WednesdayJournal_102225

J URNAL

Kina Collins joins long list of 7th

‘No

Kings’ protesters fill park, march for hours on Lake Street

Joyous protest hosted ‘The Raging Grannies’ and pointed signs

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Protestors filled Oak Park’s downtown again over the weekend as residents took part in a local demonstration associated with the nationwide “No Kings” protests of President Donald Trump.

Several thousand protesters had gathered in Scoville Park by 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. They heard from “The Raging Grannies,” a singing group, and from organizers who called for joy and appreciation for Oak Park police “who will keep us safe and are our friends.” Then the huge crowd began moving from the “Peace Triumphant” statue at the crown of Scoville Park and towards Lake Street, where protestors marched between Oak Park Avenue and Harlem Avenue for several hours. The protest, one of more than a dozen that took place in the metro area on the day, came after months of conflict between local leaders and the presidential administration, primarily in the context of Trump’s “Operation Midway Blitz” mass deportation ef fort focused on the re gion and his bid to station out-ofstate national guard troops in Chicago.

Brian and Angie Callahan, who live a few blocks from Scoville Park, said it was important for residents to come together at the demonstration amid the administration’s sharp rhetoric and actions in the city.

“People in Chicago are walking to the grocery store or dropping their kids of f at school and are getting accosted,” said Angie Callahan, who attended the protest

Oak Park attorney detained by CE outside elementary school

wyer Scott Sakiyama as detained twice over the last week while acting as an ICE watchdog

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

An Oak Park attorney was arrested by federal agents outside his child’s elementary school Monday morning for alle gedly impeding immigration enforcement agents.

Scott Sakiyama told Wednesday Journal he was arrested after driving behind an Immigration and Customs Enforcement van and

Don’t cry over new owners at Spilt Milk

The dough will rise all the same, but new hands now ll the knead

By RISÉ SANDERS-WEIR Eats Reporter

At the first of October Spilt Milk, 811 South Boulevard, Oak Park, quietly transitioned to a new chapter. New owners Nikos and Sandra Liargovas took the whisk from founding sisters Meg and Molly Svec. Nikos Liargovas is not new to kitchens or running a small business. He will run the day-to-day at the bakery café.

“I was born in Greece. When I finished high school, I went to culinary school,” Liargovas said. “After that, I did also pastry school. I’ve worked in restaurants. I’ve done everything from fine dining to gyro shop. I’m confident to say I’ve done pretty much every job that a restaurant has to offer. I feel pretty confident with any position. I mean, sometimes, I, a little bit, enjoy dishwashing. It feels peaceful.”

This prepped him to make the transition to ownership. He bought his first business from an elderly Taiwanese couple who were ready to retire from their boba shop. Liargovas still owns Ma Tea House in the Orland Square Mall.

A few years later, he and his wife Sandra, who live in La Grange, were ready to add a new venture. They already knew about Spilt Milk before they found out through a broker that the place was available to buy.

“We like the place; we like the product,” Liargovas said. “We knew what we were getting into, flavor-wise. And of course, meeting Molly and Meg, they seem like great people, which they are. They’re absolutely lovely people.”

Why were the Svec sisters ready to sell?

“Our kids are getting older and demanding more of our attention and it was really rooted in the needs of our family,” Meg Svec said. “I’m having another baby in the spring, and it was really getting difficult to juggle the business. It has grown and grown, which is great, and we are very grateful for that, but it reaches a certain size where you’ re like, gosh, I really wish I could give this more time, and I just can’t give it more time.”

“When I think about like what’s hardest to leave behind, it’s all the people,” Svec said. “Not only the people I work with every day, but our customers too. There’s this one guy who orders lemon squares every summer for his kids’ wedding anniversary because we catered their wedding many years ago. It’s very emotional and I feel very honored to be included in those traditions.”

Meg and Molly Svec say they are confident that Liargovas is the right person to carry forward what they started back in 2016.

For Liargovas, the first three weeks has been as smooth a transition as he could hope for.

“I’ve got to give great thanks to the team, front and back of the house. What amazing people they have in here,” Liargovas said. “They really stood by me T hey’ve been a bit patient with that transition and everything.”

He doesn’t plan on making many changes

WEDNESD AY JOURNAL

of Oak Park and River Forest

Interim Executive Director Max Reinsdorf

Senior Audience Manager Stac y Coleman

Sta Repor ter Brendan He ernan

Viewpoints Editor Ken Trainor

Real Estate Editor Lacey Sikora

Contributing Editor Donna Greene

Columnists Marc Bleso , Nicole Chavas, Jack Crowe, Vincent Gay, Mary Kay O’Grady, John Stanger, Josh VanderBerg

Shrubtown Cartoonist Marc Stopeck

Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead

Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea

Designers Susan McKelvey, Vanessa Garza

Senior Media Strategist Lourdes Nicholls

Marketing & Adver tising Associate Emma Cullnan

Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan

Circulation Manager Jill Wagner

Operations Associate Susan Babin

Social Media and Digital Coordinator Maribel Barrera

Special Projects Manager Susan Walker

Chairman Emeritus Robert K. Downs

Senior Advisor Dan Haley

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chair Eric Weinheimer | Treasurer Nile Wendor f Deb Abrahamson, Mary Cahillane, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson

The Svecs didn’t want to close their doors and disappoint their valued customers, so they put the business up for sale. It’s been bittersweet for them.

“He is so friendly, so talented,” Svec said. “Super nice guy, super enthusiastic about the community and about the product. And it’s just really been nice to work with somebody who’s so passionate.”

The Svecs aren’t leaving the area. They’ve passed all their recipes on and they look forward to being customers.

“Maybe 1% I’ll change. I’m going to put some soup out, for example,” Liargovas said. “I’m going to put some new savory hand pies. Those are some of my recipes, but the dough for the hand pie is Molly’s. I’m not changing that, just the filling. I promise, scones, cookies, anything like that, that’s exactly the same.”

His goal is consistency and making customers happy.

“I am really loving Oak Park,” Liargovas said. “The people are delightful, such friendly people!”

From OPRF to ‘ e Voice’

Lauren Anderson tests her singing chops on NBC’s hit singing show

By JACKIE PISANO Contributing Reporter

For as long as Oak Park native Lauren Anderson can remember, there’s never been a time when music was not part of her life.

“It was just in my blood — my whole family is really creative,” she said.

And now, after a long journey with multiple diversions, the 2003 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School, Anderson is moving forward, week by week, on NBC’s hit singing competition show “The Voice.” Part of Snoop Dogg’s team on the show, Anderson will next compete on Monday, Oct. 27.

She began classical piano lessons at age 8. High school and community choirs. Classical voice training. Undergrad music degree from Augustana College. A back up plan when she earned a graduate degree in Kansas in music therapy.

During her graduate school years, she trained as a therapist in schools, jails and hospice care facilities, and to help pay her tuition, she worked full-time teaching preschool and working as a caregiver for adults with intellectual disabilities.

All the while Anderson still had that nagging desire in the back of her mind of singing professionally.

“I always wanted to perform, but I had some growing to do,” she said. “Once I got into grad school, I began dabbling into playing in coffee shops and getting more serious into writing. Then, around 2012 after I ated, I started doing as many gigs as I

in Kansas City.”

For two years, she performed solo across the Kansas City area, eventually putting band together in 2014. Then came her firs music releases in 2014 and 2015 and a mo Nashville in 2017, diving 100% into becoming a full-time musician.

“I’ve been growing it since then — it’s a long push,” she said.

Dubbing herself as a “soulful rocker derson says her style and brand are focused on a curated mix of country, Americana, ‘n’ roll and soul.

“I really focus on songwriting and feel li Nashville and the country music worl really cool elements in their songwriting tha I try to pull from,” she said.

Though Anderson has enjoyed her suc cesses in Nashville and small tours throughout the U.S., she’s also had another big — catching her big break in front of na audiences.

After auditioning several times over the years for NBC’s hit singing competition, “The Voice,” Anderson’s time to shine on national TV finally came to fruition last fall when she got an email from producers asking if she’d like to come for auditions in Nashville in the spring of 2025.

Though Anderson can’t discuss much about her journey on “The Voice” as Season 28 debuted on Sept. 22, she says it’s been “a blast” making music and singing with other performers in an environment she likens to “a summer camp for adults.”

“Music is just such a unique world to live in, so it’s fun getting a chance to be in a really condensed environment where it’s just a lot of other people doing the same thing that you’re doing and going after the dream,” she

derson was selected to be a pa rt of rap music legend and “Voice” coach Snoop Dogg’s team, wowing him with her performance of Chris Stapleton’s “Midnight Train to Memphis.”

“When you started screaming, I’m like ‘Oh, this is my style right here!’ Snoop Dogg said to Anderson on her first episode. “I love your style, I love what you bring, I’m anxious to work with you — you’re the missing piece in my puzzle, Lauren. Thank you for joining my team.”

During Anderson’s most recent appearance on this past Monday’s episode titled, “Battles Night 3,” she appeared in a duet perfor mance singing Carrie Underwood’s “BeHe Cheats” alongside fellow contestant Makenzie Phipps, ultimately winning the

singing battle against her fellow competitor With audiences she considers truly crossgenerational, Anderson says what she hopes sets her apart among fans is not just her fo rmal training, but consistency in laying it all out on stage each time she perfor ms.

“You just have to be creative and find a way that works for you, and sometimes, it takes a little longer,” she said. “Longevity is the number one key. There’s a lot of hard days and moments where you’re wondering what you’re doing, but whenever you’re following your passion — and not just with music or performing — I think you just have to keep going if that’s what you want to do and push through any obstacles you come across.”

Tribune repor ts that hospital owes state millions in payments and nes

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Re ports emerged Oct. 16 that ownership of Oak Park’s troubled West Suburban Medical Center owes nearly $70 million to the state of Illinois.

The Chicago Tribune re ported that Resilience Healthcare — the for-profit management company that’s operated West Sub and the recently-closed Weiss Memorial Hospital since 2022 — owes $69 million in unpaid monthly hospital assessment payments and late penalties to the state. Department of Healthcare and Family Services spokesperson Melissa Kula re por tedly told the newspaper that Weiss owes the state $27.7 and that West Sub owes the state $41.6 million.

The newspaper also re por tedly obtained 18 letters sent from DHFS to Resilience related to the money owed.

The re port follows months of dysfunction at the safety-net hospitals which have spilled out into the public eye.

Since July, Wednesday Journal has

covered problems at West Sub including accounts of unsafe high temperatures inside the hospital building and the abrupt dismissal of the hospital’s entire Family Birthplace nursing staf f.

A recent Wednesday Journal FOIA request also revealed that the hospital had failed more than two dozen Oak Park elevator inspections since the start of 2023 and had failed an Oak Park fire safety inspection in August.

On Aug. 8, Resilience Healthcare shuttered Weiss Memorial in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood — citing financial woes. Weiss had been terminated from the federal Medicaid and Medicare systems following safety issues uncovered by state investigators at the hospital.

At a press conference tied to that announcement, Resilience Healthcare CEO Manoj Prasad broke a media silence and acknowledged that West Sub is in bad enough financial straits that leaders make spending decisions based on how much cash arrives on a given day.

Resilience is re por tedly appealing the Weiss Medicaid and Medicare decision, a process that Prasad said could take up to a year.

At that press conference, Prasad said the organization assumed $81 million in debt when it took control of the hospitals.

Our 94th Season!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2025 – 4PM

HEROIC BEETHOVEN

Jay Friedman, Conductor

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHAPEL • RIVER FOREST

BEETHOVEN Triple Concerto

Michelle Wynton, violin

William Cernota, cello

David Leehey, piano

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3, Eroica

Pre-concert Conversation with David Leehey at 3pm.

Free reception after the concert.

Single tickets

Subscriptions

Free parking in the garage located at 1124 N. Bonnie Brae Place (one block west of Harlem Avenue between Division and Thomas Streets) in River Forest. Chapel just west of garage exit.

Five-concert subscriptions are $125 through 10/25, after that $150. Individual tickets $30 through 10/25, $35 on concert day.

All tickets will be at Will Call.

Students through college always FREE to our River Forest concerts! Go to SymphonyOPRF.org to order tickets, subscriptions and to DONATE. Questions: Email TheSymphonyOPRF@gmail or call (708) 218-2648

Tool Sale

2413 S. 3rd Ave,North Riverside Friday 10/24 • Saturday 10/25 • 8am – 3pm

We will have tools from an electrician and an IT specialist: hand tools, fiberglass ladders, shovels, networking patch cables, AV cables, keyboards, mice, network switches, and much more.

Lincoln Living History Fair ties students to the past

River Forest second-graders bring in family ar

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

History is a lot more than just names and dates and events that happened a long, long time ago.

History is about memories, and also artifacts, which provide a tangible connection to the past.

That’s what second graders at Lincoln Elementary School in River Forest learned this month through the Living History Project, an event in its eighth year at the River Forest District 90 school.

The youngsters were encouraged to find a historical ar tifact important to their family, perhaps something that has been passed down through generations.

But more significantly, they were also invited to ask family members about it … what the ar tifact is, and what it means to their family.

The event culminated in Friday’s Living

History Fair, when family members visited to hear the students present about their proj ects, created with poster board.

“We love seeing the students proud and excited to share about their family histor second-grade teachers Tristan Rogers, Jil Kruger and Jennifer Jenkins said in a join statement. “Sometimes the Living Histor Fair helps kids grow a deeper appreciation for each other.”

Second-grader Vincent created a poster with photos of his great-grandfather, seph Durmin, and the planes he flew for United States Navy. But it’s the story behind it that is intriguing

“I was surprised to learn that my gr grandfather taught Ted Williams to fl Vincent said, refer ring to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder for the Boston Red Sox.

Another second grader, Juliette, brought a photo of an American flag from her ow great-grandfather, Bob Hudson, who ser

School in River Forest

in World War II. It hangs inside a glass frame in her brother’s room.

Once again, the story adds context to the ar tifact.

“My great grandfather gave the flag to my dad and he passed it do wn to my brother,” she said. “It has been in our family for almost 80 years. My grandfather raised this flag at a German prison camp in World War II when the Germans surrendered in 1945. The flag is important to our family because it reminds us of everything he did to help the Allies win the war.”

Did she lear n anything interesting about her family? Absolutely.

“I was surprised to learn my great grandfather loved math, just like me,” Juliette said.

Mirayah brought a photo of her mother’s Itar Daan, a box used to hold and dispense itar, which is a natural essential oil-based perfume made from different types of flowers like rose, jasmine and sandalwood. Itar has been used for centuries in India. The act of offering itar from an Itar Daan is a traditional gesture of hospitality.

That wasn’t all. One student brought

in a cast iron pan that his great-grandmother used. Another brought a recipe for mandel bread passed down by his grandparents. Still another brought a photo of his great-great-grandfather’s citizenship documents, which are more than 100 years old. He sailed from Poland to Germany to Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1914.

“The fair helps students develop curiosity for history,” the teachers said. “It also helps students build their confidence with public speaking and presentation skills that will be invaluable for them in their academic futures.”

An interested observer of the Living History Fair was Lincoln School principal Casey Godfrey.

