Wednesday Journal 122221

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W E D N E S D A Y

December 22, 2021 Vol. 42, No. 21 ONE DOLLAR

@wednesdayjournalinc

JOURNAL

@wednesdayjournal

of Oak Park and River Forest

@oakpark

School officials grapple with standardized test results

Aiming Ai i ffor 33rdd Olympics Page 25

MERRY AND BRIGHT

Pandemic’s impact makes a clear read difficult

By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

Oak Park and River Forest school officials, analyzing the results of the 2020-21 Illinois Report Card, say the data presented is limited and not representative of their students’ overall academic performance, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a continuing issue.

“I can’t really talk to you about where we are because we’re still trying to see what kind of information the state will be sending us,” said Dawne Simmons, a communications and community outreach coordinator at River Forest School District 90.

See TEST RESULTS on page 16

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

(From left) Fenwick teachers Cate Whitman, Shawna Hennessey, Samantha Carraher, Toni Dactilidis, Pat Mulcahy and Maria Nowicki, serenade a fellow teacher with Christmas carols at her home near the corner of Grove and Van Buren on Monday.

Staff COVID cases cause Oak Park to close village hall Police department remains open

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Most in-person services at Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison St., have been paused

due to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases among village staff. Ten employees, all vaccinated, tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 14, according to a village news release issued the same day. The main lobby of village hall will be closed to the public until after New Year’s Day.

The announcement coincides with the first known case of the Omicron variant in suburban Cook County, which was reported to the Cook County Public Health Department (CCPH) Dec. 14. Delta variant cases also continue to rise, according to CCPH. Oak Park spokesman David Powers told

Wednesday Journal the village of Oak Park does not know if any of the 10 staff cases are of the Omicron or Delta variants.

“Many of the people who work in village hall don’t necessarily live in Oak Park,” he See COVID CASES on page 16

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Dear readers, donors and those of you thinking about becoming donors, A week ago we told you we were two-thirds of the way to our $125,000 goal for the annual end-of year NewsMatch fundraiser.

And we announced a new $10,000 match from the Monroe and Fran Sullivan Charitable Fund.

Here’s the good news. We met and beat the Sullivan’s match. Now we are knocking at $100,000. That leaves $25,000 we need to raise by Dec. 31. And we now have a new challenge we’re offering to get us to goal.

The board of directors of Growing Community Media have combined on a $25,000 challenge. No gimmicks here. This is not a match. We have this money already banked thanks to the generosity and passion of our terrific board.

I want to call them out by name. Judy Greffin is our chair. Nile Wendorf is our treasurer. Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon and Eric Weinheimer are board members.

Now they are asking you to join them in investing in nonprofit community journalism across our seven neighborhoods. Your money goes straight into our newsroom. It pays the salaries of our reporters, our photographer, our dedicated freelancers.

If you believe, as I do, that Forest Park, Austin, River Forest, Brookfield, North Riverside, Riverside and Oak Park are better places to live because of the work of our reporters on the Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest, then now is the moment to become an active part of this newsroom.

Give at a level that works for you and your family. A $10 donation, $5 a month, $250 or $500. Each donation has great value to us.

Each new partner has our genuine gratitude as we pioneer this new model for nonprofit community journalism.

Be part of this. Enjoy your holidays. Stay safe.

Dan Haley Editor and Publisher Growing Community Media

www.oakpark.com/donate or make your check payable to Growing Community Media at 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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“Defiant Spirit,” by artist Jesse Howard, depicts a masked Black man, likely a protester, facing a law enforcement officer. The Black man wears more than a face mask.

JESSEHOWARDSTUDIO.COM

E

arlier this month, a group of Oak Park and River Forest High School parents organized a rally in front of the school to protest a decision by District 200 officials to temporarily suspend afterschool activities, including sports.

Four days later, on Dec. 6, D200 officials announced that they had reversed course, two days after the Dec. 4 protest, where attendees can be seen on video booing, screaming, yelling and shouting expletives as the village’s public health director spoke.

There’s a lot in this situation to wade through, but instead of dwelling on the particulars, allow me an exercise in radical empathy. Considering my limited knowledge of what happened and who was involved, here is what I will not do.

I will not pass judgment on the protest due to the behavior of some people in the crowd. I will not, prima facie, dismiss the source of the protesters’ collective frustration.

I will not, unsolicited, provide the protesters my personal template for right conduct or attempt to tell angry adults, incensed by what they obviously believed was a pretty big threat to their children and this community, how they should feel.

I will not say that then was not the right time or there was not the right place or

We wear the mask yelling out “idiot” at a public health official was not the right mode of expression. I will not try to micromanage anyone’s raw emotions.

In addition, I will not make any assumptions about the motivations or intentions of those involved in this protest.

I will not tell them that they are to blame for a pandemic or that their own actions have only exacerbated their suffering.

I will not indulge in any conspiracy theories about the origins of the protest. I will not call it a communist or Marxist plot. I will not even call the protesters racist. I will hold the door open to any interpretations about their motivations grounded in empathy and the understanding that, often, reality is not morally or ethically monochromatic.

What I know, however, is that the protesters felt the cancellation of sports would be to the detriment of their children, they organized, they acted collectively, and they got what they wanted. Whether or not their actions played any role in the district rescinding its original decision is incidental to the fact that they successfully exercised some agency over their own suffering.

Frederick Douglass famously said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” I respect that dictum.

Now, I ask those who felt so incensed about the temporary cancellation of high school sports that they decided to protest, to grant others the same radical empathy. Imagine how others might be angry and frustrated, but for different reasons.

Go beyond a temporary emergency suspension of sports due to public health concerns and imagine being told by technocrats and politicians that your child’s school is closing permanently. Imagine the fear of knowing that your child, in order to attend her new school, must daily risk life and limb by navigating terrain so dangerous the school district creates programs with names like “Safe Passage.”

Imagine your child telling you that she is constantly surveilled and discriminated against at school and then, when you bring the matter up, being told by administrators that your child is entertaining phantoms.

Imagine this happening for generations, going back to when your mother’s mother attended school, such that you all have mirror experiences.

MICHAEL ROMAIN

Imagine being frustrated and pained about all of this and deciding to do something about it, to protest, to act out, only for others to say you’re “playing the victim” or that your protest or way of expressing your frustration is unwarranted or inappropriate or illegitimate or dangerous — indeed, a threat to civility.

If you feel that the cancellation of high school sports will be detrimental to your child, imagine having to get up each morning to go into a space that, you feel, daily cancels your very existence and is administered by people who, oblivious to the erasure, insist that you smile.

“We wear the mask that grins and lies,” a poet once wrote. “It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes, this debt we pay to human guile; with torn and bleeding hearts we smile, and mouth with myriad subtleties.”

I understand the frustration over pandemic protocols like masks and cancellations (and trust me, I’m not attempting to pit one kind of experience against another); but please grant me the same radical empathy when I say there are those among us who must deal with masks and cancellations that are an order of magnitude more frustrating.

CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BIG WEEK December 22-29

Draw Yourself As A Superhero With Gene Ha Wednesday, Dec. 29, from 4 to 5 p.m, virtually through the Oak Park Public Library

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Viewing Party

Professional comic artist Gene Ha demonstrates how to draw a self-portrait, enabling children to see themselves in various fun situations. Recommended for elementary and middle-school students. Register now at oppl.org/calendar.

Rob Parton Big Band: Christmas Show Tuesday, Dec. 28, 7 p.m., FitzGerald’s The holiday season isn’t over quite yet!

Rob Parton and his crew will keep the celebration going with brassy holiday sounds. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Thursday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m., FitzGerald’s This movie has been an ongoing holiday tradition for decades. The public celebration allows you to watch in the presence of like-minded souls. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Grief Journaling

rtually r 26, 2-4 p.m., vi Sunday, Decembe y Park Public Librar through the Oak ved one ed the loss of a lo Have you experienc friend, member, mentor, (a partner, family s loss or ou riencing ambigu etc.)? Are you expe nsider Even if you don’t co anticipatory grief? to join us you are welcome yourself a writer, ssion journaling. Each se on this journey of ed id gu a ompts and/or will begin with pr l. At the na ed by time to jour meditation follow e time to n, we will set asid end of each sessio come moved. Feel free to so el fe u yo if e, ar sh oppl. ps. Register now at ho ks or w l al or y to an org/calendar.

Caliente Thursday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m., FitzGerald’s Sidebar This sextet calls themselves “old school Latin soul,” and that is exactly what they deliver, staking out the middle ground between Tito Puente and War. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Dan Whitaker Family Book Discussion We Move Together Monday, Dec. 27, 4 p.m., virtually through the Oak Park Public Library Kelly Fritsch’s novel We Move Together deals with a group of kids who manage to make their way through the world, despite various disabilities.There are no barriers keeping them from making friends along the way. Recommended for kids in elementary school. Register now at oppl.org/calendar.

Sunday, Dec. 26, 11:30 a.m., FitzGerald’s Dan has been a welcome fixture on the Chicago country scene for quite some time, and it’s always good hearing his rootsy originals. 6615 Roosevelt Road, Berwyn.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Pete’s breaks ground on Madison Street

The grocery chain’s second Oak Park location

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

Ground has been broken on the long-anticipated second Oak Park location of Pete’s Fresh Market. Stephanie Dremonas, daughter of Pete’s co-founder Jimmy Dremonas, was joined by former Oak Park Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb and current Village President Vicki Scaman in a ceremonial groundbreaking last Wednesday on the corner of Madison Street and South Euclid Avenue, the site of the future grocery store.

While prep work continues on the site, actual construction will not begin until spring.

“Madison Street needs and deserves the attention that this development will bring – a more walkable, shoppable, thriving neighborhood that will be able to support the businesses that exist today,” said Scaman.

She thanked village staff and Abu-Taleb for their “tireless work” in bringing the project to fruition. The Pete’s project is a

substantial part of the former mayor’s labors to revitalize the Madison Street business corridor. Scaman called the groundbreaking a “significant milestone” in the revitalization journey.

During Abu-Taleb’s time as mayor, the village board made major investments to develop the street. It approved a major senior housing development, currently under construction directly across from the Pete’s site, and saw the redevelopment of the Rush Oak Park Hospital emergency room. In his speech Wednesday, Abu-Taleb told the small crowd the street has been “reinvigorated” and expressed his gratitude for those who helped make that possible.

“I believe we all came together to make this happen and allow this victory for the community,” Abu-Taleb said.

Oak Park Economic Development Corporation (OPEDC) Executive Director John Lynch, as well as Tammie Grossman, Oak Park development customer services director, and Village Trustee Chibuike Enyia also picked up ceremonial shovels for the occasion.

Not all are pleased with the prospect of having a Pete’s on Madison Street. From

SHANEL ROMAIN/Contributor

DIGGING IN: Stephanie Dremonas, Anan Abu-Taleb, Jim Fasano, the developer, Vicki Scaman, John Lynch and Chibuike Enyia, during the ground breaking of Pete’s on Friday, December 17 in Oak Park. the onset, the project faced criticism from residents and neighboring grocers, who expressed fears that Pete’s would have negative impact on their businesses.

Architecture preservationists were also against the development, as it involved the demolition of a historic but long empty auto dealership building. Demolition crews took the Foley-Rice building down last December.

Pete’s has committed to repurposing the historic building’s famous seven grotesques

into the grocery store’s design.

Vertical construction on Pete’s will not begin until this spring, after construction crews finish relocating underground utilities. Once built, the village of Oak Park expects the 46,000 square-foot grocery store to bring in roughly $587,000 in real estate taxes and $546,000 in sales taxes annually. Pete’s is also expected to employ 140 to 180 workers.

The store could open to the public as early as late next year.

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Growing generation of teachers of color focus at Dominican U. Project works with local school districts

By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

Dominican University is partnering with more than a dozen colleges and universities in Illinois to help create guidelines for a new pilot program geared toward recruiting and retaining more teachers of color. Launched by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), the pilot aims to tackle issues of diversity among school staff and address the barriers candidates of color face while pursuing careers in education.

In an ISBE news release, pilot participants are asked to team up and draft their plans, which will be reviewed by members of the state’s Diverse and Learner Ready Teacher Network. Plans are expected to be finalized by May 31, 2022, and participants will then reconvene to analyze their strategies and name the approaches that worked. The purpose of the pilot is to “establish best practices” before ISBE requires all 54 educator preparation programs to develop plans, the release also stated.

“There’s a disparity that we’re trying to address so that we can increase the diversity in our teachers,” said Josephine Sarvis, an education professor at DU and chairwoman of the university’s School of Education.

According to the 2021 Illinois School Report Card, 82% of public school teachers are white. About 8% of the state’s teachers identified as Hispanic, while 6% identified as Black and close to 2% as Asian. The report also pointed out that almost 76% of school administrators are white.

To put those statistics more into perspective, the report card showed that roughly 47% of Illinois students who attend public schools identify as white. Twenty-seven percent of students are Hispanic followed by Black students (17%) and Asian students (5%).

Representation matters in the classrooms, Sarvis said, citing research from the Learning Policy Institute, an education nonprofit headquartered in California and Washington, D.C. That group reported that teachers of color “boost the academic performance of students of color, including improved reading and math test scores, improved graduation

FILE

rates, and increases in aspirations to attend college.” Many teachers of color often leave the profession because they feel alone but having more teachers of color “may mitigate those feelings of isolation, frustration or fatigue,” the report stated.

Sarvis said teachers should be able to connect and engage with their students, but that can be tough for some.

Across the U.S., including Illinois, many teachers are white and can only speak English, “and they’re often culturally different from the students they teach,” Sarvis said.

“Sometimes, these teachers hold ethnocentric beliefs that may potentially influence the educational experiences of their diverse students, which is why we need more teachers of color.”

Sarvis said DU’s education program has teamed up with schools in neighboring communities such as Oak Park, River Forest, Elmwood Park, Bellwood, Maywood, Proviso Township and Chicago, all of which have varying racial and socioeconomic demographics.

“For us at Dominican University, in our School of Education, the integral part of our mission is to really help prepare teachers. We value diversity, equity and inclusion and acknowledge differences between people as a valued asset,” she said.

Before diving into ISBE’s pilot program, Sarvis opened up about DU’s School of Education and its commitment to breaking down academic barriers for students, including those of color, who are low-income and/or the first in their families to attend college.

Through grant funding, Sarvis said the School of Education has expanded to offer sets of resources, including offering skill-building workshops for state-required exams for soon-to-be teachers; creating professional development opportunities for teacher programs; providing ESL (English as a second language) or bilingual courses; or working closely with students to outline the steps of becoming an educator.

“We have created digital advising materials for our students, which makes understanding the pathway to becoming a teacher very clear and takes out some of the jargon,” she said.

“We debunked all of that, and we made these really accessible types of advising and support materials to help our students,” Sarvis added.

Sarvis said navigating educator licenses and finding mentorship beyond school are among the top challenges that teachers of color experience, especially those who are just starting out in their careers.

“The preparation of teachers doesn’t end when they graduate. It continues. Those first few years in the field are the most important,” Sarvis said, adding that the School of Education provides mentorship programs for students building their careers in education.

As Sarvis reflected on her work at DU and the work to be done for ISBE’s pilot program, she thought about all the possibilities that will shape the next generation of teachers and education.

“I think this is the most important work right now that we can do in preparing future teachers. So I’m really excited about it,” Sarvis said. “I’m excited to learn from all of our fellow colleagues at Illinois universities and colleges and share ideas in a collaborative way.”

D97 honors Chapple-McGruder’s safety efforts Oak Park public health director receives MyD97 award

By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 recently honored Oak Park Public Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder with the “Making MyD97 Better Award,” shining a light on her commitment to keep staff and students safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, co-interim Superintendent Greg Powell presented Chapple-McGruder with a certificate and championed her efforts to prioritize faculty, staff and students’ health, as they returned to the building for full-time, in-person learning this past year.

“She has been right there providing support to make the right decision, to make sure we have an environment that is healthy

approval of the Pfizer COVID vacand safe for our children,” Powcine for children, age 5 to 11. ell said, adding that over the past Through Chapple-McGruder’s months, he had reached out to leadership and the aid of school Chapple-McGruder for questions and volunteer medical staff, they on COVID-19 mitigations, testwere able to administer the twoings or vaccinations for eligible dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to individuals. over 2,000 district students.

“She provides expertise that The district started recognizis missing in most schools,” he ing school employees, student-led said, “and she’s been somebody that our 10 nurses feel very supTHERESA CHAPPLE- groups and community leaders with the Making MyD97 Better ported by.”

MCGRUDER Award in 2019. The award is meant In November, Chapple-McGrudto highlight the work those people er and the Oak Park Department of Public Health partnered with D97 to roll do to make D97 a better place and promote out eight vaccination clinics over the span of inclusivity and belonging, said Amanda Siegfour days. The clinics came on the heels of the fried, the district’s communications director.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Faculty, staff, students and local residents

can nominate individuals and fill out the award form sent from the district’s communications department, Siegfried said.

In the past, award recipients have included Charlie Kane, interim building engineer at Lincoln Elementary School; Tim McDonald, a physical education teacher who works with district students who have special needs; Ana Garcia-Doyle, founding member of One Earth Collective in Oak Park; and the Lincoln Tech Club, a group of students who explore the possibilities of digital tools.

And now Chapple-McGruder is on the list — a fitting addition and tribute, Siegfried and Powell said.

“We just felt we wanted to recognize her and thank her for really going above and beyond to support the district,” Siegfried said.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEDC asks $500,000 to fund Black business growth Requests funds from village share of federal ARPA monies

Happy holidays, neighbors.

By STACEY SHERIDAN

uity funds totaling at least 5 percent of project cost. Additionally, the business owner must prove financial need for the loan to complete The Oak Park Economic Development the project. If total project cost to commence Corporation (OPEDC) has submitted a let- business operations exceeds the equity conter to the Oak Park village board requesting tribution plus the forgivable loan, the appli$500,000 of the village’s American Rescue Plan cant must also “demonstrate sufficient adAct (ARPA) money to fund an equity-focused ditional funding to fill project requirements local business assistance grant program. The and open or expand the business.”

As proposed, the loans could be either village of Oak Park has been allotted a total of partially or fully forgivable. For $38.9 million through ARPA. full loan forgiveness, the appliDated Dec. 18 and signed by cant must continue to meet proOPEDC Executive Director John gram guidelines and the storeLynch, the letter states “the profront must stay in operation for gram specifically supports Black five years. If the storefront fails business owners and recognizes to stay open for those five years the historic lack of access to capior the applicant does not abide by tal that holds Black entrepreneurs program guidelines, the forgiveback from realizing their entreness amount would be based on preneurial aspirations.” “a pro-rata calculation of the time Lynch, who is on vacation, was in business as a percentage of the unavailable for comment.

