Issuu

FREE

AUSTINWEEKLY news ■

Vol. 35 No. 2

■

Activists demand an end to gang database,

January 8, 2020

■

austinweeklynews.com

■

Also serving Garfield Park

@AustinWeeklyChi

PAGE 10

@AustinWeeklyNews

St t 2020 with Start ith yoga, page 5

Weed is officially legal in IL

Here’s what that means for you By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

On Jan. 1, cannabis officially became legal in Illinois, but what does that mean for you? Below, we’ve provided a short fact list regarding the new law to help you avoid any confusion or unnecessary trouble (i.e., no, you can’t smoke it in public).

Where can I get legal marijuana? For one, not from an individual. You can only legally buy weed from a licensed dispensary. According to the Chicago Tribune, 37 dispensaries in Illinois that have been approved by the state to sell marijuana to the public were open on New Year’s Day. So far, the Tribune reports, “all 55 medical dispensaries in Illinois were able to apply to also sell recreational cannabis. So far, the state has approved 46 of them to do so, but not all of those will be open to the public Wednesday.” The dispensary to Austin is Seven Point, 1132 Lake Street in Oak Park. For a full list of dispensaries that have been issued licenses to sell marijuana, visit: abc7chicago.com/business/recreational-marijuana-dispensary-same-site-licenses-issued;-7-inchicago/5690215/. But be warned, the lines are sure to be long and the supply is short.

How can I pay for it? According to state Sen. Kimberly Lightford, most dispensaries will not want you to use a credit card. They prefer cash. Remember, even See WEED on page 7

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

BIG DREAMS: Greg Sorg (above left) and architect Bill Scholtens have big plans for the former Jackson Storage warehouse, including space for collectors of vintage cars to display and service their vehicles and luxury condos, whose owners could perhaps enjoy panoramic views of the city’s skyline from a rooftop deck.

Abandoned warehouse to collector’s car club One Oak Park developer’s vision in Austin

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

aniel Burnham is credited with saying, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood.” Oak Parker Greg Sorg of Pioneer Property Advisors seems to have taken the architect and urban planner’s words to heart in his latest venture in real estate development.

Fresh on the heels of the successful turnaround of a once-abandoned bank building-turned-urban brewery at One Lake Brewing on the corner of Lake Street and Austin Boulevard in Oak Park, Sorg has set his sights eastward to a vacant warehouse on Madison Street just east of Austin Boulevard. Once the home of Big O Movers and, before that, the longtime home of Jackson Storage, the building had seen better days

when Sorg decided to take it on. Parts of the roof were missing, the freight elevator was inoperable and then there was the matter of the trash. The building was full of items from abandoned storage lockers. “This is like storage wars on steroids times 1,000,” Sorg said. “There was just abandoned stuff everywhere.” From motorcycles to pinball machines to

State Farm Mutual Automobile • Insurance Company State Farm Indemnity Company • Bloomington, IL • statefarm.com® Larry and his staff are licensed and together have over 75 years of State Farm experience.

See WAREHOUSE on page 8

Larry Williams,Agent 5932 W. Lake Street Chicago, 60644 (773) 379-9010 larry.williams.b0bk@statefarm.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

Homicides down in Austin 2019

Chicago Police Department

District 15

BEAT 2533

BEAT BEAT 2534 2535

Division

Pulaski

Central

BEAT BEAT 2531 2532

Ten fewer killings in 2019 than 2018, data shows

Central Park

BEAT 2512 Armitage BEAT 2513 North

Belmont BEAT 2523 Diversey BEAT 2524 Fullerton BEAT 2525 Armitage

BEAT 2514 BEAT Wrightwood 2521 BEAT 2515 BEAT 2522 Kilborn

Diversey

Kostner

BEAT 2511

Laramie

District 25

Oriole

January 2020 Beat Meetings Harlem

By AustinTalks Partner

BEAT 1132

BEAT 1133

California BEAT 1124 Sacramento

BEAT 1131

BEAT 1123

BEAT 1134

BEAT 1125 Van Buren BEAT 1135

Western

Eisenhower Expressway

Kildare

Van Buren

District 11

Franklin

Homan

BEAT 1113

Springfield

BEAT BEAT 1122 1114 Warren BEAT 1115 Jackson

BEAT 1121 Central Park

Lake

BEAT 1112 Huron

Kedzie

BEAT 1111

Pulaski

Division

Cicero

Roosevelt

CAPS 15th District • Commander Yolanda Talley

5701 W. Madison Ave. Phone: 312-743-1495 • CAPS015District@chicagopolice.org Tuesday, January 7 6:30 PM Beat: 1531 & 1532 Location: West Branch Library, 4856 W. Chicago Ave.

TThursday, January 9 6:30 PM Beat: 1512 & 1523 Location: PCC Wellness Center, 5425 W. Lake St.

Wednesday, January 15 6:30 PM Beat: 1513N Location: 15 th District Community Room, 5701 W. Madison

Wednesday, January 8 6:00 PM Beat: 1522 & 1533 Location: Loretto Hospital, 645 S. Central

Tuesday, January 14 6:30 PM Beat: 1511 & 1524 Location: Hope Community Church, 5900 W. Iowa

Thursday, January 16 6:00 PM Beat: 1513S Location: George R. Clark School, 1045 S. Monitor Ave.

CAPS 25th District • Commander Adnardo Gutierrez

5555 W. Grand Ave. Thursday, January 2 6:30 PM Beat: 2511 Location: Bethesda Home, 2833 N. Nordica

Phone: 312-746-5090 • CAPS025District@chicagopolice.org Wednesday, January 15 Tuesday, January 21 6:30 PM 6:30 PM Beat: 2515 Beat: 2531 Location: St. Stanislaus, 2310 N. Location: 25 th District CommuLorel nity Room, 5555 W. Grand Ave.

Tuesday, January 76:30 PM Beat: 2535 Location: Maternity BVM, 3647 W. North Avenue

Thursday, January 16 6:30 PM Beat: 2533 Location: 25 th District Office Community Room, 5555 W. Grand Ave.

