E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@OAKPARK.COM | CLASSIFIEDS@RIVERFOREST.COM ANNOUNCEMENT

HELP WANTED

WE LOST OUR MEETING PLACE

HAPPY KIDD’S WEST INC. 6928 W 16th St Berwyn, IL 60513 We are seeking a Director and 2 teachers. Director must be qualified and have Associate’s degree or equivalent. Teachers must be director or teacher qualified. Mon thru Fri. working with Infants to 6 yrs old. Compensable salary negotiable based on experience.

Call 773-619-5545 or fax resume to 773-728-5437.

I’m an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 20 in Oak Park.

We hold our Troop Meetings every Monday night at 7:00pm & had been meeting at the Park District’s Barrie Center. But the Park District is keeping the rec centers closed for the time being.

We are looking for a large indoor empty space (maybe an empty store front) to meet. We would bring our own camp chairs, space ourselves out for social distancing & wear masks at all times. We would clean up and wipe down anything we touch with disinfectant wipes when we leave. We follow the BSA policy of “Leave No Trace� so you wouldn’t know that we were ever there when we left ;-) So, does anyone know of a large empty space we can use until the Park District reopens their centers?

Let me know at Info@Troop20.com Also, if you are boy who has completed the fifth grade and are at least 10 years old and looking to join a Boy Scout Troop, then consider joining us at Troop 20. Check us out: Troop20.com

HELP WANTED PART TIME DRIVER Local Co. seeking part time driver to deliver parts around Chicago area.

Must be able to lift 75lbs. Must be able to pass drug test and have valid IL DL. Email resume HR@ sievertelectric.com

EARLY AM SAFETY/ MAINTENANCE Early riser with attentive eyes will enjoy this position in a pleasant, small company. You will be setting up an environment to be safe and healthy for people to work. Lots of autonomy for responsible staff.

7am shift, M-F, 10-20 hrs/wk. $15+/ hour. Job starts early Sept. Must lift, carry on stairs, use professional disinfecting products. Neat appearance a must. Pleasant smile a plus.

Apply in person: 2 Open interviews.

Arrive at 500 Madison St., Oak Park (at Scoville, by Jewel store) with MASK, driver’s license, and cell phone. Th, Aug 20, 7am OR Tu August 25, 7am. Written application is a part of the interview morning.

This is a job for somebody who enjoys making a contribution in a pleasant environment where they are appreciated. Once you settle in, you will find a lot to enjoy about your time on the job.

SUBURBAN RENTALS COZY TOWN HOME FOR RENT Cozy Town Home for Rent. Two bedroom, One Bath, with partial finished basement and washer and dryer. 1 block from the amazing Lincoln Elementary School. Walk to the Blue Line, Grocery Store, Cafe, Ice Cream Shop, and great parks. One parking space included. Tenant pays all utilities. One month rent and one month security deposit required.

Credit and background check required. Owner pays water and refuse. Available October 15, 2020.

Please email townhomeoakpark@gmail.com for inquiries.

SELLING YOUR HOME BY OWNER? Call Us For Advertising Rates!

708/613-3333

OAK PARK: ROOSEVELT/ OAK PARK AVE. CORRIDOR 2BR 4RMS close to blue line. On site laundry, parking, heat & water incl. $1200/ month 708-383-9223

ROOMS FOR RENT AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro.

Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/wk and up.

773-637-5957

M&M property management, inc.

708-386-7355 • www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Contact us for a complete list of available rentals throughout Oak Park and Forest Park.

Apartment listings updated daily at:

River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking an Elementary School Special Education Teacher.

Qualifications: Valid Illinois Professional Education License with Learning Behavior Specialist I Endorsement, a Master’s Degree is preferred and successful teaching experience in special education resource and instructional classrooms is preferred Job Duties: The teacher will be responsible for instructing students with multiple disabilities including: autism, communication disabilities, cognitive and physical disabilities within the least restrictive environment at the elementary level.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application available at district90.org. Please do not send hard copies of supporting documentation, i.e., cover letters, resumes, licensure, etc. to River Forest Schools District 90; instead, upload these materials onto the online job application system for proper processing.

RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. *1116 sq. ft. suite *569 sq. ft. with patio RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. *926 sq. ft.

OAK PARK–6597 North Ave. *598 sq. ft.

6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. *3 and 5 room suites Strand& & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

GARAGE/YARD SALES Oak Park

BACK TO SCHOOL GARAGE SALE 1145 SCOVILLE SAT 8/22 & SUN 8/23 9AM TO 2PM

Get ready for Back To School with youth clothes sizes 8-14, all sorts of books, doll toys, Littlest Pet Shop toys and more. Other items include electronics (stereo and computer equipment), kitchen items, adult clothing and household items.

Priced Extra Low To Move!

ITEMS FOR SALE

Come early to apply for this pleasant, PT position.