JOHN LYNCH 5-year threshold, rounded downAccording to the OPEDC letter, ward to the nearest year.” Finally, the program was “intentionally structured to fill larger funding gaps and sup- for the loan to be forgiven in any amount, the port the kinds of projects that may not tradi- applicant must be in good standing with the tionally have the start-up capital to get under- village of Oak Park regarding licenses, permits and fees. way.”

The OPEDC request falls in line with guidThrough the program, as detailed in the letance from the U.S. Department ter, OPEDC intends to provide of Treasury related to recovery forgivable loans to eligible lofund disbursement. Recognizcal Black businesses looking to ing that COVID-19 pandemic has establish a new physical storehad a disproportionate impact front or expand into an adjacent on certain communities, the U.S. or additional storefront. Loans Treasury is urging recipients can be for up to $50,000 per eligito use recovery fund payouts to ble business, with an additional support those communities. U.S. $50,000 available for commercial Treasury guidance published kitchen buildout projects.

Nov. 15, states that “recipients “Storefront businesses often are encouraged to design projects require additional financial that prioritize economic and racushion to help them respond cial equity and promote equitable to the inherent challenges of outcomes.” operating during the modern OPEDC LETTER TO THE All matters related to ARPA climate of internet competition, funds must be discussed by the staffing challenges, and high VILLAGE BOARD village board of Oak Park, which rent and property tax burdens,” has committed to engaging the the letter reads. community in allocation deciOPEDC recommended the village reserve the right to modify loan eligibil- sions. As the village board had its last meetity criteria over time but proposed the follow- ing of the year on Dec. 6, it is unclear when ing conditions: applicant businesses must be the OPEDC’s request will be discussed. How75 percent Black-owned; more than 50 percent ever, the village is required to have its entire $38.9 million share of ARPA funds commitof revenue must be derived from the sale of goods subject to sales tax and, if applicable, ted for spending by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent liquor tax; and the applicant contributes eq- in full by Dec. 31, 2026.

Staff Reporter

“Storefront businesses often require additional financial cushion to help them respond to the inherent challenges.”

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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COVID-19 cases surge in River Forest

County reports 131% case increase in two-week ‘recent percent change’ data

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

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The looming threat of contracting COVID-19 is causing consternation for the second Christmas season in a row. With the vaccine and booster shots now readily available for those eligible to receive it, the number of positive cases is anything but positive as the world now has to contend with the omicron variant.

Cases of the virus are mounting in River Forest and Oak Park.

On Dec. 15, the county reported 32 new positive cases the prior week in River Forest and 1,175 cases cumulatively since the pandemic began in March 2020. According to the county, River Forest’s recent percent change in new cases – which measures case number during the most recent two weeks against the prior two weeks – is up 131 percent.

However, no deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in River Forest since Jan. 6, 2021.

The village has recorded just three COVID-19 fatalities total.

The Cook County Department of Public

Health also reports that vaccination rates are high in River Forest, with 70 percent of residents fully vaccinated and more than 90 percent having had at least one dose. The number of people who have received a booster shot is not included in the available CCPHD vaccination data.

Oak Park has its own health department and does not fall under the purview of county’s health department, but the Oak Park Public Health Department, which releases its updated COVID-19 data each Wednesday, announced on Dec. 15 that 123 new positive cases had been reported for the prior week.

A total of 42,255 Oak Park residents have been fully vaccinated while 46,423 Oak Park residents have had at least one dose also as of Dec. 15. The Oak Park Public Health Department does not include booster shot information in its vaccination data.

The COVID -19 positivity rate for River Forest is also on the rise. As of Dec. 20, the village’s seven-day rolling positivity rate was 6.34 percent, according to the Northwestern University School of Medicine’s online COVID-19 dashboard.

Meanwhile, Oak Park’s seven-day rolling positivity rate on Dec. 20 was 3.38 percent, also according to the Northwestern University dashboard, which utilizes data from the Illinois Public Health Department.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

9

7 Van Buren gets Plan Commission approval Chair Iris Sims casts the deciding vote

context of the wider comprehensive plan. She asked David Pope, executive director of the Residence Corporation, to explain how the building will add value to the neighborhood.

“I don’t want to hear about, ‘This is a great

By STACEY SHERIDAN net-zero project; it’s trendsetting,’ et cetera, et Staff Reporter cetera, et cetera,” she said.

Pope told Sims that Oak Park has economiThe Oak Park Residence Corporation’s procally integrated neighborhoods with different posal to build a 6-story, net-zero, residential housing types, making it a unique commucomplex at 7 Van Buren St. narrowly made it nity. The building planned for 7 Van Buren through the Oak Park Plan Commission proenhances that, he said, because it brings in cess, Dec. 16. With four commissioners in fa“new types of housing stock,” in particular, vor of the project and three against, the deciaccessible housing. sion came down to Chair Iris Sims, whose vote The former village president secured the majority, 5-3. Comadded that the building’s high denmissioner Jeff Foster was absent. sity would spur retail development A tie vote would have resulted in in the area. That investment, aca negative recommendation to cording to Pope, is a benefit to evthe Oak Park Village Board. eryone who lives nearby.

Sims’ affirmative vote came Like Sims, Commissioner Paul despite expressing apprehension Beckwith was on the fence at the with the project throughout the beginning of the meeting. He told meeting. She said she was “really his fellow commissioners he was troubled” that the 45-unit buildweighing his decision on two quesing was in a residential area, tions: “Is this the right building DAVID POPE rather than near Harrison Street, for Oak Park?” and “What’s going which has gas stations and nuto happen if we turn this thing merous businesses. down?”

The Residence Corporation’s efforts to Beckwith eventually voted in favor of the make the building sustainable and its com- project. mitment to keep rent affordable were “admiCommissioner Lawrence Brozek was rable” qualities, she said, but such buildings hung up on the building’s parking plan, “are supposed be balanced with the neigh- citing downtown structures’ struggle to acborhood.” She worried the proposal failed to commodate residents’ cars. He thought the satisfy provisions laid out in the village’s com- building should have more than 17 availprehensive plan, sizeable excerpts of which able spots, despite numerous letters from Sims read aloud. neighbors saying the area could support “What troubles me is that I don’t know if the permit parking. The latter viewpoint was applicant has really focused on the provisions supplemented by a letter from the Center of the comprehensive plan [that] I just read for Neighborhood Technology, which stated in a way that is beneficial to the surrounding that the demand for parking was in line with neighborhood,” said Sims. what OPRC projected.

She believed the building’s affordability and However, neither the study nor the acits net-zero status are beneficial, but not in the counts from neighbors satisfied Brozek. He

PROVIDED BY OAK PARK RESIDENCE CORPORATION

APPROVED, WITH QUALMS: Proposed new development at 7 Van Buren St. on Austin Boulevard. reinforced his stance by pointing out that grocery shopping would be difficult for the building’s residents who do not have cars, due to the building being located in a primarily residential area.

“The lack of urban necessities is going to drive up the need for parking for this building,” Brozek said.

He called the proposal “very detrimental to the area” as “parking is distressed right now.”

“I don’t think this is the right fit for this location,” he concluded.

Echoing Sims, Commissioner Jeff Clark thought the efforts to make the building sustainable and accessible are “noble” pursuits, but the details regarding the project’s functionality concerned him. He was disappointed in the building’s lack of a trash chute and storage room for bicycles.

Commissioner Jon Hale thought trash chutes, delivery vehicles and bicycle storage are “small concerns” relative to the project’s benefits, while Commissioner Paul May called them “valid” issues in need of resolution.

Hale warned against “letting perfect be the enemy of the good.”

He, Beckwith, Clark and Commissioner Nick Bridge voted in favor of the project while Brozek, May and Commissioner Tom Gallagher voted against it. After much consideration, Sims cast an affirmative vote and the motion to recommend the village board approve the proposed development at 7 Van Buren St. passed 5-3. The motion to approve the vacation of a portion of Van Buren Street passed 6-2. Unlike May and Gallagher, Brozek voted in favor of the vacation.

Closing in on a manager, Oak Park sets interview process Public, staff will meet finalists in mid-January

By STACEY SHERIDAN Staff Reporter

The Oak Park village board’s Personnel Committee finalized the interview process for village manager candidates during its Dec. 14 meeting. Katy Rush and Dele Lowman of GovHR, the firm contracted to carry out the recruitment, presented the recommended process.

The committee agreed it will conduct firstround interviews of candidates in early January. Those interviews will take place over Zoom. Following those initial interviews, the committee will narrow the pool of candidates, choosing three or four finalists to participate

in an arduous two-day visit to Oak Park for final interviews.

Candidates invited to participate in the second round will be exposed to “a more robust vetting process” and an opportunity to spend time in the community. The two-day visit will take place in mid-January.

“We would suggest, if they have a partner, that they would bring that partner with them, in particular if they’re coming from out of town, to get to know the community,” said Rush.

GovHR also suggested an optional written exercise for candidates either during the first or second round. The written exercise could include having the candidate respond to a question about a topic of importance, such as improving community engagement. The candidate responses, according to Rush, would consist of a memo of maybe two to three pages

that provides analysis and possible recommendations. The written exercise is intended to measure each candidate’s communication style and research abilities.

“We don’t really want to necessarily disclose what that topic is tonight to give anybody a heads-up unless we finalize that in executive session,” said Rush.

Trustee Lucia Robinson welcomed the idea, while Trustee Jim Taglia compared it to requiring candidates to take the ACT test, a standardized assessment used for college admissions. Taglia said he was “fine” with requiring a written assessment.

Second-round candidates will be treated to a tour of village facilities on the first day of their two-day visit. The tour would likewise include stops at Oak Park’s significant tourist destinations including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway’s home. Tours would be

conducted by a high-level staff member, either from within the Oak Park Police Department or the Oak Park Public Works Department.

Each candidate selected for second round interviews will also meet with a panel of village department heads. The department heads visit with each candidate then provide feedback to the Personnel Committee.

The public will have the opportunity to visit separately with each second-round candidate at a meet-and-greet, during which each candidate would give a five-minute presentation providing an overview of their qualifications and their interest in serving the village. The event may include a chance for the public to ask questions of each candidate. A press release with candidate information will be sent out in advance of the meet-and-greet.

Recording the meet-and-greet, and whether See MANAGER SEARCH on page 17

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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Funding Ciro: a dream born in Corbara

Determined chef hopes to bring namesake restaurant to Pleasant District

By MELISSA ELSMO Oak Park Eats Editor

Passionate chef and Oak Park resident, Ciro Parlato, has plans to make his mark on the local culinary scene, but funding challenges are slowing his ability to make his dreams of opening a restaurant a delicious reality.

“The banks, they slam the door in my face,” said Parlato. “I have everything ready to go. The space, the design, the business plan and village approval.”

Parlato aims to open a small Italian eatery with a robust carryout business in the heart of the Pleasant District. Nestled between Anfora Wine Merchants and Carnivore, Ciro is set to arrive at 1048 Pleasant St. in the former party room affiliated with Serenitea. He is keenly aware of the vibrant collection of restaurants rooted in the Pleasant District and believes Ciro will be complementary to others in the area and add to the growing connectivity between businesses owners.

In an optimistic move, Parlato has already hung a sign announcing his namesake restaurant even though he is still attempting to raise $90,000 to meet the equity requirements to secure the $300,000 SBA loan he needs to complete the restaurant buildout. A GoFundMe (https://gofund.me/23ce14ce) has been established to help him meet his goal.

“I literally grew up in a kitchen. My first toys were made out of pasta dough,” said Parlato. “I lived in a one room apartment where my grandmother was constantly cooking. She

would give me pieces of dough to play with when I was young. One of my earliest memories is the smell of flour and eggs.”

Parlato was raised by his maternal grandparents in Corbara, Italy—a small town located 10 minutes outside of Pompeii in the Campania region of south-western Italy. The town, with a population of just 2,500, is well known for growing Corbarino cherry tomatoes prized for their low acidity and high sugar content. The tomatoes are used in an array of Neapolitan dishes Parlato learned to cook by his grandmother’s side and perfected when he entered hospitality school at age 14.

During the five years he spent in school he learned the hospitality business from top to bottom while developing a passion for regional Italian cooking and high-end dining. He spent the summers working in various establishments throughout Campania to expand his knowledge. Parlato racked up hours cooking in school cafeterias, elegant hotels and casual trattorias before a chance meeting in 2012 changed his course.

While in Pompeii, Parlato stopped in a café for an espresso when he overheard a couple of young men discussing an upcoming trip to Miami.

“I felt something in my gut when I heard the word ‘Miami’ and I knew I had to go and make my American dream,” said Parlato. “I asked them if I could meet them in Miami and was on a plane two days later.”

Parlato, who didn’t speak English, arrived in Miami full of hope and armed with a piece of paper on which his travel agent had written several common phrases and the address of his hotel. He was immediately struck by “how big the world was” compared to Corbara and felt, “like a punch to the stomach,” that the United States could provide every oppor-

MELISSA ELSMO/Food Editor

FUNDS FOR FOOD: Chef Ciro Parlato has big plans for the small space at 1048 Pleasant, but he is looking for community support to make his dream come true. tunity to achieve his goals. Within 24-hours he had a job working in a Miami kitchen and three years later made his way to Chicago where he started working at Carnivore as a butcher and taking private chef gigs around Oak Park. He also has an “A” tattooed on his forearm to celebrate the associates degrees in accounting and business administration he went on to earn at Triton College.

“A chef ’s passion comes from curiosity,” said Parlato. “I wouldn’t be here today if I wasn’t curious and determined. Now I want to do my own thing with hospitality. For me to reach my goal I need people in Oak Park to know who I am and understand my dream. I have a lot to give this community.”

Parlato envisions Ciro to be a bright and welcoming counter service establishment with a walk-up window suitable for serving coffee and gelato. Inside a long dining coun-

ter will be the only divide between the open kitchen and customers. In addition to offering on-site cooking classes, Parlato will churn out a rotating array of artisan sandwiches, prepared foods and house made pasta dishes with regional specificity and personal ties.

He is especially excited to bring his grandmother’s recipes to Oak Park. Her baked gnocchi features handmade potato-based pasta in thick tomato sauce with ricotta and smoked mozzarella.

“Ciro will be a place where everything is happening right in front of you,” said Parlato as he scanned the empty room. “Oak Park knows what real Italian food tastes like and I cannot wait to give it to them.”

The passionate chef is planning to host pop up dinners in the new year in hopes of getting his food out in the community. Follow ciro_oakpark on Instagram to stay up to date.

River Forest seeks 2.18% tax levy increase After freeze last year due to COVID, village officials seek modest hike

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest trustees on Dec. 13 voted to request an increase in the village’s 2021 tax levy of 2.18 percent after freezing the 2020 levy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Illinois tax cap laws limit the tax levy increases for non-home rule municipalities like River Forest to 5 percent or the level of the consumer price index (CPI), whichever is lower. For 2021, the CPI is 1.4 percent. The additional amount requested reflects the village’s attempt to capture the uncapped value of new property development in River Forest in the past year.

The Cook County Clerk will likely decrease River Forest’s tax levy request to an amount closer to CPI when property is reassessed sometime next year.

At the Dec. 13 village board meeting, officials approved a levy for 2021 of $8,489,113, which is slightly higher than the extended levy for 2020 of $8,308,408. The levy amount did not change since it was presented at the Nov. 8 village board meeting.

“I think our town should be very pleased with us,” Village President Cathy Adduci said, noting that the levy includes only $4 million of the $30 million available due to new construction, the majority of which was from the opening of the Sheridan at River Forest

assisted living facility.

The Sheridan, which opened in the spring, is at 800 N. Harlem. The facility includes 125 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments for seniors needing assisted living and memory care services. The structure is four stories in height in the middle, with its north and south ends topping out at three floors.

“We continue to be good fiscal stewards,” Adduci added. “It boils down to an exceptional staff, for which I am grateful.”

The village board also approved the annual tax levy for the River Forest Public Library, which falls under the auspices of the village but is governed separately.

The current fiscal year runs from May 1,

2021, to April 30, 2022. The taxes from the 2021 levy are collected in 2022.

The tax levy request also highlights just how large a part police and fire pensions play in the village’s fiscal picture. The village is requesting levy total taxes of a little more than $3.6 million to fund the village’s police and fire pension obligations, which are based on actuarial reports prepared by the village’s actuary, Todd Schroeder from Lauterbach & Amen.

Pension obligations amount to nearly 43 percent of River Forest’s annual property tax levy request.

Officials noted that the village portion of residents’ property tax bills is about 12 percent of the total.

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

Special Advertising Section

Christmas 2021

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

First United Church of Oak Park wishes you

Tidings of Comfort & Joy Friday, December 24

Christmas Eve 5 p.m. Family-friendly worship with children's Christmas pageant 8 p.m. Traditional service of lessons and carols

Sundays, December 26 & January 2

Simple Service of Prayer 11 a.m. A simple Sunday worship service for a time of rest and rejuventation after the busy holiday season

848 Lake Street, Oak Park firstunitedoakpark.com facebook.com/f / irstunitedoakpark /f

holiday services at

If you are seeking a place to call home this holiday, we are right in your neighborhood. Join us as we sing, worship and celebrate Christ’s birth.

Holy Communion Christmas Eve (December 24) at 5:00 p.m.

United Lutheran Church 409 Greenfield St. (at Ridgeland), Oak Park www.unitedlutheranchurch.org This is Christ’s church, and there is a place for you here.

