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Articles by Rob Ruffulo
B2C-2B: Events Serve Consumers and Businesses Alike
The Chamber's 2018 Health Fair Committee, led by Ed Gutierrez of Rush Oak Park Hospital and Dr. Mary Ann Bender, Mary Ann Bender Podiatry. These tremendous volunteers have worked hard to raise this year's Fair to a new level! Our Fourth Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair is this weekend. We are looking forward to a fabulous event for residents - but we are even more excited about what we created for the business community.
Bump-and-run carjacking on Van Buren
A Chicago resident was the victim of a bump-and-run carjacking in the 700 block of Van Buren Street at 1:25 p.m. on March 28. A small gray sedan struck a 2014 Ford Explorer from behind. A man exited the passenger side of the sedan as did the driver of the Explorer. The man then got into the Explorer and drove off after the driver exited the scene. No additional details were given.
Gunman attempts robbing Oak Park juvenile
A man brandishing a handgun attempted to rob an Oak Park child during an incident in the 500 block of North Taylor Avenue at 3:35 p.m. on March 23. The police report gave few details about the incident. Two people, both described as black males estimated to be 19 or 20 years old and driving a white or silver sedan, pulled up next to the victim.
15 cars stolen from Oak Park Hertz
Employees of Hertz rental car, 629 W. Madison St. in Oak Park, arrived at work at 7:30 a.m. on March 29 to find a smashed front door and 15 cars missing from the rear parking lot, according to Oak Park police. Police said in a news release that the thieves broke through the glass front door sometime overnight, forced open a storage box that contained the keys to the rental cars and used them to steal the vehicles.
High-Five
Executive Director Cathy Yen is celebrating five years at the helm of the Oak Park - River Forest Chamber of Commerce this week. Five years ago this week, I started my dream job as Executive Director of this Chamber of Commerce. It seems like just yesterday when I started, yet I cannot remember when I wasn't doing this day in and day out.
Gang, drug task force chair steps down
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel announced that he is stepping down from his post as chairman of the West Suburban Enhanced Drug/Gang Enforcement (WEDGE) task force, effective April 3. Weitzel has led the special task force, which includes officers from Riverside, North Riverside, Brookfield, Berwyn, Forest Park, Oak Park, Rivers Forest and Elmwood Park, since April 2010.
Where to Celebrate National Paella Day
"Nine hundred degrees," said Chef Gabriel Padilla of Rustico, with pride.
Meet Super Hero Nancy Paul of Lyrical Healing
What does your business do? I specialize in facilitating emotional wellness through bodywork, talk therapy, and energywork such as Reiki and CranioSacral therapy. What is "super" about your business? Why is it special? As a licensed professional counselor and bodyworker, I tune into the body/mind/psyche as one and help clients find mindful acceptance and peace.
Shrubtown March 28, 2018
Shrubtown March 28, 2018Opinion: ShrubtownTuesday, March 27th, 2018 11:42 AMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintBy Marc StopeckEditorial Cartoonist / Weekly Sales RepresentativeContact: Email: marc@oakpark.com
A political win for Anthony Clark
In politics, sometimes when you lose, you actually win; and sometimes when you win, you actually lose. Anthony Clark garnishing 40 percent of the vote, in west suburban Cook County, to a 20-year Democratic incumbent, Congressman Danny Davis, is actually a political win. Professional strategists look at who had the most votes and won the election. But there are other important numbers: who voted, where they voted, and how much money the candidates spent on those votes.
Don't turn MLK into an 'exception'
Lord, we ain't what we oughta be. We ain't what we want to be. We ain't what we gonna be. But, thank God, we ain't what we was. Dr. King Jr. was an ordinary man with an extraordinary capacity to love. As a young minister in Montgomery, Alabama, he reluctantly accepted the call to lead the historic Montgomery bus boycott. This act of resistance catapulted him into a visible and dangerous leadership role. Montgomery, Alabama on Dec.
OPRF boys lacrosse expects better results
Records can be deceiving. That's the outlook Oak Park and River Forest High School boys lacrosse coach Rocco Chierici has adopted this spring. OPRF finished a dismal 3-14 and in fifth place in the West Suburban Conference Silver Division in 2017. And yet, the team was very competitive in multiple games. In fact, the Huskies even won a play-in game to qualify for the state playoffs. Their postseason stay was short lived, however, losing to Grayslake in the first round.
A one-man saboteur
Trump's latest one-man trade war on China and the rest of the world should convince any doubters that he is simply unhinged, a loose cannon. Trade wars will mean higher prices for U.S. consumers, damage our credibility in the civilized world, and make enemies we cannot afford to have. China buys more U.S. Government debt instruments than any other country. If they felt so inclined, they could cripple our economy by simply not buying T-bills.