Th, Aug 20, 7am OR Tu August 25, 7am.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST Hephzibah Children’s Association Requirements include: is a social service agency in Oak • Minimum of 6 semester hours Park, IL providing a variety of proin education, recreation, social grams including Residential Group work, or related college courses Homes, Foster Care programs and • Experience working with children other Family Based services and You will supervise and assist chilDay Care. dren with e-learning programs; We are accepting applications for plan and supervise arts and crafts, Youth Development Specialists in indoor & outdoor play, games, our Day Care program for the 20sports, homework help, lunchtime, 21 school year. You will assist with snack time and more. e-learning, and provide supervision The program will follow the safety and care to 5-11-year-old (Kindergarten-5th grade) children in the guidelines of the IDPH regarding face masks, social distancing and Oak Park community. cleaning & disinfecting.

Full time and part time hours may Contact Amy O’Rourke, be available as follows: Director of Day Care at: Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm aorourke@hephzibahhome.org or Monday-Friday, 2:30 – 6:00 pm.

Equal Opportunity Employer

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue.

Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

NOVENAS NEVER FAIL NOVENA May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised, adored and glorified throughout the world, now and for-ever. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in you. Holy Mary Mother of Jesus, pray for me. St. Theresa child of Jesus, pray for me. St. Jude, helper of hopeless causes, pray for me and grant this favor I ask. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days .R.B PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL) Oh, most beautiful ower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to suc cor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. R.B. PRAYER TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.

St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. By the 8th day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail . Publication must be promised. Thank you Jesus. Thank You St . Jude. R.B.

CABINET AND HUTCH Beautiful ranch oak cabinet and hutch, bought at Marshall Field’s.

Cabinet dimensions 49W x 28H x 18D. Hutch dimensions 49W x 29H x 11D. $199.00 708-488-8755 CHURCH PEW Church pew 9ft in length, 42 in high, dark brown in color.

P/U in Brookfield area Cell 708-308-0869 IRON MUSIC STAND WITH BRASS FINISH $35.00 708-488-8755

ITEMS TO BE GIVEN AWAY TOSHIBA TV 18 inch Toshiba older model TV in good shape. Non-at screen.

708-903-7053

WANTED TO BUY WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, ags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead, plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

AIR CONDITIONING/ HEATING AIR CONDITIONING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Air Conditioning Automotive A/C Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Hot Water Heaters Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000

ELECTRICAL

FOUR SEASONS ELECTRIC

★Cool your Home★ with Ceiling Fans!

Installing Ceiling Fans Rewiring Old Houses Service Upgrades

Reasonable Pricing & Free Estimates

• No Job Too Big or Too Small • Lic * Bonded * Ins * 24 hrs

708-445-0447

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood ooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured.

Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

Lost & Found, Items for Sale, and To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified.

To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

CEMENT Residential Commercial Industrial Licensed Bonded Insured Free Estimates ¡ Veteran Owned

Drives Walks Patios Stamped Concrete Curbs/Gutters Garage Floors Foundations Parking Lots Water Control

devegaconcrete.com ¡ 708-945-9001

MAGANA

C O N C R E T E C O N S T RU C T I O N “QUALITY IS OUR FOUNDATION� ESTABLISHED IN 1987

COMMERCIAL ˜ INDUSTRIAL ˜ RESIDENTIAL

708.442.7720 '5,9(:$<6 Â&#x2021; )281'$7,216 Â&#x2021; 3$7,26 67(36 Â&#x2021; &85% *877(56 Â&#x2021; 6,'(:$/.6 612: 3/2:,1* Â&#x2021; 67$03(' &2/25(' $**5(*$7( &21&5(7( FREE ESTIMATES LICENSED, BONDED & INSURED

Attention! Home-improvement pros!

Reach the people making decisions - your target demographic.

Advertise in Wednesday Classified. Call 708/613-3342

34

Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

A&A ELECTRIC

LANDSCAPING

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20003966 on August 5, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of PRIVATE POOK GAMES with the business located at: 1016 S CUYLER AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60304.

The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: MICHAEL GROSSO, 1016 S CUYLER AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60304, USA.

STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT KENOSHA COUNTY PUBLICATION SUMMONS

Evergreen trimming & more.

Hand weed removal.

Clean-ups.

Call 24 hrs.

Let an American Veteran do your work

We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.

708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area

GARAGE DOORS

708-447-1762

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING

HANDYMAN

Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost

708.749.0011

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE Drywall Repair • Painting Fans Installed • Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning • Window Repair

PLASTERING

Sales & Service

708-488-9411

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

(708) 652-9415

Mike’s Home Repair

Our 73rd Year

Garage Doors &

Smart Door Openers Free Estimates

www.forestdoor.com

HANDYMAN B & B SERVICES B&B Services is mentor-mentee a group of Oak Park-River Forest student-athletes and grads who can provide assistance for any project you need to be completed. We pride ourselves on taking time to make sure that we deliver professional-level work with every job! The equipment we use for every job is eco-friendly to help better the planet. B&B Services is in compliance of all CDC Covid-19 guidelines for your safety.

