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The Mokena Messenger 120816
The Mokena Messenger 120816
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mokenamessenger.com sound off<br />
the Mokena Messenger | December 8, 2016 | 17<br />
Social snapshot<br />
Top Web Stories<br />
From MokenaMessenger.com as of<br />
Monday, Dec. 5<br />
1. Knights girls basketball earns third win of<br />
season with victory over Andrew<br />
2. Photos: A little off the top - MIS principal<br />
shaves head to reward students’ fundraising<br />
3. Mokena Chamber of Commerce’s annual<br />
Christmas Fest kicks off holiday season<br />
4. News from Your Neighbors: Pickleball<br />
presence could increase in Orland Park<br />
5. Rich South boys basketball squeaks past<br />
Central 36-34 in season opener<br />
Become a member: mokenamessenger.com/plus<br />
“The 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball Team plays<br />
in the Sectional Championship Game tonight<br />
versus Collin Powell. The game is being<br />
played at Summit Hill Junior High at 6:30 PM.<br />
Come support your Meteors!”<br />
Mokena Junior High School shared this<br />
message on its Facebook page Nov. 30.<br />
Like The Mokena Messenger: facebook.com/<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
“Thank you to the alumni who stopped<br />
in to discuss their experiences in college<br />
today! #OnceAKnightAlwaysAKnight @<br />
LWCentralKnight”<br />
@lwcpps sshared this photo on its Twitter<br />
page Nov. 23<br />
Follow The Mokena Messenger: @mokenamessenger<br />
From the assistant editor<br />
Take a leaf from their book<br />
Amanda Stoll<br />
a.stoll@22ndcenturymedia.com<br />
Lincoln-Way<br />
Transition Students<br />
remind us what’s<br />
really important<br />
Acouple weeks ago, I<br />
had the opportunity<br />
to visit the Lincoln-<br />
Way Transition students at<br />
Lincoln-Way Central and<br />
tour their greenhouse and<br />
card making classroom.<br />
The Transition program<br />
helps students with special<br />
needs do just that — transition<br />
from high school to<br />
adulthood and independence.<br />
Students work on<br />
life and social skills while<br />
developing job skills that<br />
will help them when they<br />
Letters to the Editor<br />
Thanks for a job well done,<br />
Mokena<br />
On Nov. 23, my wife and<br />
I were victim to an automobile<br />
accident on Wolf Road<br />
in front of the Walgreens. A<br />
reckless speeding motorist<br />
was the cause and at fault.<br />
The accident was witnessed<br />
by several Mokena<br />
residents, who immediately<br />
came to our aid. Often, we<br />
hear how nobody wants to<br />
get involved. This was not<br />
true in this incident.<br />
An off-duty nurse ran to<br />
our car, and several of the<br />
eyewitnesses were being<br />
verbally abused by the atfault<br />
motorist for telling<br />
what they saw. The witnesses<br />
held their ground<br />
until the police arrived.<br />
We want to thank all of<br />
the eyewitnesses and the<br />
Mokena Police Department<br />
and Mokena Fire Protection<br />
District. Our interaction<br />
with both the police and fire<br />
personnel was caring, helpful,<br />
professional and simply<br />
amazing.<br />
leave the program.<br />
Upon my arrival at the<br />
school, I was met by Mary<br />
Harrison, the Director of<br />
Special Services, and we<br />
walked down to the area of<br />
the school that houses the<br />
Transition Program.<br />
Standing in the hallway,<br />
I could see students in a<br />
nearby classroom learning<br />
to cook a turkey for their<br />
upcoming holiday meal.<br />
We were quickly joined<br />
by four students and one<br />
of their instructors, Josh<br />
Kreske, who took us to the<br />
greenhouse.<br />
The small glass-sided<br />
building was overflowing<br />
with poinsettias the students<br />
have grown this school year,<br />
the sight of which could lift<br />
even the Grinch’s spirits.<br />
Walking out the back door<br />
of the school, I could see all<br />
the red and white color from<br />
across the parking lot.<br />
When we got there, it<br />
was clear the students were<br />
proud of their work and excited<br />
to tell me about it. We<br />
chatted for a few minutes in<br />
the greenhouse before heading<br />
back up to the school<br />
building.<br />
The students went back<br />
to their classes, and Harrison<br />
showed me to the card<br />
making classroom, where<br />
students were hard at work<br />
making holiday cards to<br />
sell.<br />
Again, I was impressed<br />
with the care and detail the<br />
students put into their work,<br />
and how much fun they<br />
seemed to be having doing<br />
it.<br />
They were focusing on<br />
their work, but each of them<br />
took a moment to smile<br />
or wave when we came in<br />
the room. There was music<br />
playing, and they were<br />
dancing at their seats as they<br />
worked.<br />
Before I left I had the opportunity<br />
to talk to Kreske<br />
and Harrison a bit more, but<br />
it wasn’t until I got home<br />
at the end of the day that<br />
I realized how much I’d<br />
enjoyed my time there.<br />
It’s no secret that a joyful<br />
mood is infectious, but it<br />
took me a while to pinpoint<br />
the reason why the rest of<br />
my day had been so upbeat,<br />
even despite my busy workload<br />
before the Thanksgiving<br />
holiday.<br />
Maybe it’s cliché, but<br />
wouldn’t every day be so<br />
much better if everyone<br />
took a leaf from their book<br />
We later learned that four<br />
accidents were going on at<br />
the same time in Mokena.<br />
Due to the strain on manpower<br />
and resources, our<br />
police chief arrived on our<br />
scene to lend assistance to<br />
his men.<br />
Our experience truly demonstrates<br />
teamwork from our<br />
caring professionals and fellow<br />
Mokena residents.<br />
Thank you,<br />
Larry and Judy Sands<br />
Mokena Resident<br />
over at the Transition Program?<br />
This coming week, I want<br />
to challenge everyone to<br />
smile more and to try to<br />
embody the welcoming and<br />
joyful attitude of this group<br />
of students.<br />
I know I’m still new here,<br />
but I’m already getting<br />
hooked on my job. This<br />
week, I got the opportunity<br />
to meet and talk with people<br />
I might never have crossed<br />
paths with, and don’t think<br />
this kind of experience will<br />
be my last here.<br />
Sound Off Policy<br />
Editorials and columns are the<br />
opinions of the author. Pieces<br />
from 22nd Century Media are<br />
the thoughts of the company<br />
as a whole. The Mokena Messenger<br />
encourages readers to write<br />
letters to Sound Off. All letters<br />
must be signed, and names and<br />
hometowns will be published.<br />
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their address and phone number<br />
for verification, not publication.<br />
Letters should be limited to 400<br />
words. The Mokena Messenger<br />
reserves the right to edit letters.<br />
Letters become property of The<br />
Mokena Messenger. Letters that<br />
are published do not reflect<br />
the thoughts and views of The<br />
Mokena Messenger. Letters can be<br />
mailed to: The Mokena Messenger,<br />
11516 West 183rd Street, Unit<br />
SW Office Condo #3, Orland<br />
Park, Illinois, 60467. Fax letters<br />
to (708) 326-9179 or e-mail to<br />
tim@mokenamessenger.com.<br />
www.mokenamessenger.com.<br />
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