Tuesday, January 7 6:30 PM Beat: 2521 Location: Senior Suites, 2715 N. Cicero

Tuesday, January 21 6:30 PM Beat: 2525 Location: Mozart Park, 2036 N. Avers

Wednesday, January 22 6:30 PM Beat: 2523 Location: St. Joseph, 4021 W. Belmont Tuesday, January 28 6:30 PM Beat: 2513 Location: Amundsen Park, 6200 W. Bloomingdale

CAPS 11th District • Commander Darrell F. Spencer

3151 West Harrison St.Phone: 312-746-9841 • CAPS.011District@chicagopolice.org Thursday, January 2 Tuesday, January 14 Thursday, January 23 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM Beat: 1112-21 Beat: 1124-25 Beat: 1131-32 Location: Sanctuary Place, 642 Location: JLM Abundant Life Location: Eloise McCoy Village N. Kedzie Center, 2622 W. Jackson Apt., 4650 W. Van Buren Tuesday, January 7 6:30 PM Beat: 1111 Location: Brian Piccolo School, 1040 N. Keeler

Thursday, January 16 6:00 PM Beat: 1113,14,15 Location: St. Michael’s MBC, 4106 W. Monroe

Thursday, January 9 6:00 PM Beat: 1122-23 Location: Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park

Tuesday, January 21 6:00 PM Beat: 1133-34 Location: Homan Square Community Center, 3559 W. Arthington

Tuesday, January 28 6:00 PM Beat: 1135 Location: Altgeld Park, 515 S. Washtenaw

There were 47 homicides in Austin in 2019, 10 fewer killings than the previous year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times homicide tracker. All but four of last year’s homicide victims were male, and all but two were African American. The decrease in murders – as well as shootings – on Chicago’s West Side mirrors the rest of the city. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that homicides citywide fell below 500 last year for the first since 2015, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit decreases. The Chicago Police Department said on Jan. 2 that 492 people were killed in 2019, a 13% drop from 567 in 2018 and the fewest since 490 in 2015. Chicago police continue to struggle, how-

ever, with identifying and arresting those responsible for the killings. The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that arrests have been made in just 101 of the city’s nearly 500 murder cases reported in 2019. That’s been an ongoing problem in Austin, as AustinTalks reported in a months-long series in 2013. The other stories in the Forgotten Dead series were: ■ The police and community at odds ■ Nearly a year later, mother still investigating son’s Austin neighborhood murder ■ “I’m still stuck on that day” ■ Imagining life past 20 ■ With Austin’s woes, youth find refuge in Oak Park; “We need people who won’t give up on us”

Chicago’s 2019 murder victims ranged in age from just a few months to 75 years old. In Austin, the youngest murder victim was 15-year-0ld Dovantae Jackson, while the oldest was 57-year-old Ronnie Howard, who was also the last person killed in Austin in 2019. CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com

ART. ASK FOR MORE.

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

AUSTIN WEEKLY news Editor Michael Romain Senior Editor Bob Uphues Contributing Reporters Bonni McKeown, AustinTalks, Igor Studenkov IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher

Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge Front Desk Maria Murzyn, Carolyn Henning ≈

Publisher Dan Haley Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Business Manager Joyce Minich

Columnists Arlene Jones

≈

Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes

HOW TO REACH US 141 S. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 773-626-6332 FAX 708-467-9066 ONLINE www.AustinWeeklyNews.com TWITTER @AustinWeeklyChi

Editorial Designer Mark Moroney Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designer Debbie Becker, Bobbie Rollins-Sanchez Revenue & Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Client Engagement Natalie Johnson Sales & Development Mary Ellen Nelligan

≈ The Austin Weekly News is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. It is distributed free of charge at locations across Austin and Garfield Park. Our hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advertising rates are available by calling our office. Printed entirely on recycled paper. © 2020 Growing Community Media NFP.

GARFIELD PARK LITTLE LEAGUE

“BUILDING BETTER CHILDREN

ONE BASE AT A TIME” For more information or to donate, call us at 773.443.2746

★ Register now at Gpleague.org ★

S W NE

! H S A FL

You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box.

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

City seeks to build affordable housing in Garfield Park

Interested developers should submit applications by Feb. 18 By IGOR STUDENKOV Editor

their’ “ability to expeditiously construct and sell quality affordable single family homes in an urban market.” They would need to show they have the funding and experience to build the projects, as well as “demonstrated community input and support.” The city works with the developers to figure out which lots the housing will be built on. The project map included in the application documents shows that most of the lots are located west of Central Park Boulevard, but there are also multiple lots in the northeastern and southeastern corners of the project area. The size of the lots varies a great deal, as well. The application documents include every single eligible address along with the map. In terms of design, the application suggests that the developers use plans developed by the finalists of the Chicago Housing Policy Task Force’s Disruptive Design competition, though that isn’t required. The plan does require that the houses either be suitable for people with disabilities or have plans that would allow them to be converted into disability-friendly housing further down the line. Developers are also encouraged to use “quality construction materials to minimize energy and maintenance expenses” and have designs that “respect the context of the block and surrounding community.” Once the applications are submitted, they will be reviewed by the city and sent to the