Landscaping (Drainage, Mulch, Lawn, Pavers, Edging) Moving Painting Power Washing 708.446.9934 bnbservices96@gmail.com

PUBLIC NOTICES

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Don’t Do

708-296-2060

HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

PUBLIC NOTICES

McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co. 708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

Licensed, Bonded, Insured, & EPA Certified Expert craftsmanship for over 50 years

ROOFING

II. DESCRIPTION OF WORK: The demolition and disposal of the church, house, and garage at the sites indicated above, including all concrete pavements, asbestos abatement, and all other appurtenant work as required.

III. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS: A. All applicable work will be in conformance with the “Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction”, dated April 1, 2016.

B. Proposal forms are available for download only from QuestCDN via the Novotny Engineering website, http://novotnyengineering.com, “Bidding” tab, for a non-refundable charge of $30.00. Please contact Novotny Engineering (630-887-8640) to obtain the QuestCDN password.

Proposal forms are non-transferable. Only those Proposals that have been obtained from, and with the approval of, Novotny Engineering will be accepted at the bid opening.

C. Only qualified Contractors who can furnish satisfactory proof that they have performed work of similar nature as Contractors will be entitled to receive bid documents and submit Proposals. To meet this requirement, at the request of the Engineer, bidders will be required to submit a “Statement of Experience” consisting of a list of previous projects of similar nature in order to receive bid documents. The Owner reserves the right to issue Bid Documents only to those Contractors deemed qualified.

D. All Proposals must be accompanied by a Bank Cashier’s Check, Bank Draft, Certified Check, or Bid

MIDWEST ROOFING All types of roofing repairs Commercial - Residential Call for free estimate

773-637-0692

Starting a New Business?

Call the experts before you place your legal ad! Publish your assumed name legal notice here. Call Mary Ellen for details: 708/613-3342

PUBLIC NOTICES

Bond for not less than five percent (5%) of the total amount of the Bid, or as provided in the applicable sections of the “Standard Specifications”.

E. No Bid may be withdrawn after opening of Proposals without the consent of the Owner for a period of forty-five (45) days after the scheduled time of opening of Bids.

F. The Contractor will be required to furnish a labor and material “Performance Bond” in the full amount of the Contract.

G. The Contractor will be required to pay Prevailing Wages in accordance with all applicable laws.

H. Special Covid-19 Bid Opening Requirements: 1. The Village Commons Campus is currently open to the general public. Bids may be mailed to the address provided in Section I of this Notice or dropped off in person.

2. In order to protect the health of our community, the Village of North Riverside has implemented recommendations provided by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Cook County Department of Public Health, including Social Distancing and the Mask Mandate as recommended in the Restore Illinois Phase 4 Guidelines. Please practice social distancing and wear a mask when in buildings on the Village Commons Campus.

IV. REJECTION OF BIDS: The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals, to waive technicalities, and to accept the Proposal deemed to be most favorable to the Owner.

BY ORDER OF: VILLAGE OF NORTH RIVERSIDE PRESIDENT & BOARD OF TRUSTEES Kathy Ranieri, Village Clerk (s)

Published in RB Landmark 8/19/2020

O P O P O P O O

O P O P O P O O

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y20003983 on August 5, 2020 Under the Assumed Business Name of NEW AGE BABY with the business located at:400 KENT RD, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: THERESA INTRAVARTOLO, 400 KENT RD, RIVERSIDE, IL 60546, USA. Published in RB Landmark 8/12, 8/19, 8/26/2020

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS VILLAGE OF NORTH RIVERSIDE 2342 AND 2350 8th AVENUE BUILDING DEMOLITIONS I. TIME AND PLACE OF OPENING OF BIDS: Sealed Proposals for the improvement described herein will be received at the office of the Village Clerk, Village of North Riverside, 2401 S. Des Plaines Avenue, North Riverside, Illinois 60546, until 10:00 a.m., September 1, 2020, and will be publicly opened and read at that time.

Published in Wednesday Journal 8/12, 8/19, 8/26/2020

O P O P O P O O

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park --Office of the Village Engineer, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302-- will receive electronic proposals until 1:00 p.m. on Thursday September 3, 2020 for Project: 20-2, RESURFACING of VARIOUS STREETS. Bids will be received and accepted, and bid results posted via the online electronic bid service listed below. In general, the improvements will require the following construction: removal and replacement of curb and gutter, sidewalks, ADA ramps, driveways, drainage structure adjustments, pavement patching, cold-milling of bituminous concrete, installation of hot-mix asphalt binder and surface courses, pavement striping, parkway restoration, and all appurtenant work thereto.

