Oak- Park- Journal

At Harlem-Harrison, Forest Park and
Oak Park going in different directions
 

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that discussions by Forest Park village government are proceeding to
bring new business to the area at and near Harlem Avenue and Harrison
Street, but plans for a motel across Harlem to the east in Oak Park are
on hold?
Public hearings on Forest Park's plans will be held Nov. 13 and Nov. 27
at village hall. Proposed developers of a Sleep Inn motel slated for
Harlem Avenue and Garfield Street in Oak Park, though, have not yet been
able to raise sufficient financing.

-- that Oak Park Pantry had a, well, short shelf life?
The small convenience store has closed at 809 Garfield St., after
opening in the spring. The space is now for rent.

-- that work has begun to install a sign at the property owned by Oak
Park and River Forest High School on the south side of Lake Street
between Elmwood and East avenues in Oak Park?

-- that the new restaurant at Madison Street and Des Plaines Avenue in
Forest Park is called Marbuzet?
Owner Jack Jones, who previously was associated with a couple of trendy
restaurants in Chicago, named the eatery, at 7600 W. Madison St., after
an area of Bordeaux. The space has been occupied over the years by a
series of restaurants.

-- that on Nov. 16 the Project Unity Building Bridges Workshop Series
will continue at the Oak Park Public Library?
The next session will be a "Controversial Issues Workshop" from 6:30 to
9 p.m. at the library, 834 Lake St. Conducting the workshop will be the
National Coalition Building Institute. Project Unity is the Oak Park
group that works to improve relations between people of different races
and cultures.

-- that Oak Park village government is looking to hire a new risk
manager/legal assistant to replace Alex Alexandrou, who resigned
recently to take a position outside village hall?
The government position pays $50,000 to $60,000 per year.

-- that Oak Park Elementary School District 97 is looking to hire a
"Middle Level School Plant Manager" and a salary of $46,000 to $48,000
per year?
The successful candidate would have experience in plant managing and an
excellent attendance record and would have to be available for
emergencies.

-- that in another personnel move at Oak Park village hall, Michael Chen
has replaced Penny Wallingford as director of development services?
Chen was promoted from his post as redevelopment manager in the village
hall department, where he has been working for about a year.

-- that Papaspiros restaurant, 733 Lake St. in Oak Park, now offers
catering?

-- that the Boy Scouts of America council that serves the near-west
suburban area isn't actually asking for mercy, but they are asking for
relief from pressures being put on it for the national scouts' policy
against gay members?
In a public statement, the Des Plaines Valley Boy Scout Council, which
is in LaGrange, hopes supporters of scouting recognize the value to
young people, wants to continue to have access to public school
facilities and wants the United Way to "realize scouting's value to the
potential, dignity and worth of all people, regardless to their
background" and to continue funding to the scouts.
The Des Plaines Valley Council serves the following communities in Cook
and DuPage Counties:

Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Bedford Park, Bellwood, Berwyn,
Bridgeview, Broadview, Brookfield, Burr Ridge, Clarendon Hills,
Countryside, Darien, Downers Grove, Elmwood Park, Forest View, Franklin
Park, Hinsdale, Hodgkins, Indian Head Park, Justice, La Grange, La
Grange Highlands, La Grange Park, Lemont, Lyden Township, Lyons,
Maywood, McCook, Melrose Park, North Riverside, Northlake, River Grove,
Riverside, Stickney, Stone Park, Summit, Westchester, Western Springs,
Westmont, Willow Brook and Willow Springs.

-- that House Bill 4170, which would allocate $10 million from the State
of Illinois' Capital Development Board to help fund the new Oak Park
main public library, remains bottled up in the House Rules Committee?
The bill was sponsored by State Rep. Calvin Giles, a Democrat whose
district includes parts of Oak Park and Austin in Chicago. Later, Oak
Park's other state representatives, Republicans Jim Durkin and Angelo
"Skip" Saviano and and Democrat Wanda Sharp, signed on as co-sponsors of
the bill.

-- that the Internet domain northoak.com is now for sale?
The site had been used by North Oak Chrysler-Plymouth, which closed
recently at 6600 W. North Ave. in Chicago across from Oak Park.

-- that Volvo of Oak Park at 260 Madison St. has another location at 415
Roosevelt Road in Maywood?
Both are part of the West Suburban Auto Group.

