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February 27 2019 Vol. 39, No. 29 ONE DOLLAR @oakpark @wednesdayjournal

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

OPRF falls in state final to Montini Sports, page 48

D200 board, teachers approve new contract Agreement eliminates steps and lanes, extends school day By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

The Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 Board of Education and the OPRF Faculty Senate have agreed on a new four-year contract that is drastically different than any approved in the past. The District 200 school board voted 6-0 (board member Craig Iseli was absent) to approve the contract during a special meeting on Feb. 19 — roughly a year after the two entities began negotiations. The new contract is retroactive to July 1, 2018, when the old deal expired, and runs through June 20, 2022. The most significant feature of the new contract is a radically altered salary structure, which eliminates the conventional step-raise and lanes system many school districts use to calculate teachers’ salary increases. The measure comes four years after District 97 eliminated its steps and lanes structure. Under the old, conventional salary structures, OPRF teachers were given a step salary increase for each additional year of employment, in addition to a yearly percent increase in salary that was negotiated, officials said. The old contract’s eight lanes, officials added, “provided salary increases for every 15 adSee CONTRACT on page 16

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

SPEAK UP, STAND OUT: High school and middle school students in Oak Park participate in a Feb. 26 walkout that has prompted a range of questions, such as ‘When is protest appropriate?’

OPRF protest march prompts questions Feb. 26 demonstration forces organizers, officials to ask: When is action appropriate? By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

On a frigid Tuesday morning, a bundledup crowd of at least 400 students — some wearing black hoodies with the slogan, “We Are Trayvon,” and adorned with the face of the 17-year-old who was fatally shot

in Sanford, Florida, by George Zimmerman in 2012 — walked out of Oak Park and River Forest High School in what might be the one most complicated acts of studentled protest in the village’s recent history. The students exited OPRF’s main entrance, walked south on Scoville Avenue toward Lake Street and headed south on

WOW!

Education, Enrichment & Camp Fair

Ridgeland Avenue toward Julian Middle School. There, approximately 300 seventhand eighth-graders (according to District 97’s count) joined the demonstrators as they headed to the Oak Park police station. Outwardly, the protest appeared typiSee PROTEST on page 16

Tuesday, March 12, 4 - 7 pm Julian Middle School Cafeteria Parents, find the perfect fit for your child at our Enrichment & Camp Fair! A FREE event!

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Ending Polio is just the beginning.

Local Rotarians Jamie Escobar, MD, Nabil Saleh, MD, Mary Ann Bender, DPM, and Rotary Youth Exchange student from France, Aurelie Laurent pose with an Iron Lung in the Rotary traveling Polio exhibit.

For decades Rotary has been fighting the battle against polio. Thanks to the ongoing support of hundreds of thousands of Rotarians around the world, we are on the verge of eradicating the scourge once and for all. But it doesn’t stop there. Whether we’re funding a medical clinic in a small village in Peru, or volunteering at an Austin nonprofit, your local Oak Park – River Forest Rotary Club is actively engaged in promoting health and building community. And we’ve been doing it for 100 years.

Come join us and find out how your local action can have global impact! Call Amanda Young at 312.307.2201 or visit OPRFRotary.org.

Local Action, Global Impact

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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I N S I D E

R E P O R T

Three student films take home prizes Three River Forest elementary and middle school students will show their work—and take home awards—at the 2019 One Earth Film Festival, an environmental film festival that will screen the entries at 11:30 a.m. on March 2 at the Gene Siskel Center, 164 N. State St. in Chicago. Reserve tickets at oneearthfilmfest.org. Andrew Edwards, an eighth-grader at Roosevelt Middle School, won first place in the middle school category for “The Turmoil of Palm Oil,” a six-minute film that urges consumers to buy sustainable palm oil. He plans to donate his $200 prize to The Orangutan Project, a nonprofit working to save orangutans in locations where new plantations remove their habitat. “I believe that palm oil harvesting will lead to the extinction of the orangutans if it continues … if everyone helps out in situations like these we can together make a difference,” Edwards said in a statement. Lily Kelps, a third-grader at Lincoln Elementary School, received an honorable mention for her film “What a Waste!” an eight-minute about the problem of and solutions to food waste. “I want people to know that wasting

food is a bad habit. I chose this topic because wasting food is also wasting water, land, and energy,” Kelps said in a statement. Tori Robinson-Thomas, a sixth-grader at Grace Lutheran School, also received an honorable mention for “Our Water Crisis,” a nearly four-minute film about water conservation among companies and consumers. “We cannot make new water,” Robinson-Thomas said in her film. The students entered their films through the One Earth Young Filmmakers category, which aims to include work produced by young filmmakers in grades three through college. A record 157 students submitted films to the contest this year, with movies coming from as close as River Forest to as far as Hawaii. The One Earth Film Festival is organized by Green Community Connections, a volunteer sustainability group that focuses on Oak Park and River Forest. “There were so many strong films that we felt we had to recognize them in some way,” Sue Crothers, founding director, said in a statement.

Andrew Edwards

Lily Kelps

Nona Tepper

Nonprofit in running for major cash A nonprofit based in Austin, which has a presence in Oak Park, and that has helped young mothers for more than 35 years, is up for a big-time grant. New Moms is one of 15 finalists for The Renewal Rewards, a $20,000 grant from The Atlantic magazine and Allstate, that will be awarded to five

Tori Robinson

organizations to celebrate innovative nonprofits across the nation. “It is such an honor to be counted as one of the 15,” said Jenna Hania, director of development and communications for New Moms. “We are really excited to be given this platform to share about the work that we

are doing (to) highlight the importance of investing in moms and children so we can make sure family units are growing in a strong way.” The public can vote online until 8 p.m. on March 1. New Moms is one of two Chicago groups on the finalist list; the other is the Healthy Schools Campaign. There were 9,300 nominations nationally and 680 in Illinois. Hania said when she first started at New Moms four years ago, the program served about 400 children and mothers — none older than 24 years of age — each year. That number has since doubled. New Moms gives participants the foundational skills that will help them in their family and professional lives. “Every mother who comes into the program is categorized as living in extreme poverty; 98 percent of all mothers coming into the program are 200 percent below the federal poverty line.”

Max Harris DAmato Austin Talks

D90 Caucus weighs in

The District 90 Caucus — a diverse group of more than two dozen River For-

est residents — has issued endorsements for the upcoming April election, where eight candidates are running for three vacant seats on the River Forest District 90 board of education. “They’re best for the community,” said Jennifer Nelson, chairperson of the caucus, about their choices. The caucus endorsed incumbent Rich Moore, an educator and school administrator; Cal Davis, a safety manager who previously served on the D90 board; Katie Avalos, administrative manager for a local interfaith organization; and architect Hui Kang. Yes, that’s four endorsements for three seats. Maybe there was a tie. The caucus interviewed each candidate for 20 minutes before making their endorsements. The 23-member group then held a silent vote over who to endorse. Because it was a silent vote, Nelson said she was unable to provide specifics on why each candidate was chosen. The D90 Caucus comprises 23 individuals who represent the three public schools in River Forest. Individuals must apply to the group; having children in the schools is not a criterion to be a member.

Nona Tepper

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Feb. 27 - March 6

BIG WEEK The Continuing Mission Reception Thursday, Feb. 28, 5 to 7 p.m., Lower Level Gallery, West Suburban Medical Center: Meet artist Rob Hogan and see his paintings. Exhibit through April 15. 3 Erie Ct., Oak Park.

Scott Joplin Concert Sunday, March 3, 4 to 6 p.m., Pleasant Home: Pleasant Home Foundation and members of The Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest bring an evening of toe-tapping ragtime. $20; $15, members. Tickets/more: pleasanthome.org/ program-a-events/scott-jop-lin-2018. 217 Home Ave., Oak Park.

Author Events Redlined: A Memoir of Race, Change, and Fractured Community in 1960s Chicago Sunday, March 3, 2 to 4 p.m., Veterans Room, Main Library: Author Linda Gartz exposes the racist mortgage laws that ravaged a Chicago community in the 1960s, based on long-hidden letters and diaries. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago Monday, March 4, 7 p.m., Performing Arts Center, Dominican University: See New York Times Bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz as he addresses violence in Chicago with his new book, chronicling one summer and the stories of individuals who have emerged from the violence. Presented by The Book Table. $33, includes book. Tickets: booktable.net/ AlexKotlowitz. 7900 Division St., River Forest.

Authors on Tap: Maryse Meijer Tuesday, March 5, 7 p.m., Beer Shop: Meet with the Chicago writer as she talks about her debut story collection Heartbreaker. She is joined by Javier Ramierez, The Book Table’s store manager and founder of the Authors on Tap. 1026 North Blvd., Oak Park.

Dancewear Drive for Cuba Now until March 8, Academy of Movement and Music: Most Cuban dancers don’t have necessary dancewhere so MOMENTA students are collecting pointe and ballet shoes, tights, leotards, dance shorts and skirts to take to Cuba. Bring new or gently used items to the collection bin in the front hall. Questions: senajera@yahoo.com. 605 Lake St., Oak Park.

Day Nursery Benefit Thursday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m., Trattoria 225: Sip wine and support the Day Nursery’s early childhood center, which prepares children to be 100% kindergarten ready. Includes silent auction, heavy appetizers, two wine tickets and more. $75. Tickets: oprfdn. z2systems.com/np/clients/oprfdn/eventRegistration. jsp?event=29&. 225 Harrison, Oak Park.

One Earth Film Festival: “Tawai: A Voice from the Forest” Sunday, March 3, 4 to 7:15 p.m., Unity Temple: Explorer Bruce Parry travels the world to learn from people living in the jungles of Malaysia to the tributaries of the Amazon. Come and reconnect with nature and be inspired to slow down. Live video Q&A with Parry and a cocktail reception follows the film. $20. Tickets/more: oneearthfilmfest.org/ special-events-2019/tawai-a-voicefrom-the-forest. One Earth Film Festival runs March 1 through 10. For additional films: oneearthfilmfest.org/films-bydate. 875 Lake St., Oak Park.

Jazz Thaw Saturday, March 2, 3 to 10 p.m., Downtown Oak Park: Featuring 13 jazz performances inside 11 restaurants, come “sip, sizzle and swing” to free live music with the option to order from the host restaurant’s menu. Presented by 90.9FM WDCB and Downtown Oak Park. Locations, times and artists: downtownoakpark.net/ jazz-thaw.

Happy Hour Mind Boggles: Are We More Peaceful? Thursday, Feb. 28, 5:30 p.m., Nineteenth Century Club: Join University of Chicago Assistant Professor Paul Poast who discusses Steven Pinker’s The Better Angels of our Nature. $15; free, members. Cash bar. 178 Forest Ave., Oak Park.

Tasting for a Cause Tuesday, March 5, 7 to 9 p.m., L!ve Café: Sample five wines from women-owned, ethicallysourced harvests and enjoy one full glass. Includes small bites and music. Hosted by First United Methodist Church. Proceeds benefit Chicago Night Ministry, which works to provide housing, health care and human connections to those struggling with poverty or homelessness. $25. Tickets: bit.ly/tastingforacause or at the door. Questions: 708-3834983. 163 N. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park.

Election 2019 Monday, March 4, 7 to 9 p.m., Pilgrim Congregational Church: Meet and question the candidates running for Oak Park & River Forest High School District 200. Hosted by Oak Park Property Tax Watch. 460 Lake St., Oak Park. Tuesday, March 5, 7 to 9 p.m., Pilgrim Congregational Church: Meet and question Oak Park Village Board and Park District of Oak Park candidates. Hosted by Oak Park Property Tax Watch. 460 Lake St., Oak Park. Thursday, March 7, 7 to 9 p.m., Buzz Café: Hear from River Forest School District 90 candidates and ask them questions. 905 S. Lombard, Oak Park. Saturday, March 9, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Foxboro Room, Carleton Hotel: The Democratic Party of Oak Park hosts a Village Candidate Meet and Greet. 1110 Pleasant, Oak Park. Monday March 11, 6:30 to 8:45 p.m., Oak Park Library: Attend a candidate forum for OP Park District and Oak Park School District 97 candidates hosted by The League of Women Voters. 834 Lake St., Oak Park. Thursday, March 14, 7 to 9 p.m., Buzz Café: Hear from Oak Park School District 97 candidates and ask them questions. 905 S. Lombard, Oak Park. Tuesday, March 19, 7 to 9 p.m., Buzz Café: Hear from Village of River Forest candidates and ask them questions. 905 S. Lombard, Oak Park. Tuesday, March 19, 7 to 9 p.m., Oak Park Library: Attend a candidate forum for D200 School Board candidates hosted by The League of Women Voters. 834 Lake St., Oak Park. Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m., Irving School: The Southeast Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO) hosts an OP Village Trustee candidate forum. 1125 S. Cuyler Ave., Oak Park. Wednesday, March 20, 7 to 9 p.m., Auditorium, Roosevelt Middle School: Attend a candidate forum for the River Forest Park District and D90 School Board. Hosted by the League of Women Voters and the RF Civic Association. 7560 Oak Ave., River Forest. Thursday, March 21, 7 to 9 p.m., Buzz Café: Hear from Village of Oak Park candidates and ask them questions. 905 S. Lombard, Oak Park. Tuesday, March 26, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Percy Julian Middle School: Attend a candidate forum for Oak Park Village Trustee candidates hosted by The League of Women Voters. 416 S. Ridgeland, Oak Park.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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ART BEAT Trade the winter blahs for the razzle-dazzle of ‘Chicago’

Photo by Lena Henry

By DOUG DEUCHLER

dethroned by Roxie Hart, a self-absorbed showbiz wannabe, portrayed by Cait Egan, who shoots her lover when he attempts to ach year, just as winter begins to feel walk out on her. A rivalry forms between interminable, Oak Park and River For- these two women on Death Row because est High School mounts their annual they share Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy big musical in the Auditorium. This Flynn. The dapper, hotshot attorney, played year’s production, the award-winning by Colin Lonergan, is particularly good in 1975 Broadway hit Chicago, is guaranteed to the number “All I Care About Is Love.” Roxie is married to a naïve, faithful chump razzle-dazzle audiences. Directed by Michelle Bayer, this show is nobody pays attention to who is played by exceptional. It’s full of thrilling dancing, ex- Declan Collin. He laments his chronic invishilarating staging, and strong performanc- ibility by singing “Mr. Cellophane.” The original production showcased the es. It’s a guaranteed good time. Of course, if you’re familiar with the ma- iconic choreography of Bob Fosse. But the terial, you know it’s a bitter, heartless show dancing in this version, choreographed by Connor Cornelius, is also rivabout murder, greed, corruption, eting. There are a number of and treachery. There are no symSee the OPRF pathetic characters. It’s a coldly High School produc- incredible young men featured who are remarkably talented. cynical Jazz Age story of two tion of “Chicago,” “The Cell Block Tango” is murderesses who parlay the lurid Thursday, Friday a particularly dazzling showpress coverage of their crimes and Saturday, Feb. stopper. All the girls in prison into vaudeville careers. 28 through March In the interest of full disclosure, 2, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. explain how reasonable they were in killing the ones they I must mention the version of Chi- Tickets: $10, $8, loved. (“He had it coming,” cago being presented is called the students/seniors, they all stress.) Dana Small “High School Edition.” It’s a bit oprfhs.ticketleap. plays an immigrant murderess shorter and somewhat cleaner than com/chicago-highthe original Broadway production. school-edition/dates named Hungarian Hunyak. Matron “Mama” Thornton, A few of the bawdiest lines have or at the box office. the prison top dog, is portrayed been dropped, as well as one or two 201 N. Scoville, Oak by Shiri Clay, who explains her of the less memorable songs. But Park. system of inmate assistance the wonderful John Kander music through the song, “When You’re Good to and lyrics by Fred Ebb are mostly still here. There are 75 students in the production Mama.” Each of the numbers is modeled on a traand the 22-member orchestra, which to me never sounded better, is on stage during the ditional vaudeville act or star, such as “We Both Reached for the Gun,” in which lawentire performance on the second level of yer Billy Flynn, acting as a ventriloquist, the huge set. “We lost five rehearsals during the polar dictates Roxy Hart’s story for the jury and vortex,” director Bayer tells me. I am aston- “pulls strings” like he’s working a puppet ished to hear this because it’s such a strong while she mouths the words. Many staff members make this producproduction. In 1920s Chicago, the public was riveted by tion special. Jeffrey G. Kelly designed the homicides committed by women. The musi- 1926 costumes and Patricia A. Cheney did cal was developed out of a 1926 play based the period hair and make-up. Patrick Pearon the records of a female court reporter son is the instrumental music director and who wrote how fame and celebrity were val- Meredith McGuire the vocal music director. ued over truth and justice, and how murder Teslen Sadowski is lighting designer and house manager. had become a form of entertainment. Chicago, the musical playing one more Velma Kelly, a glamorous femme fatale cabaret performer awaiting trial for murder weekend at OPRF High, is lots of fun. It’s a in Cook County Jail, is played by Allison couple of wonderful hours of such strong Strom. Brassy Velma starts out as the me- sensational singing and dancing, you almost dia’s top murderess-of-the-week, but she’s forget about the endless winter.

Theater Critic

March 4 – 1:15 Music and the Brain Using music to enhance one’s mind, body and spirit can improve an overall quality of life for people of all ages. Mary Helen Ekstam, MT-BC discusses the theoretical application of music and the brain. March 11 – 1:15 Public Art in Chicago Ed McDevitt, Executive Director of Public Art Chicago discusses how the organization is raising Chicago’s profile as a public art experience and using technology to make our outstanding collection accessible in the U.S. and worldwide. A feast for the eyes! March 18 – 1:15 Reaching for the Moon – Ultimate Jazz Representing “fearless fearless innovation, a respect for tradition and irrepressible creativity,” Dee Alexander has been called “the face of jazz in Chicago.”” Her performance with selections from The Great American Songbook features some of the best jazz standards. Jazz pianist Jeremy Kahn will accompany her.

March 25 – 1:15 13 Presidential Libraries and Museums Ed White’s historical and personal odyssey through 13 presidential libraries and museums in nine states. He reflects on what citizens see in these spaces, what is missing, what is real and what is spin? See the architecture, treasures, and documents belonging to some of our American presidents.

COST: $15 requested donation for non-members for each program. LUNCH: precedes Monday programs at 12:00, $25 for non-members, RSVP required–all are welcome!

Evening & Weekend Events Monday, March 4 – 7:00 English Country Dance has a long history and a vibrant modern presence. Dances are taught and called. No partner needed, no experience necessary. Suggested donation $10 Adults / $5 Students and Seniors. Friday, March 8 – 5:30 Sweet Home Nineteenth Come get a picture of Jake and Elwood with the Blues Brothers Car at our annual gala to support the mission of the Nineteenth Century. Dinner, music, silent auction. Tickets $125.

Sunday, March 24 – 3:00 The Free Readers presents a brash reworking of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya: a group of old friends, ex-lovers, estranged inlaws, and lifelong enemies gather to grapple with life’s thorniest questions—and each other. What could possibly go wrong? Thursday, March 28 – 5:30 Happy Hour Mind Boggles asks the question “Are corporations people?” David Melton and Terry Grace will debate the issue in an informal atmosphere. $15 for non-members and cash bar.

Nineteenth Century Charitable Association 178 Forest Ave, Oak Park, IL 60301 708-386-2729 For more information: nineteenthcentury.org

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

Tax Forum: Property taxes & the progressive income tax Panel discussion with: Former State Senator Daniel Biss, Kina Collins, and State Rep. Will Guzzardi Moderated by: Arti Walker-Peddakotla

Monday, March 4, 7pm - 8:30pm Oak Park Main Library, 2nd ﬂoor, Veterans Room

Paid for by Friends of Arti Walker-Peddakotla

Growing Community.

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OPRF contract worth the wait

ometimes a long, long negotiation over a teacher contract is the bestcase scenario. Faculty, administration and the school board at Oak Park and River Forest High School just signed off on a four-year contract that took a year to hammer out. Took a mutually-agreed-upon federal mediator to wrap up. And if you are a taxpayer, enthusiastic about genuine equity, and a believer, like me, that teacher contracts are where the aspirations of a school system ought to be memorialized, then this is the best and most ambitious contract our high school has negotiated in memory. Substantive change is underway at OPRF. This is a contract packed with change. Finally. OPRF is a school district with a habit, over decades, of giving away the store to teachers without ever having a particular sense of what it needed in return. So it got nothing in return. Annual pay raises of over 5 percent were the norm. An affirmative recitation of “Those Things That Are Best” completed the negotiations even as, steadily, the challenges of this complex and diverse district became clearer from the outside looking in. This time around. a powerful confluence of events informed the negotiations for all participants. There is a collective cry of pain from local taxpayers, many buckling under the pressure of property taxes driven largely by the local school districts. This is real and OPRF rightly feels the heat most acutely as it swindled taxpayers out of tens of millions it collected wrongly under an audacious reading of the results of a generous referendum victory taxpayers had approved. That $100 million cash reserve remains an albatross for this district even as it slowly tries to right size the “cash in vault” factor. So the new contract finally, finally blows to bits the traditional “steps and lanes” charade common in most districts near and far. The steps, up to 30 of them, gave all teachers guaranteed annual,

and largely invisible, pay hikes just for showing up in the fall. This raise was in addition to the negotiated annual raise included in the contract. District 97 led the way in ditching this giveaway two contracts back. Past time that OPRF caught up. Also substantively changed are the lanes, another hoary education industry tradition, which required constant pay hikes as teachers rolled up dubious additional post-graduate credits. This time the contract cuts those lanes from eight to four and, very notably, allows compensation for teachers who take coursework aligned with the district’s strategic focus on equity. So, become immersed in restorative justice coursework and the district rewards you for something that helps drive toward its mission. Logical and exciting. This is not a pauper’s contract for faculty. Nor should it be. There is a signing bonus for every teacher of $3,000 and there are flat $3,600 raises for each of four years. However, other adjustments to the contract at the top end, planned retirements, and less expensive rehires, will bring the average pay increase per year to 1.83 percent. Tom Cofsky, a veteran board member and a lead negotiator, called the contract “a whole new framework that puts us in the realm of balancing the budget.” That would be as opposed to calling for a new referendum in the near future. The contract also brings back a daily 15-minute advisory period for all students. This was, happily, an idea raised by the faculty. For each of their four years, every student will be assigned to a single teacher for advisory. It will be a mix of students from all years, and will, if executed well, offer a safe space to connect with other students and a trusted adult to talk about all the things that make high school life, OPRF specific, a challenge and an opportunity. This would be the “America to Me” contribution to the new contract. OPRF has a long way to go. But it couldn’t go anywhere without a teacher contract that defines the path.

