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Articles by Richard Stephen
Victimisation in the life of persons with severe mental illness in Uganda: a pluralistic qualitative study - BMC Psychiatry
As mentioned earlier, three forms of abuse were evident from the data, including psychological (emotional), physical and sexual victimisation. Psychological victimisation – defined as “the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or non-verbal acts… [and] includes but is not limited to verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment” [31] – was usually exhibited in the demeaning and rejection of persons with severe mental illness.
Strategy Selection in Development Planning
Abstract This thesis examines the use of simulation as a technique for evaluating growth strategies in developing urban areas. A computer simulation model named SIMCALI was developed as a part of this study in order to demonstrate various applications of the technique to actual planning issues. The model is the central theme of the paper. The setting for this study is Cali, Colombia, a South American city in the process of becoming a major urban area.
How companies are helping offset student loans for employees
More than half of all college graduates finish school with student debt, with the average amount per borrower nearing $30,000. Now that the Supreme Court has rejected President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan and the new repayment plan has yet to take shape, many borrowers are struggling to map out how to pay back what they owe.
Physical and sexual victimization of persons with severe mental illness seeking care in central and southwestern Uganda
Introduction Much of the research on violence and severe mental illness (SMI) has focused on violence committed by individuals with mental illness with their victimization experience receiving little attention (1). This has contributed in a large measure to the stereotyping of persons with SMI as ‘violent and unpredictable’ helping to drive the stigma associated with the mental illness label (1).
Oak Park names deputy police chief
The Oak Park Police Department has named 23-year Oak Park police veteran LaDon Reynolds deputy police chief, according to a village press release. Reynolds, who currently serves as commander, will be sworn in at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. "Reaching this level of command within the department where I have built my career is a life ambition realized," Reynolds said in the press release.
It's September. Time to Start Eating Oysters
Many of Chicago's earliest restaurants served East Coast oysters packed in sawdust-filled barrels, sent by rail to the Midwest, unrefrigerated for weeks or even months. Sometimes people got sick from oysters gone bad, and this probably helped lead to decades when fresh oysters were somewhat rare in Chicago. During the past ten years or so, all that has changed, and oysters are now a regular part of many Chicago -- and some Oak Park -- menus.
RFPL Foundation sponsored concert sure to delight with Latin American flair
River Forest Public Library Foundation is generously sponsoring a second after-hours event at River Forest Public Library, this time with ties to Hispanic Heritage month. On Saturday, September 23rd, from 6-8 PM, the Library will have a program of classical music, composed exclusively by Latin American composers. Light bites and Argentinian wines will be served before the performance in the library's second floor fireplace area.
A perfect start for Fenwick girls volleyball
Fenwick senior Margaret Planek (12) had 323 kills last season. She will play college volleyball at Penn next year. (File photo) The Fenwick High School girls volleyball team has loftier goals than neighborhood bragging rights, but the Friars still happily claimed a 25-23, 25-19 win against crosstown rival OPRF on Thursday, Sept. 7. Fenwick seniors Margaret Planek (15 kills, 10 digs) and McKenzie Moorman (17 kills, 15 digs) dominated the action against OPRF.
Home-sharing is an option for seniors
Fred Natkevi has written an eloquent and heartfelt piece, "A senior's dilemma," in the Aug. 30 Viewpoints section of Wednesday Journal. Unfortunately, his dilemma is not unusual for aging homeowners in Oak Park and River Forest.
Please remember your promises when you vote
My wife, friends, as well as myself all supported you in the last election due to your stand on the Albion building proposal and the fact that we felt we needed some fresh thinkers at village hall. Please prove that your word is worth something (unlike most pols these days) by voting against this project as it stands. The village should stick with the eight-story maximum, and if the developer walks, he walks.
Plan Commission OKs Rush emergency room
Surgical prep: Construction workers use excavators to clear the area for the new emergency room at Rush Hospital on Madison Street. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer Rush Oak Park Hospital is one step closer to construction of its new emergency room with the unanimous approval last week from the Oak Park Plan Commission.
