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12 | December 15, 2016 | The Homer Horizon NEWS
homerhorizon.com
FROM THE MOKENA MESSENGER
A critter carol: Mokena music
school supports local animal shelter
As the snow gently fell outside
the afternoon of Dec. 4, students of
Mokena’s All About Music & Children’s
Theatre embraced the spirit
of the winter wonderland outside,
performing a variety of holiday
tunes for their friends and family
at this year’s Caroling for Critters
music recital.
The event celebrated the holidays
with music and puppies at
the Christian Community Center
at Saint John’s United Church of
Christ in Mokena.
The third official Caroling for
Critters holiday recital hosted by
All About Music this was the second
year in a row that the event
also benefitted Cache Creek Animal
Rescue in New Lenox.
“We’re big animal people,” said
Todd Beebe, co-owner of All About
Music with his wife, Connie Johnson.
“We don’t have kids of our
own, so our dogs are like our babies.
… There’s so many dogs that need
a home at shelters. So, it’s good to
bring some attention to them.”
Each year, All About Music presents
its holiday recital as a benefit
to an animal shelter. In addition to
taking donations of pet care supplies,
volunteers from Cache Creek
were on site with three dogs available
for adoption.
“The reason we like Cache
Creek is because they let you adopt
today,” Beebe said. “We like the
idea that people can leave with an
animal today.”
Cache Creek is a no-kill shelter
for cats and dogs. All available
animals have been spayed or neutered,
microchipped and are up to
date on their shots, according to
Cache Creek volunteer Mary Jo
Bonamino.
Reporting by Amanda Del Buono,
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit
MokenaMessenger.com.
FROM THE NEW LENOX PATRIOT
Village celebrates Nelson Road
extension with ribbon cutting
Hosting ribbon cuttings for road
openings are uncommon, according
to New Lenox Mayor Tim
Baldermann, but he thought a ceremony
for Nelson Road’s extension
was necessary.
The finished project is expected
to be vital in benefiting vehicle traffic
flow throughout town, which is
why Baldermann and other Village
officials came together Dec. 2 for a
ribbon cutting upon its completion.
“This is something we’ve told
the community that we were going
to do and wanted for decades, quite
frankly,” Baldermann said. “This
is something they’ve wanted for a
long time because we have limited
north-south travel.”
The extension is to provide less
congestion for the north-south
roadways of Cedar Road and Gear
Drive. It connects Nelson Road
from Haven Avenue to Illinois
Highway, which is approximately
a mile strip.
“It doesn’t seem like much, but
it really is quite a bit,” Baldermann
said. “It’s more about giving alternate
routes for people to get north
and south in town.”
Construction for the roadway
started early in the summer, after
financing was approved in April.
Baldermann said the extension
“was more than just building a
road.” Years of negotiations between
the Village and property
owners to acquire the land necessary
kept the project from being
done sooner. It also needed additional
approvals because of a gas
pipeline in the construction area.
“I’m just really grateful to our
staff that works so hard out there,”
Baldermann said. “We worked
with our firm and construction; everyone
did a wonderful job getting
this done and open on time. This
will be helpful to the residents in
many ways.”
Reporting by James Sanchez, Editor.
For more, visit NewLenoxPatriot.com.
FROM the tinley junction
Vogt Visual Arts Center hosts
annual dollhouse show
Everyone knows the saying,
“There’s no place like home.”
And in Julie Dekker’s eyes, that
saying comes to life for the artists
who participated in the Vogt Visual
Arts Center’s annual Gingerbread
Houses, Dollhouses & Miniatures
Show.
The exhibition — which began
Dec. 3 and runs until Jan. 21 —
features 26 tiny houses. A train set
and a small display of fairy-sized
furnitures, wood carvings and
stained glass pieces complete the
showcase.
Each piece revealed its artists’
dedication to detailing and reimagining
life on a smaller scale, and it
is evident that these rooms were
put together carefully.
One home, in particular, had a
boy’s bedroom. His baseball uniform,
which was neatly on his bed
— a stark contrast to an assortment
of toys scattered all over the floor.
Dekker, the gallery director at
the center, pointed to a large toy
mansion that rested on the edge
of a display table. That mansion
— which she described as a mustsee
attraction — is owned by Oak
Lawn resident Linda Sterns.
“Every year, people come to see
this one,” Dekker said, noting its
ornate, vintage-style decorations
that range from what appear to
be a dining table to floral-printed
couches. “It’s really beautiful.”
Reporting by F. Amanda Tugade,
Editor. For more, visit TinleyJunction.
com.
FROM the frankfort station
Annual auction, dinner help
empower local women
When real estate agent Cheryl
Colanto pondered going back to
school a decade ago, it was a $500
scholarship from a local women’s
organization that made it a done
deal.
“I think it’s great — women
helping other women and just the
whole sisterhood behind it is very
rewarding,” Colanto said.
The group, the Lincoln-Way
Area Women’s Business Organization,
has for years awarded
multiple $500 and $1,000 scholarships
to female high school graduates
from Lincoln-Way Community
High School District 210 and
Providence High School, as well as
adult women returning to school to
continue their educations.
The organization held its annual
holiday auction Dec. 7, continuing
a decades-long effort to support a
scholarship fund for Lincoln-Way
area women.
As the major funding source of
these scholarships, the success of
the auction is crucial in determining
how many will be awarded.
This past year, the group raised a
record $15,000, which led to 16
women receiving scholarships.
Applicants must be from the Lincoln-Way
area, be in the top half of
their graduating classes and have a
record of service in the community.
The group appeared on track to
do well, as more than 250 women
— a sellout crowd — packed Harry
E. Anderson VFW Post 9545 to
show their support.
“As you see, this place is going
to sell out; we’re packing the entire
room,” organization president Michelle
Kerfin said. “Women love to
get together and have a night away or
just have a night like this where they
can give back to the community and
also hang out with some friends.”
Reporting by Brenden Moore,
Freelance Reporter. For more, visit
FrankfortStation.com.
Police Reports
Man reportedly steals two packs of Red Bull from Speedway
A man — who police described
as white — reportedly removed
two 12-packs of Red Bull and
walked out without paying Nov.
28 at the Speedway at 12007 W.
159th St. The man then left in a
2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, police
said.
Nov. 27
•A residence on the 16000 block
of W. 135th Street was broken into
and had cash, personal papers, two
watches and a laptop stolen, according
to police.
Nov. 26
•Tara Lashay Barefield, 34, of
2218 N. Bogdan in Joliet, was
charged with motor vehicle theft at
S. Crème Road and W. Stonehaven
Lane.
Nov. 24
•An unlocked vehicle was reportedly
entered on the 14000 block of
S. Boulder Drive and had a Nintendo
DS, a portable DVD player and
a checkbook stolen.
Nov. 23
•Jennifer Marcheese, 25, of 16108
Golfview Drive in Lockport, was
cited for allegedly driving while
her license was suspended and
no valid registration at S. Gougar
Road and W. 151st Street.
Nov. 22
•Marc J. Pedroni, 62, of 14452 S.
Crème Road in Homer Glen, was
cited for reportedly leaving the
scene of an accident, failure to
reduce speed to avoid an accident
and disregarding a stop sign at S.
King Road and W. 143rd Street.
Editor’s note: The Homer Horizon’s
police reports come from the Will
County Sheriff’s Department’s online
news bulletin service. Anyone listed
in these reports is considered to be
innocent of all charges until proven
guilty in a court of law.