| Roosevelt Road groundbreaking this Friday |
| Gov. Pat Quinn may be in attendance at event |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra!
Roosevelt Road is about to get a $9.5 million facelift courtesy of federal, state and local dollars. A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the kick-off is set for this Friday.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 |
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| Oak Park Township's 'interventionists' funding questioned |
| Saving our kids, one at a time |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Unlike most of Austin Gardens' patrons, who are sunning themselves or walking their dogs obliviously, Melissa Potrawski and Robert Simmons are at work. As Oak Park Township's Youth Interventionists, they're on the front lines of the fight to keep Oak Park and River Forest's kids from getting into trouble - and to pull kids already in trouble back on track.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park front patio - Social experiment or a good place for a glass of wine? |
| Steve Bankes put his patio out front. The rest is history in the making |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Steve Bankes insists that he wasn't conducting some sort of social experiment in the front yard of his Oak Park home. He just wanted somewhere to sit around and watch the kids play. But Bankes has caught the attention of newspaper columnists and nonprofits alike. They're heralding the little stone patio he put right outside his single-family home on the 700 block of North Grove, which he has dubbed the "conversation curve."
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| D97 eyes therapeutic day school for Oak Park special needs kids |
| School board open to asking voters to fund program via its 2011 referendum |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Should Oak Park create a therapeutic day school within District 97 to allow it to keep more students from outside placements? The district's special ed director says yes, and the school board is open to the concept.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Dum-Dum doesn't dumb down Burroughs |
| Bibliophiles pay respects to Tarzan author's fertile mind |
| By KEN TRAINOR |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Wednesday would have been Edgar Rice Burroughs' 135th birthday - if he had lived forever. Thanks to the Burroughs Bibliophiles, he may do just that - at least in memory. Name doesn't ring a bell? Burroughs was one of the bestselling authors of the 20th century.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest groups gear up for 9/11 fundraisers |
Two local groups are gearing up to commemorate the tragedies of Sept. 11, 2001, putting their own local, positive spin on the date.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park duo bike 930 miles to New Orleans. Why? Why not? |
| Getting to the Big Easy, the hard way |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Patrick Sugrue could have easily hopped a plane from Oak Park to New Orleans. He could have boarded a bus or hitched a ride. But instead, on an impulse, the 21-year-old Oak Parker decided to bike the roughly 930 miles to make it to his junior year of college.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Bakery to open in downtown Oak Park |
Cindy Summers is chasing her dream. The two-year Oak Park resident is leaving her job in corporate America and opening a European pastry shop, right in the heart of the village's downtown.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| D97 teacher says don't cut foreign language program |
Dawn Fogle Deaton, a Whittier Elementary School teacher and team leader in the FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary School) program, urged the District 97 school board not to cut her program in light of the district's current financial struggles.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Street construction at Beye |
The Village of Oak Park will begin street repairs to north Cuyler Avenue near Beye Elementary School, 230 N. Cuyler, after the Labor Day holiday.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| OPRF parent cafes launch this month |
The first in a series of "parent cafes" for OPRF parents to discuss student drug and alcohol use takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 14 at Unity Temple, 875 Lake St.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| D97 approves amended video camera policy |
The District 97 Board of Education on Aug. 24, approved its policy concerning the use of video cameras at Brooks and Julian Middle Schools.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Expulsions, drug offenses up at OPRF |
| Report also shows suspensions topped 900 in 2009-2010 school year |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Expulsions and drug-related offenses were up in the 2009-2010 school year at Oak Park and River Forest High School, according to discipline figures released last week by the school.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| A microbrewery in Oak Park? |
Could a hoppy ale brewed right here in Oak Park be a reality sometime in the near future? The notion of opening a microbrewery in the village was also discussed at last week's liquor hearing.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest private schools see slight uptick in enrollment |
| Many saw recession related drops in enrollment, but principals say things are on the mend |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
The Great Recession appeared to have taken a bite out of enrollment at local private elementary schools - with job losses and shrinking pocketbooks forcing some parents to take their kids public.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Small turnout for Oak Park liquor hearing |
| Restaurateurs raise issue with requirement to order food with booze |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/26/2010 12:50 p.m.