Sandra Morrow, 62
Sandra (Sandi) Morrow, 62, of Oak Park, died on Sept. 7, 2017. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on Jan. 2, 1955, she attended Westlake High School and received a B.S. degree in interior design from the University of Cincinnati. On the first day of freshman year, she met her future husband, Jim, while playing touch football. They fell in love and moved to Chicago after graduation. In anticipation of their first child, the couple came to Oak Park.
A citizen's proposal for 1000 Lake
As the permaculturalists say, "You don't have a snail problem, you have a duck deficiency." That corner at Lake and Forest has plenty of "snails," no doubt. Albion representatives repeatedly stated the difficulties of designing something that would turn them a tidy profit. Plan commissioners demonstrated sensitive awareness of challenges posed by both location and site. The park district and smart, thoughtful citizens testified to the harm sure to be caused by any inappropriate building.
Dominican re-affirms support of DACA
American Dreamer: Paola Montenegro, a sophomore at Dominican University studying business and Spanish, is one of the hundreds of thousands of students qualifying for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which is slated to end in March. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer Dominican University has affirmed that it will continue to support its undocumented students.
What's the next step in resisting the rise of racial hatred?
Rev. Ira Acree (left), pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church on the West Side of Chicago, at the Lincoln Memorial with Rev. Al Sharpton, Pastor Jamaal Bryant, and Rev. Jesse Jackson, before marching to the Justice Department to protest racial hatred and the president's ineffectual response to it. The Thousand Minister March took place on the 54th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
Birda King, 79 | Articles | News | OakPark.com
Birda Faye King, 79, a resident of Oak Park for over 19 years, died on Sept. 9, 2017 at Rush Oak Park Hospital. Born in Baldwyn, Mississippi on July 24, 1938, she was raised in Sikeston, Missouri and moved to the Chicago area in the 1960s. For many years, she provided child care for many families in the Oak Park area. She will be remembered as a great storyteller. Birda King is survived by her daughters, Shaunda King and Lucyann Toby Brown; three grandchildren; and her many other relatives.
Barwin's soggy Sarasota
Odds and ends with some a bit odder than others: Backstage with David Axelrod: The Journal was honored, delighted, stunned, gob-smacked to have landed David Axelrod as the first-up in our new Wednesday Journal Conversations series, presented by Dominican University. As I said to the sold-out crowd last Wednesday at the end of what was a just terrific evening, when we put David Axelrod at the top of our list of "gets," I thought it was a definite longshot.
Housing Forward displaced after fire
The nonprofit Housing Forward, which helps individuals and families experiencing housing-related crises transition to stable living conditions, is in a transition of its own after a fire broke out in the attic of its headquarters at 1851 S. 9th Ave. in Maywood. According to Maywood Fire Chief Craig Bronaugwh, the fire department got notification of the blaze around 2:54 a.m. on Saturday. The fire, he said, was primarily contained to the attic.
The Residences at Maple Place: Only Two Units Remaining
Only two residences remain available in Oak Park's newest luxury condominium building, The Residences at Maple Place. You do not want to miss this unique opportunity to customize one of these high-end units into your new home.
Oak Park buys Car-X land for $1.3M
" T his is an opportunity to have control over what happens in that area." The Oak Park Board of Trustees voted unanimously to spend $1.3 million from the Madison Street Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District to purchase the parcel of land that is now home to Car-X Tire & Auto, 700 Madison St. The parcel of land is intended to be used for a much larger project proposed last year by Jupiter Realty, which would involve assembling parcels of land, including the village-owned parking lot at the...