COMMUNITY

The Chicago Department of Housing is looking for developers who can build affordable housing on city-owned lots in several communities, including the northern portions of East and West Garfield Parks. The request for applications is part of the department’s City Lots for Working Families (CL4WF) program. The idea is to sell cityowned lots to developers on the condition that they build single-family homes and/or twoflats that are affordable to residents earning at least 120 percent of the area median income. This particular proposal covers the area between Huron Street to the north, Homan Street to the east, Harding Avenue to the west, and the portions of Kinzie Street and Lake Street along the edges of Garfield Park to the south. Both the developers and the home buyers would get city incentives to decrease the costs, and the homebuyers would have their mortgages increasingly reduced the longer they live on the property. The developer will

be responsible for building the homes and marketing them, but their plans will need to be approved by the city. The developer applications are due by Feb. 18. According to the program’s web page and the application guidelines, each developer will be able to build up to 20 units, with single-family homes counting as one unit and two-flats counting as two units. Only up to 25 percent of those units can be priced at market rate. The rest must be affordable based on the median income within the Chicagoland region. Under the most recent figures provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, that is $74,880 for single-person households and $85,560 for two-person households, with the figures going higher the more members of the household there are. The city will also offer grants to help prospective homeowners cover the difference between the appraised value and the sales price of homes, with neighborhood residents able to get up to $20,000 and homebuyers from outside the neighborhood able to get up to $15,000. Since the city only allocated $60,000 for the grant, there are only so many homebuyers who would qualify for it and the application documents state that the grants will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The developers will be evaluated based on

d a e R . 1 Step le c y c e R . Step 2

File photo

BUILDERS WANTED: A vacant lot on the West Side. The city is looking for developers to build on vacant lots similar to this one. Chicago Plan Commission for consideration. If the commission approves the application, it will then be sent to the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Real Estate. If it clears the committee stage, it will be sent before the full City Council for final approval. While the application documents make no mention of local aldermen having any say in the process, the committees still tend to defer to local aldermen on housing and development issues. Once the construction plans are approved, the developer will have up to 24 months to actually build it. For more information, visit www.chicago. gov/city/en/depts/doh/supp_info/requestfor-applications---city-lots-for-working-families-.html. CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

January 8 -15

BIG WEEK Discuss ‘A Gathering of Old Men’ On Saturday, Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Austin Branch Library, 5615 W. Race Ave., join a discussion of A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines. The event is part of the Soulful Perspectives Adult Book Discussion. A powerful depiction of racial tensions arising over the death of a Cajun farmer at the hands of a black man--set on a Louisiana sugarcane plantation in the 1970s. The Village Voice called A Gathering of Old Men “the best-written novel on Southern race relations in over a decade.” For more info, call Jo Anne Willis at (312) 746-5038 or email jwillis@chipublib.org.

Kick off 2020 right with Yoga On Thursday, Jan. 9, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the North Austin Branch Library, 5724 W. North Ave., get your body moving in a gentle and mindful way in 2020 with Yoga for Every Body. Each weekly yoga class builds upon the next and is perfect for beginners. Bring a towel, a yoga mat (if you have one) and wear comfortable clothes. Registration required. For more info or to register, call (312) 746-4233 or visit the branch. CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

VIEW points

Make 2020 our 20/20

his year marks the 155th anniversary of the end of slavery. It also marks the end of the first score of the 21st century. 2020 should become a clarion call, like perfect 20/20 vision, as the year when every descendant of an enslaved African clearly visualizes their road to success based on their own personal accountability. America has never been perfect. For the descendants of enslaved Africans, the “Make America Great Again” slogan has never been our reality. But even for those who do embrace that slogan as reality, to become the country that America is, it had to fight numerous brother-brother (BB) wars. The American Revolution (1775-1783) had the 13 British colonies fighting against their relatives in Great Britain for independence. The first person to die at the beginning of that war? Crispus Attucks, a black man. The War of 1812 was another BB war: the USA vs the United Kingdom (Great Britain and her allies). The greatest BB war was the Civil War, Union soldiers in the North vs Confederate soldiers from the South. America established slavery. America ended slavery. Although only four months in length, the Spanish-American War of 1898 between Spain and America ended Spain’s colonial rule in the Americas, gave us Puerto Rico as a territory and is another notch on the BB war belt. Through all those conflicts, the lives and blood of black America ran as deep as anyone else who makes claims to it. The majority of the descendants of enslaved Africans have no desire to be anywhere else but here. So as we move into the next decade in our adopted country, it is time we embrace America as our own and move forward.

Proud to partner with Austin Talks

As we take those first steps forward in our 2020-20/20 journey, there are those who are going to be left behind. Just like the BB wars of others, we are going to have one within the black community. Ours will not be a physical fight though. It will be the realization that just because you look like us doesn’t make you one of us. And as we struggle to progress, we must accept the reality that we cannot save those who don’t want to be saved. From the education our children get in school, to the personal education we undertake to move forward in this country, it is a journey we take on collectively, though in truth it is an individual responsibility. There are two things we can do to begin this journey. The first is to reject the criminal behavior of those among us. This is especially important now because with the legalization of marijuana sales by the state, and the taxes coming from it, the police are now authorized to begin to crack down on the competition (aka street level sales). Second is cleaning up the black community from all the detrimental factors that hold us back. I’ll talk about that more in next week’s column.

ARLENE JONES

AUSTIN WEEKLYNEWS Letter to the editor Austin Weekly News, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302

austintalks.org INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING? Contact Dawn Ferencak 708.613.3329

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

Happy New Year!

Growing Community Media

We’ve created a new non-profit with one purpose: to own our four respected and essential community newspapers and, then, to grow independent, sustainable journalism in our seven neighborhoods for the decades to come. That path will surely include printing newspapers and selling all the advertising we can. But we’ll add more digital reporting, more specialized beats, video, podcasts and events. And where’s this new stream of non-profit revenue coming from? From readers and donors in our seven neighborhoods who see the essential value in independent community journalism. Partner with us. Find out more at GrowingCommunityMedia.org

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

WEED

Also, if you rent, your landlord can still tell you not to smoke weed in their building. Colleges can also ban weed on campuses and dorms.

from page 1

Can weed be advertised?

though weed is legal in Illinois, the federal government still considers it illegal, which complicates banking and financial transactions in the industry.

Cannabis establishments can’t advertise their products “in any form or through any medium” within 1,000 feet of places like schools, playgrounds, hospitals, public parks and libraries, according to Maywood’s ordinance. Those businesses are also prohibited from advertising “on or in” public transportation, public transit shelters, and publicly-owned or -operated property. In addition, the advertising cannot be false or misleading, promote excessive consumption or depict anyone under 21 years old using weed.

