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December 20, 2023 Vol. 44, No. 25

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JOURNAL @oakpark

of Oak Park and River Forest

Church Guide Page 13

Oak Park church funds wells in Gambia Fair Oaks backs West African project By JESSICA MACKINNON Contributing Reporter

Purr-fect Holidays Readers share furbaby photos with us, such as Juice above SEE PHOTOS, PAGE 12 SUBMITTED BY BARBARA & RON MOLINE

From the

Forest Insurance family to yours

The holidays will be brighter this year for residents of a remote rural village in Gambia, due to the generosity of Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Oak Park. Under the leadership of Mark Wilson, who has longterm ties to the country, and Meghan Strubel, former chair of the church’s mission committee, the congregation funded the construction of a solar-powered well in Gui Jahanka, about 200 miles from the Atlantic coast. The well, which is the second to be funded by the church and led by Wilson in Gambia, was completed last month. Located in West Africa, Gambia is a long, narrow strip of land surrounding the Gambia River. One of the poorest countries in the world, Gambia was a British colony until it won independence in 1965. The country, which is completely absorbed within Senegal, suffers from an underdeveloped infrastructure lacking major highways and freeways. See GAMBIA WELLS on page 11

Happy Holidays!

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Hatch PTO aids migrants this holiday season November’s ‘Coats and Quarters Drive’ was a success By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

As the weather began to change and the holiday season drew near, community members across Oak Park saw a big need for winter gear as migrant families arrived in neighboring Chicago in hopes of seeking asylum. Thanks to a collaborative effort, warm clothes and money for laundry were provided to some. The donations were brought about through a three-organization effort across Hatch Elementary PTO, the third grade Hatch Brownie Troop, and Hatch Elementary librarian Nefret Stringham, said Erin Flanagan-Kopenec, vice president of communications for Hatch PTO. The “Coats & Quarters Drive,” was just as the name described: a drive to collect warm adult clothing and quarters needed by the large influx of migrant families in the area. As part of the drive, a presentation was created to help explain the need

for the items, as well as break down what items were needed. The drive ran until Nov. 20 and was a success. According to the presentation, there was a big need for adult size items including sweatshirts, sweatpants, boats, underwear and socks, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, tents, winter boots, and self-inflating floor mats amongst other items. Quarters were also being collected to help with laundry. Flanagan-Kopenec said she created an Amazon wish list with items volunteers at the 15th District Chicago Police Station, in the Austin neighborhood, said were needed and migrants expressed they were needed. The Brownie Troop made signs to hang around Hatch Elementary and the drive was promoted through social media. “Each week I had the girls help me collect the quarters from each classroom,” Flanagan-Kopenec said. “The parents would say how excited they were, looking all around the house and bringing in a ton of quarters.”

PROVIDED

Hatch PTO collected over three carloads of winter clothes for adult migrants through their “Coats and Quarters Drive.” Flanagan-Kopenec said they raised more than $1,200 in quarters. “I believe each family gets $10 in quarters to do laundry,” she said. “So we were packing them up in $10 rolls.” Additionally, they were able to donate three car loads of clothing, which were donated to St. Christopher and St. CatherineSt. Lucy. “It is incredible,” Flanagan-Kopenec said. “The number of them we have and seeing the community come together to help them has been so incredible.” Seeing the kindness and support also

gave Flanagan-Kopenec, who said sometimes the holidays are tough for people including herself, a warm sense of the holiday spirit during this season of giving. “To be able to help people who have nothing and have risked everything to come here is everything, it is heartwarming,” Flanagan-Kopenec said. “I wish we could do more.” While the drive is done, Flanagan-Kopenec said they will continue to keep an eye out for additional ways to help. “If there is a need that pops up, I’d love for the Hatch community to help,” she said.

We’re taking a break By ERIKA HOBBS Editor

PROVIDED

The Hatch Elementary School third-grade Brownie Troop.

What better way to spend the holidays than with friends and family? We think so, too. So this year, to thank our reporters, editors and staff, we’re taking a week off. We will not be publishing a print edition on Wednesday Dec. 27. Our of-

fices also will be closed from Monday Dec. 25 through Monday Jan.1. We’ll return Tuesday Jan. 2. Most of us will not be answering phones or email. However, we know news never stops. If there is an emergency or breaking news, please email me, Erika Hobbs, at erika@ growingcommunitymedia.org. Happy holidays from all of us at Growing Community Media!

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

BIG WEEK December 20-27

Riley and the Red Hots Thursday, Dec. 21, 6:30 – 9 p.m., The Little Gem Cafe Join Riley and the Red Hots on Thursday night as they will accompany your dinner and drinks at Encore by Little Gem in Oak Park. This event is open to the public. 187 N. Marion St., Oak Park

Friday, Dec. 22, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago in Oak Park Heal yourself with wisdom in this meditation class. This class is held in person. Purchase tickets: www.meditateinchicago.org/calendar. 13 Harrison St., Oak Park.

Friday, Dec. 22, 9 – 11 a.m., Oak Park Public Library Join a one-hour walk through Oak Park. The walking group will meet at 9 a.m. outside the Oak Park Public Library. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Friday Morning Walk

Christmas Eve Celebration service with festive music and treats

Friday, Dec. 26, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio Make meatloaf and mashed potato “cupcakes” for lunch and Wonka chocolate bark for dessert. Campers can make a golden ticket and be the lucky winner. Veggie options are available for lunch. This event is intended for children, age 5 to 11. 349 Ashland Ave., River Forest.

Listing your event Wednesday Journal welcomes notices about events that Oak Park and River Forest. We’ll work to get the word out if you let us know what’s happening by noon Wednesday a week before your news needs to be in the newspaper. ■ Send details to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, 60302 ■ Email calendar@wjinc.com

Saturday, Dec. 23, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Whole Life Wellness Club Connect with like-minded women. You will explore mindfulness and gratitude techniques, delve into personal topics, and set growth intentions. The agenda includes a warm welcome, mindfulness practices for mental and physical health, journaling, and networking. Please bring your yoga mat and journal. Tickets are $10 at www.tinyurl.com/womenshealingcircle. 917 S. Oak Park Ave. #B, Oak Park.

Friday Morning Meditation Class in Oak Park

Friday Morning Walk

December 26th Day Off Cooking Camp

The Women’s Healing Circle

Sunday, Dec. 24, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., Unity of Oak Park Join Unity of Oak Park for a festive Christmas Eve Celebration. Enjoy a service with music, treats, and a youth education program. The service runs from 10-11 a.m., followed by post-service treats, a visit from Frosty the Snowman, and holiday songs. Wear your favorite holiday sweater and join in celebrating the season. www.unityoakpark.org. 405 N. Euclid, Oak Park.

Countdown And Cabernet: A Toast To Bold Beginnings Wednesday, Dec. 27, 7 - 10 p.m., Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant Begin the night on a high note with a Bourbon-Based Cocktail, setting the tone for the bold predictions that lie ahead. Immerse yourself in a 3-course wine and dinner pairing featuring bold and robust flavors pairing perfectly with Cooper’s December Wine of the Month, Carne Rosso. Tickets: chwinery.com/wine-club/special-events. Guests must be aged 21+ to attend this event. 950 Lake St., Oak Park.

Friday, Dec. 22, 9 – 11 a.m. Oak Park Public Library Join in for a one-hour walk through Oak Park. The walking group will meet at 9 a.m. outside the Oak Park Public Library. 834 Lake St., Oak Park.

Holiday movie at the library, Grades K-8 Friday, Dec. 22, 3-4:30 p.m., River Forest Public Library Enjoy Christmas break with a winter-themed movie at the library. Light snacks will be provided. Children age 7 and under must be accompanied by an adult. 735 Lathrop Ave. River Forest.

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Pickleball grows in popularity Oak Park offers many locations to play

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Played pickleball? If so, you’re in with the cool crowd. If not, it may just be a matter of time. Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport for the past three years, is surging in demand in Oak Park, and has been steadily increasing in popularity for the past 10 years, experts said. Courts can be found in village parks and a new one could be coming next year. “It’s a great way for anyone to stay active,” said Maureen McCarthy, superintendent of recreation at the park district of Oak Park. “I don’t see it slowing down.” The sport with the funny name was invented in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, according to USA Pickleball. One summer, Pritchard and Bell invented the game for their bored families with the sports equipment they had laying around. The rules came later with the help of McCallum. Brandon Mackie, co-founder of Pickleheads, a dedicated website for players, worked with his co-founders to create a platform to help pickleball players find courts, look for games and chat with other players. Interest for the sport in Oak Park on Pickleheads has grown quite a bit in the last year, he said. “You can think about pickleball as a mix between ping pong, tennis and badminton,” he said. While the gameplay is similar to tennis, the equipment and scoring is different, Mackie explained. Pickleball is typically played in doubles and in normal games the winner has to reach 11 points and be up by 2 points. The court and net are slightly smaller than a tennis court and players use a paddle and a ball. “There is less raw athleticism than tennis, you’re not running around the court, and that helps the sport appeal to a broader age demographic,” Mackie said. “But there’s also a lot more strategy.” It can be challenging to find court space, Mackie said, but it’s a rewarding sport where anyone, competitive or not, can have fun. Pickleball courts can be set up anywhere, he said, adding to the appeal for all demographics. Oak Park’s McCarthy said she’s seen all ages play pickleball and interest locally grow steadily.

Where to play The park district lists Euclid Square, Maple Park, Rehm Park, Taylor Park and Barrie Park as locations where pickleball courts are available. Longfellow Park may soon be renovated to include pickleball courts, McCarthy said. More classes and pickleball leagues will likely be available in the spring at the Community Recreation Center, she said. Laurie Berggren, fitness director of The Tennis and Fitness Centre of Oak Park & River Forest, said lessons, league play and open play is available for pickleball at the TFC. “What’s really great about the pickleball community is the number one thing is fun,” Laurie said. “They are causal, they’re laidback, they’re very accepting. They want to encourage people to play.” “Learn to play” level 1 at TFC introduces players to basic shots and technical aspects of the game, Laurie said, while level 2 teaches the tactical side of pickleball and allows players to gain experience. “Skills & Drills” classes are for advanced beginners or intermediate players. Certified pickleball pros also offer group and private classes through the TFC. It’s important for pickleball players to understand what level they’re at, warm up properly and have the proper equipment, including court shoes, Laurie said. “I’ve never seen somebody not be able to pick up the game and have fun,” Steve Berggren, general manager of the TFC, said Pickleball leagues, which track standings and are slightly more competitive, at the TFC are typically nine weeks long and meet weekly. The tournaments usually have seasonally festive prizes and goodie bags, Laurie said, and are more for fun. While pickleball is available year-round at the TFC, people tend to play outside more in warmer weather, Laurie said. “The Oak Park area is a hub with a lot of strong players,” Laurie said. Laurie and her husband, Steve, said one of their goals is to have pickleball appeal to adults with varying intellectual and physical needs. They’d like to partner with Special Olympics someday, she said. “It [pickleball] is catching on like wildfire, we can’t offer enough,” Laurie said. “People want more, they are begging for more.”

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The board’s WinterFest will take place Friday Dec. 15 By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

The Oak Park Public Library is looking for teens who are interested in having a say in how the library serves middle school and high schoolers in the community through the Leading Edge Teen Advisory Board. The LETAB is a teen-led organization that works to promote, support and create library initiatives with a focus on helping teens become great leaders. Latonia Jackson, manager of middle and high school services, said the program has 10 students so far, but they are looking for about another five to 10 students to join the advisory board and give their input about library activities. The intent of LETAB, is to help students come to understand how the teen space at the library operates and to help facilitate ways to not only make it more beneficial to area teens, but also how to continue to cultivate a welcoming environment. “They spend time in the space, so they know what happens here and what doesn’t happen here so they can advise,” Jackson said. “They are liaisons with the schools they go to so they can promote events.” Jackson said participating teens have already planned a monthly movie night, a Friendsgiving and a winter fest. They are also working on designing a new logo for LETAB. Additionally, they are working on a social media campaign for 2024 to help promote activities at the library. Xiomara Grachan, a senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School, joined the advisory board about three years ago, during COVID, and said it has been great to see the board develop and grow. “Especially since I joined during COVID, it was starting from the ground up again,” Grachan said. “Getting to grow a community, getting our name out there, getting our brand out there was something that I have al-

ways been excited by. It is something I want to do career wise, so watching it from a small scale is exciting for me.” While the high schoolers work on programs to benefit their community, Jackson said they also gain knowledge and great skills through the leadership courses they receive to take with them and apply outside the library. “We are building leaders as well,” Jackson said. “They have a cabinet, there is a president and a vice-president. There is a marketing person, we are also teaching them the role of different types of leaders.” Helping develop those qualities in high schoolers is a main goal of the program, Jackson said. “We want to develop the leadership skills in them,” Jackson said. “Some of them come and you can tell right away they have potential; some are already strong leaders. So, we use the strong leaders as [someone] the other students can learn from but all of them, there is something that can still be developed.” Being able to be a part of a community and foster relationships is a positive that Grachan said they have gained from the program, as well as hosting events that create a safe environment and space for teens to be a part of. “I would say join, your voice is always valued,” Grachan said. “I have seen members of the club grow and develop and become leaders in a way I wouldn’t have thought from them. It is a great way to get out there, even if you are not involved in a whole lot of groups. It is something that is well-balanced, very diverse, and gives you a lot of opportunities.” Jackson said the group is very active around the library, meeting every Monday. One program organized by LETAB, “MHS WinterFest,” will be held on Saturday, Dec. 15 in the Veterans Room of the main library, on Lake Street. The event is open to students in grades 6 - 12 to celebrate the end of the semester and winter holidays. The library will host food, music, and games. Registration is open. LETAB is open to all high school students who wish to participate. An application can be found on the Oak Park Public Library website.

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

New car wash may skirt electrification ordinance

Neighbors have concerns By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

A new drive-thru car wash at the northwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Austin Boulevard may violate the electrification ordinance adopted by the village board in June 2023. The village board of trustees unanimously granted Driven Car Wash, LLC, a special use permit for the car wash facilities and drive-thru at 6000-6020 Roosevelt Road during a Dec. 4 meeting despite some residents’ prior concerns about noise and traffic. The developers plan to demolish the vacant bank building located at the site. Christopher Niro, one of the developers, said if he and his partner, Chris Jenks, submit the necessary building permits in 2023, they plan to adhere to the 2023 building code. “There’s only two significant units onsite that use natural gas,” Jenks said. “Everything else in terms of radiant heating could be electrified if need be.”