“The thing that struck me the most is how many of these ar tifacts are generationally passed down, and the kids listed themselves as the next inheritor,” Godfrey said. “Those are the powerful ones, to me.

“One of the amazing benefits of this particular project (is) it requires families to literally sit down and discuss history; when it comes to family history and their origins and who they are as individuals.”

At least one landscaper detained by feds in River Forest

Multiple sightings of federal agents repor ted Monday in village

By DAN HALEY Interim Editor

Federal immigration agents were in River Forest Monday and targeted landscapers and contractors. At least one landscaping person was detained by federal agents said a source in a conversation with Wednesday Journal.

T here was a flurry of social media posts throughout the day and in an email to the Journal, which was later posted to the village’s social media, and River Forest police confirmed re ports of federal action in the village.

“This morning, the Village of River Forest was made aware of the presence of federal immigration agents conducting enforcement actions within the community. Re ports indicate that the activity targeted landscapers and contractors in

Detained by agen

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honking his horn and blowing a wh effort to identify the unmarked car as an im migration enforcement vehicle. S a civil litigation attorney, had also been ar rested by Broadview police the w while he said he was taking photos of hicles leaving the Broadview ICE detention facility.

Sakiyama has been monitoring ICE activity and advocating for an end to the agency’s mass deportation ef for ts in Chicagoland over recent weeks, including by serving as a media spokesperson for the family of Paul Ivery after the intellectually disabled Oak Park man was ar rested at a Broadview protest and his since-dismissed federal assault case drew significant press attention. He is now charged with impeding federal agents, Sakiyama said.

the 500 and 600 blocks of Franklin Avenue,” sai the email.

Other social media posters re ported ICE activity on the 300 block of Franklin and on Keystone.

The police department made plain that it receiv no communication or requests for coordination from the federal agencies. In its statement, the department said it did not have confirmation of the number of individuals detained or any charges which might have been filed.

The source who spoke to the Journal, and asked that their name not be used, said the person who was detained was a long-time contractor who worked frequently in River Forest.

T he police department urged residents to port sightings of federal enforcement activity to the de par tment and said, “officers will respond to observe and confirm activity.”

Scott Sakiyama addresses media members a er Paul Iver y’s federal assault case was dismissed Oct. 10. Sakiyama was arrested Oct. 20 for allegedly impeding ICE agents.

ove, where Sakiyama’s youngest is a student, and approached Sakiyaho said he couldn’t reverse away from again because another car was now ving behind him.

Sakiyama was removed from his car, placed in handcuffs and put in the back of the ICE agents’ van. A south Oak Park resitook a video of the ar rest and posted it to Facebook.

In the video, the agents are recorded telling Sakiyama to exit his vehicle before they break his windows to get him out. Sakiyama said that agents pointed their firems at him during the ar rest.

Sakiyama said agents took him to the Broadview detention facility, but that he wasn’t brought inside the building. After about 30 minutes, the agents brought him back to his car near Lincoln Elementary.

He was in custody for about an hour in total, he said.

“Once they put the guns away, I wasn’t abused,” he said.

After the incident, school administrators placed Lincoln Elementary on its “secure” safety protocol, where the building’s exterior doors are locked and students and staf f are ke pt inside the building, according to District 97 spokesperson Amanda Seigfried. The district also sent a message to Lincoln parents.

“Students and staf f are safe, and learning is continuing as normal,” the message said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we will stay on Secure status through dismissal, and district administrators will remain on site this afternoon to provide extra support.”

On Tuesday, Oct. 14 Sakiyama had been arrested by Broadview police for alle gedly violating the protest curfew executive order set by village leaders the week before He was given a Village Ordinance Violation Citation for disorderly conduct and a notice to appear for a village hearing on Nov. 24, according to a Broadview spokesperson.

“The federal gover nment is abusing its power, we’ve seen them disappearing people that they don’t think should be here,” he said. “Now they’re trying to criminalize honking your hor n and blowing a whistle.”

Sakiyama disputes some facts included in his citation.

Sakiyama said he’d followed the van from ICE’s detention facility in Broadview to

I-290 and into Oak Park on Monday morning. He said he continued following the van down Austin Boulevard, Garfield Street and Harvard Street near Barrie Park when the agents first exited their van and approached him.

He said that he reversed away until the agents got back into the van before he continued following them. The agents stopped again near Lincoln Elementary, Harvard

By the time he was brought back, a crowd had gathered on the sidewalk outside of the school, he said. His wife was there along with a few of his friends, but most of those gathered were “concerned” school parents and South Oak Park neighbors, Sakiyama said.

“It was another example of the community turning out to protect each other,” he said. “I talked with a lot of folks about how they can get more involved.”

Sakiyama said he was not protesting, but that he was acting as a “documentarian” taking photos of vehicles leaving the detention facility.

He said he was processed and released quickly after his arrest in Broadview. Sakiyama said both arrests were violations of his freedom of speech.

“Governor Pritzker told us to get out and document what we’re seeing, that’s exactly what I was doing,” he said.

NO KINGS PROTEST IN OA K PARK

‘Loud. Vibrant. Diverse’: e voice of protest roars at No Kings rally

‘No Kings a tonic and wakeup call,’ says a Raging

By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter

“I am woman, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore,” Helen Reddy famously sang back in 1972.

Saturday morning, on a sunny and pleasantly cool early autumn morning in the heart of Oak Park, 53 years after Reddy’s lyrics expressed more sentiment and hope than reality, genuinely assertive, full throated and full blooded femininity was on display in Scoville Park, along with lots of men, in numbers too big to ignore.

Masculinity didn’t so much take a backseat, as step aside as women took the wheel as some 4,000 people gathered at the latest No King’s rally to stand in protest against the policies and tactics of the Trump administration.

It wasn’t just Oak Park residents. Women came from River Forest, Forest Park, Elmwood Park, Chicago and elsewhere to be part of a protest that was both peaceful and forceful, civil but demanding.

“No Faux-king Way” read the poster held up by one woman.

“Look around … We’ve only just begun!!!” read the sign held up by another, smiling woman, who was clearly not referring to The Carpenters hit song.

“I love America,” read another woman’s poster. “I hate what’s happening to it.”

More than a few women said their concerns were not just for themselves, but for the generations after them.

Sisters Francesca and Christina Pignataro made their way to the rally up a side street after finding a parking spot several blocks from Scoville Park Francesca, who called herself a “restaurateur’ (yes, she’s that Francesca) said they were thinking of future generations. “We’ re seniors. We’re fighting for our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews.”

Grannie

It wasn’t their first rodeo, Christina said. Fighting to gain and maintain rights is in her DNA, she said, having taught for 30 years at Triton Colle ge.

“I’m a union member,” she said. “We started back in the first Trump administration, with the women’s marches. We’ve marched up in Door County.”

“We’ve protested since the Reagan administration,” she said adding that happened after a man dear to them died of AIDS.

The event officially began with Mary Nelson, of Forest Park, conducting “Raging Grannies & Friends.” a small local singing group composed of “women of a certain age.” They sang softly but clearly, calling out MAGA and ICE and calling the Trump administration to account.

They finished with “Now You’ve Pissed Of f Grandma.”

Sandra Mazziffi, of Elmwood Park, was present with her young daughters. She wore a T-shirt that proclaimed, “Fight for those without your privilege,” and holding a poster that read, “Kings fall, People rise.”

“I’m here so my girls can see what a peaceful protest can be, and (that they have) a right to be,” she said.

Two Hispanic women stood of f to the side of the “Peace Triumphant” monument in Scoville Park, holding posters at their sides. One woman, looking pensive, held a sign that read “Undocumented Hands Feed You!!” Her colleague, who wore a T-shirt that proclaimed, “We are All Dreamers,” held a sign that read in part, “No ketchup on our hot dogs. No ICE on our streets.”

Men, including numerous military veterans, weighed in. “Proud to be a veteran. Ashamed of our Congress,” read the handwritten sign of a bearded older man. “Democracy dies in silence,” another man’s sign read.

Some were unapologetically blunt. “Not

a paid protester. I hate Trump for free,” read another man’s sign.

As she prepared to join the several thousand people leaving Scoville Park for the four-block march to Harlem Avenue, Nelson, the choir master, stopped to speak with a re porter and sum up the day as she saw it. It was, she said, “Loud, vibrant, diverse.”

Nelson said the way the event had unfolded was as welcome as the mid-autumn warmth and sunshine after the threat of rain. “We were going to sing one way or another,” she said.”

Nelson admitted to having wallowed a bit in despair and hopelessness in the months after Trump’s election.

“I was in a fetal position for a month or so,” she said. The first No Kings events in June were a tonic and a wakeup call.

“We’ re so tired of how non-inclusive the United States has become,” she said.

Nelson said it’s taken a while, but the realization of just how far Trump intends to go in dismantling democracy has sunk in. And like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, millions of people have picked themselves up of f the floor and stood to face the task at hand.

“I think everyday Americans have gotten the message loud and clear of the hor rors

Trump is up to,” Nelson said.” And we’re speaking loud and clear (that) this is not what Americans want.”

Nelson said she and her wife, Anne and another friend decided to establish their own local version of the Raging Grannies International, a group that is “out in the streets promoting peace, justice, social and economic equality through song and humor.”

She admitted to a renewed appreciation for democracy, despite its flaws. “We’ve complained about democracy for years,” she said, “but it sure beats a fascist dictatorship.”

Nelson acknowledged that public, outdoor protests may be fewer with the approach of winter, but said she looks forward to the spring, and has no plans to stand down or go silent in the face of the ongoing abuses to American democracy and Constitutional order.

It was quite clear that no one in Scoville Park on Saturday wanted to find themselves singing the lyrics of another popular 1970s song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell’s mournful look back in re gret at unchallenged social and political change.

“Don’t it always seem to go,” Mitchell sang, “that you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”

NO KINGS PROTEST IN OA K PARK

NO KINGS Signs for this time

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wearing a variety of patriotic accessories.

“It’s terrible.”

“I feel that we’re slipping into an authoritarian olig archy right in front of us,” Brian Callahan said. “We’ve got to be able to stand up and show what Chicago and Oak Park are really like.”

The operations of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents throughout Chicagoland were top of mind for many other Oak Park protestors, particularly the scenes at ICE’s detention facility in nearby Broadview where critics of the administration alle ge that both protesters and detainees’ civil rights have been violated.

One protester who teaches at a school near the facility said the federal presence in the West Cook suburbs has created a disruptive environment for their students

“I feel like I have to do something because I don’t want my students to continue being affected like this,” said the protester, who asked to remain anonymous. “The other day a helicopter was flying so low over the

school that if I knew the pilot, I would’ve been able to identify him. That was a really scary moment for me.”

Several Oak Parkers have been arrested at protests at the facility in recent weeks, including Paul Ivery, a 26-year-old Oak Park and River Forest High School cafeteria worker with an intellectual disability who was held in federal custody for four nights and charged with felony assault in connection with an alle ged confrontation with Border Patrol agents.

The federal government dropped charges against Ivery on Oct. 10 after prosecutors reviewed records related to his disability.

ICE activity has also been re ported on several occasions in Oak Park and River Forest since September, including when federal agents arrested and deported a pair of longtime River Forest residents to Slovakia. Last month, the village of Oak Park took steps to limit all access to its village hall parking lot after ICE agents had accessed the site.

The federal government says it has deported more than 1,000 people in Chicagoland since its operation began.

Protestors Saturday held satirical signs, pushed young and old family members in wheelchairs or strollers and in many cases wore silly costumes

Megan Spillman, who was dressed

as Gary the Snail from SpongeBob SquarePants, protested with Melissa Gerald, who was dressed as Velma from Scooby Doo. The Oak Parkers said that in a time where many in the community are living in fear of a potential deportation, economic hardship or loss of civil liberties, lean-

ing into joy is a powerful thing.

“This is the least we can do, to show up to things like this,” Gerald said. “And to do it in costume.’

“We want to show we’re not afraid,” Spillman said. “We’ re not afraid to have joy.”

Oak Park to change enforcement of gas leaf blower ban due to ICE activity

The village plans to issue tickets only to proper ty owners, not contractors, amid fears over immigration enforcement

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park leaders considered scrapping an ordinance that trustees said now sits at a bone of contention between two of the village’s progressive values — prioritizing environmental sustainability and being welcoming to immigrants

Oak Park village trustees questioned the appropriateness of the village’s on g as powered leaf blowers in response to the widespread fear that’s taken hold of the local Hispanic community as result of intense federal immigration enforcement seen throughout Chicagoland in recent months. T he federal gover nment says it ar rested more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants in its so-called Operatio Midway Blitz, which has also led to otic scenes across the re gion and alle tions that federal agents are ille violating residents’ rights and raciall profiling Latino people.

T he village board in a meeting Oct. 14 considered suspending the g as-powered leaf blower ban, which only went into full effect over the summer, before settling on a change in enforcement strateg y.

until you’ve been racially profiled and it’s someone walking up to you and telling you ‘this isn’ t how we do things here’,”

service feels icky, too. So there needs to be a consequence for the person that’s paying them to be here.”

during the summers of 2023 and 2024 but only issued two tickets during that time T he village had issued more than 50 such citations since Oak Park’s g as leaf blower ban went into full effect on June 1, Neighborhood Services Director Jonathan Burch told Oak Park’s village trustees at the board meeting

Oak Pa rk’s neighborhood services staf f had a two year long public info rmation campaign that involved holding landscaper listening sessions, publishing online communication and flyers in English and Spanish. Neighborhood services staf f had also been tasked with distributing info rmation about the ban to any landscaper s they see working in the community

Trustee Brian Straw said the issue put the village in a difficult spot as it worked to balance two different progressive values.

“This is one of those difficult places of conflicting priorities,” he said.

T he village will now only issue tickets to the owners of properties where g aspowered leaf blowers are used, rather than also issuing citations to landscaper s. Village staffers will also no longer take photos of landscapers using leaf bl owers, said Village President Vicki Scaman.

“You’ re still communicating fairly fir mly to the homeowner,” she said of the new strateg y.

Scaman said she expects that the f all is going to be a “rough season” for landscapers because of ICE’s operations in Chicagoland, whether Oak Park has a g as-powered leaf bl ower ban on the books or not.

Trustee Cory Wesley withdrew his motion to suspend the ban after trustees reached the compromise. He said the village needed to reconsider what it was doing as the local Latino landscaping workforce is targeted by federal immigration enforcement.

“I g et that this all sounds very innocent,

Wesley said. “When you’ re in a situation where people are actively being racially profiled, as is the situation we find ourselves in now, any kind of official capacity that meets you causes that level of anxiety.”

“It’s not so much about the actions we take as it is about the fear that this other organization has spent a huge amount of resources and a large amount of people to gin up.”

Wesley had brought up the potential for the ordinance to unfai rly burden landscapers when the board discussed the ban at a meeting in May.

“I don’ t think we should ever issue one ticket without the other,” Wesley said in May. “I think the only way to keep this contained and reasonable is if there’s some kind of interpersonal accountability among neighbors.”