The Village of Oak Park invited restaurant owners from around town to voice any concerns they might have with local rules governing how they can serve liquor. But only a handful turned out for the meeting last week.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park man pleads guilty to child porn charges |
| Former Columbia College professor faces minimum sentence of 5 years in prison |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/26/2010 3:42 p.m.
An Oak Park man arrested last November on child pornography charges pleaded guilty on Aug. 24, and now faces a minimum of five years in prison.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Trinity High School unveils new mascot, fight song |
| ‘Captain Blazer’ and student-written song debut to cheers |
| By BEN MEYERSON and J. GEIL |
Web Extra! Audio slideshow
First reported 8/27/2010 3:00 p.m.
With a raucous crowd of excited high school girls watching raptly, Trinity High School unveiled two firsts Friday morning: a mascot and a fight song. "Captain Blazer," a blue-haired, tube-socked and caped heroine debuted to deafening screams of excitement, sprinting onto the stage of Trinity's auditorium in full regalia.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Elected officials break silence on Oak Park TIF lawsuit |
| But board members from D200, D97 and village decline to discuss possible progress publicly |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/31/2010 12:44 p.m.
Oak Park's Village Hall and the two local school districts have been embroiled in a lawsuit since February, in a dispute over $3.3 million that the high school believes it is owed by the village government.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Fire chief to run River Forest |
| Fire Chief Jim Eggert will fill gap as interim village administrator through Nov. 1 |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/24/2010 3:43 p.m.
The River Forest village board celebration of the appointment of a new village administrator was cut short when current administrator Steve Gutierrez informed the village he's planning to leave his post on Sept. 10, more than a month and a half before his successor arrives.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest bike theft map 8/16 - 8/23 |
Web Extra! Map
An interactive map of when and how bikes were stolen in Oak Park and River Forest between Aug. 16 and Aug. 23, 2010, brought to you by Wednesday Journal.
Friday, August 27, 2010 |
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| Film crew takes over Forest Park car wash |
| By KATIE DREWS |
Web Extra!
A little dose of Hollywood hit neighboring Forest Park Thursday at the Harlem and Randolph Car Wash for the filming of a new, big-budget Chevy commercial.
Friday, August 27, 2010 |
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| New Oak Park pub hopes to hook customers |
| Kinderhook Tap opens in former Nola’s Cup space |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra! Slideshow
A new bar just opened in Oak Park, joining a bustling stretch of restaurants in the Southtown area of the village. But owner Kristin Graham hopes that residents feel like Kinderhook Tap has been there forever.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| River Forest picks new village administrator |
| Eric Palm, currently administrator in northwest suburb Hampshire, former Des Plaines assistant city manager |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/23/2010 8:20 p.m.
River Forest picked the village's new boss Monday night: Eric Palm, 34, who's currently the village administrator in the Kane County town of Hampshire.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Scoville Park master plan gets Park District of Oak Park OK. Now, how to pay for it? |
| First phase of construction scheduled for 2012 |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/20/2010 1:49 p.m.
The Park District of Oak Park's board approved a master plan for Scoville Park Thursday night, bringing the five-month-long process of planning for the resculpting of the village's central park to a close.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Loyola's proposed River Forest clinic tiptoes closer |
| Development Review Board considers tagging on revenue guarantees |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/20/2010 3:35 p.m.
