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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Morton Grove org says some of its gay pride signs posted in planters were removed, vandalized
At least a dozen gay pride signs posted in planters on village of Morton Grove streets have been reported stolen, causing alarm for leaders of a local pride organization that produced them and prompting the mayor to vow the matter will be looked into. The signs read 'Morton Grove Has Pride' and were created and distributed by Morton Grove Pride, a community organization started last year to launch LGBTQ+ pride initiatives in the village for the first time, according to its co-leader Gia Schultz. Morton Grove Village President Janine Witko mentioned the reported thefts at the June 10 Village Board meeting. 'We've been alerted that some signs have been taken out of planters around the village, and specifically pride signs,' Witko said. 'We just want to let everyone know that we take that seriously .. and we will take action.' Schultz said Morton Grove Pride partnered with the village's public library and park district, as well as the Niles and Maine townships, in distributing and publicizing the signs and organizing other events celebrating pride month. A total of 250 plastic,18×24-inch signs with trees the color of the rainbow along the top were created and they sell for $6 each, Schultz said. She explained that local residents have placed signs and decorated their homes to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. However, the signs Schultz and some of her friends purchased and placed in 15 community planters on May 31 were damaged or removed in recent weeks, she said. Schultz said she had not heard of any other pride signs or decorations being taken or damaged in the village, and speculated the signs believed to be stolen from the planters were just more accessible because they were on the sidewalk. 'Everything we have heard has been super positive, people have been thrilled that something is finally happening in Morton Grove,' she said, referring to the organization's pride month efforts. Morton Grove police Commander Dominik Przekota told Pioneer Press that Schultz reported June 9 that 12 signs were stolen from planters at Dempster Street and Menard Avenue, Dempster and Ferris streets, Dempster Street and Fernald Avenue, and Waukegan and Beckwith roads. Przekota said the signs were completely removed or left broken, and there was no damage to the planters. He said the investigation is ongoing, with police checking for surveillance cameras in the area. 'This is the only time anything like this has happened,' Przekota said. Schultz said she filed an additional police report June 12 when the signs she had replaced in the planters were removed again. She even found some of the signs crumbled and stuffed in nearby garbage cans. Authorities reportedly obtained surveillance video showing youth on bikes removing signs, and even a motorist pulling over to remove one, Schultz said she was told. Przekota would not comment on specifics of the investigation.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Gurnee trustees approved raising the village's home rule sales tax by 0.5 percent
Gurnee will no longer have a grocery tax, starting Jan. 1, but the Village voted to increase its home rule sales tax by 0.5% at its June 16 Village Board meeting. The increased sales tax was unanimously approved by Gurnee's Village Board. 'This is an idea that is exceptional,' said Trustee Kevin Woodside. 'The fact that the State of Illinois has eliminated the 1% grocery tax has put most home rule communities in a position to reinstate that tax, but we are positioned, very smartly, I think, to shift half a percent of our sales tax to supplant that, and develop a surplus.' After passing House Bill 3144, Illinois is eliminating its 1% grocery tax, but is allowing municipalities to make up that funding by either implementing their own grocery tax or increasing other taxes. Most groceries are currently taxed at 1.75%, with 1% being returned to municipalities and 0.75% going to the Regional Transportation Authority. The new law covers a majority of food items that can be purchased in a grocery store, but does not include alcohol, candy, soft drinks and foods consisting of, or infused with, adult-use cannabis. Those items will continue to be taxed when purchased throughout Illinois. The state's repeal of the grocery tax goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and municipalities throughout Illinois had until October 1 to approve a tax that would replace it, if they wanted the tax to be in effect when the state tax is repealed. 'The grocery tax, for us, is between $2 (million) and $2.5 million,' said Patrick Muetz, Gurnee's Village Administrator, about how much revenue the tax brings into the Village each year. While Gurnee could have implemented its own grocery tax within the Village, it instead opted for an increase in Gurnee's home rule sales tax. Muetz said that the Village will receive its final grocery tax payment in March 2026 and will start receiving revenue from its increased sales tax in April. 