Privilege and white female allies
It's an interesting paradox. There are so many white women that I consider to be more than allies but my dear friends. Still somehow, despite the fact that I'm able to discuss race with an entire community in this monthly Wednesday Journal column, having conversations about race with my white female friends, at times, makes me feel uncomfortable. I vividly recall one close friend, who is a white woman, discussing a verbal altercation she had with another woman.
Win or lose, Ramblers a cause celebre
On March 23, 1963 I was at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky when the Loyola Ramblers beat the Cincinnati Bearcats in overtime to become the NCAA Basketball Champions. Born and raised in New Albany, Indiana, I was 14 years old in 1963. We had just moved to our new house in Sherwood Subdivision from the more modest one on Indiana Avenue. I was enjoying for the first time my own bedroom and air conditioning.
A shout-out
A shout-out Opinion: Letters To The EditorTuesday, March 27th, 2018 11:00 AMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintAs a wheelchair-bound resident of Oak Park, I needed to do early voting in the recent primary. I want to publicly thank the Village Clerk's Office for making it possible for me to come into the building from the front plaza off Madison Street and the gentleman who helped my husband get me into the building and to the room where I voted.
The Good Life Race promotes community
Not everyone loves RACING. The world is full of people who enjoy running, with no desire at all to compete, nor do they live enslaved to their Garmin watches; munching data, analyzing their performances and training rituals. They just enjoy the run. Then, some enthusiasts can appreciate their casual runs, and relish spicing up the season with an occasional race, just for the heck of it. There's also a space, inhabited by fast, competitive and talented athletes who train smart and train hard.
We need restorative justice practices in schools
For my nephew David, physical aggression, disrespect, and defiance started in kindergarten. He punched a teacher in the face on her first day back from maternity leave. Later, he aimed and threw a chair across the room. It took a principal and another teacher to physically remove him from the classroom. David needed help. That was obvious. At 6 years old, he was struggling with emotional and mental issues. He needed support and guidance. Instead, the system failed him. What happened next was typical.
Sports Roundup: Triton hoops wins first national title
Triton College guard Najee Brown-Henderson dribbles past a Pima (AZ.) Community College player during the NJCAA Division II championship game. The Trojans earned their first national title with an 89-85 win over Pima. (Courtesy Triton College) The Triton College men's basketball team won the program's first NJCAA Division II national championship after defeating Pima Community College (Tucson, Arizona) 89-85 in Danville on March 24. In the final, the Trojans built a 39-26 lead at halftime.
Math is off
Math is offOpinion: Letters To The EditorTuesday, March 27th, 2018 11:01 AMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintI cannot imagine how there could be 74,000 delinquent motorists with citations totaling $565,000. That's less than $8 per delinquent. If that's a real figure, you have to wonder how the village could even justify sending bills. At 50 cents per stamp plus the value of staff time to issue letters plus the cost of processing payments, the village loses money even if a deadbeat pays.
From basic to high tech
Hephzibah, Oak Park's oldest social service agency, will host a summer day care running from June 11 to Aug. 10 at Irving Elementary School, 1125 Cuyler Ave. The day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A new feature for 2018 are two-week Playshops that range from fashion design to adventures in engineering. The summer program can accommodate 250 students from kindergarten through 5th grade. Participating families need to be working or in enrolled in school or training program.
Imagine OPRF moves toward master plan
Thank you to the 100-plus community members who participated in last week's Imagine OPRF Community Conversation! After six months of deep, intensive research into the high school's facility needs, the 40 Imagine OPRF team members were excited to share our findings with you.
Johnson will be your advocate
Brandon Johnson is running to be the 1st District Cook County Board commissioner in an area that includes a large portion of Chicago's West Side and the near west suburbs. I've known Brandon since 2003 when he first began to find his voice for the people. As a teacher, an organizer and a Democrat, his voice has been loud and passionate as he fights for the rights of working families and for equity in education. Brandon doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk every day of his life.
Thanks for helping us know Sergio
Thanks for helping us know SergioOpinion: Letters To The EditorTuesday, March 6th, 2018 3:14 PMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintI'm writing in response to Matt Baron's "Two Kind Souls' article in Viewpoints [Feb. 14]. Thank you, Matt, for writing such an eloquent tribute to Sergio Quiano. It is unusual, in our busy and fast-paced world, for someone to take the time and effort to honor the life of a casual acquaintance.
After 35 surgeries, I'm disabled
Today while waiting in a fully marked handicap parking space with my posted state of Illinois issued placard near the River Forest Public Library, I was approached by another, much older man who knocked on my window and asked me if I was disabled. As a retired and disabled police 1st lieutenant, I was taken aback from this unknown stranger questioning me and my placard.
