| Bank switchover causes water billing snafu in Oak Park |
| Hundreds receive shutoff notices after U.S. Bank changes address |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra!
Hundreds of Oak Parkers, who thought they had paid their water bills already, are receiving shut-off notices from the village.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
 |
| Connecticut cops don't like former River Forest police chief |
| Limon could face ‘no-confidence’ vote next week |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra!
Former River Forest Police Chief Frank Limon, who left town earlier this year for a job in New Haven, Conn., doesn't seem to be getting along with his new charges.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| With Daley leaving, Oak Park hopes for another regional leader |
| Political ties to Oak Park and River Forest run deep |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Interactive map of local donations to Daley
Mayor Daley is a figure who's larger than life - and bigger than the city of Chicago. That's the impression Richard M. Daley left on Oak Park Village President David Pope.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Man murdered in south Oak Park |
| Vehicle missing of 41-year-old Oak Park man Pedro Gurrola Jr. |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra! Slideshow
Updated 9/9/2010 3:08 p.m.
A 41-year-old Oak Park mailman's dead body was found in his garage by his wife Thursday morning, and police are treating the investigation of his death as a homicide. Pedro Gurrola, Jr., was leaving for work from his home on the 800 block of south East Avenue around 6:45 a.m. Thursday, when police believe the murder occurred.
Thursday, September 09, 2010 |
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| Oak Park police seeking man who hugged jogger |
| Abuse happened on 800 block of N. Ridgeland Tuesday evening |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Web Extra!
Oak Park police are seeking a man who hugged a jogging woman, and then exposed himself just before 8 p.m. Tuesday evening on the 800 block of N. Ridgeland Ave.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 |
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| Third time may be charm for Oak Park's sale of Los Cazadores property |
| Sushi House owner plans to buy vacant storefront to build second Oak Park restaurant |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Web Extra!
After two previous deals flamed out at the last minute, it appears that the village of Oak Park may finally be able to sell a long-vacant, village-owned storefront on Lake Street.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010 |
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| Park District of Oak Park seeks input on Ridgeland Common's future |
| Survey asks: Patch it, rebuild it or make it bigger and better? |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
As the Park District of Oak Park turns to the next decade, it's wondering just how it should spend its limited cash, and it's turning to the community for guidance later this month with a survey.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Sooner than later, Oak Park parking garage may be rubble |
| Developer could need an extension for building hotel-condo project |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 9/2/2010 4:54 p.m.
An aging public garage at the corner of Lake and Forest in Oak Park may be reduced to rubble a little sooner than expected. And in the meantime, the developer planning to build a 20-story hotel and condo tower on the site may need more time to line up financing.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Man exposes himself to Julian Middle School girls in Oak Park |
| Police seeking 20-something male with short blond hair |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
First reported 9/2/2010 6:13 p.m.
A man exposed his genitals to three Julian Middle School girls who were walking home Wednesday, Sept. 1 after school.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Last call as Oak Park tightens audits on local liquor tax |
| Lax for years, Village Hall to start audit on booze businesses |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
First reported 9/7/2010 4:02 p.m.
For years, the Village of Oak Park has been laid-back in collecting local liquor taxes, says one veteran restaurant owner, basically trusting that business owners are being on the up-and-up.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Oak Park home invasion may have been wrong target |
First reported 9/7/2010 4:05 p.m.
An Oak Park man was walking into his apartment the night of Sept. 4 when he had a gun pressed to his head, and three men demanded to be let into his apartment on the 700 block of Carpenter Avenue in Oak Park.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| OPRF's Isoye meets community with charm, challenges |
| New superintendent suggests process of refocusing resources on students |
| By TERRY DEAN |
First reported 9/2/2010 4:52 p.m.
On their first day as high school freshmen, Steven Isoye, the new superintendent of Oak Park and River Forest High School, stepped outside to take the measure of the class of 2014.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Pile of cash waiting for Lake and Lathrop in River Forest |
| $6 million in development money must be spent or committed by Dec. 31 |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
The village of River Forest is sitting on a huge pile of cash. About $6 million, to be exact. That may seem surprising, given discussions that the village is facing a massive budget crisis next year, and the year after that.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Occasional rumors aside, Oak Park recycling diligently |
| Public Works says it doesn’t make economic sense to bury reusable goods |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Pesky rumors aside, the Village of Oak Park says that - if you throw your cans, bottles and paper into a blue bin - recyclable items are, indeed, getting recycled. Wednesday Journal has received calls and e-mails recently, with residents saying that they've seen recyclables getting mixed in with the trash.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Here's Oak Park's agenda for balance of 2010 |
| Trustees return from August recess to tackle the 2011 budget, sustainability and economic development |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Oak Park trustees returned to the board table on Tuesday, after taking the traditional August break. It's been an eventful year for the village board, as the group has grappled with local issues that included approving a 20-story condo and hotel tower in Oak Park's downtown, grappling with controversial stop signs a living wage ordinance and getting sued by the local high school.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Oak Park man found guilty of fatal 2008 hit-and-run |
| Victim was allegedly lying drunk in alley during 2008 accident |
| By KATIE DREWS |
The man who struck and killed a Forest Park woman in a hit-and-run accident in May 2008 will face three to 14 years in prison after his sentencing on Oct. 6.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Coffee shop opens in south Oak Park |
On Aug. 28, Deza Pascual opened Yova Gourmet Coffee and Treats, located at 818 S. Oak Park Ave. The small coffee shop will offer frozen yogurt, smoothies and pastries, along with free wireless internet for customers.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| OPRF English division chair passionate about equity in the classroom |
| Teaching with consciousness |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Daniel Cohen is in his office at Oak Park and River Forest High School on a Friday afternoon, having wrapped up another school day and week. It's been a busy first couple of weeks of school for the new English department chair.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| No practice, no play for OPRF swimmers at home |
| Girl’s varsity team forced off campus while pools await health inspection |
| By TERRY DEAN |
Elizabeth Holland's daughter will be making her daily trek to Riverside-Brookfield High School Wednesday evening at around 5 p.m. That's where she and other members of Oak Park and River Forest High School's girl's varsity swim team have been practicing the last few weeks.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| District 97 - the band, not the schools - releases debut CD |
| Trio of Oak Parkers are behind new progressive rock group |
| By MARTY STEMPNIAK |
Jonathan Schang and Patrick Mulcahy grew up together in Oak Park, attending local public schools. So, it was a tribute to their shared past that they named their rock band "District 97."
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Oak Park, Berwyn, Cicero police looking to collaborate |
| Business owners lobbying for shared substation on Roosevelt Rd. |
| By BEN MEYERSON |
Oak Park, Cicero and Berwyn all butt up next to each other along the strip between Austin Boulevard and Harlem Avenue, and it's getting set for yet another resurfacing and streetscaping as the towns try their darndest to make it an economically vibrant strip.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Oak Park police arrest murder parolee |
Oak Park police arrested a man last week who was on parole for murder, after they pulled him over during a traffic stop.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| Digging it |
Officials gathered at the intersection of Roosevelt and Lombard Friday to signal the start of a $9.5 million construction project between Harlem and Austin.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
|
| Bataan Day in Maywood |
Of all the stories emerging from World War II, the story of the "Bataan Death March" is among the most harrowing. The Americans taken prisoner in the Philippines in 1942 and forced to take that march to a distant Japanese POW camp included a number of soldiers from Maywood.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010 |
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| 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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| 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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| 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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| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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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