River Forest gave tentative approval Thursday night for a new building from Loyola Medical Center's Gottlieb Hospital, but attached some ideas to make sure the development doesn't drain the village's coffers.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Once more, construction begins on Roosevelt Road |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
After a near two-month delay, work is set to start on a $9.5 million project that will change the face of Roosevelt Road at Oak Park's southern edge.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Community Bank shifts focus in south Oak Park |
| Institution puts Roosevelt branch on hold while figuring ‘comprehensive plan’ |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
An Oak Park-based bank has put plans to build a new branch office on Roosevelt Road on hold, as it figures out what it wants to do in the south area of the village.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| No first-day jitters for freshmen twins |
| Kaitlin and Kevin Price, both 14, start their OPRF careers this week |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Siblings Kevin and Kaitlin Price may be too cool for school. Not as far as style or attitude, but temperament. There are likely some Oak Park and River Forest High School freshmen sweating out their first week of school as kids head back to campus. Tuesday was the first day for freshmen while Wednesday is the first day for all students.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| A second round of mosquito spraying in Oak Park Wednesday night |
As part of a continuing effort to battle the West Nile virus, the Village of Oak Park will get a second spraying for mosquitoes on Wednesday evening.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Oak Park Catholic schools asked to cough up cash for crossing guards |
| But principals say budgets are already set for 2010-11 school year |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
The Village of Oak Park is asking three local Catholic schools to pay for crossing guards near their buildings, a service that village hall had been providing for years. But leaders at the institutions are saying the request came in far too late, and that they likely won't have money to cover the $6,500-per-intersection fee the village is quoting.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Ascension launches full-day K program |
Ascension School, 601 Van Buren St., opens its all-day kindergarten program this week. About 40 kindergarteners have started classes in two remodeled classrooms.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Students return to OPRF amidst construction |
| Pools, two science labs off limits to students at the start of the school year |
| By TERRY DEAN |
A few more nips and a handful of tucks are still needed at Oak Park and River Forest High School as construction in certain parts of the building continues as students arrive back to campus this week.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Consolidation not a ballot option says OPRF board |
Oak Park and River Foresters interested in exploring combining local public schools into a single unit will have to continue to ponder that option amongst themselves-or shout a little louder.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Elgin district principal lands Oak Park curriculum coordinator job |
| 'This is where I wanted to be' |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Duane Meighan, District 97's new curriculum coordinator, had been watching, and admiring, the Oak Park elementary school district from afar.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Brick by boring brick |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Wojciech Jelen, who works for Sealguard, endures the heat and humidity as he salvages bricks from a chimney atop an apartment building at Oak Park Avenue and Pleasant Street in Oak Park.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Flood report: River Forest homes next to Priory too low |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Many River Forest homes next to Dominican University's Priory got hit the hardest in the torrential eight-inch rainstorm on July 24.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Extra Oak Park and River Forest cops on the street through Labor Day |
| Illinois throwing cash at local police for DUI enforcement |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Put down those drinks and keep those seatbelts buckled - Oak Park and River Forest police are hitting the streets a little harder than usual as Labor Day approaches.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Park District of Oak Park's Senior Advisory Committee lobbying for more, better programs |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Given the size of their constituency, senior citizens involvement is surprisingly laggard in the Park District of Oak Park. The village's elder demographic has a handful of programs devoted to them in the park district, but many simply aren't well attended.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Circle Theatre primps new Oak Park spot |
Maggie Paloucek of Brookfield, who is with the junior company at Circle Theatre, paints at the former Village Theater on Madison Street in Oak Park. Actors, directors and even board members helped as the Circle Theatre group from Forest Park prepares to leave its Forest Park home of almost 25 years.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Congregations in Oak Park vary from the thousands to just several dozen |
| All churches great and small |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Rev. John McGivern of St. Edmund Parish in Oak Park walks through the 100-year-old church's sanctuary that seats about 500. But its total congregation is some 1,300. That puts St. Edmund, 188 S. Oak Park, among the largest churches in Oak Park.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Weninger gets interim post in Wisconsin |
| By TERRY DEAN |
First reported 8/17/2010 5:21 p.m.
Attila Weninger, former superintendent of Oak Park and River Forest High School, was hired Aug 16 as interim superintendent in a school district in Wisconsin.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
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| Federal purse opened by disaster declaration |
| By AMY MALINA |
Web Extra!
Home and business owners in Oak Park and River Forest who lost property or whose buildings were damaged in recent flooding - now that Cook County officially has been declared a disaster area - may start applying for assistance as of Aug. 20.