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation Christmas Eve Services Friday, December 24, 2021 3pm Christmas Pageant & Worship for All Ages 7pm Candlelight Service Services will be lived streamed with limited in-person seating. To learn more go to: www.unitytemple.org

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

First Presbyterian Church of River Forest

s a m t s Chri Come share in the joy of our first Christmas as the newly unified St. Luke and St. Bernardine Parish Christmas Eve 4:00 pm Family Mass - St. Luke Church preceded at 3:30 pm by a program of carols from around the world by our Children’s Choir

6:00 pm - St. Luke Church preceded by sounds of the season at 5:45 pm featuring traditional carols with brass

Pastor Paul Detterman

Christmas Eve Worship 8:00 pm Candlelight Service 10:30 pm Candlelight Communion

Carol Sing Service December 26 at 10:15 am In-person at Quick & Lathrop in River Forest, wheelchair and hearing accessible, or live stream at firstpresrf.org

Christmas Eve Services Family Candlelight - 5:00pm Lessons & Carols - 10:00pm

Christmas Day Service - 9:30am New Year’s Eve Service - 7:00pm

Pastor Leonard R. Payton • Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church 305 Circle Avenue, Forest Park (708) 366-3226 • www.stjohnforestpark.org

10:30 pm - St. Bernardine Church preceded by program of beloved carols at 10:00 pm presented by our Adult Choir accompanied by organ and brass

Christmas Day 8:00 am - St. Bernardine Church Traditional Christmas liturgy accompanied by organ and brass

611 Randolph St, Oak Park, IL 60302

Embracing the diversity of God’s creation and celebrating our oneness in Christ.

9:30 am - St. Luke Church with modern sounds of the season accompanied by our Contemporary Choir with guitar, flute and brass

11:00 am - St. Luke Church with seasonal music by our Adult Choir accompanied by organ and brass

Join us this Christmas Season!

Candlelight Worship Dec. 24 | 7 p.m.

www.stlstbparish.org

St. Luke Church 7600 W. Lake Street River Forest

St. Bernardine Church 7246 Harrison Street Forest Park

May the peace & joy of Christmas live in your heart all year long.

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Lessons and Carols Dec. 26 | 10:30 a.m.

Worship in-person or via livestream.

Visit goodshepherdlc.org for links.

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CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

Come home for Christmas!

Make yourself at home and celebrate the joy of the holiday season with us.

December 24 at 6 pm

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE

Candlelight worship service will include music from our historic, beautifully maintained Skinner Pipe Organ, as well as a harp.

December 26 at 10 am

Worship with a message and music of the season! Wishing you continued Christmas blessings!

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

John 1:5

Join us for worship Christmas Eve, December 24 Children’s service, 4:15 and 6 pm this Christmas Lessons and carols led by the In person and live-streamed children of Grace Live-streamed at 4:15 pm on the Grace River Forest YouTube channel Holy Communion, 8 pm

January 2 at 10 am

Candlelight Holy Communion, 10:45 pm Music begins at 10:30 pm Live-streamed at 10:30 pm

Start the new year with Worship with us as we celebrate Jesus, the light of the world!

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:5

Christmas Day, December 25 Holy Communion, 10 am Live-streamed at 10 am

First United Methodist Church 324 N Oak Park Ave. Oak Park

Rev. Adonna Davis Reid, Pastor

FirstUMCOakPark.org

7300 Division St.▪︎ River Forest ▪︎ 708-366-6900 ▪︎ GraceRiverForest.org David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor ▪︎ Troy Medlin, Associate Pastor

Come Celebrate the Season of Christmas with the Catholic Parishes of Oak Park and Chicago St. Catherine of Siena–St. Lucy Parish Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Eਵਤ: Friday, December 24 Mass at 3:00 pm

Tਧਤ Nਠਲ਼ਨਵਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ, Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Dਠਸ: Saturday, December 25 Mass at 9:00 am Please note that there is no 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, December 25.

St. Edmund Church Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Eਵਤ: Friday, December 24

Mass at 4:30 pm (Carols begin at 4:10 pm) This Mass will be livestreamed. (https://www.youtube.com/stedmund) Mass at 10:30 pm (Carols begin at 10:10 pm.)

Tਧਤ Nਠਲ਼ਨਵਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ, Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Dਠਸ: Saturday, December 25

Tਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Fਠਬਨਫਸ ਮਥ Jਤਲ਴ਲ, Mਠ਱ਸ ਠਭਣ Jਮਲਤਯਧ: Sunday, December 26

Mass at 11:00 am Please note that there is no 5:30 pm Mass on Saturday, December 25

Sਮਫਤਬਭਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ Mਠ਱ਸ, ਲ਼ਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Mਮਲ਼ਧਤ਱ ਮਥ Gਮਣ (Nਤਸ਼ Yਤਠ਱’ਲ Dਠਸ): Saturday, January 1

Tਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Fਠਬਨਫਸ ਮਥ Jਤਲ਴ਲ, Mਠ਱ਸ ਠਭਣ Jਮਲਤਯਧ: Sunday, December 26

Mass at 9:00 am

Not a holy day of obligation this year.

No Mass is scheduled.

Please note that there is no 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, January 1.

All are welcome to the 5:30 pm Mass at St. Edmund Church.

Tਧਤ Eਯਨਯਧਠਭਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ: Sunday, January 2 Mass at 9:00 am

Tਧਤ Bਠਯਲ਼ਨਲਬ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ

Masses on Saturday, January 8, at 5:00 pm and Sunday, January 9, at 9:00 am

Mass at 11:00 am

Sਮਫਤਬਭਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ Mਠ਱ਸ, ਲ਼ਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Mਮਲ਼ਧਤ਱ ਮਥ Gਮਣ (Nਤਸ਼ Yਤਠ਱’ਲ Dਠਸ): Saturday, January 1 Not a holy day of obligation this year.

No Mass is scheduled.

Tਧਤ Eਯਨਯਧਠਭਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ

Masses on Saturday, January 1, at 5:30 pm and Sunday January 2, at 11:00 am

Tਧਤ Bਠਯਲ਼ਨਲਬ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ

Masses on Saturday, January 8, at 5:30 pm and Sunday, January 9, at 11:00 am

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

St. Giles Parish Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Eਵਤ: Friday, December 24

Ascension Oak Park Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Eਵਤ: Friday, December 24 Masses at 3:30, 5:30 and 11:00 pm

Tਧਤ Nਠਲ਼ਨਵਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ, Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Dਠਸ: Saturday, December 25 Masses at 8:00 and 10:30 am Please note that there is no 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, December 25

Tਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Fਠਬਨਫਸ ਮਥ Jਤਲ਴ਲ, Mਠ਱ਸ ਠਭਣ Jਮਲਤਯਧ: Sunday, December 26 Mass at 10:30 am

Sਮਫਤਬਭਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ Mਠ਱ਸ, ਲ਼ਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Mਮਲ਼ਧਤ਱ ਮਥ Gਮਣ (Nਤਸ਼ Yਤਠ਱’ਲ Dਠਸ): Saturday, January 1 Mass at 9:00 am Please note there is no 5:00 pm Mass on Saturday, January 1

P਱ਠਸਤ਱ ਨਭ ਲ਼ਧਤ Sਯਨ਱ਨਲ਼ ਮਥ Tਠਨਹ੉ Saturday, January 1, at 7:30 pm

Tਧਤ Eਯਨਯਧਠਭਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ: Sunday, January 2 Masses at 8:00 and 10:30 am

Tਧਤ Bਠਯਲ਼ਨਲਬ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ

Masses on Saturday, January 8, at 5:00 pm and Sunday, January 9, at 8:00 and 10:00 am

Mass at 3:00 pm in Church Mass at 3:15 pm in St. Giles School Gym Mass at 5:00 pm* in Church (livestreamed) Distribution of Communion from 6:15 to 6:30 pm on Columbian Avenue in front of outdoor Nativity Scene Family Mass in St. Giles School Gym at 7:30 pm (Carols begin at 7:00 pm) Mass at 10:30 pm* in Church (livestreamed) (Carols begin at 10:00 pm)

Tਧਤ Nਠਲ਼ਨਵਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ, Cਧ਱ਨਲਲ਼ਬਠਲ Dਠਸ: Saturday, December 25 Masses at 9:00 and 11:00 am

Tਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Fਠਬਨਫਸ ਮਥ Jਤਲ਴ਲ, Mਠ਱ਸ ਠਭਣ Jਮਲਤਯਧ: Sunday, December 26 Mass at 9:00 am* (livestreamed)

Sਮਫਤਬਭਨਲ਼ਸ ਮਥ Mਠ਱ਸ, ਲ਼ਧਤ Hਮਫਸ Mਮਲ਼ਧਤ਱ ਮਥ Gਮਣ (Nਤਸ਼ Yਤਠ਱’ਲ Dਠਸ): Saturday, January 1 Masses on Friday, December 31, at 4:30 pm* (livestreamed) and Saturday, January 1, at 9:00 am

Tਧਤ Eਯਨਯਧਠਭਸ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ: Sunday, January 2

Masses at 8:00 am and 10:30 am* (livestreamed)

Tਧਤ Bਠਯਲ਼ਨਲਬ ਮਥ ਲ਼ਧਤ Lਮ਱ਣ

Masses on Saturday, January 8, at 4:30 pm and Sunday, January 9, at 8:00 and 10:30 am *Masses to be livestreamed.

Please see our website, stgilesparish.org, to find links to livestream events.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BOB UPHUES/Editor

400 Ashland Ave., River Forest

River Forest trustees OK new apartment for mixed-use building Owner agrees to have unit meet affordable housing criteria long-term

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

The owner of a mixed-use building at 400 Ashland Ave. in River Forest will be allowed to convert one of the building’s offices into a studio apartment once he secures additional parking following action by village trustees at their Dec. 13 meeting.

Trustees voted unanimously to concur with the recommendation of the Development Review Board and approve the planned development permit for the property.

John Schiess, an architect representing building owner Viktor Jakovljevic, explained that the building was all commercial until 2013 when an office was converted to a one-bedroom apartment.

Under the planned development permit approved at that time, the owners agreed to provide five onsite parking spaces and two offsite parking spaces.

The plan by Jakovljevic, who purchased

the building in 2013, to convert another office into a studio apartment required him to go through the planned development process, which began in February. Converting the office into an apartment increased the need for parking by one space.

Complicating matters, it was determined during the process that the license agreement for the two offsite parking spaces no longer exists. Jakovljevic has subsequently rented two spaces but is on a waiting list for the third.

Lisa Scheiner, assistant village administrator, acknowledged that parking is “tight” in that area and said village officials are trying to work with Jakovljevic to locate a third space within 200 feet of the building.

As an added incentive, under the planned development permit, the resulting studio apartment would meet affordable housing criteria and Jakovljevic agreed he would continue that use for 10 years.

During discussion Dec. 13, Jakovljevic agreed to a suggestion by Trustee Katie Brennan to extend the period to 30 years, helping the village reach a state-required goal of 10 percent affordable housing units.

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

TEST RESULTS

Pandemic-impacted from page 1 Data from Illinois Assessment Readiness (IAR), which measures students’ performance in English and math, is shown on the report card, but Simmons said that is just one factor school officials to measure determine students’ growth.

In the 2020-21 school year, 48% of D90 students “met” the state’s set standards in English, which remains consistent with the percentage reported in 2019. Forty-eight percent of students also “met” the state’s expectations in math, a slight dip from the 53% in 2018-19.

School officials may also see some discrepancies in the number of students who “exceeded” state standards on the IAR exam. Eleven percent of D90 students “exceeded” expectations in English, a decline from 2019-21’s reported 22%, while 9% of students “exceeded” in math, a 1% drop from 2018-19.

IAR aside, Simmons said the district is examining the results from 2020-21 MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests where students scored over the 80th or 90th percentile in reading and math. The latest results from 2020-21 MAP tests have remained steady over the last three years, Simmons said.

“What I can tell you, and what is also supported by the Illinois State Board of Education, is that we continue to review MAP data, and that shows student learning,” she said. “So while IAR shows achievement, MAP shows student learning. They measure two different things, and the IAR data is still what’s coming.”

Districtwide, Simmons noted that teachers, especially this year, have focused on getting their students acclimated and engaged in the classrooms. Teachers and other staff are working with students, sometimes one-on-one, to see how they are adjusting to learning in-person full-time, after a year of remote and hybrid learning.

At Oak Park District 97, school officials also saw similar patterns in results for students who met or exceeded state expectations on the IAR. Forty percent of students at D97 “met” the standards set in English, a 5% jump from 2018-19, according to the report card. The card also showed that 35% of students in 2018-19 and 2020-21 met IAR marks in math.

Like D90, D97 did see a small decrease in the percentage of students who exceeded IAR marks in English and math.

Five percent of D97 students exceeded IAR marks in English in 2020-21, down from the 7%, while 6% of students exceeded IAR expectations in math, another slight decrease from the previous 8%.

One area of concern for D97 officials is the number of students who participated in standardized testing last year.

The report card revealed that over 60% of students took the

COVID CASES

OP Village Hall closes from page 1 said. “They may have been tested by another health department, another county.”

Regardless of which health department reported the case, Powers said those employed by the village of Oak Park are required to alert human resources upon testing positive for COVID-19. Those who test positive, as well as the individuals with whom they have been in close contact, are required to isolate for 14 days if they are unvaccinated. If they are vaccinated, they must isolate for 10 days.

FILE

tests in 2020-21, a sizable decline from the roughly 90% in years past.

D97 Communications Director Amanda Siegfried said school officials are aware of the participation rate and the inevitable impact of COVID-19 pandemic on students. The school’s IAR Strategy Committee is currently working with faculty and staff to identify short-term and long-term plans to help boost rates in the future, Siegfried said.

She and Eboney Lofton, chief academic and accountability officer, said there were some families who were uncomfortable with the idea of sending their students back to school to take standardized tests, which must be administered in person, Lofton said.

Like most schools last year, D97 teetered between remote and hybrid learning, leaving families to decide whether their children would attend class in-person or stay at home.

“Everyone had the option of participating [in the tests],” Siegfried said, adding the district reached out to students in remote learning and worked with those who chose to return to the school and take the test.

At D90, students’ participation rate for the 2020-21 stan-

The vaccination rate of village employees exceeds 80 percent, according to Powers.

In the event of an employee contracting COVID-19, the human resources department sends out a memo to all village staff, said Powers, and then separately contacts those who may have been in close proximity with the infected individual. Out of consideration for privacy, human resources does not share any of the employee’s personal information in the case announcement memos.

Powers specified that there has been a total of 64 reported COVID-19 cases among Oak Park village staff since the onset of the pandemic. While the most recent batch of cases occurred in staff members vaccinated against the virus, Powers was unsure if those affected had received their booster doses.

dardized tests were about the same as in previous years, averaging about 90%.

One point of progress for both school districts is the number of eighth-graders passing Algebra 1. D90 reported a 98% in that category, which is consistent with previous scores over the last five years. At D97, almost 89% of eighthgraders are passing Algebra 1, showing significant growth since 2017.

In the last four years, a little over 40% of D97 eighth-graders were passing algebra, but recent changes to the math curriculum has helped students, Lofton said. Math for D97’s sixth- through eighth-graders are now more inquiry-based, which gives those students the opportunity to grapple and discuss different math concepts, she explained.

As Oak Park and River Forest school officials reflected on the 2020-21 report card, they talked about continuing their plans to work closely with families, faculty and staff.

“We really want to understand what’s at the root, really want to unpack that participation [rate] and make sure that we’re targeting [those students] and what our communications will be, what systems are around,” Lofton said.

The uptick in employee cases, as well as holiday vacation requests, has caused a shortage of staff at village hall, which Powers said also contributed to the temporary cessation of most in-person services.

Roughly 80 people work at village hall.

“There are a lot of people taking time off and then, suddenly, you have 10 people who come back positive,” said Powers. “Then you have to do contact tracing.”

Village hall does not currently get the amount of in person traffic it did prior to the pandemic and safety protocols now prohibit the public from meeting with village officials in their offices. When someone visits village hall, one village employee, partitioned by plexiglass, provides immediate assistance. That employee then calls down

the staff member best suited to handle the visitor’s needs.

Despite that precaution, the decision to close it to the public was made out of an “abundance of caution,” according to Powers. All village hall services are still available online. People can also schedule appointments for time-sensitive matters, such as property transfers.

Interim Village Manager Lisa Shelley told Wednesday Journal that village staff are working remotely unless told otherwise by their supervisors.

The Oak Park Police Department, located in the basement of village hall, remains open to the public. The Oak Park public works building, 201 South Blvd., is also open to the public.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

17

With Phase 1 about finished, OPRF finalizes next phase New cafeteria, library to open in January

By F. AMANDA TUGADE Staff Reporter

The first phase of Oak Park and River Forest High School’s major renovation project is almost complete, including the construction of a brand-new three-story building home to a new south cafeteria and student resource center.

In August, the school unveiled a refurbished welcome center and student commons area, both of which are aspects of Phase 1.

The first project cost roughly $36.1 million, and the school district partnered with FGM Architects and the Pepper Construction Company on a long list of capital improvements.

Construction of the 45,000-square-foot new section started last summer after the old south cafeteria was demolished, said OPRF spokeswoman Karin Sullivan. The new south cafeteria, which will open in January in time for staff and students’ return from winter break, will look “much more welcoming” and have a “less ‘institutional feel,’” Sullivan said.

From lighting to flooring and seating options, most of the south cafeteria’s amenities are new. One aspect of the cafeteria that remains unchanged is the serving line area, where students typically gather to select and purchase meals.

Sullivan said the return of the south cafeteria “is huge,” as district officials leaned on the north cafeteria and other spaces such as the fieldhouse or balcony to keep students socially distanced during lunch periods. In recent weeks, as new COVID-19 cases began to rise at OPRF, district officials converted one of its gyms into another makeshift cafeteria and offered all students the option to eat lunch outside school grounds.

“We had kids eating in the new balcony and the new space outside the auditorium and sitting on the floor. We were pulling out desks into the hallway just to give kids a space to eat indoors,” Sullivan said.

MANAGER SEARCH Finalist interviews set from page 9 to make the footage available to the public, made Robinson “uncomfortable.” Her concern was rooted in the notion that candidates’ current employers may not know they applied for the Oak Park village manager position. Lowman told Robinson that second-round candidates would be asked to disclose their candidacy to their employers.

However, Robinson was not assuaged.

“I’m a little uncomfortable with the recording and then having it be posted, hon-

“We’ve had kids eating in one of our gyms, and we’ve been able to spread kids out there.

We can fit a lot of tables in [the gym], but having the south cafeteria back means that we have two fully functional cafeterias,” she said. “Plus, if we need additional space, that gym that we’ve been using, we can use that as extra space if we determine we really need to spread kids out more.”

As for the student resource center, Sullivan described the new additions as bright, airy.

The center, which will also open in January, is split into two floors. One floor will hold a tutoring center and makerspace, while the other expands into the library. The floors are connected by a “Learning Stair,” an open stairway that can also transform into another classroom. An elevator has been installed to make the floors accessible for staff and students.