“Most of the landscaper contractors in our village are going to be Hispanic, and calling authorities on people here to do a

Trustees had originally approved the ordinance in 2023 in support of the village ’s Climate Ready Oak Park Plan, which aims to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 in a bid for carbon neutrality by 2050. Using a g as-powered leaf blower for 1 hour of work emits as many pollutants as 15 cars driving for one hour, according to research published by Environment America’s Research and Policy Center

T he village had banned use of the tools

Trustee Jenna Leving-Jacobson said that the village board should consider adopting an ICE-free zone ordinance similar to ones recently adopted by Chicago and Evanston. Oak Park already has a sanctuary ordinance that bars any village employee from aiding civil immigration enforcement investigations, but an ICEfree zone ordinance would also seek to bar federal agents from being on villageowned proper ty, she said.

“I think we need to do a whole lot more,” she said. “The violence is escalating.”

“I want to make sure we’re thinking wholistically about how we’re protecting each other and the people who visit our community.”

RF public works aims for net zero with solar panels

By ROBERT J. LIFKA Contributing Reporter

River Forest officials continued their commitment to the environment, recently approving a contract for installation of solar panels on the public works garage located at 45 Forest Ave.

At its Oct. 13 meeting, the village board unanimously and without debate approved he contract with Windfree Wind and Solar Energy Design Co. of Chicago,

Although the total cost of the project is $159,668, after credits and rebates it is expected that it will only cost the village $16,695.

“Staff have determined that Windfree Solar was the lowest responsive bid and has the necessary experience and background for the proposed project,” Jack Bielak, director of public works and engineering, and Seth Jansen, management analyst, said in a memo to Matt Walsh, village administrator. “Windfree Solar has completed projects of similar scope at other public facilities in the Chicago region.”

Bielak said he expects the project to start this month with site surveying and engineering with completion targeted for March or

April 2026 depending on weather and Windfree’s ability to source materials

In the memo, Bielak and Jansen explained that staff members had originally explored a ground-mounted solar installation at the pumping station, 7525 Berkshire Ave., but determined the anticipated annual electricity generated from the installation would only cover a fraction of one month’s energy consumption there. They cited the high energy consumption of the pumping station and limited available space for the installation as factors.

They said staff members then explored the possibility of rooftop solar at the public works garage.

“Because of the comparatively low energy consumption levels at the garage, a rooftop system could result in the facility being net zero, meaning the rooftop solar installation would generate as much energy annually as is consumed by the facility,” they said. “Because the electricity at the public works garage is paid through the village’s franchise agreement with Commonwealth Edison, the monetary savings would be realized through a reduction in the franchise fee appearing on residents’ electric bills.”

The selection process began with four firms that submitted proposals for the project. Staff members narrowed that list down to two firms that they felt were “well qualified with competitive bids and strong understanding of the project.”

Because the two bids proposed different system sizes for the rooftop solar installation, they were asked to explain their methodology. Staff shared the most recent usage statements for both meters at the garage and solicited revised proposals to best fit the current usage of the garage

Staff members then determined that Windfree Solar was the lowest responsive bid and had the necessary experience and background for the proposed project.

The solar panel installation joins a long list of environmentally friendly projects the village has completed

Emissions reduction and energy efficiency projects include LED street lighting replacement in 2011; installation of an electric vehicle (EV) charger at Village Hall in 2022; and LED lighting replacement at Village Hall in 2024. A project to install 13 additional EV chargers in village-owned lots is underway.

Green infrastructure and stormwater management projects include installing green alley permeable pavers from 2015 to 2022; permeable pavers in the Metra parking lot in 2016; and bioswales along Chicago Avenue in 2018. A project to install permeable pavers in the Village Hall parking lot is planned for 2026 or 2027.

The village’s efforts have been recognized with certification as an EV Ready Gold Community by the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. River Forest also has been certified as a SolSmart Silver Community, EPA Green Power Community, Tree City USA annually since 1998 and an ArbNet Level 1 Arboretum.

“Sustainability is at the heart of how the village operates,” said Cathy Adduci, village president, citing the village’s comprehensive plan, which states, “Sustainability informs every component of a municipality.”

Credits and rebates include $14,580, Smart Inverter Rebate; $64,526, Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs); federal tax credit, $47,900; and $15,966, federal tax credit adder – energy community. SRECs are which a market-based instrument representing the environmental attributes of 1,000 kilowatt-hours.

Lifting Up Small Businesses and Disinvested Communities

Growing Community Media is hosting a conversation between Mary Fran Riley and Bob Tucker Thursday, November 6th • 6:30 pm • Oak Park Public Library

Small businesses are the heart of every community, but some have a harder time getting started and staying strong. Join us for an evening of insight and inspiration as Bob Tucker and Mary Fran Riley share what it takes to support local business in historically disinvested neighborhoods. Moderated by Growing Community Media’s Max Reinsdorf, this free event takes place November 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Oak Park Public Library

Safe Steps for Fall Day YOUR BEST LIFE withLisaCapone

Autumn brings crisp air and colorful leaves — but also new safety risks. A few simple steps can help keep you and your loved ones safe at home:

Clear outdoor paths: Sweep or rake wet leaves from steps, driveways, and walkways to prevent slipping.

Improve lighting: Replace dim bulbs, add motion-sensor lights outside, and keep indoor hallways and entryways well lit.

Secure floors inside: Remove clutter, tuck away cords, and use non-slip pads under rugs.

Wear safe footwear: Choose shoes with firm, non-skid soles instead of socks or loose slippers.

Use support when needed: Keep railings sturdy and add grab bars in high-risk areas like bathrooms.

Taking these precautions helps reduce fall risks and keeps your home safe and welcoming all season long.

Visit Cantata.org for more senior living advice or call (708) 387-1030

Meeting with late Jane Goodall in September has big e ect on Beye students

School Green Team nets $500 for new dishwasher with documentar y lm

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

Amazing how something as banal as a broken-down school dishwasher can lead to a meeting with a global legend

The Beye Elementary School Green Team was concerned about the amount of singleuse plastic utensils and trays entering the waste stream from its lunch room, so it decided to make a documentary film to demonstrate the scope of the problem. The key message was how important it was for the district to purchase a new dishwasher to replace the one that had broken down two years previous.

The documentary, titled “The Dishwasher Quest,” ended up winning a $500 Environmental Activism Award in the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest, which is sponsored by the Jane Goodall Institute. But that was just the beginning.

Dr. Goodall, world-famous conservationist and humanitarian perhaps best known for her work with chimpanzees, passed away Oct. 1, just weeks after she met with members of the Green Team at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Goodall had a profound impact on Beye School fourth-grader Aiden Merkey. What was she like during their Sept. 13 meeting?

“Very gentle, kind, generous and loving,” Merkey said. “It was very cool, seeing a really famous person in real life instead of doing a call. I talked to her and it was awesome because she’s been doing so many great things for a long time.”

His classmate and fellow Green Team member, Henry Pietrus, was in full agreement.

“At the assembly, she was making funny jokes … ‘Whoo-hoo-hoo,’” Pietrus recalled “It was just that she seemed so alive and she was just so friendly. [She emphasized] how precious the world is, and the animals, they are amazing.”

The meeting not only impacted the kids, but also their parents

Aiden’s mom, Leigh Markey, said her son has been part of the Green Team for the

past few years and is passionate about the environment, even correcting his parents at home about what they should be recycling.

As for Goodall, Leigh Markey agreed that she was warm, kind and inspiring.

“She told her story of how growing up she wanted to go live in the jungle and work with animals,” she said, “how she just followed her dreams and persisted and followed her passion and was able to do incredible things. Literally up until the day she died, she was doing what she loved.”

Mike Pietrus, Henry’s dad, said it was clear the entire experience had a profound impact on his son and his classmates – both the film and meeting Goodall.

“It seemed to show the kids that their actions can make a difference,” he said. “They all seemed genuinely proud and excited that their actions made a positive difference in the world, and I think being recognized for that really inspired them to continue researching and advocating for things they care about to make the world a better place.”

As for the documentary, the Green Team was very scientific in its approach to the problem. They began by counting the number of plastic sporks used during a single lunch period, which turned out to be 144. Doing the math, that meant their school was sending 26,000 sporks per school year into the waste stream.

Now add the district’s nine other schools, and that number jumps to around 390,000. The Green Team leveraged the data to lobby the district to purchase a new dishwasher, which it did.

Sue Crothers, founding director of the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest, was duly proud of the youngsters and what they accomplished.

“‘The Dishwasher Quest’ is a story about their activism,” Crothers said, adding the film was shown Sept. 21 at the Davis Theater in Chicago to rave reviews. “It is so uplifting. We had a sold-out event and it was one of the crowd favorites.”

Best of all, perhaps, is the fact that Goodall herself viewed the film.

“While she was traveling, I sent the link and I got a response that she thoroughly enjoyed it,” Crothers said.

Aiden Merkey said that half of the prize money went toward the new dishwasher

“It was so important to get the dishwasher fixed,” he said. “What we use now is reusable trays and forks and spoons instead of one-use plastic and trays.”

Added Henry Pietrus: “We worked pretty hard on the video. Some of my classmates, they did interviews, and I was the narrator It was cool, and my mom was the director so she recorded me doing it

“It just felt good.”

THE RACE FOR THE 7TH DISTRIC T

7th Congressional primary fundraising begins sorting out contenders from pretenders

Latest nancial disclosur lings for March 2026 Democratic primar

By BILL DWYER Contributing Reporter

Money may not buy happiness, essential if not determinative political campaigns, along with factors like name recognition, endorsements and an or ganized volunteer base.

The latest candidate filings with the al Elections Commission (FEC) gi of the strength of individual c the 7th Congressional field, which on Oct. 14 increased to 18, then back to 17 on the same day. The primary will take place 2026

■ The newest to enter the race, Kina lins, showed no cash raised or spent on the FEC website. She enters the good name recognition due to her having against retiring incumbent Rep. three times previously. The question will be whether she can raise the level of fundin needed to get her message out across a paign arena that runs the near north side of Chicago to Chicago Lawn on the south, and from Chicago’s lakefront west to the DuPag County border, and do it against far better funded opponents

Boykin, the first candidate to go up with a TV ad, has also spent $11,268 with Midway Broadcasting, which owns radio stations WVON and WRLL.

■ And Anabel Mendoza raised $24,475, including a $13,450 loan to her campaign, and had $6,413 as of Sept. 30.

None of the remaining announced primary candidates has managed to raise $10,000, and FEC records show five have raised zero dollars so far.

and Sept. 30, Boykin loaned or contributed a total of $40,500 to his campaign. He’s ed eight contributions of $2,500 of mer

■ Real estate professional Jason Friedman expanded his cash advantage over the rest of the field, finishing the 3rd quarter with $1,086,551 in the bank after raising approximately $595,000. His cash on hand is currently more than the rest of the primary field combined

The Real Deal, an online real estate news publication, reported that more than 200 of Friedman’s donations “have been tied to real estate professionals.” Other notable donors include Craig Duchossois, Mario Tricoci and restaurateur Rich Melman and his wife Martha.

Friedman has staffed up his campaign and spent more than $90,000 on consultants, research and polling so far, the filing shows

■ Thomas Fisher, a medical doctor in Chi-

stood next to the retiring Davis when he announced July 30, raised $256,631, helped by his personal loan of $100,000. He had $233,174 as of Sept. 30.

■ Melissa Conyears-Ervin raised a reported $225,375 in the 3rd quarter. She had $223,775 on hand Sept. 30. Also as of Sept. 30, Conyears-Ervin had $209,009 in her City Treasurer campaign fund, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

■ Anthony Driver, Executive Director of the SEIU Illinois State Council, re ported $102,600 raised in the 3rd quarter, with $75,164 on hand Sept. 30.

■ Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins reported raising $101,631 Oct. 16, and had $55,655 on hand Sept. 30. He has a fund raiser scheduled in Oak Park this week.

■ Former Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin raised $129,285, and had

Oak Park Village president Anan Abu-Taleb, $500 from Oak Park trustee James Taglia, and $3,500 from long-time supporter Willie Wilson.

In the wake of Collins entering the primary race for a fourth shot at the seat, veteran and comedian John McCombs withdrew from the race on October 15, threw his support behind Collins. McCombs, who had $997.67 on hand, called the a “John McCombs Campaign Consolidation.”

The second phase of what may well prove to be a further winnowing of the near-record primary field will come Oct. 27, when candidates begin filing petition signatures required to be placed on the March 17 ballot. Candidates must file a minimum number of signatures equal to 0.5% of primary voters in the district belonging to the candidate’s party, and a maximum of three times that number

The filing deadline is Nov. 3, after which opponents and other interested parties can legally challenge those filings with the ISBE. Any objections to a candidate’s nomination papers must be filed no later than five business days after the Nov. 3 filing deadline.

Kina Collins enters race for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District

Progressive voice from Austin wants to build a working-class economy

By HECTOR CERVANTES Contributing Reporter

Kina Collins, a longtime community org anizer and progressive voice from Austin, has announced her candidacy for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District.

Collins has previously challenged Re p. Danny Davis, the retiring incumbent, in two primary races and is now entering the contest for an open seat. The primary will take place March 17, 2026.

She emphasizes grassroots organizing, building a working-class economy and championing issues like voting rights, healthcare and housing. Her campaign, she said, is committed to rejecting corporate PAC money and advocating for policies that reflect the district’s diverse communities.

“I’m back in the race on a mandate from the people who supported my campaign in previous election cycles. But the impetus for my run this time is not just that we need new leadership. We need someone who will not only challenge the chaos from the Republican Party in Washington D.C., but also push the party to support an economy built from the ground up, reject big money

in politics and truly ser champion of the people,” Collins said.

Her political coalition began the ef fort to win the congressional seat near ago, noticing a slo organizing and tivity in the district.

“Over these past few primaries, I’ve wo with the hope of winning the seat in Illinois’ 7th District, but also with the goal of organizing politically, building a base and raising name recognition for the moment when Re p. Davis would step down,” Collins said.

She grew concerned that the Democratic Party was not listening to working-class residents in neighborhoods like her own in Austin and feared that Trump-era Re publicans could re gain power if the party failed to respond.

Inflation and the high cost of living are other issues that Collins is addressing, as she advocates for building an economy from the ground up that includes af fordable healthcare for all.

Investment in a green economy to create

good-paying, union jobs with livfor communities like ich have been affected environmental injustices and impacted by flooding is another core message she wants voters to associate with her cam-

““We are a campaign that wants to stress the importance an economy from the That means people in our district, especially in communities like Austin, should have access to healthcare, housing and a livable wage. They should be able to manage the cost of living without being pushed out of their community because they can’t af ford it,” Collins said.

She said: “We fight for housing as a human right. We also oppose endless wars across the globe, including in the Middle East and Europe and believe that money should be invested back into the people of Illinois’ 7th Congressional District to improve their quality of life, rather than serving as a blank check to continue these conflicts.”