Trustee Susan Buchanan, who said she is an advocate for climate change mitigation, stressed the importance of the electrification ordinance, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. The goal of ordinance is to help Oak Park achieve its Climate Ready Oak Park Plan. The plan aspires to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Buildings in Oak Park are responsible for roughly 70 percent of the community’s greenhouse gas emissions. If the permits are submitted in December 2023, the developers will be grandfathered into the 2023 building code, said village planner Craig Failor. “I’m in favor of full electrification of all buildings,” Buchanan said. “That’s the direction we are going to have to go immediately to meet our climate change goals.” An express exterior-only car wash will be built at the site, requiring customers to stay in their vehicles, according to the Village of Oak Park. The facility will also have 25 selfserve vacuum stalls. The trustees’ decision to grant the special use permit mirrors the zoning board

of appeals’ unanimous recommendation to approve the application. This recommendation came despite a public hearing Oct. 11 during which residents spoke out against the development, citing concerns of increased traffic, safety of pedestrians and noise, according to the Village of Oak Park. After the Oct. 11 hearing, village staff requested an acoustics study to determine the noise effect on nearby residences. The study was conducted by Shiner Acoustics of Chicago, which found that while the car wash may not have a significant effect on nearby residences, noises from the car wash could still be heard. Village staff also requested a traffic study, which was conducted by Kenig, Lindgren, O’Hara, Aboona, Inc. of Rosemont, Illinois. This study found that the existing infrastructure at the location of the proposed car wash is sufficient to accommodate the additional traffic. The study also gave recommendations on how to help the flow of traffic on peak days of operation, including increasing the service rate, using staff to direct traffic and implementing signs prohibiting left-turns when exiting the site. Jenks said he and Niro were encouraged

by the results and found the site on Roosevelt Road would be appropriate for the project while not impeding traffic. The special-use permit granted to the developers will not expire, Failor said, unless the operation is closed and abandoned for at least six months. The developers will have to acquire a building permit for construction, however, which will remain valid as long as the developers are constructing the facility. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago will also have to examine the property to ensure proper water retention on site, Failor said. “I want to make sure we’re really set up here for a smooth construction process,” Trustee Lucia Robinson said. Jenks said they chose Oak Park as a location for one of their car washes because they are both from the area and saw a need for this service in the community. “I washed many cars at Oak Park-River Forest car wash fundraisers,” Niro said. “That will take a little bit of a hit when we’re here, but we will definitely engage with them, and they can come wash cars at our location.”

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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t Growing Community Media we’re building something brand new. At a time when 2.5 weekly newspapers close each week in America, and reporters are being laid off everywhere, we’re inventing a business model that will make authentic local news sustainable for years to come.

It’s a blend of revenue streams. As we always have, we sell ads, we sell subscriptions. But now we’ve added philanthropy. And that doesn’t mean foundations or only well-to-do donors. It means you, our readers, understanding you need to pay a portion of the cost of local news to keep it vital. Thousands of you have already made that decision and donated to GCM. Today as we move toward the close of 2023, we are working a $40,000 match. Every dollar you donate now will be doubled.

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The village villag vill agee also is considering ag considering creating cr ting a permanentt tax levy crea lev to ffund und street projects, projects, instead instead stead oof to borrow rr ing money through rrow through bond bondss borrowing By AMINA SERGAZINA

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Amid the city’s mass shootings, community groups work to prevent more bloodshed

Heat, pollution take toll on West Side residents health, report shows The data show how these factors fact fac tors disproportionately disproportionately affect aff affec ect residents who ccould ould benefit benefit from simple ccooling ooling measures, like like planting trees

One UCAN member mediates ‘peace peace agreements’ after violent incidents By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staf Reporter Staff Re

Staf Reporter Staff Re

A 22-unit multifamily apartment complex with two, tw first-floor li live-work units — the first of its kind for Riverside — is coming to the village. The Riverside village board approved a special use permit Dec. 7 for the mixed-use development at 28 and 30 E. Burlington St. The complex is expected to be a five-story building. CZS/BROOKFIELD ZOO

See APARTMENTS on page 12

Best Wishes for a Happy & Healthy Holiday! THE SHEILA GENTILE GROUP LIVE LOCAL • WORK LOCAL

708.220.2174 • www.SheilaGentile.com

Obama b ex-staffffer runs for Davis seat, page 5

@AustinWeeklyChi

In Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale the index reached the 90-100 percentile. In contrast, more affluent neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park or Lakeview have scores in the 1 to 30th percentile. Many residents in these neighbor-

After an overnight ernight mass shooting injured at least 15 people in North Lawndale on Oct. 29, a number of community partners and city agencies stepped in to coordinate services for victims and their families. The Chicago Police Department on Oct. 31 opened an emergency service center at YMEN’s facility, where police and community organizations provided on-site support to victims and their families. Among them was UCAN, a nonprofit providing an array of services for

See POLLUTION on page 3

See SHOOTING on page 4

FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ

Galewood neighbors and tree ambassadors learn about trees from a certified arborist David Kusnierz on Oct. 28, 2023. By FRANCIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ Staff Reporter

West Side residents are disproportionately burdened by pollution and environmental hazards that harm residents’ health, and are among those most heavily impacted by environmental issues when compared with

other Chicagoans, an environmental justice city report released in late summer showed. Austin, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale are some of the areas with the highest cumulative impacts – a score that measures how a community is affected by environmental factors.

Fall into Winter 2023

REVIEW NOVEMBER 22, 2023

Enrichment

find the section on page 7

and

Guide

Why Anan supports Wednesday Journal He’s asking you to donate, too. PAGE 25

W E D N E S D A Y

@ForestParkReview @FP_Review

Proviso West teacher champions trade school as a path for students

December 6, 2023 Vol. 44, No. 23

$2.00

JOURNAL

OAK PARK TOWNSHIP TAX SALE NOTICE INSIDE

of Oak Park and River Forest

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staf Reporter Staff Reporter

In a bright room with state-of-the-art machinery, April Senase stands as a champion for kids who don’t want to follow a traditional post-secondary path. In her classroom, she shows them that a career in trades can make for a fulfilling and successful life. She knows because she li live d it. And although she nevlived er thought she’d become a teacher, last year, Senase won the 2023 Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher of the Year for Early Career Educator Meritorious Service Award. She has been nominated once again this year. “This program at Proviso West High School is help-

Library landscaping The Forest Forest Park Garden Club boosts the public library’ librar library’s y’ss curb appeal. y’ Story on page 3

See SENASE on page 6

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

John Rice: Acceptance, the key to serenity…and gratitude

Tom Holmes: Gonna let my little light shine

Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PAGE 17

PAGE 16

IN Big Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 THIS ISSUE Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Holiday Gift Guide Page B1

OPRF students who want to stop climate change head to Dubai Duba

Senase was awarded an ISBE award for her dedication to her students nt nts

Support and donate here:

Education

Season of Giving Inside

Katie Stabb and Kate Wallace W attend the annual UN Climate Summit

Reindeer eindeer in disguise?

By JACK HELBIG C Contributing Reporter Re

A year ago, two Oak Park and Ri Rive Riverr Fo Forest High School students — Manolo Av Avalos and Victoria “Tori” Evans — attended the United Nations annual conference on climate change, COP27, in Egypt. They were part of a group of high school students sent to the conference under the auspices of a youth environmental group, It’s Our Future, part of the Oak Park-based Seven Generations Ahead environmental group. By the time you read this, two more OPRF students — Katherine Stabb, who goes by Katie, and Kate Wallace — will have already made the 13-hour, 25-minute flight from Chicago to Dubai, to attend COP28, this year’s conference, held Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 and sponsored by the same group. They are part of a delegation of six Chicago-area high school students going to the conference.

Santa’s dachsunds distract attendees from the Cookie Walk in Downtown Oak Park MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 9

TODD A. BANNOR

See DUBAI on page 15

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Pleasant Home Foundation ends link with Park District of Oak Park The foundation is now part of the George W. Maher Society

A Checklist for Planning Your Next Project

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

The Pleasant Home Foundation, which is now part of the George W. Maher Society, will cease operations out of Pleasant Home on Dec. 31, ending its agreement with the Park District of Oak Park. The foundation and park district were unable to agree on terms that were fair to both parties, said Kevin Brown, executive director of the Pleasant Home Foundation and founder of the George W. Maher Society. “We just wanted more of a partnership in making sure that the house was preserved,” Brown said. “We feel like in recent years we just didn’t have that.” The foundation told the park district they were unable to focus on restoration, said Ann Marie Buczek, communication and community engagement manager for the park district. The two organizations had a long-standing relationship for many years, she said, in which the foundation’s mission, beyond restoration and preservation, was to promote community interest, offer educational opportunities and support projects for Pleasant Home. “The preservation and restoration of the home is always a key priority for us,” she said. “We’ve owned the property for many, many years and we’re committed to keeping it open to the public.” The foundation and park district had some miscommunication about flooring repair work, Buczek said. Part of the floor and subfloor in Pleasant Home had to be replaced due to poor condition from wear and tear over the years, she said. The floors were replaced with materials matching the original kind of wood, color and stain of the flooring, Buczek said. “Those floors were actually replaced before,” she said. “So, the boards that they ended up replacing were actually not original to the home.” The foundation was unaware the floors would be replaced, under the impression

PHOTO BY ERIC ALLIX ROGERS

Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave. the plan was to restore and repair them, according to a previous Wednesday Journal article. A contractor found the parts of the flooring that was replaced were not salvageable, Buczek said. Brown said he felt the park district did not want to listen to preservation experts and in discussions about restorations people got their feelings hurt. This year, the foundation lost its last restoration committee chairman and were unable to find another, he said, because candidates felt the relationship between the two organizations was not in a good spot. “Most of the time we had a good enough relationship over the years where we were able to work together to come to compromises,” Brown said. “But over the last few years, I would say, at least, there wasn’t a lot of compromise on their side.” Brown said he did not have any further comment on the restoration of the flooring in Pleasant Home. The foundation told the park district they were unable to meet the terms of the agreement, Buczek said, which includes raising and allocating 8% of revenue toward restoration of the Home and hosting four quarterly restoration committee meetings. Over the past 10 years, the foundation provided roughly $35,000 to restoration and preservation of the Home, she said. Tours at Pleasant Home will still be available through volunteer docents, Buc-

zek said, and they may be increasing availability of those tours next year. Visitors can view a multitude of collections in the Home, including items from the families who previously owned the property. “They [the docents] really have a passion for this home and a love for this home,” she said. “They really have the history, the passion and the expertise to share that with everyone.” The George W. Maher Society was created as a way to broaden the scope of the foundation, Brown said, and to interest people who are passionate about all of his architecture. The society plans to do walking tours at other locations that have a high density of Maher designs, he said. Brown, who lives in a Maher-designed house, said that on Jan. 13, he has organized an event at his home where attendees can socialize, listen to live music and appreciate the Maher architecture. “It’s just an intimate way to invite people into these homes and get to see inside of them,” he said. “Which is obviously a rarity in a lot of cases.” The society has also done presentations online and in person about the architect and plans to do more. Brown said they are also working on a grant program for private homeowners and building owners of Maher designs to apply to get restoration work done at their location. Anyone who owns a Maher building would be welcome to apply, he said.

Planning and implementing an upgrade to your outdoor space is a lot like planning and hosting a holiday party. You start the planning process well in advance: picking Scott your theme, shopping McAdam Jr. for items, preparing your food, decorating, and then the party arrives. Here’s a checklist for planning your upcoming project: Planning your project: - Create your wish list - Establish your budget - Schedule an initial meeting to discuss your design Decision time: - Review the design, and revise, if needed - Pick your plants/hardscape products - Execute a contract - Obtain the necessary permits (with help from your contractor, if you have one) Implementation: - The easiest step for a homeowner— this is where you get to sit back and watch your ideas come to life, while our experts do what they do best. And finally, the last and most important step: Enjoy your new outdoor space! As we enter our 45th holiday season in business, McAdam Landscaping wishes you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year.

2001 Des Plaines Ave. Forest Park • 708-771-2299 www.mcadamlandscape.com

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

St. Edmund to reopen for Christmas Eve Mass The church has been closed for 8 months because of windstorm damage

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

St. Edmund Catholic Church will open for a Christmas Eve Mass at 4:30 p.m. and Christmas Day Mass at 11 a.m. after its 8-month closure because of windstorm damage.

In April 2023, a severe windstorm resulted in both interior and exterior damage to the church on South Oak Park Avenue. During the 8-month closure, its sister church, Ascension Catholic Church, held services for parishioners. Ascension and St. Edmund were both founded in 1907, according to the parish

website. St. Edmund was designed in an English Gothic Revival style, according to the Oak Park River Forest Museum, and the architectural landmark features both a steeple with a Celtic cross as well as stained-glass windows. A contractor vetted by the Archdiocese of Chicago has been working on repairs

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What Illinois is Doing to Combat Catalytic Converter Theft Fortunately, the Illinois government is attempting to curb this serious (though declining) rash of thefts with a new legislation that has stricter penalties for individuals caught for illegal trading of catalytic converters. It includes mandatory documentation for the sale of such converters and also creates more of a paper trail for converter sales to track down thieves and illegal resellers. You can prevent such kinds of theft by installing a car alarm system and security cameras, engraving your VIN on the catalytic converter itself, and parking in a garage or well-lit area.

since the summer, said Maria Allori, director of development for Ascension and St. Edmund Parish. The construction is taking a break for the winter, she said, but the scaffolding will remain until the repairs are finished. The repairs, which mainly just includes design work, are expected to be done next spring, Allori said. “St. Edmund is beautiful, so it’s not like you can just come in and do plaster work,” she said. “You have to hire those that specialize in restoration.” The closure has affected the nearby community in addition to the parish, Allori said, as local businesses near the church often benefit from the attendance. She said she hopes nearby business will pick up for those locations after St. Edmund reopens. Christmas Eve and Day masses are typically popular, Allori said, with full crowds anticipated. The parish is known for its dedicated choirs at both locations, she said. “We’re just grateful and excited that the site will reopen on Christmas Eve,” she said. “We welcome everyone to come.” Father Carl Morello, the parish pastor, will be presiding over the Christmas Eve mass at St. Edmund. The church will begin regular masses again moving forward, Allori said. “We appreciate the community support, and we invite them to visit us,” she said.