DAN HALEY

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Local raises funds after near-fatal hit-and-run Matthew Creedon needs another $20,000 to cover physical therapy

By NONA TEPPER Staff Reporter

After near-fatally being struck in a hit-and-run in November, Matthew Creedon said his two collapsed lungs, broken pelvis, three broken ribs, fractured back and torn aorta are almost fully recovered. Creedon, who lives in Denver but was in town visiting family for Thanksgiving, was struck by a vehicle about 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 8 on Roosevelt Road. Other motorists got out of their cars and dragged him out of the roadway, he said. “I’ve learned a lot about how much people care about me and just [about] myself and what I can make better in me,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. When you can’t walk, can’t talk, can’t do anything, it really made me pay attention and care more about the little things.” After the accident, Creedon, 35, was put in a medically-induced coma for two days. He regained his ability to walk on

Christmas Day, a month ahead of schedule. Doctors later decided to remove an old plate in his ankle, so he estimates that surgery will keep him off his feet for a few months. His pelvis and ribs are fully healed. In addition, he lost 30 pounds and quit smoking as part of the recovery process. He said the support of family and friends have helped him get through this difficult time. “I’ve learned a whole bunch of patience. When it takes a half hour to do anything, there’s no reason to get upset because all these things don’t matter,” he said. “The little annoyances of everyday life, this has made me less lazy and better appreciate what I have.” Loved ones have held two fundraisers — one in Denver, where he was living with friends managing nightclubs, and another for locals at FitzGerald’s in Berwyn. He said they have raised a combined $15,000, which went toward hospital costs. He is waiting on his Medicaid application to go through, which should cover his hospital costs.

Creedon’s friends have also started a GoFundMe — titled “Support Matthew Creedon’s Medical Bill” — to help cover his physical therapy and other day-to-day medical costs. He aims to raise another $20,000 through another fundraiser. “After the accident, everywhere I looked it seemed there was a new hitand-run,” he said, urging anyone with information about his case to contact Oak Park police. He said police still have not found the motorist who struck him in the middle of Roosevelt Road. While he waits for information and recovers, Creedon has also picked up a very part-time, flexible position selling tires at Associated Tire & Battery Co. “We’re selling tires to encourage driver safety, so nobody accidentally runs over anybody,” he said with a laugh. Tim Inklebarger contributed to this report

Matthew Creedon

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Oak Park seeks third party for affordable housing discussion Board of trustees still working on set-aside amounts and in-lieu fees By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

The Oak Park Board of Trustees got a little closer at its Feb. 25 meeting to reaching consensus on the finer points of its inclusionary zoning ordinance, but the two big issues – the percentage of units set aside in new developments and in-lieu amounts – have yet to be determined. Oak Park village staff presented a plan in mid-February recommending that apartment and townhouse developments with 25 units or more make 5 to 10 percent of their units affordable. The village proposal also stipulates that developers be given the option of making donations in lieu of units in the building. The amount per unit should be $50,000 to $100,000 in lieu of the set aside units, according to the village recommendation. Trustee Jim Taglia said Monday the number of units and in-lieu fees is a difficult decision that “should not be taken lightly.” “I think we should be very careful and methodical about this aspect (of the ordinance),” he said.

File photo

Trustee Simone Boutet requested an analysis by a third-party real estate consultant to give the board better direction on the issue. John Lynch, executive director of the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation, said a reasonable amount is based on a complex mixture of the land value, the real estate market and projections of what the

market will bear in the future. Trustee Bob Tucker said trustees and village staff are talking to developers and affordable housing experts to find an appropriate percentage and in-lieu amount that will not stifle development. Some affordable housing advocates have pushed for 30 percent affordable units in large developments. “We can have 30 per-

cent and pat ourselves on the back because of a strong ordinance,” Tucker said, noting that it could mean zero money in an affordable housing fund because it deters development in the village. Board members reached consensus on the concept of allowing in-lieu contributions to the village’s affordable housing fund, but Taglia warned that the fund should not “create a segregated area where all the lowincome people end up.” Trustees also discussed the percentage of area median income that would be considered affordable. The proposed ordinance sets the rate at 80 percent, meaning that those making that percentage of the area median income would be considered affordable. Trustee Dan Moroney noted that residents of 3,649 of Oak Park’s 8,698 apartments are currently making 60 percent of the area median income. He added that 42.5 percent of existing apartments already are affordable to someone making 60 percent of area median income. “To me we do not have an affordability issue in our apartments,” he said. “This is addressing something that is not a problem in Oak Park.” Boutet noted that the need in the village is residents at the lowest income level, adding that she supports focusing on those most in need of help. tim@oakpark.com

OPRF, park district talk again about sharing facilities

Park board president shared plans for collaboration on Feb. 19 By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

In November 2017, the River Forest Park District board and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 school board both agreed to allow a memorandum of understanding (MOU) critical to keeping alive talks about a proposed shared community recreational center to expire. Financial concerns and the fact that D200 was in the early stages of the Imagine OPRF long-term facilities planning process factored into the decision to hit the pause button on plans for the proposed center. But now that Imagine OPRF has completed its work, talks between the Park District of Oak Park and the school district have rekindled. Vic Guarino, the president of the Park District of Oak Park board, a member of Imagine OPRF and a candidate for the D200 school board, was at the school board’s Feb. 19 committee of the whole meeting to “circle back after Imagine to determine if there’s

any desire to partner.” Guarino said that the park district is looking to build a community recreation center somewhere in Oak Park and that the district hopes to collaborate with D200 about a comprehensive partnership that would go beyond a joint community recreational center. The River Forest Park District is not interested in the partnership, Guarino said. “Were hoping to have not just a discussion about a community recreational center, but more broadly beyond any facilities and not limited to a rec center itself,” he said. “We’re interested in partnering on a recreation center, a separate pool, gym, track, pretty much any facility that you might be interested in — not limited to a recreational center.” He told school board members that “if we’re going to partner, we’re hoping to find a scope,” such as “what facilities you’re interested in, if there’s some restriction on the proximity to the school, what funds might be available, because that limits the scope and size and what is your time table.” Guarino said that the park district has “established a framework” for raising private donations, but that it “would be a mistake if the park district went out to look for private funds for a community rec center and the high school did something similar for their

facilities, and we’re competing with each other. At some point we should coordinate.” Guarino told board members that the park district has identified an undisclosed site within Oak Park for a potential recreational center, but that the park district would not be against collaborating with OPRF to construct a shared facility, particularly a pool, on the high school’s campus. “Would you consider moving the pool here?” asked board member Sara Dixon Spivey. “Yeah, just as long as the public has access to it,” Guarino said. “We have plans, but we’re willing to work with you and alter our plans, if needed, along those lines or look at other options if that makes sense for us.” Guarino added that any facility or project completed as a result of a collaboration between the park district and OPRF would accommodate River Forest citizens “as if they’re Oak Park citizens,” since the latter also pay taxes to District 200. Some board members were concerned about how moving forward with a collaboration with the park district might affect Imagine OPRF plans. “Whenever we talk about the facilities situation, I feel like there’s a chicken-andegg game of what comes first,” said board member Jennifer Cassell.

“Do we figure out the pool situation first and then collaborate with the park district? I appreciate being able to have intergovernmental conversations, but just want to make sure we’re following our processes with Imagine and respecting the work Imagine has done.” Board members said that as long as the park district’s proposed partnership aligns with the needs outlined in the Imagine OPRF plan, then the district should consider it. “If we can cooperate with other governmental entities, we ought to do it,” said board member Fred Arkin. “We have a plan and we need to achieve those needs,” said board member Tom Cofsky. “If that can be done, then I’d be supportive. We have a plan and it needs to fit in line with that.” OPRF Superintendent Joylynn PruittAdams cautioned board members that the district’s fundraising efforts, even if done in partnership with the park district, “may go beyond what the park district is hoping to do. “If we get to point where there is some joint collaboration, I just want the board to know that it is not our intent to stop at that point with the fundraising for facilities,” she said. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Pritzker signs $15 minimum wage bill

First increase will take effect in January 2020 By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 in the Governor’s Mansion on Feb. 19, declaring his first major legislative victory “a time to celebrate.” “For nine years there were many forces that were arrayed against giving a raise to the people who work so hard to provide home care for seniors, childcare for toddlers, who wash dishes at the diner, and who farm our fields,” Pritzker said. “Today is a victory for the cause of economic justice.” The signing represents a delivery on one of Pritzker’s major campaign promises a little more than one month into his tenure as governor – albeit without any support from Republican lawmakers. Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford, a Maywood Democrat who ushered Senate Bill 1’s passage through the Senate, said Pritzker “got done in 30 days” what she has been trying to accomplish for 10 years. “I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to just stay the course,” she said.

Lightford, whose 4th District includes a portion of south Oak Park and all of River Forest, has sponsored several minimum wage increases since 2010, when Illinois’ minimum wage last saw an increase of 25 cents to the current rate of $8.25. If any of those bills had passed, the current minimum wage would be more than $10 hourly today. A bill she sent to former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017 would have made the minimum wage $15 by 2022, but he vetoed the proposal. Pritzker, Lightford and Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia called the bill a compromise between business and labor interests, but Republicans blasted the effort in a news release shortly after the signing. “This is only the beginning of J.B. Pritzker’s war on taxpayers and small business,” Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said in a statement. “Nearly doubling the minimum wage will destroy entrylevel jobs, raise prices for consumers, and bust budgets at every level of government.” The Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association have openly criticized the fast-tracked passage of the bill as well. But Toia, whose restaurant association members employ more than 577,000 people in the state, said he was thankful for being at the table for negotiations.

“The legislation signed by the governor today is a reasonable, balanced approach that takes into account many of the concerns of the restaurant industry,” he said. “This was a compromise. I rebut anyone that says this wasn’t a compromise.” The rollout of the increase will begin in January 2020, when the wage goes from $8.25 to $9.25 before hitting $10 on July 1. From 2021 to 2025, the wage will see a $1 bump every January until it levels off at $15. Toia praised the bill for maintaining a tip credit which allows employers to pay tipped workers 60 percent of the minimum wage if tips make up the other 40 percent. A training wage for teen workers is also included in the bill, allowing employers to pay 50 cents to $2 less than the regular minimum wage over the six-year rollout to workers under 18 years of age who work fewer than 650 hours for an employer in a calendar year. Small businesses with less than 50 fulltime equivalent employees will also be able to take advantage of an income tax credit which allows employers to keep 25 percent of the increased money paid to minimumwage workers from the previous year. The 25 percent credit will decrease by 4 percent each year, leveling off at 5 percent for two years and extending an extra year for businesses with five or fewer full-time equivalent employees.

Lightford said an added benefit for business is the infusion of more money into the economy for those most likely to spend it. “I want to put a little shout out to all the little boys and girls whose parents get up when they’re still sleeping … so they can have a roof over their head and make them happy,” she said. “I’m just hoping that they’re able to take their little children to catch a movie or do something fun, because now the economic engine will be turning.” But Republicans and business owners said Democrats are overlooking possible repercussions of the bill, including a potential loss of 93,000 to 96,000 jobs in the state, according to the conservative Employment Policies Institute and the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business advocacy group. Democrats have rebutted the job loss numbers, and Pritzker touted his own business background and pointed to his budget address as containing business-growing measures, although he did not offer specifics. “There are so many other things we need to do, like create jobs in the state, like allow small businesses the opportunity to access capital so they can grow those businesses, like helping us innovate and create new businesses in the state,” Pritzker said. “I understand very acutely the importance of growing the economy.” Email: jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Police stats for Oak Park: Crime flat Village issues 1,000 more traffic citations in 2018 By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporte

Crime in the village of Oak Park remained relatively flat in 2018, compared to the year prior, with crimes like burglary, robbery, assault and murder collectively increasing 1 percent. But the 1,650 total crimes committed last year was up 3 percent from 2016 and 5 percent from 2015, according to the Oak Park Police Department’s data collected for the FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Burglaries and thefts remained the most common crimes committed in Oak Park, making up 87 percent of the total crimes committed. Both of those categories were up in 2018 from the year prior. A combined 357 burglaries were reported in 2018, up 15 percent from the 311 committed in 2017, and relatively flat with the 360 and 337 burglaries committed in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Thefts were up 4 percent from the previous year, with 1,077 reported last year.

Robbery dropped 26 percent in 2018, with 99 reported, compared to 134 in the prior year. Robberies were still up, however, from 2016. That year 68 robberies were reported and in 2015, only 65 people reported being robbed in Oak Park. Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds said the village is a “very safe place to live” in a press release from the police department, adding that perceptions of crime in Oak Park are driven by the media and conversations online. “I understand how word of a specific crime or type of crime can shape one’s perception of personal safety,” Reynolds said. “But I also believe these numbers should allay the concerns of residents whose perception of crime may be based more on news reports and social media posts. “The facts related to a crime often change from the initial reports as the investigation progresses toward an arrest.” He reiterated in the press release that Oak Park’s crime rate is low and has been for many years. “I know that statistics may not mean much to someone who has been a crime victim or has come face-to-face with a criminal. That’s why fighting crimes against individuals is such an important priority of the Oak Park Police Department,” he said.

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2018 mber 5,

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18 Vol. 39, No. AR ONE DOLL

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Across the coun ticular lar, the num try and in Illinois, MOVING DAY: in parber of new Ginie Cassin experience born babi withdraw Hemingway presided over es who dra al from their expe board chair drugs used ctant mot leaves Sunday many a Memorial Day by hers, part oids, is skyr ceremony in for a new life icularly ock ting. ocke opiScov with family A recent Photo courtes analysis in Minnesota. ille Park. The longtime y of Debby Preiser of Illinois of Public village clerk Department Health data and Business by Crain’s showed Chicago e that in every 1,000 2016 “nea babies born rly 3 of through with dra drawal, know in Illinois went stinence with grea n as neon syndromee.” t potentia atal abAnd that creased 53 l to fulfill That has rate has it. percent o certainly “inover six year Typically, been true Oak Park Cassin’s case s.” when babi ’s Farmers in Ginie . drawal, they es show sign Market and Ginie desc Her family By KEN TRAI s of ’re immedia ribes as whom moved to NOR their mot tely separate with“more like loit, Wisc Oak Park me,” driv hers Staff Write onsin in d from from Bee up me than phine to help and given methado r the 1920s 3. Except ard, Minneso to her new home ne or mor when she gradually for three in Brainwas ta. drugs insi wean them It’s not easy year whe s in de of thei re her fath It isn’t easy off of the Dallas, Texa saying good r systems er was tran for her to like Virginia s even bye to som . say sferred, goodbye eith Cassin. Grea eone three years at Law at the age of and rence Coll great town See OPIOID er, t people prod 94. ton, Wisc ege in App But we gave s. Or is it on page onsin (psy uce pa 14 legrea it a shot, sitti chology great peop t towns prod round duri en on Grov major, year le? Maybe ng in her ng WWII), uce e Avenue kitchit works Oak Park Special town Ginie has for a coup both way resident. been an a few weeks s make it le of hou s. ago, talking possible for rs That ends past and about neig this Sunday people present, hbors, daughter, whose lives Sheila, who when she and her theirs sinc inte e 1952 whe rsected formerly n she and headed her husSee CASSIN on page 12

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D200 incumbent touts successes in re-election pitch

Fred Arkin says he wants to build on board’s track record By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

Fred Arkin, one of the two incumbents on the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 school board running for reelection, said that he’s running again to build on the significant accomplishments achieved during his first term. Those include the hiring of Supt. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, the finalization of a long overdue long-term master facilities plan, the enactment of a historic teachers contract and the pending enactment of a racial equity plan that the board is currently in the process of drafting, said Arkin. “I think our work is unfinished,” he said. “During my first term, we’ve had some movement in many fronts. And as Dr. Pruitt said [recently], we stand on the precipice of turning the corner, especially on racial equity.” Arkin said that Pruitt-Adams has “turned over virtually the entire administration” in her effort to implement the kind of racial equity work that he said prompted him to run for a board seat four years ago. “We hired an experienced professional,

and a courageous and empathetic leader to get us through these times and take us to where we want to be,” he said. Arkin lauded the Imagine OPRF committee for its “very, very deep dive” into the high school’s facilities needs. He said that the needs assessment that the Imagine group conducted “is really the governing document that will need to be updated and used as a living document. We need to revisit it and update it on a regular basis.” Echoing some of his fellow board members, Arkin said that he’s satisfied with the decision to invest around $32.6 million in the first phase of construction projects to emanate from the plan, which include renovating 76 classrooms. That’s money spent without raising taxes, he added. Arkin said he’s confident that the district will be able to locate private funding to partially offset the cost of all construction projects contained in the facilities plan, which could end up costing upwards of $200 million when considered as a whole. “We have a very robust and accomplished alumni all over the country that have ties to the OPRF community,” he said. “So, there are people with the wherewithal to donate. We can approach them in a very professional fundraising manner and try to raise a substantial amount of money for facilities. That can be an ongoing

effort to help relieve some of the tax burden that we hear so much about from our taxpayers.” Arkin also praised the recent teachers’ contract that the D200 board ratified unanimously earlier this month after a year of negotiations. “That was a major undertaking and a very major change in the way that our professional faculty will be compensated,” Arkin said. “I believe that it’s both fair to the faculty as they move through core growth and fair to the community, because it allows us to contain costs.” Arkin said that the pending racial equity policy that the board is working on “includes almost all of our stakeholders” and that board members could see a draft in March. “I believe we’ll be prepared to vote on the first reading,” he said. “I’ve been very supportive of the work being done and believe we need the policy. It’s a difficult policy to craft and the people doing it are doing a spectacular job. I look forward to seeing the final form.” Arkin also said that during his tenure, board members have been “dutiful stewards” of taxpayer dollars, referencing the roughly $35 million in tax abatements that the board approved over the last four years.