Collins is also taking a firm stance on the

Wright Trust’s Celeste Adams announces retiremen

CEO and president will step down July 1, 2026

By LACEY SIKORA Real Estate Reporter

On Oct. 20, Celeste Adams, CEO and president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, shared her plans to retire with staff and volunteers of the trust. Adams, who joined the organization in 2010, said her retirement will be effective July 1, 2026.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust board will conduct a national search for her successor Adams notes that the role has many dimensions and requires a range of skills. By making her announcement now, the board will have time to find the right person for the role. Now 78-years-old, Adams has played a large role in the life of the trust, which was founded in 1974 as the Frank Lloyd Wright Home

and Studio Foundation.

During her tenure, she established the trust’s offices at The Rookery Building in downtown Chicago and began hosting events and public tours in the building’s light court, which was designed by Wright. She initiated the organization’s annual appeal and donor recognition program, united the trust and Unity Temple tour programs, and completed the interior restoration of Robie House in Chicago, for which she raised $3.5 million.

Recently, Adams has shepherded in changes on the campus of the Wright’s Oak Park Home and Studio, including opening a new educational resource center with an accessible trust archive and reading room. She has continued to work to raise funds to complete

the planned studio pavilion gramming and public eng

At press time, she has secured half necessary funding for that next step and sa it feels like a good time challenging years during Covid, Adams says the organization is now debt-free and in good financial standing. A rebound in tourism has been seen at the trust’s sites, she said.

abolition of ICE, saying that U. S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security should not receive any federal funding until humane practices are implemented and a true pathway to citizenship, including a clean Dream Act, is established

Collins also wants voters to associate her campaign with protecting voting rights, ensuring everyone can participate in democracy, and championing democratic values.

“I think people are concerned and it’s a valid concern that our voting rights could be stripped from us. We want to let people know that I will be a champion for our democracy and for protecting our fundamental right to vote,” Collins said.

Voters are urged by Collins to be leery of attacks against candidates, especially in the open primary for Illinois’ 7th District. She emphasizes that candidates should focus on strengthening the party rather than targeting one another.

“The issues we’re fighting are not just internal; there are also significant external issues that we should be addressing together. We want to run a clean campaign, and we hope everyone else does the same,” Collins said.

When she began her position, Adams was a transplant from Michigan, and she says that one of the most rewarding parts of the job has been getting to know the various sites and communities around Chicagoland that are centered on Wright.

Another joy was sharing the talents and skills of the people who worked for and volunteered for the trust over the years.

Adams says that throughout her 15 plus years at the trust, there has been a marked shift in tourism and architectural history that she expects will continue to evolve.

“History always has a role to play in the present,” she said. “Even as history evolves, telling the story of architectural history will always have a place.”

Economy Shop robbed of $9,000 in jewelry donations

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

Oak Park police are investigating an incident in which more than $9,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from The Economy Shop nonprofit in the village Police responded last week to a re port that someone had gained entry to the shop in the 100 block of South Grove Street and made of f with a box filled with jewelry donations, according to police.

The total value of the stolen jewelry is estimated at $9,009, according to police.

Minor with rearm

Oak Park police arrested a minor last week who was found to be in possession of a defaced firearm, according to police.

Police arrested a “female juvenile from

Chicago” the evening of Oct. 19 in the 700 block of South Boulevard. Police were arresting her for being in possession of stolen property when they found the firearm, according to police.

The minor has been charged with aggravated possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, according to police.

These items were obtained from Oak Park’s Police Department re ports dated Oct. 14–21 and re present a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases ha ve not yet been adjudicated. We re port 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 a description of the suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Homes

Keeping it historic is the goal of this Oak Park renovation

Local Realtor Laura Maychruk looks to preser ve histor y and document it

By LACEY SIKORA Real Estate Reporter

When Laura Maychruk and husband Andrew moved from River Forest to Oak Park this summer, there was no question they were going to tackle their home renovations in a historically-sensitive manner. The duo had won Historic Preservations Awards for their work restoring their River Forest Victorian home at 210 Gale Ave.

There was no work left to do on that house and with the last of their four kids leaving the nest, Maychruk was ready for another project. In her work as a Realtor, she showed the home at 926 Columbian Ave. to several clients, and none were interested in tackling the renovation project.

Unlike her clients, Maychruk was excited about the treasure trove of original tile and kitchen cabinets. When none of her clients bit, she and her husband put together an offer and ended up the winning bidders. She said of her new home, “Part of the charm of the house and part of the agony of the house is that nothing’s really been changed.”

Through her research at the Oak Park River Forest Historical Society, Maychruk determined that the first owners of the 1927-era house made a few alterations, including lowering the kitchen cabinets, adding Formica counter tops, putting linoleum flooring in the kitchen and installing an elevator. T he second owners might have added one more layer of tile to the kitchen floor and swapped out one toilet.

Maychruk’s goal is to erase those changes and bring the aesthetic of the house back to 1927, and she’s documenting it all in a series of You Tube videos that she hopes will help other historic home owners.

“When I’m selling houses and working

with buyers, I try my best to educate them on what’s important and what’s not,” she said. “The level of quality in these old homes is far superior to what you can build today. You’ll see the same stuf f in my videos that I say to my clients all the time.”

Some of her earlier videos cover the purchase of her house and her research at the Historical Society. Now, she’s moving on to specific topics. She covers the bathrooms and the tile, which were two main draws for her and Andrew

She interviewed Tony Buttitta of Oak Park’s Elite Tile, and they discussed ways to re pair the original tile.

RENOVATION

Step by step

from page 17

She said that all of the toilets in the house were original, save for the powder room toilet. It was a lucky find to discover an original toilet in the basement. With a lot of elbow grease, cleaning solution and the services of Oak Park plumber Matt Visteen, she moved that toilet to the powder room and is hard at work making the bathrooms look as they did in 1927.

She’ll do something similar in the kitchen. “I’m talking to Mark Menna about the kitchen, and I tell him I’m doing a period restoration, and he’s kind of shaking his head,” she said laughingly

By period restoration, she means that she’s keeping the original breakfast room and built in, and hopes to find the original floors under layers of linoleum.

Another episode covers door restoration. She hired furniture refinisher Lyle Zimbler, for merly of Oak Park, to restore every door and remove the veneers that had been added over time. She’s working with Tayloe Glass of Oak Park to re-install missing mirrors on the bathroom doors.

While staying true to the historic look of the house is important, that doesn’t mean she’s ignoring reality. Maychruk

WORK TO BE DONE:

is firmly in the camp of updating the systems that need to be updated to make home life more comfortable.

She’s tackled some major issues like tuckpointing and a rotten portico, as well as a needed upgrade to the electric system. Working with Kinetic Energy to upgrade the home’s electric system and provide electric vehicle charging to her garage has been an exercise in patience with ComEd, but for Maychruk it’s all part of a process which she enjoys.

“I’m hoping when I’m done, it’ll be like 210 [Gale,] where you walk in and think it’s original and has just been completely restored,” she said. “I’m having a lot of fun with it.”

Preservation Oak Park turns eye to music

For the past year, Preservation Oak Park has been hosting storytelling events called Oak Park 360. The free event limits story tellers to 360 seconds to share their knowledge about a topic related to local architecture, history or preservation.

This month’s event is titled, “I’ve Got the Music in Me” and will be held at Fitzgerald’s on Oct. 28. Preservation Oak Park’s Chris Payne says that story tellers will speak about how music contributes to making great places in Oak Park and surrounding communities.

Featured speakers include Wednesday Journal’s own Ken Trainor speaking about Mills Musical Machines, Bobby Nguyen from First United Church speaking about the church’s Skinner organ, Betsy Backes covering the history of music and potlucks, Caitlin Hilyard covering the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, Jaime Garza delving into Latin music and the near west suburbs, Jim Polanski talking about the Oak Park Far mers Market Band, and Jess King speaking on Fitzgeralds Then and Now.

The event takes place at Fitzgerald’s Night Club, 6615 Roosevelt Rd., Berwyn. Attendance is free, and pre-registration is suggested. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the story telling begins at 7 p.m. To sign up visit: https://www fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/tm-event/360-oak-park-ive-gotthe-music-in-me/

Lacey Sikora

REVENUES BY SOURCE

Property Taxes 9,989,325, Utility Tax 646,138, Local Motor Fuel Tax 73,421, Non Home Rule Sales Tax 1,247,040, Other Taxes 487,910, State Income Tax 2,036,466, State Sales Tax 2,730,601, Motor Fuel Tax Allotments 529,593, Personal Property Replacement Tax 215,361, Canabis Tax 18,172, Use Tax 306,213, Intergovernmental, Grants and Contributions 523,978, Licenses and Permits 1,369,085, Fines and Forfeits 537,829, Water Sales 3,605,556, Sewer Sales 2,090,803, Refuse 1,253,602, Parking Fees 159,724, Other Charges for Services 1,929,160, Investment Income 5,968,785, Miscellaneous 1,032,587, Transfers In 1,088,519, Sale of Property 40,857, Employer Contributions 3,667,137, Total Revenue 41,547,862

VILLAGE VENDOR PAYMENTS

22 VETS LLC c/o US Bank N.A.: 7464.58, 4Imprint Inc: 2614.38, ABC Automotive Electronics: 10,923.35, ABS Electric, Inc: 3697.00, Absolute Software, Inc.: 4380.74, AEP Energy: 29,751.36, Air One Equipment Inc: 50,366.80, Al Warren Oil Co Inc: 42,042.94, All Traffic Solutions Inc: 3336.84, Alltech Tracking LLC: 2986.65, Altorfer Industries Inc: 5617.42, Amalgamated Bank of Chicago: 39,6175.00, American Legal Publishing: 3107.23, American Traffic Solutions Inc: 100,241.50, Andy Frain Services Inc: 160,729.12, Animal Care League: 3000.00, Applied Concepts Inc: 35,950.00, AT&T: 2594.38, AT&T Mobility: 12,939.62, Avalon Petroleum Company: 15,038.23, AVI Systems Inc: 10,670.83, AXA Equitable Retirement: 150,805.12, Axon Enterprise Inc: 71,127.34, B&F Construction Code Services Inc: 45,493.32, Bahena’s Landscaping Inc: 18,093.75, Balu, Amy: 3000.00, Barthwell, David A: 7500.00, Battery Service Corporation: 4961.95, Best Technology Systems Inc: 5420.00, Bestco HARTFORD: 121,790.61, Blu Collar Solutions Inc: 3000.00, Bochenek, Dave: 3406.45, Bound Tree Medical LLC: 4778.13, Bradford Systems Corporation: 31,115.00, Brangle, Tim & Marijane: 2500.00, Braniff Communications Inc: 4795.00, Builders Asphalt, LLC: 3780.00, Bulat, Leonard M: 5245.00, Burke Engineering Ltd, Christopher B.: 23,1741.18, C.A.D Contract Glazing: 7700.00, Caffey, Parris: 7612.50, Cahill Heating Cooling and Electric Inc.: 81,300.00, CAMZ Communications Inc: 18,775.00, Cano, Yanin: 4086.00, Cargill Incorporated: 23,395.16, Carroll, Brian: 2500.00, Cassidy Tire & Service LLC: 3689.71, CDS Office Technologies Inc: 17,2528.77, Checkpoint Press Inc: 2991.00, Chicago Communications LLC: 5567.50, City of Chicago: 1,605,358.06, City of Chicago: 215,970.30, Clark Baird Smith

ANNUAL TREASURER’S REPORT

LLP: 8921.25, Classic Graphic Industries Inc: 6777.58, Clesens: 16,618.13, ClientFirst Consulting Group LLC: 13,395.00, Comcast Cable: 2848.66, ComEd: 6130.99, ComEd: 62176.88, Commercial Funding, Inc., FBO: Thomas Engineering Group LLC: 30,603.74, Commercial Tire Service Inc: 7961.49, Conrad, Marshon: 2600.00, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Training Academy: 10,400.00, Core & Main LP: 80,569.99, Cronin Enterprises LLC: 14,404.80, DACRA Adjudication System: 21,181.00, Daly, Tim and Anna: 7500.00, Datasource Ink: 13,442.00, Davenport Group USA Ltd, The: 43,372.30, Davis Tree Care Inc: 5180.50, DeGroff, Kristin: 7500.00, DeJule, Aaron: 4000.00, DeKind Computer Consultants: 30,1054.33, Dell Marketing L.P.: 27,889.11, Dive Right In Scuba-Plainfield: 9023.98, Donatelli, Mark: 7500.00, Donna, Vaccaro: 7938.50, Dubiel, Brian: 7500.00, Dwyer, Anne: 2500.00, Economy Iron Inc: 18,150.00, Edward Hospital: 15,524.00, Elan City Inc: 19,350.00, Elevator Inspection Services Co Inc: 4080.00, Elmhurst Occupational Health: 9500.00, Envirosafe: 11,555.00, Fernandez Tree Service, Inc: 54,010.00, Fifth Third Bank: 155,670.20, Fire Service, Inc.: 64,731.11, Fitzpatrick, William: 2500.00, Flag Poles Etc: 3645.45, Fleet Safety Supply: 47,267.62, Forest Park National Bank: 316,391.67, Forest Preserves of Cook County: 12,000.00, Forest Printing Company: 13,232.38, Fox Ridge Nursery Inc: 10,723.85, Fredriksen Fire Equipment Co.: 6188.76, Frontline Public Safety Solutions: 7500.00, Futurity19 Inc: 117,757.23, Galls LLC: 4829.73, Gas Plus Corporation: 2686.88, Glower, Joe: 2500.00, Gore, Robert & Sarah: 7500.00, Grainger Inc, W.W.: 6506.84, Griffon Systems Inc: 80,000.00, Grimes, George Michael: 2500.00, GRIZAFFI, ANITA: 8000.00, Growing Community Media NFP: 10,449.50, Hach Company: 8213.61, Hall Signs Inc: 5110.89, Hawk Chrysler Dodge Jeep: 28,133.23, Hawkins Inc: 4969.12, HFS Bureau of Fiscal Operations-GEMT: 458,305.14, Holguin, Adriana: 11,184.00, Holiday Sewer and Water Construction, Inc: 33,314.31, Homer Tree Care Inc: 41,525.00, Houseal Lavigne Associates: 8199.28, Howard, Jonathan: 7500.00, ICMA Retirement Corporation - 302614: 157,918.48, IL State Disbusement Unit: 5250.00, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency: 917,145.80, Illinois EPA: 5000.00, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council: 16,905.00, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund: 451,646.52, IllinoisALARM Service, Inc: 4543.00, Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative: 1,572,480.28, International Union of Operating Engineers: 14,190.59, International Union of Operating Engineers: 2848.75, IRMA: 511,328.26, Janulis, Patrick: 7500.00, Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications: 19,950.00, JCK Contractors: 3080.00, JG Uniforms Inc: 8749.70, Jirasek, Therese: 7500.00, Kankakee Nursery Co:

