Viewpoints
Musk could rescue his miscue
Re: “Short-timers take aim at Social Security problem.” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 27, 2026 Senators Durbin and Cassidy are frantically trying to formulate a bipartisan bill to repair the deficit in Social Security, which […]
The middle isn’t missing
On the 500 block of North Humphrey Avenue, the “missing middle” is not missing, nor is diversity lacking. We have single-family homes, small to large in size. We have several two-flats and one […]
Pete’s needs an extra entrance
As a loyal Pete’s Market customer, I am concerned that there is no north-side pedestrian entrance to the new Pete’s location on Madison Street and Oak Park Avenue. For a customer to access […]
A sharing librarian
August marks the transition to a new school year. And the Feast of St. Dominic on Aug. 8 led me to think about the education I got at Dominican University in librarianship and […]
Pro Bono for the common good
I’ve been volunteering with Pro Bono Network since 2015, contributing more than 375 hours of pro bono legal service. But the hours tell only a small part of the story. Through PBN, I’ve […]
Statewide reforms for local governments
The current controversy over Oak Park’s proposed zoning requirements highlights the need for major reforms in how municipal governments operate in Illinois. There was another situation in Bartlett where the Park District of […]
A little alliteration or a lot?
Nice alliteration in the headline about opening of Pete’s: “People pack Pete’s Market for the grand opening.” [News, Aug. 26]. Would’ve been fun to add to it. For those who’d waited a long […]
Shape Oak Park, RIP SFZ?
Oak Park residents recently received a glossy postcard from village hall inviting them to “test drive” a new zoning “tool” before the village board votes on the Shape Oak Park rezoning proposal. The […]
Overdoing traffic calming
Traffic calming in Oak Park is a noble goal, but it is becoming too excessive. Example: Corner of Grove/Thomas. Residents once asked for a stop sign there. Instead, we have a crazy number […]
Examine first, then act
I am increasingly concerned about the number of consequential financial and land-use decisions Oak Park is considering at the same time. We are discussing major changes to single-family zoning. We are considering a […]
And what do you think? We want to know!
One Views
Our zoning debate should not divide us
Oak Park’s zoning debate has quickly divided us into camps despite our shared interest in a better Oak Park. The goal isn’t maximum density, nor fossilizing everything exactly as is. It’s an Oak Park that stays welcoming, diverse, viable, and beautiful. We might lower the temperature of this debate if we treated zoning as one tool toward that future rather than the cause we’re fighting over. I’ll offer a personal parallel from across the globe. I grew up in Kozhikode, India, and my family’s housing story mirrors that of many families here: from our grandparents’ home to a rental to […]
First encounters with affordable housing
This is episode 11 in our continuing series on the history of Oak Park housing as it relates to diversity and equity: In 1946 the housing crisis caused by the Great Depression and the economic demands of World War II overwhelmed 550 veterans with families returning to Oak Park. The personal impact of the problem was visible in the free ad space in the Oak Leaves where dozens of veterans weekly pleaded for housing opportunity. Early in 1946, the Non-Partisan Civic League of Oak Park, made up of veterans of World War I and II, stepped forward and boldly proposed […]
Shrubtown: Serenity Now
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Columns
Politics is not a spectator sport
By Ken Trainor
Are you a political hobbyist or a political lobbyist? Maybe you’re a political atheist (someone who doesn’t believe in politics). There are probably other categories, but this is enough for one column. Andy Borowitz, a political satirist (another category) — best known for his “Borowitz Report,” short, fake-news, very funny dispatches — wrote a serious full-length book a few years back, titled Profiles in Ignorance: How America’s Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber, in which he documents this country’s steady political descent — from the know-nothingness of Ronald Reagan (President Cue Cards) through Bush I, Dan Quayle, Bush II and Sarah […]
Ageism affects all of us
By Marc Blesoff
This year, the Oak Park Aging in Communities Commission is sponsoring a celebration of Ageism Awareness Day on Friday, Oct. 9, at the 19th Century Club, 178 Forest Ave. in Oak Park. The program features Raymond Jetson, founder and author of Aging While Black. Jetson’s keynote will be followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the Oak Park Aging in Communities Commission. Aging While Black is subtitled “A Radical Reimagining of Aging and Race in America.” Jetson argues that aging in America is not a race-neutral experience. He dismantles toxic narratives about Black aging and offers a transformative vision […]
Living in antiquity
By John Stanger
My great aunt Jane was not only a collector of antiques but also a student of this field. Jane and her husband lived in a huge apartment on Oak Street a half block east of Michigan Avenue. Jane had inherited a great deal of money from her father, so she could easily afford this costly field. I once asked Jane how old an item must be before it is considered an antique, and she said it takes about 100 years to become an antique, but some dealers accept as antiques items only 50 years old. She also told me that […]
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