Basic info

How is it taxed? There are a range of taxes on weed products. The amount of tax depends on the weed product and where it’s sold. Some specialized products are taxed at 25 percent. Municipalities can collect a maximum 3 percent tax on weed products that are sold within their boundaries.

How much weed can I possess? You have to be 21 years or older to possess weed legally. You can have a maximum of 30 grams of weed, five grams of cannabis concentrate, and/or 500 milligrams of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, which is one of the more than 113 cannabinoids identified in cannabis) in edibles (a maximum of 100mg each). “If you are not an Illinois resident, then the possession limit for you is exactly half of what the limits are for Illinois residents,” according to illinoislegalaid.org.

Can I smoke in public? No. Most law enforcement experts will tell you to think about smoking weed the same way you think about drinking alcohol. Alcohol is legal, but you still can’t carry it around in an open container, you can’t drink and drive, etc. All of those prohibitions apply to weed — despite it being legal. Weed is also prohibited in any place where smoking is prohibited under the Smoke Free Illinois Act. And just because weed is now legal, doesn’t mean that your employer can’t fire you for being high at work or for testing you and finding that the drug is in your system.

$60,000. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, up to 75 dispensary licenses will be issued by the state by May 1. Forty-seven of those licenses will be for dispensaries seeking to locate in Cook, DuPage, Will, Kane, Kendall and Grundy counties. For more information on applying for a license, visit the website of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. “If you’re applying for a license, it is very competitive and you have to write your absolute best application,” says Lightford. “In Missouri, 368 licenses were up to be awarded and over 2,000 applications were submitted for those licenses,” Slaughter says. “Oftentimes, the difference between a winner and a loser is a few points.”

Are African American applicants given special consideration?

What if I have a criminal record related to weed? You can have your record expunged, depending on what type of record you have, according to illlinoislegalaid.org. According to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office will automatically expunge your record if you were convicted in the county for possessing 30 grams of weed at least a year ago. All you have to do is wait for the notification to come in the mail. “We’re starting with newer convictions, because those are more easily attainable versus some of the older ones,” Foxx says. “Trying to find some of those older records will take time. If you have an older conviction, [your expungement is] coming.” In the meantime, you can go to the Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court’s website and update your address, if it needs updating.

Can I grow weed at home? No. You can only grow plants if you’re a medical marijuana patient. And even then, you’re only allowed to grow five plants.

What if I want to become a weed retailer or cultivator? According to Kevin Slaughter, with Denver-based Viola Extracts — the country’s

See what all the buzz is about. AustinWeeklyNews.com

Most law enforcement experts will tell you to think about smoking weed the same way you think about drinking alcohol.

largest black-owned marijuana company — “it’s not easy to grow, process and sell cannabis. It’s a very capital intensive business.” For one, the applications for state licenses are expensive. According to Illinois Deputy Governor Christian Mitchell, there’s a nonrefundable application fee of $5,000 for craft growers and a license fee of $40,000. For infusers, the application fee is $5,000 and the license fee is $5,000. For transporters, the application fee is $5,000 and $10,000. For dispensaries, the application fee is $5,000 and

Yes. Additional points are given for various factors, including race. For instance, applicants who agree to employ unionized labor will be given five additional points. The state will also give points to social equity applicants, who are minorities or people looking to do business in areas like Austin that have been disproportionately affected by draconian drug laws. So far, no licenses have been awarded to African American-owned companies, but the state has set aside $30 million to lend money “at low to no interest” to social equity applicants, Mitchell says. Once you’re pre-approved for a license to grow and/or sell weed, “you’ll find real estate, execute not he property and build it out,” Slaughter says. “You’ll need working capital at that point.” And a lot of it. There are all kinds of regulations for operators. For instance, you’ll need make sure your facility is heavily secured. It’s like building a Brinks truck, one expert says. “You won’t become revenue-positive in this [industry] for at least 12 months after you’re granted a license,” Slaughter says. “And that’s aggressive. Often, it’s even longer to get a return on your investment.” CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

WAREHOUSE ‘Is this too far?’ from page 1 household items, the abandoned belongings were everywhere, filling the elevator shaft up the fifth floor. In spite of the trash, Sorg was able to see the potential for the building, which dates to the 1920s. The building was designed by architect George Kingsley, known for designing warehouses, including the Reebie storage warehouse in Chicago with its façade of Egyptian designs. By the time Sorg got his hands on the building, at 5951 W. Madison St., many of the original details had been lost to time, but some original decorative tilework remains on the exterior, and the lobby retains a wooden vestibule adorned with stained glass.

Car club concept While the project is in the very early stages of development, Sorg is not afraid to dream big. A car enthusiast whose own Japanese car collection is substantial, Sorg envisions turning the warehouse into a high-end car club, complete with condominiums, restaurant, and a roof top deck. He sees an opportunity to create something for which there is a demand. His architect, Bill Scholtens of Elements Architecture Work in Oak Park, agrees. “The pendulum is swinging the other way now” Scholtens said. “The digital community is not enough. People want to meet in person and socialize. This kind of space taps into the need people have to get together.” The final details are still being hammered

out, but Scholtens and Sorg envision rehabbing the freight elevator to carry cars to the six floors of the building. The first floor of the building, with its trussed ceiling, will be an event space with room for catering and a lobby-like entry at the front of the building. The second floor might include retail bays or service bays for the car club. Middle floors might house high-end condominiums, and the upper floor will include a bar, lounge and restaurant that will be open to the public as well as car club members. Calling the roof the highlight of the building, Sorg says the plan is to blow out all the east-facing walls to provide a view of the city to for both the condominiums and the restaurant. Another possibility? A helicopter landing pad on the roof. While admitting that the project is “a little more ridiculous” than his previous conversion of a bank into a restaurant, Sorg says there are very few car clubs like this in the country, and the two that he knows of are in New York and Los Angeles. “The question is, is this too far for this area?” Sorg asked, noting that some may label such development as gentrifying rather than improving a neighborhood.