-- that in addition to its restaurant in the River Forest Town Center on
the southwest corner of Harlem Avenue and Lake Street, Pronto Roma also
has or will have soon locations in the Elk Grove Village Town Center and
in Arlington Heights?
Besides meals, the restaurant serves el Gelato ice cream products, which
are also available at Food Life in Water Tower Place at 835 N. Michigan
Ave. in Chicago,  L'Appetito in the John Hancock Center at 875 N.
Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Mia Francesca Restaurant at  3311 N. Clark St.
in Chicago, Francesca's By The River in St. Charles, Rosebud on Rush at
720 N. Rush St. and Gene and Georgetti Steakhouse at 500 N. Franklin
Ave. in Chicago. The company is based in Franklin Park

-- that Triton College is seeking proposals to install an ATM at the
River Grove community college that serves the near-west Chicago suburbs?

-- that the City of Chicago has created a TIF district on Madison Street
east of Austin Boulevard?
Tax Increment Financing is a tool used by many municipal governments to
attract new business and development, and the city would like to bring
both to the Madison Street area of the Austin community. Oak Park has
three TIF districts, and River Forest has one.

-- that there are a load of links to African American web sites on the
home page of River Forest Elementary School District 90?
The links are as follows, with their URLs:

* African American Mosaic, an overview of the last 300 years of African
American development, http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam001.html

* Africans in America, history from slavery through the Civil War,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia

* African History Museum, a virtual museum with presentations on
slavery, the Tuskeegee Airmen and African American heritage,
http://www.afroam.org/history/history.html

* American Slave Narratives, transcripts of interviews with former
slaves, http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html

* Black Baseball Leagues, information on black baseball leagues and
black sports figures, http://www.blackbaseball.com

* Black History Resources,
http://socialstudies.com/feb/blackhistory.html

* The Civil Rights Movement, a site created by students,
http://www.fred.net/nhhs/project/civrts.htm

* National Civil Rights Museum, http://www.mecca.org/~crights/cyber.html

Oct. 23, 2000

Big bond sale eyed by River Forest 
school officials

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that the River Forest Elementary District 90 school board hopes to
issue new bonds next month to cover financial shortfalls?
The school board acted at its Oct. 16 meeting to issue $3,573,337 in
bonds to create a working cash fund that would be used, as such a fund
typically is, to cover shortfalls in school district expenses.
Residents, however, can block the bond issue and the extra property
taxes it will entail by filing petitions with the signatures of at least
10 percent of the voters in River Forest. If such enough petition
signatures are filed, the bonds will not be issued until voters approve
the move in the election next Feb. 27.

-- that the next meeting of Education First in Oak Park will be held
tomorrow night, Tuesday, Oct. 24?
The group, which wants to promote discussion of issues surrounding the
Oak Park public elementary schools and to recruit candidates to run for
school board election next spring, this week will discuss curriculum,
instruction and academic achievement from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Fox
Recreation Center in Fox Park on the northeast corner of Jackson
Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue. The public is invited to the forum at the
rec center's, whose address technically is 640 S. Oak Park Ave.

-- that, back to River Forest District 90, the school board  will
conduct its annual Strategic Planning Meetings this Thursday and Friday,
Oct. 26 and 27, in the Koehneke Center at Concordia University, 7400 W.
Augusta St. in River Forest?
The meetings of a previously selected planning committee of residents
and school district officials will start each day at 8 a.m.

-- that the Oak Park village board on Nov. 6 will hold a public hearing
on a proposal to raise local taxicab rates?
In part because of soaring gasoline prices, Blue Cab Co., 259 South
Blvd. in Oak Park is seeking the fare increase. Blue Cab serves a number
of Chicago suburbs, which are asked to approve the fare hike.

-- that the white population in Oak Park declined from 1970 to 1980 by
24 percent and declined from 1980 to 1990 by 33 percent?
The village was 11 percent black on 1980 and 18 percent black on 1990,
according to the census in both those years. The reason why the white
population showed a decrease is because the total population of Oak Park
declined so much from 1970 to 1990.

-- that a River Forest home was among the winners in this year's Chicago
Painted Ladies contest?
The Chicago Paint and Coatings Association holds the contest each year
to promote painting and painters. This year, the contest's 15th, Patrick
Tolan and Ellen Mitchell won one of the prizes for the  job they did on
their Keystone Avenue home, which now is colored blue, rose, mauve and
pink.