Plans and proposal forms may be obtained via the electronic service starting on Thursday August 20th, at 4:00 p.m. Plans and proposal forms can be found at https://www.oak-park.us/yourgovernment/budget-purchasing/ requests-proposals or at www. questcdn.com under login using QuestCDN number 7269063 for a non-refundable charge of $30.00.

The Village of Oak Park reserves the right to issue plans and specifications only to those contractors deemed qualified. No bid documents will be issued after 4:00 p.m. on the working day preceding the date of bid opening.

All prospective bidders must prove they are pre-qualified by the Illinois Department of Transportation by providing a certificate of eligibility to the Engineering Division at which time a password will be issued for access to the online bid documents. This project is financed with local Village funds and federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and thus is subject to all federal rules, regulations and guidelines, including DavisBacon and Related Acts, Section 3, and Equal Opportunity requirements. Locally funded phases of the project are subject to the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/0.01 et seq.

THE VILLAGE OF OAK PARK Bill McKenna Village Engineer Published in Wednesday Journal August 19, 2020

Case No. 20SC1398 TO: Steven William Sagerstrom 102 Lincoln Ave., Apt. 3N Riverside IL 60546 You are being sued by Carthage College in the small claims court for KENOSHA County, 912 56th Street, Kenosha, WI 53140. A hearing will be held on 09/10/2020 at 10:00AM. If you do not appear, a judgment may be given to the person suing you. A copy of the claim has been mailed to you at the above address.

This communication is from a debt collector and is an attempt to collect a debt. Any information obtained will be used for that purpose. August 10, 2020.

Howard, Solochek & Weber, S.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff By: Electronically signed by Jonathan H. Dudley State Bar No. 1000761 Post Office Address 1800 E. Howard Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53207 (414) 272-0760 Published in RB Landmark August 19, 2020

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON 2020-2021 BUDGET PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District Number 97, Cook County, Illinois, that it will hold a public hearing on its proposed budget for the 2020 2021 school year on the 22nd day of September, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.

The hearing will be held at the District Office, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302.

Such proposed budget shall be on file conveniently available for public inspection from and after August 21, 2020, in the Business Office of Oak Park Elementary School District 97, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm.

The Board of Education intends to adopt the proposed 2020-2021 budget following the public hearing. /s/ Keecia Broy President Board of Education Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Dated: August 14, 2020 Published in Wednesday Journal 8/19/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS TRUSTEE FOR THE POOLING AND SERVICING AGREEMENT DATED AS OF SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 ABFC ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2005-WMC1 Plaintiff, -v.DARYL SATCHER, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., OAK PARK TERRACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION Defendants 2018 CH 08851 914 NORTH AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8 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 February 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 2, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 914 NORTH

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

AUSTIN BOULEVARD UNIT #C-8, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-320-040-1025 The real estate is improved with a condo/townhouse.

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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 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.

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-07459 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2018 CH 08851 TJSC#: 40-1745 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 2018 CH 08851 I3153301

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MASTR ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES TRUST 2007-1, MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1 Plaintiff, -v.ELLEN M. RAVITZ, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 03457 123 S. EUCLID 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 February 13, 2020, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 15, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 123 S. EUCLID AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-07-400-0160000 The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $657,505.06.

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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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.

Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption.

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

PB

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

(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, Alexander Potestivo, POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610, Chicago, IL, 60606 (312) 263-0003.

Please refer to file number 109484.

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.

POTESTIVO & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 223 WEST JACKSON BLVD, STE 610 Chicago IL, 60606 312-263-0003 E-Mail: ilpleadings@potestivolaw. com Attorney File No. 109484 Attorney Code. 43932 Case Number: 18 CH 03457 TJSC#: 40-924 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is

deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 18 CH 03457 I3152293

the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Mr. Ira T. Nevel at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Law Offices of Ira T. Nevel, 175 North Franklin Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606. (312) 357-1125. 18-04613 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3153814

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-18-428-043-1019 & 16-18428-043-1064.

Commonly known as 6436 Roosevelt Road, Unit 311, Oak Park, IL 60304.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a condominium residence. The purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by subdivisions (g)(1) and (g) (4) of Section 9 of the Condominium Property Act Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection.

For information call Law Clerk at Plaintiff’s Attorney, The Wirbicki Law Group, 33 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603. (312) 3609455. W18-0641 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION intercountyjudicialsales.com I3153810

RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 12736 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14 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 December 16, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on September 28, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 14 DIVISION STREET, # 14, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-127-0480000 The real estate is improved with a brown brick, three story townhouse with an attached one car garage.

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, including the Judicial Sale fee for the Abandoned Residential Property Municipality Relief Fund, which is calculated on residential real estate at the rate of $1 for each $1,000 or fraction thereof of the amount paid by the purchaser not to exceed $300, in certified funds/ or wire transfer, is due within twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the

residential real estate arose prior to the sale. 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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC Plaintiff’s Attorneys, One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL, 60602. Tel No. (312) 346-9088.