'There would be no gap in funding,' Muetz said. Gurnee's Finance Director Brian Gosnell gave a presentation at the Village's May 19 board meeting, recommending that Gurnee opt for the 0.5% increase in sales tax, rather than implementing another tax on groceries, as it would alleviate the tax burden on residents. Muetz said that the primary shoppers at Gurnee's grocery stores are Gurnee residents, more than 'any other retailer.' He also added that 55% of the Village's residents who shop at Gurnee's grocery stores are over the age of 52. 'The only option that we have, from our local taxing authority, to generate a large enough base to replace that revenue would be the home rule sales tax,' Muetz said. 'It fills that gap left by the grocery tax, as well as generates funding needed for capital infrastructure, mainly water and sewer main replacement.' According to Gosnell, the Village was looking for options that would recoup the revenue lost from the repeal of the grocery tax, and would also cover a $3 million upgrade to Gurnee's water infrastructure, which means that Gurnee was looking to bring in approximately $5.5 million in additional revenue each year, after the repeal of the grocery tax. 'We need to invest more than what we're investing today,' Muetz said about Gurnee's water and sewer main system. 'We've fallen behind on that, and this shifts that burden to visitors of our community.' According to Muetz, Gurnee residents who do all of their shopping within the village will now be saving approximately $85 per year by the Village switching to increasing its home rule sales tax, rather than implementing a new grocery tax. 'The burden will be shifted to our visitors in a way that won't be felt,' Woodside said. 'It uniquely puts us in a position to give a break to our own residents on food.'
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Lincolnwood declares June Immigrant Heritage Month: ‘We must never forget where we came from'
The June 4 Lincolnwood Village Board meeting evoked a mix of emotions, with proclamations presented and approved that celebrated immigrant heritage – against a backdrop of contentious nationwide immigration enforcement – along with local student achievement and the town's housing crisis. Village President Jesal Patel opened the board meeting with a proclamation declaring June as Immigrant Heritage Month, what he called a very important measure. 'Nearly all of us can trace our heritage to another nation, and we must never forget where we came from and why our ancestors came here,' the proclamation reads, in part. The proclamation and highlight of immigrant heritage came amid current national unrest over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts. Earlier the same day as the meeting, protesters in Chicago, including three sitting aldermen, clashed with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers over the federal agency's detention practices within the city. The Lincolnwood proclamation did not reference tensions between federal and local officials directly, but it did allude to the role immigrant activists have played in the fight for a myriad rights in this country. 'Immigrants have been tireless leaders in securing their own rights and access to equal opportunity, but have also persevered to create a fairer and more just society for all Americans,' the proclamation reads. With more people in attendance at the meeting than are usually present, the Village Board moved from presenting the immigration proclamation to recognizing some local students. Another proclamation was presented that proclaimed June 4 as Lincolnwood Student Achievers Day. 'I think I can make it through without tearing up,' Patel said before reading an excerpt from the Dr. Seuss classic book 'Oh, the Places You'll Go,' to the students who had come to be honored. The proclamation celebrated high school students who qualified for the Illinois State Scholar Program through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission which requires students to either perform in the top half of their high school class, score in the 95th percentile on the SAT or ACT, or both. Twenty-nine Lincolnwood students qualified for the program in 2025. Additionally, Lincolnwood provided donation-funded scholarships to the highest-scoring male and female students in the 2025 graduation class. Taking a different tugging turn in the meeting, the board also heard a presentation on the village's affordable housing plan, which was developed to bring Lincolnwood into compliance with the state's Affordable Housing Planning and Appeal Act. The plan requires several components to satisfy the regulations in the AHPAA, including meeting a 10% threshold for affordable housing stock, and ensuring appropriate opportunities for land to be used for affordable housing are present. A final plan was due at the Illinois Housing Development Authority June 14.