-- that the Green Information Center, the local headquarters of the
Green Party that is campaigning to elect Ralph Nader as U.S. President,
is at 244 Lake St. in Oak Park?
Among other things about the Nader campaign, his alone among the
candidates mentions race relations. "Closing the racial gaps that plague
America must be given the highest priority in the next administration,"
Nader said in a recent statement.

-- that the Forest Park Main Street Redevelopment Association recently
reached more than 200 members?
The association was begun when Forest Park joined the state government's
Mainstreet program that is aimed at assisting communities improve their
local business climate. Forest Park's program works to improve and
promote the business area on Madison Street, which essentially is
downtown Forest Park.

-- that Dominican University in River Forest is one of the co-sponsors
of the Chicago Humanities Festival?
The festival, now in its 11th year, presents artists, authors, scholars,
musicians, public policy-makers and others commenting on their fields'
past, present and future at a variety of cultural, educational and civic
sites throughout downtown Chicago. The festival this year runs from Nov.
2 to 12.

-- that West Suburban Health Care, the parent company of West Suburban
Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park, is being represented at today's
Nursing Spectrum Fair at the Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook?

-- that Oak Parker Talmidge Hill, who two years ago was a star football
player at Oak Park and River Forest High School, is doing pretty well as
the starting quarterback for the football team at Ball State University
in Muncie, Ind.?
Hill last year was red-shirted, which means he sat out the season to
protect his college eligibility, but this year is the starter on the
improving Ball State team. The team opened with four consecutive losses,
but had won two straight, including against nationally prominent Miami
University. The 6-1, 185-lb. Hill had a nice pass rating and scored
seven touchdowns.
By the way, Talmidge Hill is the son of Sandra and Ike Hill, who
formerly played in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills
and your Chicago Bears.

-- that Handyman Central has opened at 212 S. Marion St. in Oak Park?
The business employs craftsman and others who can be hired out to do
either simple or complex household chores and repairs.

-- that U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis until Dec. 19 is hosting a call-in
cable show on Tuesdays at 4 p.m.?
Davis, who on Nov. 7 will stand for re-election from the 7th District
that includes River Forest and most of Oak Park, hosts the show on cable
channel 21 in Chicago.

-- that the storefront at 264 Chicago Ave. is the latest corner
commercial vacancy in Oak Park?

 -- that for all the talk of how Oak Park is a hot bed of architecture
by the famed Frank Lloyd Wright, the village is, uh, home to only five
houses designed by Wright?
There is, of course, Unity Temple and other properties, but here's the
list of Wright-designed homes in Oak Park:
* The Nathan G. Moore House/Dugal Tour Home at 333 N. Forest Ave.
* The Arthur Heurtley House at 318 N. Forest Ave.
* The Frank W. Thomas House at 210 N. Forest Ave.
* The Mrs. Thomas H. Gale House at 6 Elizabeth Court
* The Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio at 428 N. Forest Ave.

-- that circulation at the two local newspapers covering Oak Park and
River Forest shows that Pioneers Press still tops the Wednesday Journal?

There's a lot of ways to look at the "Statement of Ownership, Management
and Circulation" numbers published recently as required by law, but one
consistent comparison can be made in the category of "total paid and/or
requested circulation."
In that category, the Oak Leaves and Forest Leaves in the 1999-2000 year
combined for 13,014, while the Journal was at 7,075. Then again, the
Journal, which formerly was a free newspaper, still gives away a lot of
free copies--2,534 per week in the last year--so maybe the best
comparison comes in "total distribution."
In that number, the Pioneer Papers still lead, 13,075 to 9,609. Two
years ago, in addition, the Journal's "total distribution" was at
12,079.
 

