River Forest is a unique village of beautiful trees and handsome, mostly older, well-kept homes. It is surrounded by a river and a prized wild landscape. I truly appreciated living in this unusual environment … until this morning!
I was abruptly awakened about 5:30 a.m. by the loud and forceful barking of my Patti dog. She rarely barks and never with such fervor as today. She was chasing something or someone throughout the house, and I tried to follow her to see what “it” was. Lo and behold, I came upon my damage-ridden dining room. An antique glass centerpiece lay broken on the table, and the flowers that were in it were strewn throughout the room. My miniature glass bell collection was shattered, with glass everywhere. Two of the dining room chairs were overturned, even further proof of the marauder’s adventures.
I called the River Forest emergency fire/police service which responded immediately. By this time, I realized it was an animal in the house at least as large as my 25-pound dog.
I only recognized it as a huge raccoon after exhaustion sent me sinking into my rocking chair. As I sat there, momentarily resting, my dog continued barking, now at the window wall in the breakfast area. I looked to the corner of the room. There, to my shock, a pair of dark eyes were staring down at me. The raccoon was balancing itself precariously on my curtain rod.
Needless to say my sense of alarm was approaching panic until the River Forest emergency services arrived. Three efficient and calming men were equipped with the necessary implements and a cage to humanely capture my invader.
Although this is not a frequent happening, it is not all that surprising when you live in River Forest’s natural setting. I greatly appreciate that River Forest is so concerned and caring of its residents, making it one of the best places to live in anywhere … even with all of its natural inhabitants and occasional hazards.
Meanwhile:
A recent Wednesday Journal editorial, “The Barrel of Hate,” [Our Views, Viewpoints, April 19], speaks of a shameful demonstration of racism in our communities. Much courage was displayed by the First United Church of Oak Park. The church’s noble anti-racism intentions were greeted with an unexpected backlash by some intolerant folks in and beyond our progressive communities. The controversy interrupted the church’s planned Holy Week celebration. Oak Park Temple, meanwhile, generously opened their doors for some of the church’s activities, even though the Jewish holiday of Passover was about to begin.
First United Church of Oak Park’s “whiteness fast” recognized that open housing, initiated by the village of Oak Park half a century ago, was inadequate in addressing the ongoing problem of racism in our society. They recognized that white folks often harbor subconscious feelings of superiority even when we feel we’re free of any bigotry. This “whiteness” issue was the crux of the church’s innovative effort.
The Wednesday Journal editorial forces us to re-examine our own views and biases. I thank the editorial staff for this food for thought, prodding us “liberals” to take a closer and more honest look at ourselves.
Thank you for the wake-up call.
Harriet Hausman, a longtime River Forest resident, is 98 years young.