Things we're proud of
Ten years ago, we wrote an editorial declaring the old Cicero Township firehouse/water pumping station at Lake and Lombard to be the perfect and inevitable new home for the Historical Society of Oak Park-River Forest. And this Saturday that long-shot wisdom comes to fruition as the new Oak Park River Forest Museum opens in that lovingly and audaciously restored landmark. The Journal's first go-round on the then stuck-in-place Historical Society was in our earliest years when columnist Francis J.
Eclipse curmudgeon weighs in
On Aug. 21, 2017 for a few minutes the moon blotted out the sun across 14 states in the first coast-to coast total eclipse since 1918. Media heralded it as a momentous awe- inspiring event. Reaction to the event was mixed. There were two camps. One camp thought it was great. The other camp was me. I thought it was kind of lame. Don't get me wrong. I'm really pleased that people found a reason to visit southern Illinois in addition to the giant Superman statue in Metropolis.
Not your average housewalk Coach house tour benefits Pleasant Home Foundation
Inside this cottage-like Oak Park coach house, which is part of the Pleasant Home Foundation's upcoming tour, is a large pipe organ. | Provided It's been years since this 1920s-era coach house on Linden Avenue has served as a residence, but its present owners would like to turn it into a cute Airbnb rental. | Alexa Rogals/Staff Photographer Tour-goers will also have a chance to see how the owners of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Heurtley House turned their coach house into a zen retreat.
Pigeons really are a health issue
I am writing in response to Marsda Conner's letter regarding pigeons [Pigeons don't make people sick, Viewpoints, Aug. 30]. She says, "I have never felt that a pigeon is 'a health issue' and have never heard of anyone getting sick from pigeons." Well, though I "have never heard of anyone getting sick" from second-hand smoke, I believe medical science when researchers tell us it causes health problems, and I applaud public health efforts to limit exposure to it.
Looking for the plain truth in Russia and America
A book published in 2014 becomes more relevant day by day. Nothing is True and Everything is Possible, the Surreal Heart of the New Russia by Peter Pomerantsev is a window into the post-Communist regime. The son of Russian emigres to Great Britain, Pomerantsev is well-suited to fluidly cross both cultures with compassion and objectivity.
Oak Parker to challenge Berrios for county assessor
Oak Park resident Fritz Kaegi is hot on the trail for signatures to get his name on the ballot to challenge Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios in the primary election set for March. Kaegi said he quit his job as an asset manager with Columbia Wanger Asset Management to run against Berrios because of a lack of transparency in how properties are assessed and Berrios' willingness to accept campaign contributions from law firms that get paid to appeal assessments.
Was that Jay Pritzker you went to hear the other night?
Jay Leno came to the 40th Ward last night. Said he was Jay Pritzker, which was a nice dodge, but not all were fooled. * It isn't raining tax, you know/It's raining investment, a proven opener if a little worn. Call it investment and people will pay. Build a program and people will come. A staple. * Douse the flat income tax, same rate for all. Install a progressive one, higher rates for higher incomes.
Willard Nostvick, 67
Willard E. Nostvick, 67, a 40-year resident of Oak Park, died on Sept. 11, 2017 at home. Born on Nov. 25, 1949 in Chicago to the late Willard and Mary Nostvick, he graduated from Weber High School and received his bachelor's degree in business administration from DePaul University.
A new museum, 200 years in the telling
It's a storytelling place, says Frank Lipo, during a 2½-hour tour of the lovely new Oak Park River Forest Museum last Saturday. The restored-yet-refashioned former firehouse at Lombard and Lake is well worth a visit. Even the floor is both old and new. They flipped the floorboards, sanded and finished them, and it looks brand new — but also old. The inspiration came from one of their local contractors who comes from Poland. That's what they do with older buildings back home, he said.
Philippe Verpil, 70
Philippe J. Verpil Sr., 70, of Oak Park, died on Sept. 2, 2017. Born on Oct. 26, 1946, he was a bell captain for 40 years at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North. Philippe was the husband of Jocelyne (nee Cesar); the father of Philippe J. (Erin) Verpil Jr. and Johanne M. (Jamel) Verpil-Greer; the grandfather of Lance Joseph Verpil; the brother of Guylouis (Rosemarie) Verpil, Danielle (Rene) Herard and Max Elibert; the uncle of Lawrence T.