Fred Arkin “We didn’t spend down the [$120 million fund surplus the district had accumulated],” he said. “We gave a lot of it back and we’re investing it in one-time things, not in deficit spending. We’re prolonging the need for an operating referendum … In 2017, the share of my taxes that went to District 200 were 13 percent lower than in 2013” — the year before Arkin was elected to the board. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

‘Equity is mission critical for District 97,’ candidate says Attorney Gavin Kearney says he wants to help guide racial equity policy’s implementation By MICHAEL ROMAIN Staff Reporter

An attorney who moved to Oak Park from New York City in 2015 says that he’s running for a seat on the Oak Park Elementary Schools District 97 Board of Education so that he can utilize his policy-making and consensus-building skills to make equity a reality in the district. Gavin Kearney, a 49-year-old father two D97 students, said that he moved to Oak Park “for the same reason lots of people choose it — it has a history of being diverse, inclusive and progressive.” Kearney eventually got involved with policy, joining the PTO Diversity Council’s policy team and steeping himself in District 97’s more than year-long effort to draft what many community leaders are calling a landmark racial equity policy. And while the policy will likely be voted on before Kearney takes office, if the attor-

ney gets elected, he’ll have a hand in guiding the most important part of the plan — its implementation. “I really want us to get more serious about stakeholder engagement and how we value those voices and prioritize those communities most impacted — that we don’t just have events and say, ‘Whoever can show up great,’” Kearney said. “I think the board is going to have a really important leadership role and I think that because I have a very deep commitment to racial equity issues and experience working on policy and policy implementation that I can be a productive and effective member of the board.” Kearney referenced his 20 years of professional experience working on racial and environmental justice issues. Kearney said that he has extensive experience working on drafting legislation that affected how industrial facilities were located in New York state. Kearney said the end-goal of much of that work was to help address the fact that industrial polluters were disproportionately located in black and brown communities. The work often required extensive data collection, legislative advocacy, research, coalition building and community organizing. “With a complex system like a school district I think it’s really clear to have a clear

plan of what you’re trying to do,” he said, adding that district decision-making should include “not just formal experts, but people with diverse experiences.” Those diverse experiences, he indicated, can help clarify how actions are communicated to key stakeholders. “One of the persistent issues in the environmental space that has relevance in education is that a lot of the discussions get super technical really quickly,” he said, before explaining that through his work he’s often been confronted with the question of what it takes “to have people be equal and valued partners.” Kearney, who works at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, said that, from his vantage point, District 97 has a lot to improve when it comes to real stakeholder engagement. “We should think in a purposeful way about why we’re doing community engagement and what it takes to get the right voices to the table. I feel like there’s an important role to be played in terms of keeping attention on the policy, ensuring the benchmarks are hit and the planning processes tp happen the way they’re supposed to,” he said. For Kearney getting equity right, particularly through leveraging effective community engagement, is “mission critical” for

Gavin Kearney the district. “Our mission for the district is to ensure that every kid gets an excellent education and if we year after year have the same kids not getting that that is a mission failure,” he said. CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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Oak Park activist running on racial equity platform

Walker-Peddakotla: Local officials should push for state tax reform By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

Arti Walker-Peddakotla is a political activist who works for a nonprofit tech company, but she’s made a name for herself in her run for Oak Park village trustee as a candidate who will work to bring greater racial equity to the village. Walker-Peddakotla, 37, established the group Oak Park for Racial Equity late last year, urging women of color to run for various governing bodies in elections in Oak Park and River Forest. Her group attracted candidates for local schools districts, library boards and village boards in the municipal elections set for April 2. Walker-Peddakotla also is an Army veteran, who served from 2000 to 2006, and holds an M.S. in microbiology and immunology from Loyola University. Racial equity is the foundation of her platform, and she says the issue of rising property taxes at its core is an equity issue. She told Wednesday Journal that it is

disingenuous for trustee candidates to say “they alone can reduce property taxes.” Elected officials in Oak Park should be working to lobby the state to pass a progressive income tax and close loopholes for corporate taxes. If elected, Walker-Peddakotla said she would rally constituents to urge the Illinois General Assembly to even the playing field on the tax issue. Other candidates in the race – WalkerPeddakotla faces 10 other candidates in this election – “don’t understand the full picture.” “Some people say that’s not a village issue, but that’s a state issue – that’s where I feel people are wrong,” she said. “I’m not seeing that mobilization from local elected officials.” That would take the form of coffee meetings with constituents and town hall sessions with Oak Parkers “to say, ‘Hey, we need you to advocate for these issues.’” Walker-Peddakotla said working with other taxing bodies to find efficiencies is key to fixing a village government that is “broken.” The board should investigate innovative approaches to budgeting, such as priority based budgeting and program-based budgeting, to create better understanding of the budget for trustees and the public, she said. Walker-Peddakotla said she opposes the

consolidation government entities in Oak Park. That concept was rolled out last year by the Taxing Bodies Efficiency Task Force, an ad hoc committee established last year by the Oak Park Board of Trustees to look into potential savings through intergovernmental cooperation between Oak Park’s various taxing entities. The task force advanced a ballot initiative last year, which was approved by voters, to further study consolidation of the village with Oak Park Township, the park district and Oak Park Library. The task force also recommended the creation of a citizen advisory oversight committee to take a broader look at finances within the various taxing entities such as the village and the two school districts. Walker-Peddakotla said she supports the idea of the oversight committee but stressed that it must be equitable and include renters and those at the lower end of the economic scale. “I hope we stop listening to developers and start listening to the community,” she said. Walker-Peddakotla also emphasized the need for the village to adopt a strong inclusionary zoning ordinance, which would bring more affordable housing to the village. The inclusionary zoning ordinance should include all new construction – the proposal currently under consideration would apply only to new apartment and townhouse de-

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Arti Walker-Peddakotla velopments near the CTA train lines – Walker-Peddakotla said. She added that the village also should consider the impact new developments are having on rental rates in Oak Park. “I moved here in 2008 and rented a studio apartment for $735 a month, and I could barely afford that. … I don’t think that’s possible now,” she said. tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Oak Park trustee candidate would reduce spending By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

Bridgett Baron, 49, has been a familiar face in government for years, regularly showing up to Oak Park Village Board of Trustees meetings, among others, and regularly weighing in on various social media forums. She’s running for a seat on the board of trustees in the April 2 election on a platform of reduced spending and responsible development downtown. She also says she would be a strong voice for public safety in the village. Baron works in the motion picture and television industry as a payroll accountant. In an election where intergovernmental cooperation between the village’s various taxing bodies, such as the school districts, township and village, are a hot topic of conversation, Baron might have an edge over her 10 opponents when it comes to finding common ground on spending – she is married to Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board member Matt Baron. She noted in a recent interview that the village oversees a budget around $150 million – the biggest of all the taxing bodies, she said. Baron said she would work to slow the growth of the tax levy to 3 percent or less. Baron said her idea is to direct village staff to present the board with a budget every year the keeps the levy at that 3 percent

increase and no more. “It’s their job – they’re full-time employees,” she told Wednesday Journal. “Unless they get direction, they’re not going to do that. It’s not in government DNA to restrain spending.” Baron also would direct roughly $3.5 million in property tax revenues from downtown high-rises to ease the tax burden on property owners throughout the village. “[We need to say] we’re not going to spend this new revenue; we’re going to do what it was designed to do and that is ease the tax burden,” Baron said. Baron also would focus on cutting spending on programs like the Divvy bike-sharing program, which trustees cut last year after it was revealed that few people were using the costly service. “Divvy is a perfect example, because that decision was poorly made,” she said. “It was made in the absence of data.” Baron said she would make decisions that “benefit as many people as possible.” “It can’t be just a small, vocal group of advocates wanting something,” she said. A lot of residents, particularly those in jeopardy of being priced out of the village, have historically been unwilling to voice their opposition to spending over fear of being labeled anti-bicycle or anti-environment, she said. “Now people are willing to put their head

above the crowd and say it,” she said. Baron said she is concerned about highrise developments downtown and would not support a recently proposed 28-story tower near Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple. Oak Park needs to have a new community conversation about such developments in the village and what residents want the village to look like, she said. “We did a master plan five years ago. Can we look at what we say we want and see if that’s still viable?” she said. Baron said the village also needs to have an honest conversation about affordable housing and which residents such a housing ordinance would serve. “I think the real issue is we have people living in extreme poverty, and how do we help those people,” she said, adding that putting a few affordable units in luxury housing developments would do little to solve the problem. She noted that Oak Park’s housing stock is now considered 22 percent affordable, according to the definition set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That’s up from 18 percent a few years ago. “Apparently, 22 percent is not acceptable,” she said. “What is the acceptable percent? I have no idea what the goal is, because 22 percent seems pretty good to me.” Baron said she would be a strong proponent for increased public safety in the vil-

Bridgett Baron lage, but added that “police can’t do everything on their own.” She would encourage residents to attend resident beat-officer meetings in their neighborhoods. Baron noted that perception is not reality and that crime is historically down overall in the village. She said she would work to craft public safety policy “based on facts, rather than how someone feels.” tim@oakpark.com

Tech entrepreneur running for Oak Park village trustee By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter

Oak Parker Cory Wesley, 40, describes himself not only as a “problem solver” but also as a “solutions-driven” candidate in the race for Oak Park village trustee. He faces 10 challengers for three open seats in the election set for April 2. Wesley has served on the village’s Technology Commission, a citizen commission that provides recommendations to the board of trustees, since last fall. He launched his own tech business, TekVoyant, in July 2015, a move that allowed him to leave his job in the tech industry. “I think city government is one of the last places where technology is being embraced but not fully utilized,” he said in a recent interview. Wesley envisions an Oak Park Village Hall where residents can offer public comment via video conferencing technology and the village helps small business owners with business incubator programs to help aspiring entrepreneurs. “Wouldn’t it be great if [constituents] could engage [the board of trustees] from home?” he said, noting that not everyone can take the time and expense to visit village hall and engage with trustees. “Everybody’s got a web cam.” Working to bridge those gaps would help cre-

ate a better dialogue with residents, he said. His incubator program idea would task the village with working to find space for new business owners – possibly temporary spots like vacant storefronts – and provide them with a “small amount of capital to help them build their business.” Homegrown businesses would help add to the tax base, says Wesley. Wesley sees his tech bona fides as an advantage over other candidates as well as his demographic. He said the board is in need of diversity – currently, no people of color serve on the panel. Wesley said he decided to run about three years ago after attending a town hall meeting on OPRF’s effort to build a new swimming pool. Wesley said he was the only black person to speak at the meeting. He tells Wednesday Journal that he worries that Oak Park could become “a place where I look around and I no longer see black people of moderate income, moderate means, where I know longer see black homeowners.” The night of the town hall forum, several people pulled him aside, he said, and asked him how they could get more people of color to speak at such events. “That was the catalyst there,” he said. “They are right. We need our voice heard, and we need to be represented.”

Wesley said he would work to reduce the village’s tax levy to increases of less than 3 percent annually. That could be achieved through a number of “hard decisions” such as the village board’s decision in early 2018 to discontinue the Divvy bike-sharing program in the village. He also would move to use some money from the village’s affordable housing fund to subsidize homeowners at risk of losing their homes. A senior citizen tax break could help keep seniors in the village, thus reducing the tax burden on the schools, he said. Wesley reasoned that keeping a senior citizen in their home means fewer homeowners with children moving to the village. “If you keep 53 senior citizens from selling their homes, we save $1 million – conservative estimate, it’s probably more than that – versus if those houses were sold to families of four with two school-aged kids,” he said. “The school board can’t influence that, but the village can.” He noted that the rising taxes are pushing residents out of their homes and that disproportionately affects people of color. Wesley acknowledged that such a plan would be controversial with affordable housing advocates, but he added: “My view on it is affordable housing in this village has increased from 18 to 22 percent. We are helping affordable housing here. So now it’s time to help homeowners with housing af-

Cory Wesley fordability.” He said it does not make sense to wait for the state to fix the problem with progressive income tax plans because the state leaders have shown their inability “to manage their own books.” “I’m not waiting on more state funding to save us,” he said. “We have to save ourselves. If the solution is to wait on the state of Illinois, that’s not a solution.” tim@oakpark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

PROTEST

Ford said that when his group, which has roughly a dozen members — all of them either African-American or Hispanic — requested to have a moment of silence instead, the principal “denied that, as well.” Todd Fitzgerald, Julian’s principal, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday afternoon. District officials directed all questions to Chris Jasculca, D97’s senior director of policy, planning and communication. In a statement Jasculca issued on Tuesday afternoon, district officials explained that they found out about the walkout on Sunday. District 200 officials sent out a statement to families on Monday. Both school districts said that they would not stop students from walking out, emphasized the importance of students expressing their voices and said that they prioritize the safety of students. Regarding Ford’s motive, D97 officials stated that there “have been a few different reasons given as the impetus for the walkout (commemorating the death of Trayvon Martin, speaking out against issues of violence

and police brutality, etc.). However, we have not spoken directly to the organizers about what prompted the specific decision to hold today’s event.” In an interview on Feb. 25, D200 Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams and D200 board President Jackie Moore both agreed with Fitzgerald’s decision to not allow the re-enactment, which they said was not appropriate. They also expressed concerns about how Ford’s walkout was planned. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s protest, Ford had a flyer designed and circulated throughout the community and online among his peers at OPRF and Julian. The flyer included his name and contact information. He said he urged students to keep the planned demonstration to themselves, because he wanted to take administrators and Oak Park police by surprise. During an interview on Sunday evening, Ford lambasted the racism he said is prevalent in Oak Park, calling a proposed racial equity policy at District 97 “a cover up to

cover the racial issues that go on” and explaining that he anticipated “police pushback” on Tuesday because of his message. On Monday, Pruitt-Adams said that she met with Ford multiple times to understand his reasons for planning the walkout. “We encourage our students to have ‘voice.’ They’re very insightful and when they exercise their voice, we try to know the rationale and to do it in a manner so you know people are listening and are going to take action,” she said. “My discussion was not intended to stop him, but to talk about why and how you get your message out.” There were demands connected to Tuesday’s walkout, but they were released in a press release that went out hours before the march started and seemed somewhat disjointed. Many of the demands included things that are already happening at Districts 97 and 200, including the adoption of racial equity policies by April 30 (D97’s is on track to be adopted sooner than that). Moore, a longtime advocate of students using their voices to demand change and a supporter of OPRF groups like Black Leaders Union and Students Advocating for Equity — groups that Ford said helped organize the walkout — Tuesday’s march was different from the disciplined demonstrations that BLU and SAFE have carried out in the past. “My concern as I have watched over the last few months, in particular, has been, and I’ve expressed this to SAFE students and others who view me as a trusted adult, is, ‘Don’t allow yourselves to be co-opted by someone else’s agenda.’” Moore said that adults in the building should be urging students to join groups like SAFE and BLU, and to be aware of the issues happening at OPRF and in the wider community; not helping them with potentially hazardous demonstrations. “I want the adults in our community to not do harm to our children and to understand that, you know, we are working desperately to make school a safe place,” she said. “I have concerns about our students leaving school, walking to Julian, walking to the police station and I don’t know who is encouraging them that this is the best approach.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

highly competitive introductory salaries” and puts a limit on how much the highest salaries for each salary level can increase each year — no more than 1 percent each year. Officials said that the new pay structure “fairly compensates teachers while also being fiscally responsible to taxpayers,” adding that it reduces “the overall annual rate of wage scale-related salary growth from 3 percent over the past 10 years to 1.83 percent over the span of the new contract.” According to the new contract’s salary schedule, eight lanes will be replaced by four levels in the 2021-22 school year — the last year of the contract — in order to give teachers time to earn the requisite hours they’ll need to remain at a higher pay level. The first salary level requires a bachelor’s degree, the second level requires a master’s degree, the third level requires a master’s

degree plus 30 hours of graduate work or its equivalent and the fourth level requires a master’s degree plus 60 hours of graduate work or its equivalent. New teachers with previous public school teaching experience may get credit for no more than five years of previous teaching experience. Additional years may be credited “at the discretion of the superintendent.” Other major features of the new contract include a 10-minute extension of the school day in order to accommodate more instructional time. “The school day will comprise eight standard class periods, which will be 47 minutes long instead of the current 48,” officials said. “Dismissal will be at 3:11 p.m. instead of 3:04 p.m.” The new contract also gets rid of a 30-day sick leave benefit for pregnant women “that

was in addition to maternity and paternity leave that all employees are entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act.” Teachers can now use “up to 12 weeks of accumulated sick time in conjunction with” the maternity and paternity leave they’re already entitled to. In a joint statement, D200 Board President Jackie Moore and Faculty Senate Chair Sheila Hardin said that they were “pleased to announce” the new contract agreement. “This agreement is the product of the tireless efforts by the two negotiating teams,” they said. “Over the past 12 months, they spend dozens of hours bargaining in good faith to reach an agreement that recognizes the efforts of our excellent teaching staff while also controlling longterm costs to the district.” CONTACT: michael@oakpark.com

Not cut and dry from page 1 cal of the many student-led demonstrations in Oak Park within the last few years, particularly after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last February and in the wake of any number of race-related conflicts that have taken place at least since former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee in 2016. But the Feb. 26 walkout, unlike the majority of demonstrations that have preceded it over the last few years, has forced both school administrators and organizers alike to confront some difficult questions, such as: When is a student protest appropriate? How will school administrators handle the increasing volume of student-led protests and demonstrations, some of which, like Tuesday’s, may present safety concerns? And what are the boundaries of acceptable student expression? Antoine Ford, the 16-year-old sophomore who organized Tuesday’s walkout, said he got the idea for the demonstration after administrators at Julian Middle School didn’t allow a group of African-American students to perform a play he recently had written that includes a re-enactment of Trayvon Martin’s famous death. Ford said that the students are members of an extracurricular group called Reinventing Student Education (RISE), which he founded roughly a month ago. Ford, who has two siblings at Julian, said he often walks from OPRF to Julian after school to facilitate the group. The group wanted the play to commemorate Martin’s birthday, which is Feb. 5. “The principal [of Julian] let us purchase these hoodies we’re wearing, get the script together and have our rehearsals and everything,” Ford said. “Two days before the actual reenactment he denied it and told us he felt uncomfortable with us doing it. The play was appropriate. It was no type of language in there whatsoever. So, I don’t understand why he told us we couldn’t do it.”

CONTRACT

A new pay structure from page 1 ditional hours of graduate-level coursework.” Under the new contract, salaries no longer automatically increase for teachers according to seniority. Faculty members now get a flat pay raise of $3,600 in each of the four years of the new contract, which replaces the “stepplus-negotiated-rate increases,” officials said. And each teacher will get a one-time $3,000 bonus, which will be paid retroactively and will not be added to teachers’ base salaries. In addition, the new contract increases minimum salaries for each salary level by $1,000 a year “to assure the District maintains

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

WE ARE TRAYVON: Antoine Ford, right, organized Tuesday’s walkout because Julian administrators did not allow him to re-enact Trayvon Martin’s death.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

Chicagoan robbed, beaten on Blue Line

Police are investigating a robbery and subsequent attack that took place on the CTA Blue Line at the Oak Park Avenue stop at 1 a.m. on Feb. 19. The victim, a Chicago man, fell asleep on the eastbound train when several teenagers took his backpack, which contained $700, medication, clothing and an LG cellphone. The victim struggled to retrieve his backpack, when one of the teenagers approached from behind and punched him in the head several times. The offenders fled the train toward the East Avenue exit. The estimated loss is $1,550.

Theft ■A

Bridgeview resident’s black 2016 Hyundai Tucson that was reported stolen out of Oak Park on Feb. 12 was recovered in the 700 block of Gunderson Avenue at 10:05 a.m. on Feb. 20. ■ Someone stole all four wheels from a victim’s black 2011 Buick LaCrosse in the 500 block of South Maple, sometime between 6:55 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. on Feb. 22. The estimated loss is $240. ■ Someone stole several items from a business in the 400 block of Madison Street at 7:33 p.m. on Feb. 17. Three offenders concealed

several items in tote bags and left the business without paying. They entered a black newer model Nissan that headed westbound on Madison. The estimated loss is $121.91. ■ A brown 2013 Hyundai that was stolen out of Oak Park on Feb. 14 was recovered in the 3700 block of West Iowa, Chicago, at 4:39 a.m. on Feb. 18. The Chicago Police Department took one person into custody. ■ An unlocked white 2000 Toyota was stolen from the 300 block of Linden Avenue, sometime between 8 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 18. The offender used keys inside the vehicle to remove the vehicle, according to police. The estimated loss is $5,000.

Robbery Lashane Grayer, 23, of the 1200 block of South California, Chicago, was arrested in the 6000 block of North Avenue at 1:16 p.m. on Feb. 22 and charged with robbery. The victim was identified as a Forest Park resident. No additional information was given.

Warrant arrest Larry Daniels, 30, of the 4400 block of West End, Chicago, was arrested at 10:50 p.m. by the DeKalb County Sheriff ’s Office

do new parents & students know how to find your school?

on an active Oak Park warrant for criminal damage to property. He was also charged with a warrant for burglary in River Forest.

Burglary ■ Someone broke a padlock to gain entry to a victim’s storage locker in the 400 block of South Maple at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 15. The offender then stole four white single-room air-conditioners worth $400. ■ A residence was burglarized in the 500 block of North East Avenue at 1:04 a.m. on Feb. 17. The offender took two Apple laptops. The estimated loss is $6,000. ■ A residence was burglarized in the 1100 block of South Cuyler Avenue, sometime between 9:15 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 17. The offender pried open a locked front window to gain access to the residence and then ransacked the interior and took a set of pearl earrings and a set of diamond stud earrings. The estimated loss is $600. ■ Judson Baptist Church, 1252 N. Austin Blvd., was burglarized sometime between 12:04 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 11:38 a.m. on Feb. 18. The offender broke a window to the vestibule to gain entry and then opened a box that was in the vestibule and fled southbound on

Austin Boulevard. No loss was reported. ■ The offender was described as a black man, approximately 30 years old, medium build, 6-foot, and wearing a green coat with fur on the hood, light khaki pants and tan Timberland brand boots and carrying a satchel. ■ A residence was burglarized in the 1100 block of South Kenilworth Avenue at 1:41 p.m. on Feb. 18. The offender used a pry tool to force open the rear door. The offender then stole two jars with coins, $200, a handgun with ammunition, a gray pouch containing men’s miscellaneous jewelry, a wooden jewelry box containing jewelry. The estimated loss is $8,300. These items, obtained from the Oak Park and River Forest police departments, came from reports, Feb. 17-25, 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 Timothy Inklebarger

Whether you have your own Web site or not, getting a Business Page on OakPark.com and RiverForest.com is a great and inexpensive way to enhance your visibility and stay connected with your new and future families. When you sign up for your own page you’ll be able to access your information, add to it and change it as often as you like, whenever you want!

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Your Community. Your Web site.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Photo by David Hammond

New England (left) vs Manhattan (right) Clam Chowder from Carnivore.