Friday, August 20, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest bike theft map 8/9 - 8/16 |
Web Extra! Map
An interactive map of when and how bikes were stolen in Oak Park and River Forest between Aug. 9 and Aug. 16, 2010, brought to you by Wednesday Journal.
Thursday, August 19, 2010 |
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| Oak Park, River Forest and OPRF superintendents. One room. Two hours. |
| TIF lawsuit, achievement gap, drugs discussed by Isoye, Hagerman and Roberts |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Two newly-hired school superintendents from Oak Park sat down with their veteran counterpart from River Forest last Thursday for a first joint interview conducted by Wednesday Journal.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| River Forest schools, village board agree on crossing guards |
| Schools will pay village to manage reduced cadre |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
The village of River Forest and River Forest Public Schools reached an agreement to have crossing guards in place when school starts next week, ending a two-month long battle.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Oak Parker named leader of Active Transportation Alliance |
| Saving the planet one bike ride at a time |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Some bleeding-heart environmentalists talk the talk, but then they go home to their gas-guzzling SUV. Not Oak Parker Ron Burke, who was recently named as the new leader of an eco-friendly organization that focuses on getting people out of cars and on to bikes, trains and their walking shoes.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| New programs crawling at River Forest schools |
| Hands-on approach to science, math has teachers and kids enthused |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Slideshow
River Forest's public schools are taking students' fascination with the world - including the gross stuff - and molding it into a new hands-on math and science curriculum at District 90's Lincoln and Willard elementary schools.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Oak Park police team with online community to find stolen bikes |
| Craigslist sting recovers lost wheels |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Bikes get stolen every day in the Chicago area, and in the summers, it's a crime that inevitably escalates. But when one Chicago man walked out of his River North gym in May to find only a small piece of his bike's cable lock on the ground where his wheels had once been, he didn't sit passively and mope.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Groupon and other deal sites increasingly targeting Oak Park's shops |
| For meals and more, daily deals galore |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Nestled in the Oak Park Arts District, Briejo is one of the village's rising stars on the restaurant scene. With glowing reviews from restaurant critics both local and regional, its reputation is growing.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Graffiti on the downswing in Oak Park |
| One business owner believes closure of paint shop has helped |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
A couple of years ago, graffiti was surging in Oak Park, with a reported 246 incidents in 2007, a high-water mark over the past five years. But the numbers have dropped dramatically and officials believe that Oak Park has come a long way in curtailing its tagging problem.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Hearing to ask how Oak Park is doing on liquor |
Oak Park is inviting local restaurant owners to a hearing next week as local officials decide whether the village should relax its liquor laws. The village clerk's office asked restaurant owners with liquor licenses to come to an Aug. 24 hearing.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Mills' marvel puts on virtuoso performance |
| By KEN TRAINOR |
Web Extra! Audio of the Violano
It has 123 separate functions, roughly 1,500 individual parts and 27 miles of wire (each the thickness of a human hair), and it's all crammed into a mahogany and glass cabinet - along with a violin, a piano harp and hammers, two rollers and a 110-volt DC motor.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| River Forest schools make last-minute hire |
Just eight days before the start of school, River Forest's Public School board voted to hire a new first grade teacher to ease its burgeoning enrollment.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| A consolidated Oak Park and River Forest school district? Easier said than done |
| Superintendents look to cost sharing as better way to save tax dollars |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Anyone thinking that consolidating Districts 90, 97 and OPRF will result in a cost-benefit boom should think again.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Tackling drugs, alcohol as 'a community' |
| Superintendents say parents, kids alone can’t solve problem |
| By TERRY DEAN |
To tackle the issue of drug abuse by students from Oak Park and River Forest, it's going to take a community effort according to the three local school superintendents.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Despite perception, residency issues at OPRF are few |
| School bills parents of five improperly enrolled students $88,000 in tuition |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Last year, more than 300 cases of possible residency violations were investigated at Oak Park and River Forest High School. But only 17 of those investigations led to the conclusion that residency rules were being violated.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Stevenson burglaries prompting 'emergency' action by Park District of Oak Park |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
The Park District of Oak Park's Stevenson Center was broken into twice last week, with burglars smashing windows and breaking open the vending machine both times.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Oak Park police pick up last four Longfellow brawlers |
Four more boys turned themselves in to Oak Park police last week in the saga of a large brawl July 30 at Longfellow Park, 610 S. Ridgeland in Oak Park.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Ballet tryouts |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Girls in leotards lined up last Saturday in hopes of earning a spot in Ballet Legere's winter production of "The Nutcracker." The tryouts were held at Roosevelt Middle School's gymnasium.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Radio personality Peter Sagal hit by car while biking |
| Oak Parker says incident happened Wednesday in LaGrange |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/13/2010 4:18 p.m.