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.

MCCALLA RAYMER LEIBERT PIERCE, LLC One North Dearborn Street, Suite 1200 Chicago IL, 60602 312-346-9088 E-Mail: pleadings@mccalla.com Attorney File No. 267501 Attorney ARDC No. 61256 Attorney Code. 61256 Case Number: 18 CH 12736 TJSC#: 39-8007 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 18 CH 12736 I3151985

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST; Plaintiff, vs.

LORNA J. RANKER; CHARLES K. RANKER; CITIZENS BANK NA; Defendants, 18 CH 2459 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-17-327-034-0000.

Commonly known as 1185 S. LOMBARD AVE., OAK PARK, IL 60304.

The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR HIS ASSET SECURITIZATION CORPORATION TRUST 2007OPT1, MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-OPT1; Plaintiff, vs.

CHARLES T. GRANT; JUANITA J. GRANT AKA JUANITA LACOURT; PRAIRIE PLACE AT 6436 ROOSEVELT CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON RECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 19 CH 14415 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION SELENE FINANCE LP Plaintiff, -v.LARSENIA HORTON, NEIL SMITH, ASSURANCE RESTORATION & CONSTRUCTION, INC., PRAIRIE HOUSES OWNERS ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-

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Wednesday Journal, August 19, 2020

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AUGUST 19, 2020

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER (AFT) IN 2019.

THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.

AUSTIN

IN CRISIS How the community is facing the impacts of COVID-19 and civil unrest

RAPID RESPONSE REQUIRED PAGE 3 | ACT COVID-19 RESPONSE HIGHLIGHTS PAGE 4 A FOCUS ON RACIAL EQUITY PAGE 7

2

Austin Weekly News • August 19, 2020

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin community.

Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life of all residents. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve four impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets. Learn more at AustinComingTogether.org.

ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers CHAIR

Larry Williams Broker, State Farm Insurance VICE-CHAIR

Ruth Kimble Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers’ Network SECRETARY

Angela Waller Community & Government Relations Director, Advocate Aurora Health

TREASURER

Deborah Williams Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.

Directors

Tenisha Jones

Jack Macnamara

Senior Director of Strategy and Operations, West Side United

Visiting Scholar, Center for Urban Research & Learning at Loyola University

Bradly Johnson Director of Core Programs, BUILD Inc.

Founders

Reginald Little

FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR

Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools

Mortgage Loan Officer for Residential Lending, Old Second National Bank

1955-2019

Reverend Reginald E. Bachus

Senior Marketing Strategist, Zoe Communications Group

Sharon Morgan

Mildred Wiley

Dawn Ferencak

Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church

ACT STAFF Leadership Team

Service Delivery Team

Darnell Shields*

Jerome Sader

Planning & Investment Team

Executive Director

Neighborhood Network Manager

Shavion Scott

Sandra Diaz

Darrel Washington

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Community Hub Coordinator

Alicia Plomin

Jai Jones

Marketing & Development Manager

Community Engagement Coordinator

Andrew Born

Dollie Sherman

Research & Evaluation

Youth Engagement Coordinator

*Ex Officio Member of the ACT Board of Directors

Planning & Investment Manager

Jose Abonce Lead Organizer

Ethan Ramsay Project Coordinator

Esther Ramsay Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator

Nicole Marcus Micro Market Recovery Program Intern

We’re hiring! Learn more at AustinComingTogether.org

ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS A House in Austin Accion Austin Childcare Providers’ Network Austin Weekly News Be Strong Families Beat the Streets Chicago Because I Care Beyond Hunger (formerly known as Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry) BUILD Inc. By the Hand Club for Kids Cara Catholic Charities Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures

Chicago Community Loan Fund City of Refuge Cluster Tutoring Program Erikson Institute Friends of the Children Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin Greater West Town Community Development Project Housing Forward I.C. Stars IFF Institute for Nonviolence Chicago Jane Addams Resource Corporation Kids First Chicago

KRA Westside American Job Center Legal Aid Chicago (formerly known as LAF) Manufacturing Renaissance Mary Shyrese Daycare Maryville Academy Mercy Housing Lakefront New Moms OAI, Inc. Oak Park Regional Housing Center Open Books PCC Community Wellness Center Project Exploration Sarah’s Inn South Austin Neighborhood

Association St. Joseph Services St. Leonard’s Ministries Stone Community Development Corporation The Catalyst Schools The Loretto Hospital The North Avenue District, Inc. UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work VOCEL Westside Health Authority West Side Forward (evolving from Bethel New Life) Worldvision Youth Guidance

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

Austin Weekly News • August 19, 2020

3

Rapid Response Required

By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together

H

istorically, Austin has experienced many inequities that have limited access to the resources and opportunities crucial for its residents to live healthy lives.