Why Are Catalytic Converters Valuable? First off, a catalytic converter is part of a car’s exhaust system. Its job is to convert harmful pollutants into water and less harmful chemicals. It has been in use since the 1970s and can be found in most new vehicles. Catalytic converters are known to contain substantial amounts of palladium, platinum, and rhodium, the prices for which have all skyrocketed in recent years. For example, platinum was $530 per ounce in 2001 but it reached a high of $1,700 an ounce in 2011. Palladium went from about $600 per ounce to almost $2,400 an ounce by 2021. But neither compares to rhodium, which reached an all-time high of $26,000 an ounce in 2021.

LUZANE DRAUGHON Photo: Matt Boitor

• This article consists of paid content and does not represent the view of GCM or its editorial staff •

St. Edmund Catholic Church with scaffolding for repairs.

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

GAMBIA WELLS

Solar-powered water project from page 1 Before the construction of the new well, the village’s sole source of water was a shallow, hand-dug well that was often polluted, contributing to waterborne diseases that particularly impacted children. Women and girls were forced to endure arduous and time-consuming treks to gather water, which often precluded them from attending school. In addition, the well was unreliable during the dry season. “Water is life. I knew that a well-functioning well with several taps would have a profound effect on everyone in the village, particularly women. Now they can just turn on a tap to get fresh, plentiful water. Clean water can reduce infant deaths and increase the life expectancy of all of the villagers,” Wilson said. Wilson has had a deep affection for Gambia ever since serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the country after graduating from college. He was assigned to help build schools in a village with no electricity or running water. The experience was transformative and resulted in several life-long friendships. “It was incredible to live in a radically different culture with a different religion—the people are primarily Muslim—a different language, different foods and customs. The people were some of the kindest, most generous and open that I had ever met. Because there was no electricity, we spent a lot of time in the evenings sitting around talking and relating on a human level. I quickly understood the interconnectedness between people—we all really have the same wants and needs and desires for our children,” Wilson said. Wilson returned to the U.S. after two years, hoping to return but life got in the way—graduate school, a career

TODD BANNOR

Meghan Strubel and Mark Wilson at Wilson’s Oak Park home.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

WELL DONE: (Top left) Residents of Tento Malik Bah in West African Gambia gather around the solar-powered well that Fair Oaks Presbyterian funded. (Top right) A villager poses with Mark and Ingrid Wilson. (Below right) A woman from the village fills a bucket at the well’s tap. and raising a family. He finally returned to Gambia seven years ago, with his wife, Ingrid, who had heard so much about the country. They were at a point in their lives where they felt they could make a significant contribution by funding wells throughout the country. The Wilsons shared their passion for supporting wells with their fellow congregants at Fair Oaks, encouraged by Strubel, who led the church’s mission committee. “The church has a commitment to apply 13% of our operating budget to local and international mission efforts. I wanted to bring the work of the mission committee to the forefront of the congregation, so I addressed our members from the pulpit, asking them to share what service activities they were passionate about. Mark and Ingrid heeded that call and the committee loved the idea of supporting wells,” Strubel said. Fair Oaks partnered with Working Water The Gambia, a nonprofit organization, to construct the well in Gui Jahanka, as well as a previous well in Tento Malik Bah. An on-the-ground coordinator from the organization first meets with villagers to make sure there is buy-in for a well. A six-person gender-balanced committee is then assigned to oversee the project, including creating a maintenance fund supported by village families. The well is then built to meet the village’s needs in a small-scale, environmentally sound and sustainable way. “This project has really energized the entire church,” Strubel said. “We learned more about the broader issues

impacting Africa. And it has helped raise the profile of the mission committee, which also funds projects serving the Austin neighborhood and the increasing number of migrants in our community as well as programs in Thailand and Cuba. The well project really lit a spark and I think it will serve as a model for others in the church who want to share their passions. It is really motivating the congregation to take action.”

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Festive Pets

We asked to see to see photos of your furbabies decked out for Yuletide merriment. You answered - and we love it! Want to see more? Head to our community section online.

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OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

December 20, 2023 13

Christmas 2023

Special Advertising Section

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

14 December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE

Sunday, December 24th, 2023 at 4:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church of Oak Park

820 Ontario St, Oak Park, IL

www.fbcoakpark.org St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Oak Park, invites you to join us for Holiday Worship Services.

2023 holiday services at

Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation

12/21 Blue Christmas, 7 pm 12/24 Christmas Eve Rite II Kid Friendly Service, 4 pm Midnight Mass, 10:30 pm 12/25 Christmas Day

Winter Solstice Celebration Thursday, December 21

Spoken Rite II Service, 10 am St. Christopher's Church, 545 S. East Ave., Oak Park. www.stchristophersoakpark.org

7pm In-Person Only Christmas Eve Services Sunday, December 24

3pm Christmas Pageant & Worship for All Ages 7pm Choir & Candlelight Service New Year’s Eve Sunday, December 31

10am Letting Go and Embracing Mystery 5-7pm New Year’s Eve Sangha Services will be both in-person and live streamed. To learn more go to: www.unitytemple.org

WORSHIP WITH

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OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

December 20, 2023 15

CHRISTMAS EVE WORSHIP Sunday, December 24 10:15 am Family Worship 8:00 pm Candlelight Worship 10:30 pm* Candlelight Communion Worship

First Presbyterian Church of River Forest 7551 Quick Avenue, River Forest | firstpresrf.org Hearing and wheelchair accessible. *In-Person Only

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

16 December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

The Oak Park Catholic Community welcomes you to our celebration of the Christmas Season! The Parish of Ascension and St. Edmund www.ascensionoakpark.com · 708-848-2703 or 708-848-4417 Ascension Church 808 S. East Avenue, Oak Park

St. Edmund Church 188 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park

The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena - St. Lucy and St. Giles www.stgilesparish.org · 708-383-3430 St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church 38 N. Austin Boulevard, Oak Park

St. Giles Church 1045 Columbian Avenue, Oak Park

The Nativity of the Lord

Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24 3:30 pm Mass with the Ascension Schola at Ascension Church

3:00 pm Mass with Children’s Gospel at St. Giles Church

4:30 pm Mass with the St. Edmund Choir at St. Edmund Church

5:00 pm Mass with Children’s Gospel at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church

5:30 pm Mass with the Ascension Choristers and String Ensemble at Ascension Church

5:00 p.m. Mass with Teen Choir at St. Giles Church

11:00 pm Mass with the Ascension Choir at Ascension Church Carols begin at 10:30 pm

7:30 pm Family Mass Community Mass in the St. Giles School Gym Carols begin at 7:00 pm 10:30 pm Christmas Vigil Mass with the Combined Choirs at St. Giles Church Carols begin at 10:00 pm

Christmas Day, Monday, December 25 9:00 am Mass with organ, instruments and cantor at Ascension Church 11:00 am Mass with organ, instruments and cantor at St. Edmund Church

9:00 am Mass with the Praise Choir at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church 10:30 am Mass at St. Giles Church

The Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Sunday, December 31

5:00 pm Oak Park Catholic Community Mass at St. Edmund Church

Monday, January 1

9:00 a at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy Church 10:30 am Mass at St. Giles Church

9:00 am Mass at Ascension Church

Prayer in The Spirit of Taize´ for World Peace Day Monday, January 1 at 7:30 pm at Ascension Church

*Certain Masses may be livestreamed; times to be determined. Please see our websites, ascensionoakpark.org or stgilesparish.org, for further information, and to find links to online or livestream events.

OAKPARK.COM | FORESTPARKREVIEW.COM

CHRISTMAS CHURCH GUIDE

Christmas

Christmas and New Year’s Mass schedule

CELEBRATE

First United Methodist Church of Oak Park

324 N. Oak Park Ave. Oak Park, IL 60302 CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES, DEC 24: 10:00 AM FAMILY/CONTEMPORARY 6:00 PM TRADITIONAL CHORAL CANTATA Candlelight singing of Silent Night at both Pick either powerful worship experience or come to both, in person or online! We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus with you. FIRSTUMCOAKPARK.ORG FOR DETAILS

December 20, 2023 17

       

Sunday, December 24, Fourth Sunday of Advent 8:00 a.m. at St. Bernardine 9:30 a.m. at St. Luke

Sunday, December 24, Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. at St. Luke with carols before at 3:30 p.m. from the Children’s Choir and Cherub Choir 6:00 p.m. at St. Luke with carols before at 5:45 p.m. from Vocal Ensemble with Instruments 10:30 p.m. at St. Bernardine with carols before at 10:00 p.m. from Festival Choir with Instruments

Monday, December 25, Christmas Day 8:00 a.m. at St. Bernardine with festive instrumental music before at 7:45 a.m. from Cantor and Trumpet 9:30 a.m. at St. Luke with carols before at 9:15 a.m. from Contemporary Choir with Instruments 11:00 a.m. at St. Luke with carols before at 10:45 a.m. from Festival Choir with Instruments

Sunday, December 31, New Year’s Eve

  

9:30 a.m. at St. Luke



9:00 a.m. at St. Bernardine

8:00 a.m. at St. Bernardine

11:00 a.m. at St. Luke

Monday, January 1, New Year’s Day Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from

Christmas at GRACE CHURCH Sunday, December 24 – Christmas Eve 4:45 pm Carols and Organ 5:00 pm Festive Worship for All Ages especially kids! 10:30 pm Carols and Choir 11:00 pm Festive Choral Eucharist with incense Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day 10:30 am Holy Eucharist In person 924 Lake Street, Oak Park and online GraceOakPark.org

Peace to You This Christmas

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

River Forest eyes resurfacing project Rebuild Illinois grant will be used to help fund the venture By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest will use a $736,279 Rebuild Illinois grant to pay the majority of the cost to resurface four village streets in 2024. By unanimous vote of the five trustees present at the Dec. 18 meeting, village board members awarded a contract to Schroeder Asphalt Services of Huntley, Ill., for the $832,475 project. Katie Brennan did not attend. The action was approved as part of the consent agenda with no discussion. Any amount over the $736,279 will be covered by the Infrastructure Improvement Bond Fund, Bill Koclanis, civil engineering technician for the village, said in a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator. Schroeder’s bid was the lowest of 11 bids received. The high bid was $1,165,403. Schroeder has performed street resurfacing work for the village before, Koclanis said in the memo, adding the firm “performed well.”

Streets to be resurfaced are Augusta Street from Keystone Avenue to Harlem Avenue; William Street from Chicago Avenue to Augusta Street; Thatcher Avenue from Hawthorn Avenue to Madison Street; and Hawthorn from Forest Avenue to Franklin Avenue. Walsh said the four stretches of resurfacing will be performed at the same time. The goal is to start by May 2024. Village officials said previously that the $736,279 roadway resurfacing project costs will be covered by Rebuild Illinois grant funds that are issued in six disbursements of $122,713 each over a three-year period concluding in FY2023. The Rebuild Illinois capital program will make $45 billion worth of investments in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers and state facilities over the next six years, creating and supporting an estimated 540,000 jobs over the life of the plan and revitalizing local economies across the state, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Of that total, $25.4 billion will fund improvements to Illinois roads and bridges. River Forest officials have also said that the Rebuild Illinois Project will be similar to the village’s annual street improvement project but must be accounted for separate-

FILE

ly. The funds must be used for a bondable capital improvement with an average useful life of greater than or equal to 13 years, they added. Funds not expended by July 1, 2025 will be forfeited. Illinois is the transportation hub of the nation and the sixth largest state in the United States, but has not had a comprehensive, multi-year capital plan since 2009, according to IDOT officials. Overall, Illinois’ infrastructure has a C-rating, and deferred maintenance backlogs for the

state’s road and transit systems alone have reached $30 billion. About 74% of Illinois roads and 86% of bridges are rated as acceptable, according to IDOT. Of the $45 billion, $25.4 billion will go to Illinois’ roads and bridges; $1.4 billion to major rail projects and added grade crossing protection projects; $150 million to aeronautic facility improvements; and $150 million in new funding for port improvements.

Village, public works union ink 3-year pact All municipal unions in River Forest are now under contract

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

All River Forest municipal unions are now under contract following action by the River Forest officials at the Dec. 18 village board meeting. By unanimous vote of the five trustees present, village board members ratified the three-year contract with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. Katie Brennan did not attend. The action was approved as part of the consent agenda with no discussion. The Local 150

membership approved the contract Nov. 29. Local 150 represents eight public works employees. A ninth position is budgeted but vacant. The village and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 46 reached agreement on a three-year contract in April and the village’s three-year contract with River Forest Firefighters Local 2391 does not expire until 2024. The previous public works union contract expired in 2022 and negotiations began in June of that year. The new contract will expire in 2025.

The new contract calls for a 1% wage increase in 2023, no wage increase in 2024 and a potential 1.5% increase in 2025. Village administrator Matt Walsh explained that the public works bargaining unit wanted to remain on the Union Municipal Fund health insurance plan, for which the village pays 100% of the premiums. Because of the cost of the insurance plans, wage increases are tied to the insurance rates. There will be no wage increase in 2024 because the insurance rate increased 14%. Monthly premiums the village pays are

$2,550 for family, $1,677 for employee plus one and $839 for individuals. Members of the police and firefighters unions are covered by the village’s insurance plan. The new contract also includes increases to certification stipends including $1,000 for certified arborists and Class “C” Water Operators, an increase from $700, and the pesticide license incentives have been raised from $150 to $200 for general standards/operator, ornamentals/applicator, turf/applicator and right-of-way operator.