“There are screens where video and presentations can be projected,” she said. “If classes aren’t meeting there, it’s a great gathering space for students.”

Sullivan said the resource center is a direct response to students’ calls for more hangout spaces on school grounds. The center will feature some large windows, allowing natural light to shine through, and the library is expected to have a lounge-like reading area for students to sit back and relax.

“One thing that we heard repeatedly during the process was that there just wasn’t a good place for kids to hang out outside of school hours, and they want to spend more time in the building,” she said. “They want a space where they can hang out, where they can collaborate, work on projects together, where they can study.”

Plans to install a set of classrooms and breakout rooms in the old library and makerspace marks the last bit of the project. Phase 1 of the five-part school renovation project is expected to wrap up by August 2023, Sullivan said. estly,” she said. “It may be that I’m just not as familiar with the interview process in this industry, but there’s something about that just strikes me as a little unfair.”

Robinson felt footage should only be available for a limited time, a concession the rest of the committee found reasonable. The footage will be available for an undetermined period of time on the village’s website. It will not be posted on any of the village’s social media accounts.

Given the public’s uneven participation in GovHR’s previous attempts to engage the community in the village manager recruitment process, Taglia wondered if it was even worth hosting such an event.

“If it’s something that’s doable and it’s not

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

CLOSING IN: The new building at Oak Park and River Forest High School that will house the student cafeteria is in its final stages of construction.

No go on Priory Campus Earlier this month, OPRF lost its bid to buy Dominican University’s Priory Campus, a 7.6.-acre River Forest parcel that once held the university’s graduate programs. District officials imagined using the Priory to expand the landlocked high school and alleviate challenges to future renovation projects, but with the property now out of the picture, they are heading back to the drawing board.

Sullivan previously told Wednesday Journal that district officials had yet to identify how they would use the Priory campus but knew it would be a sizeable asset – if they obtained it.

“We have a very old facility, over 100 years old in some sections, and we have a lot of facility needs, and having this extra parcel of land would potentially allow us to address some of those needs,” Sullivan told the Journal several months back.

“Specifically what they are, we don’t know

a big undertaking, I’m for doing it,” he said.

The Personnel Committee opted to forego hosting the community meet-and-greet in-person, citing the rising COVID-19 numbers and the likelihood for transmission to increase further as people gather for the holidays.

The village of Oak Park announced Dec. 14 that 10 members of village staff had tested positive for the virus, prompting the shutdown of in-person services at village hall. It was also announced Dec. 15 that 123 residents had tested positive since the village’s last report on Dec. 8. Should case numbers go down, the meet-and-greet could become an in-person event.

Final candidates will meet with three different panels of community leaders on their

that yet.”

With Phase 1 of the renovation project nearly done, Sullivan said the district is gearing up for the second phase, which includes changes to the school’s decadesold athletic facilities. The weight rooms, locker rooms, swimming pools and fieldhouse are among the areas up for remodel or rebuilding.

“The school has been put together in this sort of patchwork-quilt approach, and that definitely shows up in some of the spaces in that end of the building,” she said.

A facilities committee is set to meet in January and begin reviewing the plans for Phase 2 of the project, which have yet to be approved by the Board of Education.

And unlike the first project, the committee must consider the impact of the pandemic and loss of Priory Campus on Phase 2.

“Now, we need to figure out what’s our path forward,” Sullivan said.

second day. The first panel, the collaboration and partnership panel, consists of inter-governmental delegates, business and social service representatives and citizen commission chairs.

The inclusion, belonging and sustainability panel includes representatives from the Black community and the multi-housing community as well as those with “sustainability interests.” GovHR recommended each village board member submit two or three names of people to sit on that board.

The final panel is the village board. Following the panels, the village board will debrief with GovHR and select a candidate to whom they will extend an offer.

“It’s an intense process,” said Taglia.

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C R I M E

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Shooting in 400 block of North Austin Boulevard Gunfire broke out in the 400 block of North Austin Boulevard at 8:30 p.m., Dec. 18, when the victim walked up to the male offender in his car and exchanged words. The offender then exited a 2004 white Toyota and fired approximately five rounds toward the unknown male victim. The offender then got into the vehicle and fled southbound. The victim had left the area before police arrived, according to the Oak Park Police Department.

Oak Park police reports describe the offender as a Black male, about 6-feet-5, with a large build. He was last seen wearing a black coat. The victim is described as a Black male, short and small, wearing a blue and white hooded jacket.

Armed robbery A Cicero man was robbed at gun point by two men, one of whom was armed, at 3:10 p.m., Dec. 13 while walking in the 700 block of South Austin Boulevard. The first offender approached the male victim and demanded his property. When the victim brushed the offender’s hand away, the offender grabbed the victim’s jacket and pointed a handgun at him as a second offender also demanded the victim’s property. The victim took an estimated $35 from his wallet and threw the cash on the ground. The offenders grabbed the cash then fled in an unknown direction.

■ A gray 10-speed Fuji bicycle and an air compressor were removed from a garage in the 500 block of Clinton Avenue between midnight, Nov. 1 and 10:26 a.m., Dec. 12. The estimated loss is $550.

■ Someone shattered the front passenger’s side window to a 2013 Toyota Prius and removed multiple DVDs from inside the vehicle between 7:30 p.m. and 7:55 p.m., Dec. 16 in the 800 block of North Harlem Avenue. The total damage and loss is estimated at $300.

Burglary ■ Someone

broke into a residence by unknown means and removed a 50-inch television, three diamond rings, eight crystal heirlooms, five crystal elephants, three glass vases, two glass lidded candy jars and two jade elephants between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Dec. 19 in the 400 block of Home Avenue. The estimated loss is $7,450.

■ Someone broke the driver’s side front window of a Chevrolet Equinox with a brick, took a White Sox jacket from inside and ransacked the vehicle’s interior between 10:15 p.m., Dec. 14 and 10:15 p.m., Dec.15 in the 6000 block of Roosevelt Road.

The jacket was later recovered in the rear yard of a building in the 1100 block of South Humphrey Avenue.

Theft ■ A witness observed three unknown men remove the catalytic converter from a Mitsubishi SUV parked in the 300 block of South Harvey Avenue around 4:43 a.m., Dec. 14, then flee in a black four-door Jeep.

■ An Amazon package of clothing was removed from the front porch of a residence in the 600 block of Lyman Avenue between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., Dec. 14. The estimated loss is $170.

■ A man was observed via Ring doorbell camera removing an Amazon package, containing a Steve Madden coat, from the front porch of a residence in the 600 block of Lyman Avenue at 7:23 p.m., Dec. 15. The estimated loss is $130.

■ A man was seen removing the plastic menu attached to the exterior of the build-

ing, near the speaker, at Popeye’s, 610 Madison St., at 5:45 p.m., Dec. 14. The estimated loss is $50.

■ The catalytic converter belonging to a gold 2000 Honda Accord was removed while the vehicle was parked in the first block of Le Moyne Parkway between 10:30 p.m., Dec. 14 and 5 a.m., Dec. 15.

■ Someone cut the catalytic converter out of a tan 2013 Lexus RX350 between midnight and 7 a.m., Dec. 13 in the 800 block of Lyman Avenue.

■ All four hubcaps and the passenger’s side front wheel cover belonging to a white 2009 Lincoln MKX were removed between 6 p.m., Dec. 15 and 1 p.m., Dec. 17 in the 800 block of North Austin Boulevard. The estimated loss is $300.

These items, obtained from the Oak Park Police Department, came from reports through Dec. 14 to Dec. 20 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

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

DONATE TO THE

CANNED FOOD DRIVE

Drop off canned goods in the Oak Park Bank lobby, and we’ll pass them along to a local food pantry. Each child who drops off canned goods will receive a special, complimentary treat from the Oak Park Bank team.

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Oak Park Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust, N.A. 1. Giveaway. While supplies last.

151 N. Oak Park Ave. | Oak Park, IL 60301 708-948-0405 | bankoakpark.com

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20

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Taste the North Avenue District Asian, BBQ, Sandwiches, Seafood and more!

Amarind’s Thai Restaurant

6822 W North, Chicago • 773-889-9999 Open Wednesday-Saturday 11:30-8:30 Pickup or delivery. Order by phone for pickup or online with Grubhub. View menu at Amarinds.com/menu. Wonderful soups and stir-fries.

Basehit BBQ Catering

6606 W North, Chicago • 773-417-7970 Open Tuesday-Saturday 11-8. Order by phone.

View menu at Basehitbbq.com. If you don’t eat red meat and love BBQ, check out their turkey tips

BodyWorx JuiceWorx & EcoCafe

6209 W. North, Oak Park • 708-660-1400 Monday & Friday 7-6, Saturday 9-6. Juices, smoothies, coffee drinks, salads, sandwiches.

Takeout and walk-up window. For menu, and to order visit Theecocafe.com. BOGOH...buy one get one half off on everything on menu. Limit two items per order.

Buona Beef

7025 W North, Oak Park • 708-383-1800 Open Sunday-Thursday, 10:30-9:30; Friday & Saturday 10:30-11. Order at the counter or online for curbside, drive-through or counter pickup at Buona.com. No-contact delivery available via DoorDash. Purchase gift cards online. See website for daily, budget-friendly specials. Outstanding Italian beef, homemade potato chips and fries.

China Chop Suey

6425 W North, Oak Park • 708-524-3388 Pickup or delivery by restaurant or Grubhub.

Open Monday-Thursday 11-10; Friday & Saturday 11-10:30; Sunday 12-3. Menu at Chinachopsuey.com/menu. Call or order online at orderonlinemenu.com/637. 10% off for students and seniors. 10% off first online purchase. Free eggroll or 2 crab Rangoon with entree. See website for other promos. Awardwinning orange chicken. Delicious Cantonese fried shrimp.

China Delight

6618 W North, Chicago • 773- 237-8886 Open daily 11-10. Counter service. Call or order online for pickup and delivery. View menu at Chinadelightil.com/menu. Free eggroll or can of pop with $25 order. presented by

Dunkin’ Donuts

7117 W North, Oak Park • 708-524-8202 Open Monday-Saturday 4 am-5 pm; Sunday 5-5. Counter service. Deliveries via Grubhub.

View menu at Dunkindonuts.com.

Dunkin’ Donuts

6336 W North, Chicago • 773-622-1881 Counter service. Open for orders/pickup, 6am6:30 pm. Drive-through open 24 hours. View menu at Dunkindonuts.com.

Hygge Supper Club (Huegah Catering)

6966 W North, Chicago • 312-965-2509 This future restaurant is catering breakfast, lunch, and dinner with deliveries via Grubhub and Uber Eats. No minimum order. View menu/ order at Huegah.com/hyggesupperclub. 20% off your website order when you mention The North Avenue District.

JJ Fish & Chicken

6321 W North, Oak Park • 708-383-1137 Open every day (even Christmas): MondayThursday, Sunday 10am-11pm; Friday-Saturday 10 am-midnight. Counter service. Call to order ahead for pickup. View menu at JJfishoakpark. com. See website for daily specials. 9% off for churches with IDs, all seniors, and all big parties with website coupon. Accepting donations for the needy. Will match your contribution.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

6034 W North, Chicago • 773-887-4458 Counter service daily 10:30-8. Drive-through daily 10:30-10. Order ahead online for pickup: kfc.com. Delivery via Grubhub.

Lemme Get Ummm

7016 W. North, Chicago • 773-413-7573 Open for pickup Monday-Friday, 11-4:30. Salads, sandwiches, smoothies, desserts. View menu and order for delivery via Ubereats.com.

Deliveries also available from Grubhub and Door Dash.

Lexington Betty Smoke House #1 6954 W North, Chicago • 773-309-8240 Smoked/BBQ meats, Southern sides & classic desserts. Open Tuesday-Saturday, noon-7.

Lexingtonbettysmokehouse.com. Awardwinning chef. Try their brisket and smoked chicken.

Linda Michoacána

6808 W North, Chicago • 773-417-8591 Open Tuesday-Sunday 11:30-8:30. Mexican hot chocolate, ice cream, paletas and other sweets; tamales and other savories. View menu on at Lindamichoacana.com. Call to order for curbside pickup. Deliveries via Grubhub and Uber Eats. Mention The North Avenue District and get these deals: Free scoop of ice cream with your order of freshly made funnel cake.

Order 3 cups of elotes (Mexican-style street corn) and get the 4th cup free. Buy 2 large mangonadas and get the 3rd one 50% off.

Don’t miss their amazing tamales ThursdaySunday. Call to pre-order.

Michael’s Beef House

6747 W North, Oak Park • 708-848-8080 Open Monday-Wednesday and Saturday 11-8; Thursday and Friday 11-9. Sandwiches, salads, dinner plates. Counter service. Call to order for pickup. Dining room open. View menu: at Michaelsbeefhouse.com. Flawless fries; excellent gyros (great on a salad) and Polish sausage sandwich.

Na Siam Thai Restaurant

6851 W North, Oak Park • 708-613-4447 Open Thursday to Tuesday, 11:30-9:30; Wednesday noon-9:30. Dining room temporarily closed due to new COVID variant.

Call or order online for pickup or delivery by the restaurant at na-siam-oakpark.com.

Also deliveries via DoorDash, Grubhub, and Seamless. Free eggroll with orders of $20+.

Free pot stickers with orders of $30+. Check out the delicious BKK beef noodle soup.

Nick Jr’s Grill

6856 W North, Chicago • 773-887-5450 Open daily 6-3. Dine in table service or pickup (curbside pickup available). Mexican food, breakfast, and sandwiches. Phone in orders.

View menu Zomato.com/chicago/nick-jrs-grillmontclare/menu. Tasty and affordable.

6400 WEST NORTH AVENUE | 773-664-0620 25+ AREA LOCATIONS | WWW.OLDSECOND.COM

Member FDIC

“Old” and “Old Second” each refer to Old Second National Bank.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

21

Taste the North Avenue District Asian, BBQ, Sandwiches, Seafood and more!

North Avenue Falafel

6814 W North, Chicago • 773-688-5388 Open daily 10-9. Middle Eastern food. Counter service. Order by phone for pickup. View menu at grubhom.com/restaurant/northavenue-falafel-6814-w-north-ave-elmwoodpark. Deliveries via the restaurant, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. 10% off any menu item when you mention The North Avenue District.

Try their chicken shawarma on a salad.

Okami Sushi Chicago

6818 W. North, Chicago • 773-417-8560 Open Sunday-Monday, Wednesday-Thursday noon-9 pm. Friday-Saturday noon-10. (Closed Tuesday.) Dine-in table service. BYOB. View menu at Okamisushiil.smiledining.com. Call or order online for pickup/delivery. Okamichicago. com. $15 lunch special. Pick 2 classic rolls & pick 2 nigiri. Comes with miso soup. Every day from 12– 3. Best miso soup you ever tasted!

Serrelli’s Finer Foods

6454 W North, Chicago • 773-237-7530 Open Tuesday-Friday, 9-5; Saturday, 9-4. Italian deli counter, also packaged and frozen homemade items. For catering service/gift packages, order online at Serrelli-street.com/pdf/serrelli-banquets.pdf. Buy gift cards by phone or in-person. Make Tuesday’s special!! Take home a Serrelli’s pizza kit. Buy one! Get one extra pound of bulk sausage free! Famous Italian beef! Canned tuna in olive oil, imported from Italy.

6978 Soul Food

6978 W. North, Chicago • 773-237-6090 Open Sunday-Thursday noon-8; Friday-Saturday noon-10. Scratch-made fried fish, fried chicken, and sides. Deliveries via DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. View menu at Yelp.com/ menu/6978-soul-food-chicago. $7.99 lunch specials. Ask about their senior discount.

Snoopy’s

6317 W North, Oak Park • 708-613-4527 Open Monday-Sunday 11-9. Counter service, indoor tables. Salads, hotdogs, burgers, other sandwiches, ice cream. Order on-site, by phone or online at Snoopystogo.com 10% off first online order. $5 off every $100+ online order.

Free soup with your order. Loyalty points on every order. Terrific burgers, fries, and shakes (including peanut butter!).

Member FDIC

“Old” and “Old Second” each refer to Old Second National Bank.

Starbucks

7112 W North, Chicago • 773-622-8610 Drive-through and counter open Monday-Friday 4:30am-9pm; Saturday-Sunday 5am-9pm.

Order ahead with app or online. View menu at Starbucks.com/menu. Gift cards available online.

Surf’s Up

6427 W. North, Oak Park • 708-613-5585 Open Tuesday-Thursday 11-9; Friday and Saturday 11-10; Sunday noon-5:15.

Seafood, sides, fried wings. Counter service. Order ahead by phone or online for pickup or curbside delivery. Menu at: themenustar2.com/webspace/menus. php?code=surfsuprestaurants.com. Deliveries via DoorDash and Grubhub. Large salads topped with a generous portion of perfectly grilled shrimp. The best fried wings around.

Fried green tomatoes with remoulade sauce, too.

Taco Burrito King

6518 W North, Chicago • 773-637-2111 Open Sunday-Wednesday 10:30am-midnight, Thursday 10:30am-1am, Friday-Saturday 10:30am-2am. Mexican specialties. Dine in and carryout. Call to order ahead for pickup. View menu at Tacoburritoking.com/menu. Deliveries via Grubhub and Uber Eats. Save 75 cents on your $3.25 order of chicken tacos. Check website for daily/monthly specials.

Urbn Bistro

6526 W. North, Chicago • 773-413-7109 For catering, call 630-642-4014. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 2-9. Counter service, indoor tables. Curbside pickup; no-contact delivery. Order on-site, by phone or online at Urbnbistro.com. Mention The North Avenue District and save 10% on your order. See website for daily specials. Finally, jerk chicken comes to the District! (How about some jerk chicken eggrolls?)

Wild Fish N Beef

6620 W North, Chicago • 773-887-5035 Counter service. Open Monday-Saturday noon8. Sandwiches, salads, soups, Greek-style dinner plates. Deliveries via Grubhub and DoorDash.

View menu on Facebook: Facebook.com/ wildfishnbeef. Mention The North Avenue District and save 15% on orders over $25. Try the delicious spanakopita as an entrée or a side dish. Cut in small pieces for a fabulous party appetizer. Chicken gyros is hard to find, but they have it and it’s wonderful.

The Onion Roll Restaurant & Deli

6935 W North, Oak Park • 708-383-2548 Open Monday-Saturday 8-3, Sunday 8-2. Dine-in table service. Outdoor dining. Jewish-style deli: corned beef, pastrami, smoked fish, bagels, onion rolls, rye bread, etc.