National Public Radio host and Oak Park resident Peter Sagal was recently discharged from the hospital after getting hit by a car while cycling in LaGrange last week.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| West Side bust, Oak Park links |
| Massive heroin ring shows deal-making on Roosevelt Road |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/13/2010 4:26 p.m.
Chicago's war on drugs scored a major victory last week, shutting down major players in a heroin market on the city's West Side that authorities say yielded $10,000 a day.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Oak Park fails, again, on Los Cazadores sale |
| Buyers can’t find bank financing for restaurant |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/16/2010 9:00 a.m.
For the second time in a little over a year, the sale of a vacant village-owned storefront has fallen through at the last minute. Oak Park struck a deal back in May to sell the former home of Los Cazadores Mexican Restaurant to an Oak Park couple.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| River Forest police arrest rent scammer |
| Man accused of fraudulently renting out Harlem apartment he didn’t own |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/12/2010 1:05 p.m.
A man who twice allegedly tricked people into paying him rent on an apartment he didn't own has been arrested, River Forest police said Thursday.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest bike theft map 8/2 - 8/9 |
Web Extra! Map
An interactive map of when and how bikes were stolen in Oak Park and River Forest between August 2 and August 9, 2010, brought to you by Wednesday Journal.
Friday, August 13, 2010 |
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| Rehm Pool in Oak Park closed for maintenance Friday |
| Broken pump being repaired Friday, despite excessive heat warning |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra!
It's going to be sweltering in Oak Park Friday. The forecast is for a 100-degree heat index with "oppressive heat and humidity," according to a warning from the National Weather Service.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| 'Father of Global Warming' marks anniversary |
| OPRF alum’s famed research paper on climate change turns 35 |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Web Extra!
The term "global warning" is universally known, if not universally accepted by all. Aug. 8, marked the 35th anniversary of Wallace Broecker's research paper on climate change that coined the term.
Thursday, August 12, 2010 |
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| Demo starts at Lake and Forest in Oak Park |
| Developer has until Dec. 15 to apply for building permits for hotel project |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra! Audio slideshow
Demolition of a long-vacant, one-story building in downtown Oak Park started this week, making way for the eventual construction of a 20-story tower, which will be the tallest building in the village.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 |
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| Prepping parents to talk straight on drugs and alcohol in Oak Park and River Forest |
| Citizens’ Council to launch first 'parent cafe' in September |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Talking to their teens about drugs can be difficult for some parents. Starting next month, parents in Oak Park and River Forest will receive some help to make those conversations a little easier for them and their kids. The first in an ongoing series of "parent cafes" will launch in September.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Top River Forest staffer candidates finalized |
| Man and woman, both from Chicago area government, vie for spot |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
After months of searching and grooming, the race for River Forest's top administrator position is down to two candidates. The two prospects, a man and a woman each from Chicago area governments, had final interviews with the village board in closed session before Monday's regular board meeting.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Sales tax referendum coming to River Forest |
| Alongside senator and governor, 1 percent increase on ballot Nov. 2 |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
River Forest residents will get to vote for their wallets' weight this November, as the village board decided Monday night to put a 1 percent sales tax hike referendum on the ballot.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
|
| Good-hearted capitalist |
| Mary Jo Schuler practices ‘venture philanthropy,’ for the greater good |
| By KEN TRAINOR |
Mary Jo Schuler and her husband, Stephen, Oak Park natives, have been involved in "venture philanthropy" in the village for the past decade. Their latest venture is Greenline Wheels, a bike and electric vehicle rental business that has its grand opening on Aug. 20.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| District 97 spends $14K on TIF lawyers |