Brandon Johnson is the clear choice
The March 20 primary will be upon us before we know it. In the race for the First District County Commissioner we have a clear choice — continue with Democratic Machine politics as usual or a clean break with the past and a true progressive. I write in support of the challenger Brandon Johnson. His resume is exactly what we need in the next wave of Democratic candidates. In Brandon we have a school teacher and union organizer with direct connections to the community he is seeking to serve.
Frankel cares about restorative justice
Frankel cares about restorative justiceOpinion: Letters To The EditorTuesday, March 6th, 2018 3:22 PMShare on FacebookShare on TwitterEmailPrintAs an attorney and fellow neighbor of Scott Frankel in Chicago's Monadnock Building for the past several years, I have come to know Scott as a caring and committed lawyer. He speaks intelligently of the need to develop programs of restorative justice requiring creative solutions in healing a too often splintered society.
Vote for Kaegi, Leeming and Frankel
As an Oak Park homeowner, there are few issues that catch my attention more than a discussion about taxes. It is encouraging to watch fellow residents formally jump into the fray to challenge the established order.
Gun reform: a good start
It's time. Time for the state of Illinois and the rest of the country to do more than have an honest conversation about gun violence in this country. And it was long past time for elected officials to do something about it. The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and staff members and wounded dozens of others has again prompted a nationwide debate over gun regulation.
Frankel brings a keen mind
I am writing to encourage you and everyone you know to get out and vote for Scott Frankel, an independent Democratic candidate for Judge in the 11th Subcircuit. To be honest, I don't normally endorse judicial candidates. In most elections, I find it hard to obtain good information and I worry about what I don't know about the processes that produced party endorsements for certain candidates.
Re-elect Judge Rosado
I am a retired teacher from the Chicago Public Schools and have had the pleasure of meeting with Judge Rosado. I found her to be experienced, knowledgeable and very open. A little background regarding Judge Rosado: on Jan. 20, 2017, she was appointed as a Cook County Judge by Justice Mary Jane Theis and is currently running for election in the 11th Sub-Circuit. She has been endorsed by the National Organization of Women, Personal Pact, and the Chicago Federation of Labor, to name of few.
Not sad to see Divvy go
Although I sympathize with those who used Divvy bikes, I was not sad to see them go. As others have pointed out, there were too few stations in Oak Park to make them convenient. Moreover, they were expensive, allowed too short a ride, and they charged outrageous penalties for going over the time limit. We have used this type of community biking system in Minneapolis and Toronto, and in both places the system worked great.
Rosado is fair and compassionate
As a supporter of Judge Joanne Rosado, who is currently running for the 11th Sub-Circuit, I am urging voters to get out and vote on March 20 and Punch #151. Judge Rosado is not only a lifelong resident of Cook County, she is an experienced and qualified judge. Having been appointed by the Supreme Court in 2017, her goals have always been to serve the public. As a public defender for over 15 years, she is known to be fair, compassionate and dedicated.
James Sharpe, 79
James Patrick Sharpe, died peacefully on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 at the age of 79. Born to Leo and Mary (O'Hara) Sharpe on Feb. 1, 1939 in Chicago, the second-eldest of six, he attended St. Peter Canisius until the family moved to Oak Park in 1950. He attended Oak Park and River Forest High School and, in 1956, joined the U.S. Marine Corp, serving until 1960.
Selling hospitals, taxes rise
Loyola Medicine announced this month that it has completed its purchase of MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, much to the dismay of taxpayers there. Property owners in Berwyn now face a substantial bump in their tax bill because for-profit Tenet Healthcare paid approximately $3.5 million to the city annually, whereas Loyola, a nonprofit health care system, is exempt from such taxes.
Helen Raptis, 99
Helen Raptis (nee Anastos), 99, a longtime resident of River Forest, died on Feb. 26, 2018. Born on Nov. 17, 1918 in Nafplio, Greece, the most important things to her were family and friends.
Laurence Myers, 70
Laurence P. (Larry) Myers, 70, a lifelong resident of Oak Park, died peacefully at his home, surrounded by friends and family, on Feb. 22, 2018. Born on Oct. 13, 1947 in Oak Park to Laurence and Iris Myers, he began his career in social work with Catholic Charities in Chicago, earned a Ph.D. from Loyola University, and retired from Mannheim School District 83 where he was dedicated to the children and developed lasting friendships with his colleagues.
A plea to young adults
I applaud you for finding your public voice. Your activism is inspirational. But demonstrations without a plan to achieve electoral success will not result in transformative change. Politicians know we need, and the public supports, smarter gun laws. Nothing happens because we allowed partisan ideologues to hijack the political system, and they've left us mired in stalemate. If you want change you need to organize an activist electoral strategy to break it.