Order on-site, by phone or online at theonionroll.com Deliveries via Grubhub. Mention The North Avenue District and save 10% on corned beef or pastrami sandwiches. 10% senior discount on Wednesdays, dine-in only.

6400 WEST NORTH AVENUE | 773-664-0620 25+ AREA LOCATIONS | WWW.OLDSECOND.COM

Building Bridges mural by St. Giles students and By Discovery, LLC. Code Ninjas-Oak Park window, 7119 W. North, Oak Park.

presented by

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

merry everything HAPPY HOLIDAYS

atproperties.com

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

NEED TO REACH US?

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

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Homes

Oldest house in Austin up for Chicago landmark status Seth Warner House on Central Avenue dates to 1869

By LACEY SIKORA

T

Contributing Reporter

he Austin neighborhood’s oldest house is up for Chicago landmark status. The Seth Warner House, built in 1869 at 631 N. Central Ave., has weathered a few transitions from its start as a gentleman’s farm on the prairie, to a hotel during the 1893 Columbian Exposition, to music school and back to singlefamily home in the midst of an urban city landscape.

Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago, has been excited about the Seth Warner House for years. Noting that the house is one of 110 significant homes featured in John Drury’s 1940s guide “Old Chicago Houses,” Miller says that when he met the current owner, James Bowers, he tried to convince him to pursue landmark status for his home.

The house was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, but lacks landmark status from the city of Chicago itself.

“I told [Bowers], you have to landmark it,” said Miller. “Your home is contemporary to the much-revered Old Chicago Water Tower, downtown on Michigan Avenue. We’re possibly just one heartbeat away from losing this historic house forever if anything happens to you.”

Bowers and his wife, Cynthia Weaver, have lived in the home for 35 years. In spite of the fact that the house was in great disrepair when they bought it, with a leaking roof among other issues, and neighboring homes that were used for drug dealing, he says restoring the home is an ongoing process that has changed the course of their lives for the better.

A civil rights attorney, Bowers says his work is informed by where he lives, calling Austin “a kind of microcosm of racism in America.”

He and his wife have invested in the community and its youth, and inspired by the preservation efforts to save Laramie State Bank in Austin, they determined that landmarking their house could have benefits for the community.

Once Bowers and his wife were on board, Miller says the process involved the compilation of a landmark designation report on the home, which provided a comprehensive history of both Warner and the house that makes the landmark designation seem like a foregone conclusion.

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

The Seth Warner House at 631 N. Central Ave. in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but it lacks local landmark status, which would add another layer of protection to the home, which predates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Predates Great Chicago Fire The house is the oldest residence in Austin and predated the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. It would be one of only 12 other buildings from that era that have landmark status in the city.

From 1924 to 1979, the house hosted classical music conservatories that served the West Side. An estimated 31,000 students and 20 teachers passed through its doors as the neighborhood went through racial changes.

Miller says both of these factors alone are enough to qualify the house for landmark status, and the intriguing history of original owner, Seth Warner, makes the house even more interesting.

See LANDMARK on page 24

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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LANDMARK Worth saving from page 23 Warner moved to Chicago from New England at the age of 27 in 1837, the same year the city was incorporated. In the early 1840s he opened a blacksmith shop on Randolph Street near Clark Street.

This work led to a connection with Charles M. Gray, who co-founded the McCormick Reaper Works with Cyrus McCormick. Warner was commissioned to manufacture the company’s Virginia Reaper, which the building’s and marks report says revolutionized the grain industry and established Chicago as an industrial power.

Warner decamped to California during the Gold Rush years, and returned to Chicago in 1851. At that time, he was wealthy enough to establish a music hall, Warner Hall, near his blacksmith shop.

Warner was an active abolitionist, and in 1853 welcomed Frederick Douglass to speak at Warner Hall at a state convention of African Americans.

In 1854, Free Soil Party supportWARD MILLER ers met at Warner Hall to protest Executive director, Sen. Stephen Douglas’s Kansas– Preservation Chicago Nebraska Act, which created a pathway to extend slavery to America’s western territories.

“It’s kind of amazing that we’re considering this house, which was here in the very beginnings of our city, and with all of Seth Warner’s connections to Chicago industry and abolition activities, in a time where we’re dealing with George Floyd and Emmett Till’s legacy, and we have an owner who is an active civil rights attorney,” Miller said.

“It’s really one of those beautiful stories that’s so layered that we call it lasagna history. It’s a touchstone to the city and its history, that despite its warts and bumps and politics is still beautiful and vibrant place — a city that we all very much love. The story of Seth Warner, his legacy, and his home takes your breath away.”

“It’s a touchstone to the city and its history.”

AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLECTION, CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, HAROLD WASHINGTON LIBRARY CENTER, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The Seth Warner House in 1953 when it housed the Austin Academy of Fine Arts. By this time significant changes had been made to the roofline, but the date of these changes is not known, and in the 1980s the changes were reversed.

Importance of preservation Miller makes the case that the Seth Warner House is more than just a historic building that’s worth saving. Yes, he says, the house has some striking original light fixtures,

COURTESY OF JAMES BOWERS, CURRENT OWNER OF THE SETH WARNER HOUSE

After Seth Warner sold the house, the new owner converted it to a hotel known as The Elms which catered to tourists visiting the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893. Above is letterhead from the hotel with a picture of the Seth Warner House in its original rural setting.

staircases, marble fireplaces and black walnut wood trim.

The cupola and Italianate influences are amazing as well.

Beyond the individual house, Miller says that city landmark status is galvanizing for the community in which it’s located.

“The building represents who we are as a city, at our strength and our core,” Miller said.

Designating the house a landmark would be a healing gesture that Miller says would give people pride in the city and pride in their neighborhood. He notes that as prairie gave way to city, the rest of the block built up and contains some significant painted lady Queen Anne-style homes. Eventually, he’d love to see the block win landmark designation.

Making more houses landmarks could encourage pride and investment in the community, Miller said.

“Each of these landmark designations injects hope,” he added. “It adds to the quality of life. These kinds of designations could help spark a lot and bring about a carefully crafted, planned renaissance that wouldn’t displace people but would make this a place people want to invest in, live in and visit.”

The landmark designation report was submitted to the Commission on Chicago Landmarks on Oct. 7. Miller says that because the both the owners and alderman were on board and because the commission voted unanimously for the landmark status, the application was fast-tracked.

On Dec. 2, the application received its final landmark recommendation and it is now awaiting a hearing with the Commission of Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards before heading to a vote by the entire Chicago City Council.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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SPORTS Oak Park native seeks to compete in 3rd Olympic Games Speedskater Emery Lehman records personal bests at recent World Cup

contenders in an event. The good news is that I’ve gone to the line with the same mentality regardless if it’s the Olympics or World Cup, so that will help if I make it to China.”

In order to give himself the best possible chances of success come February, Lehman

By MELVIN TATE says it’s important to continue improving Contributing Reporter technically as a skater while maintaining Speedskater Emery Lehman, an Oak his health and fitness. And he’s happy to Park and River Forest High School alum- represent his hometown on the internanus, has been busy the last two months in tional stage.

“I’m always proud to represent Oak preparation for what he hopes will be his third consecutive Winter Olympic Games, Park,” he said. “People are really surprised which takes place Feb. 4-20, 2022 in Beijing, to hear how many Olympians and other successful athletes come from there. What China.

I really like is reconnecting He’s skated in the last four with people who supported me World Cups, a series of speedat my first Olympics. … Even skating competitions. After a though I’m out in Salt Lake City solid effort in Poland, Lehman training away from family and had a third-place showing in Difriends, there are still people vision B of the 1,500 meters with who recognize the work that a time of 1 minute, 47.38 seconds I put in, even if it’s only disin Stavanger, Norway, which played for a few minutes every earned him a promotion to Divifour years.” sion A. Lehman credits his success to Since arriving back in North EMERY LEHMAN the support he has received from America, he has raised his pernot only his parents, Marcia and formance. In the World Cup held David, but his coach, Gabriel Gein Salt Lake City from Dec. 3-5, rard, and sponsors.

Lehman set new personal best “I’m lucky to be surrounded times in both the 1,500 (1:43.81) and 5,000 (6:14.30) and was part of the gold by a great team and coach who motivate me medal-winning U.S. team pursuit unit that and keep me in check when I need it,” he said. “I’ve also had great financial support set a world record in a time of 3:34.47.

He followed that up at the World Cup in from RC Willey and Collins Engineers, who Calgary, Canada, on Dec. 10-12 with new per- recognize that a sport like speedskating is sonal-best times in the 1,500 (1:43.41, miss- tough for someone to make a living in and ing the podium by 0.14 seconds) and 5,000 are willing to support me through my ad(6:13.19), along with helping the U.S. pursuit ventures.”

For a world-class athlete like Lehman, it’s team set an oval record in a time of 3:35.59.

“To be honest, I’ve never been in the po- a challenge achieving life balance as he jugsition I’m in now, skating as fast as I am,” gles his training with his personal responsaid Lehman from Salt Lake City, where he sibilities. And moving to Salt Lake City for training purposes wasn’t easy for him. is training.

“It was really tough to make the deciLehman feels his previous Olympic experiences will help him, but adds that with the sion to move out of the Midwest where all U.S. men’s pursuit considered a medal con- my family and friends are,” said Lehman, a Marquette University graduate. “But at the tender, it brings a different element.

“Hopefully, with this being my third end of the day, I’m happy with it. I try to keep Olympics, I won’t have the nerves of others in touch with those close to me as much as I in their first,” he said. “At the same time, can, and for now, that’s good enough for me this is the first time I’m going where we’re to keep going out here.”

“I’ve never been in the position I’m in now, skating as fast as I am.”

PHOTO BY PATRICK HARDWIG

Emery Lehman is turning in the best performances of his career as he heads into 2022, just weeks away from the Winter Olympics in Beijing. He was part of the gold medalwinning U.S. team pursuit team that set a world record time of 3:34.47 in a competition in Salt Lake City earlier this month.

Lehman is optimistic about the upcoming Olympics and plans to keep going for as long as possible. When his career eventually comes to an end, he wants to look back with no regrets.

“I’ve already made two Olympic teams, so

now I want to solidify myself as a fast and hard-working speedskater,” he said. “This past World Cup season definitely gave me some motivation and helped me achieve a few of my goals I had, but there’s definitely more out there for me before I retire.”

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S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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Fenwick’s Cobb is Journal’s Player of the Year 30 passing TDs a new Friar single-season record

By MELVIN TATE

Offense

Contributing Reporter

CAROL DUNNING/Contributor

Fenwick High School quarterback Kaden Cobb threw for 2,846 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2021, a single-season Fenwick record. He also ran for 520 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Fenwick High School senior quarterback Kaden Cobb, who will play his collegiate football at Ball State University next year, is Wednesday Journal’s All-Area Football Player of the Year.

Recovering from a shoulder injury that cut short his junior season, Cobb threw for 2,846 yards and 30 touchdowns (a new single-season Fenwick record) and added 520 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground as he led the Friars to their first IHSA state football championship.

“I appreciate that. It means a lot,” Cobb said of the honor. “It wasn’t easy bouncing back from an injury in the spring. It took a lot of hard work and dedication.”

Moreover, Cobb’s leadership abilities cannot be overstated. He came up with game-changing plays when they were needed, particularly in games at St. Ignatius, at Nazareth, and against Sycamore -- the latter two in the postseason.

That’s what a Player of the Year does -- make big-time plays in big-time situations.

Having won a state title, it’s no surprise Fenwick has multiple players on our All-Area team. However, there are also several players from Oak Park and River Forest High School who merited spots.

Here is the 2021 Wednesday Journal All-Area Football team:

QB: Kaden Cobb, Fenwick (Sr.) RB: Kelby Gray, OPRF (Sr.) RB: Danny Kent, Fenwick (Sr.) WR: Bryan Hunt Jr, Fenwick (Sr.) WR: Eric Locke Jr, OPRF (Sr.) WR: Max Reese, Fenwick (Sr.) C: Jimmy Liston, Fenwick (Sr.) OL: Rasheed Anderson, Fenwick (Sr.) OL: Andrew Delgado, OPRF (Sr.) OL: Carlos Gutierrez, OPRF (Sr.) OL: Aaron Johnson, Fenwick (Jr.)

Defense DL: Suleiman Abuaqel, Fenwick (Sr.) DL: Cole Robertson, OPRF (Jr.) DL: Kole Sneed, OPRF (Jr.) DL: Mirko Jaskic, Fenwick (Jr.) LB: Conor Paris, Fenwick (Sr.) LB: Owen Detmer, OPRF (Sr.) LB: Henry Spillane, OPRF (Sr.) DB: Denium Juette, Fenwick (Sr.) DB: Martin Paris, Fenwick (Sr.) DB: Jacque Walls, Fenwick (Sr.) DB: Timmy Spillane, OPRF (Jr.)

Special teams Kicker/punter: Iain Ramage, Fenwick (Sr.) Kick returner: Demetrius Dortch, OPRF (Sr.)

Four Friars sign on to play Division I football

Cobb, Pugh set to enroll at universities next month

Cobb said. “But we gave respect to Fenwick’s name in football by winning state. We showed there could be success, and feel we made the blueprint for the future.”

Cobb said he’ll miss the bonds he had with his Fenwick teammates. To him, they were more than teammates, they were brothers.

“When we were freshmen, we said we were going to win state, and to actually get it done is a great feeling,” he said.

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Being the quarterback of a state championship football team is an accomplishment Fenwick High School senior Kaden Cobb won’t soon forget.

“It’s definitely exciting,” he said. “I’m pleased to get that accomplished, and it’s a milestone I got off my bucket list.”

Now that his high school career is over, Cobb is looking forward to his next chapter in football. During a Signing Day ceremony on Dec. 15 in Fenwick’s auditorium, Cobb inked his letter of intent with Ball State University.

“It felt great,” Cobb said. “In the college world with the transfer portal and guys being unhappy at their schools, it made me feel good that I found a place where my family and I are going to be happy. There’s no other place than Ball State where I would’ve signed.”

JIMMY LISTON

MAX REESE

Cobb is one of four Fenwick players who signed letters of intent to play at NCAA Division 1 schools. The others are Jimmy Liston (Purdue), Eian Pugh (Illinois) and Max Reese (Eastern Michigan).

Cobb and Pugh will enroll next month at their schools, becoming the first early graduates that the Friars have had in program history.

“The talent we had this year was off-thecharts, and we could’ve had more than four [to sign with Division 1 schools],” said Cobb, the Wednesday Journal Player of the Year. “With COVID-19, a lot of guys missed opportunities,”

OPRF’s Locke signs with Valpo Oak Park and River Forest High School senior wide receiver Eric Locke Jr. signed his letter of intent with Valparaiso University on Dec. 15. He told the Wednesday Journal that the close-knit nature of the Valparaiso program reminded him a lot of that of the Huskies.

“It came down to what most felt like home,” said Locke. “Between Valparaiso, Butler, and the other schools I was looking at, I felt being around the [Valparaiso] coaches felt like being at OPRF.” Locke found the recruiting process to be a

bit of a challenge, not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also because he started late. He said he didn’t go to football camps or talk with coaches until this summer, and that’s when he started getting offers.

ERIC LOCKE JR. “I would say it was a little more difficult for me,” he said. “It could’ve been easier had I started earlier, but it all worked out in the end.”

Although OPRF failed to make the postseason during Locke’s three-year varsity career, it doesn’t diminish his experience at all. Locke says he’ll miss the family atmosphere the Huskies had.

“I’m going to miss my teammates a lot,” he said. “It wasn’t just about winning and losing, it was about the family. Whenever a problem arose, we got it solved right away. Everyone loved each other, and I’ll miss that part.”

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OAK PARK-RIVER FOREST

Community Foundation present

Season of

Giving Your Local Guide to a Better World

Make an impact in your own community this year by supporting local nonprofits. Go to OakPark.com and check out the 2021 Season of Giving (you’ll find it on the homepage).

Read articles, personal stories and detailed descriptions of these local organizations: Animal Care League Austin Coming Together Beyond Hunger BUILD The Collaboration for Early Childhood Compound Yellow Concordia University The Day Nursery Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park Frank Lloyd Wright Trust Friends of Oak Park Conservatory Hephzibah Children’s Association Growing Community Media

Historical Society of Forest Park Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest Housing Forward IWS Children’s Clinic L’Arche Chicago Maywood Fine Arts Maywood Youth Mentoring Program Nehemiah Community Project New Moms The Nineteenth Century Charitable Association Oak Park Art League Oak Park Festival Theatre

Oak Park Public Library Oak Park Regional Housing Center The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation One Earth Collective Opportunity Knocks D97 PTO Council P.A.X.A. PeopleCare,Inc. PING! Pro Bono Network The Quinn Center of St. Eulalia Race Conscious Dialogues River Forest Public Library Foundation

Sarah’s Inn Sister House St. Angela School Sweet Rest The Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest Thrive Counseling Center UCP Seguin Way Back Inn Welcome to Fatherhood West Suburban Special Recreation Association Wonder Works Youth Outreach Services

If you missed the Season of Giving special section in the newspaper, you can request a free copy by emailing your name and address to marc@oakpark.com and we’ll mail you a copy.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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OA K PAR K-R I V ER F OR E ST

Community Foundation We envision a racially just and equitable society as the full inclusion of all people into a society in which everyone can participate, thrive and prosper.

In an equitable society, everyone, regardless of the circumstance of birth or upbringing, is treated justly and fairly by its institutions and systems.

We ask for your support to make this vision a reality.

Visit oprfcf.org to learn more.

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Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M. Call Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at 613-3310 ktrainor@wjinc.com

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

VIEWPOINTS

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Arguing about the protest rally p. 34, 35

Take this job and … love it

E

ver wonder what the perfect job is? The one most important to the human race, most admired, most courageous, most fulfilling? For some time I believed that the pediatric oncologist who saved our son’s life had that job.

But it didn’t take long to remember the farmer who grew his food, the truck driver who transported it to the grocer, and the staff who stocked the shelves and checked him out at the register. And there were the people who made the tractor for the farmer, and the people who put food into cans and bottles or worked in the factories to make those cans and bottles; the mechanics who kept the trucks running, the gas station attendants who fueled those trucks, and the construction workers who built the grocery stores. And let’s not forget the instructors who taught these people the skills they needed for their jobs and the HR people who hired them all. And these are only a small number of the many jobs and people critical just to putting food on the oncologist’s table. So he can eat. So he can save lives.

