Forest Leaves

OPRF ‘summit’ focuses on math, science

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:34:58 -0600

Science and math education were front and center at a day-long technology “summit” at Oak Park-River Forest High School Feb. 3. More than 200 educators, researchers and business professionals participated in panel discussions, break-out sessions, and heard from keynote speakers on the benefits of strong science and math education, both for individual’s career prospects and the overall national economy. The stated goal was to build partnerships between middle schools, high school and universities, develop research and mentoring relationships, and motivate and encourage students to consider the science and math fields as career choices. Mission accomplished, said Bill Grosser, head of …

Parent/student cafe: How to avoid drugs and alcohol

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:20:00 -0600

Join IMP.A.C.T. (Parents and Community Together to reduce youth alcohol and drug use) and District 97 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School for a Parent/Student Cafe on how to avoid drug and alcohol use. The pervasive drug and alcohol culture among teens poses many dilemmas for youth. This fun and engaging Parent/Student Cafe will help you and your child feel better prepared to work through those dilemmas during middle school and beyond. This event will feature: Dilemma stories; small group discussion and an African drum performance. All middle school students and their parents or caregivers …

Voterama in Congress, week ending Feb. 10, 2012

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:20:02 -0600

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to bar members of Congress and their staff from using inside legislative information in personal stock trading. Members empowered presidents to veto discretionary-spending items providing that both houses of Congress then vote to approve of the rescissions. Members also required new rules for figuring the budgetary impact of federal loan programs. Senators, meanwhile, approved a federal aviation budget, and they advanced a bill to authorize federal road, bridge, transit and highway-safety programs through Sept. 30, 2013.

Snow, warmer temperatures expected this week

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:56:20 -0600

The bitter cold temperatures that hit the Chicago area over the weekend are expected to give way to snow Monday and then milder weather by the end of the week. Temperatures are expected to climb to 35 degrees on Monday, when there is an 80 percent chance of snow after 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service’s website. About two inches of accumulation is possible by Tuesday morning. While the temperature is expected to climb from a weekend low of 10 degrees Saturday morning, wind gusts as high as 20 miles per will remain Monday afternoon, the weather service …

Kirk moved to Chicago rehab center

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:06:02 -0600

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, who suffered a stroke nearly three weeks ago, was transferred Friday to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

Gaskill case headed to grand jury

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:14:00 -0600

Robert Gaskill, the River Forest foster paraent who is accused of molesting two children in his care, appeared before a judge Thursday morning and learned his case will be presented to a grand jury. Judge William H. Wise continued Gaskill’s case until Friday, Feb. 24, at which time he said he expected the two charges of predatory criminal sexual assault lodged against Gaskill to be replaced by a superceding direct indictment. Two River Forest police officers who had been in court earlier left, prior to Gaskill appearing, apparently after being informed their testimony would not be required Thursday morning. Deputy …

Snow makes its way back to the area Friday

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:00:02 -0600

Feeling a chill in the air? Snow will be back as soon as Friday when lake effect snow could hit the city and Northwest Indiana with six inches.

Paid ally talks up Welch in TribLocal post

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:01 -0600

Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s campaign staff touted the labor and political endorsements the 7th District state representative candidate recently received by sending out a number of press releases last month. But Francine Harrell, who sits with Welch on the Proviso District 209 school board and is working on his campaign, did some additional legwork. Using a feature on TribLocal — a suburban supplement to the Chicago Tribune — that allows citizens to post entries, she wrote a piece that trumpeted Welch’s endorsements. In it, she also detailed his campaign platform. At no point, though, did she state that she has any …

Welch has support and cash from local labor, pols

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:01 -0600

A few weeks after being snubbed for an endorsement by the Proviso Township Democratic Organization, Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a candidate for 7th District state representative, gained some key support from local politicians and labor groups. Late last month, Welch received “the overwhelming support” of a number of local mayors and village chiefs who are backing his run — formally and financially. Those supporters include: Bellwood Mayor Frank Pasquale, Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone, Broadview Mayor Sherman Jones, Hillside Mayor Joseph Tamburino, Mayor Ron Serpico of Melrose Park, Mayor Ben Mazulla of Stone Park and Mayor Jeffrey Sherwin of Northlake. “Welch …

Welch tells unions he’ll protect their pensions

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:10:01 -0600

In the 7th District state representative race, local unions are putting their support behind candidate Emanuel “Chris” Welch. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Illinois Council, Local 399 Operating Engineers, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 recently endorsed Welch as their candidate for state representative in the upcoming March 20 primary. Local 399 Operating Engineers has over 10,000 members statewide, while SEIU Illinois Council joins together more than 165,000 members who are part of a wide variety of industries, while Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 represents over 100 bargaining units of employees employed by cities, towns, counties and …

River Forest’s bond rating upgraded to AA+

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:44:01 -0600

River Forest received word last week that Standard & Poor’s Rating Services upped its bond rating from AA to AA+, a sign of the town’s strong fiscal health. A report from the ratings agency says the improved score was the result of residents’ high income, as well as the village’s strong reserves and its “low-to-moderate debt levels.” “We expect the village to maintain its very strong reserves through continued balanced annual budgets,” said John Sauter, an S&P credit analyst, in the report. The village had $5.4 million in the bank, according to am April 30, 2011, audit of its finances. …

Locked in

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:23:43 -0600

The annual Eighth-Grade Lock-In was Friday at Roosevelt Middle School in River Forest. One of the most memorable events of middle school, this overnight event — from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. — began with a motivational speaker, followed by sports, games, dancing with a DJ, and a service project. OPRF students helped chaperone and lead the activities. …

River Forest to ticket car sticker scofflaws

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:23:48 -0600

River Forest will begin cracking down on residents who do not purchase vehicle stickers from the village, according to a press release issued by the police department last week. On Feb. 4, River Forest police mailed citation notices to about 300 residents who are believed to not be adhering to an ordinance that requires the purchase of a village sticker. The mailers advised the local vehicle owners to purchase vehicle stickers and to pay a fine for failing to do so previously. Police compared the Illinois Secretary of State’s website to its own database to see which residents had licenses …

Crime taskforce’s cases up by 65 %

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:34:04 -0600

An annual report issued last week by West Suburban Directed Gang Enforcement taskforce mostly highlighted a number of headline-grabbing arrests that took place in 2011. But it also addressed a strategy the multijurisdictional law enforcement group has grown fond of: long-term investigation. WEDGE is a special unit composed of officers from Berwyn, Cicero, Elmwood Park, Forest Park, Oak Park, Riverside, River Forest and Stickney. Since late 2008, the group has worked to tackle regional drug and gang problems. Presently, the task force is working to craft a long-term strategy to deal with those issues. This means there will likely be …

Catholic cemeteries offer to bury 300 bodies stacked at morgue

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:28:02 -0600

The Archdiocese of Chicago is offering to pay for up to 300 burials for the bodies being held at the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Oak Park cops nab suspect in bank robbery

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:33:25 -0600

Oak Park police dragged a suspect from a trash dumpster where he was hiding after allegedly robbing a bank on Tuesday afternoon. A man wearing sunglasses and a scarf over his face entered the Charter One Bank, 810 S. Oak Park Ave., at 1:44 p.m. He displayed a handgun and ordered everyone inside the bank to the floor. Witnesses say he then jumped over the counter, grabbed an undisclosed amount of cash from a cash drawer, and ran out of the bank. The suspect’s description was broadcast to patrol units, which responded to the area around Oak Park Avenue and …