Clam Chowder: New England, Manhattan, or ...?

f you see clam chowder on a menu, the neither their appearance nor their flavor is likelihood is high that what’s being obscured by creaminess. offered is New England, or Maine, clam 2. Never one to shun deliciousness on acchowder, white and creamy. count of calories, I still prefer to eat lighter, Me, I prefer the “other” clam especially when it comes to chowder, Manhattan, with a seafood. New England clam clear broth, tomatoes and herbs. chowder contains dairy, which I prefer not to have New England usually means more calories in clam chowder for the same reason every spoonful. I prefer not to have fettucine Al3. I’m an Italian-American. fredo: too rich and usually gloppy. We Italians love tomatoes, an New England clam chowder is indigenous product of the creamy, and people tend to like Americas. I consider eating a the mouthfeel of foods that are tomato-based soup almost a creamy. I respect that. I suspect, patriotic duty. though, there are other motives Of course, in this big wonderbehind the prevalence of the ful food world we live in, you white chowder on menus. don’t have to choose between 1. Some will argue that New just two varieties of clam chowEngland clam chowder is the der. Rhode Island clam chowder Local Dining more “authentic” of the two contains no cream and no to& Food Blogger chowders. The argument that matoes, just the clams, potatoes one type of chowder is more and maybe other vegetables. “authentic” than any other is Hatteras clam chowder also very difficult to prove, given the contains no cream or tomatoes long and varied history of dishes — it’s basically just clams in 1042 W. Pleasant St., called “chowder.” broth, which seems kind of Oak Park 2. People have had bad impressad. Minorcan clam chowder 708-660-1100 sions of New York, claiming originated in Florida; it has the residents are brusque and tomato-based broth perked up unfriendly. They are not, but the stereotype with datil chili pepper, spicy. contaminates the appreciation of anything The upstart Long Island clam chowder associated with Manhattan, including the tries to balance and reconcile the yin/ chowder. Unfair. yang and white/red of New England and 3. Perhaps the prevalence of the creamy Manhattan chowders. Long Island clam version is because it’s easier for restauchowder is built on a creamy tomato broth. rants to hide substandard ingredients beThe most prevalent clam chowder on resneath an opaque surface. Got a discolored taurant menus seems to be the creamy New potato? A funky clam? Throw ’em in the England style, but here and there you can creamy soup. No one will notice (probably). find the Manhattan variety. One of the best versions of Manhattan clam chowder I’ve Here’s why I prefer Manhattan clam found in Oak Park is in the freezer cabinet chowder: at Carnivore; it’s light and tasty, with good 1. The flavors are cleaner in Manhattan herbal flavors and just a touch of chili heat. clam chowder. The broth, herbs, tomatoes National Clam Chowder Day was Feb. 25. and clams themselves are not covered in You can still celebrate by trying a type of a blanket of goo. They’re glistening just clam chowder you’ve never had before. below the surface, they look enticing, and

DAVID

HAMMOND

Carnivore

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

Homes

NEED TO REACH US?

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

SisterHouse moves to Oak Park

Nonprofit dedicated to helping women break cycle of addiction By LACEY SIKORA

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

NEW DIGS: SisterHouse moved recently from its longtime home in Austin to the former St. Catherine-St. Lucy Convent (above) at 25 Washington Blvd. in Oak Park. Executive Director Lisa Steward-Baugh (top) led the celebration for the move on Feb. 24.

Contributing Reporter

n Feb. 24, SisterHouse, a recovery community assisting women overcoming addiction, celebrated its relocation from Austin to Oak Park with an open house for staff, their board, residents, alumna and the community. The move into the former convent of St. Catherine-St. Lucy Parish at 25 Washington Blvd. was a long time coming, and Executive Director Lisa

Steward-Baugh says the new space allows the organization to put more women on a path to life without drugs and alcohol. SisterHouse was founded in 1982 by Sister Anne Mayer and remains a sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Sr. Anne taught literacy for years at the Cook County Jail and noticed that women who left the jail often cycled back into the prison system, when they returned to their old behaviors after being released. See SISTERHOUSE on page 21

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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Berwyn | 2/1 | $139,900 1503 Elmwood Avenue

Elmwood Park | 1/1 | $84,900 7650 W Altgeld Street 204

2 br, 1.5 ba Georgian w/beautiful landscaping and fenced-in yard.

3 br, 2 ba home w/spectacular layout. Eat-in kit. Convenient location!

Berwyn | 2/1 | $199,900 Open Sun 1-3 | 3415 East Avenue

Freshly painted 2 br Georgian on lrg lot in South Berwyn! Yd w/patio.

Beautifully updated 2 br 1st flr unit in Elmwood Park. 2 prkg spaces.

2 br brick home w/full basement has loads of potential! New roof.

Very nice condo in Elmwood Park in walking distance to Metra station.

Jen Cavanaugh 630.954.4600

Julie White 708.352.4840

Stephanie Eiger 708.557.0779

Manuela Papazisi 773.576.2381

Andrea Bonnie Routen 708.544.8440

Jolanta Sikorska 847.384.7529

Berwyn | 5/4 | $499,000 1308 Kenilworth Avenue

Riverside | 5/2 | $339,000 69 E Quincy Street

Westchester | 4/2 | $318,900 1902 Hull Avenue

Berwyn | 3/2 | $259,872 2701 Harvey Avenue

Berwyn | 3/2 | $219,900 3607 East Avenue

Berwyn | 4/2 | $215,000 3614 Lombard Avenue

Sophisticated, modern, luxury & newly constructed home. 5 br, 3.5 ba.

5 br, 2 ba home near Metra, schools, library & shopping. Eat-in kit.

Amazing 4 br, 1.5 ba corner ranch home near schools. Full fin bsmt.

Brick 2-flat bungalow w/3-car garage. Great corner lot location!

3 br, 1.5 ba brick tri-level home in South Berywn. Near everything!

4 bedroom, 2 bath home in a nice loc. Donâ€™t miss this opportunity!

Lilia Perepitchka 630.954.4600

Sheila Gentile 708.352.4840

Mark Entwistle 630.530.2500

Michelle Kotowski 708.460.4900

Lisa Clemente 708.352.4840

Dorene Fliger 708.352.4840

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE? CALL ME TODAY.

Lewis R. Jones, Managing Broker Oak Park Office (Formerly Gloor Realty) 708.524.1100 | lewis.jones@cbexchange.com

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Any affiliation by you with the Company is intended to be that of an independent contractor sales associate, not an employee. ÂŠ2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

SISTERHOUSE

Four-year buildout from page 19 Convinced there was a way to break the cycle, she asked the Archdiocese of Chicago for property and was given an old convent on Leamington Avenue in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. For many years, she ran SisterHouse as a safe haven for women to transition from prison to the outside world, where she taught them basic life skills to help them be better prepared for day-to-day life. Over the years, the SisterHouse began to focus more on helping women overcome addictions to drugs and alcohol. “It’s still Sister Anne’s vision. If you empower women and give them the appropriate tools, they will empower their households, and this will, in turn, empower the community,” Steward-Baugh said of Sr. Anne’s legacy at SisterHouse. As the organization aged and sized out of the Austin location, SisterHouse began to look for new space. The St. Catherine-St. Lucy convent offered the right amount of space, but had not been used as living quarters since the 1970s. Steward-Baugh says it took about four years to get the building ready for residents again, and adds that the former sleeping cells of the convent allow the perfect space for women to have their own private rooms while sharing communal spaces like a kitchen, TV room and meeting rooms. Long-term resident Constance Franklin has lived in SisterHouse for 14 months and says that living together with others in the same situation is like living with family. “Living with a lot of women can be challenging, but we resolve our issues and try to live like sisters,” Franklin said. “We can help each other think about where we used to be and how far we’ve come.” Like many residents at SisterHouse, Franklin has struggled with addiction multiple times, but this is her first stay at Sis-

PHOTOS BY ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

INTERIOR MAKEOVER: It took four years to get the interior of the old convent ready for occupancy again. The nuns’ cells (below) provide residents with private rooms, but they’re able to share communal spaces like the TV room (above), meeting rooms and a kitchen. terHouse. She describes herself as an addict who functioned well: able to keep a job and rent her own apartment. When her employer cut her hours and she couldn’t afford her rent, her struggle with drugs led her to decide to turn her life around. A 28-day stint in a detox program led her to interview for residency in SisterHouse’s recovery program. Steward-Baugh says that there are some entry requirements for SisterHouse. “We have a capacity for 15 single women,” Steward-Baugh said. “We take people from

all backgrounds looking to free themselves pendent. Through SisterHouse’s affiliation from alcohol and drugs. They are required with CARA, an organization aimed at helpto have at least twenty-eight days clean at a ing people affected by poverty, incarceration minimum. Most of our referrals come from and recovery find quality employment, she detox programs or probation programs.” learned job and budgeting skills. She says that she lays out the She has been employed for seven rules in an initial phone screenmonths in housekeeping and has ing to determine if a woman will worked to build up savings. be a good fit for the program. Steward-Baugh says that em“For the first 30 days, they ployment and educational prohave no access to cell phones,” grams are key for SisterHouse Steward-Baugh said. “We find residents. out who is serious really quickly “Through CARA, they learn when we tell them that rule. Earjob skills, how to interview, ly recovery is a very sensitive how to write a resume and how time, and women need to focus to dress for success,” Stewardon themselves. Outside disturBaugh said. “We have a 98-perbances can make recovery shortcent success rate for placing our lived.” residents in jobs. We also work After a phone screening, pro- LISA STEWARDBAUGH on credit reports and saving so spective residents are invited to that the women are prepared for Executive Director visit SisterHouse for an interthe transition back to the outview. Once admitted, Stewardside world.” Baugh says residents can stay for On top of the life skills, Sisup to two years. She notes that terHouse residents receive inSisterHouse is the only residentensive counseling. Through tial program in Chicago offering outpatient services they get onethat long of a program, but she thinks it is on-one counseling tailored to their specific beneficial to address addiction and issues needs. Women also attend Narcotics and Althat often go hand and hand with recovery. coholics Anonymous meetings and stay con“It’s not only stopping using, but work- nected to sponsors. ing on the underlying issues [like] low selfFor Franklin, who is preparing to transiesteem, sexual abuse and trauma,” Steward- tion to the outside world. SisterHouse has Baugh said. made a world of difference. Franklin credits the structure of the See SISTERHOUSE on page 22 program with helping her learn to be inde-

“We have a 98-percent success rate for placing our residents in jobs.”

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

UNDER CONTRACT

LUXURY 510 KEYSTONE, RIVER FOREST $1,395,000 :: 7+ BED :: 7.5 BATH

907 LATHROP, RIVER FOREST $1,495,000 :: 6 BED :: 7.5 BATH

Gourmet kitchen opens to family room. Attached 3 car garage. Walk to train.

Beautiful Tudor - Attached 3 car garage. Expansive lot - too much to list.

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

NEW LISTING

132 S GROVE, OAK PARK $539,000 :: 3 BED :: 3 BATH

1024 SUPERIOR, OAK PARK $739,000 :: 4 BED :: 2.5 BATH

NEW LISTING 7310 HOLLY , RIVER FOREST $1,125,000 :: 6 BED :: 5.5+ BATH

Beautiful kitchen & baths. In the heart of Oak Park, walk to everything.

Classic Victorian in the heart of Oak Park.

Great newer family home in awesome location. Walk to everything!

KATHY & TONY IWERSEN 708.772.8040 708.772.8041 tonyiwersen@atproperties.com

QUIET TIME: SisterHouse provides contemplative spaces, like this former chapel space, with its stained-glass windows (above). Below, a maintenance worker installs a light in a hallway in the former convent.

SISTERHOUSE ‘Very structured’ from page 21

Call 708-613-3329 to advertise.

“I’m doing good, and I’m happy,” Franklin said. “I was able to repair my relationship with my daughter.” New resident Tiffany Nichols has only been at SisterHouse six days, but she is already getting into the routine. Mornings begin with meditation and breakfast and time for meetings or intensive outpatient therapy. After a communal lunch, the women participate in group meetings or classes on such topics as finances, self-defense and drug addiction. Nichols says she has been in treatment for addiction many times but has always relapsed upon leaving treatment and returning to her former life. At her last treatment center, she says, “Everyone was talking about SisterHouse and how it had an outstanding rate of people making it.” In her short time at SisterHouse, Nichols has already participated in finance and selfdefense classes “This is very structured so we can learn how to do this on our own,” she said. “I want to learn how to manage money, how to get an apartment, how to stay clean and sober.”

For her, the communal living part of recovery has been promising. “When I met all the sisters, it was like we are all family here,” Nicholas said. “I feel like all of us are the same in some ways. We can offer each other coping tips and encouragement. It’s really helpful to see others doing this. It’s new to me, but for those who have been here longer, to see them succeed is very helpful.” Steward-Baugh hopes that this week’s open house was helpful to remove some of the stigma associated with addiction recov-

ery and helped people visualize that recovering addicts are real people. She plans to continue this community outreach with a series of talks every third Thursday of the month. The first breakfast with the executive director will be held at SisterHouse, 25 Washington Blvd., on Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. until noon. and will highlight Women’s History Month.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Generations of Excellence since 1958

708.771.8040 • 7375 W. North Ave., River Forest Donna Barnhisel Cibula 7375 West North AvenueJoe Dan Bogojevich Don Citrano MANAGING Anne Brennan Alisa River Forest, Illinois 60305 Coghill BROKER/OWNERS Karen Byrne Kay Costello 708.771.8040 Kevin Calkins JoLyn Crawford Andy Gagliardo Tom Carraher Pat Cesario

Tom Poulos

828 N EAST • OAK PARK OPEN SUNDAY 122

Maria Cullerton Julie Downey

Kurt Fielder Yvonne Fiszer-Steele Ramona Fox Laura Gancer Chris Garvey Lisa Grimes Dan Halperin

Sharon Halperin Greg Jaroszewski Vee Jaroszewski Noa Klima Sherree Krisco Jack Lattner Charlotte Messina

Vince McFadden Elizabeth Moroney Colleen Navigato John Pappas Sue Ponzio-Pappas Rosa Pitassi Caroline Rauch

Michael Roche Jenny Ruland Laurel Saltzman Laurie Shapiro Tom Sullivan Debbie Watts George Wohlford Nancy Wohlford

Randy Ernst • 773-290-0307

815 WILLIAM • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

1140 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

611 THATCHER • RIVER FOREST OPEN SUNDAY 13

THIS HOME EXUDES PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP Located in the heart of Oak Park this Brick Bungalow home has been lovingly maintained by the same owner for 50yrs. Offers gracious living/dining room, 4 bedrooms and two full baths. The basement is extremly bright and clean. ....................................................................$439,000

LOVINGLY MAINTAINED AND UPDATED, move-in ready, 6 BR, 3 1/2 BA Burma Brothers Home. Tall ceilings, original woodwork, oak floors, art glass, wood burning frpl, fam room/sun porch, den/ lib with built-in bookshelves, mudroom. Fenced yard, 2 car gar & 2 add’l spaces. ........................................................................$1,250,000

SETTING A NEW STANDARD in approachable elegance, this five bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home will exceed your expectations with wide plank hardwood floors, striking lighting and custom millwork throughout. One of a kind floor plan, and three fully finished levels. ..............................................................................................$1,250,000

GRACIOUS, NEWLY UPDATED four bedroom, two full, two half bath home features refinished hardwood floors, a recently renovated kitchen, updated bathrooms, two laundry rooms. Longtime owners have meticulously maintained this home. Enjoy all it has to offer! .......................................................................................$799,000

1426 JACKSON • RIVER FOREST

833 CLINTON PL • RIVER FOREST

934 S LATHROP• FOREST PARK

744 HAYES • OAK PARK

P RIC E R ED UCED!

N EW LI S T I N G!

N EW LI S T I NG!

ELEGANT, GRACIOUS HOME with 4 BRs, 2-1/2 BAs offers a large formal LR w/gas fireplace, spacious DR, hdwd floors, beautiful molding, family room, eat-in kitchen, finished lower level and whole house generator. Outside includes back deck & 3 car garage. ........... ................................................................................................ $698,000

SPECTACULAR HOME offers modern/elegant architectural design, tasteful decor and impeccable attention to detail throughout, featuring 4 bedrooms and 5 full baths. Music room, private office, butler’s pantry, family room. Full basement w/wet bar, game room and rec room. ............................................................$1,550,000

A GREAT HOME for your finishing touches to make it your own! Sunny LR with bay window. Separate dining area with attached family room leading out to deck. Stainless steel kitchen. 2nd floor has 2 BRs and full BA. Two and a half car garage and parking on side apron. ......................................................................................$269,000

MOVEIN READY with space for everyone! Enjoy the well thought out design of this 5 BR, 4 bath home! 1st FL includes open floor plan, kitchen/family room combo, BR, full bath. 2nd FL features 4 BRs, 2 full baths, laundry. Finished basement with additional BR and 4th full BA. ....................................................................................$599,900

RIVER FOREST HOMES

STATELY LANNON STONE GEORGIAN that is move in ready with five large bedrooms, and three full baths. Large room sizes, remodeled gourmet kitchen, family room, three fireplaces , full finished basement, walk up third floor storage with 10 foot ceiling. Slate roof. Attd 2 car garage.$1,095,000 UNIQUE QUALITY BURMA BUILT HOME with 5 bedrooms and 3 full, 2 half baths. House has many wonderful features; 2 separate office areas, hardwood floors, kitchen with all newer appliances, adjoining eating areafamily room. Finished basement. Three car garage .......................$895,000 LOVELY BRICK GEORGIAN with elegance, modern day conveniences, and space. Features include hardwood floors, 3 fireplaces, family room, double-sided fireplace, sunroom with heated floors, beautifully paved patio. Lower Level rec room w fireplace and heated floors. .......... $875,000 GREAT LOCATION & EASY LIVING in this single family Tri-level home on a quiet Cul-De-Sac street. Great flow for entertaining, complete with family room. MBR has an en-suite European bath. Finished lower level has a 1/2 bath, study and exercise room. Growth to make it your own.$599,000

HANDSOME PRAIRIE INFLUENCED HOME, evident in gorgeous original wood and beautiful art glass windows throughout. Beautiful entryway, classic wood mantle, French doors, built- ins. Charming coach house. Special home much loved by same family for two generations. ...... .............................................................................................................$899,000 BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONAL BRICK HOME with four large bedrooms and two and a half baths offers a wood burning fireplace, high ceilings, leaded glass windows and beautiful architectural details. The sun room has French doors leading to a paved patio. A must see property! $760,000 MOVE FAST! Lovely 4 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath Tudor home with beautiful original woodwork, windows with built –in screens, wood burning stone fireplace, built-in shelving, family room with surround sound system. Two car garage w/2 extra spaces. Meticulously maintained!................$689,000 PRICE REDUCED CENTER OF TOWN VICTORIAN with high ceilings, four spacious levels of living in beautiful Oak Park. This 5 BR, 3-12 BA home offers a formal entry, wood burning FP, sun room, family room, eat-in kitchen. Great flow, tons of natural light & storage throughout this beauty!................................................................................................ $639,000 CLASSICE NORTH OP HOME with impeccable curb appeal. Three bedroom, one and a half bath home includes a wood burning fireplace, stained glass, family room, eat in kitchen, ample closet space, expansive deck overlooking a beautiful yard. Discover the best of Oak Park!$469,000

READY TO MOVE IN charming 3 bedroom home features a welcoming front porch with swing and sitting area. Home offers magnificent oak woodwork, stained glass & hardwood floors. Finished basement. Large deck & beautifully landscaped yard. Home has many extras! ...... $432,500

NE W LISTI NG!