11,707.00, Keefe, Joe: 9000.00, Keller-Heartt Oil Co Inc: 5646.84, Kenny, Margaret F: 7500.00, Khakoo, Cali: 7500.00, Klein Thorpe and Jenkins Ltd: 23,0212.24, Koeller, Megan: 13,140.00, Kroll, Dr. Robin: 4900.00, Kunkel, Ryan: 7826.00, Lauterbach & Amen LLP: 10,200.00, Leads Online LLC: 3297.00, Lee Mechanical, Inc: 35,504.87, Leibundguth, John: 7500.00, Lexipol LLC: 56,700.75, Leyden Lawn Sprinklers Inc: 21,795.80, Life Line Emergency Vehicles: 239,246.00, Local 150 Apprenticeship Fund: 5824.00, Locality Media Inc: 5850.00, Lochner Inc, H.W.: 24,666.08, LoopNet: 8991.00, LRS Holdings LLC: 1,267,949.48, LRS, LLC: 95,752.35, Lyons & Pinner Electric Companies: 88,564.68, M & M Landscaping LLC: 18,558.49, M.E. Simpson Co Inc: 3495.00, McAdam Nursery & Garden Center: 10,084.33, Menards: 7457.00, MetaSecurity Technologies: 135,598.46, Midwest Operating EngPension Trust Fund: 20,928.00, Minuteman Security Technologies Inc: 4312.15, MOE Funds: 188,184.00, Moore, Heather: 7500.00, Motorola Solutions Inc: 5342.43, Municipal GIS Partners, Inc: 46,582.86, Municipal Emergency Services: 15,090.11, Nardulli Construction Company, Inc: 10,4621.00, National Power Rodding Corp: 113,030.84, NG Plumbing Inc: 57,500.00, Nickels, Matt: 2758.00, Nicoletti, Chris & Abby: 4000.00, Nicor Gas Company: 2530.17, North East MultiRegional Training Inc: 6360.00, Oak Park Township: 2730.00, O’Hara Inc, Arthur P: 13,693.32, O’Herron Co. Inc, Ray: 64,395.85, Old World Brick Paving: 50,394.32, On Time Embroidery Inc: 12,654.50, Osage Inc: 3524.50, Osco Incorporated: 70,102.30, Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete Inc: 6929.08, Paramedic Billing Services Inc: 14,203.70, Patson Inc: 246,614.00, Peerless Network: 13,561.13, Perfection Auto Inc: 29,037.38, Pete’s Automotive Service Inc: 46,601.79, Pizzo & Associates Ltd: 7990.00, Pomp’s Tire Service Inc: 4558.46, Printing Store Inc, The: 3278.00, Quadbridge Inc.: 10,877.76, Recon Power Bikes: 18,266.00, Regional Truck Equipment Co: 35,793.59, Resource Management Associates Inc: 16,350.51, River Forest Public Library: 20,858.12, Russo Power Equipment Inc: 5029.91, Ryan. LLC: 13,848.75, SAFEbuilt LLC Lockbox #88135: 89,738.07, SBRK Finance Holdings Inc: 44,090.70, Schroeder Asphalt Services Inc: 1,410,320.91, Sebis Direct (Postage): 79,87.96, Sebis Direct (Printing): 2788.61, Shaker Recruitment Marketing: 3255.00, SHI International Corp: 2852.64, Sikich, LLP: 37,760.00, SKC Construction Inc: 46,529.87, Skoczek, Brian: 3941.72, Smartsheet Inc.: 2534.25, South West Industries, Inc.: 4000.00, Spinutech: 10,252.50, Standard Equipment Company: 309,152.01, StarChase LLC: 6215.50, State of Illinois-Organized Retail Crime Fund: 54143.02, State Treasurer: 44,1989.44, Stefancic, Eric: 5914.00, Steinberg, Robert: 5414.00, Strada Construction Company: 151,129.00, Stryker Sales LLC: 15,479.06, Subsurface Solutions: 33,87.17, Suburban General Construction Inc: 72,818.79, Suburban Laboratories Inc: 4689.98, Sunset Law Enforcment: 2683.60, Superior Road Striping Inc: 11,575.90, Sutton Ford Inc: 154,134.00, Swallow Construction Corp: 9911.24, Swanson Jr, Alfred M: 6000.00, Third Millennium Associates, Inc: 20,189.95, Thomson ReutersWest: 2789.90, Thrive Counseling Center: 36,000.00, TKB Associates Inc: 11,525.00, Tomaras, Pete: 7500.00, TPX Communications: 24,878.64, Traffic Control & Protection Inc: 8976.20, Treasurer, State Of Illinois: 5326.40, TriTech Forensics Inc: 2830.36, TVG-MGT Holdings, LP: 13,244.00, U.S. Geological Survey: 5930.00, Unique Products & Service Corp: 7908.25, United States Treasury: 1,836,834.00, US Gas: 3466.47, Vasquez, Joseph: 7500.00, Verizon Wireless: 3747.06, Vicarious Productions Inc: 75,500.00, Village of Elmwood Park:

88,580.82, Visu-Sewer of Illinois LLC: 2512.00, Vulcan Construction Materials LLC: 5405.62, W.S. Darley & Co: 5880.61, Warehouse Direct Inc: 8019.05, Watersmart Software Inc: 10,927.27, Wells Fargo Vendor Financial Services, LLC: 8629.19, West Central Municipal Conference: 15,612.60, West Cook County Solid Waste Agency: 5200.00, West Suburban Consolidated: 406,681.36, West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force: 2750.00, WEX Health, Inc: 251,859.48, Wigit’s Truck Center: 15,815.88, Wilde, Michela: 4250.00, Wojack, Kimberly J.: 6000.00, Zoll Medical Corporation: 23204.52, VENDORS PAID UNDER $2,500: 20,4054.23, TOTAL: 19,524,603.93 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PENSION FUND VENDOR PAYMENTS

Cook Castle: 11,120.00, IFPIF: 32,261.67, INSPE Associates, LLC: 10,170.00 IPOPIF: 19,333.96, IRS: 558,875.39, Lauterbach & Amen: 78,885.00, Puchalski Goodloe, LLC: 8688.44, State Street Bank and Trust: 2,425,000.00, The Northern Trust Company: 2,125,000.00, VENDORS PAID UNDER $2,500: 5,064.25 TOTAL: 5,274,398.71

VILLAGE PAYROLL

Under 25,000: Camargo, Hernandez O, Keeler, Loeza, Montrov, Pisciotto, Saldana, Salinas, Schrader; 25,000-49,999.99: Bourdeau, Bradley, Diorio, Green, Morris, Richter; 50,000-74,999.99; Bus, Cano, Cepak, Collum, Domeier, Gonzalez J, Hernandez J, Holguin, Kane, Kasprzyk, Koeller, Masella, Petrillo, Williams; 75,000-99,999.99: Bajak, Decosola, Dosen, Juarez, Luis, Palm, Radatz, Schwarz, Thomasino, Wiley; 100,000.00-124,999.99: Barcenas, Casarez, Catalano, Coleman, Cortes, Ercoli, Gonzalez O, Jansen, Koclanis, Kyles, Lenz, Mika, Niemann, Reilly, Rouse, Zermeno; 125,000.00 and over: Basa, Bencik, Bielak, Bochenek, Boyd, Boyer, Buchholz, Carter, Casey, Cassidy, Czernik, Doran, Finfrock, Fischer, Fries, Gaertner, Greenwood, Grill, Howe A, Howe E, Humphreys, Ivansek, Krall, Labriola, Landini, McAdams, McKenna, Murillo, O’Shea, Ransom, Seablom, Skoczek, Smith, Spencer, Swierczynski, Tagle, Viera, Walsh, Zipperich

POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS PENSION FUND PAYROLLS

Under 25,000: Carter, Daudelin, Green, Marrocco, O’Shea, Petrulis, Strauch; 25,000-49,999: Anstrand, Barth, Bauer, Fahy, Hlavaty, Novak, O’Loughlin, Schejbal, Shustar; 50,000-74,999: Bernahl, Blasco, Diebold, Fields, Gerard P, Katsantones, Lahey, Law D, Law M, Lombardi, Neault, O’Brien, Rausch, Schauer, Victor M, Weiglein; 75,000-99,999: Bentel L, Bentel R, Blesy, Carroll, Ford, Gray, Linden, Newberry, Samuel, Smith, Sullivan, Telkamp, Victor R, Vondracek, Warnock; 100,000-124,999: Barstatis, Daugherty, Dhooghe, Finnegan, Higgins, Jandrisits, Lidinsky, Ludvik, Maher, Nortier, Powell, Rahn, Rose, Rutz, Schoff, Stamm, Witken, Zawacki; 125,000.00 and over: Bohlmann, Nummer, Weiss

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS FRIDAY 5 P.M.

Call Viewpoints editor

Ken Trainor at 613-3310

ktrainor@wjinc.com

e trick-or-treat test

VIEWPOINTS

My daughter came home with an art project this week where she was asked to finish this sentence: “If a magic fish could grant me a wish, I would wish for …”

Her response?

“Halloween to never end, so I could get lots of candy and get to stay in my costume longer. And go around my neighborhood.”

After I stopped sobbing into my afternoon coffee, I thought about how she approached her wish. Halloween is her favorite holiday, so I’m not surprised that her one wish would be for it to last forever. But why does she want it to last forever?

CHAVAS

he started, as any kid would, with the obvious: candy and costumes, end of wish. But then she seemed to realize it wasn’t quite right. Something was missing. So she what really makes Halloween complete for her: going around her neighborhood. Experiencing the joy of moving freely through familiar streets, seeing friendly faces and feeling of something bigger than yourself

In Oak Park, Halloween shines a light on at is true all year round — we are a walkable and welcoming community. Urban planners have captured this in a concept called the “Trick or Treat Test.” It’s a simple way to measure good urban design. Can kids safely and comfortably trick-or-treat from house to house? Do neighbors know one another, and are there sidewalks, porches, and streetlights that make walking feel inviting?

In other words, does your neighborhood encourage connection?

Halloween here is magical not just because of cute kids in costumes but because of the design that makes it all possible — connected streets, walkable blocks, inviting front porches and neighbors who actually open their doors. My daughter may not be an urban planning nerd like her mom, but she understands this concept instinctively It’s why she’s comfortable running up and down the block ringing doorbells to see if friends can come out and play. It’s why she and her friends can take over a cul-de-sac on their bikes on a Sunday after noon. It’s why families from neighboring communities flock here every October 31st — to experience what safe, joyful public space feels like I gladly hand out hundreds of pieces of candy each year because I know what’s being celebrated isn’t just Halloween; it’s community design that works. It’s streets where people walk and talk. It’s front porches instead of garages that dominate the view. It’s blocks where everyone — especially kids — feel like they belong

When I asked my daughter if she knew how lucky she was to be growing up in Oak Park, she said simply, “Really lucky.” (Here come those tears again.) Community design shapes community-building. As we face big challenges as a village, from housing affordability to climate resilience, we’d do well to remember that the same principles that make Oak Park great on Halloween — walkability, connection, and safety — make it great the other 364 days a year.

Reference: https://www.npr.org/2021/10/31/1050919675/does-yourneighborhood-have-good-urban-design-employ-the-trick-or-treat-test

Shrubtown: The King of Hate

Figures like this once adorned the Foley-Rice building on Madison Street. A few of them were preser ved and now adorn the new Pete’s supermarket

Historic Preservation has been a valued tool used by private citizens and village officials to boost Oak Park’s economy over the last 50 years, spurring investment in and enhancing the historic features of buildings, guiding the modernization of vintage housing and commercial buildings, and building a collective sense of our community as an architecturally interesting and unique place to live and work

Decades ago, the village board created the Oak Park Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) by ordinance, establishing and encouraging a set of guidelines and rules that support Historic Preservation.

That’s why I was so puzzled reading columnist Josh VanderBerg’s diatribe criticizing preservation in my Oct. 8 Wednesday Jour nal. After reading his opinion, I was appalled at how much misinformation he packed into one column, misrepresenting the basic facts about what preservation is and how it works in our community; demonstrating his ongoing obsession with mocking citizen input into decisions that impact their lives; and imagining some sort of preservation power grab.

I have proudly spent more than 30 years of my personal and professional life living and working in Oak Park, serving on the HPC, volunteering on various preservation-related projects, and working

with others to tell diverse and fascinating stories of our villages.

Here are two of the more egregious errors in VanderBerg’s column: I and other residents didn’t argue against a multifamily building at Chicago and Ridgeland because we oppose such housing. I and many others opposed the draft plan because it was a poor design (particularly in a historic district) and its 36 units far exceeded the 11 units allowed by ordinance. A smaller multifamily building could have been built, with no variances. The developer never even owned the property and chose to let an option expire. And what is the disastrous outcome of citizens pushing back against a half-hearted, speculative development? An Oak Parker bought the property and is pursuing her dream of a new day care center in that existing vacant building. I gladly testified on behalf of her zoning application last month.

I also was proud to write the Oak Park Landmark nomination for the Boulevard Arcade building in 2007; the owners of that South Boulevard property sought out the designation and thereby benefitted from a decades-long tax break. After choosing and reaping the benefits, the owners chose to propose a 10-story addition to a 2-story structure and that violates the architectural review guidelines that

We the people have spoken … freely ICE on our streets

Monday was a busy day for federal immigration enforcement agents. There were sightings of ICE or Border Patrol agents across the metropolitan area and specifically in River Forest and Oak Park.

In River Forest at least one landscape contractor was detained. His whereabouts and any charges against him are, of course, unknown. What is known is that this long established individual, according to a Wednesday Journal source, was most certainly not anything close to “the worst of the worst” and instead was a decent hardworking man.

We are not safer as a community with his removal. And while we are stunned by the brutality at work here we are not intimidated by it.

Meanwhile in Oak Park, an immigration activist who has turned up in the Journal’s re porting multiple times over recent weeks, was detained Monday by federal agents near Lincoln School. His infraction was following ICE vehicles from the Broadview detention center as they cruised around South Oak Park on Monday morning. Scott Sakiyama was honking his vehicle’s hor n and blowing a whistle to alert neighbors to the presence of the federal agents. This annoyed them to the point that they alle gedly approached his vehicle, drew their guns and threatened to break his windows if he did not exit the vehicle. When he did they took him into custody, drove him in handcuffs to Broadview, and then, perhaps when they had some minor epiphany about free speech rights, they drove him back to his car in Oak Park

We persevere because we have no option.

Joy and determination at No Kings

One way Oak Parkers persevere is by showing up. And last weekend’s No Kings protest brought thousands to Scoville Park and then in a long march down Lake Street to Harlem and back to Oak Park Avenue.

It was inspiring to see a jubilant crowd fully expressing their love for America while making plain we are headed into a wall of President Donald Trump’s design. The signs. The costumes. The Ragi n’ Grannies singing their satirical songs. The speaker thanking Oak Park police for keeping the swell of marchers safe along the route.

Seeing the same energy in cities and small towns across America, in Blue states and especially in places we label as Red, is clarifying. This mad march to authoritarian rule is not popular. It will be defeated. And each of us has a role to play.

Ididn’t have a sign or a megaphone or call-and-response chant to contribute to last Saturday’s “I Love America with No Kings” march in Oak Park. I had notebook, though, and a pen and decide to make myself useful.