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Future Philanthropists Program grants funds to charitable teens

Ken Trainor’s “Our Town Oak Park – Walk with Me, in Search of True Community”…

the most funds that have been available to the Applications from local program, said Tardy. Nonprofit organizations can be from the nonprofits are due by Jan. 12 Oak Park-River Forest area along with neigh-

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Would you leave the decision of how to spend $80,000 in the hands of high school juniors? That is exactly what the Future Philanthropists Program (FPP) does every year, helping not only local non-profits but also teens learn what philanthropy is all about. Future Philanthropists teaches and instills the fundamentals of charitable giving to local high school juniors and seniors as they engage directly with community organizations, working together to determine how they will divvy up the year’s allocated grant money which seniors in the group have worked to raise. Karen Tardy, program coordinator for the Future Philanthropists, said the program is a leadership project wrapped in a philanthropic framework, involving 60 high school juniors from Oak Park who work together to not only learn about philanthropy and its importance but also learn about local nonprofits, budgets, and grants. “The program is based on the three pillars of philanthropy,” Tardy said. “Granting money, raising money, and volunteer service work.” The two-year program spans a student’s junior and senior year, with each year focused on a different part of philanthropy. Juniors are taught the ins and outs of grant making, foundations, and nonprofits. They are also introduced to local nonprofits which are applying for the year’s grant money. According to Tardy, the nonprofits need to meet certain requirements, including having a “teen voice,” meaning teens have to be involved with the nonprofit in some way. Tardy said FPP receives anywhere between 12 to 60 grant applications every year. “The juniors make all those decisions themselves, how to grant out their funds,” Tardy said. This year that grants fund is worth $80,000,

boring communities including the Austin neighborhood. OPRF senior Shea Sturtevant, 17, said he was intrigued with the concept that the program turned over control of the grant funds to students. “They are essentially giving kids a bunch of money, for my year it was $50,000, and they let you take control of the program and you’re in charge of where the money goes,” Sturtevant said. “It gives you a lot of responsibility, which I thought was pretty cool.” According to Tardy, each student team has an adult mentor working with them, helping guide them through the process, but all decisions are left solely to the teens. Sturtevant said the students worked in small teams and were prepared on how to perform site-visits to local nonprofit organizations, what questions to ask, how budgets worked, and other crucial pieces of information that would help them make their decisions. “It is an interesting shift in dynamic,” Sturtevant said. “Where I feel like normally the kids are the ones being interviewed or the ones asking for something but in this case I had the ability to hand out this grant and I was the one asking these questions.” Making physical site visits gave teens the opportunity to see how these organizations operated and make sure their questions were covering all the bases on how the funds would be used. Sturtevant said he focused many of his questions on the nonprofit’s budgets and fund allocations. Afterwards, the students came back together and had to advocate for their nonprofit to be a part of the ones which receive grant funding. “We send our own proposal to the bigger group and we negotiate within FPP to get money for this one or this one,” Sturtevant said. “It is a big negotiation because everyone wants the organizations that they are See PHILANTHROPISTS on page 21

Reasons ‘Our Town Oak Park’ makes a good holiday gift for your grown children: • They can relive May Madness, Erik’s Deli, Magic Tree Bookstore, playing lob ball in the park, the July 4th parade and fireworks, OPRF graduations, the Lake Theatre, Thursday Night Out, Maze Library, Hole in the Wall ice cream, trick-or-treating on Halloween, Farmers Market and A Day in Our Village • They’ll like it so much, they might move back • If they don’t move back, at least they won’t forget where they came from • If they can’t come in for Christmas, it’s easy to wrap and mail Our Town Oak Park – Walk with Me, in Search of True Community is for anyone who lives in Oak Park, formerly lived in Oak Park, is about to move to Oak Park, is curious about Oak Park, or might live in Oak Park in the future. In other words, pretty much everyone. You can find it at Book Table, the OPRF History Museum, the Hemingway Birthplace Home, and, if you must, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Great Holiday gift for the “Oak Park fan” in your life!

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Oak Park to turn away ‘no notice’ migrants The village says no additional shelter is available for migrants here

By LUZANE DRAUGHON Staff Reporter

Less than a month after Oak Park’s village board allocated $500,000 in unspent American Rescue Plan Act funding to aid asylum-seekers, the village’s Emergency Operations Center has outlined protocols to send any new arrivals away. Dan Yopchick, the village of Oak Park’s chief communications officer, told Wednesday Journal that Village Manager Kevin Jackson did not have time to discuss the Dec. 7 memorandum on Thursday. “To accept more migrants without the ability to do that planning and have those resources is unfair to them as much as it is to a community that’s attempting to step forward and do what they can,” said Village President Vicki Scaman. At the Nov. 20 board of trustees meeting, when village staff proposed $1 million in ARPA funding to help aid migrants, Jackson and trustees acknowledged that space to provide shelter was limited. The village board ultimately allocated only $500,000 of that proposed $1 million to aid the asylum seekers. Yopchick said the Dec. 7 memorandum was sent in response to “no notice” buses of migrants turning up in nearby areas, such as Cicero and Rosemont. No such buses have yet arrived in Oak Park, he said. “We’re doing everything we can,” Yopchick said. The Dec. 7 memorandum states that any asylum seekers who arrive in Oak Park will not be allowed to disembark from a bus and will be advised that local shelters are at capacity. The driver will be directed to continue to the city of Chicago “landing zone,” according to the memorandum. If asylum seekers disembark a bus, village staff will contact the city of Chicago and request Chicago Transit Authority vehicles to transport the migrants to the city, according to the memorandum. If those vehicles are not available, village staff will contact the West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center. The police department will be responsible for enforcing “no notice” buses of migrants being turned away. It will be dependent on the bus driver to explain why, Yopchick said. He said he is not aware of any cost that this decision might incur.

Village staff keeps track of the existing census of migrants that have been in Oak Park since early November, Yopchick said, which will allow the village to differentiate between migrants who are already here and any new arrivals. A Dec. 13 memorandum from the village’s Emergency Operations Center states the village has been unable to find shelter for migrants in Oak Park beyond the end of January 2024. Those asylum seekers are currently staying at the West Cook YMCA or The Carleton of Oak Park Hotel. They will have to leave by Jan. 31, 2024, and have already been notified of this, Yopchick said. Scaman said local churches may continue to step forward to shelter migrants, but no additional space is available from the village at this time. “Next steps really rely on receiving additional funding from the county, the state or the federal government,” she said. “Without it, our hands are a little tied.” The board did not specifically direct the Dec. 7 memorandum, Scaman said, but it has also not provided the village manager with additional resources beyond the $500,000 allocated during the Nov. 20 meeting. “It would require board direction to accept additional migrants under the care of our municipal government,” she said. Taking in additional migrants requires planning and collaboration, and resources to provide aid that does not currently exist, Scaman said. Even if the village received advance no-

as the roughly $500,000 leftover in unspent ARPA funds, to be allocated to migrant response, she said, but there are no concrete plans at this time. “Village staff cares about the welfare of the migrants and is working really, really hard to do the best for them,” Buchanan said. “There are limitations to what our village government is staffed up and funded to do.” Trustee Ravi Parakkat said Oak Park’s response for migrants has been highly inefficient because the village is paying roughly $300,000 a month for only about 160 people to receive temporary food and shelter. “Unless we stop new migrants from coming into the community in an unplanned fashion, which is what prompted the whole tice of migrants’ arrival, the village man- issue, it is going to be very difficult to solve ager would respond there is no space avail- the problem at hand,” he said. able for them and notify the board, Scaman Parakkat, who said it was a poor decision said. The board could then make the deci- to facilitate the original group of migrants’ sion to provide alternative aid, she said. stay in Oak Park, is not opposed to further “The possibility that discussions about aid for the board can do whatever asylum seekers. No one in the majority of the board Oak Park is against anywants doesn’t necessarily thing that is humanitarian, change what’s available,” Parakkat said, but he beshe said. lieves the opportunities for Trustee Susan Buchanan them are better in Chicago. said the board of trustees “We have to be willing to did not vote on the Dec. 7 understand our limitations memorandum. The village as a small community and staff made the decision we shouldn’t take on probbecause there are no adlems that are beyond our ditional beds available at limits,” he said. locations such as the West The village is looking at Cook YMCA and The Carexpanding affordable housleton of Oak Park Hotel, ing, Parakkat said, but it where some migrants who would be hard for individuarrived at the end of Octoals to sustain, considering ber are currently staying. Oak Park is an expensive VICKI SCAMAN “While the communicaplace to live. Village President tion of that decision might “It [this issue] has been not have been received by portrayed as a model isthe public well, the vilsue about people who are lage made this decision against the migrants verbecause there are no more sus people who are for migrants,” he said. beds available to village staff to house mi“That is definitely not the case. Everybody grants,” she said. wants these people to have a good life.” The village is looking at other avenues Trustee Lucia Robinson said she has no to continue assisting migrants who are alcomment on the decision. ready here, Buchanan said, but she is not The other trustees did not respond imaware of additional housing efforts. There mediately to a request for comment. is the potential for additional funding, such

“To accept more migrants without the ability to do that planning and have those resources is unfair to them as much as it is to a community that’s attempting to step forward and do what they can.”

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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The Importance of Being Santa

et’s start with an anecdote. I was standing outside on Madison Street getting some air when a woman ran at me across traffic at full speed and with reckless abandon to get to me. I did not know this woman but apparently she knew me. I know this because as she got closer I heard her screaming at the top of her lungs. “Santa! Santa!!” Oh yeah, I guess I should mention that I was standing outside dressed from head to toe as Santa Claus for a Holiday Market. My first appearance as Santa since the pandemic. She finally gets to me, out of breath and panting, and says to me, “Can I take a picture with you?” Hesitantly, I said yes. Realizing that I was a bit uneasy she added, “I am sorry for the way I approached you, but in my 26 years on this Earth I have never seen another Black Santa besides my dad.” In that moment I had inadvertently tapped into a deep well of nostalgia and holiday cheer. Later, when I recalled that encounter I cried at the pureness of that moment. Why was that so important to her? Why was it so important to me? I began to wonder about the importance of me, a Black man, being Santa. I started by looking into the history of the character. Santa Claus was a real person. If you are not familiar, St. Nicholas of Myra (240-343 A.D.) was a bishop of Turkish descent. He was known for using his fortunes to help those who needed it by giving them gifts anonymously. Fast forward to the Middle Ages, and the Dutch began to celebrate

Sinterklaasfeest, likely a combination of pre-Christianization Norse traditions (like the Wild Hunt) mixed with tales of St. Nicholas. There are also some weird, super-problematic depictions of Saint Nicholas having a Moorish servant named Black Pete though … so glad we have mostly evolved past that! Seriously, look it up. By the 1800s, thanks to the poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (you probably know it as “The Night Before Christmas”) by Clement C. Moore with illustration by Thomas Nast, Santa was reimagined even further, depicting him not as a man, but as “a right jolly old elf,” who through magic reindeer brought presents down the chimney for sleeping littles. In the 1900s, L. Frank Baum (yes, author of Wizard of Oz) added to his mythos with his book, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Then in the 1930s, Coca-Cola’s Christmas advertising cemented this mythical figure’s image into the ethos of commercial Christmas. But what about the history of Black people depicting Santa? In 2021, Nationalsanta.com surveyed people who do Santa work. Of the 376 people who took the survey, two were Black. This actually made a lot of sense to me. Growing up, I always heard more pushback about Afrocentric depiction of Santa than actually seeing Black Santas. Right-wing commentators like Megyn Kelly tell people to remember that Santa is white (Actually he is Turkish and of Greek descent, not the constructed identity of “white”). Do a Reddit search of Black Santa and see how many

“hot takes” you get of people denouncing the idea of Santa being anything other than white (again, Turkish Greek not “white”). So why is it so damned important to so many people to see Santa as something other than white? Then it hit me. Miles Gonzalo Morales! Miles Morales!! A half-Black, half Puerto Rican kid from Queens is Spider-Man. Since 1962, SpiderMan could only be Peter Parker, a white kid. Until Donald Glover dared to dream about being Spider-Man (check out the Community episode Anthropology 101) and Brian Michael Bendis, who was writing Ultimate Spider-Man at the time, was inspired. In that moment, we said to generations of young Black kids who have been historically depicted as thugs in every form of media and even in real-life news coverage, that anyone can wear the mask. Anyone can do good things. Anyone can be a hero. Only white men could be president until Barack Obama dreamed that he could be too. The more aspirational figures we have to look up to that look like us, the easier it is to believe that we can be more than what society tells us we are. The enduring legacy of St. Nicholas of Myra is that people are so inspired by his acts of charity, they dress up to make children’s holidays a little brighter. Over the years, other cultures have added to his mythic representation. This is simply the next step in Santa’s evolution. It shouldn’t stop there by the way. Latinx Santas, East Asian Santas, South Asian Santas. Drag Santas, Female Santas. Just as Miles taught us that anyone can wear the mask, anyone can ride the sleigh. The only thing you really need is the capacity to listen to the dreams of children and see the magic that they see. How lucky I am to

be able to be a part of that legacy. To carry that responsibility. I will end with this. A week ago, I had a little Black boy so excited to see me that he ran up to me, jumped into my arms, and told me what he wanted most for Christmas. I had toys to hand out so I gave him one and, after talking with him and wishing him a Merry Christmas, he walked away — only to come back for another hug and told me, “I don’t need the present I just wanted to meet you” and hugged me so tightly I could feel his little heart beating with joy in his chest. I think one day he will ride the sleigh too. That is the importance of being Santa to me. Source: https://www.nationalsanta.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2021-Red-Suit-Statistics-Release-1 11421.pdf

PHILANTHROPISTS

also decide how they want to raise the money, spend the year raising funds, and are also involved with volunteering. Additionally, seniors will make return site visits to the awarded organizations to see first-hand how the funds are being allocated. Developing philanthropic skills in young adults is an important part of instilling values as teens learn and continue on, said Tardy. “The earlier you can develop those skills, the earlier you can introduce those ideas and values into young people, the more likely they are to continue putting those skills and values to work in their lives for the rest

of their lives,” Tardy said. The program has expanded from its original roots, the Future Philanthropists. According to Tardy, there are about 14 programs across the country based on the Future Philanthropists model that are teaching these skills to juniors and seniors in high school. The growth Tardy has seen in participating students has been tremendous. “I feel like sometimes they are almost completely different people,” Tardy said. “Watching them flourish in the company of other young people who are like minded and philanthropic minded is really

heartwarming. Watching them realize how important this is to our community, to our country, to our world and really blossom in that, decide that it is something they want to continue doing their whole lives, it is amazing to see.” FPP is seeking proposals from eligible taxexempt organizations for their 2024 Grant Cycle. According to the foundation, typical grants have ranged between $1,000 and $7,000 in recent years, with the maximum for the 2024 cycle for a single grant set to $7,500. Applications are now open and will close on Jan. 12 at 5 p.m.

KAMAU JONES

from page 19 passionate about to get money. You are trying to fight for yours but you also have to consider other things.” Juniors make their funding recommendations to the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation’s board of directors. Students who return their senior year are also tasked with raising money, learning about donor development. Senior students

PROVIDED

Kamau Jones as Santa.