So what’s the most important job? It’s the one you really need when you need it. In a chain of 79 links, is the 27th any less important than the 79th? We live in an exquisitely integrated web of jobs where everyone is essential and the “perfect” job is the one that best fits our talents, interests, personalities, and personal needs. But these are all things we bring to a job. We seldom look at what we learn from those jobs. I’m not talking about all the little things we master as we put in our 10,000 hours on the way to proficiency. No, sometimes there are indelible life lessons that go beyond skills.

While in high school I took a job in a piston factory just to see how factory work differed from a skilled trade or a white-collar profession. My job was to gather together all the parts needed to assemble a particular piston and take them to an assembler’s bench. Then do it all over again. And again. And again. To dull the pain, I tried to imagine how a particular piston might be used to make the world better. That palliative lasted a day. But I did learn how to play paycheck poker. Everyone puts in a dollar and the serial numbers on your paycheck are your “cards”: 3 of a kind, full house, straight, etc. Best hand gets the pot. And I learned what a “rate buster” was — and warned not to be one (Slow down, don’t let management know how much faster this job can actually be done).

For several summers I worked as a union electrician. Much better fit both mentally and financially. Life lesson? There’s always at least one way to get from here to there. Find it. Then see if you can find a better way. An enduring lesson that applies to far more than panel-to-plug, switch-to-light. Job experiences perfect us.

One day I made a list of all the different kinds of jobs I have had that people have paid me for. Twenty-three. Indoors-outdoors, difficult-easy, mind-numbing-challenging, poorly paid or well compensated, ones at which I excelled and those at which I was a miserable failure.

As I write this, there are currently 153 million people employed in the United States. And while I have found the job “perfect for me,” I still fantasize about some mythical “perfect job.” Surely there must be one out there. Somewhere.

Then came that “Eureka” moment. I actually do know a guy.

Really. Now tell me if this isn’t the absolutely perfect job:

BILL SIECK

One View

See SIECK on page 35

JOHN W. IWANSKI/CC BY-NC 2.0

The Walnut Room at Marshall Field, now Macy’s.

Sweet memories from holidays gone by

W

hat lovely times to remember!

Most of us have sweet memories of the holiday season. It’s the time of year when we especially focus on helping others, sharing our good fortune, and being generous of spirit.

I have a delightful childhood memory of a special Christmas treat offered by “the Eagles Lodge” in Melrose Park. My folks and I lived in two rooms at the back of our store on the first floor of the Eagles’ building. Every Christmas, the children of Eagle members and the neighborhood kids, of which I was one, were invited to their annual holiday party. We saw Santa, whom I still remember as having a heavy Italian accent. We were each gifted with a coloring book and a box of four crayons that I cherished. We were also treated to delicious hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows on top and a sugary Santa-decorated cookie.

At 97, I still salivate recalling this yummy treat!

At Christmas time, oh so many years later, my husband and I entertained our children at the holidays.

We’d travel by el downtown to visit Santa at the Marshall Field store. The children were each given attractive paper packets of children’s stories. We would then go to the toy department, which was pure excitement for the family. My children especially enjoyed the electric train exhibits, where there was a train caboose to

walk through and many little masterpieces of trains surrounding made-up villages.

Then we scurried off to the Walnut Room to sit near the Christmas tree and have hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows on top.

I relished this as much as my children did.

Before making our way home, we’d always stop to marvel at the magnificent storytelling scenes in the downtown window displays.

“Hectic” was the word for our holiday scene at home. It meant constant kitchen duty with noise, splashes and spills, and sometimes even broken dishes by my young children and those of our houseguests. One cousin even brought their big dog with them one year. We gave it repetitious warnings not to get too close to the tree, and scolded him when he looked much too lovingly at it. There was always the challenge of putting gifts and toys together, even though we followed the ostensibly “easy” instructions. For some reason or other, we always had left-over screws, nuts, and bolts.

Then came the clean-up after gift-giving. Paper was strewn everywhere; there was always something missing, and pine needles were well-embedded in the carpet.

That said, what joy! It was certainly worth the exhaustion that followed.

I hope your memories are sweet and that you and yours continue to make sweet memories in the years to come.

Harriet Hausman is a longtime River Forest resident.

HARRIET HAUSMAN One View

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

O U R

I

V I E W S

A more transparent search

n the tight circle that is the world of professional village managers, there are not a lot of secrets. Everyone knows who is looking for a job, about to be out of a job after an election, on the rise, or looking for a softlanding heading toward retirement. Narrow your search function to the Midwest because there are not a lot of east- or west-coast imports and your circle is tighter still. Then there are the pricey search firms which are all staffed by retired village managers, and the feedback loop becomes an echo chamber.

This comes to mind as Oak Park closes in on choosing its next village manager. Our Stacey Sheridan reports today that a first round of finalists will be interviewed by the board’s personnel committee in early January via Zoom. Three or four of those finalists will be invited to town for a two-day drill in midJanuary.

While that visit will take them to Hemingway’s house, they’ll also tour village facilities, meet with department heads, be interviewed by three panels of stakeholders, attend a likely virtual public meeting with average citizens, and sit for an interview with the full board.

And yes, it sounds exhausting for anyone who is not already a village manager and expects every meeting to go on until midnight.

What’s newsworthy in this flurry of gatherings is the public nature of at least the virtual meeting with ordinary citizens. It means the public and journalists, too, will meet the finalists, be able to ask questions and, of course, do some vetting of their careers before a final choice is made.

It will be instructive for village board members to see how the finalists hold up, even shine, under the scrutiny. It is also a welcome step toward transparency, a virtue this current board has pledged to honor. One member of the board’s personnel committee, Lucia Robinson, expressed concerns about outing the finalists.

This is a worry we’ve long heard from elected officials and have always rejected.

It is the nature of these jobs that managers move. The tenure of managers keeps shrinking as the demands on them increase and elected officials and the public become more impatient.

No one is surprised to hear a veteran manager has got the itch or is just looking for an escape route. Twice in the past year Oak Park has seen reporting that its village manager was a finalist for another job and that the elementary school superintendent was also testing the market. Both searched until they found a new opportunity.

That’s the nature of this business today.

More light, not less, is preferred and the village president and her board get credit for bringing the public into this critical process.

T

Where the season begins and ends

here’s a tree in my living room. A real tree, recently deceased, but apparently still sucking enough water up to the branches to create a semblance of aliveness. It is startling to see an evergreen standing in a living room — really a non-living room, a place very unconducive to trees.

The incongruity of an inside tree creates a subtle magic, which is, it seems, conducive to Christmas spirit — to my spirit anyway.

The past two years, I didn’t have a tree at all because my grandsons didn’t visit the last two Decembers, and the idea of getting a tree, putting it up and decorating it all by myself just didn’t motivate me. I could blame it on the pandemic. I was just taking a break — from so many of the routines and rituals that seemed sacred in and of themselves, which they aren’t. The rituals themselves merely bring us, when the magic is working, to the brink of the sacred.

I enjoyed the break. Cleansed the palate.

This year, therefore, felt different. I arranged for the boys to come and help me pick out a tree, put it up, and best of all, decorate it. After a fortifying breakfast of pancakes/French toast sticks and bacon, we drove to the YMCA, our traditional venue, and discovered they weren’t selling trees this year. So we headed down to Rehm Park where the Dombrowskis of Michigan had set up their evergreen emporium (They wrapped up and headed back home on Sunday).

I told the boys to pick out the perfect tree, and they nailed it on the first try. Sure, we agreed in previous years that there’s no such thing as an imperfect Christmas tree. But this balsam was particularly perfect, from a shapely point of view. It also had a name, Hector, though how they divined that is anyone’s guess.

One of the tree attendants tied it on top of my car and in no time at all we joined my favorite parade of the holiday season: motoring along village streets with evergreen carcasses on the roof. We carried Hector upstairs — the boys handling the trunk because 8-year-olds are notoriously averse to the prickliness of fir needles.

For those with reasonably cultivated taste, the only sappy thing you would ever bring into your home is a Christmas tree — the sappier the better because that’s where the glorious smell comes from, and soon my apartment was filled with it. We liberated the tree stand from the recesses of my closet, along with the ornament boxes. I gave them free rein in decorating the tree, as well as, it turned out, my entire living/dining room.

Considering that they’re only 8 years old, they have a highly developed sense of design. It’s amazing what Tyler did with the long lengths of colorful ribbon I couldn’t bear to throw away from past years. My pole lamp, for instance, is now a striped candy cane, thanks to Bryce, who also turned the nativity scene into a Happy Birthday shrine. Later I noticed one of them had placed my Gaelic cross ornament next to the stable, so they’ve made the connection between Jesus and the symbol. We talked about the wise men bringing gifts. Like every other child who has aged into the Christmas origin story, they couldn’t fathom the point of frankincense and myrrh, though they approved of the gold.

Normally, these are the droppingest boys you ever saw, but they brought great concentration to bear on their task and did not suffer a single ornament casualty. They hung the stockings by the casement window knobs with care and when I turned around at one point, Bryce was standing on a dining room chair leaning precariously over the tree to place the star on top.

No one was harmed in the decorating of this tree.

KEN

TRAINOR

They left the last one for me to hang — their favorite, and mine — the German-glass typewriter ornament they gave me a couple of Christmases ago because I’m a writer and because my living-room design scheme includes an old Remington Rand manual, which they love to fiddle with.

We didn’t have enough time for the lights, so I added those a few nights later. Then I darkened the room and plugged it in.

There’s nothing quite like the glow of a Christmas tree in the dark. Time itself is fundamentally altered. People have been doing this for generations, and some of the ornaments echo those earlier eras. The ghosts of Christmas Past are much present when you decorate a tree.

Baubles, dangling from boughs, Testify to family history, Imbued with the Carbon-14 of memory, Secured with long, crooked hooks That look impossibly old, Legacies flash before our eyes, ghosts pressing close, Trinkets, sprinkled with stories, some bitter, some sweet, Marking the passage of lives, extant or extinct, Lost connections returning to life each December, My favorite ritual, my Tannen-balm, Alpha and omega, Where the season begins and ends.

Un-decorating in early January is nearly as poignant.

Childhood memories come alive and ornaments have stories to tell — about those who gave or made or sold them. The past is never more alive than when I’m hanging heirlooms on a tree — or watching my Christmas-Yet-To-Come grandboys hang them.

It’s a ritual that once induced melancholy, but not this year.

This Christmas tree is indeed my Tannen-balm, the calming intersection of Christmases Past, Present, and Future.

Which may be what Dickens was aiming at when he put old Ebenezer through his famous reckoning.

Can’t wait for the boys to see these lights.

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

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Silence can be eloquent

admire people who only speak when they have something meaningful to say. I’m from the opposite school of thought: We must leave no thought unexpressed! I’m so busy talking I’m usually the last person to finish the meal.

Lately, though, I’ve learned the eloquence of silence.

Sure, I still have profound insights and interesting stories to share but what’s the point? Swapping stories can be fun but is it really conversation? People love talking about their health problems, for example, especially during the pandemic. If I talk about my own aches and pains, someone else will talk about theirs. If someone describes the minor car accident they had, another person will bring up their own rear-ender. If we start talking about urban violence, everyone will come up with their own scary examples.

For most, our favorite topic is ourselves. While someone talks about their Christmas dinner disaster, listeners are busy rehearsing their own stories. Sometimes it gets competitive. People top each other with how their Christmas was even worse. Dwelling on the negative is one of our favorite sports.

A couple will return from a fabulous trip to Hawaii and lead off with what a pain it was to rent a car. During our recent trip to Michigan, we suffered a minor mishap. It could easily have been our lead story but we didn’t feel any need to share it. If a minor mishap story isn’t funny, it’s not worth telling.

Besides dwelling on the negative, people love to relate a topic to their own experience. It doesn’t matter how tenuous the connection, the subject is only relevant when it relates to them. This may stem from a need for attention. It can come from insecurity, or simply a need to fill the silence. We’ve all said stupid things because silence made us nervous.

I learned the value of silence, though, many years

ago. I used to meet with a friend weekly for pizza and beer. My friend used these get-togethers to pour out his problems. In the beginning, I offered advice and solutions. After a while, I simply listened. My silence was much more eloquent than my “wisdom.”

Recently, a woman was telling me about her disappointment at not getting a job.

When I offered to help her find a similar job, she did not appreciate it. She had simply wanted to express her frustration, she wasn’t looking for someone to rescue her.

Silence is part of the spirit of the Christmas season. The prime example is how Joseph took the news when he learned his fiancée was pregnant. He never questioned God’s plan; instead, he covered for what would have been Mary’s shame.

Joseph is mentioned in all four gospels but not a word he said was ever recorded. Talk about the strong, silent type!

Silence is what we need when the world is full of cultural, social and commercial noise. Sometimes we find it in the relative quiet of a church service. Sometimes we find it on a quiet walk. I recently strolled through Altenheim and was amazed at the improvements. All the decrepit buildings are gone, replaced by freshly planted grass. Imagine how much peace this greenspace could bring us?

At this year’s Christmas feast, I’ll be a bit quieter at the table. If we discuss Christmas music, though, I’ll insist that “Silent Night” is still the most popular carol. I will propose a toast using the words of the famous Japanese poet, Katakana Gohan: “Words are meaningless, silence is comfortable, when you’re with your friends.”

And I’ll finish my food at the same time as everyone else.

John Rice, who grew up in Oak Park and is now a Forest Park resident, writes a weekly column for our sister publication, the Forest Park Review.

JOHN RICE

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Equity Editor/Ombudsman Michael Romain Digital Publishing and Technology Manager Briana Higgins Staff Reporters Stacey Sheridan, F. Amanda Tugade Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Food Editor Melissa Elsmo Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Business Manager Joyce Minich Marketing Representatives Marc Stopeck, Lourdes Nicholls Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, 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

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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.

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V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Another view of the high school/health department activities shutdown

was at the protest. I did not hear anything racist. Why does Oak Park turn everything racist? [D200 board discusses activities ban and protest rally, News, Dec. 15] I don’t agree with harassment and racism toward the health director or anybody. Many health department personnel and directors have quit throughout the U.S. during the pandemic for stress and harassment.

They have been all genders/races.

I am a parent of two high school students. My son plays on the hockey team, and I am a board member of the hockey club. My duties with the hockey club include COVID-19 issues and liaison with the Park District of Oak Park. In this role I have had interaction with Public Health Director Theresa Chapple-McGruder. I am sorry to say she does not use science or risk assessment. She did not use science or risk assessment when mandating masks at the Farmers Market this past summer!

All authorities, including the CDC, states that masks are not

required outdoors. Why is she mandating masks outdoors? Can you tell me the science or risk assessment she used for masks outdoors? If you look at the vaccination rates in Oak Park with 71% fully vaccinated and 83% with one dose, that further reduces risk outdoors with no masks.

Earlier this year we were discussing spectator limits at Ridgeland Common for the OPRF High School hockey games. Her guidance to the park district was to limit spectators.

I do not exactly know what was said to the park district. I know of no other arenas/stadiums with capacity limits at present in Illinois or nationally. Some arenas/stadiums are requiring proof of vaccination.

I asked the park district what is the science/risk assessment behind limiting spectators? Masks are required. Reduces risk greatly. High school students 81% vaccinated?

What does limiting spectators do to reduce risk with masks and vac-

cinations? I was told Dr. Chapple does not take into consideration the vaccination rates. How is she doing risk assessment then?

The issue with the extracurricular shutdown is what was the risk assessment and what is science saying about the risk? Shut down extracurricular activities at the high school because of 17 cases or is it 30? Not clear from the school. How many of the positives are from extracurricular activities?

Will shutting down extracurricular activities really stop the spread?

You assume you would get some uptick due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I would think there is greater risk of spread in the school with students indoors for 7-8 hours than 2-3 hours of extracurricular activities.

Please show her risk assessment calculations/thought process.

The frustration for the parents is there was not a very clear explanation of the science/risk assessment used and how was that going to

ROB ROY

One View

control spread versus in school for 7-8 hours?

From all of the above, it appears there is no science/risk assessment being done on the decisions made.

It appears the goal is zero risk.

COVID-19 is not going away and zero risk is not what residents want. We need to know risk and make some choices. The CDC and the Illinois Dept. of Public Health have stated the shutdowns have done lots of damage to children’s learning and mental health. This did not appear to being taken into consideration by shutting down extracurriculars.

I believe Dr. Chapple needs to be very transparent on why she is recommending/mandating something, and needs to explain the risk assessment/science behind it. I believe the Oak Park community will support Dr. Chapple as long as she communicates why and the risk assessment/ science makes sense.

Rob Roy, an Oak Park resident, has a master’s degree in Public Health (1998) from the UIC School of Public Health.

Keeping the community safe

I’m writing to address the parents’ protest of new COVID school restrictions. Our public health officials have worked very hard to keep the community safe and have been very successful. It is ignorant to paint ever-changing guidance as poor planning when constant change is the nature of pandemic response as those who shamefully protested and harassed public health officials did. No one wants to stop extracurricular activities, but if that makes our community safer, then that is the cost of being part of a community.

Such ignorance has no place in Oak Park and I urge these parents to do better going forward. We will continue to follow the science and look out for our neighbors.

Cyrus Guzdar Oak Park

Thank you for being a friend!

Wednesday Journal is celebrating

Betty White's 100th Birthday She was born in Oak Park on January 17, 1922.

Advertise your business and your "Betty Birthday Specials" in this commemorative section which will be in print on January 12, 2022.

Contact: Lourdes@oakpark.com 708-613-3329 or Marc@oakpark.com 708-613-3330

“It’s you girl and you should know it!”

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Public health director was definitely harassed

S

omething extremely divisive happened in Oak Park a few weeks ago. Several OPRF High School parents organized a rally on Dec. 4, following an announcement of new COVID mitigation measures at the school.

Whatever the intent of that rally was, it turned into a personal attack on a member of our community, Theresa Chapple-McGruder, the director of the Department of Public Health.

After some parents and students spoke at the rally, Dr. Chapple-McGruder was invited to the microphone. Almost immediately, she was interrupted by heckling that continued throughout the time she spoke. There was a sign that said, “Get rid of Chapple.” One woman interrupted to yell, “If you wanna pay for everyone’s Lexapro, you let me know.” Another man just yelled out “Idiot.”