STATELY BRICK/STONE ENGLISH STYLE HOME with 6 bedrooms and 7-1/2 baths. Features include a formal living room with limestone wood burning fireplace, dream kitchen, sun-soaked breakfast room, Smart Home ready, white oak floors, mud room, 10 ft ceilings. ......................$2,490,000 RARE NEW CONSTRUCTION in prime location is like no other. From the cut limestone, European detailing to the unequal foyer, it has no peers. This 7 bedroom, 7-1/2 bath home offers private office, elaborate chef’s kitchen, 10 ft ceilings, mud room, impressive lower level. .......................$2,490,000 BURMA BUILT BUHRKE HOUSE combines Tudor revival & chateau style architecture elements. Gorgeous décor and impeccable attention to detail and care found in house and landscaped grounds, extends to fabulous in ground pool and patios. Perfect for entertaining. .......................$2,399,000 EXCEPTIONAL RENOVATION in the heart of RF presents unparalleled quality and design. The quality construction continues into the rehab where not a detail has been missed throughout this thoughtfully proportioned home with 6 BRs and 5 full and 1 half bath. ................................ $1,795,000 THIS LOVELY HOME, found in premier RF location, offers wonderful space for family and entertaining, along with 2 fireplaces and hardwood floors. This elegant home is beautifully constructed and large enough to accommodate family and friends for years to come. .................. $1,225,000

OAK PARK HOMES UNPRECEDENTED ESTATE in the Frank Lloyd Wright Historical district of Oak Park! This meticulously renovated 5 BR, 5 full / 2 half bath property offers exquisite details and refined finishes that boast timeless materials and over the top custom millwork. This is a showcase home! ... $1,545,000

FOREST PARK HOMES

AWARD WINNING RENOVATION of this impressive 4 bedroom, 3 full bath luxury home! Large open floor plan, designer kitchen, mud room with built-ins, huge pantry, finished basement rec room, loads of storage and three separate porches. Architect designed landscaping. ............. $639,000 ENJOY LUXURY LIVING in this masterfully renovated home on an extra wide lot. Gutted down to the studs, this Impressive open concept home features wood floors, natural light and high-style designer finishes. 1st FL office, finished LL family room and easy access to a large deck. ..$454,800

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES/2-FLATS

RIVER FOREST Duplex ....................................................................$419,000 RIVER FOREST 2BR, 2BA. Top floor, corner unit. ......................... $259,000 RIVER FOREST 1BR, 1BA. Newly updated. ....................................$114,500 OAK PARK 2BR, 1BA. Prime location! ............................................ $140,000 FOREST PARK 2BR, 2BA. Bright end unit. .................................... $295,000 PRICE REDUCED FOREST PARK 2BR, 2BA. ................................$159,900 FOREST PARK 1BR, 1BA. Neat, tidy unit. ........................................ $95,000

For more listings & photos go to GagliardoRealty.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

In The Village, Realtors® 526 ASHLAND AVE OPEN SUN 1-2:30 PM

717 N RIDGELAND AVE OPEN SUN 2-4 PM

1113 FERDINAND AVE OPEN SUN 1-3 PM

803 WASHINGTON BLVD 1 OPEN SUN 12-2 PM Harry Walsh, Managing Broker

Mike Becker

River Forest • $850,000 4BR, 4BA Call Marion x111

Oak Park • $549,000 3BR, 2.1BA Call Roz x112

Forest Park • $193,900 2BR, 1BA Call Kris x101

Oak Park • $149,900 1BR, 1BA Call Jane x118

Roz Byrne Joelle Venzera

Tom Byrne

Oak Park • $870,000 Multi units Call Harry x116

Oak Park • $459,000 3BR, 1.1BA Call Elissa x192

Oak Park • $718,800 4BR, 3.1BA Call Kyra x145

Oak Park • $309,900 3BR, 2.1BA Call Elissa x192

Home of the Week

Kris Sagan

Laurie Christofano

Oak Park • $280,000 3BR, 2BA Call Joe x117

Melrose Park • $249,000 3BR, 2.1BA Call Roz x112

Linda Rooney

Marion Digre

453 South Blvd, Oak Park Morgan Digre

Ed Goodwin

Oak Park • $172,000 2BR, 1BA Call Joe x117

Joe Langley

$517,000 • Multi Units

Oak Park • $114,800 1BR, 1BA Call Laurie x186

Jane McClelland

Kyra Pych

Call Laurie x186

Keri Meacham

Mary Murphy

Steve Nasralla

Elissa Palermo

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEN SUN 122

OPEN SUN 13

1227 JACKSON AVE, RIVER FOREST

1434 JACKSON AVE, RIVER FOREST

942 LATHROP AVE, RIVER FOREST

936 FOREST AVE, RIVER FOREST

845 IOWA ST, OAK PARK

4 br, 3.1 ba $1,075,000

5 br, 3.1 ba $939,900

3 br, 1.1 ba $639,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $595,000

3 br, 1.2 ba $525,000

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Susan Maienza 708.848.5550

Jeanette Madock 708.848.5550

OPEN SUN 13

325 N GROVE AVE, OAK PARK

1217 N MARION ST, OAK PARK

847 S KENILWORTH AVE, OAK PARK

300 N MAPLE AVE 16, OAK PARK

713 S EAST AVE, OAK PARK

5 br, 1.1 ba $495,000

4 br, 3.2 ba $485,000

4 br, 1.1 ba $475,000

3 br, 2.1 ba $465,000

3 br, 2 ba $450,000

Alice McMahon 708.848.5550

Susan Maienza 708.848.5550

Kelly Fondow 708.848.5550

April Baker 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

Get Noticed. World-Class Marketing that moves your home from Listed to Sold. 101 N. Oak Park Avenue | 708.848.5550

NEW PRICE

NEW LISTING

1230 N EUCLID AVE, OAK PARK

812 AUGUSTA ST, OAK PARK

1170 S HUMPHREY AVE, OAK PARK

709 HAYES AVE, OAK PARK

2425 MAYFAIR AVE, WESTCHESTER

3 br, 1.1 ba $435,000

3 br, 2 ba $419,000

4 br, 2 ba $399,000

3 br, 1 ba $329,000

4 br, 2.1 ba $319,900

Tabitha Murphy 708.848.5550

Pauline Sharpe 708.848.5550

Robert Hann 708.848.5550

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Armando Vargas 708.848.5550

OPEN SUN 122

NEW LISTING

1135 SCHNEIDER AVE 2A, OAK PARK

6436 ROOSEVELT RD 401, OAK PARK

335 S TAYLOR AVE 1S, OAK PARK

151 N KENILWORTH AVE 6J, OAK PARK

405 S HARVEY AVE 2B, OAK PARK

2 br, 2 ba $285,000

2 br, 2 ba $239,900

3 br, 1 ba $231,000

2 br, 2 ba $225,000

2 br, 1 ba $149,900

Cory Kohut 708.848.5550

Donna Karpavicius 708.848.5550

Jeffrey O'Connor 708.848.5550

Richard Holland 708.848.5550

Sarah O'Shea Munoz 708.848.5550

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OPEN SATURDAY 12-2PM OPEN SUNDAY 12-3PM

1106 N Grove, Oak Park Call Dave!

5 BR | 3.5 Bath | 3 Car Garage $739,000

OPEN SUNDAY 11:30-1:30PM

628 William, River Forest 5 BR | 3.5 Bath | $1,085,000 Call Laura!

OPEN SUNDAY 2-4PM

David Gullo, Managing Broker

708.567.1375

GulloAssociates@gmail.com

830 N Elmwood, Oak Park 4 BR | 3.5 Bath | $599,000 Call Laura!

OPEN SUNDAY 12-2PM

1511 Franklin, River Forest

Laura Maychruk 708.205.7044

LMaychruk@comcast.net

4 BR | 3 Bath | $899,000 Call Laura!

Kaylyn Fox 708.835.4142 Mark Finger 708.990.8115

1047 N Forest, Oak Park 4 BR | 3.5 Bath | $875,000

Call Dave!

526 Augusta, Oak Park

GULLOREALESTATE.COM

5 BR | 4.5 Bath | $1,175,000

905 South Lombard Ste. 2 Oak Park, IL 60304

Growing community.

Call Laura!

COMING SOON! 1135 N Grove, Oak Park 4 BR • 3.5 Bath • $1,150,000 Call Dave!

423 N Elmwood, Oak Park 4 BR • 2.5 Bath

Call Dave!

explore your community at OakPark.com

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Sunday, March 3, 2019 ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

3415 East Ave, Berwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coldwell Banker Residential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $199,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 3436 N. Narragansett Ave. UNIT 1, Chicago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $225,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 2400 Oak Park Ave, Berwyn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $334,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 638 N. Taylor Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $397,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12:30-2 812 Augusta St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $425,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1217 N. Marion St, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $485,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 845 Iowa St, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $525,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

717 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $549,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 547 N. Ridgeland Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $549,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 830 N Elmwood, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gullo & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $599,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sun 2-4 318 S. Humphrey Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1426 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $698,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1126 Clinton Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beyond Properties Realty Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $725,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 1106 N Grove, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gullo & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $739,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . Sat 12-2 // Sun 12-3 611 Thatcher Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $799,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3 325 S. Scoville Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $849,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30-4 526 Ashland Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $850,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2:30 1511 Franklin, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gullo & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $899,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 1434 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group . . . . $939,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 628 William, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gullo & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,085,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:30-1:30 630 N. East Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Baird & Warner Oak Park/River Forest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,195,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 815 William St, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

MULTIFAMILY

TOWNHOMES

CONDOS

1140 Jackson Ave, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,250,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

803 Washington Blvd. UNIT 1, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Re/Max In The Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $149,900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2 110 S. Marion St. UNIT 308, Oak Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sat. 11-1 15 Forest Ave. UNIT 19, River Forst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . @properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $554,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1

ADDRESS

REALTY CO.

LISTING PRICE

TIME

828 N. East Ave, Oak Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gagliardo Realty Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $439,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12-2

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OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Brian C. Brennan

197 E. Quincy St, Riverside............$259,900 Bright welcoming 3 BR, 2 BA frame bungalow with enclosed front porch; Newer vinyl siding on home. HW floors on FF. One BR on first floor. Large kitchen; Rear office. 2 upstairs BAs with huge closets. Upstairs carpeted throughout. Lovely 2-tiered deck. This home has been well-maintained. Freshly painted and updated. Does not back up to tracks. 2-car detached garage; Huge basement for storage with separate laundry rm., furnace rm. + additional rooms. Home located near train, town and excellent schools. A house you will be proud to call home.

100 Fairbank Rd, Riverside............$699,900 Beautifully upgraded home on double lot. Perfectly located with scenic views from every window. Hardwood floors, plantation shutters throughout, 11 ft ceilings, 4 BRs, 2 with fireplaces. Large entry foyer flanked by formal living and dining rooms. Eat-in kitchen with granite and butler’s pantry. Charming balcony at front entrance off second bedroom. Landscaped yard with architecturally matching 28x28 gazebo/carport that is used for outdoor entertaining or multiple car storage. Great location - walk to downtown Riverside and Metra, schools, parks, shopping and library. Easy access to expressways, minutes to downtown Chicago.

125 Bloomingbank Rd, Riverside............$769,000 Expansive two story brick home located in 1st Division of Riverside. Home is an entertainer’s dream! Stunning open concept featuring grand two story foyer, formal living/dining rooms, gourmet kitchen with separate eat-in area opens to large family room that flows to deck overlooking professionally landscaped rear yard. Second floor offers master bedroom suite, four additional bedrooms, one of which is a private suite perfect for guests. Huge finished lower level with full kitchen helpful for entertaining, family room with fireplace, game room, exercise room, recreation room, separate storage room and large utility room. New complete Tear Off roof.

Burlington Realty/@properties Broker 708.805.2064 BrianBrennan@atproperties.com

BEST KEPT SECRET IN THE CHICAGO SUBURBS! DISCOVER RIVERSIDE Riverside, IL, a beautiful upscale suburb in Cook County offering a vast range of home types and prices. Riverside is minutes from Oak Park. Riverside was one of the first planned communities in the US, designed in 1869 by Fredrick Law Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux. In 1970 Riverside was designated a National Historic Landmark Community. To this day Riverside maintains many of Olmsted‘s original designs; expansive green parkways, gas-lit street lanterns and winding streets Riverside is a great family community-walkable, top ranked schools, charming downtown, easy access to all expressways, equal distance to both airports, just 9 miles from the Loop, with excellent community services.! For additional information about this charming historic community and its housing options contact Brian C. Brennan, experienced real estate professional and top producer with Burlington Realty/@properties.

Ph 708.805.2064 BrianBrennan@atproperties

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Miss a week… L A N R U JO

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Across the country and ticular lar, the num in Illinois, MOVING DAY in parber of new : Ginie Cassin experience bor n bab withdra Hemingway presided ove ies who awal from their exp board chair r drugs ecta leaves Sunday many a Memorial Day oids,, is sky nt mothers, particu used by ceremony in for a new life rock larly opi keting. Sco with family A recent Photo courtesy analysis in Minnesota ville Park. The longtime of Debby Preise of Illinois of Public r village clerk . Department Health dat and a by Cra Business in’s showe tha Chicago t in 2016 every 1,00 wed “nearly 3 0 babies of bor n in through wit Illin hdra ois awal, kno went stinence wn as neo with great syndrome natal abpotential me.” And creased 53 to fulfill it. that rate That has percent o has “incertainly over six yea Typically, been true Oak Park’s Cassin’s cas rs.” when bab in Ginie e. Far mers ies show sign drawal, the Market and Ginie des Her family By KEN TRAINO y’re imm cribes as whom moved to ediately sep s of withtheir mothe R “more like loit, Wiscon Oak Park me,” driv arated from rs Staff Writ from Bee up to her me than sin in the er phine to hel and given methad 1920s whe 3. Except new hom one or mo p gradually n she was ard, Minnesota. for three e in Brainrdrugs ins wea It’s yea n not easy where her them off rs in Dal ide of the It isn’t eas saying goo of the las, Texas ir system father was y for her like Virgin dbye to som ss. thr to say goo transferred ee years at even at the ia Cassin eone dbye eith , and . Great peo age of 94. great tow See OPIOI er, ton, Wiscon Lawrence College ple produc ns. Or is D on pa But we gav in Applepage 14 sin (psycho e it great tow e it a shot, great peo round dur logy major, ns produc ple? Maybe ing WW year- en on Grove Avenue sitting in her kitche Oak it works Special tow Park residen II), Ginie has bee for a couple both way ns make n an a few weeks ago s. t. of hours it possibl , That ends talk ing e for peo past and about nei this Sunday ple dau present, ghbors, when she ghter, She whose live and her theirs since ila, who s intersected 1952 whe formerly n she and headed her husSee CASSIN on page 12

Can-do Cass in bids

She’s moving no rth 9 very active de after cades

W E D N E S D A Y

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White women in Oak Park p. 38

Puck nailed it: What fools these mortals be

have come to believe that you can divide our species into two categories — the flawed and the deeply flawed. Today I focus on the flawed. We all know that each of us makes many mistakes on the highway of life. There are plenty of flat tires, breakdowns, fender benders and speeding tickets. Sometimes, though, a small mistake, a momentary inattentiveness, can result in a serious crash with permanent consequences. Just this month there has been a widely publicized matter of a relatively small mistake that resulted in serious personal consequences. Fortunately no one suffered serious bodily injury — just personal humiliation and comic ridicule. After days of media saturation the story has been told. Empire actor Jussie Smollett paid two brothers to stage a hate crime-like attack on him. To my mind, the plan was flawed from the get-go. Mr. Smollett was seeking a raise in his salary on the show. In my experience, those seeking a boost in their wages typically sit down with the boss at review time, and make their case for a raise emphasizing the quality and quantity of their work, their loyalty and the importance of their contribution to the enterprise. Had I, as an attorney in my law firm, arranged for a friend, posing as a dissatisfied client, to beat me up, my fellow partners would have been sympathetic, but would have been far more interested in how many hours I had billed. Then there was the scheme itself, which in the account I read was that the two brothers were paid by check $3,500, with the promise of $500 more when the fake attack was completed. Anyone who has ever watched a Coen Brothers movie knows that the deal is straight cash, homie, and you don’t pay almost all the money up front, lest the perpetrators run off with the money. Better yet in this botched job, the equally novice brothers still completed the assignment for a mere $500. Of course, there was the reality that Chicago has the most extensive video surveillance network in the U.S., with access to 32,000 cameras, not counting businesses and private residences. Inevitably, the cameras caught everything on

JOHN

HUBBUCH

See HUBBUCH on page 37

National emergencies, true and Trumped-up

arly in the afternoon of the 20th day of our government shutdown, I took my daily two-mile walk in Oak Park. The weather was seasonably brisk. I noticed a tall man on Marion Street, between North Boulevard and Lake Street. He was one of the numerous beggars frequenting that location. As I walked past him, he said in a quivering voice, “Please help a Vietnam veteran.” The tone of his voice reached into my depths. Mention of Vietnam stopped me. I turned around and looked at him. The hood of his winter coat cast a shadow on his features. I stepped toward him for a closer look. He was impoverished but not disheveled. The white stubble of his beard contrasted with his dark skin. He was a portrait of dignity and distinction. “A Vietnam veteran?” I asked. In a military manner he replied, “Yes, sir!” I asked, “In which branch of the military did you serve?” “In the Army, sir,” he replied. He also named the division, battalion and some familiar sounding Vietnam locations of his service. I believed him. I reached into my pocket and brought out my wallet. I felt no apprehension that the beggar might grab it and run. Not at his age. The aging man looked on. There was only one dollar in my billfold. I carry very little cash on my walks. I gave the dollar to the veteran and remarked, “It looks like you got my last dollar.” He smiled and said, “You probably have a few more waiting at home.” I smiled and nodded. He thanked me and invoked God’s blessings upon me. I walked on with a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

A few steps further up the street a newspaper vending box showed a headline, “President Trump threatens to declare a national emergency.” The sight triggered a churning of my emotions. A moment ago, I had been face to face with our “true national emergency.” It was only one man, but he represented the suffering of thousands like him. Scattered, lost, and ignored throughout our communities, they come out from the shadows to seek tokens of pity. They served our country, but their American dreams became nightmares. They were cast off from the mainstream of life. Homelessness in America ought to be declared a national emergency! In 2018 there were 554,000 individuals homeless or unsheltered in the United Sates. 40,000 of them were veterans (Wikipedia). Those statistics dwarf the numbers of refugees in caravans from Central America. Spending five billion dollars for relief for our veterans and other homeless would be compassionate and wiser than building a wall to stand off our beleaguered neighbors. Likely, the wall would represent America’s declaration of bankruptcy to respond to humanitarian crises. Shutting the government down, Trump created a national emergency. His tantrum disrupted the livelihood of 800,000 workers and excluded them from the “America First” consideration. Our government workers should not have been victimized in a political squabble. America cannot claim greatness when it has no compassion. Fred Natkevi is a longtime Oak Park resident.

FRED NATKEVI One View

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

O U R

V I E W S

Simplicity, complexity in affordable housing

V I E W P O I N T S

n Monday evening Oak Park’s village board had a long, complex and earnest discussion about next steps in creating an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. For the 11 people, just one of them an incumbent, running for seats on the village board come April, this meeting might have been a lesson in what they are getting themselves into. As the discussion ended, there were added points of consensus on what this ordinance ought to include. Large apartment and townhome construction projects included. Condos in a weak market, not included. Land along both the Green and Blue lines included, but areas closest to Austin Boulevard excluded. Still, on the most fundamental issues, what percentage of units — 5 percent, 10 percent — in a large project should be set aside as affordable, or alternatively, what price should be set for a developer to pay into an affordable housing fund — $50,000 per set aside unit, $100,000 per set aside unit? This board, working strenuously to complete an ordinance before the April 2 election, wisely stepped back Monday and asked staff to gather more data on “fee in lieu” pricing by using a third-party real estate consultant. That will slow final choices. This is an important issue. Oak Park needs an inclusionary housing ordinance to bring some structure to an issue that goes to the heart of our community values related to housing for a wide range of people of differing economic means. We need the clarity that will come from figuring out how new development, mostly high end, needs to contribute to those solutions. Here are a few thoughts: What’s right? There is no entirely right answer on the specifics of the equation. Is 5 percent the right number on set asides? Maybe 7 percent? Likely it ultimately depends on the strength of the market. Certainly it depends on the price of the land which, going forward, is always going to be an entirely private transaction as the village-owned parcels have been sold off. Is the fee in lieu number $50,000? Evanston just raised its number per unit. Two points. The right number will create some tension in the negotiations with a potential developer. If they willingly fork over $50,000, the number is too low. If the new ordinance creates actual blockades in locking in new projects, then the village may have overshot. In either case, the number can be adjusted. These are government regs that are being written. Not the Magna Carta. So think but don’t overthink. Finally, this discussion, both village-wide and at the board table, is moving Oak Park closer to understanding how we define affordable housing and what success in meeting the needs of real people looks like. Is it setting aside 20 units across three future projects at somewhat discounted rents? Is it piling up $2 million in a discretionary fund that makes possible worthy and broadly affordable projects such as New Moms on Chicago Avenue and Community Builders on Oak Park Avenue? Is it having those funds flow into vital innovators such as Housing Forward and the Oak Park Housing Authority to fund transitional housing for people trying to stave off homelessness or meeting a special need? There isn’t a single right answer. There isn’t an answer that will be right for today and remain unchanged for a decade. There is an underlying truth. This discussion reinforces that it is in Oak Park’s character to stretch, to struggle to meet the needs of more people, to foster diversity in all its definitions. And for all the pain in the details of this discussion, it is an affirming effort.