Oct. 17, 2000

Area Lesbian and Gay Association asks
for actions against Boy Scouts

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association says the Community
Chest of Oak Park & River Forest should no longer fund the area Boy
Scout council because of the national scouts' policy against having gays
involved?
In part of a lengthy statement, OPALGA said the following:
"We commend the Village of Oak Park, the Village’s Community Relations
Commission, the Community Foundation of Oak Park/River Forest, District
97 and District 200 and West Suburban Hospital for allowing persons of
conscience to direct that their charity funds not be given directly to
the Scouts. We urge all Community Chest campaign givers to support all
non-discriminatory agencies in Oak Park and request that their funds not
be used to support the local Des Plaines Council of the BSA (which
includes Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and other nearby suburbs).
"We believe that local members and leaders in Scouting programs have an
ethical and moral obligation to uphold community values and stand
against the bigotry of the national organization's current leadership.
They should re-charter under Oak Park’s local anti-discrimination
policies and send these to the Boy Scouts of America and to the Des
Plaines Scout Council.
"We strongly urge organizations sponsoring and/or chartering local Scout
programs, including the Community Chest and School Districts 97 and 200,
to reexamine their relationships with the Scouts and insist that
discrimination be prohibited by any group that receives your money
and/or uses any public facilities."
The OPALGA statement was signed by co-chairs Ray Johnson and Julie A.
Kreiner, treasurer Sarah Durbin, secretary Susan Anderson and
members-at-large Ethel Cotovsky, Lynne Clark, John Dames, Sam Halferty,
Chuck Huffman, Donna Karpavicius, Betsy Ritzman Stith and Mel Wilson.

-- that the last decade has seen much expansion at FBOP Corporation, the
parent company of First Bank of Oak Park?
In 1990, FBOP owned only First Bank at 11 Madison St. in Oak Park, which
had about $120 million in assets. Now, FBOP is a $5 billion holding
company that owns First Bank and Cosmopolitan Bank and Trust, Pullman
Bank and Trust, Regency Savings Bank, San Diego National Bank,
California National Bank, North Houston Bank, Citizens National Bank and
Madisonville State Bank, which are, variously, in Illinois, California
and Texas.
First Bank alone now has $163 million in assets.

-- that there is talk at village hall of someday putting more than a
parking lot at what used to be 616 S. Austin Blvd.?
Earlier this year, village government purchased a somewhat run-down
small apartment building at that address and demolished it with
intentions to put in a 23-space parking lot to serve residents of the
nearby multi-family and commercial properties on Harrison Street and
Humphrey Avenue.
But in considering referral of a special-use permit to build the parking
lot at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 16, some members of the village board
voiced support for doing something more attractive and/or productive on
Austin Boulevard, an Oak Park border street that some officials call a
"gateway."

-- that West Suburban Health Care, the parent company of West Suburban
Hospital Medical Center in Oak Park, has formed a new medical practice
with offices in Downtown Oak Park?
The practice, at 1011 Lake St., includes Drs. Ann Fischer, pediatrician;
Wendy Foster, internist; Paul Kungl, family practitioner; Marian
Sassetti, family practitioner; and Mary Schraufnagel, internist.

-- that the local League of Women Voters formed in Oak Park in 1909 and
expanded to include River Forest in 1947?

-- that officials representing the Oak Park Public Library will take a
tour of the Des Plaines Library next week?
On Tuesday morning, Oct. 24, a bunch of officials will car pool out to
north suburban Des Plaines, where a new library was built recently, one
even bigger than the new one the Oak Park library is planning for the
corner of Lake Street and Grove Avenue.
The Des Plaines version is 80,000 square feet and four stories, has lots
of other amenities and has twice the size of the previous library.

-- that the Internet at Triton College is funded partially by the Triton
College Student Association?

-- that the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, population in the
villages will be flat to the year 2020, with increases a little more in
Berwyn and Cicero to the south of the villages?
But at least for Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park, the projected
2020 increases in employment are greater than the rise in population.
Here's the NIPC employment figures at the last census and the counts
seen in 2020.

Community                       1990               2020
Oak Park                         17,413             20,135
River Forest                      5,816               6,301
Forest Park                      17,320             20,135
Maywood                        14,373             16,047
Elmwood Park                   2,876               2,927
Berwyn                             12,471            13,217
Cicero                              18,840             20,323

Racial achievement gap due--at least partly--
to hip-hop music, expert tells student conference