These economic and social conditions are referred to as social determinants of health.

For decades, areas like Austin have struggled as a result of a lack of investment in almost all determinants, such as education, physical environment, healthcare access, and employment.

COVID-19 and the civil unrest that has followed have compounded conditions even further.

Many of Austin’s social service agencies were unexpectedly paralyzed. From the urgent need to reconfigure programming to fit virtual platforms, to finding creative funding sources to cover unbudgeted expenses, the survival of several organizations continues to be at risk.

“Going forward, existing businesses must be comfortable in an environment that is likely changed forever,” said Ed Coleman, President and CEO of West Side Forward, an Austin-based nonprofit evolving from Bethel New Life whose services have provided critical guidance to entrepreneurs and business owners during this time.

When a crisis strikes, a community’s infrastructure is tested. So for Austin, the last few months have been an unprecedented stress test. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to confront our weaknesses. It has made clear for all the unstable ground on which we stand.

With a situation as new and complex as this, there is no one solution. But there is certainly a desperate need for action.

SOME REAL SOLUTIONS Austin Coming Together (ACT) immediately increased our outreach, surveys, and strategy sessions. Since 2010, ACT’s goal has always been to create sustainable solutions to address Austin’s core needs, and that means adapting to change. Although the challenge was new, we took it on the same way we always have: by listening to the community and leveraging the assets we do have to create the greatest impact.

Austin Coming Together (ACT) created a COVID-19 response strategy to decrease the short-term, negative impact of the pandemic on Austin, while also assisting the community to continue upward momentum for the future. The strategy builds on ACT’s existing work and on the community’s strengths to support Austin through: 1

Advocacy

2

Communication

3

Resource Development

4

Resource Deployment

For ACT, our work is relational. Having such strong relationships with key partners, frontline services, and block clubs who were able to identify families with the highest need allowed us to quickly respond. Those partners have become essential in executing our response efforts.

part of Austin’s essential support network and like ACT, had to pivot to the nuances of our shaken landscape.

two-year planning phase involving over 500 community stakeholders. The result was a shared community vision and a roadmap for economic revitalization. Implementation of the five-year strategic plan began in 2019.

The initial support from that Relief Fund allowed us to create the Austin COVID-19 Relief Fund, enabling ACT to provide subgrants to threatened organizations as well as direct deposits to struggling residents.

Austin Forward. Together is empowering residents to carry out 84 actions across seven issue areas: Community Narrative, Economic Development, Housing, Public Safety, Education, Youth Empowerment, Civil Engagement.

But although incredibly helpful, these efforts are all just temporary. We must keep up this dialogue on innovative ways to fix the City’s deep-rooted problems if we are to bring the magnitude of resources truly needed to neighborhoods like Austin.

“We have seen a drastic increase in people seeking our help. Since March, we have expanded our service provisions to include financial payment In order to connect assistance, rental Going forward, existing and homeownership residents to the resources they need resources to more businesses must be and improve the quality than 700 households,” of their lives, ACT’s says Athena Williams, comfortable in an Austin Community Hub Executive Director of team continues to build environment that is likely Oak Park Regional relationships with the Housing Center and community. The Hub Co-Chair and Strategy changed forever. is among others like Lead of Austin Forward. it across Chicago that Together’s Housing ED COLEMAN, PRESIDENT make up United Way Task Force. The OPRHC AND CEO OF WEST SIDE FORWARD of Metro Chicago’s agency has also been Neighborhood Network busy providing rental Initiative. Austin’s Hub team has led ACT’s counseling and property management resource deployment of everything from PPE education to property owners. supplies, food, and laptops, to connections And this ability to persevere by always to direct financial assistance, and COVID-19 listening and flexing to community needs testing. hasn’t gone unnoticed. Longtime partners are razor focused and new ones are realizing HOW TO MOVE FORWARD the time for commitment is now.

Although the future may seem uncertain, one “...there is this incredible knowledge and thing I know for sure is that if we are to be power of communities in addressing large successful in saving lives, we must address scale problems, and we want to support the underlying systemic issues that will still that,” said Kimberlee Guenther, Chief Impact plague Austin long after the virus does.

Officer at United Way of Metro Chicago.

Efforts to improve social determinants for United Way’s Chicago COVID-19 Relief Austinites must be endorsed. One of those Fund made it possible for nonprofits in the is a quality-of-life plan for Austin, created by Neighborhood Network, such as ACT, to and for the community, called Austin Forward. leverage unrestricted donations that could Together. Supported by the Local Initiatives be used where necessary.

Support Corporation (LISC), ACT facilitated a

MORE ACTION NEEDED The plan has made significant progress, but there is still much to do.

Chicago Police Officers join the ACT team in handing out masks and resource information at a distribution event in March 2020.