@ @OakParkSports

Books that move us forward

n the past two years, I’ve been reading more. The following books were not only highly readable and influential, but in some cases even transformative. The Warmth of Other Suns, for instance, by Isabel Wilkerson, permanently altered my thinking about race. The book tells “The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,” which took place from roughly 1915 through 1975, during which millions of black Americans left the Jim Crow oppression of the South and came North, East and West looking for a better life. If you’re at all serious about racial equity and feel an urgency about improving race relations in this country, reading this book is a good place to start. Wilkerson, by the way, was an Oak Park resident when she started writing it. Slavery, whose consequences still haunt us to this day, has been called America’s Original Sin. That’s true, but it was Original Sin Part II. Part I was our treatment of Native Americans. To understand how much we still need to learn from indigenous peoples, I suggest reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. An environmental biology professor and citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, someone with a foot planted firmly in the worlds of modern science and native wisdom, she makes a compelling case that we must learn from Native American culture if we hope to save this planet, by changing our approach to the natural world — from exploitation to sustainability, from seeing the world as an enemy that must be dominated and conquered to seeing it is a generous giver of abundant gifts. Into the Magic Shop, a memoir by James Doty, neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery at Stanford University, is about a troubled eighthgrader from a dysfunctional family in 1968, whose life course was altered when he entered a magic shop in Lancaster, California, and met Ruth, who taught him the secrets of his own mind through what is now called Mindfulness Meditation. Doty became an expert on the human brain, but didn’t fully grow up until he learned Ruth’s final lesson, much later in life, about opening the heart. Today he is the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) and a board member of the Dalai Lama Foundation. “We are on a journey of connection,” Doty writes, “our collective journey toward greater compassion and ever-greater humanity.” And he quotes the Dalai Lama: “Love and compassion are necessities; without them, humanity cannot survive.” “How can humanity survive?” you could say, has been the motivating inquiry of my reading these past two years. You might also say “Finding ways to accelerate personal transformation and human evolution” is one of the goals of that inquiry. Acceleration is at the heart of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s book, “Thank You for Being Late – An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations.” Life is accelerating, he says, beyond anyone’s

capacity to keep up (one of the reasons he thanks people for being late to appointments — it gives him a few exquisite moments of unstructured time). The unrelenting pace of modern life leaves many people feeling anxious, overwhelmed and left behind. The culture we live in, which Friedman dubs “The Machine,” is accelerating, simultaneously, on three main fronts: technology, globalization, and climate change. Some of this is exciting and some of it is terrifying, potentially planet threatening but also potentially planet saving. This affects all of our lives. How do we respond? Instead of “speeding up” and trying to stay ahead of an exponentially accelerating curve, which Friedman says is impossible anyway, he suggests, counterintuitively, slowing down and getting back in touch with our formational values. For him, that meant returning to his hometown in a suburb of Minneapolis — St. Louis Park, which bears a striking resemblance to Oak Park, including the population breakdown: St. Louis Park is 58 percent white, 27 percent black, 9 percent Hispanic, 5 percent Asian and 1 percent Native American. Why is Friedman an optimist? “We will get the best of these technologies,” he writes, “only if we don’t let them distract us from making these deep human connections, addressing these deep human longings, and inspiring these deep human energies. And whether we do that depends on all the stuff you can’t download — the high five from a coach, the praise from a mentor, the hug from a friend, the hand up from a neighbor, the handshake from a rival, the totally unsolicited gesture of kindness from the stranger, the smell of a garden and not the cold stare of a wall.” In other words, the strong, formational values we learn in healthy communities — like St. Louis Park … or Oak Park and River Forest. “I am convinced that if we can just achieve the minimum level of political collaboration to develop the necessary social technologies to work through it, keep our economies open, and keep lifting learning for everyone, a better life will become more available than ever to more people than ever — and the second quarter of the 21st century could be an amazing time to be alive.” During his trip back to St. Louis Park, Friedman drove past his old neighborhood, and the biggest change was in the trees. “A half century later, all the trees had grown tall and thick, with long branches. … Those trees and I had both grown up and out from the same topsoil, and the most important personal, political, and philosophical lesson I took from the journey that is this book is that the more the world demands that we branch out, the more we each need to be anchored in a topsoil of trust that is the foundation of all healthy communities. We must be enriched by that topsoil, and we must enrich it in turn.” Are we enriching our topsoil here in Oak Park and River Forest? Are we being enriched by it? There are two more books to discuss, but those require a separate column.

KEN

TRAINOR

V I E W P O I N T S

Questions for Oak Park trustee candidates

uestions for the next candidate forum: 1. As the overriding board in Oak Park, it is your responsibility to provide taxpayer relief by consolidating taxing bodies. Do you agree? What bodies would you absorb without decreasing services? Provide a timetable for such absorptions, perhaps in spreadsheet format. 2. Major duplication of services and vendors occurs in various areas, infrastructure, finance, accounting, public relations, purchasing, waste disposal, newsletter publication, snow removal, trees. But none as much as in youth services. Every single taxing body deals with youth education, problem youth, gifted youth, youth creativity, youth athletic. Nowhere in that area has the IGOV shown more incompetence. How would you remove duplication of services, without losing services? Locate at least $10 million in savings and provide details, perhaps in spread sheet format. 3. Determine the number of individuals at each taxing body involved in finance and accounting and public relations. What is the total salaries + benefits of these? How would you reduce this unwieldly number? What criteria would you employ? Identity at least $500,000 in cost savings, perhaps in spreadsheet format. 4. Significant real estate in Oak Park is tax exempt as church and government buildings. How would you decrease the footprint of office buildings? Would you move your facility to a single-building civic center shared by the township, VOP, D97, and PD? Estimate the property taxes saved if the offices of those taxing

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

bodies were moved into a single-building civic center. 5. Citizen boards have shown an inability and lack of interest in preventing thefts. What kind of professional oversight would you create to prevent this at your taxing body? Would you agree to an external accounting firm to examine and certify the books of your taxing body? Identify at least one firm that works in this area, including the name of such a specialist at that firm. 6. Some members of the community have made a career out of being board members. This results in a lack of new ideas from new people and a wielding of power coming from supposed experience and sweat investment. Would you agree to term limits for the members of your board? If not, why not? If so, how many years? 7. IDOT will be acquiring significant acreage for Ike expansion, reducing our tax base. Capping the Ike has been discussed. D200 transferring $50 to $80 million from its illicit fund to a Cap the Ike fund would be a significant start. If the other taxing bodies tithe their revenues into this fund, with conservative investment the fund could reach $500 million within 10-15 years. Matching corporate, federal, or stat funds could create the $1 billion needed for significant construction. a. Do you support such a tithe? b. Which of the following can you envision being part of the development: Oak Park hotel/banquet hall straddling the Ike for maximum promotion, civic center for government offices, athletic fields? Les Golden is a longtime Oak Park resident.

LES

GOLDEN One View

Editor and Publisher Dan Haley Senior Editor Bob Uphues Associate Publisher Dawn Ferencak Staff Reporters Michael Romain, Timothy Inklebarger, Nona Tepper Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Sports/Staff reporter Marty Farmer Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, John Hubbuch, May Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger, Stan West, Michelle Mbekeani-Wiley, Cassandra West, Doris Davenport Staff Photographer Alexa Rogals Editorial Design Manager Claire Innes Editorial Designers Jacquinete Baldwin, Javier Govea Business Manager Joyce Minich IT Manager/Web Developer Mike Risher Advertising Production Manager Philip Soell Advertising Design Manager Andrew Mead Advertising Designers Debbie Becker, Mark Moroney Advertising Director Dawn Ferencak Advertising Sales Marc Stopeck, Bill Wossow Inside Sales Representative Mary Ellen Nelligan Event Coordinator Carmen Rivera Client Engagement Natalie Johnson Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Distribution Coordinator Wakeelah Cocroft-Aldridge

We will learn from Oak Park Market experience North Avenue District Inc. thanks Tim Inklebarger and Wednesday Journal for covering the likely closing of the Oak Park Market at North and Harvey avenues in Oak Park. Thanks also to everyone who patronizes the store. There appear to be many reasons why Oak Park Market doesn’t have enough customers. If it stays open, the district stands ready to assist with new marketing/promotion initiatives. If it closes, we intend to learn from what went wrong in order to help the next market at that location be successful. More multifamily development is coming to the district. About 30 new units are under development on the Oak Park side of North Avenue. (Note: I was mistaken when I pegged this at 40-50 units in my in-

ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer

terview. I apologize for the error.) Another 90 units are proposed on the Chicago side, in addition to the former Sears site. We also want to explore multifamily development at other sites, identified by a recent Urban Land Institute technical assistance panel, including the former Walgreens site at North/Mobile in Chicago (directly across the street from

Oak Park Market). A new STEAM center for youth is planned for the Monumental Building at North/Moody in Chicago. As stated in the article, all this will help to build a customer base for Oak Park Market or a successor store in the same location.

Judith Alexander

Chair, North Avenue District Inc.

Front Desk Carolyn Henning, Maria Murzyn Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

About Viewpoints Our mission is to lead educated conversation about the people, government, schools, businesses and culture of Oak Park and River Forest. As we share the consensus of Wednesday Journal’s editorial board on local matters, we hope our voice will help focus your thinking and, when need be, fire you to action. In a healthy conversation about community concerns, your voice is also vital. We welcome your views, on any topic of community interest, as essays and as letters to the editor. Noted here are our stipulations for filing. Please understand our verification process and circumstances that would lead us not to print a letter or essay. We will call to check that what we received with your signature is something you sent. If we can’t make that verification, we will not print what was sent. When, in addition to opinion, a letter or essay includes information presented as fact, we will check the reference. If we cannot confirm a detail, we may not print the letter or essay. If you have questions, email Viewpoints editor Ken Trainor at ktrainor@wjinc.com.

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

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

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

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

Baron is blowing smoke on taxes

I just read Bridgett Baron’s Viewpoint article on her candidacy for Oak Park Village Board [Oak Park’s urgency: Reining in excessive taxation, Viewpoints, Feb. 20], and I think her whole campaign is untenable. She claims to be concerned about Oak Park’s property taxes and includes a chart showing a 68.3% increase in taxes “among all six taxing bodies” and other sources. This figure has absolutely nothing to do with her candidacy. According to information recently published by Oak Park Township (http://oakparktownship.org/sites/default/files/Referendum%20Information%20Flyer.pdf), the top three recipients of Oak Park’s real estate taxes are District 97 at 38.9%, District 200 at 24.6%, and the Village Of Oak Park at 10.3%. Anyone interested in property tax relief would run for the boards of District 97 or District 200, which is where 63.5% of our taxes are spent. Running for the village board on a tax relief agenda is just blowing smoke. I would ask Ms. Baron to list the multimillion-dollar village programs she considers to be boondoggles that she will cut and which will result in hundreds of dollars of tax cuts to each Oak Parker’s real estate tax bill.

Alan Krause

Oak Park

Freestone peaches at Carnival Market Thanks to a fast move by Arthur Paris, owner of Carnival Market on Oak Park Avenue, canned freestone peaches are now available [Peach ignorance is the pits, Viewpoints, Feb. 20]. He special-ordered them from his distributor, and this is so typical of Arthur responding to his customers’ needs. What a great store, great owner, and great peaches canned by Del Monte. Those peaches turn out to be the best in a “taste testing.” Thanks to Carnival for getting them. It seems that every day there is a new product at that store, including lots of prepared foods. Hooray for Arthur!

Roberta Raymond Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Massie for D200 school board

I am supporting Amanda Massie in her candidacy for the Oak Park and River Forest High School Board of Education. I have known her for almost 20 years, and I think she would be an asset as a school board member. She is dedicated, levelheaded and works well with a wide variety of people. She takes the time to do her homework and fully understand the issues she is working on. One of the things I have always admired about Amanda is the enormous energy she brings to issues that affect all of us in Oak Park and River Forest. She regularly attends school board and village meetings with a critical eye on issues that affect our children and also our property taxes. She has spoken out in favor of more transparency from the school board about issues that affect edu-

Sunlight and sanity for D200

cational excellence and academic equity, and against frivolous spending. In her campaign, Amanda has been working hard to gather input from parents, teachers and other citizens about what they think is working and what is broken in our schools. She will be very open to input from a wide array of sources if she is elected. As a former parent of D200 students, I think she’ll be especially sensitive to the concerns of parents and former parents who believe we deserve the best educational outcomes for all our students. For all of these reasons, I hope you’ll join me in giving Amanda one of your votes for school board representation on Election Day.

Charlie Mayer Oak Park

Remembering the OP Community Organization Editor’s note: The following letter was recently found buried on my desk. Despite the lapse in time, and regretting the oversight, we’re running this and one other (next week). Christine Vernon’s letter, printed in your July 1, 2018 edition, needs some amplification. She refers specifically to Bruce and Julie Samuels who, like other citizens, worked to stop red-lining in Oak Park and Austin. They, like myself, were members of the Oak Park Community Organization (OPCO), cochaired by Paul Bloyd and Perry Hamilton, though we were pretty much equal in our activities and decision-making. If I remember correctly, Paul and Perry

set up the times and places for specific actions. OPCO was in contact with a similar organization in Austin chaired by a woman of Italian descent (I don’t recall her name). Bruce and Julie can surely correct and amplify my comments should they wish to do so. I have an OPCO membership list somewhere around the house. Should it turn-up, I will give the list to the Historical Society museum at Lombard and Lake. Other members of OPCO may wish to add their comments to mine. I don’t recall when OPCO was active.

John Shipley Oak Park

Say no to parking boxes on Madison

I fully agree with the letter writer who stated what a terrible idea it is to add parking boxes on Madison. I have been to several suburbs lately where I noticed an abundance of free, time-restricted parking in their business districts. I also noticed their businesses were very busy. The only busy business on Madison have their own lots. Anyone who drives down Madison knows that if they continue just another mile into Forest Park they will find free parking. I think Oak Park needs to look at the big picture and not just at immediate revenue

The first time we met Amanda Massie, candidate for the District 200 school board, over 20 years ago, was after a significant snowfall as we were both clearing the alley, me by shovel, Amanda with a beast of a snowblower. She worked her way over to our garage to speed the work and make introductions. Amanda is a good worker. A few years later, her husband Noel’s career compelled their relocation to Virginia. It was one of many career moves that Amanda, Noel and their two sons, Pierce and Braidon, chose to make. But of all the places the family chose to live, Oak Park was their favorite. I distinctly remember Amanda pledging to move back to Oak Park where she felt most at home raising her biracial family. The Massies are very loyal and appreciative of the people and the opportunities they have worked so hard to achieve. Not unlike so many of our fellow Oak Parkers who have invested and reaped the rewards of our investments going back over 40 years, we find ourselves having to decide whether to leave the expense of staying in our homes due to the prospect of ever-increasing costs. As we approach retirement, the choice is as much about the effort to control costs as the actual costs themselves. While we realize the cost of everything goes up, it is so much more painful if the increases are seen as unfair and go unchallenged. Amanda, if elected, vows to challenge the existing power structure and shed sunlight on and bring sanity to D200, your Oak Park and River Forest High School. Please consider Amanda on Election Day.

Chris and Carrie Mijal

Oak Park

A vote against plowing alleys

figures when it comes to parking. I also don’t like the trend to have meters being replaced with pay boxes. One of the things I enjoy about Oak Park is quickly and easily running into a business to buy a single item or pick something up and throwing a dime in the meter instead of having to find and walk to a pay box and enter numbers. Is there a citizens committee on parking that has any real power? If so, as busy as I am, I’d be interested in serving on it.

Two weeks ago, Jim Whalen asked, “Am I alone in wondering whether plowing the alleys is counterproductive?” [Viewpoints, Feb. 13]. My reply is no, you’re not! On more than one occasion we’ve plowed out the back (and our garage doesn’t open onto the alley, but sideways, so there’s a lot of digging to do) and the garbage/recycling cans, only to have the village truck plow us back in. Jim is right that the plow creates icy mounds, which are often worse than the initial snow. My vote would be for the village to stop plowing the alleys!

Oak Park

Joyce Porter

Debbie Pastors

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Hope to see you at the One Earth film fest After her best-selling book and film, The World According to Monsanto, award-winning journalist Marie-Monique Robin presents her new documentary, “Roundup Facing Its Judges,” on the global use of glyphosate-based herbicides. She deconstructs the mechanisms of one of the greatest environmental and health scandals in modern history, and showcases an exceptional investigation into a subject that concerns all of us because glyphosate is everywhere: in the soils, the water, the food and the air. The guiding thread of the documentary is the Monsanto International Tribunal, held in The Hague in October 2016, and its recommendation for a new international law against “ecocide.” This film contains heavy themes, graphic images and language. Run time is approximately 90 minutes. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $8. Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m., Main Library. Doors open 30 minutes before start

Broecker warned us. Will we respond?

Thanks for the article noting the death of Wallace Smith Broecker, the OPRF graduate who became known as the “Grandfather of Climate Science” [Scientist who coined ‘global warming’ dies, Inside Report, Feb. 20]. Broecker warned clearly and repeatedly of the enormous danger of global warming. And decades later, the human race is pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere faster than ever. We are in deep trouble. There is a lot of discussion now of a “Green New Deal,” which would treat the

climate issue as the crisis that it is. But there is also a big and simple measure that would go a long way in the right direction. The bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act now before Congress would boost the economy, help the environment, and make most people better off than they are now. It would do this by putting a fee on fossil fuels and distributing the money to the population on a per-capita basis.

HUBBUCH

the Civil Rights Movement back a decade. Meanwhile the world grew hotter and a mass murderer planned his next shooting. Because no one can condone faking a hate crime, Mr. Smollett faces jail time. His acting career is in jeopardy. I suspect the two brothers, who won’t be charged with any crime, may be able to parlay their 15 seconds of fame into a season of Dancing with the Stars. Mr. Smollett only wanted a raise and a little fame at a time and in an industry where the raison d’eternal is money and celebrity. These three miscreants are exemplars that hubris exists not only for Greek heroes, but for all of us. We all make lots of small mistakes in our lives. The Fates decide the consequences.

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time. Arrive early to avoid lines and get the best seats. The Oak Park Public Library is an ADA-compliant, accessible venue. View the trailer and reserve tickets on the web at: www.oneearthfilmfest.org/ films-az-2019/roundup-facing-its-judges. We hope to see you at the fest!

Peggy McGrath, David Holmquist GoGreen Oak Park

tape and identified the brothers, who gave Mr. Smollett up. This was the dumbest plan ever. It made Jerry Lundergaard’s (William Macy) plan to fake his wife’s kidnapping in Fargo seem sheer genius. Our politicians and mass media, who never miss a chance to exploit our biases, at first framed the developing story as just more evidence of racism and police incompetence. They then quickly whipsawed to how this faked hate crime reporting had set

Doug Burke

Citizens Climate Lobby Oak Park

PE LV IC HEA LT H WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO SEEK CARE Thursday • March 7, 2019 5:00 - 6:30 PM Belmont Village Senior Living 1035 Madison St. Oak Park, IL 60302 Speaker: Sarah Adelstein, MD Dr. Adelstein is affiliated with Rush Health and specializes in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and Urology in Chicago and Oak Park. Millions of women suffer from urinary incontinence, vaginal prolapse, pelvic pain, and other pelvic floor dysfunction. Yet a surprising number do not seek care. Join us for this informative presentation on understanding the role of the pelvic floor and bladder. Learn about treatments and procedures for pelvic floor dysfunction. Wine, cheese and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to 708-848-7200.

OP_WedJournal_PelvicHealthEvent_3_2019.indd 1

2/18/19 10:10 AM

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Oak Park Market’s White women in Oak Park are not in danger prices weren’t competitive

I am one of the shoppers who visited Oak Park Market not long after it opened, walked through every aisle, and walked out. Three times, in fact, because I wanted to give the store a chance. I told my wife the store wouldn’t last a year. Why? Because price matters. All the hand-wringing about alleged lack of public awareness, or supposed unwillingness to travel five blocks, or traitorous failure to support local establishments misses the point. Price matters. I would say the same thing to the owners of the Living Fresh store on Roosevelt Road. There’s a reason your store is empty. Non-competitive prices.

Bob Stigger

Oak Park

Predicting a gloomy high-rise future

There’s a condominium building that was built on Chicago Avenue just east of Doggie Day Play. They had a sign outside as they were building it, and it said, “Starting at $500,000.” That’s over a half million dollars for a condo in a 5-story building! I even took a photograph of that sign. That was about five years ago. Now they have built giant tall buildings at Forest Avenue and Lake Street and along South Boulevard just east of Harlem Avenue. These buildings are so high I can’t even see the tops of them from my windshield. I guess the idea is to stack them higher and higher, so that Oak Park gets a healthy piece of the property taxes. Look at your utility bills (phone, gas, electric). Tell me what you see. Oak Park gets over 5 percent tax on each monthly utility bill. How many phones are in Oak Park? It’s like having a thunderstorm of money coming into village hall each month! Here’s my prediction: All of those millennials who are moving into those tall buildings are paying outrageously high mortgages and ridiculously high rents. Our economy is now just a service and consumer economy, with people working low-pay jobs in eateries and stores and others with high-priced jobs looking at computer terminals with gaping mouths. This economic bubble is going to burst sooner than later. Then all those people will no longer be able to pay those mortgages and rents, and will have to vacate their homes. The buildings will be left empty. Then someone in government will get the bright idea to subsidize poor families to move into the vacated homes. Then those tall buildings will become Cabrini-Green West. If you think I’m talking off the top of my head, then cut out and save this letter, and re-read it, say, 15 or 20 years from now.