Men's college tennis returns to River Forest Tennis Club
For tennis fans (or sports followers in general), who enjoyed watching Sloane Stephens recently win her first Grand Slam title and Rafael Nadal his 16th Major championship at the US Open, don't despair now that the pro tennis scene is essentially done for the year. You can still check out high-quality tennis on display in River Forest this weekend.
Dust up over Oak Park zoning rewrite
Debate became heated Sept. 5 at the Oak Park Board of Trustees meeting, where officials confirmed that a rewrite of the village zoning code still requires a two-thirds majority vote to approve planned developments rejected by the village's Plan Commission.
Mistake-prone Friars lost to Montini
Statistically, the Fenwick High School football team more than held its own against Chicago Catholic Green rival Montini on Friday, Sept. 8 in Lombard. The Friars had more rushing yards than the Broncos (193-156), total yards offense (325-301), first downs (15-12) and time of possession (26:45-21:15). Nevertheless, Montini took the early inside track to the CCL Green title via a 28-7 win.
Live from Luo's, Episode 2
Live from Luo's, Episode 2Thursday, August 17th, 2017 5:29 PMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintVIDEOBy Live from Luo's"Live from Luo's" is a video podcast hosted by Brett McNeil and Bob Uphues.
Gas leak in downtown Oak Park
Neida Cervantes and Thomas Castillo were evacuated from Burrito Boss, 1110 Westgate St., after a gas line was struck by construction workers. | Photo by Timothy Inklebarger Parts of Marion Street and Lake Street in downtown Oak Park were evacuated beginning late Friday morning after a backhoe cut a four-inch gas line on Westgate just west of Marion Street. Nicor stopped the leak just before 2 p.m. the village reported.
D97 chief selects interim co-principals for Whittier
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Superintendent Carol Kelley has selected two interim co-principals to take the helm Whittier School until district officials find a permanent replacement for the school's former principal, Keshia Warner, who resigned last month to take a job as the director of a principal development program in Chicago. Jim Doyle and Scott Kasik both served as interim co-principals for Jackson Middle School in Villa Park's District 45 after they retired last year.
Alcuin Montessori to expand to Roosevelt Road
Alcuin Montessori School, which holds the title of being the second Montessori school to open in the nation, is growing and could soon have a new facility in the 6900 block of Roosevelt Road. The school was founded by six Oak Park families in 1961 with one classroom of 24 students at the old Lowell School at the corner of Lake and Forest; it has grown over the decades to include classes for 140 students' preschool through 8th grade and 30 employees.
D97 creates new equity director position
The District 97 school board approved the hiring of a new Senior Director of Equity and reassigned two administrators during a regular meeting on July 18. The personnel moves are just the latest in a series of central office readjustments that have been made by D97 Supt. Carol Kelley since the end of the 2016-17 school year.
D97 will use extra taxes to pay down debt
Nineteen thousand Oak Park property taxpayers who collectively paid an extra and unexpected $2.6 million in taxes to Oak Park District 97's will have to wait a little longer to get that money back.
A leap of faith ... that paid off!
Last year, in what can be described as either a mid-life crisis or a leap of faith (or a combination of both), I quit my day job, packed my bags and went to Hollywood to seek my fortune as an actor. Though I've been a professional actor here in Chicago for the past 30 years, I've never quite been able to make a living in the arts here. Plenty of work, sure, but ... it wasn't enough to pay the bills.
Forest Parker lands Fulbright scholarship
Forest Park resident Brooke Reavey was sitting in a plane on a tarmac in Mexico City in March, anxiously checking her email while her phone reoriented and searched for a cellular signal. Reavey, a professor of marketing at Dominican University in River Forest, had applied for a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship about a year earlier and had made it through the first round of selections in December 2016. She and her husband were in Mexico on a spring break trip.