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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OPRF alum gives back with business scholarship Scholarship applications are due by Jan. 26

By AMARIS E. RODRIGUEZ Staff Reporter

Wanting to create a hub of networking and guidance for seniors at Oak Park and River Forest High School who are pursuing business careers, an alum is putting his own money to work, creating a business scholarship for seniors. Grayson Adelstein, 18, a 2023 graduate of OPRF, said he wanted to give back and help others the way he was helped financially, through a scholarship. Adelstein, who is a double major in finance and entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said an important pillar of the full-ride scholarship he received was community service. “I started thinking and brainstorming ideas of ways for me to give back to my community,” Adelstein said. “I felt it didn’t make sense to receive such a big gift and

such a big scholarship and not give anything in return.” After brainstorming, Adelstein said he wanted to ensure whatever he came up with would benefit OPRF students, saying he was very involved in the high school and was a part of the business club and other activities that enriched his high school experience. For upcoming graduating seniors who show an interest in business, Adelstein created a $1,500 college scholarship to help the awarded student. To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant must be a graduating senior who has demonstrated interest in business coursework, activities, or through professional experience, have a minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA, and is either majoring or minoring in business. Adelstein began brainstorming the concept of the scholarship this summer and

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met with the high school as well as the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation to work on the scholarship guidelines. Carrie Summy, philanthropic advisor at the foundation, said they were proud to partner with Adelstein, saying they came in to provide expertise and oversight to ensure the scholarship’s success as scholarships are a very “special philanthropic activity” that require a lot of consideration, administration, and compliance. “It’s wonderful when young adults like Grayson recognize key moments in their life in which they are truly grateful, and then turn that gratitude into something significant for others, following through with full heart and open mind,” Summy said. But that is not all. Maybe more valuable than the $1,500 will be the access the awarded student will have to an “advisory board” composed of other OPRF alumni who are pursuing business at various universities that will provide mentorship. “The first component is financial because I know that the cost of college is always increasing and it is a big burden for a lot of people,” Adelstein said. “But the alumni mentor board offers many different resources to recipients, including academic support, networking support, resume and interview preparation, internship searching and recruiting tips, and really any support in any other business areas.” The idea of the advisory board came to Adelstein as he looked back to his own interest in business and how much of that was sparked by the great relationships he was able to build and foster with others around him, leading him to where he is now. Hand selecting the eight members that are currently on the board, Adelstein said they are dedicated to helping others navigate what they might have had to navigate on their own, adding that they each have something unique to offer the scholarship recipients. “I think these different resources are just as important,” Adelstein said. “That is what helps people get off on the right foot.” Pulling people from his own networks and classmates, Adelstein said he tried to pick individuals who were interested in different aspects of business including entrepreneurship and the finance sector, and

he believes they will all make great assets. Because it is the first year the scholarship will be available, Adelstein said it is serving as an experimental year to hash out what works and what does not work in terms of the advisory board. However, he is already thinking of different ways the recipient could take advantage of the board, including bi-weekly or monthly Zoom meetings, or having the recipient fill out information on what they are interested in receiving from the mentors. “The biggest thing that I envisioned is having close contact between the recipients and the board so they know that we are always there,” Adelstein said. “I am still brainstorming with the board about what is the best way for the recipient to be able to fully utilize the board to its greatest capacity.” To be able to launch the scholarship, Adelstein said an initial contribution of $10,000 needed to be made, which will then be awarded through $1,500 non-renewable scholarships to new students each year. Investing in his own idea was extremely important to Adelstein, who said he contributed the $10,000 from his own funds, money which he made through his business endeavors. According to Adelstein, the initial pledge of $10,000 is currently being invested and with the gains the fund should be able to self-sustain itself for many years to come, but he hopes to be able to continue to invest in it in the future. “I think for now, I think I would really like to continue to fund it by myself because it started as my way of giving back and using the funds I had previously saved for college or gained from previous business ventures that I was going to use for college but didn’t because of the funds I received,” Adelstein said, adding that if the scholarship continues to grow and evolve into grants or other areas, he would consider taking on partners or donations. Adelstein said he is working closely with teachers at OPRF, including a video presentation for them to share with seniors, to raise awareness around the scholarship. “I am really excited to see what is going to happen with the scholarship,” Adelstein said. “I think the most special thing is that this has so much room for long term growth and I am excited to see what it turns into.”

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

C R I M E

Lyft driver’s car hijacked; police officer attacked

A passenger in a Lyft hijacked a silver 2020 Toyota Corolla, Dec. 10. The Lyft driver, an Elmwood Park resident, arrived at the 2300 block of N. 73rd Court in Elmwood Park for pickup of two passengers: the offender and a witness to the crime. The drop-off locations for the passengers were the 500 block of Madison Avenue. and the 1900 block of S. Hamlin Avenue. in Chicago. The witness was dropped off at the first location when the offender became verbally aggressive with the driver and struck him on the head. The offender then got into the front passenger seat, unbuckled the driver’s door and pushed him out. The person then drove away eastbound on Madison Street. The Chicago Police Department located the vehicle on the 200 block of South Avers Avenue and returned it to the owner. No arrests were made.

Aggravated battery arrest A man from Chicago was arrested Dec. 12 at West Suburban Medical Center for aggravated battery to a police officer. The man was discharged and refused to leave the medical center when police officers arrived and tried to detain him. The man grabbed the handle of an officer’s holstered handgun and kicked the officer in the groin.

He was arrested and found to be in possession of individually wrapped bags containing suspected cocaine or crack. The man was also found to have two Cook County warrants, one for aggravated battery to a police officer and one for domestic battery. He was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, attempt to disarm a police officer, possession of a controlled substance and two Cook County warrants. He was held for a bond hearing.

Theft Someone stole a Florida resident’s Rolex, worth an estimated $10,000, while he was seeking medical treatment at RUSH Oak Park Hospital on 520 S. Maple Ave. The watch is steel and gold with a white face. The theft occurred between the evening of Dec. 6 and the early hours of Dec. 7.

Motor vehicle theft ■ Someone broke into and stole an Oak Park resident’s 2014 black Dodge Durango between Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. The person broke into the driver’s side window to gain entry and stole the car on the 800 block of Lexington

Street. The estimated loss was $15,000, but the vehicle was later recovered by the Riverdale Police Department. No apprehensions have been made. ■ Someone, by unknown means, stole an Elmhurst resident’s black 2016 Kia Sorento on Dec. 10 at the 1000 block of South Cuyler Avenue. The estimated loss is $30,000. ■ Someone, by unknown means, stole an Enterprise Rent-A-Car 2011 black Infiniti G25x at 114 S. Humphrey Ave. on Dec. 11. The estimated loss is $3,000. ■ Someone, by unknown means, stole an Oak Park resident’s blue 2018 Infiniti QX60 on Dec. 17 at the 1000 block of North Humphrey Avenue. The estimated loss is $32,000. These items were obtained from Oak Park Police Department reports dated Dec. 8-18 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 Luzane Draughon

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

email: erika@growingcommunitymedia.com

By LACEY SIKORA

Contributing Reporter

n December 26, 1923, the Oak Park Club opened on the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Ontario Street with a gala social event for its members. The sizeable building was designed by Chicago-based architects Holmes and Flynn. The building’s largest room could accommodate 750 members of the club at one time. For decades, the building served as a gathering space and social hub for the village. There was a swimming pool in the basement, bowling alleys, a billiards room and two, twenty-foot-high handball courts. The OPC invited notable speakers such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Kroc and Bob Newhart to address members. In addition, the OPC’s spacious rooms lent themselves to social gatherings. Many Oak Parkers held their wedding receptions in the building. For years, local junior high school students learned ballroom dancing at the OPC. Mrs. Jessie Pocock used castanets to keep her pupils’ attention, and the children wore their best clothes, as well as white gloves. See OAK PARK CLUB on page 26

TODD BANNOR

TODAY: Condo unit living room (above) with view into dining room at the Oak Park Club condominium building. BACK IN THE DAY: The dining room at the Oak Park Club during its days as a private club.

TODD BANNOR

The Oak Park Club condominium building at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Ontario Street on Friday Dec. 8, 2023.

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

OAK PARK CLUB New glory days from page 25 Architect and former Oak Park resident Bill Dring was one of those dance students, as was his wife Jan. Little did they know that the OPC would be an important part of their lives in Oak Park. Dring said of the OPC’s history, “The building was an important part of the social fabric of the village. Before people had television sets and before we had country clubs, this was the place to gather.” Over time though, as families found other ways to entertain themselves, the importance of the OPC began to fade. By the 1980’s, the building was housing offices. Dring, by now an architect with Bauhs and Dring Architects, was walking by the building with his friend Phil Hickman, an Oak Parker and a developer with the Habitat Company, when Hickman raised the idea of converting the building into condominiums. At first, Dring wasn’t sure if a conversion would be possible. Although his firm had worked on plenty of condo conversions, the OPC gave him pause. “A very important part of any residential project, in fact that first thing I would look at, is where are we going to park the cars,” he said adding, “For family-sized apartments you need at least two if not more spaces per unit. If you can’t do that, just forget the project.”

TODD BANNOR

First floor lobby, Oak Park Club on Dec. 8, 2023. Being able to construct a garage in the lower level that once housed the pool was a great boon to the project, according to Dring. Although he recalled there were

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF OAK PARK AND RIVER FOREST

Original indoor pool in the basement of the Oak Park Club.

some naysayers, as there were with any development project, Dring said that the project was really one-of-a-kind in Oak Park and filled a need in the village. “At the time we built it, it might have been one of the few that offered modern interiors and commodious units and parking in Oak Park,”” he said. While the village now has modern highrises, during the late 1980’s, the only option for people looking to downsize from homes were vintage buildings that didn’t offer the amenities people had gotten used to in their eir single-family houses. Beyond parking and nd community demand for modern condominiums, Dring said, taxes were a big part of the project’s success. An Illinois historic preservation incentive allows owners to freeze their property’s assessment if they

protect historic aspects of a structure during a large-scale renovation. “The building was in very bad shape when we started this, and taxes had been reduced to a very low level. The buyers were able to save quite a bit of money on taxes,” Dring said. “The project probably would not have hapwoul pened without that pen tax break, and the ta property wouldn’t p have been saved.” Frank Lipo, executive director of The Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest, agreed that F the th tax incentive is important. imp “That “Th sort of sweetener can help a property owner make the decision to adaptively reuse a building that might otherwise be torn down,” he said. “I sometimes hear the mistaken idea that ‘saving’ an old building is always a huge financial sacrifice or never makes financial

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

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View of condo unit living room atrium showing Oak Park Club insignia above fireplace.

OAK PARK CLUB

ing. “It was really rundown when he took this on. It’s like a Rubik’s Cube getting all of the units to fit together. No apartment is like any other.” from page 26 Each unit has a fireplace, and each has sense. In fact, that false idea is sometimes some outdoor space. Working with the Illipushed by a developer or owner who has nois State Historic Preservation Office, the already made a decision to tear down an developer and Dring made sure to retain impressive building because they want an original details, such as ornate plaster work, wood trim, decorative brick and tile fireplacempty lot.” es, as well as the grand staircase and the lobDring carved 27 condominiums out of the OPC. Some are one-story, some are two- bies on the first and second floors. Dring recalled that one unit contains stories, and others are three-stories. Each the original auditorium stage, which was is unique. “I really think Bill Dring is a genius,” incorporated into the design. When consaid Ann Gearen, a resident of the build- struction was complete, Dring and his wife moved into unit 103 and they used a replica of the original OPC logo sign in their new kitchen. The couple lived there for 10 years before moving to Colorado. “The building is an extremely friendly place,” he said. Gearen said that sense of community and friendship remains. Residents gathered recently to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the building, sharing their memoTODD BANNOR ries of living in a bit of local history. Stairway at the Oak Park Club condominium building.

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

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

VIEWPOINTS

Power, in perspective

Our students need to be seen and heard

‘Y

ou don’t understand, Mr. Kannan. I don’t get it,” Sully yelled, frustrated with an American history writing assignment. “I will always get bad grades! I suck at school!” He started to cry as I looked helplessly at him, knowing I was dealing with a problem larger than the question I assigned. School stresses Sully. He is not alone. Eighty-seven percent of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted student socio-emotional development. School has become a source of tension: 61% of students report pressure to get good grades while students who struggle in school experience excessive worry, intrusive thoughts, and impaired focus accompanied by anxiety. All of this was evident with Sully, an eighth-grader whose frustrations with school ran deep. Sully’s outburst was indirectly aimed at all the ways students like him have been invisible in our instruction and assessment. Sully is a child of the pandemic and, since fourth grade, forces larger than our classroom have impacted his entire school experience. He has struggled in remote learning, requiring more than it offered. As we moved into hybrid instruction, Sully’s teachers taught two groups simultaneously while he went unnoticed. His only consistent reality was that the gaps in his learning were increasing, and confidence in himself and his abilities were plummeting. Sully needed to be seen and heard in school, something I was committed to doing. As a teacher, I believe there are three ways we can install a student-centered approach to learning and support students like Sully: ■ First, we need to meet with every student, at least once a week, to understand where they are in their learning and what they might need to be successful. Weekly conferences like these validate student voice because they center student needs. In these meetings, Sully becomes an active agent in his learning while I glimpse his social and emotional experiences and passions, their impact on his schoolwork, and create paths to

ASHLEY KANNAN One View

See ASHLEY KANNAN on page 34

FILE

Winter coat distribution at St. Catherine-St. Lucy.