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that Ronald Ferguson, the Harvard University professor who was the
keynote presenter at last week's conference of the Minority Student
Achievement Network, offered at least one surprising theory for why
African American students don't do as well in public high schools as
their white counterparts?
Hip-hop, at least partly.
The subject of academic achievement of minority students was addressed
during MSAN's annual conference in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, which was
attended by, among others, 85 high achieving minority students,
including five from Oak Park and River Forest High School.
Ferguson gave the keynote address to the network, which is made up of 15
high schools that have the minority achievement gap as a subject of
serious inquiry. Included in the network are OPRF High and Evanston
Township High School in the Chicago area and high school districts in
Cambridge and Amherst/Pelham, Mass.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Shaker Heights
and Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Berkeley, Calif.; Chapel Hill, N.C.;
Montclair, N.J.; Madison, Wis.; Arlington, Va.; and White Plains, N.Y.
In his remarks, Ferguson said the infamous gap is not caused, as is most
commonly thought, by parents' education levels, single-parent homes, the
economy, negative attitudes about education or peer pressure.
According to Ferguson, minority students improved academically in the
1960s, after civil rights in the country kicked in; slumped in the
1970s; rose sharply in the 1980s, declined late in that decade and
stayed lower in the 1990s. Ferguson blamed "cultural distractions" for
the slumps: the so-called black power movement in the 1970s and hip-hop
music in the late 1980s. His theory is that the growing popularity of
hip-hop, and then gangsta rap, took away from academic attention by
blacks and other minorities--even though both kinds of music often also
interest whites.
In 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education declared the
United States a "nation at risk." but then in the late 1980s, Ferguson
said, the education movement slowed. Finally in his keynote address
Ferguson also called for:
* returning to the "education movement" of the early 1980s
* focusing on teaching and learning
* having parents become involved earlier with their children's
education. Ferguson said white parents are more involved than their
minority counterparts, but he did not blame minorities citing, "a
difference in societal backgrounds" for the differing level of parental
involvement.
Ferguson expressed optimism that "the gap" eventually will be closed,
but likely not for "a generation," and he asked for patience.
"The danger is," Ferguson said at the MSAN conference, "if the
achievement gap is not closed in (a few) years, the media and some
people will become negative."

-- that Dorothy Bounds, who founded Dorolyn Academy of Music in Oak Park
18 years ago and who still is president of the organization that offers
artistic and educational opportunities to young people, plans to retire
from the position at year's end?
Dorolyn, 411 South Blvd., offers a wide range programming and
performance, and there is no plan yet for who would succeed Bounds as
head of Dorolyn.

-- that Donald Romano, owner of Romano Brothers Beverage Co., one of the
state's largest liquor wholesalers lives in River Forest?

-- that members of the River Forest village board want to spread those
green slow signs that are in front of Lincoln School at Park Avenue and
Lake Street to other parts of the village?
In an effort to improve safety for students crossing Lake Street to and
from school, village hall put the signs up in the middle of Lake Street
and speed of the traffic reportedly has been reduced. Now, Village
Trustee Richard Prinz and Village President Frank Paris both want to
have the signs installed wherever there's a crossing guard in River
Forest. Currently, village government employees put the slow signs up
and take them down, but under board members' idea, crossing guards would
move the signs before and after their duty as crossing guards.
That may prove difficult, as the guards may not be able to easily move
the large and heavy signs. Village government staff is to report back
soon with a plan for expanding the signs.

-- that Oak Park village government needs a special use permit to build
the planned 23-space parking lot at 616 S. Austin Blvd.?
Village hall earlier this year purchased the run-down apartment building
on the land and then demolished the building. A special-use hearing on
the matter is scheduled to be held by the Zoning Board of Appeals on
Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. in village hall, Lombard Avenue and Madison
Street.

-- that the Madison Oak Park Currency Exchange at 805 Madison St. in Oak
Park has another location at 63rd and Cicero in Chicago?

-- that Illinois Harley-Davidson sponsors the Oak Park HOG chapter at
the Harley-Davidson store at 1301 S. Harlem Ave. in Berwyn?
HOG stands for Harley Owners Group, and meetings are held at the Berwyn
store on the third Thursday of every month. The Harley-Davidson business
formerly was on Roosevelt Road in Oak Park, but moved out of the village
when there was no room to expand or great interest from officials in
making a deal work.

-- that a host of appointments to boards and commissions in Illinois
state government by Gov. Ryan included a few local residents, among them
the following?
* Mary Clark, 44, of Oak Park to the State Rehabilitation Council. Clark
is executive director of Hearing Loss Link, a state agency that provides
services to hard of hearing persons.
* Nancy DeSombre, 61, of Oak Park to the State University Retirement
System Board of Trustees. DeSombre is president of Harold Washington
College, a Chicago city college in downtown Chicago.
* James Kowalczyk, 54, of River Forest to the Illinois Health Care Cost
Containment Council. Kowalczyk is group vice president for the Illinois
Hospital & Health Systems Association, a Naperville-based group that
works to strengthen hospitals and on behalf of high quality affordable
health care.
* Abraham Morgan, 58, of Oak Park, to the Illinois Medical District
Commission. Morgan is owner, president and CEO of Adaway's, Inc., a
multi-faceted business and civic company, and formerly was an operator
of health care clinics.
* Philip Rock, 63 of Oak Park to the Board of Higher Education. Rock,
who was reappointed, is a former president of the Illinois State Senate
and is currently president of Rock, Fusco & Garvey attorneys at law in
Chicago.
* Terrence Sullivan, 52, of Oak Park, to the  Assisted Living and Shared
Housing Quality of Life Advisory Committee. Sullivan is executive
director of the Illinois Council on Long Term Care, a state agency.

