Ali Elsaffar News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

It is not hyperbole to say that Oak Park would not be the progressive village we know today without the countless contributions and unwavering commitment of people such as Galen Gockel. Gockel, 91, died Tuesday after a period of declining health.His longstanding dedication to the community has made an indelible impact on politics, education and the arts, as well as social justice. He served as a role model for public service — not only because of what he did, but how he did it, with humility, generosity and integrity.

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi owns a million-dollar, 120-year-old Prairie-style, two-story home on a spacious corner lot on the eastern side of Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District. Within a five-block area of Kaegi’s residence, neighbors with similar homes saw their properties’ assessed value — used to figure local property taxes — increase by an average of 32% this year ...

Oakpark.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oakpark.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.

AP Photos Let’s slam the door on many of the good government reformers who might want to lower property taxes on homes in Cook County, shall we? No. Please, no. But that would be the effect of an ill-advised amendment tacked onto a shell bill that passed out of committee on Wednesday in the Illinois House. It would bar anyone from becoming a Cook County Board of Review commissioner who is not a licensed attorney. That would weed out a lot of good government types. It also would weed out many experts in real estate and appraisals, whom you would think would be ideal candidates to sit on a bo...