The organizations committed to carrying out the work in Austin Forward. Together are

We are seeing an increased interest in neighborhood-led support, but to fully rebound from economic deprivation, Austin needs reinvestment at a level it has not seen before. n

4

Austin Weekly News • August 19, 2020

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

ACT COVID-19 Response Highlights In order to ensure that the social services essential to Austin are able to survive, ACT has created a COVID-19 Response Strategy to support the community in four ways: Advocacy, Communication, Resource Development, and Resource Deployment. Here are a selection of updates on the progress we have made.

Up to 100 volunteers are needed to host each of the Pop-Up Food Pantry events in Austin.

ADVOCACY

ACT voices the needs of the key agencies that make up Austin’s support infrastructure, from education resources to social block clubs and nonprofits.

$550,000 was the total amount granted from the Chicago COVID-19 Response

Fund directly to ACT member organizations to best serve Austin residents. Originally only expected to be $25,000, ACT’s advocacy in conversations with United Way of Metro Chicago and the City made the case for increased support for Austin.

COMMUNICATION ACT leverages all communication channels to disperse accurate, helpful information, and to provide updates on our progress in order to uphold ACT’s core value of transparency.

Hundreds of residents from in or nearby Chicago’s Austin neighborhood participated in a virtual town hall meeting on April 25, 2020. Experts shared up-to-date information about the impact of COVID-19 in our community, highlighted key resources, and discussed the best ways to protect yourself and your family. The RERRT supported ACT in hosting this event, which streamed live on ACT’s Facebook page.

$50k went to each of these members:

$25k went to each of these members:

ACT transformed their weekly Activities in Austin email to be solely about COVID-19 relief opportunities. The email lists resources for families, businesses, and nonprofits, as well as job openings, and ideas of ways to help.

Subscribe to ACT’s emails at

AUSTINCOMINGTOGETHER.ORG

RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT ACT creatively solves problems through collaboration with our partners to determine the best ways to get essential resources to Austin residents wherever they may be. ACT was able to support families by connecting them to:

50K

Masks Distributed

600K+

Pounds of food distributed

500

Laptops Distributed

5

COVID-19 Testing Sites

$140K

in Direct Financial Assistance to Families

6

Austin Weekly News • August 19, 2020

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

Plan Leaders Community Narrative

Economic Development

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Briana Shields

Jerrod Williams

Briana Janeé Arts

Kenneth Varner Healthy Schools Campaign

STRATEGY LEADS

Community Resident & SANA Member

Thomas Gary

Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS

Lasondra Kern

Erica Staley

Community Resident

Manufacturing Renaissance

Suzanne McBride

Heather Sattler

Austin Talks

Alicia Plomin

Austin Coming Together

Michael Romain

Austin Weekly News

Cindy Schneider Spaces-n-Places

Community Development Consultant

Education TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Natasha Smith-Walker Project Exploration

Crystal Bell

Ella Flagg Young Elementary School

Housing

Public Safety

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Athena Williams

Bradly Johnson

West Cook Homeownership Center

Allison McGowan

Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS

Shirley Fields Hunters Realty

Rosie Dawson

Charles Anderson

Westside Health Authority

STRATEGY LEADS

West Cook Homeownership Center

Ruth Kimble

Chris Banks

Michele Clark High School

Austin Childcare Providers’ Network

Athena Williams

Community Resident

BUILD Inc.

Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance

Chris Patterson

Institute for Nonviolence Chicago STRATEGY LEADS

Adam Alonso BUILD Inc.

Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc.

Edwina Hamilton

Jane Addams Resource Corporation

Natasha Dunn

Bertha Purnell

Melody Lewis

Cata Truss

Roxanne Charles

Sean Schindl

Kids First Chicago

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE?

Carmen Scott-Boria

Deborah Williams

BUILD Inc.

D’elegance Lane Westside Health Authority

Deonna Hart BUILD Inc.

Jeramie McGill

Habilitative Systems Inc. STRATEGY LEADS

Arnold Bearden

South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA)

Sharif Walker

CEO of Bethel New Life

St. Joseph Services

Frederica Malone Catholic Charities

BUILD Inc.

Catholic Charities

West Side Forward

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIR

Juan Villalobos Gina Young

Austin Chamber of Commerce Community Resident

TASK FORCE COMMITTEE CHAIRS

BUILD Inc.

Chicago Public Schools VOCEL

Civic Engagement

STRATEGY LEADS

Pam Price

Emily Peters

Youth Empowerment

Institute for Nonviolence Chicago

Jordan Bester Westside Health Authority

Contact ACT’s Lead Organizer, Jose Abonce at 773.417.8615 or jabonce@austincomingtogether.org for more information.

AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2020 QUARTER 3

Austin Weekly News • August 19, 2020

7

A Racial Equity Focus

By Alicia Plomin Marketing & Development Manager, Austin Coming Together

A

fter reports in April showed the effects of COVID-19 were heightened in minority communities, Mayor Lightfoot formed a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team (RERRT). This collective effort aimed to address the racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality outcomes, while also looking at the underlying causes behind why these communities are at the greatest risk. At first, the effort focused on three communities where cases were most prevalent: Austin, Auburn Gresham, and South Shore.

The goals of the Racial Equity Rapid Response Team (RERRT):

Flatten the COVID-19 mortality curve

in Black and Brown communities in Chicago

Build a groundwork for future

work to address long standing and systemic inequities in Black and Brown communities (health, economic, and social) the solutions,” said Ayesha Jaco, Executive Director of West Side United.

That is why the RERRT brought on a trusted community organization as an anchor partner in each target area. Austin Coming Together (ACT) was identified as the lead to help develop and implement strategies to meet the need in Austin. With healthcare services already limited, an early priority became creating access to free COVID-19 testing.

Through RERRT efforts, five mobile testing sites were established in Austin alone.

Executive Director of Austin Coming Together Darnell Shields speaks with Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot at a community event hosted by the Adams and Austin Block Clubs in July 2020. Photo by Heidi Zeiger

“The key to the success of the Racial Equity Rapid Response Team is that multiple stakeholders, most especially long standing Other RERRT goals include implementing community leaders, are sitting at the same contact tracing, table together, and increasing looking at the distribution of PPE. data, following Through donations, community leaders’ The key...is that multiple as well as by working insights to cowith manufacturers to design solutions, stakeholders, most especially switch to producing and pulling together the RERRT city, philanthropic, long standing community masks, was able to secure and other resources thousands of to take action,” leaders, are sitting at the PPE supplies that said Sybil Madison, same table together...to take continues to be Deputy Mayor of distributed through Education and localized efforts action.

Human Rights for led by community the City of Chicago. partners.

SYBIL MADISON, DEPUTY MAYOR, West Side United, EDUCATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS, CITY To combat the a coalition of area OF CHICAGO growing food health institutions insecurity, the RERRT whose goal is to launched a series of pop-up food pantries. In address the death gap that exists between partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods Depository, the RERRT worked with local and downtown, was brought in as a cocommunity-based organizations like ACT to convenor for the RERRT initiatives. They schedule distribution days where food boxes quickly became an instrumental partner of meat, produce, and dry goods have been due to expertise in gathering data and given to more than 9,000 households so far. understanding the area’s health factors.

behind. “We felt that digital inequities were going to deepen already wide achievement gaps if we didn’t act quickly,” said Daniel Anello, Chief Executive Officer at Kids First Chicago.

The RERRT learned from and adopted several aspects of West Side United’s working model, one of them being the importance of community partnership. “When we see success is when we galvanize, empower, and arm community leaders as contributors to

Since the RERRT began, COVID-19 deaths in the hardest hit areas like Austin are more than 20 times higher. Recently, deaths in the Latinx community have also increased, so the City added Marshall Square, Belmont-Cragin, and Little Village to the neighborhoods targeted by

CONCENTRATING ON CONNECTION As education moved online, inconsistent or unavailable access to the internet caused already vulnerable students to fall even farther

Just months ago, Kids First Chicago released research that found Austin had the City’s largest connectivity gaps. Only one in three households here have internet access.

Inspired by early conversations with ACT, Kids First Chicago established a sponsored internet services program for high-need communities and families. This concept led to Chicago Connected, a groundbreaking multi-year public-private partnership to close Chicago’s digital divide and ensure that Chicago Public Schools students have access to the internet and remote learning. It is the latest of its scale and longest in duration in the nation, with 100,000 students getting free internet access in Year One. ACT was selected as the primary lead agency in Austin for Chicago Connected. Additionally, A Better Chicago has also granted ACT funding to facilitate a similar effort that will help to cover families not eligible through CPS.

THE REAL PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

the RERRT. We now can see the reasons behind why COVID-19 has ravaged these neighborhoods.

Policies rooted in structural racism do not allow Black and Brown communities to thrive. As David Ansell, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President for Community Health Equity at Rush University Medical Center summarized, “concentrated poverty is killing people.”

According to an open letter to the Chicago community written by more than three dozen healthcare organizations that was released in June, systemic racism is a public health crisis.

Collectively, the group of federally qualified health centers, safety-net hospitals and major academic medical centers care for more than 8 million patients across the Chicago area. As part of the RERRT, the group hopes to see bold steps to fulfill a shared responsibility to serve communities equitably.

BREAKING THE PATTERN Partnerships like the ones we’ve described create a platform for a real connection between government and community to be formed. These connections are creating viable opportunities and a willingness to be proactive.

But in order to break the patterns of disenfranchisement and make sure we build on lessons learned, we must translate our responsive solutions into a solid framework.

And we must do it in collaboration with the community. n