-- that you know about Harrison Street in Oak Park and the proliferation
of art galleries there in recent years, but you probably don't realize
the development of Madison Street in Forest Park as a major center for
antiques stores, artisan studios and related businesses?
Besides the many bars and restaurants on Madison between Harlem and Des
Plaines avenues, plenty of new businesses have popped up, led by
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore, which moved recently to 7519 Madison St.
from Garfield Street in Oak Park.
Now, also doing business on Madison Street in Forest Park are the
following:
* At Home with Antiques, 7416 Madison St.
* Berthold Schwaiger Studio Gallery, 756 Hannah St., at the corner with
Madison Street
* Circle Theatre, 7300 Madison St.
* Forest Park Antiques, 7504 W. Madison St.
* Jeanine Anderson Guncheon Studio, which also used to be in Oak Park,
7316 W. Madison St.
* Lexington Antiques and Furniture, 7232 W. Madison St.
* Pieces of the Past Antiques and Collectibles, 7500 W. Madison St.

-- that SONIC Express Blind Cleaning, which has been in business for
more than 13 years at 1003 Madison St. in Oak Park and which has another
location in west suburban Lisle, cleans more than 22,000 blinds a year,
both residential and commercial?

-- that applications for the Oak Park Area Arts Council's 2001
scholarship grants for teens are now available at Oak Park and River
Forest High School and at Proviso East High School in Maywood?
The grants are for graduating seniors of OPRF and graduating Proviso
East seniors who live in Forest Park. Applications must be returned to
the respective schools by Dec. 18.

-- that Tom Walsh spoke at the Oct. 10 annual meeting of the Oak Park
Republican Party held at Longfellow Recreation Center in Oak Park?

-- that arrangements have changed and the Wednesday Journal newspaper in
Oak Park will not be taking over the Near West Gazette published on the
Near West Side of Chicago?
Instead, plans now call for the Oak Park company to start the Chicago
Journal, a new weekly in competition with the Gazette in the Near West
Side area.
 

Left-over equipment causing 
ComEd problems?

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that a disturbing story is making the rounds about ComEd, the
electric utility company that suffered a power outage in downtown
Chicago Sunday and that had a few power outages in Oak Park this past
summer?
It goes like this: when the transmission distribution center on North
Boulevard near Euclid Avenue blew in June and put out the power for more
than 20,000 people, ComEd got it back on line by installing used
equipment from one of its supply yards. That's fine to get power back on
in a timely fashion, but that used equipment remains in the system and
has not been replaced by new equipment.

-- that Lyons Township High School's football team won 48-14 while
visiting Oak Park and River Forest High School on Saturday, which
doesn't make local residents happy?
But former Oak Park resident and LT principal Attila Weninger, now the
director of curriculum and instruction for Lyons Township HIgh School
district and a former Oak Park resident, was pleased to be sure.

-- that Marjorie Judith Vincent, the former Miss America from Oak Park
who we told you back in July was a cable television news anchor, turns
up in People magazine's review of Miss Americas this week?
While we knew that Vincent was a news anchor on the Ohio News Network,
we didn't know until people told us that she's the single mother of a
6-year-old son.

-- that Nagle Hartray Danker Kagan McKay Architect Planners of Chicago,
the architects for new main library in Oak Park that's going to be built
in Oak Park, also were designing architects for, among other projects,
First Bank of Oak Park's building at 11 Madison St., the Prairie Court
Apartments at 675 Lake St. in Oak Park and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios
building in Chicago?

-- that Grace Turi, who used to be with the Oak Park village hall
finance department, has since 1993 been the Finance Director of Western
Springs and now is also chairman of the Illinois Metropolitan Investment
Fund?