Austin focus A large part of Sorg’s vision is his belief in the West Side of Chicago. While he manages 300 to 400 apartment units in Austin, Sorg’s new focus is on development. After the success of One Lake Brewing, he’s helping develop the Daly Bagel on Oak Park’s east side and sees a lot of opportunity in both the east side of Oak Park and the west side of Austin. One incentive is financial. Sorg points out that storage for his car collection in Melrose Park came with a high property tax bill. Tax-

ALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH: (Top) Panoramic views of the city’s skyline from a rooftop deck. While the old warehouse will need lots of work, sees it as a space for storing classic vehicles (above), and the old building still retains classic features, such as stained-glass windows, decorative tiles and wood trim. es for 10,000 square feet of space in Melrose Park was roughly equal to the tax bill for 65,000 square feet in Austin. He also said that the area is calling out for more development in the way of restaurants and things that will draw people to the neighborhoods and give the people who already live there places to go. “People complain about the lack of parking here, but they don’t complain about it in

Lincoln Park,” Sorg said. “The difference is, there’s things to walk to in Lincoln Park.” Scholtens sees eye to eye with Sorg on his vision. “He’s really committed to that, as am I,” Scholtens said. “Greg has for years been looking east. This has the opportunity to really be one of those anchors of the community with benefits to Oak Park and Austin. Greg has the courage to say, ‘Let’s go in and do this.’”

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

presents A Wednesday Journal & A Tribe Called Aging Production

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

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

LivesWell

Our First Film Event of 2020:

AUDIENCE AWARD SECOND PLACE

MAINE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

OFFICIAL SELECTION

SANTA BARBARA

A film by Sky Bergman

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Lived AUDIENCE AWARD

DOCUTAH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

BEST OF THE FEST

NEVADA CITY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

LIVES WELL LIVED Celebrating the Secrets, Wit and Wisdom of

Age

40 people. 3000 years of collective life experience.

Lives Well Lived | lives-well-lived.com

Admission: $2 • Tickets available PRESS KIT day of event at The Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St, Oak Park Sky Bergman, Filmmaker (805) 215-8684 lives.well.lived@gmail.com

Signature Sponsors

Friday, January 24th

What the heck is the Wabi Sabi Film Festival?

his is a film festival about aging, a film festival for older people, though everyone is welcome to attend. Following the film, stay in your seats; we’ll have an interactive discussion about topics from each film. Every three months we’ll show a different film connected to the theme of aging, followed by interactive discussion. By the way, wabi sabi isn’t the green spicy stuff at the sushi restaurant. It is the Japanese world view that appreciates the beauty of impermanence. As I write in my current blog on the IONS website (noetic.org/blog/aging-is-inherently- noetic/): The Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi is an appreciation of the beauty of impermanence — like the wooden banister in an aging house, stroked by thousands of hands over the years, wobbly, chipped, out of alignment, yet oh so beautiful. Teenagers strive for instant Wabi Sabi by buying already torn and ripped blue jeans, but they fall short. Wabi Sabi takes time, as does reaching our noetic phase of life. And like that aged wooden bannister, older people can be wrinkled and wobbly and still be beautiful people.

Host and moderator, Elizabeth White, author of 55, Underemployed and Faking Normal. Ms. White will introduce the film and facilitate the in-theater interactive discussion following the movie.

Non Profit Patron Sponsors

Oak Park Township/River Forest Township

A TRIBE CALLED

AGING

RSVP & Share at Facebook.com/pg/wednesdayjournalinc/events

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

Groups seek to end CPD’s gang database

Activists have mobilized to remove the database, frustrated by people’s apparent inability to remove their names from it By SUZANNE McBRIDE AustinTalks

The man hoped to become a sheriff ’s deputy. It wasn’t until he submitted his job application that he learned he was one of nearly 200,000 people whose names appear in the Chicago Police Department’s gang database. He was shocked to learn his name appeared in such a database as he had never been in a gang. It’s not clear how the man’s name got added to the database, which the Chicago’s inspector general has found is riddled with errors. The police department doesn’t notify people when their names are added. Perhaps he was pulled over in certain parts of the city, where police automatically enter someone’s names, said Allena Bradley, an organizer with Black Youth 100, one of the groups working to eliminate the database. Others – some as young as 9 years old – have had their names added after a teacher or school resource officer filled out a sheet that ended up going to the police department, Bradley said. And sometimes, information included on contact cards filled out by officers listed gang affiliation that was then added to the database. Most frustrating of all to Bradley and other advocates who want to get rid of the gang database is there appears to be no way for someone’s name to be removed. That has led a local coalition - which includes Beyond Legal Aid, Black Youth 100, Organized Communities Against Deportations and Mijente – to push for a city ordinance to eliminate the database. It’s been “an uphill battle, to say the least,” Bradley said in December at a community meeting in Austin. She and Jacob Cantor, workshop coordinator for Beyond Legal Aid, told attendees that the only way to determine if someone’s name is in the database is to submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the police department. The two walked through the steps. Anyone can send an email to foia@chicagopolice.org asking the police department to run a search of their name and birthdate to see if there are any records indicating the person’s name is included in the database. That’s the only way to determine if someone’s name is in the database, advocates say, because CPD hasn’t set up a process for the public to be informed if they’ve been included.

Cantor said the goal is to get hundreds of people to submit FOIA requests so that CPD sees people want this information. He estimates that about 120 FOIAs have been submitted as of early December, though it’s not clear how many of those people have learned they’re in the gang database. About 95 percent of the estimated 195,000 individuals in the database, which was created in the 1980s, are African American or Latino; that means about 11 percent of Chicago’s black population, 4 percent of its Latino population and just 0.6 percent of the white population is in the gang database, according to the Erase the Database web site. “A lot of people don’t know how big it is, how sprawling it is,” Cantor said. Bradley noted that New York City and Los Angeles have similar databases, but there are fewer people on both of those lists. And some cities, such as Portland, have eliminated their lists. A minister from the South Side had just learned about the Austin meeting – the 11th such FOIA workshop the coalition has held – and decided he needed to attend. He remembers being pulled over and seeing from the back of the police car that the officers had information indicating he was in a gang, that he was a gang leader, and he was considered armed and dangerous.