For those who were there and couldn’ commit it all to memory, and for those couldn’t make it this time but hopefull next time, here are as many of our statements as I could scribble down, a small smattering of the messages boldly and freely expressed during our long walk fo freedom from tyranny — which was in itself, the boldest of statements. So with all due respect to what passes for a president:

“The Enemy is Within” - Trump … “The Enemy is Within the White House” - We the People

“We Love Our CountryWe’re Ashamed of Donald Trump”

“We were just following orders” (Nuremberg, 1945; ICE, 2025)

“I Need To Tell My Grandchildren I Did Not Remain Silent”

“Democracy Doesn’t Fear Protest, Dictators Do”

TRAINOR

“This Sh*t Is Your Fault, John Robts” (photo of the Supreme Court chief

th Fear For Our Democracy, I Dissent” - Supreme Court Justice Sonia yor

“What Part of This is Great?”

ove, Not Hate, Makes America Great” “ICE Always Melts and Every Winter

“The King Has No Clothes” (a long red rs Trump’s privates)

orgot What Polio Is? Thank Vaccine Research”

“The Power of the People is Far Greater Than the People in Power” – Rally speaker

“When Cruelty Becomes Normal, Compassion Looks Radical”

“This is the Cover of the Epstein Files” (photo of younger Trump lying on a bed in a

“Imagine Hating Immigrants More Than philes”

“We Love America and Have the Right to Protest”

“Don’t Make Me Repeat Myself ” - History

“The Only Monarch We Need” (a butterfly)

“There is No Antifa, Only Anti-Fascism”

“Apathy Feeds Fascists”

“Hey Trump, Kar ma’s Gonna Track U Down, Step by Step, Town to Town”

“I Want You … To Resist!” (Uncle Sam, pointing)

“History Does Not Forgive Silence - Resist While You Still Can”

“No Crown for a Clown”

“Elect a Clown, Expect a Circus”

“We the People Will Never Forget the Cowards in Congress Who Kept Quiet”

“This is What Democracy Looks Like” (driver shouting from a passing car, hand on hor n)

“Democracy’s Our Thing, We Don’t Need No King” (young guy chanting into a megaphone)

IKEA Has Better Cabinets”

“Masked Thugs, Off Our Streets!”

“The World Is Laughing At Us”

“No Faux-King Way!”

“No One Is Illegal on tolen Land”

“We the People Are Imgrants”

“Everyone is Welcome Here, Except ICE”

“Feel Like a Man When ou Push Us Down? Feel Better As We Fall to the Ground?”

“The Constitution Matters! Continue the Fight”

our Courage” Dies While Trump Lies” rning America” Pedophiles” annabe Dictators I Can’t

“Not a King But a Crook” (sign taped to a passing car)

“Tell ICE, Hands Off Children” (sign held by a child)

“De-ICE Chicago”

“What You Do to the Least of These, You Do to Jesus”

“We Will Not Bow Down to Cruelty, Corruption, Chaos”

“This is Not a Left-Right Movement, It’s a RightWrong Movement”

“Silence = Complicity”

“If Kamala Were President, We’d Be At Brunch”

“I Like ICE in My Coffee, Not in My Streets”

“The Beauty of the World Lies in the Diversity of its People”

“My Dad Did Not Fight for This”

A patriot among patriots carries an enormous Marine Flag, no words needed, message comes through loud and clear.

SHRUB TO WN by Marc Stopeck

A Trump-approved tour of the Windy City

I led a “Burning Buildings” tour today in the “hellscape” of Chicago.

We had dif ficulty at the be ginning because of a supplychain issue. While we had plenty of Kevlar suits in which to dress guests, we were shor t on headgear. Instead of gas masks, some guests had to wear some old diving helmets we were able to get on Craig’s List, though a few young kids collapsed under the weight.

It was amusing dodging the gangs carrying Molotov cocktails, but we did get some cool photos of throwing them. At one point three trucks carrying masked rioters collided, casting several of their passengers into the Chicago River, which itself was burning.

A large crowd of Finnish and Basque immigrants, who I think told us they were “ille gal” (we couldn’t understand them, really), were threatening an ICE unit with menacing songs and “Free Ferris” signs. We watched from a distance as they were tear-gassed, as were several women who were pushing babies in strollers. We hoped to view a burned-out building lobby, but it was swarming with troops from the Guam National Guard, who had arrived dressed in shorts and T-shirts.

While we watched, ICE descended on the lobby and arrested all of the troops for ille gal entry.

I guided the tourists back to the start point past several smoldering vehicles, which they thought provided a perfect ending to the tour. Several guests asked to keep the helmets and Kevlar outfits because they were traveling on to Portland and didn’t know what to expect.

After bidding them “Despedida!” I went immediately to a meeting of our antifa cell in a supermarket restroom. We voted to join a nationwide pastry sale fundraiser to pay for a TV and social media PSA, star ring multiple SNL actors making wicked insur rectionist fun of Trump, Leavitt, Bondi and Hegseth. We were almost inter rupted by some MAGAs who wanted to use the restroom to post swastika posters for a Young Re publican meeting

All in all, despite the smoke odor on my clothes, I thoroughly enjoyed the day although the drives into and out of the city, dodging buses full of rioters, was a bit hairy.

Can’t wait for next week’s outdoor lecture, watching active bombings. I’ll bring ear plugs.

Ed McDevitt River Forest

WEDNESD AY

of Oak Park and River Forest

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e goal of the Viewpoints section is to foster and facilitate a community conversation and respectful dialogue. Responsible community voices are vital to community journalism and we welcome them. Space is at a premium and readers’ attention is also limited, so we ask that Viewpoints submissions be brief. Our limit for letters to the editor is 350 words. For One View essays, the limit is 500 words. Shorter is better. If and when we have su cient space, we print longer submissions, but when space is limited — as it o en is — we may ask you to submit a shorter version or hold the piece until space allows us to print it.

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Why I like Oak Park

When my wife and I both landed jobs in the Chicago area here in the late 1980s, we had to figure out where to live. We ended up deciding that Oak Park was a good, centrally-located destination. We liked the look of the neighborhoods (beautiful houses, lots of trees!) and, without knowing too much about the village itself, we settled here. We soon lear ned about the village’s equity assurance program, implemented in the 1970s, which guaranteed housing values against the effects of “white flight.” We also found out that the public schools were high-ranking among Illinois schools. It’s close to downtown Chicago with good public transportation options. Our sons attended Oak Park public schools (Districts 97 and 200) and my wife and I have been here 37 years. All good, no re grets.

Over the years, Oak Park has evolved. Oak Park has become a more upscale and cool destination among potential renters and home buyers. The nice vintage housing and apartment stocks and Oak Park’s proximity to downtown Chicago are attractions. And no doubt Oak Park’s re putation as being politically progressive has appealed to younger renters and home buyers wanting to relocate.

So Oak Park has become both more “exclusive” and more “progressive” over the past four decades. The “exclusive” part is reflected in the housing prices, while the “progressive” part is reflected in our village’s political and social culture. Oak Parkers are more politically engaged now than they were a few decades ago. We have

print outlets such as Wednesday Journal and Oak Leaves, as well as inter net-based forums such as Facebook available to express ourselves. The First Amendment to our Constitution is a wonderful thing: We can say what we think (of course within limits that are still being debated).

Wednesday Jour nal recently published a “One View” piece that I authored, in which I took a satirical jab at Oak Parkers and our Oak Park political landscape. It was written partly in the first-person plural, so I implicitly included myself in what I wrote: I am an Oak Parker, after all.

Apparently my piece, intended in fun, struck a nerve in some people. Two Wednesday Journal readers were picqued enough by my piece to object to my satirical points (fair enough), but went on to suggest that I should move away from Oak Park, to an unnamed town in Mississippi [Be gging to differ, Viewpoints, Oct. 1] or to some undesignated Red state [Wake up in ‘Wok e Park’, Oct 14]. Apparently, my doing either of these things is the equivalent of going to Hell. Fans of South Park will reco gnize this “love it or leave it” sentiment in the recurring redneck refrain, “If you don’t like it here [America], you can just get the hell out!”

Well, I like it here. And I like that I can speak my mind. I hope that these things are not mutually exclusive in Oak Park.

Mark Knickelbein

Oak Park

Tax relief program extended, expanded

The application deadline for Cook County ’s new Homeowner Relief Fund, under which some applicants can receive property tax rebates of $1,000, has been extended to Oct. 31. In addition, more people are now eligible for the program, as the tax increase needed to qualify has been reduced from 50% to 30%. The revised Eligibility Requirements are:

1. Owners of single-family homes, condominiums or small apartment buildings must have experienced a year-over-year property tax increase of 30% or more in tax year 2021 (paid in 2022), tax year 2022 (paid in 2023), or tax year 2023 (paid in 2024).

2. The combined 2024 income for all members of the applicant’s household cannot exceed the Area Median Income. For a single person, the maximum income is $84,000, and it is $119,900 for a family of four.

3. The property must be the primary residence of the applicant. The Homeowner Relief Fund only has enough money to issue rebates to 13,600 households in Cook County. Since it is expected that there will be more than 13,600 households eligible for the program, a lottery will determine who among the qualifying households will receive the rebate.

Oak Park residents were most likely to have experienced annual tax increases of 30% or more in tax year 2023. This is because Oak Park was reassessed in 2023, and many taxpayers experienced significant tax increases when the 2023 tax bills came due in calendar year 2024. Taxpayers interested in applying can do so online at https:// hrf.cookcountyil.gov/apply. Taxpayers may also call the Oak Park Township Assessor’s Of fice at 708-383-8005 to ask questions about the program and to get help applying for it.

Federal vs. local law enforcement

As of today, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest law enforcement branch on the planet. Student loan forgiveness, viral fame via YouTube if captured on video while on the job and a $50,000 signing bonus are all perks under the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, a law that poured billions into ICE’s growth. Yet despite all that clout, local agencies like the Chicago Police Department still do not trust it. That contradiction is no longer subtle. When enforcing the law stops looking like one mission and starts looking like a war between agencies, truth itself becomes a matter of jurisdiction.

In Chicago, the animosity between federal and local authority has gone from a quiet rift to a festering wound. ICE agents have been accused of making false 911 calls that drained CPD resources while federal units have de ployed tear gas dur-

ing crowd control operations that left city officers coughing alongside protesters.

During one confrontation near the Broadview ICE facility, re por tedly, CPD officers were forced to clean up the after math of clashes they did not authorize involving Texas National Guard troops sent north under legally dubious and morally homeless orders.

The result is a state where local police find themselves trapped between warring systems of power, expected to maintain order yet ignore the ridiculous decisions that create the chaos

If law enforcement branches cannot work together without suspicion, how can the public have faith in the system? Every turf war, every withheld memo, every unspoken grudge says something: the heavily ar mored men with guns no longer trust in one another

A republic can survive policy conflict. It cannot survive when its enforcers live in legal and moral purgatory. ICE was built to be the biggest cop in a militarized country flirting with mass surveillance and authoritarianism. Instead, it has become something smaller: distrusted by its peers, resented by its hosts, and feared by the public it claims to protect.

Who would have thought funding the police would make us less safe?

Sources:

*Largest law enforcement agency in the federal government:

Politifact, rated mostly true: ICE will now become the country’s largest federal law enforcement agency, bigger than the FBI, bigger than the DEA. [Politifact, 7/11/25]

CBS News, 7/10/25: “The Republican-led congress set aside roughly $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border secu-

rity efforts through the legislation, including $75 billion in extra funding for ice, making it by far the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.”

*Student loan repayment:

ICE is offering a robust package of federal law enforcement incentives, including: student loan repayment and forgiveness options [DHS.gov, Accessed 10/13/25]

*Viral fame via YouTube if captured on video while on the job:

“Body Slamming, Teargas And Pe pper Balls: Viral Videos Show ICE Using Extreme Force In Chicago” [The Guardian, 10/4/25]

*$50,000 signing bonus:

“ICE is offering a robust package of federal law enforcement incentives, including: A maximum $50,000 signing bonus.” [DHS. gov, accessed 10/13/25] Joshua Cooper Oak Park

OPRF’s new scal outlook

Oak Park and River Forest High School’s fiscal outlook shows signs of distress just two years after then-board President Tom Cofsky and his six-member board (Fred Arkin, Gina Harris, Kebreab Henry, Ralph Mar tire, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Sara Dixon Spivy) voted to ignore best practices and bypass the more than 50,000 District 200 voters to use a funding loophole to push through the estimated $135 million (construction, bor rowing and geother mal costs) for the controversial Project 2. (1 & 2)

OPRF’s for merly strong financial position took a major hit from the board’s decision to issue debt certificates, tacking on $3.2 million to its annual operating budget for 20 years, and drain the cash reserve by $44.2 million to circumvent a taxpayer vote to build the oversized pool/PE addition.

At the Oct. 14 Community Finance Committee meeting, the message was clear that it’s the start of a new fiscal era at the high school, with its mountainous cash reserve of unauthorized taxpayer dollars drained and potential structural deficits on the horizon, amid union contract negotiations. (3)

Monica Sheehan

25-year Oak Park resident investigating District 200 since 2014

Aducci’s exercise in political power

If you want a close-to-home example of political power, come to a River Forest Village Board meeting and watch our village president in action.

At the Oct. 13 board meeting, our village attor ney explained the hypothetical issues that could come up in the future because the referendum on ter m limits included the words “binding” and “advisory.” He acknowledged that, with the election result in favor of ter m limits, term limits were actually in force. The board could adopt/codify the vote, but someone could challenge it at some point because of these two words.

November?

Some trustees argued that this would not be responsive to River Forest residents who have kept this issue in front of the board since April (three seasons ago). Aducci repeatedly argued that the vote should wait until November to get more voters (19 months from the deciding April 2025 vote).

This has come up at board meetings since April 2025, offering multiple opportunities to be more responsive to voters. Waiting, of course, means that voters forget about the issue, and it certainly means kicking the can down the road

Sources:

1) 4/28/23 Wednesday Journal story: OPRF unanimously decides financing for its Project 2 (https://www.oakpark.com/2023/04/28/oprf-unanimously-decidesfinancing-for-its-project-2). Also OPRF website: https://www.oprfhs.org/about/ news/news-details/~board/home/post/board-approves-funding-for-imagine-oprfproject-2

2) Cook County Board of Elections Re gistered Voters in D200: https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/results-and-election-data/election-data/re gistrationstatistics

3) OPRF Community Finance Committee meeting, Oct. 14, 2025, the information is stated in the linked Community Finance Committee meeting, and it’s also listed on the PowerPoint slide that appears when one clicks the meeting link, see the screenshot, “Recap of August Financial Projection Discussion.”

I

don’t know how to carry

I know how to carry sor row for him, but I don’t know how to carry sor row for you. I know how to car ry anger at him, but I don’t know how to car ry anger at you. I know how to carry fear of him, but I don’t know how to carry fear of you.

Your voting was too bewildering. Your support is too maddening. Your silence is too terrifying. The big story is not the crowned orange man spewing sewage from a fighter plane. The big story is the people who gave him the power. None of this will ever fit on a protest sign. It’s too much to car ry.

Tara Meyer Dull Oak Park

The board then voted against codifying the referendum, with President Adduci breaking the tie. The next step was putting the referendum on the ballot again, this time with clear “binding” language. But when? At our next election, the March primary? Or at the Nov. 2026 midterm election?

