W E D N E S D A Y
March 13, 2024 Vol. 44, No. 37
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JOURNAL @oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
AT HOME ON THE GREATER WEST SIDE A GCM GUIDE TO HOMEOWNERSHIP
For Cynthia Rodriguez, ƂPFKPI C forever home was a top priority By DELANEY NELSON Special Projects Reporter
W
hether growing up in Edgewater and Portage Park or renting in Belmont-Cragin — and now buying a house in Montclare — Cynthia Rodriguez has spent most of her life on the northwest side of Chicago. Last January, Rodriguez and Abraham Roman, her husband of 20 years, attended an information session at YUB Realty. Roman was ready to start the home-buying process, but it took Rodriguez a bit longer to warm up to the idea. “I was always the hesitant one,” she said. “[I was like], ‘We’re not going to be able to do it. How can we afford it? How are we going to save for a down payment?’” With two teenagers and an 18-month-old, Rodriguez was also worried about the prospect of balancing daily life with the ins and outs of buying a home, like submitting all of the necessary paperwork and visiting houses. But by the end of the year, with some convincing on Roman’s end, the couple decided they were ready to dive into what they see as the “American Dream.” He told her, “I know ̽à ÃÌÀiÃÃvÕ Ì }>Ì iÀ ` VÕ i Ìà > ` >Ûi Ì iÃi w > V > V ÛiÀÃ>Ì Ã] LÕÌ Üi V> `iw Ìi Þ ` Ì°» “It’s always a dream to buy a home for your kids and for
PROVIDED It took some convincing, but Cynthia Rodriguez said investing in her own home was worth it in the end.
a week, the couple received their preapproval letter, visited houses, submitted an offer, and closed on the house. Within
now have his own room, and her toddler will grow up in the family home.
Special insert INSIDE
Oak Park okays $200K for Grace migrants’ shortterm rentals The amount is double the original proposal to aid migrants staying at Grace Episcopal Church until March 15
PROVIDED
Staff Reporter
Rachelle Zola
White woman on pilgrimage to talk about racism says a collective can end it Not just any white woman – Rachelle Zola’s anti-racism work guides her way By DEBORAH BAYLISS Contributing Reporter
If someone said that an end to systematic racism in this country is possible – with reasonable doubt – the
By LUZANE DRAUGHON
likely response would be to question the statement. Well, someone did say it, out loud and publicly. Her name is Rachelle Zola, a 75-year-old white woman who has led a privileged life in a country
that was built for her. Zola said she not only believes it is possible, but that it’s possible within her lifetime. See ZOLA on page 14
The Oak Park board of trustees approved spending an additional $200,000 of village funds to aid migrants, which village president Vicki Scaman said she hopes will close the chapter of village aid to migrant community. “What we’re saying is that this is it,” trustee Cory Wesley said. The five board members present voted unanimously in favor of spending the funds. Trustees Lucia Robinson and Ravi Parakkat were absent. The new amount, allocated to the Community of Congregations to help provide short-term rental assistance for migrants, is intended to help fund leases for migrants at Grace Episcopal Church. The shelter at Grace See MIGRANTS on page 13