Using fear to demonize the migrants

ear freezes our spirits, causing them to retract deep inside us. When we are afraid, we shun one another. We look out for ourselves. Fear strips away empathy, compassion, and collective action and we are left with selfishness, greed, and individual needs. The wealthy elites have an interest in keeping us frozen because when we look out for ourselves, they benefit. They have their money and, separately, we lack the power to challenge them. That is the playbook for the wealthy throughout the history of this country. And they are following the playbook again when it comes to the migrants coming to our border from South and Central America. It is in their interest to demonize the migrants. It is in their interest to starve the national budget and present us as perpetually out of money. It is in their interest to deny funding to services for the migrants and instead blame them for coming here when they are simply trying to find a better life for their families. And it was in their interest to start busing migrants from the border to a variety of liberal cities throughout the country. In this way, they could spread the fear of migrants and the resulting strain on local services. And

their plan worked. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said, “I don’t see an ending to this. This issue will destroy New York City.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has said, “The $40 million that it’s costing the city of Chicago every single month to provide care for these individuals who are seeking asylum is not sustainable.” Chicago residents have protested the creation of migrant shelters in their neighborhoods. And the fear has come to our village of Oak Park as well. On Oct. 31, volunteers brought 200 migrants who were sleeping outside a Chicago police station to Oak Park to get them out of the cold. The village allocated $500,000 of leftover COVID relief money to house the migrants at a local hotel and YMCA. But this week, the village manager sent a letter to the migrants staying here, informing them that they would be required to leave their shelters by Jan. 31. In Oak Park, the fear of migrants is less about how 200 migrants are impacting safety or community quality and more about money. How could we afford to continue housing them? And I can’t claim that fear is entirely

JAMES SCHWARTZ One View

See JAMES SCHWARTZ on page 34

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

O U R

Christmas villains and redemption

V I E W S

Dear readers,

reminder if you’ve missed the other notes. For the first time in 43 years, we’re taking a week off between Christmas and New Year’s. So, no paper next week. We’ll be back in print on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. Why the break? A few reasons. Our small crew of reporters, our editor, designers, salespeople and admins work very hard week after week. It will do us all good to have 10 days off, to be with friends and family, some fun, some downtime. And honestly, the task of compiling all those year-in-review stories to fill space in that lost-in-time issue, frankly, which seem likely to go largely unread — well, it made us want to take a rest. Not much news. Not much advertising. A good time to take the week off. Mind you, we will be paying attention and if major news breaks, we will jump on it and publish it promptly online. Here’s the segue you’ve doubtless anticipated: The publisher just told us he gave the entire staff a week off but isn’t there a promo on page 1 about needing to raise money by Dec. 31?! So now he’s going to ask us for money while telling us there is no paper next week? Yes. Here at Growing Community Media — publisher of Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review and RiversideBrookfield Landmark — we punch above our weight. That’s what I tell people when they ask why we didn’t cover this story, or that meeting, or their kid. Don’t get me wrong. We love what we do and we’re proud of it. But there are only a handful of us over here in the newsroom on Oak Park Avenue. Four reporters. Our editor. A part-time Viewpoints editor. A digital manager. Three page designers. And a strong and valued batch of freelance reporters and photographers. So yes, our staff deserves time off. And yes, I am asking you to become a donor to Growing Community Media, our nonprofit newsroom, right now. Before Dec. 31. We are working to raise $250,000 by then to fund our work and to grow our newsroom. It is an ambitious goal but an attainable one. If you value the newspaper you are reading, if you believe local news is the glue that makes our communities strong, if you want this newspaper arriving in your mailbox or at a newsstand every week — or at least almost every week — I’m asking you to invest in it. I said recently that we know donating to the local paper feels sort of counterintuitive. We’re not providing housing or job training or education. But we do serve the public good, and the business model that used to drive this engine just doesn’t work anymore. That doesn’t make independent local news any less important. It means we need to find a new and improved model to fund it. At Growing Community Media we have found the model. And we’re building it out in real time. Part of that model is giving our valued staff some deserved time off. Part of that model is asking our dedicated readers to join in paying for journalism you value. May your holidays bring peace.

Dan Haley

Publisher Growing Community Media

crooge, Grinch, Potter, Trump. The first three are classic Christmas villains. Trump is a candidate to be the fourth. The name fits. With all due respect to the good people out there who share that forever tarnished surname (though I’ve never encountered it elsewhere), it is worthy of a Dickensian villain. Rhymes with lump, stump, dump, frump, chump, and lands with the same impact as Scrooge and Grinch. A name destined to become an epithet. The Christmas villain is a venerated tradition in this holiday’s storied lore. Unappealing isolates who have richly earned our enmity. Enemies of their own humanity, they repel their fellow human beings like oil passing through water. Dr. Seuss hit the bullseye when he described the Grinch as having a heart “two sizes too small.” Certainly that was the case with Scrooge. “Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge!” Dickens wrote, “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.” But you have to give Scrooge credit. He inspired some mighty fine prose from his author. The depths of degradation will do that. And Dickens’ words suit Potter as well — the miserly, self-obsessed, firstnameless banker who wanted to own everything and everyone and hated George Bailey because he was the one person who stood in his way, the one person who stood between Bedford Falls and the hopelessly corrupt Potterville. Here’s how George puts it in the film It’s a Wonderful Life as Potter is on the verge of killing off the one institution that has escaped his control: “If Potter gets hold of this Building & Loan, there’ll never be another decent house built in this town. He’s already got charge of the bank. He’s got the bus line. He’s got the department stores. And now he’s after us. Why? Because we’re cutting in on his business, that’s why. And because he wants to keep you living in his slums and paying the kind of rent he decides … Now, we can get through this thing all right. We’ve got to stick together, though. We’ve got to have faith in each other. … “Just remember, Mr. Potter, that this rabble

you’re talking about ... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they’re cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you’ll ever be!” The difference between Scrooge and Potter is redemption. Scrooge goes through the therapeutic ringer of an intensive life review, administered by three spirits. In the process, he resurrects his humanity. He is redeemed. So is the Grinch, but first he has to “steal Christmas” in order to understand the difference between Christmas materialism and Christmas spirit. Won over, his heart grows to full size. In spite of the glorious ending of “Wonderful Life,” Potter remains unaltered, manipulating and maneuvering — and a thief to boot. He keeps the $15,000 laid in his ample lap by the absent-minded Uncle Billy and compounds the act by trying to frame George for the loss. George is saved from his despair at the end, but not Potter, who is unrepentant. And the system of safeguards against criminal behavior may not be strong enough to hold him to account. The only difference between Potter and Trump is that Potter (like Scrooge and the Grinch) is a figment of someone’s imagination. Trump is a nightmare sprung to life. Grinch-like, he schemes to steal our Democracy from us — and ruin our Christmas — by weaseling his way back into the White House. He is, in other words, a real-life Christmas villain. Is our system of safeguards strong enough to convict this Scrooge/Grinch/Potter and put him in prison as he so richly deserves? If only he could be visited by the three spirits: the Scrooge of Christmas Past, the Grinch of Christmas Present and the Potter of Christmas Yet to Come. Could his many-sizes-too-small heart ever grow to a normal size? Could he survive a Christmas Life Review and rediscover his humanity? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see Trump in the aftermath of his conversion experience? Is he redeemable? Could we ever say of Trump, as Dickens says of Scrooge: “He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town or borough, in the good old world.” Maybe, but probably not until he spends some time in prison first. We may wish for his redemption but we’ll settle for rehabilitation. A convicted Trump would be this country’s best Christmas present ever.

KEN

TRAINOR

V I E W P O I N T S

Be part of this conversation

The volunteer board of directors of Growing Community Media offers its thanks to our donors and asks you to consider joining in support of our independent nonprofit newsroom. GCM publishes Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review and the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark. You can donate at GrowingCommunityMedia.org/donate

For the past 40 years, the reporters and editors with Growing Community Media have been reporting the news in our neighborhoods. From the very beginning, the goal was to be hyper-local and reflective of every aspect of our communities. We were connected to the power of locally based journalism and to a forum where everyone could share their views. Together we made our communities better. Over the years our communities have changed and so has the way we fund our news efforts. Gone are the days when we could rely primarily on advertising to pay our bills. We’re not alone; communities across the country are prioritizing access to local news and figuring out ways to support it. Frankly, those communities that don’t are losing their news outlets. In fact, thousands of local newspapers have been shuttered, with more closing every week. Can you imagine our communities not being served by local news? At Growing Community Media, we have taken many steps to ensure we continue to be a part of our community. Most importantly, we converted to not-for-profit status in 2019, opening a vital form of revenue through philanthropy. As you might suspect, our communi-

W E D N E S D A Y

ties have responded with over 2,000 individual donors supporting our efforts. Philanthropy has now become a key part of our revenue; without it we wouldn’t survive. This is not a once-and-done effort. We need ongoing donations to keep our lights on, period. We also know that if we ask our communities to support our efforts, our product needs to be top-notch. Our reporting needs to cover every corner of our communities and remain hyper-local. To that end, we have made important changes to our newsroom that will shape how we report our news well into the future. In August, Erika Hobbs joined GCM as our editor. She oversees our reporters and editors across all our flags. She represents our future and has plans for making Growing Community Media’s reporting even better and more accessible for everyone. If you’ve made a gift, thank you! If you haven’t, please consider joining your neighbors in supporting your local news. If you worry that your neighbors aren’t subscribers, consider giving them the gift of a subscription. Everyone should be a part of the conversation.

Judy Greffin, chair Nile Wendorf, treasurer Deb Abrahamson Gary Collins Steve Edwards Darnell Sheilds Sheila Solomon Eric Weinheimer

Growing Community Media Board of Directors The Board of GCM

Whittier’s event shines a ray of hope

On Dec. 6, Whittier Elementary School held its second annual Whittier Around the World evening event. It began with a read-aloud and slide show featuring the book Who We Are. Principal Ashley Mosley and her husband read the book to a standingroom-only crowd. Parents, children and staff enjoyed the story highlighting cultural understanding and showing how each of us is special. With the passport received upon entering, you could visit Ecuador, England, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Spain, tasting delicious food, hearing traditional music and viewing a variety of art from each country. If that weren’t enough, the Whittier Dance Troupe debuted its first performance to an enthusiastic audience. Under the direction of fifth-grade teacher Johanna Cousin, director of Oak Park’s Just Cause Dance Company, this new troupe performed with pre-

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

cision, confidence and excitement. It was a pleasure seeing all the different ages dancing together. The school was alive with warmth, delicious aromas, people talking everywhere and children smiling with so much pride. Whittier was a ray of hope that evening, where people came together to share what was important to them and watch as everyone appreciated that sharing. You could feel the mutual respect. It was in the air. I felt hopeful seeing that people can get along and enjoy celebrating similarities and differences, even asking questions to learn more. Principal Mosley, the staff, parents and students at Whittier should be proud of everything this evening included. A ray of hope was shining everywhere.

Gale Liebman

Retired District 97 teacher

JOURNAL of Oak Park and River Forest

Editor Erika Hobbs Digital Manager Stacy Coleman Staff Reporter Amaris Rodriguez, Luzane Draughon Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora Digital Media Coordinator Brooke Duncan Columnists Marc Blesoff, Jack Crowe, Doug Deuchler, Mary Kay O’Grady, Kwame Salter, John Stanger Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Marketing Representatives Lourdes Nicholls, Ben Stumpe Business & Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Circulation Manager Jill Wagner E-MAIL jill@oakpark.com Special Projects Manager Susan Walker Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs Publisher Dan Haley

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson, Gary Collins, Steve Edwards Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ■ 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

H O W

T O

R E A C H

U S

ADDRESS 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 ■ PHONE 708-524-8300 EMAIL Dan@OakPark.com ■ ONLINE www.OakPark.com Wednesday Journal is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $2.00. A one-year subscription costs $48 within Cook County and $60 outside of Cook County. Advertising rates may be obtained by calling our office. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 10138). Postmaster, send address corrections to Wednesday Journal, 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302. © 2023 Growing Community Media, NFP.

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

Putting power in perspective

We had a six-hour power outage that started at noon on Thursday in our little corner of River Forest. I chuckle at the irony because Thursday at sundown was the first night of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. (Though I must say that it would have been more helpful if the outage had occurred on night eight.) Our building is electric, so nothing was working, needless to say. Now when we downsized from a fivebedroom house, we got rid of all the camping gear, including useful stuff like Coleman lanterns, the wind-up radio, etc. But we did keep the battery-powered headlamp (a flashlight you wear on your head). After dark, it worked OK for knitting but not so well for the piano. I had to hold my head still at an unnatural angle when noodling my way through Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze.” No bopping to the music. I finally gave up and went back to pacing impatiently. Throughout the afternoon, we got a series of texts with times when power would likely be restored: 2:15, 3:30, 5:45. Late in the afternoon a caravan of

ComEd trucks showed up in our back alley and began to run new wires. It was verging on dusk when they started but pitch black by the time they finished. And cold. Then we get another text with a projected completion time of … 2 a.m.! So imagine our surprise and delight when, shortly after 6 p.m. the power came back on. Periodically I peered out to see how the repairs were going from our kitchen balcony. After the power was restored, I stepped out on the balcony, waved to the workers and yelled, “Thank you!” It was the least I could do. As I watched the Hanukkah candles burn, I couldn’t help but think about people for whom there is no “projected completion time”: For those without shelter or food, in Israel, Gaza, Ukraine as well as the migrants and the homeless in our own country. All I had to deal with was boredom in the dark and a chilly apartment for a bit.

Grace Episcopal’s bells update

Grace Episcopal Church, 924 Lake St., Oak Park, is giving its century-old tower bells an overhaul. On Nov. 27, Smith’s Bell and Clock Company of Canby, Indiana, began opening the tower to remove the bells’ wood and iron supporting frame, which showed signs of deterioration when inspected in June of 2022. Then Smith brought in a crane to remove the bells themselves. They will be taken to Indiana for inspection and restoration, after which they will be brought back home and mounted on a new steel frame — we hope in early spring 2024 — ready to ring again for another century or two. For more information about the 10 bronze bells of our Seabury Chime, contact Grace Episcopal.

Audrey Riley

Grace Episcopal Church

Louise Mezzatesta River Forest

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Antisemitism finds a home in River Forest

A couple of months ago, a disturbing incident occurred in River Forest of which the board was informed. The parkway trees of one home were singled out to receive a complaint about the plastic ribbons tied around them. The ribbons were blue and white in support of Israel in the wake of the brutal Oct. 7 massacre there. This complaint occurred when there were up to 46 other trees in the village with plastic ribbons on them supporting various other causes. The other trees received no complaint. This complaint was, ostensibly, based on the village’s tree ordinance protecting trees from having damaging materials mounted on them. One must ask, why were these trees targeted? Why these trees, alone? This complaint prompted three responses from the village. 1) The owner was told to take the ribbons down. 2) When the owner protested and said she felt specifically targeted, she was told all tree ribbons in the village would be taken down, which didn’t happen. Then this issue was brought to a village board meeting, and

the owner said the complaint felt antisemitic. The response? 3) The village president said all ribbons could stay up and directed her staff to “revisit the ordinance.” Here is the point: At no time did the board respond to the owner’s core concern and call out a clearly antisemitic act, asserting, as signs around the village state, “Hate Has No Home Here.” The complaint, of course, was not about the ordinance. It was about support for Israel. Why has the board not stated, unequivocally, that antisemitism, as well as intolerance of any group, is not welcome here? The board had three chances to get it right, and they failed three times. If River Forest is really a community that values and aspires to practicing tolerance, it must call out when people demonstrate intolerance. Values don’t die because people don’t live by them. Values die when those who care about them are silent. Silence is complicity. River Forest Village Board, you failed.