-- that "Dominican University has three new faculty members this school
year?
New to Dominican, 7900 W. Division St. in River Forest, are Kirby M.
McMaster, now professor of management systems; Janet Helwig of Oak Park,
assistant professor of information systems; and Dr. Andre J. San
Augustine of River Forest, now visiting associate professor of
marketing.
With classes on campuses in both River Forest and Northbrook,
Dominican's School of Business offers bachelors degrees in environmental
management, international business, business and accounting and master's
degrees in business administration, accounting, management information
systems, organization management and accounting. An open house will be
held in the River Forest campus on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 1:30 p.m.

-- that in its monthly evaluation of banks for compliance with the
Community Reinvestment Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
(FDIC) recently examined First Security Trust & Savings bank, 7355 W.
Grand in Elmwood Park?
The reinvestment act is a 1977 law intended to encourage banks and
thrifts to meet local credit needs, including those of low- and
moderate-income neighborhoods. FDIC also insures deposits at the
country's 10,101 banks and savings associations.

-- that the proposed first-ever Village of Forest Park Comprehensive
Plan for development includes a host of interesting proposals for the
village's future?
Village government officials currently are involved in an extensive
public review of the plan, which is designed to give directions to
Forest Park's future in development, planning and other areas. The
proposed plan generally calls for keeping Forest Park's emphasis as a
residential community and on public services, but the changes in the
business end include the following:
* "Explore strategies to eliminate the negative effects of absentee
landlords."
* "Promote the development of new housing for senior citizens."
* "Encourage the redevelopment of isolated and incompatible residential
properties within commercial areas."
* "Eliminate flooding on roadways within the village, particularly from
Roosevelt Road to Jackson Boulevard."
* "Continue to pursue" a pedestrian walkway between the Congress el
line's Des Plaines Avenue CTA station and the Maybrook circuit court
complex in Maywood by cutting through the abandoned railroad right-of
way between the courthouse and Forest Park.
* "Continue to explore secondary educational opportunities to benefit
the residents and children of Forest Park."
* "Continue to work" on a solution for expansion of the Post Office Bulk
Mail Center on Roosevelt Road.
* "Devise and implement a cultural diversity program."

-- that when the Congregation of the Sisters of Misericorde founded Oak
Park Hospital in 1905, it had 712 patients during the year?

-- that the Chicago Metropolitan Bowling Association has offices at 1010
Lake St. in Downtown Oak Park?

-- that, contrary to our recent item here, Walter A. Perkins III remains
president of the NAACP Oak Park branch?

Slavery reparations endorsed by 
Oak Park village board

By ERIC LINDEN

Did you know ...?

-- that the Oak Park village board on Oct. 2 passed a resolution in
support of a U.S. House bill that would give African Americans federal
reparations for having experienced slavery?
The resolution, which passed unanimously and without discussion by the
village board at its meeting on Oct. 2, supports the reparations bill
that has been proposed by U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan for the
last 11 years and reportedly has little chance of passing now. U.S. Rep.
Danny K. Davis, who 7th District includes most of Oak Park and all of
River Forest, is backing the measure.
The Oak Park resolution in part says, "The cruel; and inhuman treatment
and the denial of opportunity to black people caused extreme lasting
social and  psychological damage to the descendants of slaves that
continue to impede their social, economic and educational progress."
The village board also backed a state proposal to form an Illinois Riot
and Reparations Commission to study the reparations issue.

-- that North-Oak Chrysler-Plymouth on North Avenue in Chicago across
from Oak Park is "closed until further notice," according to signs on
the vacant dealership?
The closing at 6600 W. North Ave. and its adjoining parking lots leaves
a big empty space for two blocks to the east of Charter One Mortgage's
St. Paul Federal Bank. It's not in Oak Park, of course, but it might
have an impact, and there is an Oak Park office building across the
street at 6547 W. North Ave. that is for sale.

-- that members of the Forest Park Historical Society have rejected a
proposed merger with the Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest?
A meeting called by Forest Park society president Frank Orland, a merger
proponent, for Nov. 5 has been canceled.

-- that there's a new meeting place next week for Education First, a
group of Oak Park residents looking for involvement with the Oak Park
Elementary District 97 schools?
Education First announced on Oct. 1 it formed to "facilitate public
discussion about the challenges facing District 97" is "four major areas
of concern": finances, student achievement, diversity and "governance."
The group also is interested in recruiting candidates to run in the
school board election on April 3, 2001.
The Education First forum meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on
Wednesday, Oct. 11, and has been relocated to Maze Library, 845 S.
Gunderson St., according to Education First leader Scott Klapman of Oak
Park.