A lengthy discussion ensued. President Adduci very clearly didn’t want it on the ballot in March. Her reason? Fewer voters vote in primaries. Trustee O’Connell conveniently had data that more voters vote in general elections. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until

It is absolutely dismissive of the will of the voters, cloaked in “we want to get this right.” Getting it right could happen in March or November. Because Aducci did not want the vote this March, she had to break the tie on that vote.

November 2026 was now the only choice. She was delighted that “a consensus was achieved,” but it was, instead, a demonstration of power, and an elected official with no compunction about exercising hers.

Phyllis Rubin River Forest

Come visit the Model Railroad Club

Did you know that Oak Park has its own model railroad club in the basement of Dole Center and, in fact, the Park District of Oak Park helped with the founding of said club in 1964 and is one of the club’s biggest boosters?

The Oak Park Society of Model Engineers d/b/a as Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club continues to have a three level 500-foot mainline DCC HO model railroad layout in Studio C in the lower level of the Dole Center, sharing space with the Park District, Oak Park-River Forest Senior Citizens Center, and the Dole Branch Library. The center features a community meeting room and classrooms, a ceramics studio and a lot more, a real resource for recreation, education, and selfactualization.

The model railroad is open for visitors Monday evening as posted on the door, Wednesday 7 to 9 p.m., Friday 1 to 3 p.m., and special Family Days every Sunday 1 to 3 p.m. (except for holidays when the building is closed).

Oak Park’s Model Railroad Club doesn’t just have a big layout, but also a small one for

“small ones.” The club welcomes all from ages 0 to 99. We are a club for “Everyone who likes trains.” Come on any club night and you will see adults and teens running trains; in fact you will see grandparents, parents, aunts/ uncles running trains with their special child, sharing the love of trains from one generation to the next (in fact we have families of three generations running trains to gether. And we have an extensive model railroad and prototype railroad library, too. And of course the basis of every great model railroad club is great model railroad club membership who enjoy sharing their hobby, sharing model railroad and prototype information, knowledge, and ideas

Where do you find all of this fun? Our Open House, Nov. 1, 12:01 to 5 p.m. Free admission! Dole Center Lower Level, 255 Augusta Blvd., Oak Park to celebrate National Model Railroad Club Month, www.opsme.org.

Frank Vozak President, Oak Park Society of Model Engineers

e Historic Preservation Commission’s role

As a member of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), I wanted to cor rect some er rors in Josh VanderBerg’s Viewpoints column of Oct. 8 [Preservation isn’t progress].

VanderBerg claims that “the HPC protects large portions of Oak Park from new development.” In fact, the HPC’s authority is quite limited: it can only approve or deny projects involving historic landmarks or within historic districts. These districts were created by the village board, and only the board can revise them.

If the HPC denies a project, that decision can be appealed to the village board. The proposed apartment building at 1035 South Blvd. is a prime example. The HPC unanimously voted against it, the village board overturned the decision, and so the project will go forward. In short, new development in the village is ultimately in the hands of the board, not the HPC. As for the South Blvd. building, VanderBerg argues that “the unanimous decision by the HPC … cited all of the usual NIMBY complaints: traffic, crowding, af fordability, none of which have anything to do with historic preservation.”

This is a baffling claim. The HPC is not the Su-

preme Court, and does not issue “decisions,” so I’m not sure what he is refer ring to. Moreover, having participated in all four meetings regarding this property, the commission did not consider traffic, crowding, or af fordability. That’s because the HPC has no authority over those issues, which are the purview of the Plan Commission. HPC votes are based on historic preservation standards set by the Secretary of the Interior; in this case, our discussions centered primarily on massing, scale, and materials.

VanderBerg may be confusing the HPC with comments from the public, which occasionally reflected concerns outside the HPC’s purview. One such comment came from VanderBerg himself. At the Jan. 9 meeting, he asked the HPC to re gard the building as an asset to the economic vitality of downtown Oak Park and argued that its density was appropriate for the neighborhood. Again, none of these considerations f all under the authority of the HPC. Interesting, though, that he wants the commission to stick to matters of historic preservation, except when he doesn’t.

Rebutting the rebuttals

Historic Preservation Chair Louis Garapolo wrote to the Jour nal in response to my column “Preservation isn’t Progress” [Viewpoints, Oct. 8] saying in part: “I would like to welcome Josh VanderBerg back to Oak Park after what apparently was a long trip away from the village. I assume he was gone because if he was here, he would have heard that the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) didn’t mention any of the “usual NIMBY complaints that Mr. VanderBerg imagined when discussing 1025 South Blvd.”

I in fact attended the Jan. 9, 2025 Historic Preservation Commission meeting [See https:// oak-park.granicus.com/player/clip/2688?view_ id=3&redirect=true. Discussion star ts at about 1 hour 40 minutes] where the Certificate of Appropriateness was denied for the Boulevard Arcade development. I even gave public comment.

Luckily there’s a video record of this meeting and what was discussed. Here’s a sampling of the usual NIMBY complaints, mentioned by commissioners, all of which are not in the purview of the commission.

“Scale of the building would overwhelm the entire streetscape.” The re gulation doesn’t apply to the streetscape.

“The fact that we always talk about diversity in this town especially when it comes to affordability. And that’s something we’ve discussed many times, and I don’t really understand why a luxury apartment building, especially on top of the building is something that needs to be done. … The fact that there hasn’t been any

talk about affordability for this building wasn’t even considered, to me also adds to the list of other issues with this property as is proposed.”

Affordability is not in the scope or purview of the HPC

“If this were 24 apartments that were zoned as affordable, I think that the calculus changes a bit.”

“I don’t see a compelling reason why 24 luxury units is adding to the spirit of Oak Park.” Where do I find the bit in the historic preservation code that defines the spirit?

Ditto

“We don’t get into density, we don’t get into traffic, but it’s gotta be a problem.” Here we have Commissioner Garapolo himself bringing up two usual NIMBY complaints about development.

And he goes on: “The front entrance doesn’t really exist. As we who have grown up in Chicago used to call it, a gangway. And that’s what it is, it’s not an entrance.”

I guess I missed this part of the historic preservation code. Is there a “gangway” prohibition? This is in the grand NIMBY spirit of layering on aesthetic complaints. I expect this from local residents, who are just throwing stuff up on the wall to see if it sticks, but not from the commission chair.

So it seems Commissioner Garapolo doesn’t know what’s said at the meetings he chairs. He seems to have forgotten his very own words.

Josh VanderBerg Oak Park

FRANK LIPO

Progress through preservation

from page 21

the HPC is required to uphold. It was not a “new building” as VanderBerg claims that “would not touch the existing historic landmark.”

On appeal, the village board overtur ned the HPC; so much for what he calls the “outsized power” wielded by the HPC.

Oak Park is a vibrant community that has a strong economy and is a very desirable place to live. Its mix of housing styles and types — including nearly half of our residential units found in multifamily buildings — is part of our community’s history and future. Historic character matters in Oak Park

Do you appreciate the ambiance and historic character of our shared hometown? Do you oppose widespread teardowns of homes and buildings in our historic districts? If you want to get involved in the ongoing efforts to preserve Oak Park’s architectural and historical heritage, feel free to email me at franklipo@ sbcglobal.net.

Frank Lipo is the longtime executive director of the Historical Society of Oak Park-River Forest

No a**holes allowed

There is absolutely no reason to ever use the word “a**holes” in print in Wednesday Jour nal. See Ken Trainor’s opinion piece “No Kings, but maybe one billionaire” [Viewpoints, Oct. 15]. My father was the editor of a small-town newspaper and would have abhorred this language. English provides plenty of alter natives that convey the message and are suitable for print. If anyone thinks, “they go low, we can go lower,” is a winning and persuasive strategy, they are wrong. Doing so denigrates the newspaper, makes the writer look uneducated and insults the reader. The Journal’s Viewpoints editor desperately needs an editor

Curtis Helwig River Forest

e chilling e ect of federal troops

All Americans must certainly realize by now that Trump’s overriding goal is to have federal troops at key polling places come Election Day to interrogate and terrify Brown and Black voters. Knowing that I would be taken into custody for even 15 minutes when the norm is several hours or over night would be more than enough to keep me away from my sacrosanct duty as an American citizen. Our politicians must realize this. They must take all necessary legislative and judicial action to keep federal troops far away from our polling places. I received my voter’s registration yesterday. The odds are I will not be using it.

In praise of this time of year

There’s this brief, golden stretch between the start of school and Thanksgiving when our community almost feels like it has its act together, especially during these couple of miraculous weeks when the weather is polite. The air smells like competence. There’s soup on a stove somewhere. It’s the closest thing we’re getting to the normal social order all year.

Let’s start with Halloween costumes because 2025 is shaping up to be a strong contender for the “What Were We Thinking?” Hall of Fame. Thanks to the “Summer of AI,” I fully expect a wave of ChatGPT costumes — silver jumpsuits, glowing eyes, and kids saying, “I cannot feel love but I can optimize it.” Please, no. That’s not trick-or-treating; that’s a cry for help

ALAN BROUILETTE

You’ll also see group costumes, mostly of various Taylor Swift eras, and at least three families on your block doing “Barbenheimer,” even though that was last year’s joke. Hey, they spent a bunch and the customers all fit the next kid down. For couples: skip the topical stuf f. Be a fork and a spoon. Be a squirrel and an acorn. Be two people who are too tired to swipe left *or* right. Or pull on a mask and be an authority figure ashamed to admit that’s the job they took. For the most honest version of that costume, just put a paper bag over your head like a Bears fan trotting out an old joke.

Meanwhile, home decorations are once again an arms race. A few pumpkins used to say “festive.” Now we’ve got 12-foot skeletons, animatronic zombies, and inflatable ghosts that could double as parade floats. Someone in town has already synchronized their front yard to “T hriller,” which means the rest of us will hear muffled Vincent Price laughter through our car radios until Thanksgiving. (I just had an idea to wire one of those speakers into a Santa, but we’ll save that nightmare for next month.)

It’s impressive, sure — but also exhausting. Fall decorating used to be a few mutilated pumpkins and inceptive farm market gourds and corn. Now it’s a competitive sport. Every cul-de-sac looks like a cross between The Nightmare Before Christmas and a Lowe’s clearance aisle. I say this with love, and also

as someone who will definitely impulsebuy a $60 light-up pumpkin at Menards the minute it hits the endcap.

And then there’s Oktoberfest. We need to talk about Oktoberfest. It’s become the German equivalent of St. Patrick’s which, as re gular readers know, I strong feelings about. (The abridged rsion: if your “heritage celebration” involves green beer and street vomiting, you’ re doing it wrong.) Oktoberfest star ted as a royal wedding rece ption, not a mass challenge to see how many brats you can consume before your lederhosen surrender. Yet every brewery from Berwyn to Brookfield now hosts “Das Me ga Brat Pa rty” with some guy named Todd playing polka covers of Bon Jovi.

Let’s all just admit that “cultural appreciation” loses a little dignity when it comes in a souvenir stein.

Terr

y

Cullen,

Still — griping aside — I adore this time of year. The light turns gold and slants lower. The smell of wet leaves, wood smoke, and bad decisions at boozy brunch hits just right. And for a few brief weeks, life slows down enough to notice it’s happening.

Which brings me to my annual appeal to the Great Pumpkin, benevolent spirit of the season and patron saint of manageable expectations.

Dear Great Pumpkin,

I ask not for wealth or fame or even a Bears playof f berth (though if you’ve got a spare miracle to set up the annual soul-crushing, feel free). I ask only this:

1. Keep the weather cool enough for sweaters but warm enough to pretend we don’t need heat yet.

2. Stop people from using “pumpkin spice” as a verb.

3. Ensure that no Forest Park child requires a police explanation for their costume.

4. Let a person play golf without long johns until at least Veterans Day. Got to be some upside to climate change, and for me that’s the one.

5. Prevent anyone from posting a “30 Days of Gratitude” list before Halloween, and if you’ re feeling generous, preferably ever.

It’s not much to ask. Believe me, I have a much longer list for Santa.

Alan Brouilette writes a monthly column for the Forest Park Review, a Growing Community Media newspaper.

68 Board of Options trader

ence Eugene Cullen, 68, died on Aug. 29, 2025. Born on April 26, rk to the late Frank T. Cullen and the late Patricia Hewitt Cullen, he was one of eight siblings. aduated from Ascension Catholic School (class of 1971) and OPRF High School (class of 1975). His career in the Chicago financial trading community spanned He was a longtime trading member (CLN) of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE). He was also a devoted volunteer and dedicated supporter of Special Olympics.

Terry is survived by his wife of 43 years, Geri Feil Cullen; his son, Timothy Cullen (Nicole); his daughters, Genevieve Cullen and Ellen Cullen Roberts (James); and his grandchildren, Calliope and Declan.

He had eight siblings, Mike (Alice), the late John Cullen (Julie Weber), Kathleen (Joe Verhauz), the late Dr. Robert Cullen (Mary), the late F. Thomas Cullen (Mary), Edward (Linda), and Daniel Cullen; was the brother-in-law of Peter Feil (Pam), and Karen Feil Gage (Dick); the uncle of 20 nieces and nephews; and the great uncle of 34 grand-nieces and -nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Nov. 8, 2025, with memorial visitation be ginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by a funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. at Ascension Catholic Church in Oak Park

Joann Morency, 73 Animal Care League suppor ter

Joann T. Morency, 73, of Oak Park, died peacefully on Oct. 14, 2025. Born July 11, 1952, she enjoyed spending time with her grandnephews and grandnieces, creating lasting memories through both in-person visits and heartfelt correspondence. Joann is survived by her brother, Michael Sullivan (Jamie), and sister, Mary Weinand (Jon). She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Morency.

amily ceremony will be held at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, where she will be laid to rest. The family kindly requests that, in place of traditional gestures, donations be made to the Animal Care League, , IL 60304, (www.animalcarelea-

OPRF’s Stein superb at sectional

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

Last year, Oak Park and River Forest High School junior Lucy Stein reached the quarterfinals of the IHSA Class 2A girls tennis singles state tournament. Based on her performance so far, she has the appearance of a serious contender for this year’s championship.

At the Class 2A OPRF Sectional on Saturday, Stein won her second consecutive sectional title, defeating Jia Champlin of Lincoln Park 6-2, 6-0.

“She was a really good player,” Stein said of Champlin. “But I was able to play consistent and win the points.”

The rainy weather this weekend impacted the schedule of the sectional. First-round, second-round, and semifinal matches were played outdoors on Friday, and the championship matches took place indoors at the Oak Park Tennis and Fitness Centre.

Stein, now 30-2 this season, admitted she needed to make an adjustment going inside.

“I definitely think that the indoor game is different from the outdoor game,” she said. “I

felt good playing inside. It was still hard for me and my opponent, so I had to stay mentally strong.”

“Lucy’s been sparkling this year,” said OPRF coach Fred Galluzzo. “She’s lost to one player (CJ Coan of York) twice this year. Lucy is one of the real strong contenders for the state title.”