“That wasn’t my story,” the man said, surmising his advocacy work had led to him to being included in the gang database. “How do we combat this?” One way is to contact aldermen to ask for their support of the proposed ordinance, advocates say. So far, about 11 of the 50 members of the Chicago City Council have signed up, they say. Another way is to submit a FOIA to see if your name is in the database, but there are risks involved in doing that, including: ■ The FOIA request is public, so others can find out you requested the information. ■ If someone has a warrant, they should talk to a lawyer before submitting a FOIA. ■ If someone is undocumented, they should not provide an ID showing their country of origin. ■ In one case, advocates learned that someone on probation who had submitted a FOIA soon had an officer make a visit to their home. ■ Use your personal email rather than your work email so that your employer doesn’t have access to any records you receive from the police department. For more information, you can call Beyond Legal Aid’s hotline at (224) 307-6217. CONTACT: austintalks.org@gmail.com

“The” Friendship BAPTIST CHURCH Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor

5200 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644 773-378-6600

fbcchicago.org • facebook.com/friendshipbcchicago

5118 W. Chicago, Ave. Chicago, IL 60651 - (773) 261-9595

SUNDAY SCHEDULE 8:30AM 1st Sunday Communion 8:30AM Morning Worship Service 9:30AM Sunday Church School 11:00AM Mid-Morning Worship Service MIDWEEK SERVICES (Wednesday) 12:00PM Noon Bible Study 6:00PM Bible Study 7:00PM Prayer Meeting

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

L E T T E R S

Lawmakers send a dangerous message with cannabis legalization What was Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton thinking when she purchased recreational marijuana in Chicago on the first day of its legal sales in Illinois? Does she not understand that as a public official she is setting a reckless and foolish example, especially for children and teens? Illinois policy makers are sending a dangerous message to our young people. First, we called it “medicinal.” Now, we call it “recreational.” Gone are the days of “this is your brain on drugs.” Instead, elected officials like Stratton are celebrating drug use by welcoming the marijuana industry to communities throughout the state. Their feckless example will mislead citizens into a diminished understanding of the dangers of drug use until it affects them personally. As the perception of risk plummets, drug use (and addictions) will climb. Not only have lawmakers failed to do their due diligence before passing this marijuana law, but they have also failed to heed the compelling research that indicates how regular use of marijuana affects young people, including an increased risk of psychiatric illnesses and loss of IQ points. Parents, grandparents, teachers, and religious leaders would do well to counter Stratton’s irresponsible example by returning to the sensible message, “Just say no to drugs.”

— David E. Smith, executive director, Illinois Family Institute

Being average is no longer good enough for Illinois, U.S. schools In a recent column, I noted that most, not all, downstate school districts perform below statewide averages on 11th-grade English and math tests. I didn’t blame anyone, instead noting that performance is inversely correlated to the household incomes within each district; the lower the average incomes, the higher the test scores. Thus it has been since I began looking at these kinds of data decades ago. As downstate school districts tend to be lower in overall household income than their suburban counterparts, scores also tend to be lower. Another purpose was to startle downstaters — parents, community leaders, and school folks — into working harder to become at least average. Nobody likes to think of his community as “below average.” And most folks have been unaware of their situation. But space limitations prohibited me from going further, to write about how Americans across the country appear to be sleepwalking through our own decline when it comes to education. Unfortunately, our grandchildren will pay a steep price for our provincial ignorance. I am still haunted by my introduction to China, now about 15 years ago. (Over the years, I have had three six-week gigs in that country, teaching short courses in American politics to very bright seniors and graduate students at top-tier Fudan University in Shanghai, then giving invited lectures at major universities in Xian, Nanjing, Suzhou, Beijing and elsewhere.) After a night’s sleep upon arrival in Shanghai, I took a walk early the next morning, a Saturday, around the neighborhood of my “foreign experts’ quarters.” On the treelined sidewalk, I noticed youngsters in cute uniforms gathering outside what was obviously an elementary school. I walked on. The next day, I asked my host professor about this. She responded: “Oh, they were going to school. They go to school every Saturday until noon.”

Further, the youngsters stay in the classroom each day an hour longer than do students in the U.S. And for about 35 more days each year, spread across the year, rather than a long summer vacation here, when I am told much learning is lost. Yet, if an Illinois school superintendent and his/her board recommended Saturday classes, I imagine there would be riots in the streets. In China, if a school decided against Saturday classes, I am told parents would rebel and demand there be such, as they insist upon everything possible for their children’s education, and future. When I was going to elementary school post-World War II, the rest of the developed globe was prostrate, leveled in many places by the conflict. Untouched, America boomed, providing what the world needed. So, we could afford an easy-going school calendar. No longer. With four times our population, China is already racing ahead of us in some fields. It appears an open secret that the U.S. is trying to hobble China tech giant Huawei at least in part because that company has leapt ahead of the U.S. on critical 5G-speed digital technology. Our school kids have to do a lot better than “average”; otherwise they will be working for Asian executives one day. Sure, China has many problems, such as the long-term consequences of its one-child policy, now abandoned, and its oppressive government system. Yet, we would be foolish to bank on China being slowed by such. I fear my scribblings of concern will be discarded by those who prefer the comfort of not rocking the boat. And I blame all of us, from leaders — afraid to buck public backlash against any dramatic efforts to boost our education outcomes — to the public, unwilling to, or ignorant of, the challenges we face. Now, how’s that for a rant!

— Jim Nowlan, columnist

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

For more information, please contact Dawn Ferencak at 708.613.3329 | dawn@austinweeklynews.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

Winter Education Enrichment Gui de 2020 P arents in the Austin neighborhood are looking right now to find the right school for their children. The Austin Weekly

News, as the most widely read community newspaper in Austin, can help your school reach out to those families...throughout the year!