-- that in addition to the position of Oak Park police chief, which will
be opening up when Joseph Mendrick retires in June, police chief spots
already are open up elsewhere in the state, according to the Illinois
Associations of Chief of Police?
Now seeking chiefs are Charleston in east central Illinois; the College
of DuPage, which is seeking a Chief of Public Safety; Freeburg, which is
near St. Louis; New Lenox in Will County; Paris in eastern Illinois;
Park Ridge, a northwest suburb of Chicago; Coal City in Grundy County;
University Park in the south suburbs of Chicago; an executive director
of the Northern Illinois Police Crime Laboratory in Highland Park; and
nearby Triton College, which is seeking a campus police chief.
Triton College, the two-year community college in River Grove that
serves Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and other near-west suburbs,
is seeking a chief with at least eight years of police management
experience, preferably with an advanced degree.
The ad on Alert, the electronic publication of the Illinois, does not
mention any connections to Donald Stephens, the Rosemont mayor whose son
is chairman of the Triton board and who has other connections to Triton.

-- that only one of the seven state legislators who represent parts of
Oak Park in the General Assembly last year voted against the Rosemont
casino bills in Springfield?
Republicans Rep. Jim Durkin, Sen. Tom Walsh, Sen. Dan Cronin and  Rep.
Angelo "Skip" Saviano, the last two also representing River Forest,
voted for the casino plan as did Democrats Sen. Kimberly Lightford and
Rep. Wanda Sharp. Only Rep. Calvin Giles voted against the legislation
that would allow a casino to open in Rosemont, home of that Republican
power broker.

-- that the Chamber of Commerce has scheduled the Athena Award luncheon
for Thursday, Nov. 9, at noon at Oak Park Country Club?
The award goes each year to the person judged by an Oak Park-River
Forest Chamber of Commerce committee to be the top business or
professional woman in Oak Park and River Forest.
Nominations for the award are being taken by the chamber at 848-8151.

-- that the grand opening of Schereck Designs at 118 N. Marion St. will
be held on Oct. 28 and 29?
The store opened recently in Downtown Oak Park after relocating and
expanding from its former location at 125 S. Marion St. in Oak Park.

-- that Rev. Susan Ripert is the new pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church, 611 Randolph St. in Oak Park?

-- that when Concordia University held its homecoming football game on
Sept. 30 at Oak Park and River Forest High School football stadium, the
team lost to Aurora University by the incredible score of 66-3?

-- that the next Parent Visitation Day will be held at Oak Park and
River Forest High School on Thursday, Oct. 19?
This is the day when parents are invited to visit any class, talk with
students and teachers at the school, 201 N. Scoville Ave. The next
visitation day will be held on March 8, 2001.

-- that the new signs appearing at public locations in Oak Park are part
of a year-old "visual identity program" by village government?
As part of an overall effort to improve communications that included,
among other things, a new logo for village government, the new signs are
on village borders, in front of public buildings and part of a
"wayfinding" sign system in Downtown Oak Park."

-- that Walgreens, which has revealed long-rumored plans to put a store
at the southeast corner of Madison Street and Ridgeland Avenue, plans to
open 450 stores across the country this year?
Officials with the drug store chain said they have purchased the former
Bally's Total Fitness Club at 345 Madison St. and the other properties
east to Cuyler Avenue. The Walgreens store would open in 2001 and the
chain might close its store at 916 Madison St. in Oak Park. Walgreens
stores in the River Forest Town Center, North and Harlem avenues in
Elmwood Park, Roosevelt Road and Harlem Avenue in Forest Park, at
Narragansett and North avenues in Chicago across from Oak Park and
others in Chicago's Austin community to the east of Oak Park.

-- that the labor contract between Oak Park village government at the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers expires at
the end of the year?
That's the union that represents a host of inspectors, clerical and
employees at village hall that has had to battle since forming in March
1996. It sounds like contentious negotiations are coming up.
IAM came into being when the formerly non-union employees resented
treatment by village hall higher-ups, and much to village hall's chagrin
voted to join the union. Then, there was almost a strike in February of
1997, when terms of the union's first contract could not be negotiated
easily to say the lease. Union members took a strike authorization vote
before a contract was settled at the 11th hour.
In the years since, relations between the union and village hall
officials often have been strained.