Stein, the sectional’s top seed, had a firstround bye She defeated Rose Brady of DePaul Prep 6-1, 6-0 in the second round; Katie McCarthy of Fenwick 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals; and Kate Gibble of St. Ignatius 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 in the semifinals

Stein’s victory over Champlin was a major factor in the team standings. OPRF and St. Ignatius tied for first with 21 points each, and the Huskies won the title based on the second tiebreaker: number of sectional champions

“We had a champion and [St. Ignatius] didn’t,” Galluzzo said. “It’s remarkable. Honestly, it was a big shock to me.”

Senior Clara Lau and junior Ava Lebovitz qualified for the doubles state tournament thanks to their third-place finish. The duo blanked Sophia Flasck and Kaya Lamarre of Jones Prep 6-0, 6-0 in the first round, then

defeated Tess Taylor and Clare O’Rourke DePaul 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.

Lau and Lebovitz lost the semifinal to ev tual sectional champions Imade Osaghae and Harper Wright of Whitney Young 3-6, 3-6, bu rebounded to defeat Kate and Keira Lloyd of DePaul 6-4, 6-1 to take third place.

“They’ve been together since the first w of September,” Galluzzo said. “[Lau and Lebovitz] took a little time trying to figure out each other’s game, but they’re really playin well together as they’ve grown into a team.

Sophomore Ella Rangsithienchai and seniors Tess Cronin and Zoe Panton also c peted for OPRF. Following a bye, Rangsithienchai lost her second-round singles match to Emma Louderback of Fenwick 1-6, 1-6. Cronin and Panton won their second-round d bles match 6-4, 6-1 over Lea Kostic and Aderin Oshuntugi of Whitney Young before losing to Catherine Grace Smith and Sophie Espaldon in the quarterfinals 4-6, 6-3, 5-7.

The state tournament, hosted by Hersey, takes place Oct. 23-25. OPRF is entering on a confident note.

“Ava and Clara are in position to get something done this tournament,” Galluzzo said.

WHEN MEMORY FADES HOPE DOESN'T.

OPRF’s junior Lucy Stein warms up before her IHSA Class 2A OPRF girls tennis sectional nal against Jia Champlin of Lincoln Park, Oct. 18.

for them, once they get into the second round, they’ll play with confidence and hopefully get on a roll in the back draw.”

“I’m feeling good,” Stein said. “I’d definitely like to play more aggressive at state, but I feel I’ve played really well this season and had a lot of good wins.”

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Fenwick football gives Mt. Carmel all it can handle

But Friars lose on late score

By MELVIN TATE Contributing Reporter

The Fenwick football team put up a great fight F riday night in Chicago against Mount Carmel, the state’s topranked team in Class 8A. The Friars were thinking upset after tying the Caravan midway through the final quarter on a defensive score. But Mount Carmel scored a late touchdown, then forced a turnover on Fenwick’s final possession to prevail 35-28. Jake Thies interce pted Emmett Dowling on the opening possession and returned it 43 yards to the Mount Carmel 41. Two plays later, Tommy Thies scored on a 41yard r un to give Fenwick (6-2) a 7-0 lead . After the Caravan (8-0) tied things up on its next possession, the F riars marched 81 yards on 10 plays to re gain the lead. Jamen Williams capped the drive with a 31yard touchdown r un at the 9:18 mark of the second quar ter

But the momentum shifted to Mount Carmel as a 47-yard field goal try by Noah

Sur was blocked and returned deep into Fenwick territory. Dowling threw touchdown passes on back-to-back possessions to put the Caravan ahead 21-14 at halftime.

Things didn’t look good for Fenwick when Dowling threw his third touchdown pass with four seconds left in the third quarter to give Mount Carmel a 28-14 lead

But the F riars rallied in the fourth quarter as Jake Thies caught a short pass from Williams and eluded several defenders for a 21-yard score. T hen Mike Murphy interce p ted Dowling and returned it 32 yards for a pick-six and a 28-28 tie with 6:05 remaining.

However, on the ensuing drive, Nate Samuels put Mount Carmel in scoring position with a 34-yard r un. A few plays later, Samuels scored from nine yards out to give the Caravan a 35-28 lead with 2:12 remaining

Two plays into Fenwick’s next possession, Williams was sacked and stripped of the ball, and Mount Carmel recovered to seal the g ame.

Fenwick ends the re gular season at Carmel, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Mundelein.

Boys team seizes 4th in tough West Suburban Silver meet; girls nish 5th

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

All gas, no brakes. That, in a nutshell, was Yonny Rafter’s strateg y Saturday in the West Suburban Silver boys cross country meet at Proviso West.

And it worked. Rafter, an Oak Park and River Forest senior, took eighth in 15:56.96, while junior teammate Nick Houghton finished 11th in 16:08.59. That propelled the Huskies to a fourth-place finish as a team in arguably the toughest cross country conference in the state.

In fact, OPRF’s 102 points were three shy of Hinsdale Central. York won the meet with 39 points, while defending state champion Downers Grove North was second with 41.

“Usually I g et out on the slower side and then I work my way up,” Rafter said. “Getting out fast put me in the position to succeed later on in the race. Coming in, I was hoping to g et out and g et into that top pack of r unners because I was not r unning with them most of those races. But yesterday I did.”

Pretty impressive, coach Chris Baldwin said, considering Rafter also has a strong kick .

“He had a great race,” Baldwin said. “He got out that first mile and felt smooth. He’s always someone who closes a race really well and he showed that yesterday.”

Houghton said he was a keen observer of his teammate’s ef for ts during the race.

“I was looking at Yonny all the time as the race unfolded and then slowly passing guys,” he said. “It’s a very small race, 49 kids, so I would need to stick with the pack right behind the leader s.”

Seniors Brady Creel (21 st place, 16:37.79), Julian St. Pier re (30th, 17:05.46) and David Schiff (32nd, 17:09.62) rounded out the top

OPRF football

In its home finale Friday night versus Addison Trail, OPRF took a 10-point lead in the second quarter. But the visiting Blazers ran of f 20 unanswered points and held on for a 23-20 victory over the Huskies, who dropped their fourth consecutive game.

Liam Smith ran for 159 yards on 30 carries and a touchdown for OPRF (2-6). Chris Crape caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Darren Law, and John Matz recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown for the Huskies, who end the season Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m., at Hinsdale Central.

Fenwick/Trinity girls cross-country

At the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference meet hosted by Marmion, Oct. 18, Fenwick finished third in the Red Division with 89 points.

Junior Juliana Gamboa paced the Friars with a fifth-place finish, coming in at a time of 18:20.01. Sophomore Bridget Brunick was seventh in 18:54.31 and junior Mia

Bagato was eighth in 18:54.74 to give Fenwick three top ten runners

The Friars’ other runners were juniors Lily Kotynek (30th), Allison Austin (39th), and Maya Trouillhet (40th), and senior Romy Berg etz (41st).

Trinity had four runners competing in the White Division. Junior Alexa Rodriguez had the Blazers’ best finish, coming in 22nd in 24:40.32. Senior Grace Ramel (23rd), freshman Janiyah Vazzana (27th), and junior Mary Margaret Wynne (28th) completed Trinity’s lineup.

Fenwick boys cross-country

Also at Marmion, Fenwick’s boys placed ninth in the Chicago Catholic League meet with 239 points. Junior Burke Burns had the Friars’ best showing, placing 40th in 17:08.37.

Fenwick’s other competitors were senior Jason Garza (46th), sophomore Wolfie Bergetz (47th), and seniors Nicholas Casaccio (52nd), James Kiesewetter (54th), and Aidan Powers (56th).

five for the Huskies, who now move on to IHSA re gional competition next Saturday at Chic ago’s Hor ner Pa rk

“I think we aim high,” Houghton said of the Chicago Lane re gional. “[Conference] was definitely our best race of the season, but we want to keep that momentum going.”

An X-factor could be sophomore Gus Singer, who won the sophomore race in 17:02.59 and will get bumped up to varsit y for re gionals

Coincidentally, not only did Rafter finish eighth Saturday, but so did his counterpart on the OPRF girls team, senior Violet Schnizlein, at 19:00.01.

“We were talking about it afterward,” Schnizlein said of Rafter. “We completely matched each other.”

Not only in placement, but race strateg y as well.

“My normal race I really like to g et out in the first stretch,” Schnizlein said. “I like that first sprint and being in that first pack, and then settle into my pace. I set-

tled in once we hit the 800-meter mark.”

Coach Laura Turk said what helps Schnizlein is her respect for her competition.

“She knows where she wants to be and who she is racing against and she does that with calm confidence,” Turk said.

T he Huskies took fifth in the team comp etition with 109 points, and got a lot of help from a supporting cast that bunched up in the mid-20s placements. Junior Isabella Crowe took 22nd in 20:05.55, freshman Loie Burwell was 23rd in 20:08.78 and junior Emily Jones was 25th in 20:12.04. Another freshman, Rose Super, took 31st in 20:31.77.

T hose freshmen really provided a lift, Turk said, and should at Horner Park this Saturday.

“We talk about them r unning as a pack,” she said of Burwell and Super. “They have been consistent ad apting to the high school progr am, training in groups, with partners, and they are bridging the gap with what they learned in middle school r unning.”

the sun shine

Legal Notice

Village of River Forest Development Review Board River Forest, Illinois

Public notice is hereby given that a Public Hearing will be held by the Development Review Board of the Village of River Forest, County of Cook, State of Illinois, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the River Forest Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, Illinois on the following matter:

Application # 25-0012: The Applicant seeks to install lights to illuminate the tennis courts at the River Forest Tennis Club

The address of the property is as follows: 615 Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305.

The applicant is: River Forest Tennis Club

Legal Description:

BLOCK 15 IN COUNTY CLERK’S DIVISION OF BLOCK 15 IN QUICK’S

SUBDIVISION OF PART OF THE NORTHEAST ¼ OF SECTION 12, TOWNSHIP 36 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST OF THE THIRD PRINICIPAL MERIDIAN, IN COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard at the public hearing, the purpose of which is to take evidence on the Application for the Development Review Board and Village Board to consider. A copy of the application and meeting agenda will be available to the public at the Village Hall, 400 Park Avenue, River Forest, or at www.vrf.us.

Clifford Radatz

Secretary Development Review Board

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING VILLAGE OF OAK PARK ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

CALENDAR NUMBER� 23�25�Z

HEARING DATE� November 12, 2025

TIME� 7�00 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 Zoning Board of Appeals (“ZBA”) will conduct a public hearing on an application filed by the Applicant, 427 Madison, LLC, seeking a special use permit from Section 8.3 �Table 8�1� Use Matrix) of the Zoning Ordinance of the Village of Oak Park to construct a four �4� unit, 3-story plus penthouse townhouse development at 427 Madison Street, Oak Park, Illinois, Property Index Number 16�18�206� 014�0000 �“Subject Property”) in the MS Madison Street Zoning District.

In addition, the Applicant seeks the following variances from the requirements of Table 5�1 of the Zoning Ordinance:

1. A reduction of the rear yard setback from a required 25’ to 18’�7.5”, inclusive of the alley, along the west lot line; and

2. An increase in maximum height from 35’ to 40’.

A copy of the application and applicable documents are on file and are available for inspection at Village Hall, Development 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. Interested persons may also sign up to participate inperson in the hearing to cross examine the applicant and its witnesses by submitting a cross-examination form or by emailing Zoning@oakpark.us before 5�00 PM on the day prior to the public hearing.

The public hearing may be adjourned by the ZBA to another date without further notice by public announcement at the hearing setting forth the time and place thereof.

Published in Wednesday Journal October 22, 2025 Published in Wednesday Journal, October 22, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M25000943 on October 1, 2025 Under the Assumed Business Name of MANAGING HORIZONS PRESS with the business located at: 907 SOUTH BLVD UNIT 5, OAK PARK, IL 60302. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: GIL HERMAN, 907 SOUTH BLVD UNIT 5, OAK PARK, IL 60302, USA.

Published in Wednesday Journal October 8, 15, 22, 2025

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M25000963 on October 7, 2025 Under the Assumed Business Name of BETSY’S BASEMENT with the business located at: 8641 PARKVIEW AV, BROOKFIELD, IL 60513. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: ELIZABETH L SNYDER 8641 PARKVIEW AVE, BROOKFIELD IL, 60513, USA

WENDY S. MCINERNEY 114 S. ASHLAND AV., LAGRANGE, IL 60525, USA

Published in RB Landmark October 15, 22, 29, 2025

STATE OF WISCONSIN CIRCUIT COURT PORTAGE COUNTY

JOHN M. NOEL AND PATRICIA D. NOEL AS TRUSTEES OF THE JOHN M. NOEL AND PATRICIA D. NOEL JOINT

REVOCABLE TRUST DATED JANUARY 4, 1996, AS AMENDED 4501 State Highway 66 Stevens Point, WI 54482

Plaintiff,

v.

EUGENE STAPLES 7222 Cermak Road Suite 403 North Riverside, IL 60546

Defendant.

Case No.: 2025CV000208 Case Code: 30303

SUMMONS FOR PUBLICATION

THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, to each person named above as a defendant:

You are hereby notified that the Plaintiff named above has filed a lawsuit or other legal action against you.

Within forty (40) days after October 22, 2025, you must respond with a written demand for a copy of the Complaint. The demand must be sent or delivered to the Court, whose address is Portage County Courthouse, 1516 Church Street, 2nd Floor –Courthouse, Stevens Point, WI, 54481 and to Plaintiffs attorney whose address is Krekeler Law, S.C., 26 Schroeder Court, Suite 300, Madison, WI 53711. You may have an attorney help or represent you.

PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF COOK COUNTY, ILLNOIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT, PROBATE DIVISION Estate of GENEVIEVE WRIGHT, Deceased Case No. 2025 P 0049545

That the Order Admitting Will to Probate and Appointing Representative in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois was granted on September 3, 2025 for the Estate of GENEVIEVE WRIGHT, Deceased and that KEITH WRIGHT was appointed as the Independent Executor and letters of office have issued.

This ad requests that any unknown heirs make themselves known to the attorney herein.

This ad will serve as a notice to creditors that they have 6 months from the date of filing of this petition to submit their claims.

Atty Name: Matt Leuck Attorney for Petitioner 2318 Elmwood Ave Berwyn, IL 60402 708-243-6270 xkrinkles@aol.com Atty No. 11017

Published in RB Landmark October 22, 2025

If you do not demand a copy of the Complaint within forty (40) days, the Court may grant judgment against you for the award of money or other legal action requested in the Complaint, and you may lose your right to object to anything that is or may be incorrect in the Complaint. A judgment may be enforced as provided by law. A judgment awarding money may become a lien against any real estate you own now or in the future and may also be enforced by garnishment or seizure of property. A copy of the Summons and Complaint has been mailed to you at the address above.

Dated this 6th day of October, 2025.

KREKELER LAW, S.C. Attorneys for Plaintiff

By:/s/ Noah T. Rusch Noah Rusch State Bar No. 1113201

ADDRESS

26 Schroeder Ct., Ste. 300 Madison, WI 53711 (608) 258-8555 (608) 663-0287 (fax)

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