Chicago Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Jon Kendseth begins work as Park Forest's eighth village manager
Park Forest's new village manager, Jon Kindseth, was introduced to the public at Monday night's Village Board meeting, although most of the meeting was spent honoring the man he is succeeding, Tom Mick. Kindseth, the eighth manager in the 76-year history of the community, spoke briefly and for most of the meeting heard the tributes to Mick while standing in the back of the crowded room. Mick, who is leaving after serving as the village manager for 20 years, was praised by board members for his dedication, commitment and building of trust. Hired as the director of personnel under then manager Janet Muchnik in 1998, Mick was promoted to assistant village manager in 2001 and became the village manager in 2005. Mick announced his planned retirement last some 11 months ago, generating an intensive search for his replacement. Village Trustee Erin Slone, along with fellow board members Theresa Settles, Tiffani Graham and John Moore, began the search for Mick's replacement last July. The process also included Mayor Joe Woods and department heads, national, regional, state, Black and Latino manager groups, and the services of MGT, a national consulting firm, which whittled down an initial list of 62 applicants to a dozen. The finalists all had a master's degree in public administration and from five to seven years of governmental experience. From those 12, six were invited for either personal or virtual interviews with the board, and from there two were invited back for interviews with department heads and a tour of the village. Slone said it was evident that Kindseth stood out. 'What we saw impressed us all,' she said. At the end of the tour, Slone said, Kindseth offered suggestions for trustees 'even if he said he was not chosen.' Kindseth graduated from Illinois State University in 2009 and was an intern with the west suburban community of Westchester for two years, and then assistant to Highwood's manager for another 17 months. In December, 2021, he became the village administrator for Beach Park, a small north suburban village. It was a position he held until he was appointed the deputy city manager of Decatur in 2019. In Beach Park, he joined with the neighboring communities of Zion and Winthrop Harbor in an agreement to hire an economic development coordinator to market the three municipalities as one unit, sharing sales taxes earned by new business brought to the area. Under terms of the Park Forest contract, Kindseth will be paid $196,000 this year with a $4,000 raise to $200,000 in 2026.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Area towns proclaim gay pride month, make call to reflect on ‘equity, visibility, and justice' importance'
With gay pride month underway – replete with activities, awareness efforts, and parades and other pageantry planned – area towns have issued their annual proclamations recognizing June as 'pride month' and calling for unity. The Park Ridge City Council, along with the Village Boards of Morton Grove and Niles, each approved official proclamations marking recognition of the lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, queer-plus community and its allies. 'We celebrate that this is a place where all people are celebrated, welcome and can find their home,' Carol Hill, senior pastor of Park Ridge Community Church, said after receiving a copy of the pride month proclamation from Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney at the June 2 City Council meeting. Hill and Park Ridge Community Church helped a group of young people organize the first 'Pride in Park Ridge' event last year. The church acted as a fiscal agent for the organizers so they could accept donations to put on the events. 'Last summer, the most frequent comment that we heard at Pride of Park Ridge was 'I never thought I would see this in my town,' Hill said. The community celebration for 2025 was held June 4. The village of Lincolnwood has not had an official proclamation for 2025, but the village began flying pride flags on Lincoln Avenue in 2024 and promotes gay pride month on its official Facebook page The Morton Grove proclamation was accompanied by news of pride signs being removed from planters in the village without permission. Mayor Janine Witko made mention of the removals at the June 10 Village Board meeting. 'We just want everyone to know that we take that seriously,' Witko said. 'Police reports have been filed, and we will take action.' The pride month proclamation by Morton Grove sought to use the village motto to strike an inclusive tone. 'The Village of Morton Grove's tagline 'Incredibly Close and Amazingly Open' underscores our collective resolve to work together with all members of our community,' the proclamation reads. A representative from the Morton Grove Pride organization was in attendance as the proclamation was publicly presented, then approved by the board. Morton Grove Pride formed in 2024 with the stated goal of hosting its first gay pride month celebration a year later. In Niles, Mayor George Alpogianis presented the town's gay pride proclamation at the May 27 Village Board meeting. 'Pride Month offers an opportunity for all people to reflect on the importance of equity, visibility, and justice, and to honor the legacy of LGBTQ+ pioneers, advocates, and allies who have fought — and continue to fight — for freedom and equality,' the proclamation reads.