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There was a woman walking around telling students the village needed to “revoke her authority” (referring to the health director). There were shouts of “Defund the Health Department!” When she was leaving, a reporter asked to interview the director away from the crowd so the reporter could actually hear what she had to say, and people tried to get in the background of the interview to disrupt it. There was discussion in social media of showing up at her house. Afterward, people who organized and attended the rally thought it was great. On social media, attendees discussed how they felt good about showing their anger.

Sometimes in Oak Park, we think it is important to discuss issues with civility, we criticize people we think are divisive, and we find it abhorrent to label anyone. But for some reason, people in our community,

SCOTT

SAKIYAMA One View

did not think any of that was a problem on Dec. 4. Why did people think it was OK to heckle and name-call? And for the organizers and others in the crowd, even if they weren’t heckling or name-calling, why didn’t they take back the microphone and remind people it is important to be civil and that the way they were acting was divisive?

We didn’t get here in a day either. Since Dr. Chapple-McGruder took her position, people have directed attacks on her credentials, claimed her job requires no expertise, and accused her of being power hungry.

If people truly care about civility, if they are concerned about divisiveness, there are some apologies that need to be made, some acknowledgment of what happened. Absent some reconciliation, we are just left to wonder why sometimes people in our community value civility and criticize divisiveness, and sometimes they don’t.

Scott Sakiyama is a resident of Oak Park.

Gangstalking needs to be investigated

ednesday Journal has reported on white supremacist hate crimes occurring in Oak Park and River Forest. Hate crimes occurred in two local Jewel parking lots. Black Lives Matter signs have been defaced, LGBTQ rainbow flags have been vandalized, a brick was thrown at the window of an Oak Park business, and the 2018-2019 OPRF High School yearbook had to be reprinted because a number of students, in their pictures, made white supremacist hand signals.

I want to raise the topic of gangstalking.

Also called “organized stalking” or “community stalking,” gangstalking is when a group of people stalk a person in a coordinated manner. This “cointelpro” technique was used by the FBI to harass some Civil Rights activists. ABC News 20/20 did a segment on an Ohio couple who were the victims of a horn-honking, gangstalking noise campaign. The incident where trucks

surrounded a Biden campaign bus was an example of gangstalking.

In 2016, the Proud Boys group was founded by billionaire Gavin McInnes. Gavin McInnes was also co-founder of VICE Media, which reports on various subjects, including white supremacist activities, such as white supremacist music festivals around the world. McInnes left VICE Media eight years ago. Some VICE Media videos are on the subject of gangstalking. These videos claim that gangstalking is a “mass delusion” of lonely, mentally ill people who find each other on Facebook pages where they reinforce their “mass delusion.” All of the VICE Media videos are biased against believing the person who alleges gangstalking.

A VICE-TV commentator, Joe Pierro, stated that there has been a dramatic upsurge in reports of gangstalking since 2016. He attributes this to internet usage.

Gangstalking is being reported in states all

across America.

People who report gangstalking, even those with no previous mental illnesses, are often labeled “paranoid schizophrenic” and not believed. I would like the subject of gangstalking and its related serious crimes to be investigated by a news team and for the public to become aware of gangstalking and its related serious crimes: being rendered unconscious and raped, biological testing (cancer medication tampering, T4 vertebrae/brain mapping), murders that look like natural causes (heart attacks, cancer), use of directed-energy weapons, theft, illegal surveillance inside residences. If you have any information about gangstalking and/or its related crimes, please send a letter to me at P.O. Box #3097 Oak Park, IL 60303.

The October 2020 Psychology Today article by Dr. Joe Pierro, “Gang Stalking: RealLife Harassment or Textbook Paranoia?” can be found online.

Lee Ward is an Oak Park resident and a current Oak Park/River Forest victim of gangstalking and its related serious crimes.

SIECK

weeks’ vacation. And his paycheck? Countless smiles, cookies, and glasses of milk.

If you’re waiting to apply when he retires, you better have some long-term security in your present job. He took the position in 1823 and has been the sole occupant of that job for nearly 200 years. Obviously all the cookies and milk have not adversely affected his health. Good genes, I guess. And did I say his vehicle is a red convertible?

But wait, there’s more. His jacket, pants, and work boots (work boots!) are lined with white fur! Sheeesh! My Carhartt work jacket and Red Wing work boots are not, not, fur trimmed.

Alas, we grow up and we process those product orders ourselves, filled by people

thousands of miles away, paid for with our credit card, and shipped by fossil-fuel-burning ships and trucks. But those smiles are real and ours to enjoy. As well as the cookies and milk. In moderation. Gotta love it.

The “perfect” job is the one that not only fits you perfectly, but in the process, perfects you. So tomorrow I will go to work producing smiles in the best way I know how. (Got it right on the 23rd try!) I hope you are able to do the same. Cookies optional.

Postscript: The modern depiction of Santa in his red suit, with a sleigh and reindeer originated in the poem titled, “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement Moore, first published on Dec. 23, 1823, is known today as “The Night Before Christmas.”

LEE WARD

One View

Who has the best job? from page 31 He sits at a desk and takes product orders for maybe five or six weeks. That’s it. He gives them to his staff who manufacture, box, wrap, and label each and every item at his “fulfillment center.” By all reports, they work for free. Go figure. When delivery day — singular — arrives, he loads all these packages into his vehicle and takes off with planetloving biofuel. Twenty-four hours later, he’s finished. For the year. Looking forward to 46

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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Local government isn’t protecting SW Oak Park

The primary duty of government at any level is to protect its residents. But here in Oak Park, especially in southwest Oak Park, our government has its collective head buried so far in the sand that they can’t see the rise in violent crime in our village. Shootings, armed robberies, and carjackings were once unthinkable in Southwest Oak Park.

But today, such events seem to be a weekly occurrence. Yet our village president and village trustees do nothing. Are they too concerned about their perceived image of Oak Park to admit there is a crime problem here? Instead of figuring out ways to protect Oak Parkers, they spend their time talking about defunding the police.

We need more police and better policing.

We need to build additional cul-de-sacs to discourage criminals in nearby, high-crime communities from driving into Oak Park looking for victims to assault and rob, or cars to steal at gunpoint. Next time there is an election in Oak Park, ask the candidates for village president and village trustee what they plan to do to fight crime in Oak Park. Don’t like their answer? Or maybe get no answer at all? You know who not to vote for. The primary duty of government at any level is to protect its residents.

Michael Pajonk Oak Park

A cul-de-sac exception is warranted

For years I have been vocal opponent of cul-de-sacs in Oak Park. I felt that they often are simply a way of diverting traffic to your neighbors’ streets. I was, therefore, relieved when the village finally banned their increasing implementation.

However, after reading last week’s letter to the editor about the problems in southwest Oak Park, I feel that an exception should be made. Traffic inconveniences are different from being concerned about what could be a life-threatening situation. Since the city of Chicago doesn’t seem to be able to do much about the gun violence on expressways, which is spilling over into streets, we need to take some action to protect citizens next to the expressway exits. Make an exception to the culde-sac rule or at least narrow those streets, as was done on Lombard near North Avenue.

Joyce Porter Oak Park

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O B I T U A R I E S

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

Dolores Register, 88 Former director, D97 Multicultural Ed Center

Ellariz Dolores (nee Current) Register, 88, of Oak Park, died on Dec. 9, 2021, at Seasons Hospice Palliative Care in Berwyn.

Af fectionately known as Dee Dee to her siblings and Dee to her husband, Dolores was the sixth child born to John Thomas and Earsy (Bryant) Current in Detroit, Michigan, Oct. 23, 1933.

She attended public schools in Detroit Michigan, graduating from Northwestern High School and then attended college at Wayne State University, earning both her Bachelor of Arts degree and her master’s in Education.

At Wayne State University in 1952, she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

An avid dancer who studied with Alvin Aily and Martha Graham, and at the Sorbonne in France, she also studied piano and was an accomplished vocalist.

On Aug. 31, 1963, she married Rev. Donald B. Register and moved from Detroit to St. Louis where she was hired by the St. Louis Board of Education, the first black teacher to integrate that system.

While living in St. Louis, she gave birth to her first child, John, and her second child, Christopher.

The couple moved from St. Louis to their new home in in Oak Park in 1971 and though they received a “welcome brick” through the front window, her trailblazing spirit was not deterred.

In 1972, she gave birth to her third son, Mark.

Dolores continued as an educator and was the founding director of the Multicultural Education Center, a critical component in Oak Park’s equity and inclusion initiatives.

The center’s curriculum focused on creating greater awareness and appreciation for dif-

ferent cultures through food, the arts, and community. She was instrumental in bringing about Oak Park’s iconic EthnicFest celebration, more than 40 years ago.

When her husband became pastor of Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church in Chicago, she became the First Lady and implemented several programs advancing the church’s mission.

A student of the world, she loved traveling, visiting Spain, Germany, France, Canada, Central America, Australia and Nairobi, Kenya.

One of her favorite sayings was, “You are such a trooper.”

It was her faith that kept her going. She gave her life to Jesus at a young age and was baptized.

Dolores was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Gloster, Lester, and John and her sisters, Isabelle and Gloria.

Dolores is survived by Rev. Donald B. Register, her husband of 58 years; her sons, John (Alice) Register, Christopher (Samoria) Register, and Mark (Kenyatta) Register; her grandchildren, Ronald, John Jr., Ashley, Aimee, Danielle, Emmanuel, Rhea, and Christopher, Reese, Tatum, and Tillman; and a host of great-grandchildren.

Services will be at First United Church of Oak Park on Jan. 8, visitation from 10 till time of service at noon. Parking is limited, so street parking or walking is strongly encouraged.

Catherine Kutz, 71

Watercolor artist, caretaker of birds Catherine Anne Schultz Kutz, 71, formerly of River Forest and Oak Park, died on Dec. 19, 2021, 16 days short of her 72nd birthday. She was an amazingly versatile watercolor artist and a lover, feeder, caretaker of birds. Born in Evanston and most recently residing in Kansas City, Missouri, she and her husband lived in River Forest from 1995 to 2000 and then in

Heritage Funeral Home and Crematory Kevin Kopicki

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Oak Park until 2012. She was active in the Oak Park Art League and Village Players Theater.

She suffered constant pain and disability throughout her life, yet struggled to overcome and shined her light brightly. She finally succumbed to multiple illnesses, compounded by COVID-19.

Gary Myers, 85 Active volunteer

Strange isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?

Clarence the Angel

From “It’s a Wonderful Life” Gary Myers was born on June 28, 1936 to Ruth and Ken Myers in Chicago. He died on Dec. 11, 2021. He was greatly invested in every community he lived in by serving on many volunteer committees. In typical fashion, he gave back to the medical community by donating his body to The Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois for the advancement of medicine.

Gary is survived by his wife Marcia (nee Kucienski), the father of Bret (Brenda) Myers, Tara Myers, Lana (Greg) Myroth, Sara (Tom) Austin, Rachel Walker, and Lexi (Joseph) Myers-Preiser. He was the grandfather of three and was preceded in death by his mother, Ruth; his father, Ken; and his brother, Wayne.

Keith Taylor, 72

Artist and illustrator extraordinaire “I want to live.”

In the weeks before his death, Keith J. Taylor repeated those words to his loved ones. And when he could no longer speak, exhausted after working so hard to live, he still found ways to share a joke through a raised eyebrow or a thumbs up.

His quick wit and his award-winning cartoons found humor and hope in everything from the absurdities of everyday life to the darkest days of American politics. A prolific artist, rarely seen without a pen and sketch pad, he filled more than 500 sketchbooks between 2016 and 2021 alone.

As breaking-news cartoonist for ChicagoPublicSquare.com since 2018, Taylor channeled his energy into multiple Chicago Headline Club Lisagor Awards and Chicago Reader Best of Chicago recognitions. Over 50 years of contributing to Chicago art and media, Taylor produced cartoons and illustrations for Studs Terkel’s WFMT show, the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, Rhino magazine, children’s books, and countless other outlets.

Taylor, 72, died on Dec. 16, 2021, after a

long battle with cancer complicated by COVID-19. His family recalls not just his talent, but also his love.

“He was so obviously overcome with pride for the work his children did and for the health and spirit of his grandson, Shepard,” his son Max recalled. “He always made you feel like your efforts and talents were extraordinary.”

Taylor shared his passion for art in many ways: teaching classes and giving private lessons for years, serving as president of the Oak Park Art League, and enjoying countless trips to museums and galleries far and wide.

“He was always willing to give you what he could,” Max said, “a ride, a gift he thought you’d like, drawings for absolutely any occasion — however big or small. His work ethic inspired me greatly and I owe so much of my success as a farmer to the diligence and dedication he showed toward his work.”

His greatest joy was finding the love of his life, Rhona, to whom he was married for 45 years. “They filled the lives of everyone around them with art and curiosity and friendship and laughter,” Max said.

Keith J. Taylor, of Oak Park, was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1949. He earned degrees in painting and printmaking from the University of Illinois. His life in Chicago took him from the folk and blues music bars along Lincoln Avenue to a career as a nationally syndicated cartoonist and greeting card artist. Along the way, he taught himself graphic design, spending the last 16 years as a desktop publisher and resident cartoonist at the National Roofing Contractors Association.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Rhona (née Tuchscher); his children, Nell Taylor (Aaron Hamlin) and Max Taylor (Kerry Manire Taylor); his grandson, Shepard Taylor; his sister, Lynn Tripoli Young; his brother, Gary Taylor (Marie Case); and many beloved nieces and nephews, extended relations and friends.

Taylor’s generosity extended beyond his death: He donated his body to science to help better others’ lives.

A virtual memorial will be held Jan. 15, from 2 to 4 p.m. Central time. RSVP to Nell Taylor at hj.nell.taylor@gmail.com for details.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Read/ Write Library (https://readwritelibrary.org), Housing Forward (https://www.housingforward.org/give), or the charity of your choice.

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

Growing Community Media

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HOURS: 9:00 A.M.– 5:00 P.M. MON–FRI Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 | BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED • NETWORK SPECIALIST Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class.

Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

DEFINITION To perform various network/system administration, computer support, and operational activities for the Village including computer system setup, configuration, and testing.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED Reports directly to the Information Technology Services Director.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES: Essential and other important duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following: Essential duties and responsibilities 1. Ensure that best in class customer service is provided to both internal and external customers and also embrace, support, and promote the Village’s core values, beliefs and culture.

2. Configure, test, and deploy network systems, such as, firewalls, routers, switches, wireless equipment, network servers and storage arrays.

3. Configure, test, and deploy system servers, such as, file, print, Internet, e-mail, database, and application servers.

4. Configure, test, and monitor server and end-user systems for security, such as, user accounts, login scripts, file access privileges, and group policy management.

5. Configure, test, and deploy end-user systems, such as, workstations, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software.

6. Test, configure, deploy, and support security systems, such as, facility access system, video & audio system.

7. Monitor and auditing of networks, systems, and user activities to ensure security and efficiency of systems. Create scripts and reports of detail activities for regular review.

8. Perform and participate in disaster recovery activities, such as, backup procedures, data recovery, and system recovery planning.

9. Assist end-users with computer problems or queries. Troubleshoot systems as needed and meet with users to analyze specific system needs.

10. Ensure the uniformity, reliability and security of system resources including network, hardware,

software and other forms of systems and data.

11. Prepare, create and update user/technical procedure documentations and provide computer training.

12. Assemble, test, and install network, telecommunication and data equipment and cabling.

13. Participate in research and recommendation of technology solutions.

Other important responsibilities and duties 1. Train users in the area of existing, new or modified computer systems and procedures.

2. Participate in the preparation of various activity reports.

3. Travel and support remote facilities and partner agencies.

4. Operate, administer and manage the Village and Public Safety computer systems, including E-911 center, in-vehicle computer systems.

5. Prepare clear and logical reports and program documentation of procedures, processes, and configurations.

6. Complete projects on a timely and efficient manner.

7. Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

8. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

9. Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

QUALIFICATIONS Knowledge of: Principals and procedures of computer systems, such as, data communication, hierarchical structure, backups, testing and critical analysis.

Hardware and software configuration of. computers, servers and mobile devices, including computing environment of Windows Server and Desktop OS and applications, Unix/Linux OS, VMware, iOS/Android.

Network protocols, security, configuration and administration, including firewalls, routers, switches and wireless technology.

Cabling and wiring, including CAT5/6, fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down.

Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, analog, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant.

Principles and methods of computer programming, coding and testing, including power shell, command scripting, macros, and

VB scripts.

Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.

Technical writing, office productivity tools and database packages.

Ability to: Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following: - Walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time - Operating assigned equipment - Lift 50 pounds of equipment, supplies, and materials without assistance - Working in and around computer equipped vehicles Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for: - Making observations - Communicating with others - Reading and writing - Operating assigned equipment and vehicles Maintain mental capacity allowing for effective interaction and communication with others.

Maintain reasonable and predictable attendance.

Work overtime as operations require.

Experience and Training Guidelines Experience: Three years of network/system administration in the public or private sector, maintaining a minimum of 75 Client Workstation computers. AND Training: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in computer science or a related field. Certifications in Microsoft Server Administration, Networking, Applications and Cisco Networking.

Possession of a valid Illinois Driver License is required at the time of appointment.

Vaccination against COVID-19 strongly preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS Work in a computer environment; sustained posture in a seated position for prolonged periods of time; continuous exposure to computer screens; work in and around computerized vehicles outdoor and garage facility; lifting heavy equipment, communication cabling and wiring into walls and ceilings.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HR AND RACIAL EQUITY The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Director of HR and Racial Equity in the Human Resources Department. This newly created position supports the management of activities and operations of the Human Resources Department and collaboratively develops and drives an organization-wide racial equity and social justice strategy, ensuring timely execution of objectives, and continuously monitoring the progress towards reaching milestones.

The incumbent will lead and provide subject matter expertise to the leadership team in the development and implementation of equity initiatives, both internal and external. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http:// www.oak-park.us/jobs.

Position opened until filled.

MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST Part time or Fulltime Medical Receptionist for an OB Gyne Office in River Forest Nye Partners in Women’s Health Please email resume to: yvonne@ nyepartners.com POLICE RECORDS CLERK The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Police Records Clerk in the Police Department. This position will perform a wide variety of specialized clerical duties in support of the Police Department including processing and maintaining documents, correspondence and coding reports; and to provide information and assistance to the public.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.