Trustees consider new police station
Setting the agenda: Oak Park trustees are working to set their priorities for the next two years and decide on which projects to focus. | File photo The Oak Park Board of Trustees began discussing its goals for the next two years at a planning meeting held Monday night in the offices of the Oak Park Public Works Department. Trustees took a broad look at the village in an effort to prioritize competing needs in the village, including everything from fair housing to economic development.
For Oak Park teen, philanthropy is a way of life
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Sadie Briggs is a member of the philanthropic Shakers of Oak Park. | Photo submitted Inside their Oak Park home is a change jar in the kitchen that the family's oldest child, 15-year-old Sadie Briggs, says symbolizes the legacy of her great-grandfather, Joseph R. Shaker. "It's always in my head that if you have extra change, it goes to St. Jude," Briggs said, referencing the Memphis, Tennessee-based pediatric hospital that Shaker was influential in founding.
Cheap reads! | Blogs | Community | OakPark.com
It's that time of year again, bibliophiles. The Friends of the Oak Park Public Library host the 47th Annual Oak Park Book Fair in the air-conditioned comfort of the OPRF High School cafeteria, 201 N. Scoville, beginning Friday evening, Aug. 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. Since this is the "first crack," they charge a $5 admission. When the doors open, bargain hunters recreate the Oklahoma Sooner land rush. It's something to see. No one has been trampled yet (that we know of). On Saturday, Aug.
Inconvenient, but timely, sequel
Al Gore is back! The first of, we're sure, many popular-vote winners who will lose presidential elections this century (if we make it that far) has returned with a sequel to his well-received (yet largely ignored) documentary, An Inconvenient Truth (2006). Gore's latest, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, will be at the Lake Theatre starting Friday, Aug. 4, "on limited release," which means it might not be around long if enough people don't go to see it.
Big Week July 26- Aug. 2
Savor food, wine, music, dance and all things authentically European. See the "Salon de Paris" art exhibit on Westgate as well as numerous other artists along Marion. Can-Can dancers, mime, French lessons, crepes, a poodle parade (all dogs welcome) and more. Info: downtownoakpark.net/signature-event/art-dans-la-rue/. Marion St. between Lake and North Blvd. Start your weekends early by dining out and soaking in free live entertainment every Thursday through Aug. 31.
Lynn Allen has left the building
During a regular District 97 school board meeting last month, Lynn Allen, the newly retired director of the district's Multicultural Center, gave something of a farewell address to the board. Her brief remarks, delivered during the public comment portion of the meeting, chastised district officials for what she felt was their less than vigilant approach to multicultural education in recent years.
Edible Garden tour this weekend
The work of some of the best green thumbs in the village will be on display this weekend during Sugar Beet Food Co-op's 6th Annual Edible Garden Tour. Sugar Beet says the self-guided tour gives residents "an insider's peek into the edible gardens of our neighbors in Oak Park, River Forest, Austin, and more." The tour runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. "into beautiful private and verdant community gardens" in an effort to inspire gardeners to grow their own food.
A tangled mess | Articles | News | OakPark.com
Knit knot: Dozens of designers are claiming their patterns were sold by Fiberista Club without their permission. Corrine Walcher, a designer from Towson, Maryland, said her Working Title sock design (not pictured) was sent to Fiberista Club members without her consent or payment in July of 2016. "I don't need the money; that is not the point," she said. "He stole from me and dozens of other people.
River Forest drafts a Welcoming Resolution
The River Forest Village Board is currently working on a so-called "welcoming resolution" draft to spell out its policies toward undocumented village residents and visitors. As reported by Wednesday Journal, nearby communities, including Oak Park, have adopted similar measures in recent months. At its July 10 meeting, village trustees discussed a working draft of the resolution and took public comment.
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