| Village hall clarifies deputy chief layoff in relation to lawsuit |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Elementary School District 97 has spent $14,634 on lawyers related to Oak Park and River Forest High School's lawsuit against village hall, claiming the village owes the high school $3.3 million. District 97 was added as a defendant in the suit last month.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Are Oak Park elementary students 'over-tested'? |
| New District 97 data chief says it’s needed to assess kids’ learning needs |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Some District 97 parents complain there's too much testing of their kids versus more hands-on classroom learning. Harla Hutchinson, the Oak Park elementary school district's new chief data coordinator, says those tests are necessary to assess how students learn.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| River Forest nears crossing guard agreements |
| Grace Lutheran cuts deal, District 90 inches closer |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
River Forest's village board agreed Monday night to manage a crossing guard for Grace Lutheran School - as long as the school pays for it.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
|
| West Sub nursing college eyes local partnerships |
| With space in question after sale, seeking to maintain community presence |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
The West Suburban College of Nursing has worked with local universities for years, and its partnership with Dominican University provides an opportunity for nursing students to take liberal arts courses alongside their medical training, providing a well-rounded education.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Oak Park filmmaker takes measure of civil rights icon |
| Doc recounts last days of King aide, Rev. James Bevel |
| By TERRY DEAN |
The last days of Rev. James Bevel's life were filled with contradictions. Though dying from pancreatic cancer, he was still deeply philosophical in his staunch support of non-violence, a belief and practice he helped mold as a key advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Community Bank gives Oak Park and River Forest businesses a boost |
A local bank is looking to give a shot in the arm to businesses in the Oak Park area, and it's using an unusual solution to get the job done.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
|
| On tap |
Scott Bullock and Ronit Mitchell, of Penumbra Studios, paint a new tin ceiling that was just installed at the soon to open Kinderhook Tap on Oak Park Avenue and Van Buren Street.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Dinner is on |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Oak Park's MidWeek Market rolls on Wednesday on Lake Street near Harlem. Barclay's American Grille was among the food vendors last week and Osvaldo Murallo worked the grill.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Oak Park tourism chief quits, heads out of Illinois |
| Rich Carollo says lagging state funding pushed him over the edge |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/4/2010 5:13 p.m.
The leader of Visit Oak Park - a local nonprofit that focuses on attracting tourists to the village and its surrounding area - is resigning after eight years at the post.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Blue tarp has to go, Oak Park warns Harrison owner |
| Chris Kleronomos told to fix building or face a penalty |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/5/2010 4:13 p.m.
The Village of Oak Park issued a warning to a Harrison Street property owner recently, telling him to either fix his building or face a possible fine or lawsuit.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
|
| Fannie May to take over Benetton space on Lake Street in Oak Park |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/3/2010 4:26 p.m.
Six years after the two Fannie May candy stores in Oak Park shut down, the retailer is returning to the village.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Oak Park tells staff to hop a bike |
| Village looking to save gas, keep employees healthy |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
With an eye toward saving some money on gas while giving employees a chance to exercise while working, the Village of Oak Park has rolled out a fleet of bicycles for workers to use when traipsing around town.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Oak Park Book Fair hits bumps |
Web Extra! Slideshow
The Friends of the Oak Park Public Library's annual book sale last weekend was, as always, a hit. This time, however, the sale was a bit too popular for its own good - and its new, smaller space.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| River Forest pushes back medical center decision |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 8/6/2010 2:28 p.m.
Loyola University Medical Center's Gottlieb Hospital had its plan for a medical center on North Avenue (rendering shown at right) pushed back last week. The Village of River Forest's Development Review Board said the proposal for a one-story medical office building wasn't complete enough.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| No-go on stop sign shift in Oak Park |
| Four-way stop stays put at Woodbine/Augusta |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 8/9/2010 5:07 p.m.