Publish Date: January 22, 2020 Ad deadline Friday, January 19 Available Sizes

1/4 PAGE AD plus 380 word story 5 x 5.6

1/2 PAGE AD plus 780 word story 10.25 x 5.6

FULL PAGE AD plus photo & 1200 word story 10.25 x 11.3

To reserve space or for more information, please contact Dawn Ferencak at (708)613-3329 | dawn@oakpark.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

deadline: 9:30 am Monday office hours: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday

CLASSIFIEDS TO PLACE AN AD HELP WANTED NETWORK SPECIALIST The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Network Specialist in the Information Technology Department. The ideal candidate will need to be knowledgeable and capable to apply the principles 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 enviornments 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 fiber network, telephone, serial communication, termination, and punch-down. Telecommunications theory and technology, including VoiP, serial communication, wireless protocols, PBX, fax, voicemail and auto-attendant. Interested and qualified applicants can visit our website at http://www.oak-park.us/ for more details.

SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE NEW CONCEPT FOR MAYWOOD In this quiet residential neighborhood

902 S. 3RD AVENUE (2 blks W of 1st Ave & 1 blk N of Madison)

Reserve your own affordable 2 or 3 BR condo unit of 1000+ sq ft of living space being built on this historic site. You’ll benefit from a unique 12 year tax freeze and lower monthly living expenses from energy saving systems/appliances, and you can help design your own individual unit. Plans also include building 5 new townhomes onsite. For details Call 708-383-9223.

CALL: 773-626-6332 | FAX: 708-467-9066 | E-MAIL: classifieds@AustinWeeklyNews.com Place your ad online anytime at AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM/CLASSIFIED SUBURBAN RENTALS Apartment listings updated daily at:

AUSTIN CLEAN ROOM With fridge, micro. Nr Oak Park, Super Walmart, Food 4 Less, bus, & Metra. $116/2k and up. 773-637-5957

COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACE RETAIL SPACE--FOR LEASE A 1600 Sq Ft. Retail Space for Lease in Strip Mall: 321 S. Harlem Ave., Forest Park, IL. 60130. Vacated. Available Now. Upgraded. Formerly a Cleaners. End space. Heavy foot/road traffic area. 45-Space Parking Lot! For more details: Serious Inquiries ONLY: EMAIL: poppygator@yahoo.com CALL/ TEXT: PB at: (708)250-7997

CITY RENTALS APARTMENT FOR RENT 5400 W BLK GLADYS 2 bedroom apt w 1/bath 2nd floor of 2 flat building in Austin area. $1200/ mo. + 1 mo. security. Avail Feb. 1. Call 773-576-5122 fredb60615@gmail.com AUGUSTA & HARDING Beautiful 2-bedroom condo-like apt, in a sunny, safe, secure 8 unit bldg. Large newly tiled kitchen & bath, hardwood floors, central air, appliances included, tenant pays utilities, rent $830.00, for more information call 773-838-8471.

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

Selling your home By Owner? Advertise here. Call 773-626-6332

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 AustinWeeklyNews.com

ELECTRICAL

CHEST OF DRAWERS & DRESSER WITH MIRROR $65.00 each. Dust proof drawers. Blonde finish. 708-848-8755 SHEARLING COAT Brown shearling coat w/ attached hood. $125.00 708-848-8755

CLASSIC PAINTING

FREE SERVICE CALL WITH REPAIR AND SENIOR/VETERAN DISCOUNT.

708-785-2619 or 773-585-5000 ELECTRICAL

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

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

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

WINDOWS

Cold rooms, we have the solution!

Our acrylic storm window inserts will make your rooms warmer, and reduce outside noise

THERAPY OFFICES FOR RENT Therapy offices for rent in north Oak Park. Rehabbed building. Nicely furnished. Flexible leasing. Free parking. Free wifi; Secure building; Friendly colleagues providing referrals. Shared waiting room; optional Conference. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays. Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

ITEMS FOR SALE

HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT

Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

WANTED TO BUY

Ceiling Fans Installed

PAINTING & DECORATING

Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges • Ovens Washer • Dryers Rodding Sewers

Find your new apartment this Saturday from 10 am – 4pm at 35 Chicago Avenue. Or call us toll free at 1-833-440-0665 for an appointment.

ROOMS FOR RENT

HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING

Easy press fit from the inside

We can make for exterior or interior or both, any size to fit your window. No need for expensive window replacement, low cost local install or DIY. Direct from manufacturer, we’re right up the street in Galewood, see our factory video. Owner is an Oak Park resident since 2008. Call for a simple, free estimate, fully guaranteed or your money back BBB A+ rating.

sales@stormsnaps.com Alpina Manufacturing, 6460 W. Cortland St. Chicago Visit our website for easy online ordering or call us for info:

773-202-8887 STORMSNAPS.COM ®

free local delivery

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

PUBLIC NOTICES Notice Invitation to Bid to METROPOLITAN WATER RECLAMATION DISTRICT OF GREATER CHICAGO Sealed proposals, endorsed as below, will be deposited in the sealed bid depository located in the lobby of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Administration Building, 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, from the date of the Invitation to Bid, up to 11:00 A.M. on the bid opening date, and will be opened publicly by the Director of Procurement and Materials Management or her designee at 11:00 A.M. on the stated bid opening date below for: CONTRACT 20-655-11 MANHOLE AND INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIRS Estimated Cost: $600,000.00 Bid Deposit: None Bid Opening: February 4, 2020 ***************************************** The above is an abbreviated version of the Notice - Invitation to Bid. A full version which includes a brief description of the project and/or service can be found on the District’s website, www.mwrd. org; the path is as follows: Doing Business  Procurement and Materials Management  Contract Announcements. Specifications, proposal forms and/ or plans may be obtained from the Department of Procurement & Materials Management, Room 508, 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611, Monday - Friday, between 8:45 A.M. and 4:15 P.M. Documents, unless stated above to the contrary, will be mailed in response to a fax request (312/7513042). No fee is required for the contract documents unless stated above. Chicago, Illinois January 8, 2020 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago By Darlene A. LoCascio Director of Procurement and Materials Management Published in Austin Weekly News 01/08/2020