Phyllis Rubin

River Forest

In spite of the scaffolding …

St. Edmund Church is reopening in time for Christmas Eve! Do not be fooled by the scaffolding around the historic church located at Oak Park Avenue and Pleasant Street. The building is repaired, and all are welcome to celebrate Christmas Eve Mass at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 24. Carols and prelude music start at 4:10 p.m. Christmas morning Mass will be at 11 a.m. Over eight months ago, a storm toppled spires from atop St. Edmund Church and sent them crashing through the roof, causing damage that required major repair work. That is now completed, though scaffolding will remain through spring 2024 for additional maintenance. Prior to the April 4 storm, the separate parishes of Ascension and St. Edmund had merged to be one parish with two campuses. The timing was fortuitous, giving the congregation of St. Edmund a home from Easter 2023 through today and beyond. We are one parish, which shares staff and priests. We from St. Edmund are so pleased to be reopening our doors to all. The Oak Park Catholic Community includes four church buildings: St. Edmund, Ascension, St. Giles and St. Catherine-St. Lucy. The dates and times of Masses were published Dec. 13 in the Wednesday Journal Christmas

Church Guide. Some masses will be live-streamed for those who participate from home. For more information, see the websites at: ascensionoakpark.org or stgilesparish.org. Merry Christmas!

Kathleen Corcos Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

The problem with ‘Ribbon Ninjas’

River Forest recently passed a commemorative ribbon ordinance allowing residents to decorate parkway trees with ribbons. I support my neighbors’ right to self-expression, even when the significance or meaning of the ribbon is not evident. I am not comfortable with the practice of mass decorating entire blocks of parkway trees by an unknown “Ribbon Ninja,” however, which sometimes happens in our town. I believe self-expression via ribbons should be limited to the parkway trees immediately adjacent to one’s residential property, and not the entire neighborhood. If someone feels a particular cause requires a larger display, why not ask your neighbors to join you in placing commemorative ribbons? Wouldn’t that

be a more honest reflection of unity? Depending on the cause and time of year, I might gladly hang my own ribbon for a short time, if asked to do so. The problem with Ribbon Ninjas is that they never return to take away their decorations, once sufficient support for their cause has been shown. And neighbors who don’t know who is behind the ribbons or what the cause is, have no way of knowing when to take the ribbons down, or who to ask. There is also another very problematic issue with decorating every parkway tree on a block, which I discovered in May 2000 when a small population of seasonal cicadas emerged. Shiny, wide, white ribbons on every parkway tree made it impossible for the cicadas to successfully climb the trees to com-

For your child

For the sake of your child Your lovely one, your heart, What would you do for them? “Anything,” you say, “I would lay down my life for my child.” If that is so, would you, for the sake of your child … fight in a war tend the wounds of your enemy live next to a stranger lay down your arms shake a new hand all for the sake of your child? Then you no longer have enemies. You have neighbors. For the sake of your child Your lovely one, your heart, What would you sacrifice for them? Would you swallow your pride for them? Would you change your mind for them? Would you accept change and difference for them? Then let your child be the peacemaker of the world! If we truly love our children It is our duty to give them peace. Not power, not wealth, nor land. For the sake of your child Your lovely one, your heart, Let them inherit peace. Though the price be beyond imagining Choose peace.

plete their life-cycle. I watched cicadas repeatedly crawl up the trees, lose their footing on the ribbon, and fall back to the ground until they were eaten by birds. I also found cicadas that attempted to crawl beneath ribbons that were less tightly tied, only to get stuck. They molted into deformed adult cicadas that could not fly. Next May, the seasonal 17-year cicadas will emerge. I hope my neighbors will consider the negative impact of commemorative tree ribbons on nature. And if a Ribbon Ninja targets my block around the same time, I will remove the ribbons from my parkway trees, regardless of the cause.

Jill Anderson

River Forest

Oak Park police are committed to safe gun disposal

I commend the Oak Park Police Department for their sound, ethical policy for gun disposal. The recent New York Times article, “The Guns Were Said to Be Destroyed. Instead, They Were Reborn,” tells the story of an industry that destroys one part of a gun, then sells the rest of the gun parts in a kit that can easily be reconstituted into a firearm. Many police departments have used these services. They have sent confiscated and surrendered guns to be destroyed, only to provide an easy way to proliferate more guns. As the kits may be purchased without a background check, those who would not pass a background test may make the purchase, creating more risk for violence in our communities. A group of us met with the Oak Park police last spring to encourage an Oak Park gun buyback. Deputy Chief Jacobson, Sergeant Monty and Officer Dennis raised concerns about gun disposal. They shared that the department did not have a good vendor to receive guns for destruction. Avoiding vendors that resold parts from destroyed guns was important to the department’s ethical standards. Contributing to an expanding gun market with parts from destroyed guns was untenable. Thank you, Oak Park Police Department, for your sound judgment and policy for gun disposal. You are committed to effective gun disposal that doesn’t fuel the gun market. And your community thanks you.

Lois Thiessen Love

Karen Muriello Oak Park

Oak Park Source: Mike McIntire, “The Guns Were Said to Be Destroyed. Instead, They Were Reborn.” New York Times, Dec. 19.

Thanks and farewell, Oberweis

When I read in Wednesday Journal that Oberweis was reaching the end of its time in Oak Park in just a matter of days, I made a point to visit for a sweet treat. During the few minutes I was there on that Friday evening, deciding what to order, and then waiting for it, I noticed other groups of people who were enjoying the opportunity to get a sweet treat, while also enjoying each other’s company. One person in line let me go ahead of him, remarking he had a large order. I’m grateful that Oberweis has done more than just serve sweet treats: It has helped bring people together in our community, enjoying company with family and friends, in a splendid space on The Avenue. Thank you, Oberweis. I’ll aim to visit your other nearby locations.

Paul Rubio Oak Park

Stop neglecting Austin & Roosevelt

Long a resident and family of small businesses on Roosevelt Road, I wish the village would do more for the Austin Roosevelt gateway. There has been little interest, as far as the village, with regard to this area. Now talk of a possible carwash as the “best option” staff has. Why hasn’t a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district been allowed to exist here where development is needed? We only watch with disgust how this area is totally neglected.

Pete Ferraro Oak Park

V I E W P O I N T S

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

ASHLEY KANNAN

Transformational learning from page 29

New Arrivals I keep seeing the boy running In my direction, Freed by his mother Who had held his hand tight As they crossed Austin Boulevard, Another child or two on her hips. Freed from his cousins or siblings, From his group of seven or eight. On the sidewalk in front of the church He sensed the general direction, Like a hawk circling carrion, And ran toward me. It was 40 degrees and sunny. The sun felt warmer than that And no one had told him to be sad In a T-shirt Outside in winter.

Like his siblings or cousins Hanging on their mother’s arms, They came for winter coats Against the Chicago winter They heard was coming. The bus driver must have Turned on the heater Somewhere between The Texas border And our northern city. And the boy ran. Bounded really. Could have run into my arms, But I pointed him toward The church side door And a chaqueta.

Jack Crowe Oak Park

bolster his achievement. In one of our meetings, I drew a comparison between Sully’s favorite football team and their similarity to General Custer’s approach at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Creating both the classroom environment for personalized knowledge of our students, and envisioning flexible school schedules to create the time to do so, are ways to make individualized conferencing a reality. ■ The second step in reimagining school is personalizing our assessment practices. We need to honor the Sullys in our classrooms for what they bring into them. Through weekly conferences, Sully and I can co-design our learning targets, and form assessments centered on his passions and learning capacities. Each student’s voice should be reflected in assessments centering their experiences. I recognized that it was difficult for Sully to write his thoughts out. From our conversations, I was able to develop different approaches to writing, allowing Sully to demonstrate what he knows. Personalizing assessment is a pathway to increased student achievement; it stands in stark opposition to grading approaches that fail to account for student voice. We can do this at a policy level, as well: As part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), states can build out new assessment systems

JAMES SCHWARTZ No fear, no demonizing

When can we start jogging?

Inquiring minds want to know: When will OPRF High School open up the new track for public exercise? Signage indicates it would be complete by October, and it does appear to be finished now, but it’s still locked up like a sacred virgin in a chastity belt. What’s the deal? Let my people jog!

Bill Ward

Oak Park

from page 29 unfounded. But I disagree with the village’s decision to strip housing from the migrants in the middle of the winter, just six weeks from now. There is no reason to end the program with such short notice. The village has another $500,000 of COVID relief money left, which could provide housing for the migrants until the end of April. Even extending housing for one more month, until the end of February, would give them a more reasonable time frame in which to make plans.

that support individualized learning and personalized assessment. ■ The third component of transformational teaching and learning is the development of important soft skills, something the pandemic further interrupted. These skills are a necessity for all of our students, in particular those like Sully. Executive functioning attributes — such as making lists and breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks — are important for academic success. Explicit instruction in attributes like resilience and frustration tolerance mitigates school stress. In teaching these skills to Sully, I’m making sure he no longer panics when confronted with daunting tasks. Instead, he grabs his phone and creates a schedule of how to complete them. The intentional cultivation of these skills empowers Sully because they will be his ingredients for success in the post-pandemic world awaiting him. Coaching my students to develop essential skills for academic and postsecondary success, embedding these through weekly conferences, and personalizing assessments are all ingredients in a student-centered approach to learning. Such a vision makes school a less anxious environment for all of our students and is helping transform Sully into an emerging, confident scholar. Ashley Kannan teaches eighth grade American History and African American studies at Percy Julian Middle School in Oak Park. He is a 2023-2024 Teach Plus Illinois Senior Policy Fellow.

Employing fear is easy. It’s why people use this tactic to divide us so frequently. We need to watch for this tactic. We need to be alert. And we need to respond to it with warmth. Extending housing to the migrants in Oak Park for one more month is one way to provide that warmth, literally and figuratively. And when national elites try to get us to fear one another, we should respond not with fear, but with solidarity. We can be the people we aspire to be. We can melt the ice of fear with the fire of empathy and compassion. Jim Schwartz is an Oak Park resident, an educator, and a blogger at Entwining.org.

O B I T U A R I E S

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

Robert Gamboney, 72 Funeral director

Robert Patrick Gamboney, 72, of Oak Park, formerly of the West Side of Chicago, died on Dec. 15, 2023. Born on March 16, 1951, he was a funeral director for over 47 years in Oak Park. A longtime parishioner of Ascension Church and tireless volunteer for Misericordia, he served thousands of families in his career as a funeral director. He was a lifelong fan of the only Chicago baseball team, the Cubs, an MVP pool player, a talented gardener and the best grandfather in the world. His passing was unexpected and is being felt by many. We love you, Bobo! Bob Gamboney was the husband and best friend of the late Maureen Catherine Gamboney (nee McCarthy); the one of a kind father of Michelle, Joseph (Jennifer), Nicole (Nick) Nichols, and Samuel (Alena); silly, wonderful Bobo to JJ, Madelyn, Thomas, Delaney, Isabelle and Riley; brother of William (Marguerite), Patrick, Janice (William) Gallagher, and Linda (Bill Lipinski) Gamboney; son of the late William and Irene Gamboney; son-in-law of William and Margaret McCarthy; and uncle, cousin and friend to many. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 3 to 9 p.m. at Peterson-Bassi Chapels/Gamboney & Sons Directors, 6938 W. North Ave. (3 blocks east of Harlem), Chicago. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Ascension Church, Oak Park, on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m., followed by interment at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials to Misericordia, 6300 N. Ridge Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, are appreciated.

Jack James, 92

DJ, artist, craftsman, cook John Edward “Jack” James, 92, died on Nov. 25, 2023 at home in Palm Springs, California after a four-month battle with cancer. Raised in Oak Park, he attended the University of Illinois and worked as a radio disc jockey in Illinois, Texas, and the “Four Corners” in Colorado. He also worked for Bank of America as an event planner and organizer. Active as a potter and clay sculptor, he was known to be an excellent artist and craftsman, skills he used to rehab and remodel homes in Illinois, Arizona and California. He was extremely generous with his knowledge, his talents, and love. He enjoyed traveling to Europe and made many friends on his ventures. An excellent cook, he enjoyed a glass of scotch. He will be missed by all who were blessed to know him. Jack is survived by David Whitworth, his partner of 9 years; his sister-in-law Joan James; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Walter Robert “WR” James and Mae Lucille (Berg) James; his sister, Carol Mae (James) Tyrell (Evan); his brothers Walter Robert James (Mary) and William “Bill” Berg James. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

W E D N E S D A Y

JOURNAL

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

Ken Trainor’s “Our Town Oak Park – Walk with Me, in Search of True Community”…

of Oak Park and River Forest

To run an obituary Please contact Ken Trainor by e-mail: ktrainor@wjinc.com, or fax: 708/524-0447 before Monday at noon. Please include a photo if possible.

Great Holiday gift for the “Oak Park fan” in your life!

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

SPORTS

Trinity snaps losing streak, routs Taft

OPRF girls earn their first victory this season By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Going into their non-conference basketball game with visiting Taft on Dec. 15, Trinity was eager to stop a three-game losing streak. Using strong defense, particularly in the second half, the Blazers accomplished their goal, pulling away for a 58-34 victory over the Eagles in River Forest. “It was nice to get since we’d dropped a few in a row,” said Trinity coach Kim Coleman. “We’re glad to be on the right side of the scoreboard.” Trinity senior forward Lauren Miller, a University of Chicago signee, had a strong first half for the Blazers (6-6), scoring 15 of her game-high 20 points. “This game was really important for us to get our confidence back,” said Miller, who also had seven rebounds, two steals, and three assists. “It was a good time to apply what we’ve been working on in practice.” Trinity led 28-18 at halftime, then 41-27 after three quarters. The Blazers started the fourth quarter with an 11-1 run to put Taft away. “We picked it up defensively and started

moving the ball,” Coleman said. “We’re really focusing on our ball movement and playing high-intensity defense.” Sophomore forward Chloe Santos had 10 points, six rebounds and four steals; sophomore guard Zaria Goins, eight points, six rebounds, and five steals; and junior guard Ariana Rodriguez (five assists) and senior guard Luz Del Rosario Kwiatkoski Perez (five rebounds) each added six points for the Blazers. On Dec. 18, Trinity defeated host Marist 51-46. Miller had 21 points and 11 rebounds; Santos, 11 points and six rebounds; Goins, seven points and six rebounds; and Jaylani Hernandez, six points. Trinity meets Peoria Notre Dame in the opening round of the Morton College Christmas Tournament on Dec. 27. Loaded with high-quality schools such as Batavia, Fremd, Hersey, Lyons Township, Marist, and Mother McAuley, the tournament should provide a good barometer of where the Blazers stand. “It’s a really tough tournament, but we like competition. It’s a chance for us to get better,” Miller said. “I’m really excited to go out there and play.” “That’s how we want it,” added Coleman. “We want them to play against some highlevel competition; it’ll help prepare us for the overall picture, which is a run in the [IHSA] playoffs.”