Robert DeChristopher Oak Park

he Oak Park Police Department released its crime statistics for 2018. For those who actually care about the facts and statistics, it is not a surprise that Oak Park is still a relatively safe community. There were 1,650 investigated crimes. But check this out: The number of calls to the police was 66,286! Oak Park Police Chief LaDon Reynolds said the data underscores the fact that, “Oak Park is a very safe place to live, work and raise a family.” However, what I want to pay attention to, is this next part: “I understand how word of a specific crime or type of crime can shape one’s perception of personal safety,” he said. “But I also believe these numbers should allay the concerns of residents whose perception of crime may be based more on news reports and social media posts.” White women, I need to tell you something difficult; you are not in danger from black men/black children. Black men do not want to harm you. The truth is, white women in Oak Park are not in danger; white women in Oak Park are dangerous. This myth of “fragile white women, in danger of attacks by black men” is as old as America in the movie Birth of a Nation. This narrative is as recent as the manifesto written by Dylann Roof, the terrorist who assassinated eight members of the church in South Carolina. This idea of white women being fragile and in need of saving from black men or people of color (POC) is still seen and used as a tool of racial oppression today. While it’s a new academic field of study — that of white fragility and white women being perceived as helpless and in need of saving — as a tool of racism, it is something that black folks and POC know intimately. What does this have to do with Oak Park? I wish we could just ignore the white Oak Park women who believe

myths about perceived danger. But the reality is that, both nationally and locally, scared white women, spreading myths about being in danger, are extremely dangerous to the black community and have real consequences. Actual crime in Oak Park: Oak Park Police investigated 1,650 crimes in 2018, Burglaries and thefts, which historically represent the vast majority of crime in the village, remained the biggest categories at nearly 87 percent of all crimes committed in the community in 2018. Number of calls to the police: Police responded to 66,286 calls for service in 2018. The police currently do not track the number of stops or harassment to citizens. But I would posit that although there were only 1,650 actual crimes; the number of calls to the police for “service” (aka a white woman feeling scared), i.e. 66,286, is the more important number. How many black people, especially black boys, were stopped, harassed, scared, or arrested by those 66,286 calls? Seriously, 66,286 calls to the police? For a total of 1, 650 actual crimes, and these were not violent crimes, the vast majority were, “crimes of opportunity”? My challenge to white women is this: Get out of your fantasy and into reality. You are not in danger from black men; you are dangerous to black men. You need to work to eliminate unconscious racial biases. Also, let’s stop this narrative of white women being weak. I know many of you, and you are not helpless; you are strong women. Lastly, the most dangerous demographic to white women in Oak Park are white men in Oak Park. For the love of God, stop calling the police every time you are scared. Just stop. ShaRhonda Knott Dawson is a west suburban resident who is involved in multiple service organizations and projects in, and around, Oak Park. Her writing can be found on her blog, sharhondatribune.com.

SHARHONDA KNOTT DAWSON One View

Bachner for River Forest trustee

I write in support of Erika Bachner, candidate for River Forest village trustee. She is exactly the fresh new voice our community needs now. Erika is a proven leader of our community as well as a hard worker. She co-chairs Roosevelt’s IMPACT/Parent Enrichment Committee, and previously served on the executive board of Willard’s PTO. She was integral to making River Forest a welcoming village. And she’s a tireless fighter for causes beyond our village, for immigrant rights in our region and as an advocate for women’s, immigrant, and disability rights in Springfield and Washington DC. Development of the Madison Street and North Avenue TIF districts, as well as oversight of the troubled Lake and Lathrop project,

will be among the highest priorities of the next board. Erika will contribute a unique viewpoint to these discussions. She has experience in both investment banking and real estate M&A, and thus a sophisticated understanding of development deals. More importantly, she would be the only member of the board whose home is adjacent to a TIF — meaning she will share a unique and important perspective, as well as an understanding of how to communicate TIF developments, with those most immediately affected. I hope River Foresters will take advantage of upcoming forums to meet Erika and listen to her ideas. She’s truly the voice we need.

Tim Brandhorst

River Forest

Check out this voter resource guide

Local volunteers have compiled responses from the candidates for all Oak Park local governments to a broad range of local issues. This year we have a wealth of candidates to choose from, and many perspectives on what to do. Please take a look at this resource guide and click on names to link to their responses to the issues presented. Feel free to share this information widely to help us have an informed electorate. And thank you! https://www.activisttoolkit.org/2019oak-park-voter-guide.

Teresa Powell Oak Park

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

WOW! Find out what your child is doing this summer...and beyond...

Education, Enrichment and

One Day Only!

Camp Fair

Tuesday, March 12th 4 pm - 7 pm Julian Middle School

Bring the kids along on Tuesday, March 12 for this FREE event!

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

O B I T U A R I E S

Mary Alice Dixon, 69 Nurse, avid traveler

Mary Alice Dixon (nee Nykiel), 69, formerly of Oak Park, died on Feb. 10, 2019, after a long illness at her Westchester home, surrounded by her family. A registered nurse, she served thousands of patients, primarily children, who benefitted from her 45 years of nursing at Michael Reese, Hartgrove, RiverMARY ALICE DIXON edge, Children’s Memorial, and Lurie Children’s hospitals. Her colleagues appreciated her skill as a clinician and spoke of what an honor it was to work with her. A lover of people and brought others together through travels to various locales from Cancun to Vegas to Arizona, international adventures to England and Spain and Hong Kong, campfires at the farm in Marlette, and many parties, from the St. Patrick’s Day dance at St. Giles to her infamous Oscar party to the pierogi and kolacky party.

She was a longtime parishioner of St. Giles Catholic Church. Mary Alice Dixon is survived by her husband, Russell A. Dixon, D.D.S.; her daughter, Erica Dixon; her daughter-in-law, Jennifer Dixon-Johnson; her grandchildren, Cooper and Russell; and her siblings, Gail Maher and Glen Nykeil. A visitation was held on Feb. 14, at Conboy Funeral Home in Westchester, with funeral Mass celebrated on Feb. 15 at St. Giles with Rev. Carl Morello presiding. The family appreciates memorials to Wellness House, 131 N. County Line Road, Hinsdale 60521. Arrangements handled by Peter B. Kennedy & Co. Funeral Directors.

Rev. Richard Billings, 94

50-year minister of Unity of Oak Park Rev. Richard Billings, 94, who served as minister of Unity of Oak Park for 50 years, died on Feb. 18, 2019. Born on Aug. 30, 1924 on a farm near Wyandot, Ohio, he completed grade school in a one-room school house and high school in the town of Bucyrus and was drafted out of Ohio State Univer-

Family Law

He took congregants on regular trips to sity in Columbus. During his three years in military ser- at least 70 countries with the intent of exvice in the Pacific, he was torpedoed and panding consciousness among many who experienced other horrors of war. Dis- would never have traveled on their own. He charged in January of 1946, he finished his is also responsible for the existence of four degree in Fine Arts and Education while other Unity Centers in the area and comworking as a waiter and then went to work pleted at least 50 liaison interventions all in the fashion industry and became a high- over the U.S., putting troubled centers back fashion designer with a shop on Chicago’s on course. Richard taught at Unity School and was a guest speaker for Oak Street, a half block from many centers — including at his the Drake Hotel. He later sold good friend Johnnie Colman’s the shop and traveled to Unity Center on the South Side and Village in Missouri to train at three times in Avery Fisher Hall the Unity School of Christianity at Lincoln Center for a crowd of where he became an ordained over 2,000, once with Maya AnUnity minister. He served in gelou. Santa Monica and Detroit and Due to health problems, in Lansing, Michigan before endthe last several years of his life ing up in Oak Park in the sumhe scaled back his ministry to mer of 1967. include counseling on Fridays When he began, 35 people, REV. RICHARD and Saturdays. Rarely seen, he all older than himself, had purBILLINGS continued to raise nearly $60,000 chased an impractical fixer-upto help the center using truth per mansion intended to be the church’s building at a controversial time in principles. On Sept. 1, 2017, those in power, including the history of Oak Park. By 1972, the building was paid for and improved upon, and the board of directors, decided to take the regularly drew an attendance of 400-500 center in a different direction and ordered him out. In his biography, My Soul Rememcongregants, with a mailing list of 1,800. Unity of Oak Park was a healing min- bers, he writes, “For some of us, the search istry using metaphysical Bible and Bible goes on half-heartedly; for others, it is a secourses and attracting mostly those people rious business. We all have our moments.” who wanted to improve themselves and We bless him on his continuing journey. their understanding of life. All services are private.

410 ASHLAND #5D • RIVER FOREST $230,000 • OPEN SUNDAY 12-1:30PM

Donald B. Boyd Jr. • Divorce/Wills/Trusts • Real Estate Closings • Civil Unions • LGBT Issues • Custody Visitation • Child Support Free Initial Consultation

708-848-1005

402 Lake Street #200, Oak Park 60302 Evening & Weekend Appointments Available Major Credit Cards Accepted DonBoydLaw@yahoo.com.

2 BR, 2 BA, balcony. Call Margaret Bidinger 708-257-7617

margie@classicproperties.us

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

RELIGION GUIDE Presbyterian

Check First.

First Congregational Church of Maywood

400 N. Fifth Avenue (1 block north of Lake St.) Come join us for Sunday Morning Worship at 11 am Pastor Elliot Wimbush will be preaching the message. Refreshments and fellowship follow the service. 708-344-6150 firstchurchofmaywood.org When you're looking for a place to worship the Lord, Check First.

You’re Invited to A Church for All Nations A Church Without Walls SERVICE LOCATION Forest Park Plaza 7600 W. Roosevelt Road Forest Park, IL 60130

William S. Winston Pastor

ELCA, Lutheran

Good Shepherd

Worshiping at 820 Ontario, Oak Park IL (First Baptist Church) 9:00 a.m.—Education Hour 10:30 a.m.—Worship

All are welcome. goodshepherdlc.org 708-848-4741

Lutheran—ELCA

United Lutheran Church

409 Greenfield Street (at Ridgeland Avenue) Oak Park Holy Communion with nursery care and children’s chapel each Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Service 7AM, 9AM & 11:15AM Believer’s Walk of Faith Broadcast Schedule (Times in Central Standard Time) Television DAYSTAR (M-F)

3:30-4:00pm

Nationwide

WJYS-TV (M-F)

6:30-7:00am

Chicago, IL.

WCIU-TV (Sun.)

10:30-11:00am

Chicago, IL.

Word Network

10:30-11:00am

Nationwide

(M-F)

www.livingwd.org www.billwinston.org

West Suburban Temple Har Zion

1040 N. Harlem Avenue River Forest Meet our Rabbi, Adir Glick Pray, learn, and celebrate with our caring, progressive, egalitarian community. Interfaith families are welcome. Accredited Early Childhood Program Religious School for K thru 12 Daily Morning Minyan Weekly Shabbat Services Friday 6:30pm & Saturday 10:00am Affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism 708.366.9000 www.wsthz.org

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

744 Fair Oaks Ave. Oak Park 386-4920 Sunday Schedule Christian Education for All Ages 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am

Child care available 9-11am

fairoakspres.org OAK PARK MEETING OF FRIENDS (Quakers) Meeting For Worship Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Park Art League 720 Chicago Ave., Oak Park Please call 708-445-8201 www.oakparkfriends.org

Roman Catholic

Ascension Catholic Church

www.unitedlutheranchurch.org

708/386-1576

(708) 697-5000 LIVE Webcast - 11:15AM Service

Fair Oaks

Lutheran-Independent

Grace Lutheran Church

7300 W. Division, River Forest David R. Lyle, Senior Pastor David W. Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Lauren Dow Wegner, Assoc. Pastor Sunday Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Ed. 9:45 a.m. Childcare Available

Grace Lutheran School

Preschool - 8th Grade Bill Koehne, Principal 366-6900, graceriverforest.org Lutheran-Missouri Synod

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

305 Circle Ave, Forest Park Sunday Worship, 9:30am Christian Education Hour 8:30am Wednesday Worship 7:00pm Wheelchair Access to Sanctuary Leonard Payton, Pastor Roney Riley, Assistant Pastor 708-366-3226 www.stjohnforestpark.org Methodist

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

324 N. Oak Park Avenue 708-383-4983 www.firstUMCoakpark.org Sunday School for all Ages, 9am Sunday Worship, 10am Children’s Chapel during Worship Rev. Katherine Thomas Paisley, Pastor Professionally Staffed Nursery Fellowship Time after Worship

808 S. East Ave. 708/848-2703 www.ascensionoakpark.com Worship: Saturday Mass 5:00 pm Sunday Masses 7:30, 9:00, 11 am, 5:00 pm Sacrament of Reconciliation 4 pm Saturday Taize Prayer 7:30 pm First Fridays Feb.– Dec. & Jan. 1

Rev. James Hurlbert, Pastor

Roman Catholic

St. Edmund Catholic Church

188 South Oak Park Ave. Saturday Mass: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Masses: 9:00 & 11:00 a.m., 5:30 p.m. Weekday Mass: 8:30 a.m. M–F Holy Day Masses: As Announced Reconciliation: Saturday 4:15 p.m. Parish Office: 708-848-4417 Religious Ed Phone: 708-848-7220

St. Giles Family Mass Community

We welcome all to attend Sunday Mass at 10 a.m. on the St. Giles Parish campus on the second floor of the school gym, the southernmost building in the school complex at 1034 North Linden Avenue. Established in 1970, we are a laybased community within St. Giles Roman Catholic Parish. Our Mass is family-friendly. We encourage liturgically active toddlers. Children from 3 to 13 and young adults play meaningful parts in each Sunday liturgy. Together with the parish, we offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based religious education program for children in grades K-8. For more information, go to http://www.stgilesparish.org/ family-mass-community or call Bob Wielgos at 708-288-2196.

Third Unitarian Church 10AM Sunday Forum 11AM Service Rev. Colleen Vahey thirdunitarianchurch.org (773) 626-9385 301 N. Mayfield, Chicago Committed to justice, not to a creed

Roman Catholic

St. Bernardine Catholic Church Harrison & Elgin, Forest Park

CELEBRATING OUR 107TH YEAR! Sat. Masses: 8:30am & 5:00pm SUNDAY MASSES: 8:00am & 10:30am 10:30 Mass-Daycare for all ages CCD Sun. 9am-10:15am Reconciliation: Sat. 9am & 4pm Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 6:30am Church Office: 708-366-0839 CCD: 708-366-3553 www.stbern.com Pastor: Fr. Stanislaw Kuca

Upcoming Religious Holidays

Mar 4 Maha Shivaratri Hinduism 5 Shrove Tuesday Christianity 6 Ash Wednesday, Lent begins Christianity 11 Lent begins Clean Orthodox Christian

To place a listing in the Religion Guide, call Mary Ellen: 708/613-3342

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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

HOURS: 9:00 A.M.â€“ 5:00 P.M. MONâ€“FRI

WEDNESDAY

CLASSIFIED

YOUR WEEKLY AD

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

Deadline is Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

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

Please Check Your Ad: The publisher will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion. Wednesday Journal Classified must be notified before the second insertion. The newspaper reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

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

HELP WANTED

ROOMS FOR RENT

ITEMS FOR SALE

Business Operations Manager (Chicago, IL) Manage day-to-day ops of the cafâ€š; recruit, train, & guide store employees; create employee scheds; coord w/ vendors & order supplies; manage the budget & keep relevant statistical & finâ€™l records; ensure that the cafâ€š complies w/ all necessary hygiene, health & safety, & licensing reqmts & guidelines; investigate & resolve complaints regarding food qlty, srvc., or accommodations. Bachelorâ€™s deg in Bus. Admin, Mgmt, or Chemistry + 24 mos f/t exp in the offrd job or in a managerial position at corp. envrmt incl knowl of bus. & mgmt principals involved in strategic planning, resources allocation, & coord of people & resources; M-F, 40 hrs/ wk. Send Resume (only by mail) to Gokhan Cengiz, Bai Cafâ€š, 3406 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

HELP WANTED /EDUCATION Skills Tutoring Center in Riverside has part-time positions open for tutors and for light office work. Background checks are required. Please contact Bridget 708-447-8200 or skillstutoringcenter@gmail.com

UNION SUBCONTRACTORS Henry Bros. Co. is seeking qualified Section 3 union subcontractors & suppliers for the HUD/IHDA funded Forest Oaks Senior Apartments project. Sec 3 targets economic opportunities from HUD assisted projects to lower income residents and businesses where HUD invests public sources. To register or bid, please visit our website at www.henrybros.com or call 708-430-5400.

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

FUTON Black futon, excellent condition. Black metal frame. $35. 708-488-8755

Large Sunny Room with fridge & microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $101.00 week & up. New Mgmt. 773-378-8888

BUYING VINYL RECORDS!

Design Engineer sought by Superior Graphite in Chicago, IL. Wrk w/ engnrg & R&D staf to dsgn & prep elctrnc sktchs, drwgs & othr tech doc w/in proj prgrm & prcdr. 30% dmstc travl req. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com, (Ref 51318) EXPERIENCED COOK WANTED Lunch Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri. Apply in person after 2pm. Donny Gâ€™s 7308 W. North Ave. Elmwood Park 708-456-3644

FLYER DELIVERY

Door to door. No experience necessary. Part-time, days. Must be able to walk 2-3 miles per day. Must pass background check. Starting pay $10/hour. Call Pete

708-386-0155

Buying? Selling? Renting? Hiring? Wednesday Classified 708-613-3333

Senior Portfolio Manager, Index Funds sought by Legal and General Investment Management America (LGIMA) in Chicago, IL to manage a portfolio of equity and fixed income index funds covering global and regional mandates. We require a Bachelorâ€™s degree or foreign degree equivalent in Mathematics, Economics, or related field with five years of experience in the investment industry with a focus on index fund management; implementing investment strategies for investors and new solutions for front-office use; managing equity and fixed income index funds and end-to-end process from initial consultations to mandate implementations, including monitoring funds, formulating trading and implementation strategies around index events; providing timely performance reporting, attribution, tracking error and commentary on portfolio of funds; creating, implementing and managing separately managed accounts, currency hedging, and enhanced indexation; and working with index providers FTSE Russell, MSCI and Barra risk models; Bloomberg and Factset. The position requires knowledge of developed and emerging markets, foreign exchange and exchange traded derivatives; main index providers, index construction rules and different methodologies; UK insurance wrapped pooled funds; alternatively weighted indexes in the factor-based domain as well as various fund structures for international investors. Send resumes to LGIMA at sommer.stellflue@lgima.com.

SUBURBAN RENTALS

M&M

property management, inc.

708-386-7355 â€˘ www.mmpropmgt.com 649 Madison Street, Oak Park Oak Park: Studios, 1, 2 & 3 BR from $825 - $2,100 Forest Park: Studios, 1, 2 & 3 BR from $795 - $1,850

Apartment listings updated daily at:

VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY The Riverside Department of Public Works is seeking applicants for part-time, seasonal employment from approximately April through September. Duties are primarily outdoors and include landscape, streets, building and water/sewer maintenance and other duties as assigned. Hours of work are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, possess a valid Illinois Driverâ€™s License and a high school diploma or equivalent. Applicants will be subject to a criminal background check, pre-employment physical and drug/ alcohol screen. Applications will be received until all positions are filled. Applications are available for download from the Village web siteâ€“www.riverside.il.us or can be obtained at Riverside Village Hall, 27 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546. Completed applications should be submitted to Riverside Village Hall. The Village of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SUBURBAN RENTALS FOREST PARK 3BR 3bd, 2 bath, $1600.00, heat included, Landry in building, parking available thru village. Near transportation, 2 blocks away from Harlem stop in Forest Park. Call for showing. 312-437-0147. OAK PARK 3BR APT 3BR newly remodeled with new kitchen & new bath. Near I290 & Blue Line East Ave. stop. Incl. heat, parking avail. $1795 per month + 1 mo. security & credit check. Call Kate 708-522-4631.

CITY RENTALS 1BR APT AUSTIN VILLAGE 5937 W MIDWAY PKWY Clean 1BR apt, 1/2 blk from OP Green Line & shops. 3rd flr. $785/ mo. Heat not included. 708-383-9223

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

SPACE FOR RENT 501(c)(3) SPACE AVAILABLE Oak Park near library

MUSIC Musical scores, piano trios, concertos, violin, cello and flute music. All 1/2 price or less. 708-488-8755

WANTED TO BUY Hello, I am interested in buying your old 33 1/3â€™s, 45â€™s and 78â€™s and some cds/cassettes. Iâ€™m looking for soul, r&b, hip hop, reggae, latin, african, electro/disco/ house/techno, jazz, soundtracks, psych rock, garage, punk, indie, old school country (bluegrass, honky tonk, rockabilly). If interested in your records I will offer you a very fair price!!! Call Andy 773-241-0929. 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

5 offices + large reception

NOVENAS

3rd Fl. Elevator bldg.

Call 708/848-4070

OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT Forest Park

7740 Madison Street 1200 sq. ft. of built-out office space with parking in front. $1,750 per month

Strand & Browne 708-488-0011 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 room. Call or email with questions. Shown on Sundays. Lee 708.383.0729 drlmadden@ameritech.net

Resolving to get rid of clutter in 2019? To Be Given Away ads run free in Wednesday Classified. To place your ad, call 708-613-3342

NOVENA PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL) OH, MOST BEAUTIFUL flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. RB.

ELECTRICALHANDYMAN Ceiling Fans Installed

A&A ELECTRIC

Let an American Veteran do your work

We make service calls! We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs Home Re-wiring â€˘ New Plugs & Switches Added New circuit breaker boxes â€˘ Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp â€˘ Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential â€˘ Commercial â€˘ Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. â€˘ Bonded â€˘ Ins. â€˘ Low Rates â€˘ Free Est.

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

CLEANING

HANDYMAN

Pamâ€™s A+ Cleaning Service

CURT'S HANDYMAN SERVICE

Fall is here! Time to make a change? Take a moment to preview our detailed cleaning. For a free estimate please call 708-937-9110

ELECTRICAL

++++++++++++++ + + + HUGHS + + ELECTRIC + + + Appliance lines + Lighting + â€”services + Furnace repair & tune-ups + + + Trouble calls Free Estimates + + + 10% Senior Discount + Insured Since 1986 + + Lic &Good References + + + 708-612-4803 + ++++++++++++++

FLOORS KLIS FLOORING INC.