Tired or bored of clicking away on a keyboard working at home? Manufacturing Keep your hands and mind busy with a fun, safe, clean assembly job. You’d have your own large assembly zone, at least 15-20 feet away from others, so we’re really safe here. Top rated firm Alpina Manufacturing LLC founded in 1992, Oak Park resident owner. Beautiful campus in Galewood, near Mars candy, 3 blocks north of Oak Park. We build and sell display framing systems to customers nationwide including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Circle K gas stations, Hospitals. Full time, Part time, Flex hours for working parents or students. We train, no travel, work in Galewood. Open to any backgrounds. Excellent pay, friendly caring management. Stop in anytime between 7am and 4pm M-F ask for Izzy to apply and check us out. Alpina Manufacturing 6460 W Cortland St Chicago IL 60707

River Forest Public Schools District 90 River Forest Public Schools District 90 is seeking to hire a School Psychologist for a full-time position for grades PreK-4th starting in December 2021. To qualify, candidates must have a valid Illinois Professional Education License with endorsement in School Psychology (PreK-4). A Master’s Degree is preferred as well as 5 years of successful educational experience in both general and special education; and at least five years of successful experience in evaluating students, collaborating, and problem-solving with school and District teams. The right candidate will facilitate MTSS meetings, including individual and grade-level planning meetings.

Integrate D90 practices around equity and inclusivity into daily work and relationships with students, families and colleagues.

Duties include: Completing appropriate psychoeducational assessments for children who have or are suspected of having a disability. Identifying and assessing the learning, development, and adjustment characteristics and needs of individuals and groups, as well as, the environmental factors that affect learning and adjustment. Using assessment data about the student and his/her environment(s) in developing appropriate interventions and programs. Responding to parent and teacher requests for evaluations in accordance with Illinois law and maintaining compliance in accordance with Illinois special education law.

Application Procedure: Interested candidates should complete the online application availableat district90.org.

Starting a New Business?

SANITARIAN The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Sanitarian in the Health Department. This position will perform a variety of duties including education and enforcement activities for the promotion and protection of the public health environment.

Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak- park.us/jobs.

Seasonal Farmers’ Market Manager The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Seasonal Farmers’ Market Manager in the Health Department.

This position manages the Oak Park Farmer’s Market including the vendors that sell directly to the public within established guidelines. This is a part-time seasonal position with work from January-mid November and work required on Saturday’s from May through October. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www.oak-park.us/jobs.

Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Open until filled.

A&A ELECTRIC PART-TIME ELECTRICIAN’S HELPER



Fun, Clean, Picture Frame Assembly JOB

Call for more info.

708-738-3848

Publish Your Assumed Name Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark

Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad!

Call Stacy for details:

773-626-6332

In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | AustinWeeklyNews.com | RBLandmark.com | ForestParkReview.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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

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

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal-opportunity basis.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777.

Wednesday Journal • Landmark • Forest Park Review

38

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

CLASSIFIED

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG RENTALS & REAL ESTATE

MARKETPLACE CARS WANTED

WANTED TO BUY

CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS Restored or Restored or Unrestored Unrestored

Cars Motorcycles Cars & & Vintage Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Import Cars: Cars: Mercedes, Corvette, Mercedes,Porsche, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, MuscleCars, Cars, Ferrari’s,Jaguars, Jaguars, Muscle Mustang && Mopars Mopars Mustang

SUBURBAN RENTALS

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

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

STUDIOS, 1, 2 & 3 BR Best Selection & Service

708-386-7355

MMpropMgmt.com CICERO 3724 S 53RD CT

CEMETARY PLOTS

A beautiful 2 flat in South Cicero off 35th st. Features include 3 bedrooms, central air, garage parking.

Modern appliances include dishwasher. Utilities separate. $1,700 per month plus security. Lease with option to buy possible.

708-383-9223 or 773-676-6805

FOUR PLOTS AT FOREST HOME CEMETERY IN FOREST PARK Located in Garden of the Chapel section. Lot 120-B, section 61, spaces 1,2,3,4. Bronze flush type markers only, per the contract. $600.00 or best offer.

DMCK2740@ATT.NET

OFFICE /RETAIL FOR RENT

Top $$ Etc. $$$$Top $$allallmakes, makes, Etc.

Collector James Collector James 630-201-8122 630-201-8122

RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft.

OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011

CLASSICS WANTED

Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles HOME SERVICES Domestic / Import Cars: HANDYMAN LANDSCAPING ELECTRICAL Mercedes, Porsche,ELECTRICAL Corvette,

Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, A&A ELECTRIC Ceiling Mopars Fans Let anMustang American & Veteran do your work

$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.

Installed

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.

Collector James

630-201-8122

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

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

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

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

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

773-637-0692 Ask for John

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING

HANDYMAN Mike’s Home Repair 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

Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery.

708-848-9404

OAK PARK & FOREST PARK

BRUCE LAWN SERVICE Fall Yard Clean-Up Slit Seeding Bush Trimming Fall Leaf Clean-Up Senior Discount Snow Removal

brucelawns.com

708-243-0571

PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/ Plaster Repair Low Cost 708.749.0011

PLASTERING McNulty Plastering & Stucco Co.

Small & big work. Free estimates.

Complete Plaster, Stucco & Re-Coating Services

708/386-2951 • ANYTIME Work Guaranteed

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

WOODWORK Terry's

ROOMS FOR RENT

Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave.

Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt.

312-212-1212

CITY RENTALS AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS

A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.

Town Center Realty Group LLC

Woodwork Restoration On-site refinishing of wood

and fiberglass since 1977.

Includes doors, woodwork, windows, staircases and new woodwork etc. All work done by hand. NO sanders. Your unfinished project my specialty!

References available.

Contact Terry Seamans at 630-379-7148 or terryseamans@yahoo.com

Reach the people making the decisions.

Place an ad in GCM Classified!

Call 773/626-6332

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed separate bids will be received by the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (the “Board”) for the following project: OAK PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT 97 SD97 - SUMMER 2022 LIFE SAFETY WORK IRVING, HATCH, WHITTIER OAK PARK, IL 60302 BID GROUP 1 – Early Mechanical Equipment Release Bids will be received until 2:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Administrative offices, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302, and will be publicly opened and read at 2:30 p.m.

CST on that date. Bids shall be submitted in an opaque sealed envelope clearly marked: Oak Park Elementary School District 97 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302 Attention: Bulley & Andrews Project: SD97 - SUMMER 2022 LIFE SAFETY WORK Scope of work for Bid Group 1 generally includes, furnish mechanical equipment.

All bids must be submitted in accordance with the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project. Bid security in the form of a bid bond in an amount equal to ten percent (10%) of the base bid amount shall be submitted with the bid. Should a bid bond be submitted, the bond shall be payable to the Board of Education, Oak Park Elementary School District 97, 260 Madison Street, Oak Park, IL 60302. All documents and information required by the bidding instructions contained in the Bidding Documents for the project shall be submitted with the bid. Incomplete, late or non-conforming bids may not be accepted.

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

The Bidding Documents for the project (which include the bidding instructions for the project and other related documents) will be available Wednesday December 15th, 2021 and are available for viewing/download online without cost or purchase on the Bulley & Andrews, LLC One Drive, located at the following link. No username or password is required. https://tinyurl.com/fuy5eare The Board reserves the right to reject any or all bids or parts thereof, or waive any irregularities or informalities, and to make an award that in the Board’s sole opinion is in the best interest of the District.

The site will be available for visits by appointment to be coordinated with Bulley & Andrews, LLC. Interested parties may inspect the existing conditions. Schedule an appointment with Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews in advance if you wish to visit the sites.

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

All bidders must comply with the Illinois Statutory requirements regarding labor, including Equal Employment Opportunity Laws.

For additional information on the project, contact Alex Mantel of Bulley & Andrews, LLC at amantel@bulley.com or 219-6788383.

Dated: 12/13/21 Alex Mantel Bulley & Andrews, LLC Published in Wednesday Journal December 15, 22, 2021

39

BY PHONE: (708) 613-3333 BY FAX: (708) 467-9066 BY E-MAIL: EMAIL@GROWINGCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION DOCKET NUMBER: PC 22-01 HEARING DATE: January 6, 2022 TIME: 7:00 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits LOCATION OF HEARING: The Plan Commission will conduct the public hearing remotely with live audio available and optional video.

The meeting will be streamed live and archived online for on-demand viewing at www.oak-park.us/ commissiontv as well as cablecast on VOP-TV, which is available to Comcast subscribers on channel 6 and ATT Uverse subscribers on channel 99. The remote public hearing is authorized pursuant to Section 7( e ) of the Open Meetings Act. The Village President has determined that an inperson public hearing is not practical due to the COVID-19 outbreak during Governor JB Pritzker’s current disaster proclamation. It is also not feasible to have a person present at the public hearing due to public safety concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Written testimony or comments regarding the application may be provided prior to the start of the public hearing by email to planning@oak-park.us. The individual’s name and a reasonable part of their testimony or comment will be read aloud into the record at the public hearing if received no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the public hearing. If email is not an option, written testimony or comment can be dropped off in the Oak Park Payment Drop Box across from the south entrance to Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, to be received no later than 5:00 PM on January 6, 2022. All written testimony and comments will be distributed to the Plan Commission and made a part of the official hearing record. Those wishing to provide public testimony at the hearing must contact the Village Planner at planning@oak-park.us for instructions on attending the hearing live via Zoom by 5:00 PM the day of the hearing. Interested persons may also participate in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by emailing a completed cross-examination form to clerk@oakpark.us before 5:00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing to sign up.

Individuals who sign up to participate in this manner will receive an email from Village staff with information

about how to join the hearing online through Zoom web-conference means or by phone. Questions regarding written testimony, comment or cross examination may be directed by phone to 708-358.5420 or email planning@oak-park.us SUBJECT PROPERTY ADDRESSES: 201 Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 LEGAL DESCRIPTION: East Avenue: THAT PART OF EAST AVENUE LYING BETWEEN LAKE STREET AND ERIE STREET AND EAST OF LOTS 1 TO 6, BOTH INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 21 OF THE SUBDIVISION OF LOT 21 IN JAMES W. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NO. 450231 AND EAST OF VACATED ONTARIO STREET AND EAST OF LOTS 33 TO 43, BOTH INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 22 OF C.B. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION OF LOT 22 IN JAMES W. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NO. 4779607, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SAID LOT 33, ALSO BEING THE INTERSECTION OF THE WEST LINE OF LINDEN AVENUE WITH THE NORTHERLY LINE OF LAKE STREET; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREE 32 MINUTES 34 SECONDS WEST, ON THE WEST LINE OF SAID EAST AVENUE, 1073.60 FEET TO THE SOUTH LINE OF ERIE STREET; THENCE NORTH 88 DEGREES 18 MINUTES 52 SECONDS EAST ON THE EASTERLY EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH LINE OF ERIE STREET 40.00 FEET TO THE CENTER LINE OF EAST AVENUE; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEGREE 32 MINUTES 34 SECONDS EAST 930.00 FEET ON SAID CENTER LINE TO THE WESTERLY EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH LINE OF LOT 17 IN BLOCK 28 OF THE VILLAGE OF RIDGELAND SUBDIVISION RECORDED MARCH 2, 1872 AS DOCUMENT NO. 16125; THENCE NORTH 88 DEGREES 18 MINUTES 53 SECONDS EAST 40.00 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH THE EAST LINE OF EAST AVENUE; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEGREE 32 MINUTES 34 SECONDS EAST, ON SAID EAST LINE, 150.50 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH THE NORTHERLY LINE OF LAKE STREET;

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: Y21008380 on December 16, 2021 Under the Assumed Business Name of LOFTON SNOW REMOVAL with the business located at: 6127 S. UNIVERSITY SUITE 1058 CHICAGO, IL 60637. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DARRONTE LOFTON 6947 S. NORMAL AVE CHICAGO, IL 60621, USA

at via Zoom: Meeting ID: 923 0250 9713 Password: 709022 Cook County in Courtroom # Cal. 6/ 1707

Published in Wednesday Journal December 22, 29 2021, January 5 2022

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICE OF COURT DATE FOR REQUEST FOR NAME CHANGE STATE OF ILLINOIS, CIRCUIT COURT COOK COUNTY. Request of BABY GRAULAU 2021CONC001674.

There will be a court date on my Request to change my name from: BABY GRAULAU to the new name of: RICARDO LONGORIA The court date will be held: On February 2, 2022 at 10:30am

THENCE NORTH 86 DEGREES 45 MINUTES 18 SECONDS WEST ON SAID EXTENSION, 80.28 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, ALL IN THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. CONTAINING 48964 SQUARE FEET OR 1.124 ACRES, MORE OR LESS Linden Avenue: THAT PART OF EAST HALF OF LINDEN AVENUE LYING BETWEEN LAKE STREET AND ERIE STREET AND WEST OF LOTS 22 TO 32, BOTH INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 22 OF C.B. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION OF LOT 22 IN JAMES W. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NO. 4779607 AND WEST OF LOTS 7 TO 12, BOTH INCLUSIVE, IN BLOCK 21 SUBDIVISION OF LOT 21 IN JAMES W. SCOVILLE’S SUBDIVISION RECORDED AS DOCUMENT NO. 450231 AND WEST OF ONTARIO STREET VACATED PER DOCUMENT NO. 18679926, BOUNDED AND DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF SAID LOT 32, ALSO BEING THE INTERSECTION OF THE EAST LINE OF LINDEN AVENUE WITH THE NORTHERLY LINE OF LAKE STREET; THENCE NORTH 87 DEGREES 56 MINUTES 21 SECONDS WEST, BEING AN ASSUMED BEARING ON THE WESTERLY EXTENSION OF THE NORTHERLY LINE OF LAKE STREET, 17.03 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH A LINE 17.0 FEET WEST OF AND PARALLEL WITH THE EAST LINE OF LINDEN AVENUE; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREE 29 MINUTES 52 SECONDS WEST, ON SAID PARALLEL LINE, 62.76 FEET; THENCE NORTH 25 DEGREES 02 MINUTES 55 SECONDS WEST 16.59 FEET; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREE 32 MINUTES 22 SECONDS WEST 198.50 FEET; THENCE NORTH 20 DEGREES 24 MINUTES 23 SECONDS EAST 18.16 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH A LINE 17.0 FEET WEST OF AND PARALLEL WITH THE EAST LINE OF LINDEN AVENUE; THENCE NORTH 01 DEGREE 29 MINUTES 52 SECONDS WEST, ON SAID PARALLEL LINE, 756.27 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION WITH THE

WESTERLY EXTENSION OF THE SOUTH LINE OF ERIE STREET; THENCE NORTH 88 DEGREES 18 MINUTES 52 SECONDS WEST, ON SAID EXTENSION, 17.00 FEET TO THE EAST LINE OF LINDEN AVENUE; THENCE SOUTH 01 DEGREE 29 MINUTES 52 SECONDS EAST, ON SAID EAST LINE, 1050.70 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, ALL IN THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 7, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 13 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. CONTAINING 19290 SQUARE FEET OR 0.443 ACRES, MORE OR LESS PROPERTY OWNER: Village of Oak Park, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 PETITIONER(S): Fred Preuss, Director of Building and Grounds for Oak Park River Forest High School, School District #200; 201 Scoville Avenue, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 The Petitioner is REQUEST: requesting the vacation of the parcels described above along East Avenue between Lake Street and Ontario Street and along Linden Avenue between Lake Street and Ontario Street for existing use by the Oak Park River Forest School, School District #200 which includes general school use and various sports fields and tennis court use.

A copy of the application and each of the applicable documents are on the Village Website at www.oak-park.us and also on file and available for inspection at the Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, during current business hours, Monday through Thursday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Plan Commission may continue the hearing to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Anyone with questions about the application may contact the Village by phone at 708-358.5420 or by email at planning@oak-park.us.

ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE INVITED TO BE HEARD OAK PARK PLAN COMMISSION Oak Park, Illinois 60302

Published in Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

Published in Wednesday Journal December 8, 15, 22, 2021

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: Y21008331 on December 10, 2021. Under the Assumed Business Name of WORLD TRAVELER EXPERT with the business located at: 1009 FLORENCE AVE, EVANSTON, IL 60202. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: CHAN RICHARDSON 1009 FLORENCE AVE EVANSTON, IL 60202, USA. Published in Wednesday Journal December 22, 29, 2021, January 5, 2022

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF CSMC 2019-RPL11 TRUST Plaintiff, -v.THOMAS P. QUINN, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF VANESSA FUDGE (DECEASED), JOSEPH BERNARDI, VILLA OAKS CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF VANESSA FUDGE, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NON-RECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2021 CH 00225 426 N. HARVEY AVENUE, UNIT #1SE OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 18, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 20, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 030R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate:

Commonly known as 426 N. HARVEY AVENUE, UNIT #1SE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-102-0201008 The real estate is improved with a condominium.

The judgment amount was $29,183.68.

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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

REAL ESTATE FOR 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, 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 313858.

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. 313858 Attorney Code. 43932 Case Number: 2021 CH 00225 TJSC#: 41-2661 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 # 2021 CH 00225 I3183852

The real estate is improved with a single family residence.

The judgment amount was $417,344.71.

Sale terms: 25% down of the highest bid by certified funds at the close of the sale payable to The Judicial Sales Corporation. No third party checks will be accepted. The balance, 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, The sales clerk, LOGS Legal Group LLP Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301, Bannockburn, IL, 60015 (847) 291-1717 For information call between the hours of 1pm - 3pm..

Please refer to file number 19092500.

THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales.

LOGS Legal Group LLP 2121 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 301 Bannockburn IL, 60015 847-291-1717 E-Mail: ILNotices@logs.com Attorney File No. 19-092500 Attorney Code. 42168 Case Number: 19 CH 14891 TJSC#: 41-2041 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiff’s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Case # 19 CH 14891 I3182691

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT - CHANCERY DIVISION HSBC BANK USA, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR MERRILL LYNCH MORTGAGE INVESTORS, INC., MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, MANA SERIES 2007-OAR4 Plaintiff, -v.ELLEN C. SCHNACK, RANDALL C. SCHNACK Defendants 19 CH 14891 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE OAK PARK, IL 60302 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on October 4, 2021, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on January 5, 2022, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker, 1st Floor Suite 030R, Chicago, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 626 NORTH TAYLOR AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-05-319-0080000

Wednesday Journal, December 22, 2021

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From Our Family to Yours,

Have A Wonderful Holiday.

May 2022 Bring Peace, Health, and Happiness.

Alisa Coghill

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The Gagliardo Group is a team of real estate agents affiliated with Compass, a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

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