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION US BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST, ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-HE4; Plaintiff, vs. REOLA JERNIGAN; MIDLAND FUNDING LLC; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; UNKNOWN HEIRS AND LEGATEES OF ROBERT LEE JERNIGAN AKA ROBERT L. JERNIGAN, DECEASED; CONSTANCE JERNIGAN; THOMAS P. QUINN, AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF ROBERT LEE JERNIGAN AKA ROBERT L. JERNIGAN, DECEASED; Defendants, 18 CH 5964 Calendar 56 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Friday, February 7, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-02-302-019-0000. Commonly known as 1119 North Springfield Avenue, Chicago, IL 60651. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-010728 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3141427

as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-04-128-005-0000. Commonly known as 1245 North Lockwood Avenue, Chicago, IL 60651. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a single family residence. If the subject mortgaged real estate is a unit of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by subsection (g-1) of Section 18.5 of the Condominium Property Act. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. The property will NOT be open for inspection. For information call Sales Department at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Manley Deas Kochalski, LLC, One East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601. (614) 220-5611. 18-030016 F2 INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3141562

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC DBA MR. COOPER; Plaintiff, vs. ROBIN CONNER; Defendants, 18 CH 13822 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, February 10, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash,

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION CITIMORTGAGE, INC. Plaintiff, -v.CAROLYN BOYD, PATRICIA A. AKERS, HSBC- ELMHURST, MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 2017 CH 13496 3003 WEST FULTON STREET CHICAGO, IL 60612 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 6, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 10, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3003 WEST FULTON STREET, CHICAGO, IL 60612 Property Index No. 16-12-309-0130000 The real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. 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 twentyfour (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

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS (773) 626-6332 | FAX: (708) 467-9066 | E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM Let the sun shine in...

Public Notice: Your right to know In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year AustinWeeklyNews.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit

at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-17-14678 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2017 CH 13496 TJSC#: 39-7269

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 # 2017 CH 13496 I3142021

est 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 twentyfour (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. Where a sale of real estate is made to satisfy a lien prior to that of the United States, the United States shall have one year from the date of sale within which to redeem, except that with respect to a lien arising under the internal revenue laws the period shall be 120 days or the period allowable for redemption under State law, whichever is longer, and in any case in which, under the provisions of section 505 of the Housing Act of 1950, as amended (12 U.S.C.

1701k), and subsection (d) of section 3720 of title 38 of the United States Code, the right to redeem does not arise, there shall be no right of redemption. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/18.5(g1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file, CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Plaintiff’s Attorneys, 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE

100, BURR RIDGE, IL, 60527 (630) 794-9876 THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE IL, 60527 630-794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-19-05820 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 2019 CH 08979 TJSC#: 39-7350 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 # 2019 CH 08979 I3142015

AND KNOWN AS THE WILLIE C. GRIMES DECLARATION OF TRUST; WILLIE C. GRIMES INDIVIDUALLY; UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS; Defendants, 18 CH 5711 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above entitled cause Intercounty Judicial Sales Corporation will on Monday, February 10, 2020 at the hour of 11 a.m. in their office at 120 West Madison Street, Suite 718A, Chicago, Illinois, sell at public auction to the highest bidder for cash, as set forth below, the following described mortgaged real estate: P.I.N. 16-04-416-001-0000. Commonly known as 5117-25 W. AUGUSTA BLVD., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60651. The mortgaged real estate is improved with a multi-family residence. The successful purchaser is entitled to possession of the property only. The purchaser may only obtain possession of units within the multiunit property occupied by individuals named in the order of possession. The property may be made available for inspection by contacting Jim Paul at (815) 469-3800. Sale terms: 10% down by certified funds, balance, by certified funds, within 24 hours. No refunds. For information call Mr. Michael B. Bregman at Plaintiff’s Attorney, Clark Hill PLC, 130 E. Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois 60601. 312-3602125. INTERCOUNTY JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION Selling Officer, (312) 444-1122 I3141640

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST Plaintiff, -v.HUBERT HURD, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Defendants 2019 CH 08979 3949 W MONROE ST CHICAGO, IL 60624 NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered in the above cause on November 7, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on February 10, 2020, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at a public sale to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 3949 W MONROE ST, CHICAGO, IL 60624 Property Index No. 16-14-102-0020000 The real estate is improved with a residence. Sale terms: 25% down of the high-

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT CHANCERY DIVISION PROXY INVESTMENTS LLC 5117-25 AUGUSTA SERIES AN ILLINOIS LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY AS ASSIGNEE OF URBAN PARTNERSHIP BANK, AS ASSIGNEE OF THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION AS RECEIVER FOR SHOREBANK; Plaintiff, vs. WILLIE C. GRIMES AS TRUSTEE UNDER TRUST AGREEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 9, 2005

Growing community Explore your community at www.austinweeklynews.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS (773) 626-6332 | FAX: (708) 467-9066 | E-MAIL: CLASSIFIEDS@AUSTINWEEKLYNEWS.COM

live local?

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

work local. Find your local job here!

On Austin Weekly News’ Local Online Job Board.

Search our ads today at AustinWeeklyNews.com/classified

To place an ad, contact Mary Ellen Nelligan (708) 613-3342 • maryellen@oakpark.com

Austin Weekly News, January 8, 2020

Candi Carter is a sought-after speaker who blends compelling storytelling with wit, warmth, humor and expertise. As the Executive Producer of The View with more than 25 years experience producing awardingwinning television under her belt, Candi brings a wealth of experiences and knowledge to share with a variety of audiences.

Candi Carter

Saturday, February 1 n 7pm

Dominican University Performing Arts Center Tickets: $15 • oakpark.com/conversations • $5 Student* Moderated by Susy Schultz Museum of Broadcast Communications

Get your tickets now. Student tickets will only be available at the Dominican box office, the night of the event. Student ID will be required for discount.

Sponsors: $5 Discount for WJ Readers • OakPark.com/conversations • Promo code: WJsub