New hardwood flooring installation & pergo. Sanding, re-finishing, staining. Low prices, insured. Call: 773-671-4996 www.klisflooring.com

GARAGE/GARAGE DOOR

Drywall Repair â€˘ Painting Fans Installed â€˘ Carpentry Trim Gutter Cleaning â€˘ Window Repair

FREE ESTIMATES Excellent References No Job Too Small

708-488-9411

%,%#42)#!, (!.$9-!. 3%26)#%3 !LL 4YPES OF (OME 2EPAIRS 2EPAIRS )NSTALLATIONS 0ROFESSIONAL 1UALITY 7ORK !T 2EASONABLE 0RICES 0ROMPT 3ERVICE 3MALL *OBS A 3PECIALTY

Mikeâ€™s Home Repair Drywall H Painting H Tile Plumbing H Electric H Floors Windows H Doors H Siding Ask Us What We Donâ€™t Do

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HANDYMAN Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs â€˘ Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates

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Our 73rd Year

Homeimprovement pros! Reach new customers. Advertise here. Call 708/613-3342

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Garage Doors &

Smart Door Openers

Sales & Service

HAULING BASEMENT CLEANING Appliances & Furniture Removal Pickup & Delivery. 708-848-9404

Free Estimates

Wednesday Classified

www.forestdoor.com

3 Great Papers, 6 Communities To place an ad, call: 708/613-3333

(708) 652-9415

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

CLASSIFIED HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING HEATING AND APPLIANCE EXPERT Furnaces, Boilers and Space Heaters Refrigerators Ranges â€˘ Ovens Washer â€˘ Dryers Rodding Sewers Lic/Bonded 25 yrs experience

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In print â€˘ Online â€˘ Available to you 24 / 7 /365

OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIlliPUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS APPLICATION FOR DEMOLITION PERMIT Public notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held by the Historic Preservation Commission of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7 p.m. in Room 10 of the Koehneke Community Center on the Concordia University Chicago campus, 7400 Augusta Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter: Application #19-01: Certificate of Appropriateness application for the DEMOLITION of the single family residence located at 1123 Franklin Avenue, River Forest, IL, a structure listed on the Village survey of architecturally or historically significant properties. The applicant is: Mark & Sara Wienkes 1123 Franklin LLC Residents are welcome to attend the March 14, 2019, Historic Preservation Commission meeting and will be provided an opportunity to address the Historic Preservation Commission regarding the proposed project. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the Public Hearing. A copy of the application and meeting agenda can be found at Village Hall and on the Village website at www.vrf. us. If you cannot attend the Historic Preservation Commission meeting but would like to provide comments to the Historic Preservation Commission, you may submit comments in writing, via letter or email. Comments must be received no later than Friday, March 8, 2019 and can be sent to jpape@vrf.us or 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois 60305. Please call 708-366-8500 with questions. Jonathan Pape Staff Liaison Historic Preservation Commission Published in Wednesday Journal 2/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on Monday 18 March 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Village Hall, 517 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, Illinois, the Zoning Board of Appeals will conduct a public hearing to consider a text amendment to Title 9 of the Forest Park Zoning Ordinance to consider an amendment to Section 9-1-5 â€œDefinitionsâ€? (Personal Grooming Services) and Section 9-4C-1 â€œUse Regulationsâ€? (DBD) that will permit â€œincubator kitchenâ€? as a permitted use in the Downtown Business District (DBD). The applicant for this petition is the Village of Forest Park, 517 Desplaines, Forest Park, Illinois. Signed: Kerry McBride Zoning Board of Appeals Chairperson Published in Forest Park Review 2/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS

LEGAL NOTICE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE PUBLIC HEARING

Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Room of the Municipal Complex, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield will hold a public hearing at 6:30 P.M. on March 11, 2019 at the Edward Barcal Hall in the Municipal Building of the Village of Brookfield, 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois 60513 on the Villageâ€™s proposed appropriation ordinance, which will serve as the basis for the Villageâ€™s 2019 Annual Appropriation Ordinance.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will consider a zoning variation application submitted by Paul A. Harding, FAIA and Cheryl Harding, owners of the property at 559 Ashland Avenue, who are proposing to construct a detached Garage. The applicants are requesting a variation to Section 10-9-7 that would allow the roof overhang of the proposed garage to project 2 feet into the required setback at the south side of the property. The Zoning Code requires a 3-foot side yard setback for accessory buildings which are located in the rear thirty percent of the lot, but allows the roof overhang to project 1 foot into the required yard setback. The applicants are also requesting a variation to Section 10-9-6 of the Zoning Code which limits accessory structures to eighteen feet in height. The applicant proposes to construct a garage with a height of 20 feet 4 inches. The legal description of the property at 559 Ashland Avenue is as follows: LOT 34 IN BLOCK 2 IN PART OF RIVER FOREST, BEING A SUBDIVISION OF PART OF SECTION 12 AND 11, TOWNSHIP 39 NORTH, RANGE 12, EAST OF THE THIRD PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, SURVEYED FOR THE SUBURBAN HOME MUTUAL LAND ASSOCIATION, ACCORDING TO THE PLAT THEREOF RECORDED JUNE 23, 1890 IN BOOK 43 OF PLATS PAGE 20, AS DOCUMENT 1291334, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. A copy of the meeting agenda will be available to the public at the Village Hall. Clifford Radatz Secretary Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Wednesday Journal 2/27/2019

PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given, pursuant to â€œAn Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,â€? as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: Y19000578 on February 13, 2019. Under the Assumed Business Name of LENDEZ with the business located at: 2429 S 2ND AVE, NORTH RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/ partner(s) is: RICHARD ALVAREZ 2429 S 2ND AVE NORTH RIVERSIDE, IL 60546. Published in RB Landmark 2/20, 2/27, 3/6/2019

The proposed appropriation ordinance will be on file in the Village Clerkâ€™s Office for at least ten (10) days prior to March 11, 2019 and copies thereof will be conveniently available for public examination and copying. Brigid Weber, Village Clerk Published in RB Landmark 2/27/2019

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS VILLAGE OF RIVER FOREST Public Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois, on Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the River Forest Municipal Complex, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, on the following matters: 1.A Text Amendment to Chapter 10-8-7(C)(2) of the Zoning Ordinance regarding changes to the regulations regarding side yard setbacks that would allow a wall that maintains a nonconforming side yard setback to be increased in height and that would allow the eave of an addition to be constructed within the required side yard setback; and 2.A Text Amendment to Chapter 10-21-3: Appendix A of the Zoning Ordinance adding Child Daycare Centers as a Special Use in the PRI Zoning District; and 3.A Text Amendment to Chapter 10-19-3(K) of the Zoning Ordinance regarding changes to the standards for review for Planned Developments. Petitioner: Village of River Forest, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305 All are welcome to review the proposed text amendments, to send correspondence, attend the public hearing, submit evidence, and testify at the public hearing. For further information or for a copy of the proposed text amendments, please contact Assistant Village Administrator Lisa Scheiner at (708) 714-3554 or at lscheiner@vrf.us, or visit the Villageâ€™s website at www. vrf.us. Respectfully submitted by: Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals Published in Wednesday Journal 2/27/2019

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REAL ESTATE FOR SALE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENTâ€“ CHANCERY DIVISION WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO WELLS FARGO BANK SOUTHWEST, N.A. F/K/A WACHOVIA MORTGAGE, FSB F/K/A WORLD SAVINGS BANK, FSB Plaintiff, -v.JOHN E. STROTH, VILLAGE OF OAK PARK, WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A. Defendants 18 CH 05417 520 N. OAK PARK 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 January 3, 2019, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on April 5, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 520 N. OAK PARK AVENUE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-06-419-006. The real estate is improved with a 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 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 â€œAS ISâ€? 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

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE 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 (driverâ€™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 or contact Plaintiffâ€™s attorney: CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-18-04360. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE You can also visit The Judicial Sales Corporation at www.tjsc.com for a 7 day status report of pending sales. CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C. 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100 BURR RIDGE, IL 60527 (630) 794-5300 E-Mail: pleadings@il.cslegal.com Attorney File No. 14-18-04360 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 18 CH 05417 TJSC#: 39-187 NOTE: Pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you are advised that Plaintiffâ€™s attorney is deemed to be a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. I3112799

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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

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In print • Online • Available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year OakPark.com | RiverForest.com | PublicNoticeIllinois.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

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IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT– CHANCERY DIVISION CITIZENS BANK NA F/K/A RBS CITIZENS NA SUCCESSOR BY MERGER TO CHARTER ONE BANK, F.S.B. Plaintiff, -v.EDNA R. MCCOY, CHICAGO TITLE LAND TRUST COMPANY SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE U/T/A DATED 10/17/1990 A/K/ A TRUST NO. 1182-CH, UNKNOWN OWNERS AND NONRECORD CLAIMANTS Defendants 18 CH 00566 205 S HARVEY AVE 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 1, 2018, an agent for The Judicial Sales Corporation, will at 10:30 AM on March 19, 2019, at The Judicial Sales Corporation, One South Wacker Drive, CHICAGO, IL, 60606, sell at public auction to the highest bidder, as set forth below, the following described real estate: Commonly known as 205 S HARVEY AVE, OAK PARK, IL 60302 Property Index No. 16-08-307-0160000. The real estate is improved with a 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 twenty-four (24) hours. No fee shall be paid by the mortgagee acquiring the residential real estate pursuant to its credit bid at the sale or by any

mortgagee, judgment creditor, or other lienor acquiring the residential real estate whose rights in and to the residential real estate arose prior to the sale. The subject property is subject to general real estate taxes, special assessments, or special taxes levied against said real estate and is offered for sale without any representation as to quality or quantity of title and without recourse to Plaintiff and in “AS IS” condition. The sale is further subject to confirmation by the court. Upon payment in full of the amount bid, the purchaser will receive a Certificate of Sale that will entitle the purchaser to a deed to the real estate after confirmation of the sale. The property will NOT be open for inspection and plaintiff makes no representation as to the condition of the property. Prospective bidders are admonished to check the court file to verify all information. If this property is a condominium unit, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale, other than a mortgagee, shall pay the assessments and the legal fees required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/9(g)(1) and (g)(4). If this property is a condominium unit which is part of a common interest community, the purchaser of the unit at the foreclosure sale other than a mortgagee shall pay the assessments required by The Condominium Property Act, 765 ILCS 605/ 18.5(g-1). IF YOU ARE THE MORTGAGOR (HOMEOWNER), YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN IN POSSESSION FOR 30 DAYS AFTER ENTRY OF AN ORDER OF POSSESSION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 15-1701(C) OF THE ILLINOIS MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE LAW. You will need a photo identification issued by a government agency (driver’s license, passport, etc.) in order to gain entry into our building and the foreclosure sale room in Cook County and the same identification for sales held at other county venues where The Judicial Sales Corporation conducts foreclosure sales. For information, examine the court file or contact Plaintiff’s attorney:

CODILIS & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 15W030 NORTH FRONTAGE ROAD, SUITE 100, BURR RIDGE, IL 60527, (630) 794-9876 Please refer to file number 14-17-18077. THE JUDICIAL SALES CORPORATION One South Wacker Drive, 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606-4650 (312) 236-SALE 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. 14-17-18077 Attorney ARDC No. 00468002 Attorney Code. 21762 Case Number: 18 CH 00566 TJSC#: 39-958 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. I3113082

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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. Wednesday Journal • Landmark Forest Park Review

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

Friars’ Hutchinson wins 500 free at state

Fenwick places 11th overall thanks to Bajda, McCarthy and Flynn By MARTY FARMER Sports Editor

Fenwick senior swimmer Liam Hutchinson fulfilled a goal he’s been working on for the last four years at Saturday’s state finals, hosted by New Trier. The Notre Dame-bound Hutchinson won a state championship in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4 minutes, 24.47 seconds. “To become a state champion is a great feeling. It had been something I had been aspiring to accomplish since coming into Fenwick as a freshman,” Hutchinson said. “Coming into senior year, I knew it would be my last chance, so I feel I put in the proper preparation to win this year.” Hutchinson’s 500 free time broke the school record (4:26.12) set by the Friars’ Robert Ramoska who won a pair of state titles in 1978. Ramoska went on to swim at the University of Alabama. Hutchinson just missed winning another state title in the 200-yard freestyle, placing second with a time of 1:38.16 on Saturday.

“I thought my races went very well,” Hutchinson said. “Coming into finals I was hoping to drop some time from prelims and finish as high as my seed at least. After slipping up in the [preliminaries] 200-yard medley yesterday, I knew I had to make it up to my teammates with some good times.” In the 200 free, Hutchinson edged OPRF junior Will Raidt. Raidt recorded a time of 1:38.97. “Competing against Will since he came into high school has been a lot of fun,” Hutchinson said. “We’ve gotten to compete and know each other through club swimming. Whenever we get a chance at the end of the year to duel it out, we know it’s going to be close and that we’re going to bring the most out of each other.” Hutchinson, from Glen Ellyn, also swam a leg of the Friars’ 400-yard freestyle relay team, which took fourth at 3:06.66. Dan Bajda, Connor McCarthy and Mike Flynn were his teammates in the final race of the day. Competing in his first state meet, Flynn fared well in the pool. The promising fresh-

File photo

Fenwick senior Liam Hutchinson closed out his high school career by winning the 500yard freestyle state title. man and heir apparent to Hutchinson, finished 11th in both the 200 free (1:42.18) and 500 free (4:36.60). Fenwick scored 55 points to earn 11th in the team standings. Although the Friars will lose leaders like Hutchinson, Dan Lynch and Alex Figus to

graduation this spring, several talented swimmers will be back, including Flynn, McCarthy, Bajda, Pete Buinauskas, Will Gurski and Dylan Fu. Veteran coach Luke McGuire, recently voted the 2018-2019 IHSA Coach of the Year by his peers, will guide the Friars next season.

Raidt makes mark at state finals Junior takes 3rd in 200 free, 8th in 100 butterfly as Huskies finish 13th By MARTY FARMER Sports Editor

File photo

OPRF junior Will Raidt placed among the top 8 swimmers in two individual events at the state finals on Saturday, Feb. 23 at New Trier.

Oak Park and River Forest High School junior Will Raidt fell a few spots short of winning the 200-yard freestyle at the state finals, hosted by New Trier over the weekend. For good measure, he placed eighth in the 100-yard butterfly finals. Those excellent results position Raidt well for potentially becoming a state champion next season. In the meantime, he is enjoying his role as the top performer on a very talented and young OPRF squad. In the aforementioned races, Raidt recorded a time of 1 minute, 38.97 seconds in the 200 free and a time of 50.03 seconds in the 100 fly. The former was particularly notable as Raidt touched the wall right after runner-up Liam Hutchinson from Fenwick (1:38.16). Loyola Academy’s Luke Maurer won the 200 free state title with a time of 1:37.33. “It’s always fun racing Liam in the 200 free,” Raidt said about facing his top rival and close friend. “It’s awesome that two of the three fastest 200 freestylers in the state are from Oak Park and River Forest schools.” In the 200-yard medley relay, the quartet of sophomore Diego Pareja, senior Alex Pedraza,

sophomore Frank Tirone and Raidt took 10th in the state with a time of 1:34.72. In the team standings, the Huskies finished 13th with 23 points. “Our team placed 13th overall, which is better than last year’s 21st place finish at state,” said Raidt, who will train with the Academy Bullets during the offseason. “We are proud of that improvement. Individually, I was happy to have dropped time and placed in the top three (200 free) for the first time.” The Huskies entered the state finals brimming with confidence after edging sectional host Fenwick 315-304. “We knew it was going to be a competitive meet against Fenwick at sectionals,” Tirone said. “Everyone had to give 100 percent. The student section was fired up and there were a lot of people there cheering both teams on. As expected, the rivalry was definitely present, but we didn’t let them get in our heads.” Looking ahead, OPRF coach Clyde Lundgren welcomes back plenty of proven swimmers with state qualifiers Raidt, Tirone, Pareja, Ben Guerrero, Braydon Graves and diver Tyler Hoyt. Seniors J.P. Rotatori and Pedraza will be the only notable losses.

Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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(Left) OPRF junior Nico Bolivar won his match 4-2 in the state finals against Montini. (Below) The Huskies’ Daemyen Middlebrooks starred in wrestling and football this year. JAMIL SMART/Contributor

WRESTLING Huskie Havoc from page 48 perspectives. The Broncos, who defeated OPRF earlier this season at the Beat the Streets Brawl in Oak Park, bested the Huskies again 41-18 in the IHSA Dual Team State Tournament finals at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington over the weekend. Montini (27-2) has now won two state titles in a row, seven in the past nine years and 15 overall in assorted classes since 2000. The Broncos edged OPRF by a score of 43-29 in the 3A state final last year. In their highly anticipated state finals rematch, the Huskies hung tough against the Broncos in the early going. OPRF seniors Jaylan Pascacio and Ashford Hollis notched wins in the 220-pound and 285-pound weight classes, respectively, to stake the Huskies to a 9-0 lead. The Bolivar brothers, Nico and Eddie, added victories for OPRF via a 4-2 decision and sudden victory (2-0) before teammate Torry Early beat Montini’s Braden Stauffenberg 11-5. Through eight matches, OPRF led 18-14. However, the Broncos’ enviable depth ultimately made the difference with six

consecutive victories and 27 unanswered points to close out the dual. Individual state champions Dylan Ragusin (126), Jake Stiles (152) and Peter Christensen (195) led Montini, which had nine wrestlers place at the individual state tourney.

Other wrestlers who competed for OPRF in the dual-team final included Connor Nagela (106), Zavien Stewart (113), Jake Rundell (126), Stephon Carr (145), Joe Chapman (160), Danny Lingen (170), Daemyen Middlebrooks (182) and Brian Ziech (195).

Rundell (37-3), who won a state championship at 106 pounds in 2018, inspired his team after missing the individual state tourney due to an illness. Rundell wrestled up two weight classes to face Ragusin. In a hard-fought match, Ragusin edged Rundell in a 3-0 decision. Facing elite competition all day, Rundell won two of three matches against two state champs and a state medalist. Despite losing their final match of the season, the Huskies enjoyed another topnotch season under the guidance of head coach Paul Collins and the rest of his coaching staff. The Huskies reeled off three straight fiercely contested dual victories to meet Montini in the finals. OPRF edged Glenbard North 33-31 in a sectional dual, followed by close victories over Lockport 34-30 in the quarterfinals and over Marmion 37-32 in the semifinals. Eddie Bolivar (47-3), Pascacio (38-12) and Hollis (41-6) all finished 3-0 against Lockport, Marmion and Montini on Saturday. OPRF, which went 23-3 through the regular season, claimed titles at the Rex Whitlach Invite at Hinsdale Central and its own Huskies Invitational. The varsity also placed second out of 52 teams at the Powerade tourney in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania and won the West Suburban Conference Silver Division championship with a 6-0 record. Reflective of its reputation as a nationally-respected program, the Huskies wrestled against opponents from eight states. At the IHSA Individual State Tournament, 132-pound state champ Eddie Bolivar led a contingent of six OPRF grapplers who medaled at the State Farm Center in Champaign. After a runner-up finish last season (16-1 tech fall loss against Montini’s 3-time state champ Real Woods), Bolivar took the final step with a 7-5 decision victory against Libertyville’s Danny Pucino. In addition to Eddie Bolivar’s title, Hollis (285-pound class) earned third, while Josh Ogunsanya (126) and Chapman (152) both placed fourth in their respective classes. Nico Bolivar took fifth at 120 and Middlebrooks earned sixth at 182. “I think as a team we performed great,” Hollis said after the individual state tourney. “Placing six out of eight we brought [to state] was awesome.” OPRF has nine seniors on the varsity roster this year. Notable losses to graduation in the spring will include Hollis, Eddie Bolivar, Early, Pascacio and Jake Cagnina. However, individual state medalists Nico Bolivar, Chapman, Middlebrooks and Ogunsanya plus a fully healthy and motivated Rundell ensure the Huskies should be as formidable as ever.

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Wednesday Journal, February 27, 2019

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SPORTS

Friars’ Hutchinson wins 500 free at state 45

Raidt makes mark at state finals 45

OPRF falls to Montini in state final Second place doesn’t take away from successful season By MARTY FARMER

T OPRF junior Jake Rundell won 2 of 3 matches against elite competition at the IHSA Dual Team State Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 23.

Sports Editor

he Oak Park and River Forest High School wrestling team was essentially untouchable from 2014 through 2016. The Huskies’ magical run produced three straight Class 3A team state titles and numerous individual champs as well. Over the past decade, the Huskies have produced 18 individual state champs. Throw in the Huskies’ 2009 state championship squad, plus several other teams that were serious contenders, and it is apparent OPRF can match up against almost any opponent. Unfortunately, even dynasties can seem relative by comparison. In that regard, Montini rates a clear edge currently over the Huskies from both short- and long-term See WRESTLING on page 46

JAMIL SMART/Contributor

Education, Enrichment & Camp Fair

Tuesday, March 12, 4 - 7 pm Julian Middle School Cafeteria Parents, find the perfect fit for your child at Wednesday Journal’s Education, Enrichment & Camp Fair! Fun, games and activities for the kids!

Join us on Tuesday, March 12 for this FREE event!