Oak Park's Transportation Commission has reconsidered a proposal to shift a stop sign near two elementary schools and moving it one block east.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| Mosquito spraying Tuesday night in Oak Park |
| West Nile fears prompt spraying |
| By BOB UPHUES |
First reported 8/10/2010 4:03 p.m.
It's not your imagination, it's mosquito heaven out there. That's why the Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District will be out spraying across Oak Park starting Tuesday at 9 p.m. The spraying should continue until about midnight. The mosquito district sprayed in River Forest last week.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 |
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| With West Nile worries, River Forest gets mosquito spraying Thursday night |
| Oak Park scheduled for spraying Tuesday |
| By HELEN KARAKOUDAS REDFERN |
Web Extra!
At some point between 8:15 p.m. and midnight Thursday, an orange or white truck with flashing yellow lights will be driving through River Forest spraying a mist from its back. That mist is what the Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District has determined is needed now as a precaution against West Nile virus.
Thursday, August 05, 2010 |
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| Oak Park and River Forest bike theft map 7/26 - 8/2 |
Web Extra! Map
An interactive map of when and how bikes were stolen in Oak Park and River Forest between July 26 and August 2, 2010, brought to you by Wednesday Journal.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010 |
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| Tallying TIF lawsuit legal costs for Oak Park and OPRF |
| Village hall’s spending has far outpaced OPRF High School’s in ongoing suit |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
As Oak Park's village hall and Oak Park and River Forest High School continue a protracted legal battle, the village has far outspent the school on legal fees, a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Wednesday Journal has revealed.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| Volunteer sorters make the annual Book Fair possible in Oak Park |
| The love of books binds them |
| By KEN TRAINOR |
Web Extra! Slideshow
It's been an interesting go-round for the 40th annual Book Fair, sponsored by the Friends of the Library, a major fundraiser that helps the Oak Park Public Library afford numerous programs such as the Young Adult Coffeehouse and author readings.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| River Forest Cleaners says it doesn't have to clean up neighbor's property |
| Those are our chemicals, but you can keep them |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
River Forest Cleaners admits its dry cleaning chemicals seeped into the ground. That much, they've owned up to for years, submitting multiple plans to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for how to deal with the pollution.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| Oak Park over budget by nearly $1 million on workers comp, settlements |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
With the books closed on 2009, the Village of Oak Park ended up overspending its budget by almost $1 million on claims for injured workers and payouts for people injured on public properties.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| New Oak Park tattoo studio breaking stereotypes one client - and design - at a time |
| Living like a RockStar |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Pastor Ian Carrol of Greater Chicago Church in Oak Park has been sitting for about two hours, arms folded, looking relaxed. Carrol is no stranger to sitting for a tattoo. The native of Ireland has a Celtic cross on his inner forearm.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| With housing bubble long burst, Lake St. sites land with Delaware firm |
| Troyanovsky bought properties for $3.4M, finally walked away |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
A prominent piece of downtown Oak Park real estate, once to be the site of 58 condominiums, now appears to be in the hands of a Delaware-based investment company.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| River Forest seeks help for federal disaster cash |
River Forest is trying to get federal money to recover from last week's storm, and it's asking residents with flood damage to share the extent of their problems with the village.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| Grandparent support network comes to Oak Park |
| Chicago-based nonprofit expanding services to south, west suburbs |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Grandfamilies Program of Chicago is expanding its support group network to Oak Park, Riverside, Forest Park and other surrounding suburbs. The seven-year-old, nonprofit program helps grandparents attain services including housing and counseling.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| Doughnuts and other delights in Oak Park |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Saturday's Oak Park Farmers' Market was filled with flowers, fresh produce, bluegrass and, of course, fresh doughnuts.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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| After the flood, who to blame? |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Cathy Adduci had a rough weekend last week, to say the least. Like many others in the northeast corner of River Forest, her basement flooded disastrously after the village took eight inches of rain in less than 24 hours.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010 |
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