APRIL 12, 2023
Vol. VII No. 15
Late flip in race for third D209 school board seat
Crucifixion Crossroad
Barbahen passes incumbent Kelly as mail-in ballots are tallied By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ
FREE
Staff Reporter
As of the afternoon of April 10, Jennifer Barbahen has taken a 9-vote lead over incumbent Theresa Kelly for the last seat on the Proviso Township High School District 209 school board, as mail-in ballots continue to come in, shifting the unofficial results from Election Night, which had put Kelly in the lead and in that third seat. As of 3:52 p.m. on Monday afternoon, the latest numbers put Barbahen in the lead with 4,801 votes to Kelly’s 4,792 votes, a 9-vote difference. On Election Night, Village Free Press reported that Barbahen received 4,539, 14.71%, of votes cast, losing the third spot she had held for most of the night to incumbent Kelly, who received 4,619 votes, 14.97%. As of the morning of April 10, as mail-in votes were slowly added, Barbahen had received 4,674 votes, 14.80%, putting her only 44 votes behind Kelly, who had received 4,718 votes, 14.93%. “We are still very hopeful that the mail-in votes will lean in my favor so that the original mission of the three of us reforming the school board will come to fruition,” Barbahen said. Kelly said she would not provide a comment until official results have been declared by county election officials. According to Frank Herrera, director of comSee D209 ELECTIONon page 8
PHOTO: FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ
The Crucifixion of Jesus is reenacted at Stevenson Park, Bellwood, on Friday, April 7. by the local World Deliverance Jesus Christ was dramatized up until Bishop Thomas A. Clark nized Christian Center and Bellwood Mayor his resurrection, when the risen Jesus Harvey. Christ joined children and adults in a hopes his local Christian Andre Community members reenacted cheerful celebration claiming, “God’s the Way of the Cross, starting with a Not Dead.” church is creating a car procession where a man portrayBishop Thomas A. Clark said World ing Jesus Christ was escorted by men Deliverance Christian Center, the tradition that attracts portraying Roman soldiers on an open church he leads, hopes to build this anU-Haul vehicle. Dozens of faithful con- nual event into a tradition that is dearly hundreds to the Bellwood gregants followed on foot and by car expected by Proviso community memholding “God’s Not Dead” signs. bers, bringing them to Bellwood every community every year The procession started at Butterfield year.
By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter
On Good Friday, the streets of Bellwood saw a dozen cars caravan for the annual Cross of Christ parade orga-
Road and Bohland Avenue, heading west until reaching Bellwood Avenue where it went south until turning east on Washington Boulevard, ending at Stevenson Park, 3105 Washington Blvd. At Stevenson Park, the crucifixion of
After the reenactment, free Easter baskets and food were provided to attendees, while Cook County health officials offered free COVID-19 vaccines. See CROSS OF CHRIST on page 6