SARA JANZ

Trinity Blazer Destiny Sacluti (#3) shoots for the hoop during Friday nights game.

OPRF girls tally first win The Huskies notched their first victory of the season, Dec. 16, at Zion-Benton, rolling past the host Zee-Bees 51-24. Head coach Renee Brantley is hoping the win provides the Huskies (1-11) a boost of confidence. “I think the girls have really been sticking together and staying motivated,” she said. “We felt we let some games slip away and just wanted to put four quarters together.” OPRF displayed balance offensively, with 12 players scoring at least two points. Senior guard Taylor Smith led the way with 11, while senior guard Shardae Spruille

added seven, sophomore guard Aria Hammerschmidt had six, and sophomore guard Yvette Thrasher five. Following a West Suburban Silver game at Glenbard West, Dec. 22, the Huskies will play in the Loyola Academy Christmas Tournament, Dec. 26-29. OPRF’s firstround game is against Joliet West at 1 p.m. on Dec. 26, and Brantley is eager to see how her team performs. “My goals consist of putting together four quarters,” she said. “We do that by limiting our turnovers and competing from start to finish on the defensive end. If we do so, then we’ll give ourselves opportunities to be successful.”

Harris works to join OPRF wrestling state qualifiers Koransky, Knackstedt also finish third at Whitlatch Invitational

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Junior OPRF wrestler Eric Harris had a rough ending to his Hinsdale Central Rex Whitlatch Invitational in 2022. Harris was head-butted during the second period of his third match in the heavyweight divi-

sion. He was diagnosed with a concussion and sidelined the rest of December. “When I got home, my nose started bleeding. I couldn’t wrestle the next day,” Harris said. After this season’s Whitlatch Invite, Friday and Saturday, Harris continues to compete as much as possible. He finished third at 215 pounds

by beating Downers Grove South’s Mack Piehl, 4-1. Harris (11-4) has his first individual state berth in sight after coming one victory from qualifying at the 2023 sectionals as a heavyweight. “I’m improving each day I’m wrestling,” Harris said. “I’ve been improving

for the last eight months. I just have to work hard at practice every day, just my stance and motion and leg attack.” Sophomore Zev Koransky (15-3 at 126) and junior Joseph Knackstedt (15-2 at 138), the Huskies’ two returning 2023 individual state qualifiers, also were third. Senior Ruben Acevedo (12-6 at 120) and

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S P O R T S

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

Major changes coming to IHSA football? Vote could replace conferences with districts By MELVIN TATE and BILL STONE Contributing Reporters

Oak Park and River Forest High School football coach John Hoerster has deep roots in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division. Not only has Hoerster guided the Huskies’ program for the past 13 seasons, he is also an alumnus of York, one of OPRF’s conference opponents. “I have friends that I’ve made through the years who I respect and enjoy competing against,” Hoerster said. But the WSC Silver could become a thing of the past soon in football. IHSA schools have been voting over the past week on Proposal 18, which if approved would, beginning next year, replace conferences with geographically-based districts — for football only. If it passes, there would be eight districts,

sophomore David Ogunsanya (12-4 at 150) were sixth. The Huskies (107 points) were 11th of 25 teams and won matches in 10 weight divisions. They travel downstate for the Washington Super Duals, Saturday, and the Granite City Tournament Dec. 28-2 “Overall I think we did pretty well,” OPRF coach Paul Collins said. “A guy like Ruben, last year was [1-2 at Whitlatch at 120] and now takes sixth. Eric was hurt [last year]. I think it’s a testament to their work, their effort.” Harris responded admirably following a difficult overtime loss in the quarterfinals to Downers Grove North senior Cael Brezina (8-2), who finished sixth. Harris thought he had a takedown at the end of the second period, but the official ruled it occurred after time expired. Against Piehl (15-5), Harris entered the third period leading 2-0. Piehl escaped in the first 20 seconds but Harris delivered a takedown with 1:04 left and rode Piehl the rest of the match. After last season competing between 220 and 225 pounds at heavyweight, which goes up to 285 pounds, Harris plans to remain at 215. “I tried to eat a lot to get heavyweight, but

consisting of eight schools in each of the eight classes, with the top four schools in each district qualifying for the state playoffs. Voting ended Monday. Lyons Township High School coach Jon Beutjer and Nazareth Academy coach Tim Racki had no indication through their contacts which way the vote would go. A similar proposal for football districts passed in 2018 by 17 votes and would have taken effect in 2021 but a second vote in 2019 soundly rejected it. In this instance, passage would mean districts for at least one season. “I would think a majority of schools around here would probably be against it because we’re already in a conference,” Beutjer said. “Specifically in the West Suburban Silver and Gold, we’re kind of in a cool conference where there’s rivalries, good competition.” Other areas of the state aren’t as fortunate. Racki noted scheduling as one of the factors that might make schools favor districts. “We will adapt to the new schedule [as needed],” Racki responded. When private schools left the Metro Sub-

urban Conference after the 2022 season, Riverside-Brookfield was fortunate to play all seven teams in the Southland Conference to fill its schedule. The Bulldogs are joining the Upstate Eight Conference in 2024. Proponents say that districts would create built-in, comparable opponents, and they have proven successful in other states. Many teams are forced to search out of state for opponents. Some conferences have wide ranges of enrollment and teams must play opponents one or two class sizes larger. That can make victories, and qualifying for the playoffs, even harder. “If I’m coaching at a school like that, maybe I’m for that,” Beutjer said. “I kind of like the way it’s set up for us now because of the rivalries we have. There’s tradition. It’s like the Big 10. Michigan versus Ohio State. Illinois versus Northwestern. Some of those rivalry games are cool. It’s fun for the kids. And the fans, too, and the kids growing up.” Over the years, the WSC Silver has been one of the Chicago area’s strongest high school leagues. Downers Grove North

STEVE JOHNSTON

Oak Park and River Forest’s Zev Koransky defeats West Aurora’s Aiden Massaro at 126 pounds during 3rd Place Match at the Rex Whitlatch Invitational at Hinsdale Central Saturday, December 16, 2023 in Hinsdale. it’s not working,” Harris said. At 2023 state, Knackstedt was 1-2 at 132 and Zoransky was 0-2 at 113. Both agreed they are looking to return to state in higher

weight classes and contend for top-six, allstate honors. “It motivated me a lot, gave me a goal to know that I should look farther than just

reached the 7A final this fall, and York made the 8A semifinals the last two years. Hoerster thinks a sense of camaraderie, along with some good rivalries, would be lost if Proposal 18 passes. “[WSC Silver has] very similar numbers, demographics, challenges, and upsides that we have found a way to work with in a collegial way,” he said. “I’d hate to see that go the way of the dinosaur.” Even with districts, there’s leeway for some rivalries to continue, but others may leave, not by choice. To balance the district groups, teams may be forced to play district opponents of significantly lesser quality or travel great distances. Hoerster also wonders about what would happen with the current nonconference weeks 1 and 2. Proposal 18 would allow for schools to schedule non-district schools regardless of class in those weeks. “Would those games matter? Would people treat them as scrimmages or preseason games?” Hoerster said. “That’s not clear to me.”

making it to state,” Koransky said. Knackstedt lost 9-0 in the semifinals to undefeated Sandburg junior Ryan Hinger (180), the invite champion. For third, Knackstedt won 8-4 over Lincoln-Way West’s Luke Siwinski (12-7) after an early 2-1 deficit. Knackstedt sealed the victory with a third-period takedown. “I think I’ve just got to come out and wrestle my match,” Knackstedt said. “I feel like I wrestled the way [Hinger] wanted to wrestle, and I think I should wrestle the way I want. We’ve still got work to do until state.” Koransky won 10-5 for third over West Aurora senior Aiden Massaro (12-5) after an 11-8 victory the previous round. “I think overall it was a success,” Koransky said. “I’ve been struggling with finishing some moves and putting people on their back and pinning them. Up at 126, guys are a little stronger and it’s harder to put them away.” Acevedo and Ogunsanya both were pinned for fifth. Ogunsanya lost his previous match 3-2. Sophomore Aiden John Noyes (14-6 at 132) won three matches with two pins. Junior Gabe Rojas (5-7 at 113) and sophomore Jeremiah Hernandez (2-3 at 144) won two matches.

38 Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023 Deadline is Monday at 5:00 p.m.

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ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Engineering Technician II in the Public Works Department. The employee performs layout, draft and design drawings from field survey information and field notes for various engineering and planning projects including existing improvements, right-of-way and various utilities and performs a variety of field inspections. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Quantitative Researcher(s) sought by Magma Capital Management LLC dba Magma Capital Funds in Chicago, IL. Reqs: Master’s Deg in Computational Finance, Fin’l Engg, Fin’l Math, Stats, or closely rltd field. Must have edu, exp or internship exp w/Prog skills: using Python or C++ to carry out quantitative research & dvlpmt work; build statistical regression, machine learning, deep learning models, & use popular machine learning & stats packages, such as sci-kit learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow; & etc. Telecommute permitted w/in commutable distance to ofc. Resume to: Brooke Stratman, CPO at Bstratman@magmacapitalfunds.com; Ref: 101

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PUBLIC NOTICES LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF ILLINOIS) COUNTY OF COOK )ss Circuit Court of Cook County, County Department, Domestic Relations Division. In re ALLOCATION OF GLORIA RESENDIZ, Petitioner and ISAAC SANTACRUZ, Respondent, Case No. 2021d450036. The requisite affidavit for publication having been filed, notice is hereby given to you, the above named Respondent, that a Petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, by the Petitioner, for temporary and permanent sole allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, contribution to child-related expenses and for otherrelief; and that said suit is now pending. Now, therefore, unless you, the said Respondent, file your response to said Petition or otherwise make your appearance therein, in the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Room 802, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, in the City of Chicago, Illinois, on or before January 8, 2024, default may be Entered against you at any time after That day, and a judgment entered in Accordance with the prayer of said Petition. DOROTHY A. BROWN, Clerk. Published in Wednesday Journal December 6, 13, 20, 2023

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PUBLIC NOTICE Thrive Counseling Center is soliciting bids for 2 projects at 120 S Marion St in Oak Park.

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, January 11, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in the First Floor Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois, to consider amendment(s) to the Village’s Zoning Ordinance which include, but may not be limited to, the following:

Project 1: Replace 3 old drinking fountains with new drinking fountains that include water bottle fillers. Additionally, a 4th drinking fountain/bottle filler is needed at a new site.

1. A Text Amendment to create a new Chapter 12 to replace Chapters 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the Zoning Ordinance. The new Chapter 12 will designate bulk and dimensional standards for C-1, C-2, C-3 and ORIC districts. 2. A Text Amendment to Section 1021 (Land Use Chart) of the Zoning Ordinance to designate multiple-family dwellings as allowed by planned development in C1, C2, C3 and ORIC districts. The petitioner for the Text Amendments is the Village President and Board of Trustees. This public hearing is being held pursuant to direction given by the Village Board of Trustees for the Zoning Board of Appeals to consider these amendments. For additional information visit www.vrf.us. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. For public comments to be considered by the Zoning Board of Appeals and Village Board of Trustees in their decision, they must be included as part of the public hearing record. If you cannot attend the public hearing but would like to provide input on this matter to the Zoning Board of Appeals you may submit your comments in writing, to Clifford Radatz, Building Official, no later than 12:00 Noon on the date of the public hearing at cradatz@vrf.us or by mailing them to 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305.

Sincerely, Clifford Radatz Secretary, Zoning Board of Appeals.

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

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PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS

For further information or for a copy of the proposed text amendments, please contact Village Administrator Matt Walsh at (708) 714-3563 or at mwalsh@vrf.us or visit www.vrf.us.

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PUBLIC NOTICES

Project 2: Rehabilitate all 8 bathrooms in the building and ensure fixtures such as hand bars and mirrors meet ADA standards, replace paper towel dispensers with electronic hand dryers, add aerators to the faucets, replace cracked floor tiles, replace damaged ceiling tiles, patch walls, and paint. To bid on either or both projects, please contact Laura Palmer at lpalmer@thrivecc.org or (708) 6172506. Pre-bid site inspection is mandatory and will be scheduled by appointment only. All project questions can be clarified at that time. Bidding will end on 1/20/2024. This is a federally funded program as a Community Development Block Grant and is subject to all applicable federal rules, regulations, and guidelines. MBE and WBE contractors are encouraged to bid on this project. Published in Wednesday Journal December 20, 2023

PUBLIC NOTICE The President and Board of Trustees of the Village of River Forest, Cook County, Illinois will hold a public hearing on January 8, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in the Community Room of the Municipal Center, 400 Park Avenue, in River Forest, Illinois. The purpose of the hearing will be to receive public comments on the proposal to sell general obligation limited tax bonds, in an amount not to exceed $600,000, to pay for public infrastructure projects within the Village, payable from non-referendum bond proceeds in accordance with provisions of Section 8-5-16 of the Municipal Code, which will not exceed one-half of one percent of the assessed value of all taxable property located within the Village. By: /s/ Jonathan Keller Title: Village Clerk Published in Wednesday Journal December 20, 2023

Published in Wednesday Journal December 20, 2023

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Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023 39

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

PUBLIC NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION HEARING DATE: January 11, 2024 TIME: 7:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the Agenda permits LOCATION OF HEARING: Room 201 (Council Chambers), Oak Park Village Hall, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, 60302 APPLICATION: The Historic Preservation Commission will conduct a public hearing on an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness filed by the Applicant, Janelli Barrow, to demolish the residence at 430 S. Taylor Ave., Oak Park, Illinois, P.I.N. 16-08-322-015-0000, which is located in the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development Customer Services Department, 123 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois 60302, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard at the public hearing. The public hearing may be adjourned by the Commission to another date without further notice other than a motion to be entered upon the minutes of the hearing fixing the time and place of the date. The Commission shall issue or deny the Certificate of Appropriateness within 15 days following completion of the public hearing.

Published in Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

Season’s Greetings

Wednesday Journal, December 20, 2023

OAKPARK.COM | RIVERFOREST.COM

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The GPS Team is grateful for the support of friends, family, clients and our brand ambassadors! As 2024 approaches, reach out to explore the exciting prospects in the market. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

GREER HASEMAN

708-606-8896 Greer@atproperties.com

CHRIS CURRAN

708-366-0400 ChrisCurran@atproperties.com D

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