Heroes dance raises funds for kids
"Bring a Hero. Be a Hero." This was the theme chosen by the Girl Scouts of Troop 40092 when they decided to throw a school dance. The scouts — all fifth-graders at St. Giles School — invited all the girls in their school to "bring a hero" to a delightful night of music, dancing and friendship. After a fall afternoon spent packing meals for hungry children around the world, the girls resolved that they'd invite their guests to "be heroes" too.
RF Village Hall to get face-lift
River Forest trustees unanimously approved contracts with a construction firm and office supply retailer at their regular board meeting on Feb. 26 to modernize the village hall by expanding the front counter space, replacing the carpet and installing new work stations. Trustees awarded a $137,800 construction contract to Efraim Carlson & Son, based in north suburban Libertyville, which provided the lowest of the seven bids trustees received for the work.
New security cameras, lighting planned for local CTA stops
New surveillance cameras will soon be added to Chicago Transit Authority stops in Oak Park, Forest Park and Austin, as part of the CTA's "Safe and Secure" program, a $33 million effort announced Feb. 27 that aims to increase rider safety by installing and upgrading security cameras, lights and adding video monitoring to stations, CTA spokesman Jon Kaplan confirmed in an email to Wednesday Journal.
Angry, helpless, but daring to hope for justice
By the time I learned of a school shooting in Florida on Feb. 14, I had already been grieving for about week — for another Florida teenager. I am reading Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin, by Trayvon's parents. Feb. 26 marked the five-year anniversary of Trayvon's death. These new murders took up a new murky space in my head, but without displacing the grief I felt as I immersed myself in the story of Trayvon's death and its aftermath.
Oak Park's little big man
BIG IMPACT: Gary Arnold, program director of Progress Center for Independent Living, served as president of Little People of America from 2011-17. | ALEXA ROGALS/Staff Photographer Gary Arnold stands just 4-foot-2, but he's a big man in Little People of America, a nonprofit that provides support, resources and information to individuals with dwarfism and their families.
Upholding the covenant of community
After reading about the murder of Sergio Quiano — and the testimonials by Matt Baron, Bill and Lynne Higgins, and others in Wednesday Journal — I wondered, "How did I miss this guy?" After all, he was frequently sighted walking the streets of Oak Park, the same streets I've been walking for the past quarter century. I'm familiar with all the "regulars" as I call them, solitary figures whose lives I often wonder, but too rarely inquire about.
New Hemingway family letter points to history of depression
Deborah and Jim Hopkinson review their small trove of Hemingway family documents at their home in River Forest. | Photo by Robert K. Elder Center of Attention: A Hemingway family photo, taken circa 1917, starkly illustrates this family tragedy: Four of the eight people in the photo eventually took their own lives. Hemingway's father shot himself in 1928, followed by the author himself (1961), then his sister, Ursula (1966), and their brother Leicester (1982).
River Forest hit with wrongful taxation lawsuit
Keystone Montessori School has filed a complaint against the village of River Forest, alleging trustees forced the nonprofit to pay real estate taxes in exchange for zoning rights. Keystone seeks $1.1 million in reimbursement for property taxes they paid for two decades, and an end to its agreement with the village. "We have long tried working with village officials to get this injustice fixed," Vicki Shea, administrative director at Keystone Montessori School, said in a statement.
Believe, achieve, succeed: Just Cause Dancers dream big dreams
Johanna Cousin—Forest Parker, second grade teacher and president of Just Cause Dancers—challenges young people to dream big dreams. Right now, Cousin's 60 dancers are dreaming of winning a national competition in April. Members of the nonprofit dance company compete at three levels: Minis (ages 3-9), Juniors (ages 10-12), and Elite (ages 13 and up).
Vote for unbought, unbossed candidates, March 20
Imagine elected officials the political machines cannot boss and special interests cannot buy. On March 20, we can actually vote for two unbought, unbossed candidates on the Democratic ballot: Daniel Biss for Governor, and Oak Park's Fritz Kaegi for Cook County Assessor. Biss and Kaegi are the worst nightmares for the Democratic and Republican political machines.
We're different, but we don't need to disappear
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. People start to disappear as we get older. I'm not talking about the fact that "old people" in our society are forced to become invisible. I'm not talking about los desaparecidos (the disappeared), the Argentines who were secretly arrested and murdered by an Argentinian dictatorship.
Area residents launch 'deep' mentoring in Austin
Patrick Kindred met Carlos Baca in 1998 — when Kindred was entering first grade. They've had a bond ever since. The pair's 20-year relationship was forged through an organization called Friends of the Children, which pairs some of the country's most at-risk young people with salaried mentors, from the time those young people first enter the classroom until they graduate from high school.
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