For the past several months, I’ve been working on establishing a south suburban chapter of the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC). I became acquainted with CMRC during my time as chief of staff for the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and was greatly impressed by its work in creating Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), a high school in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood that specializes in preparing students for careers in the manufacturing workforce. APA offers its students the opportunity to gain the necessary credentials to enter the new highly-technical world of manufacturing immediately upon graduation from high school, or to be prepared for college degrees in management, engineering, and other field related to manufacturing. Several manufacturing companies in the Chicago region are partners with APA and provide students with the opportunity for job-shadowing, internships, and potential employment after they have completed their schooling. When I retired from the CTU staff in July 2010, I became committed to the idea of creating similar educational opportunities for high school students in our south suburban region and since have been working with a group of elected officials, manufacturers, educators, labor representatives, and folks from community-based organizations to create our South Suburban CMRC Chapter. We are progressing very well and I’m optimistic we will see our dream of providing manufacturing-related educational opportunities for the young people of our region become reality

In addition to working on creation of our South Suburban CMRC Chapter, I’ve been busy with a number of other activities since this website last was updated. Those activities included

• Several meetings relating to the Village of Park Forest’s 2011-2012 Budget;.
• Attendance at the International Conference of Shopping Centers in mid-May, at which connections with several business concerns were made. Some of those businesses since have made multiple site-visits to Park Forest and we’re optimistic that we will see some economic development emerge from those contacts in the very near future. One contact coming from that conference is proposing development of a commercial building along the north side of Main Street, between Western Avenue and Forest Boulevard, that would host two retail businesses and a fast-food facility.
• Work with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC), and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning (CMAP) on a number of projects, including a community-participation program on “Homes for a Changing Region” and the development of the Park Forest Sustainability Plan.
• Appointment by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle to serve on the South Suburban Health Care Council to provide input to the county on important health-related needs of our residents.

Other activities in which I’ve participated since the beginning of September include the following.

• Meetings of the Executive Committee of the South Suburban Mayors & Managers Association on September 1, 22, and October 6, plus attendance at the SSMMA general meeting on September 22.
• Attendance at Park Forest Village Board meetings on September 6, 10, 19, October 1 and 3.
• Meetings of the Park Forest Rotary Club on September 1, 8, 22, and October 6.
• An open house at the Park Forest Fire Station honoring retiring firefighter Al Martinez on September 9.
• The Village of Park Forest 10th Anniversary 9-11 Memorial Program on September 11.
• The first official meeting of the Mayor’s Citizens Advisory Council (MCAC) on September 14. Also a meeting of the MCAC Executive Committee on September 21.
• A luncheon meeting with Park Forest Industry park businesses on September 14 to discuss the VPF Sustainability Plan.
• The annual meeting of the Illinois Municipal League (IML) in Chicago on September 15, 16, and 17.
• The charity baseball game between the Park Forest Fire Department and the Park Forest Police Department at Central Park on September 17.
• The Park Forest Human Relations Commission’s “Good Egg” Award on September 19.
• A meeting with the School District 163 Board of Education on September 19.
• A meeting of the Park Forest Recreation & Parks Advisory Board at the Wetlands Discovery Center on September 20 to discuss future plans for the Park Forest Aqua Center.
• Enjoying pancakes at the 60th Anniversary Park Forest Pancake Day on September 24.
• The second anniversary of the Park Forest Bark District dog park on September 24.
• The quarterly Park Forest Business Breakfast program at Dining-on-the-Green Banquet Hall on September 28.
• A Neighborhood Meeting for residents of the section south of Sauk Trail to the Will County line and east of Indianwood Boulevard to Western Avenue at the Celebration Ministries (formerly Hope Lutheran Church) on September 28.
• A planning meeting with Village Manager Tom Mick, Director of Community Development Larrie Kerestes, and retired University of Illinois Professor Paul Craig on September 30 in preparation for the Village Board’s annual goal-setting session. Professor Craig will serve as facilitator for that event.
• Attendance at a performance of “Spitfire Grill” at Illinois Theatre Center (ITC) on October 2.
• A meeting on October 3 to review the proposal from RLD Enterprises Inc. for purchase of the former Hollymatic/Zulanis Distributing/Blue Ridge Farms building at the corner of Orchard Drive and North Street.
• A speech before the Park Forest Kiwanis Club on October 4.
• Attendance at the Chicago Deal-Making Session of the International Conference of Shopping Centers at Navy Pier on October 5.
• Attendance at an SSMMA meeting on “Electrical Aggregation” on October 5.
• Opening of the permanent collection exhibit at Tall Grass Gallery on October 7.

Park Forest-related events that I will be attending during the next few weeks include the following.

• A coffee at the home of Myrtle Martin in the East Lincolnwood neighborhood on October 11, sponsored by the MCAC.
• A meeting with Village staff on funding for the Park Forest Aqua Center on September 12.
• An SSMMA meeting on proposed gaming legislation before the Illinois General Assembly, featuring State Representative Lou Lang who is sponsor of the bill, to review the implications of the bill for the South Suburbs.
• A meeting of the SSMMA Legislative Committee on September 13.
• The annual Fire Department Memorial Service and Silent Parade on September 13.
• The Park Forest Village Board Strategic Planning & Financial Update meeting on October 15.
• A Park Forest Village Board meeting on October 17.
• A meeting of the MCAC Executive Committee on October 18.
• A program on “Going Green” at the Dining-on-the-Green Banquet Hall on October 19.
• A meeting of the South Suburban CMRC Chapter at the Dining-on-the-Green Banquet Hall on October 20.
• An SSMMA business meeting on October 20.
• The Park Forest Village Board Strategic Planning & Goal-Setting session on October 22.
• A Neighborhood Meeting at Freedom Hall on October 26.
• A forum sponsored by the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation on October 28.
• A performance of “Heroes” at ITC on October 30. Through the good efforts of State Representative Anthony DeLuca we have obtained a grant for ITC from AT&T, which will be presented at the matinee performance on this date.

Mayor John A. Ostenburg (second from left) recently hosted a tour of the Austin Polytechnical Academy in Chicago for representatives from Chicago’s south suburbs. Participating in the tour were (left to right) Park Forest Trustee Georgia O’Neil; Ernie Davis, former Bloom Township High School District 206 administrator; LaShung Willis, an administrator with Ivy Tech Community College in Gary; Jeffrey Mullin of the Healthcare Consortium of the South Suburbs; Dr. Michael Townsend, south suburban resident and former president of a South Carolina technical college; Gwen Woodard, also of the Healthcare Consortium; Park Forest Trustee Bonita Dillard; Dr. John Rodgers, superintendent of Crete-Monee School District 201-U; and Beth Dybala, a private consultant.

John and Therese Goodrich served as Grand Marshals for this year's 4th of July parade.

4th of July 2011

Long-Time Dedication

• 25+ years of experience and leadership in government
• Reduced annual tax levy to approximately 4 percent
• A leading statewide advocate for changing the way public schools are funded in Illinois
• Worked to secure over $27 million in outside funding to grow Park Forest, eliminating the need to levy those funds
• Appointed Park Forest's first African-American clerk
• Appointed several African-Americans to positions on volunteer boards and commissions, including a number as chairpersons or vice-chairpersons

Mayor John Ostenburg with former Chicago Bears great Richard Dent. Dent, LLC, is planning to do business in Park Forest.